Ten Days Of Brooding In Store
Mar 3rd, 2013 by 'holic
“It’s very frustrating. We were 2-0 down when we should have been 2-0 up. It was a strange game to lose.”
Allow me the temerity of correcting you Arsene. We were 2-0 down when we could have been level at 2-2. That we weren’t owed a little bit to Hugo Lloris and a little to Olivier Giroud’s inability on the day to find the speed and accuracy of finish. It also owed a lot to suicidal defending having completely dominated the opening half an hour of a crucial game.
This was not your typical Arsenal start of recent weeks. Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey gave us a platform from which Carl Jenkinson on the right and Santi Cazorla on the left had us going in the right direction. For once we were not slow out of the blocks, and with Giroud finding some good positions we promised rather more than unfortunately we could deliver. The excellent Lloris and Vertonghen denied us the opportunities that might have gone in if it was to be our day.
The longer the half progressed the more the feeling grew that we might pay a heavy price for not scoring when in the ascendancy, and so it proved when Per Mertesacker and Thomas Vermaelen played some absurd version of offside ‘chicken’ and were left red-faced as Bale struck from his only opportunity before the break. Astonishingly the centre-back pairing, aided and abetted by new boy Nacho Monreal repeated the blunder and Lennon had a gift of a second.
Now you know I want to get behind this side as much as possible, and probably more than most, but to see simple balls slotted in between sleeping defenders unhinge us yet again is painful at the best of times. Let me tell you that twice in as many minutes at White Hart Lane is far from being ‘the best of times’. We were two down because we continue to do the same things, which unfortunately includes making the same mistakes.
Once again we got ourselves back into it when a combination of Mertesacker and Bale glanced the ball inside the far post and given the recent history of this fixture who didn’t think we would get back on terms at very least? You cannot fault the effort that most put in, but neither can you put the eventual defeat solely at the feet of the defence. Jack Wilshere looked like he was running on empty from the off. We haven’t got a game for ten days, Arsene. Send him off to the sun for a few days for all our sakes.
Theo Walcott too looked out of sorts. It says a great deal that Jenkinson had Spurs far more concerned with his attacking runs, and it was something of a surprise to see him make way for Tomas Rosicky. Chances were traded as Arsenal increasingly took risks to grab at least a point, but on this day it was not to be.
Inevitably there will be some harsh words written and spoken given the situation we are now in. I think taking this match in isolation is probably not a sensible thing to do. The fact remains though that we are now staring a season out of the Champions League in the face. Yes, there are ten games to go, but after today I would suggest we are heavily dependent on Rafa Benitez mis-managingΒ a better squad than we can call on in order for us to make it.
As for the neighbours, they look to be all but secure in the top four. Had they done it by improving then it would have been easier to take, but they have not. They have relied on others coming back to them. When you have just announced the financial figures that we have that tells you a great deal, I think. We have the money, and they have the points. To a football supporter what do you think matters most tonight?
448 Responses to “Ten Days Of Brooding In Store”
Usual rules apply on a bad day people. Don’t quote post numbers because I have no doubt one or two will evaporate before morning.
Don’t attack individuals. Debate with respect please.
Thanks.
Ping.
bmbd
Purely coincidental Dein is sat prominently positioned behind Gazidis on the day a takeover story breaks?
Damn
Can’t disagree with a word of that ‘Holic.
What a shit day. And ten days of low muttering bound to follow it.
I went to me mammy’s
I just don’t know anymore.
We were the better squad for over half the game only to be undone by the back four.
I seem to remember an article leading up to the game quoting Arsene saying that Arsenal do not need to scheme for any player. Perhaps that is part of the problem. Playing a high backline with slow/unaware centerbacks against speedy, quality opposition forwards is not a good idea…but we do it again over and over again.
Congratulations…Arsenal are now the Dallas Cowboys of the Prem.
bmbd
Very wise, neighbour.
Will read your post tomorrow ‘Holic. Just read it, but seriously, I’m too fed up with people, football, Arsenal, and myself to understand it in any great detail. I’ve already written at least three long posts in the end of the last blog from you, detailing how I feel about this club. I stand by every single word (except for the fact that I would like to edit the spelling and grammar of a few sentences) . Not going to copy-paste it here even if I believe that some would do well to read it, even if they don’t agree with me.
Gutted but not out of it. Not going to lie down feeling sorry for myself. Get up, get at it, win the next fucking game. Come on Arsenal!
I remember last season when the front and back were clicking but the midfield was out of sorts.
This season it seems as if the midfield is clicking but the front and back are out of sorts.
Utterly pathetic.
Thomas Vermaelen has been completely inept all season. William Gallas, after committing the cardinal sin of caring about a defeat and criticising players who were not putting in sufficient effort, had the captaincy stripped from him.
He has completely regressed. Laurent Koscielny, our best defender last year, has barely played and thus, when he does, he doesn’t perform well. We have a left back that is having to settle in during the most important part of the season, and a centre forward who is quite simply not good enough. We play one of the Bundesliga’s best centre forwards on the wing because we rigidly stick to a bizarre 4-3-3 regardless of the opposition.
The only thing that may be good to come out of missing out on the Champions League is a clearing out of deadwood. This includes the dreadful home support. Don’t get me wrong, I criticise after the match (if you couldn’t already guess) but the atmosphere at recent home games is poisonous.
Everything is far below the standards that we expect at The Arsenal Football Club.
Speaking of temerity… ‘Holic, I’d say that the scum HAVE gotten better. The proof of the pudding…and all that.
What WE’VE been doing is the more appropriate question.
bmbd
Ten days of brooding?
A bit more I’d say.
Next stop – Allianz. Slaughter house.
Excellent stuff ‘h.
Up The Arse!
Weird game. Sucker punched when we looked comfortable, to my eyes, if blunt when it mattered the most. Need to learn the lesson and all that. Not to single him out (though admittedly I am), but the thought occurred to me as we were approaching added time how different the score might’ve looked had Vertongen and TV switched teams.
Now, I’m deep into a bottle of red and it won’t be my last drink for the night.
If you would have asked anyone in the world how the spuds score their goals this year, anyone would have told you Bale and either set pieces or quick strikes.
Knowing that how do you let your back four not track Bale or for that matter Lennon on 2 simple thru-balls? Too high a line with not enough pressing off the ball. Same result. Old broken record.
Jenks played well and deserved to continue. AW was trying to figure out how to get Rosicky on the pitch and for some odd reason decided a fullback would get pulled. Aaron played well enough and he is not the reason we lost ( a better shot would have helped). But if Sagna was playing as well as Jenks then would he have been pulled?
AW has too many “pet” players that he has more faith in their ability than they have shown on the pitch.
It will be a hard climb to get into the top 4. I have my doubts but will be behind the team week after week.
A real shake up is needed in the club or this will only turn out poorly for the future. π
Fuck.
I know this result sucked but what’s with all the hand-wringing?
7-point gap.
10 games to go.
They have to lose two while we keep winning. Actually that sounds kind of unlikely.
Bugger.
Excellent summation ‘holic. Braver than I to put out a post today, I’ll bide my time when the mood has improved!
A very fine analysis Holic and a glass of 10yo Ardbeg is winging its way to you metaphorically.
I think it’s time for Silent Stan to show some interest or to sell up and get his coat.
Not much to add except the Jenkinson sub wasn’t a great surprise, as it was one that made no sense. So of course Wenger would do it, and it was probably planned in advance anyway.
We have two billionaires in control of 96% of the club and they haven’t put a penny into it.
We have one of the best centre backs we’ve ever had as assistant manager and a dreadful defence.
We made no plans to deal with Bale and he scored, which reminds me of Wenger’s, “Stoke’s long throws are no threat” boast in the week before they basically threw two goals into our net a couple of seasons back and beat us.
We possibly have another year of this stagnation, at least, to come.
Oooh 2 be etc
But at least we’re not fucking Spurs, and I would never envy them, never wish to be them. It says everything about those pricks that a Leeds fan (I repeat, a LEEDS fan) I spoke to today said he wanted us to win because Spurs fans are ignorant, arrogant, unpleasant cunts who act like they own the world when they win and are even more obnoxious when they lose.
Thanks Yogi.
Difficult straight afterwards, but I take my cue from Roy Walker.
Just say what you see π
@21
Sums it up re: the LWCs.
Plus, we’ve never fucked up an entire season based on one bowl of lasagna.
Even a stopped clock gets it right once every two decades. And there’s still time for them to choke.
Excellent piece once again maestro.
Restraint personified with the necasary tempered ire thrown in.
I was having an interesting discussion with N7 in the last bar, I saw his drink after the cut off and was in agreement.
I believe we are tacticaly and positionaly inept, we have more then enough good players but our system just doesn’t work.
I used to complain that we lacked a plan B, but to be brutaly honest I’m hard done by to fathom what our plan A is, this is not based on just todays game, but over a number of our recent fixtures.
I’m going to have a good hard think before going into too much detail, as I don’t wish to come over in a knee-jerk fashion because even though there may have been positives it is truly hard to see them when we lose to those song stealing (he scores when he wants), semi retarded (how slow can you sing that song you stole from Southampton) marsh dwelling, scumy stadium having cuntbuckets.
The only positive I will take is that I won’t have to watch MotD2 tonight.
Arsenal Forever, FOYS, FIOS!!!
So we opt for a high defensive line against Bale and Lennon, two of the fasted players in the League.
The result seems predictable.
ok you lost, but why the blame game, i read the gooners are just short of 3 players to make a difference, well you had the chance, you went in for lloris,vertongon holby and defoe, who joined or stayed at spurs, if there is blame it lies with the board who lost out to spurs for the players, thats why you wont catch us this season, best you can hope for is chelski slip up
Damn that hurt. Shame no lessons’ been learned
Tactically inept, poorly coached, unable to fix basic errors that keep on happening.
One man is responsible for it, yet to suggest he is sacked results in post after post declaring him to be the right man for the job.
How can anyone know what is going wrong, know it has been going wrong for years, yet still be of a mind that Arsene Wenger is the only man for the Arsenal job?
To the spurs – well played. But fuck you all the same.
AFC wouldve been lucky to beat an MLS team today.
We are dire.
I’m sick and tired of our regression. Year after year of going backwards. We keep getting spoon fed the same shit, ‘if financial fair play rules come in we will be comoeting with top clubs’. Blah blah blah. We should already be a top club. We have highest season ticket prices (which may explain our librarian like middle class supoorters), raking in money from selling our top stars each year, and a reported cash reserve of Β£120 million. Wenger does buy players. But not the top top players. An echelon or two below the pinnacle. Occasionally a gem like Cazorla. I reserve my judgment on Giroud as I think he can still be a hit. But another world class striker is needed. Podolski for me is an enigma. His stats, for me, are better than his level of performance. He is too lazy and doesn’t seem to give a shit. We need to spend 30 million on a player. Show we actually want to win things.
As for Wenger, we hear reports that he is a dictator at Arsenal. He controls absolutely everything. From stadium design to every training drill. The man needs yo be challenged. Questioned. New ideas need to be considered. Surely Steve Boukd would have made our defence better by now?? Is he allowed to have his input? I think we should give Arsene another year. A year with a new board. Stan must go. We need an Arsenal man on the board. Man with knowledge of the club. Bob Wilson? Tony Adams surely needs a role? David Dein?
Arsenal is losing it’s soul. It’s identity. This is the first time I’ve ever been this down in my years of being a Gooner. We’ve been worse, yes. But have we ever declined sorapidly? Has Wenger ever looked so clueless? I’m seriously worried.
Massive clear out in the summer needed. Top to bottom. Sign only thr best. Break the bank. Speculate to accumulate. Make Arsenal great again.
Tough one to lose. Deserved a draw at the very least. If I try and take some positives from the match, it would be that we actually played quite well overall. Yes, those few minutes were very real cock-ups, but the energy and the movement was nice to see. Certainly better than in previous poor results.
Not much has changed for Arsenal, they need to win. Spurs have a tough run of games yet to play, as do Chelsea. Keep the faith.
We were undone by the same defensive blunders which have been affecting us for 3-4 seasons now. We haven’t learnt from our mistakes.
Would a defensive coach help? Probably. Steve Bould appears shorn of any technical input apart from putting cones in a straight line.
Would a defensive midfielder help? Probably. We haven’t had one since Gilberto. (Song – no way)
Wenger’s substitutions & tactics looked desperate. He is doing his version of a Brian Clough breakdown.
I haven’t back drunk yet.
I’ve said before that defeat is easier to take when we play like we give a shit, and for the most part, that was evident today.
But I’m not surprised that we lost, as the obvious things like we aren’t good enough in certain departments was clear to see.
I’ve just got used to it.
Can’t vote the manager out. Can’t vote the board out. Can only vote with your feet.
Until things show sign’s of improvement, the match day out experience is an expensive luxury.
I can stay at home and listen to crap from my missus rather than go to a match and listen to crap from fellow supposed supporters.
I’d also agree ‘holic, Spuds have actually got better, it’s us that have got worser than the worse that we did last season. And the season before that. La di da.
Yet people still say that AW is the man for the job. Well I’m not aware of any other way to change things as they are right now except for a change of manager. I’m not saying the board, or more specifically Stan, are tickety boo, but such is the secrecy we’ll never know, – although 120 mill in the bank tells me pretty much what I want to hear.
Sorry Arsene, you’re beginning to annoy me, and I wanted to hold you in the utmost respect for the rest of my days.
Fuck me for refusing to listen to instincts. Whence I saw the line up, TV5 on the pitch, I started having psychological convulsions. But with the help of last season’s xanax most times provided by the skipper, I quieted down a bit.
However, as proceedings continued, the skipper sent me to ICU of the LWC (full of shit of course) and that’s all I can remember.
Like Pinners @ 11 pointed out, the armband needs to be stripped off him. Watch again the Bayern game, Blackburn game, even Villa game and obviously today, his lack of vigor & vim besides vision has contributed to laying bare his nakedness and definitely that of us all before good for nothing men down the road.
Why Wenger has decided to be playing our most natural goal scorer as second fiddle is still a mystery to me.
“Change is good” Brethren.
Why can’t we try a non playing captain?
Why is Rosicky not playing regularly?
Why Ramsey all the time?
Why did Jenkinson have to be subbed despite playing well?
Why………….?
Last paragraph Holic, dead on. We gifted them those 2 ‘goals’. And made our goalie look the fool. Jenks was the man !
Appreciate the holics who responded to my comments about RVP. Poldi was signed way before Robin started making noises. Santi was signed to appease him. OG to replace him. If we had kept him, we would not have OG now. We would have RVP, Poldi and Santi. I could live with that. Love OG’s work rate, but the end product is missing π
Okay, so now we have to win the CL to ensure we’re in it next year. Plenty of time to recover before Munich, so shouldn’t be impossible.
What niggles me is that Vertonghen would have been an easy pick-up for us, if AW had wanted to buy him. I know I did.
But, as I’ve said many times before, the problem is still at the other end where we cannot score when we simply have to.
Great game though, very entertaining, and the usual well-balanced analysis by ‘holic. I’d hate to have to write such (well-deserved) compliments about the neighbours…
Oskar
“Love OGβs work rate, but the end product is missing”
Same here. Unfortunately he is not top quality although he has it in him to be, I think. Seems to lack real belief though. Brave as they come, doesn’t hide, keeps trying but looks like he doesn’t really believe in himself. Needs to, and sharpish, or he will be on the Chamakh road to obscurity because Wenger’s response to being crap at the back is going to be to buy strikers.
We didn’t look very good in any department but, despite losing, we still bossed those bellends on their own pitch for long spells. We were the better side and we are not very good at the moment.
Great write up holic. I agree with most of that, just not about Lloris. One of our big failings today was that we did not make him work. 2 shots on target would seem to back that up.
I have thought for sometime about what I could post tonight but to be honest I am devoid of anything new. I have lost count of how many times we have given away stupid stupid goals. I have lost count of the amount of times it has cost us. I have lost count of the chances in big games that have been squandered because the quality is just not there. I just find it so frustrating.
I have a massive problem with the board. They have overseen this steady decline and have done fuck all about it bar sit back and watch. For many it has been watching from afar. We have watched season upon season as our best players have been sold and not replaced. Last season we had RVP. He was our get out of jail card. He was our one real bit of quality. Would he have scored today? The fact is that we will never know, but I know where my money is. Many have slaughtered him for not wanting to sign a new contract. Not happy with the way the club is going was the general gist of his agent supplied press release. For those who have slaughtered him go back and read his what he has said. Some of it may just ring home just about now.
Our defending amazes me. Does no one actually talk to each other anymore? We lack leaders and organisation at the back. Bar big changes in the summer I really do not know where this defence goes. They scare the living daylights out of me every time the ball gets close.
Bath stated in the previous post that we need a massive shake up from top to bottom. I could not agree more. The complacency about the whole place stinks. I am bored to death with people who do not give a shit about the club deciding itβs future. I am fed up seeing our best players sold, being treated to sub standard performances to then be told that we have cash reserves of Β£123 million. We were told 4 years ago that weaknesses had been identified and were being dealt with. Lies or ineptitude? You decide.
In the last set of drinks I posted a stat that I think is well worth repeating. Since we have won a trophy 18 players have left Arsenal who have gone on to win a total of 54 medals. Think about that when you ask a question about ambition.
We need a massive shake up. If it takes an Arab consortium to do it then so be it. It is not my chosen way forward but quite frankly I have had enough now. I have had enough of a board quite frankly taking the piss out of us and abusing their privileged position. I want someone running the club who actually cares about it and our development. Not someone who gives jobs to his mates and whose only concern is where his next ranch will be.
I am thoroughly pissed off and regardless of what happens from now on in, I have now lost the faith.
ABB,
I “hear” what you are saying.
I would love to have Cesc and RVP in the team, but……
Both had their decisions made before they left. RVP pulled us to a 4th place last year and I fear on current form Bale will do the same this year.
This team is not constructed right. Our system and players dont currently match. Our tactics are a mixed bag. Are we a team that plays short passes or do we look for wide play and crosses to our CF? We have spent the last 3-4 years cobbling together a team. We now have no leaders and a mixed bag of players. I hate to say it, but an outside source and some corrective measures are now mandatory. One year out of the CL will not paralyze us but more than that and we will fall off the chase so far that return may take years.
Wow. I have become a doom and gloomer.
NorCal awwwght!
Such a damn shame, we looked so impressive for such a long time and then the suckers punch.
Because of course we are the suckers, it keeps on happening and it happened again.
For a long, long time I have been saying we are tactically inept and have no clues what our formation/system/gameplan actually is.
Face facts though folks, and criticise my thinking if you like but I doubt we will even make the Europa league.
We have played 28 games and won just 13, we have ten games to go and need to win at least 8 of them to secure a good finish, yet our current ratio is less than half.
Our total inability to find and maintain momentum is seriously damaging this team, players who once looked fantastic now look clueless and players who looked promising now look lost, everything, everything comes down to Arsene Wenger.
He picks the players (makes bizarre substitutions) chooses our so called formation (with seemingly no plan b) and makes the decisions on every aspect of our game.
He took the adoration and adulation that he so thoroughly deserved when he arrived and transformed the club, so why should he be immune from the brickbats and accusations of losing it all.
I am and always will be a committed Arsenal supporter, but I honestly think a sea change is needed if we are to ever reclaim our position as one of the so called big clubs.
It hurts me to see teams out Arsenal us now and Wenger getting more and more animated without knowing what to do about it.
Nobody takes responsibility in that defence, either during play or after a ricket. Vermaelen was largely to blame for the second goal, but on a replay from side on afterwards, he is looking absolute daggers at Mertesacker.
Vermaelen would be first out of the door for me, come summer. He’s not good enough.
Just back drunk.
Sir purplenose is thanking his stars that AFC beat him to Ramsey’s signature.
In am sick of the sight of him. Some say rambo played well.
No. He did not. He wasnt awful. And that is all he offers.
That is quality of our squad. Not too many real players. All okay. No heart save Jack and TR7.
When poldi and Rosicky came on they changed the flow of the game almost immediately.
This is basic. Wring players at the wrong time against the wring opposition. Wenger is the problem. His tactics. His team selection. His inflexibility. We have good players. We have a bad manager. And bouldy … Bouldy im sorry but youve been exposed as a true charlatan.
The spud who posted above: i hate to admit it but he called it.
We are static. We are predictable. And we are sinking as a club. Just like liverpool. Where is the bottom? How long do we wait? What is to be done?
And for the record – if i ever see piers morgan in public im gonna knock is fucking teeth down his throat. That little whinning coward never played 5 mins of football in his miserable, shit-eating life. And he spouts off like a yeenage girl. And that is an insult to all teenage girls.
Rant over holics.
My belief in this squad is gone. Too many times have ee been let down.
Too many failures for AW and SB. Too much disappointment.
Munich will be a blood bath.
Good bye Arsene. Its been a good ride. But fuck off.
Spurs have Liverpool, Chelsea, Everton and Manchester City coming up in their next six games, we have the likes of Swansea, Norwich, West Brom and Fulham as well as Everton.
It’s really in our hands in the next six games I reckon. Win them all, and watch the Spuds crumble.
Our last four games includes United, who should have wrapped up the league by then, QPR, Wigan and Newcastle.
If we can play anything like half decent, we should be ok really.
@ Steve T. Completely agree with all your thoughts. Unfortunately there is one man presiding over the decline, an he needs to take responsibility too.
I’ve calmed down a bit now. The sun will still rise again tomorrow, and Tottenham will play far less generous teams than ourselves. Even if we do make top four, so what. It’s fourth place. That still means there are three teams above,and better,than us. Our ambition as a club is not the same as in our recent glory days. I am starting to understand that now. At least living in New Zealand has one major advantage — no Spurs fans to rub salt in the wound. Thank God for our stringent immigration policy.
One last point. For those who think that finishing outside the top 4 is accessible just consider this. With all the promises of a massive pot to spend in the summer who do you honestly think will want to sign for the club when we can not offer Champions League football? I can see it now. All of the top talent earmarked for a starring role next season just begging for the chance to play in the Europa League?????
But hey, why worry about any of that. The new Ranch is looking just scintillating. Well thank fuck for that, I can sleep easy safe in that knowledge.
Pete. Several need to man up and take responsibility.
@46
Swansea already beat us impressively.
Reading I should be able to see us winning, WBA is also winnable I grant you and Norwich should be too, but none of them are sure fire things anymore.
We drew with Everton and its one of those fixtures we can win heavily or lose unexpectedly, same with Fulham
Man Utd, lets be honest even if the title is wrapped up they will still want to humiliate us.
QPR should be a stone wall win, but they are scrapping to survive and probably will scrap harder than us.
That leaves Wigan & Newcastle, both very unpredictable and Newcastle are in a pretty good vein of form right now whilst we are not.
I make that just one game we really should win easily and one we will lose almost as certainly, the rest are just impossible to predict and that is our problem, a few years back…..sadly probably more than that, teams used to come to the Arsenal and worry how many goals they would concede, now they come rubbing their hands together wondering how many they can score.
Europa league is just as unlikely as Champions League imo.
Well said Holic.
In essence I agree with all of it although I probably wouldn’t have been quite so restrained about our defending.
Most galling is that we needed important players this season, not only to replace the newly departed, but also to freshen and change the mentality of the squad.
Most fans now seem to expect to lose the big games. The players have lost so many that their, dare I mention it, mental strength is also shot.
One element of mental strength is the ability to concentrate under pressure. Our defence does not possess it.
New players will hopefully restore some physical power to the squad, and change our mental attitude. I don’t even want to consider the possibility that they will, once again, not arrive.
We all know where the weaknesses are – no need to repeat them again. However, I thought Theo Walcott had an alarmingly bad game today. No desire to take responsibility to make things happen – far too content to push balls backwards in midfield, and far too lazy to press with any urgency up front.
And where the hell was he when Ramsey was doing his best to make forays up the right wing in the second half. Hiding in the middle, of course.
Big shout for Jenks today. The young fella did really well in both defensive and attacking duties.
I actually wasn’t too worried about the prospect of him facing Bale on our right – had that even materialised – as he probably has more pace than Bac, has a terrific desire and a place to fight for. And he will.
Why he was taken off to put Ramsey at right back, purely to make room for Tomas is a frustrating mystery. Tottenham instantly recognised the lack of pace and positioning and went for it.
I thought Ramsey had a pretty decent first half – generally safe and efficient – although either himself or Arteta going with Bale’s run for their first goal would have helped.
As Depressed Goooner says, the next six games will now decide it all.
Games against sides fighting for survival are never easy, but if we can’t deal with our upcoming opposition, we will finish the season with exactly what we deserve.
A painful ‘Night All.
Steve,
I am the last to think that non CL football I a good or even “acceptable” thing. It would be a calamitous event and make getting in quality this summer difficult but not impossible. There are quality players that are not currently playing CL football that would consider signing for us if it looked like we were making positive changes. That would require us to “walk the walk” though. Right now we only spew the talk. It may also require us get in a new manager. Arsene still has respect for what he’s done but he is not viewed by experienced players as a manager that will win at all costs.
Tough decisions need to be made fast. Last year was the last warning. We ignored them too long.
How can a team who has won 13 out of 28 league games expect to be playing Champions League football?
This has been coming for years. We’ve been desperately begging Wenger to sort it out before it’s too late. And guess what? It’s too late.
Depressed@52,
We can make any run in look difficult. Just like we can make any opposition look bright and lively.
United will not roll over for anyone, especially us. And to clinch at the Emirates would only make them smile bigger.
QPR is looking for any points the can get. Relegation may just put them into administration.
Wigan are shit but they were last year too and found a late season flurry to remain up, may be the same this year.
Newcastle are getting healthier and are playing much better because of it. They will be looking to repay us for our 7 goal pasting.
As for the games before that?
Well, anyone can counter attack us and score.
Yup, NorCalArsenal.
Sadly the is the point I was trying to make, we are a pretty poor side who have been punching above our collective weight for a few years because of one or two world class players who could turn a game on their own, we no longer have any world class players, a few who one day will be but are not there yet.
We do not have one player who can take a game by the scruff and change it for the better any more and this season has proved that.
I don’t like admitting it, but denying it is getting us nowhere.
Norcal. Trev. SteveT: Yes. Yes. And yes.
And depressed gooner. Yes again.
I actually had some fucking nitwit spurs fcukhead from Britain inmy pub – my goddamn pub – telling me that hes surprised how bad we are this time and he really expected to win. Smiling esr to ear.
And honestly that was the first time he ever thought that.
And this man was easily 60years old.
Shook his hand. Even Bought his round. But fuck me what has happened???
Am off now.
Heads up holics. Could be worse. At least we have agent
Rafa to rely on!!!!
Oh. And by the way:
Our defense is a shambles. And he club is even consideringletting Sagna go?????
How in hell does that make any sense????
Sagna is a super stud. We need him. Period. Letting him gonwould be idiotic. He’s on 60k a week. He worth at least 80k a week.
Refusing to up him for at least 3 years is pennywise and pound foolish.
Goddamnit howis this even a question. Pay the man!!!!
Right. My last two cents.
We need a new captain.TV5 is a shadow of his former self.
Gallas. Cesc. The dutch skunk.
Wenger has proven himself incapable of making that decison competently.
Cheers holics.
Going now to get drunker.
@ Steve and Norcal
When was the last time we signed a genuine top class champions league player. One of real quality that was the envy of Europe? Maybe Arshavin? The truth is AW does not and will not pay the transfer and wages for the type of players you think we will miss out on if we don’t get fourth.
This situation has been coming for years. We are being hood winked with the self sustaining (selling assets to turn a profit) model. It will be interesting to see if executives receive pay rises and bonuses at the end of this season.
If you need a quid better you ask for a tenner. If you need fourth better tell tour players you have to win the league.
Both teams played kamikaze high lines from the off. I was glad that Sol recognised on MOTD that Theo kept making runs on the shoulder of defenders but wasn’t played in. Time after time no one had the presence to play the ball into space. A feat that even Scott Parker could manage. In that regards Jack was one of the worst culprits.
Hearing the manger talk after about our defensive record up to the game was boring and irritating. Bemoaning a lack of class up front also grates.
I’m intrigued as to who is shit stirring with the Qatar story.
Ughh. Anybody needs me I’ll be in the corner taking my medicine while receiving mocking emails…
“Had they done it by improving then it would have been easier to take, but they have not. They have relied on others coming back to them.”
What are you talking about? That is clearly not correct.
Tottenham are 12 PL games unbeaten
1 defeat in 16 PL games… only Man Utd have a better record over the same period..
Conceded just 8 goals in the last 12 games…
Just admit it, we are better than you.
Now fuck off back to Woolwich
bales burners.
We stand corrected.
You are clearly a better side without Van der Vaart and Modric.
You managed to hold us to 6-4 on aggregate this season.
Congratulations on your Cup Final.
You must be so proud.
As far as I’m concerned this feeling of entitlement we are all guilty of has got to stop.
The league doesn’t lie.
We lack ambition whilst those around us have shown their hunger.
The champions league should be reserved for teams that show the required qualities to be in it. We dont at the moment. our champions league coefficient also gives us a feeling that we are a little better than we probably are. Constantly being a top seed is a fallacy.
We are not a team that any, and I mean any of the top tier teams in the comp would fear playing in the knock out phase.
We all need to dose of reality. We have had 16 years of consecutive champions league qualification. Yet we have a squad weaker than our neighbours. The money generated hasn’t been invested in the squad but instead sits in a bank accruing interest.
Ofcourse we get the odd nice day out in Europe somewhere but it serves only to allow us all to conitune sleepwalk to mediocrity.
Our target is and always should be the league. Fuck the champions league.
Comparing this one to last season, of the top five, only two teams are worse off at this stage. Manchester City are ten points worse off at the moment but have played one less game.
Arsenal are two points worse off.
The rest are better off than they were last year, but in the case of Spuds they are only a point ahead. A draw today would have seen them in a worse position than last year, when they blew third.
So apart from the Manchester teams, the top of the table is pretty stagnant.
@bales bummers. the last twelve games, unbeaten in the last twelve games. Try 16 years lording it over your lot, try our manager having nearly won more with our club than your lot has ever managed, and try to please remember where you are. The only reason you lot even register on anyone’s radar is the fact you make up one half of north London, the lesser half. forever in our shadow, come on you rip roaring reds! Form is temporary, class is permanent
Since they’ve extended the champs lge to fourth place we’ve all had our senses blunted and been fooled into thinking it’s an achievement when the reality is it isn’t.
When we qualified for the majority of AW reign it was because we had finished at worst second in the league. Which by itself meant we were competing at the top of the table.
Leta build something that withstand our 38 game season. If I’m correct the TV money next season eclipses the champions league money. Please let’s focus on building something that competes domestically.
Hey bales blummers,
Be sure and buy the DVD. These things are generational for you.
Have you noticed how long the balance of power has been switched in Manchester?
You still have time for the wheels to come off.
Holic,
Perhaps a fine patron of this bar could produce a list of the 17 dates on which we have celebrated St Totteringham’s Day.
That would be nice.
Holic,
criticising the never to be criticised board and Arsene.
How the times have changed π
Vermaelen is still living off the storming start to his Arsenal career, which was based largely on rampaging runs and a cannon of a left foot which scored some terrific long range goals. He has never, NEVER been a good DEFENDING defender, and if anything has deteriorated markedly. And, his presence has kept Koscielny, arguably last season’s second best player, on the substitute bench.
Honestly, if you were Belgium national team manager and you had to choose from Kompany, Vertonghen and Vermaelen for your top two central defenders, who would you select? No contest….
As I say goodnight I will say good morning to the regulars. I just pray we get things right, sharpish.
We used to cpmpete with Man U, then they overtake us. Then we have to compete with Spurs, now they overtake us.
We will from now on compete with Liverpool, and I think thay will also overtake us.
A great job well done. Arsene. In Arsene we (T)rust ?
This year 4 th place is a trophy.
Next year, possession statistic will also be a trophy if we lost our much coveted 4th-place-trophy.
We are genius in conforting ourself in time of darkness.
Thanks , the board and the manager !!!
I agree with everything you said Steve T. And yes, Vermaelen was his usual shite last night again. No vision, no physical presence, outmuscled by Defoe, no organizing the back four… And yet he wears our armband.
Why, Arsene, why? Why let Koscielny sit like a turtle on the bench?
And what is up with us trying to play like Stoke in the last 20 mins? Ever since Per moved forward we couldn’t even get the ball to dangerous areas. Pathetic really to see such tactical ineptitude.
Spurs were ready to shit themselves in the second half. Yet our lack of quality and tactical fortitude allowed them all three points rather comfortably.
Shocking. What’s next Arsene?
For a large chunk of this season I have been thinking long and hard about what ails this Arsenal side that has been on a systemic slide for the good part of the last decade.If you look back at what Arsene has brought to this club since his arrival in 98, it is an eye for bringing top class talent at the price of peanuts and casting them to play a version of football he envisioned.He surrounded himself with warriors like Viera,Petit,Sol,Lauren etc who made up for his deficiency in instilling the ‘I will not accept defeat’ mentality in the team which paid dividends between 1998-2005.If you look back, even in his pomp Arsene had never retained the league title,and in this period United had won as many titles as we did with arguably a poorer team on paper,which speaks a lot about Arsene and his tactical nous.As much as you hate a Mourinho/Ferguson, they are tactically sound and highly skilled motivators, Arsene on the other hand is an artist with a great eye for talent and a vision for football that is beautiful.Contrast how Wenger let go all his star veterans with how Fergie still has Giggs around at 40.Great franchises are built on instilling an identity into the team and continued success in sport is 90% psychological,if your manager is mentally weak and cannot handle blood and thunder then ultimately it shows on the team.I have no doubt that with the same group of players we had in the last 8 years Fergie would have won at least one piece of silverware. I love Arsene and he will undoubtedly go down as the best manager we have ever had (even ahead of Herbet Chapman) but he will never build a dynasty and I am fine with it since my expectations are not too high, give me 3 league titles some cups each decade and I will be happy. Fans need to decide which boat they want to be on,if the success he has brought has increased your appetite and you now suddenly see his deficiencies which have been there all along then Arsene is not your man, if on the other hand you knew his deficiencies all along and enjoyed whatever he brought to the table and accept that he is never going to be a Ferguson then he is your man.
The only positive from this match (or overtaken by Spurs and out of CL football) is we are brought to face to face with the real problem with this club : Are we having the right men ( board and manager) to take care of our great club ?
News from Arsenal FC Official Website.
“We are pleased to announce that we have shortened our 2013 season to 3 March. Since there would be no more meaningful fixtures, Fans will have enough time to plan for their summer holidays.
We are pleased that we have jointed the prestigious circle of CIPD ( Club in Perpertual decline), only a few clubs have this privilege, in England only we and Liverpool.
We take this chance to thank for the fans who play the highest price in the world to watch us play, so our manager and board members will not worry about their high salary and can be 100% committed to the job.
We have six months to prepare for next season and our manager has decide he will commit to win a trophy for our fans – Europa Cup.Fans will be reminded to spare time for live coverage on Thursday nights. “
Seems strange why we have never seen Walcott make those diagonal runs like Lennonβs or Baleβs from which they scored. Even though he was playing off defenderβs shoulders throughout first half. Also why does Vermaelen keeps getting sucked towards ball leaving his entire back exposed? Do they jot watch the replays to analyse? Part of me wants to say we are not too far from being a title challenging team if we can get a proper german/Spanish organizer to go with possession game. Other part seriously fears for not able to get hold of world class players if we are not playing CL footballβ¦
Homer@59.
So Sagna is a super stud??????
Fantastic news. We need to get him fit and back ASAP. How we desperately need someone who can score on a regular basis.
Couldn’t make contact last night but that may not have been a bad thing. We cut Wenger a lot of slack here as I believe he deserves but today was the limit. I watched Tunbridge Wells in the FA Vase on Saturday and you could see a well- drilled defence with a pressing midfield in front of them doing the basics right. I have never seen an Arsenal back four look so uncoached and top internationals make errors that should have been coached out of them as kids.
Given the refusal of Wenger to buy a strong defensive midfield player in the defensive role to put pressure on the ball we defend way too high especially given that BFG has the turning circle of a Supertanker.Jack is knackered and it may be psychologically from carrying this side and before we play in the EPL again we have to get a lesson from Bayern which will be painful and inevitable.
I still think the Scum could muck it up because of their run- in and failure etched in their DNA but even in the unlikely event of us qualifying it would prove little and swell the coffers meaninglessly . The issue is of course getting players to join us but I don’t think PR based stories about world superstars being on our shopping list are anything more than that. I’m really not certain Wenger knows who to buy or how to deeply them anymore and he isn’t one who can ask for help. Bouldy cannot have touched that defence. With our lack of pace ( and he wasn’t the quickest) we have to defend deeper especially with no pressure on the ball, yet we don’t do it. TV seems to have succumbed to the WAG- toting culture in England. I would reinvent him in front of the back four but this doesn’t seem to register with Wenger and TR7 deserves better than to be brought on in a desperate gamble in an unbalanced team at the death. I’ve already done the OG isn’t good enough to carry the attack bit on here but in every big game he underlines it.
So depressing to take this view but I really don’t think an Arsenal fan who cares can do much else. We need honesty every bit as much as passion and honestly I don’t think Wenger can make it better.
@359jagunnerdoc
“Why canβt we try a non playing captain?
Why is Rosicky not playing regularly?
Why Ramsey all the time?
Why did Jenkinson have to be subbed despite playing well?
Whyβ¦β¦β¦β¦.?”
Remember last season at home to Man U. A well playing Ox is substituted by Arsha. Then RVP had a heated quarrel with AW on the spot. Then we let Man U score the winning goal after a poor defending mistake by Arsha.
Maybe RVP knew more than us fans.
For that matter, I will keep Jenk to maintain our shape. Replace Ramsy with Rosicky to add directness. And replace OG with Poldi (as CF) if nothing works at last 10 minutes.
Steve T,
painful isn’t it. I just don’t know who to blame, but AW quoted on Sky text last night saying that spending money is not always the answer, just made my head hurt.
Fair enough too, ttg.
Work to distract now.
He DOES make the runs, as highlighted on MotD2, but our midfield is too busy playing it sideways five yards to hit him with a direct pass. You can run all day long but if your team mates won’t see the run, you might as well keep going and sit in the stand.
Even if we don’t make top four, we should be able to add quality to the squad.
The events of recent years suggest to me that once you descend below the absolute top tier of European talent (which we are unlikely ever to be able to afford), immediate Champs League football is not a necessity.
Here are a few players off the top of my head who have been signed by non-Champs League sides in the last three or four years: Suarez, Lloris, Vertonghen, Kompany, Modric, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Michu.
I don’t know what impact finishing outside the top four would have on our transfer pot, but I don’t think it would place too many of our likely targets out of reach.
And another thought: the Spurs have a really nasty looking trip to Anfield next weekend. I think this game will probably prove critical.
Win it, and we’ll do well to catch them, assuming they will avoid the usual pratfalls.
Lose or draw it, and we will be within 4 or 5 points of them (assuming we win our game in hand), with their game against Chelsea still to come. The pressure will be right back on them.
As for yesterday, with the dust now settled I think others above have called it right. We left them far too long to pick passes in front of our back four, and we couldn’t find a through ball (and weren’t given the time to do so) at the other end.
I didn’t actually think the first goal was catastrophically bad. The defence didn’t cover themselves in glory, but with both teams playing high lines until that point it really was the kind of thing that might have gone either way. On the replay, you can see Arteta lose Bale quite early in the move.
I think we can sometimes get too caught up in assuming that any goal we let in must be due to massive defensive deficiencies. These things happen to all teams. Look at Per’s goal yesterday – he’s 6’7 and he gets a free run at a ball off a corner, with his header being helped in by two LWCs who are doing god knows what. If that had happened at our end we’d have torn the back line to bits.
The LWCs’ second goal, however, was a travesty. Fully deserving of all the opprobrium that can be mustered. To repeat the same mistake a couple of minutes later is simply not acceptable.
My reading of the goal was that some of the players simply stopped because they assumed that Cazorla had been fouled. In fact, he had – Dembele arrived late, caught the man after the ball had gone and can be seen apologising to Santi as Clattenburg waves play on.
However, even a team of 10 year olds knows you play to the whistle. You get back into place. You don’t give a player the kind of time that Scott Parker got on the edge of our box. You body check the right winger to stop his run and take the card. And you certainly don’t sit 4 yards behind the offside line, totally unaware of what’s going on around you.
Taken in context, it was as bad a goal as we’ve let in all season, and I say this as someone who feels that our defence (statistically better than that of Spurs despite worse fixtures) gets a bum rap at times, particularly given what’s in front of it.
Here’s to better days lads. I honestly don’t think the LWCs are any better than us, but it’s a sad day when that’s a question that even bears scrutiny, given the heights we were scaling less than a decade ago.
COYG
Mr. Skunkhead could have dug us out of so many pits this season and we could have actually been competing for the title.
My hatred for him increases with every loss.
N7 knows @86/87.
Hello all.
Still gutted/annoyed about yesterday. We showed great hear, but familiar flaws cost us again despite the performance.
Tough ask to get to the CL now (I’d take 4th and no St Totts Day, and blame the Pope -or absence of- for it), but it’s not impossible.
We’ll need the infamous mental strength and well, the missing efficiency.
Anyway, won’t back drink, so you can generally assume I’m agreeing with whatever N7 said π
Cheers.
Yawn……. same old – same old..
I’ve decided to get a life – I’ll watch with detachment and no expectation.
I’ll keep the 2 season tickets next year – but if Wenger gets a contract extension in 2014 – I’m off – that would be a piss take too far.
Haha, just seen Lars above: what he said π
Good measured post N7, I agree with much of it.
To me it’s very simple. The LWCs are a bit better than us at the moment but the margins are fine all round at this level.
They’re a team in form and are consistent. We are neither of those things. Galling but hardly surprising given the lack of depth and world-class quality to our squad. Having said that, the LWCs are not that much better. Take out Bale and Wilshere from the two squads and that’s it in terms of ‘Worldies’.
They deserved the win because we couldn’t create sufficient chances of note and when we did we weren’t up to it in terms of finishing. Our effort and commitment throughout most of the game was decent enough though.
I am hoping for some big changes at managerial level this summer. Whatever the combination of reasons, what we have right now simply does not work unless we’re all satisfied with fighting for CL qualification ad nauseum and nothing else. I am not.
I’m hoping that we can now finally go on an unbeaten run right through until the end of the season but that’s wishful thinking in the extreme.
We do possess the ability to finish top 4 and if we do it I’ll be delighted.
However, it looks like we’ll have to do without a St.Tott’s day feast this season but that, to me, is the least of our worries at present. We need to fix our internal issues before looking at others, especially that bunch of c*nts who are currently enjoying one of the biggest media blowjobs ever witnessed in the history of The Premiere League.
COYG!
FOYS!
Afternoon all,
At work, resplendent in red and white with my Gunners lanyard strung proudly round the neck.
I have discovered that going on the offensive and getting your retaliation in first has worked this morning.
Holic @ 94
Absolutely spot on.
I turned up to the office this morning with a full tray of lasagna picked up from the bakery round the corner. Stuck it in the break out area and sent round an email inviting the resident spuds to dig in.
The wind rather seems to have gone out of their sails.
Stand tall lads.
Good stuff, ‘holic.
My wallpaper is still the 5-2. Nobody to argue with over here though ;P
A very strange day – annoying defeat to the swamp dwellers, but offset by my 5 year old joining in with the big boys (between 7 & 13) for the first time, and scoring a hat-trick. Including the winning goal (first to ten) with the game posied at 9-9.
IΒ΄d like to be angry at all of the faults from SHL, but really canΒ΄t stop smiling.. π
*poised !!
Ball trickles towards line….
I suspect I’ll have a wide choice of tickets on Tx for Reading now, no need to rush….
Bang
Afternoon All,
Measured post ‘H, cheers for that.
First up, many thanks for the ticket Snowy and get well soon.Sorry I couldn’t bring the bacon home, but my sore throat this morning bears testament to the fact that I, and 3000 other Gooners, gave it our best shot. The away support didn’t let up for a second, they were magnificent, and there were long long periods when the rest of SHL was very very quiet in the face of a constant barrage of support from our corner.
Gutted last night and still pretty gutted today. One comforting thought is that I only have to make that trip, at most, once a season. It really is a journey into a Conradian heart of darkness.
Alighting at Seven Sisters, you are immediately corralled into the travelling Arsenal contingent by foaming Police alsatians whilst the equally foaming locals, their faces contorted with that very distinctive hatred that arises from a long-borne jealousy, line up to vent their empty-headed spleen.
In the hope of avoiding any unwanted hostility, I plumped for the hipster glasses and consoles. To be further on the safe side, I also tucked my red and white scarf into my jacket lending me a vague air of early pregnancy. It has to be said that this attempt at casual anonymity was undermined by the Arsenal contingent’s insistence on sitting down on the road at every Spurs Pub and then jumping up to sing “Stand up if you hate Tottenham”. Hey ho.
The real welcoming party was at Park Lane where full Beer cans flew at us from all angles. It would be comical if it wasn’t so pathetic. They really are the dregs. I managed to dodge the couple that landed near me. The Chap in front of me was not so lucky.
As for the game, not much to say that hasn’t already been said. I would say that I don’t know how we lost that game, given our clear superiority, but that wouldn’t be true. We all know that we lost because (a) we weren’t clinical enough where it really mattered and (b) our collective defending was catastrophic.
I couldn’t believe that we went in at HT two down. We had pressed in their half as well as we have done all season and the game had been played up to their goals almost exclusively in their half. Giroud had missed our best opportunity, and though he worked hard, carried no goal threat throughout.
A word too about Theo. I was glad that MOTD picked up on the countless runs he made. It was the first thing I said to Ricky (GeezyPeas) when I bumped into him on the way out. Time and again he made the run, time and again it was either missed or ignored (largely by an off-colour Jack).
Second half and the goal gave us hope, but I never really thought we worked up a sufficient head of steam thereafter to create much more than half chances. I have to say the subs baffled me. I had thought that Jenks must have been injured to have come off. It seems not so. With Arteta removed for Poldi, who surely should have been on much earlier for the ailing Giroud, and with Mertesacker also joining the forward line, our unfamiliar 2-1-7 formation seemed to baffle our own players far more than it baffled theirs.
So a loss, and quite possibly a significant one. Finishing above them will be tough, but it is not impossible. I haven’t given it up. Spare me the line that they are better than us. They’re not. What was so galling yesterday was how utterly ordinary they were, and yet , as a result of self-inflicted damage, we failed to win. They will drop points. What is far more uncertain is whether we will be able to put together the sort of consistent run that has so far eluded this season, that will be required to take advantage.
One final thought. I first went to the Shitheap in 1972. Since then I have been lucky enough to see Arsenal win there 16 times, 12 of them in the flesh. For a Tottenham fan to be able to boast the same record at Highbury/Ems, they would have had to have been going since 1927.
Power shift my arse.
Up The Arsenal.
tabs knows.
Fucking hell, I hadn’t even noticed I had posted 99.
‘He assists when he wants – even without realising’.
Well in N7.
Longest 101 ever, tabs? π
As others, I made sure I wore my colours very visibly when I left for work this morning. No matter what we think about the way the club is run, now is the time more than ever to fly the flag as high as possible.
Ollie@96: heh, this really should not come as much of a surprise but I also have a wallpaper from one of the 5-2’s!
DrC: even though I have no kids of my own I can certainly understand our happiness. Have you alerted the Arsenal scouting network about his talents? π
tabs, great stuff and fittingly enough it was posted in the tabs position. Happy to hear you made it out alive!
Great write-up, tabs.
I have to ‘slightly’ disagree with your views on the subs.
Although I’ll freely admit that they baffled me, it was the old ‘throwing the kitchen sink’ at them by fielding all our offensive players (poor Gervinho must be getting really out of favour) of days gone.
Interestingly, I had read on some forum not long ago someone moaning that Wenger never did that anymore. Well at least he tried that.
I have to say though that I really didn’t know who we could put out, as Jenks was one of our better threats upfront!
As for Giroud, well I did think the same as you for 2 seconds, but then thought we couldn’t actually take him out, because he was winning all these headers in midfield, and we had no-one else to win the ball that way, neither on the pitch, nor on the bench. I felt he had to stay because of his presence (and he worked like a horse, although never felt OK with the ball at his feet yesterday).
I thought he would drop back a bit and Theo would move upfront though.
Heh at the sitting down in the road TaBS. Did Haringey’s finest afford any protection to women, children, and disabled after the game for once or did the swamp-dwellers target them as usual?
Cheers N7, Lars.
Heh Ollie π
I found this article very informative and interesting.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/bobbymcmahon/2013/03/03/congratulations-your-takeover-bid-for-arsenal-arrived-only-a-decade-late/
Didn’t see any trouble after the game ‘H if I’m honest. It was reasonably easy to blend into the crowd.
It was arriving at the ground that proved a bit challenging, as it would have been for everybody. Easy target when you’re queueing to get in at the Park Lane.
Enjoyed that piece this morning, Esso.
Oh, and another thing:
Spare me the line that they are better than us. Theyβre not.
I wholeheartedly, unequivocally, 100% agree. The difference between the teams yesterday was they they have bags of confidence, while we have anything but. Now, that is of course not how it should be but Tottenham are given a very easy ride by the media at the moment as they are seen as the up and coming club, a sort of David vs a bunch of Goliaths whereas almost everything we do is painted in a negative light which will inevitably affect the players and we have failed to counter this. In light of this, one season out of the CL could (if handled right, I’ll get back to that) actually be beneficial because that would put finishing fourth the following season in a different light and we would be seen as on the up despite more or less staying put. Just look at the way Liverpool are generally being praised this season despite them being seven points adrift of us and mixing and matching wildly. But there is of course also the small issue of making sure it is only is one year out, and here is where the club will have a huge task on their hands if we do indeed miss out. We can not afford to make it more than one year outside the CL or we will most likely face many more years struggling to hold the team together.
Having said that, there are some major differences between us and Liverpool, who are rightly being used as an example of just how far south things can go when they do. First of all, their fall was a lot quicker. They went from finishing second with only two losses in a season to falling out of the top four in two seasons which made the adjustment much harder, and this was also coupled with both the turmoil around the ownership of the club and a very weak club management who eventually commited the ultimate sin of letting the manager be appointed by mob rule, and then bought players in panic (Andy Carroll for Β£35m anyone?) just to “show ambition”. They do now seem to be under far better stewardship and as I have said before, as much as he seems to be a clown Brendan Rogers will make them a much better team given some time.
What we need to do is not exactly to stick to what we have been doing (clearly that hasn’t worked!) but also not to panic and only make careful adjustments, i.e. buy a few better players and not lose the ones we want to keep. We have a good foundation and it IS possible to find quality even without CL football, certainly enough quality to get us back into the top four. Now, I am not saying this will in any way shape or form be an easy task, but it is certainly doable.
Up the Arse!
Just to make one thing clear, by the way: I would much, much, much rather we started our upwards climb from fourth than fifth and in no way do I want us to finish below forth. I am just saying that fifth or lower does not have to be the end of the world as we know it.
Great link Esso, cheers.
Can anyone really doubt that the latest round of takeover nonsense had Usmanov’s grubby paws all over it?
To leak such nonsense on the eve of a North London Derby tells you all you need to know about whose interests he holds most dear. It certainly isn’t Arsenal’s.
Good stuff Lars. I’m struggling to share your equanimity about the possibility of missing out on top 4 but you make a good case.
Ollie, cheers and I take your points about the subs.
I just felt we went into kitchen sink mode a bit early, and thereafter lost much of our shape.
As for Giroud, I just felt his game was tailor made for the two centre-backs. Very difficult to take a forward off when you are trailing, but with the benefit of hindsight, I would have brought Poldi on for him, and as you say moved Theo permanently central. Theo clearly scared their two centre halves. Big failing on our part that we weren’t able to play him in once throughout the whole game. It wasn’t for lack of movement on Theo’s part imo.
Holic
Good run down I agree with you we perhaps made them look better however we aren’t any better than them at the moment either.
Steve T
I couldn’t agree more. We have been lucky to be in the TOP 4 for the past few seasons last season Van Persie was our get out of jail card, this season we don’t have that type of player. We made shambles of the win against Villa last week and were very close not making it. Not convincing display at all and yet again the back four allowed one player to run with the ball and take a shot as freely as he can. Even though it was Wojtek’s fault I still feel defenders should do more.
Yesterday two internationals make a blunder after blunder. Vermalen does not look the player he use to be. Frankly I believe we were toothless up front and were lucky not to loose 4:1, do they even practice defending?
Shake up is an understatement, I feel there are people within the club who are latching onto the money because they know this would not be the case at any other club. Are we a football club or an estate agency? Football for this club and results should always been number one priority to show the fans that someone actually gives a shit! I don’t think Arsene has got the direction any more either, he left Poldi on the bench why? Played Cazorla there where he should be playing just behind the striker. For a such important game I don’t think Arsene is making the best of this squad. I’m sorry, I have heard too many excuses and too many “yes we have the money and we know who we need to buy” same old shit keeps on happening time after time after time. We have no game plan at all and that tells me someone has run out of ideas.
Sorry guys but we are repeating ourselves time after time as well and we are starting to sound like the our manager.
Lars, N7 and TaBS have all spoken my mind in one way or the other, cheers mates and keep the flag flying higher than ever.
Podolski on the bench.
I have to say that at 4pm yesterday I didn’t have a huge problem with that decision.
Why?
(a) We’re having to blood in a new LB at the business end of the season and Cazorla has played in front of him before;
(b) I think our balance looks better when Wilshere plays at the front of the midfield triangle;
(c) Pushing Wilshere forward allowed us to field a second defensive midfielder to try to cover Bale. It looked to me like Arteta was assigned to him from the first whistle and it worked quite well for half an hour;
(d) Ramsey, the player added at centre midfield, was one of our best performers yesterday. He pressed well, covered a ton of ground and made a lot of interceptions/forced turnovers in possession. He also won the free kick we scored from; and
(e) I love Poldi, but he’s been hot and cold this season and there’s a lingering suspicion that he doesn’t want to play on the left and his performances sometimes show as much.
I’d also add that I don’t think it hurts to have a bit of quality to bring off the bench.
I tend to agree with tabs – Podolski should have been brought on earlier. I’d also like to see him given a game or two at centre forward – he scored goals for fun there last season and, with all due respect to OG, we’re currently lacking goals from that position.
Anyway, none of the above is to say that leaving him out was the right call, just that I don’t think it was totally beyond comprehension.
Good stuff Tabs,
Like the “sitting in the road” bit. It is a truly horrible place to go.
I must say that, before their two goals yesterday, I was thinking to myself that whatever the result turned out to be, I would rest in the knowledge that we are still better than them.
Technically we are. But what is the point of all the intricate high speed passing when you can’t score and don’t defend.
Interesting to hear about Theo’s runs – matron! – which we didn’t see on the box. That’s been happening a fair bit at The Ems lately but, of course, we don’t learn or change, do we?
Agreed about the “hand of Usmanov” on the takeover story.
A piece on the BBC radio news said that the consortium wanted to lower ticket prices and bring back the “feel of the North Bank”.
And what, I thought, would an Arab consortium know about that.
Dismayed to read AW quoted on Sky text as saying that spending on transfers is not always the answer to your problems.
No it is not. But we are not talking about splashing half a billion petro dollars at the six biggest names on the planet.
We are talking about spending sensible amounts on improving a squad, one third of which, at least, is now dysfunctional.
If he/they really don’t want to spend any money, why don’t they at least lower the ticket prices and stop stashing it in the bank.
Great tale of your journey into THOD tabs, lightened my gloom considerably mate. I love the image of the Gooners sitting down in the street.
Get well soon, Snowy.
Fine observations N7, Lars and Steve T. Couldn’t agree more.
Let’s do this.
and Trev, why don’t they organise the MFers and back 4. Costs nothing at all but a few hours every day on the training field.
As usual a lot of blame from you but not where it really belongs, and thats why nothings ever going to change,but don’t worry you can tell us that the next two or three games will be critical yet again.
Bath, who knows what they do on the training field ?
It ain’t organisation though. π
I heard today that Vertongen was indeed linked with Arsenal before going to Sp*rs. AW saw him as a defensive midfielder though, something that the player did not want to do, and so he went to be a centre half at Sp*rs.
More square pegs and round holes – and a very good lost player by all accounts.
Arsene is, of course, completely correct that spending on transfers is not always the answer to your problems.
But it just happens to be the case that spending on transfers is precisely the correct answer to the set of problems that we have in the squad just now.
Unless we can produce from thin air a large, aggressive, ball-winning defensive midfielder, a mobile centre forward with an eye for goal and an experienced back up keeper.
Re: Vertonghen, the rumours I heard in the summer were that he was desperate to join Arsenal, and we quite simply weren’t interested. This thing about playing midfield only seems to have cropped up in the last 24 hours.
He looked a very good defender yesterday, and he’s versatile too, having played at left back for them earlier in the season.
Weighed against that, he’s part of a defence that have let in more goals than ours this season, and I think he may have had a point to prove in the NLD and lifted his performance accordingly (the same phenomenon which had people asking whether Kyle Bartley was better than all our centre backs a couple of months ago).
The one I still think we really missed out on is Dembele. He was relatively subdued yesterday, but he’s big and mobile, with good feet and a shot on him. He’s been very important for them this season and he looked good value for money when they signed him in August.
To offset this praise of LWCs, can I just say that Bale is the most preposterously over-hyped player I’ve seen in years, Scott Parker surrenders possession for fun, Adebayor’s barnet is an atrocity and Aaron Lennon is STILL shaving a line into his eyebrow at nearly 30 years of age.
Anybody with a spare Munich ticket I will buy then fantastic bavarian beer all night and of course pay for the ticket π
With you on 113, tabs
117. N7. I’ll say no more π
Blimey, I have to disagree with N7 at 124!!
a) I heard the Vertonghen-midfield story several times, months ago, it’s definitely not a new thing from the last 24 hours.
b) From what I heard, he’s also a Spurs fan, so still would have favoured them over us (although I suppose he’s also a professional player, to whom these things don’t seem to matter much anymore)
OK, that’s only a small part of his post π
Thanks for the article, Esso, great read and some excellent points.
It’s like Swiss Ramble or something for dummies, good for me ;).
The Neighbour will also appreciate the use of ‘BPL’, oh man!
And then there was that partnership between RVP and our Theo, an ‘understanding’ between them, it was magical. Sorry, I won’t dwell in the past anymore, but Tabs talking about Theo’s runs made me remember a time when it all seemed to work out…whether it was Theo to RVP or vice versa. Remember. Gosh, I’m just a sentimental fool π Deep breath. Anyway, I just want to add, that the holics really have showed their Classenal in the drinks. Proud of all of you, and I continue to learn from the best.
Ollie @ 128
I just chucked that Vertonghen stuff in there to check you’re actually still reading ’em!
Heh.
Heh N7 @131
Afternoon all.
Well, due to the fact that I watched the game in the bar yesterday and therefore missed bits and pieces, I watched it again this morning paying full attention. I learned quite a lot, but I’m afraid nothing much that I hadn’t seen throughout the season.
Our shape is abysmal, our defence is a joke and too much of our movement up front is all for nothing.
I’ve read here and there that Theo was anonymous and spent the game hiding, I disagree, he made a few great runs but no-one had the vision to pick him out, we could of had carbon copies of the Sp*rs goals if he was only played through.
*I see that MoTD, I didn’t watch it, has picked up on this and that Tabs has seen it. (now I know I’m right. π )
OG is a tryer, but was pretty inaffective yesterday, he’s a bit of a Jeckyl and Hyde player, capable of brilliance and teeth gnashing mediocracy within seconds. Too many times he and his team mates were getting in the way of each other, it was embarrassing and it just shows how our (so-called) shape is lop sided and inefficent.
We’ve been at our best, offensivly, this season in the 433 when LP, OG and Feo start as the front three, any other combo and we struggle, it just seems madness not to start with that front line. Santi is a great player, but he is not a winger, not by any stretch of the imagination.
N7, I like your theorey that he has been deployed there because he has an understanding with Nacho and you may very well be correct, but it’s not helping, not even a little bit. Look at the game v Villa when there side was more open then Wayne Bridges’ ex’s legs when JT came a knocking, scandalous!!
Santi’s natural tendency to drift in then totally negates the 443 leaving us bunched up in the middle of the park and void of any real width, if you’re gonna play him there, switch to a 442 and shuffle the midfield round accordingly, but no, that would go against the grain and we can’t be having that can we?
LJW was well off song, he looked tired and void of ideas, it happens, but why leave him there suffering, it’s not like we couldn’t fill his space, Santi could of moved inside, he was basically there anyway, Poldi brought on earlier, or ofcourse there was always TR7, but this is all hindsight, but frustratingly not just from yesterday but the whole season.
There’s already been more then enough said about the central defence and our captain in particular, we can all blame him until the cows come home, but he doesn’t pick himself nor continue to hand himself the armband when it’s clearly effecting his game. For whatever reason, he’s just not up to the task and it’s ruining his game and having knock on effects throughout the team. Any other player in any other team would be dropped on this form, it’s not as if we’re relying on Squidy to come in and take his place, Kos was our stand out defender last term, yet he can’t get a game this time around, baffling!!
To my fellow ‘holics, many of whoms opinion I hold in great regard, that state that we were better or that the cunts were inferior, I’m afraid I’ll have to respectfdully disagree (and this hurts like buggary) We were not. They could have, and probably should of been a couple of goals to the good before they got their first, the warning signs were there, we were getting breached way too easily, balls through the middle were completly nulifying our defence. At the other end we never really threatened, yes we had control of pocession, but pocession doesn’t mean jack if there’s no end product.
Our substitutions were baffling to say the least, the little shape we had went totally the way of the dinosaurs. One of our most effective (flank wise) was extracted and one of the hardest tryers in the midfield was relocated, desperate measures for desperate times that reeked of a total lack of any kind coherent plan or tactical nous, we got exactly what we deserved out of that game, nothing!!
I think the thing that worries me the most is the bosses own omission that we don’t change our game to suit certain players or the opposition, why the fuck not? Do we actuall study our opponents, if not, again, why the fuck not? Are we really that arrogant that we think we can just turn up, play our game and everything will be hunky dory? We don’t have the quality to impose ourselves on games anymore and this is a worrying trend.
I’m not saying our team (as individuals) is not good enough, but we are failing to cut our cloth accordingly to get the best out of what we have and a lack of proper preperation for who we are up against is killing us. There has to be a drastic change in our set up if we want to get anything at all out of this season. It will be ten long days until we get going again, I hope we use them well.
Great article that, Esso.
Cheers Cent.
Thanks Trev. As I said earlier the awfulness of the place is almost comic. A shop that proclaimed itself to be “Seven Sisters Training Opportunities” delivered it’s own damning verdict on the area by being boarded up. Of the remaining shops that were open, I’d say 90% were either Fried Chicken or Doner kebab outlets. The other 10% advertised themselves as “Wine Bars”, yet had the look of somewhere you’d go for a Greasy Breakfast rather than a Glass of Chardonnay.
Feral children eyed us with clear criminal plans afoot, whilst their adult counterparts looked as if they had all hotfooted it to the ground straight from the Jeremy Kyle Show.
It really is the Land that Time forgot. It was like being transported back to a game in the Eighties.
As an aside I will be very interested to hear THFC’s plans for ferrying 58,000 paying customers to and from the Ground once they’ve secured enough public funding to build their new stadium. Given the present lack of transport infrastructure in and around the Ground, it will be chaos.
On the Usmanov takeover thing, interesting that David Dein made sure he got his mug on the Box last night. Funny that! It’s the transparency that gets me. Do they really think we’re that stupid? Perhaps they do.
N7 @117 Good stuff. Agree with all your points made.
Cheers Bath.
“Feral children eyed us with clear criminal plans afoot, whilst their adult counterparts looked as if they had all hotfooted it to the ground straight from the Jeremy Kyle Show”
That’s just given me my first proper laugh in 26 hours.
Well played.
Afternoon H2H. BM on the Bar mate.
Haha, glad to be of some help N7 π
Great reads above from all. Appreciate all sides.
Still think we need to make a significant change from our status quo or this will be our lot for another 8 years. No trophies and difficulty getting even 4th.
H2H,
I agree with many of your tactical observations. I do think we did have a plan for Bale. We were following him with Arteta until they scored. Then all hell broke loose. Or shape suffered and we really looked lost at sea.
I stated a few times before the game that I would have liked to have seen Kos come into the side to man mark Bale. Our best individual defender may have done better.
Cheers to all.
Tabs,
Thanks for the “man at the match ” report. Appreciated the read.
Cheers
I suck at changing my “name” above.
NorCal.
There that’s better.
Cheers NorCal
I don’t know why we played a high line yesterday. We should have sat back and absorbed the pressure and hit them on the counter
That’s how even big teams play away from home
Juventus, Manure, Milan. It doesn’t have anything to do with attacking philosophy, Arsene.
The thing is they were shit at playing a high line too, which showed initially but it turned out we were shitter at it than they were
*Frustrated*
Spotted this on Twitter retweeted on tabs’ timeline:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BEhsfqeCIAEM2w5.jpg:large
That’s cheered me up no end.
There’s an LWC in my training group tonight. He wasn’t there last Monday night – I’m sure he was at their match with The ‘Ammers.
I’m going to take the ‘Holic approach and wear my Arsenal woolly hat and scarf and get my retaliation in nice and early. he won’t be expecting that.
BTW, I stand by my earlier comment that at the moment, the LWCs are a slightly better football team than us. Unfortunately, the table doesn’t lie. Still, let’s see where we all are after the next ten games. A reversal is still possible.
UTA!
Dr.C @ #97 – Good to see you in here and nice story re: Catalan Junior. Desptach him to L.Colney for a trial forthwith π
Haha N7 @131 π
PS: Post training meal tonight is……..
Lasagne!
… Lasagne woah! We laughed ourselves to bits, When Tottenham had the s**ts, Lasagne woah!
Amazing.
#PiersMorganThrewTheBanana currently trending on Twitter.
Right, that’s decided, I’m going to Swansea after Munich.
heh @148
Heh @148
TS – Good isn’t it! π Make sure you give your mate hell.
Ps – The table can and often does lie!
Dysfunctional in our midfield when it comes to spotting runs. Spot fucking on.
Didn’t realise Kaba Diawara was now doing commentary for Canal+
and the good news just keeps on coming. wagner aaht!
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/soccer-bendtner-handed-six-month-ban-denmark-drunk-181232089–sow.html
The Prince of Denmark not our only ex-striker who is finding it a little tough at the mo …
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/francis-jeffers-found-police-wielding-1742244
TS and Lars
IΒ΄m just editing the video of him from the weekend to upload on youtube… then I just sit back and wait for the offers to come in.
ThatΒ΄s how it works isnΒ΄t it??
Gary @152
I have a cunning plan – why donΒ΄t we have someone watching Sky and listening to NevilleΒ΄s analysis during the match? That bloke could then phone Arsene and tell him what to watch out for!
Brilliant.
It would have avoided at least one if not both the goals yesterday, as the cheeky Manc scamp was calling it way before they were scored…!
Right, enough of that Villa vs Mancity crap, let’s see if Joel Campbell starts for Sevilla.
Oh shit, just remembered he plays for Betis in fact. Bah.
Dr C,
Great to read about your 5 year olds exploits.
After yesterday’s match, my 5 year old and I played football for 2 hours straight. Great way to put things in perspective and enjoy the sport in its purity.
Cheers
Loads of future Gunners, good to see.
Dr C and NorCal, will that mean more Club Level/Box tickets for ‘holics? π
It does indeed NorCal…. itΒ΄s not that footy isnΒ΄t important, just that footy with your son IS more important!
Ollie… may have to turn up the special effects on the youtube video first..!
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/loan-watch-campbell-starts-in-thriller
This makes for depressing reading.
@162 Blimey you weren’t wrong there Ollie. Very depressing!
Looking forward to that vid Dr C.
By the way, I’m not sure when was the last time I saw us win away from home, so me going to Swansea…..put your money on a draw at best :s
Seriously, my away record is abysmal.
(OK, just remembered it was Montpellier though, but domestically, well haven’t been to that many, but Fulham quite a few years ago, perhaps the ‘Adebayor’ game in fact).
Lots of high class talent Ollie, all just waiting to burst into the arsenal first team and take the league by storm. Wow, the others will be pooing their pants at the thought. Add to that all the other passengers being handsomely rewarded for just turning up for the ride and we really do have lots to look forward to. I am also so grateful to have first option on Vela. All money well sent.
Just read the Forbes report. Am I missing something but does that not say what has been said for sometime now? Forgive me but what is new there? Have I also missed all the evidence that dismisses the speculation? I am not one to believe the papers but the Forbes article just seems a big re hash of stuff available months ago.
Dr.C – Splendid! Please share the link when you’re ready.
tabs – The LWC was a no show, gah! Probably still celebrating his cup final.
Right, I’ve really had enough of this media LWC love-in. The old c*nts they are wheeling out (Rodney Marsh included!) to talk about how Bile is better than The Dutchman and the shift in power in North London, etc., etc. What a load of old horseshite.
Who knew how many LWC super c*nts there were out there? And how come there’s only 33,000 of ’em (max) in the Sh*thole once every two weeks? It really is quite pathetic. A plague on all their houses.
Ollie,
The best thing about being 5 yo is my son tells me:
“When I play for Arsenal….”
It’s like he has no doubt that he will play for Arsenal.
He has at least told me he will buy me a ticket. He’s a little harsher on his brother and sister and said they will have to buy their own tickets.
He did get a hold of one shot yesterday and nearly took my head off. It was even left footed. We have been working hard on his left!
π
Ollie, J.Campbell had an assist yesterday for Betis, but why to mention that on .com. I wonder if someone at the club, actually watches our loaned players. Why bother?
For the record, Vela had goal and assist in the same game. I know we have a buy-back clause and I would buy him back. I am serious. He never get the chance some of our current players, which we had stolen from the old red nose’s nose, gets game after game.
Trev@84. Yes it is. Very. Money is not always the answer. However, money in the right hands you would hope would go some way to addressing the obvious short comings.
N7@86 and 87. Good stuff but I have to disagree on certain points. Not qualifying for the Champions League I feel will massively hinder our alleged recruitment drive in the summer. The players quoted have either moved to perceived bigger clubs or for a bucket load of cash. By that analogy we will have to either look at shopping at lesser outlets or by paying the new recruits massive bonuses.
Tabs@101. Excellent stuff. Only the Spuds would be that fucking stupid to waste beer. Thick swamp dwelling twats.
Lurky. Did I read that right? After years of austerity and bargain basement shopping you would advocate spending some of our hard earned cash on bringing Carlos Vela back????? I must have missed something there. How can he honestly expect to improve this side???
I must say that I still feel really shit today. What really frustrates me is that this has been coming for so long now and that we have done bugger all about it. I despise the complacency that seems to have set in with a board solely motivated by money. What is despise most is that in my humble opinion is that this was all so unnecessary. It should have been dealt with years ago.
And I fucking hate everything about Tottenham. Fucking everything. It is the only place in the world that had 3 days of riots and they actually improved the look of the place. Fucking shit hole.
Thanks Ollie. Off to stick my head in the oven.
I remember when Wellington was the second coming of a weird deal with the devil bringing us a cross between Pele, Rivelino, Garrincha, Zico (down boy), and Ronaldinho.
Looks like I picked a bad week to give up ‘shrooms…
who’d a thunk it ?
i’ve taken a drink
yup
nothing inciteful to say ‘ceptin
howdy ‘hol and ‘hols various
insert smiley faced thing here
Interesting reading the man of the match vote on dot con. Tommy R was voted the Arsenal man of the match despite only playing a third of the game with 18%. Joint second came The Jenk, the man he replaced and Aaron Ramsey, the man forced to move from his midfield berth to play completely out of position at right back and to replace The Jenk as he was removed. Both polled 17% of the vote.
Now, if that is not a big two fingers stuck up to those in charge on Sunday then I do not know what is.
Arsenal, the locals are getting restless. There is only so much they will tolerate.
How ya doin’ cba?
Long week or two ahead…
DON’T make Steve T angry….
You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry….
Well said young man.
*backs away slowly*
The depressing thing is that it was so predictable how the game panned out. How Arsene can have the brass neck to complain about our defending beggars belief when he only pays it lip service, and very likely even discourages proper practice of the basics of good defending and positioning. A top 4 finish now looks unrealistic, though it was a surprise to hear Arsene so downbeat about it.
The take-over bid seems serious, but Kroenke will never sell, even though he would virtually be doubling his money. Jabba I believe, (correct me) has also indicated he wants to keep his shares, though I cannot see why, unless its plain stubborness. For me, the key phrase of the take-over story was that the manager `would be put under proper scrutiny`. Heaven forfend that Arsenal FC should be results driven!
Does Bendtner`s being caught drunkenly driving the wrong way down a city street mean we will have the fucker back sooner rather than later.
Really hoping the story about Frimpong being allowed to go on a free are not true, this is a young man who genuinely fights for the cause and could be a future star if given the chance.
Blimey Ollie, that loan watch report is a bit dire indeed.
BtM is going to have his work cut out marketing that lot !
Good to see TGSTEL pulling out all the stops to resurrect his career.
Having already escaped with his life from one car crash, he’s now been caught drink driving and banned from the Danish squad for 6 months
Stupid beyond belief.
Oh, I see biscuitbum already mentioned the TGSTEL story.
Most folk seem pretty sure Kroenke will not sell – assuming there is any truth in the takeover bid rumours.
Why not? If he is a business man I think he might well do.
Β£1,500,000,000 is not a bad return on his Β£430,000,000 investment.
Most folk also say he is only interested in money, so what’s he waiting for?
I see no other motivation in his ownership, so why not?
That’s not stating a preference, just something that has looked more than likely to me for some time.
Personally, I don’t want to be e “petro dollar fan”, but the club is currently gripped by inertia. Kroenke going, I have to say, would score pretty highly on my Couldntgiveashitometer.
I hope that story about Frimpong is not true, would be gutted.
What is this malaise happening at the club?
I know he’s everybody’s cup of tea but I’d rather have people who play their hearts out for the club than good players who seem to forget how to play when they come to Arsenal.
Someone has stolen our mojo and we need it back!
Yeah Baby,
Fat Sam Bastard and Dr AVBevil have got me mojo and I need it back ASAP.
I hope ms. Shagwell is up for the task. π
Seriously,
If any of the “consortium” numbers are true then any businessman would be stupid not to consider them. Silent Stan and the fat Uzbeki would be more than doubling their money in a few short years. And we are not talking about doubling a fiver. That is serious money even for the mega-rich.
I personally think it is all BS and too much of a publicity stunt to really believe. But I have been wrong……once, I think…..but I could be wrong about that.
*Stands Up to Signify that he hates Tottenham.*
“Tottenham. Fucking everything. It is the only place in the world that had 3 days of riots and they actually improved the look of the place.”- Steve T #169
————————————————————————————
Lol. While on a visit to London from NZ in 2011 my daughter caught the wrong bus and found herself smack in the middle of the Tottenham riots. She reckons she was lucky to get out alive!
Apropos Vertonghen, he and TV are best of mates and are frequently seen together in enemy territory. At a time when we were surely more likely than the Totts to be offering CL football, now and in the future, I have no doubt he could have been ours … IF AW had wanted him.
Also (at the risk of frightening anyone) I noticed was what appeared to be a decidedly friendly heart-to-heart between Jack and Bale after the match. It looked to me as if Bale was saying “Fancy joining me at Real Madrid next year?”
Oskar
Morning TS. You were up late.
I hope all is going well with you and yours.
More frustration than anger. But frustration in bucket loads.
π
How comes spurs were able to hold unto Bale for this long. Had it been he’s an Arsenal player he would have been playing for the blue side of Manchester by now.
Hoping that everyone over there is slowly getting over Sunday’s illness. Cheers from the States, where I’m still pretty sick over it.
With all that shit, I forgot to mention that I had to endure more badness on Sunday evening, as Bordeaux squandered a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1. Back to mid-table utter mediocrity.
Morning Steve T
Yes all is well with my burgeoning family thanks. Trust the same is true of you and yours.
As we are of a similar vintage, I’m guessing you remember the film Bugsy Malone? It was one of my childhood faves.
Anyway, after I typed that Dr. David Banner (yet another doctor in the house?) reference, the words of “We could have been anything that we wanted to be” started ringing through my head.
Hey ho, ‘thought that might resonate with you….
Trev @ #178 – Bendy is indeed a prize pr*ck. All that talent, all that opportunity, all that….. bacon? It just goes to show how wise AW was to send him packing although like a bad penny he’ll be back in the summer. I reckon he’s the Danish Adebayor. Re: Kroenke selling, everyone has their price but I thought the alleged Emirates based consortium bid was nothing but made-up BS?
Hausa @ #185 – Allegedly, Levy has promised him his own private rain forest as part of The Sh*thole redevelopment… and all at the expense of the taxpayer too
Ollie, please keep links like that to yourself. There’s more than enough D+G around the club at the moment π
Have a good day.
*completes his hatrick*
Morning all…. if it cheers you up at all, I can tell you that it is pissing down here in Barcelona!
If only they had invented pubs….
Dr.C – Bright and sunny here in Herts. Sometimes, there is justice π
Not on Sunday there wasnΒ΄t! π
Enjoy Prof, I will send you a photo of blue skies soon!
Blue is fine. Anything but Lilywhite.
Just seen a great Tweet .. check my TL if youΒ΄re on twatter
http://www.francefootball.fr/#!/news/2013/03/05/093951_eysseric-les-images-me-hantent.html
Somehow I feel he is really not a Shawcross-type of player.
Mind you, he’s a forward, not a defender.
As Kroenke only owns two-thirds of the club his stake would be approx Β£1bn – hence his profit would be somewhere in the region of Β£570m.
Not bad for overseeing the sale of our best players and hiking ticket prices at twice the rate of inflation.
They say money goes to money….
Ofcourse Stan hasn’t sold out yet but I remember Dein getting slated by various regulars on here for turning a Β£75m profit on his shares. I dare say Dein earned his profit a damn sight more than the yank has.
That said, Stan is such a lovely guy. Honest, wholesome and clearly in love with the club.
Long may his glorious reign continue.
*wellies it towards the penalty spot*
Nod
Perhaps
Balls
Well in N7, powerful header!
Cheers Ollie.
The Guardian seem to think Arsene has “lost faith” in his centre backs and will buy Ashley Williams for Β£8m in the summer.
Sounds like made up nonsense to me, but there you go.
If we’re going to start messing around with the centre backs then I’d like to see Kos given some extra game time. He was comfortably our best defender last year.
Agree with you N7. I’d like a bit more Kos.
Actually, why do I bother mentioning I agree with you? π
No, Special Cunt, the world won’t stop to watch your cunts against their cunts, I’ll still be watching Dortmund vs Donetsk.
Afternoon all,
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BEjOXPuCEAAbWxl.jpg
Nuff said.
tabs, nice to see that even some of their own understand basic facts π
Indeed Lars.
My opinion of Mr James Greaves has gone up hugely since reading that.
That is absolutely brilliant!
May I ask, respectfully, to those of a certain vintage that saw Greaves play, to whom would you compare him now, in style of play and prolificity?
Of course, I know that in terms of partying he was up there with Tony…
Heh! Greavesy is a Gooner! Who knew. π
TS – i thought the bid was a load of BS too but, hypothetically, why wouldn’t he sell ?
Trev – If the price is right, there’s no reason not to sell unless he has other motivations for his investment.
I don’t think he took control of Arsenal to make a fast buck.
ThereΒ΄s fast bucks, and thereΒ΄s 570m of them….
TS – The LWC was a no show? Figures. Probably embarked on a nationwide tour of celebration. These giantkilling acts don’t happen every day after all.
SteveT @169 – Cheers. Don’t want to labour the point (actually I do), but the stupidity on view on Sunday was breathtaking. Chucking their own Beer away was just one of a selection of mind-numbingly stupid acts of twattery.
Howdy Cba.
Well in N7. Haven’t seen enough of Williams to know if he’s the answer, even if there’s some truth in the story. He’s always looked pretty decent to me on the rare occasions that I have seen him. Don’t know if he’s the answer, but I’m firmly of the view that we need a dominant centre half in the Summer. Think both the Bfg and Kos would do a great job alongside one. TV5 might even rediscover his mojo. I just don’t think there’s a reliable partnership amongst our existing three.
I’ll join your Club with Ollie in asking for more Kos. It feels like a mantra that we have been saying all season.
Dr C – Then again there’s Star-bucks (sorry, couldn’t resist).
tabs – Heh at ‘giantkillers’. Then again, they are a small club. Even Mr.Greaves agrees.
Well said Ollie @ #207.
No doubt he’s trying to get Mr.Abramovich to make him a job offer.
There’s planet sized egos and then there’s a Maureen sized ego.
Presumably Stan is prepared to take the massive financial hit of not qualifying for the CL. as I see it, we will be busy in the market this summer, but we will be buying second or third choices; players of just below top class, ie those players who would love to play in the PL and don`t mind the Europa League. This could be a prelude to Arsenal`s barren spell stretching for another decade, without us being able to look back upon a period of absolute domination as the scousers can.
tabs, considering Williams kicked CvC in the head with that ball I’d say he deserves a contract with us π
TS@213: and therein also lies a lot of the frustration. WTF does he want with the club???
Afternoon peeps.
Good stuff tabs, who’da thought ol’ Greavesy would come out with something like that. Cheers for the drinky yesterday, I’ll now return the favour.
====
Ollie, that loan list was truly depressing, especially regarding the players away who can’t even get into shit teams. For example, if Chamackh can only make the bench at Wet Spam, then what chance does he have at us, or what are the odds of us been able to shift him?
====
Re Bendy. What a waste of space.
====
Re The so called take over bid. I don’t believe it for a second, even if it was true it would hinge on both parties (KSG and R&W) wanting to sell up. I’m not sure about the Uzbecky, but history tells us that SK is in for the long run, not just profit. The timing, as others have eluded to, is just totaly wrong.
Lars @ #219
Like you, I can only guess but he sure does have a mighty fine clutch of sports ‘brands’ in his…er…. Arsenal.
When lack of success in terms of sporting results starts to affect the financial ones, we may then see him take a more pro-active role at the club but I shan’t be holding my breath.
His style seems to be very much ‘hands-off’ which, IMO, is no bad thing. So long as the people that report to him have the best interests of the club at heart and are prepared to do something to promote the best interests of the club as a whole i.e. including squad investment and doing nice things for us supporters from time-to-time too.
TS is back on form. Put him back in the starting XI too!
Just my luck. Back in the first team and no games to play for over a week π
Heh.
Ok, I’m joining the campaign:
“Please lettuce have mor Kos”. π
Doh! = more
Reluctantly back on topic “Kroenke”.
So, like Lars, I’m wondering what he is ‘in it’ for.
H2H says he’s in it for the long run, not just for profit.
Sorry mate, I rarely disagree with you but buisiness men are always in it for profit, and what exactly is this ‘long run’ ?
By my reckoning he can either sell the club at the highest possible price to date, or he can invest in the club to try to increase it’s future value. He has already passed up the chance to invest alongside rare talents like Fabregas and van Persie, which may have kept them at the club, preferring to allow the quality of the squad to deteriorate. In the ‘long run’ this will surely damage the value of the club.
We do still have some very good players but they are not gelling as a team, and they now need major reinforcement to become serious contenders again.
Even the optimistic N7 – hopefully correctly remembered – says we need a goal keeper, a centre back, a defensive midfielder and a striker in the summer.
The sharp amongst us will have noticed that is practically the entire spine of the team.
Well, I half agree. Half, because to make the squad genuinely strong you need two genuine options in each of those positions.
Achieving that, in addition to the clearing of deadwood and out-of-contract players, is going to require a lot more than the inertia that has gripped us now for four years.
Can anyone honestly see that happening ?
I sincerely hope Mr Kroenke can.
Trev
Change Kroenke and does our football change?
Is the dysfunctional playing team (that might be a bit strong) matched by a dysfunctional management team?
My point is that I’m not convinced that SK is the root of our problems. It seems to be a combination of all things together that just doesn’t seem to work sufficiently well anymore.
At the other end of the spectrum in terms of club ownership we have Abramovich. Hands-on, ever-present, loves football and his club but interferes so much that they go through 2 or 3 managers in a year. How are they going to attract a decent manager moving forward? With money? All the best managers are already wealthy men.
Does the middle ground exist? Is there an example in The Premiership of a successful club where the owner and the fans by-and-large get along?
Sorry for so many questions without answers.
Trev. Bringing Kos in will not solve all the problems. They are numerous. Changing a centre back is just the tip of the iceberg. The whole team.deserve a rocket.
Trev.
What Kroenke may or may not “be in it for”, was pure extrapulation on my behalf. I was making an
absolute shot in the darkeducatated guess based on his dealings with the other (for lack of a better word) franchises in his portfolio. If he was just in it for the profit he could of already cashed in by selling over the odds to Fat & Orange. He seems to me to be a bitof a collecter and a PL team fits nicely in with his MLS team and other various sporting ventures, none of which he’s ever looked liked offloading.But like I said, itΒ΄s all speculation.
Now something to cheer you up (well, maybe not):
http://www.football365.com/topical-top-10/8540697/Top-Ten
I never knew about this Anelka-happening at the infamous Raith Rovers.
Heh! at Steve T’s lettuce punnery. A couple of little gems in there. I will endive-our to think of some more.
My point is that Iβm not convinced that SK is the root of our problems.
I’m pretty much in the same place, TS.
N7 @ 204: I will be surprised if Arsene can find anything to lose confidence on Kos. What exactly has he done wrong this season despite never enjoying a run even when TV5 is in the worst form of his career. Some of his positioning nowadays reminds me of Eboue or Clichy in their spectacularly headless moments.
And that brings me to the point of team composition. Last year our top five players were RVP, Rosicky, Song, Theo, Kos. Out of all of them only Theo is a continuous presence in the team now. No team, let alone one who barely squeezed in a CL spot and had poor cup runs last season, can be successful the next season with that much turnover. Rosicky having been injured in the first half of the season had its impact, as not having any true DM around. And Kos’s continuing absence when he is fit — especially against teams where the attacking threats revolve around pace — remains inexplicable.
Contrary to many others in this bar, I actually think Poldi, Giroud, Santi and Monreal are all very good acquisitions and in the long run they would all learn to play well with each other, the fluency would be back and the efficiency would improve. Similarly a DM in front of the back four would have a calming and stabilizing influence.
This season — top four or not — in retrospect can only been seen as a truly rebuilding one if we significantly reinforce in summer in the key positions as well as work over the preparatory stages before the next season on tactical aspects of the game. Even in our cavalier devil-may-care gung-ho seasons of 2008-2011 we didn’t look tactically this clueless (sometimes against Man U or Chelsea, yes, but not for the most part) for these many games in the season.
It is one game to play for the top spot and ended up in the top four. But to start a season with the explicit ambition of top four spot makes achieving the top four spot all that more difficult to begin with, not to say the demoralizing influence that has when things don’t go right.
Hopefully the next season we will start with a team composition, and a mindset and tactical discipline to push for the PL. We used to do that, even a couple of seasons back. Let us at least get back to that stage first.
[Will be away most of the day, apologies for not being able to respond to any replies.]
Trev will Ceaser chance to do a salad pun.
You need a right dressing down for that one, H2H
I’m a bit of a tosser, me.
Heh!
Excellent comments from all the regulars after the bitter (but not totally surprising ) result down at marshlands.
The defensive problem as I see it is that the team does not defend as a unit. Individually our defenders are decent but there is no protection
from the midfield unit and even the wide men are not known for assisting the full backs when they are under pressure.
The balance of the team is wrong – our midfielders are too similar… small, technical passers more concerned with maintaining possession than blocking runs, or tracking back when the opposition are making fast forays into our half. There is no big bastard to put himself about with tackles and blocks. The LWC on Sunday defended well in numbers – Parker & Dembele were the first line of defence thereby giving Dawson & Vertongen time to keep their shape and minimise service through to our strikers.
AW sends out the tean each week set up to play the same way. Most teams know how to play us now….they defend deep in nos, let us keep possession in midfield as the only space for the pass is sideways? It’s time for a more flexible approach and have a plan B or even a plan C if plan A isn’t working. It’s called tactics Arsene!
This inter lull hopefully will give the coaches and players time to rethink matters and come up with a winning strategy to get us that 4th place trophy.
These puns have gotten radicchiolous…
@239, good read at Arseblog today. Especially Gary Neville’s analysis of Arsenal’s defending. Never thought I’d say this but I’d love to see Neville be our #2. It’s obvious Wenger is staying put but if that’s the case he needs HELP. However, his ego wouldn’t allow a #2 that vocal.
It’s so clear now why he delayed Pat Rice’s retirement a year.
I was on a coach back to London for 5hrs 45mins from Plymouth that left at 4pm on Sunday, so I didn’t get to watch the game, only BBC Sport Mobile on this phone coupled with HT at the bar for 1hr 45mins. I was hoping for a result to perk me up for the remaining 4 hours, instead I got a feeling of hopelessness at the time. Worsened by the fact that you can’t do anything to alleviate those feelings. Daydreams of being spotted by an Arsenal scout, making my way through the reserves and finally into the 1st team via the bench to be able to change things for the better on the pitch come more frequently nowadays, probably as a direct response to such feelings, I suppose this is the current level of the malaise currently settled in our club π .
Watching the highlights package on Arsenal Player only worsened how I felt with suspicions being confirmed, the captainancy is ironically ruining the captain, as a result he can’t form a defensive partnership worth shit with either of his fellow centrebacks. Giroud can’t handle the pressure of being our spearhead when he doesn’t have both Podolski and Walcott on the right of him. Jack is running himself ragged trying to do it all game after game. Szczesny really does need an experienced keeper to keep him on his toes but also to teach the mistakes out of him. Probably many more but I don’t even wanna dwell on them.
Back to the prevalent thought of hopelessness, I can’t run on the pitch and inspire the lads to go on and win the match or personally convince Wenger to make the changes that we can all externally see that need to be made but I can I can damn well hope. And pray.
And will things to get better. Its all I can do.
I’m pretty decent as a player even as I’m getting on in age :p but not that good, if our current problems remain, maybe the task of sorting out our troubles should be left to NorCal’s youngest and Catalan Junior π , there’s some proper hope for the future.
Headline news on .com is that Tom Fox is in Vietnam negotiating a preseason game for Arsenal. That’s good news for fans in Vietnam, but I can’t help but feel like I’m being treated like a blind customer somehow. Seeing as the negotiations are yet to be finalised, the timing of this announcement is rather awkward as well.
Weird stuff.
Trev @ 227:
I think your being a little unfair to Kronke on the evidence of what he has done to date.
I don’t think its fair to label Kronke as just a businessman – he’s someone who has always had an interest in sport and indeed was a basketball major himself. The majority of his other business involve sports too and when he invested in such enterprises – he cultivated a reputation of building those enterprises and not selling out. As such, the long run should be viewed in that context.
In relation to his investment in the club – he most certainly has invested in the club and put some hundreds of millions of up front to buy shares in the sad circumstances of Fismans illness. I don’t think Fisman was the type of man who would hand over uni-lateral control of the club to someone who he felt would sell out at the first opportunity. I think the club mean’t more to Fisman than that – and if his judgement in this regard was to leave his shareholding to Kronke – then that’s something that should be respected given all that Fisman has done for the club. Kronke has not saddled the club with debt nor has he taken exorbitant dividends..!
And I honestly feel its acutely unfair of to say that somehow its his fault that Cesc / RVP have left. Cesc left after spending 8 years at the club and the club profited massively. It was Wengers decision to let him go and it was Wengers decision to replace him by buying Cazorla.
RVP left for money. Nothing else. It was Wengers decision to let him go. You may argue that the club refused to match the 250 – 300k on offer from Manu / Citeh. But thats something, I feel, that the club should be commended for and not chastised for. There have been no financial circumstances in the past whereby the club could afford to pay such money to a player, let alone one who is 29, disrespectful and with a pretty poor injury record. And I don’t feel there are circumstances that will allow for this in the future either. To contend that Kronke is directly responsible for the deterioration of the playing squad because the club have pursued a self sustaining model is most unfair.
The poor defensive record, the naive socialist wage policy, the historically non existent commercial policy, the complacency of players and lack of motivation in the squad……have very little to do with Stan Kronke I feel.
*takes a leaf out of the book of salad punners*
It’s not rocket science.
Joe, that player with a poor injury record, is starting tonite over Rooney (bench). Just saying.
244 Joe.
Bang on sir, bang on!!
Fair comment Joe @244
He doesn’t do enough to win the hearts and minds though.
Heh! Nice lettuce puns above. Good to get the important things in life salted out again.
So Tom Fox is in Vietnam. I wonder if they can do lettuce puns in their language too. Personally I doubt it as the Chinese leaves me flummoxed. π
Good point too Bath.
It is indeed all about perception.
By saying little heΒ΄s made himself a target.
Joe @244,
Some very fair points, particularly the Fiszman ones.
In my defence, I didn’t at all suggest that Cesc and RvP leaving were his fault. I said that they might have stayed if he had invested in some more quality to put alongside them.
You can’t just pick up a Cesc or a RvP any old time. Had we added to them while they were here and actually started winning things, maybe they would have stayed.
Maybe they wouldn’t. It is, of course, all conjecture, but given that Arsene said four years ago that weaknesses had been identified and were to be addressed, it seems a pity that it didn’t happen while we still had some world class players to add to.
The tone of my piece Joe, was supposed to be inquisitive not accusing. As TS says, it is all questions. None of us has any answers.
Personally, I think we are entitled to a few. Clearly others don’t.
That’s what makes the blog go round.
joe, excellent. i often wonder just how self-inflicting many gunners would be if cvc ended up injured for the same proportion of his games with manu. certainly that HUGE group of gunners who wanted him gone during year 7, when he got hurt against italy in the november (october?) friendly. his quality was always there, but it’s tough to access from the training room.
i think the biggest thing is we made hay for most of arsene’s first decade due to the stark difference between arsenal’s training methods and those of other clubs, arsene’s ability to pluck gems from nowhere at low cost, and holdover players from the graham era whose careers he revitalized. the training methods gap has closed pretty well, though i think our late goal-scoring record shows it’s still present. the gems are now harder and harder to find in this 24/7-interconnected-let’s-show-4th division-french-football-on-streaming world. and the holdovers are gone, and he didn’t really allow that kind of holdover from the invincibles squad; we were pretty fresh in 08, just four years gone.
a last point, adjunct to the gems point above. the petrodollar influx has made getting gems astronomically harder, insofar as when we find one, and it’s announced that we’re interested, all the rich clubs have to do is come in at 25% higher in wages and fees, and we lose out. it’s no surprise to me that the joy of six (jack, gibbo, aaron, the corporal, theo, and the ox) are all young, british, and have been gooners since a young age. absent some sort of brutal change to the wage structure, it’s the only way we’re going to develop a team that can compete, leavened with the santi’s, the poldis, and the girouds of the world who aren’t coveted by the ΓΌber-rich and want to try to bring trophies to the clubs who find their talents to be acceptable.
so, lettuce not dwell on stan…he gets enough dressing down from the faithful, and if he leaves us i’m afraid the stick that currently holds the carrot will be but one further stick with which to beat the horse.
Brooding drink.
No, drinking brood.
Evening all,
Some good chat here, thanks. Intended to post tonight but the management had a problem that needed sorting on the ‘hMac.
Definitely something tomorrow evening.
HTF did Wellbeck miss that?
Evening guv’, all’s well I hope.
1-0 Dortmund!
Plenty of time for posts, ‘holic: no game for another few days. The weekend will feel bizarre enough….
Anyone else see Van Pursie miss like a donkey earlier? π
Penalty my arse
Zwei zu null.
Think Dortmund will get through.
Joe,
One further point. Again you are accusing me of holding Kroenke directly responsible for the deterioration of the squad because he pursues a self-sustaining model.
That would, indeed, be a bit simplistic, but again, is not really what I said. I said he has allowed the quality of the squad to deteriorate, which he has.
He is the majority shareholder and leads a board which he can instruct to do as he pleases. The implication of that is either that he has refused the manager the funds he needed, or has been happy to watch the manager deplete the squad, as he has not changed the manager.
I am interested in the notion of “self sustaining” too.
I see nothing sustaining in overseeing, in whatever way, the depletion of a squad while stashing Β£123,000,000 in the bank.
I would imagine any successful business man with a long term view would see that too.
Despite all that, I am not anti Keoenke as an owner.
I am just trying to work out, in the absence of any positive indicators, what he is ‘in it’ for.
It is interesting that those with most patience and positivity about the owner, are not those who pay a fortune and freeze their nuts off to go and watch every week.
Dortmund 2:0
Dortmund 2-0 up now, bloody hell they work quick :p
Can a 4th person confirm? π
Red Cunts 1-0
Sergio Ramos OG
Haha Ramos you c**t. But ffs Madrid.
I believe Dortmund was winning 2-0 at halftime.
Is that true , Ollie?
HA HA Nani red card.
Nani sent off
Ha hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaa
Look at red nose!
Nani Red Card, what a night for pricks to get their just desserts =D
Nani sent off for exactly what RvP was once red carded for when playing for us.
This though, say all the experts, was not a red card, and purplenoses frustration – haranguing of officials – is perfectly understandable.
Hee hee.
What ban will Ferguson get? Oh ……..
I have to say Ref did get it wrong though!
Drei zu null.
Ah,
Now do you lads see what one phone call to a friend of cousins brother in Singapore can get you?
You are welcome Real. You are welcome. π
I would quite like Dortmund to win the Champions League.
I suspect they’ll be the only palatable team left after this round.
A purple nose really doesn’t look good on a red face, Slur Alex. π
Trev
Kroenke seems content to let his managers manage. Mid-table mediocrity will not necessarily deplete his investment and will not necessarily require him to make further investments either. So as we currently stand, does he need to do anything from his perspective?
If everything underneath him is working well in terms of playing, medical and commercial staff, no one really cares.
Clearly, in terms of the playing staff, it is not and as fans we would like to see SK make a bold move or two to help ensure that we replenish the squad in order that we can be title contenders again.
I can’t see that happening. I’m frustrated as a supporter (like you) that we seem trapped in something of a doldrum but I am optimistic that with necessary changes made in the playing management area and with a few decent buys we can at least kick-on to be a more comfortable top 4 contender and a decent cup side.
From there we can build to become a title challenging side again but we’re a relatively big ship to turn around so the next couple of years might also be something of a disappointment unless a major event of some description happens in the meantime.
Anyway, that’s the way I see it. I’m certain we need loyal supporters like you who put their money where their mouth is to help the club turn things around.
heh Trev
1-1
MOdric the old cock
All square at Old Shitford!
Modric :O
Not any more π
1-2
Cuntaldo
Well well well.
Interesting. A controversial red card rewards a Spanish team over an English one.
Has that ever happend?
A big thank you to Utd (and the ref). Brightened up a shit week.
Ronaldo has spoken.
I think that if Funguscunt explodes (and no doubt he will if his team goes out and judging from the red card stories), that will make my week.
Chances of him getting a ban?
I suspect the meedja will all be on his side etc, having a lot of sympathy for Man U and saying they were robbed.
Can’t remember if there was much sympathy when we went out on that red card night in Barcelona. But maybe I’m blind and biased, I admit π
What are the commentators moaning about? That was a definate red card.
All well, cheers H2H.
Enjoying United being absolutely robbed as we were in Barca.
Until 9.30 that is. The first test in New Zealand starts then and I much prefer the cricket to watching this shit.
π
Studs up red card end off!
Fergie must be regretting his squad selection for tonight. Leaving Howard Webb out was a schoolboy error.
π
What am I missing? The last time I checked, a studs-up kung-fu kick into an opposition players’ midrift is a red card offence.
Or is that rule not usually applicable to Man Utd players?
Look folks, and I’m the master jinxed so I know: the final whistle hasn’t been blown, right (6 min left in Dormund), so SHUT UP, the cunts may still win this.
Heh Steve T.
Haven’t seen it yet, Uncle, so can’t comment.
But look, it has to fit the narrative of brave, plucky, Manchester United, being done by the bad foreign referees.
Still can’t see how Funguscunt won’t explode, even if they go through now. So I expect the standard ban.
Evening Holic,
RvP winning that trophy would have been too much.
Ain’t happening tho’. π
5 minutes? Fergie still exerting his influence I see *tut tut*
Ronaldo just completed his second pass back to de Gea
I hate Madrid, but this is great.
Stitch that Van Persie. The refs hate you.
Roll on the post match interview. Ferguson is going to EXPLODE
Trivaldo …….
Can’t wait for that interview N7. π
Reals’s keeper quality I don’t know why the ITV commentators were doubting him in the first half I saw in the Classico and he was really good in that game too.
Fuck off, United.
Now you know how we felt to get done by the ref.
Trev
Van Pur$ie not winning that trophy this season anyway!
Goooool……Trevinho!
Well in Trev.
Bit of a pony game, all in all. Ronaldo did cock all bar the goal.
Didn’t think the red was THAT bad a decision but will go along with ITV as it makes this all so much funnier.
Karma’s a bitch.
ATG
Is there a worse commentary team than ITV’s?
Feckless f*ckwitted thundertwats.
Ha Ha Ha Ha.
Media will have something other then Bale to toss over tomorrrow.
I can hardly wait for the fallout.
Schadenfreude is my friend.
Hmm, correct me if I’m wrong – but hasn’t CvC scored significantly fewer goals lately? I can’t be arsed to check the stats, but it is my distinct impression that he’s only scored that many goals at all in the past ten or so games. I only saw the last 40-ish minutes tonight, but he was largely invisible and the once chance he got he hit the keeper rather lamely.
Cheers TS – and Tabsed it !!
Hasn’t scored in last 5 games Lars
Mourinho the best team lost! Ha ha
Oh, and well in for the triple century, Trev!
Hilarious! Nani didn’t deserve it. Ahh. π
Trev@311: ah, so I wasn’t totally wrong then.
I really want Dortmund to win the CL
Ollie who scored for Dortmund?
ITV studio is on fire π
Although in hindsight, this trivial game can’t compare to what happened to us in 2011 vs B*rca.
Cheers Lars.
That’s 2in 2days for me.
I may have to move to another blog to fulfill my potential. π
Too true Wind!
This was another yellow for kicking the ball apparently after the offside whistle has gone!
Never thought I’d say it, but well done ITV pundits.
Sanity prevails. Mildly harsh red, but the worst decision of all time? Do one.
The Van Persie red in the Nou Camp was far, far, far worse.
Come on Fergie – time to face your public.
Just make sure you give us guys the update that we deserve before you leave, Trev!
On the way up – a slurmon from Chewy.
Gonna be the best stand-up of the year to date. π
I may have to move to another blog to fulfill my potential.
π
Well in Trev!
Red nose exploded didn’t make the ITV interview!
Boo! Chewy chickens out. Another hissy fit, doubtless in breach of contract. Rude tosser.
Me too ATG 316.:
Felipe Santana, GΓΆtze, and your compatriot with the most complicated name.
Cheers Ollie.
I seem to be in some strange parallel universe where I have found some strange appreciation for Luka ‘Gail Tyldsley’ Modric, Cristiano ‘Smug Rent Boy’ Ronaldo and Roy ‘Annoying Wanker’ Keane…
I wasn’t expecting it to feel this good tho’… π
Note to self: try to stop laughing in about 4 or 5 hours…possibly…
This good result to start the week has me confident for next weekend’s football. We’ll win our game.
What? Oh. Bah π
Heh snowy. Me too – strange eh ? π
Apparently the journalists are queing up to tell Fergie that Keane said it was a red.
This just gets better and better.
AtG, agreed.
I was thinking van Stapleton was gonna force that particular issue again, most likely wouldn’t have been carded because of who he’s playing for.
Maybe Arsenal should just stop taking so much shit from European referees and all of them in general, the reality is that in Europe especially, we’re victims of them π
snowy!!! Hope you’re feeling better(I’m sure tonight helped π )
Remember this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH5t58FCs3k&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Snowy! Recovered from your illness?
Wonder why Keane has it out for United… (But not Fergie, still scares the shit out of his ex-players). Can anyone in the know enlighten me?
N7, I had actually forgotten that red card and indeed pretty much the whole game to be honest…
Trev @ 331 – heh π
Who’d have thunk it eh?
Hope Van Traitor will be crying himself to sleep tonight on fat crinkly pillows stuffed with borrowed cash…
π
Wow, Hugo Chavez is dead.
Yes, I was there, N7.
RM win. You heard it here first. Fucking funny. SAF head blows off and showers the scum with pus.
Ollie Jakub Blaszczykowski π
Hardly a surprise, Wind….
Good man, snowy. π
Distraught dressing room and distraught manager so Phelan thrown to the press.
At least AW faces up to the wolves.
Nice one Snowy @339. Hope you feel better.
Definitely feeling better tonight peeps…thank you π
But where the feck is my fuggen Fergie meltdown? Where is it? Who stole it? Was it you Chiles? Was it you? You soft, chubby, half-witted, dopey-accented, potato-faced, unable-to-opine-about-anything-significant fugger.
I want to see a ninety grand broadcast quality video camera MELT with full-on Caledonian rage. And I want to see it NOW.
And if I don’t, I’m holding YOU responsible, Chiles. You and your your monstrous, hideous, lumbering lardy arse.
Ya useless fugger.
π
Good to here Snowman and Heh.
SAF bottles it again, tosser.
Maybe the smart thing to do………..
But still a bitch move.
bath, I was thinking along the same lines. Arsene gets so much crap from the media, yet he is ALWAYS there to answer their questions. Every single game he stands there answering their idiotic questions and gets nothing but shit in return but the worse Ferguson treats the journos the more sycophantic they get.
That’s a healthy sounding rant, snowy.
He’s weeping in a corner, shaking with grief and anger. Needs a supportive arm round him and there’s no-one in the dressing room with the courage to offer it.
here = hear.
Stoopid furriner that I be. π³
heh @ Bath …
But were you referring to Fergie or Chiles? π
SAF
Chiles is down the boozer getting a roasting from Keane and Dixon for being a total twat.
Heard it here first that Real will go through:P …its sickening to be glad that that bunch got through but at least it means no ManU progressing. Also Dortmund look the part…I wouldnt be surprised by any means if they got to the final
Hope you’re feeling much better Snowy, let Fergie’s rage cure all your ails π
π
Ferguson.
A bully and a coward.
Two traits that are, after all, usually found in tandem.
Objectionable, bad tempered, ill mannered, arrogant, bullying, cowardly beetroot.
Wind, “Fergie’s rage” sounds like an ailment
Arsene should stop giving press conferences and interviews.
No good ever comes of them, he never gets to say what he really thinks and, clearly, they’re voluntary.
I wish the red card had been a far worse decision than it was, but I’m loving the wailing of the red hordes. Music to my ears.
Trev knows@358.
Is there any chance that the number of CL slots for the EPL will be cut if no English team makes it through to the QFs? All the more reason to win big at BM.
Effin’ raining here in NZ, ‘holic, so no cricket as yet. Inevitable I guess, we’ve had the hottest, driest summer on record with drought being officially declared over large parts of the country, but as soon as the cricket is due to start… π
I’m still reading here how it’s our defence that’s losing us matches, but hardly. For the record, in the PL as of today we have conceded one more than Man U and one less than Spuds, both of them well above us. Slightly worse compared to the other two above us, but all pretty much of a muchness.
Sure, some of the goals we have allowed border on the comical, but clearly there’s a far bigger problem at the other end where we can sometimes score for fun, but very rarely when we really have to. Imo, that was the magic RvP had, but which we are sorely missing this year.
It’s not that we don’t make chances. I’d dearly like to see a table showing the number of goals scored as a percentage of goal attempts, because I reckon we’d be somewhere near the bottom of it.
Oskar
Potsticker.
Simply put, no.
The Pl has too many points to lose a place in the forseeable future.
Oy. Fergus. Go cry your crocodile tears on your big fat headed pillow. And while you are at it kick the little boy inside van’s pussie.
Dortmund to the finals please
Potsticker,
It would take a few more years of PL stinking up the joint to lose the 4th spot.
the PL is safe with 4 for now.
Cheers
Delighted United are out but sorry it wasn’t a total thrashing. This just gives them the sympathy vote. What makes referees go out on a limb on decisions like that?
Trev has been castigated re Kroenke but I think he is spot on. While Kroenke rules Arsenal we will never prosper even with FFP. The reason is because he is an American businessman.
In America they always end up with one ultimate winner but paradoxically the people who invest in teams look to see how they can run profitable franchises even if they are not hugely successful.
Kroenke will have worked out that the optimum for him is for Arsenal to finish 4 th every season or 3 rd if you are being picky. This gives us CL revenue without mega investment and he will realise he is in a contest with mega investors both in England and Europe. His franchises have been very moderately successful in USA but he has not come close to building a sustained leading position anywhere in any sport. The Rams surprised people that they did so well in relative terms with fairly low investment.
You can make a grand living as an entrepreneur in sports in USA without winning anything because they realise the chances of success are so limited. Amazingly there are not the protests at low performance in most sports because the draft system in Gridiron and the general desire to level the playing field does not exist in UK. They term a really successful period of domination a Dynasty in US sport but it doesn’t happen.
Kroenke would have found it easier to take over a club that had under performed and was attempting to awake from being a sleeping giant rather than one in our position where we are slowly slipping in quality.
My American friends called Kroenke a ‘ mediocre’ owner- neither good or bad and suggested he would not dramatically improve things because he is careful with the cash and inclined towards the status quo.
I hope he leaves ASAP but who takes over is a moot point. Financiers like the alleged Middle Eastern consortium or Usmanov are of dubious provenance but they won’t be any worse in my opinion than Kroenke.
I think our business model can succeed and I would be so proud if it does but it needs a bolder manager than Wenger to realise it.
Ahhh,
What H2H said;)
Or, what NorCal said π
Holic, if it wasn’t for this wonderful place and the people who frequent it, I’d be lost. Special props to Ollie, Tabs, Centy and TS for making the game tonite more enjoyable (twitter). Snowy, delighted you’re feeling better π Lars @ 350, so glad you said that. Oh, and hello everybody π Now to read some more drinks π
abb.
By the time you’re finished there’s a nice cool drinky of your choice waiting on the bar.
Oskar @ 363 And may the rains continue as it sounds like you really need it there. Fingers crossed. Sorry about the cricket, but priorities mate π Agree with you, our dearth of goals lately, has me worried a plenty. π Snowy, Modric’s goal was really special, enjoyed it ! ATG, Yes, Lopez was terrific π TTG @ 367, Interesting stuff. I hereby procaim Dr C and NorCal wonderful dads ! Some chuckles earned by Trev and company, needed that π
Oh H2H, you earned a drink as well (as usual) !
H20h, abb left you one of those.
That woman’s so generous. π
TTG and others,
Just a couple of thoughts I have on Silent Stan
I think Mr Fiszman saw him as the best available option as a custodian of the “Arsenal way”. Someone who would hold the majority of shares and not personally make any rash changes to the status quo. At the time of Stan’s purchase the self sustaining model was well established and we had a strong track record of making CL football on a shoestring transfer budget. AW has been the “secret sauce” that had made all of this possible and with his future seemingly secure at the club, there was no reason why the status quo should not have worked.
Fast forward about 4/5 years and the landscape has changed. Our secret sauce is not near as secret or tasty. We have not done as well in finding value in the transfer market and teams have spent a gazillion pounds to build teams in the PL that now take up 3 of the four CL spots. That only leaves one spot available for us to attain. Still possible but infinitely more competitive.
So where does that leave Stan?
In the same place he was before. A custodian of Arsenal.
Unfortunately, we need a little more direction from above. Our secret sauce needs some refreshing but because we don’t have a fire and brimstone type leader we are left with the status quo. Stan’s failings in all his sports teams is that he is too hands off and no one at those organizations takes the initiative to strive for better than the status quo.
Status quo will eventually give you mediocrity. And that is his biggest failing. Accepting mediocrity of his teams. I think he enjoys owning his teams but he has not real passion for any of them. As H2H said, he is a collector. The problem is, we now need a strong leader. Someone who will make the tough decision. Someone who will question AW and decide if he needs help or if he needs to go. Sadly, we don’t have that owner or board, currently.
Wat-er great offer Trev.
Ttg, NorCal,
Very interesting posts fellas. You are both obviously know the situation pertaining in the US far better than I do, and you are both saying pretty much the same thing.
Inertia was the word I used and it appears that that is what we have, by accident or design, and that, for the foreseeable future, is what we can expect.
Also,
Another thing about American sports that makes ownership lucrative for all owners is that there is no fear of relegation. A shit team’s value increases based on the success of the league and the near monopoly our “Big” leagues have on sports and marketing. There are a very finite number of teams and your membership is secure whether you finish 8th or 32nd.
Also the structure of our playoffs for deciding who wins the league allows a system in which a team that is ” mid-table” all season can get on a late season run and be crowned ” world” champion. We basically chose our league winners by holding a cup completion at the end of the season between the top 8-16 teams and the winner is champion of it all.
Mediocrity here can get hot and win the whole shebang. (But I guess Chelsea did that last year in the CL. )
Cheers all.
Completion= competition.
Water it is then, H2h π But I’m sipping whiskey with my coffee π Trev, Inertia, that fits, I feel. I forsee a big shakeup if we don’t secure 4th place. Norcal, I’d rather AW stay and learn to DELEGATE! Appreciate the time you and TTG took to gather all that info on Silent Stan. Personally, I would love to see an Elton John/Rod Stewart type become involved. They both bring genuine love for the game and their clubs, and aren’t afraid to make it known!
Norcal that’s all terribly well said.
After a sh!tty weekend, and two days of tedious and tiresome opposition, neurotic clients and manipulative fellow partners – at least one smile:
United and RvP suffer … =)
Manure losing has made my week.
And before you ask, yes, I am a sad, pathetic ABU π
Also, in other news, I’ve proposed to my girlfriend and we are now engaged. And today I just found out that I was successful in my application for a promotion.
Drinks on me holics!
UTA
Congrats all around CoR!
A toast to you and your fiancΓ©. Hope she likes football!
Congrats CoR, on both fronts, cheers!!!
Thanks guys and girls! My fiancee hates football though unfortunately…
Papa CoR did say that perfection doesn’t exist in this world π
CoR. I knew you could do it. Congratulations!!
Other halves who like football are nearly inexistent in these parts so you are not alone. You must take the bad with the good, etc., etc. π
CoR,
I have found that immersion therapy has finally broken Ivana’s will.
She now prefers watching football to being drown. 8)
Haha! I’ll work on it on some more, immersion therapy and supernatural persistence works wonders on most humans.
I won’t stop until she has the urge to say “Dench” when we score and “Leave it” when we concede….or at least knows how to complain about our defending and inflexible tactics π
Let’s hope we avoid Real Madrid in the next round then.
CoR, great news – massive congratulations on both counts!
And heh! @387 π
Congratulations CoR! π
Here to you and your new fiancΓ©e *raises glass* π
Morning all. Are we still laughing?
Raises glass to CoR π
Congrats, CoR!
Grats CoR! And yeah Ollie..still laughing, bought morning sport paper with great gusto, the title site is having Ronaldo “not celebrating” and Ferguson fuming…good start of the day π
Congrats CoR !
Heh @Vinny π
great day seeing all these mancs do depressed and saf bursting his spleen.
and what a surprise that van skunk failed to show up for their biggest game so far.
Congrats, CoR – good work!
Now what you want is a life partner who watches footie with you at the beginning, then sort of goes off it a few years later when you get to a point where you don’t really want your missus seeing you hurling expletives at a TV screen in a pub.
Works perfectly for me. π
Oh and while I’m at it…
Oiss!
You’re welcome.
Cheers for the pleasant messages and drinks everyone!
Will put them to good use 8)
And arigato gozaimasu Camber π
CoR scores. Again π
@244 joe well said mate you don’t have to stand in the rain every week to have an opinion about the team you love.
Well in x3. CoR.
I personaly prefer it that my other half is not at all in to footy. It has it’s advantages.
Top Tip.
If the other half wants to do something (god forbid) on matchdays and you, being the loving and generous partner you are, decide to do her thing, then you ‘ll pick up bonus points that can be cashed in at a later date. Don’t forget to get these points stamped and notarised or they might not be valid for future use. π
Top Tip 2.
A DVR/HD Recorder and multiple tv’s is a must in all good relationships.
Good luck and be careful……………
It’s a jungle out there.
Good stuff NorCal @ various.
Heh @ Vinny..
http://www.francefootball.fr/#!/news/2013/03/06/123958_mu-vole-la-presse-anglaise-amere.html
Haha, oh the outrage!
Does anybody remember similar for that game at Camp Nou?
I don’t.
I only remember ‘oh look they didn’t have one shot on target until then’.
Fuck off Man U and fuck off SAF-sucking meedja!
Right, sorted for Reading. Waited for the right opportunity and struck on Tx:
Block 8 Row 1. Hope my amazing record in lower rows of the North Bank carries on. I expect a minimum of 6 goals.
(I’ve just jinxed it, haven’t it? π )
Well reveling in Utds loss, I decided to have a look at the match report and discovered that Real had Kaka and Peepee on at the same time yesterday, OOO, ICKY.
Also they had the perfect ref, his name was Cuneyt, anagrams not needed. π
With a name like that he could of been biased for either club.
Well in Ollie.
*sprinkles anti jinx powder.
Late to the party….. congratulations COR!!
Is there any fizz left?
PS… does this mean Shaft will be hanging up his wax??
So now we know who the true ‘jinx’ of the bar is, one who jinxes with his words, not with his presence… 8)
Hello all.
Congrats on all fronts CoR.
Joe@ 244, top quality drink mate.
Wind, I enjoyed your drink on your experience of the past weekend. Cheers.
H2H, thanks for that anti-jinx powder.
Ollie, (and everyone) the outrage in the papers is quite comical to me, yester-night Manure fans dug out the refs twitter account and found out he follows Ronaldo and the Real-Madrid twitter accounts, one of TaBS mates at the the Daily Fail even managed to follow him to the airport in a sily quest to ask him questions about the game, of course Mr Cuneyt, rightfully, snubbed the idiot. It’s all “human error” and “evens out” when wrong decisions go Manure’s way but once the roles are reversed their fans and friends in the media all become detectives, investigate the Ref’s private life and moan about who he follows on Twitter, Refs in England have been following Fergie’s instructions for years and everybody behaves like it’s a normal phenomenom, I dare say that if Webb was on Twitter he’d be following even Fergie’s grandchildren. Now if Mancini and his players were not a bunch of bottlers this season might have ended even in a more better way.
missed it before
tired and emotional i’m guessin
just read the #208 link
.
who’d a thunk it , eh ?
.
and can i say the thought of the boys sat on the road from tabs’ yarn has made me and several others who i’ve told about it chuckle away
.
yup
‘holic’s bar still the only source of good solid debate –
(yup i appreciate the irony that it’s me saying it – giving that my contributions are usually just a pint and a short away from slidin’ under the table)
– but it’s not only the insights various – its the bloody good belly laughs
cheers again ‘hol and ‘hols
columbo style
– and one more thing
as i and various before me have said about themselves – have never worked up a visceral hatred for spurs – don’t get me wrong – i can’t stand the hillbillies but i don’t have that pit of the stomach thing that can only come , i think ,from growing up in the middle of it all
i think it starts in primary school when what team you supported was a major part of who you were and to be honest in my neck of the woods spurs fans were very thin on the ground – numberwise – not in the emaciated toothless jeremy kyle hoody way tabs described
for those reasons and as a result of those that appeared to be everyfuckinwhere surrounding me growing up -i blame george bloody best – i have an absolute loathing for man utd ,their fans and every buggerin thing about them
particularly their fans – arrogant shower o’ shites
oh and effin leeds too – i still occasionally see people i’ve known for 40 odd years – leeds fans – d’you remember them – who i still wish would just fuckin not talk to me
apologies that i seem to get the benefit of all your collective learned analysis and first hand accounts and i give you tripe and onions in return – thems the breaks though – life’s a bollocks π
congrats to COR and can only confirm the earlier advice multiple tv’s or make sure that she doesn’t watch the soaps which always clash with CL every year – we can only hope that this continues every year
Sorry I forgot to raise a glass to SAF on his latest heart attack, appare the team selection last night will lead to Wooney’s early departure for PSg , just what Ollie needed
Dr C @ 412, such was my happiness for CoR that I didn’t even consider the ramifications for Shaft! :O
Will we be getting a saigo (final) tale to end the legend of our moustached hero CoR?
A coward and a bully,as they say takes one to know one.
#giveusapun.or are they only for the privileged.twat.
c ba.
I grew up literaly a stones throw (especially when Leeds were in town) away from Highbury, my loathing of all things Sp*rs is a birthright.
But that doesn’t diminish my dislike of the Manc, Leeds and glory club of that particular time L’poo fans.
Football fandom gives the options to spread your dislike around equally among many scumbags.
pass me the blunderbuss , Jeeves.
not intended for you h2h
twas the blunderbussin
h2h
maybe i’m just odd
maybe i just have a certain amount of hatred to spread around
but no – i can’t stand tottenham – but i don’t have that well of wanky fans to draw on to fuel a real hatred
i lived in the bloody place for gods sake – mind you it was just after broadwater and rents were reasonable and to be honest petrol bombs weren’t exactly a rarity for me so i wasn’t scared off by that
.
leeds , eh ?
i’m guessin theres youngsters nowadays who have no idea who they are or were
Ohh cba, we have some idea of what they were, even more of what they are.
Cent, check today’s Mediawatch.
They’ve found out that the ref also follows FC Barcelona and Messi.
I’m sure the Spanish fans would have dug that out if he had favoured Man U.
Complete nonsense bollocks.
H2H @419 heh @ “football fandom gives the options to spread your dislike around equally among many scumbags”.
Ollie @424, bless you Monsieur.
I suppose fans from a younger generation wouldn’t really have much sense of the Arsenal-Spurs rivalry either, because, lets say, since AW took over they never really were our rivals more of a local annoyance, a kind of retarded uncle that you knew was there, talking shit and being irratating but never had the bite to match his bark.
#423 wind
nicely put
h2h
d’you know what i mean though
it’s the deep seated things that get to you
the smells and tastes and fights and whatevers of childhood that stick in your head and trigger off a different set of emotions
like all those – now – cliche ridden nostalgia countdown shows – where you can’t help but occasionally go “holy fuck – d’you remember such-and-such”
i can’t stand spurs but i can’t stand spurs in the same way i can’t stand chelsea or liverpool
my spangles reflex doesn’t go retro-off as it does with manu
.
i hope i’m still allowed in the bar ‘holic cos i only can’t stand spurs and don’t hate them seven sisters ways from sunday
Cent @ 414, thanks mate π
H2H, on that matter, I was talking with a friend last year who also supports Arsenal, she had more hate for Chelsea and considered most hate for Sp*rs habitual due to the territory, thoughts?
I understand her to a degree, the hate for the LWCs only happened for me in more recent years as I became more active in things regarding Arsenal, thinking about that 2-3 loss after being 2-0 up twists my stomach to a degree as I write this, but the one that has always been present, is the hate for Manchester United. No fostering or nuturing required, inherently there from a a young age. I suppose its just a different time period for growing up as a fan.
Belated congrats CoR.
Anyone know…..has Fergie left the dressing room yet????
Apart from a short period in the early 60s when the swamp dwellers had a good team, the (winning) result always provided most satisfaction and kept us ahead in the bragging rights with work mates. From a footballing perspective, they have always been in our shadow and of minimal consequence. Therefore the rivalry then was less intense. I had mates who would have no problem going to White Shite Lane on a sat afernoon if they had nothing better to do, and watch a game of football. You just turned up and paid the admission charge (not too heavy in those days). Dont forget pubs/bars closed during the afternoon in that dim and distant past.
The team most hated in the 60s & 70s was Leeds….a team of decent footballers but trained to play the Shawcross way…all 11 of them.
Just plain nasty. Their supporters were of the same ilk. Imagine Stoke City but bigger and badder.
have i opened up a can of leeds worms ?
leeds worms
*childish chuckles*
well , brave gooners tis the pub for i
and as a way of sayin thanks i’m gonna have a drink for every one of you
‘cept lars – he can buy his own – the tight bastard π
Damn I’m hungry. Anyone got any snacks?
Congrats to the young Gunners for beating Inter on that potato farm called the San Zero.
Horse scratchings, NorCal? 8)
Cheers cba…a pint of the black stuff for me. Have one back on me and some Black Bush to help it along its way. I’m assuming you support yr local tipple! Also an early evening tipple for anyone else dropping by.
I remember the Leeds team of the early 70’s and they definately were despicable ,ugly and highly talented.Their supporters were the equal of their players minus the highly talented.
But since those days my sister has married into a big Leeds family and moved up north(I will be flying on to Leeds after Munich next week).And I can honestly say that they are the most welcoming hospitable warm hearted people you can imagine.
Except for the time they took me to Leeds Arsenal a few years ago.All the brothers and nephews have got a block of season tickets and they become different creatures once inside Elland road.
“Come on Batty,get in,get some bloodey blood on your studs,send them home in an ambulance”
But when Arsenal scored and I stood up and some bloke in the seats in front started giving me verbal,I had to intervene to calm down all my in laws who were ready to sort him out.
So basically you can call them two faced but loveable when you get to know them.
Whoa! Congrats CoR!
Washed Up…..agree that take the Leeds supporters out of Elland Road and they are “reet nice”. Inside Elland Road was the most dangerous ground I know for away supporters…once was enough for me.
Wind,
I am sure I got enough equine alimentaries when I visited in November.
My kids are now convinced that there hamburger at the hotel in Wales had to be horse.
Cheers
cheers uplympian
am in the bar just now
as regards black bush
i don’t want to get into the whole england /ireland / north of ireland thing
(believe me the irony was not lost on me when i would ask a squaddie- as he was searching me in the street – what team he supported – expecting an english team in reply -only to be disgusted to find out he was scottish and a celtic fan – coals to newcastle- irony upon irony – we’ve run outta irons here – never met a gooner squaddie – were they too smart to come over to the land of the unintelligible montone accent – i suspect so – we’re a clever breed us gooners)
sadly – what drink you ordered would identify you as one side or the other
dreadful really
not to mention the fact that then and to this day – there are irishmen and women – football fans – who – when drunk – discard their accents various and chant in an english accent – while simultaneously calling england an etc and so on
(holds hand up to shouting arrrrr – sennnnnn – awwwwwwlllll when at highbury)
maybe i’ve said too much
maybe not enough
(bernie taupin loves this kinda shite)
.
oh
and by the way kind uplympian
i’m a crested ten man
lovely drop with a stout
cba……a word or ten of yours is never too much. Make that a large crested ten in celebration of yesterday’s result at Old Toilet. Slainthe.
Some good idiot Manu fan called the police yesterday when Nani got sent off as h thought it was crime jesus what are they like over there heh?
cheers Up
and
big chuckle Arttg
ATG,
Arbeloa was assaulted by Nani. Was that the crime?
Or was it the verbal abuse being issued by Purplenose? I’m sure there were attempts at defamation of character/ slander being shouted.
Haha.
although i hate sir fuck wank
he has what i have
rosacea
and to heap more irony on the irony i’ve already ironed
it has bugger all to do with alcohol consumption
well – a bit of vaso-dilation is involved but basically you’ve got it cos you’re just unlucky and statistically of celtic origin
thankfully i don’t have the big purple people eater nose variety
i just get rosey cheeks sometime
like a catholic schoolboy but on my face
.
yes
i’m aware i said catholic schoolboy and my face in the same sentence but – sheesh – kebab – i have to give you something π
Hehs @ 441 and 443. United fans are really a very, very, very daft bunch!
I’ll be watching Juve vs Celtic (hey abb π ), but I hope Valencia beat PSG.
Real old history stuff >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
cba.
It’s all about perception, timing (era wise) and geographical placing I suppose.
Various hehs and have a tipple on me.
Wind
I offer you the same explaination. If you take the Chavs for example they hardly registered a blip on my giveafuckometre when I was a regular at Highbury. As far as I can remember they were relegated in the late 70’s and didn’t darken the First Division until sometime in the mid 80’s.
Spurs were always the enemy, Leeds were no more then an after thought, Liverpool were the team to beat and atracted the most, what you’d now term as, plastics