Santi – A Signing Of Intent
Aug 7th, 2012 by 'holic
As many are pointing out, confirmation of the signing of Santi Cazorla from Malaga brings Arsenal’s summer spend on three proven internationals to a figure approximately equal to one Andy Carroll.
I don’t know about our ill-advised Dutchman or our muck-raking second largest shareholder, but that represents a sign of ambition, a statement of intent as far as I am concerned. It has taken Arsenal rather longer than expected to reach this point but at last some of the proceeds of the property side of the business are being redistributed to strengthen the playing squad.
All of which renders the latest comments from Alisher Usmanov a tad absurd. It is perhaps dawning on him that he has been sold a pup by a mush from Shepherds Bush. A minority shareholding, no matter how much you have paid for it, is just that. He is another victim of the sting that David Dein attempted, not that anybody will shed any tears for him. His attempts to whip up unrest in the fanbase haven’t a hope in hell of succeeding at a time when Arsenal are finally making the moves in the market that so many have demanded.
I would suggest the Uzbek would be better advised to release some of his shares to the Fanshare scheme if he wants to start winning hearts and minds, rather than continually sniping at those in control. Like it or not, he is only a bit part player as long as Stan Kroenke owns two thirds of the club. Insert something here about he who pays the piper calls the tune. Seriously, unless Kroenke is prepared to sell to him he cannot hope to increase his influence at the club. A few shares gifted to the supporters would speak much louder than bitter words of recrimination.
It is likely that those in Highbury House will be more concerned with the activities of Darren Dein, Damien to Dad’s Delboy. He is hawking some of the club’s best assets around Manchester and Europe but so far has failed to deliver for those he ‘represents’ or ‘advises’. While Usmanov can only throw sticks and stones the real agent of division in North London remains a threat, with van Persie, Walcott, and now Song made restless by the seller of greener grass elsewhere.
All the club can do is release the unsettled, preferably sooner rather than later, and continue to bring in quality players in their place at reasonable wages for sensible fees. It is those who want to wear the cannon who will get the full backing of the support. We all want the same thing for the club, even if there are differences of opinion about the right way to get there. The sort of investment the club has made so far this summer, with another arrival or two possibly in the pipeline, offers the prospect of us being more competitive with our main rivals this season.
For that, the club should be applauded. We all wanted them to act, they have. I know the enthusiasm for the season is conditional on the side getting off to a good start and remaining in the title chase. For now though let’s hope the upbeat mood fostered by some shrewd signings will help to provide that good start.
468 Responses to “Santi – A Signing Of Intent”
First! I’ll have what the barman is having. Except not Guiness!
Three-fingers of your finest whiskey please!
First! I’ll have what the barman is having. Except not Guinness!
Three-fingers of your finest whiskey please!
I heard you the first time Hazza 😉
Heh Holic, from the first line to the last, the post is golden 😉
Second!…
Makes the cost of our signings amazing value when it’s roughly one Andy Carroll! 😀
Sign that contract Robin, we know you want to..
Nice Oympic link there, Wind! Top half?
Solely for the benefit of the teeming numbers (???) of you holics who are wondering about the correct pronunciation of Cazorla, now knowing that he hails from Asturias I have found a link to the typical pronunciation of sounds in the Asturian dialect, definitively (???) showing that Cazorla should properly be said as CASORLA. If anyone has documentation to the contrary I will be happy to find further documentation in favor of (or further confusing) this thesis.
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/asturian.htm
So glad you picked up on the Darren Dein threat, Holic.
It beggars belief that he constantly unsettles our players, and yet his Dad´s associates try and claim that they have AFC´s best interests at heart.
If that´s the case, then give your son a slap…
OK – I never seen Cazorla play.
Over the last week or so the excitement of his arrival leads me to believe he’s decent.
But a quick look at his career stats to date (on .com) aren’t wondrous.
A goal every 4 or so games.
So I’d love to hear from ‘holics who know more than I do as to why I should be salivating at the prospect of Santi…
Yep, things are definitaley looking on the up. Cazorla gives us a massive boost in attacking quality. And if Van Persie stays even for this one last season I can say that the squad will be strong enough to challange for first prize on a few fronts this coming season. We’ve had the quality in the past few years, but never really the experience to win when it matters. It has become a norm in the past few seasons to bow out of all contention come March – April. With the more experienced players brought in, we have a much better chance to overcome that hurdle when it appears on the horizon. Well we can only hope that will be the case, but I for one am feeling optimistic. I usually do at the beggining of each season anyways, but it just feels slightly different this year. New coaching staff, new faces and hopefully a new more ruthless Arsenal when it comes to putting oponents to the sword. We’ve always had the quality and the desire, now it’s time to marry those two with the belief to win every time the team takes to the pitch. It’s down to Wenger to re-discover that missing ingredient and instal it in the squad. And I think he has the right personnel at his disposal to do exactly that.
http://www.amazon.com/SANTI-beer-cerveza-wall-clock/dp/B004XO80FQ
Nice one Holic.
I can see the Happy Train ticket office is going to be busy.
Decisions to be made – do we dispense with bubble-wrap suits to free up space?
And someone bring on board Darren and David Dein – then it can be the Slappy Train…. 8)
Was amused/irritated (delete as appropriate) to learn the Russian blaming ‘boardroom politics’ for on-field performances. Investors invest to make a financial return. Beyond that, butt out. Looking forward to a season filled with promise, goals and, hopefully, silverware.
I agree but I cant help but feel that the recent spending was brought on by the fear of losing RVP and the impending threat of Usmanov. Liverpool have shown that a rioting fanbase can reck havoc for the execs.
A tumbler of Glenfiddich barkeep! And leave the bottle, I intend to get utterly smashed, that’s how thrilled I am at the official confirmation of the signing of one of the most gifted midfielders I’ve ever seen play.
This is a remarkable piece of business for us, and continues Arsene’s recent trend of going for players in the 25 and above age range. Let’s hope he settles in quickly and helps us end the longest trophy drought in the history of trophy droughts in the history of the world.
In addition, Jabba the Uzbek billionaire is looking like a right moron now with all his indignant jowl-shaking at the club. If his first statement was perfectly (and I’d say it was a little TOO perfectly) timed, this second one is about as perfectly timed as a Ryan Shawcross lunge.
Barely 24 hours after ranting about how football has left Arsenal behind, and politics are hampering Wenger, the club only confirms the signing of one of the most highly-rated players in Spain. It exposes his “love” for Arsenal as nothing more than opportunistic soundbites seeking disaffected Gooners.
As for Robin, what can we say? You come out and issue a blindingly disrespectful statement about “direction” and “trophies” after the club has signed two international class strikers, and then the club goes a step further and signs a world-class playmaker in addition, giving your statement the massive “Fuck you” it deserves. I don’t much care if he stays or goes now, and all the talk of him now being “impressed” with the signings he’s seeing is pure Grade A1 male bovine fecal matter. He could have sought a move away with class and dignity, and he now has shown he has neither.
Roll on the new season with our new Gunners, players who want to wear the cannon on their shirts.
Whew! Oi, ‘holic! Where’s that Glenfiddich?!
Rock the Cazbah, rock the Cazbah
A daytime blogUpdate , why i have never.
Every word Holic.
Not to me personally, of course, but Darren Dein would have no trouble at all trying to sell his ‘greener grass’ in here.
Can’t wait for this season to begin. You do sense that this mix of older players is bringing so much character back to the side. And, of course, players that the youngsters can learn from, instead of all looking at each other when things are tricky.
H2H from prev drinks, re the Triathlon. – 😆
Had the day off to take the management to see a consultant, Lettra. Arsenal delayed the announcement for me as they knew I was not at work today 😉
Sorry if it caused you any stress…
The Law @16 – top post.
Just in time then Holic – we were all nearly in need of consultants.
Even Mr C and I, and we ARE consultants!
Seriously, hope all is well.
Great as always Holic
Yet another ‘oscopy she could have done without Trev. Back next Tuesday. Everything crossed again…
So, apart from Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla, have we signed anyone. Where’s all this ambition then?
RVP15@15 Too true mate, and the way that Arsenal were panicked into signing Lukas Podolski just a couple of months before our gallant captain released his statement goes to show too.
Meanwhile, in serious news… Best of luck to the Management. Fingers crossed here too.
Great signings so far this season. Kudos to Wenger, Gazidis and Law.
I can’t help feeling that these signings were imperative in order to qualify for CL as major commercial deals are coming up for renewal in 2013-14.
You know whats another departure from the norm? Not a single pundit has opened his gob predicting that Arsenal would fall out of the top 4.
I used to think that was their annual ritual.
Good stuff ‘holic.
Fat & Orange has revealed himself as the utter see you next Tuesday many of us (level headed) gooners believed him to be. A stark reminder to be careful of outsiders who claim to be acting in the best interests of OUR club.
As for the Double Dickhead Dein, surely a selection of crucifixes hung around London Colney, with a sprinkling of Holy Water and the odd clove of garlic strategicaly placed around the Grove would do wonders for keeping that particular blood sucker at bay. If all else fails then a good ol’ fashioned stake to the heart should do the trick. As for his clients/minions, if they truly do think the grass is greener elsewhere, then, well fangs for the memories, adios, aufwienersnitzel, bye bye, feck off, we’ll save our love for those who truly want to be here.
Arsenal Bloody Arsenal.
ps.
Best wishes to the management.
Hey Holic, First hope the Management is doing ok, she has a nice way about her (from her note to me) and put me at ease. Now I think your piece was fair, no cheap potshots taken at Mr. Usmanov, you are just as dumbfounded as the rest of us. Read the article posted by Cor at the last set of drinks. Does he not attend board meetings (or is he not allowed to?). He just seems many steps behind with what is going on. Darren Dein should go to Hollywood, he’d fit right in with the two faced backstabing agents there. As for our restless players, what really gives, this is the time of their lives and they should be enjoying it with their teammates, who will have their back when times are tough. I think of Tores last season at Chelsea, except for Mata, I don’t believe he had the full support of his teammates. Might have made a big difference for him, if he had. And you ar so right on about the Club being so proactive this summer. Glad you made us watch the video of Ivan, a couple of months ago, I’m a fan!
Fingers firmly crossed for the management, Holic.
BTW I still haven’t read the latest pronouncements of the Uzbek half of F&O. Is it worth it? Strictly for the entertainment value you understand.
Hang on! I thought you were working during the day? :s
Where did that post come from?
From the latest training photos, RvP has that ‘why the fuck did I back myself into that stupid corner? what a fucking cunt I am!’ look.
While Theo has that ‘how the fuck am I going to play with so much talent in the squad now’?’ look.
And welcome Santi C. Completely unexpected signing, straight out of the blue!
Santi Cazorla, La, La, La ,La, La
Santi Cazorla, Laaaaaa, La, La, La, La, La!!!
Having seen 20 now, all the best to the management, ‘holic. Hope it went well.
Ollie you’re such a liar 🙂
For my money RvP looks very pleased to be finally surrounded by quality – you probably have to watch the video to see that coming through…
I love Poldi, he brings such ‘star’ quality to our team. Everyone looks happy. Kos seems to have grown in stature. Arteta is a good looking bloke: I say that in a manly sort of way…
The new Spanish fella – name escapes me at the minute – seems less than excited about wearing the Purple Reign strip … cunt .. well he can just fuck off back to Spain then ..
Remember you heard it here first 😎
Utter rubbish. Enough has been said about the Board’s and Wenger’s shortcomings. We have spent the last seven years bearing testament to them. Usmanov and Van Persie just said what the majority of fans were saying. Whatever RVP’s motives were we will probably never know but Usmanov despite being a rich shareholder is actually a supporter of the team. He attends matches and has a box unlike Kroenke. He has just as much right to vent his spleen as the rest of us. As for David Dein, he is also an Arsenal fan and wants the same as the rest of us. His son is grown up and can do as he likes, like the rest of us. We have made three good signings but it is about time. It has taken seven wasted years to get the message through! Even though the three have signed it is not enough and does not change the fundamental problems at AFC…..the Board and the Manager.
Pleased as punch that Arsenal have activated The Santi Clause.
I sincerely hope everything turns out well for the management, ‘holic.
Yellow card Lonestar. We don’t abuse here. Especially those who claim to speak for the majority of fans.
Thank you.
Steve – When you have a nice cold beer after work are you sitting there drinking it thinking about the previous 8 hours when you didn’t have that beer to enjoy or do you actually enjoy the beer?
It’s cool, ‘Holic, I’ll take that card. (I know the rules, and I know you’re the sheriff.) I’ll repost my comment to Steve on FFF, if it’s still an issue.
Supporters should get about supporting is my point; instead of all the moaning…
That is all.
BMBD
‘Holic –
Best wishes to the missus.
BMBD
Steve @37,
Spot on. At last a post of true perception. I’m sure you’ll find it hard to find a single voice to disagree with you.
By the way, which planet, exactly, do you inhabit.
Just a thought. Why don’t you gift the club three superstars of your choice. Obviously you have the required resources to do so, and it is an easy thing to pull off.
Good luck – not that you need it …….
Lots of riff-raff in the bar today effing & blinding all over the place – Barman do you job FFS!
I fink I will go over to Le Grove for some piece & quiet.. 🙂
🙂
Someone posted this on twitter apparently:
https://p.twimg.com/AzsjVeACMAAAiuY.jpg:large
Made me laugh 😀
(and no, I only got it indirectly)
I for 1 am chuffed and gunning for the new season fair play to arsene mr law and gaz no messing bout this time,also would like to see the club put a ban on buying any of dein juniors players,or have him near the club the scuzbucket,hope mrs holic is ok far more important than footie.
Games per goal, and assists (career)
Games Goals Games/Goal Assists Games/Assist
Cazorla 358 54 6.63 46 7.78
Walcott 277 52 5.33 41 6.76
Gervinho 287 71 4.04 51 5.63
Arshavin 311 74 4.20 93 3.34
Got to hope Santi’s best years are still ahead of him…
Best wishes to the management, ‘Holic.
I’m with you GT…
BMBD
As long as you’re not clling me riff-raff, mind you GT.
BMBD
– clling
+ calling
BMBD
Please people, I don’t want to be sitting here deleting those abusing someone you don’t agree with.
Respectful debate please.
Thanks.
It might be just me, but has anyone else noticed TV and RvP are no longer close on training?
Maybe he’s mad at him for leaving him for an old lady 😉
‘Utter Rubbish’ isn’t a very respectful introduction though 😉
Fuck me, Eurosport have a podium of Olympian tweets or something of that ilk.
Twats.
Lonestar,
In recognition of the three new signings, so far, have you considered changing your strapline to BWBD? (Must -> Will).
Steve.
I’ll agree that it has been a pity we haven’t won any silverware over the last seven years, but I wouldn’t go as far as saying they’ve been wasted years, ask any spud or Mickey mouser in who’s position they’d rather be. We’ve ended conseculativly in the CL positions, not a trophey, I agree, but as last season proved, a worthy achievement non the less.
I also agree that we should have invested more (or better) in the squad over the same time period, but to blame Wenger seems a bit reactionary to me, as you (nor I) have no idea what restrictions he was under due to the new stadium and all that came with it. If we take that into consideration, then the bare fact that he kept us contending on a restricted budget shoud be applauded and not reason for abuse.
Do you think we would have been able to attract the calibre of player we have now brought in if we had not finished in third place last time out?
I also would have prefered that we had signed players of their ilk a few years ago, but we didn’t, it’s in the past, done and dusted. The club has now done what we want and hopefully we can add a few more and ship out a few others. Time now to look to the future and get behind the lads.
Gooners of the world unite!
Happy holics?
Good Good
Onwards to more interesting and entertaining topics, and speaking of “taking the mickey,” guess which team’s sponsor allegedly did backroom “cleaning” services for dirty Iranian cash?
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/08/07/158352989/british-bank-denies-laundering-iranian-money-say-its-not-a-rogue-institution
For shame, for shame…
BMBD (Oxon @ 56 – I’ll stick with the “must,” but I’m glad to see you’re thinking 😉 )
Just saw second part of the interview with Santi and I have to say I like the guy already, he is so humble and I just loved his line about the silverware “we want to win trophies, the silverware so we can offer them to the supporters”. Hate to say that but if the midfield will look now like Song-Arteta-Santi, it will be very hard for TR7 to get back to starting line up once he gets fully fit.
However having options in lets say attacking midfielder position consisting of Santi, TR7 and Aaron is simply brilliant. Also my mind is now shifting towards the option that RvP is going to stay, keep his no.10, eat a humble pie, pass armband to Verminator and Poldi is going to take no.9. If that is going to happen then I think Chamakh will be on his way out.
@snir I was wondering exactly the same thing. Kept looking for a pic of RVP actually talking to someone, like what we were used to last season with RVP and TV, to no avail. I even searched for RvP’s figure in the last pic where our players walked down the steps, but I failed to spot him again.
In fact, since preseason started I don’t think there was a pic of RVP talking with anyone? Correct me if I’m wrong please, aside from the one where the Germans stared at him and smirked a little…
@holic best wishes for the wife.
Yep, think you’re probably right, Derrick. See my comment above 😉
Looks marginalised, his own doing.
Benik Afobe scored a hat trick on his Bolton debut tonight in a friendly at Tranmere, Bolton won 3-1.
Cheers, Lars, well played, Benik!
This is rather funny 🙂
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/day-arsenal-training-robin-van-persie-192143692–sow.html
Heh, nice one, thanks Snir.
Well done, Snir!
Get-in Benik!(that kid might be going places…)
BMBD
@Lars Did he really? Good for him. I’ve only seen him play once or twice, but I like him. I think it’s the name because I really want to see the Aneke-Afobe connection work out for the first team :).
I always thought they were the new Lupoli-Bendtner, Happy.
Hopefully they aren’t 😉
Kudos Holic for shedding the necessary light on Dein the Lesser. This creature is hell bent to cash out on our assets with deals to Barca and Citeh. More and more gooners realize this and I can only hope and urge Highbury House to somehow refuse to sign any player that signs with him. He is point man for the actual destruction that Arsene cited and denounced (without naming him) a couple of months ago. He is an ambush artist and it’s beyond a shame that Cesc, RVP and Alex Song (as of March) are his clients. (He’s also agent/advisor to Thierry and Adebayor. By now, this man has sown so much bad karma that one day he’ll actually get to see his own reflection in the mirror and then know that his wrecking days are over. A toast to that day.
Lonestar@59. Trust me, I’m always thinking, but I’d be the first to admit that it’s not always obvious. 😐
Heh, Snir, my first thought seeing those pictures was “He is actually photoshopped into them!”
He doesn’t really seem like he has… landed… in them, and he has this strange glow around his head.
Then it hit me.
He’s getting grey hair is all.
He still looks a bit suspicious to me, but I guess that’s down to aforementioned grey hair and because I’ve worked until now and my eyes are falling out.
Top post Guvnor! Hear! Hear! Bring on the black cats! 🙂
Ditch the destabilising and/or free-loading deadwood, acquire a competent “Littlewood’s Cup” goalie; and we’re cookin’ a few lovely Spanish Paellas accompanied by a few nice portions of snails and bratwurst next term! Sweet as a feckin’ nut! Crackerjack! COYBG! Feck-off “Red & White Holdings”, you short-sighted mugs!!!
Best wishes to the Management ‘holic. I spent a few days in and around a hospital last month while a dear uncle was in a coma. The not knowing if he’d pull through was hellish, but I imagine that would be magnified to infinity if it was my missus. (Don’t have one yet, so any pretty, well-heeled Goonerettes on here can send their CVs via ‘holic.)
My uncle made it though, and I sure hope Management will come through this alright.
Hope the management’s review went well holic?! All the best!
Hey Law (I hope not Jude), this here bar ain’t a hook-up saloon. 😛
BMBD
Evening all. Eandy, please don’t worry too much about TR (aside from his injury, that is). Finally, for the first time in years, we have excellent players for rotation, he’ll see his fair share of game time I think. Dapper Dan C, just who do you have in mind (this mystery goalie)? Steve, I read your piece, but still seems to me he is out of step and not on the same page, but as always, a diversity in opinions expressed here always makes me think (a good thing). Now, as for Robin…I personally have made decisions and choices that I’m not proud of, darn right ashamed of some of them. The good thing for me, is that at least I wasn’t in the spot light, having it magnified. Thank goodness, I’m only human. Hi Lonestar (smiles).
As per normal a spot on post ‘holic. Hopefully all will be well with the management….such matters bring one’s priorities back into perspective.
Talking of management, it seems ours have found a way around the financial problems of the last few years and shown that its quite possible to purchase quality players at sensible prices. It’s interesting that the Wenger philosophy appears to be reverting back to his early / successful Arsenal days in buying mature players to mix with the best of the kids coming through….to me a winning formula. This coming season augurs well with or without the 2011/2012 footballer of the year. Not much longer to wait now.
Howdy, Nurse ABB – reasonable comments as usual! 😉
However, I’m not sure I can be as magnanimous as you regarding Robin (although, I am extending an olive branch by referring to him as Robin and not “that Dutch bloke”).
I’d like for him to stay. I want him to score many goals for the team and win back his manager, his teammates, and his fans (in that order).
I’m not sure if he, or anyone else for that matter, is courageous enough to do that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTvtqYQ-OrI&feature=related
bmbd
Have just checked out the RvP pictures and while I appreciate the ‘schadenfreude’ directed at him, and was angry about the whole transfer / statement thing myself, I do find it sad and curious that a player – and his wife – who did such a terrific job as captain last year, can have come out so negatively against just about everything in the club in the summer.
He doesn’t seem like someone so lacking in intelligence that he would allow his profile to be completely misrepresented by his agent, but his summer behaviour has been completely out of character.
Some are probably shouting at me already for being so naive, or stupid, but ask yourself why we were all so surprised that RvP, of all players, the one who really got what being a Gooner was all about, was suddenly putting the club down from all sides. Especially regards it’s direction. Which means ‘it’s board’.
Couple all that to the dovetailed statements of Red & White, and the apparent total lack of serious bidders for his services – not much of a race for him if he had been tapped up by Sheiks and Old Ladies – and I, at least, start to really wonder if the whole episode is down to a terrible, and damaging, piece of misjudgement by his agent and his agent’s old man.
“Just trust me Robin, and I’ll get you top dollar somewhere where trophies are guaranteed, and my old man and his associates will be very grateful too. Their gratitude will make you a very rich young man. It will be tough, but trust me.”
Would that require such an immense amount of imagination ?
Am I deluded ? Possibly, but it would be great to discover that that’s what it was all about.
Even if it wasn’t, but Dein was forced to say it was, it would almost be worth it.
“I do find it sad and curious that a player – and his wife – who did such a terrific job as captain last year, can have come out so negatively against just about everything in the club in the summer.”
You make it sound like his statement was a 32 page manifesto that attacked everyone from Gazidis to the tea lady. What he said was that, after meeting Gazidis and Wenger, they had different ideas on how the club should move forward, so he would not be renewing his contract.
What a bastard.
I’ve read a lot of comment, most of it hysterical, about how he’s slagged off Wenger etc and he’s done no such thing. He could have been a lot worse with his criticism and he could have said that he wouldn’t be having any further talks. Instead, he said he would meet again with Gazidis “when he got back from holiday”. Whether he was actually on holiday or not, and I don’t believe that a chief executive of a football club never gets a break, as has been claimed, van Persie did not shut the door to staying completely.
I hope he stays. We are far stronger with him than without.
PS – I’ve said it before but it bears repeating.
I would hate to see what some of those who love Liam Brady would have said about him if the internet had been around when he left for the big money in 1980. He would have been absolutely destroyed for that, in my opinion. Arsenal legend now, but he would have been called all the names you can think of nowadays.
Alternatively let us assume that son of Dein, so skilled in moving his ‘clients’ on to Barca and Citeh, offered Robin the move of his dreams. Only problem was Robin thought he meant Barca, and the cunt was actually trading his piece of meat to his old mate Marwood at Citeh.
Now there is a fucking problem. Robin doesn’t want Citeh, and Barca don’t want Robin.
What does cunto do now?
Fair points, Nonny.
But I think the more crucial point is he should have said nothing. If anyone knew the effect of any such statement on the psyche of the supporters and, possibly, the team, he should have known.
After the transfer sagas of the past couple of years, he should have known…and been more cognizant thereof.
He should have told his handlers, you can negotieate with the team as hard as you can, but go no further than [this – (insert your limit)].
He should have put the kibosh on any such public statement.
That, I believe, is why so many people (including myself) are on the outs with him.
BMBD
@ ‘holic
too bloody right. Well posted.
Hope all goes well with your other half.
@ Trev
I, at least, start to really wonder if the whole episode is down to a terrible, and damaging, piece of misjudgement by his agent and his agent’s old man.
That is how I have come to see it – as I said the other day, he might well see this as just a business ploy. But whether the aim was to get a larger pay packet at Arsenal, or to force a move elsewhere, somebody massively miscalculated or overplayed his hand. Although apparently in a strong position, mistakes and misjudgements have weakened RvP’s position.
1. Overestimating his importance to the team.
He’s a very important player, but the team wasn’t built around him, the way it was around Cesc. And he’s only played about 2.5 of the eight years he’s been with us. In the transfer market this summer we were able to land our prime targets, including, crucially, potential replacements for RvP himself.
2. Man City don’t need him at all. In fact it is slightly inconvenient for them because they would have to shed players to accommodate him. FFP plus squad size rules are having an effect. They have a full roster of top class strikers.
3. He/Dein misjudged the market. Money is tighter than it was last year for nearly everyone except us, and a huge salary for a man his age and with his injury history does not represent value for anyone.
4. Going public.
His statement patronised Arsenal fans with it’s disingenuous justifications of his decision, and appeared to criticise the manager and club who have stood by him. This tarnished his image with the fans and made them rediscover their loyalty to the aforementioned. And wittingly or unwittingly, he has associated himself with Fat who remains deservedly unpopular with most fans.
5. Underestimating the determination of Arsene and Ivan to either keep him or get silly money for him.
He may end up staying another year on less money that Podolski and not getting the same opportunities to shine as he did last year. Which would be a shame for him.
aaaaaaaaargh *its* not *it’s*
Sorry, everyone. I’ll flick myself with the towel for that.
Why am I no longer seething at Robin van Persie? Why do I, when I see his greying hair (probably from the situation this summer) and himself cutting a lonely figure in training just feel sad for him instead? 🙁
Trev, I did not for one second believe he wrote that statement himself. He did authorize it, but no way did he write it. His advisors badly misjudged the reaction it would get, they thought the fans would side with Robin and blame the board (hence all the “you guys” patronising BS) and the ridiculous open letter from Usmanov the day after was just part of that. I think Robin was more or less shafted by his agents, if it had been up to him he would probably have said “I feel the time is right for me to move, this is my last chance yada yada yada”.
Nonny: Gazidis was not on holiday and I can assure you someone in his position very rarely has more than the odd day off work.
Fun@85: top stuff, agree entirely.
Best wishes to your wife, Holic.
Don’t know if somebody touched on this but Cesc applauded the signing on Twitter. I love Cesc.
I think we can do some damage even without RVP but I would rather he stayed. His presence scares quite a few teams. It would be unfortunate if the team don’t respond to him anymore though…
Sometimes I wonder if the “direction” he doesn’t agree with was maybe not being the go-to man for goals next season.
After looking at the season reviews on the Arsenal player I noticed he he complained bitterly about the continual defensive mistakes we make after the ManU slaughtering and the Blackburn debacle.
And he seems to have beef with certain players he feels are not at the level required…
I don’t think these players were signed just to appease RVP, he’s not the only one who wants to win, but I do think that if the club looks like it has a very good chance of achieving something (and RVP’s message wasn’t just an excuse to run elsewhere for money) then he will stay.
I would remove the captain’s band from him though. Especially if the plan is to rotate the forwards.
Felt this was a good article so decided to share…
http://afootballreport.com/post/28945444248/robin-why-exactly-are-you-smiling
Btw, is there any way we can ban our players from having Darren Dein as their representative? Surely it can be club policy? Or is it impossible to exclude an agent from the club like that?
Great read CoR, thanks for that. And I do share Wind’s sadness for RVP. I hope our fans continue to cheer for him if he decides to stay, not because he deserves it, but because a classy football club like Arsenal deserves classy fans like that. Show the players that the fans have got their back. Remember the great times last season when the fans really connected with the team, and our boys responded with equal effort and, at times, brilliance?
Imagine the whole stadium singing RVP’s name again. Meh… Maybe I’m too much of a romantic, but it would be beautiful to see. He showed his class last season, and I sure like to believe he’s above Nasri’s level of cuntism. They just happen to employ they same lowlife agent (if I remember right, could be wrong). Everyone makes mistakes, it’s how we respond to it that shows our true character. The same goes for RVP and how we as fans respond to his mistake.
Nevertheless, if he indeed decided to move on, in light of our summer activities it would surely bear shame on himself after he dismissed our “direction” and ability to win “trophies”. And he will be just another ex-Gooner afterwards who had one outstanding season to show as the pinnacle of his career. Now this will be a tragedy, for him at least.
Cheers mate and hope things go well at ‘ospital.
Could n’t give a monkey’s about RVC anymore. Whether he stays and scores a shed load or breaks his fucking leg, he is dead to me.
Abbs,
A good solid 35+ yr old with premiership experience! Should mentor Szezza and back him up!
Ok a couple of things
First Trev and everybody else – From what I know, it was Kees Vos who pushed for the statement to be written and not Darren Dein, as he wanted to keep quiet (just like he was with Cesc and Clichy. There might have been a lot of noise around Cesc, but Cesc himself said nothing).
LG – He should have said something, but not that. We can’t be hypocrites. There isn’t one person here that didn’t want Cesc to say something, anything, when the whole of Catalunya were tapping him up. RvP did, so in that regard we can’t say he shouldn’t have said anything, cause he should have, just not that.
A Nonny Mouse – I agree. I recently linked an article from 2001. It was PV going on about the club. The quotes there were awful. And everybody forgave him, and not only that, he became captain despite those comments after TA retired.
Here are some of them:
“I need to leave because I want to win more trophies and I just cannot see that happening at Arsenal. Certainly not over the next few years, anyway. Comparing Arsenal to the big clubs in Europe this season is going to be quite ridiculous.”
“I do not honestly see Arsenal finishing in the top five in the league – and you can forget the Champions League.”
“When I told Arsene Wenger I was leaving, he said to me, ‘I have £25million to spend on a few players’. My answer was, ‘Obviously, Mr Wenger, you are not shopping in Harrods. That will only buy you one good player.’ Now I have been proved right. Arsene Wenger has signed two hopeful players who haven’t proved themselves in the Premiership yet. One of them is a boy of 20.
“You can’t compete with the best clubs in Europe by making these kind of signings. Arsene Wenger is an ambitious manager and he knows deep in his heart that he needs five world-class players to compete among the best in Europe.
“With £25million in the kitty, Arsenal is not a great European club. With that budget they won’t even be among the top 20 clubs in Europe.”
Fellow Frenchmen Robert Pires, Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord and Gilles Grimandi have urged Vieira to remain at Highbury, but the midfielder criticised his team-mates, saying: “I have given 100 per cent to Arsenal over the last five years. They have only been there for a year or so. They have won nothing with Arsenal. They should stay and try to win things for the club before they open their mouths. My message to these players is that they have their lives and I have mine.”
That shows you that, footballers are dumb and fickle, and if people were able to forgive PV for that, then they should do the same with RvP.
Believe me, I’m one of those who are extremely mad at him, and feel betrayed, but I would forgive him if he apologizes, just like I forgave PV. If he doesn’t and just plays out his contract without saying anything, I will be happy for the goals he’ll score but I won’t cheer his name.
Podolski plays it inside to santi then gets dragged off to go to do some hard graft..
Per takes the ball from Santi and lofts a ball towards Giroud before heading off to work himself…
Morning everyone!
Toby, having this goal in mind – http://youtu.be/ZvyxpdX7WRw – makes a little flick over the defender*
Lucky?
Well in Ton… eh Ollie!
Come to think of it, I believe that the Tollie actually is named after a cross between Tony and Ollie.
Giroud flicks it back to the onrushing Arteta…
Trev, your 80 seems quite right to me, although you have to wonder how RvP could be so ‘naive’.
Cheers Toby. I suddenly remembered to open the blog, saw ’98’ so thought I was in time for the assist, but by the time I expanded the drinks bit it was 99 so I was in there like the proverbial fox in the box.
Heh, I’ve learned to have my feet on the ground and work for the team so I went for the assist for once. It’s quite strange, most of my favourite players are goal makers and not scorers, but when I get the chance myself I usually don’t pass… Glad I did today!
And it was a marvellous assist all right, Toby.
Well in Lollie (Lucky Ollie) 😉
Well in Ollie….if Darren Dein comes knocking at your door offering to be your agent, kindly tell him to feck off 😉
I think Lollie’s 7 barren years might force him to contemplate an easier time on some other blog though. Better give him some more money Uplympian 🙂
COR 2 extra Guinness for Ollie in the Tollie should keep him on our books 🙂
Ollington basking in the glory, but he forgets all our support when he was constantly posted missing…..
Keep an eye on him or he’ll be wandering off in another direction….like toward the arses for example 😉
Ah, I see Cannons worries along the same lines……
I think we need a public statement!
No chance of that during the day here, Dr Z, work filters it out.
I am deeply unhappy about the direction the HT is taking. Why go via Brussels? I mean, all this happiness with new signings, it’s like the CMC doesn’t need to be opened again. I shall be speaking to the conductor when he is back from his holidays.
But as long as Lars’ wallet is behind the bar, I feel committed to this bar.
I shall always follow the wallet.
I hope you guys understand, you guys.
On the other hand:
http://www.francefootball.fr/#!/news/2012/08/08/110113_song-d-accord-avec-le-barca.html
BMBD indeed.
Heh@ 114
And not so heh@ 115 🙁
Right. I’ve got a few things to say on that note. I won’t say anything bad about Song, since for all I know, he hasn’t done anything wrong as off now. I have no idea if that’s just journalist talk.
But:
1) IF Barca has reached an agreement in principle with Song how can the bleeding person writing those news go on to say: “The directors of Barcelona, who do not want to rush, have not yet made a formal offer to Arsenal.” They don’t want to rush, do they?! Having agreement in principle with a player who is under contract until 2015 is for fucks sake rushing it. Anyway, I am sure it’s nothing. It might well BECOME something. Song might well leave. But I sincerely doubt he has an agreement in principle with Barcelona and he has yet do do anything that warrants me being mad at him.
2) When I wanted to get that article translated I searched for “Gooner translate” instead of “Google translate”. True story. How indoctrinated am I? *At least someone has Arsenal DNA*
Just watched shootout between Santos and Song, really hilarious stuff :D. As for worrying about TR7 abb, I am sure he will play his fair share of games, it is just unfortunate for him to be yet again injured in pre-season and it will take more time for him to get in to form he was in second part of the season (and I hope he will again reach those heights). Also I fully agree with you that its great that we now have options for healthy rotation:)
If Barca have reached an agreement in principle then its tapping up.
That “rule” appears to be irrelevant these days, and I suspect we’re not whiter than white in that department either.
Trev,
As much as I’d like to believe that RVP’s appearance on tour is totally down to a lack of interest from other clubs – I genuinely think that it might be a little early yet to come to that conclusion.
I think both the Manchester clubs are playing a waiting game and the transfer will happen but as with all big transfers, they’ll go down to the wire and try to play a game of brinkmanship with the club to force their hand into taking a lower sum rather than loose him on a free. There’s absolutely no way, in my opinion, that RVP made that statement without another club being actively involved in the backround.
Mancini is playing his usual mind games. And Ferguson knows that if Juve won’t come up with the cash – then Manu have a real chance to sign him too. RVP knows he’ll only be seen as a moneygrabber going to Citeh. But going to Manu sends out an entirely different message altogether, and its a message that I feel damages Arsenal and AW the most. Given a choice we’d prefer to flog him to Juve. And eitherway anymore, I don’t give a toss about RVP!
And as much as we try to blame Darren Dein or his father, or both, for some of things that have happened of late there could also be other explanations that do not entirely defy logic:
In relation to the timing of the dovetailed statements – the Red and White statement was released a little later to RVP’s – so could it be possible that any reasonable PR person could have come up with that open letter without too much time or trouble and release it ASAP to take advantage of the RVP statement?
David Dein is a good friend of Wenger. They holiday together. Do we seriously think that he would try to use his relationship with his son to actively de-stabilise the club and risk his friendship with Arsene, the man he brought to the club, by deliberately luring his players away?
Darren Dein was TH14 best man. And Wenger just brought TH14 back to the Club and sanctioned a statue for his contribution down the years. He also represented Cesc, who just wanted to go home after 8 years. He also represents RVP who clearly wants out. Ultimately it is RVP who must take responsibility for his actions, especially a statement on his official website and not any of his advisors. The buck stops with RVP. No-one else. And I suppose it is Darren Dein who is now also responsible for Song wanting to go? Song been strutting around the field like a giant peacock since he discovered he had the most assists of any other DCM in Europe. A touch of the billy big boots IMO and for all of his assists last season someone should remind him how many goals we conceded in the process.
I’m truly delighted that Cazorla has signed. He appears to be a real talent. But the arrivals of Giroud, Cazorla and Poldi do not mask the evident problem we have in retaining players. And given a choice, I would still prefer to have Cesc, Nasri and RVP everytime. It seems just when get a foothold – we have to rebuild again because we loose our best players..!
The real issue at the centre of everything for me is our defence. And it’s a question of the attitude of the players as a whole, which has been inconsistent over the past number of years. And the attitude of the players on the field, directly reflects upon the management. I largely don’t give a sh1t who else we sign because I feel we had the players to win something more than once over the past 7 years. We just didn’t have the defensive discipline or the right attitude to make it happen. We show up for big games and become lax for too many others. And that’s what still worries me most. I think if we got that right, we would win trophies and it would give objective credibility to everything Wenger has done. It would also mean fewer players would want to leave. Especially the type of players we want to keep – the same players who ultimately having little or nothing to show for their time at the club in the line of silverware!
Can we sign Eduardo again please? Why not…??
CG – Whatsapp
oh, same old same old!
Whatsap with you?
I´m here all night…
Morning All,
Great stuff Holic, and I hope all goes well at the Hospital.
A big big welcome to Mr Cazorla. Everything one reads about him suggests that he is indeed a very special player who can act as the creative hub of our “new” side. I hope however that amongst the hype and hoopla that surrounds his signing, people give him time to adapt. Patience is a virtue in short supply in the immediacy of the internet age, and it is perhaps worth remembering that of the last four playing “legends” of the Club, only Viera settled immediately. Henry took until late November of his first season to give full expression to his multitudinous skills, whilst Pires and Bergkamp, notwithstanding frequent reminders of their stellar talents, often remained peripheral figures during their first seasons with the Club.
As for RVP, I agree with Trev. All common sense suggests that his statement was part of an orchestrated attack on the Board. Ultimately it doesn’t matter who drafted it. Dein junior’s links with the player, and Dein Senior’s links with R and W suggest that the close temporal proximity of the two outpourings of poison was no accident.
I agree with Joe that ultimately RVP must take responsibility for statements released under his own byline, but that still doesn’t necessarily mean that he is not a pawn in a much bigger game – the one for control of Arsenal.
Where I diverge with Joe is in his assessment of Dein Senior. In answer to Joe’s question “Would Dein actively destabilise the Club?”, I would argue that yes he most definitely would.
I remember seeing a Sky Sports interview with Dein at the start of the summer. Indeed I wrote about it in these ere pages. Behind the glowing praise for Arsene was a subtext of criticism of the Board. For the more discerning viewer, the unctuous smile, the protestation that Arsenal “must” hold on to RVP to “show ambition”, and the unwelcome assertion that he remained on the “subs bench” should the Board fail to display the necessary “ambition”, all laid bare the naked ambition that drives Dein.
David Dein might love Arsenal and Arsene, but no-one should be in any doubt that he loves David Dein a hell of a lot more.
As for Song- meh! Is France Football any more reliable than The Sun/Mirror et al? I do however think there will be at least one big money departure before the end of the window. My money is that it will still be RVP. Joe is right. His statement would not have been released without the comfort of a willing buyer in the background. It is likely to go to the wire. Lets hope Arsenal continue to place their big bollocks on the negotiating table.
Ollie @114 🙂
Zico 116. Ollington’s 115 heh & 116 meh. If arseblog now sends an open letter to this board criticising it’s ambition, we will know what Ollie is truly upto 😉
Joe 120. On the money again mate…points are well put.
All of what tabs said @ 126
Saved me a lot of time and said with a lot more literacy.
We owe David Dein nothing and will continue to do so until he gives Junior a good slap! 8)
Heh @ uplympian
I largely don’t give a shit who we sign…
Err, Joe, I do.
In recent times we’ve been linked with Joey Barton and Scott Dann!
It pays to care…. 😉
How come, after every exciting signing we are brought back down to earth by rumours of more malcontents?? Can´t we be allowed to enjoy our shiny new toys just a little?
Poor Snir is close to a breakdown. The CMC awaits….
Good stuff above.
@Nonny.
I’ll never forget an interview I saw with Brady in which he compared the money he made at Arsenal to “peanuts”, which at the time. for me as a young lad, was a rude awakening to what really drove our heroes. I agree entirely that had internet been around at the time then he would have got the full load from the keyboard warriors.
Todays 24/7 coverage from every concievable angle means that players/agents need to be very careful what they release into the public domain, I recall that before the infamous statement was made I likened the whole affair to a poker game. Sticking in the lines of that analogy, the vP camp massively overplayed their hand, a very bad move. Who’s idea it was to release that statement, whether it was Double Dick, F&O, Vos, Cunty McMouthpeice or RvP himself matters not a jot, they’re all part of Team vP the damage has been done. The goodwill from the previous season was overestimated and the fall out was far worse then they possibly could have imagined, although I personally don’t know how they could have expected any other outcome, to return to the poker anoalogy it was tantamont to going all in with a pair of queens when there was an ace and a king on the table.
It’s not inconcievable that RvP could stay another year and see out his contract, if he produces a season like last then the fickle nature of the average fan will kick in and he’ll be forgiven to a degree. I personaly think it would take the most tyre screaching, Fast and the Furious styl-ee, U-yist of U-turrns and a public apology plus an open day, bring your own whip, flogging and firing of his management team to repair the bridges they so blatently burned.
Time will tell I suppose.
Hey Tabs.
I heard Wolfie was most interested in yesterdays Olympic high jump, especially as the bronze went to a ceartain Mr Grabarz. 😉
Morning all,
Well, I’d decided not to say anything more on RvP/Dein etc. and then I did. I did ask, at the end, if I was deluded and, in an excellent post Joe @120 decided I was, and I pretty much agreed with him.
That was until I agreed even more with Tabs @126, so now I don’t know what I think any more.
Cheers fellas. 🙁
Caralan @131 –
Spot on.
See, it’s Dein and those Fat & Orange bastards again, just trying to get us all pissed off again, just as we’re feeling really good.
Look, would everybody just stop confusing me please. 🙁
For conspiracy theorists;
Got this from Twitter…
What if AW knew that Song and Theo wanted out, and told RVP at their meeting that they would be allowed to go? Would that not be the thing to piss off RVP?
Everyone is replacable – if Song goes, then Felliani??
Problem is only 10 days until D-Day…
From a broad – Yipeeeeeeeeeeee!
Hi Trev! 🙂
BM´s mixed, H2H? Got a bit of a *boilk* on the go..!
Holic… hope all goes well.
The Deins !!
David Dein was a good director upto the time of the new stadium decisions but since he became associated with F & O he has become seriously tainted. He fell out with the board over the stadium move…he wanted the move to be Wembley stadium not the Emirates. He then sold his shares to F & O for a huge sum (70 million?) – no surprise there as he was a commodity trader in his real job. Since then he has been sniping away in the background but has no real influence any more.
Darren Dein is the son of a trader and I guess operates with this mentality. I am sure he does his best for his clients financially because it is a mutual benefit society and this is the one and only motivation. I wonder if he has many clients outside of AFC – he no doubt benefited in his early days from his fathers previous influence at the club. We can only hope that his list of clients at AFC is rapidly diminishing!!
Trev … Caralan? Are you holidaying in China??
Deins – holy overrated in IMHO!!!!!
Rev Al…….their bible would be the Financal Times 😉
Zico – I am surprised you have not been on congratulating England in reaching no 3 spot in the FIFA world rankings. Looks like they have got access to the CMC – Feelgood should investigate further. 🙂
One BM coming up.
Just what the doctor ordered.
Entertaining ARS player profiles at
http://news.arseblog.com/arsenal-player-profiles-201213/
Cheers Dr Z.
H2H, rest assured that Wolfie was indeed heartened by the great performance of Mr Grabarz. 🙂
He remains however a bigger fan of the Triple Jump, especially the “skip” bit. 😉
Trev, heh, we’re all confused mate, except for Snir of course who appears to be at the negotiating table, and so he should be! 🙂
Dr C, if Song was allowed to go, everything points to Sahin being his successor, hence the haggling over a Purchase Option on his prospective loan. I agree with you that Fellaini is a terrific player and would be a great addition, but he would command a transfer fee of £20m plus. Given the outlay already, I would be very surprised if we made a move for him this summer.
H2H …Heh! and thanks! 🙂
TaBS… if Song left, would we not get a similar fee for him? But I agree with you – I expect we would see Le Coq being promoted when a more defensive player was needed.
After all, we have to play them some time… as has been discussed previously.
I have been in touch with Snir directly this morning. He is currently under sedation from a little cocktail I recommended to him out of the CMC.
Same stuff I sent those FIFA chappies….
Congratulations to England on reaching # 3 in the FIFA World Rankings.
Access to the CMC is available to all and sundry (at a price) 😉
Investigations are best to be avoided where Feelgood is concerned.
tabs 126. GReat stuff, Fully agree.
Looks like I have another 20 drinks to down to catch up though :s
Loved H2H’s 132 too.
zico congratulating England, heh
*removes tongue from cheek*
which cheek?
Mr C, yep I agree that Song would command a similar transfer fee, but too many imponderables for me for Fellaini to happen.
I don’t think AW likes to make too many changes at any one time, and will only want to lose one of RVP/Song/Theo.
Given Song’s contract runs until 2015, there is no pressure to sell, so the only way I can see it happening is if for some reason RVP’s move falls through (I still think RVP will go), and the sale of Song is required to offset in part the expenditure that has already occurred this Summer.
Heh Dr Z 🙂
Cheers Ollie.
Dear Mr The Law,
A fine post @16. I also notice that @74, you state that you are “single”.
Might I interest you in accompanying me to the Olympic Diving? It is Speedo Heaven, and I am assured that young Mr Daley’s Speedoes are particularly skimpy.
Please be secure in the knowledge that I am quite willing to play the role of a “pretty well-heeled Goonerette”.
My Jimmy Choos mean that I am permanently “well-heeled”, and I am certainly “pretty”.
Yours Triple-Pikingly,
Wolfgang Smallballs.
AL@153 – Left Lower, I imagine 😉
Wolfie @ 154. Looks like you are trying for in-laws.
As u r a person of impeccable taste, could you advise if one can wear speedoes either way round or must the front and rear be rigidly adhered to 😉
There have been so many words written about Robin van Persie. So for those of you who are bored to death with it, feel free to quickly skip this drink and move on, but I have felt compelled to put my tuppence worth in, following on from two great patrons in this saloon, H2H and Trev.
Toward the end of last season I wrote “the difference between Van Persie and Nasri was that Robin left it on the pitch.” Nothing has changed in that regard. (Actually I called Nasri a sapphic, chinless, muff-nuzzler but that was then, I’m in a much less mean-spirited mood today!) Robin brought so much pleasure to me and you last season, it is hard to pick a favourite from so many electrifying performances, and he can rightly claim the lion’s share of responsibility for us finishing in 3rd spot.
However, with his web-site statement, the landscape changed for me. I do not grudge a guy opting to change employers for more money. We would all, or virtually all, think twice about an offer that was about to double the stakes. But we would also, I’d like to think, be honest about it – “it’s a no-brainer” we’d say, and it probably would be. We wouldn’t dress it up into a conflict of loyalties as if we fundamentally cared about, or somehow suddenly had some great insight into, the strategy and the 5 year corporate plan.
It may not be about the money. (However, I agree with Joe above, he knew what was on offer from at least one club, probably as early as January, so it was at least partly about the money – it’s easy “not to talk about money” as he claimed, when you know in advance what the other guy will pay you). If it’s about the trophies, then accept some responsibility. That goes for Nasri and Cesc and everyone else of late who had the opportunity to do something about it.
There are two main things that got me about Robin flashing his knickers like this. One is his inability to see, or value, the reverence that is bestowed upon the legends of this great club (despite TH14 laying this out for all to see in January). Moving on, he will simply be just another player at just another club. The other is the implicit disrespect that he shows Arsene Wenger, who has given him nothing but endless support, partiularly though the periods of “he’s always injured, get rid”, and through which, many other club would’ve simply cut their losses to free up wages and/or a squad place.
There are two further emotions. One is worry. I worry that we will see an always-fit RvP, banging in the goals for one of those Mancunian bunch of cunts. I can’t decide which would piss me off more. And that brings the mean-spirited side of me back into play where if he goes, I end up hoping he has a continual run of niggling injuries. The other emotion is one of fundamental sadness. Sadness for having to recognise that the days of Pat Rice-like loyalty are unlikely to ever present themselves to any future generation. Sadness when you have to answer the question posed by your kid: “whose name shall I get on the back of my strip, dad?
“I wouldn’t bother, you’ll only regret it….”
Oh and heh @ 153 😀
*Aplauds*
There is something seriously wrong with picture 17. Unless of course there are pies out of the picture to the right.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/44405/arsenal-train-in-germany-picture-special
Great post Dr Z.
Heh Bearded 🙂
Dear Mr Uplympian,
Whether one can be equally at home with the “back-to-front” look would, I suggest, be entirely dependent on the size of one’s “Speedo package”.
Yours easy either wayingly,
Wolfgang Smallballs.
*joins H2H in zicoapplause*
zico@158, amen to that.
Uplympian
Either way, I suspect that Wolfie will “rigidly adhere” to your rear. Or front.
🙂
Speaking of Wolfie. Did you see the way the Santos celebrated at the end of his penalty shoot-out victory over Song? I am not sure if that is likely to hasten Song’s exit or convince him to stay.
🙂
This is too much.
RVP signs
http://www.talksport.co.uk/magazine/virals/120808/rvp-signs-178223?
166 CG that was my supposition also. Now whether the rigid would be medically enhanced would be between Wolfie and his GP of course. 🙄
Before the serious stuff, Toby at 99, you made my day (I’m not telling how many times I watched it. Bit of a crush). Court in session. Zico, that’s my biggest fear, Robin at United (of all the teams!). Sadness (yes, you described it well…). Trev @ 80, so agree, never would have expected that from Robin in a million years. Wind @ 87, looking at the pics of RVP smiling at the training ground, that old standby ‘Smile’ plays in my mind. Snir, I’m proud of you. Stages of grief (loss). Everyone has their own way of dealing with it. Not unusual to go back and forth (ie anger to acceptance and then back to anger, etc.).
I agree with you Zico.
Only now have I learned the folly of putting player names on strips. From now on only “Lonestar” is good enough…
BMBD
Very nice piece Zico on RVP. I’m afraid loyalty in footballers will be a phenonemen referred to by historians.
Zico@153: Great read. Loyalty in every aspect of life seems to get rarer with the passing of each day. In football, it is now out of sight.
WS@155: Did you mean by that a Goonerette who is pretty well-heeled or a Goonerette who is pretty and well-heeled? As for reverse speedos, well…
Since 1960 I’ve watched some truly poor AFC teams and some I that were so great to watch I thought I was dreaming and didn’t want to wake up. I can’t imagine supporting any other team, no matter what the outcome. I have a pal who became a Spurts fan because they won the double! Can you dig that? Fifty-one years of misery with a couple of cups thrown in! I loved Bertie Mee, I loved George Graham and now I’m Arsene Wenger’s biggest fan. Football was better when no-one had a clue who was going to top the First Division but the Premiership is what it is and I’m not complaining! Arsenal for Ever!!
looks like our boy santi has chosen his number…30.
http://www.arsenal.com/assets/_files/scaled/498×368/aug_12/zp_149882687SM030_Arsenal_Tra_copy_4062.jpg?ic=a3c8dfT
Gunner 1948
Please allow me to buy you a drink….
LARS!! 🙂
zico, that’s a great piece.
i saw a quote the other day on a woodworking listserv i am part of:
“What has happened with stringed instruments, like virtually everything else, is that mystical ‘thinking’ has replaced genuine experience, substituting fairy tales for substance. This mythos then becomes the foundation for pseudo-knowledge, which repeated frequently and loudly enough, becomes irrefutable lore – a rigid belief system that must be defended at any cost.”
the recognition of this as applied to the aab’s, for example, or those who believe f&o is the schiznitz, fills me with the same kind of sadness as does the lack of loyalty shown to wenger and the shirt by (latest example) rvp…
Cheers Catalan. Next time I’m in N5.
Welcome Gunner1948.
Evening ‘holics.
Song’s leaving? Pfffffffttttttt. I’ll be about as gutted as when Trevor Ross fucked off in 1977.
Evening Maestro.
Are we doing that FFL thing again this season?
Nice one Esso, I thought I was the only one whos giveashitometre was registering nil on that particular issue.
Snir @ 96 –
How’s it goin’ brotha? I think you may be remembering a different me back then… if you get my drift.
During the whole Spanish bloke fiasco, I never wanted said Spanish bloke to say anything. I wanted the team to tell Farca to piss off because the Spanish bloke still had four years left on his contract. I also wanted the Spanish bloke to knuckle-down and play ball, be the captain, be a leader. True, he said little during the saga, but, if memory serves, he had a few things to say after he left.
Now comes Robin (see, I’m still trying to be nice), after a year of showing us, we thought, that he understood what it meant to captain the Arsenal on and off the pitch, and he allows such an unfortunate missive to be written.
I’ve never begrudged a player his moves. Indeed, I still think Na$ri gets too much stick from everyone. But what I dislike is engaging in behavior that threatens the team (not Arsenal, Inc.). I think the Spanish bloke did that, I think Robin has done that, and, the more I learn about certain players from before I supported the team (namely Viera; I still don’t know enough about the Brady saga), the lower my opinion becomes of them.
I guess there aren’t many Elton John fans in the bar. It’s not like he’s a spud… 😉
BMBD
H2H –
What? The Cameroonian wants away? Couldn’t be less arsed…
BMBD
There was no saga with Brady. Dont ever tar Chippy with the brush of 30 years hindsight. And where is he now? Back in the bosom of his family, as he has been for many years.
Still hurt like bugery when he left though mate.
OK Lonestar, BMBD indeed, wipe out DD JNR while we’re at it.
Course it did. But there was no saga. Contract up, he said I’m going and off he went. Different times completely. A Serie A contract in those days was worth its weight in gold. Literally. And you had to be pretty fucking special to get offered one. Juve saw him in 1980. They knew what they were buying.
Tabs,
Excellent prose @ 126.
I take your point about the Deins when you suggest “that the close temporal proximity of the two outpourings of poison was no accident.” That is a most logical suggestion.
But, with the greatest of respect, that’s all it is Tabs – a suggestion. Maybe even strongly suggestive. It is not, by any stretch, conclusive fact. And all I’m saying is that it’s not an irrational argument to suggest that the two statements might not be related either – and that’s the point I make and with your kind patience, I will try to expand on a little further.
I am no voice for David Dein. While I appreciate he did well for the club in the past, his political manoeuvring since, has backfired spectacularly. As such, it is not in the least bit surprising when you mention the interview that he gave to Sky (which I saw too) that there was an evident undercurrent of bitterness against the board.
But people looked at the RVP situation and then, they looked at the contemporaneous letter from R&W – and automatically jumped to the conclusion that this was the work of the Deins in concert.
In this regard, you assert: “that still doesn’t necessarily mean that he (RVP) is not a pawn in a much bigger game – the one for control of Arsenal.”
I don’t think that’s factually correct.
There is no power struggle for the control of Arsenal.
Kronke owns the majority of shares in AFC. Usmanov is a minority shareholder and nothing more. The power struggle ended the day Fisman transferred his shares and all the bickering since is just sour grapes and empty posturing.
Dein introduced both of those incumbents to the Club and he ultimately backed the wrong horse! That’s his real bone of discontent I would venture to think.
But to then think that Dein, is someway involved with his son, to actively pull players from the club in order to destabilize it, and to undermine his relationship with Wenger is a serious reach in my opinion for a number of reasons:
The very fact that he’s such good friends with Wenger contradicts that assertion in itself. Wenger is remarkably intelligent, if he thought for a moment that was the case, the friendship would not exist.
The players are ultimately responsible for who and where they play. The may be influenced by agents, but its ultimately their decision.
TH14 left because he went through a divorce and he wanted to win the CL. Cesc wanted to go back home after 8 years. Nasri and RVP – are just selfish, ungrateful and ultimately disrespectful people.
Whatever side of the fence you come down on regarding the Deins, they have history with the Club and cultivate a lot of respect from people, which is why Darren Dein is appointed the Agent by some players. Would you, as a senior player with a major profile, deliberately appoint someone as your agent if you thought he was underhanded or held in contempt by the club you play for? Would Th14 and Cesc really be that gullible?
Darren Dein is a solicitor by profession, which means he’s regulated. Being involved in anything underhanded, would pose serious risks for him personally and professionally. The football industry is by its nature fickle and underhanded. I would argue that this in itself heightens the need to be above any possible reproach in transfer dealings. He has too much to loose.
David Dein may be a bitter man, but the last I heard he was involved in consulting with the Liverpool owners over the appointment of a new manager, as well as being part of the recent 2018 England World Cup bid. He owns no shares in Arsenal since he sold to Usmanov and is considerably wealthy as a result. So what would he really gain in de-stabilizing the club?
R&W are clutching at straws and everyone can see that. Could the fans cause such umbrage to seriously force Kronke to sell his shareholding to Usmanov so that Dein could be appointed CEO – is that the hypothesis, and if so, is it even a remotely realistic eventuality? It’s not as though Kronke is doing a Glazer on the club and sucking it dry to finance the acquisition of shares. So I interpret that to mean that Kronke is in this for the long haul. It tells me he does not want to burden the club with debt. Its implies he’s a very strong and formidable opponent who is unlikely to waver from his intentions. And his intentions, from what we can see from his operations in the US, is that he’s not the selling type. And his actions in unilaterally supporting Wenger, bringing in Gazidis, expanding the management team to tackle the commercial aspects and now in spending serious money in this transfer window…..well it all augers well for the future. Stan Kronke is here to stay!
Zico,
My previous point about not caring about who we sign, was of course, somewhat flippant and throwaway. Of course I care. But the point I make is that it is not always about signing better players. Sometimes it’s about, as you so evenly put it, accepting “some responsibility”.
If RVP goes to Manu it will leave a far more bitter taste with me than if he went to the Sheihks. At least if he went to Citeh its all down to money. But choosing Manu / Fergie implies its down to both money and football ambition and as you say, is not only disrespectful to the club but also to Wenger.
But y’know the thing that really pisses me is that based on the last 7 years, it’s not entirely too hard to put an objective argument together supporting that choice!
Indeed they did, Esso.
Joe, interesting thought. But I wouldn’t bet much money on a solicitor not doing anything underhanded just because he would have too much to lose. That has never stopped people from doing dodgy stuff.
And to a certain extent I would say that there IS a power struggle. Usmanov wants a seat on the board which would constitute an awful lot more power than he has now since that would give him access to a lot of info that he presently can’t get his filthy hands on. He could use this to be a far worse pain the the posterior regions than he already is and my guess is that he would use this info for further campaining.
“Interesting thoughts”, even. Plural. It wasn’t just one thought, was it?
I don’t know where the truth lies, but I have to admit, it’s very well argumented, Joe. Very interesting post.
Joe,
Thanks for the kind words, and right back at yer, great post.
Of course, I agree with you that my assertion that the statements were linked can only ever be a suggestion, looking as we all do from the outside. That said, if it looks, smells and tastes like a fish, then my view is that it probably is a fish. I, of course acknowledge that the situation allows for different interpretations, and fully respect your right to hold a different view to mine.
On your next point, that there is no power struggle at Arsenal, I respectfully disagree. Yes, I agree that technically the struggle is not taking place in The Boardroom given that a place has not (and hopefully never will be) offered to R&W. However that does not mean that there is not a huge effort being waged by R&W, both through their pawns in the media and through their public pronouncements.
I agree with you that since the changes introduced by The Premier League affecting the rights afforded to shareholders with a greater than 30% holding, much of their rhetoric might be described as “empty posturing”, but simply because they are firing blanks at the moment should not camouflage what their end game is – control of Arsenal. In the widest sense therefore I would maintain that there is a power struggle going on, even if the fight is, for the moment, pretty one-sided. Why else would Dein state that he remains on the “subs bench”?
You ask what David Dein has to gain from destabilising the Club. The answer in one word is Power. As you rightly state, R&W (and by implication Dein) are powerless unless Stan decides to sell. As such their only option is to continue to jump on any perceived weaknesses and to whip up fan discontent wherever and whenever possible in the hope that this leads Stan to consider his position.
I agree with your last para re Stan, but it is only supposition on both our parts. You ask whether it is a realistic hypothesis that fan discontent could force Stan out. I share your doubts that it could, but nevertheless believe that to be R&W’s strategy, and feel sure that they will continue to jump on any adverse on-pitch results as evidence of the current financial model being flawed.
As regards Darren Dein, my understanding is that as a result of his father’s influence, he was able to secure a position with Jerome Anderson, the agent that represented Charlie Nicholas and most of the Arsenal players in the eighties. I have no idea of knowing but would suggest that his representation of Fabregas and Henry occurred prior to his father being ousted. Players being players, once an agent has a foothold with one or two, then others will inevitably follow. I don’t suggest that Darren Dein does anything illegal nor does anything which might conflict with his duties as a Solicitor. What supposition I do make however is that if Darren Dein can also serve the interests of his father whilst he is representing the interests of his clients, then he would regard that as a good days work.
Blimey – long post – if you got to the end of that without self-harming, then have one on me mate!
Fergie said after the Manu vs Barca game, “We’ve made a bid, they’ve been trying to negotiate with other clubs. We have to persevere. Hopefully it comes our way.”
Meh. If he does go to to Fergie’s team, I wish his career can end faster than Michael Owen’s. Or that other Owen bloke… Man Utd, really? I’d rather Arsenal pay his wages to win the Reserves League.
If RvP goes to Manure he is going back on everything he said about his commitment to the Arsenal. He becomes Frank Stapleton Mk II rather than what he hoped to be, DB10 MkII. A sad sad day.
Evening all,
Interweb problems all day, but sporadically ok at the moment. *crosses fingers*
big heh! @155, Wolfgang, and Catalan @166. 🙂
Good stuff from Zico @158, and great debate between Tabs and Joe on a subject I fear I reignited last night.
I promise not to reply again – until, at least, he leaves or extends. 🙁
Hope your absence is not indicative of problems Holic.
Fine posts Joe and Tabs. I cannot disagree.
As Holic observes, Usmanov. for all his wealth and outlay to date is just in the wings at Arsenal. Essentially simply a ‘super-platinum member’ with no influence. He’s a bitter man. Whether the Deins are fomenting unrest is anyone’s guess.
Flicks ball into the box for any runner……
Sling yer hook Robbin your Pursie!
….and it rolls into the net.
Gold medal flick, that one.
Thanks for the unconscious assist, Trev.
Hope all well with the management, Holic.
My pleasure bath. 😉
Like Trev I declared my ‘last word’ on the RvP situation some weeks ago but various stimulating posts above from our resident bards [TABs, Toby, Joe, Umpty, Snir et al] got me to break my self-imposed silence. Here are my latest thoughts on the matter:
You all had great points & counter-points, but all are missing the crucial point of “why” is all this happening IMO. Here is what I feel is happening:
1). RvP is conflicted. After his great season last season he knows that its now or never as far as a mega deal is concerned – remember his agents’ job is to keep him unsettled. He loves Arsenal and knows that we have only seen a fraction of the real RvP and so feels guilty [rightly so] …
2). All the above was discussed with Le Boss & IG at the end of the season. We can be sure that Le Boss laid it on thick [loyalty; what we did for you ; what you owe us .. etc.. etc.. just like he did with Cesc last year] and you can bet RVP left that meeting feeling like shit because he knew that in his case it was all true…
3). He goes home and fuck if his own wife isn’t saying the same things as everybody else! He can’t even call his Mom because she is with the crowd. He’s now got the right hump! He goes to the Euros hoping to play a blinder and get people chanting his name again. But we all know how that turned out…
4). “What the fuck” he thinks “is the whole world is against me?” So like all men since the beginning of time, when faced with overwhelming odds, when through no fault of your own you find yourself on the other side of a perfectly reasonable argument and you are exposed as a selfish cunt by people you love & respect: You attempt to pick a fight to divert the piercing glare of your own conscience. You struggle for justification, you hope that someone, anyone will say ” OK Robin you have a point. I never really thought about it that way”.. But no one has come forward and so RvP has to face the music all alone … standing there among his friends & his mentors, feeling like a cunt..
I feel sorry for him. I really do. Will he go to United? No! He will stay and sup it up. Afterall he is a Gooner and we all know how hard it is to give up being a Gooner don’t we?
So there that it then 😎
Interesting perspective GT, but after this last Fergie quotes, I am quite convinced that he will go to United.
I am feeling sick.
So Alex Song wants to take the shine off our lovely new toys, and is having his bottom pinched by, no surely not, Barcelona.
I have not the faintest idea whether it is true, but will say only this:
I will watch with interest as he sprints to win the ball back within 6 seconds, over the 90 minutes of a match. 😉
If Alex Song is truly wanted by Barcaloona and he wants to go, then he can join the cast of fellow ungrateful ingrates. There will always be an Arsenal long after these players are but a distant memory.
My view on RVP, taking into account latest events this evening and last Fergie quotes.
The only logical conclusion I get from the RVP situation as it stands now is that he wanted the move to United from the very beginning of it.
Wenger tried to convince him, never did, so he tried to find a better buyer. And I am sure the money wasn’t the greatest factor, the pride was. They offered him to Juve, maybe Real or Barca and I am quite sure PSG.
His real worth is maybe 30-40 mil. Arsenal could have accept much less. Just to offload him to another league and to restore the pride.
Barca, Real and PSG were/are not interested, for different reasons. Juve wanted him, even sent an offer, which I am pretty sure we accepted. RVP did not, however.
He had an agreement with United for a long time, and that is the most painful thing.
Dont get me wrong. After the 04 july I was sure that he is going, had a feeling it is going to be Juve, or Barca or even City, I do not care, and was calm till today. But if he had chosen United 4 or 5 months ago, what a dirt he is.
Please Dennis make me wrong.
Continuing “The Night of the Long Posts”, I feel the need to offer my opinion on the van Persie situation.
Truth to tell, I’m not really certain what that opinion is. Like others, I don’t think that I will ever love him as I once did. I think that someone advised him to make his recent statement. I think that person advised him extraordinarily badly.
I wouldn’t be happy to see van Persie playing for any other Preimer League team. Trying to decide which Manchester team I would rather he moved to is like deciding whether or not I would prefer GT to heat the nails to red heat before driving them through my eyes.
I start to feel uncomfortable when I hear appeals to van Persie’s loyalty. The world doesn’t run on loyalty these days (indeed I doubt whether it ever did). If van Persie plays for Arsenal, it’s because he feels it’s in his best interests to do so. Similarly, if Arsenal decide not to sell van Persie, it’s because they feel it’s in their best interests not to.
When Arsenal to determine their best interests, I believe it should be heavily based on finances. Clearly, winning trophies is a good way to improve the finances, but there are limits, I certainly don’t want to see the club win a handful of titles and then go into a steep decline. Leeds United anyone? Porstmouth? Equally clearly, recruiting a squad who are cheap but useless isn’t viable in the long-term either. I have no reason to believe that the people currently responsible for finding the right compromise are doing a bad job and that another set of people would do much better.
Robin van Persie must decide on his best interests as he sees fit, and I don’t believe I or any other Arsenal supporter am entitled to advise him how he should decide. I can hope that he considers some factors other than money. I would hope those factors don’t include playing in a team that’s built around him – I suggest that Arsenal’s recent history of buillding teams around a single player hasn’t been an altogether successful one. Clearly playing in front of a stadium containing 60,000 adoring fans is unlikely to happen if he stays at Arsenal. It’s unlikely to happen anywhere else either. I imagine that van Persie could make more money if he played elsewhere – assuming that some other team really does want to buy him out of his contract with Arsenal. I don’t know how much price van Persie puts on the need to relocate his family that a move would entail, or the cost of looking foolish in the eyes of his family who spoke, before he published his ill-advised stadium, about their confidence that he would remain at Arsenal. Presumably they had reason to think that they were right to say so.
I’d rather he stayed. When fit, he’s a damn good player. There seem to be only two scenarios that won’t lead to Arsenal’s management being the butt of massive criticism. Either, a) He stays, stays fit, has a season at least almost as good as last season and signs another contract or b) he leaves for another club in return for a large transfer fee and either bombs or sees a return to his previous levels of fitness. (I, for one, don’t feel comfortable wishing injuries on anyone, even a fallen idol.) I don’t envy the Arsenal management their responsibility to decide what to do.
Of one thing, however, I am certain – I no longer trust Robin van Persie the way I once did and because of that, I don’t want him to retain the captain’s armband. Vermaelen, Arteta, A. N. Other, I don’t particularly mind who, but I believe it would be a Good Thing for the club to name a new club captain. Once that step has been taken we can begin to heal and move on.
If he goes to United, he’s worse than Cashley in my eyes.
Bugger, and I proof-read it before posting. Honest.
In paragraph 457 above, “ill-advised stadium” should, of course, read “ill-advised statement”.
Time for bed, Oxon.
‘night all.
“We have made a bid and they’ve been trying to negotiate with other clubs,” said Ferguson.
“I don’t have a gut feeling on it at the moment, I must admit.
“We’re not getting any breakthrough with Arsenal.
“It’s difficult to say why they’re operating this way.
“I don’t know what their thoughts are because they’re not giving anything away.”
There had been rumours circulating prior to Wednesday night’s game that Van Persie was heading to Manchester for a medical.
It seems they were wide of the mark.
“I can’t give you any more information,” said Ferguson.
“We just have to persevere.
“We are trying our best and hopefully it will come our way but there’s no progress at this moment in time.”
So AW wants to sell to them. Phew. As to SAF being baffled as to why we “operating in this way”, puh-lease. He knows exactly why!
I meant – “So AW DOESN’T want to sell to them.” Bad editing.
http://www.football365.com/news/21554/7974600/Fergie-persevering-with-RvP
See Sir Red Nose’s comments towards the end about prices having gone mad.
I mean, selling RVP to United, for Wenger is like selling to the Tots, for us the fans. Even worse. Fergie is his opponent, ever was. It is not Manchini, or Moyes, or Mourinho or whoever of the last 10 two-months-lasting former Cuntski or Tots managers. It is Fergie. And you have to sell his best player to your worst enemy? That is painful.
Maybe I am too dramatic, maybe this is just a mind game, one of many from the OldRedN.
Let us wait and see.
Nice one Oxon, Joe and TABs for lucid views on different subjects.
When all is said and done it will be painful wherever he chooses if he decides to go. Oxon I disagree that the club stands to get crap as a result: Unlike last year we are in control of the situation. We have replacements in situ and not waiting for RVP to decide before we can act. If he decides to go then I believe that we should sell. Doesn’t much matter which club but it should be for a fee that will not insult us as was the case with Cesc … and it should be soon. Like tomorrow ffs!
🙁
http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/kickoff/120808/stammers-and-taylor-van-persies-future-178245
Very interesting listen from Stammers and a ManUre journalist.
Lurky –
We cannot force him to go to a club he refuses to join. We might like to decide to whom we sell, but we can’t.
GT –
So do ManUre get desparate and up their offer in the last week of the window, or do we get desparate to get a fee at all, and drop our asking price ?
Ain’t life a bitch?
FunG –
This would be the same Ferguson that paid £30million for Ferdinand, and £32million for Berbatov (if memory serves) that is claiming football transfers have gone mad ?
Kettle – Black – Pot. Rearrange these words into a ………..
Alex Ferguson in a bout of hypocrisy, Trev?
Never thought I’d see the day……
*looks in vain for an ironic smiley*
In fact….
Never thought I’d see the day….. 🙄
@ Trev
ha ha – exactly.
*****
Steve Stammers is very informative in that TalkSport clip. Confirms that AW does call the shots re who stays and who goes and the board back him. Nasri was let go because Citeh met Arsene’s valuation of £22-25 million. He wants around £30 million for Robin. But Citeh aren’t interested (FFP) and ManUre have a post-Berbatov policy of not paying big fees for the over-26s.
Tabs,
Thanks, as ever, for your time and response.
In taking your points sequentially:
I still feel that there is no longer a power struggle. My opinion is based on fact when one considers the shareholding. It’s not even a “one sided fight” – its over. I no longer want to flog the horse – that is just my take and in reciprocation, I respectfully accept yours.
The suggestion that it is R&W strategy to combat this through the media and public pronouncements is a sign of the depth of their desperation and futility as opposed to being a coherent plan that could ever yield any realistic success. Again that too is based on the shareholding and events that have taken place since Kronke took power. The posturing from R&W is baseless, pathetic and quite frankly, piffle. It is so futile that there has never even been a formal response from Kronke. The club doesn’t even need to get involved in that. To do so would only drag undeserved attention to the matter. They have adopted, quite rightfully, the higher ground of silent tolerance.
Could Darren Dein possibly serve both the needs of his employers and his dad? Maybe if the conclusion was mutually beneficial to both parties. But it’s dodgy territory and fraught with potential conflict and publicity.
Lars,
Your point about solicitors being dodgy, is of course valid. But I guess like most people, when the spotlight of public interest is on a solicitor involved in an industry like football, he better be whiter than white or otherwise he risks being scalded.
Your point that Usmanov wants a seat on the board which would constitute a lot more power is incorrect I feel. The power to appoint board members comes from the shareholders. While the Directors too have powers, to run the company, they can readily be appointed or removed by the shareholders. Usmanov does not want a place on the board. Usmanov wants to own the club. In light of his recent behaviour, the chances of him ever been give a place on the board are I feel somewhere close to zero. The fact that he is a minority shareholder means that so too are his voting rights.
Bathgooner:
Prepare to wipe the wax from your ears, for I am about to impart words of wisdom (for a change ☺!): Mortlach, 16 year old Scotch: Buy it, cork it, sip it and savour..!
FunG –
Just listened to that interview – interesting stuff.
Actually, I quite like Danny Kelly. Sure he’s a Spud, but an intelligent one with a sense of humour, and a very good broadcaster.
He and Paul Hawksbee – yikes, another Spud – are the only two presenters I can listen to on the whole station.
TalkSh*te for anyone who hasn’t hopped over 😉
Trev: I would stick with my hand if I were in Le Boss’ shoes! One gets the feeling that he’s completely fed up with being bullied by these cunts from Spain & Manchester.
🙂
Hear, hear GT.
So, is RvP staying ?
Is Song going ?
Is RvP going for a Song ?
Whose Song will Walcott be singing next season ?
Come and sing, or sign with me ! Ich Dien says Dein !
Oh shit ! Now I’m all confused again ! 😉
Trev: Heh … confused? Try singing the next verse 😯
Trev: “I will watch with interest as he sprints to win the ball back within 6 seconds, over the 90 minutes of a match.”
🙂
Now am watching the barca/manure game (recorded) and am all smiles looking at the newlook arsenal rooster…..i mean this team, not to hate, but our midfield and strikeforce look good enough to beat manure’s and definitely match this well overated barca team! #justsaying
can’t wait for the sunderland game!!
c’mon you gunners!!
G1948@176: You are a man of oak.
SCG@179: a woodworking listserv? Just the sort of thing that makes the folk in this bar is so wonderful.
Esso@190: on the button. As you note, there was no side with Chippy. He wanted a new challenge and went. None of the no ambition at Arsenal BS.
And that is enough timber for one drink.
re: Usmanov: dissident minority shareholders who get board seats can be very destructive. Just ask Yahoo.
I’ve said this to CG.
A top player with PL experience> A world class player with no PL experience.
Selling Song would be a huge huge mistake.
I can take no RvP and sharing the burden between 4-5 players to score goals and not one but no DM at all?
It would be a huge problem.
No Song and RvP would mean our squad is weaker (albeit with a potential to be better, but we all know it takes most players one season before they get adapted to the PL).
We must keep Song.
Must.
SG@232: Have to agree with you. Especially as Song and Arteta seemed to have formed a partnership that is greater than the sum of its parts. Last season was the first in which the talents that AW has long seen in Song were clearly apparent to all. Would be very sorry not to see his next few seasons with us when the team will reap the rewards of all the hard work AW has put into turning Song into a top-class DM.
cheers, ned. and not only woodworking, bur particularly handtools. and smithing, metalworking, leather working, so long as its handtools. i focus on wood and smithing. cool stuff.
tabs, joe, outstanding drinks, thanks for being so thoughtful. redbreast irish on the bar for you both.
‘holic, I hope the mgtoscopy went best.
SCG@177: 13 is the only lower number than 30 still open, though any or all of 9, 10, 18, 23, 29, and 52 could become available before the season starts. Podalski and Lansbury are also still unnumbered.
(There is a beer on the bar for the first person to know who 18 is without having to look it up.)
Handtools, SCG? Don’t let Wolfie know. Once he gets the bit between his teeth….
Fewer than 10 days to go and we have a completely different look. Excitement building …
It took me a sec but I believe it’s Squillaci the forgotten man with the number 18 right?
Who’s number 29 again?
A beer for you, CoR. 18 is indeed Squillaci. 29 is Chamakh.
Haha, I can’t believe I forgot Marouane’s number. Is it because even when he played his back was always facing the opponent’s goal????
Thanks for the beverage NBN!
*Belch*
P.S. Holic, I hope everything goes well on your side.
Still around NDN?
What happened to us?
I remember the good old days when we used to do fifty or more drinks towards undeserved centuries…
Alas and alack, gone are the days of juvenile tomfoolery as transfers issues raise its ugly head and forces the collective brow of the goonerverse to wrinkle….
I really hope AW can give Fergie the finger as well. If they want RvP they can have him for free next summer. Obviously ManU is having a hard time in the transfer market, failing to secure deals for Hazard and Lucas Moura. So far they’ve only bought Powell and Kagawa. Apparently the Red Scum lure is not as great as it once was for today’s players. Fergie is even resorting to the media to openly reveal his bid for our player.
Meanwhile we are beginning to have a real quality squad with great depth in almost all positions (GK and RB comes to mind as probable exceptions). While we bought two classy strikers in Poldi and Giroud, neither has PL experience. Chamakh is out of sorts, Afobe out on loan. Park is, um, Park. RvP is last season’s topscorer. We are not paying him crazy money per week, surely we can afford to keep him for another season and give it a real go to win a trophy this club deserves. RvP is a versatile player that can really play anywhere upfront for us. Selling him to ManU, though, will give them a real boost in confidence and attacking flair. They will boast a striking partner of the first and second top goalscorers in the PL last season. FFS they will have bought our best player last season.
Now if RvP wants to go, he can go to Juve or PSG for any sum exceeding 20M. But if he wants to go and join our direct competitor on all fronts next season, for me Fergie will have to shell out 35M or beyond. Why on Earth to we need to strengthen our direct rival who is having a hard time securing signings? Next summer RvP will be 30, odds are his performance will begin to slowly decline after his contract with us runs out. So are we really missing out greatly if he leaves on free next summer? I think last season and this upcoming season will be RvP’s peak. It is in our best interest to make sure he peaks in a Red and White jersey if he stays in England.
Now for ManShitty, I don’t really care who they buy and for what sum. They are operating in a different market in a different market anyways. Shitty offering us a good deal for RvP may be worth considering. Are we really strengthening ManShitty by selling them our Dutch bloke? Meh, they have got Aguero, Tevez, Balotelli and Dzeko anyways. If they don’t ger RvP they can just go out and spend silly money on any other striker. No forward, barring Ronaldo or Messi, will make them significantly better. This, again, is not the case with ManU though. Plus imagine Fergie’s face if he misses out on another transfer target, after openly expressing his intent to the media.
So in a long, roundabout way, therein lies my opinion. I’m not saying we should definitely not sell RvP. I’m saying we should think twice about selling him for our best interests. And selling him to Fergie? I say don’t even think about it. Fuck you Fergie, you red nosed hypocrite.
Fuck Fergie and his bunch of cunts.
I’d rather slice of my right nut with a sharpened plastic spoon than sell any player to them.
ned@237, yeah, we’d all be screwed. brace yourself…
@CoR:
Ouch *covers nether bits*
A lot of backdrinking to do.
Tabs, that 196 would have deserved to be a century!
Nonetheless, well played baff!
*reads on*
(Returns for a flying visit to the bar after a night’s sleep and before heading off to work.)
GT@217 I don’t think I said that if van Persie went, we’d get crap. I hope I didn’t say that because I don’t think I believe it. I’m still confused by the whole situation. I DO think he should lose the captaincy.
There are a couple of central decisions Arsenal must take over van Persie:
Whether to sell now or risk (in excess of 75% risk, I suggest) losing him on a free at the end of the season; and
How much of a premium to require for selling him to another English club.
These are hard questions to answer and it won’t be much easier to judge whether the club finds the right answers. In my marathon post above, I outlined the only two scenarios I can think of that would make it obvious that the club got them right. It’s easy to transform those scenarios to ones that would make it obvious that they got them wrong. More likely are intermediate scenarios such as:
We sell van Persie to Manchester United for £35m. They win the Premier League, van Persie scores 12 goals. Poldi and Giroud take until November to settle, score 15 goals each and Arsenal finish a distant second.
We turn down a public offer from Manchester United of £28m. Van Persie stays at Arsenal and stays fit until February, scoring 22 goals. Poldi and Giroud don’t get to play together until February from which point they combine brilliantly, scoring 18 goals each over the whole season and helping Arsenal to climb from a 4th/5th skirmish to a distant second behind Manchester City. Manchester United struggle due to injuries and poor form up top, they end up fourth thanks to a late penalty at Old Trafford in their last game.
All we can hope for, I believe, is that Arsenal get the decision right. I have no real idea what that decision should be. I have no reason to expect that they won’t get it right. Who’d run a football club?
Right, off to work as advertised.
COYG CCMUED BWBD (c) Lonestar
Trev 219. Images of a horse’s head spring to mind
Great write-up from mr arseblogger again today.
RVP worth; 20 million
Qualifying (top 3) CL worth; 20 million
Keep him. Assure qualifying. Perhaps more (with him our squad is equal to all others). Don´t strengthen a rival.
Perhaps he signs again, if we want him to.
Piss off SAF and ManU.
No brainer.
NBN:
“dissident minority shareholders who get board seats can be very destructive”
Yeah. Even without board seats they can be disruptive, as is the case currently. But they still don’t have control. And thats the fundamental point.
Derrick @243
What you said! 🙂
Dear Alex
So you´re considering going to Barca?
We had another Alex who went there. You might want to call him up to see how it all went.
You´ll find him in Belarus.
Cheers
Arsenal Social Support
I was of the same mind as Catalan @251 until this week. Get him the fuck out is now my view, for as much money as we can get. Don’t pay this ingrate another penny (do they know about pennies) of hard earned Gooner ticket income. If he goes to either of the Manc shitholes, then kick the fuck out of the ingrate when we play him.
There will always be THE ARSENAL.
All Right Holics, Hope all is Tickerty Boo with you all,
Try and stay clear of the Summer Transfer window as it does my noggin in – Far to much fun to be had with the Olympics
But for the first time in a good few years ive been pleasantly surprised with the quality of players already brought in and the ones we are linked with. Was all looking rosy until yesterday, Arsenal please please please do not sell our captain to them Cunts all the hardwork will be undone in a stroke,
Derrick agree with every word above !
Bath @255
You have a good point!
If he leaves we´ll just enjoy thrashing his new team and rubbing his nose in the dirt.
Fuck ’em all.
I love you baff!
Joe:
Cheers for the reply, just one thing: Usmanov has said himself that he wants a seat on the board, even if it was in rather convoluted terms of “I find it strange that such a large share holder has no say in how the club is run” or something to that effect. He also complained rather bitterly about the rule change that prevents him from accessing otherwise confidential information once he reaches 30% of the shares. I do of course agree that his chances of getting a seat on the board are pretty much non-existent, but it is or at least was quite recently what he wants.
In any case, have a drink of your choice on my tab!
Have to say that the latest statements from the Manchester Bully reek of desperation and to be honest, some of the things he said are quite outrageously insulting and patronising:
“It’s difficult to say why they are operating this way”
What, you mean not being very keen on selling one of our best players for peanuts to a team we want to overtake in the league? Yeah, I do wonder why we are “operating this way”.
And then…
“I don’t know what their thoughts are because they’re not giving anything away”
Oh silly me, I forgot that we have to keep Mr Ferguson up to date on all our plans and strategies. We do apologize, Mr Bully, could you come round ours tomorrow afternoon for a cuppa and some biscuits and we’ll fill you in on exactly what we are planning to do? You can even bring along that cunt Phelan so he can stand behind you, tugging at your coat tail like a school boy, yapping away like a little dog that knows it’s master is protecting him.
The Man United empire is in grave danger of crumbling around Ferguson and he is getting increasingly desperate. Us refusing to sell RvP to them would be a fairly huge blow to them now that it is out there in the open that they do want him.
Derrick@243: agree with every single word.
Right, time for some breakfast. Pints all round for everyone in the bar!
Pints for Breakfast Lars?
Good man!
Selling RVP to Manure strengthens them & weakens us. If he remained in our squad it would improve our chances of overtaking them this season and finishing higher might encourage Rvp to re-sign in due course. And to see the look on Sir Red Nose when he was to to have sex and travel..pure gold 🙂
Snir with all due respect did we play with a DM last season….apart from 3 or 4 very good games, Song did not fulfil that function in it’s true definition.
The Manu vs Barca match…the penalty kicks. Can it get any better. Yes it did, when they showed Fergie’s mug. Oh what he must be thinking (well RVP wouldn’t have missed!). Lurky Oliva, we’re on the same page and you too Derrick, about United. If Robin goes, I want to see him wearing black and white.
Some great drinks up there. Cheers for the kind ones, and Oxon, GT, and Derrick, terrific stuff.
Bath, well in @200, and a massive heh @255 🙂 🙂
Cheers for the link Fun, an interesting listen. I fully agree with Trev. Danny Kelly and Paul Hawksbee are the only two broadcasters worth listening to on that station. That they are LWC’s and yet both speak a lot more sense about Arsenal than that part of our fanbase which might best be described as hysterical says much.
Joe, many thanks for the considered response. I find it very difficult to disagree with any of it. The only thing I’d add at this stage is that I don’t think it takes a great deal of mental gymnastics on Dein Junior’s part to serve both the interests of his client and his father, when there is more money on offer from other Clubs. Ultimately however, we might only be disagreeing semantically as to what constitutes a “power struggle”. A drink of your choice on me.
Cheers for the drink Scruz, always welcome.
Cheers Ollie, and on your recommendation I shall scurry off to see what Blogs has to impart on the matter.
Trev, Dr C, Cannons and Ned – Hehs @various 🙂
As for Sir Red Nose, it’s already all been said above. I for one am grateful to him for his intermittent outbursts so that I can remember just how much i hate him. Amidst the nonsense that goes on at The Bus Stop and Shitty, it is easy to forget what a truly despicable cunt the man is. I would go as far as to say that he is the biggest cunt since Cunty the Cunt rolled into Cuntington acting the Cunt.
The man should be left in an empty room with a bottle of scotch that is impossible to open, whilst being relayed Arsene’s message as to who has the prettiest wife on constant repetition through a dodgy tannoy.
Heh Lars , great stuff 🙂
Well when RvP won the individual trophies a couple months back, he remarked “no matter what happens I will always be a Gunner”. I don’t know how he could justify that going to ManU. I really hope he won’t go to ManU, if only to do justice to his Arsenal career and the legacy it hopefully leaves.
I’d say keeping RvP weakens us. I mean the post July RvP whose mind isn’t in it.
The man should be left in an empty room with a bottle of scotch that is impossible to open, whilst being relayed Arsene’s message as to who has the prettiest wife on constant repetition through a dodgy tannoy.
Brilliant, tabs!
Derrick, we go to the same church. Ollie, a couple of posts ago, you mentioned that you didn’t want Robin at Juve and alluded that we knew why. Can you please clarify.
@267 – What about PV in summer of 2001?
It wasn’t a statement in his own website, but those quotes were just as harsh if not harsher.
You know what happened with Paddy after 2001.
Things can change…
Even if they don’t and he still wants to leave, despite being told to stay, he can’t afford not to be in it, because no one would sign him on big wages at 30 years old coming off a lousy season. He’d move, but not get crazy wages. He will however get crazy wages if he sets the PL alight two seasons in a row, regardless of his age.
That comment was for Ollie of course.
@263: I agree with you tabs. I have an extreme loathing towards the hypocritical cunt…
I don’t know if this is true but a friend told me that Frimpong tweeted, ” Loyalty in football has gone…. I will find it and bring it back home.”
I don’t know why but it warmed the heart a bit.
I was also thinking, in terms of persona, Frimpong is like the new Batman whereas Eboue was like the Schumacher Batman….
Or, maybe it’s just me that makes these silly connections 😉
tabs, it seems we are in full agreement on our hatred for Rednose. Successful manager but an utterly despicable human being.
CoR, he did tweet that but it was in reference to Steven Fletcher handing in a transfer request at Wolves. Nothing to do with RvP.
http://www.francefootball.fr/#!/news/2012/08/09/113203_avec-mavuba-et-varane.html
Good to see FF are keeping up: who’s that Olivier Giroud who plays for Montpellier? :p
Ah okay, thanks for the heads up Lars.
Drink on your tab perhaps??
Well, of course, CoR!
More gushing praise for London 2012 from me – Stella McCartney, take a bow, hon. The kits are stylish, flattering and attractive and all the variations on a theme give the athletes plenty of choice. So important to look good and be comfortable in your competition kit. And have you noticed the solid block around the collar, just like the Arsenal kit? On trend.
Hey Fun, I’m the fashion consultant round these ere parts 😉
Yep Lars, we are, as ever, on the same page re Sir PurpleNose.
Cheers Ollie 🙂
And Cannons of course @273
Lars, you are the man! I’ll come collect during the Christmas, maybe for the home game against the lovable Geordies 🙂
Beggin’ your pardon, Wolfie, I thought your specialities were speedoes and high heels. You can be fashion consultant and I’ll be style consultant. OK?
My speciality is , as you rightly point out, Speedoes and Jimmy Choos.
BUT that IS High Fashion !!!!!!
Go on then, you can be Style Consultant. Just remember though, that your drinks must at all times match your shoes.
Lars – great stuff @259. Poor Alex can’t work out what we’re doing !
How unreasonable can you get.
Various hehs @ Catalan and Tabs. 🙂
I said the day after RvP’s statement that, when interviewed on Sky Sports News, Paul Davis had a knowing look about him when he said he wasn’t sure RvP was going to leave.
“It’s just the first stage of negotiations”, he said, “so we’ll see what happens”.
No, I am not suggesting that RvP could bully the whole club into a change of philosophy, but our transfer business has subsequently been of a different class this summer.
We’ll all come to our own conclusions about why that is, and what the club should do now.
For me, I can’t forget that Paul Davis comment and wry smile.
I can’t forget the raw passion that RvP displayed when scoring those goals last season.
I want to believe that the damage can be repaired and he will stay.
I am beginning to think he will.
The one thing to be avoided at any price is to sell to Man Utd, for all the reasons laid out so well above.
Wolfgang – “I’m the fashion consultant round these ere parts”.
It’s my unwelcome duty to inform you that you are the fashion consultant only round YOUR parts ! 😉
@ 284 Wolfie
It’s a deal.
Afternoon ‘holics.
Still back drinking, great discussion between Joe and Tabs.
This from Ollie confused me though;
Trev 219. Images of a horse’s head spring to mind
How did we get from v Persie to v Nistelrooy?
*back to drinks past*
@284: Wolfie, what drink should I get to match my orange, plastic slippers (flip-flops/jandals or whatever you international folk call it)?
FunG – that’s a deal with the devil if ever I saw one !
Wolfie – will you be wearing the 7″ Jimmy’s to Tottering Hotspur ? 😉
H2H – confused me too, but I have learned not to ask. 😉
CoR – may I venture a Tequila Sunrise with a pink umbrella.
You obviously won’t mind if you wear orange plastic slippers. 😉
Go on then, you can be Style Consultant. Just remember though, that your drinks must at all times match your shoes.
At the end of a session a lot of drink ends up around my shoes, does that count?
Still no sign of the Guvnor.
Fingers crossed Holic.
Apparently AW has never sold a player to ManU. Long may the tradition continue.
Good call on the drink Trev.
Orange flip flops CoR?
You’d fit in nicely over here.
It could also be RvP’s new nickname if he decides to stay.
Hope all is well, ‘Holic. Thoughts of al in the bar with you and the management, as ever.
our transfer business has subsequently been of a different class this summer.
Subsequently, Trev? WE have signed one player, which we were apparently after a season before, when Malaga gazumped us with their then-millions.
I don’t see any link between RvP and our transfer business, apart perhaps for the fact that we moved in early for Giroud in case RvP left….
As for RvP’s raw passion I am becoming cynical. Perhaps all the passion was in relation to his wallet after all, each goal meaning more money elsewhere. and we all got fooled.
I don’t yet believe this completely, but frankly it will take an enormous lot for me to forgive him….
@296: heh! 😆
What Ned Said.
WEll played CoR. I never even realised we were near a century, so just glad I avoided the self-assist!
Fun @287 Deal!
Trev @286 – Fashion Philistine!! 😉
Cannons @289 and Trev @292 – Tequila Sunrise a good suggestion, but advocating a pink umbrella shows a certain catwalk naivity. The Tequila Sunrise should only be drunk with a white umbrella.
Flip flops however, or indeed any heel-free footwear, is generally a no-no.
H2H @293 Pffft, of course not.
*trudges off, wearily acknowledging that all fashion tips appear to be ignored by the patrons of the Bar*
What Trev @294 and Ned @297 said.
Agree with Ollie that there is no link between anything RVP might have said and the new signings. Podolski and Giroud were signed prior to his statement, and Cazorla was a target last summer.
Think the truth is far more prosaic. Put simply, there is more money available now than at any time since 2002. That said, I do think RVP’s statement may have helped in concentrating minds to not make the same mistakes of previous close seasons.
Right, outta here
Atletico Madrid now in financial trouble. Facing relegation from Europa League due to non payment of transfer fees….
Anyone care to criticise how well our club has been run financially now?
RVP – Ollie, I´m fairly certain that his passion (eg Newcastle vs Kroll) is genuine. He´s a winner. That also tends to make him maybe a little harder to deal with.
I have no problem with him wanting to get as much money as possible. Why not? It´s just the hypocrisy of “the statement” that pissed me off.
If he stays (BIG IF) great. Suitable apology and 30 more goals please. If he doesn´t then there are 3 possible reactions;
Juventus; Good luck. Time will heal your indiscretion.
Citeh; Meh
Utd; Pariah.
In other news, Holic has been spotted alive and well on Twitter…
Trev and NBN, Thanks for saying that, I think we all have our fingers crossed, wishing them both the best.
Oh Catalan, good to hear! Also agree with you about Robin’s picks, and how I will feel. But truth come to shove, if he goes to United, that’s it for me…and I’m usually very forgiving.
Catalan:
Anyone care to criticise how well our club has been run financially now?
Amen to that. Sadly though, those who think we are immune to financial difficulties won’t learn anything at all from other clubs going bust.
@303: But Wolfie, a wise woman once told me to avoid being a heel, you need to avoid heels 😉
Anyhoo lads and laddettes, off to hot slumberland goes COR with his slippered feet!
Arriverderci 8)
More good Frimpong tweeting… wonder who it´s aimed at?
Emmanuel Y Frimpong @Frimpong26AFC
Play for the name on the front of the shirt and they will remember the name on the back. Tony Adams #Hero
Actually this was originally tweeted by Eduardo the other day.
Lovely Eduardo…one of the good guys.
Play for the name on the front of the shirt and they will remember the name on the back.
Play for Emirates Airline? ;-O
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/44431/arsenal-train-in-germany-picture-special
Pictures trend of the day: RvP is staying (just….), Song is already off.
😛
Looking at those training pictures Ollie, in 18 / 19 I think AW just spotted Wolfgang in the background. 😉
Ollie @311 heh! 🙂
Re the photos… can´t wait to see Poldi and Giroud bulldozing through defenders this year. Tippy tappy is dead. Bring on the power!!
Steve Bould. To the manor born. I think I might have a little bet on our next manager now….
heh Trev 😀
Dr C, might be worth a few quid
Just picked me up a brand shiny new Santi Carzola for H2HFC, swapped him for Song.
Heh Trev, I was actually lurking in the undergrowth, but don’t think I was spotted by Arsene. His fingers seem to be far too extended to be referring to me.
Laurent Koscielny was however eagle-eyed, spotted me straightaway and was immediately impressed by my thin cotton Summer lederhosen. You will note that in pic 19 he was happy to offer me an invitation of sorts.
I think I’ll cry if I see RvP in a U*d jersey.. I’ll only have hate if I see him in a City..but seeing him in a U*d jersey is just so wrong.
I haven’t read ole Red Nose’s comments (in the same way that I haven’t read the Uzbek minority shareholder’s) so I am relying on what I can deduce from what’s been written above.
Isn’t it strange that the same comments provoke diametrically opposite reactions from readers of this blog, who can be assumed to lie at the saner end of the Gooniverse? Reactions ranging from “Our soon-to-be-ex Captain has used the words ‘playing for’ and ‘Manchester United’ in the same sentence – ship him out as quickly as possible” to “That Dutch bloke has kind of implied he’d like to play for Manyoo, let’s hold him to the last year of his contract. That’s learn him!”
No surprise then, that the more rabid supporters tend to go off on one at the drop of a hat.
COYG CCMUED
Oxon, Maybe this will help. The stages of loss (in its entirety) 1) denial 2) anger 3) bargaining 4) grief 5) acceptance. Some people are stuck at a stage while others can breeze right through them. Then there are those (like me) who flit back and forth. Guess what, there is no right or wrong about how any of us feel. If Robin hadn’t meant so much to us (not just as a player) then I doubt we’d still be talking about him.
Robin van Persie died that day in July.
Nothing new 😉
http://news.arseblog.com/2012/08/national-manager-in-decent-person-shocker/
Nicely done, Mr Löw
What Ollie said about RVC. He is dead to me for ever. I’ll never boo the shirt, but I’ve never cheer/clap that cunt again. Whatever happens.
abb@321, thanks for the reminder of the five stages. I had considered asking about them. As ever, I’m not sure where I fit on the spectrum – certainly not 3 ‘bargaining’. I’m not sure that he’s off, so maybe ‘denial’. If he’s off, I’d be sorry about it, which would be ‘grief’ but since I’m not certain (more denial?) I’m not grieving – at least not yet. Basically I think I’m pretty indifferent (acceptance?)
I think Snir said it a week or two back – “He’s dead to me now”. (If it wasn’t Snir, I apologise to the author of this excellent sentiment.) If van Persie reconsidered, and particularly if he reconsidered and signed a new contract I’d welcome him back. If not… meh.
what Ollie and Esso said.
RvP is staying. The club fucked up and didn’t photoshop Poldi’s number.
It’s 9.
Picture 11.
Santi was wearing no 30 too. I don’t know if it’s final though since it hasn’t been made official, so they are still free to choose I suppose until then?
Evening all. Spent a couple of hours in the garden with the neighbours after a day at the workhouse. I think this is now the sixth day of summer…
Terrific form from the usual suspects above. Thanks all.
We know what a few hours in the garder with the neighbours mean, ‘holic. So what was in the glass this time? 😉
In the garden even.
Guinness, Ollie.
Got to load up on wine for the weekend 😉
And before anybody says they’re not gonba give him 10 while RvP is still there.
True, but he coulda gotten a top with no number.
heh @318 Tabs 🙂
Arsene looking very determined in picture #8.
Would be interesting if someone more clever than I could put two pictures of Arsene side by side, from 1997 and 2012, to show what 15 years can do – and that’s when you’re fit and on a good diet.
Good to see you back Guv’.
Good man, ‘holic.
I think it was actually Tony Soprano.
Who said He’s dead to me….
My garden has been doing a cheap imitation of Holic’s tonight – neighbours, alcohol, sun.
Summer erupted in central Scotland on Tuesday and has had experts scurrying to find the record books to try and ascertain the last time shone on three consecutive days. My bet is the Paleolithic period.
Heh, spooky – the missing word above was sun 8)
Snir, don’t read too much into what Podolski was wearing. For all we know, they might have run out of clean numberless shirts and he just grabbed one that was the right size. Or he just grabbed the one with number 9 by of mistake. Or… etc etc.
Your wish is my command Trev 😉
http://www.thehardtackle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Arsene-Wenger-Arsenal-1996.jpg
http://binaryapi.ap.org/b59d692bc7f245b08af43ffb02172d9e/512x.jpg
Hope all is well at home Holic.
Arsene Wenger used to be Harry Potter senior?
Come on, non-Bolts!
Great pics, Ollie. The boys seem to have the spirit. 🙂
Tabs
You’re as fast as Usain Bolt, mate.
Cunt.
1-2-3? Something in the ganja.
Better check the CMC…..
I wonder how fast he could go if he actually tried?
It’s true he seems to amble along when he doesn’t feel under pressure but he did look as if he was trying this time.
I wish Bath!
Bolt, WOW!
David Rudisha ain’t half bad either.
The first 150 maybe, after that it was like he was jogging. He was watching himself on the big screen, plus he glanced around five times.
Big party around GT’s manor tonight.
David Rudisha was amazing, tabs, totally utterly amazing.
And a Gooner, not a glory hunter Manc like that Bolt cunt.
One for Wolfgang from the BBC:
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
It is tighter than a pair of shunken speedoes out in the final of the men’s beach volleyball. Brazil’s Alison Cerutti and Emanuel Rego are level at 16-16 in the first set with Germany’s Jonas Reckerman and Julius Brink.
Just how many beaches are there in Germany?
H2H. When you are a steaming locomotive you can afford to look around a few times. 😉
Some people transcend their Sport, Pele, Muhammed Ali. Bolt is in that company. Absolutely magnificent.
As you say H2H, a big big party in GT’s neck of the woods.
Heh Ollie 🙂
Rudisha a Gooner? Heh we’ll take ‘im. Unbelievable to run that time from the front.
Yeh Bolt’s a manc. Shame but no-one’s perfect. Still think the man is fantastic.
Heh @351 🙂
Thanks for that Tabs.
Even his glasses have gone grey and lost weight. A massive change but I guess 49 – 64 are very ‘ageing’ years.
ATHLETICS
Yohan Blake on BBC One: “I just want to big up Birmingham and London. You guys have been great. Birmingham people, you guys took care of us and we have to give you all the respect, Birmingham…”
Usain Bolt, interrupting: “Oh yeah, Birmingham people! When we had camp they were extremely great to us. They showed us a lot of love and thank you, guys. You guys helped us to come out here and do our best.”
Warren Weir, interrupting: “Shout out Birmingham!”
Bigging up Brummies now, look these guys are clearly on drugs.
Now I implied the question earlier but : who’s got the keys?
Heh Trev 🙂
Good point , well made Ollie 🙂
These Olliempics are so fun why do they only hold them every four years?
Ha! Whatever! Big up the Yaadies! Yam and green bananas,no drugs. I hate the fact that Bolt is a ManU fan but phenomenal he is. Credit where it’s due. Big Up Usain and the rest of the sprint factory.
Evening all. Now, before I share some add. info. with Oxon about the grieving process, I don’t mean to make lite of anyone who has suffered a loss, God I would never mean to do that. Oxon, the are two add. phases, The very first is Shock, followed by denial. Before acceptance, there is the Testing phase, which means the person is struggling to find a realistic solution. Like me wanting him to play for Juve, if he doesn’t stay. I most certainly identified with everything you feel. Thanks for sharing.
Nice one Jade Jones, A Gold for kicking people in the head.
Ah, H2H, someone else was watching the taekwando (sp?). Any idea what the F was going on?
And on a much lighter note, I can say with utmost certainty, (after reading the drinks) That Ollie, Esso, and Bath are very well-adjusted individuals (chuckles). Have a good one all. Nite.
Actually I did Oxon, I took Taekwondo classes in the Sobell Centre when I was a kid.
I was pretty decent at getting knocked down.
‘Holic: Good to see you back.
CoR@242 & 300: Elysian days of wine and roses. But you still have the centuries in you, I see.
Tabs@304: What may have happened is that the club felt comfortable dipping into its rainy day money kept aside in the event of missing CL qualification, planning on sales of the unwanted to top it back up again. No evidence for that, just a hunch.
@339: Wow! What will he be like in another 15?
Ollie@312: Can we trust your crystal balls? Also is Podolski wearing no 9 in pix no 11? @327: I see you are ahead of me. Park departs.
Trev@313: 😉
WS@318: cotton lederhosen? Are there no standards left?
Esso@324: 20 goals for us next season and you (and most of us) will be cheering. 20 goals for anyone else and that will be clap as in pox.
Rather enjoyable day watching the track & field stuff from London. Took my mind off the footie for a bit. After a quick back-drink I think I am correct in saying that the patrons wants to fuck man u and old red nose – am I right? Well whatever does it for you but I’d prefer to take a baseball bat to that fucking cunt. Arsenal must NOT sell RvP to them no matter what!
Re: Nurse Abb @365. In your professional opinion, what does that mean about the rest of us? 😉
In no-cotton lederhosen news:
http://www.tourmycountry.com/austria/lederhosen-tracht.htm.
I hesitate to ask Wolfie on which side of the Arschnaht divide he falls…
What I’ll be drinking tonight, and certainly worthy of at least an honorable mention in the bt8bbgfg pale ale sweepstakes:
http://www.grandtetonbrewing.com/SG.html
Good point, GT, about the diversionary value of the Olympics. Perhaps they should be held whenever there is an Interlull.
We must be suspended in time, bt8-ball-bgfg 🙂
bt8b@371: there is a pale ale sweepstakes? My entry: http://smuttynose.com/beers/full_time_beers/shoals_pale_ale.html
nbn and 8ball, here’s my fave: http://www.stonebrew.com/pale/ it’s going to be hard to beat…
NBN @367, re Wolfgang @318,
quite right NBN, ‘cotton lederhosen’ is a contradicton in terms.
‘leder’ meaning leather, you can’t have cotton leather trousers.
And he called me a Fashion Philistine !!! 😉
NBN @370,
nice article on the laderhosen. Like the bit about the shiny parts.
Wolfgang’s lederhosen definitely have shiny parts, but they’re nothing to do with ageing. 😉
So, Paddy takes two stuffed dogs to the Antiques Roadshow.
“They are a very rare breed”, says the show’s canine expert.
“Do you have any idea what they would fetch in perfect condition ?”, he asks Paddy.
“Sticks”, Paddy replies.
*coat please* 😉
***In a desperate attempt to summon PIK and other long-term absentees, does the unthinkable and accuses them of going over to the dark side.***
@367: They don’t call me Cannons “Centurion” Rhetoric for nothing, yuh know 😉
The Scene : D L Ltd Boardroom….
Dr Feelgood is sitting at the head of the Board Room table, holding court as the fabled Executive sit opposite and around him, bored witless as he drones on about his vision of a New World Order…..
Feelgood: “New faces, more bums on seats, less space for the disgruntled, you lot need to get your ass in gear…..more chemicals, more nurses, more barstaff, more prophets, more profits more, more, more….
Dr Spin : How do you like it?
Feelgood : “Eh?”
Dr Spin : “It’s a song, Dr F. More, more, more, how do you like it?”
Feelgood : “Neat, I expect…..”
Dr Spin : “Actually I was referring to the new DLL livery, in particular for away fixtures – Purple Train, how do you like it, it’s got a kind of ring to it, don’t you think?”
Feelgood : “The only ring I want to know about is the ring of cash registers ….how’s the season ticket renewal going?”
Dr Disorder (from under the table) : ”Two”
Feelgood (rolls his eyes) : “Not yet, Borda….”
Wolfgang Smallballs (pouting) : “Must be going better than last year as I was asked to remove a wardrobe AND my ukelele by some builder sort who wouldn’t show me his nails…..”
Feelgood : “Don’t sulk Wolfie. We’ve got new infrastructure for you too. The Mirror Carriage. It’s for when we encounter the odd defeat and some of our more excitable patrons need a period of, heh, quiet reflection. Also it’s two-way so I can watch what they’re up to and set Carlos on the fuckers if they start any of their shit…..
Doctors C and T (in unison) : “Aren’t you forgetting something? Or rather, someone?”
Feelgood : “Oh yes, the elegance in the room – Professor Storey. I’ve heard rumours about him defecating…..”
Doctor T : “DefectingFeelgood. He says he won’t renew his contract……”
Various : “He’s considering offers from elsewhere. Some say they are fairly well advanced…..”
Feelgood : “The only thing that’s advanced about Edwin is his forehead,……all that thinking…..he won’t leave us..he said “whatever happens, I’ll always be a Happy Trainer…..”
Dr Spin : “I think you’ll find he said They’re offering a large retainer.”
Feelgood : “But where could he go? It’s London, it’s 2012, we’re the only show in town….”
to be continued…….
Had too many frosties in that damned garden……neighbours left me unsupervised with a bottle opener, the fools…..
Nite, Holic-nation. 8)
Barking.
Stark staring mad, the lot of you.
Bar one.
Thank you nurse. You know why 😉
Heh Zico.
z, yer a poet. the roar of the happy train is your baying at the moon.
Trev@377: Exactly. There are some things about Tracht regions better left unknown.
SCG, to ‘Holic’s point, baying at the moon is just a more poetic way of describing barking.
Never had the pleasure of a StoneBrew. Does it travel beyond you neck of the woods?
An interesting football update : Following a month long recovery period from a calf injury, I started playing again today and wearing the home kit for the first time. Rosicky 7. I was almost taken out by someone who turned out to be a fan of Newcastle *and* the LWCs! ( No, I didn’t ask about the nipple rings and whips and leather gadgets . 🙂 )
Anyway, I made him aware that little Mozart has a mean tackle on him as well. Ha.
I would really miss Thomas at the beginning of the season. Finally his Arsenal career was becoming worthy of this club and his immense abilities.
Every time someone complains about Arsenal’s lack of ambition in the last few years, I think of some very astute signings Arsene had made in that period that due to sheer bad luck — and sometimes general thuggeries — didn’t pan out. Imagining an alternative universe of Rosicky – Eduardo – RVP – Cesc and that tall Togolese bloke before he became a **** : all fit, firing and playing together for a couple of years. Sigh.
Hopefully Rosicky would be back fit before the fall.
I know one or more of RVP, Song, Theo would be sold. But if miraculously they all stay and play their part as best as they can, I see no reason not to forget about everything else and just cheer for them. I cannot really hold the Arsenal players at a higher ethical standard than the most of the rest of the humanity.
@388: It’s true what you say Dr Faustus.
I learned a while back that it doesn’t make sense holding people to standards you yourself can’t abide by. We are all humans with the same frailties at the end of the day.
We can try not to repeat the same mistakes other people do and laugh at them though 😀
Not sure I would agree with this. Maybe latter half of the season only depending on how the cup runs go? If Gervinho is heading back to the Ivory Coast for the African Cup of Nations it will make more sense to keep Ryo at Arsenal I reckon…
http://www.clubcall.com/wigan-athletic/gunners-ace-on-latics-radar-1452354.html?
CoR@390 : I absolutely agree with you about Ryo. I think he should stay as a first team player, playing in the League Cup as a starter and appearances from the bench otherwise. If match time is getting hard to come by he can always enjoy a few games with the reserves. And play him in FA Cup as well.
I think he will learn more with some game time in Arsenal shirt and hanging around with the first team, getting the best physical conditioning work and some very good technical and tactical disciplines. And towards the end of the season he can come in very handy with his pace and trickery.
GT @ 205,
Good summary and I concur!
Oxon @ 210,
Equally good summary and I concur!
Upulympian @261,
Precisely, that’s why RVP should be kept unless OUR full valuation fee is met! It’s all about finishing above our direct rivals now for AFC and not strengthening them any longer!
On a side note, laughable how SAF bemoans PSG paying 30 Mill for a 19 yr old! How much did he pay for a certain 19 yr old called Wayne Rooney in 2004?! That’s correct, 30 Million squids*! Talk about the “pot calling the kettle black”! Feckin’ bitter OAP!
*(Source: Official Club Website of Manure! http://www.manutd.com/en/Players-And-Staff/First-Team/Wayne-Rooney.aspx)
Be sure to rinse your eyes out thoroughly with sterile water subsequent to following said source and link! Steroid+antibiotic eye drops are available immediately upon request should afore said conservative measure prove to be inadequate for relief of inevitable discomfort and irritation!
I also think Ryo will benefit from training with the first team and fighting to earn some game time, while starting in League Cup games. Like Dr. F mentioned, his pace and trickery is a great asset to have, especially as an impact substitute in certain games.
In other news Rooney mentioned that RVP will be a “great addition” to the Manure squad. He surely makes Shrek look handsome. And then it strikes me, RVP might just be too good-looking to move to the Red Scums. De Gea is a Spanish Ape. Evra is, urgh. Ferdinand consistently looks like his balls has just been busted. Fletcher, Carrick – demented. Nani looks like a circus comedian without the makeup, Valencia his backup double. Berbatov and Vidic might just be the most handsome blokes in the team, and that’s saying a lot. Just add to this the fact that Rednose is their manager…
They certainly need a new posterboy to sell more shirts. But RVP? Our RVP? I don’t think I can handle seeing him pose a Manure shirt. With their new square-themed kit, I might just puke when I see it. But I can handle TGSTEL in that kit. Yeah, he’s devilish handsome too. Maybe all this RVP talk is a smokescreen for Fergie to tap up our greatest striker of all. Come on now, Fergie, your team is crying for The Greatest and Most Handsome Striker That Ever Lived. We can even throw in Squillaci…
Ulympian – Our midfield is extremely fluid, making all the players take all three positions throughout the game.
Song did go forward more than usual last season but that was a direct order from AW to compensate on Cesc’s absence (due to JW’s injury).
In 09-10, he was a DM and a DM only and had an awesome year, playing mostly in a midfield three with Diaby (who was great that year), and Cesc.
He most certainly can do the role and with enough creativity in the side now, he can go back to brewing the great DM he was in 09-10.
Heh @ Derrick 393. Lol.
The recent quotes from the “Red Nose One” make me think that he’s definitely getting senile. His comments about Arsenal keeping him in the dark regarding RVP and also PSG’s bid for Moura are actually quite comical.
Derrick, it’s true, Rooney does look devilish 😆
http://www.uglyfootballers.com/sticker-books/ugly-premiership/wayne-rooney.aspx
Plays an exquisite Cazorla-esque pass to CoR but he’s preoccupied staring at Wolfie’s purple reign Speedos.
Sticks out an elbow hoping the guvnor won’t notice ….
Stumbles…
Makes a cheeky lob into the 6 yard box
Nice stumble dumby Derrick. Cheers!
That should be *dummy*. Ha!
Haha! I really was staring at those purple people eaters Impec1 😀
Well in on the 4-TON!
Still lighter than Shaft’s women though.
DapperDanC @ 392. Thank you.
Have we met in real life? It’s the only circumstance I can imagine that would lead you describe the best part of a thousand words of distilled bullshit that was mine @210 as a “summary”! Thanks again, anyway.
Stumbles off to work…
COYG CCMUED
Morning Holics,
Got a little snippet of news last night that warmed the cockles somewhat, The reason for Fergie going so public in the last few days is that Arsenal have completly snubbed them apparently from the whispers i heard theyve tried on numerous occasion to open talks but Arsenal are just not interested apparently theyve faxed (Didnt even know people still used them lol) over various requests but Arsenal havent even given them a response totally blanked them and thats infuriated old red nose,
Arsenal from what ive been told are adamant he wont be sold to an English club they would now happily sell him abroad as his actions have dismayed IG and Wenger who feel theyve supported him when other clubs wouldnt ie his injuries, Now i know money talks and at the end of the day he may well end up in Fergies red bussom but we are at least playing hardball and sticking up for our interests and all in all thats all i can ask,
Did make me giggle tho the lord and master that is fergie getting a bit of his own medicine- oh to be a fly on that wall or fax machine,
Chippy,
Brightened up my morning, which for some reason finds me feelingl quite dehydrated.
Coffee please Bardude….
Zico,
Ditto mate cheered me up a tad last night, Apparently all the staff know whats happening and are finding the stonewalling highly amusing ! Lets just say Fergies comments over the past couple of days have not had the desired effect he was hoping for – In fact the reverse is true its made them more steadfast,
Does sound like VP would be happy to make the move mind but things change quickly,
Mr C,
I feel that congratulations are in order, if only of a ‘self’ and ‘belated’ kind, following our recent medical examination of Santa Clause, or whatever his name was.
The Quackery is not given the respect it deserves around these parts, but it appears we have done another excellent job.
I noted that Mikel Arteta said in his recent interview that his new team mate has “two good feet”.
I’m sure that that is one of the few things that we always make absolutely sure of. After all, only having one good foot or, indeed, just one foot, would be no use to a professional footballer. At all.
Especially those that are required to demonstrate the sort of technical quality on which the manager has come to rely.
So, well done Mr C. Those ungrateful ‘directors’ are much too busy doing whatever it is they do, to get round to giving us the clap we deserve. So I have given it to you instead.
Yours,
Mr T.
2 gooners picked for French team Kos and Giroud
No No Nasssssrugfh – defo improves it
Zico @381. 🙂
GT – loved your @205, sorry I missed it first time through. 🙂
Doctor T
Clappin’ 😀
Chippy, exactly what zico 406 said, apart from the dehydrated bit 😉
Cheers, drink for you on Lars’ tabs.
@405: That’s great to hear Chippy 😆
Ozzy officially off.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/reserves-news/ozyakup-completes-move-to-besiktas
Shame, I had high hopes for him.
Something with the Dutch not making it (see Barazite and Quincy)
Mr T
“So, well done Mr C. Those ungrateful ‘directors’ are much too busy doing whatever it is they do, to get round to giving us the clap we deserve. So I have given it to you instead”
🙁
Now, I know that we are a close knit team in The Quackery, and on the HT in general. But, quite honestly, I have no desire for either you nor the “directors” to give me the clap. Whether I deserve it or not is another matter
The news that you have actually already given it to me is a little disturbing. I don´t remember too much after the last drinking session, but I´m certain I wasn´t that drunk.
Still, it pays to be careful; Nurse Wolfie! Bring the wire brush and Dettol….
Oxon @404,
Well my dear Don, an Oxbridge education tends to instill in one the uncanny ability to “distill” such erudite analyses, usually under the influence of an intoxicant, with little or no effort! 😉
Chippy @405,
Hee! Hee! Sweet as a nut! 😎
Come On You Beautiful Gooners!
The things I’m asked to do !!
Star….
Emmanuel Y Frimpong @Frimpong26AFC
We all need help when we Down…. But we forget to thank and be loyal to the people that helped us get up
@ 405 Chippy
Sounds about right, but where did you hear it?
Chippy,
That news warms my heart too..!
http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/arsenal/134251/arsenal-ladies-planning-bid-for-olympic-boxing-champ-katie-taylor.html
Wouldn’t this be fantastic? I hope they can pull it off. She comes over as a great girl and clearly is a winner.
Thanks for that Chippy, heartwarming indeed, just the kind of balls the club need to be showing…….. Easy Wolfie.
Fun.
Dara O Briain would love that, she’s from his hometown.
@ H2H
yeah, he’d be ecstatic! He was at the fight with Ed Byrne.
That’s how I knew. 😉
Whispers coming out that the Sahin deal is close to completion.
FunGunner @420
Its come from someone involved with the club – Not on the playing or coaching side of things, But closely enough involved to hear bits and bobs due to the job they do, Its very rare they get anything that worthwhile to report – So i dont bother them to much but i was just intrigued on this occasion to try and find out if they knew anything, I carnt say to much. And as i say he may still end up going there but thought it would cheer everyone up a tad as it did me 🙂
On another note in VPs defence hes been knowhere near as much a pain in the arse as Cesc was over it all !
@ 428 Chippy
Cheers, thanks! Good old Arsenal.
I’ve read elsewhere that RvP is being a model pro, so that’s good. Makes credible AW’s option to keep RvP.
Chippy – I can certainly see a change in the staff’s relations with him.
Stuart Macfarlane changed his bio on twitter to “I shoot when I want, and he may leave when he wants” on the day of the announcement.
Four days ago, on RvP’s birthday, he tweeted a picture of him in 2005 and wrote “Happy Birthday Skipper,” which suggests there is still some kind of bond there.
Chippy – Does he know anything about Alex Song and AW’s thoughts on whether or not he’ll sell him?
I have to say, I like Coq, but I’m terrified by the thought that we might start the PL season with him as our DM.
Wolfie! Snir has something to tell you @431!! 😉
I’ll grow up one day.
I knew someone would have to say something about that…. The sadistic Chiro, but of course… 🙂
@ 427 Snir Geuli
Interesting. So how did you hear that?
****
Jamie Sanderson is tweeting that Arsenal may be loaning players to Malaga to help them back up – Ignasi Miquel is wanted, maybe also Bendtner and Squillaci. We would waive loan fees and subsidise their wages.
You set ’em up. I’ll knock ’em down! 😉
Snir Geuli @431,
Hope all is well 🙂
Absolutley No idea mate and very much doubt hed know whats going on with that, He assured me weeks before the end of the previous season that cesc was off (He Was) and that – Vermaelen (He Wasnt) would be the new skipper of the club – Lucky i didnt get a bet on would have cost me a fortune 🙂 !!
Afternoon All,
Great stuff Chippy. Whether RVP goes or not, the abiding image that your post provokes of an increasingly combustible Sir PurpleNose sending faxes and making phone calls whilst Arsenal stuff lean back laconically on their chairs and say “Nah, let it ring” or “Just leave him on hold” is one to warm any Gooner heart.
H2H @366 🙂
Ned @367 – You may well be right. I still think more money is available now though, although I guess the acid test will be how much the Club seeks to recoup in outgoings.
Dr Z @381 Class 🙂
Derrick @391 🙂
Mr T and Mr C Hehs 🙂
Trev, Ned – Expect a reply from Wolfie on the whole “cotton lederhosen” controversy. I have it on good authority that he’s struggling to think of one at the moment 😉
He is however as one with Snir in his liking for Coq!
Oh dear! Thought wolfie had gone 🙂
tabs@437, we should get that receptionist from Little Britain to answer all calls from ManU.
“- Hello, welcome to the Arsenal, how can I help you?
– I wann tae bae tha’ venpersea fellah!
– Give me a moment, I’ll have a look… sorry, computer says nooooo.”
Jamie Sanderson is tweeting
FunG, I stopped there and then.
@ 440 Ollie
Why? JS is quite reliable on that stuff, especially when it concerns younger players.
Heh Lars 🙂
Lars@439
Haha or Terry Tibbs “talk to me” “he’s a feisty one isn’t he”,
Ollie@440
Is that the bloke that sometimes writes for the Metro ? If so – says it all !
Afcamden seems the best of the bunch in tweet land that ive found
FG@434: we should lend Malaga an entire team. Good experience for the youngsters.
Lars@439: 🙂
@ 444 NBN
You jest, I’m sure, but it could be close to that!
Heh at the walleted one.
Chippy, had to google Terry Tibbs but I see your point 🙂
I see the Spanish coach isn’t as nice as Mr Löw and has selected Señor Cazorla for the meaningless August friendly.
FunGunner, I may be confusing my people, but I think Jamie S is the one who always pretends to be ‘ITK’ when he knows fuck all and just copies what other people write…
I apologise if I’m confusing him with someone else: I don’t have access to another place where I could know for sure. WIll check later.
I know there are a couple of people who write things on Arsenal and who I keep confusing, and I think he’s one of them.
@ Ollie
Well maybe I read his twitter a/c first so don’t realise he has copied his info! But he does claim to have genuine contacts.
Actually, a quick google and a read of his ‘Bio’ on his website, that nearly made me puke, makes me think he is the twat.
8 more days. How can I get through them?
@ Ollie 453
ha
Ollie, after reading your post @453, I did the same google search and that bio was a bit vomit-inducing.
BREAKING NEWS: Arsenal announce sale of Carlos Vela to Real Sociedad for an undisclosed fee.
That took you all by surprise, didn’t it?
Isn’t JS from Young Guns?
Lars, that’s one gone, still a few to go.
Lars, I can’t believe it!
Vela’s fee was 3.8 million euros, I understand.
And why, oh why are there international friendlies immediately ahead of the start of the League season in Europe? FIFA madness meets FIFA arrogance.
Latest pictures:
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/recovery-session-in-the-pool-pictures
Today’s trend: Song is staying, RvP is gone!
Trend confirmed there:
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/away-kit-launch-picture-special
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/winner-announced-for-cazorla-s-signed-shirt-
If this wins, either it’s the only entry, or I don’t want to start imagining the other ones.
And that’s my catch up with .con done 😀
Vela cost us 3 million euros in 2006 and played 66 first team games.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Ollie@461: Arteta doesn’t have a hair out of place even in the pool.
IMHO Manure aren’t nearly as good as they once were and selling RvP to them for a small fortune isn’t going to make them unbeatable all over again. It’s not like letting Ray Kennedy go to Liverpool…….that one REALLY hurt!! In the end you root for the eleven guys running their guts out for you as you’re watching and hoping. Something Cesc didn’t do after he’d made up his mind his future was elsewhere.