A pleasure to be reminded this morning that the return of domestic football is not too far away with the release of the PL fixtures.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the World Cup, even as an England fan, but international football does not have that total grip of Arsenal and the daily twists and turns of PL football. It does not have the means of inciting the same exquisite pain as following Arsenal.
I thought I’d have a look at the ten opening games and a possible 30 points in the bag. Lets face it by 1st November we will know if it is three more glorious years or back to marching, turquoise snoods and civil war.
We start with a visit from the nutcase with the drum on the 16th August. I am attending a wedding that day so that clears me of any responsibility for murdering the bastard. Assuming Mr Taylor is not handed the whistle we should get our domestic campaign underway with a positive result and some momentum. Next up A trip to Merseyside and the chance to make amends for the recent disappointment at Goodison in April that nearly, nearly, spoiled a good season. Will Lukaku still be there …… or even Coleman ? Who knows –who cares. I think we can assume that the Everton game will be televised.
Leicester, who apparently did not like it up ‘em, or was that us? I have no idea but I suspect of the three promoted teams it is the Foxes who will struggle most. We shall run the fox down and the hounds tear the quivering vermin to pieces.
And then the great blue Satan, at home. A real serious test of our, and Citeh’s, League credentials. No hiding place.
A ticket to the Citeh game somewhere has my name on it, the fixture falling closest to my the 50th anniversary of my first game at Highbury.
Villa away ? Three points, Spuds at home ? Well conceivably they will make a game of it though about six games into the season it seems reasonable to anticipate the N17 faithful will be calling for the head of Pochettino.
And then, the weekend of the 4th October, Chelsea – Stamford Bridge – no hiding place for them, and their new signing, and none for any Arsenal player – no sir – not that day.
Hull, S’nlunn, Burnley ? Ppppppfffffff !
So 30 points in the bag ?
Well that would be a tall, tall order. We do however possess the tools, we must make sure that we do the job.
Right, you can get back to the World Cup now, Lawrenson and all !
Today’s dose of positivity was brought to us courtesy of @anicoll5
Positively Arsenal 
The refs at this world cup are something else! Then again, with a ref’s chief even dodgier than Riley, that shouldnt really be a surprise I guess.
Talking of Higuain. When we were heavily linked to him and seemingly had everything agreed; personal terms and the transfer fee, I was pretty chuffed as I felt he could compliment and augment our attack.
Then Real played silly greedy buggers, raising the asking price from £22m to about £35m. Napoli, flushed with after flogging another over priced striker, snapped him up and Arsenal and Wenger were roundly slated and castigated.
But, Higuain never was worth that ridiculous sum. Wenger had the price bang on. Higuain’s performances and stats for Napoli show that too.
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Balotelli has clearly been instructed by Wenger to have a stinker at this world cup, in order to keep other clubs away from him and to lower the asking price.
Genius move le boss!
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One of the lads who serves me my pre match ritual kebab supports Iran so I was willing them on, real shame.
Our performance against Uruguay might possibly be the worst performance in the competition, dispelling the myth english players are world class.
paddy v’s assertion that Gerrard should keep playing based on pirlos performances at his age were way off the mark, you can continue playing at 35/36 if you are brilliant enough to dictate a game and know when a two yard pass is as important as a defence splitting twenty yarder and not just ping balls diagonally the length of the pitch all game long.
Unfortunately our media are many inward looking and so players way ahead of the niche their talent deserves. While before the tournament the press were hailing Baines as a world beater, how many left backs have you already seen not including the one in our own camp we left behind just so another press wonderkid could get a nice holiday.
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George the pedantic
I have my sunday post up this morning http://wp.me/p4FeF9-5W
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Playing Gerard deeper and deeper to accomodate his knackered legs and increasing immobility was fair enough when it was Brendan Rodger’s choice to do so at Liverpool.
Roy continuing the misguided theme for England was tantamount to treason! (Thro him in the Tower!), espcially given that his only company was the incredibly underwhelming henderson.
You are right a or b, Gerard is nothing like Pirlo and isnt going to suddenly turn into him simply because he is almost as old as him and has had to be played deeper as he ages. His whole game was based on dynamism, barn storming runs and yes, those fucking generally waywayd hollywood passes.
The England midfield was devoid of creativity and mobility. Roy persisted with Welbeck as well, which was another reason the midfiled was left wanting, he could and should have played another centre mid (Jack, or Milner, or the unpicked carrick would have been decent options), for reasons only Roy can know.
I wonder if Luke Shaw will get as much stick as Theo did after having the temerity to be picked for a WC at a too early a stage?
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@ Dexter June 22, 2014 at 8:43 am
chuckle
@ a_or_b, Dexter
“You are right a or b, Gerard is nothing like Pirlo and isnt going to suddenly turn into him simply because he is almost as old as him and has had to be played deeper as he ages. His whole game was based on dynamism, barn storming runs and yes, those fucking generally wayward Hollywood passes.”
Well said the pair of you. Different type of player.
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I’m just about to have a read of your blog, a_or_b, but I already love it because of the name!
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gah – I’ve obviously got a on the brain. Regarding the blog, I meant Northbank69. Apologies to all concerned
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Dex even Lallana would’ve been a better pick then Welbeck.
I believe that given the lack of creativity and technique that England need to play JW (when sharp/fit) as an attacking midfielder with someone with more legs in behind, Barkley is far too green and selfish to be any use up there. Perhaps if his coaches had taught him how to tackle better as the Arsenal coaches have done with their players Barkley would be able to look to Ramsey as inspiration and England would have him as an option to play in CM.
I get where Anicoll is coming from. I won’t really criticise the Marquis for being loyal to players, it’s what all great managers do, and we know they all make mistakes just like we do. Those players had won everything for their team. But someone higher up in the Spanish FA should’ve been able to spot the need for transition, they don’t have the excuse of indulging emotions.
Germany’s selection in midfield is odd too, but maybe injuries to players like BS have forced the manager to play Khadeira who can’t be sharp after missing so much football this season. He was sluggish in the CL final as well, and Germany improved after the CM sub yesterday. We don’t know the reasons why, but we can sit back and enjoy the exciting games of football!
But for Hodgson, his selection of his North-West England eleven, players from his former club, makes it hard to have any sympathy which is a shame as he seems nice enough, and is not the worst manager (Capello’s squad selection was so much worse: SWP…). I won’t even mention Gibbs…?
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Podolski has somehow fallen out of favour with Joachim Lowe. Last nights game was crying out for a deep striker with a thunderous left peg shot. This German team have inherited tiki-taka.
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Oh, fair play to Ghana, absolutely excellent and the team most likely to win.
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lol gerrard and pirlo…one looks like he i ssuffering and th eother looks like he is in th egreatest state of mind health clarity brain function etc etc…no comp…on struggles th eother effortless…class pirlo..but they still could go home..damn costa rica.
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I was rooting for Ghana at the start of the tournament and they have cemented my support of them with two great performances rewarded with two unhappy results. They have skill, dynamism, determination, passion–they need a bit better set piece defending and some more clinical work in the final third. But no team has more charisma. And both their home and away kits are absolutely gorgeous again this WC. Team of substance and style. Such a shame they have but one point.
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Fins
The choices the England manager makes are never going to please everyone, clearly, but some of his picks just made no sense.
We looked defensively suspect throughout the warm up games, yet he chose to stick Rooney wide left, in fornt of baines; a defensively weak left back! It pains me to have to agree with some of the pundits, but Cashley was a far more solid option. In fact, Cashley AND Shaw should probably have been the LB picks! Gibbs not being part of the squad may have actually elevated his position in Hodgson’s thinking!
Gerard needs a midfield partner who can not only run around alot, but who can hold onto and use the ball well. That clearly aint Henderson (fuck me, his elevation in the mind’s of the media during LFC’s great run of ultimately pointless victories, was just so bizarre! They even tried it with Joe Allen for a bit too), but I have gone on quite enough about him!
I am sure England played with carrick and Wilshere as the midfield axis previously? If they didnt and I have imagined that, then kudos to me, because that is who Roy should be looking at for the Euro qualifiers. But he won’t!
Sturridge had a great goal scoring season for the scousers and his inclusion was nailed on. However, I dont think he suits the lone striker Hodgson was going with. His hold up play is pretty bizmal, if the Uruguay game was anything to go by. But he has spat his dummy out asked to play before for his clubs.
Lambert might be a decent option in the short term?
Come the Euro qualifiers, we could see Gibbs and Jenkinson in contention for the England 11, given the performances of the current incumbants.
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Dexter, Gerard needs two midfielders beside him to do the hod carrying.
Welbeck was one forward too many in Roy Hodgson’s system.
Gerrard must be out of it now, a completely broken man.
Is there an English Ramsey?
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DC; Yeah, true. Whicj makes the persistence with this set up strange as Roy aint thick and must have also known this.
And english Ramsey? Jack?
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Fins – a bit unkind to refer to them as “North West England”: there was one Chelsea player in the starting line-up.
Anyway – all change for Tuesday. It’s a dead match, so it’ll be important now there’s nothing at stake to give Jack and Alex the chance to get injured before the start of next season. (And presumably the whole defence will be alert to opportunities for putting Joel out of action.)
Sorry if I seem a little jaundiced about the whole sorry shambles. I can assure you it’s as nothing to the way I felt at seeing Rooney doing the post-elimination press Interview. Next England captain, eh? The future looks bright.
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Merlot
there was one Chelsea player in the starting line-up
via Bolton!
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The England team is bereft of starters with lots of CL experience, as I pointed out. And for that reason, someone like Gerrard was relied upon even though controlling a match at his age is not reasonable, not his game. He was there for his experience and leadership to make up for an appalling lack of it elsewhere. Basically just Rooney, Gerard and Cahill have that level of experience. It will be a better and more balanced team when Wilshere is in form, Gibbs is selected ahead of Baines and the Ox is fit. World beaters? No, but more capable than this poor showing.
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Vermealen starts for the Belgies…. Good for him.
Given the fact he, Koscienly and Per look like they could be involved in this WC for a while yet, I am a tad worried about our potential lack of fit CBs come the beginning of pre-season and the CL qualifiers.
With no viable yute dem CBs up to it (apparently) we may be a bit short there… Hopefully Aurier, or Javi Martinez can fill in!
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Nicking 3rd last season would have made all this fairly academic!
Dam you Anthony taylor and a few others and Stoke (obvs).
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Costa Rica have benefited from conditions. That advantage will diminish but perhaps they will get past the first knockout. That will be truly momentous. I will certainly be rooting for them. I think Germany is going to suffer from three tough games in draining conditions, one of the wirst scheduled exacerbated by ling travel flights from their home base in the cooler south. Ozil has played marvelously but looked overheated, red-faced, sweaty and drained in the first 20 minutes of the two matches and isn’t the most robust player to begin with. As talented as that side is, he really is the creative heartbeat, the one with the class and vision above the others. He’s going to need plenty of recovery time. The Germans could pay for these exertions later in the tournament.
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Dex, good point. Where is Miquel?
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LSG; Yeah, forgot about him. I asked a few days back if we had any decent CBs ready to step up and no one mentioned him, including me! He is another who looked like he had a fair shot of making it. He was at leicester on loan, but wasnt really a regular, although that in itself is no gauge.
He is back at Arsenal again. So we may see him during pre-season I guess.
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I dont see Germnay winning the ting. Like you say Limey, their schedule and conditions will scupper their chances.
While at the same time hampering our preparations for the new season. While the chavs and Mourinho will benefit from a fresh Cesc. Seriously,. that arrogant c*nt is the jammiest manager ever.
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Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico and Ghana are the teams I’d like to see do well.
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Text us on 81111
Posted at
Ibby, Liverpool: Letting my nine-year-old son stay up to watch this match with school tomorrow is irresponsible. Oh well, it’s the World Cup!
—————————
Fucking scousers….
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Michael Bradley.
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usa have a german manager who happens to be their former manager and a boss to their current manager. they will both qualify if they draw their game. i hope fifa see to it that their is fair play in the last group matches. as it stands, all four in the group can still qualify but its not looking good for portugal and ronaldo.
talking of fifa and fair play, van gaal has already indicted them of favouring brazil in the timing of their last group matches.
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Interesting comment from Van Gaal concerning what he seems to think is a FIFA conspiracy to favour the hosts by allowing them to know which of Holland or Chile they will play in the second round.
Following that logic if Brazil’s game had been on before Holland v Chile is he saying it would favour Holland ( or Chile)
If I was Louis I’d just worry about beating Chile so he can avoid Brazil -let other people worry about what times the games start.
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Layk site, shades of Germany-Austeia in 1982(?), which unfairly knocked out Algeria.
Dex, I like your list of teams to support. Columbia. Algeria and Iran earned great respect.
Anicoll, what’s he in about? How does it actually change anyrhing really? He’s clearly a squeaky wheel–what a joy to have him in the PL next season.
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Holland v Chile at 17:00, should be a good match.
Will both teams start with three CBs?
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Fins
Iran were so unlucky (didgy refs again)! They definitely deserve supporting, along with Columbia and Algeria. Great games again yesterday.
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I was about to correct my typo, but I think I prefer didgy!
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Still buzzing from last night. This has been the best world cup in ages.
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harry rednapp : italy and uruguay are average sides
this guy is a professional football manager ?
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PG
Hunter @1:33pm
You have a super new post there!
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New post is up.
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