The Fish

Eh? but you just said her hand was strengthened. Way I see it Staveley and PCP want to buy the club and are happy to commit monies to help Benitez strengthen in the window. Ashley isn't. Ashley won't be able to sell us for anything like the ridiculous price he initially demanded, nor will another buyer offer the sums that've been reported this time. He might get less than the £350m he wants, but it's cashing out now for £300m or never seeing the likes of that again. I'm confident the deal with happen, I'm confident Benitez will get some money to sort out the squad as best he can in January, I'm confident we won't go down.

I thought you were expecting the take over to fall apart?

We're 3pts off 12th.

You'd be mental if you weren't worried and this has unquestionably been a shocking run of results. However, we're as close to 12th as we are to 20th. Man City might have the title sewn up and the CL spots look pretty settled already, but any three teams below Everton in 10th could be relegated, imo. Make no mistake though, this is a hugely important transfer window in our history. Not only does Benitez need to be backed, but he has to spend the money well. No more Lazaars, or Sels.

Have they? I've not watched it for years, but there seems to be a lot of criticism

The bench is not great for posture.

A lot of twitter is "I exist! Notice me!"

Unusual for an Aussie.

I think we're all fed up of experts.

Harry to turn up outside Wembley on Arsenal TV with D-Blip* shitfaced, demanding Wenger Out Bruv! * I might not know his proper name

I'm not that positive man. He's expecting the transfer not to happen, Benitez to walk, us to get docked points for tax evasion, a giant sinkhole to open and swallow the Gallowgate end, Shearer to be murdered by Gascoigne robbing us of two heroes, and Sunderland to be taken over by a free spending Carlos Slim. I browse #NUFC on occasion but rarely contribute. use twitter for information gathering, bit of chat with the twitterati and my legions of adoring fans from the podcast listenership.

I'm just one of the few that doesn't flit from doom to rapture whenever Michael Martin tweets something.

There's the rub.

Fair enough, but the fact remains that whatever the sum is, it's underwritten by PCP. If he literally cannot stump up £50m or whatever, then I'm convinced there'll be ways that PCP can get the money they want to spend, to Benitez. Ways that do not include Ashley phoning Wonga for a loan.

Pretty similar, but more attacking and yeah I got Rajkovic too. Darlow kept him out though as Predrag kept dropping clangers for me. Jairo is decent and you can get him for about £5.5m-£7m

Aye but spending £30m of his own money safe in the knowledge that expenditure is covered by PCP, makes a lot more sense than gambling that the £30m of his own money would see some return in the future from success on the pitch, or in the transfer market? Surely?

I started with a 4-2-3-1 Mitrovic up front, Merino and Hayden in the centre just ahead of the defence, Ritchie and Jairo on the flanks. Almiron in the middle. Dummett Mbemba Lascelles and Yedlin at full back. When at home I played a high tempo with both wide men tucking in, and the fullbacks overlapping. Mitrovic dropping deeper and Almiron playing as an attacking playmaker. Away was counter attack, fairly narrow and deep, balls to flanks, and more defensive instructions all around. Finished 7th in the first season, then I got taken over by Forest's owner; Fawaz Al Hasawi and I had a budget of c£140m. Then I sold a few players who'd played well, for example Man City bought Yedlin for £36m! So I've a very healthy transfer budget. Going to play Lorenzo Dickman or buy Henrichs or Semedo, I want a proper left back and to buy Driussi, plus another striker. I want to migrate to a more possession based game, but as it stands my players aren't good enough. If Ceballos, Christensen are moaning about playing time I might try and get them on loan again.

Christensen was moaning about game time so I managed to get him on loan with a view to buy. Balanta is still decent and not too expensive. Driussi, Lautaro Martinez might be available at the end of the second season if you can a) afford them, 2) get a work permit for them. Ceballos wasn't getting enough game time for his liking in my game, so you might be able to get him on loan too?

I'm not, I'm plotting a steady course. And, as always, giggling at you lot lurching from mania to sorrow.

bullish, I like it.

You may as well sleep in a floatation tank. It'd save on laundry bills mate.

I'm with @haydnator, I can't see anything but a comfortable win for the Gooners. Joselu and Diame to inexplicably keep their places in the 1st team squad.

A pair of mezzala and carrileros in the centre? Maybe a couple of segundo volantes ahead of an anchorman?

Milk----Milk Lemonade Round--The--Corner Chocolates--Made