{"id":6784,"date":"2022-10-12T14:13:53","date_gmt":"2022-10-12T13:13:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=6784"},"modified":"2022-10-14T15:29:38","modified_gmt":"2022-10-14T14:29:38","slug":"the-red-army-visit-den-gule-horde","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=6784","title":{"rendered":"The Red Army Visit Den Gule Horde"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;\"><div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1243775812\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div><div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:66.66667% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/1243775812?et=9Hmx0-VdRrhtprrwxZcdmw&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=xAdcZZr4SsqW-k_03nISqLQtpBw1buQBBa8_IwIIOS0=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Tomorrow evening, the Arsenal play the most northerly fixture in their illustrious history, cheered on by an intrepid band of travelling Gooners who follow them over land and sea (not forgetting Leicester). Good on you, fellas! I hope you remembered to pack gloves and thermals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bod\u00f8&nbsp;lies just north of the Arctic Circle (66.6\u00b0N) at 67\u00b016\u203257.72\u2033N (thanks again, bt8), and sits on a peninsula in the Norwegian Sea rendering it subject to strong winds from east and west.&nbsp;October is Bod\u00f8\u2019s wettest month with an average of 5.4 inches of rain over 18 days. The October average temperatures are a high of 7.9\u00b0C and low of 3.9\u00b0C and the average date for the first overnight freeze is October 12. The Met Office forecast for kick-off time tomorrow is a cloudy evening after morning rain, a temperature of 8\u00b0C (feeling like 6\u00b0C), a south-westerly wind of 12mph gusting to 19 mph and 76% humidity. So, conditions should not be intolerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I suspect that the mere existence of a football team called Bod\u00f8\/Glimt first struck your consciousness last season, as it did mine, when they trounced Moaninho\u2019s Roma 6-1 in a European Conference League group game.&nbsp;&nbsp;Beyond that I knew nothing of their history and playing style until I read Dr F\u2019s superbly researched preview to last week\u2019s game at the Grove which I commend to you here: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"mZJzktcqFM\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=6724\">Arctic Flash in North London Autumn<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Arctic Flash in North London Autumn&#8221; &#8212; \" src=\"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=6724&#038;embed=true#?secret=mZJzktcqFM\" data-secret=\"mZJzktcqFM\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I will not go over that ground but only add that their home record in European ties is exemplary. Over the last three seasons, they have won all but one of their home games in the three current UEFA competitions. Their solitary home defeat came against Legia Warsaw in the 21-22 Champions League first qualifying round. Since then Bod\u00f8 have won 14 consecutive home matches in UEFA competitions and while several were qualifying round ties against minnows (whom they often trounced) they included two wins against Roma and a win against Celtic (OK, OK! but not quite a minnow). Perhaps more discomfiting than the frigid air, the team will have to contend with an artificial pitch though I am sure that, with his usual attention to detail, Mikel Arteta will have prepared the team for that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A quirky observation on Bod\u00f8 is that their supporters, den Gule Horde (the Yellow Horde), have an unusual relationship with a toothbrush. The Horde bring a giant toothbrush to games (I didn\u2019t spot one last week \u2013 did anyone?) though I suspect regulations in UK stadiums might have prevented them bringing it into the Grove. The club have adopted this symbol and visiting teams are presented with a yellow (normal sized) toothbrush by the Bod\u00f8\/Glimt team captain. This tradition apparently springs from a toothbrush being used for many years to conduct fans singing at matches. Imagine someone trying to conduct the North Bank! If someone did have the temerity to attempt the role of North Bank conductor, what might s\/he have at hand to use in lieu of a baton? Answers on a postcard, please.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bod\u00f8 looked distinctly second best in the first half of last week\u2019s game despite several long spells of possession during which they moved the ball around quickly and accurately but failed to breach our stolid back line. Much to everyone\u2019s surprise they dominated possession in the second half with their high press and smart movement of the ball. Indeed, they looked much more threatening and quite capable of pulling a goal back against a surprisingly tentative Arsenal. This prompted the addition of three A-teamers which wrested back a modicum of control and finally settled the match with our third goal. I suspect we are more likely to see second-half Bod\u00f8 than first-half Bod\u00f8 tomorrow night. I hope we see better quality from the Arsenal than we got in the early part of that second half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The tremendous investment of energy the first team had to expend in beating Liverpool on Sunday means that rotation is again essential. Games are coming thick and fast and the first team will be called upon to put in another huge workload next Sunday against Dirty Leeds. Yet a balance must be kept. We will want to keep our winning run going and maintain the momentum and mind-set that consecutive wins generate. We cannot simply throw in the kids! So, I expect the starting XI to feature some of the first team as did last week\u2019s team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Turner will clearly replace Ramsdale. Cedric was warming up on the touchline on Sunday so I expect him to start and bring his experience to the backline and right flank though he is now clearly third choice at RB. Holding will clearly return at CB but on this occasion, I expect him to be partnered by Saliba as Gabriel has played every game thus far and looks in need of a break. However, either Tomiyasu or White could be alternative partners for Holding. White strikes me as the least likely given the exhausting shifts he has put in at RB of late. At LB we have several options. Although Tomi was outstanding against the Dippers and had an excellent 20 minute cameo at LB against Bod\u00f8 last week, I expect Mikel to begin with KT3 who is still working his way back to full match sharpness but is also acclimatised to frigid air. I don\u2019t know if Zinchenko is fit again yet but I suspect this is too soon for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In midfield, I think Xhaka, who has also played in every game thus far, also needs a rest and we will probably see \u00d8degaard make a hero\u2019s return to home soil from the start, alongside Sambi-Lokonga and Vieira. If Partey is fully fighting fit, we might see him on the bench but with his recurring muscle issues and the predicted ambient temperature I don\u2019t think that he will feature at all. If midfield reinforcement or replacement is required I think Mr Reliable (GX) will again be called upon. Up front, I would rest Martinelli whose stellar performance on Sunday has earned him a seat on a sofa in a warm room with a nice glass of warming Shiraz or even a hot chocolate laced with rum at hand (if he wants to nip down to Bath for an evening, he is very welcome). Nor would I start any of Sunday\u2019s front three. I would commence the game with a callow but dynamic and hungry front three of Eddie, Marquinos and Nelson with Jesus and Saka at hand on the bench should more experience be required. I don\u2019t know who is better suited to play on the left, but Mikel will. Hence my team is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Turner<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Cedric, Saliba, Holding, Tierney<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\u00d8degaard, Lokonga, Vieira<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Marquinos, Nketiah, Nelson<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What of the Holic pound, you ask? A draw is available at 18\/5 and an Arsenal win at an optimistic and ungenerous 2\/5. The smart call looks like a 3-1 win to the Gunners at 9\/1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s do this!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>COYG!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Embed from Getty Images Tomorrow evening, the Arsenal play the most northerly fixture in their illustrious history, cheered on by an intrepid band of travelling Gooners who follow them over land and sea (not forgetting Leicester). Good on you, fellas! I hope you remembered to pack gloves and thermals. Bod\u00f8&nbsp;lies just north of the Arctic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6784"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6784"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6796,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6784\/revisions\/6796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}