Match ticket came this morning and received the visa to get into Azerbaijan last week. The only thing I haven't had are the flight tickets from Thomas Cook. Sent them a message asking what London airport I'll be flying from, the times of the flights, and whether there will be coaches to take fans from the airport in Baku to the ground and back again after the game.

Sent that message last week and I've not heard a single bloody thing from Thomas Cook. Probably made all their staff redundant before going out of business.

EDIT: Just had a look on Arsenal.com and it now says Thomas Cook travel for the game is no longer available. In panic I phoned the ticket office, and thankfully they said that's because all the flight tickets are sold and they're not putting on any more planes. It seems Thomas Cook are sending out the itinerary for the trip this Friday. Phew!

I wonder who would be the better coach Freddie or Wilford

Obviously Freddie

So Čech is joining Chelsea as sporting director after next week.

Im sorry for me there’s too much of a conflict of interest and he shouldn’t play in the final. Leno all the way

If I was the owner "without unlimitless fund", by which I assume you mean limited financial resources, as an Arsenal owner I would spend as much as I could afford to bring success on the pitch. Sod the self-sustaining strategy. If, however, that still wasn't enough to win trophies, I would look to sell to someone with unlimited wealth who would ignore any self-sustaing strategy by spending enough to bring the biggest trophies.

If I owned another club I would pursue a strict self-sustaining strategy so I wouldn't have to put a single penny of my own money into it, particularly if it was a club I didn't like or had zero affinity with. That appears to be what Arsenal have with Kroenke.

I agree 100%.

Obviously Freddie

I am thinking Freddie will soon be up there with the greats in this coaching lark. No doubt Real will be in for him in a year or two. Meanwhile, last week I thought I saw Sylvain moving the plant pots around at my local B&Q.

I am thinking Freddie will soon be up there with the greats in this coaching lark. No doubt Real will be in for him in a year or two.

I am thinking Freddie will soon be up there with the greats in this coaching lark. No doubt Real will be in for him in a year or two. Meanwhile, last week I thought I saw Sylvain moving the plant pots around at my local B&Q.

I agree 100%.

Where the plan pots catching him offside?

Pictures of Aubameyang and Lacazette in next years kit doing the rounds on Twitter. If they are the final version then I think people will like them. The home kit in particular looks like a retro 1987/88 season kit. The away kit looks a bit more like the shade of yellow/gold we wore in 2002 when we won the title at OT.....but with a hint of the bruised banana kit about it.

Third kit is to be blue. May or may not be this one.

I find myself wondering how all the sponsors and corporate types are going to get there given the arduous travel options as described.

Like both but the away kit especially because it’s our yelllllllows heritage

Not sure Čech understands how decisive his moving back to Chelsea has become. After the Mkh mess another distraction is not what we needed. Emery has been put in a difficult place by this.

I’m praying Čech doesn’t make a blunder in the game.

Also, let’s hope that it doesn’t go to a penalty shoot out.

Has Leno ever saved a penalty for us? I can't remember one, and he's faced a few. To be honest I think Čech and Leno make the same basic error when facing penalties. They both dive too early, making it easy for the penalty taker to adjust and put it the other side to the one they've dived to.

I simply don't like yellow as a colour so in my view that away shirt, like all yellow shirts, is ghastly. When people go on about yellow shirts being Arsenal's heritage, our record in cup finals wearing yellow is dreadful. I researched our record in cup finals for an article I did in The Gooner a while back and we've lost many more than we've won in yellow. That's part of the club's heritage I can do without.

The blue third kit looks okay in my opinion. Not my favourite shade of blue, but at least it isn't yellow.

Has Leno ever saved a penalty for us? I can't remember one, and he's faced a few. To be honest I think Čech and Leno make the same basic error when facing penalties. They both dive too early, making it easy for the penalty taker to adjust and put it the other side to the one they've dived to.

Who would you back from Arsenal if it went to pens?
Aubameyang and Lacazette would be 1 and 2.
Don’t think I’d trust Özil.
Xhaka would have to take one - I’d be nervous
If AMN takes as calm a pen as he is generally on the pitch he’d be ok.
Kolasinac prefers to pass than shoot - nope
Don’t fancy any of the defence.
Torreira takes free kicks so should take one.

Not sure we would have too many I’d count on

Has Leno ever saved a penalty for us? I can't remember one, and he's faced a few. To be honest I think Čech and Leno make the same basic error when facing penalties. They both dive too early, making it easy for the penalty taker to adjust and put it the other side to the one they've dived to.

Hang on we’ve worn yellow in many successful games. 71 final, 79, 89, bernabeau

The blue shirt looks horrendous but I think it might be fake

You’re quite right as I’ve just discovered. I had been making an incorrect assumption (probably based on thinking that he must be better than Čech).

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/bernd-l ... eler/72476

Bernabeau wasn't a final and nor was Anfield in 1989. From memory, I think we've won three cup finals in yellow, but lost quite a few more. I will have kept The Gooner that my article was in, but currently don't have the time to dig it out. If you're using the heritage argument with yellow shirts, then losing cup finals has more to do with it. I'm sorry, I just don't like yellow as a colour. Cheap, nasty and lacking style.