Here We Go Again – A Pre-Season Of Ups And Downs?
Jul 12th, 2017 by 'holic
Forty seven days. That’s not even seven weeks for goodness sake. The ‘never-ending’ close season is, erm, ending. It’s gone by in a flash and we can celebrate a new coach, high performance guru (how many is that now?) and two shiny new players who look as though they will be going straight into the first team. So good has it been that it can only go in one direction from here!
Mesut Ozil has said that he is happy at Arsenal and wants to stay, and whilst that is encouraging let’s wait and see if our idea of his worth and his coincide when the tourists return. The uncertainty over Alexis isn’t likely to be resolved while we are in Australia or China and is a cloud on the horizon. Can we avoid it? It’s certain that we will try everything before allowing him to leave.
Then there is the situation that Olivier Giroud finds himself in as we enter a pre World Cup season. Now it would be wonderful to retain his services. He remains a very effective striker and if we are serious about developing a strong squad then letting him go would make little sense. However the player himself will know if he finds himself playing second fiddle to Alexandre Lacazette at club level then the France manager, the former water carrier Didier Deschamps, might make a similar decision.
Added to those conundrums are the presumed exits of many of those not on the tour. Sanogo has gone to Toulouse where he will probably be working for Airbus after Christmas, and we have to negotiate the sales for the likes of Debuchy and Campbell. What of the British core? Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs are looking likely to be available to potential bidders, and if Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain refuses to sign a new deal he is likely to find the club will not stand in the way of a move for him. Oh, and how do you solve a problem like Theo?
That’s three paragraphs of potential misery right there, sorry. I’ll try and do better. Let’s hope that those with the stomach for the fight sign on the dotted line and prepare to be part of a deep and strong squad. Let’s see Thomas Lemar, at least, pave the way for others to move from Monaco to the Gunners. He would be quite the addition and can get in the ear of Kylian Mbappe should football’s hottest property stay at his club for another year.
There is an opportunity to build two teams to fight on four different fronts in the coming season. Teams that will feed each other as and when injuries and suspensions kick in. Hopefully they will be in place before the first competitive ball is kicked in anger against Leicester City, but it’s certain that the speculation and negotiating will be rife right up until the 31st August.
It all starts at 11.00 am UK time on Thursday when we play Sydney FC in the ANZ stadium. Comfortably the best team in the A League, which they won for the third time in 2017, they should provide the toughest test of the Aussie leg of the tour. The match is being shown live on Arsenal Player for those not excluded from watching at work. Fear not though, we will have a match report with snaps from our very own Sydney Red, so there is that to look forward to too.
Last chance to win VIP tickets to the Saturday of the Emirates Cup
As I type there are less than four hours to get in your entry for Club Level tickets to see RB Leipzig v Sevilla and Arsenal v Benfica on Saturday July 29th. Click here to see the details.
Tickets are still available for Day One and Day Two of Emirates Cup 2017, from £25 adults and £12 concessions. Visit Arsenal.com to buy.
So that’s it for now. Thank you to our partners at ArtofFootball.com as well.
Have a good one, ‘holics.
72 Responses to “Here We Go Again – A Pre-Season Of Ups And Downs?”
1st?
Indeed. Cheers, ‘holic.
Turd???
to be checked by Steve T , now that’s bettah than v. good : he speaks from the heart and engages the ‘ead, and whether you agree with all that he says, or not – you can’t ignore any of it – and him’s been proved quite-ish right over the longest time, and him’s stuck his neck out further than most of us would’ve have dared over certain times/years etc.
Trev : his massages/messages (punny, that) go deep, but boy does him know him’s stuff (he was there, C), but you know that – and he wears it more lightly than he might, everyone. Still, he does have a beard, and he only played fussball to semi-pro level (so someone told me), and has had a season tkt at the Arse 4 ever, the lightweight/sports science oriented, weirdo – wot does he know?
And i know wot i say presumes to set me up like sum m-fukkkah, wot reckons he knows best …
but, then there’s Zico – and wot does he know? (funniest fukkah of the lot – OK, CBA – you’s good & U knows it, and if i keep goin’ on Ur gonna feel patronized, and Ur gonna kick my arse – but Zico’s got the drole thing snared, i reckon). Then you got Bath: rampant swivel-eyed Tory MayFukkkah, but peculiarly (oh yeah), good guy. Und SOfististicated fukkah (he shouldn’t fank me 4 that) in the flesh.
And ‘H – they don’t get bettaaah, do they!?! ? No thems don’t. But we all know that’s troooooo.UTA!
https://youtu.be/WkKccucy-qs
soz, pleaze excuze it all, bar the somersaultz – over! xx.
Ah, another visit from ‘holic royalty. I am one happy fella tonight. 🙂
Apologies Cent, make that two! 😉
Just a quick note to hope that all the Aussie Gooners enjoy their long awaited live experience as much as they would have wished.
Looking forward to the report, Sydney.
There’s a certain style about Festah! I reckon ….. ?
I really hope Giroud gets to join the 100 club
Me too J.
Trev, you know who it is!
A bar with aristocracy? The imperious Guv’nor deserves no less.
This place was once all fields, Ned. ?
All fields …. ?
Poor old chap has at least a couple of achers.
So I’ve heard ….. ?
3 ?
And then U start 2 name folk (Clive’s a king etc, and i didn’t give him a mention), and then U set urself up unintentionally (blimey, that’s a weird lookin’ word) like a rite c*nt, (aka) someone that reckons they might know stuff, wot they don’t … and here’s a chooooooon … that’s wot it’s at – ent it??? maybes?
https://youtu.be/9UOweeSdI2k
PS: No Boohs, ta! Over!
PSED : Wot ‘appened to H2H, boy woz a gem ??? Am askin’ 4 a friend (Plus ‘e owes me money) over!
‘e don’t really – silly. but old jokes/debts don’t go away easy where we come from …
me, i’m Havana rite larf, ennit ..
https://youtu.be/PYND4zwDHvM
H2H is still in Holland.
That’s where they wear – not wear they where – clogs.
I bet you’d like me to do a pun about clogs, woodenshoe ? ?
Nooooo, no clog puns please. I’m sure I wooden survive that!
Exciting testimonials about our new fitness coach
Nah, his budgie smugglers are just a bit tight
Bet you’d prefer clog puns to jokes about German sausages –
they’re the wurst ?
And it’s Goodnight from me ……
There’s a long, tortured and unfunny joke about MC Hammer’s shoes with a punchline of “You can’t Dutch this”, but it’s late, I’m tired and you can do it yourselves.
As the actress said to the bishops ……
… Amen, Abel!
Ducks …
https://youtu.be/ioudby-xooc
I’ll tell yer wot, i’ve had enuff that pseudo anglaise wymsical cockshit, wot abart sum germanesque faux-opera cockfest, frenzy cockwittery???
https://youtu.be/khXG10_1YF4
me neither, g’nite …
https://youtu.be/ToXe4gjjlNc (just in case).
barbed wire glove
no mercy
The trumpeting of a prophet! Our Trev,
When puns do come, can football be far behind?
Just a few prematch thoughts.
It has suddenly dawned on me that after living in Aussie since 1986, tonight am finally seeing them on adopted home soil.
As a pom who left London 30 years ago, one on the big things I gave up to come here was the bi weekly visit to highbury and as many away games as i could see.
(Last like match I saw was Arsenal v Napoli CL 2013 on first visit in 20 years back to England.)
Then we had to generally wait until Monday to get the results in the paper!.
Now we can sit and watch life on tv from on living room.
It is hard to explain what Arsenal means to somebody like me all these miles away.
They are part of the family, and yes if we win am happy and if we lose am a bit down.
I Read, listen to the wenger in /wenger out arguments , but basically the club is bigger than that.
We really are lucky to follow THE GREATEST team in the world.
160,000 fans over two nights prove that.
whatever the result tonight it will be great to show Australia who and what Arsenal are.
off we go
Ah, the clergyman does indeed return
Wotcha, AL – hope to see you down the Tollington some time next season.
UTA.
Awesome SR. So pleased for all the Gooners down under, of whom there are clearly many. ??
Unka Festah, you’ve returned. How the hell are you? Did you find the money tree forest? ?
And Lester,
Und Festah!,
There’s a rhyme …..
And a half,
From a bloke to make you larf …
barbed wire glove
Stay away from Porntube, you’ll end up warped.
And howdy, cba !
Sorry – very remiss yesterday ☹️
Walcott couldn’t buy a goal down under!
😀
Lacazette – simple but beautifully taken. Hopefully the first of many. Nice assist from Iwobi.
Lacazette- it only took fifteen minutes!
Young Reiss Nelson is very special – who needs Alexis#benchwarmer
Arsenal win 2-0 over Sydney FC. Goals to Per and Lacazette. Hope we will be even sharper on Saturday night when I am actually at the ground.
If Alexis stays…we’ll be a real force to be reckoned with for sure…especially with Lacazette.
He’s fast..links up good and clinical !
😀
Citeh are after Mbappe and we have forced the price up to £124 million.
Even they don’t need Aguero, Jesus, De Bruyne, Sane, Silva x2 , Mbappe …..and Sanchez! And even they won’t be able to fund that one easily.
Brilliant way of screwing the oil- rich bastards. Sanchez may be running out of options
Izzy Coldzz, Lackazzaisical Finizzhing! Welcome Wrighty Mark II!
Impressive Lord Nelson! Breakthrough Sea-Son upcoming with the Europa Charges!
UTAAD&AN!
AFCOF!
Mbappe to Citeh for £124+?!?!?! ? ? ? ?
Mbappe, Lemar and Alexis will be at Ashburton Grove come 11th August 2017! ?
£50m for Kyle Walker
The world’s gone bonkers.
The 14 minute highlights on Arsenal Player give me these impressions:
Walcott can’t score and should’ve.
Emiliano Martinez is a reliable keeper.
Lacazette is off to the start he needed.
The youngsters are talented.
Lemar ? Not ‘avin’ it. Sounds like a lead singer of Kajagoogoo. Have we signed anybody apart from the short, penalty-king, Man U reject yet ? Got rid of fan faves OG and Ox yet ? Sure it doesn’t matter anyway, apparently not winning things is more important than winning things. All the stuff we represent ; the fans fighting, the dictatorship, the disconnect between club and fans, the exhorbitant ticket prices. Sheer class. Oh and wake up all, Sanchez is not staying. Stan goes out of his way to siphon off 3 mill a year, he’s really going to tear up 50 mill and write it off. COYG.
Wenger went to meet him but his mum answered the door and said he was Too Shy. She reckoned he’d gone to the Big Apple anyway, but when Wenger walked away, he heard someone singing Ooh To Be Ah Gooner in the distance, and he realised Lemar hadn’t been On A Plane at all.
“Hang On Now”, he said, “This isn’t going to be another Never Ending Story” and he got in a taxi and made for the airport, as he wasn’t in the mood to Beggs..
*ahem*
Well, France is a Big Country Cynic, the Simple Minds like Dick Law could be working on it Duran the whole summer. We are a Culture Club though so I’m sure we’ll land our best most exciting player since Boy (Charlie) George. Aahh, great being a product of the 80s…even if we never won much till glorious 1989…
Oooh. Sky Sports 1 tonight has a six a side old farts football tournament, in which Robert Pires is playing.
Paul Merson, Gilberto and, ummmm, Julio Baptista are also due to be playing.
Return of the “Return of the Beast”
Sorry Cynic wasn’t that Limahl on the Never Ending Story? Anyway Lacazette can Kaj- a – good-goal.
I’m getting my coat as we speak ?
Same horse different jockey, as the saying goes.
Although in this case it’s same jockey different horse.
Nay?
‘Holic@12: Indeed. But it took a man of vision to foresee that they could become a Jerusalem on the hill.
Or at least an insane aslyum…
And btw, @34 in the previous drinks:
Reiss Nelson is another of the youngsters taken to Australia who is worth keeping an eye on. A regular in the U23 side last season though still only 17 years old. A quick, skillful right winger. Scored nine goals in 10 games for England U17s. Also highly related by AW.
Given who we have and assuming no further departures, what is our best starting line up?
Venus Williams is a sensation. She is now 37 and turned professional when her semifinal opponent Konta was three years old.
London Evening Standard report that Barcelona have dropped their pursuit of Hector Bellerin in favor of a right back from Benfica.
Given who we have and assuming no further departures, what is our best starting line up?
Walcott
Walcott, Walcott, Walcott, Walcott
Walcott, Walcott, Walcott, Walcott
Walcott, Walcott
Subs
7 Walcotts
/Chris
😉
Cynic@63: 🙂
Or
Cech
Bellerin, Holding, Mertesacker,* Monreal
No idea with midfield but Ozil would never be in my team
Walcott (so many hate him but he will bring goals, and nobody else on that flank can do that)
Lacazette (although God knows why at the moment as I’ve not seen him play)
Sanchez
* I know it’s only one game but that Cup Final …. it’s about a partnership in the middle of the defence and I like the cut of Holding’s jib. I don’t think Koscielny is as good as everyone else seems to and Mustafi had a very average time of it last term.
Our midfield is much of a muchness. I’ve picked Wally for his goals, as stated. Ox and Iwobi will never score enough goals, Wally always will.
I’m quite different re my best eleven
Cech
Holding Mustafi Koscielny
Bellerin Xhaka Ramsey Kolasinac
Sanchez Ozil
Lacazette
But I suspect we may see Lemar and Carvalho or Goretzka coming in. I hope so
Subs
Martinez
Monreal
Ox ( likely to leave )
Elneny
Welbeck
Giroud
Iwobi
Nowhere near my team at the moment are Gibbs, Walcott, Coquelin and Ospina.
Tonight a story is circulating that Arsenal only want £8.9 million for Jack Wilshere- in this inflated market?
With his injury record it looks like a fee we’ve set to give him a decent chance of a fresh start, almost like giving an ageing pro a free.
As far as our team goes, I’m not convinced of the three at the back and I wouldn’t be able to drop Monreal no matter who we’d signed, at least not at the start anyway.
In a four, there’s no place for Mustafi although I’m relying heavily on sentiment with Mert and it’s more an unconvincing Kos making up my mind.
Ah well… beddy byes… I was at training tonight and am totally shagged out.
And all I did was watch.
Training?
While we try to teach our children all about life
Our children teach us what life is all about
Fucking training
barf
No bloody coverage of the Aussie games here in NZ. But well done to whoever done well.
As for Theo I wish he’d leave frankly, so I can relax!. He’s not going to start in any 3-at-the-back format and I get too incensed seeing his talents rotting on the bench while the likes of Danny, Ox and Iwobi (all hopeless in front of goal) get subbed on ahead of him.
Yes, TTG, I read that about Jack. But it seems every time I hear of one of ours leaving the fee suggested is lower than the hype for similar players.
1st XI
Cech/Szczesny
Mustafi
Koscielny
Kolasinac
Bellerin
Xhaka
Cazorla (Ramsey in reality)
Monreal
Ozil
Lacazette
Sanchez
Cup team
Ospina/Martinez
Chambers/Holding
Mertesacker/Bielik
Gabriel
Oxlade-Chamberlain/Maitland-Niles/Jenkinson
Coquelin
Elneny/Reine-Adelaide/Wilshere
Gibbs/Bramell
Iwobi/Walcott/Nelson/Campbell
Giroud/Akpom/Willock/Malen/Nkeitah
Welbeck/Lucas
Thank you Sydney Red. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>