Good Morning Positive Arsenal fans,
A shockingly sparse landscape as far as Arsenal related stories, real or fabricated. These past few days with events in Paris on Friday night, and the aftermath, still the main focus of both the real news as well as football headlines. I was surprised to see the Belgium v Spain game called off overnight because of “security fears’. One man’s defiance in the face of terrorist threat may be another man’s prudence with the safety of fans and players.
I shall watch the England v France game tonight and probably would have done so anyway. Plenty of Arsenal interest in Les Bleus and while it is very unlikely to be any sort of a footballing spectacle. Hopefully everyone involved will enjoy the game and return safe.
As mentioned in last night’s comments Callum Chambers put in a sound performance at centre back against a rather good Swiss side in Brighton on a foul evening. The visitors were very quick and dangerous. Four starts in a row for the player for the U21s so he is getting some useful real game time although his chances in the first team have been limited. It seems clear the boy’s future is centre back rather than at full back.
A last minute test for Alexis Sanchez in Montevideo tonight before he goes into combat with the Uruguayans. I expect him to play as if he fails a fitness test then it is probably because he is really, really injured. Just at the moment that would be a blow with the trip to the Hawthorns then Zagreb, and injuries still pressing. The match kicks off at 11.00 pm London time tonight so I shall be ignorant until tomorrow.
Later in the week the trip to West Brom and, as I may have mentioned earlier in the month, I shall be attending the game with No1 son. We have tickets among the home fans so it will be a somewhat subdued Anicoll5 in the ground. It is a very long time since I have stood or sat among the opposition. I am confident times have changed. Ideally, for reasons of personal comfort, an uncontroversial 1-0 win would do us nicely. Clattenburg has the whistle so that is cause for mild relief.
I have also obtained tickets for travel to the ground by canal barge from Gas Street Basin in central Birmingham. It is about an hour and you are dropped 20 minutes walk from the Hawthorns. Again I suspect we shall be surrounded aboard by locals on the “Baggies’ Barge” but travelling to the football by canal is an outing that it was too good to avoid.
Be assured that the match review will be available Sunday, win, lose or draw, and hopefully a few snaps of the game not to mention the trip to the ground.
Enjoy the rest of the week. ‘Til Saturday comes ……..
*Cartoon by Bruce Bairnsfather at the top from his “Fragments of France” collection
Positively Arsenal 
It certainly feels a long time since Arsenal played and aside from our thoughts for our Gallic neighbours, the overwhelming feeling concerning Arsenal are our injury worries. One senses the season might be on something of a knife-edge and points dropped between now and, say January, could be the undoing of our season, regardless how strongly we return to the fight after the post-Xmas lull.
Fingers crossed for good news on all fronts!
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AA that’s it in a nutshell. Although I believe Arteta will ave a gig say in the coming weeks.
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I felt we were on a knife edge after Bayern and running into the Spurs game: the injuries had taken their toll and players looked less than their normal spritely selves. That they dug deep to finish the game strongly was a good effort and lets hope that this long break has helped. Those already injured have had more time to recover, and those still fit have had a break and a change of scene, even if they have had to play. All this is obvious, but sometimes just breaking up the routine and rhythm can help. And somehow the extraordinary news about the Flamster’s business acumen, not to mention his game changing appearance replacing the ailing Santi (and of course his brace in the COC) have meant that many fans have remembered that he is a decent player, that he can still offer something and that playing for The Arsenal means something to him. So if he can enjoy a bit of cult hero status then I reckon that will spread a feel good factor through the team and help us over the next few weeks.
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The sudden surge in injuries was unexpected as so far this season we had seemed to have almost all our key players available and fully firing. After Ramsey went out of the Bayern game suddenly we were dropping like flies, the Ox, Theo, Hector and Kosc.
Hector and Kosc’s ( partial) absence I thought we covered well. It took Debuchy a game or two to sharpen up but he was far better against Spuds. No Theo and Ox, and no Ramsey stretched midfield tight though.
A handy international break, dull though it is.
It will be interesting to see what Arsene says at his pre match press con, presumably Friday after the players are all back, about players returning. Ideally both Theo and Ox will be back after what looked like not too serious strains.
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Theo is a few weeks away.
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i pray for all injured players that they may come to rescue our club
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Theo not expected back for two weeks at the least, and latest reports suggest Ramsey won’t be back this weekend, but maybe back for Norwich game.
One of the odd things about Arsenal’s injury problems over the years is that it seems we get lots of injuries in the same position at the same time, a few years ago we had five or six guys who could play left back all out at the one time, then another season it was everyone who could play striker, last season we had all our CB’s out, and now this season its six players who can play wide right.
I’m not sure if this is actually better than having say six injuries spread right across the team, or if still being able to field 9 or 10 very good players with 1 or 2 fifth or sixth choice is better
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How desperate can some on line hacks be?
Rico Henry – Walsall
Who? The 18-year-old left-back is making a name for himself with Walsall in League One, and has quickly gone about earning himself the tag of being ‘the next Ashley Cole’. While that accolade could be accused of being premature, it’s no secret that Arsenal have struggled to convince at left-back since Gael Clichy left the club with Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs both failing to lock down to position. Henry could join the club in January but return to Walsall for the rest of the season on loan.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/alexis-sanchez-injury-arsenal-forward-a-doubt-for-chile-game-vs-uruguay-after-picking-up-calf-injury-a6737551.html?
“struggled to convince” at left back!!!!
Yes we are football news starved during an international break but this is beyond comical…..
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Bizarre that so many right flank players should go down with injuries within a few games of one another eddy, and they all seem to have succumbed to similar calf/hamstring strains rather than anything more serious or permanent.
Certainly seems Theo is out until the end of the month but I don’t know about the Ox. I assume Joel is still raring to go although I see he has another qualifier in Panama tonight
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Clash of the Titans tonight in Copenhagen – Bendtner v Ibrahimovic !
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an odd thing on our injuries too is that at youth team level we have had a lot of our fullbacks out with long term injuries over the last two season. Which has meant wingers and centeral defenders playing at fullback, I suppose all good for their overall development, but it is said that some of the lads being played out of position to cover for the injured fullbacks think that they will miss out on a pro contract as their performances will not be consistent or good enough and that the lads playing in the wide attacking roles are pushing ahead of them.
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Sorry to say I have been traveling for the past week and was unable to earn my keep at PA. I had a few ideas percolating but it might have been for the best I didnt have a chance to write as my ramblings would have been lost in the post terrorism aftermath.
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Germany v Holland called off after Explosives found in an ambulance near to the stadium in Hannover
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Thank goodness they found the explosives before they were detonated eduardo. Having been out on public transport in London today, the heightened security and police presence was notable. It’s certainly hard to go about your business with the usual nonchalance.
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Poor defending there by France
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I have no shame ( banned winkey thing)
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anicoll5:
Aggregate result from Copenhagen:
Prince Zlatan 3
Lord Bendtner 0
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Zlatan the master Dk – apart from the goals he defended like a maniac !
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Result in tonight’s game was 2-2 but it was too little too late from Denmark. Zlatan had already stolen the game. Four goals – a lot of poor defending, I must say.
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Right anicoll – he was always back for the corners and free-kicks, getting his big bonce in the way. The first goal was either a well-worked corner routine or a fucking awful corner from Kim Källström which Zlatan turned into a scoring opportunity. The free-kick goal was absolute perfection.
Seb Larsson also had a good game – ran his heart out and disrupted the Danes all evening.
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Check this out:
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The Danes tried hard from the parts of the game I saw, Eriksen a couple of flashes, but the Swedish defence was very solid all night – it needed an early bit of magic but it never happened
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It’s ok – he’s fit – According to Twitter anyway
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Yeah – looks like Alexis starts. Doesn’t mean he’s fit though.
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Watched 20 minutes. Alexis full of running.
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Absolutely no sympathy amongst the world football community in relation to Martial leaving Wembley on crutches
Shocking
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1-0 Uruguay and the ref is going to have problems controlling this one. Nailed on red card at some point.
Time for bed.
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Uruguay eh – who’d believe that ?
Muzzle In place I trust
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ManU also lost Valencia for a few months this week.
–
Just the full ninety for Sanchez in a genteel kick about with Uruguay.
*blubbers into hanky*
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And a 3-0 hiding for Chile – that will tune him up nicely to tear into the Baggies !
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Booing Giroud at Wembley?
what a proper wanky spudfest it was last night.
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Good old Kim Kallstrom is going to the Euros.
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More trouble in France this morning.
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I don’t think the problem with Alexis is necessarily burn out. After all he is a fit young athlete at the peak of his physical powers. Rather perhaps that he is a flair player who has peaks and troughs of form.
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Rob Harris @RobHarris 41m41 minutes ago
Prem Lge chairman Scudamore jokes to London audience: When I grew up it was Arsenal and Leeds, I didn’t like any of them. I still don’t!”
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Paddy Power @paddypower 17h17 hours ago
Tottenham have provided more England players than any other club. Maybe that’s the problem.
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A front row Block 4 seat for Sunlun patiently harvested this afternoon, thank you Season Ticket Holder with better things to do on a Saturday afternoon
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or maybe one of those season ticket holders who is above watching a mundane team like Sunderland
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An article about Kroenke and his NFL moves
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-11-18/nfl-owner-stan-kroenke-wants-to-take-over-l-a-
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You’d think they would be flocking in to see a side managed by the illustrious Big Sam eddy ?
As the great man memorably said in 2011;
“I’m not suited to Bolton or Blackburn, I would be more suited to Internazionale or Real Madrid,” said Allardyce. “It wouldn’t be a problem to me to go and manage those clubs because I would win the Double or the league every time.
“Give me Manchester United or Chelsea and I would do the same, it wouldn’t be a problem. It’s not where I’m suited to, it’s just where I’ve been for most of the time. It’s not a problem to take me into the higher reaches of the Champions League or Premier League and would make my job a lot easier in winning it.”
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really love how modest big sam is. but I suppose its like a politician making election promises knowing he will never have to deliver on them.
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If you don’t sign you’ll stay on the bench, listening to Frimpong talk bout Dench:
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Early team news – Bellerin is back, but Ramsey and Oxlade-Chamberlain are not.
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Wenger says he will leave Koscielny out of West Brom game if he feels he is not yet in the right frame of mind
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Arsene in reflective mood in the conference this morning as befits the mood across Europe. It looks like Joel and Alexis will be required on Saturday.
Looking at the WBA side they had a couple of layers in South American World Cup action, including a Costa Rican, so both sides will have a few weary limbs.
Checking the Albion website I see they still have tickets on sale for Saturday (for home fans) which is interesting – call it the Pulis effect
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TEAM NEWS: BELLERIN, RAMSEY AND WALCOTT
Arsène Wenger has revealed the latest team news ahead of Saturday’s Premier League game against West Bromwich Albion:
on Bellerin…
Hector is back in full training.
on Ramsey and Oxlade-Chamberlain…
Ramsey should be available on Monday, and maybe Chamberlain as well.
on Walcott…
He is doing well, he could be a bit ahead of schedule but still you count a few weeks more while Rosicky, Wilshere, Welbeck will be later.
on if Koscielny is in right state of mind for Saturday…
I will talk with him. It’s a big game for us. I have not talked to him yet, but I will talk to him to see if he’s completely recovered and focused.
Copyright 2015 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to http://www.arsenal.com as the source
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20151119/team-news-bellerin-ramsey-and-walcott#yz4tAebXBLCrSccj.99
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anyone else think its a bit stupid and over the top having the French national anthem played before all Premier League games this weekend
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