By Tony Attwood live from somewhere or other, but he’s lost the map….
Yes it is Girona v Arsenal played at 7pm BST, and it is a friendly – which means there are going to be lots and lots of substitutes in the second half, so everyone can have a bit of a run around and justify their seats on the plane trip out to Spain.
And yes the temperature at midday today was 33 degree centigrade which means it was sfar too hot to jog up and down the street, or indeed to sit in the shade with a litre of beer.
But even so, Untold is back with what we might call one of those unique ones, or at least if not unique then at least just once a year before anything else unique happens. It is the one where the players are saying “Come on boss do I have to play in this heat” and the boss grunts something about a free transfer to Rotherham, and everyone gets on with the training.
Yes, this is one of those unique ones. So unique that in fact, in a lot of listings it doesn’t exist at all. But there it is – it is undefined.
Now Girona have cheated a bit by getting a head start on Arsenal in terms of the business of friendly games. For they have knocked up games against Castellón (a 3-3 draw), Alavés a 0-1defeat, and a 3-1 victory over Girona. At least that is how I read their match record, but it was a bit confusing.
As for the commentary, it is on Arsenal.com, or so I am told, but information for this game is so flimsy one can’t be quite sure. So what do we know beyond the absolutely nothing that most of the media offer up, showing us that this season is going to be even worse than last season, at least along the lines that if you kn w it already we will tell you again and if you don’t know it we still might not tell you.
The Gunners “eased past” MK Dons in a 3-0 behind-closed-doors win a few days ago. But I am always worried about behind-closed-doors games – what happens, for example, if there is a fire? Does the fire service know about these things? Are the doors locked?
Meanwhile, the media tells us that “Fans have been whipped up into a frenzy by the Vinicius Jr transfer saga”. So I ask you, are you whipped? Are you in a frenzy? Have you seen a doctor about these conditions? Have you got all your eyes on Christos Tzolis, the new arrival from Club Brugge who is set to get his first official trot around the courtyard, or something like that?
Now, according to Arsenal. com a number of World Cup stars have also rejoined the squad, so could be in line to feature for the first time since the end of last season.
Details are not fully clear, but it could well be that the game will be on your computer, although watching it will cost you. Arsenal have injuries of course, but that is normal, and it helps them prepare for the season, wherein they will, of course, have injuries.
You can watch the game, and it should be on your computer somewhere, but it will cost you. But Arsenal have injuries (they do like the pre-season games to be similar to actual in-season games in this regard.) Ben White and Jurrien Timber are already injured, along with Saliba, who apparently is out forever. But Piero Hincapie, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres are with the squad and so presumably have a chance of playing.
Arsenal XI:
Kepa;
Mosquera, Salmon, Calafiori, Hincapie;
Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard;
Dowman, Nwaneri, Tzolis;
Jesus.
And here is an alternative version
Kepa;
White, Mosquera, Salmon, Calafiori;
Norgaard, Lewis-Skelly;
Dowman, Nwaneri, Tzolis;
Havertz
So something along those lines, but be prepared for lots of substitutes too.
