I couldn't agree more about central defence being the obvious priority. Perhaps disastrous is too strong a word to describe Koscielny's performance at Southampton. But I'm not sure it is. Then against Tottenham he left Delle Ali with so much time to score, I wonder if a quick reader would have had time to get through Tolstoy's War and Peace before Koscielny reached him. On the basis of what we've seen so far following his return from injury, I feel he's some way from being ready for first team action.

But more than that, he's 33 so must be losing what was an important element of his game. His pace. So I see Koscielny as a once excellent player who sadly now needs replacing as an automatic first choice. Holding has a long-term injury but let's be honest, is hardly another Sol Cambell or Tony Adams anyway.

Mustafi has had a very good season so far and Sokratis has done well, but neither are really top level even if they're the best we've currently got. Moreover it's too early to be sure how Medley will turn out, however promising he's looked in two substitute appearances against weak opposition. The Greek kid Mavropanos has been injured all season so I'm even less sure about him than Medley. Xhaka doesn't look like a central defender to me, regardless of how he's improved in midfield.

So yes, for me strengthening central defence is the top priority.

Dear Friends,
I would like to wish everyone on the Forum and your loved ones a Very Happy Christmas and
a Happy and Healthy New Year!
Hopefully 2019 will bring peace, tolerance and understanding everywhere!
Best Wishes from Judith, John, Susie and Angela

Thank you Judith, John, Susie and Angela
Wishing you all the very best for 2019, have a great Christmas and New Year!

Same from me as well Judith, and of course to everyone else here.

Happy Holidays.

Thanks for checking in with us. I echo your "peace and tolerance" statement.

Koscielny's contract is until end of 2019/20 season. Emery could well decide to stick with him, Sokratis, Mustafi and Holding (plus Mavropanos and Chambers) for next season. I guess it all depends on who we lose end of this season. Suppose all of Čech, Monreal, Lichtsteiner, Ramsey and Welbeck leave, perhaps only Ramsey won't need an immediate replacement. Ospina, AMN and Nelson can come in for Čech, Lichtsteiner and Welbeck. Do we have a ready-made successor for Monreal? If we can't get new players of quality that meet Emery's expectations, I hope Monreal and Welbeck are given contract extensions.

Ospina! Do we really want him back? Napoli have a £3.5m clause to buy him. He needs to go. I’d rather give Čech one more year

AMN can fill in at full back in home games against weak team where we dominate the ball and territory, but I’m not convinced in him there long term over a specialist full back. He had a good game yesterday.

Nelson I’m looking forward to seeing next year but we also need to play a system that gets the best out of him

Thank you Judith. Merry Christmas and all the best to you, John, Susie and Angela. And a wonderful 2019 and the years following!

Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2019 to all!

I'd also rather see Čech given
another year than have Ospina back. I remember someone outside the forum calling Ospina an 'Almunia waiting to happen'. I wouldn't say he's as bad as Almunia was, but I don't think it's an outrageous observation.

Thank you for the message Judith and may I echo those sentiments.

I hope your family and everyone on here has a very happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous new year.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who keeps this amazing board up and running.

Not a chance, I don't know who dreams up these rumours TG. Even if he did leave Madrid and we could afford him we'd be some way down his list of preferred options I think.

I think both of you are spot-on. It's the one area of the team where the right players brought in could quickly elevate us to another level. Finding those "right" players is the problem, especially in January.

Everton 1-0 Spurs.
Our old friend Theo Walcott opens the scoring.

This is the sort of game we really need spurs to drop points in.

Everton have a goal disallowed that would have been 2-0, then Everton have a horror show in defence and totally gift spurs an open goal equaliser 1-1
Spurs very lucky to be level

Spurs are very good but are lucky week after week. The amount of nonsense penalties they've got in 1 goal games over the last 3 seasons is remarkable. Also, they have largely had great fortune with injuries.

Oh well, 3-1 spurs now. Everton and Pickford in particular have defended awfully. Pickford at fault for all 3 goals in my book.
The first is all pickfords fault, he should make a much better fist of the save for the second and then I’m not sure he sets his wall right for the free kick to beat him to hit the near post and Kane follows it in

They are now good value for this lead, very impressive since going behind.
Agree on the penalties, if it winds us up imagine what their penalty count must do to Dyche!

So when VAR comes in to the prem next season which teams are going to be hurt the most of which are going to benefit the most?

It’s difficult to say a particular team but I think the managers of little teams who moan about the big boys getting all the decisions are going to be disappointed as I think VAR will only give even more decisions to the big teams

Everton 2-5 spurs. Spurs 5th is offside mind

Brighton away for boxing day. I hope Mustafi and Koscielny are fit because I think Emery is currently intent on playing the back 3 and if one of those 2 aren't fit we could well see Xhaka in the back 3 again. He must go in the centre of the midfield with Torreira.

If Emery does go with the back 3 then it just leaves 3 attacking places. Aubamayang will rightly take one of them. Then he has a choice of Lacazette, Özil, Ramsey, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi for the other 2 places. It is one of the reasons I'm not keen on the 3 at the back is because our better players in the squad are forward players and you have to leave so many of them on the bench.

And they are continuing to improve their goal difference. Now 6-2.

Wow - I hope Everton set up like that when we visit them! So so so open

Getting seriously worried about this Tottenham team, not least because I like watching them.

I was just about to say that. If they have some good luck (with injuries etc.) they could trouble city and pool for the title. Frankly Id prefer them to win it than City.

Thanks Judith. Merry Xmas/happy holidays to everyone.

Was there Bern. Brilliant day. Correct me if I’m wrong but the under-rated (not by me) Alan Sunderland got us off and running with two quick goals. Brady’s though swerving past the great Pat Jennings was unbelievable.

When Ive watched spurs this season they have looked good not lucky. I'm quite surprised their goals against is so high, actually.

Good grief. I know you feel strongly about financially doped clubs but I think that's going way over the top. I'd much, much, much rather City win it than Tottenham.

Why would you prefer them over City?, that is crazy talk, I never enjoy watching them win and it seems to happen all too often over the last few years, Spuds winning the title while moving into a 'better' stadium, the stuff of nightmares.

Really not enjoying football these days, it just seems like Spuds are better than us and we're stagnating as a Europa league club, perhaps things will get better once Emery has 'his' players but I lack faith in the owner backing him financially, especially if we fail to get back in the CL.

Despite Wenger's exit we still feel like a stale club.

Yes, Alan Sunderland actually scored a hat trick. Stapleton scored the other. I think you got one thing wrong though. Pat Jennings was in goal for Arsenal that day.

Ah memory playing tricks. Thank you Bern. Must’ve been Barry Daines or some hapless fool they tried to replace PJ with. Anyway fabulous day. One of my favourite football memories (easily in the top 5) Not so much was a few years later when they did the same to us 5:0.

Let me join with others to wish you all the best at this time of year.

Also I would like to thank warrior and all the mods for the work you do in keeping the forum going.

Yeah, I was there for the 5-0 defeat as well. Not a good day.

Thanx all ! ;-)

Rumours have it Napoli might take up the option on Ospina. If Čech doesn't fancy being Leno's deputy, we would need a new GK next season.

Thanks Warrior for ensuring we have this wonderful site to "speak" with each other. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!

According to this site Ospina's contract expires in 2019 anyway. If that's right, I can't imagine he'd get or even want a new one with Arsenal. I'm happy enough with that.

EDIT: Rich mentioned Napoli having a clause to buy him on a permament deal worth £3.5m. If that is the case and Ospina's contract at Arsenal expires in 2019 I assume it must relate to the January window. But how long was the loan deal for? If it was the whole season, why would they waste £3.5m in January? Unless they're concerned about competition for him when he's free in the summer?

https://lastwordonfootball.com/2018/03/ ... ring-2019/

Too much sherry? City to win over any of the others. Much easier to write it off as financially doped win. Spurs winning the league would be catastrophic