I’m 100% honest and I have no idea what you mean by distortion. If acknowledging ridiculous suggestions as valid as engaging then I’ll remain to be guilty as charged your honour.

Here's where the lack of self awareness part comes in.

Yes, the world is wrong, and TG is right. Whatever you say, Seymour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYAuR5bkIlQ

Boo hoo TG said this and I don’t agree with him..

Boo hoo TG said that and I don’t agree with him

Unless we win.

We win our next three games and he's walking on water again.

Like you, I was very frustrated by the Everton game. Very poor subs. But I think the sudden anti-Arteta vitriol is a bit over the top. The United game could have gone either way, and we caught Liverpool on one of their good days,

I originally said that he now has a growing track record of alienating players and this is combined with a seeming inability to inspire players. He looks like a rookie manager.

How has that escalated to become anti-Arteta vitriol? I can’t see the connection.

I agree that 'vitriol' is a bit strong. I should have chosen my words more carefully.

However, if we are going to split hairs, I would suggest that your characterization of him as now having a "growing track record of alienating players" is a trifle immoderate.

I also don't think it is a cop-out to point to the age of the squad, or the lack of form and goals from Aubameyang and Lacazette.

So, I do think we have improved this season, and remain fairly confident.

I didn’t think that it was splitting hairs. It was more that I was concerned at being labelled as anti-Arteta. I’m not.

I can see flaws in his performance same as I can see flaws in our players’ performance. An Arsenal forum seems like a reasonable to mull over those things.

I would agree it's not a cop-out, those are obviously contributing factors. It's not just one single thing that makes us underperform, it's a combination of several different factors where Arteta's coaching is one. Because even considering the age of the squad, the fact that we've many new players and our strikers aren't doing what's required, our attacking performances just haven't been up to scratch when looking at the season as a whole and the talent of our attacking players.

Indeed it is. Furthermore, what exactly constitutes splitting hairs is just the sort of burning question one enjoys mulling over. But I would point out that I actually wasn't responding to your post directly nor attempting to attach a label to you. Some of the criticism of Arteta from other quarters has been a bit strong.

Went to the Christmas Arsenal Supporters Trust (AST) do at the Emirates last night. The guest speaker was Per Mertesacker who spoke really well. Very well indeed. The format of the evening wasn’t so much a stand up speech by him, but he addressed questions and issues put to him by the AST host.

While making the point that the likes of Saka and Smith Rowe (he always referred to them by their first names) may be one offs (or I suppose two offs) every ten years, he felt there are youngsters in the youth system fans should be excited about. In the Q&A one of the questioners was trying to get him to name them, which Per politely refused to do.

Spoke very respectively about Wenger. Not surprising really as Wenger not only signed Mertesacker as a player but after recognising his leadership skills as not only a team player but the club captain, gave him his current job as head of the youth academy.

In the formal Q&A I asked him about his long and excellent partnership with Koscielny. He implied Wenger had decided Koscielny and Vermaelen were simply too similar as centre backs to work as an effective central defence. The assumption from that has to be that Wenger came to the conclusion Per would be a better partner for Koscielny because they were different types of player. He said Koscielny was his favourite partner over his entire playing career. Their understanding became almost telepathic. They knew what to do to cover each other.

As a humble man he was happy to mention that Koscielny covered his own lack of pace. But the strong implication from what he said is that Per covered Koscielny’s weaknesses like a lack of organisation and poorer decision making of what to do when. Let me clarify he was too polite to say that about Koscielny, as he did with his own lack of pace. But I’d felt that for years, and in my view Per practically confirmed I was right. Even though, as I say, he was too polite to explicitly mention what Koscielny’s shortcomings were.

When he had his autograph signing session, on a one on one basis I asked him if he considered the 2017 FA Cup final as his single greatest performance for the club, which Martin Keown has called ‘the Mertesacker final’? He said he didn’t, as best or greatest is probably the wrong word. He performed at a similar level in other games, including one I mentioned to him at Anfield when we beat Liverpool away. Per did say, however, that the Chelsea final was his favourite performance because we won a trophy in a game where it’s commonly accepted he was the man of the match, even though I think Sanchez was formally made man of the match.

Mertesacker also spoke in general terms of his plans for the development of Hale End because standing still won’t be good enough. The youth academy has to improve to continue attracting the best prospects. He said Josh Kroenke always makes a point of coming to see him for a one on one meeting when he’s over, and implied that Josh is very impressive as a future owner.

I’ve not covered everything he said. Not by a very long way. Yet Hodd has spoken so highly of Mertesacker’s performance in charge of the youth academy. Nothing happened yesterday evening to make me think Hodd isn’t 100% correct.

Thanks for that Bernard. Very insightful and encouraging.

This bit is interesting. For £25m hold out to sell.

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/news/ars ... urs-gossip

Chickened out of heading a cross at anfield that cost us when it mattered.

Possible but I’m not sure we would have been playing him earlier in the season if that was the case.

He’s been suggested as a makeweight in deals with Barca and juve though so it could be the club trying to force the issue.

What a stupid, small minded and bitter response to a post which took me some while to put together and had no links to its content. Thanks for turning my effort into a waste of time.

By the way, do you remember Holding’s pathetic effort with a cross at the Emirates last season?

Thanks for your post on the meeting with Mertesacker Bernard, a very enjoyable read. He has always seemed a very decent man as well as a very decent player.
Don't worry about Top Gun's nasty little post, I think he's got something seriously wrong with him. His posts generally recently have been unfriendly, disrespectful and spiteful. He strikes me as a bit of a bully.

Thanks bromley.

Dortmund, Porto, Leipzig are already dropping down to the Europa. Barcelona, Sevilla and Atalanta set to join them.

That feels quite strong compared to some years

Spurs have had their match with Rennes postponed. I expect the Premier League will follow suit and postpone their game v Brighton at the weekend - and possibly their midweek game at Leicester as that would still fall within the 10 day quarantine period.

I don't think we reported quite as many cases as Spurs when we had our covid outbreak but any request we made (if we even did) wasn't upheld for our game vs Brentford.

I read somewhere there was a 6 person limit and then games could be postponed but not certain on that. If so then it is open to abuse to attempt to get a game postponed when you wouldn't be at full strength.

Spurs apparently have 8 cases, games don't get postponed for 8 injuries, injuries are not infectious, but that is what the quarantine rules are for. Spurs must have a 25 man squad plus 5-8 young players who regularly train with the first team.

Ironic isn’t it? I’ve spend ages wishing that we’d get to Barcelona’s level. Looks like we now have.

Seriously though it should be a strong Europa League this time.

Always felt there was an element of luck to the Europa League because of teams dropping down from the CL. No doubt we should've done better certain years, but we did go out against a strong Atletico Madrid side once, and lost a final to Chelsea. When Man Utd won it they had Fenerbache, Feyenoord and Zorya Luhansk from Ukraine in the group, and in the knockout phase they defeated Saint Etienne, Rostov, Anderlecht, Celta Vigo and Ajax. Hardly any world beaters in that group of teams.

I would want everyone of their tests taken by an independent authority and verified by them. I would want a lot more than their say so. Also every player testing positive must be fit and not injured and have played regularly. Only then should they be considered for any deferral. But then they have a squad so why are they getting special treatment. Did Leyton Orient enjoy the same privileges.

It's safe to assume we will equal if not exceed the number of years between titles as the 1971 to 1989 Arsenal sides.

Does it feel the same? Both eras have won cups. Did it feel as long as it was for those who were around those years as it does now? For me, 2004 doesn't seem that long ago in my mind for some strange reason but its been 17 years!

Man Utd and Liverpool fans went through similar spells. Wonder how their older fans feel? Should I even care? haha

I enjoyed your post, Bernard, despite the sour bit of gratuitous disrespect from Top Gun. So it wasn't a waste of time.

Thanks Decaf. And thanks to LTG for his reaction to it prior to Top Gun’s.

Problem with your post Bernard ....... given your previous history of defending Per on every ocassion in his playing career no matter what transpired ..... it comes across as a fraction fawning .

Top Gun's comment wasn't really that bad , it's just that it burst your 'love bubble ' .

I've got no doubt Merts is a nice guy and seems to be doing a good job with the youth perhaps he could move up when Arteta gets the push
.... I could think of worse appointments .

I never said I didn’t like the post I thought it was very very good and depicts the complex emotional relationship that exists between Bernard and Mertesacker.

2 lost souls finding solace against alienation and disconnection against a backdrop of cultural displacement in London. It was fine.

I just found it very odd to avoid everything I said in the post in order to claim he chickened out of a header at Anfield. Did he? I’ve no idea as I’ve no recollection of it. The Holding one was earlier this year. Hence it’s far fresher in the mind.

There’s no emotional attachment at all. Two lost souls? What makes you think either me or him is a lost soul?

https://twitter.com/TheArsenalog/status ... 34913?s=20

A simple example of how our playing out from the back can be effective but it breaks down when we don't take advantage of the space it creates due to poor play in the attacking half

Have to say I’m quite impressed with the adidas limited edition originals Arsenal clobber the club are flogging.
It’s amazing how sentimental fans can be.

Think adidas really missed the boat by not offering a rebooted bruised banana kit. Would have sold like literal hotcakes

Of all the shirts I still like the lightening blue from 1995, the maroon (only because I have it signed by Henry and Bergkamp) but apart from that it is always the classic 70’s yellow and blue and red and white shirts which are always cool.

The possiblity now recently Pépé's considered dispensible towards financing any future new deals.

I kind of get the impression it might be that. They are aware of a potential suitor and are trying to force his hand a bit.

Can’t help feel it’s unfortunate as despite his bad season I’ve always thought he’s good in the final third if you can get an early ball to him.

That's your response? Good god.

Goes without saying we MUST beat Southampton at the weekend.

After that West Ham at home is huge, win it having beaten Saints and we can start talking about being in the top 4 mix up again. Lose and it seems like another 8th place is on the cards

After that it is:
Leeds away - a team playing poorly and with lots of injuries
Norwich away - you have to pick up 6 points against the likely bottom 3
Wolves home - another test but we must expect to win all our home games against non big 6 teams

Turn in some spurs/villa/leciester performances and we'll win all 5. play like we did v everton and we'll be lucky to pick up 5 points. We're likely to be somewhere in the middle but on the disappointed side, (maybe 2 wins, 2 draws and a defeat) which won't be good enough for top 4.

As mentioned on here, Spurs-Brighton game called off as well, due to Covid.

Kevin Campbell recently stated it's Pépé's attitude that's an issue. Which was mentioned on here was a problem. Says it's why he hasn't played since October.