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Welcome to hell? Lads, I’ve already been in it.
Those were the thoughts of a philosophical Vithushan Ehantharajah on tonight’s Ramble Reacts after Manchester United failed to beat the Hall of Fame of Your Favourite Players You Don’t Really Pay Attention To.
Vish and Marcus reflect on a dramatic and chaotic Champions League night in Istanbul, mainly thanks to the slippery hands of one man: André Onana. Plus, Mikel Arteta takes the handbrake off and leaves us thinking Arsenal are going to win the whole thing, while Sergio Ramos wins the lottery!
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Newcastle were on the end of a stinking decision last night. Predictably, Pete seems the least outraged by the whole incident - but Marcus and Vish are angry about it, particularly because it robbed Nick Pope of his clean sheet bonus. Maybe not quite as angry as the Newcastle fan that had to turn on his Christmas lights to cheer himself up, mind...
Elsewhere, we ask if Man City fans would be happier if they gave every team a head start and Pete’s penned a power ballad for a very sad Gary O’Neil! Poor Gary.
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We witnessed one of the greatest ever Premier League goals on Sunday, but there are more urgent matters to attend to on today’s show. Like… is Sean Dyche actually bald?
Marcus, Vish, Jim and Pete guide you through a chaotic Premier League weekend! We argue that Lewis Miley looks like a stretched out Furby, Steve Bull should be given an unlimited number of dogs by Wolverhampton City Council, and why Pete should definitely be allowed to launch a new German techno club in Motherwell. Come join us! On the podcast of course, not the nightclub.
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Mikel Arteta, regarded as one of the best managers in England, has achieved a new milestone in the Premier League with Arsenal.
The Spanish manager has consistently performed well since taking over the helm at Arsenal and has now set a new record. The recent victory against Brentford marked his 116th win as the Gunners manager in 200 games.
This accomplishment makes him the Arsenal manager with the most wins after 200 games, surpassing the records of Arsene Wenger (111) and George Graham (106), as revealed by Coaches Voice on Twitter.
Despite facing initial scepticism from critics when appointed for his first senior managerial role, Arteta has proven himself. Arsenal’s hierarchy, who never doubted his suitability for the position, deserves credit for sticking with him.
What a remarkable achievement and testament to Arteta’s managerial prowess.
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Pundit Steve Sidwell believes that Arsenal’s win against Brentford this evening sends a strong message to Liverpool and Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title.
The draw between Liverpool and Manchester City earlier in the day provided an opportunity for Arsenal to claim the top spot with a victory against Brentford.
Despite facing challenges in the game, Mikel Arteta’s side, far from their best form, managed to secure the win and is entering the new week as the league leaders.
Arsenal put in considerable effort to secure the decisive goal, and it seemed like an opportunity they couldn’t afford to miss.
Former Chelsea player Sidwell sees this victory as a clear message to the other two contenders in the race for the league title.
© Football Ramble
Retail workers are walking out during the busiest shopping day of the year, Black Friday, leveraging a weekend of huge profits for retailers to demand better pay and working conditions.
Amazon workers in more than 30 countries are striking this weekend as part of the worldwide “Make Amazon Pay” campaign, protesting the retailer’s labor practices, low wages, and high emissions. The strike would amount to “the largest day of industrial disruption in Amazon’s thirty-year history,” according to Amanda Gering, an organizer with the UK’s GMB union, which began strikes at Amazon earlier this month. This Black Friday marked the fourth year globally that Amazon workers have planned strikes for this shopping weekend—an effort that began during Covid, when Amazon made record profits as workers struggled and, in some cases, died.
In Washington, about four hundred Macy’s employees from three different stores went on strike, beginning their picket at 3:00 AM on Black Friday. Their union, the United Food and Commercial Workers, says that Macy’s isn’t doing enough to address safety threats like violent shoppers and shoplifting, and that pay is not keeping up with the cost of living. “Workers don’t feel safe in our store, and now they are scared of retaliation so they’ve stopped calling for help when they see a threat,” explained sales associate Liisa Luick in a release from UFCW 3000. Azia Domingo, who has worked for Macy’s for 21 years, said, “Macy’s is making billions of dollars and paying their CEO $11 million a year, but most of us workers are struggling to make ends meet…We shouldn’t have to question whether we can afford to have health insurance and go to the doctor.”
These Black Friday strikes cap off a historic year of labor action. In September, the United Auto Workers launched a historic strike at the country’s three largest automakers. (Mother Jones’ rank-and-file staff, including the author of this post, are represented by UAW Local 2103.) In October, the largest health care strike in US history took place when 75,ooo Kaiser Permanente workers across five states and Washington, DC, walked out. Hollywood actors and writers spent almost half the year away from sets and writer’s rooms, demanding better pay and protections around the use of artificial intelligence.
“Workers know that it doesn’t matter what country you’re in or what your job title is,” said General Secretary Cristy Hoffman of UNI, an international union federation which has workers taking part in this weekend’s Amazon strike. “We are all united in the fight for higher wages, an end to unreasonable quotas, and a voice on the job.”
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Mikel Arteta expressed immense relief following Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Brentford in the Premier League today.
The game could have swung in either direction, with Brentford putting up a strong defence and coming close to scoring the opening goal. However, Arsenal held their ground and secured a crucial win against a well-organised Brentford side.
Arsenal will now look to capitalise on this victory, and BBC pundit Alistair Bruce-Ball observed the visible relief on the Arsenal manager’s face after the match.
He said on the BBC:
“Mikel Arteta with some vociferous celebrations. That win meant a lot to him. Brentford put a lot in the way of Arsenal tonight, but they have managed to win the game.
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Kai Havertz emerged as Arsenal’s hero, securing a 1-0 victory against Brentford in the Premier League this evening.
Having witnessed Liverpool and Manchester City share points earlier in the day, the Gunners were determined to secure a win that would propel them to the top of the league standings.
Motivated for success, Arsenal faced a determined Brentford side capable of thwarting their victory aspirations. The Bees, meeting expectations from neutrals, posed a threat and could have claimed victory if not for a vigilant Oleksandr Zinchenko, who made a crucial goal-line clearance.
Although Arsenal dominated the first half, they struggled to find the necessary goal until Havertz entered the game, scoring the decisive winner just before the 90-minute mark.
Sky Sports’ David Richardson noted that it might not have been their best performance, but Havertz’s contribution ultimately saved them.
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Kai Havertz was Arsenal’s hero as the Gunners defeated a resilient Brentford side, propelling themselves to the top of the Premier League table.
Mikel Arteta’s side had observed Liverpool and Manchester City sharing the spoils in their earlier game and knew they had to win to secure the top spot in the Premier League table, which they did.
It was not an easy game by any means, as Brentford showed why they are one of the toughest clubs to beat in the Premier League. Arsenal thought they had scored the opener in the first half when Leandro Trossard found the back of the net, but it was ruled out for offside by VAR.
In the second half, Brentford aimed to press for a victory and sensed they could win. However, Arsenal was still in pursuit of that elusive goal and had Oleksandr Zinchenko to thank for a goal-line clearance.
It appeared as though Brentford would escape with a point, but Mikel Arteta shuffled his team and brought on the highly criticized Kai Havertz as a substitute late in the game. The German would emerge as the hero of the day, heading home the game’s only goal in the 88th minute.
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After one year, with more than 2,500 lawsuits filed, New York’s Adult Survivors Act expired Friday. The act lifted the statute of limitations for civil claims by adult sexual assault survivors, providing New Yorkers a one-year “lookback window” to sue their offenders or the institutions that enabled them.
For the last year, survivors’ high-profile cases against powerful individuals have made national headlines, sometimes decades after they were assaulted. In May, a federal jury found Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation in a case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll under the act. The rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been sued three times under the act. Cases have also been brought against performers Russell Brand, Bill Cosby, and Jamie Foxx.
But, of course, not every case was brought against a famous person—and many reveal the complicity of powerful institutions in New York state. As the act was set to expire, Anna Kull, a partner at trial law firm Levy Konigsberg LLP, told the Financial Times that of the nearly 630 cases she filed, 600 were “cases filed on behalf of formerly incarcerated women who were sexually abused by correctional officers.” The Survivors Law Project, a collaboration between lawyers Carrie Goldberg and Susan Crumiller, filed suit against the New York Police Department under the act, alleging “a pervasive and long-standing custom and practice of transferring and/or demoting female police officers in retaliation for making complaints of sexual harassment.”
The Survivors Law Project also worked with Maggie Cruz to bring a suit on behalf of her mother, a developmentally disabled woman who was raped and impregnated in 1985. Through a DNA test, Cruz identified her father as a caretaker who worked at the facility where her mother had lived. “My mother has had a hard life,” said Cruz in a statement. “I hope this lawsuit will help her get the care that she deserves after [the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities] failed to protect her from her attacker 37 years ago.”
Evelyn Yang, the wife of former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, used her platform to help pass the act, inspired by her own experience being sexually assaulted by her OB-GYN while pregnant with her first child. Earlier this year, she spoke to my colleague Maggie Duffy about her experience:
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The international break is now over, and the Premier League returns with Arsenal travelling across London to face Brentford. Here is the team that Mikel Arteta has selected.
𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎
Tomiyasu at the back
🪄 Trossard in midfield
Odegaard returns
Let's do this, Gunners pic.twitter.com/u1NYfTABg2
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 25, 2023
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Mikel Arteta will be expected to field his strongest available Arsenal lineup today at Brentford in order to ensure that they leave G-Tech Stadium with all three points. A win could help Arsenal in the title chase because either Manchester City or Liverpool (or both if they draw) could drop points when they meet at the Etihad.
That said, Aaron Ramsdale is a sure starter versus Brentford. David Raya is unable to play against his parent club, Brentford, due to Premier League rules. After not appearing in the Premier League since the September international break and only appearing twice in the Carabao Cup, the Englishman now has a chance to play in the league.
And as per Adrian Clarke, Aaron Ramsdale’s rare start could give him a chance to reclaim his starting spot in the Arsenal lineup. Clarke stated on the Hand Brake Off podcast, “I think it’s unlikely, but it’s not impossible.
“Just think I have to pull a blinder here and be exceptional. He must perform admirably in this match. If he performs well, it could work in his favor.
“I’ve seen careers turn before on one game; we all have, where players have an unbelievable game and the manager changes their mind on them. It can happen, and a lot of people will be hoping it happens this weekend with Aaron Ramsdale against Brentford.”
© Football Ramble
Mikel Arteta to manage his 200th game against Brentford
Mikel Arteta will manage his 200th game for Arsenal this weekend against Brentford, joining the mighty Arsenal in 2019 and has since been an incredible addition to the club., almost walking away last season winning the league. He’s built a team up over the past 3 years to suit his system and the Arsenal way of play. Once an Arsenal star player, now turned an Arsenal managing legend.
Since joining the club Arteta has managed to build a team that is worthy of the record books, it has taken a few years to get settled properly but with the support of the owners and the staff at the club, Arteta looks like he was born to manage Arsenal and has taken a lot of pride in doing so. Although he is sometimes very passionate and somewhat emotional, it fits into the foundations of what Arsenal was built on.
Taking Arsenal to the FA Cup final in 2020 after beating his former side Manchester City in the semi-final, later going on to win the trophy in a 2-1 win over Chelsea, winning his first bit of silverware as manager of the club and becoming the first manager to win a trophy in his first season since George Graham in 1987. Later that year he went on to win his second trophy in the Community Sheild against Liverpool where they beat them 5-4 on penalties.
Arteta then led Arsenal to the semi finals of The Europa League in 2021 but ended up getting knocked out after a 2-1 loss on aggregate to Villarreal and had a hard season to follow, finishing 8th in the league and missing out on any European competitions for the 2022 season. Arsenal fans wanted him out and were calling for his head, but the club backed him and stuck with his plan, and you won’t find many Arsenal fans that would regret that decision.
© Football Ramble
AWFC vs Southampton player ratings
Arsenal Women walked away 2-1 winners on Thursday night after a tough performance down at St. Mary’s Stadium in this season’s Continental Cup group stages. Arsenal were the better team on the night but Southampton put up a good fight. Here’s my player ratings for the night.
Sabrina D’Angelo – 7
Made some important saves to keep us in the game but wasn’t able to keep a clean sheet and was also lobbed early in the second half but other than that had a solid night.
Steph Catley – 7.5
© Football Ramble
If Arsenal does not sign a striker during the winter transfer window, it will be shocking. Why wouldn’t they when their striking has been termed inefficient, requiring them to purchase a top striker to make it efficient? Brentford’s Ivan Toney has been linked the most among the several great strikers Arsenal could target. Apparently, Arsenal executives believe he has the potential to lead the club to glory.
According to a story in the Sun concerning Toney, Chelsea decision-makers are certain Arsenal wants Toney and will go to any length to sign him.
With that in mind, they claim Chelsea is aware of the Toney-transfer competition and is eager to compete with Arsenal and Tottenham (both of which are interested in the 27-year-old).
With the bees unwilling to let Toney leave on the cheap, a transfer battle would be music to their ears.
Arsenal will need to be cautious in their approach to Toney. If I were a decision-maker at the club, I would have considered a swap plus cash deal offer.
© Football Ramble
This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
In the beginning, parking lots were created to curb chaos on the road. But climate change has turned that dynamic on its head.
Since the 1920s a little-known policy called parking minimums has shaped a large facet of American life. In major cities, this meant that any type of building—apartments, banks, or shopping malls—needed to reserve a certain amount of parking spaces to accommodate anyone who might visit.
But transportation makes up almost one-third of carbon emissions in the US and cars represent a significant portion of those emissions. As the country attempts to aggressively cut carbon emissions, reducing dependence on fossil fuels will also mean rethinking what transportation and public space look like, especially in cities.
Earlier this month, the city of Austin, Texas, became the latest community to eliminate parking minimums and is now the largest city in the US to do so. “If we want half of all trips to be in something other than a car, then we can’t, as a city, in my opinion, mandate that every home or business have at least one parking space for each resident or customer,” said Zohaib Qadri, the Austin city council member who introduced the measure.
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We’re finally back in the warm, comforting arms of our benign Premier League overlords. And do you know what that means? Protest planes.
Pete, Vish, Andy and Jim discuss how Everton fans should make their protest heard, what it would be like to have your head in Jurgen Klopp’s armpit, and unconfirmed reports that Erling Haaland has a Viking longboat on its way to Liverpool full of special super fish. Plus, can Horsham default their way to the FA Cup final? Up the Lard Army!
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This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
Elon Musk was once lauded as a sort of green Tony Stark—the genius inventor who leads a double life as superhero Iron Man—for single-handedly tackling the climate crisis one Tesla at a time, helping to forge a clean energy future and pushing for new taxes to drive down fossil fuel use.
But the climate credentials of the world’s richest person have become clouded by his embrace of rightwing politicians, some of whom dismiss global heating, as well as by his management of X, formerly known as Twitter, during which many climate scientists have fled the platform amid a proliferation of misinformation about the climate crisis.
Those contradictions run deeply through his work and life. The man who sometimes seems to think of himself as a spartan-living, green thinker is actually one of the elite 1 percent of the world’s population who, according to a new Oxfam report, produce as much carbon pollution as the poorest two-thirds of humanity, comprising 5 billion people. Where does the reality lie?
Musk’s private jet has taken about 200 flights in the past year.In 2020, Musk vowed to get rid of “almost all physical possessions” and he has since jettisoned a number of mansions, opting instead to occasionally sleep on the couch of friends’ homes and, more recently, to move into a $50,000 modular home in Boca Chica, Texas, near the testing and development site of SpaceX, his space tourism venture. And unlike many billionaires, Musk does not own a superyacht, which tend to be highly polluting.
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Been wondering what you’re missing out on over on the Football Ramble Patreon? Well, here’s a taste…
Every single Wednesday, we serve up our Friends of the Ramble with ‘Ramble Uncut’ – an extended edition of the show where we let you in behind the curtain for our unfiltered ramblings about football, life, and Alan Pardew’s presumably sickening taste in interior design.
Today, you’ll hear some of our favourite moments so far this season - from Pete’s latest baffling investment, to the time Andy was chased by a horse off the pitch at Plough Lane, and (drum roll, please) our updated takes on the Premier League’s hardest manager.
For more, head to patreon.com/footballramble! You’ll get weekly editions of Ramble Uncut and ad-free shows from the Ramble, On The Continent AND Upfront for just $5 per month. Don’t miss it!
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