Morning all.
As if our defensive problems weren’t big enough ahead of the FA Cup Final. Koscielny is banned, Gabriel is out injured for the foreseeable, Mustafi is a major doubt as he’s not trained and now Per Mertesacker has suggested he’s not match fit.
When asked if he would be ready if selected by manager Arsene Wenger, Mertesacker responded:
I cannot tell you. I haven’t played this year. But I have done this for 15 years so I expect myself to be absolutely ready no matter what comes.
That is my mindset, no matter what happens or what is facing me on Saturday, I am going to go for it. I owe this to this team and to this club.
I want to make sure I will be ready and my mindset is ‘120 minutes plus penalties’.
Merts may not be the quickest defender in the game but he’s a smart cookie. He knows how to read the game and he’s a calm leader at the back, something Rob Holding will no doubt enjoy. There’s a slight chance Mustafi might train today and start alongside the young Englishman, but if not, then we’ll all be counting on the big German ex international.
Should by some miracle Arsenal walk away with a record breaking FA Cup victory, they’ll be no open top bus tour, neither will there be for Chelsea if they win it. It’s too dangerous for the players and fans because of those sick terrorist bastards!
One that fixture is done and dusted, so is our season and it’s not been a good one. Whilst any kind of victory on Saturday would be most enjoyable, there’s a lot of work to be done over the next few months. Arsene Wenger contract needs sorting out, players contracts the same, certainly those of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Then there’s the players who need shipping out, some because they simply aren’t good enough, others because life for them at Arsenal has been all too easy and no longer are they putting in the work-rate they should be if this club wants to become League Champions again. The DoF if one is coming needs to be done, as does any changes in backroom staff because like a few of the players, their life is far too easy too. But on both accounts, that’s because they’ve been gifted an easy life at the club.
Then of course, this time of year, it’s all about transfers because spending huge amounts of money is the only way forward. No, it’s not, not imo. It’s about having a balanced and fully prepared squad at the start of the season. As we kicked off this current campaign, there were holes all over the pitch. Players were missing because of the Euros, yet around the league, other players who’d been in France were back and raring to go. Hopefully Arsene Wenger will have learned from that but I won’t hold my breath. Mind you, there’s no WC or Euros this summer, so we might just have a fully equipped squad ready for the new challenge.
Sticking with transfers, Emmanuel Petit reckons Arsenal need to sign SIX players this summer, all of whom no what it’s like to win. He’s been quoted as saying:
I have been frustrated by some players’ mentality.
They need at least six players with a winning mentality.
There are some players at Arsenal who have been at the club for ages and there is never a surprise from them. They are sitting on five-year contracts, on big money, but you have to do more.
He’s right, well, about this squad needing players with a winning mentality and about being frustrated watching many half-hearted performances from a certain few. Still, if his fellow countryman grew a pair, he’d get more from his team throughout the entire season and not just when the pressure is off and we’re out of all competitions. Or when a fight for top four is top of his agenda….
As for the six players, can’t see it myself, that’s not Arsene’s way…
Arsene Wenger has said he doesn’t know if Saturday will be his last ever match as Arsenal manager, we don’t know if it’ll be the last for Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Fingers crossed that for one, it is and I hope he’s French!
Morning Rico and All
Arsene says..This could be his last match,
so if we lose its bye bye then?
How else can you look at it,as a fan.
BFG….6ft 7ins when match fit at full speed
turns like the QE2.
BFG…Not played since god knows when and
saying his ready for 120mins plus pens.
He might have a yard upstairs..But:
Surely this is a April fool joke..I know its May.
Morning Fred. Desperate times re Merts I guess. We are down to the bare bones in defence. Can’t even play Monreal in there as Gibbs is injured I think..
He’s staying Fred, I’m convinced.
Surely Arsene wouldn’t lie to us…Would he?
Urrrrrmmm – yes! lol
Gibbs, Wally ,willshere ,Ramsey ,Ox
All this ones need cleared from first team.No silly sentiments
All of them
Technicallity 3/10
Physical endurance 2/10
Morning Rico
Morning Alex. Not entirely in agreement there.
You overlook the ‘homegrown’ quota Alex. Whoever is manager next season will need to think about that before offloading all the Brits..
Surely Wenger isn’t going with a back-four at Wembley?
We’ll get smashed 3-0 if he does…
The whole point of playing 3 at the back is to compensate for the fact that Wenger has continually failed to sign a decent defensive midfielder.
Xhake and Ramsey in front of a back4, er, I don’t think so!
The only way we’ll win at Wembley is if our mob can replicate our 2005 performance, less the Reyes red card.
Cech needs to play the game of his life, but if we go to pens, we lose, he never saves penalties.
What choice does he have Kev? We only have two fit CB’s and one of those has played just minutes for the entire season…
Can’t see it going to pens Kev, so Cech will be fine… 😉
I hope someone takes out Hazard if he tries one of his runs through on goal.
Rico, I’d start with BFG, Holding and take a chance with Mustafi, see how it goes and make changes as the game goes along, at least it won’t be 1952 all over again when we were down to 7 fit players at the end of the game, no subs in those days.
Agree Rico the homegrown thing….
was just looking the footballing side.This chaps are riding their luck with us.
You reckon would have stand any chance on Chelsky or under Pep ?
They bode well with Le Prof no winning ambitious what so ever in them.For them win loose draw it does not make any difference as long contracts are renewed.
I would opine to replace them from youth rank if there are any.
Haven’t we got an U23 centre back who could step up, play a blinder and be solely responsible for an Arsenal win?? We used to have such a good second string. I suppose that too has now disappeared as Wenger’s concerns were directed towards signing excellent tea ladies?
The only result I can see is a chavs win unless there is some form of divine intervention and, seeing as I’m a practising atheist, that’s not likely to happen.
A loss would be a sad end to a long and sometimes illustrious career. A loss, I think would see the board huddled round the shredder at the end of the game. No renewed contract. Perhaps he’ll join Linacre et al on the MOTD sofa. Can you imagine……..,
Lovely warm, sunny day here. Makes a change!
Keystian Bielik is the only centre-back we have in the Stiffs who could possibly be up to 1st team level Wavy, but there has to be other alternatives…
How about Coquelin, the poor mans Mascherano?
Could well be ok on a one off…
I marine tgat Wenger is trying things in training, well he bloody well should be…
marine??? ffs…
I imagine that, etc
First game of the season- LACKING CENTRE BACKS
Last game of the season – LACKING CENTRE BACKS
Plus ca change under Wenger
Kev, I think it’s a head injury with Mustafi so no risk taking I’d say..
Is that the CDM who plays in defence Wavy? 😉
And Chambers? Can’t he play this saturday?
Personally, I’ll be happy when the whole season is over.
Walcott has been left out of the national squad. Am glad Southgate recognises sh!t when he sees one. Walcot and Gibbs should be the first to rid of.
We are getting a walloping at Wembley. Hazard, Costa and Willian/Pedro must be creaming at our defence. We can still call Chambers ay?
It has been one hell of an awful season Adam. Even a team below us made it to the Champions League!
Chambers is a M’boro player until May 31st
And he is cup tied
Hi Marshall. It’s been a nightmare really. Zero consistency and a lot of multi-millionaires refusing to take any responsibility for their performances.
Adam, some losses were hard to take as most were school boy errors. Where do you reckon we need to priorituze in strengthening?
Marshall. A complex question but I would say from the boardroom up to and including the manager. The club needs a reboot.
Play Sanchez as our striker next season with Welbeck and Perez as back up.
OG and TW out and in we get an explosive left wing back. Ox and Bellerin got the right wing. Ramsey out for a midfielder with a head.
We already have a LB on Wenger’s favorite currency. So that makes only 2 purchases required – manageable by arsenal low standards. All imo ofcourse.
Haha subtle changes Adam… Assuming things remain constant from the owner to the manager as they are most likely to be
I would start with the defence. We haven’t had a really top class central defender since Sol and they are some of the rarest players in the world these days. It’s all pie in the sky though until we know what is happening with the ownership of the club and Wenger.
I wasn’t feeling too confident about Saturday. Then I saw Anthony Taylor was Reffing!!!!!!!!
My post is about him tomorrow Bob.
Afternoon all, what a glorious day it’s been.
Very hot here Rico and hotter tomorrow.
Same here Adam, nice…
Too hot over here Rico. 🙂
I thought you might say that Adam…. 🙂
Saturday could be tough for the players if it’s this warm. Especially our frail petals…
True enough.
Evening all and thanks Rico.
No idea how we are going to cope on Saturday with not a fit CB available in the entire land !……….I`d go for something outside the box, something revolutionary !…………….trouble is we dont have a manager capable of such imagination, so it will be a case of damage limitations !……………….I`m dreading it………………us versus the Champions with no defence !………………could be embarrassing without the help of God and we all know how he missed that penalty against Manshafter in that semi-final !……………………….God seems to be shitting on us lately from a great height !………………..crap manager………crap owner…………best players going to crapping leave us………..crap Spuds above us……………………………no crapping CL…………………and I`ve got a crapping achiles tendon injury that wont heal up, so I cant run…………………………..nice day though !
Gary Monk over Wenger anyone ?………………..he`s resigned form Leeds Utd……………………bit naughty with the rhyme and slang there ! hahaha
You arrive Lc and I go. Work beckons…
Catch up a bit later..
Passing strangers in the night…..a brief encounter……………….. When LCM met Rico………………………
😆
I gonna be bench pressing a cool pint of beer this evening.
Can’t wait
Morning…
New post up now