Morning all.
What an upsetting few days it’s been for Australian cricket and cricket as a whole. For two sets of family and friends too who’ve been left heartbroken.
Rodney Marsh suffered a heart attack which proved to be fatal and no sooner Shane Warne had posted his condolences on social media, he too has past away having suspected to have suffered a heart attack. 74 years old, which Rodney Marsh was, is too young, but Shane Warne, at just 52 simply isn’t right.
There’s something about Warnie which was hard to dislike. A big character, a big player and a pretty decent pundit too. If all that’s been written and said about him over the years is true, he certainly made the most of life. Thank goodness he did.
That’s life though isn’t it, we never know when our time is up. It’s why we should make the best we can of every day we’re spared.
Mikel Arteta held his post match press conference yesterday. He seemed very relaxed and in a upbeat mood. Why wouldn’t he be though with his team sitting 6th in the League with games in hand over clubs around us. I can think of a few reasons but there’s little point in keep going over what’s gone before. Tomorrow is what matters as far as Arsenal is concerned.
Takehiro Tomiyasu is the only fitness concern as the squad makes the long journey to Watford.
Is Arron Ramsdale one of the signings of the season?
I would say that any of my players can get that award but obviously there is no question about how Aaron is performing, what he has brought to the team and how quickly he’s adapted to what he’s transmitting every time he is on the field. Hopefully he can get a prize but there are still a lot of games to play.
Ben White…
He’s had a brilliant season. I think again what he’s done, how quickly he’s adapted, how quickly he’s been able to handle the pressure with the number that he’s wearing, with the price that we paid, with what we demand him to do. Straight away at his age, he’s been great.
Thomas Partey…
I think when you are honest with yourself it’s a great starting point and when you assess yourself in the way that Thomas did publicly, it’s a really rare thing to do. He did it because he believed that was the case, that he wants to give much more to the team and to the club and probably that something has clicked again, probably the fact that he’s been injury-free, it’s a massive thing in there, but as well he’s probably more fit because he’s doing things better.
There’s no doubting Ben White and Aaron Ramsdale have done well since arriving at Arsenal in the summer, but the improvement of Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard as the season has gone by, has in my opinion, made a big difference to the team. But as Arteta said, when a player is 100% fit, it helps to find rhythm in his game. As does being happy and right now, every single player appear to be just that.
As said, Arsenal have games in hand over clubs who’re hoping to secure Champions League football for next season but unless we make them count, nothing will be gained. Plus we’ll need to do well in the other remaining fixtures. I reckon Totts, Man Utd and West Ham will drop more points here and there, Chelsea too.
Repetitive I know, but no game will be easy regardless of where the opposition sits in the league table. There’s still a lot to fight for, whether that be a Champions League place, Europa League, Premier League survival or pride.
We have 4 fixtures before the international break comes along at the end of the month.
Watford (A)
Leicester (H)
Liverpool (H)
Aston Villa (A)
Watford are one of the clubs fighting for Premier League survival. For Leicester City, the remainder of the season is about winning the Europa Conference League and pride. Aston Villa, like us, are out of every completion. They’ll need a miracle to secure a Europa League placement. Liverpool, having just one the League Cup, are chasing the quadruple. Just the thought of that unfolding puts me off my porridge.
Before we kick off tomorrow at 2pm, Liverpool take on West Ham at Anfield. Chelsea will have travelled to Turf Moor to face relegation threatened Burnley and then, after our match, it’s the Manchester derby at The Etihad where I hope Pep’s team does us a big favour. Mind you, they seem to have hit a bit of sticky patch with goals not so easy to come by. Pep’s been moaning about the “low block” and how it’ll make it difficult for his team to win the league. What a plonker!
Boring as it might be, it’s up to him as manager, to find a way around, through or over the top of it. Just as Mikel Arteta and his players might have to on many more occasions over the next three months.
See you in the comments.
Morning Rico and all Well written Rico.
One good thing about our next 4 matches, is that we play Leicester and Liverpool at home which gives us a better chance of beating them.
good morning!
I hope we stay on the right track…
Good morning Rico, sad that two of Australia’s finest should die so young, RIP both of them, but there were time when I would have cheerfully knocked them both off as they whipped England in ashes test-matches. 😉
Looking forward further than two o’clock tomorrow is pointless, the focus must be on taking three points against Watford.
With an almost fully fit first team squad, only doubts being ESR and Tomiyasu, we should be able to take the game to Watford and come away with the win.
I’m becoming worried about our right back’s fitness concerns, a hamstring injury shouldn’t be taking so long to heal.
Good post Rico, yeah Cicero one game at a time should be our mantra. I do check the forthcoming fixtures but then I do it also for West Ham, Tottenham, Chelsea, Wolves and Mancs. At the moment it’s in our hands and that’s all that counts, let the pundits talk about all the others because it doesn’t matter. Yep another cup final for us tomorrow.
Morning Cicero, Kev, Geoff and all.
Re Tomi, I wonder if he came back too soon after his first injury. First his right calf and now his left apparently. Odd.
Fulham are a big bunch of divers, but the officials aren’t falling for their tricks. Well, Mitrovic. (Spelling)
Only 6 comments, after that post, strewth that a poor showing I must say….
Yes Rico I noted how Leicester got stuck in and how the referee gave them carte blanche to do as they pleased but came down against Leeds, our referees are quite a bunch are they?
Awful grammar and spelling, Adam will be incandescent.
Great to see the U18’s beat Aston Villa a day after the U23’s beat Middlesex Ramblers.
The guy at Napoli we’ve been linked with, Ruiz isn’t it? Well according to the BS on the wires he’s not interested in joining Arsenal… Could that be because there isn’t enough in it for the agent or the player? Well go off then, go and join Vlahovic.
I’ve had enough of these mercenaries, no wonder Wenger refused to pay the sums they wanted, maybe the old guy was correct to do so as we’ve tried the big transfer fee, big salary superstar route and it’s been a pile a horse manure.
There’s still value out there and players who’ll want to play for Arsenal because we’re Arsenal and if they don’t then jog on…
Let’s hope Tomy didn’t have an injury that Arteta was not aware of before we brought him.
I hope he gets back soon as I recon he has a bright future with us.
I think that the Tomiyasu injury is just a reaction to his initial problem, sometimes players overcompensate when trying to recover from a knock and get another injury elsewhere, I’m sure that he’ll be fine.
Craig Pawson is the referee later today, we have a mixed history with him, actually with all of them, but in the end it’s what we do that counts regardless of what idiot has the whistle.
I see that Arsenal are once again being linked with striker Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan, no doubt by his agent as he angles for a new pay rise and the necessary fee for his ‘services’…
I like Martinez but mentally I’ve moved on from him he’s just another Argentinian mercenary.
Here is my analysis on the Top-4 Race after today results:
Arsenal remaining 14 games = 7W 4D = 26 points +45 = 71 points total
#1 – 7 wins against Watford, Leicester City, Aston Villa, Palace, Brighton, Leeds United, Everton
#2 – 5 draws against Southampton, ManU, WHU, Newcastle, Tiny Totts
#3 – 2 losses against Liverpool, Chelski
Manchester United remaining 11 games = 6W 3D = 21 points +47 = 68 points total
#1 – 6 wins against Leicester City, Norwich, Brentford, Brighton, Palace, Everton
#2 – 3 draws against Arsenal, Chelski, Tiny Totts
#3 – 2 losses against Man City, Liverpool,
ManU is 2 points ahead of Arsenal but Arsenal have 3 games in hand.
West Ham United remaining 10 games = 6W 3D = 21 points +45 = 66 points total
#1 – 6 wins against Brighton, Aston Villa, Brentford, Burnley, Norwich, Everton
#2 – 3 draws against Arsenal, Tiny Totts, Chelski
#3 – 1 loss against Man City
WHU is on equal points with Arsenal but Arsenal have 3 games in hand.
Tiny Totts remaining 13 games = 9W 3D = 30 points +42 = 72 points total
#1 – 9 wins against Newcastle, Aston Villa, Brighton (H&A), Brentford, Everton, Leicester City, Burnley, Norwich
#2 – 3 draws against ManU, WHU, Arsenal
#3 – 1 loss against Liverpool,
Wolves remaining 12 games = 9W 1D = 28 points +40 = 68 points total
#1 – 9 wins against Palace, Everton, Leeds, Aston Villa, Burnley, Brighton, Leicester City, Norwich, Watford
#2 – 1 draw against Newcastle,
#3 – 2 losses against Liverpool, Chelski
Prediction for Top-4 Finishes – After 5 March Results:
#1 – Man City
#2 – Liverpool
#3 – Chelski
#4 – 72 points – Tiny Totts
#5 – 71 points – Arsenal
#6 – 68 points – ManU
#7 – 68 points – Wolves
#8 – 66 points – WHU
Faith lies in our hands to beat ManU, WHU and Tiny Totts to boost our Top-4 chance.
Will update after Monday game against Tiny Totts vs Everton.
I guess people were busy on a Saturday Kev.
I’m with you re the mercenaries, let them go elsewhere. There are as you say, very good footballers out there to be found.
Morning.
Merlin, there’s one thing which is not worth doing in this League and that’s predicting where points will be won or lost.
New post up.