Gutless Gunners Fourth Defeat In Five
Mar 18th, 2017 by 'holic
News broke early that Mesut Ozil would miss the trip to the Hawthorns. Arsenal Wenger explained that he had picked up a minor hamstring niggle in training yesterday. The manager also opted for a very flexible potential front three of Theo Walcott, Danny Welbeck, and Alexis. I doubt the players would have seen Thierry Henry’s view ahead of the match which was damning of the current squad.
“Is the Arsenal shirt too heavy for you? Stop hiding behind Arsene Wenger and be more than mediocre.”
The opening phases of play suggested that the Baggies would be more than content to sit deep and let us have all the sideways possession we wanted in front of them. They soon showed their menace on the break as left-back Nyom went on a powerful marauding run down the left before cutting a dangerous ball across the face of the goal.
Theo Walcott was denied at point-blank range by Foster following a Nacho Monreal cross as we produced our first moment of menace. When Alexis gave the ball away, not for the first time, in the twelfth minute McClean’s drive was parried away for a corner. When the set piece was delivered Dawson out-muscled Laurent Koscielny and out-jumped a hesitant Cech to head home. Who expected West Brom to be a threat from set pieces?
West Brom 1-0 Arsenal
The advantage didn’t last long. Granit Xhaka picked out a surprisingly unmarked Alexis on the left hand side of the box. The Chilean did what he does best, wriggling inside before lifting the ball high into the net.
West Brom 1-1 Arsenal
Alexis was becoming the focal point of the match and McAuley avoided censure for pulling him back in the next attack. Livermore went one better, pulling his shirt then tripping him up without even seeing a free-kick awarded. Rondon was next to join in the clearly rotational fouling of the Gunners main man. Referee Swarbrick was showing no sign of getting a grip of the situation.
The football was proving less of a distraction than the two competing aircraft carrying anti and pro-Wenger sentiments. They were both absurd and embarrassing.
A prolonged spell of painfully slow possession ended on the half hour mark when Rondon got on the end of a direct through ball and dragged his effort just wide of Cech’s far post. That sparked the Arsenal into life and Foster had to go full length to his left to deny Aaron Ramsey. Theo Walcott was unable to convert the parry. West Brom responded with a Fletcher effort that drew a fine save by Cech.
The goalkeeper hobbled off a couple of minutes later after appearing to pick up a muscle problem. David Ospina entered the fray from the bench. A brutal late ‘challenge’ on Alexis by McClean resulted in just a yellow card. Would that be sufficient to deter the next Baggies thug from assaulting the Gunners most influential player in the first-half?
It was the visitors who earned the first corner of the second-half when, for the first time, Walcott found enough space to play a dangerous ball across the face of the goal. Back came the Baggies and Rondon again out-muscled the skipper to glance a header just wide of the far post.
Just eight minutes after the break Robson-Kanu came on for Rondon who looked disappointed to say the least. Little more than a minute later he put the hosts ahead again when Ospina failed to deal with a one on one with McClean and the substitute poked the ball through the legs of McClean, by now in an offside position having shoved Bellerin over his prone goalkeeper, and into the net. After a consultation with his assistant Swarbrick awarded the goal. To be fair I would have wanted it given at the other end.
West Brom 2-1 Arsenal
With twenty-five minutes to go the anonymous Walcott made way for Olivier Giroud. From the following corner Danny Welbeck thumped a header against the crossbar. Was that to be a sign of things to come? We survived what would have been a killer third goal for the Baggies when Ospina denied Robson-Kanu and Chadli’s follow-up was kicked off the line by Mustafi.
The surprising lack of an increase in tempo from the Arsenal spoke volumes. Thierry’s plea to be ‘more than mediocre’ went unheeded. The humiliation was complete when Dawson repeated his first-half header from a corner. Arsenal’s players, almost to a man, raised their hands whilst looking to blame each other. It was a pathetic surrender to a bang average side. “You’re getting sacked in the morning” taunted the Baggies support.
West Brom 3-1 Arsenal
The substitution of Alex Iwobi for a limping Alexis wasn’t appreciated by the travelling Gooners. Unaware that the Chilean was still suffering they roared out “You don’t know what you’re doing”. With every passing poor performance the pressure on Arsene Wenger is understandably building. Four defeats in five Premier League matches, with two of them against Watford and West Brom is not a blip. It’s indicative of a greater malaise around the club right now.
The ole’s rang out as the home side strung together a succession of passes against dispirited, gutless opponents in the closing stages. Typing as the match is in progress even I cannot find any sense of perspective watching this. It is painful. Top four? Not like this we won’t.
Something has to change.
161 Responses to “Gutless Gunners Fourth Defeat In Five”
Bang. Get in
Better do some reading now then?
WTF is going on 🙁
I’m going to really miss Alexis when he leaves.
🙁
With such a limp display he must of lost the dressing room or we need a new squad if they think that is acceptable.
If only we could have moved it as fast as you post your reports Holic. Bang on too.
We deserve to be where we are and I would not be surprised to see Everton overtake us. Fourth is definitely beyond us now.
I feel so sorry for Delia and all the other away fans, getting up at crack of dawn to watch that.
The team feels broken. I think Arsene should declare now that he will leave at the end of the season.
Really good write up H.
The comments of TH14 should ring in every players ear.
That was one of the most dire performances I have witnessed in a long time. By our standards of late, that is saying something. West Brim had it easy. We had one quality player who was eventually kicked out of the game. The rest barely make a 3/10 for today’s performance.
The goals we conceded were laughable. The first from a corner was a joke. How we let it happen again is totally embarrassing.
The stats according to Sky said we had 77% possession and only 2 shots on target. Woeful in the extreme. West Brom had 23% of the possession and created more than we did.
We are not good enough. The vast majority of players are not good enough. They are squad players at best. The lack of leaders is quite frightening. The attitude was appalling.
Something needs to change? A lot needs to change.
Theo Walcott really showing Southgate up there.
You’ve described the game most of us saw Holic but I can sense your disillusion because I’m feeling the same myself. I’m not sure some people realise how poor we are at the moment and last week’s second- half rolling-over of Lincoln shows us in our true flat- track bully colours . A team almost totally devoid of character.
This season is killing all true Gooners and I am holding out no hope whatsoever of an FA Cup win. If we managed to beat Citeh ( fat chance) then we may have to take on Chelsea or the LWCs ( unlikely)at Wembley Chelsea would murder Arsenal at the moment as they did at Stamford Bridge.
You are right Holic. Something has to change , but who changes it? Gazidis, Kroenke, Sir Chips or Arsene himself? Wenger might step down but even if he does, and I think most of us here hope he does, can this Board sort out what needs to be done to improve things?
Whole team including coaches need the proverbial rocket up their respective ar…….!
Trouble is coming from AW such an expletive laden exhortation would not be enough. Need to hang one of them “pour encourager less autres”.(Voltaire /Admiral Byng)
West Brom away is never easy, and the result is not a shame. But the way we gave up without a fight… Well.. Our teams of 15, 10, even 5 years ago would not have stood for it. The anger in Thierry’s voice says it all.
Sign Enrique up before another club does.
??????????? Whoever saw this shit coming? Funny as hell.
Barack.
Enrique? Is that to manage because on today’s performance he might well have got a game.
Henry showing more passion in the commentary box than anyone on the pitch?
Mediocrity spiralling down to the next lower thing.
TH14.
“Arsene Wenger has taken too many bullets for the players in that team.”
Time for some on exceptional amounts of money to shape up.
Arsenal cannot compete with West Brom and Watford? The solution could be to turn a top ten finish into a trophy.
I would take that in a heartbeat bt8.
West Brom look as if they may finish above us. Watford maybe not, but we could see if somebody will award us a trophy if we stay above them. Not sure I want to watch us “try” though. 🙁
I really wonder how bright TH14 is sometimes. Legend yes but, really, he can’t see how it might be a good idea for AW to clarify situation now ? Hello ? He blames the players too. Hmmm. Yes definitely their faul they had no leadership around them and looked, on average, about 4 inches and 5 kilograms to short and light today. And their fault the defensive coaching is quite clearly a joke and just an afterthought v’s offensive considerations.
West Brom won’t finish above us, bt8.
The best result for us would be 7th which would spare us those pointless Thursday night trips to Lithuania and Latvia.
should Hè stay or should Hè go , now ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF8JbsLPupY
oftentimes strong beliefs are built on shite
.
UP THE ARSENAL
Thanks for the report GH.
I can’t think of anything else to
say other than for the first time
ever I’m glad there’s an international
break.
Continued performances like today’s and we will finish below West Brom, Barack.
I say we just go for the 7th place than Europa league. Its not like we can win it anyways so I say we try and avoid 5th and 6th places. Its not like we have done shit with 4th place the past 5-6 seasons.
What can I say that has not already been said, no need to change my moniker in the immediate future.
We have become what we once were; a side that is good enough for midtable and that is it, and as for the Champions League…….
We should never have been in it for the last five or so years as we have been nothing but a shambles and although I never wanted us to finish outside top four, I also once never wanted us to finish outside top three.
We have genuinely become mediocre and have left a respected man broken and battered by criticism, most of it deserved but some of it hateful and vile and throughly undeserved.
Please Arsene, leave before it gets even worse for you, those gutless spineless pathetic excuses for professional footballers should be busting a gut for the pride of the badge at the very least and for your pride at the utmost….sadly they seem content to coast by on those pitiful wages.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxrglwubRYw
.
UP THE ARSENAL
“mirror , signal , i am an anti-christ manoeuvre”
Up for a spot of egg chasing CBA???
What is he, a sperm?
I’m here all week.
Gutless is correct, H.
Grim times. 🙁
have it on
never been my game
but 800 years compels me
.
The worst disgrace is St Totteringham gave up the ghost long ago and is threatening never to return unless there is a major shake up in the team and management. “No miracles for you AFC. Save yourselves,”
A sperm??? How we could have done with Seaman today.
Devon Stu, Esso
Sorry peeps not trying to pick on anyone but there you go!
Positivity seems far away from our club!
I reckon The Foxes will do much better!
And as for the game????
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>should answer it !
Steve T
“That was one of the most dire performances I have witnessed in a long time. By our standards of late, that is saying something. West Brim had it easy. We had one quality player who was eventually kicked out of the game. The rest barely make a 3/10 for today’s performance.”
I have heard it all before! Whats next?
and before I say anything negative here
We are fucking clueless!
Very fair report on a miserable, depressing display, Holic.
Hard to understand how it has come to this.
“handed the territory and the possession right back to Ireland”
It’s not though is it, Trev?
Years of staleness is how we get to here.
“bill beaumont , dusty hare , marks and spencer – your lads are taking one hell of a beating”
Thanks for the report, Holic. I missed the game due to a site visit and given the report and comments in the drinks I may never view it despite having it on the hard disk.
It seems that we are simply not good enough at any level of the organisation and a period of turbulent change is inevitable. I expect a few years in the wilderness unless we get extremely lucky.
what say ye bath ?
England or Ireland ?
england or IRELAND ?
CBA
POLAND!
Don’t watch it bath. Collective negligence. They are hanging him out to dry and still he protects them.
This is a mighty fine day to welcome cba back. Even if England have been outplayed by Ireland in the first-half.
Finally apologies to those who came looking for reason. That performance in the second-half was soul destroying.
It shouldn’t be stale though, Cynic.
It’s not like the squad hasn’t changed. Of today’s team, the likes of Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Xhaka, Alexis and Iwobi are all relatively new to the club.
On the flip side, Ramsey, Walcott, The Ox, sadly (although performances have been curtailed by injury and I’ve liked him this season), Giroud and to a lesser extent Monreal are old news and not good enough to win titles.
What is hard to understand is how there is so little fight in the team – whoever is playing.
I know you’re going to say it’s the manager who needs to change and I do agree. In the interim though, this level of gutlessness, to use the Guvnor’s word, is disgraceful.
It doesn’t matter how low you are on confidence, there is nothing to stop you working hard and fighting for every ball. Winning a few is what ultimately helps confidence to grow again. Some of ours just aren’t trying.
Frankly my dear cba, I don’t give a damn.
Note the classic Rhett Butler emphasis.
There’s no accountability at the club, that’s the problem. The board let the manager do as he wants and he is far too soft on the players. I go on about Ozil and his shopping trip too often, I know, but there’s no way I would have allowed him to fuck off on a jolly with some model while the rest were slogging their balls off at Sutton.
The club is weak from top to tail and as we keep bing told he runs the show in every way…
I really do think he is staying though. If he was going he can only gain from saying so. Delaying an announcement can only mean (in my opinion) that he’s waiting to say so until things look a bit brighter results-wise.
I’ll take your advice, H.
True tabs. We have had many players in the past of quite limited talent who were worth a hearty cheer on a regular basis for giving every ounce of effort possible.
Failure to deliver that is unacceptable no matter any alleged talent.
“Say so” meaning saying that he’s staying on. As if a couple of wins along the way will make everybody think he’s the right man for the job.
Delaying the announcement is itself a sign of weakness IMO.
-tabs
+trev
?
apologies.
baff calls me dear
*blushes*
amen arthur
don’t over apple your zubrowka
?
Fucking shinpads?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZUagFZsS4w
steve T
playground monday morning
kindly deposit yer lunch money
in my hand
no eye contact !
Well played the Paddys. ??
?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlYG2TZxRhQ
what we all want for us et Hè
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8YCSJpF4g4
CBA
Well done! Your lads were brilliant. If only Arsenal had a fraction of that bottle and competitiveness.
??????Not my best sporting day ?
Some unconfirmed reports that Alexis is out for the rest of the season. I still don’t understand why McClean didn’t see red for that assault.
If true we may never see the Chilean in an Arsenal shirt again. 🙁
howdy m’lud
standing on the eyebrow of england
is some comfort
but
i honestly dunno
i still absolutely adore Arsène
getting fuckin strange
Given that yesterday was St Paddy’s Day and that today Ireland showed how to dig in and beat a good team, the words of Arseblogs may be appropriate:
“What in the name of the mother of the sacred heart of the crucified Jesus was that, you bunch of feckless geebags?!”
isn’t it
That gets to the crux of the matter.
bath
what the fuck would that free state blowhard know ?
.
there is one true accent in Ireland
and
it’s not diddleyeedlydiddlywoganydoodly
that THAT laughing boy peddles
THE ONLY IRISH accent is flat dead and monotone
so
if you hear lilting tourist board tones
it’s substandard
and not fit for purpose
and
probably “put on”
dublin is about as Irish as Barnsley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXiWyqHA024
in inverted commas spanner
or
as i say it
drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa daaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Now Frank Carson is dead, that kid is the greatest living Irishman
the mighty cynic
(God rest him)
fuck
he was a grand fella altogether
.
the like o which we’ll never see again
etc etc
naaaaaaaaa maaaaaaa
faaaaaaaa baaaaaaaaaa
iofcourseamlyingorigami?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmTi-h-n2Go
I’ve reconciled myself to Thursday night football ( if United win the Europa League it’s even more likely) and a trophyless season but if the club is overhauled I think it would be worth it. But most Gooners are in a dark place now. Unless we get another great manager it’s very hard to see the club keeping pace with the best , with this board and owner.
i see what yer doin m’lud
i take the hint
i’ve been away
was awful
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5VIIdMQBjg
hello ‘holic
sortin dinner
chicken and chips
slow cooker chicken
fast cooked chips
.
UP THE ARSENAL
What an absolute shite day all round.
fuck off ya big poof !
Up yer fucking hole.
Apart from the shite on display today I hit number 1 and 2? What plaudits do I get? Nothing.
Then there is a thread about eggs and sperm. I can’t me up with the best one liner of the day with my quick and witty Seaman comment. Still nothing.
Blanked? Ignored? And then abused by a cow loving bog trotter????
I’ve had better days.
?
Even more, up yours.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KsS0cvTxU-8
Bring it on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hw846vx_uk
I may not have responded to the one liner, Steve, but inside I was doing this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmjHT5GpAYQ
And also still sulking that nobody appreciated the Rolando post from the last drinks, and thinking “How do you like them apples?” regarding your wit falling on stony (silent) ground.
many pearls fall on stoney ground
the drinker formerly known cynically
Grumble grumble
I leave you with this, as I go off to watch what’s left of the evening dwindle away into what’s rather optimistically labelled “the future”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOszpVzap20
perk up
life ain’t so bad
you just need a twerk with yer perk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQDgU-D8YAs
gonna have a longer holiday
it’s not good
see ye all later
(do i have to remind anyone AGAIN the clash were also rans )
.
might lurk
“We work always on the same system for every single game” and there ladies and gentleman lies the problem
I suppose it’s better than being dead, cba.
Which is what Chuck Berry is.
RIP
Re: Goonerholic @63. If Xhaka had come in with the exact same tackle on any player in the league it would have been five games suspension.
Pulis and Swarbrick. Two of a kind.
UTA
Had to watch Roger move into tomorrow’s Indian Well’s final as a pick me up after seeing another gutless Arsenal performance. This coupled with a horrendous drive in pouring rain and flooded roads from our drop-off point on the A11 topped off a quite dreadful day.
I won’t add to Holic’s fine analysis of the dire scenario except to say those players on show, who represented the club which all of us love, were a disgrace to the name of Arsenal Football Club.
Having said the above, I am still angry with those fans who gave up supporting the team and started hurling insults at the players while the game was still in progress. We were all frustrated and there was even a nasty situation between opposing factions in the ladies cloakroom!
It seems to me that the whole show is crumbling before our eyes, with no one taking charge of what looks like a hopeless situation. It will need a very special individual to come in and sort this mess out while in the meantime our season sinks deeper in the mire. I can’t see where are next points are coming from. The squad that AW boasted of earlier in the season as “the best group of players he had had ” are not fit to wear the shirt yet they, apart from Santi, are the same bunch which put the Chavs to the sword in September. Were did it all go wrong!!!
Upset, please Arsene don’t leave us in limbo any more. Make your position clear to one and all and maybe that will be the incentive for the team to emerge from their slough of despond.
Being thoroughly depressed after yet another lack-lustre, lack-anything performance I can’t bring myself to read the 150 or so comments since my last in the previous drinks, so forgive me if I am repeating what has already been said…
First moment of depression came with finding no OG starting, regardless the Baggies field probably the tallest, meanest players in the Prem. Then, while I said earlier I would be pleased to see both Ox and Rambo starting with one of them in place of Özil, I meant Rambo in the 10 role, not Ox.
And if Danny was to start (better than Iwobi anyway) he had to play LW with Alexis up front. Not that putting a 5’5″ CF against acromegalic defenders looked ideal. Where anyone gets the idea Danny is a CF I’ve no idea. He’s been tried often enough and has never proven sharp enough in the box.
Already depressed my condition deteriorated progressively as every Arsenal move started from the back with a kickabout among the backs and midfielders while WBA’s defenders (all 10 of them) were given all the time in the world to throw up a redoubt and organise themselves into ranks. 750 passes to their 219 suggests to me that no one had bothered to devise tactics to negotiate this. I was reminded of Rorke’s Drift with us the Zulus throwing themselves on Michael Caine’s mealie bag walls. With about the same result.
My depression approached psychotic with their opening goal, evened up a bit with our immediate response but went full manic with their second, identical goal. As the corner kick was being lined up, was I the only person to see most of our taller lads crowding the near post? Of course the fucking ball went over their heads to be nodded in uncontested. If this is Bould’s idea of defending he can go with AW. Bring back Keown.
And don’t get me started on their third, courtesy of Ospinaaahh…Oh. Bloody amateur defending … again.
I feel sorry for Arsene, I really do. He’s embarrassing himself and his legacy.
R.I.P. Charles Edward Anderson Berry, your music lit up my teenage years … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSLMN6g_Od4
The boys are really down right now. Thinking of the bonuses they won’t be getting.
Wenger will be dreading have to face 60000 gooners every home game.
Cheers H! Utter bag of shite. Bit like 1975 all over again. Fuck it, we and I survived that. This time? I’m 40+ years older but still up for it.
Fuck Tottenham and the rest of the cunts.
Amos Milburn showed the sort of restraint that was beyond me last night. 😉
MISTER WILKS!
Oh hang on…
Steve’s memory seems to have improved during the week. He’s not on here asking to be reminded about the rugby scores at the weekend. Such a pity! Nae record and nae back-to-back slam.
Holic, Delia, nice reports. Fighting in the ladies cloakroom? Whatever next? Time to crank up the Stones and put Street Fighting Man back on the gramophone, Clive.
Holic, are you up for the City game (league)?
We have eleven games left in the league
Home
Manchester City
West Ham
Manchester United
Everton
Leicester
Sunderland
Away
Palace
Middlesbrough
Spurs
Stoke
Southampton
I reckon we’ll be lucky to get 10-15 points from those. I think we’ll finish 7th, similar to Chelsea last year in their melt down season. It’s all about the Cup and next season (and hence a good summer) now.
What do people think about Wenger reportedly signing a rolling one year deal?
I think that would be a terrible thing to do for the club and for him. Limbo City and with the prospect of further limbo to come.
Hanging on in quiet desperation, as someone once sang.
Thoughts?
Worst of all worlds Cynic. I’ll be there, home and away, whoever is in charge, but I do honestly think it’s time for a change. I’m bored rigid over the “should he stay or should he go” dialogue.
The next two lines of your Floyd quote do seem appropriate just at the moment
The time is gone, the song is over
Thought I’d something more to say
Amen to that.
BtM, indeed I am coming to Citeh.
I remember when we Arsenal fans were making fun of MU.. Now they are ahead of us. How times have changed…? You can’t make this shit up
Nice write up holic.
Nothing to say that hasn’t already been said. He has to go. He should have gone about 3 years ago really, we could all see it then. I just don’t know why the board can’t see it. Perhaps they can and it really is just about a commercial entity these days.
At least AW is hinting that his decision will be announced before people have to stump up another grand on season ticket renewal.
West Brom’s programme cover was Genesis themed. In the Phil Collins, not Biblical, sense.
At least they called us The Arsenal on it though
I was alarmed to see the story that Wenger is to sign for another year. Albeit it came from the pathetic Express/ Star stable which is notoriously unreliable.
Can you imagine if that was true? As soon as the contract was signed we’d be into speculation about if he was going to go on beyond that. It would make life intolerable. The club would be filled with uncertainty and any bad result would escalate the bad feeling. Wenger really needs to stop this situation harming the club anymore. I really can’t see him making a fist of the job any more and I think we all want him to leave with dignity. If he goes at the end of the season, we could wave him off with fondness and gratitude , wherever we finish, but this gratitude would soon dissipate if he stays on and things get worse.
As for those who doubt a new man’s ability to come in note the Conte situation. Chelsea were in a terrible state last season but he quickly turned it around. A new pair of eyes and a new coaching team is needed.
Fucking refs are all for Spurs. Southampton denied a clear penalty, not surprising Spurs are winning.
Spuds and Saints provided an object lesson on playing with guts, heart and commitment. Either team would have murdered the Arsenal eleven who lost at the Hawthorns yesterday. I take it that you’re predicting nil points from our away visits to these two, Countryman?
TTG, your last sentence. Yes. Regretably.
Nil at the Lane. I thought 0 or 1 at St Mary’s.
This one year story has a compelling yet depressing logic to it. It would be very Arsenal but would merely guarantee an even bigger shit show for the next man/men especially if Wenger blows another 100 mill. Seriously, I kid you not, the type of unsellable players, wage bill and long term contracts we’d be looking at then could bring us down with a crash Leeds-style and I somehow doubt Stan would be a man to sell out in a crashing market. Awful source maybe – and perhaps the story is a week or two old, predating our complete collapse – but it would be vintage Wenger/Kroenke. If it’s not true, it’s probably because we have indeed collapsed to new depths of ineptitude leaving Wenger a bit more cornered. I’m also surprised that Wenger has not come in for absolute dog’s abuse after Primorac’s confirmation this week that Wenger has been as focused on the business side as the results side during his 20 years. When Stan rather understandably said a business owner would not just focus on winning trophies, he was crucified..
U.S. diplomacy takes another hit. As if that particular country could handle another one at this point in time.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39321568
At least there’s one team wearing the red and white who can restore a bit of pride.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39322517
Do not despair lads and ladettes for this is the normal cycle of professional life at the very highest levels of achievement. One’s time will always come within any particular domain, as others chase, eventually catch-up and then overtake. There’s no shame in it if one recognises and acknowledges it with humility and candour. Kevin Keegan did it! ?
Arsene Wenger can still salvage his legacy for all Gooners, no matter their opinon or whatever happens for the remainder of the season now, if he does the following within the next few weeks:
1. States unequivocally that he’ll leave at the end of the season, and ask the players in private and the fans in public to give him one final push for top 4 and the record-breaking FA Cup win.
2. Recommend and secure the best head coach / man manager to take over for this current crop of players; and a head coach / man manager that will make the likes of Sanchez and Ozil stay at the club, attract other world class talent, and get the very best out of this talented squad as a collective.
3. Identify a capable Director of Football who will help and work smoothly with both the new head coach / man manager, and with Ivan Gazidis on player recruitment and management of the playing staffs’ needs.
Implement all of these, and Le Prof will then become immortal once again! ?
UTA!
AFCOF!
Does anyone actually have any faith in the board being able to select a suitable replacement for AW? Even if they do, do you think they have the ability to conduct the necessary negotiations? I’m not sure that I do.
I get what people are saying about AW signing a one year contract but I have a feeling that the board are panicking like never before. I don’t believe they have the slightest clue what to do on the football front. They have always left that to one man. Now, for the first time ever they are faced with a situation that they are really not qualified to deal with. That will explains why they are so desperate for Arsene to sign a new contract. If nothing else, it gets them out of a hole and gives them over a year to try and sort out this mess.
As I have said many times now, this has been coming for several years. This is the culmination of several years of errors, especially in the transfer market. No one should be that surprised. It’s just all so very sad.
Personally, whilst I fully agree that change is needed, I would far rather see Stan pack his bags and bugger off that Arsene. The sooner Stan goes the better
BTM. I enjoyed the rugby, as always. Nice to see England lift another trophy, secured of course with victory against the Jockanese.
?
While I would always be the first to invite you lads to shove your chariot up your arse, England’s rugby supporters were fine ambassadors here in Dublin this St Patrick’s weekend. Good humoured, friendly and always very welcome.
SCG.
I could have had the chance of a ticket for Saturday but international rugby, in Ireland, the day after Paddy’s day???? I’m not sure my liver would have survived???
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Re: 124: Why hire a man when a woman can do the job better?
Mourinho drivel:
“We don’t have plan B, C, D, E, F and G – but we have M, N, O, P and S.”
The media and I dutifully copy it down. What has the world come to?
Steve I’m sure that Tollie training I read about here would have held you in very good stead.
If Arsene Wenger picks the new director of football and the new manager, we might as well just hand him the keys to the place.
Gazidis is employed to do… something?
Gazidis is staying ominously quiet.
Cynic,
One doubts he’d highlight folks that he’d want to fuck up! After all, he loves the club right, and he knows more about the playing side of the game than anyone else at the club, albeit he’s now outdated, as we’re forever being told by the haters of the Board vs Arsene? How hard can it be to choose from Koeman, Luis Enrique, et al? Hell, even my Granny could do that, and she’s a 101 this year! ?
AFCOF!
Dapper Dan, What we want to know is, Can she manage a football club? 😉
bt8,
She can manage it quite well once she gots her dentures in and her scooters parked up at London Colney next to a staying Alexis’ Ferrari. Zero to 60 in like never! ?
I had a nightmare last night. In it I was a spuds supporter. Then I woke up … relieved to find I was still a gooner. Until I realised that since Saturday I’d been feeling like a LWC. No wonder they’re so pathetic, if they feel this way all the time… 🙁
I had a granny like that, Cynic. She took up jogging when she was 87, 20 miles a day. Now we have no idea where the hell she is.
The only logical reason AW would want another year is because his choice of successor won’t be available till then. But I’m not sure he’s capable of logic any more, or, based on his other decisions of late, that his choice of manager would necessarily be worth suffering another 12 months for anyway.
Allegri has reportedly offered to take the job next season, and he would be good enough for me.
It seems the man has signed the two year contract on offer. We may be in for a very long end to the season.
Allegri has won Serie A three times and is rated by Italian experts a better coach than Conte. I can’t believe he is meekly waiting to see if Wenger wants to carry on nor do I believe the board would strike that kind of deal. I share Steve T’s lack of faith in the board’s ability to pick a successor.
I think Arsene must have some very rude pictures of Silent Stan
We’re in for a very long two years you mean.
Sadly I’m now hoping that if we miss top 4 we will slide far enough to avoid the Europey as well. A complete mid-week break would be no bad thing, giving a new manager time to repair the damage.
But only if we miss top 4, which is still far from inevitable.
Thomas Tuchel? Yes please! ??☝️
UTA!
AFCOF!
As much as I want Wenger to go. I have to say for a club as big as Arsenal we sure do have some pathetic people running it. Really shameful that they have to put all these shit on Wenger. Truth is, Wenger too has to take some of the blame for the ineptitude of the board. He controls virtually every aspect of the club and that’s why its so complicated to either fire him or let him resign. I am glad this will hopefully be the last time a manager will have this much power over the club.
If he stays he better spend a shit load of money to prove he seriously wants Arsenal to win stuff.
If the deal has already been signed but yet to be announced (laughably waiting until we lift the FA cup) what actually is in it for Wenger? Does he really think this is all about the last few losses or does he recognize the situation is deeper than this? Like from top to bottom mess. Why stay for tht.
He is NOT my favourite manager, I’d have had him gone ten years ago.
I don’t know why Arseblogger is blaming the club over the timing of this leaked story in his blog today.
Seems fairly clear to me where this has come from and it ain’t from our board.
“I know what I’m doing”
“Does anyone at the club know?
“No”
And the next day this appears.
2+2 might equal five with my conclusion but I really don’t believe our board is so disconnected from reality that it would leak this. I can believe the manager is arrogant enough to, however.
So despite all the trouble, discontentment and general angst, Boro away, a Bank Holiday Monday game with a 500 mile return trip, an 8pm kick off, no trains back, work the following day and which is on TV, has sold out at 10+ credits.
Be interesting to see what the impact on season ticket sales is if Wenger does stay. My bet is some churn, but no more than usual, but a higher number of empty seats at games. If we do finish outside a European place, the 7 cup credits will have to change as even home games all the way in the FA Cup would only give you four.
I suppose Arsenal Fan TV will be happy if he stays.
It’s all good for Stanley and the brand. All publicity is good.
*kerching*
My 149 was in response to a deleted post, in case anyone thinks I developed Wengertourettes
Countryman never underestimate the mobilisation of the North East Gooners
I heard AW commented that missing
the CL is not so important financially
these days as the TV money has
gone up so much.
From Silent Stans point of view all
he really requires now is Arsenal
not to get relegated.
Sadly, I agree it’s time for AW to
step down but i don’t think the
situation is as dire as some seem to
believe. We have a good quality squad,
plenty of money and we’re a big
famous club. Bringing in a coach
and a director isn’t that difficult
and neither will be replacing players
if they want to leave.
Lights blue touch paper, withdraws… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Now, that’s the way to do it! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4329436/Arsenal-ladies-thrash-Tottenham-10-0.html
Yes we have plenty of money, Osaka, but AW has a firm policy of never paying more than his valuation of a player, regardless others will invariably pay over the odds plus higher salaries for really key players.
Also … so long as AW hangs on there has to be serious doubt about those really key players joining a club with questionable management. I fear Arsene’s mystique has faded to the extent Arsenal’s pulling power is now minimal for those player mercenaries seeking glory and trophies. There are currently at least 4 or five better options in the Prem alone.
Oh, didn’t see that ‘holic! 🙂