Morning all.
Happy Good Friday folks, don’t go over eating now!
Nom Nom…..
According to The Metro, we are very close to signing Eintracht Frankfurt’s defender Sebastian Jung after his agent admitted a summer move to the Gunners is on the cards. £7 million is the price quoted for this German international.
With Bacary Sagna’s future still hanging in the balance, Jung seems to be the player Arsene Wenger wants to replace him…
So, if true, it means all the chit chat about Lukasz Piszczek and Daryl Janmaat in the press has been nothing other than poppycock… Mind you, so is this I suspect as I still think Sagna will remain a loyal Gooner….
In other news, Mikel Arteta has been talking about his career with Arsenal and he’s not exactly overwhelmed…
That (playing Champions League football) I achieved what I wanted to achieve but with one particular regret — that I haven’t enjoyed it as much as I should have done.
And that”s because I always put too much pressure on myself, trying to improve things that are not going well, not just in my own game but other things around the players or the club.
I find it difficult to say ‘I love it’ because I’m constantly putting myself under pressure, there’s always a next target or a ‘we won but we didn’t do a certain thing well’ nagging away at you. And it’s always like that.
The fight to switch off gets harder and harder. I just can’t do it.
I have long discussions with my wife every time we have a bad result and I constantly think about what we can improve, what we did wrong, what happened in the game.
I wonder if Arsene Wenger goes through something similar?
Some good news is that Mesut Ozil could be back for Sunday’s trip to Hull City, the dress rehearsal for the FA Cup Final. Mathieu Flamini, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey should all be fit and raring to go too.
Arsene Wenger has been talking about Ozil:
He is a fantastic football player, and I would put him on the list to be player of the season next season.
The first season is the season in which you adapt, and then you know what happens and you get into it. I believe that he will know better his partners [in the team], he will know better the league and the potential is absolutely fantastic.
He is one of our main players offensively, and we are a team who is used to scoring goals, and recently away from home we haven’t scored so much, so it’s important we get our offensive potential back.
Go sign a pacey, deadly striker Arsene and your prediction might come true because as good as Ozil is, he needs some pace and movement ahead of him. Once that happens, we’ll start scoring a lot more goals than we have done this season, especially during the second half of this campaign.
What to do with Kim Kallstrom though? He worked very hard for the team against West Ham and his defensive duties freed up Lukas Podolski to do what he does best, score goals.
If I was Arsene Wenger, I’d be tempted to stick with him against Hull, after all, it’s not like he’s going to be tired is it!
I watched some of the youth cup match against Chelsea last night, if that’s the best we have it will be a long time before we see many of the players who were on show making a step up…. Akpon and Vickers, despite his gaff for the goal, were the only stand outs…
That’s it for another day…..
Agree 100% on the Ozil situation – get some pace back into this team and he just might start to unlock a few tight defences. Fast break football, ah seems a life time ago.
our goal percentage also tells a story – only Spuds has one worse in the top 7 clubs – United have the same – regardless of excuse not good enough
Good morning all HHers,
Excellent post as usual.
have a nice one all
Morning guys and gals…
Spot on Oz…
Thanks Fg..
Easter means family time and I have to go out for the day…
Catch up later this afternoon, have a lovely day all….
Morning to you too Herb, when you get off of the old post 😉
Morning all.
Theo has pace.
Ox does.
Serge.
It is there, but the speed of moving the ball up the pitch is where fall down at times.
That is why i maintain our greatest loss was Ramsey, because he is always looking to go forward, amongs the the other things he brings to the table.
Morning all.
Rico, do you know anything about Jung?
Anyone?
Morning Rico, HH –
I have to admit I’ve never been a big fan of Arteta’s, and I thought it an odd purchase, especially for £10m.
One of Wenger’s trolley-dash buys straight after the 8-2 mauling at OT, a lot of Arsenal fans will say he helped stabilise the club in the aftermath of that humbling.
A club of Arsenal’s stature should already be stable, the reason we were all over the place was unsurprisingly, a theme that has plagued the club for a good few years, lack of preparation.
He was never a DM, or deep-lying midfielder either at Rangers or Everton, Wenger has effectively tried to re-invent his playing position/role with very limited success. He comes across as a good solid steady professional type, but not a player who was ever going to help take Arsenal to the next level. The sort of player you can rely on if all you’re targeting is top-four.
As for Wenger’s summary of Ozil, that’s his MO, isn’t it.
It’s always jam tomorrow. Everything is on the way. That’s where we’ve been for as long as I can remember. Just have a little more patience, greatness awaits, it’s just around the corner, knocking on the door. It’ll be here tomorrow.
Herb – top last paragraph mate, been saying the same thing for 5 years – The Bridesmaid, and more than happy with the tag as the money rolls in. Next year, next year, as you say.
Cheers Oz, that answers my question then. If you’ve been saying that for five years, you can’t be the same Oz of ‘BK’!
Good Post, Rico, and I hope you enjoy your day out! 🙂
Lot’s of us have been of the same opinion Herb, always at season ticket decision time the jam pot miraculously appears at the table . it’s almost a religious manifestation.
the only table we’re streets ahead in is the injury tables and its not the first time is it? More questions or just bad luck again?
Morning all,that’s both legs of the youth semis i’ve watched,terrible,mirror image of the first team at their worst.This crap must run right through all levels of the clubs’ teams.Jonkers certainly has his work cut out,last nights team lacked everything,embarrassing.Agree Rico,Akpom and Vickers the only bright things on show,as for R-tita never thought he was good enough,seen very little from him to convince otherwise.A panic buy,these sort of things rarely turn out for the good.Pass the jam please Arsene.
The most telling shot on t.v last night was of Brady sitting motionless watching the fiasco . Looks like we are destined to spend the next generation or two in the transfer market because there is little or nothing coming through. Zelalem needs to go to the Sanogo school of beefing up , way too lightweight.
Hi Potter, essentially the club has been neutered.
the comments from fans (not all but some of his more outspoken fans) and Wenger alike, suggesting we always have good end to season, send me on a mission. I found this…
2012/2013 WDWWW
2011/2012 LDDDW (6pts out of 15)
2010/2011 LWLLD (4pts out of 15)
2009/2010 LLDLW (4pts out of 15)
Arsene Feb 2014 “our team always finish the season strongly, i am not concerned ” uumm ok then.
But do you remember when the second team turned out for the League Cup and played the same exciting one touch, fluid football as the first team? All the pundits marvelled at the skill passion and similarities of style that “went all the way through the club”!
What has changed? Why has it changed? Why have we become progressively poorer? What passes through the club now is an overwhelming desire to be mediocre! Why?
Morning all,
It’s Arteta’s wife I feel sorry for, poor woman deserves a medal !
Micko haha
Wavy
I think it’s a combination of David Dein not being properly replaced and Wenger having far too much power.
Complacency is an issue too, because Wenger knows we’re bigger and better than at least 15 other clubs in the PL – I’ve omitted MU from the list – and has convinced the fan-base that we can’t compete with Chelsea or City, so for him and his disciples, 4th place is a great achievement.
At most club’s the ambition is to be the best you can be, at Arsenal, Wenger has already applied the handbrake so that instead of aiming for the very top, we’re aiming for CL qualification.
I genuinely don’t think there is any other club throughout world football who operate the same way as Arsenal.
off for dinner
Oz, fair point re: Liverpool…
But I said we’d be attacking like Liverpool.
I didn’t say we’d win…
We attacked quite well at Wastelands, but a series of questionable refereeing/linsman decisions buggered us up whenever we looked like getting back into the game…
We won at the Slum, and the Media hype them as a big club…
Maybe when we beat them, as we have three times this season, the Press/Media don’t deem them as a big club anymore.
Everton beat us, and they’re a big club…
Can you see a pattern?!!!
We beat Liverpool twice this season, but according to the Press/Media, it never happened…
Airbrushed from history….
HA I agree with all the things you have said about power and dilution of ambition etc , but that doesn’t explain the change in the style of play. As I said before they used to be so fluid and quick and now they are so slow and ponderous it’s little wonder we are where we are.
A thought occurs re Dein. He used to procure really excellent skillful players to whom one touch football and pace were natural talents. Now we are left with IG and Law buying, or rather not buying our squad we have a team of slightly better than workman like journeymen who have all on when trapping a ball!
Little wonder that we no longer play the ‘beautiful game’.
Last night was one of the most depressing I have ever spent at Arsenal. Talk about totally outclassed! Chavs players were all tall, lean, fast and athletic and ours were all muscle bound and sluggish. People are saying Akpom looks ok but although he had a thankless task on his own, I thought he looked lazy and disinterested. Dan Crowley tried to add some drive when he came on but he is tiny and the Chavs were all giants. Really demoralising. The Dutchman can’t start work fast enough for me!
Do you think it’s because Wenger buys the players he wants rather than what’s best for the club overall, Wavy?
The more powerful types such as Vieira, Petit, Gilberto, Song have all been replaced by identi-kit technically gifted, light-weight midfielders, many of whom have gone missing in the big games.
I know Rosicky is a bundle of energy and has many good attributes, but he was in the side that lost 8-2 at OT, and the one beaten 6-0 at Chelsea. I know it’s a collective thing, but for me that sort of sums up the lack of fight and determination that currently runs through the club.
Wenger doesn’t seem to feel any shame or embarrassment for these humiliations, if he does, he certainly doesn’t feel the need to apologise to the fans, which must send a subliminal message to the players. A team’s style of play reflects their manager’s personality.
The quality of the purchases went down as the board witheld the money to buy the best at least until Ozil turned up. I can only believe that Cabaye / Mata didn’t come because of financial restrictions. The club puts money first and we feed off of the scraps. I believe it was a few years ago that Wenger said that we couldn’t do our shopping until the oil rich clubs had finished theirs , that’s why we end up lowering the standards.
I firmly believe there are two very different Arsenal’s, but the shift in philosophy is not a recent occurrence.
We are connected to the Royal family, aristocratic Old Etonians and Freemasons.
Not for nothing were we known as ‘The Bank of England’ club.
The bigger issue is that prior to Stan Kroenke, our custodians were always guilty of being overly cautious, and were neither brave or intelligent enough to maximise and exploit our huge potential, or ram home the advantage our status gave us over other clubs.
Ramming it home would not be cricket old boy.
You get my point, Potter.
The club have massively under-achieved for decades.
I think he does buy the players he wants but now, unlike the past hie eye for a really top, top quality footballer is tainted with age! He has lost the ‘divi’ factor! So he now just buys what he considers to be a good player but sadly he can no longer ‘develop’ him/ them, as he did with TH14 or Petit or even Gilberto etc. with currently one exception…..Ramsey!
So, yes Wenger is picking ‘wrong ‘uns’!
Moaning all….I thought it was Mathias ginter we wanted. He is better than this lung fella plus he can play DM. Oh well what do I know. I don’t have a 35 years coaching experience like yours truly. What a tool.
Evening all….
Brentford are promoted to the Championship then…
I can see a few going on loan there….
Young West Ham striker Dylan Tombides has died following a three-year battle with testicular cancer.
The 20-year-old Australian, who made his Hammers first-team debut two years ago, passed away on Friday with his family at his bedside.
RIP young fella, robbed of life at such an early age…… 🙁
There but for the grace as they say.
Awful isn’t it potter….
All quiet on here, catch up tomorrow guys…
Night all..
Wow, what a shame. Horrible that someone so young can be taken by cancer. How long have they been looking for a cure now? Far too long.
RIP Dylan Tombides.
Cancer.
My mums hubby is on the downhill run with it as we speak……he still manages to laugh at my shit jokes when i cut his hair.
Still, at the very least, he has had 65 odd years, but 20?
My daughter has just moved home with me yesterday…she is 19!
I truly do not want to turn this into a religious debate, but i am astounded that any today, if he exists, would allow this.
Especially when mass murders and paedophiles manage to live a healthy enough life.
Sorry, but that is how i feel, especially when a 20 year old who has never done a thing wrong by anyone is taken,
R.I.P. young man.
Any *god*……
Kind if important to the context.
Quiet day in the house.
The Lord works in mysterious ways Scott.
That’s not to say HH can’t raise a collection to send Diaby to Lourdes, I still believe in miracles !!!
Awful news about that young Aussie footballer Rico & All.
Scott I have a lot of sympathy with your view…
There’s nowt more important than your health…
Mick, we have the technology. We can rebuild him.
Morning anyone….
Hot Cross buns, hmm, luvly…..
Morning Rico, everyone still in bed?
Morning, rico!!! 🙂 Excited about today?
Morning Kev and Agag…
Love a hot cross bun and butter – nom nom…
Excited agag, what about?
I have just put the new post up…
Lets hope that our players are totally focused today.
No easing up just because Everton slipped up…
11 years ago Arsenal stuck six goals past Southampton
Pires and Pennant hat-tricks…
Southampton obviously had thay on their minds a couple of weeks later when we met them in the FACup Final.
It was a tight affair but Arsenal had already done a psychological job on the Saints, so there was only ever gonna be one winner…
Strangely enough 2002-03 was one of those seasons when Arsenal somehow contrived to lose the championship from a position of strength…
Mental frailty in Wenger teams isn’t a new phenomenon.
Morning All Morning Rico.
I thought we were playing tomorrow??