Brentford v Arsenal, 20:00 BST (13/08, SS Main Event)

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Possibly the most underwhelmed I've been for a league season.

See what these useless berks give us this time around I guess.

[GP]

0-3

[I am invisible]

Oh Jesus, I’m not ready for this yet. We’re not ready! Fuuuuuuu…

Got a horrible feeling it’s going to be Auba on the left with Laca in the middle - we haven’t signed a new AM, Saka’s only had about 20 minutes of preseason football and Martinelli hasn’t got any minutes under his belt yet, so I’m not sure what other (likely) choice there is?

[I am invisible]

2-3

[Letters]

We’ll probably blunder our way to an unconvincing win
Let’s say 1-2

[dazthegooner]

Sadly think it will end 1-1 :(

[Letters]

Yes, I was being a bit optimistic thinking we might score twice in one game :lol: :ilt:

[Mac76]

3-0 Mbeumo hatter

[GP]

Laca, Auba and Eddie are all unavailable :lol:

[Letters]

Laca, Auba and Eddie are all unavailable :lol:

:blink: Da fuq?!

[Mac76]

I think this season is going to be awful, i can't see how Arteta will survive, we'vr failed to clear out the dross and also to get good new players in, it's completely over before it's started

[Gooner23]

Laca, Auba and Eddie are all unavailable :lol:

Willian false 9?

[GP]

Willian false 9?

False player

[Globalgunner]

At least (ironman) Xhaka is available. He will pass Brentford to death or die trying

[I am invisible]

Everyone laughed and shook their heads when we played Smith Rowe as CF against Villarreal, but look who needs an emergency CF now!

Changing my score - 0-3, ESR hatter.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Arsenal: Leno, Chambers, White, Pablo Mari, Tierney, Xhaka, Lokonga, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Balogun, Martinelli.
Subs: Hein, Bellerin, Cedric, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Tavares, Elneny, Nelson, Saka.

-------

Not at all what I expected.

[dazthegooner]

And Xhaka as captain why not Tierney?

[Globalgunner]

And Xhaka as captain why not Tierney?

Xhaka best represents the ideals of the manager. Hope he leaves same time as the twat

[I am invisible]

Arsenal: Leno, Chambers, White, Pablo Mari, Tierney, Xhaka, Lokonga, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Balogun, Martinelli.
Subs: Hein, Bellerin, Cedric, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Tavares, Elneny, Nelson, Saka.

-------

Not at all what I expected.
Fair play - didn’t think he’d go full youth, but glad Lokonga, Balogun and Martinelli have got the nod.

FA on the bench though, other than Saka, so let’s hope that XI are fit enough to go the 90!

[I am invisible]

Also no place for Willian in the squad, even with all of our injuries, illnesses and lack of signings

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Haven't seen us do much yet. :lol:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Brentford 1-0 Arsenal. :doh:

[dazthegooner]

Yep apart from that

[McNamara That Ghost...]

:lol:

We're awful.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Balogun had a good chance to hammer it earlier I think. Maybe not.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Pepe shoots, wide it goes.

[dazthegooner]

When will Arteta realise we CANNOT play from the back???

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Balogun goes for the spectacular, that's in to the crowd.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

1-0 HT. :lol:

[Gooner23]

Have Leno and Mari kicked a football before tonight?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Our playing out from the back. :doh:

[dazthegooner]

Saka coming on.

[Marc Overmars]

We’re so shit.

[dazthegooner]

We’re so shit.

We're not that good

[Gooner23]

When you have lots of young players you need the experienced ones to step up. Ours have gone into hiding tonight. So many poor performances.

[LDG]

Fucking shocking. To have known exactly how it would happen when the fixtures were announced makes it so fucking shameful

[Gooner23]

Toothless in attack and a bag of nerves defensively, we're back!

[Ollie the Optimist]

At 2-0 up Brentford bring on an attacker.

At 1-0 down Arteta subbed off both our strikers to be replaced with wingers.


That decision alone should be a sackable one. Who the fuck tries to get back into a game without any striker on the pitch?

[Bumble]

Thankfully only chelsea and city next.

[LDG]

How far this club has fallen. Fucking hell.

[Mac76]

Didn't watch, just checked the result, then read this thread, no surprises with either

My signature stands

[Xhaka Can’t]

Just checked the score.

Not surprised.

That is the dregs we have become.

I saw the golden age, watched us piss it away, and here we are…watching a shell

[Niall_Quinn]

Saw the score but have no idea what the wealth of the owners and players is right now. Anyone got an update? Hopefully it's high, because that's the only thing that matters at this club and that's the only place where any effort is expended.

[Letters]

Just checked the score.

Not surprised.

I’m a bit surprised. I keep on thinking, “we’re not that shit”, but the evidence keeps piling up that we are, actually.

[Niall_Quinn]

Haven't played decent football for over a decade now. It's quite sad in some ways but very modern in the main. Try and think of anything that isn't fucked right now. Quite a challenge, isn't it?

My hopes for the season mainly revolve around financial collapse or a meteor strike.

[Letters]

Haven't played decent football for over a decade now. It's quite sad in some ways but very modern in the main. Try and think of anything that isn't fucked right now. Quite a challenge, isn't it?

My hopes for the season mainly revolve around financial collapse or a meteor strike.
Or a Covid outbreak or a climate change crisis?

;)

[Niall_Quinn]

Or a Covid outbreak or a climate change crisis?

;)

Interesting. Using one fantasy to combat another.

[Niall_Quinn]

Another interesting question. How, after all the agonies and hardship the poor clubs and players suffered during the covid scam, do we have 100 million quid transfers? Could it be they weren't affected at all, and only the little guy suffered? Nah. We were all in it together.

[Xhaka Can’t]

I know it’s a bit early, but I fear that this result puts a real dent in our title hopes.

[Gooner23]

I know it’s a bit early, but I fear that this result puts a real dent in our title hopes.

Going to throw it out there. We have some problems.

[Mac76]

Yes, we may not make CL either

[Letters]

I know it’s a bit early, but I fear that this result puts a real dent in our title hopes.
I’ll judge that at the end of the season :angry:

[Letters]

Visit Rwanda :bow:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-58162403

[Mac76]

Good news - as it stands we're now out of the relegation zone :lol:

Palace :bow:

Leeds :bow:

Norwich :bow:

[Letters]

Staying up, staying up, staying uuup!

:scarf:

[Letters]

I know it’s a bit early, but I fear that this result puts a real dent in our title hopes.

More seriously, it is pretty galling to see the usual suspects swatting aside their opposition on the opening weekend while we fall over our own stupid feet as usual.
I’ve always argued against overreacting to one off results but this isn’t a one off, it’s season after season of mediocrity. There will be ups and downs, there will be good days and results. But we already know it’s all going to add up to a big fat Nothing in the Amazon All or Nothing embarrassment.

[Mac76]

But we already know it’s all going to add up to a big fat Nothing in the Amazon All or Nothing embarrassment.

Thanks for reminding me of that, I'd actually forgotten - no doubt Arteta thought it would be documenting his winning the league, hopefully it's his being swiftly sacked

[Letters]

As I noted on FB, it's unusual for a series to have spoilers in the very first episode.
But with All or Nothing 2, I think we now all know which it'll be :doh:

[LDG]

Upon reflection, positives first. ESR, Lakonga and Saka look bloody amazing. Some of the interplay was stunning, played at pace and gives me hope, if we are able to address the negatives.

Sadly the negatives far outweigh the positives. And the start at number one.

How can a top class Goalkeeper be bullied out of the game, and get beaten at his near post. We all know the Martinez sale was wrong from the day it happened. This is the priority business we need to make happen before the window closes. Leno is a decent shot stopper, but he doesn’t command the box or his defenders. He’s a really poor keeper.

I actually though our CB pairings were a positive in the main last season. There was major improvement in our basic defending, steadied somewhat when Holding was right of the two. Gabriel and Mari had decent seasons. Vs Bentford we chucked in our new signing, to partner a lad who can’t seem to position himself unless others have him on a string.

Chambers looked awful yesterday. A very steady run in the team last year, but he was all over the place defensively the other night. The obvious calls for recruitment in this area were amplified. My main issues was what was in front of him. I know were easing Saka back, but he must be in front of Pepe, his all round work helps Chambers, who can be more confident to get up and whip the ball in which he does so well.

I’ve touched on Pepe, and when on form he’s a handful, but he’s never been worthy of that price tag. I’d be looking to sell him and get some money in to spend in more important areas.

Finally, up top is a disaster at the moment. We had no options up there, nothing stuck. I’ll give Balugun reprieve because it’s his first game, but we should have been sorting the striker situation with much more decisiveness this summer. Two ageing players who it seems may be done for this club. We have no other options bar youth, which is bloody worrying.

Forgetting the defensive issues, we created some lovely openings, but you never felt like you had someone to finish them off.

I do hope we progress something in the transfer market asap, as we’ll continue to see more of the same until Arteta becomes more ruthless in his decision making.

[Mac76]

I think it's the club that needs to be more ruthless in their decision making and sack Arteta, for as long as him and Edu are in charge of things we've no chance

[Niall_Quinn]

LOL - I thought this was a pre-season friendly. Are Brentford in the PL now? Well done them.

Double LOL - we lost to Brentford in an actual competitive game? That's fucking hilarious.