Merry Christmas all ....

My Arsenal team of the decade:
Leno
Sagna
Mertesacker
Koscielny
Monreal
Arteta
Cazorla
Ramsey
Özil
Sanchez
Aubameyang

I think most of those pick themselves. Players like van persie and Fabregas could be in there but only played 1-2 seasons in the decade. Sagna edges out Bellerin for just being a better defender. Özil gets in through gritted teeth as he did have some seasons where he was very good.
Gk was tough, Čech didn’t make that many mistakes but also didn’t seem to save us that often. Szczesny did a bit of both. Leno just seems like the best in each GK’s time with us.

Ornstein: During the training session on Sunday when the players were doing the rondos - quite a few of the Arsenal players were flicking it with a trick to elude the defender and Arteta stopped each time and said "You don't do this during the match, so why are you doing it now?"

Totally on board with this. Clearly training has to replicate the match as close as possible. The invincibles said the training sessions were harder than some matches they were that competitive.

Also, I’m so fed up with all these YouTube videos of footballers and kids (copying) just trying to nutmeg each other in training, then all running round giggling and screaming when someone manages to do it. Why is any footballer practicing nutmegs? It’s such a low percentage pass in real game situations. Grow up......Happy Christmas

RVP over Aubameyang for me. Not even close either. It ended very badly with his pathetic leaving statement, but he was phenomenal in that final season, POTY by a mile. He was very good the season before too.

Morning all,

I'd just like to wish Judith and family and all the board members and watchers a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Thank you to Warrior and all the boys who keep the board up and running

Let's hope that Arteta's appointment proves a masterstroke and we can climb the league in the new year.

Cheers.....Soc.

Transfer window around the corner, new manager in, lots of underperforming players......January is going to be very silly in he papers for us.
First one I read today:
Arsenal will offer £40m plus Xhaka for Ndidi from Leicester

Enjoying some of the interviews and soundbites from Arteta. Seems articulate and concise in his communication. Also very clearly not going to accept nonsense and wants accountability. Latest one of training where he talks about not receiving the ball with back to the goal and telling Lacazette that flicks and tricks are not allowed. Just wants discipline in the basics. Might not see an immediate turnaround in results but think we can expect to see effort levels increase and some more shape very quickly.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1209179409741160453

Same here ... Mrs Kiwi getting maxi stressed about the whole scenario .

Cool Hand Luke [ that's me ] says " Cancel it "

Mrs Kiwi ...splutter bu .... but ..." what about the kids " .
Cool Hand ... "they can stay at their place "

Mrs Kiwi ... but ... what about you , you enjoy a drink and a chat
Cool Hand Luke ... I can talk to them anytime and I can drink by myself .

So that's what happened ... no running around cleaning the goddamn three toilets , vacuuming , buying mountains of food , filling the Bar B Que bottle , we don't buy presents anyway so that didn't come into it .... Halleluhah

If you want a good read John Grisham's " Skipping Xmas " total departure from his usual format but very good .

Merry Xmas all

Merry Christmas to one and all. Well not Spurs supporters or .....

This exactly the philosphy of Guardiola ..... take your pick short version or long

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekB39vBno30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmjdfZd_iJ4

"Most difficult thing in football is to keep it simple ". I've noticed with Pépé , he always has to include several feints , shimmys , step overs every time he gets the ball .

Chambers , Luiz and Sokratis are hopefully going to get several chilli pepper curry enemas to drive home the point they have to get the ball forward at pace . ACCURATELY
This will play to Aubameyang strengths .

This has been the very key to our downfall under Wenger , Emery and Ljungberg ..... f***^% around playing possessional tripe .

Hmmm ... it might appear that way but wisdom would dictate he gets "his foot in the door" first before making wholesale changes .

Arteta seems more calculated like Guardiola I'd say he'll see what Ljungberg , Mertesacker and others are producing first before weilding the axe .

Ancelotti at Everton is entering Ranieri territory if he is not careful. Managers who were once at the top level but can't get back. I like Ranieri, like him a lot and its not meant as a slight. He was badly done by Chelsea but Chelsea can argue they made the right move.

Wenger hasn't gotten a top job and I don't know if it's because he's turned them down or they didn't materialize.

He's trying to change things and focusing on the belief is first and foremost and I totally support that. I'm reading he's focusing on being more direct and that's needed addressing as well.

Merry Christmas all and a good 2020. Enjoy Dave.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSU9vIz ... adio=1&t=0

Good grief, Arteta hasn’t had one game in charge yet. Don’t you think it’s a little early to start talking about him being here longer than 22 years? I doubt what Wenger and Ferguson did with regards being somewhere so long will ever be done again at the top level of the game anyway. I also remain to be convinced it’s a healthy thing for a big club these days.

I am suspicious that what has happened to Manchester United since he went could have something to do with Ferguson staying so long. Moreover I’m even more certain that what has happened at Arsenal is related to Wenger hanging around like a bad smell for so long.

Not sure if the Mirror is a paper to be believed but here is there summary of our salaries

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... l-21156503

Some eye watering figures in this list. I know London is an expensive place to live but....

Merry Christmas Everyone.
Hope you all have a great day.
Loving the interviews and training clips with Arteta. He seems focused driven and some ruthless streak bubbling under the surface.
I love the fact that he genuinely loves the club and sees it as an honour.
Im right behind him.
Let's hope we see some changes for the better over the coming weeks and months.
Welcome Mikel.

Chill, Bernard, chill!

So, Kalidou Koulibaly is it? please, please, please...we need central defense help badly

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/footbal ... ews-gossip

It's The Sun after all, so not sure how much stock to put into it. Unless Aubameyang is going, I don't see the point.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football ... a-january/

Too early to commission a statue then?

On 606, after the Watford United game, a caller rang up and said that the players became complacent against teams further down the table, only to be howled down by that tosspot, Savage. Apparently players prepared and gave all for all games according to him.

Strange that we have accused our players of exactly the same thing. But what would fans know.

So what does Jesse Lingard say:
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/footbal ... atest-news

Looks like the person who has no idea but a big ego knows f...all.

See if we have any bounce tonight? I will look with interest at his team.

Tonight. I haven’t gone to bed yet.

I can’t help it if you are far behind the rest of the civilised world. Boxing Day test match, Sydney to Hobart yacht race, sales and morning exercise all just warming up here. Over yesterday’s drinking and food. And then 1am tomorrow it’s game on. I will be asleep.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you too, and to all forumites. Boxing Day finally here for us.

So Arteta rates Xhaka highly.

Oh well, the optimism surrounding the Arteta appointment was fun well it lasted even though it seems to have been misplaced.

Anyone who thinks Xhaka is in any way the answer to our midfield issues clearly has no idea. Expect Arteta to be sacked by the summer

Don't they love their sport in Melbourne .... just over 80,000 at the cricket .. a record for a non Ashes Test .


I reckon we'll sneak a 2 -1 ... danger is Bournemouth haven't won in ages and we have a habit of making lost causes look like world beaters .

Ljungberg stays on as assistant manager , he will be joined by Wales assistant Albert Stuivenberg , then Steve Round will also be assistant coach , plus the former Brentford goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana Pavan will join our existing goalkeeping coach ...far from clearing any sort of log jam Mikel seems to be adding to it .

I am not sure that Arteta has really thought thru a few of his comments.
Everyone starts with a clean slate - not a bad idea but there is already so much history with some of these players with the fans that this is almost impossible

"What I have learned mostly is you have to be ruthless," Arteta said last Friday. "The first thing I have to do is change the energy. The players have to accept a different process, a different way of thinking. If we don’t have the right culture the tree is going to shake." (from an article in the Tribuna) - so when we see players not chasing back, players being lazy in tracking their opponents, 3 players pressing and the other 2 can't be bothered or just lack of effort let us see if he is true to his words. No matter who they are will he be ruthless? Will he drop them? That is the expectation I have from his words. No language problems so no excuses.

Emery took a stand against Özil and then had to cave. The moment Arteta does the same he is finished. With any player at all.

If players don't form triangles, make the 5 yard pass to a player in a worse position, make the stupid tackle in the box - will he act? Well he picks Xhaka - then the question could be answered very quickly.

For anyone reading all the negativity about Arteta rating Xhaka, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Just wait until Top Gun is next on the forum.

It is interesting though. Wenger, who paid £35m to buy him, Emery, who made him club captain, Ljungberg from the evidence of his time in charge, and now Arteta all seem to like him as a player. Are they really all wrong, or is the position of Hazuki and Gunfire nearer the truth?

Anyone seen much of Jarod Bowen from Hull, 23, winger who scored goals and is very very quick. Record of a goal every other game and gets assists. It is the sort of profile of player that someone in the prem is going to take a punt on, a bit like when Maddison went from Norwich to Leicester.

Kalvin Phillips the holding mid from Leeds is another highly rated.

These guys cost £30m or so but could be worth double with a few good performances in the prem

The Xhaka love in, is like the saying "Are you going to believe me or your lying eyes?" Reminds me of the early Gilberto years. Some on here had as the 2nd coming. Eventually, he was visibly a good player but it was tough seeing something that was invisible. Clichy as well for a time, who had his best years playing for someone else.

Always nice seeing Sperz losing. Long may it last.

Not to mention Mourinho as commentator said if he was Arsenal manager hed be the first name on the team sheet. At some point people are going to have to accept the guy has qualities that make him a very very good player.

2-1 Sperz in the 90th.

He's not a very, very good player Gunny. He's too slow, he gets caught out defensively because of his lack of mobility, he gives away endless numbers of stupid fouls with trips and pullbacks and his ability to start an opposition counter with a stray crossfield pass is uncanny.

Let's hope Arteta is able to get something out of Özil that nobody else has because if he doesn't then defensively we are playing with ten men today.