Podcast: The start of a new season is when fans of Arsenal Football Club are most optimistic with visions of grandeur and infinite possibilities. But after coming a disappointing 8th place last year, will Arsenal finish Top-4 or Top-6 this upcoming Premier League season? If not, why not? Shotta and Blackburn George aka @Arseblagger share their usual outspoken, no-nonsense opinion.
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Positively Arsenal 
Normally speculating on positions before the season starts is crazy enough but with this year’s late ending transfer deadline it’s even worse. Guessing how well a squad will do without even knowing what that squad and the squads around them are is foolhardy.
Only a lunatic would put a position on a team at this point. So I think we will come 5th.
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reports that Aston Villa have bid close to £20M for Emmi Martinez
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media reporting that Arsenal are interested in bringing in Brentford goalie David Raya if we sell Martinez to Aston Villa, but another name to keep an eye on is Freddie Woodman, of Newcastle, he had a very impressive year on loan with Swansea, and has been much scouted by AFC
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Yes, we didn’t do well last season, however, I don’t think the 8th finish was a true reflection. If Xhaka weren’t excommunicated from the side for two months we could’ve at least finished 2 or 3 places higher.
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Well Labo, chances created vs chances conceded , shots and possession, suggest it was a fair reflection. But I take your point on Xhaka.
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If Arteta tried to go toe to toe against better teams and kept getting pumped he’d lose his job. He’s trying to build his own team and style that will take time.
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He’s obviously trying to get us back into top 4 and with that the Champions League money then we’ll be able to improve. It’d be a worry if he was still playing so defensively with an improved Champions League level squad. I don’t find it boring as it’s the start of our journey with Arteta.
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If we can get 20 million for Martinez surely we can get more for Leno. I thought Leno had already been admired by Bayern so why hold on to him now when they may come calling in a few seasons time.
I don’t think there is much difference between the two keepers except Martinez seems better at controlling his area especially in the air.
Add to that Emi is home grown and it all stocks up for keeping him.
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Nice one , thanks. I enjoyed the podcast!
And I enjoyed the low blocks in the wins against Munich a few years ago. Ozil played and scored in one of those games! How Munchen didn’t score more only Mertesacker and Koscielny know.
I hope they don’t force sales of important talent but given what went on season after season with the old gaffer it is not looking great. Hopefully arteta stays for a few seasons before he losses patience.
I’m looking forward to the team sheet on the weekend. Not expecting you know who to start. Not yet, not without a sub appearance or two to warm up. I’m probably wrong but I’m optimistic on what happens here. Fingers crossed.
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Jules, Arteta is rebuilding the team and style, the boot room*, not inventing the wheel.
I hope that you recall when he teamed up with Big Per and Little Santi as the senior player-coaches the last time he had to help clear up the Kronke’s mess in the dressing room.
* I think Freddie always said he was going to leave at the end of the season when arteta came in, fair enough given the shoddy treatment from the K’s and the amateurish unprofessional support that they gave him.
The only time AW said he considered leaving was when the K’s took over. Perhaps he should’ve for his own sake but can you all imagine what a fuck up the K’s would’ve made if allowed to let loose.
I intend to appreciate every second of Arteta’s rebuild. No knowing when he might lose patience with the fraud owners (who never built anything in their whole careers) and piss off to a bigger club.
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You are right Jules, it wasn’t boring, because it was exciting to see if we could cling on for dear life. It was not entertaining as a football match.
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Arsenal Academy
@ArsenalAcademy
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2020/21 starts here for #AFCU21!
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Squared vs
@IpswichTown
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#EFLTrophy
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Portman Road
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Kick-off: 7.45pm
Television
You can watch the game on iFollow by purchasing a £10 match pass here
Right pointing backhand index
https://arsn.al/mCMm99u
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If it’s a means to an end and that end is Champions League football and a cup along the way I’ll happily sit through ‘boring’ or rather pragmatic football for a season or two.
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I’m not sure the boring football has a correlation with no Özil as Burnley away before lockdown was one of the dullest games I can remember and Özil played 90 minutes.
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Ok Jules, so you are happy to watch football like that Burnley game, because it might after a couple of years, get us into the CL?
The problem is, playing like that will never get us top 4
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Arsenal team to face Ipswich away in the FLT,
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EhaM7JaWkAMYX7B?format=jpg&name=medium
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Tyreece John-Jules has joined League One side, Doncaster Rovers, on a season long loan
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Calum Chambers was back in full training today
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Jeorge Bird
@jeorgebird
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Arsenal U21 v Ipswich: T. Smith; Alebiosu, Oyegoke, McGuinness (c), Bola; McEneff, Cottrell; Salah-Eddine, Olayinka, Lewis; Balogun.
Subs: Hillson, Akinola, Azeez, Cirjan, Ogungbo, Kirk.
Clarke injured. Dinzeyi not involved. Lopez also not in squad
Interesting Salah starts.
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a whole host of our U18’s got to train with the first team today, as the U21’s unavailable due to the game this evening
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reports in Italy that Sokratis has had his contract terminated with Arsenal so that he can sign for Napoli on a free transfer
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Marcelo Flores, Taylor Foran and Charlie Patino amongst ten youngsters to train with Arsenal first-team
Midfielder Marcelo Flores and defender Taylor Foran were both called up by Mikel Arteta for first-team training at London Colney today.
With a host of players on international duty and Arsenal U21s also in action against Ipswich Town tonight, the opportunity arose for the talented youngsters to test themselves against experienced players.
Another member of this intake, Charlie Patino was also involved in the session. He trained with the first-team last season when he was still a schoolboy.
Forward Billy Vigar was also called up for the session as were Zach Awe and Jack Henrt-Francis.
Levi Laing, Luke Plange and Kido Taylor-Hart also took part along with goalkeepers Arthur Okonkwo and Hubert Graczyk.
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Arsenal Academy
@ArsenalAcademy
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Goal for Ipswich. Nolan converts from inside the penalty area.
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No that Burnley game was atrocious compared to the games we’ve played against Chelsea and City in the cup. I was just making the point that the inclusion of Özil isn’t a guarantee we’ll play better all though it shouldn’t do any harm at all. I’m just being optimistic and assuming that Arteta is finding a way to maximise the chance of winning until he has it as he wants it. I’m sure if he gets us back in CL and with a bit of time he’ll have us playing better football.
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Caved and spent tenner to watch u23’s. Only bright spot in honesty has been McGuinness. Very prominent, and very needed as most around him looking shaky. Looks a really good prospect and even seems to be reasonably quick for such a big player.
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2-1. Lovely play Cottrell. Nice finish Balogun
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Arsenal Academy
@ArsenalAcademy
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35m
GET IN THERE! LEWIS ON HIS #AFCU21 DEBUT!
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Arsenal Academy
@ArsenalAcademy
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A superb goal from #AFCU21 as @BenCottrell8
plays a defence-splitting pass for @FBalogun67
to finish
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Full Time – Ipswich 1-2 Arsenal
Lewis and Balogun with our goals, McGuiness very impressive at CB
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Ainsley Maitland-niles made his England debut as an 87th minute sub Denmark
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Been very short of centre backs I like from youth last decade, Hayden the exception, but currently two I really like : Ballard and McGuinness.
Ballard one I’ve really liked for year or two now but was hard to keep track of McGuinness, who missed a lot of football with injury.
Outstanding tonight. Full strength League one side, with number of big players and big rough striker for last part of game but he was favourite for everything in air. Surprise for me though is how nifty he is on the deck. Did some lovely stuff and speed looked at very least decent for someone so tall.
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Timing of their emergence not so great though. Never known us to have so many senior cb’s, with two of them young expensive players.
Fingers crossed that, if they’re as good as they look to me, club are working real hard to find a way to give them a shot, if that’s possible. Can only see that by being through loans and a lot of assurances of how highly we think of them.
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I’m not sure how much more Holding has to do to get into an England squad given the amount & level of defending from the Arsenal in the recent run discussed above.
Or even start ahead of, I don’t know, Dier? Southgate is nice but oh my he plays very boring, boring football. And doesn’t use his squad very well IMO.
I’ve found little joy in watching his teams knowing they’d struggle without a penalty shoot out to play for.
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AFC’s Karl Hein(18) kept his place in goal for Estonia tonight v Armenia, after making his debut over the weekend
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Niles is an interesting one.
Lost out on many minutes in midfield to Guendouzi and I note the frauds out there don’t mention that undeniable factor in his considerations.
Now gets more time in midfield when playing LWB then Bellerin from the opposite side as he leaves most of the clips and play down the line to the lefties. But they’re both at it as seen with the cup winning goal and that beauty of a nutmeg from Bellerin as he sliced his way through the centre circle.
Xhaka playing with great confidence.
Not slashing and burning like some ignorant maniacs did to this squad In recent times, Arteta has been:
Rebuilding.
Adrian Clarke thinks Guendouzi is off, if it happens, well. Heh. What a story eh.
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xhaka was at London Colney to watch the training session, despite it being his day off after playing yesterday v Germany
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fins it would be a real surprise to see Holding in an England squad, he first has to get in as a regular at AFC, I would say he will find it very hard to hold his place at AFC this season, he might even leave, Newcastle very keen on him.
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Is Arteta’s answer to the challenge of playing teams below the top four/six glimpsed in this 3 to 4 shapeshifting and trust in his technically gifted players? Like Conte starting with a three around Luiz? Even if starting a two for many teams you see one CM who often steps back at times during a game. Is that what he’s doing, nothing new? Hehe.
But how will Arteta mix it up when he has to do it and rest Luiz. Start higher up the pitch?
The worry: Is Mari another weird signing/episode to file along with Suarez etc? if you can read my mind you can add Guendouzi to that list. What’s going on?
Interesting time ahead. Interesting training pics!
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it seems PSG have been offering 27 year old goalie Alphonse Areola to EPL clubs in London, as he is keen to play in the EPL and has already bought a house in London, Fulham it seems have been the most keen on him, but AFC might be interested if Martinez is sold to Aston Villa
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eds I hope the rookies will not be starters just yet and Holding who is fit at the moment is therefore a guaranteed starter for now, but I could be wrong.
It’d make sense that the younger CBs have been brought in to eventually replace the oldest CBs. That’s my hope. Holding on!
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well I don’t expect Holding to be in the starting 11 very much this season when everyone is fit and the new guys bedded in. I would say Mustafi and Mari when fit both get in ahead of him, and they new guys Saliba and Gabriel would be expected to get in ahead of him when the bed in. A year out on loan to another EPL side might give him a shot at replacing David Luiz next summer if he leaves us then, which is not set in stone. I think Chambers too has a shot of still making it here if he can get fit and stay fit
And we have a great bunch of potentially good CB’s coming through the younger ranks, at U23 level alone we have Medley, Ballard, McGuinness, Clarke and on tonights performance Oyegoke who can play in several positions might have a future at CB, and not forgetting young Ogungbo who was outstanding for the U18’s last season. And by all accounts a couple of the new intake of U18’s have the potential to make it too.
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Eddy, where did Adrian say Guendouzi was for the off?
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Encouraging stuff for our u21’s to get that result against experienced Ipswich side yesterday. Line up was nothing like a true reflection of best u21 players on our books let alone who have been in/produced by academy in recent years.
Saka, Eddie, Nelson, Joe, Smith Rowe, then those loaned out, Swanson, Smith,Ose-Tutu, John-jules, then the two new internationals, Ballard and Hein; Clarke and maybe more injured; then young players who have left, Mavididi, Gilmour, Da Silva, Musah, Amaechi, Daley-Campbell, Greenwood.
The game could easily have gone the other way, but for an academy to promote, loan, lose all those players and still have enough to compete with and beat a strong League 1 team seems very healthy. Those below, the new scholars, apparently very good group as well.
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george it was fins who said that
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Guendouzi was back training with the first team squad today.
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Impossible to know what truly happens behind scenes, where club finances are at etc, but there seem too many stories now for it to not be true we are seriously considering selling some good and important players to try raise funds.
Suppose we’ve done similar before, but this certainly feels different this time. I wonder how a player feels when we show willingness to sell but they ultimately stay. Hard to imagine that doesn’t have a pretty big impact.
Assuming Ainsley now staying, leaves Bellerin and Martinez with huge question marks at present, Holding uncertain, maybe, and probably a few others in similar positions. Kola and Laca for instance.
Look forward to knowing where we stand for season ahead, but no doubt this uncertainty will continue up until window closes
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there was no booking for this
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ha ha ha,, the soccer saturday panel for the opening day of the EPL season is Paul Merson, Tim Sherwood, Tony Pulis and Clinton Morrison, with it hosted by Jeff Stelling, now that is really dumbing down in a big way
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reports from France suggest PSG have offered Julian Draxler to Arsenal in part exchange for Bellerin and Guendouzi
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