Good morning to you from Norfolk on Saint Andrew’s Day. There may be dancing in the streets later on. Thus far not.
I do not intend to write much about yesterday’s game at Carrow Road. It was not a game that inspired the muse, well my muse anyway. On the day a point was earned. I have to be content. The PL ground we hoped to be able to make up on our rivals we did not, but other than Citeh none of those rivals did much this weekend to extend their scintilla of a lead or close the gap behind us. We lose two more players to injury, two players who had been injured came back. We require a week of rest and of careful preparation for the Black Cats who come into town with sprits and results raised by the balloon that is Fat Sam. As I mentioned yesterday perhaps after all, not a bad week to be out of the Capital One Cup and another potential battering. Sunlun appear to have unearthed a good young player in Watmore of whom we shall hear more. I shall be there. I expect every man to do his best. As we move into December our spirits traditionally rise, and so it should be this year.
Taking a pace back from the daily fracas that is the Premier League, or so it sometimes feels like, it does no harm to place recent domestic results in perspective. Two points off the front of the pack and no one in the top four/five/six teams playing with consistency. For each of the sides, other than Leicester ironically, one game excellent, by the next game their piecrust has crumbled. As we led the PL after 14 games two seasons back in early December we had 34 points. Chelsea had 39 points after 14 games last season. ( Whatever happened to Chelsea?) The joint leaders today have 29. The opportunity is there for us, indeed for any club, to seize this trophy.
Is there a reason for this pile-up at the top of the PL with clubs tripping over one another and not able to put a string of decent results together? In line with the discussions on here last week on the topic of ‘luck’ there is undoubtedly a set of elements causing the chaotic effect. I’m buggered if I can see what has changed so radically over the past few months.
If English League football is a riddle inside an enigma at the moment then our European form, horribly shakey at the start of the season, is now much more on track. We were superb against Zagreb in case anyone’s memory has faded over the past six days. Progress in our own hands. I see Olympiakos had an straightforward win over the weekend at home and have two domestic games before meeting us on the 9th.
Right that will do me this Monday morning. I have my own opportunities to seize!
Positively Arsenal 
Who ‘knew’ Danny Welbeck would be out until the New Year eddy ?
AW on the 10th September;
“When I was in the press conference on Friday morning (4th September) , I did not know Welbeck had a bad setback. I did not lie to you, I gave you the information I had. I heard late on Friday night that his condition had not evolved as well as we thought it was and he had needed a specialist and needed further investigation.”
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/sep/10/arsene-wenger-transfer-policy-danny-welbeck-injury
The transfer window closed at 6pm on the 1st September.
As for Rosicky he had his operation on the 4th August, long before Danny Welbeck and as the link to the article I gave you was expected to be back in ‘eight weeks’, have another one if you prefer;
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/aug/12/arsenal-tomas-rosicky-knee-surgery
So how would you, or AW, or anyone, know TR would be out until the New Year ?
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there was no press conference on 4th of september, we had no game that weekend, there was one on the 28th of aug for Newcastle game, and the next one was on the 10th for the stoke game. Wenger as I stated denied lying about it at the pre Newcastle press call, and at the pre Stoke one said he only knew op was needed later that day.
Arsenal.com had an article on sept 3rd stating that Danny already had his op and would be out for several months
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20150903/danny-welbeck-undergoes-knee-surgery
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Reports that Real Madrid are to be thrown out of the Copa Del Rey, as they played Cherysev, who was suspended, in their 3-1 win away to Cadiz last night.
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So the Welbeck’s operation took place between the evening of the 28th, after the newcastle Press conference, and the 3rd September.
Seem to me a bit harsh to suggest that to say AW should therefore have known to he would be out until the New Year – and signed someone ?
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I’ve just seen my first “Liverpool to win Premier League?” Headline
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So if Welbeck’s operation took place between the evening of the 28th, after the Newcastle Press conference, and the 3rd September then Arsene would have had plenty of time to put on the disguise he had so carefully assembled, cycled to the London residence of Lord Edgeware and administered a lethal dose of cyanide.
It was staring us in the face all the time….
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TEAM NEWS: KOSCIELNY, WALCOTT AND GIBBS
Arsène Wenger has revealed the latest team news ahead of Saturday’s Premier League game against Sunderland:
on the team news…
We will make a decision on Saturday on Koscielny and Walcott, they could both make the squad. Gibbs is available again for the weekend.
on Alexis, Cazorla and Arteta…
At the moment on Alexis, Santi and Mikel, we don’t know how long they will be out for.
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/20151203/team-news-koscielny-walcott-and-gibbs#cjtp3epmz5YlAevT.99
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Clearer prognosis on Arsenal injuries now emerging. Cazorla: 4 months. Sanchez: 4 weeks. [@JWTelegraph]
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Wenger’s press conference tomorrow is live on Arsenal player from 9am in the morning
JOIN US FOR THE ‘ARSENAL WEEKENDER’
Join us on Arsenal Player from Friday for the ‘Arsenal Weekender’ – with no sign-up required.
Get an access-all-areas pass for Arsenal v Sunderland, including:
Friday, from 9am: Arsène Wenger’s pre-match press conference LIVE
Saturday, 2.30pm: Live match coverage
Saturday, 6pm: Post-match reaction from the boss and players
Saturday, midnight: Extended highlights and goal clips for fans in Europe (midnight Sunday for the rest of the world)
So make sure you join us on Arsenal Player for the ‘Arsenal Weekender’!
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 sourc
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20151130/join-us-for-the-arsenal-weekender-#1U62UibUGc42t0Wg.99
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Ticket exchange has come up trumps. No Chistmas shopping for me on Saturday, although not sure whether £73 is Black Friday discounted now that Fat Sam’s the Sunlun man.
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When’s the FA Round 3 draw?
The match is on the 9th of January, and tickets usually go on sale within a month.
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Third Round Draw. Monday 7th December: not sure what time.
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Wenger on Thierry Henry criticism: ‘Annoyed? Not at all. He needs to talk about something. Personally, I don’t listen to him.’ (Le Parisien)
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If anyone is going to the game tomorrow and fancies a pre-match tactics chat then happy to meet up.
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WENGER – MANY FACTORS CAUSE INJURIES
Arsène Wenger says there are a number of factors that cause injuries in modern football.
The Arsenal manager has welcomed back Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey in recent weeks, while Laurent Koscielny and Theo Walcott could be fit to face Sunderland. But Wenger will be without Santi Cazorla, Alexis and Francis Coquelin for some time after they suffered injuries in November.
“You could analyse many things: the pitches, the pace of the game, the intensity inside the game has gone up,” he said. “But there are as well mental components, physiological components in injuries, emotions in your private life that can have an impact on muscular injuries.
“It’s not as rational and mathematical as people think. You try to master all the scientific aspects but there are as well some irrational factors in injuries sometimes. For example, Cazorla and Coquelin are traumatic injuries. What can you do about that? Nothing.
“Ideally you want them all to be with you but we are prepared to deal with it. It is a big miss with players like that but it is a opportunity for players to come in and fill in and show they have the quality and that they are fresh and that can give a good impact to the team.”
Alexis suffered a hamstring injury at Norwich City last weekend but he was medically fit to play at Carrow Road.
“Alexis had four weeks holiday, he was rested in some games and had all the medical signs to say he was OK to play between Dinamo Zagreb and Norwich,” said Wenger.
“Nobody suggested that he could displace his back or his hamstring. When he was pushed into the boards on the side of the field that did not shock anybody. That injury can come from that as well. I’m not expert enough to know but if you want to blame me I’m OK with it.
“I never force anyone to play. We are in a job where you need to give 100 per cent and to give 100 per cent you must feel absolutely confident and have confidence in your body. I don’t like to push players who are reluctant to play games.”
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/20151204/wenger-many-factors-cause-injuries#W9idJwbOXdlPAg7F.99
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wenger was asked about transfers today, and one line stood out in his answer
“I didn’t ask the board anything. It’s not the board who buys the players.”
WENGER ON TRANSFERS, NEVILLE AND FIFA
Read extra quotes from Arsène Wenger’s press conference ahead of the Tottenham game. For more headlines, visit our Digest page.
on being linked with John Stones…
I ask my players to focus on tomorrow’s game. I didn’t ask the board anything. It’s not the board who buys the players.
on whether he likes John Stones…
We are not after John Stones if that’s what you want to know, we are focused on tomorrow’s game.
on transfers…
We are in December and we will just focus on tomorrow’s game.
on if he’s identifying transfer targets…
At the moment, I’m more focused on responding tomorrow. I gave the answer last week in the press conference that we will be of course open and look outside. At the moment, what is more important is to show how strong we are mentally with what happened to us, and that we respond in a very positive way. We are at the beginning of December. December is a very important month for us.
on having to concentrate on games and transfers…
No, more because on the pitch we want to win football games. Your phone is busy every day from people who propose players, so that’s an aspect. We have a team inside our club who select what’s coming in, what we see. We are well organised on that front. The most important thing for us is the competitive side of our games and to win football games.
on if there’s extra pressure on spending because of injuries…
I’m so used to it that I don’t feel anymore what is extra pressure or pressure. I think you just want to do well and make the right decision for your club, for your team, no matter what kind of pressure you are under. That will not change.
on if it’s an advantage in January to be highest-placed London side…
I don’t know. I just believe when you have a target, you try to get after your target. That’s not down to me to decide that, it’s down to the player [if] he is interested or not to join us.
on Gary Neville…
Good luck. He has the luck to go to a big club because Valencia is one of the biggest clubs in Spain. It’s a great opportunity for him.
on managing abroad…
You must try to understand the local culture, the football club and try to push your ideas through. Overall it’s to find a good compromise between the respect for our local culture without giving up your own way that you see football.
on Fifa and if he has any faith they will be cleared up…
It’s a shock to me, like certainly to you, to discover what happened there. It’s very difficult to swallow for people who are inside our game, that we are governed by bodies who are not straight. I hope that all these people will get out of football. It shows that you have really to rebuild completely this organisation and get people you can trust.
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/20151204/wenger-on-transfers-neville-and-fifa#FpDixZMi4ulMlX1E.99
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looks like Walcott is in the match day squad tomorrow, as Reine-Adelaide is with the U18’s for the FA Youth Cup game tonight. This should also mean Iwobi will be in the squad tomorrow too.
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A very attacking line up for Arsenal’s U18’s
Arsenal starting XI: Keto, Sheaf, Robinson, Agyei-Tabi, Da Graca, M.Bola, Reine-Adelaide, Bennacer, Malen, Hinds, C.Willock
substitutes: Nelson, Phillips, Mavididi, Eyoma, T.Bola
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Bielik not in the squad is a surprise, he may be injured as he did not train with the first team today either.
Both fullbacks are playing out of position, Sheaf is a CM, and Robinson is a winger, but there has been a bit of an injury crisis at full back for the youth teams this season.
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Reine-Adelaide, Bennacer, Malen, 3 of those outfield signings Arsenal didn’t make in the summer
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 51s51 seconds ago
Reine-Adelaide meets a cross at the near post to head @Arsenal Under-18s in front! 1-0 (15) #AFCU18
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 28s29 seconds ago
Reine-Adelaide pulls the ball back to Sheaf who curls the ball into the corner to double the hosts’ advantage 2-0 (25) #AFCU18
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 16s16 seconds ago
Willock wins a penalty, Sheaf steps up but his low drive is saved by Hall 2-0 (31) #AFCU18
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 13s13 seconds ago
HALF-TIME: @Arsenal Under-18s 2-0 West Brom Under-18s #AFCU18
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 7m7 minutes ago
Malen races onto a through ball and produces a composed finish for @Arsenal Under-18s’ third 3-0 (75) #AFCU18
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 2m2 minutes ago
Barbir finds himself unmarked at the back post to pull one back for West Brom 3-1 (86) #AFCU18
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 4m4 minutes ago
Mavididi volleys home Willock’s cross for @Arsenal Under-18s’ fourth 4-1 (90) #AFCU18
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 2m2 minutes ago
FULL TIME: @Arsenal Under-18s 4-1 West Brom Under-18s #AFCU18
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Steve Clarkes reward for being loyal to Reading and turning down the Fulham job a couple of weeks ago, was to get sacked today. Interesting news for gooners is that the mirror is reporting that Bergkamp is in the running for the Reading job.
The Mirror report:
Bergkamp, 46, is one of the names in the frame to succeed Clarke as Reading consider trying to lure a foreign and big-name manager to the Madejski Stadium.
The Royals first assessed Bergkamp’s credentials when they were on the hunt for a new boss a year ago after sacking Nigel Adkins, but instead opted for Clarke.
He has worked with Holland’s B-team and Ajax’s youth sides.
Bergkamp was promoted to the assistant manager position at his former club Ajax in 2011 but is keen to eventually become a manager in his own right.
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Tim I shall be in or outside the George about 2 if you fancy refreshment and conversation
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Still working, looks like I can’t make it!
*sobs*
Have fun.
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