Untold Arsenal: Supporting the club, the manager and the team
"I believe the target of anything in life should be to do it so well that it becomes an art." A Wenger
by Andrew Crawshaw I started today by updating my database of Arsenal players and adding in the current estimated player values from Transfermarkt.com. I then remembered Tony’s predictions regarding the winners of various leagues across Europe (which I think he has got right) and thought I would provide the logic behind his predictions. The transfer …
Read More “A guide to who will finish where this season across Europe”
by Andrew Crawshaw Recruitment at Arsenal has been going on for all levels at the Club, and we are starting to see some outgoings as well. Starting with the Scholars there have been some notable additions. Scholars are those players who receive a full education as well as their football training. Players enter the academy …
Read More “As the season starts: Update on Arsenal Youngsters, Women and the PGMO referees”
by Andrew Crawshaw Pre-Season matches for Arsenal are :- July 14 – Borehamwood v Arsenal 15:00 Meadow Park Borehamwood July 26 – Arsenal v Atletico Madrid 19:30 local time (12:30 UK Time) National Stadium Singapore July 28 – Arsenal v Paris Saint-Germain 19:30 local time (12:30 UK Time) National Stadium Singapore August 4 – Arsenal …
Read More “Pre-Season thoughts on Arsenal’s squad and who can break through”
by Andrew Crawshaw I believe that Arsenal currently have eleven goalkeepers at the club who will be looking to play for the U18 team or higher. Here is a quick breakdown of them in descending order of age :- DOB Team HG Contract Expiry Petr Cech 5/20/82 First N 6/30/19 David Ospina 8/31/88 First N …
Read More “The Arsenal Goalkeepers – how many do Arsenal need, and who will be first choice?”
by Andrew Crawshaw With the latest appointments and lists of retained players we now have a reasonable idea of the way the academy is currently heading. The picture certainly isn’t yet complete and there are quite a few gaps to be filled but the basic framework of the overall jigsaw is there. Here is my …
Read More “Arsenal Academy Update: who’s who in the Academy set up for 2018/19”
by Andrew Crawshaw For next season the top flight of Women’s football will comprise of 11 fully professional teams. It will be called the Women’s Super League. The teams and their grounds will be:- Arsenal – Borehamwood FC Meadow Park ground Birmingham City Ladies – Solihull Moors FC Solihull Brighton and Hove Albion – …
by Andrew Crawshaw The league winners in the top 5 European Leagues this last season were Premier League – Manchester City France – Paris St Germain Germany – Bayern Munich Italy – Juventus Spain – Barcelona The question we look at here is this: is there a correlation with the number of players they each …
Read More “The (not always) obvious link between winning the league and having top players”
by Andrew Crawshaw I have come across a couple of interesting pieces of analysis recently from the Swiss CIES Observatory. This is an organisation which publishes weekly articles covering one or another aspect of the European (predominantly) football scene. Their report 227 has their take on the top 100 players in the top 5 European …
A review of the women’s league season, by Andrew Crawshaw A season with some success but more a season of ‘might have beens’. The final week of the season saw two games with wins over Sunderland 2 – 0 and Bristol by 6 – 1. Unfortunately Manchester City also won their final two games and we …
Read More “Arsenal Women – Part one of our season end appraisal: the League”
by Andrew Crawshaw So now we know that the referee for Arsène’s last match at Arsenal wont be Mike Dean. We have Referee – Michael Oliver age 32 from Northumberland and FIFA accredited (but not going to the World Cup this summer) Assistant Referee 1 – Lee Betts from Norfolk and FIFA accredited Assistant Referee …
Read More “Huddersfield v Arsenal Sunday 13 May 2018 – The Match Officials”
by Andrew Crawshaw I have just checked my database and Man United also joined Chelsea in the “SIXER” club last weekend having had Craig Pawson in charge of six games this season. Tonight’s match is the rescheduled game from matchweek 31, deferred due to cup commitments (Leicester, not us). Referee – Graham Scott Age 49 …
Read More “Leicester v Arsenal Wednesday 9 May 2018 – the Match Officials. A stranger returns.”
by Andrew Crawshaw Well Chelsea have done it and become the first team this season to have a referee six times – they have Anthony Taylor for their game against Liverpool. So far their record is:- Matchweek Match Score Chelsea W/D/L 2 Spurs v Chelsea 1 – 2 W 11 Chelsea v United 1 – …
Read More “Arsenal v Burnley Sunday 6 May 2018 – The Match Officials”
by Andrew Crawshaw A big PL welcome to David Coote who becomes the 22nd referee to be entrusted with a top flight match this season when he takes charge of Newcastle v West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. Along with Andy Madley and Simon Hooper he will do just the one match so it will be …
Read More “Manchester United v Arsenal Sunday 29 April – The Match Officials”
by Andrew Crawshaw Before I go on to look at our match officials, I would like to put on record my personal appreciation for Arsène Wenger. We have been incredibly lucky and priveliged to have had him at our club and I don’t think that we are ever likely to see his equal. Now on …
by Andrew Crawshaw For our Women, U23s and U18s it has been an excellent weekend – unlike our Men’s first team. Women’s FA Cup semi final – Everton v Arsenal Sunday 15 April. This match was played at the Marine Travel Stadium, home to non-league Marine FC. The ground is in Crosby, Liverpool and, for …
Read More “A stunning Arsenal weekend for the Women, U23s and U18s”
by Andrew Crawshaw Not good news for us as regards the match officials I’m afraid. Referee – Andre Marriner Age 46 from the West Midlands Assistant Referee 1 – Scott Ledger from South Yorkshire Assistant Referee 2 – Simon Long from Suffolk Fourth Official – Mike Dean Age 49 from Mersyside None of them are …
Read More “Arsenal v Southampton Sunday 8 April – The Match Officials: always a bad omen!”
by Andrew Crawshaw There are only a few weeks left of this season and I thought I would look at where our Men, Women, U23 and U18 teams are and what, if anything, they are still in with a chance of winning. If you are only interested in the Men’s first team, just skip this …
Read More “So what have Arsenal still got to play for this year?”
by Andrew Crawshaw Firstly some non-Arsenal referee news :- Bobby Madley this weekend becomes the 12th referee to be in charge of a Man United game. Southampton have had 18 different referees so far, Brighton, Huddersfield and Stoke have each had 17. Andy Madley (Bobby’s older brother) has become the 20th referee to be given …
By Andrew Crawshaw A dry afternoon at Borehamwood and fortunately temperatures significantly higher than the previous week when snow caused the match to be postponed. The Arsenal team was Anna Moorehouse Alex Scott, Leah Williamson, Louise Quinn, Katy McCabe Danielle Van de Donk, Kim Little, Jordan Nobbs Heather O’Reilly, Danielle Carter, Beth Mead Subs, Sari …
Read More “Arsenal v Charlton – SSE Women’s FA Cup Quarter-final Match Report”
by Andrew Crawshaw Yes there is Arsenal football on Sunday – just not the men. Arsenal Women will play their postponed SSE FA Women’s Cup quarter final match against Charlton on Sunday afternoon at Meadow Park, Borehamwood with a 14:00 kickoff. The draw for the semi-finals was made last Monday and the winner of this …
Read More “Arsenal v Charlton, Sunday 25 March – Match preview”
By Andrew Crawshaw The second cup final this year between these two clubs, this time featuring the Women. The Continental Tyres cup is the Women’s equivalent of the Men’s Carabao Cup and is a competition open to the 18 teams in the two divisions of the WSL. Arsenal has traditionally done well in this competition …
Read More “Continental Cup Final Wednesday March 14 Arsenal v Manchester City Preview”
by Andrew Crawshaw Our Officials are :- Referee – Martin Atkinson Age 46 from West Yorkshire Assistant Referee 1 – Lee Betts from Norfolk and FIFA accredited Assistant Referee 2 – Constantine Hatzidakis from Kent and FIFA accredited Fourth Official – Chris Kavanagh Age 42 from Manchester A long standing bette noir of Arsenal for …
Read More “Arsenal v Watford Sunday 11 March 2018 – The Match Officials”
By Andrew Crawshaw I thought it was time I had a look at refereeing in the other major leagues in Europe to try and determine categorically what the differences are between the way the PGMO operate compared with elsewhere. Germany – Bundesliga Number of teams 18 Number of referees – 23. 22 men and one …
Read More “Referees across the Continent: just how different is the PGMO from everyone else?”
by Andrew Crawshaw Well, I’m afraid I didn’t get the award of a penalty call correct for the City game (I said we wouldn’t get one)- I’ve given the crystal ball an extra polish for this preview. Arsenal are on 14 different referees this season and we are in Matchweek 29 so only nine games …
Read More “Brighton and Hove Albion v Arsenal Sunday 4 March – The Match Officials”
by Andrew Crawshaw As I am writing this at lunchtime the London Weather forecast for the Emirates is for light snow to continue until about 18:00. After that it should be overcast but dry. Temperatures between -1C and Zero and easterly winds of about 17mph. So if you are going wrap up well. Also check …
Read More “Arsenal v Money City 1 March 2018 – The Match Officials”
