He Loves Us, He Loves Us Not
Jun 15th, 2017 by 'holic
Forgive me if I am a little confused this evening at something of a non-story. The Arsenal have announced that we will receive an allocation of 28,300 tickets for the FA Community Shield against Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday August 6th. That makes it almost the equivalent of the number we received for the FA Cup Final.
Whilst the Community Shield is usually available to silver and red members once the season ticket-holders have applied, or not – as is always the case, I am a bit baffled as to why this is. I understand that at the FA Cup Final there are a number of debenture holders, County FA allocations, and sponsors tickets driving the numbers available to the competing clubs down. But the pre-season curtain raiser, or major trophy as Manchester United view it? Perhaps the monks at Castle Ned will root out the info and post it in the drinks?
Hector Bellerin
Anyone else heartily sick of Barcelona’s attempt to unsettle the young man we have turned into a proper footballer? Yesterday one of his international colleagues, Denis Suarez of Barcelona (surprise surprise), was quoted as saying that Hector was torn over the decision.
“I have spoken with him, and on the one hand he’s keen to come and on the other he feels tied to Arsenal.”
Today it was time for another of his international colleagues, our very own Nacho Monreal (spot the trend?), to pour scorn over the Suarez claims.
“He’s an Arsenal player and almost certainly he will stay here. Hector is a very important player for us and the boss has already reiterated that he counts on him.”
All of which is interesting given that just seven months ago the impressive young right back and wing-back agreed a six-and-a-half year contract extension with the Gunners. End of speculation, please.
Alexis Sanchez
Another topic that frustrates. Reports coming out of Germany suggest that Bayern Munich’s interest in our top goalscorer last season has cooled as soon as his wage demands became apparent. They allegedly fear the potential for unrest if the other top players at the club demand parity with the Chilean. With PSG also off the radar, apparently, the popular line is that Manchester City remain the only likely destination for the Chilean.
Unless we drive the price insanely high can we get on with the job of bringing other top players into the squad to complement our best players and hopefully persuade Alexis to keep Atom and Humber in North London. Oh look, there are those damned fairies again at the bottom of the garden making a mess of the lupins.
The Fixture List
There are a few variations of opinion about the list which was published just yesterday (Wednesday). If your glass is half-full our run-in currently looks very good indeed, on paper. In March, April, and May the toughest match looks to be Manchester United at Old Trafford in the penultimate away match.
If your glass is half empty then we will be playing all of the teams that finished above us home and away before then and the chances of us being in contention for the title will certainly depend on our performances in those big matches. Chelsea and Manchester City away look particularly tricky, given that they will follow our Europa League adventures on Thursday nights.
If you are an overseas supporter planning a trip do remember that the likelihood of these matches being switched to Sunday afternoons and Monday nights before Europa League fixtures will necessitate considering a short City break rather than a day or two. Good luck to you.
Fore!
Tomorrow (Friday) it’s a first outing for my increasingly erratic golf swing of this summer. The North Wiltshire Arsenal Supporters Club, fuelled by bacon butties and pints of muscle-relaxant will criss-cross the fairways in pursuit of the most prized of all the North Wiltshire majors. Well, the only one, really! I’m guessing there will be much talk of the Cup Final, the season ahead, and whether or not Hector and Alexis will be staying next season. I may have to give someone an umbrella enema if that is the case.
Have a great one ‘holics.
129 Responses to “He Loves Us, He Loves Us Not”
Bang
Evening all.
Evening Steve.
Hope all is well.
Interesting ramble, Guvna.
That’s surprising news about the Community Shield. It’s always been easy to get tickets for that match.
Well said Nacho. Always liked that fella.
Shitteh can have Alexis for £60m plus Aguero. But not the dogs. They cost an extra £20m each plus De Bruyne.
Good luck with the golf match, H. ??
Evening H. A tad busy here at the moment so finding it hard to keep up.
The current figures being banded about with regards to transfer fees are vulgar and obscene. One of the main reasons my interest in the game is in major decline. Almost every player is motivated by greed. For the average fan that is tough to take.
The fixture list is what it is. We play everyone twice. It’s the law. The fact that we will play on a Spursday and a Sunday is our own fault.
Enjoy the North Wilts Masters. Then go and pour your evening meal.
If that is the correct figure for the charity shield then it is laughable. I have cricket commitments that day so would not have made it anyway but that doesn’t stop it being laughable. That’s what happens when you become customers.
I will make very few games this season. I have just purchased two season tickets for Saracens. I will be heading there on a regular basis with Ben. Whilst he still enjoys his football, rugby is very much his passion. A season ticket for the two of us to watch the European Champions will total £400. That’s for the two of us. That is less than half of my ticket price alone at The Grove. I can pay monthly and get all sorts of add ons as the season rolls on.
I’m very much looking forward to my Father Son trips to games. There is no way I could have afforded to get two tickets to The Grove.
That’s quality bonding time, Steve. I have fond memories. It passes too quickly. Enjoy, mate. Hope to see you now and again next season. Perhaps, the occasional Sunday lunch-time?
Evening Bath. Thank you. Sundays are always a nightmare for me with various fixtures all over the place.
I will hope to make a few games along with the obligatory cup final to look forward to??? Maybe a trip back to your favourite Italian will be in order at some point?
*Running to avoid the ‘holic tee shot.*
Nacho for club captain?
Glass half not empty. A moderate view.
So Alexis’s salary demands could cause rancour among the Bayern ranks but not if he stays in NL for the £zillion offer he’s hesitating over? Sell him for the max we can get and replace with players motivated less by money and more by the desire to impress, I say.
Apropos The International Champions Cup in your #138 in the last drinks, bt8, if the fixtures posted constitute the full fixture list, then we play just once in this ‘competition’ while Bayern play four games in eight days, two games in China and two in Singapore? Are they mad or what?
Prior to the ICC match against Bayern we are in Sydney playing 2 games against local A League clubs on July 13 & 15. As I approach my 49th year as a supporter, it will the first time I have ever seen the first team play live. I am pretty excited.
george, i was fortunate to see them last summer for the first time in supporting them 18 years (paltry, but mine): it was one of the best days in my sporting life, if not the best. enjoy, and bring tissues, it can be emotional 🙂
George Armstrong ……
Enjoy I’m delighted for you.
I loved Scruzgooner’s account of the match last year. We locals take things for granted too often ! It’s the aspect of overseas tours which critics don’t take into account.
‘Holic, the FA considers the Community Shield to be the equivalent of the FA Cup when it comes to its administration, so there are exactly the same number of hands to be stuck in the ticket honey pot for each.
George … I watched Arsenal the last time they played in Aussie, in 1977. Australia won 3-1 and there was rioting in the stands. I had taken my then wife expecting to see Arsenal artistry, only to find ourselves in the thick of it with blood spilt right behind us and bodies falling through between us. Wife was not impressed!
On the bright side you’ll be proud to know that George Armstrong scored our goal that day. He was to play his last game for Arsenal later in the tour, after racking up 621 appearances for Arsenal, the record at that time.
On the dark side we also lost our other two games, to Celtic and Red Star, and had two players sent home for disciplinary reasons. This was after a season in which we’d lost a record 7 League games in succession at one point.
On the bright side again, it was also a season which saw Spurs relegated, so not all bad then.
I hope your first live Arsenal game is as memorable!
Cheers ‘H, re frustrating topic 2, I’m with Bath @3, Aguero plus 60 mill’ll do.
That overrated/overpayed/overblown soccaaaah pseud, Preppy Peppy Gladallover (Who Do I Think I AM?!? – ahh, but come on, it was Messi & Xavi wot won it, and the fella took Bayern backwards, oh yeah! – Suck it up City, U schmucks!), don’t appear to fancy him – so cum on!
T’riffic player (written in me best ‘Arry Yappyapp voice), that AS is, there’s plenty o’ prima ballerina about the boy an’ all; a sort of – “all for one (moi), and the rest of yous can go eff yourselves, ‘cept you Mezut, coz you pass me da ball and make the goal, and you’s ‘appy for me to do most of the glory basking stuff more or less on me own” – thing.
A tad harshish, i know, and i’ll luv Lexi again, the cheeky wee scamp, and won’t have a wicked word said about ‘im in the local should he re- sign on the dotted line.
But not anuvvah summah of player/s holding the club over a barrel of big bucks – please AFC.
UTA! Over
Chris,
That sounds very typical of what it was like to watch Arsenal in the 1970s so it was a very authentic experience. Lots of blood spilt around me in those days. Fortunately none of it mine.
You said ‘ your then wife’ – I hope the Arsenal experience didn’t hasten the split!
I used to take my girlfriend to football but when she became Mrs TTG she decided she didn’t need to try to placate me anymore!
As I see it there’s less incentive for top players to sign right now with fees and salaries rising exponentially year on year. Why sign for £150k a week today when it will likely be £250k a week in 12 months time? Or £350k a week from some desperate manager in January? Imagine how those currently locked into contracts worth less than £100k a week signed years ago must feel.
The way things are going I fully expect to see the first £1b transfer in my lifetime. I think the record transfer fee was around £50k when I first became an Arsenal supporter, and I’d been one for 29 years before Trevor Francis became the first player to change hands for £1m.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7qQ6_RV4VQ
I wish the experience had, TTG, I didn’t regain my freedom for another 14 years! Principally due to her pregnancy a year later and the ‘staying together for the sake of the child’ theory prevalent at the time. My daughter and I finally escaped together when she was 12 and I won custody. But that’s another story!
cracker morning read
all up above
cheers ‘holic / ‘holics
George@12
Not sure what sort of Arsenal squad you will see in OZ.
Mustafi and Alexis are at the Confederations Cup,so they won’t be in the mix
Nor will Hector/Holding or Chambers,as they are on under 21 duty with England.
Not sure the Ox/Kos or Ollie G will be there either.
They have only just gone on their 4 week holiday break,so not due back to pre season training till after the squad have departed.
Rambo also played last Saturday,so again only just gone on hols.
So it could be a quite depleted group that arrive down under.
Hudson and McDonald were the 2
sent home if memory serves.
Hammered in the wee small hours
🙂
What else are football tours for
really? I suppose the unsocialable
bastards could have invited a few
more of the team along. It wasn’t
like we could get much worse at
the time.
Re: TTG @14. As an overseas Gooner who saw my first and only Arsenal game live the season before last at the Emirates I could not agree with you more about the complacent atmosphere of those around me. I almost wish I had waited to see them on a Summer tour to keep my illusions alive.
today’s episode of Ironside
.
***TRIP TO HASHBURY***
.
.
it’s gonna be outta sight ?
meh
i give it 2 groovys outta 5
Did Ironside grow long sideburns at least?
It occurs to me that parenthood should be for folks who are younger than I.
Charlton drawn twice in confusion-laden draw for the League Cup first round to face both Cheltenham and Exeter, but somehow they later figured out that Cheltenham was the odd club out. Modern technology certainly seems to be improving things, they say. And keep saying.
There was confusion after the draw, which was streamed live from Bangkok, where the competition’s new sponsors, energy drink company Carabao, are based.
Just about everything you need to know about English football today in that sentence.
Carabao – Think before you drink
(powered by mindless mouse)
Yogi’s Warrior at A Cultured Left Foot predicts departures aplenty in today’s piece. And he didn’t even say he was writing from the airport.
I expect both Bellerin and Alexis to leave and we should ensure both of them go away than stay in the league, specially alexis. Sanchez is close to irreplaceable to our team but if he does not want to play for the Arsenal,he can leave and thank you for the memories and the tantrums.
If we can get Lemar and a RB, add in Lacazette and a Cb we should be good to go. I am surprised why we are not looking at a cb though. Per played his last game for us( what a performance), Kos and Achilles, Holding new and Gabriel god bless us, we need a cb and a proven one please. We seem to be losing out on a lot we could have had though. We should have got Klassen to replace Santi for the little magician and his legs are done. I wouldnt mind Siggurdson as well to replace Santi as it looks like jack is set to leave.
No player is fucking irreplaceable.
Per played his last game for us…
No
Everton have made two major, by all appearances, signings with Pickford and Klassen. When do we get in on all the fun?
Silly Second@31: Carabao means Red Buffalo. It is an energy drink, made by a company founded by a 62-year old Thai architect turned folk/rock star. The company sponsors the Chav’s training kit. ‘Nuff said.
bt8b: Pickford will be a good, perhaps great keeper. But he might also turn out to be the NGT between the sticks. Had Everton signed Donnarumma, then I would have been impressed.
We have signed an exceptional left wing back in Kolasinac which gives us the option of using Nacho as a centre back where he was exceptional at the end of the season. With Kos, Holding, Gabriel ( who looked much better in a 3 , Per and Chambers ( who can cover for Bellerin) we don’t need another CB in my view. We must let Holding develop.
Wenger says he will use Reiss Nelson and Maitland- Niles in the first- team squad next season and will probably retain Elneny , Ramsey and Xhaka. What he will do with Jack Wilshere I have no idea.
Upfront I won’t be surprised to see us let Perez, Giroud and Akpom go.
So expect to leave- Szczesny, Ospina, Debuchy, Jenkinson, Gibbs , Coquelin, Perez, Giroud and Akpom. I suspect Sanchez will leave and Ox, Bellerin and Ozil will stay. And Wilshere may go too. That’s a very disruptive summer but it frees up lots if salary and generates about £140million in fees.
So we will sign a third goalie to supplement Martinez, a wide player and one or two strikers.
My forward choices would be Lemar to play wide and Lacazette and Aubameyang but that’s fantasy football stuff. With those three upfront we would have pace and goal threat aplenty. But I think we may have to wait for the silly transfer games played by Barca, Real and Bayern to unwind. It’s back to the old days where our destiny is not in our hands.
Pickford saved a pen for the under 21’s this evening Ned,in the Euro opening group game against Sweden.
Ended 0 – 0,and true to form we had 1 shot on target in the 90 mins.
Even more baffling,Chambers played the full match in defence,while Holding was an unused sub.
TTG
That’s some clearout if it happens.
Sticking point as always is wages,the majority on your list won’t want to take a pay cut,so even if they do move,we may well have to pay a portion of their earnings for quite some time.
So your figure of 140 could be considerably less if that happens.
herself is off on a right one
the popular parlance
in this manaaaa !
.
fuckadoodledoo
ye can’t choose who ye marry
I’ve given up speculating already. I just hope AW doesn’t go completely bonkers and spend everything on The Pain in Spain as some kind of gesture to the fans. Alexis may be a diva, but CR would be a chorus line of them on his own.
No, I haven’t heard any such rumour. Just the advocatus diaboli in me getting a bit bored in this lull.
i hope those demanding justice
called sebastian or christian
with a penchant pour le chaos
take their little posh hoodied arses away
and join in after they count to 100000000
.
go
1……
Remember to add Joel Campbell to the list of sales @39.
Brings in 10m?
Clive@40: He did, though it was poorly taken. Don’t get me wrong. Pickford may turn out just fine. But he has only played 31 Premiership games in his life so don’t let the hype runaway with things.
Chambers played a lot more league football than Holding last season and by all accounts played well. He also has three full international caps and has been in the England set-up from U-17 up, whereas Holding has only broken through in the past year. So it is not really surprising he starts ahead of Holding. Its good both are Arsenal players, and suggests, to TTG’s point @39, that a CB needn’t be at the top of AW’s shopping list.
TTG@39: What about Theo and Santi? Do they stay or do they go?
and did ‘holic win the golf ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqkCT-_Q1DI
the people want answers thunder T
ANSWERS !
*tiny door opens*
*thunder T gets pushed out*
.
*taps mic*
“People of Arsenal . . . . . “
oooh
half ton
yay ?
cba @ 48.
He did indeed with the bonus of 3additional trophies:
https://www.doyouremember.co.uk/uploads/pCjgBoJJclub.jpg
” if you like a lotto chocolate on yer biscuit “
” if you like a lotta chocolate on yer biscuit “
i prefer lotto
????’ holic????
and
???? baff????
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NuaQetsDbk&spfreload=10
For those who prefer lotte chocolate:
http://www.chocablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/crunky.jpg?265146
Impertinent.
And what is the h for? Coulda been fu king. But what do I know? See, more questions than answers again. 😉
Did they give the footballers a summer break or something?
With the salaries they earn you would think fringe benefits wouldn’t be necessary.
As Billy Idol once said.
Let’s sink another drink.
It’ll give me time to drink.
Or think.
*m’lud the MIGHTY MIGHTY thunder T bangs gavel*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX8USu78E7E
If you won at the golf then how come you haven’t given us a report? Too modest?
69
*titters*
Ned,
I think they stay as Santi is gone seriously in the fetlock and unsaleable at present and I think Theo will be here for ever! Osaka Matt is right re Campbell so that is another fee. I can’t see if Wenger thinks we have several players too many us being able to minimise the upheaval . But Clive is right that is a big clearout.
TTG@70: Sadly, I think you are right about Santi (and probably Theo).
My best estimates of the weekly wages of your clear-out list:
Szczesny (65K), Ospina (40K), Debuchy (70K), Jenkinson (45K), Gibbs (60K) , Coquelin (70K), Perez (70K), Giroud (100,00K) and Akpom (<20K)
Santi (90K) and Campbell (30K)
If they were all shifted, we could get three 200K-a-week players in.
Also, by way of comparison: AW (165K), Gazidis (41K)
The only good thing that ever came out of Swindon was XTC
Am I right Holic?
What about the A420?
Dribbling from free kicks and corners, 30 minute halves and all the other ideas for messing with the rules being considered by the International Football Association Board are in this discussion document:
http://www.play-fair.com/data/Strategy_Paper_EN_150dpi_Doppelseiten.pdf
It says that dribbling after fouls was allowed by the original 1863 laws. I can’t see where:
http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0011/4089/Soccer_Rules_of_1863.doc
Thanks Ned those are very illuminating figures! It is terrifying that Debuchy scarcely figured all season and Jenko not at all in the second half of the season. That is about £5.5 million pa of money being paid to players who are never playing!
The big dilemma next season is the Europa League. We will need a big squad to keep going in it without prejudicing league prospects and the likes of Nelson and Maitland- Niles and maybe Willock, Reine- Adelaide and Bramall should get plenty of chances to play first team football, as should Gabriel, the BFG and Elneny. Maybe Wenger will focus on three megastar signings and a couple of Holding type signings . Maybe the Europa League will give Wilshere the chance to revive his career?
Elneny is a great player
Underrated. Massively.
Still making plans for Alexis and his settlement…
‘Wenger will focus on three megastar signings‘, you reckon TTG? In yer dreams mate. Rumours may associate him with the likes of Mbappe, but he’s as close to signing him as he was to Biter-boy Suarez. What we’ll get, possibly, is the midget Lacazette who will prove only marginally better than Sanogo up against real defenders.
AW is better at making megastars out of talented players struggling with managers who fail to get the best out of them and some on their way up, but not yet fully appreciated except by their mothers. I like a couple of interesting names currently rumoured to be in his sights who are well less than megastars, Norwegian midfielder Sander Berge and CSKA Moscow’s Aleksandr Golovin.
Oops, there I go speculating again after just yesterday saying I was done with the foolery. 🙁
New rules I would like to see include a yellow card for picking up the ball when a free kick is awarded against a player, so delaying play … and penalties during play should be the same as in a shoot-out, ie if they’re saved that’s it, no follow up allowed, a goal kick to restart.
Stop/starting the clock seems unnecessary to me, refs should simply add on time at the end (as they do now) UNLESS the offending side is losing at regulation 90 minutes. They shouldn’t be allowed to have the time they’ve wasted back in order to rescue the game. Only the side that has been delayed should have the benefit.
Chris@78: what worries me about stopping and starting the clock, is that it opens up football to something that bedevils American pro sports — game breaks being artificially prolonged so that adverts can be run in the televised coverage. If you watch baseball or American football in the stadium, you repeatedly see players standing around doing nothing while they wait for the ads on TV to complete before restarting the game.
Football referees already have powers to add on time for time wasting. They just need to be stricter and uniform in using them.
I’m puzzled by all the anti Lacazette stuff on here. The guy is a proven goal scorer. He’d be brilliant for us. However note I don’t want big Oli going in the opposite direction.
In the meanwhile 34 year old Alves to rejoin his old boss at City. Great move – he practically won that CL semi final against Monaco on his own.
Cricket, garden and graduating/A levelling children keeping me going this summer. Still buzzing from Cup Final. Off to see the Floyd exhibition at the V&A on Thursday. Anyone been?
So basically we have an awful lot of average players, who we’ve paid a lot for and who we still reward handsomely??? Blimey, how long have I been banging on about that now? 5 years plus?
It has always frustrated me. To the clear out list you can also add the likes of Perez and Gabriel. The best part of £40 million plus god knows how much in wasted wages.
Now we are faced with the ridiculous prices being currently banded about, to try and buy the quality we should have bought years ago, for what would have been a lot less than they are now. Just think where we might be now if we had just done what was required all those years ago? To me it was obvious. Has it really been that difficult for the board to see???
if we’d ham
we’d have ham ‘n’ eggs
if we’d eggs
anyhoo
.
usual shite here
the ducks move as one
in separate colours
the geese boss the ducks
regardless of brand
the cows moooooooooooooooooooooo
the dogs stalk
and the sheep baaaa
.
happy sunday all
UP THE ARSENAL
.
no pigs here
what would the pigs do if they were there?
happy sunday cba and all
Taking a trip to the land o’ Lars and the land ‘ TGSWEL. Hope they don’t bite.
8ball 84
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/watch-garda-car-filmed-waking-sleeping-homeless-people-in-city-centre-35838395.html
.
enjoy yer trip , sir
look after yerself
sláinte
didn’t a long faced Canadian woman
warble about situations such as this
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12465051.Comedian_Singh_Kohli_apos_s_rented_Glasgow_flats__apos_grubby_and_dirty_apos_/
anyhoo
time for
https://athleticomince.com
#44 it is
i’m lazy
?
Barry Homeowner anyone ?
recent events have changed the mindset of some people who
didn’t care
or
didn’t know they didn’t care
or
secretly knew they didn’t care
but
didn’t care
caring about yer fellow man
isn’t just about being nice down the pub
“He’s lovely , he’d do anything for ye ”
.
anyhoo
fuck the lotta ye
?
cba @87 The policeman who shot a school janitor in his car near here was found not guilty by a jury yesterday. Then on the radio the reporters said the justice system is not broken. Go figure.
*counts fiftys*
the world turns bt8
i find it difficult to understand the sea change
in many people’s minds near here
What does/did it have to take ?
penitent tories are everywhere
angry at either themselves their country or both
the mighty boss himself here is horrified
at what the tories have done
i have never met ‘holic but
i know he’s a genuine good hearted person
that the world needs more of
(i’m not saying i’d leap in front of a flying bullet for him . I might however stretch to shielding him with my pomposity should a biting wind whistle through a beer garden)
anyhoo
fill in the blanks up above
i’m getting a can
they’re from lidl
yeah
RIGHT ON
and not even the cheapest ones
one step up
extra 10p a can
nowt but a vulgarian , me
not bad
had to buy in
.
i lost three demi-johns to the ayyy-gue
apfelwein of 2months
someone opened them for a sniff obviously
i know that they know that i know
(that’s enough)
.
hard stares from me since yesterday
i sound like a distraught father
in a john ford western
or a nutter
GET IN !!!!
i’ll join yer, if i may (no not u theresa, 4 fuks sake, stay hid – it’s better that way 4 all of us, in the end) cba – like lidls (so my butler tells me) you’s always top value – slainte/salante/santi (not sure wot it is, and it’s too hot to go back & look). Happee Sundeeee!
UTA!
daaa da da da
da da da
DA DA , DA DA DA DA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfK1IPLpcqs&app=desktop
“be upstanding
for the
MIGHTY MIGHTY Reverend rooftop sounds”
or
sit down
whatever
i don’t mind
i’m quite loose about that stuff
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
*takes names*
luv it brassy. me.
just remember people
i don’t know people
i am people
*lion roars in Irish accent*
.
mind you
one of the original lions off of the MGM
was from dublin zoo
though i neither sound nor have any affinity
with the free state
they cut us adrift
leaving us to deal with all the nonsense
AND
they kept the fanny magnet accents for themselves
.
*squawks unintelligibly to the missus*
*missus taps hoof*
etc
ho ho ho
regional humour , eh
*slaps knee*
.
here’s a juke fer yer box
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGOEUo_sLxY
‘holic
it’s near 7
double time after ?
.
you did promise
and
my family are hungry
what with all their drinking an all
If Trump’s lawyer says Trump is not under investigation should Trump be making public statements that the opposite is true? Just a country bumpkin wonderin’ how to make some sense of this Washington swampy stuff.
Sorry cba, I’m melting. Tomorrow, defo.
I have to take fluids on board in this heat. ☺️
Did i tell you I love you, ya daft beggar! ?
Evening/night all,
Been restricted to the occasional read and not really had anything of note to say, as it’s a case of all speculation and no news as yet.
Work has claimed my time for the last few weeks. It starts again in the morning and will be punctuated by a lunchtime trip to the dentist for some major work on a cracked double tooth.
If i’m clearing out my old broken lumps of calcified grinders, at least the Arsenal could make a start on doing the same.
I intend to get back in here more regularly though, as one can only last so long without a dollop of good grounded common sense from cba ?
Good to see the Reverend AL back in and on form ??
The problem with putting out the Arsenal rubbish is finding somewhere to dump it. Özil Gummidge, for example, is touted as a genius (by some), yet no club appears interested in uprooting him and planting him in their patch. So what chance moving on the lesser cabbages?
Good to see you Trev, good luck with the tooth!
While rummaging through today’s illustrious collection of comment and opinion I was reminded of this … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PrvCmj_c_I
You could buy an Airbus A380 done out as a private jet for the money Real is asking for Ronaldo.
We’ve come a long way since Willie Groves became the first £100 player in 1893.
And not necessarily in a sane direction.
The A380 would have a longer useful life expectancy.
The whole Ronaldo thing makes me smile … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpJ0cyXbMbI
Gotta love the attitude in the above track,
Chris @118, great song but the miming was half-hearted. He put in less effort than Özil is usually accused of displaying. ?
We have made two backroom appointments- This Aussie Burgess who appears likely to work with Shad Forsythe who hasn’t noticeably improved our injury situation and Huss Fahmy the contract expert from Sky who will work with Dick Law. We don’t shed many staff do we? This is the Gazidis/ Wenger way of promoting change without upsetting anyone internally.
As for my comment on Megasatars which Chris took me ( rightly) to task for , I rather overhyped the purchases but I meant three top- class players and I would include Lacazette as top-class. He has scored goals for fun in France . Lemar looks very special and the rest depends on who leaves. If we kept Alexis I’d be keen to get Carvalho in midfield
TTG.
Why buy 3 top quality players when we could buy a bucket load of NBT’s and big standard average players for the same money and hope that one day, one might actually become something?
On that note there is some really disappointing news coming out of Germany. Apparently our £3.4 million signing from last summer Takuma Asano, still can’t get a work permit. He managed 20 odd games last season for Stuttgart so he must be something really special? Perhaps he will join the long list of Arsenal signings that barely set foot in the country, let alone hardly play.
No, I’d never heard of him either.
Asano’s a blue-chip NBT, SteveT. Even AW admits that. Called him ‘one for the future’. (He does have 11 Japanese caps, though, and is still only 22).
Lemar would be fantastic but has all the looks of we dilly-dallying and either spurs or chelsea getting him.
Alexis with yet another assist yesterday for chile, boy his stocks keep rising and wonder how we will retain him. I say offer him the money and maybe even the captaincy. For all his petulance, he will give his all on the pitch and may even have a go on the ones not performing.
Regarding Ozil and he not having many takers, i say thank god for that. He is a gem and have a mobile forward in front of him like benzema or aubameyang, then you shall see what he is capable of. Not that he needs to prove anyone anything.
Clear all the deadwood and for heaven sake do it now; towards the end no one will have any takers and we will be stuck with them again.
I’d heard of Asano before we signed
him. Looked a good prospect in
Japan, quick and skilful.
Odds against to make it at The
Arsenal but he wasn’t an
unreasonable signing at all.
Holding was a NBT and so was Bellerin but there have been plenty who didn’t do the business. We do need to get real quality in this year not just to replace the ones who are leaving. We need a step forward
A blue chip NBT??? That’s a new one on me but I like it.
Matt. If the odds are against him ever making it at Arsenal how is that a reasonable signing?
I have zero knowledge of the J league but I have no memory of anyone in the last 10 years that has left there and made it big in the Prem?
It looks more and more to me that we could be dining on leftovers. We struggled to rival champions league sides when we were in the champions league. If you think we will all of a sudden be the club of choice for those already at big clubs then you may well be disappointed. Our best hope my be if certain star names did depart and we take a player and cash in exchange.
It would be great to be wrong but……….
Fat chance we have of getting anyone of real quality with AW in charge. We will get two or three like Elneny, good but not great, and struggle to make Europa places again next term, especially if we lose Sanchez. We are really going to miss Sanchez who has such a great impact on a game (yesterday against Cameroon) even when he is injured. Everyone in the Chile side plays like Alexis, full commitment and effort and never say die. We would be much better side if our players adopted that approach.
Just for anyone thinking we have ages to go our opening game on our pre season tour down under is 3 and a half weeks away.
TTG, I have nothing against NBT’s just as long as the first team squad is strong enough in the first place. Some years ago we seemed to have a succession plan. Players were allowed to develop and were eased in.
You only need to look at the lists posted above to see how much baggage we are carrying. Then look at how much we are paying in wages to them each month.
More utter bollocks. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>