In this podcast we look back and forward, hoping to make sense of a strange season and odd expectations for next season.
Pedantic George.
162 comments on “Arsenal 2023: Will Next Year Be Better?”
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Positively Arsenal 
Thanks for this and all the podcasts this season. Long may you keep on podding on!
Where is everyone?Have they gone on holiday holiday by mistake? Or are they transfixed by GB news? (banned emoji depicting fear at the thought)
COYG!
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Sorry I was late people
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Was a great season thank you for the pods and blogs.
Not checked the numbers guessing by the Goals For that is safe to say we saw better league form then the 14-15 season? Less losses? But with that squad retaining the fa cup that was a more successful season. If Xhaka stays we can be reasonably confident of some more enjoyable form next season.
In 2023 Mourinho is still boring all of Europe. Moneybags City are eating up the league like an obese Munchen.* To help balance the cosmos I am not sad to see Leicester Pelanty City drop down for Luton Town. Add Leeds falling for blaspheming against Bielsa, Everton would’ve been greedy. I am happy with the league table heh.
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Personally I would have liked to see Everton go down. In the last couple of decades they have shown a history of corruption that should have seen them expelled on more than one occasion.
Also they are the only team that has more seasons in the top division than us although that is more by skulduggery than skill.
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2023/24 epl fixtures will be released this day two weeks
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Folarin Balogun, Auston Trusty and Matt Turner have been called up by the USAMNT, it is Baloguns first senior call up from the USA, being named in the squad for a training camp ahead of the CONCACAF Nations League
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with man city winning the fa cup today it means arsenal will now play them in the community shield at the start of next season
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Two of many highlights from this season include the home crowd shouting shoot and then the very brief silence before Partey and Nelson’s long range goals.
You had to laugh unless you are a Tottenham fan.
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I guess some of the rivals will improve as the gang note on the pod.
All I ask for next season after draws against Liverpool damaged title vibes both in 14/15 and this last season is that the Gunners get six points against Liverpool next year and a win over City. For many it’s crazy to expect a title for so many reasons.
Hopefully Arteta continues to improve. For me the obvious improvement will learn from the lack of rotation of Tierney and Jorginho when both had excelled against lower league teams earlier on. Fingers crossed.
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Fins, you are spot on but lack of rotation and only trusting certain players have been a constant running through all of Mikel’s tenure including the last game of the season when he waited until Bukayo nearly had his legs taken off before replacing him.
As we continues to buy more and more high profile players you would imagine this would change although it doesn’t bode well for the youth players and the academy.
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scumbag west ham fans
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5 weeks today Arsenal play FC Nurnberg in our first preseason game of the summer.
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Five weeks what am I supposed to do until then, no wonder so many people believe everything they read in the papers.
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Well with just one more game left in the football calender the silly season is well underway with thousand of players linked with a move to ARSENAL and more players linked with a move away than we have in our squad.
Trying to find a bit of genuine journalism amongst the clickbait hacks is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
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Now that Ange has gone to the Spuds( its not guaranteed that he will make the transition in the same way Gerrard didn’t adapt from Rangers to Villa) I hope Kyogo doesn’t go to the Spuds, despite the rumours.
The kid has been blessed with magic goal- scoring boots since he first went to Celtic and hes a super talent, of course the Premier league is a didn’t kettle of clichés for players coming in who are used to other leagues. Of course many clubs will have been watching him since day one at Celtic, whether he would fit with us Im not sure, as a player can look good in one league and be a total flop in another. Perhaps the same problem lies ahead for Ange?
But Kyogo is also used to good delivery, and that Celtic squad was strong enough for the SPL that Kyogo could be subbed off after 50 odd mins.
I suppose he felt that he had done everything he could at Celtic (really?) and now was the time to go for a bigger (bigger-ha!ha!?)challenge, trouble is he could buy players from markets that people weren’t really interested in that made a perfect fit in the SPL, and hence building up a great squad in a short period of time. And Kyogo is only one part of that machine. Sticking him in the middle to replace Kane isn’t going to work unless he gets major support.
I wonder if the Celtic players a feel a bit short changed,I think I would (not that that means anything really relevant), all the badge kissing etc, and then having done the treble… ” see ya later!”…bu then that’s the way it is, and we are still at liberty to relatively pick and choose, whose to say you or I wouldn’t do the same?
COYG!
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so now only an invincible league season left for man 115 city to achieve
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Despite all the help and finances that go *City’s way, despite the fact they get next to zero injuries, despite the fact the likes of Rodri, Haaland and others are protected by the PGMOL Manchester Chapter, and they generally have a rub of the green that would make Fergie blush, as well as being a very good team with two squads that would win most leagues in the world, and one of the greatest managers ever, I bet they never go Invincible
Wenger and his team are still unique in the modern English game
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seems aston villa are signing Tielemans and Oxlade-Chamberlain on Bosman deals
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mandy if they get close to it, say 26 or 27 games in, the pgmol will make it happen.
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Very true Eduardo, and you only have to look at a map of where many of the PGMOL come from to see why.
I would imagine there are few examples in elite sport where anyone has been given the privileges and rub of the green this City team have experience, they are so good, they don’t need it but the PGMOL, UEFA fuck ups , FA cowardice , the media queue up to oblige them
They are good, but artificially good.
And why did anyone pay so much for that cart horse lukaku?
Think Chelsea have to now take him back?
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I have always thought PIGMOL was Manchester red centric and certainly not blue. In fact they have been on the end of some real dodgy decisions.
I think the penalty stats bear that out when comparing other PL leagues winners manure, Leicester, chelski and even Blackburn in their day.
Obviously it doesn’t look like that when they’re playing us because PIGMOL hates us the most.
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ian if like when lcfc won the league the whole narrative says its a good thing, then the pgmol will give city the help to go unbeaten in final ten or so games, would with citys standard need one or two decisions to make the difference. Its why I am always happy when all clubs have lost a game by the half way point of the season, it stops the narrative building and the pgmol game managing it
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reports suggest Tim Castagne of Leicester City will sign for Arsenal this week in a £20M deal, mainly plays right back, but can also play left back.
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Perhaps the most surprising aspect of City’s season was the indifferent form of their players before and immediately after the World Cup, compared with their almost superhuman performance once that sideshow was over. A cynic might wonder why that was the case, with only Haaland really hitting the heights throughout the League season.
It is hard to see any side beating them in the near future.
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Do the players get tested more rigourously at World Cups that in the premiership ? Just wondering like as Pep been known to Pep
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Who could possibly know, Markyb, who could know?
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A few weeks ago I was struggling to post here but as it’s slow news season I thought I’d finally get round to offering this response to Eduardo, our Pickleball champ, which WordPress kept rejecting.
Ed – your story is a remarkable one, and I enjoyed trawling YouTube to learn about Gaelic Football: I doubt play-acting Harry style would be given much truck at Croke Park.
Here’s a little story of a time the Irish definitely got one over the English that might amuse you: I was lucky to play for Sussex against Ireland back in the 70s, a game you won despite the presence of Imran Khan in our side ( I see from the scorecard that I didn’t have too bad a game behind the stumps, although I have no recollection of the game at all – no Mills, that is not an invitation for an extended and Proustian philosophical ramble about the nature of memory!), so when the chance came some twenty years later to go on a short tour with quite a decent amateur side to Ireland I was more than happy to go along. We flew into Dublin, and then straight to Phoenix Park for the first game, the details of which certainly escape me.
But what I do remember is what happened afterwards in the bar. Like most English tourists we were straight onto the black stuff, and again, no doubt like most English tourists were full of comments such as ‘this is the real deal – so much better than what you get in London – it might as well be a different drink etc’. The guy captaining the Irish side that day (he’d been playing in that earlier Sussex game, but forgive me for not remembering his name) delighted in our comments and insisted we take several pints more. I became increasingly eulogistic and asked him why it tasted so much better, was so very different. ‘Ah well’, he said, ‘it’s all down to the Liffey water. The Guinness Brewery is on the banks of the river, so the water that goes into the brew is taken directly from source.’ This all seemed plausible, and we happily nodded along as he continued the story. ‘Now the thing about the Liffey is its above-average level of rich alluvial deposits, and it’s the heaviness of the water that gives our national drink its unique body and flavour. In fact, it’s so dense that if you’re careful, you can balance a coin on the surface of the pint and see it float.’ More drinks were ordered, and 11 Englishmen were soon busily balancing, or trying to balance, 10, 20 and 50 pence coins on the frothy liquid. It was only as we were running out of small change, change that had now sunk to the bottom of several glasses, that it gradually dawned on us that we’d been most royally had, proving once and for all that it is the English, not the Irish, who are the simple folk.
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When the fixtures come out the first thing I look at is the run in.
After two seasons of poor form in the run in this season looks an absolute nightmare.
City, Brighton, Wolves, spuds and manure all away and chelusa at home.
This again looks like a massive stumbling block at the hardest part of the season before we’ve even started.
Jebus what a doom merchant I am over to you Mandy for a more positive spin.
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An idle minute followed by another useless minute of caffeine fuelled frenzy led to the following information:
The Spanish police Operación Puerto or Operation Mountain Pass regarding the good Dr. Fuentes or Dr. Feelgood as his customers knew him.
The Operation centered in Barcelona (ahem) is still ongoing! Guess they felt that they couldn’t close the case after someone burnt all the bags with the non-cycling samples (youwotmate?)
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I’ll ignore the fixtures & cross my laces & hope the club can build a squad deep enough to cope!
hopefully the CL games will force arteta to address that rotation flaw.
A squad to take the kicks & slips of a high pressure run of games without any of Dr. Feelgood’s thumping or is it pumping assistance.
Rumours of signing the CL winning goal scorer from Chelsea. A tidy player but I’d much prefer to see the club re-sign former graduate Eze should never have let him go. Likewise with Willock. Both can play across the front six positions including at 8 with different styles to Trossard etc. It’s a no brainier really. A team with a core of graduates was said to be the ambition but I suspect the transfer churn appeals more to those washing I mean managing the club.
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Correction < front five positions!
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Correction:
The front five positions!
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I meant the front five positions not six.
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Oh wow sorry for the multiple posts.
I too have lost some comments to WordPress.
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The glory boys will continue to demand signings and that will force more of the youth players to leave.
Our greatest strength has been togetherness and when you bring new players in you tread a fine line keeping that going.
I have always said I would accept a lower position in the league if it meant we would have substantial core of ARSENAL players.
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If I was conducting myself with the class of an Arsenal blagger as we all observed witnessed and recorded for posterity here (alongside Bob Wilson & others who know what The Arsenal stands for/represents)
I would currently be demanding the club sign Bellingham and Mbappe.
Although back then the club were third from bottom of the spending league table not third from top as they currently are!
Yes if we are being pedantic George is 100% correct. The owners 100% fucked it up in 16-18 refusing to open up the cheque book for the one coach who could compete with City with less money. And signed Pepe instead. Not a great record.
I don’t expect a title anytime soon. And if we are being reasonably fair one reason why it will have been so long till the next title is: the smelly Arse blaggers and their toxic gaslighting legacy.
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Hope I am wrong above.
But if not I believe Arteta’s intention is genuine & hopefully with more experience he’ll round off the rough edges.
His team looked to play creative attacking football in his first spell before the Ozil benching. And the good coaches have their teams playing different styles within the same game as all successful teams do. As we’ve seen!
COYG.
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Of course it is entirely possible that if Arteta had rotated earlier in the year as so many were calling for then the side may not have spent so long at the top, and we may now be calling 3rd or 4th place a decent enough season.
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Matt Smith is leaving Arsenal when his contract expires at the end of the month, he leaves with no first team games but with an FA Cup winners medal
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I would not ask Arteta to master all areas of the job instantly but I do hope he’ll improve the rotating side of his game.
Jorghino in the team after Xmas for a spell was a successful rotation due to injury and the team was playing really well.
Can add Nketiah to that mix although there was a slight change in the style that is also one reason for subtle rotations as they can throw off the opposition. That’s what Pep did during the Away match?
Usually it is the older coaches who have mastered the rotating art whilst also treating their players as athletes not mules.
Happy to include the younger AW/Ancellotti’s in that understanding for context.
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Tim, it is “Possible” that rotation would have led to a worse final position in the league although that is the skill of the manager as to who and when rotation occurs.
All of the top managers have done this since squads rather than teams were needed.
It is Possible but not logical for a worse outcome when you keep all the players in your squad fresh and ready to be called apon when needed.
It is no coincidence the run in has been poor for two seasons running, this is the time when the difference between first eleven and the rest needs to be as small as possible.
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Really disappointed in seeing Zac Awe go.
He always seemed very calm on the ball and was always the best defender whenever I went to see the U23’s.
I always find it strange when we keep youngsters like him and Matt Smith for a long time then just let them go.
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ian i seen it reported that arsenal offered awe a new contract but he refused as he wants and needs first team football, I do think that us offering him a new contract means AFC get a compensation fee if he signs for a new club.
Nelson a free agent now too, but is in talks with the club over a new deal, with some reports suggesting he will stay on a long term contract, a la Eddie last summer.
AMN is released, a lad with massive ability that has not hit the heights he could have
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no word yet on the star turn of our academy Ethan Nwaneri, rumor has it man city, chelsea, man utd and liverpool, and even spurs are trying to get him to sign for them, he has been offered a scholarship at AFC, but has not committed to it yet. Would be a massive loss to the Academy if he leaves
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according to journalists, bloggers and twitterati itk’s this coming week is going to be a massive week for AFC in regards to transfers both in and out.
Declan Rice is expected to sign for a £91M +£10M in add on fee
Kai Havertz is expected to sign for a £60M + £5M in add ons fee
we are said to be in for Romeo Lavia for a £45M fee
Ilkay Gundogan will decide within the week if he will accept our massive offer to sign on a bosman
Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka could both leave this week too if those signings are done, with Partey possibly off to the Saudi league for £25M and Xhaka to germany for £15M
West Ham are said to be interested in both Emile Smith-Rowe and Eddie Nketiah
would we be stronger in midfield and attack with those moves
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Really not sure on Kai Havertz. He seems to be one of the least exciting deals we have seen in a long time.
Players you don’t know much about have that intrigue about them and players you know about like Zinchenko and Jesus have your mouth watering but Kai hasn’t pulled up any trees in the PL so far.
He did join chelski at dodgy time so we might get a better version but at the expense Eddie, Folarin, Tyreece and Khayon not for me.
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Rice is a transfer I hope we do not make.
Too expensive and there are better alternatives and cheaper like Amrabaat, Zubimendi, Tielemans etc.
I think Havertz is a good player and I think he would do well in the right setup like Odegaard. Think he is more AM than FWD.
Waiting for window to close before I get excited, most transfer stories are porkies.
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This season’s crazy managerial duck shoot has already started. Many people’s underdog manager of the season Gary O’Neil sacked.
Maybe the cherries owners were expecting Europe who’d thunk.
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ESR is a better footballer then many a super agents’ mule/familiar. Such as:
Wiliamnot,
Muggle McMudrake, KissmabootyyougullibleclownimeanjoshymamainmantrustmemynameisSanlehiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!
When confronted with such a stable it is an easy challenge. Coaching badges are not required.
Then again the the same crowd buying up mules from Chelsea do love to invest in similar stables in and around London. Have there ever been any doping scandals involving mules and such speculators?
Hehe I better watch me mouth as it’s a brave new world out there.
Yikes!
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The quality and age of players going to the Saudi league is getting interesting. Kante, the latest to take the Arab gold, is a player that could of done a job at the majority of PL clubs or indeed any top clubs around Europe.
It will be interesting to see how this develops and will it really be a threat to Europe’s top leagues and the TV money they attract.
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Partey to Arab land for £40m they say, God bless the Arabs.
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