Good Morning all.
In today’s podcast @shotta_gooner and me talk about the great 3 points we got from Chelsea and wonder if it will be the start of a change or if we will revert to previous when the “old guard” become available again?
You can also listen to and download this podcast over on uncensoredarsenal.com .
Have a good holiday
Pedantic George.( @arseblagger )
Positively Arsenal 
any time we have a poor result its still “Wenger’s team”, when we win its all due to Arteta
well since wenger left at end of 17/18 season these are some of the players to leave Arsenal
Mertesacker – retired
Cazorla – free
Wilshere – free
Campbell
Perez
Cech – retired
Ramsey – free
Welbeck – free
Monreal
Jenkinson
Koscielny
Ospina
Iwobi
Mkhitaryan
Martinez
thats 15 players that played in EPL under Wenger, with a team full of them going for free or for very nominal fees
we were told that this would not be allowed to happen under the new regime but with teh transfer window about to open we have Ozil, Sokratis, Mustafi, David Luiz, Macey and Balogun all with only six months left on their contracts, so we aint getting much if any fee for any of those players.
we also have Lacazette, Nketiah, Chambers, Kolasinac, Elneny, now down to 18 months left on their contracts. Who of them will sign new deals, who will we get any sort of big fee for.
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I’d play Martinelli at 9 without question. He played there at first he’s great in the air and him and Aubameyang could alternate throughout a game for a bit of fluidity.
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Oh and hope everyone had a good Christmas
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Because my comment on your last post is highly relevant to today’s post I have copy and paste it on today’s.
Those players (Xhaka Bellerin Elneny) were only considered deadwood to drunks fans reading the result and not watching the game. Xhaka and Bellerin have played well and Elneny has been our most consistent player this season. In fact Granit and Mo have been our best midfield pairing post Arsene.
The win yesterday was indeed fantastic and it was the first game I have been nervous watching it since the cup final.
The trouble is it was indeed a bit of a Jonny Nash it set more Questions than Answers.
First problem is we all know these are not his players of choice, when he has a fully fit squad Mikel will not pick these players.
This was born out by his insistence on putting Pepe on and nearly throwing the game. I hope all those critics of Hector could see once Pepe came on the left that Keiran got no protection and chelski created a hat full of chances down that side. We now have six young players who can play wide who should be included before Pepe and I really hope he is sold but unfortunately I think Mikel likes him.
Partey and Ceballos will come in as well I believe.
The penalty save was fantastic especially at a critical time but Leno was still seen flapping at crosses, worrying.
Apart from putting Pepe on the third sub came far to late in a game where several of our players were flagging. Substitutions have always been a problem under Mikel and it is still is normally it’s a straight one for one swap.
We were really positive in this game for the first game in ages so another question is will he keep this style.
I really enjoyed this game and we should be looking forward with confidence to the next six games but I really worried Mikel will slide back into his old ways and that is not considering all the politics of the club which is another hurdle we have to overcome.
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A bit of an outrageous request here, but is it possible for anyone who listens to (or records) the podcasts to post the main points of the discussion or line of argument? I am a reader rather than a listener and podcasts are a feature of modern life that I am too old to embrace.
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Tim, by coincidence, Ian made most of the points in his post above.
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Thanks George, thanks Ian! Pepe was a bit of a mystery to me: at times he looked a million dollars, at others cheap dime store merchandise. I was lucky to be in the top tier Clock End when he scored direct from two late free kicks to see us win a Europa League game back in the autumn of 2019. Magnificent strikes, top player I thought, and from time to time since then he has produced a few great moments. But most of the time very little. I watched Arteta’s detailed instructions to him just before he came on against Chelsea, and judging by the look on his face he didn’t have the first clue what the manager was going on about. Fashionable to blame Arteta, but on this occasion maybe not. Not long after he was on there was a moment when whoever was on the ball in the left half sort of position was urging him to move forward into where the ball was aobut to be played. Pepe looked completley bemused, failed to do what seemed obvious and the moment was lost. I have come to the concluion that he is ridiculously talented but totally lacking in any kind of footballing brain. As such I suspect his future in this league and this club is not rosy.
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Yet another Pen for Leicester that is 10 in the league already
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I can’t believe anyone that can play at the highest level can be lacking a footballing brain. I just think his confidence is on the floor and that ridiculous price tag is weighing him down. Football is such a simple game you can’t think a player of Pepe’s calibre can’t work out what space to run into.
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Pepe lacks a footballing brain? Oh my! I listened to the podcast and there was no such commentary on the young man. That was Ian, he always puts the young man on blast.
I will defend him.
I remember him getting back and helping and he also made the final tackle prior to the final whistle? He looks like he is lacking confidence but I did not see where he was so confused by what was going on. I am not saying he is perfect but my goodness, he did not get to this level but being a dunce as far as football is concerned. As if we have been witnessing anything impressive from other players, the whole set up has been a dumpster fire, even when he was not even playing.
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Jules, you beat me to it.
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Charles Watts
@charles_watts
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44m
Training pictures from Colney today show Thomas Partey back in full training with the group. No sign of Luiz and Willian
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Charles Watts
@charles_watts
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1h
Daniel Ballard set to extend his loan with Blackpool until the end of the season. Agreement now very close, expected to be finalised soon. He’s been a big hit with the Seasiders so far this season.
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giroud has put CFC 1-0 up at home to AVFC
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the Everton v Man City game this evening has been called off after 5 more cases of Covid in the City squad
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FT: Chelsea 1-1 Aston Villa
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So Willian and Luiz do not rejoin the squad until Thursday so they will nor play tomorrow.
That saves arteta from making the choice.
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Partey was back in full training today
will Arteta do some rotating of the squad, will there be any changes to the 20 man squad, maybe Partey and Nelson might make it into it.
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so now the club says Gabriel has tested positive for Covid, but they hope he will be available after our next two games
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Suspect a lot more players from all sorts of clubs will test positive in the next two weeks as would be pretty certain many young and fit and rich and testosterone laden footballers are not exactly stringent in observing covid regulations.
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reports that diego costa has asked atletico madrid to cancel his contract, amid talk about a move to arsenal for him.
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man city suggesting that their players picked it up at the hotel they were staying in london for their cc game with AFC
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Ok let’s gets this straight Pepe has had times in his ARSENAL career when he must have had confidence. When he first joined he must of had confidence, if someone just payed 72 million for me I would think I was the absolute dogs bollocks and certainly wouldn’t be lacking in confidence. As Tim has pointed out he has scored some beuts so after that where is the confidence going. I’m not criticizing him for passing the ball to much as a player with no confidence would do, no he keeps getting tackled and can’t go past players on the outside, that if anything is to much confidence and not getting the basics right.
The other thing is I’m not denying he sometimes gets back but he stands in no man’s land not close enough to make a tackle and not far enough away to block a cross or track a midfield run.
Watch any game including the chelski one and see the joy the opposition have down whichever flank he’s on.
I think he has provided no assists in the PL this season and that is a terrible stat for a winger.
Since he has been at the club he has scored a few good goals but he has never taken one game by the scruff of the neck and dominated his opponent.
Yes he made one tackle just as the whistle blew against chelski but seeing as all the action was down his side I would have thought anyone defending him would of been able to highlight many more than just one.
Ask yourself this is he better than any of Saka, Nelson, Willock, Smith-Rowe, Martinelli, Maitland-Niles or even Willian. I can’t see how anyone can make an argument for him being better than any of those so that makes him eighth choice.
My son joked he has naked pictures of Mikel ‘s wife and I’m starting to believe him.
I will always support him and want him to do well as long as he wears our shirt but at the moment I don’t think he’s very good.
The other thing about footballers not having a football brain well just talk to Merson.
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Merson had an excellent football brain.
I think, perhaps, there may be questions about. His non-footballing one.
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Merson had excellent footballing feet and technique but he is one of those excellent footballers who never understood the finer points of the game which is why he failed spectacularly as a manager and talks so much shit now. Footballing wise he was obviously managed well but he certainly hasn’t got a footballing brain.
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After the positive play, quick tempo and excellent result mainly provided by academy players plus the Xhaka/Elneny axis today is a massive test in selection, attitude and performance COYG.
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just the one change in the starting 11, Aubameyang comes in for Lacazette
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Team: Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Mari, Tierney, Elneny, Xhaka, Smith Rowe, Saka, Martinelli, Aubameyang.
Subs: Runarsson, Ceballos, Lacazette, Maitland-Niles, Cedric, Pepe, Mustafi, Willock, Nketiah.
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Brighton:Sanchez, Veltman, Webster, Dunk, Burn, Bernardo, Bissouma, Gross, Propper, Mac Allister, Jahanbakhsh.
Subs: Steele, White, Connolly, Maupay, Trossard, Welbeck, March, Zeqiri, Molumby.
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Jack Wilshere has started training with Bournemouth
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The Arsenal pundits including Clarke expecting 2,3 or 4 shots on target for the Gunners for this match.
Opening 20 with zero shots on target for both teams, it looks like they were on form with their speculation on the form of these two teams!
ESR playing ok so far, he needs Saka or another in to help him there, Auba sniffing fumes so far. Saka looks fatigued to me.
Leno’s passing is not even close to the Villa keepers’ level.
Coyg
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burnley 1-0 sheffield utd
wba 0-2 leeds
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Atkinson being Atkinson so we will get at least one bad injury and be given nothing while being penalised for sod all.
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wba 0-4 leeds
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We’d be better with Martinelli as striker and Aubamayang out on the left.
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HT: Brighton 0-0 Arsenal
brighton had one of their 7 shots on target, Arsenal’s one shot was off target. Awful stuff, all huff and puff, and a powder puff attack
sideways, backways, round and round we go.
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Merson hasn’t got a footballing brain?! I’ve heard it all now he was a supremely intelligent footballer it’s not even up for debate and as a pundit he talks lots of sense too.
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our attempts at taking corners has been laughable
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atkinson once again in this match has been so one sided in his reffing its a joke, there was an awful tackle on xhaka, but no yellow, and ESM was taken out of it on edge of the area, no foul given
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after a great move PEA hits the keeper with his shot from six yards, it was a good fast breakaway, unlucky that the shot hit the keeper
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Martinelli curls one over the bar after good work from ESR
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PEA fires well wide, he might have been better to cross it to ESR
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finally a brighton player booked
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lacazette on for martinelli
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Lacazetteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee scores with his first touch
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sorry his second touch, saka with the run and pass, lacca sets it up with his first touch and scores with his second, 1-0 to the Arsenal, no more than our second half play deserves
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wba 0-5 leeds
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saka down and looks to be in a lot of pain
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esr off amn on
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Not brilliant but useful win! Again some good moments from ESR.
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