Sounds like good advice. Every season we are supposed to be buying/selling ten times the number that actually happens.

I'm sure Ox doesn't regret going. But the fact is that we did better out of that transfer than Liverpool because Ox played very little part in those Liverpool trophies. He didn't make it off the bench in the CL final. He's missed 64 games through injury since he's been with them. We had far too much pain dealing with perma-injured players and shifting him on for £35m was one of the more sensible moves we made. Similar getting £30m for Iwobi and £20m for Walcott. 3 of the best transfers out of recent times. And selling Bielik for £10m was good business. All sold to english clubs, something we need to do more of. We might get it wrong occasionally and it will be more painful because the reminder will be right there in the same league but you get top whack if you sell to English clubs which is also one of the reasons why I'm behind the sale of Willock for £25m. We missed the boat with AMN last year when there was £20m on the table. Now not even a peep about anyone wanting AMN.

It's a decent stab at it, though I guess there will be a few more surprises as per usual. With regards to the top spots, for me Chelsea and Man Utd have a lot to prove to rank ahead of Liverpool going into the season. Before their season imploded on the back of their injury crisis last year, Liverpool posted back-to-back 95+ seasons in the league, and they have kept that team almost entirely intact.

Ok, we both agree with each other's points.

We got a good fee for him. The fee for Iwobi is good, I was hoping for a bit more for Walcott at the time but in the end, we got what we got and it wasn't all bad, he did have some injury issues.

I was hoping Bielik would work out. I recall him being called something like the Polish Vieira or something like that. He must not have impressed at center mid because I recall he was shifted to central defense. Not sure what the story was with him. Didn't hear much. It's youtube but he's a big lad, seems to have a nice touch.

Part of the "fun" of being a supporter is over worrying about the possible transfers in and out, isn't it? Unless someone is getting ulcers over it, its part of the "fun".

I think Liverpool maybe have the best starting 11 in the league still if all players are fit. City not far behind but the lack of top class striker puts them behind Liverpool. City have ridiculous depth though, as do Chelsea. So Liverpool have to replace a 10/10 player with a 7/10 player, City and Chelsea are replacing 8 or 9/10 players with other 8 or 9/10 players.
Man U are quite dependant on Bruno Fernandes for goals and assists and I really cant shake off the fact that they just seemed to be very lucky last year, obviously the penalties but they went behind in so many matches or won a lot late. Praise the fortitude to come back but to go behind in so many means something isn't right and you're relying on more sort of 'chaos tactics' to get you back.

I can't see anything but those 4 teams miles in front for the top 4 though.

We have enough talent to finish 5th but equally could fall back behind Spurs and Leciester and maybe another suprise team and be 8th again as it stands.

What quantifies a successful finishing position for Arsenal this year, if we still admit we're building rather than a finished product? I think minimum is we have to get back in Europe.

Each to their own.

Fairly unimpressed with my new Arsenal membership card. The old one was fine. I really don’t need a Barclays Visa prepaid card being foisted on me.

Willock's medical with Newcastle to take place tomorrow according to reports.

I'd be shocked as well. However, as we reflect upon AOC's time at Liverpool (and as Rich alluded to), his contribution to LFC's Champions League final appearances in 2018 and 2019 - two in a row! - was a grand total of zero minutes. The same as Arsenal legend Matt Smith in last year's FA Cup triumph against Chelsea. I suppose it depends on how you define achievement for a player at a club.

Not certain if AG was aware of this spat between Rabiot's mother and Mbappé's father after France's loss to Switzerland.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.espn.c ... atform=amp

Good summary.
They'll have to try a lot harder if they are getting any money out of my pocket this season.

That he might, Socrates. That he might. Perfect for playing out from the back?

I feel we can rest assured that he would have been all over that one.

I'm also confused about this. (Not as confused as Socrates, mind you )

Very depressing.

There allegedly were other clubs in for Ramsdale but we were the biggest of the lot and he only wants us. May not happen though according to this but again, rumors. Who knows what the real story is but interesting to speculate.

https://www.sheffieldunited.news/news/journalist-aaron-ramsdale-only-wanted-arsenal-transfer-rejected-other-clubs/

I am surprised that City's season tickets are so low. Well, yes and no. They can afford to keep it low. Not much room between us and Tottenham's price.

https://www.facebook.com/GiveMeSport/photos/a.608037745910107/4840013762712463/

So I suppose we will buy him in 3 years time after he starts slowing up at Chelsea.

Finishing 5th. Unless one of the current top 4 has an off season, I wouldn't expect us to challenge them. Leicester and Tottenham both have European football. Tottenham look likely to lose Kane. Qualifying for Europe should certainly be the minimum. We should be looking to go deep in both cups also.

We agree!

Not when we play them but overall, I'm wishing Brentford and Palace good luck. When I travel to London again, and hopefully it will be during the season, I'd like to see both of them play. Have seen Selhurst Park before but not a game. Brentford will be a new experience.

You just wouldn't let it lie would you

I must say it's massively disappointing to go into the first game of the season with only one definite upgrade in the 1st XI and most of the deadwood still here. Infact, you could argue we are weaker having lost Ødegaard.

A few weeks ago I said I was optimistic about the new season based on the age and profile of players we had already signed and were targeting, but with the proviso that we sign several "first teamers" before the end of the window. That has not happened yet and with our inability to shift the deadwood it seems increasingly likely that we will make no more than one more high profile signing, if that. It will not be enough.

Tonight's game could be very tough, especially if we are not right at it from the very start.

First game in the Prem. Their tails will be up. The stadium will be rocking with anticipation. If we concede early could be a sticky night.

Morning socrates. We’re a Stan Kroenke club. Where does this optimism that there would be big numbers of ins and outs come from? I’ve said this before, I’m certain to Rich and probably others when he was talking about what he thinks we need in terms of a big turnover. There’s no guarantee that what he and others believe is necessary will be the same as what actually happens.

Stan has controlled the club for more than ten years now, as Fiszman died in early 2011. Haven’t we seen enough of him as owner to know what’s realistic? But still people go on about which players they want out and replaced in the kind of numbers that simply won’t occur, at least in terms of a rational judgment.

As with most Arsenal games now any result wouldn’t surprise me. I could make a rational case for us losing 2-0 with only 1 shot on target, equally I could see us scoring first, dominating without creating much and then slacking off and end up drawing 1-1.

I think it will be a win or a draw. First time up in the Prem (ever or in a while, not bothered to look it up) Brentford may be a bit nervous and not used to the occasion.

However, even if we do win, I expect a slow start with regards to results for the first month.

We've not been drawn the best start for many reasons.
Away to a newly promoted team isn't nice.
Home to Chelsea - probably Lukaku's first game, very tough
Away to Man City - they've got a few injuries and may be rusty after lots of players being at the Euro's but they'll have had 2 games to warm up for us.
Then we have the annoying early 2 week international break and you never really want to go in to that break on a bad run or a defeat.

I can't see anything but a defeat away to City. There's a handful of games I almost always chalk up as a defeat for us each season and away to City is the biggest, we can just never even lay a glove on them. I don't feel the same way about Chelsea as we've got results against them in big games and snatched points off them at their ground as well.

It makes tonight's game even more crucial. Win this one and then even losing the next 2 isn't a disaster for a team with aspirations for 5th. We need to be targeting 5 or 6 points from these first 3 games

Last season we only scored 55 goals in the league, but managed to have the 3rd best defence in the league. Scoring goals and creating chances was clearly the big problem. We need to be hitting more like 70 goals as a minimum.

Last year all our defenders combined scored 5 goals
Last year all our holding mids (in the 4-2-3-1) combined scored 2 goals

I wouldn't expect that many more from either of those groups. How many goals do Fabinho, Henderson, Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic, Fernandinho, Hojberg, Matic, McTominey get? - it is under 5 collectively per team I'd guess. So if Xhaka/Partey/Lokonga/Elneny can chip in with 5 goals I'd say that's par for the position. Similarly for the defence - maybe a few more set pieces but something like 6-8 goals from them as a group is ok.

So then you need about 60 goals from your front 4. Probably something like 15 each from your forwards and 7-8 each from the 4-5 players who rotate in the 3 positions behind a front man.

Lacazette13
Aubameyang 10
Pépé 10
Saka 5
Emile Smith Rowe 2
Martinelli 2 (from limited appearances)
Ødegaard 1 (from limited appearances)

To me it is clear we need Aubameyang, Saka and Emile Smith Rowe - plus the new creative attacking mid we must bring in - to be picking up the slack here. If each of those players scored just 5 more goals than last year we'd have a very decent season.

I used to approach the first game of the season with excitement and anticipation. Now I realise that I view today with a kind of uneasy dread.

Reading the newspapers and internet is not allaying that feeling. Even if we scrape through this evening there are some major obstacles looming for the team with a pea shooter.

Sadly, it's the same for me. It's just very hard to see this team making it easy for themselves even against lesser opponents (with all due respect to Brentford). Would love to see us just come out roaring, showing we've learned something from last season, but the team has a long way to go to convince the supporters.

According to the Mirror, “the new creative attacking mid we must bring in” isn’t going to be Bernardo Silva. They say he’s rejected a move to Arsenal.

Enough noise to suggest a bid and a deal is imminent for Ødegaard.
He is needed. It opens up more flexibility in our front 4 positions, provides competition for Emile Smith Rowe and allows Emile Smith Rowe to play wide left on occasion which I think gives us a better balance rather than having Aubameyang and Pépé as the wide men who are essentially finishers rather than creators or having much influence in the build up play.

It seems he hasn't been registered in their squad for Real Madrids season premiere tomorrow, so there might be something in these rumours. Some of the Spanish newspapers come across as mouthpieces for Real Madrid, and I'm not sure there would be all these links about him moving if Real were dead set on keeping him. Would be a brilliant signing in my opinion, as I've stated many times before.

Speculating further, if Ødegaard has indeed decided to leave, I don't think it's a big leap to suggest we're the front runners to sign him. He's on record from last year talking about how he wants stability, and isn't interested in playing for a new club every season. He has a very good chance of cementing a starting place here, he knows the club, knows the team, and knows that Arteta rates him highly.

Charles Watts reports that Aubameyang won't play tonight, and has been absent from training for two days. Reasons for his alledged absence are not stated clearly, just saying it is believed he's been ill this week, but I noticed he wasn't seen in the latest set of pictures from training on arsenal.com.