Morning all.
Yesterday, at the AGM, Sir Chips Keswick made it crystal clear where the decisions on football matters rested at the Emirates Stadium….
I don’t think that my wish or intention to double guess what Arsene Wenger wants to do – as you know, your board backs him 100 per cent. If he has a plan, we back him, if he doesn’t have a plan, we keep quiet.
Funny enough, Arsene Wenger made no comment about Sir Chips grand statement, a statement which is all wrong. No manager should have such control at a football club and certainly not ours and no wonder Wenger has been so frugal when it comes to signing players, he’s allowed to. What is the point in having such a toothless bunch of board members led by a toothless Chairman who seemed more interested in talking about playing Bridge four nights a week than answering the question about our ageing board members and whether they are the right people to take the club forward.
Do our current board members, including the Chairman really care about Arsenal FC achieving success on the pitch? Or are they just a bunch of Kroenke puppets who care only about making him and themselves rich? Well, more than they are already? Perhaps they just can’t be bothered and just want an easy life. After all, why bite the hand what feeds you..
As for Kroenke, well the little he did say meant nothing much did it. Glad he enjoyed a nice day out at Wembley though, just a shame he didn’t ensure that more of the most loyal and long serving fans didn’t get to share the occasion!
I’m no ageist but our club needs new blood, younger blood, men/women who have ambition, people who truly care about the club both on and off the pitch. People who are prepared to take that control from the manager and start making him accountable because unless that happens, Wenger will continue to be a right old tight arse in the transfer windows and always leave us with an unbalanced, small and short squad.
Talking of Wenger, as already said, he chose not to comment after Sir Chips bold admission but what he did say after rambling on about how he’d love to please the fans more than he does and that we’d had a good summer in the transfer window was we lack numbers in defence:
I agree we could have bought one more player but we didn’t find one.
We are a bit short with the injuries we have (defensively), and I think we will rectify that in the transfer market in January.
Everyone could see we were short of defensive cover before the season started let alone now and not only did he leave us short in defence, the midfield has for a long time, and still does, lack the presence of at least one strong and powerful player.
One fan asked why Thomas Vermaelen was sold in the summer and not replaced. Sir Chips invited Wenger to answer the question. He declined, clearly having no answer to such an important question, a question that no doubt all fans wanted to know the answer to.
Does he really expect us to fall for the ‘we tried to sign one more but couldn’t’ garbage we have all heard before, something he again said yesterday?
No, if you pay the money, you can get almost any player but my guess is whichever player he wants has a contract which runs out in the summer of 2015, so when January arrives he can get a cheaper deal. Even cheaper if he waits until July. That is of course if that player does want to join us.
That’s all well and good if we had players within the squad who can fill in certain positions with ease, but that’s not so easy when it comes to playing in central defence. Wenger has to choose between Isaac Hayden, a 6 ft 2 strong central defender who is yet to play in the Premier League or Nacho Monreal, a 5′ 10″ midget of a left-back tomorrow and we all know he’ll opt for the latter. That’s what he does!
Oh I bet Steve Bruce can’t wait to roll up at The Emirates tomorrow!!
That’s it for today…..
New post up now..
Morning JM, no, as I didn’t see the game…
Morning Adam, glad you are feeling better. Clearly not man flu then… lol
I think we will win today. If it is by force of will alone I will be happy.
Good morning
The newpost will be about what? yesterday 0-0?
I’m not at all confident either Bt…
She seems a lot brighter thanks, got to give her her meds in a bit, once she’s eaten her breakfast.. 😉
Thank you BT. I do feel a little more cynical than yesterday so, yes, I think I might be on the mend. 🙂
Morning Adam, feeling better?
Morning Rico, BT and all. I have heard Kroenke bigging up Billy Beane and Wenger in the same breath many times. I watched the movie about Billy where Brad Pitt played him. A Fascinating character who picked up unwanted and ‘has-beens’ for little money in the US. Kroenke admires him for sure and according to the movie, he almost shattered the status quo once by almost winning a trophy.
Rico, i’d like to think at home we should be more than capable of a win, but it will not be easy, even with a fully fit back line set pieces are always a big worry.
How is the sick chick doing?
Pleasure Bt…
You reckon we will win today?
Rico, thank you….
It is now 😉
No Bt but I just looked at The Guardian footie section…
Morning Rico, is the link working?
That article looks a bit heavy for me first thing in the morning… lol
Morning Kev, thanks re the chicken, she seems a lot brighter this morning….
Morning Bt and all…
Morning all…here is an interesting article to read over breakfast…..Our new 2M Signing
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/oct/17/arsenal-place-trust-arsene-wenger-army-statdna-data-analysts
Doesn’t seem that either Walcott or Gnabry will have much of an outing tomorrow, if any at all, going on what Rick has reported on this evening…
As for Diaby, well that is the farce, that keeps on giving…
Anyway thanks for the info Rick…
Interesting points Wavy re: Jonker…
Before you lock the door, I’d just like to say how much i enjoyed the post Rico… 😉
Hope your chicken feels better….
Wonder if there’s a dose of chicken flu going around?
Apparently it makes you feel groggy…
Anyway Night All…
Morning Scott (and Rico)…
Night Adam, i was going to suggest whiskey in the bath water, but it may be Poteen can’t remember…lol
On that note of optimism I think I will have a hot bath before going to bed.
Bye guys. Speak tomorrow.
Night Rick, i have seen Dan Crowley a few times, no shortage of skill though quite small in stature.
BT. Next time you are here for a match then…..
Night Rick.
BT. I usually let my mate Paul do all the graft while I offer advice from the garden wall with a cuppa in my hand. 🙂
Adam, no never lived in London, have family members who have and some who still do.
Bt one final bit of News . I have been told that Dan Crowley was excellant in the seconed half and gave a master clase of skill.It has been said that those watching look on in amazement at one bit of skill . Looks like he is over his injury problems.
Night all.
Adam, as you know you are more than welcome and i promise no whiskey….As for the detailing, i am sure you are a lot more experienced in that field than i.
That’s true Rick. I hope we win and put in a good performance too.
BT. Did you ever live here in London?
BT. If I could I would drop in to see you after the game and check out your cars and swap detailing stories. 🙂 And stroke the cats as well obviously. I do miss our lovely chap.
Rick, thanks for the updates this evening…..
Night Rico.
Adam, i guess you would call it suburbia, though you’re never to far from the sticks here…
A good result Adam and we will all feel better.
Hi Rick,
Sorry to hear that mate. I hope I will feel better to go to the game tomorrow anyway.
Finished goalless Last 20 mins all arsenal Akpom goal flagged offside??
Crowley hit bar from freekick with G/K beaten who made some very good saves.
I wonder what Gatting will say about this one.
Hi Adam sorry you have the bug.I have just had 10 days of feeling odd and unbalanced
My doc told me it was the anti biotics that I am on, and would clear up when I finished the course. Not very nice is it?
BT. It’s always like that in Ireland though isn’t it? 🙂
🙂 Adam, I’m locking the door… Lol
Gone now….
Adam, it’s howling winds and pissing rain here.
BT. I was talking about getting the shivers where you are? Are you in the countryside then?
Night Rico. Sleep well. I won’t be far behind you. If you know what I mean 🙂
Adam, always good for cold like symptoms….
BT. I doubt my tummy would agree with the whiskey thing BT. Apart from the occasional bottle of wine I drink very little. Rico will attest to that. 🙂
I must be on my way now, off to catch up on the planner and an early night….
Night Bt, Rick, Adam and all…..
Morning Kev.. Lol
Catch up tomorrow….
Really BT? Why is that?
Adam, perhaps a couple of hot whiskeys might help.
Cheeky. 🙂
Evening Adam, good to hear your feeling better, tonight over here would give anybody the shivers.
Hoorah… 🙂
Thank you. I haven’t been groggy or a few days now. 🙂
Adam, glad you feel a little better. Perhaps another early night would be of benefit and no grogginess in the morning… Lol
No Rico. 🙂
At about 7 pm last night I felt incredibly shivery and had an early night but sleep was fitful and I felt really rather odd. Today I feel a bit better but rather unbalanced. Thanks for asking.
Evening Adam, you feeling better?
When you said you were ill, I thought you meant AGM ill…….
Johnson on for Diaby on 67 .
With the exception of Ajayi and ottewill and Akpom this is team that will play for the U19 during the next week.
Pressure building up on blacburn 2 great saves by their G/P
Evening Rico, BT and all.
Good runout for both then… Oh, and no setback.. Yet 🙂
Aren’t they just Bt, aren’t they just……
BT there is no commentary and my normal link is not very good tonight.
Iwobi replaced Theo at half time and Zelalem replaced Serge on 59.
I hear Thoe made a couple of good runs but found it hard to get into the game.
Capt Diabyis passing the ball well but looks off the pace.
More when I get it.
Walcott subbed on 46 mins and Gnabry subbed on 59 mins…..
Rico, fans are just another revenue stream.
Don’t they just Bt, shame they don’t put as much effort into ensuring the fans get the same….
Rico, they sure know how to get value for money…
Bt, nearly as good as the £3m Chips told Stan to take from the club…..
Rico, that’s another £3m well spent by the club…..lol
And re the motivation JM, that’s another thing we lack, a leader…..
Thanks Rick.
Bt, I looked at that too but it’s greyed out and doesn’t play.. Useless eh!
JM, trouble is, the newspapers talk about transfers and we all know we need at least two in January- but yes, right now it’s only about who we have….
Rick, is there commentary anywhere?
Rico, it’s says you can listen to it on Arsenal player, i can’t find it….Stan your £3m doesn’t even get us live commentary….ffs!!
No goals at half time Gnarby (twice) Walcott and Akpom close to scoring.
Blackburn playing well but we have seen more of the ball
why Zalalen doesn’t play?
we lost versus totts 0-2 yesterday. They (the totts…) played last 15 minutes with 10 men.
We are in October and everybody talks about January. The oficial season had started in August. Just two months after (well 1 month after the beginning, in true), everybody hopes January to solve our problems. Until January, we have more two monts and a half. So, we are now in the middle, more or less. Isn’t this very strange?
what we have doing in the pre-season?
We didn’t have targets in this season?
We are in the competitions (all of them) just for be there?
Since the beginning, has AW any confidence in this squad?
With all of this, has anyone (players, staff, fans, supporters,etc) any conditions for be 100% with the team and fight for theirs targets?
Where are the motivation and concentration indices needed?
What’s happening in the match, any idea?
Thanks Bt, bless her she fell asleep on my arm at the vets whilst waiting for the vet to get her medicine….
To right Rico, all hands to the pumps yet again.
Sorry hear about your chicken, hope it’s nothing to serious.
Good Bt, can’t wait for both to return to the first team squad..
Pleased that Hayden is in the squad for tomorrow too, hope he starts as Bruce will target our height issues if Monreal starts….
Sorry, I had to dash earlier, vets with a very poorly chicken. 🙁
Had to hand feed her and administer antibiotics and tuck her up to bed….
Thanks Rick re the post and for the under 18 update…
Tonights Team Huddart, Moore, Ajayi, Oconner, Ottwill, Diaby Maitland -Niles Walcott Gnbry, Crowey, and Akpom.
Subs Macey Johnson Kamara Zelalem and Iwobi.
7 youth team players No Bellerin or Hayden
Both Walcott and Gnabry start for the U21s tonight.
Good post Rico.
I have backed Arsene through thick and thin but at the moment I cannot find anything to say in his defence.
“We could have bought one more player but didn’t find one ” The mind boggels.
Wavey I agree with you and Rico that Jonker will be the next manager. He is already making a good impression and I expect there are one or two looking over their shoulders.
Cheers Rick, hope all is good with you…
tained should be trained
Afternoon Rico and the House
Bt they lost 2-0 with a very young side. The G/K is 15 , 8 are 16 and only 2 are over 17. I think some of the older missing players will play for U21 team tonight.
Both Bellerine and Hayden tained with the first team this morning and could be in the squad against Hull
Rico, what was the score in the NLD?
🙂 Wavy…
*not E but be……fat fingers!
Well that’s Jonker out of a job that he hasn’t been offered yet. Another theory up the spout!
Who will. E our next Manager? Where is she??
Under 18’s lost the NLD, what were they doing!!
Uxbridge…………Arsenal………….Mornington Crescent!
I win
Morning Wath…
Morning………….. 😉
Thanks Fred, he’s certainly AW’s price..
Afternoon…
Chitty chitty bang bang…………lifting a player from the pub league, that’ll clinch it!
Scott, Wenger could hardly not say he was at fault. He had said previously, If Verm goes HE WILL BE REPLACED. Then he either forgot, left it too late, who knows, but it DIDN’T happen. And he also shipped out a reserve CB on deadline day for good measure.
Rico,
Wengers in a different league for arrogance.
Super,Super League with a cherry on the top.
Like his arrogance,he could be good,he seems above the level of the Scottish league.rico
Catch up later, walk time for me…
🙂 Xr’s, just a few days ago I think… lol
Hi Fred 🙂
You saying you like Dijk or he’s arrogant like Wenger… lol
Lol.. Rico is angry this morning. When was the last time you ranted like this and also in the comments?
Afternoon All,
Dick Van Dyke was ok,Julie Andrews was better…rico.
The celtic player..Very Arrogant….Like him.
Believe me scott,I wish I was there.would have been barred for life!but you,d have heard about it lol!
Agreed, and we may have even won another game or two 🙂
Still, all we can do is hang on to the coat tails of Chelski and Citeh til January, then pray!!!
We weren’t alone there Scott. Everything seemed to make sense at the time. The money, the new contract, Alexis, Chambers, Debuchy and Ospina and then bang. Nothing until DD…..
🙂 Scott. I might have to suffer a Celtic game before 1st January…
The sad thing is, AW has admitted he should have signed a defender, had he done so and pushed the boat out further with a DM, I doubt we’d all be that cheesed off.
I know, Rico, and that’s what’s disappointing.
Nothing’s changed.
I honestly thought it would this time.
🙂 Adam yes, £7 million apparently. At least he’s tall, 6′ 4″… lol
I’ve never heard of this guy, Rico, let alone seen him.
Suddenly, he’s our saviour according to plenty on Facebook 🙂
But that’s not where we should be Scott, but I know there is nothing you and I can do to make that change…
Adam, i think his own strong belief that he is doing things the right way and his love for Arsenal, will carry him through his contract. Though if things were to spiral badly downward on the pitch, then no.
Uwot, attacking the Wenger fans, then those at the AGM for staying silent.
What a shame you weren’t there.
Rico. Will he be cheap? That’s the question.
Has anyone seen much of Dick Van Dijk playing for Celtic?
Wavy, perhaps that was the only cunning reason they gave AW 3 years, they have their man, he just needs time….
Thanks Syg….
Let ‘s face it .as long as we have the “arsene”fanboy cult(not arsenal fc)I might add.nothing,I mean NOTHING is going to change.for them,he can do no wrong.simple”love is blind”.it’s always give it another window he’ll get it right.The same is going to happen this jam,one player(cheap as chips)I we’re lucky.trying to prove what a genius he is by wiining(doubt it)the title on the cheap circa 1998.Th club won,t allow protests at the ground & we have without -a doubt the most understanding,sympathetic or apathetic fanbase in the world.so on it goes.where were the protests at the agm?why didn’t,t they scream bloody murder at the board,storm out ,anything!
Wavy. That is an interesting take on the situation.
Rico, that’s what I meant…..we know exactly where we are, where we will be…..it’s all become too predictable.
Adam, didn’t Wenger once say a manager in his last season was a lost cause? Or something similar. I bet he does 3 though….
Unless he gets the sack… 😆 😆
And I don’t like that ‘where we are’ Scott. We could and should be in a much better place if the manager, Kroenke and the board had more balls.
Kroenke knew exactly what three more years for AW would mean, but still he gave him the new contract.
I honestly thought things would change but how wrong was I….
Morning, Nice post Rico.
Can’t say I’m against Monreal starting CB tbh. He’s looked calm and assured every time i’ve seen him there.
Morning all. Great post Rico.
Adam, I reckon he will stay, but then, that depends on how we perform and how much pressure he gets from fans.
I firmly believe Wenger’s days are numbered. His choice, not the Board’s. The process of replacing the manager has already begun. It may be internal, in fact it most likely will be. I’ve already agreed with Rico that I think, sorry we believe it will be Jonker. He seems to be the new broom that is sweeping the shite out of the club and what’s more, he’s started at the bottom and is, or rather will be working through the age groups until he reaches the first team. When he has completed his spring cleaning he will then be ready to assume control. I reckon it’ll take him about another two and half years. What a coincidence!
Wenger will probably buy with his successors choices of players in mind, and buy only when they become available. This attitude may in part explain why he was so tardy during last summer’s TW. They couldn’t get the players they wanted and second best was not good enough.
We shall see of course, but it may prove far more interesting blogging about what is going on, off the field, rather than our performances on it!
Watch this space…………..!
Rico, two and a half more seasons 🙂 🙂
You know I wanted him to leave a few months back, though.
Where would we be now????
I don’t know.
I’ve come around to the realisation that while he stays, we know exactly where we will be.
BT. Will he do the third year?
How many transfer windows have we been saying that though Scott, and how much longer do we have to witness his kamikaze football?
I agree Adam, but can we wait 3 seasons for Wenger to go? And would a new manager get anything more from Kroenke and his puppets?
Scott, i know what you meant, Arsene runs the football side of the club, not the whole club. What i meant was he should not even be running the team, but he’s here for few more years, unfortunately…
BT, I meant he should ONLY be running the team and not running the club.
Rico, I know but for the first time he’s admitted fault……that was my point.
Still, if he doesn’t rectify it, he’s gooooone.
Rico. Surely it’s the combination of the two that isn’t working. A better owner would place greater demands on Wenger and a different manager might do the same to Kroenke and his ghastly son.
Scott, it’s not just this summer though, it’s happened all too often to forgive him now..
Bt, I heard that too, like father like son….
Scott,” Wenger should be running the bloody team” …Really?
Can’t see anything changing whilst Kroenke and Wenger are at the club..
Once again, our owner and board members show their lack of intestinal fortitude.
What a pack of tossers they are.
Wenger should be running the bloody team, not the club!!!!!
Rico. read an article a while back that suggested Josh is even worse than the Syrup.
So if Wenger answers, he looks silly, and if he doesn’t he cops it anyway????
This AFTER he’d admitted fault.
Come on guys, he stuffed up and admitted it……
Seems to me that no matter what he does, he’s wrong.
Everyone says he’s arrogant.
Everyone says he never admits fault.
He admitted fault.
6 months ago everyone complained we hadn’t win a trophy.
We won the FA Cup and suddenly it was “only” the FA Cup.
Now even I’ve seing to the dark side and given him plenty this season, but let’s not criticise for the sake of criticising.
He’s made the call, and if he does nothing about it January he honestly deserves to be sacked.
Morning all 🙂
Brudder. 🙂
BT. No, not really. I can only speak for myself and friends who talk about this stuff all the time.
The AGM has been bad for the powers at the club and the way things are shaping up I could envisage a number of scenarios playing out over the coming years.
Adam I take delivery of the remote controlled drone…. how’s the banner coming on?
Adam, do you really believe that?
Great minds Bt…
Lee. He’s had it easy so far. The fun is just about to begin. 🙂
Or his offspring…
Thanks Andrew…
Gutless, the lot of them…
🙂 Lee.. or his son..
Never trust a man with a syrup and a bushy moustache…………
Morning, good post rico. Wenger’s silence on the CB says it all. We knew, 99% of Arsenal fans knew, we just waited for the inevitable injuries. If we let in two goals tomorrow, god help him.