Protecting Myles & Mailbag: Part 1
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The only way to score is, of course, to play with a handbrake off. Hello, I'm Ian Stone. This is Handbrake Off, the Arsenal podcast brought to you by The Athletic. Today, we'll be having a chat about the reaction to Myles Lewis-Sketty's celebration, the squad's much-needed Dubai break, and answering questions from you. I am joined by Amy Lawrence and Adrian Clarke. Morning. Hello. Good morning. Hello.

Hello, hello. Arsenal, Dubai and England. In that order. Is there a better way to get Ben White fit again than suggesting a trip to Dubai? I mean, are we going to Dubai? All right then. He'll limp over. What is something you wouldn't miss at any cost? Adrian?

Do you know what? In a way, as I've got older, I've learned... When I was younger, there were loads of things that I wouldn't have missed at any cost. And I'd make sure I'd move heaven and earth to make sure I got to these things. I've changed a little bit. I'm all right to miss the odd thing now. And the world doesn't stop if you miss something, even if it's a big thing. So I'm a little bit chilled out. But if you sort of push me...

The one thing that came to my head was the Champions League final because I missed the last one. I wasn't really involved with Arsenal in a working capacity. I watched it at a pub in London with some mates. It was fine, but I felt detached from it. I think this time around, if we get to the final this year, next year, whenever, I'm not missing it.

Provided I can get a ticket. I'm not missing it. And look, if Arsenal said, look, we want you to work on it and it was commentary and they said, but we can't be at the ground, I'd say no. And I'd make sure I'd get to the ground because I don't want to miss that, especially if we win it. No, quite. I mean, you know the story that I...

I went to Paris on my son's eighth birthday. I think he's forgiven me. I do. Yeah, Champions League final is a good one, Amy. What about you? What was something? I mean, I think Adrian makes a point, actually, that as you get older, you know, you're thinking, oh, I must go to this thing. And then you think, no, no, I mustn't. I don't have to. Are you kidding? It's quite nice. You know, I'm the biggest flake out there.

Like, if there's something on... Well, I know that. I'm asking you as a leading question, to be honest with you. I'm well aware of that fact. As my close friends will say. Well, is there anything... To be frank, I was expecting a different question. I thought we were going to be talking about where we were going to go on a hand-break-off team bonding mid-season break. Well, we could do that as well. So I'm a bit thrown. Tell us where you would go on a hand-break-off team bonding. Well...

I thought I would go to, I'll take you to, to the finest place I've ever been, which is the rainforest in Madagascar. Don't ask me how I ended up there. It was a work trip, obviously. I don't know how that happened. It was a fluke.

But I ended up in the middle of nowhere. It was quite amazing. And the biggest of the lemur family, which are indigenous animals to Madagascar, called Indri. And we stumbled upon, through the excellence of our guide, a group of Indri. And they sing.

And when they sing, it's like nothing you've ever heard on earth. And a reason I thought of you is I think, Ian, with your kind of liking for trance music, I've never been in such a natural trance as when I was listening to those Indri. If you look them up, they make the most incredible. So I've imagined the clangers kind of whooping sounds, but like through some kind of incredible. Oh, my God. And it's super loud as well.

So you would really be enjoying this, I must say. Although the idea of you in the rainforest in Madhurska also amuses me. I don't know why. I just think you might be funny out there. Adrian, I think it would also blow your musical mind to be exposed to this kind of thing. So we would all come back like feeling like we've been through some shared out-of-body experience, which...

I don't know what kind of effect that would have for the pod. Maybe a bad one. But anyway, that's where I'll take you on my fantasy. I'm up for it. I'll stick my hand up. Yeah, I'm sure the Athletic will send us all to Madagascar. I'll tell you what, Adrian, let me know how it is. Do a recording of the injury and bring it back. I'll have a listen to it in the comfort of my own home. I'm being facetious. That sounds amazing. I should say, by the way, anyone under 40, the Clangers...

I mean, I don't even know how you start to describe them really. They were moon dwellers, weren't they? And it was a children's children's program back in, I think the 1840s or 50s or something like that. Yeah. Sorry about that. Yeah. Ridiculous cultural reference. Do you know what? There are islands now that have full size football pitches in the middle. They're,

They really are. And can you imagine us just hiring this island, this desert island for a week? I can. That would be absolutely awesome, wouldn't it? Yeah.

you know, no press, no fans waiting outside the hotel, you know, just complete privacy. It would be absolutely brilliant. And these places do exist. So what's this space in the next few years? And by the way, if we went to some like remote Island, I was thinking about the Dennis Berg camp. It takes him about a month to get there for four trains and a boat or something. I wish I had time to do that. Talking things you wouldn't miss.

I'll get a sobby here, but I just, I can't bear missing sort of being there for my kids when they got stuff on. Just...

Just can't miss it. What, school plays? I mean, come on, we've all sat through a number of school plays, haven't we, to be honest? Bring them on. I can't hear enough of any of that stuff. Can you not? I love it. You can go as my representative for mine. Okay, I love my own children's school plays. Let's talk then. I know this is a bit slightly after the fact because this happened last week, but we want to talk about it. I haven't talked to you guys about the coverage of Miles Lewis Skelly's celebration that has caused...

uproar, I suppose it has, and criticism amongst former pros and rival fans. First things first, Adrian, will they just stop spoiling off fun? I mean, there's too much spoiling of fun, isn't there? We try and have a good time at football, and look, we can get into the nitty-gritty of celebrations that maybe are mean to people or stuff that people sing that is a bit nasty, but...

Honestly, why can't we just enjoy ourselves? It's a game that people love and part of the love is the piss-taking of the opposition, isn't it? Of course it is. Of course it is. Look, we've had a tough season in terms of things going wrong. We've had a tough time against Man City in the past. If we can't enjoy smashing them, smashing them in style, then when can we enjoy it? I think that the reaction to it as

has absolutely staggered me. I've got to say, you know, I've got very sensible friends that, you know, football people, either former players or working it, that were a little bit outraged by it and they thought it was really arrogant. And like, these are sensible people. Yeah.

And like, what's he doing? You know, he's only played 10 games, whereby it's too much. I'm like, no, I don't agree with that. I don't agree with that. Arrogance is what Haaland did at full time at the Etihad when he said, who the F are you? And he told Mikel Arteta to stay humble. And, you know, he called Gabriel Jesus a clown. That's arrogant. What he did was funny and it was iconic.

and it was a little bit of payback. And in sport, there's always a little bit of payback. There's always a little bit of fun to be had. And whether he was, you know, 18, 28, 38, it's a great celebration as far as I'm concerned. And we'll, you know, Arsenal fans will never forget that. I think it's a really iconic moment. And I just, I found the reaction to it bizarre. Amy, do you agree with Adrian in the sense that

It wasn't arrogant. I mean, I actually thought it was, but I actually think, why not? He's 18. He's possibly going to be a superstar footballer. He must have a little bit of cockiness about him. And I have no problem with that at all. And I wouldn't have a problem with it if he played for someone else as well. I think the fact we're talking about this now epitomises for me how I just find this whole aspect of modern life discourse exhausting.

And actually upsetting at times. We just live in an age now where it's kind of rent an opinion. And because of that, absolutely anybody out there, we've become accustomed to having a strong view on anything and everything. I don't think it's very healthy. Sometimes things just happen, you know, just chill. You know, there've been some important pieces that have been written and that have been recorded recently.

That's somewhat better than I probably could. The undercurrent to all of this. And there is an uncomfortable feeling, Tim Stillman wrote about it on Arseblog very eloquently. Tayo Papula, a friend of ours, and Phil Kosta recorded an excellent podcast, and I suggest you root it out. It's Football Vision.

which they talked about this, you know, in a very heartfelt way. And these are people who live that experience so can kind of share it in a way that it's incumbent upon us to listen and understand. But we're talking about an 18-year-old London black lad. And we all know that there are differences in how things are perceived and blown up, particularly just looking at football. We're not even going outside of our sphere here.

But, you know, you can talk about celebrations. You can talk about people winding people up. You can talk about, oh, we all know the examples. I don't need to bore you with them here. But there are differences in the way a similar situation is sometimes perceived or amplified or explained or opined about, whether it's a young black footballer or a young white footballer. That exists, you know, whether it's subconscious, whether it's conscious. I can't comment.

But it's there. It is a reality. I think that I just feel so disappointed that Myles is having to go through this experience and those close to him. You've got to bear in mind that he's done 10 years of graft to get to where he is. He's done 10 years of sacrifice like every other young player who is lucky enough to be good enough and make it to get those opportunities that you might get if you're the creme de la creme. He is, you know,

his entire childhood not going to parties, not seeing your friends necessarily. Every other day after school, you're at training, you're getting back late, you're eating meals in the car. This is a lifestyle that is not common. And he's kept his head together. He's a great kid. He's got a lovely family. He's got good mates. And suddenly he's in the middle of this shitstorm. Because like Alan McAnally and Jason Cundy and Graham Souness and people like that want to

say some things that if they really stopped and thought about it and you had a proper conversation with them, they might go, just sometimes it would be nice if people could engage a little bit of caution before gobbing off about having a go at other people, particularly when they're young. There seems to be very little understanding that, you know what, maybe he just, it's the best moment of his life, you know, he's worked hard for this moment.

And you're young and you're brave and you're excited.

God forbid there was cameras on me when I was 18 being an idiot. That probably goes for most of us of our generation. I was very sensible, but yeah. Thanks for breaking my kind of pious nonsense. But yeah, anyway, ultimately, I think it's important that we take stock and we think about this and we talk about it and we recognize it. And obviously Ian Wright is another person who has been

spoken out. We have to listen to people who know, and we maybe should learn from it. It doesn't matter how old you are. You can be in your 80s and 90s and set in your ways. You can still have a look and a think and a listen and wonder if the way you perceive the world is the right way.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, Ian Wright wrote a beautiful post on Instagram and the line that jumped out at me, he said, they're actively trying to dim his light. Right. Is what he said. And I thought like, we're all parents. All three of us are parents. Right.

you'd never do that to your kids. You know, you'd never go, no, no, no, you just stay in your box. You just stay in your lane. You want them to express themselves and do whatever they want to do. And so does any parent. And that line really jumped out at me. And he talked about the sight of a young, confident, charismatic black man thriving on the bigger stage.

is something that doesn't fit into the mould of what national media outlets envision. Sadly, this is nothing new. I mean, Adrian, Arsenal is really a colourblind club, isn't it? Yeah, I'd endorse what Amy said, really. It does feel that way. It feels as if there's a racial element to the reaction. It's as simple as that.

And by the way, it should also be said that I would have thought Erling Haaland doesn't care at all about this. I mean, listen, we give Haaland some stick and all the rest of it. Also a fine young professional doing his job to the best of his ability. And he'll take the piss.

out of Miles Lewis Skelly at some point and enjoy it. And we'll go, I can't believe he'd just done that. And that's part of the fun of it, really. Amy, I want to ask you about, I mean, obviously you've met Miles' mum as well. He's got good people around him. There was talk, and we've talked about it on the pod, about Raheem Sterling being in the dressing room and looking after the young black kids, looking after Miles, looking after Ethan, because he's been through this stuff before.

It's about trying to cope. Should Miles feel he has to change? No. And Bukayo is another one who's been there after the penalties with him, Rashford and Sancho. These are uncomfortable realities that it's tragic that they have to experience. And I suppose having people in that dressing room

who know what it feels like, has to be helpful to them, you would hope. But I just think it's just overall really sad that he's had an absolutely sensational last six months, more or less, miles, since he started going from knocking on the door of the first team to being a preferred fixture and influencing and being a difference maker in massive games.

You know, that's the stuff you dream of. And I would really hope that in the coming weeks for the remainder of the season and onwards, that he can, you know, he can be allowed to get on with that without too much extra additional unnecessary pressure. I'm slightly worried that away fans will be looking out for him now. And let's be honest,

An 18-year-old fullback at another club, you know, in his maiden season, is not normally a kind of target kind of figure. But if he is going to be that, that'll be because of the, you know, what's been stirred up by ex-players who should know better. And they ought to take some responsibility for that, actually, because it's not really on Miles, it's on those people. Come see us, though! Come see us, though! You know you can't see.

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The players are enjoying another warm weather retreat. Got to Dubai for a few days just to have a break. We did need a break, but Adrian, we only got a break because we got knocked out of the FA Cup. And there's a bit of me that's sad about that. But I think it was the right time for us. Obviously, the other thing that happened was that we heard that Gabriel Martinelli got injured and is out for, who knows, up to a month with a hamstring injury.

I wonder if they can find any players in Dubai they can bring back with them. Too late for that. The window's closed. Yeah, I know. I know. I mean, listen, it'll do them good, right? It will do them good. But do you think we're putting too much on it after what happened last season when we went away? We lost a couple of games and we went away and then we won 16, drew one and lost one. Now, obviously, that's the sort of run we need again. But it's not.

necessarily the break that does it no of course not no but we can dare to dream can't we and look if there's a part of the players that think that they need it to kick on and find the next level then that's that's a real positive as well isn't it psychological sort of lift for them i think it will do them good because it's just a bit of time together as a group you don't go home you know you all stay together so you get to know each other a bit better you have a bit real giggle i'm sure and they

They're using the time wisely, I would imagine, to work on tactical things. There's just no time to work on during the course of that busy January that we had. I expect some new set pieces, some new ideas in the way that we play. Maybe an alternative formation, a plan B might be something that they also work on.

while they're there so yeah let's bring it on it's no guarantee of course it isn't that our season is going to end magnificently but it feels like the only positive of going out of the FA Cup it does feel like a

you know, at least we get to do that and that might help us. So, yeah, let's embrace it. Amy, I mean, we only have seven matches, including Champions League game, between now and April and we played nine in January. I mean, it's absolutely insane. Do you think it's a bit much? I mean, I do worry about the welfare of the players. I was loving, I love all the football, but it's so intense, isn't it? Maybe just...

minds as much as bodies yeah I think we this has been a problem that's been in the post really yeah you look around Europe and there are lots of teams suffering with a lot of injuries problems it's not just Arsenal er

And yeah, I agree. I think it's as much the psychological load as the physical load and managing both of those year on year without much break is incredibly intense. And I think ultimately there is a quality control factor. And I think there is a danger that the quality levels drop because, you know, unless we're going to evolve into...

sort of super squads where, you know, you have more great players around the top clubs to try and accommodate this load that they need. But that will bring its own problems because obviously people want to play and, you know, it's really hard. So I don't know how it goes, but I just think we've reached a point where I think it's overpushed already. I think you can't push players any more than this. It's really worrying. Yeah. All right. We did ask you to, um,

write in ask questions and you responded well yes you did did they they did yeah we got all sorts of great questions no we got loads yeah it was fantastic we did we'll rattle through Amy I'm going to ask you this Gillespie Road 68 I know who this is what would your class as the best **** your result game in your lifetime Amy is having 89

Is it, Amy? Is it 89? I mean, it was an amazing result. Well, yeah, that's where it all started, really. The whole idea of the f*** off win kind of originated in, I suppose, the combination of big...

Everything on the line games, particularly away at Liverpool and Man United in those years when Arsenal were competing with those two clubs for supremacy. So whether it, you know, obviously Anfield 89. Thomas charging through the midfield. Thomas, it's up for grabs now. Merce scored a great one a couple of years later, I think in 91 en route to the league title. It was a lovely finish there. I don't know how he rolled that in. Oh, that's a good ball. Smith playing him back in now for Paul Merce.

It's a goal for Arsenal and Merced has scored it. You know, over Mars in 98, that was an absolute classic of the genre. Sylvain Wiltour, you know, it's those, it's those, that was what it really was in its kind of original form. Although obviously we've got all these lovely variations now. Nice to have different ways of celebrating different wins. Hey, love it. Quite. Hey,

Adrian, you must have played in a few. But any particular come to mind? The one for me is the 87 League Cup final. That was because Liverpool were the best team around. We were the new kids on the block. Loads of all these academy boys coming through. And we weren't supposed to win that game. And when Ian Rush opened the score and it was done, because Liverpool, I think he'd got 150 games.

where if he scored, Liverpool didn't lose. So it was done. And of course it wasn't because Charlie Nicholas scored two goals. And that was an absolute sort of FU win because it jolted them and it announced us as a proper force. And obviously, yeah, within two years, Anfield 89 happened, didn't it? Groves. He's away from Gillespie. Nicholas and Rocausen in the area. Nicholas! Yes! Yes!

I'll be honest with you, that was really the day that I sort of became a proper gooner. Because I was from Suffolk, I was an Ipswich fan as a real kid, real young kid, I was a junior blue.

But I was with Arsenal. They got me tickets to the final and I just got completely sucked in that day and never looked back. It's great. Yeah, if you're not going to be sucked in by something like that. I mean, yeah, the beauty of the second goal. And also Perry Groves running up and down the touchline and staying in the shade was very funny as well. I mean, those two, those two more recent ones were,

Winning away at Newcastle a couple of seasons ago when we were battered for about 15-20 minutes and then winning 2-0 and winning quite easily at the end. That was really good. Granit Xhaka making an absolute last-ditch tackle at 1-0 when we were 1-0 up. I thought that was great as well. But yeah, Anfield 89 and Wembley 87 would be good. Rudy Roo.

said is it possible to genuinely enjoy football without winning things of course it is of course it is i mean can we not think of the i mean just imagine tottenham fans for a second because you'll basically say well they've never enjoyed their football and that can't be the case it really they can't enjoy a huge amount of it adrian what do you think about this i i mean

I definitely think you can enjoy football without winning things. And I think actually you have to enjoy football without winning things because most of the time you won't. Of course you do. I enjoy every win, every good performance. I really enjoy it. And the winning things is the cherry on the cake, isn't it? The winning things is what you remember. It's the treasured memories, the experiences, whether you were there or wherever you're watching it, you'll never forget it.

And that just brings everyone together, doesn't it? As one big sort of family, I think winning things together, that shared experience. But of course, you've got to have little snippets of joy as you go along, haven't you? Because not many teams can win stuff each year. It's as simple as that. That is most of it. Amy, what do you think? Well, I've kind of developed a personal mute button for people who think that, you know, nothing matters unless you win.

because I don't agree with that at all. I think everything matters in relative ways and you take what you can out of this life. And, you know, the things that I remember when I think about, you know, my great football experiences are as much the people I was with and the expressions on faces that we shared and that, you know, the hugs with strangers and, you know, bopping about, getting up to mischief and, you know,

and relishing watching the team and moaning sometimes and laughing sometimes and crying sometimes with joy. Um, that's, it's just feeling it. And I, I, you know, I think you nailed it, Adrian, the, the, you know, trophies are what makes you remember it, but,

all the other bits of what makes you love it. I remember watching us beat Barcelona, whatever it was, 10, 12 years ago, and in the pub afterwards, the look on people's faces, you can't tell me that wasn't enjoyment. LAUGHTER

They get a hand-rick off and you can see that they are more free to play. All right, let's talk about defenders. Particularly defenders maybe playing out of position because we've got enough defenders who can play further forward. Evan. Bonjour, said Evan. Is Martinelli's injury a chance for us to see Miles on the left wing for a while?

I mean, he's played... Amy, you sort of grimaced there slightly. I mean, he's played... We know he's a midfielder. He's playing at left bank. He can probably play all over the pitch. He's certainly got the talent to play in most positions. But up front, I mean, they're all so specialised now, aren't they? What do you think about all this? I agree. Myles can play lots of different places, but I don't know if Wingo is really the dream ticket for me. I think he's more of a... You know, I like the way he bursts through in central areas. I would say of the...

I mean, Kieran Tierney's had a couple of really interesting cameos and I like that. I think he can fulfil the role of what you might call an old-fashioned winger, just driving for the byline and, you know, getting the ball across. That's something that can be utilised. Calafiore, I think, even though he was probably, you know, he arrived as a left centre-back by trade, really, but he has got this slight galloping, chaotic force that he brings to the game and I think he could be

a handful have played further up the pitch as well. And we know that he doesn't mind taking an amazing shot from wherever. He's got that eye for goal. But yeah, it's an easy thing to imagine. It's just sort of probably more difficult thing to deliver in practice when you're putting people out of position. I've been thinking about this, I'm sure everybody has. And I suspect with this kind of

This period where Arsenal are so shy of numbers up front, is there a different strategy to take rather than trying to fit squarish holes into roundish, no, sorry, squarish pegs into roundish holes? That way around, isn't it? Knew what you meant. You know what I'm saying. Knew what you meant, yeah. And I was just wondering whether pushing Odegaard up, and I know he's not been at his most efficient around the box, but making him to a much more advanced number 10 playing off Arsenal

of a striker gives Arsenal a little bit more, you know, a different way of trying to deal with this situation rather than keeping this. If we've got four players for the front three positions for 90 minutes plus stoppage time of the next, you know, five, six, seven games, then,

That makes my stomach go a little bit. I'm not massively, you know, it could be fine. We could knuckle down and we could dig out some one nils with set pieces. Who cares? Don't care as long as the results are there. But it's a huge burden on those four players, especially as when you look at all four of them, three of them in particular, it's an extra big ask to have that level of burden. Havertz, because he just plays so much football and is asked to do so much work.

Maneri because he's 17 and asking him to play every minute of every game and make a difference is a big deal. And Sterling because he's not been clicking and it's been a bit peripheral and again expecting him to come in and deliver is a big ask. It's probably only Trossard who of the four you think is sort of like that's well within his kind of zone to play.

you know, to be playing through these next few games. He'll be upset if he's not. He wants to be. He'll be moody otherwise. By the way, thanks to Matt and Evan and Paolo and R.J. McCready and Darren. And Darren, your question, any thoughts on change of shape given a lack of attackers, maybe play win back, sort of what Amy is talking about. Adrian, do you think there's a chance that Mickham might change the way we play a little bit to accommodate more of the sort of players we've got available?

Not initially. I just think it'll be Trossard, Havertz and Waneri, you know, as your forwards and Erdogan in the same position. I don't think we'll change anything initially, but it's always good to have things up your sleeve. How it's going to impact us is with subs. We're only really going to have a Sterling, say, that can come on as a forward to really change things. So unless you go with more defensive lineups and have two on the bench and then unleash them later on in game. So I think...

Over the next month, it's really important that we start matches well and that we get ourselves in front where we're not chasing games. Because if we're chasing games and then you're looking at the bench and thinking, not a lot there, then that could be problematic. Of course, we should have a plan B in terms of changing the system. But what I would say is that just look at us. Sometimes just pause it on the telly and look at the shape of the team when we have it.

And it's almost always a back three. You know, it is a back three quite a lot of the time with probably two in front and then a front five. So I don't get hung up on formations. The one thing we could return to, and Amy hinted at it there, is the sort of split striker. We had Havertz and Trossard, didn't we? We could go back to that. We could use Urdegaard alongside Havertz as well, even Havertz.

sort of double false nine in Trossard and Urdegaard if Havertz was unavailable. You know, these are all options. There's one question from Cazorlist saying,

Based on form this season, and for me, performances in big stroke important games, if you had to lose one of Gabriel or Saliba to Real Madrid this summer, I mean... This is a mean question. Listen, you ask, and he says, sorry for the purposes of the question, you have to pick one. Well, we don't have to. Okay, fine. We don't. Thanks, Tony. Form this season, Gabriel's been better than Saliba, in my opinion. I actually don't think it's even been close.

So, yeah, if I'm answering the question, I'd probably, yeah, I would keep Gabrielle. So am I. I'm keeping Gabrielle as well, but I want to keep them both. Amy, you're happy to leave this one alone? Well, obviously. But I think, you know, you've got to factor in various other things, such as if you're going to have to, who's going to give you the maximum transfer value? Yeah. That also needs to be part of the picture. And even though...

Gabriel has been the superior player this season overall. Saliba probably still has more value just reputationally and in terms maybe of his ceiling, which is interesting. So there's all that kind of stuff to factor. And then as well, you're trying to think of how to replace him. And of course, if we just go back to a bit pre-Saliba when we weren't even sure that he was ever going to get picked to play for Arsenal, Gabriel and Ben White as a pair...

was probably what kind of...

the foundation that kick-started Arsenal being a bit more serious again. Yes. So there's lots of things that come into it. It's not just as simple as saying, who do you want to lose? Although, obviously, ideally, neither. Neither is what we think. All right. And a couple on the transfers. Kartik, he was saying the Bayern Villa, Bayern week, almost finished the season for us. Well...

I mean, we won every other game after that, didn't we, as well? So I wouldn't say finished particularly, but I understand the point you're making. But,

one of the things that hurt there was fatigue and not having enough on the bench to turn it around. A year on, are we better placed to handle it? No, we're not, Adrian. No, Adrian, you're shaking your head. We're not, are we? And why not? We're worse, aren't we? Because we've had to suffer so many injuries. So, yeah, we're less equipped to handle it. Hopefully, Saka comes back, you know, in the not too distant future. Martinelli, a month will hopefully fly by if there's not too many games. So, yeah,

I'm not going to go over the transfer window again. I think we were all disappointed that we didn't add to our attacking ranks. But we can't change it now. Hand on heart, I am less optimistic now than I was on January the 31st because we didn't add. It's as simple as that. Yeah, just kind of linking the past two questions. Beefy Burgers sent this question in as well saying, is the team in danger of becoming nearly men?

there is a strong chance that key members of the team may begin to think it will never happen in Arsenal and decide to move on. I think that's a really interesting point because, you know, I think players need to feel that sense of ambition as well. And for whatever Arsenal fans or the media or observers think, what are they thinking inside the dressing room about nobody being brought in to help? And are they looking around thinking...

To go a month, and of course we don't even know what's going to happen over that month. There may be another injury, God help us. But to go a month without Saka, Martinelli and Jesus, when you think about the squad at the beginning of the season, all at the same time, it's mind-boggling. And, you know, again, we don't want to go over it all again, but there is messaging as well that matters, right?

I mean, we're talking about William Saliba, the

and there is noise from Madrid. I mean, I always felt that with two years left on the contract, he's going to look around and go, are we good enough to win things? Because he can absolutely go to Madrid. There's no guarantees, of course, but that really is the point, isn't it? It's strengthening. And we've been around the transfer window so many times and I'm starting to piss myself off, actually. All right, listen, there are other questions, by the way, and we can get to some of them on Twitter.

Thursday. We'll do one more. Will wrote, do you notice a pattern in the style of Arsenal defeats? Sometimes it seems a bit predictable. How should Mikel mix it when we need to? Love the pod. Hello all the way from Idaho in the USA. Idaho. Is that the potatoes, Idaho? Or is that the corn? Iowa's the corn. Idaho's the potatoes, I believe.

I'm looking at you two, looking at me going, we have no idea. What are you doing, Stoney? Anyway, hello, Will from Idaho. The pattern in the style of Arsenal defeats. Well, there ain't been that many. Can we just...

First of all, so there aren't that many. I was talking to you yesterday. They've lost 21 out of 46. Just by the way, we've lost, what, five or six this year, Adrian. Do you see a pattern or do you think sometimes it's circumstances? Sometimes people getting sent off at Bournemouth didn't help, but we played terrible anyway. I don't know. What do you think? Well,

Well, it's Newcastle as a pattern, isn't it? Most of our recent defeats have been at the hands of Newcastle. The pattern is if we play Newcastle, we lose. Yes. And if they weren't at the hands of Newcastle, they were at Bournemouth. And obviously there are different circumstances there. But those two clubs do have something in common in terms of trying to rough us up. That they really got aggressive and they stopped our flow and they pressed us very hard.

very, very aggressively. Both of those teams.

And yeah, I suppose it impacted us. So that's something to look at. And in both cases, we had a lot of the ball and failed to break them down. So, you know, the Everton wasn't a defeat, but the Everton game, they felt that middle box and asked questions. So yeah, that's where we've got to improve. We've got to find new ways, better ways of breaking down teams that pack that central area, haven't we? And we've got to handle physicality a little bit better. We're not...

by any stretch a soft touch but it has impacted us at times and we've got to find a way to be too sharp too good to play around those kind of opponents I think I tell you what last night we missed out and we have missed a few we'll talk more about them on Thursday and about thoughts about how the rest of the season is going to unfold let's have a song to finish Amy what have you got for us?

Is it something by the Idril in... Indri. Indri, sorry. Yeah. Producer Jay, try and dig out some sounds of Indri. Ah, amazing. I am going to go for...

A song by a tribe called Quest called Electric Relaxation. And I hope these few days in Dubai are relaxing but also give that electricity that the team needs to push on again. MUSIC PLAYS

Yeah, quiet. Adrian? Just a bit Dubai sort of inspired. Take your pick between Westlife and the Beach Boys. We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun. But the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time.

We had Tottenham on the run is what I hear, to be honest with you. I think a lot of fans of my vintage would absolutely feel that way. What was it? But the fun didn't last because the bastards ran too fast. That made me laugh. See? Stop spoiling our fun. None of it matters. It's just a bit of a laugh. I'm, yeah, Dubai inspired. Bonnie Hebb.

You can choose the Boney M tune as well, but the Boney M one is just a beautiful song. Now the dark days are done and the bright days are here

As I say, we'll be back Thursday to preview Leicester in the Premier League and discuss expectations for the remainder of the season. In the meantime, thanks to Adrian, thanks to Amy and thanks to Jay, our producer. And enjoy the rest of your week and celebrate however you want. See you. MUSIC