Those who read my regular ramblings know that I am a fan of Malmo FF, the Swedish champions. Why do I bring this up? Because I am one of the very few Gooners who have actually seen Ostersund play. I had the misfortune of seeing Graham Potter’s side win 3-0 in Malmo, it was a rare and chastening home defeat.
What can I tell you of Ostersund? Only that they will be better than you expect. They will be industrious, organised and determined. Likely to focus on a solid defensive foundation and hoping to score on breakaways or set-pieces. We have seen it work so often before which is why so many teams set-up this way against The Arsenal. Wins over Galatasary and PAOK show that Ostersund can beat quality opposition.
Much is being made of the weather, it is cold, probably worse for the spectators than the players who can run around. Ospina will be worried!
Sweden, like all the Scandi countries, have a winter break and only started playing last weekend. I am not sure if this is of benefit to them or us. What is certain is that if AFC do not win tonight there will be yet another anti-AW outcry and a few thousand N17 muppets laughing.
Wenger has to play his best available team. The Europa has become our primary focus and Arsenal cannot afford to lose. Koscielny desperately needs a break and I would bench the chap.
My Team:
Ospina
Chambers Mustafi Monreal
Bellerin Xhaka Wilshere Iwobi
Ozil Miki
Welbeck
If fit, Ramsey has to play, we desperately missed him in the NLD.
Given this an away fixture, anything is possible. Perhaps AW will want to shore up the defence and play Elneny and Kolasinac or even M-N.
We should win against a team who are the financial equivalent of Barnet having spent less than €100k assembling their squad.
In Days of Old, with fixtures like this, we would go away, use squad members to get a draw and win easily at home. Will AW have the confidence to try that tonight? I certainly hope not.
COYRRG
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Cheers, BR.
Loving the Ospina – he’ll definitely have his langkalsonger on.
As far as I’m aware, Rambo is definitely out for a couple of games and Jack, Kos and Cech didn’t travel.
So, Elneney/Xhaka axis with Kolasinac or M-N alongside.
Hope JW isn’t injured.
Yeah, so Maitland-Niles comes in in place of Wilshere f
Wenger on whether the pitch was a reason for leaving some players behind…
One or two had recent problems, like Koscielny with his Achilles. Wilshere was more precautionary.
My reaction to finding out I’m on Eddie’s blocked contacts list was similar to this……….. 😥
Thanks Erik
Oh God, so we’re playing a team that cost 100k. That terrifies me 🙂
I cannot believe this PM, we are supposed to be flying through the competition and winning it in the end. And we are worried about a team only chas has heard of before?
That is pants, I might actually go to pilates tonight
rooney and wife had 4th son, how unlucky is that?
It sounds a bit biblical. Hope they don’t name one Joseph
Forgot to mention Erik, love the title
Miss the whole explorers theme
Great work Raddy, thank you.
Thank goodness the game is over 2 legs …. we don’t want Ostersund to be our Iceland.
We can only admire what Ostersund have achieved. Let’s hope our guys put on their thermal undies and willy warmers and give us all a boost.
Does anyone know if Lacazette’s injury was as a result of some incident playing for us or an existing condition that has worsened?
Earlyish start. 18.00 GMT
“…..from a football perspective, Östersund kind of sums up where Arsenal are at the moment: marooned on an icy tundra, gazing up at the stars above, freezing, praying to one day grace the celestial heights of Titles and the Champions League again.”
The Ostersunds ultras look a bit tasty.
Let’s get real here Lads, they are complete crap, but tonight simply doesn’t matter. We’ll win the tie at home, so I wouldn’t bother watching.
My love for Arsenal is unconditional, my support is not. I have limits and they have been reached
Chas
Wow, you’ve come over all poetic.
As Transplant might inquire “frilly shirt on?”
I’m sorry. Apols. and all that. Not right for me to dismiss your anticipation. I’ll zip it.
If the blokes in 12.50 are playing it should be an enthralling encounter.
None of our nancy boys could take them on with the possible exception of Kolasinac. Hector must be terrified of being scalped.
If the blokes in 12:50 were playing, I’d be not only watching, but most likely in the stadium 🙂
I think I’m right in saying The Beserkers are from that neck of the woods
Thanks Raddy
“I’m going outside, I may be some time” Oats, suffering from an ingrowing hair and slight discolouration due to food odour knew he was reducing his mates chances of survival and with the prospect of finding a shop in the Antarctic which sold odour eaters slim, took the honourable decision and left the building.
An honourable man. A man who sacrificed himself for others and always kept his shoes on.
Imagine any of our namby pampy players doing that in an Arctic away game.? They would be two down after the first twenty minutes and at half time eaten the fibreless Oats. Cowards the lot of em, that is why i feel I would have made an excellent professional footballer.
is Osterunds one of those places were they have a period of 24 hour darkness?, a bit like Totnumbs trophy cabinet? Who the f*uck would live in a place like that? That could turn a man more strangely erect than a Conservative politician.
Of course we should beat them easy but with this current Arsenal side we can never be sure
Got my frilly shirt on, waiting for the match, to come with Gordon, my Valentine.
Thank you, Raddy. 🙂 Great insider information. I hope the team knows as much.
Also read with great interest the article/interview on the manager that Chas posted a few days back. 🙂
We can win tonight, and hopefully score two away goals. COYG. 🙂
Can’t stand AFTV but no-one else is going to give you this bird’s eye view.
Eeeee, I’m so excited, I just did a little wee.
Terry “Cowards the lot of em, that is why i feel I would have made an excellent professional footballer.” LOL and ditto.
Don’t watch AFTV but that was interesting. Most Swedish and Danish grounds are like that.
I think they stopped laying it out in formation style just in case it was giving the opposition clues an hour before kick off.
The last few have been laid out as above.
Not that it would make a blind bit of difference, I’m sure.
Eh???
Team sheet??
Crikey, just looked on a map. Ostersund is about level with Iceland. Furthest north we’ve ever played?
9/11. I’ll take that.
Very strong team and another indication that Kolasinac is seriuosly out of favour
Looks chilly up there, I am drinking a whiskey and ginger to help
Bloody hell, there pitch reminds me of my old Subbuteto Astro Pitch. That was a glorious surface, until my stupid mate came round with his dippy girlfriend and she spilt a drink all over it.
There is nothing worse than been fifteen, your mate has a cute girlfriend were as your just a nose bleeder and she ruins your footballing dreams via a bottle of Tizer
Come on you Gunners.
COYRRG
They got a Greek geezer playing. He must be bloody freezing
I’ve cracked. I’m watching.
Looking forward to seeing M-N more central
Chance for Maitland Niles to show he’s better than Xhaka. That could be difficult?
Our best striker strikes
Nacho is our best striker. Man is worth at least €60m
Nacho the Fox in the Box😬
I wrote this on the post “they will be better than you expect.”
I was wrong as usual. Their defending is even worse than ours!
I think mr potter has realised now that instead of watching ballet his players should have been practising more. They are awful , how the hell did they get to this stage?
Poor Papagianopolous. Bullied at Greek school for having a short surname, he now scores an own goal
Welbeck seems completely shot of confidence. I say this in the full knowledge he will grab a brace and expose me for the charlatan that I am
Terry – that’s not a real name, is it?
ha ha
Must say I was expecting a more hostile crowd
Always assume these artic dwellers are always ripped to the tits on cocktails of kerosene and raindeer urine
Yes Eddie. I have a friend with the same surname. To avoid ridicule he’s thinking of lengthening it
2 up and we go to sleep.
A pint of anti-freeze at half time may help
They have had there chances? Honestly, if I turned up with my old gran and the rest of the chicken admiration society, we would get beat but still create chances against this current Arsenal team
Micky. Sounds like a top drink. Can you send me some instead of the fish?
How come history’s most famous Greek had such a short name – Dennis Roussos?
terry 🙂 🙂 you is soooooooo mad!!
Eddie is warming the benchg, let’s have him!!!
I knew a guy called George Roussos Raddy. It basically means ginger hair or ruddy complexion. That’s why both the singer and the one I knew both had black hair.
Quality from Mesut. I fear after the match these poor Ostersund players will be forced to seek out one of Mickys inflammable reindeer.
I would still rather be the reindeer
Really liked Elnenys workrate. This is a man who understands his limitations and plays like it.
Good man
Terry. Poke-er or Poke-ee. I know which I would rather be.
I bet you had the album with Forever and Ever on it. Probably on 8-track in your car.
Of course Raddy. Before I started wearing flowing white robes I had no crumpet whatsoever. After wearing them I still had none. Roussos was an inspiration to us all.
This is like a training game.
Got to say, really impressed with the Swedish fans. Despite been outclassed they continue to make strange whooping noises.
I watched an Irish stream with a truly dreadful anti-AFC commentator. Had to turn off the sound.
You would have thought that Ostersund had won the game at a canter.
They’ve got a pen. Bet all the reindeer are praying they score?
They’ve missed it. We’re that kerosene?
Terry. Must have seen you cruising in your Escort XR3i up and down Green Lane
Game over. Not great, especially for the reindeer, but winning this cup is still on
Job done. Should be an easy game at home now and we can rest up before the LC Final
Probably Raddy. Did have an XR3. Had the BeeGees blaring as I womanised my way through Turnpike Lane, only to realise the pointless of it all after a perm haird friend decided not to jump of a bridge.
Training game as Transplant said
Big plus? Cheap seats for the locals at home
after this round still 16 teams left in the competition!! This must be the longest cup tournament there
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. 🙂
so, point proven. we dont need Auba for this competition. Monreal is enough
can we perhaps transfer this clean sheet to Cech? 🙂
Napoli look like they could be going out. Lost 3-1 at home to Leipzig.
Dortmund struggled to a 3-2 win at home to Atalanta. The Intalians are a decent attacking side so might be lucky and see Dortmund go out.
I reckon A.Madrid will be the team we have to beat.
Batshitcrazy is settling in well at Dortmund.
Aye. Ahoy and Motning
All cat vids go well with the first piping hot brew. Thanks
Was very surprised when Chavs got rid of Batshuayi. Not so happy he’s eligible to play in Europa
is that the Batshitcrazy who was part of the Auba deal?
Morning All,
Watched the FCK v AM game and Athletico are superb, we will strugglle against them so let us hope they meet BD.
Pleased for Batshit
Have you noticed how Pete Townshend’s nose was so huge in his youth? Do you think his head grew or his nose shrunk as he got older?
Paul Pogba “regrets” returning to Manchester United as he argues with Jose Mourinho over his best position 🙂
Eddie
Possibly, sort of.
Batshit has only gone on loan. No idea why Chavs did it, and took Ollie off us.
If I was a conspiracy theorist, I’d be thinking Chelsea were trying their hardest to help us out of a tricky spot 🙂
don’t give up your day time job Didit
Chelsea trying to help us ha ha ha ha
Anyone got a post? Anything?
I’m doing something, BR.
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