It’s been that way for years, wenger used to pull everyone back. I remember the great Barca teams leaving 3 players up front, the defence has to leave at least 4 back. When you add in cover for the edge of the box and the taker you only get 3 or so attackers in the box, easier for a GK to come and claim if your defence isn’t great at set pieces.
If you bring everyone back and you do clear it, it just comes straight back. So pointless.

I concur.

Just to add my two penneth about Chris Sutton. I could not agree more with Dec. I'm not sure I've heard such a charmless pundit as him. Talk about having a humour by pass. He must have something on one of the BBC sports bosses to be employed by them. I thought Robbie Savage was bad enough but at least he has a personality. Sutton is prime TalkSport material along with that other nob end Stan Collymore. Sutton is one of those shock jocks of the football punditry world. Loves the sound of his own voice but has very little of substance to say.

Agree. Also why I think they should be using retired refs. They still have the ability to interpret the laws better than the current bunch, they have just lost their legs not their minds.

Also need to get rid of Mike Riley, bent as hell and useless to boot.

Never forgave him for this
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... n-12334114

DHD - nah, when I stopped working there I figured they wouldn't give me the keys anymore so it didn't seem sensible to return.

Kiwi - for goodness sake it's obviously Kazak - are you just trying to cause trouble?

TPAFKNAEiN?

Welcome back.

Yep, to paraphrase that statement on Monday - "Stan won't pay out to sack Emery and his cronies so we are stuck with him until at least the end of the season".

“We never take our fantastic support for granted,” the statement attributed to Sanllehi and Venkatesham said. Do they really think Arsenal fans are going to buy this BS??

Brendan Rodgers on James Maddison
“Of course, James has his strengths, so you let him flourish with those strengths. But then we helped him with the tactical discipline. And he’s becoming very, very good at it.”

Why has no one tried this with a single Arsenal player in 10 years!

Too true ...... just read a write up saying we now have relatively easy run of fixtures ..Southampton , Brighton , Norwich and West Ham .... are they kidding ?

We can make any of those teams look like Barcelona or Bayern Munich .

Sky reporter is saying Lucas Torreira has handed in a transfer request that’s been declined because he’s had enough of Emery playing him out of position

He wanted to move in January

I mean seriously what on Earth is going on at Arsenal

The suggestion that we can’t sack Emery because of the cost is surely nonsense

Sell Xhaka to Milan in January for 25 million and use AMN and Willock then sack Emery and all his amazing Spanish coaches for 16 and your quids in.

If they aren’t ditching him it’s because they don’t want to or don’t like the other options. Edu was a professional footballer, your telling me he doesn’t know we are a complete mess on the pitch or thinks it’s ok? No chance

Maybe we could do a swap deal with Leicester for James Maddison so Emery can play him as a defensive midfielder

Not really a surprise if the rumors of him trying to get out last summer are true.

We get Sky Sports News in the states as well as on streaming when I'm abroad. I'm listening to Gareth Southgate and thinking that no one envisioned he would still be the national team manager now. I have to assume he was seen as interim, caretaker manager but the FA found it hard to justify changing when he got results.

I am also curious that with the relative success he's had, if he has been offered any club jobs?

I heard someone asked him about England not being in a final. In Europe? Not likely. Although I think the European power clubs (Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Netherlands) have not been as good as they once were not too long ago, it's not crime to lose to the aforementioned and with countries like Belgium, and one or two of the eastern European clubs emerging, its going to take some luck as well as talent. Playing with great world stars week in, week out has helped the English players immensely. Both in developing their skillset as well as removing any fear.

I have optimised the Php tables for the forum so it should be a bit zippier now.

thank *%^@ for that

Could you please also optimise the Arsenal players?

There’s a rumour that Tottenham want him if they and Pochettino depart ways.

Cole Bassett? I'm a wee bit surprised I haven't heard of him. Chelsea's American player is off to a bright start. Slowly by slowly...anyway, maybe he's getting a look because of the Kroenke's?
https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/ ... l-17245556



this one is a bit dated.

Not a good day for Trump. i wonder if he'll last longer than Emery?

Just why you keep raving about Trump ; young Decaf .... is a little beyond me ..... do you honestly think any of the alternatives would be any better ... take a look at all the high profilers who regularly hog the headlines

Hiliary , Marco Rubio , Nancy Pelosi , Kamala Harris , Mitt Romney , Maxine Waters , Lindsay Graham , Elisabeth Warren , Chuck Schumer , John Bolton , Mike Pompeo

........ a cess pit of self serving braindead half wits only interested in starting a war somewhere under the banner of national security , lining their own pockets and blaming anything that doesn't go to plan on Russia

Only two US politicians I have any time for Trey Gowdy and Tulsi Gabbard .

How peculiar.

This is an interesting story

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... board.html

Please don't go! Instead, Emery go!

Hope he doesn't last longer

It is pointless every podcast whinging about Emery and demanding he be sacked. Replaced with who?

Anyone. Just make it stop.

Submitting a post seemed to be a lot quicker and without all those php errors.

What has O Leary done to be a "football consultant"?

I'd give Warren a chance. Apart from her cringeworthy indulging so called transgenderism she is a thinker with some good ideas. Gabbard, apart from being kind of hot, is a loony.

A looney is correct.

I like Warren but I think she might have that Al Gore factor about her. i.e. her perkiness and slightly-know-it-all manner, not to mention pandering to the PC police, is likely to grate many people and trump would be very good at exploiting that and playing the race and gender card.

Bernie would be the best personality-wise to go against Trump. (I don't think the policy/ideology stuff is as important this time round. )

It's Thursday.

Thursday is a good day to sack a manager.

With England's 100th international coming up I've done an Arsenal/England team.

1. David Seaman
2. George Male
3. Eddie Hapgood
4. Peter Storey
5. Sol Campbell
6. Tony Adams
7. David Rocastle
8. Alan Ball
9. Ted Drake
10. Paul Merson
11. Cliff Bastin

12. Kenny Sansom
14. Ashley Cole

Yeah two left backs on the bench is a bit silly but as we've had three of the very best ones England have ever had I don't really care.