Morning all.
Antoni Conte has a bit of a nerve complaining about Mikel Arteta for what he said after the game about some of the decisions made by the referee on Thursday night. All the bloke has done since he took over from Nuno is whinge and moan himself and even suggested he’d walk out of the club. Talk about throwing his toys out the pram. I hope Burnley turn up at their place ‘in the mood’, I hope they push the tackling boundaries to the limit and take at least a point from the game. All three would be fantastic and it’s not like they don’t need them. At the moment, it’s looking as if it’s between them and Leeds as to who gets relegated but Burnley have a game in hand. Kevin Friend is the referee and I hope he’s a closet Claret despite publicly being a Leicester City fan.
I didn’t watch the FA Cup Final but apparently the Liverpool fans booed Prince William. Why I don’t know but it shows how classless that lot can be. The thought of all four trophies ending up in their cabinet at the end of the season is, well, unthinkable really. Hopefully Man City and Real Madrid will prevent that from happening.
Arsenal go to Newcastle tomorrow in a bit of a pickle really. Mikel Arteta said in his press conference that he’s waiting to see how Ben White and Gabriel are feeling before declaring them fit or not. If not, we’re down to having zero out and out central defenders. It’s easy to suggest Mo Elneny and Takehiro Tomiyasu can play in central defence and they probably will if needed but that has a knock on effect. Cedric Soares at right back with Nuno Tavares at left back is far from ideal. Another option is to call upon under 23 players but would that be fair? Throwing them into a game with Champions League qualification resting on it is a bit of a risk. A massive risk, but is it better to have a player who’s used to playing in the position than trying to fit square pegs into round holes?
Options are:
Zak Swanson – right back
Omar Rekik – centre back
Jonathan Dinzeyi – centre back
Dinzeyi and Swanson have been included in the squad of late but not one has played any minutes. I just can’t see Arteta including any of them in the starting eleven unless he’s absolutely desperate. Desperate he might be though if neither White or Gabriel are fit. Fingers and toes crossed that Arteta is just keeping his cards close to his chest and both are fine. I’d prefer to see Tomiyasu back on the right too with Tavares on the left, depending on who plays in the middle though.
Anyway, a short post just asking the question, if White and Gabriel aren’t fit, who would you like to see in defence?
See you in the comments.
Agreed Conte’s comments are a bit rich coming from someone who got all decisions going his own way. I wonder what he would have said if Son had been sent off in the 11th minute for a deliberate elbow .I can understand it being missed by the ref as it was on his blind side but the lino and Dean must have seen it but no surprise that Dean let it pass.
As for centre backs tomorrow , whatever we do impacts the team somewhere else . If we patch things up with putting midfielders back we have no strength in there , . If Martinelli is fit then we can bring Smith rowe in but next to Odeargod that’s decidely dodgy . Or we can play Saka central and bring in Pepe butis Saka fit enough to play a running game , in my opinion not.
We may have to call on the young ones but the ones that might be ready are out on loan , so it may be promoting before their time and they will need Xhaka and Elneny to guide them through.
All we can do is hope that Burnley get something and we turn up on the night whoever gets the shirt.
Mee and Tarkowski out for Burnley , so that’s their defence in turmoil. Not looking good.
Potter I agree with what said the only other thing I would add is Leno may have to play more long passes out to take the pressure of the backline and only play the short game when 100% safe
Ramsdale
Cedric White Tomiyasu Saka
Xhaka Elneny
Smith Rowe Odegaard Martinelli
Nketiah
Morning Rico, I reckon that Ben White will start and I’ve got a hunch that Gabriel might be rolled out also, of course it may all depend on the Scum vs Burnley result, if it’s a case that all we need to do is beat Everton then Arteta won’t take any risks I suspect?
I can’t see Arteta risking one of our youngsters in the game at Newcastle, I think that train has left the station, but the reason these young guys haven’t had any minutes isn’t the fault of Arteta it’s because of how poor our finishing has been and that we’ve not been comfortable enough in games to give them a run out. That’s on our players not the manager.
The booing of the National Anthem I didn’t know about as I only saw about 3 minutes highlights but then the majority of Liverpool fans aren’t English/British so it’s the same as why the Celtic fans do likewise, it’s political and cultural…
Not a good start from Burnley then, typical for them to have injuries.
I think White and Gabriel will start. Holding is a big miss imo.
If Gabriel can give us 60/70 minutes then that might be enough Rico?
Morning Kev. I reckon they’ll both be ok to start. A big no for the youngsters too because it’s unfair on them. Newcastle will be tough.
I’ll be glad when it’s all over, see who we sign and hopefully next season will be better and with more consistency from the team. Right now I’ve no idea what to expect from this group of players.
I hope so Kev, I really do.
Yes Rico, this summer is vital in the further development of the squad, Arteta needs 22 players who he can trust especially as we’re gonna be playing in Europe, some of our recent issues have been around overplaying the main players and not using or trusting squad players like Nketiah or Tavares or Lokonga, Arteta has admitted as much regarding Nketiah, it’s made worse because our finishing has been so poor and we’ve not put games to bed allowing the manager opportunities to give the fringe/young players minutes on the pitch.
There is a huge media bias against Arsenal regarding the Champions League, we don’t have many friends at Sky or BT and those Arsenal pundits don’t fight our corner enough, Neville and Carragher are the voice of Sky and they’re no friends of ours.
The Press, well we all know all about those wankers, it’s why newspapers are dying/dead.
The radio, well BBC is a joke and TalkRubbish are full of wind-up merchants who always focus on the negative – with everything not just Arsenal but Arsenal are their favourite target.
I hate them all…
half time totts lead 1 nil half time thanks to VAR
Totally agree Kev, I guess one or two who’ve been on loan will add to the squad numbers.
Good afternoon Rico and all
That is a tough question Rico in an otherwise good article. I think that both White and Gabriel will be fit. Maybe Gabriel felt a slight twinge and seeing the game was lost and nothing could be gained from it he signalled to Arteta to be changed and went out clutching his hamstring. Then again I might be wrong.
Anyway….I still think that the defence will be Soares, White, Gabriel, Tommy.
But if Gabriel is not fit I would put Tommy beside him since he has played there or play Tommy at LB and Rekik in the middle. out of the three above you mentioned Rekik has played three times for Tunisia as well. Or maybe Tommy will go inside and Tavarez takes the LB spot.
if both Gabriel and White are not deemed fit then I think it will be Rekik and Tommy as CB. No Xhaka or Elneny there for me.
as long as it remains 1-0 there will always be a chance that Burnley might nick a draw in the dying seconds.
or maybe score 2.
I always dare to dream
Afternoon Devil. I think it’ll be Elneny who drops back if Gabriel isn’t fit. Sambi into midfield with Xhaka.
Finished 1 nil.
Another penalty for Tottenham, how many is that this season?
More than most I bet. It’s set up for Arsenal to come 5th.
Sky will be happy
Won’t they just. Neville will be as happy as Larry. P***k!
Yes Rico, Neville is a right pluck, or is it plink, I can never remember? 😄
Apparently 7 same as us . Difference is that Kane gets 100% where we got 57 % .
Ciao from a very warm and sunny Minori. A right sod of a journey, almost two hours queuing to get through Norwich airport. Amsterdam was absolutely rammed we caught our connection with only minutes to spare. Arrived at Naples, baggage didn’t. Best part of an hour queuing at the lost baggage desk best we an hope for is it will be delivered to our accommodation within 24 hours.
Our Villa is beautiful surrounded by lemon groves. Pasta and cold beer for late lunch. Things are looking better.
White and Gabriel to play, a must win game, not just another day at the office.
I believe Manzies was the one Kev. It’s a variation on the spelling of Mansi which is a well known name here.
Manzies is still a pie n mash shop in Tower Bridge Road, I drove past it yesterday, it’s very close to Bermondsey Square.
I think that there was more than one shop Cicero, so it’s possible that your relatives were based somewhere else?
The Tower Bridge Manze’s is now London’s oldest surviving pie and mash shop.
Sold by Robert Cooke to his son-in-law (and protege) Italian-born Michele Manze in 1902, Michele quickly became South London’s answer to the Cooke dynasty.
The Manze liquor has a distinct flavour, owing to a secret family-kept recipe, and pies are baked fresh on the premises daily, cooked in traditional stone ovens.
Under his granddaughter Emma, Michele’s shop remains the benchmark – although there are independent outposts run by other family members (Luigi Manze’s Walthamstow shop is worth a mention). Rio Ferdinand and David Beckham are even known to pop in from time to time. (Takeaway, UK-wide delivery.)
87 Tower Bridge Rd, Bermondsey, London SE1 4TW. manze.co.uk
There’s been a Cooke’s shop in London since 1862; but the oldest, and most famous, recently shut.
Nestled in the heart of gentrifying Broadway Market, it was never going to be easy, but F. Cooke’s most loyal customers have always preferred this lowkey Hoxton shop.
There’s a cockney-chic Sixties decor here, which feels less antiquated. Fresh jellied eels are a highlight at F. Cooke’s.
If you’re curious, this would be the choice place to try them. The pies are famously made from scratch (meat is even butchered on site) and are prepared to the same 19th century recipe. Just don’t ask for gravy. (Takeaway, UK-wide delivery.)
150 Hoxton St, London N1 6SH. f-cooke-hoxton.business.site
My Dad used to take to Cooke’s in Kingsland High Road in the 1960’s, it now a Chinese…
I’ve been in the Broadway Market shop back in the 1990’s which has now gone, the whole Broadway Market area has now become very poncified.
Horton Market is still going strong and is my favourite.
https://londonist.com/london/food/london-food-history-eel-pie-and-mash-shops
Ha ha Kev, I’ll help. He’s a prick! 😂
Hope you’re not after sympathy Cicero. 😜
2 straight reds for Everton , they could be depleted last game . However unless we beat Newcastle it will be too little too late.
Stuttgart survive , so Mavropanos will go for peanuts.
Wonder how much he’s really worth. Still, look at the number of players we’ve let go for nothing..
New post up