Key Performance Indicator.

Great to be talking about that on a football forum.

You're right, I wasn't actually being serious. Hoped the ... would be a clue. That said, if we have another one of our every player in particular position injury crises, I guess it doesn't hurt to have the odd body knocking around desperate for a game...But all our other options, including AMN, would have to be injured. I would have said McGuane too, but he's buggered off to Barca (cos they don't have nearly as many quality central midfielders blocking his way?)

Depends on whether you believe Arsene will still be here next year. I'd say its 50/50 for him at best at the mo.

Different players, but Wrighty was 28 when he signed...And although not to the same degree Aubameyang was a late bloomer. You never know!

I wasn't being entirely sincere. But it has to be said, Conte's managing of the Diego Costa situation and his performance in big games since about last March has been a concern.

Ha ha

Actually he shouldn't even be on the bench. If the club is justifying him not appearing for court, then he should stay away from the Ems tomorrow.

Hello SG forum. What's it like to actually live in a free country?

My guess is Theo will get a warm welcome. I hope we batter fat Sam though. I want Theo to do well and get capped in the summer. Everton can go kick rocks though with fat Sam at the helm. He's been open in his book about reveling in beating Wenger specifically. Its personal with him.

I also wonder what type of reception Giroud will get, my guess is the next time he visits us he'll get a warm reception.

Sanchez will not is also my guess.

Key performance indicators. A term to set out an employees expectations.

You want our keeper to run away when there's a cockup developing in front of him??

I'm assuming you mean employer's expectations? Used to crucify hardworking people in my industry in order to "manage them out". Often a bully's way of managing.

If someone was holding a .303 at him, then yes. Pretty dangerous those things.

It is funny how the media are jumping to the defence of City and suddenly banging the drum to rid the game of deliberate and dangerous tackles. There is a double page spread in the paper today showing the 9 'horror' tackles faced by City players this year.

I'm completely on board with the campaign because this sort of thuggery happened to Arsenal time and time again, we've got 3 horrific broken legs and injuries or potential injuries from all sorts of things that are outside the rules - BUT the reaction when we complained was very different. Weren't we laughed at and told to "man up"?

You could do a double page spread of that man u tackles in the 50th game alone. Rarely since have I witnessed such a one sided injustice in a high profile game.

If you have Optus in Australia the game is only available live & not on demand afterwards. Maybe catch Arsenal TV on Foxtel later in the week. I am expecting us to win 3-1

Top trolling I like your style.

Obviously it holds little sway that numerous posters have pointed out that it isn't remotely personal and have cited Allardyce's own words on the topic. It also gives you the opportunity to admire again your own brilliant blocking strategy because of course you haven't read any of that right?

I very much like "it's personal with him" as a declaratory end-statement filled both with dramatic urgency and the need to convey this woke insight - only marginally undercut by not actually being true.

You are right Daz. But even if American was correct about it being personal on Allardyce's part with Wenger, I would see that as a point in favour of the Everton manager.

My rageometer with Wenger is currently fairly low tending towards complete indifference. He is what he is - a man of very apparent shallows and simply impervious to any need other than his driving urge never to retire come what may. Whatever Hoy says about his nobility, he is a complete plank and a rotting one at that, letting the dank cold water rush into the hull of the...can I work this metaphor any harder, no let's leave it there.

With regard to the team I now have a mild interest in new developments - the Mhk, Au, La elements of the new periodic table - but other than that I am also fairly indifferent. Really hope Theo scores this afternoon, you don't have to be as far gone as me to see that as a hilariously desirable outcome.

But you've blocked the SG forum.

Here he is, let's grab the Bermondsey tiger by the tail.

Hoy.

Tell me you wouldn't have a frisson of amusement if Theo bagged a hatrick?

That's first amendment trolling.

Th only problem with taking a greater interest in Brentford these days is when supporters write: 'Come on you Bee's'. You can imagine how that plays chez Daz but there are only so many grammar wars I can fight...

Talking of nicknames for second clubs, one of Bayern's I don't like is 'FC Hollywood'. I find 'The Bavarians' and 'The Reds' more tolerable.

New series of Gomorrah on sky is excellent FYI. Based on Robert Savionos brilliant book of the same name. Worth checking out

I’ve never understood why managers don’t name a full 7 players on the bench. City only name 6 for this mornings game.

It’s usually done as a clear message from the manager to the bird to show his squad is thin and he wants to be backed in the transfer market. If ever there was a manager in the history of the game who can’t complain about that it is Pep.

Why not put an academy player on the bench. Unlikely to play but if you’re 5-0 up with 20 mins to go you can give him absolutely invaluable experience.

Question for Hazuki there I reckon...

I’ve never understood why managers don’t name a full 7 players on the bench. City only name 6 for this mornings game.

It’s usually done as a clear message from the manager to the bird to show his squad is thin and he wants to be backed in the transfer market. If ever there was a manager in the history of the game who can’t complain about that it is Pep.

Why not put an academy player on the bench. Unlikely to play but if you’re 5-0 up with 20 mins to go you can give him absolutely invaluable experience.

A whole swathe of Utd games at that time. When we won the league at OT, they literally tried to kick lumps out of us. On top of RVN stamping on Cashley's knee there was the remarkably speedily hushed up RVN punching Freddie in the stomach mid match (that got taken off you-tube in almost record time and sky refused to show any replays - back when sky had shares in utd). in 07-08, we literally got kicked out the title. Best team in the country by a mile til march, and then we just ran out of players. RVP and Rosicky apart all our other injuries that year were the result of awful awful tackles. Everyone remembers Eduardo, but the one that took Hleb out at Villa was in some ways worse as the Villa man couldn't even pretend to be going for the ball because it was so far gone and Hleb so far in front of him.

But then, despite a change in the right direction in recent years, there are a lot of long-term rabidly anti-Arsenal voices in the press, particularly at the tabloids. Not so bad now, but for a long time the Standard & BBS sports desks were dominated by hardcore Spurs fans...and of course a lot of tabloid journos are just morally absent scum to be honest. Had the dubious pleasure of meeting a couple (and Steinberg at the Guardian, massive WHU man) and I hope I never meet them again.

Such indifference that you post slagging him off or ridiculing him or desiring the team to lose to see him suffer, fail and accelerate his sacking - with alarming regularity. We all know that its time for him to go, except perhaps Hoy who is mostly railing against the levels of revisionist disrespect aimed at Wenger, but your indifference appears to manifest itself in an obsession that is surpassing even Wiltord/Freddie in endlessly repetitive tediousness.

As for wanting the team to fail to wound the manager who is already clinging on by his fingernails as evidenced by all the activity around him...jesus wept.

He's blocked too though.

Plus, there have been worrying signs in Haz's homeland recently especially with the Finns Party picking right-winger Jussi Halla-aho as leader.

Ouch, Mr Lomekian, those claws of yours!

I have to confess I tend to skim your didactic multi-threads bringing us up to date on the REAL state of things at the club so I can't safely say whether your own contribution to scrotum-aching tedium - refs and their bias against us supported by your big Mike Dean's percentages file - continues unabated.

That's not my only reason or indeed permanent condition but it very much depends on my mood - I am large, I contain multitudes etc.

You pompous *%^@!

With you all the way Lom. Pompous, talk about the pot calling the kettle black, such a hypocrite...................

Uh oh that’s a formidable tag team...

Funny, because you've managed to respond to almost every single post I've made on the subject over the last 5 -10 years. As for the rest, given that much is actually based on either research or sources rather more closely connected to things, you might actually take some comfort from them, given that much of the content reflects the diminishing power base of the manager and the club's combination of slowly reducing his level of control and clear attempts at succession planning.

That would be quite some achievement if I had although 5-10 years of posting on the same subject does somewhat prove my point.

You, calling me pompous?

As you'll note I've never commented on anything about you bar your posts on here. Of course you contain multitudes...such is a consequence of thought, conscious or otherwise. But your posts about the manager outweigh any of mine regarding match officials by a significant multiplier, and of late have also been a greater proportional representation of your posts. As for your size, I don't care to speculate.

And as for the rest and please don't take this the wrong way and get your feathers all ruffled but the erosion of Wenger's power is hardly Pentagon Papers material is it?

In fairness I don't take any of this nearly as seriously as you I suspect.

Well given this is a football forum, and thus, despite its divergent nature, still primarily concerned with football, there are a limited number of recurring themes...with match officials being a fundamental constant. Particularly Mike Dean after 19 years...

While it may be a topic that irritates some, it is no less a constant that the team as a whole, the manager, the stadium or any other aspect of the game, and thus by nature a perpetually relevant and self-renewing topic.