He’s 1 year into a long term contract. He’s going nowhere

AG talking nonsense

Yes.

Yes, an extremely vivid imagination, and a big dollop of paranoia.

Benitez is a good guy. I saw Sky Sports recently and they cut to a scene of fans protesting the owner. Sounds eerily familiar.

You are American after all ...... so can be excused for not getting things quite right .... you see Leno is actually our goalkeeper .

That's the guy right at the back who stands in between the goalposts with the gloves and different colour jersey .

It's kind of hard to orchestrate things and make yourself heard from that far back .

A bit more research will show all the best captains Roy Keane , Alan Ball , Tony Adams , Billy Bonds , Billy Bremner , Graeme Souness , Dave Mackay , Bobby Moore , Frank McLintock

played either central midfield or central defence ............ hope this helps .

Here's one American who got it right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQi48T4YWh4

No , no , no .... Old Man .... a shining example of your eclectic tastes but to plinky plunky for me . Never liked jazz .. Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" and Acker Bilk's " Stranger on the shore " are passably acceptable .

Apart from Mark Knofler and Hank Marvin I like guitarists who eat plenty of red blooded raw meat

Link Wray , Duane Eddy , The Ventures , The Ramrods , Jet Harris , Bill Dogget ..... ..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pKGw47QkMg

The Aussies making things a bit difficult for you guys in the cricket .

Wes Montgomery? How did I miss this guy? Never heard of him but love this clip. Thanks. I went to uni in the American south and learned a lot of blues and jazz (I wasn't too interested in country music). I thought I was aware of most of the good artists.

I went to school with Acker Bilk’s son. His name was Peter. From what I remember he was a quiet lad but a nice enough bloke.

That's wonderful. Thanks for that Old Man

Then there's this guy. Earl "Snake Hips" Tucker. A bit old school for some, 1930's.
The slide, break dance, shimmy all in one here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U4ww-MmAY4

Wow, Zed. Great video. I'm also impressed. Seems like a movie and its a bit 'suggestive' and surprised for the times. Elvis wasn't even allowed to be filmed from the waist down and that was much later.

Saw online, Mourinho rumored to consider the Newcastle job. This seems to indicate what some managers of top clubs go....to second tier clubs as they are now tainted. Ranieri is one. Wenger is trying to avoid that and its not going well on available jobs for him.
Mourinho at the Toon? How low the mighty have fallen.

Every morning I get on and see how many players we have signed overnight. Oh well let’s talk the cricket World Cup if there is nothing else to chat about. Any takers?

Me too but then the whole market seems to be really quiet with minimal confirmed transfers. I expect it will pick up in mid July once everyone has their ducks lined up.

Spurs close to £65m signing of Ndombele from Lyon. Big prices will get fans excited but I’ve never seen the guy play. For £65m he has to be a match winner

It may still be a rumour but if it did happen then we can forget about getting much talent for 40mil as clubs will be asking silly prices across the board from english clubs to buy players from overseas.

Spurs spending our entire budget on one player.

Only sacking Emery and appointing Benitez will counter this

For once, I’m quite looking forward to the new season. I’m really hopeful that we see more of Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock, Emile Smith-Rowe and Krystian Bielik. The point to make about that lot is that Bielik apart, they’re all midfielders; that seems to be the talent we’re producing. I’d love to include Zech Medley but I sincerely doubt that he’s ready. Not sure Bielik is quite ready either so I don’t really see him in the middle of the defence yet, but as a defensive midfielder - maybe. I haven't seen much of him recently but I think he has talent.

So for all those reasons, I’d be content if we blew our entire transfer budget, including any fees we may generate by sales, on one single top-notch central defender.

If we promote our better youth players, bring in some young, dynamic players such as the Celtic fullback and keep the better first teamers (Bellerin) and get rid of the dead weight (Mustafi, etc.), I'd be interested in seeing an Arsenal side that were vibrant and had some fight in them.

So, Gazidis is raiding his old club, eh?

https://metro.co.uk/2019/06/26/arsenal- ... -10072524/

According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian club are therefore willing to include two players in a deal: midfielder Franck Kessie and left-back Ricardo Rodriguez. Milan’s willingness to include Kessie in a deal has already been reported, though the Serie A side’s valuation of around £35m – coupled with Arsenal’s interest in other midfielders – could prove to be a stumbling block.

The Rossoneri are more optimistic about Rodriguez being accepted as part of a player-plus-cash deal, however, with Milan ‘convinced’ that the player is exactly what Unai Emery is looking for. Arsenal are in the market for a new left-back this summer, with Nacho Monreal expected to leave, and Rodriguez’s attacking intent and versatility – also capable of playing as a wing-back – is a good fit for Emery.

He was 'worth' £7m last season. The game is going mad.

Interesting stats from the Times today. Encouragingly persuasive.

No assists in 23 games in the bundesliga. As promising as he is I’m not sure the 19 year old can be relied upon to save Emery’s job and drive us into the top 4.

He’s probably an option off the bench at best.

As for the others Willock maybe but smith Rowe needs a season loan

Interesting stats LTG.

I like 'the idea' of Nelson, not least because he and his entire family are time-served gooners.

Kessie looks like a bit of a lump - plays like one too. Puts himself about like a dodgem car.

Reading his profile, while playing for Ivory Coast in a tournament when he was 16, he was reported to FIFA and accused of being 22!

Shades of the blessed Kanu who was at least 47 when he signed for us.

They are indeed. Full article here.

Yeah, but given that we seem to have two and sixpence ha'penny to spend it would seem to be a good idea to make use what talent we have in this area and spend the money on the defence.

Think you'll find most guys named Peter are pretty nice guys .

Decided to stay up for a bit for the first time and watch the poxy little country in the cricket World Cup ....

We've beaten all the minnows Sri Lanka , South Africa , West Indies , Bangladesh , Afghanistan but the wheels are dropping off big time against Pakistan .

Yeah - funny, that.

Remember when we allegedly bid £90m for Thomas Lemar on transfer deadline day. What's he worth now? Half that?

It is madness.

You're probably right, although that assists stat is slightly deceptive. He only played 628 minutes in total.

Ornstein is now saying Zaha wants to come to arsenal. He’s an arsenal fan as a kid.

There’s definitely something in this it’s not speculation as people close to the club are saying they are hearing it.

If we got him and Tierney it would transform the left hand side of our first 11 and is absolutely what we need

Surely a transfer can be worked out ?

40 million in installment plus chambers and some loans

Reading, Rich, Soc, ltg, comments on transfer prices. I wasn't around back then but I have to assume the same things were said when transfer records were set such as the first player that cost 10,000 pounds, 100,000 pounds and 1 million pounds. I assume some of you were around in those days for the higher amounts.

American sports went through the same. Salaries in the NBA took off in the 90s onward. Baseball soon there after. Ice Hockey was the last one but that took off. The NFL not as much because they have a weak player union. No guarantee contracts.

Kiwi's lot getting skittled by the brilliantly unpredictable Pakistan. How sad

TG - can you see Zaha, Lacazette and Aubameyang in the same team? I can't. Not even in the same squad.

Of course that doesn't rule out Zaha joining us, but if he did, it would suggest to me that one of the other two is off.

Those 3 wouldn't work in a front 3 up top? 4-3-3 maybe? We'd need a solid midfield though.

Can't see any price he is worth that we can meet frankly.

I ‘blame’ this man https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... ny-hateley

.... or perhaps George Eastham

I think you could have all 3 and rotate. On the run in I thought Lacazette and Aubameyang looked our freshest players because we were able to use them more sparingly than other players.

I think you are quite right it could mean selling Aubameyang or Torreira but it might be worth it. Zaha is however a natural winger and we don’t have one in the squad currently