Need For Speed – Wengerball 4?
Aug 9th, 2011 by 'holic
The last twenty-four hours have provided a massive hint as to the basis of Arsene Wenger’s next incarnation. I have to say there is more than a hint of back to the future about it.
I think one of the most oft-aired criticism’s of Arsenal in the last few years has been the fact that the speed with which defence was turned to attack has subsided significantly from the golden years of 98-05. Tippy tappy may have been easy on the eye for the purists, but many mourned the loss of those lightening two or three pass moves that so often ended in a spectacular strike from the likes of Henry, Overmars, or Anelka.
The signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and the granting of a work permit for Ryo Myaichi, adds yet more competition to Theo Walcott and Gervinho in the sprint stakes. I’m heartily in favour of anything that gives us more threat from genuine widemen, and releases those who have been press-ganged to play out wide in recent seasons to supplement our ‘Cesc-centric’ formation. It seems to me we are creating the conditions under which we can switch from 4-2-4, to 4-3-3, to 4-5-1, in a rapid and fluent manner. That is quite a mouthwatering prospect.
Now then Arsene, and Arsenal, I don’t feel the need to say there is work to be done behind those front positions, but the sense that things are starting to happen on the player movement front is a boost. Of course I’m speaking personally there, totally aware that not everybody is similarly assured. Sort the defensive shortages, offload the disaffected midfielders and sign a replacement, switch Arshavin inside to challenge Wilshere, Ramsey, Diaby, and Rosicky, and things will look much, much rosier.
Easy to say isn’t it? Only three weeks remain to pull off those deals, but I think spirits would be lifted both in the ground, and in the changing room if that is achieved.
Get the foot on the throttle, and get that bloody mythical handbrake off the Arsenal vehicle. We’re almost back!
930 Responses to “Need For Speed – Wengerball 4?”
Arsenal News 24/7
We just need a Cesc type quarterback to provide the ammo holic.
2nd. That has got to deserve a 6X?
3rd!
I’ll try a topical London Pride, please barman.
It’s like waiting for a bus. I have been crying out for width for years. Then 2 wingers get to play for us within the space of 24 hours.
Now time for 2 big ugly centre backs, a holding player, an experienced keeper and a striker? Now that would be like a fleet of buses…..
Heh, agreed Steve, but I think we’ll miss out on that ‘keeper. My money is on him going with Szczesny and Fabianski, because the other areas are a priority.
The holding midfielder is starting to look a forlorn prospect now too. Expect Frimpong to understudy Song.
I’ll be fine with it as long as we get the two defenders, and one replacement for Cesc and Nasri.
great read holic’
and agreed it *can*be a mouthwatering step up,if only we could have sorted out the nasri/cesc saga ages ago…its gettin late to sort it out…too late..
send gazidis back to where he came from he is NOT what The Arsenal need…
still its time to close ranks behind The Arsenal..season is looming..lets all stand firm behind Our Beloved Arsenal…c’mom you Gunners…
Fair play where it is due. Big up to the ‘Wall in Eltham tonight.
“No-one loots us”
Brilliant.
Spot on about pace Mr Holic. We now have the tools to break out on the counter and to spurt past players and create space. Been too much tippy tappy around the box allowing defences to set. Just need to keep the quarterback. Bergkamp was the man pulling the strings and vital we keep Cesc. Contract till 2015, get over it Barca. Cesc there are worse things in life than picking up £120k per week and captaining this great football club, again get over it. Nasri seems more difficult situation, sell up if he won’t stay and buy Mata who is very gettable, a rare chance to nab a player of that quality at a good price and seemingly unrivalled. We can pay much more than his current wage.
Back on the topic of pace, Bendtner certainly lacked it whilst Campbell is another who ticks the box and Afobe looks capable of providing cover. Sell Bendter for £8m odd then buy Campbell and promote Afobe good business. Gervinho can play up front too. If Campbell ad Afobe succeed sell Chamakh as well.
Glad to see your appetite being whetted ‘Holic.
Get to platform 49 nice and early on Saturday 😀
Ah, I feel the 2002 vintage flowing down my throat. Very nice.
I would still be happy to have both Cesc and Nasri stay, and to bring in Mata on top of that. It seems like teams need to have big, deep squads to compete; especially this Arsenal team with all the injuries.
I’m almost afraid to say something positive for fear of being flamed, but I’ve been watching the France Under-20 team, and Gilles Sunu has looked really decent, enough that I suspect he could add something to the first team. I guess his loan spells haven’t gone well enough to be convincing, so he has to sort that out, but he looks talented.
Finally some positivity from somewhere. Thanks, ‘holic.
We only have one decent centre back , the other two struggle and the other one is rubbish ,ship a couple out and bring in Mertsacker and Samba ,whose gonna bully us then ? or even Cahill also make sure the keeper if it is Chesney commands the box, then we will make the top four,and keep your heads up when things are turning against us , we had games in years before when things turned against us but we had the quality and fighting spirit to fight back.
433 – very few will flame you here for being positive. Expecting Cesc, Nasri AND Mata is perhaps a bridge too far on the optimism front though.
I think there is definitely going to be a change in playing style, hopefully something much more direct with less reliance on one star quarterback type. Whatever happens, its going to be good to have real live meaningful football back.
15th!
Nightcap please. Signings are always a positive, now for a defender or 2, and a replacement for Nasri and/or Cesc.
Made profit on a few positions, good business even if the major work still outstanding.
Szczesney promoted, Almunia sold (hopefully) £500k up
Gibbs promoted, Clichy sold £7m up
Jenkinson £1m, Eboue sold (almost?) £3.5m, £2.5m up
Campbell £1.2m (almost) + Afobe promoted, Bendtner sold (almost) £7.5mish? So £6m odd up.
£16m up on those deals and the squad better for it.
Gervinho done, centre back in and one more senior player and things start looking up. Need to keep Cesc.
when do we have to name the 25 man squad by? is it by sept 1st or before the 1st prem fixture?
very intrigued to see who’s in it and who is cast aside.
what happens to the players that don’t make it in (squallici!) but the transfer windows shut? can we just sack them, or do they just sit around picking up wages?
We already hav 2 qtr backs in ramsey n wilshere we will rip teams apart come on u gunners
Zico – This team has always felt one or two players short, season after season. Having the problem of too much quality on the bench would be a nice change. Plus I’m thinking that Nasri and Cesc might be more inclined to stick around with a player like Mata coming in. (In case the implication isn’t cleat, I think Mata looks really good, from what I’ve seen of him with the Spain Under-21s).
I also really like the look of Hazard, from what I’ve seen from him with Lille. These types of top-level players would be so nice to bring in. I would like to see Nasri and Cesc stay, but without having guaranteed places (at least Nasri – if Cesc is captain his spot is essentially guaranteed).
jhlf, it’s Sept 1st. Well, technically it’s the first game but you can make as many changes as you want until Sept 1st so in reality that’s the limit.
jhlf – Young players can be used in addition to the 25, right? How young? Can Jack be kept out of the list of 25 because he’s so young (still 19, right?) but still be an ever-present?
Holic, you mentioned something genius which seems to often be forgotten!
Arshavin in the middle. That would be excellent! He won’t have to track back as much and his creative passes are much better than those of the improving Rosicky.
We have so many U21 players it won’t matter. We can effectively name a 40 man squad. Gibbs, Wilshere et al need not be named.
Evening ‘Holics,
I was out of pocket the past couple days and am still wading from previous drinks, but I want to say to you ‘Holic and all the Usual Suspects that I truly appreciate you all.
‘Holic, you’ve been able to create a sanctuary here. A place where differing views are tolerated, civility is espoused, positivity is encouraged, and out-an-out humor can distract from real world troubles. To wit, yesterday Mrs. Lonestar and the baby lady gooner were involved in an automobile accident (other driver ran through a red light).
Neither one received serious injury. Missus is a bit sore and baby went to daycare on schedule. But, given that the car will likely be totaled, things could have been so much worse. Anyways, getting home last night, after all the tribulations, it meant a great deal to read the drinks – especially the season finale of Behind the Arse. TaBS, you are a maestro!
More importantly than “making the squad,” it just felt good to be made part of something creative, and it took my mind off of what might have happened. This team and this “bar” are very important to me…and I just wanted to thank all of you, folks whose knowledge of the team and the culture are deeper than I could ever hope to understand, for making me feel welcome.
Now, enough sentimentality…I like some of the team’s recent moves and your write-up, ‘Holic, is spot on. Let’s go unleash some wrath on Newcastle.
If I could wager legally over here, I think I’d take a punt on Chamakh to score (anytime). I think the big fella has just been playing a bit of the ropadope.
I’m buying the next round!
Evening all, I ve often thought that our defence would benefit from one of our speed merchants staying nearer the centre circle to receive a through out from our keeper when we are defending set pieces. Turning defence to attack very quickly as well as giving the opposition defenders to think about before they charge forward into our penalty area for set pieces and no doubt helping to improve our defensive record. Up the arse!
433 – ‘Clubs will be able to supplement their squads with unlimited additional players under the age of 21 on 1st January in the year in which the season commences.’
I know I’m not the only one waiting on the edge of my seat to see Ryo, Gervinho and OC running full-tilt at defences and charging down the flanks. The circus is rolling into town…
Lonestar – I still see Chamakh as a threat heading crosses. That has always been his best skill. I would keep him on the bench for that purpose late in games. His overall play though, has gone off form. I would rather not have him in the first 11.
Hey Lonestar, glad you Mrs LG and lady LG junior are ok.
In real life we need more than the bubble wrap suit, I guess.
Here’s to Saturday – drink up, its non stop boozing from here on in. 🙂
Cracking article FOD, and a sentiment I have been arguing all day! Stop fannying around taking 27 touches and 94 passes to achieve what can be achieved in 4 passes in 12 seconds.
Let’s go, I’m getting excited for the season now.
Im starting to look forward to the new season ..still waiting for a defender or two… was a bit worried about our strikers beyond Rvp .. but with so many pacy and good runners now on book we should have more of an end product .. Last year we never drew a game we didnt look like winning converting some of those draws and even losses to wins would take us some way… Im not as convinced as others that we are that far from United.. their man on the bench is their biggest asset and I’m hoping he will go fully demented soon. Turn the boos into cheers fans the season is round the corner.
I wish we had Riquelme releasing the speedstars with fine layoffs
im watching the catalunya cup, barca vs espanyol .there is thievy puting barca to the sword,fast,skillful and a goal poacher,one of great potential….speed works wonders.
Snir Geuli – Thanks. That reinforces my thought that we can hold on to Cesc at least, and maybe even Nasri, even if we bring in more players, such as Mata. Like Zico implied (14), it’s a bit of a pipe dream, but I would like to see a top quality player, ahead of Ramsey on current form (i.e., Mata) be available when Cesc has his next hamstring injury.
RVP
Nasri Wilshere Cesc Gervinho
Song
Gibbs Vermaelen Koscielny Sagna
Wocheck
Mata might even be a better option than Nasri or Gervinho to start from one of the wings. Like with Reyes way back when and RVP, and now Chamberlain; when Arsene has identified a player he wants, he stays on the case while driving down the price, and I could see Mata falling into that category (at least I hope).
I like Ramsey a lot, but he was giving the ball away a fair amount in pre-season, which was a worrying sign. Why not have someone at the very top of his game (like Cesc, Nasri, and Mata) playing in the key attacking midfield positions while Ramsey irons out the wrinkles in his game.
thievy is french,sounds like king t. henry and only 19.remember him.
I prefer Hazard to Matta. Samba and Cahil
Great post Holic , and thirty odd drinks in , and not a Doomer in sight . Lets get those defensive additions in , hang onto Fab or at least get in a proven replacement , and we’re good to go . It’s soon time to open another window on my Pre-season Calender – very excited . Might take a sleeping bag to Platform 49 and get there a couple of days early .
Lonestar @24 – Glad you and yours are all ok mate . Thank you for your kind words .
433 – Our Non-HG are as follows
Fabianski, TV, Kos, Sagna, Squillaci, Diaby, Rosicky, Gervinho, Arshavin, RvP, Chamakh and Nasri(?).
I omitted Almunia and Eboue.
That means we have 12 with Nasri and 11 without.
We can still sign 5 or 6 Non-HG.
Our HG situation is exceptional.
Tabs – When I say keep Fab get Mata and a CB I’m considered as hard to please, so you shouldn’t say it out loud unless you want people to say you’re not 100% to the HT staff ;).
Lonestar – Glad everything is Ok mate.
*100% committed to the HT staff 😉
Snir heh 🙂 Fully committed to the HT here !
Who’s operating the HT?
I think I deserve a position among the staff!
Dr Feelgood , Prof T E Storey and on a part-time basis Wolfgang Smallballs 🙂
What’s Wolfgang’s job on the HT staff?
At last someone else who sees Arshavin as the replacement for Cesc. Sure he is not the passer that Cesc was but play him in front of Wilshire and Song behind the main striker and i think he will be massive, ok not in stature but….
Remember we also have Watt Freeman and Sunu who can play out on the wing and i also believe that is where Traore should be playing, then we could sign another left back to compete with Gibbs.
Walcott, Chamberlain, Watt and Sunu battling for the wide right role.
Gervinho, Miyaichi, Traore and Freeman for the wide left.
Van Persie, Chamakh, Campbell, Vela and Afobe for the central striker
The Midfield trimuvate would be contested by 9 players Wilshire, Song, Arshavin, Ramsey, Frimpong, Rosicky, Diaby, Lansbury and Coquelin or Barton (arrange a swap loan)
Leaving us to spend all the Cesc, Nasri, Bendtner, Eboue and Almunia cash about £75m where it is really needed in defence.
Enrique or Cissokho, Cahill or Vertonghen, Mertesacker or Samba. That lot would only cost about £30m so if there was players available to improve the squad we still have £40m available and our original transfer kitty.
Am positive defender will be signed and not just to replace squilaci who is justifyably 4th choice. Mata being demoted from captain stirs the pot a little so hopefully thats in the mix. A striker ? A lot more difficult. Cesc and Nasri have gone completly from my affections so am not bothered either way. Now hopefully Arshavin is not holding the ” tracking back” classes for the new boys and I will be a happy man.
Now if anyone knows or was passing Tottenham High St if Freans Pub was damaged. Was the old fellas local until last week. I know most would not be seen dead down there but info appreciated.
Snir , no idea but he was invited to the last Board Meeting of DLL Ltd 🙂
Great post on all accounts but with already 4 CBs and 2 in the pipeline (Miquel and Bartley) I don’t see us getting more than one CB.
@hec: I agree that Squillaci is abysmal and that it will take quite some time for TV to recover from his year-long absence but Kos is better than decent and Djourou is struggling mostly when he is paired with Squillaci, otherwise he’s been fairly decent too when partnering Kos.
Now I’m really curious to see if this will be the year for Theo to move centrally? With Gervinho, Ryo and AOC on the wings opposing teams would think twice before coming at us…
Centre half and a left back would be nice Matt .
Think Theo can only play centrally if we go 4-4-2 , unlikely in my view .
Arshavin in the middle will be the smartest move of the season if it’s done.
Less tracking back for him, good defence splitting passes and most importantly the wings will be employed by speedsters like AOC, Ryo, Theo and Gervinho.
I think we found our Cesc replacement.
@tabs: good point on Theo and 442. Who knows, if we can have RvP and Chamakh playing together…
As for the LB it’s Gibbs and Traore this season. On one hand having an experienced player there could appease the minds but on the other both rookies are lethally quick. If that’s our new strategy they may prove very useful.
I spotted a nice comment from Cusop is an otherwise good guardian article on AOC. Looks like his head ‘s been turned by our HT ride:
“I’m a Spurs fan and believe it or not, on the Spurs forums, an awful lot of fans are saying this is our year to finish above Arsenal. What utter rubbish. We are screwed because of our unwillingless/inability to pay top 4 wages. Fabregas and Nasri are staying. Arsenal have an incredible array of attacking talent – Wilshere, Walcott, Van Persie, Fabregas, Nasri, Gervinho, Arshavin (though he’s rubbish these days) and now Chamberlain. We wont get within 20 points of Arsenal. Also, nobody seems to notice that koscielny and varmaelan is a fantastic partnership at the back. Arsenal are gonna push United all the way this season while we battle for 6th.”
Here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/aug/08/alex-oxlade-chamberlain-arsenal
tabs @ 37 😀
Snir @ 44 – WS is the Happy Train style guru and fashion icon. His appearance in the DLL boardroom was to try and secure merchandise rights for his red and white parasol.
We arent going to be able to play as we did back in the Bergkamp/Henry days.
Teams know to put 10 men behind the ball and defend, and they know of our weak defence and will hit us on the break.
Thats just my input.
Think you’re right re LB Matt . I was expressing a preference rather than what I think will happen . Yet to be convinced by Traore , and would like to see Gibbsy pushed very hard for his spot .
Ha , I bet that was Cusop under a different name . Reckon the lad is a closet Gooner 🙂
Dr Z @52 – Ah , all is now clear 🙂
Nice post ‘Holic. Time for maximum lean into the bends as we rip new holes round the backs of the finest defences in the EPL. And, if we can plug a few gaps in ours, we should be in the fast lane hurtling towards the finishing line in pole position. Warp speed please Mr. Zulu!
Lonestar @ #24,
Glad you’re all safe and sound (thank Dennis)! Very kind words afterwards too, they’re appreciated – by all – I’m sure. Not sure about Chamakh but he sure does have a lot to prove now. I’d love to see a return to form and for him to push RVP every step of the way for his place in the first-team.
Snir @ #42,
Edwin says he’s not sure if DL Ltd. are looking for more staff in these straightened times but if you’d care to submit your CV c/o one Dr. Iain Feelgood and if you’re willing to work hard for..er… no wages then there might be a suitable role for your considerable talents. What kind of a role do you think you deserve? You know that your seat has already been reserved in any case 😉
Feeling more optimistic about things.
Last season no club deserved the title. United typically take the default when that happens and all the top 6 have big bg problems, it s not just about on paper never as been.
Man Utd, right ethos most pragmatic and balanced. Don’t have the best XI and cannot outplay their rivals.
Chelsea, lack hunger and direction. Drogba more and more cold these days, Torres doing nothing.
City, lack discipline with too many half hearted egos. Tevez their best player wants out. Arse they stronger than last year. Can’t get best out of Balotelli.
Liverpool will do well, less reliant on big names but hardly world class players.
Spurs had good season last year, won’t get the same from Bale, VdV and Modric this term. Darren Lewis reckons champions, distant 6th at best.
Nice spot Matt @ #51. It couldn’t have been written by our Dear Cousin Op. It’s spelt right, the grammar is basically correct and it makes sense 😉
(Unlike a lot of my garbage :oops:)
Vodkas and redbulls for everyone, I’ll see you all in a few hours.
I can’t wait to put Miyaichi on my new shirt btw, will probably fly off the shelves here in Kobe too 🙂
Holic,
Top post sir. I agree with every morsel.
Tabs:
I think we need a left back and a centre half.
Arsene could also get 2 centre halves and shift Vermy out to left back.
Being a little speculative, I think Cahill is very much a target – as he’s in the last year of his contract and the longer we delay, the more likely Bolton are to reduce their asking price – so he would seem to be a logical target. While Jags is a more rounded player that Samba – the reputed 18m asking price for a 29 year old is crazy. Imagine what Moyes would want for Baines? Samba is 27, French Congo, 6ft 4 and probably a good deal cheaper than Jags so he is a very real option too.
It’ll be most interesting to see what Wenger does, but by including Cesc in the squad against Udinese – he certainly seems to have brought the Cesc affair to a head.
Snir:
I agree – Arshavin to the centre is a real option. His scoring and assist stats are most impressive. But as Holic has indicated, this means a change in formation. One that will suit the players we have and a change Im sure many would welcome.
OMG, I can’t stop thinking about Arshavin in the Cesc role.
That may very well be the replacement we’ve been looking for!
The guy had 15 assists when he was poor, just imagine what he’ll be if he finds his mojo!
He’s got everything you need from someone in that role (good shot, defence splitting passes and good technique to take on people or keep possession) and the role would require less tracking back from him.
His ideal position. Don’t know about you guys, but I prefer him over Rosicky any day of the week.
I’m pretty sure that had I asked you guys 2 years ago what your opinion is on Arshavin most would have said that he’s one of the best players in Europe.
Having Arshavin back on form could decide the title going to North London. He’s one of those players.
Cannons-san
Thanks. I don’t do VRBs anymore so, if you’re willing, another glass of red would be much appreciated.
Or I’ll stick to my pipe and mellow in the corner. GT freshly re-stocked this morning. It’s good sh*t.
Enjoy your day!
Very sound post Joe .
Joe – I disagree, putting Arshavin in the Cesc role wouldn’t require any change of formation at all.
It’d be
Woj,
Sagna, Kos (CB?), TV, Gibbs/Traore
Song, Jack, AA
Gervinho/Ryo, Rvp, Theo/AOC
I don’t see any need for a change of formation. He could excel in the Cesc role offensively and defensively he’d only need to track back to a little after the halfway line which is a shorter distance than on the wings so he won’t be as lazy ;).
A new post , 2 new speedsters , and now Pipes TS ? – Can this day get any better ?
Great post, ‘holic, I’m dying to see the end of endless tippy tappy as much as anyone. Longhorn, best wishes and so glad nothing was worse. I can feel the positivity coming on … Up the Arse!
Dear Edwin,
My CV is in Hebrew and a translation would be both mistranslated and misinterpreted as it would probably be leaked to the English media!!
I suggest we set up a meeting ASAP and I’d be able to show you first hand what my CV is, but what I can reveal is that when I’m present at an Arsenal match, we score a late goal.
I can also say I have never witnessed an Arsenal loss in person.
Last thing I can reveal is that I have a habit of accurately predicting the outcomes of our title rivals’ matches and Arsenal’s difficult matches. My gut feeling is very developed, just ask anyone who plays Poker with me ;).
Looking forward to meeting you,
Snir Geuli – Arsenal HT First Class member, Arsenal BTA FC squad member for 2011/2012
It was a good day tabs, wasn’t it?
I expect a lull tomorrow (today) and then possibly some more news before the weekend although, if there’s good news on the injury front re: Jack, TV, Kos and LJW that would be good enough for me.
I guess there’s a chance we’ll see Ryo and maybe even O2TC play on Saturday. Can’t wait. 🙂
Snir,
Compelling stuff!
I’m sure you’re candidacy will be discussed at the next DLL management meeting.
Edwin says he likes your enthusiasm. He also knows someone who can translate your CV so please make sure it’s accurate 😉
I’m pretty sure I can translate it, it was just an excuse to meet the mighty Edwin 😉
Snir @67 – Great stuff 🙂 the role of HT clairvoyant looks made for you , subject to Board approval of course . I’ll get Wolfie to put in a word .
Clairvoyant would be excellent Tabs.
My first prediction would be the EPL crown coming back to North London ;).
Joe – Why do you think moving AA to the Cesc role would require a change in formation?
Far too late in again – this work stuff really has to go.
Good post ‘Holic – your usual perspicacious old self. Some mouth watering propects indeed.
Amazing how the mood of the whole bar – yes, I just back-read 35,789 drinks from yesterday and today – has been lifted by the signing of one child, and securing of a work permit for another.
That’s not meant as a ‘downer’ either – I really think all this speed is going to give the place a real buzz.
We’ll finish up with more wings than a box of ‘Body Form’.
Lonestar – glad your gang are all ok. 🙂
TS – some good work through yesterdays drinks. 😉
All this high-spirited chitter-chatter in here begs only one question.
‘Where is Stingy ?’ 😉
” more wings than a box of Body Form ” heh 🙂
Heh Trev @ #73 😆
Please have a drink of your choice and a freshly filled pipe on us.
The Emirates Embryos will rule the roost in 11/12 – Snir has advised ‘it is written’ so it must be true.
… or more wings than a bucket of KFC?
No, Trev’s is better 😉
TS, when we win the EPL I could say that I merely shared my opinion with you and not “told you so” 😉
I actually wanted the job of HT clairvoyant, but it has gone to Snir.
Well I never saw that coming! 😉
Tabs , TS have one yourselves.
🙂
Dear Dr Feelgood and Prof T E Storey ,
In my role as HT fashion guru and style icon , I have received an interesting application by one Snir Geuli , who wishes to be considered for the role of HT clairvoyant . I immediately asked him to produce his crystal balls and after careful examination found them to be in working order .
Trusting you will look upon his application kindly ,
Wolfgang Speedballs .
Trev @79 heh:) and thanks for the drink .
Just a brief word about standards around our club if you don’t mind gentlemen.
I overheard a conversation in this very bar earlier this evening, where someone was suggesting playing arse shaving in the hole.
There are some things that really are best left alone.
Trev, are you implying that my Crystal Ball isn’t as clear as others ;)?
I got my mojo back (even Clive said so!) so everything’s back to normal now, the crystal ball is clear again 😀
Dear Doctor & Wolfgang
This is all fine by me.
Wolfgang can you kindly ask Mr. Geuli to now replace his balls from whence they came. They require no further handling at this stage.
I also note an earlier request from Wolfgang regarding his status within DL Ltd at this critical phase in the company’s development.
Personally, I am more than comfortable keeping Wolfgang as part of the team. I am equally comfortable working alongsdie him and he has always been considerate to my requests regarding his rather unusual dress code. Basically, if I ask him to keep his trousers on he does. What he chooses as footwear is no concern of mine.
I have checked with the rest of the R&D team and they all hold similar views with the exception of one cantakerous old git going by the name of PHW who seems to drift in and out from time to time (not sure what he actually does and he doesn’t have an employee number). He refers to Wolfgang as a deviant and regularly chases him with the sharp end of his brolly but let’s just say that he is the exception that proves the rule.
Yours,
Edwin
Trev – No need for me to contribute and lower everyone’s spirits now. Especially when you said it so well for me in the third paragraph in #73 😉
Sorry Mr Hill Wood Sir , but there’s been some heavy drinking in the Bar today .
Poor old Wolfie doesn’t even know his own name 😳
Trev
Thank you both for the drink. We enjoyed it 😉
Glad to hear the LG clan is safe. That’s really the only good news this curmudgeon has read through all the drinks above. Bah hum bug.
Thanks, all, for the kind thoughts.
I do like meself some speed…er, I mean, pacey players.
I also like the new positive vibes in the bar. In honor of the mood, the maiden voyage of the HT mk II, and pending victory in Tyneside, may I suggest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBN_NCBhghI
Drink/smoke up fellas…
Prof TES , Good to hear 🙂 , will let Wolfie know later , as he has just passed out , having had 3 halves of Cider and a Cinzano .
Snir – someone told me you have over a hundred Crystal Balls. Personally, I think that is a lot of balls . . .
Staying in London tonight at Lady Nina’s. Just heard an awful kerfuffle outside.
On investigation, I found three rioters at the side of the house, so I shot them all up the back passage.
Am I going to be in trouble ?
Dear Edwin,
To show my crystal balls’ reliability I can say that AOC has been given the number 26.
Trev , on form today I must say 🙂 but are you opening all your xmas crackers early for all these bon mots ?
Trev – That is pure speculation, I have one crystal ball which I build my beliefs around, it is a young belief based on mental strength.
Wolfgang definitely attested to 2 Snir
Well done PHW. In trouble? You should be f*cking well knighted!
Cheers Lonestar. Plenty of speed in the CMC if required.
Tabs, I hear Edwin has rather a soft spot for Wolfgang. If he fancies something harder he may want to talk to Mr./Ms. Nutcrackerjee.
Tabs, wolfgang see too many balls as it is, it was just wishful thinking on his part 🙂
Scores!!!
*sees
Night all, a century of drinks is enough for any man 😉
Too many hehs round here at the moment 🙂 – I’m off for a little light rioting .
*raises his bat and retires to bed*
damn not even close to the 100 . Troops off into the pavilion .
Well in Stingy .
Night all .
Tabs – no crackers I’m afraid. All my own twisted mind 😉
G’night.
Good night TS & tabs. Be sure to lock the doors before turning in.
Good night to you too Trev. Don’t forget to lock your doors too.
Good stuff ‘holic I can almost hear the HT whistle. Anyone missing the HT can always jump on one of the new lad’s backs, they’ll be fast enough to catch it.
Right, a round for the lads, I’ve gotta 100+ drinks to digest.
Re: Snir, Congratulations on your appointment as HT clairvoyant, and even bigger kudos for your first prediction, assuming North London means Arsenal, of course. 😉
Here’s an interesting exercise ‘holics. There are some folks on this side of the pond that have been trying to relate EPL teams to the most suitable celebrities. Here’s a sampling:
Chelsea – George Clooney
Norwich City – Mickey Rourke
Liverpool – Brittany Spears
Arsenal – Megan Fox
QPR – Donald Trump
Feel free to add your own contributions. Cheers.
8ball – “One team in London, There’s only one team in London”, did I make the prediction any clearer ;)?
SV – Arsenal – Thierry Henry. Now that’s a celebrity!
I stand by Arsene!
Every year, doom and gloom predictions about how Arsenal will not qualify for Champions league is paraded.
Every year, Arsenal qualifies! Fact is, it is the exact opposite that frustrates fans, faulting at the last hurdle. Therefore, to start crying foul before the season has even started, as every other season, that Arsenal will not qualify for the Champs league is getting old.
When the club finally pays the stadium off in full, and starts to profit from the sales of its shirts, there will be more money available! If not, then questions need asking.
In the last few years, clubs like Man City have been buying big and buying now. Tottenham/Liverpool always splash large sums of money, have they won their worth in spending, I do not think so! Have they guaranteed themselves Champions league football, no! Spending like a child in a candy store for these clubs has not guaranteed success.
Arsenal is run in an ethical way, a streamlined model of a football club and business that is the envy of many clubs around the world. A person would be a fool to want to change this. Arsene will not break his wage structure for anyone player or member of his coaching staff. The man has his house in order. What he has done and doing is immense! And I do not just say this in pure admiration. Let’s look at fact!(sounds of benitez)
By sticking to his wage structure and tight budget, he faces enormous pressures. Yet he stays committed to the cause! He has the pressures of having to contend with big spending clubs who are buying top rated to world-class players every year like they are cheap as chips.
Every year, he knows that Arsenal financially need champions league football, and every year they qualify and do better than expected. Every year, he sticks to his philosophy of playing beautiful football to entertain the fans. And every year he constantly delivers this and he still achieves the fundamental objectives to keep the club on course to be hugely successful in the future and Financially Powerful.
When moving to the new stadium, Arsene clearly pointed out the objectives, stadium aside, and the other project was the young squad, tied into the debt of the move, and he had no choice but to rely on them!
Last year, was a spectacular fail for trophies, considering they were in the hunt for all four trophies. But tell me, with everything Arsene has had to contend with, Arsenal still achieve above and beyond what everyone expected. Arsene was offered to take over at Real Madrid, yet he stayed to see the project through! Just think about it. Compare his loyalty to the fickle loyalties of the overpaid brats.
Carlos Tevez is earning how much but cries about going home like a Schoolgirl only because now he can afford early retirement, and Ad-Ebay-Yoh(yoh…yoh) has been reduced to a gypsy! So when fans and pundits shout buy him buy him.. what’s to say we not gona have these problems all over again.
Arsene Wenger is leading the way like a father, with morals and loyalty and tries to instil this in his young generation of players. This will hopefully foster a love and affection between them and the very club that gave them their success. This is something special.
The signing of Alex Chamberlain is fantastic! It was only a few months ago, many fans thought we lost his signature to Man United, which left fans fuming. Things that were said “how come we are so bad at singing players” and “our rivals are always beating us to sign quality players”, I also heard that “we do all the scouting for great talent and then notify our rivals and let them sign our targets”.
Now that Arsene has signed this player, beaten our rivals, these same fans are now saying, “well we did not need him”.
Bah… humbug, temperamental like a woman on her periods! You are haemorrhaging nonsense!
Ok fans want trophies. I know I do! But if you take a step back and look at the whole picture, would a man who does not care about the club, put himself under so much pressure.
Yes the Chavs have spent loads of money and won trophies, “SINCE ROMAN STARTED HIS EMPIRE”. BUT what happens when that empire comes crashing down or decides to walk out? Fact is Arsenal cannot spend like Chelsea. If fans still do not understand why Arsenal cannot spend like Chelsea or Man City/Utd, I must assume they have the IQ of a cabbage!!
Arsene Wenger has his heart rooted to the core of the club and people who criticise him for not spending big money, to put it simply, do not care about the club or its ethos. How can a person who has never had to pay for something, understand its true value, kinda like a friend who says he cannot afford an mp3 player so borrows your brand new expensive iPod and returns it broken and then asks so which one you buying next? These are the type of people, who want Arsenal to spend big and now! (I hope that made sense)
To play beautiful football, to put so much faith and trust in this group of players, to play with so much financial constraint, to move to a new stadium, all of which would put massive amounts of pressure on any manager, have left him seemingly in a position of appearing to have failed due to the lack of trophies. Yet he has achieved more for this club, which many other managers wouldn’t even dream to attempt with more money at their disposal. He puts himself into the spotlight so that other do not have to. His job appears to be on the line as fans grow disgruntled, and still he will not break budget or wage structure even to save his job. This is a man who cares about the club. – Or he’s just nuts.
@62 TS: I stopped smoking last year but some cheap red wine could be consumed in a mug as is my style.
@111 SV: I’ll be your Huckleberry!
Arsenal-Brad Pitt
Blackburn-Colonel Sanders
Chelsea-Stallone
Liverpool-Madonna
Man U-Schwarzenegger
Man C-Tom Cruise
Newcastle-Mr. Bean
Sp*rs-Seth Rogan
Not sure if you wanted reasons but Arnold and Stallone are heavy rolling superstars but one is too old and the other while sometimes makes good movies is really disgusting in real life, drunk on power and low-class. Brad Pitt is superior to those two in public and private. Madonna’s best stuff was in the 80s and has produced shit every since. Tom Cruise was tolerable for most of his existence but after hitting the big time, he just went crazy. Mr. Bean just always makes me laugh and will continue to amuse me. Seth Rogan thinks he’s hot shit and the best comedian in the world but in reality, he’s just a fat cunt.
Snir
there is no chance of arshavin filling the cesc role. he has no discipline and is effective only in very short bursts, if at all. for most of last season he simply disappeared.
there continues to be a weird sense of detachment on this and other gooner sites. just a week ago we were – rightly – depressed about the lack of activity to address our obvious deficencies. we have signed a full back no one has ever heard of at least so we are told, and we now sign a raw kid who we clearly don’t need, at least right now. we are short at least two centre back s – jh , kos and ss just not up to it and those that think they are have spend too long in sun for past 2 months – and some midfielders who can tackle.. yet everyone now thinks we are set to beat united and chelsea ? it is interesting that around 50% of the pundits/bookies that i read think we won’t finish top 4 and i fear they are right
Mr. G – Not a footy celebrity you numpty. I mean a Hollywood type of celebrity. Or even well known famous people in politics, on television (except footy), musicians, etc. Take a look at CoR’s contribution. Well done CoR! Very good work there.
Chris @114 – You’ll find that your well written and passionate tribute to Le Boss will be well received in this bar. You’re preaching to the choir … even if some of the flock are currently feeling a bit on the pessimistic side.
CoR @115 – Very fine contributions there. Reasons are even better. I particularly like your Liverpool and Blackburn submissions 😆 Brilliant stuff.
idka has a point. SSFM please ❗
And not on babies. We’ve got plenty of those.
Spuds – Charlie Sheen (was always kind of an oddball but ever since he thought he hit the big time he’s been absolutely bonkers) 😆
Edwin et al
Think there could be a bit of an issue employing a clairvoyant chaps – have you all forgotten the famous BtM crystal ball (known occasionally to provide the bummest of steers but top of the range in entertainment just the same)?
Maybe we can have a seer in the rear?
@122- Spot on with the Charlie Sheen reference! I was going to use him for Man City though but then got distracted and forgot what I was thinking about….is this what old age is like? I gotta stop drinking so much coffee but this dayjob is quite soporific so I can’t…
[b]Fulham[/b]—William Shatner, a generally lovable character who is happy to be adored as a caricature of an actor these days. Bit snarky too.
[b]Sunderland[/b]— Mary-Kate Olsen
[b]Stoke¬[/b]—Ashley Olsen (PCP)
[b]Bolton[/b]— Jason Statham, tough and working class with a touch of style. He likes a good elbow now and then too.
[b]Aston Villa[/b]— Dane Cook, he’s neither here nor there with me, is sometimes annoying but generally okay.
[b]Wolves[/b]—John Malkovich/Robert DeNiro, an old soldier with a barely contained sense of violence around him.
I figured I would have Stoke and Sunderland as twins because of their matching strips, shouldn’t be allowed if you ask me!
Good stuff holic ,as always.
Some nostalgia next please kind sir, about your memorable first games of the season when we played away?
Chris @114 – I stand by you Sir ! Excellent post . Have a drink on me .
Cannons @115 – Great stuff 🙂
Dr Feelgood@123 🙂
sorry gents but i are not as elated as you seem,we now have two very young untried wingers (sound familiar) as well as the depleted back line befor season starts even with a new CB sign i do not see this as enough,Cesc and Nasri will go i am sure of that,who we bring in is key for me if AW brings in another player to run the Cesc ship we are sunk,for me the tactics as holic pointed to with formations will have to change (for the good)and i hope the player is a little more defensive minded than Cesc,on wards and up wards welcome to the new players and hopeing they become Arsenal Legends in time.
Chris @114 dissagree that every year we excede expectation last season we had the best squad by far and less injuries than manure,if sir Red nose had had Arsenal we would have won something if not two titles league and CC IMO
Stoke – Keith Richards (very hard on the eyes and along with cockroaches the only thing to survive a nuclear assault)
Yeah Stingy, you right. Stoke ought to make Keith Richards their official club mascot. 🙂
CoR @124, Wolves would be doing very well to get John Malkovich and/or Robert Deniro on their side but the barely contained sense of violence is appropriate indeed. In that vein, maybe another candidate for Wolves would be Samuel L. Jackson reprising his role in Pulp Fiction?
Dr. Feelgood @123, BtM’s crystal ball is just one element of Snir’s competition in the clairvoyance stakes. We also have the ‘holic pound and the unforgotten TS tenner to think about. Tough competition indeed, but may the best clairvoyant win. 😉
Chris @ #114 – Welcome, you’ll fit in well here provided you don’t hail from Greece (long story)! Pull up a chair and have a drink on me. The CMC (Cabinet for Meds) is open if you’re so inclined. The grumpy one in the corner is Stingy. The one with Speedos and Jimmy Choos is Wolfgang. The rest of us are completely sane and serious. I predict O2TC, Campbell and Myachi will all prove to be wonderful signings. You may want to consult with our resident ‘futurologists’ on that point: BtM & Snir.
Dr.F @ #123 – Good point! Yes ‘a seer in the rear’ could well be the compromise that we are seeking. FYI, Edwin is now working on a direct comms link form the locomotive to BtM’s Xtal Ball.
Snir, you may have to keep your balls in your pockets (esp. when BtM is around) but you can practice your sooth saying in the rear of the train. Could prove to be very useful! 😉
8 ball (going to need to get used to your new name)
Thanks for reminding me of my TS Tenner, I had forgotten! 😳
3-2 to the Arsenal vs The Toon
4-1 to the Arsenal vs Hands-Knees-&-Udinese.
2-0 to the Arsenal vs The Mickeys
As zico would say, how d’ya like them apples? 😀
Repeat from last set of drinks:
I have been offered a spare for our CL Qualifer vs HK&Udinese. Any takers, Holics @ face value?
[…] Goonerholic has pointed out, the arrival of Gervinho, Chamberlain and Miyaichi this summer means we have some […]
nz gooner – i think you are right. if ferguson was in charge of arsenal we would have won more but not with this team – he would have stripped out all the wannabes and pretenders and built a team arounds jack and a few others. the fact is that there is almost no–one in this squad that he would want jack cesc and samir excepted
idka
“…. the fact is that there is almost no–one in this squad that he would want jack cesc and samir excepted….”
SAF was vying for the signing of O2TC (Chamberlain). O2TC made the right choice.
Do you also think SAF would ignore a legit chance to sign Ramsey, Sagna, Szcz, TV, RVP or Gervinho if they became available?
I’m being harsh because you talk about ‘the fact’ but the reality is you’re giving your opinion (no matter how well informed) on a situation that can only be guessed at unless you are in some way closely connected to SAF and/or his club.
Idka – True, Arshavin has no discipline and is lazy but that was last season. The Cesc role requires less tracking back than on the wings so he’ll have an easier time.
As far as his offensive abilities go, I’m sure he can do the job. His vision is better than that of Rosicky and Aaron, same goes fir his technique and shot.
Edwin – Let me get this straight. I’m getting laid off after a day or did I misinterpret what you wrote?! Can’t say I ain’t disappointed in y’all, I was like a new signing!
In the case that I am laid off, I’m sure I’ll prove my worth in the back of the train, you’ll see…!
Ferguson tried to derail our deal with Ramsey as well as more recently 02TC – and I bet he would quite fancy our new kid who “likes cones” 😉
Also, SAF tried to sign Ramsey when we got him, and Walcott too if I remember correctly. TS, 3-2 will be a defensive improvement and a most welcome outcome. Now can you offer any clairvoyance as to whether the game will be played. No word of rioting in Newcastle over here, but just wondering. Morning coffee please, barman.
Snir, Did you get any predictions right yet??
Snir @ #136
Not laid off at all. I didn’t realise that you had even started yet 😉
We’re considering an adjusted role to accommodate BtM and yourself subject to approval at the next DLL management meeting.
So, no sulking in the corner please 😀
Hope that’s clear.
Edwin
TS and idka: Ferguson also tried to sign Ramsey. ManU were actually so confident they were going to sign him that they even announced on their website that they had agreed a fee with Cardiff and that it was just a matter of personal terms.
Snir, far be it for me to speak on behalf of the DL Ltd Executive, but I’m led to believe that it takes more than shameless self promotion to get to the top in that organisation.
If your skills are evidenced by supplementing the profitability of the HT on a more regular basis than that demonstrated by both the Holic pound and the Storey Tenner (flash git), then I expect that Dr Feelgood and his cohorts will look on your job application much more favourably.
Consider your role as Seer in the Rear as a bit like being sent out on loan, say, to Barnsley.
True Storey, only joking 😉
Heh zico & 8 ball
That cones thing is gonna stick like sh*te to WHL. Wasn’t there a film called “Attack of the Coneheads”?
Well we’ve got a conehead (Ryo), a fish head (Gervinho), an air head (Eboue), a big head (Bendy) and a pill head (Arshavin – have you read his blog?).
Does that make our MerceNasri a butthead (shouldn’t talk ill of him, I know, esp. if he stays another season)?
There’ll be no riots on Tyneside on Saturday until after the game 😉
Assuming they don’t run out of Newcastle Brown, that is 🙂
Good points zico, we can adjust the Storey Tenner to the Storey Quid or Sov. That’s at least parity with the far more reliable ‘Holic Pound.
Snir, being loaned to Barnsley has its merits and is far more preferable than being sent to Coventry 😉
8ball, aside from all the matches I predicted correctly last season, I predicted that Ryo will indeed be granted a WP despite being looked as naive! I’ll also predict AOC’s number will be 26! 😉
Zico – no self promotion whatsoever!! I was asked to submit my CV and after releasing bits of it to Edwin and Wolfgang, I got informed of my role. I guess they liked what they heard!! 😀
SV – I know that you didn’t mean football celebrities! Next time I’ll write (sarcasm font)!
In addition if I could be sent out on loan to an EPL club that’d be much better…! I think I need to gain the experience so I can challenge for a first team spot in January or next season!
*looked at as naive
So Ot2C, Myaichi and the Gerv on board, strong smell of defenders in the air…what a difference a couple of days can make eh Holics all?
Tell you one thing, the Doom Bus’s wheels have well and truly come off and rolled down the road, never to be seen again!
…and it sits vulnerable in the middle of the level crossing, as the HT Mk II bears down on it, billowing smoke and piping vigorously on its horn…
Actually I never did check: is the HT Mk II a steam train?
Camberwell
Unfortunately the D+G Bus is very much alive and ticking over. Even if we signed Xavi & Iniesta to replace Nasregas, and brought in Vidic and Puyol to strengthen our defence, there will be howls of derision if we don’t beat The Toon convincingly on Saturday.
Having said that, who want’s to travel on a bus with dodgy wheels when you can ride in resplendent style with all the creature comforts on an HT Mk II? 😀
Camberwell
The source of the HT’s propulsion system is the subject of a complex IP and patent application. I am bound by DL Ltd to not go into further detail.
Yours, Edwin.
zico/behind the 8 ball
yes he tried to sign ramsey and by all accounts had a look at chamberlain. he looks at lots like this all the time and wins his fair share. some work some don’t if he doesnt get them he rarely goes back again. the players make their choice and live with it.
. whether he would have paid 12m for chamberlain when he was v unimpressive when utd played southampton in facup last year (when ferguson’s interest reportedy cooled), who knows. he would imo (agree its not a fact) have no interest in sagna. or szcz or tv – why would he want them when he has two international keepers and five international centre halves ? rvp possibly if he wasn’t injured so often
gervinho ? what is doing on this list. even we don’t have any idea if we want him !
CG – HT propulsion system is a matter of much debate and talk but due to secret patents and intellectual property considerations, cannot be divulged on an internet forum.
If you ply that Professor Edwin chap with copious amounts of drink though, you’d be surprised what you can learn 😉
Dear Mr Snir Geuli ,
A seer in the rear or a shameless charlatan ?
Passing off AOC’s number as clairvoyance when in fact this info is freely available strikes me as the worst kind of shameless climbing up the greasy pole . I am considering withdrawing my support , especially as you have since denied that I handled your balls . I take my corporate responsibilities extremely seriously , and would not wish to give management the impression that I endorsed your application without a detailed handling of the goods .
A demotion to the rear ? To quote Trev , I’m very surprised you didn’t see it coming . In which case I think we must have an even more detailed examination of your balls .
I am a generous soul however and when all’s said and done , I like anything , seer or otherwise , in the rear .
I will be watching you carefully .
Yours Dissappointedly
Wolfgang Smallballs ( Queer in the rear )
PS not really , I like Russian tennis goddesses . 🙂
Afternoon all.
Now I don’t want Cesc to go, but it looks like he will and so will Nasri. So why not bank the £62M or whatever we get and the use £30M for Sneider. I know it’s not going to happen, but it would be a bloody good move.
Add a strong central defender, left back and a hypnotist to teach the players to maintain concentration for 95+ mins and we’d be good to go.
If only!
My, this is all getting a bit complicated isn’t it 😆
Snir, suggest you turn up at platform 49 as planned and we’ll take it from there.
The executive team can be quite fickle so it’ll all be a good test of your mental strength and then we’ll see if you can be just like a new signing, almost like a new signing or an actual new signing 🙂
Edwin
It wasn’t me who compiled the list idka – I was merely pointing out that based on previous Ferguson was in fact more interested in some of our team despite your claim to the contrary.
He’s a great manager with a great track record. But in case it had escaped you, he’s also a cunt.
Feel free to have a swig from my big Positive cup. 3 more sleeps.
Up the Arse.
Wolfgang, you DO make me laugh, tortured soul that you are 😉
Heh Wolfgang @ #156 🙂
As capricious as ever I see.
We believe you about Russian tennis players, honest!
Keep ’em peeled as Shawn used to say on Police 5 (a school chum of the Storey Dad allegedly)
Zico at 159 – 3 more sleeps indeed! And the small matter of a theatre performance in the west end…then the Barcodes.
Touching distance!
157Jersey, while agreeing with bits of what you say, one reason we can’t just bank £62M has a lot to do with Barca wanting to pay 10 pence up front and 10 pence a year til full price paid, or Cesc retires, whichever comes first. Your hypnotist idea has some mileage though, how about the Mentalist? That could work!
‘Shaw’ 😳
Jersey,
I could never see Wenger going for Sneijder. At 27 he’s at his peak and will only deteriorate along with the 30m investment. If you buy a younger player ala Mata who is 23 there’s a far better chance of getting your money back if he leaves / progresses. I also think Sneijder is completely overrated and overpriced – but thats just a matter of opinion.
Zico,
“He’s a great manager with a great track record. But in case it had escaped you, he’s also a cunt”
Absolutely true..!
Wolfgang – The info is freely available but wasn’t known to the HT members so I took advantage of the situation :).
Prof TES – I feel like this could be my season, I want to emulate my predecessors’ success and establish a first team spot on the HT staff.
Joe – While you’re here, you didn’t answer my question last night! Why do you think putting AA in the Cesc role would require a change in formation?
IMO he could just slot right in, it’d do him a world of good to track back less ;).
Good stuff Joe @ #165.
Zico, are you going all soft on SAF in your old age? 😉
Snir, Edwin says work hard, keep your head down, accept no wages, do what Wolfgang asks (no matter how bizarre) and a first team spot could be up for grabs!
PS from TS: The rumours on Dann are persisting. He’s not my choice, esp. considering his background, but I’m not Arsene and at least he had nothing to do with ‘that match’ in Feb. I suppose he has to be a step-up from Squilly.
TS – Someone wrote something I totally agree with on twitter – ‘I’m all for the Dann acquisition, not because he is great, but because he will bust his arse for us & relish the opportunity’
As a 4th choice CB, busting his ass will be all I’ll be asking from him.
The rumors are actually quite persistent on Dann this week AND Cahill at the end of August.
Good point Snir, like it. Thanks!
If AW does sign 2 CB’s, It’d be quite interesting to see how the AFC blogosphere will rate our summer.
Right got rid of Wolfgang for the afternoon , he’s gone swimming , but he did ask me to pass on his thanks to TS and Dr Z for your kind words . Snir , he just shook his head and kept on muttering something about climbing onto his pole . Methinks you’re gonna have to do more to convince him of your ” powers ” .
What’s new on the football front ? Got our centre half yet ? No … oh well , he’ll be arriving soon .
Camberwell@ 150 and 151 – 🙂
idka @154 – We saw 2 completely different games . I thought AOC had a more than promising game against the Mancs in the Cup last year .
Dr Z @159 – 2nd para spot on . I would merely add the word ” huge ” .
Snir – I don’t think AA would work in the Cesc role . He doesn’t have the energy or the range of passing . He might not have to track back so much ( which he didn’t do anyway ) , but he would have to cover far more of the field . Even at his best , he gives the ball away cheaply . The only way he could play more centrally is to push him up just off VP in the old Bergkamp role , and go 4-4-2 . Arsene has given no indication in pre-season that he is contemplating such a change to the formation . Just my opinion of course .
Tabs – AA does give the ball away but that’s when he tries to do too much, when he keeps it simple his technique is good enough to retain possession and take people on.
He would have to cover more of the pitch but it’d be from a bit after our box to their box, which wouldn’t tire him too much.
About his passing, I actually think his passing abilities are the best in the club aside from Cesc of course and he can actually make that defence splitting pass that we lack with Cesc on the sideline (you know, that feeling we have that we’re just standing around with the ball, passing the ball from east to west).
His shot will also lure the defenders out to block the shot, that’d open lots of space for our speedy wingers and RvP.
Just my opinion of course 😀
tabs @ #172 / Dr.z @ #159
Hmm…”enormous f*cking”, not “huge” does it for me 😉
Bring on Saturday!
xx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hDBLSUKJiDY#at=112
Enjoy!!
Dear Holics
Am a fugitive from ACLF but really love your musings, if not always getting your “in” jokes.
Thank goodness AW has gone back to pace which served us so well in the past. Still don’t think either Gibbs/Traore will do at LB, they were and still are WLM and have a lot to learn about defending. We don’t have that time, we need an experienced ,quality LB who can hit the ground running from day one.
I fully expect replacement/s at CB to announced shortly but have no idea who we may eventually sign. As for the Cesc/Nasri saga , I don’t think either will be with us by 1/9 , a great pity but an inevitable outcome of a badly handled situation. I fear the will they/ won’t they stay, has been unsettling for everyone connected with the Club and can’t have helped with our preparation for the crucial August fixtures.
However, I am gearing up for the off. Shirt and scarfes in the wash and looking forward to my first drink of the Season in the Duchess of Kent.
As always COYRs
Snir,
Sorry – didn’t see that last night as I hit the bed by that stage.
Simple really – I think the two players are so different. Cesc covers an amazing amount of ground in every match he plays and the existing Push – Pull formation requires such coverage. Arshavin can barely cover the wing..! Some say this is down to laziness at times – but I honestly don’t think he wants to play there. Arshavin has been most effective for both Russia and Petersburg playing as second striker. I honestly believe he’s one of the most talented players in the world. He has an X factor, an ability to change games at the very highest level, something that very few players have. I see him in the very same role as Bergkamp – that 3/4 forward role operating between the halfway line and opponents box. I’d think that would make the most of his talents. I think the speed of thought in which he can thread passes, with players like RVP, Theo, Gervinho playing off him like fireflies would suit us. But don’t expect him to cover midfield – its just not his game.
Camberwell @151 – There are some who would say that the HT is powered by a bunch of hot air. On the glass half full side at least the power source is green, reusable, and is in limitless supply 😉
Sorry fellas. Couldn’t resist.
Can any of you fine gents apply your creative talents to this EPL team is like this celebrity bit? How about for Everton, WBA, and Wigan? Coming up with some of these will be tough …
Drink for the lady please Barkeeps , Delia that is , not Cusop !
Cusop , finger on the pulse old son , you’re about the 9th person to have posted that link , which i would suggest is a good omen for where the Spuds can expect to finish come May .
Everton – Robert Redford – Good , back in the day , but looking a bit frayed around the edges these days , and is increasingly irrelevant .
Wigan – Any C-list actor – Basically , who cares ?
West Brom – Jordan . Up and down , but no-one takes a blind bit of notice .
Welcome Delia, another drink on the bar from me. ACLF is another good read. This bar, however, is somewhat unique. Mes que un blog.
Cousin Op, did you buy that clip at a knock price down the T*ttenh*m riot boot sale? It was vaguely funny first time but not the umpteenth. Get a grip, there’s a good pet. PS: How’s the new signings coming along? What? No money? What? No decent player in his right mind would want to play in a war zone? Shame, it must be tough being an LWC. There’s a pint of water in a bowl on the floor. Do pop by again soon 😉
Welcome Delia,
Yogi’s posts are pretty cool.
very civil TS 🙂 looks like you’re living up to your team billing 🙂
Was going to include Cusop in the last BTA ,and have him unveiled as the new Gunnersaurus , but figured that even that would be such a huge step up , the poor chap wouldn’t be able to cope .
Doube heh tabs! 😆 😆
At this stage of pre-season, I need all the practice I can get.
BTW, found this photo of Cousin Op, thought it might be of passing interest…
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=cousin+itt&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1T4SNYK_en-GBGB319GB319&tbm=isch&prmd=ivns&tbnid=tbD97BFTo4f7iM:&imgrefurl=http://groups.ultimate-guitar.com/thatdamnhaircut/pictures/personal/627195/&docid=mfLxjB2FlvviAM&w=222&h=349&ei=aZRCToLoE8Gr8APxraGPDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=701&vpy=85&dur=132&hovh=279&hovw=177&tx=89&ty=146&page=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=88&start=0&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0&biw=1264&bih=803
It certainly confirms his pet status!
Proper laugh out loud link TS 🙂 🙂 still laughing as I type . Brilliant .
TS @ 182 – hope that wasn’t any of the “special” water?
The RSPCA will take a dim view if they see a mongrel zonked out in and around our bar 😉
*sip*
Cusop is a member of ZZ Top?
Joe – I do agree Arshavin would have problems covering up lots of space, but with the introduction of Jack to the first team, Cesc doesn’t drop deep anymore to receive the ball.
He waits to get the ball from Jack who drives the ball forward, making up from about our box to just about across the halfway line.
I truly think that we can count on our back 4, Song and Jack to deal with our opponent’s attacks even with AA slowly tracking back.
I am with AW when he says we have a good defense in open play cause we really do. The back 4 along with Jack, Song and the two wingers should deal with any threats and AA could start any counter attack.
Once again, with the emergence of Jack in the side, the Cesc role isn’t as needed in deeper space as before, thus making it a lot easier on AA 😀
I agree he’s one of the most creative players in the EPL, and to be honest, when we’re in possession Cesc is pretty much in the Bergkamp role, it’s what he does when we’re not in possession that makes it the “Cesc role” and like I said, Jack’s abilities are kind of a discount to the Cesc role 😉
Actually tabs, I believe it would be his dream to high five Le Boss before every home match. Definitely a wannabe Gooner 😉
tabs – That Everton one was top drawer. Good stuff.
Snir @173 – Fair enough , we’ll have to agree to disagree . I agree with Joe @178 . Completely different players in my book . AA is primarily an impact player , who plays in short bursts , sometimes to devastating effect . Fab is a conductor , involved in everything , as he shapes and dominates the game .
Sunderland, Aston Villa, Wolves any one? Or your own original contributions for other teams already mentioned? Hell, the likes of the HT Mgmt could rifle off the entire league in less than half an hour, I reckon.
zico,
No worries, it was re-cycled water with a hint of lemon. It saves him hitting his head on the seat each time he fancies a sip. Well in line with the self sustainability model. At least he can now tell his LWC chums that he takes the p*ss from Gooners. I think he even likes it 😉
Tabs, true that. He is a conductor, but have a look at my 189 comment.
Jack makes it a lot easier to find a replacement for Cesc even if Jack isn’t in the Cesc role, he compensates by doing so much of Cesc’s responsibilities.
[…] read Goonerholic‘s post where he posits the addition of Miyaichi and Chamberlain to Theo and Gervinho will […]
TS @194 heh 🙂
Snir – so you’re basically saying AA can play the Fab role without worrying about the defensive side , which is basically 4-4-2 , no ?
See me @172 and Joe @178 🙂
To an extent that would be 4-4-2, but like Holic said, this team as the ability to change formation from 4-2-4 to 4-3-3 to 4-5-1.
*has
Get in!
Bugger !
Well in TS 🙂
Snir,
While I totally agree that Jacks emergence has made life easier for Cesc – he still has to put in some shift with the existing formation. Playing second striker is an entirely different role to the role Cesc fills for us at the moment.
Have to say Im with Tabs on this one. But I find it somewhat encouraging Snir that at least the options are there should we be without Cesc / Nasri. And judging from the pace players we have bought to date – it looks as though we’re going to employ a more direct style of play which could very well result in a change to the existing formation or indeed, the use of more than one formation to make us less predictable against teams who park the bus.
I sneaked in there tabs whilst you and Snir were debating the finer points of our formation 😉
Joe – Let’s agree to disagree :D.
You’re right, Cesc does not play a second striker in his role but his role while we are in possession is somewhat a second striker role.
Like I said before it’s his defensive duties that make it impossible for him to be regarded as a second striker, and like said before, Jack would make it a lot easier for Arshavin with his defensive duties.
True, we do have options, buying fast wingers is actually not just a replacement in personnel but a change to the formation as well.
I can’t wait for our first 8 second, 3 pass counter attack 😀
Usually nonsense from Holic. Mad as a hatter. Wenger can buy who he likes up front but Arsenal won’t win a dime unless the defence is sorted out – any fool can see that.
Ben is back. Welcome back Ben. Been out long?
Thanks Ben,
Without your help I wouldn’t have a clue what any fool could see.
Ben! Welcome back old bean!
Were all mad as hatters in here.
What’s it like being Wonko the Sane? Still not living in the asylum?
Just for you Ben…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VZ5DfCY6kY
Still think you can out-mad us?
There was a young boy called Ben ,
who everyone knew was just 10 ,
He’s mentally ill ,
And did away with Bill ,
Now he’s the last of the flowerpot men .
😆 Excellent tabs 😆
I guess he picked a bad day to not give up trolling 😉
Cheers TS ,
He really is a very naughty little boy . I blame his parents .
Ah, the return of the one they call Ben. I was worried there’d be noone around to finish that keg of Doom Bar.
A stein of the aforementioned for the dribbler please barman!
Btw Ben, you need to remove your tongue from the window before you can drink this…
Ben, You didn’t hear about our boffo new signings in defence? Reports from TS @152 say we signed Vidic and Puyol, so not too bad. 😉
Maybe it was a tantrum caused by cessation of pocket money rights. Or maybe he’s just bored in the school holidays? Actually, who gives a sh*t?
That’s very generous of you Camberwell.
I was going to offer him a drink from Cusop’s bowl 😀
Not me TS .
He’s probably just trying out his looted laptop for the first time .
Twitter alive with stories about cescs imminent departure. It really is true that its the conduit of choice for those who cant shut the fuck up even when they are alone. Am now in full season mode and cannot wait for weekend and fully expect us to give Newcs a right thrashing with or without want aways and new signings. Compared to that lot my friends we are the picture of stability. Now anyone started debating on line ups yet or are we still in the shelter waiting for the bombs to drop 🙂
Hi Noel , think we have to wait for injury news before line up speculation .
Did you find out if anything happened to your Dad’s juicer ?
And like his namesake, he disappeared fast down a drain.
See you at Meds Time, Ben.
Are we desperate yet, Dann?
I really need a personality filter on this apple thingy…..
Not a drop tabs, he moved off the high steet only last week so was very lucky. Yeah injuries are making my fantasy league team a frikken hospital at the mo. Pity they wont let you design emblems, I can only imagine what would come from the regs in here 🙂
Noel heh 🙂
Yep injuries playing havoc with my team . On the bright side , The Speedo Massive are now clad in something far more in keeping with their managers outlook 🙂
Don’t want to stymie the optimism around here but what happens when RVP’s inevitable injury issues crop up midway through the season? Chamakh is pretty inept and Vela/Joel Campell don’t really have the nous to play that role of lead striker. Doesn’t anyone think we need to buy cover for RVP?
I’m quite sure Gervinho can play down the middle and I wouldn’t mind if Chamakh would play to get back his form from the start of last season. He isn’t inept, he’s out of form.
Gervinho has already showed appetite and apptitude for that role even rendering Chamack surplus in his 2nd outing.
Re: Tabs @224, I wonder what Wolfgang has against pink shorts? I imagine that most of us are wondering, Why not go all the way???
I’m not so sure Gervinho can actually play that role effectively, cause it calls for a lot of understanding and discipline. Don’t get me wrong. I’m one of his biggest fans. But he seems like someone who’d flourish given space and he’d get that playing on the wings, running at people, putting in a dangerous cross or shooting from afar (outside th box). He doesn’t seem like someone who’d be a “tap-in specialist” or someone who can get at the end of crosses and be an in-box specialist. And if you actually rewind tapes of Lille’s games last season, he never played as the lead striker. Always as the supporting stiker or either on the left or right of the front 3. I like Chamakh’s unselfish nature, his heading ability and hold up play. Far from gungho about his finishing and shooting skills.
Whistler @ #225
I agree with Snir & Noel although I also agree that extra cover is always welcome.
One thought: Bendy’s deal is not yet done. Maybe he’ll be with us for another 6 mos? I’ll also guess that AW has designs on Benik Afobe for the odd game.
Whistler,
Forgot to say, The-o must now also be an option down the middle.
Could be a different attacking formation next year and if our wingers bed in and crossing improves from the flanks which no doubt it will from the new guys Chamack hopefully will do what he did best before we bought him..brave bullet headers. Would defo love another forward though as no matter what we say Arsenal are cursed when it comes to injuries.
I don’t really see Theo as a success down the middle, but it’s been talked about for so long now that it has to be tried at least once.
A’ight,
Interlull – Arshavin was brought off in the 30th minute in Russia’s match after a clash of heads.
I’m now watching Gervinho against Israel, Ben-Haim will have to be careful and not be too ‘Benfica’ like on our beloved fivehead ;).
Ta for the update Snir. The little Russian is tough even if he is currently seeing stars.
Gervinho has the same problem when he plays for his country like the one he has when he plays for AFC.
He’s in love with the ball. He has got to learn to pass faster.
8ball @228 – I think he felt the orange shorts were more in keeping with his roots , bearing in mind some ‘Holics associate him with Orange Speedoes , even though his Speedo collection is many and varied .
Tabs, The Orange Speedoes, I should have known, and rightly so. Good thing I didn’t say Peach as I was going to do. 😉
Snir @ 233 and TS at 234 – so that’s him clattered on the noggin both on Saturday and now again tonight – god knows what sort of chat he will come out with on his website now following some serial head battering!
Hope he’s ok – luxury player or not, I love that little guy.
@ tabs – it was so obvious whose shorts those belonged to but the lilac stripes in the top? Some more explaining to do 😉
Heh zico @ #238. I’m hoping Blogs will have Arshavin as a guest on this weeks Arsecast 😆
OK @holics, off out with Management now for our anniversary dinner. Catch y’all later.
Please ensure there’s plenty of water left in Cusop’s bowl should he wish to pop in for a break from the looting 🙂
Snir @235 – That’s called the Portuguese Disease 😉
zico – I love the little Russian too. But I’m absolutely certain Senor smallballs loves Russian Arse-shavin 😀
Dublin dynamo’s will b up and running Saturday in the holic pl can I view the other teams in the league?to c how well/bad I spent 100mill?cheers.
Happy Anniversary Mrs Storey – suffering Management of the world, unite!
Consider the pet looked after TS 😉
8ball @237 – the colour chart made orange pretty tricky . I think Wolfie would say not peach , but certainly peachy 🙂
Dr Z@238 – Lilac ???? Pink surely !!!
I guess RvP isn’t the only one who injures himself while scoring.
Gervinho just assisted to Yaya Toure who injured his knee while scoring.
To me it looks like at least 4 weeks. The way he was screaming reminded me of Diaby’s scream.
He came back for the 2 remaining minutes of the half but I’ll be amazed if he comes back for the second half.
Gervinho just assisted the 2nd goal as well.
A very eventful half for Gervinho. He lost the ball tons of times but in 3 minutes made two goals with two assists.
He’s roaming on the pitch along with the other winger and their attacking midfielder. He started on the right wing but is roaming to the left and the attacking midfield position.
He was most dangerous when he was on the left and in the middle.
Lots of reports emerging that Cesc deal has been agreed.
Steve – Heard that too, and if the figures are correct it means that we buckled.
I can only think of one reason that we’d buckle – Cesc agitating.
Snir, I can think of several other reasons. I think it is entirely possible that the board/Wenger/whoeverhasthelastword has just got fed up with the whole thing. Maybe reports of the team being unsettled is true and that the we are prepared to lose money short-term so we can have a settled squad for the CL qualifiers. Or maybe the reports about the fee are wrong (Barca will never, ever, ever admit to having payed what we demanded – it is in their interest to spread rumours of a low fee). Or maybe the deal isn’t done at all. Or… etc.
Do any of u know if I can view the teams in the fantasy league,thanks.
Hello holics
Blimey, the bar has been buzzing eh?
Agree ‘holic, with your analysis of our buys so far this season
The imminent defensive signing(s) are a thorn isn’t it? If that happens, I will be quite confident indeed.
LG- Glad your family is fine
TS – Happy anniversary, cheers 🙂
Snir, I have to say that after reading what the Guardian reports about the supposed deal, I don’t think there is anything new. They have been saying for ages that they believe a deal can be done.
“officials at Barça have let slip their excitement over a deal they believe can be struck at €35m” – absolutely nothing new there. This is what they have been doing all summer.
Maybe other sources have other information, but if it is nothing more than that then nothing much has changed.
Looks like more than the usual tittle tattle .
Sad , but had become increasingly inevitable .
I must say that this saga has gone on far too long. The sooner it is concluded the better. Cesc was not right last season. There were several games when you could see he just was going through the motions. Let’s get it done and move on.
Lars – If the reported figures are wrong then we didn’t buckle so all’s good ;).
About the reports of the board/AW or whoever being fed up, I’m not so sure that’s the case since we all know PHW doesn’t really censor his views and thoughts and just shoots out what he thinks with no PR handling on his quotes to the Star so what he says is probably what’s going on.
He recently said –
“Their offer was nowhere near what we are looking for, it is very straightforward from our point of view. We have told them what we want and we are sticking to it.”
“Barcelona are offering extra payments which are dependent on all sorts of fantastical things, but we are not interested in that. We want them to pay what he is worth.”
“We do not think we are being at all unreasonable when you see the sort of prices players are being sold for, who are not even half as good as Cesc.”
I don’t normally believe the Star but I do when it comes to PHW and his quotes.
Too right, everyone needs a fresh start at this stage and if they cant spend 40 million in two weeks on a decent player then its time to go looting..
Steve T: I disagree strongly about Cesc just going through the motions. He was injured for large parts of the season, and the only argument I can accept for selling him is that his injuries seem to be getting progressively worse and then he would be of no use to us anyway.
Steve T , I honestly don’t see what the club could have done to prevent the saga , save for selling him for 27m in June .
Agree with you however about moving on .
Arsène not doing the commentary on TF1 tonight. Maybe he’s otherwise engaged 😉
Has it been confirmed yet?
Losing a player like Cesc is a big blow, no matter what the situation is
But, you are right Steve T,tabs – Time to move on if it’s true he really wants to fuck off
I need a drink, strong whiskey please
The PR coming out of the club for ages has been very poor. AW said a few months back that we would not sell Nasri and Cesc. I think his words were something along the lines of, we can not be conisdered a big club if we sell them both. Let’s see what happens but my feeling is that neither will be here this time next week.
This is what the Beeb has to say about it:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/14482418.stm
I hope it is not true. I’d be gutted to see him go. Absolutely fucking gutted.
Garsguns, and other ‘holic fantasy leaguers.
For some reason nobody can see anybody elses team yet. I am assuming this is a temporary measure until the season kicks off to stop people copying last season’s top players???
I have dropped them a line asking when this feature will be activated, and as soon as they respond I will let you know.
Lars – That’s exactly like the Guardian’s article. Nothing’s new in this piece.
What would be interesting is that we WILL actually 40M if Cesc decided to give up on his loyalty bonus and then the 30M+5M would become 30M+5M+4M (loyalty bonus) = 39M.
My hope is that this is more or less exactly the same stuff that we heard well over a year ago. There are plenty of articles about how the deal “will be done before the weekend” from as early as April last year.
Lars. I hear what you say but he does not want to be here. I am sure he loves the club but for the last season plus he has been acting like he is a bloke that married the wrong sister. His attitude in certain games last season quite frankly stunk at times. Great player and it irks that we are selling him when he has not reached his prime. But if he is not committed then time to go. We pocket the cash and if spent wisely then it could be the best thing that has happened to us.
Steve, which games are those that you talk about? Can you give me any concrete examples?
Steve T @ 262 – Arsene needs to be judged more on what he does than what he says – I think his public comments should often be taken with a pinch of salt. Arsene could well have a soundbite once we sell about how it means we ARE a big club because we can survive even letting talents such as these two go…
That’s one theory – the other explanation could be that he really believed what he said, and Silent Stan told him how it was actually going to be following his recent visit!
I do agree though that all the prevarication up to this point has done nothing but harm but I think that Barcelona are almost certainly to blame for 99% of that. In the end it looks like they have won, they have fucking worn everyone down.
The real acid test of this saga is what we do about replacing them if and when they go.
Time for us all to move on – and Cesc if and when you do go there, Fuck Barca!
Oh, and as for him looking like he married the wrong sister: he has always had periods where he looked like he had just been told his cat has been run over. Sometimes people just has that look about them – remember how Thierry Henry celebrated most of his goals, he looked like he was just looking for someone to punch in the face.
Lars, I can not give you specific examples of games. I can however give you specific examples. On more than one occasion when we were chasing a game Cesc pushed up front. A move would break down and the opposition would break forward. There were seveal occasions when he would walk back, head bowed. That was not the Cesc of old. The Cesc of old would have run back in an attempt to regain possession. It happeend several times, not just the once, There were other games when you could see he was just not interested, just not himself.
Lars, trust me. It really was not great to see and did not do him justice.
I agree Lars, I can’t think of any game where he didn’t have the right attitude.
I also think that if he does stay he’ll be as committed as he always was.
About the articles – Agree. I remember at least 10 articles with Cesc moving before the weekend from 2010’s offseason and this offseason.
Steve – That’s being a bit too critical IMO, I could say he was as committed as always by telling you he did track back most of the time.
Try and remember Cesc chasing Seamus Coleman the WHOLE length of the pitch at Goodison Park.
Nasri playing fairly well so far in a central creative AM role today v Chile. For whatever that’s worth.
Zico, I hear what you say byr AW is a very intelligent man as we all know. Sometimes he lets himself down and I just wish he would think that bit longer. As for PHW writing regularly in the Star? Well, words fail me on that one.
Steve, but how do you know that this lack of tracking back was due to him not wanting to be there? As I said, he was injured for most of the season and by his own admission played games he maybe shouldn’t have – and I can give you one example here: Newcastle at home. The guy could hardly walk but played anyway and that is not the fault of the player, that is the fault of the manager.
But I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree. In any case, if Cesc goes he does it with no hard feelings whatsoever from me. Well, unless he says something really stupid but I find it hard to believe he will.
Ta holic much appreciated,can’t wait for the season to start and wengerball4!
Though I do agree with Steve T about the questionable habit of PHW to use the Star as his mouthpiece.
Snir, trust me. I have seen it with my own eyes. From my seat in block four. It may not come across on the tele as he is not even close to the ball. But it has happend and more than once I can assure you.
I am gutted that he wants out. I find it hard to believe that with 4 years left we have let it happen. But clearly he has made enough waves to make the club decide that now is the time. I am as disappointed as everyone else, but he does not want to be there. End of. Sell him and move on.
I’m totally with Lars on this one.
And Lars- When I said agitating I meant Cesc telling AW gently that he doesn’t want to stay, not “I don’t wanna wear the shirt ever again” like the papers like to report.
I won’t have any hard feelings towards him even if he did tell AW that he doesn’t want to stay cause I think he knows that it’s now or never to get his dream move and play for the team he supports.
Thiago’s emergence along with Barca’s financial problems and FFP coming into play is slowly closing Cesc’s window to join Barca, I think he made that clear to AW and that’s why AW has been more open to the thought of losing him.
Snir – What position was AA playing today for Russia btw? Just curious.
Lars. Just trust me. I have been fortunate enough to have been a season ticket holder and a member for many years now. I have watched him since he was 16. Last season he was not the same. Not the same by a country mile. I am not proud of that, not trying to get one up on people and not trying to make enemies. I am just telling you what I have seen with my own eyes. Last season we did not see the same Cesc as seasons gone by.
Whether he tracked back all season or not he is not commited to Arsenal and no point bringing up past interviews where he said he was happy. If he was, all this speculation would have stopped. Let him go and be done with it. Has not acted like Arsenal Captain this summer so fair dues son thanks for the memories.
Steve T – As weird as it might sound, I pay close attention to Cesc when I watch the games. I also download every game and watch it at least 3 more times each week to focus on all kind of things, one of them is Cesc’s attitude.
I have no complaints towards Cesc for anything. I think he gave it his all every game he played including last season.
I do agree that we need to move on, for the sake of our season.
Steve, as I said we’ll have to agree to disagree, I have no problems with that. Have a pint on me!
Snir. I hear what you say. All I can say is that the camera has not picked up everything. You are more than welcome next time you are over to speak to those around me who will confirm for you what I am saying.
For the record I am not saying that was every game. Not at all. But it happened too many times for it not to go noticed by those of us there.
Steve – Will do, have a pint on me as well, you’ll get a real one when I’ll be at the Tollie this season! 😀
Lars – I’ve read almost every report that has to do with Cesc and Barca from today and I can’t see anything new there. Did you notice anything?
Oh and about the figures – Barca won’t ever admit they paid the 40M and we’ll never admit we got less than 40M so each party will publicize it differently. We’ll probably say it’s 39M (30+5+4 – loyalty bonus that Cesc will probably give up on) and Barca will say it’s 30M.
It’d be just like Udinese said they sold Sanchez for 40 and Barca said they bought him for 26 (the variables in that deal are really ‘over the top’).
Steve – One last question.
Considering what you said about Cesc and his attitude on the pitch.
Would you prefer to keep him or sell him (consider his attitude vs. his ability. Which is more important in your opinion?) ?
(If we keep him he shows the same attitude as this past season.)
Snir, I have only read the BBC and Guardian reports. I’m thinking that if there is any truth in it we’ll know soon enough.
Lars, Snir, I look forward to raising a glass with you both at some subsequent date in the future. It will be an honour and a privilege.
1. My Gooner friend said about players sold, that Wenger only sells when they are at the end and are of no use to the club.
2. My thoughts are Streuth you can get alot of young players for 35 million.
Steve, I am planning to fly over for the Stoke game in October and join up with a few fellow drinkers from this bar at the Tollie. You are of course more than welcome to join us!
Snir. Sell him. He is a wonderful talent and has fantastic ability. he has served us well and will make us a load of money. If his head was right I would keep him for another 10 years. But the Barca bullying has turned his head. He would rather be there. He wants to be committed here but the long and short is that he is not anymore. Sad but those are the facts. No one person is bigger than the club. The only thing that gets to me is that if we had made more investment over recent seasons would things have altered significantly fiord his head not to have been turned? Truth is we will never know but it is something that will always nag away at me.
I believe in evolution and not revolution. I am just not sure if we have evolved fast enough for Cesc’s liking.
“Where the ‘ell is Barcelona? I wanna go today
But before I leave the house I gotta know the way
Where the ‘ell is Barcelona? I’ve heard it’s lot of fun
Can I get there on me bike, or straight up the M1”
Rock on Aaron!
Lars – That’s just about the approach for every report from May 10 till now 🙂
Steve – My trip will be a bit further – The Man City at home game in March, looking forward to it, hopefully it would be a 6 pointer… 🙂
Have a look at my 288 comment. I’d like to know what you’d choose to do.
Lars, the Tollie is my regular pub. Has been for years. Keep me posted. i would love to join you.
Snir, check out 293.
Evening ‘holics – long time reader, first time poster so I hope you can all bear with a ‘newbie’ for what might turn out to be a longer post than I originally intended…
Just wanted to share with you the thought that what now looks very much like the sad loss of our little Catalan Captain, should not really be a cause for gloom for any of us. And I do not want the HT to be in any way facing ‘the wrong kind of transfer speculation’ and an imminent derailment before I head up North on Saturday.
Nothing I’ve seen about this interminable saga has suggested to me that it is or was an easy decision for him. And if that is truly the case, I can only wish him all the best. I’ve loved watching him play over the years. And it’s been a privilege to watch him grow from being a young lad with a terrible haircut, into such a superstar of a creative genius. But we could do with a Captain who not only plays like a bloody demon, but who can also stir the rest of our boys into playing like demons too. All of them. For the full 90 minutes, please. On pain of a good slapping when they wilt. And I agree with Steve T above – last season, Cesc was not the same player, in lots of ways.
I hope the ‘holic will be able to dip into his boundless knowledge to pen a suitable retrospective of the highs and lows of Cesc’s time with us at some future point when this saga is eventually concluded. As with all of the ‘holic’s wise words, I’m sure they will be as pleasurable and entertaining as they are informative.
If you’re going Cesc, all the best. Overall plenty more highs than lows I think. And I’ll miss ya.
But no one player is bigger than this club. Any departure makes some room for a fresh start for someone else. Let’s hope there’s enough of this window left when this concludes to find someone as gifted to fill them boots. For my part, I don’t think we have that in the squad as it stands now. But I will remain optimistic until the window closes.
And if I may be permitted to request a beverage on my first time here, something light please barman. Pint of Bombay Sapphire should do it. Hang on, don’t want to go mad on my first real visit here; make that a pint of Bombay Sapphire top.
Ok saw your comment.
I’m not too sure I’d sell him.
Bottom line is, he’s got a contract.
He can want to go to Barca but I truly believe that he’d understand AW and the board if they’d come up to him and say that Barca only offered 35M and they couldn’t agree on a deal for him.
I’m sure that he’d understand and even if he won’t be as committed like you say he was last season he’s still the best midfielder in the EPL so holding on to him even if he ain’t THAT committed would only benefit us.
I don’t think he’d be destabilizing anybody in the squad during the season (not talking about now and the offseason) as he’s on good terms with everybody.
Lars @ 292 – I can’t believe that I am going to miss seeing one of the seven wonders of the world – the Lars wallet.
Assuming you make it more than once next season mate, keep us posted on your subsequent travel plans – I have a “friend” who would like to discuss barmaids with you 😉
Interesting debate above and I realise I’m coming in on the end of it , and hope you don’t mind me having a say .
I think everybody acknowledges the PR of the Club has been awful since forever – nothing new – but we could have had the best PR in the world and I don’t think it would have affected either the length of the Saga or the media bullshit that has accompanied it one iota .
Don’t see what on earth else Arsene could have said a couple of months ago when he was A) still in the business of trying to persuade the players to stay and/or B) negotiating the best price possible in a one club market .
I didn’t see the disinterested Cesc that Steve saw last season though I accept that for the away games I only had a telly view , and I agree that that can be misleading . I saw a player who began the season injured , and struggled for form/fitness for a couple of months . From November to mid Feb he was outstanding until he was crocked against Stoke . Witness the away games at Birmingham , West Ham off the top of my head , and the home games against Chelsea and Barca .
After his injury he played against Barca away when he shouldn’t have done and was awful . Struggled for his fitness thereafter and was largely ineffective save for a magical first hour at the Lane . But uncommitted ? Not in my view , witness his complete jubilation at Arsenal’s first half goals at Blackpool .
That said , Cesc had a poor season by his standards . I just don’t agree it was a lack of commitment .
Just my opinion . Drinks of your choice on the Bar lads .
300 drinks….if only. 8)
Well in Dr Z 🙂
Nice post Snowy .
Snowy, welcome and an excellent first post.
Help yourself to any “goodies” you may find lying around – the custodian of “the keys” has gone all romantic and disappeared for a bit. It’ll take the edge of your Bombay Sapphire top. 👿
zico, I plan to travel over for more games, that is just the one I have identified so far. But I am afraid my real-life wallet might not be able to pay for a whole Tollie’s worth of drinking 🙂
Anyway, I am off to bed now – have to be up early tomorrow. See you tomorrow, everybody!
Sleep well Lars – the zico wallet will come to your rescue, at least until you wake up again 😉
Welcome, snowy, and thank you.
“Barcelona expect to sign Cesc Fábregas from Arsenal before the weekend”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/may/19/barcelona-cesc-fabregas-arsenal
Steve T: I have the same hunch as you regarding his commitment but on the other hand he always had an off season (by his standard) every other year:
2006–07 54 4 16 (apps/goals/assists)
2007–08 45 13 22
2008–09 33 3 15
2009–10 36 19 19
2010–11 35 9 17
As you can see it could be worth it to keep him one more season if the pattern holds.
Matt – Interesting thing to notice by your stats is that he’s been consistently injured the past three seasons. And if he’s not happy I don’t think we’ll get the performance from him that we would otherwise.
He,s been a truly great player for us and if not for him I dont think we would have kept up consecutive CL appearances. Its not him I suppose its just the never ending media obsession. Will always remember him teaching PV4 a lesson and the goal against the Totts right after RVP.
@I don’t know anymore:
Kos not up to it? Well then who besides Vidic is up to it in the league?
Vermy has been injured over a full season and will take time to recover.
Terry and Ferdinand spend more time on the sidelines than ever.
Citeh plays with 2 DMs and a box-to-box DM with Kolo Toure as their star CB.
David Luiz and Alex aren’t any better, certainly slower without the same sense of anticipation.
Tell me which CB you know is capable of doing this to Messi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42cjGa3jLqo
@SV: Cesc has been unavailable for 50% of our games in the last 3 seasons, nothing new there.
As for his performance if he stayed with us it’s hard to say, I’m inclined to say it could affect him but on the other hand he’s a competitor and I’m sure he’d like to be a starter for the Euro next year. The competition is rather fierce to get in the starting XI, he would not make it if his season with us was average.
I really like him, the player and the man alike, I’ll be happy if he stays.
Gents,
Just throwing this out there for the sake of combating “praise-inflation” –
Given the (lack of) end product during his career at Arsenal and the acrimony surrounding his (apparently imminent) departure, should Cesc be considered an Arsenal “great”?
Sentimentality aside, in the cold light of day, I’m not sure he should crack the top-ten (certainly not top-five) list of Gunners.
Just a thought.
Snir at 299.
I agree re the contract. I said weeks ago that we should have called the shots. We should have sat Cesc and his agents down in May. Told them the price and that Barca had until the end of June to conclude the deal. If it was not done and dusted by then then it is not happening. Period. Even if Barca offered something ridiculous. Let Barca know, and if necessary let the media know so everyone is in the loop.
The problem in my opinion is that we have not done that. We have not been strong enough and consequently this has happened. If the guidelines had been clear from the start then Cesc may well have been with us one more year. I just think that our position has become weaker as time has gone on.
Evening all, quick two cents on the cesc saga. Could be wrong but in the last three seasons cesc has played more or less non stop, euro’s and world cup whilst dealing with those dodge hamstrings. I dont think it was a lack of effort last season but more of a lack of faith in his physical capability to push himself to the usual levels. On the whole transfer saga it really is time to draw a line under the whole thing. Reports have really ramped up over the evening, first i seen was that muppet guillame ballbag and his ‘sources/paymasters’ within the camp nout so until i see cesc in a shirt im not getting too caught up in it. Have been rambling on for a bit now and the hamstrings are playin havoc up on this soapbox so barkeep a round for those left in the bar and roll on Saturday! Its great to be a Gooner!
Steve T – Only problem with that is that FCB would still pursue all the way until the end of the transfer window at an amount that would never meet our valuation. And I thought AW did set such a deadline if I’m not mistaken (the end of July). I think artificial deadlines sound good and must be declared for our interests. However, there really is only one real deadline: midnight Aug. 31.
Matt – Unless he plays at an even higher level than he ever has (playing out of his skin) I don’t see him as a NT starter until Xavi retires. Del Bosque plays with 2 DMs.
@TABS and TS: actually you know what? the spuds like us much more than one could think of. There was an article recently from their top blog about who do they hate the most and more than half of them where rather positive about Arsenal considering the rivalry. Pretty eye-opening stuff actually.
“I find myself agreeing more and more that Spurs and the Scum now, more than ever, have a common link. We’re both backed by (relatively) wealthy owners and both play attractive football but we’re both struggling to compete against the mega bucks of the new boys. It’s so damn frustrating. I’m beginning to really hate city and chelsea for what they’ve done to the game. I don’t like the scum but I will say this for them, they do at least try to make an effort and don’t simply go buying up everybody in sight.”
“I hate City more than Arsenal. Sorry. ”
“I hate Chelsea more than Arsenal. I have no shame in admitting it.”
“Amazingly, after genuinely harbouring nothing but hatred for Arsenal for the last 15 years, I’m now in a position where I simply respect them. They play good football, are set up well, none of their players are overly-ridiculous wankbags like so many at City and Chelsea. So yeah, I’m now at a stage where I *prefer* Arsenal to the others.”
“Personally, to answer the question, I hate city and chelski more than anyone. Arsenal are up there, but they play good football and (recent history only) have got up there in the right manor.”
“So to answer the question posed, I don’t hate anybody but I dislike City and Chelsea more now than I do Arsenal.”
“My dislike for Arsenal has always been strong, but I do have to say that my dislike for City & Chelsea is now stronger.”
“On several forums I experienced a truce of sorts in NL quarters….sure, we both already shared a hatred of Chelsea for monetary/lottery/locational reasons, but both of us realise we are well run clubs…sustainable and don’t take kindly to what is now going on…all our hard work for nothing etc. ”
“As a lifetime Spurs fan I’ll always rejoice when we beat Arsenal or when Arsenal come a cropper elsewhere. But not quite so much, anymore. ”
“Arsenal – hated but grudingly respected rival”
“I will always and forever want to beat Arsenal but I respect them and their manager for what they have achieved over the past 15 years or so. They play great football and have a board that has steered them to the top echelons of the PL and built a big new stadium while continuing to compete at the top every season, unlike our own board.”
“Arsenal – I do hate them but I have far more respect for how they have achieved what they have achieved under Wenger, and how they play, than I do for Chelsea & City”
“All said I have some respect for Arsenal as a whole.”
And so on.
Interesting stuff Matt, a drink for the brave one who looks into the abyss that is the spudfields and returns to tell the tale! Now wipe those feet and off to the decontamination chamber before you catch something 🙂
SV, That is why if it is all made public then when the deadline passes we all know. The whole world knows. Cesc can be informed that he has until our set deadline to sort it or he stays. All agree. It would not matter what Barca say after that. We just stick to our guns. They would look stupid trying anying after that. I think that would have been far better for us.
@Could be worse, you could be a spud!: Thanks, I never forget to wear my wielding helmet with a protection mask underneath when I approach any site remotely white or blue.
That being said I quite enjoy scouting other clubs blogs/forums to get some perspective. And sadly these days most of them are more positive about Arsenal than our own blogosphere…
@SteveT: Either much better or Cesc would have handed a transfer request straight away. Who knows?
Tabs / Wolfgang @156 – brilliant stuff, again 🙂 🙂
TS @185 – excellent 🙂
Late again, got to go back and catch up from 185 on !!
Welcome Delia – jokes ?? 😉
Matt – A couple of my best mates are Spuds so they’re not all bad !! They have far more c*nts than we do though . Bloody horrible round here when they win . Can’t vouch for the Global support of either club , but certainly locally , we are the club that they hate and that they most want to beat . We , on the other hand , generally swat them aside and concentrate on the bigger fish we have to fry .
If Spuds were the Earth’s representatives in some kind of intergalactic play off against Mars’ finest , then I have no doubt that the Martians would enjoy my support .
What is their top blog ?
Stingy@317 – Blimey , we finally agree on something !! Artificial deadlines don’t make any difference in my view , if the player is set on leaving .
Could be worse @316 – Agreed , certainly think the hammys and the attendant mental caution played a part .
Lonestar – how far did you want to go back for this Greatest Gunners list of yours ? If you’re talking of all time , Cesc doesn’t get anywhere near the top 10 .
Hi Trev , didn’t see you there . Beers ?
SteveT@320 – But in my view , the player would not agree to that , would blame Arsenal if we upheld the artificial deadline and we would be left with a massively unhappy player .
Matt @318 – Very interesting quotes from fans of our North London rivals. Thanks for posting those quotes. I wonder how ‘holics and Gooners in general feel about the Spuds v Citeh & Chel$ki & ManIOU? I might get flamed and be in the minority for saying so but I dislike all three (Citeh, Chel$ki, and ManIOU) more than the Spuds. If anything, I kinda have a wee bit of sympathy for the Spuds and their followers like Cousin Op.
tabs – See. We can actually sit down and have some wobbly pops and find some common ground 😉
TS has gone out with the missus – but that’s another Storey 😉
Tabs – small one thanks as it’s late. And yourself ?
Lars’ tab, of course. 😉
@Tabs: it’s Dear Mister Levy (the blog), can you believe?
I understand the rivalry and enjoy it but I kinda have a tiny soft spot, enough to root for them against Milan which I really have been despising for a long time. Twitchy makes me laugh and their manic depressive fans are endearing writers, it’s like reading the musings of virgin teenage girls dreaming of mister right but slowly resigning themselves to losing it with an old wife-beating disease-ridden midget.
Snir Geuli @256 –
“PHW always just shoots”
That’s quite enough of that sort of language, thank-you young man.
And don’t believe all you read in the papers.
Trev @328 🙂
Stingy – If the Spuds can do us a favour by say beating Manure in the league , then fine .
If it’s anyone vs Spuds in a cup final , then it’s anyone for me .
Trev/PHW – 🙂 – I’ll join you in a small one , off soon too .
@SV: if you only hate those you deem more successful than Arsenal it’s not hatred you feel, it’s jealousy.
Matt @330 🙂 very good .
Have to say the writer of Dear Mr Levy is very good , but I’ve never ventured into the comments . Life’s too short ! Didn’t realise he was numero uno .
Snir Geuli –
well, whoever you are, I have to tell you that you have left Peterkins in a most distressed state with all this “Peter Hill-Wood just shoots nonsense”.
He has put in a huge amount of effort recently to improve his self-control, I am very pleased and relieved to say.
He has been far less inclined to immediately shoot from the hip, and I have found the results of his efforts most satisfying, er, staisfactory.
Steve T – I remember back in July AW publicly set a deadline: 10 more days which worked out to about the end of July. So we did set that artificial deadline. I agree we had to set a deadline (just as we did with Sami — end of June to sign a new contract) to show a position of strength and for our own squad reinvestment reasons (we needed time to hit the market with the CF4 cabbage). However, at the end of the day, I don’t think it would have changed either FCB’s or CF4’s behaviour. And we really can’t force a guy to stay against his wishes (we’ve done that for more than a year already).
Lady Nina 🙂 ha ha , but what about the Llama ?
Matt @334 – Disagree. I don’t hate nor dislike FCB. So your assertion would be specious.
tabs @323 – How about rating Cesc all time in terms of pure skill only?
I have looked into Snir’s Crystal Ball and it predicts morning headlines of “FABREGAS FAILS BARCELONA MEDICAL”.
???
G’night.
night Trev .
Stingy – too late at this end for this debate . I would say that I find comparisons across the ages as fairly spurious , the game evolves , and really you can only be as good as you can be in your era .
In that respect , Cesc is right up there , a wonderfully creative player . Ability to find time and space second to none . Great vision . Searing pace the only thing he lacks .
Anyway , I’m off , Good night .
TABS@325. The player does not have to agree. He has 4 years left on his contract. He does as he is told quite frankly. He is set a sensible deadline and told what will happen. A month would have been more than long enough if Barca really wanted to do a deal. Put the ball in their court.
Matt@318. Some very interesting quotes. Personally I hate them still.
Goodnight Trev and tabs. You blokes are up way too late anyway if you ask me.
LG’s exercise is interesting. I would submit that he will forever be remembered much lower on such a hypothetical list simply because he did not get silver (well, okay, except that one FA Cup — but you get the point). On a hypothetical list evaluating pure skill only, I would submit that we’ve had very, very few superior to CF4. I believe people over-rate players that have won and under-rate players that have not won, generally speaking. Trophies affect the way we look at players. No doubt.
*pops head around the door, sneaks in for a quickie* (that would be a drink, easy Wolfie)
Lot’s of good posts, can’t be arsed to get into the Cesc discussion, it seems like we’ve been doing that for ages, deja vu all over again kind of thing.
Welcome to all the new boys and girls, speaking of the fairer sex (once again, easy Wolfie) who’s this Claire Voiant lass you’re all banging on about? Is she the new tea lady? If so, why does Snir want her job?
Vodka shot please.
Wengerball 4 is spot on if the reports of Cesc leaving are true. Sad day if so, and say it ain’t so Joe. 🙁
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3745192/36m-deal-for-Cesc-but-he-pays-45m-out-of-his-own-pocket.html
Has anyone seen this?
“All that remains is for Fabregas, 24, to thrash out personal terms to bring to an end a three-year saga.
And last night he returned to the London Colney training ground to clear out his locker.”
I want to know how they “know” he cleared his locker. Didn’t know we had a Sun reporter in the dressing room.
Too many press reports not to say that where there is smoke there is fire. After all is said and done, Cesc is only one player, as is Nasri, and I don’t want any one player holding our club’s season up for ransom.
I think I’m gonna throw up.
Cesc and Nasri to be sold before the weekend, Aaron got injured in the Wales game, Jack is set to miss Newcastle and Udinese with the “slight” injury he has (I have a TV feeling about Jack, especially as it’s the Achilles and you all know there is no cure to that except resting).
We don’t have a midfield for Saturday.
It’d probably be Song, Frimpong and Rosicky.
Can’t really see anyone else filling in for Jack’s role…
8ball are you up??!!
Help me out here… Can’t sleep! I’m having nightmares thinking of Arsene’s pre match interview where he says that the whole midfield has been either sold or injured.
Self Sustaining Model: The Arsenal Football Club 🙂
Unsustainable Model: The Entitlement Society 🙁
@349 Snir, no need to worry man. All taken care of, I saw some embryos being wheeled in the back entrance of the Emirates a few minutes ago…
Whether it’s true or not though, whatever happens, happens and we’ll deal with it. (I think my fatalistic streak is showing)
Some Carib beer for everyone still up and chewing tobacco for the seedy looking fellas in the corner…
Be of good cheer, my boozy brethren.
Aaron and Jack will be fine. We’ll soon be about £60mil richer. We’ll buy Mata. We’ll buy Samba. We’ll bank a tidy profit.
The home support will be suspect as ever, but we’ll qualify for CL. Nasri will get crocked in Manchester riots. Cesc will ride the pine and get fat in the Catalan sun.
We’ll enjoy great football…we’ll rue our missed opportunities.
We’ll finish top 4.
Cesc will fade into the mediocrity of the almost-heroes. Nasri is just a typical modern athlete – he will fit in well at Merc Citeh.
Can’t wait for the season to start 😛
@ Cannons,
Be careful over here in our dark, shadowy corner of the bar. It is strong with the Dark Side…and rogue llamas.
@Lonestar, the Force is strong with me at the moment. Not sure who brought the llamas into the establishment but I’d love a ride on those snaggle tooth bastards…
😆
Btw, what do you call a llama that sings crappy country music?
A Dolly Llama….
*dives through the window to escape the tomatoes and bottles, but escapes amazing unharmed from the fall*
Nice one, Cannons! 😀
You’re a welcome addition to the night shift. Have a Macallan with an old farmer.
* dust off the glass shards first *
Nightshift is daytime in Japan man. I love the jokes and conversations in the bar but by the time I get to my dayjob and log on there are usually 300 drinks to read! So I usually print everything out and carefully shift through everything, plan a measured response but….everyone’s asleep when I put it in :S
Thanks for the Macallan (don’t believe I’ve had that before) allow me to treat you to a pint of Sapporo.
*carefully removes glass from gaping forehead laceration*
Yeah, I usually encounter a similar circumstance. I’m not usually up this late, but work had other plans tonight.
Sapporo is alright with me, boss.
Well, I’m about to turn in.
UTA
* grabs coat and llama herding staff *
Reading again this morning that we have settled for a very cheap Fab deal & my gut feeling is it’s true THIS time, if we accept this I will lose all respect for our management team, as this just enforces every other teams belief we are a selling club, I’d rather see him rot in the reserves or not play at all for the remainder of his contract, we have to send out a message, even if it costs us millions in the short term. cos if Barca win this battle we will never hear the end of it, but more importantly every time a team want one of our players & he wants to leave they know exactly what to do, DON’T THEY?
@ Lee
Why do we have such low regard for our club? We’re ready to believe the rumours put forward in the media.
Why do we believe we accepted such a low sum from Barca when just last week we rejected the exact same? I believe the bid if accepted will be much closer to the 40 mil wanted by Arsenal
When people say we paid 12 mil for Ox we are quick to believe such yet there are other reports that we only paid 7 mil with add on equalling 5 mil which we easily dismiss.
Have faith in the management team, more especially in money matters!
Morning all, another day another dollar. The FTTCC (Fab To Those Catalan Cunts) deal looks all but done, there’s only two working days and two sleeps (copyright Zico) left till we go and take some coals to Newcastle (to power the HT Mk II?) and hopefully come back with 3 points.
Gonna miss Captain Fantastic but he’ll leave a warm feeling (and a hole in the squad?) behind. My tuppence ha’p’orth on the matter is that he had a pretty patchy season last time around and that hammy is still not properly sorted – kept him out of quite a few games. Still, he managed some pretty impressive stats despite that.
This has a whiff of the HTTCC (Henry To Those…etc) about it, I was bricking it when he went but it turned out alright – we damn near won the league but for that run of four straight draws (winds me up just thinking about it). It also turned out that too many players looked to play through the great man too much and I feel there’s a bit of that going on with CF4 too.
Someone will step up, you’ll see. Someone will surprise us.
Alcohol’s out of the question as I have two 3-hour lectures to deliver today. Scratch the coffee, I just had one. That means it’s lemon and ginger tea with a spoonful of acacia honey for me! Stop sniggering at the back – herbal tea is very, very butch.
Have faith in the management team, more especially in money matters!
Faith has long since evaporated in this bunch and if the figures being quoted are true which wouldnt surprise me in the slightest they should be hung drawn and quartered,
We are two days away from a new season and are on the verge of losing our captain for peanuts and another first teamer after having sold one earlier in the summer and so far we replaced them with one top notch looking player and 2 kids from league one, Thats not to mention we have one of the hardest starts for years – we are totally ill equiped for the new season – Faith more like a total and utter fucking shambles,
There used to be a football club over there,
If you have not done so check out today arseblog. It sums it up perfectly for me.
Morning All,
I have my footballing black armband on today 😥
Assuming Cameron & Co. still allow the PL to kick off this weekend as planned, then it looks like we travel to Newcastle sans Cesc (adios and good luck), Nasri (adios), LJW & Aaron.
Nevertheless the HT leaves from platform 49 as scheduled.
Come on AW, IG and team. Now’s the time to show us your own brand of Gooner steel. Good luck chaps, fingers crossed, please find us the right players and spend SOME.
UTA!
Steve T @ #365
I did, you know things are a bit grim when Blogs writes like that.
There has to be a silver lining in this cloud. A ton of things could happen between now and the end of August.
BTW, I also saw Cesc close-up a few times last season and agree that he didn’t look like the player he usually was for us at times. For me, that was clear near the end of the LWCs away match. To balance that, he was superb against Chelski at home esp. in his closing down of players, the whole team were in fact. Either way, it’s a great loss, I’m very sad about it but life and Arsenal goes on regardless.
Exciting times ‘Holics and you know what the Chinese say about that 😉
COYRRRs
Blogs sums it up perfectly alright. By the end of the week we will probably be the most cash rich club in europe so hopefully the parastic agents will be forming an orderly queue. Cesc should be worth 60 million correlating between Carroll and Ronaldo so am surprised at the paltry figures. Mata, Cahill and another striker should quell the nerves but wont take the bitter taste from this. Anyway onwards and upwards..
I bet its got something to do with food and world domination TS 🙂
blog is correct only hope AW buys wisely meaning we get EXPERIENCED campaigners,i do fear, really fear we end up with a pile of newbies,and if we look for a direct replacement like for like for Cesc that imo is a mistake get the best of what is around and change the tactics acordingly please,i asked nicely
Heh Noel @ #369! 😀
I see Goodplaya is fuming today and not in a twisted, LG lind of way either. Actually, I think that’s a far more positive way to respond to our current situation that moping and wailing (as some will do). I’m with Goodplaya. Grrrrr!
Well done lads after Cox’s reply I thought I was in the minority of ONE seems not?
I’m actually speechless with the way this summer has panned-out, that’s why I have stayed away from here for about a month or so because I could only see the negatives, I’t seems I had good reason after all.
As Chippy says ONE decent player in all that time have a word boys, @ this rate Silent Stan will have his money back by the start the season……
Its not just you Lee, I havent seen or felt this much disharmony in the fanbase since the last days of Neil,
Thanks chippy thought I may have been losing it?
Just read today’s Arseblog, think he sums it up well.
“There are now 20 days until the close of the transfer window. Arguably they’re the most important 20 days of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal career”.
Well that my view too……
Thanks for the kind welcome last evening fellas. Much appreciated.
Looks increasingly like it’s all official then. So long Cesc and thanks for all of the great football. But you can stick the sulking, that did kind of annoy me.
On the bright side, enjoy limping towards FFP Barca old chaps. I’d rather have our debt than your debt any day. And in a couple of years we can all have a whip round in the bar and buy the lot of ya for about 15 drachma, a commemorative Fairs Cup teasmade, one of Cusop’s chewed up squeaky toys and a novelty biro that plays the theme from 633 Squadron when you write.
Enough of the gloom and doom – we are set to be substantially more wealthy in days few, and that transfer window hasn’t closed yet. A lot of big names haven’t really landed yet this window, so there’s clearly some good business still out there to be done.
The timing’s not great, but f*ck it, someone’s gotta blink first. And I don’t really think Cesc is to blame for the timing, as really he’s only one of three parties involved in this situation.
Now we have blinked, let’s just get a move on with landing that replacement.
You’ve got 20 days Arsene – use ‘em wisely.
Good post Snowy, welcome to the bar and be careful to avoid Cusop’s bowl for fear of covering your shoes in p*ss, sorry water, it really is refreshing water 😉
PS: Still think the timing sucks…
I am with you chippy. I am amazed that we are having these issues 2 days before the start of the season. Quite frankly I am astounded that we are even having these conversations.
Still 20 days to go but I can’t be the only one thinking why oh why was this not all sorted 6 weeks ago? For those who think this season will be saved by a 17 year old and a Japanese school boy I would suggest you think again. In a few years time they may have made it. But Newcastle on Saturday may be a tad too soon in my submission.
Snowy don’t agree with one thing you said:
“And I don’t really think Cesc is to blame for the timing”
It’s him that has put the pressure on the situation, when he went public (maybe) to say he had played his last game for AFC over a month ago now, funny he’s NOT played since that statement was in the press, injury my ass. This gave Barca all the fire-power they needed, you can’t tell me this was not staged managed!!!
You don’t understand what i said guys. All i’m saying is why believe the high end and low end of the said transfer fees for both Ox and Cesc instead of the objective figures. We’re all disappointed by the recent developments happening at the club. As it has been said before, it’s darker before sunrise!
Let’s wait and see what develops instead of reacting to the predictions that haven’t proven correct yet…is all i’m saying!
Another perspective:
We took a player from the la Masia at 16 years of age and turned him into one of the finest midfield players in the world. He became the fulcrum of this team and over the past 8 years helped to ensure that we competed to the extent that we were severely unlucky not to win a number of trophies in that time. And we competed with teams who have spent gazillions. And now, were going to sell him back to Barcelona for £35m – which will go some way towards rebuilding this team, which totally snapped last season.
Yes he is the most talented midfielder in the world for his age.
Yes he is the captain of the club.
Yes, Barcelona are cunts.
Yes, he is under contract for another 4 years.
And yes, the timing of the deal could have been much better…..
But bottom line is we did hold out until the very end and if there’s one thing I’m certain about, its that we certainly didn’t “give him away” unlike some of the reports doing the rounds at the moment. The Clubs hands were largely tied by the fact that Cesc would not go anywhere else and that he very actively wanted to go home. When it comes to making the most of the financials in running a club in situations like these – I think we’ll all agree that the club are no slouches in this regard.
As for judging our transfer activity to date – well lets wait until Sept 1st. We needed to get clarification on this deal as it drastically affects the budget for who we can buy. As much as the Cesc deal will have effected Wenger, the Nasri situation has come as a right kick in the bollox.
Still and all – we should now have £55-60m more to spend if Nasri goes too. We will be shut of all the speculation that’s surrounded the club for the last 3 years. We have a group of fully committed players and in young Jack, a lad who may just become one of the finest players in the world if he continues on his meteoric trajectory.
There is no other manager I would want to spend that money than AW. Indeed, what other manager in the world could have run this club on a shoestring, finance the building of a new stadium and still compete at the highest level..?
Thanks TS and yes the timing really could have been better, but this was never going to be a straightforward deal. If all they’d offered was a life sized effigy of Hleb with a noose round its neck and a three trillion Euro unpaid physiotherapy bill for Mr T Henry stapled to its chest I wouldn’t have been surprised…
And thanks for the advice on the bowl – don’t want the treasured red and white Converse to get horribly spoiled whilst frequenting this fine establishment … 😉
I agree with Blogs as well. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever disagreed with him.
On to Saturday, who would you field in the midfield with all these injuries?
I am just cleaning my boots Snir. I reckon I have a good 60 minutes in me.
Lee @378 – interesting point and you could be right. I’ve no doubt there’s a lot of stage managing with these things. But if I were Cesc and choosing when to announce I’d have wanted the bad news of my departure buried among positive news of new signing so angry nutters don’t go flaming my Twitter and going all unnecessary on me.
He’s (mostly) kept quite quiet about it all this summer personally, although his cohorts have been driving us all bonkers. So I’m still giving him the benefit of the doubt for keeping stum himself.
snowy, your shoes are safe in this bar. Farca certainly have some gripes against us but they’re still a bunch o’ classless c*nts 😛
cox & joe, some good points too. Maybe it’s the hurt but I can’t help feeling that, in my view, Cesc has not behaved like a captain should. That may well be a harsh or plain unrealistic thing to say given the circumstances because we are all guessing on what has really gone on behind the scenes. I’ll wish him very well in his new role when the pain of his departure has been eased by the passage of time and a suitable replacement or two. If Nasri leaves too, I’m not sure I’ll be quite so magnanimous.
All things aside, given the intelligence and experience of our management team, I also can’t help thinking that there is a grand plan going on here and that we’re all too embroiled in the day-to-day stuff to see what’s really going on. Tony Attwood has an interesting view of life on Untold regarding the Cesc situation, he may be onto something.
Onward and upwards ‘Holics, there’s no alternative 😉
snowy, lee and the rest.
Publicly he played it great – http://www.youtube.com/user/CescyFabGooner2#p/a/u/2/gtc7ECdve4E
It’s what happened behind closed doors that raises questions.
Steve – I’m serious man :), I can’t see anyone but Frimpong for the “Jack role” for Saturday.
It’d be like those games where we played Song, Denilson and Cesc only to play Song, Frimpong and Rosicky :\
Snir, Steve T
BTA Episode 7 provided all the answers for the squad. I think zico and I are in midfield along with Clive (the sweeper)
Steve T, as you’re cleaning your boots, could you sub me after 10 minutes assuming I could last that long without coughing up a lung? 😉
Heh Snowy @ 381, you’re going to fit right in here.
Arseblog sounded a bit like Gervais and Gareth this morning I thought. Not saying he ‘s wrong, just that the tone of his blog was not quite the same as usual.
Arsenal fans would have a bit more perspective if the club were a bit more vocal about these things, rather than continually let other clubs and the media set the agenda. Just my opinion.
Now then on to serious matters, I see they have cancelled the Spurs match on Saturday – you guys need to sort this rioting lark out because I am not going to be too chuffed if I miss another Arsenal game due to matters outwith my control – last season it was 14 inches of feckin snow.
I’m worried – might mean spending 90 mins longer in the pub for a start. Oh.
Zico – Right now, I think it’s better for Arsenal if the match against Newcastle gets postponed.
Too many uncertainties and injuries.
Gah,
Now it looks like van Persie and Vermaelen are fit for Saturday, and I transferred them out last night.
Sheer Fantasy League hell it is…
Not the game I was referring to Snir – the week after – although it might help this weekend, I agree.
On the other hand, I have every confidence in Steve T and the 10 minute cameo from Monsieur Storey. 🙂
i said on this blog after we lost to united last december (?) that nasri and cesc would be gone this summer if we didn’t win something. we can blames barca “cunts” all we like and deride nasri for doubling his wages (which one of us wouldn’t be tempted) but they would be far far less likely to have gone if they had won something AND they believed that they were on the right track. Signing a little known full back, a winger we don’t need and probably won’t use for coupe years will not have persuade them that AW gets what is wrong.
rather than debate mythical happy trains and other self indulgent ramblings why don’t we face up wo what is really wrong. we are clutching at straws _ AA is one of the world’s best p[layers ? does anyone really think that ? JACk will be one of the world’s best players – well maybe but that is some way away. in the meantime we live in the here and now. someone said we should not sign sneijder because he is too old (another said they didn’t rate him _ what a joke,. he was the best player in the world by a mile in 2010 but the awrad went to xavi because of the wankfest over barca i assume even though inter knocked them out). yes we would not recoup any or much of the 30m that it would cost but what if we won a couple of leagues or ch leagues because he joined. i suspect he would repay his price easily. i pray he doesnt go to united because then they won’t be caught. its not about the price tag, its about value and AW just doesn’t get that at all
idka,
Sorry mate, but for me, your timing for a post like that is as good as our captain departing a day before the season starts.
With all due respect, just my opinion, etc., etc.
Woj
Sagna TV Kos Traore *
Rosicky Song Steve T
Arshavin ** Van Persie Gervinho
* If gibbs unfit
** substitute 83 mins for T Storey
Great post Snowy @375 . Have a beer on me .
SteveT@343 – I appreciate and sympathise with the sentiment you express , but whether we like it or not , football simply does not work like that any more . I’m struggling to think of the last top level footballer that was banished to the Reserves because he didn’t knuckle down . Contract or not , top level footballers get their move if they want it badly enough . They might have to wait 6 months ( Torres ) , or 12 months ( Ronaldo and Fab ) , but they get it just the same .
We can all have differing views as to the competence of AW , Gazides et al , but what isn’t in doubt is that those in charge of the club are intelligent men . Don’t you think that if the solution was as simplistic as putting on a deadline , and that if we had done so , come July 1st we would have ended up either with 40m , or a fully committed Fab grateful to be back in the fold , we would have done it ? The deadline would have passed , Barca would have come up with ever more spurious reasons why they couldn’t meet that deadline ( waiting on the sale of players etc ) , whilst Cesc and his agent agitated ever more stridently in the background . Ultimately , the result would be the same , Cesc would still be on his way to Barca , with greater dirty linen washed in public , and the price probably lower because of that dirty linen .
H2H @345 🙂
TS @367 –
I have enormous respect for Blogs both as an Arsenal commentator and as a writer . He generally makes me laugh out loud , and admirably manages to plough a middle ground between those who will slate AW and the Board whatever they do , and those whose partisanship means that any criticism is a heresy . However , and I know I’m in the minority probably , I think his piece today was too simplistic . It is too easy to criticise without offering solutions to how differently it might have played out . SteveT offered a solution above . It’s not one I think is workable but at least it’s constructive . Blogs failed to offer any guide to how Arsenal might have dealt with the situation apart from the comic , but ultimately meaningless CuoCo . LD’s piece on Arseblog last night was by far the more considered article in my view .
I realise that I am coming across as a head in the sand , all is ok , never criticize the Arsenal , empty-headed loyalist . I hope that isn’t the case . I was very critical of the Club last summer when the established keeper , centre-half , and cover for Song didn’t arrive . As regards the keeper , it’s my view we just about got away with it . As regards the CH and cover for Song , there can be little question that we didn’t .
Similarly , I will be spewing if come Aug 31 , our transfer budget together with any money arising from sales , has not been reinvested in our all-too-clear weaknesses .
It’s just my view that the Club should not be criticized for the Cesc situation , a situation not of its making .
Time for AW to draw a line , move on , and get his targets in .
Joe @380 – Fantastic post . Expresses exactly what I think , if I could express myself better .
zico, snir
I’m off to the gym this evening, maybe I could manage 15 minutes 😉
Should Newcastle be postponed that might well be a blessing for us.
Does it mean The Mickeys match will be moved? FTS!
At least Newcastle wont have a decent left back for Saturday although Joey Barstard is in the squad. A job for Frimpong I think. Am going to do an Arsenal Holic and leave my changes to 5 minutes before the deadline.
tabs – from the Little Dutch column :
“I’m looking forward to strapping myself in and enjoying the ride, whatever it brings. That’s the fun isn’t it?”
Good to see you’re spreading the word 😉
tabs @ #395
As usual, we are in agreement.
I did say earlier when Blogs writes like that you know things are bad. I think, like all of us, he deserves an off day from time-to-time. I’m going to put it down to his pain and frustration, we’re all feeling it. I think he may regret his style and tone when he reads it again tomorrow.
Time to SSFM and sharpish, no doubt about that.
Talking of which, it looks like Dann-dan-the-defending-man is in our sights and who’s this Jadson fella??? I hope he’s better than Denilson 😉
Dr Z , just read your post @388 . Thank God for that , thought I was the only one . His piece , i thought , was verging on the apocalyptic . All because of a transfer that most have felt was inevitable since AW’s first press con on the asian tour , when his stance noticeably changed .
Noel @ 397,
Are you strapping your boots on too??? 🙂
I agree with Arseblog, he did sound a tad depressed I have to admit.
This Cesc saga is as wrong as this silly rioting, hopefully they will give ’em a taste of their own medicine. If this was elsewhere, water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets would be deployed straight away. Police are too soft in this country.
Our club never went public that Nasi and Cesc are not for sale end off, we kept quiet, Arsene never really spoke about them with reassurance. Two days before the season start and we lose our captain is just ludicrous and Nasri might follow, perhaps we are too soft with our players, or is Arsene too soft with them? If we are not going to spend and bring some players in I believe we are going to witness yet another very emotional season, a roller-coaster ride if you prefer.
If Cesc is going then please do it asap, there is just no time to waste anymore. Good luck to him it has been really good. I hope he sits on the bench as much as Hleb did when he went there. Arseblog is correct by saying that this season will define if Arsene will remain at the club.
Arsene go and spend if you have a to pay a little bit extra then do it after all we aint a small club are we now?
For Wolfgang
zico’s talking about strapping ‘in’ not ‘on’ @ # 398. Just sayin’ in case you’re getting a wee bit moist.
‘Holic @390 🙂 – this transfer malarkey more tricky than it looks ‘Holic .
Dr Z @398 – that’s the kind of lingo I’m after . 🙂
TS @399 – ah , apologies for misunderstanding . 😳 Trust you had a decent night out last night .
TS Easy now tiger … easy 🙂
Tabs – He did suggest a solution.
Sit with Barca, Cesc and Darren Dein and make sure they know how much Arsenal want and when it needs to be done.
If the were to lodge a bid after that deadline then it’d be rejected.
Just yesterday we praised Cesc for his attitude, so I think he wouldn’t have sulked had that happened and Barca had failed to come up with the cash.
zico @ #394 😆
I’m marginally better suited to playing the fox in the box than in the engine room.
I’ll have a word with the BTA executive and see if I can be re-shuffled to GK or CB.
TS @403 🙂
ATG @ #405. I’m many things, but never easy 😉
tabs @ #404. Yes and thanks! Same to zico and Harsha. Appreciate it fellas, she is indeed ‘suffering Management’.
Time for a round for all gentlemen? We need to drown the odd sorrow and turn this situation to our advantage!
‘Holic @ #390
More good news filters in, hurrah! 🙂
The worst part of the whole Cesc shambles is the timing everyman and his dog at Arsenal new he wouldnt be at the club this coming season bar some miracle or Barcas cheque book going missing so why has no replacement been bedded in – The only plausible reason is the board are spinning fantastic yarns about how much money the clubs actually got and they need the proceeds before spending either way its time some tranparency was offered,
Some positivity,
According to the same report that Cesc is going (and Thiago switching from 4 to 11), there is an agreement in place with Mata to secure him as soon as Cesc leaves.
In addition, like Holic said, RvP+TV are supposed to be fit but Jack and Gibbs are struggling.
Trev @ #328 – Heh & cheers. Glad you liked the link at #185 too!
Snir @406 , that was Steve T’s solution which I acknowledged . Blogs came up with none of that today . He merely made vague allegations of mismanagement without stating what else should have been done .
If he’s offered the solution you outline in the past , then I don’t think you can repeat the allegations of mismanagement as he did today , without detailing what should have been done instead .
It’s my view that that “solution ” is in any event deeply flawed for the reasons given above . To my mind there is no easy solution , hence why I am far more loathe to chuck around allegations of mismanagement like confetti .
As to your last para , none of us know . I agreed with you last night that Cesc’s problems last season was not one of attitude . Who knows what would happen in the future , if he felt that Arsenal had not done what he felt they should to secure his move . For the record , I don’t think he’s covered himself in glory in the close season . All the Barca muppets have clearly been jabbering to the press with his acquiescence .
Just for fun and in no way intended to offend Mr. Smallballs because we all know he prefers hot, Russian blondes who play tennis
http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/oddballs/871973-liverpools-steven-gerrard-voted-hottest-player-in-premier-league-by-gaydar
Wolfgang says no TS , known to get violent in Bars , and apparently he’s got a dodgy groin 🙂
Tabs – For the record, I think that apart from setting a deadline and not budging there really isn’t anything Arsenal could do.
This whole saga is Barca’s fault, they could have got this over with in less than 24 hours, but they kept on going with their dirty tactics which eventually worked.
As for Cesc, I agree. My dad said it perfectly when he said Cesc was trying to play nice to both parties.
Publicly he came out and said – http://www.youtube.com/user/CescyFabGooner2#p/a/u/2/gtc7ECdve4E
But behind closed doors he allowed Barca to drive the price down with dirty tactics and worst of all he has even showed to AW that he’s “unsettled”.
tabs, please thank Wolfgang for his ascerbic feedback 😉
Snir, your father is right again. Time to move on, we’ve got a season to start…
@417 Agree with all of that Snir .
Anyway fellas , Beers ? Pipes ? Crystal Balls ?
TS – Forgot to add – In today’s market you can’t play nice to both parties, he played a dangerous game that didn’t benefit Arsenal.
Beer & pipe please tabs!
I know everyone says move on and all that, but people also say that we moved on from Henry’s departure and although we didn’t destruct, we didn’t really moved on and kept on winning trophies.
We were one of the best teams in Europe and we aren’t one of those teams anymore.
And yes, I know the stadium had a lot to do with that but each season it was one tiny step away from greatness.
I just hope that this season we WILL make that step and will get Mata and a CB, we need ’em, badly.
Tabs,
I echo and second all your thoughts on same – insightful and impressive!
Out of interest, who do you think Wenger will bring in (assuming Nasri goes too)?
Joe – Reports are coming out that Mata is already secured and will move once the Cesc deal is done.
I think Mata would be Nasri’s replacement and as for Cesc – No direct replacement, just sharing the burden of the offensive responsibilities.
Peter Walton to referee Saturday’s match.
Not too bad.
TS @421 – A wise choice Sir 🙂
Snir @422 – Though it never ultimately led to trophies we were far more impressive in 07-08 than 06-07 , after the departure of TH14’s departure . In the summer of 07 , we bought Eduardo and Sagna . All wise heads wrote us off . We got very very close , and played a great brand of football along the way .
Let’s see who comes in .
Joe @423 – Thanks . As regards who comes in , your guess is as good as mine . Centre half remains the absolute priority . Of the names constantly linked – Jag , Cahill , Samba and Mertesacker – I guess I would prefer Jag or Merte , based on not very much at all .
I’d love to see a new LB , but doubt it will happen .
Replacement for Fab ? Mata clearly seems the most likely , but haven’t seen enough of him to have a considered view . Generally , if it’s good enough for Arsene , I’m happy to take the view that its likely to be good enough for me .
I think this Campbell kid will arrive .
If Nasri goes as well , then I think we would need to buy a shirt-seller of the sort we haven’t bought for a number of years , if only to quell fan unrest – Benzema .
A few weeks ago , i did post , only partly in jest , that the replacement for Cesc , if he left , would be Kaka . Kaka , on record as saying he admires Arsene and Arsenal , his mum saying last season he would be in London this season , and wages that could be offset by the commercial clout that he brings .
I was ( rightly ) laughed out of town , long shot for sure , but wouldn’t rule it out entirely . I think AW has a couple of rabbits to pull out of the hat . I sincerely hope he does so .
TABS @ 395. I hear what you say but I do think things could and should have been done differently. I think we as a club need to decide what actually comes first, the football side or the business side? I appreciate that both have a place. However I feel that at times the business side receives a disproportionate amount of the resources compared to the football side. If we are making football decisions then I can not see how if we sit all parties down and tell them a price that we will accept why a month is not long enough to agree the price. It is simple market economics. They pay the price or he stays an Arsenal player. As long as Cesc and his advisors are all clear on that I really do not see the problem. 2 days before the start of the season is utterly ridiculous, and for me there really is no excuse for it. Time to get robust.
That is all assuming football is more important than business? That is why I question it.
Afternoon peeps.
I heard a rumour that Tottenham made a secret bid for Nasri last Monday morning. Apparently they’ve offered 200 plasma TV’s, 321 ipods, a seection of mobile phones, 6 rolls of carpet and 720 boxes of assorted trainers (not necassarily pairs)
Barkeep, fill up thre gent’s glasses while I catch up on the drinks.
Cheers.
Steve T – Yesterday you said you would sell Cesc.
If Arsenal would have done what you just wrote, would you prefer to keep him?
More bad news, Jadson just tweeted – “If everything goes to plan, I’ll have some news for everyone at the start of next week. Hope it works out.”
Don’t really know much about him, but it’s being reported that he’s not in addition to Mata but that he’s instead of Mata…
‘holic 390 this isn’t like you, trusting the harbingers of doom to select your fantasy football team.
RvP was my first choice and captain when I picked the team, and I never considered changing that.
Especially since you have subs meaning someone else would automatically come in, wouldn’t they?
SteveT ,
A fair point regarding the Business / Football dynamic of the Club . I would certainly agree with you that from summer 2010 , we have failed to utilise all available resources , and have thus far failed to do so again this year . I would be loathe however to go further back than 2010 because of the very real problems the funding of the new stadium and The Highbury Development presented at that time .
On the Fab thing , we’re just going to have a drink and accept that we disagree I think . I agree with you that the PR of the Club is pretty awful , but I just don’t think a better PR would , in this instance have made any difference . If the player really wants to go , and more to the point really wants to go to one club only , then deadlines ( in my view ) will not work . Sure we get to keep the player a while longer , but in the meantime his agent goes to work in the Press intimating strikes , how unhappy he is , and all the usual bollocks , whilst the buying club warbles on about how desperate the player is to come and that they are prepared to offer reasonable amounts for him .
If Arsenal continue to resist even though the arbitrary deadline has passed , they face the very real prospect of having a player who won’t play for them , together with all the fall out of a very public spat between club and player which potentially is hugely damaging .
Whilst nothing would give me greater pleasure than a club , Arsenal or anyone else , throwing a player into the reserves , and telling him to buckle down and observe the terms of his contract or else he won’t play , Clubs simply are not prepared to risk a multi-million pound investment’s value plummeting or the attendant damage throughout the Club .
As regards the relative importance of football and business , clearly even his biggest detractors would have to admit AW is a football nut . As regards the Board , I can only speculate , but would be hopeful that they recognise the primacy of the football within the Business model .
What I would say , and it is merely speculative on my part , is that the reluctance of Stan to commit any more funds than are generated by the self-sustaining model , is in part , because of the fact that the 2nd biggest shareholder is clearly not welcome in the running of the Club , and that there will therefore be a stasis until the stand-off comes to an end .
Anyway , I hope we can still have a drink together despite the difference of views … What you having ?
I enjoyed lLD’s column, this bit in particular;
‘if you’re not excited about the prospect of a brand, spanking new season, wrapped as it is in pristine cellophane, then it’s time to consider why you persist with the sport’.
There it is, right there!!
Don’t get me wrong, I too would of liked us to have conducted more/better business during the summer and would loved to of had all our new additions firmly in place, but the reality of the transfer market is not as easy as all the manager simulation games that all the keyboard warriors are sooooo good in, besides that, the window hasn’t exactly slammed shut yet, has it?
I too am disapointed that we’ll probably lose (although it;s still just speculation at this moment) our captain and I agree that the timing is not perfect, but let’s be honest, when is it ever a good time to lose your best player? There isn’t one, it would have been just as hard to swallow had he gone a few months ago, although it would of been nice not to have had to listen to the mongtards from the Nou camp dribling on about DNA.
I personally would prefer that we cash in on Nasri and then we can all enjoy watching him try to fit in in his new role as defencive midfielder at Middle Eastlands. (I don’t think Mancini employs attacking midfielders, does he?)
I’m not a die hard AKB’er, yet at the same time I do think it’s rather disturbing that probably the best manager we’ve ever had, a man who has had us punching consistantly above our weight over the last few transitional seasons, is being questioned before a competitive ball has been kicked, I respect eveybodies (well almost everybodies) views and opinions, but that is one, I can’t stomach. If we are in the relagation zone or are out of every competition by Christmas, then I may be tempted to hitch a ride on that particular bandwagon.
Until then, I say come on lads, lets get behind the team, whoever is in our shirt and lets get this new season on the way, optimism is what makes being a footy fan sweet, take that away and I don’t really see the point.
Some say, “what doesn’t kill ya, makes ya stronger”, well in that case, I’ll have another ridiculously large vodka shot please.
Evening Holics – time for the evening commute (tonight by canoe thanks to the amount of rain that has fallen in the last 48 hrs)
Kaka would be one very large rabbit if it were to happen tabs, but would he be a fully fit rabbit?
One thing that strikes me is that if they do sign this Mata bloke, given the hype in the blogosphere, he better BE the Messiah. Seems to me that we will need a season to consolidate whoever we get if you lose your best 2 midfielders and we should be ready for that.
By consolidate of course, I mean we should only expect the Double and a place in the CL final 😉
Heh, all the Arsenal players in my fantasy team are doubtful for Saturday. Now that’s a proper Arsenal team!
CG, so you picked Diaby then? 😉
H2H – heh 🙂 good stuff , I agree with all that . I do think that LD’s piece was fantastic .
Dr Z – kind of regret posting that Kaka stuff – clearly bollocks . But if he’s still injured , you’ve given me fresh hope ! 🙂
Camberwell – I think you’ll find we all face the same problems ! I think how a manager deals with these early problems defines your managership . Some like Holic indulge in reckless eve of season transfer dealings , TS dives into the CMC , whilst Wolfgang goes for a light swim .
H2H – Top post!
AW’s presser is scheduled for 9 A.M Uk time tomorrow. That would definitely be an interesting one!
Zico – Mata is the messiah lol 😀
CB and Mata, that’s all we’re asking for 😀
Snir @429. I would have loved to have kept a fully committed Cesc for another 10 years. I just do not believe that he has been fully committed for some time sadly. I think that makes his position untenable at the club, and certainly as captain. That is why my decision was to sell him.
I do believe however that if we had set the deadlines and made him fully aware that if the deal was not agreed by that date that he would have been at Arsenal for the following season that he would have fully understood and accepted the situation. If it could not have been sorted in a month then he would know just how much Barca really wanted him.
All in my humble opinion of course………
TABS, we really are not that far apart. I just think that if Cesc was given the deadline and in came and went that he would respect that. It is all the dithering that causes the unrest. Uncertainty I would suggest has caused more problems for Cesc than anything else. Remove that and I think the whole situation becomes a lot clearer.
This is a unique situation as he will only want to go to one club. None of these problems would have reared their ugly head had it just been known that he wanted out. There would have been various clubs making various bids. As soon as one was accepted then it becomes a free for all.
More than happy to share ale with you anytime TABS. I enjoy the debate.
SteveT – Good stuff .
Nicely done gentlemen.
A round on me.
Some excellent posts/exchanges this afternoon from H2H, Steve T, and tabs.
I don’t think any of us are too far away from broad agreement.
My tuppence: Apportioning blame to the situation won’t help the club move forward. All 3 parties have questions to answer but I doubt we’ll be able to get to the bottom of it for some time yet and continued navel contemplation isn’t going to solve the things that now urgently need fixing i.e. some squad strengthening.
zico, another great post at #433.
Drinks/pipes/open tins for all in the bar. It’s been a tough day for us Gooners. Good things are on the way, I’ve seen it in the (Xtal) balls 🙂
TS: “Apportioning blame to the situation won’t help the club move forward.”
Very true. Maybe one day we will know what has really been going on these past few years, but until we do then slinging mud around won’t get us anywhere at all.
H2H@428: heh, good stuff!
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/free-video
Cesc future to be decided very quickly! Nasri’s situation is stable….I wonder what that means 🙂
Oddest ‘non’ interview I’ve seen yet on pravda.com…
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/free-video
Was this really necessary, or is it just his way of saying nothing at the press conf tomorrow…??
May be I’m the only one and this knowing fully well that losing Cesc is a huge blow – As long as we play our brand of football we will continue to score goals
The problem for me is the defence .We need to strengthen, no excuses
Reinvesting Cesc money is common sense if you ask me. I mean, Arsene Wenger would be really mad not to spend it.
I think enough has been said about Cesc/Nasri sagas..
RVP to score the opening goal of the campaign, anyone? 🙂
ATG – According to all kinds of reports, there an Arsenal board meeting held today where the board told AW Nasri must be sold. AW tried to keep one of the two at least.
Jadson was in London today, I hope it’s in addition to Mata and not instead of Mata.
Boy are you fellas quick 🙂
I was about to post the same .con link
Hi Holic,
i just have a simple question to ask.
does this blog has it’s own private league on fantasy premier league ? (www.premierleague.com)
if has so,then i wish to join it. May i please get the league name and it’s code.
Thanks & reply awaited.
TABS Care to do a commentary on todays board meeting..am sure it would be one of the more interesting ones 🙂
Odd start to the season, not that it has started yet. But the nerves are starting to kick in and the opportunities for the new blood should be plentiful. This is when things can start to get interesting. Bring it on!!
So both players are going, Arsene has got some tough three weeks coming. In a way I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes. Cesc was always going to go back one day as for Nasri somethin tells me his head grew since he had that interview on BBC.
N73
Holic looks after the league wait on him is my best advice.
Double vodka and coke please Boss beer has lost it’s freshness lately…
Apologies was meat to say Ameen …. 🙂
bt8b
Thats the spirit…
Hi guys,
Enough with the Cesc/Nasri/Signings debate.
What do you say we change it up a bit?
Many people have said that Arsenal lack physicality in the middle of the pitch and that a DM needs to be signed.
Then again, many have said that Alex Song is the EPL best DM as of now.
Do you think AW should abandon the “Cesc formation” now that Cesc is off and beef up the midfield so that Song isn’t all by himself?
Sort of like a combination like Vieira and Gilberto.
That could be done with Song and Frimpong and in that case Jack would be able to move further up the pitch and showcase his attacking abilities.
* stoops to pick up papers and beer bottels*
‘Holic,
Do you see what happens when you let the same “drinking-session” run for too long?
Rioting in the streets; gold up over $1800 / ounce; Spuds get to stay undefeated for an extra week or so; and veritable best-mates go haranguing one another on the motivations and scuttlebutt surrounding two wantaways.
As far as I am concerned, that’s what they both are. No more. No less. Good riddance.
I say that it’s all YOUR fault, guv’. If had distracted us with another piece of stellar writing detailing accounts from days past… well, thesame shit-storm would have happened, but we wouldn’t have trashed the bar so by over-analyzing, -discussing, -digesting this foolishness.
Let’s turn the page, boss.
Please…. 😥
Heh!
Sorry all, but you will have to wait for tomorrow night. I have just been recording tomorrow’s Arsecast with Blogs and GilbertoSilver. I think you will find there is something for everyone on there, although the outtakes will be the best bits, and you don’t get to hear them…
Unlucky 😉
449 Ameen,
The ‘holic FPL is available, http://fantasy.premierleague.com/
code to join the league is 1023272-242956
Yay, return of the Arsecast. The greatest podcast that evah lived….
We’re nearly there, folks. Leather and willow can at last be discarded, and I can deliver my masterplan and win the Holic League HT title.
Anyone got a spare masterplan lying around? Arsene?
Pints for all in the bar, apart from Lonestar – give him a broom – I think he is offering to sweep up….
Snir @ 455 – do your really think Frimpong is ready?
Dr. Z,
I can drink and sweep at the same time.
Or does DLL Ltd, have some sort of policy against that sort of thing? If it does, I’m taking it to the streets, baby! 😛
Zico – I guess we’ll have to take that risk because of various reasons.
1) AW won’t spend 20M+ on transfer fee and a couple of Millions on wages on a DM, we already know that.
2) The lack of like for like replacement for Cesc can be an opportunity to change the formation which is as we all know the “Cesc formation”, when Cesc isn’t on the pitch we struggle.
3) He needs to start some time doesn’t he? We will never know if he’s ready or not if he won’t get the chance. I know it’s different but Cesc (cause Cesc is special but still..) got the chance without going on loan first too.
This could be a good physical midfield for away games when we’ll have battle in the midfield as opposed to the home games where the teams are obviously content on parking the bus.
Lonestar – no such DLL policy. Unless we make sweeping changes, heh. 😀
Snir, I don’t see it happening. I’m not sure given the start we have and the summer we have had, that the Emirates would be the best place for a young guy to put straight into the first team – unless our fans are going to forgive him by learning from his mistakes playing in big games.
Not convinced Wenger would see that as being too clever a move either.
We’ll soon see I s’pose.
Wot? No new blog?
I shall be reading the new one possibly only back from The Hague.
By which team it will have been rendered obsolete 😉
team?
time
Zico – I don’t know what to tell you.
Anybody he’d bring in that isn’t from the EPL would need to deal with the same crowd and the same pressure and fear of mistakes, so can’t prevent it really.
But I do think that we have to change our formation to something that works without Cesc.
Oh and we haven’t really talked about it a lot because of the CB and Nasri/Cesc replacements talk, but our forwards situation doesn’t look too good.
The only one we have to cover for RvP is Chamakh… Guess it means Afobe will get some chances?
I think Theo might play some games in the middle, Snir.
G’day ‘holics,
I see that the Mugsmashers have beat us to the punch wrt my favourite Argy LB, Jose Enrique. Pity to see that.
I’m probably going to get flames for this but I don’t mind. He can’t replace Cesc but why not go after Everton’s Arteta? He’s a creative AM who can play centrally and pick a pass. He’s Spanish too. I’ve always liked him. Underrated and we could get him at a reasonable price. Let the flaming begin 👿
Enjoy the wobbly pops boys.
No flaming SV – He’s an excellent player.
And Everton is the only team that’s been even less active in the market than us. We’ll have cabbage to tempt them with. The dominos will begin to fall in the market now.
Snir, you don’t know what to tell me?
C’mon. You are the famous Snir, the Seer (in the rear). Just because I can’t see it happening doesn’t mean you can’t. 😀
There are loads of questions still to be answered sure, but, I’m just brimming with excitement, as I always am at the start of a new season. It’s got to be better than the excruciating close season, which nearly drove me to drink.
And that would just be terrible. Just ask H2H. 😉
Mata in with the Nasri money. Arteta and Mertesacker in with the Cesc money.
*dream projecting out loud*
There’s only ONE Arteta.
* I’ll get me coat… *
Before I go, time to reprise some HT mk II musik:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBN_NCBhghI
Enjoy, boyos.
SV, he’s a good player, but one of your ‘arguments’ defeats itself: as you say, he’s Spanish too 😉
OK, Mata is too :p
Isn’t Arteta bit injury-prone too nowadays?
Zico – I will tell you, just not today ;).
Today has been quite emotional has I’ve come to terms with the thought of Cesc in that filthy shirt.
I got my excitement back, at first I wanted the match to be postponed cause of the injuries we have.
From what I understood, everybody’s fit apart from Jack (and Cesc and Nasri of course).
I am much more relaxed with TV at the back, and I need Ramsey and van Persie to play for my fantasy team!
Ollie: Arteta hasn’t been quite the same player since he did his cruciate ligament in a couple of seasons ago. I wanted us to buy him before he did that, he would have been a great addition to our squad. Not so sure about that anymore, though.
Cheers Lars.
That’s the spirit, Snir!
For EVERYONE on here tonight the best chill out tune ever!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzJY96m3lkg
Club is bigger than the payer!
Than the player that is!
Ollie – An injury prone Spanish creative central MF in, and one out. From that perspective it’s as good a swap as you’re likely to get. And our physios won’t know the difference 😉
AtG,
Although I have nothing against Satchmo, for my money’s worth (given I paid nothing), this is a can’t miss chill out tune:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHdyS3jf3vQ
The Club will ALWAYS be bigger than the player…
Good evening Holics
I appreciate your very kind welcome to the Holics Club and will pop in as often as I can.
This is no time gentlemen and ladies to go into mourning , life goes on and there will be new acquisitions to cheer on come Saturday week. I cried when Brady and Stapleton left and when Dennis retired but the Cesc saga has left a sour taste in the mouth. I suspect we have had his best years, recurring hammy injuries may well plague him for what might turn out to be a less than happy time at Barca.
Arsene just get Nasri out of our Club, he has let you and me in particular down ( I am now faced with purchasing a new shirt, why did I think he would be with us long term when I bought a “Nasri”model last season).
With our injuries ,do you think AW will be forced to “throw” the Barcodes game by playing the “kids”,in favour of putting out patched-up players in an attempt to get a lead in the CL Qualifier?
August is going to be desperate , perhaps a glass of Albarino will cheer me up!
But as always COYRs
Cool tunes, Lonestar.
Especially enjoyed Maze, but the launch of the HT Mkll will be accompanied by this today…
This cover is just for Ollie…
Delia, I almost bought a Nasri shirt last season, but something (Divine Providence) told me to go with Song… no regrets there (as yet.
I like the tone of your post. It’s time for us to take our counsel from Lady MacBeth and “Screw [our] courage to the sticking place”
* Easy, there Wolfgang. Easy *
Agree on that Delia. CL qualifier really puts the pressure on the squad. BTW. Is my ArsenalPlayer broken or was that Arsene interview really just one minute long and basically looked like he was pushed in front of camera ?
My pleasure, ‘Holic.
I assume you will repost that link. 😳
That could be an interesting issue.
Will AW have a rotation policy for these next 5 games?
My bad, ‘Holic…browser hadn’t refreshed.
Snir, we’ve only got eleven fit players. He’ll struggle 😉
A round to you H2H for this excellent post!
It may not be the general mood and don’t feel like partaking in the gutter press fearmongering but I am excited to watch Arsenal again in 40 hours. And for real this time.
I’m like a child the night before Christmas I just can’t wait!
Sorry that I cannot provide a link but Sid Lowe wrote a very interesting and balanced article today about the Cesc saga for Sports Illustrated. To provide perspective, one of his key points is that we plucked Cesc away from Barça for free amidst a time when FCB was experiencing organizational turmoil. Hence, we took advantage of their situation at the time.
Glass half full perspective wrt Cesc: We buy very low (free) and we sell at a very high mark-up (whatever the final price ends up being).
Goonerholic @ 484 – how could I have forgotten Iggy for the HT jukebox?
Criminal mismanagement 😉
Mgmt’s got a lot of work to do before the window closes there zico. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes. How would you rate their ‘management’ this summer? Exceptional probably?
SV,
That argument is bogus/bollucks/crap. Take your pick.
To assert that they should get a discount on Cesc because he was their training-ground product is a nonsequitur. I’m definitely do not have the background on the initial deal, but, assuming there was no fraud involved, Farca had the chance to sign an “adult” contract when he was 16.
Arsenal didn’t drug the boy. He probably realised then what he has now forgotten, that he will have greater opportunities to play and be instrumental with us than them.
At any rate, that deal and this one are not one-in-the-same. Aside from the parties participating, they are not even related.
I’m with (Matt, I think) or whoever said that what we should have done is tell “Captain Fantabulous” that “Here’s our price. 50mil or whathaveyou. You tell your contacts at Barcelona to pay that amount or you’re going no place. And tell them they have 3 weeks to respond.”
If Cesc continued aggitating, or displaying his “unsettlement” he should have been reminded of his contractual status, been stripped of the captaincy, and told (to paraphrase Mourinho) “either play for us with a happy heart, or take your seat here on the bench.” Period.
All these folks giving Cesc a pass, and wishing him “well” seem to overlook the fact that he wants OUT. He doesn’t have clean hands here. If he wanted to stay, he’d be playing on Saturday. If he was ambivalent on leaving, he’d still be playing on Saturday. No. He wanted out.
He made it very clear that he wanted out. I’m sorry…but, I still take things like being a captain seriously. A captain, a true “leader” would NEVER tell his troops the equivalent of – well I gave you eight good years… I’m ready to go home.
That’s the old soldier in me. Sorry for the rant.
A drink for whoever gets lucky 500. 😉
You can get it to 600 before tomorrow night, I’m sure 😉
G’night all.
Evening all –
My head hurts and I refuse to do any more agonising ‘cos I can’t affect the Cesc/Nasri thing at all.
I therefore agree with everyone, especially TABS about the ‘deadline setting’. I too thought at first, that a deadline for all parties was the way to go. But I now think TABS is right.
It would not have stopped Barca’s 973 vice-presidents, or Cesc’s 524 Barca DNA cousins from drip feeding comments through various media long after any deadline had expired.
We are caught in a one-buyer auction, with the double whammy that our player will ONLY go to that buyer anyway. With his contract gradually running down, and his injury situation not improving, we sadly are stuck with taking more or less whatever they offer.
So let’s just do the inevitable and flog Nasri as fast as possible and get some proper replacements.
Jadson ? Whoooooo ?
At least it’s not Onme Edson. 😉
Just trying my luck…
Drinks on me in any case!
500 ?
LG, no bitterness here, the good news with Cesc leaving now is, unlike Henry, he`s got plenty of time to reconsider and be back. 🙂
Haaa! Did you!
Have one on me then Matt, to make up for my greediness in the box. 😉
Holic,
Don’t you worry, we’ll get to 600 by tomorrow night. Plenty to talk about – Arsecast, AW’s presser, injuries for Saturday, official announcements (?).
@LG: It’s Steve T’s point. It sounds good when you read it but I doubt it’s that simple in real-life. Juve could not keep Zidane, United could not keep Ronaldo and Barca could not keep Figo. Hell Spurs could not keep Sol 😉
Mind you we kept hearing Cesc was gone last summer. I’ll wait for an official statement from Arsenal or Cesc, until then he is an Arsenal player.
Trev @498 – you know it makes sense !! 🙂
@Snir: I’m sure there’ll be plenty of frenzied loops. How about this quote:
“We currently have four central defenders,” Wenger told German publication Kicker, “and so there is no need for another.”
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/942574/arsene-wenger-says-arsenal-not-in-the-market-for-a-centre-back?cc=5901
Let’s hope we’ll swap Squillaci for Mata so we’ll only have 3 central defenders…
@Trev: Bubbly for the start of the new season then!
Tabs – It does cause Barca are cunts.
Matt, it’s a quote from last season.
You’re a bit too late, noticed that quote this morning and already looked up the credibility of it 😀
Snir you’re taking the fun out of it 😉
Matt – I’ll need copious amounts of bubbly and stronger alcohol to get me through the start of the season to Sept. 1st 😉
I concur with Trev and Tabs that the use of an artificial deadline wouldn’t have a positive effect on Cesc’s situation, as all and sundry are aware of the official deadline. Possibly, it could have made the situation much worse, which is hard to imagine. Nevertheless, I think it’s time for a new dawn that is, if Cesc and Nasri are going, the club should let them do so as quickly as possible. Subsequently, we should do our utmost to replace them quickly and efficiently and then move on. No player is bigger than the club, thus, we as supporters need to stay calm, at least until Sept.1 and trust in the club to reinvest the proceeds to improve the squad substantially. This is the time that we are needed most as supporters, so let’s stick together and support our club. Gunners4life! “Together we stand, divided we fall”.
Fellow Gooners: “An optimist sees an opportunity in every difficulty while a pessimist sees a difficulty in every opportunity”. Let’s try to be the former, at least until the transfer deadline.
Ice Cold Heineken please Barman and a drink of their choice for my fellow holics.
Hi ‘holic and holics,
First time poster here. First of thank you for this wonderful blog and the super funny posts.
So Cesc is about to leave one day before the season starts, I guess all would agree that things could have been dealt with much more smoothly.
Hope we reinvest asap. No superstar required, but good solid players who can do the job right away.
Thanks again for this blog, it kinda made this off season almost bearable.
Whiskey for me please.
Oh and Bar$$ are cunts.
Yes Yes Glory!!!
Interesting news reports about our possible signing of Jadson. As I recall from our two games against Shakhtar, Jadson was very impressive.
Forgot to change my name on my other computer …
8ball – Why persist with the “behind the 8 ball but” part? “Gunning for Glory” by itself sounds pretty good to me — why not just stick with that part?
Are you familiar with “MN nice”? Two MN folk aren’t being too nice to each other tonight over in IA.
Sure enough! For the uninitiated, “Minnesota nice” is a local form of passive aggressive behavior that drives outsiders such as myself bonkers. Presidential candidates, of whatever persuasion, and whether they are Minnesotans or not, are very adept at this type of behavior especially right before they fleece the citizenry for all they are worth. Stingy, I’m not sure why but I just like the behind the 8 ball part of my moniker and it provides continuity with my past, which some of us have forgotten (Theo Van Nasregas?) 😉
Other news reports suggest that AW is really more interested in Eden Hazard as a Cesc replacement, but most of the reports seem to agree that he is interested in Juan Mata as a replacement for Nasri. I hope all this stuff can be resolved before the end of the month, but knowing how slowly we tend to move, that may be hoping for too much. Please get on your speedy horses, AW and IG. 🙂
8ball – I’ve got such a poor memory 😳 If I stuck with my old moniker I’d be in the midsts of coming up with a new one now also. It’s always best to come up with a moniker without present players in it. I’ve learned that the hard way. Is part of being MN nice to attack those from your fellow state with more vim and vigour than those from elsewhere? It seems so tonight 😉
I hear that a lot of Minnesotans originally came from Scandanavia. People from those Nordic countries are known for their friendliness. And it seems to me that the name Lars is the most common name for men from Scandanavia. Do you know any Lars’ in your neck of the woods? And if so, how many? And how big are their wallets? You probably have a neighbour named Lars. Right?
Therefore, I bet Lars is MN nice 😉
Stingy, I haven’t met anybody named Lars yet, but I have met a couple of Sorens. Actually, I think Lars is Sweden nice, unless he has a Minnesota connection he hasn’t told us about. 😉
By the way, have a drink on Lars tab, with my approval. 🙂
I bet you could go into an average pub in MN and say, “Put it on Lars’ tab” and it would probably work 😀
At this rate we’ll never get to 600 drinks before a new post. Never. 😕
Bah humbug
Stingy
Stingy/8ball: No MN connection here! In fact, I actually have partially English roots, my mother’s grandfather was an English sailor so I consider myself 1/8 English 🙂
Impeccable1: well said, if Cesc is gone then there is no good looking back. Cesc has been my favourite player for years but no player is bigger than the club (and I will/would like him a fair bit less in a Barca shirt – I will, however, not dislike him one bit unless he really cocks up and says something stupid about Arsenal) and whatever the outcome of players coming/going, the Arsenal will still be there. And yes, I am fully aware of the fact that at the moment we don’t exactly look like title contenders – but then again we didn’t in the summer of 2007 either. And let’s not forget that summer of 2003 when all we bought was a German keeper for £1m, a keeper who wasn’t even the first choice on his national team – and this on the back of a season in which we had thrown away the league title by collapsing towards the end. Hmm, that sounds familiar, anybody else get that sense?
And no, before you ask: I do not expect us to win the league come May 2012. But stranger things have happened, and I for one won’t waste my energy on throwing hissy fits after every dropped point. If I already know we’re not going to win, then what’s the point in getting all worked up again and again and again about it? Dropping out of the top four would hurt a lot, but we’ll deal with that when that day comes. I am not one for just giving up, let’s hope the players aren’t either.
I would have placed a wager that you had relatives in MN Lars 😉
Just found out real reason Fab is going
Apparently Spanish footballers are going on strike for 2 weeks to celebrate his arrival
Lars , I am with you on not throwing hissy fits, but its AWs attitude in recent years, promising everything until nearly the end of each season and delivering very little, and not acknowledging individual frailties in himself or his team that provoke stress.
In the end these must have an effect on the players who leave for what they hope will be greener pastures, when they see no changes in AWs policies
SV @ 494
I do indeed think the HT Management are doing an exceptional job – these guys are consummate professionals. Think you’ll find that they will deliver a winning combination long before 1st September.
As for the Arsenal management team, well I don’t have access to the machinations involved in transfers, but then who does?
Do I think we need more experienced players? Yes. Defenders in particular. But I discovered a long time ago that closing my eyes and wishing very hard that something should suddenly come true doesn’t really yield results. I’m still massively looking forward to the new season and watching my team.
Trev @ 498 – Onme Edson :-). You need to bring your comedy genius to the bar during normal hours, mate.
Lars – Seeing how both you and Snir are fully paid up members of the Cesc fan club, I have one increasingly diminishing hypothetical Q for you. Assuming Cesc does end up at FCB, will the blaugrana end up being your second team henceforth? I know even the thought of such a thing would make brother G physically ill.
Stingy, didn’t I answer that in my last post? No player is bigger than the club so no, Barca won’t become a second team in any way whatsoever. I actually did quite like them a few years ago but their increasingly cunty behaviour has made me despise them. Amazing football team, but despicable in most other senses.
zico – I have little doubt about the HT management’s ability to attain consistent overachieving performances this year. You cheeky bugger 😛
Behind the 8 ball gunning for glory – welcome to the bar. We used to know someone just like you 😉
SV – Barca is a second team. My second most hated team after Spurs.
Cognac: I’m not sure I agree about Arsene not acknowledging frailties. He has said on numerous occasions that we need to be better at defending, for example.
Morning all. Agree with Lars and Cog. No point throwing hissy fits. Maybe if people did not take Arsene so literally when he says we will try and win everything and have a bit of perspective they would be a lot happier. That said all I care about is the league, the rest are all window dressing.
I believe we will get to 600 there is no reason why we cant 🙂
Welcome SlaSh – oh excuse me, time for a visit 🙂
Ha! One easy way to set Snir off is to mention FCB. It’s the one button in his spaceship that should be labelled, “Do not push under any circumstances!” 😉
600 easy Noel – it’s not as if Friday’s a work day right?
600 will be easy once tabs and Ws wake up. Ws can get to 600 by himself through discussions about ladies footwear. I was just being my usual pessimistic self.
Bah humbug,
Stingy
g-day all pres conference looms season opener looms too,not to worried on the conference if cesc and nas go life will go on,who ever is sign for the club i am ready for the season start the off season i am over it,this may be the catylist for great things at Arsenal, thing is Arsenal is bigger than us all and bigger than AW, time to put ego to bed and save the club the money is there now i believe
Why do I have the feeling that if I go back to sleep I’ll miss the headline of the century and if I stay up for the press conference it’ll be usual AW talk?
great arsecast holic
Lars,
So you hold a grudge against FCB now due to the Cesc dealings which didn’t exist before? You never felt this amount of acrimony towards them after they snatched Titi (or a number of other past Gunners) away from us but you do now?
I imagine FCB will be the second team of very few ‘holics and Gooners from now on.
We’ve all heard of the (in)famous Barça DNA but how would one define Arsenal DNA?
Really feel that starting positive is going to be the key. A bad start could spiral downwards quickly especially with the fixtures in August.
Am not a panic monger but just a lil jittery…
All excited but just a bit jittery 🙂
Is the reason Lars is so generous with his tab because he’s everyone’s uncle? Lars’ is your uncle (LIYU). Cheers Lars 🙂
Actually, Stingy, my dislike for Barca started way before they turned the Cesc pursuit up to full pelt.
Good evening all, I’m new but I’ve passed by the bar many times both in the morning and the late evening like this [shit does London still close the pubs at 11:30? I haven’t been there in ages!] and heard the banter, going to pop in for a night cap (in my time zone anyhow) and try to help the push for 600.
My 5 cents is that no matter how much I believe Cesc and Nasri were critical to our setup, I’m kinda relieved to have them out (if/when it’s official that is). I was against losing both, but I’ve rethought the whole thing recently.
The reason being, is that I just want the team to be back to a team, you know? Not that either one was a “me” player–for the record I adore Cesc even now–but I feel our core crop of players now (most anyway) are try-ers, and will work until the final whistle. That may sound naive because of all the disappointments we’ve suffered the past several seasons because of apathy, but I feel a shift, a real sense of purpose in our core, finally.
Wilshire is contagious. You know, when he’s on the pitch running around (I still remember one of the proudest moments for me watching Arsenal when he taught Xavi and Iniesta what bossing the midfield is all about)
Ramsey has more bottle than composure, but that will come. He is a class act and I just read an article about him contacting that Wales rugby player Stoddart who broke his leg in support. It seems he wants to succeed badly.
Oh wait, they’re both probably injured for Newcastle but I thought I’d get the conversation started about a shift, a realignment back to the basic tenets, blending graft and skill and heart.
Anyway, a good rum, say Diplomatico neat for me, with a lager to wash it down please.
Same here, their pursuit just made them more hated than they already were.
Morning chaps. Now if holic can hold off the next blog till tomorrow AM, and all the other holics can get the drinks to, say, 595 by about 5pm today…hopefully I can finish my lecture and storm back to the lecturers’ room just in time to score the big 6.
Now that would round off a (non?) work day that has already started with a bang.
@Lars curious when exactly did the hatred start? Surely not Overmars?
@Camberwell I’m a bit new in the bar but you’re a lecturer? I just finished summer session here in the U.S. myself, so I’m free as a canary. Poor choice of birds perhaps…
Morning all
The sale of Nasregas was broadcast all ober BBC’s breakfast show prohrammes this morning so it must be true along with our dear old pal Lee Dixon (respect!) proclaiming that we will not make the Top 4. Actually, I prefer it when we’re underdogs with a lot to prove.
So, no-one can deny that the squad was cleared-out over the summer: Clichy, Cesc, Na$ri, (JET) with Bendy and Eboue (and Almunia?) to follow.
Really looking forward to seeing who we’re going to bring in. I wonder if Arsene will go ‘mad’ (not in a ‘Holic Bar kind of way) and surprise with some real super-quality MF & CB signings.
Right, I’m off to platform 49, all aboard that’s coming aboard.
PS: Welcome SlaSh (!?!?) and nice new name 8ball – drinks on the bar for both of you.
PPS: Trev, I’m with zico, can’t you make the odd deposit in between torturing, sorry healing, your patients? 🙂
@Haight Street…Indeed I am, on the finer points of the English language. No scheduled holiday for me sadly, just your bog standard 20 days of leave a year – next month: Cyprus here we come!
PS Excuse my ignorance but where is Haight Street? Is it famous?
@8ball – you were Theo Van Nasregas?? I had no idea…
Welcom Haight, posh rum for you on the bar too.
Two lecturers, two (real) doctors – it’s all getting rather high-brow in here these days 😉
Any legal/banking types joining us in our professions fest?
Mes que un blog.
Oh, and just for Lars, Buck you Farca!
Camberwell
Allow me. Stingy was TVN. 8 ball was BT8BBNN – final N was Na$ri.
Hello Haight Street and welcome!
Put your nightcap on Lars’ tab 😉
Since I’m at work, can anyone please summarize AW’s presser for me?
Obvious he wouldn’t say we are selling two major players in public, that apart anything interesting?
@Camberwell Gooner 20 days is not bad at all actually! I’m an adjunct English (cue American jokes) teacher here in the US. Hire and fire by semester, very sad, but it’s a reality for many of us without a phd.
Haight is a street in San Francisco, better known as Haight Ashbury? There’s a strong group of gooners here in the lower end of the street, just a pet name for us really
TS – what was broadcasted on the BBC exactly?
At this rate we’ll hit 700. Glass half full side of my manic depressive self 🙂
@TS just a Master’s, but University level (I teach comp and English as a language)
Thanks all for the welcome!
For all of you daisy fresh morning boys, I’ll lend you all my cane flask to take to work! It’s a cane, and a flask, the perfect disguise.
Snir
Just the ‘fact’ that AW has been on record saying that Arsenal are in the ‘final stages’ of preparing for the sale of both players. It was a confirmation not an interview.
That’s just great…. Haight.
Yet another meaning to the phrase ‘getting caned’ 😉
Haight: it had nothing to do with Arsenal (and I wasn’t as fanatical about Arsenal as I am today at the time of Overmars), it was just that I got increasingly fed up with their smugness and what really did it in for me was they way they reacted to being knocked out of the CL by Inter in 2010 when after having tried all game to cheat their way through the tie (remember Busquets peeking through his fingers to see if the ref showed a yellow to the Inter player before continuing to roll around?) then Valdez tried to pick a fight with a few Inter players and then they turned on the sprinklers in the half of the field where the Inter players were celebrating going through. I have never seen anything like that, and then of course their behaviour regarding Cesc has not exactly helped matters. So no, brilliant football team but as a club they have absolutley no class whatsoever.
Welcome to the bar Haight Street. And when I some day visit SF I’ll be sure to drop in with my better half (who is also a gooner – a Colombian one in fact…perhaps she could be in charge of the CMC?)
Morning ‘holics!
600 is possible! Impossible is nothing! Arsenal on screen again…can’t wait, no matter what team trod out!
Lars – The sprinkler treatment has been replicated since then. At a ‘neutral ground’ by the staff at Wembley after FCB bear ManIOU. It seems the English blokes didn’t take kindly to the way Barça were celebrating after they won the last UCL. Just in case you missed it.
@Lars thanks for the round btw
I was trying to trace when I became a despiser myself. I think for me It began with the Henry flirtation, but it only became defined after Van Persie was sent off against them. I realize it wasn’t exactly their doing, but football is an irrational compulsion and that is the moment when I well and truly hated them as a club.
The Cesc stuff just provided the combustible material surrounding the pyre.
Welcome new ‘holics…to the desert of the real…Bitter-sweet Olvi for everyone in the bar 😉
I must say I genuinely feel excited for the new season. What will we look like? How will we play? Will the moaners and journalists be happy when we surpasses their expectations as usual? I guess time will tell.
*swallows more happy pills*
And the way that dirty Mou Mou was trying to rub it into the faces of Barça after his victory he deserved a little shower 😉
TS, where did he say that? Got a link?
Have to say that even without Cesc, Nasri or Jack we are favourites to win tomorrow. Van Persie looks like he’ll play (he faces a fitness test but has also been appointed captain for the game – guess the test is basically just a formality), Vermaelen will play, Gibbs will play, Walcott is back in the squad et c.
And that team is certainly one that should be able to give Udinese a good walloping on Tuesday.
Stingy, I was not aware of the sprinklers being turned on at Wembley – this is the first time I have heard about it. But at Wembley you have neutral ground staff, at Nou Camp you have Barca’s own people.
Lars – how is Udinese’s defense?
I don’t know much about them but you seem quite confident :).
@ Camberwell Yes visitors are always welcome!! You have a Colombian gooner wife?? Wow, some people have all the luck!! But sorry what’s the CMC?
Anyway I think we need to resign Paul Burgess, we haven’t won anything since he left. Okay I’m getting silly, time to go!
Cheers all, 600 is around the corner, and a record for old “holic I’m sure.
Going to
…the HT stop, hope I don’t get rolled on the way.
I actually find it stranger that neutral ground staff would pull the sprinkler job than the staff of the losing club. I believe we haven’t seen the end of the sprinkler job I’m afraid.
August 12: Wenger pre-Newcastle United
Presser digest on Pravda
** Wilshere, Diaby out for Newcastle 🙁
** Vermaelen, Walcott back in squad 😀
** Van Persie faces fitness test 😐
** Wenger says Oxlade-Chamberlain is “exceptional talent” 😀
** Boss – Speculation has not affected squad 😯
** Van Persie will be captain tomorrow 😀
** Boss – Miyaichi can have a big impact this season 🙂
** But Ryo will not play against Newcastle, Udinese 😐
Snir, we are talking about a team that has sold three of their best players, and a team that finished 16 points behind a Milan side that couldn’t even score once over 180 minutes against Spurs (and where Geratric Gattuso is still an automatic first choice in midfield). Udinese are also in an earlier stage of their season, this will be their first competitive game of the season. This is a team that we should beat by at least three clear goals assuming we have a reasonably full squad to select from.
Stingy. Barca players pulling their jersey over the Arsenal captain after the world cup. I have despised them since and and always will.
PS: Er… I should point out that the opinions expressed in my smileys do not necessarily reflect the views of Arsenal Football Club.
Right, have to be off for a bit now – will be back in about an hour or so to see who grabbed the 600th post 🙂
Personally, I’m not too concerned about Newcastle. They are a bloody mess right now. Even worse than us at the moment. I’m concerned about Tuesday. No RvP or AW. I think we’ll need goals in the first leg but without RvP we could have a problem Houston.
Noel @ #581
Here, f’in, here!
Classless Catalan C*nts. The three Cs.
Dr.z can we please make that an additional entry in the HT glossary?
…. or even ‘The Triple C Massive’?
Funny that TS! I have seen drinks on how to do smileys but haven’t tries that…(smiles)!
Lars – I’m more interested to know what their defense is like cause although I’m confident we’ll go through, I’m quite concerned about the possibility of lack of scoring chances with Cesc, Nasri and Jack not playing.
Oh and welcome, Haight!
No RvP either Snir. For the first leg that is.
Cox, just for you
http://www.nichewp.com/how-to-use-wordpress-smilies-in-comments.html
With thanks to Lars….
Glass half full perspective on losing Nasri: He’ll have to serve his one game UCL suspension with Citeh 😉
TS – Please check out my 572 post 🙂
@HS – The CMC: Colombian Medical Cabinet…can be explained when I have a little more time
Thanks TS 🙂
more media spin doctoring from AW may get another million or two from perspective buyers
Prediction: >750 before ‘holic punts a new post 😉
600?
two more!
One more!
what is the most drinks ever posted can i ask?
That was quick..
Harsha@558
It was Comical Ali in its absurdity, 🙂
Cox @ 600 – Damn you! 🙂
Stupid work got in the way and I actually had to do what I get paid for. So unfair.
Camberwell/Haight
It the Columbian Medicine Cabinet, now firmly fixed into the HT MkII and still fully stocked with wondrous potions and substances (some in tins) despite what’s been going on with our glorious club. With thanks from me to the all the staff and suppliers of DL Ltd who have carried on regardless under quite challenging circumstances 😉
Dr. Feelgood – Public service announcement required on departure times to/from Newcastle an any other useful travel tips? Shall I see if Edwin has time or are you gong to pick up that action? 😉
Blimey, you lot been busy, 600 well gone. You deserve 600th Camberwell, Cox’s way was not satisfactory.
Cheers ‘holic 484
Cox,
That was shameless! As punishment you can re-fill our pet’s bowl. Tsk…
Ah, I see the wonderful Ollie agrees with me. There ought to be rules against that sort of thing 😉
Don’t worry Ollie, CB will get paid month end! 🙂
Just read a rumour on the Guardian blog. Adebayor to Spuds (loan I guess) but Spuds will only pay 75K/wk with ManC paying the rest of his 175K/wk wage. That doesn’t sound plausible.
nz @ #601
700 should do it, The Barman would need to confirm.
Or simply wait for our first defeat of the season and wait for all the trolls and creepy crawlies to come in here, take a massive smelly dump and then p*ss off.
We could well see a 1000 drinker here soon if we don’t re-invest the na$regas millions wisely.
TS, it’s survival of the fastest! Blame capitalism for the opportunist in me! 😈
All 596 drinks before are on me ‘holics, just to appease CB!
700? I need a drink…
Stingy
Adebaywhore to LWCs. That’s another match made in heaven. Look forward to seeing him at the EMs dressed in Lillywhite. He’ll get a suitably warm welcome from me 😉
Cox @ #614
Heh! Although coke bottle shoulders are never an attractive feature.
Pennance accepted. After that lot, you may need to fill more than just one pet bowl.
Better still head down to the crumbling dump and help to put out a few fires?
I’m guessing last season’s match at the Toon must have seen the most drinkage in the bar. After that epic cockup this place must have went viral. My cabbage is on that as the record setter thus far 😉
Cox 614, Larse will be most pleased! 😉
I mean Lars. Though Larse suits him fine. 😉
At this rate, 700 will be driven right through the covers and out to the boundary, well out of reach of square leg!
Adebayor to spurs ? Definetly a parable for our times.
I dont know why the press bother interviewing Arsene, he gives them nothing so they make it up, there must be great quality free tea and biscuits for the press at the Ems. Please not Scott Dann Arsene..for the love of God..
We should all get a cut (i.e. royalties) from ‘holic for setting a drinks record. They don’t call me Stingy for nothin’ 😉
Getting Dann would be a vertiable slap across the face of all Gooners. Could you imagine a CB pairing of Squillaci and Dann? The Gruesome Twosome. Hide the women and children.
But Noel, isn’t it written that until Scott Dann went off injured that’s when B’ham defense crumbled? He’s a defender that’ll put his body on the line. We need that in the team. Too many ball playing defenders, lets get in a nutter!
s/b veritable
@ Snir 588 if i can butt in….. i know quite a few of their players coz i am a follower of all things football with a kin interest in the Italian game…Udinese have the impressive Handanovic as GK(we have been linked with him before) DEFENSE: Mehdi Benatia(another we have been linked with) Danilo(an impressive Brazilian they have just snapped up) and another who just signed called Neuton(alot of hype around him too)…but other than these…no one stands out in the Udine defense….atleast i have watched Handanovic, Benatia and Danilo(Brazilian games) in action and they really know their stuff….they also have an impressive playmaker in Kwadwo Asamoah(linked with him as well)…but other than that we should go through to the group stages Snir…not to worry…..
If Carlsberg made football clubs….
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/carlsberg-is-arsenal-s-official-beer-partner?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+arsenal-news+%28News+Feed%29
That’s my new lager of choice down the Tollie this season 😉
Cox, brum were not that solid when he was there, they had a few notable draws but shipped goals against their relegation rivals almost weekly. I know the others we are in for are of the same ilk but they offer more than he does. I also dont believe whoever comes in is a direct replacement for Squids. We need a first teamer straight off, not a super sub to come on when we are 1 nil up and hanging on.
And to add to that Snir…they were really weakened by the sale of Inla and Sanchez….
Getting a CB from a relegated side would be a waste of money. We need to upgrade the position not just fill the numbers.
Blimey, I have just watched to first two or three minutes of the Arsene presser, and while I want to open with a disclaimer about being careful when reading too much into facial expressions etc I still say this:
When Arsene said he expects noone to leave, he smiled triumphantly and when asked if Cesc and Nasri would stay he said something like “that is a good interpretation of what I just said” and looked even more triumphant – and there can really only be one explanation for looking so smug and happy and that is that he knows that either both players or at least Cesc will actually stay. I’m not sure I really believe that myself (particularly that Nasri will stay) but I would honestly not be surprised to see Cesc stay at the club.
Arsene Wenger quotes in the press “I expect nobody to leave the club.”
Asked if he thought both Cesc and Samir would stay, he replied: “That’s a good conclusion from my statement.”
Can someone please explain to me why he has to say these things? It makes him and us look like a laughing stock. I love the bloke to death, I will always be more than grateful for what he has done fo Arsenal bur why come out with things like that??????
Lars, you are a lot more confident than I am, I hope you are right and I hope I have never been more wrong,.
Lars & Steve T
Everything crossed here too. It is possible that Arsene has done something incredible again although all the signs right now are that both players will leave. Very confusing and a little bit heart-wrenching for me.
Drinks for you both if you so desire. Carlsberg BTW, are believed to be in negotiations with DL Ltd too for a sponshorship deal. Edwin or the Good Doctor may confirm later, or may not 🙂
Boys. I am fucked if I know anymore but I will have a beer. Cheers.
We did say we wont get fooled again????? Let us just hope that it we aren’t being taken for a ride.
TS, 627, I’m confused, why didn’t we go for that?
http://www.sharpsbrewery.co.uk/news/news-74-doom-bar-is-the-best-selling-cask-beer-in-the-south-west.jpg
Steve: not sure I am confident, my optimism if you will is built on my interpretation of Arsene smiling and looking smug is correct. It could just as well mean that he is angry and fed up with the whole thing – but his words were also quite definitive. The words “straws” and “clutching” do come to mind, but I can honestly say that I would not be surprised to see Cesc stay, if nothing else due to the fact that this is far from the first time we have heard that the negotiations would be done “by the weekend”. Hell, some even claimed that the deal was already done last summer and that he would move as soon as the season ended but that was obviously not true either.
Steve: “I am fucked if I know anymore but I will have a beer”
I will too. I’m buying, what are you having?
Afternoon All , Bloody hell 630 odd drinks ? a chap pops out for a while , and comes back to a full blown party .
Opened my last double window on my pre-season calendar this morning , and the excitement is almost too much to bear . So what if I aint gonna get a new Chopper bike tomorrow , there’s enough goodies in my pillow case to stop me from slumber .
Platform 49 is already looking chaotic . Lonestar’s failing miserably to keep his Llamas under control , Cusop is demanding more lemony water in his bowl , Dr Z is firing up the engines , TS is dishing out some pre-journey treats , and Wolfgang looks quite Audrey Hepburnish with his new red and white parasol .
Time to get behind the Boys . Come on the Arsenal !!
Steve T, once again I can’t get the video to work on Arsenal Player! Now I’m thinking that the infrastructure can’t cope again with the millions of Gooners and hacks trying to replay his presser. Or maybe they’re doing some re-edits??? We won’t get fooled again because there’s no substitute for Arsene’s magic (bus) spin.
Heh Ollie! I thought we were storing those kegs for Ben and his ilk?
Blimey Lars and Steve T – just read your comments on AW ‘s pressie . If its true , then woahhh !!! Not sure its good news entirely , if they want to be elsewhere , but woahhh all the same .
If its all just nonsense , and they are both ( and more specifically Cesc ) still on their way , then I have to echo SteveT and ask Arsene why say such things ?
Maybe Trev’s jest the other night that Cesc would fail a medical is on the money ?
Afternoon tabs, just tucking into The Arsecast. More treats anyone?
tabs: “then I have to echo SteveT and ask Arsene why say such things ?”
And I would join the inquisitive quire. I just can not see why he would be so definitive if he at least did not believe that they will stay, he usually safeguards himself in every possible direction. And he must surely know what kind of reaction such strong wording will get if it turns out to have been lies.
Blogs’ joke about Almunia on the team sheet…… hilarious! 😆
TS, don’t give too much away, I’m saving the Arsecast for laters…
Afternoon TS ,
Yes , very much enjoyed the Arsecast . Well done ‘Holic .
‘Holic , did you dip into the CMC beforehand ? 🙂 I can think of no other explanation for your magnificent glass half full comment that we improved our league position after Brady’s departure . Technically correct , but I think more to do with the lack of cup exploits , than anything John Hollins ( admirable though he was ) did filling in for Chippy . Took us 6 six years to recover from Chippy’s departure . Let’s hope Fab’s departure ( if it happens ) , doesn’t have the same impact . Don’t think it will myself .
I have to say I listened to the press conference and I didn’t take anything negative from the statements he made.
I would imagine that Wenger can’t discuss either of those transfers until the paperwork is signed and sealed. Both sales are big deals. And we all know the pedantic line the club takes in announcing deals. Who’s to know the price for either Casc or Nasri has even been finalised yet? So its a sensitive topic that he has to deal with at a bad time.
He does qualify this when he says:
“I cannot say it will never happen (the transfers), I do not say it will happen…….”
Technically, until either deal goes through – both players are still club players and any admission otherwise might affect the discussions.
So the standard mantra is as it should be – “the focus is on the Newcastle game….fully committed team on the pitch…….that the players who play for this club give absolutely 100%”
As you would have expected from the lack of information in his comments when he referred to the Nasri situation as being “stable” on the club website yesterday – he delivered a longer press conference this morning and said nothing about the transfers really.
TS: Ah, fuck it – I´ll listen to it straight away!
Lars @643 – completely agreed
Apologies Lars – hadn’t seen your comment at 645 before posting at 646 . My lips are sealed , save that TS@644 , yes it was hilarious . 🙂
Haven’t seen any of the press conference (turns out Friday IS a work day) – getting some snippets through a Twitter feed – from what I have heard, and from what is being quoted above, Arsene’s comments can only be attributed to one thing – he has had a fist in the Colombian MC – he wasn’t singing Frere Jacque by any chance?
TS – various posts above – there is almost certainly going to be some form of communication from DL Ltd before kick off tomorrow night – don’t know whether this is going to be a press release, or publishing of the minutes of the recently convened Board meeting but I fully expect Feelgood to have plenty to say on the eve of the season – I expect this to be after Holics next posting.
@ Tabs – Dr Feelgood will be delighted to hear that things are chaotic on Platform 49 – he has taken to wearing new Elton John like glasses, with $$ signs embedded into the frame. Wolfgang is obviously back in his good graces and maybe a deal was done on the parasols?
Such excitement. And I was getting tipsy at 300 drinks….. 🙂
Joe – I haven’t seen it , but I have to say your interpretation sounds eminently reasonable . As you were then 🙁
Enjoys Lars! In the meantime, will keep my trap shut.
Tabs: This is the clip on talksport:
http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/9802/6/wenger-no-news-nasri-and-fabregas?
I don’t know about that Press Conference, can’t be arsed listening to it.
Some respectable person on the arses though put it this way:
‘Arsene only said he didn’t expect anyone to leave the club by tomorrow or possibly this weekend.
He hasn’t said no-one is leaving – that’s pure spin and a misreading.’
That wouldn’t be too surprising, would it?
Frere Jacques always a possibility DrZ . 🙂
I have to say that this Feelgood character looks a bit menacing . Walking up and down jangling all his loose change . Seems to be a cross between a Presenter of Rainbow and that grumpy scottish bloke on Dragons Den .
Watch out tabs – remember the Tranquilizer Option 😉
Oh and I forgot to extend my welcome to Haight (who is probably tucked up in bed by now).
It was only a matter of time before someone from Haight Ashbury turned up here, with all the suggestion of psychedelics on show – I hope he’s got a direct contact for some Owsley acid. We go through quite a lot of water on the HT MkII over the course of a football season.
Can’t listen to the Arsecast till I am out of work today – I’m expecting great things ‘Holic 😉
Heh tabs, briliant 😆
Geoffrey Bannatyne? Fess up Dr.z, that’s DF to a tee! 🙂
Edwin is more a cross of that winner off the recent apprentice and Mr. Bean
Lars – It might be that he just decided to wind the journos up.
Geoffrey Bannatyne – personality disorder in one ready made package. I like it – will recommend him to the board 🙂
We are way past the record on drinks now I assume?
Lars – hernia inducing tab 😉
Hello Sir!
Large cognac please.
Carlsberg please Mr. Barman. SV, it turns out I do know a Lars in MN, from my daughter’s 1st grade class last year so I guess you could be right. TS, Thanks for straightening out CG about TVN. More drinks to get through from the overnight. Cheers!
Dr z., Thanks for the positive review of bt8bbgfg 😉
A name made for the Happy Train 8 ball, welcome aboard. 😀
Joe , thanks for the link . Having now listened to it , there’s nothing in it that gives me comfort that Fab is staying . Completely agree with Ollie’s interpretation given at 654 . Have to say AW spent most of the time trying to avoid transfer talk but that he should give such a juicy soundbite which he must know will be taken out of context , is not particularly savvy , and just gives more grist to his detractors mill . Agree with Joe’s interpretation above .
TS and DR Z – Geoffrey Bannatyne 🙂 very good .
600? Blimey
Also, I would like to say that if Arsene were a girl, she would be a hell of a tease 🙂
Harsha @665 – I’d go out with her .
Hmm, should have expected Wolfgang to sneak in and grab post #666…
Lars, I expect somebody from the satanic secret service must have wanted #666.
Out of Sport.es twitter feed.
CONFIRMED / / Cesc Fabregas has signed for FC Barcelona. Today fly to Barcelona.
Valdes has also said in a press conference that today is a big day for a friend and that the announcement will be made in the next few hours.
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=iw&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.co.il&sl=es&tl=en&twu=1&u=http://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/20110812/cesc-fichado/1114821.shtml&usg=ALkJrhhYETTx89e0bi-3dWhLKt0oVZhNRA
It’s confirmed.
Official announcement on Sunday.
Lars @667 -Yes very fitting – everyone knows I’m a bit of a Devil . 🙂
Here on Platform 49 , Dr Z is complaining that his piston is misfiring . I’m off to see if I can help . So much to do … sell my parasols , make everyone comfortable in the rear , and don’t even get me started on Mr Geuli’s balls …
Bye Cesc.
And thanks for some wonderful moments.
Good luck there? Not from me 😉
Pique and Puyol couldn’t help it, they just couldn’t wait for the official announcement.
Puyol: Nanuuuuu! Welcome home! Happy to have you here. @ cesc4official ooohhhh mucus mucus
Pique: @ cesc4official. Already we have here!
Mucus Mucus? oh dear, haha.
Cunts the lot of them indeed, Snir.
Right, off for the weekend.
Here’s to 3 points tomorrow.
Keep the faith, ‘holics!
Wolfgang – you beast! 😈
Gervinho got Eboue’s number – 27. Eboue didn’t get a new number.
And Chamberlain is 15, with Frimpong taking 26.
tabs & joe @ #664
I’ve listened to the presser now and completely agree. Arsene, very uncomfortable, visibly and constantly squirming on his chair. My guess: it’ll be announced on Pravda on Monday unless there is an agreement in place that neither deal will be officially confirmed until a couple of new signings are made.
Which begs the questons, how can you make such an agreement with a bunch of loud-mouthed, twittering, slobbering, chavvy c*nts like those that Farca employ? Probably impossible.
I now know how to make the biggest splash for any press release. Go tell a story to any of tosee Farca c*nts and make them promise that they’ll keep it a secret.
Farca: The Triple C Massive
(Classless Catalan C*nts)
*sucks lemons, kicks the pet, p*sses in his bowl, leaves*
Eboue not being in that list when Bendtner and Almunia are must surely mean that his departure is imminent?
tabs & joe @ #664
I’ve listened to the presser now and completely agree. Arsene, very uncomfortable, visibly and constantly squirming on his chair. My guess: it’ll be announced on Pravda on Monday unless there is an agreement in place that neither deal will be officially confirmed until a couple of new signings are made.
Which begs the questons, how can you make such an agreement with a bunch of loud-mouthed, twittering, slobbering, chavvy c*nts like those that Farca employ? Probably impossible.
I now know how to make the biggest splash for any press release. Go tell a story to any of those Farca c*nts and make them promise that they’ll keep it a secret.
Farca: The Triple C Massive
(Classless Catalan C*nts)
*sucks lemons, kicks the pet, p*sses in his bowl, leaves*
Whoops, double post 😳
Apologies Holic & Holics. That’s what happens when you let anger take over.
I’m going to take a cold shower and compose myself. They’re not worth it. We have bigger fish to fry now. I’ll go sit on the naughty step for a wee while.
Word is we will score 1 goal against Newcastle for every 100 drinks on Goonerholic, so let’s see some real drinking starting now. 🙂
We’ll just have to wait and see, but at least is seems reports about him being on a plain to Spane are premature since he did train with Arsenal today. I also find it odd that he would train if he knew the deal was done, but then again not much seems to make sense this summer when it comes to Arsenal and transfer dealings…
Anybody for drinks on Lars’ tab? Uh, Lars, you are eligible too. 😉
We know it must be Wengerball 4 if somebody other than Eboue is wearing the 27 shirt …
TS, I’m a little confused here. Is the naughty step inside your shower stall?
Apparently so, 8 ball. I’m out now. Cooled off. Focusing on having a lot of fun on the HT journey and the game, which I shall watch on ESPN.
A drink of your choice when you’re ready 🙂
Wolfgang, nowt wrong with my piston, love.
Pissed ‘n’ broke after next weekend though. 😉
Out of The Guardian’s live blog
You can almost feel the excitement. And that’s just among London football writers, who have had more reason that most to curse Cesc Fabregas and Barcelona in recent times.
The Arsenal captain is finally getting his transfer back home. It’ll cost £35m and it will (please God) stop the thrice-daily ‘What’s the latest on Cesc?’ demands.
But, heavy sigh, it’s not yet official and there is no truth to the rumour that he will be officially unveiled in Barcelona tomorrow.
Dr Z @688 heh , touche 🙂 Wolfie’s slunk off with his tail between his legs .
8ball – are we sticking with 8ball as the shorty version of your name ?
TS – great last line at 680 . Your version of ” eats , shoots , leaves ” ? 🙂
Cheers, tabs @ #690, glad you enjoyed it.
‘8 ball’ – I vote for ‘8 ball’ and I promise to never call you ‘na$ri again 😉
Snir, how about we try & declare a ‘C + N’ free zone? At least until we’re on the other side of 700? Enough obsessing already (with me being oneof the biggest culprits, of course) 😉
Snir@689, interesting stuff. I have to admit I have started to find the whole thing rather funny in a strange way, people are almost falling over each other in trying to be the first to find any sort of official confirmation of things.
Lars @ #679
Maybe he’s lying low in the L.Colney grass in his tiger suit, perfectly camouflaged?
Shall we send out an Eboue search party? 🙂
Heh – C & N free zone lasted one post 8)
The plot thickens – now the list of squad numbers has been removed from .com…
Heh zico! What a rubbish attempt that was 😆
Lars and so has the ‘injury news’ section under the news tabs 😯
TS, maybe the Tottenham looters have gone all digital and are now stealing web pages instead of phones and beer?
Ok boys, 700 hoves into view!
Buck Farca
The longest drawn out transfer saga ever. Enough already. Barca players using twitter is akin to monkeys reading shakespeare, they will be right once in their pathetic lives…
700!
too early ?
Oh f**k, Noel beat me to it 🙂
Excellent post Noel, and a deserved 700 surely puts you in the ‘Holic hall of fame
Not even fucking close 😈
Ha ha result ( Gives club back to caddie , sweeps the buxom fan off her feet and heads for the bunker)
We were all hovvering their chaps but Noel was the fox in the box, haha 😀
Well in Noel
What’s the buxom fan doing on the golf course, and not serving drinks on the HT?
Well done Noel – 700 plus – Holics servers gonna crash. What’s it going to be like when we have some real stuff to talk about?
A ha!
‘Team News’ is the new ‘Injury News’.
Those boys that Ivan employs are worth their weight in gold, aren’t they?
Just interviewing her at the moment Z, so far she has all the right credentials.
But we’re still missing Eboue and the squad numbers.
That’s a good name for a band isn’t it tabs?
zico@709: whaddayamean, what’s not real about the Happy Train?
TS: heh, “Eboue and the squad numbers” – brilliant name for a band!
Thank you , Alan Partridge @710 🙂
Ah! According to Gooner Talk (never read it), Eboue is in Turkey and not in his tiger suit
*tries desperately to think of a funny one-liner to tail his post*
TS @712 – very good , not sure they had many hits 🙁
Heh Lars, you got me.
Just in case though, I am flying to London for the game next week. 🙂
Dr Feelgood with wings, god help those poor sods 33,000 feet below.
This truly is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen the Guardian write.
SSN truly have no clue…
3.10pm: Good afternoon everybody. I was hoping that the Cesc Fábregas transfer may have been concluded before I resumed manning this blog but alas, it wasn’t to be. We are close though, that much is clear, although nothing else seems to be. Sky Sports News are now reporting that Fábregas is at the airport, is on his way to the airport or is preparing to go to the airport, which presumably means he’s scrambling around his house wondering where he left his passport. SSN are also reporting that a recent Arsenal signing is worrying that these sales (Nasri is expected to follow) are a bad reflection on the club he just joined. It’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, isn’t it?
Just pulled this off twitter. Eboue moving to Korean Club No Hed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5mj0Huxajk
Wines and happy pills don’t go well together… *hic*
How are you gooners holding up? Barkeep, mind if I back-heel a Stag Beer to everyone in the bar? It’s something I always wanted to try…
tabs@717: they also tried making a few movies, but they all bombed because none of them were particularly good actors.
I have to say that the first 3 minutes of today’s arsecast made me really sad, like literally sad.
750??
What’s the record?
You tell us, Mr Seer 😉
I know the future not the past 😉
To know you’re future you have to know your past . To quote my xmas cracker .
err … ” your ” future 😳
I know my past, not the bar’s past (although I have a strong feeling that this is actually the record).
Plus, Mr.Geuli, didn’t you get AOC’s number wrong? I thought you said he would be #26?
If I’m wrong, my apologies, if not, this could put your career at DL Ltd in doubt again 😉
Shall I just say out loud what everybody else seems to be skirting around ? The 800 is on fellas . Come on …. , yes it will be difficult , yes there will be hard times ahead , but we have the mental strength , we have the collective energy , and overall I am very pleased .
TS – I did, but it’s not my fault he’s not too decisive! He went from 33 to 26 to 15!
Why release the squad numbers on the day all this shit is going down. The PR machine is obviously automated and was built during the cold war.
The moral of this tale Snir is to rely on your balls , not your Arse 🙂
tabs @ #732
800 by 18:00? Remember, we have pace to burn now 😉
It will be just like a new achievement.
As soon as there is news on this, I will let you know.
Come on you Gooners, cesc parting gift could well be giving us great odds on us winning the title 🙂 sooner its sorted the better! A more settled and focused team rallied around being given no chance by anyone except us supporters is what is needed in this Gooners opinion. Plenty of talent there to step up to the plate with the addition of 2/3 more we’ll be the surprise package of this season! My round, who is having what?
Beer please Could Be Worse . Cheers and good post
TS – I believe in this team
Well said Cbw. We need to make Lee Dixon (respect) eat his words. I’m sure he’d be delighted to, he’s still a Gooner deep down.
Pint o’ Carlsberg please!
Oh and the reason wenger was lookin a bit smug this morning is because eboue robbed cesc’s Passport before legging it to turkey 🙂
OK tabs, this is now officially Wenger Bingo!
I didn’t see it
(this will easily get us to 800)
Heh! Cbw.
and double heh! for ‘legging it to turkey’
He could have winged it I suppose? 🙂
Gobble Gobble
He’s an intelligent boy, very intelligent
We lacked a bit the sharpness
We played with the handbrake on a little
I expect nobody to leave the club
If you do not believe you can do it , then you have no chance
Quick question all. Of to the pub in 5. Do you want a 3,4, or 5 pint preview later on?
Go for seven ‘Holic 🙂
We Want Whiskey
He did his cruciate.
Go for the gallon Holic !
Pub time!
Real pub time.
See you in the next round of drinks……
You Reds! 😀
I’ll go for five, plus two or three while I’m writing it later then 😀
A yard of ale, followed by a cuzza, more pints and a few Taliskers to finish. Imagine the boilk 😉
He’s available
(am I the only sad f*cko playing this?)
Ah, Snir did one, cheers!
I believe, we had an exceptional first half but we lacked a bit of sharpness in the second half
Various Hehs @ drinks above
Overall, I believe we were a bit unlucky on the day.
I feel the team is back focused, with belief, disciplined and sharp
We felt that we were extremely close last season and it’s up to the player to their mental strength and say “let’s do it this season”.
Duck ! Pizza flying .
Stable *Grins uncomfortably*
Everyone thinks they have the prettiest wife at home . Unfortunately for Sir Alex , Lady Ferguson is a real hoofer .
He’s a strong boy, he normally recovers quickly
Heh tabs @ #765! 😆
We don’t want quality, we want super quality
When there will be something to say, I guarantee you’ll be the first to know.
Perhaps he sent it by horse .
Its lucky I am a pleasant type of manager cos Denilson would be getting his fucking arse kicked at this present moment if I was’nt.
maybe it was a hard yellow or a soft red
Like a new signing.
Drumroll please…
“I did not see it from where I was standing”.
I enjoy it when we play good football, but that means running quickly, jumping high and, of course, putting your foot in. I do not like players who do not get involved in the fight, I concede that, but I never tell anybody to kick an opponent. Never.
Nole @ 773
F’in excellent! 😆
Noel @ #770 😳
Afternoon chaps.
Are we going for some kind of recoerd?
Is this what they refer to in the U.K as binge drink(ing)?
Well, better catch up.
A vodka shot to get me started please and one for whoever cares to join me.
Mourhino? Cunt. Ferguson ? Cunt. Pulis ? Super Cunt. Benitez? A ha ha ha ha ha..you got me there, who knows what that loony is on about. Pat get fags I off out for a puff.
If you do not believe you can do it then you have no chance at all
Noel@ 778 – poetry , man 🙂
I don’t know how long he will be out
Afternoon H2H , I’ll join you in of those vodka shots- cheers .
Non ,Ivan , Non . I mean Californian Red Ants . Zey are small , young , cheap , ave a good work ethic , collective energy extraordinaire . Zey ave to be seen to be believed . Very good at making ze late run into the Box unseen , I ave bought 3 for our forward line .
Californian Hornets . I ave bought 2 . Zey ave good communication skills , zey are very noisy . Zey are nasty and Zey can reach heights of 60 metres . Our problems at ze set-pieces are over .
Hey H2H, another Carlsberg please 🙂
OK, tabs @ #783. In that case….
Frere Jacque, frere Jacque, dormez vous?, dormez vous?…..
🙂
From the beginning you knew it was going to happen, the biggest player c*nt is about to join the the c*ntiest club. I’m sure you’ve guessed who I am refereeing to with this introduction.
Joke aside it’s going to be a battle to the death between 6 clubs to get in the top 4. Can’t wait!
Matt
Do you really think Farca are c*ntier than Citeh? 🙂
Apologies Matt, completely the wrong way round 😳
Should have said Citeh c*ntier than Farca
790? Let’s get pissed!
Bloody hell, I haven’t even reached 600 yet and you guys are steaming towards 800.
Another drink please.
right , back for big push , 9 drinks in 4 mins …
The finishing line in sight, do we have the mental strength and belief to reach it…(signal is so poor here and knowing my luck we’ve blasted thru it by the time i post this)
And it’s CoR charging through the midfield….
Chuck us one of those Carib beers , Canons .
Come on H2H , get with the programme 🙂
CORRRR, it’s up for grabs noooowwww…..
its up for grabs now
COOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRR…….
*tosses an open Carib to tabs on the sideline*
CORRRR, right at the end….
the most exciting finish in the history of the football league
Get in!
that sums it all up…
merde…..
*smashes Carib bottle against head*
He kept his powder dry … it’s Tabs right at the end …
It was the carib beer that saw me home . 🙂
I’d like to thank my family , my friends … …
Right, off to the pub!
Well done lads, I new we could do it.
800 by 18:02
Good enough. At least we know how to drag ourselves over the line. Holics have ze mental strengz.
Laters chaps….
knew 😳
Like a new post (LANP). nice dig by the bloke in the away kit on skysports spews when asked about our chances of winning/attracting big names if nasrigas leave “of course we can, we’re top four and qualify for champions league every year. We are not a small club, we’re not sp*rs” drink for that man!
Reports of the Juan Mata deal being “dead” and in addition Shaktar rejecting a bid from Arsenal.
Still have a bit of faith in the Mata deal as Valencia and in particular Llorente are not to be believed (see Villa and Silva quotes from him to know his word is never definite).
Damn. *comes up gasping for air* (oo-er)
Finaly caught up… Bet everyone’s buggered off already, (not just Cesc & $amir Cashri)
I still need another drink though, it’s Friday night, which means a long shift for me and then a final look at my FFL team that is now in taters.
Here’s a big bloody mary for ya H2H
@TS: Never forget Spurs who just snapped Adebayor.
Say what you want about Twitchy he gets players to fall in line and a firing Adebayor is a big step up from Crouch…
@Snir: we’ll add Squillaci to the table and they won’t be able to refuse 😉
@808: That’s brilliant that is! I’ll drink to that….
I want to propose a toast to this blog as well….mes que un blog indeed. You are all scholars and gentlemen and I would be delighted to share the spoils of this season with you level-headed lot.
NOW LET’S GET PISSEDDDDDDDD
I’m saving all the beers for tomorrow, but I got a new beer to drink! Carlsberg it is!
Cheer tabs, that’ll go down a treat.
Ade to the spuds???
Really???
Matt, do you mean “snapped” as in broke in two like a twig and tossed on to the fire? (I’m ok with that)
Or “snapped up” as in they’ve got him on loan and Citeh pay more then 60% of his wages? (this one I’m not too chirpy about)
CoR@814 best idea all day! Right off to pick the fantasy football team, like wenger im going to do my best business at the eleventh hour! Drink/pat on the back for you all for the good work done here today!
@H2H: Snapped up is what I meant, snapped is what I hoped 😉
Re: H2H @810, If taters are what you feed your fantasy players on, does that make them spuds? 😉
Steps out and misses the finale. Well in TABS. All quality posts too.
Wake up guys…900 is the new target! 🙂
Re: Snir @809, If ever there was a summer when we should have learned and applied the lesson of not paying close attention to the transfer news, it was probably this one. We’re probably going to be hearing about the ins and outs of the potential Mata and/or Jadson transfers for weeks yet (unless we put the earphones on).
Just wish it’d be 1/9 already.
No more transfer window and through with this awful and tough month.
We could well be 3 points above Man Utd by then 😀
OK Matt, is that speculation or gospel?
I haven’t seen it confirmed yet, but that’s not really surprising seeing that I had almost a squillion drinks to catch up on.
8ball. I’m gonna need to be feeding them T-rex placenta the way they’re all getting crocked. I think I’ve gotta change about nine players already.
Somebody said ‘holic is on his third pint in the pub. 900 anyone?
H2H, T-rex placenta sounds like powerful stuff. Do you have any extra for overnight delivery?
*hic*
Starting to write now.
I reckon you’ve got an hour and a half boys 😉
If I’ve got any left, it’s yours mate.
Hour and a half? We could hit 1000 if TS or Tabs are near a computer. Even without them we can make 900 easy. Right kids?
Can anybody spell Udinese phonetically?
I didn’t think so.
Beer please barman.
Is this self-serve or what?
ok boys – hour and a half – 169 drinks – its a tough ask – but if we aim high …
we need a theme …
We need SV/TVN
Has Adebayor actually gone to the Spuds or is that just rumour ?
Ok glass half full. Nasri was shit for the last half a season and will fit in perfectly at city where he will only get half a season. Beating city to win the league with all the ex Arsenal and then knocking Farca out of CL while Cesc looks on from the bench would make up for everything. Bitter ? Me. Mais non.
You know, this might sound weird but if we actually post football related comments, we might reach the 1000 mark, and we didn’t even lost to Stoke! 😀
Arsene going off with Ryan Giggs wife…That would be another high point.
830 8ball
you dee ness, I think.
I’ve always wondered why phonetically wasn’t spelt with an f and why is dyslectic such a difficult word?
I’ll have a pint of Bitter with you , Noel 🙂
Snir , this is a good exercise for your crystal balls . How many drinks will we post ?
Newcastle’s last friendly was abandoned after 64 minutes due to a waterlogged pitch. Don’t know if it’s dried out yet, but this is how Newcastle lined up:
Tim Krul (sub Fraser Forster 46), Danny Simpson, Jose Enrique, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Steven Taylor, Dan Gosling (sub Demba Ba 46), Haris Vuckic, Yohan Cabaye, Jonas Gutierrez (sub Sylvain Marveaux 46), Leon Best (sub Shola Ameobi 46), Peter Lovenkrands (sub Ryan Taylor 59).
Subs not used: James Tavernier, Mike Williamson, Nile Ranger, Sammy Ameobi.
Jose Enrique has since been shipped to Liverpool.
Surely we can beat that side, ‘holics??
How about going to the Nou Camp and actually having a non biased ref…now that would be fucking amazing. Something to tell the kids about.
Newcastle in dissaray at the moment, should be no fear on getting a result even without the “inbetweeners”.
AW holds a press conference to confirm that his last press conference was totally correct, and so when Cesc gets over his current injury it will be as if he was a new signing
Pepe holds a press conference to say that , subject to a medical, Farca are pleased to announce a new surprise signing
Following a medical which found that Cesc has an injury at the moment, Pepe holds a press conference to say all bets are off (in Spanish – Snr help me please)
AW holds a press conference to confirm that his last press conference (see above) was totally correct, and so when Cesc gets over his current injury it will be as if he was a new signing
Pepe holds a press conference to say that he hopes to sign Cesc, subject to a medical
And so on and so on
(Now can I have 1 share in DLL please)
Tomorrow , the Nasri goes to Manchester and gets lost with Ade story
Snir, Stingy would be here but I think in Kanada they are forbidden to use computers on Fridays. I could be wrong … 🙂
Re: cognagunner @846: Heh, but surely you could have divided that into 8 separate drinks? Dr. Z will have to pass final judgment as to whether that qualifies you for 1 share. 😉
Noel, I think you’ve got more chance of meeting the tooth fairy, santa clause and the easter bunny on a beach in Austria then that happening, mate,
Looking forward to a rip roaring 1 Nil To The Arsenal at the END of the game.
Having seen that potential 3-0 win 8ball , i’m going for 3-0 tomorrow , Walcott , and 2 from VP . Would love to see Arsene drop Pardew on the touchline and finish the job he started at Upton Park a few years ago .
should have read ” that potential team “
Ryo to come on and disintigrate Joey Barton with a fireball while shouting OHHH YUKAN…( breaks wrist trying to press both buttons at once).
ha ha
Anybody noticed how they manage to get 1000 arses? They talk about things like what they are going to eat for dinner. So, what’ll it be kids?
F*ck , we can’t go down that route 8ball .
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/arsenal-agree-deal-to-sign-joel-campbell
There’s your souper signing.
I guess he finally decided to sign. I wonder if he’ll be launched into the first team. We’ll see.
Nice one Impeccable , just need a visa for the boy now
Just seen Stoke game maybe changed to sunday due to europa cup. Hope Lars knows.
Remember what Tabs said, aim high. And I don’t think he was giving Theo shooting instructions. Tabs, sorry for mentioning it. Beer for dinner? 😉
I’m off down to the bar.
Laterzzz.
Now you’re talking Nas 🙂
8ball 😳
Tabs, I take it you mean Nas as in nasty. The good kind of nasty. 😉 Shall we deftly empty the Emirates storeroom of its backlog of Carlsberg?
We could call it high-class looting. 🙂
wholly excusable if its for essentials 🙂
i think 900 could be a challenge too far 🙁
870? Have you lot gone mental? 😉
I’m exhausted, night folks
Wow, 6 pints later, 800 plus posts and only one reply required:
Cognac – you were already a DL Ltd shareholder if only you knew it…..a Share Certificate is on it’s way.
Altogether now
“Who’s that team they call the Arsenal?”
Tabs, That depends on how many pints ‘holic still has to go, and Stingy hasn’t started yet.
Right 900 it is. Team for tomorrow?
That Campbell dude needs a WP right? He’s got 6 caps, not sure if that’s enough, is it?
Dr Z – welcome back to the madhouse
Time to bloody the youngsters!
Miyaichi – Campbell – AOC
Ramsey – Lansbury
Song
Gibbs – Miquel – Djourou – Jenkinson
Woj
CBW – Woj, Sagna, Kos, TV, Gibbs, Song, Ramsey, Rosicky, Gervinho, RvP, Arshavin
Am I the only one who has a Vela feeling about that Campbell guy?
Chezzer
Sagna Kos Vermaelen Gibbs
Song Ramsey Rosicky
Theo RVP Gervinho
8ball@872 – good point
Scz, sagna, verm, koz, gibbs? Song, ramsey, frimpong, Arshavin, theo and RVP. 2 for RVP and a clean sheet!
Come on boys, 900 is within reach.
Let’s show the doubter and moaners what we’re really made of!
Forwards
New smart phone …
Test test testing 1 2 3
I am thinking Gervinho and Theo to start Wengerball 4 off on the right foot. Any chance for the much talked about AA as the attacking mid, ie put him in Rosicky’s spot?
could be worse – well done , this is the theme we’ve been looking for .
Agree with Bearded’s team save that I think AA might get a game if they don’t want to risk Theo .
Well done Impeccable1, soem good news.
Welcome Joel.
Now we really do need someone in their mid to late 20s to steady the ship and lead from the front… or back.
Arshavin??? 😆
RVP top scorer for the season, ryo to hit the ground running and the ox to terrorise all in front of him
I’m sure they won’t risk Theo, after all AW does need some rotation for this month 🙂
Zico, TS –
thanks for the kind words, hundreds of drinks ago.
I’d love to be able to get involved during the day – but just never seem to have the spare time. 🙁
TS and H2H back in the Bar !! Just like new signings – success assured 🙂
The comments section here is the HT. The comments section on LG is a Train Wreck.
tabs, cbw
Why would we not play the 5head?
Is he injured???
Trev’s back too.
ALANS!
Nice #Trev – 888!
Come on, nearly there!
Oh and too the usual suspects here don’t worry I won’t steal 900, I am just here to help push the team over the line. Like a new experienced CB addition.
Trev as well
Bearded thats the line up I would go with and in fairness that does not look weak at all. Rosicky may have just found his mojo and bid a tearful farewell to Diaby in the sick bay.
Sorry *to
It’s up for grabs now…. (again) 😀
He’s not injured TS.
the chase is on
Not coming on as a goal hanger by the way…
Never in doubt 🙂
in
Gervinho to get his first goal in the league tomorrow.
900?
Ah fuck…did not want it with that comment…delete as appropriate 🙂
Scores !!!
Heh and excellent! 😆
Noel, I reckon you’re on for a hatrick @ #1000 😉
Back soon…
Well in Noel !! the competition was fierce – needed a calm head
Doesn’t score 🙁
Wow there’s been some serious drinking here tonight – outstanding work one and all.
As for tomorrow’s line up, I’m struggling, but aesthetically it ought to be something like:
Bac
Andrei
Robin
Chezzer
Alex O2TC
Ramsay
Kozzer
Vela
Niklas
Theo
Song
As soon as we replace Vela with someone whose name begins with U we’ll be set…
Off to have a look at Blogs – back for the new post – If ‘Holic can find his way home 😉
How did AOC become O2TC?
Sorry Snir that about a thousands posts ago and I forgot …
[mentally insert whatever the smiley for embarrassed is, I forgot that too]
Sorry Snir that was about a thousands posts ago and I forgot …
[mentally insert whatever the smiley for embarrassed is, I forgot that too]
snowy heh 🙂
Cant see Vela starting. He,d keel over and die of shock.
Can somebody please tell me two things?
1) Does Campbell need a WP? If so, how is he earmarked for the first team?
2) O2TC is…?
sorry all struggling with technology tonight 😳
Campell takes a mean free kick, may challenge RVP for the ” who can hit the ginger guy in Row Z ” competition thats apparantly been running for a couple of years now.
It would seem the bench picks itself?
Fabianski, Djourou, Jenkinson, Traore, Frimpong, AA (Theo if AA starts), Chamakh
Noel at 915 – I wasn’t being serious about Vela, was just trying out a novelty ‘subliminal message’ formation
If the transfer window doesn’t result in players that can help me spell out things like ” C O C K O F F M A N U ” and ” C H E L S K I N O B S ” I’ll be proper upset
All non european need a wp .
O 2 (to ) The C first appearance can be found here above .
Like a new signing . 😆
Sorry snowy, brain went to sleep there. Maybe Usmanov could come on for 15 minutes at the end..
Genius Noel – additionally solving our defensive issues with sheer volume alone….
O2TC = Our new signing Oxocube Chambermaid.
H2H – I know all non-European need a WP, I was thinking maybe he has a European passport from his aunt/dog/neighbor’s cat or something cause no one seems to talk about the need for a WP.
Couldn’t find any explanation to O2TC above! Help!
Well yeah I know that, but couldn’t figure out what the 2T stand for!
>>>>>>>>
Final whistle has blown boys. Great effort 😀
Snir I wish I could remember the context but brain has gone….
Feeling a bit like when you get half way through a joke and realise you’ve forgotten the punchline…
http://twitter.com/#!/Kike_Marin_/status/102087106612043776
Now Arsenal have sold q (finally) Cesc, it is normal to q fiche Mata. There is agreement with the player and committed to it with Valencia
Well, what do you know?
New boog`s up .