Morning Gooner’s
The seasons over, and the usual links for the new season are coming thick and fast.
Rumours of Arsenals £70 million is burning holes in many supporters pockets. From Rooney to Falcao to Cavani, the kind of players that I would never have thought would grace an Arsenal shirt, are now a possibility. Falcao has nearly completed a move to Monaco I know but you get my point.
As we know money can buy you any player, well almost any player as we know some people still have principles. But for the most I think its how much you offer a player in wages and of course, how much you are willing to pay their club.
Arsenal Football club is not known for it’s big spending. For many years we have often heard how much money we have in the kitty but up until now we have never spent that kind of money. I’d be surprised if that changed now.
Arsene Wenger as we know, is a pretty shrewd manager, some supporters call him a skinflint as they believe he treats the clubs money as his own as he always seems to sign the cheaper option. People like Wenger seldom change, so the rumours of multi big signings has made me smile a bit I must admit, but who knows, maybe this season will be different.
Many supporters have been waiting for the Arsenal climate to change. Many believe we are at that moment in time where we enter the transfer window as a big time club and finally start to compete with the likes of Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs, but think this is all about season tickets and making sure the 60,000 they usually manage to sell are sold.
I see Arsenal as carrying on in the same vein as always, Wenger has stated that the squad he has now is one of his best, how he believes that I don’t know as in my view this team has done no more than many of the teams we have had in the past. Yes we finished top 4 and yes we pipped old rivals Tottering Hotspurs but that is no different than years gone by. That in itself doesn’t make them good .
Arsene Wenger knows how passionate the supporters are he also knows how much the rivalry there is between the two sets of supporters so he may see that as a victory. I however simply see the usual 4 spot as just another trophy-less season.
Supporters are showing there support for the team, they see the Koscielny Mertesacker partnership as very solid and believe that Giroud and Podolski will come good in their second season. Also,Wilshere is only getting stronger and Ramsey is getting back to the form that he had before his broken leg.
I have to say that I see problems with that centre back pairing, one of which is pace, or should I say the lack of it with Mertesacker and that will always be a problem and will cost us goals . Jack and Aaron are still in the infant stage of development and I wonder if either of them will truly turn out to be special.
Theo has got a few goals this year his future form will no doubt be how its always been, spasmodic and AOC has shown he can play a bit but he wouldn’t be a first choice at the moment. We have goalkeepers who have all shown signs of weakness and in all honesty, I have no faith in any of them.
Rosicky, Arteta, Sagna and Vermaelen could all be sold on, some of those are getting close to their sell by dates. So this Wenger ‘wonder team’ has got many flaws and in my opinion we could at this point in time get rid of anybody and not really miss them. Diaby has had his chances and many of them, he is not ever going to give us half a season let alone a full season so how is this team so good?
I am of the opinion we could rebuild from the ground up and still make top four next season. Who would I want to keep? Well not many in fact, if any.
When you tally up how much we have spent on building this squad I think it would have been for less than a hundred million. We have a supposed amount of seventy million in the transfer kitty and should we get through the Champions League group stage we would have another £30 million.
Now if all this money is spent on players we could easily change the whole team and in my view we need to.
At the end of the day, when we sell a 30 goal a season striker and a world class midfielder and the best left back in the world, yet continue to get a top four place, well it seems we could easily sell anybody and still make it into the Champions League places.
I believe we will continue with our usual transfer wheeling and dealings, we may buy a couple of cheapish players to go with the reported already signed freebie, so that shows me how we are going to continue our summers transfers…
As does the Jovetic story. We have seen this mans name in the transfer rumour pages for a while now but today one newspaper suggests that we should now forget him. Despite being ‘in talks’ for a few weeks, Fiorentina are sticking by their £25 million valuation of their player, an amount we are reported to have told them is far too much.
If Arsene Wenger wants to add quality to this current squad, he’s going to have to pay for it!!
Have a good day all.
Written by Steve Palmer.
Morning all..
Good read Sp – sell the lot? You are a hard man to please 😉
You and I think similar re Merts, bit slow for me and he get’s caught out a bit but on the flip to that he reads the game well and he/Kos have been excellent over the last few games of the season.
Even the Mancs couldn’t break them down in open play…
Good morning Lady and Gentlemen.
Arshavin is off. his contract has expired. and it seems he is heading back to Russia with his tail firmly between his legs and his pockets weighing him down for doing nowt the last two seasons. Squilli is also off however no one knows (and I dare say not even he knows) where his next destination will be.
However, Santos is coming back, Denilson is coming back, Chamack is coming back, Diaby is still there, Bendy is coming back, and it seems as if we have no hope of shifting them due to their wages.
Shouldn’t the wind of change blow a bit over the AFC team.
Honestly,it’s same old,same old till mr wenger leaves
Can’t disagree with what you are saying Steve. Hopefully we will sign some top players in the summer but I’m not holding my breath..
Sorry Wenz. Its not till Mr Wenger leaves. the club says he has the money and that it is there. However I still think that the buck regarding the money is not totaly AW’s fault. its also the present board.
How much longer are the “limpit/leeches” contracted to us? It seems like eternity! Do these people understand that they are no longer wanted, needed or required. That they have become space invaders and locker room louts!
Why doesn’t the club just pay up their contracts and heave them out?
Morning all,The bright ufo that sat over us in Essex over the bank holiday has disappeared again ,so its back to chewing the cud regarding the first love in our lives again.Good post ,have to agree with most of it.I think part of the problem is that Wenger is a bit afraid to take a chance and spend big after some of his poor decisions in the players that he has brought in in recent years .It seems that we are having the same conversations at the end of every season.Regarding the B.F.G,I think your being a tadge harsh on the guy.Not many of the top central defenders in the P.L are blessed with pace .The stats suggest his pairing with Kosser stand up against anyone in the P.L
depends on what is written between the lines and the small print Wavy.
that is why they continue to slug it there.
Devilgunner I hear Fray Bentos have put a bid in for Squillaci.
fray bentos?????
wtf are they??? 🙁
Corned Beef Manufactures mate ,you must have a priveliged lifestyle if you have not had the old bully beef.
Assuming they all stay, AW doesn’t have to include any of them in his squad off 25, does he? Do you think they will get the hint and “force” a move out of the club? There are, after all, many ways of skinning a cat!
Morning Devil. I think it’s AW, IG is making it clear that money is there, now he needs to spend it….
Wavy, AW needs to take those players to one side and make it clear that they won’t be in that 25 next season or every again.
They’d soon find another club….
Wenger is right, we have a decent squad, but where we need to spend money is on players that can beat the other top four teams.
Morning all.
Setev, good post based on logic and history, but you just know i will disagree with it……i must remain hopeful and positive 🙂
One day, will be right and i know everyone will be as happy as i am!!
Go you Gunners!!
Good Morning to the Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.
Jay – Squid could ruin a F&B pie….
He Could ruin anything Rico LOL
Good read & most of it unfortunately true. They say bad habits are hard to get out off & Wenger’s habit of buying on the cheap & in his opinion getting away with it by being “successful” is likely to continue. The worrying thing is he knows we are not good enough. But for some reason is reluctant to take the needed, probably small, risks to achieve success.
That’s because the sun always shines where you are Scott 😉
Morning CG..
Squid could make a hash of it then? A corned squid hash, that would be?
Good point Jay 😉
Devil,if they love what wenger is really doing,surely they would have extended wenger’s contract by now
Welcome to those just joining HH this morning….
Morning guys I agree with most of the comments I think this is aw last chance saloon. Must improve the team over the summer, cf,dm,cb,gk, 4 good signings and ship out the deadwood. If a player has not played for 10-15 games or been involved the the squad then their wages should be reduced right down to mirror the fact they are not playing. After 20 the should go stright on the transfer list.
James Cameron, it’s been the same for a few seasons hasn’t it. We always seem to be 3/4 players short of being a really good squad that could seriously challenge for a trophy…
Maybe they want to extend it but he wants to see how it pans out. Usually he never signs a new contract until the last six months of the running one, so if they offer him one now it might be a bit premature.
🙂 Rico.
If it is raining outside, i make sure it is bright and happy inside lol
Jay………..its simple rally. I do not eat processed and canned meat.
Ham, luncheon meat, bacon, sausages, corned beef, bully beef (as you call it) and processed chicken nuggets are no go food for me.
It has to be fresh mate. Or at least frozen. but processed….NEVER.
But didn’t AW say something about a manager in his final contract is in a hopeless situation Devil? I’m sure Adam mentioned that comment of Wenger’s a while back..
I thought he’d have been offered a new contract by now…
does brightness enter mudhuts Scottie mate???? 😉
Or is there a sun hole in the roof?
Adam did mention it Rico. I remember it correctly.
But this summer there will not only be upheavals in the team. But also on boardroom level.
PHW is shuffling out. Maybe a couple of other old directors.
Someone new might come in.
then there is the youth system having to go through an upheaval due to coaches going.
changes in the playing staff is just the tip of the iceberg.
Yes, the club’s recent history of refusal to spend looks set to continue somewhat … at least until the fans stay away en masse – they’ll bloody listen then, but it will be too late at that point !
Very good article. Agree totally. I would just like to add how slow we are at getting to our transfer targets. The Mata affair comes to mind, when we could have bought him for the price of his buyout clause, dithered, to get him even cheaper…and the rest is history. Chelsea stoke in later. We don’t seem to have a pro-active transfer management squad of negotiators and solicitors who can pre-empt other teams. Bit like the team itself. We are getting used to losing….in every department.
SP1 – An interesting read. I agree with a lot of what you say, but differ with some of your conclusions. There is no advantage to selling all of our players. We have the core of a good team who have gelled as an effective unit, as can be seen in their last elevan games. It is easy to buy good players, but it is much harder to buy a good team. Abu Dhabi Citeh’s team cost far more to assemble and is no better than ours.
I believe Wenger will buy some good players this transfer window. Maybe not all marquee players as some hope. I see one, possibly two, marquee players and two or three promising and talented young players such as Capoue and Grenier. The likes of Sanogo are more for the Academy and the future.
I am more optimistic that the old leopard Arsene can change his spots. There has been a marked change in his team selection this season. In past seasons he would not have sat any of his first eleven if they were fit. Also, there has been a mass clearout in the Academy, with twelve or more players transferred or released. In past seasons he would have held onto some of them for another season or two, hoping they would come good. Why this mass clearout, was it to make a major reduction in the total wage bill so the club could offer more competitive wages to retain our better players and aid in acquiring new recruits?
As for the BFG, everyone recognised his lack of pace before we bought him, but he has made a effective central parnership with the pacier Koscielny.
History does tend to repeat itself, but not always and not in exactly the same ways. Change is inevitable.
Devil gunner ,You obviously dont eat in the stadium then mate,the only healthy option is a bottle of water for 2 quid.
Good answer Scott 😉
Rico – Who is to say that Arsene hasn’t been offered a new contract already. Neither he nor the club discuss contract negotiations. Also, he usually extends his contract during the final year of his current contract.
If I have to drink water since its the only option then so be it mate. Having been bought up on Italian style cuisine I refuse to eat something which is not healthy. I prefer to go without then eat something which is not good.
Made up rubbish and passed on by a a a
Steve, i think u just feel akward towards AW n all he does. But at times u need to feel for this man dat is under constant pressure from us (fans), d press, d players, d coachin crew and even d opposition. We are humans, we are prone to makin mistakes, especially wen we are under pressure to impress others. And its natural dat at times we cover it up wit pride and not want to admit. But Lets cut dis man some slack. Dere’s is dis sayin in Nig. “Soldier go, Soldier come, d barack remains”, AW is destined to leave Arsenal someday; but while he’s here lets just get behind our team.
I share ur view Scott, i’ve always been n would always be optimistic about Arsenal winning trophies season in, season out…i’m sure we are gettin close. Though i must admit dat it can really be fustratin at times….
Are you looking in the mirror Clarke?????
Wenger pls and pls get this guy, he is so good, he wil add value to our squad. Forget about money and buy best quality players.
Roof, what roof Devil 🙂
😉 😆
Cg, yes of course, he could very well have been offered a new contract, maybe he’ll be the first summer signing…
graham clarke, why do you even bother coming on here. All you do is moan, moan, moan!
On instances such as the Mata affair, we had to sell before we could buy, and had to sell at the right price.
I don’t believe we missed out so much because we did not want o pay as much as we could not.
That is my take, and i hope things are different this time….if the money is there, we can get the deal done.
I dont think Wenger will leave the club even when his contract is up.A place on the board has been mooted,although this could prove tricky with a new boss that wants to do things his own way.I reckon that with the rumours surrounding board changes Wenger must be an option
Another great critic in Graham Clarke. It is unfortunate that he can’t finish his one and only sentence.
arsewhale – it’s not a case of feeling ‘awkward’ towards AW, it’s about being fed up with the same old ST sales spin. Some believe that this is the summer the spin departs and proper signings are made.
We’ll see….
Yes and no Jay. as you rightly pointed out…..would it work if AW was given a place on the board with a new manager in the hotseat?
Then again I feel that the club is going in a continental direction where the club has an ethos on how it should be run and how the team should play and its irrelevant whether AW stays or goes. His shadow will always linger on.
I will bet all that I have that the press, journalists and all the toilet rolls will have a field day when AW goes, PRAISING him and SAYING that AFC will never be able to replace him.
They have not yet turned on Moyes……….since they are still in shock after SAF retired.
Morning all, good post SP1…HAve to agree its more of the same old same old..
As per deadwood returning , we should play these numpties in the reserves till they either pick up or bugger off. Our youth would have proper competition, and maybe they’d stay fit to be sold on. Seeing the size of Santos has really p’d me off . Who on earth will want that lump on loan if he can’t even run? Burger boys don’t get loans. We wrote off Park without even seeing him play. Apparently he was ok-ish for his national side and even scored a few in spain…Arshavin has gone through a messy divorce, probably why he doesn’t get playing time. Pink boots mouth works harder than his feet do, and as for Squid???the guy looks very very average but the fact he doesnt even make the bench says alot. Even an unfit Arshavin makes it now and then. As for chamakh , we knew he wasn’t a world beater but we , fans have killed him psychologically. The fact that he’s showing no effort in traqining at W Ham doesn’t inspire us either.Denilson doesnt want to come back and its best for both parties.Likely destinations for the below:
Bendnter= another loan abroad, not as glamorous as Juve
Park= Released on a free and will end up in Spains 2nd tier or Frances 2nd tier.
Diaby= Will return for us around January 2014 for 3 games and be released end of next season for free where he will retire.
Chamakh=Will go back to Bordeaux for next to nothing
Arshavin =will leave for free , look to angle a move back to Zenit but end up in MLS for a payday
Santos= Will come back , pre-season, get fit and go back to turkey to a mid range team for half of what we paid for him
Denilson= Will stay in Brazil again next season
Squillaci= Will go back to France and sign for a 2nd tier French team for playing time before retiring
No big players signing for us, just big deaprtures again I’m afraid.
Jay, you raise a very good point there, not one I’d even considered. Maybe it’s Arsene Wenger who is set to replace PHW??
We could start that rumor here 😉
Clarke likes to look in the mirror a lot!!! That is why he moans.
On the other hand…………why do we keep discussing him? he’s not even worth his weight in shit and that is expensive when you buy it to fertilize the crops.
let’s ignore him and move on. As if he does not exist
Dg, I’m with yoou all the way – NOTHING PROCESSED! Fresh meat, fresh veg, locally sourced organic flour, local free range eggs, etc etc.
Locally sourced young footballers would be good too. At the very least British with some kind of connection to AFC.
Ah the good old days!
AW to replace PHW????
The Star is already drawing up his contract then????
Wenger spending 25 million on a player! The heavens will open -give AW 1billion and u wll see it that he wont buy a player worth 20 million-and he will never let a player earn 100k per week
They won’t turn on Moyes Devil, especially now he’s at Manure…
Those departures aren’t big George 😉
But they are needed,..
Didn’t realise Arshavin has been through a messy divorce, that could explain a lot….
DG – There are many very very tasty types of Italian sausage. I greatly enjoy some Calabrese occassionally. I would enjoy it more often if it weren’t so expensive here.
ur mental,,world class midfilder,best left back in d world?
There is nothing better then fresh meat Wavy. 😉
BDW did you see the three goals the AFC ladies scored???
For your benefit here are some lovely moves…………..
mFSr2z8X3Og
Same here Wavy, except no meat… 🙂
DG – Re: Your 11:17 am
The press will do anything and everything to get themselves more column inches and sell more papers. England’s Fifth Estate leave a lot to be desired.
George I dont think the fans Killed Chamakh .He ruined himself with his lifestyle.Pictured smoking a bong with his stupid pal Taarabt must had really pleased Wenger
Seems as if wordpress is playing tricks again
Rico……….I am trying to post the video of the win by the ladies against Bristol and its not allowing me to do so.
Yes dan, Cole was and still is one of the best left backs in football. Fabregas is a world class midfielder..
Sp mental? No, but you, well maybe there’s a different answer…
Divorce eh? I thought the reason he wouldn’t leave London a year or more ago ,was because his family were very happy living in the Metropolis, and Mrs A had put her foot down with a heavy hand and said “niet” to a move back to mother russia!
Seems I was wrong. Completely missed the divorce thing. Must change my daily paper to a tabloid one or two!
Shame if that was his reason for a lack of form and or commitment to the cause. Still, c’est la vie………
Rico all divorces are messy.trust me
CG…not all Italian food is great mind you.
But I have always been bought up healthy and I am not going to change it now. And if its splashed down with wine the BETTER. 😉
It’s not in spam devil…
Morning all…
Good read SP1. Good points as always Jay, Dev,Cg… Stats say Kosser and the Panzer have the best defensive pairing record in Europe… 18 unbeaten games together…. so they are not as bad as they may seem…
A lot of talk about Williams… I like him because he is British and to win trophies you need one of your CBs to be nationals of the league… but in all honesty, do people really believe he is better than TV?
I think we have to realise that playing for a Top 4 team is different to a team that is competing for top 10… Almunia looks class as a goalie at championship level but we all know he and flappianski share DNA when it comes to corking things up in crucial games… 😉
Howdy Scottie…
Non alcholic wine I hope mate.
George – “Pink boots mouth works harder than his feet do…”. That is classic. Unfortunately for NB52 his brain is rarely engaged at the same time as his mouth, which only makes things worse.
Dg 11.25, yes I did see the goals but thanks, but I’ll ……check…..mate!
That changes a lot of opinions then. Pity his career went downhill after that.
Maybe the club did not do enough to help Arshavin through the difficult phase of his life.
Non alcoholic wine?????????
Are you mental mate????? 😉 😆
I thought the same Wavy, I got it wrong too…
I know Jay.. 😉
DG – I can’t argue with your stance on healthy eating. Unfortunately, I don’t have your will power, my tastebuds sometimes subvert my resolve.
I know that feeling CG…….its the same with wine for me. 😉
Yep I was only joking.Us Gooners need something to get us through these challenging times
Talking about AA23 and his soon to be former wife… her fashion sense is primarnia classic… lol
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1258891/Is-Andrey-Arshavins-wife-new-Worst-Dressed-WAG.html
Ts, I like Williams too, seems like a straight fight between us and the Dippers….
Popping off for an hour now…
Laters
Who mentioned wine……………………..
Later Lady Rico…
Devil…….in the last 18 months, we get nearly all our food delivered to our door.
We pay more for the quality and service, and everything we get is as good as anything you’d find in a restaurant…..until we cook it at least lol.
Anyway, my point is i have barely had a sick day in that time, and nothing else has changed.
I truly did not believe it would make such a difference.
Scott I guess deliveries from your suppliers to Essex is out of the question mate.We just have to put up with crap from Tesco and Asda.
tsgh – That is somewhat ironic as I believe AA23 graduated college in fashion design.
Isn’t like a b…ch, if Moutinho, Falcao and the likes will sign for AS Monaco when 18 months ago they were on the blink of doing a Rangers…?
So when fans think it is about trophies, I wonder how true it is in most cases…
Ha ha ha Cg.. he is the wannabe designer not his Mrs…
She slated English food initially and then shedid not want to leave the capital last season…
Haha Jay…..i will ask them 🙂
Mate, for 20-30 bucks a week extra, best quality food and no bloody lining up in the supermarket…i can not believe more here don’t do it.
Ginge, it is always about trophies, as long as they also get a massive pay rise lol
Scott Dont rub it in mate lol
Sorry mate…
I guess the pay off is living in a mud hut though 🙂
@Jay, probably not the smartest gthing to do…rumour has it Taarabt is coming to us as his mate bolts with the bong..
For all those wondering about AA23….by sister in law is from St Petersburg…
Hence …
http://english.pravda.ru/news/society/06-12-2012/123046-Andrei_Arshavin-0/
They want it all… like the rest of society now…
George I hope you are joking re Taarabt ,the last thing we need is a F……g ego in football boots
Jay, he is looking at places in cuffley to rent. I heard this from his agent, but apparently we aren’t keen and Wenger is reluctant as he is a strop, agreed an ego bigger than gervinhos forehead
Checked that link re AA23,The alleged model must be looking through cash glasses ,hes a ugly little sod
Jay that’s the penalty for people not supporting their local shops , supermarkets are fine but when they have shut all the local traders their quality and service goes downhill. You wouldn’t have bought horse from your local butcher unless you asked for it . John Glenn once said :- As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind – every part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder. Everytime you reduce price you reduce standards, kind of like Arsenal’s buying policy.
Potter, great post.
You get what you pay for….no doubt.
Rico check your inbox. 🙂
George 11.57′ no wonder his form dipped so badly, it wasn’t the emotional upset of leaving Mrs A, it obviously had more to do with the fact that he had signed a service agreement with the new model. He was shagged out! Obviously his performance between the sheets could not be matched with his on field activities, his legs needed resting! Who would have thought it?
Buy cheap buy twice…
Potter totally agree re supporting your local shops,the problem we have is that the big conglomerates such as Tesco and Asda are forcing them out of Buisness.The small guy cant compete with these people
Up here in Sunny countryfied Norfolk , the prices of fresh food are not too different between our local butcher and the supermarkets. Processed or frozen food are obviously cheaper. The quality and the flavour is much better , and the strawberries and bread don’t go green once the preservatives have worn off . It costs more , but , you pays your money and takes the choices.
Love Norfolk Potter spent many happy times on the Broads and villages in your neck of the woods .Not too sure about the sunny bit though mate,spent a fortune in Roys of Wroxham on brollies and Wellies when I last went
That’s how they stay in business , It was sunny yesterday but summer went into sleep mode again today.
Hope it wakes up soon mate ,the f……g winter will be back.
Just had a shock. The only member of the current squad to have played in a champions league final is……………………………………….
Morning all..
Bit too early for such talk imo although that could well be the case..
As every Arsenal fan I hope this year will be different
Afternoon fine folks, we signed anyone??
Ok, I know it’s no…
Hi Lady
Did you check your inbox???
Hi devil, I did and funny enough I have just replied to you… 😛
Bob J, must be Podolski…?
Squilli surely Wath? 😉
i thought Theo Rico….
Ebecillo – gone!
f.c.Twente app. Apparently.
Another one bites the dust. Project Youth now consigned to the Arsenal history book of glorious failures.
lol Wath, don’t recall Southampton getting to the CL…
Wavy, I always thought Ebecillo would make it with us, then next best Dutchman…
Oh well….. PY has really gone tits up hasn’t it….
I seem to remember reading that he had a chat with RVP and decided to leave.
Says it all then Potter
Hi again,
Potter that was Ozyakup who joined Besikta’s last summer and now wanted by FC Porto…
Evening all, Thank you as always Rico, Many Gooner’s want change, but is Wenger the man to make those changes. Personally it wouldn’t supprise me if Wenger retired at the end of his contract.. Changes in the board room look iminent and a clear out of the youth and the deadwood. If i’m right about Wenger it would only be fair to clear out his failures and leave the new manager a nice clean blackboard to work with. I doubt Wenger would spend big if he has plans to retire as that would be no good to anybody, fancy being the new manager and facing 3 or 4 Sqillys and Chubby Santos’s to try and motivate he’d be on a hiding to nothing. Looking at the big Picture Wenger has made no Drastic changes for quite some years. Arsenal should be sitting on a fortune. Wenger himself has shown no signs to me that he wants to increase his Medals so i can only assume that he intends to leave the club financially well off .
Put us out of our misery Bob J ,,Ive got a feeling its the squid
So we can forget winning anything this season then Steve,hope you have got it wrong
Me too Jay
Evening Sp, always a pleasure….
I actually think Arsenal are sitting on a fortune. Some believe that this is summer AW is given some of that fortune to spend, and of course I’d like to think he will…
However…….
Jay, great minds think alike….
Chalkboard Steve, get it right !
Back to it Micko….
Looks like Liverpool are going to go grab Grenier, they have offered £12.5 million…
Squilli it is. In the 2004 Champions final which Monaco lost to Porto.
I’m sure some-one told me Jovetic was a done deal…………it will come back to me eventually.
Evening all. Ashley Cole to captain England.
Well done!
He should have captained us to a couple of titles a few years back.
Yeah, I knew I was right Devil 😉
So was Mata Micko… errrrrrr, where did he end up..
Yes Syg, he should have but he thought it would be wise to earn more money elsewhere, he’s even won a few trophies along the way…..
Wake up Arsenal, once and for all!!
“media” bash Arsenal …. again
read Andy Wood’s Tweet …
https://twitter.com/yorkshiregunner/status/339411740125196288
This makes very interesting reading as to why ewe could have never bought Neymar or Falcao – even if Usmanov was the chairman
http://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1e8ncw/explaining_the_falcao_move_to_monaco/
https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/339427045429899264
Kolo better have lockable hub caps SYG,and a wallet alarm in his coat
End of season awards:………….
OVERREACTION OF THE YEAR – Sir Alex Ferguson
Swansea’s Ashley Williams is paid to kick a football and was rightly surprised when Sir Alex Ferguson described one of his attempts as “the most dangerous thing I’ve seen on a football field for many, many years.” Yes, it may have landed firmly on Robin van Persie’s head, but Fergie reacted like it was a bowling ball. He rounded off the bizarre post-match interview in South Wales by suggesting “Robin could have been killed… Williams should be banned for a long time because Robin’s very lucky to be alive.” Little wonder Sir Alex has decided against another season of torture, sat inside Premier League dugouts – football’s equivalent to the front line. The FA, the Police and God (presumably) all decided against punishing Ashley Williams for his ‘disgraceful’ act……………………FOR THIS REASON ALONE WE SHOULD DEFINITELY BUY WILLIAMS
IDIOT ABROAD AWARD – Joey Barton
An award that was settled in August 2012 when Marseille sealed the loan signing of Barton, their very own British clown. Despite being sent off in Ligue 1 (surprise, surprise) he enjoyed relative success on the field, helping Marseilles finish second behind PSG. But it’s the headlines that Barton generates with his big mouth that make him big news. This year, highlights included a French FA rap for calling Lucas Moura a ‘ladyboy’, mocking Zlatan Ibrahimovic for having a big nose, suggesting Neymar is rubbish and last, but certainly not least, this unforgettable post-match press conference. We’re all laughing AT you, Joey…
PLANK OF THE YEAR – Mark Hughes
In May 2012, after QPR narrowly escaped relegation, Mark Hughes said: “We will never be in this situation again while I am manager.” Six games into the new season, Sparky has changed his tune despite forking out on a new team in the summer: “Until we get the first win there’s no thought we’re too good to go down. We know how difficult the Premier League is.” Sparky was sacked by QPR a month later, leaving them rock bottom with four points after failing to win any of his first 12 Premier League games. In May 2013, following QPR’s inevitable top flight relegation, Hughes refused to rule himself out of the running to replace outgoing Everton boss, David Moyes. Good luck with that one, Mark.
MOST HOLLOW VICTORY – Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal
As Sir Alex Ferguson bowed out of football management in style with Man United’s 13th Premier League title, Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal squad were celebrating fourth spot like they’d won the Champions League. The Gunners haven’t won a trophy since 2005, but their players happily bask in the glory of making loads of money for the club’s owners, and securing the right to get knocked out of next season’s Champions League quarter-finals.
UNORIGINAL MANAGER OF THE YEAR – Brendan Rodgers
Episode four of Being Liverpool, the cringeworthy fly-on-the-wall pre-season insight into life at Liverpool, featured Brendan Rodgers telling his players that three people will let the club down during the campaign. Rodgers said he’d written their names down and placed them in sealed envelopes. Sound familiar? Well, we’re not surprised. Here’s an anecdote from plank of the year Mark Hughes, looking back at his time as a Man United player: “I remember the first year we won it [the Premier League] Sir Alex Ferguson came in and said ‘I’ve got a number of names in this envelope and these names will let us down if we allow them to think we will do it again just because we have done it once.”
MOST SPECTACULAR TWO WEEK CAPITULATION – Benfica
On May 12th 2013, Benfica were dreaming of an historic treble. Two points clear in the Portuguese league with two games left, a date with Chelsea in the Europa League final and the Portuguese Cup final against Guimarães all awaited Jorge Jesus’ team in a decisive fortnight. They lost the league title after conceding a stoppage time winner at Porto, lost the Europa League final with minutes left on the clock and lost the Portuguese Cup final after leading 1-0 with 79 minutes remaining. To compound matters, their season ended with top scorer Oscar Cardozo having a pop at Jesus on the pitch, presumably for being hauled off with 20 minutes of the Portuguese Cup final remaining.
MOST WELCOME RETIREMENT – John Terry
In September 2012, news of John Terry’s retirement from international football was celebrated by everyone other than his loyal Chelsea worshippers. Loyalty (or lack of it), is precisely what resulted in Terry losing the England captaincy first time around. He later retired in protest at FA chief David Bernstein’s decision to investigate his alleged racist comments during a Premier League game, despite Terry admitting to using the words: “f**ing black c***” to deny he’d uttered those very words in the first place. At least now, when England collapse in the quarter-final of a major tournament, they can do so with players we are proud to call English.
‘ FACE OF THE SEASON – Phil Jones
There’s only ever one winner in this category – Man United’s Phil Jones. The only tricky part was selecting which one of his numerous gurning faces to pick out as this season’s funniest. We’ve opted for the look of complete horror on poor Phil’s chops below, as Sergio Aguero grabbed a late winner for Man City at Old Trafford. Thankfully for Jones and his United team-mates, they still finished a huge 11 points clear of their Manchester rivals.
WORST BANNER – QPR fan
This was a toss-up between that awful A4 paper protest produced by one of Chelsea’s fans following Rafa Benitez’s appointment and our winner, below, from Loftus Road. Harry Redknapp was handed the reigns at QPR a few days after this banner was produced in November 2012, during the 3-1 home defeat against Southampton. Redknapp splashed the cash in January and had two thirds of the season to turn things around, but QPR still finished bottom of the league, 14 points from safety.
WORST DRESSED MANAGER – Tony Pulis
It’s fitting that the Premier League manager whose team played the most dire, unattractive football in the top flight this season spent the entire campaign looking like he’d been marched to a Sports Direct store, and forced to wear whatever he could grab in thirty seconds. It could be worse though, Stoke fans – at least Mark Hughes won’t be your next manager next season. Oh wait…
Diaby’s moment of glory at AFC
lol jay
Can what once was…………..ever be again????
Devil, Benfica have lost their last 7 european cup finals in a row and we think we’re got it bad !
Dinner calls, back shortly…
According to Italian web AFC have enquired about Bologna’s Taider. He is another Aaron Ramsey. Has a good engine and never stops running. A typical box to box midfielder.
Devilgunner cheers for that mate,brought a smile to my face.I remember the fans singing one more year to Dennis,happily he bought it.
A Fiat Cinqucento is Italian, has a good engine and will keep on running …. I wouldn’t fcukng want one though !
SY Glen Helder had a good engine and kept on runnung ,unfortunatelly he couldnt trap a bag of cement
SYG…………he is not Italian mate. He is algerian although he was born and bought up in France.
Sorry Devil old mate …. I’d never heard of him …..
neither have I mate…………and young players who play in Italian, German or Dutch football rarely escape my glance.
Martinez off to Everton.
Monaco want LLoris of the spuddies. Seems as if Bale and Lloris are going to fill up Levy with money.
Glen Helder…. I remember Ian Wright saying on TV after we had beaten Newcastle 2-0 and Ginola had been sent off … that “Glen gives us a nice outlet” …..
…So does a set of pine framed patio doors …
Just looked him up on wikipedia ….
He had 4 caps for the Dutch side ….. but he did bugger all after he left us … a bit of a non-playing journeyman?
To be honest I wish we signed Lloris he does look the part ,and we were supposedly his P.L choice.Just hope Bale F..k s off from the scum so they can return to being the no hopers yhey usually are.
SYG must of been a piss poor Dutch team at that time.
without Bale the spuddies would be 21 points worse off…….just pipping WBA
just read this…………
With Neill in Indonesia, Ken Friar sealed the deal for Nicholas before the Scot’s new team-mates flew home.
“Ken, with his inimitable style and panache, flew up to Parkhead,” recalled Neill. “We had a great relationship with the Celtic board and between the two clubs, and Ken was sitting with the Celtic directors.
“They were honourable enough not to have a Dutch auction and they had set the fee at £650,000. Ken was up there and he produced two pennies from his pocket, put them on the boardroom table and said ‘gentlemen, I think this takes our bid ahead of everyone else’s!’.
“They loved that so much and I think they took the money as well. That clinched the deal and it was all down to Ken Friar. It was a great trip to Indonesia, they were great hosts and at the end of it we managed to sign Charlie.”
And they say the jocks arent misers. lol. they took even the two pence.
We battered ’em 4-1 in the Euro’s – so that’s how good they were !
The Scum were celebrating when RVP left last year ,they thought with bale their time had come .Still couldnt top us ,tossers
That’s when we used to sign top drawer players ….
…Our team on paper back then was awesome … It’s just a pity we were shit ..
Well spotted Syg,i had forgotten that ,Dutch still had Dennis though at that time
DevilG
https://twitter.com/natm_mag/status/339447988227284992
Hello again all, so Williams is better than TV, according to the stats….
Proposals For North Tottenham Unveiled
A vibrant public space spanning the area from the new Spurs stadium to a revamped White Hart Lane Station is at the heart of the proposals for north Tottenham launched for consultation.
The link will form a buzzing focal point for the area with new homes, businesses and leisure facilities surrounding the new public space – benefiting the community and making the most of increased footfall on match days, when up to 56,000 fans will flock to the area.
Under the proposals, council tenants on the Love Lane Estate would benefit from a range of better and bigger homes built to meet their needs – from energy-efficient houses with gardens, to flats and maisonettes with private shared courtyards.
Haringey Council is calling on residents and businesses to share their views on three broad options for developing High Road West. The proposed area spans the area roughly between Coombes Croft Library and the former Cannon Rubber factory close to the junction with the western side of Brantwood Road.
The most ambitious option for change could bring up to 1,650 top quality homes, 600 jobs and 8,900m² of new open space over the next 15 years, as well as a new community and sports centre, facilities for start-up businesses, and a cinema or bowling alley.
Major improvements to White Hart Lane Station will include moving the entrance to the south, better accessibility and direct access to the new football stadium – making it easier and safer to use for both local people and visitors.
Councillor Alan Strickland, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “Improving north Tottenham has long been a priority for the council. The £430M Spurs stadium project offers us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to kick-start the improvements that local residents have told us they want to see to the neighbourhood west of Tottenham High Road.
“We’ve been talking to residents and businesses for the last year about the better homes, new jobs and improved community facilities they want to see in the area, and we want to make their ambitions a reality by bringing major investment and change to the area.
“It’s really important that people who live and work in the area have their say so together we can build a neighbourhood fit for the future.”
Stats are there to be manipulated, Rico
See Andy Wood’s argument on Twitter … One of which is games played …
Evening all,
Nice one Dev… were you the host for the awards show? lol
You must have forgotten about the award for the worst fan tattoo… re Scott tattooing Ramsey on his backside… 😀
Hi SYG… are you sure you would not mind driving in a fiat 500 abarth whilst listening to Eboue rapping…
Dev… where did the Taider news come from… a cheap Riccardo Montolivo if you like…
Good read about Falcao 3rd party ownership…
No one is mentioning Negredo as an option up front for us so I hope he is the one AW is tracking outside the obvious choices…
Oh yes Syg, don’t we Arsenal fans know that…
We had Denilson, and we have one or two right now who prove that.
Seville’s Sanchez Ts??
worst fan tattoo has to go to Adam Ginge………that of Squilli in his ever increasing chest and tummy…………… it sort of gives Squilli a bigger chin with Mrs Adam mistaking it for a double chin. And also bigger ears
Rico… I do not know of Seville’s Sanchez unless you mean the stadium… they have players like Ivan Rakitic who is a direct creative winger… Seville have money issues so we should be raiding them…
They also have Geoffrey Kondogbia who I don’t rate but… and our own Reyes… plus Jesus Navas…
Álvaro Negredo is the one I am talking about 27 goals in 43 games in the 2012/2013 season… he is a poor mans Lewandowski and unknown… but 27 y.o…
😀
The ginge-ster. How are you kidda?
I’ve been trying to get shut of some workload … we fly out to Larnaca in the morning …
There’s talk of Navas to Real on Marca this morning …
Álvaro Negredo Sánchez Ts, I thought that was who were referring to when you mentioned Negredo…
Rico… I didn’t realise that was his full name… nice one… I have learnt something today…
Hi SYG… not bad just been busy with work and companies ungratefulness… I was at the Froch fight last weekend… very good fight. I thoroughly enjoyed it.. Navas to Real… the standards are dropping I guess… last year they did not want SC19 but want Navas now…
Have a safe flight and enjoy your stay…
A big fighter with humility, Ginge.
You don’t often get them !
Thanks pal.
Both fighters were gents… I didn’t realise Kessler is half English..
I am off my friends.
Tomorrow will be a hectic, tough and a very difficult day.
Saying goodbye to a friend who has been my companion for the past 37 years will always be difficult. But then tough decisions are sometimes needed.
good night Lady and Gentlemen
Night Dev… and take it easy!
Night devil…
I’m heading off too folks.. Night all…
‘Til tomorrow….
ayt… Nite Rico and all…
Great post Sir Stevo.
Some interesting comments plus our daily dose of the man known as Graham Clarke…
I actually find him quite entertaining…
Jovetic, ha, you might as well forgetovic about him.
He’s not worth £25m imho anyway…
Williams seems a definate go’er.
But those tight gits will sell Vermaelen to finance the deal.
Rico, my Fiver is so so safe… 😉
Hiya Kev……keeping busy mate?
Good morning Lady and Gentlemen.
Morning all..
Ak, I have started saving already…. 😉
Morning Devil…
Morning Lady. Nice weather here today.
have we signed anyone, or is AW sun tanning himself?
I think AW will will be sunning himself somewhere….
Good Morning Gooners…
Rico, I will accept an IOU… 😉
Mourinho back at the Bridge and his first trick will probably be to sign Jovetic…
You know, just to put Wenger in his place etc…
Morning Coach.
I wonder how the season ticket re-newals are going?
Not heard Gazides in the Media, mouthing it off about the ‘huge’ waiting list for ST’s lately…
I wonder Mr Clarke. Does that kind of statement make me an AAA..?
Morning habib.
did you check your inbox?
Mourinho to go for Jovetic to put AW in his place?
that makes him a pathetic creature WHICH should be treated with contempt. Do not worry. there are other fish to fry. And he will soon find out that he will not have, Drogba, Essien and a young Lampard/Terry to bale him out this time.
Mourinho will get a rude awakening this season. dont worry. now we will see if he is the special one.
any bets on him not lasting his contract???
Looks like Villa is heading to the Totts….
Morning Ak…
See what happens when you sit next to Adam at the Ems…. 😉
which do you prefer habib???
an…………AAA,BBB,CCC,DDD,EEE,FFF……………..ZZZ!!!! 😆
Villa for free would be a great signing.
Villa for a fee would be a massive mistake.
10 million could be spent elsewhere on a younger and better player.
I can’t afford another bet Devil, already on the verge of losing £5 to Ak… 😉
I think he’ll just spend big again and win the PL….
Who is Damiao – apparently he’s off to the Totts too…
Are you sure Rico?
look you bet 10p (you can afford that cant ya 😉 ) and I bet a fiver that Jose will not have it cosy this time around.
Damiao is a rich man’s Yaya Sanogo. Much better than the togolump for sure.
or you can bet me a chick and I bet you a tenner. 😆
will taste very nice with sweet and sour!!!!
Rico, 8.57; 😆
Yes Rico, Adam is a bad influence on me, ha ha.
But tbh, I have been losing faith in the club, since we lost away to Norwich last season. That’s when I realised that nothing had really changed and that Arsenal remained uncompetitive.
I will go and check my in-box now Coach.
Mark Hughes to Stoke???? Yipppeeeeeeeeeeeeee
that has made my day. cant wait for the season to start.
I wonder how much will he chop and change.
Rico………..the chick vs the tenner. Do you agree????? 😆
🙂 Devil, no, I mustn’t make any more bets..
Darn it, so they might get a decent player then….
Pity. I was looking forward to the chick!!! 😉
Ak, That was an awful result and performance wasn’t it and the two domestic cup losses…
How have we come to this..
Devil, no chance, I’d like my chooks to have a bit more life yet, you’d roast it….
These three losses were rock bottom Rico. We should have battered them yet we lost.
Morning all Good news eh,it looks like Santos is coming back.So if Gibbs ,Monreal Miquel and Vermaelen get crocked he will get a game.
I still blame Gervinho devil, especially for the CO Cup at Bradford…
Morning Jay, best he get shipped straight back out again, mind you, if he trimmed down a lot, he’d be decent winger 😉
he will be pushed further upfield to play as a left winger Jay. Then he will try his feet at inside forward behind the striker. He might even BALE us out on many occasions. Then Farcelona/Madrid might come calling with a 60 million transfer fee and AW demands it to be paid up front before he has kicked a ball or exchanged a shirt, only for his new team to discover that he is a fake burger rounded off with sweet and sour sauce and decorated with pineapple rings and white cream.
blame Gervinho? why Lady?
dont you realise it was the curtains fault which closed exactly as he was going to shoot and he was blinded. Pity the poor man Rico. did not have enough money to buy a tieback.
He missed chances to win the game devil..
Bit like i still don’t forgive Diaby for the 4-4 at St James Park…
I know Rico. I was puling your leg.
The proper blame should not be totally laid at their door. Gervinho and Diaby are what they are. They are put there by someone.
I still refuse to blame Almunia for some of the howlers he made. He was put there between the sticks by the man who signed him. he is what he is.
Has MA ever bad mouthed AFC?
No.
In my eyes he is a gentlemen who was forced to fight at heavyweight level. He tried his best……..which is more than some of our present eggless chumps w.e have in our team
Spot on there Devil, now who could that man be…. 😉
New post is up now….