Morning all.
2018 draws to a close, 2019 is just hours away. I don’t think it makes a lot of difference what four digit number is on the calendar because what’s meant to happen will go ahead regardless. But it’s funny though because to say goodbye to a year when it’s been a rough one, seems to make us daft human beings feel more positive. Out with the old, in with new and all that jazz. If you’ve had a testing 2018, I hope 2019 is better. Much better.
I certainly hope it’s going to be a better year for Arsenal FC that’s for sure because this one, although not the worst in the club’s history by far, hasn’t been particularly good either.
We’ve hit a bit of a brick wall I think. Unai Emery has had just the one transfer window, which by Arsenal standards was quite a busy one, and he’s had six months to work with them and the players he inherited from the previous manager.
We’ve seen individuals improve with the standouts in my opinion being Bellerin and Holding. The six monthly appraisal, as it was called in my day, won’t make good reading for a few others, or at least it shouldn’t. Whereas it used to be different players, same mistakes, it’s now same players, different manager, yet still the same mistakes. Unai Emery doesn’t moan about injuries, he doesn’t use them as an excuse for us conceding goals either. No, he’s honest and says it as it is. We’re making mistakes, we’re not good enough.
By now one would hope that the Spaniard has been involved in talks with the board. Explaining to them that as much as he’s tried, there are a number of players who simply aren’t good enough to take Arsenal to where they need to be and they need replacing. In January preferably but otherwise, in the summer.
From the first team squad listed on the official website, there are eight players, including those on loan, who I believe could easily be moved on. I’m not going to name them, just compare them with your numbers and names throughout the day. I could so easily have picked more but I’ve allowed for squad players, those I believe are good enough to support/cover the first eleven. It’s just a bit of fun.
The Times suggest three new arrivals will come through the door next month. A midfielder, a winger and a defender. Where they get their information from I don’t know but if it turns out to be factual as far as positions go, that’s a good start but as much as we need quantity, the key is in their quality. In my opinion, we need players for today, not two or three years time. We need experienced guys who will walk straight into the first team and make a difference. A big difference.
Rumours will be rife about who we might sign and as the month goes on, they’ll get worse but if the board and manager are serious about things, they need to act fast. Get whoever they’re after through the door early and push on. It’s easy to think they’ll dilly dally around or not spend money because that’s what we’ve been used to for so long but Raul Sanllehi isn’t Ivan Gazidis and Unai Emery isn’t Arsene Wenger. They are both long gone, just like this year will soon be.
Have a great evening guys and gals, I’ll be fast asleep long before Big Ben strikes.
Sevilha is interesting in Mavroupanos
They can take a jump Jm.
Good morning Rico, even as you are reading this comment a steady stream of exotic and expensive motor cars are pulling up at London Colney to disgorge eager, young and talented footballers anxious to append their signatures ( X in some cases) to five year contracts in order to play for Arsenal on minimum wage. Simultaneously, by a side door Unai Emery is ushering out a bedraggled group of players no longer considered good enough or committed enough to remain at the home of football.
What’s that ringing noise? Damn, my alarm clock! and I was having such a wonderful dream. 😉
Morning Cicero. That’s funny…
Morning Rico,
A London Taxi Cab driver has been killed in a shocking accident on the A13
This is Kevs patch , do you know how to get in touch with him to see if he is ok
Terrible end to the year for someone.
Let’s hope Kev is ok 🤞
Happy New Year guys.
2018 can take a massive run and jump as it’s been a bloody shocker, but unlike the poor cabbie, we can all hope ‘19 is a better one.
Well, it’s been a shocker for me, anyway.
3 months off work injured made things tough but Sean gallivanting overseas made it even tougher, though we can look back and say our lad represented Australia, and also scored his first overseas goal this year, so in some ways, it’s been a ripper year 🙂
I hope it is a great year for the club, but all of you good people as well.
Kev is ok!!!
Just messaged and he’s all good.
Cheers Digger
Yep, I’m still here. 🙂
Glad to hear it mate 🙂
Afternoon Rick.
What awful news, glad you’re fine Kev.
It was an elderly lady driving the wrong way on the motorway. This seems to be a frequent thing which can be avoided with better signage…
Glad you’re ok Kev.
Back to the transfers, I think it’s important to realise that Emery only really got involved in Guendouzis arrival. The others were taken care of before he was appointed and Guendouzi was also a done deal.
So really he hasn’t had much input into the squad yet at all.
And a sobering thought for today; Liverpool funded the final part of their rebuild by selling Coutinho for £142m.
With our contract bungling we may well lose, Sanchez, Ozil, Ramsey, Wilshere, and Welbeck and only have Mkhitaryan in exchange. I wonder how much we should have got for those players.
Hobart, the way the club dealt with player contracts was appalling.
I know Xhaka, Elneny and Iwobi are not everyone’s cup of tea but Raul didn’t hesitate to stick them on new contracts so if sold, we’ll get money for them.
I think the issue over contracts and players leaving for free will be a thing of the past…
Afternoon Gooners
Afternoon Rico and thanks.
Cheers Hobart – are you in Aussie?
Happy New Year Scott, sorry to hear about your year Digger, thanks for texting mate.
Yes Rick I drive in on the A13 and/or the A127. It can get a bit boring so I tend to listen to podcasts during the journey or give friends a ring for a chat.
There’s some real nut jobs on both those routes into London.
Yeah, Hobart makes a good point about transfers, can Emery really be criticised for any of them or not as he’s not been responsible for most of them, although I think he had some input on Torrieira as well as Guendouzi deals.
Mkhitarayan, Aubameyang, Sokratis, Lichtsteiner and Leno have the fingerprints of Mislintat and Raul all over them, Lacazette was probably the last all Wenger deal.
I see Mane has been cleared by the FA regarding his “Incident” with Stephen Leichsteiner of Arsenal.
So its now official, you can grab an opponent around the neck and get away with it.
Double standards comes to mind….YET again.
Interesting how the Ramsey deal went Rico, I know we’ve had this discussion before, but the withdrawal of the contract must have had some influence from Emery who maybe saw that he couldn’t get what he wanted or needed from Aaron and that the finance earmarked for him could be spent elsewhere, Banega perhaps?
allezkev. Wheres your starting point in the mornings?
Happy New Year one and all.
Just wrote a shed load and lost it…..not doing it again…….
It was all about positive change and a reluctance to use, try, test youth. Enough said?
Hi Kev, not down under England all the way.
Fairly sure that for a number of years Wenger didn’t have full control of transfers. I’m not saying he didn’t have control, just not 100%.
The gossip I heard about Mkhitaryan was that Wenger didn’t want him. He wanted Martial as a swap for Sanchez. However Mourinho wouldn’t play ball and rather than get nothing for Sanchez they took Mkhitaryan.
Morning again, everyone.
Once again, glad to hear you’re safe, Kev.
VCC, maybe our lads ought to try the throat trick.
Of course, the first one would be sent off lol
Farcical situation.
As is the Ramsey debacle, though.
I hope we get something for him in January.
Oh and just worked out the Australia question.
About 25 years ago I was asked for a username on a website and it was the first time I’d ever needed one. I looked out of the window and there was a ‘Hobart Road’ sign. I’ve used Hobart ever since.
Hobart, it’s too bloody hot here 🙂
Hi VCC, just outside Basildon, about 35 miles from London.
Where are you based?
Happy New Year to you Wavy, yeah, it’s frustrating when a long comment ends up being sent to Voyager…
Agree Kev, Shame he can’t get Ozil out as easy.. afternoon to you too.
Crooked FA Vcc
Sorry about that Wavy…
A wish for 2019: Arsenal champion again!
Well, I have to wait for next season and make the same wishes for 2020 …
JM, I fear that we’ll have to wait a long long time before we can experience Arsenal celebrating winning the League, it’s currently 15 years and counting to this Summer.
And 2021 and 2022, JM! Perhaps we can look forward to 2023?😊
Losing ones stuff is just one of the perils the owner of a new iPad has to put up with!! It claims to be ‘more secure’ than the old one, so I shouldn’t complain, well, not a lot! The new piece of machinery is really quick and very adaptable. It wasn’t cheap, but I suppose you get what you pay for and it’s not unreasonable to encounter a few glitches at first. I mean any iPad is only as good as its coach, I mean user! I’ll have it working like a well oiled machine in a few,weeks time!
I feel a bit like Dick rumbling around in the dark but I know what I want and I’m prepared to spend a little time honing (coaching) it……until the next upgrade!
Glad to hear you’re okay Kev and LC is soldiering one despite the best efforts of the patch work quilt that is now what’s left of the NHS, not quite treating his ailing wife properly. God bless austerity, Mr Cameron, Boy ‘Georgie’ Osbourne, Mr and Mrs May and all the other overprivelaged but undeserving chaps who seem to have ruined our country in the last eight years!
Oh and RiP PHW. Apart from his last few years at Arsenal he and his family before him created and preserved our club successfully for donkey’s years. For that alone we should be truly grateful. A shame that we haven’t “got his sort” around the Board Room now.
That’s the way football has gone Wavy.. Sad really..
Evening all and thanks Rico.
Imo this will be a fruitless TW, we all know we work on self sustainability with no help from the owner and I`m convinced it will stay that way whilst Kroenke owns us, but my main reason for thinking it will be fruitless is because someone of more knowledge about Arsenal dealings than anyone else out side the club………………….you know who I mean ! 🙂
https://twitter.com/bbcsport_david/status/1079775499042340864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1079775499042340864&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthisisfutbol.com%2F2018%2F12%2Fblogs%2Fornstein-arsenal-likely-to-look-for-loans-in-january%2F
He knows little Lc, thought you’d have realised by now.. lol
Happy New Year all, an hour ago, from somewhere between Cambodia and Saigon! (Seems I was lucky to be away and miss Liverpool game!)
allezkev…… I’m your neighbour buddy. Grays.
Happy New Year to you Andrew, Scott and anyone else for who 2019 has arrived..
Vcc, the email you use to log in on here, is it one you use?
rico……..Yes……why?
Have I been a naughty boy ?…..;-)
😀 not at all Vcc, Just checking..
You`re going to be disappointed,Rico, if you think we will get any quality in and not listening to The Ornstein !
😀
This may appeal to the likes of Kev, Adam and Lee as I know they love their Pie&Mash…………………………….I went on Facebook and joined………………The Pie&Mash Appreciation Society ! 😆
For years I have looked on the internet to try and find the recipe for the Pies with no luck……………………with the P&MAS having 1000`s of memebers I was put through to someone who was recomended by quite a few and the lovely lady messaged me the recipe !…………………………..hopefully when my wife gets to full recovery she being the best cook I know will supply me endlessly after years of being denied it !……………….apart from having it with the occasional trip to see The Arse` !……………………………………..Mmmmmmmmmmmmm
🙂
The secret is in the liquor.
I don’t take any notice of any of them Lc, so no disappointment for me.. lol
Happy New Year to you all, catch up tomorrow…
She gave me the liqour recipe aswell !, Potter !
Just dropping in to wish you all a happy new year.
What about the stewed eels to go with the pie and mash. Haven’t had that succulent combination for about five or six years when I was in Greenwich market.
Happy New year one and all. 🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔
New post up now.