Up The Arsenal. I?m of a vintage where I clearly remember 97/98, the double, q

[redgunamo]

Speaking of the Milk Cup and our heroic victory in GG's first year, have Arsenal lost a game in which Vik has scored?

Yes, twice. But overall, we win more with him and score more too; concede fewer goals and keep more clean sheets as well.

[Peter]

Speaking of the Milk Cup and our heroic victory in GG's first year, have Arsenal lost a game in which Vik has scored?

We never won a game in which John Jensen scored.....

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Yes, twice. But overall, we win more with him and score more too; concede fewer goals and keep more clean sheets as well.

Hang on, Reds. I said scored, not played. I was thinking of the Ian Rush stat we busted in the '87 Milk Cup final thanks to Champagne Charlie.

Have we really lost two games in which Vik has scored?

He didn't score when we lost to the Scousers cos no-one did. He wasn't one of the two scorers when we lost to ManU recently. Cant remember who scored when we lost at Villa, but it's certainly not two defeats.

Just googled - Leo scored at Villa.

So as with Rush and the Scousers, we have never lost when Vik has scored. Fact.

[redgunamo]

Hang on, Reds. I said scored, not played. I was thinking of the Ian Rush stat we busted in the '87 Milk Cup final thanks to Champagne Charlie.

Have we really lost two games in which Vik has scored?

He didn't score when we lost to the Scousers cos no-one did. He wasn't one of the two scorers when we lost to ManU recently. Cant remember who scored when we lost at Villa, but it's certainly not two defeats.

Just googled - Leo scored at Villa.

So as with Rush and the Scousers, we have never lost when Vik has scored. Fact.

Yes, sorry. I read "played".

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Yes, sorry. I read "played".

Which conclusively proves that Vik is the equal of peak years Ian Rush. QED.

[Rich]

Exactly. Ethan has been packed off to France like an evacuee. And poor Miles has been left here to become ****.

Good coaching, bad parenting. I blame the hippies.

I see it's not been going so well for our poor Ethan. Hooked at half time for two consecutive games. Fans seem to think that while talented; he doesn't yet fully understand his responsibilities off the ball.

He's young and he'll learn. But for those who were foaming at the mouth telling Arteta to pick him over Merino or Odegaard should now give their heads a firm wobble.

[PSRB]

We never won a game in which John Jensen scored.....

3-1 to sodding QPR, ffs

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

I see it's not been going so well for our poor Ethan. Hooked at half time for two consecutive games. Fans seem to think that while talented; he doesn't yet fully understand his responsibilities off the ball.

He's young and he'll learn. But for those who were foaming at the mouth telling Arteta to pick him over Merino or Odegaard should now give their heads a firm wobble.

Last season, he joined Michael Owen and Rooney as the only players to score 5 goals before their 18th birthday. He scored 9 goals last season and I can't remember him making any major errors.

He's gone to a new club with a fancy manager who will have his own off the ball system and what with him being young and inexperienced it'll take him time to adapt as he's only ever known Arteta-ball.

Still, given Vik's got Jan player of the month and then scored a brace at the weekend, I guess you can't slag him off so have turned your attention to a teenager on loan in France.

And afaim, no-one said he should be picked over MnM or Odin. Firstly, he plays a different role to MnM. All we said was that he'd looked great for his age as cover for both RW and inside right/no.10 and that signing both Noni and Easy had blocked the places for his progression.

With Jeez and Kai coming back at the same time Vik starts scoring, it means we now have Kai as a no.10 option and Easy's dropped down the pecking order.

We just don't want a born and bred Gooner with as much potential as pretty much anyone we've seen come through have their career ruined.

[Peter]

I see it's not been going so well for our poor Ethan. Hooked at half time for two consecutive games. Fans seem to think that while talented; he doesn't yet fully understand his responsibilities off the ball.

He's young and he'll learn. But for those who were foaming at the mouth telling Arteta to pick him over Merino or Odegaard should now give their heads a firm wobble.

I dont think people (or many people) were calling for him to start over Odegaard. And the issue with Merino playing there was more about us being a negative.

I said in the summer that signing Madueke and Eze would steal his minutes. It seemed very obvious.

I also thought that it was easier for him to learn and progress on the right as the central role in our system carries a lot of responsibility. His best performances last season came on the right.

Aeteta clearly doesn't trust him yet and you may well see why over the next month or so. But good players learn, and if they have a bit about them they learn quickly. We'll see what he is made of.

Right now, we can't afford to have someone learning in matches. Every game is just too important this season.