Morning all.
Rotten news from Unai Emery yesterday. Denis Suarez has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a groin injury. He’ll be seriously missed. I jest of course. What an odd piece of transfer business that was. He’s gone back to Barcelona where he’ll continue his recovery.
The real sad news is that Aaron Ramsey’s season is over which in turn means his Arsenal career is too. When he’s on form, he’s a great player and as much as he frustrates me no end, he’ll be missed over the next few weeks. Long term, who knows but his departure opens up a door for someone else. Perhaps one of the Arsenal youngsters, perhaps someone from the outside. Time will tell. Ramsey will remain at Arsenal until the end of the season, cheering us on from the sidelines no doubt. I’ll dedicate a post to him after the season is over, or see if Scott wants to… lol
So it’s ding ding, round one. Valencia at The Emirates. Gabriel returns but Coquelin misses out as he’s banned. No surprise there. Also missing for the visitors is Geoffrey Kondogbia, Denis Cheryshev and Cristiano Piccini.
Apart from the long term and both Suarez and Ramsey, our players are good to go. Oh if only….
I’d hoped for Villarreal just so we’d all get to see Santi Cazorla play again but I guess it wasn’t meant to be. Beggars can’t be choosers I guess and that’s about where I feel this Arsenal team are in the scrap to secure Champions League football, or rather the money which comes with. Any which way we can I reckon, a bit of luck or substance over style. Just get to the final and win it.
“I want to create a new history with this competition. “The Europa League is our way of winning one title, and it’s a way for the possibility to get to the Champions League.
“We need to create a big atmosphere at the Emirates and be with our supporters tomorrow (tonight) night against Valencia.
A full stadium would be nice tonight and bearing in mind it’s a semifinal, it might be. Fifth in the Premier League versus sixth in La Liga. I don’t think La Liga is as strong as our own league, certainly not physically and Valencia are not expected to turn up tomorrow with the kind of game plan which the likes of Burnley, Watford etc might. They’ll want a precious away goal though, if not more than one. We’re in a bad place right now and Valencia will smell blood.
Unai Emery needs to stop the rot having lost three matches on the trot. This game is huge and we need a convincing win. Take a few goal lead to Spain next week and secure our place in the final.
Then it’s a case of winner takes all, literally.
Morning rico and HH’ers.
Great post yesterday rico. Have just read it, as I was out all day and night yesterday….damn.
If I can add my tuppence. I made it Ten players to keep. I’m in the keep Laca and Auba camp. With the money we are getting in the summer, if we sell we won’t get better. We MUST add a Big strong proper CB together with the same credentials for a CDM. Get rid of Mustafi and Xhaka.
Onto today. UE has to drop Mustafi, he is a total liability and could cost us a goal which we should defend against ALL costs. Try and keep a clean sheet first at home, I would take a 1-0 now.
Xhaka has to be told to be extra careful in and around the edge of our box, not to be sloppy, as the Valencia players will have no doubt noted his lazy casual approach in these areas.
My team would be
Cech
Kos……Sokratis……Monreal
AMN……Xhaka…..Torriera…….Kolasinac
Ozil
Auba…….Laca
Have Nkeita on the bench to bring on for the last ten minutes.
COYG
Morning Vcc, thanks re yesterday. I’d keep Lacazette but Aubameyang just irritates me. He’s so wasteful. He’s not alone though.
I like your team..
Morning all,
Cheeky bugger, Rico 🙂
Have no fear, Rambo has frustrated me on plenty of occasions but the good far outweighed the bad for mine.
That’s for another day.
Emery can turn any doubting fans around if he wins the EL I reckon, and the fact is he’s shown on several occasions he knows how to.
Can he fire our guys up?
If they can’t rise to the occasion then they should be ashamed of themselves.
I have to say that the team picks itself with so many big players still out. I was hoping that Mavro would have been Cb with kossy on the left. I also wanted to see SAKA promoted alongside Willock. Sadly we once again have to have a massive clear out in June, on my list would be:- Jenks, Micky, Lichten, Elneny, Mustafi, Ozil. I only include Ozil because he so inconsistent and we need a 40 x 90 mins game a year quality man like Maddison. Barella and Maguire and the celtic left back would give us a nice balance for the first time in 7 years.
I was being serious Scott, you must be his biggest fan… lol
‘morning Rico, an “In Memoriam” post on Ramsey. I can’t wait. 😉
Vcc’s starting eleven looks good to me, perhaps Mavropanos instead of Monreal?
We just have to pray Aubameyang puts away the chances he gets. If Ozil proves ineffective, he should be replaced at half-time with Willock.
Rico, I have always rated effort and endeavour above all when it comes to players, and Rambo encapsulates both qualities but at the end of the day, I’m an Arsenal fan, first and foremost.
I think the club would be much better off with him staying, but once he’s gone, he’s gone.
Pete, I can’t see Emery clinging on to players who haven’t done much this season. Nor Raul for that matter.
Morning Cicero, there’s time for me to forget yet… lol
I thought you meant Ozil for a minute Scott…. lol
The slower pace of European football should suit Xhaka hopefully.Mavropanos wasn’t in the Europa League squad so he’s literally a non starter.
High up on the list (a long list) to move on are Xhaka & Mustafi, unsuited to English football and never will be.
Revenge for 1980,Johnny Carew ! Bring it on.
Combine the two, Rico-imagine what a footballer that’d make lol
Morning (sorry just gone past mid-day…lol) all, just read something about UE – “Unai Emery recently said how happy he was that the German had responded to his demands of becoming more consistent.” WOT!!!!!
Now THAT, is a serious worry as are some of his selections.
Agree with you Scott re Rambo and, Cicero re Auba. Auba’s just too flakey with his strike rate imo, and his work rate doesn’t press any bells either.
He’s so pleased with himself and I have lost count of “offsides”. HOW difficult is that?
Good post again Rico and almost always tinged with some cheeky humour – “our players are good to go. Oh if only…”
My sentiments exactly.
Cicero…not too sure about Mavro. Its early days for the young man but he’s been with us some time now and he looks a little shaky to me. I hope I’m wrong. of course, but he needs to overcome nerves to play at the top table of the EPL. He undoubtedly has the attributes for a centre half, thats for sure.
Maguire….believe it or not I said to my Son during our cup final game with Hull that he would be a perfect fit for us. Woe is me.
I like the look of Medley as well, but its early days for this young player.
Willock AND Nkeitea (?) could be used tonight at some time IMO. Get them used to the big time. Also next season, Smith-Rowe needs more playing time.
Get Nelson back from loan next year and together with, Willock, Smith-Rowe, Holding, Bellerin, Nkeitea, and even Chambers on his performances for Fulham, we may have some youngsters to push for permanent 1st team outings. That leaves us to spend all of our massive (?. LMAO) £40 million on a CB AND CDM.
Although this season we have been found short, we may just see some light at the end of the tunnel in the summer, with two big signings, and a couple of gems that I’m sure UE will pull out of the hat.
That could be a squad of
Leno.
Bellerin
Sokratis
? CB
Holding
Chambers
AMN
CDM
Torreira
Willock
Smith-Rowe
Nelson
Ozil
Auba
Laca
Gem out of UE’s hat (cheapie ala Guendouzi ?)
Gem ………………….ditto………………………
Medley
Monreal
Kolasinac
Welbeck
Guendouzi
COYG
Wenger criticising Liverpool’s defending is priceless…. 😂
Limey, we need to make Valencia play against the pace of our game. Well, our game when we’re playing well.
Thanks Andorra, I do try and inject a little irony…
I don’t think Emery is the kind of guy to slate his players in public. He’s probably just trying to make sure someone wants him…
Rico. If you remember, Wenger could have signed Messi. 😲
Adam I think Wenger saw Messi as an ideal right back.
😊 very possible.
Adam, and Ronaldo… 😂
Vcc, aren’t Welbeck and Monreal out of contract in the summer?
Martinez second keeper?
rico……Martinez second keeper, yes, why not?
Welbeck and Monreal out of contract. As we haven’t much money to play with, I would suggest trying to tie them to a one/two year deal depending on the wages asked. I believe we are not going down the high end salaries that we’ve become accustomed to, so if their demands are too high then show them the door.
We cannot cut our cloth too much because we know with an owner like we’ve got we will not get any decent. or half decent recruits on the money UE will have to play with.
The majority, if not all I would spend on a CB and CDM, and hope UE can uncover two gems in a LB and W. Not holding my breath though.
COYG
Afternoon Gooners
Afternoon Rico
Given their age and reliability I’d be tempted to cash in, if the club could recover most of its outlay, on both Lacazette and Aubameyang. Neither of them are going to fire us into contention for the EPL or CL and that’s where we want to be aiming for…
Of course that isn’t going to happen so we’ll probably soldier on with both of them until their contracts expire and they move on…
When I look at the entire 1st team squad there are very few, a handful, who I’d be adverse to selling if we got a good enough offer for them, that includes Xhaka, Kolasinac, Torrieira, Guendouzi, Ozil of course, Mkhitarayan for sure, Iwobi, etc etc.
Holding, Bellerin, Sokratis, Leno, I would want to keep at all costs (but then I’m struggling as there would be the few other players that we’d have to keep), I like their determination, fighting spirit and ability, but after them there isn’t many…
Frankly the whole squad is uninspiring…
Im convinced that Arsenal need to go down a different direction in terms of its recruitment, source players from within the UK, British or foreign, who are already adapted to the grind of the English programme. Liverpool, despite their result at the Camp Nou, have shown us the way to go and with Arsenal’s finances being similar to the Scousers, it would seem a sensible course to go down…
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/gallery/17-photos-arsenal-founders-new-16197892
That was interesting Kev, we all know of Sir Henry Norris and his shenanigans but I had never heard of David Danskin.
It seems our club still has a modicum of class left, despite it’s tight fisted ownership by The Krankies.
Interesting Kev.
Only criticism, whilst I’m aware that this is an ultra new gravestone it may have been more fitting to have had the oldest logo as well as the new canon depicted on the memorial stone. Still it’s a very generous gesture, and a bit of the club’s history which had been long forgotten.
A win, a win my kingdom for a win!
Cicero, I have no doubt that Enos and Josh would not have a clue who David Danskin is, although tbf, I doubt that many at the club would have heard of him and the majority of fans either, still I think the club have shown a lot of class…
Wavy, I’m not sure that other than for a select few club historians, that any of us would have any idea what the club badge looked like in 1886, I’m sure I don’t….
Alas poor Ramsey, I knew him well…
Valencia is very strong in the forward. They have very quickly players. And they shoot from everywhere.
I’m not very confident.
I´ve posted a few weeks ago that Suarez was not going to add anything. I seem to guess.
Ramsey is the pillar of our game. Without him, we were sick to attack and sick to the first reaction to the ball.
Evening all and another blinder Rico.
Cant wait for Scott`s Ramsey Tribute, but I should imagine it will be adult reading involving lots of drugs, handcuffs and lots of lubrication………….poor Aaron ! hahaha I`m in the Ramsey camp, but Scott`s like a teenage groupie ! hahaha
I expect a record EL home win tonight !
Ditto Vcc re Martinez, Welbeck and probably Monreal as we have a youngster coming through who can learn from him.
Afternoon Kev, I’m with you re the recruitment. No big signings, just grafters with talent…
Kev as far as the badge is concerned, I doubt whether they had one at all. Perhaps the old Woolwich Arsenal had a company logo that they may have worn on their ‘club blazers’ if they could afford to buy one! I’ll have to google it….Arsenal club badges through the ages. Ha ha😊
You`re welcome………………………….
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenal_F.C.#/media/File:Arsenal_crest_1888.png
Thanks Lc.
Some more……………………..
https://thefootballcrestindex.com/blogs/premier-league-clubs/arsenal-fc
Cech, Mustafi, Koscielny, Sokratis, Maitland-Niles, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Guendouzi, Ozil, Aubameyang, Lacazette
Subs, Leno, Mkhitaryan, Elneny, Iwobi, Torreira, Monreal, Nketiah.
Mustafi is starting. WTF………………..AGHGHGHGHGHGHHGHG
Cech’s last game for us at the Emirates, I’m welling up !
You’re on your own there Micko.
Lucky lucky Sokratis… poor tackle.
Really good 1st half if you discount the first 15 minutes, definately more goals in it for us, we’re running them ragged up front.
Cech screaming instructions at the free kick after their goal .Someone has to try and organise things
Didn’t see that coming after 15 minutes.
Roll on next Thursday on roll on the Chav’s !!!
Good result in the end. Came back well.
Hopefully the two goal advantage will be enough, could have been more though…
Frankfurter I hope Micko… lol
Night guys.
Mustafi, apart from giving away a free kick on the edge of the box, had a quite good game. No really he did!
It didn’t look good for the first fifteen minutes but that was a great comeback.
It could have been better, both Aubameyang and Lacazette wasted good scoring chances, it could have been worse, but for a couple of clearances by our defenders.
If we go all out for an early goal in the Mestalla, and get one, we should be okay.
Good night you happy Gooners. 😴
Valencia played in a way they do not usually play. At Mestalla, they will play as usual.
With the ease with which they reached the goal, let’s see if 2 goals will be enough.
For now, we’re fine.
We will sit back and play on the counter, hopefully.
Let them take risks and hit them on the break.
1 goal SHOULD be enough.
There seemed to be a lot of nervous tension at the stadium this evening, I never felt confident and even 3-1 isn’t enough even if on tonight’s showing I thought that Valencia looked a very poor side. We will probably need to score in the Mestalla.
Morning all.
New post up now.