I have told you before about Bayern helping Dortmund in their biggest hour of financial need by meeting the wage bill of their players when in grave danger of going bankrupt. I think that more than makes up for signing Gotze and not breaking any rules by doing so. Anyway he's gone back to Dortmund now.

Do Manchester United, Barcelona or Real Madrid play three domestic clubs in financial trouble every year, meet all the costs of holding the friendly and letting the opposition keep every penny (or Euro) of the gate receipts? I don't know, just asking, becuse Bayern do.

I hardly ever mention refereeing errors. I have occasionally offered you advice on the issue, and well done for doing so less lately. So maybe you have found it helpful. A single post when dec brought the performance of the referee up in the Madrid Bayern game up was the only time I recall doing so recently, following your carual dismissal of it. It simply isn't something that interests me much.

Anyone got a link for this? Muchas gracias.

Jack Wilshere has been the most injured Premier League player over the past six seasons.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11661/10850137/who-is-the-premier-leagues-most-injured-player-over-the-past-six-seasons

fat Sam is an azz. I've never accepted that 'that was the past' narrative he says about Wenger before. He hates Wenger. Always have, always will and the hypocritical fat b@stard has the nerve to ask for loanees from time to time.

http://www.football.london/crystal-pala ... e-12943322

“The real surprise for me was Arsenal,” he said at his pre-Tottenham press conference on Tuesday.

"We played them on Monday night and destroyed them. I've never destroyed an Arsenal team with all the clubs I've had quite like we destroyed them on that day. In every department we ended up being better than Arsenal that night and that has never happened for me in my entire career.”

The 3 at the back thing has apparently been played at least once by 17 of the 20 premiership teams.

I'm still to be convinced by it for Arsenal or generally, the reason being is that I think the 3 at the back with wing backs is used to cover up the weaknesses of those 5 defensive players - who should be able to play in a back 4. I use a similar principle with the 3 central mids (often a holding, box to box and attacking). Years ago you played 2 CM and they had to do the lot, with 3 central mids you get ready made excuses for attacking players not defending or tracking, similarly for holding players offering nothing but a shield - think back to when Vieira and Petit did it all.

Anyway back to the 3 at the back. CBs who struggle in a 2 get the assurance of another CB in there to help them, and full backs turn in to wing backs to exploit the modern tendency for full backs to be far better going forward than they are at basic defending.

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I like my full-backs to be able to defend 1 v 1 and get up and down the line all day long. Think back to Ashley Cole, wingers in his pocket and flying on the overlap for Henry and Pires - all in a back 4.

For me the best CB's in prem history won't be CB who perform well in a back 3.

(I realise many brilliant italian defenders play in a 3)

I can see why Gazidis would say no to work back in America soccer

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football ... t-arsenal/

There really isn't any domestic position in America that has the same stature as The Arsenal. If a joint America/Mexico bid is accepted (I'm surprised at a joint bid given the acrimonious relationship politically, athletically, somewhat culturally). Its not ongoing.

No one, least among Americans will know who he is but the football world knows who is running The Arsenal. Perhaps he fancies himself as a sort of David Dein eventually?

As the article intimates I think he sees it as a job undone. I think he would love to be the one who is credited with Arsenal's resurgence.

Thanks Exiled.... Very well put together documentary.

I'll hope for a Man City win. We get more mileage out of Man Utd losing and hopefully Liverpool stuttering to give us a window.

I still think there is a chance for top 4. I still think there is a significance amount we can salvage (FA cup, top 4). Who knows. If neither happens, so be it. We aren't expected to get either.

The downside is Wenger. It emboldens him.

I'd agree with what you say about Vieira and Petit Exiled, but I think Bergkamp consistently used to play in a more advanced position than Özil. That's not to say we never saw Bergkamp towards the back or Özil up front. We did and do. But for the majority of their time on the pitch, I feel Bergkamp was more advanced than Özil, meaning Özil was deeper than Bergkamp. Those heat maps that they used to have on MOTD, which gladly they've now stopped. But if they had them for both players, I'd be astonished if they didn't show what I just suggested.

Still unconvinced about the back 3 like others, our problems stem from focus, commitment and individual battles being lost not numbers. (See Agueros goal ludicrous defending)

I see the tactic being adopted purely off the back of Gabriel's shocking display againest palace when it showed how exposed we were. I fail to be convinced by one hardly impressive game againest boro and one decent game againest city. We're going to come unstuck... probably againest Spurs

I see a story online about tax frauds and raids at Newcastle and maybe Westham. If this is true there could be dramatic action that follows.

If I was Huddersfield supporter I would be hoping there was a lot of truth to this and would want to finish 3rd. Also Swansea or whoever finishes 3rd bottom may not be gone.

The punishment given to Rangers is well known and I would see no reason why both teams should not be taken back to conference league or at least the 3rd division if the same applies to these clubs.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor ... s-12945468

I will watch with interest. You may recall the Westham issue years ago with Aguero(I think) and they were lucky to avoid relegation. Maybe payback time.

Tevez wasn't it?

Not for me. Bergkamp was always a more classic number 10 forward than an attacking midfielder, even in his later years. Özil is a creative midfielder.

I suspect it was more that he was getting old or slowing down that made him less inclined to score in his very later years. Also, the point at which his goal scoring slowed was when Henry joined. From around that point, I think Bergkamp became the less dominant forward at the club after playing with Anelka and earlier Wright. But I think he was still a forward. Sorry, but just watching the team play over that period would not tempt me to call him an attacking midfielder.

Until, of course, the 2005 cup final when Wenger opted to play him as a lone striker of course.

To great effect.

The Humiliation Cup final I should have added for Hoy's benefit when, pace Wenger, I had to throw up on the way home I was so mortified.

Never forgiven Wenger for playing Bergkamp in that role that day.

By the way, I agree with you, Bernard, he was a deep-lying forward right up until he got too knackered but that was pretty late in his career.

Anything new on the OX?

Will he be it for tonight's game

I'll answer it myself, he's on the bench.

33Cech
24Bellerín
5Gabriel
6Koscielny
18Monreal
29Xhaka
34Coquelin
14Walcott
11Özil
3Gibbs
7Sánchez
Substitutes
8Ramsey
12Giroud
15Oxlade-Chamberlain
17Iwobi
23Welbeck
26Martinez
35Elneny

Bellerin plays. Will it be a three or four at the back?

That midfield pivot is a problem

Good to see us shooting from outside the box. We must do more of these

How to ruin a game of football - have Tony Gale on commentary. The guy is so negative about every aspect of Arsenal

Well saved Čech

anybody got a link?

Bad decision Walcott

Such an infuriating reluctance to bloody shoot!

1 shot so far, but we've turned down at least double figure chances to have a pop

Sanchez hits the bar on the stroke of half time. He's been awful so far

So much possession but so little end product. Leicester are the masters at sitting deep and soaking up pressure.

We need a couple of players who are able to dribble past an opponent and open things up a bit.

Alexis and Özil are the likliest to do that. But, Alexis has been poor tonight. Özil prefers to hold, look and pass. Welbeck to come on at the 70th to do that.

To often in the final third we try the impossible pass, one touch eye of the needle stuff. Sometimes I just wish we'd play the percentages. Also as you say, a player who will run and commit a defender, Walcott has been a passenger. I'd much rather the unpredictability of welbeck and ox - two almost old school style of footballers, a forward who makes runs, shoots, follows shots in, gets in the 6 yard box.....and a winger who dribbles, stays wide and puts in crosses

How often do our corners get cleared to the edge of the box and there is no one there to fire in a shot or pick up the second ball, the same is true when we decide to defend corners with 11 men in our own 6 yard box.

The semi final win was nice but it is two more years of utterly frustrating performances like this is Wenger signs

Yes, bring him on, Welbeck!

Welbeck on for Gibbs, back to a back 4

He trouble with bellerin and Monreal as wing backs is as much as they are ok going forward they aren't a patch on a top level winger which I'm afraid your wing back needs to be. Add in coquelin and you have 6 players with very little in the way of genuine creativity in the side

the biggest problem is that we don't get players in the box en masse. The wingbacks have no one to aim crosses at.

How do the players still believe in wengers methods?

Even they must see that we aren't threatening and haven't created a single good chance today despite having 75% of the ball.

It is far too common theme at home, Leicester have had the games best chances

Frustrating to see players like Walcott and Ramsey preferring to pass back, when already inside the opponent's penalty box. Kills whatever attacking initiative that's created.

Their defender looks at Giroud, jumps and studs Giroud in the back. Giroud was standing. Only a yellow

You forgot Alexis' crossbar shot