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 
Great cross field pass from Campbell as Costa Rica worked the Italians in the build up for their goal. Lovely goal all round.
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*coughs*
Campbell > Cavani + Balotelli ?
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Costa Rica is for real. If they win and qualify in first place, they have a shot at the semis.
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Systemic hounding me arse, Hunter. Ashley Young got the same treatment a few seasons ago for his diving.
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“Now if Hodgson had dropped Gerard and England had won it would have been hailed as a stroke of tactical genius, on the other if he had dropped Gerard and lost then he would be currently being fed to the alligators by her majesty’s press corps”
I think this is part of the problem for any England manager. They are not actually free to pick the team they want. Too much media and public clamouring for certain ‘untouchables’. Imagine if Arsene did that at Arsenal?
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I was just going to say that, Fins. I’ll take the striker in the white kit, thank you very much.
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We get it hunter, you think the sun shines out of suarez’s every orifice therefore whatever despicable behaviour he displays is forgivable to you. But last time I checked this is neither a Liverpool or Uruguay blog, so give it a rest. We can all admire or appreciate the qualities of players who do not play for our team, but the rest of us know how to keep it in moderation.
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Gains and Fins;
I’ll gladly take Joel and Balotelli thanks!
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I think it’s the result of a Scouse-centric media, Pass. Otherwise, they would have made a huge stink out of leaving the likes of Barry and Carrick at home.
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There appears to be a delusion among England managers Pass that the media are their ‘mates’ , that journos actually care a fig about the England football team or English football generally.
Roy, and every England manager, should have no doubt they are the fucking enemy.
Take a leaf out of England’s greatest ever manager Ramsey – he did all he could to never, ever speak to the press and was renowned for describing journos as ‘vermin’
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“Take a leaf out of England’s greatest ever manager Ramsey – he did all he could to never, ever speak to the press and was renowned for describing journos as ‘vermin’”
Smart man. I wonder how long the media love affair with Rednapp would have lasted had he got the England job?
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Crucial 15 minutes after half time safely negotiated by CR – great stuff
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The point goes back to how do you want to win, park the bus, bite your bum, bribe the ref, fill the pitch with sand, throw in the towel or using the towel. Alternatively work to improve the vision and technique of the players at the club to win with style. When many fans say we should buy him and him and get rid of him, it always makes me think why wouldn’t you want to win with players already at the club. If Roy of the rovers is the best player in the world and you pay through your nose to put him in your side does that make you a better club or just a richer one. So do I want the current best players in the world to play for ARSENAL? No, I want to watch talented players gel into a fantastic TEAM we can call our own and not a eclectic collection of upper echelons.
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Did I just see Mario’s blue touch paper smoking ?
Oh yes I did – fireworks on the way
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Costa Rica might regret losing the pace of Campbell up front as an outlet, but he has run himself into the ground for his team.
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Diaz could be in with a shout for MoTM – he put in that excellent cross for the goal and he’s showing he’s not a bad defender either.
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The owner of Napoli should have taken Wenger’s money instead of laughing at his offer because Insigne is quite shit.
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I thought Ruiz was incredible, but I think Junior Diaz is in with a shout too.
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Would be quite funny if Italy also end up going out of this world cup in the group stage along with England… Suarez can stay in Brazil a bit longer before he sods off to Spain.
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I know it means England are out, but I am thrilled for Costa Rica. They really deserve it.
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Outstanding performance
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Fully deserve the accolades and their qualification from the group.
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I think we can rest easy that Italy v Uruguay will be very tasty indeed – no doubt Howard Webb will be the man in the middle
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Balotelli for Arsenal? He’d want to be working a bit harder than that when things are not going his way.
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What’s up?!
You gotta love Costa Rica. I wouldn’t mind Chile or Costa Rica winning the World Cup. They are a pleasure to watch.
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Passenal
This is just my take on things, but i imagine balotelli isnt that smitten with playing for the national team. Given the amount of racist shit he has had to deal with from his own country folk.
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Yeah, Balotelli looked disinterested for most of the game. To be fair, however, he only had Pirlo lofting balls over the defence. I’m sure he’d be a completely different player with Santi and Ozil passing him the ball. I don’t know what I would do if I were Wenger. I mean, you have Theo coming back and you have Campbell who can also play through the middle. Do you buy Balotelli with his baggage, or do you go with what you have and invest in an RB, CB and holding midfielder?
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Hopefully Roy will see the England team’s elimination as a reason to play those who have a long term future with the national side.
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What’s up, Paul?
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Gains
I just see Balotelli as one of those players who can create something from absolutely nothing, like Henry, Bergkamp and yep, RvP before him. I think we have room for him and Theo and Joel. Especially as the latter 2 can play wide too.
Theo’s injury cam at such a bad time. That game vs the spuds, his all round game, movement etc as the lone striker was just scintilating. His injury lay off has really stunted that striker’s development. Hopefully he comes back stronger.
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Yo, Paul’s inda House!
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Doing well, Gains!
Enjoying the heck out of the World Cup!
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Dex, mi deh ya!
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Fantastic from Costa Rica!! So disciplined in midfield and defense. They were very effective getting the ball back–made it look easy. Very calm on the ball as well. What a revelation Costa Rica are! Well done Joel!
CONCACAF are looking very good right now, apart from the violent Honduras. They might just get three of four teams into the next round and two of them from very difficult groups. Unfancied teams who have really impressed: Chile, Columbia, Mexico, Costa Rica. Any coincidence that these are Latin American teams with huge traveling support filling the stadiums in Brazil?
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Gains, I don’t see why we can’t do all those, if the right players are available. Especially if Balotelli or some other potential striker isn’t too expensive or outrageous in their wage demands. We had money to spend last summer on two big players and just used it for Ozil. with the bew Puma deal why would we not have more available, particularly since a RB, reserve keeper, aren’t going to be that expensive in fee or wages? Not necessarily a choice that has to be made–the decision, to me, is on the players themselves and then whether they can be purchased/contracted individually rather than striker vs. other positions. Thankfully at this stage the club has greater flexibility to meet the several needs and opportunities to improve the team.
I think you can’t blame Balotelli except for missing his two chances in the first half. Italy created very little because CR stifled them through the midfield the entire second half.
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It would be important to hang onto TV this summer and see if the RB we could bring in can be a 4th choice CB, legitimately, or whether the DM we could bring in can play there–like Javi Martinez or Gonalons, who I believe can cover there the way Song was able to do.
Speaking of Song, what was he thinking?!
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Campbell looks terrific and it will be fun to see him play for us. If he is coming and we also have Sanogo to support Giroud, I am not convinced that we need to take a punt on Balotelli – but maybe taking that sort of risk is what you need to get to the next level.
With regard to Suarez, it is sad but true that had he come to Arsenal the media would not have forgiven him for his past transgressions nearly so easily – and they certainly would not have tolerated the diving in the way that they did this last season.
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Limestone, would you agree that TV could play DM, if he stayed. Quite a few have suggested it. I think it would be worth a try.
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Amazing achievement for Costa Rica. Whatever happens now, they can be proud.
@ layksite June 20, 2014 at 1:05 pm
Your boy didn’t let you down!
@ anicoll5 June 20, 2014 at 1:36 pm
And he should have had the courage to do it anyway. Look at Joachim Low and his total re-thinking of the Germany squad. What does Gerrard offer now? Not enough to be a fixture in the team.
@ Gainsbourg69 June 20, 2014 at 3:16 pm
“Hunter, I dislike Suarez because he’s a diver and an all around cheat.”
I second that. Bullet well and truly dodged last summer.
@ passenal June 20, 2014 at 7:00 pm
“Balotelli for Arsenal? He’d want to be working a bit harder than that when things are not going his way.”
Totally agree. You can’t just turn up when you feel like it. Is it awful of me to hope we don’t get him?
The downside of having enough money to buy readymade top players is that the spectres of having players like Balotelli or Cheaty McBitey in the lovely Arsenal squad.
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Paul, TV is never playing in MF. Never ever ever, not even for 5 minutes.
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Hehe.
–
Pogba dropped according to rumours a result of his reaction to the stamping Palacios in the last game. Further indication that the disciplinarian Deschamp has left out Kozza after his red in the first play off and Sakho playing the last game against Ukraine. I’m not complaining!
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Great goal good boy
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Giroud knocks out a CB (hope he’s ok) and scores a header!
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Its a Swiss roll over
Falls off chair with hilarity
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France looked bright in the warm ups!
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Any chance you could accidently* catch Terry under his left eye on 1/11 Olivier ?
(I remember RvP getting a straight red against Thun for less)
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Friendly games > warm ups
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While Switzerland’s 6th place FIFA ranking has always had the whiff of Blatter about it they are not mugs
France really on top though not over yet
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Good response from Switzerland. If they get one back before half time and keep it at two, well, we know what can happen.
Penalty for France after Switzerland respond well to going two down. JD concedes.
And Benzema misses. So does Cabaye!
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Good game with two former CBs up against Giroud.
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