The Hardest Word
Mar 14th, 2016 by 'holic
Well that didn’t go too well, did it? Nearly twenty-four hours after the event, and without the benefit of having seen a re-run, how to sum up yesterday? I know some come here for a touch of perspective, a bit of calm amid the storms raging elsewhere. A sleepless night following that turgid performance isn’t conducive to one of those posts.
I should have known what sort of day we were in for when the journey from Paddington to Kings Cross took a ludicrous 35 minutes. A couple of pints in good company calmed the nerves (lovely to meet you Stephane).
So to the Grove where we were able to look out on a glorious sunny day, although in the shade thanks to being in the West Stand. I remember confiding beforehand how well we seem to play on sunny spring days. The team news was encouraging. With the exception of the full-backs this was our strongest available line-up. The consequences of that for Wednesday will be discussed in tomorrow’s preview.
The first-half passed by in something of a blur. Mohamed Elneny had a couple of chances the second of which was not as far off target as the first, and so we awaited his third effort, sure to go in, no?
The Gabriel challenge on Deeney happened right in front of us and in normal time I will say it looked as though it was a case of six of one and half a dozen of the other. I have been assured by those whose opinion I value that we were extremely fortunate to still have eleven on the pitch. Andre Marriner’s view must have been similar to ours.
The half-time whistle didn’t provoke any protests at the blank sheet. We had the game under control and needed only to finish off tiring opponents who had offered little or no threat in the opening 45 minutes.
Except at half-time Watford obviously got a more morale-boosting talk than the hosts. Ighalo appeared to be given far too much time and space to fire what was, from memory, their first decent chance beyond David Ospina. Surely we would raise the tempo of our game now? We had a proud Cup record to secure.
It didn’t happen that way though. A second Watford goal, a thunderous and wonderful strike from the unmarked Guedioura, sparked fury in the stands. Some of the natives are, perhaps understandably, restless. It was sad to witness the more excessive demonstrations of that frustration.
With twenty minutes to go the triple substitution of Danny Welbeck, Theo Walcott, and Alex Iwobi for Olivier Giroud, Joel Campbell, and Elneny gave us a new dynamic. It seemed too little too late, but Welbeck gave us a degree of hope with a late strike from yet another Ozil assist.
The finish was as furious as the opening 70 minutes had been laboured. Iwobi, still impressing with every showing, hit the post and then the moment came that sealed our fate. Welbeck had the goal at his mercy but a snatched finish sent the ball painfully astray. Cue the final whistle and another explosion of displeasure.
To be fair a number of people showed the other side of support by giving the visitors a warm round of applause as they departed the pitch. Time to head to the pub where we couldn’t face the post-mortem. The Guinness and Glenfiddich were accompanied by memories of Scottish football and the days when titles and cups would not have been secured without a player from north of the border being involved.
The two hour train journey home provided the chance to take in what was happening on social media. It did not surprise. Arsene’s response to somewhat deserved criticism wasn’t the best frankly. It is remarkable how many people I know are considering letting their season ticket go next season. These are not the people venting forth industrially, but reasonable people who are questioning the value in filling the club’s coffers with cash that is not sufficiently re-invested in the squad, or in watching the same failings repeated week in and week out, season in and season out.
Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United have combined to present us with the Premier League title. Eight points adrift of Leicester, and that could be eleven later tonight, we have to do something remarkable in the final nine League fixtures. It will require a level of consistency and commitment that appears at the moment to be beyond this group of players.
Only one man is ultimately responsible for that. It should go without saying that we all want Arsenal’s greatest manager to lead this squad to that now unlikely title. We should all want him to depart with dignity and respect intact. Continuing abuse of him says far more about the abusers than it does him. But the time is near when the squad he assembled and put so much faith in is making his position increasingly untenable, and it is with no pleasure that I find myself writing that. Sorry, Arsene.
100 Responses to “The Hardest Word”
Been a while, Holic, so cheers. What a breath of fresh air you are, though the truth of your words carries much weight. I love Arsene as well, and am no calling for him to step down right now, but the writing is on the wall and his reaction to the loss was quite poor. I fear, though, what comes after Arsene. I don’t trust Stan or the board to do what Man C. are doing so well. When a manager with his fingers in every pie leaves, it takes an extraordinary club to fill those holes; and o don’t trust ours at the moment to do that. Thanks though, Holic. You’re wonderful as always.
Ouch!
Am still hoping for the best though.
😀
Brilliant write up as always ‘holic.
🙂
One of your best H. The Gabriel tackle was a straight red. Another one we have gotten away with. The rest is plain for all to see.
We looked sharper and had more urgency when the changes were made. Iwobi and Welbeck can both take credit for that.
Personally I think we need to look behind us rather than in front at the moment, and hope to whoever you pray to that Leicester go on and win it.
I wonder if Stan actually knows the result????
If you thought that was tough to write I don’t envy you finding to put into words how we are going to beat Barca?
?
An interesting review, ‘holic. For the last few years you have been the counterweight to my gradual onset of scepticism about Arsene, keeping me from getting too upset or outspoken with your steady output of good sense and perspective. I’m afraid I crossed the divide last year, but I would still have loved to see the great man have one last hurrah in the league, however, I fear it is not to be.
And now I find you calling for a dialogue about Arsene’s future too…
Truly the end of an era.
Whoa! That must have hurt to write ‘holic, as it does to read it. As you rightly say, all the abuse reflects more about them than where it’s directed at, but why is it that the players have time and again failed to repay his faith in them? Are they mistaking his kindness for weakness, as Travolta said in a movie? At least players like alexis say they can’t sleep or how it feels to not score unlike the likes of Walcott, Oxlade or a bunch of others who just pipe up every ten games about how they should have bite, charger, strength only to go anonymous at the first sight of a challenge? Shame on the players more than anything else. Overpaid, overrated, bunch of shameless wankers. Anyway that’s how I feel. I just hope by some miracle we win the league.
Haven’t read the post yet, except for the last two words:
“Sorry, Arsene”
It’s about the way I am feeling at the moment too. Next I will get around to reading the rest of your post, ‘holic, but as I was just browsing the news and found these post-match comments by Enrique Sanchez-Flores I thought of sharing the link and wondering out loud if he might be an interesting candidate to be our next manager.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35798055
Great post Guvna. I feel the same. I have had just about enough of ‘Brand Kroenke’.
Holic
I think we all know how hard it must have been for you to write this it’s rather a sad story to be honest and it’s a real shame it has come to this.
I just wonder if his players have as much faith in him as he has for them and will they pull their socks together to show him they care and can change this mare around. Time will tell no doubt.
Well it was worth waiting for Holic.
A very measured and sane piece which eased a hurt that still endures twenty four hours on.
Firstly re the Gabriel tackle I looked straight at Marriner from my eyrie in the North Bank to the left of the goal as you look at it. It was my impression that not only did he have a very good view of it but he seemed to applaud the two players as if congratulating them on a robust but fair challenge. That’s what they used to do in the football I played in when you both went for the ball. If one went over the top you called for the ambulance. We can’t take the moral high ground if we have players ‘ tackling’ like that. Had Deeney decided to roll in agony( and they took most opportunities to waste time) he could have still got Gabriel a red.In real time that’s what it looked like to me. It was nothing of the sort. It wasn’t in the category of the Shawcross challenge on Ramsey but it was totally out of control, a two- footed lunge. The bloke must be an idiot especially the week after losing Le Coq and given we are not the most physical team maybe we are the most stupid. I’m currently not a Gabriel fan as he left Ighalo too much space to score from Deeney’s flick-on .
My other observation is that it may make sense to play Campbell on the right and Sanchez on the left with full backs bombing on but Chambers is far too slow to bomb anybody. We ended up with loads of possession on the right and no width as Campbell keeps cutting in ( as does Sanchez) We look much more balanced when Sanchez moved to the right at the end. Just one example of a worrying lack of attention to detail
Well put as always, ‘Holic. And ironic that it’s a word from Watford supporter and former chairman Sir Elton forming the hardest coda.
Guvnor,
This is one of your finest post-matches ever fella. I am actually quite saddened in saying that but reality and pragmatism dictates that one must do so now in the current climate.
Up the Arse! Arsenal Football Club forever!
Thanks Holic for a superb post. You managed to keep a clear head while many on social media should be ashamed of themselves.
Sadly I feel that the time is near for Arsene
to step down but it should happen in a way that gives him the utmost respect he deserves. Even if we drop down to 5th at the end of the season, I cannot see the club pushing him out – Kroenke knows he will never find another Arsene Wenger, someone who would provide him with such brilliant financial results. If Arsene is determined to carry on for another season and see out the final year of his contract Kroenke would be over the moon. This could well result in another year of stagnation which would arouse the rabble to a crescendo – not the way to end his unbelievable reign of 20 yrs.
COYRRR
Very well put Uply at 13. This is the fear I have and I think many in this bar share. The ideal script would be a title win this season and/ or a third successive FA Cup but alas I don’t see either happening and Wednesday can only add to the angst.
I’d love us to be different and manage his exit with class. We did it with Bertie Mee but most of our other managers have gone in the usual mucky circumstances that other clubs create. Don Howe’s exit was particularly regrettable. I’d like Arsenal to handle it with dignity and respect for a wonderful servant
My other concern is that if the club appears to be stagnating we might lose some of our star players or fail to sign top class new players.
The ideal scenario would be a step up to Director of Football running all the back room stuff and a seat on the Board while a new coach comes in to run the first team.
Good and fair post. Our problems pre-date Kroenke. I think we are finally seeing Wenger run out of excuses and the results are the logical culmination of that. There is simply no ownership most of the time, until this season when we can no longer blame financial doping, referees etc for our ills. He’s had a good run but sadly I don’t think he can take us any further.
TTG, the possible loss of our 2 star players is of concern to me also. They surely have the ambition to play at a club mixing it with the elite of Europe – this is looking more & more an unlikely scenario with the current set up. Still 9 games to go!!
I think if Arsene goes and the board remains the same, we could be in for a real rough ride indeed!
I choose to remain optimistic, by that i mean Arsene stays (for the time being anyway) and gets rid of the players who are not performing whilst actually getting in players who can compete.. after all he’s not got many years left and it is certainly unfathomable for him to leave on a low.
One would think he will go for it.
Either ways, changes are in the horizon for sure.
Excellent stuff, HOLIC. Great to meet up.
Bath, Arsene has been so totally in control of all football matters, could he easily let go and allow the incumbent to manage without interference? Reminds me of a lifetime ago with the great Matt Busby at Manchester United. When he retired he went on the board and subsequent managers suffered from his undue interference.
Strangely Bath I am away at the same time as you. It was a toss up between Madeira & Cyprus and chose the latter as I’ve not been here before. If I had chosen the former, I suspect we would have met up for the game and still be drowning our sorrows now. Enjoy the rest of your break.
Making AW Director Of Football will not be fair for the new guy, whoever that is. I am sure that he/she will feel overshadowed in his/her decisions. Beyond that what meaningful manager will accept that?
As I have said in the past, do not be afraid of change. Even if we kept AW till he walked away at a date of his choosing, the team will still have to make changes then. Here in the US, if a player hits
/bats a baseball 33% of the time
for his career (minimum 10 years), he is considered a Hall Of Famer. So the point here is whatever decisions you make, you are not going to be right 100% of the time. Don’t be afraid of failure.
Some here continue bringing up the 3M payout. What is that in the big scheme of things considering the value of the team? If any of you owned a team, would it be unreasonably to get a paltry sum of money from your investment?
From an American standpoint, just like commercial real estate where building values are based on rental income, team values are based on revenue, which in turn is enhanced by cultivating a strong brand.
Funny thing is we are exactly copy of what the Chavs did at the beginning of the season and I don’t really see any light at the end of the tunnel. I know it was funny at the time but we should only look at ourselves now and it ain’t pretty that’s for sure!
Wednesday will be a scary game, everyone low on confidence I just don’t want is to get humiliated.
I’m still not rooting for Lecister that’s for sure hope dies last! Come on Barcodes do us a favour please!
Who needs silverware? Just the great unwashed and the hired help on the grass. Fuck ’em. Let’s build the brand! That’s what brings the spondulips in. Sell more shirts to the third world! That’s what they really need. Let’s hit the USA next summer. They need more shirts!
The problem with the 3m payout is that it’s money he doesn’t really need to be dipping into and then tries to make up for it by raising ticket prices.
’nuff said.
Brilliant writeup, Sorry Arsene sums up the broad consensus and even me amongst his staunchest fans, tend to agree that the time is up for the great man.
Is he to blame for all? not really but then he has had his share of mistakes and when we see the league title going away so easily from us when it was there for the taking, it hurts beyond measure Arsene you messed up a few things but those few things messed up a lot more. A CB was a dire need and so was a DM, the striker was a tough one but when you see Ozil create chance after chance and yet none gets taken, you do wish that we did have a benzema/Auba/Higuian to latch on to them.
The game was another example of how poor our defending has been this year and how mertesacker should not play a game more for us. He was done after the world cup, pity we continue to play him.
The fans fighting with one another is disgusting. We laugh at others yet we act like morons. All these Arsenal Tv guys must be crucified. They go and talk to a fan after a loss, what do they expect? sanity?? it is just TRP and everyone falls for it hook line and sinker.
We have had far worse seasons but the hollowness is about how can this team crumble without a fight, effort maybe there but no substance. The moment we go a goal behind, we are done. The heads drop, the game becomes more of hope and less of reality. Is this what is the crux of all problems? the belief is gone.
just one word for my feelings about the loss, about the thought that arsene no longer is the man for the job, and about our place in the league:
sigh.
Stan is just watching share prices rise and with the new injection of TV money the CL isn’t as important as it has been to the bean counters.
AW believes he doesn’t have to justify himself to the fans because the reality is the club could run on TV money and sponsorship alone, If 4th is a trophy then we defiantly have the wrong manager.
However AW can not take all the blame, some of the players really need to take a long hard look at themselves. When a game becomes important in the 86 min then you have your answer. Watford were there for the taking but we had no get up and go. On the other hand I do believe its up to AW to motivate the payers and if that isn’t happening then how many options are left ?
The balance sheet grows and so does the frustration with the team which very sadly spread out into the streets, and this shows a clear division between those who are happy with AW and those who are not. Regardless of those fans who renew their season ticket our not it wont make a blind bit of difference until Stan understands what he has brought.
Great post Holic and some fantastic reads by the usual suspects, but to me its over. What ever happens we have AW for at least another season and then another 3 years to follow if AW wants. Which at £8,500.000 a year who wouldn’t want with no pressure.
HELP !
I am sick and tired of writing the same thing again and again
How difficult was it to buy one striker
His excuses are now without any foundation
But
The same thing will happen again
Daily mail and other papers will link us with 20 different unlikely signings , with rumours possibly generated via the club hierarchy but nothing will happen
This time the title was handed to him on the plate yet he couldn’t manage
At this rate Tottenham will finish above us , Leicester also
So his rant on manc and Man U spending big is not valid
Keeping Wenger in charge of footballing matters as director of football … you may as well just give him a new contract as manager.
When he’s done. he should go completely. No say in the new manager, no connection to the club at all.
At least for a while. Give the new guy a clean start, whoever he is, without Wenger staring down on all he does from the stands.
Man U have had trouble replacing Ferguson because he’s not really gone yet.
Ironically most ManU fans wished they had someone with fergie’s qualities now.
😀
Thank you for this piece Holic. Other people could create a proper rant with the same content. But things are so balanced in how they come when you put them in words. I so wish for the Club and the fans that the work rate of a lot that are involved, soon lead to better times.
I must admit, I’m very much cheering on Leicester. Certainly unless the spuds collapse. At the moment Leicester are 8 points ahead of us. If they win tonight then that’s 11 leaving us with 9 games to play. I would far rather go on and see them win it than even contemplate the unthinkable. I just would not see us winning four more games than Leicester in the run in.
I feel very sad at the state we are in. No one admires Arsene and what he has done for the club more than I but there has been no pleasure in watching my team for some time. Wenger ball is a distant memory.
There are shades of a tragic opera plot surrounding the club.The protagonists’ followers are failing to support him and the masses are revolting in the streets due to increased taxes! I fear for the final act and finale.
I read your missives weekly and appreciate your consistently calm and rational tone, particularly in these dark times. You are such a lovely man, ‘holic. I hope to meet you face to face some day.
Great post Holic! The last sentence, however, sends shivers down my spine. I know it was not a small thing for you to write those words but I felt very, very sad reading them.
Trust me Holic, Arsene knows very well when is the time for him to go. He needs no reminders. His class…his human qualities are as such that he will not overstay. Such is our Arsene Wenger.
1st goal for Watford, Chambers marking Deeney and Per marking Chambers. WTF !!!
Fair call holic… Fair call
We need to start focusing on the best thing for our club and most importantly our football team.
We are still a football club aren’t we ?
Sometimes I can’t tell with AW in his post match interviews.
Kudos Holic. You’ve shown amazing patience and decency and your timing now probably also marks you out as a commentator with great intuition and wisdom. COYG.
There is an air of resignation when reading a lot of the above. The sad thing for me is that in my opinion it could have been avoided. It was all so unnecessary. This situation has been creeping up on us for years but has constantly gone unchecked.
Like Bath and many others I have more than had enough of Brand Kroenke. I have never liked it. The big problem for me is this. I have felt for ages that what Stan considers a success and what we consider as success are to vastly different animals. To Stan it is the brand and how much money it can generate. Brand Stan is again summed up by Bath@23. Why worry about the fans from generations of Gooners when there is the corporate guard arriving in their private planes. It will matter not a jot if people give up their season tickets. All it will mean is more space for the tourist. More space for those who want to be ripped off in the shops etc.
As long as the brand makes money then very little else matters anymore
Two vastly different animals……
BB @ 30 – That’s kind of the point.
I wouldn’t worry too much about AW if he leaves as a loser. In time his legacy will reassert itself and he will be rembered as our greatest ever manager – something which prior to Wenger would have been hard to imagine for one brought up on stories of Herbert Chapman.
And if, as is likely, next season turns out harder than the present one – Manure, $iteh and the Chavs all splashing billions to reverse their rubbish seasons, plus a Klopp-inspired Poo and as yet unknown foreign buyers for other clubs etc etc – the struggle to maintain a top 4 spot could be a losing one.
And if it does go tits up expect a rapid revision of what AW achieved and his reputation restored in quick time.
I still think his time is up though, and he should go at the end of the season even if no ideal successor is immediately available. An interregnum might not do us any harm, a year or two of relative failure to cleanse the palate. Not what I want to see of course, but I have confidence in the long-term legacy AW has established and that our best days are still to come.
Now all I have to do is extend my life expectancy long enough to see them!
Oskar
“I have confidence in the long-term legacy AW has established and that our best days are still to come.
Now all I have to do is extend my life expectancy long enough to see them!”
Didn’t really need that right now Oskar, ta. 🙁
I have sworn to live long enough to see us win the CL, ‘holic, and have full confidence that what AW has built will deliver the goo……. aaaaaaah…
Excellent write-up, Holic,
and many excellent, reasoned responses.
Sorry to have missed you again pre-match – seems I was in the Tollie while you were in the tube.
I can’t add to your description of the game but I’m seriously considering adding myself to the list of those giving up their season tickets. I’ve supported the Arsenal through many, many years when we never looked likely to win anything – and loved it. It was fun, win, lose or draw. On the way out of Highbury, the only thoughts were of getting back again for the next match.
As the cost of going to matches has escalated though, so has fans’ expectation, and demands, for some return on the investment. Unfortunately success cannot be guaranteed in a sport – thank goodness – and that seems to be causing some particular lroblems at the Arsenal.
We now pay the highest prices in the world to attend club matches and that is what ramps up expectation. If it was apparent that the club was doing everything within it’s power to succeed – be it on the pitch, in the transfer market, in the PR department, or whatever – I don’t think fans would have such a problem with the lack of success in the biggest competitions.
It’s true that there are worse, and less desirable owners than Stan Kroenke. Personally though, I have had enough of him. Over the last few days, I have read interviews with him saying that he didn’t buy into Arsenal to win trophies, and that the most significant thing he has taken from English football is how you can use such strong brand loyalty to generate revenue.
That might still be fine if the revenue generated was being used to give us the best possible chance of success. For me, it just doesn’t wash to be sitting on a cash balance of £160 million plus, and say that there isn’t a player on the planet, that we can find with those resources, who could improve our squad.
I’m fed up with the tense, angry atmosphere around me at games. I’m fed up with the lack of commitment and desire shown by some of our players, who look all too comfortable on their fantasy salaries – win or lose. I’m fed up with seeing season after season disintegrate through repeated mistakes, repeated injuries and a repetitive, tired, predictable ‘style’ of play. I say style, but I haven’t a clue what our current plan is.
I can handle defeat, I can handle not winning anything, I can even handle mediocrity if I am sure that is all we are capable of. I know the owner can handle those things too.
What I can’t handle is continuing to swell the coffers of an owner who, by his own admission, as long as his revenue and share value continue to grow, doesn’t care.
And yes, so sadly, our current squad and their performances, is making it look like Arsene Wenger has run out of ideas.
Never thought I’d say that.
Remaining PL games are getting smaller and smaller now. With LC winning against Newcastle, they have to lose 2 /draw 1 game(
s), while we win all our remaining 9 games in order for us to theoretically win the title. I am disregarding the math for Spurs for the moment. Do the math people. Its getting real.
We are going to beat barca and be a surprise semis candidate, and come back go on a 9 win streak. You heard it here first ?
I’ll have what you’re on, dennis10…
Oskar
Ha ha, OtD, it’s just baseless optimism that comes from knowing there’s nothing to lose by wishful thinking. I believe it happens to people who are so far pushed that they suddenly have access to a fount of energy that they bounce back. Unfounded, unfathomable, and other ‘un’s.
Cheers H!
Just checking my understanding of some of the above posts, but are some people actually saying they’d like to see Lily White Cunts win the league because it would hasten the demise of Wenger and/or Kroenke?
Cos if they are, I really will give up the fucking ghost. Permanently.
@dennis10
Stranger things have happened… I mean there’s club named Leicester…
😀
Top post Trev@45. With you all the way, mate.
Esso,
Leicester and the LWCs changed their managers before the start of this season and three seasons ago respectively. Stranger things have indeed happened!
What better way to build Brand Kroenke than for his front line workers to go to Barcelona and actually knock the arrogant, diving, whining, mad que in club putas out? Ever thought of that, Stan?
@Bath
The problem with that is that the costs do not justify the investment risk.. Stan is after all first and foremost an astute businessman.
😀
Excellent post Holic under very difficult circumstances. Thanks for that.
It seems that almost every element of our club, including our current squad, is in need of rejuvenation, to a greater or lesser degree. Let’s hope that all those responsible are able to meet their obligations – sooner rather than later.
UTA.
Also, given the current fixation with the owner and the board, the contents of Arsene’s inevitable autobiography has probably recently grown by another couple of chapters.
I wonder how much of the truth will eventually be revealed. Enough, I hope, to make some of the chattering classes look back with embarrassment.
UTA.
Finally from me today, I’ve just read Mert saying again that converting chances is our problem rather than defending.
I don’t really want to single out individuals now but look again at the second Watford goal – as the goalscorer prepares to welly the ball at goal the closest defender stands still, puts his hands over his nuts and turns away as the ball whistles past him, making no effort to put his body on the line to stop the shot. And our problem is simply converting chances. Really?
UTA.
@Noosa
Mert was probably thinking of brazil in the 70’s.. you score 3 we score 4…we win!
😀
A very difficult post for you Holic. Especially those last lines.
I believe that Wenger will retain the support of the board, but that his fate will ultimately be decided by the players. Baths contention that it might get much worse before it gets better is very real I feel. If Sanchez and Ozil refuse to sign new contracts, then it will pose very different problems at the club because both of these players have only 2 years left to run on their contracts. So ideally, you want them to extend this season and given how things have panned out there’s a very real risk that they won’t.
Tomorrow night is very precarious. I think we have no choice but to field a full strength team. These games are the pinnacle of what you strive for as a professional footballer and manager alike. If I’m honest, I think we’re out of the league now. Anything other than a full team tomorrow night could see us get a right spanking – and thats not going to help whatever title ambitions we’ve left or help to create any element of positive momentum. If we manage to score first, we’re right back in it. We’ll need a little luck and we need to find some form. Something we haven’t really had all season long.
Remember too that a lot of seriously good people have shelled out top money and have gone to Barca to support the team. All the more for the guns to be pointed outward and to show some unity however poor this season has been so far.
Trev@45 sadly echoes how many who attend games regularly feel.
Now, does any of that remind you of a little saying that I may have uttered once or twice on here????
?
Esso, I saw some plumb on Twitter yesterday wanting the LWCs to win the league because Kane was more worthy than the lads at Leicester.
What has happened to the education system in this country? 🙁
Really sad to even have to ask this…
Just how poisonous is the atmosphere at home games right now ?
I’m a Silver member who hasn’t been able to get there since Xmas for personal / financial reasons…
Promised to take my 9 year old daughter to a game soon but thinking of leaving it until next season now reading this…she could handle a loss (seen enough on TV recently!) but want her first game to be a pleasant experience amongst our own.
@Tapera: “Don’t be afraid of failure”
Yeah right.
Moyes/VanGaal, top 4 elusive as ever, they’ll be lucky to finish above West Ham.
Hogson/Dalglish/Rodgers who placed them second and sixth, they are 8th now with Klopp.
Chelsea out for good, probably not even Europa.
So now tell me, which one of those clubs do you see back in the top 4 next season? And finishing above us?
Wenger out at all cost is pure nonsense. Guardiola or Klopp (although now…) but those ships have sailed. Maybe the Dortmund or PSG managers, already a big gamble. Everyone else I’ve read about have Moyes 2.0 written on their forehead.
Mourinho? I’ll have more free time on my hands and money in my pocket, no way I’m supporting him or his teams.
Esso – Nope. Not for me anyway.
But if Wenger is out of steam, has no ideas, the fan base is falling apart and so on, as so many seem to believe thesedays (ie – Wenger is the problem) then winning the league won’t fix all that and he will stay even further past his sell-by date than he already has.
Sounds silly but winning the league would be the worst thing we could do, for the future direction of the club. IMO.
BUT I’d rather win it and have another ten years like the last ten than have those cunts win it. In my lifetime. Not that I’m willing to die before May if they do look like winning it, the hate doesn’t go that far in. 😉
Anyway, it’s all irrelevant because latest reports in the “we steal blogs wholesale then bleat about it when things look a bit similar” press indicate that Wenger wants to stay until 2020.
He’s going to be like that homeless bloke you gave change to once, who is always at your bus stop with his hand out. We’ll never be rid unless we change route.
@Matt
Have to agree with you there, Arsene out at whatever the cost just seems ludicrous.
Very good points.
Long term problem in my humble opinion is Stan, if he does not have the ambition to win trophies and is only interested in sustaining his business model. Then who is to say he’ll shell out for the best available.. isn’t he more likely to go for more of the same?
..and how many managers have the SPUDS gone through before Poch??
Agree above. The changes need to start at the very top or there will be little to no difference.
And change at the top isn’t happening any time soon. So we may as well slope off to watch and support (both vocally and financially) a more worthy cause.
It’s amazing why so many Gooners are so immediately fixated with Stan Kroenke and the Board of Directors for all of our travails when there’s very little that can be done about that quickly by any of us in all reality. Last I recall at the club’s training facility and at the Grove on match days, I have never seen Kroenke or any Board members training the players and coaching them tactics?! Let’s let the loyalty towards Arsene Wenger no longer be to a fault; it actually serves no purpose anymore as it’s now ripping our fanbase apart world-wide. Remember, Arsene Wenger’s 66 years of age now and SAF was 67 when he retired on a high at OT. Before changing Stan Kroenke and the Board, start with the guy that chooses who to buy, coaches them, manages them and heads them tactically on the all important pitch. If that doesn’t work, for whatever reason with someone newer and younger with fresher and more modern footballing ideas, then by all means start blaming Kroenke and the Board for everything that’s wrong on the pitch.
https://worldexpeditions.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/South-America/Chile/Moai-statues-on-Easter-Island-in-Chile-71574-5.jpg
.
suppleness stretches completed
the lads line up for battle
big Per holds a nervous Sanchez hand
while
Giroud gels up his War Quiff
Is it just me that thinks Stan is a typical Arsenal owner then?
Stays in the background, doesn’t interfere… but is far less tight with the cash.
The only difference is that he takes £3m out of the club, but when you look at the sums we’ve got sloshing about, £3m is pennies.
I hate defending him, just don’t see the problem. He could be far far worse.
@Dapper DanC
Stan the board fully supports to the hilt, Arsene Wenger.
Ironic?
😀
BB,
So Arsenal Football Club is a parochial Autocracy then! Great stuff! Let’s see how far that will continue to save Kroenke and the Board, nevermind Arsene Wenger the manager and coach, come the end of the season when the highly gullible and naively loyal fans see nothing to show for having the most expensive match day expenditure of any football club on planet earth! You couldn’t really make it up! Perhaps it’s because we’re quite near to Islington?! 😎
The MANAGER of my football club will prove that he did not run out of ideas. He made a huge contribution in shaping the modern game. How can he be out of depth?
The MANAGER of my football club will continue to stand by his players for he feels that it is his duty to bring the best out of them. He will give up only when he is satisfied that he did his maximum. Typical today’s manager will get rid of Theo or Ox in a split second. But the MANAGER I am talking about is all but typical.
The MANAGER of my football club gives me the chance to explain to my 14 yrs old what it means to work hard for success; not to spend more than you earn; to be loyal to people you care about…not to abandon them when they hit the crisis. Typical todays managers will not give me this chance…they may give me the titles bought with many hundreds of millions (who knows from where). But the MANAGER I am talking about is all but typical.
The MANAGER of my football club will prove the doubters wrong. He has had his share of calamities. Calamities that he could not influence (i.e. Diaby’s ankle, Eduardo’s leg, RVP’s betrayal, Almunia/Szcesny howlers, all missed sit-ups including the one by Welbeck on Sunday). Typical manager would have had it enough long time ago. But the MANAGER I am talking about is all but typical. He knows that he cannot afford to be selfish. He kept his club among the top four in spite of everything that went against him. What more, he started bringing trophies again.
I could go on like this…My club FOREVER is called Arsenal Football Club and the manager is ONE and ONLY Arsene Wenger. Lets get behind him and our club like we never did before!!! Let’s show to media vultures, plastic fans and those who buy friends, girlfriends, wives, love and, yes, success that we are a different lot.
@Dapper DanC
I am not arguing against change, however change at all costs seems rather expensive in itself.
I do not think there are that many highly gullible and naively loyal fans left anymore for that matter.
However throwing Arsene out now just because he has not performed to the fans ‘expectations’ just have to look @64 Matt’s argument above.
Success is not guaranteed just because you get a new manager, in fact in could be far far worse.. and what would the fans be baying for then?
Anyway all our arguments are moot points as this stage. Because Stan will run the club as he sees fit and currently he does little to suggest he’ll do anything to disrupt the status quo. Unless of course you have news of otherwise.
To be honest, I am more concerned with whether Ozil and Alexis will sign new deals!
🙂
Maybe if Wenger concentrated more on coaching and not been the club’s financial adviser/accountant/book keeper and everything and any thing financial we might have won the PL at least once in the last 12years. I am not ready to shift blames to Kroenke at this point in time. He has his own issues but he doesn’t manage the damn team or tell the manager who to buy. Wenger the tactician and great coach we all know retired in 2006/2007.
cba picture @70
13 players instead of 11 could be what Arsenal need at the moment …
Also, monolithic statues could be quite a help in parking the bus. 🙂
Heh ! cba. ?
Bosnian Gooner,
I admire your loyalty to the current manager/head coach. I also hope it was there too in 1996 with the previous managers that were removed before an “unknown” Mr Wenger took over?!
BB,
I don’t know any more than you do about the goings-on behind the scenes but Ozil and Alexis’ body language are very worrying indeed. World-class players are not stupid or naively unambitious so when they’re not happy, something’s wrong somewhere. Personally, and I reiterate, I feel that Arsene Wenger’ll be gone at the end of the season even if he miraculously wins the Premier League and/or the Champions League. He’s just now too old and just out of his depth with modern footballing methods and tactics which nearly everyone else in modern football have become aware of. It’s not about business anymore for the fans; it’s about glory! I also feel strongly that there really is nothing that even Kroenke will be able to do to save Arsene Wenger as fans’ opinion has shifted like never before and has become unbelievably toxic and even violent. Moreover, once you start criticising and undermining your own club’s fans, (which Arsene has now done) whilst those same fans are paying the highest prices on the planet for football, you better be sure that you are doing the right things that matter to them; that is you are performing and winning things on the pitch and not in the financial pages!
Up the Arse!
Dark times for the club i love, so much pain and frustration at the groove…but we must let it all out, calm our heads and get behind the team AND manger till the send of the season. Then, with mature contributions from all true fans we can chart the way forward for our great club.
Arsenal Till I die!!!!!!!
New Day Raisins @63,
I would leave it for now.
My first visit ti Highbury at 8 years of age was like a trip to wonderland as I had only been to Underhill to see Barnet prior to that.
You want her coming away from the Emirates with that sense of awe and wonder – not so called supporters screaming abuse at the manager, the players and, it seems fighting each other outside.
Save it until you can both walk away smiling – whatever the result.
@Dapper DanC
Arsene may well be off at the end of the season, but if Moaninho replaces him then I’m off to Rugby till the bells toll for him too.
Oddly enough am looking forward to the Barca match, stickler for punishment..
😀
Trev @ 45 spot on synopsis.
BB @ 82 I think Arsene will still be here next season but there is no chance Mourinho will replace him. As much as AW & SS are a perfect fit, JM & SS are the exact opposite and it will never happen.
Dear Holic,
As a supporter from your generation I read your blog but do not post. However, your line about non-renewal of season tickets prompts me to finally “come out”. I too am feeling very compromised about renewal next season, the main reason being that I actually enjoy the matchday experience less and less as time goes by. One more match endured with the bloke next to me continually screaming, “You’re a WANKER Walcott!” The man behind rants, “120,000 a week and you can’t even score that!”, oblivious to the fact that he could pay his postman £120,000 a week and the poor guy would still mis-deliver the odd letter.
Of course these are sentiments with which we are all familiar and which we may well express ourselves in the pub afterwards, but 90 minutes of high-decibel verbal criticism is not going to help put things right at our beloved club. We have the highest ticket prices in the world, we are told. So we have ended up with an “audience” which expects a 60 quid performance for its 60 quid seats. One which would go and see Benedict Cumberbatch and demand their money back if he was not on form, and rightly so. However, try to explain to them that football isn’t like that.
With a heavy heart I’m about to give up. Arsene has done wonderful things for this club, but I’m afraid that together with the current owner and board, he has also inadvertantly created a monster.
@Uply
I too think he’ll stay till the end of his contract at least. As he’s not got any horses to tend to, he may well be asked to continue after that as well.
However as the clamouring for change increases to a fever pitch ( 😀 )
and if he leaves by the end of the season, then it may well become a case of becareful what you wish for.
On another note, hope the strongest squad is played against Barca, would be short-changing the away fans if otherwise to say the least!
BB…..agree believe we should play the strongest available side against Barcunts and likewise each match until the end of the season. They should be playing for pride – which means finishing as high as they can to the top. Do I have confidence they will do this – frankly there are no signs they can dig themselves out of the current morass.
@Uply
It’s matches like these that we sorely miss Santi and even Wilshere & Ramsey..
I am definitely with you there on the players playing for pride and not just their wages.
Which leads to me thinking that maybe there is some kind dissatisfaction and disharmony among the ranks.. an early sign was Alexis walking off after the Hull match and comments that we lack the ‘hunger’ to be champions…!(he’s not wrong in my opinion).
Worrying to say the least, hope it’s not the chav-like player revolt brewing!
Latest pressie for barca game :
Arsene Wenger says he is still “100%” dedicated to Arsenal.
He added: “I am even more motivated than the day I arrived.
When you are a long time somewhere, people always question about your duration.
“I don’t question my dedication, it is 100%. i give more time time to my club now than when I arrived
BB @88 No one surely doubts the dedication to the club and the will to succeed that Arsene gives. The issue now is that what he brings is no longer enough for much of the fan base. The game has moved on and it appears to be passing him by. In today’s world if you are standing still you are in fact moving backwards. I would love it if he can re-invent himself for one last grand hurrah but it doesn’t look like it will happen.
When you factor in the attitude of the majority owner and the brand concept he spouts, this only fuels the mounting discontent. It looks like a rocky road lies ahead.
BB @88,
Those are the words of someone who clearly doesn’t have anything else meaningful and real going in his life. It seems to only be football and, more specifically, Arsenal Football Club. Arsene appears to have no balance between his professional working-life and his personal life. It explains alot and it’s quite a little sad. This saga is not going to end well and it’ll end with lots of tears.
Is it Obsessive Compulsive? I guess when you even have a say on what food’s eaten at the club it’s gotta be something like that?! In that case, when your sense of being is so determined by a certain job or a place, how can one ever leave it voluntarily without losing one’s sense of identity?! Worryingly depressing for such a formerly great manager now inevitably in his twilight.
i give more time time to my club now than when I arrived
In that case, stop working and give the job 10% of your time.
Bollocks. I did close that tag. Honest.
West Brom on a Thursday night !!
What portents are these ?
Just kidding ?
21st April, by the way.
Thanks all. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
@Uply
I think Arsene isn’t as daft as he must seem to most. Clearly he’s tried things his way and it is not working. I believe he knows he’ll have to reinvent himself or face further deteriorating relationships with the fans. (It can get much worse we know.. just look at ManU!) I also believe that he’ll most probably walk away when he feels his position is untenable.
How it’ll all pan out is anybody’s guess. I am hoping for the best result for all parties, does not look promising at present but one can only hope.
@Dapper DanC
How Arsene chooses to live his life is not my concern, however as far as i can see, rightly or wrongly he certainly, in my opinion gives it his all for the club.
Tippy….
Tappy….
Bangggggggggggggggg