Arsenal stars “did themselves proud” in the lead up to the World Cup

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Maybe it was the “lack of guaranteed call ups”, but in the lead up to the World Cup, no Arsenal player took their foot off the gas.

Whilst other clubs saw players guaranteed of their spot in Qatar “picking up injuries” in the last couple of weeks, Arsenal players kept giving it 100%.

Spurs were big victims of this, with the likes of Richarlison and Cristian Romero no-where to be seen in the last few weeks. Both clearly putting club over country.

Son Hueng-Min also missed the last few games with a fractured eye socket, but will risk further longer term damage by declaring himself fit to play for South Korea.

Mystery illnesses (Raheem Sterling) and minor knocks saw a whole host of players miss out on the last game week. Bar a spate of food poisoning (Granit Xhaka and 4 unnamed others) and long term injuries (Emile Smith Rowe, Mohamed Elneny), we have not had anyone cry off.

The key reason is due to how few of our stars were guaranteed a seat on the plane, let alone a starting place.

Richarlison, Romero, Son and Sterling knew their spots were secure, even if they went missing for a month.

Meanwhile the likes of Ben White, Gabriel Martinelli, William Saliba and Aaron Ramsdale had to fight to the end to for their spot on the plane.

Thomas Partey, Bukayo Saka and Xhaka were all guaranteed to be starting for their country. But all 3 kept up their high performance levels.

Xhaka and Partey realistically know that Arsenal, and not their country, is their best root to glory this season. It is the same for Matt Turner and Takehiro Tomiyasu (the Japanese star has struggled for fitness since joining Arsenal).

Whilst Gabriel Jesus was probably on the plane, it was certainly not guaranteed having been left out of Brazil’s squad.

Jesus is also fighting for a starting spot, so needed to keep pushing (whereas Richarlison seems happy to just be there!)

That leaves Saka.

He will start for England, but is clearly an ultra professional. He would not let his team or teammates down and has got better as the World Cup closed in.

So whilst Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City players had one eye on Qatar, Arsenal extended the lead at the head of the table and will be top on Christmas Day.

During his early days as manager, Mikel Arteta spoke extensively on having players of the “right mentality”. He has achieved his goal and we now have a squad where “playing for yourself” is not accepted.

Hopefully the players out in Qatar get through without injury, and come Boxing Day we are ready to go again!

UTA

Keenos

The World Cup should have been boycotted

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World Cup kicks off today, and I am really non-plussed about it.

I’m a proud Englishman. Love watching us in the rugby, in the cricket. Will support any Englishman in the darts, snooker, F1 and lawn bowls. But like many I have had a love/hate relationship with the English national team.

As a home and away Gooner, I found it hard to go from hating the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Gary Neville one weekend, to then cheer them on the week after just because the colour of their shirt had changed.

I have mellowed in recent years, but I still struggle to cheer a Harry Kane goal, and when watching England my first thought is “I hope the Arsenal players do well”.

For decades, England have been boring to watch.

Friendlies, qualifiers and the Nations league really do not get my blood flowing. But by the time the summer tournaments come round I usually show a flutter of excitement.

A mixture of good weather and it being an excuse to meet the lads I go week in, week out for a boozy session usually ends up increases my interest for tournaments – although I do despise the non-football fans who look down their noises at us for 11 months on the year only to put on a £5 Tshirt from Asda and fake interest.

This World Cup, however, I have almost no interest in.

A key factor is the location.

We have long been a voice against sportswashing.

I hate the way F1 has been going for some time. Liv Golf can do one. As can the Olympics that sell their soul to the highest bidder. But football has topped it all off with back to back World Cups in Russia and Qatar.

The World Cup has no business being hosted in the middle-east.

Millions paid into secret bank accounts to secure a World Cup in the hope it will show a state with backwards views in a good light.

Built on slavery, with thousands dying, it really has taken too long for media and others to talk out on it.

In my opinion, national teams should be boycotting the World Cup.

But here we are, the season suspended for 6 weeks, just so some old men can make some a few million in secret payments.

This World Cup is corrupt and everything that is wrong with modern football.

Normally I would disappear to the pub during work hours to catch the game. Tomorrow I will not be upset that I’m missing it.

I will write a few blogs on England, and I will take an interest in how our players get on. But ultimately I can not wait for Boxing Day and real football to restart.

Keenos

Edu promotion a sign of just how well run Arsenal are currently run

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Morning all, and Happy World Cup Eve. If anyone is actually happy about it.

I am certainly not, and have firmly been in the “it should have been boycotted” camp ever since it was announced.

The latest news of booze bans in Qatar sums up the sham of a World Cup.

Now I get Qatar is a Muslim country and we should respect the rules of the country we are in.

I would have had no issue with an alcohol ban had that been the case since day one. That way travelling fans would have the full facts before deciding to spend thousands of pounds to go out there.

To announce the change just a few days before the World Cup shows no respect to the fans that are going.

Saying that, the ban is only for stadiums (as they are the only place the existing alcohol laws had been lifted). You will still be able to get alcohol in your hotels.

That area of the world really is a weird place.

Strict rules when it comes to alcohol, women, homosexuality, etc. But you just know the rich and the Royal Family are probably on the booze all the time before closed door, and bending their slaves over the kitchen counter regardless of sex and age.

Big Arsenal news yesterday as it was announced Edu was being promoted to the role of Sporting Director.

Alongside Mikel Arteta, he has been a key part to the stablisation of our club on and off the field.

It goes beyond his work in the transfer market. Arsenal is a much better ran place now in comparison to 24 months ago.

It is a position both Raul Sanllehi and Sven Mislintat had their eye but never got near to getting.

We now had a fairly solid senior management structure.

Josh Kroenke seems to be taking more of an interest in us. Then we have Edu as Sporting Director.

Vinai Venkatesham has been CEO since 2022 and Per Mertesacker has been managing the academy for for over 4 years.

Even if Mikel Arteta left tomorrow, it now feels like we have a good structure above and around him which would allow us to keep moving forward.

The fact no one mentioned Edu’s promotion prior to the Arsenal announcement shows how he has also plugged the leaks. The days of players selling stories to John Cross, or to Turkish journalists have long gone.

We move forward together as one, and I can not wait for football to return after the World Cup.

Enjoy your Saturday.

Keenos