Arseblog Arsecast, The Arsenal Podcast

It's an especially goodly morning as the derby day triumph dominates today's episode. We enjoy the 4-2 routing of Sp*rs at the Emirates yesterday on what was a great day for Arsenal, the fans and Unai Emery. A red hot atmosphere inside the stadium, a team which showed real character and quality, and a manager whose decisions had a positive impact on the game. We chat about the collective and individual performances, the goals, why beating this particular iteration of Tottenham was so enjoyable, and discuss how Emery deserves great credit for helping us move above them in the table. There are lots of questions about Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil who was absent yesterday with a back ache, we look forward a bit to Man Utd on Wednesday, there's some Lucas Torreira love, we relive some favourite moments of the day and lots more.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode James and I look back on the 3-0 win over FC Vorskla in the Europa League and focus on the promising performances of the young players. We chat about the potential of Emile Smith Rowe after his third goal of the season, why the Qarabag game gives us another chance to see them in action, and generally wax lyrical about the prospects coming through our academy. After that we focus on the North London derby this weekend, the potential team selection, the importance of the game for Unai Emery and answer some questions from listeners and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we get back to winning ways with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth, but we do continue to ride our luck at times. We discuss the change of formation, the yin and yang of our performance as a collective as well as some individuals, the goals we scored, the one we let in and what Unai Emery will have learned from this game ahead of the upcoming North London derby. Then we answer listener questions about Mesut Ozil being left on the bench yesterday, what kind of team we'd pick for the Europa League game on Thursday, which players we'd sell in January if we could, and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I chat to Tim Stillman about the great start to the season for Arsenal Women and go behind the scenes a bit with Joe Montemurro's team before we chat about the January transfer window, Unai Emery opening the windows on his arrival at Arsenal, the dangers of spending too long out of the Champions League, the new executive team and more. Then it's a warm welcome back to David Squires whose brilliant cartoons keep us entertained every week in the Guardian, and you can win a copy of his new book too, before Andrei Arshavin returns to say goodbye following his retirement from football this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's somewhat rambling Interlull episode, we discuss the excitement of the Nations League thingy, Granit Xhaka, Unai Emery's use of video, and Matteo Guendouzi's start to his Arsenal career before we answer listener questions about xG, give each player a rating out of 10 for the season so far, making substitutions via half-time votes, where we'd like to see transfers made if we make some in January, the future for Emi Martinez and lots more. The Gordon Ramsey video we referenced is here: https://twitter.com/Daniel_finton/status/1061778910466183168 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the Interlull but we still have a show for you, and today I chat to the BBC's David Ornstein about Reiss Nelson. David was in Germany to chat to the on-loan Arsenal youngster who is making a big impact in the Bundesliga, so we discuss his development, young players looking beyond the Premier League, whether he might come back in January and more, before we move on to other matters at Arsenal like the new executive set-up, the January transfer window, Danny Welbeck's future and beyond. There's also a bit of a rant from me at the start about the Richard Scudamore thing, and a wiffle of waffle.s Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show the disappointing 1-1 draw with Wolves at home. We're used to bad first halves, but we got a bad second half too, and should we start to ask questions of Unai Emery for what is a consistent problem? We discuss team selection, the substitutions, riding our luck again – which includes the goal – and not for the first time this season we have an excellent performance from our goalkeeper to thank for getting something from the game. Then we have listener questions about Danny Welbeck's injury and contract, how many of today's team we think are players Emery views as long-term contributors, Torreira's shooting, Granit Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi and we end with some positive WHOOP.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arsenal qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League with a 0-0 draw against Sporting, but the main focus is on the apparently serious injury sustained by Danny Welbeck. I'm joined by Tayo Popoola to discuss the game, the injury and how it will affect the England international's future, the door it might open for another young striker, the Europa League in general and how we should approach the final two games. There are more thoughts on Welbeck's contractual situation, a little bit of waffle and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this 500th episode of the podcast, I chat to Romain Molina, the author of a new book about Unai Emery. 'El Maestro' gives us a fascinating insight into the man and the manager, and Romain has spoken to Emery himself, as well as countless people who have worked with him throughout his career from his time as a player and throughout his managerial spells at Lorca Deportiva, Almeria, Valencia, Spartak Moscow, Sevilla, PSG and now Arsenal. There's also a chance for you to win a signed copy of the book, and a little trip back in time to the very first episode of the Arsecast back in October 2006. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're looking at the 1-1 draw against Liverpool and a performance which was a real positive under Unai Emery. The character to come from behind, Alexandre Lacazette's brilliant goal, the growing importance and influence of Lucas Torreira and why he sets an example for his teammates, hard work from a group of players who are responding to the demands of the manager, and all the other talking points from the game itself. Then we answer questions about Rob Holding and his place in the team, the role of full back in the modern game, Reiss Nelson's form on loan, Emery's touchline passion, a European Super League and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arsenal face Liverpool at the Emirates this weekend, in what is the biggest test for Unai Emery since the opening two game of the season. The Gunners have taken a fantastic 22 points from 24, but this is where we see if real progress is being made. Joining me, separately, to discuss are @DanielStorey85 and @Antonstotle, chatting the threat of Liverpool, how Arsenal might set up their side, player contracts, and lots more with a very minimal amount of the usual waffle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we record right after the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. A tale of two penalties for the home side, some dodgy defending on Arsenal's part and we discuss Shkodran Mustafi, Granit Xhaka at left-back again, taking the lead then our inability to control the game, and what was a fairly ineffectual attacking performance. We then answer listener questions about Alex Iwobi on the right rather than the left, the continued use of Aubameyang on the left hand side, Mesut Ozil's reaction to be substituted, what we should do about the left back position and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I chat Lewis Ambrose about our 1-0 victory over Sporting in the Europa League, our 11th successive win thanks to Danny Welbeck's goal; the individual performances which caught the eye including Matteo Guendouzi and Rob Holding, as well as the increasing influence of Lucas Torreira; before Lewis gives us some insight into the excellent start Reiss Nelson has made to his loan spell with Hoffenheim.Then it's Rory Smith of the New York Times to discuss the reaction of some shareholders to the compulsory purchase of their shares by Stan Kroenke and KSE, how it has affected their relationship with Arsenal, as well the wider issues of football club ownership by the extremely wealthy and how we deal with moral quandaries that presents us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we record right after our 3-1 win over Leicester at the Emirates. An iffy first half was followed by an excellent second, Mesut Ozil and his captain's armband stole the show, and we scored yet another sublime goal to help us to our tenth successive win in all competitions. We discuss the game, team selection, another second half improvement, try to decide between the third goal tonight and Ramsey's against Fulham, Alex Iwobi, Unai Emery, and lots lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I chat with Clive Palmer about the work Unai Emery is doing, from creating a pathway for young players to make it to the first team, to changing the mentality of the players as he looks to build a platform on which to create his own style of play. What are the improvements we've seen so far? And the Spaniard's insistence that there's still plenty more to do is a real positive. Lots of that, some daft waffle, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Interlull Arsecast Extra we discuss Thierry Henry's appointment as Monaco coach, Laurent Koscielny's retirement from international football and his very honest comments about France, and Aaron Ramsey on his contract, before answering questions about the team that might face Leicester in a week's time, Henrikh Mkhitaryan's season so far, the chants at the Fulham game, a dream five a side team spanning five decades, plus terrible voice acting, great advice if you want to avoid getting killed by a stag, and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Interlull Arsecast we discuss stats with Tim from 7amkickoff. Arsenal are over-performing when it comes to Expected Goals. What does that mean exactly? Tim delves into that, as well as some of the other interesting stats he's noticed at this early stage of the season, and some focus on a few particular first team players. After that I chat to Tim Stillman about Arsenal Women, the history of the team, the success we've had, the challenges faced by the women's game, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we enjoy the 5-1 win over Fulham, two goals each for Lacazette and Aubameyang, a truly beautiful goal of the season contender from Aaron Ramsey, some tactical flexibility from Unai Emery as he goes 442 (something for the Sodastream generation to enjoy), and the fact we're now in the top four and ahead of Sp*rs. Then we answer questions about our summer transfer business, Lucas Torreira's quality and his song, our calls for best player of the season so far and biggest surprise, what does Emery do with Petr Cech when he's fit again, goal celebrations and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I'm joined by the Man from East Lower to discuss the 3-0 win over Qarabag in the Europa League. Should we be concerned at the defensive issues, or is this still just part of the process? We chat about bringing a strong squad to Azerbaijan, Emile Smith Rowe's first Arsenal goal, Alex Iwobi, our current run of eight successive wins and more. Then I speak to Dan Hilton of the Barcelona Podcast about Raul Sanllehi, the new Head of Football, to get some background on him, his work at Barcelona and how he might use his connections to bolster Arsenal's ranks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's landmark 250th episode of the podcast, we look back at the 2-0 win over Watford, the seventh successive win in all competitions, and enjoy the fact we're winning game with such regularity. There are still things to discuss though, such as defensive vulnerability, balance in our front four, a solid Premier League debut for Bernd Leno, and two late goals which got us the points. Then we answer questions about the Aaron Ramsey situation, Alexandre Lacazette's honesty, Alex Iwobi pushing for a place in the side, Danny Welbeck's future, gigantic arachnids and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I'm joined by Philippe Auclair to get his thoughts on the early stages of the Unai Emery regime, the various conundrums the manager has got to contend with, Lacazette and Aubameyang, Ozil and Ramsey, and the club's contract wranglings which see players more and more often reach the final 12 months of their deals. There's a particular focus on Aaron Ramsey after yesterday's news about his situation, and more, as well as a good dollop of the usual waffle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we celebrate the first clean sheet of the season in the 2-0 win over Everton. Petr Cech was the man of the match, the front four contributed but raise questions, Lucas Torreira got his first start, and we're steadily racking up the wins after the difficult start to the season. Then we answer questions about why we're so slow to start games, Cech's improved form, Alex Iwobi knocking on the door, there's an invitation to Josh Kroenke, chat about leadership at the club, Arsenal tag-team wrestling and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I'm joined by Amy Lawrence to discuss the 4-2 over FC Vorskla and the Europa League in general. We also chat about the new boss, the players response to his methods, and where we are at this very early point in the season. Then there's some boardroom chat in the wake of the Ivan Gazidis announcement, where will KSE take the club from here, and Amy reveals some snippets from a very interesting conversation with Per Mertesacker for an article to be published in this Sunday's Observer. There's also a small amount of the usual waffle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show discussion of Saturday's 2-1, post-Interlull, win over Newcastle. After an unconvincing first half, the Gunners found their groove a bit in the second, but questions remain about what exactly we're trying to do and how we're trying to do it. Is that front four compatible? Should Lucas Torreira have started? Those questions and more answered, as well as listener questions about Unai Emery's pressing style, the potential departure of Ivan Gazidis, Europa League squad rotation and lots more besides. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm still away on holidays, but the Premier League waits for no man and the people need a podcast to welcome back football after the Internet. So, James from Gunnerblog is here to have a bit of waffle, as well as a chat with Tim Stillman about the upcoming game against Newcastle, the Arsenal Women and more, and there's a bit of waffle at the end too. Please note: there's no theme music for this one because I can't find the files, so a weird funky little thing breaks up the sections of the show. Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Interlull show we have some connection issues between Spain and London, but we just about manage to discuss the international games, the Arsenal legends game at the weekend, Hector Bellerin's brave interview with The Times and, briefly, Santi Cazorla's fantastic interview with Sid Lowe in the Guardian. Then we answer questions about Alexandre Lacazette, Reiss Nelson's move to Germany, the way we judge players these days, and some other stuff too.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liam Brady is one of the greatest players ever to play for Arsenal, and as a young Irish lad, I enjoyed the fact he was such an important player for us – even if I never did see him play in the flesh while with at the club.We chat about his entire career, moving from Dublin to London at the age of 15, how he was scouted, making his way into the first team and establishing himself in the midfield, his decision to leave for Italy (it might have been elsewhere!), whether or not it was ever an option to come back, his time in management, then heading up the Arsenal academy for so many years, it's all in there.Note: This podcast first appeared on our Patreon page in July. If you'd like to join and become a member, it costs just €5 per month and you can sign up at patreon.com/arseblog Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we look back at the 3-2 win over Cardiff, the fine performance from Alexandre Lacazette, some good fouling from the Gunners, the ability to respond to setbacks in game, and the fact three points before the Interlull is always welcome. We also discuss two players who are very much in the spotlight now – Petr Cech and Granit Xhaka. How many more games can the keeper be allowed make fundamental mistakes in, and do the positive aspects of Xhaka's game outweigh his lapses which often prove costly? Plus listener questions about playing out from the back, substitutions, the relationship between Aubameyang and Lacazette, and there's also an amazing scientific discovery at the end. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I'm joined by Andrew Allen and Tim Stillman to discuss Mesut Ozil, his time at the club in general, his recent difficulties, and what the future might hold for him under Unai Emery's less indulgent regime. There's also chat about Reiss Nelson's potential move to Hoffenheim, following a trend of young English players going abroad, a look ahead to the Cardiff game, and a fair chunk of waffle involving the most hilarious story of the week – Jose Mourinho. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we look back at our first win of the season, beating West Ham 3-1 on Saturday. Three points are obviously very welcome, but Unai Emery and his players accept there's a lot more to do – especially defensively. We review the game and discuss the absence of Mesut Ozil through illness. It feels like there's something more to the situation, so we discuss the German in some depth. Then we answer listener questions about the goalkeeping position, Hector Bellerin being pushed further forward to play as an attacker, the performances of Sokratis since he joined, and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I chat with former Gunner Alan Smith as he celebrates the release of his new book 'Heads up - My life story'. We discuss how the book came to be, the fact he wrote it himself without a ghostwriter, his path into professional football, joining Arsenal from Leicester, his relationship with George Graham, scoring goals – important goals, moving into punditry, the challenges of that job, what's happening at Arsenal right now, and lots more.There's also some brief waffle about the West Ham game this weekend – and if you want to win a copy of Alan's book, check out the competition on arseblog.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's podcast we look back at the 3-2 defeat to Chelsea where despite some encouraging attacking signs, our defensive weaknesses cost us any chance to get something from the game. Should we be optimistic that Unai Emery can sort out what are basic errors, or be concerned that experienced players are still making these kind of mistakes? We analyse the goals conceded, the manager's changes, our indifferent second half, and everything else that went down at Stamford Bridge. Then we answer listener questions about making changes to the centre of our defence, what kind of a points tally we should expect from upcoming fixtures, Hector Bellerin's struggles for form, and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I chat with Jack Pitt Brooke of the Independent about Matteo Guendouzi, his rise to prominence, where he came from, what kind of a character he is, and what lies ahead for him at Arsenal. Then there's Daniel Storey from Football 365 to discuss Petr Cech and social media 'bantz' after the Arsenal keeper took exception from some Tweets from Bayer Leverkeusen's English language account. Should he have even engaged? Or was he right to say something about an incident he considered disrespectful? We tease that one out with some general Arsenal chat, there's some Talkshite Radio, a Chelsea preview, and a dose of the usual waffle too.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So the Unai Emery era has begun, and not unexpectedly Man City were too strong for us. We discuss the match, the performance, the new style of play, and whether we might have been wiser to do things differently against the Champions, team selection, the debut of Matteo Guendouzi against such illustrious opposition, the need for patience as the new boss imprints his methods on the team, defensive and midfield worries, and we seek out some of the positives despite the defeat. Then we answer listener questions about recruitment and team building, whether we should have sold Aaron Ramsey this summer, what changes we'd make for the Chelsea game this weekend and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the second of our new season preview episodes and in this one I have a chat with Tayo Popoola about what's to come, starting with Man City on Sunday, Alex Iwobi's deal and a little bit of Kroenke stuff too. Then it's Tim Stillman, Charles Watts and JB @GunnerPunner to talk about the rest of our summer business, defensive worries, strength up top, Unai Emery's impact on how we're going to play, and loads more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this first of two pre-season podcast episodes, I chat with Ken Early from Second Captains about the dawn of a new Premier League campaign, how quickly it's come around, Jose Mourinho's latest meltdown, Unai Emery's appointment, Liverpool's chances this season, and a look at the rest of the top six as well as teams which may have a chance of breaking into that upper echelon of the league. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a special bonus Arsecast following the news that Alisher Usmanov has agreed to sell his stake in the club to Stan Kroenke – ultimately giving him 100% control of the shares. I chat with James from Gunnerblog and Tim Payton from the AST about the situation, how they feel about it as fans, what the impact and consequences might be, and how Arsenal will be changed for it. Then there's a bit of Kroenke stuff but a good dollop of football chat with the legend that is Ian Wright, who has some insight from the training ground, high hopes for the new boss, and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show, now that our pre-season preparations are complete, we discuss and analyse the readiness of the team for the opening game against Manchester City. There are concerns about our defence, and the strange decision to move Calum Chambers out on loan despite him signing a new contract just a few weeks ago suggests Unai Emery feels there's an issue at the back too. On top of that, our outgoing transfer business is an area which has been less than convincing, and we discuss potential departures along with listener questions about our team for the Man City game, the left-back situation, possible boardroom issues, player contracts and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show a good whack of waffle from me about Arsenal in Dublin, a few snippets of info I picked up along the way, plus thoughts on the team's performance against Chelsea, and the need for patience overall – both in terms of things that aren't quite right yet and things which are in danger of being a bit overhyped. Then I talk to Dan Betts, author of Almost Invincible: Arsenal's Class of 91 – about the 1990-91 season in which Arsenal won the league losing just one game. A lot went on that year on and off the pitch, and you can win a copy of the book too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we discuss the two games in Singapore against Atletico Madrid and PSG, some of the players who have caught in the eye – including Emile Smith Rowe and Matteo Guendouzi, Unai Emery's tactical openness, the Aubameyang on the left situation, and the many captains we're about to have before we answer listener questions about the centre of the defence, left back, potential new signings, the players who have been on holiday, why we appear to be so much more muscly, mispronunciations and lots more besides.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I chat with Tim Stillman about the game in Singapore, the Aaron Ramsey situation, and the strange goings-on involving Ivan Gazidis, AC Milan and that weird statement released by the club. After that, I interview Tom Markham, one of the producers of an amazing new film called 'Kaiser: The Greatest Footballer Never to Play Football'. It tells the remarkable story of 'Kaiser', a Brazilian who had a 26 year career in football despite being absolutely unable to play the game at this level. How on earth did he do it? Find out in the podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show a pre-season round-up as the team heads to Singapore to play PSG and Atletico Madrid. We talk about the tour squad, a potential new deal for Alex Iwobi, the Ivan Gazidis/AC Milan situation and look forward to seeing what way Unai Emery is going to set up his team. We then discuss Mesut Ozil's statements about racism and discrimination and his decision to step away from the German national side. After that we answer listener questions about developing young players, how optimistic we are for the new season, the Tottenham toilet seat, kit launches, Superman, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's episode is a call-in show recorded last night and I chat to Arsenal fans about all kinds of things including the future of Aaron Ramsey, Lucas Perez and his role this season, why our transfer business is relatively unexciting, what the board's expectations for Unai Emery are for his first campaign as head coach, the centre of our defence, the HARD WORK, signing a winger, and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're a long-term reader/listener to Arseblog, you'll know that I always had a real soft spot for Philippe Senderos. His Arsenal career didn't work out as well as he would have liked, but he retains a huge affection for the club, as he outlines in the chat we had last month. We discuss his early years, arriving to Arsenal as an 18 year old, settling in, dealing with injuries, the bright start to his time with the Gunners, winning the FA Cup against Man Utd, the times when things went wrong, his loan to AC Milan that was brought about by Mathieu Flamini, where football has taken him since, and where it might take him in the future. He speaks very candidly about his career, and he's a smart, intelligent guy, so I'm sure you'll enjoy this episode. Philippe is currently playing for Houston Dynamo in MLS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What did we learn from Arsenal's 8-0 win over Boreham Wood FC at the weekend? Not a lot in truth, other than James doesn't know how to pronounce the name of his home town, but there are tougher tests to come in pre-season as the new boss puts his team through its paces. We round up the latest Arsenal news, as well as the World Cup final, before answering questions about how hard the team is working, the hard work, the working hard and so on, Alexandre Lacazette, Olivier Giroud's international triumph, Dembele from Barcelona, our transfer business, and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining me on the show this week are Tim Stillman and Andrew Allen, and we start with World Cup discussion after England's journey came to an end. How did they, as Englishmen, enjoy the experience. There's a brief preview of the final too, before we move on to chat about all things Arsenal including the two midfield signings we made this week, how Unai Emery might set up his side for the new season, the Aaron Ramsey situation, what the new boss might do with some of the young players, and more. There's a dollop of the usual waffle, and a preview of something awesome coming soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

England are into the semi-final of the World Cup and James is excited. We chat about their tournament, and assess their chances of going all the way. Then there's Arsenal chat as our signings seem to be almost complete, unless of course we sell somebody which could require further investment. We talk about getting our business done early, and then answer listener questions about social media sleuths, Ainsley Maitland-Niles prospects, which three players we'd sell if we could, which goalkeeper will start our opening game of the season, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The World Cup continues with shocks, drama, excitement, penalty shoot-outs and more. We chat about the goings-on, an impressive performance from rumoured target Lucas Torreira and whether that will scupper our chances of getting him, and look at the Arsenal involvement in the tournament so far. We also look at the Aaron Ramsey situation and while hopeful he'll sign a new deal, we're not exactly optimistic (hopefully our pessimism results in a new contract almost immediately). There are more questions about VAR, about transfers, some predictions for next season, and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's not a lot of Arsenal news this week, but here's a podcast anyway. I'm joined by Tim Stillman to chat about the World Cup, Brazil's chances of going the distance, his aversion to VAR versus the drama and entertainment it provides, as well as an update from the supporter's club meeting which saw Unai Emery meet fans for the first time. What were his impressions of the new boss? And how Ivan Gazidis is taking ownership of this new project which distancing himself from what came before. There's some of the usual waffle in there too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's show more World Cup chat, Mesut Ozil and Alex Iwobi are dropped, Xhaka scores a banger but might end up in trouble with FIFA for his celebration, David Ospina just needs more cuddles than anyone else, while away from Russia there are more links to Ever Banega, as well as a very interesting cover on the latest edition of the Arsenal magazine. Then it's listener questions about which England players we should buy, who will be the first player sold by the new boss, World Cup haircuts good and bad, the dangers of eating too many jacket potatoes, incredible dexterity with left hand/right hand confusion brought about by late-life learning skills, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.