I'm a bit worried about Viktor Gyökeres

I'm a bit worried about Viktor Gyökeres. Not because he hasn't scored enough goals - I'm not one of those people, the goals will come - but because with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus injured, he is playing nearly every minute of every game. It can only be a matter of time before he's injured himself.

It's good to see Gabriel Martinelli finally getting back on form. I remember him playing very well as a central striker in his first season at the club, and he could provide cover for Gyökeres - giving him an occasional rest - but so far Mikel Arteta has chosen not to use him in that position so far. I think that might be because Martinelli is a different type of striker. He relies on his pace to get past defenders and he isn't great at holding the ball up, and that seems to be a prerequisite to play as a striker for Arteta, so it seems he won't get his chance.

I think it is sometimes useful to have a different option up front, but it's hard to criticise Arteta. The signings this summer - which we have to assume he had a big hand in - have been exceptional. And we're in a great place in the league. We've had a very difficult start to the season - we've played Newcastle, Man City, Forest (who admittedly have struggled this season but were one of the top teams last season), Liverpool and Man Utd, and we're currently second in the league, only two points behind Liverpool in first, who have had an easier start. And we've done this while suffering from a long list of injuries to some of our best players and having to bed in a lot of new players.

In theory, we now have a much easier run until we play Spurs on 23 November. There are of course no easy matches in the Premier League, but these are matches we should be winning. If we can beat West Ham and Ashburton Grove this weekend, we will be in a very strong position going into the international break.

COYG!

Picture courtesy jpellgen (@1105_jp) CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Share via Social Network

I'm a bit worried about Viktor Gyökeres

 Highlights of Arsenal vs Athletic Club

Another good preseason runout for the Gunners, with Victor Gyökeres scoring his first goal for the club while Saka and Havertz also got on the scoresheet.

Sadly, there was no further opportunity to see Max Dowman, as he has now gone on holiday. However, Calafiori and Havertz made successful returns from injury, so only Trossard and Jesus remain in the treatment room. Calafiori still looked a bit rusty but isn't far from full fitnerss. Havertz looked sharp after coming on in the second half and scored a great goal.

The starting line-up was as follows:

Raya

Timber

Calafiori

Saliba

Gabriel

Zubimendi

Saka

Rice

Odegaard (c)

Martinelli

Gyökeres

The opening fixtures look very tough for Arsenal, so it's important that we get off to a good start.

COYG!

Share via Social Network

Highlights of Arsenal vs Athletic Club

I'm trying not to get too hyped about Dowman

I'm trying not to get too hyped about Max Dowman but it's getting difficult.

Like most Arsenal fans, I've heard about and seen videos of him playing for Arsenal u18s and u19s and England's u16s and u17, where he has looked suitably impressive. Last December, he became the youngest ever player in Premier League 2, the Premier League's under 21 league, at 14 years old. He has also trained with Arsenal's first team squad on a regular basis.

But it's difficult to judge players at that level. To really judge a player's potential, you need to see him against proper opposition - against Premier League quality players -- against men. And we've had that chance now as he played 25 minutes against AC Milan, 30 minutes against Newcastle and 25 minutes against Sp***. Okay, these were only friendly matches, but his quality shone through nonetheless.

Arsenal's academy has produced some great players over the years, with Ethan Nwaneri and Miles Lewis-Skelly being the latest graduates to the first team squad. Barring serious injuries both will be top Premier League players, could be starters England for years to come and are potentially world class.

But Dowman is something different. With Arsenal youth coach Gustavo Oliveira calling him the "next Kaká", expectations are high. He is currently the most promising 15 year old in world football and could in time be a Ballon d'Or winner. That might seem a bit of a stretch and somewhat premature - and I don't like to make predictions, especially about the future - but if he keeps his head on and doesn't suffer any serious injuries, that's what we could be looking at.

He didn't score or get an assist against Milan, Newcastle and Spurs - unless you count being fouled for the winning penalty against Newcastle - but it is no exaggeration to say that he was probably the best player on the pitch in all three matches after he came on.

Opposing teams are already worried about what he can do. Against Newcastle and Spurs in particular, he was usually marked by two or three players. Every time he got the ball there was an audible hum of anticipation. That's incredible for a player who's only 15 years old playing in a team like Arsenal, with several world class attacking talents.

At no point in any of those matches did he look anything other than a first team player, and one of Arsenal's better ones at that. His skill, composure, pace and physique are already top class, and while he has things that he can improve upon he has the right attitude to get where he needs to be.

Could we even see him at the 2026 World Cup? There might be an outside chance, but a lot of things have to fall just right for that to happen. He may yet not even get much game time for Arsenal. However, the fact that I've even mentioned the idea, at the risk of looking like an idiot, speaks to how talented he is.

If you have any thoughts on Max Dowman or anything Arsenal, please leave a comment below.

Original image courtesy Chensiyuan, CC-BY-SA-4.0

Share via Social Network

I'm trying not to get too hyped about Dowman

Martinelli's disallowed goal - correct but also wrong

There was a lot of controversy surrounding Martinelli's disallowed goal against Everton.

This was a Schrödinger's cat of a refereeing decision in that it was both right and wrong at the same time. Or, to put it another way, the decision as the Law stands was technically correct, but the Law should perhaps be amended.

Think of the offside rule like the pass back to keeper rule: Beto's touch would not have counted as a back pass and therefore isn't considered a 'deliberate pass' here.

This rule was made, sensibly, so that a slight deflection on a through ball will not count as a pass by a defender, thus playing a player onside.

It doesn't seem appropriate to enforce the rule here because the ball was a long way from goal and Gabriel wasn't attempting a pass to Nketiah. However, the VAR assistant applied the letter of the Law.

This is a case of unintended consequences. This situation was not considered when the rule was devised. Perhaps there should be an amendment to the rule to take account of whether the attacking player intended to pass the ball to the player in an offside position - which in this case Gabriel did not.

As an aside, it was touch and go whether Martinelli was offside when he received the through ball from Vieira and because of the Nketiah offside this was never looked at. But that's a whole other discussion.

Share via Social Network

Martinelli's disallowed goal - correct but also wrong

I asked Adobe Express AI Text to Images to draw an Arsenal player

I asked Adobe Express AI Text to Image to draw an Arsenal player and this is the best it came up with after several attempts, adjusting the wording each time to improve the response.

What do you think? Could he be our next signing?

Share via Social Network

I asked Adobe Express AI Text to Images to draw an Arsenal player

Five things we learnt about Arsenal this week

 1. Thomas Partey is staying

In an interview on CBS Sports Mikel Arteta said: "Now we have three very good holding midfielders, with him [Rice], Thomas and Jorgi. I have to fit them in because they are so good and I love playing with midfielders! We’re thinking of a few ways to maximise their qualities and get the best out of them."

2. Jurrien Timber will play mainly at right-back

Timber came on for William Saliba in the match against the MLS All-stars and could have gone straight in at centre-back but Mikel Arteta put him at right-back and switched Benjamin White from right-back to centre-back.

At 5'9" Timber is a light on the short side to be a centre-back in the premier league.

3. Trusty, Balogun and Marquinhos will be given chance to prove themselves

Auston Trusty (80 minutes), Folarin Balogun (65) and Marquinhos (65) all came on against the MLS All-stars and will presumably be given a chance to prove themselves in pre-season before their futures are decided. 

We have enough spare squad spaces for next season for both Trusty and  Balugon to be included (assuming that we sell the players we are expecting to be sold). It would be nice for both to be given at least until the next transfer window to prove themselves before we sell them. They could both prove to be surprise successes. If not, then we can still move them in the window.

If Trusty isn't to be given a chance then why did we sign him? He is a better player than most give him credit for. Surely Arteta must have some sort of plan for him.

Marquinhos is still young and will probably go out on loan again, but he can become a big player for Arsenal in the future.

4. Kai Harvertz will replace Granit Xhaka

Havertz will play mostly in the 8/10 role formerly occupied by Xhaka alongside Martin Odegaard. Against MLS he came on on the left wing to replace Eddie Nketiah at half-time but then switched to the 8/10 position when Martinelli came on after 56 minutes.

Mikel Arteta said: "Havertz gives us something very different with his quality and size. When you have to beat the press, for example, and use him as a target man. So, we will see - for now, he’s playing in the attacking midfield position, but I’m sure throughout the season and throughout games as well, we’re going to have the options to play him in different positions."

5. Leandro Trossard can also replace Xhaka

With Kai Havertz still settling in and Emile Smith Rowe only recently returned from England u21s, Trossard was given playing time in Xhaka's position against both Nurnberg and MLS All-stars and was pretty impressive in both matches. He gives us another option that position.

It's good to see we have a lot of players in the squad who are versatile and can cover any eventuality.

Share via Social Network

Five things we learnt about Arsenal this week

Tim-ber! Arsenal sign Jurrien Timber

 

Arsenal have signed Jurrien Timber from Ajax for a reported fee of £38.5m.

He claims he loves the club, but then he's hardly going to say anything else is he?

In case you're interested - perhaps you want to get his numbered shirt - he will wear the number 12 shirt.

Seriously though, this looks like a good signing. I can't believe no one else has been challenging us for his signature. He can play right back or centre back. He's a little short for a centre back at 5'9", but as Lisandro Martínez has proved at Man Utd, it is possible to thrive in the Premier League as a centre back with being 6" plus.

Still, I expect him to play mostly at right back, though Arteta has emphasised his versatility - a quality he seems to covet in his signings.

He's only 22 years old but has already played 85 times for Ajax -winning the league twice - and 15 times for The Netherlands. For such a young player that is impressive, and again a typical Mikel Arteta signing - a young player with experience.

Will he be in the first eleven? I don't know. My guess is that he will be a squad player at the start of the season, but Arteta doesn't play favourites and if he does well enough when he does get chances, he could force his way into the starting eleven by the end of the season. In any case, with Arsenal being in the Champions League this season we will need a big squad and some rotation will be necessary.

So, welcome to the Arsenal, Jurrien Timber. May your career at the club be long and prosperous.

Picture courtesy Carlo Beuil, Creative Commons 2.0

Share via Social Network

Tim-ber! Arsenal sign Jurrien Timber

What do we think of Kai Havertz?

 

Unless you've been living in a cave you will have heard by now that Arsenal have signed Kai Havertz from Chelsea for reported fee of £65 million. So what do we make of this signing?

Havertz played mainly as a false nine for Chelsea last season, with limited success, scoring only nine goals from 47 starts. It is doubtful whether he will fulfil the same role for Arsenal however, having been listed as a midfielder on the official Arsenal FC website. Instead, with Granit Xhaka now having left the club, Harvertz is expected to replace him in the 'number 8' role which Xhaka played so well last season.

This makes sense, as I believe Mikel Arteta wants to get more out of this position in an attacking sense without sacrificing too much defensively. This is why he tried both Fabio Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe in that position to a limited extent last season.

The only other option is that Declan Rice will play in Xhaka's old role and Thomas Partey and Jorginho will continue to play the defensive midfield role, with Kai Havertz being merely squad player. However, it is unlikely that Arteta would pay so much money for a player who he doesn't see as being in the starting eleven.

In the past, Havertz has played in the 'number 10' role; however, he has never played in the slightly deeper number 10 position or advanced 'number 8' that Arsenal are expected to use him in, essentially being the same position as Martin Odegaard but on the opposite side of the pitch - expected to perform the role of a traditional  'number 10' but also expect to drop back and help out defensively.

There is no avoiding the fact that paying such a big fee is a risk for a player that we will be asking to play a role that he is unfamiliar with is a bit of a risk; yet this is essentially what he did with Odegaard, albeit for a slightly smaller fee. And that worked out very well indeed.

Havertz has all the attributes required to succeed in this new role:.he works hard and he is physically fast and strong, but he also has the ability to arrive late in the box or the play the killer pass. Fans may need to be patient with him initially as he settles into the club and into the role, but he has the ability.

Anyway, only time will tell.

Image courtesy Marco Verch (Creative Commons 2.0)

Share via Social Network

What do we think of Kai Havertz?

Wolves v Arsenal preview - I've missed my Arsenal!

I've missed my Arsenal and I'm extra looking forward to tonight's game against Wolves. It's been too long since the last match.

Last time the team had a long gap between matches it was when we were on good form and it seemed to break our momentum as results afterwards weren't so good. Results recently have been poor, so let's hope the long break this time acts as a reset and that the winter break in Dubai has recharged the batteries so that we get on track.

It seems we have a fully fit squad and everyone is back from the African Cup of Nations, so it will be interesting to see who starts against Wolves.

My predicted line-up is above. I would like to see Martinelli start up front and Smith Rowe on the left, but Mikel Arteta hasn't mentioned him as a possible replacement striker now that Aubameyang has left, so I'm not hopeful on that score. You never know though, he might spring a surprise.

Whatever team is selected, let's hope for a win. COYG!

On a slightly different topic, my Premier League Fantasy Football has been hacked. At least the hackers have a sense of humour - my defenders are Turns, Mee, Small, Koch, Long and my attackers are Hwang, King.

Share via Social Network

Wolves v Arsenal preview - I've missed my Arsenal!

Brentford v ARSENAL preview and predicted line-up

 Predicted formation

Last season

It's fair to say that an eighth place finish in the Premier League far from good enough for a team like Arsenal.

However, this does not tell the whole story. After an appalling first half of the season, the team bounced back and we were the second best team in the league in the second half of the season (The Sun).

We are now in a new season and we will all be hoping that the form at the end of last season is carried on. This will be dependent on a lot of different factors, not least being the effect that the crowds returning to the stadiums will have. Also, most teams have bought and sold and we will have to see which transfers work out well and which don't.

A new beginning

We have a relatively easy start against newly promoted Brentford, but the team can't take this lightly as there are no easy matches in the Premier League and, as a new team in the division, Brentford will have a point to prove. They have some good players and Arsenal need to come out of the blocks quickly and not show any ring-rustiness. Preseason performances have not been good, so they will need to up their game.

It's important for the team to get off to a good start because the next two matches are at home to Chelsea and away to Man City. 

Predicted line-up

With no new keeper signed, Leno will keep his position in goal.

With Gabriel and Holding currently out injured, Mari and White will start at centre back. Tierney will start at left back and the right back will be between Chambers and Bellerin, with Chambers likely to get the nod.

Partey is out injured for around four weeks, so new signing Lokongo will probably play in the midfield alongside Xhaka, although Elneny will also be in contention.

Saka and Martinelli haven't been back in training long, so Aubameyang will probably play on the left, with Lacazette up front. On the other hand, Arteta may decide to play Saka, in which case Auba will probably play up front. Pepe will most likely play on the right.

That just leaves the attacking midfield position, and with Odergaard returning to Real Madrid after his loan ended and no new signings (yet) in this positions, Smith Rowe will probably get the nod.

Fingers crossed for a positive start. COYG.

Share via Social Network

Brentford v ARSENAL preview and predicted line-up

What are Arsenal's chances this season?

Never make predictions, especially about the future. That's what they say.

Of course that hasn't stopped many pundits from doing exactly that because, well, that's their job. I'm going to look at some of the predictions here, with the intention of coming back at the end of the season to see how they got on.

What are the predictions for this season?

The OddsChecker website have Arsenal fifth favourites with the bookies, with Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man Utd above us. Interestingly, Leeds Utd are seventh favourites, admittedly with best odds of 200-1. At least we are more strongly fancied than Spurs, who are sixth favourites.

The BBC have published an article, Premier League predictions 2020-21: BBC Sport pundits pick their top four, in which 25 BBC TV and radio pundits pick their top four for this season. Of these, only two - Joleon Lescott and Ian Wright - predict Arsenal to be in the top four at the end of the season. The BBC's Chief Football Write, Phil McNulty, predicted Arsenal to finish sixth.

According to The Telegraph (via bettingexpert), Arsenal have no chance of finishing in the top four, with 'lucky' wins against Liverpool and Man City towards the end of last season 'papering over the cracks'. According to them, 'there is still the major issue of sorting out the defence while there does not appear to be a natural leader on the pitch'.

Jake Lambourne in the Sun has an article about data analysts at fivethirtyeight.com, who have Arsenal to finish seventh, with Man City, Liverpool, Man Utd, Chelsea, Tottenham and Leicester all predicted to finish above us, based on their statistics.

Interestingly, The Sporting Life pundits have also predicted their top fours. Of the seven pundits, three predicted Arsenal to finish fourth, with the rest all predicting us to finish outside the top four.

In The Express only one of nine pundits, Neil Squires, expects Arsenal to finish fourth, with the rest predicting us to finish outside the top four.

The Mail Online suggests 'a top-four push is not impossible this season... but the club must back Mikel Arteta in the market'.

In short, very few are predicting Arsenal to finish top four, and no one is expecting us to win the league.

But will they be right?

These predictions are understandable. While Arsenal made big strides at the end of last season, Liverpool will be strongly fancied, having won the league by 18 points. Manchester City will also be strongly fancied, under Pep Guardiola.

Elsewhere, Manchester United finished last season strongly and Chelsea have bought very big and very well, with the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Malang Sarr, Thiago Silva and Kai Havertz all being added to their squad, and all quality players. You would think that Jose Mourinho will have Tottenham organised, and the likes of Leicester and Wolves will again be competing somewhere near the top of the league. Meanwhile, Everton have also made some quality signing and Southampton also finished strongly last season.

A strong indication of where teams will do is how teams will do this season is how they finished last season. According to this the Premier League table since the restart on PlanetFootball, Arsenal were seventh best after the Covid-induced break, with Man City, Man Utd, Southampton (yes, really!), Spurs, Chelsea and Liverpool above us.

So what are Arsenal's chances?

Predictions are especially difficult this season as the transfer window ends on 5 October, with an extension till 5pm on 16 October where Premier League clubs will only be able to trade with English Football League clubs. In addition, several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, are in what is referred to as a 'transition phase', where their performance is especially hard to predict.

While being seventh best after the restart doesn't bode well, this doesn't take into account the rebuilding job that Arteta was doing after the disastrous period under Unai Emery. Late season wins against Liverpool in the league and Man City and Chelsea in the FA Cup, as well as the FA Cup win itself and beating Liverpool again in the Community Shield give reason for optimism, whilst seeing other teams strengthening and looking good gives reason for caution.

At lot will depend on the ins and outs between now and the end of the transfer window. We have attempted to improve the defence by bringing in Gabriel, Saliba, Mari and Soares, while Willian will add experience to the attack. Mikel Arteta will undoubtedly now look to improve the midfield, with Thomas Partey and Houssem Aouar being most strongly linked. We also have a lot of very good young players who will all hopefully have improved since last season.

Sadly and inevitably, some players will also leave. Many pundits are suggesting that Arsenal need to sell players to fund purchase(s) in midfield. Whatever the truth of this, some players will have to go as Arsenal's first team squad is currently 32 players, all of whom will want playing time - which is of course impossible. Arsenal also have 18 overseas players and only 17 are permitted, so at least one of the will have to leave, more if we sign additional overseas players, as expected.

Who is leaving?

In goal, Arteta is keeping his cards close to his chest. Martinez and Leno are both top keepers who will want to be first choice. Rumours are that Martinez will want to leave if he isn't first choice, which would be sad. Several replacements have been suggested, and third choice Matt Macey also looks a good keeper.

In defence, we have eight centre backs (Gabriel, Luiz, Mustafi, Mari, Saliba, Holding, Sokratis and Chambers), as well as Tierney and Kolasinac who can play there. This is further complicated as Luiz, Mustafi, Mari, Sokratis and Chambers are all currently injured, and Gabriel and Saliba are new to the club and will need time to settle. At full-back we have Tierney, Bellerin, Maitland-Niles, Soares and Kolasinac, as well as Saka who can play there. Clearly some of these will have to leave.

Thomas Partey and Houssem Aouar are amongst several midfield players linked with the club, and whatever the truth of these rumours, it definitely seems that Arteta is keen on adding new players in this area. We currently have Xhaka, Ceballos, Willock, Elneny, Guendouzi and Torreira, as well as potentially Maitland-Niles, so again some of these seem likely to leave.

In Attack, we are pretty set, but perhaps youngster Emile Smith Rowe might go out on loan.

So what's the verdict?

Er, yeah, don't be daft, I'm not going to predict. I'm cautiously optimistic, but I'm not going to predict. You should never make predictions, especially about the future. Weren't you paying attention?

It will be interesting to come back at the end of the season though and see how those daft pundits did.

Enjoy the season. COYG.

Share via Social Network

What are Arsenal's chances this season?

Lucas Perez is his own worst enemy

If Lucas Perez has been treated badly by Arsenal then he only has himself to blame.

I notice that many Arsenal blogs have come out on Lucas' side, but I am taking the opposite view. While he looked good in the few appearance he made for the club, he started moaning about not being in the team pretty much as soon as he arrived at the club. That's not the Arsenal way.

He should not be surprised that his number 9 squad number was given to Alexandre Lacazette. He did not travel with the Arsenal squad to Australia and the Far East, so it is obvious that the decision to sell him had already been made.

However, he is still is still trying to put the blame at Arsenal's door. Spanish newspaper La Voz De Galicia quoted him as saying:

"I feel cheated.

"In February I was not allowed to leave for a move to China with the promise that I would play more and after that I had even fewer opportunities.

"But the shirt number is an ugly gesture (new signing Alexandre Lacazette was given his number 9 shirt). On our pre-season trip, Lacazette asked the boss and he accepted. I was only told afterwards.

“Last year he (Wenger) told me that he understood why I was upset. I think this season things will get worse, so help me out.

"Since I have been a professional footballer, I've felt happiest in Deportivo, surrounded by my family and my friends. Put yourself in my place.

"I know I have chances to play for the national team and at the World Cup. But for that I have to play and I have to be happy. That's why I want to go back to Coruna.

"Arsenal are not behaving well with me. To take the shirt number without telling me and to give it to a companion -- it seems to me that it is the last straw.

"I can't continue this way. I have given everything, but that has not been reciprocated, so I can't stand it any longer. I want to leave and be happy."

If Arsenal did refuse him a move to China and promise him more playing time, that is poor form on our part. But given the way he has constantly slagged off Arsenal in the media from the off, it is hard to believe anything he says. We have no way of knowing what has gone on behind closed doors. perhaps the offer came with a proviso that he stopped criticising the club and Arsene Wenger. Perhaps he became a disruptive influence in the dressing room. We will most likely never know.

Now, Perez's agent, Rodrigo Fernandez Lovelle, has said that Arsenal should accept an offer of €9 million for the player because his value has declined while he has been sitting on the Arsenal bench. I wonder if he will be using the same argument when he is negotiating Lucas' salary?

Arsenal paid €21m for Lucas Perez only 12 months ago. I'd be happy to see Lucas Perez leave at this point, despite his obvious talent, but Arsenal should stick to their guns and wait until a suitable offer is made. And if not, he can rot in the reserves or be sent out on loan.

Share via Social Network

Lucas Perez is his own worst enemy

Leicester City - Tottenham in disguise

Leicester is of course the city of Gary Lineker, Alan Smith, pork pies, Kasabian, Showaddywaddy, Engelbert Humperdinck, Stilton cheese, Red Leicester, and salt and vinegar crisps in green packets.

As an Arsenal fan living in Leicester, this match is as close as I get to experiencing what most arsenal fans experience when we play Tottenham and consequently I have many memories of games between the clubs over the years.

First of all, there was Dennis Bergkamp's hat-trick in August 1997, which I'm sure needs no introduction for fans of either club.

Then there was the home match at the start of the unbeaten season, which I managed to get a ticket for. We won the match comfortably 4-0 with goals from Henry, Bergkamp, Pires and Ljungberg and you could see at that point that this was a special side. I tried not to cheer too loudly as I was sitting in the away end.

The away match against Leicester that season was also memorable because it was the match when we sealed the unbeaten season. We went 1-0 down to an offside goal scored by former gunner Paul Dickov, a player who I thought had a lot of potential but who was sold after not being able to cement a first team place due to competition from Ian Wright, John Hartson and the mighty Chris Kiwomya. He never really fulfilled that potential after moving to Man City and similarly failed to become a first-team regular there and subsequently at Blackburn. It was the Leicester fans who probably saw the best of Dickov in two spells there in 2002-2004 and 2008-2010.

That song

Then of course there is that song, the origins of which are lost in time...

We will follow the Arsenal
over land and sea (AND LEICESTER)
We will follow the Arsenal
on to victory
All together now... 

And the bad

There are also some bad memories. I remember watching a turgid 1-0 Leicester win at the old Filbert Street in 1981, going down to a solitary Tommy Williams goal in the days of Frank Stapleton, Graham Rix, Pat Jennings, Alan Sunderland and John Hollins. The most memorable thing from the match for me was the way that Leicester continually showed up Arsenal centre back Willie Young for the lumbering ex-Tottenham oaf that he was.

And there was also a match we lost 3-0 at Filbert Street in November 1983 when a team featuring the likes of Pat Jennings, Kenny Sansom, Graham Rix, Tony Woodcock, Alan Sunderland, Charlie Nicholas, Paul Davis and David O'Leary got turned over and had their bellies rubbed. Leicester fans' favourite Steve Lynex and a couple of unknowns called Gary Lineker and Alan Smith got the goals for the foxes.

Before my time

Fans with longer memories than me may remember a match in 1963 when Arsenal keeper Jack McClelland was sent off and Leicester went on to win 7-2 against ten man Arsenal, as substitutes were not allowed in those days.

In the programme for that match it says of Arsenal that:

They have claimed a great deal of attention lately by signing the Scotland centre-half, Ian Ure, from Dundee. Newspapers have put the transfer fee at more than £60,000, and the strange thing is that the mention of such as sum does not startle us as it might have done a few years ago. We have definitely entered a new era of football values and whatever we may think of them, they have to be accepted.

Today's match

Leicester City should not be underestimated. They won the Champoionship with 102 points last season; that's no mean feat. A win and a loss so far seems to suggest that they have not found transition to the Premier League easy, but this ignores the fact that those two matches were against Everton and Chelsea.

New signing Estaban Cambiasso has won 23 professional honours, including the Champions League, five league championships and four Copa Italias with Inter Milan, and a La Liga title with Real Madrid. Nothing yet for Leicester.

Kasper Schmeichel in goal is one of the top keepers in the Premier League, they are pretty good at the back and they also have a few other players such as Leonard Ulloah, Anthony Knockhart and Rihad Mahrez who can cause a shock on their day.

I've not been able to get a ticket for the match, so I won't be able to jinx the Arse this time and I think we will have enough class to win this one, which is important going into the international break.

COYG!

Share via Social Network

Leicester City - Tottenham in disguise

FA Cup 2014 celebrations - compilation of best videos

Since there isn't much going on at the moment apart from a plethora of unsubstantiated transfer rumours, I thought I'd share some of the best videos celebrating our FA Cup win. Enjoy!

1. Dressing room celebrations

2. Pitchside celebrations

3. Bus parade highlights

4. The road to FA Cup victory

5. Players read fans' Twitter messages

Share via Social Network

FA Cup 2014 celebrations - compilation of best videos

Cesc to Chelsea makes me sad

Cesc Fabregas' move to Chelsea saddens me, but it's probably for the best.

It will make me sad to see a world class player who really grew up at Arsenal playing for one of our rivals, but midfield isn't an area of the team that is a priority for strengthening at the moment. Don't get me wrong, I think Fabregas could've improved our team, he is genuinely world class after all, but signing him would have meant either leaving out Ozil or Ramsey, or playing players out of position.

Sure, we could accommodate Cesc. We could play him on the wing, up front, or in the defensive midfield position, but would he be happy with that? He may be happy to help out the team by playing out of position occasionally, but longer term, players like to play in their favoured position. Besides, it wouldn't really be getting the best out of a large investment.

Another alternative would be to drop Ramsey or Ozil (who one could argue are as good as Cesc), but would either of those be happy with that? I don't think so. And what about players like the Ox and Wilshere, who will struggle to get into the team anyway when everyone is fit. Would they be happy to be pushed further down the pecking order to accommodate Cesc? You may be able to get away with benching world class talent if you are Chelsea or Man City, who can pay ridiculous wages and are perceived by players (perhaps correctly) as having a better chance of winning the league than Arsenal, but world class players don't sit on the bench at Arsenal; you just wouldn't get away with it.

Another alternative would be to play Ozil or Ramsey out wide, but Ramsey has already proved that he is better in a central position and I would be worried about our lack of pace in the wide positions if Ozil played on the wing. Besides, would he be happy with that, long term? And what then of Walcott, Cazorla, Ox and Podolski? Where would they fit in? Not to mention Joel Campbell, who's currently pulling up trees in England's World Cup group for Costa Rica.

Then there is also the matter of Cesc betraying Arsenal by forcing a move to Barcelona, with all that Barca DNA stuff and Spanish team mates forcing him to wear a Barca shirt and begging him to join. There was even a rumour that he refused to play in pre-season friendlies, though we don't know for sure that that's true. Some fans might forgive him for that, others may not.

So, yes, it is sad to see Cesc go to Chelsea, but it's probably best to save our money for the positions we do need to strengthen. World class strikers don't come cheap and we also need a right back and a back up keeper at least. Another backup centre back would also be nice and, if we have any money left, another defensive midfielder – after all, Arteta and Flamini are very good, but I believe it is possible to improve on them, and they aren't getting any younger.

That said, if we don't strengthen those positions, I will be most non-gruntled.

Photo courtesy mcaparrotta

Share via Social Network

Cesc to Chelsea makes me sad

Review: The Townsend Terminator - app to block annoying commentary

Want to block out Andy Townsend or other annoying commentators during the World Cup without losing crowd sounds or other more useful commentary?

Well you're in luck because a new piece of software called C-Chip is currently in beta testing that will allow you to do just that by selectively blocking out annoying commentators on matches at this year's World Cup finals in Brazil.

The software, called C-Chip, which will be available for Android, iOS and PC, is inspired by the V-Chip seen in the film South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut – a small device that administers an electric shock to an individual whenever they use vulgar language (hence the name). In the real world, a V-chip refers to any technology installed in a television set that allows parents to monitor and censor programmes based on their rating.

The new C-Chip software, however, performs a much more useful function of constantly monitoring TV and radio commentary on your phone, tablet or PC and then, by using a complex algorithm to predict when a specified commentator is going to speak, replacing the sound of their voice with birdsong until they have finished speaking.

The beta version of the software that I tested had plugins to replace Adrian Chiles, Stan Collymore, Andy Townsend, Alan Hansen and Alan Smith, but ones for Alan Shearer, Phil Neville, Lee Dixon, Glenn Hoddle and Stewart Robson will be available at launch, with others being added at a later date.

During the limited time that I had to test the software, it worked pretty well, although it did on one occasion mistakenly block out Theo Walcott when I had programmed it only to block out Adrian Chiles.

The software will sell for £2.99 on all platforms, with additional plugins costing 99p each.

Further plugins are planned to replace the commentary with something other than birdsong, such as the sound of crashing waves, whale noises or crowd noise, but it is not yet clear whether these will be available in time for launch.

At the time of writing, no one from the makers, C-Chip Tech Co., was available to tell us what C-Chip stands for.

Find out more at: townsendterminator.com.

Share via Social Network

Review: The Townsend Terminator - app to block annoying commentary

Five alternative ways for Arsenal to spend £70 million

A lot has been said and written about Arsenal's lack of spending in the transfer market. We have reportedly made offers for several high profile players such as Higuain, Suarez and Cabaye, but so far, despite calls to spend some f***ing money, Arsene Wenger has been unable to get rid of that huge wad of cash that's burning a hole in his pocket and the only signings have been Flamini and Sanogo, both on free transfers.

Many suggestions of players that they could sign have been made, but I think that's lacking imagination, so here are ten alternative ways that Arsenal could spend some of that £70 miliion:

1. Use Champagne to water the pitch at the Emirates Stadium.
2. Cover the face of the famous clock in gold leaf and encrust the numerals with diamonds.
3. Buy an island in the Caribbean and set up a league there with just one team in it so that we can win the league every year.
4. Buy Swindon Town - the whole town, not just the football club.
5. Buy a week's supply of hair gel for Mikel Arteta.

But what do you think? Can you come up with something better?

Photo courtesy epSos.de

Share via Social Network

Five alternative ways for Arsenal to spend £70 million

Rooney fed up according to Manchester Evening News

Wayne Rooney is fed up at Man United according to the local paper, the Manchester Evening News.

Rooney has been at ManUre for nine years and it appears he is now bored with the prospect of playing and training for the most successful team in England and getting paid £200,000, plus bonuses, for the privilege and desperately wants a move (well, it's either that or he's after another pay increase).

'M.E.N. Sport understands the England international is still determined to quit the Reds – even after initially viewing new manager David Moyes’ appointment as the chance of a fresh start.'

Now I would normally dismiss this as absolute tosh, but the fact that it is the local paper makes me think there may be something in it as local papers often have all the insider gossip. They go on to say that:

'A move from Arsenal is expected to start a bidding war for the £25m-rated forward.
But Arsene Wenger is certain to face stiff opposition from United, who will be determined not to strengthen a domestic rival.

'That should also rule out a move to Chelsea – even though Jose Mourinho has indicated that he would like to take Rooney to Stamford Bridge.

'City will also be monitoring the situation following the departures of Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez in the past six months, but United will not even entertain the thought of selling to their fiercest rivals.'

To me this reads as if Rooney has told Merchandise United that he would like to leave and someone at the club has passed the story to the paper to try to drum up some bids. This is backed up as they go on to say that:

'With two years to run on his contract, United cannot risk allowing him to enter the final 12 months of his deal without an extension being agreed.

'That means this could be their best chance to cash in on him if he makes it clear that he has no intention of staying.

'But United do still have the power to determine where he goes if they decide to sell.'

They also say that 'Rooney has known for some time that Old Trafford's board will not countenance moves to Chelsea or City.

'Arsenal could be a slightly different prospect given that they have not been genuine title rivals in recent years.'

(Humph, the bloody cheek!)

However, much as I would like to see Rooney at Arsenal, I can't help feeling that his wages will be the key issue. He will as likely as not be looking for a pay increase on top of his already (reported) £200k per week and although Arsenal have said that they are now willing to pay higher wages than at present, I can't see them stretching that far to be honest.

My bet is that he will either sign a new contract and stay at Old Trafford or move to somewhere like PSG who can afford higher wages.

But I hope I'm wrong.

Follow me on Twitter

Like this story? Why not follow me on Twitter (@ArseOnline) or post a comment below...

Picture courtesy nasmac

Share via Social Network

Rooney fed up according to Manchester Evening News

Ashley Williams: First realistic sounding summer signing story

It's only 24 May and already we have the first realistic sounding Arsenal-related transfer story.

According The Metro (I know) and others, we are on the verge of signing Swansea centreback Ashley Williams.

Many will complain that Williams is not high profile the signing we need, but it's nice to see we're getting some transfer business done early, and I'm sure this is only the start of our summer signings.

In terms of centrebacks, I think he is exactly the kind of signing we need. BFG and Kos have been playing well and Vermaelen is also waiting in the wings, so we need someone proven in Premier League and (potentially) willing to wait for his chance. We need squad strength in the position, not starters.

Williams is 28 years old and six feet tall. He is captain of Wales (for whom he has played 41 times, including one sub appearance), so his leadership skills will come in handy. He has played 214 times for Swansea, including 37 and 35 times in his two seasons in the Premier League, so he is a proven performer.

I never get too excited about a transfer rumour until I see the player on arsenal.com shaking Arsene Wenger's hand, but this one has a ring of truth about it, in my opinion.

Picture courtesy j.a.holland

Share via Social Network

Ashley Williams: First realistic sounding summer signing story

Honest Harry, Millionaire

I was talking to my brother earlier today about a computer game we used to play back in the 1980s on the ZX Spectrum called 'Millionaire'.

'Millionaire' was an early management game. The idea was to create computer games and sell them to make a million pounds - hence the name. This involved writing new games, converting games to other platforms, duplicating cassettes, investing in copy protection, marketing, etc., etc.

Anyhoo, one of the things you could do in the game was to go and see a character called 'Honest Harry' who would sell you stuff like blank cassettes (obviously stolen) at low prices.

Does this remind you of anyone at all?

Share via Social Network

Honest Harry, Millionaire