Morning all.
Sadly though, he’s not talking about his own position which will hopefully have a vacancy come the end of May. He’s referring to the man or woman who is to replace Andries Jonker:
We have many candidates and we have a lot of time now to choose the best one.
That’s a process we have started and ideally you want people with the Arsenal spirit.
We have special values here. If it could be a person who reflects our values, then of course that would be even better.
All the time Arsene remains the Arsenal manage, he’s always going to be involved in the selection of the Academy manager and to be honest, it would be madness for him not to be. But this is a chance for Arsenal to make a big change in the way the players are coached. Teach them something different from a young age and as they mature and grow, we could end up with a totally different style of player coming through, both in football terms and attitude.
Jack Wilshere has always had an edge to him and I like that in a footballer. As a kid he’d have been around and watching the likes of Winterburn, Adams, Keown, Dixon, Romford and Merson, players who 9/10 on match day, gave everything for The Arsenal, Their Arsenal, unlike today when players coming through often refer to Henry, Paddy etc when asked who their favourite footballer was at the club. I’m not knocking the latter players as they were class players who gave so much to the club, but there’s nothing like a local lad to pass on what this club really means to us fans is there?
I think a lot of that pride for the club has been lost but it needs bringing back and one way to do that is to appoint a real Arsenal man as the Academy Manager. Get one of those real Arsenal men into the mix and teach these youngsters football, but drum home what The Arsenal is all about. I’m not for one minute suggesting Arsene Wenger gives Merse a call as a move like that would be madness but perhaps someone like Adams or Keown, both who have their coaching badges, or even Sol Campbell who started out on the wrong side of North London, came to his senses and got used to winning. Any one of those would have a wealth of knowledge and great experience, not only about the club, but what it’s like to be a winner.
And Big Sol would remind these kids what playing in a NLD means, something which I don’t think many at Arsenal these days understand…
If Wenger is staying, the least he could do is get The Arsenal back into our club through the Academy…
Refreshing post Rico, it would be exciting to see players play like they are prepared to die each night. There are such players out there and we have been avoiding them for some reason. I can bet you that a gritty fighter of a CDM, a big strong mobile striker and one tricky winger this group is not far off.
But seems as if we have purposefully avoided players who bring fight and spirit to the pitch whenever they play. Softies who don’t get stuck in for the club. Example we know Kante is quality but most of it could be attributed to the grit that he applies, the fight the spirit the whole passion he has. We need those kind of players now
Thought something different might help Mabo… 😉
Hate to bring it back to Arsene Wenger but I think he avoids those types of players because he struggles to manage them. Look at what’s going on with Alexis right now…
I know exactly what you mean Rico. I was just trying to stay away a bit from the elephant in the room. But then again how can one miss the elephant in the room. We can live in hope still
It’s too big to miss Mabo.
Oh how true and how sad then
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks!
Afternoon all. Grey and cool here. Joyless and miserable!
For every Iniesta, there is a Busquets, Pirlo had Gattuso at Milan and Vidal at Juve. Technically gifted players with grafters a Kante next to them to allow them flourish. I seldom watch the academy play but am sure there are no such tough players. Our academy needs to bring on such players.
T.A wouldn’t have a problem bringing on tough kids so would MK. The current arsenal way is about soft, sleek passing and technically gifted players and they overlook the tacklers. ’till recently it seems Coq would be that guy. Untill he wasn’t.
Wavy, but didn’t you see in the Mirror that ‘he’s ready to change tactics’ and tweaks have already been made… lol
Afternoon Rico and All
Marshall are you involved in youth football.
Good point re Coquelin, goodness what’s happened to the player of last season….
Afternoon Fred..
Our scouting system changed when Arsene took
control.
Brady was brought in and went for a certain type of player
but he was told by Arsene to look for more gifted player’s
Arsene at the time never knew what Row Z was.
Afternoon all.
Would you agree that this site is as good a representation of fans of all ages,knowlegeable in the main of which some travel to games Home and Away and others not, but are not blind to read on a daily basis will he or will he not sign a new deal.
This isn’t a vote for a President or Prime Minister, it is simply being highlighted for all the wrong reasons being that Wenger has been a loyal servant for 21 seasons but now, has splt the fanbase and all we hear every week that a decision will be made as to his future,and that statement changes from week to week.
Can’t they see the unsettling effect it is having where it matters,on the pitch and to the fans,to the extent some are fighting each other at games.
.
Do we mant another 10 weeks of this? I know the answer and so do you.
Regardless of your views all this should have been kept behind closed doors, players should walk the walk not talk the talk, and quite frankly it’s becoming tedious.
It’s a simple question .Does he stay or does he go which should be dealt with now by The Board,not Wenger and then at least being a classy business model as we are told so often, arrangements can be made about numerous things affecting the end of this season and the start of next season which includes the decision of at least 7 players who may or may not be retained or want out.
We can’t talk about this on a daily basis, which must make it extremely difficult to qrite a daily blog on our club..
My Opinion is:..
Arsene remember’s old red nose
saying he was retiring at the end of season
and the manc’s lost 5 game’s I think.
But like you say Kelsey it’s more or less the same effect.
The Coq has been tweaked and changed!
As for tactics, what tactics? I’ll believe ‘change’ when I see it.
The first 54 minutes against Bayern the other night showed a bit of commitment and fight, but a change of tactics I didn’t notice. I haven’t seen much tikka taka in the past few weeks, simply because all our opponents have energetically spent time, sweat and effort closing us down. No time on the ball hence no crab football. Is that a change of tactics? I don’t think so. I expect the change we may see is, the ball over the top tactic!
We’ve become totally predictable in style, application and effort, all of which leaves us far behind the elegance of the 2000 to 2006 teams.
Sad that the old dog can’t remember what he did, tactically in the noughties and therefore can’t reintroduce them to our current crop of lovelies!
Back to dogs and tricks ………again!
Fred, am not involved in football whatsoever, am just a keyboard specialist 🙂
Just catching up, afternoon All, afternoon Rico…
Agree totally your earlier point Adam, it’s what he can do in the future that counts, not what he has done in the past.
He’s used up all the goodwill that those early years gave him, the club have to be more ruthless, but I just don’t see Kroenke or Gazides having the courage to make the necessary decisions…
Dermot Drummy could be one to consider for academy director
Fred, that change in scouting direction is systematic in why Arsenal have not developed a single decent centre back in 20 years, or defensive midfielder, and I mean from Hale End not some young geezer stolen from La Maria or another clubs academy…
Our academy turns out passing robots.
Frankly it’s a shambles…
La Masia
Marshall, bang us out a tune on the old Joanna mate… ?
Lol, Kev she is rusty and has only one ding dong left in her. I’ll play it when the tyrant is off the helm at the Ems!
Kelsey, but you told us he was 100% going, so I’m expecting his to leave… 🙂
Afternoon Kev, all…
Kev…….Would you have J Terry for a season.
Marshall…Just checking..12.55 Agree
Didn’t Arsenal try to sign John Terry before Abramovitch took over Fred..?
From a football perspective, John Terry has been a great centre half and captain, but I think that he is past it now mate, it would be like Terry Mancini revisited… ?
And tbh, we are Arsenal mate, we shouldn’t be taking Chelsea cast offs.
Is that really where we are now Fred..?
Marshall, I’ll hum it and you play it…. ?
A concern at present too, is when you check out footie news and gossip, all the top clubs appear to be lining up their targets to buy for next season NOW! Yet you look at the Arsenal news and all it goes on about still is Sanchez leaving (to join one of the two Manchester clubs), Ozil being offered more money to stay, and the pressure on Wenger.
Very depressing reading.
Meerkat, it’s all transfer bollox though made up by those media darlings… We get linked to plenty too, seldom sign them though… lol
Even when we do, Wenger doesn’t play one or two – ie Perez….
My hunch rico, he’s already signed the 2 year extension put in front of him and it’s being kept under wraps.
Nothing yet from my insider either, might have to start leaning on him.
I”m hoping the rumour that we’re eying Mpappe has legs, but he’ll be out of our price range anyway.
We didn’t play well versus Bayern? I think was one of the best performance this year until the 11-10.
I must post this: I not discuss for the moment, the fault, penalty and the red card. However, on Wednesday, i’ve watched Barcelona-PSG, and the fifth Barcelona goal was a fault from Marquinhos to Suarez, when he is clear in front of the PSG goalkeeper. I not discuss if was fault, and penalty but was a yellow card.
My question is: the footbal rules are the same everywhere but why the different criterious?
Me too Micko, they are just waiting for one good performance and then the news will hit us…
Can’t believe you’ve not leaned or your inside mole a bit harder by now…. ?
Brad, now Wenger has said he tried, I think he’s already admitted defeat in trying to sign him…
Jm, UEFA behave their favourites, Arsenal are not one of them….
Morning all.
JM, alArsenal dans aren’t allowed to use valid excuses such as poor officiating, because we should be better than that-well, so the general consensus goes.
I say rubbish, because if a crap decision changes the course of a game, yes, we have right to openly discuss it.
1-0 and playing well.
Lewandowski dives and bingo-we are gone.
Let’s be clear-I’m not excusing the capitulation, but the simple fact is, once that decision was made, we were dead in the water, no matter what the final score ended up.
The best officials are this we don’t talk about after a game, but how often does that happen?
In our A League, we have a side who’s already won the minor premiership (we have a finals series) with 5-6 games to go and I’ll tell you, they’ve had as much “luck” with officials as any Utd side ever did lol
Leicester last year-15 penalties to our 2.
How many games did they win off the back of these?
Vardy scores one more goal in general play than Giroud yet our guys shit.
Yes, officials play too big a part in results when they’re ultimate calling is to play none at all.
Again, we fold like a deck of cards too often, and too easily so that’s our own issue, but yes, officials have played their part.
Any idea how many penalties have had this season, out of interest?
One of Wenger comments I won’t miss once he leaves. He could’ve had 2 generations of Real Madrid the amount of players he tried to/could’ve signed.
When he was at varsity, I’m sure he tried to sign Pele and Maridona
Bradster, his biggest problem is usually what he says lol
Rico
I still think that’s the case but the share has to be considered.If he leaves and no one of importance in football terms replaces him, the share price will drop.
A very pro Wenger season ticket holder,Bob Davies, has arranged a Wenger” clap in” at the 2oth.minute tomorrow to celebrate AW’s 20 years at the club.That will be interesting 😉
my friends at work asked me how I think we’ll do tomorrow. I said an easy win, they’re non league. They asked me an I sure with the way we playing. Surely I won’t need to eat my words?
Evening all……………..I love the stat that in the 90 odd minutes Koz was involved in the two BM games we won 2-1 !.
A mate of mine is going tomorrow and I asked him if he could start a…Blockley Boo….on 45 mins, as it`s something like 45 years since we bought him !………..he asked for how long to boo and I said 3 years as that`s how long he made my life a misery as an Arsenal player, but I said 3 mins will do, a minute for every year !………………………..Adam and Rico, you`ll be there tomorropw, any chance of booing on 45 mins ?……………..I`ll be listening for you !…………………..It`l be half time, so you can make out you`re booing because of a shit performance ! hahaha
Tbh, the only, ONLY, good thing to come out of losing, is that the club have to face up to reality and accept that change is inevitable.
I hope he does receive a type of standing ovation for his 20 years, and that precludes him saying ‘that is enough now’ and decides to leave.
I have tbh and say that I don’t want to see him sacked.
Sorry to all those who have grown to loathe the air that he breathes. It is what it is. I just want him to bow out with some dignity intact.
Then at least we will see the real truth about who is threatening to leave if he goes. We really don’t need halfhearted players at the club, do we?
There’s always an excuse for us eh scott….
Brad, there’s many of his silly comments I won’t miss…..
Nighty guys…
There may be a set of excuses regarding the Bayern result and yes we were hampered in both matches.But the problem cannot be confined to just one fixture ,this has been brewing for a long time and unfortunately the club’s policy of ignoring it and hoping it will go away is now backfiring.
It has been brewing potter, I can’t remember the last game that I felt totally comfortable with, or that I didn’t secretly dread.
Hanging on to a 1-0 lead is nailbiting, not pleasant at all.
Sorry Kev got side tracked.
J Terry..Mate of mine doorman romford night club
spoke to him…He said he was signing for 5Million.
Not for playing Kev…Doing what his doing now.
I hear a lot of chat in the dressing room comes
from him.
Ok Fred, I guess that’s one for the summer, but it smacks of desperation to me if true…
If it’s non playing I would rather TA5 or Keown.
If we’re whittling it down, Keown for me by a country mile. No baggage just honest toil, understanding of the game and integrity. What’s not to admire?
Sorry once again Kev
Not talking about now
It was before the gangster turned up
I may be wrong Wavy
But Keown coached the team then I think
for the Champions final Paris
Goodnight all boozy night
Rico, often there is an excuse, but plenty of fans say there’s never is, so who’s right and who’s wrong?
Wenger haters are never wrong lol
Wenger haters Scott, do you mean Arsenal fans?
Morning all..
Morning Rico.
Morning Adam, are you still going tonight?
31,790 fans have voted on the official site on how far we will go in the FA Cup. I’m amazed that 59% think we’ll win it…. 🙂
New post up.