Good morning Positives,
What a good result! A 5-1 aggregate score and two legs in which we comfortably ended the games in control is a rarity in European competitions at this stage where the ‘better’ clubs are coming face to face.
Of the game itself I thought we started a bit jittery and out of sorts, not helped by Kosc’s injury. The Frenchman immediately looked uncomfortable after going up for a corner, and not able to run so I was surprise it took 4-5 minutes to take him off.
With Laurent gone the teams traded possession for the next 30 minutes with neither side showing really testing the keeper or creating a clear goalscoring opening. Milan’s final ball was poor, as it had been to the San Siro, and our attacks ran went to the edge of the visitors’ box before running out of ideas.
The goal from Calhanoglu on 36 minutes was entirely unexpected, for me as much as Ospina. Good goal, 30 yards, corner of the net. Could the Colombian have been more alert and at least got a hand to it? Could Bellerin and/or Mustafi have shut the striker down quicker as their shouting match after the goal went in hinted at ? We shall never know.
There was a bit of a groan around me I admit but the goal was exactly what the tie needed and we responded immediately. We surged forward and within a minute it seemed Danny went down in a heap. Even from the other end it looked soft as the referee and the 5th official eyed each other up coyly. The Swedish referee nevertheless pointed spot-ward and Milan players went beserk, as I suspect any group of players would do in similar circumstances. Nessun sente da che parte preme la scarpa, se non chi se la calza. For all the fuss Danny stepped up and despatched the generous gift left and Donnarumma dived right. A collective sigh of relief was heard as far away as Hampstead Heath as we knew it was not going to be one of ‘those’ nights. Referee Eriksson compounded his guilt a few moments later by denying Milan a penalty when Callum Chambers arm was up but that would have been harsh.
The rest of the game I admit is a bit of a blur although as I did not get home until 2 this morning is a bit fuzzy anyway. The main recollection however is of Arsenal largely controlling the game. The pivot of that control last night being our Swiss midfielder, though whom it seemed most ball was channeled from back to front, and against Granit wall the RossoNeri battered to little effect as he covered ground and space, nicked the ball away and put a sly foot in as required. A really professional performance and capped by the killer second goal as far as Milan were concerned, a shocking cock up by a keeper who up until then in the tie had been excellent. Man of the match Xhaka. Enjoy your moment, you have worked hard for it. Merit points for Aaron, Jack, Mustafi, Callum and Danny.
Of the atmosphere 90% of Milan fans in the ground and singing an hour before kick off ! By Kick off + 5 I could see only a few empty seats in the upper tiers in the East and West Stands at the sides but it looked full to me. Plenty of noise throughout and lots of fans stayed after the final whistle to applaud all the players on both teams off the pitch. Arsenal fan next to me left immediately Donnarumma fumbled the second goal into his net – he’d seen enough.
At midday UK time we shall discover who the next opponents are in the Europa League and the hoopla will start again.
Enjoy Friday and the international break.
Positively Arsenal 
Leave of absence approved.
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I thought I’d best put in a chitty
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Anicol, Man U to beat Spurs, then whoever wins the other Semi to win the final. I assume Chelsea.
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It is very tricky isn’t it Mark – Jose, Tottingham, and then the Rent Boys- talk about the moral maze.
The perfect solution would be a Mancs SF win and Chelsea to crash out followed by a Manc defeat a la 1976 to the Saints with Luke Shaw scoring an own goal to decide the trophy.
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“Southampton go mad”
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I see several articles about AFC contract offer to Jack Wilshere and some include quotes from Jack Wilshere with the main theme that Arsenal have made him a final take it or leave it offer where his basic pay is cut but bonus payments dependent on his fitness and performance could see his wages greatly increased. From his quotes it very much looks like Wilshere has one foot out the door.
How will we ever replace his goals and assists
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Interesting news from England camp is that they have shelled out for some specialised, expensive asthma testing (apparently costs about 50 grand for whole squad).Eucapnic Voluntary Hyperpnea.
Quite possibly an idea of doctor there with background in athletics who previously worked with sir Mo.
Hmmm…is it really likely any of them have undiagnosed asthma?
Anyway, the question of interest to me is whether there are already footballers taking the sorts of asthma medication which have caused trouble for Froome, Wiggins and others.
People joke, or are maybe serious, about certain clubs using PEDS. Find it hard to imagine, but a big surge in new asthmatics, using drugs that aren’t strictly outlawed, does seem possible.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5528967/England-stars-controversial-asthma-tests-ahead-World-Cup.html
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Are they borrowing it from Spurs or City?
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I’m wheezing with laughter at the thought of all those poor asthmatics being forced to play professional sports with a gun pointed to their heads.
If that’s a path of BS they want to pursue, then they won’t be playing for the modern day arsenal, as with Lauren when he arrived following EPO in Italy there’d be no more monkey gland business.
Vengarrrrrrghhhhhh…..
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The historical record in the English football league regarding monkey glands helps explain why Monkey Magic was so popular in latter years.
The less we delve into Piggsy’s murky past the better.
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Blood spinning?
It’s the perfect sport for our times.
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Talk of Wilshere injury.
Hopefully only minor and nothing to do with ankle or an idiot putting in heavy challenge on ankle.
Anything serious now and… phhhh
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Ben Dinnery
Verified account @BenDinnery
1h1 hour ago
Jack Wilshere has not travelled with the Three Lions squad to Amsterdam. The Arsenal midfielder was hoping to feature against Holland on Friday but will not be involved. Gareth Southgate is expected to provide an update later this evening. #AFC #ENG
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rich, the whole asthma thing has long been used by Rugby teams to by pass certain drugs that are not normally allowed in pro sports.
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It all puts an interesting bloody spin on the 2012 medal haul* Marion Jones can eat her enlarged heart out!
*I watched the Field Hockey, but not the Cycling…though I have taken a spin round the 2012 Velodrome, which was great fun! Highly recommended. No need to be snorting steroids whilst wearing Lycra in order have some sporting fun.
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Would you put it past some miscreant leaving a foot in in training on Jack, I wouldn’t
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testing
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My laptop is on the blink. Now is when I regret not making a note of passwords and email addresses.
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No non-match memories? That’s a pity. How about some information then?
* When and for what reason, if given, was the linesman’s flag, changed from red to red and yellow cheque?
* Anyone know why, bar the glee of agents and players, the old transfer system…no transfers affecting teams with top positions or relegation fears,after February was changed? Was it just Bosman?
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Bosman came in about 95 Ian but before that there was always a cut off point whereby clubs could not sign or loan players in the final couple of months.
Ironically there was a big fuss about it though as clubs claimed hey could get big money in the final phase of the season, when buying clubs were desperate to sign new players to avoid relegation or ensure their promotion, but by the Summer the market had gone into hibernation with no gate money coming in and relegation and promotion issues already settled.
Id much prefer just to have a Summer close season window – albeit that it would cost the jobs of hundreds of football journos.
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Not a lot of sympathy out there for Jack in Arseland, or at least in the bits I visit. I cannot understand why he is reluctant to sign a contract in which his rewards are tied to performance and appearances. Surely he doe not ‘expect’ to be injured. Does Jack really think the contract offer he will get anywhere else will be much different ?
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anicol the jack “fanboys” are out in force across twitter world, and blogs etc, not only content in attacking AFC for not giving Jack “what he wants” but also declaring he should be our next captain, and of course these guys also add in attacks on ramsey, eleney and xhaka, even ozil, in fact anyone who they see as potentially keeping their Jack out of the AFC starting 11, so of course Wenger included in their ire.
one of the better articles on the contract situation with Jack is from she wore
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not sure where my last post has gone in response to anicol’s about Wilshere, but will repeat, lots of wilshere fansboys out there across blog world and twitter land, doing their usual of putting jack above all things AFC.
one of the better articles about jack’s contract situation is from she wore
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testing
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odd, my testing post appears, but I’ve had 3 posts before it in reply to anicol not appear.
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on transfers
there are many trying to utterly change the transfer system, in fact trying to scrap it altogether. Player unions, agents, EU, some in UEFA and FIFA, and even some clubs.
Player unions and agents want the transfer fees gone so as player wages and agents fee can grow even more. EU want it gone as they see it as a form of slavery if you like.
some of the mega money clubs want it gone so that they can increase their power in the game by using their money on massive wages, but overall saving lots of money not having to pay fees. They see it as a way to ensure staying at the top, but with less expense. the poorer clubs just could not compete at all, and would find it impossible to compete on wages.
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several of the Arsenal squad are out in Dubai doing coaching sessions at an Emirates and Arsenal soccer school
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I have a feeling SheWore might be on the auto-banned list eddy
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I’m back with a brand new spanking laptop
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http://untold-arsenal.com/archives/67856
“in 2015 by De Bleeckere the then responsible person for the top referees in Belgium, who did his last CL match at the Emirates a few years before that in fact, he said (and I will translate it from Dutch of course): “Our refs make 85% correct decisions on the key moment. Last season the number of correct decisions on key moments was only 72%. Also our assistants made progress as they judged 87% of the offside decisions correct. Last season this was 73%.”
You can’t run away or hide from the discrepancy here. However much you may have tried.
Lucky us to have the superhuman PGMOB crew running not racketeering our league with their superhuman levels of fitness and focus too, which must helpfully explain how they can have l as officials performing on a regular basis in theirbkeaguesb when they have less teams and fixtures (you can all do the maths, I am confident in your abilities). Unless they’re doping too!! Could explain some things…
Yep. The pgMOB truly can be observed to act and conduct itself like a collection of remarkable Ubermen.
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What does the “key moment” mean Fins ?
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If the “key moment” is referring to points in the game and contentious decisions in which the referee has a split second to make up his mind then I’d guess 85% correct is about right, although in identifying the other 15% errors is he saying the decisions were obviously wrong at the time in real time, or it was after reviewing the incident again in slo-mo etc ?
That seems quite important – do you have a link for the original 2015 article in Dutch or English?
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<< explain how these strange foreign leagues can have more officials performing on a regular basis in their leagues when they have less teams and fixtures…
…I guess that those refs in the Milan games were not from Busacca's stable.
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You can ask Walter if you don’t trust him
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if there isn’t a link in his article.
But seeing as he has trained with half the refs in that assessment I’m guessing he has a good idea of how they do it in the lowlands.
But no. You do not have to trust him.
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Of course if one has had trouble digesting the Untold data which was collected using the exact same metrics used to asses the refs in Belgium, safefully assuming that would be the standard metrics used to asses refs by institutions such as FUFA, then…
…perhaps the pgMOB are the only people on the planet who are capable of assessing their fellow referees? Everyone is certainly entitled to an opinion but no that one is not for me.
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I read the Untold piece and searched for the original Belgian article without success Fins. I am not sure what point Walter or in fact the original Belgian is making. There is no particular dispute referees and the various line officials make errors and sometimes they are avoidable errors that should not be made in real time. The vast majority of errors, in my opinion, are however blink of an eye choices that are only verifiable as right or wrong with the benefit of a video replay, and usually several video replays.
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re: anicoll5 post
March 23, 2018 at 1:25 pm
it had crossed my mind that the link to she wore I was trying to post may have been the problem, but I assure you, even if its for a change from she wore, their article on wilshere/ramsey today was good
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I read it eddy – first in very long time – it was fine – he should have more of a sense of humour about his cuff link enterprise and not have blocked me on Twitter
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If one has had trouble digesting the Untold data which was collected using the same metrics used to asses the refs in Belgium, safefully assuming that would be the standard metrics used to asses refs by institutions such as FUFA, then it doesn’t really matter if there was a link, but you can always ask Walter, he is nice just like you!
It did cross my mind that perhaps the pgMOB are the only people on the planet who are capable of assessing their fellow referees?
That was a brief crossing!
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Won’t link a site that is not so rated by many on here, but worth finding somewhere to read the recent Vlad Dragomir interview, or a translation unless you speak his language.
Basically, totally craps on all that nonsense out there with the media/malcontents, and sadly, some ex players, about Arsenals coaching methods being stuck in the stoneage, with a bunch of dinosaur coaches who do nothing but spend their day just nodding along to whatever Arsene Wenger tells them.
VD, unfortunate initials aside, also mentions the negativity at the moment, the difficulty it creates, but basically, they just have to get on with it.
All this from a highly talented under 19, one who has a lot of exposure to the first team squad, their training and their methods. And one who clearly idolises, and is allowed to learn from our very finest.
Just goes to show, as we on here know, that most of the stuff out there about our club is made up at best, deliberately undermining at worst. I am sure there are always improvements to be made, and things regularly need freshening up, but this club , under arch Luddite Arsene Wenger is clearly at the forefront of many good things
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Afternoon all,
The only newsworthy item today is the report that there is to be a significant increase in the number of Select group referees from the start of next season to address the current limited number insufficient to provide VAR coverage and imminent retirements. So expect to see a few new faces up on the dartboard of public outrage in the near future, and could this mean Deano is finally hanging up the whistle ??
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seemingly in an interview with Bein sport Arsene Wenger has said that he intends to make Jack Wilshere Arsenal captain.
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Mesut Ozil is out of the Germany squad for their game v Brazil, its not clear if its an injury or if he is just being excused the wordload of an extra game
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I find these quotes from Bellerin’s agent interesting,
Albert Botines (Bellerín’s agent) on reported interest from Juventus: “There’s no contact for Bellerín, no-one has sought me out. He’s happy, he’s recently renewed [his contract] & he’s playing consistently.”
has Hector signed a new contract at AFC.
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I watched Juventus against Spurs and in the first game the Italians had a right back called de Sciglio who was very good, a real defender. He missed the Wembley game because of a yellow card. Checking his details he is just 26, can play anywhere long the back line and they just signed him in Summer 2017 from Milan on a 5 year contract.
Why would Juve want Hector ?
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Arsenal players on international duties:
Ospina | Colombia
Koscielny | France
Kolašinac | Bosnia and Herzegovina
Welbeck & Wilshere | England
Aubameyang | Gabon
Xhaka | Switzerland
Mkhitaryan | Armenia
Ozil | Germany
Elneny | Egypt
Iwobi | Nigeria
Maitland-Niles | England U21
Reine-Adelaide | France U20
Virginia | Portugal U21
Keto | Finland U21
Dasilva | England U20
Willock, Nelson & Nketiah | England U19
Gilmour | Scotland U19
Mavropanos Greece U21
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Mezut is being rested by the Germans for the second game and so is being g released to return to ARSENAL
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The FA have confirmed that Jack Wilshere will not play in England’s friendly against Italy at Wembley on Tuesday. He will now head back to Arsenal and continue recovery from a Knee injury.
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