There will be somebody somewhere who will have said anything and everything, including that. But to be fair I don’t recall anyone here ever saying it.

I don't know if it has any legs, but should we take Sanchez back?

Why is what I want to know? He's 32, a turncoat, and do we need him and more importantly is he anywhere close to what he was? Maybe he is. I've not watched any Serie A at all. I doubt it though.

Very true, Pode. As much as I enjoyed Sunday's result and the very promising performances of the likes of Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Emile Smith Rowe etc we have to get real here. We've only played a few games, let's revisit this after 15 games and if our new recruits and star boys are still producing box office performances then we can start to believe that they may be the real deal.

As for now, it's obviously very encouraging but there are still lots of potential pitfalls ahead and lots of big challenges, both physical and mental, that need to be safely navigated before we can even dream of being a top four contender again.

Would imagine most know Xhaka will be out of action for three months due to knee ligament damage.

That’s a big blow. Really need Partey to stay fit. I’d guess the options in order are now, Lokonga, Partey on his own, AMN, Elneny

Worth noting the African Cup of Nations might not be as disruptive as some think. ACN is on from Jan 9th to Feb 6th. Arsenal only have 2 league games inside those dates. We have a game on Feb 8th so would imagine any players making the final would miss that as well.

Partey, Elneny and Aubameyang will all be away. Xhaka should hopefully be back

I'd love to see a ANC game some time. In fact, I would love to take some weeks off, get a Euro rail pass and just see the local sights and take in a match in various countries. I'm definitely going to see us play a home game. The Covid19 lockdown increased a need to visit when it was over.

Next 3 league games are more than winnable base on our recent performances. A good chance to perfect our style and tactics, build up some confidence and move up the table.

I am cautiously optimistic.

No you're right. People who question Messi's ability to do it in this league also tend to be the football fans who see nothing wrong with any tackle as long as you get the ball first, got to get in their faces 'avn't we? I don't see any of that on this forum.

I do enjoy debating the Ronaldo v Messi one with friends who side with Ronaldo, because Ronaldo is primarily an elite goalscorer - yet however you cut their stats Messi scores more goals than Ronaldo. Messi does this from a deep position not as a poacher/striker. Messi also creates.

Something I've always found ridiculously superhuman in Messi was the regularity and consistency of scoring goals from outside the box (including free kicks). His goal last night was a prime example first time shot in to the top corner from 20+ yards. Look at some highlight reels there has never been anyone do this with such accuracy.

From BBC: The league said only seven clubs' squads are more than 50% fully vaccinated.

I find that pretty astonishing. Why are 18-35 year old footballers so out of kilter with the general cross section of society in terms of getting vaccinated?....or are they? Are the 11% of brits yet to get vaccinated (or whatever the latest figure is) made up mostly of 18-35 year old men - it might be?

Saw that.

The comment about “ rewarding “ the players for getting vaccinated made me laugh. Of course they bear no responsibility for their own or others health right ? Literally live on another planet.

I said at the start of the season i said I doubt many of our players would have been vaccinated. Unsurprisingly we had a splurge of it.

!!!

I sometimes wonder if Geography is a subject taught in American schools. On holiday, having told a Californian where I was from, I once got asked if London was near Europe.

Huh?
Rich mentioned the Africans Nations Cup and I'd like to see it? What's strange about that? I'd also like to take a train around Europe and catch games in the various leagues (Bunesliga, Eredivisie, etc.).

lol...not sure what the exclamation points are for but....

...ah....took a look at my post and could see 'In fact threw you off. Poor choice of words on my part. 'I'd also' would have been better.

One of the big plusses of the game was Aubameyang scoring. If he can anywhere close to his best with us, we'll be in good shape going forward.
I've always been optimistic about the Gabriel/White pairiing. I'd love to see Saliba back. I've always been a fan of Holding. I never thought he'd be first team quality but a decent 3rd or 4th CB. That said, I hope we can see Saliba sooner rather than later but if or when he comes back, how will he be used? Off the bench, 3 at the back with White and Gabriel? Replacing one of them (White would be my guess if so, Gabriel seems a bit more solid right now, White is getting settled). The back line is better all around.
The midfield is shaping up though. Looking more solid.

Why?
What do you know that makes you want him in the team? Would you think that if he'd been bought for £2m? Have you watched the Marseille matches?
He's had some reported good performances for them and one awful one - but that's in France; and with journos wanting to talk up what Arsenal are missing.

Arteta does need to readjust the midfield. Brighton this weekend in particular.

Either way a hit or miss.

Its hard even to tell from that post. The justaposition of Euro rail passes, home games, and ANC may not imply geographical ignorance so much as a complete lack of a sense that idea occupying the same paragraph should be connected in any way.

Yes, it was the missing 'also' that gave the impression of drooling idiocy.

He didn't cost £2m though. We signed him for £28m. He is one of the most expensive defenders we have ever signed and is very highly rated. We have seen how well his former centre back partner has done at Leicester. Why wouldn't any Arsenal fan want to see him play for us?

Look on YouTube for people asking Americans about geography. It is hilarious.

Watched the Arsenal 5 Tottenham 1 Women’s FA Cup quarter final on BBC4. Much like the men’s team we’ve signed a number of quality players. We used to be so dominant in women’s football I recall a quiz question a few years ago that was words to the effect: ‘which team manager at Arsenal has won the most trophies’? I presumed the answer was going to be Arsene Wenger but it was actually Vic Akers who had been the Arsenal ladies team manager (they were called ladies then, now it’s women) for a long while and had won more than Wenger.

In recent years Chelsea and Manchester City have been more consistently successful than us. No coincidence they’re England’s most explicit ‘financially doped’ clubs. With us spending more money in the transfer market of the men’s game than any other club in England over the summer window and us signing various top women (we’ve already beaten both Chelsea and City in the league this season), is it feasible Kroenke has decided to financially dope us?

He’s certainly got the wealth to do it, which is why I have always considered claims that we can’t compete with other clubs on a financial basis require a general qualification. Our owner has previously decided not to let us compete financially with those whose owners have pumped money from their own vast fortunes into their clubs. Is that changing?

In the semi final draw we got Brighton at home. In the other Manchester City are at home to Chelsea.

Having been against keeping Arteta after last season, I said let’s see where we are at the half way part of this season having allowed him to get in players he wanted, with some restrictions (age etc). I will be interested if we repeat our performance against Brighton. It is important to get consistency in performance. I think we should be prepared for a roller coaster ride but I think these players may be able to feed off each other and push their performances. I thought we overpaid for some players but more than happy he has pushed them straight into the team. I think Ramsdale is key to giving people confidence that the old guards time is up. A great messsge to other players. Still not sure about White but Tomiyasu was a very good buy. Imagine a fullback at Arsenal who can properly defend. It’s been a long time coming.

This goes here :

Highly rated? Maybe, but there wasn't a great clamour to have him on loan or a bidding war to buy him. Yes, he was very expensive; but also very young for a CB. Fans have worked themselves into a tizz convincing themselves he must be great, on the basis of virtually no evidence. The main evidence for his value comes from the recruiter who paid over £70m for Pépé. But even then he was loaned back for a year because he wouldn't be ready for the EPL. And at the end of that year they claimed he still wouldn't be ready to go to England because of his mother and not having played enough games in France - and that was them not us. L'Equipe have named him as one of the flops of this week. Maybe his former partner was the better CB of the two. I don't know. Maybe he's better suited to French football.

The only bit of evidence I have seen is that he wanted to go on loan to France rather than in England. That's not a good sign for a player who wants to make it here. I've no idea how far he's got learning English, but I don't remember seeing it mentioned. We've seen that Arteta is big on character, maybe that's an issue.

What I do know is that I wouldn't want him brought into the squad just to make it worse. And since I have no evidence one way or the other I'm quite happy to wait to see what happens. We'll find out next summer. I assume he will either be brought into the squad or be sold. If he does well for Marseille for the rest of the season, then maybe we'll do a Chelsea and sell him on for a profit without ever having him play for us.

They have a pretty good case against Kroenke from what I gather. My guess is they'll delay it for years, tie it up in court and as legal fees mount, work out a settlement.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/rams-relocation-litigation-grows-more-160031859.html

Like a lot of gooners, and I'd guess most, I would like to see how he plays for us. Why not? If he's awful, sell him or put him on loan. He's consistently had good reviews. Ben White had an awful first game. Gabriel made some mistakes early as well and here we are, both putting in a great game agaisnt Sperz.

He can play in league cup or FA cup games. I'm not sure what the huge risk is in seeing that. We've seen Holding, Chambers and much worse center backs play in important games for us. If you or anyone is suggesting he's behind the former as well as others, I see no evidence of that. So, if much lower rated CBs are getting games, what's the great harm in actually seeing Saliba play for us?

Some fans will use the 'I trust the judgement of the manager' as an excuse. And generally that would have some credence but they make mistakes. I'd love to see for myself.

It's contagious

Several years after I started supporting the greatest club the world has ever known. I would take photos of cannons if I saw any in my travels. Philippines, Ghana, Santa Monica (basically LA for the geographically impaired) among several.

https://twitter.com/tjibbedtc/status/14 ... 10082?s=21

You know I love a great ref howler, here’s one from the champions league last night. It wasn’t given as a pen, the ref then looked at var with all the slow motion and different angles and gave it as a penalty…..and I still don’t know if the player in yellow or red ‘earned’ the penalty

The bit with the pinning of the map just before the 4 min mark where he's labelled Australia as North Korea and other countries.

Although we do like a good lockdown and attempts to censor the media from reporting protests.

The guy in red is at fault. The ball was properly cleared.
Alas, would have screamed if it was awarded against us.
But, gleefully accept if it was for us

Does anyone else find Rio Ferdinand's gushing over Man U at any juncture vomit inducing

Ferdinand, was very pleased after the match, telling BT Sport that the match winner text him after the game saying he “knew” he’d score.

“He (Ronaldo) text me tonight saying ”I didn’t’ play well but I knew I’d score’”

“That’s the belief that he has. The other players are feeding off it. It’s a great place to be.

I wonder whether only 'knows' he would score with hindsight after he does actually score. Granted he does score a lot, but what about when Villa beat them at Old Trafford 1-0 last weekend?

I suspect fans of Man U's rivals are quite happy Ole stays in the job rather than someone like Klopp, Pep, Tuchel, Conte be in charge - that alone should speak volumes

The player in red (Eric Lamella) was awarded the penalty for a foul by the Wolfsburg player in yellow

So watch Marseille.

That was a very strange window. Emery wanted Saha and we bought Pépé for a similar sum. He's never said whether he wanted or didn't want Saliba, but presumably no manager is desperate to buy a player who'll be out for a season in a position where an upgrade is needed now. There's a lot to suggest that he and Pépé were because they were thought young and promising and might increase in value. It's turned out to be a very poor financial strategy and hasn't paid off in playing terms either.

We don't know if Arteta wants him or not - only that he doesn't want him right now.

From a financial point of view, the best way of looking at Saliba is an asset, whose value has dropped, but might regain it playing in the same league. Bringing him back to play for us if he doesn't look as if he will fit with the team will simply produce financial loss. At the moment, from a playing point of view, he's just some dude playing in Ligue 1 with some decent stats and reports that we're keeping a close eye on. The strategy of buying high priced promise and then loaning it out has proved very lucrative for Chelsea, but we don't seem as good at it as they have been.

Insightful read about Xhaka’s injury and prognosis.

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

But no idea what qualifications this guy has to pass an opinion as to how Arsenal should adapt tactically, nor as to Lokonga’s abilities.