I think Mertesacker and Koscielny complemented each other very well. I think Kos was the better player of the two but together they were better than any other combination at the time. I also think Mertesacker's 2017 cup final performance was outstanding in the context of him not having played all season.

Have heard very little about Bolton. I feel a bit more sorry for Bury because Ialways feel more for fans of smaller clubs. I feel they are emotionally invested.

*%^@ Bolton, I hope their ground gets turned into a massive cash n carry or the worlds largest Kentucky chicken

Kicked us all over the park in 93 at the request of sir Alex, we had 3 players taken off injured and cost us the title.

*%^@ them, I hope they go under will saviour every last tear from their fans

Certainly ... nevertheless, I do hope Spurs take Top Gun's advice.

They need to cease their futile and irritating attempt to be a really good team. It would be better all round if they knew their proper place and reverted to their normal mediocrity. It must be a great strain for them keeping up such an unnaturally elevated position, and it certainly is very unpleasant for everyone else.

Comedy gold.

We are blessed. I mean Luis is a one man show and doesn't need a straight man next to him to show off his range of talented mind-implosions and cock-ups...

Nevertheless, Sokratis there to play Bud Abbott to Luiz's Costello is a real treat. Crumbs ... on a good day with Leno weighing in it will beat the three stooges.

Klopp was obviously taking the piss, Top Gun. I imagine him roaring with laughter when writing that.

Yes we are criticising ... and while we in critique mode, we'd like to point out
a) usually babies are not known for criticising. Squawking yes, but forming cogent critique, no. e.
b) it is 'babies', not 'baby's'. "Out, vile apostrophe!"

Maybe you're having a bad day Top Gun, but I completely disagree with you here. A football club formed in 1874, founder members of the football league in 1888, a club with a long and rich history. It would be a great shame to see them go under.
Good luck to the club and their supporters in finding a solution to their current predicament.
Also very sad to hear another famous old club and past FA cup winners Bury have been expelled from the League.
With the obscene amounts of money flying around the top echelons of the game it is deeply depressing.

If it was us they’d be laughing themselves into a coma.

Burn baby burn.

I was going to reply similar Decaf ......... TG putting this forward as proof we are okay .

WHEN would Klopp ever speak the truth about any team in the programme notes ..... something like this team is a total shower of shei***t with a defense as porous as a lump of pomice , their manager hasn't got a f**&&^%$# clue ....
No , no , no every team faced from Norwich , Southampton , Carlisle to Middlesboro Ironside will full of talented individuals , and Pool are expecting a difficult match .

Showing you are a bit of a movie buff flashing around references to Abbott and Costello , the Three Stooges ....or are they currently playing in South African cinemas

Produced a chuckle

I couldn't agree more.

After all, you guys - well perhaps not the Farage mob-- have found it in your heart to forgive the Norwegians and Germans, who in Viking times and WWII did a lot worse to the Poms than a few hefty tackles inflicting the odd broken limb.

This business of holding deep grudges, then gaining satisfaction from the success of Petro$$$ FC or from the erection of yet another KFC, is the sort of thing that creates division in the working class and allow capital to slip one past every time. Sad.

Yes, Top Gun is in good form.

The one about the pool cues nearly made me choke on my morning guinness

SA hasn't risen to the level of Abbott and Costello. The average bonehead van der Merve would be muttering about 'bleery poofters'. The boere like it much more basic ... Leon Schuster and suchlike.

Internazionale agree loan deal with Manchester United for Alexis Sánchez

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... d-football

Real shame that didn't work out for them.

Their attacking options behind Rashford and Martial are really awful; Lingard, Mata, Daniel James who had 4 goals in the Championship last year and 17-year old Mason Greenwood. Their only midfielder of any quality is Pogba. Not getting top 4 this year would quite honestly be a massive failure at this point.

Couldn't we take Sanchez back and loan them Mikytarian

Just had a house move fall through that was close to its final stages because the seller changed their mind. After several months and me racking up solicitors costs, chartered surveyors and mortgage fees not to mention wasting months of our time.

Has this ever happened to anyone ? Seems the process is out dated and in need of regulation.

Btw before anyone asks this was nothing to do with my comments about Bolton yesterday. If Margot Robbie turned up at my front door demanding that she milk me like a cow I’d still want Bolton to disappear from existence

My wife bought some Abbot and Costello CDs as a present for her father a few years ago. It wasn't clear from the website whether they shipped to Ireland so she sent an email to enquire. She received one back from someone called Costello so she wrote back to him to tell him that her Dad loved them and asked if he was a relation. Turned out it was Lou Costello's son and he was delighted that someone that far away was still enjoying his father's comedy.

Sad scenes as someone steps in to save Bolton

Bollocks not my day today

Must admit I share bromley’s (and others) attitudes towards Bolton and Bury. They’re both long-time clubs, and Bolton had Nat Lofthouse play for them. They mean a lot to their local communities. Good luck to them both.

Kind of a wash. He was a huge loss for us, even with his attitude and Mkhitaryan is pretty much of a waste. It's plainfully obvious why they were so eager to get rid of him.

Although the money they spent on Sanchez's wages and his lack of output was gratifying. Personally, I liked seeing Sanchez himself fail.

Arsenal v Nottingham Forest

League cup draw

I'm always nervous before a NLD. Even during our Invincibles era. Anything can and does happen in a derby. That said, I expecting no less than a draw. I don't think we are at the stage where we should expect a win. During our invincible days, the derbies usually went 'win at home, draw away', once in a while 2 wins.

I always thought Arsenal fans were a more urbane and settled than a lot of other fans but this season makes me think a lot of fans are totally past the point of reason with this 'Emery out' sentiment I've seen on online articles in the comment section. That is nuts! Totally unrealistic to expect a turnaround given everything that Emery has gone through (new to a club and country and culture, inheriting a side that was in a downsprial, no money, etc.). Bonkers to expect after a season it should be all well and good. Especially going to a European final in many years. I'm tilting to the Old Man of Hoy view of things the more I see these comments.

Roma have got Chris Smalling on loan.

Mustafi is so appalling we can’t even loan him

This bit made me laugh

Inter will pay £175,000 of Sanchez’s £390,000 weekly salary

Less than half

He’s not that bad.

He’s as useless as a penis on a Catholic priest

Wake up!

Sadly the royal commissions have shown that to be a fallacy. They are without doubt a dangerous group of people.

What mustafi ?

Oh yeah ....... tell that to a couple of million prepubescent choir boys

So they think Mustafi is brilliant I suppose ?

You spelt phallusy wrong.

You clearly dislike him enough to exaggerate the problems about him. He has had plenty of good games. Prone to bad errors, I accept that. But not as bad as you try make out.

Ha ha .....On this forum ; we don't resort to the banal ........ " which team do you think we should play v such and such this weekend "

No , no , no .... our banter back and forth is a rich tapestry of witticisms

Quite right. But it can be disappointing. I was hoping to be enlightened about the latest in the Brexit fiasco but ... nada. (American Gooner probably hasn't heard about it yet but even so ...)

He’s about as useful as an ejector seat on a helicopter.

Too embarrassed Decaf.

We make Italy look stable. We make Brazil look moderate. Boris makes Trump look wise.

We have become a laughing stock. And we all know this will end in tears.

No it will all go well. Take back the empire - instill a little bit of discipline into those bloody foreigners. Taking back India and Pakistan on 1 November is Boris’ aim. The rest will quietly comply. I think Hong Kong might take a while but Boris in the underground bunker, smoking cigars, making speeches on the radio and a cognac at night. Simple plan for a simple man.