Morning all.
Charlie Nicholas often has something to say about his old team and I have to be honest, seldom do I disagree with him. Arsenal ‘cannot expect to compete at the top of the Premier League again until poor decision-making on recruitment and player contracts is addressed’ he told Sky Sports Football Show. Along with:
• The hierarchy have got it all wrong. If Aubameyang does go, he’ll want to go to a club that can win trophies. It’s the same as what Robin van Persie did. Arsenal haven’t got an identity problem, they’ve got a decision making problem
• For years and years, even under Arsene Wenger, we sold Patrick Vieira, we sold Thierry Henry and most of our big players. There was nothing wrong with change, but we sold them quite young when we weren’t perhaps going to get the full benefit of them.
• We’ve had a problem at the top level for a long time. It goes as far back as David Dein not being present any more. We have a problem identifying the players and then what we did was start paying £30m for Shkodran Mustafi and defenders who have not cut it for Arsenal.
• We’ve been buying wrong and the players have realised they’re not a threat to the Premier League and the Champions League.
• Arsenal have got themselves in such a rut over bad buys for five seasons. We’ve been saying things like ‘why by Nicolas Pepe for £72m. Why have they not bought two decent defenders?
• We still have players at the club like Calum Chambers who have had one foot out of the door on three or four occasions.
• We’ve had a problem getting the unit right, but I do feel we are holding on to the real good youngsters with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. We don’t know how long and consistent they can be and we need to get the balance right with the players with more experience.
• We know Arsenal are going to have to trade quite a bit as they don’t have the money. Surely by now Arsenal know if Aubameyang’s going to sign a contract, and if they can get decent money they should sell him.
Well that’s a bit of a rant but is he right?
I don’t think there’s much point in going over what Arsenal did back in the days of selling Henry and Vieira etc because that all happened under a different group of Arsenal men. Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis who between them, took Arsenal backwards.
Arsenal in my opinion have struggled to replace what David Dein did for the club. He was Arsenal through and through and it wasn’t only Arsene Wenger who suffered after he left. Thierry Henry once said that Dein was often present in the changing room with the players. They all had a bond with him and a void was left. Having such a figurehead, the Mr Arsenal in and around the squad means a lot I think. Josh has dabbled at it but I think now it’ll be Edu getting down with the boys. You know what I mean.
I’m counting on Edu for a lot really. He’s been part of a successful Arsenal era, part of a squad which wanted to win and knew how to win. He knows, or at least I think he does, what kind of players this squad needs. Raul, who has hardly set the world alight so far, needs to listen to him. Raul is not at Barcelona where signing players was easy, he’s at a club which doesn’t need big names with big egos, it needs big characters with a big work ethic.
Since Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis left, this is our transfer list.
Pepe, Torriera, Papa, Lichsteiner, Tierney, Suarez, Ceballos, Luiz, Guendouzi, Soares, Mari, Martinelli and Leno. That’s it bar Saliba who is yet to arrive and four players on that list were/are on loan.
Good transfer business? Throw in Ramsey leaving for free and I’d say there’s certainly room for improvement.
Jamie Carragher has told Sky Sports that Arsenal should keep Aubameyang and let him leave for free next summer. A ridiculous idea in my opinion. As Charlie Nicholas said, the club will know by now if Auba wants to stay or not and if it’s the latter, we as a club can’t afford to let him go for nothing this time next year. Not only because we need the money but because a player in his final season, won’t always give as much as as he perhaps would have. Aubameyang’s name alone will attract big offers, especially when there’s no transfer fee.
Going back to what Nicholas said about Chambers and Mustafi etc, is he not perhaps forgetting that football isn’t just about individuals, it’s about who is coaching them and what that persons idea is? Arsene Wenger is hardly renown for his defensive coaching and whatever plan Unai Emery had, he struggled not only to get his message across to the players but he couldn’t keep them interested either. Add to that we’ve had a midfield which has been totally disorganised.
Xhaka, Torreira, Guendouzi, Willock, Ceballos – whoever played, did very little to protect the guys behind them and the forward players were doing little to help out either.
Fast forward to Mikel Arteta and slowly things have started to change. There’s a long long way to go yet but the hard work has begun. Now it’s about who fits into Arteta’s long term plan and who doesn’t.
For all we know, Aubameyang might like what Mikel Arteta is doing and he might want to part of it because sometimes, there’s a human being who doesn’t put money before what he or she can achieve. Arteta wants to make Arsenal great again, so does Edu. Both have said so. Auba might just want to be part of it.
But if he doesn’t, so be it, there’ll be plenty of other footballers out there who will. The same goes for any other player too.
Blimey, I’ve gone on a bit.
Stay safe guys…
Morning Rico and All
The squad sizes these days are massive,throw in the agents and the parents,its no wonder the players feel under used if not in the 1st eleven or not the 25 squad. “grass is greener ticking away”.
Sorry about all our yesterdays but:
Seeing players limping around the pitch,players bandaged heads,centre halfs up front,centre forwards at the back and no rhubarbs to call on,I feel sorry for you young people who never witnessed them days.
Anyway moving on.Taxi sorry Uber is top notch striker the squad gets lifted by him,captain as well.
Micky wants to keep him the papers say,so do I to be honest.
Hackney Gazette should be the one to move on,as much as I like him,I’m not sure Micky doe’s.
We have a history of getting rid of players primetime..I hope that changes under this lot.
Lacazette was the only forward player that tackled back and his goalscoring ratio went down as he did it. In one way he was doing what was best for the team but slowly his percieved value to the team suffered .
For far too long our midfield has let the team down , it is an incredibly difficult position to play ,you n eed eyes in the back of your head and to see your forwards runs and the runs of the opposition .
For too long we have had the forward looking players but the going backwards has been a problem .
We have been great with the ball but lacking without it.
Arteta played as a schemer in his early years but learned the defensive art towards the end of his playing time he needs to set up his team and find the players to get the engine room working and then the rest will follow.
Morning Fred. Playing with a head bandage after injury won’t happen again I’m sure, not with today’s ruling about head injuries. Probably right too. But that aside, the passion and commitment to go back on the pitch after suffering a knock seem to lessen by the day.
If we believe the back pages, everyone is leaving 😂
Agree Potter. If we have any money spare this summer, I’d be looking to tighten up the midfield but I’m repeating myself. Lacazette tracking back has certainly seen his goal scoring opportunities fade big time.
We have many players as far as the numbers go yet we have no out and out defensive midfielder and have done since Gilberto imo.
Good morning all.
Sell Aubameyang? If we do it will be for peanuts.
Chelsea have just signed Timo Werner, a twenty four year old top Bundesligue striker for £53 million. That’s about £50 million less than he would have cost six months ago. His wages £200.000 per week.
By comparison Auba is thirty plus and on the same wages how much is any club going to pay for him in these Covid-19 straightened times?
Only because Werner had a buy out clause for that amount Cicero. Otherwise he’d have gone for more I’m sure.
Morning, Rico,
In the absence of reliable information, in any sphere of life, it is inevitable that people will try and rationalise what they believe to be the truth, even if it is based on something heard in the pub from someone else who does not have a scoobie doo.
That aside, it is interesting to see that what some of us used to say, to those deriding Mr Wenger, is that he should have perhaps moved on, for his own benefit, and that of the club, the main reason for his ‘decline’ was staring every fan in the face.
After leaving Highbury for the Emirates the cost of the new stadium was enormous and to pay for it, Arsene had to start selling talented players, young and old, and he was unable to buy top players, even tho the fabled Mr Dean (who made a very nice multi-million pound financial killing out of selling his shares), had told us we would be able to compete against all the top teams for the best players because of the income from the new stadium.
As I understand it, from the bloke in the pub who did not have a scoobie doo, (no, that’s not true) in about 2006 finances were very tight and Arsenal had to apply to the bank for a loan, as apart from an occasional FA Cup trophy (always welcome in my opinion), we never really had a sniff at either the Premiership or the Champions League and our income started to slide, and player sales were not enough.
The bank eventually agreed to the loan, provided AW agreed to a 5 year contract extension, because they believed he would keep getting us into the CL and that appearance money would secure the Arsenal debt, and they were proved right until very near the end of his time at the Gunners.
Enough of this — the point I am trying to make is that another club has been going through the same problems trying to pay for a new stadium — and guess what — it’s the Spuds.
A number of Spurs’ managers, including Poch who was pretty good, have sold their best players, and not been able to buy top players, and have started to sell some squad players and to have taken out a £140m loan in order to balance the books.
In due course, both Arsenal and the Spuds will benefit from the income their new stadiums will produce, and life will go on.
[Disclaimer: This may be rubbish, gleaned from newspaper articles, observations from this blogger, and from the bloke in the pub — football clubs are unlikely to reveal all their secrets, so there we go – a fan trying to make sense of the scant information available to him.] 😳
Hi RA. We all guess re transfers, money etc. At least most of us do I’m sure. I think we all realised that money was tight after the stadium move too but what irked me, as I’m sure it did others was how the club wasted money on really average or poor players during that period.
Why sign two or three when one top notch one would have been better value. But those days are behind us, or at least those who were at the club during that period are.
What’s important now is the Kroenke family, Raul and Edu get right behind Arteta and give him some cash this summer. If that comes from sales of the unwanted, or those who don’t want to stay, then fine. But the club simply have to back Arteta as far as they financially can.
Our fixtures.
Wednesday June 17
Man City vs Arsenal
Kick-Off: 8.15pm; Venue: TBC; Live on Sky Sports
Saturday June 20
Brighton v Arsenal
Kick-Off: 3pm; Venue: TBC
Thursday June 25
Southampton vs Arsenal
Kick-Off: 6pm; Venue: TBC; Live on Sky Sports
Wednesday 1 July
Arsenal v Norwich
Kick-Off: 6pm; Venue: TBC
Arsenal fixtures: Dates and times to be confirmed
Wolves vs Arsenal
Arsenal vs Leicester
Tottenham vs Arsenal
Arsenal vs Liverpool
Hi Rico and All Yes our recruiting has not been the best but then again I think we need to look at our academy as well, At times I wonder if it is worth having it , we need more young players pushing for senior spots
Hi Geoff. We have haven’t we? Eddie, Nelson, Willock, Saka, AMN, ESR and a glut behind them…
Hi Rico.. If we do end up losing Auba, at least it won’t be to Chelsea 🤪
I can’t help but feel a lil jealous with the chavs getting in there early with 2 great buys! While we wait….. and wait…….. and wait…… 😄 I’m too impatient, don’t they say good things come to those who wait?! Ha, we shall see….
Ooh the fixtures.. it’s really happening and I’m very excited!!
As you rightly pointed out – if we believe the back pages, everyone is leaving.. even Gunnersaurus has put in a transfer request 😂
Frednerk.. ‘Hackney Gazette’ 😄 brilliant!!
Rico i agree about Saka but I don’t think the rest have played to many premier league games for us and if they are so good why are their no midfielder or defender I still think there is a lot of money spent for little so little back do we really need the 9 to 16 year old and i would go as far as getting rid of the under 18’s
With all this talk of the upcoming fixtures, my mind has turned to the officials… who will officiate our game against City? No news out there, as yet.. surely it’ll be Dean or Moss?!
I came across a picture of Anthony Taylor ‘training hard’ with his dog, to keep fit…. I can’t imagine Jon Moss doing that…half a lap of the Emirates before KO and he’s shattered 😄
Hi Sue, every cloud eh. 😜
I guess Chelsea have got in quick because they’ve had a ban and then didn’t do anything in Jan. plus their targets have been easy to sign if you have big money to spend.
I wonder if Arsenal will loosen the purse strings beating in mind FFP is relaxed. We need a top five spot don’t we, four if City win their appeal.
Geoff, they are all trying to get in the first team which is what you mentioned. Whether they make with us or not is a different matter. We certainly need the academy, or at least I think so.
I think the fee was 33m for Ziyech…. a huge amount to us mere mortals, but not in the world of football…. surely we could’ve matched that?! He’d have been great for us! Watch him bang in a couple against us now I’ve said that!!
We need a bleedin’ miracle, Rico, are there any available do you think?! Surely you can find us one 😜
The Mirror (yes, I know, Kev 😂) are saying fans (some, not all) may be back in the stadiums in September! Can you imagine how crazy everything is going to be once everything reopens?! The queues for McDonalds are up to an hour and 40 minutes long (RA…stop holding everyone up, leave fries for others 🤣) I’m desperate to go clothes shopping again, but imagine Next, New Look, Primark, River Island… omg, think I’ll steer clear for at least a couple of months!!
I don’t know, we’ve spent that kind of money and more over recent years Sue. Can’t see it this summer though. Not sure how the relaxing of FFP works really. Will the spending catch up with itself when it’s back to normal I wonder.
Next summer things should look a bit better as more big earners should be gone. If not before.
Find what Sue?
Ha ha re Moss etc..
A miracle, Rico, I’m sure you could work your magic 😀
Not football related, sorry, but did you see
Chester Zoo may remain closed indefinitely? Aww the animals….I’d quite happily take the otters and chameleons off their hands!!
And also Rico, there’s an eclipse tonight, no not me bending over 😂 a strawberry moon! Oooh!!
If only I could Sue, or anyone really. I’m sure there’s a few players we could come up with..
That’s sad re Chester Zoo but perhaps the animals will be rehomed to a better place.
It’s pretty cloudy here so probably won’t get to see the eclipse…
Sue, why on earth would anyone queue for an hour and a half for burger and chips? 😳
We can not compare ourselves to Chelsea, they’ve got last seasons money to spend as well as this seasons and we probably spent some of our budget for this season a year ago, it’s a bit of a mess but just look at Tottenham and that’s the tip of the iceberg.
It’s crazy, Kev! Roads are being closed because of it!! Sod that 😀
I’m watching United v City on Sky.. City’s 6-1 demolition job!! It’s got me thinking…. Auba has never scored against City, right??
IKEA too, idiots.
Agree Kev. Chelsea have two years of CL money in their pockets…
Oops, you said that.. lol
Sue, I just checked back on gunnersorearse and my match preview of the Arsenal Spurs game November 6 2016 is still there. I wonder what happened to North Bank 69! Where are you Chris?
Well I had to have a butchers at that, Cicero! A fine read 👍 Wasn’t familiar with that site, but recognised a lot of names on there 😉
Now I know where Steve Palmer went…
I’d not heard or seen that Arsenal blog before. Wonder why it suddenly shut down..
From what I saw on there, Rico, besides Cicero’s post, of course, it was like a porn site 😂😂😂
Morning Rico, and all HH’ers.
Cicero, North Bank is also a very talented artist, and has his own internet site to show his work, which is very good, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
At the time he lived in the Sud de France and probably still does, but the years have slipped past and I have lost touch with him.
I didn’t hang around long enough to see Sue. 😆
Morning Ra, that explains the sausage. Lol
RA, I wrote a number of posts on gunnersorearse, under the name “Norfolk Gooner” but lost touch when the old boy moved house about four years ago, sadly I lost his e mail address when my old computer died.
Any news of him would be welcome.
Rico,
I am multi-tasking at the mo’ and don’t recall a reference to a sausage — and I am a little concerned that to do so would lead to perdition.
It is years since I chatted to NB, but he did like chorizos, and enabled us to laugh like schoolboys at the innuendos.
[Oh, alright — did I mention a sausage — I really don’t remember = and I’m not bothered about chorizos!! 😳
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/12000683/riyad-mahrez-wilfried-zaha-marco-reus-arsenals-top-50-signings-that-got-away-part-one
Laughed hysterically at No.50!!!!
My local butchers does a very tasty Grandads Sausages and Spicy Welsh Wizards, very nice with baked beans, onions and mash.
I just looked at a Highbury House from 2012, so many old names that don’t post anymore, you just hope that they’re ok.
Sometimes I feel like one of the ‘Old Contemptibles’ hanging on while everyone it seems buggers off to Twitter, Facebook and God knows where else.
Morning All btw, morning Rico…
According to reports, we’re taking on Charlton at the Emirates this weekend….
Kev,
I know the feeling!
Rico and I inhabited another blog site called AR — she, as the Administrative boss, and me as a very young and dopey blogger.
When she set up her own excellent blog — aka HH — I joined her for a while – so that predates your ‘Old Contemptible’ self. [Forgive my ignorance, but what is one them there Contemptibubbles?
Morning Kev. My internet went awol for a while….
Avenell Road Ra, gosh that’s a while ago now. HH is ten years old this summer.
Before then I was an LG poster…
Sue, any idea if it’s televised please?
Agag is one I often think about, K-TR7 and the delightful Smudge of course. Erick too but I think his education and career took off..
No, doesn’t look like it, Rico, checked everywhere! Shame…..
.I’d quite happily take the otters and chameleons off their hands!!
You can keep the otters as far away from here as possible , after they have created havoc with the eel population of the broads they have gone on to the fish and ducklings , cygnets , coots and grebe . Then when they got hungry during the winter they started on people’s garden ponds and cleared them out including mine 32 Koi carp . ( they dug their way in through the underground filter system .) take the liver then leave the rest of the fish to rot.
The thing about otters is they have no natural predators and breed 2 or 3 times a year and often have 3 pups . They are nice cuddly things to look at but they are viscious killing machines.
Whoever ( natural England I am looking at you ) reintroduced them to the broads needs shooting.
Agree Sue, I’d have liked to watch that. Might see Cedric at last.
Have to keep a sneaky peak online…. there were some photos on Twitter of them arriving at the Ems…. Arsenal are back, baby!! 😁
I think I joined the HH in 2008 after I did an IT course, using what would be now an ancient PC from my local library.
For RA:
Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany, who was famously dismissive of the BEF, allegedly issued an order on 19 August 1914 to “exterminate … the treacherous English and walk over General French’s contemptible little army”. Hence, in later years, the survivors of the regular army dubbed themselves “The Old Contemptibles”.
Yes Rico, Agag was quite a regular, I miss our shopping chats…
What South Yorkshire Gunner and Dutch Gooner?
That’s interesting, Kev, thank you.
1914, eh? Never would have thought you were that old!! 🥺
I’ve aged like a fine wine RA
AK, 😁😁
I remember Agag, ‘A girl a Gunner’ who was a really nice lady — she might have supported Arsenal from thousands of miles away but she certainly knew a lot about the club.
It would be great if some of the old gang came back — but it’s the same on most of the blogs I have blogged on over the years — really nice people suddenly just — pop like a bubble — and poof – they are gone. 😩
Ha ha Kev, HH didn’t get going until 2010. Were you not on Avenell Road before here?
She was funny Kev. I wonder if she ever got to the Uk.
FA Cup Sheffield United v Arsenal
Sunday, June 28
Kick-off: 1pm
Ooh great stuff, Rico!! Can’t wait for that.
Now I’m not sure if this is legit, but I saw on twitter the score was 6-0… Eddie hat trick..
https://mobile.twitter.com/afcdw/status/1269301068137103363
Excellent Sue. Pleased for Eddie if that score is correct.
Confirmed… Laca, Auba and Willock with the other 3… nice one, gooners 👍
Evening Rico and the house.
A few highlights of todays game are now on the player.
Good to see my boys on the scoresheet.
Evening Rick, really pleased for Eddie and Willock. You expect the other two to score. 😆
Rico I thinkthey will be given the chance to show just
what they can do in the next few weeks.
Just hope they are played in their right position
No Rico, I missed Avenell Road, when I started I used to read Le Grove, but they were mental on there, I was too scared to post, but HH was far more friendlier so that was where I broke my duck.
They had serious weather out there Rico shortly after Agag last posted and if I recall she was changing jobs so who knows where she is now?
I’ve seen the goals from Auba, Laca and Willock plus a top save by Leno.
We looked very sharp, all our goals were top quality.
Maitland Niles in midfield was a surprise, maybe Adam will get his wish and see AMN given a chance in his chosen position?
Brentford are rumoured to be lined up next…
I’ve also read that Thomas Partey is set to stay in Spain, so it looks as if we’ve been used to get him a big pay rise, so move on, forget him and focus on who we’ve already got…
Tbh in our financial position £40m always seemed a bit too much at this particular time.
https://www.arsenal.com/news/highlights-arsenal-put-six-past-charlton
Rick, with a fully fit squad bar Chambers, at least there should be no filling in.
Kev, sorry, my mistake. I know what you mean about LG, you needed broad shoulders to go on there back then. That’s why I left really as it became a bit too hardcore for me. I often read through the comments though because once you get past the early morning counting practice, there are interesting views. Squabbles too but I depart then.
Re Agag, I heard from her after the bad weather etc but that was a while ago, she left a comment here too but nothing for a long time. Hope she’s ok.
New post up now