An extract from David Winner “Brilliant Orange”.
The current generation of Dutch footballers are polite, intelligent, modest, ironic, ‘ideal sons-in-law’. They aspire to being great artists.
Yet the genuinely greatest Dutch football artists – the stars of the Total Football era in the 1970s – had a very different agenda.
They were only trying to win.
They could play rough and hard and they attacked relentlessly because it was the best way to dominate and overwhelm, not simply because it was beautiful.
They saw themselves not as artists but as winners.
‘Anyone who says the only important thing is to play beautiful football, well, they are crazy,’ says Johnny Rep. ‘But I don’t think they really mean it. Yes, we liked to play too, but our character to win was 200%. With so many great players in one team you make art; you don’t mean to, but you do.’
When Holland played Brazil in WC1974 semi-final, the two teams produced a game of almost frightening physical intensity.
Rivelino jostles Rep, Rep waits a few seconds, checks to make sure no one is watching, and then delivers his retaliation – a well-aimed elbow in the face!
When reminded of this, Rep beams. ‘Yes! He had done it to me before and that was my reaction. Of course, you look to make sure the referee doesn’t see it……..That’s football.’
[ Today, you can’t do it. To Song’s sorrow, there is video evidence.]
Sjaak Swart, ‘Mr. Ajax’, demonstrates Ajax’s essential approach to their games in the late 1960s and 1970s by pounding the table with his fist: ‘Boom! Boom! Rinus Michels always said from the start of the game this is how we play: Boom!’ He hits the table again. ‘Like this to the other side. That’s not a system, it is attitude – every player knows what he must do. Very aggressive. We went for the goal. First we make three goals and then, yes, we can make some nice combinations, something you wouldn’t normally do’.
‘You can make a show for the public. We were all winners; we weren’t trying to be artists. We just wanted to win.’
So people have remembered that team wrongly?
‘Right.’ When people say, ‘Ajax is art’, that wasn’t the idea at all? ‘No. Not at all.’Hugh McIlvanney savours the memory of the Dutch teams of the 1970s for their ‘tremendous surging aggression which brought you to your feet all the time’. Some of the Dutch players could mix it like South American street-fighters. Suurbier, Neeskens, and Van Hanegem were intimidating tacklers.
Neeskens tackled with such ferocity that he has been known to injure national-team players in training. Before the WC1974 match against Bulgaria the Dutch prepared a special treatment for the one Bulgarian player they saw as a threat, their playmaker Bonev. Arie Haan recalls: ‘Before the game, we drew up a list of our players who would hit him with hard tackles early on. Neeskens first, Van Hanegem second, then Suurbier, I think, Wim Jensen, maybe…..I forgot the roder and exactly who it was. I think I was number five but we never needed number five.
After four tackles, Bonev didn’t want the ball any more. He didn’t give us any problems.
’Like what Ferguson did by identifying Reyes as Arsenal “Bonev” and took him out by serial hard tackling and rotational fouls. Exactly the same way that Nani was taken out at Stamford Bridge by Luiz, and taken out at Anfield by Carra. Or how Nasri chickened out after 1 or 2 hard tackles and never in the game, and didn’t want to see the ball anymore.
So, it is all a fallacy and a cover-up by Arsene Wenger when he claimed the moral grounds by harping “we play Beautiful Football and are not thugs” Think again as those Dutch players can mixed it up, utterly thuggish in their hard-tackling style to take out dangerous players. Like Swaat said, yes, we can play the Beautiful Game to entertain the crowd, but first, let’s score 3 goals before grandstanding.
And that is the problem with Arsene Wenger’s obsession with playing Beautiful Football – no killer instinct as what De Haan said below.
De Haan: ‘…..look at our youth [team]. We have to work very hard to teach them to give everything they have. They are not real fighters; but their talent and the things they bring from home are enormous. The boys here are tall, strong and quick and have good skills. They are real footballers. Everything is good. We can train twice every day, but we cannot teach them to be killers.’
We have dominated possession, played dazzling football and yet ended up being suckered punch with a quick counter-attack and lost the game 1-0.
We are exactly like Denmark WC1986 where an “inferior” Spain took them apart a “superior” Denmark.
Denmark played a compelling brand of delicious-looking Dutch-style Total Football – the most artistic football of the tournament – and swept aside West Germany 2-0 and demolished the tough Uruguayans 6-1.
The Danes were beautiful and seemed to be heading for glory. They took an early lead against Spain, and then Spain equalized; and inaugurated one of the strangest massacres in World Cup history. The technically superior, more creative Danes continued to attack while their defence was ripped to shreds by smart, lethal Spanish counter-attacks led by Butragueno.
[On a bright note, Denmark surprisingly won the Euro1992. But it was based on very different principles: a packed midfield, tenacious defence and clever counter-attacking with two quick strikers, Flemming Povlsen and Brain Laudrup.]Defeat rarely produces gorgeous football and long before the end, the Danes were dejected and befuddled rather than beautiful.
There in a nutshell is why we lost it all during last season.We had a bunch of french poodles, pretty boys, bottlers but no “killer” in the team.
But this season?
We will never know how much we can achieve if we incorporate “Aggression” and “Killer instinct” into the team, like marrying steel to silk.
A run of clean-sheets will prove we have a mentally tough defence, well marshaled by Vermaelen and has better protection from MIDFIELD. With this firm foundation at the back, then we can have a brilliant season.
Play free-flowing football, scoring for fun and yet with an aggressive and “killer instinct” to see off opponents within 20 minutes before starting to play Beautiful Football for the spectators.
Like Denmark in Euro1992, we can have two quick strikers in Gervinho and Theo Walcott (plus speed monsters in Ryo and Oxalde-Chamberlain as well) with counter-attacking plays. Perhaps in Song and Frimpong, we will have or very own “Neeskens and van Hanegem” tough tacklers to take out opponents’ “Bonev” and keep ‘em quiet.
In summary, I am ever a Dreamer and belief as long as the entire TEAM had gelled and play like 2007/08 season with that steeliness and mental toughness, experienced and toughened by three seasons of heart-breaking collapses, then we will have a brilliant 2011/12 season.
That is, the TEAM will defend as a UNIT, will attack as UNIT and this famous comment at Bernabeau Stadium will come true:
‘We defend as a UNIT
We attack as a UNIT,
We are always talking to each other’!
Senderos, February 21, 2006 STRIVING FOR UNITY and TEAM SPIRIT!
This is not a goal in itself, but it forms the psychological foundation for the team tactical development.
Lastly, perhaps Arsene Wenger is truthful for once and will buy 2 or 3 more players before September 1, 2011; unlike previous seasons with his spin-doctoring of :
“I prefer not to buy as it will inhibit the development of my young players….or I can’t find quality players at a reasonable price that will improve the quality of the squad.”
Written by Merlin96
Morning All
Good read Merlin, thank you – hope i have edited it ok..
Just why M’Vila would be perfect, the beat in the middle of the park to be that ‘ugly’…
on the opposite side to ugly, the Kaka story is around again today 😉
I have supported Arsenal for 40 years. I was a season ticket holder for 16 years at Highbury and have lived through some amazing
times and a few tough ones. However, I have never been so worried about my own club as I am now. The board and manager have lied to their fans and made us a laughing stock. We behave as if we are a skint Championship club and are now viewed as a selling club and an easy touch. As fans, we have been betrayed and lied to over how much money there is available for players. We knew last year that our defence needed strengthening, yet we have made no moves at all when there are top players like Baines and Cahill available. We could have bought Mata for £18m but stalled and missed out, and now we have all the stories about Kaka on loan. What a shambles. The current players are also being cheated – with players like Vermaelen playing his heart out, knowing deep down that we need a bigger squad and have done for many years – but fed up like the fans of all the speculation and stories but no recruits. Shame on you Arsenal. Shame on the board and the manager for betraying the fans who have made this once great club a laughing stock across the football world. It is a disgrace and the fans are sick of all the lies. Sack Wenger, change the board and bring back Dein and Usmanov. We have 10 days to add to the flimsiest squad in the Premier league. If it does not happen, I fear that the club I love will be just another ordinary mid-table team – ok if we can afford to watch them, but shameful as we are the most expensive team in the world to watch.
We are pussies and yet, in two PL games, we have already had two players sent off.
Morning Rico.
Morning Iceman and Adam
Adam, fine line between being a hard tackler and making tackles whic are not legal. Song makes to many silly clumbsy tackles imho but, if Frimpong learns quickly, I think he’ be hard and fair, just what we need….
Iceman, i’m not one for calling for his head just yet, like you say, he has ten days – and change of manager would be worse as they wouldn’t have time tos ort things out…
Lets see what he does, he’s not going to walk and after reading the article floating around yesterday, i’m not sure anymore if wenger is totally to blame…
Now Silent Stan, i’d love someone with AFC in their heart to buy him out….
Sadly, i have to go out for a couple of hours this morning, will be back later….
Spot on iceman. We ve acting like a skint championship club but there’s cause rejoice. We have the finest crop of young British players who ll dominate the league in a few years time….if man shitty and the chavs don’t steal them from us. Frimpong is a beast waiting to be unleashed. We just need a couple of decent signings and we ll take the league by storm.
Morning Rico
’Like what Ferguson did by identifying Reyes as Arsenal “Bonev” and took him out by serial hard tackling and rotational fouls”.
Not the kind of football I want my club playing.
good read..
hi guys read the article from the arsenal times
it is also good read and a matter to look into….
http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/s378/st170548.htm the link
Hi will…expecting a couple of signings before the end of the week. Hope it happens though. But I don’t see us signing hazard. I ve been wrong before though.
I don’t think we are as bad as the doom-mongers and press would have you believe.
Many “Arsenal” fans see Man City, Chelsea and Man Utd spend obscene amounts and get scared, they want the same. Well, let me tell you, it is not going to happen and nor would I want it too.
Both Man City and Chelsea are at the whim of one man, think about that for a second. If their owners leave, they are kapput, gone, done, OVER.
We are in such a strong position, we own our own 60k+ ground and state of the art training ground and we have such amazing players coming through.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I can see we need a couple of tough, experienced, top class players. Two players who can teach and drag the less experienced players through tough games but come on Gooners, is it that bad?
Are really going to get m’villa? Do we really need him? We ve got song frimpong and coquelin. What we need now is an experienced centre half a creative force in the middle of the park and another striker just in case RVP gets injured again. We don’t need m’villa, FACT!
I would be happy with a top class striker and another central defender because of our injuries.
What price TV getting a bad injury on Wednesday?
yes state of the art everything agreed, but for 4/5 seasons now we have all been calling for a decent centreback pairing and goalkeeper!and we are still looking..all we get are mugs who might develop into something really special..agreed we cant compete with the big spenders..but for f**k sake give us a fighting chance,the alternative is the quality players will leave..and the team will play in front of 20000 fans
Will what drugs are you on.
Even people that don’t understand football would have looked at that game and would know we are in desperate need of players.
You can say we are doom-mongers all you want,but we are all being lied too and are intruth being let down by our board,who are living in the past and are out of touch with mordern day football.
I was telling you before this season even started that we are short of players and we need some men in this team and you was going on about city and the chavs.
Open your eyes and see what’s going on at Arsenal,this is not the same club that was brung up on pride and honour of the great red and white shirt.Right now we need the board to wake up and act.
Are we Blackburn?
Are we Bolton?
Are we Tottenham?
No, we are The Arsenal and we are two players away from being great.
I guess I have aged and i now see what my dad was saying to me.
I know we ll bring in a couple of players but I don’t about top class. The board and wenger are not dumb. We ve just lost our best player and are about to lose another. We ve got to replace them. That’s no brainer.
????????
????????
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What are tou going on about??
Mate wake up please,is this the same Arsenal???
We don’t want to pay the going rate of wage’s and we are falling behind.
The storie’s about wenger and the board,i really do believe.
Wenger’s hand’s our tied and he know’s we have to adjust our wage bill to compete.Right now we have a team fighting to get fouth.
We are Arsenal,we should be fighting to try win things.
Am with will on this one MR is….all we need is a couple decent players and we ll be good. We don’t need a massive clear out.
Goonster we have had a massive clear out.We need players now.
Look if Nasri wasnt in that side saturday,he was by far our best midfield player and we are going to lose him.Look at the centre back postion and see how short we are.
We need at least another 2 midfielder’s.
Mr Is, I will from now on ignore your negativity and continue with my support of The Arsenal.
But it won’t happen so let’s just get behind the team and hope for the best. Maybe the board ll castrate themselves. Will has actually won me over. We are powerless so the least we can do is get behind the team.
lol..guys notice that bad boy attitude coming out from the squad………a few more match, then we gonna bullied other team..
what bloody negativity,,,,,,What cloud do you live on.
Act like i don’t spend money and that i don’t love Arsenal all you wan’t because you are the inferior fan.
Can i ask will,are you a season ticket holder??
wenger handed 2 match ban……
Goonster the fan’s have been behind the team and will continue to do so,out of love for the club.
But we cannot sit just back and watch everything go up in smoke.
Mate we all know we have a decent team,but we should have more than that.All i’m saying is how can a club as big as Arsenal let it get to this stage.
I’m not one of thoose calling for peoples head’s,but let me tell you that they have alienated a load of loyal supporters.
Oh boy here we go again. Come on guys. This is where the tabloids get their stories from. The in fighting has to stop. These guys are out to destroy our beloved club. The press and the FA ll rather see us languishing in the lower leagues. So please for all our sakes stop the in fighting. The gooner nation needs unity right now not bickering.
But what can we do MR is? What? Tell me am all ears. Am tired of the inactivity in the transfer market but what can I do? If we don’t support the club the club ll suffer and where ll we be? The spuds ll have a field day. Please let’s unite and help take the club forward.
Mate i’m not fighting at all,i state my opinion and get labeled negative???
I know what the press are doing and there trying to get wenger the sack.I was saying before this season even started that the club need’s better PR to the fan’s and we really should have solved some key area’s by now and the whole fan base would have been lifted.This is going back from last year and it’s still going on.
People are worried and rightly so,We do pay the highest ticket’s in world football and it’s bloody hard to pay for football now with mortages and bill’s and just the cost of everyday living.
We just want to feel we have a chance,we want to feel that the club is strong.So far the board are showing they are weak and out of touch.We deserve more than this and you know it!
Good Moaning,
Vieira and Petit were monsters for us in the middle of the park, they never took prisoners and teams were genuinely scared of us in those heady old days.
Shame about Mata, looks like another one who has slipped the net, maybe it really does come down to wages with us, the deals always seem to fall at the last hurdle.
No Wenger for Wednesday………deep joy.
did any one realise we have only won 2 games out of the last 13 premier league games???
I hope we get hazard though. He could be the difference between drawing or winning a game. The guy is class.
I do remember those days and we had some real fighter’s in the team. 😉
I think the wage’s thing is killing us,until we sort it out all of our best players will want to leave because they know they will get paid higher wage’s else where.
We will be used as a stepping stone club and that’s very dangerous for club like our’s for that to happen.We need to get with time’s and pay the going rate’s for players.
What a joke, Uefalona tell Wenger what he can do, he does it and they ban him after changing tehir minds.
Goonster i heard he will come if we get into the champions league.
He was one of the players i was talking about needing,I would not be bothered about Mata the slighest if we got Hazard.
We would be strong with him in the team,proper class player.
We need to get another centre half thou bad.
One player i do feel we need is leighton baines,it would just take the pressure of gibbs.
Uefa are after wenger for some reason.If i was the club i would fight that tooth and nail.
And can i just say thank you to skysports,Thanks for doing up your own english team.Oh i forgot they don’t class Arsenal as english do they.Funny how they all love Wilshere so much thou.
Uefa could and should have left that one alone, Wenger never should have got a ban in the first place, he was sticking up for rvp who was treated very harshly, we’re gonna have to take it out on Udinese, simple as that.
Wow…now am worried MR IS…so we wont get him if we don’t qualify. That is added pressure on the team. Hope we get through though.
I think Mata would have been perfect for us, if by some mircle Nasri stays which I dont believe he will then there is not a cats hell in chance that Hazard is coming.
– Will
Do you ever see a time when the big spenders leave City or Chelsea? And even if they do, once a team has won enough and is big enough on the european stage another buyer will ccome in. Club that big will never go away, as long as they are seen as a money making business people will invest have no fear. We will never see Chelsea go that way, give city a few more years picking up Premierships and Champions Leagues and they will be the same.
We don’t need to spend that sort og money granted, but we need money to spend. I would be happy to see Usmanov on board to pay of the stadium debt so it could no longer be used as an excuse to why we can not compete.
I have always had the felling that Arsene Wenger can not handle large profiled players, thats why they leave and that is why we never buy big. Maybe it is the reason he opts for kids so he can control them, and not be questioned.
what have those pricks at uefa done to moanrinho?
Come on Wenger, buy a decent defender, you know it makes sense.
Lee, do you believe in an eye for an eye ?
Yh he will not leave Lille to play in the uefa cup.
So do i mate,but with Song,gervihno back we should be strong enough to see them of.
Wilshere could be back aswell,so there is some positive news.
My point’s are about when we have the injury’s and suspensions,do we have enough cover???
We know if we had just a few players to make us stronger,we would wipe the floor with the rest and that’s what makes it harder to understand.
Where is your source micko?
Micko,
nasri is going mate,No doubt about it!!
I was saying our squad was too weak yesterday and got lambasted for it.
Mr is, I completely agree, Goonster my source is common sense.
Look, we offered the same transfer fee as Chelsea but they offered far more in wages. Now, unless you want us to do a Leeds, we can not match that as we don’t have a sugar daddy and nor do I want one.
Football has changed, it will change back.
Micko you are entitled to your opinon and shouldnt have anyone slag you off for it.You are onlying stating what many feel.
The people that call wenger and pedo and use abusive language against him.They ain’t fans.
No matter how bad things are,saying personal thing’s about our greatest ever manager is not on and i would never accept that.
Will, why do you go down that leeds route, it just ain’t gonna happen mate.
Leeds ha ha.
Will top comedian 😆
I knew Leeds would be mentioned sooner or later, thats what everyone points to when a football team has money, look at what happened to Leeds. How about look at all the other top teams in Europe that have money to spend and how successful they have been.
Leeds had the poor luck of trying to buy success at a time when there was very little intrest in english football teams as a money making entity. It wouldn’t happen to a big club today. And we are a big club no doubt about that, bigger than Leeds where when they tired.
will it ever will….I honestly thought abramhamovic would have been bored by now and stormed off but the russian prick is still bankrolling chelski. I don’t see the arabs following suit. I think those days are gone and this is the era of the SUGAR DADDIES.
Goonster these people aint going away and never will.
Will is hoping that when the financial fair play come in it will all change.
Fat chance it will do nothing,this will only grow and grow.
How much debt was pompey in again???
Please remind me,are they still around???
Football has changed, it will change back, think its time for a reality check, you gotta move on, even wenger has realised that……i hope
This post seem’s to have some truth to me.
http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/s378/st170548.htm?
Gunnersaurus will be the next one out the door, mark my words.
heard mata is being given 65k a week………that certainly isnt a very great deal or is it…….
Just wish usmanov ll just buy us out rightly. Kick PHW and his cronies out bring back DD and we ll smash the league.
Mr Is, its food for thought, although I would take it with a pinch of salt.
Mata for 65k is great business if its true, a bit sceptical about that, surely he would demand more.
Can I put out a question.
Why would any “big” player ever want to play for Arsenal?
Or why wouldn’t any big player ever want to play for Arsenal ?
I reckon it has some truth to it.
I’ve alway’s heard that our board were a bit tight and it has some backbone as to why this is happening right now.
Remember they paid dein off to keep him quiet,Arsene wouldnt.
I bet you now right,if wenger goes psg,he will sign some proper players.People will say why didnt wenger do this at Arsenal….They will then realise that it is our board.I mean take PHW i just can’t stand the guy anymore,berates fan’s when all he ever does is some cigars and enjoy he’s lavish lifestyle on the money we all put in.
The profit’s are going in there pockets,this is what i was trying to say to will before,where has all our money gone??
Why do any of you support Arsenal if all you want is big players and succcess?
Your club chooses you at childhood and you stick with it no matter what.
-Will
This isn’t a matter of support so get off your high horse. This is a matter of seeing the club progress.
mata was given 30k at valencia…..and rumours are that we lost mata to chelsea for a cool sum of just 4 million….
i say get hazard…
I am pissed off with all you we are shit, we are doomed.
We are in an amazing position and I am glad we are doing it the right way.
Will you are a madman sorry.Your so deluded it hurts me.
Will we certainly not in such a great position mate….
losing the next couple games could be a disaster……and a loss to manu will be horrible….
Hell, I have said myself on this blog that things are bad, but not the worst. And things right now are bad Will and you know it.
Its not all doom, but we have been so close to a team that can do things, but it seems like there are forces at play stopping us from becoming a team capable of winning again, and that is where the fustration from people is coming from. No one would say we are shit, we are one of the biggest clubs in Europe, its just time we started acting like one.
Mr Is, up yours.
We have a great set of players coming through, we will have very little debt and a stadium that pays shit loads.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/-i-m-prepared-to-speculate-in-the-market-?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+arsenal-news+%28News+Feed%29
Any of you want instant succcess, I suggest you go north.
Your a silly little boy.
You stay in your deluded world,never answered that question about season ticket did you.Wonder why.
You never answer questions when you know you have no answers.
You have shown your true colours mate and don’t be talking all hard over the internet.
Silly little boy, son you would not say that to my face.
Internet gangster 😆
OOO so scared,tell you what email me and were sort something out.
😉
Look guys there is no need to be at each others throats on here.
Will just because someone has a different opinion to you doesn’t mean you can call into question their loyalty or support of the club we are all fans here.
And its not us against you Will so can we all at least pretend to be civil?
eastside,
I was only making my own points,will dosent like it when you have a opinon.And when he hasnt got a answer he tell’s loyal Arsenal fan’s to f off.Just shown himself right up.
Will, I’m a pro-Wenger AKB too, but there’s no denying we’re in a tight situation. Everything has come at us at once – injuries, suspensions, tough fixture list, tough UCL draw, UEFA bans, top players wanting to leave, being outbid by oil money, unlucky goals, offside goals.
It’s not the end of the road by any means, but it’s over to Wenger now to pull off the signings we need – we both know that. We’re assuming he will, the doomers are assuming he won’t. Let’s see what happens…
Well said Savage, god knows I would like nothing more than for Wenger to prove us all wrong and for Arsenal to yet again become a dominante force in football again!
But we do need signings, more than one, more than two.
I am not a AKB, I am a realist.
Not an internet gangster at all.
Ugly, lets get ugly ! Is Merlin having a dig at the legend that is Martin Keown there ?
That’s the thing no when is against Wenger on here??
No one is against wenger here???…sorry 😆
The rules have changed but only for some and until teh powers that run football change them back, we will be an also-ran.
We can not match wages that Man City and Chelsea pay and that is why they are getting the players, not that they are a better draw than Arsenal. I can bet you, if all things were equal, Wenger would be a bigger draw to players than either AVB or Mancini.
Afternoon guys and gals…
Wenger has a two match ban then… typical!
Rico, I am surprised Uefalona didn’t strip him naked and tie him in the stocks.
I don’t consider us also rans, that’s a bit below the belt.
I think Wenger was a bit niave Will, a touchline ban means what we all know it does, he should have know better imho – he should have stayed out the way….
Please someone say it before it always looks i’m the one picking it out.
I’ll be back.
I agree Rico buut if you are given a set of instructions, surely you can with good faith, believe that if you stick to those instructions, you will be fine.
You lot been squabbling again!!
And what has been said before about telling fans to support other clubs??
Its a no no on here….
Sometimes, Common Sense prevails Will….
Who grassed ?
Then they should get behind the club that profess to support Rico, simple and plain.
Us, also rans – i don’t buy that, we have money, either the board or wenger are choosing not to spend it….
I’d like to know if that article about the divide at the top is true, if it is, something has to change….
Who Will?
And who is not getting behind the club??
fans have an opinion and HH is here for that opinion to be discussed, all is not rosy with our club, we habve serious problems ahead if it doesn’t change…
Pointing that out is just being realistic, it does not for one minute suggest that fans are not supporting the club…
And, as said before, it is no-ones right to suggest they go and support a team up north!
Micko – i read back 😉
good to see you back again… 🙂
Micko, loose lips sinks ships! 😉
ESP – re your earlier, i think the majority of fans want that too – not wenger out, just the old wenger back….
😆 Lee
mata at chelsea is such a pain to watch……
has he signed af?? 🙁
their official site claimed that a deal has been agreed…….so sad….
i thought he was ours….
Hazard is who we’re after….
Good heavens, it’s been like the school playground on here again 🙂
Anyway, Afternoon Gooners
Afternoon Rico, six of the best i reckon.. 😉
I blame Stan, he’s just a bloody troublemaker… 😀
Great news jack the lad should be back in contention for a place against udinese. With him and RVP back for the return leg I feel a little bit positive of our chances. We just need to sit back and invite them. Then hit them with ferocious counter attacks. Hope he starts with gervinho and walcott to tire them out then bring on arshavin to slaughter them afterwards. COYGs
af – hey ho, but maybe we didn’t ever really want him…
Lee, I think so too – lots of speculation that the deal is agreed and he’ll be announced tomorrow at AW’s conference – that would be some signing…
Also, M’vila – another we are supposed to have bid for…
Now the defender…..
Drogba is on the way out of the chavs too – more rumours are about him joing either us of Arry’s lot….
Afternoon Kev – bend over boys 😆
goonster – that’s good news, any news on Kos??
Stan, let all the scummers in the Press write us off for Udinese…..
Arsenal are at their best with their backs to the wall.
Squilli won’t feature, he has a calf problem….
See, i knew he wasn’t a footballer, he’s a farmer 😆
Hahaha KEV very funny….I wasn’t even here then. So my mata is at chelsea. Oh woe is me. This is all your fault allezkev if only you had beloved with me!
I don’t fancy our chances Kev 🙁
When last did we have a game as big as this Udinese tie? It’s monstrous.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14613381.stm
UEFA have been after him for ages…..
For what the outcome holds Savage, not for a long time – this tie is almost life or death in afc footballing terms…
I think we ll thump them…walcott again with an early goal to force them out then we ll roll them up like a carpet. This game was made for us a couple of seasons ago. Oh what I ll give to have cesc on the pitch on wednesday.
Stan, i’m only beloved of a chicken jalfriezi.. 😉
Rico/Sav, it’s the biggest game, imho, for Arsenal, since Paris 2006.
It’s a seminal moment in Wenger’s career….
The players need to pull together and we need a decent referee…
I still think AW was a bit naive Kev, for a man as intelligent as he is, he should have stayed away from the cameras and text someone other than Rice in the dugout who could then pass on the messsage a bit more discretely 😉
The way PR stood at one stage staring up at Wenger made me worry, it was so so obvious…
Offski for a mo.
He’d be injured if he was still with us goonster 😉
Drog would be great for us but he’ll be involved in the modric deal, no? M’Vila that’ll please WATH, if that’s possible! 😉 Who’s the CB gonna be? UEFA can fuck themselves….
Do you guys actually think we ll get hazard. I don’t see lille letting him go easy. They ve just sold us gervinho…don’t think they ll want to sell us hazard too….get back here Kev! Am not done with ya.
“Manchester United, the record 19- time English soccer champion, agreed on a four-year contract worth about 40 million pounds ($66 million) for delivery company DHL to sponsor its training apparel, according to two people familiar with the deal.” fucking hell…
Let’s hope Drog doesn’t want to go there Lee….
If M’vila is true and we get him, WATH will be on the GG i’m sure – haven’t seen him here for ages 🙁
Scott Dann I think, Gary Cahill I hope…
Both would be just mighty fine 🙂
I’m just concerned about who gives us impetus from the midfield. Jack will play that role I think, since Ramsey seems a touch shy for me. Frimpong tried for a while in the 2nd half. Song is holding back these days, which I think is Wenger’s instruction.
You’ve only just got here Kev 😉
depends how hard up they are goonster – and whether we offer an amount to turn their heads, suggestion is that the player is desperate to join us….
That’s why I’d play them both savage, Song can protect the back four when he needs to and the little terrier can win everything in the middle and take us forward…
I know, what do i know eh 😉
Do you think Jack can play the Cesc role? Ie. advanced midfielder
Wrong info Rico….hazard only wants madrid. Heard zizou wanted to take him there a couple of years ago. Why ll he wanna come to us?
I don’t know Savage, its got to be either him or Ramsey…
goonster, nah, he wants to joing wenger…
Not from what I heard Rico. He wants to play in spain and not england and I think his destination ll bd madrid. Mark my words.
goonster, 2:17pm: said hazard will go to Real Madrid.
Words marked 🙂
I don’t even see lille letting him go…
Yeah savage…..mark it….I ll change my name to wenger’s bitch. If he pulls this off.
ok gooster, i’ll take your word on taht, i’ll forget hazard 🙁
Shall i just duck or is everything calm now 😉
Just like to say Rico,i ain’t come here to abuse no one,i’m only here to talk Arsenal.Just wanted to clear that up.
Tendulka out for 91
😛 😛 😛 Hooooorah….
Think of it this way,if they get Hazard we get kaka 😆
Rico…. 1.52pm…. Yeah, agree
All’s calm Mr Is, and I didn’t get the impression you were up for a fight here either 😉
You are entitled to your view, and that goes for every afc fan…
The club are appealing the two match ban Kev so he’ll be in the dugout on Wednesday, that has to be a good thing too – Rice looked totally lost at The Ems….
The wickets are tumbling…. 😀
Win Win then Mr Is 🙂
How old is Kaka now?
So what’s the verdict on Kaka – yay or nay?
We dropped Tendulka twice today and failed to appeal for a stumping yesterday 😮
I’ve heard that since his injury, Kaka is not the same Kaka as the Kaka before.
Rico, i really worry about Rice… I wonder if he is all that well health wise….
I’d like to see him do a Don Howe and look after the academy kids….
Instill that ‘old Arsenal’ into them.
I don’t believe that Wenger would sign a 29 year old who will no doubt be on a high wage – even if his name is Kaka 😉
Rice actually did look like a lost child at times during the game when the camera panned to him looking up into the stands, was kind of embarrasing really!
Good no need to get your hopes up like I did with mata…we ll probably end up signing a player like jadson and a cheap french or african CB. Am immune to the constant heart aches…..thanks to Will. He showed me the way and opened my eyes. Whoever he signs ll get my support. COYR’s
Kev, totally agree, how long we all been saying he could swap roles with Bouldy??
And if he doesn’t stop crossing his legs he’ll get thrombosis …. 😉
Pour vour Stan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBjpWqWkUK0&feature=related
Can you translate?
Agree ESP, made me cringe if i’m honest, what effect would that have on you if you were a player?
Think i’d rather see Wenger kicking water bottles
29 kaka is.
All he need’s is a manager to put his arms around him and say come on you still have it in you to become one of the best player’s in the world.Wenger would show him the belief and think we would get it back.
I’m saying a big yay
Ah i see Mr Is has come back, no doubt looking for a ruck…. 😀
goonster, honestly, i don’t get my hopes up over any rumour, i just sit, read them and then smile…..
Kev, i saw that one too 😉 i couldn’t translate it 🙁
Mind you, maybe that is because i can’t speak French 😉
I watched a bit of L’OM last night. Lucho Gonzalez and Valbuena both played. The commentators said Lucho was 30 and had just had a recall to the Argentinian team. He showed a nice almost-assist chip pass and a sloppy pass a minute later 🙂
Only because four letters on the back of your new shirt would be cheaper than Schweinsteiger 😉 😉
Yeah so you better duck my swing 😆
Mr Is 🙂
India 266 for 6
25 runs, then we bat again…
He’d fit in well with us then Savage 😉
Dodgy decision for the last wicket kev, makes up for a couple ST has missed though …..
What does it say kev?
Kev, don’t you start…
I’m so shocked by england,ithought india would wipe the floor with us??
Do you notice how people are saying it’s not a english team of players now thou.People do love a good old moan in this country. 😆
I don’t know Stan, i can just about order a beer in French.
But i suppose they’re talking about Wenger’s interest in Hazard, and then the player is commenting on it.
Maybe someone on hear will be able to translate it for us?
m
Lee, i’ll fight ya for that last puppadum…… 😀
I’m wondering if Gary Kirsten was the difference for India? Can’t believe that such a talked-about team has collapsed so horribly.
Ah, Mr Is, the pundits/critics are never satisfied….
Look at the New Zealand rugby team?
How many of their team are native New Zealanders…???
I think we’re on the cusp of a great period for English cricket.
We have some great youngsters coming thru…
ak, that’s how I felt in 2004 with the Arsenal and our upcoming decade of dominance. Enjoy success while it lasts, because nothing is guaranteed.
Mr Is, this is the best English squad for years, not their fault that some of our players were born outside England 😉
7 down, Dhoni 🙂
Savage, it’s because they don’t like the quick swinging ball, its doing them up like a kipper 🙂
wait until we go to India in the winter, that will be a different series…
So the interest is real then…hope we get him. Perhaps its was just a ploy to throw potential suitors away with the mata story. Hmmm sneaky. Oh well until I see it on AFC.com I won’t believe a word.
Kev
‘I think we’re on the cusp of a great period for English cricket.
We have some great youngsters coming thru…’
Just like Arsenal 😉
8 down, RP Singh 🙂
Yeah, i know what ya mean Sav…
Look at how the Aussies have just collapsed..
And the Windes before them.
now it’s England’s turn to dominate.
269 for 8
Rico, took the very words!!! 🙂
I do hope so Rico…. 😀 😀
Wish our on england football team could do the same,They could do with a bit of foreign flair. 😆
Lee – Great minds and all that 😉
Come on you guys, India didn’t collapse, England have just been too good – isn’t that how we are meant to think 😆
All the players who could play for England have more sense 😉
India’s misfortune to lose their best bowler hasn’t helped.
But the rest of their bowlers are quite ordinary.
If Dravid can score runs, then there’s no excuse for the others.
Could be as a result of India’s obsession with the IPL..?
But the bottom line is we have a great squad of players.
A top captain and a top group of coaches.
Just got back from a meeting in a sultry Canary Wharf. Ghastly place. Hi Rico. Have the lunatics taken over the asylum yet?
Hi adam, no, still just the one lunatic – me 😛
The way people are talking about England now is the way they were talking about India last year. And the squads have barely changed.
Hey kev enough with the cricket already. This is an arsenal blog. We only blog about all things arsenal. So beat it.
goonster – easy tiger, we talk all things here 😆
even crashing cars 😉
9 down, 5 for Swannie 🙂
275 for 9…
Just for you Stan…
Ok Stan, give me your line-up for Weds’…?
Am gonna get you kev…I ll talk about rowing and darts too. As soon as I can find someone on here with the same passion as mine.
Good website Rico. I get to see all the wickets 🙂
http://www.ecb.co.uk/
Rowing and darts are good Stan…..
How do you think our rowers will do in the Olympics???
shish india collapsed again……
they will take england in the one dayers
i bet……
Phil The Power Stan 😛
I’m watching them fall Kev 🙂
Fiver af they don’t 😉
AF, maybe i’m old-fashioned, but i never worry to much about the one-dayers. To me the Tests are the ulimate, it’s what it is, the test of a teams ability, mentality and character….
Shut up kev….oh who am I kidding my only passion is the arse….lord help me. I ve got to take up chess or something.
180 for England Rico, a double top… ;D
That’s it, all out 🙂
Innings and 8 runs 🙂
One dayers are fun cricket, tests matter, spot on kev….
Ok Stan, do you like motor racing…..? 😆
Stan, be careful mention your only passion is arse!! 😉
Off to cut the grass before the storms come in … 🙁
Back shortly…..
kev then are you a fan of the t20 im a huge fan of it….it is the crickets answer to football i think….
Come on Stan, tell me…. your team for Weds’..?
Lee 😆
I must say being Irish I don’t know much about cricket, I do enjoy the t20 though! Also use to play a bit after football training some of the guys would play cricket, was actually good fun.
AF, i did watch a little bit of T20 when England won the World Cup awhile back, but i can happily sit and watch a Test all day long.
Don’t get me wrong, i like to see England do well in both the 50 over World Cup and T20….
But it doesn’t beat a test series vs India, South Africa or the Ashes….
ESP, Eoin Morgan is a top player…
England are due to play Ireland soon….
It would be good to see the game progress over there.
for real guys I only live for arsenal…..is that a problem? I don’t even watch other teams!
england truly deserve being no one now though…..
series win over aouth africa in africa…ashes win home and away and now complete demolition (hate to say it)of india….england you deserve it…..
Yeah I mean its pretty fun to play and I do enjoy watching it, but I don’t ever think it will really kick off in a big way here, we have a few national sports also that are huge here. So its hard for other sports to catch on! Except football of course, huge here as it is everywhere!
If I do remeber the last time we played you lot we won! 😉
Stan, this is my team for Weds’
WS CJ BS TV JD AS AR JW RVP TW G
Thanks for the reminder ESP… 🙂
kev, you just jarred my brain !
Ha! I think you beat us is the Rugby last time out didn’t you?
“Winning Together: The Story of the Arsenal brand” John & Matt Simmons (2006)
People, I am going off a tangent to summarise the History of Arsenal FC and how we arrived to what is today under Arsene Wenger’s management.
Many of angsts and frustrations and management follies are nothing new in the long history of Arsenal as you cna find similiar incidents.
Just love to share with you all:
BUILDING A TRADITION
Arsenal’s history is long and glorious, both on and off the pitch. The Bank of England club, who were the first to install under-soil heating, and were powerful and prestigious enough to get a tube station re-named after themselves; even in times when Arsenal’s success on the pitch has dried up the fans could always feel pride in what the club represented. Yet, as fans of other clubs frequently point out, Arsenal’s history isn’t without its shady side.
[Arsenal prides itself on conducting its affairs in a correct and proper manner. Known as the ‘Bank of England club’ in the 1930s because of its solid financial foundations, Arsenal has maintained its tradition of self-sustainability, seeking to survive on its natural financial resources. Doing things ‘the Arsenal way’ is just as evident in the more trivial aspects of running a club. Go into the Boardroom before a home game, for example, and you’ll see flowers to match the colors of Arsenal’s opponents that day… http://www.Arsenal.com]
Arsenal was first formed in 1886. The exact origin of the club remain somewhat obscure, as there were several works teams at Woolwich Arsenal who contributed players tot eh team that would become Arsenal. The most significant of these works teams was called Dial Square, and it was under this name that he club played their first ever match, against Eastern Wanderers in December 1886.
Two Scots, John Humble and David Danskin, became the driving force behind the club in those early days. They were both workers at the Woolwich Arsenal, and in the early days at least, both regularly played for Royal Arsenal, as the club became known shortly after playing its first game. Danskin was responsible for founding the club, and raising funds to support it, while in 1891 it was Humble who proposed that Royal Arsenal should turn professional.
It was also at this same AGM in 1891 that the club changed its name to Woolwich Arsenal. By this time Arsenal were already playing in red shirts, due tot eh generous donation of a full set of kits by Nottingham Forest; the famous white sleeves weren’t actually added until Herbert Chapman’s reign at the club.
This decision to turn professional sparked the first of many controversial episodes in Arsenal’s History. AT this time the London FA were fiercely opposed to professionalism within the sport and so immediately banned Arsenal from taking part in any of its competitions. For two years the club searched for a solution, whilst having only FA Cup matches left to give them competitive football. This wasn’t much of a consolation, as Woolwich Arsenal were thrashed in the first round of the competition in both of these years.
In 1893 the Football league Second Division was expanded from 12 to 15 clubs, and Arsenal were duly elected to the League, the first London-based club to do so.
They still have no ground of their own (between 1886 to 1913they played in a number of different locations in and around Plumstead), were a fairly mediocre Second Division side, and were already, at this early point in their history, becoming unpopular with other clubs.
This feeling persisted throughout the 1890s, and was based not only in the difficulties inherent in getting to Woolwich Arsenal, but also in the club’s uncompromising and rugged playing style. This image of Arsenal as a dirty, boring or lucky team has persisted ever since, though no-one would describe Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal as boring.
Although Arsenal may not have done much to endear themselves to anyone during the early part of their history, the next 20 years at the club were fairly uneventful, and certainly unsuccessful. It was the arrival of Henry Norris in 1910 that was to cement Arsenal’s position as London’s most hated club, as well as building the foundations of the modern Arsenal.
Norris was a self-made millionaire, blunt, outspoken and used to getting his way. His first action upon taking over the club was to propose a merger between Woolwich Arsenal and Fulham, where he was also a director. It was only after the League turned down this proposal that Norris moved to carry out the most significant action in Arsenal’s History.
The League suggested that there was an obvious conflict of interest in Norris having control over two clubs, and that he should divest himself of his interest in one of them. Norris decided to stick with Woolwich Arsenal, though he also decided that something would have to change. Woolwich Arsenal was no more, and Arsenal Football Club was born.
When Norris took over Woolwich Arsenal they were a poorly supported team, on the verge of bankruptcy. If they were ever to succeed Norris decided that they would have to move to an area with a larger potential fan base and good transport links. To modern fans the parallels with the case of the Milton Keynes Dons are clear, and certainly Norris’ actions were unpopular with Woolwich Arsenal’s fans, as well as the other clubs whose catchment areas he was potentially infringing on.
Norris looked upon a number of sites in North and West London, before settling upon Highbury, which at the time was home to St. John’ College of Divinity.
Ignoring all objections, Norris signed the deeds, and spent a small fortune on transforming Highbury into a football ground. The first match at Highbury (which Arsenal won 2-1, beating Leicester Fosse) took place on the 6th September 1913.
Unfortunately, by this point Arsenal was no longer a First Division club. Relegated in 1913, their first last season before moving to Highbury, the club set an unwanted record. The 1912-13 season saw Arsenal record the lowest number of goals, wins and points ever by a First Division club. Thus the 1913-14 season saw Arsenal not only in a new home, but in a new division.
Paul, where abouts in Ireland are you, do you travel over for any games ?
The single most outrageous enterprise ever conceived in the history of English football
First World War started in 1914, and the league programme did not resume until September 1919. In the last season (1914-15) to be completed before the suspension of the league, Arsenal had finished 5th, two places lower than they had managed in the previous season.
Despite Norris’ massive investment in the club, they would still have to start in the Second Division. It was at this point that Norris carried out the act which, above everything else, guaranteed him lasting infamy.
As all Arsenal fans know, the club’s officials are masters of understatement, always eager to avoid the slightest hint of controversy. Yet event eh official history of Arsenal can’t ignored Norris’ actions in 1919, referring to them as:
“The single most outrageous enterprise ever conceived in the history of English football”…(p.42, The Official History)
Details are scarce as to what exactly happened. Only the eventual outcome is clear – Arsenal began season 1919-20 in Division One.
The decision had been taken to expand the First Division from 20 to 22 clubs, and whenever the division had been expanded previously the top clubs from the Second Division were promoted, while the bottom clubs from the First Division were automatically re-elected.
This was not to happen in 1919 however. Norris used the League’s 1919 Annual General meeting to convince his fellow directors at the expense of the club who finished 20th in the 1914-15 season.
It is a source of continuing, if admittedly perverse, delight to many Arsenal fans that the unfortunate club finishing in 20th was S*CUMS…
Henry Norris had been elected a Tory MP in 1918, and he sued all of his influence and political savvy to ensure Arsenal’s promotion. He secretly canvassed all of his fellow directors in order to convince them of the worth of Arsenal’s case, and was able to secure the support of the League President, John McKenna, who was also the owner of Liverpool. Only one club was not included in Norris’ canvassing: S*CUMS.
Norris was even careful to ensure the support of Chelsea, who had finished 19th in 1914-15, usually a relegation position. Chelsea were re-elected tot eh First Division without a vote, a proposal put forward by Norris’ ally, John McKenna. In this way, S*CUMS were isolated from any potential allies, and their fate was sealed.
Obviously the events above did nothing to improve Arsenal’s relationship with S*CUMS, or indeed anyone else. Already far from being universally loved club, Arsenal became widely despised. The events of 1919 are not as widely known as they once were, but among the more hardcore elements of S*CUMS fanbase they still provide additional motivation to hate Arsenal.
In 1928, Norris was banned from football for life following allegations of illegal payments made to players and other club employees.
One year previously towards the end of the 1927-28 season, Arsenal had also been accused of throwing games, in order to ensure S*CUMS were relegated. This allegation was never proved, and Arsenal had struggled all season, eventually finishing in 19th, only 3 points ahead of S*CUMS.
Nevertheless, the allegations were enough to further worsen the relationship between the two clubs. From a S*CUM point of view thing were about to become far worse, as Arsenal were about to begin a period of unprecedented success.
HERBERT CHAPMAN : 1925 – 1934
If Norris was the father of the modern Arsenal off the pitch, Hebert Chapman was the man to do what Norris couldn’t; bring Arsenal success and fame on the pitch. In doing so Chapman also came to equal Norris’ influence off of it. It was Chapman who, in 1932, was able to persuade London transport to rename Gillespie Road station after the club.
To this day, no other football club in Britain has a train station named after them, and the value of this name change, in free advertisement and prestige, is incalculable. Chapman is often referred to as being the first professional manager in British football, but he was also way ahead of his time, in grasping the importance of managing the club’s image, and building its brand.
Norris brought Chapman to Arsenal in 1925. Chapman came to Arsenal with a record of success – in fact, with Chapman as manager Huddersfield Town had enjoyed a level of success Arsenal hadn’t have even come close to matching.
Chapman won the League championship in his last seasons at Huddersfield, so it is tempting to ask why he moved at all. The likelihood is that, as well as wanting a new challenge, Chapman simply recognized Arsenal’s great potential. By this time Huddersfield’s industry was already in decline, a fact which would inevitably have a knock-on effect on the town’s football club.
Arsenal by contrast may not have ever won much, but they were ambitious, and located in one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world. Chapman’s ambition was clear. Right from the start he wanted Arsenal to become the most famous, most prestigious club in the world.
Chapman and Norris, however, were not to see eye to eye on how to achieve this. Norris, despite being willing to spend a fortune on the ground, was less willing to spend large sums of money on the team itself.
Chapman by contrast saw spending money as the only way to guarantee success. Despite his many innovations (the use of physiotherapists, team meetings, the ‘W’ formation), Chapman’s recipe for success was simple. Put the best players you can possibly afford on the pitch.
It was Chapman then who, very much against the wishes of Norris, turned Arsenal into the Bank of England club, able to buy any player they wished, Chapman changed Arsenal’s image to such an extent, that by the time of the infamous cup defeat at the hands of Walsall in 1933, Arsenal were widely seen as the game’s aristocrats, rich, cocky and ripe for a giant-killing. It will surprise no-one that Arsenal’s defeat in that game was greeted with delight around England. Arsenal at this time were some way off being loved, or even liked by neutral supporters.
For Chapman, Norris’ ban may have come as a blessing in disguise. Norris would never have allowed Chapman the kind of overall control he wanted, and doubtless wouldn’t have let him spend the money he did either.
Norris’ successor as chairman was Samuel Hill-Wood, thus beginning the unbroken Hill-Wood dynasty at Arsenal. The Hill-Woods have never been interested in interfering with the football side of the club.
As Jon Spurling wrote in his alternative history of Arsenal “Rebels for the Cause”:
“The Hill-Wood family’s motto, which rang true until grandson Peter oversaw the graham affair in 1995, was: Why interfere when you’ve got experts to do the job?”
Sadly, Herbert Chapman was not to have long to enjoy his success either. On January 10, 1934 Chapman unexpectedly died, after a heavy cold turned into pneumonia.
During his 8 years as Arsenal manager Chapman won the league twice, and the FA Cup once, a surprisingly modest haul, given Chapman’s legendary status at Arsenal, and within football as a whole. Of course, Chapman’s legacy was far greater than just these three trophies, and the side he built continued to dominate the 1930s, even after his death.
George Allison, who previously been Arsenal’s Managing Director took on the role of Manager, despite having no professional experience of the role. In the event this matter little, as Joe Shaw and Tom Whittaker, did most of the day to day coaching of the team. Despite criticism of Allison’s appointment, and the fact that he had in effect appointed himself Manager, the set-up was a success, as Arsenal won further league titles in 1934, 1935 and 1938 as well as the FA Cup in 1936. By the end of the 1930s Arsenal were one of the most famous and respected club sides in the world.
Arsenal’s dominance of the English game in this period is further reflected by the line-up of the England team selected to play Italy in November 1934. A total of 7 of the England side that day played for Arsenal.
Second World War dealt Arsenal a number of near-crippling blows. Indeed, despite continuing success it is arguable that Arsenal have never quite recovered the status and dominance they enjoyed before the outbreak of war.
The 1930s are still referred to as Arsenal’s Golden Age.
The war impacted on Arsenal both on and off the pitch. A total of 42 of Arsenal’s professional playing staff joined the services during the war, and 9 of these 42 lost their lives. In addition, several Arsenal players, including the great Ted Drake, lost the final years of their football career to the war, age and injuries preventing them from playing on after 1945.
TOM WHITTAKER in 1947 to TERRY NEILL in 1984
The ground was bombed on a number of occasions, one attack resulting in the near total destruction of the North bank, necessitating complete rebuilding after the war.
All of these factors, together with the already heavy debts incurred during the pre-war years (mainly from the building of the East and West stands in the mid-1930s) meant that Arsenal could no longer afford the best. The strain of striving to maintain Arsenal’s position at, or at least near, the top finally became too much for George Allison in 1947, after 13 years as Arsenal manager. Allison handed over to Tom Whittaker, Arsenal’s trainer since the days of Herbert Chapman, and immensely respected by the players.
Whittaker inherited an ageing, though still talented team, and his first season in charge proved a great success.
Criticized in the papers for an alleged defensive approach, Arsenal didn’t care, for they won the 1947-48 League title. Further success followed for Whittaker, as he delivered the FA Cup in 1950, and the League again in 1953.
In addition, in 1952 Arsenal were only 3 games away from becoming the first club to win the double in 20th Century. With 3 games left ( 2 in the league and FA Cup final), badly affected by injuries to key players, Arsenal lost all 3 games, and finished the season with nothing.
Tragically Tom Whittaker was to follow Herbert Chapman’s footsteps in more way than one. Like Chapman, Whittaker died prematurely, while still Arsenal manager, and seemingly having literally worked himself to death for the cause.
Whittaker was an outstanding manager in his own right, and was utterly devoted to making Arsenal a success.
After Tom Whittaker, there was to be little winning at Highbury for some time. The club subsided into a period of mediocrity overseen first by George Swindin, and then, in a break with tradition, an outsider, the famous Billy Wright.
But his management career was to prove undistinguished, and Arsenal came nowhere near success under him. In 1966 he was sacked after 4 years as manager, and the club returned to tradition in making its next appointment.
Looking inside the club, Denis hill-Wood (father of present chairman, Peter) appointed Bertie Mee, who had been Arsenal’s physiotherapist since 1960. Like Allison and Whittaker before him, Mee had no previous experience as manager of a professional football club, but also like these two famous predecessors, he knew Arsenal inside out, had the respect of the players, and was unafraid of the challenge.
Mee built a winning team founded on typical Arsenal values; hard work, discipline, and a trsut in young players schooled in the Arsenal. Arsenal’s first success under Mee was to be the European Fairs Cup in 1970. This was followed the next year by, finally, the double of League title and FA Cup. A fantastic achievement by an unfancied club (Arsenal had finished 12th the previous season).
Unlike Chapman’s successes in the early 1930s, this triumph didn’t lead to a period of sustained success. Partly this can be attributed to the loss of Don Howe, who left after the double season to become a manager in his own right with WBA. Howe was to return later, again as coach, in 1977, as well as enjoying a brief spell as manager in the mid-1980s. Mee himself appeared to have run out of ideas, and was described as growing increasingly distant from players.
After sinking low enough to flirt with relegation in both 1975 and 1976, Mee announced his retirement.
The club’s solution was to appoint an Arsenal man again, Terry Neill had played for the club for 11 years, and at 32 was Arsenal’s youngest ever manager. His reputation, in the eyes of the fans at least, was tarnished by having previously managed S*CUMS.
Neill was not to prove the most popular of managers in his 8 years in charge. Neill never had the full respect of his players, many of whom seemed to be more interested in London’s nightlife than winning things on the pitch.
Neill’s reign was also to bring only one trophy, the 1979 FA Cup. You could take it as a sign of bad luck, or that Neill simply wasn’t a winner, that arsenal also lost in the finals of the 1978 and 1980 FA Cups, and the 1980 UEFA Cup.
Good line up kev but I don’t think wenger ll start LJW. He’s just coming back from a long lay off……I think he ll start TR7
TERRY NEILL in 1984 to ARSENE WENGER In 1996
Terry Neill was finally sacked in 1984, by which time it was apparent that the club were going nowhere under him.
The weeks preceding his sacking were marked by demonstrations demanding his dismissal outside the ground, something which has not happened before or since. For better or worse (and with a couple of notable exceptions) Arsenal gives their managers time in which to work, and the supports have always been happy that this is the case.
The early-1980s mediocrity was just too much to be borne indefinitely though, meaning it was only a matter of time before Neill had to go. His replacement was Don Howe, who finally got to live out his dream of managing Arsenal.
Howe did a solid if not unspectacular job, resigning after less than 2 years in charge, having got wind that Arsenal had gone behind his back and approached Terry Venables to take his job.
Howe’s devotion to the club deserved better (he was later to return to the club again in a coaching capacity), and this was a prime example of Arsenal’s behavior not quite living up to its stated values.
Venables never did come to Arsenal, preferring to stay at Barcelona. Interestingly, this was the second time Arsenal missed out on Venables, as he also opted to stay with his current club (Crystal Palace) before Arsenal appointed terry Neill.
On this occasion Arsenal again went for a former player, George Graham. He as a member of the double-winning side, and had built, in a short time, a successful Millwall side based on hard work, discipline and young players. This recipe no doubt sound familiar, and welcome tot eh Arsenal board, and Graham was duly installed.
It took only a year for Graham to deliver his first trophy, the 1987 League Cup. Arsenal lost in the final of the same trophy the following year, an event that will always live on in Arsenal supporters’ memories as the occasion on which the hapless Gus Caesar trod on the ball in the penalty area, and handed victory to underdogs Luton.
Real success was to follow in 1989 and 1991 when Arsenal won their first League title since 1971. Graham built his title-winning sides on, and this will surprise no-one, hard work, discipline and young players.
Often criticized as defensive and dirty, it si true to say that Graham’s Arsenal sides were more concerned with winning than playing attractive football.
When Graham was sacked in 1995, there was little doubt that the side had stagnated. Like Neill’s Arsenal, this Arsenal side were capable of winning cups (the FA Cup and League CUp in 1993, and the CUp Winner’s CUp in 1994) but were nowhere in the League.
After a few months with Stewart Houston as caretaker manager, Bruce RIoch took over as Arsenal manager. Rioch was another tough, disciplinarian Scot, though the Bolton side he ahd managed previously did at least have a reputation for playing attacking football. Ioch had no previous links witht he club, and seemed to have problems getting on with the players, most notably the fan’s idol Ian Wright, from the start. Arsenal’s Rioch did play far better football than in previous seasons, and finally spent some big money on world-class players (Bergy and Platt) Arsenal finished fifth, good enough to qualify for the UEFA Cup. AT this point in Arsenal’s history, this qualifed as success. But it wasn’t enoug to save RIoch. SOme have suggested that RIoch was only ever intended as a stop-gap measure until Arsene Wenger became available, but it is more likely that vice-chairman Davide dein, who by this point was the dominant force within the club, simply lost all confidence in Rioch to deliver.
Did i just get sandwiched.
Hey Micko, I am from Wexford, but I go to Uni in Dublin!
To be honest the Emirates cup this year was the first time I have ever seen a live match in my 24 years of being an Arsenal supporter!
cheese and pickled…at pace Micko!!
I’m in Kerry, surrounded by Man u fans, can’t get away from them, I travel over 10 -15 times a season for the games, next up Swansea, what did you think of the Stadium ?
Merlin, you’ll have to teach me how to speed-type… 🙂
Good post btw….
Ah the same as myself! Was the only Arsenal fan in primary and the only in secondary! It was a lonely world! I thought the stadium was amazing, far surpasses even Croke Park, just on view alone, I can’t think there is a bad seat in the house.
I would love to get over more, the only problem is the huge expense of flights and accomadation. Gonna bring the old man over soon though he has been a supporter for 53 years and never seen a live match!
My only regret is never being to Highbury, the great matches I watched over the years, just a shame I never got to see one there.
Blimey Merlin, you are on a history roll 🙂
No Kos for Wedsneday??
Nurse/Chef duties tonight, heading into the last two weeks so all should settle soon…
i’ll be back later if anyone’s around, in the meantime, be good and no squabbling 😆
later’s all, enjoy your evening….
Micko, how long does it take you to travel..?
Ahhhh Highbury, cracking atmosphere, that’s the only thing that lets the emirates down, I think if we hadn’t moved we’d be champions today, profits seem to have got in the way of trophies these days.
Kev, kerry – luton approx 1 hour, 30 euros, I ‘ve had a season ticket for years but share it now.
Yeah very true, I do believe the move needed to happen though. We are a big club after all!
I must say The Boca Juniors fans where amazing at the Emirates Cup. If only a bit of that would rub onto our own!
We definately needed to move, don’t know why they didn’t make the stadium 80,000 capacity, bit of a strange one that, the season ticket waiting list wouldn’t be half as long as it is now.
Rico, this is to cheer us up on our illustrated hsitory.
Just remember those barren years during Terry Neill, and before Graham and before Wenger turned up.
Contrast to 1996 to 2011.
The foundation is there, we may be flirting with relegaiton zone comes December, but if we survived Terry Neill, I believe we cna survive th present doldrums till everything is sorted out by 31 August.
Paience, it si all conjectures till it became truth on September 1 with no new signings or we were knocked out on Wednesday.
But I see this seasona s a repeat of 2005/06 season:
Brilliant in CL Cup game, then lost or drew the very next League game…..or a brilliant League beating the likes of Manu and then promptly lost to the likes of Swansea in the very next game.
2011/12 season?
Just prepare for an emotional roller coaster ride People!
Well Terry Neil did get us to 3 cup finals in a row and a cup winners cup,I met him in Holborn a good few years back now, he was running a pub there at the time, gotta say he was a really nice bloke,
Just unfortunate that the fans turned against him.
Let’s hope the same will not happen to Wenger now.
“Nice bloke finished last”..lol
And he gave us Charlie Nicolas as well…….who put the ball in the tottenham net charlie nicolas, he used to love scoring against the scum.
But as yet, since 2006, we have not turned Emirates into a fortress that visiting teams feared.
That is, we must build a climate of fear such that visiting teams have only one thought in their mind: “How to keep the score down”..
instead of presently, every visiting team from S*CUMS to Swansea fancies they will get a result at Emirates, with our notorious “Emirates’ Gift” of offerring any visitor team the handicap of scoring first against Arsenal.
I think most fans just wish Wenger was more honest in his interviews, he always talking in riddles, if he was more open with us we would all be fighting his corner with him, but these days more often than not he shoots himself in the foot.
i also think its time Kroenke came out and let us know whats going on behind the scenes………Silent stan you know it makes sense, come on down.
lol…you think Wenger ever speaks the hard truth in public?…lol
Whenever he speaks in Wengerese, I alwasy read between teh line like:
In Wengerese: “Mon Dieu! Nuts if you expect moi o speak nothing but the truth, the whole truth!”
Wenger is a very private person. He may speak out hsi opinion on football amtter, but never publicly what he si going to do next. Wenger is all “smoke and mirror” and hide his true intention till it is fait accompli.
Yeah, but just lately he’s taken it to new heights.
Do we need to call the Samaritans yet?
No subsidised stadium for the scummers…..!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/london_2012/14612877.stm
Shape of things to come?
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,11848_7118195,00.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trd49Da0gf0
If Arsenal appeal against Wenger’s 2 match ban, then does that mean he is allowed on the bench this Weds’..?
And Fabregas returned to Spain….just to sit out there on strike…lol
Yes, the debt burden of football clubsa re unbeleivable..and if Europe and USA enter into another 2008 Credit Crunch Crisis, with more banks go belly-up…..and no more loans for football clubs in deficit, guess how many more in Premeirhsip will go the way of Leeds and Pompey???
Guess Everton is the next “Pompey” and like vultures circling, I hope Arsenal will get its chocie piece of “meat” in Blaine, Jageilka, Arteta adn Felliiani.
Let’s hope Everton is desperate to sell to stave off creditors.
Something that could easily happen here Kev if certain teams are allowed to continually artifically raise wages.
Evening all, Good post Merlin96 those names brought back a few memories, i must admit Merlin, i was always of the same opinion as you, show aggression and strive forward tackle hard and let them know your there seeing its a mans game. BUT sadly that can never be with Arsenal football club, we can’t even go and retreive a throw in without getting booked, a man is hauld up off of the floor and man handled in an agressive maner by two of the opposition and our man gets sent off, in the return leg with Barcelona a slight touch by RVP see’s his name in the book and half an hour later sent off for having a shot , i am sorry that is about as aggresive as we can be. Frimp makes a 50.50 challenge both players had feet up no contact frimp walks, Wenger sits in the stand chatting to a mate and the next thing you know he’s susspended from doing his job for the next 2 euro games ,even if we don’t get through the qualifyer they have made sure that he wont be their for the other comp, lets face it we have upset sombody and they have hit us hard, and dont think its over, we still have to play Wednesday, who can they possibly send off then, and what for, perhaps for having a lace undone. “strike a light”
Well, Steve, karma is a biatch and all will even out soon.
We are overdued for our shares of luck.
goodnight all, it is late in my time zone..like agag!
We do seem to be on the end of morre wrong decisions that others.
– Will
That is something we can both agree on!
The gist going around in france is that hazard has agreed in principle to join us but only if we qualify for the champions league group stages. But I have my reservations….will arsenal be willing to pay the what lille ll ask for? That’s the question.
Is it just me, or is this video evidence just for Arsenal players or what.
It seems like that steve, didn’t they do Zidane in the 2006 WC final with video evidence during the game?
I still can’t get over RVPs sending off against Barca last year. Have yet to see anyone sent of for it since, and I have seen a lot of people touch the ball after the whistle had gone.
Would it be crazy for me to suggest that UEFA has an invested intrest in seeing Barca achieve as much as they can? and maybe a couple favorable decisions along the way?
Barca are Uefa’s golden ticket.
Goonster, Arsenal fc are willing to pay big money but they wont pay the big wages, that has been the stumbling block in most transfers.
A forty million player expects 180thou a week and that frightens the board. Wenger wants them to spend but they won’t budge, probably worried it will cause unrest. every player that has left Arsenal has spoken well of Wenger he tries his hardest to get the best conditions and best deals he can they all thank him and admire him but his hands seem tied as far as wages
Eastsidedpaul, did you watch the Barca Madrid game Messi smashed the ball away after the ref had blown, not a word.
So I read steve……then why didn’t we sign mata. He was on 30000 per week in valencia. We could have doubled that without a flinch. How much does hazard earn at lille? Anybody in the know?
ESP, i must admit Barca do seem to get a lot of decisions for them, but i am more concerned at the reasons that we get the worst decisions of any other team, the susspensions are a joke, and its not just uefa its the fa as well what the fcuk have we done, we have one of the worst deciplinary record and i can’t understand that.
Don’t Know Goonster only wish i did
– Steve
No I actually didn’t see it at all, good to see double standards are alive and well. And did I hear that Taylor got away will a clear elbow against sunderland? After the farce that went on against us.
-Will
Something else we both agree on!
Don’t think he ll be earning more than 40k per week…..hope we get him though..
As you know Goonster everybody we seem linked to brings in bids from other clubs perhaps those clubs offer more wages, remember our best player ie cesc was on 120grand and he was also the captain.
– Steve
Was just talking to my father about the same subject. The amount of cards we receive to the number of fouls we commit is unbelievable. Also can anyone remember a truly awful tackle that one of our players has put in? I mean it does happen, but not at the rate we see red cards for. Helb and Reyes, two that left Arsenal due to the horrific tackles they would receive weekly. I will never hold a grudge against Helb for leaving Arsenal. I am just amazed the guy never had his leg broken.
And also no coincidence about the amount of players we have had injured through bad tackles.
Had a text from a friend this morning who said they were listning to the radio and Arsenal was the most Googled team, just thought i would share that with you
Thats makes me think that the only time an opponent gets sent off is when one of our player breaks a leg, and then it was an accident and the player is not malicious
We ought to make it known to the press, that we are holding a sweep, see who can choose who gets sent off Wednesday, and i bet no one picks one of theirs
And then that players mother comes and picks him up because he is so upset and we’re meant to feel sorry for the guy… please…
Tell me about it….am actually dreading this season. We seem to suffer a serious injury every two years…..diaby 06, eduardo 08 and ramsey 10. Am actually hoping for an injury free season but so far we ve been plagued with injuries.
Don’t forget Nasri broke his leg in training the year before last.
Does anybody know whats wrong with Diaby, it’s been such a long time since i’ve seen him i forgot what was wrong with him
If I remember correctly his is made of glass!
i can’t remember either steve, its been so long. We really need to cut our losses on him i think.
I think he bumped into Rosicky when going for a shower after training !
he is out for ten weeks steve…..had a surgery or so!
Who would everyone like to see replace Fabregas?
Paul, I think Mata would have been perfect, pulling the strings in midfield, making the defence splitting passes, scoring goals, but it ain’t gonna happen now, whoever comes in must be top quality but i’m scratching my head.
HI everybody , i like the optimistic nature of this blog but i think AFC and Wenger are getting me tired.
I suspect there is something going on in that club that is not open to us but very soon it will come out.
Thinking about why Wenger is reluctant or slow at buying makes me conclude that the board and Wenger are not in good terms.
So i will say and conclude that either the board wants to strengthen the team with players at whatever cost and Wenger is not responding because he is too stubborn to change his method,
or Wenger wants to buy more players and the board is not ready to pay the wage or transfer demands.
But for me i believe it is Wenger that is being stubborn and if that is the case then we are in big trouble because we might wake up one morning to the news that Wenger has resigned.Whether that is good or bad is left to be discovered.
Whatever the case i believe the board and Wenger are not in good terms and definitely affecting transfer proceedings .
So please let us now for the sake of our club’s sanity use this opportunity on these blog to let them both know that they must do something about the club.
Alarms bells should have rang in our hears when David Dein and The Lady B were sacked from the club board , this were Wenger’s friends and true fans of the club.
We are running out of time and Wenegr is not going to be on the bench for the Wednesday game and we play Man utd on Sunday with a depleted midfield and a damaged defence.
God help us.
Mata would have been ideal, now the chelsea boys have him, which is a shame.
I personally would love to see Gourcuff come in, I think he would fill Fabregas’ boots.
That and I have a little man-crush on him! 😉
And as a fellow Irish man it might pain you to know i have a french jersey with his name on the back, to say I get stares would be an understatement!
Your a brave man wearing a french top ! it could be worse, it could have Henry on the back.
We were linked with him a couple of seasons back, he doesn’t float my boat.
Modric would do me, knows when to hold or when to pass and usually hits his target, i know you lot will raise your eyebrows but he is quality
I think Gourcuff is the answer.
And don’t get me started on the press and their reaction to our injuries.
Well i would love to see the Eddie Hazard guy in emirates but Wenger wouldn’t like to buy two players from the same club , he is too much of a gentle man.
But if Wenger buys him , it will make my season to some extent,he like nutmeging people, that should give Vidic some few red cards , get Burtun of like twice in the rest of the season and get Terry really angry.
Matta going to Chelsea just shows how shameless some clubs are , they just wait for Wenger to show interest in a player and then access the player then make a better bid than us.
Wenger should do his business quickly and keep quiet about his interests.It will also serve him well to know that most of the club (Mna utd,Man City,Chelsea et al ) dont care who is interested in whom they just sack their scouts and wait for Wenger to show interest.
It is a doggy dog world now and Wenger still thinks his contemporaries are gentlemen.
No Wenegr they have all gone gangsta because they dont want to get the sack.
Evening guys and gals…
We signed Kaka yet 😉
Wenger will not be in the dug out on Wednesday, confirmed by UEFA!!
Steve, Tony Cascarino (spelling) said the same about Modric, he said he’s there for the right price, and AW should go and offer him a deal…
Evening Gooners
Evening Rico, we should have Modric before he went to the scummers.
Good points SP…
We ll get hazard SD…..don’t worry about that. We had first refusal on him and lille agreed to sell him to us…they didn’t see the gervinho to arsenal transfer. They didn’t wanna lose gervinho on a free transfer since he was stalling on a new contract.
The next big Arsenal star………
http://younggunsblog.co.uk/2011/08/zelalem-confirms-arsenal-agreement/
Hi Kev, we should but we can’t buy everyone 😉
goonster, you have cheanged your mind, thought you were sure he was off to real Madrid 😉
9 days to go…. I hope Gazides and those other idiots on the Board, don’t scupper anymore signings or we really be up the creek…
They’ve cost us Mata and Jones, and probably Alvarez….
That’s 3 players that would have seen us on easy street…
Our Board, what a bunch of useless failures..!
So you believe that article then Kev? Did you like my theory on it yesterday?
Allezkev:
Are you sure is the board or Wenger doing the stalling game
There was an article in the mail on Sunday, whereby someone sat down and analysed all last seasons wrong decisions…. We came 2nd chavs 3rd citeh 4th…..birmingham and Blackpool both stayed up….
Yeah you got me Rico….I actually think wenger wanted to throw off other club’s off his scent. We ll get him am positive. Remember when wenger was quizzed about him during the season he smiled ruefully and answered then in his WENGERISH vocabulary…so cheer up dude we ll get him.
SD, i’ve following Arsenal for more years than i care to remember.
And they’ve always been tight.
I also recall my Father telling me about the players Arsenal missed out on in the 40’s 50’s and 60’s….
A leopard doesn’t change it’s spots…
The only time Arsenal really competed for players was under Wenger and Dein.
Remember when Wenger had to virtually threaten to resign to get those wankers to finance the bid for Reyes.
As soon as the Board relented, Dein was out to Spain like a shot to do the deal.
Does Gazides do deals???
Remind me Rico……
I think he fucks them up..
Lee – there is only one way to put all this stuff to bed, and that is to bring in a live review system – until that happens nothing will change…
When the supposed best referee is a Manc fan, who are the others going to follow…
I hate the way our games get officiated and everything else in football is moving forward yet technology is not allowed…
Every other sport has it, it’s about time football caught up….
I’ll go find it 😉
Here it is 🙂
rico says:
August 21, 2011 at 8:03 pm (Edit)
My Theory…… IF ITS TRUE
Wenger is taking all the jeering, booing and ‘you don’t know what you are doing’ comments…
Wenger has been the one to face the media and answer shit questions.
Wenger has been the one to go on and on about ‘project youth’
Wenger has been the one who says he won’t spend money on big named players, ALL the time while the board has told us there is money….
WENGER, has finally had enough of taking all the crap when it’s not all of his doing…..
BUT, who is the inside source….
My guess, David Dein, not long after he and Wenger had holidays together…. Wenger confided in him, hoping he would spill the beans….
goonster – we’ll see if we beat Udinese, Lille are in the CL proper i think so my little hunch is IF there is any kind of talks going on, it depends on us going through…..
Sorry Rico, i remember now……
Yes, that makes a lot of sense.
It seems rather strange that Dein has now risen his head above the parapit..!
1-0 to the mancs…
Kev – I think Gazidis does naff all, why was he in Asia, he should have been sorting deals out for the players wenger wants – not on a free jaunt on a holiday!
Well, maybe he’s having a worry, he may come accross as a slimey old toad, but he’s a gooner 🙂 (and yes, i have met him)
Maybe he wants to vent what wenger can’t… He’s his bestest buddie 😉
That fison’s grow bag shrek is using for a pillow is doing wonders for his Barnet!! 😉
I don’t know if that is good or bad news Lee…
wash my mouth out, Good 😛
Rico, i am really getting fed up with Gazides.
I just get the feeling that he’s a bullshitter…
I thought it was tomorite Shrek used, or is that old Red Nose 🙂
Why on earth did Wenger pick him??
I also said yesterday that there was a guy who worked for Vodafone, a Gooner – he wanted the job – wish he’d got it…..
Gazidis is another slime ball…..
We missed out big time on Young….. gem of a player!
2-0
Agree Lee, since May we all have been begging for AW to sign him but its the same old English price tag…..
Guys, my pillow calls 😉
Catch up tomorrow, be good all and stay safe…
Nighty Night – sleep tight 🙂
3-0… I’m outta here too, night all……warning light & Cahill announced tomorrow please!! 🙂
Goodnight Rico/Lee
Cahill would be very nice…
THE PLOT THICKENS…………..
http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/s378/st170588.htm
Might be worth starting off tomorrow with this little gem Rico.. 😉
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