That is utterly disgusting

Not sure Čech understands how decisive his moving back to Chelsea has become. After the Mkh mess another distraction is not what we needed. Emery has been put in a difficult place by this.

And it’s coming to pass.

The Times today is reporting that Sponsors have been unable to give the tickets away due to the same travel/visa/timing problems that affect supporters. A significant proportion have been returned. Looks like there will be thousands of empty seats.

That’s the inevitable outcome of a game that now treats its ‘customers’ like third class citizens. All about TV rights and stuff the person at the turnstile.

I simply don't like yellow as a colour so in my view that away shirt, like all yellow shirts, is ghastly. When people go on about yellow shirts being Arsenal's heritage, our record in cup finals wearing yellow is dreadful. I researched our record in cup finals for an article I did in The Gooner a while back and we've lost many more than we've won in yellow. That's part of the club's heritage I can do without.

The blue third kit looks okay in my opinion. Not my favourite shade of blue, but at least it isn't yellow.

Not sure what side of the fence I come down on here.
Čech moving back to Chelsea is a unwanted distraction but I wouldn’t be calling in to question his professionalism and commitment to Arsenal for the final.
The bigger question is playing your 2nd choice Gk in the biggest game the club has had since the champions league final in 2006.
Leno is the better gk, so gives us more chance of winning. That is clear.

But in order to have a No.2 as good as Čech, Emery might well have had to make certain promises to the players that he would start all the Cup games. How might the squad feel if those assurances were taken away at the last game?

I’m sure some will say sentiment has no part to play in a game of this magnitude but that may dismiss the long term effect on team morale and respect.

I’m praying Čech doesn’t make a blunder in the game.

Welbeck scored a hat-trick in a squad 11 a side 90 minute game, might he be fit enough for the bench in Baku? Surely with 12 spots in the bench, Welbeck would be fit enough for 10-15 minutes. He would be a handy player to have because the likely squad will only have Iwobi as any kind of senior attacking sub.

Also, let’s hope that it doesn’t go to a penalty shoot out.

Has Leno ever saved a penalty for us? I can't remember one, and he's faced a few. To be honest I think Čech and Leno make the same basic error when facing penalties. They both dive too early, making it easy for the penalty taker to adjust and put it the other side to the one they've dived to.

Dortmund have once again moved quickly to replace an outgoing player, Pulisic sold for £58m, with two exciting players at decent value, Brandt and Thorgan Hazard. Both signed for less than the fee received for Pulisic.

Shoot outs are quite different to facing pens in a match. In a match you face an experienced No.1 penalty taker. In a shootout you face guys who rarely take them and they are taking them in a higher pressure situation. From watching shoot outs there are two things that often happen with these penalty takers, they shoot hard and down the middle, or they sidefoot to the same side as their preferred foot to give more control on the shot. When weaker pen takers step up I think it’s worth waiting a bit longer.

Hang on we’ve worn yellow in many successful games. 71 final, 79, 89, bernabeau

The blue shirt looks horrendous but I think it might be fake

Who would you back from Arsenal if it went to pens?
Aubameyang and Lacazette would be 1 and 2.
Don’t think I’d trust Özil.
Xhaka would have to take one - I’d be nervous
If AMN takes as calm a pen as he is generally on the pitch he’d be ok.
Kolasinac prefers to pass than shoot - nope
Don’t fancy any of the defence.
Torreira takes free kicks so should take one.

Not sure we would have too many I’d count on

I think we haven’t had a decent penalty keeper since. Seaman and your absolutely right it’s all about having the guts to stay on your feet as long as possible

I think it’s not that Čech or Leno are great penalty stoppers just that a 25 year old keeper will have better reactions than a 36 year old.

I think an amicable solution needs to be reached and Leno should play but wearing Cechs special helmet as a tribute

Mhikitaryan is taking a pen definitely if he was out there. Probably Monreal too

You’re quite right as I’ve just discovered. I had been making an incorrect assumption (probably based on thinking that he must be better than Čech).

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/bernd-l ... eler/72476

Bernabeau wasn't a final and nor was Anfield in 1989. From memory, I think we've won three cup finals in yellow, but lost quite a few more. I will have kept The Gooner that my article was in, but currently don't have the time to dig it out. If you're using the heritage argument with yellow shirts, then losing cup finals has more to do with it. I'm sorry, I just don't like yellow as a colour. Cheap, nasty and lacking style.

Basically, whoever is in goal, we probably need to win in the 90 minutes, or 120 if it goes to extra time.

I won’t argue about what the best colour is that would be a new low for the forum

However I do think historically despite losing finals the connection with arsenal and yellow is far stronger than any other away colour. My son wore a ghastly recent white one to his football training yesterday

At least we are playing in red next week.

Red shirts and white sleeves is by far the strongest connection to Arsenal, way more than yellow.

Then there's this blue. The blue-yellow shirt is a training one. This blue with red sleeves might be a 3rd kit.

I'll never, ever forgive turncoat van Persie.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48337570

While that blue and yellow is pretty crap, the blue and red is a cracking shirt. Our 3rd kits have been apalling for years. That's a beauty.

Certainly lost some painful cup finals in the red. Birmingham was embarrassing, Liverpool in the Owen final was daylight robbery.
We beat Villa in the cup final in the yellow. And obviously not cup finals but as good as Anfield 89, OT 98 overmars, OT 02 Wiltord.

It’s the right move to have a yellow away, that just feels like arsenal to be. Don’t really mind what they do with he third kit, something fun that sells well to younger fans usually works. The Nigeria World Cup kit was pretty psychedelic but had fans queued around the block trying to buy it. I think a proper rehash of bruised banana would have the same affect for Arsenal fans

Yes, it really spoiled watching Pele, Garrincha, Gerson, Tostao, Jair, Rivelinho, Socrates, Zico, Romario, Bebeto and Ronaldo...

Still have time to make this happen. Maybe.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/talksport. ... aryan/amp/

Great players but their national team has a vile shirt.

Zero chance, sadly.

Completely off topic and random post but I heard this song earlier and it reminds me of Sunday drives with my father and him having the radio on to the '70s classic station and this song always seem to come on at some point those afternoons. One of, if not the, greatest sax riffs ever. Had no idea till I looked it up he is scottish and the song is for a street in London. Is it the same Baker Street of Sherlock Holmes fame?

Yes. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker_Street_(song)

Arseblog gave a link to the second part of the Arsenal interview with Managing Director Vinai Venkatesham and Head of Football Raul Sanllehi.

He likened Sanllehi to a husky voiced Austin Powers and I just thought it was just hilarious.

It's actually a very good interview. Have a look and see what you think.

Groovy baby.


https://arseblog.com/2019/05/sanllehi-p ... e-actions/

Wenger hints at not managing again. My guess and its only a guess, Wenger wanted to manage with similar parameters he had with us and he was not given assurances of that. I think he is not suited for the modern club football team. Football at the club level has changed a lot since he arrived on the scene. I think what may be his space is national football and even so it may not be at a top FIFA country. I'd be curious to see how he manages in that realm.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/wenger-hin ... 52731.html

And this : https://www.goal.com/en-au/news/i-want- ... gbr509ioi1

"I want to share what I've learned' - Wenger eyeing return but unsure about future role"

As long as it is nowhere’s near our club and the clusterf. he left behind.

Well said Gaz. Fully agree.

Arse should Boycott Baku?

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2019/may/23/arsenal-henrikh-mkhitaryan-azerbaijan-baku-europa-league-final

Bit late for that, surely? Estimates I've seen for Arsenal fans going range from 3k to 4.8k. Whatever the true figure is, thousands of us have spent upwards of a grand on tickets, a visa, and travel. I would be majorly peed off if Arsenal now pulled out the game, and I'm sure we all would.

What should happen is an independent investigation on UEFA's decision to choose such an unsuitable venue for the final. Because I'd be amazed if Sepp Blatter type bungs hadn't come into the equation.

I'll third that. £90m wasted that we could be using now. Merci Arsene.

Hope all goes well with your trip to Baku by the way Bern.

Thanks.

Bernard - I wish you a safe & enjoyable trip. Bring that trophy home

Won't happen either way in support of Mkhitaryan, let alone late switch of venue to Wembley. Traveling fans to Baku won't be reimbursed for their troubles either. All in all, not worth incurring sanctions, bans from comps, fines.
Enjoy your trip to Baku Bern.