Morning Gooners,
In my heart and mind, Ex Arsenal Captain Tony Adams will never be anything other than a hero.
He led us to:
First Division/Premier League: 1988–89, 1990–91, 1997–98, 2001–02
FA Cup Winners: 1992–93, 1997–98, 2001–02
Football League Cup Winners: 1986–87, 1992–93
FA Community Shield: 1991 (shared), 1998, 1999
UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup: 1993–94
Their aren’t many Arsenal players, past or present who can boast that…
Six of his medals were won under the current manager Arsene Wenger, the same man who rejuvenated his career in many ways. He stood by him through his darker times. In fact in September 1996, shortly after Wenger took over as manager, Adams finally had the strength to admit his addiction to alcohol, something he had struggled with on his own for many years.
Since hanging up his boots and taking a step into coaching/managing, his record is not anywhere near as good, in fact is so poor, it’s not even worth writing about.
Recently though, he has found reason to question his old boss and the way he and the board are running our/his club, especially the way in which we keep selling off our so-called better players.
It sends out all the wrong messages for me, being a selling club. Piece by piece for seven years, it chips away at your credibility. Selling your best players is part of that.
I very much see Arsenal as the biggest club in the world, so I can’t understand why anybody would want to play anywhere else – but I can understand it was very different for me.
I had people in the boardroom who were very ambitious and wanted to win like me – that’s easy then, your contract goes in front of you and you sign it because you are all pulling in the same direction.
Robin wants to win and he thinks that he can win things with Manchester United and he can’t with Arsenal. That is hard to take.
I am looking at it not as an ex-player or pundit, but as a fan and giving what the fans are thinking and feeling.
Some will disagree with me, they will see his comments as a dig at the board only and of course you could be right. Stan Kroenke and his merry men are the ones who allow the constant selling of players and at any time they could step in and change things. They could show more ambition, they could spend more money each transfer window but they don’t.
Whether Arsene Wenger is part of, or in agreeance with the way the majority shareholder goes about his business is probably something we will never know for sure until Wenger steps down, but either way, Big Tony doesn’t like it…
He also spoke about his own future in management:
I’ve done the lower leagues and it’s a different style of managing. No disrespect but I don’t want to be Swansea boss, either. They probably don’t want me. Aston Villa? What’s the point? What can you do with them? So it’s the Arsenal or nothing and I’m not ready for that.
But I’d love to manage Arsenal one day. Not at the moment because they have a very good manager who is off selling all their best players so I’d better not go there next week!
Ah, penny drops – Big Tony wants Arsene Wenger’s job, actually, maybe he wanted Steve Bould’s job?
Whatever, he isn’t happy but if he really wants a job back with the club he loved and still loves, taking a swipe at them in the press is not the way to get it….
Tony, you were and still are, better than that!
Rumours were going around yesterday that Szczesny could be out between 2-3 months because of his ankle injury. How much truth is in this I don’t know but hopefully it’s very little but Vito Mannone is starting to talk as if he expects to keep the gloves for a little while.
That’s it for another day, have a good one all…..
I love Tony but his exploits in management so far don’t really label him as a candidate for Arsene’s job.
It does kinda sound like he’s a tad jealous of Steve Bould. Tony has always been a tad over the top and I think like Merson before him, it shows that good ex-players don’t always make good pundits/managers.
Tony Adams a great player in his day, but manager of Arsenal? Never in a million years.
“I’ve done the lower leagues” Not that well it has to be said.
“I don’t want to be Swansea boss” There isn’t a vacancy Tony.
“Aston Villa? What’s the point” You have to start somewhere.
“So it’s The Arsenal or nothing” It’s nothing then Tone!.
Stick to the good works Tony, avoid punditry and forget about managing Arsenal.
Although a lot of what TA says has an air of truth about it if he really has any desire for the Managers job surely he should learn when to keep his thoughts to himself as he ain’t done himself any favours has he..?
we all love Tony, but as a ex arsenal player. he seems very bitter now .maybe he wanted something with us again but it was a no.we have steve bould now and he seems to be doing just great
Agree with you JW, he ain’t a hope in hell of getting the job in any case but his comments really should be kept to himself seeing as an ex Captain of the club he know’s exactly what the media are like and will love to feed on shit like that…….!
Morning Rico and all. Every Arsenal fan has a place in his heart for Tony Adams but his time in management has hardly been a roaring success has it? There is an air of desperation about him at the moment and Sky will love this and exploit it. They thrive on controversy and will wheel big Tone out more regularly perhaps when we play in Europe perhaps alongside Glenda and uncle Fester again. He has become something of a football intellectual in his mind but I fear he is punching somewhat above his weight. Sad.
Morning all, just a quick hello and off annoyingly, few things to do today so catch up later…..
morning all…Tony is fighting hard to be relevant…he wants to be heard,its only a pity this garbage is coming out of his mouth.
@Adam I’ve learnt to delete every memory of disrespectful player current or ex…Tony’s place in my heart is now vacant,i’m filling it with Johan djourou for now.
I can see you’ve turned to the Dark Side Bondex………….. DJ…. That really is the last straw 😀
W.A.T.H,
Back in the days of the Wilson government the Soviet Union employed whaqt they called “Useful Idiots”, Usually low ranking Labour MPs and trade unionists. They were used to feed subversive stories to the British press and to undermine the government and the country as a whole. Sky seem to be doing the same thing, employing useful idiots that is. They have a plethora of people like Merson, and now Adams, who can be put in a studio and encouraged to open their mouths and spout rubbish.
So much of what “former players” etc say about their former clubs is untrue as they no longer have an insider’s access.
Tony Adams does sound bitter and I’m sure that that has a lot to do with Steve Bould’s appointment to a job he thought should have been his own.
@ WATH at least i know what I’m getting my self into…. 😆
Good morning Rico and fellow Gooners.
Yes, “…a lot of what TA says has an air of truth about it…”, but there is an undertone of bitterness in his statements. Whether he is bitter that his old teammate Steve is in a position that he covets, he regrets the lack of success in his own managerial carrer, carrying some old grudges, or all of those; who knows. Unless he has been grossly misquoted. I can’t ever see him managing Arsenal.
His statements remind me of the recent ones of our former player the Lying Dutchman. It is all very self-serving.
Usefull idiots……. 😆 😆
Bondex. I can recommend a therapist for that condition. His name is Ian Wright. 🙂 he is always the voice of reason.
Merson appears to have reigned it back a bit. But why anybody should accept the opinion of a man who admits to spending £7 million on drugs, alcohol and gambling and then last year, drives his Merc into the back of a lorry at 80mph, while drunk, on a motorway and says that he didn’t see it, is beyond me.
Morning all,
Very good post Rico,
I watched Tony Adams on the television the other night, wouldn’t suprise me if he has slipped back to his old drinking haunts, hopefully not. I sometimes wonder why ex players have to speak in the negative when they leave when they comment on our football .Top 4 for fifteen years and European football and they feel the need to sow dodgy comments, We sell players who want to move to better their careers spelt as Wenger has stated that he only wants players who want to be here. When you look at the players we have sold you will notice that there was very little we could do to keep them Henry in my mind we kept him here a year too long Fabregas was desperate to go he even paid some of his own transfer fee Nasri went for the money we simply couldnt compete with his wage demands Clichey also asked for a move as with Cole. And Robin he wanted a longer contract but we have rules in place he also wanted the move. Personally i feel we have replaced these players with similar players of course in Robins case it remains to be seen if we have replaced with a 30 goal a season player but as Robin was with us eight years before he scored 30 we still have quite a bit of time to find out.
TONY couldn’t even handle Portsmouth
As JW says Adam, lots of these pundits are there as sky want to stir the pot…! Very few on sky talk any sense what so ever and lets be honest sky are there to get reactions it makes most tune in again… it’s the carrot and the rabbit scenario… we as fans bite as it’s comments we don’t really want to hear so we react and then we watch to see what other crap they come out with. I think TA is a bitter but he hasn’t as said set the world alight with what he’s done as a coach trainer and not wanting to work his way up really means I can’t be bothered it seems…! So then you’ll be on Sky til you retire then Tone…!
Job to do catch you later 🙂
You not helping AK on the roof are you Steve..?
Yeah Bondex, but he was learning from The Master, Harry bloody Redknap for crying out loud!
JW — “Useful Idiots” – a very interesting take on the situation. It has a certain ring of truth about it.
I’m sure Mr. Adams would not appreciate it if one of his own former players or Arsene reciprocated with similar comments about him. However, I’m not sure that any of his former players have a high enough profile to attract the attention of the Arsenal hating English media.
If Mr. Adams truly had the state of our club at heart and had something constructive to say, I’m sure he could arrange a face-to-face meeting with Arsene. Then again, maybe not, if that is the level of his input. He hasn’t done anything at a high enough level of achievement or difficulty to be considered for the post of Arsenal manager.
ath you holding the fort again, no mate AK’s a one man band, catch you later mate. 🙂
The media certainly know who to shove a microphone in front of when they need something to write about,don’t they?
Morning all.
For an occasional pundit, who is on call and contracted to Sky so they can do a co-commentary on a match or get called in to appear on some ghastly panel or other with masses of make-up and hair gel thrown in, the pay is £10k a week. About a half mill a year. This doesn’t include Jeff Stelling’s little clan on a Saturday afternoon who get much more.
It all gets much clearer doesn’t it?
Adam,
£10k a week??? Sign me up! I can talk b******s with the best of them…and I won’t need much gel, the make up will be necessary however.
I’m not sure who said it, and it was about an almost bald politician, but I recall the quote ” this man has more hair than wit”. Check out the hair styles of the Sky line-up.
Every season we get the same approach from the the media — Arsenal a club in crisis. The start to last season gave the gutter press plenty of woe to feed on. This season we have had a slow but steadily improving start with the promise of much more to come. Not much negativity to feed on there. So, trot out the ‘informed source’ of a former player to rehash the recent past. If this is the level of his insight into football management, I don’t see Mr. Adams being anything more than a mouth for hire.
JW. 🙂
I simply love the way that the Sky make-up girls take the piss by gelling up Charlie Nicholas and now, Le Tissier to give them a yoof-full look. And, as I have mentioned before, they are endowing tubby little Jeff Stelling with the whiff of a gelled Mohican. It will never rival the creations that adorn Clichy or Cashley’s heads obviously, but it is suitably cringe-worthy nevertheless. High Def is worth it just to see Charlie Nic’s grey, spiked configuration locking horns with Le Tissier’s style of gay abandonment.
Adam,
We can all decry Sky’s attempts to drum up “audience share” but look at today’s response to Rico’s post, just a mention of TA’s comments and we are all leaping on to our keyboards and rattling out own views.
Ah! The power of the press!
I suspect Adams contacted Wenger about being Pat Rice replacement & was snubbed, probably feels he has some divine right to expect the club to employ him in some capacity because of his years of playing service but, I am afraid he is just a bit too thick & doesn’t realise it … Still a gooner legend though
Tony Adams comments the other day were so negative you would’ve thought the whole Arsenal corporation was fatally flawed – well it may be – but I think not. It is more a case of sour grapes. I’m fairly certain he spoke to Wenger, when he knew Pat Rice was quiiting, and he was given the bums rush. A bit of a kick in the ……cks! especially when he realised that the 5th member of the ‘back four’ had been given the job. After all TA was captain and boss! Not Bouldy, about whom so much has been written recently and nothing less tha
…than positive. (computer glitch)
I think that something very similar occurred with Vieira, he came back from Italy looking for forgiveness and found none, neither as a player or as a back room boy. I think Wenger had had enough of him and didn’t rate him as anything much beyond a once excellent footballer but a body who carried far too much negative baggage and so could offer lottle of a positive nature to AFC
Cont……
Same with Adams – nothing to offer!
JW. More like the power of Rico’s post I think. 🙂
Morning all – I would never describe selling Adebayor, Toure and Glichy as “selling our best players”. We got extremely good deals for all of them and none were really missed… And as Stevie Palmer quite rightly says … Henry stayed a year too long..
We had the opportunity to keep Fabregas here, but like Reyes he wanted to go home. Sad but what do you do?
Van Persie and Nasri went for the money. There is no other reason than that of wanting more money.
Selling Ashley Cole was a massive mistake, but selling Song was a the ultimate master stroke.
Tony Adams was a great player for us, but like most on here state – a great player doesn’t make a great pundit … just look at Wright and Shearer.
We are in great shape. Get four points out of the City and Chelsea games and we’ll be looked at much differently by the press.
For the first time in years we look like we have a TEAM and not just a bunch of gutless albeit talented underlings feeding the star player as in Henry & Van Persie’s case….
“”Top 4 for fifteen years and European football and they feel the need to sow dodgy comments.””
You see it riles me when people criticise these comments made by former players such as Wright , Adams , Merson and Nicholas. They may spout copious amounts of rubbish but one thing doesn’t change in their make up , they were all winners and all had a great connection to our club . They see things from a winning perspective and qualification for a competition and finishing 3rd or 4th frankly Is not winning.
Wavy. I can lend a modicum of insight to the Vieira situation here. PV messed the club around for a few seasons with his “will he go, will he stay?” nonsense. Both Arsene and Dein found it hard to stomach. As per usual here was a player on a road to nowhere as Desailly’s oft injured back up in Milan. Wenger and Arsenal made Vieira but perhaps foolishly expected some degree of loyalty from him. The old chestnut about PV using his own quality as a lever, demanding that world-class players be bought only for Wenger to remind him that he wasn’t world-class when he came is powerful and true. It seems that Wenger had noted that Vieira’s game was fading and that injuries were taking their toll so, when a suitable offer came in, they sold him. I know for a fact that he was and is mightily pissed off about it still. In essence they waited and then took the initiative and power away from Patrick and that was a situation that he couldn’t handle. Hence his negativity now.
JW — I think many Arsenal fans are just tired of the continual negative slant to the coverage of our club by the commercial media. I found it very telling when I found the analysis and reporting of the Liverpool and Southampton games more unbiased and balanced on those club’s fan websites than I did in most of the newspapers and television commentary.
Unfortunately many of our fans are beginning to buy into the negativity because of the constant stream of verbal and printed diarrhea spouted by the media. To me it will only mean that winning will be that much sweeter.
Potter. It is the copious amounts of rubbish that you rightly point out that they spout that is the problem. Not what they did when they were at Arsenal.
SYG — After all of Cashley ‘Ole’s lies and clandestine meetings with Chelski, it would have been impossible to keep him. He didn’t and wouldn’t have acted in a professional manner. He forced his move.
CG. And what a charming human being he has turned into eh?
Adam — All I can say is that he is a good player. Anything more than that would require language that Rico wouldn’t and shouldn’t permit in the House. His ethics are lower than a snakes belly in a wagon rut.
SYG… i wouldn’t rate henry and RVP the same henry had at least 7 out of 8/9 great years RVP had 1 out of 8.
@ CG, i totally agree …..Canadian Gooner says:
September 20, 2012 at 11:32 am
Adam — All I can say is that he is a good player. Anything more than that would require language that Rico wouldn’t and shouldn’t permit in the House. His ethics are lower than a snakes belly in a wagon rut.
“Useful Idiot” that’s another one learnt today…
As much as their theories are often misplaced their sentiments are not. They want to win and in their opinion the policy of contented inertia that they perceive is not conducive to attaining that goal.
Anyone remember this?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1190445/Wim-Jansen-shoots-Portsmouth-flop-Tony-Adams-strange-pitch-form-new-Celtic-double-act.html
We should all respect Big Tone for everything that he has given to the club, and if anyone has earned the right to question the decisions by the board and manager, its him. The problem lies in the supremely negative nature of his comments and the manner in which they are articulated. He seems to have an exaggerated sense of self importance of almost Garth Crookian proportions when discussing all things Arsenal. Its painful to watch him speak and clumsily fail to affect an air of gravitas he so obviously lacks.
Its not the worst thing in the world that he has been recruited by sky, he will sooner or later put his foot in it and be exposed as a complete buffoon, further diminishing the already questionable credibility he has as a pundit and manager. All that would serve to ensure that the closest he ever gets to the hot seat at the emirates is when he borrows Arsene’s posh Japanese heated toilet!
Thanks for the great memories Tony, but just as i wouldnt hire lewis hamilton as my mechanic, i would never ever want you in any management capacity at our great club.
You’re totally right Bondex @11:34 – I just used them as an example of the “star player” in a one-dimensional system …
…Much of the time Henry played as one of the star men in a lot better side…
Adam @11:21 am … fair point, Adam ..
I would never judge a football player and what he does off the field.. As a person I am extremely open-minded and I deal with all walks of life..
…John Terry, Ashley Cole, Joey Barton or even Paul Merson, Tony Adams … They are all human and as such they have flaws. We all do – me especially. So long as they do their stuff on the field … it should be irrelevant ….
…If they were muggers, rapists or paedophiles then I’d obviously take a different view…
What Tony has to remember is that Bould has been serving a long apprenticeship at the club and has been happy to learn his trade as the guy behind the scenes. The likes of AVB, Steve Clarke, Brendan Rodgers and even Mourinho himself have done this under great managers at big clubs, spending time as coaches looking and learning in the background and taking on board all the lessons.
Tony’s forays into management have not been entirely successful and his managerial CV doesn’t look that good at the moment especially for a club at Arsenals level. He really needs to be doing as Bould has done and spend time at a bigger club under a more experienced manager as a coach. This could even be, and may be better to be, overseas. I think Tony’s mistake is in going from one smaller club to the next as a manager and not really setting the world alight. He seems to want to get there too quickly and doesn’t seem to be prepared to be the background coach for a significant period of time and look and learn.
I have no doubt that Tony could bring a lot to the table as a coach but to be the manager and main man takes another set of skills in areas like tactical analysis, man management and psychology. It is these areas that I think let down certain ex great players from being good managers, and not their ability to coach day in day out. It is this area that he needs to be observing under a more experienced manager and asking that manager questions about how they would address certain situations tactically or with certain players. If he doesn’t look at this more long term then I am afraid he will never be considered as management material at any club at the top level.
What is wrong with u arsenal fans, adams,viera,lunjback and pires were talking u are saying rubbish, do u want to turn afc to dictatorship under wenger. Ex and legend players know more than u. Short up senseless fans.
goonernim — I agree with a lot of what you have said. However, too many former players, ours and and others, are more concerned with the number of minutes on the mike or camera, or column inches than in their content. Just because you have been a player doesn’t give you carte blanche or the knowledge to comment on or crticise everything in football.
I find it somewhat ironic that one of the few of our former players, other than Steve Bould, that I could see managing the club is Dennis Bergkamp. A player who when he first retired said he was not interested in coaching or managing. Yet, he is now serving his apprenticeship in the Ajax system. I think he may possess the temperment for coaching or management.
Can anyone explain just why it is that we suffer such negative reporting? There really does seem to a concerted attempt to undermine the club by all sections of the media.
One recent example was in the Telegraph when they gave more prominence to Walcott’s contract situation than they did to reporting the excellent gaol he scored against Southampton.
Is it a “Little Englander” mentality? After all we did appoint a foreign manager some years ago, although is Wenger any more foreign than Ferguson, Shankley, Docherty, and a host of other non-Englishmen who have managed in this country. Maybe it’s because Wenger recognised and highlighted the paucity of quality English born players and went about signing foreigners who then showed by their superior skill just what was lacking in English football.
Maybe it’s because we don’t give the media the opportunity to report on our players hitting each other with golf clubs or stubbing out cigars in team-mates eyes or making racist remarks to opponents. Maybe the media hate us because our fans don’t use loathsome, hate filled chants about a disastrous air crash in 1958 or the deaths of ninety-six fans at Hillsborough twenty-three years ago.
Just what is it that we have done to deserve the terrible press that we get?
the funny thing is if he was given the go ahead to become Arsenal fc’s coach, his friends at skysports will be the first to laugh at us and label NFA’s…..(no future ambition)
Well enough, maybe more than enough, from me for one day. Have a good day my fellow Gooners. Till tomorrow.
AK — Glad to hear you made it safely back to terra firma.
A great coach/ass. manager doesn’t always make a great manager.
Malcolm Allison is possibly the greatest example of brilliance at being a No. 2 and a woeful No. 1…
Bobby Moore was “supposedly” a great, great player … and as reported he applied on numerous occasions for many a top manager’s post, but only ever got placated at Oxford and Southend …
Factoid: Allison and Moore both played at centre-half in the same “very promising” West Ham side before Allison lost a lung to TB.
CG,
I’m in total agreement with you about Bergkamp, I think in time he will make a first class manager for our club. That said however, I think Bouldy is above him on the list at the moment, I suspect that he is being tried out to see how well he fits the “Future Arsenal Manager Profile”. When Wenger leaves, on completion of twenty years in the job, Bould will be promoted and, I hope, Bergkamp will come in as his assistant. What the Americans call “The Dream Ticket”
hey guys, how’s it going? leave BIG TONY alone you muppet. he just want to be relevant. poor old fool…..but hey he is an arsenal legend though so please dont ever mention his name with twats like cashley, RIP and bondex’s inlaw ade the whore! COYGS!!!!!
hiya SYG, how’s tricks? where’s adam?
goonster says:
September 20, 2012 at 12:56 pm
hey guys, how’s it going? leave BIG TONY alone you muppet. he just want to be relevant. poor old fool…..but hey he is an arsenal legend though so please dont ever mention his name with twats like cashley, RIP and bondex’s inlaw ade the whore! COYGS!!!!!…….you’ve been creaming up through your nose lately i guess …… ade will and can never be my inlaw…
JW @ 12:42 pm
I read Eric Alexander’s (chairman / Director – Man City) autobiography when I was on holiday this year… He mentioned the snobbery re: getting an invite into Arsenal’s boardroom… nothing malicious, just how ALOOF the club were …
Nothing much has changed, the press get drip-fed boring and vastly boring and edited PR … If we were winning everything, it would be acceptable – but we are not … As a club we come over as ALOOF and we haven’t won anything for seven years … We are there to be knocked …
But it’s not all negative – there’s some pro-Arsenal journalists and pundits … they aren’t all window lickers
hahahahaah, just pulling your legs fella….how have you been? i missed you up here. hey ade is from togo right? yikes sorry my man thought he was nigerian! but hey i met a fella back in lagos with the exact name! what’s that about???
Adam was knocking about earlier, Stan. Slow news day.
v’s Man City 0-0, 1-1 or 0-1 to the Arsenal…
i ll take the last one SYG. I believe we ll be too strong for them.
Afternoon Gooners….
Interesting post Rico…..
Canuck, not been up there yet today, many many other jobs pending mate….
Not sure what to think about the Adams scenario….
Stan, how are ya, you crazy bum…
i hear they have a “RB” crisis right now! am sure gervinho ll be rubbing his hands in glee. that id is on fire. so glad i never doubted him.
Mankini will play it tight up at Wastelands and look for a 1-0 in typical Italian fashion….
We’ve gotta do likewise and just grind it out.
0-0 is good. 0-1 would be stupendous…
Hiya SYG.
Zabaletta, Micah Richards, Kolo Toure all can play right back … Are they all injured?
haahahahahaha AK, did you just call me a “crazy bum”…that’s all WATH! Not me.
Afternoon Kev… Running the gym until four … Have you been busy?
You like Heavy Metal then Stan?
Who in particular do you like???
Adam is a big fan of Slipknot.
Rico likes those heavy rockers, The Three Degrees…
never mind SYG they are not specialist RB, gervinho ll have a field day. am positive, we ll turn them over at the wastelands.
SYG,
Maybe you’re right, maybe it is a PR problem, maybe we don’t pay enough attention to the press hacks. But should we start giving away inside information? Should we give a daily press report on player injuries? Maybe discuss in public our transfer targets? Should Wenger do an ‘Arry and wind down his window and give an off the cuff briefing on our tactics for the next game?
Frankly I’d rather the club kept the press at arms length, kept the clubs business to itself and went on doing things The Arsenal Way. We’ll just have to learn to live with the negativity until we win a few trophies and can then rub the detractors noses in it.
I know gooniee…..would rather someone else than ade……his parents are from nigeria.
rico likes rockers!!!! i knew it. i knew there was something fishy about that lady! wow…..
Yeah SYG, having a massive clear-out of the garage…
The stuff we collect, i could do a car boot sale on my own.
Roofing later this afternoon when my mate gets here…
The gym, hmm, not sure i’m gonna do a session up mine this visit…
Not good..!
so what’s he doing representing togo? that guy just irks me. grrrrr
Bondex, Chuks Aneke has Nigerian parents…
Nigeria tried to take him, but i think he’s gonna represent England…
yeah i read that too somewhere AK….wonderful prospect though.
The Arsenal column: Walcott does want to stay – but freezing him out isn’t the way to persuade him to sign a new deal
Don’t drop him. Don’t freeze him out. Certainly don’t boo him. Give him some love. Give him games and he will deliver. I’m certain of that.
By John Cross
You will struggle to meet a nicer footballer than Theo Walcott.
In fact, if there was such a thing as a prototype Premier League player then Walcott would fit the mould just perfectly.
Smart, good looking, young, humble, charming, genuine and dedicated. You won’t find this player falling out of nightclubs. He’s really committed and has a deep affection for his club.
Oh, and the other really good thing about him is that he’s an excellent footballer. Goals, assists and pace. He’s a regular for club and country – or at least he has been.
Walcott has been pushed down the pecking order under Roy Hodgson as the England manager appears to prefer James Milner’s work rate, industry and willingness to track back. Hodgson went safety first in the Euros even at the expense of Walcott’s more exciting approach.
That is Hodgson’s philosophy. He is a cautious manager. That, however, is something which could never be aimed at Arsene Wenger. He is attack minded, cavalier and wants his players to always go forward.
Hiya JW… It’s a weird one..
The PR for the club could be improved a thousand percent.. of that there is no doubt ….
Transfer targets, tactics … No…. Very few clubs would do that … bar Harry Redknapp of course…
As I said a week or so ago, a regular Q&A session with the “credible blogs” would be nice …. Mix it up – an ex-player, part of the management and a player …
I could ask a thousand questions …
Wenger does come out and say interesting things …. he has tried to sign Eric Abidal several times ….. We were in an advanced stage to sign Cazorla last season …. These are a couple of statements that show that the guy is human and that we as a club do try ….
More of this would be great …. especially for the supporters … Sometimes the club is so estranged from those who follow it …. especially the likes of Kev, Bob John etc who spend mega money on following them over the UK and Europe..
Arsenal fans will never see it because they, like every fan of every club, thinks the world has got it in for them. But the neutral likes Arsenal. One of my best pals supports West Ham and he swears blind that Arsenal are his second team. And he’s a proper football fan.
It’s because of the style of play, the club’s wonderful tradition and values together with the way they pride themselves on treating fans, players and opponents alike. It’s a club built on class. They want to do things the right way.
That’s why there looks to be something going on at the moment which appears to be out of step with the philosophy of Wenger and the club. Maybe it’s just a temporary thing based on the form of other players.
But since Walcott’s contract stand-off became public, the Arsenal winger has not started a game. He was dropped at Stoke, left on the bench at Liverpool, scored as a substitute against Southampton and was brought on in the 89th minute in Montpellier on Tuesday night.
Wenger insisted on Monday to a small group of reporters – myself included – that Walcott’s stand-off would not affect his team selection. He also stressed he hoped Walcott would stay and urged the fans to get behind him.
That’s important because if there’s one way to alienate a player then it is to give him stick. Walcott doesn’t deserve stick. He, like many other players throughout the Premier and Football League, is just in contract negotiations.
Walcott has yet to agree a new deal, is out of contract at the end of the season and therefore could go for free next summer.
Arsenal have offered him £75,000-a-week. They would not have done that if they did not want him to stay and even that substitute appearance in the Champions League makes you think that selling him in January is hardly on their minds at the moment.
There’s one thing I know for certain: Walcott wants to stay. He has a deep affection for Arsenal, loves the club, enjoys the banter, the dressing room, likes living in the area and is not pushing to leave.
Other clubs are interested. Manchester City and Liverpool were both watching developments as Walcott’s contract stand-off developed in August.
Arsenal reached a point where they were ready to sell rather than lose him for nothing if he did not re-sign or at least give them a clear indication of his intentions.
At which point, in a meeting with Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis at the training ground, Walcott made it clear that he has never wanted to leave, is happy at the club, wants to stay but just wants to make sure the deal is right for him.
It’s a deal which will take him into the best years of his career as a footballer and there’s no doubt that if he’s at his best and successful then he will be Arsenal’s poster boy making the club a pretty packet.
If you break down that whole equation then it is so normal and respectful. Like any worker in any walk of life, Walcott is just trying to negotiate the right contract for him, his family and his future.
From everything I know about Walcott, he is doing it in a sincere way. Not pushing for time so that he can string the club along and leave for free next summer. He’s just after the right deal.
Of all of England’s stars, £75,000-a-week would probably put him in the bottom half of earners throughout the squad, especially for forwards. Therefore, in football terms, he’s not being overly greedy but wants the contract to reflect his standing as a top footballer and household name.
Wenger was friendly, cordial and convivial in his answers to questions on Walcott. He clearly likes him and rates him. Wenger paid £10m for him when he signed him as a 16-year-old, has offered him £75,000-a-week and started him in the opening game of the season.
But since then, Arsenal have played hard on his contract. They pretty much told him to sign – or be sold. Wenger dropped him for the Stoke game and he’s not started since.
After the recent contract stand-offs and stick from the fans, maybe that’s an understandable approach. After all, Robin van Persie and Samir Nasri were both sold as they only had one year left on their deals and the players forced the issue.
Now the club is forcing the issue and taking the prerogative on a key contract. That should not earn them criticism but praise. Some fans would say it was about time and you’d have to be foolish not to learn from previous mistakes. The Arsenal hierarchy are anything but foolish.
They have offered Walcott £75,000-a-week. If he doesn’t sign then maybe Arsenal will look to sell him in January rather than risk losing him going for free next summer. But you can’t force a player to go if he doesn’t want to.
Ask any player or agent and they will tell you a move as a free agent is far more lucrative in contract terms than if a fee is involved. The money saved goes on the contract, the player is in greater demand as he’s a free agent and therefore players rarely go with six months left on their contracts.
Gary Cahill was one exception in January. But remember that deal? It was held up for weeks as Cahill and his advisers held out for a bigger contract, probably one which would be comparable if he waited until the summer. Transfers are rarely easy.
Furthermore, as time ticks away, players also know that their value goes up in contract terms because clubs would rather pay a bit more wages than lose them for free. £50,000-a-week in the summer often becomes £70,000-a-week in the spring. Negotiators get desperate.
But, in my opinion, Arsenal won’t budge on this one. They are trying to take a different approach. A player is worth what he is worth, no matter what time of year. Arsenal are running a tight ship, every contract is budgeted for and every deal looked at on an individual basis.
Walcott has been offered £75,000-a-week. That’s what they think he’s worth whether that’s in September, November, January or March. By April, as Wenger conceded this week, a new deal would be difficult to get done.
Arsenal won’t budge. They have seen other wide players excel this season. Gervinho has made a terrific start whether it be wide or through the middle.
When Arsenal wanted to try something through the middle, Gervinho got the nod rather than Walcott who is desperate to be given a chance as a central forward rather than a right winger.
They also have Lukas Podolski on the left. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was supposed to be playing through the middle this season and yet started on the right against Liverpool and Southampton. He’s going to be a brilliant player for club and country.
Andrey Arshavin is also still at the club. And teenager Serge Gnabry is really highly thought of. In fact, he’s being held up internally as a brilliant prospect with definite first team potential.
Put that all together and that’s why Arsenal are unlikely to move on £75,000-a-week. If Walcott doesn’t sign then maybe Liverpool will be encouraged to come back in January. Or he could wait for Manchester City next summer. There’s foreign interest but I don’t think he wants to go abroad.
And, more than anything else, I think he wants to stay. The player wants to stay but won’t be taken for granted. Similarly, Wenger also wants to see Walcott develop, improve and move on as a player. Neither side can take anything for granted.
You can see arguments on both sides. Arsenal don’t want to overpay. But will it be good budgeting if they end up losing him for nothing? Walcott can’t afford to push it too hard otherwise his Arsenal career will be over. And, in his heart, I don’t think he wants to go.
If it drags on then the likelihood of Walcott leaving will increase with every week, but nothing at this stage has been decided on either side.
But one thing is for sure. You won’t persuade Walcott to stay by freezing him out. It works with some players. It’s a tough tactic. But Walcott is a deep thinking, sensitive soul who operates better under clever man management. It’s in the prototype make-up, after all.
So, don’t drop him. Don’t freeze him out. Certainly don’t boo him. Give him some love. Give him games and he will deliver. I’m certain of that.
Anybody been on the @arsenal Twitter takeover? Apparently you can ask players questions via twitter today. I haven’t got a twitter account and don’t want one, but would be interested to know if any sensible answers are being given to sensible questions or is it all anodyne propaganda?
In terms of keeping our club appearing aloof, I think its not quite true. Didn’t John Cross and some of his cronies have the privelege of being on the same plane on monday with the squad?
I am told we are one of the very few clubs who provide refreshment to the press at press conferences but they still turn around and diss.
SYG- I will go for a tight 0-1 to the arsenal on sunday but it will probably end 1-2 to us. COYGs
TSGH, 1-2 is good…..
Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone grateful to have been to Hull and back
Steve Tongue Thursday 20 September 2012
After only one “matchday” to use Uefa’s favoured terminology, Group B of the Champions League is already taking the predicted shape. On Tuesday night the two most-fancied teams both won away by two goals to one: Arsenal in Montpellier and Schalke at Olympiakos of Greece. This suggests that the double-header between them in the middle of the campaign will decide who wins the section. The first of those games is at the Emirates on 24 October and the return in Germany a fortnight later, when Arsène Wenger will finally be back on the touchline and in the dressing room after serving his three-match ban.
Despite having reached the second stage for 12 successive seasons, Arsenal have suffered in the past from finishing as runners-up, receiving a tougher draw in the first knockout round, and that is a fate they would like to avoid this time
Having said that, the unfashionable French champions pushed them hard enough in their atmospheric Stade de Mosson to convince Mikel Arteta, for one, that they should not be ruled out of contention yet. “They created some problems for us and if they continue to play like that they can get one of the top two places in the group,” the Arsenal midfielder said.
His team had shrugged off an early deficit to score twice in as many minutes shortly afterwards but in the second half they were outplayed and it was not surprising that Steve Bould, standing in for Wenger, confessed to “a headache and a half” as pressure built up on and off the pitch.
By the time of the final group match, however, the London side would ideally want to be travelling to Athens having already won the section, which was exactly the position a year ago. On that occasion, Vito Mannone was given a rare opportunity in goal after Lukas Fabianski was injured, but he failed to take it, committing a howler for the second goal in a 3-1 defeat and being packed off on loan to Hull City a month later.
This season he has looked much more confident when deputising for Wojciech Szczesny. Younes Belhanda’s cheeky chipped “Panenka” penalty on Tuesday was the only time he has been beaten in three games and his save in the last 10 minutes from the same player, who was only a few yards out, preserved the three points.
Speaking afterwards, the Italian credited his period on Humberside with restoring his self-belief. “Nobody wants to go there really, but I found myself really well,” he said. “I found a good club and gained experience. I played 24 games in a row so that’s what I needed.”
Another player needing to demonstrate mental strength is Theo Walcott, who has not started since the opening game of the season and appeared on Tuesday only as a time-wasting last-minute substitute. The England winger has yet to agree a new contract and although Arsenal decided to hang on to him in the summer transfer window, the form shown by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and now Gervinho, who justified his selection down the right in Montpellier with a driving performance, appear to have made a January parting of the ways more likely.
Well AK, I think I can see on which side you stand. I certainly don’t want to see Walcott leave but equally I don’t ever want to see another player try to hold the club to ransom.
If Walcott does go on a Bosman next summer it will be one more stick with which the press can beat the club.
Hiya TSGH. It’ll be absolutely fantastic if we can come away with 3pts… The thing is, is that I think we have a great chance.
John Cross always tends to come over as an okay journalist re: Arsenal. Ormstein isn’t that bad nor James Olley … There are a few good ones ….
JW- I think the only reason TW14 is trying to hold the club to ransom is that, he and his agent know the club do not wish to lose an English first team player.
Tbh JW, i don’t have strong feelings one way or the other concerning Theo…
Just posted that piece as a focus for discussion.
I think that £75k pw is a fair offer.
If Theo decides to leave, then so be it…
Where i agree with John Cross is that i don’t want to see Walcott boo’ed…
SYG, i don’t always agree with John Cross, but he is an Arsenal fan, a rarity in Fleet St…
Kieran Gibbs, Wilshere, Chamberlain and Walcott can form the hub of the next England side …. They are all certainly good enough….
…It would be nice to look into the future and find out what will become of Carl Jenkinson ….. At the moment he’s as good as the other English right backs if not better … I wasn’t a fan, but I am gladly and slowly being proved wrong ….
Ahmad @12.28. Could you run that past me again?
Hi Kev, SYG and Stan. Has Theo signed his £100k a week contract yet?
Adam, your just senseless…So says Ahmad the expert.
Get a grip….. 😉
Time to go and eat, back later.
Kev. I always supported Lunjback and this is what I get?
Hi SYG, very true. I think we can do very well if we can manage to get our energy levels back, but after re-watching the2nd half of the CL match I was very surprised to find that it wasn’t tactics or ability that made us drop off but our energy level which I find very worrying.
I think we threat the journos no different to any other club. Talk Shite said once AW is never man enough to be interviewed by the radio station like Harry the wheeler dealer has done.
Lets look at Sky’s Claire Tomlinson as an example, we gave her a job even though we knew she was a spud but she was never grateful. How pathetic.
Personally I think they can’t understand how a french man can turn our national team job down when he was the flavour of the month in the early 2000’s.
Afternoon Adam … I liked your piece re: Viera earlier… Very, very astute…
There’s been some really good pieces “within” the blog of late …
See ya lata JW, and try and get some work done eh? 😉
CG is a Lunjback, isn’t he Adam?
Must be the checked shirt….
Claire Tomlinson, wasn’t she a very good friend of Bryan Robson?
SYG – CJ25 looks very solid. He looks very promising. In our last 2 matches after the liverpood match teams have realised he is not a soft target so are not using that flank any more.
Kyle the spud walker looks like he has caught the 2nd second syndrome. One goal against us and he thinks he is king.
yes former lovers. You would think she had standards
Many thanks SYG. I know a chap, media based, who was mates with Vieira and Thierry and I wrung it out of him one evening. Wenger, it seems, is a very good man and extremely kind and polite. Too much of a gentleman perhaps, with quite old fashioned concepts of loyalty and personal honour. The way some ex-players have behaved is poor. I do hear stuff.
I agree about the “thought” pieces on HH lately. Really good.
I think Robson’s wife caught them in a rather compromising position in an hotel.
TSGH, Jenkinson just keeps it simple, that way he cuts out the mistakes and is more effective.
His confidence is growing with each game and i don’t see it as a ‘given’ that Sagna will walk right back into the team.
It also helps that he doesn’t have Theo in front of him. Those two don’t seem to hit it off for some reason…
Is that right Adam, were they practicing blind side runs?
Spot on Adam she caught them in the hotel and wrapped one of Claires crutches round her head… Tomlinson was using crutches at the time as she had an ankle in plaster from an op…. Why we ever employed someone who supports the vermin in the first place god only knows..!
Adam – I didnt know about that! Where they having some beverages i.e the strong ones
I believe Robson was carrying out a camel toe investigation at the time.
I hope Rico is still away. 🙂
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27453474@N02/8006065348/
She checked herself into the priory too. Shame she wasn’t bad looking.
W.A.T.H ‘Why we ever employed someone who supports the vermin in the first place god only knows’ that is another of the professors honourable but naive way.
Ak, beautiful.the sight of JW10 on the ball
Really nice pic that Kev.
Wonder if Jack will get a run out against Coventry????
TSGH, Don’t think wenger was the one who employed her mate she was merely PR lady not his PA…!
Big girl now though.
You know guys, i don’t want to tempt fate, but i just can’t help having such positive vibes about this season…
Think we’re definately going to end the trophy drought this term…
Then we went and employed Amanda who was a dipper…! Ridiculous really…!
Well done JINX thats gone and screwed us with that comment…..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27453474@N02/8006091187/
Kev. I will feed off your vibe.
Good feeling on HH lately. Well done chaps!
W.A.T.H you will find AW went against Deins advice to hire her.
Amanda? Pray tell WATH.
Wath…..Misery guts….. 😆
My life was in tatters because of my obsession with the Okey-Cokey……
Offski for a bit of roofing….
Wath, Upwards and Onwards…… 😉
After Tomlinson was Amanda Donaghue..? spelling…. She was a liverpoo fan……….
If you say so TSGH then you obviously know something….!
No probs Adam … I love to hear the inside workings of the machine…
…I was “broken hearted” – maybe I’m putting it a bit strong when Petit left …. I thought he was a cracking player … He’d had personal trauma (his sister I think had died) and he’d joined us. He reached the peak of his profession and helped us to the double and capped France’s great world cup by latching on to a Viera pass to make it 3-0…
…When I saw him away v’s Blackburn the following year I was in a corporate box at Ewood Park, he hit a lovely goal and I hit the roof …… I thought he was brilliant….
…At the end of the season he left …. My favourite player had gone … Loyalty?
A couple of years later …. In the 2002 FA cup final … our players were celebrating winning it and I copped Petit – a Chelsea player, with his head down whilst our players were jumping about …. What goes around?
Sometimes in life loyalty is misplaced and as people, we all drop bollocks … I’ll give Wenger this – he never, ever bad mouths a player… Even when it’s deserved. You have to give the guy some respect for that…
I couldn’t do that….
You are right Adam. Wenger is a very honourable guy.
But I turned myself around and that’s what it’s all about!
MR Jolly Chappie goes and ruins everything with his comments about winning things etc etc……….. Make sure you smear on the factor 60 while on that roof 😀
Lee. The Okey- Cokey? You put your left leg in…….
Amanda Docherty ? W.A.T.H
Thats the one TSGH, Docherty Donaghue same meat different gravy lol
SYG. Petit’s time at the top level was comparatively short wasn’t it? Didn’t he do his knee in before we sold him to Barcelona?
Petit was top draw SYG, shame he decided we were not good enough for him anymore but as you say swings and roundabouts eh…..!
No idea Adam, but it sounds like Wenger … what I remember is that we were lacking centrally the season after … Grimandi was no Petit ….
Sorry Adam was a silly joke!
I was parking down the back of Sloane Square a few years ago when Petit walked past my car. I spoke to him and we walked along together to a shop he had that sold leather coats and stuff. He seemed a nice bloke. Lovely hair.
Lee. I love silly jokes, like Stan’s syrup. Is it or isn’t it? That is the question.
SYG- He thought the Edu’s deal would happen but,his back garage EU passport maker made a spelling mistake. Haha. He had to make do that year.
Van Bronckhorst could cut the mustard either when he came in .
Hiya WATH … I remember listening to an interview on Radio 5 with him before a home match in 1998 against Newcastle (3-1), Wimbledon (5-1) or Sheff Wed (1-0) – I think… I was doing the house up at the time …. and he came over brilliantly …. laughing and joking with the reporter … Everything that season was great …. Even Mark Lawrenson said after the interview that he WAS the underrated player in the midfield and that Arsenal wouldn’t lose any of there dozen remaining games ….
Yes, Petit was top drawer ….
Only one AW manages to buy a brazillian player who qualifies for EU pasport put then the player pays a back street maker for a passport. Incredible. Or the memorise SYG. I love AW.
TSGH @2:58 pm LOL. like it ….
Eduardo César is the Dude for Gasparts
Born 15/05/1978
Bithplace: Sao Paulo
TSGH, I heard Silvinho’s was dodgy as well and thats why we got shot of him too as it was the Edu chaos that then people were asking questions about passports and the next thing we sold Silvinho…! Always wondered about that deal..!
Yes that was an episode. And then Sylvio Mendes Campos Junior afterwards just left one day after his passport issues rumours, and as usual the professor tried to defend and deny the rumours by saying he wanted to give Cashley the Mole playing time.lol. I hope to live long enough to read AW post arsenal autobiography.
For Gasparts. SYG lmao
SYG, the home game in 98, midweek game am sure was Shef Weds, was 1-1 with about 20mins left and Petit came on as he’d been out with a muscle strain… he ran into the centre circle straight to Vieira, they hight 5’d with both hands and the ground went mental… you just knew it was OK PV lets sort this shit out 1-1 ain’t happening the league is on the line here…. Highbury rocked and we scored twice in the last 15mins….! One of those nights where soon as he came on the attitude was there for all to see and you just knew we would win and the crown was buzzing…!
W.A.T.H he was a quality player. Who remembers his 70 year screamer against the Chavs
70 yard goal. Sylvinho I meant
OH MY GOD! JW10 IS BACK
https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/248785738118873088
Spot on TSGH, he was a top player and that goal against the chavs was indeed a screamer……….!
hiya fellas, what’s new? hey i see my man adam is here…good and grrr so is WATH. WATH i find your presence distasteful why dont you live under a rock ya plank.
Get with it Emma we knew Jack was back about an hour ago keep up !!! 😉
AK put the pic up earlier…!
Is JW10 being used on the RHS?
I only allow you on here Stan cos it keeps the flies away 😉
grrrrrrr . Did i miss anything else?Have we scored 😉
No but Theo’s signed a new contract Emma 🙂
TW14 contract?
hahahahaha WATH you creep….how are ya my man. i missed you.
sat 28 March 98
Sheff Wed 1-0 Bergkamp
sat 11 April 98
Newcastle 3-1 the same day Man Utd got held at home v’s Wimbledon
sat 18 April 98
Wimbledon 5-0 (not 5-1)
I’ll have to look at the results SYG it was a long while ago the GG has mangled my memory, I remember games by which pub I was in etc etc…. 😉
Stan you plonker…….. Good job I am here to keep an eye on you..!
How’s your hip..?
Yes TSGH, Theo’s signed a new Blockbuster contract with his local shop, just wondered if Emma had missed that one…!
Hello!
TW new contract?
It was a midweek game SYG…
that’s old news my man, i ve had a runny stomach, creamed during the game against southampton, shit myself during the second half against montpellier and got homesick. keep up you mongrel.
You a right state Stanley really….! Can’t leave you alone for 5mins… your worse than a hobo….! Wait til I tell your mother what you been up too.
Saturday 28th March 1998
Arsenal 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday
Barnsley 2-3 Liverpool … Barnsley finished playing with 8 men …. Owen was labelled a cheat
Bolton Wanderers 2-0 Leicester City
Coventry City 1-0 Derby County
Crystal Palace 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur
Everton 1-4 Aston Villa
Manchester United 2-0 Wimbledon
Southampton 2-1 Newcastle United
It was 18th April when we beat Wimbledon 5-0 that Man Utd dropped points – 1-1 home to Newcastle …
hahaahah what is a hobo??? hahhaahahah WATH you ll be the death of me. hobo he says….hahahahaha
Saturday 18th April 1998
Arsenal 5-0 Wimbledon
Barnsley 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Bolton Wanderers 2-3 Leeds United
Crystal Palace 3-1 Derby County
Everton 1-1 Leicester City
Manchester United 1-1 Newcastle United
Southampton 1-2 Aston Villa
West Ham United 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
As said SYG, was a midweek game could of been Feb March even but I’ll go look it up later and then I’ll know the game I’m on about…!
We beat Derby 1-0 in midweek. That was a Petit goal … A tee up on a free kick … 1st half
Wednesday 29th April 1998
Arsenal 1-0 Derby County
No mate we were drawing and Petit came on…. we then scored 2 goals… can’t even remember who scored.. wasn’t Petit but he just gave the team and the crowd such a lift when he came on…!
Check out Statto, WATH it’s a great site for confirming stuff …. I’d forgotten this, but that season we could have done the treble … We got knocked out of the League Cup in the semi-final 4-3 on agg to Chelsea… I’d forgotten all about that one until now ….
I got in from the curry house last night and copped the highlights of these from the 1973-74 and 74-75 season …
Arsenal 3-0 Man Utd
Arsenal 2-2 QPR
Arsenal 2-2 Luton
Arsenal 1-0 Spurs
Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool
Yes Stan. I am here listening to some flamenco music at the moment.
Good day all. Jack back in full training. Get in there, anyone know how long a player needs in full training before competitive matches? Things looking good for us right now, but I like many other am a little disconcerted by our GK situation. Yet to be convinced by mannone and he looks sure to start on the weekend, hopefully he can prove me wrong. Where is fabianski at the moment?
Good evening guys and gals….
Great news on Jack…
Hi Rico.
Hi Adam
How’s it going?
Hello everyone! Great news on Jackie boy. Like a new signing isn’t it? Brilliant.
from the pictures on arsenal.com i can see he hasnt lost much. there’s a picture where he beat santos with a dummy. sheer class, we ve missed ya jacky. welcome back. now let’s rip em.
Glad to be home Adam, busy one!
Has Theo signed yet?
And great news about Frimps too, that leaves just Sagna, Tomas, Fabianski and Ches left in the sick bay….
Any more news around today about the Pole’s injury?
Rico. I am reeling from the news that a Stoke City player has been found guilty of violent conduct. Shocked in fact. What next? Carol Voorderman in a loose fitting skirt?
Which one Adam, I am also shocked by that news, a Stoke player, what next indeed….
CV, now I can’t work that one out 😉
hey adam, how’s it going? its flu season here. got any remedy for flu? you too rico.
Yes Goonster. Red Algae tablets.
Wilkinson Rico. A retrospective 3 match ban for a friendly elbow to the head of that champion of fair play Balotelli. Perhaps it should have been a medal.
Poor old Carol. She really believes the papers when they say how great she looks in skin tight jeans or bandage dresses that are two sizes too small. They are cruel. 🙂
Bloody hell just been through Liverpool St station and it’s full of Lazio supporters singing their heads off!! Come on the Lazio!! 😉
what are those adam? i meant home made remedies bob jeez.
A friend recommended them to me Stan. They help with boosting the immune system. They are cheap in the States. Jar of 90 capsules is about $18. Try then. Can’t hurt.
nah i dont like drugs adam…cant bear to put “chemicals” in my body. papa taught me well. hey lee got anything for me?
Hi Goonster… hot lemon and honey….
Here here Lee, come on Lazio indeed 🙂
now that’s why you need women! God bless you rico. adam take a bow son.
Some say add a drop of whiskey goonster, but i know you are tee-total ….. 😉
The singing was deafening!
Stan a really hot curry with fresh chillies in it, nailed on remedy!! Ask Dr AK, he’ll agree mate!
Very funny Adam!
They are not drugs Stan but a natural remedy 100s of years old. Like Ginseng for instance.
am i missing something here….come on lazio!!!! what’s going on mama bear?
Lee. Glad you liked it mate. Though I fear it is another body. 🙂
thanks guys but i guess i ll stick with rico”s sounds simple enough.
Lee – talking of red hot curries, I cooked a huge pot of veggie curry a few weeks ago and froze it. Had one last night and it blew my head off, the next portion will definitely have some natural yoghurt added prior to consumption … 😉
mmmmmmm that sounds delicious rico….how can i get a smidgle?(spelling)
cause am starving here…
I wouldn’t recommend it goonster, it would have stripped paint from walls 😉
am a pretty tough guy maam….my gut’s made of steel. am sure i can handle it
Everything goes on hh at this time of day/night. I’m home with a child today. Watching Liverpool in the Europa cup. Sahin not looking impressive. Ha! Young boys just equalized.
who is sahin will xl? dont know the fella?
Not from what you have been sharing with us recently goonster 😉
Will, don’t think we miss, missing out on him….
hahahahah i knew you re gonna come up with that maam….
😆 goonie
what’s the score rico? i bet you re beamimg from ear to ear with the current state of affairs at arnfield.
Did i say child? I meant “cold”… I’m home with a cold. Dumb auto correct.
I think he was wise to not come to Arsenal… Although i think he would have looked a better player had he played with us.
Liverpool 2.2
that ll sure bring a smile to rico’s face…..perpetual liverpool hater. hahhahahah
hey steve p…how’s the fishing coming?
Not watching goonster, just writing a post for the morning….
Maybe he’s regretting saying yes to Rogers Will 😉 Sorry to hear you have a cold….
Evening Steve
3.2 young boys 🙂
Hi Rico you still smiing
Lol Liverpool. Great goal. Thanks Rico.
I actually feel badly for Liverpool. Thank God my team doesn’t look anything like that. Awful.
3-3
3.3
can you give me a sneak peek into tomorrow’s post? promise i wont tell a soul. i ll bet its all about jack the lad though.
4.3 liverpool
I don’t will, can’t stand them….
No goonie, you will have to wait 😉
5.3 90 mins 3 extra
wow sounds like a cracking game sir sp…….wish i was watching. bummer.
How annoying, I hoped they would lose Steve….
I’m done guys, catch you all tomorrow…
Night and stay safe…..
Me too. Night Rico and all.
For Emma………………
http://twitter.com/SkysportsPics/status/248794453333139457/photo/1
For Emma again……………..
http://twitter.com/TEAMtalk/status/248817529466789888/photo/1
http://twitter.com/i/#!/search/%23AFC/slideshow/photos?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitpic.com%2Fawlf26
Ahmad wishes those voice in his head would just short up!!
Morning all.
Hi ho,hi ho……it’s off to ……..stuff it,i am staying home.
Actually,the missus is off today…no fun to be had here 🙂
Morning all….
Morning Rico,
Hope your still smileing, sounds like Scotty woke up happy too must be Arsenal winning, Maybe a little fishing later on, got a Christening Sunday so need a present for a 3year old boy what do you suggest don’t know much about Christening presents.
Morning Steve,
In a good mood this morning, the return of Jack and Frimps brightens the day ….
Tough one, how about an Arsenal Shirt 😉
What better present than an Arsenal shirt?
New Post up…
There isn’t JW 😉
see you on the new one….
Good morning Rico and Steve. An Arsenal shirt sounds good to me. There is othing better than setting a young gentleman on the right path right from the start.
That should be ‘nothing’.