Morning all.
Yesterday’s AGM didn’t go as Sir Chips had probably hoped, not for him that’s for sure. A few tricky questions fired at him from the floor resulted in his refusal to provide an answer. Ouch! Not the best way to treat Arsenal fans really…
Ivan Gazidis and Arsene Wenger however, were in fine form and always had an answer ready. Probably because they were much better prepared as always…
Ivan’s answer to the lack of summer signings was so typical of the way Arsenal are really, ‘we won’t sign players just to please reporters etc.’ Or something like that. What about signing players for the good of the squad, or for the good of our Premier League title hopes?
Pretty much same old, same old. Especially the ‘old’…
Arsene Wenger did touch on his retirement, and although he didn’t specify when that day would be, many a headline this morning suggests that day will be in 2017 when his current contract expires. I’m not convinced that’ll be the case, not when the board/owner are right behind him and suggest he’s still the best man for Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger remains positive, hungry for more success and he certainly wants more than just the FA Cup trophy each season:
We want more than third and winning the FA Cup, we have the potential to do more. We are back in contention for the championship this year, and we will fight, our numbers show it.
We have taken more points since 1 January than anyone, the trend is right and we are showing consistency.
I’m more motivated and committed than ever. I know how sad people are when we lose a game. I’m committed until the last day of my contract to bring back big success and leave the club in the shape for the guy that comes after me.
I wonder who that next guy will be…..
Nothing can be done now as far as signing players goes but in just over two months’ time, the opportunity will arise again to add a player or two to the squad. If Arsenal can maintain their current position until the 1st January 2016, a couple of fresh faces might just see us be crowned champions, especially if City, Utd and Chelsea are still battling it out in the Champions League.
Transfer rumours are already in full swing:
Arsenal will attempt to sign Isco from Real Madrid in January, according to reports in Spain. Fichajes claim the we will lodge a £22m bid for the Spanish starlet when the winter transfer window opens.
If not him, then we could go for Jese, a 22 year striker who sits down the pecking order at Madrid. According to Spanish news outlet Sport, a loan deal could be on the cards to begin with, with a view to making the deal permanent if all goes well.
Then maybe next summer, the manager will follow Fergie’s path and make further signings which will all but ensure that before he retires, he will have the most prestigious domestic trophy in his hand again.
There’s nothing to suggest he won’t achieve that this season though, not if the players continue to perform as they did against Man Utd. That particular performance was almost flawless, the players were in the right frame of mind, the pace of our play was perfect and the commitment from all was top notch.
It’s easy to blame the manger after a loss but imo, it’s not always as cut and dry as that. Players have to take responsibility too and last Sunday they did just that and subsequently, the game plan was executed perfectly.
That performance can’t be a one off though, this group of players have to maintain that level, or very near to that level of football every week and that’s regardless of whether we face the league leaders or a side sat mid-table or in the relegation places.
Three points need fighting for every match-day, not just when the players feel like it and if they do that, a lot of the Arsene Wenger critics will be silenced. For a while at least…..
That’s if for Friday, proper football is back tomorrow….
PS – If you are travelling to tomorrows match and require parking, Europcar, one of Arsenal’s official partners, have offices just under a mile away from Vicarage Road and are opening up their car park to Arsenal fans for just £1.
We should have gone or tried to go after Jesse instead of Morata imho…
Good read btw
If AW was a politician I will vote for him… lol. He is esteemed in double speak.
Asked when he will leave Arsenal…
”I am resolute to commit absolutely until the last day of my contract to bring back big success to this club, and leave as well one day in a position where it can do even better when I leave.
That is for me very important that I leave the club in the shape that the guy who comes after me can do better.
The responsibility on my shoulders is much bigger. I know what it means for people. I know how sad people are when we don’t do well, I know how sad people are when we lose a game.”
I guess that Chips is only there as a type of schoolboy-roasting continuance. Arsenal were always the “Bank Of England Club” and have a tradition of old Etonian chairman. I imagine that Stan must have a (silent) chuckle when he sees this aspect of the club. Nobody can seriously be surprised that the old boy, a director of the bank and steeped in upper-class arrogance, was rather snooty yesterday. A mate who was there told me that Wenger was excellent and got a great reception. Especially after the win against Man Utd. If it had been held after the Olympiakos debacle it would probably have been rather different.
Ivan too Ts..
Funny how AW’s comments have led to many headlines suggesting he’s ready to quit…. Boring really…
Morning Rico, Ts, all…
Great read as usual Rico.
I don’t read any stuff about transfers this moment…and only forced myself to read the one embedded in this post.
As per the team…the performance against United showed the real quality our current team possess…the cohesion, understanding, quick passing, movement, finishing showed the mark of a team that know themselves…
AW believed that Walcott, Sanchez, Ozil, Ramsey, Carzola …not forgetting Giroud would share goals and score enough to win the title if we are firmly protected at the back…the coming of Cech, Gabriel and coming of age of Coquelin is doing just that.
I suspect it would have been postponed Adam… 😉
Morning Tai..
I always feel we are just an injury or two away from being in trouble though..
Catch up later….
After Olympiakos Chips would have been shutting down the meeting before it got started.
😀 rico. Ivan is like Juncker
Adam- the yanited result equalled Arsenal’s best ever Premier League win over Man Utd (3-0 at Highbury in Sept. 1998).
TS. I wuz there!
I can’t see Wenger retiring yet awhile, unless he is ‘feeling’ his age. He did say, a while ago, that if he was hail and hearty he would continue in the job but, if his body was no longer up to the rigours of day to day working, he would quit. He looks much the same as he did 20 years ago, well perhaps the lines are a little deeper and the hair is now silver but, he shows no outward signs of delapidation! So, onward and upward for le Chef. In his present form I have no desire for him to jack it all in, well not yet!
Good post Rico.
I agree with what you say with regards to the team taking responsibility for their performance on the pitch. I was at the United game and could not believe the first 20 minutes. In that form and playing at that tempo, they would beat any team put in front of them.
Lets hope the same team turn up against Watford tomorrow.
Off to Whitby for a week of walking tomorrow, reading and the odd beer and pub grub.
Hope all you Gooners are in fine fettle, enjoy the match tomorrow and hopefully a fine result for the Arsenal.
So it seems that Arsenal are trying to sign a big Jesse… 🙂
Very embarrasing for the club to see their chairman snap at questions which should be rightfully answered. Reminds me of my old senile grandpa. We’d get this Chips checked. Pointing to Fa and bank statements as a result of ‘services offered’. Arsenal’s account was always full prior to Stan takeover, what they’re doing is emptying it by £3m annually.
I hope we keep the tempo, not underestimate our opponents and we’ll win it. Am guilty of criticizing AW especially when we loose, he deserves praise for the way those lads played for him. Enjoy your coming weekend.
Afternoon all…
Have we signed Isco yet… 😉
Marshall, have a great time in ‘Heartbeat’ land… Enjoy the fish n chips… 🙂
And Dracula!!?
Ha ha Wavy…
Evening Rico and the house
Nice post
Regarding Sir Chips, the board must have known that they were going to be hit with these questions.
Who ever was preparing Chips must be looking for s new job
Evening Mg..
Everyone needs a new job in your opinion… Lol
We need better PR. All this could have been avoided.
You mean Chips Potter?
All the other board members etc came out of the Agm with a blue peter badge on their jacket. Only Chips mucked up because he panicked when a tricky question came his way. And to be honest, he should have seen that one coming….
I did, just as all fans probably did….
Kroneke was quite happy to sit there, as was Josh, and watch as Chippendale made a hash of answering several important questions…
Mind you, if you read ‘some’ of the questions posed, it would be difficult for anyone to give a sensible answer without taking the piss…
I mean, if you are going to take the trouble of going to the AGM, at least think about it, and try to ask a pertinent and intelligent question, because quite a few questions were, to me, pretty stupid…
And a wasted opportunity…..
Looking forward to the game tomorrow rico
I think it will tell us a lot about what sort of shape were in, if we’re going to mount a serious challenge for the league
It’s a must win
I have had Sir Chips blackballed at my club. The damn fellow passed the port to the right. It was a sickening episode and quite unforgivable.
The good old silent father and son… Twits!
Kev, I think many sensible questions were asked, Chips just didn’t like information two, certainly the one about Kroenke….
I know Adam, things have never been the same since we came off of the Gold Standard…
I am Mg. Fully expect another top performance- otherwise last weekend proves little..
Well Rico, asking the Board if we are going to return to the old badge must have been a show stopper… 🙂
Did someone ask that Kev?
You wait all year, to go to the AGM and make the Board accountable,
and then you get up and ask “What does the club need to do to win the Premier League?” Doh…..
Have a look on Arseblog News Rico and you’ll see all the questions without John Cross trying to wind us up…
Yes, that question was odd, I’m sure that had it put differently, it would have drawn a better answer than ‘win more points than the others’…
I will Kev…
I have man flu….I don’t expect any sympathy from Rico as she’s never had this potential killer of an ailment!! 😉
Oh no Lee, that’s awful for you. You must be really struggling… I do hope you feel much better real soon….
Alternatively, do what we women do, take a couple of paracetamol, drink plenty of water and carry on as normal!!!
Thank goodness you feel well enough to check your iPad though…. Lol
Point your nose towards Corrie, you’ll soon feel better… ??
I’m off guys, night all….
Wish you better Brudder.
Stay strong Lee, your in my thoughts buddy.
Night All
Morning All…
Rico forgot to set her alarm again… 🙂
I see that Abou Diaby has had a another injury setback, just as he was due to make his Marseilles debut…
Morning Kev and all..
Just trying to muster up some enthusiasm for a post… 😉
Morning all.
Big day, today.
It’s a must win game….though we do tend to say that regularly 🙂
Every game is a must win… 🙂
New post up now…