Last season didn’t end as well as Arsenal would have liked, but a team with very obvious pieces missing – both through injury and a squad that wasn’t deep enough – finished 5th in the Premier League.
Having added a top class forward, and four other signings, there is an air of excitement around the club as we head into the new campaign, and it was something Mikel Arteta spoke about at his press conference this afternoon.
“I think we are all enthusiastic,” he said.
“We had the pre-season that we wanted, it was well organised, we had good results, good performances, good preparation, but now the ball starts to roll to tomorrow evening in a completely different context against a Premier League team and we know what to expect there.
“But it’s true, we are with a level of energy and ambition to have a successful season and we have to show that on the pitch tomorrow night.”
With a squad that is now almost completely moulded in the image he wants, the Spaniard was pressed about his own excitement levels, and said, “You try every day to be more excited and love your players more and feel more privileged of where you are.
“The more things you do that are related to the way you feel, and you share that feeling with the club like we do, then it comes a common thing.
“At the end it’s not about me, it’s about how we all feel about what we are doing, we all feel an integral part of it, especially our supporters, when we do that, I always say it becomes very, very powerful.”
Arsenal kick off against Palace at Selhurst Park tomorrow night, hoping for a fitness boost from three of the four doubtful players, as we seek an opening day win against tough opposition.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
What a match to kick off the new campaign!
Rammers
White-Saliba-Gabriel-Zinchenko
Partey-Xhaka
Saka-Marty-Martinelli
The Jesus
Bench: Takehiro, Tierney, Lokonga, Nketiah, Vieira, Turner, Pepe [ESR].
Team is starting to pick itself, nice change from previous years. I feel we’re one midfield upgrade away from being really freaking good, but there is potential for that to be internal over the course of the season (Lokonga/Vieira).
Just read a review of All Or Nothing in the Guardian by some over biased moron called Stuart Jeffries. Of the many low IQ things he had to say this one was perhaps the most ludicrous:
“Lacazette and Aubameyang have gone and I wouldn’t bet on them beating Palace on Friday.”
For that quote alone I beg the team to please, please, fucking please go out there and ram it up Crystal Palace’s arse tomorrow!
COYG!!!
Pay no attention. Publications everywhere are rife with so called football experts who all have a stupid opinion to share because they aren’t intelligent enough to differentiate between what they want to happen and what is likely to happen. Said publications let the journalists off the hook because it creates clicks and stirs up controversy amongst fans.
This guy is so dumb he even has Spud fans telling him he’s shit.
It’s a nauseating thought, but I am not the brightest and I still think if I was being paid some of the money these idiots are paid, I’d be able to speak in an unbiased way about the teams I don’t much care for.
I just read the piece. Laughably, it claims to be a review of the entire series (after three episodes!), when really it’s just a lazy-minded dig at Arsenal. Most satisfying, however, are the withering comments below the article.
The Guardian is a piece of shit anyway. And the Daily fucking Mirror.
The day I heed anything Fleet Street says about the Arsenal, is the day I’ll know I’ve got a problem.
TG is just another tabloid now. It pretends not to be and the centre left types who cling to it are in denial.
As for their football coverage, yes it’s pathetic. I’ve read a lot of dumb and I’ll informed shit there. Some of it is seriously desperate.
But fuck it! Let’s have a big old win tomorrow! COYG!
Do you only seek “news” from “Q”?
Lightswitch brain.
The tabloids are for tits – except they don’t allow them any more.
I pick up the world news from the BBC, Sky and whatever popular news bulletins are given in whatever country I may be in – NBC in the states for example.
So yeah, I don’t need to read any of the shit peddled by the tabloids – especially the sports coverage and definitely not anything about Arsenal.
Q was a music mag that is now, sadly, no more.
Al Jazeera seems to be the most even-handed of the global networks, at least in terms of not pushing any overt agenda.
I’m just having a laff cobber. But seriously, I cannot help thinking that everytime I see that freaking Q… It doesn’t have the most pleasant vibes these days.
As for picking the news from BBC and Sky…Are they really better? My answer is an adamant no. BBC in particular pretends to be all impartial, but they’ve become a farce and almost a parody of themselves. Sky, well at least they kind of wear what they are (a mouthpiece for meglomaniacs) on their sleeves…
Guardian is class. That article was poor.
Brutha Q – we’ve had a decent roll of agreements of late, but I must differ: Jonathan Lieuw, in particular, is one of the better sports journos currently pushing a pen. There are a few others there too – will be interesting to see if Jeffries gets a another shot, though, after that soiled toilet roll of a piece.
After watching 3 episodes it’s been pretty interesting. What I’ve got from it is MA has the ability to be a top manager but is on a steep learning curve. There are sure to be set backs this season, let’s hope the fans can stay behind him and the team.
Theres a very obvious bias against Arsenal with the guardian writers over the last few seasons you’d expect those articles in the red tops but hope for a more balanced angle from other outlets, I think they put more effort into gouging money from you at the end of every piece.
A top comment that was removed and I paraphrase: “I expected a higher standard from s newspaper that asks me for money at the end of every article.”
This season will be very unpredictable (world cup ffs!) and anyone can nick it, we are in with a real chance, if we start well and keep players fit during the winter.
A repeat of last season minus the silly losses should see us snatch 4th or even 3rd. Imagine us winning EL and the FA Cup. It could happen!
Top four. The Wenger Trophy. 🏆
That is the target, ladies and gentlemen.
Anything more is a bonus.
Anything less…well, let’s not go there. 😉
Come On You Gunners!
I wouldn’t mind us managing two decisive wins each against Spuds and The Oligarlacticos this season.
Enough of this white and blue shit. Make London red again!
London is red, my friend.
Always has been – always will be.
We’ve got a history that Spurs, Chelsea, West Ham and all the other cunts – because that’s what they are – can only dream of.
I’m going to say it here and now – and damn the torpedoes:
Arsenal will finish top THREE this season. And we’ll make the semis of at least one trophy.
Well, I for one think you could well be right mate. 😊👍🍺
Arteta: top-four finish or fuck off
That’s 100% bang on IMO. It’s a make or break season. We made some small steps forward last season, but the reality is they were still only small steps. We need to be in the champions league next season, or?
Morning Piers…
Arteta called and wants to do a trade. He gets a top four finish and you, the famous Fatgooner, will not complain about anything for a whole year.
Fair?
Just finished watching All or Nothing documentary, got the battle fever on.
Let’s smash all the cunts this season!
The amount of money spent this season and last means top 4 is the minimum.
All or Nothing got me really fired up for tomorrow now. Can’t wait!!
As an aside – did I hear Mr Arseblog in episode 3 talking about Tierney after the Liverpool defeat?
That makes two of us. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s game. I have a long day ahead digging out the last of the soil before the new floor goes in. I’ll be enjoying sitting down in front of the TV with a couple of cold ones after that.
You’re correct. Arseblog pops up twice.
Just finished All or Nothing. This team is going to be better for the experience and disappointment of last season. We are going to get closer to the top level.
I reckon Palace are quietly bricking themselves at the prospect of facing this Arse line-up first off…
I’d take a draw tonight, obviously a win would be better but the important thing for me is that we play like we have been playing pre season for a full 95 minutes, if we do that but it’s not enough to take all the points fair enough it’ll be a tough challenge, move on to the next one. Looking forward to watching it. Come on you Gunners
No mate.
Tonight should be about three points – nothing less.
I AM EXCITED