Morning all.
The Premier League produced a couple of crackers yesterday. First up was Watford beating Man Utd followed by Chelsea battering Toots. I didn’t see the first fixture but apparently de Gea had a stinker, the second match though had everything. Good and bad. Chelsea were excellent I thought which proves that a big name is not a necessity to get the best out of a group of players. Frank Lampard seems to be doing well in his first season. Ups and downs yes, but as fa4 as work rate goes, his players are giving it everything. The game had a sending off for Son who tried to rake his studs up Rudigers chest after reacting to a tackle, Rudiger made it look a lot worse than it was and after a VAR review, The Toots fans fired ghastly racists abuse at the Chelsea man, threw stuff at Kepa but in the end, got what they deserved. I’m sure the FA will have a lot to look into from that match. The Toots fans really are a ghastly lot. Monkey chants are vile, illegal too but what they lose sight of is they are insulting their own black players too. I really don’t understand some people’s mentality. Perhaps the best way to deal with these racists fans is to penalise the clubs they represent. One warning, then stop the game and award the three points to the club whose players are being abused.
We’ve yet to play that lot away from home but what Lampard and his players proved is if you get at them and don’t let them have time on the ball, they get stroppy.
That’s one of the things Mikel Arteta has in his plans. To up the work rate, work harder off the ball, and put the opposition players under a lot more pressure than we’ve been doing for the last couple of years. (At least) That doesn’t mean jogging around the pitch covering miles of ground over the ninety minutes, it means being active with a purpose, to close down the ball, narrow the passing angle, forcing errors.
Mikel Arteta got stuck into training with the players yesterday and there was a new face in the camp. 20 year old Tolaji Bola, our ‘strong and powerful’ left back. With Kieran Tierney and Sead Kolasinac ruled out for a while, the time might have come for yet another product of our academy to break into the first team. Why not? If he’s training hard and impressing his new boss, surely it’s better to have a natural defender in a defensive position. Not that Saka has let himself or the team down of course, certainly not against Everton at Goodison.
This is what’s great about having a new head coach. Everyone starts with a blank canvass and as Mikel Arteta has made clear, his plan is to make Arsenal good again and by the sounds of it, he doesn’t care if he upsets a few players as he goes about it. Work for your place in the team because the name on the back of a shirt won’t come into his mind when selecting his team. Nor I hope when it comes to selecting his captain. Not that he has a lot to choose from. But you never know, someone might surprise us all.
Freddie surprised me and many others no doubt with his final team selection and I’m looking forward to seeing who Arteta puts his faith in for his first team selection for the trip to Bournemouth and to see if there’s much change in the attitude of some of the senior players who were benched by Freddie. If they play of course because that’s not guaranteed.
No players place is safe I’d say, apart from Bernd Leno. The rest of the team, well, it’s not quite 1989, but every position is certainly up for grabs…
See you in the comments guys..
As you rightly pointed out, apart from Bern Leno, every position is up for grab, especially under a new head coach like Mikel Arteta.That is how it should be .Arsenal is in dire situation and motivation and performance might come from unlikely sources .But one thing look certain, our new coach will make Arsenal tick again. I can feel it in my bones.
Good morning Rico.
With all due respect to young Saka, he’s not a fullback and made it clear to Freddie that he was not happy to play in the position. In addition although he has pace he is a bit lightweight for defending, too easily knocked off the ball.
Tilaji Bola looks the part, big and strong with U23 experience. With Tierney and Kolasinac long term injured I’d like to see him given a chance, we need reinforcements in the position, give the lad a chance to shine, I say.
I think so too Cg.
Morning Cicero. I think everyone knows Saka is not a fullback but right now it’s about who can fill in best as no one could foresee both our senior left backs would be out at the same time.
Bola is 20, 21 next month. If he impresses Arteta in training, he could start.
I think It’s great to see these kids getting game time, and a taste of various positions which can only help them down the track, as long as we fans don’t crucify them.
Maitland-Niles has been treated very harshly, imo.
We all know he’s not a RB yet plenty have still criticised the kid heavily.
Morning all.
Scott, for AMN, I think much criticism has been down to his laid back approach to his game. Against Everton I thought he had a bit more about him.
Hi All Just watched the replay and it was good to watch the young players trying and yes they made some mistakes but that’s all part of learning on the filed in a real match, however unless I misted it I was a bit disappointed that the senior players not helping guiding the young one and encourage then on the field.
Rico, he does seem laid back but still, a kid playing out of position should be given a little leeway, I reckon.
Seems all our guys showed a little more the other day and long may that continue.
Hi Rico with the teams above us keep dropping points we may still have a small chance of getting to 5th place or with a lot of praying maybe 4th
Well i start by wishing Arteta good luck my advice to him is should look and think before selecting his best eleven players on merit not by their names those who are ready to work for the club and their names because when you are doing well everyone is seeing you i still believe that these Arsenal team are good enough to compete for honor but it is left for them to fight for themselves it is game of the mind so how they play represent them in the pitch all you need is to focus seeing yourself better than the one that challenges you please you guys make Arsenal great again wishing you all well Good luck and God bless you all
Morning Rico and Gang.
Great positive post yesterday Rico, and fine post today thank you.
I’m looking forward to seeing this Bola lad play, and if Mikel gets things right and he isn’t left exposed then who knows?
I’m loving the positivity on here at the moment, and long may it last!
There is no excuse for Racism, whenever or whatever! But…..And I have to be careful here , some people and especially footballers, are very , very sensitive when they want to be and CAN take things very much the wrong way especially if it suits them. I’m not saying for a second this what happened at the weekend by the way.
I work with a team of guys installing Solar Panels and systems all over the place. I’m the oldest and call the lads “Boyzes” or Boyzey singular. We had an apprentice working with us, seemed a nice lad , didn’t like clearing up but who does?
On the third week he didn’t turn up for work. We phoned him up after a few days and he said he wasn’t coming back because I was being racist to him. When the office asked for examples, he said I called him Boy all the time. His Mum said that if we paid him his full months wages, they wouldn’t take it any further!!
Luckily my team of guys are all shapes, sizes, colours and shades and backed me all the way so nothing came of it .
I’m more bitter, because one of my closest and nicest friends is black (he doesn’t like person of colour)and I’ve never wanted to tell him……. I call him Boyzey too !
God, Sorry! Agony Aunt Page!
Just my example.
Morning Mike, thanks re the posts.
Your experience has me stunned really, how on earth could ‘boy’ be interpreted in such a way?
Anyway, i think as far as racism in the game goes, I think it’s sad that going into 2020, it’s still rife.
Afternoon Rico, thanks again for another good post…
Bola making his debut at Bournemouth (or is it Southampton 😉) would be a huge risk imo.
Arteta needs to change the vibe, he needs some positive results, he needs a result at Dean Court or whatever they call it. The Vitality, that’s it, daft name, but yeah, we don’t want to go into two home games vs the Chavs and Mancs on the back of a poor result on the South Coast.
I reckon Mikel will go with players who’ve got some experience behind them already this season but Bola playing in the FACup is another matter!
There’s a lot of rumours coming and going regarding out players…
Mesut Ozil is set for Fenerbahce the Turkish media screams and their representatives are coming to England to thrash out a deal…
Did they get lost?
The Italian version of The Metro tells us that it’s a done deal, or affare fatto, Lucas Torrieira is on his way to Napoli or is it Milan or is it anywhere?
Cazzate as the Italians call it, bullshit as we call it…
Kolasinac is leaving as well, yeah, some team is going to pay us a fee and pay him £100k a week, yeah, in our dreams…
The rumours get ever so stranger, Volland, 27, plays in Germany, the replacement for Aubameyang according to some twerps on Twitter no doubt. News Now is full of such rubbish, non stories.
I’m bored with the January window already.
Thanks Rico, I did ask if I could talk to the lad and his Mum. But they weren’t interested.
I am starting to hate transfer windows, there is so much rubbish flying about. I think it’s best to just wait something actually happens and ignore the news.
5 points off 5th ,
8 points from relegation
Exciting isn’t it
That a sad story Mike, but a reflection on the litigious society we live in today where compo is often the reason behind any perceived offence.
The positive view, to me, was the support of your fellow workers, that’s where my focus would be.
Hi Rico unless i’m mistaken according to my mate who has since passed away and was African American the reason why the word boy is an insult to black people goes back to the slavery days when white people who owned the slaves called them all boy.
All set for the Boxing Day game. Free trial of Amazon Prime and all connected up to the Samsung Smart TV. Luvvly Jubbly
Yep really looking forward to the Bournemouth game. I don’t expect miracles, just effort.
Bit of a blow Chambers is suspended, him and Luiz looked a good partnership.
I just looked at the league table, we are only 3 points below Spurs, and bizarrely we have lost less games than Spurs and Chelsea.
That smug idiot Lineker was sneering about Arsenal on Match of the day, well Spurs only managed 1 shot on target, we had 2 – and our defence stopped Everton having any by the way, not that we got much credit for it.
COYG
Afternoon Kev. Thanks.
Is there much difference between playing Saka or Bola though, I’m not sure.
What I like especially is that we really don’t know who will start for sure on Thursday. I hope we don’t sign any of the players we’re linked to, other than the Ndidi link. Not that I believe that one for a minute.
Hi Geoff, here in England though, many fathers call their sons ‘boy’ – or ‘my boy’ – half the problem is the way people perceive what’s been said.
Certainly in Mike’s case
Geoff, in Australia don’t call us Pommie Bastards.
We don’t crying to a human rights lawyer do we?
Maybe we should… 🤔
Most English people consider Pommie Bastard a term of affection if used by an Aussie.
don’t you call us
don’t go crying
Feck this blogging on a phone lark
Right , Thanks Kev , Rico.
I’m sorry I posted now….This really isn’t the place for this discussion and I really apologise , especially to you Rico.
I just wanted to explain that somebody may find something really offensive even if it was very innocently meant.
Geoff , just to be clear, I never ever called him Boy. Only ever Boyzey……Boyzee! I call everybody this at work, I can never remember everybody’s name.
Such a shame because our banter on site , roofs etc has changed now.
Back to Arsenal ! Sorry again.
No need to apologise Mike, it’s a relevant topic I think.
On a FB page, discussing indigenous affairs with a large group, i was labelled a racist c**t by an aboriginal guy, and a c**n lover by a white guy.
The funny thing is that these labels came from the one, single comment I made on the topic, so work that out lol!!!
The fact my wife and son are part Aboriginal also kind of suggests I’m a strange racist, if I am at all lol
Racism shouldn’t happen, but it always will, unfortunately, and I can’t see how it’ll ever stop, but it’s a damn difficult discussion to even have because invariably, something will be taken out of context and the discussion on racism becomes a slinging match on who is and isn’t a racist.
The irony is we have probably all copped it at some point, but it’s not treated anywhere near the same way when I’m labelled a white c**t as it would be if I labelled someone else a black c**t and that’s frustrating.
One thing I don’t agree with is the suggestion clubs should be penalised for fans behaviour, especially when its one or a few fans-that can not be controlled.
Common decency should have fans around the perpetrator ripping their heads off, so to speak!!
There is no place for it and it says more about the scumbag making the comments than it does who their aimed at.
Morning all.
Ancelotti to Everton and wants to get Zlatan in.
What a way to move forward lol
We shopped very well.
Thanks Rico, I thought it was relevant when I started, but maybe too much about me.
Bloody awkward, awful subject.
I have lived abroad,travelled quite a bit,and can honestly say the UK is the most racially tolerant place by far I’ve ever known.
I’ve heard calling a black person boy has historical overtones,but to take offence in the context given, just seems ludicrous to me.
On a lighter note,my Australian cousins ( they were from Wales originally though) always told me Pommie stood for Prisoner of Mother England !
Evening Girlzies and Boyzies !
I call my son and grandson Boyzie a lot…….it`s an affectionate term of use!……..over exagerated usually when I see my grandson to …Boyzieeeeeeeeeeee!…………………..love the term!
Shame the parents and lad would not entertain you to explain, Mike.
It really is an awkward topic to discuss, but I do think a massive reason for that is because people aren’t open and honest about it due to fear of being labelled a racist which really is the default argument when someone disagrees with you.
Of course, then there is the simple fact that some people are just bloody racist.
I throw the Pom word about, with no knowledge of its origins but then, it’s always in jest, and when I’m labelled a convict, it doesn’t offend me a single bit.
As a wise man once said, people can choose to be offended, or they can choose not to be.
Hi LCM, we tried to contact his Mum but she blanked us every time.
I thought I might hear something when the company didn’t pay what they asked,but nothing. Bloody annoying ,I wanted it sorted so I could put it to bed.
Still, over 2 years ago now so moving on.
Hi Scott,
One of the most annoying things for me, is that I don’t really know if I upset this lad or not.
The younger lads told me he hated the job anyway and I’m a mug to worry about it.
Thing is, would you chuck away the chance of an electrical apprenticeship these days?
I’m not so sure.
Who knows?
Scott 7.20….
You just can’t help yourself can ya, wherever you go you start a row… 😆
Freddie on board is good news…
Really interested to see who else Arteta brings into his coaching group?
Rick, great to see Harry has signed a new deal. A footballing centre back is just what we need…
https://www.arsenal.com/news/harry-clarke-signs-new-contract
Seems that way Kev lol
Mike, lots of kids don’t want to work these days, and any excuse to get out of it will be used.
Hi All As you can see by the reply’s to my answer to :BOY: it gets people upset very quickly now you can see why the colored players get up set so quick. Know please let me explain why I said it and what I said it if you read Rico response at 12:30pm The way I read it Rico did not understand why the word Boy would be offensive to a coloured person and that is why I answered it. I did not say any one was racist but some of the response I got were racist so think about this (1) what colour skin do I have (2) yes I live in Australia but am I Australian born or did I come here as a young child or a refugee (3) do I call English people pommie bastards
(4) have I even been called a Pome convict because of Australia’s history = The answer to these 4 question is you do not know because you do not know me personally but your response was to go straight on the back foot and start attacking me instead of reading my comment then checking why I wrote it. personally I think people today are way to sensitive Just ask Scott how easy it is in Australia to get in trouble with the Aboriginal just call them Abo for short is racist yet there own tv channel they don’t call us Australian they call us white fellas and that is not a racist comment work that one out as I said my best friend before he died was black and I am white and our nick name for each other was honky and snow flakes as both our family’s loved watching the English tv show love they neighbor as both of us loved a beer and hang crap on each other.
We, as a species, have lost our sense of humour.
Geoff, no one on here has ever come across as being racist and I would not condone such views on here anyway. I think you are perhaps the one misunderstanding our comments, certainly my response.
Perhaps it’s best to leave it there…
Kev, I was reading about Harry as I’d not seen his name before. Interestingly, he’s a CDM by trade so I wonder if Arteta will look at him for that position going forward. It’s not like we’re blessed in that department.
Morning all.
Racism is such a complicated issue, I doubt there’ll ever be an answer on how to combat it, or how to explain it.
I believe we’ve held as diplomatic and respectful discussion on the topic as I’ve ever ever encountered so for that, I say well done to my fellow Housers.
Morning scott, all.
New post up now