Danny, Geordie Pride, And A Book Launch
May 11th, 2016 by 'holic
Specialists determined surgery was required after scans and tests revealed significant cartilage damage…Β his full recovery is expected to take approximately nine months.
Those who saw Danny Welbeck’s obvious discomfort on Sunday will have been dreading the arrival of the announcement on Arsenal.com today. It looked a bad one at the time, and a year after he picked up an injury to his left knee which required surgery, the timing is cruel for the player.
Danny was surely bound for the Euros this summer. His England record of 14 goals in 35 appearances, and his impressive form since his return from last year’s injury, would surely have made him one of the first names on Roy Hodgson’s squad list.
In his two years at Arsenal Danny has established himself as a fan favourite with 13 goals in 49 appearances. Two of those goals will live long in the memory. The winner in the FA Cup quarter-final on his first return to Old Trafford stuck in the craw of the United faithful, still angered by his sale to a rival. His return from that first horror injury in February saw him grab the last gasp winner against champions-elect Leicester City and sparked the celebration of the season.
It will be interesting to see what difference Danny’s injury will make to our summer transfer business. While Theo Walcott’s people look to secure their client’s future one cannot help but feel we would have to replace both he and Danny in the summer if he is to move on. Two goalscorers in today’s market may be a bit rich for Arsenal’s blood, particularly with a major midfield signing rumoured, and the other obvious weaknesses in the squad which will need addressing.
Newcastle relegated so what of Sunday?
There is a dream scenario this weekend, so unlikely but the prospect is hilarious. Should the best Tottenham team for over fifty years lose at Newcastle and we beat Villa then the most underachieving of Arsenal’s recent squads will be celebrating finishing the season as runners-up to Leicester, and an incredible twenty-first consecutive St Totteringham’s Day party will unexpectedly be hastily convened.
There were those wishing for Newcastle to have something to play for in the match but Sunderland’s thumping of a poor Everton side tonight has ensured their local rivals drop to the Championship. I’m not sure a team in black and white stripes will want to face the wrath of their devoted support on Sunday so remain hopeful that they will give a hundred percent, and then some, to avoid a real caning from the Toon army.
Howay the lads, one last time.
For UK ‘holics
Those of you who have, like me, gone grey watching the Arsenal in recent years will have fond memories of Copenhagen 1994, and that win against Parma in the European Cup Winners Cup Final. One nil to the Arsenal indeed. Well, you have a chance to relive it.
Layth Yousif (tell me you read him on Arsenal in the Islington Gazette) launches his book ‘The Miracle Of Copenhagen’ at Piebury Corner on Thursday evening, from 7pm. I have it on good authority there may be free beer and pies on offer, so you can imagine how disappointed I am that I cannot be there. You can be absolutely sure I will be reading that book though. That week was one of the best of my life, and I can’t wait to relive it.
Good luck Layth.
53 Responses to “Danny, Geordie Pride, And A Book Launch”
Nice one, ‘Holic.
Here’s to the dream scenario.
Boom!
D’oh!
It is Everton that should be relegated after that performance today. Calling it pathetic would be generous.
It’s been emotional, stben! π
Martinez will be sacked in the morning …or very soon after.
Benitez may well leave Newcastle and I suspect Flores will leave Watford if my sources ( who are big Watford fans) are correct. Benitez would be a good Everton choice but would he go to his former rivals ?
It looks like a lot of transfer business wil be done before the Euros. If the Walcott stories are true we may well need two strikers although Akpom may return to the club. I’m told we have some real quality coming through ( Willock, Mavididi, Malen) but the chance of them maturing in time for next season is very slight.
I expect that if we did get two strikers one will be a value buy like Janssen at AZ but I think he will go with Giroud and one other, given Welbeck will be like a new signing when he gets back. So begins a period of uncertainty and frustration that can only be alleviated if we are much more active than last year. That wouldn’t be difficult.
If Everton can only be roused to run around half asleep then what can we expect of Newcastle, neither one with anything tangible to play for and all. Other than their jobs of course. Same goes for Arsenal it should be left unsaid.
Not that the chance to finish above Spertz isn’t tangible.
Nice one Guvna.
If the Newcastle players can’t try to rehabilitate themselves with the Toon army by winning their last game in a relegation season then those players will have no future on Tyneside. Here’s hoping they have a conscience. Rafa will certainly be up for it.
Another book about the glorious past… I wish someone would write a glorious future.
Selling off my Arsenal library this summer, I think. Should raise at least Β£2 from that lot.
Bah humbug π
Great if Newcastle puts in a performance against spuds but I am more worried about which Arsenal will turn up. Newcastle paid the price by not beating a woeful Villa and I hope they (Villa) don’t repeat that performance this Sunday. Losing will turn a disappointing season into a disastrous one.
Re: N7 in the last drinks. I am eagerly awaiting this weekend’s “massive points deduction for Leicester, due to illicit betting activities, use of horse steroids and excessive over-romantic punditry” but will settle for the completely localized meteor that destroys Stamford Bridge. π
Looks like Xhaka is a done deal: https://vine.co/v/iI327vI5xhp
‘Giroud and one other’ as our strike force, TTG? With Danny as a new signing? AW would get lynched surely? Danny has never scored more than 12 goals in a Prem season in his entire career, and one goal in the past how many games by Ollie?
Ollie still worth his place perhaps, IF we sign a genuine goal-scorer, but gambling on Danny even being fit, never mind scoring regularly, would be daft. Marco Reus playing on the left with Electrix Sanchez on the right either side of OG would be my idea of a strike force. With Theo as a late sub of course. π
Not sure having Leicester penalised would be that smart, bt8, unless the neighbours get a 3 points deduction for the Battle of Stamford Bridge. How’s that investigation going anyone?
Chris: the teams had until Monday 6PM to submit their version of events to the FA, and I find it quite interesting that it is taking so long to announce a decision. I am starting to genuinely think that a points deduction might happen. I wouldn’t bet on it, but if they had only considered a fine for both clubs, then why is it taking so long to decide?
Lars, Honest Daniel is negotiating at some length a financial reward for his club for bringing through the new golden generation of Ingerland stars. Fine for Chavski. Bonus for Spudz.
You are probably right about that, Bath…
Sad for Danny, honest lad who worked his socks off in every game. Conspiracy theories doing the circles that he never got injured this many times at united is fairly diabolical.
if Xhaka it is the amount seems to be absurd. 40-50 million for a deep plying midfielder makes me wonder if we are looking at a change in formation for the new season.
Strikers and Cb’s are priceless. We need both so that makes me even more sceptical of paying that kind of money to Grant Xhaka but then i aint complaining for he is very good is xhaka. Talking of Cb’s, we are after the bolton cb as per the reports, well he maybe good but from a relegated bolton squad??? makes me wonder for we really need a direct slot in for Per as so far Kos and gabriel havent covered themselves in glory when playing together. Strikers are a rarity, Ibra wants to go to milan, aubemayang is crazy money, Benzema wont leave real. So we are left with higuian and that Jansen guy. Well fairly obvious who we need and who we will end up buying .
Third it will be for i dont see spurs dropping points, well only solace is direct ucl draw than qualification. Again no solace, only pain.
I’m not as gloomy as KSN @ 12 but the permutations are what they are – we simply need a positive result against Villa. I do not agree that they were woeful against Toon – they had a number of chances to beat them and they already knew they were going down!
Just win the game. We don’t deserve second but if it is meant to be then it will happen – let’s just avoid Armageddon.
Gutted that Fat Sam stayed up and I still hate Bolton because of it.
UTA.
I’m half expecting, “This if Feo’s big chance now to show us what he can do in the middle. He wanted it now he’s got it.” after we sell Giroud and buy some 16 year old from Nowheresville as backup.
Sunderland staying up is perhaps the biggest downer of the season of all, especially as if Norwich and Newcastle had finished joint 17th, with identical records, we would have had the fun of a relegation playoff. All denied because of those perennial relegation dodging wasters Sunderland.
Striker(s) and CB(s) are crying needs indeed, but cover at the FB positions should not be overlooked. Bellerin and Nacho have been remarkably resilient, but this being Arsenal, you can’t count on that to continue. Current cover is Debuchy, who is bang on to leave, and, Jenkinson, who’s crocked, and Gibbs, who’s joined Joel C in AW’s witness protection program, and who’ll want to leave for more playing time. So, some proper LB and RB cover, please.
Another piece of bad luck for Debuchy. Thigh injury has ruled him out of the Euros. After all that huffing and puffing too! :/
When you look at the age profile of our midfielders, it makes sense to be adding an early-to-mid 20s-something:
22 Oxlade-Chamberlain
23 Elneny
24 Coquelin, Wilshere
25 Ramsey
27 Ozil
31 Cazorla
32 Flamini
34 Arteta
35 Rosicky
The last three are going; Santi will follow sooner or later and there is a big gap to the youngsters coming up, Crowley, Sheaf, Reine-Adelaide and Beilik, all 18-years olds.
With Martinez sacked I suppose DeBoer will be the new Everton boss by the weekend.
Evening gentlepersons’.
Lovely one to spend in the garden. HWSAY? π
cynic@27, i think everton will be looking for a diamond in the rough…so think debeer rather than deboer…
yes, you may laugh π
Cynic, it wouldn’t have been a playoff as Newcastle would have won the head to head on goal difference. Norwich won 3-2 at Carrow Road, Newcastle won 6-2 at St James Sports Direct Park@Mike Ashley – and yes, I had to look that up!
We don’t do head to heads in this country. From the Premier League Handbook 2015-16
C.17. If at the end of the Season either the League Champions or the Clubs to be relegated or the question of qualification for other competitions cannot be determined because 2 or more Clubs are equal on points, goal difference and goals scored, the Clubs concerned shall play off one or more deciding League Matches on neutral grounds, the format, timing and venue of which shall be determined by the Board.
I stand corrected, then.
Might Pellegrini be tempted by the Everton job?
Totally off topic but I found this a rather interesting read on the evolution of formations:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/12/future-football-tactics-evolution-invoke-the-past
Funny how much Everton have regressed since Moyse left for the Man U job.
3 years of going backwards at an alarming rate.
Same applies to Villa,never been competitive since Martin O’Neill left.
They were like Everton under Moyse,always hard to beat and punched well above their weight.
A succession of deadbeat no name managers has now seen Villa relegated.
Interesting parallel with O’Neill,is that arguably it has taken 16 years for Leicester to achieve any success since he left that Club in 2000.
They had great success under his management and again were always ultra competitive.
So Everton should think long and hard about who they want for next season if they don’t want to follow the path of Villa.
Martinez tried to change there inbred tough rugged style of football,to something more pleasing on the eye using more flair players.
Has failed dismally.
Fans yearn to win things,and it appears,if the regular displeasure that was vented by them at Goodison over the past few months, that the majority would rather win ugly,than lose playing flashy football.
Interesting that the day that I receive my season ticket renewal is the same day that the Forbes Football rich list is published. For those who haven’t seen it we come in as the 5th most valuable club in the world. We are apparently worth Β£1.4 billion.
Still believe that we have had no money to invest over the past seasons?
Now, do I line Stanley’s pockets for one more season or do I tell him to poke it? I must say that I’m still undecided. I’m getting very bored supporting extensions to his ranch and subsidising his US Sports interests.
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11835/10278537/real-madrid-still-richest-club-ahead-of-barcelona-and-manchester-united-in-forbes-study
If you tell him to poke it, someone else will only take it up so he won’t suffer.
Would you miss it?
What else could you do with money?
If the alternatives outweigh the positives of continuing, poke it wins.
…and remember you may never get it back again should times change.
@Clive: to be fair Martinez first season got them to 5th, not sure what happened after that, possibly the surprise effect was gone and opponents adapted to his attacking style.
The guys is a gentleman, quite a shame his managerial skills are not up to par. I liked his handshake with his son and Arsene: https://streamable.com/795l
And since we’ve not debated the manager topic to death for almost 3 days, Arsenal will offer Arsene Wenger a two-year extension according to the Times: https://twitter.com/DarrenArsenal1/status/730875251224158208
@Steve: even if Arsenal spends more than usual this summer you will still be lining up Kroenke’s pockets…
@Porco Rosso: it’s a great article, we live in interesting times when different styles are allowed to coexist and compete.
May 7, 2006 – how could I have missed the 10th anniversary of Lasagnagate? This Sunday would be an opportune time for lasagna to strike twice.
Cynic. In answer to your question, would I miss it? The answer would probably not. Maybe some of the big games but I’ve missed so many games in 2016 due to fixture and kick off changes that I’m not that sure I would notice the difference.
Matt, it’s the constant feeding of the cash cow that really grates with me. In all honesty I will probably give it one more season and then that will be it.
If they give Wenger a new deal will you be off or stay, Steve?
I think I know the answer π
howdy ‘hol and ‘hols
.
big hitters here considering jacking in their season tickets ?
that’s not an easy read or decision
Matt
Agreed. I like the idea of an old school formation confounding everyone (shame their striker’s ‘a little bit the racist’). Love to see a big guy little guy front 2 at Arsenal some day!
Cheer up – we are going to sign Xhaka, Kante, Morata, Janssen and Mahrez.
I know because I read it in the Daily Star!
Mind you we might lose Sanchez, Ozil, Ramsey, Walcott and the Ox?
PR@34: thanks for the link; good read. One take on Leicester’s success is that fitting the formation to the players available usually yields better results than force fitting players to a formation.
? m’lud
.
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the stars ‘n’ wars doin’s that’s a-transpirin’ here in donegal
what a result !
(minimal outlay maximum return)
a massive merkan franchise dove-like descends
benevolence aplenty
the eyes of the world upon us
gonna make us more betterer in t’futurer
what could possibly go wrong ?
we are thrice the size of that there london
so they’ll pull the imported wool over no-ones eyes here
.
?
http://i.imgur.com/ABbpgnV.gifv
…no… goal… here!
π
s’pose i should see the films
even one of them
so my shouts of WANKERS past hi-vis security
is based on sound celluloid critique
“Mind you we might lose
Sanchez, Ozil, Ramsey, Walcott and the Ox”
.
Dave Dee,Dozy,Beaky,Mick and the Tich
If we lose Tich it might mean Santi is going too!??
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>