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Marquee
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Slightly off topic, actually a lot off topic but did anyone spot Mikel Arteta at the FA Cup final this morning? I never saw him at all.

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That's a really good summary Valeo. I'm sure Ozil and/or Mhki could be tempted by a stint in China for the money if they know they won't get game time. It would likely involve us paying them to leave but I'm still hopeful it will happen.

The alternative if we can't shift them is we have to shape a team around them, which makes the idea of us reverting to a single striker formation more logical and the sale of Laca or Auba more realistic. 

It still makes me sick to think that next season we'll be without Ramsey, possibly one of Laca or Auba, and both Mhki and Ozil stay. It highlights what an asbolute clusterfudge our back off management has been the last two seasons. The Gazidis legacy is well and truly in tatters.

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https://www.beinsports.com/nz/premier-league/news/bournemouth-brings-in-kelly-from-bristol-ci-1/1195674

I wonder if this could have been the kind of left back signing we could have made to give Kolasinac some competition on the cheap.

Legend
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Being linked with an 18yo french CB who is quite highly rated. 

Really need someone a bit older than that, although that De Ligt fella bucks the trend, he seems first eleven ready for just about anyone. Obviously we aint gonna get him though!

That Ziyech at Ajax is available for 25m apparently, and is an Arsenal fan. Says his favourite player is Ozil. Not sure if he's that great though, some of those Ajax players will be overrated as they've been performing in an excellent team interplay environment, but may not be much chop once you take them out of that. 

The Denilson syndrome if you will. 

I'd be wary of snapping up their players just based on the season they've had. Looks to me like de Jong and de Ligt are very impressive, not sure about the rest though. 

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paulm wrote:

Being linked with an 18yo french CB who is quite highly rated. 

Really need someone a bit older than that, although that De Ligt fella bucks the trend, he seems first eleven ready for just about anyone. Obviously we aint gonna get him though!

That Ziyech at Ajax is available for 25m apparently, and is an Arsenal fan. Says his favourite player is Ozil. Not sure if he's that great though, some of those Ajax players will be overrated as they've been performing in an excellent team interplay environment, but may not be much chop once you take them out of that. 

The Denilson syndrome if you will. 

I'd be wary of snapping up their players just based on the season they've had. Looks to me like de Jong and de Ligt are very impressive, not sure about the rest though. 

totally agree about having skepticism on the Ajax players. They had stars in their ranks for sure, but I think the individually most talent ones have already been picked off. the rest were players who worked well in their system. 

not sure if it just social media doing circles on it self, but i have seen more Umtiti and Zaha rumours over the past couple of days. We have also chucked a bit at Walter Kannemann,  a 28 yr old defender from Gremio. I know nothing about this guy. 

In other news, Santi is back in the Spain squad. awesome to see, especially after almost losing his foot 3 years ago. 

valeo
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Personally I think we need more promising young players in that age range - as we've seen with Guendouzi, just because they're younger does not mean they won't play. It just means they shouldn't be 100% relied on for the entire season. 


Our squad skews heavily towards the 'elders' and they haven't done much for us lately. More top prospects in the 18-20 range. More players ready to start in the EPL in the 20-25 range.

When the top prospects hit 21,22 they'll hopefully be good enough to either start for us, or be sold for big money to help finance our future.

Agree re: Ziyech. Not good enough.

Marquee
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we are now being linked to William Saliba. But my thinking is that this is just because he is a promsing young frenchman and we are often linked to promising young french players. 

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Mkhitaryan has officially made himself unavailable for the final, and the club have sold a whopping 3000 tickets.

What an absolute disaster this event is before a ball has been kicked.

Starting XI
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Fudge UEFA very much. If it's not enough that you can't even physically get there, some players might get beaten to death due to their nationality so can't take part. Although unlikely, what would they have done if an Armenian team had made the final? Or if it had been Messi or Ronaldo who couldn't go?

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The more I learn about the Baku situation, the more I am in favour of the club saying that this isn't right and withdrawing from the match. 

'I know I know, but what about champions league?' But as it stands, our fans can go, a player of ours can't go. Without fans and players, you don't have a football club to worry about getting into the CL. 

Withdrawing would send a message that this whole cluster fudge situation is not on and that Uefa need to short their shark out. 

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Oil money runs the game sadly. I'd be proud of the club if it did boycott due to this tbh. Victoria Concordia Crescit.

valeo
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Agree with a boycoutt. This is our most important game in a decade, but I'd still be proud of the club for pulling out.

Legend
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I've been thinking and I think I'm in the same boat. 

As important as it is for us, I would fully support that move. 

I saw what i thought was a great suggestion: 

Arsenal and Chelsea should work together on it, and announce together that they are withdrawing, and essentially both forfeiting the match. Then book Wembley and play a "friendly" there, under the same rules and guidelines, and hand out a replica trophy. 

Obviously not going to happen but that would've sent a nice message, allowed the fans to go and watch the "match", and then whatever UEFA decide to do with the Champions League qualification and official Europa League winner in the record books, who bloody cares, the message has been sent, loud and clear.

Another suggestion I saw which might be actually feasible, was that in the event we win, the Arsenal players shake hands with the Chelsea players, clap the small group of fans that are actually there, and then walk off the pitch. Don't accept the trophy, don't pose for all the victory celebrations etc. That would send a wee message as well I think. 

Marquee
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First shots of our new Adidas kits for next season. Loving the retro "bruised banana" away shirt.

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valeo
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Has to be Leno; clearly the better keeper, and Cech - while obviously a good guy - is not any sort of Arsenal legend. He's also going back to Chelsea...so, no need to sentimentality. We need to play our best team.

Surge
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Leno, because better (and there's a lot on the line for us). 

Marquee
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leno make sense as he is a better keeper. But I fully expect it to be Cech in goal come next thursday

WeeNix
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Love those new kits for next season. 

Not sold on the idea of boycotting the Europa Final. It's an absolute farce but unless Chelsea were also to boycott it then we'd look the fool. Right now us getting back into the champions league is massive.

Leno has to start for me too, I'll be very disappointed in Emery if he selects Cech

valeo
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I think we should boycott it if we lose :)

valeo
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kwlap wrote:

leno make sense as he is a better keeper. But I fully expect it to be Cech in goal come next thursday

Why, though?

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valeo wrote:
kwlap wrote:

leno make sense as he is a better keeper. But I fully expect it to be Cech in goal come next thursday

Why, though?

stupid sentimental reasons really.

valeo
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Legend
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Exactly. That is literally the only reason.

1. Emery doesn't have any ties to Cech.

2. Chelsea have given us a perfect 'out' by leaking the news he will be their Sporting Director - no one would begrudge Emery for dropping him now.

Marquee
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Not sold on the idea of boycotting the Europa Final. It's an absolute farce but unless Chelsea were also to boycott it then we'd look the fool. Right now us getting back into the champions league is massive.

I agree, while I do support the idea I'd only want it to be a united front from Chelski & Arsenal to enable it to maxmimise the impact.

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brumbys wrote:

Not sold on the idea of boycotting the Europa Final. It's an absolute farce but unless Chelsea were also to boycott it then we'd look the fool. Right now us getting back into the champions league is massive.

I agree, while I do support the idea I'd only want it to be a united front from Chelski & Arsenal to enable it to maxmimise the impact.

We'd both get lengthy European bans I'd imagine, the suits would lose face with their cashed-up Azeri mates (and future similar potential host regimes) and punish accordingly.

Kante out for the final so we have no midfield subs (Sarri's hatred of ironically-named alcoholic Drinkwater probably rules him out), you chaps should walk this.

valeo
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Legend
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Gullitesque wrote:
brumbys wrote:

Not sold on the idea of boycotting the Europa Final. It's an absolute farce but unless Chelsea were also to boycott it then we'd look the fool. Right now us getting back into the champions league is massive.

I agree, while I do support the idea I'd only want it to be a united front from Chelski & Arsenal to enable it to maxmimise the impact.

We'd both get lengthy European bans I'd imagine, the suits would lose face with their cashed-up Azeri mates (and future similar potential host regimes) and punish accordingly.

Kante out for the final so we have no midfield subs (Sarri's hatred of ironically-named alcoholic Drinkwater probably rules him out), you chaps should walk this.

I still genuinely think Ramsey being out is a bigger loss than Kante or Loftus-Cheek. Ramsey was the main reason we won against you last time out; he harried Jorginho all game - we don't have anyone else that can do that job, really, unless Torreira gets pushed forward (which will leave a huge gap for Hazard, as no one else is really good at filling in when our FB's push high)

Ramsey also provided a goal threat. We basically only have Laca or Auba who even look like scoring - especially now Mkhi can't play.

Kante is a really good player, but I can't remember him ever having a good game against us.

Phoenix Academy
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over 10 years

I'll admit there's an element of pessimistic downplaying of expectations to my post, with a hint of double bluff. Whilst I certainly rate Ramsey I'd still say our midfield absences are at the very least equally as serious, probably RLC moreso than Kante given his recent form. 

Jorginho-Kovacic-Barkley is rough on paper, as well as Jorginho has played recently I don't think him and Kovacic are particularly suited to playing together. Kovacic is actually a decent Jorginho backup, albeit we've only seen brief glimpses of it as Sarri is so wedded to Jorginho. But Kovacic playing forward of Jorginho just offers so little, zero goal threat, rarely takes his man on, mostly recycling possession and sideways passing whilst lacking Jorginho's range. RLC is a far better fit as the direct runner in midfield, gives opponents nightmares and they struggle to shut him down (see the way he bossed Ireland-England wunderkind Declan Rice as a prime example this season).

Barkley is a big downgrade as he's only really played in patches, had a good start to the season but has largely been sidelined by RLC's emergence as a regular starter. Though I guess he does provide a bit of a goal threat, and will run himself into the ground if Kante is absent. 

Don't know what we'd do in the event of needing a midfield sub. Could well see Luiz or Ampadu deployed as emergency options. 

Starting XI
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over 11 years

Newcastle the next one to be taken over by Oil billionaires so guess that will eventually end up being one less top 4 spot up for grabs. If only we had our own billionaire owner to stop us getting left behind....

Marquee
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ah shark. I thought the game was on this morning. I'd moved work around and everything. gah!

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kwlap wrote:

ah shark. I thought the game was on this morning. I'd moved work around and everything. gah!

I wish it was. I have a meeting tomorrow that I can't get out of at 8-40am and will miss the end of the game.

Marquee
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kwlap wrote:

ah shark. I thought the game was on this morning. I'd moved work around and everything. gah!

I wish it was. I have a meeting tomorrow that I can't get out of at 8-40am and will miss the end of the game.


Yea im in the same boat.
But I think I am coming down with something...
valeo
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Marquee
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It's very hard to tell but I *think* our room has the game on. We certainly don't have the WiFi speed to stream it, that's for sure!

Surge
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Can I have some lungs please miss
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over 16 years

I'm likely to head in to Four Kings... sadly the match banner from the club hasn't arrived - in a probable repeat of the FA Cup final against the same opponent I expect I'll get it on Saturday... #COYG

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Surge wrote:

I'm likely to head in to Four Kings... sadly the match banner from the club hasn't arrived - in a probable repeat of the FA Cup final against the same opponent I expect I'll get it on Saturday... #COYG

I'll be happy with a repeat of that score line

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over 11 years

Think this is going the distance.

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ajc28 wrote:

Think this is going the distance.

nek minute 

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Sickening end to a dreadful few months. Expect a woeful summer now.

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