American football training is completely nuts. We were doing this as 10 year olds. Called "bull in the ring", the players form a circle, someone is chosen to be in the middle, the coaches call out a players number and you have to charge the guy in the ring at full speed. The coach often tries to call a player behind you and if you are late reacting..well, it's not pretty. Also, the coach sometimes is sadistic (or more sadistic) and tries to toughen up a weak player by calling a number of a player much bigger. I hated this drill because I was small for a 10 year old. The coach should be calling players of equal size but my coach didn't like me and would call bigger players. Luckily I was popular and they took it easy on me. I was also a running back, with pace and was needed. I broke my ankle in high school doing a similar type of drill. A lineman (one of the big guys) fell over one of my legs and sat on my ankle. Never really healed right. To this day, decades later I can tell you when its going to rain or snow.

There is a reason why we are so militaristic, we start those kinds of tendencies early.

You seem quite sniffy about being neat and tidy or a continuity player. Comparing him to Pirlo is about as useful as comparing him to Vieira or Keane. There are very few as good as Pirlo in his role. If Xhaka isn't, that doesn't mean he can't do a good job for Arsenal. Koscielny was never as good as Adams or Campbell but was still a very fine player, even though I think he now needs replacing. Mkhitaryian isn't as good as Brady but will, I expect, be a fine signing. I'd say the same of Aubameyang even though he's not as good as Henry.

Xhaka isn't a defensive midfielder, so is it fair to criticise him when he was asked to play there? Dier couldn't play Xhaka's continuity game, so would it be fair to moan about him there? Babu mentioned a midfield of Torreira, Xhaka and Ramsey working. My guess is that this may well be Ramsey's last season due to his contract situation. But I can see Torreira, Xhaka and Guendouzi also working.

You had ample opportunity to 'toughen up' in the states...lol.
Dodge ball...sadistic PE teachers is a cliche. A lot of them former marines. Girls weren't immune either. Girls would often feign cramps, etc, and many a PE teacher sent them to the nurse for a note knowing they probably didn't even have their first period yet. Girls hated dodge ball because it was co-ed and nerdish, bookish girls got beaned in the head. Dodge ball was revenge time. The class bully was either doing most of the hitting or getting hit. No middle ground. I've seen teammates of class bullies get out of the way and give the other side free reign on him..haha.

What makes these things far worse these days in the era of snowflakes (per you Babu) is that the students are much, much bigger. Did you see LeBron James in HS? There is a reason he could go straight to pros and handle the physicality. 2 or 3 generations of families eating steroid enriched meat has produced some man-boys.

HS football is now big business. These kids are huge, quick as cats and strong as oxes.

Despite all this you’re still *%^@ at football.

I can see how someone could make that a possibility but I don't see Gazidis doing that to the club. Maybe its in him. I don't know the man obviously but I have to think he has a certain amount of loyalty.

https://www.football-italia.net/127905/ ... msey-milan

All points bulletin out for Hodd. Where have you been hiding? Big changes at The Arsenal. Emery's era has begun and not a peep. Report in!

I'd say Guendouzi is technically a lot more gifted than Parlour.

Wot? The Romford Pele? Surely not.

I see Parlour as a club legend but not that technically gifted.

I'm not the one labelling him exceptional so I'm certainly not expecting anything like Pirlo or Brady levels from him. Actually, I don't expect much of him at all. He's a central midfielder with poor discipline, poor defensive abilities and a decent passing range when not under pressure.

Also, for what it's worth, I think Mkhitaryan has been disappointing. He looks like a pure fair-weather player and the biggest thing going for him so far is that Sanchez has been atrocious at Utd.

You just strike me as taking every opportunity to moan about him. You may well deny it but I almost get the impression you simply don't like him. Perfectly normal for fans of any club regarding the occasional player, even when it's not based on their quality. I feel Xhaka is better than some give him credit for, and that 'some' includes you.

Weighing in on the Xhaka debate, I rate him 5.5/10. Good enough to be a key player in teams not challenging for major honours. But, not near good enough to be a key player (not even substitute), in a top honours challenging team. I think if he fundamentally change his attitude towards the game, he will improve exponentially. By that, I mean to give his game more urgency and to cut out his casual passes (which had led to quite a number of calamitous defending by the defenders or goals). My view of him is bias because he has both proven his worth and his weakness, albeit the end result from his weakness is more telling.

Once Kos comes back the defense will be a bit more steady. That's our weakness, the defense and secondarily team defense. We are a very decent side once that is resolved.

We are visibly behind City, Liverpool and Tottenham. Chelsea and Man Utd are better but reachable. I have afith in Emery. I'm still surprised at how impatient some fans are.

Good points mentioned. I hope Xhaka improves his urgency soon.

I like Xhaka, flaws and all. What I particularly like about him is that he gives precisely zero *%^@* about who hes going up against, he isnt a bottler, he doesnt back down, and hes a unit. As a result Im not looking at Fellaini and Matic at Utd, for example, and thinking theyre just gonna squash us. Hes not fussed, so neither am I.

Ive had quite enough of us being pushed around physically and ld rather have a few more Xhakas in the team than any more mhikis and mesuts and other assorted pussies who disappear when it gets a bit tasty.

Me too.

I think you make some good points there.

Dear God ... the vaunted All Blacks are playing like sh^^%$%$ t .

. an idiot of throw in gifts them 7 points , kicking away possession , dropping the f**&& ball ..... not kicking the ball out after the half time siren gifts them another 3 .

meanwhile South Africa are playing really well .

Well done South Africa .... we were awful ....... Beauden Barrett missed three easy conversions

Why didn't they just go for the drop goal? It was there for the taking.

Glad to see the Bokke win. Rugby in the south needed it.

I know what you mean and he does like to put his foot in but goodness me he’s so *%^@*** lazy he barely wants to track back and has no sense of danger. It makes him even more of a liability than a placid passing type player like Denilson or Arteta

I think this is the accurate analysis for Xhaka. He should be playing for someone like Newcastle or Everton

What does Torreira have to do to get picked ?

Xhaka !

Xhaka earns his wages.....

Özil !

Great save from Čech

No clean sheet for Čech again.

Good result though.

Tied with Spurs now.

Any away win in this league is not to be sniffed at. Torreira needs to start games now.
Not sure we are clicking but we’re winning games we need to win.
10 goals, 10 different goalscorers

Excellent result - two away wins on the trot. Didn't see it though - how was the performance?

Reid’s Nelson scores on his debut for hoffenheim

Credit to Xhaka. Well taken free kick and a good pass to Lacazette, which led to the Özil goal.

Not exactly a classic, but I thought we showed some improvement here and there. Overall our best defensive performance this season, although it was disappointing that we couldn't keep a clean sheet. Sokratis in particular had a good game in defense. Xhaka had another good game. Özil got involved much more today. Bellerin is emerging as an attacking threat. Torreira must start.

I think Sokratis is showing himself to be a pretty decent signing so far. Both goals were very good. Xhaka's free kick was superb.

Didn’t quite check my predictive text on his name!
It would be great if Reiss can establish himself in the first team in Germany and can come back to us a much better player.

4 straight home games for us now and a chance to see what teams Emery puts out for the cups.
It’s a shame Kolasinac and AMN are injured because they’d be shoe in for some minutes.
It would be good to see Nketiah and Smith-Rowe in the league cup

I got given a ticket for spurs v Liverpool today, good chance to see both teams live.
Liverpool are the real deal. 2-1 flattered spurs, Liverpool dominated and had a strangle hold on the game. Van Djik is their rock. They also love the clipped balls between full back and centre back for one of their front 3 to run on to. I can see why Liverpool can sometimes struggle against packed defences.

Spurs were awful. Vorm inspires no confidence in the defence. Dier was slow, and Kane looked like a pub player. Something is up with Kane, he looked 2 yards off the pace, wasn’t sharp or alert and barely touched the ball, VVD bossed him all game. It’s more than a post work cup hangover, he was rushed back from injury at the end of last season and has been overplayed.

Oh and the atmosphere was awful, 80,000 and it was so quiet. Up until when spurs got their consolation I can only recall 2/3 whole stadium chants going round.

If Dier and Eellaini make appearances, I find it hard to see how Xhaka wouldn't play games for Tottenham and Manchester United.