A pinch and a punch for the first of the month. What does October have in store for us?
Despite the month being split right down the middle with yet another interlull (albeit slightly improved with the new competitive format), it’s still quite a busy time for the Club. There will be two games in the Europa on the 4th and the 25th. both away trips and to CarrierBag and Lisbon respectively.
Qarabag FK stadium
In the League we travel to Fulham and Palace on the 7th and 28th, so Oyster cards at the ready. October 22nd is a Monday night home fixture playing Leicester and the month is topped off with the recently drawn Caribou Cup game against Blackpool which could be on either the 30th or 31st.
To summarise, 2 away Spursday games, two Prem away games in London and a home Prem Monday nighter, too (all televised), with the home tie against the Seasiders in the Caribou to top it all off. None of that sounds too difficult but, of course, football isn’t quite that predictable. Let’s hope our run can continue.
Weekend observations
Rob Holding is benefitting from new management. He looks taller and more sophisticated somehow.
Shkod desperately needs some extra coaching about staying on his feet and not launching into poorly considered challenges. He’s a bit like a Staffie chasing a manky tennis ball sometimes.
Perhaps the Welsh Messi needs some time riding the pine to reconsider his choice of agent.
Why do we need to see 45 minutes of a poor team structure to realise things need changing every chuffing week? Perhaps a strong second half is part of the new tactics?
Apparently 12 Man U players are struggling to agree new contracts. Could be just the Mourinho effect or is it the new norm with all the power in the hands of the players?
After our two tricky opening fixtures, we’ve won the next five, sit level with the spuds, two behind the chavs and have cruised up into the Europa League place…….5th. 😦
Golfers playing for pride and not just money has proven once again that team games are always going to produce a better spectacle than individuals ever can. (Feel free to disagree)
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i disagree.
Great summary post. I agree as the French team won the WC as a team rather than thanks to strong individuals.
We have testing times in early November and then in December but before that, we should really win all games.
Overall – we are still struggling defensively and in our transition game and we are yet to get Auba firing all engines up front.
Besides that – winning points is always welcome even if we don’t play well.
What if our best CB partnership will end up being Sok – Monreal?
I am not a fan of Monreal but he is showing real desire and had put up some good performances lately.
Will Ramsey stat? What about Wellbz?
You are allowed to agree sometimes, Eddie!
Thanks Chas. I have read back over some recent posts but not had time to sift through comments, but thanks to all postees.
Nice to have won the last 7 and it is hard to argue any negatives against that. Many positives to be seen but there are some areas for slight concern as well if we were compiling an early season report. There is far more to say on that but I may pop a little post into Chas on it.
One thing though, I unfortunately now see Ramsey as a problem player, both in his accommodation in the team and subsequent team balance, and in the contract issue and his huffiness at the weekend. The manager can churn out the “I like to see that reaction of the player to being substituted” line. They have to sugar coat these things but, for the rest of us watching from outside, I feel he has become an issue.
I said in the summer that if a decent contract is sitting in front of him then an ultimatum should have been given that it is signed 2 weeks before the TW shuts or we need to look at selling and replacing him. It should be made clear that anyone who enters the season within 1 year of their contract expiring (where the club has offered a new one) is not seen to be committed to the club and therefore will not be prioritised from a playing perspective, i.e the club will not commit to them as a player and will prioritise the players that represent the future.
This should be portrayed not in a sense of spitefulness but purely in representing the new business model at the club. With all the changes this could have been easily sold and implemented as a new policy.
Ramsey may have been the first to be dealt with this way but new policies have to start somewhere. He should have been made to make a choice between signing da thing, moving on, or holding out going past the TW but then dropping down or completely out of the pecking order.
I do rate Ramsey, but not as much as many others, and never really have thought of him as anything really exceptional, more just being one of many good players. One thing I don’t get is that whatever formation or set up I can think of I don’t see Ramsey as critical to any of it, and see many excellent alternative options in all instances, so I don’t see why the club are now the ones over a barrel and couldn’t have dealt with this in a harder more efficient manner.
As far as I can see, they only way they could have done that would have been to have sold him in the summer.
He’s obviously holding out for a massive upgrade on his contract offer – just as Mesut did. The power is all with the players.
Is the Club really expected to say to a player, ‘we’re not going to play you much this season because you’re in the last year of your contract, but if we do call on you, we want you to play to the best of your abilities’ ?
Can’t see that working at all, GoonerB.
p.s. looking forward to your early season report post. 🙂
What is the deal with Sanchez at Utd?
He gets paid a fortune for doing very little and Atom and Humber get to eat Fillet steak for the rest of their lives?
RC78, the French won the WC with the help from the ref (Griezman dive and non-penalty) and help from Pussy Riot. The French football federation is much richer than the Croatian federation, just ask the Irish and the Hand of Frog for $5mil.
Atom and Humber are much nicer people than slimeball!
Atom and Humber are much more loyal than slimeball, and they deserve fillet steak.
I would have sold him Chas if he wasn’t signing. If he held out then there is no certainty how it would work out, but if we had made that stand now it sends a message to other players negotiating future contracts that we will not be messed about with in that way.
Him relegated to playing bit part roles and everyone knowing why may have some adverse side effects but equally he will want to show potential suitors in January that he is worth a big contract. His performances could be the difference in £100kpw of contract in the modern game depending on how good a player they see him.
I want to see the likes of Iwobi, Smith Rowe e.t.c given more of a chance before a contract rebel that may not be invested in us at all.
Was hoping to come up this month for the Leicester , sporting and Liverpool games hopefully those plane ticket cost drops
VP – oh please…get oevr it 🙂
On This Day in 1996: Arsène Wenger takes charge of Arsenal
The Sanchez situation is very funny.
Thanks Chas
Loads of talking points in there. Some more reasonably tame looking fixtures ahead this month to help iron out some of the issue you highlight
I’m already thinking Holding should partner Sokratis
This big talkie in there for me is the two halves of every game issue. I’ll try and pen a post for tomorrow on that one, as yip, I have a theory
Micky
This looks like the kind of sport you could excel at.
Hate frisbees and all who chuck ’em about 🙂
And it looks like the kind of game requiring hot dogs and cheer leaders, Chas!
And lashings of beer
Is there anything you just feel neutral about? 🙂
Of course not 🙂
I don’t have a single grain of “indifferent” in me DNA
Injured
Agree with Goober B about the approach to players in the run up to the final year of a contract. Commit to the club or be sold.
Morning!
Just seeing that material on the woman’s costume took me back to a different era.
Aye
Have sent you email.
Ah ha Chas
Just seen your email
I’d need 20 mins but it can wait until tomorrow as spreading the carrier bags out makes some sense as you’ve already done it.
I’ll finish it and send as I have a very late night ahead so won’t be functioning tomorrow am
I send. You choose. I’m indifferent 🙂
Cheers, just wanted to give you the choice.
I know you’re a man of limited time who works best under great pressure. 🙂
Morning All
Great work chas.
6.34 in particular. I remember having woolen swimming trunks which fell down when they got wet. Hugely embarrassing and still a mental scar.
Fortunately, M & D allowed me to stop wearing them when I was 16.
Erik
So your M & D allowed you to go butt naked from 16. Selfish. Instead of having just a scarred young Erik, the world and his oyster had to carry the scars instead from then on
Must have been a tremendous relief for everyone
My earliest beach attire was an enormous frilly nappy.
It’s left scars.
POST SENT
Billy Connolly does a wonderful sketch about the dangers of wearing wool swimmers in the cold waters of Scotland.
7.28. Why is my mother and sister in this photo???
Haha, those black and white photos are so generic.
Thanks Micky.
Will sort for tomorrow.
Ants is your sister?
NEW POST
Ants isn’t on that photo as he wasn’t born yet!
LBG is his sister?
If you like 🙂