Morning all.
Big Ben counts down tonight. The end of another year, another decade too. A decade which for Arsenal Football Club has been pretty rotten. It’s a decade of New Year scribbles for Highbury House too which is hard to believe. During the last ten years there’s been so many occasions when I felt like throwing the towel in, not because I couldn’t be bothered anymore but because it seemed to me that the Arsenal owners/board couldn’t be bothered so why should you or I.
That very first season of HH looked like it was going to be a successful one for Arsenal as around this time of the year, we were sitting top of the Premier League tree. A post Christmas collapse followed. Three FA Cups finally came our way, another ‘nearly’ season when Leicester City were crowned Champions and a regular top four place. Nowadays, or rather since we dropped out of the Champions League places, a top four spot is seen as being an achievement unlike back then when Arsene Wenger was manager. Funny how the goalposts move eh.
Ten years ago, the ‘Wenger out’ comments were already being muttered but it wasn’t until just eighteen months ago, we finally saw a change but by then, the rot had firmly set in. Stan Kroenke has since become our sole owner, the faces on the board have changed and after eighteen months of Unai Emery struggling to win over the Arsenal players and fans, another change of head coach came. In hindsight, perhaps Unai Emery wasn’t the right appointment, but there’s no guarantee anyone different would have done much better. It’s all water under the bridge now but the mopping goes on.
That eighteen months though gave Mikel Arteta extra time under the wings of one of the worlds best coaches in Pep Guardiola. With that experience on his CV, if Arsenal hadn’t have snapped him up when they did, I’m sure it wouldn’t have been long before other clubs went after him. I wasn’t convinced he’d be right for us though, purely because of the enormity of the task in hand. All I’ll say is so far so good.
If Mikel Arteta’s job wasn’t difficult enough, injuries have made it worse. Bellerin and Holding had both returned, only to find themselves back on the injury list, Mavropanos too is yet to prove he’s fully fit or right for Arsenal. On top of that, Tierney and Kolasinac have suffered long term injuries with Xhaka and Sokratis missing two weeks after suffering a head injury. Ceballos has been out for weeks with a thigh injury, Martinelli, who’d been playing well tweaked his hamstring and now young Saka has reportedly done the same. Finally, Callum Chambers looks set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up what looked like a nasty injury against Chelsea.
That’s a lot for any club to deal with, especially when eight of them are defensive players. Key ones too. Would Liverpool still be on an unbeaten run if they had the same number of first team players missing? Hard to say but I doubt it. City certainly haven’t been as strong defensively since losing Laporte to injury and that’s just one player.
I think we can pretty much write Tierney off until April at the earliest but for the rest, depending on the severity of Chambers injury, should all start to return very soon. Holding, Bellerin, Ceballos, Martinelli and Xhaka are pencilled for tomorrow’s fixture according to the Premier League injury website. If not then, perhaps on the 6th when Sokratis will return too.
Maybe 2020 will bring Arsenal better fortune on many fronts because once the injured return, the squad deepens and Mikel Arteta’s options widen and I’m sure our results will then improve.
Finally, the transfer window opens tomorrow so rumours will be rife. Already we’re being linked to any left back the media can think of, Upamecano is in there too and of course, they’ll be departures. Xhaka is off, Mustafi could join him and captain Aubameyang is desperate to leave as is Torreira. Giroud wants to return though so happy days. You’ll find them all on NewsNow.
As long as we keep hold of Torreira, Martinelli and the English players, I don’t really care who leaves to be honest, as long as we get good money for them and every last penny is reinvested in the squad. You may wonder about my English player comment but firstly, we need a squad and secondly, they will earn us more money when other clubs come sniffing around. As much as we need to be smart in the buying transfer window, we need to be equally as smart when it comes to selling players.
I’ll be fast asleep by the time Big Ben chimes so Happy New Year to each and everyone of you here on Highbury House and those who read but choose not to join in. Your support has kept this place going for the last ten years. Without you, I’d have given up yonks ago. Darn you all! 😜
Have a great evening everyone and stay safe.. 🥂🥂
Morning all.
Only a few hour left of 2019 here in Oz, and thank goodness for that.
Don’t wish to pass time away but the last year or two haven’t been kind lol
Rico, we may butt heads often, but one thing you’ll always have no matter what is my utmost respect for the work you do here, and as many have said previously, how you keep coming up with fresh posts is incredible, so we contributors enjoy the ride!!!
Happy New year to you all, fellow Housers, you’ve all made the decade of supporting Arsenal that bit more enjoyable for me
Thanks Scott. Butting heads is a thing of the past.
I really hope things improve in Oz in 2020.
I’ve said my HNY wishes in the post so I won’t repeat them individually…
We need some luck here, Rico.
Some rain, to be accurate.
Another volunteer fire fighter has died, and a a father and son trying to save their property today.
There’s no end in sight and things look like they’ll get even worse before they get better.
I can’t wait until we play Utd.
If we can play with the same intensity we showed against Chelsea, we are a huge chance.
We do need that injury toll reduced ASAP!!
Rain sounds like the only solution Scott..
Injuries have been a nightmare and despite January being a tricky time to get players, I really hope Raul and co have some ideas in place.
I think we will need to week to buy in January, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we do.
If there’s a plan, it shouldn’t take a week if all parties want the deal done. Liverpool have already got one over the line.
Sorry Rico, bloody phone lol
That should read “we will need to sell to buy”.
Good morning all and thank you Rico for the New Year good wishes.
Thank the Gods of Arsenal, Sir Henry Norris and Herbert Chapman, that the decade is over.
From the steady decline under Wenger to the dilly-dallying over the sacking of Emery the last ten years have been somewhat less than glorious. I just hope that the New Year will herald a new start under our new Head Coach.
Scott, I hope you are yours stay safe.
Happy New Year everybody.
😂 Scott, makes more sense..
So far so good Cicero. This time next year we might have closed the gap between ourselves and the top two. Those two clubs are showing how hard work pays off. Liverpool, how smart spending can work too.
Morning Rico, thanks for the post.
VCC, the Reyes rotational assault was in the FACup semi final, I was there and it was clear what Ferguson had sent his players out to do, but the referee ignored it.
Then there was pizzagate at Old Toilet, the 50th unbeaten game, or it would have been, where Rooney dived for a pen and the United players kicked us all over the pitch, again ignored by the referee and the media, let’s not forget them.
The referee on both occasions was Riley.
I think we have to realise that for Arsenal to have any success domestically, we need to be probably 10% better than any other team in that situation given what is stacked against us.
Thanks Cicero,
We are fine mate.
It’s really hard to explain exactly how much land and how many people these fires are affecting.
Rico, most of our wildlife species can handle the losses (don’t mean that to sound how it does), but our Koala population has already been struggling and they’re taking a massive hit.
When you see footage of firefighters having Koalas come to them and drink from their bottles, it’s pretty distressing.
We will all survive though!!
Sorry Rico, can you delete that clip.
It’s something entirely different lol
When the last decade began, it was only 3.5 years into the Emirates era and Paris in 2006, barely 4.5 years after beating Man U in the FACup final in Cardiff and 5.5 years after being Invincible. All those things seem like another life to me…
The 2010’s brought us three FACup wins in 4 years as the Wenger era gradually wound down.
It brought us severe underinvestment from the Kroenkes and a lack of involvement from which we’re paying the price currently. What we are going through now is systematic of Stans lack of interest and him taking his eye off of the ball.
It isn’t just about money and investment it’s about hiring the right people and acting swiftly if you see that those people aren’t the right ones for the job.
Liverpool Under Fenway have been a far better run football club than Arsenal, without the subsidies enjoyed by Chelsea and Man City, so it can be done.
American owners don’t have to mean it’s a mess.
Leicester have been a far better run club in recent years after a difficult start to the decade, the owners of Leicester have done a great job, they’ve been involved from the start and their success is down to some intelligent business decisions.
You live or die by the choices you make and the choices that KSE have made in this last decade now see us languishing above the relegation zone.
You can make as many excuses as you like but any business will fail if the leadership is questionable and I would say that Arsenal’s has been since KSE took control.
Scott, that video looked like something out of a horror film, if you catch the arsonists they should be locked up and never released, how can anyone be so mind numbingly stupid to start fires at any time but especially now.
Lock them up, for life and confiscate anything of value they have to sell to help the victims.
Not much to add to Kev’s last post .The responsibility for this goes back a long way to a complacent board under the jurisdiction of Peter Hill-Wood . It was all too old school tie and the modern age overtook them and they had no clue how to handle it .
A series of bad appointments in the boardroom allowed the only football person in the club to follow his own personal project which eventually also became outdated and failed.
We are now paying for their shortsightedness and the fact that greed overcame their responsibilities when they sold out to the Kroenkes.
Happy new year everybody , happy new decade . Although I fear that it might have to get worse before the club rises again .
Morning Kev.
We shouldn’t need to be 10% better, it’s the standard of officiating which needs to improve but then you already know that. lol
At least VAR has now hit the back pages with Clattenburg the latest to heavily criticise the way it’s being used. Riley is looking a bigger dick by the day imo and eventually, he’ll be forced out. In a Bercow kind of way… 😜
I’m going to stick my neck out here and say that I think the worst days are behind us..
A few ups and downs yes, but I’m very optimistic about the future.
Kev, I didn’t think it worked but I’m glad it did.
Nearly 90% of these bushfires are lit be people.
What can we say about that????
Proper heroes, these fire fighters.
Happy new year mate, and to you, too Potter.
Yes, there are still tough times ahead, but I genuinely feel we are headed the right way so thats a start.
Seems unfair that you and yours Scott are facing these fires when I have just recieved a potential flood warning at high tide tonight . For the last fortnight the river has gone over the banks by about 6 or so inches . We live some 600 metres from the river and so far it hasn’t reached us.
As the argument rages in Australia about the Green parties rules on stubble burning , we are facing a difference where the E.U greens have prevented dredging of the rivers causing them to silt up and overflow .
Everything that peole change to benefit one thing has an effect on something else .
Nature is suffering from political interference in one form or another although at the moment you are having it a lot worse than we are.
Potter,
The biggest problem I have with this issue is that politicians are forming policies on how to handle bushfires, when we have people who’ve been fighting fires for 50 years and they’re not being listened to.
The Greens have absolutely done what they can to stop or at least limit hazard reduction burning, and yet quite conveniently ignore this fact when telling us the fires are caused by climate change.
Keep politicians out of it, imo.
It’s a funny old world mate, but you stay safe!!
Happy and Healthy new year to ALL at HH.
rico you’ve been an absolute star, the way the posts have been churning out since I’ve discovered this fantastic blog.
I love getting my HH fix every day 😉 . I don’t always comment, as time doesn’t always permit, but always read the posts.
Scott, my heart goes out to all you guys, watching the news is deeply depressing, and the clips we see with the animals have brought tears to my eyes. How can someone do these despicable things going around lighting fires discriminately? As kev said, if caught they should be locked up and the key thrown away, this being after they have been left alone in a cell for 24 hours, with the families that have lost loved ones.
Hears hoping the new decade sees the god guys rise to the top again. COYG.
Hi VCC,
It’s happened on quite a few occasions that the Arsonist is actually a firefighter.
Who knows what triggers such actions?
here’s
Scott, thats unbelievable, to think a firefighter would stoop so low. The mind boggles matey. Stay safe buddy.
We are fine mate.
Very little chance of being hit here but you never know.
A win v Utd will be a nice New Years present 🙂
Thanks Vcc, kind words indeed..
Seems that the rumour on the wires is an ACL job for Calum Chambers, so we can forget about him until at least September/October of next year.
That leaves a gaping hole with some rather questionable players to fill it…
I don’t think too many of us would have been too bothered if we’d sold Calum Chambers last summer, but since then he’s worked hard under Emery, Ljungberg and now Arteta and had just begun to show some promise, finally, in his chosen position.
It’s terribly sad for him and worrying for us as I don’t think that we have anything like the finance we imagine to spend this January or next summer. That’s why I’m thinking ‘loans’ next month.
There is Mavropanos, another player similar to Chambers whose stock has fallen like a stone after a bright start. Injuries haven’t helped his development and he’s usually been thrown in as a last resort and suffered consequently.
I wonder if, after a long way back from two years of intermittent injuries, working with Emery initially and latterly with Freddie and Arteta that he might be a short term answer to our defensive gaping hole?
It’s a strange part of the human psyche , people train to do things so that they can be involved. I have spent a lot of time in pubs ( Working ) and often fights were caused by the Bouncers . They take the job because they are up for it. Arsonists love fire and where is it best to see them first hand up close ?.
I am sure that there are many other examples of dangerous professions where the people involved are complicit . I read about an ambulance driver causing accidents the other day.
There’s nowt so queer as folk , as they say.
It’s officially 2020 here guys!!
Afternoon all,
Happy new year everyone,I hope you get some rain soon in Australia.The scale of the fires is staggering.
Sounds very feasible, Potter.
It’s hard for us to understand the motives but it does happen quite a bit.
Limey, a week or two back, the equivalent area to 1/8th of England was burnt out.
I’d say we are closer 1/4 now.
Kev, we’ve had big injury lists before, but this is hitting us in our already vulnerable backline.
Arteta already has his headaches lol
Annual Review: a) Emery: I don’t think he’s a bad coach, but it was felt that players didn’t believe him or didn’t understand what he wanted to convey. This is the basic principle for everything to start working well. b) Transfers: AW after bad starts, managed until 31 August to improve team performance. With the market closing on 15 August, weaknesses have to be “masked” in January if possible. And we are not immune to situations in the opposite direction. c) Arsenal: It is the common desire to start winning games in the first place, to rule out going down, then to gain confidence and finally to go as far as possible in all the remaining competitions. d) Pepa and VAR: The last win was against WH in a game in which the left defender should have been sent off and was not. He was soon replaced, Pepa started being able to play football and we won. when he entered Bournemouth, the same thing happened. He touched the ball, foul. He touched the ball again, foul. The point is that Arsenal is harmed 3 times: a) Arsenal can no longer attack and allows the opponent to organize b) The opponent is not penalized, or is much later, or when it has already been, it is not again (not getting 10 to “not spoil the game or the show”) c) Arsenal is playing 10 for 1,2,3 … minutes because Pepa was assisted on the pitch and returns from outside when possible (and probably not under the same conditions)
Just as the VAR (which I have always been very critical …) is invalid for a goal because the striker’s boot is longer than the defender’s, some rules of football (which I understand made worse by the new rules) have to be changed.
d) MU: Makes better results with the top teams than those that are theoretically inferior. Why? In my opinion, because they are not comfortable having to take the initiative in the game, play in possession and put pressure on the opponent. He prefers to defend well and bet on the counter attack because he has excellent players for that purpose (Rutchford, Marcial. Lingard…)
Happy New Year to those who are already in 2020 or soon to enter. Very concerned about what is going on in Australia.
Potter 12:59. That post brought ugly memories back to me. I used to work as a barman at the Lakeside venue in Essex., many moons ago, when I was a spring chicken. It was a nightclub on ground floor and a disco on the upper floor.
The bouncers were thugs. Especially one particular guy. He was the smallest and slightest amongst them, but was undoubtedly the most dangerous. He was so quick with his hands that he downed two or three guys all within a split second. Some of his victims were left in a mess.
He boasted about not enjoying a night without trouble. I hope he suffers in his next life.
Luckily, after many complaints ( mostly from the staff I hasten to add, as we see the hurt and damage he caused to mostly innocent guys) he was removed and got the tin tack.
nowt so queer, as you say.
Afternoon all and thank you Rico………….for acknowledging my imput on HH!
😆
Jesus! that is one BBQ going on downunder and I read that in one coastal town the residents are staying on the beach so to get in the water if the fires come to close!……………………going by the luck our aussie brothers are going through they`d rush into the water only to be attacked by sharks!
As for the next decade one thing is for sure in my humble but true opinion……………………..Kroenke will not invest a single penny in our club, it will carry on by selfsustainabilty with players bought on the never never and sales of other players.
We will only compete for the title or CL without big money by doing a Leicester and having a lot of luck in finding cheap gems who all come together and gel
.
When you look at LiVARpool, I think the stars alligned ……….they are run similar to us , but got some players in and sold Coutinho for a massive amount(£142M) which was the catalyst to buy players like VVD and Allison, add having imo the best manager in the world( I put him above Guardiola as Klopp has done on a lot less money, also at BD!) and it all clicked.
The big positive for us is………….Arteta, he can imo get us playing more competitive with lesser players and if he had money, then the sky would be the limit!……………..but we have no money so will have to rely on a lot of luck and the planets alligning, but Uranus only has to be a little bit out of sorts and we are in shit street!
Have a happy and healthy new year.
Lol LC, the poor buggers caught on the beach is one hell of a story!!
The great news is we have even more hit weather coming in the following week so our firefighters are just up against it!
Quite incredible, the bravery these people show.
JM, Aussies will bounce back from this, have no fear.
Happy new year guys.
Evening Rico and the House.
Happy and healthy new year to everyone who contributes to H/H.
A special thank you to Rico for what you produce.
Kev re our defence weekness,
I would like them to recall Ben Sheaf.
He could be just what we are missing.
Good bye 2019 lets hope 2020 is much better.
Scott happy new year mate.
Hope you get some rain
Rick, if you’ve any spare, send it over lol
Happy new year mate.
Happy New Year to the 4X duo. 🙂
London Bridge Station is a hive of inactivity…
Ballard is close to a return Rick, then we have McGuinness, Clarke and the forgotten man Medley, not sure what’s happened with him?
I like Sheaf, although I think he’s usually played as a D/M.
Hiya Kev,
We’ve definitely got some young talent, and we’ve also got Saliba so I do wonder if the club will look at buying a CB now.
I guess buying a Cb won’t help us win anything this season so they may take a more long term view and just push through with what we have, and do something in the summer.
Evening Rick. I see from Jeorge Bird that many younger players were training with the first team. Ben Cottrell, Harry Clarke, Tolaji Bola, James Olayinka, Matt Smith, Folarin Balogun, Robbie Burton, Nathan Tormey and Zech Medley.
Rico/Rick, are any of those lads Rico named close to first team football yet, in your opinions?
Evening, too work all year rico, another 10 years?!! Where has the twenty gone since Millenium, that’s frightening.
Scott, just been watching news, orange skies round the beaches, awful, heart out to all Aussies effected.
Happy and Healthy New Year everyone, let’s hope better times ahead.
#top work rico!
Andrew, I’m kind of feeling guilty talking so much about the fires on the Arsenal blog but it’s just taken over this country Atm
I keep saying I’ve never seen anything like it and I haven’t, it’s just several times worse and more damaging than I’ve ever seen fires here.
We are safe here as the bush near us is a very thin strip between the ocean and lake so even if it went up, it’s be an easy job for the Firies to sort.
I keep seeing these volunteers working up to 20 hours a day and shake my head at their courage.
These terrible things do bring out the best in people, no question.
Happy new year to all Housers. May it be fruitful, successful and full of joy.
For the Aussies I sincerely hope it rains down, the sort of rain we’ve suffered for the last 3 months. That’ll sort it…we all hope.
And a big thank you to Rico for keeping the site so readable and relevant. I just don’t know where I could explode my spleen without Highbury House. Rico, you’re a marvel.
Hi All Happy New Year
Scott I agree with you 100% about the greens and our brave fire fighters and the volunteer fire fighters because of the greens in Victorian a lot of our 4 wheel dive tracks are closed so when these fire happen the fire brigade can not use these tracks due to over grown or fallen trees I noticed you never see the green leaders in the middle of these fire with a hose and shovel
Hi Rico, Scott and all Every one says I need to be more positive about our club so I’m taking tiny steps so I have been thinking hard and found it At least the owners have not changed our name or badge yet as I said small positive steps LOL
Geoff, don’t forget the negatives and don’t ignore them, by any means.
I just think we all can see the little positives in the way our players are enjoying the game, and the passion they’re showing on the pitch.
Small steps matey 🙂
Hi Scott did you see the news video from inside the fire truck with the fire all around it and the fire blanket up against the trucks window as they drove out incredible footage lucky they made it out safely
I sure did, Geoff.
Horrendous stuff.
I have to show this one…….
https://www.facebook.com/90004797701/posts/10157412489212702/?vh=e&d=n
Come on Arsenal!
How is the weather like in London?
Haven`t been on here since last year, so hello again!
Yes it is the winter season of the transfers which will undoubtably bring out mostly the most ridiculous unfounded rumours by people who I call……….The Transfer Window Lickers !
They are like Kroenke sat in front of his dressing room mirror with the most expensive array of hand made Beavers wondering which one to slip on his head!……decissions decissions!…………or as the great bard would say……………..”Toupee or not Toupee, that is the Question!”………………….or ” A Syrup!…..My Kingdom for a decent Syrup!”
What a brave Koala…………I shall name him Koalasinac!………………………..I want one!
Weigl (ex-Dortmund) – Benfica – 20 millions. A (young) DM
Morning to you all and thanks Wavy.
New post up now