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The 2022-2023 Football Thread

Apple fanboy said:
Can’t say I did.
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They were rooted in their community and - at their best - represented something bigger than themselves.

I wished them well (but not if they were playing Arsenal, obviously).

However, Manchester City are different.

laptech said:
But wasn't that the point of FFP (Financial Fair Play) to stop wealthy team owners from buying up all the best players because that is what City's owners could do, just pump billions and billions into the transfer market to get all the top players so the team can win everything year in year out. Newcastle now have owners who can do exactly that as well.
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As @Apple fanboy rightly points out, it is supposed to do so, but falls very far short, and frankly, fails pretty miserably.
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
There is faith, and then, there is masochism.

My appetite does not run to the latter.
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Ive had this room booked since 16.01.23 purely based on faith in our team. Not ready to cancel it just yet lol.

IMG_0677.jpegIMG_0678.jpeg
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
I'm not sure that I can handle it.

Gnawed nails, tense shoulders, apprehensive stomach....I'm not even hungry, and normally, I would love pottering around the stove to prepare some pasta.

I wish this match was over and that we had won by something approaching 3-0.

But then, I also wish there was truth in the Tooth Fairy tale, or in Father Christmas.

What can I say?

This is pathetic: I am trying to tell myself that I'm not ten years of age any longer, liable to burst out bawling crying, sobbing on my way to hide in the hedges (as Other Brother once did, surprisingly late in his teens when Manchester United were defeated in a significant match).....

If Arsenal were - let us say - third in the table, with Champions League qualification more or less assured, without the slightest hope of claiming the title, I think I would be more relaxed about this evening.

But, we have led since (almost) the start of the season, - the hard way, leading from the front for what seems forever - and there is a (genuine if slightly fading) hope that we might yet claim our first title since 2004, which is (now) almost twenty years ago.

As @Sal09 (I think) says: It is the hope that kills......
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If you are this bad with the game coming up, it must have been a million times worse then during the 1998-99 season when it came down to the last day.
 
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laptech said:
If you are this bad with the game coming up, it must have been a million times worse then during the 1998-99 season when it came down to the last day.
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No, surprisingly, not.

Somehow, I had complete faith (yes, @Sal09, that word again) in Mr Wenger's stewardship at the time (1998). Arsenal were confident and competent that season.

The match you have in mind was a decade earlier, in 1989, and, somehow, - remember, we didn't have that wall to wall coverage at the time - I was less engaged and less consumed by it; football coverage was less all embracing at the time, but it was both very exciting and somewhat unexpected.

In recent years, we have made a horrible habit of wilting at the close of the season; I sincerely hope that this dismal trajectory will not be repeated again this season.
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
No, surprisingly, not.

Somehow, I had complete faith (yes, @Sal09, that word again) in Mr Wenger's stewardship at the time (1998). Arsenal were confident and competent that season.

The match you have in mind was a decade earlier, in 1989, and, somehow, - remember, we didn't have that wall to wall coverage at the time - I was less engaged and less consumed by it; football coverage was less all embracing at the time, but it was both very exciting and somewhat unexpected.

In recent years, we have made a horrible habit of wilting at the close of the season; I sincerely hope that this dismal trajectory will not be repeated again this season.
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I would have thought last day of the season, a win for Arsenal means they retain the trophy regardless of what United did. If it had been me I would have been a bag of nerves lol
 
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Sal09 said:
I know we are missing Saliba but worryingly Ramsdale’s form has dipped since that Liverpool game.
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His defenders are not good enough; Ramsdale had no chance.

The goal-keeper cannot be expected to rescue us all of the time, and should not be placed under such (sustained) pressure.

Candidly, a goalie needs better protection (and proactive anticipation - which means staying awake, wide awake) from his defenders.
 
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My fear is that we will be two nil down before we know it.

And, while we are good at clawing back a goal or two, coming from two down against City, at City........is improbable.
 
Sal09 said:
Our Attack and Midfield missing lol
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Well, if we don't have the ball, we cannot credibly launch an attack.

Possession.....is not just nine tenths of the law, but comprises an even greater percentage (as a means of measuring success) of a football game.

And Ramsdale does well...yet again.

Defences need (that is, our defence needs) to be less dopey.
 
And I really, really do not wish to concede a stupid goal just before half time.

Psychologically, that is one of the worst times to concede.

However, Ramsdale has been extremely good.

Elsewhere, West Ham are still at 1-1 against Liverpool at Half Time, while Forest and Brighton are also one apiece.

Oh, and Chelsea are a goal down against Brentford.
 
I could just imagine the type of half time talk to get the Arsenal players pumped up 'Listen lads, there is a 7 year old girl who is a die hard Arsenal fan, she has been to all our games with her family, cheered us on loudly. This year she was diagnosed with cancer and is not expected to live. She will be watching this game from her hospital bed draped in Arsenal flags. Now get out there and not only win it for us, but win it for her. now COME ON!!!!! let's hear it!!!!

😅😅😅
 
Scepticalscribe said:
And I really, really do not wish to concede a stupid goal just before half time.

Psychologically, that is one of the worst times to concede.

However, Ramsdale has been extremely good.

Elsewhere, West Ham are still at 1-1 against Liverpool at Half Time, while Forest and Brighton are also one apiece.

Oh, and Chelsea are a goal down against Brentford.
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You had to jinx it didn't you lol
 
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