So, Me And Bobby, We’re Like That!
May 16th, 2012 by 'holic
“So ‘holic, we have a day coming up where you could chew the fat with Robert Pires for a while. Fancy it?”
And so I found myself at the final of the Indesit Football Talents competition, along with teams representing Arsenal, AC Milan, Paris St Germain, and Shakhtar Donetsk. The day could only have been better if Eduardo da Silva had been in charge of the latter. Instead I had to put up with Jean-Pierre Papin, the only player to win the Balon d’or while playing for a French club. Readers of my age, and slightly younger, will know what a pleasure that was. The French legends were joined by Gianfranco Zola, in charge of PSG, and Daniele Massaro overseeing the Milan side.
A small group of bloggers were joined by Robert at the conclusion of the Arsenal team’s final match. “Are we doing this in Spanish, or French?” He knows how to put the starstruck at ease. “English”. We know how to make life most difficult for him. But he smiles, shares anecdotes knowing he has a friendly audience who will not do a ‘Steve Kean’ on him, and fields questions with a charm that is infectious.
I’m most interested, given the newly created vacancies on the Arsenal staff at reserve and youth level, if he is considering coaching as an option. Quite clearly, management is not an ambition. “You have to go to one guy and say, you are playing today, then to another and tell him you are not. I don’t want to be that man.” Pushed further though he reveals an assistant’s role would be an option. “You can still be with the team, not remote.”
What we thought would be a five minute opportunity turns into much more. He answers questions about his hardest opponent (of course it was Gary Neville) which leads on to some marvellous recollections of Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane. He chats about a mixed weekend just gone, with Arsenal clinching the Champions League berth, and Reims earning promotion in France, against relegations for former clubs Metz and Villareal.
I have to ask him about THAT tackle on Patrick Vieira, “I cannot tell you what he called me after that.” We all share a chuckle at the memory, and then we get on to the subject of his return to Arsenal with Villareal. “How did it feel to have all of the opponents fans singing your name throughout?” He admits it was emotional. “Did it affect your performance?” He smiles. “I think so, yes.” “Good, it worked then”. We all laugh.
Somebody asks about favourite opponents, and one of our number looks on aghast as he replies “I loved Tottenham”. A master of timing he waits a second before adding, “I scored eight goals against them, I think.” No subject is off limits, so I mention Domenech, and that he did not pick the footballer of the year in 2002, because he was a scorpio. He is asked who he thinks will win Euro 2012, and the answer is Germany, although obviously he hopes France will do well.
Asked about Pat Rice, Robert goes into full praise mode, not just about his former coach, but Tony Adams as well. “It was very important to have those guys to keep you on your toes”. We get into dangerous territory once on the subject of former colleagues. “Have you forgiven Jens for getting sent off in the Champions League Final” There was a time that grated. Now the charm kicks in as he recalls playing a fives tournament with Jens three weeks ago. “I have forgiven him, yes. We are friends”
He remains in contact with not just Jens, but Patrick, Thierry, Dennis, and of course Arsene. “He is my father, no seriously”. The respect brings a lump to the throat, being unsolicited and so sincere. I am reminded, as if it were necessary, that I am sitting next to a very special man. He sits with us through most of the Final, signs shirts and assorted memorabilia, and thanks us. Yes, he thanks us.
I do take the opportunity to have a photograph taken with Zola afterwards. The urge to thank him for being a part of the Parma side we beat in the ’94 Cup Winners Cup Final is resisted, probably for the best. When I get a snap with Papin later I also duck commenting that I was one of the few present who remembered him. Harsh, given how young the great man still looks.
I cannot close without thanking all at Indesit (and We Are Social) for making the day possible, and giving a wonderful opportunity for a select and privileged few ordinary fans to rub shoulders with some true greats of the game. You don’t have to tell me how lucky I am to have been there. I know only too well. Thanks all.
465 Responses to “So, Me And Bobby, We’re Like That!”
First?
cor, you got there with your oil millions…
Third place – never in doubt. Now to read.
damn, you’re lucky, ‘holic. no, you’re blessed. what a great meet. i don’t understand what it was about, though…what is a “football talents competition”?
Nice touch holic!
Scruz, at least this time I won’t be denied first place by Wolfie and his money wrapped in Speedoes 😉
cor, blech. slightly moist, and soiled, must not be as attractive to the powers that be as slightly oiled, and soiled.
Lucky fella ‘Holic – pure class Sir Bob.
Incredibly jealous ‘Holic, that must have been a wonderful time. I can think of no better ambassador for Arsenal fans! Love Bobby, what class!
You jammy dog. So jealous.
Top work!
Ladies and Gents – Sir Robert Pires
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yuk0qYxHjQA
What a player Pires was for us. Absolutely magical.
I will always remember him lobbing Schmeichel the racist after chipping Boateng. Brilliant stuff.
Holic, you’re very lucky to have met him. Did you ask him if he was going to India to help with their Premier League?
Bobby’s a top man indeed. Thanks for sharing ‘holic.
My goodness Holic what a wonderful day by the sound of things. Unfortunately I never saw him (or any of the dream team) live but he remains a favorite. Watched the INVINCIBLES 49 video again last Friday to give me confidence ahead of West Brom and had forgotten how unplayable Pires was at times during that run….will we ever see his like in the Red & White again?
God I am so jealous. Must have been some evening. *sigh*
Nice write-up, ‘holic.
*swoons* (TM Arseblog)
Wow, great stuff Holic! An Arsenal legend chats to an Arsenal legend. Doesn’t get any sweeter than that 🙂
Beautiful piece ‘Holic.
Brilliant stuff mate. And I cant think of anyone who deserves such a good day out more than yourself.
Don’t let Arseblogger find out!
Well deserved, Holic! Awfully jealous I am, though… 🙂
What a player,when I wear a tracksuit I look like a thug this man,everything is effortless.
Tres jaloux.
Nice one Papa ‘Holic 😉
Played Holic, Played.
I mean like, I LOVED meeting Sol. But he ain’t dreamy 8)
& GT @ 444 from last drinks, “we all look alike” Heh! 🙂
Great stuff, ‘holic.
Surely Papin isn’t from such a long time ago.
I used to hate him, and the fucker couldn’t even stop Marseille win the European Cup when he went abroad playing against them in the final, which annoyed me most.
I admit I mellowed to him when he moved to Bordeaux and eventually selected to stay in the region to play and coach at amateur level and get settled there.
So, is that person who should be in the middle chair taking the photo?
Who is she?
Judging by the cloak over the chair it is Little Red Riding Hood.
Lucky man ‘holic. You look in a state of bliss in the photo.
Cheers ‘Holic – lovely to meet you yesterday at the event (I’ll be writing up tonight).
Pires seemed a lovely fellow. I remembered Papin too (worryingly one blogger wasn’t born when he won the Balon d’Or!) and he was a superb fellow all-round.
As a Liverpool fan I was pleased that he said his favourite goal (or one of them) was against us and that his favourite ground (non-Arsenal) to play in was Anfield.
One thing that came across for me was how much Pires loved Highbury. I got the feeling that he liked the Emirates, and could see what the point of it was, but that he had a special bond with the ground up the road. Just my take, I suppose.
Keep up the good work.
Oh, I did like on Twitter the picture of me and Papin you posted and one Gooner said ”Marrsio and Goonerholic – two of my favourite bloggers’.
Not many get mistaken for a Balon d’Or winner… but you’ve managed it.
Ooh! Who did you have to sleep with to get this gig, ‘holic? 🙂
I’m sooooo envious.
Lovely stuff Holic . Like all , v jealous . Great you had such a terrific time .
At the end , did you tell Bob to “take a bow son” ? 😉
What a Dreamboat !
Robert Pires ain’t bad either .
Who’s the intelligent looking guy with the glasses?
Speaking of glasses.
Jagerbomb please.
Two. 8)
Holic second time ur making me all teary eted in the office (1st time was the piece on holicdad) ur a blogging legend to me…
OT: I’m glad to hear Rio Ferdinand (aka Flippy Lippy) was left off the England Euro squad and had his heart broken. I never did like that flippy lipped twat.
Sorry gents and lady ‘holics but I do enjoy my schadenfreude 😎
Changing the subject……
Can someone explains to me how this works?
At first, I sort of went for the idea that if RvP elects not to sign a new contract it would make sense to hold him to the last 12 months of his current deal, because we would be more apt to qualify for the CL with him in the team/squad than not. Qualifying for the CL is supposedly worth north of £40m which is more than even those Sheikhs would shake a stick at if they wanted to buy him now.
BUT, how committed is a player liable to be, running down his contract when he knows that his next big bumper pay deal is totally dependent on him being physically fit, not picking up a serious injury? And this from a player who has had one full season in what is it, eight, without lengthy absence due to one injury or another? The commitment will surely not be the same, even if it is only applying on a psychological level?
The idea that we should keep him to send out a message is fine up to a point, but has the potential to be counter-productive. I have come to the conclusion that if he does not sign before he leaves for the Euros we must offer him to the market and get an additional replacement (quality) striker in urgently. We cannot afford to have another summer like last, with us being strung along by mere hope that we can appeal to a player’s loyalty.
In the final analysis, if Robin does decide to move on I will of course be disappointed (particularly if he goes to the ex-Arsenal colony at Eastlands), but not resentful. The difference between Van Persie and the chinless sapphic muffnuzzler (CSM) is that he left it on the pitch, and has always respected the shirt.
So whilst I agonise over that, does anyone know if the coffee has been served yet at Chez Wenger?
I assume Geoff Shreeves has been invited and is sat on the end of the couch?
Buzzzzzz! Think that’s the doorbell
Have done the same U-turn myself Dr Z . At first , I was in the “keep him at the club at all costs” camp , essentially to stave off accusations that we are a selling Club , but I just don’t think we get the same player next season , if he doesn’t sign on .
If he doesn’t renew , he obviously no longer wants to be at the Club anymore , so why keep him . As you point out, next season just becomes an exercise in not getting injured for him to ensure the bumper payout when he goes. It also destabilises other players I think , when The Leader , yet again , wants to move and is no longer committed to The Club .
As for how it is received by the fans :-
a) Sign on – Legend .
b) Move abroad – More affection than Fab’s polite applause , but ultimately just another good player from our past.
c) Move within the Premiership – Whilst the vitriol will never reach Nasri levels (RVP would never disrespect the Club, Nasri does it as a matter of routine) , he would never again get beyond polite applause amongst the fanbase .
All in my humble opinion of course.
As for the meeting today , suggest you follow @Gunnerblog for live updates !
AW making coffee – asking Robin “one lump or two?” – assume they’re talking about how RvP wants his new signing on fee paid…Robin says he’d rather have one of those “artificial sweetners”- Blimey that sounds dangerously close to Rednapp territory to me… they really are getting right down to the nitty gritty right away – no messing
I always looked at the Podolski signing as a preemptive move to replace RvP.
@ zico 38 and tabs 40
You’re bringing me round to your way of thinking. And I would resent it massively if he chose Mankiness of either colour rather than Abroad. So I’m crossing everything that he signs. But if he doesn’t…we are the Arsenal. If we can weather last year’s disruption, we get through anything.
@ 42 Thierry Overmars
Now that I have to disagree with – I feel sure he was always intended to play alongside him/deputise. After all they have been after signing him for 15 months.
Just my humble opinion FunGunner.
I think mgmt saw what happened last year with Nasri and wanted to be preemptive this year as opposed to being reactive like they were last year. I also think that by signing Podolski before the window it shows the club’s ambition. Best case scenario: RvP sees it as a good sign and a step in the right direction for the club and he re-signs. Worst case scenario: RvP doesn’t re-sign, goes elsewhere, but other prospective players see that Arsenal is ambitious by doing their transfer business early this year.
Some 10 minutes or so ago the smarmy looking fek in the shiny suit – Darren someone – excused himself and went to the loo. AW called out to Mrs. W – “Darling can you show Darren the right way – I’d hate for him to GET LOST!!!”.
Mrs. W returned a few minutes later – announcing that Darren may be some time as he’s not feeling right and has gone for a lie down. Everyone in the room visibly relaxed at the news. Mrs. W then winked craftily at AW who responded with one of those suppressed smiles of his, and leaning forward offered Robin a Hob Knob. Game on…
Fly on the Wall – heh!
Fun – Agree with you at both @43 and @44
this really exciting
@ Fly On The Wall
ha ha!
Keep the insider insect intelligence coming.
Holic- Pires thanks you for answering your questions and signing your shirts . Wow.
I haven’t had this much fun on the couch since my regression therapy with Dr Babble last autumn.
Unless of course you care to include Green Eyes.
Kit-Kat? 8)
Definitely on the best wall here . That other fly doesn’t know what he’s talking about .
Now then , if I can time this just right, I can swoop in , take a dump on Darren Dein’s unguarded chocolate hob-nob, and get the hell out of there , before they start taking swipes at me with their copies of La Parisien .
H’olic You lucky, lucky bugger…..!
What a player Bob was, I’ll never forget the goal he set up for Freddy when we were away at Liverpool and down to 10 men.
And what a finisher, he always used to just pass the ball into the net, made it look so simple.
Holic- wow! So jealous!!
Tabs and Zico – I think that it depends on the person. RvP has respect for himself and let’s say he’s looking to secure a fat pay check he won’t be disrespectful and still give his all.
It happens all the time that players see out their contracts.
Just this year Junior Hoillet saw out his contract and gave Blackburn the full respect they deserve by running his socks off every match and almost keeping them in the PL on his own (along with the Yak of course).
I’m not ruling out the option that he’ll see out his contract and lead us to a trophy causing him to extend due to our renewed success.
I’m still in the keep him at all costs camp.
A lot of talking about oldish times and great Arsene Arsenal sides. RvP mentions The Invincibles, AW suggests that the 2007-8 side might have matched them, feeling they were only one “superquality” player short – the mostly injured RvP no less. Talk turns to RvP’s injury record and how much the club has done for him generally over the years. A groan is heard coming from upstairs – “Don’t worry I’ll sort that out, you boys carry on reminiscing – it’s so sweet, like a father talking to his favourite son. Oh, and help yourself to more Hob Knob’s Robin – there’s plenty more where they came from” – says Mrs. W – as she pops off upstairs again
The Ox is in the England squad .
Don’t know if that’s good or bad news if I’m honest .
What I do know is that it is a massive two fingers up at Journos and a small section of our own fans who doubted Arsene’s judgement when he went out and bought another young ‘un .
Where is this fairplay rules bullshit? This will possibly be RVP last contract in his caeer. I mean if City offer RVP 250 a week can we blame him for taking the money and win few titles along the way in the twilight of career? Any one with common sense advising him would say to him, take the money and go my son.it is really difficult for Arsenal to stop this crap happening its up to the people responsible to really come down on this. I will not be surprised if City pays a million a week to a footballer one day. These guys make Abramovich look poor. If Adebayor gets 170 a week to play for Spurs why should RVP get peanuts and stay? this is a question many will be asking. Its sad but that is the reality and we simply have to face up to it. On the other hand a big offer will tempt Arsenal to sell, without a doubt. They will not run down his contract if he decides not to sign.
@ tabs 56
Know what you mean. But someone pointed out that at least Oxo being involved in euro 2012 is better than being involved in the Olympics, from our point of view. I now really hope that he won’t be in both. Congratulations to AOC, anyway – very well done.
@ 54 Snir Geuli
You are right, it does depend on the person and RvP is the total professional. I suppose the experience with Cesc could be influencing me.
Fun ,
Yep the further he stays away from Pearce the better. I do trust Hodgson to use him wisely – intelligent man .
Just don’t like the fact he’ll be mixing with Terry and his scumbag coterie . Hopefully , he’s intelligent enough to stay well away from that clique .
See how long the “total professional” tag lasts, particularly amongst the excitable in our fanbase.if he has a poor game, or some detect a less than 100% commitment to a 50/50 challenge.
Sorry, but I don’t think it works like that – player’s don’t give their all in that situation (it may be subliminal but they are affected). For the record, Junior Hoilett’s team just got relegated. Hardly a ringing endorsement.
I tend to agree with Wengers Coat – if he doesn’t sign and someone else flashes the cash, he will be gone. What we don’t want is Wenger saying “he will not be going” only to end up at the start of the season he ends up getting sold anyway, like the CSM did last summer.
Think that’s the sound of Mrs. W screaming coming from upstairs.
The lounge door has just been flung open and Darren Smarm has staggered in – jacketless, with sick down the front of his tie – I think. It’s pretty difficult to tell as it was a pretty horrible tie to begin with –
“Robbie son – don’t touch the Hobnobs – they’re spiked” he says wretching slightly.
Robin looks non-plussed –
“You signed anything?” Deino asks
“A few autographsh for Arsene’sh friendsh’ kidsh – that’sh all” says RvP
“Show me, show me” demands Dein. He grabs the signed stuff off of AW and rips it up.
“Right Robbie, get yer track-suit top on son, we’re out of here. You’re not the only people we’re talking to Arsene – we’ve got other meetings to make – get a move on Robbie” he starts to wretch again “I’ll be outside by the motor” he goes.
Mrs W. appears at the lounge door –
“My god that man is a monster, a mess – he has an ugly, ugly heart – and did you see that tie, what was he thinking?”
Robin hugs AW like he meansh it, then Mrs. W too.
“Don’t worry we will get this schorted schoonishh – but firsht I need to schort him out. I’ll call…schoon” says Robin.
“Here you are darling boy” says Mrs. W, as she thrusts the remaining HobNobs, wrapped in a sheet of kitchen roll, into Robin’s hands.
“Thanksh Mrsh W. – and don’t worry Arshene I’ll call” says Robin, winking as he does that sort of phone/hand mime thing, then he goesh.
“Well I think that went pretty much to plan for a first meeting” says AW. Mrs. W grins…
To Be Cont…
How, in the name of all that’s holy, is Downing in the England squad ?
Agree with #57 & #60. Footy is a business. Like it or not.
hehs FYOW
tabs, is the England squad out? Or are these just rumours?
If Downing’s in it, is it well, because England are shite? 😉
@ 62
Perhaps that particular question should be addressed to the Reverend AL? 😉
tabs 40, I suspect you are very wrong:
if RvP goes, it will just be vitriol abused at Arsène, and the board, for showing no ambition blahblahblah.
Personally, I’d kill Darren Dein (and his dad while we’re at it) for free.
I’d be extremely disappointed with Robin if he leaves. I’d say I’d feel cheated.
Downing is dreadful. I think Woy had some of those hob nobs too.
FYOW? FOTW
Downing had no goals and no assist for liverpool in the league. what doe he actually do for liverpool? even Milner what is the pointt? Adam Johnson is far better not included in the England squad
I live in a land far, far away, and I must say, reading about moments like these from the more experienced Gooners makes me so happy and privileged to wear the colors of The Arsenal…
Massive hehs @ the fly 🙂
@65 Think you could be right Dr Z .
Ollie , England squad now out , Downing in , Ox in . What is striking is that Ox aside , there is absolutely no technical excellence in the midfield in that squad . Very depressing , and yes , we are shit !
And @66 why do you say “very wrong” ? Sure , AW and the Board will cop it , but as regards RVP , reckon your last sentence sums up how most of the fanbase, minus the lunatic fringe, will feel . How is that at odds with what I said earlier ?
Not arguing , just interested :wink;
@ 66 and 72
Cheated?
By whom?
Zico @ 65 – there do indeed remain some questions to which there are no answers, and that is defo one of them. One has to hope and pray that Woy knows what he’s doing. Though i have to admit that even my faith has indeed been shaken on this matter
And him a KKK cesspool signing too – are there dark forces at work??? Could the boy Roy be intending to mess with heads, making life even more difficult for KKK – return the favour and get kenny the boot from there this time round…hmmmmm – we should be told!
More Liverpool players on that England squad than I could have fathomed. Even Henderson got a standby selection.
❓ #scratchingmyhead
Interesting that two french journos (Auclair and Julien Laurens), used Twitter yesterday to absolutely slate Nasri’s character, personality etc.
Unusual for Journos to break the code , and come out so openly.
Nasri must be one hell of a shit !
Dr Z , I think there’s some merit in the argument that the Club have stood by Robin through many injury-hit seasons, continuing to pay him a vast fortune in the meantime .
I think we are entitled to therefore feel “cheated” if he now buggers off , having overcome those fitness issues and reached his peak.
tabs, just because I think you focussed on the reaction to RvP himself, while I think the essential of the ‘reaction’ will not be towards RvP, should he leave.
Agreed that my ‘very wrong’ was, in fact…..er, very wrong.
@ 77
Yeah I guess so.
Next, you will be telling me there is something called “a conscience” 😉
Played ‘holic am hoping you asked le Bobby to put a word in with the FGs re RvP and our tilt at the title next season
Oh Ollie right , with you now, and agree that the focus (and bile) will probably settle away from the player.
Dr Z , would never dream of being that extreme 😉
This post proves once again that Goonerholic in the summer is the place to be. If only PIK knew this? Thanks ‘holic for the great interview and Trev for the great video.
England are doomed. Granted there could have been injury considerations, but if there really was a choice between Terry and Ferdinand then Roy has got his first big decision as England manager completely wrong in my opinion.
@83 – Personally, I think Woy should have left them both off the squad.
@84 – Also a good solution. That would definitely be better than keeping just the racist grass muncher.
Just rumbled who that Fly on the Wall, is courtesy of Twitter.
You’re talents are wasted in here, son. 🙂
You’re = your 😳
A?
BG@83: you assume Terry will start. Not assured at all.
‘Holic: you are a lucky old dog. Robert Pires is peerless and seems as graceful off the pitch as he was on it.
Various@above: re RvP, who in the bar can put their hand on their heart and say they wouldn’t consider moving to a different job at another company for a lot more money?
Roy probably already wondering why on earth he took the job….
@86,
Only responsible for the one drink @52.
No idea who my fellow shiteater is 🙂
Oh I see – with my great big scary eye thing
Ned @89 , re your last para . Just my view , but I think that is a much over-used analogy.
For the vast majority of us , money and how much we earn is unfortunately central to both our life and to a greater or lesser extent, our own sense of self-validation. Pay rises are the difference between one house and another , one holiday and another etc etc etc.
When you get to RVP’s level of a potential £150k (or whatever) a week plus a £5m signing on fee , Money will , at least for some , lose its centality, if not its importance .
I just don’t buy the analogy I’m afraid .
Afternoon all…. (except Tabs, have met him this morning already!)
Early / late pint anyone? Must admit to a teensy red wine *boilk* today…
I agree with tabs
How much is enough?
Depends on whether you nuzzle muff or not, I s’pose….
Don’t you just love Jackie-boy?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/9269536/Arsenals-Jack-Wilshere-blasts-Samir-Nasris-third-place-jibes-saying-hopefully-we-can-rub-his-face-in-it-next-year.html
“a teensy red wine *boilk*”
A boilk after a “teensy” bit of Red Wine Mr C ?
Sounds a bit gay to me !
Zico
I´m fairly certain there´s two flies. Not surprising with all the shit around! 😉
The one on the opposite wall I rumbled too.
Talking of shit (rumours), people are saying we´ve had a bid accepted for Kagawa, but so have Man Utd….
The shittiest rumour I heard is that we’re in for Del Piero. He’s like 100 years old…
Wolfie
You wish, darling 😉
A “teensy” *boilk* after a “shed load” of red wine. I´m that hard, me. But only with the ladies.
Tabs@93: there is a lot of research around income levels that suggests that it is not the absolute level of pay that determines an individual’s sense of satisfaction with his/her life but its level relative to that of those regarded as peers. And the rich are more fearful of losing their wealth than the rest of us. It is true that pay alone isn’t everything to everybody. No one would do vocational work if that was true. But professional footballers are in the end professionals, in a industry which has the unusual characteristic of the clubs most likely to win silverware offering the biggest pay packets.
Well in Catalan! I’m off to get a drink with the Sandman…
Well in, CG.
Looks up in surprise at the crowd reaction.
Ambles sheepishly back to the centre circle in a *boilky* manner….
But I AM a lady Mr C ! *stomps off in a strop*
@ 101
What does the research say about rich lesbians?
You can never do too much research when it comes to women….
Fair points Ned @101 .
Well in Mr C .
They eat out more often???
I agree with Ned @101.
Nasri is a massive twat but he is a glittering example for RvP to jump ship — as Manchester Shitty as that sounds.
Well done Dr C
And re: the pair of flies on the wall above, has Andy Goram turned into Gregor Samsa or something?
I wonder if there’s a chance that my car could be ready today.
It is a Bank Holiday tomorrow after all.
Thanks, Bobby looks great.
KKK KOed
@ 108
You would think they would be more inclined to eat in 😉
Superb stuff neighbour.
Well deserved.
Holic, Please read this little poem out loud for full effect (quiet everyone !) “For memory has painted this perfect day with colors that never fade. And we find at the end of a perfect day, the soul of a friend we’ve made (Carrie Jacobs Bond). Hope it catches the essence of your time with Bobby.
So the cull of the sweaties continues.
First Big Eck, now King Kenute – so can we expect Fergie to get his jotters in the morning? I mean, the noisy neigbours, on HIS watch…..!!!
Moyes, Lambert and Coyle are about to have some restive nights too.
What do they all have in common?
None of them are from the Kingdom, for a start! 8)
Indeed AL @114
heh zico.
Aye Zico – it’s been coming – what have the sweaties ever done for English football???
Crikes , pop out of this ere Bar fora couple of hours , and King Kenny gets his head chopped off .
Please Liverpool , appoint someone I can really hate.
Hating your manager is a pleasure I have come to take for granted .
well i’m going to tell you anyway you lucky lucky so and so.
Surely McLeish is the man they need, tabs 😉
Can’t argue with that Ollie . McCarthy equally suitable . 🙂
However I have just pledged my support for the “Get Steve Mcmahon in now” Campaign on Twitter .
😎
The ‘One minute’ campaign?
Heh Ollie!
Reverend @ 120
Apart from making your pub landlords rich, I really don’t know….. 😉
Roxette has just suggested she got bored with my one minute camaign years ago….. 🙁
Ollie @125 🙂
Personally, I wished KKK had stayed in his post and run that Merseyside outfit into the ground and into administration. Another close season transfer window or two and he could have done it.
Worst Liverpool league record since before the Beatles 😎
Evening All.
Good stuff ‘holic, sounds like a great day out.
Various hehs from Fly guy.
Terry in the England team? Oh dear, looks like Orange will be the colour of choice this summer. (well I have to for the bar, anyway) The Ox will do well to steer clear of the FA Cuckholder.
The RvP debate.
I like Robin, intellegent, grounded guy. I really think he’ll stay. His wife and family are settled in London and that’s more important to him then money, (or so he claims) plus the 5mil he’ll get for signing on plus the kings ransom per week wages should take care of any financial harsdships.
However, if he decides not to sign on the dotted line then I feel we should offload him.
Sounds harsh?
Well not really.
I don’t believe for a second that if he sees out his contract that he’d still be willing to sign at the end of next season. Whoever does believe that is living in Cloud Cucoo Land.
During the summer, even though he’s in the last year of his deal, we could still get around 20mill for him. That’s big money that could be invested in a different player that actually wants to be with us.
What kind of message does it send out to the other players that their captain would rather be somewhere else, yet he still gets to retain the armband?
I also believe another summer of doubt could have serious repercutions for the new season, if he doesn’t sign, lets not dilly dally. Make the break clean and move on.
If he does decide to leave, I could live with him moving to Juve, Real, even Barca but a little piece of me will die if he goes the way of the chinless and the boywhore.
A shame for Martinez if he gets landed with the LFC job… I like him and wouldn´t wish that on anyone!
Lovely lovely post Holic. Not that there’s any doubt about your love for Arsenal but you really look like an overly proud father on this one 😉
About RvP: he is a fantastic player and captain and I would be very sad to see him go if that happens. That being said I wonder how wise it is to invest so much money in a player who had one fit season and 7 seasons hampered by injuries before that. If we get 2-3 seasons out of him like this one it’s a good deal but if we get a repeat of the previous seasons we could do much better with that shower of cash.
Bring back Benitez!!!
H2H , it appears he is the candidate of choice of many many Liverpool fans.
Have always had ’em down as serially stupid , but wow, that is on another level entirely !
Thanks all, and it was good to meet you too Rob.
For a wider view of football than this place I recommend
http://leftbackinthechangingroom.blogspot.co.uk/
to all of you.
Tabs, when I read it I thought it was a joke too, but it looks like they really want him back.
You’ll Never Walk Alone (misery loves company)
DrF@106: that the very wealthiest among lesbians tend to be among the most feminine in appearance.
Sean O’Driscoll has just taken the Crawley job, so he is out of the running for Anfield…
AVB, perhaps?
Maybe they’ll get this guy;
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2hjfQtct9yk/TLkWU4gY4wI/AAAAAAAAASs/7RLD45Hlngg/s1600/15q.JPG
H2H@140: is that the new Carlsberg-green away kit that he is wearing?
Fly on the Wall is my Man of The Match! 🙂 🙂
Regarding RvP: It will all boil down to loyalty. If he’s apt to feeling grateful for the faith Arsene’s has shown him. If he feels that we’ve done right by him during his many un-fulfilled, injury-laden years then he’ll sign. But if he can’t resist the lure money of petro-Dollars he’ll go…
I am in the ‘sell him quickly’ camp and buy another striker to play alongside Prince Poldi..
King Kev Keegan AKA KKK would appear to go some way to fitting the potential Cesspool manager profile, and he could take charge at Klanfield RIGHT away – no?
A case of the King is dead, Rev AL, so long live the King?
Great suggestion @140 , H2H 🙂 , but I think the favourite for the job is this Chap …
https://p.twimg.com/AtCY78WCQAAV_1m.jpg
Ned Knows…
141 Ned, Heh
143 AL, he’s not the messiah he’s a very naughty boy.
145 tabs, impressive ‘tash that guys got, but it’s not quite scouse enough;
http://worldoffancydress.com/images/scouser%20set%20black%20tash%20wig.jpg
I hear these chaps have applied for the job vacated by the not-so-king Kenny:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7VspOs3Qt0
@ 139 North Bank Ned
AVB, perhaps?
They won’t do it, but he would be a great appointment for a club which has lost direction and needs fresh ideas and a bit of modernisation. At least he has a genuine philosophy about how the game should be played and he is brave enough to stick with it. He’s had a taste of the English league and probably would relish the challenge. It’ll never happen, of course.
****
Wodgson has inexplicably ducked his first challenge. It would have made a great statement to ditch Terry. It’s not even as if he is still a top class defender, is it? Very disappointing. I wish our boys well, though.
Fair point FG – the boy terry certainly seems to lead something of a charmed football existence – so far
Pardon – that’s “chelski’s c@nty cud chomper” – what was i thinking???
@ Rev Al
ha ha
Nice link, our Lars.
Nice save AL.
Heres some stats that many Chavs are blind to;
http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/attachments/english-football/246059-chelsea-thread-rdm-avb.jpg
A bit of the old “be careful what you wish for” adage in there.
In case anyone is at all interested… my thoughts on the day:
http://leftbackinthechangingroom.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/day-at-arsenal.html
I figure this guy should put his hat in the ring. Bound to show more sense than KKK http://splitsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ernest_goes_to_school.jpg
Great report of what sounds like a great day. I had the privilege of meeting Bobby P at a book signing of his autobiography. It was a great honour although all be it a brief encounter. Unlike his book which was as dull a read as I can ever remember. I was also at the Villareal match. The last 15 mins when the crowd just sung his name was a very emotional time. It still brings a tear to my eye thinking about it now.
Quick word on Zola. Now I know he was at the Chavs for many a year but he was always a player I had the utmost respect for. A fantastic footballer who had lumps kicked out of him at times, but still played with a smile on his face. As far as I was concerned he was a player that had Arsenal stamped all over him. He would have been a wonderful addition at Highbury.
The RVP debate is an interesting one. I am inclined to agree largely with Tabs and Dr Z. I have always said that we should keep him regardless. But it is very valid to ask the question about how we would expect him to play if he has decided that he wants away. I think it is fine to suggest that he is a professional and loves the club, but if he does not want to be here then there is no way that he will give 100%. How can someone who wants to be elsewhere be expected to do that?
I think it is a difficult one. If the FFP rules kick in then RVP may well be taking a big gamble. Even on a free after next season how many clubs will want to pay the wages he would surely demand to a player with his injury record who had just turned 30? Especially if FFP has actually kicked in.
All I would say is that I do not think this is something that can drag on. Whatever happens it needs to be sorted quickly. In an ideal world he will sign a deal in the next 24 hours and we can all relax. However, if he is to leave then I would not want him at any other club in this country. If he wants to go to Madrid in a swap deal form Benzema then I can think of worse deals. Time will tell, but I guess that we are all hoping for some news that the deal has been signed sooner rather than later.
Keep the faith.
So what is the news on the RVP contract meeting today? John Cross says he wants to leave and Man city offering him 250 a week. The silence from RVP and Arsenal feels he might be right. It has to be sorted soon. if he wants to go then take the money and invest in some top quailty striker (not many around). Wenger has done it so many times. Viera left he brings in Fabregas , fabregas leaves, Wilshere emerges.this year He got the best out of RVP, so i’m not worried. It could be Chamakh next year anything possible.
On Chamakh. I don’t think he is a bad player at all and people say he flopped. he didn’t. He played so well when RVP was injured . once RVP was available he was dropped to the bench. confidence goes and thats it. I think he still has a future at Arsenal and we might see more of him if RVP goes.
[…] can read the (much more in-depth and eloquent) views of both TheGoonerholic and MarrsioFootball in the hyperlinks I’ve just made out of their Twitter names in this […]
Did you not swoon, ‘holic ?
*waves*
Chamakh is a good player, but different to RvP. I can’t see him volleying in from a tight angle those Hollywood passes from Song lofted over parked buses. So would we change our formation if the skipper leaves, and what line-up would make the most of Chamakh and Podolski?
Hodgson:
“I’m expecting that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will now be able to deal with that situation and won’t be overawed by the Steven Gerrards, Frank Lampards, Gareth Barrys and Scott Parkers.”
Even I wouldn’t be overawed by Scott Parker…
If skipper leaves then the Lu-Lukas deal must have been a solution to a quasi-identical replacement for him considering their similarities, implying we`d keep playing the same formation, in my opinion, which is also a fact 🙂
At the risk of sounding a bit naive or idealistic, I simply have a difficult time understanding why any player would trade in the chance to be forever adored as a legend–in the vein of Tony Adams, Henry, or the aforementioned Bobby–for the additional millions of oil money. Perhaps this comes from my own failings, a certain need to be accepted or liked, but how in the world will those extra millions help one get over the fact that you’ve gone from hero to villain. Where once 60k sang out your name in praise its now an object of scorn and followed by a word like “cunt”. Of course, if RVP leaves there won’t be the same level of vitriol as there is towards the chinless chimp but the lose of his hero status might be even more pronounced.
And while some–including that punk Na$ri–may claim that leaving for chance to win trophies is different then chasing money, I have almost as difficult time with that argument. Thousands of players obtain a winners medal during their careers. Hell, we know too well that Berry Ferguson and the rest of those no talent ass clowns at Birmingham won a trophy just last year. In contrast, only a very small handful of players become legends for their respective team.
If it was me I’d take legendary status over money and accolades but what do I know I’m just a soulless, cynic trying to become a lawyer.
Cheers
This RVP situation is making me really nervous.
Really really hope he signs. We need him to compete with richer clubs.
More than that, RVP staying let’s everyone know that he believes in the club and we’re no longer just a stop along the way during a player’s career….
I think he will stay but recently I’ve been feeling slightly doubtful.
Come on Robin, become a legend for us.
If I were Arsene, I’d walk into the contract negotation with a bronze statue of Robin and say if you stay this will be yours…
I don’t know if Van Persie will stay or not, but I wouldn’t believe a word John Cross says as a matter of principle.
CoR… heh! The ideal negotiating tactic! But you´re right. I´ve said it before, as have others;
Stay and be a legend.
Leave, and thanks, but you´re just another player in our past.
If he leaves to an English club I´d be very disappointed.
The chap Giroud in France is getting good reviews and is available —- Ollie?? What do you think of him?
Wenger’s coat: “John Cross”
That’s where I stopped reading. I was going to say something yesterday along the lines of “expect John Cross to claim to know everything about the meeting” but never got round to it. In any case it seems that that is just what has happened.
I think one of the problems you have is that I am not convinced that any player these days is that bothered about achieving legendary status anymore. I think money put that to bed done years back.
I would worry about Rob Beasley a lot more than John Cross because he seems to be a friend of the family based on Bouchra’s tweets.
He’s the one who wrote the piece in the Sun describing it as tense and tetchy.
Not as confident as I previously was, but still confident enough he’ll play for us next season.
Dear Robin
Would you like to be mentioned in the same breath as Thierry, Bobby and Patrick?
Or mentioned alongside Tony Woodcock?? 🙂
Whatever happens, let´s be decisive.
Can´t see why a meeting should be “tense and tetchy”… neither party has done anythiing wrong. It´s just a business discussion.
Snir, Robin tweets to Penis Morgan too and he is a grade A bellend of a liar anyway. And I seriously, seriously doubt that Bouchra van Persie would talk to a journo about what has been going on in a meeting between Robin, Arsene and Gazidis.
We’ll know soon enough. In the meantime, those of you who jump ten feet in the air for every article written on the subject would do well to take a dose or two of valium. Nurse Wolfie, any of the medication left over from Sunday, perhaps? 😉
Lars – from what I know, RvP’s agent refused to talk about last night to various parts of the media.
The club would never release such info to the press as it would seriously damage their negotiation leverage.
As for John Cross – I remember him reporting in 2010 that Cesc was off but in a twitter DM he sent me it was “they don’t wanna sell” so it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s forced by his editor to go with a certain agenda on RvP talks despite thinking otherwise.
Anyway, RvP will be with Holland squad until early July so it won’t be resolved before that, so brave yourself for a similar summer like the last two summers.
Only way it could be resolved is if Van Marwijk would allow RvP to have a meeting with AW and IG in Switzerland (they’re now in Switzerland), Holland, Poland, or Ukraine.
Didn’t expect anything from the ‘meeting’, frankly, especially when Darren Dein is still lurking around somewhere.
Ollie, Dein wasn’t at yesterday’s meeting.
Even if he wasn’t, his ghost was, Snir.
You don’t have to be physically present either.
For all we know, he could have been present in phone-conference form, thus hiding the fact that he was with (silent) Man City representatives.
Zico @ 38 & Tabs re RVP:
Just a quick note to say that I completely agree with your thinking about RVP.
I think RVP has two ultimately choices:
-1- A financial choice or
-2- A football / Family / loyalty choice
AFC will never ever compete on a financial front with Citeh. Maybe we’ll be able to protect ourselves better (like Manu) when new commercial agreements come up for negotiation in 2014.
And we’ll know soon enough. If RVP wants to stay, the deal will be done soon, because apart from sending out a message of solidarity – it also directly effects how we spend out money on transfer targets (ie whether we will need to buy a replacement for RVP as well as other requirements). If not, it will drag on and by then we will have a fairly good idea of his intentions.
Of course, the bigger problem is, we would ideally like to sell him quickly so that we could use the money to finance a replacement. But Citeh (like Barca) will wait, and wait, to try to get the most for their money, knowing that as the transfer window closes, we risk loosing him for nothing next season. And let’s not think that we wouldn’t do the same. We too would wait and try to force a deal on our terms (Cahill, Arshavin…). It’s part of any negotiation on a business level.
If RVP wants to go, we will sell – I have absolutely no doubt about it in my mind and any other soundbite from Arsene is just posturing, ala Nasri last season.
Last summer was a double edged sword, because not only had we to wait for the Citeh (nasri) and Barca (Cesc) deals to eventually materialise, we also had to ensure we beat Udinese to effectively determine our budget. All of this had a direct effect on our transfer budget, culminating in 5 rushed signatures on “deadline day” and we all know the effect that had on our season.
I don’t, for a solitary second, believe that RVP is waiting to see who were going to sign, before making a decision. Who we sign is Wengers job alone. There aren’t two people on this blog who would be in exact agreement about what we needed to do, let alone having players have a say in how the club is run. Remember RVP plugging his buddy Van der Vart and why we should have signed him? Apart from being an odious chap who can’ keep his mouth shut, he also seems to lack the physical ability to play 90mins at PL pace. A point that Wenger obviously picked up on.
Tim Stillman raised the RVP question some time back on Arseblog – and it was a superbly thought provoking article. We’ll know soon enough where we stand with RVP.
Good morning ‘holics,
After recently hearing and watching our new signing’s song on You Tube it’s grown on me and I can’t get it off my mind. I think I might even set it up as my new ring tone and drink some wheat beer today.
Here are the lyrics for those interested:
(2x) Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
es gibt einen Fußballgott!
Manche Spieler, die sind einfach schwach,
du regierst den Ball und hältst ihn flach.
Manche die sind faule Millionäre,
doch dir geht es einfach um die Ehre.
Nach dem Spiel ist wieder vor dem Spiel,
und läuft es auch mal nicht so wie man will,
wirst du trotzdem immer alles geben,
denn für dich bedeutet Fußball Leben.
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Wichtig ist ganz einfach aufm Platz,
alles andere ist doch Ersatz.
Du bist jung und du bist wild,
manchen Torwart hast du schon gekillt.
Die Fans die singen Lukas-we love you,
ja du hast echt den goldnen Schuh,
komm und mach das Ding nun endlich rein,
denn dann singen alle im Verein:
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
(2x) Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
es gibt einen Fußballgott.
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
es gibt einen Fußballgott.
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Send “Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski” Ringtone to your Cell
I just can’t this song out of my head.
It’s quite a catchy diddy and with a number of Hallelujas in it I’m sure it would meet with Rev AL’s approval.
Joe.
While I agree with almost everything you’ve wrote, I do have one query?
What makes you believe that RvP and Fanny Fart are friends?
As far as I know, they can hardly stand each other, a mutual dislike that goes way back to their days as youth players at Feyenoord and Ajax.
And then in English (but, it’s not quite the same):
(2x) Goldi Poldi Hallelujah
Goldi Poldi Hallelujah
Goldi Poldi Hallelujah
There is a football god!
Some players who are just weak,
you rule the ball and keep it flat.
Some are lazy millionaires
But it just goes to you for the honor.
After the game again before the game
and it is sometimes not the way you want,
You’ll still give everything,
because football means to you life.
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
The important thing is simply happens on the pitch,
all else is but spare.
You’re young and you’re wild,
You have already killed some goalie.
The fans sing Lukas we love you,
yes you are truly the golden shoe
come and do the thing finally pure
because then all sing in the club:
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
(2x) Goldi Poldi Hallelujah
Goldi Poldi Hallelujah
Goldi Poldi Hallelujah
There is a football god.
Goldi Poldi Hallelujah
Goldi Poldi Hallelujah
Goldi Poldi Hallelujah
There is a football god.
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Good post, Joe!
Another very enjoyable read ‘Holic and thank you for sharing.
The question that remains un-answered though is did you manage to out-drink Dreamy Bobby, Zola, Papin et al? 😉
Have a good one…
H2H,
There were a number of articles which referred to RVP advising the club to sign Van der Vart some time back. A very rough google search throws up a link below directly quoting RVP on same and I remember there were many more reports similar to this at the time. I also suspect that Van der Vart was somehow pissed at being overlooked, which is why he seems so vocal in his dissent of AFC or more precisely, the interminable amount of quotes about how the Totts will finish above us…..
http://fr-fr.facebook.com/notes/arsenal-for-life/robin-van-persie-i-told-arsenal-to-sign-rafael-van-der-vaart-hes-transformed-tot/166682896699767
https://twitter.com/#!/Footy_Jokes/status/203060902780608512/photo/1
Excellent post Joe – don’t disagree with any of it.
That Tim Stillman piece a while back was indeed excellent .
Joe.
Fanny Fart is a pikey (no shit) so most of what comes out of his mouth is rubbish anyway.
I believe the translation of that piece was a bit over sensationalised (if that’s a word) I do remember RvP saying. “Ik heb him liever voor mij, dan tegen mij.” Which could be translated as “I’d rather have him on my side then against me”. But that interview was given at an Oranje training camp, so make of it what you will. (I know others have)
Don’t get me wrong, RdF is a decent enough player and S*urs did well to get him to their small club. He had an excellent first season, but didn’t exactly set the world allight this term, did he? He’s been injury plauged all his entire career and has hardly managed a full 90mins throughout the year.
Arsene knew.
Good call H2H.
Will never forgive him for (a) being an LWC (b) ‘shushing’ us and scoring against us at SHL this season and last and for cheating / using his hand to control the ball when he scored against us this season.
Arsene DEFINITELY knew. Fanny Fart is another uber c*nt 🙂
Jack Wilshere set for another op .
Club says it won’t affect his comeback date , but worrying all the same 🙁
http://aggbot.com/Arsenal-News/article/16867198
Fingers crossed for LJW.
that sounds fairly routine i reckon tabs @ 189 – getting everything sorted for a storming next season – hopefully. These days players seem to have “ops” where once they had a wipe down with the magic sponge. That’s the way i’m choosing to view it anyway. Jack’ll be back soon…
In other news – this from a top blogger (i read it, occasionally, so that you don’t have to – folks!!!) re RvP’s contract negotiations…
There are various rumours flying around the web about how the talks went. I believe none of them. It looks like this is going to drag on. Like a dog, caught under the wheels of a bus. A bus that’s traveling at about 2mph. Through soft mud. On the never ending bus route.
Terrific, poetic, tragic stuff – ay!? Why i had tears rolling down mine as i read it. This fella should writte for a living – no?!?
Rev AL ,
1. Re JW , hope you’re right !
2. Re our little Blogging friend, who’s gonna throw the proverbial gum at the poor chap on Twitter . Is this a job for Agent LeGrash ? 😉
Btw , is your new ecclesiastical title for keeps Rev ?
Re the name tabs – have reverted to the old handle a coupla times but certain valued members of this congregation have, on some solemn occasions, asked particular questions that have required me to re-frock. But in all honesty de-frocking again comes as a bit of a relief. Being the bar’s only wholly holy man is something of a burden, brother tabs – so will p’raps only only don the gear again for weddings, losses and re-signings etc.
As for tugging the tail of that lot over there – frankly, re twitter, LeGRash hasn’t quite got up to the pace of the game as yet. You, on the other hand, seem to be settling in quite nicely…
Psed – Heh H2H re F.F – and does anyone have a linky winky woo for the Tim Stillman article getting the big build-up above?
Haha , I’m rather fond of your red and white cassock and mitre of truth. When the suit fits … !
As for Le Twat , I think he’s got a fair amount of stick from all quarters this morning . Don’t want to over egg the pudding . Plus , it would mean I’d have to read his blog , which always leaving me feeling muckier than a morning spent clearing out horse stables in just me speedoes .
Rumours are going around the net that Liverpool will appoint legendary scouse hero Ken Dodd as their new manager so they dont have to change the initials on the tracksuit…..
Or their tactics.
Your mate Pedro been on a rampage again, tabs?
Ljungberg lays it off for Pires and …
Glad to hear that they’re getting some tabs – IF (a big if, i know) The Arse has a good close-season, then just maybes the tide’ll turn big-time and swamp the spite-fuelled mentality aimed at our club that they’ve plenty to promote in recent times…
On a far, far funnier note – Ken Dodd – bring it on H2H. One of the few genuinely funny scousers – despite what they (scousers) say…
“What a lovely day for poking a cucumber through the vicar’s letterbox and telling him the martians have landed”
Haven’t read it Ollie , though a couple of people in my timeline had a pop at him this morning , so I’m guessing he has spun a very negative interpretation of yesterday’s meeting –
Board hopeless, AW shot and unambitious, blah blah blah
Oops, pardon – they’ve “Done” plenty to promote in recent times
Nice double C tabs – Ronaldinhoesque – “did he mean to score from there??? Only he knows the answer!!!”
Well in tabs.
AL, the more I think about it the more it makes sense. Ken Dodd waving his tickling stick (made of Andy Carrolls ponytail) egging on Suarez, whom he knows from having the same orthidontist doing their buck toothed dental work.
Good goal, tabs!
I see. I was just this very moment having a go on the arses at that sort of attitude:
basically some people think it ‘too right’ that RvP and mostly his agents are allowed to hold the whole club as hostage, but hey, it’s the club that’s to blame.
Ollie @ 197 that paragraph i quoted @ 191 was pretty much the opening paragraph from their blog today. And after i’d wiped away the tears i read the rest – but can’t remember any of it. Though I would imagine what tabs says @ 200 would pretty much sum up their line from now until something happens on that particular front.
The more interesting moments with them usually occur when the negative bullshit they’ve been peddling doesn’t materialize. Often the two-faced feks attempt to shamelessly take some smidgen of credit for the outcome they weren’t predicting, as they strain to give none to AW – who, of course, has seen the light and begrudgingly done what they demanded – deluded k@nts – IMHO!!!!
Quote Of The Day
“I get angry every week when I go to buy petrol,’ fumed Hoeness. ‘The oil mafia takes money out of my pocket to invest it in footballers. For me this stinks to high heaven and I include Mr Abramovich in all this…Mr Abramovich has put £900m into Chelsea. If he pulls the plug on them, you’ll be able to pick the club up for the price of a puzzle magazine from a newsstand” – Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness slaps down Chelsea.
Cheers AL
AL , it was one of Tim’s thursday articles for Arseblog , if you can be bothered to search for it .
Heh at Ken Dodd H2H. Thing is , would he play the Diddy men , or would they all be snapped up by Arsene ? 😉
And with you on Ken Dodd AL , a very funny man .
Cheers for the kind words fellas on the “score”.
I like to think it was insouciant marksmanship , but does “insouciant” mean “didn’t know what the fuck was going on ?” 😉
Great quote Ollie, good find.
On Twitter …
“If a Spurs fan bet a Gooner £1 in 95/6 on who’d finish higher and then went double or quits each year, he would now owe the Gooner £65,536 .”
You can buy three houses in Tottenham for that sort of sum !
Ollie – while i’m at it – they blogged the quote below recently in relation to RvP. It’s a pretty good example of their particular brand of idiotic double-think. The fellow paraphrases himself saying we should have gotten rid of RvP, especially as we were short of strikers (?!!??!), stands by it and then…shameless, bonkers, ridiculous, arrogant – IMHO!!!!!
“there were times when I said we should let you go, given the years we didn’t have a spare decent striker, I stand by that.This season you’ve been our greatest striker since Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Ian Wright.”
Psed half a season at Cesspool – then Doddy for England???
Couresty Mediawatch on F365 of course, H2H 😉
Ollie , is it possible to fall in love after reading one quote ?
I think it is , I think I love Herr Uli !
German as well , reckon he’s a Speedo man . This could be a match made in heaven .
I hate those god damn Chav cunts. Go Bayern come Saturday. Best of both worlds would see Chavs lose Saturday and have their hearts trampled on and then for the LWCs to get bounced in the UCL qualifiers. That would be the optimal win-win situation from my perspective.
Forbes recently had Chelsea valued as the 7th club in the world at $658M. Arsenal were 3rd at $1,192M.
Bayern’s run exceptionally well and club members have a controlling ownership interest. That’s quite admirable.
I imagine him and PHW would get on well, tabs 😀
Ta tabs – i’ll have a look
Great Hoeness quote Ollie – i am liking these munchen guys – a lot
TO, I think most Geman clubs are quite well run now, I remember there was an edifying article on that either on F365 or the BBC website a few months ago.
Agreed on the German clubs Ollie.
Spanish clubs are mostly owned by club members too but most have huge debts and quite a few are in administration.
Exactly six years ago today The Arsenal could have been the first London side to have won the European Cup in Paris.
Come Saturday I really don’t want Chelsea to earn that distinction in Munich.
Agreeing with all that’s being said .
Ollie @215 heh 🙂
Bundesliga streets ahead of The Premiership in terms of the Administration and the financing of the Game. One only has to look at the crowds to see that .
Big Munchen fan on Saturday.
The Totts getting a qualifier, (which they are by means guaranteed to win), into a competition they have NO chance of winning and in which their very participation will no doubt impact on their league form such that they are even more shit , seems to me a small price to pay for the delights of seeing the realisation dawn on JT’s face that his disgraceful career will not be topped off by running round with the foremost Club prize, for the agony on Cashley’s face as he realises he’s a three time loser the mug, for the blank expressionless dead-eyed look of the Gangster as he realises that his “project” has failed and he has to start all over again, and last but by no means least , for the crying and wailing of all the BNP blues in the stands .
That , my friends, is a good Saturday night in !
Ps Was the above the longest sentence since Dave Bassett last spoke ? I think it was you know . 😉
Chavski = Petrol Punks
Also from Mediawatch …
Stat Of The Day
£258,909: Average amount paid per day by Manchester United on interest repayments and bond buy-backs over the last nine months, according to their latest financial results.
Anybody who thinks that level of borrowing is sustainable over the long-term, as some (well one) here, was trying to argue last summer , needs their ‘ead examined .
Afternoon all…I can see how the meeting would have ended with RvP being pissed if Le Boss reminded him that this was the first season that we have have had value for the salary the club have been paying him!
One season! That’s what we have had. Fuck him if he wants to go…and his personality is too strong to have him in the dressing room festering with frustration because he doesn’t want to stay..
I love him like everybody else but Le Boss needs to remember what happened with Cesc and cut our losses if this looks like it will drag on and on…
GT , calm down , they’ve had one meeting . Nobody knows what will happen , least of all the tabloid press , bloggers or tweeters .
Twitter only rarely a bastion of good sense , but this morning I did see this from someone who calls himself Squidboy , on account of his eight limbs apparently …
“Season has just ended. Beware that your own personal desire for RvP to sign a new contract quickly doesn’t turn you against him prematurely.”
I think we would all do well to take heed of Squidboy’s advice , and then eat him with a white wine and garlic sauce , obviously .
Twatter going mad.
People are “hating” RVP. For what?? Discussing the last contract of his career? Wow, what a bad boy.
Those same people, apparently, are also sending abuse to his wife. Nice one. That´ll swing it in our favour!
What is wrong with people? He´s perfectly allowed to choose where he wants to finish his career. Obviously we´d prefer it was with us, but he´s not done anything wrong. He´s not holding us to ransom. He´s not been openly flirting with other clubs. He´s not (allegedly) refused to play for us. And he´s not said anything bad about us.
The season finished 4 days ago.
There´s a word for this type of headless behaviour: Childish.
Going to the pub.
been back-drinking…TO @ 179 bless you brethren a fine, fine thing it is. Plus, we’re all of us a little German at the mo, i think – what with mertesacker and poldi and now munich on saturdee night – sooooo much at steak..Ich bin ein Bernie-inner
Plus you’ve gotta luv his royal Hoeness – Ulli – entch yer???
“Ich bin ein Bernie-inner”
Hilarious 🙂 🙂
Well said Mr C .
“His Royal Hoeness ” Keep ’em coming Rev 🙂 🙂
GT you said you read Fly On The Wall yesterdee – so you know EXACTLY what’s going on – you’ve had it from the horsefly’s probiscus…
Oh and ta tabs – H2H’s fault for mentioning Doddy before
Rob @154
Nice article, thanks for posting!
I think we would all do well to take heed of Squidboy’s advice , and then eat him with a white wine and garlic sauce , obviously .
Heh, superb, tabs.
Dr C 225: definitely no incentive for me to get back on twatter any time soon then.
Ollie??? Arseblogger’s official Coq correspondent – gettin, squire!
Ollie
What say you about Giroud…. at Montpellier (I think??)
Rev AL – I believe such a catchy diddy played in your church would encourage increased attendances for masses.
Don’t remember if this has been posted to the bar: http://www.premiershiptalk.com/2012/05/17/wenger-breaks-silence-on-crisis-reports/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PremiershipTalk+%28Premiership+Talk%29
Let’s seehow his price inflates at the Euros if he gets some playing time, Dr C.
He’s certainly had a very good season, while he didn’t have a bad one the one before.
I strongly suspect he might be substantially better than Gignac, for instance.
TABs, AL: Just preparing myself for massive disappointment. Just feels wrong to me …
Catalan: Those morons can’t be Gooners if they send out hate tweets to RvP & his missus…
Post-last-game-of-the-season interviews on Sunday might give hints to some players going places.
Or not, we’ll see.
GT: presumably they’re the same sort of cunts who sent death threats to Ramsey?
I know social media is good because you have access to a lot of things, but sometimes you wish there was a licence you need to pass a test for, and that could be revoked.
GT @239 – I can believe it. Do you remember how some Red Mancs almost burned Rooney’s house down when he was negotiating with ManUre?
GT , probably Le Grovers (juniors section) . Cunts .
Cheers Ollie .
Ollie , of what do you darkly hint at in first line @240 . Pray tell .
No dark hints, tabs, Sunday is the last day of the French league, and Canal+ like to ask some of the players if they are going and where.
Ah , got you , thought you were talking about Arsenal players post West Brom .
Dunce’s cap for me !
Anyone sending nasty tweets, or whatever the fuck they’re called, to Van Persie’s wife is a total dickless scumbucket.
I personally have no Twitter account, I have no need for one, anything of any substance will find itself on the net anyway, here or there.
I do believe that people should be held accountable for what they say/tweet. Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing, but it is a priviledge that should not be allowed to be abused by the hard of thinking wastes of skin. I agree with Ollie (even if it was in jest) that a social media licence would be a large step in the right direction.
Football management is tough. The Chinese team, Guangzhou Evergrande, has just sacked its manager who got them promoted to the top flight two seasons ago, won the title last season, leads the league this season a third of the way in, and has got the club into the last 16 of the Asian CL, the furthest any Chinese club has progressed. Not good enough for the owner, real estate tycoon Xu Jiayin, who has fired Lee Jang-soo and hired Marcello Lippi in his place. Makes the moneybag owners of Citeh, the Chavs and the Scousers look like wimps.
Btw, Shanghai Shenhua, now managed by one Nicholas Anelka, late of this parish, are only two points off the drop zone.
Ned , Lee Jang-soo’s crispy fried Duck just not up to scratch.
He had to go .
You’re a hard man, Tabs.
TO one can but pray
Fair play GT – but either way i don’t think it was ever gonna be done in a day or two. And i confess that Robin’s going back the to The Arse away support at WBA on his lonesome, at the end of the match – after he’d already been across there with the rest of the team – is nagging at me. But then, we’re gonna drive ourselves nuts reading things into this, that and, of course, the other – amen, before we get the straight ahead facts of the thing.
We’re a great club – and he knows that better than most – presumably making him a great offer to stay where right now he is one of the 2 or 3 key employees, with all the attendant status, influence and dosh that brings – settled in a great city him and his family apparently adore. Don’t think he’d get quite that all-round package elsewhere.
But then again i don’t know for sure…
Ned – Chinese for tea…Manalive! i’m on a spring roll here!!!
246 Ned.
Maybe he put Wong on the wing and Wing in the wong position.
It just wasn’t working.
Congrats ‘Holic.
BMBD.
or indeed woking…
or would it be wokking???
Isn’t Woking in Surrey? So that can’t be right.
And wokking is in Amsterdam North;
http://www.wokking.nl/contact.htm
It’s a mystery Rev AL.
Martinez talking to Liverpool .
Hope he doesn’t get the job . Difficult man to dislike .
Maybe they can get Pat Rice to take over.
OK. I’ll stop now.
shame – jus’ can’t quite make it wok H2H
Indeed tabs 256
Heh at the Chinese gags.
If Xu Jiayin acts quickly he can get in the Dream Combo – Martinez AND Dalglish .
Sweet and Sour .
I just saw that Tabs.
The guy’s soooooo enthusiastic it borders on sickening, I do like him though.
Wigan supporters are easily fooled though, they don’t really expect that much and there are hardly ever any of them in their ground anyway. Mickeys on the other hand are the ultimate pessimists and don’t trust anything that hasn’t been brought up, shagged or granted legendary status by themselves or the Scouse Standard Aproval Board.
Can you imagine them swollowing Martinez’ upbeat reaction to just being tonked by Everton as he assures them that he believes in the team and he’s pretty sure they won’t be relagated!?
I do however feel he could pull off a perm and a tasche.
surprised the institutional vanity the scousers demonstrate whenever they discuss their “massive” club is allowing them to go for little ol’ Martinez. Smart, decent man and manager though he is. Still – maybes they’ve discovered that the bigger guns are not interested anymore
Rev AL,
“…settled in a great city him and his family apparently adore. Don’t think he’d get quite that all-round package elsewhere.”
I don’t want to sound like a doomer gloomer on this but while his current home city is preferable to a depressing place like Manchester it doesn’t offer the sunshine and warmth of Barcelona.
We may need to pray on this one and ask the holy father for all his powers to sway the Dutch one.
Maybe RvP went over to the travelling support on his own just in case he is leaving to say his goodbyes.
I think he hasn’t made his mind up yet though. It’s all speculation at this time. It’s silly season after all.
H2H – heh 🙂 , yes indeed , a very tough job, wouldn’t be surprised if Martinez went the way of Hodgson, both decent , both thinking managers. Both entirely unsuited to the hell-hole of screaming Mickeys that is Klanfield .
“Scouse Standard Approval Board” Heh 🙂
AL – Agreed , but surely Phil Thompson would have been up for it ? 😉
Thierry ,
Barca can’t afford him . No worries there .
251 H2H
“It just wasn’t working.”
Don’t you mean, “It just wasn’t woking.”? 😉
That one’s been done TO.
I promised not to go back there.
tabs – They allegedly have 50M Euros in their transfer kitty, Messi needs help up front, he’s friends with both Afellay and Cesc.
Oh sweet Jesus. Rev AL can you lead a prayer for us?
Sorry tabs. I’m a little slow with the trigger finger at times.
Thierry ,
Well only going on what I read from Spanish journos their first requirement this summer is a centre half , Martinez from Bilbao(?), which would eat into that budget.
Don’t forget they’ll have Villa back in the swing next season .
Why the apology Thierry ? Me no understandy !
TO 268.
As I said before, I could live with him going to Barca, it would hurt of course, but would not be the knife wound to the heart that him joining Citeh would feel like.
Even when he was a kid at Feyenoord he was saying he wanted to play for Arsenal or Barca.
Check this (subtitled) link out;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHLsP7kmq5A
tabs – Sorry was for the ‘woking’ line. You got yours in whilst I was thumbing away.
Well fucked if I know what he will do AL but that at the end of the WBA game and apparently buying everything in sight at the Arsenal Foundation Gala the other night may be construed as collecting little souvenirs before his departure…..
This is driving me nuts!! Fuck you RvP for almost breaking my heart, even thought you haven’t actually done anything yet, but may do, and you know how fragile I am so soon after losing Cesc and all….shame on you….sniff
I could use a nice rumour now…Where’s Snir when you need him??!!
Oh shit. Sorry tabs but that apology should have been directed towards H2H. This RvP thing is eating at me. Maybe I’ll go for Chinese?
AL and H2H the guilty parties on that little gag Thierry 🙂
270 tabs.
Maybe they couldn’t afford him this year, but that wouldn’t stop him going there on a free the seaon after.
===
Fuck, fuck, fuck. I’m done with this. It’s all speculation and self created bullshit. We’re going to be chasing shadows, double questioning every statement and over analysing the shit out of every scrap of news if were not careful.
Let the chips fall where they may.
I know..Let’s discuss ‘Arry trial in detail again! Remember how happy we all were? Oh for the days of Whine & Rosie 😎
tabs – You’re right that their first need is at CB. But if that transfer budget is true then they may be able to afford both Vertongen and RvP as both have only one year left on their contracts.
Not trying to sound negative, mind you.
Geez of course I meant ‘Harry’s trial’ – when I am in my Cockney mode my grammar just goes out the window – no not that window…oh God ..sniff
Dudes, relax.
If he stays then great. If he goes then that’s that.
We survived losing Cesc and Nasri. We’ll do the same again if needs be.
Wenger is a great manager. A great manager working under constraints, but a great manager nonetheless. If HE goes I’ll shit myself. Beyond that…. no player is bigger than the club and life will go on. That’s the beauty of having a world class gaffer in charge rather than Roberto Martinez,
The only thing I’d add to the above is that the board should not permit Van Persie to go to Manchester under any circumstances. Which is something they have the power to do, this summer at least.
H2H – I agree. If he goes I’d want him to go abroad.
A lot of Blue Mancs are calling The Arsenal their feeder team. That boils my blood!
N7: What about cash plus Dzeko?? Him and Poldi up front??
Good call Tel.
But just thinking about how the tiny tots will be sweating right up to the final whistle on Saturday, knowing that their fate is in the hands of the Chavs and the krauts, not only their fate for the upcoming season but also for many after that. Half their squad could bugger off without the promiss of CL football.
There’s also the prospect that Chelsea will get tonked and John Terry and Cashley Hole will cry and Abromobitch will kill Fat Frank for making him sack AvB and decide he’s had enough and pull all his roebels out leaving Chelsea to have to beg Leyton Orient to bail them out by sharing their ground.
Aaaaah, I feel better already.
Thanks H2H for the link. That’s some left foot, eh? Even back then. Sheer class.
282 N7, the soothing voice of reason. 😉
283 TO Blue Mancs are bottom feeders, fuck them.
H2H @285 😆
GT
Dzeko will want monster wages, as will any City cast off.
This is a point of principle. If a bunch of cunts turn up to our stadium in October singing “you’re just our feeder club, Van Persie is ours” then you don’t sell them the player in June.
It sends entirely the wrong message, to the other players, the fans and the wider world.
If he wants to go then fine. He’s certainly earned the right to do so. But we need to show the rest of the league this summer that we have some bollocks, because last year that wasn’t clear at all.
We don’t sell our best players to our rivals. Simple as that.
Ideal scenario: Bayern win on penalties, having scored a last-minute equaliser.
Then Spurs get tonked in CL qualifier.
TO – v nice of you to quote me and all that, but you only quote the second-half the sentence concerned. To be fair the “all-round package” reffed all the sentence, not the relative merits of the particular cities RvP may or may not end up in. But i can see where you’re coming from re sunshine.
Tabs – Phil Thompson, of course – at this point he must have his nose in front!
Hard to disagree with you N7…fuck ’em then, the baby-blue cuntlets 🙂
Can’t stay for my usual treble century goal celebrations – see who’s in the bar later for a late, late drink..
That’s the spirit GT!
Pings a beautiful cross-field ball while simultaneously flipping the bird at the nearby Mancini…. Red and white shirts swarming all over the sky blue oilcunts….
Evening all, and apologies for the lack of a post tonight. With cricket tomorrow that means nothing before Saturday 🙁
Just a lot to do before I am allowed out in the morning 😉
Er, no need to apologise, ‘holic. Didn’t even consider that you were thinking about a new post already!
Apart from provisional International squad selections, not much happening, and your Bobby past is but recent.
Not even 300 drinks yet, the next post can easily wait until Saturday!
Bobby post, not past.
*attempts one-two*
Thanks Ollie,
Hits a fierce ball at the far post.
A post match lets all laugh at the Chavs/LWC’s post will do fine guv’nor.
*Stunned*
It makes for a fine goal, H2H.
Ollie @290 – That’s an ideal scenario if there ever was one.
Q) Does anyone know when the stadium will be paid off (as per the f/s)?
I can feel my German genes beginning to stir already, H2H 😉
Have to admit it was more luck then skill Ollie.
But they all count.
H2H @270 Fair point and as to the rest Hear Hear !
N7 @282 Double Hear Hear !
Ollie @290 – Heh and perfect !
AL @291 – Ha 🙂
Evening Guv, nice assist , and a typically insouciant (my word for the day), goal from H2H .
Did someone say German?
(2x) Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
es gibt einen Fußballgott!
Manche Spieler, die sind einfach schwach,
du regierst den Ball und hältst ihn flach.
Manche die sind faule Millionäre,
doch dir geht es einfach um die Ehre.
Nach dem Spiel ist wieder vor dem Spiel,
und läuft es auch mal nicht so wie man will,
wirst du trotzdem immer alles geben,
denn für dich bedeutet Fußball Leben.
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Wichtig ist ganz einfach aufm Platz,
alles andere ist doch Ersatz.
Du bist jung und du bist wild,
manchen Torwart hast du schon gekillt.
Die Fans die singen Lukas-we love you,
ja du hast echt den goldnen Schuh,
komm und mach das Ding nun endlich rein,
denn dann singen alle im Verein:
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
(2x) Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
es gibt einen Fußballgott.
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
es gibt einen Fußballgott.
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
This is a brilliant Herbert Chapman story
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/16052012/58/premier-league-day-money-football-hand.html
insouciant
Fine word sir…………..
I had to google it ofcourse to make sure you weren’t taking the piss. 😆
AL @291 – Be careful when you say “fair … package”. It might get Wolfie excited.
and thanks for the wokking link H2H looks like my kinda plaice
And linksafukkingogo H2H – the RVP one an’ all – not seen that before. The boy looks to be a bit better at free-kicks back then – something to work on should he stay!!!
@ 309 oil beef hooked – rumbled
OK TO – i will be careful not to say it
Thierry @311,
I am only excited by the words “massive package” .
That is all .
With a name like Wolfgang you must be German. And possibly a pianist. Do you know an Amadeus?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnPaOi6F4wc
Know him ? he’s tickled my ivories on many a wild lederhosen night !
‘Holic @305 – is that the ‘von Levi funf null eins’s’ ?
Evening All,
Have back drunk most of the last couple of days’ worth, and all I can say is “Hoeness to Goodness” blogging up there fellas.
I agree with Tabs and zico, and N7 if I remember correctly –
If RvP won’t sign, I will be extremely disappointed, but I think he then has to go before next season.
He could not carry on as a captain who had made it clear he didn’t want to be at the club. I cannot imagine we would continue with another player who had been stripped of the captaincy after the Gallas experience.
So, sadly, I fear it would be the end of RvP.
But we have survived the loss of key players before and will do again.
Sometimes having one key player in the side can make the team predictable, as had become the case with Cesc.
Next season RvP will have to raise his game again, such will be the attention paid to him after this season’s achievements.
Personally, I hope he is here to do it.
If not, I will support the players who want to be at the club, and refuse to waste my energy worrying about, or slagging off, those who don’t.
Wise words Trev .
“Nothing before Saturday” Mr Goonerholic ?
What about the pre-match preview ?
Where should I place the Hill-Wood pound ?
Who are we playing this week ?
Must be at home as we were away last weekend, as it turned out !
Ah! I see in a couple of weeks we have Coldplay at The Emirates.
Are they any good – haven’t seen them before ?
Must have got promoted last season ?
I sha’nt be able to come to the match on Saturday anyway, as Lady Nina is inviting all the new German recruits round for the evening.
Big Per, Lukas Poodleski and, whats’isname Thomas Assfelt, or some such.
Good old Nina, any excuse to get the boys round. Said she wants to have them all round for a ‘Special Sausage Night’.
Hehs 🙂
Large Brandy for Mr Hill Wood !
He’s not called the BFG for nothing, PH-W. Lady Nina knows.
The other big pat sets about earning his citeh corn
http://bit.ly/JW9tBb
Thankyou Mr Bowson , one for yourself.
And you Mr Ned, whoever you are.
Heh! 🙂
And blimey PHW’s in the bar – this could get a little Lionel
Thank you PHW .
AL , Viera’s comments provoking a storm . Have no idea why . Very mild , if unnecessary .
He works for another Club now . Naive to think he’s still looking out for Arsenal’s interests.
Not another bloody attack of the Wind !
like i suggested tabs he’s just doing his job – all part of the unfolding drama and that – a point of interest – i reckon – oil well!
What does Vieira think he’s doing ?
Is noone loyal any more. We looked after him, man and boy, and this is how he repays us.
I had Lady Nina in a flap this morning – convinced that her favourite, van Persie, had already left, after listening to some blathering bloody radio station.
Just calmed her down this evening with a nice glass of wine and a bit of blue vein, and bugger me, she’s flapping again about Vieira’s outburst in the papers.
Well, I’ve had quite enough of Lady Nina’s flaps for one day – I’m off to bed.
I bid you Goodnight !
actually having re-read pat’s comments some of them – re Arsenal’s future and work practices for instance – are more than a bit below the belt. But of course he’s working for p’raps our most aggressive competitor now – so we have to suck it up etc.
What’s of more interest – i reckon – is that if the fellow who citeh p’raps charge with doing some of their press wind-ups (e.g. scholes return), feels the need to attempt to apply a little pressure through the media then MAYBES (a big MAYBES, i know) that could be taken as a sign that – despite what plenty of papertalk is saying – RvP hasn’t set his heart on going to citeh. And if not citeh – then???
“working” practices – with that bedfordshire beckons i reckons
Oi, PHW, The Wind does as it pleases *departs in a haughty gust*
But seriously, I know Paddy didn’t exactly say what he said, a lot of its been twisted by John of the Cross but its still flipping annoying, the people who say that he owes Wenger and similar are right in my eyes.
Don’t you ‘Oi@ me, young man.
I’ll have Mr Smallballs give you a damned good spanking – and don’t think he wouldn’t jump at the chance.
Wind – they might be wrapped around a bit tabloidese pap – but the John Cross article is mostly made up of direct quotes from big pat 2
And not sure what loyalty PV owes AW – he’s employed by citeh now, so he looks after their interests. I don’t like some of his comments but…
PHW. Coldplay FC is the new name of Tottenham Hotspur FC, who after their lengthy run of bad form decided to “rebrand” choosing a name suggesting coldheartedness. Doesn’t scare me old boy. 😉
And blimey – like GT said – after Liam i was never gonna get that down again at the prospect of a Goonah becoming an ex-Goonah
And – i was never gonna get wrapped in the relentless, ultimately pointless ongoing virtual transfer speculation re a Goonah or a potential Goonah
sadly re RvP i think i may be failing miserably on both counts – fukkit!
Lady Nina knows, Mr P@327. Just saying. And it’s whomever.
Wind@336. Quite right. Don’t get blown away. And don’t think Mr Smallballs wouldn’t jump at the chance.
Given his track record of staving off relegation, Martinez might be just the man Liverpool needs.
I don’t think Martinez would be a good fit for Liverpool.
Good manager but can you really see him having public spats with Fergie? He seems too nice to me.
Psychic llamas? Did Lonestar and PHW have a hand in this?
http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/oddballs/899432-football-loving-psychic-llama-predicts-chelsea-champions-league-glory#ixzz1v9f9GzLq
Hello all,
It has been a bit of a hectic week at work.
Ollie, that was a great quote by the Bayern prez indeed
Hope the chavs get hammered by Ze Germans.
Re:RVP It would do well to introduce a ban on any contract speculation drinks 😉 Of course, Snir is exempt from the ban
I second that vote for a ban re: contract speculations Harsha. Does nobody any good at this point…
Unless we’re discussing the new contract for Wolfie and the Speedo Massive company 😉
John Cross is a cunt (nothing new), Vieira, despite his legendary Arsenal career, embodies a lot of what is wrong with football now (again nothing new, only money got him to City).
Apart from being cunts can’t see much playing sense in them getting RvP. Do they plan to bench Aguero?
I really hope RvP gives the finger to them all.
Wish he did it quick but unfortunately DD still lurking around with the damage he seems keen to intent on the club every year. Not sure how he bewitches his preys.
Fingers crossed, you know where you belong, Robin.
And all of what Trev said above.
La petite pute denies making the comments which has riled us up.
http://www.sport360.com/article/man-citys-samir-nasri-denies-ridiculing-second-best-arsenal
He says it was a media-generated lie.
Doesn’t matter to me either way, still a putain
Damn.
This bar is seeing less action than Susan Boyle.
Where are you cats?
And who do I answer to now that Pat Rice is gone?
Me, pal 😉
Groooooovy!
What’s my mission this summer then?
I may be skipping over to Zurich to rescue Platini in about a month’s time , but I can run a side-mission or two before then Sir Holic.
Should I get to the bottom of this psychic llama business?
By the way boss, our new agent Podolski is making the right noises so far…
http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/240210,podolski-predicts-gunners-glory.aspx
How about just randomly slaying people who abuse the skipper and his family on Twitter, the utter fucktards.
Can you dig it, Shaft? 😉
PHW/NBN @ 337/342, … *gulps* 🙁 Fear has been instilled… Of the Smallballed one X_X
AL @ 338, true, guess this proves that you can only trust the super-talent from your own Academy to show their love for the club after they left, and even then its not 100% sure. Bobby, Thierry & Dennis himself being the exceptions to this rule that immediately come to mind 🙂
Good link, Shaft, makes a change from some Arsenal fans saying all our players are shit cunts 🙂
Day at the cricket today, ‘holic?
What Trev said@319.
If Robin goes, he goes and then I’ll deal with that then. I won’t partake in the panicking that seems to be the fashionable thing to be doing in some quarters.
Really hope Martinez doesn’t go to Liverpool. He’s far too nice a man to be subjected to the brainless witchhunt that will inevitably start about five minutes into the first pre-season friendly when their fans realize that they are not yet top of the league.
Too early for pints? Hell no – Mr Barman, a round for everyone in here, please!
By the way, anybody heard anything from cusop lately? 😀
…and what the Holic said@355. Shaft, it seems you’ve got yourself a mission…
Yes Ollie. Cricket, lovely cricket. Just about to hit the tube.
Enjoy, ‘holic!
And all of what Lars said.
Wenger has to be really striaght forward with RVP. It is clear the guy has doubts about the club’s ambition, fair enough but one thing for certain wenger will not throw money he does not have to convince someone to stay. The only way to convince him to stay is to match City’s wages and buy Ronaldo or Messi. Not possible. I hope RVP stays. if he does not sign then sell him. no point holding a player agaisnt his will. It will create a bad atmosphere. We were never a one man club and that will not change ,we’ve had important players leave before, Wenger has a habit of bringing another to the fore. Viera left Fabregas took over, Fabregas left, Wilshere and and Now RVP come to the fore. If RVP leaves I have a feeling Walcott will get his wish alongside Podolski and might also see Chamakh playing just the way he started at Arsenal. Walcott to be the next big thing. I can’t see why not.
Suarez denied a work permit to move to England. That’s one less target we can sign.
Kagawa rumors picking up, we had a bid accepted and are meeting him in Japan. He has to choose between us and United. If Hazard goes to United and not to City, then surely Kagawa will sign for us.
Still in the keep him camp and especially in the sell him to anybody but City camp.
@ 360
Sure he came on here posting under a new name of Tigger something or other.
Anyway, he has crawled under a rock like the rest of the marshmen.
Who knew there were so many rocks in North London?
On a separate note, it really makes me want to vomit to see Patrick Viera pimping for those Sheikhs.
Well, zico, since Vieira accepted the money to play for them in the first place, I’ve lost all interest in him or what he has to say.
It’s all about the money it seems, Ollie.
Very sad.
My take re van,love him like all the rest of us and could go with our blessing based on what he did this season,but if he goes to win silverware as I think will be the excuse,would it mean as much If he could do it with us?very much doubt it.his wife and kids seem happy here big plus for us,I’d just hate for this saga to get dragged out,zico agree with you about pat makes me sick he’s spouting about Theo being next then jack,the club need to make a statement of intent and not be bullied if the talks with Robin don’t go to plan don’t sell to them cunts,sorry for using that word but that’s what they are.
Couldn’t agree more Ollie,
It all seems a little too coincidental for my liking that it has to be someone like Vieira who has chosen this time to make these comments at this juncture about RVP. All too contrived for my liking.
What exactly does he do for Citeh now..??
Spokesman?
Dressing room presence?
A worm on the hook to entice new signings?
Mascot..?
It doesn’t seem that he’s working towards anything except collecting the wage packet. Sad really given all he achieved at AFC was on his own back and he went on to captain the club & country and win almost every honour in the game for both. That’s what he’ll always be remembered for and that had nothing to do with money.
Sad really.
Yeah, I feel a bit down about football at the moment.
Not even a week after St Totteringham, and it’s already all about transfer sagas, who pays more money, etc…..
Quite depressing.
I am, however, as ever, very grateful for this ‘bar’ and the people who frequent it.
Wind @356 ,
Are you blowing me kisses there ? I think you are you know .
Thank you Sweetie .
Looking forward to finding out how hard you blow.
Tomorrow I shall be German.
First, I shall find everything hysterically funny as Ze Englishe, you know,zey are so funny.
Second, I shall drink Steins rather than pints and reminisce mistily about Steffi Graf.
Finally, I shall do my bit to fuck the economy of Greece, by avoiding a Doner Kebab on the way home .
Tomorrow Ich bin ein Bernie-inner – to borrow AL’s fabulous phrase.
@Wenger’s coat, can you read minds? Would’ve posted on this if I hadn’t read your excellently pragmatic take on the whole thing – I agree with you wholeheartedly.
I’m not going to lose sleep over this – if he goes, he goes. RVP does not equal Arsenal and thankfully we have a wise manager at the helm who knows this better than anyone.
If that’s how it’s going to be, please just sort it out double quick Mr W (which is apparently how Steve Bould addresses him).
And since we’re speaking about Liverpool and Arsenal and we’ve just had a dramatic finish to a league title, how about 1989 at Anfield? Michael Thomas scoring a late goal, to make it 0-2, that Arsenal needed to overcome their direct rival for the league title that year on their opponent’s home ground no less. Now that was dramatic.
Ah memories …
The scene: Anfield. Last match day of the 1989 league season. Match between the top two in the league. Arsenal had to win by two goals. Nothing less would do. Going into the match Arsenal’s league results there the past thirteen years were not so good, to say the least (0 W, 3 D, 10 L, 7 GF, 26 GA).
Liverpool had Kenny Dalglish as their manager that day. But The Arsenal had great unwavering travelling support.
Alan Smith scored the first off a Winterburn free kick. Liverpool crowded the referee disputing the goal. Why? Offside? It wasn’t. Handball? It wasn’t. Disbelief? Probably.
Due to a late injury The Arsenal had to play with 10 men as they had already used up their allotted two substitutes.
Injury time. The midfielder Michael Thomas #4 makes a charging run from deep and does a somersault after slotting home the title deciding goal.
You should have seen the look on Kenny Dalglish’s face. It hasn’t changed much from that moment.
Less than a minute later the whistle blows.
Both teams are level on points and on goal difference. But London’s finest, the mighty Arsenal, win the league title on goals scored.
Ah memories …
late gettin lunch
missed the start of Bonanza
Hoss was judging a bonny baby contest too
dadburnit !
Back drinking from last night. Did someone say German @323?
I know some German.
(2x) Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
es gibt einen Fußballgott!
Manche Spieler, die sind einfach schwach,
du regierst den Ball und hältst ihn flach.
Manche die sind faule Millionäre,
doch dir geht es einfach um die Ehre.
Nach dem Spiel ist wieder vor dem Spiel,
und läuft es auch mal nicht so wie man will,
wirst du trotzdem immer alles geben,
denn für dich bedeutet Fußball Leben.
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Wichtig ist ganz einfach aufm Platz,
alles andere ist doch Ersatz.
Du bist jung und du bist wild,
manchen Torwart hast du schon gekillt.
Die Fans die singen Lukas-we love you,
ja du hast echt den goldnen Schuh,
komm und mach das Ding nun endlich rein,
denn dann singen alle im Verein:
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
(2x) Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
es gibt einen Fußballgott.
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
es gibt einen Fußballgott.
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
So everybody will be German tomorrow ya ?
Zis ist gut , but some of us got there first.
Today your nationality , tomorrow your swimwear .
as Hoss would say
you should be plum ashamed of yourself , Smallballs
Plum?
You’re not calling Wolfie a fruit now are ya?
merciful hour !
DETENTION dutchie !
ARE YOU CHEWING ?
Stop Crying Orbison.
Cusop should “mind the gap” Lars and buy you a drink on his own tab.
Who is this Roy Orbison Herr ?
I thought he was meant to be lonely ? 😉
Wolfie @ 372, 😯 *backs out of the bar slowly, while holding his breath…*
Hello all: My name is GoonerTerry and I want that 400!!
🙂
you decide !
Keep calm, Wind.
and Sea – come on – we’ve all had a drink !
Did someone mention Cusop? Has he actually been in here stinking the place up?
Camberwell , nope he hasn’t been in .
Guess he found The Gap just too big to bridge !
ha ha he couldn’t shift his carcass over here if he tried. He’s way too bogged down in sludge – like Han and Luke in the waste compactor.
TO @ 375: Funny you should mention that game 🙂
Because that’s my all-time favorite game up until now…I didn’t plan to go having decided to watch the game at home alone because my heart told me that we had thrown our chance away the week before…anyway, my favorite Mugsmacher Dale (my best mate who had seen more Arsenal games anyway) got ticket for the game and persuaded me to accompany him..we got there to discover that the ticket were for the Kop!! Anyway, all fine, he’s got his Liverpool scarf, I am incognito, what could possibly go wrong…Early in the game the Koppites around us sussed that we were not regulars (go figure) and they sent a young girl – who looked like the Artful Dodger – to come show us a photo of a baby with a huge dick superimposed on it…Luckily we are savvy Londoners who had experience of nearly all the away grounds at the time – so we pretended to be Americans!! 😎
That seemed to work for a while until the fucking ~Arsenal scored!! Fucking hell!! I was bursting and luckily Dale was looking a bit upset, so I started consoling him (a bit too dramatically I suppose)….that might have worked a treat except we scored AGAIN!!! Before I knew it I was levitating above the Kop, fist in the air…time stood still…I looked at all the stunned faces around me…I saw my life flashed before my eyes (its true BTW – your life does flash before you at the moment when you know that you are about to die!)…Its was a Zen moment and as I came down I knew what I would do…I would grab one – just one – and bite his fucking ears off…before I died…
But when I landed a huge space developed around us…and I started repeating “shit, shit, shit” and my face must have looked quite odd with a mixture of fear and determination to kill someone…so no-one came near us…and when I looked Dale was making his way out to the left and I followed. The Kop were like Zombies: STUNNED…and so we survived the greatest moment and the worse moment that either of us ever had…:)
Star Wars references ‘r’ us…
Receives ball from Woj and passes it up the line to..
Theo, who bombs on and plays a 1-2 with…
Heh GT hope u checked your pockets:)
Whangs it in the top corner from 28 yards.
Thank you and good night.
Bang – Top Corner!!
Well in Camberwell!! My computer froze at the wrong time.. 🙂
Great stuff GT 🙂
I agree with WC @ 364. If RvP leaves we will find a way. We could play Poldi on the left/or centrally and Chamakh could have himself a renaissance.
Since you mentioned Poldi I’ll have to watch that You Tube diddy once again. It should be a drinking game. Mention Germans or Podolski and you’ve gotta have a drink.
Now, a word from our sponsor:
(2x) Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
es gibt einen Fußballgott!
Manche Spieler, die sind einfach schwach,
du regierst den Ball und hältst ihn flach.
Manche die sind faule Millionäre,
doch dir geht es einfach um die Ehre.
Nach dem Spiel ist wieder vor dem Spiel,
und läuft es auch mal nicht so wie man will,
wirst du trotzdem immer alles geben,
denn für dich bedeutet Fußball Leben.
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Wichtig ist ganz einfach aufm Platz,
alles andere ist doch Ersatz.
Du bist jung und du bist wild,
manchen Torwart hast du schon gekillt.
Die Fans die singen Lukas-we love you,
ja du hast echt den goldnen Schuh,
komm und mach das Ding nun endlich rein,
denn dann singen alle im Verein:
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
(2x) Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
es gibt einen Fußballgott.
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
es gibt einen Fußballgott.
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
it hurts to be told
when you’re not very old
that you’re an outlaw’s son
and the older you get
they won’t let you forget
that you’re the son of a gun
SG @ 365 – Doesn’t Suarez already at at Liverpool and therefore already has a work permit? Who is this other Suarez?
Cheers GT. Was sitting there for ages with my finger on F5 and my, er, whanger on the clipboard. Really should be getting on with that thing called work..
TO @406 Matthias Suarez . Plays in Belgium or Holland I think. We were rumoured to have signed a pre-contract with him in Jan .
About the transfers: RVP or no RVP, I hope the club is making sure that all the other right acquisitions (and pruning, for that matter) are on course and not blocked due to uncertainties around the captain. Especially if the targets are involved in Euro and run the risk of prices skyrocketing after the tournament.
One attacking midfielder who plays on the wings (now that the fitness uncertainty about JW at the beginning of season grows), one defensive midfielder to rotate and support Song, one versatile (preferably left-footed) defender who can play centrally or as a full back. And if there is any uncertainty over RVP, another central striker. Given the amount of pruning we need to do, much (though not all) of this can be sponsored from the selling and consequent drop in wage bill.
Also making sure Theo and Song renew their contracts. Any news/noise about those two?
About Vieira — he demonstrates amply that the class one acquires while playing for Arsenal and Arsene doesn’t always overcome the slimy, greedy little thing one carries inside…
I am fully in the camp of not selling RVP to any other PL club. However, isn’t there a labor law or something that would allow him to push through a transfer request if things come to that type of standstill?
booooooommmm booooommmmmm be booooo booooo booooom
squelch squeak
sufferationinaholicnation
Ah tabs. Very good stuff @373 🙂
Thanks tabs @408.
What position does be play?
Nice story Tel.
Well in Cam’.
TO, all you need to know;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mat%C3%ADas_Su%C3%A1rez
TO ,
A forward I believe , and Cheers .
OMG is that the King Tubby of Jamaican Dub music fame? I am one of your biggest fans sir! Are you a Gooner to – if you don’t mind me asking 🙂
He’s done really well where he’s at, but to be brutaly honest it’s kind of akin to being the top scorer in the SPL.
I’m not completly convinced yet.
King Tubby y’all – http://youtu.be/PcA-Q9V1Pv0
@355: Copy that boss! Your wish is my command.
417 GT.
Irie!!
no
i’m Mrs Tubby’s youngest , King
Junction Road – just down from the butchers
Matthias Suarez? Sounds like a cross between a German and a South American. Does he have a llama?
@ 420: Yea right…Mrs Tubby of Junction Road had only girls – I know this for a fact because I was after the oldest daughter Chubby Tubby and that bastard CoR appeared on the scene 😎
fancy meetin Tubby here with his rockers uptown
* spot the missing word for 10=-points 🙂
Dub Friday: http://youtu.be/vbG6PCHfKLw
how’s things Tubbs on Junction Road just down from the butchers and three up from the hairdressers
fuck
i haven’t seen you boys in ages
how’s Holloway ?
still a holloway ?
happy times
Thanks H2H @ 413. He must have German parents or grandparents with a name like Matias.
Jelavic did alright with Rangers there H2H. Fingers crossed and all that 😉
loosen your stays Thierry
pull up a pull up and slide
Allegedly old ‘Arry has been promised a bonus if the Spuds qualify for the UCL. I bet he’ll be twitching more than usual come Saturday. That wheeler dealer.
yawnerationinna’holicnation
bye
off for some chop suey
take it Dee Dee
1-2-3-4 !!!!!!!!!!!
I have been unable to shake the feeling that I have had for the past several weeks that the Blue Cunts from Fulham will win the champions league! Sorry. That’s how its ‘appears’ to me…I think it will end in a 3-1 win to the chavs as Bayern will crumble after a bright start…wish this wasn’t so 🙁
GT@433: sad to say, but I fear you are right. Somehow the Chavs seem to have their name on the cup this year. They’ve slithered through this far in the face of all reason. Ugh!
Wonderful stuff Holic, remember that tackle on Vieira well. Dispatched by Fabregas if I recall. There is a handful of players I watched pre Arsenal or even linked to Arsenal that took the breath away and imagined them as Arsenal men. Pires on the right wing mincing Newcastle I thought wow. Overmars, Henry and Bergy the others. Just had to bow down at his mastery, in 2002 he was our best player and by some way. That we had Sol, Thierry, Freddie in the team and more says everything about that achievement. Ow and how many times he scored against Spurs, just taking the piss with some of those worldees. Favourite moment was at Anfied though bending one in from 35 that went at right angles in the final ten yards of flight.
people all over the world
join hands
start a love train a love train
or not
its at times like this i both o and a wander stroke wonder
no i don’t
a complete fabrication
i don’t read the times
GT
Bayern will crumble after a bright start
Ze Germans don’t do crumble, they have strudel.
Fuck all the defeatist talk. Man City to finish last and Arsenal first. There will be no confirmation of this until more than 11 months hence, but trust me.
Quite agree btb, and to put the icing on the cake, Na$ri begs to come back to the Arse, offering us a transfer fee and will pay Steve Bould’s salary as part of the deal.
Reality is for wimps 🙂
Hey Corny, shouldn’t you be elsewhere this evening?
I’m not sure if you ‘holics know it or not but much like David Hasslehoff, Lucas Podolski is BIG in Germany.
Oh shit. I just said Lucas Podolski and Germany. Time to drink up.
(2x) Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
es gibt einen Fußballgott!
Manche Spieler, die sind einfach schwach,
du regierst den Ball und hältst ihn flach.
Manche die sind faule Millionäre,
doch dir geht es einfach um die Ehre.
Nach dem Spiel ist wieder vor dem Spiel,
und läuft es auch mal nicht so wie man will,
wirst du trotzdem immer alles geben,
denn für dich bedeutet Fußball Leben.
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Wichtig ist ganz einfach aufm Platz,
alles andere ist doch Ersatz.
Du bist jung und du bist wild,
manchen Torwart hast du schon gekillt.
Die Fans die singen Lukas-we love you,
ja du hast echt den goldnen Schuh,
komm und mach das Ding nun endlich rein,
denn dann singen alle im Verein:
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
(2x) Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
es gibt einen Fußballgott.
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
Goldi Poldi Halleluja,
es gibt einen Fußballgott.
(8x) Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Lu Lu Lu Lukas Podolski
Dear Bayern Münich,
Please give Chelsea a right old tonking tomorrow.
Kindest Regards,
The Entire World (more or less)
What Lars said
Tabs @373 – 🙂
GTerry – “my computer froze etc. etc” – yeah right! You don’t expect to get away with an excuse like that on FFF do you ?
Good Anfield story though 😉
Tomorrow I vill also be Cherman – “Ich bin ein Bin-liner”.
What Lars said again.
Tomorrow, even I will also be German.
Lady Nina has promised to spend all afternoon polishing my helmet…
Bratwurst für alle, Morgen.
…or something.
Since it seems to be dead, I’ll take another half-century, thank you.
Ollie – Could you give me your opinion about this piece?
Is it really like that in France?
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/ben_lyttleton/01/26/thierry-henry/index.html?sct=sc_bf4_a3
Frankly, Snir, I’ve never read such crap. I know I can’t be trusted because my eyes are that of an Arsenal fan, and i’ve not particularly kept an eye of the French press comments on TH, but I’ve never quite read or heard of that sort of bollocks this side of the Channel. Not on France Football for instance or not from fellow French people.
Well played Ollie !
Night all 🙂
Tabs – Kaka’s is available…
Are you thinking what I’m thinking ;)?
Too late, isn’t it.
*Kaka is available.
Esso mate , thinking of you .
All the Best .
Snir – Of Course !!!!!!
Great minds think alike 🙂
Morning
Was doing some basic sums in my head, and am now mostly resigned to RVP going.
IF, IF the reports today about the amounts being offered are true then he will get 100k a week more at Citeh.
I get the argument of “how much money do you need?”, but that equates to about 24 million EXTRA over 4 years. For doing the same job.
That´s the kind of money that sets up your grandkids, and their kids, for life.
He probably feels a little uncomfortable about it, as I don´t doubt at all his affection for The Arsenal. But 24 million extra. I doubt many of us could refuse that.
So, whilst as a Gooner I´d be disappointed, I wouldn´t be able to blame RVP. Certainly not Arsenal (impossible to compete financially) and weirdly not even Citeh (the cunts). They do it because they can.
I do have a massive beef with UEFA and their anaemic FFP rules, which they have so far completely failed to apply. The reasoning behind these rules was to stop the market warping power of people like Citeh´s owners.
Grow some balls, UEFA.
We are The Arsenal. Keep Calm and Carry On.
Coffee, anyone??
Catalan @ 458, hmm…
I wish that he’d stick it out another season at the minimum, 1 season out of 8 that showcases his best makes me feel cheated in my opinion, don’t even know how Wenger would feel, maybe a lesser Cesc betrayal feeling. I wouldn’t resent RVP, but I wouldn’t be happy at all.
And I’m good, not a coffee fan 🙂
Wind, me too, me too.
But if you´re in a job and then another company comes along and says they´ll pay you 24 million extra to do the same job, you´d be a saint to turn it down.
Hes´s a family man and first thoughts, rightly, will be securing their future. IMO, of course.
Catalan, at the risk of sounding like I am defending UEFA here I still have to tell you that the FFP rules have not actually been put into effect yet. Next season is the first one where the rules will be applied, and even then clubs have three years to comply with them, so I wouldn’t hold my breath in hope that the rules will ever have any real impact.
I maintain that the only way to curb the power of the pound is to put a hard limit on the number of senior contracts a club is allowed. Apply the squad rules as they are today, but don’t allow a club to buy a new player unless they sell/give away/whatever a player. Players on loan shall count towards the squad count. That would stop Man City (or whatever club happens to be a rich man’s toy at the moment) buying players just in case and it would stop them buying players just to weaken the opposition. It would force the wages down because the richer clubs would have to take re-sale possibilities into consideration, and players like Adepaymemore would never ever be on such absolutely stupid money as he is today.
Brekkie-time weissbier und bratwurst all round!
Think I’m developing a Nervous Twitch from Sleep Deprivation (Exam Season) like that Cunt ‘Arry 🙁
Do the Doctors of the Bar have any helping advice, apart from the obvious ‘Get more Sleep!’? 🙂
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tabs @ 76
Laurens also exposed Nasri as a guest on the fans forum about three years ago too!
Apparently Nasri is well known in France for being the little shit that he is.
Talking to bobby across the table, Priceless!!!
Pardon me ‘holic, but wasnt Roger Lemerre the guy who didnt pick Pires?