Morning all.
Good old England fans eh. Why can’t they just behave at football matches? Some of the photos which made the back pages yesterday morning were not pretty and those causing trouble and found themselves locked up in a Dutch cell for a few hours really need to wake up and smell the gravy. Behave in such a way in Russia this summer and they’ll wish they were back in Holland facing the Dutch police, not the Russians. Those fans who spoke to the media suggest the police were overzealous when dealing with the many who’d taken the short trip to the Netherlands but they’ll seem like pussycats compared to the Politsiya. Anyway, I just hope they behave because the last thing England need is more troubles with Russia.
With so little news going around about the Arsenal men’s team during this break, we’ll, apart from Jack Wilshere (injured)and Mesut Ozil (rested I think) reportedly back at the club, it’s worth noting that the women’s team have a big match this afternoon as they take on Charlton Athletic for a place in the FA Cup semifinal. The last time the two sides met was back in September 2008, when a Rachel Yankey hat-trick helped us defeat Charlton 5-2 in the League Cup, a competition the women would go onto win that year. A good omen perhaps?
Chelsea have already secured their semi-final spot by beating Liverpool 3-0 just a few days ago and the remaining three fixtures are later today.
Durham Ladies FC 12:30 Everton Ladies
Arsenal 14:00 Charlton Athletic Ladies
Sunderland Ladies 14:00 Manchester City Women
Coverage of the Arsenal game is on BBC Radio 5Live.
One player who should be on cloud nine today should be 20 year old Leah Williamson. Not only has she broken into the senior England team but she’s just put pen to paper and signed a new long term deal with Arsenal.
Manager Joe Montemurro said:
‘We are delighted that Leah has committed her future with us. She brings so much quality to the team, her passionate, hard-working attitude is important both on and off the pitch, and for a young player, she plays with so much knowledge and experience.”
The male twenty year olds are still being wrapped in cotton wool and used sparingly yet things seem different on the women’s side. Age doesn’t seem to matter when they’re good enough. I know people will argue that the game isn’t so physical in the women’s game but trust me, they aren’t shy of getting stuck in. Injuries still occur, the turf isn’t much different and just like their male counterparts, they are still growing physically and mentally.
We’ve seen younger players that our current under 23 players be given a chance by other club managers yet only Maitland-Niles has been given a decent amount of playing time. Nketiah and Nelson, regardless of how well they’ve been playing have barely had a sniff. Neither did Marcus McGuane which is probably half the reason he decided to leave for Barcelona where he’s already turning heads apparently. He’s even had a fifteen minute cameo for the first team in a Cup Final. Arsene Wenger barely gives his first team substitutes that amount of time during a game.
As Kev said the other day, now is as good a time as any to give a few players who might just be the future of the club a few games. Not all at once of course, as that would be stupid but give them some minutes on the pitch in the League fixtures because there’s little to lose really. Other than the players themselves getting fed up with waiting and follow in the footsteps of Marcus McGuane.
Not sure what to make of the Thomas Tuchel rumours, I can’t see it myself, why replace a divisive manager for one whose going to cause unrest with the backroom staff?
It’s probably a load of rubbish Kev…
Morning to you and all..
Paul Pogba to leave Man Utd..?
It would be hilarious…
Massively overhyped player imo – a minority view I know.
Morning Rico, I hope so, I think we can do better than Tuchel …
What about those cheating Aussies, it’s similar to a player deliberately diving, that Smith is the Jamie Vardy of cricket….
Mourinho seems to be as good at ruining players as Wenger these days. Have to feel for Luke Shaw who was once such a good left back…
Surely if Arsenal were in negotiations for a new manager this summer, there’s no way it would leak into the press. Are Bild a reliable news outlet?
I think that Pogba went to the wrong club with the wrong manager. I think he could be really good but that price tag tends to weigh him down. He was good at Juve but who does look good under Mourinho these days?
So do I re Pogba. He’d have been great for us… 🙂
Touched? Not for me, too German!
Cricket has been demeaned today. Smith and all those involved in the Aussie school of cheats need banning indefinitely. They have been found out, at last. The opportunity to clean up the game is here and now. However, I can’t see that happening, too reactionary. Nobody can uphold traditional values of fair play and honesty, football, cricket, snooker, rugby etc etc they all have to seek an advantage, if that means cheating, well that’s okay!
VAR may well tidy up some of the cheating in football. Sky may well have done well to spot the ball tampering in SA begs a question about our thrashing S in good old Oz, doesn’t it. This incident is clearly not the first attempt at bending the rules, I’m sure.
What a poor world we live in. It seems winning at any cost is really alright, no matter what it takes. At the root of it all is probably cash. Cash earned immorally by bending the rules and the consequence is more money followed by more money. The whole sporting ‘family’ are at it……..fiddling the rules, to gain an advantage that others may not have. It all needs sorting out, properly, dramatically and determinedly.
Mini rant over.
On this warmish sunny day off out for lunch overlooking the river. Nice
Wenger has suggested he’s a victim of age discrimination according to the back pages…
Firstly, my previous post should have started, ‘Tuchel’ ……au interference!
If the manager/coach is complaining about being discriminated against as a result of the years he has on the clock, it is probably because he is old, he has too many years on the clock, he is old! In car classification terms he’d be a post vintage thoroughbred, built up top and including 1939! He was built in 1950, I think, so at 68 he’s an early classic! I have one of those in my garage, it doesn’t see the light of day between the end of October and April, about the period of time that we have been playing so badly! At a push, I think the comparison fits!
Like my car, it has to rest up as should Wenger. The cold and damp has adversely affected his performance, imo. He has now become a bit of a museum piece. Just dust him down and leave him in a darkened room. He could spend the rest of his declining years reflecting on his past glories, that are no more.
Poor old sod!
A I – artificial intelligence ffs.
Made me laugh Wavy as he then said if the results were bad he would accept being asked questions about his future…
Well, they have been and for a long time now…
Rico, he also said he’s ‘fed up’ with the suggestions that winning the UEFA Cup allows him to retire on a high….
Every time he opens his mouth I just think “why don’t you just shut up”….
Only a minority of fantasists and Kroenke, listen to him anymore.
We need a young manager with fresh ideas eventually . However to replace Wenger we will need a steady hand that will put us back on track. Like Moyes at United the next person will not have a easy ride , they will need time to sort out the squad and if they are inclined to bring on the young ones both they and us must understand that mistakes will be made and as the saying about Rome , it will take more than a couple of years to steady and then move forward.
The next man in has a thankless task because rather like the referendum those that support Wenger will hold the next man’s record against that of our present manager , and they will not accept the outcome and will always be looking to the past and what we had.
Fed up about retirement on a high should we win the Europa ? .Sadly this tells me that he is staying until he is pushed out.
Kev, you and me both. Each time he speaks he makes himself look even more stupid.
Imo there’s a big difference between our situation and Utd’s Potter. Fergie left after winning the league and having been competitive for the seasons before. Wenger will leave after 10 years of poor football.
I still think he’ll be pushed out this summer…
My point is that I see the next man’s tenure being short lived as the club may well go back before being able to advance. I would not want to waste an appointment of a man that eventually would be able to lead us succesfully.
Ah, I see where you’re coming from, sorry.
Personally, I’d rather the club appoint someone with experience but young. With a strong team around him and better coaches, I think we’d soon push forwards.
I wouldn’t mind Marco Silva although I know not many would agree…
Catch up tomorrow, nighty..
Great to see how determined and focused the England batsmen have been in New Zealand, I’m beginning to wonder if Bayliss really is the man for the job?
God knows what we’re going to do when Jimmy Anderson eventually retires, 36 this July and still putting it in, with a 5 Test series vs India (about time) and 2 tests against Pakistan he could this summer, overtake Glenn McGrath and become the highest ever pace wicket taker.
I hope the ECB replace him Kev.
Jimmy will be a huge void to fill…
Afternoon Rico and all. Baylis looks worryingly undynamic for today’s cricket. Then again, cricket is going down the pan fast from what I can see. Certainly the 5-day game anyway.
Is anybody there?
I’m here Kev, although I have to pop out for a while. 🙂
I’m here now although little or nothings happening. I see Tuchel is now turning us down , as if he was ever asked and Pat Vieira’s name is getting thrown in the hat again . However there is no sign of a vacancy being available so it’s all chip paper and firelighters.
I’m here too.
Morning to you guys…
There’s a new post up now.
There’s a new post up now. ………..Whoopie do !
Seriously it must be a thankless job doing a daily report, thanks for giving us something to think about . It keeps the Alzheimer’s away.
I’m glad that Pharoah is staying , I think he has alot to offer and certainly more than Wenger is getting out of him. I feel the style of our short passing game is restricting him and labelling him a defensive midfielder is not really accurate. The trouble is that we have more of the same in Ramsey and Wilshere who also can run the area he is best suited to .However with both of those players coming out of contract , maybe the club knows something that we can only speculate on .
It would be nice to see the “Handbrake ” on his game released as I posted a few days ago the video of his time at Basel shows a completely different player to the one we see playing for us.
Ha ha Potter, it’s a pleasure. On second thoughts…
Elneny staying could mean the end of Jack and Ramsey perhaps. I agree re Elneny by the way, I don’t think all the backward passing etc is his game, I think he gets the ball, looks up and sees nothing.
It’s the Wenger way isn’t it..
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=njjVaZbDhsM
I missed the one you posted. Just watched this one and he has a bit of Petit about him.