It’s actually a good football quiz question. Who is Arsenal’s most successful, in terms of trophies won, manager in the club’s history? The obvious reaction is to think of only the men’s team, making the answer Wenger, albeit I suppose some may say Chapman or Graham.

But Vic Akers won 36 trophies as manager of Arsenal ladies, including the women’s equivalent of the Champions League. Wikipedia has the following brief paragraph in their page on him:

“Vic Akers is considered the most successful Arsenal manager of all time due to winning numerous trophies (36 in total) from 1993 to 2009.”

Hi Zed. Might not be quite as crazy as it sounds. The Sun provided a comparison of Mustafi and Maguire in the Premier League for the 2018/19 season, a year in which Maguire’s form for Leicester convinced Manchester United to pay £80m for him the following summer. The stats suggest Mustafi generally outplayed Maguire.

The number of league games they both played were the same, as were the goals conceded by Leicester and Arsenal in them. Maguire made one more block than Mustafi, but other than that Mustafi had the stronger stats. The stats were as follows:

GAMES: Maguire 31, Mustafi 31
GOALS CONCEDED: Maguire 40, Mustafi 40
BLOCKS: Maguire 18, Mustafi 17
INTERCEPTIONS: Maguire 37, Mustafi 58
TACKLES: Maguire 31, Mustafi 62
TACKLES WON: Maguire 17, Mustafi 45
TACKLING SUCCESS: Maguire 55%, Mustafi 73%
CLEARANCES: Maguire 152, Mustafi 161
HEADED CLEARANCES: Maguire 77, Mustafi 106
AERIAL BATTLES WON: Maguire 118, Mustafi 123

As I mentioned above, that was the season that made Manchester United pay £80m to get Maguire. Over his time here, Mustafi made some horrible errors with us and gets nowhere near my best ever Arsenal team, not even the sub’s bench. However, remember how much he’s improved under Arteta, so since that season.

But as he’s allegedly turned down Arsenal’s offer of a new contract one has to assume he’ll leave next summer, whether it’s for Barcelona, Lazio or whoever. In the meantime I have utter confidence that he will do everything he can for the remainder of his stay to try and make our season as successful as it can be. He’s always struck me as a good professional with a fine attitude.

What I will certainly do, when he leaves, is remember him with respect as a player who always gave his all, whether or not he was aware of the over critical nature of some (one of whom we’re all aware of) fans towards him.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.giveme ... ason%3famp

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thesun ... nsfer/amp/

You are a cruel man Zed, teasing me like this.
Note how the paper is taking the piss. loll

Very interesting stats. I have great respect for players like Mustafi and Elneny, who manage to maintain an utterly professional attitude despite all the negativity (whether deserved or otherwise) about them.

Hi Bernard,
If I recall, Mustafi was considering a move to Lazio, due to his wife's family being in Italy. Doesn't matter actually, if Barca are now interested. Mustafi has previous La Liga experience.
Good comparison stats between Tierney and Mustafi.

Big thumbs up to VAR if you see the second goal England conceded. England player clearly gets the ball first, Belgian goes over as if pleased, as did most Belgian players throughout the game.

If the refs could do their job properly VAR would be a screaming success.

Me too Decaf. For me the expression ‘consummate professional’ could have been invented to describe both Mustafi and Elneny. That made it so pleasing to see Elneny get the praise he deserved for his performance at Old Trafford this season. I’m not saying I want him to become a regular fixture in Arsenal’s starting eleven. But it was nice to see him stuff the unwarranted criticism he’s received from some people down their throat, which is exactly what Mustafi has done with his form since Arteta took over as well.

.....Wasn’t goalside and let the ball drop over his head in a cup final.

Doesn’t mean he hasn’t been a consummate professional, does it. So I don’t understand the point you’re making, unless you think any mistake means a player isn’t. Didn’t Aubameyang miss an early sitter in that final? I don’t think that means he isn’t a good professional either. Nor do I think Bergkamp’s last minute penalty miss in an FA Cup semi-final that, had he scored it, would have stopped Manchester United winning the treble in 1999 compromises his professionalism.

Edit: Maguire
Ooops

Good that this arrangement between Arsenal-Spurs never happened.

https://www.whoateallthepies.tv/tottenh ... -1977.html

Interesting times for Aubameyang

https://www.skysports.com/share/12133911

Seems Elneny has tested positive for COVID-19.

Big increase this week with 16 new cases.

Lots of travel probably not helping much here as players move outside of their Premier League bubbles.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/metro.co ... 06195/amp/

If it’s true, which judging by most transfer gossip it probably isn’t, it can only mean Inter’s manager thinks Xhaka is better than Eriksen.

It's nice to reminisce sometimes.

Yeah it’s definitely made up !

Eddie misses pen but scores 2 in England u21's 5-0 victory over the mighty Albanians.

Willian has to have a Covid test after returning from Dubai, before he can train with first team. He had no call up for the Brazil side. He went to Dubai for a steak dinner.

I saw that, he went to that Salt Bae guys place. Utterly ridiculous

If he tests positive he should be docked 2 weeks wages whilst he isolates and he should be dropped regardless. Arsenal are in the *%^@ right now how about a bit of focus and replenishment.

Given his poor form, he won't be missed if drop from the first team. Time for Pépé or Nelson to prove their worth.

In 2016, went to Edinburgh specifically for a dinner (at Tom Kitchin’s Michelin Star restaurant). As we do now, we lived in Hertfordshire so it was one hell of a way to go for dinner.

But Edinburgh is a damn site nearer than Dubai.

You are generous - 2 weeks is not enough.

Just saw a facebook post that says Kroos probably wishing for a mask now.

Not sure why he had to talk abt Aubameyang's celebrations.

Wow. Willian is an utter moron.

Why would you even do that?

Because he is a professional footballer earning huge amounts of money. Living in a bubble is about right.

Getting paid huge amounts of money, more like. Earning? No.

Utterly loathsome and out of step with ‘ordinary’ people.

If you were stuck locked down for months anyway and all of a sudden could go anywhere in the world would you really pick Dubai anyway.

To put my hands up the place has never appealed to me and I think it’s likely I will exit this world without visiting it. The people who tend to go there are a certain type. If anyone has been and disagrees feel free to pull me up on this.

Be interesting to see what Arteta does with this, if it was Alex Ferguson or George Graham then Black eyed peas would be dropped for the foreseeable (which he should be anyway in my opinion)

How was the grub Bernard ?

Reason for asking was I went to my first proper Michelin star restaurant a few months back (Marcus Wareings place ) and I have to say it was a big let down. I do appreciate good food and drink But it was every criticism anyone ever usually makes about these places. 7 courses Pretentious, some tasty some over complicated and the bill was hysterically astronomical however we expected that.

That said I’d rather go there than Salt Baes divvy steak restaurant in Dubai

I’m puzzled. Marcus Rashford is now getting plaudits for an initiative to ‘make books available to all children’.

Isn’t that what libraries do?

It’s the best restaurant we’ve been to. We love fine dining and have been to many Michelin Star restaurants, including those with two stars. The Kitchin was the equal of any two star restaurant I’ve been to, and better than some.

You have to put aside at least a hundred quid per head if you’re going to one, though at some places that can be brought down if you avoid wine. Even in a bog standard non-Michelin Star restaurant, the cost of the wine is excessive. In a bog standard restaurant I’ve paid £35 for a bottle you can get for £5 or £6 from a supermarket.

I’ve been to Marcus Waring’s place when it had two stars. It’s since lost a star, so is now only a one Michelin Star restaurant. Ironically, Marcus had given a semi-critical interview about the Michelin system when he said not enough restaurants lose stars. I wonder if that’s why they took one from his place?

There’s one a short walk from Chelsea’s ground, the Harwood Arms. A couple of times when Arsenal have played there, me and an Arsenal supporting friend (a former member of the forum) went there before (last season’s 2-2 draw) and after (our 3-5 win a few years back when van Persis got a hat trick) the game.

One I haven’t been to yet is Glynn Purnell’s restaurant in Birmingham. My intention is to go there when Arsenal are playing Villa away. But the behind closed doors doors policy is putting that idea at risk this season.

I think the bill we ran up up Marcus Wareings was about 1300 quid between the 4 of us for their testing menu cocktails and wine flight.

The one everyone raves about is the fat duck but I don’t like their ideas of doing dirty stuff to food with nitrogen and liquorice and stuff

For the cost of Marcus Wareings we could have flown to New York and gone to Peter Lugers and had more fun

Deutschland über alles,

Nando's is very good.

It’s very popular in our house but it’s Pizza Express for the win !

We have tried to book a table at the Fat Duck but never been able to. The earliest you can book is three months in advance and whenever we have tried, all the tables have gone so quickly three months in advance that we have always failed to get one.

Another good thing about The Kitchin is that Tom still works there. The kitchen is visible from the tables and you could see him directing the kitchen staff. So many Michelin Star chefs never set foot inside their restaurants.

We got to eat here, and also have day’s cooking tuition last year. It was gratis - all part of a free holiday to Sicily that my wife won in a The Times competition. Thought it was a scam when they sent details through.

https://guide.michelin.com/en/sicilia/r ... n-serafino

Edit : Just checked from the photos that I took. They were 2 star last year. Looks like I messed it up for them.

That looks awesome ! Would love to do something like that

I visited Syracuse once, lovely old place that probably hadn’t altered a bit since the war. The food was literally mouth watering, if you love seafood you’ll love Italy.

Kolasinac positive

https://www.skysports.com/share/12135544