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  • Our greatest ever and the Va va voom
    The thing about Thierry Henry is, for us Arsenal fans, is that he is probably the only player ever to play for us that could have been regarded as the best footballer in the world in his prime, in our lifetimes. The 1930’s legends were well before modern times and we have no way to determine how good they were. But huge numbers of us have seen Henry play live, either in person or on TV. We have seen the great goals, the trophies carried home, the incredible French team among the greatest World Cup winners, the mesmerizing interplay between him and Bergkamp and also Pires. We watched, and saw majesty. And we allowed that majesty to rub off on us. We were Thierry Henry and we were Arsenal. Va va voom.

    The majesty of the King
    August the 17th is coming right up. He will be 48. He last played for us in 2012, seven games in which he scored twice. He was slower, and not the terror that haunted opposing centre-halves but he was back and it proved that Arsenal was his true home. His best days were at Arsenal and we all know that. We helped make him the best centre-forward in England and the world, feared by defenders, not because of his physicality but his ability to make them look incompetent. Although he probably did score some scruffy goals, I can only remember him scoring worldies all the time. I would look, and my mouth would drop open – how did he score that? If any of you are too young, just check out all his goals for Arsenal, along with Dennis Bergkamp, so many goals were pure magic.
    The most famous number 14?
    He is our top scorer, our sublime number 14, and it is credit to his prowess that his inspiration for that number, the unbelievable Johan Cruyff, is possibly not renowned as the most famous wearer of that shirt.

    The extraordinary Federer, the unsurmountable Tiger, and the King of football
    When Gillette wanted a football figurehead for their massive ad campaign  “The Best a Man Can Get” they chose Roger Federer in tennis, Tiger Woods in golf and our birthday boy in football. This is the company he kept. This is the boy who still regularly tops polls as the greatest Premier League player and he is ours.
    He will always be our greatest?
    It is hard to believe that anyone will overtake him as our greatest player. Nobody truly stands out among the current squad mostly, I believe, because no-one consistently scores goals these past few seasons. Everyone scores a few, no-one scores a lot. Will Gyokeres overtake him? I doubt it although I would love it if he overtook Ian Wright, who is a much more direct comparison as he was also 27 when he came from Crystal Palace. If he could do that, us Arsenal fans would be so happy as we might finally get some big trophies.

    Yes, we know, Thierry
    But back to Henry, he was with us for 8 years if you disregard the short loan spell in 2012. He scored 228 goals for us and I suspect that record will stand uncorrected. But it wasn’t that record that made him stand out but the sheer quality of his goals and the feeling that you were watching greatness. Wayne Rooney, by contrast, scored 253 goals for Manchester United as their record holder but is not held in anywhere near the same esteem as other Man Utd legends. Thierry is our greatest and the reason so many chose Arsenal to be their team.
    Only keepers can handle the ball?
    Of course, in Ireland he is a controversial figure with his handling of the ball in the run-up to the decisive goal when France beat Ireland in extra time in a play-off for the 2010 World cup finals. All sorts of people got involved including Sepp Blatter but nothing was ever done. In football, cheating gets rewarded and, I suspect if Robbie Keane had done the same to France, Irish fans would not have complained. I await the day when football finally bans cheating.

    I never touched it, ref!
    In fairness to Henry, he was never regarded as a cheat and he did say, in the aftermath, that the fairest thing is to replay the match. That was never going to happen.
    He gave us Va va voom and we still have it
    What he did do, though, was to give us our greatest days, the thrill, whenever he got on the ball that he might do something incredible. The double, the Invincibles, winning trophies at rivals grounds, but above all else, the sublime goals that seem a true rarity in modern football. Arsene Wenger allowed him to flourish, to play football, to express himself that may have been knocked out of him by todays coaches who want to control players in where they should be, who to pass to, and what chances to take. For Arsenal it was simple, give the Frenchman the ball, he knows what he is doing. I suspect, without Wenger, it is possible that those glory days might have passed Thierry and us by. He was struggling at Juventus.

    Our greatest manager and our greatest player
    And so we inherited the Va va voom, the advertising cliché for the Renault Clio which got entered into the Oxford dictionary after our birthday boy spun it around Paris but was also what we felt watching Thierry juggle and spin the ball past hapless opponents as another sublime goal was scored. Only us at Arsenal had that Va va voom and we loved it! Happy birthday, young man, you were our greatest and we love you for it.
    3 spots up for grabs?
     
    Looking at the current squad I think it is reasonable to say that there are only 3 positions that are not nailed on. Possibly less as there is an argument that the 11 I am about to reveal is first choice for sure with the possible exception of the players in red.
    David Raya
    Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, Lewis-Skelly
    Rice, Zubimendi, Odegaard
    Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli

    Is Jurrien Timber a certain starter?
    If all are fit, is there anyone out there to argue that I am wrong? And if I am right, then Arteta has managed to secure a settled first team squad in which substitutions and injuries are the only way to allow others to get games. Over 60 games or whatever means that 15, 16, others will play some part in matches but the default could well be these 11. How will that play out, if opportunities are only short term and players don’t get a settled run of games to stake their claim?
    Goal and defence may have no spots really
    In goal, Raya seems certain to get back in straightaway even after an injury. Arrizabalaga seems to be there as second choice only and it is hard to see him snatching the net except with a longterm injury to Raya. Anyone disagree?

    Ben White won't stay as sub, I am certain
    Gabriel, Saliba and Lewis Skelly are nailed on, surely? Is Timber also? He could be. However, keeping Ben White happy seems unlikely in that scenario. He has made it clear he doesn’t want to get splinters on the bench. Calafiori also hasn’t come here for a bit part. Zinchenko and Kiwior will need to move as well if opportunities this season are limited. Both are first choice internationals and they will lose out if they play few games. Mosquera will presumably be willing to bide his time and may even be sent out on loan as he is young. So, at most one spot open in defence.
    Nor is there truly one in midfield
    Nobody is going to argue that Rice and Odegaard haven’t got their places. That means incredible competition for one place. And over 60 million pounds for Zubimendi indicates that that place is his to lose, not someone else to take. Nwaneri is too strong a talent to leave idle but where can he fit? He does not seem like a holding midfielder anyway so Rice or Odegaard are his targets, or maybe upfront? I am certain of one thing, Nwaneri will need lots of games this year to keep him on board. Merino, Norgaard and Havertz are the others most likely to hunt this possible one spot. Bit part players? Seems unlikely considering all are internationals and Havertz and Merino are with major teams that can win trophies.

    Martin Zubimendi at 60 million pounds must be first choice?
    If I am right, though, the eleven posted above will get the majority of games as Arteta seems to trust certain players and uses them a lot if fit. Does anyone disagree with me? Goalkeepers and central defenders only get subbed if injured so midfield and upfront at least allow plenty of appearances if not always a lot of minutes.
    Maybe even 2 spots in attack?
    In attack, Saka is certain. Gyokeres also but he will have to score or create a lot of assists, or threats/space to allow others to score. He is this season’s signature signing, relieving the pressure on Zubimendi which should work in the Spaniard’s favour. All indications are that Martinelli is also first choice although the competition is getting fiercer. Mandueke knows he has to take this chance but will he get it? Nwaneri is lurking, as is Trossard. Trossard is, I believe, a favourite of Arteta, because of his reliability to score. Somehow, he rarely seems to be first choice but is often the first sub. I feel that may continue. When we need a goal send on Trossard.

    Nwaneri must get plenty of games or surely he will go?
    And whither Havertz? He has come back looking bigger, fitter and more determined than ever. If Gyokeres falls apart he is surely the one to step in? Jesus was supposed to be going out on loan but so far that has not happened. Could this finally be his year? Gyokeres will be under a lot of pressure but if he handles it and does a Haaland then chances for the names I have mentioned will be very limited. And I haven’t even mentioned Max Dowman or the others bursting to appear from the Academy.
    A lot of unhappy players?
    So, is that what is going to happen? The top eleven above play the majority of matches and the rest have sore arses? Some really good players could get little opportunities. And of course, lack of game time makes it harder to do well when called upon. Yes, most seasons there are plenty of injuries and last season was for sure one of them, but we may have a fairly clear season this time and that will also generate problems. It is not easy being a manager as only 11 can be on the pitch at any one time. I could be wrong but only Martinelli of the top 11 I have posited is probably not everyone’s first choice. He does seem to be Arteta’s, though.

    Gabriel Martinelli's position may really be the only one open
    I feel it is good for the team to have a settled 11. The only way in now is to play superb when chances are given. That is a test of character for players, to handle the pressure of playing well when coming on as sub or replacing a key player as starter when injured. Kiwior did well last season but the problem is that every mistake is magnified when replacing someone key. Gabriel wouldn’t have done that, or Saka or Rice or Odegaard and the fans get frustrated. Two things seem certain this year – we appear to have greater depth but we also need to win a major trophy because of it. The excuses have run out. Winning is the only currency Arteta can invest in. It may be that this is his year, one way or the other. I hope it is his good year, not his last.
     

    And Kai Havertz is first choice sub striker and midfielder?
    If Unai Emery had stayed?
    Where would we be now if Unai Emery wasn’t forced out by fans frustrated by an unpopular manager? His stuttering attempts at English became an excuse for comedic jeering, his frantic antics on the sidelines as he worked as an orchestral conductor, manically trying to tell players what to do and how to do it, was a source of annoyance and a distinct counterpart to his predecessor, Arsene Wenger ( who while animated, believed in allowing players express themselves)  which all combined to make him unpopular with the fans. With no Arsenal connection. He was not given a true chance to mould Arsenal in his way and we will never know what the outcome would have been if he had been given that chance.

    Was it really necessary to make fun of a man trying to learn something new?
    However, logically, we can make some assumptions. If given the power to fix the team which Arteta was given, it seems likely that we would have major trophies by now. His teams have always overperformed and garnered plenty of trophies despite being underdogs. He works well with players who trust him and don’t try to undermine him as senior Arsenal players did with him, and Arteta when he took over. He is good with young players and gave Arsenal starts to Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Ainsley Maitland Niles, Charlie Patino and Ben Cottrell.
    He made us better
    First off, Arsenal improved under Emery, we were a close fifth, one position above Wenger’s last term and he got us into the Europa League final despite the fact that players were openly laughing at his English and his tendency to pronounce words the Spanish way. Arteta still has this tendency despite years in British football but Arteta has excellent English and his accent sounds normal for a Spanish person. You would never mistake him for a English person although many long term foreigners have chosen to speak with English accents which may provoke hilarity in their home countries.

    Buying Saliba was a masterstroke
    You may say, why am I talking so much about Emery’s English? Surely football prowess is what matters? Because I believe it was the single major reason the Kroenke’s decided to move him on. His own players were videoed poking fun at him and they may well have decided that he didn’t have the respect of the players and would not get it back. Senior star players had become a problem under Wenger and Emery would have needed to clear out this element and build his own team. It took Arteta a while but he now has players he can work with and is getting better performances.
    A strong argument that he would have succeeded?
    But, given what Emery has achieved at Aston Villa, there is a strong case that he would have sorted out Arsenal. Villa are now on the verge of being a major force in European football despite being a relegation basket case when he took over mid season in 2022/23 from Steven Gerrard. He immediately transformed them into winners, shooting them up the table and the following year breaking the so-called big six dominance by qualifying for the Champions League despite many players not really being considered true stars.

    "Martinelli, very early on I was excited about him. He’s become exactly the player I expected. He deserves everything coming his way." Jurgen Klopp
    What were his transfers like at Arsenal? Edu Gaspar was appointed shortly afterwards and I assume he would have also played a large role in who came in. There are some gems and some misses but a certain amount of understanding is needed for the misses. William Saliba is the prize and has become one of the world’s elite defenders. A gold star for Emery. Gabriel Martinelli is the second and despite some fans losing faith because injuries may have diminished him somewhat, he has still been one of our best players and helped Saka to bloom as, whenever pressure was put on Bukayo, Arsenal would switch to Martinelli and teams can’t put 2 players on both of them. Martinelli has been crucial to our rise; make no mistake, even if he may be pushed out because of incomers.
    Unlucky with injuries, and no faith in Martinez
    Kieran Tierney was surely the unluckiest of Emery’s buys. He was crucial from day one, darting forward, keeping wingers in his pocket, and just getting on with the game with no nonsense. We all loved him and still do but injury after injury kept him out and probably lessened his ability. I strongly believe that if he had been injury free he would have kept everyone out and been an Arsenal legend. His first year under Emery was good.

    Tierney at the back -we loved him
    Bernd Leno was and is a good keeper but struggles with the ground football beloved of Emery and Arteta. It is hard to say he was a bad buy, though, as his record shows lots of clean sheets for Arsenal and he kept out Emil Martinez, now regarded by many as the best goalkeeper in the world.
    Pepe – a spectacular miss or a freak run of circumstances?
    Nicolas Pepe didn’t work out but he did show some flashes of brilliance. The weight of the transfer fee, his struggle to learn English (this again), and the emergence of Bukayo Saka meant that he didn’t get a consistent chance to shine and his confidence plummeted. We will never know if, if everything had gone well for him, he may have become an Arsenal legend. His ability is not in doubt, but without confidence, no player can play well.

    Pepe - his confidence seemed to drain away
    Guendouzi is another who definitely had ability but his temperament was suspect. Roy Keane was similar in his younger days but managed to sort himself out. Guendouzi has become a regular at Lazio and at 26, is in the middle of his career. Could be that he will climb better heights.

    Lucas Torreira was not up to standard
    David Luiz was hit and miss but apparently he was great with the youngsters and helped them become better players. Dani Ceballos and Denis Suarez came from Real Madrid and could have been expected to do better. It is hard to fault the logic in taking them. Torreira and Lichtsteiner did not work out. Sokratis was not of the standard required.
    Overall, not a bad transfer record.
    We would now be winners?
    The point is, would he be now winning trophies? It is hard not to argue that he would. He would have had almost two more years than Arteta had and his record as a manager is certainly above Arteta’s at this moment. He has transformed Villa’s players and their reputations, he has brought in top players without crazy transfer fees and the players seem to love him, always praising him for their development. Arteta’s style of play is very similar as is his micromanagement of the team from the sidelines.

    Could we have won our dream trophy under Emery?
    I wonder if, if his English had not become a joke for everyone, would he have succeeded? Did his struggle with English undermine his connections to the Kroenke’s as well? Arteta has excellent English and seems to have a great connection with his bosses. They have never gone after him despite some bad runs and his lack of trophies. Emery didn’t even manage 2 years despite bringing some improvement on Wenger’s last season. It is a credit to Emery that despite the humiliation he received over his English, he bravely went back to England, took on the basket case that was Gerrard’s Villa, and pushed them close to the top of European football. PSG, the European Champions, had a tough battle against them.
    Don’t laugh, but we may have had many many  very good ebenings if we had stayed with Unai Emery.
     
     
    Здравейте на целокупното семейство на „Арсенал България“. Имаме удоволствието да Ви представим една нова рубрика, която решихме, че ще бъде любопитна за всеки един, носещ абревиатурата ASCB в сърцето и душата си. Тук ще си говорим именно за неща, които носим с голямо умиление и неприкрита гордост толкова близо да нашите сърца. Идеята на нашия творчески екип е да представяме под формата на кратко ревю фланелки на Арсенал, които са се превърнали в безусловна класика и са придобили иконичен статут сред привържениците на отбора навсякъде по света. Рубриката ще бъде водена от PR „Връзки с обществеността“ на фен клуба Пламен Томов и едно от нашите лица и своеобразен посланик в Лондон Цветомир Цеков. Експертизата и познанието на двамата са безспорни, а моделите и бройките на екипите, които колекционират са забележителни в постоянството, страстта и усърдието, с които те правят това. И докато единият от двамата наши приятели присъства на почти всяка проява свързана с представянето на новите колекции на Арсенал, другият се интересува от темата с футболните екипи и техните дизайни глобално, а двамата са направили специални секции посветени на Арсенал в своите гардероби. Идеята на рубриката е да има ревюта един път всеки месец, като ПацО`Том и мистър Цеков ще се редуват в представянето на любимите ни екипи.

    Ще започнем с една фланелка, която с течение на времето се превърна в култова, много носена и един своеобразен evergreen сред армията от „артилеристи“. Това е фланелката за гостуване от 1993/94 година и за нея няколко слова ще Ви нахвърлям моя милост Пламен. Този екип за мен има изключително сантиментално значение, защото това бе първата(от последвалите много) фланелки, а самата фланелка има една особена аура и излъчване, които всеки намира в нещата, които харесва. Както се казва първата е само началото на нещо трайно и последователно. Този екип очевидно има особено значение за Арсенал и Адидас като  производител, тъй като немският концерн преиздаде фланелката с една нова версия при повторното си идване като доставчик на екипи в Северен Лондон. Блузката има класическата визия на екипите от 90-те години, като е леко по-широка от съвременните фланелки. Цветово е оформена в ярко жълто, но с една идея по-тъмен оттенък на традиционния цвят за гостуване на Арсенал. В контраст са трите морскосини линии на немската компания, които се спускат по диагонал от дясно на ляво. Този дизайн е много характерен за 90-те години, като Арсенал е от малкото отбори, които използват линиите на Адидас разположени така(вижте екипите на Байерн или пък България и ще забележите разликата), че да образуват симетрично пространство за спонсорското лого. А, спонсорското лого е класическото JVC, което многобройните привърженици на Арсенал смятат за синоним на клуба. Оформено в ярко червено с тънък син контур, логото ярко изпъква на фланелката на лондончани. Емблемата е онази „винтидж“ емблема с елементи от Излингтън, която ни носи толкова сантимент и топлина. Самата тя е  изтъкана върху материята от лявата страна на гърдите. Яката е оформена в червено V-образно деколте с тънък жълт и морскосин кант. Под деколтето е позиционирано логото на ADIDAS Equipment, което е новото т.н. „планинско“ за компанията и сменя традиционната трилистна детелина. Гащетата са в морскосиньо с три жълти канта от лявата страна, а чорапите са оформени в жълто с три големи тъмносини кантове под формата на обръч.

                 Този екип е носен от някои от най-любимите играчи на поколения „артилеристи“ в лицето на Иън Райт, Пол Мърсън, Кевин Кемпбъл и въобще целият състав, който ползваше тази фланелка при своите мачове в турнира на КНК и похода към Копенхаген през 1993/94 г. Незабравим е голът на Райти във вратата на Петер Шмайхел в мача за Чарити шийлд на Уембли, когато с удар от въздуха от далечна дистанция нашето момче прониза датския гигант на противниковата врата.
                    С този екип Арсенал побеждава Стандард Лиеж със 7:0 на стадион Морис Дюфрасне/този стадион е особено любим на бившият председател Георги Стоянов, но това е една друга дълга и забавна история/, което е рекордната победа на  „топчиите“ в Европа, а голмайстори са Алан Смит, Иън Сели, Тони Адамс, Кевин Кемпбъл на два пъти, Пол Мърсън и Еди МакГолдрик. Също с тази фланелка Иън Райт бележи на Парк Де Пренс в полуфинала срещу ПСЖ за наша и за радост на хилядите пропътували разстоянието от Северен Лондон до Париж.

                 Фланелката е носена само един сезон, който се явява и последен за Adidas като доставчик на екипи за клуба през първия такъв период, но със сигурност тя носи много сантимент и приятна тръпка за всеки, който се отъждествява с Арсенал Лондон и се е превърнала в една вечна класика в жълто и морскосиньо!
    Третата контрола на Арсенал бе в Хонг Конг, а съперник Тотнъм. „Артилеристите“ загубиха с 1:0, след меко казано лек гол, в края на първото полувреме.
    Микел Артета стартира със следната единайсеторка:
    Давид Рая бе на вратата. Пред него бяха подредени Бенджамин Уайт, Уилям Салиба, Якуб Кивиор и Майлс Люис-СКели. В халфовата линия Кристиан Ньоргор зае позицията на „шестицата“, а пред него бяха капитана Мартин Йодегор и Деклан Райс. Тройката в нападение бе Букайо Сака-Кай Хвертц-Габриел Мартинели.

    Стартовата единайсеторка
    Още в началните минути Арсенал пое инициатива. „Артилеристите“ изпълниха няколко корнера, в първите 5 минути, но не успяха да отбележат, въпреки че отправиха един опасен удар.
    Тотнъм, от своя страна, можеха да поведат, но ударът на Педро Поро от корнер, удари далечната греда.
    В първите 15 минути скоростта на двата отбора беше висока, което показа, че са в напреднала фаза от подготовката си. Арсенал бе тима, който владееше повече топката, но не създаде много опасности. „Белите“ опитваха атаки, главно отляво, но не застрашиха вратата на Рая.
    В следващите минути, “съседите” станаха малко по-опасни. В този период започна да се вижда една слабост, която преследва Арсенал последните сезони, а именно – корнерите. Давид Рая изпитваше много трудности и това бяха моментите, в които съперника можеше да отбележи.
    През това първо полувреме Арсенал нямаше това доминантно владеене на топката, което е характерно за отбора. В моментите, в които „артилеристите“ владееха топката, съперника се прибираше с всичките си играчи около дъгата на наказателното си поле и вътре в него.
    В 45-та минута Тотнъм поведе. Пас на Рая към Люис-Скели в центъра на терена доведе до грешка на младия англичанин, а Сар я вкара от около 40 метра. Много лек гол във вратата на „артилеристите“ и нова червена лампа за играта на Рая. Люис-Скели бе заобиколен от 4-ма играча на Тотнъм при получаването на паса и възможността за отнемане на топката бе изключително висока.
    Арсенал се опита да отговори веднага в продължението на първото полувремето, но последвалите няколко коренра не доведоха до попадение.
    Като цяло полувреме под стандартите на Арсенал. Отборът се опита да поеме инициативата, но Тотнъм бяха много добре организирани в защита. Това не бива да изненадва, предвид новия мениджър на отбора.
    Второто полувреме започна без промени в състава на Арсенал.
    “Артилеристите“ започнаха активно и в първите 15 минути буквално вкараха противника пред наказателното им поле. „Червените“ отправиха няколко опасни удара, но гол не бе отбелязан. Съперникът почти не играеше с топката и разчиташе предимно на контри.
    Въпреки доминантното представяне, Тотнъм имаха няколко опасни положения, едното от които бе изненадващо изпуснато от Мики Ван де Вен, който надскочи Люис-Скели, но не успя да вкара в опразнената от Рая врата.
    В 68-та минута Зубименди и Тросард замениха Ньоргор и Мартинели.
    Една минута след влизането си, испанецът можеше да отбележи, но ударът му от границата на наказателното поле премина над напречната греда.
    В 77-та минута Арсенал направи още няколко смени:
    Дауман, Мерино, Зинченко, Москера и Виктор Гьокереш замениха Сака, Райс, Люис-Скели, Кивиор и Хавертц. Това бе дебют за Москера и Гьокереш.
    Така отбора придоби следния вид:

    Арсенал след смените
    С първото си докосване и Дауман можеше да вкара, но ударът му бе блокиран от защитата на „белите“.
    В 84-та минута Тросард напусна, защото получи контузия и на негово място се появи Нелсън.
    До края на мача, Арсенал така и не успя да върне попадението и загуби двубоя.
    Като цяло може да се каже, че Арсенал не изигра добър мач. Видяха се старите проблеми с ниския блок и за пореден сезон Артета няма решение. Към момента индикациите са, че отбора ще има проблеми с отборите след средата на таблицата. Добрата новина за испанеца е, че все пак това го видя, по време на тази контрола.
    Второто полувреме бе много по-добро от първото, но беззъбата игра в нападение (16 удара, 13 корнера 1(?) точен изтрел), напълно логично доведе до тази загуба.
    Много слаб мач за Давид Рая. За съжаление през цялата подготовка испанецът не е във форма и това започва да се превръща в проблем. Много грешни решения и несигурност при статични положения.
    Букайо Сака също не бе на ниво и в този мач. Допусна много грешки, пасовете със съотборниците също няха неточни, връзката с Йодегор не се получи.
    Макс Дауман за пореден мач доказа, че не се притеснява от никой и нищо. Това момче е на противоположния полюс по отношение на формата. Същото може да се каже и за Мартин Зубименди.
    Дебют за Арсенал направиха Кристиан Москера и Виктор Гьокереш. За съжаление те нямаха много време и не се отличиха с някакви по-специални действия. Въпреки това може да бъде отбелязано спокойствието, с което Москера изнася топката и я разпределя. Гьокереш се отличи с доста агресивност към топката и веднага си пролича този „уличен“ подход към противника. Повече от тях ще се види другата седмица срещу Виляреал.
    С този двубой турнето приключи. Следва дълго прибиране към Англия и последен етап от подготовката преди старта на сезона.

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