Sagna to depart? Henry to stay? Did We Fail To Notice the Proverbial Final Nail in The Coffin Years Ago in Birmingham

Gossip to start with and that surrounds Bacary Sagna. News in the papers today suggest that the club have offered him £60,000 a week and a year extension to his current contract. To which he has apparently said thanks, but no thanks. His current deal ends in the summer of 2014 so no doubt he will be sold off next summer.

If we believe The Sun newspaper, Wenger wants Thierry Henry to join us this winter and stay until the end of the season. I doubt this has anything to do with what he can do on the pitch, I strongly suspect it’s about what he can do off it, especially in the changing rooms.

Finally, Wenger plans to ‘recall’ Joel Campbell next month to help solve our shortage or strikers. I can’t believe this is true for one minute. He hasn’t even got a work permit has he?

Onto today’s main post:

Some believe William Gallas was a ‘cry baby’ for sulking after the infamous 2-2 draw at St Andrews Stadium on Saturday 23 February 2008. The media slated him for his behaviour as a foreign captain who was not in the same league as the stalwart Terry. Interesting enough Arsene responded by saying Gallas was misunderstood and that he felt we could have cemented our position as champions and that the opportunity had been missed.

We all know what happened that day and how our season ended.

Since then Arsene Wenger or Arsenal have not been the same and even our trademark ‘total football’ style of play has been in decline to the point where even Swansea (no disrespect there) have outplayed us on two consecutive seasons in our own backyard. Had it not been for the lucky goal from Arshavin and the strength and tenacity of Frimpong in midfield last season we would not have picked up our first win of the season against them.

Those who watch other teams in the league are aware of the craftiness of Swansea and would not have underestimated the Swans at all. Additionally, those who are knowledgeable of Michael Laudrup’s managerial ability and philosophy from Getafe and Mallorca in Spain are not surprised Swansea are doing better than Brendan Rodgers’s Liverpool.

Well I was one of the rather unfortunate ones to watch the match in the comfort of my own home. Knowing how it feels like to be kitted out with your Arsenal top and scarf standing on Victoria Station when all eyes are on you after a bad loss and you know what even the Portsmouth fans are thinking. I have to say I have every sympathy for those loyal fans who brave this weather to go and watch a team who are obviously in serious decline like ours.

The performance last weekend was another addition to a catalogue of woeful performances we have put in as a team since pre-season. Interesting enough the players who rescued us on the Far East tour last summer are not in the first team. They are away on loan and are showing their class albeit at the reserves level or in the lower leagues.

The performances are that bad that I am not going to bore readers with any details of the match, because what really matters was that we lost a match at home. Worryingly, this was the first time we had conceded a goal in the dying minutes of an EPL match this season. After every shock defeat to the Arsenal I receive texts or calls from a few of my true Arsenal supporter friends to tell me they are not going to renew their season tickets the following year.

These are the same guys who arrange their family holidays to the Far East to coincide with the clubs tour in Asia. However, this time round, I feel like my friends actually mean what they are saying. The surprising thing is that most fans are not angry anymore but are becoming resentful of being spun a lie by everyone associated with the club.

The phrase on most people’s lips is that Arsene has to go. However, strangely enough the pundits and ex-players of the club who previously were the first to call for Wenger’s head are now changing their focus unto the board’s direction. Do these former players and pundits know something the ordinary fan on the street is not being told?

Another interesting point which should not go unmentioned, is that even foreign based pundits,  not normally known to be kind to our club or Arsene for that matter, are all saying how sorry they feel for Wenger and how his loyalty to the club is going to end up tarnishing his great reputation as one of the very best managers ever in elite football. Most have publicly stated Wenger has been too soft but loyal to the board to the extent that they expect him to be able to walk on water now and also turn a Stepanovs to a Franz Beckenbauer.

So what is going to be done by both the board and the coaching team including scouts to deploy an emergency parachute to soften the blow that is about to happen? No one outside of Arsenal truly knows what is happening to this legendary club but what we all know is that something has to change and if it doesn’t happen fast enough, someone’s investment will be taking a huge hit when fans contribution and TV revenue start to decline.

I am not a marketing guru, however, common sense tells me the board cannot expect to be breaking into the Far East with this most static form and brand of football.

The January transfer window is fast approaching and an excuse such as ‘we could not find a super, super quality player’ to improve a declining team is not going to hold much water any longer. What troubles me apart from Wenger’s record in the coming window is that, last August he stated we could make purchases in December if we had to.

If a manager of his ilk is not aware the window does not open in December then we should not expect much from Arsene. On the other hand that comment was made before our latest Stan’s sponsorship deal was signed.

There are bargains all across France and Spain and even some Bundesliga teams are trying to sort out their bank balances in the immediate future by selling their most valuable players if they can.

Maybe it’s the part of the Mayan Calendar interpretation commoners like myself were not privy to. I guess I have to take a leaf out of Peter Hill-Wood and Stan’s books and start to save some last minute money before the New Year.

It’s a perfect excuse reason not to buy any presents for loved ones this Christmas.

Have a good day and stay safe.

Written By TsGH.

0 thoughts on “Sagna to depart? Henry to stay? Did We Fail To Notice the Proverbial Final Nail in The Coffin Years Ago in Birmingham

  1. Mattyboy says:

    Where did the Joel Campbell come from ????

    Did anyone see his goal over the weekend AMAZING!! he is going to be arsenal hernandez… and yes you have heard me say this first!!

  2. Scott from Oz says:

    Matty,he played v Australia in the world youth cup,and looked a star in the making then…..that was around the time we signed him.
    Last time i saw him,he was still green,but very,very skilful and with a rocket of a left foot.
    A few here beat you to it…the spruiking i mean 🙂

  3. Scott from Oz says:

    Good man lol.
    Seeing he has represented his country,why is it so hard?
    I am a bit naive on the rules and regulations,but isn’t he considered a special talent?
    I reckon he is one.

  4. W.A.T.H says:

    He has to of played 75% or 80% of his country’s games over the last 2 years Scott thats the rule or very very similar to that. At the start of the season he didn’t qualify on that rule that’s why we didn’t even try but lets not try recall him it’s rubbish buy someone proven so there isn’t to much pressure on the kid.

  5. Scott from Oz says:

    Thanks Wath.
    As with Henry,as long as it is NOT at the expense of a top striker,get them back,by all means.

  6. Scott from Oz says:

    I should have added….get him back,test the waters with him then send him out on loan to a championship side.
    At least that will acclimatise him to your cold,wet,windy country 🙂

  7. Mattyboy says:

    Well i was thinking the same surely players like Hernandez and ramires even oscar couldn’t of played as many games internationally then what Joel has done for costa Rica… either something dodge or we simply can’t negotiate permits cause we suck at bringing international players in.

  8. tsGH says:

    we used our special talent card on Ryo, so Campbell has to meet the normal work permit regulation. I am afraid he is not hard working enough to play on either flanks in this league in either a 4-3-3 formation or upfront by himself. He would suit a 4-4-2 with him working of OG12 but AW has never played a 4-4-2 but a 4-4-1-1….

  9. Mattyboy says:

    I blame the board for all this Bradster not wenger and i can’t wait for wenger to come out with an Autobiography and tell us all whats really been going on! and i think Tom fo has finally cleared this up!

  10. stevepalmer1 says:

    Morning all,
    Nice one Ginger Hater, Although i realise that our bad results are making everybody nervous, but it seems to me that we are looking around the Arsenal contingent for someone to blame, where many have been calling for Wengers head, the focus now is to point their scorn on the board and the owners. Now if i speak the truth i don’t really understand what is going on at Arsenal,but i’m not daft enough to think that the top clubs of our league do not have problems, City Chelsea and United are all struggling yet no mention of bad boards or owners. It appears to me that all these clubs have vast reserves of money most of these clubs have very rich owners where our club all though we have rich owners we seem to be building our wealth by running a tight ship and careful spending. FFP seems to be hitting all clubs who have over spent in the past they are clubs who have spent millions but its not their clubs hard earned money its their owners. These owners who have spent big have had their share of the spoils but they realise that the only way to keep success rolling in is to spend a lot more and with FFP are now having to think again. When you look at the top clubs we like to consider ourselves up there with them but we have to realise that with our frugal spending we will always be that much behind them and that is why most of those teams are ahead of us. Although that is a fact we have still managed to hold onto their shirtails where our club looks to be financially secure the others have been running at a loss. Now the way i see things now is that they will struggle to keep in their positions, Wealthy owners will only keep spending while their teams are winning they will not continue for ever, where we have a diferent phylosiphy we have in place at Arsenal a fully working money making system everything in place for the future stadium training facilities and youngsters acadimies,it has taken some time to put all this in place and we have suffered in this time although we have held onto the shirtstrings we have failed to win anything. Smaller clubs have started to rise up the table they have tried to keep their wages and expenses down and inside their clubs they are comfortable where in the bigger clubs high wages and teams full of superstar names are all looking round for someone to blame.
    Everything is becoming a lot fairer and the only winners will be clubs that are doing things the right way. Things are looking grim i know but i believe we had to go down the road we have to secure our future i also believe that this is a 10 year project and we have been very lucky in that time to be where we are, but now the flaws are starting to show and we will start to raise our game. Wenger has said that we will see where we are in January which suggests to me that he will buy and i have no reason to believe we wont climb the table and finish near the top.

  11. W.A.T.H says:

    Matty re your 10:04… Funny how Rico does a post yesterday and the Sun follows a day later… always knew they were a shit paper..!

    Good post Ts, nice one mate..!

  12. Mattyboy says:

    Steve i agree.. however i think the club is overly been turnt into a business rather than a footyclub ambition has simply changed and us fans pay (over the odds) to see the football. It’s not nice as a fan when you got D-Heads like tom fox and Ivan the terrible coming out of the board saying that winning isn’t everything you know that all they care about is the bonuses and wages salaries are the end of the year. We’re losing World Class players every year… and investing back into championship equivalents or players who haven’t got a winning mentality.

    At the end of the day we are AFC not PLC

  13. Mattyboy says:

    oh did rico post that up yesterday? haha apologies..

    Maybe Rico needs to join up with the Sun and brush them up a tad 😛

  14. W.A.T.H says:

    Good comment SP and sums up lots of whats wrong in football, I would say it does still not answer whats wrong with our club? why do we have millions that we do not spend? why is the board happy with mediocrity? we have done things very well off the pitch but it’s a football club after all and trying to win is the main objective and when you settle for not winning that breeds a terrible attitude throughout the club and that for me is where we are at. We need a new breed on the board to take the club forward and to show ambition and to share their vision with the fans so the fans can see what they want to do, it’s lacking and isn’t there with this lot and we as fans have become purely a cash cow to them.

  15. tsGH says:

    I finally worked it out Stan is an undercover scrap metal dealer so he wants to ran the club into the ground so that he can dismantle the stadium frames to sell…lol

  16. Scott from Oz says:

    Ginge,he is actually an antique dealer.
    It has been so long since we won anything,our trophy cabinet is full of stuff he can flog off!!

  17. Bradster says:

    I still think the rich Oligarchs could start their own league one day away from FIFA, similar to IPL cricket. Start a real Champions league, buy whoever they want and pay them whatever they want. No super star will say no to playing in it and every youngster will work his ass off to get bought.

  18. Francis Stroud says:

    Blues fan (BCFC) i don’t know everything going on at your club but don’t you have a £200 million stadium to pay for which means £20 or £30 million a year is probably going to pay this debt off, so less for new top players?

  19. stevepalmer1 says:

    Hi wath And Mattyboy, I appreciate what your saying and i know as supporters we are only interested in results. But i see us as a new business Moveing from Highbury being the starting point, We put ourselves in a lot of debt to get this project working, we had no one to help us so we had to make deals with quite a few people to get the fanance, yes we cam moan about bad sponsership but we had to make these deals, we also had to agree terms with many of them and make sure we paid them back. we would have had to have time limits and restrictions and we would have had to work on a stringent budget which we have. A lot of our debt has been repaid we made money out of our redevelopment at Highbury and that has helped to ease our burden and we are slowly reaching the point where we will start to feature on the pitch again. Office wallers are talking bollox we know that but we have been fed loads of shit just to keep us coming they needed our money thats business if they told you we wouldnt feature for ten years we wouldn’t have liked it so the truth is not always the way to go. its not right i know but Wenger has done better than anybody concerned could imagine he has also made us believe that we can win something that is the measure of the man. My worry is that we will drive him out before he has the chance to put us back on the map. after all he could have left and gone to a ManCity Or a Chelsea but he opted to stay and i think to see his dream turn into fruition. But then i could be wrong 🙂

  20. stevepalmer1 says:

    I am like a lot of supporters that wears their hearts on their sleeves our results have left me seething and in that moment i want change a new manager new board new chairman and new owner but when i calm down i start to realise that what i have written in the last couple of comments is what i actually believe i just hope i’m not wrong.

  21. JW says:

    Good morning all,

    However much some Arsenal fans want him to go, there is no way that Kroenke is leaving. If he wanted to make a fast buck he could sell his shares to Usmanov in a flash, equally I’m sure there are any number of oil rich Middle Eastern potentates who would be willing to buy him out.

    Why would Kroenke want to sell? Broadcast income is about to sky-rocket due to the availablity of live fooball on smart phones etc. The club’s debt is steadily being reduced, new kit supplier deals are in the pipeline, FFP is set to level the playing field and fans, despite the perceived unrest, are still queuing to fill the Emirates.

    If you owned AFC would you sell it because a few fans were pissed off?

  22. Mattyboy says:

    Hey Steve… i aint just interested just in result we can’t win every game i accept that but we can sure dam try.. When you see so much being pump into the club and so little coming back it angers you… Even more when the chumps next door in white are investing and higher up the table. Nothing hurts more than a yid gloating that’s true pain. I am a season ticket holder and leave about an hour away. When you have to pay that high price fee and traveling cost and in return you see your best players getting sold to rivals it’s not right… Regardless of what the club is trying to do in ten year’s time, if anything there should be a balance and there quiet simply isn’t. The board members are gloating with their bonuses and salaries and us fans in return see world class players leave its seem to many that were simply getting mugged off and it’s a shambles how fan get treated.

    Now if this was going to be the scenario on the long run someone off the board should of addressed this and not kept us in the dark, at the end of the day it is us fans who make this club not the board
    .

  23. stevepalmer1 says:

    Mattyboy, i can’t argue with anything you say, but the way i see it it will be supporters like you that will be paving the way for new supporters in the future, i know that won’t make you feel that much better but when you look at the pioneers that moved to America all those years ago on the belief of a bright new future and you see how their hard work built the most powerfull nation on earth, it shows what little acorns can make. I hope that doesn’t sound to condecending.

  24. Wavy says:

    Despite the measured explanation by SP, 10.17, it in no explains the woeful display by the reserves in Greece, does it? there was a time when the second team played a brand of more exciting football than the first team. Where have all the starlets disappeared to? They are not all out on loan!
    We may well be living within our means but that doesn’t in any way prevent the scouts forms scouting, finding talented youngsters, finding bargains in other leagues etc. etc.
    All is not well, I. Think it’s endemic throughout the whole club, from Board Room to the casual washer up at the training ground.
    Perhaps it’s arrogance, perhaps it’s witlessness, perhaps it’s meanness, perhaps it’s other things about which we know nothing.
    I am not at all sure that the present malaise is so easily passed off as part of a ten year plan. Bloody hell this begins to sound like a Stalinist program, and we all know where that lead!
    A little more openness and honesty would not come amiss from all elements of the football club and where it sees itself going. Perhaps then the fans would not be so ready to boo t he team from the field or get on the manager’s back etc.m
    Just as an historical aside. After the sale of Fabregas Wenger said he could “write a book” about the goings on during the summer break” and ” maybe he would….one day”. I’d bet Edelman’s diamonds that behind the scenes the club was in turmoil, and it was not only about the transfer policy!
    All will be revealed sooner or later.

  25. W.A.T.H says:

    Morning Francis 10:59, all first comments go into moderation sorry for the delay, Yes your right we do have to service the stadium debt which is now down to around the hundred million mark and ring fenced on a long term bond with set yearly repayments of 20million. When you look at the funds and money the club generate and make from the fans and selling our best players the question the fans are asking and whats causing unrest is why do we have in excess of 50million in the bank that we fail to spend on players to improve the squad isn’t that why we moved from Highbury?.

  26. Mattyboy says:

    I know Steve cant deny that however it is frustrating as hell, but you do have a good point.. Thats if this is the direction of the club and were not being lied too as i cant much approvement apart from the stadium being paid off (apprently)

  27. stevepalmer1 says:

    I know a lot of you wont believe this but i reckon that what Wenger has achieved by his top four positions what with the champions league money as well we have probably shaved off 3 years and i expect thet to start to show and very soon 🙂

  28. allezkev says:

    For those with phones;

    An Arsenal official has insisted that the club’s seven-year wait for a trophy has not harmed their reputation because the Gunners are “defined by more than winning”.

    The club’s chief commercial officer Tom Fox believes that the recent renewal of Arsenal’s sponsorship deal with Emirates – worth £150 million – is proof the club’s brand remains strong despite their failure to challenge for top honours in recent years.

    Arsenal, who last claimed major silverware in the 2005 FA Cup final, are currently 10th in the Premier League table having lost four and won just five of their 15 games in the competition so far this season. The Gunners were booed off at the weekend after losing 2-0 at home to Swansea City.

    Fox, however, claimed that being competitive on the pitch was not the only measure of success. “Arsenal Football Club is not only about winning,” he said. “We have a large and engaged fan-base around the world who want to feel as if they belong to the club, and want to feel proud to belong to the club. That’s my primary business.”

    Arsenal have seen a succession of top players leave the club in order to win trophies elsewhere, with Robin van Persie’s summer move to Manchester United the most recent example, but Fox said that the club’s track record of producing young talent and their world-class Emirates Stadium should be sources of pride for the fans.

    “Obviously nothing instills pride in our fan-base more than winning, but there’s many things we do that make our fans feel proud,” he was quoted as saying by UAE-based website Sport 360. “Developing young talent and finding those players in the marketplace make our fans feel proud.

    “Whether it’s Serge Gnabry, who is a 17-year-old player in our reserve squad, whether it’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, whether it’s Theo Walcott, we look at these young players and have faith in our manager to develop them as the players for the future.

    “And the fans come to a stadium that the club built really at a time 10 years ago when the board decided to build that stadium.

    “Everything was going our way, it was Manchester United and Arsenal. But we made a very bold decision and we built that stadium on time and on budget – that makes our fans very proud.

    “When they see that we can attract – even though we haven’t won a trophy in seven years – one of the top global brands in the world for the type of money and financial commitment they’re making, that makes our fans feel proud.

    “So our brand is defined by more than winning.”

    Fox’s comments come after Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told the club’s Annual General Meeting in October that finishing fourth in the league – and thereby qualifying for the Champions League – was in itself the equivalent of winning a trophy.

    Read more at http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/182600.html#67vJvWvIIctoh5BQ.99

  29. tsGH says:

    WoW Steve, I am pleasantly surprised by your change of views.

    Its very commendable imho.

    I always thought AW has over achieved. However, being his number 1 fan I will also say this season he has lost himself, in that for the first time in his managerial career I believe he is scared to play enthusiastic teens ahead of season lacklustre pros..
    An example is Eisfield where he has not even made the bench in the EPL yet even though he is the closest we have to TR07 or a Ljunberg of 2002 in the squad.

  30. rico says:

    JW – 11.13am

    Very good point, part of me says no, the other part, yes as it wouldn’t be worth the hassle.

    But then if I had the money, and bought into a football club, there would only be one reason why. and that’s to make it one of the top clubs in the world of football..

  31. potter says:

    J.W. @ 11 .13, I was prepared to accept your post and agree about Stan hanging on in there, until we got to the FFP bit. I doubt that it will have the effect that our board are selling. Eufa and the premier league are run by dinosaurs and the oligarch money men in the clubs that we are chasing will make them dizzy with the rings that they will run round them.

  32. stevepalmer1 says:

    Hi Ginge good one mate, As i said i wear my heart on my sleeve i get just as anoyed as everybody else when we lose but as you saw yourself from the start of the season when we started very promising the fans seemed to be behind Wenger Yes they were unhappy that RVP and Song being sold but afer a month they were calling them names and saying good riddance personally i miss the pair of them but supporters are very fickle what has changed for the supporter to now be blaming the board and owner instead of Wenger do they see success off the pitch to be so wrong. We have a supposedly £50 to £70 million kitty for new players and we have yet to spend it but we have a window coming up, granted we lost a couple of players last window but we also brought 3 in how many players do we buy in each window do you think we should have brought 5 seeing how we lost 2 personally i think 3 was about right although it hasn’t done the trick yet but we also never got rid of some of our deadwood , good housekeeping is to keep the squad ballanced and wages to be kept down. I believe we will buy players in this window but only if we can offload some as well. Just having a bulgeing kitty is no excuse to spend willy nilly we need to ballance for the good of the club.

  33. rico says:

    I can hold my hands up and say I have always wanted AU in SP, haven’t we always had money available to spend, just for some reason, the club choose not to….

    And I don’t miss Song, just miss him being replaced

  34. tsGH says:

    I totally agree. The issue is that players like Gerv, Ox and Santos have let AW down. Le Coq has not shown the promise he showed before his loan to Lorient. Normally whenever we have had departures 1 or 2 players have stepped up and shown class but not thus far imo. Frimpong is going through a dificult spell because of his muscular structure and the type of injury he has hard. But he still has a future with us imo. People want Tiote but they guy gets nearly 25 yellow cards each season and his passing is worse than Frimpongs. Wolves fans all thought they would have stayed up had Frimps not got injured and he played in their only win in the EPL this year.

    On transfers,the fact is unless we buy a British player we can not buy because of the quotas. Unless we do a chelsea and Malouda and keep Le Squid and AA23 unregistered.

    The chavs, $hi££y and P$G are showing you can have all the money in the world but if you do not have a forward thinking manager like AW the club will become a black hole that will need a blank cheque to bankroll. Even the $hitty owners are unwilling to spend £100M each year not counting mammoth salary for long periods. RM are nearly bankrupt because of Madrid City and Santander struggling. The only thing keeping these teams afloat are their commercial revenue strream.

    Additionally, the most supported club in Germany BD04 are not coping after the sale of Kagawa even though on paper he was replaced by a better homegrown player in Reus. And the media will not give us credit but we are one of the very few clubs to beat BD04 home and away with an allegedly tactically inept manager and a cowboy Song.

    http://www.soccer-blogger.com/2011/11/23/arsenal-vs-borussia-dortmund-2-1-highlights-2011-video-goals-van-persie-kagawa-bvb/

  35. tsGH says:

    And the Sagna issue should not go unnoticed. CJ25 is not ready and he still needs B.Sagna to learn off. The only remedy is if we bought Debuchy who I know is better going forward and defensively very sound too in the mold of ‘Ralph’ Laurens.

  36. allezkev says:

    Afternoon Gooners btw and afternoon Rico…

    You know Rico, when Arsenal came under pressure in Greece last Tuesday evening, as i sat there watching the game and getting increasingly angry, i thought, what a shame we didn’t have Miyaichi on the bench…

    We had nobody capable of stretching the Greeks defence, even AOC was not at it…
    But a speed merchant like Miyaichi would have prevented the Bubbles pushing up and pressurizing us as they did, and who knows what his pace could have created for Mazola Head?

    Has Miyaichi developed at Wigan?

    What has he learned sitting on their subs bench??

    What might he have given us, even in small doses, from the subs bench if he had stayed???

    To me, his loan up there has been a complete waste of time!

  37. potter says:

    Steve you are doing well spouting the party line today, but if the problem was caused by the last transfer window I would be tempted to agree. however it wasn’t . It has been a continual decline since the day we left our natural home , how I wish that could have been developed with another North bank on the clock end, about 50,000 in and a lot less debt would have been financially prudent. However back to point :- We did build a stadium and we got debt repayments laid down on it that were favourable then and very favourable now. At no point has it been advantageous to the club to pay up early and the increased funds we bought in from the sale of Highbury could have been used to supplement the squad rather than dismantle it. Facts are we pay out too much and our overheads exceed our income that’s why we are selling players, not because of the stadium.

  38. tsGH says:

    Potter a agree there with the point on overheads etc considering the scums do not have a ladies team and any meaningful academy like ours.

    Stan may even start an American football and BB team if he could. Its a brand he sees it and like Walmart, its based on buy then cheap and sell them high…

  39. allezkev says:

    As for these South American kids, i really do not see any point in signing them, if we cannot get a work permit….

    Do we sign them in order to sell them and make a profit later on..?!

    Wonder if the fee we got for Vela covered all the costs of bringing him over, salery etc…

    Botelho…. waste of time and money.
    Galindo…. waste of time and money.
    Wellington,,, the jury is still out, but looking increasingly like the above.
    Campbell… the jury is still out, probably best of an ordinary bunch.

  40. allezkev says:

    Sir Steve, you make some good points mate, as usual.

    Toughen him up you say? Well mate, he might as well have stayed at Bolton…

    Maybe the lure of having a Spanish speaking manager drew him to the JJB ( or whatever they call it now? )

  41. stevepalmer1 says:

    Potter when you look at who we sold we are known as a selling club, it goes back a long long time Anelka sold in his prime he was or his brother was ambitious and they wanted to move we couldn’t and wouldn’t pay the kind of money he wanted Ashley Cole wanted high wages was he better in his position than say Sagna in his well sagna is now on about £50 grand whats Cashley on we couldn’t pay that kind of money Fabregas Just wanted to play for Barca he even paid some of the transfer money RVP 30 years old and wants more than a years contract and Song Why he went i don’t know but it was to Barca very hard to stop any of them leaving so you get as much as you can i see that as good business Sagna is going to want more than a years contract so he will obviously go and Theo lets face it is he worth what he’s getting now let alone £100 grand.

  42. stevepalmer1 says:

    Potter, if i speak the truth i don’t know, but at least we’ll be there to hear the latest news and maybe put our two pennath in

  43. stevepalmer1 says:

    Potter as far as FFP goes there are big businesses that can get round income tax so i don’t suppose it will stop all transactions but it certainly like income tax will hold some back

  44. Wavy says:

    Stan the man doesn’t own Wallmart, it’s his wife’s family corner shop!
    He just has a few toys to ply with. Keep him happy and away from home! He’s now off playing cowboys and Indians on his wee ranch!
    Arsenal FCC is just one of his many playthings that he keeps in his playbox!
    God help us…….will it be train sets next, west coast mainline perhaps?,,

  45. Wavy says:

    One last thought
    His pocket money won’t run it “investment” cos wifey won’t increase his weekly allowance!

  46. stevepalmer1 says:

    The thing i don’t understand is why people want the russian in for, FFP will restrict all rich people from spending whats the difference between him and the yank if you can’t spend you can’t spend and we have in place a man that can make money we don’t know about the russian.

  47. potter says:

    The playing staff is only one part of the overrhead outlay , we need to get the rest in balance , it is quite possible that we have too many chiefs and not enough indians.

  48. W.A.T.H says:

    Stan spends nothing SP, he is waiting for TV revenue and extra commercial deals to kick in before he starts to take a dividend, IF AU comes in he simply does what $hitty did and sponsors the training ground or the shirts for 200 million it’s not difficult at all and FFP can do sweet FA as shown by allowing $hitty to throw $600 into their ten year deal with no ramifications what so ever. FFP will work on some levels but it’s not the saviour that the Arsenal hierarchy make it out to be to suit their point of view and to try shut the punters up from moaning.

  49. stevepalmer1 says:

    So what your saying Wath is we want the Russian in to start doing dodgy things so we can cheat our way to the title, hadn’t thought of that.

  50. tsGH says:

    WATH. It may have worked with $hitty because of the development they are carrying out in Manchester, however, it can not work for everyone in future. Fernandez may want to sponsor QPR with AirMalaysia but his fellow board members and shareholders might think otherwise. Europol and SOCA would have something to say about that too as it was with RM selling their land for €480m.

    Even BWIN are under investigation by EU on their sponsorship with RM. The EU needs money so the taxman will make such deals not worth it.

    What sets us and the chavs apart is that they pay most of their players salary into offshore tax accounts because their owner up until recently was not registered as operating in this country…

    http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=ftbl_bus_pol_tmln&ftbl_bus_pol_tmln_general_topic_areas=ftbl_bus_pol_tmln_debt_losses

  51. tsGH says:

    FFP and how RM spent nearly €1B on players but still failed until last year under Maurenho. This year could be another barren spell for RM with them being 11 points behind Barca…

  52. Micko says:

    Afternoon all,
    Stop trying to cheer me up Tsgh, wasn’t 2008 when we also got battered by Man U in the champions league semi-final and finished 4th again.
    Wavy, wouldn’t put it past Stan to turn the Emirates into a giant Wallmart, probably part of his master plan.
    Agree with Scott, the club need to make more of an effort to get Campbell back here training with the first team, probably still too big a step up for him yet but see how he develops and loan him out over here if need be otherwise he’ll just go the same way as Galindo and Wellington.

  53. rico says:

    Bet you enjoyed last nights victory Micko, poor old Lennon, he was just like me when Arteta had that last minute penalty against Fulham. I couldn’t watch him miss…..

    Luckily, Celtic scored theirs…. Just 😉

  54. tsGH says:

    ha ha ha 4-0 to the manures… we finished 3rd after being 7 pts clear in february. That was the day Eduador’s legs were hack off, 28th feb

  55. tsGH says:

    manure one man team but hey….

    2 loses in their last 2 champions league appearances.

    AA23 is made from plutonium so he is going straight to Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant for enrichment…

    Shitemak is made from 90% petroleum after years of using grease in his hair…

  56. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Hi!
    10 points on our group of the CL, was enough for reach the next stage; 10 points in chelsea and Cluj groups, sent them to Europa League.
    On the 20 th December we will know with who we boxing to the quarters final.
    Any Arsenal fan is expecting January open window…

  57. Micko says:

    It was a great night for Celtic rico, Scottish football is dying on it’s feet, it was an even better night in the bar, they have a huge following over here, Lennon seems to be at much more ease with the world these days, he was always looking to have a scrap with some-one a few seasons back.

  58. allezkev says:

    The summer of 2013 is gonna be a busy old time, if contract aren’t sorted out…

    Fabianski, Squillaci, Arshavin, Walcott, Aneke, Afobe, Frimpong, Eastmond and Watt, all have deals that expire….

    Anybodies guess how many will stay???

  59. allezkev says:

    The summer of 2014 could also be quite interesting, contract-wise..

    Those whose contracts expire in 18 months time ;

    Szczesny, Mannone, Gibbs, Sagna, Rosicky, Chamakh, Henderson, Bendtner, Denilson and Wenger…..

    Take your pick?

  60. rico says:

    I was really chuffed for them Micko, and the news which came in from Spain was interesting too…

    Wonder how long the little magician is out for…

  61. allezkev says:

    “And what about 2015”, i hear you ask?

    Well pick the bones out of this lot….

    Gervinho, Arteta, Diaby, Coquelin, Jenkinson, Santos, Djourou, Vermaelen, Mertesaker, Eisfeld, Chu Young Park, Miyaichi and Campbell…..

    Nevermind, you can all relax… 🙂

    Tom Fox is on it as we post…. 🙁

  62. Micko says:

    No-one gave them a chance in the champions League Tsgh, first Scottish team to make 10 points at the group stage, Lennon said it was his best achievement as Celtic boss, the domestic league is a different matter though, still got my Arsenal/Celtic bobble hat from the 80’s, will always have a soft spot for them especially as they were kind enough to send Champagne Charlie our way.

  63. allezkev says:

    Rico, i think most of the 2013 bunch will be gone by next August….

    Aneke and Frimpong are the strongest tips to stay imho…

    Possibly Afobe?

  64. tsGH says:

    AW has Klopps number tactically.I wouldn’t mind them at all.

    But it is marca vs Stan’s Asset Holdings Plc I presume.

  65. Micko says:

    Might be too simplistic Kev but I think Wenger might be a kleptomaniac, why else would he want to surround himself by so many useless objects….Chamakh, Squillachi, Diaby, Fabianski, Bendtner, Denilson, I’m only surmising I might add.

  66. emma says:

    Team News: Podolski, Walcott, Sagna and more

    Arsène Wenger revealed the following team news ahead of the West Brom game:

    on the latest issues…
    Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott (calf) are out. Bacary Sagna (foot) and Laurent Koscielny (thigh) are not back. From Tuesday night in Greece there are no new injuries so we have a selection from the combined squad of Tuesday and Saturday.

    on Podolski’s injury…
    It is a hamstring. It should be short-term.

    on Andre Santos…
    He will not be ready for Saturday but he is not far away with an abdominal injury.

  67. W.A.T.H says:

    Sorry had to shoot, SP in reply to your 1:57 where do i say anything about doing anything dodgy to win the title…? You don’t need to put words into my mouth mate you should know better than that. I also been around long enough not to trust or think throwing money around wins you a title.
    What I was saying is that if Citeh can “sponsor themselves and get away with it then if shows when push comes to shove FFP will only work to a point. We have a bloke who won’t spend a penny of his own money to invest in making our main asset any better yes that would be the playing staff and yet AU has said he’d be willing to invest and most of what he has said and brought up the last year or so has happened at the club. We don’t need to be dodgy or cheat to bring in finances there are other proper ways and we don’t need anywhere near the dosh that citeh and the chavs have had thrown at them

    The deal Ts was purely for shirt and stadium naming rights nothing whatsoever to do with all the complexes they planning.

  68. allezkev says:

    I know what you mean Rico, but as with Kanu and Bogarde (CFC), i reckon that most of the Wooders will just see out their lucrative contracts, bleed as much as they can from the club, then piss off…

    I wonder how long Podolski has been carrying that injury?

  69. tsGH says:

    W.A.T.H

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jul/08/manchester-city-deal-etihad-airways.

    Under the terms of Uefa’s Licensing and Fair Play regulations, a club could fail the “related party” test if money comes in from a “close member” of the club owner’s family who “has significant influence over the [club]”.

    So in essense an owner can not just decide to use his own company to sponsor his team anymore under the FFP rules. That is my interpretation anyway. I stand to be corrected. 😉

    ….The club have, however, made extensive inquiries of their own, consulting with Uefa in the process, to ensure the Etihad deal fits in with the rules and cannot be construed, in essence, as a different twist to ‘mates’ rates’.’

    A significant part of the deal will go towards developing the Etihad Campus and, crucially, Uefa does not count money spent on improving infrastructure, regenerating surrounding areas and youth development when it comes to totting up losses. Although the club have not been willing to provide the media with the precise breakdown of where the money will be spread, they will present the figures to Uefa if necessary.

    Nonetheless, City face the possibility of other clubs raising the matter with Uefa. Arsenal’s Supporters’ Trust has already signalled its intention to ask the London club to request that Uefa look into it as a priority and deliver an early verdict.

    Tim Payton, the Trust spokesman, said: “The deal at Manchester City stretches credulity to the limit. The numbers just don’t stack up.”

  70. Adam says:

    Wath. I agree with your 4.19. Football has changed. It wasn’t so many years ago that owners were anonymous figures. Apart from high profile blokes like Warner or Whelan and Doug Ellis at Villa.
    I suppose Blackburn showed that a team produced purely by a chequebook could win the PL. Abramovich had the money to continue the investment and the Sheikh at Man City has joined the party to an obscene level. We have a very rich owner, but he is disinclined to spend. Perhaps he isn’t rich enough.
    Something is gonna give at Arsenal and I hope that Kroenke goes and takes his self-sustaining or should it be self defeating stuff back to American sport. He clearly has no feeling for our club and is in fact anti-success and pro profit. That’s how he runs his American sports franchises. How many owners earn money from football in this country? The more income you get, the higher the players wages grow and as we know, they can’t have a decent life on £50,000 a week. They need £100,000- at least. Anything less is an insult to them.

  71. rico says:

    Kev – the club should just pay them off and tell them to go, ok we lose a few pounds, but long-term it has to be better for the club.

    Pod’s injury, before we signed him I heard

  72. tsGH says:

    The Etihad campus according to wiki:- The Etihad Campus is an area of Sportcity, Manchester which is operated by Manchester City F.C. The Campus includes the City of Manchester Stadium and the surrounding land and the Clayton Aniline site which will be home to the new Manchester City F.C. training facility. The two sites will be linked by a 60-metre landmark bridge.

    Phase 1 will focus on the regeneration of Clayton Aniline site which has 80 acres of land. Phase 1 will include the construction of the Manchester City training facility, the Connell Sixth Form College for east Manchester and a leisure facility for community use.

    The transformation of East Manchester forms a key part of Manchester’s core strategy from 2012-2027,[1] and the scheme is part of Manchester City’s desire to have a home-grown squad by 2027.[2]

    Phase 2 – Leisure attraction

    Phase 2 will focus on the land around the Etihad Stadium. The adjoining land around the stadium is frequently called the ‘Collar Site’. This site was the selected location over sites in London and Blackpool for the Supercasino in 2007 – but the proposal was later abandoned amid controversy over the regeneration benefits.[11] The ‘Collar Site’ is situated on what was once Bradford Colliery. Remediation work to cap disused mine shafts were completed in 2011 so that the site could used for property development.[12] Manchester City Council conveyed their desire in 2010 to have a destination leisure and tourism attraction of ‘national significance’.[13]

  73. allezkev says:

    Rico, i think the club tried to pay-off Arshavin, but for some reason he didn’t leave…
    Maybe by sitting it out and running down his contract, he gets more dosh via bonuses etc?

  74. rico says:

    ‘The more income you get, the higher the players wages grow and as we know, they can’t have a decent life on £50,000 a week. They need £100,000- at least. Anything less is an insult to them’.

    😆 Adam, but sadly that is not far from the truth…..

  75. stevepalmer1 says:

    Sorry Wath, i must have misunderstood 🙂
    Anytime a Russian offers to buy a place on the board just brings up the warning signs for me. but having said that i don’t know many Russians.

  76. tsGH says:

    Kev I think AA23 was a gentlemans agreement for Mrs AA23 to have their 4th child in the UK. He would have left if a london club had come calling.

    On Le Squid, Mr Adam’s client was offered a €1m transfer and then a free transfer to the greeks but because of the greek economy they only wanted to offer him a 1 year deal but he wanted 3 years at his age according to Le Equip.The greeks only did free transfers last summer on 2 year deals for under 27 y.o.

    Shitemak had rumoured options with 2 teams 1 is Fiorentina and the other Galatasaray but in the Fiorentena case no club came for Jovetic who they thought would fetch upwards of £25M

  77. tsGH says:

    No sir Steve, I have a varied career path for someone relatively young but with a bad knee mid 30’s only. Did Sandhurst and British Army, worked as an analyst for one of HM establishments and now working as a consultant in the D&A industry. Thats all I can say on-line. In all my previous jobs I have had to follow strict legal guidelines such as do not shoot no taleban until you are shot at etc.lol

  78. allezkev says:

    That makes sense Ginge, Mrs Arshavin does have a liking for the West End and it’s shops, so i understand…

    Rico, i’d rather he joined Reading. Fulham have fecked us over, repeatedly, in recent years over Fulham players we’ve been interested in.
    I wouldn’t pee on them if they were on fire tbh…

  79. tsGH says:

    Respect? haha ha. thanks but why?

    If I had half of WATH and Kevs dough I would buy Arsenal ladies at least.lol

  80. stevepalmer1 says:

    Thank you for putting me straight on that Rico i am indebted.
    Ginge , you seemed to know a lot about it and i have enjoyed reading about what you can and can’t do.

  81. rico says:

    My comment was tongue in cheek Tsgh,

    I say, who cares where he comes from or who he’s married too etc, he’s rich, he wants to buy Stan out, invest in the team and look after our history along the way…

    What more could we ask for….?

  82. allezkev says:

    Hi Adam btw, how’s things, still busy, or just fed up with the Arse?

    Or a combination of the two…?

    You going Saturday? If yes, then i might see you in New Park???

  83. tsGH says:

    Steve. In the RMA they said I was a street officer. They could not get me to lose my African cockney accent.lol

    I never wore their corduroy pants and tan shoes or posh boys wear…

  84. Adam says:

    What is the D&A industry?
    Hi Kev. Let’s just say that I will be happy to see the back of 2012 though not as happy as I would be to see the back of Chamakh and Gervinho who I believe is the modern day version of Eddie McGoldrick. Yes Kev, me and Mrs Adam will be there. Do you have enough vouchers? I could meet you and drop you another. Just let me know.

  85. allezkev says:

    Cheers Adam, i’m ok for vouchers thanks…

    I will text you tomorrow and maybe we can meet and have that cuppa….?

  86. allezkev says:

    Jamie Sanderson‏@YoungGunsBlog

    No movement in Arsenal’s contract talks with Bacary Sagna or Theo Walcott. Both unlikely to have their demands met. Compromise?

  87. allezkev says:

    Jamie Sanderson‏@YoungGunsBlog

    Walcott wants too much money. Sagna wants too long. Arsenal face losing both on the cheap if they don’t move their position.

  88. allezkev says:

    Jamie Sanderson‏@YoungGunsBlog

    Arsenal see Sagna as no real loss. Belief in Carl Jenkinson, and Mapou Yagna-Mbwia seen as versatile (and cheap) option.

  89. allezkev says:

    Jamie Sanderson‏@YoungGunsBlog

    Arsenal big fans of Yanga-Mbwia. Strong, quick, athletic. Can play CB, RB or in midfield. Quality player. Could go for £8million.

  90. W.A.T.H says:

    Adam, D&A industry is drugs & alcohol 😀

    Ts when the Citeh thing went through they stated it was purely for stadium naming and shirt sponsorship. When everyone complained that it was way over market values they began to change their tune and included all teh complexes that they are planning and the youth centres etc etc BUT in all honesty if a Company of mine sees value in sponsoring Arsenals kit for 40million a year who is to say that’s to much? there are ways and means without it being to exaggerated and the Citeh deal at the time was ridiculous am sure they will learn from that as well

  91. W.A.T.H says:

    There that cheap word again AK…. Although in fairness though that Mbwia was a good player, big strong and good on the ball.

  92. nigel tufnel says:

    Nice post TS.—– And Rico , i wanted to say that u summed up everything perfectly a few days ago about Usmanov– i feel the same way, id like to see him in, then see what Arsene does with real funds to spend. He might not change completely, but i have a feeling he would buy Neymar to make a statement. Maybe if Spain collapses financially, Messi 😉 always the dreamer

  93. Adam says:

    If M’Biwa plays like he did against us he’ll be sent off most weeks. Jenkinson? Not yet, not for me. Nothing much seems to be changing does it? Is Gnabry the replacement for Walcott? Ffs.

  94. tsGh says:

    What made CR07 stop crying after hearing that his tax burden was going up….lol

    A phone call from shitty to hold on for 2 more years.lol

  95. allezkev says:

    Tbh, M’Biwa didn’t really catch my eye, despite all the hype prior to our games vs Montpelier…
    Nor the other guy, Belhanda wasn’t it…
    Doesn’t seem to be the same quality coming out of France that there used to be…

  96. allezkev says:

    Isco seems the boy that we should go for Adam, but as with Mata/Hazard/and eventually Gotze, they’ll go to the ambitious clubs and we’ll get the Tom Fox leftovers…

  97. allezkev says:

    Arsenal.com‏@Arsenal

    NextGen team v Bilbao: Charles-Cook, Bellerin, Hajrovic, Angha, Bihmoutine, Hayden, Olsson, Toral, Eisfeld, Ansah, Akpom

  98. allezkev says:

    Arsenal Live‏@ArsenalLive

    The pitch looks rock hard in this cold weather, I wonder what effect that could have tonight (2) 0-0

  99. allezkev says:

    Arsenal Live‏@ArsenalLive

    Big chance for Arsenal as the ball breaks to Olsson on the edge of the area, but his firm shot is inches over the bar (8) 0-0

  100. allezkev says:

    Arsenal Live‏@ArsenalLive

    GOAL FOR ARSENAL! Jon Toral’s header gives Arsenal the perfect start (9) 1-0

  101. Adam says:

    Ah, the excitement of it all. Why isn’t it live on Arsenal.com. All the subscriptions could go towards Stan’s new syrup.

  102. allezkev says:

    If it was on Arsenal.com, Adam, i most certainly would NOT subscribe…
    Not whilst that Syruppy Yank Scrooge keeps his long arms in his deep pockets…
    I won’t buy a programme or anything else at the stadium, i’m not giving anymore than the bare minimum.
    I’m sure that Tom Fox understands, because it’s not all about winning trophies, isn’t that right Tom…?!!!

  103. allezkev says:

    Arsenal Live‏@ArsenalLive

    This is a really good game so far, with both sides stroking it about well. Arsenal hold more threat, but Bilbao a real danger too (35) 1-1

  104. allezkev says:

    Hayden sounds a really good player, i’ve read some encouraging reports about him…
    According to many who follow the Youths and Stiffs, Hayden is a better prospect than any of the trio of Swiss kids that Wenger took to Greece…

  105. Adam says:

    I have a free subscription as part of my season ticket price. But I have never seen anything on there worth watching. Except an interview with the dreamy Squillacci of course. And a piece on Stan’s syrup called funnily enough Stan’s Syrup. Apparently he gets them made at the same place as Bruce Forsyth.

  106. allezkev says:

    I read somewhere that Stan’s hairpiece is skillfully constructed from the hair clippings from Le Squills tail….

    But don’t quote me on it….

  107. Adam says:

    And his manly moustache is a dead, hairy caterpillar. He wears it, with some aplomb, to reassure as to his sporting macho credentials. I am just so pleased he has the financial stewardship of our great club. I think we are safe with Stan.

  108. Adam says:

    I think that Merson’s Movember efforts were quite something.
    Yes Kev the Squillstail syrup is a popular model among American billionaires, especially those who espouse the self-sustaining model.

  109. tsGH says:

    Evening again,

    why is it that the performance of the reserves reflects on the senior team? This may be purely coincidental btw but when one team loses in AFC all the teams lose…

    THE poor run of the u-21/u-19 has coincided with the lose of Eastmond, Conor Henderson, Watts and the senior teams poor performances too.

  110. allezkev says:

    Adam, i think that Stan spent ‘his’ £80 million on that ranch, so that Squill can run far and wide during his long-awaited retirement…

    Maybe Stan plans putting Squill out to stud…

    Heaven help us, hundreds of little Squill’s running around…

  111. tsGH says:

    kev and lee own the ladies team.lol

    Who was the guy who told you off for posting Arsenal had beaten marca…:-d

  112. allezkev says:

    I think many of those players you mention Ginge are on a one-way ticket out of the club, and by loaning them out and hopefully seeing them do well, it will increase their value….

    Tom Fox will be delighted…

  113. Scott from Oz says:

    The missus has given me an ultimatum…..i can visit you guys and catch a game or two,or buy muself a boat!!
    Depends on what happens January 🙂

  114. allezkev says:

    It’s good thanks Scott…
    Brass monkeys outside, snowing in some parts of Kent, but just raining around here. Not really boating weather…

  115. Scott from Oz says:

    It is always boating weather here mate!
    Summer…head outside for saltwater fish.
    Winter…inland for trout.
    Love it.

  116. rico says:

    With all our injuries Kev, that might be tricky….

    But then again, fresh faces might be just what we need… As long as Squilli has been left in Greece…

  117. allezkev says:

    That’s me finished Rico…..

    Back up to London tomorrow, full speed ahead for the Christmas rush…

    Night boss….

  118. Lee says:

    moaning all….there’s a shocker we’ve got loads of injuries!
    This Zaha to us is all over the media today, surely we need other areas strengthened before buying another unproven kid?!?! I suppose he’s purchase fits in with the business model….complete bollocks!

  119. rico says:

    Morning Lee, to replace TW I suspect… 🙁

    But yes – crap in’t it….

    New pot will be up around 9.30. See you there, got to go and do a couple of things…

  120. Scott from Oz says:

    How good is Zaha guys?
    Agreed Lee….DM should be priority #1 in my opinion.
    Rico,i never though Theo would go,but am swaying to that now.

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