Morning all.
The last few days has seen Arsenal extend both Santi Cazorla and Per Mertesacker’s contracts.
Good news or not?
The big German, our captain who hadn’t played a game since being given the armband isn’t going to be any quicker than he was when we first signed him and considering there’s so much pace in this league now, he’ll continue to struggle against certain players. Great if Andy Carroll is up against our defence or Peter Crouch who aren’t particularly quick strikers but in general, I really can’t see him getting game time ahead of Koscielny, Mustafi, Gabriel or even Holding. Then there’s still Chambers to consider for next season as he’s been doing rather well for Boro.
Then there’s 32 year old Santi, the little Spaniard whose legs aren’t going to be getting any stronger and considering he’s suffered major injuries in both of the last two seasons, his playing time could soon be limited as Arsene Wenger will have to manage his game time carefully. Not that he did season, and that’s because he’s been crucial to the way we play. Our win ratio is much higher when he’s in the team and we also play a lot better. Arsene has said this season that he has plenty of options without Santi in the side, but our performances and results would suggest otherwise.
Over the seasons gone by, Arsene Wenger has been criticised on many occasion for letting our more experienced players go so perhaps there’s a reason that both are staying on for one more season. Younger players can learn a lot from these two seasoned professionals and I don’t mean in just footballing terms either. Neither have been in the press for any wrong reason and neither have used the media to their advantage either, unlike some footballers in the game who aren’t happy about something or another.
As the likes of Henry, Bergkamp, Keown, Arteta, Vieira etc left Arsenal and ended up coaching but elsewhere, perhaps one or both are seen to be the ideal candidate to join our coaching staff once their playing days come to and and let’s be honest, it could do with a good shake up.
Merts maybe slow but he reads the game well and Santi maybe getting older but who better is there as an example of what a little fella can do in the centre of midfield with the right work ethic?
As much as we know these two players are coming to the end of their playing days, maybe Arsene thinks they have much more to offer than just the odd game here and there next season…
And yet again, this imo is more evidence to suggest that Arsene Wenger is staying at the club beyond the summer…..
Finally, Big Sol wants a job in coaching. He reckons he could turn Jon Stones career around. I bet he could help our youngsters too..
Have a good Saturday guys and gals…..
Per, Sol – bleed red and white. Keep them close as they can only be good for the club.
I’d love to see Sol back at the club…
Quiet old day so catch up another time….
I doubt Wenger would though! He doesn’t seem to like old boys. Strange really…..still…….who knows?
Morning all. Really dull here……again!
I know it’s each to his own, but personally I cannot stand the sight of Sol.
Last I heard he was looking at going into politics. He is a right wing Tory.
Others mentioned though would be good, i.e Bergkamp, Vieira. Not so much Arteta, he seems a very quiet sidekick to Pep at City.
We need someone who can give them a kick up the backside when required. Bould appears useless and too quiet also.
There are no real leaders on the pitch either, and I don’t mean a sulky moaning one, but one who can motivate and command respect.
Perhaps the newer boys can develop into that role, given time.
afternoon all!
Following the games
Thanks for that JM…
Afternoon All
Afternoon Rico…
Sol walked away from us twice, so I can’t see Wenger offering him a job, although he’d probably let him do his badges at Arsenal as he had with many of our old boys…
I can see what Lee had said and we’ve dropped a clanger with Rosicky and Arteta recently, money down the drain, but as Rico says, their influence around the club is invaluable…
It wouldn’t surprise me to see Arteta return to Arsenal in the near future…
BFG isn’t gonna be a first pick much anymore ( pause to let the cheering die down ) but he could be good coming off of the bench if we’re hanging on in a game or need to run the clock down…
Lacmbof pace isn’t an issue, but his experience is invaluable…
Congratulations Swansea!
Kev, you may have a point about Arteta, it’s not exactly going well for him at City right now and when Pep leaves, why would he want to stay…
Afternoon to you by the way… ?
I think football websites/blogs are becoming a thing of the past by the way…..
Rico, I know that we’re going through a period of low comments, but not everyone posts anything.
How many people view the site?
Can you tell?
Has there been a drop there?
Chris Sutton is soooo annoying. He is spouting off on BT sport, and I think David James is on the verge of throwing himself along the sofa and headbutting him. I hope so anyway.
Frigin Manure have just equalised. Rooney!!
Nice goal by Wooney.
So disappointed Mourinho did not lose.
Massive drop on both Kev…
Evening Rico
Good day so far results wise
Thanks for the site
I suppose when things are ticking along, people don’t feel the need to vent their passion on forum, but as soon as something changes, i.e a few losses, good or bad signings or title challenges, they all want to share their opinions.
Keep up the good work rico.
Hi Rico, all.
Nice post. Alittle niggle is you calling Caroll slow. :p
Santi got bags of techniques. I’d like to see him pass it down to lads.
Hi Marshall and thanks guys, not giving in just yet… lol
Need City to win this one…
I think shitty V the scum is a good result for us
I tend to agree that there are too many inhabitants of Newsnow and the like. Most of them add very little and purely recycle a never ending circle of tripe. Forum blogs however are different but need diversity to keep them fresh and the way you keep coming up with subjects to discuss is remarkable.However the Arsenal is a difficult subject because of it’s sameness , a club that changes owners/managers at a drop of the hat creates an ever changing set of subjects as does a club that either fights to win things or fight relegation .The Arsenal however like a gramophone record has just one groove ( some might say RUT ) and it continues on the same path day in day out.
That’s not a reason to give and I hope that you don’t decide to do so.
Morning all.
Seems we saw some decent results for us today.
Let’s hope our boys do their bit and grab 3 points tomorrow-that’d put us second and chasing the Chavs.
Are they too far gone already?
Hard to say, but all we can do is win everything we can and at least put some pressure on them.
Evening and thanks Rico.
I would also call that Groundhog Day, Potter.
A good day at the office me think`s, I expect nothing more than driving back from the Ems tomorrow as 2nd in the league !.
I`m starting to dribble at the thought of a salf beef bagel from Brick Lane ! 🙂
From the late kick off tonight, Kyle Walker needs retrospective punishment for being ugly !………….he must have been born in the same kitchen as LVG, where Walker`s mum and LVG`s mum shared a frying pan to dish out punishment for the pain they caused !.
Thanks Potter, means a lot…
Agree Scott, some good results today..
Now we need to make it count…
However, overnight were in our favoured 4th spot!
If things don’t change they stay as they are………. No wonder inertia has taken hold of HH. I wonder if folk would be as quiet if we were continuously first?
LC, that entire team is ugly… 😉
Wavy, if we’re in sixth or seven place, Hh would be busier than it is now….
Cant argue there Rico. 🙂
The area is ugly aswell, bit like the saying that dog owners look like their dogs !…………………….Spud players and fans are looking like the shithole they live and play in !……….the only nice thing about that area is when we win there !……………………………….If I suffered from erectyle dysfunction I would buy a place out side the ground and cure myself by just looking out the window at the spuds fans crying after a loss ! 😆
Don’t know anything about the area myself LC so I’ll take your word.. lol
Inight guys..
England back on Fergie Time I see 🙂
Haven’t seen the award for the free kick yet but it smacks of all those points won by Beckham and Ronaldo .
Football to a greater or lesser degree has obsessed about money, whether it be transfer fees, player wages, money from sponsors, admission costs/season ticket costs, down to the cost of a pie n pint at the match…
We’ve all bought into it, but now the emphasis on money has almost overridden what the whole shooting match is about, it’s almost more important than winning trophies, therefore you get Wenger coming out and saying that ;th is like a trophy, when it clearly isn’t, but the financial rewards make it seem like that to him…
But not me, and probably not to a lot of fans worldwide…
The constant narrative concerning player contracts, wages, China, blah blah blah, is just fcuking boring…
And man, I am bored to death by the whole thing…
So sitting down and spending my time writing a post about millionaire footballers who barely acknowledge my existence is the last thing on my mind…
I said, ages ago, that the biggest threat to football is fan apathy…
Because if we don’t give a shit, then if don’t matter anymore…
Rico,
You have the very best blog around.
We, the regulars, should be giving you some more assistance.
I reckons there are plenty on here who’d write a cracking good post and it’d serve two purposes-take the pressure of you, and freshen things up a bit.
It’s hard doing a daily blog 7 days a week. Especially when we don’t change Manager or direction every year. But it’s best site around. Well done Rico and co, keep up the good work 🙂
I make you right Scott and I nominate Adam to write a post or three… ?
Some of yours have been rippers Kev, so get writing by and I reckon Lee what write one we’d never forget 🙂
How about Rick on our younger players??
Some of your elder statesman could give us a history lesson as well.
I really am amazed at how Rico keeps things as fresh as she does.
Hi Rico
It doesn’t help when you allow cyber-bullies to attack others for no reason, who try and sanitise people’s views, telling them what they should or shouldn’t think.
I’m not throwing the towel in just yet guys, just meant that blogs/forums are really struggling.. Maybe it’s just because there’s so many..
Morning all by the way…
Hi Herb, I’ll try harder…
Your comments are still going into moderation for some odd reason…
It doesn’t matter, Rico, we’re all Arsenal fans who are trying to understand what is going on at the club, and as such we garner opinion from all over Arsenal ‘blogdom’.
When your guests start suggesting that certain blogs don’t have a valid opinion (coincidently, probably the biggest blog out there), they are sanitising people.
To share what I considered to be as near as anything anyone else has ever said about our problems – without attacking another blogger – and to then be ripped into for reading that particular blog, and to be accused of boring people with my particular posts is the height of bad manners, and quite hurtful when it takes away something enjoyable. And apart from a little cyber-slap on the wrist, you let it go unpunished.
Those people aren’t worth sharing space with, particularly when it concerns my football club.
Morning Rico…..
Stick to it……can’t let the best group go 🙂
Herb, yes, that happens, as does people being smart arses but thank goodness that’s finished, hey lol.
Onwards and upwards.
Good point Herb, regardless of what you, I or anyone think about other blogs and their opinions, they are entitled to theirs. Not always do fans put their view across in a good way, certainly when it comes to things like wishing the manager dead, which is extreme to say the least, I lose interest in that person or where a comment like that is deemed acceptable though.
I hope Arsene Wenger soon walks away but I wish him no harm, even though I think he’s an arrogant so and so… Stubborn too…
And I take your point Herb and it won’t happen again, of that you can be sure…
Morning Scott.
2014, Rico….May to be precise 🙂
Perfect time, hey?
I do wonder where we’d be right now if he had.
It would have been Scott…
Morning Rico. Beautiful, bright and shimmering white – but fearfully cold here.
Morning Adam, everything frozen hard here too. Lovely though…
Are we winning today, guys?
None of this “we should be” stuff 🙂
Yes, or no?
We should do, bearing in mind their away form, however….
New post up now..