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I’m amazed to see the massive amount of transfer speculation on football websites, or rather I was until I stopped looking at them! I suppose we shouldn’t be terribly surprised at this development as these sites exist to attract clicks and with no actual football to write about, what else will interest football fans? But it is annoying and naive to suggest that Monopoly money will be spent preparing for next season. I don’t want to add to the general gloom around at the present time, in fact one of the joys of this website is to escape from the feeling of depression encircling us but we do need to be realistic about football finances at this very difficult juncture. Society globally has much bigger problems to confront than what happens in major football leagues around the world but equally as we are already seeing, the entertainment and drama that sport, most especially football,  provides for a significant proportion of the planet makes it a hugely missed part of our lives- a welcome diversion from so much of what weighs us down in life.

Football  will be hugely impacted, as will every other business by the fallout from Covid19. So far we are unsure if the current season will end and when that end  may  be.  That will in turn affect the next season which may start weeks or even in a worst case scenario, months, after it was scheduled. Huge numbers of supporters or Sky or BT Sport subscribers may just not be able to afford to renew their season tickets or subscriptions, some may be very reluctant to rush to sporting events in big population centres for some time. All this means that football needs to behave very responsibly as we start to rebuild our lives. Clubs and players that are seen to behave irresponsibly or greedily will find themselves ostracised in a way they never have been  before. It is against that background that I have analysed our transfer market activity over the last two seasons, four windows that have seen a big change in playing personnel.

Transfers can be exciting. I can remember the pleasure on this site when we signed Mesut Ozil. Further back I can still recall the euphoria when we brought Dennis Bergkamp, Ian Wright and Sol Campbell to the club. The signing of Alan Ball was a huge deal for Arsenal fans just before Christmas 1971. But transfers also invite massive scrutiny (says he just about to bring our recent work under heavy scrutiny!) and given the huge investments they represent nowadays, more and more emphasis is being placed on how effective transfer strategy is. Recruitment of players is indivisible from coaching as a factor in success. One cannot succeed without the other but if you recruit badly in a division as competitive as the Premier League no coach, however talented, is ever going to be able to make a team successful. With our self- sustaining model we are not going to be bailed out by an owner with infinite financial resources like the owners of Manchester City. If we make serious mistakes we have to live with the consequences.

So how have we done ? In this analysis I’m going to  concentrate as asked, on purchases, but I will make a few comments on sales at the end. My methodology will be to look at the context of the purchase, the price paid and the quality of performances since the player was signed. In common with most websites who do this sort of thing I will assign a score out of 10, purely to give our readers something to debate in this virtual bar,  which is sadly, the only sort of bar open nowadays.

Players purchased

Berndt Leno – From Bayer Leverkusen – £21 million   

Context

Signed to challenge Petr Cech his ability with his feet and his brilliant reflexes saw him quickly established as our number one keeper. He played extremely well throughout our unbeaten run in his first season despite a sense he doesn’t always deal with crosses well.

Success ?

Overall most Arsenal fans rate him highly despite some notable mistakes. He was outstanding in our last game against West Ham and is in contention to return to the German national team – and they don’t have Jordan Pickford as their number one!

Rating – 7.5

Stefan Lichsteiner – From Juventus – Free – (July 18) – (Left the club June 20)

Context

Lichsteiner was one of those purchases that didn’t look as if it could go badly awry. He was a vastly experienced Swiss international right back who could also switch to centre back if required, he was a serial winner with Juventus and he provided cover for the injury prone Bellerin. He was also free although a big signing-on fee was undoubtedly paid.

Success ?

Lichsteiner found the pace of Premier League football a serious challenge and he was not helped by injury problems. He would probably have been another Oleg Luzhny if we’d signed him about five years earlier.

Rating – 4.5

Sokratis – From Borussia Dortmund – £17.7 million – (July 18)    

Context

Sokratis was the recommendation of Sven Mislintat who headed up our recruitment for just over a year and took us back to his old club to sign Sokratis and his teammate Aubameyang. Only Sokratis is in my timeframe for this article. I wasn’t excited by this signing but Sokratis has done a decent job. He is a fierce competitor, he occasionally pops up with useful goals as he recently did at Portsmouth in the FA Cup but his form declined radically under Emery in the latter days of his tenure. His performance against Southampton in the dog days of the Emery era was appalling and he seemed to suffer particularly as defensive cohesion broke down as we approached the turn of the year. Since Arteta has taken over he appears to have regained confidence and effectiveness .

Success ?

I was underwhelmed by the signing of Sokratis so he certainly hasn’t fallen way short of my expectations. His time at Arsenal has coincided with a difficult era but he has looked solid at times and is manifestly a fierce competitor. But not really an Arsenal quality centre back.

Rating – 6

Lucas Torreira – From Sampdoria – £26.4 million – (July 18)

Context

Another Mislintat recommendation, Torreira joined after a highly impressive World Cup with Uruguay. I caught a superb performance of his which saw them see off Portugal, Ronaldo et al and his early performances for us were generally excellent. He opened his account against the old enemy in the NLD (and was sent off in the return!). Torreira’s form tailed off towards the end of last season but Emery seemed to have unusual ideas about what was his best position. He is a fierce tackler and ball winner but  isn’t particularly creative and has seemed to have stamina problems at times. But at his best he is a clear asset to the team and has improved significantly under Arteta, mainly through being played more often. The problem is he hasn’t been consistent and he has been regularly linked with a return to Italy.

Success ?

I remember back to the heady days of autumn 2018 when he was sensational. That player is still there.

Rating – 6.5

Matteo Guendouzi – From Lorient – £7 million – (July 18)

Context

When Guendouzi was signed from Lorient , I’m not even sure his mother had heard of him. It seemed a signing for the future and yet he went straight into the first team and made a surprising number of appearances last season. He impressed with his mobility and work ethic marred slightly by his tendency to make occasional important mistakes . I found his assist stats underwhelming last season but this season in the early days of the campaign he was superb against Tottenham and Villa but made a disastrous mistake against Watford. Word reaches me that he is a difficult character to handle but one that Arteta is willing to take on and mould.

Success ?

So far he has not quite fulfilled his potential but that potential is enormous and were we to sell him I suspect we could realise a very substantial profit. He is also on the fringe of the squad for the  World Champions.

Rating – 7

Dennis Suarez – From Barcelona – £3million (Loan fee) – January 19 – (Left club in June 19)

Context

We had very little money to spend in the 18/19 winter window and bizarrely signed a midfielder who we played as a winger and who subsequently was found to be  badly  injured. He played four times but  never started .

Success ?

Absolutely not. I described him as Meh to the power of n. That sums him up

Rating – 1

Gabriel Martinelli – From Ituano – £6million – July 19

Context

The first act of Edu was to bring Martinelli to the club. We anticipated, like Guendouzi, a gradual ascent to the first team but this boy has hit the ground running and is way ahead of schedule so much so that he is being linked with Real Madrid already. He scores goals playing through the centre although he is primarily a winger but he also works incredibly hard and has a good team ethos.

Success ?

And some. Our most exciting young signing for a very long time and one of our big hopes for the future.

Rating – 8

William Saliba – From St. Etienne – £25 million – July 19 – (Loaned straight back to St. Etienne for the season)

Context

William has not kicked a ball for Arsenal yet and has had a couple of nasty injuries so he is a typical Arsenal signing . We have huge hopes for him which may be slightly hard for him to fulfil but early signs in France are encouraging.

Success / Rating – n/a

Nicolas Pepe – From Lille – £72 million – August 19

Context

When I read we had reached agreement to sign Pepe I didn’t believe it. He was a sought-after marquee signing that I believed was out of our reach. I thought we might sign Zaha after a close season of wrangling with Palace but Lille were happy to  accept a mega-fee in instalments and so we completed one of the most glamorous deals of the summer

Success ?

Pepe has not found English football easy to adapt to. He possesses phenomenal ball skill and has a left foot that he can  open a can of peas with but equally everyone knows how one-footed he is. He is a great dead-ball kicker (with his left foot!) as Scruz and I saw against Vitoria in the Europa League where he scored two brilliant free kicks. He has scored superbly at West Ham and notched against Manchester United and Newcastle but he is maddeningly inconsistent and  ineffective away from home. Robert Pires had a slow start in his first season after joining from France…can Pepe  similarly up his game more consistently?

Rating – 6.5

Dani Ceballos – From Real Madrid – £8 million – Loan Fee (figure not known) – July 19

Context

Ceballos is highly rated in Spain but apparently not highly thought of by Zidane. His home debut against Burnley saw a sublime performance but the following week he looked overwhelmed at Anfield and then he picked up an injury in October which saw him out of the team as Arteta stepped into the hot seat. Recently he has returned to the team and Arteta after appearing lukewarm about him has praised his contribution and his attitude in training.

Success ?

I think he has latterly adapted well. He has a high work rate, good passing stats and he appears to have adjusted to the physicality of English football. But will we be prepared to pay circa £35 million to make the move permanent? And will he want to join? I’m hearing not but much will depend on Madrid’s stance.

Rating – 7

Kieran Tierney – From Celtic – £ 25 million – August 19

Context

I heard about Tierney from a Celtic fan several seasons ago and followed his career with interest from afar. I was very pleased that we signed him because I’m not a great fan of Kolasinac defensively and I knew Tierney going forward was mustard. Sadly he joined us when injured (is there a theme developing?) and then after getting fit and starting very promisingly he dislocated his shoulder against West Ham and hasn’t played since.

Success ?

Little to go on but he is one of the best crossers I have seen for a long time  and I am confident, if he can stay fit, in a settled defence he can be a major asset. But can he displace Saka?

Rating -6.5

David Luiz – From Chelsea – £8 million – August 19

Context

I was sitting by the river fishing In the summer when a mate contacted me and said how horrified he was that we had signed Luiz. A few minutes later another friend texted me to say what a brilliant signing this was going to be. Had you asked me before Arteta arrived I would have agreed with the first caller. Silly mistakes and daft penalties given away and he did little to stabilise a chaotic defence. Now I’m starting to agree with the second.

Success ?

Luiz is a player transformed in recent weeks. He has made little secret of his preference for the Arteta era and has not only stepped up as a player but as a leader in recent weeks. £8 million well spent in my view and I believe he is about to renew for another year.

Rating – 7

Pablo Mari – From Flamengo – £4 million (Loan Fee) – January 19

Context

Mari joined us on loan from the Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo and played well against Liverpool in the World Club Cup Final. He was not match fit as we signed him out of the Brazilian  season (this one wasn’t injured, just not ready) and he has made two, very impressive appearances  at centre back during which we have yet to concede . Big, left-footed, passes well.

Success ?

So far so very encouraging

Rating – 7 (a bit premature?)

I’ve not reviewed Cedric Soares as in typical Arsenal January fashion he hasn’t been fit to play yet. He joined on a small loan fee and I suspect may join permanently in the summer when he is out of contract unless his eventual appearances are ghastly.

So looking overall we’ve signed 14 players in the last two seasons , four on loan , three of whom have hardly played ( and one hasn’t played at all).  Only Martinelli has been  an outstanding success in the way that Aubameyang has been but I think 8 have represented decent value for money and I would also cite Leno as a particularly good signing . For reasons that I outlined earlier I don’t think we will see massive expenditure this summer but we may see some departures. Aubameyang, Lacazette, Elneny, Kolasinac and Mkhitaryan may leave, I’ve heard Sokratis and Mavropanos may also leave and Holding may go on loan. I’d also love Xhaka to go but you know that already! That’s a lot of upheaval but Arteta may not be able to get all of the players in he will crave. Expect a number of loan signings and only one or two major purchases. But won’t it be wonderful to play again in a healthier world?

224 Drinks to “How wisely are we spending our money ?”

  1. 1
    Pangloss says:

    So, that’s first is it?

  2. 2
    North Bank Ned says:

    Clear-eyed assessments, TTG. Not much with which to disagree.

    I think you would have scored Leno higher if he had been playing throughout behind the better-organized defence that Arteta is slowly shaping. He would have had to deal with far fewer crosses.

    The big unanswered question is why we repeatedly sign so many crocks?

  3. 3
    Pangloss says:

    Interesting, balanced assessment, so of no value anywhere other than here. No rating for Ceballos – is that deliberate? [editor’s note: fixed]

    11 rated players with an average rating of a little over 6, which is actually a little higher than I might have expected. I think that would be graded as “OK, could do better”.

    I suspect that 6+ is rather a good average rating for a clubs signings over 2 years, and that if that turns out to be the lowest it falls to, then the club will be well placed in the long term, which, is rather how I see the Arsenal anyway. Clubs rise and fall; this may be because of excellent managers coming and going, or great players, or wealthy owners. Arsenal’s strength, historically (such as it exists at all) has been based on stability of ownership which has allowed great managers and players to thrive. The current era, where we have an owner without a long-term attachment to the club may see that change; I hope it doesn’t, which is why I view Stan’s continuous silence and arm’s length style charitably.

    I’m unsure that I share your confidence that organisations “that are seen to behave irresponsibly or greedily will find themselves ostracised in a way they never have been before”. I hope that happens, as I think it would be good for society at large, but I’m dubious.

    So, in conclusion – thanks for the article TTG. An interesting read, which I suspect is more than can be said for this drink.

    CUYG COYG

  4. 4
    Pangloss says:

    A note for Brendan in the previous bar.

    You da posted for many months (if not years) as “Can’t be arsed” before his moniker was shortened by popular consent. I would welcome postings from “Don’t give a toss” or suchlike, and if, in the fullness of time it came to be abbreviated to dgat, I’d be delighted.

  5. 5
    TTG says:

    Pangloss ,
    Thankyou for some insightful comments. Something happened in cyberspace because I gave Ceballos a rating of 7 which might be considered generous but I see real potential in the lad . [editor’s note: fixed]
    Re the change in societal values and all that worthy stuff I have had some weighty conversations over the past couple of days with friends , several of whom have had the virus and most of us agree that we may see some big alterations to thoughts and behaviour going forward . But I take your point. Mammon is well established in professional football and it may only take a few weeks of ‘ normality ‘ to see standards slip. But as Esso pointed out in the article he circulated a couple of days ago football needs to tread a careful path if it is not to disenfranchise a lot of its public – and I think that includes me.

  6. 6
    OsakaMatt says:

    An excellent read thanks TTG.
    I’m impressed with the succinct
    summaries, an underrated and
    difficult skill.

  7. 7
    OsakaMatt says:

    Good points from Ned and Pangloss too.

    Out of the 13 players reviewed – a
    goalie, 6 defenders, 4 midfield and
    2 attackers. Practically an entire side
    minus a CF (Auba just missed the list
    I assume). Are we better than before
    we signed them all?

  8. 8
    North Bank Ned says:

    TTG, Pangloss: if there is a parallel for football and the virus, it might be Hollywood in the Great Depression. The movies provided a therapeutic diversion for the millions of Americans who had fallen on hard times. But they did it by providing the entertainment the public wanted and did so cheaply (it cost a dime to get into a movie theatre then), so it was available to everyone. Stars still earned relative fortunes though being under contract to the studios put a cap on that, and the studios made sure the stars, in public at least, provided a mix of glamour and hope for a weary and impoverished audience. And it worked. That was Hollywood’s golden age. If football goes back to being just multi-millionaire twentysomethings running around in front of fans having to pay upwards of £100 to watch in person or hefty TV subscriptions to do so from the couch, then it will have mistaken the public mood to its detriment. What is more, the financial foundations of the game were showing some cracks even before the pandemic, so the risk to the elite game’s future is real.

  9. 9
    Pangloss says:

    TTG – Regarding the “worthy stuff”, which I’m sure you are anxious to let drop, I agree, if the things that you and Esso, and Esso’s article, predict come about and people (we mustn’t say “society”) start to hold organisations and individuals to account for their actions it will be a good thing in the long run for us all. I’d love to see that happen, but I don’t think it has happened in the past and I haven’t seen anything of significance change to make me expect things to be different this time around. I hope I’m wrong.

    And now, back to our football correspondent, Ron Knee…

  10. 10
    Pangloss says:

    NBN – What happened to Hollywood after the Great Depression ended? As far as I’m aware, it continued much as it had before. When television took off and threatened profits from the movies, Hollywood moved smoothly into making television programs and continued to rake in money. The big names in Hollywood continued to be relatively untroubled by the law and by public opinion.

    Quick, someone stop me before I get too depressed.

    Thanks, Ron

  11. 11
    Esso says:

    Cheers TTG!
    If we’re raring to go for a new season in August no one will be happier than me.

  12. 12
    TTG says:

    Ned,
    That’s a fascinating analogy. My parents used to point out the paucity of entertainment pre TV ( possibly a reason I am here in the first place 🙂) and it was just the cinema and sport. Footballers then were remunerated on salaries very similar to the people who watched them. The movie stars led much more glamorous lives but I remember my first visit to Hollywood and a museum in one of the studios where they had a letter that Bette Davis wrote to Selznick pleading for a week off between films ! He refused her request ! The celluloid form of fixture congestion 😀

  13. 13
    Countryman100 says:

    Fantastic piece TTG. Thoughtful, analytical and placed in a historical context. I would take issue with only two of your ratings.

    Martinelli. I cannot recall a striker having such a dramatic start in the way of goals and assists. Plus of course he is only of tender years. You gave him an eight. For me, a nine.

    Tierney. I think I saw every one of his games live. I loved what I saw. A real engine, a set of golf clubs on his left foot and sound defensively. Plus he showed every indication of being a real team man, willing to run fifty yards to defend a colleague. We have to find a way of fitting him and Saka into the team. You scored him 6.5. I would rate 7.5 minimum.

  14. 14
    TTG says:

    C100
    You make two very good cases. Martinelli is a revelation and my 8 was based on some games which seemed to have passed him by , although there haven’t been many. My view on Tierney is very positive , the qualified rating being because of the very few games he has played, a naive tackle against Southampton which resulted in a pen and his proneness to injury which has to be part of any evaluation. But I totally agree that we need to incorporate him and Saka in the team .

  15. 15
    bt8 says:

    Excellent article, TTG. Martinelli and Leno definitely stand out for me, not having seen enough of Tierney yet. Guendouzi, Sokratis, Ceballos and Luiz not quite as high but all three have contributed significantly, with Guendouzi having the most upside potential for the future. Ceballos and Mari as loan signings have been good and if we can sign them long term could be important building blocks. A central defensive signing or two may still be needed, Saliba seeming like a great uncertainty.

  16. 16
    scruzgooner says:

    not much to say but very interesting takes, ttg. not much to disagree with, at all. thanks again for the vitoria game; i replay those free kicks in my head at down times 🙂

  17. 17
    Doctor Faustus says:

    Great assessments. I will probably give both Leno and Torreira a little higher marks. Both have been victims of the strangeness of their erstwhile Basque Boss. And I expect them to both have significantly better stats under our fearless new Basque Boss.

    Gabi is the standout. And if the club is not doing everything they can and more to keep him in the club for next decade then they are making a huge mistake. That relentless drive mixed with his pace and goal scoring abilities and a very high ceiling for technical improvements… best teenage signing since Cesc. Saka-Gabi combo will shred teams apart in a few years time … 🙂

  18. 18
    North Bank Ned says:

    Pangloss@10: Television was only one of the reasons for the end of the Golden Age of Hollywood after World War 2. The industry’s vertical integration was cracked by the Supreme Court’s antitrust decision in 1948 to bar studios from owning movie theatres. This stripped away their guaranteed distribution and they lost the profitable block-booking practices that went with it. With less solid financial footings for many films, the business model changed in the 1950s from long-term contracts for producers, writers and actors to film-by-film investment and independent productions, which is still how it works today.

  19. 19
    North Bank Ned says:

    We have a lot of young talent coming through both bought (as above) and homegrown (Saka, Willock, Nelson, Nketiah, AMN and ESR). I hope the club can hold on to them all and develop them into a team that could be a power in the league for seasons to come. However, in the spirit of the Hollywood-related drinks, I fear I have read that script before without ever having seen the film made.

  20. 20
    scruzgooner says:

    i’m thinking we’ll hold on to gabi and saka, and most of the youth ned mentions in 19. after hearing cesc talk on the arsecast we should be looking for players that, while they might not have the raw skill possessed by cesc (or gabi or bukayo, i think), have the passion, the commitment, and the drive to win. the thirst. the hunger. cesc talked about hearing laughter after we lost, hearing people talk about losing as though it was ok, and those are the players that we need to avoid (TGSTEL, i’m looking at you).

    right now we don’t have enough older squad members who have been there, which is why it’s valuable to have luiz, even papa. if we can get rid of who we need to (who don’t fit mikel’s building strategy) and bring in a couple of seasoned vets who know what needs to be done to win – shades of xabi, get it done! – our youth can grow into a fearsome squad.

    i just watched the invincibles documentary at the .com, and it was full of characters, vets, rookies, new players for arsenal and those who’d been around a long time. in 7-8 years we too could have, if not an invincible team, a team that has those same qualities. i hope.

  21. 21
    North Bank Ned says:

    Here’s hoping, Scruz.

  22. 22
    DGAF says:

    Pangloss
    I think me and you can do business and I suspect himself had a similar arrangement.
    Cheers fella. In this time of shite I don’t know whether I said before but I am Scottish. I was born in Scotland. My father used to make fun of people making fun of me. It fried people’s heads cos we were in Holloway and he would say I was disabled cos I was Scottish in a broad “there’s a bomb under yer car” telephone warning accent. I won’t lie. I joined in. Junction Road to me is full of jokes.

  23. 23
    DGAF says:

    I am and have been the only owner of a hoor of a Belfast accent *all my life
    *most of

    we are a very multifaceted multicultural multilingual shower
    and the man we all travelled to see we can’t anymore

    This horrible virus is going to mean this for so many people not least Scottish bastards like me.
    ps I didn’t get my father’s looks but he left me the house so sssssshhhhhhh don’t tell herself 😄

  24. 24
    DGAF says:

    me da used to say let’s see how far we can go with this

    He showed me an e-mail from Goonerholic rigidly laying out the terms and conditions as in
    “c’mon now, kevin, behave yourself ,help me out here”
    😀

    we all knew the name Holic or Dave or Goonerholic
    me da loved him

  25. 25
    DGAF says:

    I wish I had known Dave
    He was a Scottish bastard too

  26. 26
    Pangloss says:

    Hi there DGAF.

    I think himself and I existed in a permanent state of wariness.

    I’ve got to admit that when I look in Dave’s bar of a morning to find it littered with overnight ramblings I would sigh, shrug and scroll past them. When presented with them in smaller quantities I did read them, often responded and was regularly pleased that I had done.

    He never came over as the easiest man in the world to get on with, but I hope the people who make the effort to get along with me are as well-rewarded as those who did so with him.

    (Oh yes, a “proper” tribute act would be “dgaf”.Your choice.)

  27. 27
    DGAF says:

    I’m not a music person at all
    so i won’t send videos here
    To be honest I never knew why himself did that anyway on a football page though I just mentioned football for the first time.
    Bye Bye

  28. 28
    DGAF says:

    Pangloss
    My father was BRILLIANT
    you never knew where you were conversation wise with him but you always knew where you were with him.
    He was just the kindest big fucker. All my kids and all my brothers kids couldn’t wait to get to Donegal. It was never boring there. He was a relentless gag machine even when he shouldn’t have been. He instilled in all of us the notion that if you wrap a flag around you you are an arsehole. I know he got into bother here for doing what he did in real life. The internet doesn’t show eyebrows.

  29. 29
    DGAF says:

    I think I have said enough and I hope I haven’t annoyed anybody but I am a fish out of water here but I am glad I talked to you all but I don’t know who the fuck any of you are and you don’t know who the fuck I am . So thank you for giving me da so much joy

  30. 30
    DGAF says:

    I take it all back. Himself loved Ian Dury. I don’t know if they knew one another but me da did know a lot of music people. I met loads o people when I was wee. There’s pictures I am in I don’t recall being taken considering I was a youngster. I am wearing what can only be described as a cape beside Rico and Jerry Dammers . Halloween im guessing

  31. 31
    DGAF says:

    the date wasn’t written on the back

  32. 32
    DGAF says:

    Just names like a postcard
    😂😂

  33. 33
    DGAF says:

    There’s a great picture of me father and suzi Quattro. He had it up on his wall in the wee back kitchen he used to brew in. It looked like they were the best of friends but apparently as he told only a few select people – he met her for about 5 seconds 😂😂😂😂😂
    We were all sworn to secrecy

  34. 34
    DGAF says:

    He said Five seconds is better than none
    I must say she really looks terrific
    He’s his usual

  35. 35
    DGAF says:

    A few big names did stay in Donegal
    Because me da would say if they came for a feed out the back . Frying burgers and sausages and stuff . He’d say sure here’s the key we’ll fuck off and give you a bit of space for a few days. Just mental 😂

  36. 36
    DGAF says:

    My mother never knew that himself didn’t know Suzi Quattro
    . He used to wind her up relentlessly about suzi being his escape plan if me mother ever went bald

  37. 37
    DGAF says:

    I really miss him he was never dull
    even when he was he wasn’t

    It’s looking like a lot of people are going to be lost with this c19 shite . Take a leaf out of my father’s book. Don’t wait. Tell the people you love you love them

    our fidgets is in bed he’d know what song to play
    just imagine a good song

  38. 38
  39. 39
    DECLAN says:

    this makes me think of himself
    He was no willie Nelson but he was

    God Rest

  40. 40
    NOT IN DONEGAL BUT JUST OVER THE BORDER IN THE BIT YOU ENGLISH BASTARDS STILL THINK YOU OWN says:

    Massive HUGS to all of you gooner bastards
    Look after yerselves and yerself

    UP THE ARSENAL

  41. 41
    DGAF says:

    I had to
    Didn’t I

    😊

    RIP
    ya paddy bastard

  42. 42
    Brendan says:

    good night
    I feel like I have talked to people
    I now realize I haven’t / didn’t / might’ve’nt
    Any way Good Night Goonerholics
    Good bye and go away virus cos I hope it doesn’t get so bad that there became a need that there are teenagers dressed up in camouflage khaki scared shitless pointing guns at people on every corner of your streets.

    It’s coming people and those boys ain’t poppy nice

  43. 43
    Brendan says:

    GOD BLESS ALL HERE

  44. 44
    North Bank Ned says:

    We are peaceful people here at Castle Ned but I hear a voice beyond the grave.
    And a voice that will give us a tune.

  45. 45
    OsakaMatt says:

    @7
    “Are we better than before we
    signed them all?

    Best answer your own question
    OM as no other bugger’s going to

  46. 46
    bt8 says:

    Dramatic increase in drinks, much better news than the dramatic increase in coronavirus cases. Virtual cup of cba’s sake on the bar for you DGAF and OM if you are out there.

  47. 47
    OsakaMatt says:

    Well then here goes
    Keeper
    Yes, Leno is an upgrade on a
    career end Cech and iffy Osp
    so far

  48. 48
    bt8 says:

    @45 assuming the answer is no.

  49. 49
    OsakaMatt says:

    Cheers bt8 🍶
    Don’t mind if I do

  50. 50
    bt8 says:

    No in an overall sense I meant. Leno is the best keeper we have had in quite a while in my estimation.

  51. 51
    OsakaMatt says:

    Defence is trickier – we’re no
    better off at FBs than we were
    with Hector/Nacho yet but
    Tierney has potential and Soares
    may be a better back-up than
    Jenks. No real progress.
    CBs – Kos was top class – just
    my opinion – but he was fading
    and we certainly have better
    depth now. I’m less hopeful
    than some about Mari. And
    Saliba is a high risk punt.
    Sokratis is ok and I like Luiz.
    Will they be better options than
    Rob, Mavro and Calum who we
    had before. Probably is my guess.

  52. 52
    OsakaMatt says:

    Our posts are crossing bt8,
    but well in for the half ton Sir.

  53. 53
    OsakaMatt says:

    Midfield – not really improved
    as Xhaka is still sitting there
    like a slow motion replay.
    We haven’t replaced Aaron’s
    goals from midfield either.

  54. 54
    bt8 says:

    The state governor’s order directs Minnesotans to stay at home and “limit movements outside of their home beyond essential needs” so walking the dog should (better) be okay in the morning. This order takes effect at 11:59 p.m. (one hour from now) and ends April 10. In practicality I don’t expect much change from the way it has been the last two weeks but my daughter’s school will not resume until May 4 at the earliest.

  55. 55
    OsakaMatt says:

    Up front we’ve basically replaced
    Iwobi and Mkhi with Pepe and
    Martinelli if we’re comparing.
    I’m happy with that.

    Overall…a better keeper and
    wide players but not so great
    as yet with the defence and
    midfield signings.
    I suppose I’d better go and do
    something more constructive
    with my day now.

  56. 56
    OsakaMatt says:

    bt8@50
    agree with you on Leno, he could
    be our keeper for the next 5 or
    6 seasons.
    I’m shading towards optimistic on
    the signings overall…..

  57. 57
    bt8 says:

    Speaking of school I wish I had Jessie Knight for my primary school teacher. Or my any kind of teacher. https://www.bbc.com/sport/athletics/52029719

  58. 58
    bt8 says:

    Good night Jessie, see you in my dreams.

  59. 59
    Esso says:

    Best set of drinks EVAH!

  60. 60
    OsakaMatt says:

    Nice that Jessie was spotted at
    school and is trying to do the
    same thing herself.
    I was,myself, spotted by a
    teacher at school once. Got
    detention for a week.

  61. 61
    bathgooner says:

    I have only just got to the bar, panting for stimulation and refreshment and have been well rewarded. The wait was well worth it.

    That’s a superb piece of writing and analysis TTG. Top marks, sir. IMHO, your succinct analysis of each player is entirely accurate with one caveat. I have lingering doubts about Tierney’s defensive qualities which were barely required in a Celtic team that dominated possession and was barely threatened by SPL opposition. There’s little doubt that he’s one of the best crossers I have seen in a long time and hopefully will show my concerns are groundless in a well drilled Arsenal back 4.

    OM, I think we are significantly worse when it comes to quality of personnel in midfield. To compensate, we have a better goalkeeper and more exciting wingers. The defence is as insecure as ever though both the defence and the midfield show improved functionality since MA8 started drilling them. I do think personnel changes there are essential though given the incoming Saliba and the possible option on Marí whom, like TTG, I am impressed with albeit on limited viewing, the focus should be on midfield.

    TTG alluded to the financial constraints we have laboured under, when compared to the financially doped Chavs, Abu Dhabi inc and Manure. This may be exacerbated by the effects of the CV-19 shut down and several clubs may find it difficult to survive if this is extended. I expect the Arsenal to survive but there is not likely to be much in the ‘transfer war chest’ this summer.

    Finally, welcome to DGAF (a great moniker). While the man himself was unique, a bit has rubbed off and you have a very cba-esque style (no surprise and a genuine compliment). Don’t be a stranger. I didn’t get to the bar yesterday and reading all the drinks this morning was quite like old times, not least because of your contributions. Haste ye back, Jimmy.

  62. 62
    TTG says:

    Wise words Bath re Tierney and very sensible and measured comments all round . I went on NewsNow this morning for the first time in ages. They are full of outrageous deals tgat I don’t think can possibly happen . If we start next season with largely the same side so be it . We will survive, we are the biggest club in one of the great cities of the world and have massive global support and an owner who has decisions to make about his business like any business owner . He may decide Arsenal is too much of an outlier or he may feel it is potentially a cash cow.
    But ultimately we either have to or will gain perspective. A mate of mine a massive Watford fan wrote to me a couple of days ago and says he really doesn’t care if they get relegated because in the scale of things it really isn’t that important. I suspect that will be the intial attitude of many people but it will inevitably change when football starts again .I don’t personally think football will start properly until at least mid- June and I hope when it does the clubs think about the greater good of the game and the people who watch it rather than get involved in unseemly squabbles. If next season is littered by lawsuits and court actions it will make an awful situation so much worse

  63. 63
    North Bank Ned says:

    What if the league suspended transfers for next season, said all players have to honour existing contracts and that clubs can only sign those out of contract?

    If nothing else it would save the clubs a fortune on agents’ fees.

  64. 64
    North Bank Ned says:

    TTG@62: I am less sanguine that you about the lasting change we shall see post-pandemic. The world has shown great propensity to put ‘grey rhino’ events, like global pandemics, out of mind.

  65. 65
    North Bank Ned says:

    OM@7: the bar in its infinite wisdom has crowdsourced the answer to your question. We are improved in goal (Leno), possibly improved in defence, though it is too early to be sure (Tierney, Mari, Saliba), no better off in midfield and possibly worse, but improved out wide up front (Martinelli, Pepe).

  66. 66
    Uplympian says:

    I’ve been diverted a bit elsewhere and delighted to see how much imbibing has gone on. Not surprising when I read TTG’s superbly written & reasoned discussion piece. My thoughts are similar to many wise denizens of this establishment.
    Leno is a big improvement over latter day Cech and other net minders. Yes he’s made a howler or two ( like all goalkeepers ) but on many occasions has made save after save to er save the day.With our defence, particular over the Emery era, there’s been plenty of practice for him.
    Bath’s synopsis of Tierney is spot on – he may well have shined playing at Celtic but the Premier League is a different kettle of fish. Due to recurring injury problems we are yet to see if he can defend at the level required week in week out. I hope he fulfils the optimistic view of him and this will free up Bakary Saka to move further forward ( he has the skill & vision to become a top MF in my humble opinion ).
    I assume Hector is our first choice RB but it seems MA is not convinced – the filling in at RB of Sokratis suggests this position is still open. Will the Soares loan agreement become a permanent signing when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season ( or June 30th whichever comes first). Until we see him play over a few matches we’ve no idea if he fills the need. He didn’t particularly stand out whenever I saw the Saints play but if our finances are even more stretched with the current scenario of no games, then being a free agent may work in his favour.
    With David Luiz we have the Emery era & Arteta era versions. The former is a thumbs down whilst the latter is a thumbs up. Under the inspiration of Arteta he has become a leader of the defence marshalling the others into more of a coherent unit. Not the dominating CB we strive for but meeting basic needs at this time. Sokratis is a meh for me – adequate at best.
    We should be looking for better at our level. Mari looks like he could be a good signing ( if it indeed happens ) but apart from his apparent top form playing for Flamenco in Brazil, the career path is not at the highest level. Yet to prove himself.
    Guendouzi in MF is a strange one – lots of energy but not a lot of end product. He is still a work in progress so hopefully will push on.
    Dani Ceballos loan season has been very mixed much of which has been interrupted by injury. Like many of the team he has played at a better level under MA – he has many qualities, can he play at this level week in week out. I’ve no idea though if he wants to sign on permanently, if RM want him back next season or if we wish to keep him and can agree a fee with RM. With probably very tight finances I doubt if he will be with us 20/21 season.
    Gabi Martinelli has impressed us all beyond any expectation. The work rate, skill, end product & attitude are fantastic for such a young player. There have been occasional games when they have passed him by but he is still a young lad in a new country & team. He is a fantastic prospect and just has to be signed on a long term contract now!!
    Like most of us I was very excited with the signing of Pepe but sadly he is yet to rise to the occasion. There are plenty of flashes of brilliant skill but the potential is yet to be realised. He has dribbling & dead ball skills a plenty but they are not yet honed into the team play. I am cautiously ( but not over ) optimistic that MA can successfully integrate him into the team.
    Thanks again to TTG for your exceedingly well written post and some great comments in the drinks.

  67. 67
    bt8 says:

    My local paper, the Pioneer Press, says the National Hockey League is looking to a possible return of regular-season games in July with the postseason moving deep into the fall. The NHL has vowed to play a full 82-game schedule in 2020-21 whether this season resumes or not. A source said the league believes that can still happen with a November start, a month later than usual, although it would mean only about a month off for teams advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals. I wonder if English football is planning a similar schedule in that the NHL normally coincides with it.

  68. 68
  69. 69
    North Bank Ned says:

    The issue for that schedule for football, bt8b, is that the Premiership season runs to several hundred games, not 82.

  70. 70
    Countryman100 says:

    Ned @69, Not to mention domestic and European cup competitions, plus international football.

  71. 71
    North Bank Ned says:

    Indeed, C100, although the NHL number is for the regular season only and excludes the playoffs.

    Quite separately, the new cricket season should have been about to start.
    Given some wistful ruminations in the bar about the current situation returning football to pre-moneybags values, this, narrated by Ralph Richardson and John Arlott, may transport some in the bar to their distant past. They do say the past is a different country.

  72. 72
    OsakaMatt says:

    @65 Ned
    The wisdom of crowds (though not
    fashionable just now) has it right
    I think – midfield is the current
    issue though if Auba leaves that
    may change.

  73. 73
    North Bank Ned says:

    OM@72: You are right. If Auba left, Nketiiah and Martinelli could fill the gap straightaway. Not sure we can say anything similar for the midfield with any confidence.

  74. 74
    OsakaMatt says:

    Yes, plus Laca of course. I’d
    miss Auba, it’s been nice to
    have a guy who’s going to
    get you 20 goals a season.

  75. 75
    North Bank Ned says:

    I do wonder how many seasons Auba has left at the very top level. He is 30 now and must be near his peak. Just before it or just after it is the question.

  76. 76
    TTG says:

    I agree with the majority about where we are weakest but at the risk of sounding like a long playing record I think that the presence of Xhaka as one of our two deeper midfielders is a huge part of the problem.Much is made of Ozil’s diminishing assist record but how many goals does Xhaka create from deep. I believe Luiz who plays further back creates more. And how many interceptions or goal- saving tackles does he make ? He also is responsible for a number of goals we have conceded. If we could replace him with a more mobile midfielder who enabled us to generate pace in our passing which was the hallmark of Wenger’s best teams I think we would be much better off .
    On a totally separate point the prognostications from Downing Street suggest the issue is when the new season will begin not when this one will end. It’s gone it cannot be finished . The issue is do you just scrap it as if it never existed?

  77. 77
    bt8 says:

    Either way, say the season never existed or declare Liverpool the champions of a truncated season, Liverpool are screwed. You were champions in a truncated season, or we would have been champions if they hadn’t taken it away from us. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

  78. 78
    North Bank Ned says:

    TTG@76: That is exactly what he FA has done for non-league football. Expunged it.

  79. 79
    North Bank Ned says:

    And some stats to answer your questions:

    League games his season Xhaka v David Luiz

    Goals — 0 v 2
    Assists — 1 v 1
    Big chances created — 1 v 2
    Through balls — 4 v 12
    Accurate long balls — 114 v 129
    Yellow cards — 7 v 4
    Fouls — 46 v 22
    Tackles — 38 v 24
    Tackle success — 53% v 58%
    Blocked shots — 2 v 3
    Interceptions — 15 v 26
    Clearances — 42 v 99
    Errors leading to goals — 0 v 1

  80. 80
    TTG says:

    Ned
    Very interesting statistics on the two players and their effectiveness ( and for the first three months I didn’t think Luiz was at the races) .Luiz has given two penalties away but Xhaka was guilty of that ridiculous tackle in the NLD which could have been a red card too.

  81. 81
    North Bank Ned says:

    What the stats don’t capture is Xhaka’s slowness in decision-making which slows us down overall and is an ill-fit with Arteta’s notions of moving the ball quickly.

  82. 82
    North Bank Ned says:

    Straightforward analysis of football’s finances under the impact of Covid-19, echoing some of TTG’s points and making clear how important preserving broadcast rights income is to the Premiership clubs.

    https://www.ft.com/content/4579c1db-d26b-4df1-8554-b77c272315b9

  83. 83
    OsakaMatt says:

    @75
    A good question Ned.
    I hope we come up with a
    good answer. Though we may
    not have a choice if Auba
    doesn’t want to sign this
    summer. My crystal ball is
    too murky just now but my
    guess is he will leave.

  84. 84
    North Bank Ned says:

    If Auba wants top-level European competition and a shot at a CL winner’s medal, he probably has to move to Barca or Real this summer. A year on, Real will be well into their rebuilding and Barca prepping for the post-Messi era, so it will be too late for him. But if he would be happy to wind down his career as a thirtysomethibng striker in France or Italy, then he might be prepared to see out his contract with us, especially if we had European football next season, so he would have a wider choice of suitors as a free agent in 2021.

  85. 85
    Brendan says:

    it’s a really mental time

  86. 86
    Brendan says:

    Declan is the music man call him ‘fidgets’ if he does he will go bananas😏

  87. 87
    Brendan says:

    But what I do know is John Prine isn’t very well Dec was playing him earlier. That’s so sad. He was a big part of our lives. GOD give him the strength

  88. 88
  89. 89
    North Bank Ned says:

    More financial doom and gloom: If there is no more football this season, the pandemic will have knocked 28% off transfer values across the top five European leagues, according to CIES-Football Observatory — a small matter of 9.3 billion euros down the Swanee. The value of our squad (or more accurately the 20 most valuable players in it) falls to 451 million euros from 624 million euros, just about in line with the average. The biggest absolute losers are City, down 412 million euros, or 30%, followed by Barca, the Scousers and Real Madrid.

  90. 90
    Donegal says:

    Hello
    How are you all doing?

    I am struggling. I am away from where I should be. I have loads of grub but the tendency to feel sorry for yourself is big. Fuckin not Glasgow fuckin not Donegal . Fuckin kids away oooooooooer the sea

    Life is champion fuck them as sez it isnt aren’t in it

    Me da would have hated this lockdown. He was a forceful individual always but never at the front of the queue.
    I don’t care but himself woulda gone down like a sack o spuds had he been around for this and that’s not a nice end .

    I’m relieved he missed this because his big fear was losing his breath. He hated the burying in the sand stuff but he put up with it sometimes just for a bit but he used to roar at people
    “If the sea comes in who is digging that clown out”
    in 2 minutes

  91. 91
    Donegal cba says:

    I hope you are all doing well
    I love the house i’m in at the minute but even though it is my house (I just got the paperwork)it’s not my house
    Couple of us are stuck here but the kids are fine at home but we constantly think we wouldnt a lost a month or two just with me da if we had to take terrible hardship isolating with him and herself. We’d a loved it . Holy fuck my kids and their muckers loved going over to Donegal (Kevin’s , my father’s name was Kevin)was the place
    He fuckin hated Celtic jerseys but everybody wore one for a game but no game no shirt.
    My lot and my brothers lots eventually worked out the sectarian thing with me da.
    Very clever paddy bastard.

    “Channel all your hate to the English , and do it in waves and mince pasts”
    “No one is gonna take them serious if mincing is atop yer notions”

    “Well hello here and welcome to generic field Etc an I hope we’re all looking forward to the red mincers mincing overhead between 14-37 and 14-54 in the PM”

  92. 92
    Donegal says:

    We really miss him and bt8 which foot do you kick with
    i’ll not have any o them there protestants spying on my none of your businesses
    Bt8 . Outskirts Belfast ?

  93. 93
    Donegal says:

    I hope you are all doing well and I know trying to mimic the unmimicable is an exercise in defeat but he was so fuckin annoying.
    God Rest Grumpy CBA
    (the mincey tart)

  94. 94
    Donegal says:

    Dec is the man for the tunes and he has said he isn’t playing any tunes here so if you can imagine some tunes me da played and go “wha?” it will be like old times

    I do know all the words to possibly the first couple of ramones buzzcocks and undertones albums but that was by osmosis other than choice.(But – you no like? – I CUT you)

  95. 95
    Donegal says:

    I wish he was still around
    He was fun to be around
    I’m just so sad he isn’t
    A day up The Arsenal with himself and the Main Man would have been brilliant.

    If any of David’s family read this in the future . He was held in such high regard in our house.Still is . Such high regard . just the complete gooner

  96. 96
    Donegal says:

    me da wasn’t
    he used to say he was “a gunner of long standing”

    pick out of that what you need

  97. 97
    Donegal says:

    When Alan Sunderland …………..

    …….played for Derry City
    me da didn’t see it
    (paddy bastards)

    but by God the letters were terrific
    I should say he wrote all of us letters
    Every week
    We quickly discovered that they were individual and not generic “sorry I can’t be there” porridge

    We all miss him . He was just brilliant

    yours
    scottish english and paddy bastards

  98. 98
    Donegal says:

    sometimes his handwriting would go wonky but that I discovered is because he used to try and write on top of a big 6ft straight edge that would slip . So it was a load of very straight out of sync wonky lines 😀

  99. 99
    Donegal says:

    I’m not in Donegal I’m over the border I wish I wasn’t we wish we weren’t I wish all the fellas were in Donegal but they aren’t . They got the reason before I did . I hope all of you who are self isolating don’t think the world loves you .

    I think you’re big girl’s blouses and I am better looking than you but keep up the good work

    (For Northbank Ned)
    i’m trying to get the cba flow. I’m getting better I think

  100. 100
    Cent says:

    Hello, everybody.
    I think this is my first post in this new bar. I read about it in Dave’s bar a while and heard a few things from Twitter as well but I have been too occupied with life to properly drop by and drink.
    I want to thank everybody who has contributed or is contributing to make this a reality and keep Dave’s memory alive. You’re all awesome. I’m sure Dave is chuffed wherever he is now. Knowing hownmodest he was, he would probably say he doesn’t deserve it. He does. Or that it’s not necessary. It is. So thank you all once again.
    I have back-drank a bit and I must Dr F’s Sci-Fi post stood out amongst some very good posts. Please keep them coming, gentlemen and ladies.

    To Brendan/Declan and the rest of the cba clan, I believe I echo the thoughts of other people here: you’re all more than welcome here anytime. I didnt understand some of the things your father wrote, but what I did understand I mostly liked. I always got the feeling he was a good one.

  101. 101
    Cent says:

    On our transfer business, team and Arteta. I think we can still do so better but we haven’t done too badly in recently. I think we’ve mostly gotten value for our money apart from Pepe. Which is not to say that he has flopped or anything like that. I still think he will do great things for us but for the money we paid, I expected him to hit the ground running a bit more.
    Sadly, the emery situation and Covid-19 makes it difficult to for us to do any meaningful firm analysis of this season. So many things are unclear as a result. Which is why I don’t expect us to make a hasty decisions transfer wise. Only the urgent situations will be tackled. I expect Auba to sign or get sold. He signs, Laca will most probably be sold and not replaced for big money.
    In midfield, I expect us to send Ceballos back to Madrid. Most people don’t see or know why but coaches love Xhaka. Arteta is one of those coaches. A midfield of Xhaka, Ceballos and Ozil lacks speed and athleticism. I think Ceballos will be the scapegoat this year, followed by Ozil next year. Depending on how ready Arteta thinks Gwen/Toreira/AMN/Elnenny are, we may or may not a Ceballos replacement, I don’t think it will be a marque signing. A young-ish Ozil understudy/heir, maybe even outright replacement may come in. Could be the marque signing.
    In defence, I just can’t see spending big money here. I expect Sokratis to be moved On, Chambers too if he was fit. Since Chambers isn’t fit, Holding may ship out with Sokratis. I think we will sign Mari and Cedric permanently.
    In summary, considering our finances, lack of UCL and how this season may end. I can only see us making one marque signing, if any at all. And it will only be if we sell one of Auba or Lacazette. It could be in midfield but it will certainly not be in defence.
    I think Arteta is the right man for the job. Raul and his merry men? Not so much.

  102. 102
    Cent says:

    Thanks for the assist, Donegal.

  103. 103
    Donegal says:

    To reinforce . Obey the guts of the restrictive measures cos as I say you do not want trigger happy teenagers dressed in camouflage pointing guns at you . Maybe you do but I don’t think you should. Buying poppies and getting misty eyed about Dunkirk is very different from getting shot at. Himself taught us that and he literally had the scars

  104. 104
    Countryman100 says:

    Cent, welcome, thank you so much for the kind words. We’ve planned a schedule of one post a week through April. Just keeping it steady and keeping it going through these difficult times.

    Donegal thank you for keeping us going through the wee small hours like your da used to.

    From one of the English bastards.

  105. 105
    Esso says:

    Lovely stuff all round

  106. 106
    Pangloss says:

    Oh boy, this is almost like old times.

    Donegal – good effort at the unachievable.
    Cebt – good to see you back.

    COYG CUYG

  107. 107
    Gunnersaurus Stunt Double says:

    Cent! Good to see you. An excellent post for the ton. And i’d agree with 101 too although i think that Arteta may be more ruthless in cutting Xhaka once he can get a replacement he likes. I certainly hope so.

    Donegal, well played through the night shift and a classy assist.

    Drinks for you both on the bar. And for everyone else actually, since you’ve all got more drinking time on your hands now that covid-19 has scuppered your strict gym regimens. 😋

  108. 108
    Gunnersaurus Stunt Double says:

    Cheers to TTG for a cracking post that I’ve just realised i hadn’t replied to until now. My only adjustment is that I’d have to give Martinelli a 9. Or 9.5. I don’t know what more he could have done really. Very balanced assessments and scoring, and a good time to take stock of how our business has been, given that when we next have the chance to do business it will be in a changed market that will require new strategy.

    Although getting rid of Xhaka was an old strategy that we should certainly bring back!

  109. 109
    TTG says:

    Welcome back Cent, lovely to see you here. Don’t be a stranger.
    Cheers GSD as you can guess the Xhaka sale would be wonderful but what would we get for him ? I’m not using the car at the moment and the airports are closed so I can’t drive him there !
    I’m still gobsmacked by how many fans are failing to understand there will not be a large transfer market next year . The donations of salary by players is the start of what will have to be big sacrifices by everyone involved in the game . The two biggest places to be hit in Spain by the virus are Catalonia and Madrid. There won’t be an appetite for extravagant transfers by even the big clubs in my view.
    Congratulations to Mesut and Mrs Ozil at the birth of their daughter 😃

  110. 110
    North Bank Ned says:

    Welcome in, Cent. Good to see you again.

    On Ceballos, it seems that he wants regular starting football to have a chance to make the Spanish squad for the Euros next year. On the basis of Spanish press reports, he is unhappy with his playing time on loan with us, but if he were to return to Madrid they would sell him to raise cash, most likely to his boyhood club Real Bettis, where he has mended the bridges he burnt when he left.

  111. 111
    North Bank Ned says:

    Also, we should not forget ESR in the discussion of the midfield, although I do not know if we have any indication of Arteta’s view of him.

    Ozil’s contract expires in the summer of 2021, when he will be four months shy of turning 33, so I can’t see him staying at the club beyond then.

  112. 112
    bathgooner says:

    Good to hear from you again, Cent. Draw up a stool, mate.

    Good work Donegal. Much like the ol’ fella without the music. So…

    https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=I6np0C33VKI&list=RDAMVMI6np0C33VKI

  113. 113
    bt8 says:

    Howdy Cent, Donegal and ayous. Acronym for all the other usual suspects. Howdy 2.

  114. 114
    scruzgooner says:

    welcome, cent. so glad to see you here! pull up a stool, there’s a fine selection of whiskies (both those ones from the auld country and from the new), and some great beers on tap. fizzy water, if you must. for you, now, we’ll break out the veuve, it’s a celebration 🙂

    donegal and brendan, keep popping by. your late night epigrams are your father’s best epitaph.

    “remember who you are, what you are, and who you represent.” RIP.

  115. 115
    Brendan says:

    scruzgooner I sent a message to my uncle Eug to show my mother that message.

    Rockyrockyrockyrockyrocastle

  116. 116
    Brendan says:

    she really loved that people loved himself
    He really wasn’t what people thought he was but he was at the same time. We are all stuck in places we used to visit. But anyway I don’t know I read back some of his letters . Some brilliant some bizarre never dull and always really funny

  117. 117
    scruzgooner says:

    brendan, your last line was how i understood your dad here.

    that, and he’d rather be called a cunt than a sweetheart. 🙂

  118. 118
    Brendan says:

    He did used to write as a job for a while
    He did telly for a while
    He “scythed through other people’s shite” too as he called it
    But Donegal and all of us coming from everywhere gave him the most joy. He got a bike delivered at Christmas It’s still in the box. He has fucked up everything 😂

  119. 119
    Brendan says:

    I’m guessing scruzgooner me da liked you

    brilliant

    UP THE ARSENAL

  120. 120
    Brendan says:

    and scruzgooner you could compliment him on his hair
    we all did (Gary Shandling) 😂😂😂😂😂😂
    but anything else he’d just turn up the music

  121. 121
    Brendan says:

    I know every word of loads of records I heard growing up
    I’m sure if I was put in deep hypnosis the cool police would dig up me da and annoint him with the results.

  122. 122
    Brendan says:

    Unfortunately I didn’t get his records. Well he gave me a few with post it notes of buyers he had organised.
    Fuckin cheeky bastard

  123. 123
    Brendan says:

    84£ for a single
    Himself knew

    aww Jesus this is miserable I know that he said he loved here but I am being miserable. Though 80quid . Fuck you

  124. 124
    Brendan says:

    I can do the funny
    I can’t do the bananas

    God bless all here

  125. 125
    Brendan says:

    I should have written that vertically

  126. 126
    TTG says:

    Top man Brendan. Your posts are very evocative of your Da.
    I use to remember him to the Queen, or vice versa, but she’s gone into isolation now

  127. 127
    Brendan says:

    ha ha ha
    I bet he loved you . Seriously I bet he loved you . You have no idea how much he tried to explain to people how fuckin stupid sectarianism was. He used very complicated simple things. I know from what he told me it didn’t travel on the electronic superhighway too well and he was sad about that.

  128. 128
    Brendan says:

    probably them English bastards 😃 behind it

  129. 129
    Brendan says:

    (Totally stolen off himself)
    😎

  130. 130
    Donegal says:

    oh I just read back some stuff here countryman 100 is the away day reports my father used to send to everyone
    Hello countryman we all loved the reports on the games. Himself used to send us an email when a new one was published. Headings were “curry” or “pasty” he really loved the in your face reporting. He said and I agree it is brilliant for people who used to go away and them that want to

    Hahaha English bastard😃

    Hopefully when we come out the other end of this horrible time saying ridiculous things like that will not be necessary

  131. 131
    Donegal says:

    and we’ll all just be Gooner pie eating fatsos

    UP THE ARSENAL
    UP THE ARSENAL
    UP THE ARSENAL

  132. 132
    Brendan says:

    as I say I’m really not the fucker to ask for music recommendations but this is still on the top of me das tablet .
    It clearly is our Dec but I can see what he was trying to say . Son sounds like father -what do you do
    Well unless himself can see through clay he ain’t watching fidgits but whatever

  133. 133
    Rathmullan says:

    The only other song open on this is Ian Dury Donegal which is a lovely song . A song my father said only an English man like Ian could write. Gushing sentimentality but with the knowledge that he’s one of our own . So here’s the other song that it on the tablet here

  134. 134
    Brendan says:

    Just spoke to my mother and asked her if she wanted to say anything on goonerholic’s page and she said yeah
    “Tell em awl ta fack owf”

    you really have cheered her up she did me da doing a Laaandaaan accent

    You are good people and I hope I haven’t been nice to someone my father hated . If I have . Enjoy your hollow victory ya toilet roll hoarding cunt

  135. 135
  136. 136
    Brendan says:

    I was born in 1980
    😄

  137. 137
    North Bank Ned says:

    TTG@126: The lengths people will go to get away from you…

  138. 138
    Donegal says:

    North bank ned 😄
    I can say that without doubt my father would have liked you
    So if you don’t mind imma gonna like ya too

  139. 139
    Donegal says:

    Name enough is enough
    It’s enough

  140. 140
    scruzgooner says:

    cba boys, it took me years to figure out your father and to begin to abuse him as was his wont. i’m a bit thick at times (i hear mrs. scruz muttering something about “two short planks”). but we did like each other at the end, well, at least for my part.

    welcome, all ways.

  141. 141
    bt8 says:

    Is it good or bad to be called a walking dad joke?

  142. 142
    Donegal boys 😄 says:

    I have absolutely no doubt me da woulda loved you cos me da didn’t give a fuck about himself. He really didn’t apart from his hair. He was buried with a quiff he also said no one is gonna gawk at me so we had a non existent wake for him without him. We buried my father and we didn’t have a sandwich and tea extravaganza.
    “Why are people gonna come and see me when I’m dead when I wouldn’t have opened the door to them when I am alive”

  143. 143
    Donegal says:

    so scruzgunner I think you are a proper gooner

  144. 144
    Donegal says:

    UP THE ARSENAL

  145. 145
    Brendan says:

    Goodnight and God bless

  146. 146
    scruzgooner says:

    goodnight, boys. cheers.

    bt8, i wouldn’t know, would i? 😀

  147. 147
    North Bank Ned says:

    Donegal@138: I certainly liked your father. We had many a discourse in the black coffee hours. He had a mastery of sparse and pithy language that was a joy to read. But beyond the flights of bizarreness and the humour and the larrikin persona, there was a mind that spoke a deeper truth that we understood here at Castle Ned. He’s missed.

  148. 148
    North Bank Ned says:

    And he would have skipped though to claim the upcoming half-ton faster than your can say ‘Moo’.

  149. 149
    North Bank Ned says:

    Which will probably fall to OM, or Japan, as cba used to call him.

  150. 150
    bt8 says:

    One and a half ton.

  151. 151
    bt8 says:

    Expertly assisted by the contingent from the west and even farther West Country.

  152. 152
    OsakaMatt says:

    It’s all West to me.
    Well in bt8, a doff of
    the cap to you sir.

  153. 153
    bathgooner says:

    Morning all.

    Is it too early for a pick-me-up in the bar? Of course it’s not.

  154. 154
    Gunnersaurus Stunt Double says:

    Donegal. Your posts are wonderfully like your da’s but entirely your own. Dunno how you did that, but it’s fine work.

    This new bar created since the Landlord rang time for the last time is a top place. It’s a bit different from the old bar. We miss drinkers that the old place had. Our two most recent losses were cba and, of course, Dave (I can hear cba cursing me for mentioning him in the same breath as Dave but I can see Dave chuckling as cba spits feathers) One was a gem and one a gem pretending to be a bastard, but both were special.

    I’m glad the new bar has it’s own night shift loving vertical lyricist. Seems appropriate.
    However, if you’re as averse to compliments as your old man then let me say I’m well fucked off you’re here and I can’t believe that once we finally rid ourselves of the old git he cursed us from beyond the grave and sent his evil progeny to haunt us on his behalf. Bloody typical.

  155. 155
    Gunnersaurus Stunt Double says:

    The bar is open Baff. But I’m a bit concerned about the ghost of cba lingering around somewhere with a bottle of swally he brought from home and smuggled in, so you’ll have to put up with me playing The Clash really loudly to drive him out.

  156. 156
  157. 157
    North Bank Ned says:

    Clubs using the UK government’s job-saving 80%-of-pay scheme to furlough lowly paid non-playing staff while still honouring the contracts of highly paid players is a bad look for the clubs, the leagues and the game, to say the least, regardless of it being within the letter of the law. It is sobering to think that each week the average Premiership player takes home twice the UK median annual income. Now, the labourer is worthy of his hire, and players are paid a market rate, even if the market is a rarefied one. The game would greatly benefit if the reality that the rest of the population is facing, many with considerable difficulty, burst the bubble in which most of the clubs and players exist. Everything in the game now seems to revolve around dodging the bullet of a £700 million penalty payment to the TV companies. It is a time for everyone to examine their sense of perspective. Also, I assume that future.player’s contracts are going to contain provisions to cover suspensions of the game in extraordinary circumstances. And do clubs really not have business disruption insurance?

  158. 158
    bathgooner says:

    An excellent point Ned @157. The moral vacuum in which the modern game exists is being emphasised by their response to the epidemic. I understand that a tawdry club in Middlesex is applying to the government to pay tax payers’ money to their non-playing staff at 80% of their salary while their billionaire owner swans around on his Caribbean island, their CEO takes a 10% cut in his £7m annual salary and the coach and first team continue to pocket their multi-million pound salary.

    I haven’t heard what the Arsenal are doing but surely the moral stance for a multi-millionaire player who is not playing at all would be to offer to suspend their salary until training is resumed in order that the club can continue to pay its non-playing staff beyond the already promised 30 April? Come on you Gunners. Do the right thing!

  159. 159
    TTG says:

    Bath/ Ned
    You are both right about the moral vacuum.
    Clubs need to understand that people won’t view things the same way after this. The game needs to get a reality check in these amazingly different times otherwise it may be irreparably harmed in the public’s eyes . Daniel Levy is a skinflint – who knew?

  160. 160
    Countryman100 says:

    Donegal @130 thank you so much for your kind words about my away reports. Your Dad was so encouraging and supportive of my early reports that it motivated me to carry on. I was due to do an away report at Brighton the week football stopped. Who knows when I’ll be heading up and down the motorways and finding fish shops, curry houses and motorway service stations to sustain me. I must confess my garden is keeping me going, and it looks like a lovely weekend, hitting 19 degrees on Sunday. We could have been looking forward to an FA Cup semi final at Wembley ☹️

  161. 161
    OsakaMatt says:

    Is it time to eat the rich yet?

  162. 162
    North Bank Ned says:

    Is it never ever? My only concern is the sort of taste they would leave in one’s mouth

  163. 163
    scruzgooner says:

    https://www.yahoo.com/sports/coronavirus-sofi-stadium-workers-construction-site-225313081.html

    read down for the commentary about silent stan. something in this makes me wonder just how long arsenal’s “little people” will be taken care of by the club. especially if the government has some dosh on offer.

    “SoFi must be opened by the end of July, when a pair of Taylor Swift concerts are scheduled, the health of the men and women building it be damned.” sounds a bit like building for world cup 20xx (uncertain if the date will change from 2022) in qatar. yeesh.

  164. 164
  165. 165
    scruzgooner says:

    oooh, how typical. what do you think about tottenham, indeed.

  166. 166
    Gunnersaurus Stunt Double says:

    What are Norwich doing keeping company with Mike Ashley and that shower?

  167. 167
    North Bank Ned says:

    The bigger question is why Levy even gets a bonus for the stadium, let alone one of £3 million for a stadium that was late and over budget. Surely that should be part of his £77,000-a-week job as chairman?

  168. 168
    North Bank Ned says:

    GSD@166: Norwich has said it will cover the 20% not paid by the government scheme. Furloughed employees will continue to receive 100% of what they earned back when there was still football.

    Should I be feeling pangs of guilt that Levy will have to get by on barely £60,000 a week now the neighbours have instituted a 20% pay cut for ‘non-playing directors and employees’.

    I thought not.

  169. 169
  170. 170
    Cent says:

    Good morning, all.
    Thanks for the warm welcome and drinks. It’s my my pleasure.

    On what our club is doing as regards wages and salaries: last I read was that they are going to continuing paying all the club’s employees, including the matchday staff and other people they employ indirectly, their normal wages and salaries until April 30th at the earliest. They said they will review the situation after that date. Early indications, and the fall out from the neighbours’ announcement, I suppose, is that they will keep paying even if football is not back by that time.

  171. 171
    OsakaMatt says:

    So far the club has been doing
    various activities to help the
    community and local staff.
    Hopefully we will walk the walk
    as needed after 30th April.
    In which case Ned, the monks
    and I will not have to hold our
    noses while we eat the rich.

  172. 172
    North Bank Ned says:

    The club might well go the Norwich route after the end of April. Take the government shilling to cover 80% and top up the rest. Twenty percent of the non-playing wage bill is probably not a large number. The optics, as they say, are around the players’ wages. There should be a league-wide agreement on how to deal with those before too long.

    Scruz@169: It would be worth peeling back the economics of Johnny Nic’s proposal, which he fails to do in his article with any rigour. He is essentially proposing expropriating the TV rights to the Premiership (his proposal implies they would have no future commercial value as the government would own them in perpetuity, so they should be able to acquire them for nothing), but pays no heed to the cost to the BBC, which I assume he assumes would be the broadcaster making them free-to-air, of broadcasting the games or whether its guaranteed ownership of the rights would diminish the impetus to innovate in its coverage. It also pays no heed to whether the game would remain as attractive to sponsors, which would let the clubs recoup some of their lost TV income, and whether the loss of hefty broadcasting income would diminish the Premiership clubs’ ability to buy in the best players from around the world and thus diminish the TV audience to watch them. That in turn could undermine his cost benefit analysis of the savings from improved public health, which is flimsy at best.

  173. 173
    North Bank Ned says:

    OM@171: We’ll heat up the cauldron, just in case…

  174. 174
    scruzgooner says:

    understood, ned, i just liked the basic premise: give it back to the fans…

  175. 175
    bathgooner says:

    Scruz @169, an interesting article. Free-to-air live football is the dream he has but I fear that the genie of subscription sports broadcasting is out of the bottle and this crisis will not push it back in. I would like to see more clubs owned by the fans much like the situation in Germany rather than by mega-rich absentee landlords. The financial Armageddon that will result from the Covid-19 shut-down may precipitate that process as the rescue plan for a number of clubs in the Football League remains to be seen but sadly I don’t think that fan ownership is likely to occur amongst any of the grandee clubs of the PL.

    Davidson’s the proposal that a British government should, in the aftermath of this crisis, invest tax-payers’ money in the broadcasting rights to facilitate free-to-air football simply because they have massively pushed the boat out to support workers’ salaries at this time is nonsensical. There will be far greater priorities in our fractured societies for the shrunken public purse after the pandemic subsides. Furthermore, the idea that that cost would be offset by the reduced healthcare costs of a healthier society notably by a reduction in the incidence of type II diabetes mellitus is fanciful in the extreme.

    Interesting suggestion but no cigar.

  176. 176
    North Bank Ned says:

    One of the unintended consequences of introducing free-to-air matches in the UK would likely be to drive forward the creation of a European super league, taking the top UK clubs out of British footbal, as it would then be politically and legally more difficult for the UK government to undertake extraterritorial expropriation of the broadcasting rights and prohibitively expensive to buy them. Owners of the top clubs are not going to let one of their most valuable assets just be taken away from them.

  177. 177
    North Bank Ned says:

    With the stance the PFA is taking on players’ wage concessions for the duration of the pandemic, the look has gone from bad to worse.

  178. 178
    Countryman100 says:

  179. 179
    North Bank Ned says:

    Scruz@174: I do not argue with taking back the game. I am old enough to remember when the moneybags in football were local builders, not absentee billionaires. If society decides that watching Bournemouth play Everton from the couch is a public good that the UK state should provide every one of its citizens for free, like street lighting or pubic parks, that is fine, indeed laudable. But it then primarily becomes a matter of political will to turn a private good into a public one, not some faux public health savings justification that, as Bath concurs above, is a flight of fancy. I just get grumpy at lazy punditry that doesn’t think through an idea or what is needed to implement it successfully — something sadly not confined to this particular idea.

  180. 180
    OsakaMatt says:

  181. 181
    Brendan says:

    I’m not in Donegal but I think in light of current events I think I can offer a moooooooooooooooooooooo
    😄😄😄😄
    when I typed that in the big long moooooooooooooooooooooo appeared. Tried and tested clearly.
    Brilliant messages and cheers everybody and thanks and stay safe and if ever there was a new reason to hate spurs.
    Cunts

  182. 182
    Brendan says:

    ha ha ha brilliant stuff gunnersaurus’s stunt double. Between my fellas and my brothers loads and their mates. The house was roaringevery couple of months. At least a dozen Celtic shirts.Himself hated that but understood but by God if political advice was given about Ireland in a Glasgow accent people were shut down quick by him but forgiven straight away but as was learned and became a running joke , say that the clash were the best band in the world and you’d likely be in one of the sheds to “think about what you just said” 😄😄

  183. 183
    Brendan says:

    Countryman 100 I just put two and two together and realised that C100 was your name abbreviated.Deary me.
    It was written in the alert emails and I thought it was just another nonsensical thing made sense to me da. God. He raised apes 😄

  184. 184
    Brendan says:

    North Bank Ned that is such a nice thing to say and at 147. Perfect
    He was so far away from being nuts he was bananas
    (yeah stolen off him to describe his brother)

  185. 185
    North Bank Ned says:

    He was that, Brendan.

  186. 186
    Brendan says:

    Bye and thanks and talk to you all later further down the line

  187. 187
    North Bank Ned says:

    The new bar’s first double ton heaves in sight.

  188. 188
    Donegal Cba says:

    That is not 100%correct
    “Think about your life choices” in a pretend hillbilly American accent is what he said. “Just think people”and would storm off. We suspected he was joking but to be honest we never pressed it.So the moral of the story is keep your love for The Clash on the deep deep deep down low.Fuck. He literally dragged a few of us out to the shed. It was the shed he sat in when the cows were calving. It had a big chair a big blanket and a big plastic bucket bin thing you could lock that had his homebrew in. Like a coal bunker . And that’s where he’d literally drag us. It became so convoluted that no one knew where the joke had gotten so there was about a dozen of us out the one night. Herself and himself included. But this was a working farm and me da seriously used to sing to the cattle. Jim Reeves

  189. 189
    Donegal says:

    And he could sing

  190. 190
    . says:

    I think we all should shut up.It’s just nonsense now and I know yeah the irony but DEC sort this eh

  191. 191
    Declan says:

    It’s sorted
    Disrespectful fuckers. If I could boot them out I would

  192. 192
    Declan says:

    Gnight
    Wave at us in the morning

  193. 193
    OsakaMatt says:

    Goodnight Ireland and Good
    Moooorning Japan !!!!

    Judgment Day in The Grauniad
    https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/apr/02/pay-cuts-furlough-or-deferrals-what-are-the-premier-league-clubs-doing

    Norwich, Toon and Spuds on the
    Naughty Step.

  194. 194
    bt8 says:

    Good evening USA, the coronavirus league champions in a runaway more impressive than Liverpool or Man City. Someone will have to analyze the post-mortem tactics and strategy.

  195. 195
    bt8 says:

    On the Arsenal website is an article, “How a hostile press has made a big impact“ but it turns out to be about the hostile press in the sense of aggressive play rather than anything about the anti-Arsenal media slant I expected.

  196. 196
    North Bank Ned says:

    Corona in Queens, New York turns out to be the hotspot of hotspots of the novel coronavirus pandemic. I bet it wishes it had never changed its name from West Flushing.

  197. 197
    North Bank Ned says:

    Sends a carefully measured pass of at least 2 metres to…

  198. 198
    Here says:

    In memory of my grandfather
    Fuck the clash
    Pansies

  199. 199
    Not Donegal says:

    He KNEW

  200. 200
    Not Donegal says:

    He knew.

  201. 201
    Sean says:

    My granda is missed so much and he wasn’t even like a granda and fuck you da just remember what one of the fellas here said about Rocky and him so don’t be ridiculous we don’t need help

  202. 202
    Sean says:

    Rocky Rocky Rocky Rocky Rocastle

  203. 203
    Sean says:

    don’t know if that’s what I’m talking about but Kevin tortured us with them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMlhWvIh7U4

  204. 204
    OsakaMatt says:

    Good evening USA!
    Was West Flushing a nice place
    or a bit of a shithole?

    And 👏👏 on the double ton
    to Not Donegal…..

  205. 205
    sean says:

    I miss my grandfather and FUCK YOU . Fuck you

  206. 206
    sean says:

    Not you sorry not you I didnt mean that

  207. 207
    North Bank Ned says:

    Well in for the double ton, ND.

  208. 208
    North Bank Ned says:

    OM@204: It wasn’t much more than a race track then, so you probably had to be careful where you put your feet.

    https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/the-three-mile-race-at-the-fashion-race-course-long-island-news-photo/615224402

    As even American patrons of this fine establishment may not know, the first baseball game to charge admission was played there in 1858.

  209. 209
    bt8 says:

    I walked from Forest Hills to Corona and back in the early 90s.

  210. 210
    North Bank Ned says:

    I am tempted to ask why, bt8, although I can see why you wouldn’t have made it a one-way trip.

  211. 211
    bt8 says:

    Can’t fully remember, Ned but think I turned right at Corona and either went to a Mets game or US Open tennis in Flushing. As I lived in Forest Hills at the time, I sometimes went on other walks to see what surrounding neighborhoods looked like. But Corona was on the mid to lower part of the glamour spectrum of Queens neighborhoods (Queens itself being on the mid to lower part of the glamour spectrum of New York City boroughs).

  212. 212
    bt8 says:

    I have a feeling there’s a new post just waiting to be born …

  213. 213
  214. 214
    bt8 says:

    Forest Hills High School being one of the only interesting landmarks between Forest Hills and Corona.

  215. 215
    bt8 says:

    Where Paul Simon attended high school doncha know

  216. 216
    bt8 says:

    This stuff being purely from memory, not wikified or anything

  217. 217
    bt8 says:

    But Google Maps tells me I must’ve walked straight up 108th St.

    I do remember an passing amazing number of numbered streets, avenues and whathaveyous at the time.

  218. 218
    bt8 says:

    RIP the Great

    Bill Withers

  219. 219
    North Bank Ned says:

    Art Garfunkel attended Forest Hills High School, too. It is where he and Paul Simon first met. All the Ramones were students there, too.

    But I don’t think any of them ever wrote a song about 108th Street.

  220. 220
    bt8 says:

    Ned, I stopped at the Forest Hills High School, where you could walk right in, it being before the time of 9/11, before the time of gun havoc, and before the time of coronavirus. I went to the boys’ gymnasium where there was a pickup game of volleyball going on so I joined in for a few minutes before continuing my walk to Corona. Maybe I am conflating two walks but just the same.

  221. 221
    bt8 says:

    While there I was thinking about the time when Simon and Garfunkel were high school kids (having forgotten just now if they met before or after school). But having grown up in California listening to Simon and Garfunkel, it felt like I had come a long way.

  222. 222
    bt8 says:

    Triple twos for me and not you (not to be greedy about it).

  223. 223
    North Bank Ned says:

    bt8@220: Different times.

    Also, the monks correct me. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were classmates in elementary school, at PS 164, and then went on together to Parsons Junior High and then Forest Hills High, from where they graduated in 1958. They may even have met before elementary school as their families lived only five minutes walk apart in Kew Gardens Hills.

  224. 224
    scruzgooner says:

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>