By Bulldog Drummond
If you have been reading all the bloggettas with their tattle and their tittle (that’s tittle tattle if you have only just woken up after a rather fulsome Christmas – but do try to keep up, there are likely to be 700 words or so in this piece) you will know that Mr Arteta has been giving the players what for and is indulging in a REALLY BIG clear out of all the rubbish that has been accumulated by his useless predecessors (who happened to have the best win percentages of any Arsenal managers).
But lo and behold verily this is not the case because it seems that, according to the actual Mr Arteta himself he values and likes Granit Xhaka. So no Hertha Berlin then (which is a club, not a player in the ladies side). And you may be wondering where these pesky stories come from. And of course the answer is The Toppled Bollard – watering hole of the elite journalists of Fo Lo, the Daily Excess, the Fail and various other “outlets”.
But worse worse and thrice worce it seems there was a bid for the Granit. Pep Guardiola expressed an interest. Or so we are told.
“When I was going from Arsenal to City to start coaching and we were looking in that position, he was one of the players on my list,” Mr Arteta is reported to have said, according to the Guardian. “This is how much I liked him. I was happy when Arsenal signed him because I thought he was going to be a terrific player.
“ He has done some really good things and now he has got stuck in a very difficult situation that, I think, was growing and growing and growing and one day it exploded. But I have been amazed as well by how this relationship is starting to come back a little bit and I think the fans have been very, very positive about him. Obviously it is difficult to change completely the scenario from where he was to a magnificent one. But I think we are in the right direction with him.”
Mr Arteta has hold Xhaka that “he can be a focal point as Arsenal look to haul themselves out of the bottom half, beginning at Bournemouth on Boxing Day,” again according to the Guardian, continuing,
“I told him how much I like him and what I expect from him. How important he is for the team. I am here to help him, I want him to feel that we are right behind him. Not just myself but the whole club. If we can get the people in the right way as well, the fans with him, I think it will be helpful for the team, which is where it matters.”
So the big bust up that was reported, and the immediate clear out of Xhaka were, well, not to put to fine a point on it, sort of, when it comes down to it, and not to beat about the bush, taking the rough with the wrong, totally made up.
Mr Arteta also said that he would change things slowly. It is also being reported by the more serious members of the press that there was no bust up, no shock horrors, and in fact just training sessions focussed on doing the simple things right.
The BBC quotes the boss as saying “The priority is what we are going to transmit on the team, is a reflection of the demands we are going to put on them every day in training.
“That’s commitment, accountability, aggression and passion to play this sport and to represent this football club. This is the basic I am going to demand from them, and from there we can start to build things.”
The Guardian has seemingly refrained from giving us any sort of line up, so here it is from the Standard:
Leno;
Bellerin, Sokratis, Luiz, Saka;
Torreira, Xhaka;
Pepe, Ozil, Martinelli;
Aubameyang.
But we really must finish with the Sun, whose journalists (I use the word in its vaguest form) seem to be keeping a bit of an eye on Untold of late, for they have now come up with two line ups for Arsenal. So here we go…
Line up 1
Leno;
Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Luiz, Saka;
Guendouzi, Torreira, Xhaka;
Pepe, Lacazette Aubameyang.
And now since you have been waiting so patiently, here is line up number 2
Leno;
Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Luiz, Xhaka,
Torreira
Nelson, Willock, Ozil, Saka;
Aubameyang.
Yes pays yer money and, well, who knows…
OT: Nearing end of spuds 2 1 Brighton
Spuds have 4 yellows and Brighton have 2 yellows from 10 and 7 fouls respectively. The Diver brothers (Harry and Dele) have the goals for the spuds. Brighton seemingly generating more offence, except for corners where the spuds have the advantage. No treatments that I can see.
Presumably the final lineups are out:
Arsenal XI: Leno
Maitland-Niles, Luiz, Sokratis, Saka
Xhaka, Torreira
Nelson, Ozil, Aubameyang
Lacazette
Which is slightly different than above 3. On the beach we have: Martinez, Pepe, Mustafi, Mavropanos, Willock, Guendouzi and Smith Rowe.
Attwell is the twit in the middle, making up rules as he goes along.
COYG!
OT: spuds
I gather Harry Diver had a second (earlier) goal ruled out for offside armpit from the VAR.
It’s too bad the spuds won, Moaninho will have less to moan about.
The regular Arsenal first team starter Chambers, is conspicuously missing from the Arsenal 18 for their away match to AFC Bournemouth today at the Vitality Stadium in the PL. What could be the problem that he’s having?
From the previous thread, Chambers is suspended for too many cards.
https://untold-arsenal.com/archives/78697#comment-970747
COYG!
Happy holidays guys. I can smell fresh air all over. After Winning this we will start our usual runs. Im seeing us qualifying for the Champions League for sure.
Horsefethers, they scored. Come on Gunners, get some goals.
The goal came very much against the run of play. We are playing well. The team is aggressive and has an offensive spirit. I really like the work that Oezil is showing.
Good half by our boys. The score is what it is and does not reflect the work they have put in in all thirds of the pitch. Not too many good chances but they will come as their defenders tire.
Two shots on target and 4 off target in the first half. There seem to be lots of comments about shots blocked. So, they seem to be shooting.
COYG!
OT: Chel$ea 0 1 Soton
Fouls are 7:3, and Soton have the only card. Soton have 1 shot on target, and it was a goal. Moss is the twit in charge. Chel$ea needed a treatment, and Moss is pretending to be Sargent Schultz.
yellows are flying at Arsenal
Fouls are even at 3:3, we have 2 cards to their 1.
COYG!
Yes…Auba
There we go! Lacazette with the goal at 64m. Do we get an assist, or a VAR check? Unassisted?
COYG!
Must be unassisted. Attwell congratulates Lacazette with a yellow for something. 3:3 on fouls and 1:3 on cards on my counters.
COYG!
Either I can’t read, or the commentary changed. Oops. 🙂
COYG!
PGMO strikes again. Sokratis needs a treatment, and Sargent (Atwell) Schultz sees NOTHING!
COYG!
After 2m of work, Sokratis needs to be substituted. And Attwell seen nothing.
Willock on for Ozil, and now Musafi for Sokratis.
COYG!
Pepe comes on as our last sub at 82m, on 86m he needs treatment, Sargent (attwell) Schultz sees nothing.
COYG!
Pepe chopped down
Attwell notices the game was getting old, and brings up the card count on Bournemouth to 3:3. That was before Pepe got hacked down.
COYG!
OT: Chel$ea 0 2 Soton
Soton managed a second goal, and Soton needed a treatment at 85m Moss sess nothing. Fouls are 10:8 and cards are 3:1.
Now Bournemouth need a treatment in extra time, and Attwell sees nothing. Is this time wasting, so Bournemouth gets a point?
COYG!
We get another card, I guess we’ve been pushing for a winner, and Attwell has to stop that.
COYG!
The corrupt Atwell again gives the foul to Bournmouth when it was a foul against Xhaka. The cheating goes on despite a new head coach.
Cook should have had a red card via VAR for a sissors trip trying to damage Pepe knee. The yellow was a kop out.
It doesn’t matter how good Arsenal are the PGMOL will hinder our progress.
Well, not a BAD result. I think we were the better side but we weren’t dominant. What was GOOD was the effort put in and the offensive nature of our play. We went forward; we did not concede the initiative to Bournemouth.
Well, we got one more point than Chel$ea did.
Oh look, Moaninho found something to moan about! Fixture pileup. Moan, moan.
Eurosport has to bash, we only salvaged a draw.
In other news, Carraagher picks his Liverpool team of the decade:
Carragher
Carragher, Carragher, Carragher, Carragher
Carragher, Carragher, Carragher, Carragher
Carragher, Carragher
Happy Boxing Day!
A much better showing , with more attacking flair. Still some defensive frailities ,but over all no complaints from me.
Just worried that Newcastle may be streching their lead over us in the table !
Brickfields, possibly not today.
At half time, Newcastle is trailing ManUre 3-1. Fouls are 5:5 and cards are 2:1. Newcastle give ManUre a treatment need at 32m, PGMO twit Friend sees nothing. ManUre seems to be generating most of the offence.
I wonder if Vardy will get 2 or 3 penalties today?
OT: ManU 4 1 Newcastle
Second half looks to be really interesting. Three comments at 46m to start the second half, a goal at 51m, and an offside at 59m. Maybe both teams will fall asleep before 90m?
OT: ManU 4 1 Newcastle
Boring second half I guess. Fouls ended 9:7 and cards were 2:2. No treatments in second half.
Just Leicester left.
I thought we looked pretty good TBH. Far more competitive than usual with a foul rate of 12 to us & five to B’Mouth. Cards were four yellow each with one of theirs a borderline red.
The defence was sound for most part, but attack was very, very wasteful. Any other day we might have won that game comfortably.
OT: Leicester v Liverpool
Oliver is the PGMO twit in charge.
How about 3:3, with Vardy getting 3 penalties? And for a bit of ridiculous, no fouls to either (other than the 3 penalties for Vardy)?
OT: Leicester 0 1 Liverpool
Fouls are 3:4 and cards are 0:0. No treatments.
OT: Leicester 0 4 Liverpool
At 80m, Liverpool requiring a treatment, but the monkey in the middle (Sargent Oliver Schultz) will probably see nothing. Liverpool has gone on to score 3 more. Fouls are 4:5 and cards are 1:1. Henderson is being substituted, and Oliver indeed seen nothing.
0-4 Now
Liverpool absolutely dominant.
Don’t think Liecster have mustered a shot on target and as usual getting away without a yellow despite some cynical fouls.
NB The yellow they did get was for kicking the ball away giving the ref no choice.
As for us. I was very happy with what I saw.
What I liked was as soon as we won the ball, 90% of the time we looked to play the ball forward, which got us in to some great positions, sadly both our final ball and finishing were not up to much today otherwise we would of ran out comfortable winners.
Though not perfect, hence the goal, our defending of transitions was better as well.
As Menace says, how Cook didn’t get a red is ridiculous but sadly par for the course against us.
Special mentions for Xhaka, Torerra and Ozil who I thought all played particularly well.
Tony it seems the media is to be believed when the story suits you. Anyways,please can you quote the part where he says guardiola expressed interest, and where man city put in a bid?
@ Gord – 26/12/2019 – I wrote that without the inspiring benefits of wine , and being sleepy ! Those two late game score s shook me awake with a start this morning .
At least that Chelsea loss prevented my son from further gloating about heralding the comming of ‘ TheGreat Lamps’ !
A friend sent me this – ” Want to convert friends into enemies ? Try discussing politics . If it fails , try religion.”
My take , ” Want to convert wishy-washy Arsenal fans into enemies ? Try being positive and heap praise on the club, the owner , the manager, or the players . It that fails , praise the PIGMOB , quote the pundits , the press , the blogs , YOUTUBE Vodeo TV , and
our ex-players !”