Surprised no one has come in for Welbeck on a free transfer

Winning the toss could have even more relevance than normal. I’m in Hertfordshire so not that far from Lords and we’ve had rain overnight and it’s still damp. So far from ideal conditions for batting. Hence I’ll be surprised if whoever wins the toss doesn’t make the other team bat first.

I suppose many people’s enthusiasm for getting him is based on how weak we are at left back with Kolasinac being such a bad defender and Monreal being so old. It makes them hope against hope that he’ll miraculously become and stay fit.

But I understand your viewpoint. Signing Tierney would represent a very big risk for such a significant proportion of our transfer budget. Even if he’s another Maldini or Lahm, if he hardly ever plays we’ll still be seeing lots of Kolasinac or Monreal.

You could be correct. I am sure Kiwi will be using up some of his earthly credits to hope they win the toss. Would like them to win and its not often I say that about any NZ team. It is the lesser of 2 evils.

Yes Bernard, definitely bowl first if you win the toss today. Forecast however says cloud cover all day with some moisture in the air, so both teams will be looking to their seam attacks to take advantage.

You forget about him, he was a good servant. It’s crazy enough that we let him go on a free as well.

Is another club going to offer him a contract better than his one at arsenal on 100k a week. I doubt it.

Seems daft he’s leaving really as both him and the club are probably both losing out.

And NZ win the toss and...... bat. Shows how much I know .

Top Guns Advice for Emery 2019.20

1) Ignore the cups, Europa, FA, carabao... they are a distraction that is hurting our prospects of getting in the top 4. Play youngsters

2) don’t dare play 5 at the back, it doesn’t work as we don’t have the personnel

3) adopt a policy that all new significant signings have to be 25 or under

4) stop rotating your keepers, Leno plays, if he’s injured then play the back up.

5) start Iwobi centrally more in games where Özil is absent without leave.

6) arise Sir Bellerin, the new captain of Arsenal

7) Mustafi only plays as a last resort. I mean literally walking wounded

8) start maitland niles in his midfield position far more frequently.

9) use the young players like Nelson and Willock far more. Especially at the expense of Özil, mhikitaryan and Xhakas shocking performances

10) no more loan signings (can somebody give me an example when they have ever worked well for us)

Got real momentum now ...... was held up by a lack of big end bearings for the flathead . They are unusual affairs ..one bearing serving two rods .

You can get them via EBay for about US $ 180 but for some reason everything coming from America has sky high postal charges sometimes more than the item is worth ........ seems strange when Ali Express sends most gear from China for nothing .

Anyway here in a pile of "junk " I spy four old rods / pistons but housing a complete set of bearings in good nick .......How much .......... $10 .

Brand new Edelbrock four barrel carb for the Chevy $250

Five 94 model flathead carbs ......$60 .

Shoot ...even Missus Kiwi who usually hits the sack at 9pm every night without fail ; is staying up to watch the opening salvos of the cricket

Oh God ..... NZ wins the toss and decide to bat

Now obviously Kane Williamson know a lot more about cricket than I do but I think there's far less pressure of the side fielding first .

A couple of early wickets and our campaign collapses .... like last time around McCullum went out and she was all downhill from there .

If we sent England in first we'd know exactly what we had to chase .

Ludicrous decision in my book

Jim Leighton?

Don't forget, Kroenke owns the Los Angeles Rams so its likely no coincidence the game is being played in LA. The stadium that the Rams are planning isn't finished yet, so they are playing where the LA Galaxy side plays I believe. A football (soccer) specific field. I wouldn't be surprised he is getting something a bit more out of that as well since he owns a club in the same league.

The Rapids match with our 'sister club' is a pure money play. He keeps everything on both sides, which has been stated.

I thought Benayoum did quite well for us.

102-1 after 22 overs. Decent enough start.

EDIT: Spoke too soon. Williamson has just got out.

This is basically what Wenger always hated and feared pointless friendly games across the globe designed purely to generate the owners cash rather than the Austrian training camp

See it may be a big risk for our budget but in the market generally he would be seen as something of a bargain. His weekly wage is mooted to be 70k, half of Kolasinacs. The fee of 22 million plus bonuses is just nothing for a competent fullback with a bigger ceiling remember Kyle Walker went for 50 and Juve want 60 for Cancelo right now.

What’s the alternative ? Probably sign an older more experienced full back in the age 28-32 bracket who will probably ask for 150k a week on a 4 year deal.

The injury stuff is being over stated as he played 40 games last year and if Chelsea were not on a transfer ban apparently they would be in for him as they need a full back.

Admit it he looks a talent

https://youtu.be/PdPgMdqKZsQ

Maguire seems set for Man U. £60m & £20m more in add ons. That is a lot of money for someone who for me is nowhere near the defender of Van Dijk

I’ve never seen the bloke play, I’ve said that. But I’m not going to declare someone as a massive talent based on one long range shot from YouTube. It’s his injury problems that enables me to see what Gaz is getting at. If you think they’re being overstated then I hope you’re right. But I have seen his injury record, including last season, and it wasn’t pretty reading. So if Chelsea didn’t have a recruitment ban they’d have wanted him when they already have Alonso? Hmm, okay.

Many moaned about the club’s injury record for years. And now people are desperate to sign an injury prone player. Ironic really.

For alonso see a slightly better Kolasinac. Can’t defend for toffee

An Arseblog live event today in LA, hosted by Andrew Mangan, and is sold out. Pub called Underground Pub and Grill, was once owned by George Best.

LA Galaxy's home ground is the Dignity Health Sports stadium in Carson, 14 miles south of downtown LA. Also same stadium is temporary home for NFL LA Chargers.
Stan's greasing both palms profit-wise from the Rapids v Arsenal match Monday.

UNBELIEVABLE game of cricket. Stokes diving to get in for a second run, the throw hits his bat in mid dive and flies to the boundary for four more.
Game tied, it's a super over. What a finish to the game I've never seen anything like it. Nobody deserves to lose this.

Wow what a game of cricket.

Last ball of the match... Archer to Guptill... NZ need two runs.
What a match.

Wow. Guptill run out going for the second. England win. Bad luck New Zealand.

What a great game, credit to the Kiwis.

Wow indeed. Massive from Stokes.

Indeed. If the teams tie they should share the cup. A tie is so rare it really does feel unfair to insist that one or other should win. The Kiwis have been tenacity personified.

Is it fair because wouldn’t the English bowler be fresher? If they have to decide a winner, wouldn’t the team that lost fewer wickets be a better way of doing it?

I'm happy as an England supporter but gutted for the Kiwis. I thought they had it, then their fielder caught the ball and stood back on the boundary rope for 6, then that ricochet off the diving Stokes' bat. Extremely unlucky.

no

Why not?

Great scenes at the end. Proud of the England team for finding a way to get it done.

Both teams knew the rules at the start of the game Bernard, so England won fair and square.
I'd agree with those who said they got the rub of the green today, but that's sport. As I've said big respect to the Kiwis who were the width of a fag paper away from winning themselves.

Didn't watch any of the match opted for sleep over anxiety attacks .

I agree with you Bernard ................. given they got their score for the loss of eight wickets while England got same but were all out ....surely NZ should have won ; similar to how Arsenal won v Pool in '89


........ but I guess it's like all things these days , sports , movies , news you have to hype it up to appeal to attention deficit cell phone clutching younger generation .

Even a shared cup would have been better . By the sounds of it probably the most high drama match ever played ....... shame someone had to lose .

Pleased we didn't get smashed so we can hold our heads high . Well done England .

Well done England, unlucky NZ, I don't think either team deserved to lose the match. Incredible drama at the end.

I’m not saying England didn’t win on the basis of the rules as they stand (what you call ‘fair and square’). I’m just questioning how sensible the rules are.

Sure Bernard I wasn't suggesting otherwise. A one dayer is all about scoring more runs than the opposition in the overs allotted, so I'd say a 'super over' if the scores are tied is a fair way to settle it, fairer than a count back on wickets lost..
Since the super over was tied, England won on the basis of having scored more boundaries than NZ in the match. That's no better than deciding it on the wickets lost, so I'd agree NZ were unlucky. But presumably they knew this rule before the match.

Regardless of who won or lost (and I freely admit England rode their luck) what a great advert for cricket! Much more exciting than most football finals.

Brilliant game of cricket. However, I can barely recall a more unlucky moment in sport than the throw that went for four off Stoke's bat. I'm not sure I've ever seen that happen in that manner in any cricket match, let alone in the last over of a cricket world cup final. Desperately unlucky because they probably had the game in the bag at that point. It feels a bit like cheating but it clearly isn't.

Still, rules is rules and the sporting god's looked favorably down on England today. Amazing game, amazing victory. Well done England.