Get Behind The Gunners, And The Visitors
Jan 23rd, 2014 by 'holic
Coventry City remain in the memory as a decent day out a few years back, and of course will always be remembered fondly by older Gooners for their FA Cup Final win over the small club up the road in 1987.
So I wrote before we last met the sky blues in a COCup tie sixteen months ago. Much has happened to them in the meantime. Effectively made homeless by their current owners, Coventry currently play ‘home’ matches in Northampton to dwindling numbers. There will be protests after 35 and 61 minutes of Friday night’s FA Cup 4th round tie, and Arsenal supporters in attendance are being urged to stand and applaud the six thousand traveling visitors in support of their struggle.
City currently lie eleventh in League One, beaten in just six of twenty-six league starts, and having started the season with a fifteen points penalty for going into administration. They score just over two goals a game on average, but have conceded only ten fewer. They earned their trip to the Grove with a 1-2 away win at Championship strugglers Barnsley, following that win up with draws against Crawley (2-2) and at Preston (1-1). Top goalscorer Leon Clarke, with eighteen goals to his name this season, has handed in a transfer request. Life is not dull at the midlands club.
Without wishing to convey an air of arrogance this match should be determined by the squad that Arsenal put out, and their attitude and application on the night. In the domestic cups last season both Bradford City and Blackburn Rovers exposed the shortcomings in our approach to such fixtures. The lessons have been learned, Arsene assured the assembled in his press conference, adding we should have the same squad as appeared against Fulham with maybe one or two changes.
It is feasible that five players who were on the bench that day may well be elevated to the starting eleven, and there is talk of Isaac Hayden and Gedion Zelalem being included in the squad. I suspect the former is more likely to get a start. Nicklas Bendtner also returns after injury and may get the opportunity to build on his match fitness.
The blend of youth and experience we are likely to start with looks strong enough, particularly with the riches available to us in midfield. The bench should provide formidable options, if necessary. The ‘holic pound, nay for this one it has to be a Lady Godiva, obviously follows the belief that we have the strength and spirit to overcome enthusiastic opponents. My punt on 4-0 last weekend may have been a week too early. I’m sticking with it for this one at odds of 8/1.
So there we are. A sell-out fixture on a Friday night and the opportunity to reach the last sixteen of a fabulous competition. What could possibly go wrong? Don’t waste that win over the neighbours lads, please.
As ever, have a good one, ‘holics.
294 Responses to “Get Behind The Gunners, And The Visitors”
I’d have a commodore on that score line myself.
Don’t want to sound too negative but I’d be mightily disappointed if no signing was to materialise this transfer window. We have the money and the squad space – plus a couple of unplayables who can be dropped.
Mata improves Utd without unduly weakening Chelsea – we’ve lost Theo and could do with a lift a la Reyes.
Wow, first!
Have half a glass of Faustino on me, it’s all I have left…
Won’t say no to that Herbie. Faustino l of course, not V or Vll? 😉
Sorry, they only had VII in the local co-op, been good this month but an aggro evening with the kids caused me to pop out for a quick bottle of calming liquid.
You don’t think I’d have any I going spare do you? 😉
Hi all. Long time no drink. I’ll have a dry cider to loosen the inhibitions, ta. It don’t take much.
Coventry’s troubles piss me off even more now that Manchester City has bought 80% of Melbourne Heart down here in Australia. I’m a Brisbane Roar man myself, but the idea that Sheikh money is seen as the be-all-and-end-all of football’s problems feels like something we will seriously, seriously shake our heads at 20 years from now.
So, how have you all been?
So am I second or united?
Cheers all.
Win the game
Nice preview Guv’nor. Am I being dense when I wonder why the 35th and 61st minutes? If so, please educate me as well as mocking me.
Good to hear that we’re planning to field a strong squad. I hope my confidence that they will concentrate fully on continuing the current good run will be well placed, and well rewarded.
COYG
Top ten!
Yes P,
35 (miles from Coventry to Sixfields) & 61 (year Jimmy Hill became manager).
Support ’em 😉
Nice preview ‘Holic.
Pangloss @ 9, this is from Red Action’s Twitter account..
“Why 35 and 61? They currently play 35 miles from home, and 61 is the year Jimmy Hill joined them (and the last time Spurs won the league!)”
I see the maestro snuck in earlier with the answer 😉
While you’re educating me about the timing, could you also advise who he protests are aimed at?
Shouldn’t be against the FA (or whoever runs Division 3 [I know it’s not called that] this week); they have rules about financial probity and it’s reasonable that they should enforce them.
Shouldn’t be about Cov City playing at Sixfields – if they have been kicked out of the Ricoh Arena they have to play somewhere.
Is whoever mismanaged Coventry City into liquidation in the first place still in charge? That would be shameful and they should rightly feel the fan’s ire, but I imagine they are long gone.
The owners of the Ricoh are unlikely to give a toss about a demo at another ground and have no connection with City any longer. Perhaps it would be nice if they’d shown a little more patience and faith in the club’s ability to get themselves out of trouble; after all, they’d be nicely placed to make the play-offs without the 15-point deduction.
A little late to be protesting against the decision to move out of Highfield Road, surely?
Bugger, I must be getting old. Finding reasons not to bother with a demo! Whatever next?
OK, Thanks for the education; also “Wot! No mockery?”
Win the next match.
COYG
Pangloss knows!
Or doesn’t, as the case may be.
Always liked Coventry City since they beat the totts in 87.
They are yet another victim of the messers and gobshites getting their hands on football clubs.
Tomorrow a pair of bendys and a couple of poldis will do nicely.
Fine preview ‘Holic. Lots of info about Coventry City which I’ll admit is all new to me, because I haven’t heard about them since Moroccans Hadji and Chippo played there, as I didn’t saw the last years game. It was maybe the only Arsenal game broadcasting on TV that I didn’t manage to see in the last couple of years.
I expect Arsene to rest Giroud and Ozil, give a chance to Jenks, Bendtner, Poldi, Chambo Fabianski and maybe Hayden.
Score early and there will be plenty of goals and fun to watch.
In case you missed it, this one is hilarious
http://www.channel4.com/news/sir-alex-ferguson-drunken-999-call-manchester-united-audio
So the landlords of the Stadium get to stay in Coventry, whilst the team get sent to Coventry which is not in Coventry? 😮
I sympathise with their plight, and wish them well in the bigger picture stuff, but the best thing to come out of Coventry was the Specials!
Please can we put them away without too much drama, tomorrow, lads?
Massive heh Lurky 😆
Well, I think we can all get behind them when the clock shows 61. For our own reasons of course. Let’s all laugh at Totts when the clock shows 61. Every home game – what a great idea. Until it goes to 62 years of course.
Pedantic discussion I found on a Coventry forum about whether the demo should begin “when the clock shows 60 minutes or 61 minutes” because “in the 61st minute” technically means from min. 60 to min. 61.
And we think we have problems.
Always love a pedantic comment dkgooner. Would it be very silly of me to suggest that a definite win is on your mind as opposed to a definite draw? I think you may have a bit of a shock coming tomorrow…
Steve in Cov – qué?
Usually AW doesn’t reveal much at his press conference, but this was interesting. When asked if there were new deals for Rosicky, Sagna, Mertesacker, he says “that’s very, very close”. When asked if that’s for all of them, he asks the reporter to repeat the names, and answers “not for all of them, but most of them.” So, two of the three; who isn’t included?
Nice one Lurky – the funniest though is the guy complaining to Asda about his pizza.
que says it all really. LOL
I do rather like the idea of a minutes laughter at 61 minutes for our friends and neighbours last title 😀
Cheers Wind. Fit enough to form the dream striking partnership again this year?
Holic’s, be sure not to miss the latest excellent Stillman column. Some interesting points about Ozil and his impact, many things we already debated here in the bar.
With your permission ‘Holic
http://arseblog.com/2014/01/another-fine-mesut-you-got-me-into/#
This link (on Arseblog this morning) explains the Coventry City situation.
http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/dec/02/coventry-city-owners-northampton-league-one-sisu
The protest is against the asset stripping owners of the club NOT the City Council subsidiary that owns the Ricoh and has bent over backwards to help the club. However the current owners are trying to blackmail them into selling them the ground at a ridiculously low price to return City to Coventry.
A scenario that is possible with any club owned by disinterested absentee owners who are in it for the money not the sport.
The City fans deserve our full support.
Nice preview H. Hope you win your bet.
Sounds like Coventry has more problems than when Godiva was a babe. No excuses for us then, or the lot of them should be marched naked down to the Islington Waste Recycling Centre.
Lurky … loved your piece on chav fans. If they’re anything like the ‘Made in Chelsea’ crew they’d know more about fornication, fashion, flaunting, faking, frivolity, feasting, frittering and fooling around than football. They certainly wouldn’t know that A Cole was once a member of an illustrious team that went through an entire season unbeaten … a feat he’s never come close to equalling since.
Öskar
‘Holic@27. How about on 15th March?
St. Totterinhamesque celebration fast approaching to mark the day we mathematically eclipse Yanited?
COYG v. CCFC.
Good stuff Holic – very educative piece for me.
One remaining question:
Are they protesting about Jimmy Hill becoming manager in 1961 ?
The significance of that whole bit is lost on me, I’m afraid.
I’ll have to support them from the sofa in any event. Don’t finish work until 6.30, and I can’t do the old crutches marathon again so soon.
A crap idea to put it on on a Friday night. 🙁
Now where’s Pangloss ? I believe he wanted mocking. 😉
Jimmy Hill is to them what Herbert Chapman is to us Trev. That is the best way of describing it. Got them promoted to the top flight, where they remained longer than all but us, and the two Merseyside clubs.
Cheers, Holic.
I did think he was seen as a good guy for them. Wondered why they were protesting. Clearly as a contrast to the mob that have landed them in their current plight.
Maybe we could protest at the Coventry fans for selling us the not so great Jeff Blockley in my early years as an Arsenal fan.
Took over from Frank McLintock as I remember – just. Talk about ‘after the Lord Mayor’s Show’ !
Cheers, Guv.
I’m sure almost everybody inside the emirates will join in the protests tomorrow but I have a feeling a goal will be scored inside one of those minutes and disrupt the singing 😉 .
Trev knows @37. 🙂
I’d just erased Blockley from my mind! Definite reason to protest.
I think we should add to the remembrance the brilliant Ernie Hunt and Willie Carr free kick routine. If you haven’t seen it it’s very clever. Can’t remember if it was disallowed or some prat said it should have been disallowed. Memory prays tricks on you when you pass 90.
‘holic, indeed let’s not waste that win against the tinies. we should be simply better, and again i’ll take a 1-0, at a canter.
lurky, thanks for the link to tim’s column.
in that column is a link to this article, which i’d not read: http://grantland.com/features/mesut-ozil-arsenal-far/
it describes *exactly* how i felt about the invincible-era teams, and why i’ve always thought our biggest contributor to lack of success since 2005 was god’s retirement in 2006. özil playing in his “bubble” is startlingly like god’s “stillness and speed”…
The donkey kick T. I remember the furore at the time. Mr Blockley appears in the vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjq2xT-tx38
Lurky @ 28, fit as a fiddle, just got to keep the cardio up 😉
No chance, Wind,
“Self-assissters are doin’ it for themselves”. 😉
The noble goal scorers of this bar shall counter those dark arts, Trev 🙂
Cheers Holic!
Jimmy Hill also wrote ‘Good Old Arsenal’, whilst at LWT. No limit to the big chinned one’s talents really.
Morning all. Nice preview Holic.
Late finish yesterday and an early start to day. That will hopefully mean an early finish today as from about 4pm, all being well I will join a few friends and embark on a pub crawl along the Holloway Road for a pre Christmas drink. Okay, I fully accept that it is the end of January but for some reason this annual event never managed to take place before Christmas. I feel it would be totally remiss to not take the opportunity on offer today.
It should be a relatively easy day at the office if we can find out shooting boots. Cov will be no mugs but we should have more than enough quality to progress.
Enjoy boys and girls.
Jimmy Hill was also had referee qualifications and in 1972 when AFC were playing Liverpool at Highbury had to take over the line duties when the ref got injured
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/tv-pundit-jimmy-hill-runs-the-line
Merry Xmas, Steve 🙂
Esso: Hill has certainly had a rather large impact on the game. Three points for a win and the concept of TV pundits are said to be his ideas, and the maximum wage for footballers was abolished largely due to his work as a union leader.
Was about to post the link to Tim Stillman’s column on arseblog but I see Lurky’s already done it and scruz has posted the Brian Phillips link. Good on both a yers!
I’d forgotten how much of an influence Jimmy Hill had had on football. I also thought he was dead but he’s still going strong (I hope) at 85. I vaguely remember him as a player for Fulham but I must have been very young then. Long gangly legs and long gangly chin. Maybe he’ll be there this evening. Must admit I hated the “Good Old Arsenal” song and still do. Perhaps because it was the winner of a competition Hill himself set up (if I remember rightly). He had an ability on TV to be a total plonker one minute and a fount of wisdom the next. Bit like me actually (not on TV – yet) :).
Thanks for the preview ‘H.
Hope the game affords the opportunity to the Coventry fans to bring their plight to a wider audience, but as for the rest, I hope we score a hatful and send ’em packing with a minimum of fuss, exertion and injuries.
Coventry was always good for an away day in the eighties. The stand out for me was an early season game when Woodcock and Mariner scored in the last 10 minutes to win 2-1 and send a good third of Highfield Rd into raptures.
Have a good one Steve.
Team for tonight?
Fab
Jenks Hayden Kos Gibbs
Flam Ox
Gnabry Zelalem Poldi
Prince of Denmark.
More than enough. 3-0.
dk – As far as I recall, Hill was the Fulham fullback immediately before George Cohen of 1966 fasme. I’m not quite old enough to remember having actually seen him play.
Trev @way above here. I did indeed want mockery, in the sense that no-one was mocking me. Whether or not I desired mockery is a completely different question…
COYG
Nice team suggestion tabs – maybe we should try and find Shakespearean titles for all of them.
I think AW’s team may be slightly different though. Is TV5 not available?
Pangloss – I remember Hill as a centre forward, not a full back.
I’ve also just discovered that he’s suffering from Alzheimer’s – dreadful illness. All is forgiven – thanks Jimmy for “Good Old Arsenal”.
Hi all thanks for your support we started the season on -10 points as the owners of the Ricoh kept us in admin which we are in because Cov council and Ricoh owners tried to fuck us over but it’s not all there fault our owners sisu capital refused to pay the rent for the use of the Ricoh (1.2million a year) saying it was to much which I partly agree with because we didn’t get any match day revenues from only ticket sales so no parking charges food or drink nothing because the owners sold off the contract to an outside company basically we are in a world of shit our protest today is to show and ask our owners why!!!!!
As we would be getting close to 20,000 each game at the Ricoh compared to 2,000 at sixfields. We have probably the loudest away fans in the country regardless of us winning or losing we sing to the end which you shall experience later on tonight. Thank you for your support
Try not to batter us too much. You never know we could just pull off a shock
DK – Not sure re Tv5. I didn’t think he was, but I might be wrong. Will obviously get a game if he’s available. What other changes do you envisage from that team? Maybe Tomas instead of Z, but I’m not sure how his hooter is recovering?
Nice tribute to JH here:
http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/oct/04/jimmy-hill-football-media-revolutionary
but why is it that Barney Ronay manages at the same time to irritate me as much as JH once did?
Welcome Handsy. Won’t be there myself but I think you’ll find the Arsenal fans will join in enthusiastically – especially on 61 minutes.
As for a shock, I doubt it, but stranger things have happened.
Have a great time anyway.
Hi,
Cov fan here, just popping on to say thanks for the support!
The company (SISU) who put Coventry into administration to avoid paying rent they owed to the council (who own the stadium) are still in charge. They sold the club to themselves during the (corrupt) administration process.
The rent was very high for League 1 standards, but if SISU hadn’t mis-managed the club in the first place we wouldn’t be in League 1.
Also, even though the Council had offered a 90% reduction in rent (down to 150k a season), SISU refused to accept this and decided to move the club to Northampton.
Basically, they moved the club to avoid paying what they owed on a contract they agreed too.
But anyway, Thanks for your support, hope you win the league and Spurs finish somewhere around 13th 😀
tabs – if TV5 is available, he’ll play and I hope with one of Per or Kos, just to make sure at the back. Also think Jack will start.
Ian_s – after that last sentence, support is 100% guaranteed 🙂
Yeh certainly possible Jack will play Dk.
Good luck Ian and thank you for 1987 Cup Final. A glorious day 😉
Evening all from a remote campsite on the north coast of Australia’s awesome surfing coastline. Remote meaning, no setanta and no foxtel, which also means my once a year time of not being able to watch arsenal games live. Still managing to use the companies wi/fi device and keep up to date on all things arsenal whilst back drinking at This fine bar. Thanks Holic and crew for keeping me entertained when the surf is flat and I have thoroughly enjoyed all the topical discussions.
I have even had enough wi/fi coverage to put shut on some uTD supporters who are showing their true colours. (Spoilt brats)
Tonight’s match v Coventry is the last one I will miss live, so look forward to catching the Holic pre and post match banter and of course the match report on the last day of my coastal hideaway.
Nothing better than an FA cup match with some young arsenal talent on show.
Hope zelalem and Gnabry get in the starting line up and show our future talents.
From a Cov fan thanks for your support lads. We need to let everyone know the mess our club is in regarding our owners
Welcome Handsy and Ian_S. Good luck with your campaign to put things right. I hope we’re all happy with tonight’s game, and I’m happy with the result.
Two points about Coventry City’s great FA Cup Final win against the scum.
a) It put paid to the Monty Python line (on a game show sketch with, if memory serves, Mao Tse Tung, Karl Marx and one other as panellists) “When did Coventry City last win the FA Cup?”… “No, that’s wrong, it was a trick question, Coventry City have never won the FA Cup”.
b) It put paid to the Scummers’ taunt that while we had won the FA Cup more often than them, they had never lost in a Cup Final.
Until tonight then
COYG
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/jan/24/joy-of-six-bad-losers-sport
The Guardian really does have a lot of tossers writing for them.
Hi Coventry city fan. To all the arsenal fans thank you for the support.we all looking forward for the game tonight.our youth team
V the superstars of arsenal. I do support ccfc but do like arsenal.
I Hope gooners will win the league and spurs finish 14th
Charlie: Paul Doyle really is a proper tosspot and that was a peculiarly shit piece of writing, but generally I think the Guardian writers are quite good and often writes with some sense of humour as well and (primarily that muppet Doyle excepted) don’t really try to pretend to be unbiased.
Cheers boys. Merry Christmas to you all too.
One of the most memorable trips I ever made to highfield road was back in the late 70s with a load of Bristol lads when City played there in the last game of the season. It was between City, Coventry and Sunderland for the final relegation place. With 15 mins remaining the Sunderland game had finished with them losing. That meant if City and Coventry drew that both would stay up. I’m sure you can guess how the last 15 mins went???
For those travelling from the Midlands I’m sure you will have virtually everyone’s support for those two moments of protest. I hope the television picks it up loud and clear.
Hi arsenal fans and thanks for the support shown, to answer an earlier comment, yes we are still owend by the same people that put us into administration and liquidation and who were somehow allowed to appoint their own administrator,?? And cost us 20 points whilst the FA and FLASH stood around playing pocket billiards. So tonight’s demos are aimed at all 3 parties. .PLEASE MAKE SOME NOISE WITH US!
Sorry…fa and football league! Damn phone!
Nice preview ‘Holic. The sky blues always had a good hard core of support and they will bring a good atmosphere to to Ems tonight.
Fully agree with the 35 & 61 protests – it’s nothing but outrageous what has happened to a fine football club, a warning to others to be careful what you wish for!
Not only can we “thank” Coventry for Jeff Blockley but Bobby Gould was another blockbuster signing from them. Jimmy Hill was noted for being a moderniser of the game, ahead of his time – well when compared to the old farts who then ran the game. Talking of old farts, I recall going to see Arsenal play Fulham at Craven Cottage at the beginning of the sixties and Jimmy Hill regularly played at no 7 which meant right winger in those days!
Steve T enjoy your pub crawl. Something I regularly did in my yoof, started at the Archway Tavern and finished at the Cock ( ooh err missus) thinking back all for less than 2 quid!
Expecting a good win tonight by min 3 goals, have a great time to all those attending the match.
Uply @ 71,
Viva Bobby Gould – always in at the near post!
UTA.
Speaking of the Guardian, this is well worth a read:
The Guardian on Zelalem
Very interesting post Holic. Great work. It definitely made me want to keep an eye on Coventry results the rest of the season.
Yeah, think we need to kick some Coventry butt tonight.
OK, Hands up. My memory of where Jimmy Hill played was wrong. Is it just that, or would I expect to have heard of whoever was the fullback before Cohen?
Guess which Blogger reckons the FA Cup is a waste of time?
http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/should-the-fa-cup-really-matter-to-arsenal-anymore-two-opposing-views-9082840.html
Thanks for the support gooners, what has happened to us could happen to more clubs because of greedy individuals in footbal at the minute. The owners of CCFC have only ever been interested in buying the Ricoh and the surrounding land next to the M6 for a knock down price first they refused to pay the rent to try and force ACL ( cov city council and the alan higgs trust) the owners of the stadium into administration when that did not work they took the club 35 miles away from the city the football league allowed them to do this if they build a stadium near Coventry in 3 to 5 years as yet a site for this stadium has not even been announced.
SISU are hedge fund managers owned by a woman who has admitted she knows nothing about football and what it means to the supporters. This club has been mismanaged for many years now so if you could have a word with some those massively talented players of yours and let them know our need for a cup run is much greater than yours that would be very much appreciated!!!
Afternoon all.
Thanx for the kind ones on previous, you’ll be happy to learn that I’ve left ranThursday well and truly behind me, filled up on the amber nechter last night which has brought me back to a more zen state, on the advice of tabs, (the warming down phenomenum) might even grab a quick sip tonight if I can manage to get the chance to keep an eye on the tv in the bar during match time, otherwise it’s back to teetotaling and watching the game as live in the wee hours.
Cheers for the report ‘holic.
Coventry was always a good fixture back when I was a lad, I used to love their kits, those old Admiral jobbies with the stripes that curved up at the top, looked real snazzy on the old subbeteo figures.
Did you also know that CCFC were one of the first English clubs to fully embrace the concept of shirt sponsering. Their kit was completly transformed into the logo of Talbot who were their sponsers at the time. It’s a sad irony that a club who was a pioneer in commercialism should now find themselves at the mercy of what seems to me an evil corperation who have absolutly no interest in the game and have behaved appalingly.
The worst thing about all this is it’s the fans that ultimitly pay the highest price, it is they who are made to suffer because of the greed of outsiders who do not have the best interests of this proud club at heart. For that I think they deserve our support. Let’s show the world that in such things the Arsenal is a class club like no other.
Nice try, Angry. But sadly all our talented individuals are foreigners so they don’t understand when we talk to them. Don’t you read the papers?
Good luck with your attempts to get Coventry City FC back to Coventry.
* Cricket alert*
Congrats to the England cricket team for winning their first (real)game of the series tonight. I thought they where shot mentally but some of their players really stepped up today! Bodes well for the future to have some of the younger guys step up. Especially buttler who looked like a young gilchrist tonight. Also well played kiwis! That Corey Anderson could be very interesting to watch in the future.
I will try and stay up for the game tonight but it’s Friday and I’ve already had a skinful so it’s unlikely (already 21:00 here). I’ll probably wake up on the sofa half way through the second half!!!
Have a good one holics hopefully the holic pound is on song tonight.
COYG
Re: Aussie @62. I pity you lounging in paradise without any Arsenal viewing capability. 😉
H2H knows. Isn’t capitalism great!
You know it makes sense H2H 😉
As for the rest, spot on – kick Hedge fund cunts out!
Esso: so, basically what that blogger is saying is that fourth place is more important than winning the FA Cup. Now, haven’t I heard a manager for a top club say that a long time ago and then be pelted by the same said blogger for “disrespecting the FA Cup”, “saying fourth place is a trophy” and other stuff?
What a bellend.
It all really begs the question of what the whole “fit and proper person” investigation entails.
To have a person who openly conceeds that she has no interest in or understanding of football as owner and guardian of a club seems utter madness to me.
Lars@73. Interesting article, even though most AFC fans will know the bones of the story already. And I just sigh every time i see an “X is the new Y” headline. Such a cliché – really lazy journalese.
Zelalem is not the new anybody – he’s unique, just like every other player in the wrold.
wrold=world
Forgot to say I hope Z gets game time this evening.
That’s what happens, H2H, when football clubs are run purely as businesses.
Businessmen don’t really care whether they make cars, loaves, rain coats or wing-nuts. They simply want something to sell for more than it costs to make or buy.
Money determines everything. Players become staff who will leave at the drop of a hat for the next higher wage, and fans become customers whose history of loyalty to the brand is meaningless.
The twist of irony is that the only owners who are not driven by making a profit are the ones that don’t have to, that is to say the Abramoviches and the oil sheiks.
So without a proper implementation of Financial Fair Play, there is a choice to make.
Do you want your club showered, possibly, with short term money and subsequently booted out of their home when it all turns sour, or do you prefer to buy your titles, bankrolled by the super rich until a newer, brighter plaything comes along ?
Or do you prefer to stay with the mighty Arsenal, earn your living and support by far the greatest team the world has ever seen ? 😉
I’ll take the last option. 🙂
As ever, h2h knows.
Cheers all for your comments, and welcome the Coventry lads and lasses.
Spent an enjoyable afternoon building myself up for the game by buying the ingredients for a proper Burns supper. Full monty, including cranachan. That is tomorrow afternoon sorted with the laptop in the kitchen 🙂
Have a good one ‘H. I have asked Dr Z to come down in his skirt and start blowing on his pipe but so far he is resisting 😉
Trev – Count me in for that last option too 😉
** Punts a long one upfield to start another attack **
‘Holic server is so slow at that moment that this one probably won’t make it until after the second goal.
‘Holic server is so slow at the moment that this one probably won’t make it until after the second goal.
Whoops – if I carry on like this maybe I can just dribble through the whole defence and slip it in the corner when no-one’s looking (as the bishop said).
** Özillian pass inside the opposition full-back for Monreal to run on to **
Assist..
My kitchen shall be a bagpipe free zone, thank you very much, with apologies to those of you who are double my percentage of sweaty 😉
Was that an own goal?
Well in ‘h.
Good luck to the Coventry supporters and i only mean them and not the team, atleast not today.
After what happened against Blackburn last season, i doubt if Wenger will shuffle to much with the team selection, i think only changes maybe the full backs and the gk. fabianski with Jenkinson and Monreal starting, rest all i think will be first teamers. So i do see Santi, jack, Flamini, Poldi, Gnabry and maybe even Ozil starting. Giroud to come of the bench if needed, hopefully not. 3-0 sounds just fine.
Re the aforementioned Jimmy Hill I met him on a plane to Edinburgh about a dozen years ago. He was a very nice bloke. We chatted about the World Cup which was then taking place. I remembered his linesman’s stint at Highbury many years before. Sadly I understand he isn’t too well now but he struck me as a delightful bloke and he contributed hugely to the development of professional football in England through the abolition of the maximum wage when at the PFA and his work at Coventry and LWT and latterly the BBC. He was not an annoying prat like Shearer or Hansen.
Pangloss….please accept my apologies – jimmy hill was in fact a wing back (so both our assumptions could have been correct). I was thinking of Tosh Chamberlain who was a wing forward! Put it down to a combination of age & alcohol. A drink of your choice awaits you at the bar.
Trev knows @ 89.
H2H….ranThursday should be repeated….full of top comments. Trust you are having a pre match taster 😉
Courtesy of mirrorfootball.co.uk:
“As a TV pundit, Hill was covering an Arsenal v Liverpool game in 1972 when an appeal was broadcast over the PA system for a qualified official to replace a linesman who had succumbed to injury. Hill came to the rescue and ran the line for the rest of the game, in a sky blue tracksuit.
Before hosting Match of the Day – whose 1980s credit sequence memorably featured a crowd making a giant image of Hill from cards placed under their seats – he was head of sport at London Weekend Television from 1967 to 1972 and helped introduce the first panel of football pundits.
In later TV years, Hill was famous for wearing St George cross bow-ties during England matches and for his celebrated double-entendre links into ad breaks while hosting the early series of Sky’s Sunday Supplement. Since the programme was ostensibly set in Hill’s kitchen, these included “I’m just off to baste my meat” and “I need to drain my spuds – back in two minutes”.
Courtesy of mirrorfootball.co.uk:
“As a TV pundit, Hill was covering an Arsenal v Liverpool game in 1972 when an appeal was broadcast over the PA system for a qualified official to replace a linesman who had succumbed to injury. Hill came to the rescue and ran the line for the rest of the game, in a sky blue tracksuit.
Before hosting Match of the Day – whose 1980s credit sequence memorably featured a crowd making a giant image of Hill from cards placed under their seats – he was head of sport at London Weekend Television from 1967 to 1972 and helped introduce the first panel of football pundits.
In later TV years, Hill was famous for wearing St George cross bow-ties during England matches and for his celebrated double-entendre links into ad breaks while hosting the early series of Sky’s Sunday Supplement. Since the programme was ostensibly set in Hill’s kitchen, these included “I’m just off to baste my meat” and “I need to drain my spuds – back in two minutes”.
Apologies for the double post – twitchy finger.
‘H – Haha, and top strike for the goal 🙂
In an interesting article about Bournemouth in the Grauniad, David Conn says:
Mostyn (Bmth chairman) says that the signings and higher wage bill have pushed the club to the £8m loss permitted this season under the Championship’s financial fair play rules. He complains the Championship is intensely competitive while being financially imbalanced by massive parachute payments to clubs relegated from the Premier League …
That’s amazing. Only an £8 million loss permitted. Makes it very difficult for newly promoted clubs to compete with newly relegated. I suppose there must be ways around it though. For example, sugar-daddy owner’s offshore company buys ground from club and rents it back for a peppercorn rent. Or sugar-daddy owner’s offshore company sets up marketing company to manage marketing for club’s players and pays them much more than the actual marketing income. None of this would appear on the club’s books.
Dk – Heh I was at that game that Jimmy Hill ran the line as a kid. We were on the west side and when he was on our side he got some fearful stick 🙂
Denied us a clear goal by sticking his flag up if memory serves. He was clearly shown to be wrong but it didn’t stop him trying to justify his decision on MoTd later that night 🙂
Heh at the double entendres.
Cheers Uply’
Managing not to whet the whistle quiet yet.
Don’t think I’ll be holding out much longer though… 😉
The masses from the midlands are invading you xxxxxxxx
Isn’t Jimmy Hill a famous bookmaker? Could be wrong of course. 😉
These Coventry fans deserve anyone’s sympathy but let’s leave it there. Balls are about to be kicked in anger and we better make them theirs not ours.
TV5 still out with knee according to AFC preview.
So maybe tabs@50 defence will play after all.
35th minute, Bendtner.
61st minute, Ox.
SISU OUT!
I see that Coventry are the second highest scoring team in League 1 but unfortunately for them they have the joint highest number of goals conceded in the top 18.
Today, they are up against the Premiership’s most frugal defence – in fact only QPR have conceded less in the whole country.
I can understand that their fans are hoping for an upset and that all it takes is 1-0, but somehow I can’t see them keeping a clean sheet, not even with two double-deckers.
When I say double-deckers, I mean buses – nothing to do with any burger chain.
Arsenal FC @Arsenal 1m
#Arsenal team: Fabianski, Jenkinson, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Gnabry, Podolski, Bendtner #AFCvCCFC
Arsenal FC @Arsenal 30s
#Arsenal subs: Viviano, Sagna, Monreal, Zelalem, Flamini, Cazorla, Giroud #AFCvCCFC
Good evening everyone:)
streams – http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?matchid=241165&part=sports
http://livetv.sx/en/eventinfo/211436_arsenal_coventry_city/
word on Coventry city fans, I can sympathize with them, after I read up on the whole situation, the whole thing is just wrong and there have been few very bad decisions along the way. Fully support their initiative during the game.
I like the team selection, looks like a good mix of regular starters with those who need to get some minutes under their belt and youth (want to see Zel in action today)
Ozil starts! I must admit this is a strange decision.
Arsene good to his word and taking this game serious.
Also finally get to see Özil and Poldi starting together, last year match against Coventry kick started OGs season, would be great if it did the same for Poldi tonight.
Looks like a strong team. Here’s hoping they can do the job (again).
Upply, you are forgiven. Thanks for the drink, have one on me.
COYG
Win this match
Very attacking side.
Not sure I’d have started the BFG; too important to risk.
Should be a cracking game, looking forward to Gedion.
COYG
Yeah – much stronger than I expected too. Looks like the best means of defence is attack. No riskd being taken and I guess he’s consulted the players. Özil is surely playing because he wants too.
STOP TALKING ABOUT FOOTBALL!!! I’M TAPING THE MATCH!!! 🙂 @78 Good Luck to you Angry of Coventry.
Stream alternative:
http://www.vipboxeu.co/football/203432/1/arsenal-vs-coventry-city-live-stream-online.html
Via http://www.footballstreaming.info/streams/todays-links/index.html
I have no vested interest in either 🙂
COYG
nuff said
i trust no-one is intending to honor (see what I did there?) Arsegonian’s anguished plea@128. I need to get my biased commentary from somewhere!.
Sorry A, I fear it’s a full-scale media lockdown or nothing.
COYG
ah, arsenal football. sitting here with the lad, who had his wisdom teeth removed and is sleeping off the drugs. fire’s lit, and Irish coffee is brewing! COYR!
Sleeping off the drugs?
What a waste. 😉
lol, h2h. he gets the good pain meds later, he will be awake for them 😉
COME ON YOU REDSSSS
come on!
Mesut with many backheel flicks already O.O
I’m posting this in match for the exposure 😉 …. The management was out of town for a week. I took 4 days off and locked myself in a room. In that time, I went from not being able to spell my own name to editing JavaScript. Needless to say, my website has taken a MASSIVE leap forward. It’s as if I paid £42.5 million and had Mesut Özil come over and make my site. It’s a grand reopening!!! Posts will start later today / tomorrow ….. In the meantime, I hooked with a British stat site that is powering a bunch of cool features. There’s a score predictor. Type in your prediction and it tabulates the results. There’s a live match feed. Up to the second EPL table, form guides, goal scoring chart. In time for Southampton there will be this amazing squad selector where you pick the team and bench. There’s live news feeds from Arsenal.com, arseblog, Goonerholic, Ladyarse. There’s even a live feed to the bar here where you can instantly see who posted a drink. There’s a YouTube channel ( took fucking forever to get that to work ) with over 6 hours ( so far ) of Arsenal videos. Wanna watch a 2 hour feature of the 49 match unbeaten run? Knock yourself out. I also hooked up with a polling website so my shitty polls are a thing of the past. There will be in post man of the match votes etc. Check it out at http://www.arsegonian.com
Thanks fellas hope you enjoy the site. And thanks again Goonerholic …
gibbo gives nick the look 🙂
great cross by jenks, poldi missed the far post chance.
great ball in by Jenks
Much better, Arsegonian. One question and a suggestion.
Do you have any idea how StatsFC.com decide what order to show players who have scored the same number of goals in your table? I’m buggered if I can work it out.
Your tag line at the bottom of the page would read much better as “…the greatest team the world has ever seen”.
Up to 7/10 with this rework.
Meanwhile, back at Ashburton Grove…
COYG
pressure is on Coventry, let’s crack ’em.
12 minutes gone, we should be two up, and it’s going to be a long night for Coventry…
Öskar
POOOLLLDDDIIIII
Poldi. Get in!
Coventry fans chanting ole…1-0!
One up, POLDIIIIII
Özil to Poldi..what a finish!
The Ozil Poldi connection opens its account.
what vision by our mesut.
great run by baker, great save fabs
Woah, nice save Fab
Mesut to Poldi maiden goal….first of many over the next few months, I hope.
POOOOOLLLDDDIII
poldi!!
Two … Poldiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii again!
Öskar
yes! near post corner routine worked!
perfect near post header…the new german connection, serge to per to poldi!
One more goal and then Per and Mesut off at the break, please.
miskick nick… yeesh.
Deutsch tor nummer zwei.
minute 31. *claps*
Good to see our fans lending their support.
why do all these free streams want my credit card details 🙁
great job jenks and nick, no one at the back post 🙁
poldi blazes over after more great work by jenks.
Arg…wrong foot poldi!
@142 …. I appreciate it Pangloss. I’ll definitely take 7/10. I’m not sure about the goal scorers either. Seems there’s no pattern to it. I’ll ask. And great suggestion. That’s exactly the stuff I’m looking for. Oh and I know the score lol but I’ll watch anyway 🙂
shit, jack hurt.
ouch Jack down..does not look good -_-
he’s ok. good.
Coventry fans messing with the lights 🙂
oh, jack, nearly. looks like a journey concert in the stands…
No sweat.
Good first half. Poldi looking sharp, and Ox. Jenks terrorising their full-back – gone past him several times. And Mesut – one assist and plenty of work closing down. Holic pound is on.
Trev@165. The vipbox link I posted at 129 is working fine – so far.
Very impressed by Ox, shows that Arséne knows, he looks lively in the middle, spraying those passes nicely. Has bit of TR in him when he plays in this position. Jenks is doing great aswell, put in few tasty crosses already which begged for someone to be on the end of them.
Oh and Poldi, the finish for the first goal is as calm and composed as it gets.
Draxler fee agreed!!!
Lurky – ??? source :O
Where’s that from Lurky?
Please don’t say twitter.
“Arsenal have agreed to meet Julian Draxler’s €45m (£37m) release clause,” …. doesn’t mean a lot really.
Öskar
Fjortoft re Draxler. Reliable
So let’s get it on for the second half
Jan Aage Fjortoft. 10/10 reliable.
Not sure if the deal is going to happen in January. We have delegation flying today to Gelsenkirchen to try to wrap the deal and looks like they’ve made it..
that was a lucky end to that break. Coventry starting brightly second half.
agreed scruz, good save by Fab
Coventry looking lively.
COME ON ARSENAL!!
Whoa, what ???
again, Clarke close after a bad giveaway in our box. enough lazing, boys get a couple more!
Dont fuck around with the ball near our box ffs -_-
Come on lads, wake up.
Two Nil for us is always iffy.
We always seem to switch off at that score.
COME ON ARSENAL
wasted by nick. fuck.
61st minute. claps again.
Cheers dkg.
Oh dear, Bendy. The Greatest Striker That Ever Limped. 🙁
Come on lads. Put the lid on it.
wake up boys…add third and close the game out.
Shoooot
curls it towards the box…
Score?
Arma-Gedion time
oooh, santi and zelalem…yes!
Bendtner just isn’t good enough…. 🙁
Gedion and Santi about to come on:)
presumably for Jack and Mesut
Woah, Zelalem is still a kid.
Why Giroud?
poldi off for og.
It’s all gone a bit flat. 🙁
I really can’t understand these substitutions.
Hate it when they play like this…….. 🙁
Öskar
Giroud!
HFB!!!!
game done
Na na na na na na na, GIROUD!!!!
Öskar
OG!
Ah – that’s why Giroud!
Subs have been very odd.
All those ‘When’ signs … was that ‘When’ are we going to wrap this game up?? 😉
Öskar
oooh, santi…
One more goal for ‘holic’s 4-0 bet. And drinks all round?
COYRRRRRRRRs
Öskar
wow, what a cross field kill by gnabry.
Holic Pound ON!!!
Well in Holic!
Drinks all round, ‘holic??
Öskar
holic pound! what a move, santi scores!!
Good to see on the BBC Football homepage that Mourinho is starting to talk about Arsène. At least the odious Jose is taking Arsenal’s league position seriously.
COYG
Santi!:)
oooh, özil nearly kills the holic pound!
Ozil seems familiar with the ‘Holic pound. he missed this one deliberately.
WELL IN ‘HOLIC!!!
Satisfactory, but only just. Why do we always give teams a sniff?
Öskar
game done, well done Coventry, and good luck. Arsenal deserved that, some great stuff, there.
Next round and the ‘Holic pound secured. Never in doubt.
lurky knows. my thought, exactly.
Did Leon Clarke also miss deliberately?
Was he also on the ‘holic pound?
Should there be a steward’s enquiry?
What to say about that?
Ofcourse we would of liked to see a little more fireworks, but that’s not what this current version are all about. Plan A is to get the job done with the minimal of fuss, so….. mission acomplished.
A very business like performance.
First name into the hat for the 5th round, bring it on!!!
*this current version of Arsenal are….
Nice call Holic!!!
And the Holic Lady Godiva comes steaming in! Like a fucking happy train.
Comfortable victory as expected but Coventry are a decent footballing side for 3rd tier league team. Good work out for some of the irregulars, Corp Jenks, The Ox and Fabs had good games. Bendy the exception unfortunately. Poldi 2 excellent goals but needs to more involved.
No doubt that Mesut Ozil will be ‘holic’s man of the match 😉
Mystic Holic ! Well played, sir 😉
I guess everybody will have heard this on commentary but Gedion Zelalem is the first player to make the Arsenal first team who was born after Arsene Wenger became manager.
That could, of course, happen at Tottenham too, just as long as they are prepared to play someone who is less than eighteen months old 😆
Heh @ Trev!
Well in lads, enjoy the winnings guvnor!
Now. Just a question, just putting it out there…but do we actually need Draxler? Will he be a significant help towards the title?
Uplympian @ 241: Quite impressive how the technical quality of football has improved in the lower leagues. Last year we had played Brighton away and in that 3-2 match they had some very well orchestrated attacking moves.
Poldi is probably too nice a guy. Maybe he thinks “well I should not score a hat-trick now to get extra attention when it is all a team game, rather be unselfish and show how good a team player I can be”. 🙂 That is the only explanation I could find for him not taking that shot from one of his favorite goal-scoring angles on his favorite foot deep in the second half.
Despite the odd mistakes liked Ox in the deep lying role, good education for him.
Arsenal form since Aaron went off vs West Ham
WWWWWWW
16 goals scored
1 conceded
Good question Porco – but not one I want to get into until it’s confirmed on the AFC website.
Lurky – worth noting we’ve only conceded twice since the game at Man City, and both were very avoidable errors on our part.
Congratulations on the win, Guvna.
Porco @ 244: If I may, yes. A quality addition with the right attitude would be a help, especially when games would come thick and fast between PL-CL-FA Cup, assuming we want to and would fight for progress in all three fronts.
You saw today how a bit of quality injected from the bench took care of the drop in the tempo and level and assured there was no late drama. The same formula works in big matches as well, always keeping in mind the possibility of injuries to some key players to otherwise deplete the bench strength.
There were six avoidable errors against City, Charlie 🙂
Porco – can’t answer your question specifically, but he is one hell of a player. Technical, eats up the ground and strong as an ox.
Tremendous acquisition if we have actually got him.
Great response from Arsene on Mourinho: “I speak about facts & ideas. Never about people.
I love this guy!
Thanks all. A few Lady Godivas came up trumps tonight thanks 🙂
Report in the morning. Got to watch Thierry Henry on Graham Norton in a bit…
Enjoy 🙂
Remember Ntep, the Auxere forward that was even on Arseblog news as a potential signing this January?
QPR agreed personal terms with Paul Georges Ntep; fee not yet agreed.
Congrats H on the Holic pound coming good.
4-0 love it. We played in first gear all night. I wish we would shift through the gears at least once this year against these “smaller” clubs.
Holic, I also want to again thank you for this wonderful establishment. I am at a conference in Dallas and with your assistance I was able to hook up with a fellow Holic and enjoy a good conversation while enjoying watching the greatest team the world has ever seen.
Lonestar, thanks again for lunch. A true pleasure meeting you sir. All the best for you and your family.
I am looking to set the record for most Holics met in one season!
Who is next? 😉
Cheers all
Just heard Steve Mcmanann on BT sports that Arsenal have agreed fee for Draxler and announcement would happen early next week. Looks awesome if true.
What’s this? Count Drax fee agreed?
Lurky @255.
P G Ntips…
Not sure if he’s my cup of tea. 🙂
Cheers for the answers all. Nice and clear now!
On the lash again – skirt on, pipes puffed (sort of) 😉 haggis supper, steaming in like a Happy Train……
Make of that what you will, Arses
PS – well done to the law of averages aka the Holic Pound 😀
Beating the law of averages hollow, z, as well ye know.
I will have plenty of Haggis, neaps, tatties, and cranachan tomorrow evening. No skirt or pipes though 😉
If I don’t fuck it it up I’ll post pics on Twitter.
Arsene poured cold water on the Draxler rumour, called it “an illusion”.
Hmmmm….
Mind you, here was the look on his face…..
https://twitter.com/goonerchizzy/status/426836107909951488
Slainte, chiels.
Oh would some Power, the giftie, gie us…
And there’s also this…
https://twitter.com/mickthegooner/status/426847177688621056
@ 262 enjoy mate, – whatever percentage you are, its an excuse to get a sip of the angel’s share 🙂
N7.
Did he do a little shuffle too, a la Imagination?
Could it be a Drax?
It’s just an Illusion.
Not to mention this:
Dopo Mesut Ozil quest’estate, l’Arsenal è vicinissimo ad un altro colpo da 90. I Gunners hanno lanciato l’offensiva giusta, e secondo le ultimissime raccolte in esclusiva da TuttoMercatoWeb.com l’accordo con lo Schalke 04 per Julian Draxler è ad un passo. Oggi saranno definiti gli ultimi dettagli, e nella giornata di domani l’Arsenal sarà ancora a Gelsenkirchen per la definitiva fumata bianca. L’operazione si concluderà a cifre importantissime, visto che Arsene Wenger ha dato il via libera al pagamento della clausola rescissoria del giocatore, fissata a 45 milioni di euro. Nella trattativa non verrà dunque inserito Lukas Podolski, indicato come possibile parziale contropartita tecnica. Una volta arrivata l’ufficialità, Draxler volerà immediatamente a Londra e si metterà subito a disposizione del tecnico francese.
N7, I don’t believe a word Arsene says about transfers. I know that he prefers discretion from all interested parties and just hates when rumors starts to spread.
I remember that he was ready to stop Eduardo’s transfer from Dinamo Zagreb if a single word would come out before it’s finalized. (not sure I wrote this on proper English, but I am sure you’ll understand what I mean)
And I also remember that he didn’t know who Cazorla is, couple of years ago.
I think that he needs to adapt to the modern way of doing transfers. You have internet now, it is almost impossible to do things without being noticed. The only way to do that way is to be fast, determined, efficient and ready to pay top dollar.
Like Ozil was. Like Monreal was.
If you start to haggle you start losing time and you can’t expect discretion anymore.
If we want Draxler than I am afraid than we have to pay the release clause which is not that cheap.
I like Draxler, he is good, but part of me still thinks that he is not the 40 mil. good. Knowing Arsene, I think that maybe he feels the same.
😆
Goonertown.
Va bene!, No?
http://vimeo.com/84976656
He’d be everything I wanted Gervinho to be. A man who can break up a defence with a quick dribble, really important against tight defences like Chelseas. Is he worth the money? Perhaps not, but if he can use his abilities in the Premier league we have another key to unlock defences.
‘Holic pound paying prosperous returns? With the price of haggis being what it is these days, good thing. 🙂
Lurky
The clause activates this summer, no?
I think Draxler will be well worth the money, in time. If he signs this week (big if) I don’t expect him to contribute much to the title push; I think this is summer business brought forward due to Theo.
Agree re: Arsene; what else is he going to say? Yoo-hoo, Chelsea, look who I’m about to sign? No thanks.
Fingers crossed. Mine, and Arsene’s.
Returned from a dark, wet Grove. I was very impressed with our attitude in the first half and much less impressed after the break. Two points before I discuss Arsenal.
Firstly I was impressed that a Division One team tried all evening to pass the ball and create chances ( and did thanks to the huge hole in front of Kieran Gibbs. Can’t remember a malicious tackle either. Secondly I thought the ( hitherto unknown to me ) ref was so much better than Webb, Atkinson and their ilk. Sensible, pragmatic refereeing . Interesting after our blatantly offside fourth goal ( yes I know it was technically possibly onside but it was morally offside with two Arsenal players on the line ) he looked askance at the assistant referee as if he could not believe he had not flagged.
I liked lots about our play tonight . Our first half performance was energetic and committed. Our central defenders are the dogs b*******s. I thought Ozil showed touches of class and I thought Poldi adds a lot to our attacking play.
The one note of dissatisfaction comes in the shape of Bendtner. He was utterly awful tonight. His ” finishing” made him a laughing stock,his lack of desire, his first touch akin to a man in diving boots wading through quicksand and his unwillingness to attack crosses would suggest to me that he should never play for the first team again. Surely Arsene can’t use him as our back- up. Rumours are swirling about Draxler but frankly if John Radford has his boots still I would prefer him to Suoer Nik. He was shambling.
Otherwise it’s a night of satisfaction. First into the fifth round and my birthday lunch tomorrow with no football to stress me.
I only hope the Draxler rumours are true.
I’ve long been advocating his signing…! What a player. And can we please just put to death the rumours that Wenger isn’t prepared to spend big money on players? This lad is 20. He’s supposedly costing €45m. Ozil is 23. He cost €50m. Seriously, ffs, if there was ever any proof that he just didn’t have the money to spend in the past, then I politely suggest this is the proof………………
Delighted for the Holic pound. 4-0 is a great finale and what impressed me most was the willingness to close the opposition down when we lost the ball. Boring I know, but the devil is in the detail…!
Turned over to G – Norton.
Always a good show. Especially when Titi and Kiera Nightly are on view.
Now, as much as I like Titi……
And to bath, all I can say is I treated myself to a HP18 this evening and I’ve rarely enjoyed a dram of such quality. I know its a drop from Orkney, but in keeping with the theme:
“My heart’s in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart’s in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer;
Chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe,
My heart’s in the Highlands, wherever I go…”
Jose Mourinho is complaining about Arsene Wenger conplaining.
Does he seriously think that we are all so dense that we can’t see the, er, irony in that.
Per. Lease.
Who invited that odious little flea bag back into the Premier League. Good to see he’s worried about us again anyway.
Ozil must have eyes in the back of his head. Poldi was still behind him when he started to make the pass for the first goal.
Random stat of the day (h/t to the BBC): Gedion Zelalem wasn’t born when AW started managing Arsenal. If there is anything to that quote that he dribbles like Ineista and passes like Xavi, he is going to grow up in to one hell of a player.
Cov fan of over 40 years here, but love the gunners as the quality voice of football. Cov too deep first half, pushed you back abit second before tired. Thanks for support, modern football is rubbish. Business telling the fans they will play in another city! Cov in Cov! We must move to a German model ASAP over all leagues. We are a work in progress, Elvis Pressley is a top young manager hope we keep him, while best of luck to the only quality team in prem and hope you win it and the European cup! X (oh and FA cup, if not watch us do spurs on DVD 1987 x)
Much respect for the Coventry fans that stopped by. I wish you luck in your struggles both on and off the pitch. Well done.
@277 … Something is definitely wrong with me. I was thinking ” as much as I like Keira Knightley …. “
@ 280 a lot of credit is due
to Coventry tonight.
A class team with a class manager.
You guys never gave up and a goal might have been due to you.
And cheers for beating the spuds in 1987. That was a bit specials.
@280 … I haven’t watched the match yet as I’m 8 hours behind London and still working but by all accounts you were class. Good luck with your season.
Thanks holics for the match coverage, especially by scruz and co who do a great job each match.
This was a first for me to see the holics in full swing on match day without any tv coverage. Great fun to back drink.
Can’t wait to watch the match when I get home from my holiday trekking up and down the Australian East Coast.
For my bit on transfers, arsene was spot on to buy ozil and will be spot on again to buy draxler.
Arsene knows and he finally has the financial shackles off.
Spend it all arsene on real quality and you will be the true king of arsenal.
Our squad is looking fucking awesome. Only a few bits of dead wood left.
Draxler? …. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/10596260/Julian-Draxler-aims-to-seal-36m-move-to-Arsenal.html
I echo Norcal’s sentiments @ 256. It was great fun to get out of the office and watch the Gunners with excellent company. Fair play to Coventry and their support… proper football, proper performance, proper fans. Good luck to ye.
Thank ‘Holic for the establishment and being willing to facilitate Goonah Nation.
Win the next match.
BMBD
Cheers Richard @280. Very handsomely spoken. Best of luck to you and to the sky blues in future.
Meanwhile COYG! If we win Tuesday we’ll have won every match in January. Win the next one
Thanks for your support, Gooners.
Sheer class
Good luck for the rest of the season.
PUSB
Anyone whose interested in the Draxler deal, John Cross tweeted these messages 9 hours ago:
“My impression is they’d like to get it done, they’re hoping to get it done and don’t wanna blow it by saying the wrong thing #draxler”
“Having insisted there was nothing going on at all, Wenger finished with: “we don’t rule it out.” #draxler”
#afc “Wenger insisted no deal agreed for Draxler yet. He’s very good at transfer poker. Saw my questions/attempts coming a mile off!”
😉
Good effort. No need to waste energy when it really was never in doubt. I have to say I have a bit of a soft spot for Coventry. The ” shit ground ” chant when the lights went was pretty hilarious. They created some chances in the second. Fair play to them , I hope they get a playoff spot. ( and a new owner )
After the Lord Mayor’s Show …
1) It’s become even more evident (to me) this season how long it takes players to get back to full match fitness/sharpness after an extended lay-off – Santi and Jack are good examples. So let’s have a little patience with Podolski, Ox, Arteta, Aaron and even Bendtner. Ox did well last night for 60 minutes but then looked a bit bushed. I know NB looked pants last night but then he comes along and scores a vital goal, like against Cardiff. He’s not top class (and we need strengthening) but he’s not totally useless either.
2) Özil can last 90 minutes. He was still running, chasing and finding space yesterday right until the final whistle. Another example maybe of how long it takes to adapt to the pace of English football. He always finds space, covers a lot of ground and always seems to have time on the ball. And yet another assist. The best is yet to come – ain’t that great?
3) We also saw how important it is to have Arteta or Flamini in that hole in front of the back four. Jack and Ox were absent in attack for long stretches. BFG got really pissed off at one point. I guarantee that Baker would never have got that shot in if the Flamster or Mikel had been there. We can get away with it against the likes of Coventry (all due respect) but not in the PL please Arsene.
4) We have a great back-up goalkeeper – don’t know how long we’ll be able to hang on to him though. He deserves to be playing every week. No longer is he Flappy – that was a super save and he was very secure with crosses.
As for the ref, he was OK but Seaborne should have had a yellow. Twice he stopped us breaking quickly from corners with “professional” fouls and every time there was a long ball up to Bendtner, he pushed him in the back.
Yet another win, what a good month. Winning becomes a habit and instils confidence – long may it continue.
The Coventry fans were a bit specials last night.
So many of them at The Ems that Coventry must have been a ghost town.
Seriously, good luck with your season and your struggle – we sometimes don’t know how lucky we are.
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