We are a club full of Marmite players aren’t we?
Just a few that spring to mind are Ramsey, Song, Walcott, Gervinho, Mertsacker, Djourou, Arshavin, Bendtner, Denilson and even Arteta to an extent.
The reason I include Arteta is because a few Arsenal fans seem to like to label him as the ‘cheap man’s Cesc’ – well, he’s not in fact the only thing the two players have in common is their country of birth.
Arteta has been incredible for us this season and for the statistics lovers out there, just go and check how many games we struggled in since he suffered injury.
I’d say, all of them!
Take the rest in that list, none of them are dreadful footballers are they?
No, they just sometimes fail to reach the standards we all believe they should be at to play for our club.
During the season, and not only the one that has just passed, Highbury House and many other Arsenal websites are visited by fans who want to vent their fury about several of the players and the barrage of abuse that certain players have to suffer is incredible.
Is there really a player who hasn’t gone onto the pitch and not tried his hardest?
That maybe a difficult question to answer but body language tells us a lot, just look at Arshavin before he returned to Zenit, he just oozed a ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude and he didn’t try to hide it either did he?
Alex Song can be another, after going forward like he’s Messi, too many times he was very relaxed and lethargic in his attempt to get back and help the defence but other days he worked harder and was much more affective.
Walcott, well he gets an awful lot of abuse but he tries and the same can be said of Ramsey. Djourou, well we talked about him yesterday.
I won’t bother with Nik and Denilson as hopefully they will be gone this summer…
My point, all of these players have good and bad games, maybe some lean towards more bad than good but maybe that is just the level they are at in their game at this moment in time.
It is not their fault that they are selected to play each week is it?
Arsene Wenger signed these players, each and every one of them and he obviously believes in them.
If anyone is to blame for them playing and sometimes playing badly, it is him, it’s Wenger that deserves the bashing, not the players, not as long as they are giving their all in every game….
One little titbit to leave you with and that is we are reported to be in the race to sign Nigel De Jong – good move or bad?
That’s it for today guys, have a good one….
Nigel de Jong. God help us.
Good Morning all ye Fine Folk who are bored to death already with all this inactivity.
Hiya Madam. Good post……all players try their best. Well with the exception of Arshavin that is.
Regarding De Jong why not??? We do need a bruiser in the middle who can make himself a nuisance when Barton plays. Or when we tackle SRFC. And he can play a bit and knows when to defend. And he does shoot the odd screamer into the top corner. And if he manages to kick Shawcross in the stands the better 😉
Why should God help us Turkey??? We do need a strong man in the middle. Obviously I prefer M’Vila, Cabaye or N’Zonzi but De Jong is not bad either.
Finally people are starting to cotton on that Wenger shouldn’t be blameless. He’s dug us into this hole with some of these dreadful signings.
As for De Jong, no thanks….
Morning all. I think De Jong would be a good signing, as devil has said he’s hard and can play a bit, add in the fact he is premiership proven I think we could do a lot worse. I actually wanted him years ago and Kompany, no idea how Wenger missed that one, was so obvious!
Morning all, thanks devil…
How old is De Jong now?
I think we all knew really Romford 😉
Morning again Rico.
A good read M’Lady.
Morning Gooners.
I can’t imagine Shittie selling any of their players to AFC.
Selling to the Scum is one thing.
They aren’t a threat to Arabic City.
But we are…
And Mancini knows it…
I dont want de jong his the dutch joey barton..
Only good thing will would get out of him i guess is gaining the fear factor back!
How much did the Chavs offer Ha$ard to sign on the dotted line then?
did you hear Stewart Robson slating Theo this morning, calling him a liability, and athlete with boots. also said we should sell him
where did you see that robn?
£32 mil with £170 pw
I don’t like Robson but he’s right. Theo’s dreadful – we should sell him.
As for us being a threat to Man City… Lol
Morning Charlie & Lewis
robn, i watched the Robson i/v – he didn’t mention Theo in the clip i saw, he was talking about England…
Lewis – sadly talkshite – they keep replaying it
Morning Matty – I read £38M with add on, and the whole deal is costing the chavs £78M 😮
It’s so upsetting that we weren’t even in the running to get Hazard. A player we’ve been looking at for ages but when push comes to shove…
We are going to be left far behind at this rate.
I hate Wenger’s reactive nature.
I am not sure Theo is dreadful, his second half against the Swampies showed that, he just needs to play like that far more often…
Matty says:
May 29, 2012 at 9:26 am
I dont want de jong his the dutch joey barton..
Only good thing will would get out of him i guess is gaining the fear factor back!
On that alone I would sign him in a second. He is 27 years(good) and I do not think that he is the same as JB……….he has made 57 appearances for Holland.
Morning Rico.
Matty, wow! Well he certainly didn’t go there for their exciting football philosophy.
Romford, after all his ‘i’m going here there and anywhere’ would you really want him. He won’t stay in the PL very long I bet…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2151467/Robin-van-Persies-mum-tells-stay-Arsenal.html
Anyone read this yet? Go on Bouchra, tell him how it is!
i think the news was first created by a spurs fan.
Good morning all. I guess the signing of Hazard and that German bloke, probably followed by Hulk and a few more will certainly mean that Chelsea will fail the FFP threshold so beloved of Platini. So, they will join Man City in being excluded from the CL in a couple of seasons. With all the mad spending by these two ghastly clubs I can only think they already have it covered and are confident of inclusion. Now I wonder how they are going to circumvent the rules while at the same time drive another nail into Football’s coffin
Wait till he plays mates and then you can start commenting on Hazard.
Who wants to bet that he will start the season on fire, then after a few whacks from Stoke, West Ham (they will be that mark my word), QPR, etc he will start to hide??? The chavs do not play the same way as we do, their football is not the same as in France. It is direct with the majority of vertical passes.
Do you honestly think he will deal with that??? Especially after playing on the type of pitches that Sunderland and Stoke have???
That is why I prefer Gotze.
I read that too Lewis, good on her…
Morning Adam, FFP is a joke, clubs have the next three years to break even, i’m sure Roman will make sure his club do just that…
devil, or a wack from De Jong at The Emirates 😉
Hey Rico, you well?
Maybe read it wrong pretty sure it said on skysports that was the terms though! yea lewis its alot, but like shitty when the owns get bored of this hobby of there both doomed 😀
Devil
His a liablity wouldnt you really want someone on the pitch with the thought in the back of your mind that every tackle they made could get them sent off? The board need M’vila his is the man for the job in my eyes.
Reports in the paps suggest the Chavs are ready to offer Theo a deal if he doesn’t commit to us…
Adam, yes they will fail it the FFP. However that would mean that only one year out of the Champions lge since then they would not have the need to buy anyone and the season after missing out they would be admitted inagain for the simple reason that they would show surplus figures.
They can afford to stay out one season and then fill in the top two. And if one of them wins the CL even if they fail the FFp again they will still be allowed in to defend the title.
Their owners can also write off the money the club owns so this is another method.
Wenger should go for m’vila kos he his the guy that can possible change things in the defenciv midfield and not de jong- he is a flop
Regarding M’Vila I agree Matty. I would prefer him over D Jong. But if not the former then I would like the latter.
Mind you, that idea at the back of my mind I had it whenever PV04 tackled. Errrr do you remember how many times was he sent off for us????
All thanks Matty, you?
I can’t see us really being after De Jong but his play has calmed down an awful lot hasn’t it, don’t think he quite so erratic these days…
morning all….. trough today, half empty and generally pissed off! The summer is here we’re in no man’s land to wether or not our best player will be here next season…..
De Jong is a straight red waiting to happen……why can’t we just buy some proper players befitting our (once) proper club? Just a question………….
If the reports about Theo are true than if I were AW I would tell them to give me Sturridge for Theo. I guess we would be laughing the most.
I totally agree that the players,most of them,especially the midfielders,play ‘lazily’ or lethargiclly.however,we play a game mostly every 3 or 4 days. That leaves v.little time for rest, and even less time for improving on the training pitch (only 2 or 3 days between days). No wonder then that those who do the most runnning (song,walcott etc) look like they don’t give their all – because they have nothing left to give!
Personally, I would snap up kalou and hoillet on free’s, to rotate on the wing (or up front as well if using 4-4-2). would also rotate a.santos and gibbs,and grap bosingwa on a free aswel to rotate with sagna,and provide immediate cover.all of these transfers are premeir league proven,plus are free,worth an average of £5-10m each, and are 21,26,and 29 respectively.
other than a v.good defensive mid., and possibly another v.gd rb (van de wiel?£8m?),due to sagnas age and injuries,and also vertonghen (rotate with verminator,due to runs 4ward,plus competition), who can also cover lb and dm, keeping v.persie and walcott, we would have a title winning team,all for under £30m. sales of deadwood would easily cover both transfers and wages..
what do u think?flamini on a free aswel?,plus t.henry?bring on next season!!
Rico – Well give us sturridge i would do that for him!
Welcome Udeme – much rather M’Vila but we know how tight the club are…
Who would prefer Nzonzi over De Jong? Did De Jong have a bust up with RvP once, or am I imagining that…
Morning all, nice one Rico although i dissagree with they try their best bit.
Players need to understand that the bigger the football club the more the supporters expect of them after all supporters are only human beings that go to work, usually for 8 hours a day and 5 or 6 days a week they are extremly lucky if they earn anywhere near a grand a week, when we look at the minimun wage for mere mortals we see it at about £3.50 an hour to tell the truth i don’t know how people can live on that but they do and a lot of them are football fans. Those fans look at say someone like Theo Walcott 21 or 22 on £80 grand a week and all he has to do is play 90 minutes on a weekend and make a difference to the team, instead they see a headless chicken who pulls out of challenges very rarely will he challenge in the air and very often you wouldn’t know he was on the pitch, now this isn’t a pop at just Theo we have a few like that and they too are on that sort of money, Fans see these players in their private lives living it up and driveing flash cars that in all honesty the fans know they will never drive. Supporters realise just how fortunate these young players are but they also want to see players busting a gut for the club. You hit it on the head when you mentioned body language what have these players got to worry about to give them the i don’t care attitude, if they were on £3.50 an hour i could understand it but there not . they are in an enviable position and they should work their socks off in every game, lets face it some weeks its only one 90 minutes.
Yes this is true, but only cause his new role at the club is the bench warmer 😛
Was it De Jong that did that outragious flying kick for Holland a few years back?
I admit the way Hazard went about it wasn’t desirable Rico but you can definitely guarantee that Chelsea will be a bigger threat than us next season the way they’re going about their business.
You can’t call yourself a big club and not go after big players.
As for Theo, compare his stats to Hazard. Hazard is also two years younger.
Theo’s pros:
Pace
Underrated finishing
Movement off the ball
Theo’s cons:
Runs into blind alleys
Lack of footballing intelligence
Never plays any probing passes
Goes missing far too often
He’s been at Arsenal for 7 years and played over 200 games. He really should be a world beater by now. Where’s the improvement?
Morning Lee, was having a worry about you yesterday 😉
N’Zonzi lol. I can see United, Chelsea and City quaking in their boots. The way we’re settling for mediocrity is truly upsetting.
rico says:
May 29, 2012 at 9:49 am…………..…
Who would prefer Nzonzi over De Jong? Did De Jong have a bust up with RvP once, or am I imagining that…
RVP clashed with TommyV once……and now they are best of friends. So with De Jong in the team we would see a reversal maybe????
Morning Steve
I can understand why you would think some aren’t giving their all but i can’t imagine that any player would go onto a pitch and not try – although sometimes their performances don’t back that up…
I generally don’t think De Jong is that good anyway. When Barry can get in the team ahead of you….
Welcome Ben – Hoilett would be a good addittion imho, but a big no thanks to Flamoney and Kalou…
Then you gotta think if walcott is really that shit! why do you chavs want him ??
Also, we shouldn’t be worried about paying players £150k.. squil,jd,denilson = proper player’s wages
waiter,aa,cham = proper player’s wages etc
De Jong – paper talk we can’t afford his salary and unlike Wenger, Mancini is not stupid and will never sell him to a rival. Best Def Mid in the league by a country mile.
Romford – but look who they are going to be losing as well, are they improving or just replacing players properly, something which we don’t do….
‘I generally don’t think De Jong is that good anyway. When Barry can get in the team ahead of you….’
Says it all really, Barry is passed it 😉
I’d take Lucas from Liverpool over De Jong any day of the week. How can someone be the best DM in the league when he hardly plays. It’s like saying Berbatov is the best striker
FFP I seems too complex for a mere mortal to understand. As far as I can work out, the monitoring period has started but no clubs could be suspended for another two seasons. It seems somewhat moot as I can’t see it working at all actually. The depressing truth is that, despite having a fantastic infrastructure in place and a money pit of a stadium, Arsenal are in no position to compete for the World’s best players. But, is this really a problem when it comes to winning trophies? I still believe that there are enough really good players available at much more reasonable prices that can be moulded into a winning team. One of the problems is that, when they achieve greatness, they want to move on to Bacelona or Real Madrid as these clubs are rightly perceived as being more glamorous and ambitious than ours. Or they might want to go to Man City or Chelsea for the money. As I see it as of today, our playing staff and general set-up has been top-heavy for years and we have a manager who was great but now seems a bit past it with a strict adherence to a tactical mindset that is not flexible or ambitious enough. I hope I am proved wrong this year.
They are improving and replacing. Hazard in Kalou out. Marin in, Malouda likely out. Vast improvements IMO. They’ve still got Lukaku too – that dude is Drogba in the making.
I just hope wenger hurrys up i make at least a high profile signing before the Euros
Wenger will never go for de Jong it is complete fabrication.
We have money to pay for top players though, that’s the thing. And if we’re winning trophies, our best players won’t want to leave.
Spot on Lee re the wages…
We do have money. Just not enough of it. But, if Usmanov got control, we would have enough to compete with anyone for the World’s best players. It is still no guarantee of success though. But with a modern manager, astute enough to make the right tactical calls during a match, we would have a mighty strong chemistry. Enough to beat anyone.
Friday is season ticket renewal deadline……..we’ll be linked with ronaldo and messi soon! I’m so over our tight arsed club..
Chelsea is rebuilding we know they have to because the players they brought are ageing now. They buy experienced players top quality players who are not 9 years old, they play them till they lose their edge then they replace. I would say that Abromovich has secured his next manager and has a list of recruits Chelsea will be up there with the city’s and Utd’s next year they will be challenging no doubt about that, where we will be nursing our injured and making excuses that we have had a bad decision against us we may creap up the table and if we are extremly lucky find the top half of the league but make no bones about it we wont be challenging the big boys, Why because we think small we think profit we’ll win a few but we’ll struggle thats a cert.
De Jong will join Arsenal and M’Vila will strengthen Chelsea. De Jong is joining Arsenal bcuz he knows he’ll get plenty of games in Arsenal while I must admit slowly Arsenal is loosing their grip as a quality club cuz we haven’t won any trophies for some time now. There’re plenty of Arsenal players who really don’t deserve to be in the squad but they are, it’s just because Wenger doesn’t have any choices – keep on playing mediocre players like Ramsey, Djourou, Squillaci. That’s why terrific players like M’Vila choose not to sign for Arsenal bcuz he knows he’ll be the only star in a mediocre team
SP. that is indeed a mightily depressing picture of our coming season that you have painted. I have to feel more optimistic as I look at the cheque I have written for 2 season tickets I am about to walk round to the post box. There is no question though that it seems we are treading water at the moment with so little movement happening and the latest lecture on World Economics about to be delivered by our manager from his pulpit at his next press conference.
Theo Walcott is a ‘liability’ and should be sold by Arsenal this summer if he is asking for a wage increase, Stewart Robson has told talkSPORT.
Walcott is reported to be attracting interest from Chelsea, with the England winger out of contract at the end of next season and yet to agree a new deal.
But Robson insists it would be no great loss if Walcott were to depart the Emirates.
“It wouldn’t worry me if Theo Walcott were to leave tomorrow,” the former Gunners star said, speaking to the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show.
“Theo Walcott, for me, is not a good footballer. He is an athlete who puts on a pair of football boots.
“He is quick, he is fast, but when he was younger he should have been taught how to be better technically, how to find space, how to find awareness. He has never done that and he is a liability when he is defending.
“For Theo Walcott to want more money, I would let him go.”
M
sorry about all the shit after the Robson interview….
We’re so tight it’s unreal.
Adam, if we got rid of the dross at the club which I currently count at around 12 first team players, we could bid for Hazard and a few others. Too many rubbish players on high wages here – would never happen elsewhere.
Got to pop off for a couple of hours, laters guys…
RP. That’s what I mean about being top heavy.
Well,what a negative,morbid bunch of comments tonight.
Everyone was saying we don’t need an upstart smartarse like Hazard,now some of you guys are saying Arsenal aren’t a big club for not trying to get him!!!!!!
I’ve said it before,and I’ll say it again,no matter what Wenger does,he’s wrong.
Good Evening or whatevertimeofthe dayitisoverthere Scott.
I agree whole heartedly with you. you know my take. I do not like Hazard and I have always preferred Gotze over him. Yes even Muller or Reus. Hazard is another Cesc. He expects the team to play for him.
I hope no one tells me sour grapes because we did not get him. I have been saying this for the past year now. Not just today.
The only chance we have with how our penny pinching club is, buy a quality Midfielder and back up keeper sell Theo and the dross bring in Ryo Campbell and Park and cross our fingers that Sagna Heals quick and Jack is back to his old self then we may just cause them problems.
Take M’Vila. Yes I DO want AFC to go for him. And I would be dissapointed to loose out. Although not as much, I would still feel a bit better if we got Capoue or N’Zonzi but my preference would be M’vila.
Hazard???? I was praying we did not get him.
Not sure about N’Zonzi devil, think we should be aiming a bit higher.
How can we not need a player like Hazard?! We only have one match winner in the whole squad! If he gets injured, we’re screwed.
Got Podolski as well now Romford
Devil,we have the issue now of M’Villa stuffing the club around…….is his heart truly set on coming to the club,or is he just shopping himself around,hoping to impress the Euros??
I don’t care ow good they are,if they don’t want to play for Arsenal,then we don’t want them.
On other targets…..
Look at Podolski and Arteta…..these are the type we want more of.
It’s funny,we signed Podolski early on,which is what everyone on here wanted,and he is a world class,proven striker,yet everyone’s carrying on like Wengers sitting on his hands!!!
Do a count on how many players Chelski,Citeh,Utd,Liverpool,Spuds….any other club in the league has signed and you may well find its one at most.
How many do we have…..one.
Stop bloody sulking,the transfer window hasnt even opened yet.
We do have Podolski but you can’t exactly call him a match winner when he hasn’t played a game for us yet.
He comes with pedigree no doubt but let’s hope he’s more Sol Campbell rather than Reyes or Arshavin.
Pele,what’s Hazard got other than pedigree,and bugger all at international level,yet you’re suddenly in love with him.
You’re a nark.
Podolski is unproven,but we should’ve got Hazard???
Has anyone done the transfer count??
How do we stand???
Come on guys,look at the true picture,and stop putting a negative spin on things.
Podolski is a sensational signing,and one we were all calling for,so why is it suddenly forgotten,or irrelevant now??
I’m disappointed,as this topic has,on a whole,been a very,very negative read,and unlike anything else I’ve read on HH.
M’Villa,Capoue or De Jong……name one of these that DOESN’T improve our current situation??
What do we want out of signings…….an improvement on what we have,so I don’t care which one we get.
Lorentz,Giroud…..yes,only rumours,but again I hark back to my earlier comments……the window hasn’t opened yet,and nobody else is out there making lots of signings,so why the panic??
What’s he got other than pedigree? Well you’ve answered the question yourself there.
The fact the best teams are after him speak volumes.
I’m not criticising the Podolski signing at all – I’m just saying we need more of that ilk, nothing wrong with that. In the last 8 years, we’ve made limited/no progress while certain teams have caught and overtaken us.
I’m not asking us to go and spend £200m but there is a sizeable budget there which should be spent on top players to help us challenge again. Considering how much I spend on Arsenal each season, it’s not too much to ask.
Sorry Adam just saw your comment on your season tickets, You know i am usually wrong 🙂
m’vila seem to be doing a hazard – http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/900504-yann-mvila-transfer-talks-put-on-hold-until-after-euro-2012
Hey Adam, you re~newed your season tickets yet..?
We’re doing ours Friday week.
On line now seems the policy.
Forget Hazard.
Couldn’t give a shit about him.
Good attempt at a sidestep,Pele.
No progress???
We’ve got the best stadium in the world…..no progress???
We haven’t sold our arse though.
You’re not suggesting we need to spend200 million,but equally,nobody is suggesting we shouldnt spend.
Go back through your posts though in this topic……not a positive comment amongst them……
Matty,what do you reckon…..do we want this type of player???
Hiya habib
How are you???
I’m talking about on the pitch… Wenger thinking this youth project would pay dividends has backfired.
Scott i think we do bud, we are too exposed at the back.. and havnt got a player sitting in front of them, which is why the CB keep going to far up the pitch. Song is immsense but you can tell this season he doesnt like to sit back. M’vila know his role and is good at it, he would protect the back four and wouldnt go far up the pitch unless neccessary. Thats my opinion anyways
Matty,I agree we need a true defensive midfielder,but is he a game player??
Pele,fair enough.
The Podolski signing hopefully shows our way forward.
I just don’t understand the negativity so soon after the season finished.
If we get to the last week of he transfer window,have lost RVP and signed noody else,then even I will be calling for heads.
There’s a lot of water to go Under the bridge until then,so I will remain confident things will go well for us.
No doubt there’s time, but we have so much to get done. Theo, RVP’s and Song’s contract needs sorting out. About 3/4 players need to come in and we need to ship put a shed load of dross.
The thing with waiting for signings as well is that if a player has a good Euros, his price will rise immensely. Someone like M’Vila may costner than £17m if he plays well in the Euros.
That’s why I’m keen to get our new signings in early, sort out contracts, release the dross.
All will be revealed in the fullness of time but one thing we’ve certainly not improved upon is goals conceded….
Scott i think he looks the deal, i mean if you know much about him his got alot of quality to give and his young. He plays for the french team and sagna seems to be impressed. The only thing i dislike about him to date is that if he really wanted to join us and was passionate as he was made out to of said, why is he waiting to the end of the euros. Arsenal have meant to of already agreed the fee with rennes from what i have read. its just agreeing the terms.
With podolski im well happy with that signing, but only to think he would be playing along side RVP. If RVP was to go we got the same dilemma relying on one striker.
One think about arsenal i do not get is why do they let star player contacts run so low??
We need stars now if we are to win anything, i dont mean expensive player but players who can make a difference.. are bench is just too weak.
Keeper + DM + CB and i would love another striker, what you think Scott?
Well if Wenger is half as intelligent as we relieve,he copped a big kick up the arse last year and learnt a very valuable lesson.
Hiya Kev. Yes, just popped the cheque in the post. June 1st is technically the last day for renewals. My £2620 is going to be used for Hill-Wood’s cigars for the opening week of the season.
My thoughts on the contracts running down are that players and their agents play the game and have the upper hand.
RVP made it clear very early last season he wasn’t prepared to discuss it….thats when there was nearly two full seasons to run on the existing contract.
I can’t see where the club can be blamed for that.
Theo wants much more money than he’s worth,and I can’t condone paying so much purely to keep fans happy.
I’m sure there’s been others where the club dropped the ball,but not always.
For me,a DM and AM are the two big ones…..that’s if RVP stays.
If he goes,then another striker will be needed for sure.
My belief is with a top class DM,our back 4 will suddenly look very,very solid.
On a keeper…..we may well be stuck with Fabianski now he’s injured….
Hope you sent him a box of matches Adam lol.
Dont you mean shoe shine for gazidis big fat bold head!!
No Scott. I am going to rub two Boy Scouts together to ignite his Havanas.
Lee says:
May 29, 2012 at 10:12 am
Friday is season ticket renewal deadline……..we’ll be linked with ronaldo and messi soon!
https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSu416ME_zMagt1HnfD0vnrBXjpIgO_H5mS3wCbJehQk6hIJJbg
Nice one Adam…
Gotta keep the faith buddy.
Despite all the doomers.
I don’t take too much notice of that ticket deadline.
It’s just for the convenience of the ticket office.
The waiting list has shrunk and in our economic climate will continue to shrink.
The club aren’t stupid enough to throw reliable customers away…
Gonna take in some away games as well Adam.
Quite fancy visiting StMarys and Stoke RFU.
Not been to their new grounds yet.
Love the away games.
The hard core fans.
No negativity, no Doomers.
Great craic, great atmosphere.
You should give it a try mate. 🙂
Charlie. I note the word ” customers “
Reading [a] looks good as well Adam.
Hiya AlanMP…
When do you sleep… :-D. :-D. 😀
Customers!
Yep, that’s what we are mate.
That’s thanks to the EPL.
No point getting hung up over terminology.
You getting excited about the fixtures coming out soon? 🙂
lAan, when was the last time you actually went to a game?
In the flesh, so to speak…
Reading away is a done deal mate!!!
Robin should listen to his mum…..
Alan, i’m not having a pop at ya, i’m just curious.?
I think that if you don’t go, you can lose your enthusiasm.
I stopped going for a couple of seasons in the mid 1990’s and lost a bit of the buzz.
Of course it was the fag~end of the George Graham era, so i wasn’t missing much.
Soon got it back though.
Your either an optimist or a depressionist i suppose.
Afternoon all, fiesty here I see 😉
Lee, Reading [a] is gonna be a gas…
Hope it’s gonna be early or late in the season, when the weather is good.
Great news on your boys btw.
Me too Reading away 😛
What do you guys make of the Odil Ahmedov rumour…
Lee, it’s always the same when one of our rivals signs a new player.
You get a load of ‘who are we gonna buy’ from so and so.
You know, that’s life.
We can’t go out and buy someone every time Shittie ManUre and Chavs buy someone.
AK we can smash Reading up!! 😆
Hiya Rico.
I’m just going back to work.
Damn, missed ya again.
Have to leave ya to all the ‘Bah Humbugs’ on your own..
Sure you can cope. 😀
Uzbek player???
Sounds a load of rollocks to me.
Lata.
😆 Lee, we will have to find somewhere out of town 😉
Hi Charlie and bye, but catch you later I hope…
Just popped in for some lunch, sanding a table and blown up the sander 🙁
Afternoon, Boswinga on a free as cover for Sagna and sign Yossi? Then buy either a defensive midfielder or Centre back and an AM?
Hi vernat, we have young Jenks, can’t see AW going for another Rb tbh, before that I’d rather we get a CB, GK and DM…
Hi Rico, just wondering if Sagna will be the same player after two broken legs and Jenks is young might not hurt having an experienced player there, especially one who has won things?
In an ideal world vernat, yes but we know what AW is liek, also Yenarris will be pushing for a place…
Nipping off to B&Q 🙁
More expense…
You really are multi-faceted Rico….shall I put the call in to IG? Saying that I know a great contract negiotiator…… 😉
😆 Lee, not much good at most though but I’ll try anything ….
BBQ better…..
so it seems Rico…. 😉
BBQ is later Lee 😉
Back shortly….
Errr Bosingwa and that monobrow can go sit somewhere else!
Has it come to us getting/linked with chav failures??? Surely but surely we should be setting our sights a bit higher????
Thankyou Lee. We need more people who can win us games bar RVP. Podolski is a start and now let’s continue on that trend. Taking Chelsea cast-offs says a lot about our ambition.
I don’t think we need a RB anyway. Jenkinson and Coquelin can hold the fort until Prince Bac is back!
I’m no doomer but enough is enough, we need to stop selling our best players every year! We need to fck off the dross and add 3 quality players, m’vila vertonghen goetze plus a free keeper! There that wasn’t hard was it? If walcott continues to make ridiculous demands sell him and replace him……off set that lot by the income from sales and reduced salary bill
rant over!
Let’s hope this rant was heard by Wenger 😉
Thing is, I’m not negative on purpose – this is a culmination of the last 7/8 years. We need to stop living off our reputation and start being proactive again.
Chelsea may have bought up their history but their trophy cabinet is continuing to fill up.
It’s just so frustrating because I feel with those additions we’d be a lot closer to the manc clubs! The chavs have set their stall out early doors plus that shower of shite will add players….the prices of players will rocket if they play well in the euros!! Get them done & dusted beforehand…. You know it makes sense!!!
m’vila, vertonghen, goetze, none of whom have played in this league so we don’t know that they will be as good/better/worse here. Before we go spending a lot of money on young unproven players like the above lets see what else we can buy with more experience or track record. I am not saying that they aren’t good players but no guarantee that they will adapt to the conditions here, look at how Veron struggled, Shevchenko, Morientes, Kezman had an amazing goal scoring record in Holland but was crap here.
There are not many players in this league at lower clubs who are good enough to make the step up. I’m still apprehensive about people’s clamour for Hoilett.
Players are less likely to flop here due to the style of football we play. More often than not, if you pay good money, you get a good ROI. We’ve been going after mediocre players for too long.
I’m not sure we can get Gotze due to the new contract he signed but someone along those lines would be good. E.g Eriksen, Belhanda, Dzagoev, Honda, Martin etc
I now have shakey arm syndrome 😆
Evening all, have we signed anyone yet? 😉
Vernat but they be an upgrade on what we have as for spending a lot of money it’s Arsenal we’re talking about! 😉
Lee, nobody could ever accuse you of being a doomer.
Remember, i’ve been to a game with you and i know how much it means to you.
You also are a season ticket holder.
Nuff said.
We’re going thru a period where the Media have fcuk all to write about.
Where agents are manipulating the Press to try and gain some interest in their clients.
It’s all crap…
I don’t buy a newspaper and i don’t listen to Talkbollocks either.
The Euro’s will start soon and all this rubbish will go away for a few weeks.
Transfers will start in earnest afterwards.
Rico, I think you confirmed earlier what most of us know already, DIY really stands for Destroy It Yourself !
Lee/Charlie
There is a huge difference between a doomer and being a realist, I like you guys sit in the realist camp – we know what we need to make us a great side again, but the reality is, we know 99.9% it just isn’t going to happen….
Micko – what are you trying to suggest, my table top looks mighty fine, just now need to do the legs and the chairs 😉
Mind you, the sander, yes, I totally destroyed that but B&Q gained from it 😉
Lee/Rico, i’m just looking forward to the publication of the fixtures, so that we can plan our ‘tear~up’ in Berkshire.
Rico, as it’s a bit posh out your way, will i have to wear a suit??? 🙂
Alan, take no notice of kev, he just gets a bit grouchy when he’s hungary.
When we look at the situation were in, we have to ask ourselves why Wenger secures a top striker even before the season was over, but shortly after announces that he is looking at nobody and has not contacted anybody and definitely not bid on anybody. Podolski is so like Van Persie i feel that Wenger was just covering in case Van Persie either leaves or if he stays, and the likely event he gets injured after all with the set of players we have, we still took 3rd place, I don’t expect Wenger to buy a centre back we have too many on the books and lets face it the only ones i would buy is the ones we are using so who’s going to buy the others, so they are staying. As for Midfielders we are in similar position as the center backs we are overloaded with them Arteta Wilshere Ramsey Rosiski Song Frimpong Lansbury Coqu the Ox i’m sure i have missed a couple we are overloaded there too M’Vila pie in the sky never going to happen we may get a back up keeper and who knows we may keep Yossi for another year, but i think Wenger has as many as he wants.
Mick….. I’m agast..
Did it sound like i was having a go at Alan?
Because that most certainly wasn’t my intention.
Alan is our resident Grover.
He’s part of the scenery.
Alan, if i offended you, then i am truely sorry.
Afterall, the bad start to the season shouldn’t happen again and Jack should be fit, so we should in all honesty still make top four.
Charlie leave Alan alone you bully 🙂
Rico, you know the score boss.
We all have a moan…
But there are some who visit and just criticise every single aspect of what the club do.
I don’t know why?
And i don’t know what kind of enjoyment they get from being so negative??
It’s beyond my comprehension.
Sir Stevo.
I am chastened. :-D. :-D. 😀
Charlie – no suit needed, shorts and t-shirt if its in august 😉
Careful rico, few people ever fully recover after sanding a table and chairs.
Kev, looks like that pot noodle has calmed you down.
Steve, he tried to get Pod in Jan, he knew back then we needed a striker, Pod was always coming regardless of RvP, if RvP goes though, he’ll have to sign another….
I thought he was on his way but i have changed my mind Rico, i think he will see out his time with us, saying that he will probably make me out to be a twat but if he was going i think we would have heard by now.
Only done the top Micko and not sure i’ll survive that 😉
I think he’s staying today Steve, tomorrow though is a different day 😉
Mick, you know me so well…..
off to eat, back in a bit…
Anyone home?
Oh well. I’m off for the night on cooking duty.
I’m around Adam, my cooking duties are over 😉
last news
RVP – juventus
Llorente – Arsenal for 30 millions
Hi JM, RvP to Italy, no chance, he’d never join a corrupt league…
Llorente, £30M – M’Vila is far cheaper 😉
Off to walk Fido 🙂
Anyone around?
Offski guys, catch you all tomorrow…
Stafe safe, nighty all….
Good Morning Fine Folk.
Hope you are all in good health.
Take a look at this article I found on NN………..
http://blog.emiratesstadium.info/archives/21505
You would not know it from reading the papers, and even less from watching TV, but football is in total disarray. I’ll try and summarise just some of the issues that are facing the game at this moment.
1: Italy, Finland, Turkey…
Yesterday the Italian prime minister said, “Football should be stopped for two to three years. It is not a proposal by the government but a question I am asking as someone who was passionate when football was still football.
“It’s a desire that sometimes I feel inside me: that it would really benefit the maturity of us Italian citizens if this game was completely suspended for two to three years. It’s particularly sad when a world which should be an expression of the highest values – sport, youth, competition, fairness – turns out to be a mass of foul play, falsehood and demagoguery.”Tomorrow a tribunal begins considering cases – and they are certainly not waiting for the national team to finish in the Euros.
The top man on wanted list Tan Seet Eng, also known as Dan who is said to be involved in match-fixing from Finland to the Baltic nations and in Africa, China and South America.
Players are groomed from an early age – and are given help in how to fix matches as required. The model is that used by Wilson Raj Perumal who is now in prison in Finland for two years, having been convicted last year of fixing games in the country’s domestic league. Perumal and Dan have history.
Dan was linked to the fake Togo team that played against Bahrain in 2010; the two internationals in Turkey last year that resulted in six referees being banned and wholesale match fixing in Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile Juventus stuck their fingers up at authorities and any notion that match fixing was wrong by claiming that they actually won the two lost titles. The Italian FA did nothing to reprimand them.
2. Scotland
Confusion is the key word. No one knows what the Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) will yield – normally if a firm goes bust and you are a creditor you know, and so can for vote or against.
It now seems likely that Rangers will survive, since they have just won a court case in which the footballing authorities ruled that the club could sign no new players for a year. Also all attempts by the SFA to suggest that Rangers might be relegated if they reform as a new club have now been thrown out because the rule book is faulty. In short Rangers rule, not the SFA not the SPL. And they will play in the SPL without that licence.
The SFA introduced club licensing in 2006 and in order to be granted even the most basic licence clubs must have filed audited accounts with the SFA by March 31. Rangers haven’t.
SPL secretary Iain Blair last night admitted that he and his colleagues cannot insist that their members must meet even the minimum conditions stipulated by the SFA, saying, “It is not a requirement of the SPL for members to be in possession of a licence from the SFA.”
Following on like little puppies the Scottish League confirmed that Rangers would be allowed to enter next season’s League Cup without the SFA licence. And the SFA said Rangers can play in the Scottish Cup, even though licensing laws Article 35 say they should not.
3. Euros
When Sol Campbell, the player who has suffered more racist and homophobic abuse (from Tottenham supporters) than any other I have ever seen or heard for any other player, with virtually no action taken against him, says that we shouldn’t go to the Euros because of the abuse and dangers, it is worth taking notice.
When one player threatens to kill people if they exhibit racist behaviour, it is probably time to dive for cover. The fact that it was Mario Balotelli who said this might make it seem laughable, but the situation is serious, and it is cause totally by Uefa. Uefa consistently fines countries fees of around £20,000 when their is racist abuse at a match, a trifling amount. This sends out a message that abuse of this nature is ok – as does awarding the Euros to countries where, as we saw on TV in England just recently, there are significant problems associated with football.
4. FFP
Málaga qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history, after becoming huge spenders in Spain, following the purchase by an oil rich investor. PSG in France, also recipients of great investment came second in their league and are likewise in the Champions League. Neither club would meet FFP requirements for last season if the FFP were fully in place now.
Man City of course are a billion miles from meeting FFP and have no sign of a tactic that will allow them to. And Chelsea, the club that claims that it help form the FFP rules after its owner approached Uefa on the issue, have now changed stance and are spending again without regard to the FFP.
The feeling seems to be that if enough clubs utterly disregard FFP Uefa won’t dare imply sanctions on them all, as they will retaliate by forming their own break-away league. So Uefa faces a crisis.
5. Fifa and the FA
To say that Fifa has a crisis, is to state the obvious. Matters relating to the award of the world cup to a country with precious few civil rights, whose temperatures are extreme, was bizarre – but expected given the number of corruption stories that are revealed each month. But the FA consorts and sucks up to this body – indeed even attempted to bid for the world cup. Since then there have been a few words about Fifa from the FA but nothing more.
6. The Premier League
Could the richest football league in the world be in crisis? Yes, if you step back and look at the fact that the majority of clubs in the league make huge losses each year. Yes, if you consider that no major media source other than the BBC has even started to consider the evidence surrounding odd behaviour by referees.
For me, it is not that there is just one crisis surrounding football, but that there are so many, all at once. And I haven’t even mentioned the match fixing in Turkey.
http://blog.emiratesstadium.info/archives/21481
By Tony Attwood
Would you believe it. A week or so ago, while I was staying in Antwerp with Walter, we sat down together to look at an article which would outline just how one would go about fixing football matches. There was no allegation that match fixing was taking place, but rather, if you wanted to do it, this is what you might do.
This morning I wrote the article up and posted it. Now at lunchtime I discover that all hell has broken loose as the police have moved into the Italian national team’s training camp ahead of the Euros to let defender Domenico Criscito know he is under investigation for match fixing.
That is the coincidence – but for the rest – it doesn’t look as if the people under investigation were doing what I suggested. But still it is a strange coincidence.
10 other players, some of them top guys like the captain of Lazio were put under investigation, along with nine non-players including the manager of Juventus – who had two championships removed after match fixing investigations. They recently started a campaign to claim those two removed championships back, claiming that they had won them – and actually celebrated doing so when they won the league this past season.
This latest event was a good old-fashioned dawn raid but a lot of it focussed on gambling (especially in the case of Domenico Criscito of Genoa). And not just a dawn raid, a dawn raid just before the Euros. This was a surprise, since until now most of the action has focussed on Serie B matches.
Omar Milanetto, the former captain of Genoa was arrested, along with Christian Bertani of Sampdoria, plus the guys who are said to have paid players to lose games.
For balance (the sort of balance Untold is famed for!) I must report that the Juventus manager’s lawyer said, “Conte’s reaction is that of someone who’s completely innocent and strongly determined to prove his total innocence.”
What is interesting is that the investigation is turning up all sorts of people. When the last big scandal hit, five clubs (I think) were found guilty and got points deductions. Now it is as if those not involved last time around are thinking that they are missing out and so have demanded a seat at the crooks’ table. Siena president Massimo Mezzaroma for example has been placed under investigation – I don’t remember Siena getting involved last time.
“The searches are connected to what’s happening with Siena,” said Cremona prosecutor Roberto Di Martino. “There are seven, eight games being looked at and there have been statements that make us think they were manipulated. The searches involved players, coaches and directors of the club, including Conte and Mezzaroma.”
There are many in Italy who like to say that such events don’t mean much – just as there are many in England who say that just because Untold can show some oddities in the ways games turn out it doesn’t mean much. There are even some who suggest that we wouldn’t worry, if Arsenal benefited from match fixingand only complain because we don’t win the league – a sort of “I’m in the moral gutter and you would join me if you had half the chance” approach which I find both repugnant and bizarre.
But to be fair, this even in Italy is just a notice of investigation, nor a guilty verdict. However it is a widespread investigation and seems now to include Lazio, Napoli, Sampdoria, Brescia, Bari, Lecce, Palermo, and Genoa.
And here’s a bit more. La Repubblica reports today that there is a special interest in a meeting from a year ago in Genoa when players met with members of the club’s Ultra movement and a Bosnian criminal, which also implicates the trans-European gang The Gypsies.
Magistrates have been issuing arrest warrants for a year as part of the investigation and the sporting tribunal in Italy is convicting players before they even get to criminal trials. And at the end of this month a trial will start of 22 clubs, 52 players and 33 matches.
So the long and the short is that this is not 2006 Calciopoli all over again – this is not ref fixing but match-fixing.
The ceaseless work of the referees who report back to Untold on ref decisions in the Premier League show statically that there is something wrong – and thus far it doesn’t look like it is similar to the current round of problems in Italy.
good morning
Hi Devil!
Hi JM. Buenas Dias.
Any corruption in your country????
Morning all,
Talking of Italian cheats, Balotelli has said he will ‘kill’ anyone who directs racist comments at him – bit harsh eh ….
Devil,that blog/forum has smoke the best,incisive articles you could hope to read on Arsenal…apart from HH,of course!!
Some of their statistical analysis’ on refereeing is incredible.
Evening all.
I should add though that they are a very,very positive to Arsenal and the clubs attempts to stay true to themselves,so narks,beware!!!
Good job you added that HH bit Scott 😉 😉
Morning to you…
Morning Lady.
I have been following italian soccer since I was 9 years old. And together with the goverment it has always been rife with corruption. And tbh I see signs of it in the EPL as well. And believe me some of the signs are quite uncannily common.
The way certain matches turn out at the final whistle seem to imply that all of them are geared towards one aim…….some of the results are fixed beforehand. And some players ARE INVOLVED.
Hope none of ours are involved in it.
I wonder why the fact that every year we get a star leaving AFC has got something to do with it????
Some of the italian players arrested are nationals. Infact three of them were arrested during training with the italian national team.
There are directors, coaches, players, referees. I guess that its the ball boys next 😆
The Italian Prime minister has even pledged to stop football for two or three years.
I wonder if he has the balls to do it.
Morning devil
The way some of scores go during a game and the way we concede sloppy goals, sometimes it can make me think about that but, I don’t think it’s in the English game…
Or rather I certainly hope its not….
Deal,we don’t need a Russian sugardaddy,just lose a few games by the right score and we are set.
New Post up
I bet he doesn’t devil…