supergrass

Noble indeed Mr Redknapp. There are some great bits in that article, like suggesting Redknapp might somehow know how much all these overpaid players are on who ran the club into debts. Or how he proved Tony Adams wrong by virtue of the fact that Kanu is still at Portsmouth 6 years after Adams said he was finished...yes, 6 years of generally doing not a lot, scoring no goals, collecting a big wage. You win again 'Arry.

Just catching up on the Olympic highlights from yesterday, I don't think I've ever seen a goalkeeper look as utterly lost as the South African. It actually seemed all of the goals were the result of goalkeeping errors - bar one or two exceptions - and there were a lot of goals. The Korean flag debacle doesn't seem to have dampened English spirits, I've just returned to work after being ordered out to watch the torch come by Fleet Street where my office is. I do not know who was carrying the torch.

What did Frimpong say?

No, not easily, not become the next Xavi, no, no, no. Although his wiki page says he got 666 goals in 34 games last year, so what do I know. Still, he's 27, he's got pace and he's good on the ball, but you can't watch Xavi play a whole lot if you think Cazorla could "easily become" the next him. I'll just assume you have a giant hard-on for him since saying "I can't see how they could possibly get any lower than third this season." based on Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla is madness. They still only have the fifth best squad with Van Persie and these new signings, when they lose RVP they'll still be fifth . That said, I expect a top four finish from Arsenal based on the fact they know what to do to get there, it's not as much a regular thing for Spurs/Newcastle. I still think they can get 4th, but more to do with their history of somehow scraping it or other teams blowing their chances. Arsenal spending £30-£35m in a summer I think has left some people thinking Wenger has finally given it to everone and said "fine, here's your big names, have it your way", but everything's been typical Arsenal. A very small net spend by the time van Persie, Arshavin and Bendtner go, signings from Europe for around £10-£12m, the best player leaving, same as it ever was. Aside from our habit of letting players fall into the last 24 months of their contract, I still like the way Arsenal are run and wouldn't choose to have it any other way. There's enough excitement in seeing how the new signings bed in, if Rosicky has a good year, how Wilshere returns, a full season with Arteta, seeing if Diaby is alive, to make me think it won't be any worse a season than the last few.

Arsenal agree terms with Santi Cazorla, apparently €20m will be the fee. I'd be pleased enough with that, though would also like to see us spend something similar on a proper holding midfielder. I would've said left-back too, but if they sign Cazorla then I guess that means Andre Santos is only being considered as a left-back alongside Gibbs. And it possibly means Podolski is going to be considered more centrally in competition with Giroud than just as a winger. I guess that's the van Persie replacing done, in Arsenal's plan at least. Reading the news story on the Guardian directed me to this. Who saw that going bad?

I'd say the main contender for Arsenal would be Tony Adams. Pat Jennings could make it in, although more as a Spurs nominee than an Arsenal. Players like Cliff Bastin are regarded by the club as all-time greats, but then I think we're looking more at post-war players we can view a decent amount of footage on. You could make a case for the defensive line of Seaman-Dixon-Bould-Adams-Winterburn as a whole, but as individuals other than Adams there are likely to be 2 or 3 better players in each position. Charlie George wasn't bad, Sol Campbell and Ian Wright at their peaks were great at what they did but not sure they'd be greatest Brits of all time material. Sadly Liam Brady is Republic of Ireland, otherwise would've been a decent bet.

Yeah, but they have worse

Heitinga makes for a very rigid, on-edge model. I would like that kit a lot if the trim on the sleeves matched the neck, it's otherwise very plain and simple, what is what a kit needs.

I'm not desperate to watch us lose at Old Trafford again this year, Wolves went down, so it's hopefully only the game at Anfield my eyes will have to endure this kit for. And Stoke, but I feel like this is the kind of kit that might annoy them, so it's worth it.

Yeah, but do Spurs have a tacky pun to go with their new kit and players trapped in a purple geometric nightmare? And this is delightful: Nobody is looking at your silly white boots, Mr Goalkeeper.

While I like a black away shirt, that's a few too many now.

Murray wins. Our French household is still cursing everything from Murray to the apparent cheapness of the seats for the players at Wimbledon.

There's still been little interest outside of City, which looks like his most probable destination. I can't see Barca happening and Madrid is almost as unlikely given the forwards they have, as well as Mourinho seeming to favour a bigger, back to goal forward. City would easily trump anyone else financially, possibly in the likelihood of winning trophies too. It's a shame but I can understand it. He carried Arsenal at times through the season and while signings like Giroud and Podolski (more Giroud) aren't bad, they aren't going to make up the distance on City and United. The best we can hope for is a good price giving us extra money to look at a solid holding midfielder, and that Giroud/Podolski bed in nicely. He stuck by Arsenal through their worst period, they stuck by van Persie through some of his, injury wise. Good luck to him elsewhere. Wenger should probably stop letting players run into the last 2 years of their deals, Walcott is in the same situation now.

Weren't United always going on about his contract demands being ridiculous for a player of his age? Maybe Juve were willing to take more of a gamble on him now and pay him a decent wage in the hope he's tied to the contract and progresses well. I'm sure Pogba will be a very wealthy man whatever happens.

And refused to enter the bidding for Xabi Alonso when he could possibly have got him because it would've "killed" Denilson's development. I can't see them buying a keeper unless Fabianski leaves and they need a new #2, which I think they do. But Wenger is apparently quite keen on the young Argentine (Martinez?) and then there's Mannone, so maybe no new goalkeepers at all. Edit: With Pogba, players you acquire like that often leave the same way, it's to be expected.

Milan aren't playing in stripes this year? I like black away kits, with the caveat that they must be worn by good sides. Milan qualify. While the pink striped version of Bordeaux's kit will presumably sell well with the female fans, is it really different enough to the home shirt that it'll ever be used?

The BBC could probably find someone a lot cheaper to say: "Next up, xxxx play xxxx...so what did you think of that, Alan?"

Who was supporting on the day you went? And any good?

I've never really had a problem with Denilson outside of what he earns. Arsenal's wage structure is designed to reward first time performances and keep the kids happy and tied down long term. The obvious problem being that when it doesn't quite work out, as with Denilson or Bendtner, you end up with a player earning so much you can't shift them. If he comes back it wouldn't be the worst thing. He's not amazing, but tidy enough and he might've been handy to have at the end of the season when Arteta was injured and Ramsey was struggling for form. On a side note, has Denilson been playing all that much for Sao Paulo? Arsenal have done a few reports but it seems like he's not selected or a sub as often as he is a starter.

At least last season's Arsenal away kit had a familiar colour scheme if nothing else, although I prefer the traditional yellow shirt, blue trim. Easy. Purple stripes need never enter the equation. I don't buy kits, and when I see Arsenal play it's at the Emirates, so ultimately don't really care and won't have to view it in person. But still. I don't like that at all. Two shades of a dark blue and no smaller stripes on the sleeves would've been better.

The last one was great, and the previous Puma effort before that really good - although the white triangle below the collar needlessly interrupts the blue and I didn't like the shorts or that Puma gave that kit to everyone. I know kit designers have limited scope to work within, but so many kits this year have a "for the sake of it" feel to them. The worst offender remains Barcelona, or any team with stripes who have seen them messed with and a simple, classic design ruined.

No shocks on this, but a done deal: Now let's never speak of Chamakh again.

Perhaps just the photo, but it looks so cheap. It's probably not helped by the shirt being too big. I prefer a plainer football shirt. The sleeve trim is ok if you have to, but the side panels, the grey slashes, the bird on the back - awful. But it's Tottenham, so why not?

Off the top of my head missing from the time I saw Jack White before was I'm Slowly Turning Into You, My Doorbell, Seven Nation Army (which while I don't love after milion listens was really great live), Carolina Drama, Steady As She Goes and Love Interruption. But still, taking the gig in isolation I wouldn't criticise it all, and should a further tour be scheduled I will be going again.

I was reading earlier that Wenger claimed the Giroud deal is 90% done, which sounds about right. Apparently he also said van Persie wouldn't be interested in moving to Juventus as the league was inferior to the Premier League, which sounded a bit less like Wenger. Hopefully this one resolves quickly one way or another anyway. Real Madrid and Barca as of yet are not interested, City is apparently not an option to van Persie, all the while the signing of Giroud looks more like a replacement than someone to play alongside or on the bench behind van Persie.