I want to win 5-0, and see the tears of Sp*rs fans, but honestly, I'm nervous. I think he'll go with the last-year normal back four, with Rice, Havertz, and Odegaard, with Torssard, Jesus, and Saka.
We're at home so we'll be ok, I am nervous about them having a completely different style of a coach and how this will play into it. Hopefully we'll freak them out with two hundred different formations 😂
Another wonderful start to the season and the NLD is around the corner with both teams playing well. I wouldn't be lying if I said I was nervous but it should be an exciting game.
I'm with you there... I hate Ange is managing them :(
But, I've been a little nervy for a few of our games. Not that I dont think we're good enough, but competition in the league is tough and I feel like we can be quite wasteful in front of goal. Just adding unnecessary pressure.
But, we have shuffled around the squad; new faces to the team who haven't played together, we've moved on some players and then there's also injuries Arteta has to manage through.
I think Raya improves the floor of the team but sometimes you need someone like Ramsdale with a higher ceiling. I think Ramsdale at his best is the better keeper than Raya at his best. Haven't seen enough of Raya though.
I believe Arteta when he speaks about having two keepers that can change depending on the game plan and opposition. I think if he was really just trying to create a contest for the starting position he would say so. We have yet to see what exactly he believes one offers over the other, and I think the general discourse is that Raya is slightly better than or equal to Ramsdale in all aspects so we'll have to see more games and see what opposition prompts Arteta to play one over the other. Thus far it's been Raya only against weaker opposition, of course that's only two games. Could be that Arteta sees Ramsdale as being a mistake-prone "X-factor" for stronger opponents whereas Raya offers a more consistent, assuring, press-resistant presence for games where we expect to win as long as we don't give away any silly goals. It's in line with what Astrealix was just saying anyway. If Ramsdale plays against Tottenham I'll be more convinced of the point.
If Tottenham allows Bissouma to roam, Arsenal will have this match in the bag. There is no way you can stop an Odegaard, Jesus, Saka, Trossard counter attack when your DM is high up playing Ange ball.
I've been saying this for a while now. It has become ridiculous how Newcastle gets favorable start times. It is as if the Premier League wants to grow the Newcastle United brand along with the Saudis.
NLD should be an event by itself, and a team that looks likely for relegation versus a team that plays like they're looking for relegation shouldn't be a highlight at all.
[Free talk rant] My friends' dog and my dog met a few times this week and play-wrestled. My friends don't realise it's play, get anxious, and yell at the dogs. They blame my dog for being “too playful.” Surprisingly, despite having prior dog parenting experience, they don’t recognise playful behaviour.
Context — Some dogs like play-wrestling, which might look aggressive to newcomers. There's no harm intended or inflicted. I've experienced (accidental) play-biting on my arm, and it's completely painless.
We had a dog who would snarl when she played and it was difficult for people to understand that she wasn't being aggressive, she was just a stray at one point and that's just how she was. Miss you Pam 💝