Oxlaide-Chamberlain out for 3 months? Back for Bender & Michu! Did we expect anything else?

Morning all and it’s not a good one…..

Yesterday, what many feared, played out in front of our eyes.

We started quite well though and within six minutes we’d registered our first goal of the new Premier League campaign.

Oxlade-Chamberlain broke down the left and then cut the perfect ball back across the six-yard box to Giroud who slotted the ball into the far corner. The perfect start…..

On the 22 minute mark, Villa drew level through a penalty. The referee, who was awful from start to finish, awarded a spot kick after he believed Agbonlahor had been brought down  by Szczesny. Having appeared to play the advantage as the ball dropped nicely for Weimann, after the Villa player fluffed his shot, Taylor rewound and went back to the original offence.

Not sure that was the right thing to do on the day, I’m not 100% sure on the footballing law regarding that.

Szczesny was shown a yellow card for his involvement and Benteke stepped up to take the penalty. Our big Pole made a good save but the ball popped back into the penalty area where Benteke was nicely positioned to head home.

Arsenal players seemed stunned!

The tempo upped a bit from then on, not so much with the level of the game but the tackles were thick and fast from both sides, only ours appeared to be noticed by the referee…..

Gibbs took a wack to the head and suffered a nasty cut above his eye resulting in him going off, Villa captain Ron Vlaar and Jack Wilshere had handbags on half-way line resulting in a booking for both.

Szczesny then had a moment of madness dashing out of his goal and trying to defend like Koscielny but just in time, he managed to get his butt back where he should have been and  to produce a save which prevented Ashley Westwood’s long range shot from finding the back of the net…

As the second half got under-away, Tomas Rosicky had the first real chance to grab us the lead but he fired over the bar. The interchange with Giroud deserved a better finish.

Villa were then denied taking the lead by the inside of the post. Apparently the new goal decision system, GDS, came was used to make sure the ball hadn’t crossed the line….. Didn’t even notice that…

Then came a big moment of controversy. At the time, I thought the referee had got the penalty decision right but replays clearly show that Lauren Koscielny made contact with the ball, albeit slight – but as we know, Agbonlahor likes to impersonate Tom Daley and he did so very well.

He conned referee Taylor and up stepped Benteke. 2-1…….

Just before 70 minutes struck on the clock, Koscielny received his second yellow of the game after a coming together with Villas Weimann. A player as good and wise as Koscielny should have been more careful.

Down to ten but we gave our all to get a second goal and try and earn a point – Rosicky and Cazorla were both denied by Brad Guzan. But the more we pressed forward in search of a goal, we were left exposed at the back and with around five minutes of regular time left on the clock, Villa hit us on the break with Luna making sure all three points went to the visitors…

It was a truly awful opening day of the season for the club we all love and support. Not only the result but the injuries to both Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who both had to be replaced. Sagna took a battering too and to be honest, a few players look a way off being at the top of their game.

Koscielny will now miss the next league fixture which is away at Fulham and I suspect Gibbs and Ox will be at least out Wednesdays clash in Turkey. Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain is suspected to have suffered a serious injury and could be out for three months at least according to The Mirror. He left the ground on crutches and the damage is suspected to be to his ligaments. He’s going to be a huge miss if this is true.

Of course Wenger and his many supporters will immediately point to the ref but haven’t we been doing that for too many seasons now?

Shouldn’t we be better than that, shouldn’t we be able to beat sides like Aston Villa at home  quite comfortably? We would if we had the squad but we clearly haven’t….

What happens now?

Well that’s anyones guess.

Will this result force Arsene Wenger into action in the transfer window? It should.

Will the players who looked so lost and forlorn yesterday, be able to pick themselves up for the CL qualifier against Fenerbache on Wednesday? I doubt it.

Will Arsene Wenger have the right words to pick their chins up of off the ground? I doubt that too.

We can blame who we like but ultimately it’s one man’ responsibility to make sure we have a strong enough squad to start the season and a deep enough squad to see us through the season.

Yesterday we had neither, today we even less, I suspect tomorrow ill be just the same…..

Nothing will change until Wenger changes…….

Gossip: The Daily Mirror reckon we are going back to make a better bid for Lars Bender and £25 million will get us Michu.

It’s all getting a bit boring now isn’t it….

Have a good day all……

PS – Don’t forget the HH Fantasy Football League which is set up on the official Premier League website.

Join in….

1 – Click the link HERE.

2 – Sign up for an account and select your team.

3 – Click onto Leagues or if you get lost, follow the link HERE.

4 – Select Highbury House and enter our league code which is: 2047837-437358

0 thoughts on “Oxlaide-Chamberlain out for 3 months? Back for Bender & Michu! Did we expect anything else?

  1. madgunner says:

    What happens now you ask? Well there will be buys…..after looking for players that will improve oure squad and are better than what we have and being unable to find any(Please give me a break!) they will all of a sudden materialise. Park and Santos Mkll.

    We have had this conversation before and unless he is gotten rid off we will have this conversation again. Show me players that are better than what we have he says! I wish someone had done that when he bought Park Chamack, Squid, Santos and the rest.

    As for the referee he was awful and it is also his fault we have not strengthened this summer and sold our best players the following summers.

  2. rico says:

    madgunner – just why so many fans are angry, we’ve had time to sign players, there are plenty who have moved to other clubs who would have made us stronger.

    We have heard it all before, and no doubt we’ll hear it all again.

    Players should have been in a long time ago.

    Yes the ref was pretty awful, but that old excuse is getting boring.

  3. rico says:

    Jack Wilshere has called on the Arsenal fans to “stick with us” after the opening-day defeat to Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

    Olivier Giroud put the home side ahead in the sixth minute but the visitors would respond with a brace from Christian Benteke and a breakaway strike from Antonio Luna.

    It was a deeply disappointing start for everyone connected with the Club but Wilshere feels there is a need for unity ahead of a vital week for Arsène Wenger’s side.

    “It is understandable,” said the midfielder. “People pay their money and we have to put in a better performance in order to win games. We want to win trophies so the message is – stick with us, it is a long season.

    “Villa are a tough team but we are not happy with our performance. We have to look at ourselves and pick ourselves up for the [Champions League] qualifier in the week.”

  4. madgunner says:

    Jack i like your passion but it’s not the team that needs to put in a better performance its the management, Starting by appointing a coach.

  5. asiangooner says:

    Hello friends

    I just hope we sign the right players and not a last minute rush sort of signings. Lets wait and see

    Terrible result no doubt about that and pathetic refereeing no question about that as well. We still should have won this, two good saves from guzan and one miss from rosicky. I still believe in this squad but we need reinforcements and want to find the right balance. But all of us have been crying for this for so long. Bender and Lewandoski no matter what the price is and please no williams i dont think he is the answer to our defensive problems

    This was not the way i wanted to start the 2013-14 season but we dont live in the perfect world.

  6. rico says:

    Wenger:

    on transfers…

    We were on the market before the game and we are on the market after the game.

    on who picked up injuries during the game…

    Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gibbs, Sagna. Gibbs has a deep cut. Sagna and Rosicky have problems. Wilshere – I don’t know how he will respond after the full 90 minutes. Ramsey has a problem after a kick at his ankle. On that front, we have done quite well.

    on why money hasn’t been spent…

    I can return your question. Could we have won the game with the players that were on the pitch today? That’s for me the real question. And I say yes. After that, if we do not spend the money, it’s because we do not find the players. I’m not the only one to work on that. We are a team who work on that. We are ready to buy the players if we find that the players are good enough for us. That’s all we can tell you.

    on if he understands the fans…

    Yes, I can understand that. We want our fans to be happy. When you don’t achieve that, you feel absolutely sorry and really disappointed when the fans are not happy. My job is to make the fans happy. We haven’t lost the game because of that. That’s what I just want to convince you of. That we are on the market, everybody knows that we are ready to buy players. Everybody knows. Until we buy players, we have to win football games and it’s not an excuse not to have bought players to have lost the game.

    We want our fans to be happy. When you don’t achieve that, you feel absolutely sorry and really disappointed when the fans are not happy

    on his future…

    We live in a media world and everybody has opinions that are definite and I have to live with that. In 16 years, I’ve shown my loyalty to this Club. My worry is to do well. That’s the only worry.

    As long as I’m here, I want to do well. I’m absolutely hugely disappointed because we’ve come out of a 10-game run in the last season without any defeat and we start the new season with a defeat at home. It’s a massive blow and that’s why the solution is not to sit here and say, ‘Yes we’ll buy and keep you happy’.

    What is important for us is to win football games with the players who are on the pitch and continue with what we did last year at the end of the season. When you have the ambition that we have, it’s difficult to accept that you lose the first game at home.

    on if it’s wrong to call for signings…

    I’m not here to say who is right and who is wrong. I’m here to make people happy who love this Club. When we don’t do it, I feel sorry. I have to look at the solution at the start of the game. We couldn’t go out at five to three and buy six players. When the game starts, you have to win the game. Could we win the game with the players we have? I say yes. That is my answer. After, we are out to buy players. People always say ‘buy players, buy players, buy players’. When you tell them ‘tell me who?’ it becomes much more problematic.

    on why it’s so difficult to buy players for Arsenal…

    We take our work seriously and believe me, we analyse every single player in the world. We work 24 hours a day for that. When we make decisions, we take it seriously. People try to think we do not want to spend. We want [to]. We are ready to buy players.

  7. ozgunner says:

    This summer was a PR disaster for so many reasons. Any PR man worth his salt would have known Arsenal needed a quality early signing. Wenger has turned Arsenal into very much a selling club. If you are quality, you don’t hang around Arsenal. This publicity has done nothing to enhance the clubs reputation. A real class early addition would have done much to set the tone and send out a message. They are all responsible for excuse in front of action, as usual, all of them. Now any target knows he’s not first choice and quality players are not lining up to play for this club, like Wenger would have us believe. He is falling on his own sword. I said we’d end up with panic buys who are not to difficult to get and hail them as our targets of choice all the way along. I would also raise another question, given Wenger’s rather hit and miss success in the market now, do you really trust him to deliver? This man who declares year after year its so difficult to find players better than what he has brought already? Talk about standing in the dark.

  8. stevepalmer1 says:

    Morning All, nice report Rico,
    Yes a bad day at the office, no doubt about that.
    Good start as you said Rico the Ox’s cross for Giroud to score. Szezesney’s mad dash forward taking the player out and not connecting with the ball at all, penalty every day of the week. Any way you look at how the referee came to his decision all points to a penalty. The second penalty when seen from every angle posible, showed that Koshelney did make a connection with Agbonlahor before he got he’s toe to the ball, the referee pointed to the spot. Now would this had been given in any other game played thet day and the answer would be only against United. Football is a contact sport but we know that its not inside the box. You have seen on corners how players put their arms around one another and wrestle them to the ground but the referee never gives a penalty in fact he makes out he never saw it at all. Koshelney i thought was very unlucky that he got booked for that challenge, as well as giving away a penalty but five minutes later when he rushed into a late challenge he should have known better. down to ten men and a goal down. with Gibbs off for stitches Sagna off with concussion and the Ox off after he slid into a defender, we were 3 of our best players down and down a goal. It was inevitable that if we were to come back we had to push forward and that left us wide open at the back. Of all people their left back looked to be their most forward player he collected the ball inside he’s own half and unchallenged ran all the way to slide the ball passed a stranded Szezesney. Unlucky to have decisions against us and unlucky to have 3 injuries. Whether we had brought ten players before this game wouldn’t have made a great deal difference, Kosi sending off had left us a man down so it was always an uphill struggle, We lost but not to the referee. Left with ten men and 3 injured we were onto a losser and that proved to be it.

  9. rico says:

    Asian, Jose is about to give up on Rooney and go and get Lewandowski.

    Why the heck haven’t we already tried for him I wonder… Ok, he may say no, but we won’t know until we try.

    Wenger is kidding no-one but himself suggesting there aren’t players ‘out there’ who are better than who we have.

  10. madgunner says:

    We analyse every single player in the world!? there is not a better CB than Mert out there? Not a better GK than the poles? Not a better RB than Jenks or a better striker than Giraud? No midfilders that would be better than what we have? i understand clubs may not want to sell but money talks bullshit walks and right now all I see is bullshit.

  11. devilgunner says:

    One of the worst experiences I have been through in my life was when I promised my son a treat. He was only three or four years old. Due to certain circumstances I could not keep my promise. The look on his face when I told him that I could not give him what I promised and that he had to wait was something that even 5 to 6 years later I still find it difficult to forget. And I was not to blame since it was external circumstances that prevented me doing so.

    That day I felt sad as much as my son did.

    The present situation at AFC is better. We were promised signings. We were told we had the money. We felt that this summer the club was ready to go a couple of steps forward. The toy box was cleared from the old broken and damaged toys and we expected them to be replaced by better ones. As of now the toy-box is still 3/4 empty, yes THREE FOURTHS empty. Because those who say only two players are needed are deluding themselves. The team needs 5 to 7 players who can inject new life.

    Good Morning bdw.

    Is the rant over?

    NO its not.

  12. rico says:

    Thanks Sp.

    Have to disagree re having different players in the squad.

    It clearly wasn’t working in the middle of the park, we had nothing on the bench to change that and so Jack, who hasn’t played 90 mins in pre-season had to stay on and plug away.

    He had an awful game but then so do most when they are playing in an unfamiliar role.

    All this shunting players around just to fit in when signings would prevent that, is wrong..

    Yesterday could have, and should have been avoided if the signings we were promised, had happened…

  13. rico says:

    Exactly Asian, same excuses, same old ‘we are trying hard in the window’ etc etc – it’s all rather boring and the players and fans are suffering because of it…

  14. Ochieng says:

    The management has had enough time to look for and buy “quality” players. No excuse. Looks like someone is too blind to see the players. Spurs, Chels didnt get their signings from Pluto!

  15. ozgunner says:

    You are right Rico – we had zero options, Wenger has gone whole seasons like this and is till doing it. I for one have no sympathy for him at all.

  16. rico says:

    Morning Devil, totally agree re the numbers we need but you and I know we won’t get them…

    AW couldn’t get one in 7 weeks apart from a freebie, 5,6 or 7 in SIXTEEN days just isn’t going to happen..

    Negligence of the highest order imho

  17. asiangooner says:

    and i think JM will get him Rico. Thats how it is you put in a good offer you show ambition and players like to join and play for you. Look how many have joined scums and they are not even in the CL. Yet still they are signing players and not just players i think good decent players. I know for sure that Bale would be leaving this season but Levy has handled this whole situation perfectly signing before he announces bales departure. On the other hand, IG opened his mouth and announced we have shit loads of money so that everyone is ready to rob us and still no signing to back his claims.

    I dont care whether its AWs fault or IGs or SK & the board, they are all guilty as far as we fans are concerned! period.

  18. rico says:

    Oz – my own view is IG made his comments to put the ball in AW’s court – AW then backed up IG’s comments – why he fails to deliver is something I really don’t understand at all…

    He must thrive on whatever it is going on inside his mind….

  19. madgunner says:

    You know fore sure Bale is leaving Asian? I’m not so sure to be honest. I think they are spending so they will reach the CL in May and guess at who’s cost…..By the way is there anyone looking forward to the game on September 1st?

  20. rico says:

    Welcome Ochieng – Gerv came from Pluto 😉

    You maybe right Asian, if Lewandowski looks at who he’d be playing alongside, he could be very tempted, especially with the wages he’d get.

    Suggestion is he is holding out for a free move to BM next summer…

    We’ll see….

    Re the blame, they all play their part and they are all happy to take a nice sum of money for doing so.

  21. rico says:

    Madgunner, he has to be but AVB is spending the money first so that he doesn’t get ripped off on deals..

    And of course to soften the blow for fans once he goes…

  22. stevepalmer1 says:

    In all honesty Rico, many in the team had a bad day it happens. Santi was awfull jack was also off with the fairies Theo was hiding and Giroud couldnt head a thing. everybody was shocking from keeper to striker. some days its not your day and thats what it was. I agree with wenger in so much as we had a team that should of won, but not playing like that.

  23. George says:

    Morning all….

    On the game yesterday.

    Villa were stronger physically, the ref did not have control of the game and like SP1 rightly points out – it just wasn’t our day.

    We have a side good enough to compete and beat Villa and others , but our squad is thin and I find it all the more mystifying that we canned a lot of deadwood , but loaned out players like Aneke, Miguel… Where they could have done a job with the injuries.

    Yennaris zelalem akpom eisfeld could fit in whilst we buy players.

    But my gripe is this: our U21’s have gone backward since Brady left, and we let players go who are better than the shit we have at youth level now.Lansbury Bartley anyone??

    The Turks will do us at theirs …they are more physical than a junior villa squad.

    Wonder what our back 4 will be without sagna Gibbs

  24. ozgunner says:

    The issue lies as it has for many years Rico – Wenger clearly believes there is no problem – his purchases are the bees knees and until he faces reality and stops living at 31 Excuse Street we are continuing to stand still. Look at all the lip the players give on how much better they are than the facts indicate? Where does that rubbish come from..,.I wonder? You can’t fix a problem until you address and admit you have one, Wenger is useless at doing that because his ego won’t allow him too.

  25. asiangooner says:

    I am quite confident he will leave madgunner but if scums retain him and are making all these signings just to show bale the ambition and making him stay and help them qualify for CL i think its very very ambitious and can only wish we would have shown the same ambition in the last 2-3 years. We would definitely be world beaters now

    But if the scums are doing it to retain bale and qualify for CL they are playing a very risky game and if backfired they will be in deep trouble. But like its said, higher the risk higher the return!

    Rico, I know Lewandoski wants to join BM for free but we never know like you have rightly said yourself 🙂

  26. rico says:

    Sp, Santi and Jack aren’t 100% fit. Walcott and Sagna had been doubts after taking knocks/fitness and Ramsey, well he too suffered injury in the week..

    Makes me wonder just how many of those would have started yesterdays game IF we had a deeper/stronger squad…

  27. rico says:

    George, in the mire, that’s where the defence will be…

    Time to treat the cause and not the symptoms Oz… Hopefully I have got that the right way round 😉

  28. ben says:

    like Fela Anikulapo Kuti used to sing.is sorrows,tears and blood.it is a barrage of pain and sorrows over here in Africa.dear Arsenal which forward.the way forward is wenger’s scape.shall the fan hav their wish.

  29. stevepalmer1 says:

    Rico, Without a doubt had we had brought prior to now we would have been in better position, why he hasn’t i dont know. Personally if you have left it this long i wonder what his thoughts are. is he staying has he decided he’s off. There are players available we know that, and many of them can play better than that lot yesterday. A season is not only one game but if he doesn’t buy soon, after the CL game we may not be able to field a team.

  30. Judge me in May says:

    Morning,
    Wenger is talking bollox,
    there is no excuse not to strengthen the squad before the season started, none whatsoever..
    We didn’t loose because of referee decisions, we lost because of Agbonlahore..
    He had an easy ride running through our midfield, everyone knows we needed to strengthen in the defensive midfield department even when Arteta is fit..
    All of our midfielders played yesterday are naturally weak in the defensive department..
    Square pegs in round holes all over again..
    For our next premier league game we only have mertasacker available from our regular back four starters..
    He might get injured comes Wednesday..
    Negligence of the highest order from wenger and the board..
    Even when things started to go wrong, wenger didn’t do the right tactics or substitutions..
    Mind you he didn’t have many options on the bench..

  31. devilgunner says:

    I am sorry mates, but this squad will not manage to arrive top 7.

    No not even if we add just two players. Not even if they are named Cesc and Shrek.

    We need a better keeper. Dont faffle about with Chezzer and Flappy. For the PRESENT I mean. Yes keep Flappy as backup, get a keeper and loan out Chezzer so that he will do mistakes at someone else’s expense.

    The centreback situation is a joke. We have Merts, Kozzer and TommyV. Just three effing CB. Sagna a CB? Ok he may be right but please stop putting square pegs in round holes. Is there no one better than them? you can bet your life there are. Because there will always be someone who is better then you think.

    The fullbacks? Just Sagna, Jenks, Gibbs and Monreal. Anyone better than them? Surely not again. Of course there is someone who is better. At the moment Monreal is injured. Gibbs is knocked out and Sagna had an awkward fall.

    If you play with a 4-2-3-1 formation, with two DM that means you must have at least three. Yes we have Arteta and Aaron. But the crux of the matter is that by trade they are not DM. Frimpong is the 3rd but it seems that AW has no faith in him. Hopefully Frimpong will do a Flamoney and get in the team and stay in. And make it BLOODY HARD for AW to drop him.

    In the creative department we are ok. Cazorla, Rosicky Theo, Podolski and if we consider them Aaron and Arteta have a good level up their sleeve to supply the ammunition. But cant someone better them. You can bet your life and your wife and your knife that there is surely someone who can give us different options and improve.

    Finally up front. Giroud is improving all the time, but even if AW went and got Drogba (at 35 years) he would have improved us spontaneously. At 1-1 Drogba could have come on and won the game for us singlehandedly.

  32. rico says:

    That’s my worry Sp, we fought all season to get that golden 4th place spot, but with who we have now, we will really struggle to get into the competition proper…

    We could be left hoping Fenerbache get thrown out on the 29th Aug..

  33. ozgunner says:

    Love to be part of Usmanov’s team right now, there is mayhem to be add and god knows a promise of a brighter future with some names we can identify with on his payroll….

  34. devilgunner says:

    Would Luiz Gustavo have improved us?

    Yesterday Villa played practically through the middle of the park. There was a big gaping hole. Where a DM SHOULD HAVE BEEN. Aaron is a box to box bordering on the AM type. Jack is a very good player but he needs to learn to pass the ball not run with it in the wrong place. That leaves Arteta. Now his positioning and tactical awareness is one of the best. He commits tactical fouls to allow the team to regroup. But Gustavo, whether you agree or not would have given us what we have lacked since Gilberto was forced out.

    Ahhhh there is always Flamoney. Maybe even he can improve us.

  35. rico says:

    Devil, just read LG, apparently Gustavo played really really well yesterday….

    Oz, we struggle against ‘ordinary’. Why, because right now that’s exactly where we are and it’s not the players fault imho.

    You can give your all or as much as you feel you can, but when there are gaping holes all over the pitch, even the best would get fed up and disillusioned….

  36. devilgunner says:

    And player staff is only the tip.

    What about tactics? What about tactics practice? Yes tactics are fekking boring and whenever I trained the squad on shape and tactics everyone was pissed off. Especially when we practice shadow tactics where one team has the ball and the rest simply try to cut the options to bare minimum. But they are necessary.

    And tactical substitution are an EFFING JOKE OF THE HIGHEST ORDER. The last tactical substitution AW did was when he bought AA for the OX and even RVP asked why because he could see that we would have lost the game from that side. And we eventually did that.

    When was the last indirect freekick we scored from? No not the direct ones but those where you try to out fox the opposition into opening up by running off the ball and we score from it.

    Do we practice running off the ball?

    Bet your arse and dick that we do not.

    Dont give me crap that these are professional footballers. ALL OF US NEED SOMEONE WHO CAN GIVE US A DIFFERENT OPTION. And AW’s job is to do THAT.

    Does AW and do the board know this? Bet all the hairs on your body that they do………but they are too fucking busy putting money earned from the fans into their pockets to try and do something about it.

  37. devilgunner says:

    yesterday I felt sorry for TR07. He tried to win the game singlehandedly and was all over the pitch. But in the end even his head dropped slightly………when he should have kept it high.

  38. rico says:

    Me too Devil, that’s what experiences brings, I love TR, just wish he was 6/7 years younger…

    We cannot be relying on him for a whole season, no more than we can Arteta…

  39. coadsisi says:

    The senile, incompetent, egotistical, self-righteous, out of control, lunatic manager and the inept board are leading me to ignore our club. I stayed away last year Rico, was hoping that things would change, thought it could not get any worse but guess what,,,,things did change, but for the worse.
    Anyone he signs now will most likely not be top quality (which he goes on and on about), the same tight fisted approach is gonna lead to the trolly dash, which means brining in doss again (like park is still not at the club to remind him of this) or overpaying for average players (all of a sudden Michu valued at £25 million, and rightly so) and because we fans are idiot we are supposed to believe that those dross are super quality. I still cannot believe he talks about only if they are super quality. What he really means is unless they will not question his judgment / decision in any way. The worse thing to give a control freak is total control and that is what afc has done.
    The man has lost it. How can he compare us to Chelsea and Man U in terms of other clubs not spending. Man U, the team that just won the league and trying to spend? Chelsea who bought 2 and got one returning from loan. I sit there and wonder is there no one to point out to this idiot that we just scrape 4th place and the squad is paper thin. But no this just another example of him taking us for idiots.
    Which ambitious club sells there top players at the end of the window? The idiots actually think because AFC does others will do the same. You have to ask yourself which top quality player would come to this mess of a club right now?
    It does not matter who the board decides to bring in without is approval, his ego would bench them just to prove a point. His ego would play them out of position just to prove a point (we have seen this with Arshavin). It is his way or not at all. The man has become a monster. He will not admit to failing so he allows the fan base to suffer and blame everyone for everything but himself.
    He believes in his ideologies and damn any and everyone who does not agree or buy into it.
    At this point in time I wish that he exit out beloved club by any means necessary, I really do. In fact I don’t mind if he does not spend anymore because at this point in time he will waste the money. I would rather him go and leave it for another manager who can get the job done.

  40. devilgunner says:

    if you only saw the two chances mate, then that is barely 1/10th of the story. TR07 was practically playing DM, AM all the time making himself available and keeping the game ticking. In the end his legs gave way.

    Will he be available for next Wednesday? I just hope so.

  41. Judge me in May says:

    Ditto Rico, Oz, and devil..

    Offering that extra pound on top of the 40 millions for suariz is taking the piss imo..
    Amateurish behaviour from so called professional business experts..
    The whole suariz saga is a stupid PR stunt that has so far backfired..
    Wenger has been retreating from closing down deals because he wouldn’t go the extra 2or 3millons…that worked well!!!

  42. ozgunner says:

    we do need to be realistic – what world class player with options would pick Arsenal. I mean seriously. Whats the attraction, World Class players = gone. Trophy days = gone. Those big days in finals = gone. Serious League challenges = gone. Why would you? Answer = They won’t and those are the facts. Would Law and Gaz convince you? Thought not

  43. Coadsi says:

    The senile, incompetent, egotistical, self-righteous, out of control, lunatic manager and the inept board are leading me to ignore our club. I stayed away last year Rico, was hoping that things would change, thought it could not get any worse but guess what,,,,things did change, but for the worse.
    Anyone he signs now will most likely not be top quality (which he goes on and on about), the same tight fisted approach is gonna lead to the trolly dash, which means brining in doss again (like park is still not at the club to remind him of this) or overpaying for average players (all of a sudden Michu valued at £25 million, and rightly so) and because we fans are idiot we are supposed to believe that those dross are super quality. I still cannot believe he talks about only if they are super quality. What he really means is unless they will not question his judgment / decision in any way. The worse thing to give a control freak is total control and that is what afc has done.
    The man has lost it. How can he compare us to Chelsea and Man U in terms of other clubs not spending. Man U, the team that just won the league and trying to spend? Chelsea who bought 2 and got one returning from loan. I sit there and wonder is there no one to point out to this idiot that we just scrape 4th place and the squad is paper thin. But no this just another example of him taking us for idiots.
    He keeps talking about keep squad together and the fantastic end of season run as if to say the other teams would not have strengthened and therefore what happened at the end of last season is of relevance now. But no we are idiots.
    Which ambitious club sells there top players at the end of the window? The idiots actually think because AFC does others will do the same. You have to ask yourself which top quality player would come to this mess of a club right now?
    It does not matter who the board decides to bring in without is approval, his ego would bench them just to prove a point. His ego would play them out of position just to prove a point (we have seen this with arshavin). It is his way or not at all. The man has become a monster. He will not admit to failing so he allows the fan base to suffer and blame everyone for everything but himself.
    He believes in his ideologies and damn any and everyone who does not agree or buy into it.
    At this point in time I wish that he exit out beloved club by any means necessary, I really do. In fact I don’t mind if he does not spend anymore because at this point in time he will waste the money. I would rather him go and leave it for another manager who can get the job done.

  44. devilgunner says:

    The Suarez situation is exactly that JMIM. TAKING THE FUCKING PISS.

    Why concentrate on one player?

    Why not push the boat a bit for Bender?

    Why not Eriksen?

    Why not try and force Moyes hand?

    Why not go for Benteke when he should have done so?

    Why not bite the bullet and go and get Lassana Diarra?

    Why not offer Drogba a 1 and a half year contract or 2 year one knowing fully well that his body is more stable and strong than Diaby was, is and ever will be?

    Would we have been angry if Drogba was signed at 25? No, because I feel that Drogba would have helped us overcome that barrier. Drogba would have come on in the 2nd half of games and win them for us. He would have rotated with Giroud. And would have relished leading our young ones.

  45. rico says:

    It seemed funny at the time Judge but all it did was cheese off Liverpool and it’s backfired hugely..

    If AW wants Suarez, go offer £50 million, or better still, go and actually sign someone else of a similar quality.

    Rooney is still available and Moyes might just sell to us as we offer little treat to his side, unlike Chelsea.

  46. rico says:

    Oz, we only need one big player to come in and others would sit up and look – we don’t have a bad squad, in fact it’s very good.

    But it’s shallow, it lacks a bit of grit and substance. 2/3 top class players and at least 2/3 squad players would really take us up to another level..

    But has Wenger got the balls? No, I doubt it…

  47. ozgunner says:

    what strikes me about this site is the understanding so obviously missing from the brains trust. Maybe because we know our club so much better than the USA idiots could ever know us. Wenger has lost it, so the board has lost it, simple really. Some very good alternative buys brought up and maybe they would not all be world beaters but Wenger hit and miss transfers are no better that’s for sure. Totally agree with the Suarez statement Rico, made us look like right chumps. The guy so desperately wanted out, there is only one buyer and we still can’t get it done… dear oh dear

  48. rico says:

    Hi Coadsi,

    You are pretty cheesed off then, join the club. I have lost any little confidence I had in the manager, and that wasn’t a lot in any case…

    It’s sad to watch a man undo all he once did that was so so good for the club, players and fans.

    Football has moved on but it all so often appears that AW is stuck in the past and won’t budge.

  49. GunnerDNA says:

    Coadst, players will come if the wage is right. AW thought this side could do a job based on the last 10 games of last season, that why he promote the logo British Core. He clearly see the team that start yesterday minus Arteta as his best 11 and will just buy squad players.

  50. ozgunner says:

    I ask again though Rico – you are a class act, you have top table offers, would you sign for this lot? Would you?

  51. ozgunner says:

    you can’t expect all the negative publicity surrounding the walk out of so many top players not to take it’s toll – Wenger is falling on his own sword IMO

  52. rico says:

    I stand by my view that they all to blame, it’s weak from the top with Kroenke, through the board and finally with the manager.

    Someone on here the other questioned whether or not the manager actually gets the money we hear of to spend. I believe he does and has a lot more than £70 million to spend in this window.

    IG has put himself on the line by his comments, if he’s been lying, why doesn’t AW do the right thing and tell the fans the truth?

    He doesn’t need the money, he probably doesn’t enjoy all the bad press and jeers from the stands.

    My belief is he has whatever money he wants to spend, just for some stubborn reason he won’t spend it.

  53. rico says:

    If your view is right Gdna, that alone is reason for him to walk away and someone else with more passion and ambition to be given a chance…

    Good question Oz, if I’d just seen us sign Rooney or Suarez, then yes, as it stands maybe yes too because we have some very good players and a fantastic stadium etc etc..

    If I wanted to put football above wages, yes because a side can be built around a great player/s whereas going to a club where many top players already are, the bench could be looming any day…

    Top players want to play each week, not sit on the bench which is why Rooney wants out of Manure…

  54. Coadsi says:

    so gunnerDNA u think arsenal gonna splash the cash and pay top players what they request. no he will not therefore he will only get second rate players and try to pass them off as top quality. On Thursday he talked about 11 internationals will start on Saturday. really Ah-sen. I fail to believe that there are still persons out there who fail to see what this deluded idiot is trying.
    like I said before and has rico said he is still living in the past. the job done last season was based on playing against teams of last season. everyone has strengthened so the talk of living in the results of last season is just plain silly. again the senile deluded one believes he had a core group of players and just needs to add squad players. well Ah-sen it is the other way around, what u have are squad players you actually need to buy first team players.
    thinking about it you might be right gunnerDNA, when the liar says he is looking for super quality he might actually mean squad players hence is failure to find any

  55. Breezy says:

    Hi all, i went from optimism to hopeless in the space of 2 hrs and now we have Fene on Wed, when it rains it pours doesn’t it.

    Have to agree with Rico, the transfer market shambles and teh display yesterday lays at Wenger’s door, not the board and certainly not Gazidis, in fact I actually feel IG sorry for the flack he gets.

    The way I see it is that Wenger is in charge of all footballing aspects at the club and IG pretty much has to be done what he is told in that respect and has no say. The one area that IG has complete control is the commercial deals, and it s no coincidence that he and his team have done tremendously well in that area raising revenue considerably on the back of 7 trophy less seasons.

    In short the footballing side of Arsenal is failing and not just the first team our second stringers got thumped by Luton and Colchester recently, that is Wenger’s domain and he has to shoulder blame. The business or commercial side of Arsenal is thriving meaning IG and his team are doing their job.

  56. George says:

    I expect a similar situation to last season.

    As I said before , wenger won’t sign no one.

    We will still sell a star player( no not gerv), every season and wake up as a side to scrape 4th every year.

    My money is on LP09 and BS being sold.

    LK and TV will be gone next season along with jack and cazorla

    We need the ruskie to buskie us out of this mess. The Americans have deep pockets short hands

  57. Coadsi says:

    Rico I believe rooney wants out because of his ego. he wanted to leave before claiming Man u had no ambition. they brought in quality in RVP, he lost his position and now wants out. he wants out but only to a team that can provide trophies and that’s not us. wenger could not handle his character.

  58. ozgunner says:

    you haven’t left much wriggle room for Arsene have you Rico – seems there is no excuse currently for no world class players joining then? I see it differently, must be honest. If I was world class Arsenal wouldn’t be near the top of my list currently

  59. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Afternoon all!
    The final scored yesterday could be other but there are many mistakes in this phase of the season. Our squad is very short.
    We can be out of the Champions League and out of the League in august, It’s difficult to understand AW politic and management.
    Now the players are most more expensive, same of them were playing by their own teams in UEFA matches and thee aren’t may “free” players”. Besides, now is a urgent answer to a defeat project and mostly of our players aren’t fit for playing yesterday. How many of them were playing by their national teams?
    that it’s the result of the politic of AW. We don’t need only very good players. AA, Podorlky,Gervinho,Bendtner, etc are all of them international players, good players, but lost theirs capacities and qualities among others with high ego. We have many expensive stars. We need “worker” players, able to work to the team and with capacity of improve the quality of the stars. Not international players, ready and fit each weekend for balance the team in strong and motivation.
    Our tactic in the field is awful. We are very expose in back. We need a DM faster, strong and able to kill the the aoppositer attacks. Expose the central backs like yesterday, specially Mets, it’s a complete suicide.

  60. GunnerDNA says:

    Coadsi if AW didn’t thought he already have his first eleven, there is no way he would have saying bs like, we can’t find the right players who are better than what we got, when i can name 10 teams in the PL with better MF than afc. Project Youth fail, now its The British Core.

  61. Scott from Oz says:

    Can i ask why it is i jump on and read comments from 3-4 people either asking where the happy clappers are, wondering why people still defend the man, questioning whether people wanting only a few signings are deluded etc, etc, etc.
    Why the hell do you guys want to attack other Gooners??
    What right have you got?
    If you are pissed off Wenger, the board, Stan or all of the above, then direct your smart arse comments at them!
    This is petty at best.
    Goodnight.
    I hope to come back tomorrow and see respectful posts.
    Rant over??
    For now!

  62. ozgunner says:

    Hey Scotty, not sure anyone is firing off at others are they? There are a lot of questions being asked though. Some of which you seem to wholeheartedly agree with

  63. allezkev says:

    Apathy, complacency, a blind faith in the manager despite repetitive mistakes, a gradual lowering of expectations from the fan base…

    That is what led to yesterday’s humiliation…

    The answer could be unpalatable to many.

    But I fear the we are seeing the beginning of the end…

    And that changes to the management structure next summer, could be the only answer…

    Rico, forget the Fiver, I don’t want it…

    Over and Out….

  64. Ibrahim Abdulrazak Mohammed Albutaihi says:

    It is now very risky. The danger of not qualifying to the champions league is becoming real. This will bring us in a negative spiral ….. just look at Liverpool.
    AW will strength the squad for sure. He just to want to get the players for the lowest possible price through waiting till the end of the transfer window. I hope that this policy will not backfire on him this time, fingers crossed.

  65. allezkev says:

    GDNA, can you explain where the so-called British Core ‘failed’…

    The only failure was the summers transfer policy…

    The goalkeeper fucked up. Is he British?

    Koscielny got himself sent-off. Is he British?

    Gibbs went of with a lacerated forehead. Did that happen because he is British?

  66. C Hills says:

    Good afternoon rico and all.

    Excellently put, rico. The moment Gibbs left the pitch it all went downhill. Sagna is not a leftback. Even with my akb glasses, I know there is something called supervisory failure.

  67. emma says:

    If Sagna fails to recover I see hayden pairing with Mert next week vs Fulham. What a joke of a club. Money in the bank don’t win trophies

    Anyone have an idea if kos and cazorla are suspended v Fenerbache after picking up yellows in our CL match v Bayern last season. Does it carry over to the following season?

  68. GunnerDNA says:

    Kev i didn’t say british core failed. All i was trying to imply is that project youth failed so his new project is the British Core, i just didnt explain it properly. I don’t care where players are from, i wasn’t trying to attack the British players because JW is my favorite player on the team.

  69. rico says:

    Blimey, only went to walk the woofa..

    This is what the club has done to us fans….

    Well, Wenger!

    Sorry I missed you Kev… 🙁

  70. rico says:

    Scott, what you will see is posts from fans about how they feel. Anyone breaching the HH rules is for me/Wath to deal with so please leave it that way.

    If you don’t like a comment, unless it’s directed at you, please ignore and move on.

  71. George says:

    Hi Emma,

    Doubt we’ll see sagna or gibbs midweek.

    Le Prof will most prob line up mert, and Jenks centr halves. With Yennaris out of position at LB and Ramsey or Frimpong out of positin at RB.

    Makes you wonder why he let Miguel leave on loan hey? Has Hayden featyured? Interested how Laudrup snapped up Jernade Meade…

  72. George says:

    Rico, joined the FF …my team is “Arsenalitis”

    Couldnt bring myself to add a spurs player…heart over head lol

  73. ozgunner says:

    We also have to face another possibility, that is the cloak that Wenger hides behind and relies on so heavily being ECL qualification is under pressure to be removed. Another poor showing from EPL clubs this year and we may very well be down to three clubs – then what? Good thing or bad?

  74. rico says:

    George, no Ox either…

    🙂 re the FF and fab that you have joined, the list is growing.. The winner gets to replace Wenger…

    Well they should do, after all he’s got £100 million to spend… 😉

  75. rico says:

    Good Oz, might make them shape up a bit, the thought of losing the CL money would give AW and Kroenke nose bleeds…

  76. George says:

    Rico, our injury list is a bit of a joke at the mo…

    Ox, Diaby (forever) Sagna, Gibbs, Monreal, TV5, Arteta, rosicky, Ramsey.

    Then you have unfit donkeys like Bendtner…

    Kids loaned out, and the ones left inexperienced.

    Kids ready who dont get a look in…

    Our best Centre half out suspended…

    And 2 calamity keepers…

    I don’t know who Im more upset with Wenger or our medical and fitness team. in a 50/50 challenge our players are made of glass.

    when your best player is 32 yr old Tomas Rosicky, we can’t expect much..

    GDNA, We should have signed Capoue…

  77. Gunnerdna says:

    The look ok but nothing special oz, they aren’t better than, but Capoue would b good to allow jack and Ramsey to run around. Only if the Americans knew what the difference between football and soccer in England.

  78. Micko says:

    Scott, you’ve been asking the question all summer ‘why all the negativity on here’….yesterday went a long way to answering that question, some of us saw it coming from a mile off, don’t think anyone’s having a dig at you.
    GunnerDNA, ‘either fcuking shape up or get out’, you need to brush up on your cockney mate !

  79. rico says:

    George – It’s a disaster, one most could see happening, the only one who doesn’t think ahead is the man who is supposed to make sure we are fully equipped to cope with the season ahead..

    He’s failed big time…

  80. rico says:

    BigS, yes, and I read fans were fighting with each other in the stands..

    It’s a mess and I can’t see it changing right now…

  81. emma says:

    George – We are a club in shambles. We should have gone in there strengthen those positions but instead we are waiting for top top top top top quality

    Seeing capoue on the scum shirts is just so unreal 🙁

  82. emma says:

    Look at the way Capoue kept it simple in the DM position. It’s no film trick that with Arteta in the team we have 64% win rate. Imagine a mobile, quick and intelligent DM in the team that win rate will definitely shoot higher than that

    AVB is a clever man. 5mins after Sp*rs scored he brought in Capoue to shore the central area and reduce Palace threat. If we are expecting an almighty collapse during season run in, this time we wont get it. The sooner we put our house in order the better. He has spent the bale’s money wisely but our RVP, Fabregas, Nasri, Song etc money is still in the vault yielding interest.

  83. rico says:

    My question is why on earth are we even thinking about needing to try Frimpong there?

    Yesterday, yes – but he’s barely back training, I’m not even sure he was fit enough to be on the bench. When did he last even play competitive football?

  84. emma says:

    rico – Something has to give in. I want to see Kroenke gone. Then if Wenger refuses to change his policy he should go as well. We all know that the market is inflated. Blaming Psg and monaco for not signing players or using manure/chavs as a yardstick that they’ve not bought players is just plain stupid. What is the essence of being in the champions league when we can’t make this squad competitive. We all expected that at least 2 players should have being bought by now to give the squad a lift.

    Sczesny, Mert etc are all jokes. Why not get in Begovic and we are rest assured the keeper situation is resolved. He is just 26 and got 12+ years still in him. Manure spent £20m to get De Gea that’s ambition. If Sczesny feels he wont be no 2 transfer list him
    We need a mobile CB, most importantly a DM and a striker. Wilshere shouldn’t come close to the double pivot. He should be fighting AM position with Rosicky. We’ve allowed Gerv to go so we definitely need a winger not throwing in Gnabry. He still has a lot to learn and we shouldn’t put him under pressure and deflate the little confidence he has. We allowed Coq/Djourou/Miguel to go on loan, we should have brought in replacements before doing that

    What happened to Dormund. They lost Goetz but brought in like for like replacements Mirkiraya and Aubayamg. Increase Lewandowski’s wages just to keep him for the season and make him happy before he eventually leaves next season.

    Just so unreal what’s happening in the club. Pure mismanagement again in this transfer window. 2 weeks to go and we are still scratching our head looking for top top top top top quality. We are not in a strong position in the market again other than to pay the asking price otherwise we will be left getting more dross again after getting a rid of plenty this summer.

  85. emma says:

    Look at that Chavs squad. Look at the players on the pitch then the bench. Then look at those that were not listed in today’s match. That is what we call a championship winning team

  86. rico says:

    But that means giving him a new contract emma, something which right now I would hate to see happen.

    I honestly believe that Usmanov will own us one day and for me, that day can’t come soon enough and maybe under AU he’d change. Not that I think he’d have a choice, it would be shape up or ship out…

    You won’t catch me disagreeing with those who we need, Begovic was outstanding yesterday, I’d love us to sign him. If the two Poles get the huff and go, so what, go get the Reading reserve keeper too…

    Re Dortmund, maybe that’s why fans who want Wenger out, want Klopp in…

  87. allezkev says:

    Hi Rico, not really in the mood to blog tbh…

    Totally pissed off by all things Arsenal…

    Lars Bender, really???

    Does anybody on this planet believe any of that shite anymore?

    Offski

  88. rico says:

    I totally understand Kev…

    If it wasn’t for keeping HH going, I wouldn’t bother, in fact I often wonder why I do…

    No, I don’t believe all transfer s***e either…

    Go steady….

  89. devilgunner says:

    Ahhh.

    Kev is back. 🙂

    Cheers habib. good to see you back. missed your comments.

    At least you were spared seeing Flamoney back at the EMS.

  90. rico says:

    I stayed up until 3am this morning watching the Solheim Cup, Europe was fantastic. Another late one today 😉

  91. devilgunner says:

    While BM have gone up a couple of notches, Borussia seem to have gone backward. They are not yet the same force they were last season I think.

  92. devilgunner says:

    tbh I like them both Rico. Lars can play RB, RM, DM and AM, while Sven can play as a DM and AM.

    At the moment with AW even the best players seem to become average.

  93. devilgunner says:

    yes they did. and the ones that have replaced them are not on the same level yet. And they do need to bed in.

    I think it would take a very brave man to bet against BM winning the Bundesliga title.

  94. rico says:

    As would any we sign now, unless they are from the PL..

    Fellaini, Begovic, Williams and Ince would change us in a flash.

    Add Rooney and another squad player and we’d be up there…

  95. devilgunner says:

    As Kev said……..we will not sign any Rico. Now its not that they will not come to us. Its that the clubs know we have money, we need the players ASAP and if we stay as we are we are planted firmly in shit creek. So a 10 million player will become 15 million. Fellaini will go up to 30. Begovic will be 15. Williams 12. Ince 10. Shrek will go to 40.

    Can you imagine AW and IG splashing???

    yes I do………in the loo with diarrhoea.

  96. rico says:

    I don’t blame IG one bit Devil, it’s his sidekick I hold responsible, and the useless lump who owns the majority of shares who sits back and allows him to carry on the way he does…

  97. GunnerDNA says:

    Rico, the 1st 3 players u mentioned at 5:08pm would take us to another level, we would be just waiting on the Suarez or Rooney type player now and we would be in a better position. Its a disgrace a female can name players who can improve afc while the boss is finding it hard. Rico do u get paid 6.5 mil a year? lol

  98. devilgunner says:

    Rico finds it easier because she has no hidden agendas. I feel, and I have always said so, that politics are the reason why the ongoings on the pitch. Get the boardroom-manager politics right and we would thrash everyone in sight.

    Yes AW DOES know who will improve our squad but what is being seen on the pitch is simply the ripple effect of what is happening behind the scenes.

    Is the manager delusional. Yes he is and no he is not. Yes because he says that this squad can win even without reinforcements. No because he is working with what he is allowed to work.

    Then again if he is working against the present board, then the latter are a ball-less lot. No one has the balls to tell him to toe the line or fuck off. Too much power has been given.

    Or else AW knows many things and the board are afraid to sack him because they are afraid he might spill the beans.

  99. rico says:

    I agree to a degree Devil, but I query the part about does AW know who will improve us.

    £8.6 million would have got us a DM who would have made a huge difference. Funny enough, he showed that for the neigbours today..

  100. Lee says:

    Deluded happy clappers?If the cap fits…. It’s not Arsene’s fault…..yes it fucking is! Wake up and smell the coffee, the bloke should be fired for gross negligence! Not strengthening the squad again is just beyond belief!

  101. Lee says:

    I really thought this was going to be the transfer window when we bought some proper players….suppose that makes me a deluded happy clapper too!! Fuck off Krankie please piss off out of Arsenal.

  102. devilgunner says:

    Lee………it is both AW’s fault and it is not.

    It is not his fault because I believe it is boardroom politics which is having a ripple effect on the team. And it is his fault because he knows and is not saying anything/doing anything about it.

  103. devilgunner says:

    Will this lot improve our team……….

    GK…….Cesar, Mignolet, Begovic
    Defenders…Richards, Bender L, Sakho, Howedes, Uchida,
    DM…….Capoue, Bender S, Gustavo. Inler (yes even Barry),
    AM…….Honda, Willian, Gundogan, Draxler.
    CF…….Kruse, Rooney, Soldado, Drogba, Huntelaar, Torres, Negredo,

    And that is only a few.

    Each and every one of them would have improved on what we have.

    The first one who will say that what we have are enough will get a whack with my legendary saucepan.

  104. Micko says:

    rico 4.29, we might as well write off August, AFC have, close the blog down for a couple of weeks and re-open September 2nd.

  105. Lee says:

    I disagree Coach about the boardroom politics effect….Wenger has failed big time to address the weaknesses of this squad! That’s his major failing, he could definitely added a quality player by now. The lift that would of given to the team/fans would of been a great help BUT le stubborn one has to do it his way!! Cue Flamoney’s signing plus Diaby re-incarnated……

  106. frednerk says:

    Evening rico & all,
    The ref was crap…but
    Wenger has had 3 seasons to get a holding mid,
    he says he has made bids,
    and adds that its a three way process,
    villas 1st goal shows the gapping hole in midfield,
    so he knows..IG says the money is available,
    so whos fault is it.
    are we haggling over the value of the player,

    It dos’nt seem that long ago..wenger would get on a jet,
    and do the deal..if he wanted a player.

    The fans have a right to know from wenger,
    who the fu-k is responsible for the shambles of a squad we have been left with.
    If wengers not happy,why not walk away,
    he keeps bragging about all the top jobs,
    he has turned down.
    So why is it then.

  107. devilgunner says:

    I agree and disagree Lee. Yes AW has failed big time to address the weaknesses but this is partly influenced by boardroom politics. His failing and big time is that he does not walk and talk about it.

    And yes he is also stubborn. The board are being intransigent about certain things and he is reacting by forcing his vision or lack of down their throat.

  108. devilgunner says:

    Frednerk…..If wengers not happy,why not walk away,
    he keeps bragging about all the top jobs,
    he has turned down.

    You said it mate……………

    …………he is Bendtner’s secret Dad.

    Both keep bragging about top jobs and both are too cushy in their wage packet to go elsewhere.

  109. frednerk says:

    Surely dg its wenger who is to blame.
    we know he won’t be sacked,
    wenger says he wants to make the fans happy,
    from what I’ve been hearing over the last couple of seasons,
    including saturdays game arsenal fans are fighting among them selfs.
    Me and my mates and my brothers,sons and nephews have all fell out over wenger.
    For my part…yer Humble Pie.

  110. rico says:

    🙂 Lee, thanks..

    As for the off field stuff, no matter what is going on, it should not be allowed to interfere with the most important thing about our club.

    And that’s the squad and our performances…

  111. devilgunner says:

    5 things we learnt from yesterday’s game……

    1) The spuddies have started the season above us. Whether they will remain there only AW and the spuddies themselves can determine that.

    2) TR07 will be the next star player sold. Those around him are so crap that he will be shining more than ever, and coupling this with the fact that he played a stormer yesterday will make it hard for AW to hold on to his new found star.

    3) Benteke should have been playing for a red shirted team.

    4) Why do we keep on harping about DM? We should dig a hole to complement the one we already have. Opposition players will fall in the hole thereby injuring themselves.

    5) The Emirates will soon rival Highbury for silence. if the present trend continues AW will be heard shouting instructions to his players without the need for an amplifier seeing that there will be echoes due to no one being at the stadium.

  112. devilgunner says:

    It will Lee.

    I have experienced that at one of my former clubs. Whether you want it or not it will have an effect.

    Depends on who AW sides with.

  113. devilgunner says:

    But for SK to side with AW it has got to be two way. AW sides and shares the same vision with SK.

  114. rico says:

    But he shouldn’t, if he knew about football, maybe he wouldn’t…

    I’m done with the pair, unless by magic we sign 5 players who will really make a difference and in the next few days…

    Even then I can’t forgive AW for not getting them in much earlier….

    Because that would prove there has always been money, not that most need convincing…

  115. devilgunner says:

    AW is so stubborn that if he wants to remain with the squad he has to prove a point he will not buy. If he wants to spite the supporters so that they will not say ………..there has always been money….he will refrain from buying.

    See the above list, my 7.24pm post………can he honestly say that one, two or even three of that list would not have improved our team???

  116. George says:

    Rico, supermarket sweep by 2nd sept.? doubt it.

    We should change our formation. Since we don’t have any defenders left, play Chez as a defender, with Flappers in goal

    We have 16 players fully fit imo

  117. rico says:

    I’m off to watch Europe try and win the Solheim Cup, just 4 points needed…

    Night all, catch up tomorrow….

  118. devilgunner says:

    We need bodies Rico. We need at least 7 bodies two of which must be top players.

    We need more than 5. 5 is the minimum.

    BDW………Casillas is again on the bench. Lopez is playing for RM.

  119. Scott from Oz says:

    Guys, i never took any comments as being directed at me personally.
    Nobody has ever suggested our squad is good enough, or has nearly enough depth.
    One loss and people are oeen jump on the “i told ya so” bandwagon”.
    That is the problem.
    While we fight with each other, there will nver be a united front to try to force change.
    Stan MUST go, but how does that take place?
    What must happen to force him out?
    Instead of poitnting the finger at each other, that should be every fans common objective.
    We all talk about what should happen, but seldom do we discuss how it can be achieved.
    Until everyone gets together, the rot will continue.

  120. Andrew says:

    …We need players of quality and we need them now… Things just don’t get any easier with the fact we haven’t qualified for champions league yet….. What a sad demise 🙁

  121. Scott from Oz says:

    Agreed Andrew.
    What is our wonderful owner doing about it??
    Counting his cash, that’s what.
    He doesn’t give a crap.

  122. potter says:

    If you want Stan to go you will have to take the fight to America . There is a columnist on the Denver post who has been critical of Kroenke in the past. He did an article recently showing how the rapids have become relatively succesful by selling off their dead weight and investing in youth.

    Sound familiar ?

  123. potter says:

    Bombard the Denver Post with criticism , but keep it civil, Stan won’t like it on his own doorstep. Over here he can ignore it but over there it’s under his nose.

    Kroenke out !

  124. Scott from Oz says:

    Potter, i was thinking the same thing earlier.
    We need to try and embarrass the bastard in his own backyard…somehow.
    Who let him in again?
    Those bastards ought to be banned from ever even mentioning the name Arsenal again.

  125. potter says:

    Some time ago Gazidis said that Wenger would only go when the support turned against him. Has this been the master plan all along.

  126. AtomicGeneral says:

    I’m afraid we’re going to have to eat it this year: Wenger should leave. The q is when? Jan break?
    Maybe not qualifying for CL will finally force this ugly situation to the point where Arsenal can start anew and start healing.
    Gazidis and board need to start planning ahead.
    The disadvantage of him staying now clearly outweighs the advantages now.
    He was a good coach & I loved his playing philosophy but he was always a terrible buyer (and someone else should have been doing the buying any way).

    He says it depends on what players can produce on the field.
    But its his job to get better players on the field in the first case!

    I think we do have some quite good players and quite good potential, but so do others and they are getting stronger!

    Yes, we could have won the game yesterday but you don’t want to plan on just squeaking through each time do you? You want to do everything you can go get as huge of an advantage as you can so in the end, a refereeing decision here and there won’t kill you.

  127. Scott from Oz says:

    Potter, if that is the plan then Stan and Ivan should be shot.
    I believe that Wenger has been their scapegoat all along….i will believe that until proven otherwise.
    If his reputation is being tarnished to aid their self serving purposes, then i hope they never come across a Gooner in the street.
    Actually, i hope they do.

  128. Scott from Oz says:

    I should add….Wenger has added to his own criticism from fans by telling us we will spend, we have a strong squad etc, etc, etc.

  129. Wavy says:

    How much is the Asda man taking out of the club, I wonder?
    How much do the Glazers take out of Manure, I wonder?
    Is there a theme here?
    Is the Epl the new ‘american dream’? Buy a club and milk it like a cow. When you have finished sell it on too the metaphorical abatoir? Is the Epl the new US gold rush?
    Do you know? There are too yanks in this world who only care about their respective bank balances and have no connection whatsoever with the people with whom they’re dealing, the fans, they are only seen as the servicers of their cash cows! Football after is only ‘soccer’ an’ what the ‘eck is that?
    Get rid of the sugar daddies and give the clubs back to the fans.
    Eg. Barca, Chesterfield, etc. etc.
    Kronke – take a hike……..now…….but do not take our cash with you! Sell up and ship out..High noon’s coming or is it the Lone Ranger coming to help you out of town!

    Right, back to the Ladies Golf, if the lightning stops! Come on you Europe………..doesn’t sound right that, does it?

  130. W.A.T.H says:

    Wenger comments getting worse by the day, now he can’t help us for Wednesday by buying now…? No shit sherlock…. Buying a few weeks back would of meant we were not in this position now though eh…? Does he really think we are all so thick and gullible?

    Amazing how the media write all theses stories about transfers and lack of yet when in a presser with Wenger none have the balls to front him and ask the proper pertinent questions..!

  131. W.A.T.H says:

    Lady Nina was also offered more money for her shares the same day she agreed to sell to the yank but the board had all agreed to side with Danny as his last wish to all sell to the yank..! A very unwise choice he made on his death bed…!

  132. devilgunner says:

    Good Morning Lady and Sir.

    Yes you are right Rico.

    DD regrets something. That is introducing the Yank to AFC. He bought him there.

    Although he sold his shares to Usmanov then he played his part.

    Is it amazing to you that journos do not have the balls to ask pertinent questions? That is because they are not supporters in the first place. And secondly if you want to leave someone in the shit do not tell him/ask him regarding the shit. Leave him to swim there. And everyone would love to see AFC fail.

  133. frednerk says:

    Er we go again …Wenger blaming the fans.
    I jacked in my season tickets..because of the lack of investment in the team.
    To the fans that were booing saturday,
    wenger heard you..its your fault we lost.
    Is he for real.

  134. devilgunner says:

    Ox to miss most of the season? I can guarantee that he misses the entire season Rico. Cruciate is not a joke. And with AFC’s methods two weeks become a month, one month becomes three and three become six and 6 months become eternity.

    Ask Diaby, Rosicky and TommyV. They know much more than Arsene knows.

  135. tsgh says:

    Morning all,

    WATH re the discussion we had nearly a year ago about Rothchilds, religion,AU on board… Nina tweets implies that… 😉

    Maybe I am not a conspiracy nutter at….

  136. rico says:

    Morning Devil and fred…

    I have it in my mind that he’d be out for a season Devil, poor guy, why did he try and make a tackle he was nowhere near…

  137. frednerk says:

    The fans must bombard the club and hound the manager and the board..we need at least 5 top class players.
    I know the club have certain players in mind,
    but now we are desperate,so will have to pay over the odds,

    The gambol to get players on the cheap,
    has well and truly back-fired.

  138. rico says:

    Morning Ts..

    I think you are right fred, can’t afford to haggle over a couple million, not any more….

  139. W.A.T.H says:

    Dev, the thing is mate fans or not if the journo’s want a story then ask the pertinent questions and get a reaction from Wenger.. Beats sitting there kissing his backside..!

    Nina was put under pressure to tow the company line to sell to the chosen one…! As said shame Danny picked the wrong wide but also yes Dein brought the prick to the table in the first place..!

    Amazing how Wenger tries to turn every comment on it’s head to blame everyone but himself… All the issues he mentions and all the situations would and could of been averted if he had been proactive in the transfer market and brought in the players we so obviously need.

  140. devilgunner says:

    Regarding the present situation I am angry yes. however I will prefer to hold a bit of my guns till the 3rd September, because then we can speak more clearly.

    If some players are bought by then we have to hold a bit back to see what happens (although I find it grossly unfair not to begin the season with a full squad and mind at rest).

    If none are bought, or if crap is bought than the ride from September till end of December will be a very rough one. Vile and vicious hatred will dominate the atmosphere at the EMS and I am afraid that will be felt on the players.

  141. Woody says:

    Morning all!

    Really this scenario is our worst nightmare now.

    I totally understand that some ‘top top top’ players would want to wait to see if we qualify for the CL before committing to sign for us, but I cannot understand why we would not be able to make any moves for players to beef our squad up a bit,

    Let’s say a Rooney, Suarez or any other top player was happy to join us but wanted to see about CL first, then we’re really doing anything we can to fuck it right up.

    However given that no one has been in for Fellani, why would he not want to join is? He is better than what we have right now no?

    And what’s more he can play in several positions so when we get all our injuries have can fill gaps, which makes him pretty damn versatile and good value for money at around £23m, or whatever it was before the clause ran out.

    I’m not sure I can see Everton agreeing to selling him for less than that now, can you?

    I’m not for one minute suggesting that Fellani is our saviour, but if we have 1 or 2 players like him already in the squad then it makes it much easier to convince the ”top top top’ players who might be sitting on the fence waiting for the CL qualifiers to finish.

  142. devilgunner says:

    Woody….Benteke would have jumped at the chance to be with us.

    Likewise Williams. Even Cesar. Gustavo would have come for sure.

    That is already 4 players and would not have taken much of the budget. Benteke would have come at 10 million, Cesar 1 million, Williams 10 million and Gustavo at 14. That would have been a total of 35million. Half the budget on 4 players who would have surely beefed us up and given everyone a lift.

  143. rico says:

    Woody, I wouldn’t be too taken in by ‘top top players’ – when did we last, if even sign one of those?

    Campbell was probably the closest and before then Bergkamp…

  144. Wavy says:

    It seems to me that Wenger got his shopping trolley out and took it to Harrods but was only prepared to pay Aldi prices, but he doesn’t like Aldi products! So he left his trolley in the middle of the aisle and walked away, leaving the top, top, top products on the shelf. When he went back to the shop he found all the products of his desire had been bought by other shoppers. Now he has to go to Aldi and see what’s left on their shelves. Not a lot I think!
    Bring back George Swindin, even he had more awareness than Wenger and the BoD that support him, or themselves so richly.

    This is not a glitch, this is a major disaster.

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