Merry Christmas from Bergkampesque. 10 mid-season Observations including a Wish or Two

117 thoughts on “Merry Christmas from Bergkampesque. 10 mid-season Observations including a Wish or Two”

• Great post TA.
  I’ll comment point by point.

  2. Xhaka. You are the one who often reminds us what we are missing from Granit. He is an efficient pass master. Always kept things ticking along like clockwork, with a great eye and precision, either from deep or in the final third. He was very under appreciated by gooners for those less flashy talents.
  Havertz adds pace, strength and tackling, winning almost 3 times as many duels, and of course the runs into the box that we all hoped to be the big upgrade. So, many positives about Kai, but we still miss Xhaka and his effect on his teammates like Martinelli especially.

  3. Of course I agree about rotation and resting players. One of my biggest worries always.

  7. I definitely don’t want a classic big CF… It would change our game too much, especially in mid season, would be a disruption. I’d rather use Trosaard there .. when he started there last year he had great production.

  8. I’m still disappointed that Reiss isn’t used more. I would have him ahead of Nketiah as first sub, but it seems Arteta has his view. Nelson seems to play well when he gets starts, and that is without our first team as against PSV. I think that all he needs are opportunities on the pitch.

  10. I think I answered Kevs wish list question this same way. As soon as the window opens I’d have a large loan fee ready to go for a versatile defender that will give Ben White some rest occasionally. We can’t buy a player because we’ll have too many on the books when Tomiyasu and Timber are fit.

  A Partey replacement in the summer of course.

  And a big NO to Toney. I don’t believe any of the rumours that we want him. Bad character. Over rated as a scorer even. 22 non penalty goals in his last 2 full seasons combined. 66 games.. Hasn’t played in months. I don’t like the age or the price tag either.

• J, thank you for fine comments.

  Re Kai, I just wonder whether he should play in midfield or in attack. To me it looks like Odegaard and Rice have too much to do now. Xhaka had that ability to support both Partey in defence and Odegaard in attack, whilst also making the left wing tick like a Swiss clock.

  Kai is an attacker with good all round qualities, so is Jesus. Let’s play them together in attack a few times.

• I agree re a big classic CF and Toney.

• Last weekends results:-

  1st Total with 3/6 plus most correct predictions = 7 points
  2nd GN5 with 2/6 plus 1 correct score = 4 points
  3rd PB with 1/6 plus 1 correct score = 3 points
  4th Eris & Kev with 2/6 = 2points
  6th Stuart with 1/6 = 1 point
  “”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
  Season to date:-

  1st Total 96.13
  2nd Stuart 94.80
  3rd Eris 89.79
  4th PB 81.99
  5th GN5 72.80
  6th Kev 63.46
  “””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
  Next weekends selections and my predictions:-

  Luton Town v Chelsea * H (2-1)
  Crystal Palace v Brentford * D (2-2)
  Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton * D (1-1)
  Nottingham Forest v Manchester United * H (2-1)
  Fulham v Arsenal * A (0-3)
  Celtic v Rangers * D (1-1)
  “””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

• Thanks for the update, GN5. Great job. 🙂

• This one is for Stu. 😎😎

• What a delightful read! 🎄✨ Your mid-season observations are spot-on, and your festive wishes resonate with the spirit of the season. Wishing you a wonderful holiday and an even better second half! ⚽️🌟 #MerryChristmas #FootballJoy

  https://dramitguptaplasticsurgeon.com/hair-transplant-in-gurgaon-surgery-cost

• A fine post, TA and well articulated. My wish for 2024 is for the Arsenal to win the EPL title and one other Cup. It is that simple.

  After staying top for so long and coming unstuck, last season, I want to think the boys/team have learnt lessons which should serve them well this time out. I agree with the submission that Arteta must have emphasised reserving energy as this may come to play in the run-in. That shows lessons were learnt. I still think Man City would be the main challenger as they have the ability to go on winning runs; DeBruyne’s return to training will be a huge boast.

  1. Hahaha! Turbo boosted Declan Rice is so true. Man has a very good engine on him and has proven to be a massive addition. I would still look forward to a consistent partnership with Partey who is intelligent enough to adjust roles to accommodate Rice’s strengths.
  3. Rotation has not been much of a strong suite for Arteta. For one, I’d love to see him trust some of the reserve players more; even the teenagers, but with each game being important in the quest for the title, it may be understandable we cannot afford to do what ten Hag has been doing at Man United.

  4. Your views on the Ramsdale-Raya situation is well taken. I feel Raya would eventually get over the pressure Arteta’s action may have placed on his and Ramsdale’s shoulders and show how good he is. We do need to know who is Numero uno and that’s what Arteta is trying to do, as against his earlier hint at some novel situation of 2 No. 1s, which is untenable in the game.

  5. This fact. Nothing to add. It is up to Mikel Arteta to sort this problem out. A permanent fix is not ideal as this may leave us too heavy in that department, unless the rumours about departures for Kiwior and Cedric become reality. But who will loan us a crack full back, mid-season? Time to promote from the youth ranks?

  8. I think we need a Plan B, in attack, too. Hence I feel we can get a striker who won’t cost a Prince’s ransom and won’t significantly affect our game. A striker who may be introduced late into games especially where we need goals and need to bomb the opponent’s area.

  9. I am all for introducing youngsters, especially for games in which we are already comfortable. I am convinced Amario Cozier-Duberry and Reuell Walters are ready to play in the games. I have not seen them much, but I have heard good things about Myles Lewis-Skelly and Onari Benjamin. We did also get Ethan Nwaneri on to be the youngest ever player to don the shirt in a top flight game; why has that gone cold?

  If we stay composed, get Martinelli to be less selfish and just stay fit, we have every prospect of winning the league title.

• …. Majority (key players) of the team staying fit, that is.

  Thanks for the report, GN5.

• My predictions for the weekend’s selections follow:

  Luton Town v Chelsea * D (2-2)
  Crystal Palace v Brentford * H (2-1)
  Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton * H (2-1)
  Nottingham Forest v Manchester United * H (2-1)
  Fulham v Arsenal * A (1-3)
  Celtic v Rangers * D (1-1)

• Nice write up Total…

  Interesting point regarding Raya, I also love Aaron but I also wonder if his excitable personality made our defenders more edgy than they needed to be, I mean there were times last season when it was like life or death in games and every close victory was met with a major celebration as if we’d actually won a trophy.

  Raya is far more composed, almost a tad boring, he doesn’t go in for big shows of emotion, no high fives and no back slaps after every big save, he just stays calm and that I think has a calming effect on the guys in front of him.

  There is a definite trust growing between the back four and Raya, in fact it reminds me of our previous title winning defences.

• Thank you, Mansi. 🙂

  Seasonal Greetings to you too.

• Thank you, Eris. That is a great comment and all agreed.

  You are so right re Partey and his adaptability. A fit again Thomas could make a huge difference this season.

  I don’t watch many youth games so cannot comment on the youngsters you are suggesting. Hopefully one or two will make it through. Would love to hear Mikel’s honest thoughts about this topic. We know he is not using youngsters in the top team games, but we can only guess why that is the case.

• Yes Kev, I think the likes of White, Saliba and even Big Gab want calm and confidence from their goalkeeper. Aaron is all is all about will-power, ‘over my dead body will you pass me with ball’ etc. I noticed Ben telling Aaron to calm it down a couple of times last season with that typical irritated look of him. I love Aaron. I also love that quiet power and dominance of our current defence (especially with Tomiyasu on the right); it must be frightening to attackers. 😨

• Luton Town v Chelsea * 1-1
  Crystal Palace v Brentford * 1-1
  Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton * 2-1
  Nottingham Forest v Manchester United * 1-3
  Fulham v Arsenal * 1-2
  Celtic v Rangers * 2-1

• Luton Town vs Chelsea……….2-1
  Crystal Palace vs Brentford…1-1
  Wolves Wands vs Everton…..3-1
  Nottm Forest vs Man Utd……2-2
  Fulham vs Arsenal………………0-2
  G. Celtic vs G. Rangers………3-2

• Morning all, hope you are all well and enjoyed your Xmas festivities.

  I’m still need predictions from Stuart and PB.

• Thanks Total, for the post and amusingly apt 50 cent clip. My tail is firmly between my legs…

  Thanks for the reminder GN5. I’ll post after this mornings game v the Hammers. Good double header with first half of Brighton v Spurs before the main attraction.

• Team sheet is out

  Arsenal:
  Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Rice, Trossard, Odegaard, Martinelli, Saka, Jesus

  Subs: Ramsdale, Kiwior, Cedric, Jorginho, Elneny, Nwaneri, Smith Rowe, Nelson, Nketiah.

  West Ham:
  Areola, Coufal, Ogbonna, Mavropanos, Emerson, Alvarez, Soucek, Paqueta, Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Bowen.

  Subs: Fabianski, Johnson, Cresswell, Fornals, Cornet, Ings, Benrahma, Mubama, Kehrer.

• Never a goal. There was no part of that ball on the line. But we have time to put this right. Will be tough.

• It is not as if we have not tried but we have not been taking the chances we have created and not been too lucky with the bounce of the ball. Plus, Gabby Jesus has had a couple of good shouts for a penalty, but nothing has been given.

  For the second time this season, the lack of “conclusive evidence” has meant that VAR has ruled against us for crosses from balls that looked over the line to the ordinary eye. We just don’t get any luck.

  Martinelli and Saka look caged and haven’t caused much in terms of danger which may be down to West ham’s tactics of playing deep and doubling up on our wingers. Trossard would need to step up and so do our wingers. Need to throw the kitchen sink at them or this game may just run away from us in a tense atmosphere.

• 0-2! It had to be Mavropanos with that goal. We must have forgotten how good he is in the air.

  Now, this is a real test of our mettle and resolve. No need to panic but our boys need to have composure. We cannot afford to lose this game.

• Lady Luck is not with us today. Not playing great but also don’t deserve to be behind. 😔

• Mugged.

• One of those days. Super defending from WH it has to be said. Some points in the post were sadly vindicated. No plan B for attack. Left side not working well. But they worked hard and never gave up.

• Not in a million years did we deserve to leave with nothing today. It was just down to some outstanding defensive performance by the visitors and a lack of composure by some of our lads today.

  I still think it is time to give Martinelli and Saka a breather in some games. Reiss Nelson brings something different and deserves to get his chance sometimes. This was not expected but credit must go to the west ham defenders.

  I guess it was just that kind of round of games. We have to get this out of our minds quickly and regain confidence to go on.

• If it’s not your day it’s not your day.
  We could still be playing now and wouldn’t score.

• Luton Town v Chelsea * 2-3
  Crystal Palace v Brentford * 0-1
  Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton * 3-3
  Nottingham Forest v Manchester United * 2-1
  Fulham v Arsenal * 0-3
  Celtic v Rangers * 2-0

• Don’t take it the wrong way, but I’m so happy for Mavropanos!
  He managed to take his fate in his own hand, turned his career around and showed the world what he is truly capable of.
  He was the best defender on the pitch by a country mile yesterday – in an elite company – and thus demonstrated he should have been given a chance and what a galactic incompetence was letting him go for a measly 3M.

• Today’s not the best day to say so, but …
  A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all. Remember that December, 24th is my birthday, too (by the way, I’m surprised a certain contributor to this site has never noticed the holy halo surrounding my own contributions – God works in mysterious ways indeed …).
  Just read your post, TA – point number 2 hurts; I can’t understand why we let go a player like Granit after the best season of his career in an Arsenal shirt, and yes he made (and still does, but in a black shirt in Germany) all the players around him better.
  Look, I think you all know I’m not Arteta’s biggest fan; not for technical reasons (how could I? he’s a brilliant technician, period) but more for his clear need of a “human touch”. Anyway, this is why I’m going to take his defense this morning – I’d rather be critical when we’re plain sailing. I think that, whatever our own personal opinion about each and everyone of these choices might be, Arteta’s ideal XI was:
  Raya
  Tomiyasu-Saliba-Timber
  Partey-Rice
  Saka Odegaard-Havertz-Martinelli
  Jesus
  (or:
  Raya
  Partey-Tomiyasu-Saliba-Timber
  Rice
  Saka-Odegaard-Havertz-Martinelli
  Jesus)
  … as you like it
  So the truth is he hasn’t played his ideal XI once, and we’re still top of the table, let’s give him that (I think that’s the way he wanted to solve this “left-side problem” in particular – and Timber did look great, from the little we’ve seen of him). On the other hand, there’d be much to say about the playing time he gives to players he doesn’t rate, but are in his squad nevertheless. I’ve seen Reiss play for Hoffenheim, for Feyenoord too – I’ve always loved that kid – and the truth is I never saw him as poor as he was yesterday when he came on. He’s just fading away, as he was bound to under those circumstances (the boy was NEVER given a PL start, how’s that even possible?), and that’s really painful to watch. More importantly, it simply hurts the team, which is why this anti-rotation tenet keeps baffling me.
  Which brings me to your ninth point, TA, and the answer is a very simple NO. They’re not ready, our kids. The youth league was made a total mess of, the EFL Trophy – whatever its name is now – as well. What’s becoming of Hale End is a tragedy – and that’s someone who has no longer been angry about it for a long time saying it, believe me. I’m just immensely sad, as though I was made to watch the Garden of Eden withering. I keep thinking the boy who’d be closer to the first team under any other management would be Cozier-Duberry, but he’s one of the few who has never even been called upon for training with the first team, so … (I’ve stopped trying to make sense of such things for a long time).
  I do believe we will improve as soon as MA will be able to field “his” team, just because that’s the way he works – he’s like a power grid, delivering all of his energy to the network of his first-choice players only, and leaving the others out, on their own; I’m not judging, that’s just the way things are. Lastly, I expect great things from this team in the CL – just a feeling, don’t ask me to account for it.
  Merry Christmas again to you all, let’s not focus too much on one (very) disappointing result – they had a plan and executed it perfectly, these Hammers. Hats off to them, and … they will hurt others.
  COYG

• Nice chain of thoughts, LeGall. And happy birthday in retrospect!

  I agree with almost everything, and many of TA’s fine observations. But I’m positive that White is among Arteta’s best XI, and probably even Zinchenko. Timber at LB was a wild experiment – as the kid has played only once (!) there in his entire professional career, and it’s kind of humiliating that he was better than any of our other options at that position.

  On the Granit topic (2) I think there are global trends that impacting the football practicalities. One of them is center backs taking over the full back positions. That is happening with Tomiyasu, White and Timber (5), but that’s not Mikel’s innovation as the same is happening in Man City (Gvardiol and Aké playing LB), Villa (Konsa shifting to RB), Lindelöf (MU) and Colwill (Chelsea) playing LB, Koundé (Barcelona) sharing RB with Cancelo. The other trend is the fall of the B2B and classic CMs. More and more managers deploy AMs at central midfield as it is apparently easier to teach them how to press and defend than to teach regular CMs on defense splitting passes. That is why Xhaka had to make way and an attacking midfielder is playing at his position. But that isn’t genuine Arsenal either, that is happening with Bernardo Silva, Pascal Gross, Joelinton, Donny vd Beek, Julian Brandt, Pedri, Barella, Eriksen, etc.
  By the way, Granit didn’t make a bad transition. He played almost 2000 minutes already in the club sitting on the top of Bundesliga (who happened to collect 2 points more from 16 games than Arsenal did from 19). Is

  And on the main point (9), at least from our point of view.
  A) the academy kids are not ready to play at the highest level
  B) Arteta doesn’t give them a chance, even when there is nothing at stake
  I don’t like alienating the kind members of this fine community but it has to be said: while the vast majority honestly believes that A is the cause and B is the effect/consequence, it is clearly and obviously the other way around.
  It is not rocket science. Was Rico Lewis ready when introduced for the first few times? Was Evan Ferguson, Lamine Yamal, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Alejandro Garnacho, Youssoufa Moukoko, Facundo Buonanotte ready on their debut? Of course not. Hell, even Saka wasn’t ready when Emery substituted him in 3 competitive first team games. He wasn’t even close. Nor was he ready or any good in his first 90 minutes against Qarabag back in 2018 (but we still won that game even if only by a lousy 1:0 at home).
  Is Kobbie Mainoo, Lewis Miley, or Jack Hinshelwood ready? Not yet. But they will be by the spring; in a matter of weeks or a few months.

  Walters, Nwaneri, Cozier-Duberry, Sousa, Lewis-Skelly are not ready – especially if we define ‘ready’ as being able to turn a trailing game around when introduced. How could they be? This is the manager’s job – obviously only one of them, but a very-very important one – to make them ready. I understand that it is a lot easier if you are Bayern, PSG or Barca as there are a significantly bigger gap between the top and the mid-table teams, so you can experiment without much risk there. But we see that every bloody manager can do that even in the PL.

  If it is not rocket science then there is zero chance that Arteta is not aware of these simple facts and observations. But as long as he doesn’t have the depth and quality on the bench, he can always buy reinforcements – or at least try to convince the owner to keep the wallet open, as the process is so close. And this is a terrifying though. At least for me.

  And on a final note (10): I sincerely hope that we don’t make any major signing in the winter. Or maybe a young and talented CB could join, as it is a risk hoping that Saliba and Gabriel can play all the games, and we have no talent for that position in the academy. (He must be young and patient as Mikel will not rotate much.) But for all the other positions we are well equipped. Even up front (7-8).

• My first impression… actually even before the final whistle was the same a Total said here… “one of those days”. A first goal that should not have stood changes so much…
  To take so many shots, have such dominance early, a million touches in their box, etc.
  We looked more ineffectual as the game went on, because they were able to sit back with a lead, then a 2 goal lead. Perfect for them.
  This is the situation Smith Rowe and Reiss had to face later. I think they’d be better from the start of games.

  Jesus missed good header chances.. Sakas shots were not his best, weak.
  Martinelli needs to be benched. This next game would be perfect to do it. He’s a good late sub for pace if needed.

  I’d consider starting ESR there… but Mikel is a maniac about his wingers staying a mile wide. I think they should have license to drift in more. Being less predictable could help.

• Perspective needed…..we don’t need to be top on points on January 1, or any arbitrary date,, we just need need stay very close through the second half of the season. The league will be painfully tight this year. The last few matches will determine all along with head to heads. We have a win vs City, a draw with pool. I like our chances.

• A belated joyeux anniversaire, LG. Let me guess… your 55th journey around the sun? Or is it the halo making you appear so sprightly? Perhaps its the red and white scarf. or the glorious mop top.
  I trust the translation work went well and you now have more time to enjoy with us on BK.

  Some fine thought provoking reading above, thanks all.
  And, thanks GN5. I trust the fine fare and family time have blessed your health and well being. Might you consider introducing random drug testing to the comp? I picked up a whiff of something in Totals aftershave, something reminiscent of a Soviet era athletics locker room…

  Luton Town v Chelsea 1-1
  Crystal Palace v Brentford 2-1
  Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton 1-1
  Nottingham Forest v Manchester United 0-2
  Fulham v Arsenal 0-2
  Celtic v Rangers 2-1

• 55 years ago – 54 to be exact, almost to the day – december 17th, 1969 – was the day I became a Gooner, even though I didn’t realize it at the time of course. The actual day consciousness took over was May, 8th, 1971, as I watched the FA cup final, by my father’s side. The exact moment was the 111th minute when Charlie scored THAT goal, and celebrated, well … you all know how. From that moment on, I wanted to be HIM. I spent my childhood being Charlie George on the playgrounds, at a time when all other kids wanted to be Pelé, Jaïrzinho, Rivelino, or Beckenbauer – Gerd Müller, after the 1970 Germany-Italy semi-final …
  There are very few photographs left of the Rouen-Arsenal game, here’s one:
  
  I like it become it just goes to show what kind of palace the “Kenny” is compared to what my dear ol’ “Stade Robert-Diochon” was. The guy attempting an overhead kick was François Bruant, a diminutive, but very gifted left-winger who ended up as a sport columnist in the local paper, “Paris-Normandie”, and was in charge of reporting the games of the “Rouen-Le Havre-Évreux area” league (5th tier of French football), or ”from-Rouen-to-Paris; from-Rouen-to-Caen” ones (4th tier). Even though he had been a top-level player, he was always very kind in his reports to guys – like me – who never made it higher than these levels. I’ve never come across a guy who didn’t have a nice word to say about him. I often think of him when I hear a former player turned “pundit” destroy a player who just had a bad night at the office. I think the Arsenal number 3 was Peter Storey, and the midfielder running back to his box David Court, but GN and Kev will know better.
  As FC Rouen are known to be “Les Diables Rouges” – yes, the “Red Devils”, Arsenal wore their traditional away kit – as they did in the 1971 FA Cup final – I mean the one and only yellow and blue one, which surely accounts for my utter disgust of any other one (please don’t even mention this season’s to me).
  Anyway … December 24th, 1969, was about to be my 11th birthday. I was born in 1958 – the same year as France’s 5th Republic, which our so-called golden-boy Macron has been doing all he can to deface, for 6 years now. As for translation, I’m off-duty … I needed it, what I’ve done in the past few weeks was just rubbish, mechanical stuff with no soul, I’ll have to do it all over again after this break …
  Fulham tomorrow … what a tricky fixture to recover from Thursday’s disappointment. I think Marti and Jesus need a good rest too, because what they’ve done lately has looked a lot like rubbish to me, Trossard didn’t impress me much either. Big Awkward German will be back, Eddie-Reiss , or Eddie-Emile alongside him would be nice, but what do I know?
  COYG anyway!!

• Stuart, Total pays me too well – so I won’t divulge his secrets.

  No updates on my health situation, I’m (im)patiently awaiting information on the next steps.

• Wow, such balanced and calm comments. Thanks for all your contributions.

  That result left me flat, and my cold didn’t help either. But that is football. The Hammers somehow scored twice from nothing and we just didn’t hit the net. Let’s get back in the saddle and give the Cottagers a game to remember.

• Doping, Stu? Haha, no mate just a magic scent that bedazzles you. 😊

  “This scent had a freshness, but not the freshness of limes or pomegranates, not the freshness of myrrh or cinnamon bark or curly mint or birch or camphor or pine needles, not that of a May rain or a frosty wind or of well water… and at the same time it had warmth, but not as bergamot, cypress, or musk has, or jasmine or daffodils, not as rosewood has or iris… This scent was a blend of both, of evanescence and substance, not a blend, but a unity, although slight and frail as well, and yet solid and sustaining, like a piece of thin, shimmering silk… and yet again not like silk, but like pastry soaked in honey-sweet milk – and try as he would he couldn’t fit those two together: milk and silk! This scent was inconceivable, indescribable, could not be categorized in any way – it really ought not to exist at all. And yet there it was as plain and splendid as day.”

• Legal, you write so well and we are lucky to have you on the blog. Great insight into Arteta’s thinking, and I think you are spot on with his ideal 11.

• PB, great prediction of the Luton V Chavs game!

• A 0-0 draw in front of 12, 093 Rouennais, our adolescent LG among them. Great anamnesis and photo, mate. It is Peter Storey, the sideburns almost certainly prove his identity. But I prefer George Armstrong for the other player, the gait is classic Geordie and David Court wore his hair flopped to the right. It does look a bit like Court, tho’, and perhaps Geordie wasn’t quite so tall, so I wouldn’t bet more than a bottle on it.

  A touch of Paddy Suskind, Total. Bedazzling, indeed. I’ll put my shades on to cope…

  If Total is crossing your palm with silver, GN5, I’ll resort to a higher court.

• Yes Stu, eye-watering stuff! 😁

• Happy New Year to our Kiwi Gunner. Fireworks 🎇

• Oh dear!!! – The team has lost it’s cohesion.

• Yes, boys looked tired and replacements had no impact. A mini slump, happens to the best. Luckily, there is a PL break now.

• Happy New Year and a lot of better performance – both performance- and result-wise – in anticipation!

• An underwhelming performance and result. Hope for a new trajectory in the new year.

  Wish you all a glorious 2024! Happy new year to those who are already in 2024!!!!

• That one hurts. The ‘Pool FA Cup game becomes very important, which doesn’t make me unhappy (I’ll always be a “cup” guy).
  Thanks for being who you are, BKers – I never thought any partition of cyberspace would make me feel at home as this one does.
  A very Happy New Year to all of you.
  I think I posted this one before, but I’ve too much Châteauneuf-du-Pape in me right now to think of anything else:

• “And, my heart will leave you, never…”

  Even when they are not beautiful, they are beautiful. Our boys. Our Arsenal.

• A very Happy New Year to you all. Thank you for all your friendship, fine contributions and football and life insights throughout the year.

  A special thank you to you, GN5, for running the competition and your positive outlook on everything.

• Happy New Year, stay safe and stay healthy.

  As for the game, well it’s only a game and like all games of football the addiction is the uncertainty.

  Onwards and Upwards in ‘24

• Good morning and a very Happy New Year to all BK’rs and their families. A special thank you to Total for creating such a welcoming site and of course not forgetting our extra special Parson.

  Truthfully, not knowing what is ahead for me I face the year with a certain amount of trepidation. But I’m in good family, spiritual and medical hands.

  Lets hope that the worst is behind the Gunners and that January will bring some interesting squad changes – both inbound and outbound. We are in need of being refreshed.

• Thomas Partey left out of Ghana ACoN squad due to his ongoing injury issues. I don’t think we’re going to see TP until the Spring.

• Last weekends competition results:-

  For the weekend:-

  1. PB 3/6 plus 2 correct scores and share of most correct predictions = 9 points
  2. Eris 3/6 plus 1 correct score and share of most correct predictions = 7 points
  3. Total & Stuart 2/6 plus 1 correct score = 4 points
  5. GN5. 1/6 plus correct score = 3 points
  6. Kev. 1/6 = 1 point
  “””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
  Season to date:-

  1. Total 100.13
  2. Stuart 98.80
  3. Eris 96.79
  4. PB 90.99
  5. GN5 75.80
  6. Kev 64.46
  “”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
  Next weekends selections – NOTE all FA cup games with no draws allowed.

  Maidstone United v Stevenage *
  Sunderland v Newcastle United *
  Queens Park Rangers v AFC Bournemouth *
  Middlesbrough v Aston Villa *
  Luton Town v Bolton Wanderers *
  Arsenal v Liverpool *
  “”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

• As of today, Kylian Mbappé is a free agent …

• Thanks for the update, GN5 ⚽ ⚽ ⚽ ⚽

  Great week for PB and also for Eris.

• We can but dream, Legall. 🙂

• We at Kerikeri FC have the inside running on a deal for Kylian. Training once a week, fishing, swimming, surfing, diving, we’ve got three curry houses, no traffic lights within 100 km and an airport ten minutes from the club house.
  Congrats on cracking the ton, Total.
  Travelling with you, GN5.

• Lol Stu. I bet you have him sleep in one of your wigwams too and let him do a service or two in your church. 🙂

• I knew my memories of Max Weber’s “The Protestant Ethic …” were fuzzy, that I did.
  I didn’t think they were THAT fuzzy, though …

• Haha Legall, Stu is a mam of many depths.

• I haven’t seen the game… and I can’t motivate myself to watch. Just wanted to say happy new year to TA amd the gang here…
  Hopefully our next few games will be more worth discussing. I believe they will be.

• LG, I’m trying to cope with the idea of a Frenchman reading Weber? Perhaps I am being overly stereotypical, but are you not some of the most impulsive of Gods creatures? And some of the most sport loving?

• Just jokin’, mate …
  Mandatory reading Weber was during my studies, and rightly so imo – I thank my teachers for it. And just so you know: I don’t know about Kylian, obviously, but the Kerikeri ethic did win ME over, right away, how’s that for impulsive?
  Btw, I had a look at your club’s site, and couldn’t help thinking you were the one who picked the colors …

• Maidstone United v Stevenage * A (1-3)
  Sunderland v Newcastle United * A (1-4)
  Queens Park Rangers v AFC Bournemouth * A (0-2)
  Middlesbrough v Aston Villa * A (0-3)
  Luton Town v Bolton Wanderers * H (2-1)
  Arsenal v Liverpool * H (1-0)

• Me too, mate, just runnin’ with the funnin’. The thing I love about French, Welsh and All Black rugby is its flair. And where is flair without impulsivity? It’s imho what we have lost a little this season at the Arsenal. We’ve become a little predictable. opposition teams prepare for this, double teaming against Saka and Martinelli. sitting deep and snake biting us on the break. I don’t know if there is room for a maverick in modern football, an Alan Hudson, a Charlie George. the last one we had was probably Nwanko Kanu, or Alexander Hleb, but I do miss the uncertain chaos they can create with their… impulsivity. Perhaps Mesut was a, somewhat misunderstood one of these.
  There is much to admire about the Protestant Ethic, but, again imho it needs to be ameliorated and illuminated by the charismatic experience. The written Word and the Living Spirit operating in tandem.
  As Our Lord said, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

  I arrived home at the tail end of ’98 and Kerikeri were already playing in yellow and blue, and like you, I have, since May 1971 always felt an affinity with those colours.

• Maidstone vs Stevenage…….2-1
  Sunderland vs Newcastle……2-4
  Q.P. R vs Bournemouth……….1-4
  Middlesbrough vs A Villa ……1-4 Luton Town vs Bolton………….4-1
  Arsenal vs Liverpool………….10-0

• Structure/plan (basic ingredients) and freedom/improvisation (sauces, spices), the chef has to find the balance between these – and we all know which part of the recipe ours has difficulty with at the moment.
  Ultimately, love always makes a difference too, and well … I don’t know how tough his own upbringing was, but man, that’s some stern fatherly figure Mikel cuts, doesn’t he?
  There’s something holistic about a football team, and when you hurt someone as popular as Aaron the way he hurt the lad, there’s a fair chance that’s the whole team you’re wounding, actually, so that at some point you’ll be getting some kind of blowback, which may be where we are right now.
  So beyond the plan, the training sessions, I think MA has to let his inner Professor Keating loose and fit his iron hand into a velvet glove, in order to ease the boys’ way out of this dire strait.
  If he can do that, even Kev’s prediction for Sunday will be regarded as the timid Arsenal-doubter’s it actually is.
  Watching Girona-Atletico
  What a game!

• Great comments guys, a feast of language from two fountains of knowledge.

  Arteta, A Treat, Arte Total Arsenal.. Is just having a dip. No need to waver, throw in alchemy or spend rediculously. Just tweaking, training hard and sort out the left side. 🙂

• Beware the colourful and maverick contributions of the sons of protestantism. The blog is named after one. 🙂

• Jorrel Hato, Ajax, centre back, left back, looks an interesting prospect. Always happy to see Arsenal sign Ajax developed players. As with Saliba, you have to get them early before their value rockets.

• Clubs that gained the most market value in 2023 – Arsenal way out in front
  Gunners gone up by €351.5m

  It has been a thrilling year of top level football in Europe, with supporters treated to another 12 months of scintillating action. Manchester City stole the show, winning the treble following their Champions League final victory against Inter Milan. Bayern Munich beat Borussia Dortmund to the Bundesliga title in dramatic fashion on the last day of the season, Barcelona won La Liga for the first time since 2019, PSG won a fifth title in six seasons, whilst Napoli won the Scudetto for the first time since the late great Diego Maradona was there in the 1990.

  This season has also thrown up plenty of surprises, with perhaps the greatest shock being Girona leading La Liga after 17 games. Many clubs have made great developments and strides since January 1, but which clubs in the top five leagues have gained the biggest increase in the their squad market value over the last year?

• 1. Arsenal | +€350.5m: Arsenal lead the way and by some distance, with a remarkable increase over the last twelve months reflecting the magnificent job Mikel Arteta has done at the Emirates. The Gunners came within touching distance of a first Premier League title since the 2003/04 ‘invincibles’ last season, and the club’s investment in young players in recent years is beginning to pay dividends.

• 2. Newcastle | +€191m: Big money signings such as Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, and Harvey Barnes have helped increase Newcastle’s value, alongside the great work being done by Eddie Howe, as the Englishmen led the Magpies to a Champions League place last season, in which they eventually crashed out of the ‘group of death’ but with their heads held high, having beaten PSG 4-1 at St James Park.

  3. Real Madrid | +€189m: Real Madrid are the first club on the list outside the Premier League, and their huge market vale increase has a great deal to do with their €103 million signing of Jude Bellingham, who became the world’s joint most valuable player at €180m in the latest La Liga market value update, after his incredible start to his career at the Bernabeu, in which he has scored 17 goals in his first 20 games.

  4. Manchester City | +€183.45m: Last season’s treble winners Man City maintain their position as the most valuable club in world football, with Pep Guardiola’s team one of the most feared opponents of all time. The rapid development of Erling Haaland, who is the joint most valuable player in the world at €180m has aided their squad market value progression.

  5. Aston Villa | +€170.9m: Aston Villa have been on fire this season – the Midlands based club are in and around the title contenders coming up to the new year, and haven’t been beaten at Villa Park since Arsenal won 4-2 there in February.

• 6. Burnley | +€162.6m: Burnley’s promotion from the Championship and summer signings have helped their meteoric rise in squad value, despite a difficult start to life back in the Premier League.

  7. Bournemouth | +€155.4m: Andoni Iraola’s unorthodox tactics are beginning to come to fruition on the South-Coast with Bournemouth and the great goalscoring form of Dominic Solanke (now worth €25m) as well as summer additions have helped their rise in squad value.

  8. Brighton | +€153.5m: Brighton have made some incredible progression under the eye of brilliant coach Roberto De Zerbi in the past 12 months, which has seen them reach the knockout stages of the Europa League, as well as provide some big Premier League upsets against the traditionally bigger teams.

  9. Bayer Leverkusen | +€141.7m: The first Bundesliga team on the list, Xabi Alonso is now one of the most sought after managers in world football because of the excellent job he has done with Bayer Leverkusen, which has seen the West German outfit top the German top-flight heading into the new year.

  10. Girona | +€128.9m: The surprise package of the top five leagues this season, Girona top the La Liga table going into the new year, and have seen their squad rise in value accordingly.

• Hato is a good call, Kev. Very highly rated in the Netherlands.

  Love it that the small B-named teams are in that top ten.

• Yeah Total, I guess if you’re Man Utd then financially your pretty much maxed out, it also shows how far Arsenal have fallen since the heady day of Paris 2006.

• The day started out dry and sunny and now it grey and wet, more in line with January blues.

  I’m sure that Edu and the team are working overtime to bring in reinforcements and bringing back Tierney from his loan is trending among many concerned Gooners.

  I love Kieran, he’s an old-fashioned, proper full-back who can play in a back-three and the idealistic side of me says ‘what a great idea’ but fitness has always and continues to be an issue with him, so I’m not sold on the theory.

• I’ve just noticed that there are replays in this round of the FA cup – so those who have not yet posted their predictions can predict draws.

• Maidstone United v Stevenage 1-2
  Sunderland v Newcastle United 0-2
  Queens Park Rangers v AFC Bournemouth 0-2
  Middlesbrough v Aston Villa 0-2
  Luton Town v Bolton Wanderers 2-0
  Arsenal v Liverpool 9-0

  Don’t know if my faith stretches to double figures, Kevski.
  Astonishing stats up above, mate. The Premiership bubble getting bigger.

• Tierney has ruled out returning to Arsenal and you can’t blame him, it must be fabulous plying your trade in Spain as against sitting on the bench at Arsenal.

  Hopefully Arsenal and Sociedad can come to some kind of agreement, player exchange perhaps, and Kieran can see out his career in a far nicer environment and in a less stressful football.

• Stu, oh yea of little faith, I can foresee a goals bonanza this weekend, you heard it here first…

• Maidstone United v Stevenage * A 0-3
  Sunderland v Newcastle United * D 2-2
  Queens Park Rangers v AFC Bournemouth * A 2-3
  Middlesbrough v Aston Villa * A 1-3
  Luton Town v Bolton Wanderers * D 1-1
  Arsenal v Liverpool * A 1-2

• Maidstone United v Stevenage 1-1
  Sunderland v Newcastle United 1-2
  Queens Park Rangers v AFC Bournemouth 1-2
  Middlesbrough v Aston Villa 2-2
  Luton Town v Bolton Wanderers 2-0
  Arsenal v Liverpool 3-1

• Just missing your predictions Eris

• Kev,
  It’s a shame about Tierney having to go, because if we had the luxury to keep him around, he could have been the starter against Liverpool to try and handle Salah.

  This is where the cheating clubs with bogus income numbers get a big advantage.
  We had to let Tierney go, not just to keep him happy with chances to play in Spain, but also because we’d like (need) to be able to get a fee for him, rather than let him leave for free in 18 months. We need the money. For well over a decade, Man City have been able to hoard talent and spend without the slightest concerns.

• Well hopefully Johnno, the cheating clubs will eventually get their comeuppance.

  Regarding Tierney, I think that Edu and the club were banking on selling him last summer and reinvesting the income, but Newcastle went elsewhere and nobody else were prepared to pay a realistic fee due to his history of injuries. It’s a shame it didn’t work out for him but once Arteta was set on his floating full back tactic Kieran was buggered as he’s not comfortable in midfield. As I suggested I reckon Arsenal will try to part-ex him next summer.

• Gospel of John chapter 9 verse 24, Kev. 😉 But, I’ll bet you a cold one that my 9-0 is closer to the score
  line than your 10-0. Just got a hunch…

  Salah’s away, J. The Hungarian chap is out with a hammy issue, too.

  LG, can you instruct me how I can place a picture on the blog? You seem to do it regularly but every time I try I draw a blank.

• Great comments all round guys. Thanks for the report, GN5. My predictions follow, largely blind guesswork, I must say:

  Maidstone United v Stevenage * D 1-1
  Sunderland v Newcastle United * H 1-0
  Queens Park Rangers v AFC Bournemouth * A 1-2
  Middlesbrough v Aston Villa * A 2-3
  Luton Town v Bolton Wanderers * H 2-1
  Arsenal v Liverpool * H 4-1

• What I usually do is right-click on the image, then select and click copy image link, copy the link in a new tab and press the enter key in order to see what the image actually looks like; finally if it looks fine to me I select and copy the link again, and paste it at the intended place in my comment.
  I do the same for youtube links, and so far it’s worked out just fine. I don’t know if it is one of TA’s requirements as the administrator of the blog, or if it just goes along with using wordpress, but I’ve noticed one link a comment is all you can post, above that either TA has to approve of it, or the whole comment just gets lost somewhere in www limbo, sometimes …
  As far as the LB-LWB (or whatever you wish to call Oleks’s tactical multitasking) I’ve written on Jeorge Bird’s blog that Amario Cozier-Duberry has all it takes to be our Ukrainian’s perfect backup, but so far mine has been the unheard “voice of one calling in the wilderness” … strange world indeed, in which my comments aren’t Gospel to the Arsenal staff!
  Liverpool’s Pharaoh’s away and Pb’s fellow-citizen’s out, but we have our fair share of unavailable players, too: Tomi, Timber, Zinch, Partey, our own Pharaoh, Vieira. I don’t know if my sources were reliable, but I’ve read that Benjamin LeBlanc was feeling under the weather too, and that Bukayo’s Achilles was killing him.
  Not exactly easy to pick a team … but if we’re that depleted, and if I know my Arteta well, we might get something like:
  Ramsdale
  Cedric-Saliba-Gabriel-Kiwior
  Rice-Odegaard
  Trossard-Havertz-Jesus
  Nketiah
  (Marti definitely needs a rest, as for Reiss and Emile, I’m done hoping – I’m still amazed that, under those circumstances, bringing home Charlie Patino and/or Brooke Norton-Cuffy doesn’t seem to be at least worth considering, though)
  COYG

• https://images.app.goo.gl/uNH7Yw6VYAMJboB98

• Stu, 10-0, I still believe,

  For we live by faith, not by sight.

• Is that the motto you’ve painted on your cab, Kevski?
  Just askin’ …

• Amen, Kev. Tho’ I imagine your punters would also be happy that you add a bit of Jim to your Jesus and, “keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel”…

  10 nil to the Arsenal does have a lovely ring to it. Could grow on me.

• Thanks for the tip, LG. I’ll try it out.

• My motto LeG is ‘Per Ardua ad Astra’

• Beautiful, Kev.

• It’s the motto Total of the Royal Air Force, but I think it’s appropriate to our team. And yes it is beautiful mate.

• Total I’d imagine that it’s a bit parky up in your manor, it’s definitely got chilly down here 410 miles further south and it’s going to be just as cold tomorrow at the Emirates. Hopefully I can bring us some luck as Arsenal won the previous two games I’ve seen this season.

• Didn’t know that, Kev.

  I think VCC is my all time favourite motto. The biggest goal and challenge for mankind is living in harmony. 🙂

• Wonderful indeed, mate
  James Gray’s “Ad Astra” is a fabulous movie, too
  Brad Pitt’s a major in it, an astronaut – didn’t know where the title came from, I think I do, now

• It’s not too cold here, Kev. Make sure you shave yourself thoroughly before you go to the match. 🙂

• Ha ha ha Total, yes I’ve left it for a few days now so I will certainly enjoy a luxurious shave in the morning.

• LeG, yes that is a great movie, it’s one that I always enjoy rewatching.

• A beautiful motto, indeed. It is also that of the NZ Airforce.

  Ya’all will know Magee’s wonderful poem…

  Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
  And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
  Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
  Of sun-split clouds, – and done a hundred things
  You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung
  High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
  I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
  My eager craft through footless halls of air…

  Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
  I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
  Where never lark, or ever eagle flew –
  And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
  The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
  Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

  He died in is Supermarine Spitfire at the tender age of 19.

• Amen, Total. Romans 12:16-21 offers a blueprint.

• Stu, that’s a wonderful piece of prose, yes we had teenagers saving up from the evil darkness of totalitarianism, we owe them much.

• Off on a tangent, Charlie Patino had scored for Swansea and is having a very good game.

• We could all do with a bit of harmony in the world

• “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
  if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[c]

  21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

  Powerful stuff, Stu.

• Such a great name Charlie Patino. Something timeless about it.

• Well Total, Charlie boy was the star man, the new manager of Swansea is using him all the time, he played the whole game, and hopefully we’ll be the beneficiaries. He can be a bit too casual but maybe that’s just his style, never gives the ball away although I’d like to see him try a few more progressive passes. Plays a lot of Elneny passes, safe, keeps possession but I’d like to see him take more risks. Gets around the pitch, didn’t just hold one position and has added some aggression to his game, not mindless aggression, I like to see him pressing and block tackling that’s a definite improvement in his game. I think he has a future with us he just needs to make the most of the next 5 months as there could be openings for him this summer so it’s up to him to force himself into the managers thinking.

• At a club like Arsenal which is currently performing at the very highest level, opportunities for young players are extremely difficult, mainly due to expectations (the reaction of two defeats shows how unrelenting those expectations are) but if you’re a young midfielder at Arsenal atm there is a definite window this summer due to the age profiles of Elneny, Jorginho and Partey, there could also be openings if the club decide to cash in on fringe performers like Vieira, Nelson and possibly Smith Rowe (hopefully not Emile) so the chance is there, many are regulars in training, it’s up to them to force the manager to take notice and with FFP biting he’ll be looking for options outside of the transfer market…

• Let’s hope so, Kev.

• Great comments yesterday, Kev. Really appreciate your efforts. 🙂

• This text is from Stu:

  Amen, Total. It is an almost incomprehensible challenge to turn the other cheek and trust God to be Vindicator.

  We do indeed, Kev, owe our way of life to those who fought for us. I have a photo of the Arsenal team who monstered the 1930’s, probably the worlds greatest club side during that decade. Nine of their professional squad were lost in the war, more than any other club. The photo is something of a memento mori for me.

  Our mate over at “She wore a yellow ribbon” posted on the subject several years ago: https://shewore.com/2013/11/11/792/

• New Post 🙂