Topic: Arsenal

[Bullet500]

Come on mate, Arsenal started the whole cry arsing when we called our game off.

It's only the League Cup. Win or Lose, it doesn't matter. Arsenal fans shouldn't cry, and Liverpool shouldn't ask for postponement. 

[Crosby Nick]

Nice 

Always love your topical reference puns, Nicholas.

The year is still 1996 and I refuse to believe otherwise.

[Hazell]

The year is still 1996 and I refuse to believe otherwise.

I keep hearing Stand By Me on those Halifax adverts so you might be right.

[Ray K]

The year is still 1996 and I refuse to believe otherwise.

It's just songs that appeared on TFI Friday basically.

How Bizarre.

[Crosby Nick]

I keep hearing Stand By Me on those Halifax adverts so you might be right.

Well that came out in the Autumn of 97 so unless you were in the recording sessions with Liam and Noel I reckon you’re talking out of your arse.

It's just songs that appeared on TFI Friday basically.

How Bizarre.

Lovely stuff.

[Original]

Haha 42 years of age that fucking divvy is and he carries on like that.  Beauts the lot of them crowd

[Ghost Town]

Haha 42 years of age that fucking divvy is and he carries on like that.  Beauts the lot of them crowd

It's in the blud

[Crosby Nick]

Haha 42 years of age that fucking divvy is and he carries on like that.  Beauts the lot of them crowd

I’m 43 now actually.

[Lynx the saucy mynx]

I love how AFTV has evolved, that anything that happens to their cast members, is as news-worthy as a story about their players. I remember when we used to talk about Claude in this thread.

It’s also crazy, for anyone who knows Arsenal match going fans from the old Highbury days, can’t relate to the AFTV lot.

Yet most people this generation think every Arsenal fans personality is of the blud/fam stereotype of Arsenal fan tv.

[Hazell]

Haha 42 years of age that fucking divvy is and he carries on like that.  Beauts the lot of them crowd

Nick's 43.

[Hazell]

I’m 43 now actually.

Bastard

[The North Bank]

I love how AFTV has evolved, that anything that happens to their cast members, is as news-worthy as a story about their players. I remember when we used to talk about Claude in this thread.

It’s also crazy, for anyone who knows Arsenal match going fans from the old Highbury days, can’t relate to the AFTV lot.

Yet most people this generation think every Arsenal fans personality is of the blud/fam stereotype of Arsenal fan tv.

Init fam, big man ting.

[Lynx the saucy mynx]

Init fam, big man ting.

I would bet anything that those words were never uttered in The North Bank 

In fact all of Highbury. Maybe init from late 90s onwards around S Club 7 era.

[red_Mark1980]

Loaning out players and rumours of pushing Thursdays game again.

[newterp]

Loaning out players and rumours of pushing Thursdays game again.

I think it's fine so long as any postponement moves the second leg to Anfield.

[PaulF]

Just combine it with the league match. Winner guess through to final and takes the three points.

[PaulF]

Burnley will be playing all their games in may at this rate.

[Bullet500]

Loaning out players and rumours of pushing Thursdays game again.

Guess there are more COVID cases. https://twitter.com/afcstuff/status/1483157239951147019

[redgriffin73]

They'll make us play this the week the Brazilians are away won't they?!

[newterp]

They'll make us play this the week the Brazilians are away won't they?!

We'd have to say "sorry - can't do it - player unavailabilty, injury, and oh yeah - some covid cases."

[Mighty_Red]

Should see a few gooners pipe down after kicking off about the 1st leg being postponed even though our training ground got closed and we had 3-4 covid cases for that game plus a few false positives.

1 or 2 imissing without a ground closure is just taking the piss (that goes for all teams).

That said, think Spurs are talking bollocks with regards to their UEC match, didn't they basically unilaterally cancel the game? I don't believe they applied to UEFA for a postponement (or at least it wasn't approved) hence why they've had to forfeit.

[red_Mark1980]

They'll make us play this the week the Brazilians are away won't they?!

They can't. It's an official international break. It's not just the Brazilian lads either. Taki will be away also.

[ScottishGoon]

I can't believe that Arsenal will not try and play this game if they can.

If the injuries & illness from last week were minor & guys like Saka have had time to recover, then surely even if you thought Arsenal were 'at it' to get the Spurs game called off, then it makes total sense for Arsenal to play this game this week.

There is no better chance for Arsenal to go through than this week, it doesn't matter who comes back for Arsenal, there's no player we have that gives a greater influence than Salah & Mane do for you. We'd have had a week off to regroup after the first leg, another possibility of the weekend game being off depending on the Burnley situation, I just can't believe we wouldn't want to play the game Thursday.

(By the way, I'm no way saying we are favourites, far from. It, but just purely looking at the best chance to get a result against you guys, its certainly not with the current best player in the world returning).

[vicar]

Maybe this is all part of Arteta's deep mind games plan.... pretending they are this close to having to ask for a postponement, then making out they will have to get by with youth players, all while turning up with a full squad on thursday.

[The North Bank]

I don’t see the game being postponed unless there is a real problem and we actually can’t put a team out. As oppose to the spurs game where we just wanted a rest after the 10 men effort.

[Jm55]

I’m not sure whether I’d get more pleasure from winning the trophy or Arsenal asking for a postponement only to end up having to face us at full strength with Salah and Mane back for us to give them the usual battering.

Not a great look for Arsenal anyway.

[ScottishGoon]

I’m not sure whether I’d get more pleasure from winning the trophy or Arsenal asking for a postponement only to end up having to face us at full strength with Salah and Mane back for us to give them the usual battering.

Not a great look for Arsenal anyway.

This is what I mean, if we have the same players available that we had for the first leg (obviously minus Xhaka) then it would make no sense whatsoever for us to try and get the game postponed, so that's why if we do ask it would suggest that the injuries & illnesses were real, why else would you actually choose to play against Mane & Salah if you could avoid it? 

[lionel_messias]

This is what I mean, if we have the same players available that we had for the first leg (obviously minus Xhaka) then it would make no sense whatsoever for us to try and get the game postponed, so that's why if we do ask it would suggest that the injuries & illnesses were real, why else would you actually choose to play against Mane & Salah if you could avoid it? 

Aside from rancour and banter, let's try and figure out when the two clubs could play the semi-final, if not Thursday. Not sure how viable February is and in about 2-3 weeks time Liverpool (touches wood) will be back to full strength...

[Jm55]

This is what I mean, if we have the same players available that we had for the first leg (obviously minus Xhaka) then it would make no sense whatsoever for us to try and get the game postponed, so that's why if we do ask it would suggest that the injuries & illnesses were real, why else would you actually choose to play against Mane & Salah if you could avoid it? 

Well for one thing I assume that the rearranged game would be during the winter break and it’s therefore not guaranteed that they would be back. You’d think it would be next Thursday in which case I don’t think either would be back.

But assuming that you are correct and any cancellation is entirely legitimate then my sympathy would still be limited considering Arsenal have been loaning out players.

[Jm55]

Aside from rancour and banter, let's try and figure out when the two clubs could play the semi-final, if not Thursday. Not sure how viable February is and in about 2-3 weeks time Liverpool (touches wood) will be back to full strength...

I would think it would be during the winter break, meaning it could be played next Thursday or the following midweek.

Far from ideal and it would piss Klopp off no end but the FA did this when the Shrewsbury game had to be replayed.

[Fromola]

Guess there are more COVID cases. https://twitter.com/afcstuff/status/1483157239951147019

Because of several players with 'knocks' who they wanted to save for the second leg.

Xhaka aside it'll pretty much be last week's team. They just didn't want a game in the middle of the two legs, particularly a full blooded derby game.

Not that i'd put it past Arteta to try and get it put back to the week of the break, in the gamble that Klopp would pull a Shrewsbury and he'd get to play our reserves like they would have done the other week. He was calculating enough to get the Spurs game off because it suited them.

[lionel_messias]

I would think it would be during the winter break, meaning it could be played next Thursday or the following midweek.

Far from ideal and it would piss Klopp off no end but the FA did this when the Shrewsbury game had to be replayed.

Yes, seems likely Klopp will have something to say. This season is getting bloody annoying now. I want Liverpool to play as "cute" as Arsenal now.

[ScottishGoon]

Well for one thing I assume that the rearranged game would be during the winter break and it’s therefore not guaranteed that they would be back. You’d think it would be next Thursday in which case I don’t think either would be back.

But assuming that you are correct and any cancellation is entirely legitimate then my sympathy would still be limited considering Arsenal have been loaning out players.

So if it was played say next Thursday, who would you be missing then?

[El Lobo]

So if it was played say next Thursday, who would you be missing then?

Barring some major shocks, all of our players should be playing in the AFCON Knockouts (which are 23rd-25th of Jan) and even if they all go out at that stage (unlikely) then the earliest I imagine we'll have them back would be the Cardiff game on the 6th of Feb.

So Salah, Mane and Keita.

Who knows on injuries, but I imagine Origi, Thiago and Elliott at least would also be unavailable.

[ScottishGoon]

Barring some major shocks, all of our players should be playing in the AFCON Knockouts (which are 23rd-25th of Jan) and even if they all go out at that stage (unlikely) then the earliest I imagine we'll have them back would be the Cardiff game on the 6th of Feb.

Would the Brazilian lads be away for international duty by then?

[El Lobo]

Would the Brazilian lads be away for international duty by then?

Ahhh so they would, they play on the Thursday so no Alisson, Fabinho or Bobby either! Japan play Thursday too so no Minamino.

Wouldn't be possible

[ScottishGoon]

Ahhh so they would, they play on the Thursday so no Alisson, Fabinho or Bobby either! Japan play Thursday too so no Minamino.

Wouldn't be possible

We could lose Gabriel if he was to get called up again, & Tomiyasu as well so don't see how that would help us either.

[Jm55]

Yes, seems likely Klopp will have something to say. This season is getting bloody annoying now. I want Liverpool to play as "cute" as Arsenal now.

Almost like Klopp should have made a point going on record to say that 2 legs was a bad idea isn’t it?

It’s a fucking stupid and avoidable situation. How nobody at the EFL thought that 4 different matches involving 8 different opportunities for a team to be hit by COViD was unlikely to be affected by COViD and therefore that the sensible thing to do would be to halve the matches and therefore the likelihood of it happening is beyond me.

Well actually it isn’t beyond me, because seemingly nobody involved in football at a high boardroom level, be it for a governing body or a specific club will ever move a fucking inch for the greater good if it has a remotely negative effect on them. I say it a lot, but the shit surrounding the null and void thing was as illustrative example as you’re ever going to get as to how stakeholders react to this kind of thing, it should have been made a priority to plan for COViD immediately following that to mitigate the chance of it happening again but of course it wasn’t and the can was just kicked down the road.

Infuriating.

[lionel_messias]

Ahhh so they would, they play on the Thursday so no Alisson, Fabinho or Bobby either! Japan play Thursday too so no Minamino.

Wouldn't be possible

Klopp might literally explode or at the very least 'Hulk up',  the bodies and souls of the EFL execs would be ripped asunder,
as James Pearce nods quietly, finishing his packet of (original flavour) Quavers.

[redgriffin73]

Ahhh so they would, they play on the Thursday so no Alisson, Fabinho or Bobby either! Japan play Thursday too so no Minamino.

Wouldn't be possible

Bobby's not been called up if we're counting up literal numbers of players left standing.