Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?

Morning.

As expected Mikel Arteta was giving little away in his Friday press conference with regards players who might or might not be available for tomorrow’s encounter with Liverpool. On Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, and Riccardo Calafiori, he said:

We’re going to do our very best to somehow have them available but it’s very uncertain.

There was a little more about how Saka had been training on the grass a bit; Timber might be in action in a training session after which a decision could be made; and Calafiori’s ability to make a rapid recovery when we think he’s injured; but not much more than that. Which is just what you expect from him ahead of a big game.

It also happened to be a question in the press conference, about controlling the information that’s in the public domain, to which Arteta replied:

We have a lot of information, a lot of sensitive information, a lot of information that people want to have and share, and it’s our obligation and duty to maintain and protect the club and the team in the best possible way.

I know it frustrates some people but I don’t really mind this at all. Arteta’s job is to win football matches, and if he believes that keeping as much under his hat can play even a tiny part in us doing that, then fair enough. Anyway, we can talk more tomorrow about possible line-ups, back four permutations, and all the rest.

What was clear from his press conference yesterday was the message the manager was keen to send. Whether it was aimed at the fans, his players, or just generally – the message was that feeling sorry for ourselves about injuries and suspensions and absences isn’t going to do anyone any good. He said:

This is the game. Obviously we didn’t want to be in that situation, but we are really lucky as well to have the squad that we have, to have the players that we have, to have the attitude that we have.

Get on with it, show your teeth, show how much you want it, the amazing opportunity for other people, the…

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Author : arseblog

Publish date : 2024-10-26 07:12:36

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