Win Tickets To See Arsenal At Emirates Cup 2015
Jul 19th, 2015 by 'holic
Arsenal are to host Lyon, Wolfsburg and Villarreal at Emirates Stadium on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July for Emirates Cup 2015.
There will be two games on each day of the pre-season curtain raiser, with Arsène Wenger’s team taking on Lyon on the Saturday and Nicklas Bendtner’s Wolfsburg on the Sunday.
Goonerholic has teamed up with Arsenal to offer one lucky reader a pair of tickets to Day 1 of the tournament.
For the chance to win, just answer this question:
Which Gunners star made his Arsenal debut in Emirates Cup 2014?
- A) Alexis Sanchez
- B) Francis Coquelin
- C) David Ospina
Please email your answer, along with a contact email address and telephone number, to competition@goonerholic.com before midnight (BST) this coming Tuesday, 21st July.
Tickets are still available for Day One and Day Two of Emirates Cup 2015, from £25 adults and £12 concessions Visit www.Arsenal.com/EmiratesCup or call 0844 277 3625 for more information.
131 Responses to “Win Tickets To See Arsenal At Emirates Cup 2015”
Arsenal News 24/7
First? Having seen the new post and not read it but completed a backdrink at the last.
Cheers for the comp H. You always make ’em so tough though- you could at least give us a chance!
I bet NBN has the monks working overtime on this one already…
I am sure there is deep meaning in your words @1, Pangloss, but I am buggered if I know what it is. 🙂
GSD: The monks don’t even get out of bed for questions like that.
Hehe, just wait for the tie breaker you buggers. Only Ned will know! 🙂
You are letting the monks sleep in beds? They must be in your good books…
GSD: If it is any help, Bellerin started and Monreal got a yellow card.
We lead a simple if somnolent life at Castle Ned, GSD.
‘Holic: 🙂
What happened? A somnambulist monk wandered by mumbling stats?
Is the answer D – Calum Chambers 🙂
Brilliant Ned! Great minds…
pan G
ditto
.
GSD@10: 🙂
Alexis Sanchez .
boooooo
GSD @12: Dr F. will be trawling through his prime numbers and be half way there…
17 ned
can’t see zico being arsed
😉
NBN@17
He’s not half way yet. Bellerin’s number change has thrown a spanner in the works.
henry – the mild mannered janitor?
Nice competition.
Is there going to be a 2015-16 rerun of the greatest competition the world has ever seen? The Holic Fantasy Football League?
*rips up 70s butlins knobbly knees certificate*
.
thanks a whole bunch bath
GSD@19: Bellerin = Debuchy + Gibbs + Cazorla, primes all, but is not himself prime.
NBN.
Peter Cech + Francis Coquelin + Alexis Sanchez + Alex Oxlade Chamberlain = ???
Now there is an answer that will always be in his prime!
Fooled you Ned@4!
In homage to ttg (and not as a simple typo, oh dear no), I amusingly substituted the word “at” for “of”. Laugh? I almost followed Petit, van Bronkhorst, Hleb and Henry.
Night all.
COYG
Will sort the ‘holic fantasy league this week, thanks all. Don’t panic, you can select your team in the final week to capture the most recent signings. 🙂
Evening ‘H,
Guest piece ready if you want it ?
Not sure if you’re still in phone blackout country?
Can’t help being concerned, Ned, for any dyslexic, insomniac sceptics among your castle ascetics who can’t get to sleep for worrying whether there is a dog or not.
Öskar
Didn’t get a chance to thank and praise Ned for his fine piece on the smoke filled back room. 🙂
Emirates Cup US TV Schedule looks bad. Not even live on ESPN streaming but delayed broadcast (tv and streaming) in ESPN deportes
http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/type/upcoming/sport/soccer-futbol/startDate/20150725/#startDate/20150726/
Don’t mind the Spanish commentary, but delayed? While Wolfsburg and Sevilla in some other friendly live?
ALEXIS SANCHEZ
They only get concerned if it doesn’t bark in the night, Otd.
Heh @ 18
I let my turf accountants worry about my prime numbers. 😎
Well done to the team winning the Asia Trophy on Saturday. They played very well. I’m sure it will be the first of many trophies to come, this season.
Although some people hate pre-season games, for me, they are a way of measuring the attitude of the club, in terms of selection and approach and also fitness levels of the current squad.
I was inspired by what I saw!
UTA
NBN.
Schezza + Gibbs + Gabriel + SuperTom + Ozil + Ospina + Alexis + Santi + Welbeck = Gunnersaurus (and his Stunt Double, of course).
I’ve made myself out of primes!
I also found this article this morning which explains the origins of Gunnersaurus. It was a completely new story on me. And a bloody good one too!
Get yer chops round this one, Holic and Holics…
https://sports.vice.com/en_uk/article/gunnersaurus-explained-the-guy-who-dreamt-up-arsenals-mascot
GSD – that’s a lovely read. Would have made a great guest post on its own. Cheers.
Tabs from previous,
Interesting comments in relation to Benzema. I honestly didn’t think he was that old as such the possibility of chucking that much money on a player who will largely have no re-sale value is a considered and valid argument. The thing is though – those players are so hard to get I could still see Wenger making an exception if the opportunity arose.
It would also appear that we might well get a new DCM this window yet. Seems as though there’s some smoke emerging about the possibility of Flamini leaving. I also caught some of the footage from the Everton game and was disappointed to see how far Arteta’s star seems to have fallen. On the positive side, I thought Oxlade was very active and Ozil played sublimely (in particular a feigned pass to put Giroud through the middle towards the end was a joy to watch) . I also thought the new formation was interesting in that it allowed both Rambo and Jack to play. It was exciting to watch and shows where Wenger’s mindset is.
Ttg & Ned,
Two wonderful posts from you gents over the past few days – many thanks.
Great story about Gunnersaurus, GSD. I had no idea.
Pascal Cygan not one of the multiple choices?
Great piece of research, GSD. Well found!
Came across this, thought might cheer up the gloomy English cricket fans:
http://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/885093/when-in–nam .
“Merv Hughes was just terrific. He’s slightly shorter than John Cleese and has got a bigger moustache but there are certain similarities. There’d have to be a separate touring team made up of retired Australian bowlers. ” 🙂
GSD, that is a wonderful story…I love the JG section in Arsenal magazine and the amount of care and attention goes into those materials are impressive.
GSD, you’re the most likely to be in the know. Does Gunnersaurus Rex have a proper first name? Would that be Gunnar?
Blatter is such a tosser.
Today we have taken a very important decision, (repeat for 5 mins), to continue the reform process we have undergone since 2011, to establish a task force!
These Augean Stables will never be cleaned out. They need a Hercules of Herculean morality and proportions to do this job.
The pre-presser stunt by Lee Mason was much more impressive.
Great link, GSD, cheers !
Is there no end to Arsenal feelgood stories ?
No, not him ! 😉
GSD. Great piece of work by that kid. Not tall enough at that age to fill out the costume though I suppose. Maybe today though. 🙂
Have we won any Asian cups today?
GSD: Great read @36.
@35: This would be our prime primes team:
Ospina
Debuchy, Gabriel, Bola, Gibbs
Kamara, Ramsey
Rosicky, Ozil, Sanchez
Welbeck
Bench: Huddart, O’Conner Chatzitheodoridis, Hinds, Mavididi
None too shabby.
btw, Woj isn’t prime, mathematically speaking.
is trev’s post near cooked ‘hol ?
.
no?
.
dear lord
no ?
please
pleas
no ?
right
prime o ‘hol
enoughs enough
.
women and children first
.
🙂
.
closely preceded by me
.
oy vey
I must have misunderstood something – as usual – but how is Ramsey prime at 16 ?
Give that errant monk a good kicking …… 😉
Santi at 19 ?
Upside-down monk vision?
Quite right, Trev. Should have been Santi, not Ramsey. Reeducation has been administered for what ever upside down dyslexia is called, and mead rations cut.
home made mead ned
merciful hour
coupla arse over tit monks
par fer the course
brutal drop that shit
🙂
Morning transfer buffs!
I come with news!
For all of those who enjoy discussing Arsenal transfers, in a positive manner, I believe it’s safe to say, that negotiations have been under way for Arsenal to sign their second signing of the window.
Now, I do not normally make these types of assertions on a hunch and those who are familiar with my reporting style know I like to only deal with hard facts!
However, what I am about to say, some of you may already be aware. For the last two weeks, it is safe to say, that negotiations have been underway for Arsenal to sign their second signing of the season (3rd if you count Dragomir).
The only thing is, in true Arsenal form, only a selected few know who this player is. I am 90% sure that, negotiations have taken place and that an initial bid has been rejected. I am also sure that Arsenal is treating this one serious and intends to pursue this one until the bitter end!
So there you have it! One thing I have been made aware of is that, he has been described as ‘the signing of the summer’.
I know the papers have been speculating and some even think they know exactly who it is. However, when it becomes clearer who it is, I will be back to inform my brothers. At which point the signing should be making its way over the line.
Fingers crossed! And oh, UTA!
Talking of the Emirates Cup, those of you aware know it is an annual family day for the GT’s.
It will be my sons third instalment since his 5th birthday and will be his first Row 1 experience. Last year, he wanted to leave halfway through the Sunday match as he couldn’t see over the guy in front of him. Well this year son, you have the view fit for a prince.
As I say, Pre-season is just a measure for me to see the boys perform after a long break. It’s also an opportunity to welcome any new signings to the club (Last year there were quite a few), this year it is none other than Petr, Petr Cech!
It is officially the team’s first home game of the season and is an opportunity to come out and give the boys moral support, as club and fans, commit to what is to come.
I’ll be staying in the area for the overnight, so may visit some of the haunts, if there’s time!
To all of the regulars who go down there, have a good time! And to the competition winner, if this is your first time, you’ll love it!
It’s a great day and the kids get a chance to purchase the new strip!
Joe – Maybe re Benzema. We’ll have to wait and see. I still find it very hard to believe that we’ll spend north of £40m on a player whose value will depreciate rapidly, irrespective of what he does on the pitch. If it does happen, (and I don’t think it will), then I think AW would seek to recover at least half of his transfer fee with the sale of either Walcott or Giroud.
Difficult to take too much from what amounts to little more than a simultaneous fitness work out and a flesh-pressing exercise, but I agreed with your comments on the Everton game. Ox was exhilarating but just lacked the final ball at times. Big, big season ahead for him. Ozil just remains a joy to watch. Arteta should not be Plan B imo in the event Coq gets injured/ loses form etc.
GSD – nice Gunnersaurus story.
Faustus – Don’t think the full Monty Python team could have done any worse than our top order last week! 🙁
Cba – Hope all well, and that the corner-tradesmen aren’t giving you too much grief.
GT not just the kids get the chance to purchase the new strip, even OAPs will be there in the queue. Not that I really need a new one, there are quite a few in the cupboard but I just can’t resist the “collar” on this year’s model.Well that’s my excuse!
COYRs
DB – I must say I am tempted by the away strip for myself. Although those training tracksuits are looking quite tasty!
😉
The boys played well in Singapore and the result was there for all to see.
Cech says it is an extraordinary atmosphere in the dressing room and i believe this cohesion will be key to our success. United and other can go bonkers buying all and sundry but they wont be able to buy this set of players and their camaraderie. I just pray it translates to success on the pitch as well.
Talking of united, they apparently have bid about 100 million euros for Mueller. Bayern will be mad to sell him but strange things have happened in football.
Our own Benzema saga doesnt seem to end and looks like there are too many things to fall in place for that deal to come through, read chances are remote. I still think it is not a disaster if we dont get a striker but it maybe if we dont get a DM, an upgrade of Coq.
tabs @ 59: 🙂
About a new striker: whether we get someone like Benzema or not — I would have loved the Benz of a few years back playing for Wenger whereas now he seems a little complacent, but I could be wrong — would it not be risky to let either Giroud or Walcott leave? They are both proven goal-scorers in PL in their unique ways (and both have some limitations unique to them) but as it often transpires a new striker in his first season in PL may not find it easy at all irrespective of his quality and then we may end up missing out on goals. At least for the next season we should keep all three of new signing, Giroud and Theo around.
Anyway, Arsene knows what he is doing so no worries from me. 🙂
A ManU supporter was telling me apparently we are getting Moutinho and they are getting Gaitan … who knows.
Vinay – “get a DM, an upgrade of Coq”.
So what do you think were Coquelin’s weaknesses or failings during the second half of last season ?
Good to see some good solid transfer news up there this morning.
@Trev, not about his weakness but more so about him lasting an entire season. Imagine if anything happens to him, who do we have as backup- Arteta? who is already injured. The other 2 options are Debuchy and Chambers and if we plan to win the league which i believe we can, those 2 are not the answers. Coquelin was excellent second half of the season but i still believe he needs one more season to prove himself. So he and an upgrade of him say Moutinho/Javi Martinez will give us the solidarity needed at that pivotal position.
Completely with you on the backup front, Vinay. I think it’s doing Coquelin a disservice to want an ‘upgrade’ though.
I think he played a huge part in saving our season and I can’t recall seeing anyone else doing the job better last term.
If he had come into the team in January having cost £20 million, I don’t think anyone would have been disappointed with his performances.
Faustus, I’m not in favour of any move for Benzema myself, partly for financial reasons and partly for the footballing reasons that you espouse. I realise others have a very different view of him but he just doesn’t really float my boat enough for that kind of outlay.
I was talking about the hypothetical situation where we DO sign him. I think there would be a major departure, partly to recover some of the fee, and partly to keep the squad within manageable proportions. With a new signing and no departures, you would effectively have Benzema, Giroud, Welbeck and Walcott all competing effectively for one spot. I don’t think that Walcott will get many games out wide, (or at least i hope that’s the case, defensive liability that he is), apart from the odd ‘home banker’ against ‘lesser’ sides. Welbeck can do a job out wide, but one presumes he, like Walcott, will start the season not only behind Alexis and Ox, but also Jack and Ramsey for those roles.
If one presumes a fairly settled midfield to begin the season of Coq, Santi and Ozil (a fairly big assumption admittedly), and no injuries (I know, I know), and Alexis as a certain starter, that would leave Benzema, Giroud, Walcott, Welbeck, Ox, Ramsey and Wilshere all battling for 2 spots. And that’s without mentioning Rosicky!
With generally only 3 ‘bench’ spots for attacking players, that would mean that 2 of those seven players would regularly not even make the bench. That to me would not make for squad harmony even in the relative short-term. That’s why I think any incoming forward (if there is to be one), would be on a one in one out basis.
Personally i’m not oversold on a new striker, mainly because I don’t think the ‘significant upgrade’ is available. Would much rather see the money spent on a Coquelin backup/rival etc. I very much doubt that it would cost ‘Benzema money’ to find someone more suitable to the role than an ageing Arteta either.
Hi guys,
As I understand it Giroud touched upon the possibility of another striker, if any, coming to the club, to which he stated:
Giroud on speculation surrounding new striker…
“I’m not honouring this question. I’m trying to focus on my pre-season preparations. We are doing well together with a really good [cohesion] and the most important for me is that the team is always improving. If there is a new striker, it will be nice for all the team, because competition is good for everyone.”
Based upon this and what I have heard other players saying during interviews, my presumption is that the players at the club welcome any competition in any position.
Vinay: where does this “Arteta is already injured” come from? He played v Everton and I’ve not seen anything since to suggest he got injured again in that game.
I used to think a striker was more important than a backup DM but I have since changed my mind. If we are to buy a striker, it has to be one that is absolute top quality and for me that is not Benzema. A backup for Coq is top priority for me, so totally agree with tabs here.
tabs @ 68: The cohesiveness of the squad and not that many unhappy players are indeed crucial factors. I am with you in that. Also of the opinion that we do not need a striker as much as maybe being proposed by some. However if we get a new forward player and we need to move someone on for both financial and squad reasons I hope that someone is neither Giroud nor Theo nor Ox. I really don’t know who that someone could be, Danny maybe or TR7. Hope not TR7, if only somewhat for my personal preference for him, and selling them won’t recover any meaningful portion of what we will pay for that player, if finances are reason.
GT @ 69: What else could Giroud say? 🙂 That said, I have always admired his hard-working let-me-prove-myself-once-more attitude. A classic late-bloomer, like his pal Koscielny. 🙂
A forward line of Alexis, Giroud, Theo … with alternative options as Ox, Jack, Danny on the flanks and Theo,Alexis, Danny down the middle has enough goals in them. Rambo-Santi-Ozil should have their fair share too.
A genuine solution to the striker dilemma would have been a true upgrade over Giroud, who can do all the things Giroud does and have that extra 7-10 goals in the season and I don’t see that player. Zlatan maybe when the mood takes him, Lewandowski certainly…but who else? I think it is more likely that Giroud would add to his goal tally — his goals per game has been steadily increasing — than Benzema would come in, fit right in, does all the extra things Giroud does and score those extra goals.
My opinions only, could be wrong.
DF
😆
I’ll ask him more questions at the Ems Cup on Saturday!
Glad everyone enjoyed the Gunnersaurus story!
Bayonne- ‘Gunnersaurus’ is the first name. ‘Rex’ is the last name. Alexis is the not the first in our colours to be known by his first name. Oh no. Gunnersaurus does however have a middle name that he confided in me once after a long night on the fermented swamp juice. But I’m afraid I cannot break that confidence…
NBN- Schez will have to be prime for my purposes (otherwise I can’t make it work!).
Personally I am not interested in Benzema. And if we do buy a striker I would not sell anyone this summer and see how it goes. If we have no injuries by the last week of January and not enough game time for everyone then we can sell or loan someone -lots of clubs looking to strengthen their forward lines in Jan. This would also give us time to see how individual players do ie. Theo, Welbz and what tactical and formational tinkering has gone on and thus which players would be needed for the run-in.
If the squad starts off a little heavy and some players play less than they would like then that is fine by me. The club comes first. We do not need to keep our players sweet due to a fear of defection in the way that we used to. Players will be happy if they are part of a winning squad that scoops the top honours. We are moving forwards as a club and can afford to act a little bit more ‘arrogantly’ in these situations (not a perfect word but I hope you see what I’m driving at). Let’s put the onus back on the players to show why they belong at our club- by winning the league!
As an aside, if we win the league then Theo will go nowhere. Any reasonable contract looks better when the alternative is leaving the title-winning team who will obviously replace you with a Reus type player anyway.
I do not wish to see us become anything like Chelsea but it is worth noting how many players who have failed to make the grade they move on every window. I say we give everyone a chance and then get rid of the ones we don’t need- AFTER it has become clear exactly who they are.
Don’t think AW would give up on Welbeck just a year into his Arsenal career, especially when there were more than enough signs last season that he might thrive. TR7 would not, as you say, recover any meaningful fee. Arsenal won’t be selling Ox anytime soon.
Favourites for the chop imo would be either Walcott or Giroud. Walcott first favourite if it slips his mind, as is his wont, to sign his new contract. Possibly Giroud if Walcott does sign.
Whether either would take the exit route, if it was offered, is another question.
Anyway, all hypothetical in my view. I don’t think we’ll sign another striker.
Vinay, TABS, Trev, Lars: agree completely on prioritising a DM over a striker.
It all comes down to one factor: dropoff.
There’s much more of a gap between Le Coq and his counterparts than between Giroud and his alternatives, and there are more sources for goals than there are substitutes for Coquelin in the middle of the defense.
And if AW doesn’t bring in another DM, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him eventually slot in Debuchy over Arteta or Flamini (who’s likely on his way out) in that role. He’d probably rather see a heady veteran in that position over an inexperienced and foul-prone Chambers at this point.
Hi guys,
I don’t mean to wind anybody up, but I am told an improved bid has been placed for our target and that it is hoped that it will now be accepted!
I will update you as soon as I know more!
Gulp!
@ Lars i am sorry my bad, reports were of him being injured but yes he played the second half and looked fine. Is he the backup to coq? that is the concern with due respect to Mikel. Also in terms of Benzema, i really am not sure who else can we get in terms of a top striker apart from him and yes he may not be top top quality as the boss suggests but he is pretty good and i think he betters what we have currently, stats may suggest otherwise.
Trev, 20 million in jan and we may be singing a different tune, well not me. I am chuffed with his performances from jan but it begins all over again come august and i reserve my judgement about him being the permanent solution to our midfield general. Again it is not questioning his ability but more so consistency.
Overall i believe we should reinforce the DM role than the striker role because i expect a fit theo and danny to score far more goals than investing in a new striker. So yes if given a choice of Benzema or say Joao Moutinho or Lars Bender, you know my answer. If striker it is then benzema eyes closed.
Agreed with those who think we will not sign a striker. When I read the comments about that we need to buy better or “world class” striker, my first initial question is “well show me who that player is”.
Benzema, for me, is not really an upgrade on Giroud in terms what he brings in to the team. Ollie has very special set of skills which any of our other strikers is pretty much unable to replicate and I do not know any other “big guy” other than Zlatan who has such a great first touch and technical ability as Giroud has.
I would be perfectly happy with us going for Coq back-up, as said, he cannot last whole season playing every game and as much as I like Mikel I think that should everyone else remain fit this season, he will be very much fringe player. Coquelin has shown what player in his mould brings to the team.
So signing player who is athletic, strong in a tackle with decent distribution is pretty much okay summer for me. However, I have no idea who that player might be.
I’ll bet it’s Dzeko ….
😀
Great points again Tabs.
There is a lot sense, as usual, in much of what you say. In particular, your analysis of Walcott, Welbeck and the congestion of players we have is spot on.
Ironically, I just feel that its the same congestion that has prevented Wenger from sourcing a DCM. I feel both Rambo and Jack will have to play regularly if we want to retain them at the club and more importantly, because they represent the future of the club. So for me, Santi, Rambo, Jack are all viable cover options in DCM alongside Arteta for Le Coq. Not ideal I know, but who would have ever thought that either Coquelin or Arteta would become DCM’s options and yet here we are? Otherwise, I feel Wenger would have bought Sneiderlinn.
And while I know we don’t agree on Benzema, to me he has a proven track record of playing as a central striker for one of the worlds top clubs. At RM he averages 47 appearances per season across all competitions in his 6 years there and if you exclude his first season, his goal average is approx 25 per season. He’s also versatile and can also play as a second striker or out on the wing. They are consistently good numbers. I know its possible to present any number of stats to support an argument but I really think he’s the perfect choice if we’re lucky enough to get him.
I think tabs sums it up well. There are few strikers out there who are marked upgrades on OG and none are available. Like tabs, I am not convinced that Benzema is sufficient an upgrade for the outlay.
I am sure the boss is not now for gambling on a ‘one more season signing’ in the manner Demento did with the Dutch skunk and has at least a three season strategy in place.
In Amy’s Invincibles, DB10 quotes AW as saying, “You can have a strong 11 but it’s all about players 12 to 16, and if they are strong enough. Because in a season you always have injuries. It depends if it weakens the team if you bring those subs in.”
The cover at CF is strong. The cover at DMF is questionable. Hence that is the more likely position he will strengthen.
However AW is also very aware of the group dynamic and the need to involve all the squad and avoid negative attitudes. Hence I am inclined to agree also with Joe when he observes that he will ask Rambo to emulate Santi as a deep holding midfielder when Coq is crocked.
From AW’s recent comments and selections I think he sees LJW emulating Freddie in transitioning from a central MFer into a wider forward position.
All these predictions of internal solutions will be overturned if any of his ideal top targets becomes available at a suitable price. I doubt that includes Benzema. If that occurs there will be a corresponding departure or two by January.
Nice post Eandy.
Given his recent form, Le Coq will be tough to block. While some added support may well be needed, it’ll only be in the case of his so-called hardness becoming…dysfunctional.
Oiy, that was a a real stinker…yes yes, I’ll show myself out!
On a more serious note, really good guest posts recently.
Cheers all.
Does the picture have something to do with the answer to the contest question? I would have thought somebody would have sent in a correct answer by now but perhaps not …
So what do you think were Coquelin’s weaknesses or failings during the second half of last season ?
He didn’t cost £73m
We may have a new verb there, bath.
When Coq is crocked, will he be Croqed ? 😉
I have not read any transfer speculation that I believe since we signed Cech. Wenger is very cagey about deals and keeps his cards close to his chest.
I thought Tabs produced a very logical argument about buying Benzema. Dealing with Real and Barcelona is a bloody soap opera and frankly bores me rigid. Although not if we eventually manage to sign an Ozil or a Sanchez at the end! Benzema is very overrated. I suspect Giroud would score as many goals playing at Real. If Theo stays fit and plays through the centre he will score a lot of goals this season. Sadly he won’t.
Keeping Akpom suggests to me we won’t add another striker.
It’s just that most of the gossip( which is just that) emanates from the Metro , Express , Mail and Star( same stable as the Express) and is bollocks.Its recycled from the Spanish equivalent of the same sort of rags as these and is jibberish. If it wasn’t we would have signed 150 players.
If someone pressed me on a likely signing I think it will be a young flexible DM who can play elsewhere too, but Bielik is there already. If you asked me who I might buy I would look at Moutinho, very good player and lots of experience.
Had a long conversation at Kent v Essex today with someone who is a big noise in the AST. He tells me the players are really starting to feel the benefit of Forsythe’s conditioning work and this might be a big asset this season
Evening all. Speculation-free zone, me.
I like croqed, except the bloody spillchucker will never allow it in a post.
How are we all?
I’m well, thanks Boss. I hope you are too.
At this point, I might permit myself to speculate that it will be Wednesday soon. But this has not been confirmed by Arsene…
A big noise in the AST, ttg ?
My next door neighbour is a director of Armitage Shanks.
He is a big noise in toilets.
😉
Evening ‘H.
How are we ? We are agog ! Agog at all the fascinating transfer windo…… Zzz … Zzz
Trev @86. Point of information, if I may, Guvna.
“To croq” is a transitive verb, i.e.
Le Coq croqs others. He is never croq’d. He may, DB10 forbid, be crocked however by thugs from other clubs.
howdy ‘hol
rural ireland just lost
a lotta style
postcodes
feckiin postcodes
pffffffttttttt to it all
What did you get, cba, I1 or I2 ?
😉
My favourite chums 🙂
You make me laugh and think in good measure, thank you.
Trev post in the morning about 8’ish. It’s a goodie. I cannot deny cba any longer!
GSD, I’m convinced by the Wednesday stuff. I’m sure .com will confirm it tomorrow.
Bath, we are so overdue a dram. Lucky me. Holiday hotel stocked Talisker, albeit at over £4 a shot. My nightly double lifted the bill somewhat! 🙂
Ah Talisker, Guvna.
I have a ring on top of a unit to remind me of its astringent qualities and the diameter of the bottle.
We are indeed overdue sharing a dram. It won’t be too long now, my friend.
loved my post trev
.
four words
two were my name
.
exotic individual townland names
mean many were same
.
got stuff from all over
.
now feckin barcode
.
.
pffffftttttt indeed
ding
dong
£4, H? I can beat that…
I saw my sister and her fella yesterday evening. At about 11pm he informed me that someone had bought him a bottle of whiskey as a present but (he was rather sheepish at this point) that he doesn’t really like whiskey. (I know, I know, but she chooses ’em, not me.)
He asked me if I would have a glass with him. Hmmm, possibly I might, what is it?
He proceeded to produce a bottle of Macallan 12 year! I was gobsmacked.
I was even more gobsmacked when, upon tasting his first sip, he made a face like it was the cat’s ear medicine. There are no words for the lows some people sink to.
Oh well. He’s a nice enough bloke. And he’s a not a spud (Liverpool) so it could have been worse. And he did follow through on his offer to let me have ‘free reign’ over the bottle. All things considered I was rather abstemious.
But it will still be there next time that I see them…
Cheers cba.
I feel like a right Franny Jeffers accidently knocking that in with my ear from two foot out after your mesmerising wing play.
GSD, point of information.
Macallan is not a whiskey. You might as well call it gin.
It’s a fine Speyside malt whisky and for some it’s the best there is.
At least you appreciate it GSD, even if you can’t spell it and thereby group it with yellow Oirish rainwater.
Welcome back Boss! Hope you are well rested.
I’ve been watching cricket all day in the sun with a lot if very good friends and teaching my grandsons to play cricket. A pretty perfect day- if I had any coaching ability!
Hate transfer speculation, hate kit launches, hate squad number changes. I’m becoming a grouch ( Mrs TTG would say ‘ I became’ one years ago) . But not about Arsenal. She doesn’t care much about them
GSD
While we’re on it, Whiskey is how the Irish spell their excellent product. I like both Irish and Scotch versions but some people get a bit pissy about the difference . Whiskey is triple distilled.
Not me though.
Much appreciated Bath. I had never spotted the difference. I’m learning!
I’m half Irish by blood although I don’t really have many personal connections to the place. One of the few ways that I like to have a link that side of my heritage is in drinking Irish whiskey. My old dear (the Irish parent) buys me a bottle twice a year on Christmas and my birthday. I’m a big fan myself. Green spot last time. One of
Although I will try to stop winding both sides up by spelling them the same!
cont.
Green Spot last time. One of the best versions of either I’ve tried in ages.
TTG.
How many times have you been distilled? Wink.
No worries, GSD. Hopefully we will share a dram in the Tollie this season. Sadly the only malt they offer is Glenfiddich and their next best is Jamiesons. Both are fine ways to warm the cockles on a cold post-match occasion.
*retains the sober dignity for which he is renowned*
Smiling.
As a lover of whisky and whiskey.
But anyone who assigns Talisker an ‘e’ on here is committing suicide. Same with Laphroaig. Be warned. 🙂
Used to be able to buy the Macallan 18 year old over here Bath for about €90 and it was a seriously smooth sup. A little like some of the finer Irish whiskies which are triple distilled but with more flavour. And then Macallan had to rebrand so now the 18 cannot be bought unless your prepared to get some short term bridging finance. Come to think of it – the HP18 has doubled in price too..!
Bath. A Glenfiddich or a Jamieson’s (Jameson?) in your company, and that of some other fine Holics, is something I am seriously looking forwards to this season. I can’t wait!
H@110. I realise that now.
As I said – ‘there are no words for the lows some people sink to.’
oul gooners
arguing about ‘e’s
.
🙂
where’s me whistle
GSD,
Green spot is 8 year old Jameson.
May I suggest the 12 year old “Yellow Spot” next time.
A lovely drop.
Joe, good evening,
I was very definitely a Cooley man until it lost it’s independence. The Tyrconnell was wonderful.
Now Tullamore Dew, a fine horse as well as a whiskey, is preferred.
🙂
Joe,
You may certainly suggest that. And I shall be taking your recommendation at my soonest possible convenience! Cheers!
Drinking in the toilets now, GSD ?
Oh well, I thought Green Spot was a squash ball
Not for long Trev. It is spoiled by the the atmosphere – the guy in the next cubicle is deafeningly loud…
the barrels are the key
its all vodka
flavoured & coloured
by time spent
.
for the most part
flavours dont carry
in distillation
.
so distilleries
more or less put the same
clean neutral
in big old dirty wooden buckets
for decades
and people go yum
.
me included
Just finished catching up with the 2 Guest posts.
Good work from the Monk and the Magistrate.
The Physio next in line. ??
Can’t wait.
King GT,
Are you related to Snir Geuli by any chance. ??
Evening Clive. So good to see you here. 🙂
How are you Holic.
I hope the holidays are going well. Your “west country” is a little like our “west country” over here I feel: no friend to technology and thats no bad thing at times.
Looking forward to seeing you again soon at the Ems. For a man that doesn’t “speculate” – you know a lot about horses 🙂
I believe the deal has been pushed through. Still nothing on .com yet though. But that must be because they are timing the release of the news for maximum impact. All insider sources say that it is fully sewn up by now.
I fully expect when I get up tomorrow that the website will have officially confirmed that we have, as predicted, reached (signed?) Wednesday.
Evening H
Trust you and yours are well.
Not long now.
Hmmmm. We need some serious football and the window closed on transfers … cos I’m reading at least as much repetitive analysis as ever I have been accused of. But if it’s sauce for the geese, I may as well have a gander…
Agree with just about everything Dr F opines at #72, especially the Alexis/OG/Theo front 3. I don’t care about Theo’s mythical defensive non-propensities, cos they are way exaggerated and he scores goals where others can’t even find the ball (and you know who I mean).
Özil (a player whose zero defensive efforts never merit a word of criticism) doesn’t have much competition in the pocket, unless Ox shows a big step-up or we sign Reus and Alexis comes inside (a big YES PLEASE to that one!).
Which leaves any two from Coq, Rambo, Jack, Santi (and maybe even Cal or Gab) for deep MF … and you know my opinion about that one too.
The great imponderable, as always, is who gets crocked (or croqued) first and how many will contest the vacant seats in the physio room. With any other club’s luck the squad would already be just about there, but extra cover wouldn’t hurt. Don’t think Benzema is the answer though, or Goetze, or the Benders, or anyone else so far speculated. Reus and Hummels otoh…
With nothing much spent so far the view from the hill of cash AW currently sits on must be panoramic, and plenty of time yet to pull an Özil/Alexis-sized lapin from his chapeau.
Öskar
Today’s Mundo Deportivo, usually very reliable regarding Barca, runs a story that we might be after Sergi Samper.
I’ll try to be not excited because it is just a distant rumor, but if we somehow manage to get him it could be the signing of the year in the EPL.
He is exactly what we need, a stronger, younger, more athletic version of Arteta. He reminds me a lot of Javi Martinez also, maybe not that agresive, but technically very similar.
I’ve read somewhere that he used to be best mate with Belerin, so it would be great to see both of the brightest La Masia talents this past couple of years to play for us. We should not forget about Toral as well, who is a very special player with bright future at Arsenal I hope.
I’ll try not to get over excited about this one, but can’t help it , because he really is the player that makes perfect sense for us, not that overrated Benzema.
Lucky,
Samper is exactly what I was describing as a likely Wenger purchase to back up Le Coq last night. That buy-out clause is expensive but he is reckoned to be exceptionally promising and can see with Bellerin and Fsbregas the impact of a move away. I think this has legs
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>