Morning all.
As we already know, Ashley Maitland-Niles and Reiss Nelson have been added to the first team squad for next season and as far as I know, they are the only two. Krystian Bielik is being linked to Norwich City on a season long loan and there’s little doubt that many more of the younger players will be doing the same. Some of course will be out hunting for a new club as their career in north London comes to an end. Yaya Sanogo has already gone and he’ll be sadly missed. Well, by someone I’m sure. Those who are lucky enough to remain at the club will be hoping for a chance to play in the League Cup, or whatever it’s to be called this season, a chance to prove to the manager that they are good enough to be promoted.
Yesterday, many young players were on show in Asia as England played Venezuela in the Under 20’s World Cup Final, a game they won 1-0 thanks largely to their keeper Freddie Woodman who not only made a few really good saves, but somehow kept out a penalty. Having already taken a dive to his right, he stuck out a big left hand and that was enough. The three lions held on to create history. Maitland-Niles didn’t start the game but came on in the second half and put in a few really good defensive displays. He’ll be heading back to Arsenal after his summer holiday a very happy man. Not many in our squad can brag about winning the World Cup eh. Well done to him, and the rest of the team of course.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was another player on duty for England over the weekend and he too had to settle for a place on the bench to begin with. However, it wasn’t long after his introduction that he opened the scoring. Olivier Giroud scored a spectacular goal for France but sadly for him and his team-mates, Hugo Lloris gifted Sweden their winner late on. Granit Xhaka scored another thunderbolt as Switzerland beat the Faroe Islands 2-0 and finally, Shkodran Mustafi was on target for Germany in their 7-0 World Cup qualifier win over San Marino.
I’ll be glad when these WC qualifiers/Friendlies are over because then we might see a bit of movement for Arsenal in the transfer window. We’ve already wrapped up a deal for Sead Kolasinac but if Arsenal are to really challenge next season, he alone is not enough. As we’ve discussed before, Arsene Wenger has hinted towards just the three signings and if that’s the case, those three really need to be of top quality.
There’s little point in signing players just to add to the squad as we have enough of those. What this team needs exceptional quality, players who can turn a draw into a victory and a loss into a draw. Someone who can lead, not only by example but be prepared to be vocal and in a positive way. Someone to bark orders without forgetting is own role. Wenger has to bring in a couple of big players, both in quality and personality and he has to let them rule the roost on the pitch. Don’t do what we believe he’s done to Mustafi, Gabriel and even Xhaka. Let the men be men and don’t turn them into soft, pink and fluffy people.
Who he’s going to sign is anyone’s guess, but regardless, what he does with them is perhaps matters most…
Being a soft, pink, fluffy person I feel abused !……but thanks anyway !
🙂
What a fcuking treat I`ve got today !……………….just browsing through BT sport 1 chanel and they`ve only got an Arsenal Vs Sheff Utd MotD game from 1965/66 season !…………………my first ever game !…………..and I`ve still got the programme !…………….unbelievable !………….am I happy or what !
It`s on at 14:30 and will be interesting to see how the standard of football has changed………believe me, the football is a lot better these days !……..cant wait, yessssssss! hahaha
This is the team from the programme……..too far back to remember if it changed on the day or who the subs were !
Jim Furnell (goal)
Don Howe (right-back)
Peter Storey (left -back)
Frank McLintock (right-half)
Terry Neil (centre-half)
David Court (left-half)
George Armstrong (outside -right)
John Radford (inside right)
Joe Baker (centre-forward)
Jon Sammels (inside-left)
George Eastham (outside-left )
Watch and you`re in for a treat ! hahahaha
It`s the wife`s birthday as well and she thinks I`m all excited for her ! hahahahahaha
I wont tell you the score, but put it this way, there`s no need to be stressfull ! hahaha
Way before my time Lc…..
It will be an education if you watch it, Rico !…………………..probably in black and white, so you`ll get a feeling of how the Spuds still feel !. 🙂
arsene wenger is too comfortable and has too much power hence his inability to move from his ” I know everything ” stance. Shades of Theresa May election stance of strong and stable but the evidence on the ground shows something else. without pressure from above and his immune to criticism its worrying where arsenal are heading. we all know what eventually happens to dictators!!! the summer will just be like all the others , the club being linked with players they need but wenger will sign players the team do not need and can not push club forward. Everyone gets old including wenger and sometimes you can left behind without you realising it and you need friends to nudge you to do the right thing for your self and club before ruining your own legacy.
Ha ha Lc.
Ramsey scored yesterday too
any more (fresh) news about alexis, Kos, Bellerin and Szesc?
Yes Joaquim…………….they are all joining UKIP !…..that`s as near as the truth as some of the stuff I have heard !
🙂
Can’t believe I forgot his cheeky penalty Jm…
That’s quite a good penalty Cocker.
Afternoon Rico, good post.
It’s going to be a long, dull, boring summer.
Every day Arsenal don’t sign anyone will be an excuse for the Press to bellow;
Arsenal in crisis!!!
It’s the same old shit we always get from them.
Have the Spuds signed anyone?
Have the Mancs signed anyone?
Have the Chavs signed anyone?
Have the Scousers signed anyone?
Nah, so are they in crisis?
It just so happens that the majority of players are on holiday or soon will be…
End of June it might pick up when players start returning after their holidays…
Let’s sort out Alexis, Ozil and Ox first, get them signed up and then we can see where we are…
Mbappe is probably a diversion, unfortunately…
Afternoon Kev, thanks.
Bollox to the media eh, but I really hope we get everything sorted early. Can’t afford to faff around as we need to be organised and ready in time for pre-season so they can all work together..
None of this sending out half a team on the first day of the season…
The Mbappe stories are a load of old tosh imo. No way would the club blow that amount of money on one player, Wenger certainly wouldn’t….
Afternoon Rico
Good post as usual
The Ox is suited to for impact sub.For me his fitness is a serious concern and the 90 min role is not suited to him.
By the way a player that never been rumored for any move or linked to any club is that flop Feo.
How sad to see him in Arsenal colours again next season and squandering 140k /w for a sprinter.
Gnabry not a given any chance and he made it to almighty Bayern and the useless Feo not even newly promoted clubs are interested on him.
Le Prof his managment is terrible and hope he cut short his stay and disappear somewhere.
Le Coc. What are you trying to do to me buddy.
I cancelled BT Sport a month ago and stopped receiving it yesterday, so I won’t be able to watch that game. Would have loved to see it again.
I may have stood next to you in the North Bank. Blast and double blast.
Vic`s………. my neighbours took me and I`m sure I was in the West Stand !……………..time to put feet up and get snacks and drink and re-live my first introduction to the world of Arsenal …………..50 years later !………………..and Spuds still haven`t won the league since ! hahaha
Afternoon Alex. Is there an Arsenal player you do rate? Seems to me there’s not. Ox was really good once AW switched to three at the back but you clearly still don’t like him.
I tuned in and it was all over… 🙂
Afternoon rico and other posters.
I think Alex may be similar to me, in that when we play, I only seem to watch our players and block out the others. You then see all the team, warts an’all, and not through rose tinted glasses. It’s a shame really, because it does tend to make you criticise every little mistake.
Having said that, most of our lot are capable of having a good game, but then spoil it by having two bad ones. Consistency is what they all seem to lack. Even Theo, when good he is very good, but when poor, he is shockingly bad. Giroud only seems to be good enough to come on late when the opposition are tired and his lack of pace doesn’t matter so much, but I still like him being there so I hope he stays.
How can we keep paying top money to players like Theo? No England squad place, no Arsenal games, he should be ashamed, ripping the club off. Having said that, only the manager is to blame really. Anyone would take the money if they could.
I’m getting sick of reading about Alexis leaving, but if he does I hope it’s to BM not another EPL club.
Are we still lumbered with Wheelchair? He’s another waste of space and money.
We definately need a top goalie, but would Joe Hart fit the bill? He can be a bit iffy too, but PC is now over the hill IMO.
International footie doesn’t do it for me these days so apart from Wimbledon, I’ve no interest in any games, so roll on next season.
If we can start well, win the Charity Sheild and a few league games, that could set us up for a good run, instead of being sluggish and losing points early on. Then it’s playing catchy uppy all season.
Come on you goonshow!
I miss Sonogo… boy that could be the one that got away. LC, holla at your boy….lol.
Rico, @ 2:45PM, even before the 3 at the back switch, the OX was performing very well at CM, which again illustrates AW inability to play players at their strength.
Unless you are playing for San Marion or Andorra, relatively, all international players are very much above average in their craft. The current Arsenal squad has internationals at almost every position, and before they came to Arsenal were performing very well at their previous clubs. I simply don’t understand the constant drumming about the players not being good enough. Is the current Chelsea, Liverpool, MU or City players that much “better” than the Arsenal players position by position? NO!
The issue is their mangers are much better than our manger in “PRO-ACTIVE” tactics and
“in-game management”. These crappy players just won the FA cup undermanned, now can the team improve with some addition/ subtraction, of course, but so can any of the top 5 teams in EPL.
Hi Meerkat.
But surely you can see when a player has improved such as Ox?
You are right re Ox Obi, he was. And I agree re our squad. I’ve said all season this is the best we’ve had for years, yet still the manager can’t get them all singing off the same song sheet for the majority of the season..
I don’t know if you saw the England game but they were quite pedestrian until AOC came on and then he upped the anti. He’s so much better than this time last season. What a difference a near injury free season and a run of games can make…
Evening all………………………….what`s this bashing of my Ox ?………….one of the 1st names on the team sheet imo ! 😀
I saw the England game. The Ox has all the natural abilities of the modern day footballer: power, pace, vision and strength. His problem is the teachable skills: spacing, movement and touch. I think his inability to stay health has hurt him in these areas. If he can stay health and play consistently with better players he will continue to get better. His versatility alone makes him a keeper, imho. BM paid 40m for Renato Sanchez which can possibly reached 60m with bonuses, atm, is Renato that much better than OX?
Rico
I dont rate many specially the English one we have
The Ox has good touch ….yes
The Ox has good pace …..yes
The Ox burst and pass players and then….ahemmm…not much after that.Remember when he was injured when collided with Mascherano ? And straight to the injury table.
In fairness he streches the opposition when fit gives his all.I still like him coming from bench
Ohh….i miss Sanogo to.
Last two comments are from The Sanogo Appreciation Society !……………………………Conspiracy Theory if you ask me ! 😆
Obi, the teaching…. just like at school, a bad teacher means pupils learn little…
Are you English Alex? That’s not meant to offend by the way…
You missed a treat earlier Rico……………………6-2 to the Arsenal !……….from my team of earlier ( from programme)………Tony Burns replaced The Mighty Jim Furnell and Alan Skirton ( My first Arsenal hero !) replaced John Radford !…………………..the biggest shock was that there was a different music to MotD than the one we all think and hear of today !………………and Kenneth Wolstenholme said that the football Arsenal were playing on the day was as good as anything anywhere in the world !…………………………he must have been easily pleased !
🙂
Oh and our shirt was red without the white sleeves !…………..disgraceful !…………….looked like a ManU shirt !………………………..even though it was shown in black and white I could tell ! hahaha
I did turn it on Lc, but as said earlier, it was all over. The fans looked like matchstalk men… ?
Night guys, catch up later…
Morning Rico and all. I was greeted with a strange new HH format but it seems to have reverted to the established version now.
Same here, Adam.
As soon as I tried to comment, it went back to normal.
Morning all.
Morning all.
Done my back in !……..and it wasn`t from bench preswsing !…………. a few weeks off from exercise then ! 🙁
Have we bought any players who are better than what we already have yet ?
Only one month to go before The Arsenal occupy Sydney and martial law is imposed with the banning of marsupial relationships for anyone over the age of consent !
Don’t worry, LC, I’ll send you pictures, as promised 🙂
The site was all peculiar. Now it’s back to its normal format. I feel at home again.
Top, top players nil ordinary (mostly) squad players 24!
We live in changing times, not it seems at the Arsenal!
Hey ho here we go………again.
No news is……….no news!!!
Sunny and bright here though
I quite liked the new look, it was kind of clinical..
Afternoon Rico n All
Ah ha, got it back as well as an intrusive advert…
Just back from having lunch here (bottom right hand corner )……………………………….
https://webpics.classic.co.uk/webpic/2870/28700022.jpg?w=800&h=536&mode=crop&v=0&scale=both
http://www.intocornwall.com/pphotos/150pano.jpg?d=23042017174624
https://d2j8wl8wotfy1w.cloudfront.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/boscastle-2.jpg
Griezmann has signed an extention and is going nowhere !…………….never going to come to us, but it`s nice he`s not going to Manshafter after all the rumours !
First time I`ve seen Mbappe and dont care if he is 18 years old !…………………will be considered a bargain @ £120M in a few years time !…………just do it !…………………………….Lacazette at £60M and just a sub in the France squad who doesn`t play that often, he`s even behind Olly !……………….so £120M is a bargain, trust me, I know and I think we all know a special player when I/we see one !
Is there a fire drill ? 🙂
LC, the kids a star in the making, no question.
Wenger knows how good he is, but will he take that finely step to getting him?
I really hope so.
The kid could well be our future.
Just to add, on that performance, he’s worth more than the English squad.
Very disappointing.
Afternoon all
No wonder Arsene Wenger was so keen to get another 2 years @ The Arsenal. French Football Federation rules state that clubs cannot appoint managers who are over the age of 65.
GG,
If that were in his mind, he’d have headed over a few years back.
Scott
Oz footie in trouble or just Ange?
GG, Oz footie.
When our best player is 38 years old, it’s in trouble lol
Funnily enough, I reckon the A league has had an adverse effect.
Back on the day, players with ability headed to Europe and it made them, or broke them.
Now, plenty with talent are starting off in the A League and then having a crack when “more mature” in their early 20’s.
It’s too late then, for most because the bad habits are already too ingrained.
Plenty also are heading to China, where even average players can earn bloody good money.
They’ve lost their hunger, imo.
Honestly, and I know people will laugh but I’ve spoken to a couple of A League players who agree with me, but I can offer 6-8 players in my sons class, aged 11, whose first touch is better than most A League players, so that’s the other factor-hair coaching here, generally speaking.
Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill, Craig Johnston and the like all headed over in their early to mid teens, and learned the hard way what it takes to be a professional footballer.
Mark Viduka headed over later, but he was a physical beast.
Tommy Rogic is one who is going well after heading over late, but to counter that, he didn’t play outdoor football seriously until he was 17-18 so again, hadn’t learned all the bad habits.
We rely too much on physicality, and not enough on technique.
Youth coaches are too focused on results, and not enough on education.
Looking from afar, my opinion is that England suffer from the same thing.
Ps, GG, I think Ange is more than capable of managing a good club in Europe, FWIW.
Players play for him, and he handles egos brilliantly.
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/816670/Arsenal-fixtures-Premier-League-fixtures-2017-18
The fixtures look the same every season, since they had a computer doing it we play Liverpool early and the Mancs late every year. Yawn…
Rico, what’s happened to the blog?
That’s the order of things , don’t book your holiday yet until after the TV companies have shifted things around.
25/08/17: Group stage draw
14/09/17: Group stage, matchday one
28/09/17: Group stage, matchday two
19/10/17: Group stage, matchday three
02/11/17: Group stage, matchday four
23/11/17: Group stage, matchday five
07/12/17: Group stage, matchday six
11/12/17: Round of 32 draw
15/02/18: Round of 32, first leg
22/02/18: Round of 32, second leg
23/02/18: Round of 16 draw
08/03/18: Round of 16, first leg
15/03/18: Round of 16, second leg
16/03/18: Quarter-final draw
05/04/18: Quarter-finals, first leg
12/04/18: Quarter-finals, second leg
13/04/18: Semi-final and final draw
26/04/18: Semi-finals, first leg
03/05/18: Semi-finals, second leg
16/05/18: Final (Stade de Lyon, Lyon)
Fit these in with our Premier League fixtures.
Evening all,
Scott I agree with everything you said re Oz footie. They spent 10s of millions on a failed WC host bid when they should have pulled their heads in & invested in youth development. They should build proper footie grounds, it’s cringe worthy using AFL grounds.
Imagine getting off a plane, heading to Stamford Bridge & getting on the piss in one of their corporate boxes while watching The Arse beat them. That’s going to be me??
GG, if you want to win easy money, back Oz to win the bid to host the Womens World Cup.
FIFA no we had the best bud yet gave it to Qatar-I’m not suggesting anything dodgy hahaha-so to appease us, i would take odds we will win this one.
Morning all.
Hi Rico
I prefer the old style of the site .
Fixture …lol….December tough schedule if we can smash them all surely we accumulate nice points.
……dreams !!!
Lunch venue looks stunning Cocky.
Ah! Back to normal. More content now.
Ox is one of my favourite players, but last night he had a `mare !………………..not sure if he was under instructions to do a particular job, but the direct running at opponents was missing, is he more suited to wing back ?.
Boscastle Vic`s !……………..would like to retire there……amongst other places down here !…………..how long can I keep looking after 5 acres and two horses, it can be time consuming !
Have we bought Mbappe yet ?…..and where`s the Guv` ?
Lilre I’ve posted once: 15 games in the euro league if we reach the final + 38 games in the League + 2 games in the FA CUP (at least) + 2 games in the cup (at least) + Charity shield…
58 games…. more games on Thursday and Saturday/Sunday/Monday … no money…
Which do you prefer? Euro League or champions League?
I prefer the English Premier League, it’s the most important Title in club football, contested in The Home of Football (& Taffland).
Give me the UEFA Cup, because we might bloody win the thing…
I prefer neither !……………………League and Cup double every year…………….if we had swapped positions at the start of the season with the Chavs we may have won the double !
🙂
Emirates Cup for me everytime…..it’s a no brainer, mind ya with the World Cup next year it’s another trophy that will be sacrificed.
Gnarley, the last time we won the league pussy was still a kitten mate !
We made £139,636,498 off the premier league last season for finishing 5th, Arsene gets rewarded with a new contract and Jesus wept.
We all know 2017/18 will be another ground hog season ! Long live Arsene.
Don’t think le chef the control freak who should have retired 3 years ago, Commodore Wenger will be buying Mbappe. The oldster doesn’t like his players making any kind of decision, least of all when it comes to their own future!!
So, Mbappe is a no go. Like Mrs May, he’s toast!
Dark here but very warm, even the central heating is off!?
You lot have all overlooked the Inter Cities Fairs Cup……why?
Arsenal innovative as ever, sure is hard to keep up with all the sweeping changes taking place, I jest of course, early days yet, but I do fear we,ve been hoodwinked again, into believing the Board have finally woken up
Reports suggesting there are to be no changes to Arsenal’s coaching staff as all of the men who made up the back-room crew are to be offered new deals.
It has been presented as a victory for Wenger who, they say, was instructed to bring in new faces as part of his contract extension, but who has stood his ground while the club have backed down. Apparently through the years the contracts of his assistants have been tied to his, to provide security and clarity, I do wonder if the same circumstances stand for this current extension
If so, It seems likely he will continue to have complete control over all football matters, and frankly I don,t see any signs that things are going to be any different at Arsenal
I really hope the club realizes the importance of this summer.
micko
I agree, & I hope The Arse win it again b4 pussy uses up any of its 9 lives, i.e dies from old age. But, IMO it is the best club competition in the world.
Morning all. Like DG I hope Wenger and the board realise the critical importance of this transfer window and that they really need to get the fans onside. Another botched, indecisive period is going to heap enormous pressure on Wenger and the team and starting the season on the back foot is a nightmare scenario.
Morning Adam and all.
Agree Dg, but I don’t think they do. Not really…
New post up now..