West Ham have won nothing for over 40 years. Everton last won a trophy 26 years ago. We last won a trophy 6 months ago.

Yeah they are both going to finish above Arsenal this season. Fair play, they're both having good seasons. But seriously mate, get a grip. Long term we have been and will be on another level to them.

https://www.spotrac.com/epl/payroll/
This is the premier league annual wages. We've trimmed a fair bit off recently and have more to come off.
Everton are interesting in that they are £45m behind us on annual wages but I would have thought our commercial revenue balances that out irrespective of whether we're in the CL or not. On Everton as well, I have no idea how they have afforded the last 3 or so years of spending when there is nothing in their finances or success to suggest that spend is sustainable or in line with FFP

I think if we are going to have any hope of being top 6 or 7 we have to play our best people and have them play consistently. Sounds until you see our line up at times. Don't know why Martinelli can't get minutes. Xhaka must be a helluva practice player. I won't accept Saliba isn't good enough to be part of the squad on Artetas say so. I like Arteta a lot, but I'm simply not going to take his word for it regarding Saliba. Said with the understanding Mikel has forgotten more football that I'll know but logic and reason forces me to question that decision.



On paper if you look at the whole squad, its not a bad squad. Tactics, belief and the right substitutions can get us there but as we all know its easier said than done.

If they selected an all English team it would be bad enough. But since they don't it is breathtakingly self-delusional Trumpish nonsense.

Looking at our financial figures again there is one sponsorship deal that looks particularly poor.
Our deal with Emirates from 2014-19 was for £30m a season
Our new deal with Emirates from 2019 to 2024 is for £40m a season and doesn't allow us to have a training kit sponsor (something that nets some teams £10-15m a season) So we really haven't increased our base level commercial income in this respect since 2014 as we've essentially stayed on the same £30m a year deal and thrown in £10m for training kit.

Compared to the kit manufacturer deal where we went from £30m a season for Puma (2014-19) and raised this to £60m a season for Adidas (2019-24) Which does looks like a deal that was pushed to the maximum.

For context Man U bring in £25m more every season from JUST their shirt sponsor. Of course with the largest fan base in the world you can expect it to be more but that is a Gabriel every season from just this 1 source of revenue. We still need to be doing far more off the pitch to increase revenue

As to Fulham, Scott Parker is an ex Spurs player. Not that there's anything wrong with that regarding his managerial capabilities as it were.

Still doubt Manchester will be staying red once May arrives.

Errr, it’s clearly tongue in cheek.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56325695

Has anyone read about the proposed change to the Champions League to bring 4 more teams in?
There is talk of 2 of the additional 4 places being 'wildcard' based on UEFA co-efficient. Currently that would give Arsenal a very good chance of being that wildcard as one of if not the highest ranked team not to qualify for the champions league.

I get that the journalist isn't actually advocating a good shoeing to Arsenal and thinks that would be appropriate but I don't understand why this was even the take from the weekend's game. There was absolutely nothing in the game that suggested Burnley had roughed Arsenal up. If the story was written on the basis of the 'scream' by Lacazette then this pretty much reinforces the point I made when it appeared on MOTD that we and Lacazette had been unfairly singled out as an easy target because it fits with the general narrative that Arsenal are soft and dive and are susceptible to a bit of rough treatment.

Rich, MOTD have mentioned the screaming before. I have little or no doubt that the most likely reason they singled out Lacazette was him being the most extreme example of it. You can find as many clips of other Premier League players screaming as you like. I don’t think any of them would be the equal of Lacazette’s. That’s why I reckon they focused on him in a humorous manner Saturday night.

Just forget it as it isn’t a big deal. He probably won’t be an Arsenal player much longer anyway.

Isn’t this a preview piece? There’s merit in what you’re saying, reputations in football affect things. Also is has rough treatment gone by the wayside? We get more red cards than anyone else and in line with what the piece said we’re relatively powder puff. it seems aggressive pressing is the new way to be physical.

Based on our points deficit from top 6/7, Arteta should focus on winning the Europa League. Getting into top 6/7 & winning Europa are both very tall orders for us. We just lack the consistency. Please prove me wrong on either front!

This wild card system, is probably the suggestion of the American owners. American professional sides have been using a 'wild card' system for ages.

I personally think the reason is if a globally followed side has a bad season they will still be in the CL. It dilutes the competition and even though we may benefit, I'm against it in principle.

I would actually see the number of clubs reduced. I wouldn't go back to the old champions only format (which makes the present name a mockery) but I think way too many sides are in it. Top 2 and the previous years cup finalists perhaps have a choice of entering or defending their cup.

I think eventually a super league may happen. The American owners will be for it. 'We' don't have a promotion / relegation system so they are not used to it and don't like it. They don't want to risk a Man Utd 1974 season or a Liverpool 1954 season.

1.15m meals were provided for vulnerable people by Premier League clubs during the pandemic. Arsenal responsible for 500,000 of them. Great effort from the club

I read in the article is was supposedly being pushed by Van Der Saar the technical director at Ajax and the Juve technical director who also sits higher up on various UEFA boards I think.
Id agree with you that I highly doubt any of the American owners of big clubs would be against it, it secures their income.

Yes that is a great achievement. Well done to the club

Before some moan about Xhaka making sideways or back passes all the time, you might wish to take account of this table which indicates he has made the eighth most passes into the final third of the opposition’s half across Europe’s top five leagues this season.

https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/ ... dium=email

Mavropanos is doing well in Germany by all accounts. I wonder what his Arsenal future is?
If he’s not one for us then we need to be getting proper money for him, none of this £5-7m nonsense. If he’s playing regularly and we’ll in the top league of one of the top 3 leagues in Europe and given his age that makes him £20m as a minimum

I think I posted something a while back about the stats showing Xhaka as our most ‘progressive’ passer. He is the sort of player now who can have 10 good games and make 1 mistake and all that is remembered and talked about by fans and pundits is the mistake.

Xhaka will still be with us next season I’m sure of it

Remarkable to see Messi so high up the list considering he’s the only one who isn’t a holding or central mid. He’s basically doing everything for Barca

Regarding your first sentence I’m pretty sure you did Rich. In fact I know you did. But beyond that, I didn’t realise he was the eighth most progressive passer across the top five leagues in Europe.

I think you’re right in your second point too. The mistake at Burnley will be remembered more than all the good things he’s done in this run of games.

Messi has been doing that for several years now. He is effectively an attacking midfielder who scores more goals than most strikers. It is incredibly how badly run Barca have been in the last 3/4 years. Messi has carried them to an absurd degree.

Here’s a little stat for you.

Since the start of 2016-17, Granit Xhaka has made more individual errors leading to goals (8) than any other outfield player in the Premier League.

I also point you to this weeks Tuesday club titled “bog standard Xhaka” (clue In the title) where they discuss and I quote you “the absolute d******* In the middle of our midfield”

Shows some people are morons then.

What about the stats though?

At this stage you have resorted to searching for the minutest possible shred of evidence he’s anything bar a liability.

No I’m not. You have repeatedly accused him of passing sideways and backwards. That clearly is UTTER GARBAGE. I couldn’t give a toss what some moronic Tuesday club, whoever they are, says. All you have to do is watch games without blinkered eyes to see he isn’t remotely as bad as some make out.

People should try speaking from a footballing perspective instead of an ‘I am going to moan because I hate him’ perspective.

He’s factually the biggest liability in the league. Congratulations

No he isn’t. Giving away a few goals does not make it a fact as it disregards the positives he brings.

Like what a 30 yarder every 2 seasons

Biggest liability in the league. This is a fact. Surely that speaks volumes. You are wrong again

Do you even know what a ‘fact’ is? You clearly don’t if you think that is a fact. It is your opinion. No more, no less. Whatever one thinks of your opinion.

Nope it’s a fact. No other outfield player has made more costly mistakes. Not an opinion a fact.

Kroenke
https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-billionaire-stan-kroenke-wins-215622330.html

Apparently Sokatris is now telling dressing room Olympiacos players secrets about Arsenal. Same as he told the Arsenal dressing room Olympiacos secrets a year ago....

And his new team-mates have wasted little time in tapping into his insider knowledge ahead of Thursday night’s rematch.

“He has told us some secrets, but I won’t tell you about any of them,” admitted Olympiacos winger Bruma during an exclusive interview with Goal this week. “It’s between us and Sokratis.

“Of course, he knows Arsenal’s locker room better than anyone.

The difference here is that I don't think I've seen anyone who rates Xhaka that doesn't acknowledge this, or his other flaws - his lack of mobility, his one-footedness etc. We all know he makes these errors, and we all criticise him when he does.

But I rarely, if ever, see his biggest detractors acknowledge all the things he does well. If you want to call him the biggest liability in the league because of that stat, that's fine. But it's also not an opinion that he's one of the most progressive midfielders in the league, whether it's progressive passing, carrying the ball or getting the ball into the final third. The stats are very clear about that. He simply gets the ball forward to teammates more than almost every other midfielder in the league, year after year. It has come to the point where he can literally have ten excellent performances in a row that goes without comment from most, but as soon as he has a poor game his critics are out in full force. There's a reason why all of his managers seem to rate him so highly.

[quote="Rich"]https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56325695

Has anyone read about the proposed change to the Champions League to bring 4 more teams in?
There is talk of 2 of the additional 4 places being 'wildcard' based on UEFA co-efficient. Currently that would give Arsenal a very good chance of being that wildcard as one of if not the highest ranked team not to qualify for the champions league.[/quote]
Yes Rich. Two months ago it's been tossed around as a possibility. Expansion of CL instead since that "Big Picture" proposal failed.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailym ... added.html

"There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong."

The big teams have enough of an advantage with the seeding system. They should at least have to qualify each season! Imagine the system applied this season Liverpool would probably get in even if their putrid run continued and they finished outside the top 10 in the league!

Great lines, brilliant song. Amazing hat, ridiculous sideburns!

This notion he’s the Swiss Andrea Pirlo is such nonsense. His passing isn’t progressive at all and he always passes “safe” usually a pass 20 yards forward to his full back that manipulates his stats. He recycles possession more than any other player and his asssts and goals are poor.

In addition to that he can’t tackle, Is useless in the air, picks up yellows and reds for fun and needs to take 3 touches to bring the ball under control.

The pass he did at the weekend was the worst pass in the history of Arsenal football club. It even beats Lee Dixon lobbing Seaman as there was an element in freakish nature in that, Xhaka however has that right in his locker to do something so stupid.

He’s shite and apart from those on this forum I think many of our fans think likewise, certainly all my arsenal supporting mates agree.