You've got to get out more Gaz ... why micro focus on something you've got no control over ... So we lost today it hurts a bit but it is not the end of the world ....... latch on to a positive .

For example yesterday did my Op Shop routine and had a load of rubbish books to chuck away at the recyclers .

Get there start biffing the books , I look over and beside the scrap steel bin is one of these but with a longer tank ....... same brand

https://www.spraytech.co.nz/product/contractor-15/


Holy Mackeral ... I'm beside myself ; how the hell am I going to get that home ? Couldn't lift the SOB far too heavy .

Finally manged to stand it on end and get the wheels over the lip of the boot and then pick the other end up and shoe horn most of it into the boot , roped the bootlid and it down to the tow bar .

...got it home . Didn't run initially but shagged around for half an hour and VOILA ...she runs like a dream .

So that ex Tottenham plonker got lucky ; remember Michael Thomas , watch Fever Pitch , dial up v Reading 7 -5 the Invinsibles .

There would still be plenty of critiques if it ended 0-0 and it almost did. Not having a shot on goal even if we ended 0-0 at Porto is criminal. Not after the last 5 games which includes a win over Liverpool.

My fear is we don't have enough gas in the tank for Newcastle. They are going to play defensive, 9 or so behind the ball and using the same players who have not had to fly such a long distance since Dubai. Away flights outside the country are draining to various extents depending on where and how difficult the match is.

You remind me of my ex neighbour: A hot-road he built , did up an old austin, had a couple of other classic cars plus 6 ride on mowers he retrieved from the dump - all running by the end. Ultimately he had to make the big decision = marriage or all the toys. He chose the toys. Great neighbour but moved south a couple of years ago and built a house with storage sheds to hold about 12 cars.

A draw wouldn’t have been a bad result, but now we’ve got a bit of work to do. I think the home crowd will make a difference for us, they will help set the tempo and with us playing fast and being the dominant tee am that will hopefully play in to the refs mind for any persistent fouling and dirty tactics which Porto will undoubtedly employ.

"We had to play out our skins to get a draw" -- Ledley King

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bP8w3RFqgBE

At least away goals is no longer a factor.

On the other hand the prospect of 120 minutes of torture just before Chelsea game is not appealing.

Both the Newcastle and Chelsea games look like massive bananaskins.

I think you may be right TG. He has an increasingly obvious tendency to favour his near post. It's a different style of keeping. Call it positive or front-foot goalkeeping but I think he got caught out of position last night.

He’s so far to his right post that he made their players mind up for him. It wasnt even a strike of any conviction really he just guided it in the direction of the far post.

It’s a boring debate and I’m not advocating dropping Raya but no way would Ramsdale have let that in.

Would be tempted to give Declan a rest v the geordies. Get Jorginho in. Need him fresh for Porto

I look forward to a newly spray painted house, car, wheelbarrow, whippersnipper, lawnmower, letterbox, flathead v8 and neighbourhood cat next time I’m over.

I’d be interested in some insightful stats from the match v porto. From what I saw we were nullified pretty well while they also seemed to get forward easily. (I’ll ignore the diving and feigned injuries). Double up on wings was obvious and super low drop in defence but tactically any thoughts?

P.s. Martinelli and Sakas in-play crossing ability in the air is generally aimless and rubbish.

To be fair, there is often no-one to aim at. Havertz should be gambling and making runs.

I think we need to be more aggressive in the European away games. Cagey just doesn't suit this team. The foot comes off the gas a bit, the opposition begins to feel they have a sniff, the crowd gets lively, etc.

Thanks. At least I understand that part of the post now that I know what the object is for. But how does Michael Thomas come into it?

Well the point I'm attempting to make young Decaf ..... Okay here we have Gaz ready to head for his local creek hoping to encounter a 6 metre salt water crocodile just to extinguish that awful memory of Nayim lobbing Seamann .

So okay I'm saying because I scored that compressor I'm so happy I don't give a monkeys about that Porto goal .

We need to remember Arsenal have provided us with some stellar moments other clubs can't match . This is where Michael Thomas comes in

No one has ever won the League title in such dramatic fashion . Same for the FA Cup 79 , featured in a more exciting Carling Cup tie v Reading , The Invincibles ,Thierry Henry , Bergkamp , Pires ; won the title twice at Spurs , once at Man U

Jesus George ..... We are blessed

At the moment I'm watching " Sunderland til I die " they haven't won a game at home for a year !!!!! got relegated from the Premier League , did a slide straight thru the Championship and into Division One .

Sounds a bit unreasonable him not opting for the wife but if he loved tinkering in the shed ; what would he do with himself if he'd got rid of all his paraphenalia ? .

I knew an old bloke [ retired ] who had a big workshop ; every day he fiddled around welding , repairing lawnmowers , making weird contraptions ; he was as happy as a sandboy .

His wife died ; his daughter had power of attorney she decided he couldn't fend for himself so she sold his house ; put him in retirement home .

I visited him one day he had low boy beside his bed , there was a 5" angle grinder and a couple of spanners on top ; not sure what for..... maybe a reminder of what once was I guess .

He said to me " I loved shagging around in that workshop and now look at me ; I'm sitting here with nothing to do , waiting to die " ...... which he did soon after .

Yeah I hope the day I go I hit the ground and that's it. My Dad died from cancer and the decline was terrible and over a couple of years. My mother is in her 90's, totally bedridden and in a nursing home. The home is not great. The story of your friend has a familiar tale you hear about often.

I think there was a bit more to my neighbour and his wife but really they had just grown apart. As you say we were blessed with Anfield 89 and indeed I probably enjoyed George Grahams years more than any other manager. It was probably just the time of my life and one thing I loved about his sides was they didn't take any *%^@ from anyone and never gave up. He never received any real recognition for the season where we only lost once (at Chelsea) and indeed he got us a European trophy just like Bertie Mee did. That should never be forgotten.

We owe Newcastle one after the game at their earlier in the season and the 0-0 at ours last season. Trouble is I can envisage a slow game with Porto in our legs. It looks like the game comes too early for our injured players so I don’t think we can rotate much but I’d definitely be tempted by Jorginho and Emile Smith Rowe to add some freshness

Table of expected goals vs expected goals conceded. Shows the 3 top teams absolutely clear of the rest and shows how fortunate Spurs and Man U are to be where they are in the table - this kind of stuff catches up with you as it’s not sustainable

Some of those sound like serious hard toil Granty .... what I wouldn't mind doing however is spraying a couple of gallons of undercoat down the gob of a dog two doors over .

At times it is like living next door to the " Hound of the Baskervilles " ... it goes absolutely ape *%^@ and has a bark than can be heard 7 kilometers away ; it's not fussy about times either 11 pm 1. 30 am are fine

Reports it seems are that Ramsdale wants to leave Arsenal in the summer. No doubt he's tired of being a bench boy behind Raya. Would want Euros and WC playing time.

The Newcastle game will be tough. We don't do well with teams packed behind the ball and that's what they'll do. They did it last season at our place and got a 0-0 draw and one or two decent cracks at goal.

Giroud is tailor made for these types of defenses. I wish we had kept him. Anyway, its the one big thing Arteta needs a tactic on. Liverpool and City are used it having been the top sides for the last half a dozen years or so. We are now in that category where teams are going to put everyone behind the ball and when we get near the box, everyone in the 18 yard box as well and it becomes congested.

I can see us getting crosses in and them going no where.

I was baffled by Arteta not going to the bench on Wednesday. What is the point of El Neny, Smith Rowe, Nketiah and Nelson if you are not going to use them when we're looking out of ideas and there is another big game just around the corner?

We need to get used to the idea that we will need to sell good players to prem teams and possibly rivals. If lots of teams were offering the same amount I’d rather he went abroad but we’ll get the best price by selling in the prem. for me we should be pushing for £50m+ for Ramsdale if it’s to chelsea. If Ramsdale was at Brighton Chelsea would just pay it, but because he’s with us they won’t like the idea of giving us that much money

Can't help feeling this could be one that comes back and bites us in the arse sure Raya has won plaudits for early accurate delivery but I'm not really convinced overall he is a better goalkeeper I've nagging doubts because is he so small .


I'm hoping the fact we had 65% possession and not a single shot on target has got through to Mikel .
Geordies will park the bus and double team Martinelli and Saka ; could be a frustrating evening if we don't go for their jugular .

So the government officials that routinely take bribes and likely knew all along are now sending him to prison?
Translation: He pissed us off on some other matter to the extent we had to 'catch' him in a crime.

Life in prison is harsh. Whatever it was, it was, and it wasn't about match fixing, it was a huge threat.

What happened to the ‘don’t worry about Arsenal I’ve got my compressor pumping’ attitude.

Sort of explains it but if there is no one to aim at then why keep lobbing it in?

Nice really goal and I’d like to see us rip them apart and then keep going. Put the sh/tz right up them so they’re not so full of kicks next time they come up against us. They rode the ref and the crowd last time and didn’t remotely deserve their ‘win’ with.

Fake the flanks and batter then through the middle with quick square passes and one time shots.

Newcastle are supposedly going to come with a 5-3-2 formation. This could be the deepest block we’ve seen.

Gordon and Barnes may form the front two, they’ve both got raw pace but if we pin them back enough those two can’t really offer much of an outlet. I’d have Raya positioned up a further 5 yards as the only thing they can do with that front 2 is play balls in behind

expecting a scrappy game, every newcastle player behind the ball and a “let’s kick Bukayo Saka” competition.

god i hope we beat this lot. setting off now. *%^@ 8pm kick offs at the weekend

That is also true, although sometimes there isn't time to get your head up. You need to be expecting someone to be making those runs.

Man U again getting somewhat outplayed at home and not being punished.

Fully expect them to win another game they don’t deserve to, or at best is a 50/50 game

You spoke too soon, thankfully

If Man Utd decided to sell Rashford, should Arsenal consider it?

No chance. Struggle to turn around that attitude no matter the talent.

He’s a player that goes in bursts of form then goes missing for months, his workrate off the ball is non existent and he’s a hugely selfish player who just shoots with power any chance he gets.

Yep, about time these dodgy performances got Man U what they deserved. They’d won 4 straight but 3 of those games were 50/50 games at best for them that they snuck by a single goal.
Based on performances Man U and Chelsea should swap place in the league!

Jorginho starts, Trossard benched. Rest the same. So it’s Havertz up front, at least he’ll be in the middle for crosses.

Wonder if we see the 4-2-4-0 formation as v Liverpool with a pair of 10’s and a box midfield, the key is getting Martinelli and Saka coming in off the touchline and making runs beyond Havertz

No Partey or Timber but Jesus on the bench