What set of fans should be more disappointed with this season based on expectations last August, Arsenal or Chelsea? [Honorable mention: Tottenham]

Allegri is supposedly on £2-3m a season LESS than wenger. I expect most of the Juve team are on far lower wages that our boys as well

If we want a young coach then Nagelsmann should be head and shoulders above Arteta and Vieira. The guy has actually managed for a few seasons for a start, and in the German league, and has taken Hoffenheim from near relegation to champions league. If he had previously been a player for arsenal he’d be miles above Arteta and Vieira in peoples list.

I can't believe that Arteta is anywhere near any list for the managers job. If you start considering Arteta then surely Eddie Howe should be in consideration (and he's not ready), at least he's managed in the PL and has some sort of track record in management.

Appointing Arteta would just be a huge throw of the dice for any PL club let alone one with top four aspirations.

if Arteta is being considered then I reckon my Nan is in with a shout...

Morning socrates. I'd rather have Vieira than Arteta, and at this point I'd be disappointed with Vieira. I'd even rather have Rodgers than Arteta, and I really don't want Rodgers. I keep reading that Gazidis is very much open to Arteta getting the job. I hope it isn't true.

The way I see it, there were two main tasks for Gazidis this summer. First, getting rid of Wenger. Job done, and credit to him for that. Second, replacing Wenger with the right man. If it ends up being Arteta, my initial reaction will be that Gazidis failed miserably with that vital task.

How would you feel about Mertesacker "grabbing the reins "

Arsenal have made more errors leading to shots (31) and goals (15) than any other Premier League side in the current campaign.

We clearly don’t have the worst players in the league who are just so bad that they make continued mistakes through lack of ability. For the 6th placed team to have those stats points squarely at two things, a lack of concentration and too much risk taking in defensive areas. The style of play wenger enforces on the team requests risk taking at the back, when mistakes are made they aren’t punished or coached out because wenger sees these mistakes as necessary collateral damage to the way he wants to play football.

If a new manager came in and simply said to the defence, whoever you have the ball in your own third get it in to the opposition half we would be far better off. We have enough talent in the fron 5 positions to create and score goals

He strikes me as the type of character who could develop into a good coach, perhaps even more so than Arteta. But needs more experience than he currently has.

I think a closer look at that op shop might reveal a group of covert conspirators. Bin Laden was said to be an Arsenal fan so Red Pete may not be too far from the truth.

Of a donkey on the beach at Blackpool but nowhere else.

In the coverage of todays game the comms mentioned the position and said that the club had indicated they hoped to appoint the new manager before the WC started. How about making an announcement next week. Of course depending on current contracts the manager may not be able to start officially much later.

I have no issues with Arteta. Much rather him than Rodgers. It would be something different. I quite like the look of Nagelsmann. Not that excited by the idea of a name as such. Let's be brave.

Well, who will it be then ?

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri
Former Arsenal midfielder and current Manchester City assistant coach Mikel Arteta
Former Arsenal midfielder and current New York City FC head coach Patrick Vieira
German national football team head coach Joachim Löw
Monaco manager Leonardo Jardim
Hoffenheim head coach Julian Nagelsmann

Morning Darren.
Allegri would be perfect but will he leave Juventus??
Have to admit I'm warming to the idea of a younger coach. If going down that road Nagelsmann would be a good shout.
Took a team of average players near the bottom to looking like champions league qualification the last 2 seasons. Comes across as innovative as well.
At first a no no to Arteta but warming to him as well as he seems very highly thought of.
Gazidis did say we need to be bold. I think that comment could prove very telling.
Then again I like Jardim's work at Monaco. Worked under constraints but did wonders with a young squad.
Bloody difficult isn't it!!!

Just received my Season Ticket renewal notices. Deadline is 1st June.

Hmmmmm.....

Got mine yesterday. Isn't the deadline always 1st June?

These folks could be available as well - Unai Emery, Zidane and Conte.

On checking, the notifications did come through yesterday - shows how much notice I take of Arsenal emails these days.

My tickets seem to have gone up by a bit more than 5% Bernard - have yours?

Must be honest, I can't remember what I paid last year.

Travelling yesterday so I missed the game. Can’t believe Wenger lost again surely he can’t lose against Huddersfield. It would be a staggering way to end his tenure without an away win in his final year.

Again Allegri for me but I have a feeling we may end up with Arteta which would be a mental appointment but not beyond our board

The Huddersfield players were allowed out on an all night booze session in London after their draw with Chelsea. No excuses not to beat a hungover still celebrating team

Can't see how it could be Arteta. He only left the club 2 years ago. For me, that's too little time to establish a break from team-mates who he will now manage, and too little time to learn the job.

Vieira on the other hand has built plenty of distance and with his background and record, he'd command instant respect. He also has some decent managerial experience as a number 1.

Watch out for Lehmann and O'Leary, both of whom seem to have been fully re-absorbed.

Last chance for Wenger to win an away league match in 2018. Hope he goes out with a bang.

Even if Wenger does wins the match, I think it will likely be a relief to be done with the Wenger era and usher in a new one. I hope he wins but if he loses, I won't be angry. My guess is it will end in a draw. Huddersfield is safe.

I drove by the construction site where the LA Rams new stadium is being built Large cranes and it looks like it will be nice. I kept thinking. So this is where our money is going?

Arse beating Husdersfield... Nearly beat Chelsea. We lost to Leicester yesterday. Maybe players won't let a loss happen to AW's last game. Up for grabs.
Arteta...er...yeah. Possible appointment. Has Arsenal knowledge, experience, yet a well groomed asst. coach by a manager who is well versed in football ways. Board, the 2 Kroenkes, Ivan see a new Guardiola in the making.

The O'Leary thing is a little weird. What is it he actually does ? He's sat next to board members most games. Weird considering the way he disenfranchised himself with our fans

Anyone who watches the MLS knows it's not even championship level. choosing Vieira is a little mental but not as crazy as choosing Arteta.

have you been eating dodgy Morton Bay bugs or something .... how you manage to weave Bin Laden in with the communists is anybodies guess .

Agreed on Arteta but I'd probably quit Arsenal permanently if O'Leary were appointed.

I was just looking for enemies of our freedom fighters - the good old USA. Just on the USA, do you join with our British friends in wanting Trump to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. I almost choked when I heard that idiot Boris Johnston calling for it.

And relocate to Russia?

da tovarishch

Even worse when it was the South Korean prime minister who actually did all the work while Plump was still twitttering around in the background

Draw against Huddersfield, probably a high score draw.

Interesting take, AG. I hadn't thought of it like that.


I admire your sang-froid, but I'll be livid if we don't win this crucial fixture.

That blonde mopped moron would nominate Pol Pot if he was still around .

Obama got it for wiping out Libya , don't think Donald has done quite enough yet ; 22 missiles into Syria is a good start , but a war with Iran would see him clinch it for sure .

O'Leary consciously created a hostile atmosphere between himself and Arsenal, largely I believe because the Man U job was coming up. As the brightest thing in the EPL managerial firmament at the time (he got Leeds to the SF of the Champions League), O'Leary clearly fancied his chances but knew they wouldn't offer it to him because he was so obviously an Arsenal man.

On the choice between Arteta and Vieira, my clear preference would be PV4 at the moment, but that doesn't mean I think he'd be particularly suitable. There must be better options but I have no real view on or feel for any of the other candidates who've been mentioned. I struggle to envisage an Italian manager since amongst all the nationalities we've seen turn out for us over the years, as far as I can recall we've never had an Italian player. Unlike Chelsea for instance, there's not a shred of Italian history or heritage at the club.

Viera's name seemed to have been in the rumor mill because a reporter first asked Wenger I think. At least that's what I read and Wenger answered politely about Vieira, but what would one expect him to say? It was an uncomfortable situation even if he thought Vieira wasn't up to it.

Furthermore, if its true the board were looking to sack Wenger and had already started preliminary discussions on his replacement, how would Wenger be part of the selection committee when his decision to leave was because the thought he'd be sacked?

Basically, I don't think Wenger is part of the process. He may have been asked his opinion perhaps when he resigned but at the time of his announcement, I don't think he was part of the process.

I'm a little surprised Bould is not being mentioned since he would seem to have much more going for him than Arteta. Maybe its age and too close to Wenger and too ingrained in Wenger style of football and they want a departure.

Arturo Lupoli? Peter Marinello sounds Italian.

Not sure if it matters there's no Italian link in the past there wasn't a strong French connection before Arsene. I like the idea of a hot headed Italian going absolutely crazy on the touchline each game. I could just imagine Allegri or Ancellotti screaming at Bellerin to stop playing centre forward whilst defending a single goal lead away from home.

Whoever it is the new guy will have his work cut out.

Ah yes - Lupoli - one of a long line of 'the next big things' who never kicked on and disappeared without trace.

Peter Marinello wasn't just 'the next big thing' - he was the next George Best. Scottish, by the way who came to us from Hibs; we paid £100,000 which was then a Club record. I remember his spectacular debut, but he sort of fizzled out quite quickly thereafter.

And not forgetting Niccolo Galli (RIP). A future captain of Arsenal and Italy, according to Wenger.