Should Luis Suarez be banned for “Biting” at the World Cup in Brazil?

Luis Suarez is a supremely gifted footballer who unfortunately has a habit of losing control on the pitch and after “allegedly” biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in Uruguay’s final World Cup group game, Suarez’ career is once more in the dock.

At the time of writing, FIFA have yet to come forward with a decision on what disciplinary action (if any) it will hand out to Suarez. Some are suggesting a complete ban from the remainder of the world cup, others believe a much harsher sentence is deserved, with this being the third “biting” incident the player has been involved in.

There are certainly those who dislike Luis Suarez and would love to see his career ended and there are those (not just Liverpool fans) who would somehow like to see him rehabilitated so that the sport can retain the services of one of its greatest modern day players.

There are many different arguments of course, one being that if a company employee were to bite a fellow worker, that he (or she) would surely be sacked. Others point to the fact that this is not a one off lapse in concentration or self-restraint and that Suarez might have deeper underlying problems that need dealing with. All valid points.

Some might say that football is out of control altogether. How many players receive multiple red cards in their career and simply get away with a three match ban every time and perhaps an insignificant fine from their clubs? Remember, very often a red card is dished out for violent conduct! There is no excuse for biting – it is violent and vile but perhaps the same can be said of the deliberate use of elbows or those horror tackles where the studs are showing – they are all acts of violence and very often they are repeated by players again and again with intent. Where is their punishment?

Luis Suarez is at a critical point in his career and one would argue, his life in general. A hefty ban, could impact not just his (and his country’s) World Cup but his club career too. Despite a simply stunning season for Liverpool last time out, the Uruguayan is clearly unhappy with the way he is treated by the English media and may possibly be looking for an escape route with the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid showing more than a little interest. However, will anyone want to pay in excess of £70 million for a player who not only has some major issues but might also be banned for a significant amount of time? Will Liverpool, or can Liverpool stand by their man once more in the face of such global condemnation and pressure?

For what it’s worth, I believe that Suarez needs to be punished accordingly and given perhaps a final warning, that when returning from the latest ban, if it were to happen again a life ban would be waiting. At the same time, I am neither a Liverpool fan nor Uruguayan, but I believe that losing Luis Suarez for good from our football pitches would be a genuine loss. Such a wonderful player, such a shame.

Who will win the World Cup in Brazil 2014? Lifting the Trophy at the Maracana

England have fallen by the wayside alongside defending world champions Spain, but there are still plenty of big hitters left in World Cup 2014 as we close in on the last 16 (or round of 16 as it's often called). Brazil, Argentina, The Netherlands (Holland) and Germany are all still present and correct at the time of writing. On South American soil, we also still have Colombia, Uruguay (with or without Luis Suarez) and Chile who must not be underestimated in a climate they are (relatively) used to and with massive backing from their fans.

Mexico and Costa Rica are also still in there and will be hard to beat in the knock-out stages. Of the European contingent, France, Germany, Holland and Belgium look the strongest prospects and are indeed the only four safely through at this time.

It’s difficult to make a concrete case for any of the teams, however, having all showed frailties in their opening matches. Hosts Brazil may have scored 7 goals (Neymar with 4 of them) but they have looked anything but secure at the back. Argentina have underwhelmed and have been bailed out of trouble by two pieces of magic from Lionel Messi. The Dutch have been generally excellent but laboured in their win against the Socceroo’s of Australia and now face an unbeaten and stubborn Mexico for a place in the quarter finals. Chile looked the part until they were undone by Holland and now face Brazil in the last 16. Belgium were much fancied before the tournament began and they may yet be, but two narrow wins at the group stage against unfancied opponents haven’t exactly left us drooling yet!

Germany were excellent against an ordinary Portugal but then struggled to overcome Ghana, who certainly look the most promising of the African teams (despite their progress hanging by a thread). Colombia have looked very comfortable playing some very nice football but again have yet to be tested by strong opposition. Perhaps the team who have surprised the most is France. Very poor in recent tournaments with plenty of unrest in the camp, the French seem to have sorted themselves out. Admittedly, the group with Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras was one of the friendlier groups to have been placed in but impressive demolitions of the Swiss and Honduras surely bodes well for Didier Deschamps’ squad.

So, I wouldn't like to hang my hat on a definite winner at this stage but my personal feeling is that perhaps one of the South American teams will still just have the edge in familiar surroundings. With that said, as a neutral (my own country didn't even qualify for the finals), if the matches continue to be as entertaining as the ones we have witnessed so far, football (or soccer to much of the world) will be the winner when someone lifts the world cup at the Maracana on 13^th July 2014.

Will Premier League Team "F" be Fabulous or Flops?

If you were with us for the Team “E” post, you will remember that they were possibly the weakest squad in this series of alphabetic Premier League teams (essentially squads made up entirely of players with surnames of a particular letter of the alphabet). I am not sure I would label team “F” as fantastic but they certainly look an improvement (on paper at least) over team “E”.

Let’s have a look at the starting eleven.

Goalkeeper: Fabianski (Arsenal)

Defenders: Flanagan (Liverpool), Ferdinand (Man United), Fonte (Southampton), Fabio (Cardiff City)

Midfielders: Flamini (Arsenal), Fernandinho (Man City), Fer (Norwich City), Fellaini (Man Utd) Darren Fletcher (Man Utd)

Forward: Steven Fletcher (Sunderland)

Squad Members/Reserves: Friedel (Spurs), Fryers (Spurs), Faye (Hull City), Fryatt (Hull City), Fox (Norwich)

With a lack of strikers in this category, we have once again opted for a 4-5-1 formation. If all of them play to their potential though, it’s a pretty tasty midfield! In fact there isn’t an awful lot more depth to this squad than there was for Team “E” but at least there are a handful of substitutes to just about keep the squad fresh.

I have opted for Fabianski in goal. Friedel would be another solid choice but he is 42 now so I have opted for the younger goalkeeper.

Rio Ferdinand (I still don’t understand why he isn’t featuring more often under David Moyes) and Jose Fonte are the two centre backs - No spring chickens but entirely capable with bags of experience. The full backs are Jon Flanagan of Liverpool who is enjoying a good run in the side at present and Fabio who hasn’t really fulfilled his potential yet but a recent move to Cardiff City might kick start his career.

The midfield five is strong. Flamini can sit just in front of the defensive unit and provide valuable cover whilst also using his ball winning skills in midfield. Fernandinho, after an unconvincing start at the Etihad Stadium has now won the fans and critics around with his busy and effective performances. Fellaini and Fletcher are two of the misfiring Manchester United midfielders but if form returns are both classy midfielders. Leroy Fer meanwhile has enjoyed a solid start to his Norwich career in a season of struggle for The Canaries.

The lone striker is Steven Fletcher who enjoyed a more productive season last time and is struggling for game time but he is our only available striker in this category.

What do you think of the line-up?

Can Dembele, Dejagah and Dzeko Propel Team "D" Up the League?

Throughout the series so far, teams have tended to line up with either a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 system, so team D is certainly a first, with a 4-5-1 system seeming like the best option given the availability of players under this “D” category. Let’s have a look.

Goalkeeper: De Gea (Man Utd)

Defenders: Debuchy (Newcastle Utd), Michael Dawson (Spurs), Ben Davies (Swansea City), Demichelis (Man City)

Midfielders: Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur), David Luiz (Chelsea), De Guzman (Swansea City), Downing (West Ham Utd), Dejagah (Fulham)

Forwards: Dzeko (Man City)

Squad Players/Reserves: Dummet (Newcastle), Delph (Aston Villa), Demel, Diame & Diarra (West Ham), Curtis Davies (Hull City), Dann, Delaney & Dikgacoi (Crystal Palace) Do Prado (Southampton), Duff (Fulham), Deulofeu (Everton)

As with team “C”, David de Gea is really the only available choice in the goalkeeping position and I am not going to complain, despite Manchester United’s poor form this season, de Gea has certainly now established himself as number one at Old Trafford and at still only 23 is becoming a very capable goalkeeper.

In the full back positions, we have the highly rated Debuchy of Newcastle and the equally highly rated Ben Davies of Swansea. In the centre we have the steady Michael Dawson and perhaps the most controversial choice in this team, Demichelis of Man City. Others may opt for Demel or Curtis Davies but I stick by my choice.

Now then, the 5 midfielders in this 4-5-1. Dembele would probably walk into at least 18 of the Premier League midfield units, so is a strong choice here. Perhaps the same could be said of David Luiz, although some might prefer to play him as a defender. Stewart Downing on his day (although he does seem to be having fewer of them) can be terrific and can supply a steady stream of crosses into the box. De Guzman is also creative and gets from box to box well, while Dejagah has been one of the few bright lights for struggling Fulham this season. Dejagah is also possibly the only Iranian international to be playing regular Premier League football.

The lone striker then is Edin Dzeko. I would imagine that Dzeko has one of the best Premier League strike rates (goals per game time) in recent years. He has 38 goals in 98 league appearances for Man City with many of those appearances being as a late substitute. One goal in every 2.5 matches is relatively decent in normal circumstances but taking his game time into account, it’s nothing short of prolific. Dzeko is probably the only out and out striker in the team “D” squad with perhaps only Deulofeu offering any challenge for the position.

I think that this team pretty much picks itself, what do you think?

Team "T" is in Town - A Terrific Premier League Line Up

If you were a football manager who could assemble a squad of players from the Premier League with the only restriction that their surnames begin with the letter “T”, then your team may look something similar to the one below.

Theoretically, you could field a back 4 of Taylor’s (2 from Newcastle, 1 from Swansea and 1 from Cardiff) with another Taylor (Matt from West Ham) in midfield. Alternatively, you could opt for a double Taylor, Turner (Ben from Cardiff and Michael from Norwich) defensive unit, but that’s up to you. Let’s see who I would pick and you can agree to disagree if you have a preferred 11.

Goalkeeper – Tremmel (Swansea City) I couldn't unearth another current “T” Premier League goalkeeper, so let’s hope he doesn’t get injured!

Defenders – John Terry (Chelsea), Neil Taylor (Swansea), James Tomkins (West Ham United), Kolo Toure (Liverpool)

Midfielders – Yaya Toure (Man City), Cheick Tiote (Newcastle United), Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur), Alexander Tettey (Norwich City)

Forwards – Fernando Torres (Chelsea), Lacina Traore

Subs and Squad Members: Taylor x 4 (See above), Turner x 2 (See above), Tonev (Aston Villa), Tiendalli (Swansea), Tunnicliffe and Tankovic (Fulham)

On paper, this “T” team doesn’t look as strong as some of the previous entries into the series but there is still plenty of quality on show. A leader at the back in John Terry, plenty of other experience from Kolo Toure (who has had a hard time from fans of both Liverpool and Man City in recent seasons). The midfield is quite tasty with many believing the Kolo’s brother, Yaya is one of the best (if not the best) midfielders in world soccer. Cheick Tiote will provide plenty of steel and Townsend the flair going forward.

Up front, Fernando Torres may not be the prolific striker he once was but he would still walk into the starting line-up of the majority of Premier League teams, while Everton’s Traore is really untried at this level, but he is an Ivorian international goalscorer so plenty of pedigree.

Do you think you can assemble a better “T” team from the current crop of English Premier League players?

Premier League Football Alphabet - Norwich, Negredo, Ozil and Oscar

Some letters of the alphabet lend themselves better to this Premier League football series than others. “N” and “O” might be slight on quantity but there is plenty of quality to make up for it.

N

Norwich City are the only team to fit into this particular chapter and despite 3 wins in their last 5 games (they won only 2 of the first 10) this could be another season of struggle for the Canaries. Those recent wins have taken Norwich up to 14^th (at the time of writing) with 17 points from 15 games and they have 4 points between themselves and the bottom 3. In the summer, Grant Holt was sold to Wigan and in came 3 new strikers in Gary Hooper, Johan Elmander and Ricky van Wolfswinkel. These 3 new arrivals all came with good pedigree and hopes were high that the goals would flow and this might keep Norwich away from the relegation scrap. Van Wolfswinkel picked up an injury, Elmander has yet to score a league goal and Hooper after a slow start is now showing signs of promise with 3 goals in his last 5 appearances.

In their next 10 league matches, the Canaries only face 2 of what might be considered top 6 sides (Man United and Everton), so this will be an absolutely crucial period in which points must be won. If you look at their last 4 fixtures of the season, it’s not difficult to envision a zero return from them – Liverpool and Arsenal at home, Manchester United and Chelsea away! So, where will Chris Hughton’s team finish this season? For me, they will avoid the drop – but only just.

Manchester City brought in 4 or 5 big name signings in the summer and so far it is only Alvaro Negredo that seems to have really justified the cash outlay. He has 6 goals to his name already and in recent weeks has been linking up well with Sergio Aguero (who admittedly has been hogging the limelight with his prolific goal scoring) and it seems that the manager has settled on these two as the best partnership for now. Negredo scored goals throughout his time in Spain’s La Liga and has a record of almost 1 goal every 2 games for the national side – although he is not used with any particular frequency. I think the Premier League will see a lot more goals from this Spanish International.

O

Arsenal bought Mesut Ozil at the end of the transfer window and despite only one league defeat at the time, there was a certain doom and gloom surrounding Arsene Wenger and the Emirates Stadium. It’s a signing that has quite literally transformed the atmosphere around the Gunners. They are playing great football, sit clear at the top of the Premier League and have a number of players in terrific form, including Ozil. The German international has brought a confidence to Arsenal that hasn’t really been present since losing Van Persie and perhaps even Fabregas before that.

Another two “O” players definitely worth a mention here are a Brazilian and an Argentinian Italian. Chelsea’s Oscar has been terrific so far this season. He was good in spells last year but now looks like he has truly settled in England and is really showing his qualities. Dani Osvaldo was certainly a big signing for a club the size of Southampton. He was a regular goal scorer in both the Spanish and Italian leagues before joining the Saints. Osvaldo has had a relatively slow start to his career on the South Coast but fans who saw his goal against Man City recently will begin rubbing their hands in anticipation of the kind of player they now have at their club.

Liverpool, Lukaku, Lloris and Lallana Light up Premier League Alphabet

It’s still relatively early days but Liverpool can be really happy with their season so far. However, with Everton, Man City, Chelsea and Spurs to play (all away from home) before the New Year, things may look quite different come the half way stage of the season. In recent seasons though, Liverpool have not been flying quite as high as they are right now. Brendan Rodgers has settled in and his team is starting to take shape after he inherited a squad that had been built largely by Kenny Dalglish and Roy Hodgson.

Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge have been prolific so far. Steven Gerrard, admittedly now in the twilight of his career, is probably having his most injury free run in the side for a few years and seems to be relishing the responsibility he has been given with the England captaincy. Coutinho has added some much needed flair to that midfield while Jordan Henderson is having is best spell ever in a Liverpool shirt.

Defensively, it’s been a mixed bag. The Reds kept 3 clean sheets in succession at the start of the season but didn’t get another until the recent thrashing of Fulham. Many will point to the experimentation of playing 3 centre backs which doesn’t really seem to have worked but also to Glen Johnson. He was present for the opening 3 clean sheets but then effectively missing through injury until the latest clean sheet against Fulham. So, a great start for Liverpool and by January 1^st 2014 we should know whether they have the legs for a title challenge or whether they will be content with battling for a Champions League spot.

There are some great players in this “L” category too and many of them have already created good talking points this season.

Hugo Lloris – Is the Tottenham goalkeeper the best in the Premier League and should he have been substituted after that head injury at Everton?

Romelu Lukaku – What a great loan signing for Everton and sure to be amongst the league’s top scorers this season.

Frank Lampard – Still a favourite of Jose Mourinho but could this be Frank’s final season at the very top? I am a massive Lampard fan and in my opinion he has been the best midfielder in the league for 10 years, but there are signs that age is finally catching up with him.

Ricky Lambert and Adam Lallana – Have now both been capped by England and their terrific form has helped Southampton to the dizzying heights of the top 4 in the Premier League.

Erik Lamela – Many hadn’t even heard of him when Spurs made him their most expensive signing ever and with the emergence of Andros Townsend coupled with his (Lamela’s) inability to speak English, he has found settling in London really tough. However, those who saw his display against Sheriff Tiraspol in the last round of the Europa league, will have noted the potential of the young Argentinian. It may take a while but there could be a superstar waiting to explode at White Hart Lane – and they certainly need one after the departure of Gareth Bale!

Premier League Football Alphabet - The "K" Team

After the relatively successful experiment last time out of compiling a functional team of current premier league football players whose last names begin with the letter “J”, I thought I would try it again with the letter “K”. Off the top of my head, I was struggling but I think I found enough players to probably form a better team than team “J”.

Think of the past and names such as Keegan, Kennedy, Klinsmann, Keane, King, Kanu and Kuyt have all graced the top flight of English football, but what of the current “K” team?

How they line up:

Goalkeeper – Krul (Newcastle United)

Defenders – Koscielny (Arsenal), Kompany (Man City), Kolorov (Man City), Kaboul (Spurs)

Midfield – Kasami (Fulham), Kagawa (Man Utd), Karagounis (Fulham), Kacaniklic (Fulham)

Forwards – Kone (Everton), Kozak (Aston Villa)

Subs: Kane, Kim, Ki, Kebe

There wasn't much in the way of available substitutes for team “J” but the “K” team has strength in depth for starters.

This defensive unit is truly impressive although one of those centre backs is going to have fill in at right back in order to play a flat back four. You could play a 3 at the back and push Kolorov into midfield so there is flexibility too.

The midfield is perhaps a little but Fulham heavy – so perhaps Kebe (Crystal Palace) in for Karagounis (since he is getting on a bit) might work a bit better. An in form (his Borussia Dortmund days) Kagawa adds a touch of class to a team that is full of seasoned internationals but is perhaps erring on the side of solid rather than spectacular.

The front two perhaps indicate that the long, aerial ball might better suit this team but you could probably swap out the currently injured Kone for Tottenham’s Harry Kane if you wanted a bit more guile.

I personally thing that this “K” team could certainly hold its own in the Premier League with plenty of 1-0 victories and draws away from home. Put them head to head against team “J” and there is only one winner – what do you think?

Play Your Scarves Right - Looking Cool, Feeling Warm

Is it time to dig out the football scarf yet? The timing is of course crucial. Start wearing it too early and you end up sweating at the game, too late and you could endure what feels like the coldest couple of hours ever!  It’s been a really mild autumn so far, which has followed on from a surprisingly decent summer in the UK, so it’s really complicated the issue this time around. Usually by the end of October, scarf wearing season is in full swing but not so this year.

However, as November approaches, I can just feel it in my bones, that the trusty scarf will need to be fully operational soon. Of course, there are all kinds of football scarves and I have owned a fair few over the years. There’s that first one you get when you are a kid – at the time it’s really cool with your team’s name and badge plastered all over it and when you are not out at the match, you sort of hang it from your bedroom wall as a banner. I still have that one somewhere, but it’s not looking its best these days.

Then there’s the first football scarf you buy as a young adult – it still has your team’s name on it but it’s a bit more conservative and it’s something you tend to wear for football only. As soon as you get home from the match…it goes into the wardrobe or onto the hanger and stays there until next match day. It certainly doesn't get draped from your bedroom wall – especially if you have a girlfriend by then!

Then there’s the football scarf you inherit from a fan of the opposing team – this seems to happen more at international matches (perhaps less frequently now than it used to and perhaps not at all at an England v Scotland fixture), when after the game everyone is in good spirits after a friendly draw and some jovial (and a bit drunk) chap comes up to you and asks if you want to swap scarves. You don’t (want to) of course, but feel a bit intimidated and on the spot, so you reluctantly hand over your colours and hope your pocket is big enough for these new strange colours as you try and stuff it all in there before any of your friends see.

There is also the scarf you buy by mistake, either at the club shop or from one of those ropey street vendors selling “official” merchandise. Your forgot yours (or it was in the wash) and you desperately need a scarf for the game, so you look for the cheapest one you can find and hand over your fiver, feeling pretty pleased with yourself! That is, until you realise that it barely wraps once around your neck! You might be wearing your team colours but you look like a complete idiot.

Then finally, there is the designer football scarf. This is the one with a branded name on a tiny label and the one you are willing to pay a bit extra for – because it has that branded name on a tiny label! However, if you play your scarves right, this one turns out to be of real quality and although it doesn't have your team’s name splashed across it, it’s the right colours and it does mean you can also safely wear it down at the pub on a non-match day.

There are a few different companies that sell this kind of designer football scarf but I got my mine from Appleberry and it really is impressive! The first thing that struck me about it was the length – it must be nearly 6ft long! It’s so warm too, apparently it’s made completely from wool and it certainly feels like it. I don’t rejoice in watching fellow spectators shiver but I certainly feel a bit smug when I am all snug - wrapped in my toasty warm scarf! Check them out if you are looking for your next really cool football scarf.

Premier League Football Alphabet 2013/2014 – E for Everton

It’s an important season for Everton. In fact, that might be an understatement, it’s a massive season for Everton and all those associated with the Goodison Park club. After 11 years of hard work and quality service, David Moyes left his managerial post to take on the biggest job in English football as manager of Manchester United. In stepped former Wigan Athletic manager, Roberto Martinez – highly respected but somewhat unproven at the very top levels of the game. In his final season at Wigan, Martinez led the Latics to FA Cup Glory but also relegation from the Premier League.

So, there is a change at the top and new ideas to not only bring in but to bed in. There are some new players too and one might argue that despite the loss of hugely influential Belgian, Marouane Fellaini (who followed his old boss to Old Trafford) on transfer deadline day, they did manage to hold onto (some would say even more influential) Leighton Baines. The Toffees also managed to secure the services of midfield duo James McCarthy and Gareth Barry as well as striker Romelu Lukaku. Many expected Lukaku (dubbed by some as the new Didier Drogba) to feature heavily for Chelsea this season after his 17 goals for West Brom last time out and an impressive pre season for Chelsea, so his signature (even on a season long loan) could be highly significant. It does perhaps leave Arouna Kone wondering what he might have to do to become a first team starter.

How high can Everton finish? Before the transfer window closed, many may have settled for mid table solidity in the first season under a new manager, but with those new additions, perhaps there will now be hope of something a little better. After the first 3 games, the Toffees defence looks as solid as ever but with just 2 goals scored, the Goodison faithful will be pinning a lot on Lukaku getting on the end of those delicious crosses from Baines.

D for Dembele, De Bruyne and Dzeko - Premier League Football Alphabet 2013/2014

At the time of writing, we have seen all but two of this year’s Premier League teams in action, with Manchester City and Newcastle United in action tonight. We are working our way through the alphabet and have reached the letter "D". Slim pickings I am afraid but there are still a few exciting players we can talk about.

Mousa Dembele is now in his second season with Spurs and he will hope to be as influential in the Tottenham midfield as he was last season and perhaps even more so, now that the landscape is changing around him. With Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore and Clint Dempsey already departed and Scott Parker likely to follow suit, Dembele will now be accompanied in the centre of the field by the likes of Brazilian playmaker Paulinho and Etienne Capoue. The Belgian is big and strong and gets through an enormous amount of work but Spurs fans will be hoping he can weigh in with more goals, especially if Gareth Bale leaves the club.

Another Belgian, another midfielder and another great player - Kevin De Bruyne is not a new Chelsea signing but he might as well be given that his first season was spent out on loan at Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga. It seems that Jose Mourinho likes the look of him and after notching 10 goals for the German side last season, it seems the Blues have yet another goal scoring midfielder on their hands.  He is still only 22 and already has 3 goals for the Belgian national team and his place in the Chelsea starting line up for the opening day victory against Hull City might have a few Fantasy Football managers checking out his value.

Edin Dzeko is a goal scorer. He struck 66 times in 111 appearances for Wolfsburg and so far has 30 in 76 appearances for Man City. That’s almost 1 in 2 for City and many of those appearances came from the subs bench, so his goals per on field minutes will be very high. Carlos Tevez has departed but Negredo and Jovetic have arrived, whilst Sergio Aguero is still at The Etihad Stadium so the competition for places is stronger than ever for a starting place in the starting City eleven. If new City boss, Manuel Pellegrini gives the Bosnian striker more pitch time, he could score an absolute hat full this season.

2013/2014 Football Alphabet - A

A

Arsene Wenger and Arsenal – With the other big “A”, Sir Alex Ferguson, retiring at the end of the 2012-2013 season, the Arsenal manager becomes the current longest serving manager in the Premier League in what is surely yet another “crucial” season for the Gunners.

Without a trophy since 2005 and a history of selling their best players, there seems to be a different mood around the Emirates as the new season approaches. The manager himself has admitted he has more money to play with this time around and there have been some big names linked with a move to the club, with Luiz Suarez and Cesc Fabregas amongst those that have been mentioned. It remains to be seen who will sign on the dotted line but the names and amounts being talked about are clearly a statement of intent. 

With 8 trophy-less seasons behind them, Wenger will be keen to end that streak in what will be his 18^th season in charge at Arsenal. If the boss can bring in 2 or 3 high calibre signings, then Gunners fans have every reason to be optimistic with the outline of a good squad already in existence. Old Trafford has seen a changing of the guard and both Manchester City and Chelsea have new managers at the helm, so it might be a perfect time for Arsenal to exploit any transition periods at those clubs.

Alphabet to be continued...