I think the operative word is should. We should have more quality, but we don’t. I agree, fit he starts alongside Sokratis.

I also thought he was doing well. The balls to fire up in a cup final and call Costa a "*%^@*** nutter" at the age of 22. While some other candies like Özil flit around and do *%^@ all. I know who Id prefer in my team at work, let alone on a football pitch.

I didn't see this message before replying but yes.

So, Martinelli in the bag for £6m.
Tierney £25m
Saliba £25m but back on loan to St Ettiene
Everton £35m or Zaha £??m
Cellabos on loan for a £2-3m loan fee

There is a definite need for a centre back, and really another RB because Bellerin won't be back until late Autumn and can't be expected to come straight back in and perform after that injury and no pre-season. You're looking at needing someone to play right back for the best part of half a season at least. I know we got burnt with Lichstiener but I'd shell out for Dani Alves on a 1 year deal.

Also, drastic need to sell some players. We should be shifting Elneny, Jenkinson, Chambers and it is pointless having 3 x left-backs in the squad if we sign Tierney

Hi Rich, always fix the biggest weakness. In our case defence. Although if we stopped playing the full-blown but half assed wing back thing then we wouldnt get caught out so much.

I think Zaha at 40m is a waste if money and wouldn't be remotely excited even if he did join.

Emery will be done by Christmas if he doesnt sort some *%^@ out soon.

P.s. when do we hear that Özil and Mustafi have been either sold or contracts terminated. The short term financial payouts will live long in the memory of any other a****** players that want to jerk the club around.

If Özil still "works" for Arsenal at the start of the season then we are as weak as frequently reported.

If you have me the choice of £70m on 26 year old zaha or £35m on 23 year old Everton Soares I’d take the later as long as the remaining £35m was spent on a CB. Surely that has to be the better deal for our squad?

I’m definitely keen to ditch the back 3. I think we lose too much control of midfield and subsequently puts us on the back foot more. We were too often only 2 CM against 3 last year.

It won’t be 35 million for soares though.

Apparently he’s a real talent for Brazil and being touted as the next Neymar

It won't be £70m for Zaha either. Nobody would pay that for him.

We can't just terminate a contract. Both will be in the squad at the start of the season.

There has been considerable speculation regarding a deal for this fella but I think one of the difficulties, and perhaps it may well be why no one has pulled the trigger on him yet, is that there are believed to be third party ownership issues to overcome for any potential buyer. The clubs own a part of him and so do a few other investors. There was a time when we avoided these kinds of deals so it may not be something we would look to get involved in unless a straightforward solution could be found.

The other factor is that he has a really stupid name.

Gnabry forced his way out after turning down a new contract after having provisionally agreed it at a year left. He had been tapped up by Bayern and was then 'parked' at Bremen for a year, with some more than circumstantial evidence that Bayern promised Bremen a tidy profit a year in advance. Arsene wanted to keep him and promote him the first team, but that injury and then Pulis being a cretin made him prevaricate about staying, and then bayern came in.

Jack Wilshere has spoken of him as a future Arsenal captain. Emery is talking as though he may be one of the five captains. Our defensive record with him in the team last year was excellent. He lacks any exceptional attribute, but he is pretty good as most things, and in his role, if he cant be top drawer, having no glaring flaws to be targeted is the next best thing. Mustafi is quicker, more experienced, has a broader range of technical ability than Holding. But he makes more bad errors and too often abdicates responsibility to his partners.

Also, neither are totally without worth. To terminate their contracts you need to pay them everything you would to keep them. So you may as well just keep them. Mustafi may be accident prone, but is still a better option than Zech Medley. Özil may lack aggression and defensive competence and a consistent goal threat, but he's still better than Robbie Burton. And, also, Özil is perfectly capable of having a better year without fitness issues and being a net positive.

All I have seen of Zech Medley are his brief appearances in the first team last season, when I thought he looked an outstanding prospect. I presume you have seen more of him than that. What are your views on his longer-term potential?

That flaky pr**ck is going nowhere ... that idiot albino look will make him even more visible when he is underperforming

Anyway I've made a mini statement ..... put all my Arsenal yearbooks 1973 / 74 thru to 86 / 87 minus 82 / 83 .
Four cup final programmes v Ipswich , Man U , West Ham and Hull plus 6 other league programmes from the early 80s up for sale .
on a local site $100 ..... feels good .

1973 I loved anybody who pulled on an Arsenal shirt ........ now I'm hard pressed to find someone I like .

Support the club not the personalities of the players.

I never thought I'd see the day where America seems eerily similar to the rise of fascism in 1930s Germany. I think I know, or rather I know I know why millions of Americans are totally committed to him, no matter how unethical, immoral or even illegal his actions. I won't get into it but it should be self evident to the casual observer. If not, then I worry about you too.

Trump will be re-elected. There are only two events I can see where it won't happen. First, the economy has 2008 like collapse again or if Sanders gets the nomination and even then its not a given. He has always polled very well against Trump. He won't get the hard core bigots and fascists. He won't get the Christian fundamentalists either but there are enough of the others that he can get. Those who voted for Trump purely for economic reasons and held their nose to the insanity.

The one take away from all this is that the promise that America had with the election of Obama, that is gone. And will be gone for the foreseeable future. We are way too foregone down that rabbit hole that is likened to the last stages of the Roman empire, Spanish empire and a few other nations/empires.

Obama lost 250,000 manufacturing jobs in 8 years Trump has gained 400,000 in 4. Lowest unemployment ever and the wages of the bottom 20% rising faster than any time since records began. That's why he will get re-elected. Obama was long on soaring rhetoric, short on results.

Obama inherited the 2008 financial crisis fall out, not sure it’s fair comparison.

Let’s just say it evens itself out given the amount of racist rhetoric pumped out by Trump on a daily basis

All to do with QE where the government injected massive amounts of printed money into the economy, the lowest interest rates ever and a soaring equities market as a result. None of this had anything at all to do with Trump. Wages growth is also an side result. At some point this global Ponzi scheme will start to unravel and someone like Trump will only make it worse than his fat ego.

But he'll likely be re-elected because America is filled with dim witted, racist, facist *%^@.

Yes, gazing fondly at the emblem is so much better than feeling like the players on the pitch give a *%^@.

Are you sure? I would expect that it could be, even if it needed to be paid out.

https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/art ... over-local
Are The Beatles responsible for Liverpool’s present dominance over local rivals Everton?

So off to Lord Howe Island for a week. Internet connection from one place only & mobiles do not work. By the time I am back we will no doubt have 3-4 new players. I mean we wouldn’t leave things to the end that would be really silly. I only expect to see a couple of minor departures.

Looking good for the new season. Caring owners can make a difference.

Well, we could pay off the remainder of the contract in full, but why would we do that?

We have always very talented young players who seem on the cusp of first team if not a potential international (Wilshere, etc.). How many of them have been promoted to the first team and a regular place on the bench?

I know the odds for that for all teams is fairly small but we seem to have players every season that most fans think should get some first team minutes and they don't get it. Even with injuries to regulars.

If a prem club wanted to take Nketiah on a season long loan and start him most games would you go for it or keep him at arsenal to start all the cup games and be an impact sub?

Nketiah reminds me of Wrighty, a complete livewire who does not give the defenders a moments peace and has that knack of being in the right place when the ball comes in the box, something you can't teach.

Whether he has the ability to do the audacious individual things that Wrighty did I don't know but he has certainly done enough in this pre-season to suggest that he may make it at Arsenal.

That explosive Martinelli run was very Anelka-esque, or even Henry-esque.

When I have seen him the player I think of immediately is actually Jermaine Defoe. At 5 foot 9 similar in height and their games seem to be about energy, movement and the quick finish.

I think he has the potential to be a very decent player for us. I hope we give him enough minutes to keep him happy

Keep him and start him for all Europa league games until the knockout stages, give him minutes in the league when we are comfortable.

Let’s be honest the reason Gnabry left was to get minutes, we never really gave him a run in the side. We shouldn’t make mistakes like that again. Rotate more

David DeGea has signed a new 6 year contract earning him £375k per week.

375k is crazy money. Shows what a bargain Özil was at 325k a week.

I think we have reached a point where only 6 clubs in Europe can afford the best players. And DeGea, on the past 12 months, is well below that level.

I think he was the ball control. I’ve got to see more of his passing and judgement to make my mind up. Also wish he was a bit stronger.

He’s a superb shot stopper. The rest of his game is less strong though.

That run was brutal. It’s exactly that pace and power we have been missing.

I like the desperation in the defenders trying to get back. You need at least 2 players in your side that can cause that kind of chaos