Arsenal FC 2023-24: Passion, Energy, Clarity

[CooterBrown 18,014]

For fucks sake.

[Ted Lange 16,110]

This is he worst Arsenal have played in a couple seasons.  Dreadful 

[CooterBrown 18,014]

I can see us losing this 0-3. Everyone is terrible.

[The Maestro 758]

Need a halftime wake up call.  In Mik I trust.  

[Ted Lange 16,110]

Saka is playing like he is still injured. Rice invisible. 

[CooterBrown 18,014]

Nice goalkeeping. Fuck.

[Ted Lange 16,110]

Ballgame 

[The Maestro 758]

[CooterBrown 18,014]

Is Odegaard drunk? He’s given the ball away on 90% of his touches.

[QuesoEspecial 255]

I am blaming Ben White’s hair dye choice 🤷‍♂️

[The Maestro 758]

Wtf Raya?

[CooterBrown 18,014]

Raya’s good with his feet.

[The Maestro 758]

Rice rice baby!!

[The Maestro 758]

Trossard my man!

[The Maestro 758]

What a ball, what a composed finish

[Dutch 4,472]

My daughter’s squad was winning their U11 division (/proud-dad story, bro) at the same time, so I only just now got to watch the match.

* I thought the international break would negate the “letdown match” after the massive huge win over City. Wrong. We were terrible for 75’ and lucky not to be 3-nil down. Then their keeper had a howler, we level, and should have won on Eddie’s shot. 

* Hopefully that’s out of our system,  cause we were poor today.

* Ramsdsle 1000% deserves the next PL match in goal; Raya screwed up badly on their second, and he did everything he could to hand them a third. If Rambo   can’t get a chance after that crap-tastic performance from the guy who took his job, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him press for a transfer and maybe as soon as January. 
 

5 hours ago, Ted Lange said:

Saka is playing like he is still injured. Rice invisible. 

He’s fouled harder and more often that anyone else in the league. Cucurella had two yellow-worthy swipes at his legs in the 1H and no doubt would have been off had he hacked at Harry Kane the same way. But we can all guess why Saka, a vital part of the England setup and one of the top 3 players for them, isn’t afforded the same level of protection from the refs. Hate to say it, but it is what it is.

[Ted Lange 16,110]

Not a great result vs a lower mid table team, but it was on the road.   Team fought back for the point, on to the next match. 

[shadow_operative 15,932]

what a goal to end the half!

 

 

[The Maestro 758]

Martinelli my man!!

[shadow_operative 15,932]

how many stone cold penalties are going to go unawarded this season? jesus christ.

Edited October 24, 2023 by shadow_operative

[Ted Lange 16,110]

They miss a clear Pen, and then we immediately get scored on.   Cool cool

[shadow_operative 15,932]

that is fucking bullshit.

[Ted Lange 16,110]

Missed most the first half.   Just saw that Partey is injured again, jfc.   Guy is made of balsa wood.

[Dutch 4,472]

Three points and top of the group.  Not the best performance but better than Lens; away CL fixtures are never easy. On to the next.

Help me out here, fellow Surly assholes, because I’m not seeing it: is Raya really that much better than Ramsdale? Because he nearly had another gaffe that leveled the score. Am I just being Warden Norton-level obtuse here?

46 minutes ago, Ted Lange said:

Missed most the first half.   Just saw that Partey is injured again, jfc.   Guy is made of balsa wood.

His wife/gf/baby mama gave birth today. Hopefully he was just given the night off to be with her and it’s not injury related. 

 

[Dutch 4,472]

1 hour ago, shadow_operative said:

what a goal to end the half!

 

 

That touch, turn, and through ball from Jesus….

[Dutch 4,472]

Also… Those 3rd kit >>>>>>>>>>>> “Highlighter Gone amok” away kit. 

[shadow_operative 15,932]

13 minutes ago, Dutch said:

Help me out here, fellow Surly assholes, because I’m not seeing it: is Raya really that much better than Ramsdale? Because he nearly had another gaffe that leveled the score. Am I just being Warden Norton-level obtuse here?

i’ve done a good bit of reading on this, and that statistics bear out that not only is raya a much more prolific and adventurous passer than ramsdale is, but he’s actually way more accurate as well. so while he does give away fewer passes on the whole, Ramsdale also tends to either the hoof the ball to no one or to play it side to side, where we want our GK playing with the ball at his field as if he were a midfielder- and he’s still less accurate than Raya. so for better or worse, he’s more equipped for this role, and he’s going to be our guy. 

Edited October 24, 2023 by shadow_operative

[shadow_operative 15,932]

1 hour ago, Ted Lange said:

They miss a clear Pen, and then we immediately get scored on.   Cool cool

 

 

 

[Dutch 4,472]

So I was wrong about Partey; club announced he’s “out with a muscle issue.” 

Because of course he is. 

[Ted Lange 16,110]

12 minutes ago, Dutch said:

So I was wrong about Partey; club announced he’s “out with a muscle issue.” 

Because of course he is. 

And lots of the online chatter (which I have no idea what is/isn't accurate) says him not playing is because of the domestic issue he had in Spain or something along those lines.   I remember hearing about this awhile ago but never really followed the story.

[The Maestro 758]

1 hour ago, shadow_operative said:

i’ve done a good bit of reading on this, and that statistics bear out that not only is raya a much more prolific and adventurous passer than ramsdale is, but he’s actually way more accurate as well. so while he does give away fewer passes on the whole, Ramsdale also tends to either the hoof the ball to no one or to play it side to side, where we want our GK playing with the ball at his field as if he were a midfielder- and he’s still less accurate than Raya. so for better or worse, he’s more equipped for this role, and he’s going to be our guy. 

That may be the truth of things, but I agree with @Dutch,Raya is scaring the shit out of me with his mistakes 

[Dutch 4,472]

 

Not great timing, Bob, with Saudi FC next Sat. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll get our best XI on the pitch together at some point this year. 

[The Maestro 758]

COYG!  Saka our captain.

 

[The Maestro 758]

Nice finish Eddie!  Incredible ball in from Rice. 

[Bullneck 19,110]

Alright, alright, alright

[The Maestro 758]

Los dos for Eddie.  Let’s keep our foot on the gas

[The Maestro 758]

[The Maestro 758]

Guerra & Tomi too.  This is the type of game we need to have against relegation zone teams.   

[texasgangordie 100]

Love the hat trick for Eddie and the goal for Tomi. Fun match

[shadow_operative 15,932]

•Salka handing Eddie the match ball after goal no.3

•Saka handing Eddie the armband for his first time

•Eddie handing the pen to Fabio

 

Victoria Concordia Crescit

[Dutch 4,472]

Eddie's first (the insane first touch to get the ball around the defender then final touch to score) and third (a missile in to the upper corner from outside the box)... man, those reminded me of another guy who wore the 14 shirt for us and has a statue outside the stadium.  And the second was a poacher's goal.  Good on him bagging his first hat trick. Hope he makes another step forward toward becoming an elite No 9, because he offers something different than Gabriel Jesus.

ESR and Mo back on the pitch.  You love to see it, but more than that... you fucking love to see it.

Sheffield are terrible, but we did what a side with title aspirations is supposed to do to a terrible side. Loved watching a stress-free match for a change.

 

"Booby Prize Cup" match v West Ham this Wednesday ahead of Saudi FC. Personally, I'd like to see a rotated squad, with key guys getting a rest to make sure they're healthy for Saturday. Yeah, it's a trophy, and yeah it's wide open without City, but still. Premier League and Champions League should be the priorities this season.  Saudi play Utd on Wednesday; I'd be interested to see what side Howe selects.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Dutch

[Dutch 4,472]

Pyramid Pirlo.

[Dutch 4,472]

In other words, he’ll be back just in time to get injured in the AFCON and miss another month or so. 

[Ted Lange 16,110]

It is time to move on from Partey.   This needs to be addressed this winter window.

[shadow_operative 15,932]

i read somewhere that arteta said we don’t expect to bring in anybody new in january. i agree though, partey has got to go, he just can’t be relied upon to stay healthy and available. i’d love for the tchouameni rumors to be true. a midfield three of odegaard, rice, and tchouameni would be 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼.

[Dutch 4,472]

2 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

 tchouameni rumors to be true. a midfield three of odegaard, rice, and tchouameni would be 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼.

[Dutch 4,472]

16 hours ago, Ted Lange said:

It is time to move on from Partey.   This needs to be addressed this winter window.

 

13 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

i read somewhere that arteta said we don’t expect to bring in anybody new in january. i agree though, partey has got to go, he just can’t be relied upon to stay healthy and available. i’d love for the tchouameni rumors to be true. a midfield three of odegaard, rice, and tchouameni would be 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼.

For too long our MF and style of play has been built around a guy who (in a good year) is only available 50% of the season.  He, like Bryan Mills, has a very unique set of skills. A set has become more expensive the past few years.  Caciedo would have been a nice replacement, but the Drunk Uncle stumbled in and fucked up that one.

I hope Arteta, Edu, and Josh are open to winter signings, if we can find the right player without paying a stupid fee*. Yes, our squad is deeper than any time in recent memory, but we all saw the impact Trossard had.

*If said stupid fee resulted in the League, I think Josh would pay it.

[Dutch 4,472]

 

 

Hopefully Eddie keeps up his goal-scoring form. 

[Dutch 4,472]

 

[The Maestro 758]

We didn’t seem to want to be there today.  West Ham wanted it more.   I get that is the carabao cup, but I worry about turning off today and not being able to be up for Saturday.