Lampard is doing the best.
Anyway, top 4 is out. And the 4 teams seem already decided. Can't seeing anyone dislodging Chelsea. Iffy on Europa next year and frankly doesn't seem we deserve it right now. Would be happy as clams for Sheffield and/or Wolves if they got in.

At this point, I'd just love to finish ahead of Tottenham and Man Utd. That's about the extent of my goals for Arsenal right now. That and we get some belief back, even if the results aren't there. I'd like to see us in there fighting for each ball, each point.

Ancelotti has taken over Everton today.

Two minutes after I made that post obviously ...... back in from the cold Bernard .

Didn’t they say yesterday that Ancelotti was taking over today?

Of course to pick you up on something

Thought Daz might have re-appeared after that post knocking his hero Jenas.

Good to see you've returned Bernard. Anceloti starts Monday I suppose.

It's 3 Kiwi. Ferguson's last day was Saturday or yesterday.

Bernard, welcome back. Just like George Smiley- in from the cold.

Hi Zed, thanks and to Gaz and kiwipete, as well as bromley, Top Gun and socrates for their comments shortly after I began my break.

Unless I misunderstood what they said Zed, I thought MOTD last night declared both Ancelotti and Arteta were both starting their new jobs today, so Sunday the 22nd.

Did anyone realise that our results were worse under Ljungberg than Emery this season? With Emery in charge we played 13 games and won 18 points, an average of 1.4 points per game (rounded up from 1.3846). With Arteta starting his new job on Sunday 22nd December I’m counting Freddie’s last game as Everton away. In his 5 Premier League matches we won 5 points, so an average of 1 point per game.

Obviously the opposition are a big factor in determining results. I would count Manchester City at home as the only really difficult match we played during Fred’s stint. With Emery’s as boss we played Liverpool away, Tottenham home, Manchester United away, and Leicester away. I’m not even counting Sheffield United away as that difficult a game even though maybe I should as they’re having a fine season. Because of their respective matches in charge I see Emery’s run of games as more (perhaps far more) challenging than Ljungberg’s opponents. Yet we won a lower average points total per game under Fred.

Looking back on things, Freddie brought no ‘new manager bounce’ like Ferguson did at Everton, OGS did at Manchester United and, to be fair, Mourinho did at Tottenham. Let me say I’m not writing Ljungberg off as a head coach for ever. Because his time as interim manager did show at least one thing. Namely, he was a better manager than he was a player (just for gooner7).

Welcome back

And very quickly, a subtle comment at the end sneaky

http://dailycannon.com/2019/12/report-x ... ertha-bsc/

That's settled then, Good for both Arsenal and Xhaka.

Welcome back Bernard.

So he’s signing for a team 12th in the bundesliga

I think that tells you all you need to know about him as a player. He was never good enough

What do you expect with Mertesacker as his number two

Seriously, though, good to see you back on the board Bernard.

True .... hair splitting is back in fashion ....could I counter with Ancelloti is not officially manager until he has managed a game ....?

That was my first thought , but being more sensitive to other's feelings I wasn't going to mention it .

I won’t be congratulating Bernard for returning

Alexei Sayle on reformed drug addicts wanting applause for stopping doing something that was stupid in 1st place


“I've stopped putting my dick in the food blender"

Clap clap well done

And merry Christmas to you too, Captain Cheerful

In all seriousness I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and happy new year. It’s a special time of the year to reflect on the good and bad and spend time with your loved ones. As you get older like me you no longer take things for like this granted anymore and cherish every occasion.

Try not to be dicks in 2020 folks and here’s to some better results

Son has more red cards for Spurs than Xhaka has for Arsenal. 2 of Son’s were for violent conduct. But he’s ‘not that sort of player’

Noticeable how spurs threw their toys out of the pram again yesterday, they do it so often when they’re playing badly and losing, Ali, Kane, Son all have a snide nasty streak

Back in May 2016, before Granit had even signed, one forumite thought he might be the messiah. Stupid Daz.

Mind you, Xhaka is apparently an aficionado of Proust. Cover to cover, he claims.

Glad you're back Bernard.

Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i bawb.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

COYG

Happy Christmas TG and all you forumites, off down to the elderly parents now, packed with food and, importantly, plenty of drink

Surely he has to be Everton’s manager from the date of his appointment stated on his contract. If that is yesterday, Everton will start paying him from the 22nd December. So Ferguson’s last day as caretaker/interim manager was the 21st.

I once started a new job on 1st January, which from memory was a Sunday. That meant Monday 2nd January was a bank holiday to take account of new year’s day being on a weekend. But they paid me from Sunday the 1st as that’s when my contract said I started, even though my first working day there wasn’t until Tuesday the 3rd.

Happy Christmas and season’s greetings to everyone.

Many thanks.

Merry Christmas & a great 2020 everyone!

Mourinho is appealing Son’s red card yesterday. That is surely a ‘frivolous appeal’ and should add an extra game to the ban as has happened before. Son clearly aims a kick to Rudiger’s chest.

And if you can't help it, make sure no one puts you in a blender.

In today's Sun Mark Halsey says that one of the best prem referees has made a lot of mistakes in recent games - Antony Taylor you have been outed for what you really are ie bloody useless.

VAR this weekend gone has shown what it can do for the game. It has been excellent as have been the Var controllers spotting mistake after mistake made by the referees.

Merry Xmas one and all and a big thumbs up to Mr VAR.

you might have a point ; the much trumpeted boycott only lasted seven days , eight hours , sixteen minutes and thirty eight seconds

and yet the amount of gushy "welcome backs" being sprayed around it's like he was in the wilderness for about three years .

.

Arteta is keeping Ljungberg on the coaching staff https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50896759 .

That disappoints me , I don't want any vestiges left of the Emery Disaster .

I don't think Fred showed any glimpses of improving Arsenal . He is a bit of a mealy mouthed clucker .

I'd rather Mikel had a massive spring clean , players / backroom staff ; brought in his own people to ensure a much needed style change .

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you, the Gleiber famaily and 95% of the forum.

God bless Brom

If you have a blend of elderly young and middle you’ll probably need a drink at some point trust me you can’t beat a british Christmas Sit back and wait for the argument

Have a good un

You too Bernard, have a great new year and Christmas

A great Arsenal fan, contributor to my favourite fanzine ever and all around good guy

98% of the time I’m pissing about,

Never change

Way better than Xhaka, Pépé, Özil, Willock, Saka etc etc

But consider: that is about seven days, sixteen minutes and thirty eight seconds longer than he has ever skipped the forum. It must have been torture. Imagine going that long without rum, for example

On a lighter note ... this is so ridiculous

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1208916201205833728

Well said. The absence of Bernard is like a universe without Planck's or Avogadro's constants. Too much ' plus ça change' and not enough 'le meme chose'.

First Xmas without any youngsters or oldies in the house for us.