Morning all.
I read something yesterday which FourFourTwo translated from Football Merco which suggests Arsenal are considering Per Mertesacker and Tomas Rosicky as potential replacements for the already departed Edu. We all know what the Big German has been up to since hanging up his football boots but Tomas Rosicky, well, I didn’t know he’s currently the sporting director at Sparta Prague and has been since 2018. Could Tomas be tempted to leave Sparta for Arsenal a second time in his footballing career? Both he and Arteta were at the club together for five years from 2011-2016. Speculation I know but you just never know.
I don’t really understand when people in the media suggest a certain game is a “must win” – every game is surely a must win if a club wants to achieve success. If by chance we beat Chelsea, does that mean the next game isn’t one we must win? Of course not. As said, surely every single game is a must win, or perhaps a must not lose in certain circumstances.
It looks like the injuries have struck again ahead of tomorrow’s match against Chelsea as Declan Rice is rumoured to have a broken toe and Kai Havertz’s head injury could be worse than first suggested. Mikel Arteta said in his pre-match press conference that Rice hasn’t trained this week and Havertz hasn’t trained since Wednesday. Mikel Merino is a doubt too having felt poorly before the Inter Milan game, needed to come off half way through the game. Mind you, the sack on the head from Sommer wouldn’t have helped.
Would I be surprised to see all three on the pitch tomorrow? No, just as I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Martin Odegaard start either. With the international break coming after tomorrow’s game, I’m pretty sure he’d like to be joining his Norwegian teammates and as much as we probably all prefer him to stay at Arsenal for the next two weeks, playing more minutes for his country will help him get up to speed. After all, if he’s going to suffer a set back, he will, regardless of who he’s playing for.
After this international break, other than a home fixture against Manchester Utd, we don’t play what I would call a typical top six club until January 15th when we face Totts. Both the Utd and Totts game are at The Emirates. The only two away fixtures against a typical top six club will be at Old Trafford and Anfield.
Don’t get me wrong, every match is difficult but my point is, after tomorrow, we’ll have been through what is on paper, a really tough start to the season. Factor in injuries, red cards and their subsequent suspensions, our start has been made even more difficult. I’m not trying to justify the dreadful performance against Newcastle Utd, how could anyone but, we’ve not exactly had Lady Luck on our side have we. Decisions have really gone against too. Referees have applied the letter of the footballing law for our players whereas similar incidents have gone unpunished when committed by players at other clubs.
Michael Oliver has the whistle for tomorrow’s fixture at Stamford Bridge. Once considered one of the best referees in England, his standards have dropped. He literally couldn’t wait to send Leandro Trossard off against Manchester City and then just as it seemed we’d won the game, he allowed City a few extra minutes to get their equaliser. At least that’s how it seemed to me.
If Arsenal can replicate the kind of defensive stubbornness shown in Milan on Wednesday then I fancy us to take something from the game, especially as we know have Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel and Timber available, but somehow, we have to start taking advantage of the scoring opportunities we create regardless of how few they might be.
I’m truly hoping our run of bad luck is over and tomorrow kicks off the start of a better run of form and results.
Catch up in the comments…
Good morning Rico.
The foremost requirement for a DoF is experience in negotiating with other clubs in the transfer market, closely followed by an intimate knowledge of players in other leagues across the World.
I’m not sure that Merts meets those criteria and Roscicky has only limited experience.
Reading between the lines, it seems that Guardiola’s time at City is running out. His contract expires at the season’s end and neither he or the club are pushing for a renewal in the face of the 115 charges barrier.
The Brazilian football association have said that they have spoken to Guardiola several times about taking charge of the national team.
Declan rice”s injury has been described as “minor” in some papers and as a broken toe in others. Either way I expect him to play in tomorrow’s game along with Havertz who might find one of Cech’s old helmets
In the boot room.
Morning Cicero, Tomas has 6 years experience and was assistant pre his promotion I read.
Definitely not Merts imo though.
Perhaps Peps contract situation is affecting the players as well as the court case. Let’s hope so eh.
Morning Rico and all.
I personally would not go with either Merts or Rosicky as I feel it’s time to look away from the explayers returning and get some blood onboard. There for I would look for a complete outsider, who will come into the club and have not attachment to the club but is good at his / her job while being able to work with Arteta and get deals done quickly.
Morning Geoff, there is that side of things. Keep things from getting too cosy..
João Pereira, what can you tell us JM ? . His second game is at home against us his first being home against Amarante whoever they may be .
As for our team selection , I hope that we don’t push Odegaard too hard too soon and do not give Norway the perfect excuse to play him when he is not ready . They are away for their first match but maybe the second match on the 17th at home to Kazakhstan might get him a few useful minutes although if he travels he no doubt will get 180 plus minutes.
Morning all. No mention by anyone on here that Edu left the club within 24 hours of it getting on social media and is on Gardening Leave for 6 months.Work that out if you can or read into it as you wish.
We are going through a rather sticky patch at the moment and Edu’s departure must be weighing on Arteta’s mind .He certainly has looked subdued. these past few games . I agre re Mertesacker and Rosicky .
Amy Lawrence stated yesterday Rice has a broken toe and though we need him Odegaard is lacking match fitness.
Tough game tomorrow whoever plays .Why didn’t we buy Palmer from City not the two we bought and Sterling now on loan .
That was mentioned the other day Kelsey. According to Ornstein, he returned to Brazil for personal reasons after which he resigned. Make of that what you like..
Had anyone even heard of Palmer back when we bought Jesus and Zinchenko?
Arsenal are reportedly interested in taking Randal Kolo Muani on loan in January, with the Paris Saint-Germain attacker deemed surplus to requirements in France.
If Rice does play, will Chelsea players target his foot.
I only know João Pereira as a player he was (right back).
He was the coach of team B. There shouldn’t be any major changes for now.
A defeat for Arsenal against Sporting is predictable.
Predictable eh?
I’ll hold you to that….
Me too Jm/Kev.
I can see us winning…
Another goal for ESR….
Smith Rowe, Nelson, Iwobi and Leno playing well for Fulham.
No Nketiah…
Fulham are a really good team.
Nelson subbed off.
They were last season 😝
The referee added 12 minutes at Brighton, desperately trying to help City get an equaliser. Howard Webb will be devastated.
City lose again, one nil up, two one at the death against Brighton.
Crisis?? 🤣
Just turned on the last 15 minutes of the TNT Arnie Slot love in . I only wanted to see the contentious Villa disallowed goal where the ref overturned the VAR suggestion . I sa w Salah’s goal that should have , maybe could have been a penalty to Villa before the breakaway and also saw two quick free kicks for Villa stopped by Liverpool players ( no cards ) not even a word. Well the game finished 20 minutes ago and they still haven’t shown it and now the broadcast has finished . Guess MOTD might show it .
Trailing Liverpool by 10 points with 28 games left…
Win tomorrow and we’ll only be seven points behind, with twenty-eight games goes to go that’s nothing.
Starting tomorrow we have to be inch perfect , but they still have Man city, Newcastle , Everton ,and Spurs to play home and away. With away games at Bournemouth , Villa and Chelsea to come . It’s not tied and died yet but it’s not going to be easy.
traditional top teams we have Man u home and away with a trip to Liverpool 3 games before the end of the season and a trip to Brighton. Plus this season’s difficult games Forest and Fulham home and away , All the rest of hard on paper matches we are at home .
No more slip ups allowed.
Liverpool and Chelsea have tough games to come. Meanwhile, let’s hope City continue to fail..
except for Liverpool winning, other results in our favour, as others said a win tonight and we could be back on track,
Morning all.
New post up.