Man U have a small number of positive lateral flow covid tests following their last game. Their Tuesday game could be in doubt.

Feels like dodging covid is going to be just as important as dodging injuries this season.

Spurs play away at Leicester midweek with at least 8 of their team and 5 of their coaching staff having had no formal training or contact with each other for (one assumes) 10 days

Reads like it was written by Ty.

I'm not in the Arteta out brigade yet but equally want to see an improvement consistently. Not just when playing at home and a rather tired looking bottom club comes to visit.

Martinelli was a very energetic nuisance all night and it's great to see him back which is what many of us non-invested stay at home armchair experts thought would be the case before Arteta froze him out.

You've also cherrypicked the stuff you agree with while ignoring some of the other twaddle written in that article. "Pépé needs a cuddle and is a 20 goal a year player" He's 26 and not provided any evidence that he's capable of scoring 20 goals and only did that in 1 season in France.

But maybe I should just do some 'crowd watching' and daydream myself away from what is actually happening on the pitch.

Verstappen is a very talented driver and will go on to win lots more titles

TG, I'm with you that we must get above them after midweek. Time to get out of our inferiority complex and stamp our mark!

On the flipside, I'm not with you with your unnecessary follow-up remarks (Not that you care anyway)

Aubameyang is still a kid
we asked too much of him to be a Captain

Martial is available. I've been a fan since his first outting at Man Utd and I thought he'd be a huge start. Don't accuse me of sacrilege but I thought he had a bit of Henry about him in style and potential. No one is as great as great King Henry but Martial seems in the mold to some extent.
He's only 26. I'd love to take him. I might...might even be persuaded in a swap deal of sorts with Aubameyang. Of course with our luck Aubameyang will revert back to his prior, great form.

But still https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/dec/10/anthony-martial-wants-to-leave-manchester-united-january-agent-reveals

Martial, Martinelli, Balagun, Lacazette maybe. The good thing is our midfield is scoring more now so there won't be as much pressure on the forwards to get all the goals.

Since Chelsea won the title in 2017 only City and Liverpool have won the title. Realistically, its fair to assume if any team(s) will beat either of them to the title its going to be Chelsea or Man Utd, with Chelsea looking to have the best chance at the moment.

The league is similar to 1998 - 2003, when all other teams had to be better than both us and Man Utd for the season and that was unlikely to happen. 2002, Liverpool came the closest I think. Had we not had that crazy run all spring, they'd have won the title.

Anyway, for the next 3 or 4 years I don't see anyone seriously putting together a season that is better than both City and Liverpool. I'm guessing but I think it will be at least 3 years before we see Newcastle's wealth materialize in the league table. They can be top 6 within the next 2 years possibly depending on who they buy and how they are managed. They will be like City in the first few years they had money. Throwing money at whomever they can get. No real design and strategy, just getting as good players as they can buy in the club. Eventually a strategy developed. Chelsea were already a very good team when Roman bought them. They had structure on the pitch. So, their money materialized much more quickly.

Newcastle will have the same problem City had initially. They have no real name. Meaning a club with aura, international recognition. City has it now because they have bought it. You'd get laughed at possibly by teammates were you a fairly big name and going to City in the first year or two of money. It was obviously a money grab. Now City have a name. They are seen as a top world club power. It took time though. The same with Newcastle. They are well known domestically and to some extent iconic, especially regionally, but outside of the UK, they are recognized but only because the EPL is the most watched league in the world. Sort of like recognizing who Espanyol or Real Betis is but because you watch the la Liga regularly.

When Newcastle's money starts to take effect, it will make it a bit more harder for us, Tottenham, Man Utd, Chelsea and Leicester. My guess is we will see the first effects of their money with them winning one of the domestic cups or possibly a Europa cup when they qualify for it. But more than likely a league or FA cup first before a title.

He's also a quite humble guy who's very approachable and doesn't mix sport with politics, which I like. Lewis strikes me as a tad arrogant and 'woke.'

Man Utd players choosing PL XI but they can't use Man Utd players. I notice Giggs specifically not wanting to really choose Arsenal players and I'm not surprised. They were talking Shearer before Henry and it was Gary Neville that had to say Henry is a no brainer, but you could tell they didn't want to give that up so easy.

How Bergkamp is behind Shearer, I'll never know. Shearer was a monster. Shearer played longer in the PL but at his best no one touched Bergkamp. But that's me.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?extid=CL-UNK-UNK-UNK-AN_GK0T-GK1C&v=203980217589758

I still think Giggs and Scholes secretly (or maybe not so secretly) a Sherringham-esque hatred of us. Deep rivalries eventually, over time elicits only 1 of 2 emotions. Highest respect or visceral hatred.

With Gary Neville and Roy Keane its the former. With Giggs and Scholes, I think its the latter. I'd throw RVN in there on the latter as well.

Its how it is. Ali and Frazier were never really good, and Frazier (from Philly by the way), even later in life when Ali had Parkinson's would tell people privately "I did that". and he didn't have a meloncholy expression.

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson became friends. Michael Jordan hated everyone. lol. His Hall of Fame speech was one of the pettiest speeches ever. He won. Michael you won. It's time to be humble and honor the vanquished. But that's not him. I was sad to hear how he spoke of his rivals. To be fair, I might do the same about certain people...hehehehe

I never thought this would ever happen. I thought hell would freeze over or I'd be having supper with a 2 other un-named forumites over a beer before that would haha

Lewis started to get arrogant not because he became world champion, but because he was continually marginalised in the sport. His talented driving style was not appreciated, and deemed as reckless in some of his years of F1. There was a time when majority of competing drivers "worked" to deny him winning races. Back markers took their time to get out of the way despite the blue flags. And F1 officials were then looking for the slightest to fault him on the track (much like how Arsenal gets it from referees in the EPL). And all these because he stood for what he believed in and stated it. be it in the sport or otherwise.

If anybody needs to be boosted, check for your nearest walk-in centre. The only criteria now for a booster jab are that you are over 18 and there needs to be a 12 week gap since your last (second) jab.

I've just taken 2 of my younger people from here. Took less than an hour. The only identification they were asked for was their NHS number.

You know it makes sense.

Feel the same way. Delighted Verstappen won.

A more preferable option than grumbling about nothing.

I like Hamilton. He's not like the other drivers for a number of reasons, not least because he doesn't come from a privileged 'millionaires' boys club' background. I don't dislike Verstappen but it certainly looked like Lewis got stitched up yesterday.

Quickest car, fastest times, faultless drive to give himself an unassailable lead coasting to a win with a couple of laps to go. Then he finds his greatest rival with new soft tyres right up his arse due entirely to the way the rules were interpreted.

On the Southampton game, our first goal was truly a thing of beauty.

One of the best goals I've seen.

It was a corker.

Also although it doesn’t get mentioned I thought Odeguards goal at old Trafford was superbly worked and was a brilliant finish.

After the game people on here were posting we have no recognised style of play. Was thinking bloody hell did they not see the second goal.

I think we have a style of play but it seems like it needs all the universes to align for us to execute it. Seeing those sorts of 1 touch play out from the back counter attacking goals is lovely but it isn't like we're putting those types of goals away every match. I think there needs to be a little bit more creative freedom in the final 3rd, at times it looks like we're always trying to execute The Plan, rather than sometimes allowing the players to be more creative, take a man on, shift and shoot or just cause a bit of chaos in their box

UEFA has just messed up the CL draw. They wrongly took out the Man U ball from teams that could draw Atletico Madrid when there was nothing wrong with those two teams drawing each other. The only rules are you can't draw a team from your same nation and can't draw a team who was in the same group as you - which for Atletico Madrid was Liverpool not Man U

Seems for the large part that thsoe who criticise sportspeople for holding political views or accuse them of being "woke" are exactly the sort of individuals who vote for the kind of governments these sportspeople oppose. It's not that they're political which offends per se but the fact that they're criticsising their side. The same people decry the death of freedom of speech when it suits them too. Hypocrisy much.

I think there’s plenty of creative freedom just not enough experience. A man united supporting mate of mine said after the old Trafford defeat he thought we were the best Arsenal side on the ball he had seen at old Trafford in some time.


If you aren’t sure watch the 10 minute period in the second of Saturday when saka hit the post. Laid siege to their goal and we were moving the ball around so quickly with everyone contributing to the attack. When it clicks it does click but that isn’t our issue for me which is we seem to be prone to 10 to 15 minute lapses in some games where we aren’t awake or in the game for whatever reason almost like a malfunctioning engine. God knows what we were playing at for the first 15 minutes Saturday

They've just re-drawn the champions league ties, some teams are not going to be happy even thought the first draw wasn't done fairly and the second was.

Torreira appears to be playing well in Italy again. Hopefully he plays well enough that Fiorentina or another Italian team want to buy him permanently, I think I read there is a 15m euro option on him which would be decent.

Also rumours about AMN being unhappy that he hasn't had a more prominent role in the team, only 18 months left on his deal - maybe we can persuade Newcastle to part with another £25m for one of our youth prospects - although they will consider their fingers well and truly burnt with the Willock transfer.

There is still much to do with this squad. Lacazette, Nketiah, Elneny, Kolasinac and Chambers all entering the final 6 months of their deal and January is the last chace to get a fee for any of them. I doubt Lacazette or Nketiah will go anywhere unless we have a new striker lined up for January. I think I read the club have an option to extend Chambers for a year, so we could do that and sell him in the summer for a fee.

Leno, AMN and Aubameyang all have 1 year left on their deals in the summer. Even if you shift Aubameyang for free you save £15-16m in wages for a year.

I find that a bit strange as I thought it was one of our poorer games in the ball, particularly as Man U hardly pressed us - the stats showed that we were only pressurised 27 times in our 500 (ish) passes and we lost the ball a lot. Similar to Everton really.

If your friend was referring to Arsenal at Old Trafford last season it would make more sense

Nope this season. We started very strongly, they had to grow into the match for sure. We had more possession, more corners and more shots and everything. I thought we were unlucky to lose and if it wasn’t for Odegaards dodgy tackle a 2 2 would have been fair.

Wengerball-esque

There are always unhappy sides. Whomever gets the PSGs, City's, Bayerns are never going to like their draw...lol.

I remember we kept getting Barca and Bayern.

Ha! TV revenue-wise a match of MU v PSG would've been a stunner. Messi, Mbappé against Ronaldo. Not now. So be it. It's Arshavin's fault.

I've been keeping an eye on Palace, mainly Vieira. After 3 straight losses they got a win last game and are mid table. Still wishing Vieira all the best. Hoping he can be in the top half of the table when the season ends.

Will see if Brentford can derail Man Utd's 3 game winning streak. Brentford can do it. They are tough at home, a pressing side, and their players will be up for Man Utd.

Up there with the bizarreness of Formula 1 organisation.

Incompetent beyond belief.

Mike Dean is officiating F1 now ?

The balance between having a plan and playing with freedom is a very difficult one. But I think having a plan must come first, and being a bit too rigid at times is by far the lesser evil. I'd agree with Top Gun that our problem is experience as much as anything else ... that applies to Arteta too. That and the need to address the issues in midfield and strikers. I am confident that we will see things clicking in attach far more often going forward. Patience is what we need at this stage.

Yes that was rather irksome!

Sore losers;)

You might think so. Actually I’ve never really taken to F1 because of its arcane and incomprehensible nature. I was interested enough to watch yesterday due to all the hype and was utterly stunned by the ludicrous ending. I really don’t understand how the rules allow for what happened. No element of fairness in it whatsoever. Two hours of my life wasted there.

It was an object lesson in how to alienate the casual viewer. To me it looks as real as wrestling from Brent Town hall.

Definitely worth keeping an eye on what he does. Palace are up and down, but considering what that squad was like and the style of football they played he has changed a lot in a short period of time.
Hodgson had Palace playing effective football that kept them in the league, and occasionally bloodied the noses of better teams with some sharp counter attacks and set pieces but there was a limit to what that could really achieve. Palace had an extraordinary amount of players with their contract's expiring last summer (I think 7 1st team players left on a free). I think give Vieira some more time and with some smart buys they could become a good team.

Guehi and Anderson are brand new CB pair for the club and in Eze and Olise they have a pair of very exciting attacking wide midfielders. Gallagher on loan has been a revelation for them. If they can add a bit more dynamism in the full back areas (Palace always seemed to have converted CB there) something more in CM and a top class striker there is a team there.

Man U's game v Brentford looks almost certain that it will be called off. Man U have closed their training ground and haven't even travelled to London yet. Villa and Brighton have both reported Covid cases.

Ornstein has reported Arsenal have stepped up their covid protocol to try to protect everyone at the club as much as possible. Returning to the process when 'project restart' came in to effect including testing in car before being allowed in.

We can probably expect more of this to come and it is going to be pot luck how clubs are effected, suspended players missing different matches, longer/shorter rest periods, cramming games in to available midweeks etc

Have just read some Arsenal staff have tested positive for Covid but no players re positive.

Latest on Aubameyang. Nothing to do with tattoos then.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... u2m2yuRxWQ

Mind you even this article contradicts itself. Permission given on Tuesday or Wednesday? If they can’t get that bit right…..

There's talk lately of the possibility of games being played behind closed doors again. Especially with all these new Covid positive cases now and more looming near future.