People will still go and watch millionaire reserves/first teamers wearing their club's strip because it's cheaper than flying from <insert Asian country here> to an EPL ground.

I forsee clauses being added to star player's contracts stating that they would have to play x amount of these friendlies per season.

This just seems like a more feasible idea than game 39.

A list like that isn't complete without Freddy in it. Nice to see he made the cut.

Wow there's a name I thought I'd forgotten, me and my brother always used to watch the seal dribble and I remember thinking it's only a matter of time until he got a move to Europe.

Re. midweek friendlies in the middle-east -

We won't go on them if LVG has a problem with them...he objected to a lot of the USA tour but that was obviously already fixed up when he arrived.

It's 7 hours from Manchester to Dubai, probably less than that on a chartered flight.

We play on a Saturday, rest and relax on Sunday, fly out Sunday evening/Monday morning, two days of warm weather training and then a match with unlimited substitutions on Tuesday/Wednesday. Fly back Thursday morning and train Friday.

You can make an argument it would actually potentially improve team performance.

Massive difference mentally and physically between a friendly and any sort of competitive fixture.

Hope we try:

---Welbeck--
Cazorla-Ozil-Sanchez
Ox-Wilshere

for vs chelsea. We just have no chance w/Flamini in there.

i feel a team with that amount of defensive cover would get ripped to shreds by any tactically competent team

That is true, but at least we have a lot of verticality to stretch the field and hopefully make Chelsea play on our terms for spells. The only alternatives are Diaby/Flamini which just don't seem feasible.

thank god for arsenal Mourinho can only do the "park the bus" strategy then

The problem is that it seems that Flamini, as below par as he has been, is the only player that offers the right amount of defensive cover against the top class teams. You're just so exposed against teams that know what they're doing.

Flamini will start...Diaby is not ready yet

While that is true, he was directly culpable in goals vs City/Spurs. I don't trust him to not make one big error a game vs top teams, but I suppose that's the problem with whoever we slot in there.

I envy your optimism

Might as well go full, our DM are just token gestures in our system anyways

18 years ago today.













The best.

Also: https://vine.co/v/OzW1ivHdzub
--------------------------------------
Arsenal fans, would you take Gervinho back in his current state?

I'm glad he's showing people what a good player he can be at Roma. He was never really suited to playing against teams who mostly sit with 11 behind the ball.

I think he was underrated at Arsenal, but their squad isn't really in need of more wide forwards at the moment

in this current state?
he is exactly like when he left us, elite physical tools coupled with amateur decision making.
not suited for a side playing possession football.

Really enjoyed the PSG v Barca game last night. Luiz is a nutter can be godlike or a complete tool in a game lol!

Not sure what to watch tonight, Arsenal huff and puff or Liverpool huff and puff....

Bayer leverkusen im.

That Vine is epic.

Paging JoeDiego:

http://www.espnfc.com/arsenal/story/...12-years-study

Gervinho was awesome to watch. Don't think I've seen a player who could produce such a moment of brilliance followed by a complete brain fart. It was astonishing to watch

Nani?

18 years ago today, Arsène Wenger was appointed manager of Arsenal. He's managed 1,021 games & won 8 major honours.