By Bulldog Drummond
There are many reasons why Arsenal have no chance. We’re rubbish in that we couldn’t beat Stoke, we’re 11th in the League behind the mighty West Brom, Watford and Huddersfield, and Liverpool are already five places ahead of us.
Plus there is total shock and horror that Arsenal “will start against Liverpool on Sunday with three outfield players who, at the very least, have been seriously considering a future elsewhere.” (The Telegraph).
To say the least? Well, to say the least, Bellerin signed for Barcelona in July, bought a house, moved out his family and that was that. I know that because I read it in… the Telegraph. Oh and apparently the Ox is off, according to today’s Telegraph today. Oh yes and Ozil too.
As for Liverpool! where their activities in the transfer market have led thus far is a complete ban on signing academy players, widespread condemnation vis a vis the methodology used in an attempt to buy a player from Southampton – Virgil van Dijk – who actually wanted to leave Southampton and could have gone to Liverpool but didn’t, and the refusal to sell Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona after he submitted a transfer request, only to “discover” that he had a significant injury. Still at least they don’t have Diego Costa.
Of course journalists are simple people and the fact that we sold Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and Samir Nasri when we didn’t want to, means to them we will sell again. What the media hasn’t really grasped is that if Arsenal do go into September with Sanchez, Ozil, and Oxlade-Chamberlain the club is letting go £150m in transfer fees. If that happens, it means that the power really is with the manager not the owner, and not the board, and that can only be a good thing. Even for the anti-Wengerians, it must mean that power has moved into the hands of the manager, and Mr Wenger won’t be here for too many more seasons. So whoever comes next will have absolute power. As it should be.
Anyway, the long and the short is that the view in some quarters is that the Ox will be dropped for the game against Liverpool, and will then go. We shall see.
The signs are positive not least because, “It’s been very hard for Laurent because I didn’t even consider him for friendly games, because I had to play some defenders. What hurt him a lot was to miss the Cup final,” according to Mr Wenger.
“He’s a very quiet guy and sometimes he can get rushed. He always thinks he has the speed to win the tackle and, in this case, he didn’t. I think we lost the game at Stoke because, defensively, we gave a cheap goal away. It’s good to have him back.”
The injury table however is extremely worrying. As we all know Arsenal always have the most injuries, so the table must be quite wrong, most likely printed upside down, but even so here it is, as usual from physioroom.com
| # | TEAM | No down |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everton | 8 |
| 2 | Crystal Palace | 6 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 6 |
| 4 | Swansea City | 6 |
| 5 | Newcastle United | 6 |
| 6 | Leicester City | 6 |
| 7 | Watford | 5 |
| 8 | Brighton and Hove Albion | 5 |
| 9 | Stoke City | 4 |
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur | 4 |
| 11 | Manchester United | 4 |
| 12 | Huddersfield Town | 4 |
| 13 | Burnley | 3 |
| 14 | Bournemouth | 3 |
| 15 | West Ham United | 3 |
| 16 | Manchester City | 3 |
| 17 | West Bromwich Albion | 3 |
| 18 | Arsenal | 1 |
| 19 | Southampton | 1 |
| 20 | Chelsea | 1 |
You know who our man out is but what of Liver Pool?
| Who got done | What he got | When’s he back | Sunday? |
| E Can (no he can’t) | Knock | August 27, 2017 | Doubt |
| T Alexander-Arnold | Dead Leg | August 27, 2017 | Doubt |
| A Lallana | Thigh Strain | No Return Date | No |
| P Coutinho | Back Injury | September 9, 2017 | No |
| N Clyne | Hamstring Injury | September 9, 2017 | Major Doubt |
| A Bogdan | ACL Knee Injury | No Return Date |
- Arsenal wins 7
- Draws 6
- Liverpool! wins 4
Not too bad. More tomorrow.
- With with Arsenal there is always one simple answer which everyone can see except Arsenal.
- Liverpool v Arsenal Sunday 27 August 2017 – The Match Officials
- Arsenal in the Europa League draw: who we got.
Is that storytelling for real what a load of you know what Watch and see what happens tomorrow at Anfield. If Arsenal win over the fan’s tomorrow that needs to be seen as to believe. If the players bring in the belief that they should win maybe I will think about the club and yes they are doing well. But it is Wenger who has to instill the same belief into the Squad. And then we might just see the fan’s belief in him come to the fore.
OT – Looks like Mustafi is off to Inter. Bit of a weird one.. Must have been a problem behind the scenes, because his performances on the pitch weren’t exactly bad. I can’t imagine Arsenal would sell another CB, without having another transfer lined-up. Hopefully those reports of Arsenal meeting with Virgil Van Dijks agent were true. The rumour came from a Fox “news” journalist, so at least it’s slightly above the Metro or Daily Star level.
Bound to be some (good)surprises in TW for Arsenal before the end, i hope. Would love for AW to find another gem or 2 who no one has deemed worthwhile or overlooked(a la Kolasinac).
Will have to pay pay Sou for Van Dijk if he even wants to come to Arsenal(wants CL).
No one thinks Reiss Neslon should be permanent 1st team? Really really dont want him ending like Akpom(maybe going?).
He needs to become settled at Arsenal and is surely a gem we need to polish quicker than normal.
Fox News is Murdoch, so reworked from The S*n and Channel PGMOB.
Was Fellani offside when he tapped in Lingard’s pass? But Mata wasn’t off when he capitalised on a rebound to score for Utd in the first half, or was he? The Sky Sports commentators said, the disallowed Mata’s goal was the disputed Lacazette’s offside goal at Stoke allover again. It looks Man U will coast home with a 2-0 home win over Leicester to remain on top of the table with 100% record start to their PL season campaign after three games played before the international break. It’s fulltime at Old Trafford and United have won 2-0 which I am sure we all alresdy know.
If the Mustafi sale story is true and we won’t get any new CBs, that only proves Arsenal board and the owner are leaches that suck the blood out of Arsenal and Arsene. I don’t believe Arsene would sanction the sale of his first-choice CB he paid 35 million pounds for last year if the board and Kroenke didn’t force him to do so. Arsene is just a shield they use.
This season was supposed to be the best one in years. Right now, everything looks like a bloody Titanic.
Mr Drummond, you’ve not made your own Arsenal starts and bench for this our big PL away game against Liverpool tomorrow. Or is it Andrew Crawshaw that makes the Arsenal game starts & bench? Despite anything can still happen in Arsenal outgoing and incoming transfer this window after our Liverpool game tomorrow as the deadline day will still be 5 days away before it is shut. So, if it’s true that the Ox has been bidded for by Chelsea or Liverpool as reported in the media and Arsenal have accepted the bidding for him and the Ox too has agreed terms, it is customary we will see the Ox drop by Le Prof from his 18 man squad for this our Liverpool game. Therefore, let’s wait to see as you’ve said.
The_Ledge – That disgusting tyrant also owns Sky, but any rumours on there have significantly more weight behind them, than ones that appear in the Sun.
I don’t believe that Arsenal would sell Mustafi, without having an appropriate replacement lined-up; especially after having also sold Gabriel and Gibbs. Oh perhaps, Elneny will find his regular spot in a back three? I’ll be a bit worried going into the new season, without buying an extra defender.
Team selection for tomorrow has to be spot on.
I’ve changed to start with Giroud and a back four.
So:
Ospina
Bellerin Mertesacker Koscielny Monreal
Ramsey Xhaka Kolasinac
Ozil Lacazette Alexis
Giroud
Back 4 has to be disciplined.
Ramsey has to stay defensive 1st half.
Dont know if Mustafi or Ox will play, with Ox’s mind elsewhere any way according to latest reports of not accepting latest deal?
Later we can change when pool get tired, mind you
we seem to get tired too more easily nowadays.
Goal is to make pool come out and leave room in their box.
If we play 3 at the back we will lose game.
If we attack too much in first half we will lose the game, that is, unless we bury our chances, all of them.
Lawd, wouldnt like to be a coach and have to pick the team, it is hard. 🙁
Josef, even if Mustafi goes which will be a surprise to us. For, we don’t see him as not an Arsenal top quality but see him as one top quality CB for Arsenal who can also play very well in the right side of a back three for Arsenal. But for an undisclosed reason, he has to go? Thus, leaving Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Chambers, Bellerin, Holding and Kolasinac as the seven senior centrebacks/leftbacks/wingbacks that will be manning Arsenal defense-line during our summer campaign this season. That wouldn’t be a weak seven man Arsensl personnel defense-line this summer as Le Prof scale down the overall personnel in his first team squad this summer,. Or do you have a contrary view in this regard as you’ve opined van Dijks should be bought in to replace Mustafi is he left? But don’t you think that will lead to Chambers going out on loan again? But I want to see him remain at Arsenal this summer to fight for his place.
@Para your team selection features 12 players. Last time I checked, only the teams playing against Arsenal are allowed that.
Thanks Bulldog, good preview and thanks for highlighting Liverpool’s transfer transgessions which the main media seems to just ignore!
OT: Unfortunate news coming from Birmingham City, Jenkinson was injured in his debut match today. It looks like a shoulder/arm injury. Wish this Gooner the best in his recovery
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenal-loanee-carl-jenkinson-suffers-13533947
Get well soon Carl!
Tomorrow’s game will be a bit of an anti climax following tonight’s Women’s Rugby World Cup final. Terrific game
i think that can happen some unexpected surprises
i hope yes
kamiel
Yes, i know. 🙂 I realised it after posting but thought i would leave it to see if anyone noticed.
At least you are dilligent.
Was meant to be Lacazette/Giroud
John Kelly, I think if you read a little of what is on this site (and there are over 7000 posts here spread across nine and a half years, you would understand a little more about different perspectives of the notion of “support”
John Kelly
“If Arsenal win over the fan’s tomorrow”
Ahh, so that’s how it works. And there I was thinking I’d support them right from the start, right through to the end, no matter what.
“But it is Wenger who has to instil the same belief into the Squad.”
And what makes you think they haven’t got belief?
I mean they’ve had enough belief to win 6 trophies recently haven’t they.
Or do you mean the kind of belief that Liverpool and Spurs have which has won them………..let me think……….still thinking……
So that will be zilch then.
Some people really do have a strange take on things.
Josif – this is Arsenal. It only happens when it happens! do not believe anything that is published by media unless it is also on the Arsenal web site.
cOYG!!!
Nitram – If Arsenal got the same kind of support that the Spurs and Liverpool players get, then I truly believe that we would be exponentially better. The detrimental effect that these scum-bag, self-entitled moaners have, is immeasurable (sadly, that’s probably what they want).
Guys get real -all the blame will be on Wengers shoulders, the worst thing he did was sign the extension. Hate on me all you want, he is in a lose lose situation.
In your hearth to heart, he should of left on a high!
When your Manager plays your first choice right back,at left back,for no other reason than trying to prove that he so gifted he can make the impossible work,other than actually having a strong,marauding,dangerous left wing back,fit and available,you know that backing the opposition at 66/1 to win 4-0 becomes a realistic proposition.Not my bet but a winery unlike us.