Morning all.
I’m not a season ticket holder and at best, I get to The Emirates two or three times a season. Not great but it’s the best I can do and I usually come away with a bit of a sore throat from cheering the team on. Whether I’d be in the same frame of mind had I been sitting in the posh seats every home game for the last few seasons, I don’t know but one thing I do know is the place is quiet, very quiet – well it certainly seems that way when watching the matches on television, which is quite sad really.
So many other football clubs, including plenty in the Premier League, are in a worst position than Arsenal yet their stadiums are full of fans who are pretty much behind their team from start to finish on match day. The atmosphere at Anfield is incredible but they are nowhere near the top of the table, 8th to be precise , Sunderland, St James Park, Tottenham, Stamford Bridge, St Mary’s to name just a few grounds, are noisy, very noisy but The Emirates, well you could sometimes hear a pin drop….
Yet on Sunday, as soon as it looked like we were about to pip Tottenham for second place, the place came alive so clearly the fans have a voice and they are prepared to have it heard when they want to. So why can’t those same fans be loud in support of their own team as they are when jeering the neighbours?
We all have our own views on certain players and believe a few shouldn’t be at a club like ours but it’s not their fault they are in the team. It’s not their fault they are at the club either and it’s certainly not their fault they are being asked to play the way they do so don’t they deserve better support?
This is not me knocking Arsenal fans, not at all but just asking, if you go to The Emirates each week, why is it so quiet?
Maybe next season, after a red hot summer of signings and the beautiful football returns, so will the voices of the Arsenal fans.
One can only hope eh, or dream….
Transfer gossip:
Riccardo Saponara is being linked to us today. The rumour suggests that Arsenal are a number of clubs looking to snap him up for around £12 million this summer.
And now, according to Sky Sport Italia, a three-way battle is on to land the Italian this summer as Arsenal, Juventus and Monaco are all interested in the player.
I know nothing about the player, is he any good??
PS – let’s all laugh at Liverpool. 8th in the PL, battered last night in the Europa Cup Final and no Champions League next season…. 🙂
Good morning all,
The magic of Rico’s ghost writers. 🙂 Good read.
Another attacking midfielder who likes to play centrally… lol.
Well Samponara did not even make cut for Italy’s euro squad so another basement player linked to us…
Arsenal has the least number of players called up to a tournament under AW’s managerial era.
Only 5 including automatic member JW…
Santi didn’t make the Spain squad Ts…
Just saying…. 😉
The Emirates atmosphere is an interesting topic that is difficult to debate online.
Give the PL title a serious go and things would improve I would think.
I think a few top class signings would certainly give the fans a bit more belief at the start of the season too..
Dunno why, but I’ve found there’s more vocal support at away matches…
Like you I’ve shouted myself hoarse at matches, but on my most recent match I sat behind a family of 4 (Mum, Dad & 2 Boys) and, don’t get me wrong, I don’t swear or join in the more inflamatry songs, but I got a number of black looks (particularly from Mum) and the impression I got was that they wish I wasn’t there!
I get the impression that moving to the Emirates has provided the opportunity for a ‘nice family day out’ set to move in, Whereas at away matches, you only get the real supporters turn up.
Santi was injured for a long time though Rico. If he was and based on his form I am sure he would have made it…
Saying that SC19 has never really been an automatic starter for La Roja as Le Bosque doesn’t appear to rate him much…
Agree with you… but it should work both ways imho…
Until the ‘tourist’ numbers are reduced in there the atmosphere will always be driven by how we are playing whilst with other teams its the other way around.
I have been to a few away grounds as an Arsenal away fan and also with a Chelsea fan in the Chelsea away section. As an example it always amazes me how Stoke fans seem more pumped up against Arsenal than Chelsea. Same can be said at Newcastle…
Welcome Tim, people on here have mentioned about The Emirates being a ‘day out’ before, in fact Potter said one family turned up and left at half-time. It seems the club are happy with this and aren’t bothered about losing the ‘real fans’ who are now wondering whether it’s worth renewing their ST..
So sad for a club like ours…
I don’t think he fits in with Spain Ts, a bit like Monreal really and it’s probably because they play for Arsenal and not one of the ‘bigger clubs’…
Agreed Rico.
Monreal was more highly rated playing under Pelle’ in Spain for Malaga than when he moved over to us…
Odd how Bosque encouraged SC19 to join us to improve but hasn’t really given him much of a chance except against teams away in south America to make money for the Spainish federation or the likes of Tahiti in confed cup.. no disrespect
TBH I tend to go to more away matches these days. I moved up north and only get to go to THOF when visiting friends and family.
When you are one of the world’s biggest clubs in one of the world’s greatest city you are going to be treated as source of entertainment for some people.
But there are 50000 odd season ticket holders with red and silver members adding another 6,000 or so I don’t think the problem is with the small number of day trippers that come to the club for the lack of noise.
Could be we are in general a bunch of old foggies because we are the ones who can afford the ticket prices.
That’s handy Tim as there’s a good number of northern clubs in the league… 😉
‘Small number’ Joe….
Ginge, I ain’t surprised about the range of atmosphere at Stoke when comparing Arsenal and Chelsea as visitors…
There is a definate antipathy from Stoke fans towards Arsenal, which in my experience is driven by Arsenal beating Stoke in two successive semi-finals -1971 and 1972…
I went to the old Stoke ground in 1975, if I recall correctly, and the Stoke fans were like a pack of animals in their hatred of Arsenal, it certainly had an effect on the referee and the game as both Alan Ball and Peter Storey were sent off…
Coincidence or what?
And the Ramsey leg break added fuel to the Stoke fans fire as they could see no harm in the tackle by Shawcross. Shows what kind of people they are really. Horrid.
And I mean odd ?
Very valuable view as ever Kev; Admittedly as a relatively younger fan I assumed the antipathy was to down to the Ar16 vs shawcross incident.
Good point Joe re. affordability; interestingly highbury was no different; one of my first jobs was as a steward in the mid-90’s and I thought this was boring…; I guess the ‘library’ comes to mind…
When I could afford to go to the odd games in the early noughties; I noted the fans being passionate when we were leaving 3-0 at half time but going back to the civilised ambience when the second half commenced aiding teams to score an odd goal even during the unbeaten season….
Small number compared to a full stadium.
They do enjoy a broken leg at Stoke and woe betide any one who feels that this is wrong.
Having driven through Stoke a year ago I found it an absolutely morbid dump and the closest thing to Tottenham High Road I have seen. Midlands and northern teams have a huge chip on their shoulders about Londoners generally.
The tourist thing at the Emirates is because so many supporters put their tickets on the exchange these days because it has become so predictable over there. Not all the time, but often enough. If you treat your fans as customers, then don’t be surprised if they exercise their rights as such.
Tsgh you got paid to work at highbury when Wenger turned up I couldn’t even pay to get in.
I believe that the style of play a team engages in has a direct correlation on the crowd and the atmosphere they create and not just the importance of the game…
Incessant passing, that goes nowhere, is tedious and gradually drains a spectators enthusiasm. Arsenal’s technical level is still very good, but are they entertaining, do they get you on the edge of your seat, do they leave you feeling frustrated or excited at the end of a match???
Those that go regularly and have a feel for the atmosphere in the stadium are going to be more in tune with this than the majority of us chair bound experts…
On the odd occasions that I have gone to Arsenal, over the last three seasons, I have found it to be in general a deeply unsatisfying and frustrating experience.
I think that the teams dull and indulgent style has in the main created the atmosphere we have now…
You certainly know within the first few minutes of the game what Arsenal are going to dish up and usually that’s after a few backwards and sidewards passes…. Yawn…..
Talking of tourism have a look at this ☺
http://www.espnfc.co.uk/blog/the-toe-poke/65/post/2876027/arsenal-are-turning-arsene-wenger-coat-into-a-tourist-attraction
Yes Ginge, the Ramsey incident of course took it another level but I think the antipathy towards Arsenal was already there, instilled by an older generation of fans and passed onto the younger one we see in their shithole of a ground today….
Adam, I have been to most of the northern and midland football towns and Stoke is really up there among the the biggest dumps in the league.
I mean Carlisle and Wrexham are more interesting than Stoke!
It’s reached the stage where we play a game of predict the passes in a move .You get a bonus for naming the recipient of the last pass.This year Koscielny has scored heavily. It makes a change from the old odds and evens game on the next goalscorer.
Rico. Often we come out with some intent and move the ball forward and this can last for anything up to 12-15 minutes. Then the square balls start. I don’t know if it’s the fear of making a mistake or what, but when Cech rolls the ball out to Merts who passes square to Kos, who knocks it out to Nacho, who squares it back to Kos who…we’ll, that’s an established playing pattern for us now. And even if Coq or Ramsey drop back in to pick it up, they usually become part of the inevitable knockabout. Perhaps it’s the lack of width? A long ball is deemed out of the question as it sacrifices possession so often and ends with Olivier either sitting on the grass with his hands in the air or furiously readjusting his disturbed quiff.
Is the way we have been playing down to the fact that teams are coming and parking the bus not very many teams come to play us and don’t park the bus even at thier home.
This season we had great difficulty breaking teams down when we don’t score early.
I know we are Arsenal and we should be able to break down this way of playing but teams are getting better at the way they play this system.
“readjusting his disturbed quiff”
Pissing myself laughing at that one Adam………… He’s going to haunt you mate…!
🙂 Adam…
By the way thanks for the information on Scott
There lies the problem Joe, we should be able to find a way past the parked bus, but our dear leader has yet to find one and it’s not like it’s something new from last season…
It’s long been a fact that the Arsenal has been the most derided southern team for Northern clubs. My father said it went back to the thirties when we broke the northern hold on football. We played a deep lying game and hit on the break which spawned the lucky Arsenal tag . we were known as the bank of England club and the jealousy started then.
They park the bus wherever they go, it’s in their DNA, but we seem to struggle more than most because of our lack of variety.
I mean, when was the last time an Arsenal player put a free kick into the box for Giroud or Koz of BFG to fight for and maybe make an opening.
Nope, we just see a short free kick and the pass pass pass pass continues ad nauseum…
Wath. It’s true though. 🙂
No worries Joe…
There’s a time for defence though for sure. The total debacle at Southampton on Boxing Day was down to Arsenal believing they only had to show up and attack to win. Southampton had, if memory serves, lost their last 6 and we were top of the league. There was no reason to go there with anything other than a solid plan. Let them make the play and pick them off. Go home with a 1or 2 nil. Job done.
But we were so not solid it was pathetic. We lost 4-0 and seldom looked like recovering our balance. Now that’s crap whoever you blame.
The thing is it seems that in the pl teams are getting a lot better at defending and all teams are finding it hard to score.
We compact and compound the park the bus ourselves. In parking the bus teams go narrow against us and have many in the box.
In the first half of the season we had our full backs overlapping in the space and putting balls at pace around the 6 yard box. Giroud was able to flick it in because the keeper didn’t have the space to collect it and had to rely on the defenders to clear it.
Second half we went totally central constantly giving the ball to Ozil to thread through
Just looked at the pl table and it turns out that the top 4 teams scored between 71-65 goals this seems very low.
Potter. Strange how the Bank Of England thing stuck, alongside the board comprising old Port-sodden Etonians.
Adam, but those 4 goals were offside… 😉
They were Rico. 🙂
Adam did you spot the folks with double foreheads driving through Stoke? 🙂
Joe- £3.57 I remember vividly was the hourly rate then…
Joe- the goal difference thingy goes to show there ain’t many top strikers about in abundance.
Oddly teams are conceding more as well…
The foxes won the league with one of the worst goal difference in recent history…
Come UCL time we the EPL teams will look as toothless as ever
Potter- the last CB to score as many as majority but one of our midfielders was Gilberto silver a season before he left us. AW moved Gilberto into central defence against his to accommodate Denilson and Cesc…
Interesting how the Kaiser has hinted he would like Kosser at the Allianz
Joe we dropped 16 points this season from a winning position this season; the 3rd worst in the league… considering we finished 2nd and 10 points behind the foxes I think it has more to do with players confidence/ complacency…
None of the top 4 EPL winning teams( shitty, Yanited, chavs) have done that in EPL history.
One could argue the bin dippers suffered with dropping 12 points from winning position 2 years ago but still… and they haven’t won the EPL so.. 😉
Brad- re. everything going through Ozil; you have brought it up recently… imo, it’s to do with the lack of a proper ball playing no.6.
The reason I argue Coq in the team affects how we play. without Sc19 or even retired MA08, AS17 and Ozil both drop deep to pick up the ball…
Additionally, as I mentioned post world cup with regards to why Per was dropped imo, Per as he has gotten older has lost one of his key attributes that made up for his slow pace. Per imho has lost the ability to play the ball forward like he use to do even 3 seasons ago.
At Bremen Per and Frings use to start the teams attack from the back with young and emerging Ozil playing mostly on the rhs but cutting inwards
Back to the team, If one observes, when Le Coq is in the team and we have the ball he moves further forward reminiscent of Alex Song’s era. The difference between then and now is that MA08 dropped deeper to cover Song and create; additionally Song could create by fluke…
TS. When I drove through Stoke they were throwing themselves in the road trying to stop the car so they could burn me inside a wicker effigy of Tony Pulis on top of the local slag heap.
🙂 Adam. You’re on form today…
Thank you Rico. 🙂
🙂 Adam. You must as well give them credit for being above to spot you were a distinguished gent not akin to their ilk.
Afternoon all.
Not news if Alexis is expected to leave this summer.
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/671872/Henrikh-Mkhitaryan-Arsenal-Chelsea-Borussia-Dortmund-London-House-Transfer-News-Gossip
Is Henrikh Mkhitaryan the replacement for Alexis then?
TS. Well spotted. 🙂
Surely you don’t believe The Express Merlin, they are one step above The Metro… 😉
The Daily Mail is the footballing oracle….
After the Bleacher Report that is Brudder.
So then, according to Bild, BM want 40m Euros for Xhaka and Arsenal have offered 25 million Euros… 😳
*****STOP PRESS***** Arsenal taking the piss with a derisory bid?????
No I’m not having that!!
If true, it’s a bloody disgrace!!
Did you see the contract between Chelsea and Nike?
Yes Jm, mega bucks…
Lol. Does AW change or update his transfer list?
The same Mkhitaryan that AW slated Klopp for over paying for when we attempted to sign him on the sly from Shaktar?
Excellent player but why Mk’tan though. Another no.10 who will most probably be played on the wings.
I did JM. But still sections of fans claim IG got us a splendid deal with Puma. lol
Almost every other deal that has been sign post our sponsorship deal has eclipsed ours. .. and its got nothing to do with us not winning the EPL either. imho..
The £25M is old news though. Last summer I talked about AW making a euros 25m bid for Xhaka when he was not known by British media…
Mkhitaryan is more likely a replacement for Ozil not AS17.
IF all this transfer business pans out badly then it’s going to get interesting between the club and the fans.
It sure will Adam.
Ts, i recall you saying Xhaka was the better of all the DM’s we’d been linked to..
Xhaka – Mata – Suarez – Higuain – we’ve been here before…
It’s all very boring.
And predictable.
Wenger could always offer Flamini an extension…
Kev, I said the same thing in January ! Scary thought.
Wenger will most likely deploy:
Mkhitaryan … Ozil …Alexis
…………………Giroud
That is TInkerman Wenger for you!
Remember how he sticks Cazorla and then Ozil at left-flank during their 1st season with us?
Iwobi is still young, raw and developing and should be good for 20+ league games but more than that, he will be knackered and will hamper his development.
Gnabry?
Not too sure how good he is but if he is no better than Joel Campbell or Iwobi, he is just a squad member only, not a starter as an understudy to Alexis at right-flank.
But if Walcott and OX are staying, plus Ramsey is still here, how do we fit in Mkhitaryan as No. 10 especially WIlshere is the “No. 10” if he is injury-free next season and fulfilled his potential.
That 2015/16 Horrendous injury skewed our perception of current squad but Arsene Wenger always maintained that you can’t just go out and buy replacement simply you have injured players, he is always concerned of what if he has a fit squad and then how to give everybody playing time and keeping bench-warmers sweet?
Wenger has a dilemma?
Should he dismantled Brit Pack and sell Gibbs, Jenkinson, Walcott and OX?
Or take a standfast in his belief that Brit Pack will come good next season?
Pre-season in July will be most interesting to see which youngsters will be promoted into senior squad and how many new players will join for pre-season training.
Mick, the really scary thing is that we both know that Arsene will have considered it…
Hasn’t AW already confirmed Flamini is going?
Micko, Rico- As cunning politicians will say ‘all options are on the table’. 😉
AW will always have a trick up his sleeves.
Not when it comes to Flamini Ts, of that I am pretty sure.
David Ginola has suffered a heart attack… That’s a shock!
That is bad news Rico.
It is Adam, not good at all…
Scary and just 49 y.o and very fit
http://www.allarsenal.com/2016/05/arsenalrumours/big-news-as-xhaka-to-arsenal-confirmed-by-friend-and-journalist/
🙂 🙂
Let’s hope this one is true Rico. Not that I have seen him play but he seems to be highly rated.
You got to work at highbury and they gave you money as much as £3.57 boy those where the days.
There’s where we lost the league dropping that many points from being in front in a game.
The reasons will interesting to find out the one that sticks in my mind is Cech’s mistake against palace because it’s the most recent.
Same here Adam, not seen him play at all, but so many reckon he’s good, although a bit of a brute…
What about the defending prior to Cech being beaten? But I do believe he wouldn’t have been pleased to have not stopped that one…
Thing is most times a shot from that far out has no danger and your glad to see a team reduced to taking shots from that far out.
But I’d say Cech was not the only one who was angry I know I was very upset.
Rico. We have needed a brute for a long time. 🙂
‘Shin breaker’ I read Adam… Lol
Yes, we’ve lacked a brute for years. I really hope he comes to Arsenal…
Is that his middle name Rico? 🙂
🙂 Adam, I hope not…
Off for the evening. Night Rico.
Me too. Night Adam, Joe and all..
Catch up tomorrow….
tsgh, that’s why you’ll never catch me down the gym, why take the risk !
Morning all got sunburned yesterday.
I see David Seaman what’s you lot all to shut up. ?
Seems I am ok
Seems now this paper talk Chilwell is going to leave Leicester City a champions league club and champions for Liverpool a club who hasn’t won a worthwhile trophy in god knows. (Not even an fa cup)?
Now according to this paper he could have gone to Arsenal another champions league club but no he snubbed Arsenal.
Wants you lot……
🙂 Joe. Sun stroke so early in the morning? Are you in the Sahara desert?
Good morning Rico and all…
Morning Rico, TS and all.
No little further East but it’s still a desert with lots of wealth heading out now enjoy your day.
Oh by the way I I not qualify in the wealth department
Morning Joe, Ts, Adam and all…
Chilwell is probably settled up north….
Hola Brudder, Rico et al….. feel half full today, must be the copious amounts of Aperol spritz I consumed last night!
It’s amazing really, you can drink gallons of alcohol and the next morning you wake up extremely thirsty with a mouth like Ghandi’s sandal!!
#justsaying
That sounds beautiful Brudder. 🙂
Morning Lee, I’d wake up in a coma and back to sleep again…. 😉
What striker is Wenger signing?
Who would you sign?
Aubameyang?
Although, after Olivier’s magnificent hat trick I am not sure we need another striker.
Isn’t he heading to Real Madrid? I’d pay the apex for Lewandowski… and Kalou!
We aren’t at the races with Olivier as our main striker…. sanchez lewandowski reus with ozil supplying the ammo???
Lewandowski for me and if we can’t get him, Lukaku…
Given that Olivier Giroud ended the season with a storming hat-trick
against former European champions Aston Villa, Arsène Wenger could be
forgiven for wondering whether Arsenal really need to sign a new striker.
It’s so much hassle. Such a palaver. Does he really need that stress? All
that time and all that effort, is it really worth it when you’ve got a
perfectly good Olivier Giroud just waiting to develop into the world’s
greatest striker at the highly promising age of 29? You have to keep the
faith. Let Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain fight it out for Juventus
hotshot Álvaro Morata.
And who do they really have to buy Granit Xhaka now that Jack Wilshere is back to full fitness? Wenger doesn’t seem convinced. With Borussia Mönchengladbach expecting a £35m offer for their Swiss midfielder, they were taken aback to see Arsenal, ever the crack negotiators, start the bidding at £19m. It’s left them perplexed – and they won’t know what’s hit them when Arsenal up their bid by £1.
From the Guardian.
I had to laugh, because reading through the sarcasm I could see the truth in what was written… ?
Morning All
Morning Rico
Chilwell to Liverpool then?
Morning Kev. I don’t believe a word of it… 😉
New post up now..
Tbh Rico, when I read £51 million for Morata I initially though ‘yes, he’s going for it this summer’, but that little voice in the back of my mind was whispering ‘it’s all a con trick, again’…
Yep, get all the season ticket money in amid rumours of Morata, then sign Flamini on for another year and swoop for Kalou…
Morata’s ratio in Italy is 1 goal per 4 games….. not exactly top drawer and they want £50m for him????
Seems fucking steep to me! Makes the price that Suarez went to Arselona for look cheap!!