Hopefully we will be playing against 11 and not 12 tonight. Another points-robbing refereeing decision could see me give up watching.
For a decade Chelsea have been a team studded with A-holes. Lampard, Terry, Costa, etc there were loads of them. Today only Luiz really approaches the awfulness of the past. Instead they have pleasant folk like Hazard, Kante, Cahill and Courtois.
Can we beat The Champions?
To be quite honest, I am doubtful unless we find some form. Chelsea will hopefully not PTB and allow some space for our forwards; if they do we can beat them but unlike Arsenal they have a full squad to pick from.
Chelsea also have a clever, charming manager with very good hair. Abramovich seems to like a good haircut.
With Ramsey, Giroud, Monreal and possibly Kos and Kol out, we have selection problems.
Win tonight and it will be a decent Xmas, lose and we fall behind.
My Team:
Cech
Chambers BFG Koscielny
Bellerin Xhaka Wilshere M-N
Ozil
Lacazette Sanchez
Given Chelsea use pace to attack it may be wise to start Holding rather than our Club Captain in the middle of defence and perhaps Elneny, or Coquelin, in place of M-N to add a touch of security.
This is an important night for Arsenal can we beat or even compete with a very good team in form? Can we get our potent front-line to fire. Lacazette needs to score and go on a run of scoring if we are to compete for the CL places. Trouble is, I am not sure he or AFC are capable.
That said, we beat Chelsea last time they came to The Emirates and at Wembley 😀, we can again.
COYRRG
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Thanks for the read BR
I think it is a good call for Laca to score; he is definitely due a goal.
Can’t see any kind of decent result coming from tonight though, naturally hope that I am wrong, heart says yes and all that, but the head says nooooo.
LB. Sad to say, I agree
shut up head.
thanks Raddy! I don’t think Chelsea are better than us at the moment. Without Hazard they tend to struggle a bit. If not for Cesc they would be fair game. with Cesc on the pitch, I am not sure.
Lacazette. Chamakh. Reyes.
what’s that about decent Christmas 🙂 it is well over now, no more mulled wine and chocolates! resolution and dieting time
thanks Tel
“Thibaut Courtois: Arsenal legend Thierry Henry helped Chelsea star Eden Hazard get his va-va-voom back”
Pencil me in for another Arsenal win
COYG!!!!
Happy belated New year to you all.
Thanks Raddy. I would normally get excited about that team and this game but apathy has taken root. Probably for the best as it preserves ones mental state. It is the expectancy that kills you.
Eddie, Thierry helped Hazard? Is Thierry not still helping out Martinez with the Belgium team? If he is it makes sense. He could have been helping out us but Arsene’s rules said “non”. Maybe Laca would have benefited from his insight, perhaps even the entire front line would have and perpetual lateral passing would be less evident.
Thierry just joins a long list of ex players that could likely offer something on the coaching side, but Arsene doesn’t want them around. I really feel more and more that he is living in his own little bubble world and I have this weird image that plays in my mind of people trying to tell him where we are going wrong and where we could improve and him sticking his fingers in his ears, shutting his eyes and shouting, blah blah blah blah, there is nothing anyone can teach me about football.
Cheers , BR.
In recent seasons we have raised our game on occasion when playing the bigger teams. That’s what I’m hoping for tonight.
BFG hattrick and 1 for Laca in a 4-2 victory.
Thanks Erik
Mmmm, hard not to share your sense of impending doom, especially looking at our defence
However I’m with Chas
At home and we know we can beat the nasty upstarts from Fulham
Still no internet so prospects of watching looking grim
On the bright side Sky sports reporting we’re about to sign a two year old Greek back and loan him out for twenty years
So a cracking statement of intent so early in the window 🙄
Raddy – are you forgetting something?
Is Ollie on the bench?
Thanks Raddy, as usual, you offer a realistic assessment.
The name Chambers in our defence fills me with dread, let’s hope he’s not left to deal with Hazard ….. I fear for the worst, he doesn’t have the equipment for a modern CB. This situation just highlights the idiocy of not replacing Gabriel in the summer.
I was due to go this evening, but a vicious tummy bug means I daren’t venture more than 10 paces from the porcelain 😳 … so a draw would herald a considerable improvement to my day 😆
Hi Gooner B
Happy belated New Year to you.
Regarding Henry coaching…
… Arsene said “Non!” because Henry wanted to split his time between coaching and so-called punditry. Not joking.
How would you feel if Bould was missing for 50% of our matches ’cause he’s pontificating with Lineker, Shearer and Wright Wright Wright on your box – maybe discussing Arsene sitting alone with no-one to moan to but himself.
a) Henry’s arrogance knows no bounds as far as I’m concerned.
b) Henry was a great player. So was Gascoigne.
My obvious point is?
c) Tony Adams
I’ll stop there.
——————————-
Eddie
Happy belated New year to you.
I think Ollie’s out for quite some time. Shoulda kept Sanogo.
———————————————–
The winking ref is very funny!
Brill.
Big Al
Agree about Henry
Disagree about Bould
Can’t see it would make the slightest bit of difference
Seems to me he spends most of his time playing space invaders on his iPad
If he’s meant to be defensive coach then he’s shit at it
Still got no hair and we don’t care though 😀
Big Al – NO. Dean is not a ref. Dean is not funny. Dean is the enemy no 1.
where is fred??
anyway. Eddie has a new virtual boyfriend now. Please do not be surprised if I become all hoity toity all of a sudden. He is a Gunner and wants to join the blog. Eddie doesn’t want him to know that she sometimes utters not a very nice word here and there
And farts after eating brussel sprouts
I don’t fart after eating Brussel sprouts. I don’t eat Brussel sprouts end off. Thank for vote of confidence
are you in London or doing pretendies?
In London.
Can you post a photo of virtual boyfriend?
Terry,
You must be besides yourself with happiness that we might be close to signing a strapping young Greek CB – with a non-memorable name after kon.
Although, if it happens, he is slated to shove off on loan to Dortmund until the summer. Not sure about that.
What gladness, what joy in the Terry household – so it seems Santa has arranged a late – early 2018 – Xmas prezzie for you. 🙂
Happy New Year to All.
Eddie
If he joins the blog we won’t let you down much
no I cannot!! but listen, if we behave it could be beneficial to all of us. His company has 3 tickets in the posh area, see..I’m not selfish
and the little drunk, is he with you? very quiet
Good point Al about the split in his time, but I don’t share your general thoughts on Thierry. Even then with the split in his time surely he could have had some positive coaching effect. I doubt he has been with Hazard on a daily basis but it seems according to Courtois he has still managed to help him.
I really am not seeing the arrogance that knows no bounds and wonder what I am missing. He has always had a confidence about him, (and had that trait as a player that we all loved), that I guess at times could be perceived as some as arrogant, but I don’t see it, and actually see more humility in him.
I think the point was more that Wenger hasn’t really utilised any ex player effectively. PV4 and Arteta both found that Man City valued them more than Wenger. I believe Keown indicated he had a short spell but wasn’t really allowed to instill his own identity into coaching the players defensively.
looking at it from the outside and reading between the lines the impression seems to be that only ex players that are prepared to either sit and say nothing or just nod and agree are allowed into the hallowed fold and anyone who challenges the methods or has a different opinion is out the door…….and yet the methods being used seem to throw up the same problems that hinder us every year.
A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to you all, AAers!!
Lovely preview, Raddinski. Call me mad but I have a good feeling about this one. 3-1 to the good guys and Xhaka to score the first. COYRRGs!
Usually have a bit of confidence about home games as we are capable of producing good performances when we don’t expect it, however, I’m looking at our back 5 and I’m very worried. Mustafi has to have a brilliant game in both defending and communication for us to have any chance.
CHELSEA TEAM NEWS
Team to play Arsenal: Courtois, Cahill, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Moses, Kante, Bakayoko, Alonso, Fabregas, Hazard, Morata
Subs: Caballero, Rudiger, Drinkwater, Pedro, Zappacosta, Willian, Batshuayi
18:45
ARSENAL TEAM NEWS
Team to play Chelsea: Cech, Holding, Mustafi, Chambers, Bellerin, Xhaka, Wilshere, Maitland-Niles, Ozil, Sanchez, Lacazette
Subs: Ospina, Mertesacker, Walcott, Iwobi, Welbeck, Coquelin, Elneny
so we are fecked
Our bench looks bereft of talent and impact. Could be a long night.
GoonerB
sorry for delay.
The arrogance that Henry thinks he should be given a coaching job at Arsenal AND continue punditry at the same time. Defies belief.
What team on planet Earth would employ him or anyone under those circumstances.
Henry = arrogance personified.
————–
Micky = funny (re Bould comment)
That team is better than I expected.
It’s all about our defence tonight ….
Thank goodness Mesut is back for Arsenal.
GB I agree with Al in terms of TH wanted the best of worlds and the $/ego that goes with it.
As for his arrogance, just look what he did to Ireland with his handball.
As for AW, he had TH coaching, nothing to do with sit and say nothing but everything to do with 100% commitment and zero conflict of interest
When Zee started with what Joy about Terry, I thought he was about to let the cat out of the bag that it was Terry who was Eddies virtual boyfriend…
Chambers has already made two serious mistakes …. he’ll cost us a goal sooner or later
a fingertip and 2 posts- ffs
we shouldve been 1 goal up
brilliant move
Point taken chaps and i do see the sense in that argument but i would have viewed henry in those circumstances as more of a specialist strikers coach that could provide decent input even if not every day like the general coaches but as i say your arguments ate sound. If anything i would have thought it was more to do with being around players that he might have to publicly criticise as a pundit.
I have to say that i agree with LB’s earlier point that AMN can cover 3 positions if needed but i would hope that is more out of temporary need and that in the near future AW identifies and puts him regularly in his best position. We dont want another youngster becoming a jack of all trades master of none.
Outstanding half of football. Hazard, Fabregas and Kante are always good to watch, but I think we have been fantastic. Wilshere, Özil and AMN standing out for me so far but I think Sanchez looks dangerous and Lacazette has done very well with the ball he’s had. Xhaka has done well too. Our defensive work has been shoddy but we have managed them reasonably well when not making the silly mistakes.
I hope the second half is just as entertaining and an Arsenal goal or two would be even better.
Eddie
When answering your query regarding Ollie I forgot to mention that I read a “report” today that Arsene is considering calling back PEREZ. He’s still An Arsenal player (on loan).
May be true. Maybe not.
This game could be won from the bench and if that’s the case I’m not sure I fancy our chances. I like Welbeck but the others are workmanlike at best. Walcott not done much for a while and will probably be rusty.
Chelsea have Willian and Pedro on their bench.
Yes
To our starters! Mesut makes the Arsenal go.
Sounds exciting although bloody awful following on sky website
It’s
Sounds good
Bloody awful following on sky site
Bit like teletext
What a load of garbage. rigged
Is there a single one amongst us who would argue against video replays now?
Never in a million years is that a penalty.
fucking joke, fucking crimianal day time robbery
What’s pathetic is that if there was Video Ref they would still probably give it because there is ‘contact’. Football is pathetic when that tap is deemed a foul and the player who is tapped goes down like his leg has fallen off.
At least it would make it a more even playing field. The bloody ref keeps getting in the way of our passing moves
M-N has been awesome … such confidence and composure
We look exhausted!
Someone needs to elbow alonSlow in the mug-period!
It’s ok Arsene looking frustrated but ultimately we’ve played very well and our defence just isn’t good enough. Who’s fault is that?
Great game of football
This is why I watch the Arsenal- pack the box my rear…..
I wish all our games were that good!
We were fabulous going forward, but that’s because we have fabulous players in attacking positions. We could’ve conceded 5 or 6, and that’s because we have defenders who wouldn’t get in the sides of the bottom 4.
Great game though.
Thank you, Raddy. Sorry knot ear.
Yes, 11 against 12 yet again, and a great game! not the right result, gutted, but happy with the way the good guys have played against ManUre, against Pool and today against the Cheaters
which ever way you look at it, AW has built a very competitive team and if it wasnt for the refs, we would be in 2nd place
but that aside, we still ave a competitive and entertaining team that can beat any team in the EPL
Don’t forget against Spurs.
We’ve been excellent against the top sides at home (well, for 5 minutes against Liverpool!) this season. We’ve deserved far more than 1 win and 2 draws against the other top 6, but it’s those small weaknesses that cost you in the big matches.
yes, FGG, against Spurs as well. onwards and upwards!!
Oh well at least we don’t serve up the same crap that Maureen’s sides do. How popular would the premier league be if all teams played like his.
You are right about the defence FGG but I don’t think we will ever get the right types of defenders or get them well coached enough during this current regime, so I think we are stuck with the sloppy defensive errors for the near future at least.
Agreed GB,
We’ve been saying it for years. Either we get a forward line that is so good that it doesn’t matter how many we concede, or we continue to fall short.
When you play as well as we have against the other top sides and still only win 1 game then you know it’s more than just bad luck.
I have to say though that this team has a lot of spirit and fight and is far stronger mentally than some of the ones we’ve had in the recent past.
What I can’t understand is that we could defend better without any detriment to our attacking flair. We switch off so often at vital times. Our players turn their back on the ball and get caught out, we just don’t seem to be alert to the danger.
VP, sorry to be a pedant but I would say that AW has assembled a team of very good players that will sporadically play like a top team, but are as frustrating and disappointing as often as they are exciting.
Can’t quite go with us being a competitive team. To be competitive we need to be heading for the 85-90 point bracket. That would make us a competitive team but we are no-where near that again and will likely end up in the same arena as the last 12 seasons, 12-18 points away from seriously competing for the title.
Rasp,
When I watch Mustafi and Koscielny they seem assured and confident in what they are doing, but the likes of Chambers and Holding just look panicked and rushed. I put a lot of it down to experience and just simple lack of quality.
In an ideal world, Chambers, Holding and Merts would be our 6th 7th and 8th choice CB’s but at the moment they are 4th 5th and 6th. Considering we play Monreal at CB and Koscielny can’t play twice in a week, that is really poor.
I think Kos has been a fantastic servant but the battering his body has endured has taken its toll. Holding is one for the future, Chambers not – we paid too much for him. We need to buy a top class, string CB to play alongside Mustafi. Gabriel would have been better than either Holding or Chambers this evening.
Rasp, FGG, would you fancy a promising proper old school English CB that understands the EPL to shore us up rather than some fancy overseas player? maybe someone like Maguire?
To take a positive spin on things we have 3 games from 18 left against the top 6 rivals. I truly believe we could turn over Utd away and get draws away at Spuds and home to City and then get 40 from 45 points from the other 15 games to end up on 83 points and make me (semi) eat my words.
The great sadness for me, is that we played some brilliant football tonight, and that is because our front four a really developing a good understanding, but sadly three out of the four of them are out of contract at the end of the season.
GB,
I still believe top 4 is on as we have played far tougher games than the others, but only if we find some form and stop drawing games!
Wilshere has been outstanding recently and he has to start for me when fit. I’d like to see us go 433 when Ramsey comes back as we should have some easier games and can cope with 4 at the back:
Cech
Bellerin Mustafi Kos Monreal
Ramsey Xhaka Wilshere
Özil Lacazette Sanchez
I’d like to see AMN moving into the middle next season as he looks an absolute find. To answer the defender question, i dont believe the ‘English centre half’ is a thing anymore. I look at the likes of VVD and Maguire who are both units but both fantastic on the ball. You can find technically gifted, big strong defenders these days and that’s what we need.
Stefan De Vrij contract is ending in 6 months. He’s been quality for Lazio. Free transfer aswell but rumours Barcelona want him. Also been rumours that Bonucci is unhappy at Milan. Still only 30 but don’t know how he’d find PL pace. I’d happily take Maguire over what we have now and I’d rather have a unit that another Koscielny type as I think we need some height and strength back there.
Maitland-Niles is promising
but as far as the CB positions go, hmmm ….
When I said move AMN into the middle, I meant midfield! I think his normal position is CM isn’t it? I’m not a fan of Coquelin or Elneny as I don’t think they add anything so id be happy to see AMN get his shot in that position next year onwards.
fair call, FGG. some will say that is his natural position. personally not a great fan of the idea of natural positions
after the game I went for a long run along Curl Curl beach, Freshwater beach, Manly beach, Crabtree aquatic reserve, Shelley Beach and the Manly headlands nature park and back again
GB we might not win the point range but that doesn’t mean we’re not competitive and I would jump on the bandwagon and say that the refs have cost us 10 points this season
It is a joy to watch when the team plays like that and for every error we make (head slap) the other teams do similar.
Yes I agree we need defensive strengthening but penalties aside, we have been “relative” solid
If we knock chelsea out of the cup in the next game then I would say that this team is on the way up
Why do we only play like this in the big games though? We’ve been bang average against the other sides in the league this season so far. I can’t think of many quality performances against teams below us in the table. Everton maybe? Is that it?
do you know those cretins that leave the stadium before the final whistle?
Well, I went to bed after their second
My Hector saves the day, bless you darling
Morning All,
Looks like a missed a cracking game.
Having watched the highlights it seems as though we were, once again, shafted by a referee. I am surprised Taylor is allowed to referee at the Emirates.
Defending was a bit suspect but with all players under 25 and with little experience, it is understandable. They all have to get experience and last night’s game will be a valuable lesson.
In two years this could be our regular back-line
We have signed a 20 y.o. Greek CB to add to our prospects.
yes Raddy, it was on the edge from the start I think we were the better team, both teams missed sitters, both goalies were excellent otherwise it could have gone to double figures.
I didn’t see Hector’s goal, damn damn damn, but I am very happy for Hector
I am a firm believer that a team can be a better attacking team if it has a solid defensive base. That base gives more freedom to the other players to concentrate on attack. What I feel we see at the moment is players being dragged back to help out a non coping defensive unit too frequently.
Every player obviously needs to defend and press where they should but we don’t want to have to bring too many players behind the ball purely because we need numbers to counteract poor quality and defensive discipline and training.
Imagine if the back 3 last night had been Campbell, Adams and Keown in their prime with Gilberto sitting in front. We need bigger stronger better trained defenders and a proper Dm (holding midfielder). Arsene seems to prefer smaller defenders and will sacrifice a proper solid DM over a midfielder that is a more sublime passer of the ball. These are old arguments now and Arsene has shown little appetite to address them and I fear his Utopian ideologies will not allow him to change his thinking.
How good is it to see Wilshere getting through an entire, very demanding, Xmas period and still looking strong? It’s no coincidence our football improves when he and Özil are on the field together.
I don’t want to hammer our young defenders as they certainly have potential, but I thought Holding was poor yesterday. Chambers gets a lot of grief, but I think Holdings positioning at the near post when the ball was out on the right with Moses and Zappacosta cost us 1 goal and could easily have been 2. Morata had a chance first half when somehow a low cross went past Holding and he nearly scored, and then in the second half, Holdings could’ve cut out the cross to Alonso for their second if he’d been a yard or two closer to the front post and in line with the ball. Just an observation but something he needs to sort out.
fattie – Morata didn’t nearly score. He spectacularly missed a sitter
GB. 9.42. I agree, though that AFC defence was not only one of AFC’s best but also the PL’s best. They are almost impossible to replace.
As you say, AW is highly unlikely to change.
What is a surprise is that Steve Bould has been unable to develop a cohesive defensive policy.
https://twitter.com/MikeyGuitar_/status/948852180546740224
VP (goodness only knows what time it is there)
This sounds an awful long way, how many, hmmm, do you use kilometres there or the ridiculous miles system still) Any way how far is this?
“I went for a long run along Curl Curl beach, Freshwater beach, Manly beach, Crabtree aquatic reserve, Shelley Beach and the Manly headlands nature park and back again.”
Parker!!
Parker lives in my road, I see him on Sunday mornings walking to Tescos holding his young son’s hand. It makes for a very sweet image. I miss walking to Tescos holding my sons hands.
LB, it sounds far but all the beaches are closely connected so just over 13 kilometres, buts its a great run and you see so much. Every beach has it own ocean swimming pool built into the rocks, Curl Curl has two ocean pools, at both ends of the beach, North and South. I love these ocean pools, some are quite spectacular, built next to cliffs with waves breaking over the sides of the them. I love a good beach holiday…
Sorry GB, I missed your comment addressed to me last night.
The last few times I’ve seen Maguire play he’s been very impressive. I wouldn’t categorise him as an old fashioned CB either, he has ball skills and crops up with the odd goal. He also has good leadership qualities … I’d take him!
I think we should have an extra trophy cabinet at The Emirates for a collection of steaming turds …. one for every time Arsene has been punished for telling the truth … last night I witnessed Conte throwing things out of his pram in much the same manner as Arsene’s water bottle incident … but no, its expected of him so obviously no punishment!!
Here’s a question for you all (would make a mini post with a poll)
Based on last night’s game … who would you prefer, Jack or Cesc?
Yes, Rasp, good idea for a mini post. 🙂 Not giving away my answer here.
Good work, VP! 🙂
Another idea for a small post. Is it time to get the God and Freddie back? Both are out of contract.
Fabregas is still respected amongst a large section of Arsenal supporters and within that there are those who saw everyone of his games, including being at the San Siro when he scored his wonder against AC, however, he was never the fastest and has slowed further, meaning that he cannot get away with the Pirlo pose for much longer before it is time to hang up his boots
Wilshere, on the other hand, is obviously much younger and there was a superb cameo last night where he ran rings round Cesc (literally).
So, Cesc it is then, lol
VP
Just had a look on Google maps, yes as you say there are two ocean swimming pools on Curl Curl beach that you can use when ever you want. Wow
OK, two brief points about previous comments.
Henry is now OUT! No one becomes a TV pundit without selling half the soul to Scouseland! Exception: Wrighty, he somehow managed by only selling a quarter.
“And farts after eating brussel sprouts”. lol. greatest laugh I had over the Xmas season!
One thing that surprised me last night was how, slow and lethargic Chelsea were, at times it looked as though they didn’t care, it really wasn’t what I expected, hence the rather gloomy first comment of the day, I really thought they would be as fast and as clinical on the break as Liverpool, I was wrong.
Chelsea was there for the taking.
I still want to strangle Xhaka for not rolling the ball to Welbeck on the last break of the game — we had it, the game was ours, the shortage of “C” word around where I sit was redressed when the pass was school boyishly over hit.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Other than that I thought Xhaka had a good game.
Cesc is still a great player and I still wish we re-signed him after the Spanish adventure ended. But dear or dear he looks old and ugly. What happened to that little sweetie who at 17 was better than Roy Keane??
Jack played well, he is beginning to gather momentum and providing he is still with us next season he will be a force to be reckoned with. Unlike Iwobi. Or Welbeck.
Cesc should never have left, when he did the bridges were burned.
I think it would be more pertinent if it were Mesut or Cesc and there is no doubt who gets my vote.
No, never talk ill of the dead! 🙂
Eddie, excuse me, but Iwobi is one of ours out and out, and he is a top guy! I see loads of promise here.
RA. HNY. Iwobi has lost his mojo. Perhaps it is a confidence issue because he certainly has the talent.
The man needs a couple of tap-in goals after which he will flower into the player we know he could become.
I still dont understand how anyone can clap a player who feigned injury, effectively went on strike to force his move to Barcelona, discovered he wasnt good enough to displace Xavi and Iniesta and then proceeded to sell his soul for the Devil’s Russian roubles when he realised he was despised in his home country.
Complete and utter tosser.
Is there bad blood between Wilshere and Cesc? They didn’t seem to be best pals last night!
Thank you, Raddy, and HNY to you. And to all the good people who keep this space going. Sorry, should have wished earlier. Forgetting my manners!
Yes, agreed Raddy. Look forward to AI’s gane on Sunday.
Jack wears his heart on his sleeve. whatever opinion I may have of his discipline or his footy, top good guy marks. always. 🙂
I read an article (ESPN) that referred to Soccerex Football Finance
I guess its another alternative to the Forbes richest club list…
It had us in 2nd
So comments are all about how is Arsenal 2nd whereas what I think is really bizarre is how are the Spuds above Manure, Real etc.:
The top 10 list of the richest clubs:
#1 Manchester City
#2 Arsenal
#3 Paris Saint-Germain
#4 Guangzhou Evergrande
#5 Tottenham
#6 Real Madrid
#7 Manchester United
#8 Juventus
#9 Chelsea
#10 Bayern Munich
According to the study, Arsenal have £766 million worth of fixed assets — following their move from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium — more than any other club in world football, while only Manchester United have more money in the bank (£307m) than Arsenal’s £300m.
The north London club also have the lowest net debt (£8m) of any other team from England, with Chelsea’s £800m recorded as the largest of clubs in the top 100.
So how are the Spuds 5th!!!!
Its interesting how this article gets published at the opening of the Jan transfer window and then the backlash begins, Why wont AW spend the money….
My daily reading summarised –
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tipped to replace Alexis Sanchez at Arsenal
Arsenal’s Theo Walcott has ‘offered himself’ to AC Milan, but that doesn’t mean they’ll say yes
Newcastle Interested in Loan for Walcott
Mauricio Pellegrino hints at Theo Walcott transfer as Southampton boss admits he has “six targets”
Turkish giants, Fenerbahçe has emerged as one of the destinations for Olivier Giroud as a replacement for veteran striker Robin Van Persie. T
Arsenal have signed young Greek 6ft 4in defender Konstantinos Mavropanos. Arsene Wenger explained.’He’s not ready to play for us. We’ll give him out on loan.’
Pep Guardiola ‘wants £50million’ to strengthen with Alexis Sanchez and Inigo Martinez
and finally
Lee Herron is leaving Reading to join Arsenal, according to sports journalist Simon Austin, formerly of the BBC.
Austin wrote on the Training Ground Guru website that Herron will become the tenth major Arsenal appointment since June 2017. He’ll be working with the academy as Football Operations Manager
Simon Austin
✔
@sport_simon
Huge overhaul at @Arsenal since June. New:
⚽️ Head of Elite Performance
⚽️ Head of Recruitment
⚽️ Contract negotiator
⚽️ 1st team coach
⚽️ Academy boss
⚽️ Football Ops Manager
⚽️ Goalkeeping Coach
⚽️ Lead Sports Scientist
⚽️ Nutritionist
Thanks for the summary VP, that rich list looks way out though.
https://twitter.com/CosmoKhan7/status/949029556064849920
Tee Hee
Home Team Tottenham Away Team West Ham
Possession Home 71% Away 29%
Shots Home 31 Away 3
Shots on Target Home 8 Away 1
One of Wengers comments after the Chelsea game:
“We are a fantastic football team. I think we have seen fantastic football but there are some deeper problems and some on our side that we have to correct. At the moment, the club is really hurt hard and for me, it’s difficult to take.”
Now I’m sure some of the deeper problems he refers to are to do with referee decisions, but it’s also good to hear him acknowledge that we have some issues of our own making on the field and hopefully he can go about looking to correct those. After all these years do I expect drastic changes? No, but it might only take one display like we had on Wednesday to make him realise that no matter how good we are at attacking, we can’t win major trophies whilst conceding the goals that we do.
and you would think spurs would be delighted to play on their fav day of the week
Morning All,
Very good Eddie 😀
never mind very good eddie, where are the photos of the green velvet suit and The Shirt??
motning all.
“spurs would be delighted to play on their fav day of the week”. lol.
but actually the joke is on us now, no? it might well be out fav day of the week, if only just for this one year. hmmm
speak for yourself arnie, Thursday is not my fav day of the week.
I am looking forward to us lifting the Spursday Trophy this year, Eddie. 🙂
a rare opportunity for us to have a crack at this 2nd class European cup, but so be it! 🙂
What motivates someone to follow a football club.
Today I found out that my Sydney cousin who is a music composer and teacher follows Chelsea, Why?
Because the great English composer Henry Purcell wrote the short opera Dido and Aeneas for a girls’ school in Chelsea in 1688.
Because of this she tells all her students to follow Chelsea…
Anything musically or culturally significant about Arsenal?
VP – nothing musically or culturally significant about Chelsea FC, make no mistake.
VP. Roger Waters and Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd are season ticket holders (and have every game beamed to them when on tour). so is Roger Daltrey of the Who. Bob Marley was a Gooner, as is Mick Jagger.
Roger Waters, when on Desert Island Discs, chose Good Old Arsenal as one of his records 😀
And so is Her Majesty The Queen.
A few years ago I did a whole season of famous Gooners in my PM’s
ha ha Eddie: “nothing musically or culturally significant about Chelsea FC”. Agree 🙂
VP, here is how I understand this as an “outsider”. Arsenal traditionally stood for strong working class values and culture embodied in a specific place. This “culture” was not high culture (classical music, arts and the like) but working class in its spirit of resistance, hard work, honesty, community feeling, but also including traditional gender stereotypes. You will find fantastic expressions of this in GN5’s wonderful nostalgic writings (also Northbank’s early writings here).
This has been diluted over time, not only in terms of class (more “middle class” following now) as well as place. Hence I think the club suffers to maintain identity to some extent. Here is an interesting map.
Wow RA, that is an interesting map. Why is there a small pocket of Gunners above Staines?
Roger Daltrey, now that is classy
cultured CFC ffs. Have your cousin not heard about Chelsea Headhunters or Chelsea Grin – group and torture? I am shocked you want to compare US to THEM?? Wash your mouth lad
thank you Eddie, you made me smile
Agree
thats what happens when you spend all day in the sun with daily sand rash, you dont think straight anymore
COYG
I’m off to sleep, going home in the morning:-(
Smeels like teen spirit
auto-tuned to a major chord
https://vimeo.com/249694026
very interesting, VP. Hillingdon? North of Heathrow, near the M4/M25 junction? hmmm. some Londoner might have insights
I am still stuck on the VP’s comment about cultured chavs, I can’t get over it.
As far as I am concerned the cousin who teaches kids to follow CFC for cultural reasons should be fired for brain washing the youngsters. Give us the name of the school VP, I will write the head
And ‘the great English composer Henry Purcell’. Really?! maybe I am bit thick.
You have ruined my day VP
chas. The Nirvana vid is surprising and interesting from a guitarist POV.
I have see if it is fake.
sorry Eddie,my cousin is the school. She used to teach and compose at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music but now she only does private lessons and is fully booked out.
Dont worry Eddie I plan to influence her and expose her to the ugly side of the chavs. I usually only speak with her once a year but she has now made a connection that will increase this to maybe twice a year.
We start our road trip back to Melbourne in a few hours.
and we have the weather to contend with, check this out –
London 6°C or 42°F
vs.
Melbourne 45°C or 113°F
RA, we seem to be much more simple over here in OZ. The yellow represents Aussie Rules fans (AFL) and the green is Rugby League/Union fans.Green is the more populated. They call it the Barassi line.
hope the link works…
VP – I am happy to dish out some more dirt on the subject 🙂
have a good trip
Cheers Raddy
Been struck down with terrible man flu. Unfortunately, living alone means no one to moan to or seek sympathy from, so have been ringing total strangers. If answered by a man I ask if I can speak to there wife, if answered by a women I ask if there feeling motherly and what there chicken soup is like? After some threats and simple hanging up I eventually got through to someone who showed sympathy. A bloke who in return for him giving me lots of “ah, you poor thing” and reading out his recipe for chicken soup I confirm my shoe collection and tightness of underpants.
RedZee, great to see the club give a Greek boy a chance. Mavropanos has the dark looks of an islander so should terrify opposition strikers with tales of lack of women and bovine replacement.
Arnie, I recently saw a map of London support based on internet usage and Arsenal came out in top in nearly every borough? Mind you, I have lived in supposedly Totnumb areas for most of my life and can categorically state that since using the Web correctly requires a modicum of intelligence, I suspect there may be more Totnumb fans than we realise.
VP, Eddie is right about Chelsea. In the seventies and eighties they were a loathsome irrelevance and since Abramovitch they have become a loathsome pain in the arse. I also suspect many old school Chelsea fans, who have a propensity for rascism and homophobia, disguise there true nature, which is of course to have a sex change and become Didia Drogbas lover? I suppose you can’t blame them? Drogba is a very attractive man.
The Ghosts of the Thirties are Stirring
Brilliant Terry
A hilarious read to start the morning.
Morning All,
Terry. A hilarious start to the day 😀
n.b. I have never found Drogba attractive but Van Dijk at Liverpool …
VP – you really have to tell your cousin what a disgusting outfit CFC are. She should not tell anyone to support them, rather avoid like a plague
1 Chelsea captain of many years was John Terry.
2 Four Chelsea football fans have been convicted of racist violence and given suspended prison sentences after a black commuter was pushed off a Paris (only last year)
3 Mourinho was a very popular manage at CFC
4 They stole in a disgusting manner Cashley Hole but shamelessly tapping the thick player
this made my day 🙂
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has continued his feud with Chelsea boss Antonio Conte by saying he will never be “suspended for match-fixing”.
Conte received a four-month suspension while at Juventus in the 2012-13 season for failing to report match-fixing at his previous club Siena.
In 2016, the Italian was cleared by a court of any wrongdoing in the matter.
Mourinho’s comments came after Conte had accused the Portuguese of forgetting his own antics in the past.
Conte had reacted angrily this week to Mourinho’s assertion that he did not need to act like a “clown” in his technical area, saying: “I think he has to see himself in the past – maybe he was speaking about himself in the past.”
Speaking after his side’s 2-0 FA Cup third-round win over Derby on Friday, Mourinho said the “clown” comments were not directed at Conte.
But he added: “The only thing I want to say to end the story is that yes, I made mistakes in the past on the touchline. Yes, I will make less but I think I will still make a few.
“What never happened to me – and will never happen – is to be suspended for match-fixing. That never happened to me and will never happen.”
Mourinho was then told by a journalist that Conte had been charged by football authorities in the past with failing to report match-fixing.
ha ha ha ha, Terry. 🙂 Brilliant.
VP and Eddie, good laughs. 🙂
I need your help guys. I went to see a highly recommended film ‘The Lobster’. Did any of you see it? I really would like to hear what you thought of it
Eddie,
I’ve seen it. Excellent film. Very funny in parts if a little odd!
I recommend Hunt For The Wilderpeople if you’ve not seen it. Very funny.
no, not watched it, Eddie, but I have heard very good things about the movie. Plan to watch it some time soon.
Last year was good for films. Watched Get Out yesterday, and can highly recommend it. Loveless was just brilliant, Elle was very good, and “The Florida Project” as well. Plan to watch “Call Me By Your Name” next week.
Coutinho gone. £140m! As daft as it sounds that’s not actually a bad deal for Barca considering a CB now costs £75m. What a crazy world we live in. Terrible timing for Liverpool really and I’m not sure I understand the logic. They’d probably get top 4 with him and might win a trophy, but without him I wonder how good those front players will be. He was the creative spark in that team.
I notice we’ve made an enquiry for a discount CB in Johnny Evans. Whilst I don’t think you can expect much more in the January Window, if buying him meant we didn’t get a quality CB in the summer, then I’d prefer we didn’t bother. City want him as a 4th choice CB, yet for us he would probably be automatic 1st choice. Says it all really.
Red Arnie,
Have you watched Green Room or Hell Or High Water? Both great films from last year.
no, FGG. thanks, will look for these two. 🙂
Stoke have sacked Hughes. No doubt another anti-football manager will be brought in to keep them safe from the drop.
Pellegrino been talking Walcott again. With £75m burning a hole in his pocket and then struggling for goals, maybe he will give us £20-£25m for him. We can only dream!!!
I would imagine Liverpool will go out and buy somebody we’ve been linked with now. Someone like Lemar, Mahrez, Zaha etc although with VVD and Keira they’ve already blown £120m of their cash.
FGG. May sound too much like a continental cliche, but British anti-football is quite a reality, IMO. Like managers, like footballers, like pundits, and like the whole FA. Sucks.
Red Arnie,
Totally agree. Not enough technically gifted British players around, and when we do get them we have coaches who prefer to stick a workhorse in the team instead because they are ‘more solid’.
I’d much prefer to see Adam Lallana and Jack Wilshere play for England than Jordan Henderson and Jake Livermore.
OUR tournament
OUR cup
Forest: don’t even think about it
Morning all
Still no internet
Game on bt thank goodness
thanks fattie, I am devastated now. I thought the film was the weirdest crazy fucking thing I have seen in my life. For you didit – singeltons get killed and turned into animals. There are scenes of beautiful forests somewhere in Scottland with flamingos and camels casually walking about.
arnie – and as for Get Out – is this the crap where bodies of healthy black people are used to host brains of terminally ill whities? Good film??? Nay, I give up
Anthony taylor had field day yesterday – 2 reds and a few yellow. One red just for good meassure
oooh, coutinho’s gone to Barca, wow. Big loss for the scoucers
Morning All,
PM will be late. I had a Big Night.
Sadly, we don’t get any of those films, we get all the crap blockbusters which are all made on computers. Mrs Raddy addicted to The Crown
10.10 What a pic. What a player
“on Sunday the Marsh brothers emulated the Chappells and the Waughs, bringing up Test centuries in each other’s company on a sweltering Sydney day that saw temperatures in the middle approach 60 degrees Celsius. Together they put on 169-runs and all but batted Australia to victory.”
for the uninitiated, that’s 140 degree Fahrenheit and we’re talking Ashes, the ones that now belong to Oz…
VP. Pitches prepared for Aussie bowlers and batsmen, luck with the toss, bent umpires, dodgy DRS, ridiculous heat for our pale players. Everything was to Aussie advantage.
Wait until we get you lot to England. (though to be fair we were completely outclassed).
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