Daily Bits and Bobs

Wenger the reason players want to sign for us?

Posted on by rico

Morning all,

Bit of a long post today, but that’s because it includes the entire interview of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Most will have read it already, but I’ve included for any readers who haven’t.

So, Fergie says he expected the guard of honour from a classy club like ours. Good, that’s ok then, let’s forget it and move on. It’s going to happen and there is nothing we can do, other than grin and bare it.

It’s going to hurt, but if we come out on top at the final whistle, some of that hurt will be lessened. Won’t it…..

Another thing Fergie said was he won’t be selecting a weaker team because he has a loyalty to all the clubs fighting for a top four place. Hopefully, knowing that we did him a huge favour last summer, he may just tell his players to take it easy.

Anyway, our boys have been up and at it during training….

Ready to batter Evra Theo?
Ready to batter Evra Theo?

But it’s ok looking good in training, Walcott has played quite poorly of late, in fact since he signed his contract, he’s reverted back to the ‘old Theo’. He hasn’t scored for a long time either. He needs to step up his game, and there is no better time than against the Premier League Champions.

Same can be said of Gervinho and Podolski – they too need to step up and start playing a lot better.

So many players of ours over the years have gone missing from games we play against the clubs around and above us, on Sunday that has to change.

Wenger too has suggested that this season we have been poor against the top sides:

I personally believe we have been remarkably consistent against the teams who do not fight for the championship. Last year we did well against top teams, but this year we have not.

I felt it was a lot down to the fact we renewed the team and had a big lack of confidence for a while in the season. Now we have a good opportunity on Sunday to show that we have made that step so let’s take it.

Well, I’d disagree with that. One only has to look at our results this season to know that we have slipped up against ‘lesser’ sides, and those results are why we are where we are.

We lost at Norwich, drew at home to Fulham, drew away at Aston Villa, lost at home to Swansea and drew away at Southampton. That’s twelve points we dropped, when really we shouldn’t have.

That’s not including how we missed out on beating Man City away, Everton at home and the Toots away too – all three were there to be beaten on the night….

But he is right about not performing well and beating those sides above us and I doubt that is down to him having renewed the team. He signed three international players last summer, I doubt any one of them lack confidence and the rest of the squad have been together a while.

It’s just not gelling right now for some reason, but is Arsene Wenger still the man/manger he once was?

Yes – according to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and let’s not forget all the young Brits who trust in his views, so much so, they all extended their contracts only a few months ago.

But young Alex has said the following in an interview:

Arsene Wenger had a massive influence on me signing for Arsenal because of the man he is. He has been at Arsenal for 15 years and he is a massive character and personality in the game, who would attract any footballer in the world.  

Before I signed, I went and watched Barcelona and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium. To see the fans, the atmosphere, and realise that I would play on that stage, was a dream, and for it to become reality was amazing. 

The style of play was the type of football I wanted to play. Everything about the club was what I was looking for, from the size of the club and the fan base and I am glad I made the decision to join Arsenal.

It was hard not get caught up in speculation before I signed for Arsenal, but it was not my fault people were putting price tags on me. I was just a young lad who was enjoying playing football and had to let everyone else do the talking, creating the stories and making the headlines. 

You have to do your talking on the pitch, enjoy playing well and developing as a player. In a way it does bring pressure, but at the same time, I was not the one putting a price tag on myself so I had to concentrate on what I was doing at the time and that was making sure Southampton got promoted. 

I signed for Arsenal and that happened so quickly. I went away with Southampton on our pre-season tour so I was still in that mindset, and then I moved to Arsenal. It was a new surrounding and it was very surreal, but from the start I loved every minute of it. 

Going back to Southampton this year with Arsenal was weird. I never thought I would say it, but it was emotional. It didn’t bring a tear to my eye but a lot of emotions were going on and it was different and difficult to play there. 

But the Southampton fans gave Theo Walcott and I a great reception and we thank them for that. We both enjoyed our time at Southampton, and I can speak for Theo there, too. But we are both at Arsenal now and I am enjoying it there just as much if not more than my time at Southampton. 

The hype machine was created after my first season with Arsenal and you’re expected to be a world beater the following campaign and really push on, but between seasons there is only one month. In that time, people expect you to go from one level completely to the next. If you look at it, everyone has been saying that I have been in and out of the team, but in fact I have played more games this year than I did last year. 

People forget that I am still 19, and I forget that because I put a lot of demands on myself. I will be 19 at the start of next season as well so I am still a young lad and I have got a lot of learning to do. For a 19-year-old to be in my position makes me happy and to be able to play for England is an honour.  

I want to be able to do more and playing more; if you didn’t then you wouldn’t be in it for the right reasons, but I have got a long way to go and a lot of learning to do. 

This season there have been good parts, but there have also been frustrating parts for me which I have learnt a lot from and will continue to do so. 

I have to accept that there are a lot of quality players around me at Arsenal who are also fighting for a place in the team and the most important thing is for the team to do well and finish where we want to finish. I am relatively happy with this season as long as we finish where we want to finish and from a personal level I want to push on next season.

Arsenal are renowned for always qualifying for the Champions League so it is definitely something we want to achieve again. We have got the belief and the faith that we can do it. It was tough last season but we managed to do it and is going to be hard this year but we can only worry about each game as it comes.

The game against Manchester United on Sunday will be tough for us, as is the run-in, and there are other teams around us fighting for that Champions League spot but, we cannot control what their results are. We have to keep our heads down and take it one step at a time and hopefully we will end up where we want to end up.

When you play for a club like Arsenal and with the players and our style of players, we have everything that we need to win something. Everyone in the team is really hungry to win something, as is the whole club and the fans. We want to push on next season and make sure we end it with some silverware. 

That is the main target, but we can’t think about that yet. We have to think about this season. We’ve got four really important games left that we need to try and win to put us in a position for next year to go and achieve something good. 

The Arsenal fans have stuck with the club in difficult times. I know they get frustrated that we have not won anything this year, and it has been a while since we lifted a trophy. But their support is amazing and we are all really trying to do good things on the pitch and to achieve good things for Arsenal and for them.

Many fans believe the manager has lost his way, he’s not kept up with the game and it’s high time that he walked away, handing over the baton to someone new, younger and with fresh ideas…

But, the funny thing is, those players playing under him, or those who are attracted to club because of him, clearly think otherwise.

Alex certainly does, so unless Stan Kroenke is prepared to replace Arsene with a high profile name, players might not be quite so keen to sign for us..

Would they?

That’s it for another day, have a good one all….

rico

0 thoughts on “Wenger the reason players want to sign for us?”

  1. Adam says:

    Morning Rico. Good post. Sometimes we seem to be team permanently stuck in transition. Between what and what though?

  2. rico says:

    Morning Adam and all….

    Totally agree re the transition, wonder when the transition wheels will finally roll forwards…

    Wouldn’t take too much would it?

  3. gunner10 says:

    truly amazing – i just feel sorry for him nowadays

    I personally believe we have been remarkably consistent against the teams who do not fight for the championship.

  7. tsgh says:

    Morning all,

    Hi Rico… that is a long post… very good by the way.

    I agree with Adam about the transitional… merry go round” PHW and his know it all crew’s club” is permanently stuck on…

    I can understand what AW was saying though because when you consider TV who was arguably our best defender last year imploded live on TV because his nemesis turn friend was moving up north. The squad did not have that believe that said we can win even if we go behind until later in November-ish…

    Maybe if OG12 had not gone several games without scoring it would have been a different scenario.

    Lets look at the midfield for instants… in 2010 we played with JW, Song, Cesc; in 2011 it was MA08, Ramsey/TR07/Frimps, Song; this year we have SC19, Arteta, Diaby/Ramsey/JW… even BVB 09 have managed to keep Bender, Blaszczykowski, Gotze together for ages… the only lose was Kagawa and he was replaced with a much better Reus but they are going to finish the season almost 20 points behind FC Bayern…

    If we can keep the core of this squad together and add to it we have a serious chance next season..

    My personal believe is that a club with ambition does not start a season with a whole new strike force and midfield who have never played together… those who conceived and sanctioned that idea deserve to be flogged… 😡

  10. ozgunner10 says:

    Nice to see Wenger admit RVP conducted himself well throughout the whole transfer saga and admit the only reason he left was to win the trophies all top players want – apparently they keep in touch as well. Wonder if Robin will show him what the current winners medals look like?

  13. tsgh says:

    Hi Oz… he is either too stupid to realise what he is saying or he is doing that to tell the board they can not expect him or any manager for that matter to sell its better players yearly and win… 😉

    I can guess what he is doing there…. especially when he said selling Cesc and Nasri made us a selling club…

  14. ozgunner10 says:

    given the fact that he personally ok’d all of them, seems a bit silly as well wouldn’t you say mate?

  15. tsgh says:

    Alternative Premier League (without top scorers)
    Team Points Position difference Points difference
    Man Utd
    65
    Nil
    -19
    Arsenal
    58
    Up 1
    -5
    Man City
    57
    Down 1
    -11
    Chelsea
    57
    Nil
    -5
    Everton
    49
    Up 1
    -7
    Tottenham
    46
    Down 1
    -15
    Liverpool
    42
    Nil
    -9
    West Ham
    37
    Up 2
    -5
    West Brom
    36
    Down 1
    -9
    Swansea
    35
    Down 1
    -7
    Norwich
    34
    Up 2
    -4
    Southampton
    31
    Nil
    -8
    Stoke
    31
    Up 2
    -6
    Newcastle
    31
    Up 2
    -6
    Fulham
    30
    Down 4
    -10
    Sunderland
    29
    Down 2
    -8
    Wigan
    26
    Up 1
    -5
    Aston Villa
    21
    Down 1
    -13
    QPR
    20
    Nil
    -4
    Reading
    16
    Nil
    -8

    coutesy of the bbc… it shows we will be 7 points behind Man U … so consider if RVP was scoring for us… painful but it is what is it..

  17. ozgunner10 says:

    ah! you saw that did you Rico – there is a really poor message in there to other top line players of the world if you ask me

  18. ozgunner10 says:

    tsgh – winners are grinners mate, they can play with the figures and scenarios all they like, we have been dreadful this season for the most part and unless Wenger accepts it, (we know he won’t) we’re going nowhere next season either.

  19. rico says:

    Or Ts, if he had been replaced ‘properly’….

    That’s the real problem, it’s not us selling, it’s us not replacing with equal or better…

    Same with Song.

    Same with Lehmann

    Same with Campbell

    Same with Fabregas

    Oh, that’s a new spine we need — and have done for many a year…

    imho of course 😉

  21. Adam says:

    The great Arsene Wenger PR machine rolls on and on and on.
    I thought the bit about VP brooding like a 39 year old woman was rather distasteful myself. He seems to have a lot to say about our recent history but offers nothing in the way of solutions for the future. He has become a great observer of his own experiment.

    Come great Jabba. Please.

  22. ozgunner10 says:

    Rico – on the bright side, we must surely hold the record now for players sold going on to win trophies as well – amazing list and growing every season. Luckily i think the sales wagon is empty now for the time being but you never know, Sagna could win something with PSG next season

  25. ozgunner10 says:

    yeah ok mate – no good complaining is it? – when are you coming to help with the other bathroom eerr i mean… visit us 🙂

  26. tsgh says:

    Oz… okaying the sale for what reason?… according to LG to ensure he makes 7m a year, and he is unambitious. 😉

    That is absurd to say the least…. what AW has continuously said was when the club make a decision for the future of the club… he decides to go with it.

    The alternative would be for him to resign… as would Harry and Oneil and Jose…and if he did that, do people think the board would hire Maurenho and Pep to please those who want trophies?

    And we can debate until the Lord comes back about transfer failures but facts are facts… AW makes better transfer’s than any of the other better managers people have in mind. If it wasn’t so Rednose will not have pulled out from signing VPursey’s 8 years ago. The reason why we have spent the least in the whole EPL and we still in Europe… not good enough I know but it is what it is.

    The board would have gotten a Yes-Man who would even be fair worse of a manager than AW…

    Teams like BVB 09 and Ajax make sure the only lose 1 big star a season… we just sell when the money is right.

    The reason why fergie offered over £55M for Kagawa and Lew but BVB 09 only sold Kagawa and replaced him with a cheaper young German…

    I posted some very important figures the other day that compared the difference between us and FC Munchen and it shows… we are never like them even if we say we both live within our means!

    for a start a third of the money for Allianz came as a free gift from Bavaria… did Islington give Arsenal any money to invest in facilities etc?

  27. gnarleygeorge9 says:

    rico1

    Not wanting to sound morbid pre Manu fixture, but if Arsenal don’t get maximum points against them then “He” should seriously start thinking about that lush pasture that all oldies go to in the twilight of their careers 😉

    Anyway, in saying that 2-1 to the good guys 🙂

  28. Adam says:

    Oz. My friend is in your city right now. Who knows when I will make it. We are just trying to sort a holiday later in the year in the US, but I have limited enthusiasm for some unknown reason. I am to DIY what Chamakh is to scoring goals. 🙂

  29. stevepalmer1 says:

    Morning all,
    Nice post Rico, Should we stick with Wenger or look for someone new, would we lose out on players because we lose Wenger, I don’t believe so. Lewendowski would not look to come to Arsenal as he has stated whether we have Wenger or not. Mata and Hazard even Vertonghen didn’t want to come here, why is that. Mabe its because we don’t look like a team that will win anything soon. Perhaps its because we have Wenger in charge. Or perhaps its because we couldn’t afford them anyway. Lets face it if they are priced over 15 mill there out of our price range anyway. We also have a skinflint owner who doesn’t believe in winning things he just wants a business that makes profit. I would have to ask myself if i was a pro footballer would i want to go to Arsenal and i have to say that i would want to go to the teams that look like they could win things. Alex Oxlaid Chamberlain was i hope a good signing for us but i have to ask myself was he brought to help us win things or was he brought for investment. He in my mind has not played enough for us , he has come on as a sub and he has started only a handful of games in fact has he played a full 90 minutes. He was a young player we spent 12 mill for at a time when we were supposed to be strapped for cash, personally i would rather had paid for an experienced player who may have helped us win something. Spending money for the future seems to me to be a gamble, especially when Wenger’s contract comes up soon.Lets face it not many of our youth are bashing on the first team door are they. Players that we have brought have been farmed out and a lot of other tried players are looking for a position elsewhere. We gamble on relatively cheap players and when they don’t fit in we have to pay them untill their offloaded. All the rubbish we have brought over the years cheaply could have been rolled into a few good players and had we kept the good players we had we could now be Champions.

  30. emma says:

    Goodmorning everyone,

    Good post as usual rico, forgot to congratulate the ladies for qualifying for the FA cup final after seeing off Livepool ladies yesterday

    Ditto tsgh 10:22 and 11:10

  33. tsgh says:

    Do you want AW and Stan to write to you a personal letter telling you he is rubbish and the season has been poor?
    ——————————————————————
    Same with Song. You guys don’t rate him any ways

    Same with Lehmann… well Almunia replaced him. He just crampled as a number 1. And Bob wilson said AW tried to buy Reina and Schwarzer and Stekelenburg. Caesar did not join us because it is suicidal to offer a goalie a role so that he can stay in the country if he has not proven himself

    Same with Campbell- Gallas was a better footballer not a better defender. an Campbell crying on the pitch during a match… c’mon

    Same with Fabregas- well who do people think we caould have bought better than Cesc who would come cheaper?Sneijder even Fergie could not compete with his wage demand.

    Does Fergie ever replace his departing stars? Did he ever replace Ronaldo? Did he ever replace Roy Keane, Is Evans better than Jaap Stam? Van Der Sar was a reject at AC who ended up playing for Fulham… fergie got lucky.

    When Schmeichel left he bought several goalie and Barthez but failed. He even bought Blanc so that he could kiss Barthez’s head but it did not work…

    I am not defending AW here… just stating the obvious because I do not see any manager who has been able to build a better team than AW… not even Klopp,Lucescu or Simone or De Boer.

    Any way ….

  35. ozgunner10 says:

    you are firmly defending Wenger mate, so many seem terrified Wenger is the only manager left – just don’t get it. It seems when he grabbed the power after Dein left and Mr Fiz passed away, he did it over more than just the boardroom – this team has stood still for years upon years, those are the facts to me and the tables might back that up, as do most of the cup competitions.

  36. Scott from Oz says:

    So should we have kept Van Persie, a player who clearly wanted out?
    Crap.
    No way.
    No how.
    Never, ever.
    In that article on Wenger and Van Persie, it also clearly stated that the reason the grub never went to Juventus was because of his wage demands!
    So which is it….money or silverware??
    No, as i have said numerous times, how many of these grubs that have gone elsewhere for “trophies” have taken a paycut??
    None, that is the number.
    Not one.
    Another of my favourites is that we all offer opinions on Wenger which is in total contrast to the opinions offered up by nearly every single player, be them former or current.
    Do we really believe we know more about football management than the guys who played with him before and now, including Van Persie?
    Yes, we are entitled to our opinions, but that doesn’t mean we should discard the offerings of those who actually know.
    Aaaagggghhhh, that’s better.
    Morning all 🙂

  38. Scott from Oz says:

    Hiya Oz.
    I am not afraid of Wenger leaving.
    I am very worried who we can get in to replace him.
    An old timer that has had is day or never really had one, or a young guy who is going take over from the man himself, and live on his shadow?
    It is not an easy position to fill, but it is an easy one to get wrong.
    Next question is who at the club can make the right call?

  39. ozgunner10 says:

    i would also raise another point – on the money wenger has spent – we are now firmly a nursery for the top clubs to feed off at will because of our lack of ambition as much as anything. Is that what we wanted from Wenger? Is this what you hope for the world class stadium attracting world class players? What proven world class player would pick Arsenal now? Even the talented youth are heading the other way and its happened a number of times prior to Zaha as well.

  40. tsgh says:

    Oz.. ok I am defending Aw!

    You guys make it seem like AW is a gun toting…Islam Kamirov or Kim Jong-il… excuse me for being blunt here and it is not a personal attack… but if he had not done what you guys claim he did where would the club be…

    Harry would have gone on a shopping spree… and Maurenho even admits his wife looks after the finances. When Mr Liverpool Daglish had money to spend… what did he do with it? He bought Player
    Luis Suarez from Ajax at £22,800,000 31 January 2011
    Andy Carroll from Newcastle at £35,000,000 31 January 2011
    Jordan Henderson from Sunderland at £16,000,000 9 June 2011
    Charlie Adam from Blackpool at £7,500,000 7 July 2011
    Alexander Doni from Roma at Free 15 July 2011
    Stewart Downing from Aston Villa at £20,000,000 15 July 2011
    Jose Enrique from Newcastle at £6,000,000 12 August 2011
    Sebastian Coates from Nacional at £8,000,000 30 August 2011
    Craig Bellamy from Man City Free at 31 August 2011

    But still the dippers praise and resect him. To me that is fraud and liable for imprisonment…

    Most fans should be grateful we had someone like him who put his reputation on the line albeit in exchange for 7m a year to keep us in the black.

    Harry joins QPR and 3 months later Tony Fernades is taking out a loan…

  41. rico says:

    Hi GG, Scott, Emma and Sp..

    I think we will win too GG..

    Scott, RvP said he was off to Juve until Manure came in for him, then he knew he’d win trophies…

    So reports go…

    Well done the ladies, I forgot too emma

  43. stevepalmer1 says:

    We should have kept Van Persie Scott you know that as well as me. The reason we sold him was because of Arsenals policy for players of 30 years old Van Persie would have wanted a longer contract than a year you know that as well as me. The man scored 31 goals and he’ll do the same this year but not for us. Fabregas could see no future here and i can’t either we are not building a winning team we are just surviving and that is unthinkable even for hardened Gooners like us.

  45. Adam says:

    Oz. I lived in the US years ago and myself and Mrs Adam have been there many times. I have so many friends that have invited us over there we might have to do a huge social trip with many miles between stops. But, if my friend still wants me to go with him to Perth, then I would certainly give you a shout. It would be fun.
    Everything that has happened has bought the club to where they are now. It’s what happens next that is most important. If anything that is. Perhaps it only seems as if we are in a rut. Less and less people seem to care now. It makes for an interesting web chat but, as I said yesterday, when you are historically tied to the club, it takes a while to understand that the club you grew up supporting actually isn’t there any more. The name’s the same but everything else has changed. When your core support loses interest you become even more of a business perhaps.

  48. ozgunner10 says:

    Adam – agree with much of that as well. Shame but true i suspect. I have seen players praised we would have crucified not that long ago, supports your comments i guess

  49. tsgh says:

    When did Juve hold talks with Juve… March allegedly… he never wanted to stay because AW would have been honest with him and told him he probably had £30m to spend without selling…

    I never defend AW on tactics when it goes wrong but on the other hand we can all be arm chair or terrace football managers…

    So when some fans blame AW for lack of motivation but then forget that even Tony Adams who is not AW best friend said that what AW is better than most managers he has worked with in the past is his ability to motivate and get an extra 100% from them… is it not contradictory?

    Maybe it explains why former player including PV have done better under AW than with their new managers… 😉

  50. Scott from Oz says:

    G’day Ginge…everyone in fact.
    I have been down with my family for a few days, had Anzac day with them followed by golf yesterday and plenty of drinks in between.
    Not much point me getting on with a belly full….i am enough for you guys to out up with sober lol.
    Oz, that is where our true problems lie….at the very top.
    Rico, Wenger stated that Juve would not meet his wage demands so the deal was never really on.
    But we know he tells lies 🙂

  52. emma says:

    Issue is the head get it sorted otherwise we will end up like the dippers who have spent huge some of money to get into the champions league place but still end up 7/8th in the league for the last 3/4yrs.

    Some of us think when we get rid of Wenger we will replace him with the Mourinho’s, klopp’s Pep’s etc. Expect to see O’neil, Moyes and Arry and we will eventually sink into oblivion.

  53. ozgunner10 says:

    TA is a lovely guy and far be it from me to question him but i will anyway… to say Wenger is a fine motivator having witnessed the half hearted efforts of this side recently just doesn’t work for me at all – and we can’t accept this as the norm or acceptable

  55. stevepalmer1 says:

    United will win against us, i hate to say that but they will. they have players who will overpower us. they have the best goalscorer in the league while we are struggling. they have a packed defence that will challenge for every ball Gerve and wingnut will be over powered and our reselute defence will be over powered. whoever plays in goal for us will have a busy afternoon, expect a few fcuk ups too and our useless subs will be on after 70 minutes. Enough said. Then a happy glass of wine with Red nose.

  57. Wavy says:

    Back to the grey badger. If Lewandowski were to sign for manure I think he would be a replacement for the old dutchman not a help meet! Now there’s a thought? RvPiss a 1 year wonder, well that’s true to type! Where will he haul up next, with his dodgy knees and questionable attitude? Bayern perhaps! But most likely he’ll stay put, collect his £250,00 a week for spectating from the old subs bench. Do you know I would take some satisfactipn from that demotion and fall from grace. It would be a just reward form his infidelity. Magnificent.
    And, despote his 4 goals the other day, from what I’ve seen of him he is only marginally better than our own Pole, Podolski!

  58. tsgh says:

    What they will do is bring in Laudrup and Tony adams… Tony Adam would want to be no.1 so the relationship will not work… then they will bring in Blanc but the club will be comfortably sitting in 8th but winning the CoC and FA to wet the appetite…

  59. ozgunner10 says:

    wow have you got an assumptions box under your desk mate? I happen to think Laudrup is proving to be a fine young manager and would go as far as to say handles himself far better than our own, in the public arena. He seems to have less trouble with water bottles and zips as well 🙂 All opinion i guess, its what makes the world go round and placed like this so much fun!

  60. rico says:

    Guys/Gals – have to pop off, inlaws are now here and I best go and be sociable…

    Catch up in a while….

  61. Scott from Oz says:

    Ginge, i stick by my thoughts on our “new” manager.
    Hiddink for one season with Bergkamp as his understudy, then the legend taking over.
    Hiddink is very well respected, would help attract talent and would teach Dennis plenty.
    Who gives a crap if Dennis won’t fly?
    How many league games and Cup ties are played overseas?
    Wenger is suspended half the time, so we’d be no worse off lol

  63. tsgh says:

    Wavy it’s like Berbatov…

    I can’t believe LG and most fans claim we should have bought him… considering what happened with Silvestre. Silvestre was a better and accomplished player having won in France, Italy and at United… when we bought him he was on paper the best foil we needed. He was a winner and experienced but he turned out to be worse than Stepanovs… even Bremen Chairman L. Born said he couldn’t believe Silvestre was the same Silvestre of Man U…

    Berbatov post his first season after joining United was very useless…. now all of a sudden fans think he is all that when even Demsey scored more goals for Fulham than he has…

  66. Scott from Oz says:

    Oz, is there no risk in a young manager yet to prove himself at a massive cub though?
    I like Laudrup and love hearing him give interviews…he speaks from the heart and makes sense, but then, he doesn’t have a lot to live up to at Swansea.
    At Arsenal though……….

  69. Scott from Oz says:

    Hi Steve.
    Ginge, i wanted us to get Berbatov.
    Now, i am glad we didn’t.
    We have enough guys not putting in the hard yards.
    Rooney, Suarez, Tevez…..they all work as hard off the ball as they do on it, and it is that work ethic that sets them apart, even from other goal scorers.

  70. tsgh says:

    Oz… what I have learnt in life is that people don’t change… Laudrup is a 1.5 season wonder… believe it or not. even wiki will agree with me.

    He was a fantastic player infact my favourite outside of the Dutch stars… but he is O’Neil in designer gear… what he is good at is stabilising a team. I rate AVB more than him…

  71. Scott from Oz says:

    Adam, word has it you brought Stan back from America in your carry on luggage.
    You’re to blame 🙂

  72. ozgunner10 says:

    tsgh – don’t know enough about him mate to argue, so will take your word for that – Scot makes a good point as well i suppose from the experience angle but hey, what credentials did Wenger have other than the sack in france when Dein took him on?

  73. Scott from Oz says:

    Obviously Dein saw plenty in Wenger, and if he was still around to make the decision on a replacement, maybe we wouldn’t be so afraid 🙂

  74. ozgunner10 says:

    sp1 my worry for tomorrow is Fergie puts out some second string players and i firmly believe he is going to do that and they still win – that would hurt –

  75. tsgh says:

    I totally agree Scott if we have to spend £100M on a single palyer it would be Tevez.

    I hear people telling me how a good manger should have bought Falcao before he joined Athletico… forgetting he was bought for 40M euros… even grade c teams spend that much… what do me do…

  76. emma says:

    An accurate assessment will be made on Landrup when he starts competing for the europa league next season and lets see how he copes

  78. ozgunner10 says:

    emma – seems you agree with tsgh and fair point. I do like his team Swansea, i like what he’s done with them and the players he’s brought in considering the little money he has but we will see as you say.

  79. Scott from Oz says:

    Yep Oz.
    Stan needs to loosen the pursestrings, give Wenger 70 million to spend, tell him to spend it and win something next season or else.
    Then and only then will i want him sacked.

  82. ozgunner10 says:

    i would imagine given the Wenger Football Nursery successes, wouldn’t surprise me at all Scott 🙂

  84. tsgh says:

    Oz … in france AW took a team such as QPR or Everton and made them champions by buying African players and Hoddle on a tight budget.One of his imports turned out to be the World and European best player. He also made Thuram , Blanc, Trezeguet, Henry, Djorkaeff, Klinsman to name a few…

    That is why M.Platini hates him because his dad Aldo liked AW more than him when it came to football… that is what he is good at… he builds teams and leaves a legacy… even at Nantes where he was relegated he is considered their best manager in history…

    What will Mauren-ho’s history be?

  85. stevepalmer1 says:

    Hi Oz, I think he’ll come with the strongest team he has available, He will want to finish the season strongly. I feel that we will struggle, normally our players are beaten before the game starts. They have to get points so we may pick ourselves up a bit to start with but i don’t think we have the team to beat them. But i hope i’m wrong 🙂

  86. Scott from Oz says:

    Steve, i agree with your comments on our players mentality.
    That is exactly why i wold go out there with an attacking team, in an attacking formation.
    We may as well lose 4-3 as 1-0.
    Grab an early goal and we may bang 2 or 3 in.
    Ox and Podolski for me.
    Attack the bastards.
    Chaaaaaarrrrge!!!

  87. ozgunner10 says:

    please don’t ask me who i think is the better football manager mate, i will get killed on here hahaha I see Wenger as a football bridesmaid now, a man bypassed by the game like an old prize fighter, ever looking for excuses as to why he can do it one more time. I see the board as simply detached from the real football world, a mob happy to let others make the decisions with a minimum of fuss. It’s opinion thats all mate. Like you though, make no mistake i would jump for joy and apologise, if Wenger ever did actually deliver on his promised “don’t know how good we are” team.

  88. stevepalmer1 says:

    Its not that i don’t rate Wenger, in my opinion he is the best manager around. B,ut he knows the Arsenal system and he hasn’t pushed the board for players he understands the problems, that’s why i feel another Manager who just wants success would demand funds and if the board had appointed him would be obliged to give it to him.

  89. Judge me in May says:

    Morning, nice post.
    Was watching us playing manure on ESPN classic January 2007..

    Leman on goal, sandros and toure centre backs, cliche and eboue full backs rosisky, fabrigas flaminy and helep in midfield, Henry, adebawhore up front..
    Rooney scores a diving header in 2nd half.. Then wenger put on RVP for helep. RVP scores to make 1/1..A late header from Henry sealed a deserved victory at the Emirates..
    We were actually playing RVP, Henry, Adebawhore all together..
    The worse player was Rosisky in that game..
    Look at what we have today…. depressing..

  90. tsgh says:

    Oz… I don’t make things up…

    As of 20 April 2013 M. Laudrup’s managerial career… He is a winner though 5 trophies won as a manager since 2003. 4 in Denmark.

    Brøndby July 2002 June 2006
    Getafe July 2007 June 2008
    Mallorca July 2010 September 2011
    Swansea City June 2012 Present
    Total 289 134 73 82 447 322 +125 46.37

  91. Scott from Oz says:

    Steve, i doubt the board will hand over funds just because the manager asks for it though.
    Because of this, which top manager would join us?

  93. ozgunner10 says:

    sp1 – looking forward to seeing what Fergie does more than Wenger actually. I also think Fergie would prefer Wenger in the ECL ahead of the Russian, do they think like that? Who knows. An Arsenal win will not surprise me at all and i have to confess i have a few bob on exactly that

  95. stevepalmer1 says:

    Scott, I’m in a bit of a catch 22 situation, I feel that if we don’t change Manager we will stay the same and if we did change would he be as good as Wenger entriguing what can you say.

  97. Scott from Oz says:

    Steve, that is my dilemma…..i just don’t see how anything changes at all until the owner and/or board change.
    In my opinion, the best manager in the world would get no more out of our playing a list, a playing list dictated by our net spend.
    A 20 million profit each season on transfers…….why the hell would any top manager want that?
    We’d get a has been or a youngster.

  98. stevepalmer1 says:

    Can’t see the owner changing or the board while we still earn profit. I like us in the Champions league but that 30 mill a year is right up their street.

  99. ozgunner10 says:

    i am not sure United will be totally up for this, they have beaten us so many times now, we’re not a threat and they know it, its been a party week for them, their goal has been achieved. With stars rested and considering the laws of averages… we’ll win this one. I think the missing Giroud is a real positive too. Rightly or wrongly thats why i backed us

  100. tsgh says:

    SP1, a new manager will be good if the resources will be given to him.

    Any other manager would need a footballing chairman of DD or D Gill stature to support and lead the team. Is IG the man to make the right footballing decisions? Will a manger like Moyes be able to attract the big names if we are not going to offer the 200k a week they would want initially until we start winning again. And if we are winning again then why change AW?

    Huddink displays the traits of a recruit of the French Foriegn legion… a mercenary… He may come in a win a trophy for 1 season but what happens afterwards? He will never stay… and does DB want to become a manager or a coach?

    Catch 22 indeed.

  101. stevepalmer1 says:

    Plenty of Experienced managers out there Scott who would take 7 mill a year and not rock the boat mate. 🙂

  102. stevepalmer1 says:

    Ginge just my point mate, my comment to Scott makes me think Wenger will be with us as long as he wants too after that its still 7 mill a year

  103. tsgh says:

    Exactly SP1. As the saying goes…every man has a price… even the so called LG die hard fans will take less than 7m and not rock the boat… 😉

  108. stevepalmer1 says:

    Over the last few years i have been thinking that Arsenal are not too bothered with winning trophies. its all about profit. we moved stadiums they say to make us more competetive i say for more profit. Of course we go in debt and thats a good reason not to spend, but when your manager sells your best assets for massive profits and doesn’t spend the money you then start to realise that the profit is what their in it for not success on the field. Lets face it add up who we sold and how much we got to how much we brought does that smell fishy to you.

  111. potter says:

    tsgh you asked if Islinton donated anything . Well no in fact they screwed the club for everything they could.As transport for London.

  114. tsgh says:

    What is happening at Arsenal is what happens in the developing world with corrupt politicians etc… Those of us in the developed and free world have no idea what it feels like to be screwed in the backside and commanded to pay and say thank you for that ‘privilege’.

  115. stevepalmer1 says:

    Supporter pressure is one of the best ways to make a club invest. If you went into a supermarket and it was empty you would start to think is there something wrong with the stuff they sell. People are attracted to large crowds they moan like hell about waiting about, but they are still drawn. Season ticket Waiting lists are the same my waiting No is 35 thousand and something so anybody who has one is lothe to let it go.. Its not as if you can say were not successfull 16 years in the top 4 how many clubs would like to boast that. But that is the only way things might change.

  116. tsgh says:

    people ask about why cost of tickets are high in this country and in particular London…

    How many police forces in the world charge teams to provide security tax payers fund? Just a thought?

  117. tsgh says:

    good point SP1…

    I always use this analogy but a few here have found it to be insulting… you do not keep going to a restaurant if the food is not good or hygienic and come home and complain…

  118. Scott from Oz says:

    Ginge, i actually recommend Hiddink for precisely that reason….he is happy to take a one season gig.
    I think Bergkamp would jump at the job.
    I saw an interview a few months back where he said after he retired, he had no interest at all in coaching.
    That changed though.

  119. kel says:

    ozgunner,.. think the last time we beat utd was 1-0 ramsey? at the emirates, and utd had already won the league! hopefully history repeats itself 🙂 my bet for today is spurs evs money!!

  121. tsgh says:

    Scott… I like Huddink and Van Gaal… I grew up on their brand of football. But Huddink will not take a cheap gig… I am not dismissing your suggestion… I just don’t see how a manager coming in for 1 season to probably win a trophy… then going away so that we go 2 steps backwards helps the medium to long term progress of the club.

    DB10 I believe wants to be a no.2 like Brian Kidd…

  122. Scott from Oz says:

    As mentor for Bergkamp though?
    Of course, that depends if he truly does want to be a manager.
    Ifs, buts and maybes……if only Stan would speak.

  126. stevepalmer1 says:

    Although i do believe the league is fixed, i also think one of the reasons we started off a bit iffy was down to zonal marking. How can you defend against players like Carrol and Crouch when they run in from the edge of the box. Thats why i believe we see so many players wrestling with one another. I feel its strange that referee’s accept this type of marking but as we have seen with Koshelneys sending off it doesn’t work for all teams and it does seem to matter who the official is. I do think that tighter marking would help us though, standing in the way of a player restricting his run stopping him from a running jump must help us. Where some teams put one of their players to stand in front of our keeper is another ploy we seem to have no answer to, our keepers never look to safe on a corner anyway without the presence of a bloke who’s sole intention is to stop him coming out. Tomorow Utd’s defenders will be jumping into the backs of our forwards and all our players will do is pass back none of them will stand to much of that kind of play and will go missing Walcott never gets involved and will only go forward if he has a clear run he very seldom dribbles i don’t think he can but he may get round the back. United have us weighed up they will believe that we will fold as soon as one or two players get a nudge we just need to keep our fingers crossed.

  143. tsgh says:

    what a chance by Kone…

    I like Martinez’s 3-4-3 formation… it seems to work with 4 games to go in the season 😀

  144. tsgh says:

    every time I watch Kone I think we is a pooor man Suarez or Tevez…. very mobile and hardworking…

  147. tsgh says:

    11 goals in 29 is not bad at all for Kone…playing for a bottom team… better than Gerv and from the same place…

  151. tsgh says:

    football is so unpredictable… I guess that is why it is loved by millions… how can spurs outplay the $hitty and struggle 6 days later against a bunch of paupers…

  159. ozgunner10 says:

    wow had nightmares as Bale stood over that ball – great heart from Wigan but how many times could they have won this with a little composure – lucky to get a point there spurs

  161. tsgh says:

    we have a game in hand and equal on points with the lousy neighbours… they still have to play the chavs….. now lets take 9 points from tomorrow to the end of the season…!

    And the chavs have lost to chelsea 2 times already so ……..

  170. agirlagunner says:

    Liverpoopy are rubbish. We must win tomorrow. Must. And I hope Koz tackles vPursie hard. Lay into him with a couple of bonecrunching ones.

  173. rico says:

    Hi agag, Oz, Ts…

    Same as usual agag, grin and bare it 😉

    Shame they got the single point Qz, by all accounts, maybe they shouldn’t..

  175. rico says:

    😆 Lewis..

    Bet he’s gutted, those three points for Wigan, may just have secured their PL place, as it stands, it goes another week….

  176. agirlagunner says:

    Ginge, but I’m not there. 🙁 I’d do it myself if I were. 😀 And gladly!!

    rico, more like grit your teeth and bear it. 😆

    Oz, I thought Wigan were the much better team until that OG. 🙁

  187. Adam says:

    Evening Agag. Having a few days rest to get my brain refreshed for the next bout of writing. I am angling for another supercar review.

    Rico. If that is true, I wish I was a fly on the wall 🙂 I have just cracked a bottle of a very decent Clos Des Mouches so, after a couple of glasses, I will estimate that Mrs Adam should be asleep in about a half hour. 🙂 Crashed out in the armchair.

    A toast to my friends on HH. 🙂

  188. rico says:

    It’s not Adam. I wouldn’t waste a drop on that lot….

    Cheers to you both though as you sip away….

  190. Adam says:

    I am getting to know when you are teasing me Rico. It’s like all the time. 🙂
    My very best to you though as I am enjoying the “Clos” somewhat and Mrs Adam is fading fast, listening to some music.

  193. agirlagunner says:

    It’s too early for Mrs Adam to be nodding off. 😛

    rico, hahaha. I’m sloooow.

    Goodnight, Ozzy!

  198. Joaquim Moreira says:

    yes, and if A.Madrid wins today versus RM, Barça is the champion (Fabregas and Song too..)

  199. tsgh says:

    Emma- Sissoko is wondering what he got himself into… he could ahve signed for any club if he had waited 5 more months…

  201. Adam says:

    Off now. Goodnight Rico, Agag and all.

    Really looking forward to going to The Emirates tomorrow. 🙂

  211. rico says:

    Newcastle are like Man City. Many really good players, but little guidance and not a lot of balance….

  213. emma says:

    Looks like mossieur alain pardeux went and picked out drolls from ligue1.Wenger said it’s spain and germany that are producing the best players 🙂 losing 4-0 to the dippers

  218. rico says:

    He wasn’t interested in any from France was he?

    Mind you, don’t think he was interested in many from anywhere in Jan, only Monreal. and we have Gibbs to thank for that…

  219. emma says:

    No wonder he is going spain and germany. Giroud was just a one-off. Noticed no french player in our academy. Mossieru pardeux was 2yrs late

  220. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Many changes in a short period…
    0-6… whitout suarez…
    hope we win soon at St. james Park
    A-Madrid !!! 1-0 🙂
    Falcao

  221. tsgh says:

    😀 Rico… I like Sissoko, Cabaye and maybe Debuchy but I was never one of those who thought it was a disaster we did not buy both french players in Januay.

    people thought we should by the rb but I was said he was no better than Sagna even though he had a good euros… considering he was 2 years younger than BS..

    Sissoko is being played as a forward whilst Mr Newcastle Shola sits on the bench…

  222. emma says:

    How do u sack someone on a 9yr contract? That will be a whole lot of compensation. Ashley was too quick to give such a lengthy contract after last season fluke performance

  224. rico says:

    Giroud should have gone to Newcastle to join the others 😉

    Ts, I too like Debucy, but having seen him tonight, phew ….

    I’m not sure Sagna is going anywhere…..

  227. emma says:

    Best LFC buy after suarez, Coutinho. That guy is worth more than £8m pounds he was bought for. Inter must have being so desperate to get that £m

  229. rico says:

    Not really Ts, he’s not shown he is good enough to come in and be our main striker.

    Mind you, there are a few who on this years showing would be at best, on the bench imho

  232. tsgh says:

    I think what has happen to French football is what happened in South America and Africa…

    Places outside Europe bar Japan and South Korea in the 80’s and 90’s started concentrating on technique instead of tactics. Every kid in those parts of the world wanted to be Maradona, Zidanne or Laudrup or Hagi to ame a few…

    Look at Brazil so much talent but little football brain- Santos, Maicon, robinho…

    The Europeans realising that they could not compete with the natural ability developed tactical awareness.

    That is what the Germans did anyway post 2000 when they were out played everywhere..

  234. rico says:

    But he should have so many more….

    But, it’s not all his fault, new league, first season etc etc… When we needed to replace a top class striker we didn’t and that puts a lot of pressure on that player coming in….

    Shame we sign him and a world class striker, we’d not be having this conversation now. Giroud would have been able to be eased in, coming on when we were a goal or two up in some games and no pressure.

    Maybe then he’d goal return would have been greater….

  235. tsgh says:

    He is not world class but he is not useless either imho…

    His record is games played 262,goals 110, 35 assists. At Arsenal 46 games,17 goals and 13 assists. Not too bad but as you rightly stated he should not be the main guy…

  236. rico says:

    I don’t think he’s useless either Ts. For me he’s a squad striker, like Nikki B was, but better imho… Then play him in the domestic cups if its right tactically….

  237. tsgh says:

    Inter desperate Emma?… its the Mauren-ho effect…. every chairman he has worked for almost always hates him for wasting money. He divides and conquers players in the dressing room to solidify his position. He will never be able to stay 5 years in a job until he changes…

    He is going to PSG next after someone has built the team and then win 3 or 4 trophies and roll off… by that time another oiler or Russian would have made Barnet or the spuds a big club and then he will move in…

    If you love football, it is hard to respect him… he has no brand…

  239. tsgh says:

    ique 1, Capoue only for me… L. EZEQUIEL will be too expensive. No Gonalons for me or even Gameiro…

    Maybe Ayew if he is less than 10M

  240. rico says:

    But AW told us, he was RvP’s replacement….

    AW forgets what he says to people, especially us fans…

    On that note, I’m off to watch real entertainment, it’s Britain’s Got Talent 😉 😉

    Night emma, Ts and all, have a good one…

    Tomorrow we spank the mancs……

  246. useroz says:

    Wenger 39 year old woman example only serves to confirm to the world that wenger is impotent…he can’t make it happen for 8 (oops, 9) years and his gorgeous ladies (or little boys) are deserting him… for even older men.

  247. Scott from Oz says:

    You tell the world how any manager can win trophies AND turn a 20 million profit on transfers.

  251. rico says:

    I’m looking forward to the game, but also have a strange feeling about it…

    Quite weird really….

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