The two James’ are back once again to reflect on what was truly a magical night at Emirates Stadium against FC Porto in the Champions League!
Hello everybody welcome back to the same old Arsenal podcast coming to you at this fabulous Tuesday evening whether you’re listening to us back on your commute home from work wherever you’ve had a day working at home you’re just preparing your dinner listen to us wax lyrical about what was a fantastic
Evening last night at Emirates Stadium to do that I’m joined Once Again by The Fabulous James Johnston JJ last dat of the Champions League been a long time since we said that yeah it really it really has uh I I had short hair the last time we said that so yeah it’s been
A very very very long time but uh no I couldn’t be happier great win yeah it was a fabulous evening wasn’t it um I mean the buildup to the game having lost 1 nil in Porto there there was so much riding on it there was so much
Anticipation um I I was watching a lot of Arsenal accounts you know the likes of Charles wats Etc talking about the buildup to the game and I was just getting so hyped for it yesterday so many nerves jangling in there as well but the atmosphere at Emirates Stadium
Last night was was something else I mean the way the game started and and the scenes at the end of it as well absolute pandemonium I’ve not seen anything like that in well since brenford really but last night was definitely something special um for you JJ I mean just going
Into the game what were your feelings about it oh I was I remember a couple of weeks back when we lost it didn’t we me and you come straight on after and you said ah James you know we got three weeks we got three week and it it felt
Like the longest three weeks ever didn’t it because you just wan to when when you lose games and in in in the the ways that you know we were seconds away from getting what was a really draw I thought away and okay we weren’t as good as we
Normally are on the day but you’d have been like just that ends Neil Neil happy stuff we’ll beat him at home and when it didn’t go your way like that and you get you get caught out by an absolute worldy you you want to write that wrong as soon
As you can and and I’m saying that as a fan so God knows how much that at away at muel at the Players knowing that they’ve got to wait three weeks to get to get this you know corrected and uh yeah I’m so glad that they did was it
Was it perfect last night not really I think we weren’t as bad you know we were discussing weren’t we before we come up I don’t think it was as bad as some have made it out I think certain players were not up to their usual standards and
We’ll we’ll probably touch on that later on but yeah how can you how can you not you know how can you not be happy winning a game like that it was absolutely fantastic and is it no and I saw some James as well saying the atmosphere was dead last
Night in there they did they you know they said it wasn’t as good as it could have been well I watched from home and I’ve got to say I don’t have a sound bar mate I just use the sound that comes out of my Telly but it was loud mate coming
Through you I could tell that there was an atmosphere in there yesterday it looked really really good yeah the one of them where you were like oh I’d love to have been in there yeah the stadium pre-match first 10 minutes was was Electric it was something else and then the first 5 10
Minutes of the game was exceptional as well I think naturally the atmosphere is it’s not going to be you know rockers throughout the entire 90 minutes that’s just not how it goes in any Stadium um I think Porto’s game plan definitely played a part in that the way they
Slowed it down right from the first minute trying to con the referee taking so long over every single throwing um that definitely doesn’t help make a great atmosphere but I thought the Arsenal fans getting on the back of the referee you know berating the Porto players when they were taking so long
Over the uh over the set pieces Etc I thought we did a really good job of that and the scenes at fulltime I mean it’s very rare that you see a packed out Emirates Stadium after the final whistle normally a lot of people you know were already making their way down the aisles
You know a couple of minutes to go and you started to see empty seats dotted around but last night even at the end of the game for a good 5 10 minutes after the full-time whistle and bear in mind it was 11:00 at night on a weekday packed people going absolutely Bonkers
Great great stuff to see and after the the game we had against brenford as well another tough game where we really had to grind it out I think it just shows that this team has got so much character they’ve done so well to win that game
And in a way I think it’s good for this team to have won a game in that manner because it’s it’s not it’s not something they’re used to and I think they there are going to be more games to come like that but I don’t think there’s
Necessarily going to be games as tough as that this season where coming up against an opposition that with all due respect had no interest in attacking that’s not to say Porto didn’t have their chances I mean they tested David ryer in the first half um they hit it on
The counter a couple of times but it was quite clear and I’m sure any Porto fan would admit themselves that they were trying to defend from minute one I think someone even put out a video on Twitter of them literally just practicing defending their own box for the entirety
Their warm-up so um it was always going to be a tough game and that goal at the end of the first leg completely changed the dynamic I don’t know if we’d have seen a different type of Porto if it had ended nil nil would they have come out and played a bit more
I’m not too sure um but for you JJ I mean I think it’s silly to ask the question of did you expect that game plan from Porto but do you think we weren’t as effective as we have been in those free flowing games where we’ve been scoring goals for fun because Porto
Who I think you’ve got to say are a very good team as well I mean they’re not in the Champions League for no reason I thought they’re very well drilled very well executed did very well managed did they not allow us to play that way because of their game plan oh 100 100%
Yeah 100% I mean is it good on the eye not at all not at all but why when you’ve you know there’s enough video analysis and everything else out there now James especially of the Premier League because it’s you know broadcast pretty much everywhere around the world
And everything else why would they after watching Arsenal score what was it 30 36 plus odd goals in a month why would they go oh you know what we’ll try and play football against this lot when we’re just pumping teams left right and Center that have tried to play I mean look at
Burnley the other week I admire the fact that Vincent company thought he could go Toe totoe with us and play football but he paid for it David Moyes thought he could go toe-to-toe paid for it so I don’t blame I blame the refs for allowing them
To get away with as much as they did I mean to a guy get stretchered off for cramp James I’ve never seen never seen this in my life unbelievable no I couldn’t actually believe he went off on the stretcher I expecting him to just walk off offet I couldn’t believe it I couldn’t
Believe it and that I I blame more the officiating that they let them get away with some of the stuff that they did but yeah no I don’t I don’t blame them for applying that game plan to us at all it’s it’s a knockout competition it’s
Two legs and you you sometimes you got to be you know cuter smart or smar whatever way you want to go about it than you know allowing someone to completely dominate you which I think if they did try to play we probably would have done they didn’t allow any gaps
James other teams that we play in this competition like I said they might go front foot and try and go toe-to-toe but they’ll leave gaps in behind they did until Jesus come on quite late we had no real I mean like not really that haboc gets in behind and runs about anyway but
They restricted sacka I mean odard had to drift so out I was I was being the nerd earlier mate looking at his heat map he’s so far on the right hand side because Saka had to do dog work to try and defend that Wendell that was you
Know bombing forward so yeah I I I think you know given the basis on how they did it the first leg they were going to play exactly the same yeah and I think let’s quickly talk about the referee because this is obviously not not the the meat of the
Podcast we don’t want to gloss over it too much but um the the officiates and I thought last night was just as bad as it was in Portugal I think a lot of people were anticipating that we were going to see Home Advantage the game be a bit
More free flowing him allow a few more things to go and in some cases he did but I could probably count on one hand the amount of opportunities where Porto tried to con the ref and he just waved play on but it seemed to be every time
Porto players went down they were quite obviously holding their heads because we know that when they do that the referee is obliged to stop it in case it’s a head injury now this this rule in general going off on a massive tangent really has to be looked at because how
Easy is it for players to go down now and Fain a head injury and the game has to be stopped it just seems to be such an easy way to stop it happening I don’t again chats you know chat’s active so correct me if I’m wrong because there’s
Probably a lot of them in here that know the rules better than I do is the Champions League like the Prem now where if you do go off with this head injury and you come you know if they got if you got to wait is it a minute and a half or
So that they make you wait till you can come back on again in the Prem for it now well I mean based on last night yeah because I’m like um if they start applying that in the UA for competition she’ll stop this easy if you
If you go down to what is it 10 10 or so men for like a minute and a half or so like in the Prem they’ll stop it they won’t you know that that won’t carry on at all no certainly hope not and um yeah the officiating was definitely a big
Source of frustration last night but obviously Porto played a part in in convincing the referee to make those decisions um let’s talk about that first half mate because it was same team that we saw against brenford more or less uh Trad out on that left hand side I think
People myself included would have liked to seen something a little bit different whether it be Jesus on the left ree Nelson out on the left potentially just someone a bit more direct and I know people weren’t overly convinced by tr’s performance last night I I’m going to
Have a bit of sympathy with him because I think the way Porto played didn’t suit someone like a trossard trossard wants to cut inside he wants to try and get around people that just played into Porto’s hands they wanted him to come inside they wanted him to slow slow the
Game down at every opportunity and that’s that’s essentially what tra does if you look at him he doesn’t really run past the fullback he likes to take it in get into the box as close to the goal as possible which which against a lot of teams works very very well and I think
That’s why he’s working so well up top or in central areas for us but I really felt we missed the directness of Someone Like A Martin Ellens to have him out was obviously a massive massive blow because we couldn’t get in behinds but I suppose
My question to you James is do you think we’re going to play another team in the Champions League that is going to be so defensive minded as Porto were because you can’t imagine we’re going to come up against a Barcelona a Bayern Munich a real Madrid maybe Atletico Madrid if
They get through well You’ just took the words out of my mouth the the only team that’s left that I think would do a similar sort of game plan is Athletico Madrid I know a lot of people have said about Inter Milan um obviously because they’re an Italian side but trust me
There’s a question that Amanda put in there about who do we not who do we want and who do we not want I can tell you straight away who I don’t want no I still have flashbacks that horrible Europa League TI in 2017 18 griezman doing the fortnite dance in front of our
Oh God I don’t want in Milan James because I don’t think over two legs we’re as stute enough to deal with them I think I think way inagi at Inter Milan is so underrated as a manager the way that he’s got this you know he’s he’s doing
352 in ways he’s doing with mkhitarian oh it’s it’s sens they’re play a long for me Us in Milan and who else was it that was who was who else was it that I said earlier I can’t remember off the top of my head now but to watch mate so entertaining to watch
It’s unbelievable so I I wouldn’t want them and I wouldn’t want city as well because I think over two legs playing City especially when we’ve got the crunch in the league that helps Liverpool and I can’t abide Liverpool or scousers so I don’t want to see yeah I
Agree ban but the rest of them I’ll take the rest of them I’ll have whoever so let’s answer that question quickly who who would you want anyone but in Milan or C I’ll take I’ll take any of I think for me uh someone else has put it in the chat room
Here um Bayern Munich I I would really like Bayern Munich I think there’s a real opportunity to get a bit of payback for those 10 10 twos that we had not too long ago so um yeah I’d really like Bayern Munich to knock Harry Kane out of
The champions league and Eric Dyer as well I mean I say that they’d probably end up knocking us out but I think having watched a couple of buying games this season I really think they’re so susceptible to damage they would be be my Pi but also um I’m still going back
To that Robin van persy red card at the camp now so I wouldn’t say no to Barcelona I really think we could have to beat of them um cuz I know for I think we all know Javi is going to play expansive football against us toal I
Think he would do the same thing if that was to happen I really think there’d be so much space and joy for us in behind so yeah let’s wait and see let’s not get ahead of ourselves um Leandro trossard put us one up yesterday brilliant goal brilliant finish from him just when he
Thought the goal wasn’t coming five minutes before halftime but we have to give the plaudits to Martin erard who just had magic feet in that moment weight of that ball and the intricacy to play it through what three Porto Defenders that were all within about three four yards of him I’m unbelievable
Pass mate unbelievable but then the Finish as well great goal and a great time to get it as well wasn’t it yeah I mean you say there earlier as well about trossard um when he can operate in that space I I I think he’s one of the best
Finishers that we’ve got in the club James I think him and Martinelli are probably the best two for me I think they’re absolutely lethal when you get them in that sort of area and they can do that side foot finish in the goal like that and yeah it was all it was all
From odard I mean are we are we going on odard praise now or are we holding are we holding fire James well you can you can you know cramp it up to uh 30 odd percent but let let’s keep that for the end yeah unbelievable yesterday unbelievable what just not just the
Passing and everything that but the energy levels on this guy yeah do you remember that chance uh that he that should have come to something else as well where he won the ball very high up the pitch and unfortunately didn’t come to anything but it’s not just this game
That I think he’s really gone up a level in terms of work rate but these past these past couple of games you know this this run that we’ve been on where we’ve been putting teams to bed so convincingly he’s been at the heart of that he’s been absolutely magnificent
Obviously the goals the assists they’re great as well but for me I don’t really care about that anymore because his work rate is so good and he’s contributing in a way where you don’t necessarily need a statistic to see what he’s doing um yeah he’s been fantastic hasn’t he yeah and you know
What I’ve been on here with Allan and everything and I like Allen I think he’s great and he he’s said it before and I have I have agreed with him he said you know when as odard grabbed a g you know a big game on his own and tried to pull
Arsenal through and I think last night he single-handed was trying to win us that on his own at the end I he he was just yeah it was I mean he he had HTS the batter and RAM behind him who’s I didn’t know he had that sort of energy
Level he must have covered some ground yesterday as well he was he was pressing from the front with with odard at most times and yeah I I just thought he was Sublime not just on the ball but off it as well and again Captain’s performance first one takes you know wins the toss
And goes I’ll take the first one in front of our fans set the tone and then they got to try and catch us and yeah s just superb mate absolutely brilliant well let’s actually stay on Martin Ed go because I think he is worthy of having
His own segment within this because um I was going to talk about that with regards to his penalty I mean being the first one to step up and take it in that situation I know people have been a little bit on the fence about him being
Named captain in the past and you know he’s not someone that’s going to scream shout and be that guy I think we’re all very aware of that but in terms of leading by example not only did he do that on the pitch yesterday but for me stepping up and taking that penalty and
What is probably been our biggest moment in God knows how many years like in terms of an individual moment in isolation if he misses that penalty things could go bad real bad real quick um so for him to step up and and and score it as well in such a high pressure
Situation I think he’s probably silenced any doubters that think he shouldn’t be named captain I hope so because I’m like what what more has he got to do what more has he got to do based on that last night as much as we’ve got other leaders
Around in the pitch which I I do believe we have uh we had one who thinks he’s a leader that come on and do me a favor drop him out but the ones that are actual leaders on the pitch just just for those who who don’t
Know who you’re referencing to there I I think everybody does know you know he’s he’s Mr lesle getting a huddle after we’ve conceded because I you know I’m I’m large and in charge oh all he’s in chenko drop it out manate drop it out awful how how did him and
Anda come on James and look more tired than players that have done hang on hang onang hang on but how how we will get on to it we will get on to it we’ve got an incredibly boring 45 minutes to talk about and we will just very briefly
Touch on the second half because it in all honesty was not great um Porto again I think it was quite obvious that they were quite happy playing for penalties I thought Pepe in that second half um it’s not often I’m going to you know throw Praise on opposition players but you
You’ve got to take your hat off to a guy that is 41 and putting in performances like that against guys that are in someone like sack’s case virtually 20 years younger than him you know he’s half his age pretty much and what a performance it was from Pepe um but we
Could have done better I thought I think we evidently look quite tired at points in that second half I really thought our passing started to to waver a little bit I thought our first touch was quite poor in a lot of instances um we just couldn’t find a way through them it was
Like playing through really sticky Tre at times I mean was there anything good that you can take from that second half um for me the big one was the rare save from that coena and then luckily the guy was offside wasn’t he and also James I
Fought in that second half of the normal time before he come off and I think all game really I’ve got to go back to him K or James he gets better every game every game I see him he gets better he made one mistake where the ball was played
Long and it bobbled and he thought it was G to and it went over his head and the guy was go and he was like bugger turn around Sprint get I’ll win it back superb mate I I really really like him I like I said a minute ago every time he
Plays he’s getting better and better for me and you can’t as much as Tommy asu’s back as much as Timber’s doing you know training and sinchen you can’t take this guy away from being left back at the moment because he’s he’s doing for me he’s playing so well you can’t drop him
You cannot drop him because he’s he’s earned every right to be in that position at the moment and I think we’ve got a brilliant defense as well there’s nothing I would change about that backfall we’ve got four big guys four proper Defenders and someone tweeted earlier um that having
Kio on the team is basically like having a left footed Ben White and that’s a really good comparison because if you look at the two uh okay Ben White I don’t think it’s wrong to say is the superior player at the minute but what Kio does his composure last night in
What is probably the biggest game of his career just look at some of those moments if you look at his game in isolation he was so calm so composed passing excellent once again and I think with Martinelli on the left hand side who now has a bit more defensive cover
Behind him which you don’t get with o zenchenko I mean I think it’s it’s working so well and he’s been a massive contributor to why we’ve been so good in recent weeks it’s no coincidence that he’s coming to the team started playing well um and obviously Ben White on the
Other side is a huge contributor is that playing as that inverted guy as well making those overlaps I don’t think actually seeing the inversion as much at the minute and I don’t think we necessarily need to because you’ve got such a well balanced Midfield I means
Youro again last night I mean he lost the ball in one dangerous area but apart from that again Stella absolutely super oh yeah his legs went towards the end that’s all it was I saw a lot of people like oh God what’s going on like on Twitter they’re like I’ll get him off
His legs just went other than that for me but everything that Geor does you know do you think we found it over do you think we found our perfect 11 now I mean obviously Martinelli comes in for TR but apart from that what are you changing about that team yeah at the moment
Nothing yeah even with part back you’re not you’re not changing for Jor no completely James I said to you months ago as much as I last season watched Thomas party and thought he was fantastic now I’m looking at you can’t rely on the guy James I I I it sounds
Horrible but I don’t even think about him in my head as an option because I I just don’t believe that he’ll sustain it okay very interesting for for me it’s like Jesus when he come on I thought was very good James but again he’s another one you’ve got to prove your Fitness to
Me it before I’m saying that I want you back in the starting lineup yeah and I think even with party now at this point in the season where when you know the game against City comes around I I’m not throwing him into the starting 11 for that game I’m
Sticking with the Midfield free that’s working I’m probably not changing a lot about the team apart from Martinelli coming in for TR ards apart from that the team stays as it is effectively um and then I mean interesting comment here from Avon jinho can’t can’t play every
Game very true I just think we have to manage his minutes uh when we do get through to the well we got through to the next round of the Champions League might be a case of start part in some of the some of the games uh bring him off
Around 60 Minutes bring GE Junior one or you know even bring maybe someone like an n on who who knows how how those games play out you you know when you’ve got when you’ve got 105 million pound Swiss army knife that can play six when
He can play six and eight I I mean he completely took over he looked like his legs started to go a bit towards the end as well but then he just turned into oh you know what I’m just G I’m just G to be an English version of Perlo and just
Ping these beautiful long ball oh I sat at home just going oh there’s another one there’s another they were like golf shots some of the balls he was playing it’s interesting you mention that because Declan rice for me was one of the ones as well that was trying
Really hard to single-handedly win that game um he wasn’t doing it in the same way that that erard was by you know chasing I mean he did do his fair share of chasing and harrying as well but those balls over the top trying to find those openings trying to make things
Happen in instances where they just there just weren’t gaps there wasn’t space on the pitch I mean like you say he he’s just going up again levels upon levels upon levels and him in that left eight roll I spoke about it so much after the brenford game as well but I
Think it’s just a match made in heaven I think it works so so well and before we go on to talk about the next section of the podcast we do have a question here from Karen Russell please do make sure to get your comments uh in the chat box
We’ll try and answer as many as we possibly can do um but Karen has to say what do you make of the disgusting comments made by their manager towards Mikel in his press press conference and that he’s also made similar comments towards the likes of T tuul portino and
Guardiola yeah for me after all the times that he’s done it especially when he loses to English opposition it rings a bit Hollow for me James that’s isn’t it it’s absolute nonsense for me I look at it and I know artetta is very animated and it gets on a lot of
People’s nerves it’s gotot on mine previously you know there’s times where I’m like what wind it that you know Stenberg like you know give him a tug tell him to stop it and everything else but artetta does not come across to me as somebody that would say something about somebody’s
Mom I do you know what I mean I’m like I I it doesn’t it doesn’t feel to me like that’s something he would do I don’t think I could see I I like most humans especially in the heat of battle I could see him laying a few FES
And this that but to say you know your mom or whatever in Span whatever it is something whatever your mom that don’t that that’s to me that’s just not our ter do you know what I mean if it if it’s been reviewed if they’re looking at
It on a camera and it gets proven I’m happy to be proven wrong but also James as well I’m from the zadan school so as most people know last year I lost my mom if you make a joke about my mom regardless of where we
Are you they very well batter me but I’m throwing hands so again it speaks to me about the character of the guy that he he allows four people to say stuff about his mom but do nothing about it because if you say stuff about my mom
I’m cracking you in the face don’t care so I don’t know I just think I just think he’s a very very salty guy very sore loser interesting comment here from uh our co-host Chris that says it’s absolutely something artetta might do um I yeah I I can see him say that I I
Think it’s nonnal purely because is that a word that doesn’t sound right nonsensical nonic I don’t know yeah nonsensical I think is the way it nonic is not not the word that probably means that’s probably what called him yeah but you know what I mean because he’s done it to so many other
Managers you know he said such similar comments it’s always English clubs always yeah I mean I just find it really hard to believe unless it is something that every single manager has said and it’s such commonplace in football that no one else talks about it because I
Could I I I could definitely see some really harsh snide things being said between managers I mean you know con too cool we all know what happened in that game things like that I mean we don’t know what was said but we all know it got very heated I’m certain the these
Things are said at points in games when things do get heated especially in the game last night where there was so much riding on it tempers were High um I’m going to choose that it wasn’t true and I really hope that is the case um artetta strikes me as a man you know
That’s got a great deal of respect and uh wouldn’t play into something like that but look it’s Football let’s let’s believe it didn’t happen I’m I’m fairly sure it didn’t um and let’s get on to some of the nicer questions e is celba actually crazy his celebrations and Next
Level Bonkers um I do think the guy is completely mentally unhinged if you look at the celebrations towards the end of the game I I had such close eyes on him when that uh last penalty was safe from David ryer and the way he’s just going mental tongue out battering his chest
Almost pulling the badge off his shirt um he loves arsal doesn’t he I love the guy so much love him to bits yeah I mean he did not have his greatest game last night I think it was one of the worst ones I’ve ever seen him have for Arsenal
But I I couldn’t stop watching the video James no me neither of all of all of them are in the pile they’re all jumping but there’s just one man on his and he’s always like that isn’t he there I remember the goal brf yeah he’s just on
His own just on his own in his own land having his moment it’s do you remember going back to the Bournemouth game last season ree Nelson where he everyone’s celebrating with Rees and he runs off on his own to kick the corner flag yeah he’s just an Absol nut I can’t I can’t
Remember as well there was another there was another one I think it might have been could have been rice against man united this year and they’re all in that little corner and he’s just with one guy holding the guy’s face like like yelling in this guy’s face and it’s just all the
Others sort of turn around that are like okay just so I guess it’s just a thing where they’re like yeah let William do it you know William’s just having a moment over here lad so just letra it’s not just him though I think so many of
These uh players that we’ve got now I I don’t want to go as far as saying they are fans of the club but it definitely feels like with someone like celba that he’s so invested in Arsenal and I think you could say the same for someone like
Declan rice I mean the way he was ging up the fans um before the game like he went round the entire North Bank you know giving you know giving it the arms um but erard I mean we know he he’s so invested with the the supporters as well
I think the connection between the fans and the players in my time supporting Arsenal is the best it has ever been I think it’s so good there’s not one of these players that I look at and I think I really don’t like you I really don’t think you fit the direction that we’re
Going in I even look at you know players like Cedric Suarez I mean we all know that he’s someone that needs to be moved on but I’m not looking at him thinking he’s got a bad attitude or anything like that I mean he’s not bad guyses I have
No I I I I 100% agree with you that on attitude alone yeah it’s a great group there there’s some that footballing wise I’ve got massive questions about their ability still but no in terms of attitude oh 100% yeah it’s a it’s a great group you know as as much as I was
Happy the other day after ramsdale had that terrible error but he had that amazing second half I was so happy last night for David Ry James because I sat on this podcast near the start of the season when we signed him and it was still so visceral and it was borderline
Quite abusive some of the stuff that was coming out from people towards him and I was just like he’s the better goalkeeper and in the long run he’ll prove it and I don’t like to say I told you so but I told you so people I mean Amanda’s in
Here if she’s still here I tell her all the time the more you listen to me the better you’ll start feeling absolutely and we’ll get on to talk about thatav R because I mean we got we’ve got the penalties to come um in what was yeah just an all around big it
Was just a big moment I’m like can can can you start giving this bloke some love because it wasn’t his fault artetta made the decision and this guy’s arguably got the biggest move of his life you know you could see when he was presented how over the moon not just him
But his family I mean he had that Shin pad with all of his because he’s like I my family are the most important thing to me they’re all on his shin pad and he showed it to hry and everything last night on CBS or whatever it was
Paramount Plus in America and I’m like now fans just start giving this guy some love back I mean if he doesn’t get any love after what what he did last night um I mean Chris again in the chat room Special M could be career defining and
It should it should be in his Arsenal career it should be because that to send us through I mean to almost single-handedly at that point in the game when it goes to penalties it is goalkeeper versus goalkeeper ER pretty much and he came out on top by a country
Mile saved two penalties brilliant saves very close to having a third saved as well he should be endeared by the Arsenal fans now and you know I think the love we have for ramso I mean he’s English he he he had all the um other parts of him in terms of his personality
That made him such a lovable Blok I think a lot of fans including myself do still have a lot of admiration for for ramale but what we saw last night from David ryer he did also make some very good saves in the game as as well well I
Was just about to say James he was superb through the game and there was a bit in that second half of the injury time where cenko and Jesus are diing a bit and then cenko completely like I said earlier OE comes on and looks more tired than people have done 100 plus
Minutes I’ll never know and they got a corner and I was like oh Christ you know in my head I’m like oh Christ I don’t you know why have you I was bued him massively I was like I why have you done this sinenko but then straight away
David ryer jump ball in there we go res I’m like oh what a bloke I’m just like what a bloke and there was another one as well where he collected it um where it wasn’t uh from a set piece but it was a cross into the box very congested
Penalty area and he just comes out on top I mean he’s so commanding and so calm to have his presence in the penalty I mean he’s I I’m I’m one over by him now I mean to see us through to the next round of the quarterfinals um in the Champions
League I mean we’ve not been here in a long long time and he’s played an enormous part in that uh so I just hope yeah he plays every game between now and the end of the season um and you know he just gets the love in that he deserves
Because I think that that will be as Chris says an Arsenal career defining moment for him um and yeah he’s just going up levels upon levels upon levels um but let’s get back into some of your questions uh question here from genti 1969 do you think this Arsenal squad has
The most Arsenal fans in it than in the last 10 years now that’s interesting because it it’s hard to say do you know players keep their cards very close to their chest when they talk about who they grew up supporting um but I look at
This group and I think so many of them I don’t know if I’d call them fans it’s probably not the right word because they’re players aren’t they but guys that uh have a connection with Arsenal that you know are very passionate about the club um the love being here I mean just just
Look at CRA I mean you’d be silly to say otherwise wouldn’t you I mean he’s so invested in this team but then you just look at uh I don’t know if you saw that um graphic that someone put up on Twitter not too long ago of all the
Arsenal players writing down what it means to play at the emirat stadium and just I think it was Ben White that put down privileged and you look at Theo saku’s come through the ranks Martinelli who we signed a really young age and has come through the ranks as well um
Odard our captain I mean there’s so many players that are Arsenal do you not think oh yeah I I think the best way for me to phrase it is that to me they get it I mean in the last 10 or so years James I could count on one hand the
Players that I thought really got it m saaka was in there for me I always thought he knows what it he knows what being Arsenal means um arteta I thought got it obviously the the hairland people get it um TIY got it when he joined I
Think TIY you know I think TIY now still would get it he’d still he still does I mean we still chant his name don’t we yeah yeah exactly and I don’t necessarily there there’s a lot of them that are childhood Arsenal fans I mean CBA was senchenko was Timber was um
Obviously odard supported the lot that I hate when he was a child he’s openly admitted that so but doesn’t matter because he’s with us now and he loves us now so that’s the main that’s the main thing but yeah I I think in terms of
Like I said that the ones that get it and understand it massively and I think a lot of that comes from the manager again in terms of getting fans back on side getting that connection that we’ve spoken about with fans and club and players and everything I think that’s
One of the biggest things that he’s done and I think you know I’m not saying he should go now before people go mental but after he does go I think that’s arguably going to be the biggest part of his legacy is that he’s got fans and
Team back on side yeah and I think when you look at the group he inherited as well there were some plays in there that I think we had a real connection with TI’s one that you definitely talk about um bellerin was one at the time when he
Was there uh but I just think you know guys like I mean aubameyang is the one I always go back to I know he was named as our captain but I really think a lot of fans struggled to sense a connection with him um even down to things like
When he turned up in those outlandish cars and things like that I just think we’ve got such a humble uh well drills head down focus group at the minute they take their football seriously they take their Liv serious to do interviews wouldn’t he James that’s the thing he
Was captain of the club we were on that run where we kept losing to all the teams that were the animals weren it was like wolves and it was Brighton then it was Palace and it was like everything seagull eagle and we’d lose those games he was Captain and then whatever
Broadcaster we were on after the game sacka would stand there and have to do it and he was what 19 18 at the time and it’s like you’re captain and you ain’t got the front to stand there and answer questions about what’s gone wrong because his own at that time his own
Game was terrible and yet n we will a kid out you know Smith row sometimes would stay mlin Niles or whoever would go out there and it was just like see these are the charact the young Lads are the ones that are pulling the group you know the older
Ones are the ones that are letting us down and it’s the young ones that are and I’ll te o00 clock that early and went complete young you know at times have I been critical of project youth as people have called yes but it’s starting to show the fruits
Of its labor now but also with some of the buyers that we are doing like a jino like a trossard like a Declan rice that are older that are experienc slotting them in they’re doing the business mate oh we’ve got The Perfect Blend The Perfect Blend having someone like sacker
And Martinelli at 22 and then you know you throw in a Declan R even a Kai havit these guys aren’t really much older than they’re two three years older than our young boys but I mean they they’ve been there they’ve done it in a lot of
Instances I’m I’m older than all of them and so well you and me both don’t go there yeah I know I’m saying they’re older heads but yeah they’re still all younger than me so yeah it’s a horrible thought is it I mean I I I hate the fact that I’m what
Two and a half years older than Declan rice and he looks about five years older than me really really nasty that but look let’s let’s not going to that let’s end with um a couple of your questions in the chat room another one here from Charlie L um How concerned are you about
The upcoming break I’m slightly concerned it may damage the momentum we have really good point and um I I’m inclined to agree to an extent but I do think if we had Chelsea this weekend having just played two hours worth of football the mental fatigue and the
Physical fatigue going into that game I think would have been really tough that would have been a really really difficult game to have played just a couple of days after so I’m welcoming the break I’ve not got a problem with it do have a problem with the international
Break because I just don’t want our players going away but other than that I’m pretty a piece of it how about you yeah I agree with uh the main man Melvin at the bottom there I think it’s come at a I think it’s come at a great time I
Think like you said we need it um I I get where Charlie’s coming from um just like you as well just so annoying that there’s an internation and they’re friendlies as well it’s not like they it’s not like they yeah it’s not like they’re you know for anything I mean
International Football to me is drw unless it’s a World Cup or Euros anywhere James even this Nations League thing that they’ve made now just why it’s pointless it’s pointless they already play enough football as it is and you’re making more competition I mean expanding the World Cup and the
Euros as well so that there’s more games because they want more money it just yeah it all stinks to me mate but um yeah no I think I think this break’s brilliant and hopefully if we can start hooking players the better we’ve already told Martinelli is not going so I hope
That we hook even more of them if we can because it we’ve actually like like uh Chris put in earlier we’ve actually started to get the group back and we’ve got options if we need them well we have a fully fit team now don’t we more or
Less yeah pretty much yeah I mean Timber to come back and Martinelli and that’s it yeah yeah I mean I mean for me yesterday I thought the subs weren’t great as I mentioned before and I think they they should have been earlier as well I I think um that’s that’s the
Thing is still that’s still my only little tinge with arteta is that I’m like there’s that delay and then it’s the amount that you it’s the amount that he uses and the ones that he uses well in in those big moments in those big games I do find he’s very reluctant to
Way away from his starting 11 and I’m not sure if that’s necessarily because he doesn’t trust the guys on the bench which I do think has been a problem in the past I think it’s because he has so much trust in the people out there because I was looking at the team
Yesterday and apart from Zoro and trossard I was struggling to think what other changes would I make at this point because it’s such a big game I mean sacka can do something out of nothing havit you want him on the pitch because he can pop up at any moment um you’re
Not taking off Ard are you you’re not taking off Declan right I mean who do you take off you don’t take off these key men at that point in the game and I think he it worked out in the end I I’m not sure Eddie and KY was the right sub
To have bought on I thought he was okay when he came on but I know a lot of people definitely weren’t a fan of his substitution I’d have liked to have seen maybe AR re Nelson I thought we lost a bit of defensive stability actually quite a lot of defensive stability when
Zinenko came on in place of Kio I thought the it was quite Stark but I think he was kind of forced into that substitution because y went off um but zinchenko I thought was very I don’t want to say very poor but quite underwhelming but I’m going to give him
The benefit of the doubt given that he’s just coming back from injury um but yeah I’m with you on the substitutions should have made them sooner I think it’s interesting that Smith Row’s not had a look in in the past couple of games he I think the longer this goes on the more
Inclined I am to believe that he’s gone in the summer he’s just not had a sniff if you if you go back to Sheffield United James there was apt opportunity to bring all three of those Halen Boys on and he didn’t bring on any of them he
Didn’t bring on Ina he didn’t bring on Nelson and he didn’t bring on Smith row all three of them sat and watch I can’t work out the Smith Row one because before before before those some of those games I mean he he was getting minutes off the bench I mean can’t remember what
Game it was but he played half an hour Off the Bench didn’t was it Forest he started against Forest that’s it yeah I was say I swear he started one yeah I don’t know what’s happened if the guys ahead of him are just outperforming him or if he’s
Just been really poor in training but he’s just he might as well not even be on the bench because he’s not even looked at as an option which which is so bizarre with parte back now I mean I mean it’s just it’s hard to see
Him getting minutes um but I do want to wrap up on just a couple of final questions um Fiona Scott thank you very much for your question Fiona hope you’re keeping well and thank you for tuning in as always do you think we will beat Man City Christ I think it’ll be a
Draw see that’s what I was just about to say I don’t know if we’ll beat them but I definitely think we’ll get a result I think we’ll get something I I can’t I can’t remember the last time I felt that we wouldn’t lose there and that to me is a progression I’m gonna
Cling to it I’ll clutch it at straws well a draw a draw would be a good result for us I know I know people think we should be going there and winning um look city at home have an impeccable record to go there and win is a big ass
Can we do it of course we can do it of course we can go there and beat them I mean based on how they played against a Liverpool team ravaged with injuries I definitely think we can have the Beast in the city I thought there was so much
Space in behind but we have to not Wilt under the pressure we have to play with our heads up um and be pragmatic you know if we sit back and we uh you know wilter then we we’ll lose to be quite honest but if we play our game and play
Well which we should do you know we shouldn’t be fearful going there they should be worried about playing us then absolutely I I think we can win but I think my head tells me it’s going to be a draw um so is it true that if rodri
Gets booked at the weekend as well he can be suspect against Newcastle I believe it is yeah or is or is it just or is it just League booking because again again I still don’t know how this will work that’s confusing isn’t it because if you get the booking in the
League obviously if he gets off in the cup he’s done is he yeah that won’t happen though will it wouldn’t it be hilarious if he did it would be it would be it be but I I don’t actually know the answer to that question if anyone he’s still like what
Is it is it 68 unbeaten or something he is yeah that’s the thing when we beat when we beat them yeah but if you look at his game against Liverpool he was he wasn’t great but if you look at how LS Di has turned him inside out I definitely
Think I don’t want to say dein rice have the better of him but it’s going to be a big battle you know I think our Midfield could really do a job on City but look that’s three weeks away let’s not think too much but it’s two and a half weeks
Now but let’s not think about it too much um last question from where did it go um it was one from Karen Russell I can’t find the question but it was to do with TIY having space in the team um I I can’t find the question but the question was along the
Lines of do you think there’s still I’ve got it here talking of TIY do you think there’s space for him at the club talking of I can’t find that anywhere just above Barry Burns comment there’s two Barry Burns she I’ve got it I’ve got it there we go yeah so answer the
Question mate go for it sadly not sadly not I think um yeah I think he’s I think his time is done um I believe that the players that he’s got coming back into that position now are more trustworthy and will do what he wants them to do more than what
Kieran Tini will and that’s not me saying that Kieran Tini is bad but I think the way that we’ve developed as a team doesn’t suit Kieran sadly and he’s openly admitted it himself he said I tried to do this in but but we seem like if we’ve gone from inverting from the
Left hand side then yeah if it’s conventional left back then he’s better than all of them so again I don’t know but I I can’t see it I can’t see it James no and I I think even though kio’s doing so well and he’s he’s not inverting I still don’t think it’s
Conventional I really don’t you know he’s not exactly bombing forward overlapping all the time he’s playing playing a role where he’s effectively playing as a left a very left-sided Center back because that’s why I think it also suits him so well because sometimes when the shift happens and
White in BS everyone switches and goes a little bit more centralized um so I I still think tinny could do that I mean he played in a back free for arsenal when we won the FA Cup and was exceptional in games against the likes of City against a very good Chelsea side
At the time when we won that FA Cup so I definitely think there would be a place for him if we were to carry on playing this way however his iny record is a big sticking point and it’s continued to be a problem this season at sadad so on
That basis I don’t think he has a future at Arsenal sadly um and you know Barry burn said it here he thinks he’ll end up back at Celtic I think that’s probably I think Barry spot on I said this the other day um I I think that I saw
Somewhere that um we were you know obviously accepting that we’re going to sell him at a loss and they were talking about it would be between 15 to 20 mil I think Celtic could afford that and they’ happily buy him back so and I hope he
Goes there I mean um yeah he I hope he goes somewhere where he can play every week preferably not another team in England if we can help it yeah and like bar Barry burn says there you know wish him all the best hopes he get hope he
Gets over his injury problems and I wish the same for a lot of our players that have dealt with injury problems um because they are talented I mean someone like Thomas bar I hope he goes somewhere and and plays and fulfills not the potential because he’s coming up to 31
Now but you know he’s able to play on a consistent basis plus 30 Games a season and do well because these are guys that have ability but we just need people that are Dependable we need people like Kai Hab we need people like Gabrielle we need people like Dean rice Martin erard
Beio saaka that are just available for at least 35 games of a Premier League season um and to be one of the best teams in Europe you need that availability um but JJ on that note I’m going to end it there um thank you ever so much for joining me Arsenal through
To the last day of the Champions League Su it up in a word for me uh marvelous marvelous it is indeed um thank you to everyone that’s joined us in the chat room been fantastic having you I mean there’s close to 500 of us watching at the minute which is absolutely Sublime
So thank you ever so 500 people want to watch me and you they want to watch you mate they’re not they’re not oh Come on B no stop it stop it I just answer the questions you do all the hard stuff I try I try um but yeah thank you for
Coming on mate to those that don’t know uh JJ has his own YouTube channel the James Johnson football channel make sure you go and check it out follow him on Twitter LOL James 91 make sure you check out our sponsor rof beckart check her out on Twitter check her out on Etsy
She’s got some fabulous pieces of work up there any sort of Arsenal memorabilia you want make sure you go and check out roof stuff she’s done a brilliant David Ray has saving a penalty piece already that’s how good rof is and how could you not want that you know in less than 24
Hours she’s got that up and done so make sure you go and have a look at that um subscribe to the same old Aral YouTube channel drop a like on this video subscribe to us and and rate US across the various audio platforms but for myself and JJ up the Arsenal see you
Later guys Byebye
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Great show fellows
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