Morning all.
Well that’s the Christmas festivities over for another year. I know it’s only two days but mine shot by. Regardless, I had a lovely time with family as I hope you all did too.
Next comes the New Year when it’s out with the old and in with the new. If only that were true for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger.
Today he’ll equal old Fergie as far as Premier League matches managed goes and our last game in 2017 will see him surpass that record. I guess that’s something for him to celebrate but when it comes to what both managers achieved during the same amount of time, they are gulfs apart.
Fergie was winner and he didn’t accept second best very often and that was reflected in the amount of success he had both in England and Europe. Probably his best season was when his Utd team won the treble which included the Champions League. Wenger however can only boast a couple of double winning seasons, an invincible one and an FA Cup winning record. Not bad I know and I’m sure many other managers would love to have those trophies under their belt but the reality is, we are a million miles away from challenging for the league title and have been for a long long time.
As many of us have often said, Arsenal have no given right to win anything but wouldn’t it be refreshing if we actually looked like a team able to challenge for every competition we’re in? I can’t remember the last time we did and we certainly won’t be this season, that’s for sure.
Arsene Wenger can’t go on forever but Arsenal FC will and perhaps one day very soon, so many things will change.
Tonight the Frenchman is up against Roy Hodgson, the only manager in the league who’s older than him and despite his aging years, the Englishman has instilled a new lease of life into his Crystal Palace team.
In his press conference, Arsene Wenger said:
“What we want is to stop conceding goals, stop missing chances, but as well I want [my players] all to continue to play with the same spirit, the same determination and the same love of the game.
I’m not sure what he means really because I don’t know about you but I’ve not seen much spirit, determination or love of the game from our players, in fact apart from five minutes against Liverpool, we’ve been dreadful. The defending has been all over the place, the players look like they don’t know what they’re doing and going forward it’s like watching a schoolboy team where everyone follows the ball. As I’ve often written, this Arsenal team looks like it’s been throw together at the last minute having met for the first time down the pub.
It’s so hard to believe this is a team/squad assembled by Wenger, the same man who back in 1896 when he first arrived, had us playing the best football England had seen for many years. What he did back then, Pep Guardiola is doing now.
Palace have Benteke back which is good news for them but bad for us. No, I don’t rate him much but if it’s a battle between him a Koscielny, I know where my money would go. Perhaps Mustafi will bring a calming influence to the defence, then again. Zaha is another we’ll need to try and tame as he’s hit a bit of form apparently. I could see him in an Arsenal shirt.
As said, Palace are on a bit of a good run and haven’t lost at Selhurst Park for a while so this fixture is far from being an easy one. It should be, but I’ll be surprised if it is.
It’s live on Sky Sports so clearly someone believes we might slip up. I know I do.
Did you know we have ten fixtures between now and the end of January, eleven if we get past Notts Forest in the FA Cup. Wait for the word ‘fatigue’ to surface…..
Have a good day guys and be careful on the roads, there’s ice and lots of it…
Ah, I remember 1896 well. 🙂
Brudder was that Kev’s 21st??
It was deliberate, honest… ?
🙂
It just seems that long Rico.
Exactly Adam.
Looks like Klopp is trying to sort his defence out. Wonder if Wenger is?
Morning all. I reckon Wenger is searching for the grey haired sympathy vote of confidence! I know this is not quite the same thing but, look at Debbie McGee (sp?) old but amazingly agile in both mind and body, nah I’m probably wrong, he may be fit in body but I believe his mind has gone! He’s not called the senile one for nothing.
Happy birthday big Frank, the best captain the Arsenal ever had. (Apologies to Adams but he had several marbles missing whist Frank did not!)
Another cold, crisp, azure skied day here.
Happy birthday Tick Tock. A genuine man and a true |Arsenal supporter that I have had the pleasure of chatting with on two occasions . Cue the old joke , The second was not “You still here “. I met him in a lift at the new stadium when I was curious enough to go up to club level and he had reservations about leaving Highbury and we talked about 70 /71 ,the second time on a concourse at Wembley when he nicked my pen to sign autographs , I waited and asked for it back he commented that he was the scotsman and handed it over smiling. Nice man.
Wavy, at least DM could still dance… lol
Morning All
Morning Rico, don’t ask me why ( anorak head I guess) but for some reason I know that Frank McLintock was born in 1939 and George Graham in 1944. Maybe it’s because I’ve read their books etc…
Yes, 1896, what a great year Rico, I remember it well, I’d only just got back to England from the Kimberley diamond mines. ?
We could do with someone like Frank on the board..
Morning Kev, I looked him up, he’s 77 years old…
Met him a couple of times Rico, like Potter, at Ipswich in the posh seats and he did an awards ceremony for my sons football team back in the mid 90’s, absolute gentleman.
£75m for Dick Van Dyke or whatever his name is, seems an inordinate amount of dough…
I mean, as good as he might be and he may well be brilliant, but if he is really a £75m player then why aren’t Real Madrid or PSG or Barca after him?
Beware buying players from Southampton, the league is littered with ex-Southampton players who looked world beaters on the South Coast but failed to live up to their billing and the price paid for them when they moved. Lovren anyone?
Get you both name dropping Kev..;)
I’ve a feeling VVD will pay his fee back on the pitch. I really like him, but that’s a lot pf money for a defender.
Rico, what a fantastic innings by Alister Cook, this Test Match has seen him overtake Jayawardene, Chanderpaul and finally Brian Lara on the list of all-time Test batsmen, he is now 6th a mere 1,404 runs behind Sangakkara.
England should be able to get at least a draw now, to stop the rot and end all ideas of another debilitating 5-0.
Once we get them on our wickets with our ball things will be different.
I had a bad night Kev and watched a lot of it. Fantastic..
Pressures off and Cook comes to the party.
Sorry to hear that Rico ☹️
Draxler, even if we sign him and I doubt that we will as it’s like Benzema episode 2 or Kalou, every window the same stupid names are dragged up.
Yeah, even if we signed him, so what, what difference would it make?
Similar to Arsenal Potter…
It’s ok thanks Kev, I’ll sleep like a baby tonight.. 🙂
No difference whatsoever, not all the time Wenger is here. Just watched his I’V on Ss’s, it’s sad..
Afternoon All
Another rambling nonsense from old Ebenezer. .
What values he is talking about?
Society?
VVD for £75 millions is too much imo.
You could only envy the bindippers for trying to be up there with the elite. .
Meantime at arsenal we get lectured about society and values from a man who earns over 10 millions and is doing so little to justify it!
Ha ha Kk.I guess he tried to think of something different to say…
I can’t be bothered to find out what he said , from the comments doesn’t look like I am missing much.
You’re not..
Afternoon all.Well Southampton are making millions and to be honest we haven’t had the best of any of their players,Walcott,The Ox and Chambers.
Listenting to Wenger’s press conference he reinds me of Professor Stanley Unwin who spoke gobbley gook in fact his own upside down language.Younger readers need to |Google him to get what I mean.
I see there are now 34 PL players earning over 100K a week and despite two wage increases his current salary is 110K whilst though on a free Kolasinac earns 120K
If football is first and foremost a business surely all players should have a basic wage and bonuses paid if justified at the end of the season depending how the team perform.
I know it won’t work but it should have been thought out properly.
Nervous tonight as I am before evey game and even though the points difference to those above us bar City is achievable our goal difference is abysmal. I feel a draw is the best we can achieve as Palace are n a good run of form.A few years back I would have said within an instant we would win.
Which player who has had two pay increases are you referring to Kelsey?
Evening all and thank you Rico.
£75M for VvD !!!…….has the world gone crazy ?…………………………mind you give Klopp his due, he knows he needs a defence so he buys a defender……………….Wenger knows he needs a defence so will buy another attacking midfielder !
Add VvD to the long list !…………………………….
https://twitter.com/johncrossmirror/status/946314106923094016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fdailycannon.com%2F2017%2F12%2Farsenal-offered-van-dijk-6m%2F
But at £75M, I`d rather have six and a half Gabriel Paulista`s !.
Not sure if this means anything to us, but I was hoping it would make him sell his shares !
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/american-football/42500821
Why doesn`t Kroenke buy Southampton ?………………….they sell all their best players ( to mainly Liverpool and us), make millions, still in the EPL and win fcuk all, they are like Arsenal but without the FA Cups ! hahaha
Harry Kane,Rico and Spurs wage bill is 29% less than ours. Kane will be sold if RM come knocking for most probably a world record transfer fee.
Totts will give him a huge pay rise I’d have thought Kelsey, otherwise he’ll be off. If he’s about money only. But if Totts start winn8ng things, he might stay put..
Just watched 89.. Brilliant.
Arsenal these days are nothing like The Arsenal of old… But I guess it’s similar for many other clubs too…
Arsenal: Cech, Chambers, Koscielny, Mustafi, Bellerin, Xhaka, Wilshere, Kolasinac, Ozil, Sanchez, Lacazette. Subs: Ospina, Walcott, Holding, Iwobi, Welbeck, Maitland-Niles, Coquelin.
Unlucky not to score after that decent move.
Nice finish Mustafi
Rico
It was a nice finish from Mustafi …yes.
I am watching Bellerin…….i do not understand what does he give either going forward or in the defense.
Afraid of tackles
never aim to pass a player with ball in his feet
That’s what you get when you don’t put the game to bed
Alexis Sanchez BABY!!!
This is for you kev. You’ll be doing a lot of K’s in that taxi b4 you get the better of us ever again 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OidSD14mGE
Barmy Wankers! barmy Wankers!
Why is it that after every game you think we got away with it.
A win’s a win! A win’s a win!……………………’ if said……………for now!
‘If said = Nuff said! Apple slowing my iPad down, I reckon!
Morning guys.
New post up now.