Burnley v Watford is off tomorrow. Must be a chance our game with Burnley gets called off this coming Sunday?

Arsenal may be w/out 12 players. EFL match hopefully can still go forward.

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/footbal ... g-football

Watched his highlights reel and not too impressed really. Looks very slow and more in the Bendtner / Giroud mould than anything electric. While a good option to deploy at times, is that what we need full time?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXBqOAdbKRA

Read this write up of Vlahovic from around the end of last season. Sounds like you may not be too far off with some of your comments. However, regarding his quickness, while it says nobody would refer to him “as an out and out pace merchant, he doesn’t lack for speed either.” Hopefully that means he’s quicker than Giroud, who I always felt did lack for pace.

Having said that, I’m still a long way from thinking we’ll sign him, so it may all be academic anyway.

https://www.scoutedftbl.com/best-young- ... -vlahovic/

I thought this was mildly interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE4MVYz ... x=1&t=388s

Burnley get their game with Watford postponed citing ‘covid cases, injuries and Players at AFCON’, must be Burnley’s 3rd or 4th game they’ve postponed and the 21st to be postponed in total. Not heard so much as a peep out of the media.

So despite various pundits tripping over themselves saying ‘this isn’t about Arsenal’ it turns out it did seem to be about Arsenal because games 1-19 being postponed didn’t have such an outcry, ours did and then the 21st game everyone is silent again.

The relegation fight will be interesting this year with Burnley playing 8 games in June/July

Lots of clamour and good reason to change the rules for postponements, but also plenty of good reasons to stick with the current rules for the rest of the season to make things fair.

One proposals I've seen is to make the rule change for the first set of fixtures after the winter break - I think it is Feb 10th - tell all the clubs now that from that date only covid cases will be considered. All players will be back from AFCON and teams will have had what remains of the January transfer window to sort out their squad if they want.

The rules definitely needs to be changed. I don't really buy the argument that it would be unfair, because they've already been changed during the season - it is much easier to get a postponement now than it was earlier in the season. After the international break seems like a good starting points. Overall there's been relatively few positive cases among PL players, we can't just keep cancelling games for flimsy reasons.

It’s because of AFCON. It’s a temporary moment in time. Take 4 out of a squad of 25 then send them to Africa… that’s a problem in itself… lose several due to covid over a few weeks… 2 suspensions (1 unwarranted) and now chuck in some injuries for good measure. Your *%^@**

What on earth are you supposed to do. The challenge now is to somehow survive and not let this derail our season but I dread to think what type of side we will put out Thursday if it goes ahead.

Not only will we go into the tie with far less quality but due to pundit malfeasance if we get beaten badly, football fans will rejoice over it as a some sort of comeuppance for the fixture rescheduling.

I just hope we do what Ali did and 'shock the world...AHHHHHH' Maybe its not the same level admittedly...lol...but it would be nice for fans to sing a no one likes us and we don't care while winning.

From the outside the Vlahovic situation is puzzling. Arteta has been doing a really good job of building a motivated and supportive and committed team without destructive egos.

From all that I read Vlahovic is not at all sure or keen about us. Right now I’d rather have someone who is prepared to walk through walls for us.

Brian Talbot says to tell you he'd love to, but he is a bit out of shape these days.

Gento has died at a grand old age. He was the winger of wingers in my childhood. Magnificent sight to see him bamboozle defenders.

I wouldn’t believe what you read in the papers. They always get stuff wrong especially transfer fees and wages. It always turns out the players get less.

Remember aubameyang being painted as a selfish greedy villain when he left dortmund. In reality he may be a bit lax but he’s a happy go lucky chap.

Also we gave a whopping contract to Mesut Özil so I’m not sure what high benchmark we have for player commitment.

As part of my job I have to on occasion get involved in large negotiations worth millions and rarely are there scenarios where one party doesn’t end up feeling screwed even if the result is fair and equal.

If you want to sign a 1 in 2 game goal scorer you will probably have to deal with a large ego or you can sign a hardworking chap like Calvert Lewin. I know who I’d rather have, to win titles you need ruthless arrogant killers and we have few

Give him my regards.

Guardiola on Man City's 12 game-winning run: "I think Arsenal was the most difficult one. We were lucky."

Pep keeps showering us with praise all the time. Hopefully he can criticise us soon. As was the case with Fergie, when he was being nice about you its because you weren't a threat.

I heard a story recently that when Fergie signed Van Persie he pretty much took Rooney and his midfield to one side and said Van Persie is making absolute elite level runs and movement and if you can't find him you're out of the team. As much as I dislike everyone in that story I still liked it

van Persie remains for me possibly the worse betrayal of a list of Arsenal player betrayals in the way and when it was done and to whom.

https://metro.co.uk/2022/01/18/arsenal- ... wsnow-feed

Good interview with Bellerin here. As always, he comes across as a class act.

Bellerin added: ‘Arsenal are doing amazing and that makes me so happy. The player they got in my position is doing great.

‘There’s literally no hard feelings for me. It’s beautiful to see because I watch every single game and I want the guys to do well.

Norton-Cuffy (youth team right back, 18 years old) has gone on loan to Lincoln. Seems some are saying that's almost an accelerated loan for him as there are more experienced and older players who aren't getting loans. I've watched him a few times in U18 highlights and he always looked physically too good for those age groups.

It would be good to get some good defenders come through the youth system, who was the last defender who came through and even had a handful of games for the first team even if they weren't considered to have 'made it'?

Interesting. Xhaka may have to leave the country as he can’t pop out for a pint of milk without getting himself sent off and his reputation is destroyed

Red card, red card, red card


http://sportwitness.co.uk/player-doesnt ... portunity/

Have you forgotten Bellerin? Didn’t he come through the youth system even though he joined us from Barcelona’s? A sort of Merida type example but signing players from other youth systems appears common. How about Mavropanis and Medley? Even Medley joined us from Chelsea’s youth set up.

Maitland-Niles must surely have played most of his first team football for us at right back.

Didn't know of Giggs' legal issues. I don't know the details of the charges and that's up to a court to decide. I can't stand him though. I've never heard him or Scholes say a kind word about us. Maybe they have but I've not read or heard it. If so, the hatred is serious enough to last into retirement. Unlike Keane and Neville who have shown not only respect bur admiration.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-60036711

Kolasinac expected to join Marseille this window (not sure if permanent or on loan). Mari joining Udinese. We're getting a bit more ruthless with shipping out players who are not good enough - next step is to get some actual fees for them.

It leaves the squad much more streamlined as these 22, 2 players for each position

Ramsdale, Leno
Tomiyasu, Cédric, Chambers, White, Gabriel, Holding, Tierney, Tavares
Partey, Xhaka, Lokonga, Elneny
Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Ødegaard, Pépé, Martinelli
Lacazette, Aubameyang, Nketiah

Mari and Kolasinac if both loaned would then take our loanees up to 11

I did forget Bellerin. I suppose I don't quite count him the same way as a Saka for example, but we should even if we pick these players up when they're already 15/16, getting a player from 16 to the men's team must be hugely difficult.
Mavropanos I wouldn't count as I think he might have only played less than 2-3 times and was maybe 20 when he joined.
Medley I'd discount as he has barely played any first team games that I can recall
AMN, yes if he decides he's now a full back he'd be one to count.

Who was the last big 6 central defender to come up through a big 6 academy and properly establish themselves in the side? There really aren't anywhere near as many as the forward positions. Are we going back to John Terry?

Ledley King is the same age as John Terry. Staying with Tottenham, surely Eric Dier must be considered to have established himself.

Kolasinac has officially left the club, signing for Marseille.

I cannot believe we are on the brink of elimination.
2 0 down to Comoros Islands
Just scored
2 1!
Come on Ghana!

Suppose it depends what you mean as a handful of games. Mavropanos played eight times for Arsenal, but as you say he was twenty when he joined so is probably too old to count. I’d certainly call eight appearances a handful though.

Medley played three times, and very well each time. There was a time when I had hopes he might make it.

Wow Ghana lost 3-2 and are eliminated. Good news for Arsenal as Partey comes home and may even be back in time to play against Burnley on Sunday. We’d need him with Xhaka still suspended for that game

We are out.
Embarrassing
Partey coming home early

Sorry David, wasn't expecting Ghana to lose that one. At least Partey will be available for Arsenal soon!

Cheers Haz.
Bitter sweet.
Finished bottom of the group and out but upside Partey coming back earlier than expected

Quite remarkable and totally unexpected. Even 3rd placed teams have a chance of going through.

What happened then. Was Partey excellent and the rest less so? Or was he off the pace too?

Chelsea drop points against Brighton after a poor performance. They are 9 points ahead of us, and we have three games in hand...

Partey has the potential to have gone away mid season for a national tournament and not miss a single premier league game.

Also 9 points behind Chelsea with 3 games in hand now