Morning all.
Tomas Rosicky, one of the most gifted midfielder’s Arsenal have had in recent years, looks to have played his last match for the club. He’s been ruled out for three months after playing on with an injury during last weekends match against Burnley. He wouldn’t come off as Arsene Wenger had used all his subs.
That appearance was his first for seven months and it was emotional. The fans were more than happy to see him back and talking to the Arsenal Player, he said:
It was unbelievable, something I didn’t expect. Since the moment I started to warm up on the sidelines it was exceptional. Honestly, I had tears in my eyes after such a long time being out.
I started to warm up and the reception was unbelievable and I will never forget it. Obviously it is the worse thing [getting injured again] and the feeling I cannot give the fans anything back at the moment is frustrating.
Arsenal have had more than their fair share of long-term injured players, many who should have been sold long before they were, or certainly not had their contracts renewed. Arsene Wenger has never been clinical enough when dealing with stuff like that, he always seems to believe the players will come back and play. Some do, although most suffer an instant setback and aren’t seen again for a long time.
Tomas Rosicky is certainly one of them but when he is fit and playing, he makes a huge difference. He’s intelligent and Arsenal always seemed to look a bit different when he was in the side. More together, more confident and certainly more creative. But those performances have been very few and far between through an Arsenal career which has been blighted by injury. Last summer Arsene Wenger decided to keep him for another season, regardless of not playing him much the season before when he was fit. It all seemed odd really, but so very typical of Arsene Wenger.
Now Tomas is out for another three months and if that time scale is correct, there could be a chance we’ll see him in red and white again, perhaps when we are still in with a chance of winning the league, perhaps a third FA Cup will still be a possibility too. I hope so as for him to just drift away at the end of May when his contract expires, wouldn’t feel right, not for such a wonderful player.
Sticking with the injured, Danny Welbeck is on the road to returning as yesterday afternoon he played 60 minutes for the under 21’s in their 4-1 victory over Brighton. The result saw the youngsters go top of their league which is important in itself but even better for the first team was Welbeck suffering no adverse effects.
Arsenal FC have though, and no surprise either after season ticket holders were advised by email that they’d face an extra charge of between £7 and £30 on next season’s tickets. A cost which is a surcharge for the home Champions League fixture against Barcelona.
This is reportedly the email:
Due to the number of matches played this season and the categories assigned to them, there will be an additional cost to your season ticket for the 2016-17 of £18.19. This additional cost will be added to you renewal price for next season.
The email explains that the increase is partly due to drawing Barcelona in the Champions League and that the cup fixtures they play ‘could result in a refund or additional cost to the price of [a] season ticket.
Well they’ve had to have a re-think and sharpish after threats of a boycott at the next home game leaked into the news.
A statement from the club has since been released:
We have listened to our fans and recognise that there is confusion about the basis of our long-standing policy on charges for the seven cup games in our season ticket package.
‘We believe that this policy, which last year resulted in a refund to fans and this year would result in a surcharge, is the fairest of the possible alternatives but we accept, on the basis of the reaction to our recent announcement, that we need to improve our supporters’ understanding of how the system works.
‘It was never our intention that we would upset those fans who are amongst our most loyal supporters. Having listened to their feedback, we are announcing on this occasion that we will not ask fans to pay the additional amount due under our season ticket conditions for the game on February 23rd.’
I do wonder what goes on in the minds of the people who decide on such things at the club. Why the heck should Barcelona arriving at The Emirates incur fans extra cost? Would they have done the same had it been a different club like Monaco, Bayern, Real, Atletico etc etc?
Talk about putting the Spanish side on a pedestal.. What a really stupid move and one which despite retracting the surcharge, will only divide the owner/board and manager from the clubs fans even more.
Farcical, even more so when one considers the lack of transfer activity over last summer and again this winter and all the time the club sits pretty with in excess of £200 million sat in the bank doing nothing other than gathering interest.
Embarrassing to say the least and not how a club of our stature should behave, but that’s Arsenal these days isn’t it? The club moved to The Emirates to be competitive which in itself just isn’t the case. No, it’s all about making as much money as they can and they don’t care whose pocket gets hit the hardest.
Fed up with Stan and his cronies? Well sign up HERE.
Anyway, back to Tomas and he’s not giving up, just yet:
I’ve always come back from everything and I will come back again, I will not give up. I will make it happen once more, I will have the strength to make it, I will find it and I will be back again.
I hope he’s right and I hope he does.
Wouldn’t it be lovely to see him with his hands around the PL trophy before departing in the summer?
It’ll hardly make a difference, but signed anyway….
Same here Bt. The club are so far removed, they won’t give a toot about the petition…
Rosicky is one of the most talented players ever to pull on the red and white. It is such a shame that his vision and skill has spent much of its time on the treatment table. Imagine a fully fit Rosicky and Diaby at full tilt now!! Life can sometimes be very cruel.
True Rico, on the ticket issue, all ticket sales for the Barca game having been continually moved back, they now won’t be on sale to the 9th Feb…What is that all about?
Morning all.
I guess it’s better late than never, but seriously, how stupid was the decision to raise prices in the first place?
I’m stunned.
Tommy…..so many times when we are at our worst, playing sideways, with no tempo, we scream for a player like TR7 to be on the pitch.
I hope it’s not the end.
I’d agree Iceman.. He’s always been one of my favs…
It’s a sham Bt.
Rosicky? I wonder if the club would keep him on as a pay as you play ‘contract’? You never know, they might!
Wavy, would Rosicky accept that?
Morning Rico and all. Dark, dark days indeed for the club that calls itself Arsenal. I have been bed-ridden this week but have been reading Wengers press conferences/post mortems through an antibiotic haze. What a sad pathetic, yet incredibly rich figure he has become. Dripping with cringe-inducing excuses and making ego-driven statements about not finding strikers at the bottom of the bloody street or something. Rattling on about being at the top of the game for 20 years. How long will it be before he reprises the number of games, substitutions schtick he loves to peddle?
Perhaps the fans are beginning to realise that they do have a say.
Didn’t he want to go back in the summer Wavy?
Tisk, where are my manners, morning Rico,Adam and all…
Morning Adam. Glad you are feeling better..
Not just Wenger, the whole lot are equally as bad. Together they are ruining the club…. A club which should be flying high by now….
Morning to you too Bt… Mind you, it’s nearly afternoon… Lol
Thanks Rico. Slowly getting there. 🙂
I’m sure a convincing win on the south cost tomorrow will pick you up Adam…
Looked outside, it’s more like evening time Rico….lol
Horrid isn’t it Bt, dark, windy and raining hard here…
Glad you said that Rico. I thought it was today. Mind you I woke up wondering what it was I had done on the iPad yesterday only to remember that I had bought (another) coffee machine to compliment the 2 I already have. Mrs Adam is ecstatic. 🙂
Glad to hear you’re on the mend, Adam.
Yes, Arsene has been at his worst this week, IMO.
There is no excuse for this entire episode, and defending it…..please.
Thanks Scott. Appreciate it mate.
Ha ha Adam. One would be nice in my house, well, other than me…
Wonder who will win the lunchtime game. Hope it’s a draw….
City losing 1-0 already…
Catch up later…
Hope you feeling better Adam and hope a decent win gets you back to 100%…!
Leicester looking really good unless they get a few injuries
Good Rosicky comments Rico, decent guy who had such bad luck with injury. And non-selection at times!
City 0 Leic 3!!!
Anyone else still get email notifications when a new HH post up or are they a thing of the past?
Cheers Wath.
Well played The Foxes, great team performance….
Hope you have a speedy recovery Adam, the boot is on the other foot now…
Andrew the email notification to me disappeared a couple f weeks ago. I had to ‘join’ the web site again and I’ve not had a problem since. However, I do have to fill in my email address and name when making a post, which is a bit of a pain! Otherwise I’m more or less back on track.
Who’d have predicted the L city result today? And they played some really fluid football, slick and direct, very, very positive, no tippy tappy football from them. If they all stay injury free then I think they may have a chance of first place, but there’s a fair old way to go yet!
Cheers Wavy.
Congratulations to Leicester City…
A proper football club…
Adam and I were recalling earlier today about the time when Arsenal used to be one of those… ?
Afternoon Kev, did you happen to see the u16’s result at Kettering Town, it may have slipped under the radar? 13-3
Blimey BT, that’s impressive…
BT, any chance that you might have the line-up and goalscorers?
Kev, sorry mate they were beaten 13-3…I will post the only link to it that have seen so far, if i can find it again..
http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/kettering-town-u16s-beat-arsenal-13-3-victors-laud-their-win-on-facebook/?
Well played Leicester..
Funny isn’t it. This time last year they were heading for the Championship but survived. They had an awful manager who spouted rubbish to the media and fans and embarrassed his club. What di the owners do? Sack him and start again….
Hmmmmm…..
Jos Buttler at it again. His one day game is incredible….
Oh dear BT, that’s a disgrace…
There must a good reason or else the Arsenal coach should be considering his position…
I thought you meant Arsenal won Bt. I should have known better. Lol
Kev, the only account of the match seems to be on Kettering Town FCs FB page, though they did mention it wasn’t Afc main u16 team and contained a few u15s,,,,
Perhaps Rick can provide some more info.
Rico, do you expect to find U-16s on every street corner? 🙂
I hope Leicester win the title because it might give Wenger a bloody kick up the arse through sheer embarrassment. You never know, He might stop spouting self serving bullshit.
It probably won’t though. 🙂
He’s too far gone imo.
Ha ha Adam.
If we can’t win it, I sure hope they do. They deserve it.
Afternoon Rico and the House.
BT I certainly can.
Allthough they state it was our u16 it was in fact a satilite team made up of 14/15 year old and trailist’s.
It do’s state the match was played about a fortnight ago they are not sure when.
Just for the record these are the results of the last 4 games the u16’s have played.
Jan 16 Leicester (a) won 4-0
Jan 23 SPUDS (a) won 6-0
Jan 30th Villa (a) drew 1-1
Today Soton (h) won 2-1
The U 18.s also played Soton today (h) and at half Time were winning 3-0
I am being told young Joe Willock has scored a briliant goal,.
Hooray for Rick…
That’s a whole lot better…
But all things considered, age, trial lists etc, conceding 13 goals to anyone, let alone Kettering, isn’t very smart…
Afternoon Rick, did the keeper get sent off… 😉
Rick i knew you would have the info……to be fair Kettering did say it wasn’t our main u16 team…
Rick were we at home?
Totts won again, makes our game tomorrow a real must win… Lol
Everton battered Stoke 3-0 at the Britannia….
Night guys..
How ironic Wanyama sent off! After Soton kicked the shit out of us without even a booking
Bob, yep….how strange lol
Morning Scott and all..
Same old same old re the inconsistent refereeing…
Wonder which useless lump Riley has plucked out for our match today…
It’s our dear old friend Kevin…. 😉
Do you think Leicester and spuds combined wage bill is less than ours?? I bet it’s bloody close….
So the oil money bollocks that Le Washed Up One spouts, doesn’t seem to be affecting the aforementioned teams does it?
For me win or lose the PL Wenger should fuck off at the end of this season. He is holding Arsenal FC back with his outdated views and stubborn ways!
But don’t forget Lee, China will ruin football…. lol
Morning Rico and Brudder. I agree absolutely.
It seems that the disaffection with the way supporters are being treated is spreading. Good luck to the scousers who walked out yesterday. The whole American ethos of sports ‘business’ is going to come into question in this country and the press will lap it up. You need proper businessmen to run the club and they need to look after the finances properly. Nobody surely disputes that. But the relegation from fan to customer and consumer loses the club identity at every turn. To sacrifice goodwill and attachment for a few extra quid is the American way. Quite frankly they don’t give a shit whether fans with a long term love for the club come or not. In fact I strongly suspect that, when I don’t renew, they would prefer some tourists to buy the seats I occupy for a couple of seasons so they can buy more shirts, eat more crap, text and take selfies all bloody game before ringing home that evening with the evidence they were there.
Morning Adam..
You mean you don’t expect to get an email begging you to renew again? No, of course not…
Rico. I believe that was Rocky who got that epic mail.
The only mails I get from the club are those offering naff merchandise made in Chinese sweat shops, demands for money or to inform me of re-scheduled games. 🙂
Yes, it was Rocky, I remember him telling us about it..
Re the Liverpool walk out, Arsenal fans wouldn’t be able to follow suit would they as the price for tickets is above £90 isn’t it?… 😉
Question……..so many applaud Leicester for giving the League a red hot go, while spending little money.
So why do so many criticise Arsenal for competing when spending little money??
Strange???
I think so.
Morning all.
Easy – compare the way the two sides play Scott, the players attitude, the managers, the style of football…
It’s not about the money so much but the attitude of the manager and every single one of his team…
But Leicester are a small club with little money Arsenal are the polar opposite.
We get fed the spiel about competing with the top clubs after the Emirates move,…..what’s strange about that?
Arsenal do spend money but its spent in all the wrong areas!
Wenger will only add “super quality” players (Elneny????) There’s not too many these “super quality” types of player in the Leicester squad is there?
Maybe it’s Wenger that’s the problem?
Lee, so money should be spent just because it’s there??
Sorry Rico, the way people are carrying on, it’s all about money.
You know what I think…..it’s all about effort, and the money is irrelevant when spent in players who don’t put in.
I’m not suggesting Arsenal should not be criticised but purely on the financial side, the arguments offered up are a joke.
Leicester are proving money isn’t the be all and end all, yet Gooners whinge when Arsenal don’t spend.
Then, we criticise Citeh and Chelski for spending a fortune.
Wenger’s a busted flush.
Citeh, Liverpool, UTD, Chelksi…..they’ve all spent a fortune in recent years…………
Leicester are above them all.
Money isn’t the answer.
Lazy pricks who take the cash and don’t put in are the problem.
We need a clean out, and Leicester show we have it wrong.
When I say WE, I mean we, the fans as well as we, the club.
No it should be spent because the squad has needed a top striker and another DM.
It’s not like we don’t have the money is it?
Maybe it’s all about the money at Arsenal because it’s the most expensive place to watch a game of club football on the planet!
Citeh, chavs and the mancs have all won major trophies in recent years whereas Arsenal have appeased fans with two FA cups whilst making up the numbers in the big competitions.
To a degree Scott, I think it is about money too. Not so much spending £200 million because it’s there, but spending on what and who we needed last summer.. Wenger didn’t do that because for some reason he believed in who he had.
But he doesn’t seem to be able to get them playing, not any more…
New post is up now…
I mean Wenger thought Sanogo would be a £50m player and kept him and sold Afobe……neither are Arsenal standard but FFS!