Capital One Cup is done for another round and it’s back to the Premier League and a side which could do with learning how to fight for a result like the team did against Reading, eventually. Hopefully in the next fixture, which is away to Bradford City, the players will show a bit of that fighting spirit from the off!
The first half though was more of what we have been witnessing from the first team during the Norwich and Shalke fixtures.
Yet reading through some of the Arsenal blogs, it seems we still have a few gullible fans out there, who believe that all remains just fine within the club..
I will always be Arsenal through and through but I have seen enough over the last few seasons to know we are going round in circles, little progress, no effort and a lot of complacency. What is more worrying, some fans can’t see the real picture; the level of ambition is on an all time low.
I’ve been asking myself some questions and may be you can add more….
What happened to the Arsenal “Spirit” where teams knew it would be a long 90 minutes?
What happened to the players respecting the badge and giving their best?
What happened to our corners?
What happened to making well-timed substitutions?
How can you be satisfied with finishing fourth?
How can you be satisfied with qualifying for the champion’s league knowing very well that we can’t win it?
Modern football has changed everything, the money in there is crazy and it’s not slowing down at all not unless you are Ivan and believe FFP will come to effect and solve all our problems.
Every gooner knows very well that we needed to quickly reinvest the money we got from the sale of players, £70 million in the bank and the team is crying out for a Falcao kind of forward.
Where is the sense in that?
Honestly, sticking with untested players and that’s the story of the last few seasons, and all the time the team crying out for two or three additions to challenge.
Arsene been going on about playing in the champions league is like winning a trophy and a section of fans are already buying into it. The main reason of playing football is to win trophies and yes we can’t always win but at least once or twice for the past 8 years would have been good.
We moved to the Emirates to enable us to compete with the best but now we are being told to wait.
I will not go into whether Arsene is still the man for the job but I will ask you a question….
Which top team would stick with a manager 8 years without a trophy?
Your guess is as good as mine……
It’s very clear someone is sleeping on the job, we just need to find him first though…..
Arsene (Mental strength), PHW (Mug), Stan (Clueless) and Ivan (Spin Doctor) take your pick gooners.
I am sure with a little change we can go back to winning ways but many gooners are afraid of change because of the uncertainty it brings with it. Those at the top of our once great club say a lot of things, but action speak louder than words. We have not seen any major improvement on the area that matters most and that’s on the football pitch.
We are falling behind in every aspect of the game winning, sponsorship and global brand. We have become a laughing-stock and the badge is associated with mediocrity.
That’s all from me gooners, Manchester United up next and I know how I feel about that, but I will reserve my opinion..
Written by Erick.
Hi Erick. A thought provoking post indeed. I must agree that we are certainly in decline and have been taking one step forward and two steps back for years now. Teams don’t worry about playing us now, even at the Emirates as we have become so predictable. We all know the problems, well most of us do and those that watch the matches live these days do so with a combination of boredom and trepidation. I want to believe that Arsene still has the fire and ambition but I think you have to look to Kroenke myself. To maintain Hill-Wood sends out all the wrong messages. Kroenke probably believes that PHW is a symbol of Arsenal tradition but he isn’t. To me he is a symbol of them and us and a relic of class snobbery that has no place outside cigar-smoke filled Conservative men-only clubs. All this jam tomorrow talk by Gazidis might or might not happen. If it doesn’t and Chelsea and Man City continue with their spending then our “situation” could last a long time and all that while the club will be haemorrhaging core support.
For me we need this American out along with all his cronies and Usmanov in. We need a clear, unambiguous message to our supporters that we are mightily ambitious and that we will compete. Until that day I fear that the agony of our slow decline will continue.
Good and true reality Eric arsenal fans have become a sort of per pets to their mind games…. On the course of the season when the team does bad they promise a lot which makes some fans happy but when the window opens they barely do nothing. its time we stand up against their nonsense.. sorry for that..
Am I the first?
On a serious note, why were Olivier and Frances not aware that the capital one cup game would go into extra time if a winner did not emerge witin the regulation time?
I find it puzzling that for the trophy we have the most realistic chance of winning after 8 years, 2 or even more of the players did not know the implications of a tie.
Are they not supposed to be psychologically and even physically prepared for such possible eventuality? This slip brings our training program into question. It means there was not even a penalty shoot out training.
It reminds me of the embarrasing way Nigeria failed to qualify for the last AFCON. They had 2 minutes to defend their goal knowing that the narrow win could qualify us, yet they sent all the players in search of an additional goal they thougt they needed. An additional goal was now scored against them on the counter and a 140 million peole’s hopes were dashed.
Arsenal trainers should please take their jobs a lil’ bit more serious.
Nice post though.
We used to have world super stars in our team……can anyone name one we have at this moment?
Squillacci?
Thing is we say the same very year and nothing changes. Until the fans make a stand and get heard by the board this is going to continue. Even at the AGM meeting your limited to what you can ask.. its utter bollocks.
I would of put a decent amount on that reply Adam…..
There’s only 2 ways I can see it changing, 1) the fans step up and protest hard and loud
2) Arsenal fail to qualify for the champions league, the value of the club would drop which would hit Stan directly in the pocket!
Arsenal-Postdam (ladies) – 14.30 at eurospot channell
we are not unlucky. We face Bradford away.
I aim to please Lee.
Or the global Arsenal fan base each pay 10 pounds each and say, here now get us this super star. We’d pay 10 pounds each every year if you make sure that some of our voice is heard.
Do you think that they’d do such after that?
My thinking is… as Stan, buy Arsenal with debt backed by your billionaire status and service it every year with profits made by owning Arsenal and a ‘management fee” charged. That way no investment or risk. If Arsenal share price drops, sell to Usmanov and clear the debt owed for buying the shares in the first place.
Hi Guys,
Sorry not around to engage you guys in the post…..work and more work
I totally agree, we hav been going backward, we are not doing anything to change the situation.
Time we put the managers on the spot….
That’s a thoughtful post Erick and will no doubt stir up a bit of debate.
One thing with which I agree and that is that the “game” has changed.
When Arsenal decided to build a new sixty thousand seater stadium in order to compete with the likes of Man U Abramovich was an unknown governor of a remote ex-soviet province and the football world was not awash with oil billions.
In order to fund the construction long term sponsorship deals were signed that allowed for a large percentage of the money to be paid up-front. Since then the “game” has changed to such an extent that Platini has been forced to bring in FFP in an attempt, futile in my opinion, to bring some levelling of the proverbial playing field. Those deals will be expiring in the near future and so there will be the opportunity to increase the revenue.
The financial restraints under which the club has been operating are there for all to see, Transfer fees have escalated as have wages. Other clubs have become more attractive to the best players, who all want to earn the most they can.
As the loans taken out to fund the new stadium are paid off the money available to the manager will increase and we may well become more competitive in the transfer market.
Yes we have gone eight years without a trophy and you ask what other club would put up with a manager who failed to win anything for that length of time, it’s a fair question but I would like to ask you what guarantee is there that another manager, or a succession of managers, would have done any better under the circumstances?
Arsenal Football club is a respected and respectable organisation, it is financially secure, competes in the toughest league in the world and in the Champions League. For the most part it plays a brand of football and has a level of support that is envied by most other clubs.
I personally will put up with the way things are for the time being.
Hi JW,
Why do we 70 Mill in the bank and yet we have no proven striker in the squad….we are not suppossed to go the sugar daddy way but atleast go out there and try to get a player that can improve the squad.
Aw has failed in that, putting his hope in Diaby who we all know the deal….Arteta wont play each and every game, we will be short when hes not fit.
What the deal with Ivan getting a bonus yet the most important part of the club, the pitch has no invesment.
Erick,
Do we have £70 million in the bank?
Didn’t we buy Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla all internationals.
With Diaby it’s called loyalty, we all decry the lack of it when Fabregas, Nasri and van Persie want to leave.
I don’t know the reason why Gazidis got a bonus, presumably it’s to do with the successful running of the club’s finances as he has no say in the football side of the business.
Morning all… just…
Good post Erick, the first of many I hope….
I too want the American out, Usmanov in, then all our prayers will be answered and from what the big fella has said, he’s not going to ruin the club along the way….
Morning all..
A very thought provoking post. I agree that we are certainly in decline and have been taking one step forward and two steps back for years now. On the other hand I disagree with the idea that the main reason for playing football is winning trophies. If that was the case what is the point of having teams like Wigan and Stoke in this league.
I also disagree that AW is sleeping on the job. Most importantly those who state that we moved to the Emirates to compete always fail to include the fact that the decision to move was made before the arrival of Roman and Mansour Zayed.
We had superstars in our team when we lost to the Turks in the UEFA cup final and also against Chelsea in the carling cup in 2008. Why did Nasri not score the 2 chances he had in the finals 2 years ago to win us a trophy instead of shooting off for more money somewhere else.
In all this I believe there is only one manager in the world who could have done what he has done. Managers like Pep have never built a team in their career. This Barca team was built by Rijkaard so there is no guarantee someone like him can discover talents within our price range.
Personally I am very proud Arsenal is not like Liverpool who by the way are still the most successful team in the land but are irrelevant across the world. Liverpool fans like us wanted to win a trophy post 2005 instead of qualifying for CL and look at what they have now.
Be proud gunners cause I believe glory days are almost nigh.
COYGs…
JW, I heard it was £60M …
And Cazorla, Podolski and Giroud cost us about the same amount as we sold RvP and Song for.
So all evens in the bank back in the summer…
Howdy Rico, I will keep on going…..Thanks for posting my feelings about our club.
Jw,
Diaby is always injured not loyalty at all…the club had been loyal to him not the other way round.
Yes we have bought players but the sold players are more experienced and world class.
Going backwards.
Hi Tsgh – not until FFP finally comes into play apparently, what is that two years? Then we will rule the PL…
According to the speakers at the AGM 😉
Is this your debut post, Weeds?? 🙂 Howdy? We have missed you? Don’t work too hard!
You ask some searching questions. I hate to admit it but we have become quite mediocre. 🙁 Not nearly enough pride in our kit. And we make the same mistakes over and over and over again.
Hello, all!
Hi Erick, it’s a pleasure…
It’s funny really, how many years ago was it when you and I were blogging elsewhere together?
3 or 4 I think, how our views have changed eh
Good post Erik. Well said JW. The changes that so many of us clamour for are not as straight forward as it seems. Money does not automatically bring the best players to your club. Not when there are 5 or 6 teams capable of matching or bettering your bid and contract offer through blatant disregard for proper financial practices. The thing that has stopped us from performing consistently is no squad stability. Our better players have been leaving as we all know. Once that stops as i suspect it will after the Theo saga is over, we will begin to see a more consistent team, capable of challenging. I’d much rather do it the right way than bringing in “superstar” players or other managers who come with no guarantees either. And we were third last year behind a very consistent, stable United, and a disgustingly loaded city. I guess the rest of the league regressed too then?
Hi Tsgh,
If we keep on the path we are on, we will indeed join Liverpool…..a show like Norwich and Schalke wont help either.
Yet Aw says he doesn’t know what went wrong, the players were not up to it…switched off as its always the norm.
Hi agag, not a bad debut either eh 🙂
Looks like Gibbs have fallen into the Bermuda triangle @arsenal of 2-3weeks. So we now have Rosicky, Diaby, Schesny, Gibbs and Gerv missing.
Pray for SANTOS
B/w good post erick
TT – We ve got Squillaci 🙂
To be fair Erick, the players should have the ability to self motivate, they are professionals, sportsmen and should want to give 100% without a hair drier being thrown around….
Why can’t they though, that’s what I can’t understand…
Not bad at all, rico. 🙂 How are you?? So many trick or treaters. And they’re the same bunch of kids. Ha.
Will XL, I agree about the instability in the squad. But then again, we expect some loyalty. When players who were nobodies before AFC (Nasti, Robin, Cesc) keep on going about ambition/trophies blah de blah; it really is quite galling.
Hi emma, Santos against the Mancs, I hope that is an attempt by Wenger to play mind games….
Howdy Agag,
Missed you too, been a long while how you holding up… 🙂
Rico, very true we couldn’t even think of saying Aw out…time running out.
Thanks Will XL,
I know its not easy for change to come about….but slow progress is evidence we are going somewhere. Its clear we are going backwards, slowly we will be nowhere in the footballing map.
Good thanks agag, are you?
The fireworks were worse!
Thanks Emma, tried but its not my debut post think I did one but I guess it was on AA.
A good example is tactical naivity by Aw, playing Santos against Valencia *suicide*
I’d still like Wenger to have a season under Usmanov Erick….
AA Erick, you bad man 😉
Or did you mean AR ?
Ha ha sorry Rico meant AR 😉
If what the board claim is true Rico, then a year under the russian won’t change anything.
Money is avaiable, Aw is happy with the squad *sounds familiar*
agag… Who is to be blamed for players leaving?. I do not blame Arsenal at all. Those players speak about wanting to win trophies without realizing that they are a part of the problem. Every time a starting player leaves, we are set back on the field, as well as in our ability to get new talent here.
santos will get roasted by valencia & rafael 🙁 better off with sagna or vermaelen at LB!
No fireworks here, rico. Thank God. That always scares the pets. 😕 As for the players, the fighting spirit is shown so sporadically. I agree that they should be able to motivate themselves, with no prompting.
Erick, don’t be a stranger now. I’m okay. Busy bee-ing. Work always gets in the way of life. 🙁
Hello, Emma. 🙂
Basically we have been going backwards for a few years on the playing side, Financially I think there are too many smoke and mirrors to know exactly where we stand . I don’t trust the board to tell the full truth and I am positive that FFP is not going to curtail the activities of the monied clubs. It is too easy to hide behind the monetary superiority of some others to say that we are doing as well as we can. I am old enough to remember Celtic winning the European cup by taking local youngsters and training them . We need to concentrate in winning games as opposed to setting a style and sticking to it.We have good players but they need coaching to win individual matches . I am sure it would pay dividends.
I mean now Erick, not in two years time. I wish AU would buy Stan out this afternoon and go into the January window and sort this squad out.
To be honest, we could do that with the money we are reported to have but that would mean Wenger would have to be ruthless and clear a few spaces.
But if Wenger had January and then next summer with money to spend, we’d be all sorted quite quickly and without FFP being a concern.
We don’t need to spend vast amounts…
GK – Swartzer would do
DM – Capoue
Utility defender – Sakho (also plays Lb)
Striker
That would cost us no more than £60-70M
Sell:
Diaby
Mannone
Fabianski
Rosicky
Arshavin
Squilli
Djourou
Chamakh
🙂
Will, Signing older players would stamp that out. We have always signed too many younger players who see trophies and bigger money elsewhere and want to fill their boots.
Thankfully, our summer signings suggest things are changing….
Lucky you agag, Fido was ‘barking’ mad!
Will XL, I blame the players mostly. I have absolutely no respect for either Na$ti or Robin van Iscariot but the Board plays its part by the general failure to strengthen the squad even when we have the means. It was only in the last trf window that we saw some “intent”. But even the purchase of Giroud and Poldi was meant preparatory to the departure of van Pursestrings.
Good god, Santos has done absolutely nothing to warrant a place in the squad. He has to shape up first.
Hi Potter – I too believe many clubs will find away around FFP…
Got to dash again, Fido needs a walk…. Back in a bit
Potter totally agree with you mate, the board is greedy and in for bonuses not trophies…
Will XL, I don’t think Cesc would have left if he thought we had a chance to win all trophies….
Agag I will ask Rico to send you my e-mail, hope Wath is not around 🙂
Rico, I think a striker and midfielder will do in january…..some out too
Always worried of Arteta getting injured…
Good point Rico. If it’s one thing i strongly disagree with Wenger about its how he deals with contracts for older players. That must change. Injuries are not restricted to 30+ players. And as you rightly said, the”flight risk” is significantly lower. The added experience is also a plus.
Potter, the board run a business; if we win, that’s a bonus to them. They have made it abundantly clear that profits are foremost in the agenda. Everything else is incidental.
Sure, Erick. 🙂 WATH is around; trying to beat the world record fro drinking the most shots of GG at any one time. 😀 😀
Good Morning Rico and All.
“… the team is crying out for a Falcao kind of forward.” Don’t we all have a dream? The Falcao kindda player will not happen under this regime. Let face reality, not in the near future.
We all tend to forget the responsibilities of AW at times but until some of these responsibilities change, we are stuck in the same position. Other managers or coaches don’t have to worry about profit at the end of the fiscal year, but AW does. Let go back to the Dein’s days where AW point at the players he wants and don’t have to worry about the cost.
gervinho will be out for 3 weeks!
People matter, results count.
Hiya peeps.
Off for now, back laters.
A gradual decline will see profits fall , at the last set of figures we only stayed out of the red on player sales and with Song and RVP being in the next lot it looks like more of the same. The board are hiding behind this and that’s why I don’t trust their promises of jam tomorrow. It’s Sad.
EISFELD
Must Watch if you have not seen it before
Well, of course when you sell your best players every year to makeup for profit the end result is gradual decline. Every year we are talking about ‘once these players start gelling’ we will win something, well, as soon as they gelled, we move them along to make room for the new ones. You have to ask yourself, how many years Xavier, Iniesta and Messi have been playing together in the same team with minimal changes?
Nashuagooner, If the board is not getting players that Aw want then he should come out and say it but he gets 7 mill a year eh
Agag, Wath still on GG….pity his liver 🙂
Emma, Esfield seems the real deal……better than Ramsey eh.
Forcing players to play for u has never been a good idea. But sometimes you must do it to make a statement. RVP was the perfect opportunity.
Come next season, who are we going to sell to makeup for the profit, JW10 and TV5? I say AU now.
Will XL,
I totally agree, how do you sell a player to your direct rival……
Stick him in the bench….but the board love their profits.
Snippet from AGM report by Arseblog, credit to Allezkev posting it before.
As questions rolled in from the floor it became apparent that Gazidis was shielding the indignant and patronising responses of Peter Hill-Wood and, more surprisingly, answering questions directed at Kroenke, continually asserting that the board as a collective makes the decisions that affect the club, not one individual.
When Silent Stan did speak, it was to explain for the second year running that he didn’t really know why he was there, despite being the majority shareholder. He then dodged a question concerning dividend payments which, worryingly, did nothing to rule out the possibility of him taking money from the club to line his own pockets.
@Erick, please tell me when AW has openly criticized his employer even when things are not going his way?
Dutchgooner, The board had lost it…….the people we should start sending home.
Never nor blamed a player for a defeat….think thats his weakness.
Leaves the fans with more questions than answers…..
Three weeks of Injury becomes a year out…..
Never tells it as it is…
Afternoon all,
Erick, don’t despair, Chamakh was electric the other night, it was like River Plate 1978 all over again…….no offence dutch.
This guy could save our season yet, many will end up with egg on their faces, wait and see.
The question I believe we have to ask is why we have a majority shareholder if he is not going to invest and the club is going to rely on a self-sustaining model.
As some have rightly pointed out the players we have should have been able to win in at least the finals we have been in.
In my opinion the time when Man $hitty came in was the worst possible time they could have. In 2008 we were on the verge of having a very good championship winning team however, players like adebawhore and Toure became greedy and left.
Another pissue I quite do not understand is why some fans think David Dein is the answer? Imho, Dein and his son have been our biggest cause of problem in the last 7-9 years. True David could close deals quicker than Law looking from outside but what he has done to the club is equivalent to ‘inside trading’ in the financial industry. If he did what he has been doing in the city he would find himself behind bars for a very long time.He has fed on knowing the details of the major of our players contracts and given the details to his son Darren who has then used that against us on too many occasions.
It appears that the pot is stirring.
Just got this from the AFC forum
An e-mail has just gone to all BSM members about a walk we’re holding on 1 December before the Swansea game.
We need BIG numbers for this one, so please spread the word to yours and come to join us on the day. Same route as before – starting at Cannons, going past Highbury then down to Bear Roundabout.
Here’s what was in the e-mail…
BSM walk on 1 December (before the match with Swansea)
We are calling for a gathering of BSM members and supporters on 1 December, before the Swansea match, to join us on a walk to ‘Bear Roundabout’ outside The Armoury.
The objectives of this walk are to heighten the Board’s awareness in the following areas:
We want Stan Kroenke’s commitment not to take money from the club.
We want Peter Hill-Wood off the Board. He has become an embarrassment to the club and its supporters.
We want Red & White Holdings to be offered a seat on the Board. Ivan Gazidis called for us to all come together and work in the same direction but how does this work when a 30% shareholder in the club doesn’t get to have a say? In what other large business would this blocking of a major shareholder happen?
We want action from the club to stop poor allocation of our money. From wasting money on players we have to write off a year later, to handing out huge contracts to players who we can’t then sell on because nobody will match what we pay. It’s mismanagement and it’s the fans who get hit in the pocket because the club fails in other revenue generating areas such as commercial deals.
We want the club to deliver the initiatives we’ve previously put to them, which would greatly benefit match going fans. These include:
A ‘lite’ version of a season ticket with no cup credits
A short-term staged repayment scheme for season ticket renewals
The ability for season ticket holders to downgrade to Silver membership
Move away fans to the upper tier, thereby providing cheaper seats for Arsenal fans
Introduce season tickets in the Clock End at Emirates; recreate the atmosphere of the famous old stand at Highbury and improve the Emirates atmosphere on matchdays.
Introduce safe standing. This continues to be investigated by more and more clubs across the country but continues to be ignored by Arsenal.
Cheaper tickets at Emirates Stadium. If you can afford to sit on £70m of cash in the bank, you don’t need to charge fans the highest ticket prices in football.
On 1 December we will be meeting at 1.30pm outside Cannons public house on Blackstock Road (opposite The Gunners pub). The walk will start at 2pm and take us past our beloved Highbury and down to Emirates Stadium where we’ll end at ‘Bear Roundabout’.
Come and join us and let the Board know that change is needed. That the Board needs to listen to its core support. Tell your friends and help spread the word. Come along, let’s make a stand.
Please do all you can to drum up support for this. We’re working the media channels to get coverage, so we need numbers on the day.
_________________
Get ready, we got three million miles to reach the moon
So let’s start getting happy now
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah, yeah yeah
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The fans do have power when they are united. Apparently Hill-Wood wants anybody who takes part to be flogged.
Arsenal FC little more than Dooms Day FFP preppers???
http://thisisfutbol.com/2012/10/blogs/arsenal-fc-little-more-than-ffp-preppers
Great read peeps.
Hiya Erick, thanx mate for firing up this perpetual debate. We shouldn’t relax our jaws on this until significant changes contribute the supporters investment in emotional capital.
Erick – Eisfeld looks a prospect but lets not forget that Ramsey was good before his leg break. I still think Ramsey will come good if he can re-discover that form before his leg break
Hang on Potter, is that correct, you can’t down grade from season ticket back to silver membership ?
half time Arsenal 0 Postdam 0
1st…..
Thanks Potter, I believe the BSM will get more numbers this year, its clear they make sense and we need the tradition of the club to be intact.
DG, actually wrote that piece while at work….was on my mind & couldn’y get work done. I just us to show some ambition
Emma, he’s been frustrating to say the least….hope he rediscover his form soon.
Kev, 1st is much easier on the eye than Diaby, nice move.
Allezkev, ha ha 🙂
Welcome mate…..
Thank you, Queen of the Vids…
That was a very good Presser by AW.
For Mick…
DIABY, he drinks Guiness…
Erick, that was your debut for HH…???
That surprises me, as it was a very very good piece of writing…
Mind you I also disagree….
But you knew that, 😉
Nigerian Guinness maybe, that stuff is shite !
If ManCity and Chelsea had been throwing mega bucks at things 12 years ago, would we have retained Vieira, Henry, Pires, or signed Campbell on a Bosman in 2001..?
We can never underestimate the seismic effect that the Millions those clubs have spent and how they have affected the football landscape…
I share everyone’s frustrations, Adam, Rocky and Lee will confirm that as we’ve spent many an hour agonising over the present situation.
But until the present Board changes or retires or dies, we are stuck in this FFP hole…
As Adam often tells me “Thank God we actually have Usmanov”.
Otherwise it could be Hicks & Gillette Mk 2…
I do not blame Wenger for player sales of the lack of money spent.
That is the responsibility of the Board…
So endeth the lesson.
Amen… 😀
Nigerian Guiness gives you wings
1-0 up! Chapman (nº 12)! 🙂
Agag, I hope you are saving up for Christmas??? 😉
Where’s Coach???
Where’s Rico???
Where’s Gambon???
Where’s anybody???
Tumbleweed
Sod you lot 😉
I going back to work.
hey kev, going undercover again?
2-0 up ! nº9 (White) 🙂
2-1…. a good goal …
I’m still here Kev. Listening to some music. For a change.
Must say thanks to Emma for the video of TT……what a player!!
me too..
Good evening guys and gals…..
Brrrrr it’s chilly…
I’m on the GG………….. need to drown the thought of Santos playing lb on Saturday…….!
Kev, indeed it was my debut piece…..I agree with you we can’t compete with the money mercenaries but why do we have money in the bank yet we don’t use it.
Theirs always a players who is good enough and available for a rational sum.
Howdy Wath, been a while now…..hope you have been well mate.
Rico, its been raining here but very warm…
Good post Eric and agree with your thoughts…! Has indeed been a while mate hope your looking after yourself and keeping well.
AK, I am trying very hard to save. Ha ha. I may be spending Christmas in NY so I must. I would be miserable if shopping we comcpletely curtailed. Hiya, Adam. bought the car yet? Or is that your Christmas present?
WATH, tsk tsk. Poor liver. So abused. 😉
At 11:40-13:30 on the TH legend vid is epic
TH: ‘It was a special goal against Tottenham. Which is when you play against Tottenham you know that it’s more than important. I never lost against Tottenham. I am so happy to say that. So great ……….
Reporter: It sounds like your favourite photo
TH : Yeah, Its not far, not far from it, that’s a good picture. EPIC 😉
Lucky you Erick, it’s bitterly cold here… snow is on its way….
Am well mate, been busy with work….see you still abusing your liver 🙂
Santos better get cover or else he will be porous, hope Judas does not score I will be livid.
I wish we had someone of Henry’s caliber again, Emma. But his class is hard to come by. 🙁
You should go on hols somewhere warm.
Rico, think you should come for a holiday here….
Emma, Henry you legend….. what we would do to get a class act like him AGAG :$
Christmas in NY will be cold agag, will you cope? 😉
Ha ha Erick, I’d miss my woofa too much…. agag, I will, next summer in England 😉
Buenas Diaz JM,
You asked me about Jordi Clasie. I haven’t seen him play much to be honest but I know he got his first boots from Willem van Hanegem, a friend of his father. Ajax Youth Academy wanted him at 11 years old after Feyenoord had given him a summer camp trial.
He has won the Silver Boot as young talent of the year. And has captained 2 national league youth teams that won their respective championships. Alreaedy been called twice by L. van Gaal for the Holland team. So definitely one to watch for the future.
Thanx for the update on the ladies. Cheers.
Been to the Garden Centre today, can you believe that Rudolf has already arrived….
Good things have a price Rico…… 🙂
🙂 Erick….
Rico spill the beans, what was Fergie doing in a Garden Center?
Got to go run and errand, back shortly…
agag – I wish too 😉
That was what it meant to play for arsenal. It shouldn’t be all about the money. Never back down.
Erick – Lots of players have let arsenal down. I could still remember the 2007 squad members we were very close. If we hadn’t lost to the manure as a result of ref conspiracy at OT we could have won the league. We were very close then Hleb and Flamini decided to jump boat in the summer. We lost the core of the team You can’t force a player to play when they want to leave b/s of the money the oligarchs are flashing around. If only they had stayed one or two more season. It took about 2yrs for Na$ri and 7 years for P£r$ie to comethrough. Then Fabregas and Na$ri left, Wilshere was out for a complete season losing the core of our midfield. When you think it will get better with the purchase of cazorla and returning wilshere/diaby we lost our prolific striker then you wonder who is NEXT? When will this circle stop?
Lots of this players have let AW down and more will
I am sure I will stay indoors most of the time, Rico! How can it be snowing this early? Eeek
Agag, NY in December!!! Wow, you are brave.
You’ll freeze your bits off buddy…
Erick, I know, it’s bloody frustrating when they don’t spend it all, but i’m sure Wenger wants to, he wanted Sahin didn’t he, but not on loan. Eisfeld looked good didn’t he Erick, now that kid could save us £15 million.
Gnabry could eventually succeed Walcott, who I think is going btw.
And maybe, our increased scouting in Germany could unearth several more uncut Jerry diamonds.
Lee, Adam, good to know you haven’t deserted me…
Evening all,
I feel you needed to get that off your chest Eric, and although i can see where your coming from i have to say that i don’t believe we have taken a step backwards, I know we have had a mixed start to the season and we have lost last years league top scorer and of course Alex Song, i believed that both of those players were Arsenal through and through but sadly a call from United and Barcelona and off they jolly well went. We have brought in Poldi Caz and the Girafft and i think that was good buys i don’t see that as going back. I also saw the other night a few of our youngsters who i felt looked promising. but when i look at the squad and see that Sagna and Jack have almost reached full match fitness i can only see us moving a step forward. Whether Wenger is the man to lead us in the future or not is one thing but the players he has brought don’t look that bad to me, he makes me wonder what he is doing with the league cup and i am not that happy about that but i see us moving forward. I have to say thet beating last seasons finish of 3rd spot might be tricky but other teams also come into the equasion as well but i havent seen anything that frightens me. We have in my mind a pretty good squad and they are slowly gelling and i think when everybody is fit and the new players have fully settled i think we have a team to challenge a step backwards i dont think so.
Agag my tropical butterfly your wings are too fragile for a NY winter. Btw you apparently assume it will still be on the map when you arrive. 😉
As for the blame Wenger hymns. Could it be the totalitarian board wanted to abolish any whiff of Dein&Son in the house. Arsene regularly been wheeled out as the thug on a most wanted poster after he publicly declared that within his powers he didn’t want to sell marquee players at any cost. As the derailing media circus heaped on the pressure, clamouring a dragging saga, he took the risks of spearheading accountability perhaps against better judgement of final say. Hoping the fan’s annually growing grudge would have installed sense in the upper echelons.
Boo….
I mean that death stare at Tongue Tied Stan really came from his toes.
emma –
I agree re the players letting AW down and more will, we only have to look at Eisfeld, Gnabry and other overseas kids coming through.
Will they all stay loyal to Wenger and the club, or will they too one day want to go home and play for the side they supported as a kid, or think they deserve a bigger wage packet….
I think we all know the answer….
I am not sure what is so thought provoking about this post.
I am not knocking the post,but people claiming it is raising relevant issues are forgetting that these exact issues have been discussed on a daily basis here on HH,and on probably every Arsenal forum out there.
I am also not sure why we need such a negative view straight after such a positive result.
No,the Reading game did not whip us all into a State of excited eagerness where we all suddenly believe we can win the League,but when all read about Arsenal,both from fans and media,is negative,why can’t we just enjoy the result for a few days??
How can people say we could slide down the scale and turn nto a Liverpool??
Well,apart from being financially successfully and having the best stadium anywhere,yeah,we could end up like Liverpool lol!!!
Are Arsenal fans not happy these days unless they have something to complain about???
Are we becoming too precious??
Again,nothing wrong with the post Erick,but some comments extolling its virtues carry on as if it suddenly raises these issues,which is just wrong.
We all know the issues,we do them to death here every day.
One thing i will take ou to task on though Erick,is the “we have become a laughing stock”.
Mate,that is only amongst Arsenal fans!!!
Fans of other clubs have more respect for Wenger and the clubs business model than most Gooners will ever have!!!
Rico,expecting all these kids to leave is a defeatists attitude,and not fair on the individuals.
Just because plenty have done it does not mean these guys will.
Of course some will,but it is still an unfair generalisation,imo.
Hi Scott, it’s the same as I a;ways say, everyone is entitled to their opinion – you have your thoughts about what is going on, I have mine, and others have theirs…
And it’s obvious we are not all going to happy, Shalke and Norwich are still raw, and even though we beat Qpr, (bottom of the league) it was hardly a display to get us all feeling better….
Scott we enjoy the results but despise the situation. If you scroll back to the BSM post you will find the fan’s demands are not unreasonable. The rest is just voicing personal preferences. We are not here to depress any healthy minds.
And I happen to think a lot of the kids will leave, that’s my own view. It’s not being defeatist at all, it happened before and it will no doubt happen again….
Not every player will wait to get their chance, and nor will they stay at a club which isn’t winning trophies.
And funny enough that is exactly what we are, a club who are not winning trophies and don’t really look like changing that this season either.
*voicing personal preferences and concerns.
I actually admire the way some of the players fought back on Tuesday night, they actually showed balls and guts and passion. But that side was very different to the starting eleven.
Even Giroud and Walcott are not considered to be regular starters…
And i Never said anything about those games or how we feel about them Rico.
There is already enough negative stuff going on in the world,enough bad news every day.
Why would people want to be so negative about their football club?
It is meant to be an outlet from the day to day crap,isn’t it?
You guys do not know what a drought is.
The NRL side i follow…born and bred In Parramatta Eels territory…haven’t won a thing since ’86….nothing.
Still,the crowds keep sowing up,the fans stay loyal.
The comparison to Arsenal…..back in the 80’s,they were every bit as dominant as Arsenal at their best,winning four GF’s in 6 years.
Financially strong,and with a fantastic stadium……
The difference…..rarely,actually never,do you hear their fans talking about staging marches!!
Clubs have won GF’s then found to be caught cheating the salary cap…we lost in ’09 to Melbourne who rorted it like you wouldn’t believe.
Basicall,Parra have not had the financial power,through others cheating,to compete.
There are plenty of comparisons with Arsenal….relatively speaking,of course.
The difference is Parra have won nothing since ’86,so do not have that core group of 20-30 y.o’s who grew up watching them win everything growing more restless at each passing day.
Re your 6.49 Scott – I beg to differ, here in England, we are the ‘laughing stock’ – why do you think they all like to call Arsenal:
Arsenal, who have gone seven years without a trophy, FC….
Mate,that is only amongst Arsenal fans!!
Not true Scott , try living in the Norfolk area.
Rico,i here a hell of a lot more Arsenal fans say that than anyone else,and i jump on other club forums to see what is happening.
HH is where all Arsenal fans are invited to talk share their feelings about Arsenal FC and any other topic they wish too…
Not being funny or rude here Scott, but I don’t follow NFL and what has gone on in that league. I care deeply about Arsenal and all that is going on is not good right now.
You see it differently, that’s your right and I won’t be suggesting you change your view or look at things differently. In the meantime, I am free to do the same….
Say what Scott? The seven year thing?
Same here in Berkshire Potter….
Maybe we are not laughed at so much in Australia?
Dg – sorry I missed your 7pm… I agree, what most fans are asking won’t break the AFC bank either. Most just ask for a fit and competitive squad…
Rico,clubs forum aren’t all based in Australia.
The more our fans alk about it though,the more the media jump all over it.
We feed them,not the other way around.
Rico,we would have a fit and competitive squad if we didn’t have so many injuries 🙂
Scott – I meant as you pick up the newspapers, walk down the street, talk footie with fans of other clubs in the PL… Talk with fans who pay vast amounts for tickets and travel to all matches, give up their time etc etc….
Not just reading blogs Scott….
In which case, we are not competitive Scott, every year we blame injuries, because we always have them! Then the weakness in depth is exposed…..
It’s being going on so so long it’s boring….
If it is so boring,why go on about it each and every day….how is that enjoying Arsenal or Football??
Gee,be above it and let it be water off a ducks back.
Ou nailed it tough….giving up their time…..that is the attitude of most Gooners.
They are doing Arsenal a favour by being a fan.
Those who paid vast amounts the other day got the mst entertaining game in history,but alas,no trophy came at the end of it.
Snce when did following a club become all about trophies?
Since Arsene Wenger made fans expect it,the is when.
Rico,i do not give up much money to follow Arsenal,but the time i out in is a hell of a lot harder than any over there,so that is not a fair point.
For every player that comes through the last season with a high grade we sell and keep the money in the bank. AU will give AW the opportunity to be coach again and don’t worry about profit. AW challenges is not only to win something but also to make profit at the end. Which one is more important to the BOARD, win trophies or profit?
Same here in clogg country. I actually tried to defend our club on a national news site after Judas uprooted his ambition. For every fact I threw in I got flooded by 10 comments that were throughly convinced they debunked it. And it all came down basically on us being a feeder club for the trophy elites. They ping-ponged me unrelenting about not understanding the standard of mediocrity.
Dutch,trophies genuinely don’t phase me.
I follow the club,i always have,and when they win,it will be that much sweeter.
Until then,i will continue to support them,and yes,hope we get some decent players in.
I have never suggested we have enough depth Rico,never…it’s obvious we do not and that must change.
I guess my point is why would people spend so much time being negative over their club when supporting them sold be a positive release from the day to day shit that can be life.
Sorry,but i will forever remain positive regardless,and i will enjoy Arsenal play win,lose or draw,as long as the boys put in i will not complain.
Stan,Ivan,the Board,Arsene….i can’t control them so why spend hours a day doing my head in about it when there is always a game merely days away.
No,i will leave the doom and gloom for others.
Following last nights performance the Norwich fans are not letting up about ” The pride of North London “
Scott – my point about boring is us having the injuries and doing nothing about it…
Like i said, each to their own….
Sadly Dg, that is what most here think too, we sign them early, train them up an then off they go… well, if they are any good 😉
Hi Rico. I think there is a groundswell of opinion from people who attend the games that something is not right. Personally, I think it’s ok if Kroenke wants to turn a profit. He is a businessman who has invested a lot of Deutche Bank’s money in one of his sports interests after all. His long term interest is money and he wants to accumulate as much as possible as he is quite obviously going to live for ever. It’s the American way. But he seems to have made several gross miscalculations and has certainly underestimated the way most fans feel. I am talking about people that have supported the club for a long time. Perhaps he doesn’t want “their sort” at the club in the same way that Hill-Wood saw his as a colonialist upstart who should be held in front of an open fire until he burned in true Flashman style. He just doesn’t “get” the bond between Arsenal supporters and their club at all. To sit at the AGM, knowing that the fans had sussed him out and then saying that he didn’t know why he was there was probably not the way to go. Do you think he would have bought Arsenal if it wasn’t for bloody self-sustaining model? I don’t. We need someone who respects the club, it’s traditions and the fans and who has a burning ambition to put it at the top again. Is Stan Kroenke that man?
Just hope we don’t get them in the next round of the cup Potter, if we get by Bradford…
Hi Adam, the short answer to that, no, never in a million years….
A lady of few words but that No both speaks volumes and highlights the crossroads the club find itself in. Slow decline.
Rico,you seem to ignore the fact that i have stated on numerous occasions we lack squad depth.
Adam,your points are very fair,but playing devils adocate here,do we know the russian is that man?
I have come around to thinking he would be an improve,ent on Stan,not that it’s hard,but he is still a risk.
Scott , effectively what you are saying is a parody of the old Confusious saying “why worry ,? circumstances won’t change “..
That’s why groups like the BSM are coming into existance and why they are gaining backing. There are people that care enough to try to pressure the board to try to see that there is more to being an Arsenal supporter than just putting their hands in their pockets and coming up with the readdies to take an interest in PHW’s club.
Trophies aside though,where is the decline Adam?
People have compared us to Liverpool,but again,trophies aside,how anyone could compare us them is strange to say the least.
Strange that when we lose we get more people talking on the blogs than when we win. The Reading game was a momentus fightback of all proportions and all we get is we made hard work of it. I expeted us to win fairly easily but after half an hour i was pulling my hair out, i also felt like some fans about switching off but i love my football and Reading deserved their lead but whem Theo broke through my spirits were lifted and i was itching for the second half to restart, we started like shit but we hung in there we fought and in the end we saw 12 goals i was elated i was shouting and swaring till the old woman went up the stairs the next night i sat and watched two teams i dont like but i am a football fan and watched a very competative game which also had plenty of twists and turns i watched the draw for the next round and see we are away but on paper it should be between us and Chelsea but the way both clubs are it wouldn’t suprise me if both clubs give it away. The press and Media try as hard as they can to run the Arsenal down and supporters are slowly getting brainwashed, what suprises me is how supporters who all support the same team can bicker between themselves when we are winning (BRAINWASHING)
Potter,that is not true at all.
Maybe because i am detached from the club by distance,i do not take things as personally as some.
Can these groups really achieve anything?
Steve,needless to say i am with you.
Scott I’m not a obsessive silver polisher either. Just want the standards raised to a degree of consistency, if you qualify for CL, rightly so you’re considered a EPL title contender. Even the swamppies got a taste of that pressure last season.
If they want the appraisal of finishing top 4 for a decade and a half they better get accustomed to the expectations as an ugly sister that comes intertwined with it. I do not support the London Stock Exchange.
Besides we are not the employees that want silverware on their c.v. and take home weekly paychecks that can buy them a mining operation.
I just don’t know why he bothered to buy us out if he’s not wanting us to be successful on the pitch Adam….
Rico. I think that someone highlighted recently the difference between a pure owner through a majority shareholding, like Stan and a custodian who understands the importance of Arsenal from a historical, traditional and indeed a social standpoint. When you think that Nina Bracewell-Smith got thrown out of the club by Hill-Wood and the other board members yet still sold her shares to Stan for less than Usmanov would almost certainly have paid, you have to wonder what went on there, especially as she made a public statement against the board, saying that they were essentially a load of crusty old farts who should sod off. Perhaps the fact that she is back over the Emirates as high-level executive schmoozer might be relevant?
Rico,he bought us to make money,and he is winning his own trophy lol.
Mustn’t be any decline,i guess 🙂
I don’t ignore what you say about depth Scott, I know that, you have said it nearly as many times as I have said we should keep Theo 😉
Steve. You are talking about a couple of games and I am talking about the trend for the past several seasons. To make the connection that someone who sees what is happening and points that out with someone who somehow is less of a supporter is erroneous. I think you will find that, every year, the penny drops for more people. To suggest that the press is brainwashing people who feel this way is a stretch too far for me.
Hi Steve… I don’t think the media are brain washing us, performances on the pitch do that on their own
If i was an English multi billionare why would i want to buy an American football club that makes money when i like English football, because it makes money and its a good investment thats why. Whe spend when i don’t have to the club is making huge profits why waste money.
The media feed off weakness,and infighting amongst Arsenal fans is a feast for them.
Who is this Theo you speak of,Rico?
Rico. I really think that his definition of success is where the club are now.
Exactly why he is not right for us, we are not a money making machine, we are a football club…
Many people don’t like Roman at Chelsea but at least he was prepared to invest his own money and look what he got in return…
People can say what they like,and most they are right,but Stan is smart.
Steve – If I was an English Multi Billionaire, the only sports club i would want to buy would be Arsenal. At least I love the club and would get a bit of Arsenal back into Arsenal.
Right now that is what we lack….
Rico,i think people don’t like Roman as he was not just an owner at one stage…..buying players and basically selecting teams is stepping over the line.
Ok….let’s get our own Russian plaything!!
We can only try Scott. If you read the comments above you will see their requests are not radical and they are not calling for a demo as such, just a show of numbers to bring a little pressure to bear.
The media feed off of us selling our better players to other PL clubs, when we lose to ‘lesser sides’, when we play like a Sunday league team’ etc etc. They don’t need fans to feed off, the club do a very good job feeding them all they need….
I agree Rico. The state of the game in general is not good. At least FFP seeks in principle to address that but I think we are all wondering if it will have teeth.
I think you are right Adam and that is why so many want him gone.
Top 4 is a success if it’s about money, but we fans know different…
Potter. Agreed. A little rebellion can be a healthy thing.
I’m a painter and decorator, why should i buy a new brush when the old one is still earning me money, but if someone offers me more money than i paid for it new, i would sell it straight away and make a nice little profit
But we don’t really know what goes on at Chelsea Scott but my point was, he is prepared to invest, unlike Mr Kroenke!
Adam – I am sure there will be a way around it….
Why are people so upset when a “top” side loses to a “lesser” side.
Isn’t that what makes the contest a contest?
If not,why other even playing?
Just give the best side the points…done.
No,fans can be very selfish,and very self-righteous.
Steve. Do you think the club is in decline?
Stan didn’t even invest to buy the club though Rico,so it is folly to think he would invest to improve it.
I am not defending him one bit,but i am surprised so many are upset with making a profit being his agenda…..he is an investor…enough said.
But Steve, if you can’t do your job properly with that brush, you’d soon buy a new one, otherwise you’d have no work….
Rico. Man City have already instigated a way round it. Question is, will those who have the power accept it? If they do then Kroenke’s grand plan goes out the window.
No-one has said beating a ‘lesser’ side is a divine right, but as i have said many times before, it’s not the losing, it’s the way we lose….
They treated our 125th anniversary like business as usual. Jam tomorrow people, jam tomorrow.
I would’ve at least expected a night time stadium event. Like Symphonica Rosso.
Rico,that is the question….what is doing the job properly?
What is acceptable?
If competing and finishing top 4 is the mark,then we are successful already.
If trophies are the aim,then how much must we spend??
If you look at it,are we really only a few players away from regularly competing at the top level?
Exactly Scott, so why did he bother even getting involved in our club, shows he doesn’t have our clubs footballing success at the top of his priorities…
And Steve if a competitor came along and customers told you that they had invested in the latest technology brushes which gave a superior finish and they were going to use them instead would you still persevere with your old one? 🙂
What is Kroenke’s great plan though Adam, does he even know?
Rico,the way we played is a different story,and relevant.
When we are good,we are very good,but when we are bad…….and that is where squad depth comes in.
Anyway. Interesting discussion generally but I am off for the evening. Night all.
Scott – Not from a footballing perspective, financial maybe…. And we are not a bank we are about competing at the highest level, not just taking part….
Rico. I shall ponder that one tonight.
Does that make me a bad person? Night.
Don’t blame Stan though Rico,blame those who opened the door to him,those who should have known better.
Night Adam, enjoy your evening….
Not always Scott, sometimes the first eleven on the team-sheet are on the pitch, even they can’t self motivate all the time…
Sad really…
FFP will be like a fart in a hurricane.
And Kroenke/Gazides will have no Plan B
Evening all…
Btw am I 1st..?
Nite Adam. You also ran tonight. 😉
Rico,at least with depth you have options though.
Morning Kev!!
No – I blame him too, he shouldn’t even be involved at our club, he should stick to his sports clubs in the States….
What we have now is an Oligarch that has no passion for the club. We are hanging our hope on FFP which when it comes into force will not be adhered to cause Oligarch clubs will exploit the loopholes thru deals.
Wish we could get back to the good old days when we were the most feared club respected by all including the referees. Referees come to our own ground this days and intimidate us. Now we don’t even get a penalty decision from the referees any longer. How many penalties have the manures and chavs had since the season started. Probably 4/5 for both clubs and up till this moment arsenal has had nil. Coaches tell their places to get over our player faces to stop them from playing if it means breaking their legs. Our players are being kicked all over the pitch and the men in black deems it fit that is the way football has to be played.
The process of wear and tear takes place after sometime and before you know it we have our key players on the treatment table. Then we have a shit medical team that places them on a bermuda triangle of 2-3 weeks(Gibbs, diaby, Schesny, Rosicky and now Gervinho). That raises your expectation that they will be back soon and before you know it the season.
Kev Like I posted this afternoon; Arsenal FC little more than Doomsday FFP preppers??
Rico,an investor can only be successful if they do not let sentiment get in the way.
He doesn’t care what we think,and doesn’t pretend to.
Adam i see where your coming from mate but what most business people do is look at your frofits and you successes of the year and if it falls inline with what you did last year you would not feel you are in decline Arsenal Football club is growing we have entered the Asian market and have stated to make money out of it we have a fantastic stadium that seems to be full we are again in the champions league and we are still in all competitions i feel we are a few steps forward and are looking to stay that way. thats the positive view the negative side is we a very careful we invest slowly we are a club that doesn’t have to rush. I have a friend who is a multi millionare he has a big company but he brought his sports car on the knock when i asked him why he said the money is better in my account than in theirs he knows how to save a bob or two and i suspect we feel the same.
Evening Kev, good day??
Of course we would have options with a deeper squad Scott, we have all been saying that for the last 5/6 years now.
But even if the team were playing dreadfully like at Norwich, we wouldn’t see any subs until the 67th minute anyway… 😉
season is over
Scott – time to agree to differ on Stan, you seem to be happy with what he’s doing and are prepared to argue his case. Me, the sooner he is gone the better….
Or, start freeing up some money and stop selling our players to Citeh and Utd….
What more can we say…
Rico,with options,here is no need to start with flat players though.
Steve,i think Adam means decline in pitch performances….i asked,but he won’t talk to me any longer.
It’s ok to disagree…supposedly 🙂
Rico,how you can even suggest i am happy with Stan is absolutely ludicrous!!
Seriously,that is average to say the least.
Hi emma – have to pretty much agree re your 8.43….
SP1 & Scott I still love ya. 😛
Dutch, who, in their right mind, invests multi-millions, albeit borrowed multi-millions, in a project, that they have no interest in.
Unless the only interest you have, is to make a profit from that investment, and making sure that you make no further financial investment (still with me? ) to entail that result.
Step forward Silent Stanley Parasite Kroenke.
Well I got that impression as you staunchly defend him Scott…
Read my 8.29 and tell me how you can ascertain i like him!
Read anything i write.
I got all that Kev 🙂
Chill out Scott, no need to get quite so angry….
I say bring back the old good days. We’re complaining about the same thing every season and getting the same result every season,
Rico,i am not defending him.
I am raising the question…..why would any Gooner be surprised he doesn’t care about football,just profits??
He is an investor……he could not give a shit about fottball,Arsenal or you and i.
I can’t cop him one bit,but i do not blame him.
Those who invited him into the clib should be shot.
Someone allowed him in.
If it was easy,Usmanov would be in there already.
Why not Rico…i was offended at that comment.
Dutch…love is all around us mate.
Nashua,take the money out of the game,and it would be great again.
Kev I actually own his Tweet account on AFC.
Got it long before this year’s AGM report came in. 😉
Rico,to my way of thinking,anyone who truly defends or even tolerates Stan is definitely no Gooner.
We need him gone,and i am sorry for snapping,but i was pissed off with the comment,though i am sure it was a misunderstanding.
The trouble with Arsenal fans are they have a long memory (just as well realy) they want the old days back they want the trophy cabinet full up again they want bragging rights and they want their ground to be a stronghold, well welcome to reality we have almost doubled our gate and our takings we have a very secre club and it will stay that way untill you die your children and their children will still be able to go if they want to but the old days are bygone days we take our chance with the rest of the league we have the finance to buy success but they prefer to tick over, that will never be good enough for old supporters but you will have to suffer it as things will not change we will keep making profit and probebly always stay in the champions league and who knows we may even be lucky and reach a final where the other team has an off day.
NG, those days aren’t far away if FFP is a roaring success….
Things definitely change Steve……not always for the better,though.
I hope everyone is wrong anout FFP.
Not just for the sake of Arsenal,but for the sake of the game.
Scott said “Nashua,take the money out of the game,and it would be great again.” When is that going to happen, Scott?
Steve – I’m not sure CL football will be ours this season, unless the club invest in January….
Or of course we are win at Wembley in May. And no, I don’t mean the FA Cup 😉
Tomorrow??
Steve
There’s a difference between change and manipulation. The first can happen the latter is forced.
I’m used to you now Scott…..
Rico, ffp is going to be a joke. You cant suspend the big clubs like barc, RM. if they break the rules and expect to make profit? And there will always be ways around it.
Is it totally out of the question we could get Falcao??
Bear with me.
He has shown that he is not a player merely chasing glory,as surely he could have gone to Barca or Real already.
Yes,we laugh at it,but Wenger has said he’d pay top dollar for super quality.
Different numbers thrown around,but we do have money to spend.
Our defence is much better…we need to score mor goals,and this bloke would be the perfect choice.
The fans need a boost,and this would be a massive one.
24 million gained by selling a 29 y.o. goalscoring crock would go a long way to subsidising a 35 million spend on a 26(?) y.o. Goal scoring freak.
Would Falcao want to be part of a rotating group of world class strikers,or the main man??
Is it possible??
Well,as long as you realise i am no Stan lover,Rico 🙂
Not Goonster…we all love THAT Stan!!
When you sit on the fence as a bystander and watch the league and its teams march on you start to look at the chelseas and the citys and now qpr and you see the amount of investment billions being spent with hardly any profit and you see that some of the clubs have a couple of trophie but they now need more investment to keep the challenge up you start to realise the the owners of these clubs will allways have to pay out because they have tried to buy success and the success they brought is now in the past is that how you want us to go.
NG, I know, that is my view too… I was being ironic really, but the club are banking on it doing what it says on the tin….
Steve,they just can not sustain it.
Ibramovich is the man who instigated FFP..or played a big part in it.
He has his squad now,and doesn’t want to have to keep spending to maintain it.
If,if,if FFP works,then it will be easy enough for him to keep Chelsea at the top,because everyone wants to pay for successful sides.
If,if,if FFP works,he will be ale to afford to keep the place going.
If,if,if FFP works,what good will Usmanov be to us??
Falcao, 26 years old, he’s probably thinking mega bucks for a salary…. and there ends our interest..
Nice thought though….
I know it is highly unlikely Rico…..just dreaming out loud.
Still,Huntelaar would do nicely…..at the end of his contract,and a bloody nice option.
Steve , the problem with the long memory is that it stretches back before the Wenger and Graham eras. The club found success and the ols skool don’t want to back there.
Falcao is a dream; we all have dreams. I don’t see AW spending such money for him. If he is going for between 12 to 16 then maybe.
I would call us a slowly slowly club i can see perhaps one or two signings in January probably one as we have the money in the bank but i would also expect them to get that sum back by selling some as well. yep slowly slowly
Steve – both Man City and Chelsea needed huge investment, hundreds of millions. We don’t need that, we just need 4 players and offloading a few will help fund that…
£50 -60 million would make us as good as the others….
Steve
I don’t. Moreover the CL trophy looks like a Prince Charles vase anyway. But the penny pinching acquisitions and the royal ticket fee bothers me.
Steve,we do have a few that can be sold though.
Huntelaar – Free?
Holtby Free
Swarzer – cheap
Capoue £15-20M Max
Sakho £15 – 20M Max
Simples 🙂
Oh, and keep TW
Huntelaar in January Rico…we really need him now.
The others could wait.
Dg – I’d rather the FA Cup and League Cup over the CL…
Hi Potter, you sound like you have been around for a while i bet you enjoyed some of the old days. Even when we wasn’t winning there was always that excitement of being a gunner that cannon on the chest the red and white all of the old names that are still mentioned from the old gooners that has been with me all my life and it will stay till i check out. Arsenal whether it is owned by a yank Russian or chinaman will always be very close to my heart sometimes you have to remember that and let the shit fly over your head. 🙂
Scott Usmanov has companies that can loophole FFP with sponsor deals. Same as Mansour has done.
Oh,and M’Villa will be around 3 million by then 🙂
Talk about a burst a bubble!!!
I’d say we need a Gk and defender too Scott, especially after watching Kos and JD the other night….
Merts can’t play every week…
Dutch,it all depends on Uefa mate.
We may be hoping against hope,but still….
Steve – if we did that, they’d be no need for blogging 😉
Kos will come good…he is one player who thrives on game time.
He has been shit ever since i got my away strip with Kos 6 on it…..all my fault!!
I’m done now guys, catch you all tomorrow..
Night all…..
Rico,there will always be something to discuss…..always good chatting to Gooners….even miserable,negative bastards lol.
Steve , first game at Highbury 1956.
Sleep well Rico,and sweet dream,safe in the knowledge Falcao and Theo will be playing together and banging goals in,come January.
Of course,the may be doing for Chelski,but still 🙂
Rico I concur with the wish list. We aren’t CERN splitting atoms. Pretty straightforward if we commit to coin the opportunity.
Good night Rico and tomorrow is another day.
Nite Madam.
Hi DG anything will do me mate, 🙂 I’d settle for a good centre forward and some one with velcro hands 🙂
Potter you have been round a while 🙂 im off gooners catch you all laters nte nte all 🙂
Steve
Or a goalie with a rollout chameleon’s tongue. 😉
Not been mentioned yet here. But Bas Dost from Wolfsburg, early 20, looks the bollocks.
Night Stevep.
Nite Steve.
Erick where were you?? You started all this. If you stir stick around for the sniff. 😛
THIS US ARSENAL. GOONERS SAY CHEEEEEEEEEEEEESE.
Dutch,you would know better of course,but from the very little i have seen,Dost seems a little too close to Giroud in style.
Very,very good though.
Thoughts?
Dutch, the early bird gets the worm, the second mouse gets the cheese.
That is absolutely brilliant Dutch…..loved it.
Off to the airport to pick up a South African Gooner for a weeks stay here.
The doors are open here for Gooners!!
Where’s Smudge?
Micko you always make me tap my fingertips in appreciation.
Scott you’re absolutely right re Giroud mk2. Dost just transfered in the summer though. So might be an option in time. You know how it goes, as soon as Oliver hits 30 plus a season he’s gift wrapped. 😉
And what’s happened to Canadian Gooner/Gunner.
Has he been eaten by a Grizzly Bear?
SYG is busy tunnelling his way to Oslo.
Dutch, everything cool over in the Low Countries?
Kev
SYG has greater ambitions, middle earth next stop.
Fine here enjoying my last sips of Sol (tequila beer).
Gotta say, that I don’t expect any big Arsenal signing’s in January.
If Dein was there then he would persuade the Board to spend, just like he did when he nagged that useless slug Hill-Wood into stumping up the funance for Jose Antonio Reyes.
We’ve not made a signing like Reyes, in January, since…
And with Dein gone those other tight bastards on the Board aren’t gonna sanction any major business.
So i’m not even gonna go there, as far as January signing’s are concerned.
Wenger might be allowed to do some minor business if anyone cheap or free becomes available.
Kroneke is back in America now.
“Arsenal who?” as far as he’s concerned…
That sounds ultra cool to me Dutch.
I’m relaxing in bed, a blond on my left, a brunette on my right…
In my dreams… 😉
With Judas sold I believe they got the last string cut as far as Dein&Son concerned.
January isn’t Wenger’s favorite to hammer deals by his own account.
It tastes great Kev but it looks like Armstrong’s piss for a doping lab.
Dutch, i’m just focused ln who we have, the young players coming thru like Gnabry & Eisfeld, plus those regaining fitness like Jack.
Hoping for a big signing in January will just leave ya disappointed, frustrated and bitter.
Our Board are fcuking useless, we just have to accept it and get on with it.
They’re all old, so hopefully they’ll just pop off soon.
Armstrong urine…!
Wow, that’s put me off me cocoa….
Don’t forget Chuk and Cambell.
The board is a Etonian club by heritage. That tradition is on its last candle.
Sorry to ruin your melted aphrodisiac. 😉
No Liverpool crisis headlines, coming out of the scumbag Press despite another poor result…
God, how I hate those cnuts.
I listened to the Wenger presser that Scouse Emma put up.
Then I read the Evening Standard and those wankers twist everything Wenger says.
Talk about a hidden agenda. There’s an agenda alright, and it’s not bloody hidden either.
Fcuk the lot of them.
Melted afro what? 😉
Haha, I just want to have a decent kip… 😀
Chuks and Campbell and maybe Afobe….
Think it’s gonna be next season for that trio Dutch.
Galindo and Wellington are, sadly, gonna follow the Botelho trail out of the club on the expiry of their contracts.
Having negative thoughts about Henderson now, doesn’t look like he’s gonna cut the mustard either.
Mind your ticker Kev. Liverstool represents Britain’s colonial era. Sentiment and nostalgia of the once great empire.
My ticker is fine Dutch, don’t you worry mate.
Even a couple of your beautiful Dutch girls couldn’t slow me down… 🙂
Ok, i’m gonna hold that thought and hit the sack.
Amsterdam here I come, what a nice dream to have.
Goodnight Dutchy.
Aphrodisiac, you know before they compressed stamina into a blue pill.
Good night Kev. Sweat dreams.
Morning all…… so Theo’s going to get his wheels nicked off his Ferrari?!?! Why would he seriously go there?? Apart from £100k per week of course!
Morning Lee and all.
Theo drives a VW Golf 😉
Everyone in bed still….
What around his estate…………..?
He bought Mel a Ferrari for her birthday Lee, bet she can’t wait to move Ooop Norff…!
New Post up….
Morning Wath, Mel won’t go to Liverpool then….