Arsenal v Everton

Yankthattoffee wrote:All posting etiquette be damned.
First timer, me.
I expect nothing more than a rabble-rousing performance against a bunch of cocky Cocknies.
Pin a big sign in the dressing room saying Arteta thinks Coady and Mina are pussies. Not true but who feckin' cares.
Anything to fire up this bunch.
Are things as bad as we think? Maybe not..
"Belgian football journalist Sacha Tavolieri said that Onana ‘refuses’ to join Chelsea, as he ‘wants to stay’ in Merseyside and focus on the rest of the season.*
So "not at training" was not what we thought.
Get the Duke back in the fold now that FL and Gordon has gone the way we all thought he would. Put him just in front of Coady and Mina then tell him that Martinelli says his mother smells of elderberries. Watch the fun.
Dress the Guardians of Goodison in Gucci and D&G clothing behind each goal, so DCL has something to aim at.
Tell the rest of the team that Baines is really Thomas Frank.
COYBs.
I'm not giving up on you.

(blue flare emoji needed here)

Rotterdam 1985 wrote:I'm going to try to call the starting XI, see how close I get.

4-4-2, naturellement...

Pickford
Coleman, Tarko, Coady, Myko
Gray, Doucoure, Onana, Iwobi
Simms, DCL

If he doesn't go with 4-4-2 then I can see the same line-up but with Mina in for Simms in a 5-4-1. We are playing a fuck-off good team after all.

Or, he might look at Iwobi or Gray playing off DCL and have McNeil in out wide for the defensive discipline, if nothing else. If he plays two strikers though, I pray it will be Simms and not Maupay. We know Maupay is terrible. Surely if Simms was worse than Maupay, we'd have let him go before he reached the grand old age of 22?

I started this post thinking I was being all clever with some tactical second-guessing of Dyche. The reality has since dawned on me that with Gordon now gone, there isn't much competition outside of this XI for a starting place, when injuries are taken into account. Only Godfrey (who has a knock) and Mina would be on the outside looking in, realistically. But then McNeil was a confirmed regular starter for Dyche at Burnley. Maupay might get in by default. Dyche was always quite happy to have 2 or 3 youngsters in what was otherwise a fairly experienced team at Burnley though.

Playing Arsenal - this Arsenal - in the first game of a new "era" (I use that word advisedly given our managerial merry-go-round) is really scary. At the same time I'm sort of glad his first game is against a good team. It's a free hit in a way. And how do Arsenal beat teams? With their movement, which is exceptional, and their creativity in and around the box, they've got some really clever players. My most optimistic imaginary running of tomorrow's game in my head is that their movement is rendered irrelevant by the bus we park, and then we're left hoping for some luck in terms of stopping their creative players around the box - no pens, no unfortunate ricochets, everyone doing their jobs with 100% concentration etc.

I was talking to a Gooner mate in work yesterday. He's too busy enjoying their renaissance to have given even the tiniest thought to Everton and our woes, so I tried to explain it all to him, given that he asked. And he's a bit of a bookworm, so I tried to think of a literary metaphor to sum it all up. Of the seven books I've read in my life, I settled for "The Heart of Darkness" because tomorrow feels like we've got to the final chapter of a novel that starts with a degree of excitement but goes bad really quickly and gets more terrible the further you get into it. This may be a crass comparison given the subject matter of the book but it was the best I could come up with. "The horror, the horror."

Which is ironic really, as I read that book while I was a teenager, when we were on top of the football world.

What is it about football, and in particular about this club, that no matter how bad things get, I find myself utterly incapable of giving up hope? I suppose this is the very essence of "born, not manufactured." COYB.

Da Judge wrote:

Is that the same novel that underpinned one of the greatest seminal thriller series on BBC1 or BBC2? With an incredible guitar riff in the theme tune written nd performed by Eric Clapton

Rotterdam 1985 wrote:

Da Judge wrote:

Is that the same novel that underpinned one of the greatest seminal thriller series on BBC1 or BBC2? With an incredible guitar riff in the theme tune written nd performed by Eric Clapton

Nah, that's The Edge of Darkness, which was a police drama, I believe (I've never actually seen it - I've been told it's very good.)

The Heart of Darkness is set in colonial Belgian Congo and is a tale of the unspeakable horrors that took place there during that period (the Belgians, believe it or not, may well have been the most savage of all the European colonial powers, although essentially it was a private fiefdom of their then King Leopold, with a large number of overseas mercenaries doing his dirty work for him.)

Incidentally, I don't do Clapton. Apart from Cream's Wheels of Fire, and Layla (which is obviously quite good) I find him incredibly boring. Feel free to hit me with some recommendations to change my mind!

Da Judge wrote:

Rotterdam 1985 wrote:

Da Judge wrote:

Is that the same novel that underpinned one of the greatest seminal thriller series on BBC1 or BBC2? With an incredible guitar riff in the theme tune written nd performed by Eric Clapton

Nah, that's The Edge of Darkness, which was a police drama, I believe (I've never actually seen it - I've been told it's very good.)

The Heart of Darkness is set in colonial Belgian Congo and is a tale of the unspeakable horrors that took place there during that period (the Belgians, believe it or not, may well have been the most savage of all the European colonial powers, although essentially it was a private fiefdom of their then King Leopold, with a large number of overseas mercenaries doing his dirty work for him.)

Incidentally, I don't do Clapton. Apart from Cream's Wheels of Fire, and Layla (which is obviously quite good) I find him incredibly boring. Feel free to hit me with some recommendations to change my mind!

You are right, thanks for the memory reset. I have not read the book but I do remember watching either a critique of it in Belgium (when I was in Brussels). I had to watch it in Flemish (with French subtitles) and I was gobsmacked. The Belgians were incredibly brutal.

I remember the one snippet that the Police forces (National and Colonial) were required to bring back a hand for every bullet they discharged from their weapons.  That is the fucking epitome of brutality.

Take a listen to Clapton's "24 nights" - a composite of live performances over 24 nights at Royal Albert Hall... plays it the backing of an Orchestra and its beautifully arranged.  The Album is cut into different themes Blues, Rock, Ballad ...  there is tuff across the whole catalogue.

ON a smilar vein Chris Rea?

I have a collector's edition 8 CD set of Chris Rea journey through the various blues styles... and it's currently stuck in storage in Hungary. (Which reminds me, I really should rationalise these places I have storage in UK (Liverpool & Reading), Szeged (Hungary) and some stuff with a bird I know in Prague (that last one predates my marriage and so is a tricky thing to organise - why are you taking a small van to Czech Republic?) OK, that is on my 2023  Q1 to do list.

Rotterdam 1985 wrote:

Da Judge wrote:

Rotterdam 1985 wrote:

Da Judge wrote:

Is that the same novel that underpinned one of the greatest seminal thriller series on BBC1 or BBC2? With an incredible guitar riff in the theme tune written nd performed by Eric Clapton

Nah, that's The Edge of Darkness, which was a police drama, I believe (I've never actually seen it - I've been told it's very good.)

The Heart of Darkness is set in colonial Belgian Congo and is a tale of the unspeakable horrors that took place there during that period (the Belgians, believe it or not, may well have been the most savage of all the European colonial powers, although essentially it was a private fiefdom of their then King Leopold, with a large number of overseas mercenaries doing his dirty work for him.)

Incidentally, I don't do Clapton. Apart from Cream's Wheels of Fire, and Layla (which is obviously quite good) I find him incredibly boring. Feel free to hit me with some recommendations to change my mind!

You are right, thanks for the memory reset. I have not read the book but I do remember watching either a critique of it in Belgium (when I was in Brussels). I had to watch it in Flemish (with French subtitles) and I was gobsmacked. The Belgians were incredibly brutal.

I remember the one snippet that the Police forces (National and Colonial) were required to bring back a hand for every bullet they discharged from their weapons.  That is the fucking epitome of brutality.

Take a listen to Clapton's "24 nights" - a composite of live performances over 24 nights at Royal Albert Hall... plays it the backing of an Orchestra and its beautifully arranged.  The Album is cut into different themes Blues, Rock, Ballad ...  there is tuff across the whole catalogue.

ON a smilar vein Chris Rea?

I have a collector's edition 8 CD set of Chris Rea journey through the various blues styles... and it's currently stuck in storage in Hungary. (Which reminds me, I really should rationalise these places I have storage in UK (Liverpool & Reading), Szeged (Hungary) and some stuff with a bird I know in Prague (that last one predates my marriage and so is a tricky thing to organise - why are you taking a small van to Czech Republic?) OK, that is on my 2023  Q1 to do list.

To be clear, when I refer to the book getting more and more terrible, I'm talking about the tale itself, and the events that happened, not the quality of the book or the writing. I re-read it recently as my lad is into that kind of thing and bought it. It's a classic, albeit a tough read.

Based on what I know, only the Spanish in South America in the 15th/16th century came close to what the Belgians did in the Congo, for sheer unconscionable depravity. But all the Europeans had their moments in that regard, shall we say. The Germans did a proper job on Namibia, little over a century ago, basically wiped out a couple of tribes who rose up against them.

By the way, you're literally the only bloke I know who might need to take an inventory of stuff he owns across three or four different countries. I don't usually move in such circles! At least I know exactly where all my albums are (those that survived various house moves in my younger days anyway.)

Da Judge wrote:

Rotterdam 1985 wrote:

Da Judge wrote:

Rotterdam 1985 wrote:

Da Judge wrote:

Is that the same novel that underpinned one of the greatest seminal thriller series on BBC1 or BBC2? With an incredible guitar riff in the theme tune written nd performed by Eric Clapton

Nah, that's The Edge of Darkness, which was a police drama, I believe (I've never actually seen it - I've been told it's very good.)

The Heart of Darkness is set in colonial Belgian Congo and is a tale of the unspeakable horrors that took place there during that period (the Belgians, believe it or not, may well have been the most savage of all the European colonial powers, although essentially it was a private fiefdom of their then King Leopold, with a large number of overseas mercenaries doing his dirty work for him.)

Incidentally, I don't do Clapton. Apart from Cream's Wheels of Fire, and Layla (which is obviously quite good) I find him incredibly boring. Feel free to hit me with some recommendations to change my mind!

You are right, thanks for the memory reset. I have not read the book but I do remember watching either a critique of it in Belgium (when I was in Brussels). I had to watch it in Flemish (with French subtitles) and I was gobsmacked. The Belgians were incredibly brutal.

I remember the one snippet that the Police forces (National and Colonial) were required to bring back a hand for every bullet they discharged from their weapons.  That is the fucking epitome of brutality.

Take a listen to Clapton's "24 nights" - a composite of live performances over 24 nights at Royal Albert Hall... plays it the backing of an Orchestra and its beautifully arranged.  The Album is cut into different themes Blues, Rock, Ballad ...  there is tuff across the whole catalogue.

ON a smilar vein Chris Rea?

I have a collector's edition 8 CD set of Chris Rea journey through the various blues styles... and it's currently stuck in storage in Hungary. (Which reminds me, I really should rationalise these places I have storage in UK (Liverpool & Reading), Szeged (Hungary) and some stuff with a bird I know in Prague (that last one predates my marriage and so is a tricky thing to organise - why are you taking a small van to Czech Republic?) OK, that is on my 2023  Q1 to do list.

To be clear, when I refer to the book getting more and more terrible, I'm talking about the tale itself, and the events that happened, not the quality of the book or the writing. I re-read it recently as my lad is into that kind of thing and bought it. It's a classic, albeit a tough read.

Based on what I know, only the Spanish in South America in the 15th/16th century came close to what the Belgians did in the Congo, for sheer unconscionable depravity. But all the Europeans had their moments in that regard, shall we say. The Germans did a proper job on Namibia, little over a century ago, basically wiped out a couple of tribes who rose up against them.

By the way, you're literally the only bloke I know who might need to take an inventory of stuff he owns across three or four different countries. I don't usually move in such circles! At least I know exactly where all my albums are (those that survived various house moves in my younger days anyway.)

If truth be known, I went online to BetFred and requested odds on me finding some classified US documents missing from the Archive when I check in Hungary. It's actually in our own underground garage store assigned to the apartment we still own over there. If memory serves I have a room full of books, all my vinyl, my cassettes and CDs and an extensive DVD collection (100s) - movies being my thing more than music to be honest. Oh yeah and about 10 cases of wine and if memory serves a half case of now 50+ year old Port and a decent 70yr Malt. I might also have Hunter Biden's laptop else its mine really.