EPL Match Day 1: Arsenal v Newcastle United; Match Preview
HELLOOOOOOOOO GOONERS!!!! Oh thank goodness we are back with meaningful football. After the crap of a summer we have had at least there is football to watch. It has been since mid May since any of the football I’ve watched had any purpose and well I for one am excited to have our boys back on the pitch to watch.
Ah, but it is a tempered excitement. What this season holds for any of us remains to be seen. As usual Arsenal are odds on favourites of the pundits to finish just outside the top 4 – yet again. Seems the addition of king Kenny and 10 midfielders to Liverpool have made them the flavour of choice this year to supplant us from our top 4 spot. Well, that is why they play the games don’t they?
And the first game we get to play is the place where I believe it all fell apart for us last season. Many of us still look to the collapse at Wembley as the place where we started our descent into the abyss but it was the 4-4 draw against Newcastle that was the true portend of things to come. Forget for a moment bad decisions by both Diaby and then by the ref – it was arguably the worst match I’ve ever seen Dowd call – that match will go down as a hallmark of everything that was and is wrong with this Arsenal team.
But the EPL schedule makers in their infinite wisdom wanted to see if lightening can strike twice and scheduled this as our first fixture of the season. So we’re off to St. James Park for another season kickoff. Both teams for the most part have had an off season of flux. With Mike Ashley selling his key players and Wenger fighting to keep his. Which team is better positioned for this match is anyone’s guess?
Arsenal can ill afford a slow start. Sure, there are plenty of games to play and lots of ground that can be made up in the course of a long season. But with the psychological frailty of this team a slow start could make those doubts come out early and effect more than an EPL season.
This season is the real test for Wenger. He has to win something now or it likely is his last. He needs everyone on the pitch committed for a full 90 minutes. There can be no mental lapses. Diaby’s idiocy at retaliating against Barton last season was the catalyst for the tide to turn at Newcastle. 45 minutes of brilliant football undone by one act of pure idiocy. Its no secret I am glad he is not on the pitch. Talented but thick as a rock. There is defending yourself and there is doing what is necessary for your team to win. Since he is out no worries there. The teams leaders, RvP, Vermaelen, Arshavin and TR7 need to be vocal. They need to challenge players and call them to step up when it is time. If that happens and happens often there is hope. If we are nonchalant about as we were last season – I worry.
For you Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri watchers, both have not been added to the squad. As a matter of fact it does look like that at training this Friday morning Cesc handed off the Captain’s badge to Robin Van Persie. While both clubs won’t confirm the deal is closed it looks like it will be shortly. Cesc is even reported to be enroute to Barca to join them for their Sunday match against Real Madrid and be formaly announced on Monday.
Nasri is a big question mark. He’s not in the squad. The deal does not seem to be set yet. Mancini says he wants all his transfer business concluded by Monday which could signal that Nasri will be out of here this weekend. Noone seems to know for sure what is going on here. What is clear that the club have grown impatient with Nasri and his refusal to sign a new contract (reportedly one of the biggest ever offered an Arsenal player). In a recent board meeting Kroenke is believed to have directed the club to take the money being offered as it was too large a sum to refuse. That is pure rumour but it does kind of figure with the instant up tick in Nasri leaving “noise”.
Either way those two extremely talented players won’t be on the pitch for this rematch. Neither will Jack Wilshere who is still recovering from an ankle injury. In his last tweet about the injury, Jack confirmed the scan did not turn up anything significant and that he just needs to rehab. When he’ll return is anyone’s best guess. Remember the 6 weeks we were told about Vermaelen?
With those out of the way it falls to the remaining squad to pick it up. And for me now is the real test of the mental quality of this squad. How will they bond together in the face of all the adversity they have had to endure? They are still an extremely talented bunch and the starting XI I picked for Saturday are good enough to beat the likes of United so they should do the job against Newcastle. The likes of Van Persie, Ramsey, Gervinho, Song, Vermaelen, Sagna, Szczesny are all players that major clubs would like on their teams. The other supporting players are good in their own right as well. Its time they showed up for a full season
So let’s get to the match:
How it should play out:
Wow this is a hard one. It shouldn’t be, but there is so much unknown about how this team is going to respond. I am sure the Geordie faithful will all too kindly remind us of the pratfall from last season. But they have lost the likes of Nolan and Carol. Barton is doubtful. That should mean that this Arsenal squad should feast on the Magpies. Expect our pace on the wings to really press the defenders with both Gervinho and Walcott on the pitch at the same time. It is a bit of pace like that which will give teams fits. I can see an early Arsenal lead evaporate into a draw and then a late Van Persie winner.
Players to Watch:
Arsenal: Gervinho. Simply put he could be the steal of the season. His first EPL match and the hunger to go with it.
NUFC: Chuks Tiote. He put the nail in the coffin against Arsenal last season.
Probable Starting XI:
Injuries and Suspensions:
Arsenal: Wilshere (ankle) Diaby (ankle)
NUFC: Ben Arta (ankle)
Leading Scorers:
Arsenal:
NUFC:
Last Meeting: (EPL)
Arsenal: 4
NUFC: 4
Goals For:
Arsenal: 0
NUFC: 0
Goals Against:
Arsenal: 0
NUFC: 0
Last Five:
Arsenal:
NUFC:
Goal Difference:
Arsenal: 0
NUFC: 0
Match Official:
Referee: Peter Walton
Broadcast Information:
US: FSC 1230PM EST
UK: ESPN UK 1730 BST
GAMEDAY CHAT: It’s Open!!!!!!
www.youaremyarsenal.com/gamedaychat
YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 2
NUFC: 1
The Final Word:
Something missed in all the Fabregas and Nasri transfer saga is this – where in the world is Emmanuel Eboue. In the list of squad numbers assigned to players Gervinho is wearing the number 27 – his old Lille number. The problem is it is also the number worn by Emmanuel Eboue. So I checked the list to see if had been assigned a new number. Alas, he wasn’t there. Nothing – nada – zilch. No Eboue. There were rumours that he was likely off to Turkey but when he showed up for the Benfica match, I got the hunch that he wasn’t going any where. Then this. I am gutted. I mean who is going to keep Gunnersaurus company? I guess Squillaci and Almunia could have that honour.
Seriously, though about Eboue. While it is clear he is not Arsenal quality in terms of skill, I would love more players to have his heart and ethusiasm of the team and game. Once chided and rebuked by the fans he turned that all around to become a cult figure. We called him our cheerleader but maybe we need some more cheerleaders on the team. Both on the bench and on the pitch. He exemplifies the personality we want. Except that whole diving thing he does.
As for Almunia he is down in a spider hole somewhere doing his best to hide from everyone. His disappearance is so great that the club are still running his team picture from last season on its site. So the new game this season will be – where in the world is Almunia? I can answer that for you – who cares as long as it is not between the sticks.
Until our next report – Stay Goonerish!!
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Yo , I am making a site almost like wikipedia and I think some of your articles would really fit in well. Would you let me copy and paste your article?
CescSaga complete…..Very, very sad…..Man City playing today with Nasri soon to join them…..
And Arsenal? Well, we got a point at Newcastle on the strength of our (much maligned) defense (?!?) and now we’ll have a nice preview of January/February when our two best African players (Gervinho and Song) will be gone to the ANC. And with (future Captain) Jack in a boot we’re thinner than Abou Diaby’s ankles….. AND we have to play critical CL qualifiers amidst matches with ‘Pool and United. At least we’ll be bringing loads of talent into the squad here as the transfer window winds down (he says, cackling like a crazy person)……
How did it come to this and (WTF) is the plan? I’ve got various thoughts about the answers and none of them are good (at least in the short term). It is inappropriate for me to try and write out my full thoughts in this venue and at this moment, but suffice it to say that I am comforted ONLY by thoughts of the distant future. In the meantime, like a car crash, albeit with a beater car that barely starts, I am forced to watch…..
Like many others, I blame management including AW, the board and Silent (Grubby) Stan. But I also blame greater powers in the sport….. If anything, Arsenal are the flip-side of what top level club football has become. Clubs unafraid to lose big money are hoarding the best players, while others, pillaging their supporters for every last quid, build for a future that remains always on the horizon…..
I’m sorry, but the football I saw on opening weekend was depressing (as was the referee work, esp, in our match). There is a certain parity in play–everybody is pretty crap and everybody is playing defensive ball looking for draws. Refs allowing the rough stuff only worsens it….. I need to look at it more deeply, but I think the 6+5 rule has made the English game more British and a whole lot less fun to watch. Or maybe it’s something else…..
Oh well….Maybe we’ll see some goals today at City, where their bench players will earn in the 90 mins (of watching….) what Swansea’s (who are actually PLAYING) make in a year…..And then our CL qualifier ought to be fun…..Another nail-biting test for our defense while we pray for some luck at the other end. No Cesc, Nasri nor RVP, but at least Song and Gervinho will be there (unlike in February when, IF we qualify and IF we make it out of our group, we will have to play to make it to the final 8, which would be a MASSIVE achievement for the current squad and certainly an indication that we are on the right track…..cue more insane cackling)…..
Happy Monday…..
CG, perhaps Vermaelen is another possibility as captain?
Unfortunately I’m pretty sure Van Persie would be Wenger’s choice. Like a lot of things Arsenal (under Wenger), I don’t agree with Wenger’s approach to selecting his captain. Vieira was a fine choice (albeit he started the disloyalty gene at Arsenal). After Vieira Wenger has picked ‘stars’….. with very poor results (imo).
Henry – I don’t like strikers as captain (wrong on-field perspective) and Henry (as wonderful a player as he was) increasingly became a primadonna
Gallas – again, a player I realy liked, but not the unifying type we needed
Fabregas – too young, too nice, too much responsibility
So….. I’d give it to Tomas Vermaelen. You see the game well from CB or DM….. and he’s a good no nonsense type player who is likely to sit tight and be happy at Arsenal for another 5-7 years if we treat him well and do ok. I also think he was captain at Ajax which suggests other managers saw him as a leader.
@Kiwi, if there is a positive about RVP being captain, it is that he will likely leave the club in a year. I think being captain of this Arsene squad increases the frustration of being surrounded by players who don’t care about the mistakes they make or are not willing to take responsibility. I like the idea of Vermaelen as well. He might still end up being one when RVP gets injured.
I agree on the two points.
1) How many of our players have songs sang about ’em from the terraces?? Other than Van Persie, I cant think of any real one. No the Eboue ones dont count.
Thats incredible really.
2) RvP is a WOEFUL choice as captain. Not just because he doesnt stay on the pitch long enough, but because, a guy at the apex can “see” everything or influence. They are not in the mix of things most times. For strikers, the captaincy is just an additional burden most of the time.
I agree, Sagna, though quiet is the best choice.
Man U was captained for years by Gary Neville and it was extremely successful. Captains dont have to shout all over the place, the way a lot of fans think they should.
Second choice for me would be Wilshere. Why not?
Overall though, it is clear Wenger has no regard for the captaincy and simply gives it to his best player who he wants to stay.
Thankfully the captaincy is not that important.
A great captain wont save THIS team – sorely lacking in quality and all.
From what I’ve read RVP is likely to be the new Captain. Seems like a decent choice, but that’s partially due to the dearth of qualified candidates. When he’s on the pitch, he’ll make an excellent Captain IMO.
But that’s the catch… WHEN he’s on the pitch. What about when he’s not?
I’m thinking of someone else. He’s probably not vocal enough, but there’s only one player who will be a consistent starter this year, who has always been a consistent starter in his Arsenal tenure, and who is entering his 5th full season with the club: Bacary Sagna. Like I said, probably not vocal/demonstrative enough, but who else is it going to be?
How long have the other defenders been here?
How many matches has Rosicky played since his first season-and-a-half at Arsenal?
How many starts does RVP average a season?
How young are Jack and Aaron?
How bad of an example-setter would Arshavin be?
RVP and Sagna are the only real choices, and for me Sagna is the better be b/c he’s the one who’s likely to start a majority of matches.
But the Captaincy of Arsenal Football Club is not something Arsene seems to think is very important anyways.
We dragged this on for all of last summer, then all of this summer, for 27m GBP? Why?? I don’t really care how much it was cause they won’t spend it on anything/one useful. But I’m trying to see it from their perspective, ie thinking only of money. You could have got this much back when the window opened, and you almost for sure would’ve gotten MORE last summer, since Cesc wouldn’t have had last year’s mediocre (by his standards) season. Whatever.
Here’s a video I can get on board with:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRjfh8t-AAU
A big crowd of Gooners outside the Emirates singing songs and chants such as….
“We want our Arsenal back”
“Where’s our Arsenal gone?”
“6%, you’re havin’ a laugh”
“Spend some f****** money”
“Ivan out” (I think)
“You’ll never know dear, how much I love you, until you take my Arsenal away” (my personal fav)
“There’s only one Keown” (They have to sing about a long-retired player b/c who is there to sing about now?)
And many more which I couldn’t quite make out, including one about “caviar” which seems to be disparaging the Board.
Thanks to Francesc Fabregas.
303 games, 57 goals, 100 assists.
Single-handedly carried Arsenal for the last five years – without any help.
Top assist maker in EPL history! Top assist maker in ALL of Europe in the last five years! Most successful forward passes in ALL of Europe in the last five years.
Sad part: He will not be remembered in the picture books because he couldnt lift a trophy with a team full of utter planks. But he’ll always be a legend – without the pictures to prove it.
Happy part: Now, he will finally get to WIN lots of silverware that he undoubtably deserves. He also will not have to play in the same squad as Eboue, Chamakh and Squillaci. He must be shedding tears of joy just at that thought.
Thanks, Cesc … and good luck!
@Fred,
I too thank Cesc for all he gave to Arsenal, and wish him success in his future endeavors.
Nasri, on the other hand, can go do one, as I feel like he’d be a mercenary looking for a bigger pay day even if he were on a fast and sturdy ship rather than the sinking one (with a deluded commanding officer who is determined to go down with it) that is Arsenal F.C.
Gary Neville on Arsenal and Arsene Wenger. Not a bad read. He isn’t as thick as I thought he was:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2025700/Gary-Neville-Arsenal-fans-shouldnt-criticise-Arsene-Wenger.html
@DaAdminGooner,
Why should the opinion of an Arsenal hating Man U lifelonger matter that much. It seems as hollow as praise from Alex Ferguson.
Old Red Nose always makes sure to praise us when he knows we are not a threat. But once we are, he starts the snarky mind games.
Gary Neville is and has always been smart. But his opinion is irrelevant.
Also hilarious that pretty much ALL is talk is about the money side of things. Exactly where Wenger wants the conversation.
@Fred,
Well if your opinion matters shouldn’t his?
@DaAdminGooner,
Except he is a secret Arsenal fan who has bought Arsenal merchandise, gone to a few Arsenal games, bought cable subscriptions and generally contributed financially and emotionally to Arsenal for decades, why should his opinion matter.
I, you and every other Arsenal fan are the SOLE source of Arsenal’s income.
The opinion of Arsenal fans trumps random pundits “analysis”:
And the general consensus, even from half of the AKBs is that we should use the 55 mill we get from the Fabregas/Nasri to REINVEST in the squad.
Anything else is BS.
A random Man U lifelong player (who you have always hated) talking about the rosiness of OUR club’s finances is completely irrelevant.
It’s official, on the AFC website, Cesc Fabregas is Barca-bound.
Funny in a way, it’s been such a long drawn out pain-in-the-backside type of saga that now that it happens it’s all a bit – “yeah, ok, who cares”?
I like Cesc, he’s been a little gem, yet for me his sub-prime departure at 24 highlights the futility and denial in the current strategy. He won’t be remembered amongst the Arsenal greats. He’s not in the legends line-up, not a Adams, Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Keown, Bould, Pires, Henry, Bergkamp, Vieira, because he is viewed through the lense of a losing team in a losing era. What a shame, his talent and character deserved a lot more. All the best Cesc.
Like Mazza says, after a short period of grieving, in Wenger-world he gets a clean slate and starts again. This time the object of fawnation will likely be Wilshere. Watch while Wilshere gets way too much responsibility heaped upon him – press replay.
I read a hillarious article saying the van Persie and Walcott could be the next duo to go. I understand the thinking, I just think the article fails to see that netiher player is anywhere near Fabregas and Nasri in terms of upside. Van Persie is a certified crock and you can be 100% sure if he was a durable player he’d have been wisked away from Arsenal before now. Walcott is seriously limited and it’s no surprise that he’s been off the ‘transfer talk’ radar for several years.
@Kiwi, the difference is Wilshire and Theo are BRITISH… they do not likely see Arsenal as a stepping stone, or at least not as much as foreign players do…
Wenger even knows we’re viewed as a “feeder club”… only he doesn’t accept that its HIS FAULT 100%.
@stag133,
If Arsenal won, then I think the nationality of the British lads becomes relevant, if Arsenal’s inability to win continues then the Britishness of our youngsters won’t save Arsenal. If we come (say) 5th this season and (say) 4th the next, and win nothing (i.e. no cups), I can well see Wilshere moving to a competitive English club, be it ManU, Chelsea or whoever is winning.
At 22, 23 or 24 the same internal pressures that got to Cesc Fabregas will eat away at Jack Wilshere. Top players want to taste winning – to state differently is to live in denial.
@Kiwi,
We’re at risk of becoming an Everton or a Spurs, a once was a big club. Look at Rooney, he’s British, did he stay at Everton? Despite Everton maintaining their ‘thereabouts’ status, they’ve become nothing more than a steady Eddie team a club where you know you’ll likely finish between 5th and 8th and maybe have a decent cup run. After a while that becomes uninspiring to players who have serious star rating.
@Kiwi,
EXACTLY!
But the AKBs who continue to happily harp on despite Arsenal fans paying the HIGHEST gates in the entire world.
Everton tickets are cheap at least.
@Kiwi, Funny I have been thinking most about Everton recently, believing Wenger is transforming Arsenal into an upscale version of Everton. Bigger stadium, higher ticket prices, more price for food (assuming that?) and overall stability of the club. Although Wenger has been more comfortable than Moyes, who if I am not mistaken was under some pressure a few years ago? Wenger is finally under some pressure now but still he has plenty of people giving him a vote of confidence.
BREAKING: Manager Arsene Wenger said: “We have been clear that we didn’t want Cesc to leave and that remains the case. However, we understand Cesc’s desire to move to his home town club and have now accepted an offer from Barcelona. We thank Cesc for his contribution at Arsenal and wish him future success.”
Well, the good news is that Rafael is out for 10 weeks, Rio for 6 and Chicharito for another 3.
This should give us some hope since Gervinho and Wilshere are out for us. Oops, Song may be out for 3 games also and we will see the mettle of Frimpong.
You know the squad is thin when an unfit Theo, Frimpong the rookie and JD are brought on as subs.
This lineup reminds me of the current Ajax team in terms of quality.
@CaribKid,
This wouldnt bother Man U in the least. Mostly because Man U are a second half of the season team. Always have been.
Also, in place of Rafael, they have Smalling. In place of Rio they have Phil Jones and Jonny Evans. Sure, not as heralded but can hold their own easy.
For Chicarito, they have Berba, Welbeck, Owen and Macheda.
No problem AT ALL. Plus, if Rio is still having problems in January, Old Red Nose goes out and gets himself a CB without drama.
Till then you can expect Man U to sleep walk their way to a 20th title.
@CaribKid,
Frimpong is a joker. I dont understand what people see in him. Sure he is built like a brickhouse … but he should be on loan for another TWO years at least before he should be playing for a top team. He isnt a special talent like Wilshere. And even Wilshere went out for a bit.
So next weekend, after getting possibly a bad result against Udinese, we will face Liverpool with this squad (assuming no one new gets injured):
Sagna – Koz – Verm – Gibbs
Rosicky – Frimpong – Ramsey
Walcott – RvP – Arshavin
With a bench of: Fabianski, DJ, Jenkinson, Ox, Miyaichi, Chamak, Traore.
If THIS team takes the pitch, it will lose for sure.
@Fred,
Considering you had us losing 3-1 this week. You are in no position to say what our teams will do.
@DaAdminGooner,
No need to be snarky, DAG.
This is EXACTLY what I said:
——————————————————-
“I fear we lose this one 3-1.”
“One thing for sure, is that this game is a dead-cert “over 2.5″ … if you know what I mean ”
“Ofcourse, now that I have said it, they will fight themselves to a tepid 0-0 draw lol”
——————————————————-
I am in a better position than you think! ;-)
PS: I also had Nasri and Fabregas as definite goners in February. Which you denied till the bitter end. I’ve got a higher hit than miss ratio.
Guys –
1. Please watch the swearing on the site. I am now deleting anything I find offencive
2. Also please be careful about the content you pull in from other sites. I have received a couple emails asking that we limit it to only links only.
At the beginning of summer, the club got a bid from Barca for 25 M plus add ons. Wenger FC rejected it.
Three months later, it seems that same club is accepting 29 M plus add-ons.
So we WASTED a whole summer of this bullshit drama for an extra FOUR MILLION ????????
Incredible.
PS: Why on god’s green earth did anybody start giving Wenger the “Professor” nickname???
What is so special about a masters in economics?
Ofcourse, he probably slept thru most of his classes, considering he has NO IDEA about opportunity cost … and continues to overpay, poor quality personnel.
Le Professor my a&s.
@Fred, My thoughts exactly on the wasted summer regarding Cesc. If he was sold earlier, then it would have made it easier to have more time to buy a replacement. But what if wenger never wanted to buy a replacement? In that case, he keeps waiting until as late as possible and then hold his hands up saying that he didn’t have time to buy anyone. Wasn’t there some date that would have allowed Mata to be bought by his buy-in clause, july 31? So given how hard Ivan is working, he probably knew about that and so did wenger. I think once again, Arsene and Ivan have tried to pull a quick one over the fans. And if by the odd chance, they got some extra money while making the sale, then that is a bonus. Wenger is a guy who would praise himself if he saved even 100,000.
So I think Wenger and Ivan are praising themselves. They sold a player they wanted to for a few months, got some extra cash, and has given them some breathing room from the anger of fans. If Cesc was sold earlier and Arsenal never bought anyone,I am sure the anger would have been more over the last few months.
Can anybody explain WHY we dismantled the Invincibles and left Highbury in the first place?
For this?
I remember in the early days of YAMA, and back on AA, people used to complain how there’d be hundreds of posts when Arsenal would play badly, but comparatively little when they’d play well. Well as this thread shows, there won’t be very many either way as everyone’s interest has been destroyed by the mismanagement of the club.
here’s the gem of the day from Wenger…
he’s worried we are becoming a feeder club.
HILARIOUS.
I’ve said that for 5 years running.
Just keep selling off your best players… and not replacing them.
here’s the gem of the day from Wenger…
he’s worried we are becoming a feeder club.
HILARIOUS.
I’ve said that for 5 years running.
Just keep selling off your best players… and not replacing them.
didn’t miss anything, did I…
apparently Gervinho sent off… no goals against The Newcy Browns…
only going to get more difficult from here.
did we sell anyone today?
Wow.
Arsenal do their best to weaken their squad and still draw away to Newcastle ?!?!
This is an exact copy of the headline which is on the homepage of arsenal.com right now:
WENGER: “WE WILL LEARN FROM THIS”
Really? FUCK YOU.
@ChicagoGooner,
Wenger’s got his dream scenario again. Clear the decks and start all over again, and spend more time canoodling and nurturing the kiddies, with zero expectation. Just the way he likes it.
A nice new crop of zombies to brain wash, now he’s shorn of the dissenters.
A midfield full of aimless tippy tappers and a rustic old antique at the apex.
Prepare yourselves for the lowest scoring Arsenal side for over a decade.
To raise some spirits and maybe get a laugh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDBLSUKJiDY
One word describes it all.
AMEN
The next two weeks will define Arsene’s legacy one way or the other.
Well, if nothing else, our defence looked good. Though hard to read to much into it. We were barely threatened..
Toothless attack. And nothing on the bench in the way of creativity either. The scary part being that once Nasri and Cesc leave, the only player missing today is Wilshere.
I deeply and strongly regret sitting down and wasting 90 minutes to watch this game.
The biggest blunder of my week.
To all y’all who are on the over 2.5 … sorry! You know your day is done when RvP is clean thru on goal and then inexplicably commits a “Chamakh”.
As for Arsenal? Same ol’ shit.
@Fred, At least you called the score (sad, winky face)…..
Welcome to the English League, Gervinho…..
wow.
liverpool invest massively to IMPROVE their squad and they draw at HOME to sunderland?!?!
QPR demoslished at home. welcome to the epl. this could be a painful season for their SUPPORTERS. they need MASSIVE investment from their F1 directors if they have any chance.
@jroybower,
Stop peeping at others. Concentrate on your club.
Nice goal by Seba!
so, 12:20pm, kickoff in 10 minutes!
Wenger saying idiotic shite…. nobody going, nobody coming in, we aren’t buying Mata or Jadson, we don’t need a CB…
its all yours… going to get some brunch, and enjoy the Summer sunshine… I hope the kids we put out there put on a show, and win it 6-0.
But Arsene Wenger and his antics … are not worth my time!
enjoy!
Team: Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Song, Ramsey, Rosicky, Arshavin, Gervinho, Van Persie.
@OziKenyan, Liverpool draw…..
So…..Our wantaway, “best” players are nowhere to be seen, Toon’s Captain is gone (to West Ham, not Barca, in exchange for Demba Ba….) while Joey Barton does play…..And, of course, both teams have sold their left backs…..Advantage Newcastle?
Whoa…..Gary Cahill scores a curler, best footwork by a defender I’ve seen all season……Otherwise, not a lot of excitement on my 3 channels: Fulham-Villa nil-nil, Seb Larsson showing a nice right foot for Sunderland and likewise Downing with his left for Liverpool….Still 1-0 there, however….
Personally, I’m wishing I lived in a time zone where it would be appropriate to start drinking beer…. As it is, more coffee, I guess…..
@HighburyTerraceSteve,
It’s always Beer O’Clock somewhere else in the world. Just transport yourself mentally into that time zone.
@HighburyTerraceSteve, may I suggest some breakfast beer, only 2.5% alcohol, that tastes refreshing. Stiegl has a grapefruit beer which is sooo good that feels like juice. Also had a German grapefruit beer which goes well with roasted potatoes and there is a raspberry beer from Ukraine. I will dig up the names and post them. Of course as CK says, the clock is variable. I mean isn’t Guiness a perfect well balanced meal? :)
Yesterday’s press conference was the most bizarre one so far. Wenger flat out saying that no one will leave the club which in Wenger doublespeak surely means everyone is on the verge of leaving. Of all the quotes he has given over the years, yesterday’s is the one that will stick with him now and in a way define his future. A day before the season opener and this is what it has come down to it. And amazingly, it is not over yet. Discussions over future compensation, as justified as they are, should not be happening before Arsenal are due to kick-off. I now totally believe that Ivan is working hard every day. However, working hard and working smart are not the same thing.
If his doublespeak goes one way, then can it taken to mean the other way when he talks of no Mata deal? Although the following words might mean otherwise.
What I want is for our fans to appreciate our team and to support our team,
For whatever reason, these words remind of the reason Wenger gave when Arshavin did not play against Chelsea in the F.A Cup all those years ago. Wenger said something along the lines of that he wanted the team to taste success together. I can’t remember the exact statement but the sentiment was one of defiance although the real issue might have been the league target of 4th being more vital than a trophy.
Still, in order to garner support for the current team Wenger is totally capable of not signing anyone. He has shown to be stubborn and defiant. At this point, I feel for the players because any mistake by any of them of will lead them to get grief.
@sachin,
“What I want is for our fans to appreciate our team and to support our team”
Well maybe the team should appreciate its fans and support their interests and desires.
@sachin, Agreed, enormous pressure on our boys, in an era where our “best” players (Cesc/Nasri and before them Ade, Hleb, etc., etc.) clearly aren’t up for “fighting for the shirt”…..
Like others have said, at this point it’s all about results and either you can tolerate the naked emperor or you feel compelled to shout about getting somebody, anybody, wearing clothes……
In other news, Luis Suarez (no need for rest despite his long successful run at the Copa America….) wins a penalty, takes it himself and skies it, but then is Johnny on the spot to head in a FK from the left foot of Downing…..First goal of the season goes to ‘Pool…..
Still sad and lonely in the GDC, however…..
Opening day, hope renewed, etc., etc…..
AW seems to be taking it up a notch with his pre-match press conference, and in the end, continues the madness, giving zero information, telling outright lies and demanding faith…..I guess he’s confident that our inherent quality will see us through up at Newcastle, get us through the early week “announcements” (Cesc/Nasri) and, somehow, we’ll see good support for our Big European Night on Tuesday, so that we can put that tie on ice before big matches w/’Pool and United….all the while bringing in more exciting youngsters as the window comes to a close….Wow….talk about needing to run the table…..
Here’s the thing: English football is great, the speed and intensity makes it almost a different game from the rest of the sport. Maybe the technical quality isn’t quite as strong, which makes some of the foreign talent very interesting. Can they cope with the “English” elements and rise above and actually help their teams create results? The current Arsenal team (actually more English/British than I’ve seen) go one step further and add youth to the equation…..
I’m excited for a new season but concerned in the extreme. IMO, these early matches are cup finals, mostly because AW is so completely “all in” in his faith in his methods and his squad. Somehow the boys need to step into a very hostile environment and calmly take the sting out of the match with goals AND the technical superiority of their performance. Frankly, I wonder….. If, however, they can actually do that at St. James Park, Geordies that much more pissed given the late kickoff, and KNOWING that anything less than a 5 goal lead isn’t safe, I might take some encouragement. No predictions for me, just irrational hope…..
As per usual, I’ll be sitting in the Virtual Pub, the Game Day Chat, for the early matches hoping for some company. Some of us have been talking about the various blogs (Kiwi, etc.) and I just listened to the 1st Arsecast of the year and he’s gonna charge 10 GBP if you want to chat on his Liveblog of matches (!!) More fodder for those concerned with censorship…..(Kiwi, I fear, might sleep through this one given the awkward kick-off time…..) Anyhow, see you there, I hope…..
“This Arsenal squad should feast on the Magpies”
?
really. we have trouble on the road with a REAL team.
who do you really like in the team?
The forwards have no playmaker in the middle… the defense? we were terrible at the end of last year, and NOBODY of NOTE was brought in.
1 day before the new season, and Arsene Wenger has absolutely IGNORED the CB issues. All the hype and talk about Jagielka, Cahill and Samba seems like utter BULLSHIT… more smokescreens to appease the rising masses.
How the hell could this club wait ALL SUMMER, and do NOTHING to shore up the defense, NOT bring in a No.1 Keeper, Sell off a starting LB… and get NO HELP in the DM position?
We are on the verge of selling 2 of our best 3 players for 60 MILLION GBP, and today we bought a 19 year old Costa Rican forward who doesn’t play much for his National team… for under 1 Million.
UNBELIEVABLE if it were any other club.
But I’ve watched 6 off-seasons of this non-sensical BS…
I doubt we’ll beat Newcastle on the road.
Then we have a CL match, Liverpool, and ManU.
What happens if we have 1 point in the league from the first 3 matches, and we draw or lose the first CL match?
I think that is quite possible.
I won’t watch a minute of live matches involving this team.
There are more than enough options available…
I hope I wake up tomorrow to 3 new signings… 2 CB’s and Mata… but I expect virtually NOTHING to be done, except the pocketing of the money… or a very large percentage of it.
Is that jaded?
Why would anyone look forward to watching this team. They are not the Arsenal I’ve known and loved… when that comes back, I’ll watch in earnest…
PS: With Fabregas gone, it is time to SELL Walcott.
All of Walcotts good moments have been on the end of Fabregas’ visionary passes.
It takes a genius (Fabregas) to find someone that thick (Walcott) with a pass. Without the genius, the thicko is pointless.
I fear we lose this one 3-1.
If their manager has a clue, they start by kicking Ramsey and Rosicky repeatedly. Those two are not Wilshere-feisty and have histories with injuries, so that would quiet them down ASAP. They would then show Gervinho a nice “welcome to the EPL” with some lunges to make it clear he isnt in France anymore. Barton and co. will take care of that.
With our major creation sources neutered, they can then settle down to launching long balls into our box EVERY single time they get the ball.
A side tactic would be to get a speedy, sharp shooter target Song. Get Song on a yellow card nice and early. With the only DM neutered, deep runner can then get in late for second balls without much fear.
If they are feeling really nasty they can make sure their pitch is horrible, so we cant even get our sideways passing right.
Newcastle should consider themselves utterly INCOMPETENT if they can not take at least a draw from this game – especially at home – and with us playing Udinese midweek in a must win.
I wouldnt be at ALL surprised if we lost this game 5-1.
@Fred,
Yep. We’ll struggle to hold the ball for any length of time as we have no one who can really hold the ball under pressure. Ramsay just keeps passing the ball back to the keeper when pressed.
There might be a scenario where we score a goal out of nowhere and then settle down, however the more likely outcome is Newcastle running all over us with the likes of Cabaye and Marvaeux out to impress. If they score early a thrashing is not out of the realms of possibility.
@Mazza,
If they score first, they thrash us 5-1.
I always assume we’ll score though. We still have “Bam, Bam Persie”.
One thing for sure, is that this game is a dead-cert “over 2.5” … if you know what I mean ;-) Ofcourse, now that I have said it, they will fight themselves to a tepid 0-0 draw lol
@Fred, Loll.. I’ve got money on the dead cert…
The day of reckoning is upon us. Listen to the bell Arsene, it tolls for thee. (Ditto Gazidis, PHW, Kroenke, Rice, Kroenke.)