01 Jun 2025 18:30:35
Hi Ed014
Hope you are well
Interested in your opinions on ins / outs you’d like to see and any other changes
I’d like Rice as captain, a win is more important than a draw and outlaw backward / sideway passes and a better attack. Can’t change too much but need to drop some of starting 11 into squad. Need to figure out how to play down left better also.
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{Ed014's Note - I’m good thanks SY.
Obviously a striker, going on the links then likely Sesko.
Zubimendi seems like a move that’s going to happen, I’d have preferred Baleba especially if Parteys going.
Our defence is consistently the best, so no changes needed with plenty of backup.
No argument with Rice as captain, would likely do Odegaard a favour.
A left winger, but not Sane, too lazy.
Just get back to playing the football of the previous two seasons and happy days.
Don’t fear anyone in this league if we’re on it.
Outs would be Sterling first and hopefully he’s backed his bags and buggered off already. Edu’s crap parting gift!
Plus Jorginho, Lokonga, Nelson, Trossard, Neto, Jesus, Zinchenko, Tavares, Vieira and Marquinhos.
I’m not sure what role Havertz will play once a genuine striker arrives, I don’t see him as a first choice mid and rather we bought another promising striker as Arteta didn’t seem to fancy either of our U’21’s, Butler-Oyedeji or Edward’s.
Be interesting to see who else Berta brings to the party.
Hope you’re good and trying your hardest to look on the bright side mate, the only way is up.
01 Jun 2025 22:37:29
Glad you're well Ed and I hope Mrs 14 is also :) ?
I wouldn't mind keeping Jesus and Zinny if they were happy to play as spares. Probably not popular choices lol.
{Ed014's Note - thanks Sally and she is thank you and likewise for you and yours too.
I do like them both Sally but in Zinchenko’s case it’s one left back to many. Jesus isn’t really what you might call a supersub either, which I think is really what he’d be doing, coming on from the bench. His injury will no doubt stop him being sold though.
01 Jun 2025 23:01:03
Difficult to argue with above Ed - think changing Rice to captain will be a game changer in mentality and leadership.
Lots of exits so hopefully we promote from within or add some depth. We got to rotate players better.
I think Kai was one of the worse signings we’ve done recently. Not that he’s a bad player. I was out with an ex-epl player who really rates Kai as a player ( that annoyed me ? ) but rather the cost, wages and that he didn’t solve a problem we had. With Zubi, Ode, Merino, Rice etc - he can’t play in midfield. If we want to play faster football and attack - I don’t see how he fits in. I’d rather have two strikers and sell him. Will he come on and turn a big tight game on his own? I’d rather have a decent striker.
What will be interesting is how the boss manages the players who get dropped from starting 11. He loves a happy squad may be at the expense of a competitive tough squad.
I agree - I don’t think many teams can live with us on our day unfortunately we didn’t have enough of them last year. Better the years before but still not that killer instinct that’s required. Or bottle to do it when it counts.
I’m hoping Arteta is hurt and comes out fighting - playing the football from the prior two years with a better squad. We have played some great football under him.
I am optimistic about next season especially with the new dude. Employing Edu was a joke . I don’t need ex-players in roles but rather people good at their jobs.
Good news is - it sounds like we mean business. Bad news is, I don’t believe the club have the ? ? to sack Arteta if we win nothing again. There’s a lot of pressure on Arteta to deliver this year from external factors - press, pundits and fans. Our neighbours winning will put pressure on Arteta. Players will also demand trophies so hopefully he delivers as I’d love him to win the league.
I don’t fear anyone in epl either to be honest - I fear our mentality or playing not to lose. Think we are our hardest opponent. Think that’s the difference between us and Liverpool. They play to win every game.
I am good and so is my family. The sun is out and the light nights are a joy. Watching psg reminded me of how good Wenger was at his peak. Every pass with purpose to attack and attack fast. Every pass with pace and forward. It was a joy and showed where we’ve missed.
Thanks for reply and I agree with all of it - struggling to be as positive but you are right that next season can only be better. My issue is I want attacking football and a trophy. I’m greedy but not entitled.
Arteta has taken us quite far and should be proud.
Enjoy your summer and thanks. Hopefully not too repetitive and negative.d
{Ed014's Note - I’d be amazed if Arteta stays if he wins nothing, surely they wouldn’t be that stupid.
I think the players defo have the bottle, they’ve just been sold short by the club, in not finishing the project.
Rice’s comment that they couldn’t give anymore, after defeat by PSG said it all for me, I translated that as, go get us a bloody striker!
The captain role is something Arteta needs to grow a pair over, he has the perfect excuse, can tell Odegaard it’s to take the pressure off and get back to his best and that Rice has the role, Odegaard can just drop to VC.
You can’t beat the summer mate! Brings a smile to most peoples faces.
02 Jun 2025 10:49:37
Making Rice our captain will definitely be a mentality shift and I would like Gabriel to be the VC, he is a fighter and demand more from the team.
As for Arteta, he absolutely has to win the PL or the CL next season (or this season as G62 will point out :) )
I will be more gutted if we win either and he leaves us for someone else, that will be quite an irony:D.
02 Jun 2025 16:19:14
Highbury, It could be a line from an Alanis Morissette hit.
Ed, I hope you are right and I hope they play like they have to win. So right about the sun - enjoying a glass of champagne admiring the marina abroad. Thanks for interaction and banter. ??.
{Ed014's Note - I see no reason why not, I think the start to this season just gone, set us back on a negative note and we couldn’t then pick it up.
After two seasons of chasing City I guess that took its toll too.
A nice bit of R&R for the boys, much like you’re enjoying and then back to it!
You’re welcome and I’m off for some Cyprus sun in a couple of weeks!
02 Jun 2025 17:03:50
Enjoy Cyprus - went there last year. Lovely place, people and wine.
Lots of very rich Russians - for a communist country; the distribution and shared wealth philosophyplays out quite weirdly. ?
Enjoy and come back rested ready for my posts ? ??.
{Ed001's Note - Russia has not been Communist since Stalin took charge mate. Stalin was never a communist, first thing he did was to have a purge of all the believers.}
02 Jun 2025 17:48:01
Ok but their sovereign democracy shares a lot of similarities to communism when it comes to control. Thsnk you for the correction as you are spot on. I shouldn’t mix drink, politics, religion and Arteta ?.
{Ed001's Note - no it doesn't, it was a tyrannical despotism, communism says everyone has equal rights, equal shares, equal money, equal everything, but it was far from equal. Anyway, not really relevant, but just my pedantism kicking in.}
02 Jun 2025 18:15:43
We sold our house in Tala, just outside Paphos to Russians. They walked in, looked about for 5 minutes and bought everything for cash, the house, the furniture and the car lol.
{Ed014's Note - pre covid, my son in law, whose a partner in a big firm of solicitors was selling loads multi million pound properties in London to Russians.
02 Jun 2025 20:44:53
I sold a ford cortinia to a bloke in a hurry once.
{Ed001's Note - is that the temu version of the Ford Cortina?}
02 Jun 2025 21:04:35
My dad had a cortina as a “company car”
Sorry Ed - I was highlighting the craziness of Russia and how mega mega rich some individuals are and the difference between the haves and haves / have nots is crazy. I clearly need to re-educate myself on Russia and you are right. I just think Putin has some of that blood in him. All good and sirry. Thanks for the education.
{Ed001's Note - me dad did a trip over to the USSR during that period, it was defo a very much haves and have-nots country. More so than most in that period, though we are all heading that way now! I remember he packed a load of jeans to take with him to trade with locals and he came back with all sorts of stuff, antiques and the like, that were worth a fortune at the time as they were so rare here. Unfortunately he decided to keep them, rather than sell them, and the fall of the wall etc meant the west got flooded with stuff like that and they are pretty much worthless junk now.}
02 Jun 2025 21:51:54
Na, Ed001 mate it was a red mark 6.
{Ed001's Note - I have never been in a Cortina in my life to be honest. They were everywhere when I was a kid as well, but never been in one.}
03 Jun 2025 08:37:52
They were everywhere back in the day Ed001 mate, they were often referred to as the " poor man's Jag " ????.
03 Jun 2025 11:38:52
Guess that’s why my old man had one for a while. I will let him know he failed 62 ?.
03 Jun 2025 16:05:48
Once again depends on how you measure success and failure Sy.
I wouldn't call anyone who is happy a failure, so if your dad was happy with his Cortina then he was definitely a success in my eyes mate ????.