Guest Post – Juiced by Cherries as away malaise continues
Jan 14th, 2018 by 'holic
My huge thanks to our very own Countryman100 for covering today’s debacle for me. I feel like I saw the match, so well did he cover the game.
It was as I started this report that I realised that I seldom comment at length on games I’ve seen on TV. I tend to contribute to the bar on games I’ve been to live and to give a little colour for those who aren’t lucky enough to be there: whether the North Bank is raucous or sullen; the tribulations of finding a late night curry in Winchester after Southampton away; who the gobbiest fans are on the walk back to the car (leaving Spurs aside, probably Man City); the joys of a four hour drive home after you’ve done United at Old Trafford. But there was never any chance of me being in Bournemouth, down in the land of ‘Arry and boats. The Vitality Stadium is tiny, with a capacity of only 11,360 and so this is one of the hottest away tickets of the season. They sold out at 60 credits (to get to 60 credits you need to have gone to almost every away game for the last three seasons). So here I am, on my sofa in Cambridgeshire, laptop on my knee, tuned to Sky Sports.
Last year’s game on the South Coast was a pulsating 3-3 draw after we were 3-0 down. When we played Bournemouth at home in September it was a different story. One up in five minutes and two up in half an hour, Danny got two and Laca one in a 3-0 win. Recent away form caused one to doubt that the same ease would be seen today, although the Cherries had never beaten us. Team news filtered in about 12.30. Sanchez out of the squad, didn’t travel. Have we seen his last game for The Arsenal? With no game until next Saturday, the Boss chose the same team as against Chelsea midweek, except Cech in for Ospina. Jack started again (yay) against his loan club, his ankle knock seemingly recovered and Ramsey and Kola were back on the bench. No Ozil, due to a knee injury evidently. Bournemouth switched to a back three to match our formation. The snidey pre match comments reminded me of why, when I do watch on TV, I only switch on at kick off.
After their wing backs got round us a couple of times, the first time Jack picked up the ball led to a great run and Bellerin being fed into the area. Unfortunately he got squeezed out and couldn’t get the ball across to Lacazette. Again Jack drove through the midfield, put Lacazette in and from his cross the ice cool Ainsley Maitland-Niles jinked and turned and then let loose a fierce shot which glanced off the cross bar. Iwobi tried his luck from the edge of the area and Begovic palmed it away for a corner which came to nothing. Good start from Arsenal. However it was time for our usual cock up in midfield and first AMN, then Mustafi passed it calmly to a man in a red and black shirt. Luckily we got away with it as we didn’t against Man United. Callum Wilson barged the ball out of Cech’s hands and put it in the net but not even the Cherries crowd believed it and it was disallowed.
As the half grew on, Bournemouth came more into the game and also began to “let us know they were there”. First Laca, then Iwobi suffered robust challenges which went unpunished. An egregious dive from Gosling was rightly punished with a yellow card by Kevin Friend. The game was getting scrappy. Simon Francis took another yellow for blocking Danny as he surged forward. Isn’t it notable how far Smudger Smith will bend over backwards to try and be fair? He protested both cards. A fabulous flick from Jack put in AMN who charged into the area but he over ran the ball. On 34 minutes the ball broke for Danny who could have gone down for a (slight) hand on the shoulder, but drove on and had his shot blocked by Begovic. Mustafi twice went close from corners. Arsenal were starting to dominate the game. From a free kick Bournemouth had a big shout for a handball in the area by Iwobi. Not given. Smudger, of course, thought it was a pen, as did all the studio pundits. We probably got some payback on recent bad calls there. Arsenal the better team in the first half (which isn’t saying much), but Bournemouth looked capable of scoring against our nervous defence. LJW best player on the park by a mile.
Half time: Bournemouth 0: 0 Arsenal
51 minutes in and a peach of a goal from Arsenal. A fabulous ball inside the full back from Iwobi on the half way line found Hector one on one with the goalie. He didn’t exactly bury it, but his shot squirmed off Begovic and into the net.
Bournemouth 0: 1 Arsenal
A cynical trip from Xhaka on Ibe found him in the book. A promising move saw Danny about to be put in when a hand to the face sends him to the ground. Nothing to see here says Smudger. After 62 minutes the hapless Charlie Daniel at left wing back, who was being run ragged by AMN, gets hooked for Lye Mousset. Lacazette chips, Sanchez style, a lovely ball into the box for Iwobi who delays his shot and gets robbed by the defender.
Ouch. On 69 minutes a soft equaliser. A hopeful ball into the box by Ryan Fraser sees Cech come past the penalty spot but get beaten to the ball by Callum Wilson who bundles it in. Wilson was marginally more offside than Laca was at Stoke.
Bournemouth 1: 1 Arsenal
73 minutes gone and Ramsey comes on for Chambers, moving to a back four.
Less than a minute later and another defensive shambles in the box sees Jordan Ibe smash it home from a second ball off Wilson after a cross has deceived both centre backs and Xhaka fails to track the run of Ibe.
Bournemouth 2: 1 Arsenal
Theo comes on for Iwobi. Let’s see if he can do it one last time. Jack bursts forward and mishits a shot wide. Super Jackie Wilshere rings out from the travelling faithful. Theo’s first and second contribution is to run offside. Former Arsenal man Benik Afobe comes on as we move to 4 minutes of injury time.
We huffed and puffed but never looked like scoring again. The ‘holic pound has gone as far West as the Guvna
Full time Bournemouth 2: 1 Arsenal
Same old same old Arsenal on the road. We really need some serious transfer action as this team looks mentally shot. ‘Holic you chose a great weekend to miss the game. I wouldn’t bother watching it back.
167 Responses to “Guest Post – Juiced by Cherries as away malaise continues”
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1st
Great report countryman
Nice report on a clubs steady and sad decline 🙁
T’was a pleasure ‘holic. How you do this game in, game out is astonishing and a labour of love. Great game at Anfield and we remain the only holders of a gold trophy.
It’s going to be an interesting week. Wonder what the team will be against Palace next Saturday?
Great write up Countryman.
Countyman100
Great report sir well played much better than the men in red and white this lunchtime.
You seem very calm on what transpired in front of you but I don’t think new transfers would made any difference here if I must be honest.
Despite saying he will deal with this harshly, I’m not expecting any great number of changes. This is, after all, a manager whose response to Iwobi taking the piss was to carry on picking him.
Such a gutless club.
I think we might see Ospina come in, depending on who he blames for the second goal, and he might wield the big stick on the young player, Holding, instead of the expensive mistake, Mustafi.
Apart from that I reckon he will keep picking Xhaka, Iwobi and Welbeck as the alternatives are probably Elneney (tried to sell him) and Walcott (trying to sell him).
He might replace Xhaka with Ramsey and have a suicidal midfield pairing of Ramsey and Wilshere.
I just don’t get where his head is with his squad planning and team selection.
I must admit, today was a real low point for me. I thought that for large parts of that game we just looked clueless and devoid of any real leadership or direction. For me Jack was again the only real shining light. How his talent and influence were questioned in the previous drinks is simply beyond me.
As a club we are paired with our defending in that we are a shambles. A total mess. I’m guessing that Sanchez, our best player for the last few seasons, will be an ex Arsenal player in the very near future. Again, why this situation has been allowed to fester until mid January and beyond is beyond me.
There are all sorts of rumours doing the rounds at the moment which I’m guessing doesn’t help the situation. I just sincerely hope that we have something positive going on behind the scenes that will come to fruition in the coming days. We can then start to put today’s shambles to bed.
Excellent report, C100. Far better than the performance warranted.
I know I mentioned it in the previous drinks but Xhaka for the second goal was just horrendous. I hope he gets slaughtered for that. It was so amateurish it was beyond comprehension. I must admit, out of all that went on today, that pissed me off the most.
Countryman.
No one can replace the Guvna but this is a top report.
I’ve already depressed myself and commented earlier but it was a low point . We lost to a crap team who didn’t even play well- and deserved to lose
That’s him all over though, Steve. He’s not a defensive midfield player and it shows.
It might help him to think like one if coaching consisted of more than a stretch and passing it around some cones though.
some people, out there in the world, think that buying aubameyang, malcom, messi, ronaldo, lemar, draxler……..would solve aaaaaall our problems
that is ridiculous to the point of being offensive
and i don’t like that…at all
Cynic,
Look at our squad before Bellerin scored he was making mistake after mistake, Iwobi was just as bad. Clueless both of them combined. We have no leaders in our squad no one taking responsibility no one driving us forward.
Looking at our squad now with Alexis gone who do we have of real quality? Let’s not start saying Santi because we all know what happened to him. Ok Ozil, Wilshere maybe OG and Nacho. Koscielny was as bad as any other CB we currently have.
Lacazette is shooting blanks, Danny tries hard but no end product, Theo is well Theo Offside and on his way out most probably.
Let’s not talk about the young guns they should be coached in better times unfortunately there are no better days and there won’t be for any foreseeable future.
We have a manager who constantly plays players out of position who experiments and fails each time. It’s just same old we have to learn from this rinse and repeat sack of shyte! Tactically again same mistakes same scenario groundhog season every season. He has no one to answer to believes in his mediocre players who no longer play for him and have no desire to give him 100%, these players not such a long time held Chelsea to a 0:0 draw at the bus stop in Fulham.
Tony Adams was right Bellerin will be the same player in 5 years time under Wenger. There is no question denying that.
If he has any dignity in him he will leave if he wants to take us fans for mugs he will stay and continue this collapse, however we seem to forget one thing we are no longer a football club challenging for titles we are a cash cow and if the balance books look good everything else doesn’t matter even though the fans are humiliated and in pain in the processes.
“Alexis would have played, but it’s a difficult period for him”
well…
SSY
Goes to show who the boss is here
Good news! Martin O’Neill has rejected the Stoke job, so all we have to do is pick up the phone!
Sorta
Thank you, Countryman,
What a load of tripe to have to report on.
My immediate post match thoughts were these –
Well I’m glad I sat through that !
Jack is quality – the only one who showed any composure and purpose on the ball.
Maitland-Niles has to play in his proper position before he ruins his confidence – especially as we have Xhaka – who I have been a supporter of – asleep in the middle of the park.
Bellerin works hard but the final ball is often poor, despite the good run and goal today.
The rest are mostly out of position – including Lacazette, who is coming deeper and deeper to try to find the ball – or reserves who are woefully short of quality.
This probably won’t go down well and maybe I’m just out of touch but here goes –
We’ve churned over players, tactics, reportedly coaches, assistant managers and owners in the last ten years but the exact same frailties, naivety, lack of concentration and mental strength remain.
We’ve turned from Invincibles to a bunch of softies who can’t hold on to a lead at Bournemouth.
Everything has changed except AW and while I honestly hate to say it, he needs to go.
The culture and mentality of the club is now so ingrained, it needs a proper change.
And here’s the out of touch bit – look st the bloody state of half of those hair cuts.
Maybe we could practice actual football a bit more and spend a bit less time in the sodding barber’s trying to look like a fifth rate homeless hipster.
The team has no plan – bagatelle football that far too often goes nowhere.
And why can’t any of our haircuts hit a half decent shot either – scuffed, high and wide – but rarely troubling the keeper
And injuries to a host of big players are nothing new to us and every summer we’re told there’s no-one of sufficient quality to improve our squad.
Well, sadly our squad doesn’t seem all that good.
If Kolasinac was fit today, why didn’t he play and allow A M-N into midfield.
If he wasn’t fit, why was he on the bench ?
We had Nketiah on the bench against Bournemouth. If he wasn’t good enough to come on against them, why was he there ?
What the hell wad the point of bringing Quiffy Walcott on to do nothing, when we’re clearly trying to get rid of him ?
And the real problem is that even with our self-sustaining resources our squad players could and should be way better than they are.
For evidence, see every January / February when we crash out of everything as soon as our first eleven are injured or suspended.
By the way, I feel sorry for Holding.
I’m not sure he’s good enough but, with very little experience at this level, he suddenly has to swap wings because we have no cover st left back because our left back got injured being a makeshift centre half. Our other left back is also injured. Naturally.
See what I mean about squad strength ?
We don’t have any.
The whole show at the moment and for some time, is and has been chaos.
See you later.
Loving the haircut work, Trev. When Ramsey came on today I was thinking he’d been out so long as he was recovering from ringworm.
Hi Trev
Magnificent rant! Crying with laughter at the haircuts!
Ha ha Trev
Ramsey looked like that dude on the most wanted poster in the post office the other day! A bloody convict!
Great report, Countryman. Your fine writing was a welcome distraction from a horrible result.
Only caught the 2nd half on 5 live driving back from a visit to my folks, so most of what I heard was the endless fallout on the phone ins.
I sigh with resignation- that’s all we can do these days.
Oh well, at least it’s only football eh?!
If only Arsene would sigh with resignation. I don’t think resignation is on his mind at all.
Thanks Trev for cheering us up as you often do. The haircuts look ridiculous as does most of our play!
I enjoyed tge Liverpool- Citeh game but neither side has a clue on how to defend and both goalkeepers were very poor. Ederson’s a good footballer but can’t catch a ball to save his life. The Invincible defence was way better. Citeh have about four world- class players and they are all attackers. If Stones plays in Russia we are in big trouble, he’s useless defensively.
I’d take Ancelotti to succeed Wenger in June. I just hope tge stories are true
Great report Countyman, the ability to polish a turd should go onto your CV 🙂
also great rant Trev 🙂
Walcott’s hair makes him look like a pimp in an old Carolco action film. Something called “Harlem Fist” with Carl Weathers as the ex-Vietnam vet vigilante, protecting his hood from junkie mothafuckas and dudes like Theo, who’ll sell your sister for a dollar. And yo mama for five.
Or something.
I may be on the Babycham… it’s one of those nights.
That’s Countryman of course, sorry for mis-spelling and taking away anything from a fine report.
However, in the true traditions of AFC, the top barman need not fear losing his job 😀 😀
Agreed re the hair styles (and tattoos). Our players are more focused on maintaining their looks and egos than being better footballers. It can’t be controlled but it sums up our problems and the need for a better manager.
Trev. Do you mean the whole squad or just the fringe players? Still in the window so there may be a few parting company.
@28 he’ll be sure to mull it over, i reckon.
WangerOut!
Good call : Xhaka, Walcott and Ramsey all have haircuts like extras from “Peaky Blinders”…
Thanks for an excellent report Countryman.
Sadly yet another insipid performance by allegedly top level footballers. The amount of old style wengerball magical attacking play has virtually disappeared over the past few years – we are now having to witness turgid displays against mediocre teams that we used to put to the sword with panache.
Responsibility for this lies with the manager who assumes total control over all footballing matters. There have been far too many clusterfucks over recent transfer windows and mismanagement of players contracts. Team selections & a penchant for playing players in un-natural positions are perplexing. The inability to set the team up to defend has gone on for too long & is truly indefensible (no pun intended).
The time for Arsene to go is well overdue. I, like many in the bar, have respected him for great service over the years. His first 10 years were the best football I’ve been privileged to see an Arsenal team play over 60 years of support. However his obsession to remain manager has clouded his judgement and the directors really now need to grow a pair and inform him his contract will end at the end of this season. This gives them time to make the right appointment ( wishful thinking I know) for his successor.
The next few weeks may be tough for supporters but The Arsenal will come back – in time!
Can’t raise enough enthusiasm to think too deeply about another same old same old. As soon as I saw the starters I could see the end result, with our goal just flattering to deceive. I could point out, yet again, that we can’t even get shots on target never mind past the keeper with anything like the regularity the other top 5 can and do … but with none of our top five goal-scorers from the past several seasons starting today why should we be surprised?
Have we bought anyone yet? Or are we waiting for Jan 31 before making some desperate last minute bids for unknowns in Ligue Deux?
Aha, the hair punsters are out in force !
I see what you did there AL, whether you’ e got your Wanger out or not !
Steve T, parting company ? ?
That could leave us short at the back – and maybe down the sides ….
By the way, I’m surprised – and grateful – by how many of you fine fellows are in agreement with my haircut observations.
It’s driven me mad – and not just regarding Arsenal players – for ages.
It’s like wearing gold or silver boots – if you’re going to do it, just make damn sure you’re at least playing well.
Didn’t Alan Ball start all that with his white boots when he played for us?
I think so – but he was quite good ??
And he had nice hair.
I guess they have to spend their squillions on something, Trev. I bet they pay several times of my grocery bill on their hair styling. I bet they have no idea how daft they’ll look when some journo drags up the photos in decades to come.
A shame they can’t put as much effort into the style of their football.
Ball won a World Cup, ffs. He could wear a ballet tutu and pink football boots and get away with it with that pedigree.
Many hehs Trev ? Maybe they should all ask for a No 6 next time they visit the barber – to match our league position. I think most of them playing for Barnet would be appropriate ( need to be local to geddit)?
Single handed, Chris?
I dunno if I’m keen on Mkhitaryan or not. Decent player but supposedly pining for Germany and… well… he’s yet another attacking midfielder. He’d be an Ozil replacement wouldn’t he?
Mkhitaryan would be a snip, Cynic. More than useful and high workrate. Leipzig’s Emil Forsberg remains my #1 choice Ozil replacement though.
Oh I would take him, but he isn’t going to solve any problems.
Barnet, Uply ….?
My Dad used to have to work on Saturday’s and the neighbours used to take me, as a very young boy, with them to Underhill on a Saturday afternoon – before I was old enough to go to Highbury.
They were the old Athenian League days – tea at half time from the serving hatch and all in china cups and saucers to be returned for washing up when you were finished !
Football’s changed – so has tea !
Thanks Countryman – I won’t bother with the whole game now, just the highlights.
I’m almost resigned to sixth, at best. Can there really be another eighteen months of this still to come?
UTA.
Trev,
Agree with the hair and the boots – Theo wearing gold boots the other day was simply taking the piss.
UTA
Thanks Countryman 100.
A cracking report on a not cracking game.
Apologies to ksn if my sarcasm wasn’t
appreciated in yesterday’s post – to be
honest I was both pissed and pissed off
at the same time.
OM at 47, we all feel the same way about Arsenal and it will stay that way for some more time till Wenger leaves and we make a new start. Even then I don’t expect anything to change too much as the owner would continue to prioritize profits over football performance.
People are already talking of a top five in the league. Bleak times ahead.
Big Danny Dubbya seems like a sweet lad, and he has his half-decent moments, now & then, and i don’t mean to pick on ‘im – but someone popped this up on Twitter (i know, Trev) and it made me chuckle, in a Mondee morning, gawd ‘elp us, gallowsy type stylee, so here you go …
https://twitter.com/VieiraPaddy/status/951149262397673477
UTA!
That has cheered me up.
🙂
clearly a dive at the end there
Haven’t been in here for a while, fair play to many of you guys and your well humoured resignation and probably quite healthy perspective. You have to laugh I suppose and there’s no better medicine in life. However is this part of the problem ? Is that the malaise that grips the Emirates itself, I wonder. In many ways you can’t blame Wenger for the last few years of this 14 year decline since our glorious, possibly never to be repeated Invincibles (what a symbolic day yesterday was). I’m an overseas fan but I did attend the second leg of Bayern last season. I was flabbergasted that 2 or 3 fans beside me went out of their way to scream out “Once Arsene Wenger”, even after goals had started flying in. It was illogical, deliberate and nasty in it’s own way. Indeed, it probably contributed to the droves leaving early, which I also didn’t understand ! Or else they were just completely unhinged ! Of course I understand that this contrarion chanting of the manager’s name is very different to the quiet acceptance I sometimes read in here and very different to, say, refusing to hold up the famous old A4 page on protest day inside the stadium two years ago. A day when, let’s now all agree, opportunity knocked and we had a real chance to move the manager on before more bad signings, more non-existent defending, more getting the team up for one-off Cup games, etc, etc. But again I ask is it part of the problem ? So no I don’t blame Wenger alone for the last four or five years and now there’s sympathy for him from me in fact because this is about to get a lot worse and his exit and final demise will be tragic. They sang, he heard, he stayed. Jesus, one of them even hired a plane for a fly-by. Others, well even if they didn’t sing or charter aircraft ; they said he should be able to go at his own time of choosing, they said real fans don’t protest or complain, they said the other clubs were even richer than us so it’s all OK, then they said the FA Cup is OK even if you can’t go for the League and now, presumably, it will be OK to go for the League Cup when CL is just a pipedream. Will it be OK to be scrapping around with Leicester, Burnley and Everton ? Well, you know what, if we hadn’t been sold a pup, if we hadn’t moved from Highbury well then it might jolly well have been pretty OK and it would have been a lot easier to swallow. People in power like Wenger need to be loudly told the home truths when they’re carrying the hopes and dreams of so many. This is not the US of A. As I see it (albeit from a distance…tho I did live and attend matches in London for many years) the grand old football clubs of England are a massive part of everyday life and community fabric and that’s why people all over the world are drawn to them, as well as the locals who seem to depend on it for their outlet and diversion. It’s that passion that Sky TV invested in. Let’s not make it easy for this new breed of owners FFS. Because that’s what happened, it was just so, so easy for Stan to keep his man. COYG.
In the wider footballing world some very sad news.
A real trailblazer. RIP.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jan/15/cyrille-regis-former-west-bromwich-albion-coventry-city-england-striker-dies-aged-59
Thank you Countryman for the excellent report, I was too angry to post yesterday, heaven knows what I might have said.
Gooner Malcolm text me on Wednesday night on his way back from the Chavs saying he was proud to be a Gooner again. Our fans at the game sang their hearts out and were behind the team from start to finish. I very much doubt if there are any of the same fans who are proud to be a Gooner after yesterday’s debacle.
All of us, the fans, the media and anyone who follows football knows what must be done to rescue the situation at the Club but those who are supposedly managing the Arsenal refuse to accept the dire state we find ourselves in and take the necessary steps to rectify the situation before it tears the Club apart. I hate to think what Saturday might bring!
We of a certain age have seen the current malaise in past eras and went through many years of living in hope and not much else. I find the current shambles at the club even more alarming. These days we are supposed to have professional managers who are paid fortunes to run the club but lack the guts to fire one guy who can no longer function in his job. For Dennis sake Ivan save my Arsenal.
Nice effort Countryman100! May you compose a 100 more in the Country, Man! ?
A tragic loss of yet another “proper” footballer that was still young at 59. ? Rest In Eternal Peace Cyril Regis.
Regarding our Arse’s (not “a Shithole”, quite yet) doom and gloom, it’s not actually all that bad; now that Arsene Wenger is clearly becoming more and more irrelevant with regards to who’s “running the show” off the pitch and away from the training ground. ?
Arsene will be the last one to finally get the chop from the old playing staff’s management regime, and it’ll probably happen this coming Summer – a year earlier than he’d have wanted it to happen judging by the pace at which things are happening around him with regards to new playing staff recruitment, and retention. ? ? ?
UTAAD&AN!
AFCOF! NAWF!
Cyrille Regis. What an inspiration an now what a loss. RIP and thanks for the memories
Heh! AL @49.
I thought that was our new contracts man on the way to complete his first new signing !
Here you are, Trev, an Arsenal team with proper haircuts and not a gold or silver boot to be seen, unless you consider dubbin brown to be just dull gold.
https://www.arsenal.com/sites/default/files/styles/large_16x9/public/images/arsenal_1927.jpg?itok=Vw74B07K
Henry Mickey is not in the United squad tonight. Hmmmm
Proper men there Ned @59. *Sheds manly tear.*
RIP Dolores. Great songwriter, great singer, wonderful voice. Too young.
When shorts were baggy and shirts were laced, bath
Despite all the rumours (Malcom, Aubameyang etc.) I don’t trust Wenger not to sell Alexis to Manure, get Mkhitaryan + a few mill, and claim him as a replacement. We don’t want another of their cast-offs!
Not a great day at all. First Cyrille. Then Dolores. Both far too young.
One to remember and one with a title that could fit well with us at the moment.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G6Kspj3OO0s
Well! Well! Well! ?
With a new Head-Coach & Man-Manager highly now likely to be coming-in in the Summer (perhaps in the form of a certain Senõr Luis Enrique or A-Nother), Mkhitaryan & Ozil (with Jack Wilshere in a deeper-lying role) behind Alexander Lacazette, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Riyad Mahrez up-front, then it doesn’t look all that bad for next season after all does it?! ?
Of course for it all to be worthwhile and possible, Arsene Wenger has to leave…?
“If he won’t leave his Power Position voluntarily, then take that Power away from that Position until he leaves it voluntarily.” QED ?
UTAAD&AN!
AFCOF! NAWF!
A very sad day Steve T, for all of modern day football. ?
Blue Monday has been blue indeed with the death of Cyrille and Dolores.
I usually get excited by the possibility of us signing exciting players but I wouldn’t give these players to Wenger. If the speculation is to be believed Mislintat is exercising considerable influence, preferring Mkhitaryan to Martial. He also knows Aubameyang who is an enfant terrible of European football and has been swerved around by all the top teams. Looking at his record that’s very interesting.
As for Malcom surely we aren’t going to sign three players in the January window? Four with the Greek boy!
I met Cyril Regis through a friend at the Hawthorns when we won in the final game of the season thanks to an obliging ex-Spud keeper to pinch 4th place from the Spuds. Cyril was a lovely man, a true gentleman as well as a fine player. Far too young to leave. RIP.
+le x2 of course! ?
Dapper Dan
I think it’s clear Wenger is not being too involved in transfers now if his comments about the Greek lad is anything to go by.
Mhkitaryan would be an awesome signing. He was brilliant for Dortmund and it makes sense to go for his old team mate too. We could have signed him when he was in France but we didn’t want to spend the 12 mill transfer fee!
These transfers do look like they are almost being made with next season in mind. Sans Mr W.
Cheers, Ned @59,
The current team should be made to wear those boots until they stop pissing about with their limes and flourescent tangerines.
A proper team from a time when men were men – and half the women were too. ☹️
On which subject – some previews of next season’s home, away and goalkeeper’s kit, apparently modelled by a load of vicars …..
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267042/Vicars-Bristol-model-latest-ecclesiastical-wear.html
?
@59 Supaaah picture of when fings woz different & players played the game wiv a rite smile on thems ol’ boat-races #MinimumWageRage …? Or not … probably …
& g’night sweet Sir Cyrille #Regis #kingOfSomeThings
https://youtu.be/TJAfLE39ZZ8
If Man Citeh pull out of a deal because it’s too expensive you can be sure mega bucks are involved. If United are selling us Mkhitaryan and giving us £30 m for Sanchez that’s a very good deal given the Lemar situation last year. And it looks like Chelsea might push up the price further. Willian anyone?
It’s not clear if we are going to then pursue Auba and Malcom as well but if we do it does suggest as Dexter says that whatever Wenger says he is being marginalised on recruitment of players. Auba and Miki would raise a lot in shirt printing ? but both are late twenties and this is a break with our old model. Malcom is much more the sort of player we have signed in the past.
I understand Mavropanos was extremely impressive tonight and Jeff and Eddie were both excellent in a 4-0 win against Man U.
Selling our best player to Utd and then ‘replacing’ him with one of their rejects cannot be classed as good business.
It is rumoured that Wenger doesn’t want the Dortmund striker and I can’t say I blame him. Players who throw strops and cause trouble at one club are going to do it again.
Also if we did sign him, where would that leave Lacazette?
Not that I care, because we could sign a hundred new players for a billion zillion quid and they’d still be managed by…. well.
Mourinho doesn’t like the Armenian. We were in for him before them and Manu gazumped us.
Aren’t De Bryune and Salah Chav rejects?
Sorry I don’t do negativity and doom n gloom for the sake of it! 🙂
Can we swap Sanchez for Ancelotti, anyone, no???
The Man City PR team must be costing the club a fortune the amount of spin they’re churning out.
Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and arguably Patrick Vieira were rejects.
Mourinho rejected Salah, De Bruyne and Lukaku. Good judge isn’t he?
Sad news about Cyrille Regis today.
Older Gooners like myself,will remember that great West Brom side put together by Ron Atkinson,that played some wonderful attacking football in the late 70’s.
A real standout game for me was one they played at Old Trafford,where they had the gall to attack the mighty Utd on their own patch.
From memory i think they won 5 – 3 ??
I am sure Ned’s monks can confirm,but it was a great game of football from a then unfashionable Midlands Club.
I think they even went close to winning the title that season.
Cyrille along with team mates Laurie Cunningham and Brendan Batson suffered terribly from racism up and down the Country,but were an inspiration to generations of young black footballers down the years,as they refused to be cowed,and let their talent shine though on the pitch.
There is an unveiling of a statue of the 3 of them together at the Hawthorns in the near future celebrating the 40th anniversary of their arrival at the Club.
Sadly only one,Brendan Batson will be in attendance,as his other great mate Laurie Cunningham won’t be there either,as he was killed in a car crash in Spain in 89.
Vale Cyrille
soz – MaximumWageRage – but like Jimmy, u knew that, and this …
https://youtu.be/QUncUQn7P20
Mourinho could afford the luxury of rejecting Salah, De Bruyne and Lukaku because he had Hazard, he had Drogba, he had Oscar, Eto’o, Lampard etc.
Mkhitaryan is a genuine reject whose best years are well and truly behind him. No way you can compare him to those aforementioned players, nor to Bergkamp, Henry or Vieira.
Those were real boots, Ned, I know, I was wearing pretty much the same model in the ’50s. Nice and high over the ankle bone giving the kind of protection Jack could definitely benefit from. On the down side they were a mite heavy in muddy conditions, to the extent that lifting the foot off the ground was near impossible. And even if you could, the old style ball was always too heavy to punt more than a few feet at a time and shooting became a waste of effort. I conjecture that this was the real reason someone decided to pick the ball up and run with it, thus creating Rugby.
Chris, some might argue that even with their fancy, lightweight, tangerine and lime colored boots, Arsenal players still believe shooting is a waste of effort…
Aubameyang, Mikhi and Malcom in.
Sanchez, Theo and OG out.
That would certainly be a change,
whether it’d be better I’ve no clue
at this stage. But it’s obvious that
Sanchez wants to go and that OG
and Theo’s times are up so may
as well get it done quickly if it’s to
be done.
It’s certainly an art most of them still have to master, ecg. For example the benefits of keeping the ball between the posts and under the bar should be more fully explained, as does the role of the opposition goalkeeper and the need to kick past him not straight at him.
The West Brom game at Old Trafford was indeed 5-3 and it was commentated on by Gerald Sinstadt, whose commentary on that game was superb.
I remember Jimmy Hill arranging for Bo Derek to ring up Match of the Day with a congratulatory message for Cyrille after he scored a goal once.
This one, I think, which won Goal of the Season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pf0wHuw6AU
Such an excellent side, that West Brom side.
As some have already said we can get all the best players in the world, but without a skilled manager for today’s game, they will all regress once they put on colors. Our current manager is no longer capable of defining and executing a winning strategy/philosophy.
…put on our colors…
Mkhitaryan is only just about to
turn 29 Barack.
I agree he’s a risk and if Ozil
stays actually he may be
superfluous but “well and truly
behind him” is a bit harsh.
He wouldn’t replace Sanchez,
Aubamayeng (another risk) is
the only one of the mooted signings
who might, but he could still be a
good player for us.
Ozil as a false 9 with Laca n Auba either side doesn’t seem like a bad idea. Will require an actual DM to work, or Bello n Kola curbing their overlaps.
I have watched us for 20 years now with a lot of pride, love and undying optimism. This has been the worst season of all and yes i did consider the seasons where we had the likes of chamakh, bendtner, senderos, luzhny, santos etc play for us, i also considered the 8-2,6-0, 5-1 seasons as well but never have i felt our team being this abject like the one now. We have players who do not want to play for us. Simple.
Arsene Wenger is the epitome of class but he lives in an ideal world which no longer exists. He needs to leave end of the season else the board should ask him to do so. He has lost his players and they no longer want to do anything for him or the club barring a very few( Jack).
We will finish anything between 6-8, we wont win the europa no chance, if we do reach the carabao cup, we may turn up for one final effort and thats it.
Apart from Jack, Ozil and lacazette, no one is good enough to play for us. The defense is shambolic and Kos is done with his Achilles. Forget all of this, we use to pride on our way of playing the game, even that is so stale and lethargic.
My beloved club needs a kick in the butt than just a revamp, we need to get rid of the entire lot and have people who value the club like life, only then will this mediocrity end.
Arsene i love you but go now else your legacy will be in tatters and right now it is just about hanging by a thread.
There’s no such thing as a false nine.
I wish modern football writers, the ones who bang on about this kind of thing as if they are reinventing the game from the press box, would fuck off and watch badminton.
🙂
I’ll settle for a real 9.
Anyway, let’s sign one and keep the other
first.
Let’s sign one the manager actually wants this time. I m not entirely convinced Wenger is convinced by Lacazette and after the Lucas Perez fiasco, let us finally get it right please.
I find it quite weird that, having become Wenger’s scapegoat, we’re going to unload Walcott for a bargain price and pay twice as much for someone who we have no idea could even fit in, let alone contribute goals to the side.
We also seem determined to keep hold of a player who, if a false nine is someone who is a centre forward who never scores any goals, fits that role perfectly in Welbeck.
A sane man would look at an asset who scored 19 goals last year, despite being scapegoated for about a third of the season, and use it.
Not our manager though.
Ah well, roll on the end.
20 million for a one dimensional player who can’t play with the ball at his feet is still 4 million more than we paid for Welbeck who seems to have no obvious dimensions this season.
Ooh is that another ton going begging? 😀
Danny does have a work rate and
effort dimension and is ok on the
ball I think. Not sticking the ball
in the net often is a serious
drawback it must be said.
Could make a great player out of
him and Theo combined.
Never believe that with Kroenke in charge we will splash the cash . It looks like in this window we will lose Sanchez, Walcott, Coquelin and Giroud and will possibly ( always a need to caveat that with Wenger involved) sign Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan. ( not forgetting Mavropanos) . That looks to me like £90 m in and £80m out. I don’t think the Malcom deal looks feasible or likely. As we made a profit in the summer we aren’t actually splashing much cash or eating into that transfer reserve.
We need to promote Nketiah because with Welbeck’s fitness record and ability we are short upfront. And we aren’t even addressing the major problems in defensive midfield ( now weaker there) central defence or possibly in goal.
This is moreover a massive upheaval in the middle of a season something Wenger has always eschewed . It’s got his stamp of incompetence but the timing is off .
I agree with Cynic @ 98.
Walcott has mostly scored a bunch of goals when he’s been injury free and had a run in the team. You can’t claim that with any of the more recent strikers that have been signed, despite the potential they display.
The current suggestions of ins and outs have all the hallmarks of a nice and shiny crock of $hit 🙁 managed and overseen by God knows who.
Total disarray at our club right now. 🙁
Could make a great player out of him and Theo combined.
Knowing our luck it would be Welbeck’s finishing and Theo’s work rate
Seeing a report that Arsenal are offering a pay CUT to Jack Wilshere and as this sort of thing usually comes from the agents, it’s unlikely to be lies IMO, as they would not be acting in the best interests of their client to make it up.
So we have a player who really is Arsenal to the core, who wants to stay, and we’re giving him what is basically a fart directly up his nostrils in response.
It’s time for whoever is doing this kind of thing to get out of the club, be it the manager or Gazidis or the fucking tea lady. Just go.
Does anyone know what Jack’s current contract is?
CM100@ 106, £90k pw according to this site:
http://www.totalsportek.com/money/arsenal-player-salaries/
Hmm. Seems on the low side doesn’t it. I’ve also heard the rumour but wasn’t inclined to believe it.
I don’t think it’s low relative to where he was when he signed it and it’s remarkably generous given the contribution to the team he has made during that contract.
I suspect a new deal is ‘better’ but has a lower basic pay but bonuses contingent on fitness and appearances hence the agent is able to claim it’s lower. All part of the negotiation dance around the Maypole.
Arsenal ( Gazidis) will be conscious that we will need a good news story or two. That might be new contracts for Ozil ( unlikely) and Wishere and at least a replacement for Sanchez. If at the end of the month we still have Sanchez and have sold two of the squad it will make for a terrible atmosphere. I’m not sure that the Aubameyang story isn’t spin to appease supporters but time will tell
Soooo…. it looks like the Sanchez deal is a straight swap with Mhikithingy, which… sucks balls, frankly. It smacks a bit of take it or leave it and taking a player just because…
If that deal collapses though, we’re going to be left with a very unhappy player, after fucking it up twice in six months.
Don’t think Miki will come… if Alexis goes anywhere it’ll probably be to the chavs.
That or he sees out the contract..
Walcott as good as done now.
Be curious to see if we have the drawing power to attract quality players… wages seem to be the only draw now, which makes the offer to Wilshere seem absurd.
The uncertainty of the direction or unwillingness to open the cheque book makes a good argument for dropping out of the top 4 for the foreseeable future.
Gotta love Wengers comments to that cheating twats of a ref Dean!
I’m sure the FA/PGMOL have released the details in an attempt to add fuel to the Wenger ire but for me it has had the opposite effect.
Fair play to the great man.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jan/16/arsene-wenger-mike-dean-disgrace-west-brom-arsenal-premier-league-penalty
😀
Mhkitaryan in this market is 50 mill player. If it’s a straight swap it’s good business IMO. He’s got 4.5 years left on his contract and that adds value. Nowt wrong with the deal. Apart from the uncertainty!
TTG
It also makes good marketing sense to make a big name signing this window. If we don’t it could hit harder than the expected outlay in terms of future commercial deals. Ivan at an have to recognise that surely.
Wenger himself said signing Aubameyang was “not possible”, so I’m not buying that one.
Shame about Theo, he looked brilliant for a while up until that injury vs Spurs in the cup. But an average of 5 league goals per season since then suggests it’s right to let him go.
(Our thoughts are with Cynic at this difficult time)
B O’B
Did you mean you’re not buying Wenger saying we can’t sign him or not buying that he will come to Arsenal?
Plenty of news outlets seem to be saying he’s agreed terms (although granted that doesn’t mean anything near an actual signing).
(Our thoughts are with Cynic at this difficult time)
haha 🙂
I’m glad he’s going, he might actually be used properly with another team and I hope he shows everybody that it was a complete joke to let him go.
I would have preferred him to stay in the hope that Wenger is out of the door in the summer, but never mind.
There’s nobody left at Arsenal to watch now though. What’s left is a shambles of a squad.
Just a reminder. When Sanchez and Theo go, we’re throwing away players who scored 53 goals between them last season.
A remainder to some of us:
Theo cannot score if he is not playing.
Jack is only starting because of injuries.
& a question? — Is Iwobi that much better than Theo, that warrants him being a starter all the time, even though his productivity does not show it. I wonder.
Good evening gentleman
and ladies
been watching from afar and now stepping upto the bar to take part…
Season ticket holder and views my own..
Theo on his way and gone it seems? A wasted talent after 12 years and systematic of the system that we have? A club that doesn’t put pressure on players and develop youth and bring them on? Too many players in a comfort tone? Thoughts?
Cynic
A Sanchez/ Miki swap gives us some value for a player who would otherwise walk away for nothing in June. That’s why it holds value for us. We’ve tossed away £30 m on him already.
I’m sad it didn’t work out for Theo but I would be amazed if he turns the world upside down at Everton because they aren’t very good and their manager is better at developing defenders. I don’t think
Wenger managed Theo well and we may see something from him we didnt see at Arsenal. But I think the lad lacks the toughness you Ned to really succeed. I wish him well and hope he grows a pair
Couldn’t agree more that Iwobi is fortunate to have the chances that he has had and agree we have to make a big purchase this window having let the players go that we have. Not sure if there is a proper plan( there may be several plans) or who has devised it but we need a way to gain maximum value from the season by winning the Europa and/ or finishing in top four and signing Wilshere and Ozil to new deals.
But while Wenger remains in charge we will at best be treading water and will probably regress . The close season will see the mother of boardroom battles
Zone even
Goodbye Theo. Twelve disappointing years as far as I’m concerned. I had high hopes when you signed up. Had I been you I would have grown a pair and put in a proper shift. Still, you’ve got a couple of Ferraris and you’re a multi-millionaire so things could have been worse and on a positive note, sitting watching tossers like you earning 140k for sitting on their butt was a contributory motivation for the surrender of my season tickets and that cash is being used for rather more enjoyable pursuits. Well done. Enjoy Merseyside and try to gin up on the off-side rule before your wife unpacks the Bentley for you. I hope it works out well for you and elevates you above ‘nearly made it’ status. Your talent deserves more than the effort you’ve made to nurture it.
Clive@82: December 30, 1978
https://youtu.be/XTAMsgAdsII
“Oooh Theo’s always offside”.
And
“Oooh why is our build up play so slow?”
The second one is the cause of the first one.
Most of the time.
In other words, if you play like cunts with the handbrake on all the time, get used to watching rubbish like Welbeck for the next however many years.
If you play a fast attacking game, you get the best out a player with pace.
It’s not rocket science but it seems to be beyond the coaching ability of our non coach/man manager.
IBtM
Fantastic last line….but a sad epitaph . I wonder if he would recognise any truth in it?
I wonder how developed Theo would be if he was coached by Pep? Fabian Delph, someone??
Gary Neville: “Wilshere is the best English midfielder by streets. He could get in any team in the Premier League. I worked with him for 4 years.”
Woke up to a rainy morning in
Osaka, then read through the
posts. A lament for Theo it seems.
Although he hasn’t gone yet
officially, I wish him the best of
luck.
Nearly 400 games and just over
100 goals – could have done
worse, could have done better.
Bit like The Arse over the last few
seasons really – and several of
our other players too I hasten to
add.
Gary Neville: “Wilshere is the best English midfielder by streets. He could get in any team in the Premier League. I worked with him for 4 years.”
Arsenal : “Here’s a twenty grand a week pay cut and an invitation to take a free transfer out”.
If this is the handiwork of that bloke who came in from Team Sky, I suggest he fucks off back there. Yesterday.
Fuck Neville.
At least Mkhi’s agent gave me a
laugh this morning “Sanchez is part
of the Mkihitaryan deal, not the
other way round”
Wish that was true.
In total agreement with everything Cynic has said about Theo, in fact I’ve been saying most of it for seemingly ever myself. To the irritation of several here!
I wish the lad well wherever he goes, but surely the Saints or Hammers would be better bets for him than the Toffees?
.. I mean, I hope they’re not going to use him up front as a replacement for Lukaku.
Re 134: absolutely agree. I wonder how Theo would have developed with a better coach more focused on developing his players and giving them direction within a team structure that produces beautiful football. Look what Pep has done with Sterling, with Delph when the quite expensive Mendy got injured, with Otamendi etc etc. Wenger hasn’t been able to develop and progress a player for a long long time and that’s not really something you can blame the players for except saying they could have moved on to other teams earlier
The BBC have a very dull report on what Wenger said to Dean on their website. Would it not be appropriate or relevant to point out that Mike Dean has personally and publicly, through the head of the organisation he works for, admitted that his decision in the instance in question was wholly wrong?
Sorry for mentioning it. I guess I’ve just got an agenda.
Poor Theo.
If only he had had a manager who knew how to develop a young winger. Do any of the Sky Sports pundits have any thoughts on this? T. Henry anybody?
False 9.
Is that when you only have 9 false teeth because the rest fell out?
I read the report on AW’s comments
– that sneaky little fuck Dean tried
to make it worse with his “so you’re
calling me a cheat”. All four officials
said exactly the same thing too –
amazing powers of recall, it’s a pity
their eyesight isn’t up to the same
standard.
I assume the FA released the report
as a confession and apology.
Cheers H and Countryman!
Parallels/signage ‘tween wee Theo’s Arse career & stage 2 Arsene Arsenal , anyone: Bags of shiny, on the brink of everyfink, potential – but in retrospect – it turned into a decade of not getting all that far, fastish … (and now should follow some other parellelly stuff from me, wot a nimbler mind than mine could be bothered/able to postulate at this time in the bleedin’ morning). (Ahem.) … Then finally, the BIG finish … Theo f*ks orf and so goes A. Dubbya ???
https://youtu.be/J5ya_Gq8d4Q
I agree with The Rev.
Theo’s big problem is that his legs work at twice the pace of his brain.
He came with a mass of publicity. The genuinely ne original next best thing. He’s had his moments and has scored goals. But he’s never lived up to expectations and reached the heights we would all have hoped for. Would things have been different elsewhere? Pointless question really.
If he does go then I wish him all the best. But no one can turn round and say he’s not had his chance and he’s not done very well out of The Arsenal.
So time and technology have begun to catch up on this game of ours.
The man walking along in front of the procession waving a red flag is no longer required to make high speed, razor-edged decisions from 30 yards using only his eye balls for comfort. The award to Leicester of a goal which had previously been flagged offside in last night’s FA Cup game is the equivalent of black and white television suddenly turning to glorious technicolour.
And apparently the game didn’t lose momentum. And the atmosphere in the ground was unchanged. The decision was made quickly and for many, I imagine, it brought a sense of fairness and interest to proceedings. Great to see this tired old, money poisoned game of ours making some progress. Slowly, slowly catchy rugby.
Had VAR been in place a couple of seasons back, Leicester wouldn’t have won the League and Newcastle wouldn’t have been relegated.
Amen to all of that, Steve. Never did provide the width you craved, did he 🙂
Interesting that everyone is praising VAR in the media – but none of them have mentioned that it would have proved Wenger RIGHT on the and Dean WRONG on the WBA penalty call ; on the very same back pages with the stories literally running side by side…
BTM – I think 67 seconds between the incident and the decision is still far too long, especially for a basic offside call where conclusive replays are instantly available on screen. It may not have affected the momentum of the game on this occasion, but no doubt it will do, more often than not. And this is something which Arsene has also expressed his concern about.
Also, 10 points is quite a large gap to win the league by virtue of incorrect refereeing decisions..?
West Ham want £20 million for Andy Carroll according to the Guardian.
As my Hammers supporting mate said this morning “He is unplayable on his day…He just doesn’t have many days”
The world has gone mad.
The mad thing is a top club like Chelsea wanting a clumping count* like Carroll.
In comparison to that, any fee asked pales.
*remembering this is read by kiddiwinks on occasion.
A sensible write up on Walcott. Daily Mail article though.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5279219/Walcott-electrified-Arsenal-goes-underachievement.html
Same money for Carroll as Theo
then coincidentally.
‘Twas a good article Cynic although
the kids should be more scared of
the Daily Mail than any number
of clumping counts I feel.
He provided the width BTM. He just forgot to take the ball with him.
Good luck, Theo.
Hope you put your boots on the correct feet in every game for them.
exactly how many clumping counts do you feel ?
that’s a good question but a
gentleman never tells
So it’s done then… 14mil wages to Alexis per year after tax.
We would never be willing to pay that!
Good luck to Alexis!
Wonder if we’ll get Miki and Auba….
Has there been any mention of the survey that reveals Arsenal fans are the most financially exploited fans in the whole of European football?
Goodluck Feo! You’ll be dearly missed! ?
You gave it a good crack, but ya was let down by A-Nother. It’s nae yer fault, m8! ?
You’ll get a warm reception from me and ma boy when you come back to the Grove later this season for the Toffees. And we’re very glad that you’ll have yer m8 Ox, as a neighbour up North wiv ya! ?
You can still be great bud, cause 28 is the new 18 fer ya Young Guns! ??
Big Sam’ll take care of ya, and get you on that plane to Russia for the 3 Lions! ✈️ ?? ? ? ? ⚽️ ?
It will be interesting if he scores shit loads of goals and they finish above us 😉
It won’t be interesting Cynic it will be tragic…and very unlikely ?
I’m not sure if I’m seeing something incredibly significant in this window because Wenger would never sanction this level of activity or the sort of ambitious move we are seeing for PEA. It looks to me like the new arrivals are crawling all over his territory with the backing of the board. Whatever happens in player terms and with the sales of Ox, Theo , Sanchez and Le Coq we’ve raised £100 m plus and freed up a lot of wages, we clearly might expect to see two forward signings at least and possibly other moves bearing in mind we were willing to invest a further £30 m beyond the original Sanchez sale for Lemar.
That would be a very unWengerlike transfer window.
Wonder if the owner of this establishment realizes Theo’s move cuts down drinks at least by 10%?.
Oh well, we still have Ramsey.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>