Morning all.
I thought with all the changes taking place, Arsenal forums, blogs, whatever you choose to call them, would be buzzing a lot more than they are. Here on HH it’s the quietest it’s ever been. Not even the signing of Stephan Lichtsteiner brought fans out of the woodwork. Perhaps as more signings are made that’ll change, or once the pre-season kicks off it’ll liven up a bit but for now, it’s pointless me writing something most days when there really is nothing to write about. The last twenty two years have been chewed over enough and now it’s time to look to the future but there’s some of the problem, we, well certainly I, don’t know what to expect. Different yes, but that’s as far as it goes.
This is from Ivan Gazidis:
The hard work starts right now,” Gazidis told Arsenal Player. “We are right into the transfer window of course, but we’re also into many other things such as how we’re going to integrate his team, how we think about pre-season planning, how the teams are going to work together.
“There’s a lot of work to be done now to integrate this new team into our existing team. I know that we can do that successfully but it’s going to take hard work through the summer.”
Whilst Ivan and co get on with their work, it’s sabbatical time for me. If there’s news and I mean official stuff from the Arsenal website, I’ll write or maybe once a week just to keep the blog ticking over, but other than that, I see little point in just glorifying a transfer rumour when it’s probably rubbish anyway. In any case, I’ve got some paining to do, something I don’t enjoy but I’m too tight to pay for someone to do it for me. Maybe I should glorify those transfer rumours…. lol
One I hope comes true though surrounds Adidas. It’s widely reported that Arsenal will be wearing their kit for the 2019/20 season. The Puma deal comes to an end next year and I can’t say I’ll be sad to see the back of them. Some of their kits have been awful, not least of all the current one. I like pink, I wear a lot of pink clothing myself but on a red and white football kit? It’s ghastly and it’s not even a nice pink either. The away kit isn’t particularly nice either, certainly the shorts. Hideous is the description which springs to mind.
Going back in time, Adidas and Nike produced my favourite kits for Arsenal. Simple but as the saying goes, less is more. Even the away kits were better back then, the old yellow shirt with a blue trim was striking I thought. Umbro we’re behind that one I think but I’m not sure.
Anyway, Puma are soon to be a thing of the past which is a good thing imo and should we have a much better season ahead and look like a club starting to go places again, perhaps we’ll secure a much better deal with Adidas or even Nike if no deal has been finalised.
Either of the two would do for me, throw JVC in there and I’d be thrilled…
………..Good morning Rico, I’m genuinely sorry to hear that you’re reducing your output, I haven’t been visiting for long but have come to enjoy and appreciate your posts, I shall miss them.
Enjoy your sabbatical and good luck with the painting.
Morning Cicero, I’m not going anywhere, honest but there’s no news to write about. I’ll be here, just not writing a post unless there’s something to write about. If that makes sense.. lol
Everyone deserves a holiday! A painting vacation? Sounds good to me. Painting the town red, eh!
You’ve done really well to write anything at all for the last few months, especially. Nothing much has happened since Wenger shuffled off and I suspect nothing will happen until the WC is over. Making it up as you go along is probably not the way to go.
Have a good break and we’ll all be back, recharged and re enthused for the new season and the new regime. Not sure it will turn out to be as exciting as some may think but, we shall see.
See you when you comment! Oh, and don’t over indulge on the ‘turps’!
Still grey skies here. A good gardening day!
Morning Rico and all. Arsenal transfer windows haven’t been that exciting for ages now and I agree that re-cycling rumours is ultimately unproductive. Painting is a worthy diversion. Lee and Kev have offered to do mine. 🙂
Thanks Wavy, there’s less chance of me being on here when the sun shines, I do like to read in the sunshine.. 🙂
Morning Adam, I bet they have. lol
There’s enough other sites who live off idle gossip so I thought for once HH wouldn’t be one. However, they make a good living off them I suspect.. 😉
Hi Rico. Have a good painting holiday. Mine needs doing when you’re finished. At my age my wife won’t let me climb ladders. Lucky me.
Perfect sense Rico, it must be hard churning out 400 words for so little response. Perhaps you could contact those that have fallen away to get their feelings on the new regime.Might be interesting.
Still there is the world cup coming so we can see how our neighbours survive the trauma,although I will probably only watch a couple of teams throughout.
Hi Paddy, no ladders for me either so you’ll have to hire someone, get them to do the rest too… 😉
Good idea Potter, thanks. Perhaps I’ll try that..
I’ve just had a look at the new away kit and was surprised to see what looks lime a couple of new players. Both blondes one with a pony tail. Both better looking than some we’ve had in the past. ?
Ha ha Cicero.
Come on The Swiss, as we should have 2 playing?
See you weekly rico, unless we have an avalanche of comings and goings!
Lets hope we do Andrew. I read earlier Lacazette might go, can’t see it myself..
I’ll still be here daily though, just not with a new post..
Evening all and thank you Rico,
Painting !!!!…………………my worse nightmare in the DiY stakes, especially Georgian windows, I`d rather write a 400 word post !……………….my favourite DiY job is landscaping the gardens and cruising on my ride on mower as it`s a better way of getting an all round tan than just laying in the sun.
Hope to get some sand delivered (it comes straight from Padstow`s beach )for the sand school whilst my wife`s horses are up on our top field and then put some small goals on it for me and the grandson to play beach football !………………………if there are any HHers who are fit brazillian woman beach volley ball players , then I will set up a net and the grandson can eff off ! hahaha
A side topic on the world cup . Rico you can use.:- Man city have 16 players at the world cup , Spurs and Chelsea 12, Man utd 11 ,Liverpool 8 and Arsenal 9 including Joel Campbell and Ooospinaaa ,
Something to look out for , the odd hammy or ligament , hopefully not ours.
Le Coq , have you seen this ?
Now insure your LAWNMOWER’ Meddling EU directive is slammed by Eurosceptic group
No potter, what`s it about ?
You will need insurance for a ride on mower.
I think I will give that a miss !……………………I`ve never been pulled over by the Mower Police for speeding on my own land !…………………never been done for drink driving on it and never had a fatal crash with another ride on !………………..and if anyone tries to nick it by driving away with it , well good luck with that as I can run faster than it ! 😆 😆 😆
Can You Believe It?
In March UEFA fined the Russian Football Union £22,000 for racist chanting by fans during a friendly with France. But yesterday it fined Besiktas £29,880 for allowing, during a match against Bayern Munich , a pitch invasion by a……..cat.
Does UEFA really believe that the appearance of a cat on the pitch ranks higher than racism?
Incidentally, the Bayern fans voted the cat Man of the Match.
It all depends on who was on the panel . Whether you wish to accept it in my travels I feel that the further you get to the edges of Europe the amount of institutional racism increases. Also remember that Blatter and his cronies were born in the 1930’s when right wing politics were at their height in Germany , Austria , Switzerland Italy, Spain and Portugal . Quite possibly in the darkest corners of their minds their education from that time still exists .
I know from experience that support for the thinking of Franco and Salazar was still prominent in Spain and Portugal during the 80’s . it’s been declining but the steady flow of Africans from Morrocco and Tunisia in the west is bringing it back and of course Syrians and Iraquis coming from Turkey is certainly affecting those in Hungary ,Romania and the surrounding area.
Without going into the politics of Merkyl and the Kallergi plan , I fear for Europe and it’s people as I cansee the rise of racist politics fighting against the centrallisation of the E.U.
In short , the people at the top of Eufa feel obliged to make a stand against their beliefs but are actually right wing in their views.
A winter break in February is a strange one, why didn’t the FA/EPL have a corresponding break with the rest of Western Europe. I mean missing games over Christmas/New Year wouldn’t personally phase me, we’d still have the Football League to watch if you’re desperate. It would certainly benefit the players, but I suspect that there’s more of a financial lilt to this decision rather than a health one for the players.
But then I just cynical…
The Christmas/New Year period is the highpoint of the calender for advertisers. Premiership Football is a huge attraction for TV viewers so naturally the advertisers will not willingly accept a break over the festive period. Advertising is a huge contributor to people like Sky and BT Sport who in turn pour billions into the Premiership. The health of the players comes fairly low down the totem pole.
Evening guys.
Maybe the break is in February because of the ACON’s – or has that been moved now?
Evening Rico, what are ACONs?
Evening Cicero, African cup of nations..
Jeorge Bird.
Arsenal have announced their released list, with seven youngsters set to leave the club when their contracts expire at the end of this month, including goalkeeper Hugo Keto.
Fellow shot-stoppers Ryan Huddart and Alex Crean have also been let go.
In addition defenders Tafari Moore, Marc Bola and Chiori Johnson are also departing along with winger Aaron Eyoma.
Keto joined Arsenal four years ago and the Finland youth international produced some impressive performances at youth level, demonstrating his excellent reflexes.
However, he found it difficult to break into the first-team squad with both Matt Macey and Deyan Iliev ahead of him, a problem also encountered by Huddart.
Huddart was named on the bench for two Champions League games against Anderlecht as a 17-year-old but was rather phased out last season as he barely featured.
Crean, another goalkeeper, arrived at Arsenal in 2016 but struggled to establish himself in the U18s, mainly due to the excellent displays of Joao Virginia.
The departures of Johnson and Eyoma have been inevitable for some time, with both players having been sent on various trials in the second half of last season.
Bola gained experience while on loan at Bristol Rovers and Notts County, while he was on the bench for the Arsenal first-team in the League Cup, but leaves in search of regular football elsewhere.
Moore produced some encouraging displays on loan at Wycombe Wanderers but he was never going to realistically challenge Hector Bellerin for a place in the starting lineup for the first-team.
More…
Arsenal have offered new contracts to eight youngsters, including Vlad Dragomir.
In addition to talented midfielder Dragomir, defender Tolaji Bola has also been offered an extension along with Josh DaSilva and Yassin Fortune.
The Gunners also want to retain the services of goalkeeper Deyan Iliev, while Robbie Burton, Tobi Omole and Dominic Thompson have all been offered their first professional contracts.
Meanwhile, the remaining second-year scholars, Josh Benson and Jay Beckford, have both been released.
Midfielder Benson featured in the FA Youth Cup but failed to impress sufficiently to break into the U23s on a regular basis, while Beckford, who was signed from Leyton Orient as a schoolboy, frequently seemed out of his depth at U18 level.
Thanks Rico has that come round again all ready?
Hmm, thought that a few more would have been released, maybe the club are looking for fees for the likes of Pleguezuelo, Mavididi and Fortune?
There can’t be any future at Arsenal for Akpom, Zelalem, Bramall, Campbell or Jenkinson etc.
???It’s a done deal ??? but won’t be officially announced until next month. Borussia Dortmund central defender Sokratis Papastathopoulus will join for a fee of £16 million on a three year contract
.
Morning all!
Portugal is in the plane to Moscow
Morning guys.
New post up.