Morning Gooners,
Titbit for today is, Fulham want Arshavin and we are rumoured to be in for Dembele, so how about a straight swap?
Anyway, enough of that, back to the post and I have to admit I am feeling very jealous!
I woke up a few mornings ago, finally taking on the realisation that this season was over and all we could manage was securing Champions League football for another year! Just!
This season I have witnessed Liverpool FC winning the Carling Cup and as I sat and watched their celebrations, I was so envious!
The next painful memory was watching Chelsea FC celebrating their win of the FA cup, I could feel the hairs standing up on the back of my neck, not a feeling I like really!
In between those celebrations by others, we suffered too many losses and draws during our fight for 3rd place.
The highlight of my season was clawing back a 10 point deficit from that lot just down the road and also finishing above the newly crowned Champions League winners but then I had to witness the last weekend of the Premier season, where we had to win against West Bromwich Albion away from home, while the Totts had to win at home to pip us for that 3rd spot.
The highlight of that day for me was fluking the three points until I had to suffer yet another celebration moments after, this time it was Manchester City, who managed to fight until the dying moments of Fergie time to secure the Premier League title.
I watched them lift their trophy and I could almost feel their happiness but again I had that feeling of jealousy – even the sight of the Manchester United players full of doom and gloom as they heard the commentary during those final few minutes at the Etihad Stadium, wasn’t enough to make me smile, well, not for long!
This weekend I watched Blackpool v’s West Ham – a game where the winner would be promoted to the Premier League.
It was a very tight game but West Ham came out triumphant and the celebrations started all over again with their players running around Wembley with glee.I was happy for them, but still l felt pangs of jealousy.
A couple of hours after that game I watched the Champions League Final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea and of course I wanted Chelsea to win because it would mean that the Totts would be the team to make way for them in the competition next season, even I need to smile some of the time.
I had hoped that Arsenal would be the first London club to lift this title, but we are too prim and proper and have to look as if were doing it the right way, which means we will never win it.
The presentation started, the thrusting, the players with the cup parading together with the high jinks round the stadium.
Abramovich finally got his hands on the trophy that has cost him so much money.
Can you imagine Usmanov or Kroenke sitting perched on the edge of the hoarding with their legs dangling, clapping in unison with the Chelsea fans?
No me neither.
Will Roberto Di Matteo keep his job? Who effing cares I had the hump again.
I have watched so many games this season and a lot of finals, none of course which involved Arsenal, no, my highlight of this season has to be seeing us beat West Bromwich Albion!
I must be a very sad supporter!!
This Arsenal side has again won bugger all yet again!!
For the sake of our club and for the sake of all us fans, sort this team out please Stan and your merry men and give me something to celebrate or at least something to be proud of, other than just being a Gooner of course who has to suffer watching others be victorious……….
I can’t take another season of this…..
Written by Steve Palmer
RIP Robin Gibb – aged just 62……
Another one lost to that terrible disease!! 🙁
Morning all
Fine post SSP and like you, I’m pretty envious of others 🙁
Horrid Lee, simply horrid……
Got to pop out this morning, be back around lunchtime unless i can sneak the laptop where i’m going 😉
For a very rich club arsenal are very bad at spending money. Silent Stan is happy to pocket the profits, but not put his money where is. the other top 4 clubs will continue to splash the cash leaving arsene with a problem. Sort out RVP’S future asap and strengthen the defence and chances of a trophy of some sorts will be vastly improved.
I always turn the telly off before the celebrations begin – saves a lot of grief
Steve P, I feel your pain too! but i have to tell you that the start of “GROUNDHOG SUMMER” is only weeks away!!
Chelsea are 6th in the League,yet the best side in Europe???
Work that out.
They are absolutely blessed,but good luck to them.
They cold be in for a lean period over the next few years.
Evening all.
Jealous of the mousers winn uing the milk cup – yo’re havin’ a laugh!!
iam highly disappointed by d gunners
I have stayed away from here because of the Anti-Arsenal and Anti-Wenger feeling that was spreading through but I want to share some thoughts for those bemoaning our perceived lack of success.
1) In the last 20 years, which team other than ours has produced so many premierships standard players from its youth set up?
2) How many clubs other than ours has self financed a stadium that is the envy of the sporting world?
3) How many managers other than ours has produced teams that play such beautiful football?
4) How many English teams winning right now would be bankrupt and out of business if not for outside money that has not been earned by said club?
5: How many clubs other than ours have turned a profit and yet still played: Henry, Pires, Vieira, Bergkamp, Ljungberg, Fabregas, Van Persie, Campbell et al?
We are not winning things for one thing and one thing only. Oil money and people who really don’t care about the game in general and just their own egos. They raise transfer fees and wages so only they can pay at that level and gloat that they are the biggest and best. I would rather play fair and finish fifth than cheat and win everything.
Chelsea won two trophies and finished below us in the league , so what ? Their fans have had two shots of euphoria whereas we have sat on the side lines. Their older players may be coming to the end of their careers but their young ones know what it’s like to win things now. If we don’t get to join those celebrations soon another generation of ours will be off to taste that feeling and the wheels on our bike will continue to go round and round.
Morning all,
Many thanks Rico you took the swaring out and made it readable 🙂
Thanks GunnerMac thats made me feel better.
Morning Scott, yeh that is a strange one, but the record books will record it all, but all people in a hundred years time will see is Chelsea was the champions of Europe City the premier liverpool CC Chelsea the FA cup but there wont be a mention of our 3rd place.
Just read a very Interesting comment.
It stated that our investors are not paid dividends at all,and the only way they can make money is when selling their shares.
If true,then the frequent comments about these people lining their pockets are ridiculous.
Stan may well have an eye to be selling soon,but the crosshairs are often directed at the board also.
So,if we sell RvP,if we sell Theo,when we sold Fabregas and when we sold Nasri,what did they get??
Since none if these people appear to be running around attempting to sell,then it appears here comments are naive.
Potter,it’s ironic,that’s all.
I wasnt offering a deep and meaningful reason,just thought it ironic,if that’s ok.
Pls don’t expect any trophy until Wenger n Ivan,the so called CEO are shown the door together with Peter hillwood.these people don’t have any good plans for our beloved club.now the club is in the hands of a greedy American called Stan kronke,who is busy approving the sale of our big players.fab,Nasir and robin is nxt.pls someone tell him (Stan kronke)greedy people don’t own a club.
Hello Will, how are you mate?
Even I am jealous. Hope Arsenal shareholders and the Manager do some good signings for next season. Fed up of keep waiting year in year out.
M’vila, Vertongen and Hoilet/Ba would be enough to win trophies next season.
Will,I agree with most of what you said,but delete the first line.
Most on here are pretty positive.
The CL,if it wasn’t totally about generating money,would be limited to the league winners from each country,not top 4.
Can we not have Dempsey instead please…..Arse shavings is worth 10 mil surely……..?
Today is the third time I have heard that Theo Walcott is stressing about his contract and thinks he’s not wanted anymore etc.
Well Im sure he’l sign and this is nonscense BUT
If so its because wengers eyeing a new winger.
I reckon I’d swop Walcott for Adam Johnson……..
I’m good Lee thanks. Just getting a bit fed up with the Arsenal are rubbish Chelsea/Man City are great camps. They are both small clubs with rich owners and would be nowhere if not for un-earned money. Think of it this way (for those old enough to remember) We are Carl Lewis Vs Ben Johnson. Does anyone really want to be Ben Johnson?
Thorny, I read somewhere that Johnson wants out…..
Well well well Will me old mate, i knew you were still out there reading the posts and i knew you would return and about bloody time welcome back me old mate . Of course your right will as you have been in lots of your comments in the past i understood where you was coming from but we all get criticised i get it all the time but who gives a shit about it , We keep Rattleing the drum and supporting and yes your right in what you say but we have to keep striving to win things and while others are picking up the trophies we are just making up the numbers, that sticks in my throat and i know it must stick in yours as well so what do we do Will do we keep on being prim and proper or do we fight fire with fire, I personally have had enough standing in the shadows of others and am now ready to say lets stand up for ourselves and give them hell, Again Welcome back i’ve been calling you and finally you answer. 🙂
They’ve both chucked in excess of £Billion at their teams…..there lies the difference!
Good Morning Fine Folk of the St Totteringham’s Faith.
Good Post Sir SP……it has detailed the exact feeling of many AFC supporters.
Will………..many things I agree with you however I feel that you must be mixing us with someone else…….I have stayed away from here because of the Anti-Arsenal and Anti-Wenger feeling that was spreading through…………….on this site we call a spade a spade. Not Anti-Arsenal or Anti Wenger feeling. We say it as it is. We praised him/AFC when it was deserved and we commented when it was merited. We are not AKB’s nor AWB’s. So I think that that comment was not the exact way to describe this site. It may be that some came on here to comment negatively but I can assure you that these people are not the daily bloggers on here.
Will@09:46 point 1= only cesc comes to my mind.
point 2= for a great new stadium how many games have lost there?
point 3= we play boring football these days.
point 4= not botherd, we the fans pay enough to watch dross.
point 5= those boys played for us years ago! Time is Now!!
I would rather finish 5th as a football club than first as a rich mans plaything. I am good Steve. Still trying to fight the good fight to show just how amazing our club is. State of the art training ground that not only every major club and international team beg to use but most other clubs copy when trying to emulate it. We have a stadium that is in the top 5 sports stadia in the world and we have paid for it, can Man City say that? We have produced football that Man City and Chelsea can only dream of and we do it ALL without losing one single penny.
At the end of the day its how much we produce for our first team not for other premiership teams………especially if they win at other clubs and not at ours. Cole, Clichy, Nasri, Toure all won at their present clubs. But with the exception of Cole and Toure the rest have not won at AFC.
I would say then Mac, follow the new money.
but again………..We have produced football that Man City and Chelsea can only dream of and we do it ALL without losing one single penny………….but we have not won a cup till now mate. And at the end of the day that is what counts. The record books will not say who played the best football but who won the cups.
This squad with the right 2 or 3 signings, the dead wood sold and some internal prommotions will challenge!! Get RVP signed up and bingo!!
A man after my own heart is Will!!!
Was what I read correct on the investors NOT making money out if the club selling players or not guys?
So you want to run the risk of losing the club just to win something shiny? Saw the other day that estimates put the cost of Liverpool rejoining the big boys as £300M. That is crazy that a team of that magnitude have to spend £300M just to challenge for a top 4 spot.
What people are failing to recognise is, that by spending the cash they do to buy the trophies they do. The Chelsea’s and Man City’s artificially push the transfer fees and wages to a point that no one else can afford and because they are not really held accountable for their losses, they are effectively killing the game as we know it.
Will: i will always follow my beloved Arsenal… Just want us to start winning again.
Yes Scott, the directors and board of Arsenal take no dividends and only wages. I think people get stuck on the winning and forget how much it costs to run a major football club.
Mac, until certain clubs are held accountable for their losses, that might now happen.
Scott , the reason I mention our board lining their pockets is because they already have. Shareholding at The Arsenal was always a small close knitted affair, the only reason that Kroenke has reached this position is because the members of the board sold en masse to him making copious amounts of cash on the way.Both Fiszman and Bracewell Smith made in excess of £100 million , Hill -Wood £ 5. million and the others got a nice little drink of over £ 500,000. They have never taken dividends but the share price was hiked considerably and then they sold out and as part of the agreement stayed in situe and kept their place in the board room. Surely it was all legal and as a group they used the market to sever their family links to the club . At this point in my opinion however they should have walked and left.
Will,I’m not kissing your arse here,and I’m not suggesting my opinion is right,but I too believe 100% that there is more to football and Arsenal FC than winning trophies.
I do think there’s money to spend this time around,and I’d love to see another two or three top players brought in,
Will, but doesn’t this proposed FFP have ways around it?? So we’re fighting a losing battle…..
Will, I know your old school a bit like myself but football and football clubs are evolving and if we dont evolve with them we will find ourselves a long way behind, we have seen the good old days where new supporters are only seeing us fail on a regular basis Arsenal football could be up there with the winners without huge spending we can still compete with the billionares but not on a shoestrin budget all football teams have to spend we are no different but we are known as a skintflint outfit which we are not we are the fith richest club in the world and the question i am asking is where the huge profits go, as Scott stated the share holders are not taking dividends but if they sell their shares they still get huge returns don’t you think that the supporters should see some of what there spending go on players that will make us competitive.
What a consolation statement from Will, Its a pity that he does not understand that this world is highly competitive, where every one has got to do what ever is possible for what they may treasure most. Look at Arsenal what have they done about it, i wish they could even pass a basket so that we could solicit for resources to buy or own players. Wenger does not seem to care about what the fans go through as if the club is his own personal property and can do what pleases him. It s very difficult we all wish other clubs could steal our hearts away to support them but its not possible coz the love we all have for our club is so strong that we are so inseparable.
Potter,I didn’t realise you’d even mentioned he board,and I wasn’t taking aim at you or anyone else in particular.
It’s true that at the time,I had just read that comment from someone.
FFP ?? Just watch the monied clubs drive a coach and horses through it. It’s always the case , the same with governments and taxation , the powers make rules and lawyers find a way to get round them.
Steve,investors want a return.
I’m not sure how to get around that,but it is a disappointing situation.
Potter,I hope you’re wrong out the FFP,but you’d could very well be right.
Doesn’t matter Scott , facts are facts and there is a lot of misinformation out there which if repeated often enough gets accepted as being the case. Similarly with Usmanov the Craig Murray article comes up time and time again. Is it true ? no-one actually knows , it was denied in court but it keeps raising it’s head and deemed to be true. However it is just one side of an argument and should be treated as such unlike the shareholding information which is documented and available on the Plus Market.
I agree we should spend, I am not against spending but I am against spending vast sums that you didn’t make and inflate the market so only the teams losing hundreds of millions can compete. I would like to see a proper def mid come in, keep RvP and bring in a really tricky player that puts defences on the back foot. I would like Wenger to place Theo or the Ox on teh shoulder of the last defender and tell them to to ask defences questions. Imagine, you are a CB and you have one of the fastest players in world football next to you. Do you drop deep, opening up a huge space for RvP, Arteta and Wilshere to exploit or do you push up and leave 50 yards behind you. I want Wenger to teach Theo to run across the defenders waiting for the through ball so he can use his pace.
Will………..we do not want to loose the club. And we do know that to run any club well costs money. And we are proud of what the club has achieved.
But……….
……..why buy Squillace for 6million when with a couple more we could have secured a better centrehalf??
……..why buy Park for 3million and not play him??
……..why were Cesc and Nasri allowed to leave without having adequate replacements lined up and buy late in the window??
the above and so many other questions rightly point out to negligence when with some better thinking and planning much of what we have gone through could have been avoided.
Fed up with watching others celebrate?Arsenal shd be happy with third place.It boils down to the manager. The fm decides everything. He wants to win in style which is tough. The other team must let you play your attacking style. More often it’s anti soccer to win.
Chelsea did it this way.Fans want to know who the winners are not whether Chelsea played ugly.Until the gunners can win ugly don’t blame RVP for wanting out.
Did you see we are in for “French” ace,Moussa Dembele??
How do some people find their info??
Why don’t we go after that Russian star Messi??
Will,on Theo,he best I’ve ever seen I’m play was second half v Spuds,and he was playing almost central.
I don’t know why Wenger hasn’t done it more often.
I agree Wenger has made some bad bys but what manager hasn’t?
devil , you have to look at the Cahill situation , similar money to Squillachi but years younger , now a full England international and Champions League winner.
Morning all,
I really want to hate Chel$ki, but they are made of steel and stood firm when required whereas we stumble all over the place.
Hopefully with Bould coming in as the new no.2, we can improve our defence and tactics.
Re. Walcott…..I would definately ship him out to somewhere like Anzhi….they’l pay stupid money for him and we’l never hear of him again. In return I would go for johnson from City…..the boy’s got talent and him & Gervinho could rotate on the right for us. That would give Oxo and Rosicky the AM slot.
Re. RvP….I definately think he’s leaving…..we need to act and from the proceeds of his sale imo we could purchase Giroud & M.Suarez/Doumbia (CSKA).
yes Will, you can put Theo on the shoulder of the last defender and tell him to ask questions. The question itself would be….IS HE TACTICALLY INTELLIGENT TO ASK THE QUESTIONS in the first place???
You can make a duck go to an eagle’s school but you cannot teach it to act like an eagle.
And if he was that good………how come Theo has not yet been offered a contract?? Maybe a new better winger might be available??
Julian,the we won several games playing ugly this season.
Plenty of games we’d have lost last season were wins this season due to grinding out results.
We lack creativity,and yes,though RVP was sensational,we lacked finishing prowess.
I always believed that Arsene Wenger had some of his wages paid in shares, and i always believed that perhaps he kept his spending down for that reason, but he made a statement that he is not a share holder so my fears were not right. Wenger is in my mind a great manager but i honestly believe he is not that arrogant to believe he can win the league with who he is buying which leads me to believe that the funds are not being made available to buy the type of player that we need, at the end of the day Arshavin is our biggest signing under him at 15 million i believe that this is too much for a top player but the markets dictate the price and we have to realise that you only get what you pay for, my idea of buying 2 players of quality at every transfer window while selling 2 of the excess still sounds like a good idea we don’t spend it all at once we build gradually where we do not damage Arsenals foundations. We have to start competing but sensibly.
My issue with Theo is of his own doing………asking for 85k a week is ridiculous,imo.
Potter…….Infact I was referring to the Cahill situation. There are other centrebacks who would have cost the same amount but no, it had to be Squillaci for us.
Will, when I point out to my eight year old son that he made mistakes in his hw due to carelessness he usually says…..but other boys did the same mistake. I usually answer him with the answer…I do not give a cow’s arse about other boys. I am concerned only with you. So to tell us what other managers dont make mistakes I will state the same……..I do not give a cow’s arse what other managers do. And do not tell me that AW is not intelligent enough to realise that Cahill is by far superior to Squillaci or Djourou. If AW knows…………then he should know.
Squillaci had a decent reputation before he came over,but has just done bloody nothing.
Devil,I just think with a defensive minded defensive midfielder,M’Villa,our back 4 will suddenly appear twice as good.
Also the thing I will say on here is, we are all saying we should buy this player and that player but how many of us have watched that player week in, week out? Too many youtube heroes being touted.
Also, anyone else think since the late 90’s and early 00’s, player standards have dropped?
stevepalmer1 says:
May 21, 2012 at 10:43 am…………….my idea of buying 2 players of quality at every transfer window while selling 2 of the excess still sounds like a good idea we don’t spend it all at once we build gradually where we do not damage Arsenals foundations. We have to start competing but sensibly.
Sir SP…..that is the way that the majority of the successful italian clubs operate. They strenghten the team with two signings and allow those who are on the fringe to leave. Sometimes internationals replace other internationals……….and they do it so that they have different tactical options in the next season than the ones which they had in the previous season. Its a healthy system which allows no one to take his place for granted.
Devil, and Bolton wanted £17M from us for Cahill.
Wll,I have a theory in Rugby League,and I wonder if it’s at all relevant to Football.
The game is so quick now that clubs are looking more and more at kids with athletic ability first,skills second,and it’s detrimental to the game.
On Heo,and I’ve said t
It before here,I reckon he never learnt ow to play he game.
Imagine him at 15,his midfielders would simply belt it long,Theo would out run everyone and score,looking like a star.
5-6 years down the track,he’s up against hardened,experience backs who know how to handle pacy attackers,and he gets lost.
I don’t blame him,but did any of his youth coaches teach him how to play,or we’re they too worried about winning games??
Scott………..decent is not enough for AFC.
With a defensive minded midfielder we will improve. But without defensive coaching we would not improve that much. AFC need to sort out the defensive tactics so that we will not be caught out.
Will…………do you seriously think that standards have dropped? If you are referring to AFC standards then yes they have dropped, but to suggest that player standards have dropped is a bit far reaching. They have not dropped……..if anything players are becoming more skillful and tactically aware…….for those who train it day in day out.
Sir SP you’re a miserable chap. 😉
Just to get me juices flowing and experiencing the guilty pleasures of success, that is, being on my callus-free knees fist pumping. I have started to enter colour template competitions at my local superstore.
Cut throat envy I tell you. Those sorrowful puppies with their prowling upper lips when I come collect my trophies; A super-soaker water canon with a 1ltr reservoir, laserguided. A pack of street crayons. And a Sponge Bob t-shirt that only fits one of my legs. All are proudly presented in my glass cabinet.
Don’t mind me saying I feel glorious. My sun is shining even when it pours. Happy days are here again.
Accusations of financial doping using professional art material I counter with; I don’t give a Van Dycke Brown.
So fellow Gooners weep no more. The world of gain is ours for the taking.
Gaps everywhere there….I shall begin reading before posting my comments from now on,I promise!!!
But then why not buy him when his price was 7million and allow him to go to the chavs????
I agree Scott but we have the coaches that can show him. When you have that raw pace, you really don’t have to be that clever.
Robben the other day got lots of abuse from some supporters, now i am not going to argue the point but i would just like to point out that he and Ribbery were involved all the time on every attack which Chelsea suffered all through the match, my point being that although they didn’t have the finishing touches they were involved all the time when have any of our players been involved as much as that ever and that is where we let ourselves down Theo has his moments but only moments Gervinho the same granted they still have the same results but how exciting it was watching Robben challenging with Cole the best left back in the world and watching Robben skin him many times can you ever imagine our boys doing that all through a game.
Gee you have a way with words Dutch!
Scott, but in the current environment £85k p.w, he’d get that easily elsewhere, is he worth it? Not imho..
Will,maybe it’s just too late.
Originally yes Will , but he went for a lot less in the end ,perhaps we are just no good at negotiation.
Lee,let him get elsewhere,imo.
I like Theo,but he’s no better than a few years so,so I just don’t think a pay rise is warranted either.
Maybe they offered twice the wages we were Devil.
Devil, where are the Zidane’s, Bergkamp’s Henry’s, Keane’s these days? Scholes came out of retirement and shows up players half his age. Henry comes back and is better than 99.9% of the strikers in the league. I stand by my statement, take out Messi and Ronaldo and player standards have dropped.
Scott From Oz says:
May 21, 2012 at 10:55 am…………..
I don’t blame him,but did any of his youth coaches teach him how to play,or we’re they too worried about winning games??
That is what I told you about a couple of days ago Scott. Some youth coaches are too concerned about winning games and they give FO to the development of kids. I myself would like to shoot off from my club some of the youth coaches, but not being the DOF myself I cannot do it. I see it many times over and over again….and that is a type of abuse that often goes under the carpet. And believe me mate………90% of those that fall by the wayside are usually utilised badly by coaches who are irresponsible.
hello everyone…thnk this summer is imp.buy quality n clear d dross..n we can compete thn..thr r lot of quality plyrs out thr..at bargain prices….who can help us compete again..
Is it possible Cahill just wanted to go to Chelsea?
Sometimes I think fans assume everyone just wants to come to Arsenal,and if we miss out,it must be because we stuffed the negotiations.
Ok,its happened on occasions,but there’d be plenty of times the player doesn’t want to play for us.
Vertonghen…..nobody even knows for sure if we’ve made an offer,but the knives will be out if he goes to Spuds…..why is that??
Sorry Dutch, i get like that at times but i will liven up for the new season 🙂 Morning Devil the guys was talking yesterday of successfull Italion coaches there must be some truth in it 🙂
Devil,I admit to thinking your comments when posting that.
Agree with you there Scott.
You find them Ron and send them to Wenger he needs the help mate 🙂
ya..i thnk he needs serious help..buying hooka poster boy chamakh..military man park..useless squid …n othr useless buys..shws tht he needs help in finding quality ;);)….
Can we honestly compete with teams that can do this
CHELSEA sneaked out their latest financial figures last night to reveal the club has now lost more than £620million under owner Roman Abramovich.
Just two hours before their Premier League game at Swansea, chief executive Ron Gourlay confirmed a £67.7million loss for the year ending June 30, 2011.
The club were quick to point out almost half of that deficit was down to paying off ex-boss Carlo Ancelotti and compensating Porto for Andre Villas-Boas and his coaching staff.
Yet it only takes into account 20 per cent of the £71m paid out last January for Fernando Torres and David Luiz.
And it does not include the £65m spent on Juan Mata, Romelu Lukaku, Raul Meireles, Oriol Romeu and Thibaud Courtois last summer.
Manchester City has reported an annual loss of £194.9m for 2010-11, the biggest in English football history.
We can’t make losses like that as we would be out of business. We have to accept that we are playing as challengers until the powers that be bring in a cast iron rule that stops these kinds of finances.
I forgot to tell you all……big moment for my boys this morning.
Our side was selected as the local legends by one of our biggest radio stations in this area!!
We were live on air this morning for a few minutes only,but hey,it was good for the kids.
Apparently there’ll be someone from the station at our game this week giving live updates on air,so it sould be fun.
RIco,I will send you a pic of the boys for you to post if you like.
I’m sorry but Wenger only has himself to blame for the position we find ourselves in. Nobody is asking us to go and splash hundreds of million. Just spend where necessary.
This isn’t an Arsenal team I can be proud of – very few players have backbone.
Well mate they have different names today. You usually get what you look for. If you say that they are crap it is crap that you will see. If you say that they are good you will see good players.
I will simply say this………coaching methods and pre-requisites are becoming more stringent now and the football associations are pushing for better players to be produced from academies. Football players are more fast and technically more skillful than they have ever been. The problem is that those players where standouts whereas now more players are getting better. Before it was 1 in 50 who was a star now its 1 in 30 who is a star. That is why they do not stand out as they used to be.
gordon will be a good second choice keeper…anybody fancy delpeiro n rodellega..delpeiro is still quality should be snapped up..nt sure abt d wigan freebie
Morning Scott I read a post claiming Vertonghen was Dutch. (Russian Messi 😉 ) Indeed we should be careful and wary what reasons we’re fed by the media for not getting our desired outcome.
BTW. Ajax and tinny totts will be sitting down today, with Levy personally involved in the transfer.
Devil I liked the analogy of a duck at an eagles school. Spot on.
I think we need to bring back Dein to be in charge of transfers.
Goody for you and your boys Scott. Remember this……when coaching kids just forget yourself, forget the wins and forget the results. Because later on in life they will surely forget them themselves and will only remember how you made them feel. And if you made them better players and persons……..they will always show you the gladness in their eyes. The world will matter nothing, your riches, your cars nothing…………the only thing that matters is that you have been an important part in the life of a child.
For 19 years that has been my philosophy………and it will remain that way. The kid and his development first……..results will come when that kid makes his mark in the highest level.
Dein is off to Liverpool Willy boy. That is one fuck off that AFC have done.
Devil,I always,always congratulate the kid who gave he pass off for the goal first,then the scorer.
Sean knocked 6 in on Saturday,but laid off the pass for three.
One of his goals was incredible…..15 yard drive,left footed and he nailed it.
The left foot work is paying dividends.
Will, I agree with your 11:18 100%….
At last i can agree with Will on something “Bring back David Dein”.
I think we need to bring back Dein to be in charge of transfers
Whilst we are talking about Ducks and Eagles , I am afraid that one has well and truly flown.
Look, You lot know a lot about football i am not disputing that but can we afford a couple of players a season maybe more, the secret to building a winning team is to buy players for certain positions that we are struggling in. once we have cover for all these positions we can then strengthen the squad as a whole. It has been proven that a good squad will give you more chance of being consistant and that is where we are lacking. Going several months without full backs cost us dear but had we brought 2 in the christmas window when we were leading the league and still in all the cups would ultimatly had solved that problem. we went on to lose out on everything for the want of 2 central defenders and were still hoping now for Vertonghen.
The secret is building strength when you are already strong . All major teams buy in when they are at the top , it improves quality and freshens the squad . We have allowed this philosophy to pass and consequently have gone backwards.
Talking about our defence; Can anyone name a good centre-half that Arsene Wenger has bought in the last 15 years other than Sol and Kos, Tommy.V is a left back really imo.
Tommy V is definitely not a LB.
Let’s say you have a title winning team. And a very good defender and a very good midfielder are available. You buy them and therefore you have two surplus players. So you get the two who will not make that much difference and sell them. In that way you have strengthened and freshened the squad.
The way certain transfers are operated right now are knee jerk reactions.
The way he bombs forward in a kamikazi style makes me think he’s a LB.
Potter good comment, we have to start again thats all. Wenger has got in the frame of mind that he has to buy cheap and try and develop a player when we should be buying quality from the start and reap the benefits. The Arsenal philosophy is buying cheap develop and then sell on you don’t win things this way as its proved.
Vermaelen is a midfielder caught in the body of a defender.
Kos is a fantastic defender and any player that gets 80 caps for this Germany is not a mug.
Wenger,quality centre backs, last fifteen years, Names pls…
Things to do catch you guys later 🙂 be good now
Gunner Mac,why are you challenging us…..who has said we’ve signed a plethora of great ones???
What’s your point?
Ok will; i’ll let you have heir Per but we’ve only seen him for about half a season.
Gunner Mac………..the first quality centreBACK (and not centrehalf) he signed was PETIT.
My point is that Arsene has lost his edge we’ve needed REAL QUALITY in all departments for YEARS and still we wait, again at the end of a poor season: yes i know we are third but is not good enough period… and i’m not challenging anybody on here.
Verm and Kos is still the way to go – both are awesome modern day defenders with the attributes to great, especially Kos. With se good coaching from Bould, we could have the best CB pairing in the league.
Mert is a good option to have but we are at our best when we compress play and have a high line – he doesn’t suit that well at all though.
Devil wasn’t Manu a mid?
That 11.51 Gunner Mac…not a challenge lol???
Ok.
Give Kozzer and TV5 some protection higher up the pitch and they’ll be the best centre pairing in the world,imo.
Devil,did you get that email??
I was waiting for that Gunner-MAc. Petit was a centreback who could also play as a left back when he signed. But AW transformed him into a midfielder of high class.
But he was signed as a centreback.
The present pairing of TommyV and Kozzer is a good one. However we need to have a tactical plan when the full backs and TommyV or Kozzer go up. We have Song who goes up so what happens is that everyone is going up and no one is taking the responsability of defending.
The personnel is there……….its the defensive tactics during the moment we loose possession is when we are weighed, we are measured and we are found to be wanting.
Scott..I was honestly racking my head trying to recall any really good ones(centrebacks) that Arsene had brought to the club thats all!!
yes mate I have got it. It has already been sent to Rico.
Gunner-Mac, Tavlaridis, Cygan, Stepanov’s, Senderos, Silvestre and Squillaci, all decent players just never given a proper run in the team.
Afternoon all, this summer is really dragging out already.
Devil i bow to your knowledge.. i remember when PV4 went marauding Manu would drop back and cover!! why oh why has that policy stopped?
Miko c’mon now april 1st was a while back.
No worries Gunner.
Arteta does sit deeper when those around him push forward,but is that what we signed him for?
That’s not a knock against Arteta,either,because he’s taking responsibility where others are not.
Thanks Devil.
Gunner-MAc the only reason to why that policy has stopped is that the discipline has gone from the side and due to changing the formation. From 4-4-1-1 we have gone to 4-3-3 or whatever resemblance to it there is. And there is not enough strong spine in the team.
Say it with me guys M Vil La….M Vil La.
For a moment I thought that Micko had a touch of Pre-Menstrual Syndrome mentioning those DECENT centrebacks. I nearly choked when drinking………..in the same manner ol twitchy choked when Drogba scored the winning penalty. However, I did not need my son to slap my back, unlike the triffic scum manager who needed Jamie to slap his back for about 5 minutes.
Arteta is one my players of the season i think the stats say we only won 1 game (last of the season WBA) Without him playing.
Within the present playing system we have Song and Arteta supposedly sitting in front of the defence to protect it. Now this will allow the full backs to push forward leaving two centrebacks and two defensive midfielders taking care of the back with the rest going up.
The problem arises because of two issues.
One because Song goes up imagining he is Songinho. Then TommyV goes up also and suddenly instead of having at least 3 players forming a delaying triangle which allows others to track back we have only two or worse than that one in the centre protecting the zone between the half way line and the goalie.
Two, because in front of the defence there is no DB10/Cesc type player with a 360 degree vision of the pitch who can control, shield and pass the ball with their same technique. This has a knock on effect on those behind him meaning that others will push up to make for the lack of imagination from the Advanced midfielder/2nd forward.
Afternoon guys and gals, and welcome to those just joining us today, sorry your comments were held in moderation….
off to catch up with the comments
Good Afternoon Lady. We held the fort while you were galivanting on an adventure. Hope its to your liking. 😉
M’Vila will announce where he is going not today or tomorrow I feel, but in a few weeks time.
Scott, i think Cahill would have loved to have joined us but our negociating skills around the table let us down at the time, he only had 12 months left on his contract and we put in a cheeky bid which their chairman called derisory and it became nasty and public and both clubs fell out, he went for a similar amount 6 months later but in the meantime we had bought Merts.
I’d like to think they haven’t made the same mistake with Vertonghen over the sake of a few mill because he is exactly what we need only I’m not sure Wenger see’s it that way.
We’ve always been tight when it comes to transfers.
Welcome back by the way Will, it’s been a long time since you last posted…..
Check your inbox Lady. I had to forward an email from Scott, since his reception from the mud hut was not strong enough to reach your laptop and I had to act as a go between. 😆
Micko,you may well be right on Cahill,but you get my point.
I don’t thinks he’s better than what we’ve got,but he’d have been another option,so would’ve been a handy purchase,for sure.
Scott……Cahill is much better to the EPL than Squilly and Djourou for sure. And he is English and that would have put AFC in a good position when it comes to home grown players.
The pigeon lost its way Devil.
of course it would loose its way Scott…….the radar equipment is 40 years old and has seen better days. 😆 😉
Devil,I meant our top two.
He’d definitely have strengthened us,giving us depth that we all rattle on about that’s needed.
Much rather we had signed Cahill than Merts Micko….
Radar,we don’t even have electricity here.
I agree 100% about needing a def mid. I have no issues with either of teh CB’s going forward but we need a dirty bastard who will sit and if needed, commit the easy foul on the halfway like al la Gilberto. I think our defence is one of the best in the league but Song is the lynch pin, he goes forward to easily and gives away sloppy passes. We need a tight player in there that can spot the quick pass and can hold position.
Rico, I had to leave a while.
Imagine four centrebacks of the following quality at the club….TommyV, Kozzer, Cahill, Vertonghen. One pair for the league and one for the cups. that would have been awesome
100% spot on Will.
I have been saying that for months now.
I am off for now Fine Folk. Time for me to go.
Back laters.
In the meantime………enjoy your selves.
Off to lunch, laters guy and gals.
*guys*
Me to rico, no point crying over spilt milk, I’d like to think we are still in for Verts but I get the feeling Wenger thinks we have adequate cover in the defensive department.
Thanks again for he email help Devil.
Checking now devil 😉
Micko – sorry for repeating myself here but someone whoc claims to be close to Ajax or one of the players (can’t remember) suggested that we have not made any enquiry into signing JV….
How much truth is there I don’t know but is there a better CH out there at his kind of price?
I doub it and we’d be really foolish not be trying to sign him….
M’Vila will be that man…..just go do it!
You reckon we will get him Lee?
Rico, give me a nudge in the ribs on August 31st will ya.
Scott – i have the photo thanks but i can only post them in the main post – you sure you want that?
Around midnight do Micko, you might just get to see some 16 year old signed 😉
Good point Rico….better think on it.
Strange world we live in,isn’t it?
That’ll be great and Diaby will only be four weeks away.
Put it up please Rico.
Micko, he’ll be four weeks away each and every time AW gives a press conference!
Diaby is like the stone sign fixed into a bar, which says
‘free beer tomorrow’
😉
I will try Scott….
Free beer,where 🙂
Chelsea’s European triumph make Arsenal favourite to sign defender
The Dutch footballer of the year, Ajax captain Jan Vertonghen, has been at the centre of a transfer battle between Arsenal and Spurs for weeks. It had looked like Harry Redknapp was winning the battle and Vertonghen was even a guest at White Hart Lane for the last game of the season. Now things are not so clear. The versatile 25-year old has great ambitions and the Europa league is not the competition that he wanted to be involved in.
Reports from the Daily Mail last week also suggested that Tottenham,s offer had fallen short of the valuation that Ajax manager Frank de Boer had placed on the Belgian international. Arsene Wenger now has a chance to make Vertonghen think again. Arsenal are planning to reinvigorate their squad this summer and have already signed the prolific German striker Lukas Podolski. It is believed that Robin van Persie has insisted that Arsenal show more ambition if he is going to be persuaded to sign a new contract and, obviously, Arsenal are desperate to keep him.
Only time will tell, but Harry Redknapp could see a host of Europe’s top teams trying to poach his players and this might make Vertonghen wary of joining a club that is struggling to compete for top honours.
Spuds truly are in deep trouble.
They had a massive chance and blew it.
Too bad.
‘Free beer tomorrow’ that’s enough to keep me coming back in the forlorn hope it might happen, never looked at it that way before.
Is it free beer at your local Micko?
If so,I’ll buy you a few pints when I’m over lol.
Micko, all you need is an old wellie boot! 😆
Fingers crossed then Lee….
Micko, been going to that same pub for years, never had a free beer yet 😉
Diaby, four weeks away… 🙂
Off to bed us,have a great day.
Lee – you suggesting we drink from wellies where I live 😉
See you Scott, don’t think about transfers, the excitement might keep you awake 😉
Moi Rico non, I was talking to Micko the other day and he happened to mention that he’d drink Guiness out of a Wellington boot….if he had to! 😆
😆 Lee, it’s the yard for 😉
Can you believe, i’m off to take one of our chickens to the vet 🙄
Back shortly….
That should stir a few comments, fill your boots 😆
We are reduced to hapless also rans and it will be so for the next 30 years.Remember Wenger “we need the new stadium to compete financially with the big boys”.
Hi Danish –
‘we need the new stadium to compete financially with the big boys”.
That’s the biggest load of claptrap to have come out of AW’s mouth….
They needed the new stadium to make money and line their pockets….
Oh, and rip the fans off along the way 🙁
Hi Rico. Painting ceilings is hard work. Have we bought anyone yet?
Hi Adamelangelo!
Hi Adam, it may be hard work, but not as difficult as signing players I guess, the answer is no…. 🙁
Squillaci is fit….
Fit for flippin nothing……
burgers..
Afternoon, its just over a week since the season has ended, we cant sign anyone until the first of June and the window doesn’t shut until the end of August let wait and see what happens and judge then.
😆 Lee, they’d go over his head….
Jack Charlton almost got Ireland to the finals of the wc with his brand of defensive soccer. He was playing to his strengths.
If he got had to the final and won,nobody would care about anti soccer. Winning is what counts in the moderen game.Of course it’s better to win with caavlier attacking soccer but the team would be exposed to the counter punch and leak goals.
My sensible head says that too vernat (1st July though i think) however……
All we need to do Julian is sort out the defensive unit – do that and we can still play good football but when needed, we can go backs against the wall and not concede….
Coaching, that’s all that is needed…
Oh, and M’Vila 😉
Evening all,
You play the way you need to to win a game, diferent teams diferent statagies, thats why Chelsea beat Barca and the Germans solid defending and teamwork, i have never seen a better display of diciplined defending all working for one another from goalkeeper to centre forward, thats why they win thing not because of the money they worked their socks off and backed one another up and untill our players put a shift in like that they will always be losers. Heart and sole and hard work they knew they were 3 men down but it didn’t stop them from trying. Drogba defended his heart out but was still there for his only chance.
Lee. I didn’t quite do the Sistine Chapel today. Matt emulsion is quite hard enough. I agree with Steve’s 4.37-almost. No-one could factor into the Chelsea display the fact that Bayern would miss a half dozen chances and a penalty. That’s why goalscorers get the big wages and why we need a World-Class example and it’s also why Gomez is not good enough. Perhaps we can sell them Bendtner and Chamakh on a buy one, get one free basis. Tell you what, I’ll throw in a Squllaci for nothing.
Spot on Steve but hey, we go gung ho from start to finish regardless, hence conceding 49 goals…..
Agree with you Steve on tactics, we have become predictable in how we play, there is not threat of pace over the top, no third man running or invention. Teams can squeeze our play and make it difficult because they know what we will do, until we get back to playing with pace and the threat of goal scoring midfielders we will carry on being vulnerable.
That’s the kind of add-on that’d get that deal done! Factor in “The Squill”….and hey presto, all our problems will be gone!!
Mmmmeee or the one to kill the deal Lee…..
Fair point there Adam they did miss a few chances but the way they threw themselves in front of the ball was comendable, I always saw Chelsea players as greedy and spoilt and a lot more things i wont mention but i know they were on a masive bonus to win but that display was top quality, they may be richer now than they were but they must feel proud.
Have to agree Steve. Though I would say that if that way of playing football becomes our way then I won’t pay for a season ticket any more but I would watch on TV. Although he was a Spurs player, I still like Danny Blanchflower’s famous words on football when he said it was about glory and not boring the other team to death, or words to that effect. I thought that this year’s football in both the PL and the CL was the most tedious and unadventurous I have ever seen overall. For me Man City and Chelsea’s successes are based on unfair financial advantage and in the scheme of all things football and the future of the quality of the game I find them completely irrelevant, although they should be taken as a warning of how things could look in the future. The footballing authorities have a great responsibility in their hands. I think we can safely trust them to cock it up.
We can all talk about chances missed can’t we, are Arsenal not the worst in that field??
Imho, the diffence was the will to not roll over, the will to not concede silly goals and the dedication to never give up….
That is why Chelsea won the CL imho, they wanted it so so badly and nothing was going to stop them from getting their hands on the trophy that night….
one more
With Real Madrid and Inter also in the race, it seems that Chelsea take advantage in the contest Luke’s Brazilian midfielder from Sao Paulo.
According to club president tricolor, the emblem of Stamford Bridge a formal offer of 40 million euros for the player’s pass.
“Chelsea have offered us 40 million but refused. However, the club is closer to Luke, “said Juvenal Juvencio, speaking to FcInterNews1908.it.
The account manager also gave a proposed 25 million from the Inter average of 19 years, which was also refused.
Real Madrid are also attentive. “We had contacts with the president Florentino Perez, who admires the player but did not have any offer,” he noted.
Luke is bound to Sao Paulo until 2016, with a termination clause of 80 million euros.
dinner calls, back shortly….
You and Rico both talk sense, but i would point out that referee decisions do not balance out over the year like they always say. try asking some of the teams relegated this year what they think about referee decisions and you could be there all day. I have always thought that the premier is rigged and although its very hard to prove, for somebody that watches many games and not all Arsenal games i am convinced of sculduggery 🙂
If we could get him, would you guys go for Torres?
I’m not against that Will, i think Weger could get him fireing but could we match his wages 🙂
Good Evening Fine Folk.
I am back.
Will…………..I would go for Torres in a nano second. He would be excellent for us and would resurrect his career. But I would not pay more than 12 million for him.
Steve have you seen the referee reviews on Untold Arsenal, i think i would rather have Drogba than Torres but either would be good.
Even I would prefer Drogba over Torres, but his age is against him. And he would not have resale value.
I feel that Chelsea will be stripped right back for next season Will, De Mateo although he did ok, in my mind will not be trusted with rebuilding he maynot get sacked but he i believe has managed his last game for Chelsea
Hi Devil & vernat, yes i have cast my eye over it a few times, it seems i’m not the only one who has he’s doubts
I think Drogba’s age could be a benefit to us, he wont “kill” some of the youngsters but they could learn about how to perform in big games from him and don’t care about this re-sale value as long as he scores and gives us a different threat give him what he wants for a two year contract
just read this comment on the spuds…….
“The laughing stock of London. The Choking Chickens”
Classic from one of our fans.
I am one of the guys you were talking about today Will as i have only seen Podolski on clips and have no idea how good he is, but i have faith in Wenger i just hope he hasn’t bought him to replace RVP
Vernat, honestly i could never see that happening Drogba is i think 34 Wenger would never sign him even if he was free and he wont be.
Vernat……I said I like Drogba and he is a beast of a centreforward. Unfortunately AFC do not operate that way since……..his age is against him. And he would not have resale value.
more likely choking their chickens over pictures of Ricky villa, Hoddle and Waddle and the 61 team, the last time they won the league that is 51 years ago
Do your chickens choke Rico??? Hang on, you took one to the vet no??? Did it choke on being fourth in line and only the first three got the sexy chick??? 😆
sorry devil was not meant to be a pop at you just would like to see some experience come in, and Torres seems less of a fighter to me but on form a brilliant CF
Chelsea spent £50 million on Torres i canot see them lose that amount for him to sign for us
Funny how we have heard so much about the chicks from scratching about in the dirt to having the first Marble sized egg but we don’t know whats wrong with it, i can’t sit still till we know i don’t even know their names, the only time i will be happy is when their mentioned in the post. 🙂
Steve – the ref decisions for us have been simply awful, this has to have been the worst ever season for big calls going against us…
Will – Torres for £50M – no!
£15 Mil – yes…..
Steve –
unless we sign players to convince RvP that we really are after a trophy, he will be gone and Pod is already in place ‘just in case’
I am convinced about that and I’m not convinced we will sign the players to convince RvP either…..
Then, watch Theo and Song follow him…..
devil – one of my chickens has a virus, all down to the rubbish rainy cold weather we have had here in England 🙁
No choking 😉
Is it bird flu Rico
Or maybe Chicken pox
Perhaps they have been up to fowl play
Or maybe cooping cough
Steve !! 😉
they alright
Your comments were funny Steve, yep, just the one has a cold after all the rubbish weather 🙁
is she still laying
Thats my lot catch you all tomorow
Morning all.
She is Steve, the cold should just go in the next week hopefully….
Hi Scott, but it’s Nighty from me too, off to get the chicks shut up and then bed calls…
Catch you all tomorrow …
Stay safe – have a good day Scott…..
evening
Torres; tough one, lost about 5 yards, if he could get that back it,d be awesome.
need to remember that pooring money in wont make any difference with crap coaching and attitude. Imagine if we signed fabregas and nasri this transfer season…..(odd i know, but say we bought them now and had no history with them) we would be stoked!!!
We had them and came 4th!
Look at the smaller clubs who are tough to beat and on a budget.
we MUST get a winning mentality and coaches that will accept nothing less whilst also having a good raport with the players.
There are an increasing number of reports suggesting Fiorentina are preparing to offer Adem Ljajic to us in exchange for Chamakh.
What are people’s thoughts.
I’ve never seen the kid play,just cop one on the chin in the dugout!!!
Night RIco,Steve.
Thorny,I reckon Wenger has a great rapport with the players,and someone’s thats a problem……he’s too close to them.
He seems loathe to get rid of them.
It’s eithe this,or he really is too arrogant to admit he erred in signing them.
Anyway,off to work,so catch you all later.
Torres? No Drogba? Probably goes to china. 15 milion Torres?
Did you se Montpelier yesterday? Try Gourcrouf. I’m quite sure he will not stay in Montpelier next year and AW have an eye in him.
Moreover, like Montpelier coach said after the match and were the new champions of French league, since now, it will be very difficult to overcome PSG (and like you know, they are a few clubs with very good formation players). The reason, is the money of course.
Yossi Benayoun faces Arsenal D-day as Chelsea push for transfer answer
Chelsea have told London rivals Arsenal they want a decision by the end of the week on whether they plan to sign on-loan winger Yossi Benayoun on a permanent basis.
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/899691-yossi-benayoun-faces-arsenal-d-day-as-chelsea-push-for-transfer-answer#ixzz1vXb1hhKS
Benayoun has revealed to Arsenal officials that he would be happy to stay at the club, but on the pretence that he is offered a 2-year-contract, something Wenger is unlikely to do, given the players age.
Ajax and newly promoted West Ham have both been suggested as alternative destinations, but speculation is rife in Israel that Maccabi Haifa will make a bid to tempt their prodigal son back to his homeland.
Chelsea are expected to accept offers in the region of £1 million for Benayoun.
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/899691-yossi-benayoun-faces-arsenal-d-day-as-chelsea-push-for-transfer-answer#ixzz1vXbTRuHH
Jamie Sanderson@YoungGunsBlog
Maybe Arsenal should invite Alisher Usmanov onto board? NYT calculates he’ll make $6 billion from deal with Facebook.
Jamie Sanderson@YoungGunsBlog
Usmanov’s Red & White holdings continuing to buy up Arsenal shares. He’s worth $18.1 billion, making him wealthiest Russian.
Jamie Sanderson@YoungGunsBlog
Dortmund quote €20m for Shinji Kagawa despite only having 12 months left on his deal. No offers from Arsenal or #MUFC.
Jamie Sanderson@YoungGunsBlog
Polish press say West Ham in for want-a-way Arsenal ‘keeper Łukasz Fabiański. Pretty sure Craig Gordon their first choice, though.
Exclusion from Champions League costs Tottenham £35m
Martyn Ziegler Monday 21 May 2012
Tottenham’s exclusion from the Champions League due to Chelsea’s triumph in the tournament will cost Spurs up to £35million in cash – but the real damage could be far greater in terms of keeping their stars, say football finance experts.
Spurs finished fourth in the Barclays Premier League, which would normally guarantee a place in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League, but they lose out because Chelsea take that fourth English place as European title holders.
Tottenham will earn only around £5m in media rights from the Europa League instead of a guaranteed £25m from the Champions League.
There is also a significant loss in associated matchday, merchandise and sponsorship income that could see a further cost to the club of around £10million.
Even more concerning for fans is the possibility of star players such as Luka Modric and Gareth Bale pushing for a move to clubs that are in the Champions League next season.
Brendan Guilfoyle, a football expert at P&A Partnership, said the headache for Spurs will not just be about balancing the books.
Guilfoyle said: “In terms of the effect financially, Spurs is a well-run club but revenues will inevitably be lower so they will have to adjust that in terms of the wages they can offer and the transfer fees they can pay and still remain in the black.
“The perhaps more immediate worry for fans, and I am a Tottenham fan myself, is that in terms of signing top players we won’t be as attractive as we cannot promise the highest level of club football any more.
“There is also the worry that some of those star players, having tasted the Champions League already, will want to do so again and look to move elsewhere.”
Spurs fans have reacted furiously to missing out on Europe’s elite club tournament but UEFA say their competition rules, brought in after Liverpool won the competition but finished outside the top four in the Premier League, are clear.
The UEFA rules state: “No association may enter more than four clubs for the competition.
“The UEFA Champions League title-holder is guaranteed a place in the group stage even if it does not qualify for the competition through its domestic championship.
“If the titleholder comes from an association entitled to four places in the UEFA Champions League and qualifies for the UEFA Europa League through its domestic competitions, the lowest-ranked club of the association’s UEFA Champions League representatives is automatically transferred to the UEFA Europa League.”
Tottenham earned 31.1m euros (£25.1m) in TV money and bonuses from their 2010/11 season in the Champions League. An English club making the Europa League quarter-finals earns a total of 6m euros (£5m).
The above, could well have been us…..?!!!
http://gunnerblog.com/2012/05/21/latest-on-mvila-thoughts-on-champions-league/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gunnerblog+%28Gunnerblog%29
looks like stry on mvilla was nt true..
But it wasn’t AK,we scraped through but the main thing is we made it.
How are you mate?
I,m great Scott.
I should have been in London working today, but something came up, nothing bad, but it stopped me going up town.
My point from the above Digger, was how damaging it could have been to us by not qualifying for the CL.
Some Gooners don’t seem to comprehend how damaging not qualifying could be to the financial wellbeing of the club.
Imagine the damage a loss of £30 million from our accounts would be…?
http://allarsenal.com/news/joel-campbell-learnt-lot-lorient-ready-arsenal/
Peter Hill-Wood: The Great or Greedy?
Posted in Arsenal Opinion| Written by Arsenal Sweden
Read more: http://goonertalk.com/2012/05/21/peter-hill-wood-the-great-or-greedy/#ixzz1vXp0rUCw
The last AGM meeting at Arsenal in October 2011 was vocal, noisy and full of emotion. During the meeting Peter Hill-Wood received resignation demands but the chairman, who may be the last Hill-Wood that will be a member of the Arsenal board, had no such plans.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you but I have no intention of stepping down,”
He also stressed that Alisher Usmanov still wasn’t welcome to the board despite the fact that he owns nearly 30 percent of shares in the club. His statement made me realise how little (and also how much) things have changed at Arsenal since 2007 when he said this:
“Peter Hill-Wood has said he opposes the involvement in Arsenal of Alisher Usmanov, who now owns 21% of the club’s shares, because it is not sufficiently clear how the businessman amassed his multibillion-pound fortune in Uzbekistan and Russia.
“He’s certainly not an open book,” the Arsenal chairman said. “Business is murky in Uzbekistan, and that in itself is an argument against him being involved in Arsenal. I wouldn’t want him to be the owner of the club.”
“…Stan Kroenke is involved in sport and we have had constructive meetings with him,” Hill-Wood said. “We have never been in better shape financially and do not want anybody to buy the club, but if Kroenke wanted to buy it he would understand it and how to maintain the standards. We have not met Usmanov, so I may be speaking prematurely, but he seems a different kettle of fish …”
Strong words and plenty of fans were relieved that our chairman didn’t want to do business with such a shady figure as Usmanov. At the same time questions were raised about David Dein – how could he sell his shares and do business with a person with such an uncertain past? Peter Hill-Wood’s respect rose among the supporters but what few or perhaps none of the Arsenal supporters know is that Peter Hill-Wood himself is doing business in the murky former Soviet. And yes, there are a rich and powerful fish with an unclear past, just like Usmanov, involved.
Read more: http://goonertalk.com/2012/05/21/peter-hill-wood-the-great-or-greedy/#ixzz1vXpKDkMI
When I was a young Gooner I had huge respect towards the man whose family had been members of the board since 1929, but quite quickly I understood that Peter Hill-Wood sometimes says and does things that make him look really stupid. Despite this I trusted his judgment as a chairman and that he always did what was best for Arsenal. When Stan Kroenke suddenly appeared I trusted Hill-Wood when he said:
…”Call me old-fashioned, but we don’t need his money and we don’t want his sort…”
“…’Americans are buying up chunks of the Premiership football clubs and not because of their love of football but because they see an opportunity to make money…”
The following year in 2008, Stan Kroenke was a member of the board. Firstly I couldn’t understand why Peter Hill-Wood had changed his mind that quickly but then I realized it wasn’t just about Stan Kroenke and Alisher Usmanov. It was also a personal battle between Peter Hill-Wood and David Dein. The former colleagues were now enemies and Hill-Wood didn’t hide his feelings for Dein in the media:
…”When was the last occasion he saw Dein? “The day I fired him.”
Was it Hill-Wood’s saddest day at Arsenal? “No. It was the saddest for Dein.”
Will he ever make his peace? “I will not get involved with him again – I will avoid it if I can help it.””…
In two months, between August and September 2007, billionaire Alisher Usmanov bought 23 percent of the shares in Arsenal and formed an alliance with Hill-Wood’s enemy Dein. It looked like just a matter of time before Dein was back in the board. When a shareholder has 50 percent plus one share or cooperates with other shareholders to get majority he/they got the power to decide the seats in the board. Hill-Wood knew he would be the first and last Hill-Wood to be kicked out of the Arsenal board if Usmanov bought the majority of the shares. In October 2007 Hill-Wood announced that the board decided to make a “lockdown agreement” on shares – an agreement that later were extended. The board members, who had the majority of the shares, could only sell to “permitted persons” and had to give fellow board members first option until October 2012. The agreement, which had a terminate clause in October 2010, meant that only board member Kroenke, and not Usmanov, had access to the clubs biggest shareholders. Kroenke bought shares from Fizman and increased his shares before October 2010 to 29,9 percent, close to the 29,99 percent takeover-rule. In April 2011, Danny Fizman decided to sell the rest of his shares. Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith was loyal to the board she later criticized, and also sold her shares to Kroenke who now got the majority and decide who will have a seat in the board and which strategy the club will have the coming years. A good effort from a man who only four years before wasn’t interested in buying any shares at all in Arsenal:
”At this point (26 March 2007), there is no interest or intention from KSE in buying any shares or any pieces of Arsenal Football Club or any club in the English Premier League,” said Jurgen Mainka, senior director of communications and international business at the Colorado Rapids, in a statement.
The Sunday Times reported this weekend that British broadcaster ITV was in talks with KSE about the sale of its 9.9 percent stake in Arsenal, worth an estimated $79 million. Mainka dismissed the speculation outright.
“There certainly is no substance to these stories and rumors in the media, which indeed started when we first announced our commercial relationship with Arsenal Football Club,” he said”…
Kroenke bought the shares from ITV ten days after the statement and since then we have heard several times from Peter Hill-Wood that the board wouldn’t allow a takeover. But in May 2011 Hill-Wood sent a recommendation to the shareholders to sell their shares to Kroenke. All the promises the last years were broken and forgotten. Hill-Wood’s position as chairman didn’t change despite Kroenke’s takeover. In fact, when he was criticized at the AGM meeting Kroenke – the only man who could fire him – defended Hill-Wood:
…”As Hill-Wood endeavoured to give an answer, Kroenke leaned over and seized the microphone. “Can I add something? We are all fans. Peter has our support. We are with you,” he said pointedly”…
Read more: http://goonertalk.com/2012/05/21/peter-hill-wood-the-great-or-greedy/#ixzz1vXphdDnR
If you read our annual reports the last years we have had huge profits after tax each year since 2007. When we won the FA Cup in 2005 we had less revenue, less profit and bigger net debt than today. As I haven’t found any official fees regarding transfers I can’t present profits from transfers but according to transferleague.com (which may not be exact but offers a good overview) we have received more money than we have spent since 2006. Between 1992 and 2006 we used to spend more than we received in transfers. The problem is that Arsenal sells players to get profit because we haven’t invested in the squad as we should the last years. We know that the most successful football clubs and clubs with big stars got the best commercial deals and also get more and more domestic and foreign supporters that spend money at the club. Commercial deals and fans don’t automatically generate success, but success often generates better commercial deals and more fans. And to get success you first need to invest, in this case in better footballers.
Year (1 June-31 May) Turnover GR Net Debt Profit
2010/2011 CC-runner up £256m £93m £97,8m £12,6m
2009/2010 £380m £94m £135,6m £61m
2008/2009 £313m £100m £297,7m £35,2m
2007/2008 £223m £95m £318,1m £25,7m
2006/2007 CC-runner up £201m £91m £268,2m £2,8m
2005/2006 CL-runner up £137m £44m £262m £7,9m
2004/2005 FA-cup-winners £138m £37m £153m £8,3m
2003/2004 FA-cup+PL-winners £157m – – £8,2m
GR= Gate Revenues Profit=Profit after tax
Arsenal doesn’t invest in stars, the strategy is to buy cheap and young, develop them and sell them to richer clubs. Dutch side Ajax is well-known to produce talents but look where they are as a club. They are struggling in the weak Dutch league and their brand is not as strong as it once was. Finishing third or fourth is not ‘attractive’, nor among companies or new fans. London is one of the biggest cities in the world but it’s much easier to get tickets to Arsenal now. The board blames the economic climate but it’s not the whole truth. There are two other top clubs in London and we have less and less supporters who are preparing to pay expensive tickets to see Arshavin or Chamakh’s lame efforts. The lack of ambition is destroying the brand. The public consider United as winners, and Arsenal have a ‘loser’ label right now and it will be more difficult to convince companies and supporters to give money without get anything back. Spurs’ success and stars imply better commercial deals and more fans. There are no big difference between our revenue from commercial deals and Spurs commercial revenue and with their new stadium their revenues will increase. The coming years will be very crucial for Arsenal’s future. A tour to Asia or Africa generates some revenue but it will not solve any problem. The fans in Asia are amazing but the club also needs to do more to keep and increase the supporters they have in UK. The gate revenues from foreign fans at Emirates are very small and it’s the supporters in UK that help the club reach over £90 million in gate revenues each season.
When I highlight my fears about Arsenal’s future and Stan Kroenke some people tells me that if something was wrong with the club the board wouldn’t accept it. They also say that the current board has provided Arsene Wenger with funds in the past, before the stadium was built. They are wrong. When we last won a trophy 2005 our board was: Peter Hill-Wood, David Dein, Richard Carr (grandson of former Arsenal Chairman Sir Bracewell Smith), Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith, Danny Fizman, Ken Friar and Sir Roger Gibbs. Today, there are only two members left from the board that won titles and that’s the chairman Peter Hill-Wood and Ken Friar.
Read more: http://goonertalk.com/2012/05/21/peter-hill-wood-the-great-or-greedy/#ixzz1vXpzU200
Board members that has left since the victory in the FA Cup 2005:
* Roger Gibbs was a non executive director from 1980 and retired in June 2006.
* David Dein, vice-chairman since 1983 leaves the club in April 2007 due to “irreconcilable differences” with the rest of the board (Hill-Wood admit he fired Dein).
* Keith Edelman, director from 2000 to May 2008.
* Richard Carr, director from 1981 to December 2008 left after rows with Hill-Wood.
* Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith got her place in the board representing her former husband’s family who had been linked with the club in 70 years. Left after rows with Hill-Wood in December 2008. Le Grove (twitter) wrote during the AST (Arsenal Supporters’ Trust) meeting at February 20, 2012: “Nina booted from board for having a Starbucks with the Usmanov people.”
* Danny Fizman past away in April 2011.
These members owned shares in Arsenal together with Granada (ITV) which owned 9,9 percent of the shares but wasn’t represented at the board.
Board members now (with Peter Hill-Wood and Ken Friar)
* Baron Harris of Peckham was appointed as a non-executive director in November 2005. Friend to Hill-Wood.
* Sir Chippendale Keswick was appointed as a non-executive director in November 2005. Long-time friend and former colleague to Hill-Wood at Hambros Bank (remember the name Hambro).
* Stan Kroenke becomes a non-executive director in September 2008, three months before Lady Nina and Richard Carr leaves the board.
* Ivan Gazidis is appointed as CEO in January 2009.
It’s about time all supporters understand that the board has changed totally since 2005 and business isn’t as usual. Three members and significant shareholders have left the board after rows with the chairman and Arsenal now has a majority owner who supports Hill-Wood. Lifelong servant Ken Friar strengthens the bonds with the past but those who think the 77-year-old director will raise his hand and say “Lets spend some f***ing money” have a wrong picture of Ken Friar. He has a nice company car, a salary-including bonuses at a staggering £677 000 and is very loyal to the other board members who gave him a bronze bust and named the North Bridge “The Ken Friar Bridge”. Why would he complain to his pals that they didn’t listen to Wenger’s fears in the media and at Arsenal.com that we needed to replace Cesc and Nasri last summer with same quality and money? Why would Peter Hill-Wood’s friends Peckham and Keswick complain to Hill-Wood? Why would Ivan Gazidis complain to the board that appointed him and gives him £1.6 million in salary and bonuses? And at last, why would Stan Kroenke complain that we don’t buy new players when his own shares have grown with an amazing speed since he bought shares at the price of £5 900 per share? Now the same share is worth over £15 500 and he has 41 574 shares! Today Kroenke is the only shareholder in the board he totally controls. Who really dares to question him regarding the clubs investment in the team? As we see above nearly all the board members from our successful years from the 1980’s to 2005, are gone.
We still have Arsene Wenger but we also know that he wasn’t the only force behind our success. Together with David Dein he formed one of the most successful partnerships off the pitch in modern British football. Look above and you see the four last of David’s seasons at Arsenal. One Premier League title, unbeaten in 49 games, two times FA-cup-winners, runner up in Champions League and runner up in Carling Cup (with youngsters). David has a football brain and wasn’t afraid of pushing the club forward and trying to improve the team. His main focus was the football and not the profit. He isn’t perfect – he wanted to move to Wembley instead of Emirates – but this was because of his desire of success on the pitch. He didn’t want the move to a new expensive stadium to affect our chances to win titles. David Dein loved the club and we can’t afford to have such an influential and intelligent football man outside the club anymore. When he left 2007 the ambition to be the best club in the country disappeared from the board and Arsenal FC became a company with more focus on profits.
Read more: http://goonertalk.com/2012/05/21/peter-hill-wood-the-great-or-greedy/#ixzz1vXqDCr5W
When Hill-Wood stressed that business is murky in Uzbekistan and that in itself is an argument against Usmanov being involved in Arsenal I wonder if he thought about his own business in the Russian Far East with Pavel Maslovskiy, a man who certainly isn’t an open book (as Hill-Wood described Usmanov). From June, 2003, to May, 2011, Hill-Wood served as a non-executive director of Petropavlovsk PLC (formerly Peter Hambro Mining PLC) operating in the Amur Region, Russian Far East. Pavel Maslovskiy was one of the founders and also CEO in the company. John Helmer, a Moscow-based correspondent since 1989 specializing in the coverage of Russian business, wrote an article in 2010 where he compared Maslovskiy with the evil dwarf Rumpelstiltskin:
…”According to the US standard, when a public figure like Maslovsky promotes himself, his reputation, and his business record for selling shares to the public – no matter where – it is relevant for the share-buying public to know what has been published about him, especially in places where he is known best. What has been accused against him is relevant to be known, and therefore made public, even if the charges turn out to be untrue. Maslovsky’s silence, and the blanks in the prospectuses, should therefore be weighed against what the Russian media have been reporting over many years.
The point of these reported claims is that Maslovsky advertised in the fareast of Russia for shareholders to subscribe their funds to enable the development of the Pokrovsky goldmine. Those shareholders believed him, and handed over their money. But subsequently they did not receive dividends, and they then lost their stakes when Tokur Zoloto was ordered into bankruptcy by the Amur courts. Somehow, however, the Pokrovsky mine was sold by Maslovsky into the partnership he formed offshore with Peter Hambro. Maslovsky gained; the original shareholders of Tokur Zoloto lost. Did the shareholders really believe Rumpelstiltskin had the secret of weaving straw into gold? Were they liable for their naivety? Did Rumpy take care not to reveal his name this time around? The answer to those questions ought to be up to Maslovsky to answer. Because he refuses to acknowledge that the Tokur Zoloto bankruptcy occurred”…
Read more: http://goonertalk.com/2012/05/21/peter-hill-wood-the-great-or-greedy/#ixzz1vXqUbwXx
Peter Hill-Wood, once vice-chairman of Hambros Bank, is friend with Peter Hambro who founded Peter Hambro Mining with Pavel Maslovskiy. Hill-Wood decided to buy shares and became a member of the board 2003. But why did Hill-Wood invest in gold mining if he doesn’t like murky businesses?
…”The turf wars are not over. The governor of a remote gold-rich province was shot dead on a Moscow street a year ago (2002). Russian media said he was killed because he was trying to crack down on illegal gold trade. A manager of Norilsk Nickel, Russia’s biggest gold company, was killed in April (2003).”…
In the same year as Hill-Wood joined the board, Peter Hambro Mining founded Aricom, an iron ore mining company. One of Aricom’s rivals was Metalloinvest, Russia’s largest iron-ore producer, where Usmanov is a big shareholder. How has that interfered on Hill-Wood’s unwillingness to let Usmanov be a part of the board? As a member of Audit Committee, Nomination Committee, Health, Safety & Environmental Committee and Risk Committee and appointed Senior Independent Director in Petropavlovsk PLC during the years Hill-Wood certainly cooperated with the CEO Pavel Maslovskiy. In December 2011 Maslovskiy resigned and became Senator of Amur region and Member of the Federation Council of Russia (the Upper House of the Russian Parliament). But the powerful Senator Maslovskiy still secured influence in Petropavlovsk PLC as Honorary President and is able to advise the current CEO Sergei Ermolenko (right hand to Maslovskiy when he was CEO) and attend in board meetings – despite his current position as Senator in the region where the company is active.
It doesn’t make any sense. What’s the difference from having a chairman in a murky business and an owner like Usmanov, which in this case was a rival to Aricom, in a murky business? It seems odd that he is willing to do business in a murky gold market with a Russian with unclear past but hasn’t allowed Alisher Usmanov to get into the board and help Arsenal with his contacts and knowledge as he isn’t an open book. Hypocrisy, and you can’t stop and wonder how this decision has affected Arsenal. As we understand Usmanov’s business in the former Soviet Union isn’t the real problem. The problem is he isn’t Hill-Wood’s friend. As Hill-Wood fired David Dein and had rows with two other members it was better for him that Usmanov wasn’t involved in the board, but his job as a chairman is to make decisions what’s best for Arsenal and not him personally. The lockdown agreement helped Kroenke but did it help Arsenal? How much did the chairman interfere in the takeover to secure his post as chairman? Now it’s too late as Kroenke have the majority and select the board but can we really trust that Hill-Wood and the board makes decisions what’s best for the team? The board lack members who understand football and how the club will get success on the pitch. In which criteria besides being friend of the chairman have the members been appointed? As usual there are a lot of questions concerning the Arsenal board.
“I wouldn’t want him to be the owner of the club.”
Well Peter, it’s not your club even if you seem to think that. When I look back at the board members who have left after rows with you and especially the stupid decision to fire David Dein (the man who brought Arsene Wenger and success), our transition from a club who won trophies with world-class-players to this average squad, and the state we are in now on and off the pitch with a silent majority owner that doesn’t care to visit the club in several months or care to invest time and money in Arsenal other than in his shares, I cant stop thinking about what you have done and how you have used the club as your own toy the last five years. You, Peter Denis Hill-Wood, warned us from Alisher Usmanov, but the biggest threat never was him or David Dein. The biggest threat was greed. Your greed, Mr. Hill-Wood.
EKA – Swedish Arsenal Supporter
Read more: http://goonertalk.com/2012/05/21/peter-hill-wood-the-great-or-greedy/#ixzz1vXr8L2Cf
Hi Kev. But can you actually see anything changing?
Off to sleep. Big day tomorrow. Night all.
http://www.arsenalinsider.com/6141/george-graham-arsenals-increasingly-forgotten-genius/#axzz1vXtOdSxQ
Big day????!!!
Intriguing…..
No Adam. Not until that useless fat buffoon of a Chairman, and i use that word in it’s most loose sense, fcuks off….
Night mate.
I’m off now.
Goodnight Digger
You had a busy one AK…..some very interesting reading there.
Morning all…
morning Rico….i see the spuds are trying to thrash deals out for Loic Remy & Jan Vertonghen…….what’s Ivan thrashing? Himself?
Morning Lee – oh that is wonderful news this morning 🙁
Wish he’d give AW a thrashing….
Surely both of those players want CL footie Lee and it makes me wonder why a bigger club isn’t in for them??
Good Morning Fine Folk of the St Totteringham’s faith.
Dont worry Fine Folk. We still have Bendy, Chamack, Denilson, Squilly and Djourou.
I have a feeling that Vela will be a 1st teamer next season.
Lee…………Ivan thrashing himself???? 😆
Good morning lady………….it even makes me wonder why no bigger club is in for them. Arent they the quality many would have us believe???
Morning devil,
Vela first teamer, not with us i suspect ….
Yes Lady. I feel it will be withus. wait and see.
In all seriousness if and it’s a big IF Vertonghen wants to join that shower he can F.R.O!!!
The player wants out devil, imho, there is no way we can keep him, he has been treated dreadfully.
If he stays and plays though, good for him but AW has ruined him a good player…
I don’t think Vela will be with us…..shame, great finisher!
Have to echo that sentiment Lee, maybe Arry knows a few players are looking to leave having missed on on CL footie and they need replacing..
Defoe, Modric, Lardy, Gallas & Bale could all be gonners….
Talking of the Totts, I’ll put the new post up 😉
Dembele has scored twice this season. Oh dear
http://www.emirates247.com/sports/football/why-arsenal-and-man-utd-want-dembele-2012-05-20-1.459478