Good day one and all…
Following a three-month furlough the wait for the 2019/20 Premier League campaign is finally over, with the mandatory promise of being better than the year before. Some of the usual suspects has already been in action as we saw both Man City and Liverpool picking up where they left off, and what can I say about our neighbours… Meh!
The headline act of the weekend of course is at the Tyneside’s St James’ Park where Newcastle United are hosting Arsenal for our season opener.
This the start to Unai Emery’s second season with the Gunners, expectations will be raised following an initial campaign that promised much but ended in a flurry. The lack of pleasing enterprise gave cause for concern but the club had a busy summer to try shake things up. We said goodbye to a few favourites and welcomed a fair share of new players.
Amongst the fresh faces many are excited to see is the 24 year-old Ivorian Nicolas Pépé. His 22 Ligue 1 goals last season, only Kylian Mbappe scored more, helped Lille OSC to second place, their best finish since winning the title back in 2010/11. If he can come close to hitting half that number in his debut season, it would help greatly to ease the scoring burden off Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. Another player many are eager to see is the youngster Dani Ceballos, it is hoped that he will inject some much-needed nous into our midfield.
Over at the Tyneside things hasn’t exactly been quiet eh. Steve Bruce is now standing in the spot of Toon favourite Rafael Benitez, whose departure was met with impending gloom. And he wasn’t the only high-profile exit as Ayoze Pérez and Salomón Rondón, who between them scored 23 of the Magpies’ 42 league goals last season, followed him out the SJP’s gates. These players were replaced by a 22 year-old Brazilian who scored 7 goals in the Bundesliga last season, he will be partnered by an aging and usually-crocked Andy Carroll. Who wants to be a Geordie?
It’s tricky to gauge what to expect today. The atmosphere at St. James’ Park is likely to be cold with large sections of their crowd not very pleased with their owner letting go of Rafa. Bruce will have his work cut out trying to win over the Toon army, while walking a tightrope.
Arsenal didn’t had an easy preparation building up to the start of the campaign. Few of those expected to play starring roles arrived quite late in window, some had to shake off knocks this past week while others have a cloud of uncertainty hanging over their futures with the club, and of course we don’t know how the safety concerns of both Mesut Özil and Sead Kolasinac , who were central in our pre-season’s prep, are effecting our squad who seem to be very close to them.
I guess today will just be about getting the first match out of way and of course taking all 3 points back with us to London.
Positivistas… the slate is clean, the canvas is blank and I think we can all agree that at the least we had a decent transfer window. I for am always looking forward to see how things shape up because going into any new campaign with pessimism just wouldn’t be helpful. So let’s get behind the boys, especially those youngsters who came up from the academy because god knows they will need it.
LET’S GO GUNNERS!
@LaboGoon
Positively Arsenal 
Yep, let’s go.
Quite hopeful, pretty excited, but also struggling to calibrate what’s what a little myself.
The talented guy who we have for a year, the highly rated youngster who is permanent but on loan, the young injured defender, joining the other two, the outgoings, including two outstanding players, the mega money signing, the youngsters, this horrendous stuff for Mesut and Sead. Oh, and Luiz. And VAR. And I should definitely have taken a little more of a football break in the off season.
I guess now it’s just time to watch some football, see where we’re at, hope for the best.
Want to enjoy it but also kind of looking forward to things settling into more definite shape. We need to hang in and pick up points until they do.
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The game’s afoot.
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Thank you Labogoon for a fine curtain raiser to the season.
We have selection problems which is unfortunate aswe should enter the season fully fit and raring to go.
A good performance from the new boys and the youngsters ought to see us through but Bruce hates AFC and will do all in his power to ensure we limp to the bus back home.
UTG and COYRRG
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Cheers Labo, good to have the season and your previews back after the summer of discontent.
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1 Leno
15 Maitland-Niles
21 Chambers
5 Sokratis
18 Monreal
34 Xhaka
29 Guendouzi
28 Willock
7 Mkhitaryan
24 Nelson
14 Aubameyang
Substitutes 26 Martinez 23 David Luiz 11 Torreira 8 Ceballos 19 Pepe 35 Martinelli
9 Lacazette
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Mustafi not in the match day 18 and rumor is he was not even brought to Newcastle
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One heck of a bench! Good job Chambers is back and Nachos still here otherwise Laca would be in defence ( smiley).
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Sensible line up I reckon. Glad Chambers gets chance after decent pre-season. good luck to Willock and Nelson. Fingers crossed.
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Elneny it seems did not travel to Newcastle either.
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cynical foul stops excellent break into precious space. No booking. They get to just bring everyone back behind ball with no danger.
Atkinson gonna Atkinson. pgmol gonna pgmol.
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disgrace not to book lascelles there. Almost always a booking there for even the slightest pull or trip when someone gets away from you.
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Been a few bad challenges on AMN one early on looked bad, no re run. Phantom corner for shot that hit post and Atkinson yellow carding mikhi for not touching player. He’ll have us down to ten soon enough
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Half Time: Newcastl 0-0 Arsenal
a dull enough game, full of huff and puff but lacking in real quality.
Mkhitaryan having an off say so far, too many of our attacks are floundering at his feet.
Solid enough at the back.
Might be a game that is won from the bench
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markyb- kicked and raked Ainsley’s ankle/achilles twice. It’s almost always English/Brit lads who follow English/Brit managers most closely for that stuff.
They may have been hard for Atkinson to spot real time, but he blatantly chose not to issue bookings twice against them which were clear, especially Lascelles one, while, of course, booking our lads both times there was any possibility to do so.
We wouldn’t be at this stage if he didn’t know his boss was fine or happy with that nonsense.
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av a bit of that!
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Aubameyangggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg Maitland-Niles intercepted just inside their half and charged forward, played the ball in to the unmarked Aubameyang who seemed to miscontrol it before with his second touch lofting it over the keeper
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Rich + Ed how do you think Chambers is doing?
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63 minutes and Ceballos is on for Willock, must say Willock found the pace a little difficult, he wanted that spilt second more time, but I’d still have taken Mkhitaryan off before him
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70 minutes, Pepe on for Nelson, like willock he found it tough enough to get into the game
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Go on Kid Martinelli do the biz son.
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84 minutes, Mkhitaryan off with Martinelli on. poor game from Mkhitaryan today
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Well it wasnt beautiful but it did the job. Nice goal from Auba.
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FT: 1-0 to the Arsenal
the better team won in a poor enough game, we never looked like we would not win once we took the lead. A few of our midfield and attackers a little off the pace, but we were still better than the Toon.
Aubameyang with the goal, our defense solid, Monreal and AMN both done well against very fast forwards. Chambers and Sokratis never in trouble at CB. Leno had little to do.
Guendouzi buzzed about and Xhaka was his usual self.
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of the 3 debut guys, Ceballos looks very good on the ball, very composed, and a good passer, I would think Ozil will enjoy playing with him.
Pepe looks very willing to take on his man, did not see much of the ball but when he did he wanted to take his man on.
Martinelli looks very quick.
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Arsenal
@Arsenal
·
43m
We’ve now used 201 players in the @premierleague
🔢
199 DaniCeballos46
200 Nicolas Pepe
201 Gabriel Martinelli
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Mills @3.54
Minus the doing the job bit that could be a review of many or most games if not the entire of last season.
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fins there can be no true beauty without decay? Youre right though it wasnt pretty last season, and we didnt always do the job! Bah!
Looking forward to the Burnley game though. Weird thing today was I didnt feel too tense as the game was on, but felt we would do it anyway.
COYG!
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Mills
Beauty is truth,
truth beauty,
that is all ye know on earth,
and all ye need to know.
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For example
Letting Chambers out on loan was an ugly error and anyone attempting to defend this disastrous call themselves looked less appealing then before they could have attempted to cover themselves in such shite.
One point!
Let’s hope they’ve learned some harsh lessons, but, well, if I was to ask the club captain (don’t have a new one yet!) or Mustafi, or other players in the squad I think we all know that what the answer will be.
I’m going to start guessing who Raul’s next head coach will be already. ”Tis more entertaining then watching that midfield combo!
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Thank the for football gods for Aubamayang.
His finishing may not be the most beautiful.
It his movement in and around the box that is graceful as well as cunning. And the stats! The simple number of goals! They are beautiful, harmonic, numbers.
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What a good and basically satisfactory start. Always seemed under control. The back 4 and Guendouzi had very accomplished games. Thought Willock played well for 55 mins but then was out on his feet and Nelson will come on for the run as they say.
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Thanks to LG for a great first preview of the season, I didn’t get a chance to look at it earlier.
Good start to any season winning away from home especially with so many players out and Atkinson being as shit as usual.
Some players were excellent, some were solid and some abit rusty.
Although I have seen many having ago at Miki I think he was probably the most involved player today always available and always wanting the ball even if his end product looked very much first game or even could be described as first game back after a long lay off. However although I was critical of him during the game he kept showing for the ball over and over again and if the commentator could get his name right it would of been the most used on both sides.
Got to say I thought Ainsley was excellent, Matteo really disciplined and even managed to compete in the air and the back four solid.
Joe seems more effective in the middle but both him and Reiss done well. Each of the new lads done ok individually when they came on although from a game management perspective it seemed crazy putting three players on, who had never played in the premiership before, with twenty minutes to go away from home when you’re 1-0 up and coming under increasing pressure.
So when the final whistle went I was absolutely chuffed and rather naively thought the Twitter world would be expecting us to win the league but no even though we can’t bring any more players in they still want half the squad sold, sheer lunacy makes the 52% look forward thinking.
Last thing about today Calum looked like he’d been playing CB in the first team for about ten years, very calm and assured. I know he will face bigger tests but very positive all the same.
Up the Arse.
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Holding will play for our U23’s tomorrow v Blackburn Rovers U23’s
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Ed, is that a specially arranged game as I thought we play Brighton on Friday.
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Calumn Chambers was the form CB at the club at the end of 17/18.
He’s proven he’s good enough to at least play in the PL, and of value to AFC.
Look, he’s a better CB then Stephen Lichtsteiner.
And at this respective stages in their careers a better RB this season and last.
Cheaper too *coughs*
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Martin Atkinson will not be reffing in a WC final anytime soon.
With this level of competency I’m not sure the FA’s refs will make the latter rounds of the UEFA club tournaments anytime soon either.
It’s a no-deal Brexit for the pgMOB – they no longer have the respect of the rest of the football world and they can’t sneak around the backstop (IFAB).
Anyone watching that football match has no reason as to be confused why!
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ha ha ha, Frank Lampard and the CFC coaches went on a 7 mile jog before the Man Utd game today, maybe he should have been preparing for the game instead
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ian it may be, some reports its a behind closed doors game, but I think its up in Blackburn, Jeorge Bird has named a few of the players in the squad.
Emery confirmed after the game today that Holding plays for the U23’s tomorrow and that Bellerin might be back next month
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fins the sad thing is that not one journo will mention Atkinson’s performance in any negative light. why we can only question.
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seems clear Mustafi is soon to leave, Emery did not even mention him as a defensive option for us this season when talking of such after the game, Chambers, Sokratis, David Luiz and Holding the 4 he mentioned, and he spoke of Bellerin, Tierney and Kolasinac as fullbacks to add to today’s pair.
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been talk that Mustafi, Eleney and Monreal all will leave before end of the month, so will this turn out to be the two for each position we are likely to use this season.
GK: Leno, Martinez
RB: Bellerin, AMN
LB: Tierney, Kolasinac
CB: Chambers, Holding, Sokratis, David Luiz
CM: Xhaka, Torreira, Guendouzi, Ceballos
F: Mkhitaryan, Nelson, Ozil, Willock, Pepe, Martinelle
S: Aubameyang, Lacazette
would say Saka will get game time too in the BPL, John-Jules in with a shout too if injuries hit our front two. after that would think the other youths not mentioned above will only get EL and CC, and FAC game time if suitable opponents drawn for us.
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I felt a bit masochistic ( and soon regretted it), and had a spin around the big (mouth) opinions in internet balloon land( see Ub Iwerks cartoon of the same name to know what I mean): Raul Montana is main guy, and gave us the best transfer of the Emirates era and Gazidis was a fraud (they would know the smell of that) erm Mhiki is finished after todays performance( yes, had to be a scapegoat). And we are going to win the league. Yes folks, thats the prediction after todays first game. Iwobi has become a belated hero despite the fact they used to slag him off each week. So much after just 90 mins. August is a lovely month for football.
Anyone remember a band called Cabaret Voltaire? And the song Nag Nag Nag? Well thats them. Check out the video on YT. Its great ( banned smiley).
Can you imagine if we had lost…”Wenger out!” Oh yeah he is Gazidis out!” “erm, oh yes he is “why did you spend awl that fackin muney!” oh yeah because I screamed for it and care more than you…erm ” Özil out..that will do?”.
Years ago a mate of my Dads was watching Forest play (when they were still good), and sat near a bloke who was shouting his knackers off ” give it to O’Neill, give it to O’Neill” well the ball got played to O’Neill and O’Neill messed it up. So the bloke shouted out “why the fuck did you give it to O’Neill?”. That be the them.
And the little dog laughed to see such fun, and the brain ran away with the moon.
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can anyone explain to me why so many fans use the wages a players is on to justify abuse of that players performance, surely actual performance is only thing that should come into it when judging his performance, his wages should never have any part to play in judging a performance. I ask cos we seen it time and again last year with Ozil, and in his absence today Mkhitaryan got the wages treatment. I stated I was not impressed by his performance today, but I see no reason what his wages would have to do with it.
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Mills you might like this, way back long before I was even born, my dad was playing in a game, GAA, and every time he got the ball a loudmouth supporter would shout “kick it kick it kick it”, over and over and over, so near the end of the game my dad had enough and he gained possession and the supporter was “kick it kick it kick”, my dad turned and played the ball to him and shouted “kick it yourself”, their was a loud cheer from other supporters, of both teams, and the kick it merchant was silenced
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Jealousy Ed.
Mhiki did have an off day, but he had pretty good stats last time I looked during the game. He’s lost a lot of confidence in the last year.But why hes finished is beyond me… But the wages crap is all jealousy . And wanting to run the club, as they think they are the club.
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Good story about your Dad Ed! I thought you might say he booted the ball at the kick it tool! But that was even better!
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OptaJoe
@OptaJoe
·
6h
2 – Arsenal have named two English teenagers (Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson) in their starting XI for a Premier League game for the first time since February 1998 (Paolo Vernazza and Matthew Upson vs Crystal Palace), before either Willock or Nelson were born. Future.
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media now suggesting that after the carjacking incident one london gang decided to help protect Ozil and Kolasinac which has upset another london gang who have decided to show who is the boss and we now have a gang feud going on over it all. Its feared that our two players are really at risk of some serious damage being done to them or their families as these thugs try to prove a point.
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Good effort and result for the boys! Was it the first league start for Willock and Nelson? They did well. Happy to see Chambers back, I like the fight in him. I was surprised to see Mkhitaryan subbed for a rookie winger in a 1-0 game on the road.
I heard that the Arsenal technical area was dry throughout the game, evidently Unai’s windmill like did the job… ( banned crying smiley anyone?)
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Defence as a whole did well, I cannot recall a single clear chance created by NU. The Greek fell was dominant and becoming a vital cog in the team.
Not much intricate passing in midfield but we know this will improve.
Happy Days
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