HT

Nørgaard our best player not just because he scored. Looks very reliable

Only saw about 20 mins but we need to get the ball from back to front far quicker this season.

To much fannying around at the back as per usual.

Saw the final 20 mins of the half. One thing that struck me was how easy it was for them to get the ball in to the feet of their front men. Our CB just stood off and weren’t aggressive enough. Far too easy to build a platform.

Also we’ve been poor in the duels, 50/50’s and second balls. Nørgaard did ok with this but most of the rest of the team just looked slightly off the pace

As well as wanting us to play quicker in open play I really wish we’d be quicker on our restarts, even just to mix it up.

We had a free kick 35 yards out and it took us 55 seconds to take it. I know we think we’re strong at set pieces but mix it up a bit and get play and momentum going

All of the ball, caught with 1 ball on the counter, they are clean through and it’s 3-1. It is still far too easy for the opposition to score easy goals from hardly any pressure

Still problems dealing with transitions, also dealing with a powerful runner right through the heart of the pitch. We press from passes and positional play but struggle with the running power as we do lack genuine pace in the middle of the pitch still

Dowman comes on and once again looks the best player. He’s just won another penalty for us.

Ødegaard scores. 3-2

Madueke coming on. Haven’t seen anything from Martinelli that suggests Madueke would have a struggle to displace him on the left

Little glimpse there of Zubimendi firing passes through the lines to Ødegaard in a proper 10 position.

Liked what I’ve seen of Mosquera. Came on at right back, now at CB. Looks aggressive and strong in the air. Good pace as well.

It was more Gabriel at fault for the transition goal than him

We’ve got to the byline lots but nearly every time the cross whether low or high is cut out by the front post defender. We need to be better in those situations, either more runners, definitely making sure you have a runner across the near post or trying the pull back to the penalty spot. I must have counted 10 times we got in to those positions and not one ended with a shot or even the next touch being by an Arsenal player

We never get enough players in the box Rich.

Max Dowman........what an extraordinary talent.

What we don't yet know is if he's a player who is a little bit physically more developed than your average 15 year old or if he's a genius like Messi.

He definitely has some silky skills and looks ready to play a part this season.......did I just say that? He's 15 FFS!

It’s an odd one. Because we don’t get enough men in the box but get a lot of men high because we can be caught on the counter.
We put a lot of effort and thought in to positional play to build attacks or to stop our opponents playing out but it feels like we need to have specific roles for players to crash the box when the wide man gets to the byline.
The central striker should be making the near post run, the opposite winger the back post run, both attacking mids should be crashing the 6yard/penalty area and inverted full backs (if that’s what we want) should be picking up the second ball from any clearance around the edge of the box

The need for Eze is stark. Still nowhere near enough central creation. Nwaneri started ok and there were a few moments from Zubimendi passing decisively between the lines but it’s still clunky in attack with nowhere near enough variety, technical quality and creativity

Concern for me is our sloppiness defensively

We were so solid in earlier part of part of last season- keeping clean sheets is so vital

For me big Gabi is such a key player

When we leak *%^@ goals, we then struggle as the game has changed, they can play deep and hit on the counter

For me we need to degenda lot lot better as it then means we won't be chasing game's from a bad position

One thing I see in a number of our games which can be frustrating is a lot of fouls, both ways. 31 fouls in todays game. A slow broken game will always suit the weaker team which is nearly always not us. We seem to have a lot of players who seem to accept contact for the free kick, and also lots of times when we’re looking for the free kick following contact and it’s not given. I’d much prefer our players to try to ride tackles especially in attacking areas. A foul and free kick given often favours the defending team, momentum is stopped and a chance to reset and have a breather is taken. If we have no choice but to go down when fouled then mix up the quicker shorter free kicks - I can guarantee that if the ref blows for a foul and you take the free kick within a couple of seconds then at least one if not more of the opposition will be out of position or will have momentarily switched off. It’s the deep free kicks that we always insist on swinging in to the box, they take ages and the percentage of chances from them must be so low when they’re hit from so far out

I struggle with Martinelli, rarely beats his man, rarely cuts inside and shoots, rarely opens up a defence with a creative pass. He’s starting to feel like a player much more suited to a mid table team who cede possession and play into open spaces on transition.

Rafa Leao, Bradley Barcola players with genuine pace, dribbling and end product. I’d sell both Martinelli and Trossard and buy one of those. We also have to get Eze.

I’ve rolled back my Christopher Nolan sequence prediction on the left wing, the managers going to get fed up with what’s happening in no time at all and put Madueke out there.

There’s little combination play there and Martinelli and Merino are a dreadful combination who don’t seem to have much connection on the pitch considering their proximity to each other.

If we could sell Trossard honestly I could see us going for Garnacho if he’s available for 35 million as being suggested. We look so predictable down that side.

3 years ago that side clicked, Zinchenko, Xhaka and Jesus drifting that side - it unlocked Martinelli in to a 15 goal a season winger. It’s not been replicated since. 3 very technical players replaced with good players but not at the same technical level - it still feels we’ve leaned out too far the other way and don’t have enough pure technicians in our team

I was reading about a few stats and in particular one called ‘high turnovers’, very simply winning the ball high up the pitch and crucially what follows, how many high turnovers do you create (ie a good press) and how many of those lead to a shot or a goal? Very few of ours do.

Opta stats show we had 100 more high turnovers that Forest last year, that’s understandable we play high and Forest drop off, but Forest scored 4 more goals as a direct result from their 100 fewer high turnovers.

and deep down inside I like you Vince , can remember we've exchanged fond pleasantries a few centuries ;
but " silly crap " that's a stretch [ have you been talking to the wife ]

In the last bit I wasn't doing nostalgia ..... you said you were not in favour of showing tactics in pre season .

The point I was making was any new tactic has got to be revealed at some stage ; be it pre season or regular ... okay
but once it is revealed ; it is another matter to nullify that tactic ...... so whether it is put on display pre season or regular matters not .

"so much of the junk that comes from China is poor quality "

You Winsconsin Boys are just to sharp for me ; silly me I'd if it was " junk" it would automatically follow that it is poor quality .

" The copies of western items " ; doesn't that follow with anything ? . Niklaus Otto a German made the first combustion engine ; showed the world there could be such a contraption ; so Henry Ford didn't just wake up one morning with an original idea .

I've watched many programmes on China and I don't think they are the dummies the West portrays .

Saw one programme where Joe Biden had persuaded / strong armed a German company to cancel the sale of high speed rail wheels to China ; which were maxi complicated alloy steel .

""Let's see how their high speed trains runs without wheels " chortled Joe

The Chinese threw a ton of engineers at the problem and within five months were manufacturing a superior product .

The wife always says you get what you pay for ; what's wrong with a down home Buddy Holly Stratocaster or a Duane Eddy
Gretsch ..?
and before you start sending out brochures for Winconsin as a rival to Tonga / Fiji ... I've watched a few Packers games
where you needed to be kitted out like Roald Amundsen

Can't comment on the match never saw anything but the highlights . Ironic that Pépé who seemed effin useless for us had to score .

All the Arse TV turkeys seem upset about our direction .

Man U first up could work out well ; we could raise our game win or draw OR they with a lot of new signings perhaps with a better game plan they win easily and send us into the doldrums .

Interesting ....... but who cares Tra la la diddle dee dee more things to worry about in life .

Anyway ...had a major win yesterday

... was telling a couple of the old sheilas at the Op Shop ; how my wife never ever eats muffins that I make ...... even though when visiting my brother and his wife have expressed gushy praise for the same item

Well given the higher prices we seem to pay for everything ; I thought b****ll **s to paying $4.80 for a tiny pack of bran biscuits ; I'll have a go myself .

Watched a video to get the basics but being a real man didn't follow the recipe at all .

Didn't have any bran for starters but Hey with my ad lib skills .... perhaps run a few coconut husks through the garden mulcher ????

Mixed the butter and sugar , threw in some wholemeal flour ,pinch of salt , a few teaspoons of baking powder [ get it to rise ] blended two apples , a lemon in some milk mixed it all together , blobbed it on a tray added a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar on top .
Baked them ; ate a couple myself [ Hmmm not bad ] and after cooling , threw them in a cake tin because SHE wont eat any

Oh my God ; half an hour later ...the wife arrives in the doorway of the computer room ; armed with one of my " biscuits " ..." These are absolutely delicious " .

Now I ask you did the Almighty play a hand here ...? Seems so strange given the episode two days before with the Op Shop women

Okay Warrior , sitting there twiddling your thumbs .

Question .... why is it on a post that still has the EDIT sign BUT when I try to edit the passage ; like I had spelt Wisconsin wrong .;.... it comes up as not possible to edit ...?

I don't blame it. Not possible to edit seems about right

I hope you have plenty of those avo leaves handy.

Lesley Ugochukwu and Armando Broja sign for Burnley from Chelsea for £20m and £25m respectively!

What power to Chelsea hold over other clubs when selling players?!

Broja came through Chelsea’s academy, didn’t tear it up in youth leagues, scored just 3 goals for the youth team one season. Went to Holland on loan and did ok, but has since had 3 prem loans at Southampton, Fulham and Everton and scored 9 goals in 57 games, throw in a serious knee injury and somehow Burnley decide they want to pay £25m for him! Broja had recently signed a contract with Chelsea until 2028, I can’t believe that these players are all signing such long contracts for incredibly low wages, so what’s the deal here?

Ugochukwu signed for £20m and sold for £20m, he did nothing at Chelsea to warrant them being able to retain the value they paid for him.

Perhaps players continue to line up to sign for Chelsea because they know if they want a move Chelsea will not stand in their way. So they either make it or move and don’t lose much of their career?

And to put some perspective we have clubs bidding less than this for Kiwior, a player who started CL QF and SF and has shown far more than either of these two.

Pep appears to have gone away from the CB at full-back mode, last year he played Nunes at right back a lot and now has Ait Nori at left back - two massively attacking full backs, and naturally technically gifted footballers who can score and create and get in the final 3rd. We already know this is how Liverpool play - Frimpong is basically a right winger, scores a lot of goals, Kerkhez is also an excellent traditional left full back, expect to see him on the overlap and firing first time whipped crosses in. At Arsenal we're sticking with the CB in wide positions or the inverted full back. The idea was to make us more solid, have better natural defenders in the wide channel and the inverted full back in theory makes you less susceptible to dangerous transitions as you cede space in the wider areas but not through the centre. But.....its weaknesses are the lack of support for the wide players who can get easily doubled up on and a lack of the extra attacking players in the final 3rd, when our full backs get in to the final 3rd they are not naturals at beating a man, playing quick one touch passes or sending accurate crosses in. White has done ok and it would be great to see him back to his best after the injury last year, but it still feels like there is something missing from the fullbacks.

I think Zubimendi might turn out to be our most important signing this summer rather than Gyökeres, but there is still that gaping gap on the left side of the team. The window has been very good considering I thought we had a huge amount of work to do. Right now it still feels more like we've raised the floor of the team, plugging more gaps in terms of depth rather than really raising the level of our starting 11. An Eze or Leao change that

I do wonder about corruption when Burnley pay fees like that - given both clubs are run by big US businessmen running investment funds, one would not be surprised if there was some dodgy stuff going on here

I know a lot of people say pre season doesn't count and not to read in to results etc......but go back to 22/23 season, we were on fire in pre season and that carried over to one of the best starts any club has had to a season.

That season we played 8 pre-season friendlies, we won 7 lost 1 and scored 25 goals. Jesus was banging them in left, right and centre

up to the world cup break we went P14 W12 D1 L1 - scored 33 goals conceded 11. We were on it from the start, full of confidence from the pre season.

Since then we definitely are a more cautious side. I think that run in where we threw away two 2-0 leads to west ham and liverpool, drew 3-3 at home to Saints and then got royally spanked by City 4-1 has scared Arteta and he changed the way we play to make sure those kind of results don't happen. And to be honest those kind of results don't happen any more, no-one spanks us, we rarely throw away a 2 goal lead and I don't know the last team in the league to score 3 past us........but it has taken away some attacking verve and the result is many more tight games, games where we fail to capitalise on a lead and end up drawing. 9 times last year we led and ended up drawing (2 were with 10 men) but that's still 18 points dropped. We also only trailed at any point in a game only 11 times last year (Liverpool and City both 17 times - nearly half their games).

So we rarely fall behind, but too often get pegged back when we're in front. I'd love to see us really go for the kill when we go 1-0 up, go extra attacking - particularly at home to weaker sides, get the killer 2nd goal. we seem to drop off when we score.

the guinness


https://x.com/martinwarne2/status/19533 ... 28585?s=46

Sent last night by a mate. Shocking!!!

Newcastle are having a terrible summer, rejected or outbid for all their targets and their best player wanting out. I wonder what the Saudi owners think of it all, clearly would spend billions if they could find a way to cheat the system.

If you were a multi billionaire which current club would you try to take over (if we exclude the already established big 6 as that's too easy to answer with those clubs) Do you pick a club like a Newcastle or Villa - big stadium, history, big support base or do you choose a smaller club in a better (london?) location

That’s murdered that one. 8 quid

Seen some pictures of club level decked out after a Guinness refurb. Looks good however

They are going to end up signing Nicolas Jackson for something like 70 million aren’t they! Chelsea want 80.

If I was them I’d tell Liverpool to *%^@ off, Chelsea to do one and Isak he has to stay until a replacement is purchased. They can’t just let all these clubs and the player shaft them

Darwin Nunez to Saudi for 53m euros. We just haven't got involved in the Saudi gravy train for sales.

Liverpool have earned over £100m from Nunez, Fabinho and Henderson to Saudi teams.

Berta has shown he can sign targets and move quickly, he's shown he can wrap up contract renewals but now show he can sell as well. Nelson, Vieira, Zinchenko, Lokonga, Trossard (?)

There is that risk that Arteta becomes too loyal/stubborn with certain players, many other top teams seem to recoup a fair proportion of the fee for their mistake players and do it quickly. Right now I think there are still a good chunk of players that if we could sell them for what we bought them for, or sell them at roughly market value AND replace them then I would be doing that.

Looks like a coke

Maddison out for 6/7 months with an ACL.

Might make things interesting for Eze who would be a like for like replacement. After last night I think a new player has to come in on the left side even if it’s doing a Raya type loan obligation deal.

At a time when London is experiencing issues with crime it’s a great idea to shut 17 police stations and cut another 1700 old bill.

That’ll take the fight to the bad guys.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgnp3g6kdxo

I don’t buy the whole far right effort to demonstrate London is a bad place. It really isn’t it’s a great city but if they keep making cuts like this there’s going to be a big impact.