The people accountable are ultimately the people upstairs, irrespective of the voices in the decision making process.

Yes, but that's a governance issue. If you have an organisation that gives an (unqualified) individual an outsized say in situations like this, it's an organisational process cluster fuck.

It's the equivalent of Tim Lewis getting to pick the subs for a game. It shouldn't happen.

Agreed his words were, at best, clumsy. He'll be made to squirm, get critised and his brand will take a hit.

However, you shouldn't lose your job because those above you were careless in doing their.

However he's not responsible for doing backround checks, and making the final decision on these things. These decision don't and should never sit with a manager.

Arteta doesn't cover himself well, but this is also not on him. However, someone needs to be held accountable.

If an unnamed Premier League midfielder does leave an unnamed Premier League club, it's because they couldn't agree a contract that suits both parties. I won't forget that and I hope the wider fanbase are louder and more organised if a situation like this ever comes around again.

Congrats to the women and also to @tim-stillman.bsky.social

A lot of us owe you thanks to Tim for raising awareness of this team to a level such that so many of us who previously didn’t now invest a lot of our time and emotion rooting for this wonderful side.

Have a great night celebrating!

Wrighty is all of us. I'm so emotional right now.

Leah Williamson: "When I joined this football club, and they were winners, and they'd won everything, all I ever wanted to do was represent the badge in the same way"

Proper Arsenal. Through and through.

The thing about Wirtz from an Arsenal perspective is we haven't even been linked, there's been zero suggestion of any effort to sign him. Maybe it wasn't going to be possible, but for a player like that you have to try absolutely everything.

I don't think he's been great, but that's mostly down to moving him to accommodate other players. However, I do think he is (alongside Leao), the standout LW in the market.

Agreed, I think if you're not bidding against yourself or Chelsea, you'll get him for a decent price. Good point re Kvara.

He's 24 with a secure contract, I just can't see a world where they let him go for 60, especially to an English side.

A half decent FB goes for 50 in the PL.

We need another creative player, but I don't think the budget will stretch enough to get a top calibre one.

It looks like there's going to be some churn at Madrid. That usually means an opportnity to pick up a gem. If we get any encouragement, put that £80m on the table for Rodrygo.

Then we don't need to lose sleep over the CF. A Havertz back up will do.

The Arteta banner (I don’t think the Ødegaard one is as bad) has significantly damaged my view of Liverpool as a club.

Not the fans, there are always some insane fans, I expect that. But Liverpool the club allowed that banner to be displayed.

Been thinking about Arsenal transfers this summer with the arrival of Berta (haven't we all), but I have a slightly different angle - I'm focusing on the 'upgrade via transition' model that Berta used in Spain. What I mean by that is how he generated funds by selling big and replacing well.

If the delta between a serviceable no2 and a potentially top3 GK is 15m, then you really should tap into the future budget to secure the top3 GK.

2/3 years, what Neville/Carra said, bothered me (a lot).

Then I realised its WWE/pantomime stuff, and just stopped caring. What they are doing is setting up a narrative for next season.

It's important that Arteta is 'whiter than white'. Any show of dissent will feed the narrative.

Extending Leo in all likelihood means no LW. That's bad recruitment.

Unless they're going all in for a certain CF.

But a player like this, if it *clicks*, then you're looking at Ballon d'or level output. If Enrique can do it with Dembele 🤷‍♂️

If we're compromising at CF, then we should be looking at Rodrygo/Leao for the LW.

It's definitely the lowest priority and we shouldn't allocate resources to that position if we're short of cash.

On the flip side, if there's an opportunity to pick up a potentially top3 GK in the world for -30m. I think you do it.

Yeah, yesterday has hit me in waves.

I don't want to sound fatalistic, but that might have been Arteta's best shot at a CL with the club.

That's not to say we won't be good enough to win it. We most definitely will be.

It's just physically so demanding for PL teams to juggle the PL+CL.

I don't really know anything about Hein tbh, I'm just going by what I've read from the well informed.

Keheller/Ortega are excellent no2. They would start for any team outside the top6.

I'm ok with Zubimendi, some smart teams have been chasing him for a while. The strikers, not so much. We need an elite forward (ie Rodrygo), then I'll be fine with whoever they go for at CF.

Yeah - also, I just think it's super hard for PL teams to juggle the league and CL. City did it and they were stacked.

If we're back here again, it's most likely because we're out of a title race, or we've thrown away the domestic cups.

Trossard always looks ok when he comes on. He's not a viable starter in games of this level.

He is the difference if the answer is Trossard.

Anyway, I can see a world where we win the title with Havertz as a 9,. I can't say the same for 3 of the 'usual' first 11 who started tonight.

Trossard starting meant our press was non existent in the 1st leg. That wouldn't have been the case with Havertz. He would have given us a good chance of winning the first match.

Tbh I disagree. Also, I said I think they need to share similar skillsets, not necessarily be the same level. It;s the case with our direct competitors. City have Ortega and LIV Kelleher. LIV managed to ride a 2 month Alisson injury and are going to be spending over 30m on Mamardashvili.

That doesn't move the needle, especially if we don't get a LW.

Also, after spending circ 120m on those 2, the ownership could turn around and say a they're not sanctioning any more deals until we make sales. It's essentially what slowed things down last summer.