Morning all.
It’s certainly head scratching times when it comes to writing about Arsenal. Even a quarter final Europa Cup fixture doesn’t seem to generate much interest, well, it certainly doesn’t for me. Maybe once kickoff arrives I’ll be a little more enthusiastic but I’m not holding my breath. The downhill path of the club has been well trodden, so much so one would like to think there’s not much of that path left for anymore footprints. We’re not quite rock bottom, no club could be considered to be in such a place whilst sitting sixth in the top league of English football but I’m sure I’m not alone when suggesting it feels as if we are. We’ve been stuck at a crossroads for a while but now we’re at a T-Junction. Left is more of the same or worse, right is a less trodden path, a whole new world and only the board can decide which turn the club takes.
Many clubs would love to be in our position, of course they would but that’s because for most of their years in existence, they’ve either finished mid to low table or have endured a relegation battle. Either that or they’re further down the leagues but for us it’s different. Pre the Frenchman we went up and down the old First Division but things were different then. We weren’t made promises of moving stadiums to compete and beat the best, no, we were just competing with the rest in England and occasionally, Europe. The players were mostly local boys and there certainly wasn’t the option to pluck players from overseas as there is today. Foreign managers were unheard of too back then. Those were the days eh, when football meant something, the players loved their clubs regardless of how much they were earning and the fans, well they mattered to everyone in and around The Arsenal.
Back in 1930, it’s said that Herbert Chapman tried to sign Austrian goalkeeper Rudy Hiden but any such idea was swiftly poo pooed and a ban on signing overseas players was soon implemented. Then in 1978, straight after the World Cup, our noisy neighbours snapped up two players who’d finished the big competition with a winners medal. Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricky Villa! People weren’t happy about the pair of them coming to England though, certainly not the executives of the PFA.
“It could spread like wildfire,” complained secretary Cliff Lloyd. “Every foreign player of standing in our league represents a denial to a UK player of a place in the team.” Newly-installed PFA chairman Gordon Taylor (right) agreed: “There could already be two players out of a job at Tottenham.”
That moaning about foreign players never really went away and it wasn’t so long ago that Arsene Wenger and his total foreign side were blamed for the England team being so poor. Next of course it was the turn of the foreign managers as they were reason Englishman weren’t getting the top managerial positions. Funny enough though, it’s become more and more apparent as the years have gone by that the reason they don’t get the top jobs is because most of them are bang average.
Nowadays it’s totally different as the Premier League is swamped with overseas footballers and a high number of foreign managers too which imo is a good job because if it wasn’t, it’d probably be a very boring League. Mind you, had English football not sold its soul to the rich overseas owners, perhaps each club would be on a more level playing field but then we wouldn’t be seeing the kind of players we are in England either and certainly at Arsenal. Throw Sky Sports and BT Sport out and there’d be very little money in the game so round again we go. Chicken v the Egg isn’t it but the game is where it’s at and there’s little we can do about it.
One thing for sure though and that’s Arsene Wenger would have been gone long ago if it wasn’t for being able to sign foreign players because during his twenty two years at Arsenal, he’s signed just eleven English players, the best of course being Sol Campbell. I expect there’s been a few other youngsters in there somewhere too but as yet, none have really excelled. Remember not so long ago the ‘British Core’ who signed new contracts with Arsene Wenger suggesting they were our future? That worked out well didn’t it……
Ten years ago, Arsene Wenger bragged:
“One day I’ll give you the list of those at the top level who have made careers with me and you will see. You will be absolutely astonished.”
Eight years on and I’d love to see his list. The days of signing the likes of Anelka, Fabregas, Clichy etc appear to be long gone. He might sign young players from overseas and here in Britain, but they’re not flourishing under his management. In fact in most cases, they’re regressing.
He’s now turned to signing experienced players, certainly since Mesut Ozil joined the club. Project youth and project England simply didn’t work and now, nor is project experience. I’m going to stick my neck out and suggest that on paper, the squad Wenger has now is the strongest he’s had in a long long time, yet the players as a team, are playing some of the worst football we’ve seen during the last twenty two years he’s been at the club if not the worst.
The board simply have to take that right turn.
Ian Wright has expressed his pleasure at seeing the masses of empty seats at The Emirates as he sees it as fans talking to the board with their feet. It’s been long overdue but that’s easy for me to say as I’m not a season ticket holder but it must be a dreadfully hard decision to stay away knowing you’ve paid so much money for a ticket. Doesn’t that show just how bad things have become? As Wrighty said, the Arsenal fans have been patient, perhaps too patient in hindsight but not any longer.
I still have a hunch that change will come in the summer and amidst the rumours of potential candidates in the media, the silent words from the club in support of Arsene Wenger are deafening.
As usual we’re linked with players ahead of the transfer window which isn’t that far away really but I hope any signings will be made on the say so of a new manager who’s already in discussions with Sven Mislintat, Raul Sanllehi and Ivan Gazidis, just as the City owners were with Pep Guardiola. I reckon that as soon as our Europa campaign is over, we’ll find out what’s happening one way or the other. If he stays, I’ll be amazed.
Talking of transfers rumours, here’s a few from the last day or two, I know everyone likes them….
Max Meyer is out of contract in the summer so that automatically means he could be heading our way and his current club director Christian Heidel is reported to have said:
“At the moment we can and must expect that Max leaves the club in the summer. “Everything suggests that. There is no offer from us and no wish from Max to have a conversation again.”
It’s not the first time he’s been linked with us and nor would it be the first time we nicked a freebie from Schalke either. Suggestion is it’s a two way battle for the player between us and the red scousers….
Apparently we’re set to do battle with them for Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos too although I suspect this story is about the players agent trying to secure more playing time for his client. after all, he only moved to Real last summer.
Ending with Real Madrid, they thrashed Juventus last night 3-0. As much as the match was enjoyable to watch, especially Ronaldo’s second goal, the battle between the two top clubs really highlighted just how far Arsenal are from being at their level.
With Max Allegri apparently suggesting that his next managerial move will be away from Italy, I hope the Arsenal board don’t miss out on the chance to snap him up. I’m sure he’d get The Emirates full again..
Ok, I get it. I’ve waffled on for too long…..
Worming Rico. Good article, lots there to have a moan about. Excellent. Here we go then…….
The Star are suggesting that Allegri is off to Chelsea this summer. The only certainty there is that, Conte won’t be in charge after the end of May. If reports are to be believed!
As I’ve said several times before, Allegri would be a good manager for Arsenal. He seems to operate an holistic approach to football. That is, he doesn’t just have tunnel vision when it comes to creating a football team. He doesn’t just concentrate on smallish, technical ball playing midfielders. He looks for good/excellent strikers and he seems to know how to set up a defence of some quality. I know he called it wrong last night, defensively that is, and his strikers missed a small handful of very good half chances. Actually, it was reminiscent of some of our efforts in Europe. Max would be a shoe in then! Unlike our present incumbent, who these days couldn’t set up a tea table leave alone a competitive team to win against a good opponent.
Will Wenger be put out to pasture this summer? Perhaps, but the Board will have to lever him out, and he won’t go quietly or willingly but don’t hold your collective breath! The man is Teflon all criticism is ignored and dismissed.
I have seen no signs of the fat lady arriving and even less that she might be about to sing!
Overcast here. Just waiting for another downpour!
Corrections:
Morning Rico. (I hope your worms are all working hard this morning!)
I wish I could be as sure as you seem to be that the treadmill that we are on was going to change direction over this summer. For that to happen a lightning bolt would have to hit our boardroom. It is a well known fact that that elite members of that establishment pay no heed to the wishes of the rabble that cough up to keep them in the luxury that they consider their right.
There are many examples of how they treat their customers . Years ago there was an official forum run by the club open to all Arsenal members , however around the time of the Usmanov /Kroenke deals some of the posts became critical of the club . Suddenly new members came on and strung out all the threads with positive comments, When it was realised that in fact it was the club posting these the atmosphere became toxic and the club shut it down.
We then had the thanks for your interest in our club remark and now every question at the supporters meeting with the board is vetted and any criticism from the floor is ignored.
The critical date is June 1st , that’s when the money starts to roll in. I know that I will not cough up on the due date and I am pretty certain that many others won’t either . Leave it until the middle of the month and see how they react.
I would like to keep my season tickets as they have been in the family for a long time but I can’t help thinking that I and many others are being used . Since my illness I have not been going to matches and my tickets have been used by a friend , I have got used to not going and after matches I can get ready to go out with my family, part of me misses the atmosphere but the rest of me appreciate the free time .
What a quandry.
Morning Wavy. My worms? 😉
I guess with Allegri it’ll be about whether the club are interested in him which of course they should be, then about the guy himself. Does he want to be just another on a long list at Chelsea, or be at a club which is steeped in history and usually does things in the right way…
My hunch is based on logic alone Potter. The new recruits, the empty stadium, players like Auba arriving, Ozil staying, Gazidis words about change, Josh being over, the two year contract, the list is long. As the awful saying goes, time will tell but my fingers are well and truly crossed..
Morning Rico
Well that was a great post, one of your best.
But I’m afraid I’m gonna rain on your parade because I don’t trust KSE…
It’s all about the money, always has been, always will be.
I’m yet to be convinced that a Kroenke is prepared to write off a years salary for Wenger, to then replace him with Allegri or whomever.
The club are already preparing us for a fallow summer, didn’t they hint a few weeks back that players would have to leave to free up finance for new ones, the wages paid to Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang and Lacazette must have us on the edge of our FFP limit – a limit that doesn’t effect Man City or Man Utd.
Fortunately with Sven on board, our scouting will be much improved after Wenger allowed it to drift, as we as a club are going to need to be more inventive doing business to stay within the limits the EPL have set.
So I expect to see an offer to Ramsey this summer, and if he doesn’t sign, adios, none of this going down to the wire crap that Wenger allowed while he dithered.
I also expect to see Jack leave, which for me is very sad as he has the club in his heart but you can’t blame him for going if there’s a bigger offer out there and Arsenal are in a Diaby/RVP/Rosicky situation where we could end up paying big wages to a guy that spends too much time in the physios room.
I certainly wouldn’t sanction selling Bellerin, he just needs some better coaching as do all our players and someone to play with on the right wing.
In fact I’d try to tie him down with a new deal this summer…
We’ve gotta hope that 2 or 3 of our young players can push on into the squad next season, we need to tie down Reiss Nelson this summer, in fact why doesn’t Wenger try Nelson on the right flank with Bellerin?
We lost Gnabry and McGuane because of a flawed policy with our better young players, meanwhile Iwobi plays even when he clearly doesn’t deserve to. Again that’s all down to Wenger, he really is a busted flush….
Unfortunately I can see him seeing out his last year in charge.
We’ll know for sure by mid May, there really is no room for the club to dither on this one.
Morning Rico and all. Good post. The options are to stay with Wenger or not. The latter takes us into the unknown but it’s a step that will need to be taken this year or next. It promises nothing except a degree of excitement and the opportunity of something new. If the board allow him the indulgence of the last year of his contract then what can we expect except the same old stuff. It could be argued that Arsene follows a path because that’s what he has always done. This season was his real chance to show that he has moved with the times and it looks like being the worst of his career.
There’s a new type of manager, typified by Pep and perhaps Klopp that are doing well and making the ‘old guard’ look exactly that. Surely it’s time to move on and try and become as progressive as we once were under Arsene. The idea of carrying on like this, with dwindling crowds and general apathy through the supporters could make next season little less than a nightmare. We’ve had a taste of that and we are seeing how quickly the fans have reacted.
It is absolutely time to move on.
Morning Kev, thank you.
I’m not convinced Kroenke is all about money, otherwise why would he pay Wenger so much for returning very little. Also, isn’t there supposed to be some kind of agreement which can take place this summer about how things are going? Josh said that the board are left to make the decisions so adding two plus two, he’s a gonner…
Morning Adam, thank you.
I read a headline yesterday which was something along the lines of the ‘old’ managers being a thing of the past and I have to agree. Football is now a young mans game, coaches/managers who are looking at the likes of who you mention to learn from, not the oldies like Wenger, Hodgson, Pulis etc etc.
Years ago managers looked up at Wenger, they learned and overtook him and that’s been the Frenchman’s massive downfall as he stood still, doing the same old things the same way. Added to that, he started making do in the transfer window instead of signing the players we/he so desperately needed.
Rico. The article you may be referring to could be No Country For Old Men on Football 365. It makes some good points. There is surely nothing strange or new about football changing. Wenger himself heralded a new direction and as you point out, others took his ideas on board. Throw the crazy money swilling around into the mix and obviously the complexion of the game, worldwide, is moving in a new direction.
That’s the one Adam.
Football is no different to any other walk of life though is it. Everything moves forward regardless. M&S would have gone bust by now had they not moved ahead of the times…
Due to an iPad malfunction my opening gambit in the first post read, “Worming Rico.” Not the best opening in the world, so I corrected it.
Comments since all seem to emphasise the fact that Wenger was once innovative and football playing, life changing. Trouble is we have, for the last 10years, seen good ol’ Arsene plough the same furrow of failure, relatively speaking, and we the fans are sick of seeing the same old tikka takka football. The same old uncorrected errors, the same old ‘disconnected’ players. And now we are seeing a half empty stadium as the fans, (the life blood of the club, if they did but know it,) are demonstrating their delusion with the club and the running of the club, or should that read ruining of the club.
There comes a time in the affairs of men when they reach the point that it is time for a change. I think we passed that watershed back in 2014 and we have been drowning in our own self styled mediocrity ever since.
Time for a change and the time is now.
Ha ha Wavy, you did have me wondering….
I’ve no idea what Wenger’s style of football is anymore. Years ago, we all knew, we could read our play like a book because we had great players in all the right positions. Now though he just makes do, hoping that the most recent player he has at his disposal will fill the void. When did we last have a proper right winger or a left winger? A player who could do what Gilberto or Petit did, a central defender who would put his body on the line, the list is endless yet he ploughs on, expecting them to do what he asked of those during his early years.
Different players need different ideas. We have a strong squad imo, but one which Wenger can’t get them playing to their strengths…
http://www.espn.co.uk/football/club/arsenal/359/blog/post/3441257/arsenal-fans-help-explain-the-emirates-sea-of-empty-seats
Good afternoon rico and all
Good post and excellent comments as well. .
Looks like your confidence about AW leaving has become a hunch ??. .
I suppose it’ll all come to whether he gets us into the champions league by winning the Europa cup or not. .
It’s a long shot, but possible if we are lucky enough to avoid Atletico before the final. .
As much as I want wenger gone I strongly would love it if we win the Europa. .love it ..
Catch 22 I guess. .
Afternoon Kk, thanks. I’m confident he’s going, honest… 🙂
Haha rico ..I believe you. .
That Teflon coated fucker will somehow win the EL and get a contract extension…. deep joy!
Rico I take my hat off to you! How you can get the impetus to write something about The Arsenal every day is beyond me… you need a medal the size of a dustbin lid! Oh and a life time supply of fizz!! 🙂 🙂
Ronaldo UCL numbers:
– 119 goals in 150 apps, 102 UCL goals in just 96 apps with Real Madrid.
-60 Group stage goals, 59 knockout stage goals. (Messi has scored 60 GS, 40 KO).
– 9 goals vs Bayern Munich and Juventus (most goals vs a single team, Messi has scored 9 vs us)
– 7 Hat-ricks (joint-record with Messi)
– 34 braces.
– 22 QF goals. (Messi has 10 QF goals)
-12 SF goals. (Messi has 4 SF goals)
– 3 UCL Final goals. (Messi has 2 Final goals)
I think he’s a prick though….. especially after what Brudder Adam told me!!!
R.I.P Ray Wilkins!
Good player Butch, the chavs through and through. RiP feller.
Different tack,
Didn’t Wenger say he could have signed Ronaldo, but didnt! However, I’m told by those ITK that he is and always has been a nightmare of a human being. Little wonder the old chap didn’t sign him. Ronnie would have been way beyond his control! Even Sir Alex did well, but he couldn’t do anything with him, off the field that is, on the field I’m not so sure about!!
Thanks Lee, like Wenger though, I’m running out of ideas… lol
RIP Ray Wilkins. Terribly sad news…
Lee, I reckon Cska will knock us out…
RIP Butch.
Awful news.
V sad news..
Not long ago without knowing his health problems I complained to my friend that he (Ray)was doing my head in appearing in every sport channel I tuned to. .
I guess he was trying to put things right in his life by being busy and earning few quids along the way. .
RIP Wilkins
Meanwhile AW regurgitate more rubbish . .
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/11316366/arsene-wenger-says-arsenal-have-recovered-from-crisis
I wonder if he gets tired of spouting the rubbish, as much as we do reading/hearing it…
Arsene Lupin. .the gentleman thief rico. .
Thanks Rico, that is a brilliant post, although I agree with some that you are too optimistic about Lord Wenger leaving, he aint going nowhere !
🙁
RIP Butch……………………….he had the great pleasure of assisting most of my goals for SENRAB in which we won the League and Cup double…………….infact, by scoring more than one goal in every single game my record is better than Ronaldo`s above in Lee`s comment so where the fcuks my statue !
🙂
Struggling at the moment, finally get to cremate the Mother in Law tomorrow, but far worse it looks most likely that after a CT Scan and MRI scan that my beautifull wife may have the dreaded C of the liver……………..need a miracle, I`d rather it be me…………………………………
LC. I am really very sorry to hear that.
Fcuk me Cocker, what terrible news…
Nevermind the poxy Arsenal, that puts everything into perspective, really sorry to hear that news mate..
Hi Lc, I am so so sorry to hear your news. I truly hope they’ve got it wrong about your wife…..
Shocking news LC hope the diagnosis is wrong, but there are cures. Hopefully all will turn out okay. Just don’t give up hope! Thinking about you and yours on the sun kissed,south west coast!
Hi Rico and HH’ers.
Cornwall, we only know each other through blogging, but you’re a top man.
Your news is devastating.
I’m not a religious man, but my thoughts are with you and your family.
It must be a living nightmare, I really hope your wife gets the ‘all clear’.
Take care, friend.
Hi Herb…
Thanks everyone, I`m touched………….you are the good guys…………..and girl(s)…………………..like our beloved club who are not doing so great there`s always hope.
Wife wants to carry on as normal if the worse is real and for the sake of our family and for me to try and be my normal self and that means carry on working, exercising, blogging and keeping my sense of humour !………………..so back to normal people and I look forward to Lee`s Wenger rants !
🙂
Again…….thank you all and to those who also will undoubtably show their “Arsenal” class……………
Last year my wife was diagnosed,with endrometrial cancer. Fortunately it was caught in time and two operations later it looks like she will out do me. Don’t give up LC miracles do happen.
LC my thoughts are with you and your family! God bless……
Nice to see you Herb!
LC ranting about that old is totally irrelevant right now and has definitely been put into perspective!!
Sorry to hear about your wife LC
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and the family. .
Hopefully she pull through and get the all clear soon..
New post up.