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

Parallel universe?

Nice cuppa!
But this is a more 'classical'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaoqCARilbA

For no other reason than it is great.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxCPeQPeKzU

Seen a bit of paper talk saying Torreira is unsettled in England and Milan are trying to buy him......and whilst Arsenal don’t want to sell they would ask for £35m. That would be pathetic, we bought him for £25m, don’t want to sell him, he’s 23and he has a long term contract. That equals something closer to £60-70m asking price in my book.

£70m for Torreira?!!! Not a chance. Average player with some potential. Nothing more.

Lampard as Chelsea skipper? Its their funeral. Hopefully.

I didn't realise he'd come out of retirement. Luckily you're on here to keep us all informed.

Hi Brom. . I think there may be a language gap here. In the US of A “skipper” often refers to the coach or as we would say manager ....not to the captain of the team on the pitch.
In other news Happy Fathers Day to you all.

I guess no one will come in for him then. Also the question is what we could get for him not what he’s worth. Which I agree should be way more than the relatively small amounts being touted.

I might just wait to see if we get first half of the season or second half of the season Torreria. If it’s mainly first £35M is indeed laughable.

Happy fathers day to you too Andy. And all the other Gleiber dads.

and " for no other reason " I enjoyed this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_WxtBP4ePs

Shades of " Honky Tonk "....... didn't realise he could play .

Put around in the early days when embracing ' rock n roll ' was a surefire ticket to Hell and Damnation ; the knockers said he just held the guitar for effect .

I was in Philly in February. My how things have changed. You are 'spot on' as you Brits say. But I have a feeling our buddy knew that anyway and just being a...well...nevermind. I don't see the posts anyway.

Seems we are linked to several players which is nice to read about. And still in June. Which bodes well for the summer. The players linked to us strongly seemed pretty good. Fingers crossed we wrap things up with them soon.

Just read we are close to getting William Saliba. Never heard of him but he looks strong and at that young age, will only get stronger.

While Arsenal fans remained dazed waiting for a signing ...any signing, the Daily Star get to the big issues in the UK at the moment. And its good news for those on here that embrace these ideas. Do you think it could be possibly a sign that Edu is on his way from Brazil?

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/fashion-bea ... c.outbrain

Bielik is an interesting one. I saw him a few times for Charlton last season and the thing that is obvious is how techically gifted he is for such a big lad. Very composed on the ball with a great range of passing. Excellent in the air too.

The Charlton boss used him either at CB or DM, depending on the opposition.

He looks great striding out from the back with the ball into midfield to launch attacks and spray passes around but I have my reservations about him defensively because he's primarily a midfielder turned CB and I don't think he's that good when opposing players get a chance to run at him. However, in a defensive three he could work well.

I think he definitely deserves a chance in pre-season, he showed again last night in the Poland u21 game what an accomplished player he is, despite a couple of dodgy moments defensively. Scouts watching the game must be licking their lips at the thought of getting him on the cheap, as seems the custom with Arsenal sales.

Personally I think he's on a different level technically to Holding (and most CB's around to be honest), it just depends if Emery sees him as being reliable enough defensively to play CB or mobile enough to play as a DM.

I just hope we don't give him away.

Reports suggest we are agreeing terms with potential targets but agreeing terms with a player is very different from agreeing a fee with a club. I just hope we don't get outbid at the last minute because plenty of other clubs will be interested in the youthful prodigies we appear to be after.

'Twas ever thus soc. Don't think this year's activity will be much different to the last few years.

Although I hope and pray I'm wrong and we unearth a new Adams, Keown, Vieira, Overmars, Petit, Henry, Pires and Bergkamp. Oh, and a new Wiltord of course. Not much to ask.

All in a day's work for our new transfers team I would have thought

More like Alberto Mendez I fear.