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.

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.

What a stupid, bitter response to a post which took me some while to put together. 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.

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

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.

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?

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

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?

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 ' .

.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

I see that hopeless manager, Emery, has taken Villareal into the last 16 of the CL and sunk Atlanta in the process. I am happy for him that after his time with us he has made a place for himself elsewhere.

Floundering in 13th in La Liga though so not all good times for Villareal. :)

I admire your faith in looking for top 4. For me fifth or sixth should be achievable. And I would be satisfied with that as long as we were looking and playing like a team.

Just watching the highlights of the Aussies v Poms in the cricket ..... thought it was a nice touch ...... bunch of about fifty Ritchie Bernaud look a likes . Wigs and shades
Nice tribute to in my book the pinnacle of sporting commentators , scrupulously fair , totally unbiased , called a spade a spade , superb understanding of the game and a beautiful easy to listen voice .

I don’t have much faith we’ll finish top 4, just noting what we’d need to do if we want to stay in the mix. 23 games left and 23 points on the board, probably need to average 2 points per game to get to 69 points for top 4.
Even finishing 6th would mean finishing ahead of one of West Ham, spurs or Man U.

Might have bloody guessed it.

Our Cup game v Forest is a 17:15 ko on a Sunday evening. It'll be maybe 19:30 when you get out of the stadium and it's about a 30 min walk to the train station, so the earliest you can get there is probably about 20:00. You certainly won't catch the 19:30 so that leaves just 1 train at 20:44 if you want to get back to London that night. Better get a move on though - currently there's only 1 seat left.

Realistically, the only real choice is to drive. Not for the first time, this shows a shameful and all too familiar contempt for the travelling fans - and for the the planet!

Thanks FA - for FA.

Arsenal.com still has nothing about the Forest game going on sale. How come there’s only one seat left, or do you mean on the train?

Yes I did mean on the train, Bern.

Match tickets aren't available yet but I try to book transport as soon as the match details are confirmed. I prefer trains where possible and I normally buy train tickets via thetrainline.com - that website lists one seat left on the last train back, the 20:44 from Nottingham to St Pancras. I suppose there could be more seats or additional later trains but it doesn't sound promising.

Forest's ground holds about 30,000 and the away club normally gets an allocation of 30% for Cup games. Nobody seems to consider the carbon footprint of maybe 8,000 fans driving 200 miles or more to attend the match.

Same thing happened a few years ago for a Cup game up at Man U which the BBC shifted to a Monday night. Fans couldn't get back to London by train that night, but who cares? Not the FA and not the BBC.