Afternoon all.
The week kicked off with good news, the best of which was that neither Bukayo Saka or Declan Rice are gone off on international duty with England and Martin Odegaard has withdrawn from the Norway squad too meaning all three will have the next two weeks of being pampered and prepared for the visit of Nottingham Forest after this break. As of course will Riccardo Calafiori, Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Gary Linekar is leaving Match Of The Day which is certainly something to be pleased about but is Alex Scott the person to replace him as reports suggest could be the case? I’m not sure but if she is, at least the anti Arsenal agenda might lessen. Gabby Logan is another name doing the rounds which kind of suggests the BBC are set to tick another box with their selection.
Lastly on the news front, David Coote has been suspended after a historical video of him insulting Jurgen Klopp went viral on social media. The video shows him calling the old Liverpool manager a ‘German C*** and ‘f***ing arrogant’. Apparently, this rant from Coote came after Klopp moaned about him allowing too many challenges on his players go unpunished after they drew 1-1 with Burnley. According to the back pages, Coote has confirmed it’s him in the video although his comments have been taken out of context.
Could this be the can of worms which have needed opening for a while, being opened? Probably not as the PGMOL will possibly try and brush the whole incident under the carpet. We’ll see.
I’ve nicked this from the BBC, it’s from their chief football writer Phil McNulty.
The video has been widely shared around social media. It has not been verified by the BBC, but a source has said the PGMOL investigation is treating it as genuine. There has been no denial nor apology yet from Coote. If this proves to be legitimate, the fall-out will land on every official throughout football’s pyramid. In the current climate of social media debate, 24/7 punditry and tribal fandom, it will provide fuel for the conspiracy theorists who believe that any decision made against their team is provoked by a grudge, personal bias or dislike of their particular club.
The notion is misguided as any mistakes made by those who take charge of games, as with players, are because of honest human error, not ill-feeling towards – or bias against – a particular manager, player of club.
The problem for the head of PGMOL, Howard Webb, is that Coote’s words, should they be confirmed as genuine, will fly in the face of that belief to many, going to the heart of what should be every official’s personal code. Referees will inevitably have clashes with teams and individuals given the high-stakes nature of professional football, but there must be a belief that any lingering antipathy is put aside the moment they take change of their next game.
The rise in dissent towards officials was reflected in the £1m of fines for surrounding referees and mass confrontations in 2022-23. That resulted in a clampdown on player and manager behaviour at the start of 2023-24 and by Christmas 2023, bookings for dissent had doubled to 1,813 from 966 at the same stage the season before. The figure trebled in the Premier League from 24 to 80, with referees’ chief Webb saying the “culture change” to try to “reset behaviours” towards officials was “early days” but “moving in the right direction”. As Webb has been at pains to point out, referees are human – but they must also be impartial and professional. The slate must be cleaned of any previous confrontations next time paths cross.
It is stretching reality to breaking point to suggest all is sweetness and light between officials, players and managers but what has to be real is the principle that none of this goes through any official’s mind when it comes to the decision-making process.
In other words they, as in the time-honoured adage about Caesar’s wife, must be above suspicion.
Finally, good luck to Arsenal’s women who have just kicked off against Juventus in the Champions League. Interim manager Slegers is expecting something very different to what players are used to in England. Juventus are apparently very strong defensively so it’ll be tough, especially as Juve are unbeaten in their last four in this competition.
Catch up in the comments.
It’s good that there is at least one international manager who is more concerned with his players physical well being than his own ego and reputation. The Norwegian medics decided that Martin Odegaard should not be playing in the next two matches and recommend that he return to Arsenal in order to continue his rehabilitation.
Arsenal Women one nil up approaching half-time.
Had that been Southgate Cicero……
Who is David Coote?
A premiership referee, one of the so called elite group. He has allegedly made derogatory comments about Klopp the former Liverpool manager. He has been suspended and will probably get sacked.
Surprised you’ve not seen him officiating one of our games Jm.
Very nearly 2-0..
🎶…and another one bites the dust🎶. Justin Welby Archbishop of Canterbury resigns.
2-0 now.
I was just reading about that..
Final score 4 – 0 to the Arsenal. 🔔🔔🔔🔔
4-0 away from home is super result for the women.
The Interlull kicks in and NewsNow is struggling for content, so they decide ‘let’s talk about the January Window’ with 2 months to go before it opens. 🥱
I couldn’t give an toss about MotD, nothing is changing with Gary Lineker for the next two years – unless I’ve got that wrong, so he could be replaced by any inanimate object in 2 years for all I care because I won’t be watching it.
But if the BBC want a tip about what to do in two years they could do a lot worse than to copy the US chat show The View on MSNBC. I reckon that would go down a storm with footie fans, tick a load of boxes and make the producers feel very smug about themselves…
Phil McNulty is a dyed – in – wool Liverpool fan and we all know how even handed and unbiased Scousers are, particularly when they’re top of the league. I’d rather see City win it again than Liverpool because we’ll never hear the last of it…
Nottingham Forest really is the biggest game of the season so far for Arsenal, with a run of winnable games to come when we return from the Interlull, we need to take the Forest three points to help get us on a roll.
The alternative is really no alternative at all…
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5908431/2024/11/12/premier-league-academy-transfers/
Good afternoon Rico and gentlemen
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/arsenal-eyeing-cheaper-alternative-to-viktor-gyokeres-report
I honestly hope its just click baiting this article. Retegui is good but Gyokeres is waaaayyy much better. Retegui is not much better than Havertz regarding finishing, more or less we will be getting the same. Maybe for rotational options yes because being equal to Havertz will mean both players will be on their toes and hungry to perform well.
I dont think Trossard and/or Partey will be sold in January. Jesus might go if we get one of Sesko, Gyokeres or Retegui. However, Trossard will not go before summer since he can play instead of MO08. This will give Nwaneri time until season 25/26. Partey seems irreplacable atm in midfield and we need a similar player after next season. So only Jesus might go.
Next season will see Nwaneri and Skelley get much more game time.
Thank God for Saka, Rice, Partey and Odegaard not going with the national team Maybe Havertz should complain about headaches arising from his cut and withdraw from the German team.
Gotta say Devil that Rategui sounds, from that article, pretty impressive with the potential to get better.
Gyokeres will probably end up at Man United with his old manager from Sporting.
If we signed Rategui that might mean no move for Sesko in the summer?
Afternoon Devil, Kev, all.
Didn’t the Atalanta guy help to batter Liverpool and Bayer last season?
Retegui is a good striker. But not that much different than Havertz. His average is good especially with Atalanta. However, although he has scored 6 goals in 16 games with the national team I was not impressed with his work rate off the ball. With Atalanta he has scored 11 goals in 12 games, however in Europe he has not had that much success…..4 games 0 goals.
If Arteta’s intention is to rotate him then yes….go and buy him. But ideally we get someone who can run (like TH14 used to do)…but that will cost us an arm and a leg.
Anyone who can put the ball in the net would do for me in January, even a loan..
What a plonker…
Harry Kane: England captain expresses disappointment after eight withdrawals from Nations League squad
England captain Harry Kane on squad withdrawals: “It’s a shame this week, obviously. It’s a tough period of the season and maybe that’s been taken advantage of a little bit. I don’t really like it if I’m totally honest. England comes before anything and any club situation.”
to be fair to HK I dont think he ever withdrew from playing for England.
I dont agree with him and what he says but I stand to be corrected since I might be mistaken in the above statement
Doesn’t mean he can suggest others are withdrawing without being injured.
Didn’t he earlier go with the squad but wasn’t fit enough to start two of the games? Easy for him to say, but he mostly jogs around the centre circle avoiding anything that looks like a tackle coming his way.
Still if you’ve never won anything with club or country, I guess you would turn up with broken leg if there was the chance of a trophy.
Morning Rico and all,
finally managed to get site back up.
The only reason why Harry Kane is complaining about player pulling out of the England side is because he new when he he was at Tottenham, he had no chance at winning tropthies.
Morning Geoff, all.
HH was down yesterday for maintenance.
Rumour has it Ben White has had surgery on his knee and will be out for 6 weeks.
Not a good rumour Rico, Lets hope if true then only 6 weeks.
Not a rumour, Ben White had a minor procedure to relive discomfort in his knee. Sky Sports News.
Good Morning everyone
Rico…..Doesn’t mean he can suggest others are withdrawing without being injured……I go with what you’re saying. But probably he says that because he knows something which we can only suspect….namely that players withdraw from the national teams just not to play not because they are injured. I guess he has seen it countless times.
What irritates me is that he picks exactly the moment that two Arsenal players withdraw from the national team. Whether or not he is referring to Rice and Saka is anyone’s guess but I find it a bit tedious and irritating.
If we didn’t have so many matches during the home and away season, then maybe more players will want to play for there country.
Personally I could not care if they got rid of the world cup and the olympic’s after all we pay them to play for us.
Any time scale given Cicero? Other than the suggested 6 weeks out which we could really do without.
Thank goodness Tomiyasu is rumoured to be ready to return after this break.
Calafiori too by the way. His return will certainly help. Wonder what’s happening with Tierney.
Devil, exactly but he clearly didn’t see both hobble off against Chelsea.
I can’t ever remember Tierney playing more than a handful of games before picking up yet another injury. His contract expires 2026 and his transfer value estimated at €10 million.
No time scale mentioned Rico, hopefully no too long.
I think he played a few out on loan but surely if a club comes in for him in January, he’ll leave. If not then, the summer. It’s a shame his body has been so frail, he’s a top left back imo.
At least two of the week’s recovery is this break Cicero..
A new video has emerged of Coote snorting a white powder (cocaine maybe). PGMOL Investigating.
I saw that earlier. I think Coote’s career in football is over but more to the point, who else dislikes particular clubs or their managers I wonder…
I wonder if the PGMOL are a bit worried that Coote could come out and say some truths about what the refs talk about at training and how some refs hate certain clubs and helped them loose matches.
Like them or hate them, if Coote’s is on drugs or any ref / player is, they can get help to get off it.
They should be worried Geoff. But the PGMOL shouldn’t be investigating one of their own imo.
Absolutely right Rico. The Church of England has just found out that investigating itself does not produce justice. The ex Archbishop of Canterbury can vouch for that.
Perhaps Howard Webb will eventually discover that for himself.
Will another one bite the dust?
Seldom does one organisation investigate itself Cicero. The PGMOL cannot be allowed to sweep this under the carpet.
Too much money is at stake..
No place for Captain Kane in the starting line-up for England tonight against Creece.
Good, about time..
Saliba on the bench for France.
An unused substitute. No doubt he’ll play ninety minutes in the next match.
Could have done with it being the other way around.
Morning Cicero. I’m having a day or two off. 🤣
Well desert, enjoy.
Deserved!
Morning Rico, great post, or the next one will be…
You put your feet up Rico, there’s bugger all to write about other than the cold weather hitting the UK atm and how many shopping days to Christmas – there, I said it!
Justin Welby eventually resigning makes me feel that there must actually be a God…
Good riddance!
Never mind about the CoE investigating, the bloody police should be, but then I guess that they’re all in the same ‘Lodge’ so that ain’t happening!
Interesting to hear all the DoF names being linked to Arsenal now, it is after all a prime job, working with a top manager and an ownership that supports its people.
Personally I’d wait to see how Ayto deals with January and if he does a good job I’d give it to him.
Do I feel sorry for David Coote?
Well yes I do a bit. Ok he’s been a fool, but he’s been a fool to trust people who clearly are untrustworthy.
You can’t express yourself anymore these days for fear of someone recording you on their mobile either by video or audio. The Press are mainly to blame for encouraging it but that’s why they’re a dying industry, the lot of them are without scruples.
Klopp is probably a bully and is arrogant, I wouldn’t want to be a 4th official standing next to him as he goes into one!
The reaction to what Coote has said is what I find surprising, yeah it’s a total lack of judgement by him but those in the media criticising him aren’t whiter than white themselves and many have been known to stuff some powder up their hooters.
What do they want? Do they want Coote to do himself in so they can pivot to being sanctimonious.
Coote is finished in England but he should be able to continue his career elsewhere after a course of rehabilitation. And I must get off of this soapbox…
Have a great day.
I noticed that Sambi-Lakonga was an unused substitute for Belgium last night,all good really if he is getting in the squad. Hopefully Arsenal will be able to recover some money.
Wow, Kev have you got a permanent gig at Speakers Corner? 😉
I wonder how many more refs are now wonding / praying if they have said somethink simular to Cootes that it doesn’t come out.
Enjoy your short brake Rico.
I’ve had it Geoff. 😜
New post up.
Kev 👏👏