Morning all.
Only one place to start really and that’s last night’s 2-2 result at Stamford Bridge, a result which turned Leicester City FC into Premier League champions. Well done to them, they deserve it.
When Claudio Ranieri was appointed Leicester manager in the summer of 2015, many a footballing ‘expert’ raised their eyebrows. How could this ageing Italian do well at a club which was nearly relegated last season, a manager who had failed in his attempt to win the league at Chelsea a few years ago, he’d also failed with the Greece national team which resulted in his sacking. ‘The Tinkerman’ was a bad appointment for the East Midlands club.
The Italian didn’t spend big in the summer but he spent wisely (Kante for just £6m was a steal) and worked with many players already at his disposal. He had a group of players who he trusted, a group of players who trusted him and his tactics. The players have given their all for the last ten months, they’ve been organised defensively, they have pace up front and the attacking players have scored goals a plenty.
Meanwhile, over in North London, Arsenal have totally cocked up this season. Possession galore, not enough goals and certainly not enough points which I know is stating the bleedin obvious.
How many of our players have the determination and commitment as those at Leicester? Not many. Do our three central defenders have the same desire not to concede goals as Huth and Morgan have? Every time Vardy gets the ball he has one thing in mind and that’s to score. Our attacking players play one, two or maybe even ten extra passes, just to allow the defence more time to close us down.
Jamie Vardy – 22 league goals so far this season. Riyad Mahrez – 17 league goals so far this season.
Olivier Giroud – 12 league goals so far this season. Alexis Sanchez – 12 goals so far this season but has been injured for a period of time. Next on the list is Mesut Ozil with 6 league goals…..
Fancy flicks and tricks when a simple football would be much better, not shooting when the goal is in sight, not being disciplined in midfield because certain players want to get forward and score. Defenders turning their back on a shot or failing to stick their head in where the likes of Morgan or Huth aren’t afraid too. Wingers who won’t stay on the wing and no striker to finish more of the 100+ chances Mesut Ozil has created.
Arsene Wenger is too soft, the players are too soft, the whole approach each match day has been too soft.
But the irony is, Arsenal are the only team to have beaten the new Premier League Champions both home and away this season but what’s gone on for the rest of it, certainly this year has been pretty poor.
If Arsene Wenger could sort that out, he might just win the league again and if a 64 year old Ranieri can do it, there’s no excuse why he shouldn’t be able to but sadly, very sadly for all of us, we know he can’t because if he could, he’d have done so a few years ago and by now, he’d have had another Premier League trophy or two under his belt…
Taking my Arsenal hat off, I’m really pleased for The Tinkerman, especially for making sure we didn’t have to suffer the neighbours being victorious….
Oh, and talking of the neighbours. I hope the FA throw the book at them after last night, they were a disgrace!
Congratulations to Leicester, they’ve shown you can get rewarded for passion and determination.
Spot on on how sloppy every department of our team is. ’till next season.
Very good read.
The foxes win goes to show that football cab ne a very funny game.
Last season, I thought they were mid table material. I remember asking Rico what she thought of Morgan and Moore as CB’s.
Tinkerman arguably the most unluckiest manager (not including AW) in football truly deserves this. At times he has been truly been treated badly. Inter, Monaco and Chelsea come to mind
When Cambiaso mentioned he will never play under Ranieri even if he could win the league, it sounded like hollow threats. I wonder if the foxes would have won the league with Cambiaso being the soul backbone of the team…
More of the same if he stays Marshall. That’s something to look forward too….
What was my reply Ts? lol
🙂 Rico.
I can remind you what I said to your reply though… ‘ 😉
Probably said something about Merts…. lol
Definitely NOT!
Morning all,
I hope the disgusting Totenham players get retrospective bans. I think both teams need fines for not been able to control their players.
Fabragas needs a right old smack for been a dumb ass rolling around and showing everyone his stamped on hand.
Chelsea also needs a fine for their bull shit of getting in the ref’s face everytime there’s a foul.
You surprise me Lee.. 😉
I’d imagine the FA will have a field day with both sides Brad..
Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.
Rico I have an answer to your one, two maybe ten passes…..etc etc etc.
I think the answer to AW’s present thinking of passing, passing and more passing, does not lie from 2006 onwards. From when we moved to the EMS.
The present style of play, let’s say a mere shadow of Barca style, is the European style. One which AW needs his teams to play if he is to win the CL. FAir enough.
The previous style……the style of Adams’ team and Capmbell’s team (to separate them) was a style which AW saw was good enough in the EPl, and had he persevered with it he surely would have won it more times since 2006. However, that style was only suited to winning the EPL. He saw that it was not good for Europe.
So what did he do?? He changed the way the team plays to possession football. Keeping the ball so that the opposition does not get it and thus would not score.
His fallacy??? He does not have the right players for such a style. And in England, especially in the EPL such a style gets found out. Esp, against teams which play direct football and park the bus.
You know, my view may not be shared by many on here, but I wish that the Arsenal players were as committed as the Spud players were yesterday…
Imagine if our players had shown the same desire and commitment at Old Bog or Anfield or the Hawthorns, or at home to Swansea and a myriad of other games, when our superstars didn’t turn up…
Yeah, the Scum went over the top, but from my perspective I admired their will to win at all costs…
You certainly couldn’t call them ‘soft’….
Mind you I hope they all get suspended, fined, keel hauled, deported to Botany Bay.
?
I’m confused to what our style is….. spineless seems to be the major trait!
Shoe horning the under performing Ramsey in the team hasn’t paid off!
Aye I agree with what you are saying Kev. Our players have too much charm.
We need PV04, Keane and Petit in our midfield atm. Plus Sol And Tony at CB.
Those type of players would have ran away with the league in the first 15 mins of all 38 games.
Why should they get suspended, fined, keel hauled etc etc. You should have asked for them to be hanged, drawn, quartered and beheaded. Why should William Wallace be the only one to suffer such ignominy?
Aye, even I am confused Lee. let’s say it is a poor man’s barca style. Cheapo imitation from the east.
Don’t know why Devil, he’s never going to win in Europe his way because even playing possession football you have to score and be able to defend…
You know, when you have characters like Dixon, Winterburn, Lauren, Vieira, Adams, Bergkamp, Keown, Seaman, Lehmann and Petit in your dressing room, you can afford to manage like an avuncular, chummy, Grandfather type…
It doesn’t work with softies like Giroud, Walcott, AOC, Ramsey, etc etc ad nuseum.
He never will Rico. not even in a million years will he win in Europe.
Then again……the tinkerman won his holy grail after all. Stranger things have happened.
Maybe next year.
Rinse and re-use
I get what you mean there Kev. We seriously do have a bunch of softies barring one or two….
Dev- as a football man you know consistency is what matters.
As we were discussing on here on 9 Aug when we lost to WHU, Ranieri, Brenda and Jose would not outlast AW…
I am happy for Ranieri and goes to show nice guys can also win…
Last weekend I heard ‘some’ Arsenal fans on the radio saying they would take Klopp over AW…
Odd how Klopp’s win ratio is no different from Brenda’s.
How can a manager go from signing players like you list Kev, to the bunch of pampered lot we have now. Beggars belief really…
Talk about it’s not broken, so I’ll change it…
For Leicester fans’ its a once in a life time achievement…
Who wants to bet Ranieri wont be here after next season…
Conte is the manager who I think will change the league even more than Pep imho…
He is a manager I would have liked at Colney.
Dev- do you think Conte will play 3 at the back in this league?
I enjoyed the highlights of the chavs and spuds kicking lumps out of each other! It was quite like the old times when men were men and refs knew their place! Let ’em get on with it, I say!
Congrats to the Foxes. Cunning and stealth won the day, not to mention nearly 38 master classes in breakaway football that actually created goals (and plenty of them).
Best team in the land? Must’ve been they are the Champions! But who should have been?
Next season? Will Arsene do what needs to be done to make the Arsenal a competitive team again or will it be the same old same old?
Breath of fresh air emanating from the city that have properly buried the restless soul of Dick the shit. And they own the World Snooker Champion! The city must be blessed.
Perhaps we need to bury some of our ghosts that are still haunting Islington and need to be laid to rest peacefully before we rise again, that is beyond 3rd or 4th!
Rico……our ‘HARDIES’ like Gabriel, Coquelin are all told to calm down and be well mannered, So they soften up. Look at Coq…..since the game against the spuddies….how many times has he warmed the bench????
Ginge…..I love 3 at the back, a totally DM, 2 wingbacks, 2 B2B mids and two forwards.
But I doubt how much it would work in England.
I would have liked Conte at the helm yes. But he is another Mourinho…..2-3 years max and he skedaddles off
The problem is the fm is too concerned with winning in style. That’s the trouble.
He doesn’t like anti soccer which helps you win games.
For this reason he will never be able to win the epl unless he gets off his
high horse and sniff the pitch.n
Go for this formation and team
Cech
……………..Campbell, Adams, Keown……………..
…………………………..Gilberto…………………………
Bellerin…………….Petit, Vieira……………..Cole
…………………Bergkamp, Henry…………………….
I put in Bellerin because he is a footballer with speed. Cole likewise.
The centre is packed with strength and steel.
I know Devil, we’ve been saying it for years….
Wenger is soft, and the team reflect that, unlike back in our successful times under Wenger…
Dev- Coq is one reason the club has no identity…imho
As I mentioned when Santi got injured, I suspected SAnti was making Coq look good.
Unfortunately, I have been to some poor Arsenal away day showings recently but Coq’s performance at WBA showed me he was not the type of CDM we needed to go forward.
I am not bashing him at all… but since loads of fans/news papers use to post stats on his so called performances; maybe we should look at the goals we have scored since he came into the team.
Apart from his showings in Dec 14 to March 2015 when we were solid at the back and could sneak in the 1-0 wins, he has been consistent but average imho…
Ginge……going back on the match rigging debate…….how many matches in Europe, at domestic, national and international levels, are being monitored??? A lot I say. even at u21 level.
We only know the tip of the iceberg. Only that which is uncovered. The rest is swept under the carpet.
It’s not the ghosts Wavy, it’s the living…. 😉
Ginge….Petit and Gilberto made PV04 look awesome mate. Its in all teams. Coq needs CAzorla. In the same manner both Ozil and Cesc needed Flamini.
When I used to play, either as a right wing or as right back I used to switch a lot with my mate. I go forward and he stays back. When he went forward I used to be a RB. Together we were a nightmare for the opposition. But when either one of use got injured or were dropped or suspended, we used to look like a bunny in the headlights.
So yes…..Coquelin needs Cazorla.
Aaron does not need Elneny though. He needs the bench or the right wing.
AR16 needs SC16 or a younger Arteta but that is another story I guess…
We need 2 CM next season…
Last Saturday showed how slow our CM’s were in moving the ball forward.
One data showed that Elneny, Ramsey and Coquelin take 3 touches on average more than SC19 before making a pass…
Ramsey needs selling..
Rico. Perhaps Ranieri encountered the perfect storm where everything fell into place. No Europe, luck on injuries, leniency from referees, all the other top teams playing shockingly etc etc. I watched Leicester play on a few ocassionally and they struck me as being very fit and having a plan. Destroy anything coming through the middle, slaughter anyone trying to come down the wing, get the ball to Mahrez or over the top to Vardy. Their fitness was key though as was their ability to hold a slender lead. Wenger could and would never play like that, nor should he. In Ranieri’s success lies the reflection of Wenger’s failure, along with plenty of other managers.
As Arsenal supporters we cannot view anything objectively though and neither can fans of other clubs. If Wenger is going to stay I hope he comes up with something different next year despite all indications that he simply cannot.
The weakest link atm is Aaron. If he and Ozil are both in the team than our team suffers. AW must drop one of them.
Probably because players ahead of them are too static Ts…
Adam, I’d agree, it was perfect for Leicester, but I still think they have done really well because at least they took advantage, unlike dear Arsene…
I’m looking forward to seeing Elneny and Cazorla together . One is sublime and the other has a great efficient engine . However I am convinced that our dear leader will play one or the other with Ramsey because I reckon there must be something in their relationship that I can’t see.
🙂 Dev. In my view the EPL has been rigged for a long long time…
Kev Keagan will agree with me.. 😉
The difference between EPL and Ligue 1 or Serie A is that the money goes to the corporates instead of referees.
I am still awaiting the Yanited tell all book in 5 to 10 years time…
The way the media are making Leicester win look like it has never happened in Europe before makes me laugh.
Montpellier with OG12 did it in Ligue 1 upsetting the oilers a few years back…
I guess Ligue 1 is considered grade b league by the ‘expert panellist ‘.. 😉
Adam….I think I have a fair answer to that comment.
A few years ago I used to argue with one of my fellow coaches. No fist fights but no respect either. He used to fit the players to his system. I used to fit the system to the players.
Look at AW…….no matter who the playing staff is, no matter who the opposition is……the style remains the same. He has the same style from the under nappies to the seniors. In this way many players are lost. When fitting the system to the players, many players are gained.
And results as well.
Play to your strengths….not to the style and formation.
Potter. atm I am thinking that Elneny is Flamini with a footballing brain. Next season will be an eye opener on Elneny.
I guess Ligue 1 is considered grade b league by the ‘expert panellist ‘.. ?
Not at all , league un is abroad and therefor doesn’t count.
Look at Fergie , he had Beckham who could hit a free kick from wherever , so he utilised his team to drop like flies anywhere close to where he could be effective. ( played to his strengths)
Just read on NN……….imagine the spuds getting docked points and we finish above them. that would be one giant larf!!!!!!
Potter….don’t give secrets away. shhhhheeeeessssshhhhh
I agree Rico. They lost very few games and adapted to whatever was thrown at them. We didn’t. As the old adage goes, you can only beat what’s in front of you and this they did while we were making our 20th pass of a move that was destined to end up in the back of our net.
Leicester kept it simple and we have neither the manager nor the players to do that.
Playing winning football is what it’s all about and Arsene hasn’t done that for about a decade now, with a few notable exceptions.
This season has been effectively thrown away by Arsenal as far as I can see.
I think that one style for all ages is what makes it difficult for our loaned out players to adapt to.
I also think that Wilshere would do well in the Cazorla role and will avoid ankle crushing tackles from the hard men holding mids and defenders as he would be up against attacking players.
The other conundrum of scoring is that Ramsey makes late runs into the box and Ozil likes to hang back and supply. Ramsey is ill disciplined and is often out of position because he sees the play in the box.
Good post rico, agree entirely. Saw Sanchez twice get the ball, shimmy, look up …. no movement whatsoever from Giroud and co. Only when Welbeck came on did he receive, pass, move. What’s the matter with the rest of them, not paid enough?
Agree Adam.
Thanks Andrew, it was similar for Elneny a few weeks back, looked up and nothing, so backwards he had to go….
It really isn’t a coincidence that the best Arsenal performances of this season have come when Giroud is out of the starting XI
Rico and Adam- You have a point…
It could also be argued that with better or more ingenious players in midfield the attackers would be more mobile
Your points above indicates there is a major problem with creativity in the team contrary to the general view that we create chances.
If the midfielders were good, AS17 wont come deem to pick up the ball…
Last season when TR07 and MA08 played on the odd occasion, Ozil and AS17 were not compelled to drop deeper..
Ozils heat map without SC19 this season after January shows that he spends more of his time in and around the centre circle. That is not where a number 10. should be…
Also If an attacker moves before a pass then he will most likely be caught off side as by the time the midfielder takes his 7th touch the opposition would have cottoned on…
Allezkev “you certainly couldn’t call them ‘soft’…”
It is not and never has been hard to go around sything down opponents limbs. Its cowardly. If you want to start something grow some balls and have a proper fight.
Spurs were cowardly.
🙂 Potter. Good one
TS. You make an interesting point re Mesut. I have noticed for some time that when we are moving forward through Bellerin perhaps, Ozil will drop in deep and demand the ball. As he is Mesut Ozil I imagine that Hector feels obliged to pass to him. Most of these passes will be short and square. We have lost impetus in so many attacks in this way that it’s not funny. Especially late in the season it seems as if everything must go through him. He’s a great player I know but I do find it as irritating as other teams must find it predictably pleasing as it enables them to get everyone behind the ball.
Arsenal’s best performances of the season, imo, are;
Chelsea C/S Wembley
Leicester EPL (a)
Man Utd EPL (h)
Watford EPL (a)
Bayern C/L (h)
Giroud didn’t start any of them…
He did start;
Swansea EPL (a)
Man City EPL (h)
I think that Arsenal played their best and most effective football at the beginning of the season.
Then injuries to Alexis and Walcott saw Giroud back into the side and the verve went out of our play and we became more attritional and laboured.
Girouds last EPL goal; 13th January
Girouds last cup goal; 8th March
C’est la vie…
I totally agree kev re. OG12. I defend OG12 often but I think he has truly slacked off..
Folks may disagree but imho our best performance this season at least away was at Leicester when MA08 and SC19 both played…
We were losing when Flamini came off injured and MA08 came on for him…; I was at that game and the movement afterwards was just breath-taking imo… MA08 then got injured and came off and the static play returned
If anyones interested ?…… The Samaritans have had a meltdown due to the high level of calls from N17 about suicide and depression and are looking for help answering the calls. I was asked if I could help out and said…..”yes !, I have a gun, a knife, a guillotine, some poison, strong hairy hands and The Invincibles video !”
And don’t forget Ramsey. When he has the ball and a quick break is on the cards, by the time he has accelerated to the centre circle he has been caught up with by the defending opposition and at that point he usually looks over his shoulder and passes the ball backwards! Slow, slow, slow, slow! Rather than the opposite, as it used to be, one touch, pass, another touch pass, plus one more, GOAL! We have lost all our pace and most of our accuracy and certainly our finishing ability!
I’m off to bury my head in the sand and go lalalalalalal, until someone comes and takes me away!?
I hope the interest for Giroud from Woolfsburg is serious Kev….
Ffs, football is an easy game if you have right tools! Trouble is we are blessed with a load of TOOLS! And they don’t go anywhere near the box!
Sorry I was one ‘slow’ short of a sentence!
Lalalalalalala
Haven’t Wolfburg just sacked the ‘best centre forward in the world’?
And wasn’t he one of ours once? They want Giroud? I’ll drive!
Adam your observation re. Ozil is one reason I would hazard a guess as to why AW prefers Per as opposed to Gabriel…
Not just Ozil, many of our players are caught out of position and sometimes it’s like watching schoolboy stuff where they all go for the same ball but I guess that’s what happens when you have too many players who want to play central, no ‘proper’ wingers and a sluggish striker…
🙂 Wavy
Versus Norwich I watched Ramsey fairly closely and 90% of his passes were sideways!!
Wavy, the perfect replacement then… 😉
Ramsey needs benching for the City game and bring back Coquelin and Campbell imo…
Where many chose to downplay the effect of the ” Time for change ” card show this comment from a Norwich perspective taken from the the Eastern evening news from a supporter that could see the whole stadium in front of him apart from the upper tier is interesting.
“An organised protest began to gather momentum in the 12th minute of the match. Designed to mark the 12 years since Arsenal last won the Premier League title by those who think that long-serving manager Arsene Wenger, inset, is past his sell by date, a handful of ‘Time For Change’ banners gradually became a few hundred and peaked at a sizeable minority. ”
Sizeable but still a minority . Furthermore those that trumpeted that the protest was shouted down,I would argue that it was not difficult as the protest was one of display and was held in silence.
Just thought that I would share this as it seems that it was more successful than reported.
Leicester…
relegated from PL
relegated from the Championship
Won league one
Won the Championship
Won the PL
A yank is not in charge of Leicester..
Aston Villa, Smoking Scousers, Yanited, Fulham, Sunderland..
Odd how apart from Yanited all those clubs nose dived after a yank took over…
Rico, I did a few weeks back, that Juve were interested in Giroud.
Now it Real Madrid re-sign Alvaro Morata, in order to sell him to Arsenal, I guess that Wenger could recoup part of his outlay by selling to the Italians, a kind of football musical chairs…
Ginge, who do see as the long term rellacement for Arteta..
Zelalem perhaps?
Jeorge Bird @jeorgebird
Cazorla, Chambers, Rosicky and Gnabry all set to play for U21s v Blackburn (via http://arsenal.com )
On this day in 1998 Tony Adams was immortalised with his strike against Everton….sent through by Bould.
Judge me in May………… err failed!
Kev- to be honest with you I haven’t get much tabs on Gedion post January.
He was struggling a bit before Christmas….
Cazorla is Arteta’s replacement imo.
Toral will be added to the squad next season.
Kev- I thought Olsson would be the natural successor before he took some of what Nicky-52 took…
Gedion is physically not ready imho… at least not as a half of the double pivote…
He doesn’t score enough goals to be a proper no.10 either
keep much tabs even…
You might there Dev
kept* ffs
I wonder what Serge will bring to the team next season…
Rick/Ginge, just seen a video of Eddie Nketiah’s 24 goals, he certainly had a bit of the TH14’s about him, not in terms of pace, but the cool manner in how he slides the ball home, far post in traditional Henry fashion, he goal hangs and is Johnny on the spot if a shot is saved but not held, he’s there to gobble up the rebound, very impressed. Penalties, headers, chipped cross shots, he’s got the full package…
Kev, I don’t care who has Giroud, as long as he goes… 😉
Afternoon guys….
Sorry, would have replied earlier but had to leave the premises!
Replacement for Giroud, the French number one CF, God help them!
I would go for Neymar. Word is his agent is searching for a better deal. We’ve got the cash, allegedly, we’ve got one or two other world class players, we should have the potential. What’s not to like?
Alternatively we could put our faith in the manager’s judgement and give Akpom a go?
I’ll leave you to decide which is the better option!
Toral is definately one Wenger should bring into the squad next season Coach
Yeah, I’m with you there, on Giroud, Rico, Adam has worn me down, I can’t fight his corner anymore… ?
Akpom certainly has the talent and the pace Wavy, but he ain’t a prolific goalscorer, well not at Hull, that’s for sure.
I was hoping for a bit more from him in the goals dept.
Elneny, Coquelin, Aaron, Jack, Cazorla and Toral are the reasons why AW will not sign any CM this summer. Plus Hayden. And the Ox can play there. Mark my words….he will get only for the defence and/or attack.
🙂 Kev…
I have my doubts too re Akpom, think he’ll be gone in the summer…
I reckon you’ll be wrong there Devil, Jack can’t be relied on to stay fit, Ramsey could be off to Barca, Ox to Southampton and like Akpom, perhaps Hayden hasn’t done enough on loan…
Being ironic re Ramsey by the way…. 😉
you are right Rico. on all counts. but I would not put it past AW to sell Ollie, Theo and let TR07, MA08 and MF leave while bringing in just Toral, Akpom, Zelalem, Hayden etc.
I still think he will get only one player in.
I don’t Devil, I think he’ll sign a few. Not perhaps who we’d like though….
I’m sure if he dares to enter the transfer whirligig he may well buy a couple or three! But they won’t be ‘Neymars’ they will be Elnenys, decent but not the finished articles. He will put upon himself to ‘finish them off’. And we all know what that will bring, these days.
Agreed with the list of infants he will try to include, but will he ever trust them enough to let them play in the EPL, even as subs?
Kev-if Eddie Nketiah has had a very good season; Good news is he says he will play for England and not for Ghana otherwise another Frimpong certainly.
I hope he is more of an Iwobi. Iwobi is the only youngster plus Akpom who have not had any injuries and we can see how good the academy can be…
Glen Kamara is another one who can come in and do a very decent job in midfield…
Ainsley Maitland-Niles has big ego and so its 50/50..
Evening Rico and the House
Good read to day Rico and there has been some good comments with no insults and abuse.
Santi Tomas and Chambers all start and it looks like Chambers is playing
the Coq role.
Kev Nketiah is on the bench tonight would love to see him get time with Santi and Tomas he would be areal threat,
Evening Rick, thanks.
Good to see the walking wounded return, just as the season comes to an end… As so often is the case..
Seems that it’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ mother that has the ego and the purse strings.
Is she his agent then? I know she’s spoken out a bit too much. Well, if the media reports are correct.
Appears so apparently swearing at Mick McCarthy , a bad target to choose, I don’t think he has featured for Ipswich since. She has previous http://www.telegraph.co.uk › Sport › Football › Teams › Arsenal . He would be well advised to ditch her but it’s family.
Silly woman. She should be looking after her son, not destroying his career….
just put his name plus mother into google and you will find it.
I did… Stupid woman.
I’m off guys, enjoy the the CL match. I’m off to bed….
Night all…
H/T Goal less
Arsenal dominating but unable to score .
Santi looking like he has lost weight.
1-0
Willok from a santi pass.
Sounds familiar Rick! All the ball absolutely no goals!
Too many any first teamers, do you think?
Crowley replaced Santi on 62 mins Blackburn score 64mins 1-1
Santi was pulling the strings when he was replaced.
80 mins 2-1
A great Willock goal unstopable shot.
Win 2-1
Now Play A.Villa in the Final. Next Tues at the Emms.
Rick, I really like that Chris Willock, if he keeps his head down and works hard I think he is gonna have a big career, hopefully at Arsenal.
Rick 8.43, as opposed to pulling a muscle…..I’ll take that any day of the week.
Bayern vs Atl Madrid, cracking game, Madrid have the edge, but with 80 mins played could still go either way !
Atl Madrid vs Citeh final it is then !
Nite Gooners.
Kev I understand Arsene rates him very highly and he has been training with the first team just lately.
I like his work rate and the way he covers for the left back.
I do see a danger though, Gatting has played him at C/F in a couple of games
which I think is a big mistake.
Now Nketiah.
Most of the U18 league games (& all u16) are played behind closed doors at Colny on a Sat morning.Entry is by invitation only ( mainly parents like Niles mum??) So I have only seen him on highlights.
However the more I see of him the more I like him.
The things I have noticed is (a) he is two footed and can score with both feet
(b) has fast feet (c) the most important he has a very good first touch with both feet.
Considering he is only just 16 ( just like Reiss Nelson) with Henry helping him he could have a great Arsenal future in front of him.
Happy Star War’s Day!
ha ha ha 4th of May;
Good morning Rico, Lee and all…
I wonder who Pep will be rooting for tonight?
Man city could have no UCL football next season if they go out tonight…
Maybe 4th is like a trophy. 😛
Micko, I reckon it’ll be a Madrid derby..
Morning Lee and all…
Morning Ts. Now that would be funny…..
Rico- Pep saying he has given his life to BM just made me chuckle;
was that the easiest job in top flight football?
Imo BM not winning the Bundesliga last weekend is hyperthetically like Celtic waiting on the last day of the season to find out if they have won the SPL on goal difference…
We shall see if he is overrated all not..
Saying that FC Munchen played some sublime football last night and deserved to win but Pep vs Simeone is like AW vs Jose… at least the old AW’s team that played good football…
How is Gabi still going at 32 y.o whilst we complain we need younger players.
The shift Gabi put in last night was incredible…
If AW wasgoing to spend £60m on a player, I will say forget about Neymar and get Koke… what a player.
He’s only been there 3 years hasn’t he Ts? But I guess what he means is that over those three years, his life has been all about Bayern which I suspect is true.
Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.
Just seen a picture of Pep with tears in his eyes.
Ginge, good morning mate, you will be proved right imo…….next year Pep will have a difficult life in England…….especially if Man Shitty win the CL. I would like it if they did it…….so that Pellegrini will leave with his head held high and Pep will be destined to fail. It would leave the shitty directors with eggs on their faces…….for doing the most foolish things and announce mid season who their next manager will be.
And believe me…….the EPL is not like the Primera liga or Bundesliga….where just one or two teams rule the roost. The EPL is a cut throat affair…..many teams go for the jugular……and in your face.
I would love Simeone to be our next manager. He will kick up a few arses…..Kroenke included.
Morning All
It’s Uncle Bob for me…
Morning Kev, Dev…
I want some of uncle Bob’s magic potion…; its dragon blood I read. 😉
Dev- Peps record in UCL in knock-out stages recently is played 8 won 0
Is it a ‘philosophical’ problem
Dev- I liked Simeone as a player but as a manager, I think he is too much of a Jose for my liking. Complete Anti-football…
Modern football is becoming a bit too bland; its all about results I know but if one can’t enjoy it then one must as well just check the results on ‘teletext’ afterwards.. lol
Then again I am wrong as catenaccio ensured the Italians dominated football in the 90s…
Maybe looking at football from the legend Cruyff (R.I.P) and AW’s eyes does not guarantee results…
In Simeone’s first season he was a breathe of frsh air as he reminded me of a young Huddink or Saatchi but since then he has taken the Jose mantle to the heights…
If he wins the big ears I feel he will change Ginge. ATM his holy grail is winning it. Achieve that and it will be a weight off his shoulders.
I believe that if he comes to AFC the Invincibles season will be repeated.
Morning Kev, Devil..
Ts, Pep’s record is still far better than AW’s and at least he wins a few domestic trophies… 😉
No contest there Rico. 🙂
I am not slating Pep btw… I am just wondering why with some of the best players and arguably the best manager BM could not match BM under Josef Heynckes….
Pep apparently has a great work ethic so yes he probably has a point from his perspective…
I guess he put in the shift but like Aw maybe the results did not happen for him; his aim at BM was to win the UCL and he failed…With him earning
£14.8 million a year in a league that can only have one winner; my view is that Pep has not redeemed himself…
Morning
I will be corrected if I`m wrong, but generally to win a title you have to be hard to beat and the defense is the first priority to sort out !………………..bring back Gorgeous George, a brown paper bag, no questions asked and defense sorted !. Makes you wonder what GG could have done with the amount of money Wenger has at his disposal !……………….£20M for Perry Groves instead of £50K !
I like Simeone`s passion and plus he ugly enough to make Keown cry, our pampered players wouldn`t want to argue with him otherwise there could be some serious towel flicking torture in the showers !.
You probably right Dev re. Diego. If he brings Koke with him to Arsenal, .. then yes. lol
He can have the slimmed down Sc19 if we can have Koke btw…
GG failed at Leeds and the spuds btw… fans sometimes forget.
Sergio Rebrov jeez; some of GG’s signings were comical.. Chris Perry,Moussa Saib, Anthony Gardner etc
I guess he will say its Levi’s/Pleat’s fault though.
GG keeping hold of sick notes Darren Anderton etc;
Pleat saying GG was not a team player is also very important. Even though he lead the spud to their first trophy in 10 or so years he still wasted money
OK !…..we can scrub GG off the list ! 😀
I’m surprised he’s never won the CL Ts..
New post up now…
Mind you,I do like the thought of him wasting a lot of money at the Spuds and he was probably really pissed off winning them a trophy, so much so that he contemplated going to a Michael Barrymore pool party as punishment !.