I am finding it hard to get interested in all the transfer rumours. It feels as if our stock has fallen to such an extent where for the first time (for me anyway) we just feel like an unambitious Europa League club with a proud history. Without a change of owner who actively plans and invests in Arsenal so we can challenge Europe's elite, we are reliant on finding a manager who can perform minor miracles.

Bernard: What was the atmosphere like in the Arsenal section in Baku?

Surprised you didn’t add Holding to your list. Didn’t he concede penalties against Palace and Tottenham last season?

Not that good and I’d say the same about the Chelsea section. But once we conceded the atmosphere practically became non-existent in our section and picked up in their’s.

Fixtures are out.

Away to Newcastle on 11th August - that's a Sunday. Anyone know why?

Then Burnley home, Liverpool away, Spurs home.

https://www.arsenal.com/news/well-visit-newcastle-opening-day

Is it live on telly?

TV fixtures haven't been announced yet, as far as I know.

Oh god yeah I forgot.

Can you imagine the diving and cheating that’s going to happen.

I do wonder if next season will be the one that kills the acceptance of VAR. everyone’s going to hate the arguments it creates

I feel the same.

The only players we are getting linked with that really excite are Tierney and Ismailia Sarr who are both 21 have long futures in the game.

Getting linked to 26 year olds who play for Fiorentina and in China I’m not sure is the answer.

So we could realistically have a DWLD and be 7 points behind the leader after 4 matches. Or 4 straight Wins and lead the table with a few hard games played already.

I always look at the last 4 or 5 matches and its not an easy run in to the end of the season. If we are on the cusp again its going to be very tough.

yes

https://www.football365.com/news/liverp ... fee-report

If Fekir is available for 15m euros then about 20 teams are going to be in for him, soon enough the fee will rise to well over £30m probably closer to £40-50m. I just cant see how Liverpool would get a free run at him for £15m

True - I think his long absence made me forget him. At least we have a GK who doesn't come rushing and sliding out at every opportunity. It seems like Szczesny and Almunia were giving away pens every week with their style of keeping!

Hopefully not an unfinished work...

I trout that.

Wonder what happens with Bielik this summer. He’s basically said he’s not going to play U23 football next year, and not should he.
He’s got the Euro U21 championships for Poland this summer so there won’t be a big opportunity to show Emery what he can do.
My feeling is if Arsenal are being as ruthless as they say then he’ll be sold this summer. He spent a successful season on loan to Charlton in league 1, it’s a big step from that to Arsenal.

I coached my son's team for the last few years (he's 14). It's a big problem in the game. Some people behave ina totally inappropriate manner. Equally childish and aggressive. Very disappointing that it would be the case at Arsenal.

wasn't he hailed initially as the Polish Vieira? The initial video I saw of him said there was some promise in him. I can only see our first team matches and not being locally I can't see the reserve matches so have no idea how well or badly he did. It didn't appear he did well because he was moved from midfield to defense I think or so I thought I read, maybe I got it wrong, this was a few years ago.

I did the same a few years ago. Saw some jaw dropping stuff, mainly with parents and occasionally with ‘coaches’. Never with the boys and girls though.

My son doesn't play football anymore. Had a season at a youth club but didn't respond to the way the coaches were with the kids, made him lose all interest in playing it. He now plays rugby which he loves. The coaching is exemplary and the way they get spoken to is so encouraging, even if they do something wrong it's always spun in a positive way. He's not a natural sportsman by any stretch of the imagination, but he loves playing rugby. I think the coaches have a massive bearing on it.

Pablo Fornals signs for West Ham for £24m - very good signing for them.

It made me look in to their transfer history: approximates of net spend are:
19/20 +£24m spent so far
18/19 +£90m spent
17/18 - £13m spent
16/17 +£43m spent
15/16 +£34m spent
14/15 +£30m spent
13/14 +£24m spent
12/13 +£24m spent

averaging £32m per season. Arsenal have averaged a net spend of £35m per season in the same time-frame.

I know our wages are bigger but so is our prize money, tv money, match day money, sponsorship money etc etc.
How on earth are West Ham spending the same amount as us in transfers?

I agree the coaches make all the difference. My son is still playing youth football and the coaches at his club are excellent, very encouraging and supportive of the boys, not tolerating unsportsmanlike behaviour, rotating so all the squad get game time etc.

It's primarily been a problem with coaches in my experience, although they are of course parents also. I made a point of never shouting criticism at a ref (although I once did the VAR sign for the laugh). Only last month I was at a game where one of the opposition coaches had to he physically restrained by his colleague. It's demented stuff.

I agree with Darren too about encouragement being key. I had to give up last year and the lads who took over from me are nice guys but their expectations of what the kids can do are ridiculous. The shout of "too easy" when opponents get through is all too frequent. I asked my son about that and he hates it. His comment was that it is meaningless because he doesn't know what they have done wrong.

Quite a trio of comedians, aren't you?

Rotation is vital and sadly loads of coaches don't do it. In the long term lack of rotation weakens a squad big time because the kids that don't play fall behind through lack of practice.

How good is Joe Root?

I'm encouraged by the quality of signings and transfer targets. Young, dynamic. If any of them blossom into big stars, I expect them to leave. That's par for the course.

What signings?

Linked with another young Brazilian, Reinier Jesus, 17, attacking mid/No.10. Hopefully Edu can work his magic.

Was thinking the same thing Bromley. Have I or we missed something?

I worry about the adjustment from Brazil but he seems decent enough

and with Carrasco pretty much a formality, we are looking okay. I like that we are not leaving things late like in previous seasons.
and we are linked to Ryan Fraser as well

[quote="AmericanGooner"]I like that we are not leaving things late like in previous seasons
We’ve signed nobody yet

I am not encouraged by our signings to date, and predict none of them will play a game for us.

I thought I saw a headline that said "Arsenal signing' and I just went back to find it and it wasn't a signing. Thanks for the correction.

That said, I love that we are closely linked and seem very close to having a player signed soon from reports. Fingers crossed.

The rapper Drake didn't jinx the Toronto Rapters from winning their first title and the first non American NBA championship. Tradition dicates the championship team visits the White House but I doubt 1. The Toronto team would want to go and 2. they would much rather visit their own PM, Trudeau. Assuming he invites them.

https://www.businessinsider.com/drake-c ... NyH8c5ecI8

So, Real Madrid signed the "Japanese Messi", he looks a find, small but so is Messi.

I have a bad feeling about the amount we can get for him and the possibility that the club that wants him Özil won't want to go to. This may not end well.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... l-16521147

Khatia and Gvantsa may help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UXlf_ZMb8E