Alexis and Ozil departures imminent? Arsenal no longer an attractive club…

Morning all.

No more match reports here on HH. I hate writing them, I doubt you guys read them and what’s the point in them? You’ve already seen the game either on television or online…

Arsenal lost, a familiar tale on the opening day of the season and to make matters worse, Aaron Ramsey suffered a hamstring injury and Alex Iwobi a thigh injury. Both no doubt will now miss a few matches. Injuries eh, didn’t see those coming…..

After the match it was same old Arsene Wenger. Having previously said his squad was in great shape and ready for the new season, or something like that, out came the excuses:

We are not ready physically. You are in a catch-22 situation with the Euros — whether you give the players a rest who need it. They are not ready to play this sort of game and get injured like Ramsey or you give them a rest and not have them for the start.

Seriously??!!

Nearly all of the so-called top clubs around the world had players involved at either the Euros, COPA or now the Olympics but are they whinging and moaning? Is Klopp, Pep, Mourinho etc talking about any of those competitions? No, I don’t think so, but what they have done is to have made sure their squad is deep enough to cope this early in the new campaign.

What other manager would throw two rookies into central defence and expect them to prevent a team like Liverpool from scoring? None I’d say and that’s not me knocking either Chambers or Holding, nor am I suggesting one or both of Debuchy or Monreal should have played there, but why on earth, when he’s had so much time, has Wenger not signed at least one top notch centre-back? Play one of Chambers or Holding alongside a top centre-back, not instead of one.

Why has he not yet signed a classy centre forward too? After all, we’ve needed one for a few years now but no, he carries on making do, shunting players around the pitch to fill the gaps.

But the really sad thing is, we’ve seen it all before. We’ve heard the same old excuses season after season, year after year and it’s boring. Arsene Wenger is boring. His words, his style of football, his lack of motivational skills, his whole demeanour. It’s all boring and very stale.

He’s got just a couple of weeks to act in this transfer window and fill the voids this squad so clearly has, but even then, I’m far from convinced our very intelligent manager knows what football is about, not anymore…..

In the gossip:

Bayern want Mesut Ozil and Inter Milan want Alexis Sanchez. I would hate to see either depart but who could blame them if they did.

Alexandre Lacazette scored a hat-trick for Lyon yesterday and after the game he said ‘“If offers come in that one cannot refuse, I don’t want to refuse them. If not, I am happy at Lyon.”

Just pay the price Arsenal and get him over to Arsenal. If not him, then someone even better! And for goodness sake, get the Mustafi deal done too!

But as Thierry Henry has said, Arsenal seem to be a club which doesn’t attracts top quality players, not these days..

This season is going to be a long one….

129 thoughts on “Alexis and Ozil departures imminent? Arsenal no longer an attractive club…

  1. Marshall says:

    “Arsene Wenger is boring. His words, his style of football, his lack of motivational skills, his whole demeanour. It’s all boring and very stale.” nuff said.

  2. TommyH says:

    Arsenal not attracting world class players anymore. Arsene Wenger does not realize that he starts looking old outdated dude compared to Mourinho, Klop, Pep and alike. I feel sorry for world class players Ozil and Sanchez. They must feel trapped playing for a team being bullied even by average teams such as West Ham and Southampton. If nothing is done in thee next two weeks, fans should expect the most embarrassing season in recent memory.

  3. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.

    You could not have summed up my mood better Rico. Exactly my thoughts.

    Yes we do need the players…..a good CB and a Forward would be ideal…..but as Kev said…..even if AW spends the money….we would still remain in the same situation.

    even if we get Lewandowski, even if we get Varane and Ramos. Even if we get Messi and Ronaldo.

    AW does not do tactics. And that is why he is doomed to fail.

    His first success…..the 98 double was built on the defence that GG built. And I dare say even the 2002 league win had a splash of GG ideas in there. The 2004 invincibles had a defence which was marshalled by Sol….who learnt how to defend from somewhere else. But now we do not have TA06 or Sol or PV04 to tell us how to defend.

    Holding and Chambers I like…..both will make it and be great players…..if and only if they are coached under a rigorous tactical coach.

    Yesterday I was amazed by the open spaces that were available to the dippers.

    Holding was said to be at fault for one of the goals. But did Chambers and Bellerin close the space he left when he went for the ball??? None of them did. And these are basic tactics. They stayed in the same position but did not cover Holding.

    And the pundits question Holding’s decision when clearly the other two should have covered him.

  4. rico says:

    Pat97, if you are still reading HH, which I hope you are, I can only apologise for the stick you took last night and overnight. It won’t happen again and I hope you return…

  5. Andrew Halling says:

    Feel better this morning, I expect Mustafi to sign within days and a striker by next week. Our club wouldn’t dare not to would they? Late in the day, part of reason we do so poorly in opening fixtures, but that’s how we work.

    Something positive Scott? The images of Klopp celebrating, losing his glasses twice. I just love the guy’s enthusiasm. Just a slight shame .. it was against us.

  6. Lee says:

    My mate asked me would I swap Ozil for Lewandowski……. I said not a chance but I’d bust the bank to get the latter on board with the former supplying the chances!

    We’ve got two German internationals surely they can sway Mustafi to join or is Le Ditherer being a tight git as per normal??

  7. rico says:

    And a really shoddy way to operate too Andrew, all because the stubborn one thinks he can get a bargain. He’s a joke, whatever happened to being proactive and preparation…..

    So would I Lee, those two together would be awesome….

  8. rico says:

    Ditto re Klopp by the way, his enthusiasm is incredible and apparently he had a lot to say at halftime. Wonder what old Le Fraud had to say at halftime, nothing probably….

  9. Steven says:

    What shocked me more then the CB pairing was our midfield? Carzola arguably our best player and certainly was preseason and Xhaxa head and shoulders above Couq and Elneny and Chambo must of been disappointed after the preseason he’s add…. started with that team and I don’t think we’d be having this conversation coz Liverpool were brutal in the first half and if it wasn’t for the freekick we would won 2-1 3-1 but if we’d of started with the right team we would of been been 2-0 easy in the first half tell me everyone was thinking why the fuck is Theo on this penalty? The guy can’t score when he needs to think about it as his goal proved Santi would of scored or Sanchez quite a baffling first game of the season.

  10. Malaga gooner says:

    Morning Rico and the house

    There’s not much more to say… You summed it up perfectly in your post

    Give it too Bouldy until the end of the season and see how he goes

  11. Andrew Halling says:

    Bit worried actually by Xhaka’s brief appearance. Deservedly booked and wont last games playing like that. Maybe it was just over-enthusiastic getting on the pitch! But he should be told how refs treat Arsenal players for a first foul!

  12. rico says:

    Steven, apparently Walcott is our designated penalty taker… 😉

    To be fair though, had his penalty gone in, he wouldn’t have scored the goal he did…

    Morning Mg…

  13. Lee says:

    To be fair to Xhaka he came on when we were 4-1 down, so we were chasing the game and he obviously wanted to impress……

  14. ScottfromOz says:

    Someone who sticks the boot in a little can only be good for us, imo-just hope Atsene doesn’t knock it out of him.

  15. Hell Raising Devil says:

    When Cazorla and Ox (who imo should have been on from the start) came on we looked different. True, the dippers were 4-1 up by then. But we pulled two goals back and could have snatched the equalizer as well.

    Xhaka did not want to impress. He was irked that he was a sub and not a starter. He wanted to show AW that he deserved to be in the 1st 11. And imo both Xhaka and Cazorla should have been from the start. It should have been Xhaka, Coquelin and Cazorla. With Ox and Sanchez on the flanks and Theo up front.

    Yes hindsight is a wonderful thing….but I still hold that Xhaka is superior to Elneny simply because he would have protected Holding and Chambers better.

  16. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Had Xhaka been there from the start he would have put the boot in on a couple of dippers. They would think twice about trying to cross his path.

    Coquelin did it on 30 mins but by then the dippers already had 3 yellows to their name.

    And still no one had commented on the fact that it was three Englishmen who scored yesterday. When was the last time we had three goals scored by Englishmen???

  17. Hell Raising Devil says:

    yesterday AW wanted to play a team which no one thought was an obvious one to play. He knew that supporters would be clamouring for Xhaka, Cazorla and Ox to be on from the beginning. So he went for a team which would be a statement from him that he does it his own way.

    He did it his own way…….and he flopped.

  18. scottfromoz says:

    Rico, I’m almost certain he bought Gabriel to counter Diego Costa, as when they’d met, Gabriel stuck it to him….that’s my gut feel.
    Why then, does he ask a player to tone it down?
    His asset was his aggression.
    Gobsmacked.

  19. rico says:

    Don’t the two have history Scott?

    You could be right but as you say, why sign him for his aggression and then change him. Utter madness and now Gabriel is half the player he looked when he first arrived..

    Wasn’t it Fergie who once said if you take the aggression out of the player, you lose half the player…

    And you wonder why fans think Wenger’s lost it….. 😉

  20. kelsey says:

    I have never heard a better summation on Arsenal than the one on Sky yesterday, by Graeme Souness. He said “they moved to this new stadium 10 YEARS ago saying, at the time, that they would be able to compete”. Well a decade later, we have a stadium capacity of 22,000 more than Highbury, paying the highest prices in the land, to watch overpaid underachieving players, that FAILS TO COMPETE season after season, for the same reason every year. In my view, signing the likes of Ozil and Sanchez, is the motoring equivalent of signing Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosburg and expecting them to win an F1 race in a VW Golf. AW’s demeanour yesterday was a disgrace and his pathetic excuses demonstrate that all the shortcomings at the club are down solely to him. As much as his methods were refreshing for the first 10 years at the Club, his stubborn and arrogant obstinacy is what has held us back for the second decade and we will never achieve success in any major trophy while his outdated philosophies are allowed to continue.

  21. rico says:

    Nearly £800M spent during this transfer window. City and Utd combined paid 38% of that total, Arsenal I think are yet up to spend 1%…

    🙂

    Souness can talk sense then Kelsey… lol

  22. Le Coq Monster says:

    Thanks Rico.

    Think I`m corrrect………………….last 4 peanalties by Arsenal players whether Euro`s/friendlies or yesterday have been missed !…………………..I trhink we should now decline any penalties given and politely say……………Thanks but no thanks Reff, we will try to pass the ball into the net instead !. 😆

  23. kelsey says:

    Rico,your headline today is something I brushed on a few days ago.It goes back to van Persie (regardless of what people think of him or what he did) “The club has no real ambition” and how many years ago was that.

    What worries most is the general running of the club and I often wonder if it was worth the time and expense to move from Hihbury the way things are panning out.Of course we had a different board then but it was also the best period in Wenger’s tenure.

    Even if we sign Mustafi,which seems probable is that the answer to all our woes.The three really good players will get fed up with this and in all probability move on.

    Unfortunately looking at all scenarios things won’t change.

    If we would have won the league last season, which we should have by default or otherwise would Wenger have bought any differently as to how he has this season.I think we all know the answer.

    Wherever we finish this season nothing will change but I ask you all to look at yesterday’s post match interview,the man is broken and I think deep down he knows that apart from the result, to be booed off the field in the very first game of the season is something I can’t remember ever happening before to a so called top club.

    At 4-1 down I had visions of a cricket score and I was pleasantly surprised that we pulled 2 goals back,but Liverpool have a weakness in defence, the difference is that Klopp will address that.

    It will seem like a year when we kick off at 5.30 next Saturday but I am not holding my breath plus the fact Ramsey and Iwobi both got injured yesterday to deplete our squad even further.

  24. rico says:

    Agree Kelsey. That’s the biggest difference isn’t it. Klopp will probably sort out his defensive frailties, but Wenger has sorted ours out since the day Big Sol left….

  25. kelsey says:

    This from ACLF which emphasises my point

    “Rubbing salt into the wound was Alexandre Lacazette’s hat-trick at Nancy, ironically the club which gave Wenger his managerial chance. The striker issued a ‘come and get me’ plea but the Jean-Michel Aulas summed up Arsenal’s place in the food chain:

    “The day that Real, Barca or Manchester United come to see us, it will be different.”

    We have become a top end second tier club.

  26. bradster says:

    Afternoon all,

    Wenger won’t buy a defender unless he feels over the entire season we won’t be able to defend well enough to reach 4th place.
    Likewise he will not buy a striker if he feels that we will be able to get by with the goals we got last season to finish 4th.
    If he extends his contract, then he will care if Ozil or Sanchez want to leave next season and promise and even by a good striker and defender with a number been sold to counter their costs.

    Bottom line is that no investment will happen unless top 4 is jeopardized. I’m sure that is the bottom line requirement from Kroenke down to Wenger.

    I’m sure Bould earns well and will not be paid that else where so unless he has huge pride, he will not leave and not say/do anything to upset the apple cart.

  27. potter says:

    All of this shirt tearing and chest beating is the result of the policy of our wastrel board. 10 years of Emirates , 10 years of top price football , 10 years of advantage over 90% of the league but what have they ( the Board ) done ? They have sat on their hands , they have tried to take a moral high ground with their self sustainability model and have failed 100% to progress the club to the position that was there for the taking. As much as we think Wenger should go ,perhaps the sword that was presented in Stavanger should be collectively used for the whole damn lot of them to fall upon.

  28. TT says:

    Did anyone expect us to beat Liverpool with that team?

    And what are the odds the fraud will be gone before the end of the season……..

    Couple more questions for all of you.

    1: What in your opinions will have to happen for him to step down by his own choice
    2: Or be sacked.
    3: And if you think he will be gone before the end of the season by what time.

  29. beejay says:

    He will not leave of his own accord. He would have have done that after winning the FA Cup 2 seasons ago.

  30. bradster says:

    1) I expected a draw and that we would set up with a midfield aimed to protect the youngsters.
    2) No chance, I expect an extension unless we are almost guaranteed not to make 4th place.
    1a) answer as above
    2a) He will never be sacked by the board unless he costs them money
    3a) He and the board will see out his contact

  31. Bob John says:

    Hi all
    Apparently the Mustafi deal has stalled due to haggling over the fee! Medical was scheduled for today but now it ‘may be’ Tuesday or Wednesday. As Richard Littlejohn would say You couldn’t make it up! I know this is a terrible thing to say but I am becoming more convinced each day that AW has some form of mental illness!

  32. Hell Raising Devil says:

    TT I expected us to win as well. To be fair I expected us to give them between 2 to 3 goals which we did. What I did not expect was to ship in 4. What I did not expect was Santi and Xhaka beginning the game on the bench. Infact if you go to the previous two posts you will see that I got the formation right bar these two.

    I can never stomach a defeat at home. A draw against the dippers, Manure, shitty, chavs I can accept. An away loss to those four as well I can accept it. But never at home. Infact I am always in an angry mood everytime we loose at home. I pretend a minimum of 46 points at home. Away is a different matter. but not loose at home.

    And another thing……we have never won the league when loosing the first game.

  33. Merlin96 says:

    Good afternoon all.

    Relax all, just 1 game out of 38 games and a long way to go.

    Our reserve Team gave as good as it took; and Brit Pack from Southampton scored all 3 goals.

    Positives:
    1 – We can score goals.
    2 – Leicester City lost to Liverpool and Arsenal and still won the title.
    3 – Recalled that season we lost to Aston Villa at season opener and then went on an unbeaten run.

    We lost because:
    1 – No leaders on the pitch to mobilize and pick-up the team.
    2 – 1st half was superb when midfielders stopped Liverpool in their track and prevented them from attacking Back-4.

    3 – 2nd half – a leaderless Arsenal lost its way with no midfield protection and Back-4 opened like a can of sardines.
    4 – Early days yet and tried not to be too quick to write off Arsenal as many pundits fro the last 12 seasons.

    5 – Without Ozil, Giroud, Ksocielny and two rookie CB, we still managed to score 3 goals with Liverpool hanging on for dear life in last 10 minutes and 5 minutes extra time … that give you all an inkling on the calibrate of our youngsters.

    Plus Alexis was played out of position, ox chaffing to go … and Walcott just had no supports from midfield feeding him balls in the 2nd half. Liverpool simply over-ran us in 2nd half.

    Lessons learnt and we should be better against Leicester City next weekend.

  34. Obi says:

    TT@1:26 not only did I expected a 2-0 win but I didn’t even think they would be able to stay with us. But once again team selection and tactics by AW did us in. A few week back there was a debate here about our best midfield combo, the overwhelming support was for the decipline of Xhaka and Santi, but what happened AW sits them both, because Arsene knows best. The Ox has been on fire in the pre season with his confidence high, so what does AW do? Sits him to deflate his confidence. Campbell been working his butt off, but this is not a team for hard workers son, so you sit. Contrast that with the poisonous one at United: doesn’t like Mata but plays him because he realized Mata can open up defenses in a team that’s going to be compact, play Harreira because of his exceptional movement, although he’s crap, plays two walking yellow cards in Flalani and Baily because they need to win the ball..so to echo the majority here is AW not the players, and this is before we even gets to the defense.

  35. rico says:

    We did score goals, but will we once we play against teams who park the bus or who are stronger in defence than Liverpool were?

    Liverpool went at us, others won’t, especially at the Emirates.

    Also, during that first 40 minutes, we should have roasted them but no. 4-1 up and they switched off believing it was done…..

  36. Lee says:

    Rico I was scratching my head, pay £30m+ for a DM and don’t play him???

    Weird but then again it is Wenger we are talking about…

  37. Adam says:

    I was open-minded as to whether we would win or not as I walked to the Emirates. But the atmosphere amongst the fans before kick-off was so flat and generally doubtful that, when I saw the team, I expected a loss or a draw at best. Once you ‘really’ lose the fans you have a serious problem in ever winnin them back.
    Unprepared, unimaginative and crushingly predictable. I do wonder what on earth the feeling within the club is today.

  38. rico says:

    ‘As an economics graduate, the obvious opportunity to speculate over the last few years in the safe knowledge of all the extra television deal and inflation on prices seems to have been ignored. Wenger constantly mentions availability in respect of his search of a striker but the biggest stumbling block is surely that willingness to pay an added premium.’

    Isn’t that the truth…….

  39. Wath says:

    I am of the opinion that Adam should be sent to the sin bin for such outrageous standards of spelling…!

    1,000 lines please Mr Adam… though shalt not miss of de “G”…..

  40. Wath says:

    I was goin to say spellin as well Rico, wondered if I could get away with the off but seems you’re a bit of a speeling buff 😉

  41. Le Coq Monster says:

    I`m afraid that Wenger is ever increasingly contradicting himself the longer he stays…………obviously cant remember statements from a few weeks ago let alone years ago !………………..after a good pre-season we are looking fit………after `poolgate we are shagged !…………as I said back then (pre-season)……a few thrashings would have been better than the wins……….false sense of security !.

    I did say the other day that in todays valuations, Alexis and Ozil would be £60M and £80M respectively and our economist manager would not touch them with a barge pole !………..seasoned professionals are shaking their heads at him in disbelief !……………….brings to mind……… The Emperor`s new clothes !……….only he doesn`t see it !.

  42. kelsey says:

    Here you are Le Coq

    “The air of confusion that surrounds much of what is going on is hard to shake as well. After Man City Arsene Wenger seemed happy with the physical preparation, saying:

    We could see that we have played together for a while now, so there’s a good fluidity and understanding in our game … physically we look ready.

    After yesterday’s debacle:

    Physically we are not ready … we are not capable of maintaining the level, because not all the players have the same level of preparation.”

    have you heard of white coat syndrome but in his case just the white coat 😉

  43. Le Coq Monster says:

    How can we trust him, Kels` ?
    Haven`t got the quote to hand, but I started to distrust him a few years back when he said something along the lines of we could not be considered a big club if we sold both Nasri and Fabregas……………………and just like magic…………poof !…….they both disappeared !……………………shame he cant do that trick with himself and Kroenke ! 😀

  44. kelsey says:

    so today, 4 years after he left this comes out from RVP.Some will say it’s sour grapes but the guy as right.

    “This is an update for the fans about my current situation. I have kept quiet all this time out of respect and loyalty for the club and as agreed with Mr. Gazidis and Mr. Wenger, but since there is so much speculation in the media, I think it is fair for you guys to know what’s really going on at the moment.

    “As announced earlier this year I had a meeting with the Boss and Mr. Gazidis after the season. This was a meeting about the club’s future strategy and their policy. Financial terms or a contract have not been discussed, since that is not my priority at all.

    “I personally have had a great season but my goal has been to win trophies with the team and to bring the club back to its glory days.

    “Out of my huge respect for Mr. Wenger, the players and the fans I don’t want to go into any details, but unfortunately in this meeting it has again become clear to me that we in many aspects disagree on the way Arsenal FC should move forward.

    “I’ve thought long and hard about it, but I have decided not to extend my contract. You guys, the fans, have of course the right to disagree with my view and decision and I will always respect your opinions.

    “I love the club and the fans, no matter what happens. I have grown up and became a man during my time with Arsenal FC. Everybody at the club and the fans have always supported me over the years and I have always given my all (and more) on and off the pitch.

    “I am very proud of being part of this fantastic club for the last 8 years. As soon as Mr. Gazidis is back from his 2-week holiday in America further meetings will follow and I will update you if and when there are more developments.”

  45. kelsey says:

    Tht is the problem Cockie, it’s twofold.Kroenke and Wenger.Any other owner or majority shareholder would act but then Kroenke never wins anything with all his franchises and money.

  46. Le Coq Monster says:

    I just wonder Kels`…………..even if Wenger left, would any new manager be allowed to spend the money ?………..only a high calibre manager who would demand funds may get the money !……………………..but I think we are going to be on a downward spiral whilst Kroenke is majority shareholder and as long as we are run as a selfsustaining club with a no hope powerless UEFA FFP and Kroenke doesn`t put his own money in the club ala Chav owner then we are doomed !. 🙁

  47. rico says:

    Surely any new manager would want assurances about the money before he agreed to join, and he’d certainly demand a lot more from the players….

  48. Le Coq Monster says:

    You would think so Rico, but we dont know what the criteria will be post Wenger and it may not be possible to obtain a top class manager if no assurances are provided !…………..lets look at Kroenkes other sports holdings……not exactly brimming with trophies and what does he care, their are probably no relegation issues in his american sports, nice and cosy !.

  49. kelsey says:

    Of course he is Rico, he even appointed his own boss. Do you think the new managers in Manchester wouldn’t make demands or at Chelsea and even at Liverpool.That’s the frightening thing,we maybe stuck with Kroenke for years despit how long Wenger stays.

  50. Herb's Army says:

    Evening Rico and the House.
    How tragic is it that all we have as Arsenal fans is to wallow and reflect in the club’s misery?
    Watching a megalomaniac regularly contradicting himself, lying to everyone, and having no short or long term strategic plan.
    Gambling on a day-to-day basis with many of his ‘pet’ favourites who are vastly over-rated by his myopic blind-spot, surrounding himself with sycophantic ‘yes’ men who never question his logic or decision-making, making it up as he goes along, with no concrete vision and as clueless tactically as he’s always been.
    It feels like a massive elaborate con job, Stan absent somewhere in America milking every last drop from his mediocre sports franchises, while back at the Emirates, Wenger and Gazidis massage each others ego’s, both complicit and comfortable with each other stealing Arsenal’s money under false pretences.
    I really wish there was some way of legally challenging the evil triumvate’s grand larceny and the damage they’ve inflicted on our great football club.
    Very dark disturbing times at The Arsenal. The club are dying, and we are not being allowed the opportunity and responsibility to revive it.
    It is a modern-day tragedy.

  51. potter says:

    Even if he was replaced it is doubtful that the system would change. What would however is the way that we play. We have some good players but the club is not getting anything like the best from them .With the existing attacking flair a coach that understands defending would turn the club round very quickly.

  52. Le Coq Monster says:

    I`m still of the opinion that Kroenke is the greater evil by a long shot !
    Hey Kels`, couldn`t you do a deal with Kroenke ?……………..you donate your Barnet for his transplant……he sells his shares to Usmanov !. 🙂

  53. rico says:

    Kelsey, but we are talking about a man who stumped up nearly £50m for Ozil…

    I wish Usmanov would by him out but I’m not convinced he’s tight. Useless yes, but tight, I’m not so sure….

  54. rico says:

    Totally agree Potter. The board and owner would remain but someone younger and more ambitious would not only get us playing differently, but I think the attitude of the players would improve vastly….

  55. Wavy says:

    Of Ornstien’s tweets it’s like rinse and repeat, over and over again! Why? The figures don’t lie, as a club we are cash rich! Spend the money, invest and prosper! Money makes money a good investment yields its own rewards!
    What the fuck is wrong with these people?

    Heaven forfend. You just couldn’t make this stuff up.

  56. Le Coq Monster says:

    Yes Wath !
    For a club that prides itself on it`s business profile of having more money in the bank than any other football team, it lacks acumen and defies the general rule that you have to speculate to accumulate !
    A high profile world class player will no doubt pay for himself with the clubs merchandise !……………….that`s without the possibility of being the final part of the jigsaw that wins us the trophy and it`s financial rewards !………………………….fuck me, if a van driver see`s it, how come an economist doesn`t see it ?. hahaha

  57. Wavy says:

    Worry ye not. We are now in 14th position. We’re having a great start to the season! We’re on the up, already

    New and better players surely we don’t need them, “we ‘AV eenurf.”

  58. allezkev says:

    After reading Adams almost blasphemous spelling disaster, I had to have a long lay down in a darkened room with a dozen cans of Stella.

    The words hauling and keel spring to mind…

  59. Lee says:

    The passion shown on the touch line from Klopp and Conte last was unbelievable……meanwhile over at Arsenal!

    Brudder you are forgiven as you said the other day it happens to the best of us!!

    So the Mustafi deal looks under threat and Omer Toprak plus Simon Kjaer are the new players linked!

    Ramsey out for a month apparently

  60. Adam says:

    Morning Rico, Brudder and all. The momentum against the club’s whole set-up is gathering pace now and barring a miracle, things are heading in one way only.
    But there is pain ahead.

  61. kelsey says:

    You know what I just have lost complete interest but will wtach out for results.

    Every club goes through a bad time but we are or were so near and now absolutely everything at the club can be critisized.it’s actually unbelievable that Wenger has still got a job.if it was my business he would be fired for incompetence, now. But this will drag on and on and on, we will get the odd good result providing we have enough non injured players to make up a team and I honestly hope we have a really poor season . I and I am sure most of us didn’t want AW to practically lose his marbles but he has only himself to blame.If that happens get a younger man,demand at least 100 million, don’t hang on to poor players and pick players on form and not just loyalty and perhaps don’t expect the younger players to be capable in three different positions.

    We need a clean sweep,but the obstacle is Kroenke i believe more than Wenger.He may have a toupee but he isn’t blind or deaf but then what does he know about football :)Answers on a postage stamp.

    Good Morning.

  62. rico says:

    Live by the sword and all that Kelsey……

    Any sensible person wouldn’t set him/herself up for abuse from the fans, yet he seems to love it. In fact it’s almost like he’s playing a personal game, at the expense of those who love the club…

  63. ScottfromOz says:

    Plenty, including me, wondered why our French lads were left out after their recent Euros campaign, but here we are, first game, and Ramsey is injured.
    Maybe he could’ve done with an extra week or two off.
    Kelsey, Stan sees Arsene as a complete success-that’s the biggest problem, for mine.
    Morning all.

  64. rico says:

    I read somewhere yesterday Scott that it’s worse for a footballer to have a long period of rest rather than a shorter one. Apparently, two shorter breaks are better for the body…

  65. Lee says:

    I mean Wenger has previous of not paying the asking price…. Schwartzer, Cahill and Alonso to name but three! There’s definitely more…….

    Look at Guardiola not happy with Joe Hart so he buys a replacement, we had to put up with how many seasons of that absolute waste of internal organs Almunia??

    I’m just bored of Wenger’s Russian roulette with the squad every season, the fact he leaves us at least two players short every season is gross negligence imo!

  66. Lee says:

    I read that Kozza had a dodgey knee before the Euros….. surely Wenger knew this? Why no CB purchased earlier? Fucking joke…

  67. potter says:

    By his very nature Silent Stan is a recluse and as such hates publicity. .I reckon the only way to really unsettle him will be to make his life he’ll in America. A continual barrage in Denver and Los Angeles to the media might just get him thinking things are not worth it.And curtail spending in Asda too and let it be known why. He won’t want his wife and her family asking questions.

  68. kelsey says:

    Why won’t he pay asking price.is he under instructions as it’s not his money or as suggested to me he maybe on a bonus from kroenke (which may sound ridiculous}
    Ask VCC,we wanted holding last Window and refused to pay the extra 50000K so they wanted 2 million we offered 1.5 now we buy him as our need is greater and pay 2 million.pathetic.

  69. Adam says:

    Rico. Surely no manager can succeed without the general backing of the fans. Wenger has been losing support at an accelerated rate for several seasons now. Perhaps the fact that we are just one game into a new season has concentrated minds. The fact that Wenger has completely messed up the window is bad enough but, it’s the glaringly obvious staleness that is hanging around the place and the seeming lack of will to embrace any sort of tactical variation that is also killing us.
    Even if he buys another two players, will anything change? Can anything change while Arsene, at 67, is making all the decisions?

  70. ScottfromOz says:

    Rico, funny you say that….when it comes to European racehorses, they never spell unless injured.
    They’re kept in constant training, to varying degrees of intensity, whilst Aussies race full on for a few months, then have time off.
    Aussies now realise the European way is ideal, as most injuries occur when unfit horses are bright back into work, but our racing carnivals are so entrenched, it’s too late to change them, so the training programs remain.
    Your comment makes total sense.

  71. Lee says:

    I seriously don’t think our squad is that far away from greatness with two decent additions BUT I still believe Wenger is the one holding the team back….

  72. rico says:

    Adam, no, not a hope in heck I’d say and this is just one of many things which I simply cannot understand. We can see it, he must see it too, yet he does nothing to try and get the fans back onside. Is he really that thick?

    Signing two more players would help I think, but as you say, he’s boring and repetitive tactics are a long way away from dominating this league…

  73. rico says:

    Potter, did you see Roman last night? That’s a passionate owner and one who cares about what his money is doing on the pitch..

    How Costa stayed on the pitch before scoring I just don’t know…

  74. rico says:

    I didn’t know horses could spell Scott… 😉

    Sadly I can’t take any credit for that view but it certainly seems to make sense as the body must shut down when holiday etc so it has to work a lot harder to regain fitness the longer it’s relaxed..

    Although Wenger says no player returns unfit these days after a summer break, I think he might be missing a point…

  75. Adam says:

    Brudder. A better manger with a fresh and dynamic approach would have spent the window sorting the targets rather than earning a fortune commentating on a tournament which, according to him, would not influence his buying strategy. To know for the best part of a year, the date of the opening game of this season and yet to enter it so totally unprepared is not acceptable in any way.
    Rioch got sacked for not having a plan for the forthcoming season apparently. Have the board asked Wenger for a detailed breakdown of what he aimed to achieve and how he was going to go about it? I doubt it. He is Arsene Wenger after all and we are told all the big clubs would want him as their manager.

  76. frednerk says:

    Morning All
    Wow what a start for the new managers,
    passion everywhere.

    We had Pep jumping up and punching
    Air-pie.

    We had Moureen with his hands
    in his pockets playing Billiards,
    walking up and down the touch-line.

    We had Conte Diving into the the crowd.

    We had Clippty Clopp giving Piggy-back
    rides.

    And of coarse we had our Arsene,
    Biting his nail’s.

    Let’s be fair if that was your Dad or
    Grandad,you would go over to them
    put your arm around them,
    And say..
    Come on Pops lets go…Fishing.

  77. allezkev says:

    I reckon that Arsenal will beat Leicester and Southampton and also Hull before probably losing to Chelsea, then we’ll probably take 12 points from October before capitulating and slipping out of serious contention in November…

    That’s the season done and dusted.
    We’ll also finish 4th and Wenger will get a new contract around Christmas for 2 more years…

    The fixtures actually fall very well for Arsenal up till the end of October.

    Maybe the FACup will save his arse again…

    Stan is too busy in Los Angeles, Ivan has not power…

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