England’s new Nike kit will make its debut against Brazil at Wembley (Picture: Nike)
Morning all.
The new England kit. It’s a no from me….
Arsenal FC have confirmed that three of its own fans have been given a 3 year banning order after pleading guilty of public order offences relating to ‘tragedy chanting’ during the game against Liverpool at The Emirates back in January. Stupid behaviour, offensive too and of course they deserve their punishment, but, what about Liverpool fans who boo the national anthem at any and every given opportunity? I’m English, I’m patriotic and I find their actions offensive as I’m sure thousands of other English fans do too, so where’s their punishment? I know two wrongs don’t make a right but, where is the consistency? Yep, in the too difficult to deal with tray I suspect.
Bukayo Saka has withdrawn from the England squad through injury. Gary Neville knew it was coming, or at least he thought he did – he didn’t of course but having been part of an era when Fergie pulled his players from international duty whenever he felt like it, he probably just thinks of things like that. I don’t care what he thinks by the way, all I care about is if Saka is injured, it’s nothing serious. I’m sure it’s not otherwise we’d have known about it but even if a player, regardless of who they are, has the slightest of niggles, playing in a friendly match is not worth the risk. I’m surprised Declan Rice hasn’t dropped a bone china teacup on his big toe by now – that hurts honest, I’ve done it myself before and I was off work for a month….
Talking of friendly fixtures, Arsenal were thrashed 4-0 by QPR yesterday. Oh my goodness, panic, we need to sign better players, sack the manager, sell anyone involved in such a humiliating defeat…. I jest of course… The game was nothing more than an opportunity for Thomas Partey and Takehiro Tomiyasu to get playing time. Both need it too after being out of the game for a while. When Partey made his return just a week or so ago, he was clearly rusty so yesterday will have done both players the world of good. The squad too as after this international break, it’s non stop until the end of May.
Arsenal’s starting 11: Ejeheri (Rojas 46), Nichols (Dudziak 64), Robinson, Foran, Tomiyasu (Quesada-Thorn 46), Partey (Kabia 64), Lewis-Skelly, Gower (Bandeira 64), Cozier-Duberry (Oulad M’Hand 64), Butler-Oyedeji, Kamara (Rosiak 64).
Great for so many younger players to get time on the pitch with two first team players and an opportunity for Mikel Arteta to see what they’re made of. The result was insignificant in my opinion.
On the international front, four Arsenal players were in action last night. Italy were behind in their game against Venezuela when Jorginho came on from the bench midway through the second half and he made a huge difference. Italy went on to win 2-1. Jakub Kiwior and his Polish teammates put 5 goals passed Karl Hein to keep their Euro 2024 qualification chances alive and it was the same for Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ukraine courtesy of a 2-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ukraine v Iceland and Poland v Wales takes place on Tuesday night with the winners of each match heading to Germany this summer.
Tonight, Martin Odegaard and David Raya could be in action as Norway play Czech Republic and Spain play Colombia.
Catch up in the comments..
Afternoon Rico and Co.
The motif on the back of the England shirt will go down well with the Gary Lineker set but imagine messing about with the Scottish flag or the Irish flag or the Welsh flag? The reaction wouldn’t be great, but not is the price! I hope that Nike don’t woke up the Arsenal shirt…
Saka returning seems precautionary to me, a few days of treatment and he should be fine for Man City.
Actually, for Nike it could well be their Dylan Mullvany Budweiser moment.
G’day Rico, I hope you don’t mind but I have repeated my comment from earlier.
More woke nonsense and virtue signalling from Nike? Who authorised the change of colour of the Cross of St George, which has adorned the English flag for a thousand years, on the new, grossly overpriced, England kit? They should be ashamed of themselves.
The FA should take a stand against the money grubbing American sportswear giant and order the England team to wear kit that carries the revered red and white emblem.
Afternoon Kev, Cicero.
How any English man or woman think this design is good is bonkers in my opinion. It goes against everything the St George’s flag is and our national flag should not be messed with, especially not an American who would be furious if an English company did it to theirs.
Not at all Cicero, I repeat myself often. 😂
Absolutely agree with what you’ve written. And to think, Ben White is criticised for opting not to play for England yet this is deemed acceptable… what a load of b****x
Afternoon Rico and all.
I just looke at the England shirt, is it the one with the blue lion, white background and a load of little red things going all around, if so it looks far too much going on, I agree why can’t companies just leave some things alone.
I guess at the end of the day Nike, will not care unless the English fans refuse to buy the new shirt.
I wonder what would happen if the Arsenal fans appeal there suspention on the grounds that Liverpool fans always boo the English anthem. and no action taken against them.
Hi Geoff, I hope zero sales of the shirts…
There’s already an online ‘Boycott Nike’ campaign kicking off.
Awful news about the Princess of Wales, I wish her her speedy and full recovery.
It is Cicero, thankfully she said she’s only going to get stronger and she’ll be ok. It’s been a horrid old time for the family what with the King’s cancer too. I hope they both return to full health very soon.
Just wish the media would leave them alone now and stop filling the front pages about something they know nothing more about…
The flag colour change … I’m surprised it’s not the rainbow …. yet.
I’m glad the royal family have support and hopefully they can kick Cancer’s arse, I know what they are going through, watching my dad in his final months fighting cancer is not fun, he is all bones now and I can’t see him making xmas.
New post up.