Alexis out! Is Arsenal heading down a similar path to Man Utd, but worse?

Morning all.

In a footballing world where so many players believe the grass can actually be greener on the other side, when it comes to loyalty, there’s very little in the game. Matt Le Tissier could have signed for any club deemed better than Southampton back in his day but no, there was only one team for him. Shearer was another, he apparently turned down Old Red Nose and I think I’m right in saying that our very own Captain Marvel, Mr Arsenal did too. What, you don’t know who I’m referring to? Well shame on you!

Mohammed Elneny though, who I doubt earns a massive wage with us and who perhaps could earn more elsewhere has made it clear that he wants to stay and prove he has what our great club needs. Personally, I feel he has little to prove because once he dons his kit, he does just that. Together with Xhaka, he kept Kante and Fabregas pretty quiet at the weekend so we should be quite happy. I’d always thought that pairing could be our best and if Sunday is anything to go by, it just might be. That’s in the absence of Santi Cazorla and any new signing of course. Elneny, by the looks of things, will be part of our future, just as a Arsene Wenger is. Well, for a short while anyway.

When Fergie left Utd, he left them in a right old mess, a mess which today they are still trying to sort out and as sad as it is, or as much as it pains me to say, our Arsenal is heading right down that very same track. The one difference being, when Fergie left, he did so with his final Premier League trophy.

This Arsenal squad is in a bit of a mess! It’s huge, with many players listed who in all honesty, really shouldn’t be at the club but the old man, so desperate not to spend, has stood by just to keep the numbers up. Yet here we are now, in need of two, perhaps more depending on how we as individuals see the squad, struggling terribly to sell those who need to move on for the sake of their own career and the future of our club. The reason for that is widely believed to be wages, wages which other clubs are reluctant to match and I’m not surprised really, just as I doubt you are.

Ever since we moved away from Highbury, we’ve been told money is tight, the club has had to be frugal with its spending and I think it’s fair to say that we understood that. But then one has to wonder why Arsene Wenger/the club, through those frugal years, and now, still reward average with so much money. There’s a pay structure in place we are told, a structure the club doesn’t break, yet so so much money is squandered when giving certain players a pay rise together with a few more years on their contract.

Arsene Wenger is in full control of who stays and goes, of that we can be sure of, so the squad we have now is full of players who he has supported over time although he’s not always given everyone a fair chance as he chooses his favourites, which in itself is odd because he chose them in the first place.

Ah ha, bugger, he now says because he needs to sell a few before he adds to the squad before the transfer window closes. So the vicious circle continues and he’s been bitten on his backside because he’s over rewarded underwhelming footballers. Not bad footballers, just ones who are not at the right level for our club. A club which should be aiming to be the best in England, Europe and the rest of the world.

Arsene Wenger has often taken a chance on ‘unknown’ players when it comes to transfers and there’s been too many to mention but back in his and the clubs good times, he had enough great players to make sure the duffers were forgotten. Now though, there’s no place to hide, not for Wenger, or his experiments, many of whom have either let him down, or have simply proved they’re not good enough. But it seems he and Arsenal are stuck with them, and all because our so called frugal club, overpaid them in the first place.

Eventually though their contracts will expire, just as Arsene Wenger’s will and they won’t be renewed. Just what state the club will be in when that day arrives remains to be seen but right now, it looks as though it could be in a worst state than the club Old Red Nose left behind…..

Alexis, Ozil and Oxlade-Chamberlain are out of contract next summer and the year after that, so are a few more. Then we have Ollie, Mertesacker and Koscielny all getting older, Cech too as he’s looking less like the keeper he was at Chelsea on a weekly basis and behind him is a guy who I thought was heading out the door yet now it seems he’s staying. Santi can’t be relied on to be fit let alone stay fit, neither can Wilshere and I wouldn’t bet against Bellerin finally returning to Spain this time next year.

Chambers and Holding are our future, as is Nelson but unless a few more from the Academy are soon to join them, next summer could be an interesting one and my hunch is that it won’t be Arsene Wenger trying to sort the mess out….

By the way, Alexis is injured and will miss the next two matches. At least…

138 thoughts on “Alexis out! Is Arsenal heading down a similar path to Man Utd, but worse?

  1. Alanfc says:

    Blimey! You are such a doom merchant! Why do you bother getting out of bed in the morning? You could suck the joy out of anything to do with Arsenal. You’re like an old scratched record playing the same mournful song over and over again.

  2. Le Coq Monster says:

    Morning all and thank`s Rico for a top notch post…………………..obviously some dont see the problems down the line and are easily satisfied with the pre-season silverware and can only abuse someone who has taken the time to write…………. hey, but we love you and your continuous efforts are greatly appreciated !

  3. StopTheWengerSpin says:

    I’m not sure how pointing out some fairly unpalatable facts makes you a “doom merchant” Rico. You didn’t engineer this situation – the blame for that lies fairly and squarely on one man. What’s that phrase about not shooting the messenger ?

  4. Adam says:

    Whatever the reality of the current situation, Wenger must realise that anything other than the PL title will be considered failure. He has the experience and the financial ammunition. He has let the contract dilemmas get to this situation and he has, once again, meandered his way through the transfer window. If the PSG offer for Alexis are true, then I wonder if the board will allow him to continue along this path of “I’m in charge of everything” without thinking about the financial consequences. As per usual the club is left dangling between shifting the deadwood and improving the squad and very passing moment sees the closing of the window getting closer.

  5. rico says:

    Thanks Lc.

    I think it’s called head in the sand. Which in itself is exactly what the club have been doing as far as contracts etc have gone..

  6. rico says:

    Thanks Stws, I don’t see why either. But there are still a number of fans who believe all is rosy and choose to blame anyone/anything apart from who imo, is clearly to blame.

    Wenger has told us he decides who stays and goes, I think he’s even said he decides what players get paid so yes, as you say, it all falls at the feet of one man…

  7. rico says:

    To answer your question on the old post Adam, yes, I probably would sell to PSG but only because I know I’d reinvest the money fully…

    I agree with your comment above too.

  8. Adam says:

    That’s it Rico. What happened last season was that Wenger was actually called to account within and without the club and he didn’t like it one bit.. Gazidis can see the bigger picture but I imagine he is playing the long game. No more excuses from Arsene. You have the weaponry and you’ve had a few months to set the coming season up. Go and use it to win the PL but don’t start bleating about other club’s spending, injuries, CL distractions or anything else. In fact just go and win the bloody thing and shut all your critics up.

  9. DB10 says:

    Succinct, and sadly true. Well delivered piece which unless you are a head in sand man, has to resonate. I think that the Sanchez ‘injury’ may even be a smoke screen for the inevitable. I agree with you about Elneny – and have always thought his talents were a little overlooked. As for the mess – wouldn’t a director of football sort it all out? 🙂

  10. rico says:

    Agree again Adam. He may have stood up whilst the fans were on his back last season, loving the ‘there’s only one Arsene Wenger’ chants hoping they’d deafen the critics, but it was clear to see he was irked. And as the season continued, he was looking a very stressed man.

    All of his own doing though…

  11. rico says:

    Thanks Db, I thought similar re Alexis, add to that the way AW deflected the PSG attention to Mbappe earlier this morning I reckon he’s either on his way, or simply being taken out of the limelight until the window shuts..

    But if the £80m Psg offer is true, surely the club have little choice but to sell him.

    Spot on re a DOF and I think it were down to Gazidis, they’d be one in place by now.

  12. Adam says:

    Strange comments from Wenger about Ox. He reckons he is going to be “Very great”.
    Excellent. Then why is he refusing to sign a new contract then?

  13. rico says:

    Db, but not out of Pep’s mind… 😉

    Probably because Ox thinks to become a ‘very great’ player, then he needs a better coach… lol

  14. DB10 says:

    Pep’s garden isn’t the utopia all think. He has spent a shed load in past two years with zero return. Plus, he has a reputation of finite perfection or tantrums. Mmm…could suit Alexis after all!

  15. ScottfromOz says:

    Morning all.
    Wenger is guilty of experimenting when he should be spending up, yet Elneny is a gun and Holding is our future?
    Arsene just can not do anything right, can he lol
    I agree with the majority of the post and Arsene really has put us in a spot with his wage structure, but why is it we can always manage to find fault with him whichever way he goes, and whatever he does??????
    I’m sure plenty will defend this point but that just proves my point-too many fans will NEVER see the good the man does.

  16. rico says:

    ‘Wenger is guilty of experimenting when he should be spending up, yet Elneny is a gun and Holding is our future?
    Arsene just can not do anything right, can he lol’

    Not sure what you are on about Scott.

  17. Adam says:

    DB10. He’s in the same position as all the ‘top’ managers surely. He’s using what’s available to try and win things. As for the tantrums? Which manager doesn’t throw those on occasion?
    He’ll stand or fall on results, just as Arsene will.

  18. DB10 says:

    Scott – Pep’s managerial road before this country was littered with 25 plus a season ‘rollover’ games v the likes of Getafe etc. Not sure he was prepared for Stoke away on a cold February evening:)

  19. kelsey says:

    Morning Rico and all.

    Now Rico I have a bone to pick with you 🙂 I said more or les the same thing yesterday as you today and you thought I was in a bad mood.;)

    it’s all Wenger’s fault, the man with a first degree in Economics an his bleeding Social Wage Police.

    Elnery is on 60K a week plus 25K if he starts and plays at least 70 minute.His agent got that clause put in.I promoise that is true.

    So Sanchez has gor abdominal pains,maybe he was at The World Athletic meeting and sneezed and got nurovirus. Do me a favour he’s off and so is probably The Ox, so we have a 100 milion to spend and actually make a profit, that depending how many dead trees we can shift.

    That was a wave goodbuye at the Charity Shield.You wait he will be missed enormously.Without his goals and assists with Ozil we would have finished eleventh.

    Every year he stay,s puts us two years behind. 8 players not available for Friday.What a joke but really nothing changes does it, and did we really expect it to..

  20. West Sussex gooner says:

    No chance of the league not while Wenger refuses to change his ways as for the Wally’s that worship him wake up ?

  21. kelsey says:

    Leicester have alledgedly made a bid of 10 million for Elnery.

    Just think over the last 3 or 4 years the players we have bought that are just average, we payed to much and now might sell at a loss or have them stuck on the wage bill but Wonderwoman isn’t being linked with anyone.Wht should he move.he’s all talk and doesn’t do the walk/
    .

    The Bosnian looks he might be very good.Cost Nothing and then Wenger will lap it up. 😉

  22. ScottfromOz says:

    DB10,
    This season is when Pep will need to show his worth, imo.
    Though, I think it’ll still be a little questionable given his spending on an already talented squad.
    Arsene failing is an FA cup, but Pep-well, he won nothing at all last season, yet will have plenty of Arsenal fans making excuses for him lol

  23. West Sussex gooner says:

    Who thinks Sanchez will still be an arsenal player after the transfer window closes i for one think he’s gone ?

  24. kelsey says:

    Maybe they want a total clear out but seriously why buy so many players quite recently that aren’t up to the standard required to challenge for the lague ?

  25. kelsey says:

    More pressue on Pep and Conte and if Coutinho leaves I wouldn’t be surprised if Klopp walks out and Conte also has pressure.

    Wenger has no pressure from Kroenke.No trophies but you can put a big game head on your wall if you like..

  26. West Sussex gooner says:

    Wenger should go really in my opinion to me he deliberately doesn’t buy what’s needed in order not to compete for the title because if he did buy what we needed and failed it would show how out of touch he really is .?

  27. DB10 says:

    Sanchez would normally play through a hurricane with a broken neck – so a tummy strain is keeping him out until ‘I don’t know’ according to AW.

  28. rico says:

    Who said Holding and Elneny were’t good enough? As far as I can recall it was more of a case of them being a typical Wenger signing. Both of which have proved to be good….

  29. ScottfromOz says:

    Kelsey,
    That doesn’t answer my question.
    He’s good enough and showed that from day one.
    Wenger found him, paid 2 million or so and was right-some people would have been happier if we’d spent 40-50 million.
    Elneny-I reckon if we
    Go back there was hardly a positive comment at the time we signed him.
    He’s another who showed early on he had quality, cost bugger all and Wenger found him.
    All Managers have bad signings.
    Some have more than others, and spend a lot more on them.

  30. Le Coq Monster says:

    I think Holding was the Championship player of the year, so he was worth a punt !…………………..cant rememeber how much for Elneney……£5M ?……worth a punt !

    Wenger does do good, but at the end of the day it`s 13 years and counting since he won the league and he would`nt have lasted that long at the Spuds let alone Chavs and two Mancs !

    We fans want the EPL and are not as interested in our fantastic self sufficient model as Wenger wants to believe, he only impresses Kroenke on that account !……………….yes we could spend like Pep and not win anything , but I guarentee that one of the big spenders will win the league as the anomaly of “Leicester” wont be around for another 50 years !

    We have given him another chance but we are back in groundhog day with aquisitions, deadwood and contracts ….AGAIN !…………………….oops !….and injuries ! hahaha

  31. DB10 says:

    The Sanchez saga just reminds me of the time RVP manufactured his way out of the club. I say take 50 million plus for him and walk away.

  32. ScottfromOz says:

    LC,
    For each of the last few years we’ve all agreed he’s on his last chance, but he’s resilient lol
    He’s also untouchable as the Yank loves him.
    Gotta love Stan 🙂

  33. Le Coq Monster says:

    Even though I`ve said Alexis will stay, I`m trying to get my head around an ab` strain !……………………………..seriously, I do over a 1000 ab` and ten min` plank workout every day and weight training 4 days per week, then the spin bike or running ( if calf allows) and have never strained my abs !…………something doesn`t seem right ! 🙁

  34. Le Coq Monster says:

    Being a Gooner, if Kroenke was my dad, I`d slip in one night and suffocate him with the syrup !……………..being his only heir, I would then spend all the money on fast cars and women…………fcuk Arsenal ! hahaha

  35. allezkev says:

    Abdominal strain… Yeah, of course, doesn’t that sound ever so convenient, but how could PSG afford him after signing Neymar?

    Afternoon doomers ?
    Afternoon Rico you doomer you… ?

    I noticed that Wenger was bigging up Oxlade-Chamberlain, was that in order to increase the asking price from Chelsea?

    I guess if he signs Seri and Lemar it’ll soften the blow, if he doesn’t then we’re in for a rough old season…

    At the end of the day Wenger is an employee and Kroenke calls the shots and if Kroenke says sell, then Wenger must sell.

    It might be prudent to retain Perez under these circumstances?

    God help Arsenal and Wenger if they don’t beat Leicester on Friday…

  36. Le Coq Monster says:

    I`d probably also move to a country that was hot, where they speak english and drive on the right side of the road, which is the left side !…………and invest in a Arsenal themed brewery !………………..know anywhere like that,Scott ?

  37. allezkev says:

    Hi Adam, exactly mate, I just thought where did that all come from, unless Wenger is blowing smoke up his arse hoping that he’ll stay as Alexis could or probably will be gone by September.

  38. Meerkat says:

    Morning (just) Rico and other posters.

    Sanchez has been a goner (not a gooner) for weeks, IMO.
    It’s an insult to keep using ‘illness/injury’ as the excuse he is not playing. But since when has insulting the fans ever mattered? It was written all over his glum face when he was forced down onto the pitch, to be with the team celebrating the other day.

    There’s no escaping the fact that our standards and expectations are much lower now. As I’ve said here before, we go for the bridesmaids, never the bride. When was that acceptable for Arsenal?
    Most of the current squad aren’t fit to lace the boots of our past heroes, yet we kid ourselves that they have potential.
    Arsenal shouldn’t have to rely on ‘potentially good players’, we should have the best, with a few youngsters thrown in to gain experience.
    Cech will never be good enough at his age, and Ospina is an embarrassment

    All these supposedly wanting to stay and ‘fight for their places’ is a joke. They will sit and rot, but get very rich doing it.

    I still don’t want to see Wenger subjected to abuse and ridicule, as is now looking likely again, but I wish he had refused his new two year contract, and stood down.

    ps. I thought he did eventually accept he would have a Director Of Football? What changed?

  39. allezkev says:

    Hi Scott, yep keep Perez imo.
    Keep Elneny as well, although I’m not sure about the Leicester rumours, how could we sell Elneny with Santi and Jack both banjaxed?

    Unless Arsene is going to use Maitland-Niles and Willock this season?

  40. DB10 says:

    LC – very amusing. Strange though, the owner of Deprtivo La Coruna is worth 81.7 billion, but clearly spends little on what is his supposed first love!

  41. Adam says:

    Kev. With such mega money swimming around in the game now, sourced from non-footballing origins, the status quo is both changing and moving away from the ‘ordinary’ fan. How far it will go before implosion is anybody’s guess. Perhaps football tourism is the way forward.

  42. gnarleygeorge9 says:

    On a more positive note, no amount of abdominal pain is going to stop me from watching The Arse from the Chav corporate box on September 17. Might get a touch of abdominal pain after drinking warm pommy sauce though, but It’s worth the risk!

    Oh, evening all!

  43. rico says:

    Afternoon Kev, welcome to the doomers site.. 😉

    I reckon Ox will be a gonner and the more the days go by, I reckon Alexis will be too.

    Great, sell them and keep Ozil. Doh!!

  44. allezkev says:

    Yes Adam, I agree, as soon as the lions share of income became generated from TV the fan in the stadium no longer mattered as much, but we still have a voice and an influence, you could see how sensitive Kroenke was over the furore caused by his hunting channel.
    Just shows how little he knows about the world outside of his cowboy existence.

    I’ve actually found bridesmaids to be a lot of fun…

  45. gnarleygeorge9 says:

    Rico

    I generally like your posts, so that fella who commented first on here was unfair.

    Arsene Wenger collects players, pays them handsomely then can’t get rid of the surplus. The wage bill must be huge!!!

  46. allezkev says:

    Yes Adam, you are spot on and that shows no signs of abating so we are left with what we have, and frankly it bores the pants off of me…

    The A13 is calling

  47. Le Coq Monster says:

    Chambers…………Ramsey…………………..Jenkinson…………………Oxlade-Chamberlain……………..Maitland-Niles……………..back to the good old days of Consevative Party Conference sounding players !…………………….none of these socialist pay structure players please ! 🙂

  48. frednerk says:

    Afternoon Rico and All

    Alan FC..Is that Football Club or….

    After that statement about Sanchez..He must be gone.

    When I played one swing of Alka Saltzer and the Rhubarb
    rubbing his hands and unzipping,
    was enough to get me on the pitch.
    I thought Sanchez was my type..

    Surely if you had a business and the manager was giving all
    the machinery away for free,would you accept from him
    when he says in the future all machinery would arrive free.

    Talk about fairy tales…….Jackanory Jackanory

  49. rico says:

    Afternoon Fred, I think it’s the ‘or’…

    I now reckon he’s off too. He’ll be a huge miss and a big void left needing to be filled…

  50. West Sussex gooner says:

    Our players are not put under enough pressure from Wenger apart from Sanchez who else demands 100 percent every game .

  51. Obi says:

    If the TW closes with Gibbs, Wilshire, Jenkinson, Walcott, Debuchy, Ramsey, Coquelin etc still on the team, and Perez, Sanchez, Gabriel, Ox and Elneny are sold there is a very serious problem at Arsenal. Especially if WE will rely on 3 at the back of most of the season.

  52. Lee says:

    Why do we massively struggle to sell our fringe players? We’ve heard that they’re bids from clubs for some of them yet nothing happens?? Is it that the Wenger pay scheme makes them too expensive for other clubs? They’d rather be aboard Arsene’s gravy train I guess…

    Take the last 13 years how do you feel Wenger with all that’s been afforded to him from Arsenal has faired?? Over or under achieved?

  53. rico says:

    Elneny is staying Obi, so is Walcott I’m sure. Ramsey is teachers pet so he won’t be sold imo.

    Wages Lee, I’m convinced..

  54. Meerkat says:

    We should take the offer from PSG, better than selling to Citeh.
    I look forward to seeing him play second fiddle to Neymar!

    Hopefully the Lemar transfer is still on. Prof needs to insist that is part of the deal, then go for a decent goalie too. That may give Ospina a nudge to leave.

    There may still be a chance to bag Virgil from the Saints, as they seem determined not to sell to Liverpool.

    No-one replied to my last post, re Director Of Football, does that mean we still don’t know?

  55. Lee says:

    I’d keep Sanchez, Ozil would be the one I’d sell but strangely enough not a single club has approached us about him. Add Lemar and Goretzka and bloody go for it.Unfortunately with Wenger at the helm we’ll not win proper trophies…..

  56. Le Coq Monster says:

    My comments are disappearing faster than our chances of getting rid of deadwood and buying new players !

  57. frednerk says:

    Like the bit about all the new stuyff
    being installed at Colney to help tireness.

    One of the new ideas is a underground room
    its claimed to improve the players eyesight by 15%.

    This process is based on total darkness..

    Now the players know how we feel.

  58. potter says:

    I`d probably also move to a country that was hot, where they speak english and drive on the right side of the road, which is the left side !Know anywhere like that ?

    Cyprus.

  59. Le Coq Monster says:

    To answr Lee`s question………………………………under achieved in my eye`s, but over achieved in Kroenke`s eye`s !

  60. Bob John says:

    Its not just the renewal of contracts of players who are not good enough, its also rewarding players who are consistently injured! Long improved contracts given out whilst players are out with long term injuries is absolutely crazy. No guarantee when or how they will return. The poster boy for all this is of course, Walcott who has barely improved in 10 years, has had various major injuries and yet has somehow become one of our top earners! And a lot of fans supported that with their ridiculous ‘sign da ting’ campaign!

  61. ScottfromOz says:

    Alexis over Ozil?
    Bloody hell.
    Ones a selfish player, who turns the ball over more than ANY player in the League, the other runs more and plays for the team-barely making a poor pass.
    One waves his arms around and abuses his teammates.
    The other just gets on with the job.
    If I described these two players to anyone but an Arsenal fan, who do you think they’d want to keep.

  62. Bradster says:

    Hi all,
    I’d rather have the player that makes a difference to our team. Based on the goals and assists, there is only one winner there.
    I can put up with Sanchez antics like they do with Ronaldo as long as he keeps doing the right things on the pitch too.
    On Elneny I recall everyone saying he can only be better than Coq.
    On Holding, he played a season at Rangers and looked good and we said we liked the idea of going back to English defenders.

  63. ScottfromOz says:

    Rico, I’m not avoiding you.
    Never have.
    Plenty of times you’ve not responded to a comment I make, so I’m never sure why you’d find it strange if I failed to respond.
    Sometimes there isn’t anything else to be said that’ll add to the conversation.
    On my previous post, of course it’s about opinions.
    I just find it very interesting how many fans support Alexis as it seems totally obvious to me he wants out but yes, that’s merely my opinion.

  64. ScottfromOz says:

    Bradster, you make a valid point, but Alexis isn’t a player that’s made “the” difference.
    We just had our first finish outside the top 4 in 20 years and haven’t won a title, nor done any better in CL since he joined the club.
    Not for a second am I saying he’s to blame, just that he hasn’t really made any difference to us as a club, imo.
    He does plenty of good, but in my opinion, it’s pretty much negated by the bad.

  65. Meerkat says:

    Exactly Scott. He may have scored a lot, but it’s the first time we’ve missed out on CL, so he’s not indispensable.

    I think my posts are so boring (or invisible), that no-one ever replies, even when I ask a question. Then a day or so later, a regular poster on here says exactly what I have said, and gets a lot of response.

    Should I change my perfume? Or just slate Wenger a bit more whilst praising Sanchez? Hmmmnn….

    Sanchez want’s away, end of. He doesn’t give a sheeet about Arsenal or the fans.

  66. Kk says:

    Evening all..
    New season same trouble. .
    One arsene wenger talking the same drivel he”s been serving us for the last decade. .lies, spins and utter garbage.
    Same sh** different year

    Can’t understand all the alexis disrespecting his fellow players and sulking attitude propaganda.
    .
    If there is any one who respects and encourages his team mates it’s sanchez. .he leads by example and always seems to be encouraging his mates by giving them the thumb ups and clapping ..even when they misplace a pass or don’t find him he smiles and praise them
    He always looked as a team player to me.
    The only incident I recall is when he once shot out wide instead of playing wonderboy Ramsey and the later waved his arms in a protest towards sanchez, he then waved back out of frustration and muttered few f words ..unfortunately caught in camera. .
    That was that one incidence. .hardly enough to label him disrespectful or not a team player.

    If it was me I would think 100 times before I commit to play for wenger again.
    After all, didn’t he do the same thing or worse with his contract situation! ?
    He made it all about himself and his desires ignoring the club desperate need for change and progress. He arrogantly refused to tell us about his future or contract situation and that partly has affected players commitment and team performance and ultimately the results.

    I hope that Alexis changes his mind and stays at the club. .though highly unlikely now..
    He will be missed.. he has been terrific player and i would say good luck to him

    #Stop the sanchez propaganda

  67. ScottfromOz says:

    KK, you must have missed the time Alexis told Ramsey to fuck off for a single poor pass, after the man himself had turned the ball over 8-10 times already in that game.
    Propaganada?
    Well, how about the relentless Wenger out propaganda?
    Let’s agree to stop all criticism-I’ll be party to that, no problems lol
    Meerkat, a balanced but unpopular opinion will not always get the respect it deserves and don’t feel alone, I’ve got plenty of people on here ignoring me, but I see that as a positive as who wants to be popular for the sake of it?
    I’m not suggesting everyone is like that, but I have no doubt plenty are all over the net.
    People think I stir the pot-I simply say what I believe.
    I’ve been told to fuck off on here plenty of times, been called names, told I lack any intelligence but that’s ok.
    At least I’m honest.

  68. rico says:

    Ok Scott.

    Meerkat, I wouldn’t say your comments are ignored it’s just not always are all comments read because sometimes, and I admit to doing this myself, if I’m doing other things and there’s been a number of comments when I return, not always do I have time to read back back, especially if it’s been a busy day here.

    A general comment, not directed at anyone in particular…

    I do however believe the continual criticism of Sanchez is harsh and unjustified but that’s just my opinion. He gives 100% each game and had others followed suit, perhaps the lengthy period of bad results/performances would not have gone on for as long as it did last season.

    The Wenger criticism- I think it’s different, very different because what goes on on the pitch, transfers etc is down to him and for years now, he’s failed in those departments. He’s not alone but ultimately, he’s responsible.

    Finally, if anyone is not happy on here, the exit door is always open. No one is forced to comment on here and as one can see by looking on Newsnow, there are plenty of alternative Arsenal blogs to comment on and I’m sure there’ll be one or two who’d love to see Wenger stay for years and would be quite happy if Alexis was sold..

  69. kelsey says:

    Morning Rico

    may I say as a person who pops in and out of here that Meerkat you should look at it the exact opposite way if you sometimes get no response.It could often mean that people agree with you.
    With regards to Sanchez i am with Rico and you will see if or when he goes how reliant we were on him.Always gives 100% even when not at his best.Gets tackled time and time again but just gets up.
    What I don’t like is this soap opera going on with him though I am pretty sure AW and the other players in all likelyhood know what’s happening.

    We all just give opinions and difference of opinions should lead to good debate, hopefully.

  70. kelsey says:

    Scott, I did answer your question re Holding which is fairly obvious.

    I will debate with you but your opinion often comes over as yours is the only opinion and it’s therefore hard to debate.no offence meant but that’s how I see it.

  71. kelsey says:

    If the various reports are true do you think that it’s interesting that Chelsea are bidding for The Ox, 35 million quoted. Would you sell and could we get more ? personally I think a change of clubs would benefit him and not particularly harm us.Hard to price a player nowadays.

  72. kelsey says:

    Agreed but if he’s not happy at the club and both Liverpool and now Chelsea appear to be interested and he has a chance to maintain a place in an elite club who knows.

    Whatever AW does, it will most probably wrong 😉

  73. kelsey says:

    Actually for different reasons, Pep, Klopp and Mourinho are under pressure to perform better and Conte needs reinforcements.

    AW no pressure as this year all season tickets are sold even if people don’t go but we do lose 30 million not being in the CL Tthere are several reasons that have been written time and time again about AW having complete control harming the club abut kroenke is the worst majority shareholder we could possibly have but there is nothing we can do but hop we play more consistently, have fewer injuries and be up for it as in the Cup Final.

  74. kelsey says:

    Possibly pressure from Gazidis.You can have as many protests,banners, marches none of it will make a difference.As has been said before the fans and club are being more deatched every season.If you win the clock back to when we moved it’s hardly the same club and we had better players who neeeded little coaching and AW didn’t try putting every player in three different positions.They were good players who didn’t need motivating and played as a unit yet the last few seasons and even now I feel he is continually experimenting as to which is his bes team.Not a good sign.
    It will be interesting if Lehmann gets more involved apart from goal keeping.

  75. rico says:

    I don’t know Kelsey, even back in the good old days under Wenger he moved players around. Grimandi was in defence, Lauren moved to right back, Kolo too but as you say, back then we had great players. But I don’t think we have ‘bad’ players now, they just need more discipline and better guidance imo.

  76. Adam says:

    Morning Rico. Most posters on HH would like to express an opinion without confrontation. Most of the critical stuff I read on here, especially over the last several seasons, including mine, is born from personal frustrations with Wenger, Kroenke, the board etc. Looking in from the outside it is easy to identify where those lie. The truth of whatever is or isn’t going on at Arsenal is a mere inconvenience when it comes to general and rational thought and I doubt that many of us are truly capable of that as it would require setting aside our personal prejudices against all the aforementioned.
    Whether you are for or against him, the pressure on Wenger this season is going to be enormous and he must know that. In a sense I can feel that many of us here and across the Arsenal world are just waiting for him to fail. They are unsurprisingly anticipating the season, based on previous disappointments. He must know that too. The first 3-0 beating we take will revive all the “I knew it- nothing has really changed” comments and that is to be expected surely. Both Wenger and Gazidis have called for the fans to get behind the team an that alone must say that they realise how corrosive things grew last season and see the support of the fans and blogs like this as significant.
    But, as Kelsey rightly said, all the top managers have something to prove this season but, for us, Wenger simply must deliver the title or at the very least, compete properly throughout the season for it and go very, very close indeed.
    But he must surely restore the fans faith too and that could be even more difficult if not impossible.

  77. rico says:

    Morning Adam.

    Well put. Couldn’t agree more which is why I’m surprised Wenger hasn’t done more this summer in the way of transfers. A) we need a couple of game changers signed and b) by signing them, it might go a long way towards getting fans to believe we have a good chance of competing.

    But as usual, it looks like we are to be disappointed….

  78. Adam says:

    I agree Rico. Buying new players is an obvious way of placating the fans and hopefully improving the squad for sure. But that stubborn, winning mentality that PL winners usually have is something else. It’s almost a cultural thing that a club either has or hasn’t. We can turn it on from time to time but it needs to go far deeper than that. Kolasinac, for instance, looks like he has bought it with him as does Alexis. These blokes just want and need, to win. Ozil, on the other hand, doesn’t really look like he has it as part of his make-up. But that’s just from the outside and as we know, appearances can be deceiving. It’s probably just his style. But it must be difficult installing it into a 20 something year old young man who is already a multi-millionaire if it isn’t there naturally.

  79. ScottfromOz says:

    Morning all.
    For the record, my “no Wenger propaganda” comments was clearly aimed at KK, as there’s no way I think anyone should have their opinion censored just because I or anyone else disagrees.
    I can’t help what I think of Alexis and again, it’s my honest opinion on the man, so rightly or wrongly, I’ll stand by it, and everyone on here should not waiver from their beliefs.
    I’ve got absolutely no doubt that on occasions I can be over the top, but I can say hand on heart that quite often, people take my comments in a way not intended. and things often escalate from there.
    While people are prepared to ignore the opinion and comments of others, though, they should be the last people to comment on the manners of others.
    Lastly, EVERYONE thinks their opinion is right.
    It wouldn’t be natural to not think that lol
    Whether people can ever change their opinion is what really matters, I believe.

  80. ScottfromOz says:

    GG, id rather he stayed as well, but only if he extends.
    Keeping him for a season only to lose him on a free is not a good idea, imo.

  81. ScottfromOz says:

    Rico, I reckon when Stan entered the scenario.
    Whatever or whoever the cause, its easy to lose, but very, very difficult to get back.

  82. Adam says:

    We did Rico. There was a hunger in our team that only surfaces occasionally these days. Perhaps, in the early days it was inspired by the old guard who learnt it from George ‘they shall not pass’ Graham.

  83. frednerk says:

    Morning Rico and All

    Adam going back a bit Frank was a great captain,never
    forget beating up the chavs at the shed end,and
    frank nutting osgood through the net.Proper leader.
    Osgood was putting himself about at the time.

    Different type Big Tone was a leader GG spotted it
    early.

    Paddy could do it anyway you want it.

    Leaders……… Arsene can’t find one..Thats the real problem.

    In my very humble opinion…

  84. rico says:

    I don’t Scott, Kroenke wasn’t the one who bought our soft centred players, he doesn’t coach them and nor does he prepare them for a match…

    You could be right Adam.

  85. rico says:

    Morning Fred, he doesn’t like leaders does he and those who do come in, if they have a bit of an edge, he soon gets rid of it…

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