The Yellow Shirt And The Suitcase
Jul 10th, 2013 by 'holic
This is difficult. I couldn’t remember how to do all of this at the best of times, but on a ten inch screen, at mobile broadband dongle speed, I am stumbling around in the dark. And for what? Has anything happened since last week? Has it heck as like!
The hoped for signings have yet to manifest themselves, but so many people who should have been accurately briefed are making all of the right noises, so I am still really relaxed about what may happen when the market truly kicks in.
What we do have is the expected yellow and blue polo-style away shirt. Unfortunately I could not take up an invitation to attend the launch so Carl Jenkinson is now taking out a restraining order against Tim Stillman instead!
Though it pains me to say it as it has taken them so long to get it right, Nike are bowing out with a bang. How strange it is though to a child of the fifties that football shirts have become so integral to the club’s global identity and balance sheet.
Of course all of that pales into insignificance when us fossils consider the tour plans for the last couple of summers. These have not been our first trips to Asia, of course, but I suspect they are the most intense in terms of getting ourselves in front of as many supporters as possible.
Arsenal have released a series of promotional videos to promote this summer’s tour which, depending on when you read this, starts tomorrow, today (Thursday), or has already started. They have been shared with us by the club.
Arsenal are set to become the first Premier League side ever to visit Vietnam later this month, and also fly to Indonesia, Japan and Finland ahead of the new campaign. The first film celebrates Arsenal’s history as a travelling club, through pictures and momentos associated with its time on the road. Titled “The Suitcase”, it also looks ahead to the team’s upcoming tour with Oliver Giroud.
That’s enough for now. My eyes are bleeding from writing and editing on a screen the equivalent of a large postage stamp. Hopefully the ‘editing suite’ will be fully operational by the weekend.
Cheers all.
249 Responses to “The Yellow Shirt And The Suitcase”
G’day 😉
No new shiny players then?
Oh well – only how many sleeps till Villa?
Welcome back guvnor….hope its only your screen that expands over the next few days.
Close season is so far so good – many of the wastrals have now departed / are on the way out, the hopes of exciting signings are still tantalising close and a new away kit that’s top of the class.
The test match v Aussies is already full of fun after day 1 and we still have non stop sunshine. Lets hope this summer of joy continues.
Oh and here’s expecting abb’s live game fears will shortly be extinguished.
abb, about live coverage in US, copying from my post in previous drink
All you need is the full NBC package including MSNBC and NBC Sports Network. Arsenal being a top 4 team you will be able to see most of them on TV, and the odd few and a few Cup games you would most likely have to catch on the NBC Online channel. Why the worry?
http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2013/04/16/nbc-sports-groups-2013-14-premier-league-programming-plans/
To quote NBC’s media announcement …
“New York – April 16, 2013 – All 380 games of the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season will be presented live on NBC Sports Group’s television and digital properties as well as other NBCUniversal channels. NBC Sports Group’s schedule, which begins on Saturday, August 17, includes live matches on NBC, NBC Sports Network, Telemundo, Mun2, the Premier League Extra Time package of overflow television channels, the NBC Sports Live Extra website and app, and other NBCUniversal channels including CNBC and USA.”
You should be fine abb. :–)
Uplympian knows!
This is going to be some summer, albeit late in starting…
Evening associate inmate zico. Bet you thought the gaolers were in bovver at one stage today 😉
Thanks Faustus, good work 🙂
Uplympian, you lighten my heart. Bless you…
Even so, I fercockin hate summertime 🙂
Glad you are relaxed H, coz I am getting worried…. Yep, I wasnt too happy last January and this inactivity is getting to me I must admit. I was soooo tranquilo right up till that oily snake Perez (the Real grand queso, not this Colombian we are taking on trial) said we hadnt even put in a bid for GH! That plus the Barry rumours have really stretched my faith and patience and I should go old school and simply avoid the incessant internet ‘news’ feeds telling me how many top targets we have ‘missed out on’ or are ‘dithering over’…. So, thats what I am gonna try and do.
Seeya Sept 1st then!
Have you seen the dreadful font we’ll be using on our non Premier League away shirts next year?
http://i.imgur.com/W3e6Mfs.jpg
Oh and as for buying players, if we don’t get anyone major in, and I’m talking super super top top quality, Gazidis should resign. He’s either being hung out to dry by the manager, or he’s been shooting his mouth off about all the money we’re going to spend to con the fans. Either way, he should be out.
What, no chevrons ?
Good job I reloaded. 😉
@ Holic
Shall be an interesting morning, tomorrow, for the first hour. England could be back in by then and then get to bat in the sun and post a substantial 1st innings lead.
Seems that the pitch wasn’t meant to last for 5 days……..for shame – anyone who bought tickets for Sunday will be livid!
Anyway, how many sleeps till Villa? I would be booking my flight if I knew it was definitely going to be played on the Saturday.
Maybe one of you ITKs can LMK 😉
Zico
I have tickets for the fourth day at Lords next week. At this rate we may see about an hour!
Excellent work Dr Faustus ! xx Holic, you too 😉 Can’t believe that about Tim and Corporal Jenks 🙁 Feel bad about that one, surely a misunderstanding (hopes). Holic, your woes re technology, can be appreciated by all of us ! But you still deliver, and these videos put a much needed smile on my face. Thank you 🙂
Should be quite safe with Villa. Sky will be up Man Utd’s arse because of Moyes on the first weekend, BT will probably want to cover Mourinho’s return and they are playing newly promoted Hull and you;ve got Pellegrini’s first match which may get a slot.
Palace v Spurs is a tasty derby for a newly promoted side as well.
The first Arsenal match to be on telly live will probably be Spurs.
Hey Holic,
Mind you don’t damage your dongle stumbling around in the dark. 😉
Speaking of Perez, quick info for anyone interested.
I watched him for Columbia under 20’s, couple of weeks ago but had no idea he is coming on trial, and I liked what I saw.
He was playing box to box for his national side, and not as a classic DM as I read somewhere, has a decent passing range, good tackler, reads the game well, kind of Flaminicescque. Hope he does well and gets himself a contract here.
Wolfie is playing in the test match next week, ttg, batting for the orher side. 😉
Even the ‘other’ side. 🙁
Trev :-).
Mind you running between wickets in those Jimmy Choos might be a tad difficult. 😉
Uply,
Last time he stumbled and made a terrible mess of his crease, and knocked his bails off. 😉
Heh..I only hope he doesn’t threaten to show everyone his googleys. Rumour has it he is a specialist in the Duckworth Lewis method 😉
That’s something I’ve never understood …..
What is a duck worth in the Duckworth Useless method ?
Is it avoiding being hit in the head by a bouncer 😉
End of play for me today….g nite everyone ( or good day, good afternoon or good evening depending on where you are ).
‘holic I’ve got a song I think you’ll like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPMG52AOiiE
A good one for a summer’s night.
oh a new blog!
depending on when you read this And where! 🙂
Nice piece. Nice shirt. Nice holiday to Vietnam on the horizon for the lads.
Have a nice day people.
Wot ‘appened to the bleedin’ chevrons, mate?
And whilst we are at it, the bleedin’ signings?
Pull yer finger aaht!
Go on……be bleedin’ audacious.
Give us a treat.
TV selections have been made for the first months, as expected Spuds at home will be on the Sunday (4PM). The Villa game remains at 3PM on the Saturday, and Fulham away is Saturday 12.45.
Full list of TV games from August to November here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jul/11/premier-league-2013-fixtures-sky-sports-bt-sport
Isn’t Test Cricket supposed to be played over 5 days? :s
Chevrons are still on the Citroën, I believe, baff 😉
Where’s Higuone.?
Ollie @ 32
Only if players have the brains to play test cricket – some of the shot selection of the batsmen (on both sides) have been pretty ridiculous given the game is meant to last 90 overs a day.
Nice stuff from the Aussie no 11 – I assume since he can bat on this surface that England will go on and bat properly in the second innings.
Jack Bannister: “This is a very good, flat batting wicket” ??
Bendtner is apparantly scuppering his latest “move” to Germany.
Can’t the medical team wire him up to some special helmet, delete his memory banks and all possible recollections of North London, shove him in a taxi with a bag over his head and let him out again in Frankfurt.
He might then gratefully sign their contract and stop demanding a salary commensurate with his former life at Arsenal FC, as TGSTEL.
How many goals a season did Bendtner score under Duckworth Lewis. ?
Can we sign that 11th man, zico? He could do a job for us.
Impressive.
Gervinho missing off the Asia tour due to “illness”. Sick of London, presumably.
Looks like another one who might be on his way.
Or maybe he is just, you know, ill?
Stranger things have happened….
Good grief, Ollie!
I hope you aren’t applying that kind of ice cold logic and refusal to engage in consiracy theories to the transfer market. You risk remaining sane if you do.
Ollie @ 40
Well, they’ll certainly have plenty to aim at when checking his temperature.
Afternoon all.
Cheers for the effort ‘holic, I personly don’t like typing on a small screen, I’m useless enough at it with a normal size one.
I must admit, I quite like the look of the new away shirt, the shorts are great too, but o my dear, those socks, no. no no. The only guys who should be allowed to wear hooped socks should be sporting oversized shoes, twirling bow ties, plastic water spouting flowers and armed with custard pies. Apologies to the stripy sock lovers among us, but for me, they ruin the whole kit.
Not that I’d be getting one though, I’m not exactly a tall chap and over the last few years I have managed to cultivate quite the beer belly, and with the shirts of today being made of that stretchy tight fit material, it’s not exactly the most flattering look for a guy in his mid 40’s, I mean, I’m not a Geordie. Still, I’m working on it, I’m on a diet, no sugar, no potatoes, no pasta, no rice, no bread and have cut down majorly on the beer consumption (you didn’t expect me to stop that too now did ya?) plus I’m out on my bike every morning doing a round of 20-30km, phew!!! So maybe this time next year if Puma (or whoever) bring out a decent one, I may be tempted.
That’s a great pic of Ox above, that tunnel looks familiar too. as a kid, my mates and I would play footy in there when it rained, taking into account the climate of the good old English summer, that was quite a lot of time kicking about in there. I would have definetly been doning a gunner shirt back then one that hadn’t been ruined by a corperate sponser splashed across it (another reason why I’m no not so keen on footy shirts) and before you ask, no, no hooped socks. 😉
Just to contribute my 2p worth (something of an overestimate, but there you go) to the great hooped sock debate…
I’m fairly keen on hooped socks, I rather like those old – 50’s? – shots with the Arsenal playes in blue and whit hooped socks. That said, I’m not initially, smitten by the new ones. The hoops look about an inch (a couple of centimetres) wide, which I think is too narrow – they should be a good couple of inches (five centimetres) wide for my taste. Not much of a reason to damn the whole strip, though, and I do like the shirts and shorts.
(Never let it be said that Oxon doesn’t do metrication, oh dear no.)
Totally agreed with you Oxon on the width of the hoops. Scandalous in itself but not damning of the whole strip by any means.
H2H. You seem to be entirely ignoring the width issue. I imagine Steve T would not be happy, even if he has never commented about socks. Until now width and socks were two entirely separate issues but Oxon seems to have brought them both together in a way few could have visualized. 😉
8Ball, as I said, I’m on a diet so I’m definetly not ignoring the width issue. 🙂
The Evening Standard does not make great reading if there is any truth in it?
I don’t think we have a clue who to buy.
Arsenal reminds me of the type of person who goes out to buy a Macbook and comes back with a printer cable and some ink, because they are so indecisive about lashing out that much cash.
When they don’t even own a printer.
But hey, Jack’s back. That’s as good as a new signing?????
What’s the Standard saying Steve?
50 not out, bat on, Steve!
haha, Oxon 41
H2H 43/47, opened the CMC again? That sort of diet then?
Ox? Check that picture again?
At 48 Steve T, I think you could have stopped the sentence after ‘reading’. 😉
Sounds like real-life experience at 49… :p
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23261505
If you haven’t seen this. This should soften your mood.
Interesting; list of transfer records by premier league club:
Chelsea: £50m (Torres)
Man City: £45m (Tevez)
Liverpool: £35m (Carroll)
Man Utd: £31m (Berbatov)
Villa: £24m (Bent)
LWCs: £17m (Paulinho)
Newcastle: £16.8m (Owen)
Arsenal: £16.5m (Cazorla)
West Ham: £15M (Carroll)
Sunderland: £15m (Fletcher)
Everton: £15m (Fellaini)
Saints: £12.5m (Wanyama)
Swansea: £12m (Bony)
Fulham: £11.5m (Marlet)
Stoke: £10m (Crouch)
Norwich: £8.5m (van Wolfswinkel)
Cardiff: £8.5m (Cornelius)
Palace: £8.5m (Gayle)
West Brom: £6.5m (Long)
Hull: £5m (Bullard)
Mad how many of the expensive deals were for players that didn’t really work out.
Michael Owen… jesus wept.
That was a full over!
Ollie & Oxon:
ManU announced on Twitter that Wayne Rooney has left their pre-season tour because of a hamstring injury. About five seconds later the “no way he is injured, he’s signed for some other team!!!” tweets came storming in…
heh Lars, didn’t see that!
Funnily enough there’s never any such thing if Diaby is injured 😉
Got to be an emergency hair transplant top up.
Doesn’t want to look outgunned if we stick him next to Fellaini in the team photo ; )
Funnily enough the most successful player on that list in terms of consistent and outstanding performances is the one most Arsenal fans, on here at least, don’t want us to buy because he’s “not worth the money”.
Heh @ Ollie 54.
I wish.
Why does Pep need Thiago? Fuck him.
Fucker made sure that Cesc is staying at Barcelona. :'(
Tevez? Bebatov? highly confusing cynic
If it wasn’t sure enough already, SAjit?
Cynic @63. We bought Cazorla, mate? Where have you been for the past year?
Sorry about the chevrons baff 😉
http://www.eintracht.de/english/news/42113/ – arseblog..
Thank you TGSTEL.
TGSTNL
(The Greatest Striker That Never Leaves)
Tim Stillman writing things that I think many of us have been thinking since project youth went banana shaped .
http://arseblog.com/2013/07/britcore/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+arseblog+%28Arseblog+-+It%27s+fucking%27+excellent+-+an+Arsenal+blog%29#
which kind of fits with N.B story.
No worries Holic. Just rattling yer cage. 🙂
Hey bath,
I have to post before you get chevrons. 😉
Yes, good link, washedup.
I think the fact that so few British players venture abroad is possibly because “we” are a bit more insular in our thinking, and probably because the great majority of them don’t meet the technical requirements of foreign teams.
The Arsenal Brits will be a good test because they will have the technical ability to travel should they wish to do so.
I would see Jenks as the last to want to leave Arsenal, and would like to think that Jack would be almost as reluctant.
Time will tell.
Some lovely pictures on dot com of the boys getting on a plane to jet off to Vietnam. It’s so inspiring…..
😀
In the immortal words of Oddball character in Kelly’s Heroes – “Stop hitting me with those negative waves”. FFS, have the readers of this blog given up any sense that Arsenal are different.
For weeks now, if not months, some have been leating “Spend some F***ing money, I don’t care on whom. Just wait until someone else finds a player they like and gazump them”.
Now it seems we’ll have to listen to “Don’t train bother training the players to be good, they’ll just eff off somewhere else for big bugs” whingers.
Grow a pair people. Please.
Oxon@77: sorry mate, but what are you on about with that drink?
Oxon,
If your @77 is directed at me, and I can’t find too many other posts about the British youngsters, here are a couple of points for you to consider.
My post was a response to ‘washedup’s’ link – a good article by Tim Stillman – where our ‘British core’ is discussed, not a random panic note claiming all our young players will leave.
Nowhere have I suggested anything remotely like your penultimate sentence. If I was the target of your post, I can only suggest you read my piece again, rather than my reiterating and explaining it here.
Again, if I was the target of your second paragraph, I have never suggested anything like that either.
If I was not the target of your comments, I apologise and I have wasted my time.
If I was, you might like to read properly what I have said, before telling me what not to say.
I have, incidentally, grown a pair large enough to encourage me to stump up a large sum of money to renew my very expensive season ticket, which I shall use to support whoever is playing for us, as usual.
Hands up those who, at the close of last season, imagined our most likely target come mid-July would be Luis Suarez? Or that Rooney would be second desperate hope?
Or that we’d be prepared to up the bid on Hannibal Suarez, but play hard-ball with Real over Higuain??
What is going on???
Oskar
Easy there boys…how’s about a drinky poo?
BMBD
What is going on, Oskar, is a load of newspaper bollocks, perhaps fuelled by the club, as a smokescreen for the real target of the summer. That target being Arsene ‘make a profit every transfer window’ Wenger signing a new contract.
Still early. There are games a foot. And maybe even a game of footie!
My sanity is waxing and waning faster than the tide. But lets just see where we be come next month.
Cheers all.
And the medals for who looks best in Batik:
Arteta: Gold
Podolski: Silver
Giroud: Bronze (sorry, Ollie fans!)
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/squad-fly-to-jakarta-with-their-batiks
I have slept on the comments made around midnight, and upon consideration withdraw, and apologise, for the “grow a pair” remark, which appears to have given offence.
Sorry.
Fair play oxon think its just silly season gets to us all,morning holics.
I had a dream last night where Wayne Rooney was trying to convince me that Wayne Rooney is a massive idiot who should not be allowed to sign for Arsenal. He did this through playing a number of recordings of himself saying stupid things on a very old cassette player, and despite me trying to say that I already know that he’s a massive twat he kept on playing these tapes to me.
Anyone in here well-versed in Jungian dream interpretation, knock yourselves out 🙂
Lars – You want to sleep with Wayne Rooney?
…or possibly, you believe that Wayne Rooney wants to sleep with you but is guilty about it?
This Jungian dream interpretation business is more difficult than it looks.
Lars – your subconsciousness wants to prepare you for the possibility of us signing him, which is so ridiciculous that even Rooney himself tries to persuade everyone that its really bad idea 😛
Oxon, you are getting Jung confused with Freud.
Lars, the dream simply signifies that you are seriously disturbed.
Which, as part of the Feelgood Foundation, is to be expected 😉
Lars – His use of a cassette player in the dream rather than an iPod means that you are secretly yearning for times past, when we had good players, but your conscious self has Rooney telling you he is shit because although you know the players we have now are not a patch on the ones we had in the past, your mind refuses to accept it on some level and you want to believe that Podolski is better than Bergkamp, Giroud is better than Henry and Gervinho better than Pires.
Possibly.
Heh @ all the cod psychoanalysis. 🙂
Hi holics from hot Cognac
Just read that Chelski online in US were selling our blue onesi
Is this a ploy leading to Torres being bought by AW on Eb*y and Wooney wigging his way over to us by Amaz*n
Its too hot for a coat but I’ll look any way
Heh ollie.
I rechecked the photo. ..doh.
Must be the lack of food and drink impairing my senses.
In other news, all internet, tv and landline telephone are down here. Luckily I got 4G on this phone to keep me connected.
Sends in a high Asiatic cross with a whiff of illegal substances rising from it …
Re: 87. One of the most disturbing images, real or imagined, that just about anybody could imagine. 😉
Back 4 da assist……………
Psycho.
In off the 8ball…. Nice.
Well in, bt8b.
And just love cynic@9 being concerned about the font on the shirts.
Lars, your dream probably just means you shouldn’t eat cheese and dark chocolate before going to sleep.
Thanks, H2H and NBN. May I clarify that the wording in 100 pertained to no individual in particular. 😉
Oxon,
Thankyou for your apology. I have to say your whole post mystified me.
I don’t personally recall anyone ever suggesting the club should just gazump other bidders on whomsoever they happen to fancy.
My remark about Jenkinson and, hopefully Jack, was in the sense that I can’t see the former ever wanting to leave, and I hope Jack feels pretty much the same.
There was absolutely no suggestion by me to “don’t bother training the players etc. . . . . .”.
I was making the point that “ours” will be the first group of British youngsters who possess the technical skills to tempt foreign clubs. I don’t know whether they will stay or not. I hope they do. As I said, time will tell.
I have tried to see what may have upset you so much in those remarks, but I honestly can’t.
If I didn’t express them clearly enough, then I apologise for disturbing your sleep.
Oh damn, I had refreshed earlier, but hadn’t waited for the end of the refresh as I was busy working.
Now I see the count was at 98, I missed a classic assist.
Good job, H2H. well in bt8!
Nice pictures of the lads jetting off to Indonesia for the tour over on the dot com.
Um, why do we have to see a shot of Per holding his nuts?
I’m not concerned about the font, I just think it’s utterly shit.
Lars @ 87: Why Jungian and why not Freudian? 🙂
Okay, let us give old Carl Gustav and his methods the benefit of doubt: Arsenal is of course a substitution for someone you dearly love. Not a recent love, but most likely a constant in your life and not necessarily sexual love. The audio cassettes are throwbacks to your past, and Rooney is a particular figure of dislike/ridicule from that past. There is a likelihood of someone you dearly love coming into contact with someone or something from your past that your memory remembers in the worst possible way and cannot forget (the insistent repetitive self-admission of Rooney). And you don’t know how to resolve this dilemma because it may be in the best interest of that loved one to maintain this contact.
It could be something as straightforward as your son/daughter working for a company or in a profession that you do not morally approve of but that will help them in their career.
There could be darker interpretations, which is best left to professionals. 🙂
Not if you are looking for a Freudian reading, the audio cassettes evidently is a reminder of your own past misdeeds… 🙂
BTW, am I alone or the team composition in this pre-season is actually promising? No big looming departures of last season’s stalwarts, no key players (except TV5) knackered, no gigantic hole in any position and all areas well covered, high chance for one or two youngsters to really step up, general good feeling in the team and no negativity…
Key additions would of course be more than welcome, but it is nice to approach the season without the doom-and-gloom and negative press drama of the last few seasons. We ended the last season with a fantastic run of results, and let us maintain that positivity going into the new one.
About Nicky B, he can even learn from Vela and realize that with a bit of right attitude and humility his career can still be resurrected.
Good luck to Gerv (assuming that there is a transfer move discussion in progress) and Chamakh, hope they find good clubs. Both decent players with good attitudes on the field, but probably lacked just a little bit to be sustained success in top level in PL. Chamakh in his first six months with us and Gerv in few matches have helped the cause, and I personally would remember those occasions fondly.
Heh Cam’ @108.
Because a picture of somebody else holding them is just wrong. 😉
http://www.football365.com/news/21554/8820695/FA-Change-The-Rules
The FA may be starting to open their eyes, wow!
Good stuff.
Good day Chaps (and any lurking Ladies ). Ollie, just read your tweet about the FA decision, about time they incorporated some common sense into their rulings! Now Lars, this dream about Wayne, hmm ;). You see Lars, Mr Rooney picked YOU, cause you are up to date with all the rules and regulations. He saw you as someone who could find a loophole, if need be. Personally, can’t see him in an Arsenal shirt. Too many bad memories of him sneering at us when Manu beat us ! Of course it’s his job and all, but I get the feeling he really likes sticking it to the Arsenal 😉 And wasn’t his first goalas a pro, against us ? Dr Faustus, must say, I’m really becoming quite the fan of yours! Trev and Oskar, love you both! H2H, diets suck, good luck to you mate 🙂 Now I’m headed to YouTube to find out more about this gem we have acquired, Gedion Zelalem (homework ! 😉 )
H2H. – 😉
Hi Abb, don’t tell everyone. 😉
Ha Ha Trevor! 🙂
ABB,
Too might want to look at Dan Crowley too. Sounds like he is bossing it tonight for the U-21. And he is only 15. Sounds like a great youth signing.
NorCal, Will do! Thanks 🙂 Btw, you have a lovely family. Enjoy your pics/tweets. From what I saw of Gideon, he is composed, not afraid to shoot from a distance and some are comparing him with Cesc. He has good control of the ball and is fluid. Good prospect and well spoken, for someone so young.
I think zico called it best@92!
Ned@103: Ok, but to stop doing that I’d have to start first…
Doctor Faustus: Jung before Freud because Freud was a perv who would most likely only have connected everything to something to do with knobs or bottoms. Have to say though that your suggestion is a perfectly plausible interpretation (though I have no kids), and to be honest I wasn’t really expecting such a serious answer from anyone 🙂
Don’t know why, Lars.
Humour seems to be in fairly short supply at the mment.
= moment. 🙁
Interesting debate about whether Broad should have walked. Letter and spirit of the law suggest quite different approaches. I was always brought up to walk but then I was out a lot and it saved time. Interesting what a mess they have got into notwithstanding the fact that technology is available. What a game though. So compelling.
Some heartening quotes from the manager this evening.
He expects to extend his deal. At the time he signed his last deal he knew he was in for a period of struggling for resources and that champs league football would be the goal. That period is over now. Expects to challenge for the title in the next 2-3 years.
One Arsene Wenger.
COYG
fulham under new ownership: http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2013/7/12/4518594/shad-khan-fulham-jacksonville-jaguars
interestingly, the article states “he’ll find it difficult to propel the club forward with wealth alone — UEFA’s Financial Fair Play restrictions and the Premier League’s copycat laws will prevent him from substantially increasing wages at the club.”
copycat laws?
scruz, I would assume the “copycat” bit refers to the PL’s own version of FFP that will also be introduced.
i wondered, lars. initially i thought it meant fulham was somehow enjoined from copting how much other fat cats were paying their players 😉
copting actually refers to an arcane religious conversion practiced in middle ages egypt.
i meant copYing.
“Expects to challenge for the title in the next 2-3 years”, N7? Not in the coming season then. I’d pretty much formed that opinion myself after the string of non-signings this transfer window.
Let’s hope we can beat out the neighbours for 4th at least…
Oskar
As for walking, I didn’t see Agar walking after clearly not making his ground in the stumping when Aussie were 131-9. Apropos which I bet the third ump thought ‘I could give him out, but he’s No 11, just a kid in his first test, they’ll soon get him anyway, I’ll give him the benefit even though there isn’t any really…”
149 runs later…
Oskar
To be fair to Agar it is a bit difficult to know where your foot is when it is beind you and you are no doubt looking the other way at the point of the stumping.
Whatever the reason for them being peddled around, these Suarez rumours make me feel really uncomfortable. I absolutely do not want him at our club. Even if we overlook his behaviour (which is a huge ask in itself and one I can’t do) I don’t think he would improve us as a team.
And yes, I still find it very, very hard to believe that Arsene would really want him and that he would be prepared to pay such money that is being suggested in the papers to anyone for any player these rumours still exist and I don’t like that at all.
Morning all,
Hopefully will have something better than 3G connectivity tomorrow. The slowest decorator on the planet is nearing the end…
Good luck, ‘holic. 3G’s not that bad 😉
“The slowest decorator on the planet is nearing the end”
Come on, Holic – just because he’s slow it doesn’t mean you have to kill him, can’t you just ask him to hurry up instead? 🙂
Morning holics,lars how you think a player that scores thirty goals a season wouldn’t make us a better team is beyond me of course he would,I’d take him in a heartbeat him or anyone of Higuian or Rooney all day long.ps I don’t like the antics he’s been up to last season but I’d forgive them if he shoots us to the top of the league.
Morning All,
I agree with Cynic (a first).
I don’t think the Broad incident was in any way comparable to either the Agar “stumping” or the contentious Trott LBW.
No way would Agar have known whether he was back in the crease, and despite much harrumphing from the media in the commentary box, there was no way that anyone could be certain even after repeated tv viewings that he hadn’t made his ground. He probably was out, but without that certainty, the convention that the benefit of the doubt be given to the Batsman dictated that he be given Not Out. Correct decision by the third ump.
Trott was certainly denied that benefit of the doubt and for that reason the decision to give him out was the wrong one, (though I would add that the “evidence” that he nicked it before it hit his pad was far less compelling than some of those in the commentary box maintained), the always excellent Michael Holding being the honourable exception.
Broad’s nick was an entirely different kettle of fish. Most people who have played the game will at some point have nicked it, and stayed at the crease, (or at least I have). But when it’s that obvious, when it’s beyond any reasonable doubt, then you make yourself a laughing stock. Nor is it much of a defence in my opinion to say that the Aussies introduced the concept of not walking and that their Captain was guilty of an equally brazen attempt to “get away with it” on the last Ashes tour down under.
Broad deserves the opprobrium this morning and he deserves to have to answer questions on the incident long into his retirement, as he no doubt will have to do.
I hope we add another 100 runs this morning and then skittle the Aussies out as soon as, but I really do hope Broad is out in the first over.
Have we signed anyone yet? No? Oh dear. Back to the Cricket then.
Enjoy the Sun Holics.
Garsguns, for one he doesn’t score 30 a season. He did it last season in all competitions, yes, but that is his only 20+ season in a big league. Scoring shitloads of goals in the Dutch league counts for absolutely nothing.
But even assuming he would be a 30+ man next season, how could he not improve the team as a whole? Well, that’s pretty easy. Just look at Liverpool. There were some very good stats on (I think) 7amkickoff the other day that showed in numbers that Suarez may score a lot of goals, but he is a ball hog and he wastes a lot of chances and generally stifles play because it’s all about him and not the team.
And even though numbers don’t show it he has a knack for not being very popular with his team mates too. There was that goal against Chelsea where none of his team mates wanted to celebrate with him, a younger player was clearly seen saying “oh, fuck off” to him during an FA Cup game and so on.
Also, look at the games Liverpool have played without him. Almost without exception, their team play has been much better. They absolutely annihilated Newcastle away, for example, and their game flowed like it never does with Suarez in the team.
And that is even without looking at what his diving, biting and cuntish behaviour does to disrupt the club he plays for. I do not want him at Arsenal at all and if, hypothetically, he would sign for us it would take a hell of a lot of effort and improved behaviour for him to win me over.
Right, off to watch some test cricket. Gotta keep learning about the game, haven’t I? 🙂
Lars,
Have to disagree with you regarding Suarez. He is an absolutely outstanding footballer and in my estimation, the best No 9 in the PL by a country mile. He’s has a high work rate, can pass players easily, provides assists to other players and his overall ability to interlink is very impressive.
I think Wenger is dead serious about bringing him in and I don’t buy the notion that we’re bidding on Suarez to progress the Higuain deal. I just don’t think Wenger would play games like that.
Lars,
do you actually want to sign any players, or not ??? !!!
Just kidding, mate, before you go ballistic !
There we are trying to rationalise the acceptance of the bitey racist bloke, and you come and blow the whole thing out of the water with more of that ice cold Swedish logic.
I do find myself having to agree with your analysis which impresses greatly compared to one figure rolled out at the end of the season.
Personally, I think the whole thing falls apart on the notion that AW/AFC would risk £35 – £40 million on any single player. Newly “rich” as we are, I can’t believe we are that rich, and to gamble it all on a player with such a horrendous disciplinary history as Suarez seems extremely hopeful at best, and wildly reckless at worst.
By the way, anything ice cold would be nice here, where my car dash informs me it is 30C.
Sorry, about the italics – got the wrong dash thingy !
Joe, we’ll have to agree to disagree then 🙂 And I would, much as I hate to say it, argue that RvP is a much better striker than Suarez. He is better than Suarez at pretty much everything apart from biting opponents. I would put Rooney (if played in that position) quite far ahead of Suarez as well.
However, just like Trev I still don’t think we have bid for Suarez at all, I think those rumours are far more likely to come from either Liverpool or Suarez’ agent to attract interest from other clubs.
Trev, when you’ve stopped driving there is a cold half-pint of Guinness waiting for you on the bar.
7am kickoff should concentrate on watching games for a change, instead of watching numbers. He hates Suarez as a human therefore hates him as a player. He hated him even in his Ajax days, but that doesn’t stopped Suarez to became PL’s most potent striker. Tim from 7am kickoff just cannot stand that fact. I do not hate the guy, he makes great readings, but he has taken Suarez issue too personal.
I can’t imagine that there is someone who watched Suarez at least 5 times in the last two years who can say that he is a bad player. Because he is far from that.
Claims that he had only one good season in top league are strange to me, because he had only two and a half seasons in top league as is PL, in which he was always best striker for his team, scoring 17 in his first full season.
And why would we ignore the goals in the Dutch league, he could not scored those goals somewhere else, because the Dutch league is where he played.
Claims that he never won any major trophy and that is why we should not buy him are laughable. As long as I remember RvP’s cabinet was not exactly full of trophies, when he left us, but that did not stop Fergie to buy him.
And all those claims that he is too selfish, just look at his assist stats if you want to look the stats and not the game itself. Because if you watched the game itself, i.e. any of the last year Liverpool games you would see how many chances he created for his teammates only if they could somehow not missed 90% of them.
Buy him I say, and do it quickly.
Look, will you all just stop trying to confuse me please.
We will NOT spend £35+ million on a bloke serving a 10 match suspension who has a preference for human body parts as his half-time snacks.
However, if we are offered Higuain for £30 million, I’ll bite yer hand off …
I agree with Trev, it’s a better way to eat into our transfer budget.
Lars,
Its not often we don’t see eye to eye – but agree to disagree we will.
But I would also say to you to look at the reports on the situation because it most definitely seems to be the case that Wenger has bid for Suarez and intends on making a second bid. The fact that Wenger refused to discuss the matter in Indonesia rather than blankly dismiss it is tantamount to an admission and consistent behaviour from Wenger.
Heh! Ollie.
Re: Suarez, I don’t think we’ll buy him and I think Lars makes a good point re; his contribution to overall team balance.
Weighed against that, I don’t think he’s a racist, I don’t think you can convict any man on the word of Patrice Evra and I think the hoo ha over the biting incident was way over the top. The diving, on the other hand, is pathetic.
He’s a player who can make something out of nothing, his work rate is superb and if we signed him (which we won’t) I think he’d score 25 goals comfortably. He can also play wide left, which I suspect Arsene would view as a plus.
Don’t see it happening, but won’t be shedding any tears if it does.
Oh, and if he’s going to cost £40m them I think Higuain and the best part of Fellaini (would £15m get you the barnet?) would be a preferable use of the same funds.
Suarez is a terrific player without a doubt. However, he carries too much baggage. I think the money would be better spent on acquiring Higuain.
N7,
Your suggested use of spending £40m makes perfect sense. That is of course built on the premise that we can buy Higuain. The current situation would suggest that RM are after going back on whatever agreement was in place and insisting on getting more money. This has no doubt pissed off both AFC and Higuain in the process and would tend to suggest that RM are not to be trusted.
I think Suarez is a genuine alternative to Higuain. I don’t think Wenger would waste his time playing games using Suarez to press Madrid on another front. And I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a 3rd option outside of Suarez.
I think the priority for Wenger is to bolster the attacking side of the team by bringing in one or two top class attacking players. Only when thats done will he then look at the other positions I feel because he’ll have a better idea of what his budget is.
Joe @ 150
All makes total sense.
Hopefully not too long now until things start to fall into place. I’ve a feeling (just an instinct, not based on anything specific) that the week after next might see a bit of movement.
Holy smokes!!! I’ve been in the wrong part of the bar for Three(3) days now. I was waiting for the “>>>>>>>>>>>” to no avail in the last set of drinks and didn’t notice a new post was up. Thought you were all overwhelmed by the silly season and decided to take a break from drinking here. I’d love to back-drink now but I’ve got to go play football, see you all later in the day. Cheers.
Hey all. Been dismissive of the Suarez rumblings as just that, until reading what the buzz is here. Lars, agree with you about his behaviour, don’t care to see him playing for us. But only because of that. I’ve always enjoyed watching him play. Maybe he is a bit like Robben (another one I admire), but I fault his teammates for not being more supportive of him. His work rate can’t be faulted. Trev, I must say your argument is quite logical to me, re his lengthly ban. Joe @ 150, last paragraph, from your lips to Arsene’s ears 😉 Lurky, good points, but I’m with Impecc and N7. Ollie @ 144, Oh my 🙂
Hey Abb! Hope all’s well.
Haha check out the creepy fan showing the love to the Ox!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151600844342713&set=a.10150246028422713.313072.20669912712&type=1&theater
Hi Impec1 😉 ! You too. Will miss the game tomorrow cause I’m working this weekend but I guess it might be on player ? have a good one Holic and holics ! 🙂
Not many clubs would be having the debates we are currently having on here. The simultaneous debates are — is he ( Suarez) any good? And is there any truth that we are in for him? The last point wouldn’t be debated at Citeh, the Chavs or ManYoo because it would be expected that they would go for a player like him but he is sooo not a Wenger signing for several reasons. For what it is worth I think he is brilliant but I detest him as a player/ person. That might change if we could convert him into a decent human being.
I really do worry about our club. I don’t often read other blogs but I wrote a piece for Online Gooner this week and I was amazed by the reaction. The divisions in our support,which I cited in the article are massive and Wenger’s standing seems to alter by the week. At the start of the pre- season he had recovered lots of ground, but every week that goes by without a big signing sees his stock fall . If he pulls off a couple of big deals it will rocket up again. I am pretty optimistic we will do some exciting things but my feedback suggests that Wenger is driving everybody around him mad with constant changes of mind on potential signings. I believe Cesar was almost through the door before Wenger pulled the deal and I can’t understand why a £23 million player like Higuain was worth £125 k a week but a £24 million player like Fellaini is not worth more than £75 k a week.
Another point is if we are reluctant to pay £10 million for Ashley Williams,should we be considering players who aren’t worth £10 million for a key position?
I am concerned that over the years Wenger who was quite brilliant in the transfer market for many years has really lost his edge and is very uncomfortable when closing in on a big deal. This won’t get any better if we have more money to fling around.
Cheers lars as they say in here all the time i agree to disagree,the day they played Newcastle everything went for them and Newcastle were rubbish that day,and when that younglad told him to F off 5 mins previous the lad should have played him in that’s why Suarez was on his case.how can you disregard the goals in holland he was playing for Ajax and I’m sure most teams in the league would up there game against them as they’d be a scalp,and he scored for fun there too.lars I understand your points about him and his antics but we need quality players and he’s quality in my eyes. anyway lars pint on the bar on my tab for you.
Please, TTG, calm down. It’s not hard to construct all sorts of scenarios that would inevitably lead Arsenal embarking on some kind of death spiral. It’s actually just as easy to construct some that will see us able to mount serious challenges for every competition that we enter next season.
The only sensible thing to do is to try and muster some patience and wait until something actually happens. There are literally infinitely more things that haven’t happened, that we can, if we wish, stress over, and infinitely may things that might happen which we can stress over.
Obviously, if you enjoy getting stressed, then do go right ahead, but I get quite enough of that from real life and would really appreciate not having any more thrust upon me. Hell, it’s bad enough that we haven’t announced the Bale signing yet. 🙂
Oxon,
Point taken ,my article is I think the epitome of balance but what really concerns me is the hostility people feel towards Wenger which, notwithstanding his irritating habits is so unfair given what he has had to face without complaining in financial terms. I do however get frustrating vibes coming through from a couple of friends who spend a bit if time in the murky world of transfer dealings.
I just don’t know why they didn’t announce the Bale deal straight off and really piss off Real Madrid.;)
TTG,
I couldn’t agree more about Wenger. It serves to prove that however much you achieve there is always more to do, and that until you have achieved everything there will always be those who complain that you haven’t done enough. Given that no-one has yet won next season’s title, there are criticisms to be made. There is a difference between excellence and perfection and many Arsenal supporters could do worse than remember that.
I wonder how Arsenal supporters would treat a manager who had only managed to win 6 titles, one FA Cup, 3 League Cups one Champions league and one FIFA Club world cup in the past decade. I’m pretty confident some would criticise and defend their criticisms very credibly.
It seems to be my week for doing this, so I’ll withdraw the letters TTG from my drink @158. You are just one of many to whom my plea to calm down could profitably have been addressed.
Roll on the start of the season when we can start to worry about real things. I don’t care what happens between now and then; I’m still more excited by the coming season than I have been for several years.
COYG
@159 – The hostility felt is entirely down to the feeling that the guy has no bottle, at least from me anyway. If he doesn’t spend big this summer, when everybody (even him) has said the club is able to do so, then he’s really making a rod for his own back and will deserve everything he gets if and when results are poor. It is frustrating because we have been two or three players away from being a very good side throughout the alleged lean financial times. So if he doesn’t spend now, when he can, it would be a huge error
As things stand I don’t see him buying anybody else and certainly nobody to make you catch your breath and make opponents think we are serious players again.
It’s all right bidding £30m for Suarez, because we know we’d never get him for that. It’s show pony stuff with no chance of being reality and the club know it, but it might fool a few people into thinking we are being serious in the market.
Cynic@161.
I can’t disagree with your first paragraph.
You’re entitled to your opinion, as expressed in the second. I can’t agree with that.
As to your third, I’m inclined to agree with you, but since it’s based on absolutely nothing my agreement isn’t worth much. I’m not sure whether your speculation has much basis either.
Have I been un-spammed yet?
One thing that struck me in looking at the feedback to my article on Online Gooner was that there are people out there who seem to believe Wenger doesn’t actually want success as if he’s some sort of secret agent put in by our rivals to stop Arsenal competing.
That is absolute rubbish. Wenger cares as much if not more than he ever did. I’ve spoken to people who know him and they emphasise his enormous commitment to making Arsenal successful. Just look at the bloke on the touch line if you don’t believe me.
There is another completely different point about whether he still has his mojo working and can bring success but let no one tell me he doesn’t want us to be successful. It’s just that he doesn’t see spending money as the most immediate way to bring success — and he is a very determined man,some might say highly obstinate!
TTG @ 164
Well said.
Some of the stuff I’ve read and heard about Wenger these last couple of years has defied belief. It’s as if people egg each other on to escalate the rhetoric.
There are plenty of things you can criticise Wenger for, but the notion he’d deliberately and consciously against the best interests of the club is fucking moronic.
For what it’s worth, I think he will spend this summer and break our transfer record. I don’t think he’ll spend the £100m that some corners seem determined he should spend, but I think the belt will be loosened.
We’ll know soon enough.
I didn’t see the usual ‘>>>>>>>>>>>>>’ so I was stuck in the wrong part of the bar for the better part of three(3) days, I finally noticed there was a new post only to discover that the village idiot had been around the place, which meant that ‘holic’s spam filter was on, which in turn meant that my posts were ‘dithering over little details’, which ultimately meant I couldn’t communicate with you wonderful patrons of this awesome bar, I guess the crux of my rambling is that even the most basic stuffs need a lot of things to fall in place for them to run smoothly, a little hiccup in the details can trigger off a series of pauses, actions and reactions in the grand scheme of things.
Ttg:
“I can’t understand why a £23 million player like Higuain was worth £125 k a week but a £24 million player like Fellaini is not worth more than £75 k a week.”
Its perfectly easy to understand really. Obviously Wenger doesn’t think Fellaini is worth £24m. He’s probably the easiest signing we could make – so if he did rate him, I think Wenger would have moved for him by now? To me it says he’s not a priority and I will be absolutely amazed if Wenger spends that type of money on a DCM.
Wenger is obstinate. And the reason we’re in the red is because he’s obstinate and non-conforming. Its easy to think £2m is a small amount of money to pay extra for Williams. Its a shed load of money to earn after tax for any business. Wenger isn’t always right, but he’s right most of the time, so I’m kinda glad we have him in the first place. I doubt any other manager could have navigated this club to where it finds itself in its evolution.
Good things to come I feel and we all have a right to feel somewhat excited by the rumours!
Joe, knows.
Cynic,
Spend big?
Didn’t we just make an offer for Bender at £23m?
Some of the best players are just not for sale right now.
The Suarez bullshit is just to get Madrid to move on the Higgy deal.
And if I’m really optimistic, or its just closing time, then the total radio silence from Dortmund about Wandy boy could be a good sign, as there is no fracking way they want him going to Munich for free, (sounds familiar?).
Lars, your dream means Rooney is shagging your gran. Insert humorous smiley.
My understanding re Fellaini is that we have agreed a fee, we just won’t agree to his wage demands.
So, with all of this going on is it the right time to be offering AW a new contract?????
What makes you think we made an offer for Bender as opposed to that just being more media garbage??!
Steve T
It’s all media garbage though, isn’t it?
The Bender bid, the fact we’re haggling contract with Fellaini. We don’t know any of it for sure.
The proof of the pudding is who’s in red and white come 1 Sept. Everything else is just conjecture.
Offers are meaningless if they are not serious (ie you know they are low ball and you won’t have to spend the money anyway). If we offered £20m for Rooney, £30m for Suarez we can say “Well look, we tried to sign these big players for big money” in the full knowledge that their clubs would never sell for those fees, but because we don’t normally make those kinds of offers it is dressed up as some kind of statement of intent when it is really nothing of the sort.
Like N7 says, the proof of the pudding and all that. If ANY of the supposed big money targets we’ve got in mind are in our team come Sept 1st I will be surprised.
I just hope we don’t leave it to late this time.
It has come to my attention that there are people in this bar who are getting excited.
The sheer audacity – it just beggars belief.
This bar has been known, for as long as anyone can remember, as a watering hole for people from all sorts of backgrounds, and all corners of the world, who have just one thing in common.
They are all football fans and they all – make that two things in common – they all love The Arsenal.
The Arsenal have been through some massive upheavals in recent years, including the smashing down of their old home, the financially crippling construction of their extremely smart new home, the loss of nearly all their best players, the rise and fall and failure to rid themselves of The Greatest Striker That Ever Lived, the disappearance of chips from the stadium catering services, the introduction of the £5 hot dog, and the emergence of the chicken curry pie !!!
Phew, I say, phew.
And now, with the promise that these hard times are over, and their beloved team is set to rise like a Nike and Puma clad Pheonix from the financial ashes, these people are only going and getting excited .
For heavens sake. In the words of the wise among you “CALM DOWN !”
Just wait and see, in silence, what this potentially exciting summer of renewal might bring.
A bit of manly restraint wouldn’t go amiss. And this suppression of all emotions will serve you in very good stead when you return to your stadium seats in August.
Yours, as ever, couldn’t care less-fully,
Muriel.
Cynic,
“If any ….. are in our team come Sept 1st i’ll be surprised”
So will I. If only ‘cos the window closes on 2nd September and we never shop that early. 😉
AW quoted today as promising ‘big signings’ this summer http://metro.co.uk/2013/07/13/arsene-wenger-targets-big-signings-after-confirming-arsenal-stay-3881089/
Where have I heard this before? Oh yes, Gazidis. What odds AW’s summer is any sooner than Gaz’s 48 hours? And who is left worth buying for what we can afford and actually likely to move?
Oskar
Okay, Agar not walking was a stretch … make it Michael Clarke!
The thing about walking or not walking comes down to the swings and roundabouts argument. Most people agree that good and bad umpiring decisions generally balance out in the long run, but if you walk you disturb that balance by taking away the lucky break you might get by not walking – as in the Broad howler (balanced by the Trott decision, btw). With all the technology available leaving it to the umps every time makes the best sense, imo.
Oskar
Oskar….Arsene promising “big signings”…. it could be that big player at the spuds, y’know, Tom Huddlestone 😉
It’s funny though Oskar, I completely fail to see the word ‘promise’ in that thing you link. Even the title only says ‘target’ (and the quote inside says ‘interest’)
How odd!
People really only interpret things the way they wait.
I certainly expect a couple of quality signings, but I haven’t been promised anything.
want, not wait.
We’re all waiting 😉
OtG,
I’ve just subjected the Metro article to which you link @178 to intense textual analysis. It isn’t meedja bullshit, on the contrary it is a triumph of the subeditor’s art.
Read the text of the article. They mention the names of some footballers. They quote Wenger as saying that Arsenal have more money available than in previous years and that they are interested in “big signings”. Then, for good measure, they mention the names of a few players and repeat that Arsenal, and Arsène are interested in “big signings”.
At no point does the article assert that Arsenal have made offers for any of the players they mention, or for anyone else. Nor does it state, or even imply that negotiations have been opened, have stalled or are on the point of completion (or being abandonned). The subeditor’s job is to put a good headline on a story, preferrably one that is slightly linked with that story. The job of everyone on a newspaper is to sell that paper.
Consider, please, that although he speaks excellent English, it is not Wenger’s mother tongue. He occasionally says things in a way that, while perfectly correct, is capable of misinterpretation. I believe that when he says he is interested in a player it means exactly that, no more, no less. When he says he’d love to have a player at Arsenal it means exactly that. If he said he’d made an offer for a player, or was in talks to bring a player to the club, then that’s what it would mean.
Calm down everyone, it’s only a close season.
Now I’m off to enjoy my birthday. Play nicely while I’m away please, everyone.
COYG
Hi holics,
I’ve been an infrequent bar visitor of late due to work related ills but I think I need to tell this story of “a rare out of Europe holics’ (re)union” as Ollie puts it
I had already sent an email to Snir as soon as I got news that I would be traveling to Tel Aviv on work related stuff. Luckily, I got a reply that he would be in town on those said dates. The first few days, I couldn’t get out of work due to boring meetings etc and on the days that I could leave early, we went out with people from office.
Finally on the Thursday (it’s the start of the weekend there), I texted him and we agreed to meet at the only street whose name I knew in my head. He asked me, “What do you want to drink?” I said, “Beer?”
He asked, “Do you like Guinness?” to which I replied “I’ve never had Guinness before”. He smiled, opened Waze( a company google just bought if you didn’t know) on his cell phone to find the bar he wanted.
We started walking and talking on the way to the bar, all things Arsenal. I was a bit out of touch with all the transfer rumours but Snir had all the transfer guff you can ever want. His twitter is a constant transfer news hub. It was fantastic to hear his opinions on everything related to our club. At the time he said Higuain deal was practically done and we were signing a few more big names. His crystal balls were a bit off though 🙂
We reached the bar, it was absolutely buzzing with people. He secured us a couple of seats at the bar and the bartender seemed to know him too. We talked about transfer rumours, how each of us became Arsenal fans, struggled to pick our best/worst Arsenal moments, about the genius that is Santi, the engine that is Jack, the consistency that is Arteta, our feelings about Cesc, my dislike for Rooney to Arsenal, American sports, Israeli security checks, his university life, his work, Indian culture and plenty of other stuff
We ordered more Guinness, and he spoke about all the holics he has had the good fortune to meet. He had only good things to say about Snowy, Glennw, ‘holic, Ollie, TS, Trev, Dr C, Dr Z, tabs, Steve T (most of whom he has actually met in person). I cannot wait to make it to North London one day, not only for the actual match but to meet the people who make the club what it is
Finally the bartender gave us complimentary Jameson shots, and we were set to leave. We walked back, again talking about Arsenal and how Snir believes we would be champions this season.
At the end when I said, “Cheers Snir, hope to see you again sometime” He replied, “Someday in London, mate”. On my walk back to the hotel, I thought so too.
There were a lot of firsts for me on this trip. My first international flight. My first leak on a plane 🙂 I drove for the first time on foreign soil. My first scuba diving experience. But, my first Guinness with an Arsenal fan whom I met through this wonderful blog is right up there with the rest of them
I have to say, thank you ‘holic for this fantastic blog
Cheers
Great stuff Harsha.
Wonderful stuff, Harsha!
Happy birthday, Oxon.
Oxon does it in more words, but that works 😉
Splendid stuff, Harsha! And heh at complimentary Jameson shots:
are you sure it wasn’t ‘holic behind the bar? 😀
Great story Harsha – thanks for sharing it.
Proper Arsenal fan is Snir – never trust his balls though. Look forward to meeting you at The Tollie.
Happy birthday Oxon.
And Happy Birthday Oxon!
Excellent stuff Harsha…are you now a Guinness affecionado?
Happy birthday Oxon…have a good’un.
Thanks everyone. Yes indeed Ups. Guinness became my drink of choice for the rest of my stay there 🙂
And happy birthday oxon!
Many Happy Returns Mr Oxon.
Great stuff Harsha.
Great stuff Harsha and of course Snir!
Happy birthday Oxon, have it large mate.
Good job Ollie and Oxon @181 and 183, respectively.
I think the cricket is preventing this second century, weirdly.
Ollie, mate are you ready to force the goal in?
Let’s force it in like Arteta did at home against Qpr this past season.
Lobs it forward aimlessly.
…Knocks it down into the path of…
Drive forward into the box?
“Drives”. My first goal in a few years of very occasional contributions! Sitting up in Australia waiting for the cricket to start again and trying to find a view on the game in Indonesia.
What poor manners on my behalf. Thanks Cent.
Cheers mate and well in!
Cynic @ 162
“As things stand I don’t see him buying anybody else and certainly nobody to make you catch your breath and make opponents think we are serious players again.”
So which is it? Is “he” buying nobody else or is “he” buying somebody else, albeit not breathtaking? Is this an each way bet? And what exactly is your definition of breathtaking as it relates to “nobody”?
I can be a little gloomy myself but I wonder if your screen name isn’t misplaced – seems more like Hilarity to me.
UTA.
Stream
http://www.viponlinesports.eu/football/163571/1/indonesia-vs-arsenal-live-stream-online.html
And there they go in yella & blue.
Great tale, Harsha.
And a great Test match. The manacles on the Convicts maybe not as secure as some had said?
Hate being ‘on the way home’ when Arsenal have already kicked-off, grr 😡
Great Stuff Harsha, reminds me of being some of these great lot in this here bar for the 1st time 🙂 Snir, I hope not to miss you the next time you’re in London mate 😉
And Happy Birthday Oxon, have a good one! 😀
1-0 Theo! 😀
Theo 1 nil 20yarder passed into the net 🙂
Haha at Ramsey’s roulette. He just proved that Mertesacker isn’t the only one that can pull that off at the club.
@204 – It’s fairly clear I would have thought.
I don’t see him buying anyone else.
If he does, it won’t be anyone other than the usual squad fodder.
it’s a interesting and entertaining game of football, looking forward to the second half.
Indeed Toby, for anyone who may missed it here it is
https://vine.co/v/hZwYtJx1qUb
Cynic, you mean such usual squad fodder as, for example, Mertesacker, Podolski and Cazorla?
I have said it before and I’ll say it again: the problem in the last few years has not been what players we’ve bought, it’s the players we’ve lost that have to a large extent thrown us back to square one the two previous summers – and all those players we’ve lost were once bought by the same man accused of never buying anyone good.
So that’s Akpom with the 2nd goal, Gnabry assist I believe? 🙂
What an amazing player Zelalem is going to be for us.
ARSENAL is back !!! yoooohoooo
Lurky … wow … two of his passes were really great .. the outside of the foot !! brilliant ..! would have loved to see Ryo … is he fit to play?
Giroud is on fire, who need Higuain or Suarez 🙂
Just got back to watch the game at least partially 🙂 http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?matchid=209795&part=sports links here ..giroud with goal to make it 4-0 😀
Somehow managed to miss Giroud’s goal for 3-0, the folly of streams… 🙁
GPN, passes were great but his calmness is what impresses me. Do not want to overhype him but- Xaviesque, Amazing for his age.
lurky, ya, he kinda has a slow style .. but very intelligent with one two’s .. hope he keeps progressing. Girouds def got his shooting boots on
I finally get a stream and its 4-0 haha, looks like its extended highlights for me later today
Podolski! What a strike, 5-0 😀
Poldi 😀
And that is 5, Podolski, and good old Rosicky assisting.
And the joy of six. Young Swede, Olsson.
Great finish from Olsson for 6-0 🙂 But the ball from Rosicky (*o*)
Now 7-0, Eisfeld! 😀
Eisfeld !! Rosicky is just so goood 😀 .. love the man
Is it just me, or Bacary looks quite faster than couple of months ago?
It is over, 0-7, poor opponent, but not bad for the first game of the preseason. I wouldn’t mind if this is the score in the first leg of the CL qualifications round.
Quite a good game. No crunching tackles, as expected, but we tried to play at a high tempo, even if it was a friendly, and scored us a few. This also means our first choice forward line (at least, close to it) of Giroud, Poldi and Walcott grabbed one or more in their first game of the pre-season. Feels good.
And of course I am very happy with seeing a young Swede from Östergötland (not that I’m from that part!) score for the Arsenal first-team. Really takes a scoring swede to break in a new yellow and blue kit!
From what I saw in that game (2nd half), I was impressed, even if its only pre-season 🙂
Yeah, but they’re really good !
Do you enjoy anything, Red,er,truth ?
Only 7-0 ! Wenger AHHTTT!!!!!
Redtruth.
Arsenal Ladies is quite a good team, so I wouldn’t be too surprised. For more ladies football, I’d recommend watching the Euros at the moment. Germany hasn’t really gotten going yet, but Sweden have clicked.
So it’s a good alternative if you can’t stand watching “bad teams” playing in Arsenal Friendlies.
Haven’t equipped my best grammar, tonight, I see.
Thanks for the kind ones, all; and a lovely present from the lads too. What joy.
COYG
Just come out of my tennis cocoon. Loved Rambo’s Madonna twizzle,Ollies shot on the turn and Poldi’s pile driver. Not bad for starters.
The rumour mill is driving me mad, the half filled glass is starting to drain away, hoping for a top-up this week?
‘holic – Something of interest for you I think.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/jul/14/wilko-johnson-last-shot
Just saw a clip and he looked well.
Just finished watching the game ‘as live replay’ on Arsenal Player. Quality of the opposition notwithstanding, energetic, efficient, neat and entertaining display. Simple things done correctly and good interplay. All the seasoned pros did well, Ox and Ramsey’s first half display particularly pleasing. And nice to see the strikers all scoring, all good finishes.
Among the youngsters, some of Zellalem’s turning and passing would have been unbelievable for a sixteen year old had we not seen Cesc before. Gnabry and Akpom were full of energy and confidence, but still a lot to improve in terms of decision making and consistency, Aneke didn’t get much of a chance to show anything in unfamiliar central defense, Olsson spraying the balls nicely and a good finish. But of course none of them are ready for first team yet, so loans and reserves.
Iggy I think has shown enough to be the fourth choice center back and if TV5 is back fit we should be fine with that line-up with Bac being the emergency cover. If we are to spend money on the defensive side of game, I think we would be better served by a DM who can also if necessary deputize in the middle of the defense.
And following last year’s performances in the reserves and the impressive display in the League cup, if Eisfield can continue today’s efficient and disciplined play in the rest of the pre-season he may be considered as potential sub for the cup matches especially if Gerv is leaving. Especially if we don’t get enough new players in the attacking department. If we do, he is ready for a loan to another PL club.
Oxon
Many Happy Returns- Bastille Day!
Perfect summary by Dr F.
Thanks TTG. It’s one of the tragedies of my life tat the rest of the family got free drinks when we were in France on holiday at the time of my first birthday. More recently, I think we announced the departure of PV4 on this day a few years back.
Doctor Faustus, I agree with almost everything you said, except that young Miquel is ready for a fourth center back. I like him a lot and wish him well in his career, but at this time he is just not good enough. He was maybe the only one in the team today that disappointed me. Couple of bad choices in the first half as a CB, against a poor opposition, nearly gave them two goals. Not good enough as a LB too in the second half, offensively poor, lack of speed in that position is evident.
But, he is a young lad, he will learn.
We need to buy cover, though.
Really enjoyed watching the fringe players today akpomb eisfeld zalieem,the directness of the ox nabbry theo was frightening,Rambo was all action good workout for the lads.one or two experienced heads with a bit of quality we will be bang in the mix.
And Jimmy Anderson is a Gooner!!
Best fast bowler in the world
Jimmy is a Burnley fan who enjoys watching Arsenal, Ttg. A Gooner, sadly, he is not.
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