This Matt Turner the US gk transfer rumour has picked up pace. Looks like the sort of deal that will go through quite smoothly and out of the blue. £5m, 27 years old.

Of course not finishing fourth should be considered a failure. The money it has recently spent and can spend including the wealth of the owners, the stature of the club, the size of its domestic and worldwide fan base, and the size and quality of the squad at the beginning of the season. I think it’s horrible if Arsenal fans just sit back and think ‘oh well, we cannot expect us to compete for fourth’. That’s the type of losers attitude and mentality I see as unacceptable in the club’s staff, owners and players. I even see it as disturbing in supporters.

https://twitter.com/tk8pic/status/14842 ... 78659?s=21

It appears the refs in Germany are no better than here. Kroos got a yellow card for this!

‘Competing’ for 4th yes, a failure of this season we don’t finish 4th? I think it’s stretching it. You talk about money and size of club but there also needs to be an understanding of the current quality of the playing squad.
At the start of the season there were very few Arsenal fans saying we have to get top 4 otherwise the season is a failure. Most of the talk was about getting 5/6th and getting back in Europe.
We shouldn’t be having West Ham and Leicester finish above us that’s for sure, but City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man U….right now? It’s not accepting mediocrity or losers mentality, it is being realistic.
You talk of the money that has been spent but that needs to be viewed in where we were. If Newcastle drop £200m in the summer should they be expected to make top 4, top 6 just because they’ve spent loads of money? Our squad was an absolute shambles and we were quite rightly 8th two seasons running.
Do we as fans all want to be back amongst the elite? Of course we do. We don’t want to be where we are.
In the summer my bet is that we will have turned over virtually an entire squad of 25 players in a little under 3 seasons.

Fred Scuttle referring to Jackie Wright as a swami: Be careful of your thoughts. He reads minds. In some parts of the world he's revered as a god!

Interviewer: You're not saying his omnipotent?!

Fred Scuttle looking confused about the word at first: "Well, you'll have to ask his wife sir"

Benny was pure genius to me as a teenager. Haha....You know how many people visit Morrison's grave in France? My brother and I plan to do that in England for Benny.

I'd suggest there were varying goals for us depending on our form. Before the season, I think most fans and probably the club management saw top 6 as the main goal. Get back to Europe.

I think after the first month, we re-adjusted our goals and finishing top half was what we would try for and we'd likely end the season with a different manager in so doing.

However, as we moved up the table, I think top 4 was only a goal once we came within ear shot of top 4. I think its top 4 now but was never that before the season started and was completely out of the question after the first month.

If we don't finish top 4, I think it will be seen as a failed season since being close but Arteta will keep his job if we lose out to top 4 by a game maybe. We'll still be in Europe and that was the original goal anyway.

Having nothing to compete for but top 4, getting players back from Africa, and possibly buying a player (or two) it will be seen as very doable. There are a number of variables that has to be factored in. Injuries to us and challengers. Who we or our challengers buy in the window. And plain old luck that has been bandied around on here.

I think if we play like we did over most of this cup tie, we'll not only get 4th, we'll make a decent run at 3rd as it seems Chelsea are looking a wee bit more vulnerable than the world beaters they appeared to be weeks ago.

City wil in the league, Liverpool will be runner up and Chelsea will be fighting off whomever emerges out of the top 4 challengers.

I listed our squad a couple of times at or near the beginning of the season. It should easily be a realistic challenger for fourth place, and considering the seasons both Manchester United in particular and three man Tottenham have had, I myself think we should now consider lower than fourth a failure. Moreover making excuses for it strikes me as a little feeble.

I still think we will get fourth. Though so far January has been a poor window letting Maitland-Niles leave, which now means we need a midfielder with Guendouzi being on loan.

The big priority is still a top forward considering Aubameyang’s exclusion for disciplinary reason, which perhaps make the subsequent stories of health issues less material. There’s also Lacazette, a decent forward who has some good qualities but is way off the level required for being the first choice in our team, which since Aubameyang has fallen out of favour he has been. Then there’s Nketiah. I know some rate him but I do see him as Crystal Palace level. All three will presumably be off in the summer but we need someone now, and if Edu fails to recruit then questions should be asked of him.

Whether it’s Vlahovic or not, I don’t know. But we need a top forward.

If we don't sell Aubameyang this month, Arteta should be using him to get us to 4th. Okay, he's out of favor. Then use him to rest whomever we have above him in the pecking order or use him off the bench.

We are within striking distance of top 4. If we don't put everything in it, we're doing ourselves a disservice. We found ourselves in a position (top 4) that we didn't envision for at least a couple years if that.

With Newcastle with money, they'll be challenging top 4 in 2 to 3 years. Next year, we'll have the same issue trying to get top 4 (Tottenham, Chelsea, Man Utd, Leicester may make a comeback, others).

Squad rotation, strategy and keeping the fear no one mentality we are playing with is needed for the duration of the season.

Spot on. Without a striker being signed, I think Top 4 may be prove to be beyond us.

Maybe... maybe not. I'd even shade toward a 'weak' likely. Why?

We got to top 4 with an Aubameyang that was average at best, often below average when he played and hasn't been played for weeks now.

Had we relied on him as we did in other seasons I'd agree. Now, do we need a striker? Certainly. We can't keep running this bunch week in, week out without it taking its toll. But is it possible to get top 4 without one? Yes. Difficult? Yes, but if we got to where we are now as things are, why would that change dramatically? That's all I'm saying.

Don't get me wrong. I'd be disappointed if we don't make a buy, but I also don't think its a foregone conclusion 4th is gone.

I think the difference here is you said it at the start of the season. Most pundits (pretty much everyone I saw) had us at 7-8th when the season started, so it feels a little bit hypocritical of them to now say it would be a failure if we didn't get top 4.

Personally, it's not just about 4th or 5th place for me. If we end up missing out on top 4 but continue to show the type of progress we've done in the last few months, that would still be a good season for me, and something to build on for next season. It would still mean we've shown a lot of improvement compared to the past two seasons.

Then again, if we continue to perform the way we've done recently, I think we will get top 4 in the end.

This might be the case...then again, our rivals for 4th place are weaker than us in other areas. Xhaka is a player most fans feel could be improved upon, but to me he still walks right into the starting eleven of Tottenham and Man Utd without even breaking a sweat.

What we're missing compared to them is the type of match winners they have with Ronaldo, Fernandes, Son and Kane. But team wise we're more balanced in my opinion. Our best performances (City, the first halves against Leicester and Tottenham) are a level above anything I've seen Man Utd or Tottenham do this season.

Thinking over last nights game. I don’t think we’ll get 4th, I wouldn’t consider it a failure if we don’t either but I just don’t see it.


I just look at this squad I don’t see one that’s got the right ingredients to compete in multiple competitions.

https://www.arsenal.com/men/players

Out of the whole squad I think there’s about 14 players the manager feels he can rely on and that’s it. It’s just not built for a title challenge

If you look at Liverpools squad they have 4 players in Mané, salah, firmino and jota who can get you a goal when you aren’t playing well and score half chances. Spurs have 2 in Kane and son. I don’t think we have 1, we have to play very well to win and create more chances as we know well miss many. If jota was on that chance in the first half instead of Lacazette then it’s a different game. If we can’t get Vlahovic we might need to sign 2, maybe Calvert Lewin and Ollie Watkins so we can mix it up.

It’s irritating because we seem to falter the moment it matters but I still think we are heading in the right direction.

To me it seems to be missing that match winning element to enhance our current structure. There’s not too much more work to do there’s some decent ingredients there

One of Chelsea and Spurs, or both, will drop points on Sunday. They are playing each other.
My preference is Spurs to lose.

Any thought about what we can do about they others?

I completely agree on that one. Dare I say yesterday was another game where we quite possibly missed him. I understand why people moan about the number of cards Xhaka gets. But Partey’s first booking, which I think was very harsh, was something Xhaka routinely gets a yellow card for. Moreover, I reckon Partey’s second booking was something Xhaka would often get a straight red for.

It was a tackle that Partey probably should have got a straight red for.

An allround striker with gamebreaking ability could really kick us up another level, but I think a lot of our fortune in the coming seasons will depend on internal development of our young players. Saka, Smith-Rowe, Martinelli and Ødegaard will have a big part to play in this team, and they're still very young. Comparing it to our rivals, Kane is 28, Son and Moura are 29. Man Utd have Fernandes who's 27, Ronaldo at 36, and Pogba who is 28 and was instrumental in a couple of their wins early in the season.

Our attacking players just aren't there yet, but with the way they're developing each season I don't think we have to wait long for them to start winning games more regularly for us.

Morning socrates. I bet Ramsdale is very disappointed in himself that he let the first goal in. The shot was little harder than a gentle back pass nowhere near the side of the goal. Yes, it caught him wrong footed but I think an agile keeper should still have kept it out.

Let me say Ramsdale has built up plenty of credit, which explains why he’s avoided serious criticism for the first goal. I bet he’s glad that didn’t happen on his first appearance or two.

United wouldn’t touch xhaka with a *%^@*** bargepole.

Congratulations you 2 must be on horse tranquillisers.

You watch Lacazette fluff that chance last night and think back to the mid 90s when our midfield was shocking and you just needed to get the ball up to Ian wright around the box and he would do the rest. Desperate for that clinical ruthless killer

Hilarious. I'd love to see some old posts on here and now. Mine included. I've gotten it horribly wrong a few times.

Fan: "I don’t think he’s good enough. In the last couple of years you’ve let some good midfielders go for peanuts like Scott Canham.”
Redknapp: "I let him go because young Frank’s 18 and he’s miles in front of him.”
Fan: “Well, that ain’t really true…”
Redknapp: "I’ll tell you now, without any shadow of a doubt, there will be no comparison between what Frank Lampard will achieve in football and what Scotty Canham will achieve..."
Mic. Dropped

I wouldn’t argue with that. Had he not got the first booking and had received a yellow for the second, I think we’d all be saying he got away with one. It is probably Partey being sent off for two yellows that will save the referee from criticism in Liverpool online chat rooms, and that it made no difference to the result.

Considering it was so late, the second yellow was actually a moronically stupid offence for Partey to commit.

Sad to hear about Meatloaf. He was an AntiVaxxer who died of Covid.

*%^@*** Oath. This club has been neglected for far too long. I doubt it will happen this year but next year should be a minimum target.

Agree wholeheartedly. Like nearly every red card or even yellow card we receive the question is ‘why?’. Not because of the ref by the often stupidity of the player who got it. It’s almost like Partey was so pissed at the ACN result that he went out to prove an impossible point,

Some good music in his day but if an anti Vaxxer “just because” then he took his risk and lost.

Imagine if it were a ref conspiracy rather than a player one. Oh boy Mike Dean would be in trouble. Lol

It’s brilliant watching these anti Vax loons video themselves and stick it on twitter. There’s a brilliant one going round of a sergeant at greater Manchester police booting them out of some place or other.

Agreed but who is it? Vlahovic ain’t it yet. Aubameyang could have been, Nketiah isn’t. Seems we’re still 12 months away from a fully developed Arteta squad and I wonder how long will it take before we’re up in those top places, fighting for a title again.

Honestly I don’t know all I know is that you won’t get anywhere if your best centre forward can only score 3-8 goals a year in the league.

Vlahovic has a 1 in 2 strike rate I think so he would fit the bill for sure and still has room to improve however I don’t think we will get him.

The alternative is we sign 2 strikers like a Calvert Lewin and a faster more mobile type so we have options and can mix it up, rotate etc. It’s not easy truth be told.

RIP Mr Loaf

Every time they play my preference is for Spurs to lose.

He already got his HCA

https://www.reddit.com/r/HermanCainAward/

Will he, won’t he? It would be interesting that’s for sure.

https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/ ... E_qTMFRH9o

been vaguely musing over it yesterday ...to be honest Decaf with yesterday's lineup ; man for man I don't think we are that inferior to Liverpool .

Where I think the difference lies in the fact Klopp with typical Germanic efficiency sends his men out all knowing exactly what their role is .
Look how seamlessly 65 year old James Milner slots in when subbed .

Until Mikel cures this tendency to sideways / back pass ad nauseum we will never improve to where we put in consistent performances .

When called on to play a forward pass we are so incredibly wayward , which leads to us defending more .

Jota's second for instance .... Martinelli slips ; was it Alexander Arnold takes a touch , Jota makes the run , Alexander hoists it onto his chest .

Where would a similar effort by us end up ... hit the linesman , into the director's box , knock over the corner flag .

Hmmm not sure about that. Their back 4 of Trent/Matip/VVD/Robertson won the champions league and Premier league. I like our back 4 but each of them are a step down from the Liverpool equivalent.
Fabinho is for me the best defensive midfielder in the league (maybe Rodri as well) Lokonga is raw and miles off him.
We all love Saka, Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe and Ødegaard but the facts show that Jota and Firminho are still a level above and difference makers in their team.
If you have Liverpool fans the option of adding any Arsenal player in to their best starting 11 I doubt they pick any of ours yet.