If there’s one thing Great Britain does well, it’s pomp and ceremony. Royal Windsor, the perfect location for one of our own to get married today will be busy. Busy with folk from the world over, all there just to see Prince Harry tie the knot. He and Megan seem the perfect couple and I wish them all the happiness they deserve. Come on, he’s a Gooner, just like his Gran so we’ve got to support him. Personally, I love him, he comes across as a good guy, a cheeky chap who does a lot for many causes.
As far as Arsenal goes, not a lot is happening really as the hunt for a new manager goes on. There’s plenty of rumours of course which is to be expected but until the club make any official announcements, like us, the media, journalists and all are just putting two and two together and coming up with…… Mikel Arteta. Again though, it’s understandable, certainly after Pep Guardiola made it clear that he and Man City wouldn’t stand in the Spaniards way should he be offered the job. Add to that other managers staying at the club they’re already at, options are becoming fewer by the day. Max Allegri has apparently been talking about how Juventus are already preparing for next season, hinting along the way that he’ll be the guy managing them. Saying that, it wasn’t that long ago that Arsene Wenger was talking about next season at Arsenal either but look where he is now, gone. David Ornstein says the Italian shouldn’t be totally ruled out, not yet anyway.
I’m the the job is Mikel Arteta’s and if it is, what a way to kick start his managerial career it’ll be. Might have been more tricky had Wenger left having just won the league, Europa even, but after a number of years of dismal performances and little to shout about, whoever becomes the next Arsenal manager has an ‘easier’ job than he might have. Better football, entertaining football, an organised defensive unit, a bit of steel and competitiveness and we’ll soon feeling a lot better about all things Arsenal. Can Mikel Arteta bring that to the squad? Why not? Of course, he’s got zero managerial experience, that’s why.
For how long have we been asking the owner/board to do something, how long have we wanted change, something different, a new broom, new outlook and different tactics? New coaching staff, new ideas and someone who can make us as good defensively as we can be in attack. Or calling for Ivan, considered by some (reading around the Internet) to be useless and doing nothing to justify his astronomical wages, to get on and do his job. Well, he made his change views quite clear. He then backed up his words by bringing Sven Mislintat and Raul Sanllehi to the club and clearly he had an input into the departure of Arsène Wenger and subsequently, put the club in a position to change and to move forward. Bingo.
Yet still there’s grumbling as Arteta is not good enough, or rather not experienced enough yet the poor bloke hasn’t even been given the job yet. Similar has been muttered about Cazorla, Henry or anyone else linked to the Spaniards management/coaching team. News flash, just because a sports journalist writes about something, it doesn’t mean it’s true. Just like the £50 million budget supposedly available for the new manager, where’s that figure come from? It’s more likely to be rubbish than it is truth, that’s for sure. Logic alone suggests that.
I’m all for wait and see. See who gets the manager/head coach job, see who joins him within the managerial/coaching team and see how things go from there.
After all, it’s got to be better than no change at all and another season like the last few.
I wonder who our captain will be, now that’s something different to grumble about…….
Good morning Rico, Pomp and Circumstance ,Ceremonial and Pageantry, no better place for a magnificent wedding than Windsor.
Morning Cicero, just watching it all unfold. It’s fab…
We are brilliant at ceremony for sure.
Stone me! It’s going on a bit. How many more preachers have been booked?
Have they had the gospel choirs yet ? They might be worth watching , as for the rest of it Meh.
Yep we’ve had the gospel choir and some caterwauling women before the bride arrived.
Ok back to sleep then until 5 .15.
Nah! No sleeping Saracens vs Wasps, followed by Exeter vs Newcastle.
Hi fellas…. Good read as always. I have always believed that you don’t have to be a barber to realize a bad hair cut, a top chef to recognize that your meal sucks or a CEO to know that a company is making bad decisons.
People, imho, are confusing managing with coaching. Given the new structures that Arsenal have implemented, Arteta just has to be 80% coach and 20% managing (men managing, i.e., team selection). Through out MA career he has been a field general. His ball IQ n ability to put players in proper positions is unbelievable, heck he even made Ramsey a disciplined player. Unlike many good players who are not able to transfer that knowledge as a coach, I believe he would. The year under Pep as a coach will help also and if not for money, AW would have retained him as a coach so obviously the pedigree is there.
Given the attitudes of the modern players, a manager like Arteta is where the game is heading, recently retired with very high ball intelligence. If Arsenal hires him, they will be ahead of the curve just like when they hired Arsene and when Barce hired Pep.
Not only can MA relate to players but he will also be able to identify with them but at the same time recognize their crap. He is instant credibility.My choice is Allegri but MA is a very good choice. I agree with you Rico, give the guy a chance.
Is it over yet?
Afternoon BT. It was a lovely ceremony and the weather was perfect.
Afternoon Adam and all, they certainly got the perfect weather for the occasion.
I’m a bit like Potter, meh..but good luck to them, he seems a decent bloke.
Good comments Obi….
BT, Adam is just big old romantic…. ?
Kev. You’re right. 🙂
Adam, are you watching the cup final and who will you be rooting for?
Kev. I will. It’s about who I loathe the least really and that would be Chelsea. I still don’t like them but Mourinho certainly helped tip the scales. A thoroughly detestable human being for me and representative of a lot of things that I really despise.
No footbal news?
Kev. i’d never have guessed Adam was an old romantic….lol
A long time ago, when Bremner, Giles and Hunter were in Don Revie’s horrible Leeds United team. That was the club I hated above all others.
Then as they faded into ignominy and insignificance Manchester United took over from them as my most despised club. Adding Mourinho to the equation only increases my hatred. So I’m supporting the Chavs this evening.
Giroud starts for the Chavs and Sanchez for the other lot.
Thanks Obi, at least that makes two of us… ?
Chelsea for me, only because of Ollie…
Evening guys, thoroughly enjoyed the Royal wedding, lovely service with a little humour thrown in, although a few royals might be in the naughty corner for chuckling whilst the American preacher was talking.. lol
How can you have a player like Martial in your squad yet not play him in an FA Cup Final….
Wish we’d sign him…
Well Rico, he did go on a bit.?
He sure did Cicero – I was laughing that’s for sure. ?
That penalty by Hazard was surely the coolest ever in a Cup Final. Brilliant.
One nil to the Chelsea, and they fully deserve the eighth Cup Final win in their history. The way Hazard took his penalty was worth the win on it’s own.
One nil to the Chelsea and fully deserved, The way Hazard tool his penalty was worth the win on it’s own.
If this comment looks like another one it’s because a couple have gone missing recently. ?
Had United won they would have equalled Arsenal’s record of F.A Cup wins ,. Therefor I am glad it went to Chelsea . Well done to Ollie and Cesc.
Glad Mourinho lost, ghastly bloke deserves nothing…
Yep Adam, that how I saw it, I don’t mind that little nutcase who manages Chelsea, but I simply cannot stand Mourinho, so it was an enjoyable afternoon.
BT, Adam is the kind of guy, dressed in all black, who shins up a drainpipe and delivers a box of Milk Tray, he loves animals and small children and is a member of the WWF. ?
Cicero. I can’t stand Liverpool, whether they are up or down I despise them, as does Rico. ?
This might not be popular but I hope Real Madrid stuff them.
Yes Rico, I’d take Martial in a heartbeat, or Rashford for that matter.
Both are good strikers who lack the correct kind of coaching, Mourinho is as hopeless coaching forwards as Wenger is coaching defenders.
I actually thought that the 4th official bottled it today, to me it was a red card to Ashley Young and a second penalty to Chelsea.
I bet Oliver would have given it.
Me too re Real Madrid Kev…
Agree re the second penalty too, clear cut imo…
Rashford? In a heartbeat…
I’m back and I’ve now got a gold badge beside my name. ???
Yup, Liverpool are pretty far down my list of favourite teams.
If Martial is leaving Man U, can we swap him for Welbeck?
Give them Mustafi.. ?
Ha! I’ve just noticed why some earlier comments were delayed. I missed off the m of .com in my e mail address.
Apologies Rico I was blaming your website and it was my error all the time. ?
Rico, as well as Welbeck? Well okay then!
No problem Cicero..
I quite like Welbeck, just wish he was more clinical in front of goal..
Night guys..
Night Rico.
Danny Welbeck……what can i say….
Morning Rico, all.
Am beginning to warm up to MA being the head coach. Excellent post from Obi shed some light as well.
I do hope, the next manager works with personalities and plays to the players strengths. AW clearly chose his favourites despite the opposition which imo worked to their detrimental and shot their confidence.
I believe players like Elneny, Perez (coming from loan) can still be immense for us despite how the former manager used to handle them. We need all 25 men up and running to achieve anything reasonable next season.
On a side note I was thrilled to see the head of medical leave. Beat me how Bournemouth kept Wilshere fit for a whole season.
I hate Utd with a passion. Look at how that crass of a man is treating Martial. Probably cost him his world cup spot.
But Deschamps made some odd calls imo.
Looks as if the ‘dream team’ of Arteta, Alonso, Henry and Cazorla has lost its first incumbent as Santiago is set to rejoin Villarreal for pre-season.
AK, I think that’s a continuation of his rehab, he has a home near there.
Hi Cicero, hopefully it’s just a fitness thing, would love to see him stay at Arsenal in a coaching capacity, maybe initially as a player/coach, you simply cannot afford, as a club, to let people with his character, professionism and experience to walk away.
But I’m reading it as Santiago getting fit with Villarreal in order to sign for them.
AK, I think he’s been living with his family in Spain and training with Villarreal for quite some time. Given our past record of rehabilitating injured players, that seems a very wise decision on Santi’s part.
Hope you’re right Cicero, seems that Darren Burgess after a year of observation is making changes in the medical dept, long overdue imo and something that Wenger would never dream of doing as it would mean confrontation and that’s not in his DNA.
Wenger, bless him, defended all his staff, players and back room to the point of blindness. He would brook no criticism of any of them, he would see no faults either. Rather he would stubbornly maintain the status quo preferring not to change anyone. Hence the club has been left with many very stale and complacent members of staff. The clear out was and is absolutely necessary, albeit we supporters may not recognise the reasons why some have been asked to pack their bags and go, Lewin, for example, but I,m sure the hirer and firer has got it right.
The ‘king’ is dead long live the new ‘king’. Who ever he turns out to be!
Hot and sunny here again, lovely.
Afternoon all and thanks Rico.
What a great day yesterday was, my son`s wedding at St, Mellion golf club and Arsenal still officially the greatest FA Cup team !…………………………………could not understand some of the previous comments asking who each other was going to support who in the final when our record was at stake, I can only presume some of you didnt realise it was under threat from Manshafter !……………shame on you !…………………hahahha
Have to agree that Obi`s was a great comment , he really does put up some great comments but not frequently enough, although he did have his “Sanogo” moments, so maybe he has been following Yaya`s carear too much that he doesn`t comment on here enough ! 🙂
Have put a 100 foot piece of industrial plastic on my sloping field with a hose spraying water down it…………………….I used my 5 year old grandson as the test pilot on my …………..Zombie Death Slide of Doom !……………………………..had to put an old mattress at the end of it to cushion the impact, he survived and then the adults took over………….a few injuries, but funny ! hahaha
Evening guys,
Does anyone know much about Papastathopoulos and Soyuncu?
Hi Marshall.
Nice day for a wedding Lc, the one I watched was pretty special… lol
Interesting re Romans visa, be funny if he doesn’t get a renewal…
Rico, I think they run a kebab bar in an alley off Seven Sisters Road.
? Cicero
G’night all. ?
New post up…
Morning..