Category Archives: Arsenal

No Tottenham player gets into a NLD combined XI

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Morning.

I think summer and well and truly over. And it feels like we have gone straight from shorts and t-shirts to jeans and sweatshirts. We’ve skipped that bit in the middle where we wear jeans and a polo.

Just two sleeps until the North London Derby.

It is both the fixture and most look forwards too, and the fixture I dread most.

Win and you will be on the beer in celebration. You will riding a cloud for the weekend and float into work on Monday morning with a smile on your face.

Lose and there will be a cloud over you for the weekend, and Monday you will be keeping your head down hoping no-one asks you about football.

One of my “modern football” hates is combined XIs. Up there with half and half scarves and kids begging for shirts.

Any true fan would not enterain an Arsenal and combined XI. The only right answer is XI Arsenal players (and for Tottenham fans reading, your combined XI’s should only have Spurs players).

I grew up an an era where you were taught the best team in North London was Arsenal. the second best Arsenal ladies. And the 3rd Arsenal reserves. Spurs nowhere to be seen.

After our U15s beat the ladies in a training ground friendly, you also have them up there.

As an Arsenal fan, you should never be giving Tottenham credit or praise. Ever. And do not dare have any of their players in your Fantasy Football team.

12:30 start on Saturday. Most pubs have announced they will be opening at 10, which surprises me.

Usually for these sort of games the police will get involved and force pubs to open at 12, meaning no-one can have a pint before the game.

Should be a good day. Just need that win.

Catch up tomorrow.

Keenos

Harry Kane v Thomas Partey – The Big North London Duel

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I can not beleive that is is already Wednesday of a North London Derby week and I have not yet begun blogging on it – probably highlights how the Nations League break has driven me too boredom.

Hopefully England’s relegation might see Gareth Southgate give fringe players and youngsters a run-out rather then the same old boring 14 or 15 names. Relegation could benefit England’s future.

Anyway, we move on.

So Saturday we face Spurs at home.

Since our 21 game unbeaten run against Tottenham ended in 2008, the North London Derby has more often than not been “home advantage”.

At White Hart Lane, Tottenham have lost just 1 of 14 Premier League fixtures – winning 9.

And our record at the Emirates is even better – also losing just once in 14 games and winning 8 times.

Two away wins in 28 North London Derby games. But of course, we go into the fixture knowing anything can happen.

And with it being a 12:30pm Saturday kick off, the result will either make or break your weekend.

Win and you will be on the beer in celebration. You will riding a cloud for the weekend and float into work on Monday morning with a smile on your face.

Lose and there will be a cloud over you for the weekend, and Monday you will be keeping your head down hoping no-one asks you about football.

Arsenal’s key player will be Thomas Partey.

Hopefully Partey should be fully fit following his most recent injury. He was selected by Ghana for the latest international games, but withdrew on the eve of the first game with injury – hopefully this was no more than a pre-caution.

They really do need to bring in restrictions on national teams calling up players returning from injury.

Partey has played just once in our last 6 games. Was there any need for him to be caleld up to the Ghana squad for friendlies? It shows the national team not looking long term – Partey has a history of breaking down again soon after an injury if rushed back.

It would have made more sense for him to rest and recover in North London for two weeks, building fitness for the World Cup rather than risk playing him and him having a recurrance of the injury which could rule him out the World Cup.

My mind goes back to December 2020.

Partey had missed four games through injury. He was then rushed back for the North London Derby but lastest just 45 minutes. Spurs scored their opener whilst Partey was limping off the field.

He went on to miss the next 9 games.

The big match up of the weekend will be Harry Kane v Thomas Partey.

Kane’s new role in Antonio Conte’s long-ball system is to drop deep and flick the ball on to Spurs’ speedy widemen.

If he drags a central defender with him, it gives Son, Kulusevski, Lucas Moura and Richarlison the space to run into.

To protect against this, it should be Partey that challenges Kane when he drops deep. That will allow Gabriel and William Saliba to drop off and be in a better position to defend the flick on.

Tottenham’s midfield is also their weak point. I would expect Granit Xhaka and Martin Odergaard to be able to dominate even whilst Partey is focused on doing a job on Kane.

You stop the supply to Kane, you stop Tottenham.

Enjoy Wednesday.

Keenos

Sanllehi has his say on Arsenal exit

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Morning.

Yesterdays Arsenal news is all about the Raul Sanllehi interview in the Athletic.

I do not subscribe so have only read the snippets on social media.

From what I have read, he comes across as respectful towards the club and management, whilst also disagreeing with the decision they made – not unusual for a senior leader when they are made redundant.

“Arsenal had decided to move on from Wenger – one boss who did everything. I do not agree when clubs call the first-team coach ‘the manager’.” Sanllehi said when talking about his philosophy.

“First-team coach, that is enough. Nowadays, the workload is overwhelming & I need him to concentrate on the first team.”

“It’s funny now, but I remember in December 2019, I had dinner with the four guys: Mikel Arteta, Edu, Huss Fahmy & Per Mertesacker. On the toast, I said, ‘Now, it is on us. It is exactly the model I asked for’. Then in March, everything just fell apart. I was sad.”

On his time at Arsenal, Sanllehi said “I loved it at Arsenal. You cannot imagine: the people in the club, the history of the club. I really felt I was at the top of the world there, but the last 10 months there were horrible. I had to lay off 55 people, without knowing I was the 56th.”

“I don’t feel betrayed by the Kroenkes. They had the LA Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rapids & all of a sudden, all those teams could not play [Covid lockdown]. You still had to pay the salaries. You did not have guaranteed broadcasting revenues.”

It is clear he was employed to take Arsenal in a certain direction, then those above him made a decision to change that direction and he became surplus to requirements.

Whilst many will be criticism of his time in charge – and we have been – he also did some good.

Yes, you have the Nicolas Pepe “scandal”, the internal review of which probably led to Sanllehi leaving. But he also oversaw the recruitment of William Saiba, Gabriel Martinelli and Kieran Tierney.

Whether Sanllehi’s approach or Arsenal’s new approach was the “best direction for the club” will only be resolved over time.

As it stands, we are top of the league with some of the best young talent across Europe and one of the brightest young managers.

If we continue on this upwards trajectory, then I think even Sanllehi will concede that the new approach was correct.

Tomorrow we begin to focus on the North London Derby.

Keenos