We are Allowed To Be Delighted And Concerned You Know
Aug 27th, 2013 by 'holic
As much as there is a danger of over-emphasising the victories against Fulham and Fenerbahce, there is equally a danger of shouting down praise for three good jobs very well done by a small group of players doing what we ask of them. Those who are unable to separate the desire to see this painfully thin squad strengthened seem to miss the point that most can still show appreciation for what we already have, on the pitch at least.
Once again this evening the midfield held the key. Jack Wilshere returned so that Tomas Rosicky could have a rest, but along with the outstanding Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla the engine room dominated their opponents to such a degree that recrimination was being blatantly dished out long before the end, and largely ignored by a weak referee.
It wasn’t just them though. A word too for the oft-criticised Wojciech Szczesny who produced a string of reaction saves separated by long periods of inactivity. A mention too for Per Mertesacker, who reinvented the Cruyff turn at one point of the first half.
“A very poor Fenerbahce team” said Lee Dixon at the break, and again at the end of the match. That may be so, but the inference that we didn’t make them look that bad with the quality of our football irks. Rambo and Santi picked up where they left off on Saturday. They may not be big in stature, but in consecutive outings they have been head and shoulders above anybody else on the park. There may be occasions when we question them later in the season, particularly if we cannot add players of quality to enable them to have a breather when required. Let’s be allowed to enjoy them when they are performing so well.
Unfortunately though at the end of the night we are dragged, however reluctantly, back into the debate about new signings. Early in the second-half Lukas Podolski, who had put in a magnificent shift up and down the left hand side, paid the penalty when his hamstring appeared to go on him. “Twenty one days” the verdict of the boss afterwards. The dreaded Arsenal three weeks. Would you like flowers or donations, Lukas? The targeted butchering of Jack Wilshere may also have taken it’s toll, and then Aaron Ramsey was unable to complete the match, suffering a groin problem.
We have four days to get three of the walking wounded fit to start in midfield against what the press is telling me is the resurgent neighbours, so impressive in beating the mighty Palace and Swansea by a penalty apiece. Shift in the balance of power? I think there could be. A swing even further in our favour if we get bodies in that mean we are not playing a Champions League qualifier with one central defender. A swing even further in our favour if we can go into the next match with more than two fit midfielders. A swing even further if we can get a goalscorer to supplement the excellent work done thus far by Olivier Giroud and the now gone-in-the-fetlock Poldi. A swing even further if we can get a bully-boy midfielder who would have stood toe to toe with the worst offenders when Fener started taking those cheap shots tonight.
We have a great team in the making, but not enough bodies to sustain a challenge for major honours, and clearly we will be down to the bare bones on Sunday without reinforcements.
It is possible to love this club, love the way this team is playing, and yet still beg the current custodians to pull their collective fingers out and deliver us a squad our resources deserve.
Well played Arsenal.
714 Responses to “We are Allowed To Be Delighted And Concerned You Know”
Ping.
BMBD
Cheers ‘holic!
Great stuff ‘H.
Spot on Holic. Every word of that.
Can we choose Adrian Chiles and P Morgan? Please.
Well said Guv’nor.
Piers Morgan twice, just to be sure.
There’s a lot of talk about how the fans deserve better from the manager, but his own players do too. I do not mean that in a Le Grove way, just that it would be very nice if we had more options so we could give players a break if needed without losing momentum as a team.
Great point about Dixon’s grudging praise but you can only beat what’s put in front of you and we did this very well over two games.
Another thing, wasn’t there a bit of talk about this being a tough tie when the draw was made? All the usual stuff about tough trip to Turkey and all of that? And then when they are seen off, it was too easy?
Pundits. A few letters too many in that word and one missing. For most of them anyway.
Good stuff Holic. Best what’s in front if you. We can now look forward to the draw.
Not sure how players can pick up strains this early in the season???? Bizarre.
Business needs to begin now. I am back to Blighty on Sunday evening. By the time I wake on Monday morning I expect to be reading that we have thrashed the spuds and have 5 new faces in.
Up the Gunners.
Ivan Gazidis is wee wee.
Don’t know about five new faces Steve, but it looks like Adrian Chiles is working on a couple of extra chins.
Naughty Ody π
“It is possible to love this club, love the way this team is playing, and yet still beg the current custodians to pull their collective fingers out and deliver us a squad our resources deserve.” This is the best line I have heard about Arsenal for ages. Love the optimism. Let’s stay positive gunners!!
Perfect summary ‘Holic. On the field..job done, now for the management team to fulfil their responsibilities.
Well played Guv!
Its easy for arsenal rabble to pretend to like the manager when they win only waiting to put the knife in every chance
Bang on ‘h.
Great stuff Holic. Quote of the year: ” It is possible to love this club, love the way this team is playing and yet still beg the current custodians to pull their collective fingers out and deliver us a squad or resources deserve”.
Good stuff, Holic. Nothing to add to the report at this point, really.
Am I relegated?
Fair questions ‘H. Need reinforcements. We have all summer. Lets hope this was the last obstacle to get a few to sign up and join. We have a great core ( British and less British). Lets augment that and give us what we all are craving.
Well said, ‘Holic. Our thin red line gets thinner by the day.
Nothing to add, quite the other way around. Was watching the game outside Rethymnon on Crete, and even if I tried my best to stay focused and/or sober, I missed a few things, like Rambo going off injured.
So, that’s also my excuse for not having been here for a week or so. Anyways, cheers ‘Holic, as usual, a great one.
Nice one holic ,
Rather watch the game with Russian commentary than listen to ITV
COYG
Great post ‘Holic, agree every word.
I think we all agree that we must add at least 2-3 players before the Sunday kick-off and be as strong as we can be for that game. We have four days to get the job done.
If they want 30 mill for Mata give them 31, if they want 40 for Ozil give them 41, we have the money, now is our chance. Transfer wise there should be no excuses, no rest until Sunday, because fresh legs are badly needed.
We can enjoy and relax a bit after Sunday. There are two weeks of internationals, after which Vermaelen, Arteta and Podolski should return. making our squad stronger than ever in the last couple of years, assuming news players arrivals.
The future looks brighter, much brighter. The dirty job is done, now it is time to spend our hard-earned money.
Spot on holic,thered be something wrong if we wer’nt concerned, and equally wrong if we wer’nt delighted at an Arsenal win.It’s not just the fans who need some reward for years of patience but the team who fought to get this far.Give them the tools to take it further competetively,give them and the fans something to really shout about.The resources are there, is the real ambition..A good nite,now for the spuds on Sunday!! I like mine mashed.
Good watching the Gunners play without much pressure. But the palpable lack of depth in this team is truly painful. Can somebody please do something, anything, to redress this pleas………..e.
Great post that. Both sides covered.
Ofcourse now is the time to celebrate the win, a very good win may I add, because, to be brutaly honest, I was extreamly worried when we were drawn against that Fene’ side. They are definetly not as poor as we made them look, so for that great credit is due.
However, the flipside says that tomorrow we must count the cost, this is a team that can indeed do great things, the spirit and will is there, but this is not a squad that can afford to lose three- four of it’s componants. They need to be given the tools/additions needed to not only be competitive, but to help them over the line. The time is now, there can be no more excuses.
Stuck in conferences all day so missed watching the game. Traveling as well so will have to wait for the highlights to appear on Arsenal player.
Excellent result and based on the descriptions disciplined performance.
Hopefully Aaron and Jack have not picked up anything serious. The team then picks itself for the NLD, now that Poldi is out. Don’t think any reinforcements in that case would start but at least the bench would look more assuring.
How did Yaya and Ryo do?
Apparently, Ryo hit a steward with a wayward shot during warm-up, he walked up to her and apologised then sought her out after the game and gave her a shirt. Awesome stuff, I love that kid.
Dr F, on the pitch, Ryo came on for Theo with about 15mins(not sure could be lesser) to go, he made space for himself well almost gifted Jenkinson his first Arsenal goal at the death, shame the Turks’ ‘keeper made a great save and denied them the joy.
Yaya, came on at about the 65minute mark, took a few mins to settle, made good runs, had good touches and held the ball up well, still looks a bit rough around the edges but the potential is there.
Two thumbs up from me, Holic. Very thoughtful write up.
excellent, guv’nor. really. others have called it, but the “finger out” line is top, top quality.
@32
Actually, it was first used in that context by one LeG Grash. Wonder what he’d think of it.
Very fair report as ever ‘Holic and I would endorse your comments.
Wenger so dislikes the whole transfer business but it just has to happen now given the size if the squad and the comfort of he financial position. He and Gazidis will reap the whirlwind if they don’t bring in some decent players.
Rooney and Mata will do for me as a start
Don’t think Utd or Chelsea will deal with us now they have seen what our threadbare squad is capable of Ttg.
Best hope now is Real Madrid’s need to pay the Bale bill. Not fussed about Benzema, but Ozil and Di Maria would be amazing, and chuck in Casillas for good measure!
Yeah, I know π
No chance of getting Mata, I guess. Too late for him to agitate for a move now and we’d probably have to pay daft money to get him.
I would love Casillas to come but he’d only come to play and it would be a huge test of Wenger’s “Don’t kill a player” policy (which has actually killed our team a bit over recent years, so what’s the bigger sin?)
Pardieu says a world class player goes for world class money, so that should mean we get Cabaye on the cheap (don’t want him)
Despite all the talk, I have serious doubts about us getting anyone really worthwhile. Certainly no Rooney, Casillas, Mata types. π
Great post Holic
About Iker Casillas … where did this speculation come from? Is there some confusion with Wenger’s interest in Espanyol’s keeper KIKO Casilla (no ‘s’ on the end)? As reported here … http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/424228/Arsenal-to-step-up-quest-for-goalkeeper-as-they-consider-move-for-Espanyol-s-Kiko-Casilla
Oskar
Cheers ‘holic. Very fair write up. A good night out I think, and just made the last tube home which is always a bonus on a school night.
Onwards, upwards, and if Real/Chelski/whoever won’t play, sod ’em. I bloody love this squad, thin as it may be.
Bigger target to go for come the weekend for sure. But for now, happy that one important task has been dealt with.
Nailed it ‘holic. Great stuff.
Holic – top post, pretty much agree with every word – would be gutted if we didn’t add a couple of pearlers to the squad – if we do,we are in with a shout.
Watched the game live at 6.45 am here in sunny Auckland , on ESPN.
Steve Nichol is a miserable whining bastard — he reckons Arsenal will definately finish below the spuds. Critised OG relentlessly and just generally got on my tits.
By the way “holic, Should you ever fancy a trip down under, I can put you up. My hobbies include Arsenal and drinking…………………I think we’d get on.
Oh, and by the way…
RAMSEY’S SECOND GOOOOOAL …
Night all π
I just love this team.
Well written barkeep. Time to focus on reinforcements and the scum. 5 – 2 sounds about right and just about equals the number of bodies we need.
Come on you Reds.
BMBD
Great write up. Cheers Holic
IF @ 41
Steve Nicol’s relentless negativity about all things Arse is well known. He still hasn’t got over Anfield 1989. Wanker.
UTA.
As FG indicated @23, great thing about the Internet is that you can get match streams in languages you don’t speak. So much more informative than listening to English-language commentaries.
Part of me says it would have been so much better if the squad had been reinforced sufficiently last season that we could have ended up in third or higher in the league so we wouldn’t have needed to take on two extra CL playoff games this season with their ever present risk of injury. But the other part of me wonders if the Villa defeat 10 days ago would have been so emphatically put behind us without the win in Istanbul coming hard on its heels. A week to fester before the Fulham game could have been poisonous.
Really, seriously excellently put ‘Holic.
I think that you echoed my exact sentiments at the end of the last drinks. The tearing felt between “get behind the boys” and “stick one up the management” is a tough one to qualify. I think you got the balance just right. Nobody wants to be a nay-sayer when the XI young men that pull on the shirt do so to such great effect, but we cannot ignore the obvious for much longer. Well, no longer than about 5 days in reality.
I would like to end by listing a couple of people that 100% deserve for us to buy the quality players needed to put us in with a shout of some silverware this season:
Szczesny
Jenkinson
Sagna
Koscielny
Mertesacker
Gibbs
Monreal
Ramsey
Wilshere
Cazorla
Rosicky
Walcott
Podolski
Giroud
Arsene & Co, don’t do it for me, don’t do it for all the fans, home or away, don’t do it for the club and don’t do it for the sake of it…
Do it for the men that are currently showing the will to die for the cause, as they also did at the end of last season. They deserve the medals and the cups and the recognition that they bring more than anybody else. They deserve to be a part of the Arsenal history books.
Hey Noosa @45 – yeah, I guess you’re right. I’d just forgotten what a total tool Steve Nichol is. I suppose.
He didn’t spoil it for me though – what’s not to like about a 2-0 home win!
Getting a twitchy posterior re the old reinforcements though. I’d hate Arsene to prove Steve Nichol correct.
5-0 on aggregate against the tricky Turks is nothing to be scoffed at so fuck the “pundits”
I couldn’t see the match but caught the highlights. Great goals by Ramsey! Hopefully Aaron, Jack and Lukas recover quickly…
Will check out the full match to see how Ryo and Yaya performed when the long highlights come up on Saturday.
In the meantime I think I’ll take a nap in an attempt to get rid of this jet lag.
Hopefully when I wake up we’ll have a few new bodies in!
UTA
Well put, TW.
The monks at Castle Ned reckon that those 14 you mention would cost Β£200 million to buy at fair market prices (though they tend to a Wengeresque conservatism in their valuations). By way of comparison, they value the team the Mancs fielded against Chelsea plus the two subs used at Β£203 million. So a couple of decent buys and we are streets ahead.
‘holic, your beseeching of management to pull their collective fingers out is already a candidate for the line of the year. If they don’t, then they will wholeheartedly deserve the fingers of the supporters that will be directed their way.
Two observations on the match:
– Jack has clearly put on a good bit of muscle, and it’s a good thing he did with the constant steamrolling he endured. But does anyone else feel that the added bulk is making his play “musclebound”? Not seeing the Wilshire flow we’re used to….
– And Santi is a treasure. He’s like Bilbo or Frodo in the way he escapes from two or three markers, doing it without wearing a ring, no less.
For Sunday, is there a possibility that Nacho stays at left full with Gibbs in the left sided wing slot for Podolski?
Zzzzzzz…. Ah, wha? Bah humbug, the sound of LWC delusion woke me up. I can’t wait to batter them this weekend!
http://www.topspurs.com/newsnow/thfccol-280813a.htm
Being on vacation on Crete, I was just looking for something to do today because I’m a bit tired of just lying on the beach. So I found this – http://bit.ly/1dO0VKQ
All aboard!
Cannons of Rhetoric,
The first comment under that bag of Spuds shite you posted is from October 2011:
“Goons are too good to go down, but their ship is truely sinking. rvp will be next one out the door at the emirates and then they`ll be one very very average side. The tide in North-London has turned.”
HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Wankers!!!
For the record, they are surely the funniest fuckers in London!
Thanks a lot Cent for sharing how Ryo and Yaya performed. Will check once the full replay and highlights become available in Player and then when I return home from the DVR recordings.
TW @ 48 — Share that perspective, fully! These players really deserve all the success with this club. Just love the spirit and the pride.
BTW, Szczesny is in my book not only a world class prospect but an excellent goalkeeper now at this moment. In the last few couple of seasons — starting with those tricky matches against Udinese — he made many more important contributions than the occasional lapse. If a new ‘big name’ GK indeed comes in — though I doubt that — he should under no conditions be the automatic #1.
@55: TW, yeah they seem to rerun that post all the time the derby comes around because it was reposted today! The pain and rage in those comments is the truest indicator of a huge inferiority complex held by the fans of the silliest club around 8)
AngryofIslington’s “1,961 reasons why Arsenal is better than Spurs” is brilliant though π
Interesting — albeit in the humorless taking-oneself-too-seriously-and-missing-the-point way — rumination: http://www.forbes.com/sites/zachslaton/2013/08/27/arsenal-and-spurs-demonstrate-how-the-epl-table-lies-to-us/ .
However essentially flawed as it totally overlooks that the closeness of a point tally in a league competition is often due to the effect of a few teams chasing each other for a certain goal — champions, top 4, avoiding the drop — and the impact of tactics and player’s approach that lead to. There certainly is an amount of luck but to say “To believe that a manager like Arsene Wenger can consistently control his teamβs performance relative to others to within a single point when the data says point totals easily vary by eight points just due to random events is the height of denying luckβs roll in the final table. Wenger and Arsenal are extremely lucky to have qualified for as many Champions Leagues tournaments as they have given the razor thin margins theyβve maintained the last few seasons.” fully misses the point about how a team approaches the end of season and calibrates its targets bases on the competitions.
Cheers Dr. F @56. And thanks so much for reviewing your link @58.
Faustus: haven’t read the article (just your quote was enough) but you are absolutely right. It can not possibly be just luck that has seen us consistently finish in the top four. And besides, if you want to explain away what we have done by saying it’s down to luck, then I can just as well argue that only bad luck has prevented us from having a bigger and safer margin. It’s all rather daft to blame a run that has been going on for years and years on luck alone. Hell, you could even argue that luck would statistically be quite evenly distributed amongst teams over the course of the season meaning that the effect of such a rather abstract entity would be cancelled out almost entirely. Moreover, the ability to handle the pressure in a tight situation is very much NOT luck, fact of the matter is that we have consistently come up with the goods in the fight for fourth/third for a few years and anyone who pins that down to just luck is plain wrong in my eyes.
In short:
Whoever wrote that simply does not understand football.
Ok, I can’t stop so one more: if luck was so important, then Alex Ferguson must be the jammiest bastard that ever lived. I mean, all those titles can’t be down to him being a bloody good manager, right? After all, that genius at Forbes has decided that all variations in points from season to season is nothing but a random fluctuation that a manager has no control over…
Lars, I admire your strength.
A top write-up as usual Holic and I echo the sentiments of those who went before me. Indeed, the meedja really are a horde of hideous cunts, they can’t have it both ways: either Fener are a tough draw to negotiate or they’re soft as butter – make your minds up, ‘experts’!
Special shout to CoR in the land of heated bog seats and Shibuya girls (always wanted one myself…). That spuds link is hilarious. “How many straws can we grasp at to convince ourselves of what years of evidence clearly contradict?” Hahaha twats.
Nothing else to add really. Get off your bumholes and do your job, money men. Toodle-pip!
Cheers Cent.
Thanks Lars. Yes, the irony of a so-called ‘objective’ over-analysis taken to its absurd extreme to come out with the cheapest of ‘comments’ available in football: ‘lucky’ .
Extreme inanity meets extreme ‘erudition’, if we can call that.
This really is a sad sad flaw of our times: sophisticated tools abused by self-important fools.
So way off topic … I’ve been watching this show ” Being Liverpool ” here in the states. Don’t know if they showed it in England. A six episode look into the club. Anyway, I really like Brendan Rogers and he plays basically our system. I’d like him to come to Arsenal after AW hangs it up. Huge negative side note …. The management sat down and started watching. About midway thru the 2nd episode, she says ” We should go to a Liverpool match. ” What the fuck have I done?
Duttlenheim
Have you got to the bit with the envelopes yet? Or the big self portrait hanging in his house? Or the scene where he brings his guitar to work and sings some of the songs he’s written? Or the bit where he forces the players to produce “mind maps” of their emotions?
Actually – who is the consensus favourite to succeed Arsene if he were to leave now? Laudrup still?
Gah – managed to post that when I was still halfway through typing it.
Ah! I see snowy was in and so did not die of hypothermia last Saturday after all π
Let’s home for some miraculous recoveries and signings before Sunday now.
Actually I watched the last 2 episodes first. Then I taped the whole thing and am watching it straight through. I did like the envelope part. Also liked how he handled when Raheem Sterling mouthed off to him. Good show ….
Morning Winners.
Great performance – all the meeja vermin who bigged up the challenge of the draw and are now dismissing the achievement as due to the poor opposition are pig sick this morning. These are the same people who dismissed the Arsenal win in Munich last season as the result of Bayern having a ‘job done’ approach to the second leg. They will dismiss everything we do whatever we do so we just have to keep sickening them.
Nice account H’.
I’m happy. Would like to have seen Frimpong get on to dish a bit of red and white retribution .Does this make me a bad person ?
Cheers, Cent π
Well played ‘Holic.
Your post strikes a perfect balance of enjoying and appreciating what we hold and wishing/wanting us to strengthen so that we can challenge (seriously) for major honours.
Santi was breath-taking again. I can’t remember even Cesc, Bobby or Liam playing one-twos with themselves.
Aaron, for me, remains a revelation. All those whining haters from last season, hang your heads in shame. He’s now even better than he was before he got Sh*wcrossed.
Come on Arsene and the negotiating team, spend SOME effin’ money!
N7
Hard to say who the favourite is but candidates are
Laudrup
Klopp
Loew
Deschamps
Bould
Simeone
Redknapp (that one’s a joke)
Adams (so’s that)
Vieira
Henry
Heynckes (but might be too old)
TTG
Good list.
Klopp has to be the favourite choice, but would he actually come?
Laudrup – let’s see how he gets on this season. Early signs aren’t too promising, they’ve been pony in both games so far.
Heynckes has, I believe, all but ruled out a return to management.
Simeone is probably a bit too barmy for the likes of us.
Henry – a man can dream.
Dragan Stojkovic, anyone?
It’s basically slim pickings on the managerial front just now, isn’t it?
I know that the argument in some quarters is “well, none of us had heard of Arsene when he was appointed”, but that seems daft to me – using the exception in an attempt to argue for the rule.
I generally hear it from the same people who would be the first to crucify the board if they appointed a guy we’d never heard of and it didn’t work out.
Suspect we will know in about a week’s time whether we’re likely to need a new manager next summer.
Ttg, I think Arsene himself once said he will prefer Dragan Stojkovic, current manager of Nagoya Grampus eight.
Ah I see N7 beat me to it.
Just to add – Dragan used to be one hell of a footballer. I spent a good few months in summer 1990 pretending to be him in the playground.
No idea what sort of manager he is, beyond this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQPR43v64e4
Cheers Porco Rosso! Shibuya girls can be cute but brainless though π
For the record everyone, I’d prefer either Klopp or Bould with Bergkamp as number 2, and Henry, Keown and Lehmann in the coaching set up in the future. Would be grand!
Fener get kicked out of Europa League. UEFA could have saved us the trouble then
@ 81
Fcuk’s sake.
Flight to Turkey, player injuries and fatigue. Why couldn’t they have held the hearing a week earlier?
Coz they are inefficient assholes!
Uefa really are beyond a joke. How they couldn’t organise themselves so that any possible appeal would be heard and adjudicated on before these Qualifiers is just extraordinary. I haven’t read anything about the case, but if they were guilty of match-fixing, a 2 year ban seems ridiculously lenient to me.
In the meantime, we pick up injuries and some other non-bent Club is denied the opportunity of participating in the Competition.
Uefa are an absolute shower.
Thoroughly enjoyable evening at the HOF last night. Sterling stuff from the team and the manager. Good three wins out of four and, via a record participation for a 16th consecutive year, another 30 million in the coffers to build and retain on an excellent core squad. Don’t worry, Holic. Some great new resources in place by window’s close.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23680545
Bog off BBC, seemingly outraged because we get to be amongst the top seeds for the group stages again. As for saying poor old Celtic are hard done by if they make it, don’t make me laugh…
And so Fenerbahçe got kicked out. Twice.
Would nearly have been funny to have been eliminated and then reinstated just to check the Spuds’ reactions π
Nahhh, better win and in that win, a lot greater for the confidence.
a) it’s not UEFA for once, it’s the TAS
b) we’d still have had to play Salzburg
N7 @66 – In the Klopp camp here. I think he’d come too. Multi- lingual, more money, bigger Club, new challenge, similar playing style etc etc. Whether we would actually approach him or not is moot. Things would certainly never be dull with him around.
Of the others on Ttg’s list, I really do hope that we avoid any sort of emotive-led appointment of an ex-player with limited/no experience.
I think a De Boer/Bergkamp appointment would be a possibility if they continue to enjoy success at Ajax.
Reckon your call on Stojkovic is a good one given the esteem AW holds him in.
Massive heh at your link., which led me to this …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaxcdUgHm74
What a player!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23862867
You have to laugh at the BBC’s choice of picture, making him look really ape-like….
Afternoon all.
CoR.
That article, o dear, how sad. How deluded can one get, inferiority complex at work there no doubt.
But still a shame for us that we’ve only ever won one European trophy.
===
Doc Faus’
I stopped reading that5 article after the first paragraph, ridiculous stance to take, I always thought Forbes to be a well respected institution, not sure how they could publish such garbage.
===
N7.
I’ve used the “who ever heard of AW” arguement myself, pretty recently too, but in retailiation to the “who could do better” stance.
===
Not sticking up for Uefa, but for once this isn’t their faults, as far as I know Uefa banned Fene, but they took their case to some higher sports arbitration thingy who decided to make the decision today.
Ah, I see Ollie knew better.
Fair enough Ollie, my mistake. Uefa are still a shower though, so any excuse really to have a pop at them π
Doesn’t take much to make a monkey out of Gareth, Ollie.
Tabs
That’s a fantastic link. I was 11 at the time of the 1990 world cup, and it’s probably fair to say that I was a fan of Dragan’s as soon as I heard his name. His performances didn’t hurt either – really lit up that tournament for me.
Klopp would be my choice, but I suspect half of Europe would want him if he left Dortmund. There is something very Arsenal about him, but it feels a bit of a long shot. Still, you never know.
Agreed re: the emotive past-player appointments. Working out who should replace Wenger will be the biggest decision this club faces for a generation, essential we get it right and absolutely no time to start kow-towing to fan power. Get the right man in.
H2H
My problem with the argument is that it harks back to an entirely different era of football, when an unknown coach could be appointed without the fans going batshit. It also harks back to an era when football coverage was less globalised, and foreign coaches were less well known.
Personally, I think it would be madness for the Arsenal of (say) 2014 to appoint a coach no one has ever heard of. The media already hate us and the fans are already restless – the knives would be out before the new man even arrived. Plus, Wenger was a one-off, once in a lifetime piece of genius from David Dein, we’d do extremely well to find another manager now who is pretty much off the English football radar, yet can step in and instantly revolutionize multiple aspects of how the game is played/approached.
OK N7, I see where you’re comming from with that. It would indeed be suicide to appoint a complete unknown in todays climate.
Having spend almost all of my child years in ex-Yugoslavia, Stojkovic was my role-model, as he was to almost every kid in the streets. There weren’t any playgrounds to play out beloved game, so we played on the streets often obstructing the traffic.
However, I remember that no police officer or even nervous driver was even trying to stop us from playing, because we were wearing Stojkovic, Savicevic, Prosinecki, Mijatovic on our backs. They were the Gods of that era.
Stojkovic was one of the most natural gifted footballers I’ve ever seen in my life, shame that he had so many injuries in his career, because he was up there with the best.
I am not sure of his coaching career, though, but what I know is that he likes open, technical, attacking and attractive football, the things that actually caused my love for the Arsenal.
I really like Brendan Rogers and he plays basically our system. Iβd like him to come to Arsenal after AW hangs it up.
Industrial. Strength. Drugs.
scores
Scores, does his groin, marches off to The Tollie for rest and recuperation.
FFS Lurky! π
Well in.
Suspect tabs will get the goal once the gaffer removes the bad odour.
Also a yellow card for double posting for the tabs position.
Wouldn’t worry about that too much tabs, gotta feeling that you’ll move up to the century in the not too distant future, plus you’ll have the glory spot too.
Still, well in Lurky (at time of posting)
Tabs, you must be more clinical in front of the goal, loosing time with describing your injury will not bring you no good, as long as there are some real poachers, ahem… π
Wise words from the Lurkmeister. π
Haha, this could work out well. π
Yellow card N7? That’s a bit harsh mate. I shall appeal to CAS, who will no doubt take 20 years to reach a decision π
Lurky – Well, I was going for a bit of Stojkovic embellishment, hence the groin injury!
A yellow for unintentional self-assisting for the tabs position, Gary? That’s very harsh is you ask me, Gary, and I think, Gary, that the FA really needs to look into this, Gary. I have been watching tabs for years, Gary, and I nearly signed him once. But to give him a yellow card… it’s just not deserved, Gary.
CAS? May as well appeala to the wizard of Oz, Tabs. π
That can’t be Harry, that was a coherent sentence.
Don’t feed the troll and all that but…
For someone who can’t build a defence from scratch and never won the CL, he actually managed to get to the CL Final in 2006 with no goals conceded. Ten clean sheets in a row, CL record that is still unbeaten.
Lurky, next time listen to what you said in your first scentence π
In other news
Mesut Γzil joins Γngel di MarΓa in confirming he is staying with Real Madrid.
However, I remember when Real got Ronaldo, Sneijder and Robben were singing the same song and were sold.
Real needs money, with Bale purchase their net spend is almost 130 mil. They will sell for sure, we must be there prepared to buy. If there is slightest chance of getting Ozil, I feel now is the time.
Not a bad advice Lars, my mistake.
Looks like it’s gonna rain today…
Hehs! @ #s 90 & 98.
Harry Redknapp – Haha π
I was told this morning that it was decided a year ago that Bale would leave Spuds this summer and that he would go to Man Utd.
This was by a close personal friend of one of the parties involved, so should be interesting to see if that’s how it pans out.
Could be that Levy is deliberately holding up a whole chain of events to stuff The Arsenal. In any event our Madrid “targets” are all saying that they have no intention of leaving Madrid.
For those of you who know who my previous “top source” was – this is NOT the same person.
I’d prefer we’d stay away from Madrid players. It’s all to uncertain there and, to use a poker analogy, at the moment it’s Spertz who are holding all the cards.
Everything hinges on the Bale deal and we’re on the outside looking in, and that’s not where you want to be when reinforcements are needed and the clock is rapidly ticking away. Abramovich also threw a spanner in the works by swooping in and grabbing that geezer from the Black Eyed Peas that AvB wanted. Reportedly this pissed off the Tiny Totts no end, add to that Real being the typical buttmunchers they always are, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Levy waits untill the very last second of TTD to let the deal happen, if he does at all sell to them.
Tabs made some good points yesterday, and the more I think about this deal, the less it makes sense. Not why would Bale want to go there, that’s pretty obvious, but why would Madrid spend so much to get him. They don’t really need him, they’ve got more then enough talent in that area, plus the price tag seems ridiculous even in todays market of extremeties. There wsa a case to be made about Beckham and Ronaldo, they were winners and already global names, but Bale? Really?????
Domestically he’s won fuck all and Internationaly…. Ha Ha, he’s Welsh FFS, with all due repect, the odds of him playing in a World Cup Finals Tournament is probably on par with the odds you’d get for me making an appearance in one. Not exactly a Global Brand is he? They’ll never sell the amount of shirts that they did with Becks and Ronny in Europe and Asia, although they may shift a fair few in Gibraltar.
Taylor – Oh my. Restraint please.
The window’s closing…we need some decent signings. Fellaini? I prefer giving Everton $24mil for him than to give $20mil to the tractor boys for Cabaye.
I’m not feeling very hopeful. One question for the bar: What time is it?
(drinks on the bar for correct answers)
BMBD
It’s time to get busy, Lonestar.
Lonestar, I hate to borrow old rednose’ phrase but yeah, it’s squeaky bum time.
It’s getting very antsy on Twitter. Lots of despair.
Suspect this is going to go to the last minute of the transfer window – we’re in it for the long haul.
Stout hearts lads, stout hearts.
Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
What I would want to do is just ignore everything regarding transfers and then, on Tuesday morning at about 9-ish, wake up and go online and see what we have(n’t) bought and who’s been sold by whom to whom.
But failing that I will have to sit here and worry like everyone else…
H2H/tabs: I agree that Bale to Real doesn’t really sound right. I think he’d be far better off at ManU in the long run, and that would probably also be a much heavier blow to the Spuds which would be a nice added bonus for the rest of us π
Trev: I don’t think Levy is holding things up to stuff us (I don’t really believe that we are actually in for Γzil et al), I think it’s got far more to do with him wanting to keep up his appearance of being a hard-ball negotiator and also stalling things as much as possible in the hope of driving up the price.
So today we’ve learned that Mrs. Duttlenheim is in love with Brendan Rogers. What else didn’t we want to know. π
Re: Trev @116. So this must be from a next to top source? I’ll expect to see Bale dancing with Moyes then. Or not, as events develop.
Speaking of which;
If you enjoyed Being Liverpool, may I reccomend The Office (U.K version) David Brentan Rodgers is in that too.
Nice guesses at 119 and 120, but as always when facing the scum, the is 5 – 2… (or 2 – 5) if we are visiting that den of iniquity.
BMBD
Massive heh, H2H.
BMBD
CoR @ 53 – The number one sign you are not a big club is coming up with lists of reasons you are a big club.
@H2H (117) – but whose got the money?
Loathesome Levy might be holding out to stuff us and Chelski, but there are others out there to buy and if no market for Di Maria et al come 11.55pm on Sunday then can Real do the Bale deal?
Will Spuds end up bluffing themselves. Oh if only.
Pr’aps we are holding off buying Real Rejects so as to stuff the Euros 100 million deal by which time Levy will have spent Β£100 million to finish 5th. Something like Liverpool did under King Kenny.
Oh I love a good card game!
KVC – “will Spuds end up bluffing themselves”
Well, they stoned their own team bus when we borrowed it …. π
Trev – A precedent! This might be fun to watch. What is that card game when you try not to be holding the points cards at the end? Hunt the ….?
Sp*rs have found their Bale replacement. Lamela is now official, 25+5 in add-ons.
Huh, can’t help it, he is a decent signing, actually, the best they’ve got this summer. He was doing wonders for Roma last season, why we didn’t bid leaves me wondering, as it was in Capoue’s case.
I would like to know what Arsene’s thoughts are at the moment.
Four days until the countdown….
Can we just stop kvetching everytime Sp*rs sign a player? They can’t sign everybody and it’s not everybody they sign that will work out well for them, anyway, this is not the first time Sp*rs are signing more players than Arsenal and I’m sure it won’t be the last time. We need additions, no doubt about that, but the constant knee-jerk everytime they are linked to a player or even sign one does my head in.
I remember when Liverpool spent Β£100m on players in very short order. The media gave them a big ovation. Nothing could go wrong.
Until it all did.
Not saying it won’t work out for the LWCs, just that the applause should be spared until the new arrivals have actually done something on the football field.
Cent knows
Yeah, but some new bodies would be very welcome
Are our standards that exacting, or is our scouting network that decrepit?
BMBD
I wonder how many people would have listed the Lamela dude as a prospective signing for us at the beginning of the summer and lest we forget they just paid β¬30million for a single player who is unproven in the premiership and will play for them in a position we have Santi, Rosicky and Jack for.
iLonestar, of course new bodies would be welcome, in fact they are a must, we all know there is no way we will end the window with our this current squad that is thinner than a Sp*rs end of season run-in mental strength.
What N7 said at 134.
Totnum may or may not have had a good transfer window and may or may not be a success this season, but that is neither here nor there at this point if you ask me because unless we add at least two decent players to our squad we will be nowhere near the top four anyway. We have good players, but they are too few. Why we haven’t strenghtened yet is anybody’s guess, but I am starting to feel that something is very, very wrong within the club. I read somewhere that there was a theory that Kroenke wants this massive cash reserve at the club because he is using it as security for loans he has in the US and that sounds as plausible a plan as any, but then again at this point in time I’d be inclined to believe that Arsene is being telepathically controlled by aliens as well because our inaction this summer simply makes no sense at all.
Lars @ 140
I think that’s right. If we don’t finish top 4 it’ll be because of what we didn’t do, not what the Spuds did.
Starting to share your worried feeling, but there is still time.
What’s increasingly clear is that the club have either decided to take a major gamble on being able to finalise vital deals this week, or they never really intended to do the deals to start with. Neither scenario fills me with joy and confidence.
Ommmmmm.
β¬30million for a 21 year old seems a bit steep, I personaly know nothing about him, couldn’t give a rats arse about him now.
This one could start the ball rolling for all the others.
Reports in De Telegraaf (Dutch paper) today are that the Totts had made an offer to Ajax for Erikkson (Ere Divisie player of the year) but Marc Overmars turned them down, plus the player would prefer to go to Arsenal (sound familiar?). There’s also talk of us showing interest in Belgium International Toby Alderwierld from the same club, it wouldn’t shock me if a double bid was made.
Would be a blow for Ajax though to lose their two stand out performers.
Maybe not marque signings, but good competition for the squad none the less.
Just an opinion there, fellas, don’t jump on me. I only said that I think he is a good footballer with hell of a season behind him and therefore he should interested Arsenal.
Cent,
Sp*rs can’t sign everybody, as they are not in the CL, don’t have 150 mill. in the bank, but have bought 6 new players till today, breaking their record signing fee like three times. I don’t say that they are better than us, but they are really giving their best (Bale? π ) to catch us, and hey, they are closer every year. However, I am not afraid of what can happen with them, I am afraid what can happen with us. This four days are our big chance, we have money, we are in the CL, we are the team on form, we have a great manager, great working conditions, good core of the team. I don’t see many chances like this in the future, many things can go wrong is we miss this one to strengthen.
N7,
I never thought that spending is the answer, and never will. However spending wise is.
Mentioning Liverpoo as an example is fine. Not many other similar examples out there, except some random Russian teams.
However for every Liverpoo there is one Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, Marseille, Napoli… Teams that replace what they sell, and replace well, exploring like mad for options in the market. Not just banking money for the super qualities who anyway never want to play for their clubs. In case Arsene have forgotten his own words, we don’t buy super quality, we make them.
A simple question in the end and I want a honest answer. Wouldn’t you be happy if Capoue, Lamela and Paulinho were signed as Arsenal players this summer?
Agreed Lars @ 140.
N7 @141.
What? You starting to doubt?
Please don’t. It was only your zen-ness (Probably not a word) that was keeping me sane (well semi) π
What Lars & N7 said….it what we do that counts, not Tott.ommmmmm
H2H @ 144
I’ve had doubts all summer, but I’m committed to giving the club until 11pm on Monday night before reaching any firm conclusions.
In the meantime… have a nice cup of green tea and join me on the astral highway for pilates and keepie-ups.
Ommmmmm
H2H @ 142
I’d gladly take both those players. Eriksen, in particular, would be a smart little signing for us.
In my post@140, I did of course mean to say it was a plausible theory and not a plan. And if it is the plan then it is a very very stupid plan.
Lurky @ 143
The LWCs were actually fractionally further behind us last season than the season before, if we factor in goal difference.
Lurky @ 143
Just spotted your question.
Would I be happy? Well, what am I weighing those three against? Nothing, which is what we’ve signed as of the time of writing?
Yeah, weighed against nothing I’d be happy with those three.
Not saying that it’s wrong to spend money, or that we shouldn’t do it. Just saying that the press will throw rose petals in your path if you spend a few bob, but it doesn’t mean you don’t still need to do it out on the pitch.
City were being praised as late as last Sunday morning for “doing their business early”. Then they lost. Football is still played on grass.
None of us know whether a Spurs side with all these new players, less Bale, will be stronger. It remains to be seen.
N7.
Eriksen only has 10 months to go on his contract. β¬10mil would get him and that would be a steal.
H2H
If that’s the case then we should be in for him. That’s my view.
Let’s also not forget that Spurs had to spend a stupid amount because they were basically a one man team last term. Take away Bale and they were Fulham.
*and a shit fulham at that.
Bale AWOL from training? Eating plenty of bananas in a tropical jungle, I imagine?
Lurky, all fair enough but unfortunately your first post didn’t across this way and to answer your questions:
I would have been happy if we got Capoue, I’ve not watched him much but I think he is decent, even though he is nothing exceptional.
Paulinho? I watched him during the CONFED Cup and from what I saw he is not what we need, in fact I think he played the way Ramsey was playing 8months ago, works hard, gets into good positions and rarely makes them count .
Lamela? He hasn’t done enough to get my attention so I haven’t watched him once, I probably would have been indifferent had we signed him.
Now they might all go on and have a stormer of season but at the moment they’ve not done enough to make me regret Arsenal not signing them.
Actually Lurky – let’s flip it round; would you be happy with a summer in which we gained the players you mentioned but lost players who scored 32% of our goals last term (let’s say, off the top of my head, Santi and Giroud)?
That’s a more accurate reflection of where the LWCs are just now.
None of this is to say that what we’re doing (or appear to be doing) is good strategy, just that the current strength of the LWCs may be overstated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=QkCVGOnp6uU There is only one man to replace Le Boss
N7 @149
Sp*rs were further behind us last season than the season before, based on goal difference, but they were 3 points better than they were the year before, so they are making progress and getting closer to their aims. Don’t get me wrong, not praising Sp*rs there, just trying to see things in more objective manner.
Btw, City lost with two goals from corners, because they had their two first choice CB’s injured and their covers are clowns mainly because they did not bought any defenders this summer. Which is exactly the situation Arsenal were many years before and I would like to avoid it this season considering we have money to do so.
Cheers
Actually N7, – lets flip it round, I agree.
I would be satisfied if my team had lost Cavani who scored 40% of the team goals last season, but replaced him with Higuain, CallejΓ³n and Mertens for 10 million less.
I’m with Lars @140, although I know nothing of US Loans.
I am growing tired of folks being told to stop expressing opinions simply because they don’t agree that there is a master plan being executed behind the scenes by an army of brilliant people who obviously have a whole raft of signings ready to announce before Monday.
If there is any plan at all, I see no evidence of it.
I don’t believe there is not one player on the planet who could already have come in to strengthen our squad.
All I see is players being quoted as saying they don’t want to leave their clubs to come to us, or AFC denying they have any interest in players A,B,C,X,Y,Z.
I am not saying I wish we had signed all the players the Spuds have signed.
I am most definitely saying our squad is hopelessly thin and that that is wholly unnecessary.
Yes, I’m bloody fed up with it, too.
Evening everyone,
I just got back home from holidays at Sicily, I was leaving during the half time of the game with Aston Villa and knew the result before I departed Czech Republic…decided to stay off the net completely after that, hoping that I would come back home and find out that we have won the vital next three games.
Which we did..I could not resist and checked the results at least while on the lovely island and I have to say I am really happy with the lads performance. I have read the blogs and now have really massive backdrinking to do..until then..nice evening to you all:)
H2H — I myself would love players who have grown up in the Ajax set-up, especially the two you named, as they would have the technical abilities as well as the very typical Dutch awareness for space on the football pitch which are key to succeeding in our set up. Ramsey’s spectacular progress is built around his exponentially improving awareness for space and something that defines say TR7’s game and an area where Cesc was unparalleled in the recent years. It is a more important ability than dribbling in the Arsenal set-up.
On another thought — I now this is far-fetched — why don’t we bid for Bale as well? If we get a DM/central midfielder to play pivot, and another right sided defender and add Bale I think it would become a very good squad because of Bale’s versatility. I know ‘Spurs would never sell to us’ etc. but last time they did it turned out to be rather a very successful move for the player and our club. Would they be able to refuse ‘more money’? And Bale the appeal of not having to move away from London and top salary?
Just a curious thought. Don’t kill the ‘thinker’ etc. π
Well said Trev.
However, I have just one thing I was wondering, why can’t we just be honest for a moment and admit that we could’v done a job signing at least half of the players that Sp*rs signed. To be precise, Capoue, Lamela and Paulinho.
I mean, 90% of this bar was literally dying for us to sign Capoue for 15 mil. last summer and this winter. Had he become that awful in the meantime, because Sp*rs got him for only 8 million? Honesty is all I am asking …
Maybe we are in for a bigger fish, and I really hope that’s the case, but as Trev said, I can’t recognize any plan in our summer affairs. And that is not a good sign, not good at all.
Well said Trev @162 why does Wenger put himself under so much pressure. He stated after the first fenerbache game that the transfer window has started for him….. It should have started when every other top table club was strengthening their squads. I think it’s chaos in the Afc HQ, nobody seems to know is going on, there are new rumours every day!
How is it Tottenham are managing to sign players when we have finished above them and make champions league footy every bloody year. This was supposed to be the year we had money to burn!
Looks like Eriksen to Sp*rs is done for 12 mill.
In other news, Arshavin had opened his account for Zenit, from the penalty spot.
Ok.
No one (especially in this bar) can accuse me of a knee-jerk reaction, of not believing in AW or the players (I rate most of our players highly), of clamoring for signings after every loss.
But, this has gone too far.
This was supposed to be the summer where it all changes, when all the restrictions that were brought upon would get thrown out the window and we’d become what we were supposed to become after the Invincibles. What this stadium should have made us. A European powerhouse. A team (not club! team!) that would be a contender in every competition they play in.
I, like Trev, do not believe that the only player who can improve our squad is Yaya Sanogo. I also do not believe that what was good in January is all of a sudden not good in the summer (Capoue).
This summer has been a complete shambles. Like I said, I get that we’ve been shafted by Pere Guardiola and his info, but this is an organization that is run by professional people who are supposed to have contingency plans. These are the only three months Dick Law has to work throughout the year (I would say January as well, but we’re already used to “it’s hard to buy top quality in January, we’ll buy in the summer”)!
No one on this planet will be able to convince me that Cabaye was on our targets list at the end of May. No one. Why not bring Fellaini in? You don’t rate him as better than Frimpong who is now on our fucking bench!? We have 18 first team players in a squad that is supposed to last nine months. 18!
I can go on and on, this is truly infuriating. And if AW doesn’t think there are players available that would improve our squad he is deluded (yes, I went there).
I’ve had enough.
Having said ALL THIS, if we do sign two WC players by Sept. 2 I’ll be thrilled with the results of the summer, as all we wanted by the time last season ended, were 2-3 WC players, regardless of the timing.
Problem is, I just lost hope that it will happen. I no longer have any expectation or even hope that our negotiating team can pull off deals.
If we end up with Sanogo, Flamini, and Cabaye only, AW should not be offered a new contract and Gazidis should be fired. Someone has to pay for this farce of a summer.
Doc Faustus.
Wenger said something along those lines yesterday in an interview on Fox (NL).
If yo arereferring to the last player that Sp*rs “sold” us as Sol, then sorry but, Sp*rs had no say in the matter, he left for free at the end of his contract.
==
Trev, that’s how I’ve felt since it was obvious we weren’t getting anyone in new before the season kicked off.
I was told that TTD wasn’t untill Sep 2 so I should wait until then to judge………………………………………………..
Just to be clear I’m NOT trying to tell anyone how to think, feel or express their opinion about this transfer window. We all agree that our squad needs additions as a matter of urgency, but what I was trying to say is that I think we should be angry because of what we may have or have not done NOT because of what Sp*rs have done. Simple.
Thanks H2H. Yes, I forgot that Sol came for free as all I remember from that time is the collective cries of ‘judas’ in the Spurs loving media.
I would like to see more players educated in the Dutch set-up joining us. In the Arsene era we had no failures among those who have had the Dutch background (excluding Helder I suppose).
Lurky.
All I see is that Erikson has been given permisson to talk to S*urs.
Well, rumours that Flamini has signed are now floating about.
Would be better than nothing, at least.
H2H, that means the clubs have deal in place. For 12 million. Is that too much for us, or he is not what we want i.e exceptional quality?
I am looking forward to Sept-2, to finally see who has that exceptional quality to strengthen our team. In fact I am in such a despair to find out who these players are, considering that I run out of ideas who they might be. Not that I did’n have ideas, I’ve got plenty, but no one seemed to posses that extra quality.
Arsene has four days in my book. Four days to solve this charade.
Lars, looks like it is true re. Flamini. Well, exceptional quality maybe not, but free quality- yes.
In all seriousness I would like to welcome him, he is a fighter, we can always use one of that kind.
Good signing.
Flamini?? Really? I am also losing patience but Flamini?? That it is free quality is the only plus I can see in that deal (if its true).
I am personally still clinging to a hope that deals were pre-done and majority of soon to be our new shiny signings were waiting for how our CL qualifier will turn out and will now just put pen to paper.
If we end up this summer with signing just Sanogo and Flamini on free..I am going to join Snir in rage and calling for consequences either on board, or managerial side, since that would be outrageous waste of huge potential and great position we got ourselves to at the end of last season…
Haha, LC Draw brings us some interesting fixtures
United vs Liverpoo and believe or not Man City vs Wigan π
WBA vs Arsenal, tough draw.
Please don’t waste any time on the theory that deals have been in the pipeline and are just to be announced. I am not certain that here on Wednesday night Wenger has any idea who he might be able to sign by Monday evening. The options are narrowing and we are almost certainly going to end up with players below the quality threshold that Wenger set for himself ,simply because our squad is inadequate in number terms. We ve got rid of the dross but some of that dross was part of the nominal first team squad and we need to bring in some players just to ensure we have an adequate number to last the season. Hence the Flamini deal. Were Sanogo and Flamini the only deals to be done it would represent an enormous gamble by Wenger given the well- known financial strength of the club. If we fail to win a proper trophy the fourth place trophy may fail to placate a lot of very restless natives of N5.
There has been a lot of rubbishing of the LWCs on here but I have to firstly praise their obvious ambition to build a very good side and their strategy which with Baldini in place makes ours look highly dysfunctional.
Rabbits need to be produced from hats in the next few days and I am far from confident that Wenger has the magic to do this anymore. We have cut him an awful lot of slack and continue to do so but if he doesn’t sort out the right signings there will be massive pressure on him and I would have little sympathy .5 days and counting Arsene.
Damn you Skakhter!
Snir knows.
BMBD
Eandy,
don’t expect too much to happen at owner/board level.
Arseblog had an interesting link a couple of days ago, outlining the style and expectations of American ownership of football franchises in the US.
Well worth a read, but not hugely comforting if you are expecting urgent, decisive action from the owner.
On the other hand, too much urgent, decisive interference is also not a good thing.
So, this is how the CL group stage pots work out:
Pot One:
Bayern Munich
Barcelona
Chelsea
Real Madrid
Man Utd
Arsenal
Porto
Benfica
Pot Two:
Atletico Madrid
Shakhtar Donetsk
Milan
Schalke 04
Marseille
CSKA Moscow
PSG
Juventus
Pot Three:
Zenit Saint Petersburg
Manchester City
Ajax
Borussia Dortmund
Basel
Olympiacos
Galatasaray
Bayer Leverkusen
Pot Four:
FC Copenhagen
Napoli
Anderlecht
Celtic
Steaua Bucharest
Viktoria Plzen
Real Sociedad
Austria Wien
Nice post TTG.
Eandy @ 174: Wake up Tuesday morning expecting nothing. I mean nothing, not even Flamini or even Cabaye. And that way you still can find some joy in being pleasantly surprised, if something indeed happens.
I know it defies all common sense and logic, but I won’t be surprised if Arsene doesn’t get the type of players he was looking for we would rather stick to Ryo-Frimpong-Gnabry-Sanogo and go again with that money in the next window. It would be a little demented, but not unlike us. And he would still get you a CL spot.
Again, not justifying the (not so) enigmatic lack of actions, just saying that just because what we expect has not been happening doesn’t mean it would happen one way or another.
Trev – could you send me that link please?
Doc Faustus.
Problem is, as I see it, not too many of us here have ever really expected that much. Most of us accepted that the club did things a certain way and that was necessary due to rebuilding. Some of us thought that we should of shown a little more ambition here and there, the are we being the best we could be club, but even then we still accepted that maybe we couldn’t really do much more.
However, as I and many others have said, this summer was supposed to be different, the club all but guarenteed us new signings, we were supposed to strengthen, etc, etc, I won’t go on because it’s getting tedious now.
An already fractured support has now been torn even futher apart and I’m afraid that they’ll only be united in their anger against the club. This is a totally ridiculous situation we find ourselves in and it’s all of our own making.
Here it is Snir;
http://arseblog.com/page/2/
Nothing that I (nor I’m sure you) didn’t already know.
TTG; Unfortunately I agree with all of that post.
The players have done us proud so far, but they cannot be expected to carry form and fitness through a grueling season and the chances of winning anything, right now depend on huge amounts of luck and given that this season, it already looks as if we wont be getting any favours at all, then, well, looks like a very long season ahead.
I can only imagine how difficult signings are to complete, yet we seemed to manage getting Cazorla, Monreal and Podolski in OK. There were players out there we could get; Lemala better not be any good as I was checking him out on whoscored, along with capoue and both of them would’ve been ideal signings yet wenger/gazidis/doris seem hell bent on trying (and failing) to sign top drawer (meaning big money/wages) players we have zero chance of ever getting.
My confidence levels are at about 5% that we adequately strengthen and if we dont then fuck only only knows how depressingly piss poor the atmos at home games will be?
Of course, Ramsey and Jack will undoubtedly smash all before them this weekend, but after that?
Who knows? I doubt Arsene does, any more, sadly.
For what it’s worth – maybe just maybe Brady knows
@Born_a_gooner: Liam Brady says on Irish TV RTΓ that Arsenal fans “could see a few surprises” in the transfer window this week. #Arsenal
*Despaired smiley*
I’d love it if we signed Fellaini and Rooney and Sakho and a decently experienced GK.
But that just isnt going to happen. Flamini would be a decent addition and is versatile, which obviously counts for a lot with AW. I really do wonder what exactly goes on at the meetings to decide players to go for. Thats if there actually are meetings. It does all point to a need for a director of football type dude.
Vela scored a brace for Sociedad tonight.
In minority here as usual, I’ve disagreed with his sale at the time. Just like I disagreed with the Gervais one.
I watch Sociedad whenever I have a chance as they are an very interesting side. Vela scores constantly for them. a goal in every two games or so. We had a clause to get him back for a couple of millions which has now inspired as far as I remember. Why didn’t we activated it? Are we going to get any better forward this summer? Even if we do, Vela is a decent backup. How much is Vela going to cost in two years time? 7-8 times more?
If anyone thinks that I should get serious, I pretty much am, the numbers are on his side.
H2H @ 184: There is nothing you said I disagree with.
I just think contrary to what the PR machinery might say, Arsenal FC is not operationally driven towards making or keeping fans happy. Arsene would love if he can keep fans happy by delivering trophies, players too, but I think as an institution it is evidently working under a different set of goals and targets which we are obviously not privy to. Preserving a status quo while minimizing expenses can be that target, and building very slowly may be the plan.
And don’t be surprised if the club has done survey/analysis to already gauge/predict the extent of the turmoil in supporter base to see to what extent it can move very slowly without suffering anything in the revenue stream.
Again, not something I approve, but just highlighting a potential alternative plan that the club might be operating with.
Lurky @ 189: I am fully with you about Vela. I think he had made some disciplinary mistakes to earn Arsene’s ire but as a player I always felt he offers great qualities and variations to have let go so easily. He could finish, even on his bad days, and nothing in the world would convince me that he could not have been kept and encouraged to fight for a starting spot and meanwhile used intelligently from the bench.
If that is their plan, then it’s a pretty shody one.
Fans are the lifeblood of any club, without them they are nothing, they’d do well to remember that.
Will my posts show now?
Any signings yet? Still waiting on you Mr Wenger window starts now.
Oh I see my post are showing now, I wrote a post earlier that disappeared, the gist of it is that I’m not trying to tell anyone how to think, feel or express their opinion about our activities(or lack of) in this transfer window. I guess it comes down to what someone (can’t remember who) said here a while back; we all have different ways of reacting to events. I believe we all want the best for the club but have different realistic expectations and reactions to those expectations been met or not. Our squad needs additions as a matter of urgency, I believe the people in charge know that and will what is required of them.
Cheers Faustus, Vela has talent, it was evident from the beginning.
I can’t escape the feeling that there are double standards in treating players at our club, from the manager, and most important from the fans. In some players especially if they are British, there is so much belief, no matter what they do on and off the pitch. Others can work their socks off, but that is never enough.
If Vela was given only half of the chances Ramsey got, they both would have been the force for Arsenal in the coming season.
Vela had a fair crack of the whip, he just couldn’t cut it in the PL. La Liga’s easier to score, that’s just the way it is.
Ramsey worked his balls off to get where he is and he didn’t exactly get an easy ride from many so called supporters, he deserves a bit more respect then that.
I agree with H2H, Vela wasnt/isnt suited to the PL. I really hoped he’d make it and he did get a fair few chances, but it never worked out for him.
Ramsey deserves all the plaudits he is now, finally getting from a fair few who were slating him too.
Lays it on a plate……….
What H2H said.
Haha, I actually meant what H2H said @197 thanks for the assist maestro.
Well in Cent.
Cheers mate.
H2H, I agree, Ramsey deserves to be where he is, he is one of the most important Arsenal players now, he earned it.
However, you like to admit it or not, he cost Arsenal many games in the process. It was not exactly his fault, he was rushed and forced to play on the wings and other strange positions for the sake of playing, for the reasons unknown, at least not for me. It was evident that he was not ready at the time, not physically (speed, stamina, misplaced passes) nor psychically (confidence).
Norris and Cent. Agree that Primera is easier to score goals.
However, claiming that Vela isn’t suited to the PL, is like claiming that Cazorla, Silva, Mata aren’t suited for PL. All of them actually are scoring more frequently than they did in La Liga.
Arsensl v Wigan League Cup about 2008. We won 3-0 and the standout players against a full strength Wigan were Ramsey, Wishere and Vela who score with a trademark chip. He looked superb then but who knows what happens in the mind of OGzl. At least he kept two of the three
Trev @ 161,
I politely disagree that there is no plan as someone who believes there is one.
I think we’ve largely been trying to sign world class players this summer. We bid for Higuain, Suarez, Bender. I don’t believe we wanted things to be strung out so long but in many cases other factors intervened. I do believe we’ve tried and I still think we’re trying to be successful on that front.
Whens the last time we tried to sign world class players? The last universally renowned world class player I remember we signed was Bergkamp. Most others we converted or developed. This year I think we’re in for world class players. How bad is that? It’s arguably taken 16 years to get to this level. I believe Wenger has earned that respect and patience and behind all the frustration, I think you know that too.
Lurky, I think Vela’s problem was that he not the type of player that get’s ‘stuck in’ the three players you listed above might be of small stature but the break sweat to start and finish off moves and you may have noticed that they all have their best games any day they put themselves in the thick of things.
Oh spend some fecking money already…
There, I said it.
BMBD
14 first team selections. Did I read that correctly from above? If that number is true then we are facing some serious malfeasance.
BMBD
Five days to go lads.
In five days we’ll all have our answers. Plenty of time after that to rage at the club/point the finger.
It seems quite clear to me that we’re going to the absolute wire on this one. I have no idea who we’re going to end up with. All I know is that you can’t trust the rumours in the papers, you can’t trust twitter and you can barely trust what the players themselves say. All that matters is where we are come 11pm on Monday. The rest is noise.
I’m waiting until the verdict’s in. I’ve waited three months, I can wait five more days.
@lurky
The LWCs have finished the same distance behind us the last two seasons; with worse comparative goal difference last time out. I don’t know what they’re getting closer to, but it ain’t us, not in terms of league performance anyway.
I would love us to have bought Capoue. I’d love us to have bought Erikson. I wanted us to buy Lloris and Dembele last summer. We didn’t, and we still finished ahead of them. Doesn’t make our policy right, but it does go to show that the teams getting applause off the press in late August are not always the ones who come up smiling come early May.
Let’s see how they go, and hope to god they don’t gel quickly.
Just to add: at this stage the discussion is virtually academic.
Every single person in this bar agrees what we need to do. I doubt a single person feels we’ve had a good summer so far or that the club have come of this looking good.
All that’s left is a choice; lose your shit now or wait five more days and then reach a conclusion with all the data.
Strong drinks on the bar for everyone.
I take a trip around Europe, settle back with a beer in eastern France to find all hell has let loose. It’s all a bit of a mess right now isn’t it? Top posts from H2H, Trev, Snir, and Lars re silent Stan. I posed the question twice before about why was Stan really in this and what did he actually want out of it and no one came back with an answer.
Joe, to say we have gone after world class players just does not cut it for me. When you set objectives they have to be achievable. Suarez was never going to be achievable. Higuain? How did we fuck that up. That is the one signing that would have shown we mean business. A top class player that would have been worth the extra cash to demonstrate to others that we mean business. But no. It all went belly up.
Trev is spot on. As we hit 29th August is there no one who would have added to the squad? Were the likes of Cabaye and Flamini our top targets back in May??? Whatever happens between now and the window closing, this window has been a shambles. Our stock as a club has been progressively falling for years now. We have done nothing but turn out well groomed executives to pose in front of the media in an attempt to rebut this notion. For those of you that still don’t get it take a look at the champions league pots for the draw later today. If you wet in pot 2,3 or 4, what group would you want to be in????? I would guess that thae vast majority would choose our group.
I sincerely hope that we can do what is required. Am I confident???? Sadly, Not in the slightest. I just hope that I am very wrong.
In Arsene’s presser, post Fenerbache, he looked like the cat who swallowed the canary. Don’t think it was just him basking in the afterglow of that win. He wasn’t agitated or rattled by questions concerning our activity. He appeared smug, confident he knew something, no one (except the inner cirlce) was privy to. Fingers crossed.
N7. Regardless of what happens, it should not be like it is now. Not in the slightest. The big question is why is it like it is? Who or what is it down to?
Abb. I hope you are right with your interpretation, I really do.
Steve
I totally agree that it should not have come to this.
I think the “why” and the “who’s to blame” are very valid questions to which we should turn our attentions on 3 September when we have full visibility over the scope of our failure (assuming it proves to be a failure).
I agree N7. As I said, I hope for some good news. Some really good news. But even if that comes it really does not exonerate the last 3 months.
Arsenal a big club????? We really need to start acting like one.
One final thought before I turn in. As no one (apart from Lars) can give me a reason as to why Stan is actually involved in the club I will ask you this…….
Considering the way the club has been run over recent years, especially the last few months, would the combination of Usmanov and Dein been a better option? Or put another way, would they have done any worse.
Now, I am not for one second suggesting that I want Usmanov to have ownership of the club, but has Stan done something that makes us proud?????
Night all.
Steve
They’d probably have done much better (although we have no idea where the blockage in transfer spending has really been).
But club performance is not the reason I wouldn’t want Usmanov running the show.
You know, all this Kroenke bashing is so tiresome. If Stan came in and went public and splashed all kinds of cash, I think many of you would be complaining about the rash American who comes in and takes over.
There’s no evidence that Stan is putting any extra money in, but there’s no evidence that he’s siphoning funds out of the club either. I think he’s understandably cautious and reliant on AW. Now, I am exasperated with Gazidis but I think the Kroenke hating is misguided.
While I am being contrarian, might I also request that we lay off all the monkey references vis-a-vis Bale. Itβs really unbecoming.
BMBD
Donald, the mere fact that he helped put those 7 trophies in the cabinet means he has earned the right to more gratitude and respect than what you have shown.
BMBD
Goodnight, troll.
re: Ramsey vs Vela. Midfielders can put in a shift in a way that forwards can’t. So it is bit unfair to compare the two.
I thought Eriksson or Hazard would have been ideal signings two years ago, but we allowed Chelski to have the latter and apparently lost interest in the former. Maybe Wenger was right because Eriksson doesn’t appear to have made the progress Hazard has subsequently. He’s still a useful player, but I’d rather have Ozil now, and I’d sooner have Mata than either if he is available.
Real can also keep Di Maria since we have a plethora of good midfielders (when they’re all fit). The Real player I’d dearly like to see at the Ems is Raphael Varane, all class and still just 20. He’d fit in beautifully in CD.
As for a future manager (at least another 5+years away I reckon) we could do worse than another Frenchman, Philippe Montanier currently with Rennes, or Antonio Conte who managers Juventus. Both in their 40s so likely to be still around when AW does finally apply for his Arsenal pension.
Oskar
Mind you, if Stojkovic is half as good a manager as he was a player he’d be a shoo-in.
Oskar
If I am reading the annual report right, Silent Stan may be getting Β£2m a year plus in revenue out of his 50% ownership of Arsenal Broadband (for which he paid ITV Β£22.7 million in 2008). He also gets a Β£25,000 a year fee as a main board director of the club.
WE, Donald? Since when were you one of us REAL gooners?
No signings you reckon? Hmmm, I can’t wait to hear your excuses come Sept 2. No, cancel that … I couldn’t give a flying fart.
Oskar
Donald, try http://www.le-grove.co.uk … You’ll feel welcome there.
Oops … Looks like ownership deleted Donald’s posts.
For people talking about American sports owners, the only sport in America that is remotely comparable to the European model is Baseball. Baseball has no salary cap, local TV deals so the big market teams earn more, and a small luxury tax that doesn’t dissuade the big spenders from spending. Silent Stan owns teams in the 3 other leagues, NFL, NBA, NHL. All 3 have salary caps, revenue sharing … Socialist models. Owners in those leagues can’t affect a team like a Saudi Sheikh coming in to Man City, etc. Stan is just doing what he is used to doing. Don’t expect different.
Lonestar. It’s not Stan bashing at all. But when a man who has no connections to the club and no genuine interest in the club takes control of the club then is it not fair to ask why??? I have no idea what he is in it for? He is not a life long fan and from my understanding spends the majority of his days thousands of miles away in the states. My concern has always been, why get involved in Arsrnal? The only sensible reason I can see is to make money. Whether that is short term or long term, who knows? But from what I have seen I am far from convinced that he has the club or the fans interests at heart. This is purely business to him and purely about money.
I am not for one minute suggesting that he dip into his personal wealth and bankroll the club. Far from it. I just want to know that there is someone in charge of the club who cares about its well being as much as I do. Not too much to ask for I hope?????
N7. I agree totally. In an ideal world I would not want Stan or Usmanov anywhere near our club. But in the days of big finance unfortunately money talks very loudly.
Have we signed anyone yet?
Steve@233: “But in the days of big finance unfortunately money talks very loudly.”
That is the sad truth. And it all started with the invention of the Champions League, although to be honest that was probably more of a symptom than a cause.
I agree Lars. My view is that the Champs Lge will eventually evolve into an European Super League. I must say that I really don’t like the way it is all going.
Me neither, Steve. Football is going the wrong way if you ask me.
Steve
I’d agree that in an ideal world we’d not have overseas ownership at all, but from the information I have Usmanov is a far, far worse human being than Stan. Makes Luis Suarez look like a saint, in fact.
Steve @236
Agree with all of that. That’s where we’re headed, sadly.
I’m not against overseas ownership. But owning a football club is totally different to any other form of business. All I want is someone running the club who has a genuine feel and interest for the club. Not someone who sits on his arse thousands and thousands of miles away counting the cattle on his ranch.
Not too much to ask, is it?????
Steve
We’re on the same page.
F1 was more fun when they ran on narrow tyres with no seatbelts and the cars broke down as often as not.
Cricket was more fun when we assumed the umpires got it right more often than not, before we had slo-mo, snicko, hot spot, hawkeye and multiple replay angles which prove conclusively that cricket is more of a lottery than a competitive sport.
Golf was more fun when it took two woods and an iron to hit a par 5 green, a wood and an iron for a par 4, and Tiger Woods had never been born.
Tennis was more fun when the women players were nice girls you could imagine dating or even playing a set with, not 6-foot plus Amazons who pulverize your best serve with a flick of the wrist.
Sadly football is not what it was either. Gone are the days when your team was pretty much the same year after year with just the occasional import or academy player making the grade. Today it’s a game for mercenaries working, not for supporters any more, but for themselves and a band of virtual warlords trying to outdo one another in financial one-upmanship.
We are just the mugs trying (and failing) to associate what we see today with how we remember it used to be.
Oskar
Good article on Rambo here but I had a laugh at the descriptions of Cygan and Stepanovs. Were they really crowd favourites?
http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=thematch&i=TWT&id=82&w=1d7pr
No signings yet but I will stay in Zen mode until the window is closed.
Interesting, just read the UEFA say the actual crowd on Tues night was as low as 44,000???? I am still on holiday so have no idea. If there is any truth in these figures then this should be the biggest wake up call ever.
Huge amounts of empty seats on the TV so sounds about right
Well if that is right then 15,000 not bothering having bought a ticket is something quite bizarre. If that does not raise a few eyebrows at board level then nothing will.
Steve T, I think the empty seats had more to do with the match been perceived to be a dead-rubber game than fans protesting.
Cent. I don’t for one minute think it was a protest but the fact the 25% of those who had tickets couldn’t be arsed to turn up speaks very loudly for me.
Am I the only one to think that Spuds will be trying to have Bale available for Sunday and just sell him on the Monday?
Nothing would surprise me with this lot.
I know he is on strike, but hey-ho, maybe he’s just being preserved in cotton-wool.
Ollie @ 249
I would be stunned beyond belief if Spurs played Bale on Sunday.
They’re about to sell him for a totally unmerited world record transfer fee, the bulk of which they’ve already spent.
If they were to play him and he suffered a serious injury they would probably be at risk of sending the entire club down the tubes. Also, absolutely no way Madrid would allow it – they’d crater the whole negotiation.
And that’s before we get into issues around the player’s head, how it would appear to his team mates, etc, etc.
Agree N7.
What I would say is that they may well leave the deal until last minute to scupper any chance they have of selling players. If I was in charge of Madrid then I would be tempted to halve the offer right now. They would shit their pants.
Agreed Steve.
I think Spurs must be aware that, right now, they control the market. Very little else is moving until Bale is done, leaving them free to grab a load of tier 2 players unopposed. Suspect they’ll draw it out until the weekend.
I also agree re: Madrid. If I were them I would be on the phone to Levy right now stating that the deal is now Β£65m, take it or leave it. I really don’t see what leverage Levy would have at this stage – the money is gone, AVB has publicly admitted the player is going, Spurs have dragged the negotiation out all summer and if he doesn’t leave now he’ll presumably be furious. Hardball time.
Weighed against that, I suspect that if Madrid were to fail to conclude this deal (thereby proving yet again that they’re the reigning champs of that section of competitive football which now takes place off the pitch and on SSN, and that no one can refuse them) heads would probably roll at the Bernabeu.
I may be alone on this, but if we can’t get the likes of Mata/Di Maria I’d be quite happy to see us stick a bid in for Victor Moses. I reckon he’s a handy little player, probably has a bit more to give than he already has, he’d give us some real directness on the left flank and he wouldn’t cost the Earth.
I know things don’t look so great right now, but I have to say that there are still some very handy players likely to be available in the next few days.
I am not sure what is holding up the Bale deal. If I were at Madrid I would be seriously considering pulling the plug on it all. Lets be honest, they don’t exactly have a poor squad do they???
I think now its also about the marketing for Madrid, and whole “brand” of the club. Barca bought Neymar, hence they need to bring in big name aswell, Perez would be butchered in next elections if he failed to do so.
Also, they learnt that deals like this will eventually pay themselves by shirt sales and other stuff connected with it, as with Beckham, Zidane and C.Ronaldo.
I have to say that it’s really annoying me to watch the head of the AST (an organisation who do some great work and play an important role in the dialogue between the club and the fans) stirring the sh!t on social media a little over 48 hours before the NLD.
I’m sure the AST feel that pressure applied now might force the club to spend, but I have to say that I think that’s b0llocks. If Arsenal really don’t want to spend this window then no amount of angry tweeting is going to change that. The more likely scenario is that our negotiating position is undermined as sellers know that the board have the support on their back demanding a purchase.
I think it’s right to question the club, and I think that if we don’t buy by Monday there should be a full scale inquest into what’s gone on this summer, with some heads rolling at the end of it.
I don’t think there’s any merit in publicly accusing the club of negligence and disrespect at this particular moment in time. I’m sure we all feel like kicking and shouting but if you’re in a position of responsibility you should exercise a little more restraint. Wait 5 days and you can fill your boots with this stuff, but all you’re doing right now is aggravating people who are already stressed up to the eyeballs with what’s going on.
Suspect not everyone will agree, other opinions are available.
The big problem Madrid have is that their club shop had been selling bale shirts for a week now. Arrogant to the core.
Podolski out for three months.
We bid 10 mil. for Josuha Guilavogui of Saint-Etienne. Never heard of him to be honest.
No further comment…
.com have verified that Poldi will be out for 8-10 weeks. Terrible news as this leaves our option for left wing and CF severely depleted, especially when Chambo is also out for some time.
Without any new signings, Santi will be forced to play wide left most of the time without sufficient backup, which also leaves our midfield options short. Surely we have to add to this squad unless AW plans to include NB52 and Park in our matchday squad.
Devastating news to compund a long, baffling summer for Arsenal. 3 points against Spurs and some class signings would be just the remedy.
I worked through my shit-losing after the Villa game so whatever happens come the slamming of the window, it’ll be water off a duck’s back to me.
Anyone who thinks any jobs will be lost if no signings materialise on Monday/Tuesday is going to be disappointed. What we will learn, however, will be that the management are untouchable whatever they do…then we may wonder if that will be the same should we drop out of the top 4.
I have to say if the Spuds don’t finish above us they will look very silly indeed! All that money spent just to stay in 5th position!
Ouch, 8 to 10 weeks for Poldi…
N7, Tim P is a self-serving cunt who likes to think he’s important.
An arsenal 8 to 10 weeks could mean a whole season?????
Just as well we have a big squad then….
Oh yeah…
@ Ollie
That’s very much the impression I’m getting. He’s come out of this summer looking as bad as anyone in my eyes.
Terrible, terrible news re: Poldi. If it wasn’t for bad luck, we’d have none at all. And we’re also becoming adept at manufacturing extra bad luck for ourselves, just in case there’s every a shortage.
He’s surely got to sign some players here. I honestly can’t think of another comparable situation at any club in all the time I’ve been watching the game in terms of the depth of our injury list, the fact that we have specified we’ve had funds and the apparent reluctance or inability to actually spend them.
Terrible for Podolski too – he was just starting to come into some form, as was the Ox.
I sometimes wish that I was actually Mr S Stirrer.
If I were, I could now mouth off about the lack of signings and DEMAND that the club bring in several players RIGHT NOW.
This would put me in the enviable position of being able to denounce the club if they failed to bring anyone in.
On the other hand, if any players came in, I would then be able to SHOUT and SCREAM and generally throw my toys about in a paddy because the new signings were not brough in sooner. If any of the new signings had an off day, I would be able to point out how much better they would have done with the benefit of a full pre-season. If any of the new signings suffered an injury I would be able to state authoritatively that the club had failed to give them adequate medical examinations dues to the need to sign players in a hurry.
If all the players that were brought in performed admirably and were injury free, I would be able to complain that they hadn’t been brought in during previous windows. (If players had been brought in earlier in the window, I would have been able to use this line.)
However, my name is not S Stirrer so I shan’t indulge in these petty moanings.
Spot on Pangloss. It’s a total clusterfuck.
But we knew that already.
π
8-10 weeks is no surprise, when a player reacts like Poldi did it is usually quite bad.
I have no expectations about this season at this point. Injuries galore to an already thin squad and we’re not even two full weeks into the season.
Whoever it is that is shafting us, would you please get your shit toghether and at least try to build a team?
Support from an unexpected quarter. Thanks SteveT.
I suspect we don’t agree on “It” from your second sentence and never will.
Pangloss @ 265
“When the feeling’s gone and you can’t go on that’s irony?” Repeat chorus.
UTA.
Afternoon all.
Welcome back Steve T.
Oskar.
Nice post about the years of yester.
For me footy lost it’s soul years ago, I think it all started with the shirt sponsering, I remember reading in a matchday programme Dennis Hill Wood saying that it “was a sign of the times” when Arsenal also succomb to the need of having a company blazened across our strip (as I recall we were one of the last in the top flight to do so).
It took a while, but the formation of the PL, a golum of our own creation lest we forget, was always on the cards, and from there began the demise into pure capatilist business, turning football clubs into brands, franchises, rich man’s toys and worse still, a way to make dispicables seem respectable. Social media and 24/7 blanket coverage have also ofcourse changed the landscape.
The money and the coverage are not all bad. Spectaters are no longer treated like cattle, the stadia have proper facilities. I remember the toilets at the side of the Clockend, well toilet is what they were named, it was basicaly a pisswall that stunk to high heaven, godforbid if you had to take a dump, those stalls were utterly rancid, plus unlike back in my day, it is a pretty safe inviorement to take the whole family, even if you may have to sell off a few kids just to afford the tickets. π
Now people like me (and you Oskar) who live abroad can still follow our team live due to worldwide coverage, it wasn’t so long ago that I had to relie on MoTD (when it was about), teletext or day old newspapers (when I lived in Spain) to get my Arsenal fix. But now with the internet and thanks to briliant sites like this, I get to share thoughts with like minded gooners from all corners of the globe. Ofcourse there are downsides to that too, keyboard warriors and kneejerkitis, but with eeverything in life I suppose you have to take the bad with the good.
I too, yearn for the days when football was about three o clock Saturday afternoon, a walk up the Isledon Rd, past the Rainbow on the Sevensisters, under the bridge, turn right onto St Thomas, obtaining a matchday program (need the coupon for the cupfinal ticket) and the steady walk with Highbury Stadium in sight. Watch the game, cheeering on the lads win or lose, then disecting the action on the walk home via Drayton Park back to the Hornsey Rd, but alas, like my youth and flat stomach, those days are long gone. π
Hear him! Hear him! H2h@270. A drink on the bar for you and Oscar.
UTA
COYG
Podolski estimate now 2 months.
So I was right to cringe when I heard the original, quite forceful “21 days”. π
Podolski news not good. π
Eto’o signing the most intriguing of the summer?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23873089
H2H. Brilliant post @270. π
Lewis Holtby will leave the LWCs on loan.
I remember him – that player we “missed out on” in January who was going to strengthen them immeasurably.
Oh, old news. That took 50 minutes to post. π
Nice one H2H.
There was actually a lot wrong with watching football in the seventies and eighties, from the facilities to your personal safety, but those days always seem to be the first ones to surface in the memory banks.
There could be no more fitting word than ‘wedge’ to describe the enormous amounts of money that have slowly driven fans apart from the players, and even the clubs, they used to worship.
We here will always love The Arsenal, but it is fast becoming a matter of ‘in spite of’, rather than ‘because of’ too many of the people inside it.
Before anyone jumps, I have no doubt about the manager’s loyalty and commitment to the cause, and the current squad of players are beginning to fool me, once again, into thinking that they really care.
The others at the forefront of running our club seem to have absolutely no inkling of what it all means to those of us who finance them.
Trev@277, change your last sentence to “The others at the forefront of running our club are behaving in way that leads one to doubt whether they have any inkling of what it means to those of us who follow it” and even I could take no objection to it. I may have toned it down a little because I was getting bored with simply retyping what you had written.
Major change, however, is that since the events of which H2H wrote so movingly @270 above, the fans no longer finance the clubs directly, The money comes from clubs’ sponsors, and, via the FA/Premier League, from the broadcasters. That’s the reason why so many here feel so powerless. Lacking control over the pusrsestrings, we are powerless.
Minor change is that I’m specifying what leads me to believe that “those at the forefront… have no inkling”.
While we’re in discussion, you complained early yesterday evening about people coming on here telling others how to think. I hope I haven’t been guilty of that and if I have, I apologise. I have, repeatedly, told some here not to equate lack of result with lack of effort. I still become very irritated when I see that happening, and may continue to rail against it, even, on occasion, telling people not to.
Flamini for 3 years!!!
that’s a start, now lets kick on from here
So just how many modern clubs are run or owned by dyed-in-the-wool supporters?
Modern sports clubs are multibillion dollar enterprises. Fanboys generally are priced out of the market.
I just think we could do a lot worse than Stan.
BMBD
Well, at least we have now officially signed Flamini. It’s a start, but a long way to go yet.
N7: Yes, Holtby was an amazing signing by them according to many. Almost as good as Nuri Sahin was supposed to be for Liverpool…
Ah – Sahin. Another one that got away.
What a turning point it proved to be when he “spurned” us in favour of Liverpool.
Lovely stuff H2H and Oscar @242.
N7 – Well said @just about everywhere.
Welcome back SteveT.
Flamini has signed on the dotted line. No brainer.
And so begins the trolley dash.
Flamini = a good start.
Smart signing, covers multiple positions, knows the club. No brainer.
Now bring on the big guns…
Pangloss,
I think the word “seem” in my sentence was implying your desired changes. π
Pangloss @278
Take your point, we as fans might not directly finance the Clubs any more, but we do indirectly.
How much would TV/Sponsorship be willing to pay if games were played out in front of half empty passionless Stadia?
The enormous sums they hand over are for the full package, and the most important component of that package is the crowd.
Flamini signed.. That’s a start
Trev@286, fair enough. Yours@277 was a little too strident for my delicate constitution :-/.
Tabs@287 Agreed, and congratulations on interpretting the dog’s breakfast I made out of typing “purse-strings”. In my activist mode, I might suggest that it’s all very well possessing power, but until you come to wield it, it’s pointless. Given the enormous difficulty in organising that games be played in front of half empty passionless stadia, it might be better if everyone behaved and thought as though the fans don’t posses that power.
And finally, I suspect that many non-football supporters probably believe that the most important component of a TV package is the game on the pitch. I’m just guessing, however, because I am a football supporter.
I think “non football supporters” are probably watching EastEnders on t’other side.
Call me old-fashioned π
Huh, Flamini is done. Didn’t see that one coming. Or that was the plan since May.
Now, don’t loose any time, Barca and Real are circling like vultures, act faster, Fabio Quagliarella is available. Young and talented prospect, top, top quality, exactly what we have been looking for this summer.
In all seriousness, Flamini is actually a good signing. Top, top quality.
To be honest, I am not at all sure Flamini is a panic buy. He may not have been our first option, but I really don’t see in what position he would be a signing that prevents others from signing and he has been training with the club for several weeks. He can play in central midfield and as a full-back on both sides which means we now also have a little more cover in defense as well as midfield.
Tabs@290. I suspectthat theremay be some non-football supporters amongst the shareholders of those buying TV package rights. As such, their opinions about the most important compponent of the packages may have some relevance.
I’m old-fashioned too.
Lars @ 292
Anyone we sign this week will be labelled a panic buy.
Doubly so if we lose at the weekend.
I’m not being contrarian Pangloss, so I apologise if you think I am, but I genuinely have no idea of the point you’re trying to make π
Cheers lads.
So Flamini’s signed, ok.
Those that mean we’re getting Cesc back too? π
Tabs – you wrote@287 “The enormous sums they hand over are for the full package, and the most important component of that package is the crowd.”
I’m not sure that everyone involved in the purchase would agree about the importance of the crowd.
We’re still waiting on Hleb H2H. Cesc won’t commit until that happens.
It’s the whole Band or nothing at all. π
Very true, N7@294.
H2H@296: I was thinking the same but didn’t have the nerve to say it π
Pangloss – Ah ok, I’m with you now.
Then we disagree! π
tabses it!
Well in, tabs π π
Glory position!
I got both the assist and the real glory position. That’s is, my work is done so time to go home for some dinner!
Damn.
Out Tabsed by Lars.
& well in Tabs.
Haha, he scores when he’s not looking!
Cheers Pangloss π
Played Lars – I miss that position!
Lars, intentional tabs don’t count, I’ll give you the assist.
And tabs the glory of the goal.
As for Flamini, he’s the new Coquelin, only possibly not as good ? π
First time I’m kind of unhappy about a signing (despite the sense it makes, but then Squillaci made sense too ;))….
Don’t worry, I won’t boo him either, but it’ll take something for me to even cheer him as an individual player.
Don’t devalue it, tabs, the whole beauty of it is always when you think you’ve just scored, that’s how it started, and that’s how it should forever be.
Yeh fair call Ollie.
And I know it’s difficult to believe but I DO always go for the goal π
Pangloss. We may not agree but we share the same goals and passions. A drink awaits you on the bar.
Flamini is a no brainer. Sensible deal. Decent addition to the squad.
Still sat in the French sunshine. Just wondering whether to do fish or meat on the BBQ later? Might even go for a cheeky bit of both.
Flamini? Sorry, boss. Not impressed.
BMBD
Go for both, Steve. Don’t forget to use the full width of the BBQ π
Ollie: What? Intentional tabs doesn’t count??? *sits in the corner sulking for a bit*
Personally I thought having two D’s and two F’s in the midfield gave us quite a nice balance, in an alphabetical sense if for nothing else. Fabregas Flamini Denilson Diaby. Will we have to settle for only one D and one F??
And no comments about Diaby not making up even the one D, please. π
SteveT, thank you for the drink. There’s one for you behind the counter.
We certainly agree about Falmini. I have serious misgivings about him, but he represents a link with “better days” and should help to bring a winner’s mentality to the dressing room. Also, the price was right and anyone who tells you that’s irrelevant is missing a serious point about running a business.
Anyone who suggests that Flamini was a major part of the FAC corporate plan for the transfer window is, in my less-humble-than-it-should-be opinion, having a laugh.
8ball@313 – I like the way you’re going there.
I have always believed that all those Z’s gave France a huge advantage around the turn of the Millenium- Zinedine Zidane, Lizarizou.
We learned from that and have now added Cazorla to Szczesny. World domination can only be inches away!
(That’s AFC in the last para of mine@313). Bloody typing “skills”.
Pangloss. Lizarazu one of the alltime great names, as well as addinging a good Z quotient. Cazorla on the other hand is so good a player that his name, while quite elegant on its own merits, is really little more than an added bonus. Just in my opinion, of course. π
Not to denigrate Lizarazu at all as a player of course. He was tops.
Can’t find anything wrong with signing the Flamster:
Not wet behind the ears
Decent quality
Versatile
Hassle-free transfer
Definitely a good one on paper but you’ll have a job and a half convincing me there was anything even remotely planned about it. Still, I’m not complaining because we actually signed someone.
Pangloss- tabs.
It’s true that Football as a whole generates revenue a lot different then back in the day, but fans still are and always will be the lifeblood of clubs, like I said above, they can forget that at their peril.
No one (worth having) is going to want to be linked to a team that can’t even fill it’s own stadium, naming rights packets would diminish, other sponsers would also decline or offer a lot less. Empty stadia would also make the TV package a lot less atractive, no fans, no atmosphere, a diminished viewing experience, less money will be offered.
Have you ever seen one of those behind closed games? Terrible.
Not much better is that abonimation The Football League show on the beeb, watching players kick the ball towardsempty stands is not very appealing, not to me anyway.
I was pretty shocked to see so many empty seats at the Grove Tuesday and agree with those who say that this should be a wake up call to those upstairs. 25% of seats empty is way too many and I don’t buy the arguement that the match was a dead rubber. Football will always remain a fan driven industry, bums on seats is a must.
addinging @ my 317 = adding
Lars. Steve T need good width on the barbie? π
Marseille, good one.
A couple of interesting names of clubs playing in the Euro league today.
Molde (I hate to think how to pronounce that one)
Petrolul (as in what happens when the oil runs out?)
@320 Holloway2holland … Good post and I agree with most of it. The one part I disagree is that players give a hoot about full stadiums. Barcelona routinely have 25,000 empty seats a match. They don’t have problems recruiting. Wages, wages and more wages.
Marseille not only a good draw compared to Milan, et al., but also proffers the opportunity for scouting young French talent.
Lars. You can rest assured that there won’t be one inch wasted on the bar b.
π
Ugh Dortmund
So Marseille, Dortmund and Napoli ..well..not the toughest possible but still tricky as hell…
That is quite a tough looking draw. Not the worst but still not a walk in the park
And we get Napoli … Greeaaatt
Marseille, Dortmund and Napoli. Interesting. Won’t be easy to progress, but certainly doable.
I’m happy to hear that, Steve π
That’s really terrible looking group.
FFS
I think it’s a bloody awful draw to be honest, got the worst teams in pots 3 and 4. Maybe this cold I have is making me extra gloomy though.
Group effed. π
Those 3 clubs are all off to good starts in the league. Dortmund and Marseilles have max points from 3 matches and Napoli won their first as well.
Figo needs to get squeezing some tennis balls if he’s ever going to do this again. Imagine going to his house for a ploughman’s, he’d never get the sodding lid off the pickle.
We are really due some good news.
Some entertaining games to look forward to in our group..but every single game is going to be tough and important.
Chelsea and ManU should be through without too much trouble. City will have to work a little harder but should be ok. Group G with Porto, Atletico Madrid, Zenit and Austria Vienna look by far and away the weakest group overall.
Does this mean that the management will actually go out and spend some money?
And will potential recruits be reluctant to sign if the chances of getting into knockout stages are difficult?
Group far too similar to 2 years ago, seriously lacking originality.
Tough, but all right.
Too Tough!
Get the friggin’ chequebook out!
Time now for the cheeky bid for Lewandowski. See, the plan is coming together…
Bayonne: I don’t think that is a factor for any player, and if it is then he isn’t the right player for us anyway because then he is a lazy bugger who is a fraid of a bit of competition.
If anything I actually think playing bigger teams could make it easier to attract players. Most of them want to play with the best, and failing that they want to at least play against/i> the best.
Bollocks, buggered up the italics there…
I am so underwhelmed by the signing of Flamini.
I mean war-chest – I was thinking massive-pair-of-tits-type chest, and it meant we would have brand new brilliant shiny players, not re-hashed, discarded rejects.
And now I have just seen our Group of Morte…. π
i don’t mind this draw. three tough teams, none of which we’ve had trouble handling before. if our defense holds together, the goals will come, and we’ll be through into the final 16.
If anything is good with this group is that it’s attractive. I guess that percentage of players from non CL teams who would want to join us has enlarged.
Poor Juve π Man Citeh and Arsenal not as lucky as Chelsea and United.
If we finish fourth in this group do we win a trophy? π
Just to be clear – I expect us to qualify out of this group, that’s not my primary concern.
My primary concern is that we’re facing 4 really tough games, if not 6, and that will impact on our league performance in the surrounding matches. Chances to rest and rotate will be minimal.
Basically – it’s exactly what we didn’t need with a wafer thin squad.
The only problem is that there would be no easy games, so I suppose our PL campaign will suffer a lot.
Same page N7 π
Good point, N7.
abb, seed aside, I thought City have a relatively easy group.
As for Chelsea, well I feel sorry for Gelsenkirchen folks, with our work for English teams last season at the risk of being undermined…. π
Qatar bought the draw for PSG π
n7, i think it is exactly what we *do* need. if nothing else is going to gee up the horse of spend, it’s needing to bolster so we can compete on all fronts.
and, as i always say, if you can’t beat the best, you don’t deserve to win it. the team will work-harden into a damn tight unit, or fail trying.
Fuck me. Would could struggle to get into the Europa from that group with our current squad?????
CL group doesn’t leave much margin for error, but that can probably be said for the whole season.
At least no CL trips to far-lung corners of Europe’s eastern reaches.
Flamini? We asked for squad depth. That is what it looks like.
NBN
Good shout. All relatively local, that’s the upside.
We know our current best XI is a match for anyone on their day, hopefully the cavalry will arrive in the next few days to ensure we don’t end up sending kids to Naples.
Tough draw, but certainly doable. Perhaps a win or two against Dortmund can be a real confidence booster for our players. Napoli is managed by Rafa and does not have extensive CL experience.
Decent draw in my opinion, and the ties should be a good reflection of how good our squad really is. Fingers crossed for more squad depth and top top signings.
The mere thought of considering Flamini a “decent” signing reminds me of an old economics joke…
Economist 1 (looking out over a busy sidewalk): See there, Jim? There’s a $20 bill there on the ground. I think I’ll go over there and pick it up.
Economist 2 (not even looking up from his paper): I wouldn’t bother going over there. It’s not a real $20 bill.
Economist 1 (incredulous): Well how do you know, Jim?
Economist 2 (smugly): Well, if it were a REAL $20 bill, someone would have picked it up by now.
Just replace “$20 bill” with “quality footballer” and there you have it.
Nope. I’m underwhelmed with the “signing,” and the CL draw. We should qualify out of this group. We weren’t gonna challenge in the League this year anyway…not after this summer. Best to focus on the cups (and the perennial 4th place accomplishment).
bmbd
Draw was pretty tough.
With the current squad, not necessarily the starting 11, we will struggle but should be able to get out of the group. We have dealt with these teams with surprising ease in the past. I’m interested to see just how good Napoli are having sold Cavani.
I’m actually ok with the Flamini business. He played well for us despite holding us for ransom, and it has the same feel to it that the Yossi deal did a couple of years ago, and that turned out pretty well actually with more than a few reservations from the fans.
We have to get in some more depth and capable starters. At this point, I have no idea what deals could even possibly be done. I would say that from day 1 I was in the pro-Fellaini camp. I think he would be good as sort of DM or a striker in a pinch or AM, in short the sort of versatile player that Wenger is allegedly interested in.
65 games to play if we get to the final of all four competitions. That is 715 shifts to put in over the season. Even with everyone playing 40 games — about the number Arteta and Kos played last season, and not everyone will stay as injury/suspension free — that still requires a squad of 17 outfielders of starting quality just on the arithmetic alone. We barely have that, by my reckoning. That is how thin the thin red line has got.
From Soccernet …. 16.02 BST: Amazing stuff. Spurs making Madrid wait, so that Arsenal can’t sign Di Maria? Don’t rule it out.
RM vice presi on Bale: “There are probs, but I think in the end, there won’t be. We’re going to wait because they’re pussyfooting around.”
β Kay Murray (@KayLMurray)
August 29, 2013
H2H @320 – Absolutely and 100% agree with all of that.
Tough tough group.
What a day so far.
Firstly the Poldi news. no great surprise as 3 weeks at our place means at least 10 but another experienced trooper out till mid-November.
Then no obvious new signings other than Flamini, The logic of Flamini is unopposable. He is probably a very good acquisition but I can’t work up the enthusiasm yet. Then the CL draw. That’s as N7 says 6 very tough games although some very reasonable journeys. I find myself projecting into OGL’s mind…..will he give up trying to strengthen because the group’s too hard,will we write off the next tranche of money we will get for reaching the last 16 and pull our horns in or will he really go for it and armed with the prospect of offering signings a really exciting CL group go gung-ho for new signings?
Spurs signing THREE more decent players.
Then I find we STILL have TGSTEL-he’s untransferrable. Can’t we wrap him in a blanket and leave him outside Selhurst Park?I’m up for it. We’ll catch him with his trousers down(won’t be difficult),dump him in the van and head off to Thornton Heath. I know a short cut.
The worst part of this transfer paralysis is I’m being patronised by fans on all sides giving me sympathy because we can’t /won’t sign any players. Wenger is building up a massive wall of potential humiliation for us if he doesn’t do something soon . I don’t like being getting abuse from United or Chelsea fans but its Charlton and Brentford fans passing out stick now. He has made us in a bizarre sort of way are laughing stock. The greatest club in the world is being laughed at because of the dysfunction and indecision at Highbury House. I’m pretty fed up with it but on here I’m preaching to the converted. We all are …even the moderates.
29th August 2013. Not a red letter day
Good, albeit a bit disturbing, maths there NBN.
I say it is a hell of a tough group. But we are a hell of a tough team nowadays, as long as we’re fit. We’ll get out of it, but without too much margin I recon.
Flamini? Not to fond of him at the moment, but good signing if accompanied by more. Perfect player to have on the pitch in the league cup to add some experience to the youngsters. That’s how I look at the signing, he won’t walk into the first team on old merits. Perfect signing, really happy about it, but only if we sign a few more. The bit liking him part I can put behind me quickly if he delivers.
TTG
It doesn’t make everything OK, but if it’s any consolation I’ve had plenty of fans of other clubs laugh at me in late August, only to return the favour with interest come May.
Stand tall, keep your chin up and tell them all to fcuk off and take their sympathy with them.
N7
Sound advice but I’ve still firmed up the Bendtner plan.
We wait outside China White’s until he totters out. On the speed front I’m 62 with a bad back but having seen him sober I can take him over ten yards. Roll him in a piece of old carpet and drop him at Selhurst. Use the old Paddington Bear ruse . Label around the neck “Please look after this “striker”. I’ll even throw in a dufflecoat. He won’t come back after that. Not sure how to get rid of Park though. That requires more thought
Charlton fans passing out stick? They do know what division they’re in right? I’m not sure how fans of 95% of teams can take the piss anyway – so we’re crap/a laughing stock? Fair enough. What does that make the teams a lot of these insult merchants support then?
H2H @320 – bang on. As with Tabs.
Pangloss,
Does a game at Emirates, Old Trafford, anywhere, brimmed full of jumping, singing, screaming fans look more exciting, and more important than one played in front of a two-thirds empty JJB Stadium, or not.
Allow me to answer for you: “Yes”.
That is what sponsors want – big crowds and excitement, enticing even more people to join even bigger crowds.
Those crowds are made up of people who will go and recognise, associate with and buy their products.
An empty ground where individuals and assistant managers can be heard yelling at the players, does not create desire for the products being heralded on hoardings around the pitch.
Therefore, the crowd is the most important factor to the sponsors.
The fans do still finance the clubs, whether through the turnstiles, the merchandise, the TV sports packages, or advertised products in the supermarkets, car dealers or wherever.
Sorry if this all comes across as a bit condescending, not to say, bleeding obvious, but honestly, where was the argument ?
Charlie and N7 knows.
Charlie knows@371.
The only support in the country I regard as having anywhere approaching a right to give us stick are Utd. I fucking loathe them, maybe even worse than the LWCs, but a tiny bit of me respects them. Sad but true – there you go. Still got to give it back though.
Chelsea and City? Two bob clubs, bought and sold lock, stock and soul by oilmen. You can take your medals and throw them in the bin, because you’ve won them all by cheating. No respect at all from me. You’re owned by criminals and fascists and you don’t even raise a murmur in protest – pathetic.
The LWCs and Liverpool? Don’t make me laugh. Them and the rest of the clubs in the country all look up at us and wish. They’d love to be us and they’d love our manager, even now. They might try to give it, but they know in their heart of hearts that it’s futile. Even now, with the newspapers crowning them kings of the world the LWCs will know in their hearts that they still need get past us, and even if we were reduced to a single one legged man in a home made Arsenal shirt and maybe Bendtner we’d still find a way to finish above them.
Let them all have their say now, it’s the time of year for it, when every fcuker has a dream and a project. We’ll see where we are come the end of the season, when cold hard reality sets in – you can’t fight manifest destiny.
Ooh2be
The only ITK on twitter worth his salt has just posted:
Arsenal ready to spend Β£40m on German international
Make of that what you will. It’s got to be either Ozil or Reus.
OZIL!!!
Charlie,
Absolutely agree mate but until OGL moves the insults keep coming. The latest one was from a Gillingham fan
If we sign Ozil then will anyone give a flying fcuk what the Spuds have done this summer? Proper world class player we’d have given our right arms for in May.
Gillingham? Jesus wept.
It’s Moritz Volz, folks.
Ttg, sorry but what’s the meaning of OGL?
Old Grey Lesbian?
Are we really going to deal again with those c*nts from Bernabeu? Dont get me wrong, Γzil would be hell of a fantastic signing, but I think that Madrid would do everything to make the deal hard for us.
Cheeky bid for Lewandowski please, 35mil would see Dortmund biting our hands off. He wants to go, they know it and they dont want him to go to Bayern. If he stays at Dortmund I presume very “Cescesque” season from him, when he was playing last year for us.
But..if se sign Ozil AND a world class striker, along with another good squad players like Flamini, this summer of frustration might actually turn out to be rather good.
And I like the idea of Madrid fucking LWCs over Bale deal, slashing price to 60 mil or so in latest possible moment…
I have a really funny feeling that it’s Reus. Don’t ask me why.
Lewandowski is a total no-go. He’s on a promise to Bayern and I’m told he’s not even interested in listening to offers from other clubs.
If thats true N7, then he is playing for his career this season. Who knows what is going to happen during the course of the season, things change quick in football..who would have thought a year ago that Mario Gomez will end up in Fiorentina from Bayern..
N7, we have been ready to spend all summer. We just can’t do the deals. That is where we have let ourselves down.
Trev. Agree yet again. And h2h. Spot on me old mucker.
Lars, you will be pleased to know the BBQ lived up to its full potential.
N7,
While its just a matter of opinion, there’s absolutely no way Reus is worth anywhere near that type of money. Its Ozil if you ask me. He’s tried to sign him before and he’s worth every cent ! As you say, a proper world class player.
I just think this marks a huge departure for the club to be in the mix for players of this quality. I know we havn’t signed anyone yet, but we playing with the big boys now. We’re not trying to sign Gervinho’s here.
@ Joe
I hear you, but I actually thought Reus was Dortmund’s best player last season, and absolutely phenomenal on their champs league run.
I also believe that Arsene tried to sign him when he moved to Dortmund.
Like I say, just a feeling, and I’d take either in a heartbeat.
@ Steve
Well, it’s got to be good that we’re still trying, and with players of that quality (assuming it’s one of them).
Obviously no cause for celebration until we actually make a signing, but encouraging nonetheless. Certainly beats the lack of news yesterday.
Smashing news, Steve! Would have been a shame had it been the Francis Jeffers of barbies.
Γzil? Let me just say I believe it when I see it.
Hey, Steve T, you old wide boy ! π
Having a good holiday, despite the stress ? π
Hint: A player is worth what someone will pay – I don’t know who is in the market and what they have offered, so I certainly don’t know what the worth of Ozil or Reus is.
I’m certainly not going to start worrying that we can’t afford it as soon as we actually bid for a player.
I would suggest if ‘he’ isn’t worth it, AFC would be the very last club to pay it. If we pay it, we can afford it – take it as read.
Or the Andrey Arshavin of barbies, Steve.
Blazes away initially, to quickly fizzle out and prove impossible to reignite.
N7,
No doubting Reus is a fine player as you say. For me though, he’s not in the same league or valuation at all. Ozil, Cesc, Iniesta are in the top echelon of CMs in world footie and are so technically good and versatile that they can play in any of the forward positions, even as a false 9.
I notice that tweet has now been taken down which suggests somethings afoot methinks π
I think that’s spot on Trev.
We’re also talking about a market where Willian and Lamela are Β£30m players.
Lurking…
We’re in for a German.
A signing that will surprise the fans.
Mad Jens is on the way back. π
It’s all based on a tweet.
MEH,
I feel like don’t care how much we pay for any player so long as we get them and they perform to their full potentials.
Assssissssst….
Bang !
Well in Trev, didn’t even notice we were so close to the net!
Goal
Cheers Lars, and well Tabsed, yourself. π
Fucking hell! iso close to connecting with the ball and my internet decides to go Awol.
Well in Trev!
As it was a deliberate tabs it doesn’t count, apparently π
Well in Trev.
“A player is worth what someone will pay”
Simple isn’t it. Why is it so many actually struggle with that????
No deliberate Tabsing ? What next ?
They must all be Tabsidental π
Can’t do Marseille away this time due to that training course that got moved, but let’s go back to Dortmund!
It’s as bad as self-assisting, Trev!
Duttenheim.
Maybe I wasn’t really crystal clear, but when I posted about not getting anybody worth it in, I meant sponsers, ie big business with global recognition.
But the same could indeed apply to players, yes they are mostly money driven, but if they can’t fill stadia then their stock goes down too. I can’t imagine there would be too many players that would choose playing for half crowds over packed stands, but the same rule applies, ie they are not worth having.
Cent
I meant “Our Great Leader”. I may mean something else on Monday night.
Sorry guys but a tweet not naming a person. How desperate are we getting?
My bet is we are resigning Stefan Malz
Cheers fellas. A rare strike. π
As for the CL draw, well, it is what it is. It may be tough, but let’s face it that’s the whole point of the CL, it’s supposed to give you the opportunity to pit yourselves against the best teams. I’d rather see us up against Napoli then Victoria Pilzen.
Hmm…sounds like a plan Ollie, I did not go to Bayern away game last year and regretted it mightily, the train ticket is not that expensive from Prague ..the way takes 10 or so hours..which is completely doable. If work permits and management too, I fancy this kind of trip π
Cheers Ttg, heh @ Stefan Malz, it’s better than getting Bischoff (remember him) back?
H2H ..I wished we would get Plzen, just to have opportunity to watch Arsenal here in Czech Republic. On the sporting side of the thing, they are tricky team, steamrolling czech league right from the start and on their day they can give a game to pretty much any team (last time they were in CL, Milan especially struggled against them).
Would be very tricky games, anyways Ollie really got me excited about the thought of the trip to Dortmund π
Reus: Β£30 million, Ozil: Β£35 million. Anything within 10% of that would be a good deal. Would take either in a heartbeat. Reus plays on the left so would fill the Poldi hammy hole and let Santi play in the middle.
ttg 413, nah, it’s Moritz Volz
Okay, technical question..how difficult it is to get a hand on ticket for away CL game to away fans sector as a red level member? Possible or tx is my friend in that occasion?
Aaah, sorry about that Eandy, I honestly had no idea where they were from. If we lost to them we’d never hear the last of it, but if we lose to one of the teams in our current group it wouldn’t be percieved (by the outside world) as such an anomily.
I was hoping for Ajax, but Dortmond is pretty doable, Wed 6th of Nov, not too far away, I’ll be looking into that.
@TTG
Normally would agree re: tweet, but this one’s from the one person on twitter who appears to have genuine inside info. He’s called everything right ahead of the press this summer; Higuain interest, the Β£40m Suarez bid, Monreal’s injury, the interest in Gustavo.
He also hasn’t, to my knowledge, predicted anything that’s turned out to be bollocks. Lurky is also following him IIRC and can verify.
He’s not saying we’ve got the player, just that we’re in for him. Long way to go.
Eandy, Tx doesn’t work for away games. And very few European away games go down to reds. Dortmund most definitely won’t.
The trick is more to know someone who has access to extra aways tickets or would but can’t go or try your luck on twitter, especially with @arsenal_tickets
Hehe surprised you had no idea where they were from H2H, given your proffession, since Pilsner type of beer is named after the city it comes from – Pilsen – PlzeΕ.
Anyways agreed, if we lost to them (and as I said, it could happen), it would be another meeja bashing for us.
Reus is exactly what we need. If Arsene really wants him, I would kidnap him this evening from wherever he lives.
I thought that 40 mill. German is Ozil, because I knew that Reus has a 30 mill. clause. Anyway, I did some research, and I found out that he has indeed a 30 mill. clause but he could be on the move for that money, but only after 2014.
http://www.goal.com/en/news/15/germany/2012/01/07/2835255/marco-reus-has-30-million-release-clause-with-borussia
So, the option that it is Reus is minor, but still open. I however, doubt Dortmund would want to sell to a direct rival in the CL group stages.
Aah, thanks for the info Ollie, so this might mean I would be finally forced to join twittersphere. Not that fond of that thought since I try to avoid it like a plague π
We are Allowed To Be Delighted And Concerned You Know
Holic, you could write a new post over the CL draw with exactly the same title. π
We are Allowed To Be Delighted And Concerned You Know
Holic, you could write a new post over the CL draw with exactly the same title. π
Twice?
Hehe, H2H, indeed.
Yeah Ollie, not sure what happened there.
N7
Noted and thanks.
It does make you wonder what sort of desperate scraping together of deals is going on in HQ. They have really got themselves into trouble haven’t they? Everyone in football knows they are desperate. We probably need another four players minimum to have any sort of season. At some stage Wenger has to accept that if he wants Cabaye he has to pay Β£20 million and if he wants Benzema he needs to offer Β£40 million plus etc etc. The great Wenger sangfroid won’t enjoy that.. He is really running out of options and this makes 2011 look like a serene walk in the park.
My worry is we end up so desperate we bring in people like Barry, Quagiarella and Flamini (oops too late) . For goodness sake contrast us with the LWCs. They’ve absolutely annihilated us in the transfer market this summer and they haven’t received almost anything yet.
What does this say about our transfer machinery -if you can call it that
Spuds signed Eriksen, officially.
I will laugh out loud if they actually don’t sell Bale. They will be stronger this season, but will be bankrupt the next one. If I am Perez I will bear that in mind. Come on Florentino, you can make it interesting.
Quick skim read, but great stuff all.
Trev – on the money re the “crowd”.
Ttg – Massive heh at the Bendtner stuff. Count me in! π
Would love Reus. An absolutely fantastic player. We can but dream. It’s all we’ve got at the moment.
A Rolls Reus for Arsenal ?
Might as well do the headline writers job for them ….. π
Where did all this Reus stuff suddenly come from or are we just making it all up????
TTG
It makes for a pretty depressing comparison.
The only consolation I can find in it all is that the LWCs have two advantages; their role in the Bale deal gives them some control over the market (in setting value and in holding up the sale of Madrid players), and the players they’ve signed are second or third tier, and therefore a little less complicated.
It has to be less complicated to wang Roma Β£30m for Lamela than to extricate Ozil from Madrid or Suarez from Liverpool.
The other consolation is that they can’t get all these new players on the pitch at once, or at least it’ll look a dog’s dinner if they try to.
Ommmmmm
Steve
Total guesswork. The quote is a Β£40m German. Can only think of two who might fit that bill and might be available.
Lurky.
It’s not official…. yet.
Frank de Boar, was just on Fox (NL) saying it’s almost done though.
May need to take TGSTEL to Hull but the Humber Bridge is an experience and we could always drop him off it.
That’s what I like N7. Total guesswork. When all else fails.
You may not believe it but some would say that this window has gone okay for us????????
This 40millon German? Is this another “Suarez offer” or is this a done deal???
Steve
No suggestion that it’s a done deal. Let’s see what unfolds – this source has an excellent track record, but then the club has no kind of record when it comes to closing big deals.
Bit disappointed that nobody’s mentioning the Benders when it comes to the mystery German.
TTG – I’m quite happy to act as “agent provocateur” in your Bendtner plan. Get on the Humber Bridge, flash him a bit of Speedo, that sort of thing.
It’s nothing but a twatter rumour Steve, I’m giving it all the attention it deserves….
None.
Fair enough H2H. I was saying on here less than 24 hours ago to ignore twitter, and pretty much all media.
Let’s see how the window plays out.
Perez should offer Spuds Β£20 million tops for the Welsh Winger, sorry, Whinger.
What would poor Tottnum do then, ‘cos after what they’ve already spent they literally need a Bale out.
Heh @Smallballs. π
I can think of couple more that fits the bill and are Arsene preferable, Draxler from Shalke and Gundogan. There are maybe more of course…
H2H, de Boer sad that, he is the manager, it is done I guess.
In other news, Mirror’s story says that Arsenal have withdrawn from negotiations to sign Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye and Vicente Guaita.
Ba-bye, Cabaye. Gertcha Guaita.
Not time to start doing deals yet – days to go yet. π
I thought that John Cross has some connections in the club and that he is in the know. I am now more of an opinion that he knows sheet.
Heh at the headlines Trev π
Heh Trev
kaka?
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/kaka-want-leave-real-madrid-204800706–sow.html
not that i’d say no, but the price would have to be really, really right.
Ozil or Reus? Or Gotze? Reus for me every time, one of the top 5 players in the world, imo, and on Wenger’s wish list for some time now.
As for CL it’s immaterial how hard our group is, winning it guarantees nothing. We still have to beat the other group winners or runners-up sometime. The harder the group stage, the easier it becomes later … or we’re out and the easier the other comps we’re in become.
Oskar
John Cross knows as much about the goings on at Arsenal as anyone on here.
His pieces are getting increasingly hysterical which is in line with most of Goonerdom.
I hope we have walked away from Cabaye as he is not what we need, FFS what is sooooo distasteful about trying to get Fellaini???
Offer Everton Β£20m, with the flexibility to go up a few mill…. Oh what am I saying? This is Arsenal and Arsene we are talking about here. Better make that offer closer to the neighbourhood of Β£9m for Fellaini with scope to go up to Β£9.2m.
Kaka?
Don’t think I could ever really take a guy serious who willingly names himself after poo.
I am a lame duck fucktard. Nothing better to do than post puerile fucking garbage that people may, or probably won’t, see for a few minutes. I didn’t want a life anyway. Just a raft of names. Nasregas, Schadenfreude. Wanker. You know…
Guess that’s DuDu out as well then, H2H ? π
I see Mick Smetaphor is in again with his lame duck.
I don’t think 20m will do it, Norris. United already offered 23m yesterday and got rejected.
The rumour is that “Gazidis flew to Monaco for draw today, but never made into auditorium – he was called away on urgent business”
Maybe he bought a new house, a car, or a brand new Arsenal player for 40m. Will we ever find out?
Heh Trev.
On second thoughts they’d both probably fit in well at Arsenal.
Especially if they are being squeezed out of their current clubs.
Hehehehe, H2H- you are the one in form, not Ramsey.
Lurkey.
My guess is it was the car. Possibly bought with his bonus.
Am late to the party. Again.
Oskar @ 242 – thats well said, sir.
Now Now Wolfie!
From the look of tomorrow’s papers there is a growing feeling we won’t get any deals done in time. We are focusing on an incredibly difficult club to deal with for three players who have all said they don’t want to come. This is building into a fiasco of amazing proportions.
What price we have to grab TGSTEL back from the Humber? He may be our new striker.
Steve @464,
Hope it wasn’t a Bentley. π
Lurky
He hadn’t valeted Sir Chips’ Roller!
This lot are completely clueless. It’s impossible to work out what they are trying to do.
It’s not as if we ACTUALLY need any players.
bmbd
Looks like I missed another wave of pure speculation. Damn. It must have been an exciting one.
It was everything we wanted it to be, 8ball. Except for the actually signing players bit…
BMBD
Nice tasty draw for us. Exciting match ups in there, win or lose.
I’d rather play string teams from the get go and I’m also ecstatic that we didn’t get Olympiakos again!
The CL format is so boring that I wish it was like the FA cup with a one match knock-out to increase the excitement for the fans…
Maybe UEFA can change the format after we win it? π
Transfer window speculaiton and Champions League format. Getting pretty old and worn. Give me Arsenal in the CoCup every time.
What if Cesc actually comes back this season?
Still waiting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don’t delude yourself, Cent…
BMBD
Lonestar, I’m sure we’ve all hoped for or thought about more, seemingly, impossible things at one point or the other in our every day life.
I do everyday…then I check my bank account. π
BMBD
Should we sign F torres? it seems he is available now.
My two pence on transfer.
Casillas . He will inspire confidence of defenders.
Ashley Williams . A good 4th choice CB
Cabaye. Not top quality, but to add to the numbers of squad.
Ozil … Top Quality (But we have TOO many midfielders already)
Di Maria ..If he can play left winger, then get him (imagine he and Theo on the wide, fast break..drolling)
Suarez … better than OG (even though OG seems to be the sweetheart of our fans)
Top three wishes : Casillas, Suarez, Di Maria (in this order)
Are we men or are we Devo?
Perhaps a pertinent question in the midst of this tranfer window.
Er, transfer window.
Lofts one out wide in the expectation of the arrival of a streaking teammate to catch up to it.
Controls the lob like the much under appreciated (abc11633) Giroud…lays ball off to surging midfielder
BMBD
Ashley Williams = Sylvestre
I be streaking!
Ball bounces off my arched back into the path of a teammate.
@holloway2holland … Fair enough. Good post.
Top choices … Casillas, Varane, Fellaini, Reus = Β£80m
Oskar
Oskar/ ABC
I’d forget the wish lists now chaps.
We are in emergency player gathering mode.
It’s 2011 with knobs on. We actually haven’t got anything like an adequate,functioning squad given the long- term injuries we have .Were Giroud to break his leg on Sunday I shudder to think what we’d do.
I can’t remember feeling as angry and frustrated at my club in 55 years of supporting it. As Holic says in the blog we can love the club and want it to get better and in fact that is part if a true supporter”s lot but this window where Spurs have assembled a really deep squad of quality players and the team with the biggest cash reserves in world football ( Swiss Ramble) has failed to spend a single penny in transfer fees has been nightmarish in the extreme and is testing the faith of true supporter beyond reasonable limits.
Anything done now is desperation.
In 2004 I can’t think of a person I admired more Han Arsene Wenger but I”m genuinely starting to loathe him now. I can’t listen to his pressers , I don’t read his programme notes or take any notice of the interviews he gives simply because I see a man who has failed increasingly to come to terms with the current state of a game which in 1996 – 2004 he revolutionised. And he lives in his own arrogant,obstinate bubble. What made him great is now possibly destroying him.
If we lose to the swamp dwellers on Sunday, especially if its an embarrassing loss I really fear for what might happen in that stadium because people are so annoyed and frustrated. And by his actions ( or inaction) Wenger has ensured that the team go into it under enormous pressure that they don’t deserve to bear and really don’t need- an NLD is tense enough. I bet they can’t believe it at the Swamp.
Apart from loathing the manager I agree with all of that TTG.
Friday 30th August 2013 and we have spent nothing. As is the norm these days we are still in credit. Is it any wonder that fans are getting frustrated???????
Morning.
So the bitch who initiated the 07/08 ‘give me more money exodus’ returns in time for his favourite derby.
Then if Cesc returns after his ‘one more season’ at his boyhood club, we will again have the best midfield in the perm. Right?
Bring on Sunday!
It was 5-2 with Bale, then 5-2 again with Bale. So what will it be this time without him? Why of course, 5-2
That’s where my money is going on Sunday.
If Wenger could bring in Ozil and one of those loose strikers hanging around by Monday, he could yet again, be a genius ahead of a return from Cesc.
NB: The above statement is conditional π
Have we reached the time when we can officially hit the panic button yet???
Trev@372 – sorry for the late response, but there you go.
“Does a game at Emirates, Old Trafford, anywhere, brimmed full of jumping, singing, screaming fans look more exciting, and more important than one played in front of a two-thirds empty JJB Stadium, or not.”
Please provide a single reference to any post above, or elsewhere, where I said anything to make you even suspect that I believed the above.
Steve, didn’t we reach that point about a week ago? π
To be honest I have very little hope that we shall make any major signings in what little is left of the window. We may yet add some depth, but a player like Γzil? Well, I’d be extremely suprised.
Fuck it, back to work. Got to get quite a lot of stuff done today as I am on holiday for all of next week. I must say I am quite looking forward to spending Monday on the beach with no internet access. A book, a drink, the occasional swim in the Mediterranean… and hopefully not thinking too much about the transfer panic!
Lars. I hate to say it but as you know, in my opinion this has been coming for years now. This is the culmination of years of mismanagement, regardless of what happens in the next few days. Our squad is painfully threadbare and we only have ourselves to blame. In my opinion we are still 5 players short. Do we have time to address that???? I really don’t know anymore. I’m not sure I have ever felt so underwhelmed in my arsenal supporting life.
Ttg, hard to argue with what you’re saying. We’re reduced to clinging on to vain hope by the slightest of fingertip grips now.
I almost can’t bring myself to watch the NLD because anything less than a well-fought draw will result in a proper doomsday reaction.
I reserve judgement on Wenger till Tuesday morning (IG is already a twat, decided long ago), but he better have the mother of all miracles up his sleeve. I’ll put up with the current ‘signings’ so long as they act as padding for the marquees yet to arrive. Fail and I would say this season should be Wenger’s last.
Who wants the ball?
Flick
Assist?
Tabs it?
Well in Eandy.
oh, one of those balls sent through the box ending up in the back of the net..go me!:P
line up Sunday
Chez
Sagna, Mert, Kos., Gibbs
TR7, Rambo, Jack
Theo, OG, Santi
Subs:
Flappy,Jenks, Nocho, Frimpong, Yaya, Gnarby, Esfeld? Bendtner !!!!!!!!????? Who???
Injuired. arteta, Verm, Ox, Pold, Diaby (I nearly forget him who give us so much hope last year after Liverpool away)
I have no confidence we can navigate the test of four competitions with this thin squad, given our injuiry record.
While many addition will surely strengthen the team, I think the biggest mistake AW made in the past few years in not finding good enough replacement for Lehman (GK)…Steleenburg go to Fulham on 6 mil . Why did we not sign him. ? I really hope Casillas come to join us !
1000 arses! You wait patiently for a reply, refreshing constantly, get bored because it goes all silent, turn your attention to something else for 2 minutes and suddenly there’s 6 new comments!
So I’m reading Dracula at the moment. Pretty spine-tingling stuff but not half as scary as our transfer business.
Steve T 496 nail right on head. There are no star dust signings and our squad is so short of numbers its a case of wanton negligence.
Nonetheless still think on sunday we are good enough to send the swamp dwellers back down the Seven Sisters Rd with their tails between their legs.
My guess is no one will come in till the deadline day, when we’ll get a couple of players in the Monreal price range. We won’t have heard of any of them but they’ll turn out OK.
The marquee signings have either turned us down or their clubs have refused to sell.
Concerned? Yes. Over-critical and dismissive like some spineless supporters we have elsewhere ? No. this Manager has carried us on his shoulders the last 16 years. He deserves our trust and faith. And of course our unconditional support. Through thick and thin. The good overweigh the bad.
Now, what do the media and the spuds want pretending that their 7 new transfers would improve our squad? Who is Paulinho and Chaldai? And why are they considered better than our Ramsey and Wilshere who have nearly 100 appearances each in EPL and about 20-30 in Europe? AVB might be an ok manager but accomodating 7 new faces , a new system and no Bale isnt going to be easy.
As for Benzema, Ozil and Di Maria…its September 1st not April 1st.
Arsene Knows, always did and always will. Victoria Concordia Crescit! FTT.
I had a dream in which Arsene was given main male role in some action movie, Die Hard like. Arsene was the good cop, chasing some bad guys in a big building. However he couldn’t find anyone, so was just following traces. He was constantly on the phone with some girl, which was giving him some info about the bad guys movement. Arsene had a hell of a equipment and was toying with the newest pieces of gear in the world in tracking the bad guys.
However he has not found any of the bad guys and it looked like they had not existed at all, but in the final floor he managed to find a big bomb. The bomb was ticking, he was trying to dismantle it, you know just like in the movies. Arsene had previous experiences with tickling bombs, he is a specialist in that area…
-Just cut the red one, as usual,- he thought.
He cut the red one- nothing. He was getting nervous. Then he cut the blue one- nothing yet. He was slightly in panic, he was thinking with the handbrake on, this is some new bomb model, some Russian or Arab one, he doesn’t have a clue what do to with it.
In that moment the phone rang- it was that girls assistant number.
Arsene was relieved, as there were four minutes till the bomb explodes, he still has time, plenty of time, now the girl is going to get him some info, or some manual how to dismantle this kind of bombs. He put on the video conference call on his newest smart phone to get the instructions from the girl. However all he got on the other end was an very large empty room, with just a empty armchair, big tv-screen on the front and set of unused drums in the left corner.
-This is familiar room, I’ve been here before,- he thought.
-But it wasn’t empty then, there were many people at the time, why is it empty now and whose room it was- he was painfully trying to remember. There were voices coming from the phone, from the room, people voices, but he couldn’t see anyone there. And, where is the girl, what they did with the girl.
-“There is no girl”- he heard some guy laughing. “There never was any. It was me, all the time”
Arsene was in shock.
-What are you talking about? What did you do with my assistant. I demand an answer?
Then, he remembered, he was in this room for IG’s birthday, couple of months ago. He was even trying to bang the drums. IG, his lawyer, told him that he was a drummer himself before the law school, actually they were there just as decoration, he do not use them and never will again.
But what is his assistant telephone doing in IG’s room. Arsene was trying to connect the things, to find the sense. He was getting nervous there were only two minutes left for the bomb to explode. Then Pert Guardiollan’s face appeared on the screen. He started laughing like mad, joined already by IG. Then people started to come out from all parts of the room, all laughing out loud.
IG’s brother in law and law school colleague- Big Dick Law, The Silent Stem, Robben van Penis, Bitey Racist, Naser, PHW, Nina the Lady, Fat Kazak… all of them were laughing and pointing their fingers on Arsene. The bomb was tickling. One more minute left.
Then at the far end of the room Arsene noticed one man standing, he was the only not laughing. Arsene recognized his old partner, the good cop David.
– The good cop David is there, he is my only chance, he would help me for sure, he would find the solution for the tickling bomb, Arsene thought.
The good cop David D. evidently bored of the things happening around him, decided that it is time to take a doughnut and than a nap so he instantly went home .
The time was running out….
“In 2004 I canβt think of a person I admired more Han Arsene Wenger but Iβm genuinely starting to loathe him now. I canβt listen to his pressers , I donβt read his programme notes or take any notice of the interviews he gives simply because I see a man who has failed increasingly to come to terms with the current state of a game which in 1996 β 2004 he revolutionised. And he lives in his own arrogant,obstinate bubble. What made him great is now possibly destroying him.”
Thats pretty shameful there mate. Perhaps you missed the point where the manager had to carry the whole club through the biggest transition in its history.
If you think that building and repaying stadiums in this modern era, while fielding kids and semi-crippled players in the EPL of russians and sheiks and ALWAYS getting into the Champions League ( the most crucial financial target for the Company during this phase) is something to mock or treat with disdain and a meh then you probably dont understand football too well to comment about it or even have an opinion.
I am sick and tired of semi-educated folks judging it all through the black and white simplicity of whether trophies have been won or not. I am also disappointed that Arsenal fans would choose to talk with such disrespect about the manager who has performed MIRACLES for this club.
Support the manager who gave you the expectation to demand a title per season.
Porco @ 497
A fuckin draw? (with all due respect) π
Come on everyone you have to accept that AW has mega-titanium cojones for sure. Most of gooner-dom are now close to unleashing the riot-bus as our transfer business shows a net spend of zero Pounds and no substantial arrivals, compared to the lavish expenditure of all our rivals. The man is totally Die-Hard squared.
The man that revolutionised English football, is now doing it again – forget hoarding multiple internationals to sit on the bench, to loan out, or to play golf, – no no we’re going to win the treble playing the thinnest squad ever assembled and I’m riding the roller-coaster with the Boss – fucking ace I say. If we get a couple of world-class signings I won’t hold it against him for selling out.
Woo hooh….
cannonball
I sympathise with a lot of what you say above re: Wenger and certain sections of our support, but TTG is certainly not semi-educated re: the Arsenal and he’s earned the right to his opinion.
He’s not a member of the mad, one-eyed “Wenger out” mob, he’s a proper fan who’s followed the club for decades, has spent the summer weighing up a bunch of different views and is simply coming to the end of his rope. I think that’s fair enough.
I’m all for preaching a little bit ze zen, but I think it’s understandable if people are losing their rag a bit this week.
For those surrendering all hope; the window runs until 11pm on Monday night, UK time. A lot can happen between now and then. That’s not blind optimism, it’s a statement of fact.
COYG
Heh @ Lloydie.
That’s the spirit.
I just hope Arsene actually does end up on the rollercoaster – I fear he may find himself diverted to the dodgems if this week doesn’t work out out as planned.
N7 I really take what you say on board but I wasnt referring only to him, but to the majority of halfwits who have nothing but scorn for the Manager who changed this Club for the better and forever. People have got to realise that the trophy count is just a statistic. A statistic we willingly put aside till we finish with our stadium adventures. A statistic which we have another century to correct.
This club, before Wenger had won 10 league titles in the span of 110 years. I make that 1 in every 11 years, lets say 1 every decade in average for convenience of discussion. Wenger winning 3 in his first decade buys him credit for another two decades till anyone can complain to him about taking us backwards. We chose this decade as a club to build our stadium and got one more till we can categorically claim that Wenger is taking us backwards or that he aint good enough. And even so he dont win another one he will have kept us at worst at the same levels as he found us. Therefore i dont see why fans are getting so obsessed and negative.
Off all the Arsenal fans out there, Tim Payton is the most pathetic.
“I am very worried for Diaby. The fact he isn’t yet being paraded as Like A New Signing suggests he must have one leg missing or something”
FFS, is Diaby guilty for something this summer, you fucking prick.
Fair enough cannonball – I read 510 as a repost to TTG, so I thought I’d jump in to defend him.
I don’t disagree with anything you say in 515. I think Wenger is the greatest manager we’ve ever had, and I hate to think what the last 8 years might have looked like without him – we’ve spent jack and somehow maintained our position.
Weighed against that, if we don’t sign anyone this summer, when we clearly have money, we clearly need players and those around us are strengthening, then I think we need to ask some serious questions about what’s actually going on behind the scenes at the club – do we really have cash? If not, where’s it going? Why do we find it so hard to get our transfer business done? Why were the likes of Gerv released without players lined up to replace them?
I have no idea who’s responsible for what currently looks like a bit of a dogs dinner. I still struggle to believe that it’s Arsene, but equally I don’t think we can entirely discount the possibility based on the available information.
I think we have to respect that a lot of fans are out of patience now. We’ve waited 8 years, through lack of investment and short term ambition. We were promised gold at the end of the rainbow – well, we’re getting near the end of the rainbow now and there’s not been much gold in sight.
I’ll leave it there for now, as I think this is a discussion for after the window closes, when we actually know where we stand. For now, I understand people questioning/criticising the manager, but I don’t understand those who want him sacked/feel he’s done an atrocious job in recent seasons, hurl personal abuse at him or look to find offence in absolutely everything he says (this morning’s NB52 comments being the latest example).
Lurky @ 516
Tim Payton is a disgrace. A person in his role should not be fanning the flames of supporter unrest 48 hours ahead of the NLD.
If there are going to be people removed from their posts after the window closes I suggest we start with him – maybe we can get a proper adult in there.
Cannonball
How dare you call someone who has lived and breathed this club for 55 years semi-educated?lwager I have seen more games we have played and forgotten more about this club than you will ever know.
I have been a season ticket holder for over twenty years and my point was Wenger produced the greatest team in history in 2004.Sure
he navigated the change to the Emirates but in the last few years as transfer funds have been freed up he has completely failed to take the club on.
We find ourselves in the ludicrous situation where we are welcoming back a striker we have been trying to flog to all and sundry.We have signally failed to adapt the playing staff to a changing environment Our existing players must feel hugely let down.I have had cause to defend Wenger for many years but I genuinely believe he is unable to bring further silverware to the club and I can only see a continuing decline. We have to look forward and the evidence for continuing with wenger is far from compelling.
I hope that is “educated” enough for you
Chaps
We have got a destination for the TGSTEL drop.
Sadly its London Colney.
Maybe we can say his wages are too much for us to afford……oh dear I see a problem there
“but I think itβs understandable if people are losing their rag a bit this week.”
I would only object to this. Why is it understandable? For me, for instance, its totally illogical and fabricated my media pressure and a fear that just because others are spending money like crazy that we should too.
Im of the opinion that those who spend ridiculous amounts do so because they dont have the know-how to build and develop players/teams.
A serious mechanic will never go spend money on a flashy ferrari like the city boy who got a big bonus, he will make one in his garage. Bit silly as an example, i know, but i hope you grasp the concept.
====
“I think we have to respect that a lot of fans are out of patience now.”
Fair enough, but thats their problem though, no? Why should the club have to deal with fans insecurities and paranoias?
TTG
In fairness to Wenger, all he’s said about NB52 is that he doesn’t think we’re going to find a buyer and that he’ll use him if he’s in shape. I don’t think that’s all that mad a thing to say about any player in the squad, although clearly it’s not what any of us want to hear as it forces us to imagine Bendtner in an Arsenal shirt again.
The way some blogs are carrying on you’d think he’d come out and said “fcuk new signings, Bendtner’s my secret weapon and he’ll start at the weekend”.
Plenty of things to get legitimately wound up about right now, I really don’t think this is one of them. If there’s one area the club has actually succeeded in this summer it’s been clearing the dead wood.
N7
Thankyou for your support for this semi-educated halfwit.
Much appreciated. Don’t think I’ve ever felt more angry at an insult (and I’ve had plenty) in my life
Sanogo,Flamini,Bendtner and Β£70 million in the bank. Ye Gods!
519thundertinygooner
Oh so youve been a witness of the past 50 years and have issues with the last 8 where we have managed to place ourselves in the Elite of football clubs worldwide without winning anything? Thats weird.
Let me ask you something dear fellow supporter. What stopped Arsenal from becoming this worldwide football point of reference in the 50s, 60s 70s 80s? What did the previous regimes do to solidify Arsenal among the truly BIG teams of Europe?
Did Arsenal have a stadium over their shoulders back then to think about? What about corrupt billionaires polluting the scene?
All things considering, this Manager deserves nothing but our respect and support. His loyalty and dedication to our Club is unquestionable.
cannonball @ 521
I think the club have to face the fact that they’ve played a key role in generating the high expectations that have lead to fan discontent right now.
It wasn’t the media who came out and told us that we had money to spend now, that we could afford Rooney and that we would soon be able to compete on a similar footing to Bayern.
That’s not to say that the extremes of opinion currently being bellowed on social media are justified, or that people should be booing the players, just that the club have made an utter pigs ear of managing expectations and IG has had an absolute shocker.
“Why should the club have to deal with fans insecurities and paranoias?”
Because the club should care what fans think. It’s not a lunatic fringe anymore, it’s a good proportion of the support who are extremely worried about where this is all headed.
Everybody reads the same thing but different people with different mindsets understand different things.
“and I can only see a continuing decline.”
You cant be serious? If you call a consistent top4 domestic finish and top16 european for 16 years as a decline then i wonder what you thought about them past 50 years you were watching……
You talk as if Arsenal was some Real Madrid before Wenger or that winning doubles and reaching european finals was the norm for Arsenal before Wenger.
His reign at Arsenal has been anything but a decline for the club. A fan of 50 years should know that.
“Because the club should care what fans think. Itβs not a lunatic fringe anymore, itβs a good proportion of the support who are extremely worried about where this is all headed.”
I disagree but considering tensions have risen in the last few minutes i wont continue commenting. Nice discussing with you N7, all the best to you and our team on sunday!
Cannonball. I am a massive Wenger fan. Always have been and always will be. I have witnessed breathtaking football and players under his management. But that does not mean he is someone beyond criticism. Remember, manager of Arsensl is his job and something he is handsomely rewarded for. The way the club have handled this transfer window the vast majority have found totally baffling at best. For me it had been a culmination of years of mismanagement by the club.
Be the best you can be. It’s not about just winning trophies. It’s about being the best you can be. For me it has been a very long time since we have been anywhere near to achieving that. Which individuals are to blame???? Who knows????? But it would be nice for someone to actually stand up and be counted for once.
Too much to ask???? I hope not.
Cannonball
You don’t sense a decline in Wenger’s powers over the last few years. I think that he and Dein were a great combination and he misses his wise counsel but the ‘ we should be grateful for eternity’argument is hard to sustain when you look at the opportunity before him this summer. I wi desist from this point until the window closes and after we hopefully win the NLD. I hope that things look more positive then
Well said Steve.
I don’t nec. agree about the years of mismanagement, but I couldn’t agree more re: the need for some indication to be given as to where the buck stops.
I see the Mirror this morning reporting that if we don’t spend it’s all down to Arsene. Maybe that’s true, but I would question who is giving John Cross that information and why.
Victory has many fathers, defeat is an orphan.
Morning All,
I remember being at the Swamp in 1980 when we beat the LWC’s 2-1 with a reserve side 3 days before we played Juventus in the Cup Winnners Cup Semi. I was with some Tottenham schoolmates and was thus in the Shelf. Oh how they all crowed when the Arsenal line up was announced. Can’t remember the side but I know that Paul Davis made his debut and that our side probably contained such luminaries as Barron, Gatting, Walford and Vaessen.
Full time, it wasn’t my mates that were crowing.
My point? We’ve already shown we can beat that bunch of inbreds with a scratch side of reserves. AW has decided that we need a new challenge. He will attempt to beat the Spuds with no players at all.
Failing that, he could stick just Flamini on for the first 5 minutes, grab an early goal and then defend our lead. My money would be on Mathieu to do it, even though he would probably get sent off in the first half.
Failing that we could field this team …
Rice (Rush goalie)
Dixon, Bould, Hayden, Sammy Nelson’s Arse.
Tom Watt, Water Sprinkler,Water Sprinkler, Tina from the North Bk.
Prince of Denmark, PHW.
More than enough to beat those cunts any day.
Come on boys and girls, its the local derby for fucks sake. Whatever happens in the transfer market, good, bad, or cripplingly horrifying will happen. Plenty of time to have as many meltdowns as you require after Monday. Doubt that anything will happen, if at all, before Monday night anyway, so in the meantime … how about turning the Cannons outwards and up the Seven Sisters Road just for 48 hours eh?
We are The Arsenal and they are the Cunts and that’s all there is to it.
Tabs @ 532
*Applause*
“But that does not mean he is someone beyond criticism.”
Criticism by who? You and me through our laptops? Or the hacks in media?
Only the person who pays his salary has the right to GENUINELY criticise him.
Steve, I am terribly sorry, but I do not agree with your words cause essentially youre saying that anyone from whichever background can have a go at him and his work.
If he was failing in his job and not delivering on the Company’s targets/objectives they would have sacked him ages ago. Noone throws 7 million to an employee who fails him.
Wit chelsea city and united and repaying stadiums top4 was/is the best you can hope for. When stadium is out of the way lets talk again. Till then you cant have such high demands. IMO.
We are The Arsenal and they are the Cunts and thatβs all there is to it.
100% Agree to that!
Steve..stand up and be counted for what? Why is it so hard for some of you to comprehend that when you invest 450m in a stadium the last thing on your mind is spending to win tittles.
To win titles in this age you have to spend like city chelsea and united. Arsenal CAN NOT do that while having the stadium over their heads. Besides our Manager does not believe in such methods and we should get behind him …unless yo disagree with his philosophy as a coach..which is an entirely different matter. To that i will only say that we are miniscule, all of us, to have objections about his coaching philosophy. He knows. Period. We dont.
“when you invest 450m in a stadium the last thing on your mind is spending to win tittles”
I wouldn’t be so sure – he did buy Andre Santos, and he turned out to be a right tittle π
Cannonball, I feel a lot like you do about Arsenal at the moment except I also feel that Arsene is not infallible, may have made a few mistakes along the line and could have done some things better, I suspect you think so too but the extreme nature of the other side of the argument just doesn’t allow you show that at the moment. Have a drink on Lars’ tab and please visit here more often.
Cannonball. Read what I put. I specifically did not single out any individual. The fact is, in my humble opinion, we as fans are being let down and as someone who had paid money to the club for 40 years plus, yes, I am entitled to have my opinion. As is everyone else for that matter. I am more than willing to listen to arguments that we are performing well as a club as a whole, as I have done. But if you are happy with the way things are going at the moment then you are in one very very small minority. That said, most people I know and talk to dont want a massive cull, they just want solutions.
Welling up @270
Well in @535
Cannonball . What is the point on spending 450 million on a stadium if you are not going to be competitive???? If you are not competitive then you won’t fill the place?????
TABS @532 boss post you nailed it.
Cannonball. Read what I actually put before having a go. It is not just about winning trophies. Far from it. It’s about being the best you can be. With hundreds of millions available and a paper thin squad do you think we are? Or do you think there is room for improvement?
TaBS @532, well said!
Nice post tabs.
I love this, from the Guardian:
“Tottenham have completed the signing of Vlad Chiriches from Steaua Bucharest! I think he will be an excellent signing for them.”
Translation: I don’t know anything about this player, but – hey – its Spurs and they seem to know what they’re doing.
541Steve T
You can have your opinion as i can have mine yes? IMO you are overreacting and placing your wants above what the club can realistically do. I thought no-one bigger than the club and that includes fans and their opinions.
Furthermore, no-one signed a contract with you that the club would win 6 epl titles and 4 champions league just within 8 years of building a new ground. Surely you understand that such plans might take 15 and 20 years, especially for us who have chosen to go the self-sustainability road. To moan just 8 years after building perhaps the best stadium in Europe is highly immature and indicative that fans dont really get it.
Also we are highly competitive, we just dont win trophies off teams that outspend us 5 and 6 times. Sorry that you only associate competing with the winning of titles. You are wrong, but i guess your stubborness wont accept it. It is you who puts your ego and your wants above the club and its philosophy.
The best we can be? What would you know about that in comparison to Wenger? Are you placing your opinions above the knowledge and experience of the manager then?
In the end of the day, if you dont like it you can always refuse to pay. Thats the mature approach.
543Steve T
Oh i see…sing when we’re winning. Yep that is what genuine fans do.
546N7 Gooner
He he he… All of a sudden Spurs are everyones favourite team in the Media. Goes to show that once you join the “spend money” carousel you are automatically upgraded. So classless.
Cannonball.
Personaly I think you really need to take your rose tinted specs off, wake up and smell the absolute stench of mismanagement that has occured over the last period of time. To think that any individual in any profession is beyond criticism because of a past record, no matter how good, is beyond ridiculous.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not screaming for AW’s head, but there’s something very very wrong with the footballing side (ie who comes in and out) of our club and by all accounts he is the man who decides such matters, so ultimatly the buck must stop at him, as has been mentioned he is rewarded handsomly for the pressure he is under, so he also has to take the flak.
You believe that he deserves more time, fair enough, that’s your opinion and you have every right to that. But then to come here, of all places, and brandish one of our own, a true Arsenal gent who has more then earned his strips, as uneducated, because he doesn’t subscribe to your (pretty blinkered) point of view, well sorry mate, but that says more about you then it does about him.
As for your analogy, I don’t think I’ve ever met a guy who works in the city who builds ferraris in his spare time, but I live in a rural area so that might just be me, but if we’re using analogies to get our point over, then here’s one;
I’m manager of a company that has the nations best results in 2004, I have a crack team and good facilities, but the board decides they want to relocate to a factory with upgraded facilities. During the transition I let my best salesman leave and replace them with workers of a lesser quality, a lot of interns, but that’s all I can afford so the shareholders cut me some slack. I could of headhunted better but I was just happy to keep the company afloat making my required quota. However, it’s 2013 I have now weathered the storm and am sitting on a nice profit, but my workforce is too depleted to possibly meet my next target and the machinery needed is in a state of disrepair, even though I’ve had more then enough time to get it fixed.
Who do you think the shareholders will blame?
When you work it out let me know, I’ll be sitting in the corner having a drink with my fellow ungrateful halfwits.
But if you are happy with the way things are going at the moment then you are in one very very small minority.
My happiness as an individual is not reliant on Arsenal winning titles mate. I have my friends and family and my life. Football is just entertainment and if you aint entertained then you can switch off for a while instead of having outrageous demands that a serious organisation like Arsenal listens to you because you pay a ticket.
Cannonball. You really don’t get it do you?
One simple question. Are you happy the way the club is at the moment? Yes or no?
Note that yet again I said club, I have not singled out an individual.
Cannonball,
Be very careful not to overstep the mark with the personal stuff here please.
I find the beligerent at either end of the Arsene is God/Arsene must go stick are as bad as each other as far as listening to people with perfectly valid and different viewpoints go.
If you cannot debate with respect then this is not the blog for you.
To think that any individual in any profession is beyond criticism because of a past record, no matter how good, is beyond ridiculous.
Maybe you should read again what i wrote. I said that the only person who can genuinely critisise the performance of the manager is the one who pays him.
As for your analogy, I donβt think Iβve ever met a guy who works in the city who builds ferraris in his spare time
read again…i compared the flashy idiot from city who buys ferraris with his bonus vs the knowledgeable mechanic who can build one/similar in his garage without spending like an idiot.
but my workforce is too depleted to possibly meet my next target and the machinery needed is in a state of disrepair,
is that your personal opinion or the manager’s verdict?
Be very careful not to overstep the mark with the personal stuff here please.
Absolutely sir, but i dont think i have accused anyone personally of anything to deserve such a disciplinarian comment.
Good stuff Tabs.
Larry. no need to shed a tear for me mate…
I’m working on getting rid of me fat gut. π
but my workforce is too depleted to possibly meet my next target and the machinery needed is in a state of disrepair,
and how would you know what the group’s next target is? have they disclosed such information to you.
So Arsenal FC provides you with nothing but a bit of entertainment????? I think there lies the major difference. Supporting a football club is just that. Just entertainment??????? Are you sure you are in the right place ????
Read what I have put above. Not once have I pointed the finger at one individual and not once have I suggested it is about trophies. And it certainly is not “just entertainment.”
Still, as long as you are happy.
Be very careful not to overstep the mark with the personal stuff here please.
Advice you should take yourself son.
Are you happy the way the club is at the moment? Yes or no?
I understand what this club is going through and im happy to let manager get on with his ideas and philosophy. Wouldnt want it any different.
What i am unhappy with is fans like you who contantly want to put the club under pressure to deliver what YOU want.
Do you associate happiness with trophies ? Yes Or No ?
The groups next target, as my anology states, would be to be on the same footing and to be able to compete financialy and footballisticaly with the worlds top clubs.
I know this, because it is the line we have been spoonfed over the last few years.
And it certainly is not βjust entertainment.β
Hmm. Now that is quite an immature comment. Football is a business and belongs in the category of entertainment. This tribal connections you try to attach to it have died ages ago. It is an industry, a highly professional one.
You talk like a romantic who has not accepted the change of the sport into an industry .
561Holloway2Holland
and what evidence have you got in front of you to suggest that said targets wont get reached? the fear and panic of fans and media? is that it?
H2H at least i dont call realistic statements “ridiculous”… thank you.
No. For the god knows how many times now for me it is simple. Be the best you can be. If we achieve that and it still isn’t good enough to be better than the mancs, chavs Etc then you will get no complaint from me.
Can I ask a question and please don’t think I am being rude. Do you actually go to games???? As I said, this is not meant to be a dig or rude. I know many here live thousands of miles away.
cannonball, I agree with most of what you wrote early in the current dispute. I haven’t read what you’ve written in the later stages and I haven’t read what others have posted recently.
A word of advice: Drinkers in this bar are rightly proud of their ability to debate fiercely with people who hold opposing views. I, personally, don’t think do it quite so well as they think they do, but by and large they are very good at it. One thing that they never tolerate is perceived personal abuse of other drinkers.
By all means disagree with anyone you like. By all means express that disagreement, quite forcibly if you feel so inclined. but DON’T get personally abusive.
Having re-read your post, I don’t think you actually used the words quoted against your fellow drinker. Sadly (I think, others will disagree) that isn’t sufficient. You actually have to express yourself in such a way that no-one, especially the potentially injured party, can misread you as descending to personal abuse. “I didn’t mean it that way” is no excuse.
Otherwise, COYG FOYS
Anyway…i wont change your minds and you certainly wont change mine. I trust our manager and stand by him 100%. The least i can do.
You can moan and disguise it as “being concerned” all you want.
If you were really concerned you wouldnt make our manager’s and players lives difficult every time the club didnt bow to your demands.
FTT !
Ah. I see the Guv’nor said it before me (and more briefly, as usual).
565Steve T
Yes i do steve. Do i have to prove myself to you then? north bank block 96 turnstile b …do you want to know which row i sit too?
Cannonball. I talk as someon who was raised an Arsensl fan. As someone who has attended games for over 40 years. As someone who has attended I would estimate approximately 95% of all home games under AW’s reign. I talk as someone who takes his own children to games, both home and away. Going to the pictures is entertainment. If I don’t like a film I leave. I am an Arsensl supporter and will be as long as there is air in my lungs. That is the difference my friend. Maybe one day when it moves past “entertainment” for you then you might just get that.
Do you associate happiness with trophies ? Yes Or No ?
i dont see an answer steve. considerig how you want to grill me for my support i think its only fair you provide a clear answer ?
Well for me that is the absolute end of Arsenal competing for anything at all, Bendtner stays with an almost unforgivable admission that us signing anyone worthy now looks impossible.
Forget winning cups or titles, I just want us to be competitive and the absolute lack of any ambition in the transfer market with two free signings being the beginning and almost likely end of it.
Shocking…….absolutely shocking
As someone who has attended games for over 40 years.
Well i doubt 25 years ago you had the demands you have today. Someone must have spoilt you, perhaps? Wenger perhaps?
Then you will have read all of the prog notes from aw over the years making all sorts of promises. You will have witnessed IG stating how much me have made and telling us all of record turnover?
Gate B???? Same as me, but I am lower tier. Perhaps we should do this overa pint when I return from holiday? Come and join many others who frequent here at the Tollie and enjoy the debate there? Up for it?
Reasonable statement?
You think it’s reasonable not to be able to question anyone in power? Plus you say that only a proffesional can have an opinion, he knows better then us so he is infailable, we are all daft and only he knows?
Sorry mate, I think you’ve come to the wrong place for this particular arguement.
Many of us have been discussing these things for years, all we’ve ever asked is for us to be the best we could be, sorry, but that’s not happening, it’s just not, no matter how you want to slice it.
You may think we are disloyal or we are throwing our toys out the pram, well that’s your opinion and once again you’re welcome to it.
Be the best you can be?????its all I have ever asked. It has and never will change from that.
I love this place.
Just imagine what this debate would look like on any other blog.
Long time reader, first time poster. I personally believe that while people watch football for entertainment, they don’t really support a team based on entertainment alone. Otherwise the whole of Europe would keep shifting their support to the team that last won the Champions League.
Arsene has done a fantastic job to navigate us through some really dire financial times. But recently, for god knows what reason, we are too busy trying to find value and comparing purchase prices to resale values, rather than thinking which player(s) whether expensive or not, will give us realistic chances of winning the important trophies, or , as Steve T says, allow us to be the best that we can given our resources. And because this attitude of the club has actually been imbibed into a lot of supporters, whose first question on hearing about a player is “What will his wages be”.
A better team leads to better performances, which leads to trophies, which leads to enterprise value increasing. However we just seem too reluctant to actually try and achieve ambitious goals (in the last few years) and instead prefer spending very little so than even 4rth place becomes ambitious for us (leading to the players celebrating on reaching 4rth). No disrespect to the other teams, but we are behaving like Tottenham or Everton if we start celebrating 4rth place.
Its high time we stopped using the stadium as an excuse and started adding genuine quality to the squad. Because now, for a change, we actually can.
Maccabi vs Bordeaux in the Europa League…..
Cannonball, your answer to 571 is at 565. The first word just for your info.
Jericho @ 578
Welcome! Excellent first post.
Promises? I challenge that big time! Where and when did he promise anything?
Nah im afraid you will throw the pint at me mate. I dont agree with fans booing and moaning and i believe its safer for me to stay away from people who put their egos and wants above the well-being of the club. Thank you for the offer though, i appreciate it i really do, but i will have to respectfully decline. I dont want any arguements, I just love Arsenal and have the greatest of respect and admiration for Arsene Wenger. A trully inspirational figure who has given me the best football i could have hoped for…and he did it for my club!. When i hear people moaning or abusing him i want to kill them.
What N7 said @577.
As a full time lurker, who lives half a world away, debates like the one above are what keep me coming back to this fine establishment.
You think itβs reasonable not to be able to question anyone in power?
what power mate? he aint the governor of the state nor some president or other politician screwing your life. He is a football manager and has superiors. If his superiors were unhappy they’d have sacked him ages ago and certainly not pay him 7m a year or 6 or whatever it is.
is that a ridiculous statement too?
Thanks N7!
I just think back to our team from 2010/11, and think that with a couple of additions there, we could have been one of the top 3 teams in the world. What a great team that was!
He is our longest serving manager, but unlike literally every other big name manager out there he has failed to adapt to the changing financial world of football, the VALUE marquee signings just do not exist anymore and we are in danger of becoming Liverpool…….even Spuds win trophies and actually invest in the team.
I do not want to kill people who admire and respect Wenger, I admire and respect him very much, but I also feel he is no longer the man to lead Arsenal forward, he has become such a divisive figure now and no longer commands either loyalty form his players nor their belief that he can lead Arsenal to glory once more.
Cannonball. Never in my entire life have I wasted a pint, i certainly dont intend to start now. The fact that you feel unable to join fellow Gooners for a beer I would suggest says a great deal more about you than it does me. Your choice. The offer will always remain open as far as I am concerned.
Just for the record I have never once booed an arsenal player. Nor do I consider it acceptable. But I would defend unreservedly the right of freedom of speech and expression. The fact that more deem it necessary to act like that I would suggest should not be ignored or underestimated.
When i hear people moaning or abusing him i want to kill them.
Mate – get some professional help.
I keep hearing that we are a “big” club – what does that mean? What is the measurement for that and who decided that?
Given that the Chavs keep finishing mostly above us of late and have also won the “big ears”that we have not, are they a “big”club? Why?
If we are indeed a “big”club, when did we become one and how?
Answers on a postcard – younger readers, please look up “postcard” before replying.
UTA.
Welcome Jericho. We have been two or three signings away from a great team for several years now.
@ 586
I think the key to the whole discussion is whether or not it’s Wenger who is stopping us spending money.
If he’s the hold up then he would probably need to go, assuming the club’s ambition is more than 4th place.
If he’s not the hold up, or is only part of the problem, then I can’t think of another manager better qualified to keep us in the champs league without having any real money to spend. His record in that area trumps pretty much everyone.
A discussion to be had in much greater depth as of Monday night, depending on how the chips fall.
All eyes on the NLD for now.
Depressed, “Sp*rs win trophies” what trophies exactly are you talking about?
“No longer commands loyalty or belief from his players” how do you know this, did any Arsenal player tell you this?
Noosa @ 589
The Chavs finished a couple of places below us the season before last.
And I find it hard to take their big cup win seriously – it was quite clearly the fluke of the century, a bit like Greece wining the Euros in 2004, a hilarious pub quiz question in the making rather than a serious footballing triumph.
In fact, that win makes a mockery of all the “why enter the champs league if you can’t win it” stuff. Liverpool won it with a mediocre team. Chelsea won it with a mediocre team and tons of in-fighting. It’s a cup competition – you just never know.
Cent @ 591
The all important 5th place trophy. Spurs have really made it their own in recent seasons.
584 Sorry, but yes, it is.
They don’t pay just anyone 7m a year or 6 or whatever it is. He has almost a totaleterian power when it comes to Arsenal, his influence in the club is everywhere to be seen.
You seem to think that we all hate him or don’t respect him when most of us haven’t said anything of the sort, we are, mostly, moderate here and if I may be so bold pretty reasonable in our opinions, in fact quite tolerant of opposing views.
However, to me anyway, your opinions seem pretty extreme, absolutly no wiggle room, we’re either with you or against you, I’ll repeat, that’s your perogitive, but don’t get so angry if others don’t share it, calling us out on it is not exactly going to win us over either.
We’ve answered your questions (more then once), you’ve even been invited by a drink from the inner circle, yet for some reason you assume that he would “throw a pint in your face”. Sad.
N7 @ 592
You will note that I said “mostly” above us – quite deliberately. But I’m not convinced that being “big” is just about winning the big cup, is it?
UTA.
When i hear people moaning or abusing him i want to kill them.
So endeth “reasonable debate”.
Heh N7@593, I just don’t get it any longer, it’s like some of our fans want us to be everyone else but Arsenal at the moment.
Cent @ 597
For some fans and media, transfer stuff is now more important than actual football.
August: Spurs spend, Arsenal don’t
SPURS ARE ACE, ARSENAL ARE DOOOOMED
May: Arsenal finish above Spurs in the, y’know, actual football
What the fcuk are you lot even celebrating for? It doesn’t matter anyway.
Flick on!
Cannonball, like I said before I enjoy your posts and general optimism but you saying you feel like killing people because they criticise another individual is over-stepping the mark, as Lars said, if you really feel that way then you should probably get professional help.
Ollie @579 – tasty draw! Where’s Snir? π
Noosa @589 – Difficult question to answer but I’ll have a stab. I think a “Big Club” is a Club that has sustained success over a long period (decades) and garners a huge global fanbase because of it.
Only 3 big Clubs in England in my opinion – Arsenal, the Mancs and the Mickeys.
Chelsea and Man City are not big Clubs, though they might yet become “big” over the next 20 or 30 years if (a) they continue to enjoy huge success and (b) they are able to grow at such a rate that they are no longer fully dependent on the capricious whim of an individual or individuals.
Just my opinion.
Well in Cent!
What happens when Wenger criticises himself?
That’s the question I want answered.
Scores when he wants! Sign me up Arsene, you know you want to π
N7, thanks for the assist, your 598 nails it for me. A very sad reality.
I see the Taliban have lost one of their flock.
At this juncture, all that needs to be said, has already been said :
We are The Arsenal and they are the Cunts and thatβs all there is to it.
Cent’Berry
Granted it is one cup, but it is still one more than we have managed despite getting to the edge of it a few times.
As for loyalty, well Dennis Bergkamp stayed with us on a rolling one year contract because he believed in Wengers vision for what could be achieved, which players have shown that same belief since Dennis actually left?
RVP clearly showed what he thought possible, Flamini promised to sign and left and yet we resign him, Patrick Vieira even when he was our captain constantly invited speculation he could leave us.
Thierry Henry vowed to never leave Arsenal especially after THAT match against Barca, Cesc is probably the most loyal but even he finally saw what we all see now, a failure to replace even squad players is crippling ambition.
Not even going to go into detail with Cole and Nasri…….scumbags.
Cheers TaBS, I see you got the glory position.
H2H@596
Actually, I think reasonable debate dies when someone introduces the “I’ve been supporting Arsenal since Herbert Chapman was a twinkle in his fathers eye[*]” argument. That’s usually about the same point that we stop respecting others’ opinions. Probably silly of me to think that way, but there you go…
[*]Other longevity-based criteria are available.
‘holic.
Excuse my 559, I thought I was quoting him, but I see I was quoting you, so it came out wrong. π³
Welcome to the new drinkers and lurkers.
Good stuff N7 @ well, all of them.
Tabs, that sounds about right to me. But everything in football changes, Liverpool will not be considered a big club for much longer, not by new generations, lets not forget they’ve never won the PL, unthinkable, when we were kids they were the team to beat.
well in Cent (again)
“Granted it’s only one cup but it’s still one more than we have managed” wow! So by that calculation Arsenal have never won a cup? Tell me more about this your Arsenal that started existing in 2006.
As for your theory on loyalty, I guess a few players who pushed for moves away from the club are the majority out of their hundreds of teammates who stayed and played or still play for the club.
Ps, none of those players who left actually said or suggested that they left because they didn’t trust Wenger, none!
Has he gone????
Cannonball, the offer still stands. Assuming you do actually go that is?
Cheers, H2H.
Pangloss 608, there is truth in that.
I see where your coming from Pangloss, older is not always wiser, but even then, I’d prefer the “I’ve been since…” approach to the radical extreamist my way or the highway stance.
Cent’Berry
Not quite sure why you took such an aggressive/sarcastic stance there.
Clearly I was referring to recent history, I was trying to point out how bad things have become that even Spuds have won something.
Which players ever leave and state that they no longer trust the manager, saying that….I seem to recall RVP did say that the ambition of the club no longer matched his or words to that effect.
Steve, I think Cannonball has been sanctioned.
Cent @607 – Yeh back home in the glory position, feels good. Completely unintentional as I didn’t realise we were even approaching the century, so hopefully Ollie will let me off π
Dr Z @605 – Catchphrase innit π
H2H @609 – Yes mate that’s completely fair and you are of course completely right, things are always in a state of flux, but I think status as a “big” Club is only ever won slowly and relinquished even more slowly.
I think the Mickeys are a case in point. They have been awful or at best average for 2 decades and yet still enjoy huge support pretty much anywhere you go in the World. Their results and well being affect far far more people throughout the World than either Chelsea or Man City.
Another decade of mediocrity and who’s to say, but for my money and right now, Liverpool are still much much bigger than either City or Chelsea and will remain so at least in the short term.
Can’t believe I’m defending the Mickeys. Bloody hate ’em! π
@615, I took a sarcastic stance because sarcasm helps me get through life without sounding disrespectful to people. Diplomacy and all that.
Kindly point out where I was been aggressive in my posts so that I can take it back because, frankly, I don’t like or appreciate people been aggressive.
I know most players don’t leave and say negative about the manager that’s why I asked if any player ex/current told you that in private. As for RvP, he is an ungrateful piece of work and even his dad agrees with me.
Tabs @ 601
Thanks – I agree with that.
I also think that the longevity aspect you mention is possibly the most important criteria, which is why the whole 8 years / no trophy mantra is such a load of bollocks.
If you haven’t won the league for more than 50 years, that should be real cause for concern. Oh!
UTA.
H2H@614, Just to clarify, I have no objection to the “I’ve been since…” stance, but those who deploy it tend to disappoint me with their subsequent contributions.
I must take issue with your “older is not always wiser” assertion. How very dare you!
(Implied smiley for those with optional sarcasm filter.)
Cent@616 Has Cannonball been sanctioned? Very harsh if so – in my opinion.
@618
I hedged my bets with aggressive/sarcastic as it can be hard to read, hopefully no offense was taken.
We agree fully about RVP π
I wish I knew some of them to be in private conversations as it would be nice to know what exactly is going on at our club.
Pangloss, I THINK, not sure, seems odd he will just stop posting all of a sudden.
622, Ok.
Tabs, agree with most of that, especialy the hating the Mickeys bit. π
It’s just that (especialy in the internaional market) a certain level of consistancy needs to be held. L’poo have now dropped out of the CL, there not even in the Europa league, so their appeal will somewhat dwindle. They’ll still get the father to son hand me down maybe in Asia and certain parts of Scandenavia, but the foriegn market is way more fickle then the UK. New supporters will want to be associated with winners, that’s why I’m seeing more Chav and Citeh shirts in the shops, something that was unthinkable not too long ago. That’s why it’s also paramount to the future of Arsenal to be competing at the top level, in that respect a trophey and/or a feww marque signings would boost the clubs awareness considerably.
Pangloss, pipe down grandpa. π
Manure still haven’t signed anyone, I don’t see the media going on and on about how they have already lost the title to City and the Chavs who all finished below them last season but have splashed the cash this summer.
Noosa – Wise words mate. I know a group of people who are coming to town on Sunday to whom I shall be making that very point to … forcibly! π
Hmmmmm. Interesting being called tribal by someone who wants to kill people???????
Cent.
I think he just ahered to the age old adage;
When you’re standing in a hole – stop digging.
H2H – Yes mate, I agree with most of that. Undoubtedly, as you say, global televised coverage will facilitate more fickleness than ever before, so perhaps the state of flux as to who is a “big” Club will now become less entrenched than I previously allowed for.
BM on the Bar mate.
H2H You’re going the right way to getting a drink bought for you, young man,
Cent@623 – My take was that his last posting read something like “We’re not going to convince each other, Bugger this, I’m off”. I must admit I can’t summon the enthusiasm to go back and check.
Heh @ Pangloss, fair enough.
Just imagine what this debate would look like on any other blog.
It would probably at least have the proper use of quotation so it didn’t look like certain people were arguing with themselves π
H2H @629, possibly.
Oh the irony of 633.
So what do we think of Arsene Wenger’s comment that Spurs have signed too many players in this window?
What’s ironic about that? Do you need the assistance of a dictionary?
Cheers Tabs and Pangloss, a ccouple of drinky poo’s to kick off Friday are indeed welcome, allow me to return the favour.
Heh Cynic.
http://news.arseblog.com/2013/08/the-top-10-reasons-your-comment-wasnt-published/
heh
Cynic, what is ironic is you taking the piss at someone for not using quotation marks yet you forget to use one yourself.
I did not use quotation marks because I quoted in italics, which is the accepted way to do things online.
Innit.
I’m not seeing it in Italics over here so…
Wenger trying to convince Bendtner back into the squad. You can’t make this stuff up.
yes you can. Because that’s pretty much what you’re doing there π
I actually don’t have an issue with Bendtner, other than is gigantic ego. He is needed, in my view, and he has a decent goal scoring record. Just don’t play him as a midfielder….which by the way was the dumbest thing I have ever seen attempted.
Yea, it’s up there with playing Ramsey on the wings, converting Henry and RvP from attacking midfielder/winger to strikers and Playing Manu Petit in the midfield.
Cannonball, do have a drink mate. I think you made your points well and with respect. Most in this bar respect AW and also think he has eschewed a wonderful opportunity to strengthen the team during this window.
Zico, I hope you can back down from the “Taliban” comment (I assume that was directed at Cannonball); you’re better than that. I find reasoned debate ends the instant “Hitler,” “Nazi,” or (now) “Taliban” make their first appearance.
Still, we are the Arsenal, and they are the cunts.
BMBD
Playing Ramsey on the wings was a hideous idea. 5 bad games for every good game he had.
Jeez I’m typing like Yoda would speak
On vacation. Been following loosely the xsfer gossip and checking in at the bar.
Hmm lessee the count so far:. . Sonogo, Flamini, and – nobody. Right then: done and done!
Really, we’ve noone to blame but ourselves for the frsutration over a lack of quality err … “Wow” signings. Believing a tiger would change his stripes and that. I never believed that a-hole gazadis.
Back to vacation then! Returning to the civilized world in time for the NLD.
Round on me for the regulars. Good debate in here guys!
Im drinking rose these days. (But looking forward to a Guiness).
Moyes filling the Utd support with joy ahead of the weekend:
“I don’t know how busy it’s going to be but it’s a busy football market. It might be busy in the next few days and I hope we do a little bit of business but I couldn’t guarantee that.”
They’ve done even less business than we have, albeit they need it less.
Suspect both sides will have picked up a player or two by this time next week.
Apparently, SSN understands that Spurs are stalling the sale of Bale (see what I did there?), to hold us up from buying Di Maria
Hahahahahahaha! I do enjoy a fukcing laugh! Aaah!
Anyway!
Lonestar.
So it’s ok to want to “kill” those who disagree with your stance, but not done to call them a name?
I really struggle to understand the rationale behind leaving the Bale transfer till 11.55pm on Monday. If we are really in for Di Maria, and those thugs really want to sell Bale to Madrid, then how does their delaying affect our negotiations?
I thought the tone of the, erm, discourse had mellowed. Previous drinks were bordering on volatile. Time to move on mates.
@654
Affects our negotiations because Madrid presumably won’t release players until they’ve got Bale. They’d look like mugs if they sold Di Maria/Ozil/etc and then Spurs pulled the plug this late.
Same way we look like mugs for selling the likes of Gerv without a clear replacement, but on a far greater scale.
I think there may well be some truth to these rumours. At minimum, Levy has clearly sensed that this deal is the key to the market, and that by manipulating it he can create favourable conditions for Spurs.
Ultimately, if Spurs and Madrid are happy to wait until 11.55 on Monday then we will have to find some other targets.
Apparently Real Madrid training tomorrow has been switched from afternoon to morning. Journos (whaddatheyknow) now expect the big Gareth Bale presentation to take place at around midday tomorrow.
Suggests that the priority may have been to prevent us strengthening ahead of the NLD, but we may still have time to do deals for Madrid players, assuming our interest is genuine.
I’ll tell you who we should put in a bid for: Daniel Fcuking Levy.
N7.
That’s exactly why I said (in previous drinks) that we should stay away from Madrid.
There’s also (supposedly) a, yet unnamed, third party in for Bale, it’s all way too unclear, the only fact is that Levy is holding the cards at this moment in time, but he’s going to have to stick or twist soon, overwise his hand won’t be worth what it is now.
Confused? You should be.
@656 If the deal was for any reason scuppered, wouldn’t spuds be in a bigger mess? Madrid also have chompy as a target so the loss of Bale wouldn’t be too much of a blow.
What, you mean to tell me that with 85 quid on the table, they still have a small club mentality?
Aaah I dunno!!
@ 659
Yep – absolutely. But when Madrid set out to get a player, they very rarely back away. Pride at stake.
@ H2H
By the sound of it, the deal will go through tomorrow, with player registration for this weekend’s games passing at 5pm today.
Still plenty of time, assuming that’s true. That said, Madrid seem to be horrible bastards to negotiate with.
I don’t believe for a moment there’s another serious bidder for Bale at the prices being quoted. Levy improving his leverage.
Going to change the barrel. Looks like I am pouring the fighting bitter, not the singing bitter.
Well, it’s all speculation now isn’t it?
If it happens (Bale to Madrid) it could put the rest in motion, Benzema, Ozil, Di Maria to us, Bitey McTool to RM, a kind of domino effect, then again it might trigger nothing at all, who knows???
@ 663
I think that’s got to be right. If there’s one thing we’ve learned this summer it’s that no one really has a clue about anything.
wooooorgh, nother pint Guv. Woss this singing bitter then. Fcuking cass peesss. More o the fyting stuff.
Sorry, sobered up now.
Mine@665 should have read “More drink over here please, stout barman[*]. Do please, tell me more of this ‘singing bitter’, I’m not sure I like the sound of it. I’ll stick to the excellent ‘fighting bitter’ please.”
Apologies for any confusion.
[*]No offence meant, Guv.
Pangloss.
Cool number. Now you can bask in the glow. π
Shall we all have the Suarez debate again?
Just for shits and giggles π
@661. N7, Madrid horrible bastards to negotiate with. At least they must offer some calamares fritos?
Nooooooo, not the Bitey McTool debate, tabs.
I’d already put my moral high horse out to stud. π
Tabs. We probably will have the Suarez debate again twice this year, after each game he scores against us.
H2H – haha, fair enough.
8Ball – Ha! You’re probably right. π
H2H, I don’t think cannonball was threatening to kill anyone in the bar or anyone in particular. I just think he was exasperated.
At the risk of raising anybody’s hackles, especially in a quarrel in which I have no stake, my only point is the “no abuse” rule has to apply to snarky comments especially those of “regulars”.
Like I said, we are the Arsenal and they are cunts.
BMBD
Point taken, Lonestar, even if I’m not 100% in agreement, although your last sentence is spot on. π
Next round’s on me.
Cheers mate. The round after is mine.
BMBD
Wenger – “It is not my strength to panic buy”
It’s not your strength to buy full stop, just lately, mate. Although he is right. Panic buy of Santos – Writes off Β£6.8m fee plus wages whilst he was at Arsenal, plus ‘please fuck off’ fee in lieu of remaining contract.
Good thing we always insist on buying players who are economically worth it and have a sell on value, eh chaps (see Arshavin)
Wow the BBC pic of Bale right now does make him look a bit simian..
Sigh…
Well…that escalated quickly.
Today’s events remind me of the time I went to Thailand and me and my mates visited a “Muay Thai Bar” with a boxing ring in it.
The gimmick was you could get a few drinks, don some gloves, then box with your friends for kicks.
Needless to say, things got out of control and one guy ended up breaking the jaw of his friend.
Point of the story is, we’re all upset but instead of bloodying each other for unforgiven, perceived slights maybe just relax with a Tiger beer and smell the ladyboys??? 8)
I hear thems ladyboys smell like jasmine…or teen speerit. π
BMBD
Bit strange but there are reports linking TGSTEL with a move to Palace. This coming just a few hours after Wenger publicly admitted he would integrate him if fit. Does Bendtner hate the club that much now? Not that we have any use for him, but then.
SSN say Bendtner in talks with Palace.
Maybe we’re getting rid of players this summer, and signing players next year?
One thing at a time. Good, sensible approach that never hurt anybody.
@ 681
I think it’s just another example of why you can’t take what Wenger says to the press re: transfers at face value.
Wenger may be a bit slow to the take these days, but assuming he is stupid is a whole different matter. On the basis of this absolutely ruthless clear out, I would place my rather large cojones(if I may say so myself) on the line and state that there will be signings. In whatever guise.
‘Smell the ladyboys’ – heh. Speaking from experience, CoR? π
@ 685
I find it really, really hard to believe that we won’t sign anyone further.
It would make too little sense, even for us.
That said, I also suspect that whatever we’re doing, it’s not going to happen until Monday.
N7,
You Sir, are spot on. It’s almost impossible to get into his head. That poker reference he made a few days ago is a gambit on its own.
I found myself wondering is it going to be wise to let Bendtner go to Palace, now that we have only one senior forward in Giroud.
To actually consider Bendtner as a forward for my club, with tons of cash the same club has, Arsene what you did to me…
Whatever a mixture of trepidation and excitement is, I’m feeling it right now. Bring on the NLD and then the 3rd. COYG.
Cannons @679
Amen to that Sister! π
Am in Internet limbo in Caledonia currently. Have we signed our saviours yet?
Bath – They’re still held up in a traffic jam, but AW is readying his chopper.
Mirror reporting Rodgers confirming that a Spanish club have offered Β£40m for Suarez.
Could all be bollocks, of course, but perhaps the wheels are in motion?
Wins the ball Flaminiesque and plays a simple but effective pass to…
the right-footed right back who slices his cross towards the goal.
Lurky, who dribbles four defenders on the left side, passing to……. Bendtner?
…The ‘Keeper punches it the path of…
One-two lays it off..
Goal.
Well in, Cent
El Arsenal ofrece 82 millones de euros al Real Madrid por los pases de Ozil, Di MarΓa y Benzema
Fine finish after a gut-busting, length of the field sprint Cent.
Cheers Lurky.
THG, thanks for the assist.
Let’s all celebrate like;
http://24.media.tumblr.com/857a7a9766c9582cc7087aa0a9695485/tumblr_ms23gzLFYc1r6ibubo1_250.gif
well in, cent.
lurky, that’s one bale o’money, right there.
Sign him up, sign him up.
With his scoring record he’d be worth every Cent. π
Cheers fellas!
“…he will be worth every Cent.” Exactly!
Reporter: “What do you make of Real Madrid paying 86m for Gareth Bale?”
Wenger: “They are very generous”
Back of the net.
Prospect of having actually to train and play may have forced TSTEL to at last get serious about getting out. Brilliant reverse psychology on AW’s part.
Lonestar,
Sorry if I offended you. But I make no apology to the any extremist who comes on here and starts offending the likes of ttg as if this was some similar cesspit, like Le Groan.
Pint on the bar for you, and a chewy sweet for your Llama. 8)
Get the fuck in!
I hate that overrated hipster, Bayern coach. But, x100 more I hate those Chelski cunts and Maureen.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
y