thunderball

Officiating in the PL is poor, and the Euro's have certainly underlined this. The PL's use of VAR has been crushingly poor, it does ruin the positive side of the game for me. The application of VAR at the Euros has shown us the way, hopefully the FA take note. I particularly liked the way that despite Sterling being technically fouled via contact in the box, it was ignored as it had no bearing on the play as the ball was running out and away from goal, and was 'set-up' by Sterling to attract the technical penalty. That same play has been given against us last season resulting in a scored penalty, and in other games. If VAR was used consistently the game would be pulled up all the time, every corner would have infringements, but its this inconsistency that annoys. At the Euros they seem to let the ref officiate and only really take a look at goals or serious foul play, everything else is let go, and even the goals seems to be reviewed very quickly.

If the club has any sense or ambition (which clearly it has both), Jack's interests will be put behind the club's at this stage and any bids will be rejected. We have a strong hand with Jack's contract, but also headroom in his contract to pay him more if needed to soften the blow. We got into dire straights selling our best players, it reduces capability, momentum and perception, all could de-rail a run at the top six. If we get to Champions league levels we enter a new dawn of the project and our owners have shown no limit to their spending to attain this ambition. I think we have much more in common with Man City than any other top six club in so far as our owner's not loading the club with debt or insisting on sustainability (just yet anyway). Our owners clearly have substantial funds which they are still willing to put into the project as did Abramovich and Mansour, and more so than the Glazers, Fenway or Kroenke (not sure on Leicester's but they seem more conservative).

Where’s Benrahma on this list? Incidentally its interesting that two players we were gagging for (Benrahma and Maupay) haven’t really set the world on fire. Its almost like our recruitment team actually know talent and its value?

I actually think his stats do look good, especially for a 20 year old emerging no10 in his breakout senior season? (4 goals and 7 assists in the league and cups, but only really starting at Christmas). He looks a good physical sort with some growing to do, and sticks his foot in too. A lot of expectation and competition at Arsenal, easy to underperform against that pressure.

Doubt it would be a 4yr deal, they seem mainly to be 5?

Good squad player: great engine and energy, can score goals, his passing can be decent, a bit agricultural at times but he is precisely the kind of player we need to keep. You can bring him on and he can play defensively or offensively, can break up play, create and score goals. He is a senior player at the club and part of its soul. We don’t need the money at the moment.

Yes, but didn’t Ferguson play 4-4-2 which gave him more options for an additional forward?

3 at the back with Young featuring more than we imagined as wing back?

In fairness, Shaw is comfortably the best left full back in the league, and that is some accolade given the quality in the division at the moment. Southgate is a confused mess at the moment. I thought his World Cup was a real emergence of an intelligent if limited manager working with what he had. He now has probably the best squad of players for a competition we have had in my memory, with at least 3 world class players which is about as good as it gets. Yet he cannot play to our strengths. Shaw in the starting 11 is a no brainier whether playing 4 of 5 at the back.

The problem is any striker coming in knows Watkins is a Smith favourite and his star is ascending, and he is being given time to blossom because he has shown that promise. We would be a difficult destination for any striker with something to prove, he is unlikely to get many minutes if he doesnt start banging them in at his first chance, the premier league and our expectation (due to spending) doesnt allow for it. Smith will start feeling the heat next season if the project stutters, and if our most recent season was repeated but back to front, Smith would run the risk of being gone by January. It’s small margins at this level and this ambition, every position above where we are stakes some reeling in and consistencty.

Is there one? The one I used had “technical issues” and went off line for about 3 months with no compensation (of course) and zero support - any questions and you were threatened with being cut off! Happy for any suggestions?

A dressing room signing as much as on field. Looked after himself and played a significant amount in a league champion team last season, including all their champions league games, this is more than just an Elmo/Taylor substitute. Not sure how he will be used but his versatility, experience, athleticism, professionalism and prior legacy will undoubtedly be a positive. Great stuff.

Smith Rowe is a very tidy player with a lot of energy, can play left or centre as an attacking/creative midfielder. He would be a cracking player but I think a figure of £35m would be closer to his value in this market given his age. Maybe that lets them buy Ødegaard? You can only hope.... ESR would be a very, very good signing, I wonder really how serious and persistent they will be, you never know if we offer a decent package and his agent turns his head?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPtEhJ7hUgK/?utm_medium=copy_link Which one is the physio?

Exactly this. Smith looks like he is his man, his bet, he is betting the farm on him, that’s why I doubt we wil sign Tammy. I think they will give him as much time as he needs to find his feet and blossom. He’s literally the best all action forward we’ve had since Dean Saunders, he could be a very big player for us and maybe even heir apparent to Kane for England.

I reckon we might, he’ll be a flop if he doesn’t. Makes McGinn look much better than Luiz ever did.

He admitted himself he was surprised by the relentless pace of the Premier League. His YT reel shows him as a real tenacious battler, he looks to have everything you might expect from a PL battling midfielder. It’s a shame he got injured as he barely got much of a chance, we were crying out for him last 8-10 games. If there’s one lesson we’ve all learned, acclimatising to this division takes time, they’ve all needed it. Excited to see him and Traore next season.

Would like to see: jack - watkins - buendia mcginn - nakamba - sanson targett - mings - konsa - cash martinez

Read an article I now can’t find that suggested that we are looking to off load Sanson, and he was difficult to manage? Questions were being made about recruitment and poor research? Anyone else see anything along these lines?

Seems like there is more to this than just a rumour. Other reports today seem to have this down as us having "concrete" interest in him and contacted Southampton about a transfer. This could happen, and I would say its likely the second most important signing we might make this window. JWP and Buendia transforms our midfield, both are starters.

I'd agree, except I'd re-deploy Luiz rather than sell him. I reckon like McGinn, if he was allowed to play more forward with more freedom there is a better player in there.

But I would have played Grealish at 10 instead of Mount, not for Sterling as this suggests. Rice and Philips give the 10 a licence to roam.

Grealish would have performed better than Mount today. He is a better 10 than Mount, he is better player than Mount. Grealish would have inspired a greater victory today.

Ah, a man after my own heart!: I own a construction company and its always a lamp - I even changed my post from ‘Lamp’. I only referred to it as a light bulb for everyone else as if I refer to it as a lamp a lay person doesn’t generally know what I mean!

Would much rather Benteke on a free than Josh King. At least Benteke offers something different to Watkins, and pace has been mentioned, but dont we have that in AEG if that’s all we were looking for?