The Friday Night Whiskey Tastes Good
Aug 6th, 2010 by 'holic
Around the web the statement is being dissected. A boy from Barcelona is being analysed to the n’th degree.
Tonight he is an Arsenal player, and lest we forget, a World Cup winner.
I’m rather proud of him. He could have reacted very differently.
Most of all though, I am immensely proud of Arsenal Football Club. By and large, players leave us when we are happy for them to go.
70 Responses to “The Friday Night Whiskey Tastes Good”
In that case, I’ll have one of those rare single malts. Cheers.
Islay single malt please boss.
Got to celebrate Cesc staying for another year.
Evening gents.
Good call, Herbie, although as Snail will tell you I am into the stuff from the other side of the Irish sea these days.
Must get some more Laphroaig soon though…
He’ll be going next year when he’s just as needed as this. It only delays things as I am concerned. Nothing to be proud of as if the bid was 50m he’d be gone. Bob Wilson said as much.
Well said.
Talisker please.
Now thats worth a toast ..
Move like a flash and serve me a *girliedink*
Goalkeeeeppeeeeeerrrrr
That’s next week, Michael.
Let’s enjoy tonight first.
Steve, one more year is still better than no more years. And you never know, perhaps he will change his mind during the year? Stranger things have happened.
Pint of John Smiths, please!
Hopefully, if we can win titles this season, he’ll be more eager to remain here for the season after, and the one after…
A pint of your best brew please, holic.
I guess while I am happy that Cesc stays, I am also a little cynical when the club comes up with headlines like this “The decision of Cesc Fabregas to stay at Arsenal is a ‘huge lift for everyone’, according to Arsène Wenger”. I don’t think it was his decision was it?
Anyway, we are weaker without him, so more than happy that he is with us provided he is committed to the cause, which as a consummate professional, he should be.
cheers ‘holics.
Bottoms up!!
Sometimes little is not more. Perhaps I should have expanded.
I made the throw away comment about him coming from Barcelona because I believe most people have put into perspective the tug at his heartstrings this summer. Others certainly should have and need to consider that.
He has never made any secret of the fact he expects to go back there one day. Although I am surprised it came to a head as early as this summer I’m so proud of Arsenal for standing up to the muggers, and him for not throwing his toys out of the pram when it became clear they couldn’t afford him.
Yes, Arsenal have a price for him. Maybe the second biggest club in Spain will have the money next summer and not spend it on a preferred target from Valencia first. Somehow, I doubt it.
You see like most muggers and bullies, they are cowards.
‘holic, FIFA.com are at it again!
http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=1282065.html?cid=rssfeed&att=
‘…..even though Barça were willing to pay a reported USD 48 million for his signature.’
makes my blood boil!
Need a beer to calm me down!
They appear to publish Barca press releases with no check. Surprised, I am not 🙁
Arse show some balls – “It is important for football that players do not move away,” he said. “That nobody can just come in and say ‘we want him and you go’. So it is important that the policy we entered into a few years ago is productive. And I believe for the whole football world that it is massively important that Arsenal is successful and that there is not only one way have success in football – to just put a huge amount of money in.
“The situation with Cesc is like the announcement,” he went on. “To make a transfer you need the agreement of the three parties and it is as simple as that. Overall we were never in a position where we wanted Fabregas to go. We feel that we have invested a lot of energy and work in creating a team of young players. We want them to stay at the Club and show that our policy works and is efficient. He is part of our plans.”
so says le boss
no new keeper though – chesney or mannone out on loan – al or fabz No1 !!
“Still players fight for their place,” he said. “Tomorrow Fabianski has another opportunity to show that he can play No 1.
“Wojciech is a goalkeeper of huge quality. At the moment we want to play for the title so I believe he needs some more experience to compete directly for the first goalkeeper position.
“But it depends a little bit. We have four goalkeepers, one of them will go out on loan, three have to stay so we do not know yet who will go out.”
thats how i read that anyway
Deise, he is in a press conference ahead of a game that is the result of the ‘keeper sitting beside him joining Arsenal. He is hardly likely to say that he is trying to buy someone better.
Have a think about the circumstances.
“We’ve got Cesc Fabregas. We’ve got Cesc Fabregas.”
Cesc showed tonight exactly why he is captain. What a professional.
And 30 million pounds? For Cesc? I know Barca have no money, but that is a joke.
Guinness for me, barman.
I’ll have what Snail’s having please.
Oh and well said ‘holocaust.
Absolutely agree, ‘holic. Talisker 10 for me please.
@4 Steve. You may be right, he may go next year. And if Barca had come in with £50 million plus he may have gone this year. But we should be proud by the way we have stood up to these bullies. Barca assumed that by getting at Cesc the rest would be easy. Quite frankly I am surprised Barca can give a quote with the amount of egg all over their faces???? They think they are so special that they can just call the tune and make everyone dance. Well quite frankly they can’t.
We now need to do 3 things……
1) Report Barca to FIFA and UEFA. Now Cesc has said he is staying it shows no sour grapes on our part and they should be brought to task over their disgusting behaviour.
2) Start all sorts of rumours in the press about Messi wanting to leave and silly offers etc.
3) Offer Cesc and new and extended contract to piss on their fireworks once and for all.
Fuck em, that’s what I say.
Not a whiskey drinker holic but a nice cheeky red would go down very well.
Keep the faith.
Every time I read your blog it makes me smile ‘holic. I must say that a book from you would be something worth getting in hardback.
I’m delighted he’s staying and respect his honesty in what he’s said.
I just hope his performances don’t become over-analysed by those who suspect his commitment.
I’ll stick to cider tonight, ta ‘holic.
Holic is correct about the keeper situation. It is different in relation to adding another centre back because as AW says it is a question of numbers not necessarily quality. The best three centre backs in the world would never mathematically be enough.
In terms of numbers we have enough goal keepers. Any statement suggesting that another keeper is coming in is therefore clearly a criticism of the incumbent’s ability. This would shatter the confidence of the keepers we currently have.
At least I hope that is the situation….
Me too, Sniff.
Josh, thank you, but if you have a dinner table with one short leg I’m sure I can find you a book that will do the job 😉
Evening ‘Holics – at last a “satisfactory” conclusion to this sorry saga.
Here’s hoping they are bankrupt come next season and Cesc finds out that his DNA didn’t matter all along. He can go home when he has retired 🙂
Management (mine not yours) has just suggested I order a glass of Bitter and Twisted. 🙂
I echo Josh’s statement.
Most of all I agree with wholeheartedly with you ‘Holic. Things might not be perfect but “our side” as in Arsenal and Cesc Fabregas have gotten through this almost perfectly. I’m sure not everyone will agree that Cesc was a gentleman during this, but hell, I he just said what we already knew he already felt, and I sincerely think he is happy to stay for a while/lot longer. I find it refreshing to hear a footballer being honest, speaking his mind, but also doing it in a tactful way (I’m looking at you Bellamy!) and not forcing anything (I’m looking at you Adebayor!).
All respect to Cesc for his very honest statement and even more respect for the club that held firm.
And I know I say this from time to time, but I am IMMENSELY proud over what we as a club do for charity. The world over. The latest one being the Centrepoint Campaign. Might not be on the same note as Cesc staying, and I’m not mentioning it as a smokescreen for perceived lack of success (Five years without a trophy I’m looking at you!), but it’s something that always springs to mind when I talk about being proud of being a fan of Arsenal Football Club and not just the Arsenal Trophy Cabinet.
A good read for those gloomy days is – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/arsenal/7326648/Arsene-Wengers-revival-at-Arsenal-will-take-time.html
It’s old now, but it always makes my heart beat red and white.
Highland Park, please! I’ll go for the 12 year old one, because then I can afford to drink more!
Hear hear, ‘holic.
Whatever’s on tap for me, please.
OK but what does i have no No1 tell you? Does that not whiff of not having faith in who was supposedly your No1 – Almunia.
Then we hear its Fabz and Chesney in the game tomorrow. And theres 1 to go on loan!
You cannot go into a season not knowing wo your keeper is to be. He doubts all our keepers yet doesnt do anything about it.
I just dont know where his thinking is with the keeper situation. And its pretty late in the day to seem so uncertain if you ask me.
Im worried Wenger has paralised himself into not making a decision on a keeper……………….
I’ll have a Guiness extra cold if you dont mind, keep em coming too, as soon as you see me hit a third left pull another so i dont have to wait! 🙂
I’d like to express my huge admiration for Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis. Two years ago our revival was cut short by the treacherous departures of Flamini and Hleb which put us in a perilous situation. The club was criticized a lot for not bringing in new players, instead they chose to tie all our young players on improved long term contracts in the last year and a half. Today’s announcement by Cesc is the validation of their efforts. As Steve T said I’m so proud of how we dealed with the disgusting assault on Cesc from Barca and I’m very grateful for the foresight of the club’s management.
@Toby: thanks a lot for pointing out all our charity efforts. Indeed we are a club with outstanding ethic values and moral principles.
Arsenal, I love you.
Not sure which drink is more fitting, champagne or hard stuff. I may have both 😉
I’m delighted with the statement that was issued.
He said exactly what was said on this website through out the summer.
I never resented his wish for wanting to leave for his family and friends and as soon as he got injured and was sent to rehab in Spain I had a feeling this would happen.
VERY proud of Arsenal in dealing with this situation and hopefully next year Mourinho will do the job and fuck Barca all over.
Just until Ramsey will recover and continue developing like he has before the Shawcross assault.
Holic, pint of Carling please!
Spot on Matt, and hello Snir.
Good to see you both.
@Toby, that was a very good read. Arsenal send what must be tens of thousands of pounds worth of stuff to help the Revival Centre and don’t mention it with even one word (that I know of, anyway) on the official website and very few take any notice. Barcelona have got the word “Unicef” written on their shirts and proclaim themselves as saviours of the world and morally superior and people everywhere swallow it hook, line and sinker.
@DeiseGooner: I actually think Arsene knows very well who his first choice is going to be, but by not telling the players he (hopefully) makes them all work harder which will, in theory at least, improve them all.
Hey Lars, i was thinking the same thing about the charaties The Arsenal focus on each year. They club announce 800 g’s raised lasr year, but i just cant not believe the players and club dont contribute annonimously.
As for the keeper situation – even if he does know the No1 is said No1 keeper good enough??
Is it a focus thing? or simply an ability issue?
Cheers Holic,
Now that’s done we can (hopefully!) start focusing on important stuff.
WHEN will we have a new keeper, when?!?!?!? This is gonna be the same like last season. The best Damn team in the EPL with no proper keeper that will cost us the title.
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2914/champions-league/2010/08/06/2058014/tottenham-striker-jermain-defoe-we-will-do-better-than
This is hilarious 😀
Glad you mentioned that, Snir. After today’s Champions League qualifying draw was made Harry Redknapp is now looking forward to taking Tottenham to come up against Young Boys for the Wankdorf experience. I do hope he doesn’t have his hands full attempting to avoid getting something resembling egg on his face.
Wasn’t Harry complaining about all the games his team had to play in preseason not to long ago?
We are now in a great position next year with Cesc. He will want to go but we have shown we can keep him and can do it again if we have to. I also believe we will win the title or a cup and that Cesc will score a lot of goals and assists this year. Without injuries he could be putting in 30 goals and 30 assists which will prove hes the best player in the world and escalate his price hugely. This means we will be in a very strong position to get every dollar out of Barca possible or we get to keep him another year. Things are looking up. Lets get behind our team and go all out for the title! Keeper or no keeper!
We have Cesc as our Captain,I kept praying.
Sandro subcribe to Sky,you can see him play.
Barca f**k you and your regrets??
Cos at the Arsenal he will always play.
No surrender,no surrender,no surrender to the barca scum.
No surrender,no surrender,no surrender to the barca scum. No surrender,no surrender,no surrender to the barca scum.
Holics,
Forgive this unforgivable piece of self indulgence. Took me hours to find it in the Holic archive. Christmas time game against Villa when Cesc inspired me to pen the following:
“Then the magical minute 58 dawned. A young Spaniard was sighted arriving from a distant dug out. The roar inside Circus Maximus reached near crescendo. Crescendo itself was reached twice in the subsequent 28 minutes, when two Christmas gifts of near mystical magic suddenly appeared in the back of Villa’s net.
And almost as suddenly as he’d appeared, the young wizard walked off into the gathering gloom and was suddenly lost from sight. Only for another brilliant star to rise and shine just before the Bells of Saint Emirates pealed Oh Come All Ye Faithful Gooners.”
You’ve NO idea how happy I am.
The Glenmorangie for me tonight, barman. Come All Ye Faithful Gooners!
Steve T,
Is this the moment to put in a bid for my boy up at Eastlands??
@ 10 Lars
Stranger things have happened..indeed.. Hopefully Barcelona FC die!
#30 Toby thanks for the link that really does make me proud to be Red and White
Cesc staying.. FAB(pun intended) let’s go and win the double Champ l
League and Prem League bring it on 8 days to go!!!!!!!
@46 Bergkamp Jnr plays for Sheik Citeh??
I need another large Jd please Good Barkeep
as much as i’m happy cesc is a gunner still i’m very worried about this new season which is nearly apon us.
As i predicted in may no new keeper and this lot cost us approx 15 points imo last season!
A cheap cb that no one has heard of – who made some rashes decisions at the emirates cup last weekend.
Drogba and co will have him for breakfast!
Its blindingly obvious that cesc and robin came back too late from the wc – cesc only played 120 mins ffs
and may not be considered for sunday week as hes off to mexico on monday!lots of talent in our squad but two areas of weakness maybe too much of a handicap!
Several pints of very strong beer please (to settle my nerves)
I’m immensely proud of the stance we have taken against the classless Barcelona and Arsene insisting that Cesc was never for sale is pure class.
But as happy as I am with Cesc staying, Unless we win the double or the treble he will be gone next season and that’s got to be having an adverse effect on our team for the coming seasons preperations
I’m hoping against hope that I am wrong and that nobody thinks he is going and plays their heart out to win everything (along with hoping our annual 100 hospital visits get cancelled) and Cesc sees no reason to move on when he can achieve everything he wants with Arsenal and don’t get me wrong I do not begrudge him wanting to win trophies, we all want to win trophies but we do not switch clubs to get our wish, The thing is that we all know he will go sooner or later and maybe even he never expected sooner to come right now.
Of course I delighted to see Cesc again, and I appreciate his desire to return to Spain one day. But it is an indictment of the strength of “player power” that the whole Arsenal community is celebrating simply because our own team captain returns from holiday to fulfill the terms of his highly lucrative contract – at least and probably no longer for another year. Weird times.
BTM. Good morning dear fellow. Do you know something I was thinking just that? A small bid would be in order. I am with you on that one. I also really rate Joe Hart……………………….
On a more serious note what do we think about Cesc keeping the armband? I am obviously delighted that he is staying. I am also very pleased with the way we have dealt with the Barca bully. But the statement released by Cesc clearly tells us that his preferred destination was away from Arsenal. I think we can now say that his silence was due to the fact that he did not want to offend anyone at the club, including the fans. But do we really start the season with someone as captain who desperately wants to play his football somewhere else?
cesc staying gives wilshere another year to improve and the transition from a team built around cesc to a team built around jack will be seemless. Imo jack will be even better than jesus! Jack is gods chesspiece on a footie pitch
Edmund, does the name Liam Brady ring any bells with you.
The Cesc situation is no different to what we went through for a few summers until 1980.
They weren’t weird times either. Just a great footballer in demand elsewhere.
Steve, I’m very happy with Cesc keeping the armband. He has huge credibility and respect for his ability and leadership from the rest of the squad. There’s no better man for the job. He’s an exceptional young talent and leader, has behaved extremely well and properly throughout this whole fiasco and I’ll be proud to see him leading the team out every time he does so, from here on out.
I like Holic’s characterisation of Barca as bullies. In the total scheme of things, this whole incident is a relatively small bump in the road of Arsenal’s progress under Wenger and Cesc’s development to one of the best players the world will have ever seen (he’s not there yet). If Nearly Bankrupt Barca’s “charm” offensive hadn’t dragged on for the whole summer, with its fames fanned by the literary minions at the Wail and News of the Screws, this would have been no more than:
– Barca tapped Cesc illegally and unprofessionally. Turned his head.
– They made a bid, well below market.
– Arsenal said No Way, Jose”
– They bid again, still a paltry sum because they’re broke.
– Arsenal said “bugger off.”
– End of two minute story. Yawn.
Cesc WILL go to Barca. Some day. Mr. Holic’s line:
“I am immensely proud of Arsenal Football Club. By and large, players leave us when we are happy for them to go.” – is the guiding light that I’d like to see shine over the future of this affair.
Joe Hart it is then.
The upshot is that Barca thought they could bully us and they clearly can’t. If they had really wanted Cesc they would have shown so, and not bought David Villa and saved the money for the Cesc deal.That transaction alone displayed their total arrogance. Their behaviour has been shocking. They have large amount of egg on their faces today.
Must admit I am not 100% comfortable with Cesc staying captain although I am of the opinion that in the circumstances there is no other option. I agree with everything you say BTM about him being a fine player, leader etc. But with such an open display of trying to formulate his exit I do question if he is the right man for the job now. It is a massive shame that all of this Barca stuff even existed as I felt he had the potential to be possibly our all time greatest captain. The hype will mean that the eyes of the media will be thrust even more upon him in the coming months. He needs a fine start to the season.
Toby @30 – totally agree with your post and thanks very much for the link.
This is the stuff that makes your throat go lumpy as an Arsenal fan, and, hopefully, will make the “Wenger has lsot the plot” brigade stop and think for a moment before they slag off a man with such modesty and class. They are the same characters who cannot now find a positive word to say about Cesc staying.
Maybe it is only for a year, only time will tell. In the meantime, we have one of the best and most professional players in the world still at the club.
And we have a club who have shown that by doing things the right way, we have no need to be pushed around by a club that respect no rules – financial or otherwise.
I’ve always felt lucky that Arsenal is the team I love – nothing is about to change that any time I can foresee.
Oh my goodness me, Fabianski just dropped a proper clanger clanger against Legia. Apart from Nasri, the whole team is playing like shit. We’re 3-0 down, but to be quite honest it might just be a good thing becuase there is no way that there can be any complacency in the team after this. Well, there shouldn’t be, anyway.
This is embarrassing and worrying. It seems as if every team is doing what Blackburn and Wigan did whenever Fabianski is in goal.
Well done Fabianski – you’ve just made Wenger’s mind up as to which goalie should go out ‘on loan’ – please can it be you – Please please please! Can we make it a permanent loan!! ( to Spurs)
I have news for you guys. This is the inauguration game for Legia’s new stadium. Guess who is not going to win it?
Matt, seeing as we’ve just overtaken them and gone 4-3 up I’d say the team who are not going to win it is Legia 🙂
Woj with a nice double save.
They let us come back to the game, and it was as if PR and AW just asked the guys “WTF is wrong with you guys? This isn’t funny, start playing” cause they came different from the dressing rooms.
But I’m not too sure that we’re gonna get these presents in the EPL.
I’m going to put it down to the fact it’s friendly. Neither team looked to be pushing too hard.
Eboue and Nasri looked good though. Might be a big season for both of them.
For me it was 1st sight this season, and it was not pretty. At half time 1-3 was better than we deserved, Walcott, Rosicy, Frimlong not up to it at all and were replaced at half time .
Samy had worked his socks off to little effect, apart from Chammys goal, and Jack W had been bullied off several times
The defence was weak throughout – did not react to their fast breaks, and I thought Fabianski was partly responsible for 1 of the 3
Putting 4 full backs on the field was a master stroke as Eboue (2) and Gibbs scored quickly, but again defensive midfield and backs were slow to respond to lost balls
Im worried that Def*e may be right
lets have a stiff drink now
The stuff of legend, Cesc staying for another year and leading us on to glory and our youngsters on to greater things. Champagne and patatas bravas all around maestro!
5-6. How Mickey Mouse is that? Pathetic. All of a sudden 23 million for Rienna seems cheap.
‘Im worried that Def*e may be right’
You do that, the rest of us will take the opinion that Defoe is talking out of his backside and will look a right royal ass in a few months time.
Months Charlie they gotta last the Young Boys first!