Not surprised you watched a movie rather than the cricket.

Listen up Wombat Gonads ..... you can't wind me up on this one . The cricket finished yesterday and I watched it .

I was cheering for the Bangladeshis
........as I said the other day they are a little impoverished nation so why not give them something to cheer about ...... For once I didn't mind the Kiwis losing .
I might not be so Mother Teressa / United Nations if we lose the second .

This FA charge we've been hit with is farcical. If you watch the video Gabriel does react to the red card - he throws his hands up and wants to remonstrate with the ref, Lacazette as captain pretty quickly ushers him away and Gabriel leaves the field quite quickly in the end. There are a number of Arsenal players around the ref, they all keep a respectable distance and nothing looks overly aggressive. Lacazette again moves some players away so he can have the discussion with the ref. Worth also noting that not a single Arsenal player was shown the yellow card for dissent in this episode.

What you will have now is Arsenal fans looking at every red card or controversial decision where players surround the ref and demanding an FA Charge.

For me it is 100% obvious that this charge is simply the FA flexing their muscles to try to change the narrative to badly behaved players rather than awful refereeing.

In the grand scheme of things it will be a fine which is no big deal for us I'm sure, but the principle of singling us out yet again for something others will get away with is absurd. It is my continual problem with officiating and Arsenal - on the face of it and individually you can justify most penalties and red cards that are given against us - but in the wider context of the league you see the things we're punished for are not routinely punishable offences for others. I'm sure Wenger once made the same point about everyone driving at 90mph on the motorway and you are the only one who is pulled over and fined.

A fellow gooner buddy said there is an article that City will look at Arteta (among a couple others) to take over after Pep.

Do you enjoy films with stuff like car chases or gratuitous violence to make it more action focused? Because if you do I can understand why you weren’t keen. Like DHD appeared to, I think the script is very clever and the acting excellent in it. Not just Michael Caine (Palmer) but Nigel Green (Dalby), Guy Dolman (Ross) and Gordon Jackson who you mention (Carswell). It is all down to individual tastes I’m sure.

Seeing older films like it, and even television series like The Sweeney which was made about ten years later, when did people in the UK start locking their car? In these films or programmes of that era, nobody seems to. I passed my test when I was seventeen so not that long after The Sweeney started, and I don’t remember not bothering to lock my car.

Did he read it himself or hear about the article from someone else?

This all well and good but I doubt any of us [ you maybe an exception ] micro analyse how other teams are penalised .

I haven't made an in depth study of it but I've read plenty other sites Red Cafe , Chelsea , Liverpool , Newcastle where fans bitch and moan about the uneven treatment THEY think they receive .

I think it just the nature of the beast for any clubs fan to have supposed injustices branded in their brains with a white hot iron ; while brushing off things that happened in their favour .

Did anyone comment about Robert Pires' really dodgy penalty v Portsmouth that kept our Invincible season alive .... if Teddy Sherringham had done the same the other way ....... we'd still be raving about it .

The Athletic report that Arsenal were sympathetic to Liverpool's request for a postponement - and Liverpool were grateful for Arsenal's approach - but Arsenal frustrated they didn't receive the same clemency in August.

I saw someone also note that in France they have a rule that any January signings can't play in re-arranged fixtures that should have originally been played pre-Jan. Makes a lot of sense and is fair. Newcastle could have a very different and stronger squad for their re-arranged games. Spurs also with their two games in hand.

I do appreciate all fans will think their team is hard done by, although it would be interesting to go on rival teams forums after we've beaten them to see what decisions they are moaning about that WE got in our favour.

The Pires one is bought up all the time by rival fans despite the fact it was 19 years ago. Pires is still held up as the flag bearer of divers in the league.

I suppose we remember the ones that really effect us, I recall Vertonghen encroaching on Aubameyang's penalty at Spurs in Emery's season when he cleared the ball from a certain goal on the rebound in the 93rd minute which would have won us the game and taken us in to the champions league at the expense of Spurs. I also remember the offside goal Eto'o scored to equalise in the CL final, if we had VAR then it would have been ruled out. Chelsea fans will no doubt point to the Sanchez opening goal in the FA Cup final that hit his hand - which with today's laws would be ruled out. I certainly get other teams will have gripes and injustices - what I'm talking about our instances where we are punished but no one else is for the same crime - or that we rarely 'get away with one' on red cards or penalties. I still recall Vieira getting an extra game ban for 'not leaving the field of play quickly enough' after a red card and in the 16 years since have never seen a player get the same ban. Xhaka's red card on the half way line for a trip, never to be repeated for any other player

Car chases , violence not at all ... fifty thousand car wrecks and cars that explode on impact , Tom Cruise and Steven Segal taking out ten thugs make me cringe .
Steve McQueen in Bullit was a classic car chase in its time but the movie itself was very dated . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJZ-BHB ... =Kavallero

"Locking your car " ...we never locked our cars in NZ during the 60s 70s , left the keys in the ignition ....... our house was never locked .

I enjoyed The Sweeney in it's day ... I doubt whether I would now .

but to show you I'm not totally distanced from the past ...recently I dialled up all the ""When the Boat Comes In" series and enjoyed most of them .

I think all this shows Rich ... you are just your Joe Average passionate fan that loves his club .
"Nineteen years since the Pires goal "....

I took Granty Boy to Highbury no idea which year .... guessing 1983 ... he was about five ..sat him on the handrail on the North Bank .

Arsenal v Liverpool , Alan Sunderland handballed the goal , we won 1 -0 . No Arsenal fan complained about that .

I did

Aubameyang tests positive for covid

Aubameyang has tested positive for covid again.

Video going round of his teams preparations for the tournament that looks like them partying to loud rap music. Just mental considering the problems with this thing.

So best case scenario is Aubameyang will miss the opener then his isolation will end 1 day before the 2nd game so he won’t have trained I’d assume. Of course they will play him anyway.

He’s dismissing the governments herd immunity strategy if he’s had it 3 times now

I’d honestly be staggered if anyone takes him off our hands in January. For any one of financial, performance and behavioural reasons it would be madness.

Apparently Freddie's favourite film. Wiltord hates it...

Oi! Leave Bob alone.

Martinelli and Ødegaard both nominated for prem player of the month.

Ødegaard had 3 goals and 3 assist in 6 games, no player had more goal involvements. He also created more chances, played more through balls and created more big chances than any other player in the league in december. Only 25 players have created 4 or more big chances all season, Ødegaard made 4 in 1 month.

And yet some were questioning Ødegaard's signing. The bloke is class. Whilst maybe not as mercurial as an on form Özil, he seems more robust and a better fit for this version of Arsenal. Seems to have bought in to what's required. I think he's a terific player.

Frank Kessie, Ac Milan midfielder, available on a free in the summer so can talk to non Italian clubs now

From a F365 article https://www.football365.com/news/is-fra ... he-big-six

"He’s a creative, goalscoring, dynamic central midfielder who keeps possession and bloody loves running. He’s scored five Serie A goals this season, including a brace last time out in the win over Empoli, after 13 last term. He has a pass completion of 89.7%, bettered by just Rodri (93.1%) and Oliver Skipp (90.2%) among Premier League midfielders, both of whom are significantly less creative than Kessie. The Ivorian’s 2.95 shot-creating actions per game is on a par with Sadio Mané and Said Benrahma. A pressure success per game of 5.38 is better than Rodri (5.30) and Fabinho (5.19), and only slightly worse than N’Golo Kante (5.76)."

Kessie and Partey in central midfield is dreamland stuff

Agree - he's been superb recently in a more free-ranging role. My only disappointment is that so far, we don't seem to have been able to successfully fit Ødegaard and Emile Smith Rowe (who I also think is superb) in the same midfield.

Similarly, whilst Martinelli has been scintillating recently and is well worth a starting place, Tierney is far less effective as an attacking force when Martinelli plays.

At the risk of disrupting our current successful set-up, I'd love to see Emile Smith Rowe starting and Tierney getting forward more often.

Fair points. I wonder how we can get Emile Smith Rowe back in the 11? It would mean losing Lacazette in all probability but then that would change the shape of our side and build up. Nice problem to have though, considering where we started from after the first three games.

Man City report 21 covid cases amongst staff and players, including Pep and his assistant. FA Cup game still going ahead at the moment.

Like I said before, keep an eye on Liverpool’s team sheet for their game because anyone playing in this game (apart from Alison, Matip, firminho) could have played in the league cup game meant to be tonight.

I wonder what sort of team we'll see for the Forest game. They were on a decent run before losing their last two in the league and will of course be dangerous opponents at their own ground with the excitement of knocking us out (again!). I'd expect Leno, Cédric, Holding, Tavares, Lokonga, Emile Smith Rowe, Pépé to all start. Nketiah too is he is free of covid in time. Mari may get a game in defence if we look to protect White. Then it depends if Arteta wants to bolster the side with Xhaka and a first team winger - or look to throw in Patino and a young attacking mid like Salah or Hutchinson.

Just when I was looking forward to see us bounce back with a thumping win over Pool, the match gets postponed

Another hard running player, I like
But why is AC Milan not keeping him?

Problem with Smith Rowe not being in the side is that if you play Lacazette then you need to play martinelli really as you need natural runners going beyond the frontline because Lacazette is a false 9 and that’s 100% gabby more so than Emile. Funny the way different combinations of players have such an impact.

It’s a tough one but I can’t see Emile getting much game time unless he’s energy sub or Ødegaard needs a rest because Ødegaard and martinelli are undroppable right now in my opinion

What’s weird about the ainsley loan is that we seem no closer to announcing a new midfielder joining. No firm speculation

What would happen if lokonga or xhaka caught covid? We would have to stick Ben white in midfield or something

I just checked the AFCON dates. Essentially if Ghana or Egypt make the semi's then Partey and Elneny won't be back until after 6th Feb, which is 6 or 7 games without them both depending if we make the FA Cup 4th round.

If Ghana and Egypt get knocked out at the last 16 (Jan 23-26) or QF (Jan 29/30th) then they should both be back for the FA Cup 4th round and Wolves away - so 4 or 5 games without them
The end of the group stage is Jan 20 so in the unlikely event neither nation makes it through it is still unlikely they back the Burnley game only 3 days later.

So we're looking at best case 5 games worst case 7 games without them. Also we've gone from 5 senior central midfielders to only 2 so I think there is a strong case to add someone in January, but we need to do it sooner rather than later as adding them at the end of the month does nothing to help the next 5-7 games when we're down to 2 senior CM in the squad.

The rumour mill is throwing out Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon but it seems a move for him is more likely for the summer. That's why I'd be taking Wijnaldum from PSG on a 6 month loan.

After a number of postponed fixtures were announced to be played tues/wed the 18/19th Jan we are now the team with the most postponed fixtures that will need re-arranging. We've got 3 games to be re-arranges. Chelsea (a), Liverpool (h) and Wolves (h)

Of course I'm not slating Pires .. heaven forbid . I'd be keen for his inclusion in the greatest Arsenal side of all time ..... even if it meant leaving Mancini on the bench and playing three at the back .

I'm almost haunted by that image ; the lonely figure sitting disconsolately on the bench in the Euro Champ final in what proved his final outing for Arsenal .

One of Wenger's greatest cock ups in my book , removing Robert and not the huff and puff merchant Ljungberg .

Henry / Pires was such a smooth well oiled attacking combo it would have forced Barcelona to keep more back , fearing a lightning counter attack thus in a way negating their man advantage .

I must admit I don't quite understand the logic of the AMN deal, not unless someone else is coming in.

It does not appear that we have been made an offer too good to refuse, it appears to be a fairly moderate loan fee with no obligation or option to buy.

With so many games still to play, and fit in, there is the ever present threat of covid and injuries and the need to rotate. Not to mention AFCON.

You would think it would make more sense to have an oversupply of midfielders than an undersupply until the end of the season.

I listened to the 'handbrake off' podcast after the City defeat - it is quite a good Arsenal podcast if you're in to that sort of thing. They regularly have Amy Lawrence on who is a fairly well know Arsenal supporting journalist. She made a couple of good points about the City game.
1) The way we played was probably exactly how Arteta had dreamed in terms of 'his' style he's been trying to forge - and we did it without him on the sideline being very animated and moving all the players exactly where he wants them. And potentially he missed the last few training sessions before the game. This shows the system is becoming far more natural to the players and they know what to do most of the time now.
2) On Xhaka, as well as the usual moans about his giving away of the penalty she pointed out that he is a big personality in the dressing room and he'll be very important for the players in the aftermath of the defeat to keep moral and concentration high. I find myself constantly at odds with what I think about Xhaka, I can never shake the feeling that he'll cost us in big moments in big games but can also see that he's incredibly trusted by Arteta, is quite vital to how we play the game and he does progress the ball forward as good as any of our central mids. I often think it should be easy to find a left footed central midfielder who has all of Xhaka's passing range but none of his silly moments - but is it?

I wonder what the market value is now of the 6 signings we bought in this summer.

I'd wager that Ramsdale, Ødegaard and Tomiyasu have all doubled in value if we were to sell them tomorrow. Tavares has probably tripled (or more) in value. White certainly won't be less than £50m and Lokonga won't be less than £20m.

Add in the market values of Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Martinelli and that sustainable approach is starting to show now

Yes it was a shame Bob had to be substituted, but after Jens made his decisive rick, somebody from midfield had to be sacrificed. With the prospect of playing at least 70 minutes with ten men against such ball-hungry opponents, Arsene's decision to stand down the oldest Arsenal man on the field was understandable. He had to rely on his younger men to cover the ground, which they did so well. Ironic though that it was the veteran Larsson who came on and finished off our tiring side. Saddest memory for me was Dennis not kicking a ball in his only European Cup final - and the usually deadly Henry misfiring.

Just a hunch but The fact we are letting AMN go would point to us having tied up a new transfer for a midfielder that probably isn’t a huge fee or a difficult negotiation you would have to assume as there has been little shenanigans.

Likely a free transfer, out of contract or a player who can sign a pre contract now to move in the summer and we are trying to bring them in earlier for a small fee. I do wonder if Aaron Ramsey will turn up over the next few weeks.

Realistically, does anyone expect a big move for a striker this window?

Unless we are prepared to pay over the odds to get someone in ahead of our rivals.

Coutinho is joining Villa on loan

No.

I think the links to the fiorentina guy seems fanciful. I don’t understand why he would come to us at all, let alone in January and how we have the money (it would break our transfer record). I will happily fall off my chair if it happens and be happy to be proved wrong

I agree, his head and the heads of his agents appear to be elsewhere. Plus it seems he wants to stay at Fiorentin until the end of the season.