Arsenal 2023/24

Mate that’s totally fair, especially since Prime in NZ gives you F all compared to their bigger markets.

Leno is out, as much as the fee is sharke we didn’t exactly have a bidding war on our hands and he’ll be on 6 figures a week. Another Sanllehi man bites the dust!

I’ll be intrigued to see how we sell in the post Sanllehi era. I know Edu was about for some overlap but I really only feel you can hold him accountable from last window on.

It might sound a bit getting off light but we really were a bit too heavy on wages and I think he’s taken the right move to sort the squad out,

All or Nothing episodes 1-3 are out on Prime now.
In the end I couldn't be bothered going through the shenanigans so I just signed up using my old account. 
I got a 7 day free trial, but will pay $8 per month when that ends. All episodes will be released within August so I'm essentially paying $8 to see the series, which isn't too bad really. I will try and consume some of their other content where time permits, to make it more worthwhile. 

They weren't up this morning so must have appeared once it hit midnight UK time.

WFH so just watched episode 1 over lunch. Enjoyed seeing some of the behind the scenes stuff like the players interacting with each other and the team talks. As expected it starts with a focus on Saka and the aftermath of the Euros penalty. Quite a big focus on Ramsdale throughout. Quite interesting seeing a bit of his medical, and also his parents arriving for the Norwich game finding out he's starting and the nerves they go through during the match.

No sign of Partey in any of the team talk or behind the scenes stuff. Only noticed him taking a penalty in training and making a pass in the Norwich game (although don't think he played the first 3 games from memory) so wouldn't be surprised if he's been largely edited out of the behind the scenes stuff.

Didn't have much memory of what happened in the Man City game at the start of the season. My father-in-law had passed away earlier that week whilst we were in level 4 lockdown so we were not able to visit him to say goodbye or do anything at the end so it was a pretty miserable week already. Think it was the first Arsenal match I've switched off at half time, I even lasted the 90 in the 8-2.

Yea I remember lasting the 90 for that 8-2 as well. As crazy as it sounds, we were not out of the match for a long time. We missed a penalty and we created a host of chances, it did feel like we were going to score a lot of goals that day, and the score only blew out at the end. 

Binged the first three episodes late last night. Once I started I couldn't stop LOL
I know it's all edited for a lovely narrative etc but geez Arteta comes off pretty bloody well doesn't he. His principles, and attitude in terms of self-reflection and self-development is very impressive. 
I was also mightily impressed by the calibre of the team around him. Our head Doctor is a pretty impressive bloke, and same with that assistant I thought, and the young guy who is there for the player's mental development. 

gameday!
Palace a bogey team last season.
Good looking iineup, Saliba back, Xhaka and Partey in the midfield, Zinchenko at LB with Tierney on the bench!

Much excite to see this game go well!

Here’s to a good season lads! COYG! 

Martinelli should have scored there, Jesus lovely piece of play with the nutmeg

Oh how did martenlli miss that open goal!!

dominant start from the lads, Place not really had anything up front, yet.

Why are the fans booing Partey?? something to do with the assault allegations?

I really like that Jesus is up for a physical battle, it's something that we havent had in a front man for ages. Neither Laca or Auba were really that keen to engage the defenders in that way.

martinelli!!!!!! lovely corner, Zinchenko with a brilliant run and header back into the box! No movement from the defenders!

Eish. Still need work on our playing out from the back. 

A bald Gabriel looks way more menacing than when he had hair. 

Started strong and the faded in the last 15 of that half. 

Palace certainly staring the stronger in the 2nd,
free-kick from odegaard was a little hopeful.

Odegaard! WTF, Jesus has done all the hard work, Odegaard has to shoot!

Yellow to White for Zaha holding onto him as he falls.... Initial contact was White holding Zaha's shirt but he let go.

WE gotta stay focussed fr the last 25. Palace are pushing up on every ball and not giving us the space we had in the first.

Sakaa! -releases the pressure with a nice right foot cross that gets a header from a CP defender - 2-0.........and 3 points to start the season.

Not the best, game, good first half but the second has been scrappy/nervy.

Saliba.

That's it. That's the post.

COYG.

What a start to the season. Really thought that Martinelli Miss was going to haunt us, or the Odegaard chances he didn’t shoot and tried to pass.

But none of that matters when Saliba debuts like that. Wow.

When Tomi is fit Ben White is surely on the bench.

Mixed bag but got the result. 
Started like hell fire, then faded for the middle of the game, then finished fairly composed. 
White is not a natural RB but he managed zaha quite effectively. 
Zenchinko gave good midfield support in the first half, while faded a bit in the 2nd. 
Saka’s goal was pretty funny. It was like he couldn’t be bothered being under pressure anymore so decided to score - and I think until then he had been quiet. Glad he settled it for us. 

Saliba and Zinchenko, wow.
Jesus didnt score but he was everywhere, so good. 
Tierney was fantastic at the end when he came on. Zinchenko does look like a midfielder out there, could push Xhaka for his spot when Tierney is fit enough to start on the left?
Tomiyasu has a fight on his hands to get RB back off White, who looked very good there. Keeping Zaha in check like that is no mean feat. 

Saliba is so fast

This is a nice piece about the all or nothing documentary;
https://www.football365.com/news/all-or-nothing-arsenal-is-an-important-doc-that-must-be-appreciated-and-so-should-the-players

Good start after the poor starts on recent seasons and felt unusually comfortable for the most part.
Not really watched Saliba before other than pre-season. Obviously seen all the hype but what a great defender he looks. 
Great feeling to kick off a season and not immediately be a laughing stock for once.

theprof

dominant start from the lads, Place not really had anything up front, yet.

Why are the fans booing Partey?? something to do with the assault allegations?

Yep. Expect it at every away ground.

I don’t think that’s fair, it wasn’t all game and came after Partey and Odegaard sandwiched Ayew who didn’t get the foul.

ajc28

theprof

dominant start from the lads, Place not really had anything up front, yet.

Why are the fans booing Partey?? something to do with the assault allegations?

Yep. Expect it at every away ground.

brumbys

I don’t think that’s fair, it wasn’t all game and came after Partey and Odegaard sandwiched Ayew who didn’t get the foul.

ajc28

theprof

dominant start from the lads, Place not really had anything up front, yet.

Why are the fans booing Partey?? something to do with the assault allegations?

Yep. Expect it at every away ground.

Na, he was booed from the outset. Like Ajc said, i think it is expected. I just wonder how long until a commentator puts their foot in it by talking about it. 

Gary Neville almost did by saying something about our midfield options if there are injuries or "Partey has to go away" which made Carragher look a bit nervous.

From The Athletic:
A banner calling for Arsenal to lead the way on tackling violence against women has been flown at tonight’s game against Crystal Palace.

Feminist campaign group Level Up have teamed up with Arsenal fans, who have funded the protest. They want to see the club introduce a disciplinary policy for players accused of violence.

The banner read: “Kick rapists off the pitch.”

Didn't notice it during the game but interesting to note it was funded by Arsenal fans. Be interesting to see if anything happens at the first home game.

yeah I didnt see anything in the coverage, pleased the commentators didnt discuss it. I understand the sentiment, but it's pretty shark to be calling for players to be effectively stood down for "alleged" offences. Sure sack him if an arrest is made but not until then..... innocent until proven guilty.

I dont know where I stand on this one really, its a minefield.
I'm very much of the "innocent until proven guilty" bent, and the evidence I saw was certainly not the sort that gets someone convicted, but that doesn't mean I necessarily want to support him either. 
The actual act that was alleged doesn't sound good, but then who knows what really went on, without knowing the actual character and behaviours of both these individuals. 
Anything worse than that particular act i.e. accusations of other women or incidents, appear to be hearsay from the ex-girlfriend as far as I can tell, and you cannot convict on that either. 
So he's been exonerated, is that correct? I don't know what you do from here. We certainly don't know what actually went on, and I don't want to support him because I cannot tell whether or not he really did commit acts of s*xual assault. 
So all in all I'm completely in the dark and not really sure what to make of it, to be honest. 

not sure if he's been cleared or not, but until he's arrested or a warrant is issued then he's innocent. It can't be treated any other way. imagine losing your job or being suspended because someone posted an accusation online about you.

He hasn't been exonerated or cleared. One charge has been dropped because the incident occurred in Spain a few days before UK legislation came into effect giving UK police jurisdiction to investigate/charge. This is what the accuser said, and was confirmed in a statement by Barnet Police last week. It doesn't exonerate or prove innocence, it says the legislation doesn't allow them to investigate it further. He's also not yet in the clear as there is apparently another incident with the same accuser, and also another incident with someone different who came forward that are being investigated.

time will tell I guess, until then I have no issue with him being on the field. These things should not be litigated on social media or via "fan protests".

I’m in this camp, especially when what is put forward are a few tweets. This is very different to the United kid where very damming video evidence was shared.

theprof

time will tell I guess, until then I have no issue with him being on the field. These things should not be litigated on social media or via "fan protests".

In other news have you watched Barcelona’s summer? They’re giving a master class on how not to do things. Aside from selling off their future while complaining about FFP and nation states they’re also bullying De Jong into a discounted salary which is bonkers. They are suggesting his current terms from previous board are criminal. I could argue the same thing about Pepe, Ozil, and Auba given how large the sums were but the reality is if your representatives sign off a deal you no longer like you’re stuck with it. As much as our selling has been poor I’d rather we honoured our commitments while getting people out the door.

brumbys

In other news have you watched Barcelona’s summer? They’re giving a master class on how not to do things. Aside from selling off their future while complaining about FFP and nation states they’re also bullying De Jong into a discounted salary which is bonkers. They are suggesting his current terms from previous board are criminal. I could argue the same thing about Pepe, Ozil, and Auba given how large the sums were but the reality is if your representatives sign off a deal you no longer like you’re stuck with it. As much as our selling has been poor I’d rather we honoured our commitments while getting people out the door.

it's insane, one of the giant clubs both in fanbase and prestige trying to throw it's weight around. Reads like the owners' egos have gotten a little too big.