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23 Jan 2024 21:34:17
Rumours surrounding Zubimendi seem to be getting a little warmer. I can't see us managing to ship enough out to bring him in, but what do I know? Phillips to West Ham is good business for them, did we have any passing interest? I always rated him myself. Best HB.
{Ed002's Note - Martin Zubimendi (CM/DM) Barcelona may still look to an offer although they are looking at preferred options first and would likely want to include a player in any deal. Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea have sent scouts with Arsenal declaring an interest with his club. Real Sociedad may look to refusing a transfer unless his buy out clause is met in full. A Wildcard would be Bayern Munich. One for the summer not January.
Arsenal had no interest in Kalvin Phillips.}
1.) 24 Jan 2024 13:49:51
Good afternoon Ed, is his release clause in the region of 50m? Thank you.
{Ed002's Note - €60M in a single payment.}
2.) 24 Jan 2024 15:00:00
Cheers, Ed. Thanks for the update . Best, HB.
HoxtonBridge's banter posts with other poster's replies to HoxtonBridge's banter posts
13 Oct 2025 09:34:38
I really dislike the international breaks. WC qualifiers are one thing, but the meaningless friendlies in between are just annoying and unnecessary.
My unimportant post of the day over.
HB.
1.) 14 Oct 2025 04:51:45
I'm with you, Hoxton. And I don't think it is unimportant. I fail to see the reason why there are so many international breaks in the middle of the domestic season. I can somewhat understand the qualifiers but the friendlies are absolutely pointless.
2.) 14 Oct 2025 11:46:27
I too don't like the international breaks. Just get warmed up and then it goes again, I guess it adds to the build up later in the year. Teams should be made to play and ifyour player has to go on international duty then you have to be prepared is my opinion.
3.) 14 Oct 2025 16:37:54
Playing devil’s advocate it does mean Odegaard Noni Hincapie and Kai have an extra two weeks rest and recuperation without matches with something on it domestically. Plus two more weeks before Spuds. Flip side is can pick up injuries and travelling I guess. Touch wood working for us this time round COYG.
21 Sep 2025 15:40:50
Exactly the line up I didn't want to see. Happy to be proved wrong, but it almost seems like hubris on Artetas part.
1.) 21 Sep 2025 16:08:39
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Merino, Madueke, Trossard, Gyokeres.
Substitutes: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, White, Saka, Eze, Martinelli, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly.
Eze on bench and Merino starts….
We are at home - right.
2.) 21 Sep 2025 16:09:53
Not certain if it's hubris or Arteta simply lacking a pair. Regardless of today's ultimate outcome, it demonstrates Arteta's frustrating risk-aversion tactics against bigger sides. which may in the end make it exceedingly difficult to overtake Liverpool.
3.) 21 Sep 2025 16:38:29
Someone needs to give him a shake and see - Trossard and Merino shows limited intent.
21 Sep 2025 10:00:15
I would like to see some ambition today against an eminently beatable city side. Assuming Odegaard is out, the time has come to put some faith in Nwaneri or Eze to start in their best position. My heart is likely to sink if we play with Rice hamstrung in the middle between Zubi and Merino.
Just to say, a trapped nerve in my neck is causing the negative sentiment. ?.
1.) 21 Sep 2025 10:48:04
I think another thumping win by us today Hoxton will go some way to relieving your neck pain mate.
2.) 21 Sep 2025 11:18:11
Indeed it will. ?.
3.) 21 Sep 2025 13:20:58
Yep - Exe in for Ode and Martinelli on LW as no other option. Nice to see Eze controlling the pace of the game in the middle and getting us moving forward quicker down both wings. Please don’t put Noni on Left and Ethan on RW.
Let’s tear them apart.
31 Aug 2025 18:31:37
Really poor from start to finish. No ambition from Arteta in the selection, and a predictably negative display punished. We looked as if we were just there for a point and came unstuck. Really disappointed, not by losing, but the manner in which we appear content with mediocrity. If this is a taste of what is to come, it could be dull season.
1.) 31 Aug 2025 18:46:50
I am not going to lie i am pissed off big time with the mindset of going there for a draw. I genuinely thought we would get the 3pts. Took a great goal to win it mind, but we are not going to win the Prem with negative tactics like that.
If people think that's negativity well they are entitled to their opinions but it was piss poor.
2.) 31 Aug 2025 18:56:50
I understood the starting eleven but by half time it was really apparent that it wasn’t working with Merino and Martinelli, and that we could go out and win the game with changes. To not do that until the 70th minute and to play for a 0-0 draw (which is a huge gamble as all it takes is one moment to concede as proved) is hugely disappointing.
Creativity is a big issue and it worries me that Ode still isn’t back to what he was a couple of seasons ago. Really hope he steps up or I’d prefer Nwaneri to be in there.
3.) 31 Aug 2025 19:16:26
Agree and I have started having doubts on Arteta and Martinelli, having been a staunch supporter until now. Many will point that we are being negative and the season has just started and all that, however, when we have the players why not use them, Arteta has to be brave, why did he not start Eze from the start, it’s not as if he wasn’t match fit or came from another league. Martinelli was so ineffective against a makeshift right back. I was hoping the manager would make changes at half time but we were content with the proceedings and playing for a draw or a smash and grab winner. Why not give the kids more time to show what they can do, Dowman came on late but try giving him more time, poor Nwaneri when will he get a proper go? Not sure what the extent of Saliba’s injury is but Mosquera did well when he came in. David Raya! We may not find better options in the market but he has this tendency to put everybody including himself under pressure by passing in front of goal, every game there is one such moment when we are asking, ‘what are you doing?! ’ Our approach needs to change to take the next step.
12 Jan 2024 14:37:44
I suspect it's fair to assume that a landmark signing is unlikely in this window. I have a feeling that Arteta will soldier on and hope for the early and effective return of some injured players, and use the summer for more radical surgery up front.
Happy to be wrong, however HB.
1.) 12 Jan 2024 18:50:19
I've no idea what Arteta and the club will do HB but it's become very clear over the last 3 games that we are not good enough as we are. I thought the players we had could we improved in front of goal but its not happened and its costing us big style. If we get knocked out of the CL by Porto it would be awful and if dominated them but failed to get past them without trying to address our issues when we could have it would be even worse than awful.
2.) 12 Jan 2024 20:03:08
I hear you. I think we are caught between available funds for the desired players, and the rigours of FPP. I wonder if they cannot buy without selling, but can't risk selling and ending up with nobody. HB.
3.) 12 Jan 2024 20:23:26
I think your right John.
5 league games before we play Porto
2 home 3 away. If we have not been able to address our problems in front of goal then pressure on us when we play Porto will be immense.
I agree with you HB, players will have to be sold before any new players come in. Fees being touted for Toney, Vlahovic and all the other players we have been connected with, there will have to be a few players going out the door.
Lets hope a few days in the Dubai sun revilitise them, a bit like when we had a weekend away at Skegness back in the day.
4.) 13 Jan 2024 11:46:27
Very fair comments HB and Bill ?
Are there no free agents who knew where the goal is and aren't afraid use it ????.
15 Feb 2025 11:17:19
Hmmm I can get the 7 out, but THREE big signings in is unlikely.
14 Jan 2025 15:25:01
He has scored some valuable goals for us. I would see him as having made a positive contribution. Arguably, more effective than some.
30 Aug 2024 16:29:36
It's an interesting proposition but the sums being touted around do not make much sense. Four or five years ago, Sterling looked like the complete package, but even having been sidelined by Chelsea, I'm sceptical.
Like everyone else, I will be ears to the radio/ eyes to the TV this evening.
COYG.
15 Mar 2024 14:03:13
Aside from a couple of recent good goals, he has been terrible for Chelsea. For me, he can stay there.
01 Feb 2024 17:12:22
Haha.
21 Sep 2025 19:42:23
Agree 100%. I cannot understand why we have the luxury of options to replace Odegaard, and we play Merino. As soon as Eze cane on the dynamics were so much better. Great goal from Gabi, showing his values yet again, a deserved point, but could and should have been three. ??.
21 Sep 2025 11:18:11
Indeed it will. ?.
03 Sep 2025 18:22:03
The point is, we set out to frustrate, not to win. We are not going to win the league by playing that way against the top four/ five sides? The only circumstance was the absence of Odegaard and Saka; the potential occurrence of which was supposedly why we spent £200+M in the transfer window. Instead, Arteta chose to play Merino for Odegaard and left an ineffectual Martinelli on for 70 minutes. It was 0-0 because we have an incredibly good defence, which ought to provide the basis for attacking and dynamic football, not to play negatively for a draw. Play for a draw against top sides and you commonly get nothing. Why? Because the top four sides have the potential to do something special, which is why they are in the top four. We shall have to agree to differ, because I wasn't fine with it. Best, HB.
03 Sep 2025 15:55:19
Forgive me, but I think the difference between the two teams was palpable. Liverpool had more possession and spent considerably more time going forward; we had a marked proclivity to sit back, and our phases of possession were spent mainly passing square or backwards. That was a deliberate tactic, evinced by the defensive selection. On far too many occasions, we had the ball deep in their half and within seconds, it was back to Raya. How does a throw-in from close to the corner flag in the opposition half get back to the goalkeeper in two touches? The switch in gameplay after we conceded was an indication that we went there without ambition, and for one point. Some serious soul-searching needs to be undertaken over the international break, or the title hopes will remain just that. Sorry to be so negative, but frankly, there were no positives.
10 May 2025 18:18:20
Calling for Arteta to go now is frankly absurd. The team is making progress on all fronts, competing when against high level opponents, and still second in the league, sfmi-finalisfs in ECL, despite a shocking injury list and the loss of key ayers for pivotal parts of the season. The comparison with the final years of Wenger is also somewhat muddleheaded, not least because of the financial constraints we laboured under, that were never expected. Sorry to be a bit caustic, but it just doesn't make any sense.