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The Athletic FC Podcast Network.

The only way to score is, of course, to play with a hand-break-off. Hello, I'm Ian Stone. This is Hand-Break-Off, the Arsenal podcast, brought to you by The Athletic. Last night, Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 3-2 in the Carabao Cup quarter-final at the Emirates. To chat through what we saw. And look forward to Palace again at the weekend. I'm joined by Adrian Clarke and James McNicholas. Morning. Hello.

Morning. Morning. Adrian is wearing a Christmas jumper. I guess it's allowed on the 19th of December. It is. It's the old retro one, isn't it? It's the Arsenal Christmas jumper. It's the Arsenal one, but it's kind of a design on my 95, 96 Arsenal shirt. So it's a win-win for me. Outstanding. And hopefully Arsenal will be giving us gifts over the festive season. Yeah.

Before we chat about the game, tomorrow, you will be aware, I imagine, it's five years since Mikel Arteta was appointed manager of the Arsenal. Obviously, we will have a fuller chat about how it's gone. But just to start the podcast off, sum up those five years in three words. James? Three words? I could have done with five words, really, for five years. But I didn't go for a phrase. I just went for cup, close and closer.

because they're sort of the big three kind of seasons for me. We won the FA Cup. We came close in the Premier League. We came closer still. I suppose you could have put COVID in as well if you wanted another C word. Cup, COVID, closer and closer. I have four. All right. Yeah, that's nice. Okay, Adrian. I like it. Yeah, I've got two lots. I've got one that just ties in. It's just a sentence. Driving standards up.

which has been a constant theme ever since he got there. He promised it and he's absolutely delivered on that. But three words together that sort of sum it up. Development, togetherness and excitement. I think that encapsulates what he's brought. You've just got to remember where we were before Arteta.

True. Um, I think if we'd have, if you'd have said excitement just after the Everton, when we did the Everton, it might have been slightly more, uh, Oh, there's been excitement the last few years. No, and last night as well, by the way, it was pretty exciting. Um, I was driving down the motorway, up the motorway from or to somewhere. I have no idea where I get about. Um, and Fleetwood Mac came on. Rumours, one of the great albums. Obviously there are people under 40 going, what? But anyway, listen to it and come back to me. Uh,

one of the lyrics is better than before. It'll be better than before. And I've chose better than before because it is better than before, isn't it? I mean, we obviously had great times in the past, but certainly the last couple of years, I was watching the football years from 2019, 2020 on Sky just at the point where it was all going wrong for Unai. It's definitely better than before. Anyway, Arsenal 3-0

Palace 2. Arsenal 3, opponents 2 last night, actually, because the women beat Bayern Munich 3-2. Big result there, by the way. We'll start with Arsenal 3, Palace 2. And a goal, side in. Jason will see, we've seen his own line. Patrick is on! Take it!

Adrian, you wanted to go strong. If there's one thing that shows that Mikel Arteta, or, you know, not make many changes, there's one thing that shows that Mikel Arteta doesn't listen to this pod. Or at least you, and I don't mean that in a bad way. He made eight changes last night. David Raya, Jurian Timber and Mikel Moreno, the only ones that stayed in the team that struggled against Everton.

I mean, I mean, first off was pretty bad though, wasn't it? With that team. Yeah. Yeah. I was disappointed when I saw the team sheet. I was pleased to see Kieran Tierney for obvious reasons. But yeah, I just thought it was too many changes because I knew that Palace would go full strength and they did. One off their full strength. Yeah. And he was suspended. So, you know, they went with the youngster in that position. But yeah, it was a bit disjointed. It was.

we were always going to lack a bit of cohesion when you just chuck a team together that's never played together before. You are giving the opponent a leg up, aren't you? You're giving them a slight advantage. But ultimately it paid off because a lot of our key men didn't have to play 90 minutes. The changes were really good. I'd offer my cap to Mikel there. He hasn't always...

been amazing at changing the course of a match. I think that's fair to say through his changes. But in this game, he got it right, didn't he? I think it was really sensible to bring on Saliba and Erdegaard and of course Saka not too long after. And yeah, they all contributed to a rip-roaring second half. I absolutely loved the second half. So much better. Couldn't really be a lot worse, to be honest. I mean, I thought I pinged it about okay at times in the first half. James, it was

Would you, as a manager, would you go strong early on and then bring on the reserves later? Or would you do what Mikel did last night? It was more sort of needs must, wasn't it? Half-time, he obviously got into them, bought on a couple of first-teamers and it changed everything.

Yeah, and it's relatively unusual for him to do that. You know, it's not like we mentioned Unai Emery. We were used to seeing him make a change or two at half-time sometimes in games. Arteta tends to wait a bit longer, but obviously with it being a cup game, couldn't afford to do that. And I think it was just a bit of correction, really, and so interesting that

Oda Gard and Saliba, those are the guys he brought on. I mean, I just think that just tells you, doesn't it, how important, how central they are to everything we do. I think bringing Saliba on also enabled Timber to go out to right back as well. And I think that makes a big difference, especially as compared to Thomas Partey, who's not as natural in that position anymore.

I just think it adds another layer to what we can do in build-up and when we get into the final third. So, yeah, the subs made a massive difference on the night. Yeah, and on that, Stoney, very quickly, because of the way both managers approached the game at kick-off, what happened was we gradually got stronger and Palace gradually got weaker.

because you know the players they were bringing on aren't first choice the players we were bringing on are so I guess I don't know if that was the plan all along but it turned out it worked I was actually I thought Palace were poor actually to be honest in the main last night I was expecting more from them they're on a run of only lost one in nine I believe before last night um

I mean, Raheem Sterling, by the way, is it harder, Adrian? It must be harder when you've got Thomas Partey at right back. This is no slight on him, but he's not an overlapping right back. It just means you're on your own a little bit more. When we have Saka playing there, obviously we sort of expect him to do magical things with two players in front of him pretty much all the time.

I actually thought Raheem Sterling actually did okay last night on occasion. Missed a very, very good chance or was a good save by Henderson and the follow-up seemed to hit him before he knew what was going on. I mean, on James's point about bringing on William Saliba, enabling Julian Timber to move to right back, we've talked about this before. We're so much more balanced when Thomas Partey is not playing there. At right back, it...

It's only ever got to be a stopgap for me. She just doesn't look wholly comfortable there. Seems to be happening quite regularly, though, doesn't it? It's just injuries, isn't it? Just because of injuries, yeah. But Timber, for me...

he really has to be at right back. He's a tremendous player, isn't he? Timber, by the way. He's terrific. I love watching him. And I agree with you on that. It would help Sterling. Although that said, Sterling wasn't brilliant once Timber moved to right back. They had quite a long time together there and it didn't really happen for him. Nice little interchanges on occasion. Timber was fantastic. He was really dynamic once he made that switch. Yeah.

I enjoyed him sort of popping up in field and driving, driving forward. Yeah, the chance he had, it's a brilliant free kick from Sterling in the first half. I think that gave him a bit of confidence. You know, that was a superb dip on it. A really good save. And then that one from Tierney's cross, which was,

A peach of a cross, wasn't it? Beautiful ball, wasn't it, that? Really a lovely, lovely pass. Spot on. And yeah, I would say it was the finish of a sort of not such a confident player at the far post. Decent save. And the follow-up, I would absolutely let him off because it comes at you so quickly. You just get something on it and he's really unlucky. Really unlucky. I think that hits the underside of the bar. So yeah, not the sort of...

8 out of 10 performance that he was probably hoping for. But like you say, he did all right. Yeah. Talking of confidence though, James, Gabriel Jesus. I mean, I have to say before he scored, he looked a bit more dynamic to me. I mean, he does try those little turns and flicks and what have you and they didn't quite come off and in the first half he got whacked in the back and he was lying there while we were attacking for a minute or so. But

There he is again. There's Gabriel Jesus. There's the one we've been missing. We don't need a striker after all.

Yeah, it was great to see him find some form. Wasn't it? Yeah, and it wasn't just the finishes. There were, like you say, some little touches inside the penalty area that were kind of vintage Gabriel Jesus. You know, there was one in the inside left channel where, you know, I think Henderson had to make a very good save down low because Jesus took a little touch with his heel and it took him past his defender. Magic stuff. I mean...

I'm sort of cautiously optimistic about what we saw last night because obviously what you want from any player is to deliver consistently. But, you know, it did look like there was some life in him still and...

I think you saw the first finish was great, you know, a little clip over the goalkeeper. I think to even take that on as a player who's not scored at the Emirates for, what is it, a year, something like that shows that there's still a belief there in his ability. And then after that, the second and third finishes hit with real conviction. I think that could be really important. If it makes him a player that Mikel Arteta can turn to reliably over the next few months, be that as a substitute, be that starting some games online,

you know, such a boost to the squad because recently it's just felt like he's been adrift. Um, so to have him back and part of the group and contributing would be a huge, huge boost. Quite. I mean, I had no doubt for the third goal, Adrian. I mean, none whatsoever. He went through on the second one and we saw what happened with the, the chance against Monaco where he just never really got his head up. I mean, he had a bit more time, uh,

with both these finishes. But when he buried that second one, when he threw on goal for the third, I just thought, this is a goal. I mean, it genuinely felt, and I know people laugh at me, like when Ian Wright used to go through, and he thought, well, he's going to hit the target at the very least, but I think he's going to bury that. And, you know, confidence, well, you know about this, it makes all the difference. Of course it does, yeah. No, they were three great goals, three absolutely brilliant finishes. I mean, the second one, he was probably a fraction offside, so he got away with that.

But we don't need to go into that, do we? Good. We haven't had a lot go for us this season, have we? So why not? Exactly. Exactly. No, his movement was great. I thought his touch was absolutely exquisite all evening. There was one where Trossard... What was that with Trossard? He was fizzing everything. Like...

Like he was just pinging passes into everybody like a little bit too hard. As if to try and have, as if to sort of test his teammates. And there was one in the first half and he killed it stone dead. He drew a foul. And I thought, oh yeah, that that's quality. And then the second half, obviously the touch for the, for the chance that James references was brilliant. The,

The touch to take him past Schalaber for the first goal. Absolutely outstanding. So, yeah, it was a top performance. The question is...

Would you guys start him on Saturday evening now? Well, I would. He gave their back three. Massive problems. I would, by the way. Me and my son were talking in the car on the way home and we both would because how can you not start someone who scored a hat-trick? What about you, James? Yeah, I would as well. I would as well. I know Kai Haerts has had a rest. So I think that will always be tempting for Arteta in an away game. You know, his physicality. But I just think

He terrorised them, Jesus, and he'll be absolutely flying. And I think, yeah, I would start him. Would you, Adrian? 100%. Yeah, I don't think there's any doubt. I think poor old Kai is just going to have a longer rest. That might do him good. Poor old Kai will be all right. No, exactly. I'm a massive fan of him, but he probably needs a breather because he was playing 90 minutes of pretty much every game until recently. So having a couple of weeks off effectively at this stage of the season...

It might refresh him massively, which is probably what he needs. But yeah, the three centre-halves, who would they rather play against on Saturday? That's what you've got to ask yourself. Do they want to play against the guy that's tormented them for 90 minutes and scored at Attrick? Or do they want to play against Kai Havertz, who's searching for form? You know the answer, so let's not disappoint them.

Let's not. Whoever that let's not disappoint them was aimed at. Well, you know who it was aimed at. But anyway, let's see what happens. And the other thing to say, by the way, you know, one game does not, one swallow does not make a summer, as they would say. But one game. But against Premier League opposition and good Premier League opposition as well. Go on, Adrian. Yeah, I just wanted to say the difference. First, second half.

Obviously, individuals change the game, but it was something I've been sort of banging on about for a while. It's like we just ran harder. And I know that sounds really basic, but we ran towards their goal with real purpose, real intensity. In the second half, we wanted to go forward. Whether it was a pass, a bit of movement, a supporting run, everything was towards the Palace goal. And...

That for me is what was missing against Everton, what was missing against Fulham, where we played everything in front of the team and we played it too safe. Only three crosses in that second half. There have been games where we've put in 20 or 30 crosses. It doesn't suit us. We've got to play through teams at speed.

And it's all about running. Not all about running, but a lot of it is about having the desire to move and move defenders. The quickness of the passing, that move we were talking about when Chiarantini got it on the left and fizzed that across the box for Raheem Sterling. We moved the ball very, very quickly then. I had a slightly different seat last night. I was much further up.

Get a good view, but you're a long way away. I mean, you're a long way away. I was at about six rows from the back, right on the halfway line. You've only come to see us, Lord. You've only come to see us, Lord. You've only come to see us.

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Word for Kieran Tierney, by the way, a first game back. It's sad that he went off injured, but I thought he did all right, James. I thought he did really well. I thought it was great to see him. Delighted for him to be back playing.

You could see the smile was all over his face before the game as well. It must be a huge relief for him. Long time out. And I thought Arsenal used him well as well. They played to his strengths as Mikel Arteta had kind of intimated they would. Really not good night for him. And, you know, I don't think it means much for his long-term future. I saw, you know, David Ornstein's story after the game yesterday.

saying that his contract option has not been taken up. It'll be expiring at the end of the season. I think there's obviously a very good chance he goes even before then. But just nice to see him playing again because, you know,

He was always a good player. I don't think that was ever in doubt. It was more his fit for the system that was the issue and the injuries, of course. Adrian, what do you think? I mean, the way we play with inverted fullbacks now, it's not really his game, but it's nice to see him, wasn't it? There's always a place for a proper rampaging, attack-minded fullback as well, isn't there? I just don't think you can...

have only one way. I think it's, it's important to have a bit of, we've, we always use the word balance, but sometimes matches are crying out for a teeny type player to surge down, to provide width and to, you know, go outside somebody and whip across him with an effort. So, um, while we've got him, yeah, I'd like to see him used every now and again. Um,

No arguments about the sort of decision. He hasn't been available very often. And yeah, I probably wouldn't have offered him a new contract either. But yeah, we can hopefully use him a few more times before we part ways.

And a couple more things about last night. James, it was a sellout last night, pretty much. There were a few tickets on the exchange, but not many. What do you think about the fact that Carabao Cup quarterfinal sells out, but Champions League group game against Monaco doesn't? I mean, is it just a cost thing or what is going on there? I don't know the prices off the top of my head, but I imagine it is probably cheaper. And I think Carabao Cup sort of developed this idea

reputation as being something where you get a lot of families or a lot of people who wouldn't ordinarily be there. I mean, there's so many people trying to get into Arsenal games who don't have access and actually access to these Carabao games is better. Like I think if you were a season ticket holder, you could buy a couple of tickets for non-members and things like that. So I think maybe that partly explains it. I wonder as well, is it a little comment on the current Champions League format and the

You know, the drama of football is clear. Last night, somebody was going through and somebody was going out. Whereas I do think in this league stage of the Champions League, we're all sort of scratching our heads being like, well, was that a good result? What does that mean? We just don't really know. There's also three times as many Palace fans there as normal. So it's a lot of problems. That helps. They made a noise as well, didn't they, last night? And in terms of the game on Saturday, Adrian...

can we take much learning from this game? I mean, listen, we'll take the same result, won't we? Yeah, well, I just definitely learned the bit that I was talking about previously about moving them around and running hard for each other off the ball, making those supporting runs. Yeah.

being positive. That's the key to success. Crystal Palace in the first half did what they've been doing to everyone in the league this year. They hassled them. I mean, they hassled us brilliantly. I was looking at some of the numbers. There's something called pressures where you put pressure on someone. It's a self, you know, it's an explanatory thing. I think we could have worked it out. Yeah, exactly. But in terms of pressures...

closing people down no one comes close to Crystal Palace they make the most especially in the middle third no one makes more turnovers from pressures than Crystal Palace and they did they unsettled us um my second half we played at such a tempo that they just couldn't get near us and and that I think is the key um against these teams you've just got to you've got to work as hard as them

And then your quality will come through. So that's exactly what happened. And we haven't really, so we haven't talked about Martin Erdogan by the way, but he suddenly came on the pitch and he was better than everyone else, wasn't he? Really. And it's just fantastic to watch when he's playing like that. By the way, last night also in the Women's Champions League, we were all at the Palace game last night, were we not?

I was actually at home a bit sick but no I was watching the men's game though yeah and Adrian you were at the game last night and I was at the game as well but in the Women's Champions League Arsenal already guaranteed a place in the knockout but they beat Bayern Munich and

and, uh, top in the group. And, uh, last minute, uh, Mariana Caldente penalty. They won three, two, um, Adrian, quiet, the turnaround, um, Randy Slaggers. I mean, is she going to get the job full time? I would have thought so. I mean, she couldn't be doing any better. The, the players seem very happy. Uh,

Took a leaf out of the first team in this game. All three, all five goals actually in the match came from corners. I know that the penalty wasn't directly from a corner, but that's where we won it from. So yeah, a little bit of set piece FC with the women as well. But Renee, yes, Lagos, she couldn't be doing a better job. She probably does deserve it. And look, the benefit of it,

is that now it will be either Real Madrid, Wolfsburg or Man City, which I would suggest is much better than getting Chelsea, Barcelona or Lyon. So...

great chance to reach the semi-finals and then you never know do you so yeah well done and we only have to wait we only have to wait until February the 7th for the draw for some really strange strange reason I don't know I mean I mean if it was the men's draw they could probably have started it and we still wouldn't know until February the 7th anyway uh

Anyway, while the women's side may not have had a manager for a little while, the men have had Mikel, as we said, for five years. Tomorrow, we'll talk about his reign next.

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They get a handbrake off and you can see that they are more free to play. Ian Stone, James McNicholas and Adrian Clarke here on Handbrake Off, the Arsenal podcast brought to you by The Athletic. I met a guy last night at the game actually. Was it Rob? Sorry Rob, I'm terrible with names. Who said, you know what I like about your podcast? You don't go on.

He said, you do. And I thought, you know what? We don't, do we? We don't. He said, you do faff about at the start. I said, yeah, but as my pal, Alan Davis, used to do a whole routine about how when you get to work, you don't start straight away, do you? You stand by the coffee machine for five minutes and then you get going. So that's what we're doing. We're not faffing about. We're just catching up, you see. Anyway...

Five years of Mikel Arteta. In that time, he won one FA Cup, two Community Shields, as he was very keen to point out the other day, finished second, two Manchester City twice, and returned to the Champions League. James, you're writing up a review of the survey the Athletic carried out. Any teasers as to how the people have responded? Well, do you know what? I was a bit worried about the survey because it went out

I think the day after we'd draw with Everton or a couple of days after that. And I was thinking, is that really going to skew the results? But I have to say, having sort of been through them this morning, it hasn't particularly. Maybe we need to give football fans a bit more credit. You know, I think they may be more measured in their takes than some of you believe. And yeah, I mean, it is an overwhelmingly positive reception for Mikel Arteta in terms of the results. Not perfect. You know, there's some

of his, you know, things he could improve and maybe that's to be expected. It's not just five years at Arsenal, it's five years in management, full stop. But yeah, I think everybody appreciates how far we've come in a relatively short space of time. I mean, I think we were 10th in the Premier League when he took over, but more so than that, it was a club that had really lost its way a little bit and it's

What was so fantastic about last night, you speak about a full Emirates Stadium and a cracking atmosphere in that second half, a brilliant atmosphere at Meadow Park as well for the women's game. It just feels like the club has kind of reignited, that it's sort of found its soul again a little bit. And I think Mikel Arteta has been a huge catalyst to that, a huge influence to that. And I think his influence has been felt almost in every game

aspect of the club really so yeah I think it's been a resounding success and really the only thing missing at this point in time is that crowning achievement of winning one of those major major trophies yeah the FA Cup did give him some time though didn't it really which we're thankful for Adrian to see it's stony though so it's you know that it doesn't carry as much weight does it because you know just what we weren't there

you know, no, no, that is, that is true. But in those dark days when we were playing the game in a, an empty stadium, we were losing five in a row and losing at home to Burnley. As you've heard me talk about on this end, Ashley Barnes celebrating in front of me and my glasses all steamed up because I had to wear a mask. It was awful in every sense. Right. And, and from that to where we are, uh,

Right now, Mikel's first game in charge against, was it Bournemouth? Wasn't it Bournemouth? I mean, looking at the team sheet, Bert Leno in goal, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, David Luiz,

Adrien, any of those, aside obviously from Bukayo Saka, is in the first team. Any of those getting near the first team? I mean, that Granit Xhaka...

He got better, didn't he? To be fair. He improved massively, didn't he? But the rest of them, the rest of them getting it, no one's getting anywhere near it. I was always an Ozil fan. Aubameyang had his moments, didn't he? So, you know, if you had Ozil and Aubameyang in this squad, they'd play a part, for sure. But yeah, the defence, Sokratis, David Luiz, and Maitland-Niles in there, with Saka. Yeah, I mean, he's built from the back, hasn't he? He's made us...

made us so solid. And, and yeah, I think that that's, that that's at the cornerstone of what we've done.

great defensive record. You know, the answer that I grew up on were always solid. Obviously, George Graham, that era, it was build from the back, be hard to beat and play with great spirit. And I think that we've seen a real return to that, obviously, with more than a fair share of guile as well and magic. So, you know, I've loved this journey. It's been superb. And James is absolutely right. He's brilliant.

has been felt at the training ground with the dog, for example, you know, and just the environment at the training ground, which I know I'm not, I'm hardly ever there. I don't even think I've been there once this season, but I know speaking to people that do go, that the training ground is a much happier environment now. The match day experience, the atmosphere inside the bowl is chalk and cheese. And I think he's had a big say in,

a lot of what has changed on a match day. And then you get to the football side and it's, you know, it's a solid nine out of 10, isn't it? In terms of what he's delivered in terms of improvement. So, yeah, I used it. I used the term driving standards up. That's what he's done in everything on and off the pitch. So, James, and I hate to ask this, right? I mean, I,

Is the trophy the thing then, really, at this point? I mean, this is what we're talking about, isn't it, now?

Yeah. Sorry. No, no, no. It's just that it is the next step, isn't it, for this club? It is absolutely the next step, yeah. I think he'll be acutely aware of that. You know, I don't think it's a situation where if he doesn't win a trophy, he's got to go or something like that. I think the margins are too fine, you know, and progress is more nuanced than that. But,

I do think it's something he needs. And really, probably when he looks at the last two years and what the teams achieved across those seasons, he probably thinks those are teams that should have won a trophy or deserve to win a trophy. And I think he'll be desperate to do that. I mean, we're through to a semi-final, right, in the Carabao Cup. So we're edging closer to one. I know that maybe isn't the one that fans...

you know, hanker after. I'm sure it's the league and the Champions League that people are desperate for. But he's doing all the right things to take us there. And I'm sure it's a step that he will take. And it is one that we need to take for sure. I agree with that. And referencing what Adrian said about the fact the last time we won a trophy, none of us were there to actually see it. So before that, it would have been...

Villa in the FA Cup. There might have been a few young fans who don't quite remember what it's like, that feeling of being in the stadium and sharing that with your friends. So yeah, hopefully that will happen very, very soon. Hopefully in February or March or whatever the final of the Caravelle is. So then we'll go from there. By the way, on the last show, we were talking about songs, suggestions as to what should actually be played at halftime that wasn't wrestling music. Well,

Well, you got in touch. You did. I'll just run a few of these by you chaps. Rawdon says, Hi, love the podcast. My suggestion for halftime music when the boys are laboring in unproductive and predictable patterns of play and they really need to find berserker mode is Firestarter by Prodigy. Love the boys, but sometimes they do need to weird out. Yeah.

I like that. You know, at the comedy store, when things were getting a bit quiet and the audience weren't up for it, Stan, who was in the sound booth at the time, would play something a bit heavier and a bit more driving just to get people going. Or if we needed to calm them down, he'd do maybe sort of, you know, live and direct by Aswad just to chill everyone out. And I really like that thinking. So do you think Firestarter, I think, is good, actually, James? Yeah.

Yeah. Maybe that's what Mikel played in the dressing room last night at half-time. Seemed to work. I was... Stoney, I was in the mosh pit at the Isle of Wight Festival many years ago. Foolishly, as it turns out, when Prodigy were on stage. It's great in the mosh pit. I'm not saying I'd go now. Honestly, it...

one of the scariest experiences of my entire life and i had one of those digital cameras that we had at the time and it just it was in my pocket and some i come out there it was no longer in my pocket it was probably in a thousand pieces um on the field somewhere prodigy used to get the people going my son my son went was in uh in a sort of mosh pit for um

I can't remember who it was, at Glastonbury, and he lost his pass to get backstage, right? And I know we were not happy with him, but he says, I think I know where I dropped it. And he somehow went into this field with about 100,000 people in and found it. I mean, honestly, it was tremendous work. And we all looked at him with a deep reverence. Oh.

to that it was very very impressive Shane Shane has written in with a song suggestion also an explainer about each of us which may be useful for new listeners morning guys I won't do the accent I want to but I won't he's basically he says love the show and the Arsenal I'm a long time supporter and listener from Australia and

Good evening, Shane, I guess I should say. He's basically gone through each of us and talked about our attributes and who we remind him of. This is not bad, by the way. He said, like me, I'm a funny and down-to-earth ho-stroke captain that remains optimistic, loves the club and keeps the pod ticking. I'm the Odegaard of the pod. Isn't that, I mean, you can't,

Take that. I will take that. Adrian, amazing analyser of the game and ex-player, the Arteta of the pod. Adrian, stubborn in a way, needs to be more adaptable when it comes to song choices. It's out of order. You know, Amy's just... She's... I don't know. She's...

A lot of these listeners, hasn't she, with her cool song choices. Well, that is, yeah, but hang on a minute. Brainwashed. She's brainwashed them. That's the word I'm looking for. Chill out, Adrian. It's all right. It's all right. You got called the arteta of the pod. You must be all right with that. Amy, by the way, an amazing diehard gooner and wordsmith with fantastic insights. And then in brackets, it says, and music taste, the venga of the pod. All right. I mean, she'll be pleased with that. We've all come out of this pretty well, haven't we? Yeah.

Well, I don't think anyone's going to suffer, really. Art, by the way, grew up Arsenal, always contributes. He is the sacker of the pod, the star boy. Blimey, Art, I'll pass that on. And James, you are the seasoned veteran of...

And backbone of the pod, you are the Saliba. I mean, I feel bad for you being called a veteran when I'm at least 100 years older than you. But you know what? We'll take that. I'll take it. Shane has also come up with second half songs. He'd go Galvanized by the Chemical Brothers. Yes. Not Like Us by Kendrick. Yes. Amy, any of Amy's recommendations. Groove Armada was a great shout. And a collab with a local talented gooner. My tip is Little Sims. He's talking about, he's saying Venom by Little Sims.

Have a great Christmas and New Year and come on you gunners. Thanks, Shane. Archie writes, fire your guns by ACDC. Many thanks, Archie. Anything by ACDC, to be honest, to get them going right. Anything would do. Dave, Dave, a man clearly wishing to remain anonymous, has an odd suggestion. Hi, we need a new rendition of Hot Stuff.

Best regards. What's wrong with the old rendition of Hot Stuff? It's a great song. Any of us full Monty fans. Do you remember the Arsenal version of that from 90...

for the FA Cup final I do I do I'm not sure we need that version oh man I loved it I bought the CD did you yeah great well I was to be fair I was 12 okay fair enough I thought you were going to say you bought the album did the players sing it yeah I think so yeah the players do sing in it as well um what have we got here uh

Ian, not me, is having a laugh. Hi all, love the pod. Thanks for the many hours of entertainment and insight. Given the recent incident with a Spanish commentator singing the Jules theme before we scored another goal from a corner against Manchester United the other week, I have to suggest this is my preferred halftime music. The theme from Jules. Really? I mean, it's not exactly a club classic, that's true, but anything that strikes dread into the heart of the opposition, but I reminded them they'll have to deal with Gabriel for another 45 minutes has my vote.

On occasions, of course, when Jorginho is introduced as a half-time substitute, we can opt to play the theme from Jurassic Park instead. Oh, come on, Ian. Come on. He's only what? I like it. He's younger than all of us. I like it. Probably you in feeling a dread to give that to the opposition with the Jorginho. Yeah, all right.

It's like the Icelandic slow clap. Do you know what I mean? Steady ranking up of Jeopardy. All right. All right. Ian, you know what? The boys seem to like that more than I did. Maybe we should just sing it on a corner. You know what I mean?

60,000 people doing that. That's a bit old, isn't it? Also, it's the pause between the first and the second. Someone's got to coordinate it. Yeah, that's true. Jorginho on the sidelines conducting, you know. You're not coming on for about 30 minutes, mate. You'll be all right. That's the next step for Mikel, I tell you. He'll be on it.

Yeah. Finally, not on the song suggestions at all. Sean writes in from America to let us know that the attempted call and response from our announcer is not just at the Emirates, but the LA Rams also try the same. So perhaps it's a crunkier thing. Um, it may be, it is to be honest, maybe it also doesn't go well in America as well. So just to let you know, um,

Can we have a song from you guys, by the way, before we go? Adrian, we know there's one listener who's not going to be keen and you need to be more adaptable on your song choices. Yeah. But you know what? You are, you're a fella. You're a man after your own heart and you know what you like. I've got basic taste. You know, what can I say? Meat and potatoes guy, we used to say. Exactly. Exactly. This is in homage to Mikel and his five years.

And also in a response to sort of, I didn't like some of the videos. I mean, it's AFTV, but I didn't really didn't like some of the, some of the videos that were doing the rounds after Everton, you know, way over the top. She's got to remember what we know, where we, where we are under our tether and where we've come from. So my song choice is by Jack Johnson, better together. It's always better when we're together.

Because we are better together as a fan base and better together alongside Mikel Arteta. So that is my choice. And a good one too, by the way. Although Jack Johnson, he does, a lot of songs sound very similar, don't they? I mean, they do. It's like another plodder. This is a nice one though. Yeah, no, no, I agree. What about you, James?

Oh, I went Kanye West, Jesus Walks. He does a bit more than walk, though, based on last night. Just great to see him looking like himself. I've gone David Bowie, five years. Five years, five years.

Well, I don't need to explain that one, really, do I? Anyway, that's it from this edition of Handbrake Off. Thanks to Adrian. Thanks to James. Thanks to Abby, our producer. She's back for a short while, I believe, on the show. Thanks for looking after us. And thanks for listening, you guys. I know you two have got to go off, so we'll head off there. See you after Palace. Ta-ra.

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