Morning Gooners,
First up is the gossip.
According to L’Equipe, German side Schalke are close to agreeing a deal to take Francis Coquelin to the Bundesliga. His contract doesn’t expire until 2015 but it seems he could be getting fed up with his lack of chances in the first team.
Juve are reported to have made an offer for Stevan Jovetic according to Italian paper Tuttosport. The offer of £18.5 million falls well short of Fiorentina’s valuation.
Finally, Bacary Sagna has hinted he might leave in the summer. In an interview with Le 10 Sport he said:
Of course it makes me proud to read PSG are interested. They are a very attractive club. Personally I’ve not been approached by PSG. I don’t know if they have contacted my agent or if these are rumours I don’t close any door.
I could very well extend my contract here in London but equally I could leave at the end of the season. I only have one year left on my contract – we will see. At the moment I am fully focused on Arsenal. I don’t know what will happen this summer.
Of course, he also hints that he could stay….
Onto today’s post..
I have written posts praising how this Frenchman has worked wonders for the club which I have always supported. I’ve called the man a genius more times than I can remember and have sung the man’s achievement’s from the highest of heights. Seventeen years in any job is an achievement for anyone but in the world of football it’s almost a miracle.
I will at this time just say that when you look around at other top clubs who have spent millions on players and have had no success in their last season, they are not normally sporting the same Manager the following season. But in Wenger’s case it’s very hard to sack a manager who has not spent a fraction of what others have but has still managed top 4 since Champions League was set up.
That seems to be the stumbling point for most supporters. We hear that the club has been strapped for cash following our move to Emirates Stadium, a move we were promised was needed in order to compete with the rest of the league, but where most of them have stayed in there little stadiums and potter along as they always have done, we have hit a stumbling point.
We are finding it increasingly difficult to remain where we have been in the league for so many seasons now. Many other clubs are catching us, some are looking like they might overtake us. Meanwhile, we carry clearing our debt and remain one of the lowest spenders in top football.
Arsene Wenger has said many times that spending vast amounts of millions does not guarantee trophies he has backed that statement up by making sure he cannot be likened to those club’s either as he only buys players that do not break his own record of £15 million and that was for Andrey Arshavin. Wasn’t he a duff signing, he has sat in the stands for what seems an eternity as we haven’t been able to offload him, yet still he collects a nice wage packet.
He’s not alone though, we have quite a few players like Arshavin, they are also sitting with him or have been farmed out on loan to other clubs, but no other club wants to buy them when the season ends.
Wenger has said on many occasions that he will always honour contracts and expects himself and his players to do do the same.
I now don’t worry about who’s joining in the summer, more so who’s going and lets face it we don’t have too many that other teams want to buy now.
Champions League this year is not really important because if we didn’t make it we would still earn a certain amount from the Europa League, perhaps not the massive money of the Champions League but we don’t spend it anyway so it shouldn’t be a problem. Lets face it nobody can accuse us of breaking FFP rules as we will never ever spend more than this wealthy club take in in one season.
As for Wenger, if you want more of what you have had in the last 8 years then give him your honest support. Me, I guess I will be writing some of the same old stuff this time next season.
Have a nice day all and don’t forget to see who were linked with, I always look forward to that part of the post….
‘Til next time…..
Written by Steve Palmer.
Morning All,
Good post SP,
Only thing i disagree with is that we do need CL football irrespective of what we think we may or might not spend the draw for top players is CL footie so if we not in it then we would lose out on the option of trying to buy the top players….. Defeats the object accepting Europa Lge it’s shit and it’s just like the European version of the Capital one cup…!
Good Morning Lady and Gentlemen.
Nice points for talking Sir SP. But you cannot know the future so to say that next year you will be writing the same thing as now might be jumping the gun a bit earlier. you never know mate.
According to NN Scientists have made a breakthrough in cloning converting adult skin in embryo.
It seems that they were highly pressurised by an Ozzy to work harder in cloning Ramsey so that by the year 2025 the entire AFC team will be made up of 11 Ramsey clones.
I bet Rammers will love to read that. 😆
I believe there is conspiracy in the arsenal board.wenger is just a mole carrying out orders.and as 4 big stan,he is just a greedy as well as a stingy businessman.he thinks only of himself and his pocket and not the fans or the club’s interest.USMANOV SEEMS A BETTER PROSPECT.he is more successful and richer than stan business wise.
Morning SteveP & all HH… That was a nice article on point & wonder on how all these linked players never ends up sgning for us? All the same hope this time it changes.
Devil, Rammers is praying at the Ramsey shrine but will be on later!
you want it to change Santy????
ooooyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!! We can only field 11 players on the pitch plus 7 subs. 😉
If we sign all the linked players what would AW do with them???
ahhhhhhhhhh. he’s got a shrine in the mud hut??
Bless his woolly cotton socks then.
light a candle will ya??
Hiya Lee.
Who do you think should play if Arteta does not make it???
Morning Gooners.
Morning Wath, Coach..
Another top post Sir Stevo.
Disillusionment is the word that sprung to mind as I read it mate.
Wenger used to be a successful football manager.
Now he is just a successful accountant/font…
Playing home strip on Sunday! COYG & FOYS!
Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala are determined to beat off competition from PSG and Monaco to sign Sagna, and could offer a decent fee of £12million for his services.
AW should bite their hand if true.
I’d play TV5….
morning habib.
I am waiting for the pastizzi man to come up here as well.
Things are much more Loicely interesting when he is around.
any news from the taxi round habib? we signed anyone yet?
I think it’s more the agents that do the linking, Journalists will pick up on most stories and expand them but unless we are bluffing opponents to buy flawed players the club could easily stop it by denying the rumours which would take away a lot of the clamour that builds expectation.
Coach, I’d be tempted to give Vermaelen a start at def/mid…
I’m sure they could sort it out in training…
Transfer poker….
Coach, apparently Arsenal are chasing a 16 year old winger from Barcelona.. Yawn!!!
I agree with you habib on the TV05 a start at DM. But I also feel that TR07 is the better creator and passer as well. And he does like to tackle and get stuck in.
AK, deja-fucking-vu!!!!
Yeah Coach, Rosicky is the other option, he’s a great reader of the game and Santi could be moved central again to accommodate Giroud up front and Podolski moving to left-wing?
Morning you lot…..
Dev, All TV has to do it win tackles intercept the ball and headed clearances would be good.. pass the ball off quick and clean up, he not there to drive em forward others can so that. TR7 can’t get up and down to do the defensive bit less he is told to just sit and hold the midfield axis….! I think TV the man for the job but I reckon AW will prob get Squllaci to do it 😀
I would still leave Podolski up front. I would put Santi in the middle with Theo and Ox on the wings. Theo seems to thrive on the left.
Lee, 100% agree…
It’s the same every May isn’t it mate…
Usual bullshit to sell the ST’s…
Tbh I read it and dismiss it it straight away…
Think that there is some substance to the Higuain/Jovetic links…
But Wenger won’t pay the going rate and they’ll go elsewhere.
Still, I think that Remy is a possibility.
Wenger likes a rapist. He has previous…
you got a point there about TV winning the ball and TR cannot get up an down mate. I did not think about it.
TV05 then instead of Arteta if the latter does not make it.
In fairness to Wenger and the club they never alert the fans to any plans they may have until the plan is a matter of fact. Nothing wrong with that imo. All transfers of players are done secretly so as not to involve an auction of in Aresnal’s paying too much. They like to buy from poundland, it makes them feel good!
In Wenger we trust, Wenger knows best, etc etc. but, he probably does. Our trouble is, as suggested earlier, we the fans are the last to know. Where has all the money gone? Are the accounts avaiable? Are they honest? Are they accurate? Or re we in a greater financil mess than we have been led to believe?
So many questions, so few answers. But all will be revealed………..eventually!
Good morning all.
Really Coach?
You wouldn’t start Giroud then??
I guess we wont be signing Remy now that he has been Investigated over a rape charge ,be great to pay millions for him then seeing him play for parkhurst H.M.P on a 60,000 grand a week wage.
That is a big dilemma habib. leave Giroud out??
Infact had I been the coach of AFC I would have sweated over that.
But I feel that Podolski has done enough to merit another chance as the lone striker. If Arteta was fit then it would have not been a problem since Cazorla would have been left on the wings.
Now if AW goes with TV05 in the DM position that would still leave TR07 behind the striker with Cazorla and Theo on the wings.
But I would stick with the team which thumped Wigan.
Then again knowing the way NUFC play it would make sense to play Giroud from the start
Pls always watch what you write.maybe i should ask you a question.do you expect arsenal to sign new 11 players or are you looking forward to seeing some few adittions(probably 3:dM,FW,CD) OR how many dortmond player was a world class in d last 2yrs,it is all about improvement.afterall if you are tired of being an arsenal fan,you are free to quit and stop condeming.
Payne, Usmanov is richer,Yes! But mind what You wish for,he could also be a better business administrator than Stan. Usmanov might not the answer
Good points Coach.
Tbh Coach, I haven’t seen a lot of Newcastle this season.
Are they a big team physically?
Do they play a lot of high stuff into the opponents box??
Do they ‘get in your face’..?
Pardew is a tosspot to be fair, so I expect all the traditional nastiness we get from his ilk…
Nufc play like any French team/government, they run to the south to avoid the invasion from the east!
Some good players though, despite being mostly of French origin! Not to be taken lightly. Defensively on their day they can be strong and determined, and ugly, thuggish.
Some skillful players too. Ben Arfa, Cabaye, etc.
no walk in the park for a sunday afternoon kickaround. The Arsenal wil have to turn up and play as well as they have done over the past few weeks.
Make no mistake. It will be a tough to grind out result. Its not a walk in the park for us. not even Wigan was a walk in the park was it?? Not even when we battered the scums 5-2 last season since there was that dick pot of Dowd refereeing the game. you know, the twerp who jumped for joy when the chocking cocks scored the first goal.
it depends which mindset the NUFC players and ours use to turn up.
ARCFUNMI………you should come more often on this site. then you would realise who are those who condemn and those who criticise. We criticise fairly here (at least the majority of us do). we want our club to be the best and in no way do we shag of the club and its employees.
Morning All,
Agree with most of your post Steve,
I have to say,wenger has gambled/lost his legacy to me.
As for sundays game,
Pardew was a very average player,
I’am told he is a very good coach,
as a manager I hear
when he walks in the changing room,
and attempts his team talk
the french players carry-on talking in french to each other.
When at west ham the players took a dislike to him,
he went from a family car to a Fearrari just to let the players,
know who the boss was.
Sorry forgot to add Pardew is a tosser fact.
Morning all,
A very solid post from the one and only SP1.
I totally agree with Dev the Coach’s comment on TR07 as a deeper lying midfielder. Brad made a similar point yesterday. It is interesting to note that TR07 plays as a box to box midfielder for his country which he also captains when he is fit… 😉
I just pray AW does not play Ramsey, JW10 and SC19 through the middle because we all know what Anita and Tiote will do…. and without being critical we all know SC19 has struggled against physical DM like Tiote and Tettey in the past…
Where is Scott today? Hey Scott get yourself away from Rambo’s photo… A lil birdie tells me you are contemplating having another tattoo of Ramsey… 🙂
Nice post, though not sure I agree (last year I might have).
I know an architect who has been researching new stadia for a project. In the course of his research he’s had a closer look at Arsenal’s financial “predicament” than most could hope for and the future doesn’t half look rosy; basically Arsenal have blitzed their debt faster than planned and are now poised for the huge benefits the stadium was built for.
Add to that the fact that it’s Wenger’s last contracted season, and I believe we will buy. Wiltord cost 13 Million in 2000, in inflationary terms thats 19 million now. And that was on Wiltord with a Highbury income. I’m pretty sure Mr Wenger can now think about spending more than that with his Ashburton cash on players with genuine talent.
For once I’m optimistic, and with managerial changes at all the top 3 clubs, we might actually be poised to threaten for top spot (I say threaten, not win mind).
I hope AW implements 4-2-4 next season as most top teams particularly the top german teams have gone from 4-2-3-1 since the winter break. Even negative Jose tries that against weaker opposition in la liga.
AW implemented that set-up against Reading in the CoC during the 2nd half and we came back from 4-1 down to win…
That was the same attacking formation AW used when he had Ljunberg, Pires, Kanu/DB10 and TH14 available in the good old days… with Silva and PV04 marshalling the midfield area…
I think, if we can get Williams and promote Miguel it will be fine with TV5 doing the Manu Petit in midfield like 1999 again… AW has always liked to play left fgooters… manu, Edu as DM and even at Monaco he had a left footer as the DM…
Hiya Ginge.
A lil birdie told you that??
Wonder of wonders.
A lil birdie told me that Adam wants to do a tattoo on his bum of Loic.
And also a tattoo of a £10 on his private parts. 😉
I would prefer to send Coquelin on loan.
That guy’s got something special. A potential defensive midfielder.
On loan at shalke would aid his development
Good Morning Rico and All the fine folks
Good read SteveP.
We all been on this same ground before, whom to cast the blame on, AW, The board or Stan? Why is he not being fired? Why cant he walk away? Well, we don’t have the answers… but time will tell.
But I’ll say this… if you have a CEO and he isn’t doing exactly what is in your best interest, you fire him.
AW should have stand up for his best players and tell the The board and Stan ‘if you sell him or them, I’ll walk away.’ Case close.
He wears Stan’s moustache for dinner dates I heard…. lol
Hi NG long time buddy… hope all is well?
Shit, after reading all my fans comments, i feel rather chuffed.
Morning, my disciples 🙂
Good read Steve, but i do believe things are changing.
Guys, where is Emma of late??
Hi tsgh, I was in London then travelled to West Africa. The last time I chatted with you I was in Heathrow. Hope all is well with you too.
I think that all of you fellows criticising Mr Wenger for the prudent running of The Arsenal are rather rum. I have been a firm supporter since 2011 though I have never actually attended a game. You chappies should be careful what you wish for.
Ha ha ha… Scott… you don’t even trust yourself 🙂
Ng… its all good here… the chavs managed to win a trophy which is a disappointment… now Rafa should field a team of reserves against Everton I believe to spite Roman and the chav supporters.
Hi Adam. How was the tattoo of Loic? 😉
Afternoon all, good post Sp, but I’m in the ‘we need CL camp’, we need to be in a position to attract the better players and sign at least 3…
Hi Rico. The attraction for the better players lies in the complete package and this is where we cannot or will not compete. They will follow the money as far as I can see. Which top players has our lengthy CL participation allowed us to attract?
Surely what we need is change and not just hope. If Wenger has refused to buy the players we needed when we were in advantageous positions in the league then that, for me, was not a matter of spending big money ( ie Schwartzer) but an open and intelligent awareness of what was actually happening on the pitch and more importantly than that, a willingness to address those issues. There are no guarantees except that what has been happening has not worked. Change the approach and you won’t see so many empty seats every match.
Hi Adam..
The approach has to change this summer, it’s been ‘promised’ so now it’s time to back that up with quality signings…
Adam, i disagreed with you, and then agreed.
I disagree about players looking for the complete package, but you go on to say the will follow the money and i agree wholeheartedly.
We can match the big clubs on wages by limiting our squad to 300 instead of 687 or whatever the hell it is 🙂
ESPN linking us with Ceasar again. From what I have been told, we wouldn’t touch him with a barge pole because of his penchant for sticking certain substances up his hooter! TV too much of a risk for DM role on Sunday. With Howard Webb reffing he is a red card waiting to happen.
good morning/afternoon all.
Le Coq should get the nod. TV5 bench. If you play Rambo there , he will do a job there as woyuld an unfit JW or TR07 but you would lose other parts of those players game. Le Coq is designed to do just that, win his battles and clear the ball.Players in form should continue. If your gonna drop someone for the nou chateau game, I’d drop TR07 AND i know i’ll get slated lol, Santi Cazorla and go for power in the middle ie Ox for Cazorla and attaack down the wings with speed and play 4-4-2 frenchie and Poldi . Giroud’s link up play is very good and goes unnoticed. Besdies that WBTanker that is pardeaux will set them up to play like stoke..
Sagna may be on the move. His house is up for sale apparently…interesting….
He’s served us well, and if its true , PSG is not a bad move at 29/30.
As for the rumours of us buying the likes of Higuain, Villa and Jovetic…doubt silent stan will allow le prof to spend more than he brings in. So arguments sake we shift deadwood 10 players who are naff (we know the ones) at a loss recouping 10m and let tv5 and sagna go for another 20m, that will be our spend.
As for Arcfunmi, mate , you serious? You chums with GDNA or the same person?
Good Post SP1
Rico, personally I have heard no assurances of change from the club. As football supporters we must remain optimistic otherwise what is the point?
What I can remember was Gazidis, last season, saying that there were only 3 or 4 players in World football that we couldn’t afford and what I saw was RVP leaving to earn more money and win something and I saw a very poor bunch of players coming in. My problem with this game of player’s musical chairs is that the philosophy at the heart of the club remains static. Change the impetus and the drive and I will be interested again, even with Wenger in charge. As you know I think he has grown stale, others disagree.
I am just a tiny customer for Arsenal and there are apparently thousands waiting to take my ticket. This is the way of the modern Arsenal.
@ Rico. There are benefits to losing the CL spot. The board, Stan and AW have become complacent with finishing 3rd or 4th as a trophy IMHO. As much as I would hate to not qualify for CL, it would send a message and a kick up the arse of all three parties involved.
Think you are a little harsh on the players we brought in, Adam.
Santi alone has been one of the top 2-3 buys of the season in the PL.
Yes Scott. I agree. Santi is good. I wasn’t thinking of him but I should have made that clear.
Don’t forget AW’s comments a few months back when he said the remaining games would shape his transfer policy for next season. Now he keeps emphasising what great unbeaten run we are on…………..
Le Coq is and should be a RB… he wants to be a DM but he is not one imho at the moment at least…
Fair enough mate.
Podolski is going ok, but should be better.
Monreal has looked the part.
Still, these guys are a vast improvement on the previous few years, so let us hope we step up nother notch this season.
Didn’t Gazidis suggest things were to change this summer Adam?
Ng, my own view is there is not one benefit from not getting a CL spot, in fact I would expect things to get worse if that happened.
ha
Totally agree Lady Rico…
Two years ago when we finished 4th and had to play in the qualifying round of the CL against Udinese… the board failed to sanction a move for Mata even though the deal had been agreed in principle.
At that time Udinese were considered the upcoming team in Seria A until Juve raided the likes of Asamoah and signed Pirlo which strengthen them and then they went on to have an undefeated season.
At that time even though there was the strongly possibility of CF4 and Nastry moving on… the board/AW were unwilling to spend £17M or so without the guarantee of CL football that season first…
It is important we finish in the CL stop unless you want to offer £150k p/w to attract decent players…. as an example if Fellaini was available and both us and the spuddies were interested… I can bet he will choose a team in the CL spot unless we offer significantly more…
Even Hazard who was offered £150k p/w allegedly chose the chavs becuase of CL spot even though everyone else knows he was offered more by Chelsea than City and Man U and both teams were in the CL spot…
Moura chose PSG over MAn U because of a big salary…
Ts – I strongly suspect Coq to be gone, and I hope he takes a few more with him…
Only a few Rico 🙂
Hi Ginge/Rico,
le Coq is on the the list to be flogged , that’s for sure, along with Frimpong they were meant to push on. At RB, he won’t get a look in, as a DM he ain’t the best, average, and in all honesty is a 1m championship player top half. He isn’t impressing when he plays or in reserve matches or in training.
Furthermore, if we listed him on the loanlist, who would take him on in the Premier League? Norwich??
Plenty then Scott 😉
Think the Sagna story is his agent and him pushing for two years…
Hi George, think you are spot on about Frimpong, he’s another Gooner a Gonner…
Coq has seldom convinced me either, but he’s never had a real run in the side to show if he’s good enough…
Afternoon all, good post Steve,
Wenger is in a very unique position, 17 years at the one club, if you look around Europe all the top clubs seem to change managers within a 5 year period or so and go on to win trophies in their own domestic leagues.
Take that class-less bunch from the Kings Road, they have now won 10 trophies since 2005, the latest with a care-taker manager, these guys come in and get the best of the squads they have available to them in what little time they have.
Ending up going out of all competeions by Febuary / March has sadly become the norm at Arsenal and it stinks.
Wasn’t it last summer everything was gonna change or was it the season before that, the club churning out the same ole shit.
I’m excited as anyone else going into Sundays game but it doesn’t hide the fact all we’ve had to aim for since Feb is another top four trophy to put in our top four trophy cabinet.
Micko top 4 isn’t a trophy and your right, we should be challenging. not be 20 odd points behind the poorest Utd side in donkeys years who have won the league because we sold them our best player.And the scum down the road, should not be 1 point behind us. We are the Arsenal.
Rico, did you see that Jay Emmanuel Thomas is being released lol at Ipswich. Why didnt this chump prove a point, he was actually quite talented.
Frimpong will probably in all fairness sign permanently at Fulham where he will be another Mid ranger …
Micko, can’t disagree with anything there, I want to see where we finish on Sunday, if it’s top 4 then AW has until the end of July to show us some ambition.
We all know the club has money, it’s time to spend it and get this club back on the right road…
If however he walks away after a 5th place finish, then just hope Sk appoints someone with passion and gives him money to shape the squad up…
I didn’t George, what a chump he is, had it all too soon, just like so many of our younger players..
They don’t know what it’s like to work for what they get paid…
An Aussie NRL side have routine with young recruits, and it is a good one.
They send them out to work in a factory for 40 hours and on the average wage, then tell them to never forget how good they have it, and also how hard peple have to work to pay to watch them play.
Scott, some of kids need to be beaten with a stick lol…They should be pushing on…If your good enough , your quality will come through …
JET smashed up his Merc beforehe even had a license..Yeovil Town for that waster beckons…
Mind you Scott, a few of our 1st teamers could do with a few weeks in a factory.
We see what a bit of effort yields(Bayern away)…and what lackadaisical does (Blackburn and Bradford)
Ha Ha
Agents in their ears telling them how good they are doesn’t help.
George, I couldn’t agree more.
Some of our lads make the Stiffs and think they’ve made it.
I often think it has something to do more with their intelligence than their technique…
Hiya Rico.
When you look at Jack Wilshere you don’t just see a supremely talented young man.
You see someone who works at his game and continues to work at it.
That’s why he’ll reach the top…
Should somebody be typing
ha ha ha 😉
Very true George…
Rico, Le Coq should have seized the opportunity this year but…
I think Frimps and JW both need a solid pre-season.
Frimps was the first to make the jump into the first team squad. Unfortunately, 2 serious injuries in as many years has taken its toll. He has not helped himself by choosing GH over England and preferring the limelight or bright lights of London to an early night resting… 😉
Hi Ak, spot on re Jack…
I, for one, would be sad to see Sagna go…
Not sure of the truth behind those valuations, but if £12m is offered, considering his age, then I suppose that the club must accept. But I doubt that that amount is being offered.
Jenkinson would come in, with Bellerin as deputy right-back, I reckon. Bellerin is top quality btw…
But.. he hasn’t Ts, sell him I say, especially if Schalke do want him, let him go and play…
Ho Ho Ho… 😛
I understand what you are saying but BVB 09 are 22 points behind Fc Bayern too after losing only Kagawa and gaining Reus… most people think BVB play better football but they could not even make the equivalent of the FA cup this season after 2 seasons as champions of the Bundesliga…
Again, losing key players and replacing them no matter if the recruits are an upgrade or downgrade affects team efficiency… it takes time for players to gain an understanding of each other…
When you look across the major 4 leagues in Europe… the common denominator with the winners of the league is having a squad that has been together for over 3 years…. we have built 3 teams in 3 years…
Hi AK,
Would love to see Bendtner , Santos and Chamakh in a industrial estate working 60 hours for 5.70.
You bet your life santos would defend, nb52 and shisha gellhead start banging them in.
Also the club would educate some of these youngsters on what its like. Partyboy Vela for example forgetting his passport to face Barcelona a few years back wtf? I bet Chuks Aneke has learnt more playing for Crewe than Ignasi Miguel who is plodding along aged 20 thinking …i don’t fancy Hartlepool or Millwall….
We will welcome Jay Simpson to the Emirates next season with Hull . JET who i think was a better player will be in the car wash polishing his Merc, and playing for a sunday pub team ..
This money comes and goes and the daft agents…are opportunists. I fell victim 20 years ago to an agent who badgered me to leave Brentford for Palace …yeah right. 1 good year at the B’s and I thought I was gonna be the next Mark Bright Ian Wright. I wasnt even 6th choice striker in 93…They will tell you what you want to hear, and line up their pockets and “can” you.
Wonder what David Bentley’s agent is telling him now out of curiosity. He had 1 good year at Blackburn and now he is nowhere to be seen.
Jay Bothroyd? Should have stayed at Cardiff.
Then you have the agents who unsettle players with Ice creams and the barca dna club..but thats another story.
😀 Rico… you must be Richard Dick Law ‘s accountant…. 😉
Well said George… excellent point 🙂
Tbh George, I really don’t know why the PFA don’t push more, the service they provide?
Maybe it’s because a lot of ex-players become agents and the PFA don’t want to affect their chances of earning a living??
But Taylor and his cronies should educate the youngsters more about the pitfalls.
Maybe they don’t care?
next season is make or break for the following youngsters:
Afobe
Aneke
Yennaris
Miguel
Miyachi
We have other talented youngsters ie Gnabry, Olsson, Eisfeld Bellerin etc…but these players have time.
The above have had a few years sniffing around the 1st team, they either step it up or move on.
Some are gone already for me:
Sanchez watt
Phillp Roberts
Sead Harjovic
James Shea
George, Miyaichi is a good one. It’ll be interesting to see what he’s learnt at Wigan and how he has benefitted and hopefully matured.
He could be a suprise package?
I hope so…
I would too Ak, but he’s not getting any younger…. 😉
Good comment George, I like the bit about JET washing his Merc, but will he still be able to afford to run it….
AK , Ginge
The PFA don’t get involved as they are limited as a body into how much they can interfere. It also depends on the players support network. If there parents are level headed and supportive, the chances are the player will get good advice. If you have players from less priveleged backgrounds who get the wrong advice at a wrong time you could end up at a car wash instead of earning a decent crust in a enjoyable 10 yr period
off for a few hours peoples job centre beckons
Good luck George…
Ak, do you think Wigan’s medical room is long enough for Abu Dhabi… I am sure Ryo would be able to answer that… 😉
Hello!
not agree if Sagna go… even Coquelin.
Diaby staying with us?
Villa? He goes to totts
Higuain is a good choose in my opinion
Not at all Ts 😉
Guys – see Vida’s comment at 2.24..
Twitter suggests PHW is departing after Sunday….
About time…
Problem with that Rico is Josh silent Stans son is reported to be heading our way and onto the board……….. He knows as much about football and his old man does…!
Also word is AU is one yes 1 share away from 30%…..!
Hi Jm,
Higuain is good but is he really an upgrade on what we have? He is down the pecking order in the Argentina team behind Aguero, Tevez, Lavezzi, Palacio and of course the martian Messi…. this is not even considering Wigans Di Santo who is a reserve…
Good luck George..
Hi JM – Higuain and Jovetic would do me up front 😉
Ah, I missed that Rico,… good inform Vida…. you have taken over from Ms Emma as the twitter announcer… 🙂
Is that good news or what 😉
Ah, yes, that slipped my mind Wath, he’s the one with wise words like ‘you have been spoilt’ isn’t he…
If I had 5 shares, I’d sell one to him, I really would….
Different kind of players.
Higuain is better choose then Villa. He is good in aerial balls, he shots with both feet and is faster when attacks the ball.
Unfortunately, he is many times off-side and miss same incredible opportunities, but he is there and “smell ” the goal.
The comment was for some reason, stuck in moderation…
I agree Jm, I have never really rated him highly… He is very good but not what we need at the moment. I think he is like Eduardo. Higuain struggles in La Liga with the physical aspects… he will definitely look like AA23v in the EPL…
Personally I will take Benteke if we can’t get Lewandowski. I even prefer Bony or Michu to Higuain but that is just my opinion. 😉
Ts… Benteke is the one that would score us a hatful and is a right handful…. looks gormless and dopey but he got better n better as the season has gone on and the fact he is a self proclaimed Arsenal fan should make him want to spill blood for the shirt… don’t always work out that way I know but hey ho….
Ts, you seen much of Bony…? is he quick or just a lump…? see the dippers had him on trail a few years back and didn’t make him an offer….!
Try and test … WATH… we do not have time for 50/50 gambles especially with Rednose away browning his face upstairs and Moyes trying to look all trendy in a cardigan and a fitted denim jeans… 😀
AW should take a page out of Rednose’s book and say he needs to potential end his reign on a high next season…
He is a cross between Kone and Gerv… buddy. I have seen him 3 times this season. Playing for Vitesse is a different kettle of fish so it is a gamble; if he is going to be a 2nd option to a main striker imho…
But saying that he is the reason why a team like Villa is probably sitting 2nd in the Dutch league. The team contains Kakuta and Kalas of Chelsea
The thing is most people want to compare him to Drogba but Drogba was never skillful but became very efficient after 26 y.o.
Goonie supports Vitesse I believe so he may be more knowledgeable…
….My point is with most African or South american players… they play football to enjoy it i.e how AW likes it… but European football is very different that is why players like Jan Koller and trezeguet had a career whilst the likes of Gustavo Dezotti though very skillful was very ineffective as a striker…
Those tomatoe’s in Kent will finally get all the attention they deserve, I love a story with a happy ending.
😀 Micko
David Beckham has confirmed he will be retiring at the end of the season…
🙁
I don’t think we would be interested in Higuain, he’s been in the papers which usually means is garbage.. 😉
Benteke would do me too….
And he’s a dirty Argie rico…….am I allowed to say that.
He’s a frog by birth Micko…..!!
I knew it was gonna get complicated wath.
Higuain loves Irish stew and Argentinian Guiness…
I believe….
Yes Micko 😉
Shouldn’t worry about Higuain, his £22 million price tag could be a stumbling block…
Anyway, if Ak says he’s slow, that’s good enough for me, we don’t want him 😉
http://gossip.ladyarse.com/arsenal/2013/05/16/exclusive-peter-hill-wood-expected-to-step-down-at-end-of-season/?
Perhaps the role of fan-insulter will pass to the charming Josh Kroenke now. According to the Americans he is very good at it and has notable previous.
Evening All, Just got in been grafting would you believe, I like some of your comments that we need Champions League to attract top players, Refresh my memory just name a few that has been attracted in the last few years, we couldn’t even get Vertonghen and we had Champions league. But thank you all for your comments. 🙂
Hi all
TSGH, to be honest with you , Higuain is better than all our strikers and he is world class. the reason he seems to be fourth choice in Argentina is because of the unbelievable talent that country has.
Why the haven’t won the world cup recently baffles me , but talent they do have.
They are better than Brazil on paper at the moment but that doesn’t mean Brazil wouldn’t trash Argentina tomorrow if they should meet.
I will have Higuain anytime. (plus Villa can’t seem to make up his mind)
I know PHW is dislike by many but … imho but he still deserves an appreciation for what him and his club have done for his eh.. our club 🙂
SD you have a valid point about his quality but all I am saying is that he struggles against physical opposition. rm vs man u is an example where he was subbed on the 60 minutes mark…
We just had some nice weather…. Not!
Impressive stats… “Santi Cazorla has completed 990 passes in the final third this season which is 213 more than any other player in Europe’s top 5 leagues”
Hopefully next year he steps it up in big matches against the big boys… 😉
Arsenal will become the first Premier team to play a game of football in Vietnam on the Asian Tour, Having a right time getting my tickets. Looks like Ryo Miaki and old Parky could be staying. 🙂
The Vietcong will be aiming for Rambo…
Adam, Wath said the same earlier, just what we don’t want…. A younger version….
I Sp, good point about JV, he’s hit the ground running too. Maybe he’ll be a ‘first season’ wonder, like TV has been….
Yeh, he’s been a good signing for them Dam it.
TV could end up there, Please no.
Hi everyone.
I’ve simply hit a wall. I desperately want the club to acquire the players we need and to do well in every match.
Equally, I’m sick to the gills of all of the bullshit, promises and eventual/expected/predictable disappointment/inaction/failure to achieve what I would love them too.
Year on year we’re all let down.
I’m growing increasingly angry at those running the club never, EVER truly letting us in on where the club really stands.
It’s our club! We deserve to know. We fund them. If we all turned our backs they’d cease to exist. They OWE us their respect AND gratitude. They could show some by being bloody well honest with us!
Sorry to be negative folks, can’t help how I feel.
TV wasn’t bad in his 2nd season even with the double ankle operation Rico… this season well, he didn’t want to be with the Erms and then it now seems he wants to…
He scored 6 goals last season, one being the winner against NUFC at the Erms. Class is permanent form is temporary.
Imo the captain issue is a non-issue because he had experience captaining Ajax and Belgium. With his national team he was the captain for over 18 months before he got injured last season when Kompany took over… When he plays for Belgium he looks far superior to Kompany..
What do you think of kompany’s performance this season especially after January… he looks mediocre to me…
No Sp, Barcelona for TV I think
Hi Bendtner 😀 you should send your post to the politicians in Westminster…
Seriously though I do not think clubs value fans anymore especially with TV providing a bulk of the revenue… that is why RM and Barca take the bulk of La liga revenues and the other 18 clubs can’t do jack all…
Hi Bg, that’s not negative, it’s just what is and has gone on.
All that needs to stop as soon as this season ends….
He hardly played that season Ts…
Good one Ginge… 🙂
PHW retiring eh?
I’m gonna miss our Old Etonian duffer.
Nothing beats get slagged off by a cultured multi-millionaire, and nobody quite does it with the same panache as ‘Our Pete’…
Wonder who us plebs will be doffing our caps to next season.
Chips Keswick maybe? (what does he do???)
Chips Keswick : D what a name;everytime I hear that name I have to remind myself it is not a name of a chippie down Old Kent Road or Southend… lol
5 times Rico… I know 🙂
I’m not convinced re your last Ts, you don’t see masses of empty seats at other clubs in the PL, not to the extent we do …
There is a reason for that…
Gus Poyet suspended by the Sea Gulls…
Josh Kroenke Ak…..
Ginge, you being an expert in counter-insurgency, what’s our chances of getting out of Hanoi in one piece? 😉
Lata
Tsgh,
I agree re television money but no club would survive without it’s fan base.
Advertisers would go elsewhere, players & managers would go elsewhere and the club would end up down the toilet.
We fans make clubs irrespective of outside financial muscle. We’re the reason the big money men turned up in the first place.
Originally it was passion from owners and chairmen. Now it’s profit, greed and gloating glory when they buy a pot.
God I’m bitter.
I am not sure what you are not convinced about… I am agreeing with Bendtner saying football clubs do not value the fans anymore because of TV and Commercial deals etc… The thing is if fans get crossed with Arsenal and still subscribe to Sky or Espn or any other TV providers out there they still get their money… that is just my uninformed view anyway…
I do not think it has anything to do with empty seats… I believe we still sell the seats just that majority fail to turn up… 😉
I wish I knew Ak… 😀 Their tactic was “hanging onto the belts” of the Americans – staying so close to the Americans so they could not use air or artillery backup without killing their own men. Guerilla warfare? You need a Mossad agent for that and even then the IDL nearly got run over in Syria… 😉
You have a point Bendtner… but I am thinking if the FA cup play more games at 3 am for the Aussies and the folks in the far east they would do instead of thinking about you and I making our way on the night bus home..
The recent FA cup final is an example…
Clubs not valuing fans Ts
I take your point, Ts. Find it hard to imagine lots of prima donnas doing a night shift though.
Surely that’s just for the proles? 😀
That might well change though, that season ticket waiting list won’t go on forever….
Riverside stadium has a capacity of 35k, but the average attendance even when they were in the EPL was less than 17k… recession.
The smaller clubs depend on 5 or 6 big games a season to break even i.e the big boys…
That is why Orient and co can afford to go to Vegas relyin on the proceeds on Arsenal visiting them in the FA cup…
The likes of Aldershot, Raith Rovers have survive with attendance of 200 etc… TV money
😀 Bg,True Adeba whore woken up from his beauty sleep… that may never happen
Of course you are right Rico… but the more we protest the more Football clubs will start playing Man U vs Liverpool matches in Indonesia… do you honestly think these guys care about us? 🙂
Didn’t UEFA and the FA suggest palying one match in the FA East recently?
Where do we think the FA and Arsenal and the chavs want to play a 3rd place play off when they can easily use head to head like every league does?
Next it will be a play-off for 3rd to 6th team finishers to get the top 2 to go into the CL…
I am getting away with my conspiracy shite again… 😉
Didn’t UEFA and the FA suggest playing one match in the Far East recently… I meant
🙄
Catch you tomorrow folks, have a good evening…
Night to all…
PV04 appointed new Reserves coach of $hitty…
Night Rico…
Night Ts…
Good night Rico… t’morrow is another day.
Hi and Bye Ng 😉
Gone now….
We are not treated like supporters more like customers….sad but true!
Morning Lee and all..
New Post up now