We had as many red cards as the top 4 combined this season.

I think 2 of our red cards directly contributed to us losing games. Another we’d have lost irrespective of the red and the final one just made us sweat hard for the win.

Bukayo Saka
2020-21 5 goals and 3 assists
2021-22 11 goals and 7 assists

Emile Smith Rowe
2020-21 2 goals and 4 assists
2021-22 10 goals and 2 assists

Gabriel Martinelli
2020-21 2 goals and 1 assist
2021-22 6 goals and 6 assists

Got these stats from Twitter, all 3 took a step forward in their development and output this season. Repeat that or improve it AND crucially add a centre forward or two who can score 20 goals a season and it starts to look quite good.

What are you on about? At what point have I ever said that ‘we fully recovered from that horrible start’?

There is nothing about your summation above that I disagree with. We are fragile.

Where this discussion started was when you took issue with my point that we we largely unable to recover from going a goal down. That’s it really. Nothing more to be said. No point in ‘arguing’ at cross purposes. Top Gun understood the point perfectly.

Yours are all truly great players and Arsenal legends. Indeed Frank gets my vote as the biggest Arsenal legend over my time. But ‘favourite’ isn’t the same as best. I consider Henry the best Arsenal player I’ve seen. More goals than Wright and more assists than Bergkamp.

But my favourite. No as everyone must know, that’s Steve Williams. I still recall a radio interview with him when a young kid breaking through at Southampton. Interviewed because he’d played so well in his first few games for them. He was asked what his ambitions were in the game. The interviewer must have expected him to answer with stuff like winning cups at Southampton and playing for England.

That wasn’t what he said at all. He said his big ambition was to play for Arsenal, the club he, his parents and family all supported (they came from Finsbury Park). I was thrilled that he not only achieved his ambition but won a trophy with us.

Ødegaard 7 goals and 4 assists - Someone else who has more room for improvement. Like you said, throw in an actual top class centre forward for Ødegaard to pass to and there's more goals and assists in the current team.

I agree. Stop losing matches and we'll win the league.

I read a report that Sperz are going to have a £150million injection into their transfer budget from their owners based on selling some additional shares. If true it underlines my feeling that the Kroenke's must continue to back Arteta and Edu with big funds this summer if they are in anyway serious about Arsenal challenging for the top honours anytime soon.

This is interesting. So our league position is linked to the number of points we get which is linked to how many games we win.

Now we know this we should be able to do better

Elneny has officially signed a new deal

https://www.arsenal.com/mohamed-elneny- ... eague-news

mutually beneficial

So after printing "Manchester United are rubbish" in the news ticker, the BBC issue an apology for it being a mistake that may have offended some people.

I'd say it was excellent journalism and only stating the facts.

I don't really rate Elneny at all as a player, but he did pretty well when Partey got injured. Very likeable character too, and obviously well liked by his teammates. Don't seem to mind not playing at all for like 85% of the season. Decent squad signing.

I blame Arteta for not figuring this out sooner.

Whoa, this discussion went left...lol. I am not on about anything. Simple debate as happens dozens of times weekly. I didn't take issue with your comments or thought I spoke in anger or anything.

Slow down ltg. I thought it was a cordial discussion that I think I disagreed with. Its still okay to disagree, isn't it? I am saying that half jokingly.

I will chalk this all up to not understanding the tone of the responses. Okay? No hard feelings or anything on my end. I re-read my responses and still at a loss. I've been on here, what a couple decades? It's well documented when and how I get angry...haha. Before you I disagreed with Rich about something or another. I sometimes do that.

P.S. I might suggest (and I'm smiling as I write this because I'm serious but it works well as a joke as well) not using Top Gun as a source, first because I haven't read anything he's written for..hmmm...has to be years now (blocked) and well...he's Top Gun..enough said.

Ffs have a day off.

Just have a day off for once

PPS..not just for ltg but for anyone I believe we're on friendly terms with. I always send a cordial private message to make sure I didn't mistinterpret what I perceive to be a personal attack. If the relationship was always acrimonious I don't bother.

So, for anyone if you are not sure, send me a personal note. Obviously doesn't mean we can't argue passionately about Arsenal. It's what makes this forum great, but any perceived lines crossed I do the same as in my personal life. A quiet word aside to make sure.

It does feel a bit weird to make a point about 'the mood on here' when you've blocked all but three posters or something like that.

Anyway, I'm really going back and forth about this potential Tielemans signing. On the pro side, he's young, cheap considering his ability and has some qualities we really need for our midfield; ability to carry the ball forward, good goalscoring instincts and a booming shot, and can pick out a pass in the final third.

On the other hand, he has a reputation of being somewhat lazy on the defensive side of the game, his short passing isn't at the level of Partey or Xhaka, and there's a question about how well he'd work in a midfield two. I'm not sure I see him as the player that will raise our midfield a level.

But, for 25m I guess it's a little bit of a no-brainer. He only just turned 25 too, and there's obviously a chance he raises his game in a bigger club with a better team.

This seems like a pretty plausible scenario. It's hard to see us sign 6 players, but 3-4 of the right quality should be doable and can really take us forward.

Looking at the biggest rumours so far, we could see Jesus, Tielemans, Hickey and Marquinhos come in, which would cover the four positions you're mentioning. Two players who have experience from the league and could start from day one, and two young players who could take on a squad role to begin with as we have quality options in their positions.

Evidently. As are we.

Yeah right.

What a torrent of drivel!

I would be delighted i we got them, but I'm slightly underwhelmed by both Jesus and Tielemans, for reasons that I can't quite put my finger on.

I think the fact that Jesus is being replaced at city doesn’t thrill really but that’s more of a testament to their strength in depth than him as a player. He’s an obvious upgrade on what we have.

Tielemans is a strange one. Last year anyone would have bitten your hand off for him but he’s had an indifferent year. Some have pointed out that it’s due to his midfield partner ndidi missing half the season so he’s had no protection alongside him. Still after a frustrating year he managed 6 goals and 4 assists which is still more than xhaka and partey. His strength is attacking the penalty area and finding through balls for strikers. I can honestly say this is one of the biggest things we’ve been missing this year. We just don’t have enough creativity in the middle of the park, my only issue with it would be that he’s more of an alternative to partey than xhaka so not sure how that works.

PMQ now.

The effects of what happens when you let populism run rife. A prime mister unapologetically lying non the front bench about other lies he made to a whole country that is struggling economically because of other lies he made.

Absolutely staggering and a first. Simply defies belief. disaster capitalism. Our kids won’t stand a chance with this lot.

Aurélien Tchouaméni has chosen to sign for Real Madrid according to reports. When these amazing talents chose to sign for clubs outside the Prem i'm always happy. They won't come to us so we need to keep them away from City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man U.

He's the moral and physical embodiment of a greased pig.

I think the big one for me that I hope we don't miss out on is what I'd describe as a proper No.9, a tall physical athletic profile. Adebayor at his peak for us for example. I think this type of player can bring huge benefits to our side, most obviously on crosses but I think the physicality can help us develop play in the final 3rd, release pressure if we're under the cosh and find those scrappy moments in tight games that push us over the line.

Again if I'm being greedy I've love a central midfielder who can break lines through powerful running and also have that physical and athletic prowess. Vieira is always the reference, I'm scratching my head for a more recent reference......

Okay the season just ended and although to me July 16th seems a long ways off when you have work to do, it seems like a somewhat short break to me for the squad. Yeah..yeah...we won't be playing starters and such but I always think the break seems rather short, even though it isn't. Plenty of time for a vacay for the players. But they have to be back in training when? Which really makes it a short break in my mind.

The season never really ends does it. This year for example the Nations League runs until late June.

LTG,
Yes indeed. Three of our guys have a call up. White, Ramsdale, Saka. Two matches June 4 and 7 to start. No rest for the weary.

I’m guessing, but don’t know, that others from our squad will feature for other countries.

I think that England play on 4th, 7th, 11th and 14th.

https://theathletic.com/news/eddie-nket ... 5jLj6jRYf/

Looks like Eddie is staying!
Great news!

Meant to add that there are other players, depending on their country call-ups, will also be playing. Looked up the sumner matches and a through June, the starts again in September. These are just the group stages.

Ornstein just tweeted this also
Eddie Nketiah understood to have changed mind on leaving Arsenal. 22yo striker was set to go as free agent but now expected to sign new contract. Deal not finalised but duration likely to be up to 5 years

I think it is a good move. The risk is who knows whether what Eddie showed with 5 goals in 8 games at the end of the season was just the tip of what he can achieve or whether it was a flash in a pan.

As I said I think it is a good move, I think Eddie could play well wide left and wide right as well if we bought in a tall physical target man.

My only concern with Eddie re-signing is Arsenal may think they only need 1 striker signing this summer and that might be 'just' Jesus. I like Jesus but I'm not sure a set of strikers of Jesus, Nketiah and Martinelli at a push is enough for a European season. Add in an Abraham or Osimhen and we'd be looking exceptionally strong up front all of a sudden.

Bottom line is we could have lost Eddie for free when in the last 2 months his value is probably nearer to £30m. Young english forward who has proven he can score goals in this league - £30m would be the going rate

Abraham would fit the bill for me. Tall, great movement, and a natural goalscorer.

Like I said at the weekend on Nketiah I thought so.

So basically there’s a couple of things you can probably glean from this.

The manager would prefer to invest in the midfield than totally reinforce his strike force because at 5 million signing on fee and 100k a week they could have let him walk. (I agree btw)

They can now go big on a striker if they want to. Personally like others have said here I’d go for Abraham who seems perfect (Arsenal fan, English, right age, height) . If he joined bizarrely we would have quite a British core (especially if we get hickey) which is something we haven’t had for years

I’m not totally DHD on this but I hope he proves me wrong. Over the last few weeks he’s showed more depth to his game but he’s still not quite there yet. I thought the Newcastle game showed that to be honest when we needed more connecting play.

I think it’s a good decision

Reiss Nelson playing for Feyenoord tonight in the conference league final.

Hoping for a Feyenoord win over Roma, game just started. Can't stand Mourinho. The guy is odious.

Maybe the players had a shorter rest period in the past. I don't know. I do know (and you old vets can attest to this), they played a lot of games during the season, cup ties, replays. I recall looking at old games or reading about them and the number replays was rediculuous. I was amazed. And I recall a few of you saying how you could only use so many players in a game. Not as many subs. Crazy. Really hard men.

It's the same with the NBA and NFL, and other sports. The 'off season' (time between seasons) was much, much longer in the old days. The NFL season pre season started hmm...late July, early August I think, don't quote me. League play started in September and the Super Bowl was over be the 2nd week in January. If your team didn't make the playoffs your season ended by first week in December. NBA started autumn, ended by May. Super Bowl is now creeping into March. The league expanded 2 more games. Its a physically taxing sport, players are visibly much bigger and faster these days. Nearly 300lb line men nearly as quick off the mark as scrum halfs to borrow a rugby position (which I'm hoping I got right...haha).

It just seems players are playing almost all year round. Many of them. The various organizations. PL, UEFA, FIFA don't seem to care. It's all a money grab. More games, more money. The CL reorganization seems to be about two things only, getting as much money as possible by adding in more teams while making sure only the most popular teams progress or if they are having a bad season, be in the final of a lesser competition.

What happened to the football I fell in love with?