Yes, how can we be in 6th place with a really good left back. That's a headscratcher.

"Truth." "Right." About something that hasn't happened yet? Methinks not.

Adams was a great defender. Sansom was a great defender. Nacho is a half-decent defender.

I'm watching you, you big Southern jessie.

Sibelius!

Agreed - a great song. I love being sentimental and that one has my tears every time.

Not like you with your bloody apostrophes, Jesus *%^@*** christ how *%^@*** hard is it they teach it at *%^@*** primary school.

Oops. Cover blown.

Anyway off to take my whippet to the vet to have her anal glands squeezed.

This is actually true apart from the breed of dog; she is a soft southern cockerpoo.

I think that's a decent summary he's a 6/10 type. He's a half decent lad prone to a roasting every once in a while. Better than clichy and Gibbs so he became a bit of a favourite for locking down the position.

Ashley 9/10
Sagna 8/10
Bellerin and Monreal 6/10

No need to bring his kids into the argument.

I would say Adams was a world class defender, if we are going to get tied down in subjective player classifications.

Anyway, half-decent is obviously preposterous when talking about Monreal in the last few seasons. He's even managed to consistently look good in our defensive setup.

Oi ref! Get a load of the immortal Jascha giving the Violin Concerto some finger.

https://youtu.be/R5FkrVq-uws

Apart from at Trudie's Bondage Parlour no better place to get tied down. I give you Robert Moore, Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi as other great defenders. Of all those I have seen in an Arsenal shirt O'Leary and Simpson were the only ones to match Adams.

Then your saying we can compete for the title with Aaron playing the number ten role?

On the basis he's scored 32 goals in his career now aged 27 if keeps up this strike rate he could finish his Arsenal career on around 50/60 goals depending on his time of retirement or being sold off. This is about a third of what Frank Lampard scored at Chelsea and their games were similar as based on making runs into the box and movement rather than passing attributes.

Therefore Ramsey is a third of the player Lampard was. You don't win titles with players of this type being your focal midfielder

Can't compete with math.

Shlomo is good too.
https://youtu.be/oQPSQzfOrL4

Sorry Haz but half-decent means 'pretty good' or 'not bad' which I think is obviously a fair assessment.

Or Benjamin?
https://youtu.be/qZMkvfdv_Sk

Great song writer and super live band. Saw them in 81 and either 82 or 83.

"The day they knocked down the Palais, my sister stood and cried. The day they knocked down the Palais, part of my childhood died."

On bands .... couple of questions


The Smiths ? Any good and where should I start

Stone roses ? Some good songs but are they over rated ?

Sorry bromley but I don't think half-decent, or pretty good, or not bad is anything like a fair assessment. Monreal is comfortably better than that on a consistent basis.

We have conceded the last 23 penalties we have given away in the league. Stretching back to August 2013

The most shocking part is that we’ve conceded 23 penalties in 4.5 seasons. Top clubs just don’t concede that many.

He's better than "pretty good" ? Really what's that excellent ? He's a 6/10 or 7 at most. The fact we have an absence of talent is lending people to think these players are better than they are.

I seriously think some folks on here are over rating our players, there's a reason we are 6th.

Mourinho, pep, klopp even Poch are not touching Monreal or Ramsey and they would be shipped out in 5 seconds

The Smiths were very good. There's a compilation called Louder Than Bombs which would be a good place to start. The Queen is Dead is a brilliant album.

Stone Roses. The first album and the associated singles and b sides are great along with Fools Gold, One Love and to a lesser extent Elephant Stone. The second album wasn't great at all although Love Spreads is ok.

Steer well clear of anything live though as Ian Brown is an abysmal lead singer.

Thanks Dec I'll start with the Smiths. Sound advice

Well according to you Top Gun, Monreal is better than Clichy, which I'd agree with. When Manchester City, one of the world's richest clubs, decided they wanted a new left back they bought him. When Guardiola arrived there he got rid of the likes of Hart immediately and Toure pretty damn quickly. But he kept Clichy a whole season, only getting rid of him when he was well in his thirties. As Monreal is better than Clichy who he kept until around 32, there's nothing to suggest Guardiola would have shipped him out in 5 seconds.

Sorry, I agree with lots of your viewpoints but you come out with a load of bollocks about many. Monreal is one of them.

At this very moment I'd take the sheep any day of the week .

Two blokes arrived to do the fence one with a bobcat [ that's a little tractor thing for all you highfalutin physicists , scriptwriters and deskbound blowflies ] and are happy to cart away the mountain of debris I've created the day before at no cost to me .

I'm excited [ not as excited as Brom over John1 or Daz over Joechim the Kraut ] but very pleased ...... say to Mrs Kiwi .... "magic they are getting rid of the tree for nothing " .... saved probably three trips to the dump $45 plus a mountain of labour for me .
She with a face like a twisted prune .

"Whats wrong with you "

"Oh I hardly slept last night worrying about the fence ... we have had no official statement outlining what exactly they are going to do .... go and tell them to stop "

"Bit late for that I'm not telling them , you go out if you feel that strongly "

Monreal gets a 7 from me. Still comfortably better than Clichy to be fair.

city were signing our players left right and centre including Toure when he had malaria for 15 million and adebayor. Doesn't mean they are amazing players, Monreal is better than clichy but Clichy wouldn't have got anywhere near a regular role in a pep side. He was a squaddie

Monreal wouldn't be a bad substitute for arsenal.

Nachos heavy heights were playing for osasuna and Malaga. No one of note ever displayed an interest. He is a trier and "not bad" but not much more.

Seriously, what would you give Clichy then? He was much better than people here used to admit and better than Gibbs.

Evening Bernard.
In my language any of the statements (maybe I should have said 'not bad at all' as opposed to a simple 'not bad'), accompanied by a knowing nod (hard to get across on the forum) are intended as compliments. I like Nacho. He's competent and committed. But I also think he's a bit limited and prefer him at left back in a 4 than as a centre back in a 3, and he's definitely not a centre back in a back 4. I just thought Haz was over-egging the pudding describing him as 'great' - we've been blessed with a few great defenders over the years but he's not one of them.

On reflection I think Clichy has a slightly bad rap, in the end he was better than Gibbs but not much worse than Monreal. Those 3 are proper Wenger defenders

All of the players City bought from us were intended to improve them. I thought Clichy played lots of games for Guardiola last season.

His first season. Didn't win the league.

Also worth noting that Clichy counted as a 'homegrown' player at a time when City were busy signing lots of non homegrown players and were struggling to meet the quota.
It is no coincidence that they have signed Stones, Walker and Sterling - some of the best young homegrown talent to ensure they are well stocked in that area because it is unlikely (however good they are) that City are bringing through any of their own youngsters to the first team proper.

I am with you on this situation. Under no circumstances do I want Wenger to help select his successor and I don't want him to have any position at the club. I do not want a statue erected to him. Maybe after they put up one to George Graham. The chances of that are pretty slim.

Simple header at the far post goal from Lemar for Monaco tonight. For those like me who follow French football their game vs Nice (feat. Seri) is on BTSport.

Bernard not much between Clichy and Montreal. Personally, I think Monreal does not close down crosses well enough to be considered top drawer though I do like his commitment and he can be effective going forward.

Well I would rather Bellerin be out trying to pick up a couple of anorexic models to shag than Iwobi being at drugs party before an important game.

Wilshire . Your having a f...en laugh

I suggest the vet practices on you first so there are no mistakes.