Beaten But Not Down
Aug 24th, 2019 by 'holic
Unai Emery gave a first start to Nicolas Pepe as expected, but it was something of a surprise that Alexandre Lacazette made way for our record signing at Anfield. Joe Willock’s retention must have given him a real boost.
The first chance arrived when Robertson slid a cross from the left hand edge of the box close to Firmino at the far post. On a rare break we came the closest to the opener in the 12th minute when Adrian’s botched clearance fell to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who saw his lob at the empty target drop narrowly and agonisingly wide.
As we grew into the contest Pepe looked a real threat and he drew a save from Adrian with a long range effort in the 19th minute. Pepe and Aubameyang combined moments later as an encouraging shift in balance was developing. Liverpool attempted a response as the half hour approached but Bernd Leno comfortably pouched a cross from Alexander-Arnold.
Aubameyang went close again with a left foot curler from the edge of the box. This was a very encouraging performance from the Gunners at this point. After a VAR review for a potential red card was denied Pepe burst forward but unfortunately slid his finish straight at Adrian. Six minutes from the break Salah’s first real chance was curled wide of the far post on the turn.
The hosts were finishing the half strongly and took the lead when Matip soared to power in a header from an Alexander-Arnold corner. It was harsh on the visitors who had competed strongly. Would we be able to come back in the second-half?
Again Liverpool started the stronger and Leno had to be alert to claw in a cross from Alexander-Arnold. Moments later David Luiz had a David Luiz moment when he stupidly pulled back Salah in the box and the Egyptian smashed home the spot kick. 2-0 was simply cruel, but we only had ourselves to blame.
A golden chance to pull one back soon after was wasted when Aubameyang took too long to get an effort away in a one on one with the goalkeeper and Matip was able to intercept. The game was up when Salah sprinted down the Liverpool right flank leaving Luiz and Nacho Monreal for dead and cut in to finish superbly inside the far post.
This was turning ugly for The Arsenal. Dani Ceballos was withdrawn to allow Lucas Torreira attempt to shut the door after the horse had bolted. Monreal’s header from a corner was scrambled clear by Alexander-Arnold at the far post. At least we were showing some spirit. Pepe attempted to spring Aubameyang but Adrian came out to claim the ball. Liverpool brought on Milner for Wijnaldum to inject fresh legs in midfield.
Pepe’s attempt to pick out the head of Aubameyang at he far post was cleared at the expense of a corner by Milner. Klopp saw fit at this point to send Oxlade-Chamberlain on for Mane to a good reception from all in the stadium. Ten minutes from time Emery sent Lacazette on for Willock. We were spared by VAR when Xhaka’s challenge on Firmino in the box was determined to be fair.
The Gunners got a deserved consolation when Aubameyang set up Torreira to finish with some style. Henrikh Mkhitaryan was immediately sent on for the industrious Matteo Guendouzi. VAR was again called on when Lacazette thought he had been impeded in the box but this time the verdict went the way of Liverpool very quickly.
Luiz had the opportunity to atone for his earlier errors with a 25 yard free-kick but he fired over the bar and the prospect of making it a nervous finish for an excellent Liverpool team was lost.
We will probably play worse than today and win matches this season. There were lots of positives to be drawn from the performance, if not the result. As was emphasised in the preview we are just three points off the top team. There is still much to hope for in the coming months.
119 Responses to “Beaten But Not Down”
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Have it
Holic
You are much kinder and more measured than me. We were outclassed partly because Emery got his team and tactics wrong . Our set-up at the end was much sounder and blocked off their full-backs who had the freedom of Anfield early on. Torreira made a big difference and I thought young Guendouzi and Willock showed a great attitude. You know my views on Xhaka.
We also don’t defend well yet. We showed more grit but we were pathetic in playing out from the back against a team who love the opposition to do that and almost cut our own throats several times . We conceded from a set-piece which could have been a penalty and then Sideshow Bob did his thing .
Emery sets up his teams wrongly so often ( all that video analysis going to waste) but finds a way to change the game. But it was way too late against this sort of team. I’m afraid I have grave doubts about Emery. He was charged with improving our defending and our away form and has done neither.
I also don’t want to be patronised by Gary Neville. I preferred it when he and his rat-faced brother had to kick the shit out of us because we were so much better than everyone else.
Another fine report, Guvnor, thanks.
Grating to listen to that wanker Micheal Owen.
I don’t know what Luiz was thinking pulling Salah back in the penalty area. He was also responsible for their third goal. I think he is Chelsea’s agent tasked with pulling us back by such play.
I think starting Torreira and Laca would have made us stronger and given Pool something to think about. I would agree with GSD that our effort was there but individual errors cost us dearly. We are still work in progress with the newcomers Pépé and Cabellos having to learn the pace of the league and where they need to improve.
We will improve, I think.
Felt we were unlucky today, two mistakes ultimately cost us the game but I won’t mention the usual suspects as there seems to be a plan on removing these players slowly from the team, however there was a lot of improvement from last season, we didn’t concede early on and that gave us some confidence. Once tierney and bellerin get themselves in the starting line up I think we can be more adventurous in these games. Sp*ds next weekend – COYG!
?
Great report, Holic. I saw it exactly as you did in marked comparison to some of the suicide junkies who, if anywhere close to a London bridge are probably floating face down in the Thames somewhere near Stanford-Le-Hope by now.
More to like in that game than to dislike. It wasn’t the team I would have started but I do admire Emery’s ambition and I was impressed by Arsenal’s skill level. Entertaining to watch Lpool huff and puff and create relatively little. The first two goals were down to shirt pulling stupidity by Sok and Luiz. Absent these they weren’t going to score. We were much likelier to do so even with Bammer ‘off key”.
At 2-0 Arsenal were on the ropes and three subs should have been made right then.
Add our three absent defenders and start Laca and Torreira and we win the return no sweat.
Hello to everyone in the bar and of course to the barman maestro…
Unai I thought got the tactics right . We are just not as well drilled at the moment as Liverpool are. We purposely defended narrowly and forced the Liverpool fullbacks wide, forcing them to send hopeful crosses most of the time during the first half. Liverpool were beginning to lose their patience and one saw a few shots taken from way outside the box. The first goal perhaps was conceded at the most horrible time – just a few minutes before the half time whistle. It was a massive moment in the game and it was perhaps a bit daft of Sokratis to keep holding on to Van Dyke’s shirt instead of concentrating on the incoming corner kick. Still we were well in the game and had seen enough evidence in the two missed chances one by Aubameyang on the open goal and by Pepe one v one against the keeper.
What we got in the second half was exactly the reason why Arsenal fans were afraid of when we signed David Luiz. He is capable of the sublime and the stupid and what we got today was the stupid. The penalty was an absolute gift to Liverpool and so was the third goal with the stupid attempt to win the ball high up against Salah in a 3 vs 3 situation. He let his team down tonight and on the basis of this performance Chambers should be playing the North London derby instead of him.
The great Johan Cryuff had prophetically said Football games are decided by mistakes. We didn’t make Liverpool pay for theirs in the first half and they made us pay for ours in the second half.
But on the whole there was definite improvement from the last two Anfield visits. On hindsight we should have started with Torreira instead of Ceballos for this game. The Uruguayan is our best player without the ball and it was obvious that we would not have too much possession here. But it would have been difficult to drop Ceballos after his performance against Burnley. As I mentioned right at the beginning though, Liverpool are much more better drilled than we are at the moment and we will only get better as the season progresses.
Before the game started it was blindingly obvious that the area where they had the better men was full backs and Virgil Van Dyk. We would be much better once Bellerin is back and especially if Tierney is as good as he is promised to be. Monreal tried gamely but clearly in the games against top sides he has been found wanting. Against top quality sides like Liverpool you need the back four to be absolutely on top of their game. Whilst the full back situation seems more promising because we have players already in the positions what we do not have is a player like Van Dyk. I am hopeful of Holding especially after his performances last season but he is a youngster and not a finished article like Van Dyk.
I would prefer to take the positives from the game though and the improvements. No better game than the North London derby to set things right on the next weekend though. Onwards and Upwards. Cheers all.
For Emery this is totally wrong, sometimes I found it so difficult to understand some of our coaches, how on earth would a caliber of coach like Emery put on seat a player like Lacazette and Torreira. Players that suppose to frustrate the opponent. Wrong formation and wrong tactics.
And as for Pepe, I am impressed.
[…] Original article: https://goonerholic.com/2019/08/beaten-but-not-down/ […]
I agree with Desi far more than Kenny and TTG on Emery’s tactics.
Damn. I hoped to have time to post more thoughts but I’ll have to do it later.
He was charged with improving our defending and our away form and has done neither.
Our defence is well experienced in the main but we have players who are not actually very good defenders playing there. David Luiz is what he is, we knew what we were getting. Sokratis is not a top quality centre back, Monreal has had periods where he’s really looked the business but they are becoming a memory and AMN is not a right back, and never will be.
We should be much better organised than we are but it’s not down solely to the coach, they should be capable. They’re not kids.
The one and only thing I will blame Emery for is this obsession with tippy tap at the back, inviting teams to come on to us. The lowest grade players know you don’t piss around near your own box, but us?
?.
Very good analysis as it always is by Desi but I do feel we were bound to concede with the space we gave to Liverpool and he picked the wrong personnel.
We’ve done a marvellous job in improving the squad in the summer but we haven’t got rid of all the problems. Cynic is right in his assessment of our defenders but I don’t think Emery has improved the defensive organisation, he persists with suicidal play at the back- Ceballos passed across his area straight to a Liverpool player near the penalty spot, our shape away from home does not seem thought- through, he persists with the five Captain rubbish and hands the armband to a man who has no powers of leadership or character and this is very cruel but I have no idea what he is talking about in his post-match interviews. I hope the players comprehend more. I realise he has had to learn a new language and tries to communicate nobly but I don’t think he comes over clearly at all. His Spanglish is much better than my attempts at his native tongue but it is an area that must cause problems .
I’m one of the more pessimistic members of the bar but I’m also my own man and I sensed an agenda with Sky today . They talked Arsenal up too much. We are one of the great clubs of this country and this incarnation is far too far away from the best . The chasm between us and the Scousers was enormous. Next Sunday will tell us more
I’d agree with TTG about the enormous chasm between us and Liverpool. But on that basis I’m not overly upset with a two goal deficit defeat at Anfield.
I am completely happy with the passing out from the back against 17 teams in this league. But Liverpool and City make it SO hard. Having said that I also understand that pumping the ball up to Auba and Pepe (or even Laca) and expecting it to stick when they are up against Van Dyke and Matip is ridiculous, so what is our best play here? Passing out would also make more sense to me if our CB pairing was Holding and Saliba and we were teaching them for years to come. Persisting with that style when we have Sokratis out there is possibly a good plan but will be hard against a press like Liverpool’s. But again, why not stick with our style of play when the alternate option is also hugely unappealing?
I would like to know what tactics would be advocated by those disagreeing with Emery? I liked his tactics. Other options were definitely available but I liked that he was proactive and allowed their fullbacks to bomb on which created space for us on the counter. It was a thought out approach which might well have paid off if we had made more of some good opportunities or if we were more drilled in this approach. Instead Liverpool were able to fall back on their comfort with combinations involving players who have played together for years. Unlike our new combinations. Today I saw a lot that we can work on and a clear direction for what that might look like in the future.
The last few years we have gone there and played clueless football. Today I thought we played with a game plan and togetherness I have not seen for a while. We were let down by individual errors (David Luiz made a couple of dumb ones and Sokratis simply has to stop grabbing shirts in the box) and let down by the fact that we are not yet as cohesive as a side that would have beaten our Invincible team on points by a long, long way last year. There is no way around it- they are a fantastic side. And without the errors and with some luck and better finishing we could actually have got a result. That seems like progress to me.
Anyone who has read my comments over the years about Gary Neville will know I’m no fan. But I did not have an issue with much he said today. I love the idea of Arsenal as a ‘big club’ being patronised in that we might take positives from a three nil defeat (he began these comments before Torreira’s strike) but as a team we are not as good as Pool and I agreed with him that I saw a lot to be positive about which has not been the case at Anfield in recent years.
Also, Anthony Taylor had the best game I have ever seen him have and got most things right. He also let the game flow and was at the centre of no contentious decisions. I think he is a bad ref and have often said so, so I’ll pay him his dues today. Good work that man.
Have to say, I loved when Neville opined that “Arsenal’s midfield is supposed to be a diamond. It is more like a rhombus. It’s wonky.”
Brilliant.
Why touch geometry Gary? I would say you are out of your depth, but two dimensions are evidently confusing enough.
Should have said earlier that even by your own standards H I thought today’s match report was a cracker. Top effort and definitely what I saw.
I liked Willock a lot today. He was not perfect but he was able to show what he can do and was not overawed at all. Guendouzi had a couple of hairy moments but I thought he had a good game. Pepe was excellent and if he had a couple more weeks with us he might have made the difference. I also felt before the game that Liverpool’s early season rustiness might help us but as it happened they clicked more easily into last year’s patterns than we were able to establish new ones of our own. It seems so obvious with hindsight!
AMN had a good game despite having to deal with Robertson. Monreal looked younger than he was. Leno did fine. Auba okay, Not great but not his best position and a few times he was close to linking up with Pepe in ways that in a month or two might lead to a shedload of goals. Torreira will be pushing for a start now after a good sub appearance.
Xhaka is rubbish. Central defenders had a day to forget but, and I cannot stress this enough, neither of them is Mustafi. I hope Luis teaches Holding how to pass out from the back. And how to be a vocal leader. But not how to pull shirts and chase after Salah out of position and high up the pitch.
Even if City overtake us we are third and I’d back this team against the LWCs. They will have learned a lot today.
I’ve now said what I wanted to. And the ton seems a way off.
I suppose I could give it a go.
But I am no Messi.
Can’t do it all by myself.
And I have not got the enthusiasm to post a bunch of music videos.
Perhaps ‘enthusiasm’ is a euphemism for ‘home brew’ ?
Actually, I’ll dig one out for anyone getting upset about today’s result…
https://youtu.be/DiWomXklfv8
There you go. It gets me every time. There are a lot of people in our city and our world than those of us who make it to the Emirates. Or have TVs. Or food.
Bit of a random update but I thought you lot might like to hear. As some of you will remember I jumped out of a plane a few years ago to raise money for CHAOS, a small East-London based children’s charity staffed entirely by volunteers that I have had a long association with. As I will never forget, many of you sponsored me to do this, and even as a write this I am once again bowled over by what a truly incredible community we all are here.
Well, CHAOS are still doing what we do, and this year took 67 kids who would not otherwise have had a holiday, spread over three weeks with about 22 kids on each. They all had a fantastic time and there was a lot of smiling. ?
My lot were about the best set of kids I have ever taken. Not least because, for the first time ever, we had more Gooners than any other denomination!
@26.
I missed out the words ‘less fortunate’. Unfortunately.
Right. That’s me done.
Have a good one Holic and Holics.
Thanks for the report Guvnor.
2nd best again – but I wasn’t
expecting us to be better than
them. I was hoping we’d put
up a better fight than some
previous seasons, which I
suppose we did.
Still, it was annoying to give
a stupid goal away just before
half time for the 2nd week
running.
Honestly, I think we were a little
lucky not to get punished earlier
as we gave the ball away far too
easily. Though to be fair we did
work hard once we’d lost it.
Some stick for Papa, Bob,
Auba and Pepe it seems.
The CBs must be more
careful. Spuds have several
divey chests and a repeat
next week will have the
same result.
Auba and Pepe were a threat
which is great but didn’t
take good chances which
is actually their main job.
The criticism is fair really
despite the positives.
UE likes to talk about moments
and those were the moments
that those players didn’t do
well and as a result we lost.
Fortunately I don’t watch on
Sky so no Neville or Owen.
Both turds.
Our attitude was good though
and that bodes well for next
week.
I’d also be sad to see Nacho go,
he’s been a good servant over
the last few seasons. Personally,
I’d ask him to stay until January
but I can understand if we
decide to let him go now.
Being still on holiday I have not seen the game so thank you ‘holic and GSD for your excellent reports.Sounds like some disappointments but some progress if glass is half full so reason not to throw out baby with bath water. Bath himself might disagree but then again might not.
On reflection I wasn’t being
fair to Neville earlier with his
patronising on positives.
So in the spirit of things.
The main positive was they
kept fighting and you know
it’s a tough game and losing
at home to Palace isn’t the
end of the world. Except of
course for being a fucking
disaster. Chin up Gary.
In an act of loyalty I took
Salah out of my fantasy
league team this week.
There’s just no place for
loyalty in the modern game
?
David Luiz for 8 million is very much a sticking plaster fix. One that has been used by someone else and you find in a bin.
Hopefully when all defenders are fit he might not play in games that show up his obvious weaknesses.
I commend you on seeing the glass half-full, ‘Holic. With some justification. We were second best yesterday to Europe’s champion team, but by a diminished margin compared to our last two visits to Anfield.
As I mentioned in the previous drinks, it was a beating, not a paddlin’. We did not let it go pear-shaped once we had fallen irrecoverably behind. For the first 40 minutes, we defended resolutely (at least by our standards), offered Liverpool few clear cut chances and had two excellent opportunities to capitalise on their mistakes and take the lead. Whatever you think of Emery’s tactics, there were some, and the starting XI was picked to match them.
The difference would end up being two ruthless pieces of finishing by Matip and Saleh, for their first and third goals, and Luiz doing a Luiz in between. Even more damagingly, he did it early in the second half when there was still hope of getting back into the game.
There is no doubt that we do not have a top-six-quality defence. We are addressing that in the transfer market but its realisation may be a season or two away and depends on Holding, Saliba, Tierney and perhaps Mapravanos all coming good and staying fit, and Bellerin returning as the player he was. For this season, we will have to rely on scoring more than we concede.
history is written
in the long term by the victors
so
short term
saying at least they didn’t pull our shorts down
and steal our lunch monet
moi ici finks
is of little value
It’s turning out to be the Summer of Stokes in England. What a player!
Wish I’d backed England to win this morning. I was going to but decided not to.
What a match. Who says Test cricket is dead?
well that was a hat trick in
the last 10 minutes from 2-0
down sort of performance
from Stokes.
Well played sir.
Oh and come on Newcastle!
Arise Sir Ben Stokes ???????
FOYS!
Guess that ruins spuds unbeaten season ?
Totts lose 0-1 putting our 1-0 win away at Newcastle in perspective.
England came back from the dead to score a memorable Ashes win. Great day for us watchers.
Normally I love Spuds getting turned over unexpectedly… And today i still do!
But Ben Stokes takes all the plaudits today. Unbelievable. I spent an hour walking in circles through a small park in East London listening to TMS as I was sure that if I headed for home he would lose his wicket. Maybe superstition. But maybe I played a vital role. ?
It was you wot did it GSD! Stokes played a part as well but he knew you were on the case ?
cba@39
We lost a battle. In the long term we are looking to win a war.
Also, I saw you have been having a rough time. Good to have you back.
Cheers TTG!
I knew you guys would understand.
Obviously, everything is still open as Arsenal is in a great position to end up in Champions League places.
silly english people ?
Shame about the Totts. Still, Newcastle United is a tough gig. I’m sure they will be confident of getting their season goning soon. Maybe after the interlull.
Oh, and Australia can do one too.
COYG
Does anyone think that VAR works. It doesn’t overrule the ref , so what is the point of it.
It’s shit and must die.
It’s just an excuse to give shit refs a job when they pack it in. Neil Swarbrick was an awful referee, but he is in charge of VAR in this country.
Mental.
Ksn. What do you mean it does not overrule the ref? In an instance where he has got it wrong that is exactly what it does.
Cynic. Yeah about Swarbrick. Peter Walton is also paid by BT for his ‘expert opinion’. And Mike Reilly is the head of the ref’s association. No wonder the current crop of refs are so indescribably poor. I have no faith in them whatsoever and am happy to have a period of adjustment as we phase out their predictably and consistently poor decisions for better ones.
I think VAR will be quite good in about 3 seasons.
Jesus, GSD. You seriously expect something to be given three years of development before it’s scrapped? And TTG thinks I’m optimistic!
COYG
if ye want to put people off excessive alcohol consumption
dino
tell em just say no
or
tell em go for it
i chose the path most dribbled on
but
i am now dying because of it
but i wouldn’t want my life changed
ceptin now for wishing
i could’ve done it without swally
but
how could that have been possible
so it’s not a question
bullshit arises from bullshit situations
which etc
anyhoo
no drink no nonsense
i like nonsense
cba,
I’m really sorry to hear that. I hope you are able to enjoy the time you have left.
GSD @58 – I am referring to the case of Silva who was fouled in the penalty area by a Bournemouth player and the ref did not award a penalty. Replays clearly showed it was a foul but VAR did not overrule the ref. In the Spurs , Newcastle game, Kane was fouled but Mike Dean did not give a penalty. I thought the replays showed that Kane was impeded but again VAR did not reverse it. Hence, my statement/question.
I hope that your view that with time, the system will improve and become reliable comes true.
fuck off the mighty pan G ya tart
?
.
yes i am dying
yes it it hurts people
but i think i’ve done alright
and i know i could’ve done better
but
FUCK OFF
who couldn’t have
.
.
.
if cheerioing the fuck off is good enough
for everybody else
it’s good enough for me
ksn. I haven’t seen anything of today’s footy so I can’t comment on specifics. In as far as my understanding goes if VAR deems it to be a clear foul then it should be given. I am however amazed that Mike Dean failed to give Spuds a penalty.
Pangloss. It won’t be scrapped. No chance whatsoever. I mean, literally, none. It will be here permanently. I do expect that in about three years they will have worked it out so it is quite good.
I’m with you all the way cba. Be who you are. Do what you gotta do. Let the chips fall.
Although Pangloss, if you don’t like VAR and are holding onto the idea that it might be scrapped I’d say you are as optimistic as ever!
GSD,
Were I not cognizant if the wishes of cba, I would say that I’m vaguely against VAR; that I’m not really all that bothered whether or not it is retained; that I don’t really understand what the point of it is; and that I think its future depends solely on where the networks decide their best interests lie.
However, since I have fucked off, I won’t
COYG
Pangloss. I reckon a good VAR system would be great for networks.
And that you are terrible at effing off.
pair o cunts
Sp*rs juggernaut rolls on. Maybe just far enough to prevent Newcastle’s relegation.
A Newcastle, England,
Crystal Palace treble would’ve
paid a decent sum.
I’ll make do with the pleasure
though.
Let the chips fall.
But remember the five second rule if you do.
Excellent match report, sir. Gap in quality and organisation remains but its definitely narrower. We are moving in the right direction. The hysteria out there in the cold world of internet tosh is pathetic. Some people need to get over themselves and grow up or find a new pursuit.
COYG
Elneny off to Bordeaux on loan and Nacho to Real Sociedad, according to reports in the French and Spanish press, respectively.
We lost and that is what it is, Liverpool high press and the way they have the energy to do it for 90 plus minutes is amazing. I hate them to the core but not one player there ever relaxes whereas we have our players completely switching off at times. This is not something that is work in progress right, this is something every player needs to have without fail, the complete 100% throughout the game.
Unai got the team wrong, i don’t like him but he is our manager and i will support him till the end but he just seems clueless on what he wants the team to do. I still don’t know after one season on what is he trying to do, this playing from the back is ridiculous, the attack seems to be more hit and hope than anything concrete and I still feel individual brilliance of lacazette and Auba was the only reason things looked half decent last season else we would have been worse off. I am sorry but this is what I see and unless I see something different, I worry.
I really feel Chelsea, spurs and united are poorer than us and if we just have a clear way of playing, be defensively stronger, we have a real chance of the top four. We need to be clear with the personnel and the plan and only then will this work. Injuries are an essential part of any team but that cannot be an excuse all the time. The players make the same mistakes over and over again and I wonder why.
A win next week wont change this, what we need is a clear understanding between the players and the manager and go about it diligently.
Ben Stokes playing one of the finest test innings ever, the rugby world cup coming, PV Sindhu wins the world championship in badminton, all terrific sporting moments and it proves yet again that there is nothing better than sports in the world.
@76, Ned, can you use your much valued influence a the club to have a clause written into the Nacho deal that makes him available for Spuds on Sunday?
The project of the Faltering Fullback taking over until Kieran Tierney is fit doesn’t give me a good feeling.
cba – you’ve been among the funniest and most intelligent contributors to these pages over many years.
I guess we will never meet (you would probably throw a molotov cocktail at me anyway)
But…
I genuinely hope the doctors have got your chart mixed up with someone else (preferably a 97 year old) and that the cows get to keep you for a while yet.
I fear my fate will be along the same lines but, like you, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Tee Total people give me the creeps.
Rock n Roll!
BtM@78: If only Castle Ned had such influence…
Reading the Spanish report, there are still some details to be tied up, so here is hoping against hope.
I wouldn’t let Nacho go now
either. It can wait until January.
I suppose UE must trust Kola more
than I do as left back. Not difficult
really as I don’t trust him at all 🙂
I think it would be a mistake to part with Nacho before season’s end.
I too am of the opinion that it would be extremely foolhardy to let Nacho leave at this juncture. If we can buy a Young CBS and loan him back for a full season then whoever is trying to buy Nacho can buy him subject to our having him until January so that KT can bed himself in gently. Simples.
COYG
There are other players to get rid of before saying Go Nacho.
At least three.
And the thought of Kolasinac playing left back gives me the shits.
In search of some hard news about Monreal, I took a peep at Auntie Beeb’s transfers page to find that E Adebayor, once of this psrish, has moved grom a Turkish team I’d never heard of to another I’d not previously come across. So, not just the mighty that fall, then. What news of TGSTEL?
COYG
Plying his trade in Norway with Rosenborg, though seemingly more out of the side than in, Pangloss.
Well well dear Pangloss, since you did ask, the headline in January, the first listed on Newsnow, was this: Nicklas Bendtner begins 50-day sentence for assaulting taxi driver
Bendtner will return to Rosenborg for the start of the season in March.
I just might say it would appear ‘twere ever thus.
Teammate: What did you do in the close season mate?
TGStel: Lifted barbells in the prison yard before clearing ice under guarded supervision. Best training you could imagine.
And in other TGSTEL news:
https://sport.sky.it/calcio/altro/2019/08/27/bendtner-compleanno-fidanzata-instagram-video.html
Interesting video that Ned. I presume she was his team mate?
Re Monreal my news is that the reason we are letting him go is that we have an agreement with Sociedad that we can have first refusal on one of a few selected players. One is apparently a very good striker. This is in lieu of a fee. We apparently get on very well with them since Vela went there .
Bola a possible back-up left back has been injured tonight at Northampton. I like Baths idea of a deal and I’m trying not to think about Cynic’s potential intestinal problems. We could play AMN at left back and Chambers at right back in an emergency
Rosenborg went out the CL
yesterday but a quick check
revealed no sign of TGSTEL
in the team or on the bench.
Moving to strikers with a
future, Eddie got another
goal for Leeds tonight.
Seems to have started
brightly enough
Idly checking stats
Adebayor has 205 goals in 579
games in club football.
Van Persie has 273 in 593 games.
I wouldn’t have guessed RVP
had played more games or got
a better scoring ratio.
We got one very good season
out of each I suppose. Is that
better than Giroud’s 4 or 5
seasons of not bad?
As I’m doing some idle
wondering. If Eddie does
well at Leeds I wonder if
we should sell Auba at the
of the season while we can
still get decent money for
him and give Eddie a shot
in tandem with Laca/Pepe
next season?
Too many ifs I suppose.
I can’t think of any more
things so in a time honoured
tradition I’ll post a song –
this one is for Mus
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V5gFAiPJhvI
And this one for Mesut
from UE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5gFAiPJhvI
I tried to find a song for Nacho
but searching “please stay cos
the other left bank’s a duffer”
on You Tube doesn’t get many
results.
I wonder if that halfwit who
picked 11 spuds in the combined
Arsenal / Spud XI will stick his
head over the parapet this year
I did see Merse is predicting an
Arsenal win this time
Is it the ton already?
I could carry on til the ???s
come home
Channeling your inner cba there, OM?
I thought of dedicating the
ton appropriately to the
Master Waffler but I just
couldn’t share the glory
🙂
Well in Osaka for the nineties and the full ton but cba woulda hit the century faster.
How many goals could Giroud have scored if he had just stayed at Montpellier and rewritten the history of Ligue Un?
Or would the croissants and cafe cremes have taken an early toll? One thing is certain, if my wife’s great grandmother had wheels she would have been a trolley car.
How many goals could Giroud have scored if he had just stayed at Montpellier and rewritten the history of Ligue Un?
Six.
So it’s farewell to Bury.
However, nothing stopping
the supporters from
banding together to rise
again a la AFC Wimbledon.
I fully expect an inquiry
followed by no meaningful
action on the fit and proper
owners rule by the EFL.
Cynic. Thank you for the certainty, it is comforting in these uncertain times.
am being given an enforced fuck off
herself the boss
so
bye bye fellas for hopefully a wee while
bullshit assessment says blaaa
live like a monk
see how that goes
but
english people
launch boris in orbit
cos
oh boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu2pVPWGYMQ
OM
That idiot was Danny Mills who has hated Arsenal with a passion since he was humiliated by Thierry Henry in front of the North Bank . Any pundit who shows that level of bias loses his credibility as an objective commentator. Mills is a lumpen dolt who was shown up as such by TH14. An irrelevance in the world of football
ps.
howdy imp fail
ya oul tart
have a tune
have a tune
ya good soul
as if i’d throw a petrol bomb at you
jeez
for one
i’d not have the range and distribution
of my younger days
and i wouldn’t anyway
?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok0I1mZg1wk
cba, glad you’ve made it back from the injured list, now listen to herself and take care of yourself. come back when you can, ya hoary old fart.
and ‘holic
any correspondence after today
won’t be from me
so block my name
to prevent Glasgow hilarity
if i want to say hello
i can email you on herselfs phone
now you scruz
you are a good person
you are
here
you have a tune
and should things go
the way the degrees are predicting
the back line here i’ll encounter
so swings
and a dozen sexy roundabouts
???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgtQj8O92eI
The 3 musketeers Antonio Conte, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sánchez looking to meet up again at Inter Milan.
Out of friendship and respect I have done as you have asked cba.
Should you change your mind you know you will be welcome back here.
Please do keep in touch personally. I wish you well fella. ??
cba, now that you’re fit again and your notorious handsomeness has been recovered, I’m happy to put you on my list for an opening I have at 19 bob a week. Must be able to work in hollows and on the flat. Details attached.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjVwi-kxLFI
‘holic
cheers
going back Donegal next hour hopefully
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