Well, finally. In so many ways, finally.
Arsenal played the Mugsmashers™ (trademark Arseblog) at the Emirates late Sunday afternoon, hosting them in what was hoped to be the tail end of a run of six games without scoring against them from open play. And, with the spirit of Tommy “Lamb” Shanks raised a bit, and that of Dave Faber raised considerably higher, Arsenal ran out 3-2 winners after an intense, exciting, and memorable game that your humble correspondent from California was blessed to watch live from the North Bank Lower. (And I wasn’t even the furthest travelled…Osaka Matt was in from Japan!)
Lest anyone think that the slogan we share here, “Goonerholics: Virtual Bar, Real Friends”, is just fluff, let me show you another picture, one that has been nearly three years in the making:
Not one of the above knew each other (except relations, filial or marital) prior to landing in the Drinks of Dave’s blog. Since his passing we’ve created this blog (with others who sadly couldn’t be present) and our own community that embodies the “real friends” aspect of the tile set in the ground at the Grove. And we had the pleasure of meeting for lunch prior to the game today where we raised multiple glasses to absent friends, and in Goonerholic’s memory. We invite you to join our community against future celebrations of Arsenal, real friendships, and our lost, and terribly missed, spiritual leader. Comment in the drinks below!
After lunch it was off to the game. As we walked down Stroud Green Road we made our way with an increasing number of our fellow Arsenal fans. Just before we reached the Arsenal tube station, a stroke of luck: a bit of paper tumbling towards me in the wind turned out to be a £20 note, which I grabbed happily and took as a good sign of things to come. The singing began in earnest on the stairs leading to the Ken Friar bridge, and then we were in the ground. CER’s friend David (is that right, CER?) handed us beers, and met two more friends who sit near to him. The concourse was buzzing with chants and clapping. And then it was time to take our seats. I won’t explain the physiology of what I was feeling, if only for TTG’s sake, but let’s just say I was delighted when the green of the field rose into view as we walked through the tunnel.
We lined up with a mildly surprising formation, with Tomi at left back, otherwise it’s as you were from our previous league win against the Scum (see Ned’s fine preview linked above or at right). Liverpool played their new-look, Rangers-beating 4-2-3-1, with Thiago and Henderson holding behind their dangerous front four. And it didn’t matter a damn.
Note: I did look at a timeline and the goals to get the names right. From the North Bank lower it was a far piece to see, but in the first minute of the game we broke that six-game duck with a goal from Martinelli. After Liverpool kicked off we won the ball on the right, and Saka brought it forward at pace. He squared above the box for Mø, who put a peach of a throughball to the onrushing Martinelli, who calmly slotted home from the left past a despairing Alisson. It was an amazing thing to see live, even at a distance; the Grove exploded in delight and joy, which was an amazing thing to feel. It was Arsenal this season, in a nutshell.
Arsenal 1 – 0 Liverpool (Martinelli, 1′)
I will say that watching the game live it’s much more difficult to write a blow-by-blow report as we often see here, though kudos to whoever can accomplish it. I can’t. Despite (or, wonderingly, perhaps because of) much wine, negronis, amaro, beer, and whisky drunk before the game, comparing it live even to OskartheDog’s (RIP) oversized TV view is a nonstarter. Sober or otherwise, the speed, the sound, the movement, and the way the teams interact are just not visible in the same way on the television.
Liverpool tried to answer, but our defense held firm. There were moans from the away corner for a handball (as if they could see it, happening as it did right in front of us) as Jota struck the ball against Gabriel’s arm inside our box, but from fourteen millimeters, basically; VAR correctly gave them no love. Nuñez struck a shot in that Ramsdale parried away to be cleared by the defense, and then on the break Saliba blocked their inbound cross for Ramsdale to push away again. We weren’t making very easy going of it through the middle of the first half, and finally on 34 minutes Gabriel miscontrolled a long ball over the top which fell to Diaz, who squared for Nuñez to equalize. It was coming, and was perhaps our lowest moment of the first half.
Arsenal 1 – 1 Liverpool (Nuñez, 34′)
But the crowd just roared, and chanted, and stood and sang, giving our boys the energy to lift themselves after that setback. And lift they did. After a series of fouls, free kicks, an enforced injury substitution of Firmino on for Diaz, and a yellow card for Mø we struck back. In the last minute of first half injury time Jesús stole the ball from Thiago in our defensive third, and passed forward to Martinelli streaming up the left. He pulled up and took the ball on his right foot, arrowing a pass across the back to an unmarked Saka on the back post. Cue pandemonium again in the stands, and roars again, this time of appreciation for the tenacity and skill of our Arsenal lads.
Arsenal 2 – 1 Liverpool (Saka, 45’+6)
What a way to end the half, and going in to the locker room up a goal had to make the oranges and gatorade taste that much sweeter. For me, at my second live Arsenal game, it was so exciting and happy-making. A huge thank you to CER for sharing his son 21st Century Gooner’s ticket with me (the lad is away at university; enjoy the hat, 21CG, we’ll meet another time!).
Shortly after the second half began Alexander-Arnold ended his ineffective day (England, what?) being taken off injured, replaced by Gomez. And about five minutes later our nemises Jota and Firmino combined to score a really nice goal, fortunately at the far end of the pitch; I could see Jota’s throughball running straight to Firmino, who followed Martinelli and placed it past Ramsdale into the same corner of the net.
Arsenal 2 – 2 Liverpool (Firmino, 53′)
That was depressing, and yet immediately after they scored the crowd roared to life again, chanting “Arsenal, Arsenal, Arsenal…” Again the team was lifted, and after some Liverpool substitutions we began to bang on their goal trying to knock it open. A series of attempts were saved or blocked (this time right down below us; our movement and interplay was a joy to watch), and then Xhaka sent in a cross to Jesús waiting in the middle of the 18-yard box. He was rendered unable to field it, I found out later, because Thiago kicked through his foot. The referee pointed to the spot, upheld by VAR and vehemently protested by the Liverpool players while Jesús was getting treatment on the pitch. The ref even had to go over and explain to the coaches what was going on, or to tell them to stop yapping at one another (I still don’t know). But no matter. When play resumed Saka stepped up and struck a beautiful penalty low to Alisson’s right, restoring our lead and inspiring pandemonium in the crowd.
Arsenal 3 – 2 Liverpool (Saka, 76′)
From then the final quarter hour (plus eternal stoppage time) played out, with MA8 bringing on KT3, Eddie, and Vieira for Mø, Jesús, and Saka, respectively. All three players were sung and clapped off, as appropriate. All three gave everything they had to the game, and their replacements slotted right in. Liverpool sent everything they could at us, but nothing got through, and at the end of stoppage time we were back atop the league, and singing it loudly and proudly.
It is so satisfying to write “Arsenal 3 – 2 Liverpool”, not least because we beat them solidly, make no mistake. From what I can see they’re about the level where a 4-2-3-1 can beat Rangers, but not the league leaders. And boy, do they miss that bastard Mané; he provided a certain steel to their spine, and they have not replaced it (yet). Let’s hope it’s a long time before they do (I have to wonder who’d come to a mid-table side languishing, as Steve T pointed out over postgame drinks, below Fulham).
We probably won’t win the league, but it doesn’t matter a damn. MA8’s and (bloody) Edu’s 5-year plan is just more than halfway through, and we are seeing the results of trusting that process, both on and off the pitch. The boys played with passion, grace, and fire, never letting their heads drop and bossing a flailing Liverpool, ripping them open from the first. By the end of the game they had nothing with which to answer. And for this Californian it was one of the best sporting nights of my life, as well as one of the best days to meet old friends for the first time. Best of all? I get to look forward to returning to King Mikel’s court when we play PSV in ten days!
Many thanks (again and again and again…) to CER for the ticket and the companionship to and from the game, Bath for arranging the pregame drinks and lunch (and being savior for a certain someone after the postgame drinks!!!), and to Countryman100 who has worked for a couple months to help me plan and arrange all of this. Here’s to Goonerholics, forever!
A great writeup of a great day for the Arsenal and (clearly) for the reunion of Goonerholics. Thank you Scruz and may the entirety of your transatlantic sojourn go as swimmingly as the magical day you described, even as that sounds like a very big ask. Oh, one other thing I wanted to mention: WE. ARE. TOP. OF. THE. LEAGUE. THANK. YOU. VERY. MUCH.
That’s a wonderful picture of the assembled ‘holics and thank you for the captions allowing me to put faces to some mysterious people I’ve been corresponding with. 😉
What bt8 said. Someday I hope to join the festivities.
Great stuff scruz! Good to see familiar and new faces there. Looks like you all had a blast.
Not a bad match to attend! Feel like I am enjoying matches fully live or in the pub now without having to moderate joy and excitement (and the odd expletive…).
Amd what bt8 said at the end of drink 1: Say…
What a day. Scruz the last time I saw you was in the Faltering Fullback getting stuck into the pints just prior to 8pm as I had to leave to catch my train. When’s the blog going up I asked? God knows you said, we’re due at Gatwick at 11am. And now I arise and find you posted this at a very early hour. Thank you for a great report, for the company of yourself and your estimable wife (Mrs. Scruz whatever your Mother says you have not lost your English accent after 30 years in California) and for bringing us all together.
My thanks to Bath for organising our lunch so ably and for ensuring that once the drinks were in front of us our first task was to rise and toast Dave Faber. How much he would have loved today. It was so good to see old friends and to greet new ones, especially Osaka Matt, who, despite living in a land of high technology, boasts the world’s oldest mobile phone he bought for £1 several decades ago. I’m so happy we managed to find a late, late ticket for you even if it was at the very back of the North Bank Upper.
We missed absent friends who either couldn’t get a ticket (Ollie from France), TTG, normally never one to miss an opportunity to break bread, drink wine and talk about The Arsenal, but who had an unbreakable family commitment in Norfolk. Ned and bt8 in the States. And so many others who are an essential part of our community as Scruz describes so well above.
Others will talk about the football and do it very well. How Martinelli who gave TAA a twisted bowel and Saka (balls of steel for that penalty) were imperious. How Tomi locked Salah into a box from which he wasn’t seen until he was hooked by Klopp. And how the crowd were the 12th, 13th and 14th men. I warned Scruz that he would find the Emirates a much louder place than in his only other game, a Europa League group game just before lockdown. Judging by the state of his voice in the pub afterwards he joined in enthusiastically.
Dave Faber’s last years of following the Arsenal were not happy ones, as the club was obscured by toxic clouds. But he always said that what kept him coming back was the social side, the friendships. That was true in spades on this most joyous of days. As I said above, how he would have loved today.
Scruz, Fantastic write up showing considerable powers of recall following much wine, beer and indeed grappa pre match. It was a pleasure to meet you yesterday and 21CG’s ticket was well utilised.. He’s delighted with the hat! It was indeed Dave (Dr Dave) who bought the pre-match beers and the other two reprobates you met in the ground were Terry and Matt. They greatly enjoyed your company too. As you’re over for PSV in 10 days, let me know if you are available for a pre match beer and I’ll take you to a venue C100 and son now know well on the other side of Islington. Enjoy Tuscany. Ci vediamo ancora!
Nothing to add to Scruz’s excellent report (a tip-off the hat for your steely commitment to the task sir) of a game we deservedly won with great heart and great wingers.
As you’ve probably read already by now a fine time was had with a horde of happy Holics that it was a real pleasure to meet. C100, I’m forever grateful for the unexpected ticket that I honestly thought would be an impossibility to find, I met the gooners all around me fairly quickly after Gabi so thoughtfully provided an icebreaker a minute in, we sang our heads off, screamed the goals home (even if we hadn’t a clue why we’d got the penalty at the time) and had a perfect sunny Sunday afternoon! Great day, great people, great performance, Top of the League.
Hey Scruz, what a perfect day you had. I’m just happy for you. And thanks for this warm and friendly and lively report of this perfect perfect day. As the joy shines through every sentences I wish I could been there.
What a game this was!
COYG
Great post also C100 at 5. Here’s to the next gathering!
A masterful report, sir. I am awestruck by your powers of recall and speed of execution.
What a great day that was … before, during and after the match. I’m glad the players rose to the occasion.
It was also great to meet up finally. I am looking forward to the next time already!
As C100 observed, Dave would have loved yesterday. I can hear him chuckle.
Thanks for a fine report of a great match, an excellent result and, apparently an even better occasion.
I was particularly moved by your penultimate paragraph, but must advise you that it’ll cost you aanother fiver.
COYG
thanks, all. it is, with the exception that i need some auntie beecham’s, a morning traveling to italy that has me still buzzing like a well-struck chord.
and see the note i added above: i did look at a timeline and the goals to get the names right. but the rest, well, just say it’s a beautiful chord!
and pang: 🤣🤣
Great report! Great to see you guys together (and so happy to see that the next generation of GHF has arrived!) and dreaming of a similar reunion where the rest of us would join you as well. Hopefully….one day! Dave would be proud.
Meanwhile, we are TOP OF THE LEAGUE!
Fantastic report, Scruz, especially given the field conditions it was produced in. Every word drips with the joyfulness of a joyous day. The Guv’nor would have been proud.
Love the photo, too. Good to see the youngsters coming through.
C100@5: I look forward immeasurably to the day that I can triangulate being in the UK, the Arsenal at home and a ‘holics lunch.
Excellent report on a fantastic day out, Scruz. I’m amazed by your powers of recall. First half was a challenge but there was only going to be one winner in the second (although Firmino’s strike for their equaliser was quality). On yesterday’s evidence, not a single Mugsmasher would start for the Arsenal in place of our current incumbents, including that Egyptian fella……..and our bench is strengthening.
Great to meet up and catch up, all. My next game isn’t until Boxing Day vs the Spammers. A Pappagone repeat performance would be grand. Hoping to have grandson and at least one granddaughter in tow.
Check out all 47 pictures of yesterday’s game on the Arsenal website, including the one of Martinelli and Tony Adams pitchside. Strictly indeed. 🤣🤣🤣
Scruz,
That is a remarkable report . Looking at the company you kept pre- match you were lucky to make it to the match let alone return afterwards and remember what happened in the game .
I would dearly loved to have been there but am so glad a good time was had by all…and as many have said Dave would be mighty proud . The game was terrific entertainment and Arsenal underlined how much they have improved by going ahead three times against a side who played very well at times .
Arteta and £5 licensing fee are doing a terrific job.It’s a really fine side . Tomayisu can’t be dropped but I suspect Gabriel can . Martinelli was quite superb and Bukayo Saka is not only a lovely lad,and a brilliant footballer he showed balls of titanium to convert that penalty .
We are all loving this ride and it’s no coincidence that every league game at the Grove has been a cracker. The crowd almost ensure it has to be
See you on 20th Scruz !
Hey! TTG@17! I resemble your remarks in line 2!
We haven’t mentioned the remarkable three bottles of wine Scruz brought all the way from California (rumour has it he cuddled them carefully on the flight, not wanting to run the risk of having them in the overhead locker) and which the owner of Il Papagone kindly allowed us to consume for a modest corkage. They come from his mate who owns a winery in Santa Cruz. I mean we’ve all got a mate with a winery …haven’t we? The Cab Sav was my favourite.
Hi Scruz, not sure if you’ll remember me but we had a good post match chat between meeting on the Ken Friar bridge with a shared chant of oooh to be a Gooner, right up to Finsbury Park station. Weirdly I also appear in your article’s photo – I’m the Guy (red t-shirt, glasses) in the background by the empty table next to yours! Anyway, it was great talking to you and your mate, I’ll keep an eye out for you at PSV game as I’ll be in my usual North Bank lower block 10.
Ooh to, ooh to be, ooh to be a Gooner!!!
Greetings Guy and I spotted you in the photo right above Steve T’s son (I think I read the caption correctly), who looks like a reasonable facsimile of ESR.
Hi there Guy, I was Scruz mate in the way back to the station. Great to have your company. I’m sure when Scruz has fully recovered he’ll reply in person but give him a day or so! Great to see you on the blog and what were the chances we’d all been in the same restaurant earlier and you even made the select band in the picture? I say “select”. “Highly dubious” may be closer to the truth! Don’t be a stranger to GHF. You’ll soon learn that some lovely people frequent this space. Reckon you’ll be right at home.
CER, despite being a classics graduate and a management consultant (can I borrow your watch? ) is a fine fellow, an Islington lad and bloody good company. Hear him, hear him.
Cheque in the post, C100. On this occasion, no need to provide the watch!
guy, yes! i didn’t write too much about the walk back, but you were stellar. i am about to go to sleep (it’s been a long day of travel on top of *boilk* on top of no sleep mixed with jet lag, you see); i’ll tell the story of the kf bridge and those loser pool fans…
i’m really glad to see you here, here’s a couple copious drams of highland park 18 on the bar for you! and i am still amazed you were right there at pappagone :). outstanding stuff.
C100 @19, that was most remiss of us. Those were three excellent wines and scruz was most thoughtful and extremely generous bringing them across the pond for us to share. Can we appoint his mate the official viticulturalist of GHF and offer him the opportunity to add our ‘by appointment’ logo to his labels?
Guy @20, well that was one hell of a lightning strike. You are clearly fated to join the GHF community, sir. Don’t be a stranger.
Thanks for all of your responses. CER, always good to meet a fellow ‘Rider of the night..’ and Highbury Clock Ender. Scruz, I hope the *bolik* has worn off, you sound like a man who can handle the challenge. I tend to drink down the Highbury Barn with old friends and I’m sure we could squeeze a few friends if goonerholic around our table if you ever fancy a stroll up Blackstock Rd/Highbury Hill. That said, if you’re ever down the Faltering Fullback give me a shout and I’ll be in there quicker than a scouse handball claim. I won’t take you up on the kind offer of a single malt though Scruz, no one wants to see the results of that.. COYG!!
One last point. You may have heard it already but pre-match yesterday I was lamenting the lack of a song for Gabi Jesus, only to hear this classic on the concourse at halftime which really added the icing on the cake. To the tune of my ol man’s a dust man:
🎶 Ohh Mik Arteta called him, said ‘now’s your time to shine,’ coz I’m collecting Gabi’s, and I’m gonna make you mine. They say he walks on water, then turns it into wine, oh I believe in Jesus, The Arsenal number nine 🎶
Excellent review Scruz of a very high quality football match where the Arsenal were better than their opposition in every category, and won deservedly. So glad to see you, Countryman, Matt, Bath et al. celebrating the spirit of the ‘Holicverse in each other’s company.
Martinelli, Saka, Saliba — three genuinely world class players in the making.
Tomiyasu is definitely one of the most well rounded defender I have seen to have played for us. His reading of the game, the body positioning, the timing of the tackles and interceptions, the spatial awareness are all of a consistently high quality irrespective of the position he is playing in. And then the remarkable attitude and work ethic. Reminds me a lot of Sagna at his best. A fantastic signing.
Jesus didn’t get a goal (though he should get the assist for Saka’s penalty if I am not mistaken) but his combination of street fighting tenacity and silky technique has contributed a lot to our success this season and he was involved in most of our best attacking moments.
Among many memorable moments and bits of individual brilliance, I will forever remember Gabriel’s instinctive (or was that a well-rehearsed decoy?) run down the middle in counter attack for our second goal and then his flawless dummy on Martinelli’s cross for Saka to slide it in. Blink of an eye counter attack and worthy of any of the great Arsenal sides of the last 20 plus years.
Guy Wiseman@20: Welcome to the bar. You sound a natural-born fit, if Scruz hasn’t scared you off…
Don’t be a stranger.
TTG@17: It would be churlish to criticise anyone for their performance on Sunday, but reading between your lines, I suspect you thought Gabriel was off the pace. I tend to concur. He might be well served by being spared the trip to Bodø and given a rest before the Leeds game.
Dr F@29: Sagna was a wonderful full-back, but Tomiyasu might well be better. One of the benefits of playing a centre-half at full-back (and we had two on Sunday) is that they are better in the air than most full-backs. They return high balls pumped down the wing in the direction whence they came, rather than ending up in a 50-50 with a forward or knocking the ball into touch.
Great stuff Scruz. A fitting write up of a truly great day.
Not much I can add to the above. As others have said, it was the most enjoyable of days from start to finish. Great to catch up with old friends, and new. After everything that has gone on in recent years this was a true reminder of how great this all is.
On the pitch we are more than moving in the right direction. There will no doubt be the odd bump in the road, but there is a feeling about the place that I have not witnessed since our days at Highbury. Long may it continue.
BT8, I will pass that on. I’m sure Ben will be amused. He’s certainly as a injury prone.
Several of our recent signings have songs about them as they have become easily transferable from ex players. Ramsdale and Vieira to name but two. So, when we talk about a song for Jesus I’m really surprised that no one has thought of using the “Hey Jude” Giroud song. That seems perfect to me.
La la la, la la la lasaaaaaa, la la la lasaaaaaa, JESUS. All together now, you know you want to.
Thanks once again to Bath for arranging lunch, and to everyone else that made Sunday so enjoyable. I can’t be the only one still enjoying listening to the dippers still moaning?
Steve T @31 – I don’t know what the Dippers are moaning about. Can’t they just be happy to have won the hosting of next years Eurovision and be done with it?!!
I love this fella’s analyses:
so, about guy. cer and i were chanting our way out of the north bank, said bye to his mates, and we headed across the ken friar bridge. guy was next to me on the other side from cer, and we connected, chanting “ooh to be a gooner”. we high fived and we’re enjoying the moment when three liverpool louts barged me and yelled “you’re no gooner, you’re not even from here”. guy immediately jumped to my defense, shouting them down. if i remember rightly we then chanted “we are top of the league” at their retreating backs. what more could they say?
i thanked guy for having my back, and he and julian and i talked the rest of the way to finsbury park station. turns out he was at pappagone, and remembered us from there. we were delighted! and lo! he’s in the pic above. it’s another connection, another happenstance, another coincidence that wrapped up and wove through a brilliant day.
we are committed to meeting ttg prior to the game versus psv, and i’m not sure what is happening with mrs. scruz and i in the run up on the day (we have appointments until mid-afternoon and haven’t plotted that far). food and drink will need to be a focus. we will work it out over the coming week.
one last thing. https://www.birichino.com/ is my friend alex’s winery. he says “Well Philglas & Swiggot, Berry Bros. might have 1 or 2, and looking online I remember some Majestic stores might have a little Grenache and Pinot St. George’s left, and then also this site lists a lot of them: https://www.vinvm.co.uk/birichino. 17 Cabernet long sold out, never shipped any to the UK they were too slow. I think it’s amazing though.”
i too thought it was excellent, and have one bottle left on the rack at home for a couple years (or more) hence. the mourvèdre would have benefitted another year in bottle; the pink was a perfect starter. i was glad to share!!
Your second live match Scruz and you already taking on Scouse fans! 😂🤣😂🤣
Here’s that Cab Sav by the way
Scruz,
I didn’t catch on that that mob were scousers – I thought they were with Guy. Apologies for not backing you up, and nice work, Guy.
I see Guy has already lost the ‘Wiseman’ label between 20 and 27 :-O
Great stuff, folks!
yeah, cer, no worries. their accent gave it away. it happened so fast, and on the other side from you. i know you’ve had my back if it had been on your side.
c100@35, i wasn’t about to let them get away with it. hopefully it made them think twice about stealing hubcaps on the way to the station…
scruz, brilliant stuff, great write up of an obviously great day – sorry yet more knee trouble kept me away.
By all accounts the report is a wonder of human achievement by someone who was being separated from the pavement a very few hours before.
Glad you had a day and a match to remember !
Scruz, “think twice…” ?
They think about stealing hub caps all the time !
Just rewatching the whole match. We ceded too much of the ball to the Dippers in the first half but bookended that half with two lovely goals. We were so much more dominant in the second half and really should have scored a couple of good chances before we got the pen. That was a clear pen on TV, much like the one Hector Bellerin conceded against the Chavs a few seasons ago. It’s a bit rich for the Dippers and their media groupies to complain about it being soft or even a dive given their history – exhibit A: Michael Owen. Then again they’re used to watching Harvey Elliot who clearly has a middle ear problem.
I don’t think Saka has been given enough credit for his coolness given the fracas that delayed the kick being taken.
We controlled the game beautifully after that third goal and neutralised the Dippers’ attempts to salvage a point, usually in their own half!
I didn’t notice what caused the ref to go over to talk to both coaches as the game drew towards 90 minutes but Henderson clearly said something to Gabriel in the argy-bargy after Jesús was flattened by a sandwich between Henderson and Allison in their box. Whatever it was, it must have been unacceptable and may have repercussions. Brazilian players in both teams were clearly unimpressed and had their own huddle at the end. Echoes of the Suarez incident?
Bath@43 but Hendo’s not that kind of lad …🤗
Guy @28, I love this:
🎶 Ohh Mik Arteta called him, said ‘now’s your time to shine,’ coz I’m collecting Gabi’s, and I’m gonna make you mine. They say he walks on water, then turns it into wine, oh I believe in Jesus, The Arsenal number nine 🎶
Well worth waiting for. Mike McDonald on Sunday’s game.
Amazing stuff Scruz. Vivid and emotive and utterly wonderful report- just like the day itself.
And huge kudos for getting it written early with a hangover, that’s a Gabigol level of hustle.
I’m gutted i couldn’t be there but thrilled it was such a fine day for all those who were. Dave would be chuffed to bits to see that photo.
Well done ‘holics, well done Arsenal.
Baff @33.
Yeah, that chap is great. Wonderfully knowledgeable analysis. Cheers for the link.
I LOVE how much our gaffer knows about football.
Leaving aside all his other qualities, he has such a deep understanding of how teams work. He’s watching something different to me – he just sees so much more, in real time. Amazing.
Honestly, I think he right at the very, very too of his profession when it comes to that side of management. The more he gets his players to understand what he wants and execute it, the better and better it looks.
Thanks for the links Bath, C100 enjoyed them both.
Well in on the half-ton, Matt.
Cheers Scruz!
essooooo!
Just to highlight one item in that Gunnerstown article linked at 46 by c100, and I fervently hope it comes to fruition, “ very interesting situation looks like it might develop with Auston Trusty. I follow a few Birmingham city accounts so as to keep in touch with his progress. They say that he is the best player on the team and the best player on the pitch most weeks. Very quick and courageous. He scored twice yesterday, also. I wonder if we are going to save 30M on a long term back up to Gabriel and trust Trusty?”
Along with the many other great things about this post there is the great title which deserves pointing out, not to mention high praise for creative effort. 🙂
Of course that was referring to scruzgooner’s title above, “ A California Yankee in King Mikel’s Court”
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Re: the Norwegian weather on Thursday evening: I hope it will have dried out a bit. The hourly forecast isn’t yet available on the site I checked but tomorrow night in Bodo there is at least an 80% chance of rain all the way from 6pm until 3am.
cheers, bt8!
>>>>>>>