Morning all.
There’s nothing like a week of sun, sand, sea and… (Stop it now) claret to recharge the batteries. Mind you, my week was nothing like that as Dorset is hardly the South of France is it, but it was lovely regardless. In any case, France would mean thinking about the French and in particular, Arsene Wenger and I didn’t need that. Not watching his interviews or reading the same old words spoken by him for the millionth time has been an absolute pleasure.
Thanks Wath for looking after the place whilst I overdosed on fish ‘n’ chips….
I don’t know about you guys but I feel like I’m just going through the motions these days, waiting for something new, no, someone new. It all seems a tad stale within the club. Unpredictable to as we never know what to expect from a team managed by the old fella. Occasionally we might see a disciplined defensive display, not often but every now and then we get the opportunity to suggest we looked organised only for the next performance to return to looking like a bunch of strangers thrown together at the last minute.
By all accounts the younger players who got a chance on Thursday night in Belarus suffered like so many before them and by that I mean Wenger asked them to play in a position not natural for them. Now that did come without surprise..
What is it about Wenger eh, he likes to have Jack of all trades in his team, neglecting the fact that ‘masters of one’, often works better for all. That’s why there’s such a thing in life called an apprenticeship. You learn a trade, become specialised in that field and afterwards you’re pretty much made for life. You might be able to dapple around in other areas of work but that’s not what you get paid for. After all, you wouldn’t hire a plumber to sort your electrics out would you?
Anyway, as said already, it is what it is all the time the Frenchman remains Arsenal manager and I just hope by the time he finally departs, our better players and the potential young stars in the making haven’t jumped ship. I still think he’ll be gone at the end of the season, perhaps after finally winning the league cup. ?
Arseblog broke the news yesterday that Stan Kroenke had made an offer for Alisher Usmanov’s shares in Arsenal. True or not I don’t know but if it is, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Arseblog go on to say that the alleged offer has been rejected by the big guy. I’m sure they’ll be more to come on this story so keep ’em peeled…..
Back to Jack of all trades, well, Jack Wilshere, he’s come out and said he wants to stay put. He loves Arsene apparently and has a great relationship with him. The club has been great to him over the many years he’s been there and he wants that to last. Of course he does, he’s Arsenal through and through isn’t he? Seriously, if his frail bones can stay away from the tackles, especially the nasty or cynical ones, he’s an asset to any team, especially ours. But he’s got to be wrapped in cotton wool throughout this season. At Bournemouth he started well, played quite a few games on the trot and then suffered an injury after a clash with Kane. At least it looks like Wenger is doing that right now but it’s a pity he didn’t do the same with Santi Cazorla last season!
One man not so frail as the above mentioned two is Sead Kolasinac. I still don’t know how he got up and walked away from that Luiz tackle unscathed. He’s the latest player to talk to the official site about his early years:
My childhood memories are very positive. I still talk often with my friends about our childhood. Looking back, as soon as school finished, we’d go to the local pitch and play until our mothers would drag us away late at night. We had a clay pitch and then next to that a new astro-turf cage was built, so we’d play there too. It was a really nice time and with loads of people involved – in fact sometimes, seven or eight would have to wait outside because there were too many on the pitch.
When I look back to my childhood, those evenings really stick in my head. Nowadays you drive past a football pitch and you barely see any kids playing.
Why have things changed he was asked. Why are there much fewer kids in parks kicking a football about these days?
There’s a simple answer for it. Smartphones and computers. Instead of meeting outside, like we did back then, kids message each other and arrange playing games online together. It’s more comfortable for them – they sit at home on the sofa and talk over headsets. That wasn’t the case with us and I’m pleased that I was able to have the opportunity to go out and play football. I think it’s a bit sad that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. But kids have to make their own decisions.
Technology. It’s not always a good thing is it? She types on an iPad….
British Bulldog, that’s the one my friends and I played. Great fun on the local recreation ground, although it wasn’t long before jumpers were down, sides were picked and football took over…
Oh those days eh……
Morning all and thanks Rico.
Lee, dont get me wrong I want Arsene gone ASAP !………….
🙂
It`s just that the rumour of Kroenke is disturbing to me, dont know the tchnical ins and outs, but I bet it wouldn`t be a good move for us fans and if any savvy HHer can give some opinions on why it would be a good move I`m all ears, but for me it would be the Doomsday Scenario……………the end of Arsenal as acompetitive force as we know it !……………………..just hope that Uzzy comes back with a counter offer to show his intentions.
PS………I dont for one second think anyone on here is a Kroenke Lover, just pulling your plonker ! hahaha
“Tottenham’s training ground was evacuated on Friday after a suspected World War Two bomb was discovered”
A relief to Tottnumb fans to find something older than their last Title…………….and like their last Title expect some black and white Pathe news footage on it !
Didn’t Usminov make a very generous offer to Kronke earlier this year that rancher Stan rejected? This could just be his counter offer…..or could it. We still don’t want his sort running our franchise!!! Do we?
Morning all. It’s not raining here. Most unusual!
you show a complete lack of understanding of Wengers long held strategy for the development of young players. as even the pundits have said, and the man himself, ypung players are generally played out wide, in the less intense playing environment., to help them develop the more defensive attributes required.
He did Wavy, according to reports..
Ss, just because the pundits say so, doesn’t make it right. I’m of the opinion that if you need a winger, sign one, need a defender, same etc etc…. Perhaps if Wenger did buy who we really needed, we might have been more successful….
Wrote this earlier but it seems relevant to me, still.
Welcome back Rico. So you went to the Jurassic coast, did you find any dinosaurs? The Kronkisaurus and the Arsenasaurus were recently disinterred from a cliff fall near Lulworth, I believe!
Just a reminder re Arsenal’s bosses. If things don’t change they stay as they are and, by God not much has changed down the Emirates! The dinosaurs are still in charge. Well, hurrah for that, or not! Welcome back anyway.
Wath has been very good at keeping the House and it’s inmates in order, just about!
Morning all.
LC, leave Stan alone 🙂
Rico, it’s a different world these days, unfortunately.
I’d never let Sean run around away from sight or ride his bike for hours on end as we did when we were kids.
Too many psychos around, these days.
We can not blame technology, imo, as even 20 years ago, kids were hardly seen playing footy or cricket in Oz at local parks unless it was in an organised competition and that’s before the time of Ipads and smart phones.
It’s a shame.
On kids playing out of position-I don’t see a problem with it, but I think Wenger doesn’t change his ways when the players are older-he continues to play experienced guys out of position, but the irony here is fans know this, yet will abuse the crap out of the player.
Did someone mention Ramsey lol
Seriously, he’s been shit for a few years, according to most fans, yet played centrally and forward of late, suddenly, he’s remembered how to play the game?
Amazing coincidence.
I did reply earlier Wavy.. lol
I can’t speak for Oz Scott but where I live, most parks are in built up areas so there’s often a parent or two around. Yes there are nutters around but there’s a whole lot of lazy kids too..
Who are these ‘most fans’ you talk about though re Ramsey? People on here generally agree that he’s played in the wrong position..
Rico, I’m sure if you went back over comments for the last two years, you’d find plenty who said Ramsey was shit.
You know that’s the truth.
Of course, I also include most fans all over the net.
Back when I was a kid, every afternoon was spent playing something, and there’s still plenty of parks around and while I do agree plenty of kids are lazy, and obsessed with technology, I still think parents are wary.
The reality is though Scott, Ramsey showed what he could do a couple of seasons ago but since then, I thinks he’s been bang average. But he’s not the only one and for me the common denominator is Arsene Wenger… He fits players in instead of playing to their strengths..
I agree 100%, Rico, so maybe people should be a little easier on the players.
We know Arsene likes to tinker, but I doubt any of us know why.
Morning Rico.
Project-kids playing out of position anyone.
Not when they aren’t pulling their weight though Scott or they are getting the basics wrong. But that’s the reason, well, one of many, why Wenger needs to go. Can’t put that down to Krunky…
I would imagine that Usmanov’s shares are worth a fair bit more than when he bought them as the overall value of the club has increased. Then again Kroenke’s ambition to buy them might be part of a longer-term strategy aimed at the time when he does receive an irresistible offer. It could go many ways from here but the empty seats and general apathetic atmosphere this season must be giving some cause for concern at board level, hence Ivan’s latest commitment to spend perhaps. A proclamation that I doubt has pleased Wenger too much.
Morning Adam. Makes little sense to me…
Good point Adam. But won’t the shares gradually decrease in value the further down the table we finish under Wenger?
Square pegs in round holes……………………should be left to be developed whilst playing for the youth, not in proper competition, these kids are at the club from a very young age via Hale End, so have years to be moved around from position to position to understand the game more.
As I said previously, certain positions like Wingers if not the best will be turned into Full Backs, so Nelson probaly has no problem adjusting to that position and if you look at nearly every Arsenal full back over the years they all started off as wingers……..going back as far as McNab and Sammy Nelson……….probably even further !…………………….Geordie Armstrong did both duties in one game…….the first Wing Back ?
https://arseblog.com/2017/09/arsenals-cold-war-coming-worrying-close/
This a great post and mirrors completely how I feel about our present situation…
As I see it ,It all started in 1953 when Hungary shocked the football world with their total football system which was carried on by Real Madrid . Players like Puskas , Gento , Hidiguti , Kocsis , Di Stefano all capable of switching positions and confusing one track minded teams. These were Wenger’s formative years. As time went by he saw the great Ajax team under Rinus Michels who probably was Wenger’s greatest influence. They dominated football and the method of having players out of their natural position but capable of playing there was formed.This enabled teams to switch their style of play during matches it meant that teams playing the traditional “W / M” system were always chasing shadows Kind of like we did with Bergkamp , Overmars , Anelka , Pires effectively when we had players capable of doing it. Slowly but surely the quality of players at our disposal went down and once Cesc and Henry went the degradation increased in speed.
Our performances in Europe declined and a system of negating Wenger’s dream was copied by originally Ferguson and soon his acolytes Pulis , McLaren , Alardyce et al copied and we reached a position a few years ago where the quality of our players picked up the shortfall in tactics to enable us to always finish there or therabouts.
This brings us to our curent position good enough for 60% brilliant for 15 % and totally outcassed for the rest of the time. It won’t change whilst he remains and all the machinations about club ownership holding things back although valid, are not telling the whole story.
We are witnessing a zombie waltz , the music keeps playing and the dancers keep moving but in an ever persistent set of circles . Only the faces change , at least the players , but the politburo of Wenger , Primorac , Banfield , Peyton and Colbert maintain the status quo . We tinker at the edgeson and off the field but the band plays on and so does the dance.
https://angryofislington.com/2017/06/22/you-think-the-current-arsenal-ownership-situation-is-bad-it-might-well-get-worse/
Posted last June, but worryingly coming to pass.
Yeash read that, We could be looking at the end of a long road for some of us.
Nice link, Kev`.
I said the same in one sentence yesterday………..Only one to benefit from Kroenke buying Uzzies shares will be Eveton !………………although I expect Uzzy will be a winner too joint owning a club that wins or competes for titles. We would watch Everton become what we wanted Arsenal to be. If it happens, then in a few years time when Arsene has gone, we will all unify for one target to aim at……Kroenke !
We will know fcuk all about our club if it happens, everything will be behind closed doors and to be honest how can we moan about Kroenke when he`s looking after number one, who wouldn`t ?………the biggest blame goes to David Dein !……..loved by many for being Arsene`s right hand man, but the man who brought in Kroenke and started the slow decay.
We all want Wenger gone, but I`m sorry, if you think we will get better in the future as a title winning club then you are in for a shock !………………………hate Kroenke , but blame Dein, who has got off lightly and sitting pretty.
Actually, two good links, Kev !………………….
Afternoon all!
Totts 3 up at the 24th minute!
Kane wasn’t ours?
I’m going to read the links…
Potter, great comment at 11.47.
LC, your last paragraph is spot on.
Why people keep suggesting that the likes of us blame Stan for everything is beyond me.
How often do we have a debate where we are talking tactics, positions etc etc where someone throws up “can’t blame stan for that”?
It’s irrelevant to the point at hand, but it comes up time and again.
Send them both packing, no issue at all.
It really does not matter who is MORE at fault, because both are doing damage.
Oh, and the “bring back Dein” calls from fans is a ripper lol
Took this from another site and another who hits the nail on the head, seems that most Arsenal Blogs see Kroenke as the true evil as remember Wenger will be gone in less than 2 years, so is it worth worrying about him ?……………I think my priorities are right and it`s about a bleak looking future !
“That’s most of the actual football-related stuff that came out of yesterday, because sadly the other speculation revolves around the absolute cancer that is Stan Kroenke. And I do not say those words lightly. He is completely, totally and utterly the worst thing that has ever happened to Arsenal football club and the news that he’s trying to tempt Alisher Usmanov to sell his shares to him should terrify every Arsenal fan across the globe.
Kroenke uses sports ‘franchises’ for profit. He has no intention across any of his ventures for them to be successful in anything other than monetary values. He is the anthesis of what an owner should be: ambitious, passionate about what he’s doing, etc. Yet Kroenke sees only the numbers on the balance sheet and should he take complete control of Arsenal football club, there is no way in which any of us will benefit as fans.
AGMs will be gone. Fan and club meetings will be a thing of the past. The approach towards the matchday going fan will be placed far far down the list of priorities. It will be about a rich American bleeding as much money out of us without having to invest anything whatsoever in the development of the club. He will delist us from the stock exchange. He will send us private and potentially move us – certainly from a business point of view – to some low tax haven like Delaware. He will look to monetise the sh*t out of every revenue area and the Arsenal team as we know it will turn in to a mediocre club within the Premier League. But he won’t care because every club in the Premier League will be worth a fortune and even with mediocrity he could still turn a tidy profit and be happy.
He isn’t committed to the future of Arsenal, he’s committed to the future of his bank balance and that my friends will be a tragedy to see.
It will also be the point in which I’ll probably start seriously thinking about my association with Arsenal Football Club. I love Arsenal, I always have and I always will, but if this goes in the direction that Stan Kroenke wants to take it, I am not sure I could take putting any money in to his pocket. So for me that means no more season ticket, no purchasing of any merchandise, probably no more blogging or certainly scaling back. It’s better to have less to do with something like that than just accept it. It’s this sort of thing that turns me away from modern day football. It makes me dislike modern day football more and more with every step. We didn’t see it all those years ago, but the arrival of Roman Abramovich could sendup being the worst thing to ever happy to English footballing culture, if this current trend of billionaire owners who just look at the pounds shillings and fences keeps going.
Right now all I have is hope that something puts a stop to that man. But it is hope more than expectation.”
Yes JM………………………Kane was ours at 8 years old !……………the strart of the failing of project youth ! hahahaha
Although I wont blame Dein for that !……………………. The demise of Arsenal………………….yes !……………………………I know, it`s like blaming Mrs Hitler for WW2 for giving birth to Adolf !………….so yes, I blame Mrs Hitler…………………and of course Mr Hitler for impregnating her ! 😆
So many things are to blame.
Bringing back Dein to help Wenger would do nothing.
Get rid of Stan, replace Arsene, pray that UEFA grow some balls and Arsenal will be massive.
Perez score now for Corunha. Good goal. 1-1 against Getafe
Only one of those is going to happen in the near future, Scott !…………………….surprised Rico hasn`t got one of those countdown clocks at the top of the page for Wenger`s less than 2 years ! 😆
LC, maybe, just maybe we are proven right,
And Arsene leaving will show up Stan for what he is.
We could be stuck with Stan for 3 years or so.
Then again, if we are wrong, a new manager will have us on the improve so it’s a win for us all.
Either way, patience is required by us all.
If he buys out Usmanov , he will be here for ever .
If Kroenke goes before Wenger, how can we be sure that the next owner would be any better? That’s the big question. I still maintain that only when Wenger has gone will we see what kind of an owner Kroenke truly is and if it turns out that he’s a rotten one then as Lc says, hunt him down and force him out…
But I’m not 100% convinced he’s the route of all our problems. Many, but certainly not for the game we are watching us play these days…
Good comment Potter. If that’s the way Arsene still thinks he wants to play, why has he not signed the kind of players who can play in such a way. Still, by now you’d have thought he would. Even Mourinho is managing to play entertaining football these days and all with a strong defence too, or rather an organised one….
Agree Potter, and then it’ll be Josh’s baby..
Rico. The financial situation within the club is strong and stable and I imagine that is what attracts Stan the businessman. But I doubt he knows much about the history of the club or of how much it means to a lot of people. I can’t blame him for that but people need to blame someone it seems. If anybody could tell me one way in which he has impaired or limited the progress of Arsenal I would be interested to hear it. I don’t say he hasn’t incidentally but myth and fact are separated by a considerable distance.
What we are finding hard to stomach is change I think. I would like the club to be the one that my Dad took me to when I was a little kid and the one that was so much a part of mine and my mates Saturdays, growing up in Islington at that time. Arsenal was something we all shared in, it bound us together across the generations even though we won virtually nothing. It was, in fact, our Cosa Nostra (our thing).
Leaving Highbury was symbolic in so many ways, some of which are only becoming glaringly apparent now. But there’s no going back. Money, greed and motivation has changed now and even the fact that we can all debate this online has had a profound effect. It will never be the same again and neither can we.
I doubt anyone outside the inner circle know exactly how big or small an impact Stan has made on the day to day running of the club.
We do know the mans not put a single cent of his own money into the club, yet is going to make a massive profit out of it.
Such a man could hardly be one we’d want as an owner, surely, as his motivation has nothing to do with onfield success, so how can we possibly conclude he’s a good owner?
A good owner would care, imo.
A good owner would care, I can’t argue with that.
We thought we had that with those that called themselves custodians . The Hill Woods, Carrs , Bracewell Smiths and then Dein and Fiszman . They should all hang their heads in shame , they sold out took the money and ran.
Good comment Adam and you’re right, there’s no going back now. TV, money and many other things have made sure of that.
I doubt the money men know much about City though, nor Henry Liverpool and the list goes own. All clubs are about now is success and yesterday. And the only blame I lump on Kroenke but all the time the board is divided in it’s opinion, the likes of Gazidis and Chips are unlikely to get their own way.
Am I right in believing Josh tried to get his old man to appoint a new manager, or was it to sell up? I heard it somewhere but can’t recall from who, other than he had a mate who knew the tea lady… 😉
Scott,I think you lose sight of the fact that there are fans who know what goes on inside the club. Some of it anyway…
Scott, how did Kroenke get his shares then?
Refer you to my 2.40pm
What I meant Potter was Kroenke didn’t get his shares for free, he paid a lot of money for them so when it’s suggested he hasn’t put any money into the club, it’s wrong.
Took me back down memory lane there, Adam .
As a little gang of friends we used to walk from Chiltern St, Bethnal Green to Old St Station and get out at Drayton Park ( not sure if Drayton Park is open anymore ?)……………….just innocent kids !
Without parental guidance, I`m not even sure how a young kid would get a ticket nowadays ………let alone gang of them !
Obviously I`m not a whiz kid city stockbroker, just a Van Driver !………………………
🙂
but Kroenke only bought shares in Arsenal, none of that money has directly gone into the running of Arsenal Football Club, it went to the people who sold the shares !…………….. so no, Rico, none of it has gone directly into the club !………………………….look at it this way, if I buy all Kroenke`s shares, he gets the money, not Arsenal !.
And just to reiterate……………………….Kronke has never put a penny/dime into the running of AFC, he only ever took money out, the £3M per year fee for his whatever, which has now stopped !…………………………………as pointed out by a lot cleverer people than me who are not Van Drivers…………….if he buys out Uzzy, he will then be able to pay himself X(?) amount of money and all other shenanigans like maybe fund his LA Rams via our great money making machine ?……….fcuked if I know ?………….but I think you get the drift and we wont be able to blame Arsene…………..double whammy ! hahaha
Actually Rico he has not put any money into the club only to the pockets of the then board of directors m,ost of whom are still in situ.
But he’s still spent money to purchase the club Lc, most of it but I get what you are saying and the penny has dropped on what Potter said too…
Another point !…………………………….look at Chav and Mansour Womans teams………..loads of money being spent and they are sweeping up the trophies ( it`s uncanny that Arsenal Womans team won the FA Cup !)………………….our glory days are behind us in the WSL and Wenger doesn`t manage them !…………………so in a way it reflects the mens teams, same equation ………Rich spending owners = trophies, whether Men or Womans football, the manager is not the biggest factor , it`s how much the owner spends on the best players !
But what ‘owner’ does spend their own money on buying players apart from Roman?
I have to disagree there Lc. As much as money can buy the best, it what a manager does with the players at his disposal which matters most imo and at that, Wenger is very very average..
No results/scores going our way again, !………only tonights City/Chav game will give us an opportunity to catch up…draw best result ?
Also, look back at how many players Wenger has said he could have signed. There’s so so many he could have got before they became top top players but he didn’t because he dithers, and can’t make a decision. Then the old man thinks it’s smart to tell the world….
We all have different Arsenal histories and our own views on just about everything. If I’d had the money I might have bought the club.
Sheik Mansour has spent a fortune !…………………..you answer my point in some ways Rico !…………………average manager ( which I agree) had best players before Mansour City and Chavs !………..I would say the likes of Henry and Bergkamp etc` won us the trophies, not so much Wenger !
I`ve said it many a time that with the wealth of the aforementioned two, anyone could win trophies, fair enough, someone like PEp would probably get the best out of our bunch, but if and as soon as he did, the money teams would buy even more better players !……………………………..we wont be just pissing in the wind, but pissing against Hurricane Irma !………………………..speculate to accumalate !……………………….psst !………..not a penny invested(Kroenke)…………………..made £30M in last TW !……….
🙂
You wont get me disagreeing about most of Wenger, Rico, we had the best team of nearly buys ever ! ……probaly better than any team of any time, better than 70`s Brazil ! hahahaha
And sacked Wenger Adam? 😉
Mansour hasn’t put money in for players but has for the club’s infrastructure which means they have extra cash for players which they have not had to spend elsewhere.
Get it all out now, as tomorrow up the Emirates I will be cheering on the boys no matter what !………………..even Wenger ! hahaha
Lc, but do you for sure know how much money Wenger was told he could spend last summer?
What if Kroenke gave him an open chequebook, or rather the board?
Yes Potter, but some very interestingly dodgy sponsorship deals to get money in !………………….bit like the one PSG had with the Qatari Tourist Board !……………………….you know the ones !………..a homeless tramp sponsoring PSG for £500M per year !……………………it`s all crooked and like Scott suggested, no balls to back up FFP !.
No Rico. I would have said to him that whatever he wanted to spend on players. 🙂
None of it makes sense to me Rico…………….one minute we have £200M in the bank and £150M to spend and then Ornstein says we have nothing !!!……………..and then it`s said we made £30M, so wheres` the £150m gone ?……………….talk about try and baffle us with bullshit ! hahaha
Is that because you know he wouldn’t know what to do with it Adam? 🙂
Also Adam, he’d still be a rubbish out of date manager…
I think Adam would have sacked Wenger and put Lee and Kev in charge…………………….probably made Lee CEO with the job of giving Arsene his P45 !……..golden handshake from Lee or golden throttle ? hahaha
Don’t believe Ornstein then Lc… lol
Not had time to read all the comments as I’m working, so I hope I’m not repeating a point made earlier, but Kroenke has done nothing different from what Dein and Fiszman did, that is buy shares in Arsenal.
I might be wrong but I doubt that Fiszman or Dein ever put any of their own money into the club except in the purchasing of shares. Dein at one time took a wage as the Managing Director (DoF?) much the same as Kroenke took money out.
Hill-Wood, Bracewell-Smith, Rev Bone, Carr, Wood, Harris, Keswick and all their ilk also contributed fcuk all, it was a sideline, their own personal gentleman’s club.
Arsenal have been pretty much self sufficient since the late 1920’s…
But we’ve not been in a position for almost 90 years of Arsenal being owned by one man, and that worries me, the lack of an AGM, accountability, Kroenke being able to use Arsenal’s financial stability to aid his ailing US franchises.
Manshafter arrived back from Moscow @4am on Thursday………..the fatigue is killing Crystal Palace !
What have I told you about blaspheming Rico !!!
🙂
Rico. No, I would have offered Wenger any money he wanted. Seriously. What more could an owner do?
Good comment Kev….
I suppose I could have insisted on him getting a DOF. 🙂
Adam, but you know he wouldn’t spend it and even if he did, his out of date ways wouldn’t make us successful again..
In that case Rico I would approach Pep. 🙂
🙂 Adam…
The culture of our club, pretty much in all of its existence has been financial stability, and if we win an FACup then that’s just a bonus.
Arsenal had been stagnant for years under the Hill-Woods, only when Dein arrived did the club become really ambitious about challenging for trophies.
We are a club mired in mediocrity, just doing enough to keep the mugs/fans happy.
You know, every few years make a big signing, an Alan Ball or a Malcolm MacDonald, make a short lived statement, then back to the John Hawley’s and Terry Mancini’s.
Arsenal flatter to deceive…
How about if Kroenke gets full control and makes us loan our best players to Colorado Rapids and we get their players in return !……………..he`ll probably win a trophy in the MLS ! hahaha
Kev !!!………………..where`s the nearest place to Ems (prefer heading Shoreditch way) I can park without needing a parking ticket on a Sunday matchday ?
Cocker, come to London by train..
What all the way from Cornwall ?……………………..I would have had too leave two weeks ago !……………..coal needs to be excavated !
🙂
So when we win it’s all on Wenger but when lose its Stan’s fault, you can’t make this crap up!
All the ingredients are there to win major silverware, but who’s been holding us back??
Not buying a single outfield player? Etc etc…
The list of idiotic decisions is long but who made all these decisions?
Over the last 13 years could another manager of done a better job than Wenger has?
Wenger apologists on my first whistle!!!
Check out our annual salary bill or the fact we bid €100m for Lemar to say Stan doesn’t let Wenger spend is total bollocks!
Wenger is the one that doesn’t want to spend he wants to do it his way….there’s the problem!
It’s hard to accept, but we just can’t compete with the top three moneybags clubs.
There is a hint that Sterling may be interested in a move to us from City, where he is still a bit part player, and what happens? Pep starts talking money and extended contracts with him. They may not want him, but don’t want us to have him either.
They can afford to have the best players on their books and not even play them. You only have to have the cream kept at the top, and what is left is semi-skimmed. They own Girona now in Spain, and loan their players to them whilst still paying them top dollar. Because they can
It will never be an even playing field all the while this goes on. FFP? What a joke.
Us who are not so vitriolic in our criticism, not ageist or racist either, are called ‘Wenger apologists’. Well I for one do not apologize or make excuses for him, but I am a realist re our capabilities whilst up against clubs whose owners are determined to win everything, and he is probably the least of our problems at the club under the circumstances. IMO.
Not a popular opinion, but there you go. I would prefer a Pep, or a Conte, but tbh, last year I was thinking the same about Howe, De Boer and Slaven Bilic, and look at them now.
No, we have Wenger, so I am going to try to support him and the team. He’s only here for another season after this, then we will really see what’s what. If that means I am called a Wenger apologist, then so be it, guilty as charged. Big deal
Lee, I honestly believe that a different manager would have got more out of the players we’ve had and do have now. Like I said in the post, the club is stale, Wengers ideas are stale, the football… the same..
Just believing that Pulis could turn Mustafi into a quality defender is something I shouldn’t be thinking…
Why can we not compete with them Meerkat? Or more to the point, why do you think we can’t? Do you know how much money Wenger was told he could spend over the last few years? As Lee said, £90m to sign Lemar is hardly the sign of a tight owner.
Has Kroenke told Wenger he can’t sign a defensive midfielder? Did he tell him to sell Gabriel but don’t replace him with a better defender?
Did Kroenke allow Alexis contract to run down? Did he fail to replace him before finally selling him for money rather than letting him walk free next summer?
And don’t get me wrong, I don’t even like Kroenke but the real issue, or maybe a better expression is the biggest problem, is Wenger. All imo of course…
Just watched Mansour City and their strength in depth is so strong and with no Aguero, they played Chavs off the pitch, but we all know why they have such strength in depth, not down to the manager, but the owner.
Even if we had Pep as manager, I dont think we have the players to play like City did this evening, the ball retention and pressing without it is of a far greater level than we are at, which makes it amazing to how we beat them in the FA Cup semi-final !………….it`s all very Barca style and yes you need a coach to get them to play like that, but you need top players as well………….they cost money !
As for the Lemar bid, it`s not as cut and dry as Lee says !………….too pay that amount of money depended on Alexis being sold for £60M…………add the £30M we made from the TW and that adds up to the £90M bid !……………..and that my friend would have made our tw spend a net £0 if the transfer would have come off !
Rico, I’m sure selling Lemar would’ve largely been offset by selling Alexis, so I doubt 90 million was going to be spent-it would have been much closer to half of that, and maybe if Lemar went through, we’d have sold another player or two.
Meerkat, the “Wenger apologists” tag is hilarious.
Almost as hilarious as the fact that when it’s used, it’s part of the same old rhetoric that we are delighted to read on a daily basis.
I mean, we have the utter delight to read things like “So when we win it’s all on Wenger but when lose its Stan’s fault, you can’t make this crap up” which is quite obviously actually made up by the author of that line, as nobody else has ever suggested that’s the case but I guess if you say something often enough, at some point, someone might actually believe it-maybe even yourself ? ? ?
LC, everything is always Wengers fault according to plenty of fans.
It’s a shame he’s hung around this long to allow his legacy to be tarnished, but I’m sure Pep would have us winning CL with this same rubbish squad that Arsene has assembled, because a good manager would get the best out of this quality squad Arsene has assembled lol
Yeah I know-I’m confused as well 🙂
Cant help being impressed with City`s style of play and I will admit it takes a certain type of manager to get them playing like that. Pep must put in some hours on the training pitch. The opposite to him is Conte, who won the league last year, a coach who many would have rather than Wenger, but his tactics tonight looked like a pub team, they just could not retain the ball and for all his theatrical antics on the line his players were second best in everything !
Impressive Pep, but without the money, you would not get a s good a standard at Arsenal !
You have convinced me to your greater coaching skills, but without the money ………………………………..which is why Kroenke is our downfall !…………………………without him putting in a single penny into the club, even Pep would be struggling, yes, better than Wenger, but Pep would not be able to buy the best to play bhis style of football to it`s greatest ability.
We think the same,Scott…………………..and M`kat to some degree, must be the Vulcan mindmeld ! hahaha
Pure speculation Scott. But don’t forget what Chips said last summer…
As for the line you suggest is made up, it’s true. When we win, Wenger gets praised but when we play badly, well, so many times it’s been suggested on here that in the areas we lack a player, it’s Kroenke fault for not giving Wenger the money to sign who we need….
Anyway. I’m sick and tired of all the sly digs between people on here. Things will change and if that means I’m left talking to myself on here then fine.
Reality is, I couldn’t give a toss if HH lives on or not, I really don’t. If anyone wants to take a swipe at others then fine, but push off and do it elsewhere because you won’t be doing it here.
I’m tired, bloody tired of it all…
Pep is doing brilliantly well, and that’s not in question but as you say, LC, you can only work with the tools you have at your disposal.
Would Arsene do as well with City-I doubt it.
Would Pep do any better with this Arsenal squad?
Maybe, but it still wouldn’t be enough to win the League or CL.
For all the ranting and arguing, we all just know Arsene will stay as long as he wants to, and for that, I do blame our owner.
Agree, I dont think Arsene would do as well at City because as I agreed with Rico earlier………….Arsene is only an average coach imo !……………………………not sure how much the Mansours have put into City, but I bet it`s possbly over a £Billion in facilities, players, feeder clubs etc` the lot !……………………Kroenke`s investment into Arsenal(not inc` buying the shares)…..£0
Rico, I agree that it’s speculation.
When we lose, I can’t recall people saying it’s Stans fault.
Prime example and recent one-we all tore Arsene apart for his tactics v Liverpool and I honestly don’t recall anyone blaming Stan for that loss.
You know what I’m saying Scott…
I bet Abramovitch would love to get hold of Pep !……………………………and although he won the league, I bet Conte will be sacked if he fails to win a trophy this season !…………………..Cut Throat Roman…………should have been a Pirate ! hahaha
An average coach is a compliment to Wenger Lc… lol
LC, is it true Conte wants out?
I read somewhere he’s homesick, doesn’t like England etc etc
Rico, Stan is brought up more by people having a crack at the “Wenger apologists” than it is by anyone else.
I’d be more than happy if Stan was banned 🙂 🙂
No, not Goonster, the other one lol
LC. So do you think that if Kroenke had given Wenger a billion £ of his own money that we would win the PL and the CL?
Think everyone knows Wenger is past it Rico and I know you would like to see if someone else could manage under Kroenke, but honestly, the money the big 3 have !……………………..Is Wenger even worth mentioning as we know he will go soon, but I look to the future and it doesn`t look bright to me as I just cant see how we can live with the big 3 and it really is down to their money power and without it we really would need the existence of God to be discovered and that he is a Gooner !
😆
Anyway, tomorrow we will be far the greatest team the world has ever seen !………………..I will be singing with no doubt ! hahaha
Rico, why I don’t believe we can compete was evidenced on TV earlier. Even the Chavs were taught a footballing lesson by City, and they (Chelsea) have a billionaire owner who sacks a manager if they so much as hic-cup! What’s the betting that Chelsea will now spend big in January. Abramovitch won’t tolerate failure. Conte may even be sacked.
LC and Scott pointed out that the only reason we were in for Lemar, was because we thought we’d get £60 million for Sanchez. We are small fry in a big pond. That’s why I believe we can’t compete with the two mancs and Chelsea, and why I was overjoyed when we went and earned a draw in their backyard, and played better than them. It won’t happen every time, so I enjoyed it while it lasted.
I think Wenger got it right.
Jack Wilshere wants to stay, and loves Wenger. So do most of the players. Unfortunately, a lot of fans think they know best and could manage the team better than him. I disagree. Yes there are better managers out there, (I wish we had one of them) but not from amongst the fans.
I’ve lowered my expectations, and would now be happy with the fabulous 4th place trophy.
Adam, if we had an owner that spent 1 billion, Wenger would either win those or be sacked.
Stan won’t sack Arsene no matter what, he also went spend a quid, so its a moot point, really.
Possibly not, Adam, but, with Pep at the helm, yes ! …………….after wathcing them tonight, Adam, you`ve finally persuaded me that Pep is a bit of alright ! hahaha
Not sure what Wenger would do with a £B………probably fcuk off to Mars and have the best pick of Martian players for a few years !……untill, the Mansours turn up with Pep !.
Meerkat, I reckon we’d all take 4th lol
Even his harshest critics.
We won’t get a better manager than Arsene, because they’ll want guarantees on spending, imo, unless it’s a young gun on the way up.
They’re out there, but then we go back to the question of who at our club has the ability to find them?
It really is a vicious circle.
LC. Yes I have always admired his style of play.
Scott, what I wrote was leave it out. All the stuff like you’ve just written is tedious, boring and I’m fed up with it.
Every blog is run by its writer/s and their beliefs. Yes, my heading is about having an opinion but there comes a time when enough is enough.. I’m at that point and unless there’s substance to a comment rather than just a dig at someone else, then putting it bluntly, push off somewhere else and wind someone else up…
Meerkat, is you view money related though, or the very fact other managers are more savvy?
Anyway. At my age, I need beauty sleep and lots of it…
Till tomorrow…
Rico,
I’d been in trouble in the past for assuming comments were directed at me-which quite obviously were-but as my name hadn’t been mentioned, I shouldn’t respond.
I changed tack, but now, I see that I’m guilty of sly digs because I don’t mention names.
I do apologise.
rico, i believe the two are inerlinked. The best managers wouldn’t even go to a club without guarantees of big money if required.
That is why Stan won’t go for another manager. He is frightened if he gets one whom he is prepared to give open cheques to, they will actually spend lots of money! The Pep’s of this world wouldn’t give him the time of day. then again, he could get a crap replacement, after all how would he know who to hire? Then his shares would go down the pan. He’s a cute businessman, and knows what he’s doing.
Wenger suits Stan, ‘a steady eddie’ who will never set the world on fire, but will do a fair job on limited resources.
I just wish Wenger would walk away on principle, and show he can empathise with the fans.
it may just work and force Stan to actually do something for a change, and realise there is more to owning Arsenal than just looking at the share prices.
Did Pep win at Chelsea Brudder not seen the results? City are definitely starting to tick and play wonderful attacking football….those were the days, eh?
There’s a plethora of managers out there that could do a better job than Wenger…The Arsenal was around long before Wenger and it will definitely be around after him!
I don’t get the trepidation, I really don’t!
Meerkat, that’s exactly what has to happen-Arsene walking away.
I’m sure he believes he’s doing what’s best for the club but he’s not, he’s facilitating Stan.
Oh I see that City won tonight, finish above them and you’ll be lifting the PL imo…
And which part of my comment mentioned you Scott?
None, it was directed to all, but if the cap fits….
Not sure I agree there Meerkat- Pep wanted Arsenal but Wenger did too..
Eyeballs are struggling, def gone now…
Nigh guys…
You need a holiday rico! lol.
Night.
Rico, i was responding your 8.34.
The hat always seems to fit me, doesn’t it 🙂
One size fits all Scott. It’s one of those with dangly corks ;-))
It’s certainly not my blog, it’s rico’s, but I think it’s good to read different opinions, and impartial ones too.
We have one thing that unites us all, we are gooners 🙂
1-0 to the Arsenal (tomorrow), I hope.
G’night Scott.
That’s true, Meerkat.
Fair minded debate is all most of us want, no question.
3-1 and Rambo to score all 4 🙂
We Aussies all wear those hats when talking our pet Kangaroo for a walk hahahaha
Rico as always it’s your show and you bang your Wenger out drum. Thursdays conceded goals didn’t come from playing nelson or maitland Nile’s out of position. For the first elneny was suspect the second the youngsters and jack were flagging yet it was BFg who wasn’t strong in the tackle allowing the ball to squirm through him meaning bate scored a second. Playing the youngsters in a cup competition early on benefits the team it allows them to see what football at a higher level is about. Secondly they get to realise that there is another aspect to the game not just getting forward but getting back and helping defend too. You say Wenger does it too often and it ruins players yet Gibbs (unfortunate with injuries) bellerin and Monreal have shown that playing players out of position can work both Gibbs and bellerin were wingers converted to full back and have done reasonable jobs in those new positions for us.
The question is not that Wenger should go because it is inevitable that one day he will because of his age. What should be being debated is when and who do the club secure to take over the reigns when he finally goes.
Of course people like you will claim Wenger is never good enough we’re he to win league and champions league in this contract period, you couldn’t claim oh it’s not a major title like you and others spout when 3 fa cups in last few seasons are mentioned. No what you will say is that the competitors gave those titles away by playing poorly you will always have an excuse to bash one of the greatest managers to manage our club because you think that our club has some divine right to be winning everything and that the only thing stopping that happen is Wenger when actually it isn’t.
Actually Richard, if you read my thoughts on the FA Cup more often you’d know that I love the competition and it’s great for us to be the record holders but surely a club like ours should be aiming higher?
I certainly don’t believe that winning anything is a divine right and again, if you read my views on the club you’d know that all I ever suggest is that we should be competing for the PL, but were not, we’re way behind in England and in Europe.
Oh, and the debate about who’d we on here would like to see replace Wenger has been had many times and again, had you read more often, you’d know that.
Meerkat, you’re right, I do need a holiday… lol
Rico, you need to get some kip…
Actually, so do I, night All….
We all need a bloody holiday, and we all need some sleep 🙂
Night Kev, I’m wide awake… ?
Amen to that Scott.. I must have jet lag.. 😉
Lol
Get some kip, Rico!!
To ensure I’m less grumpy Scott? 🙂
New post up guys..