Surprise turnaround! Wenger has fans back on side & Lacazette set to leave Lyon?

Morning all.

Apart from the stories suggesting Jack Wilshere could miss a month of football due to injury and Alexis Sanchez returns to training today, there’s not a lot of news around to get stuck into. Even the transfer rumour mill has gone quiet these days, well apart from the Benzema saga which is boring now. As I’ve said before, Lacazette seems to be a more logical player for us to sign if Arsene Wenger really wants a striker as he’s younger, quick and he knows where the net is. Apart from when he plays us.

Taking over the Arsenal news in the papers is Jose Mourinho v Arsene Wenger and up until today, most headlines, despite our victory over them, have focussed on events after the match, citing Wenger as the bad guy.

However, Martin Samuel of The Daily Mail has a few words about Mourinho’s ‘boring Arsenal’ jibe:

Boring, boring Arsenal. Well, according to Jose Mourinho anyway. Seriously, we’re going to do this? We are going to take the manager who, more than any other, has refused to compromise his high-minded principles for close to two decades and pretend he’s the dull one?

Arsene Wenger? Dreary? Come on, even mind games need some root in reality. According to Mourinho, Arsenal won the Community Shield on Sunday by shutting up shop. ‘The best team lost and the defensive team won,’ he sneered.

He accused Arsenal of leaving their philosophy in the dressing room and putting 10 players behind the ball. He said Chelsea played with initiative and Arsenal on the counter-attack. He sounded a little worried, actually; protesting too much.

Arsene Wenger has to be one of, if not, the most attack minded managers out there in the world of football. He’s the man who has always maintained the best way to defend is by attacking, which of course we’ve learned it isn’t, as that mindset has been his Achilles heel for many a year now. Even when we took a right old pasting in matches having been so weak defensively, he did little to ensure that didn’t happen again. And it did!

During his most successful years, Wenger had many wonderful attacking players and we scored many wonderful goals but there was always strong back five and an equally strong midfield who would break up so many attacking movements made by the opposition.

If it wasn’t Petit, it would be Vieira just outside our own penalty area who would make that decisive tackle and in seconds, turn defence into attack with power, pace and precision. Edu and Gilberto too, even Grimandi chipped in with his share of defensive worked when called upon…

But they all went and we’ve never quite been the same since. Neither had Arsene Wenger, until now.

To hear him being accused of leaving his philosophy in the changing room should be something to relish because it means he’s changed and to be fair, City and Utd away last season gave us all a hint that change was coming. From the outside it appears that although his ideal way of playing football will always remain, because when you have the kind of players we do in our side, how can it not, but when up against certain clubs, he’s prepared to sacrifice just a little bit of that flair for pragmatic football..

And that’s why this season, we may just have the best chance we’ve had in years to win the league.

More from Martin Samuel:

The idea that Mourinho can call out Wenger for being negative is hilarious anyway. Mourinho is not the one-dimensional, dour strategist of popular imagination, but he is certainly one who knows when to stop taking unnecessary risks, and is not afraid to do that whether for 10 minutes, an entire game or for four months, if the circumstances demand.

Perhaps the real reason he accused Wenger of rejecting his principles is the hope that he can bait his rival into abandoning pragmatism for more useless beauty.

We must hope not. No Wenger team will ever be dull, but a little more realism may give the man his fourth Premier League title.

And if any manager has earned the right to try to win that whatever damn way he pleases, it is him.

Clearly many Arsenal fans are starting to believe again, especially in the manager as he’s just received his highest approval rating in the annual poll of fans by the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust.

Well fancy that eh…..

We have one of the best squads we have had in years, but it still lacks a couple of players imo so fingers crossed we get them over the next few days, weeks…

Have a good Wednesday guys…

154 thoughts on “Surprise turnaround! Wenger has fans back on side & Lacazette set to leave Lyon?

  1. goonster says:

    Am loving this season already 😀 bring on the hammers and hey fuck off morono 😀 morning HH.

  2. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Good Morning Lovlies and Hunkies.

    I liked reading what you cooked in the kitchen of your laptop Lady. Especially the quote by Martin Samuel. As I told Kev a few days ago….there is a difference between parking the bus (a-la Joe Say) and playing the game as it pans out (a-la Ancellotti). Finally it seems that AW has seen light and decided to play the game and that is defending when required and attacking when possible. Aye we defended well, but for Josay to claim we parked the bus is to try and shield himself from attacks from those who know how to read tactical games.

    Was I satisfied with what I saw last sunday with regards the defence? Yes and no. Yes because we adapted to the situation, ……NO because I do not watch the ball. but when an attack is made I watch what the other players were doing……and believe me, had the chavs been aware of it we could have been punished since there will always be holes…..even in parked buses, be they window holes or silencer holes. But they are still holes.

    Is attack the best form of defence. NO. But keeping possession IS.

  3. rico says:

    Morning again all..

    Thanks Bondex..

    Can’t believe it all kicks off again on Sunday and I’m really looking forward to this season. Just need a midfielder please Arsene…

  4. goonster says:

    Great post rico I actually thought that cross fella was an arsenal fan. I ve read some good stuff from him in the past and he was incisive but this is just downright dull. If I didn’t know any better I ll say the media in the UK get their “yeah yeahs”(spelling )pissing us off. Good let’s smash the league 😀

  5. goonster says:

    Hey bondex how are you my friend? Am planning a trip soon to lagos. Hope to run into you 😀 morning dev.

  6. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Morning Loonie…..oooopppssss I apologize…Goonie.

    a trip to lagos?? why not come to the middle of the Med?? for a fortnight. From a blonde adonis I will soon turn you into a TOMATOED ADONIS. Completely red. Imagine a red tomato faced man with blonde hair. Makes you look like a Galatasaray supporter. 😀

  7. goonster says:

    Dev I ll take you up on that 😀 but just to see you. You big old log 😀 plus It ll be fun to get away after a long time being cooked up with rednecks 😀

  8. Wavy says:

    Morning all.

    Topic? Shortages. Go…..
    The vertically challenged one thinks he can out manoeuvre the ‘clever one’. He can’t! Like all small dictators he has a big mouth but cowers when physically challenged. His attacks on other managers are about as subtle as a steam hammer! I believe he has tried to model himself on The red nosed one! But although he thinks he is a very clever operator who has the guile and cunning of an urban fox, I can assure you that he has none of these qualities and does not have the intelligence to find a better way to get the upper hand. He bangs about like a child in a china shop, breaking everything as he goes! Even the press are, at last able to see through his paper thin façade! Far from gaining an advantage from his vituperous outbursts they see his shortcomings and have taken to exposing the paucity of his attempts to talk himself and his team to the top! As if……
    The Portuguese pigmy is something I wouldn’t want on the sole of my shoe! My hope is that his small squad has a disastrous season and the Russian with the dwindling fortune sacks the little shit and puts the black on him so can never work in the UK ever again. And good shut! As they say in my part of the Midlands!

    Nice one Rico, got me off to an aggressive start today! Think I’ll have a look at the garden and think nice thoughts, before it starts bloody raining, again!

  9. Adam says:

    Not bad Stan, thank you. Just gearing up for the coming season and the trials and tribulations it is certain to bring. An emotional rollercoaster, to coin an overused phrase.
    I just watched a totally pathetic interview with the Portuguese dwarf. When Jeff Shreeves asks him about respect between managers his eyes are darting this way and that as he struggles to find an angle where he can appear both agreeable and condescending at the same time. He fails.

  10. Wavy says:

    Not ‘shortages’ should have read, shortarse! Otherwise where’s the sense in what follows? ‘Kin iPad. Like the moron it thinks it has all the answers when in reality it knows f..k all!

  11. Hell Raising Devil says:

    There is a record which I would like to see AFC achieve ……beating the spuddies record of 11 straight wins from the beginning of the season.

    Overturn that and they will not have anything left to brag about.

  12. Wavy says:

    We’ll see, Rico. Don’t hold your breath but if something really angers me or even amuses me then if the muse overtakes me I’ll send you something………..eventually!

  13. rico says:

    Alistair. I hope so..

    Just as I hope you have left your previous ‘captain pizza’ and ‘west sussex’ kind of comments behind you as you enter here with a new name….

  14. scottfromoz says:

    Rico, you’re best post ever, IMO.
    Well done, and bravo.
    Morning guys.welcome Alister, and yes, we will sign more.
    How many and of what quality?
    Who bloody knows Hahahahaha.

  15. allezkev says:

    Ah yes, that post Rico, it was good enough to have won the Great British Bake-off…

    Martin Samuels can write with surprising clarity when the urge gets him…
    A good piece by a West Ham fan…

  16. Canadian Gooner says:

    Good Morning to The Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.

    Rico – Another great article that’s sure to get the discussion going.

    I think potter nailed it the other day when he said that Maureen Yo’s actions are just theatrics to take peoples focus off the failure of his own team.

    The Effluent One, Petulant Portuguese Pygmy, Poisonous Portuguese Pustule, Special Needs One, etc. (choose one or insert one of choice) is such a vile little hypocrite. He, whose team is renowned for it, accuses Arsene of parking the bus. Hah! He accuses Arsene of abandoning his principles of playing attacking football. Hah! This from a man that has no principles and wouldn’t recognize one if it kicked him in the arse. Poor little Joe Say, he really is in danger of becoming the village/borough idiot.

    The one positive from his odious diatribe against Arsene is that it shows that Arsene and our team have him worried. Hopefully he is still spouting the same bile come May.

  17. Wavy says:

    Nah, mi owed cabbie mate! I’m doing missionary work, still, in grottinghamshire! I return to London spasmodically to nostalgically revisit former stamping grounds, from Holloway Road to Leicester Square! And once in a flood to Chingford! Desperation has a strange way of luring a body back to his roots but never for long, sadly.

  18. rico says:

    Thanks Kev, GBBO, that’ll do for me…

    I didn’t know Samuel was a Hammer. That idiot on SS’s in the morning is a Chav fan and boy can’t we tell….

    Morning Cg, thank you.. I too think Potter is right, plus Mourinho is the biggest ‘game player’ out there, just a shame some people can’t see through him…

  19. Canadian Gooner says:

    Kev – Do you think Hayden would be ready to step-up into the first team in the DM/HM position for the 2016/17 season?

  20. Canadian Gooner says:

    Alistair – Welcome to the House.

    Yes! I think Arsene will sign another player or two; but, as usual, it may not be until deadline day when clubs get desperate to balance their books or become realistic about a players’ true worth and are willing to drop their prices.

  21. Hell Raising Devil says:

    With Cech now installed as the undisputed number one, despite his squad number of 33, and with Ches going to Roma….why doesn’t AW give Cech the number 1 shirt?? Will Ospina have the number 1 on the shirt??

  22. allezkev says:

    Ah, ok Wavy…
    It’s just I know the area around Leamington Spa a bit.
    Got a cousin who lives up there.
    It’s ok, but most of the locals follow Villa… 😆

  23. allezkev says:

    Hi CG…
    Hayden?
    You never know mate, I don’t suppose that recalling Coquelin from Charlton was in Wengers plans, so he got lucky and so did we…

    But to me, Hayden has the quality to develop into first team material…

    It’s gonna be interesting watching how Hull, Ipswich, Birmingham, Barnsley and co get on…

  24. rogerbij says:

    Hi Devil, cech chose the number quoted as saying at the time “Starting new chapter at 33 years of age with 333 games in the premier league … That’s an easy choice”

  25. Alistair Stuart Mcmillan says:

    Is Walcott a viable option up front for me no ,I still think we need a forward and cover for coquelin.

  26. Wavy says:

    No, leamington Spa is miles away. I think they still wear wide there, don’t they?!! Whilst we here have a nice line in tailored bison hides!

  27. Hell Raising Devil says:

    well well well.

    Heard it this morning……..

    Woman….Taxi, Taxi

    The cabbie sees her waving and parks the cab near the pavement

    Cabbie…..Kev the Cabbie at your service Ma’am. May I help you

    Woman….Hi. Can you take me to Waterloo please?

    Cabbie…..The station you mean??

    Woman….Well, I am a bit fucking late for the battle now dont you think???

  28. David says:

    Mou has double standards. He is the master of boring games packing the bus. Arsenal were defending becuause they had a lead and chelski had to attack to find a goal simple as that.
    Arsenal defended well to protect their lead and at the end the won square. If Mou and his boring team scored first he would done exactly what Arsenal did strange that now he is complaining holy thou please.

  29. Adam says:

    Chingford! The Hollywood of East London. Excellent Thai restaurant there that I intend to take Kev to. Holloway Road. One of my old stomping grounds too Wavy.

  30. Canadian Gooner says:

    Kev was disappointed, he thought he had a fare all the way to Belgium. It’ll take a lot of KAT to make up for that

  31. potter says:

    Whereabouts are you on the island devil.I am trying to get a week in Polis or Latchi haven’t been there for a long time. Went to Aphrodite’s pool that didn’t work so I thought of a midnight swim round the rock.

  32. Hell Raising Devil says:

    yes Rico I know. but he chose it when Ches was still at the club with the No 1.

    Now that number 1 is vacant….why doesnt Cech take it? since he gave the reason for 33 years at the club having made 333 appearance and hence that is why he choose it…..now will it remain vacant or will it be given to Ospina???

  33. Hell Raising Devil says:

    maybe I am not communicating it correctly………

    now with Ches out of the way…..is the number 1 shirt going to remain vacant or is it going to be given to Ospina or MArtinez???

  34. Canadian Gooner says:

    Kev – I had to Google that one. If I ever make it to London I’ll have you drive me there.

  35. allezkev says:

    Never mind about Canada Water….

    Google the Maple Leaf, Maiden Lane.
    Now that’s worth a visit…
    You can treat me to several pints of Moosehead…. 😛

  36. goonster says:

    Cech looks settled already 😀 wow am loving this new season. Bring on the hammers. Come on 😀

  37. Canadian Gooner says:

    Kev – I’ll see if my older son has time to check it out this autumn. If he says it’s okay, you have a deal.

  38. goonster says:

    Bondex I won’t miss it for the world 😀 how are u my man? It’s been a while. Is lagos still arsenal mad like it used to? God I ve never seen fans that fanatical. Lol. The emirates crowd could learn a few tricks from fans outside the UK.

  39. Adam says:

    In case anyone is interested in what an English imbecile has to say then just read Lord Coe, or dickbrain as he is commonly known, accusing Wenger of being “mean-spirited” for not shaking the infected hand of the Portuguese Prick on Sunday. Where did I read this sycophantic, give-me-some-money Mr Abramovich,, steaming pile of horse crap. Why, it’s Lord Dickbrain’s first column in the Chelsea program of course. You really couldn’t make this shite up.

  40. frednerk says:

    Maureen talking about parked buses,

    I think we changed last season regarding keep ball,
    and went for bodies behind.
    We seem to have accepted most of our midfielders
    couldn’t tackle a Full-English,and gone for
    packing out the midfield …… last third.
    The trouble in keeping the ball you need movement
    and that’s been our problem..bombing up front ect.
    It maybe against wengers ideals,
    but against the top teams 1 nil is all you
    need.
    That’s what Maureen had the arshole about
    we didn’t take the bait.

  41. allezkev says:

    Just read that Evening Standard piece reporting on Seb Coes comments…

    What a knob…

    Always preferred Steve Ovett…

  42. Dublingunner says:

    Afternoon, totally agree with the Article in the Mail this morning, a particular quote stood out,
    “For years, the criticism of Arsenal has been that the team lack steel. Now, if Wenger applies it, he is derided as negative”. just shows the hypocricy of the media. Wenger has Mourinho clearly rattled, the hope is we don,t let ourselves down now, after a fantastic pre-season. Lets kick on.

  43. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Kev, when I read Coe’s comments I was amazed. Aperson of his stature remain impartial even if he supports Chelsea. And we all saw what exactly happenned. Hosay did not offer his hand to AW. infact he turned his shoulder. AW saw this and proceeded on.

    I hope all the managers saw this and all of them refuse to shake Hosay’s hand in every game. but I am not holding my breath.

  44. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Can this team go unbeaten??

    If we get strength in depth at DM and a better finisher then yes I feel it will do so.

    Difficult. but not impossible.

    We have done it once……remember

  45. Dublingunner says:

    Mourinho didn’t offer to shake Wenger,s hands in the tunnel before the game. Then he bitched because he was blanked in front of his beloved cameras.

  46. Dublingunner says:

    Interesting that the same guy, the Spanish reporter Emanuele Giulianelli, that’s saying the Benzema deal is done and has told his entourage that he’s excited about Wenger and the Gunners, also tweeted these beauties last August.
    “Vargas will arrive at Arsenal on loan” and
    “As I told you Manolas has done a medical for Arsenal” Who can ye believe ?

  47. tsgh says:

    The cynic in me sees lord coe’s comments as an attempt to divert the circus away from the news of doping in athletics…

    then again conspiracy is bollox so… 😉

  48. rico says:

    Evening all..

    Joe, I thought you always wanted him to stay… 😉

    Steve Cram was my favourite, Coe is just a twit, a posh one at that…. lol

  49. Dublingunner says:

    Evening Rico, I think what was telling monday was, Benitez when asked about Benzema again . Said “hopefully” he can stay.That seems a bit of a climb down from, “he wont be leaving” I Think the decision now lies with Benzema, also some Respected journalists at the Guardian and Telegraph are now reporting Benzema/Arsenal stories.

  50. goonster says:

    Watching the game again 😀 can’t get enough. Maybe we should make a DVD like the spuds down the lane 😀 what do you think ts?

  51. eduardo says:

    0-0 at half time

    Arsenal Under-19s v VfB: Huddart, O’Connor, Chatzitheodoridis, Dasilva, Osei-Tutu, Mourgos, Pileas, Donovan, Sheaf, Hinds, Fortune
    subs: Keto, Eyoma, M. Bola, T. Bola, Pleguezuelo, Zelalem, Willock.

  52. tsgh says:

    Lol goonie.

    Nah. the ginger tw@t on the radio will slate us to death…; we are a big club, thee are more bigger fishes to fry. 😉

  53. tsgh says:

    lol Potter

    with John Terry’s quote ‘ I want to be loved when I retire’ stamped on it…
    Arsene Fans; That will never happen John!

  54. Dublingunner says:

    Javier Mascherano’s agent Gustavo Mascardi has told @tuttosport that his client wants to leave Barça this summer. Could do worse!!!. Inter said to be favourites.

  55. rico says:

    Evening Dublin – hardly convincing was he…

    Ts, I read that earlier about Sam Fox’s partner, dreadfully sad…. Evil bastard cancer yet again!

  56. eduardo says:

    sheaf scores the first penalty

    stuttgart level

    Willock scores

    Huddart got a touch but its level again

    Da Silva scores

    Huddart saves

    O’Connor fires over the bar

    Huddart saves again

    Zelalem scores to send Arsenal into the final to face PSV on sunday

  57. Dublingunner says:

    Well done u/19s. mascherano for me too, has just turned 31. a 3 year contract. get in Arsene.

  58. tsgh says:

    Jose sounds like he wants a new striker… Panic has set in. 🙂

    I think 4th or 5th is where they will finish come May next year.

  59. Hell Raising Devil says:

    I am shocked. cant believe it. even my fingers are trrembling while I type.

    The spuddies have actually won a 3rd place trophy in the Audi cup. its so unreal seeing them happy with a trophy.

    while we have won a shield which means nothing by beating an aging Chav side 1-0. tsk tsk

  60. Adam says:

    Morning Rico and all. Any bad news at Chelsea is great news here. A pox on their house.
    As for us? We’re still a couple short I would think.

  61. Lee says:

    Messi head butted someone last night and got away with it…..

    So Hazard is as good as Messi according to the midget. Messi had three Ballon d’Ors at 24yrs old how many has the serial diver?

  62. rico says:

    Morning Adam. I’d say two also…

    Oops, AW won’t be happy with Gabriel then, harming one of his favs will not have gone down well at all…

  63. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Ches conceded only two Rico. he played the first half only. And he made a string of wonderful saves and twice did double saves. The goals Neymar and Messi scored were good goals….typical of their vision and Ches was not at fault for any of them.

    The only fault Ches had was his distribtution. but then we know that. Otherwise he had an excellent first half.

  64. Hell Raising Devil says:

    unbelievable…….so called supporters who are idiots imo are blaming Gabriel for injuring Jack. Keown used to whack DB10 everyday in training. If Jack is brittle then no one is to blame.

    Jack Wheelchair needs to have an injury free season yes……but if he is brittle than he should be replaced. I used to think that it was only with us that players got frequent injuries.

    BUT….RVP went to Manure and still was injured most of the time.

    Hosay keeps complaining that he does not know when Costa is fit or not…..he seems to suffer from his hamstrings.

    So its notour methods or something. its in the nature of players’ bodies. Barton never seems to get injured does he.

    So imo AW should buy a midfielder and forget about Jack. introduce him slowly throughout a season and only as a sub late in the game. And let him build up slowly.

    if he does not break again.

  65. tsgh says:

    Morning Rico and all…

    Dev- in my view apart from Willian and Hazard without costa I don’t se where the goals will come from this season.

    Cf04 is finished. He can still pick a pass but only from a deeper position. that will mean he needs a RVP type of striker in front of him not Costa or Falcao…

  66. potter says:

    Jack it seems is taking Diaby’s mantle in Wenger’s heart.When he is fit he is a class act but if Arsenal are to get anything like his value he needs to be wrapped in cotton wool. Could be that he has a low estrogen level which causes a loss of bone mass . Men apparently get this from Testosterone which is a banned substance so can’t be added as a supplement . Then again I am sure the club doctors will have looked at this .

  67. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Ginge….I said that about CF04 after the last game we played them….remember the friendly match last Sunday 😉

    Potter….low estrogen level??? loss of bone mass due comes from lack of Testosterone. so that means his estrogen level is higher than usual.

    Real men can tell JW how to pump up his Testosterone level…..and it does not need him taking supplements. Just use the damn tool Lad. 😛 the more its used the more its produced regularly.

  68. tsgh says:

    Lol what friendly? 😉

    I think JW’s issue is to do with his ‘bow-leggedness’…

    I think he puts strain on parts of his ankle not designed to handle that.

    There were rumours that he was re-taught how to walk and run on treadmills after his long lay-off 2 years ago. The issue is that when one is running in anger we revert back to our natural default…

    He probably needs a specially designed football boots that will mitigate against that…

  69. rico says:

    Morning Ts..

    My own view is that he had his injuries so early in life, his bones have never really recovered/grown properly…

  70. potter says:

    You might be right there , I’m no doctor just a retired car spares salesman but I read this information when my wife was diagnosed with osteoporosis.

    If you look at men who lack an enzyme to make even small amounts of estrogen because they were genetically born that way,” says Mystkowski, “they get osteoporosis. If you give them estrogen, their osteoporosis improves. So even though estrogen doesn’t circulate in very high concentrations in men, it’s a critical factor for bone health.”

    He long windedly goes on to say that Testosterone converts to estrogen in men. However if he finds the right woman your method sounds better than popping pills although it might explain Ts’s theory of bow leggedness.

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