A New Year = New Hope
Dec 31st, 2016 by 'holic
A decent pub lunch with friends, now a refreshing bottle or two of lager (I’ve changed!), and a brief preview of tomorrow before retiring into the now traditional musical New Year’s Eve.
What follows tomorrow is a testing day on many levels. For the Arsenal there is the small matter of facing a Crystal Palace team that could be lifted by the appointment of Sam Allardyce, or then again they may not.
There is mixed team news for the Gunners. Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs are almost certainly out, but Shkodran Mustafi and Danny Welbeck are in contention. More worrying was an aside from Arsene Wenger that “We have a few with flu, but everybody else should be available.”
Palace will be without defender Damien Delaney as he is serving a one-match suspension, but James McArthur, Joe Ledley and James Tomkins have an outside chance of being fit.
Providing none of these are flu-bound we can probably expect Hector Bellerin, Gabriel, Laurent Koscielny, and Nacho Monreal to start in front of Petr Cech, with Mustafi ready to make a late cameo from the bench if required.
Francis Coquelin and Granit Xhaka have been developing a greater understanding of late although the boss may prefer the attacking instincts of Aaron Ramsey at home to a team likely to sit deep and look to attack on the break?
It would be something of a surprise to see any change to the front four that eventually found a way past West Brom with Olivier Giroud’s late header. Having said that Ramsey for Alex Iwobi will surely be a variation that will be considered? Danny Welbeck is an interesting option from the bench.
The ‘holic pound
Results from this afternoon require us to take three points. The twelve points gap to Chelsea is looking like a chasm that needs bridging. The early game tomorrow may also see Tottenham claim our top four berth, if only temporarily. I’m discounting the unknown effects of the flu bug, and looking at a rejuvenated Gunners to win comfortably, eventually.
We may need some patience again in the opening hour or so, but the 9/1 against a 3-0 home win is looking very attractive. We do have the squad to overpower a tiring Palace in the latter stages.
For a bit of perspective, should the Arsenal win we will reach 40 points at the halfway stage of the season. We have achieved this only once in the last six campaigns – 42 points in 2013-14. It isn’t over yet.
Last, but not least
It being New Year’s Eve let me take this opportunity to thank you all for your support in the past year, and wish you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2017.
I don’t think many will be sorry to see the passing of 2016. We will make the coming twelve months better, won’t we?
Have a great one, ‘holics.
63 Responses to “A New Year = New Hope”
First. And the n NYE as well.
Get in.
What did you do with the bus, Steve. 😉
5 – 0 to the Arse on NY’s Day; and at the expense of “Backhander-Bung Fat-Sam’s” bottomish-of-the-table ? ? ?
3rd place awaits! UTA! AFCOF!
Incidentally, how the feck do our lads, and the lads of two of the other title challengers (i.e. the Klippity-Kloppsters & Manure), only get one rest-day between our next two EPL matches whilst Chav$ki and the Lillywhite Cunts get three and 2 days-off respectively when they play each other on Wednesday? ? Chav$ki and the Lillywhite Cunts even end up the whole Christmas and NY’s squeeze of matches having played one game less than all of us too! ?
Feck, the EPL might aswell just give ’em the title now already as it’s clearly been skewed in favour of those morally cretinous and vile cunts at the Bus Stop! Feckers the lot of ’em! ?
Happy Hogmanay! Hootenanny 2017! ??????
Great article as usual Holic. Happy New Year to all Gooner’s. Lets please beat Fat Sam to kick off 2017 in the right way. In fact, the way the other teams results went today, I feel we may have to win our next 5 Prem games in Jan just to stay within the Top 4. Doable, with games at Home to Palace, Burnley and Watford. Away games with Bournemouth and Swansea.
One game at a time first. COYR’s.
Thanks for a year of top- quality blogging Holic.
May 2017 be a glorious year for the Gunners and all Gooners!
A very happy New Year to all Holics! ??????
Nice one H
HNY to you and yours.
Funnily enough,Palace have a far better away record than at home,where they keep getting done over on the Counter attack,where Pardew’s more attacking style of football this season has brought them undone.
They have conceded a shed load of goals this season,and it will be interesting to see if Allardyce can make them more difficult to beat after such a short time in charge.
The boys know nothing else but 3pts wil do,so let’s hope for a fast start and early goals to put Palace on the back foot.
If Mustafi is fit,then play him,as our defence has not been the same since his ill timed injury.
It really annoys me that having seen how abject Everton were at Hull on Friday,and City were against Pool today,that we dropped 6 points against them.
Thank you Dan, Bernard, TTG, and the inimitable Clive. You are stars.
Cheers H!
And thanks for all the blogs in 2016. All the best and see you sometime in 2017.
Good Health to One & All this Coming 2017!
I’ve got something in my eye……..
Nice preview, H. A happy new year to all.
:Silly emoji: :Silly emoji: :Silly emoji:
Bah Humbug Bah Humbug Bah Humbug
COYG
It’s on Ebay H. Hope to make a few bob???
?
A few bob, Steve? Finally, that might result in the purchase of something wet? 🙂
Holic, It’s FAR from over yet. Happy New Year.
Nice preview H. As always tomorrow will depend on which Arsenal team turns up. Who knows? No doubt Fat Sam will put everyone behind the ball and that the time wasting will start well into the first half. Hopefully we will score early and the fat walrus will make us all laugh with his pathetic gesturing from the sidelines.
On another note, was anyone else bothered at all with AW’s comments? Is it mind games on his behalf when he effectively concedes the title? What I found more concerning were the comments when he said that Chelsea had addressed their problems and now had a balanced side? As if that was a revolutionary concept that no one else had thought of before? They needed strengthening and so went and bought players to make the side stronger and more balanced?
Blimey. If only we had thought of that.
To all of those going tomorrow, enjoy. Looks like it could be cold and wet. Let’s hope we can celebrate the new year with 3 points a version of “sacked in the morning ” to send Sam home with a smile??
Happy New Year everyone.
Happy new year to all and sundry. Time for those of us behind the curve to start the party.
Palace? Depends who is fit, who has the flu, who has been on the sauce, which way the ball bounces and BSE. No, not Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease), I mean the Big Sam Effect.
But we should win, whatever.
…and then the January window.
Right wing and left back options look in most need. With Theo out I expect to see Rambo on the wing again today. Hardly ideal, but the alternatives don’t excite either. None of Ox, Lucas and Iwobes have done much to suggest they’ll ever be Arsenal legends, or even remembered in a generation. The obvious answer is Griezmann, but I can’t see AW spending that much right now.
Similar problem in the diametrically opposite LB corner where Nacho has looked alarmingly slow in several matches this year, and Gibbs is never going to be another Cole or Sansom, or even Clichy for that matter. I understand we’ve been looking at some options, but no doubt AW will be waiting till the window closes to make up his mind.
Interesting to hear AW saying the Prem is yet to throw up a decent game so far this season, that the quality all round is disappointing. Naturally he includes himself among those carrying that can, but that’s hardly fair. That we’re ‘languishing’ in 4th yet again when we could/should have been nigher is a direct result of the effort those on field have put in, or too often NOT put in, imo.
Let’s hope for greater endeavour in 2017. Something to suggest they care about the result as much as whatever they’re thinking about spending their plunder on while the ball at their feet awaits immediate direction.
Thanks ‘holic for all your posts 2016, looking forward to 2017 (I think!).
35 dead in Istanbul.
Welcome to 2017.
Please, Ladies and Gentlemen, one at a time…YOU, ugly, with that stupid shirt!
Yeah?
Ya comin or what?
No sir, I’ll stay in 2016, thank you.
happy new year to you, holic, and to all on this site. May 2017 bring the world peace, abundance, and lots of wins for Arsenal.
thanks for being stalwart in sanity in a crazy 2016.
To brighten up a Brit winter … Beach Boys, beach babes, blondes, brunettes, bikinis. boobs, bums etc etc … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAmk-Wk2pNA
And one in honour of SIR Ray Davies, a well respected rock star knighted by HM E2R, and not before time … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WsmSgBRUe4
Have we bought anyone yet???
#24
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#23
absofuckinlutely !
Happy New Year to one and all. I just hope the game is better than the weather otherwise we will be in for a drab afternoon.
I suspect we will face another brick wall but one that has had little practice under Fat Sam. If Mustafi is fully fit he will play and I think it’s about time we saw Perez on the wing in the absence of Feo.
Not expecting a great deal of excitement but 2-1 or any win will do.
COYRs
Fin! A very welcome blast from the past.
Holic,
Thanks for all the posts in 2016.
It has always been a pleasure to read your posts and long may they continue. What a wonderful bunch of drinkers you have forged!
Chris,
Unfortunately, I will not be in Wellington but many thanks for the invitation for a craft beer. I have, according to my ever extending girth, been attending to the wines and wonders of Hawkes Bay this Yuletide with family. I readily admit that I may not share either your tenure or experience of NZ, but for me, it is a wonderful place, with brilliant people. I do hope you find solace whether it is here or back-home in England.
IF,
I have written to you separately.
Arsene,
Please please play Lucas Perez.
Holics,
Happy 2017.
Things on the not quite bucket list for 2017.
Spend another day up the Arsenal with Esso and big yin.
Be there when Steve buys BtM a half of shandy 🙂
Buy Jackster a half too.
Have a drink with Delia before she goes home!
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone has a good one. Here’s to another year of top blogging, drinking and (if we are lucky) Arsenal victories.
H- thanks for 2016. Dunno if I’ll be around for a game this year but it sounds more likely than BTM’s shandy. ?
Victoria Concordia Crescit.
H. BTM has already said he’s not coming to a game and has asked me to send him the money.
The cheek of it.
?
Watford 0 – Them 4 @ 46 minutes. Worst antidote for a New Year’s hangover ever.
Compliments everyone!
Thank you Guv’nor for all the 2016 goodies & for the rest of the ‘holics, you’ve been awesome. I enjoy your drinks.
Going forward, we can only hope that the Arsenal Football Vessel navigates in the direction we all love it to. Hopefully we can start that today with an emphatic 4-0 beating of the Big Fat Sam.
Is Özil having flu? Let’s see how direct we get without him.
Arsenal XI: Cech, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Elneny, Xhaka, Iwobi, Alexis, Lucas, Giroud
Arsenal XI: Cech, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Elneny, Xhaka, Iwobi, Alexis, Lucas, Giroud
COYGs
Happy New Year Holics!
https://mobile.twitter.com/Arsenal/status/815578533430968324
quality tailoring
Had a stack of small bets on this that all rely on us getting at least three goals, with Giroud and Perez to be first scorer in various scorecast bets, none of which will win me a fortune, but all of which almost guarantee a 0-0, or Sanchez to score in a 1-0 win.
Rob Holding = Ramsey with a sensible hair cut.
Any streams?
Get the eff in you beauty.
Contender for quote of the season from Martin Keown on BBC 5Live: “Not the best cross there from Sanchez, so far behind him that Giroud’s had to hook it in from last year”.
COYG
Search reddit GSD. I would do it but I get so fed up of those fake Mac virus popups that I no longer bother with streams.
Not a scorpion kick, just a back heel. But who cares?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Jz7v8b7nII
Or
https://streamable.com/y51mb
Cheers Cynic. I found a stream with crowd noise and no commentary- the Holy Grail. Then Giroud scored that goal- worthy of God.
2017 has started well.
Also, Fat Sam has a silly hat. It is too tight and has a little pinch of loose material at the top.
Nice of Palace to design a special condom hat for their new dickhead manager.
We are playing like we are three or four goals up. Show some urgency and get another goal guys.
Stop fucking about and get some more goals, you arses.
3-0, 3-1 or 4-1 and I win a bet and come out with a healthy profit. Any other score now and I’m doomed.
Iwobi!!!!!
Odd to see Flamini on the other side.
Cech the busiest player on the field right now and doing a good job so far.
I don’t know why we look so weak defensively.
Anyone else think Bellerin’s hair makes him look like a 1970s lesbian tennis pro?
Why sanchez still on the pitch and not being replaced is crazy…
Ox looks good.
Where’s my third goal, you absolute rotters?
Useless bleeders.
blasted blighters
Took it too easy today instead of scoring a few more and get ahead on goal difference and of course ensuring the Holic pound.
Until someone mentioned it I didn’t realize Flamster was on the pitch. Was he subbed in?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>