Such is the vacuum in good news about Arsenal at the moment that our site which is graced by a plethora of great writers (and many not shy of giving their opinion) cannot generate a post for today ….. except this modest offering.
Everything is currently just speculation in the transfer market, but the pattern of hierarchy in the movement in players is much as most of us would have suspected.
The idea that manu would not spend has been blown out of the water and they look prepared to spend plenty more, the chavs and city will snap up any top player who is swayed more by money than fooball ethics (= most of them). Similarly Liverpool have signalled their intent to buy quality to give them a chance of success imminently rather than for the future. It is likely that totnum will receive good money for one or two of their players and you have to admit that ‘arry has a good track record in the transfer market.
So that leaves the Arsenal, clinging on to the hope that Cesc, or Nasri or both will stay. Apparently Nasri wants 110K a week, should we give him the money (we wouldn’t give Cashley an extra 5K) Will that cause a mutiny in the dressing room amongst lesser paid players – should we care?.
Let’s face it, whether we like it or not, we are the poor men at the top table. It’s no secret. We may have to settle for scraps again. Would you rather Benzema for £20m of Gervinho for £12m? the former has a better goalscoring record and that is what we need, a proper No.9, but will the extra £8m mean more to the Board?
These are just thoughts to leave with you as I’m off to play cricket and to clear my mind of the rather depressing scenario that is currently developing. Have a good day and remember we are all fellow supporters who share a love for Arsenal and should respect the way others express their views.
Arsenal News 24/7
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Thanks Rasp, it’s clearly going to be a long summer for Gooners looking for something to cheer themselves up.
micky – as soon as the fixture list is announced this ticket fairy will spring into action to source you two tickets never fear 😀
True to form, you can put ditto after the last several years.
Benzema = £20 mil versus Gervinho = £12 mil
Cahill = £15 mil versus Samba = £8 mil
Oh well, Gervinho and Samba it will be.
This is why we are not winning anything, always settling for second best.
Shouldn’t that be fourth best VCC? 🙂
This made me laugh.
Maybe we ought to wait and see what happens, Rasp.
Good luck with the cricket
I know it’s cos I’m a girl and mostly you just laugh at my recommendations for the team but I really really really still think that if we’d scored more of our chances last season we would have won the league whatever mess the defence were getting into.
So I would like Benzema please 😆
Reading the summer transfer window tea-leaves is always difficult, when most of the “information” is made up of journalists’ lies and baseless speculation. Who knows what is going on re Benzema, does he want to leave? Unlike Gervinho, he says not. If Benzema is available, we should definitely go for him, but I’m not convinced he’ll leave.
Is it a surprise United need to spend a lot? No. For all of the failures of Arsenal and Chelsea this season, United have a deeply flawed squad, especially in midfield and in goal. There has probably not been a worse team under Ferguson since the late 80s. I admire their prompt action in the market, but have they spent wisely yet? I don’t think so: a 19 year old CB and a 20 year old GK, for almost £40m. They still have plenty of work to do with their squad.
The situation at City will be interesting. Having achieved guaranteed CL football and won the FA Cup, they are in a great position to attract quality players. But they said at the end of the season that they will only add modestly this summer (no doubt looking at the Fair Play Regs, which start to come into effect now).
Chelsea: spent big in January, and therefore need to be careful re the Fair Play Regs too.
Liverpool: still need to spend a lot to right the wrongs of Rafa Benitez, but £20m on Henderson looks an excessive way to start.
Spurs: Have big problems, especially up front and in goal, but they appear to be trading at the low end of the market right now (Joe Cole, Scott Parker etc) and are having problems offloading the underperforming strikers they have.
Barca: Have openly said they have a relatively modest €45m to spend, so will have to use it carefully. Sounds like Real will be selling as much as buying. Milan and Inter sound about the same, though Bayern seem to be in a buying mood.
So, do I think we are poor men at a rich man’s table? No, not really. More of a concern about relative spending power is whether the club has forgotten how to go into the market aggressively when it is needed. So far there’s no evidence to support them, but it’s very early days. I think we will see significant action but I’d like it to start happening very soon.
‘Scraps’ ? That’s a bit strong imo. Torres was not a ‘scrap’ at £50m yet hasn’t been making much of an impact at Liverpool or the Chavs for over a year now.
You cite Benzema over Gervinho, but Benzema hasn’t managed to hold down a spot at Real has even fallen behind Adebayor in the pecking order. But because Real slap a £20m fee on him he suddenly becomes more desirable.
It’s too simplistic to equate effectiveness with transfer fees because other factors such as age and length of contract play a large part in the latter.
look, its not just about the transfer sums though is it
gervinho would probably ask for wages around the 50-60k mark, whereas benzema would want around 100-110 k a week (shows the affairs of football when 50-60k is considered cheap).
Anyways, with signing on fees and whatnot, this will probably equate to around 2.5 million EXTRA a year.
Never mind the fact that benzema would probably cost around 25-35 mllion anyways, and that RM are unlikely to want to let him go.
Good one Chas, you don’t need to speak Spanish to enjoy that one!
And Rasp, I also hope the cricket goes well, looks like a great day for it.
Benzema thats what we need, the board can shove it
get real AW will never spend 20m on Benzema, not gonna happen period. Why is everyone getting excited about this chap from lille, he is average at best, come on y’all….. AW is a cheapskate, this is what will occur, we will get someone that none of us as ever heard of ala’ Eduardo, comes out of the blue and cheap, thats AW all the way baby all the way.
Bit of a gloomy post Rasp.
If by mid August all we have bought are cheap ‘second best’ options or ‘promising’ kids then you’ll be right.
But it’s too early to fall for the current media bullsh*t narrative about Arsene and Arsenal being in crisis.
We don’t really know what’s going on with Cesc and Nasri and we don’t know who AW has got in his sights for new signings. If we really did bit 16 or 17 million for Jones that doesn’t exactly show lack of will.
And let’s remember that when they were signed by AW, Vieira, Henry, Ljungberg and Pires would all have been considered ‘second best’ compared to the headline names of their day.
f4p
I know that comment sums up what many Arsenal supporters feel, but to me you’re just being spoon fed the media’s crisis story and swallowing it hole.
Apparently we bid 17m for Jones. He preferred to go to ManUre, but that’s hardly evidence of a ‘cheapskate’ attitude.
Arsenal are giving out every signal that they are going to spend extensively this summer. Does that mean bringing in the names that are bandied about in idiotland (the blog world) or in agendaland (the press)? Almost certainly not. But I trust the board to bring in the RIGHT players, whether or not they’re a current superstar.
Mr Mark
“It’s too simplistic to equate effectiveness with transfer fees because other factors such as age and length of contract play a large part in the latter.”
Excellent comment.
I have only seen Gervinho on Youtube which doesn’t tell you much, but he looks to have an eye for goal. (Mind you, if you look at an Adebayor compilation he looks like the world’s best striker, which just goes to show…)
ahhh, conversing with myself again.
Those men in white suits will be coming back….
Please don’t let them take me Mummy, not again!
Rocky you raise a fine point about Petit, Henry et al.
There is also the memory that the much maligned Parlour was revolutionised by AW as were the defence, I’m reminded also that Lee Dixons crossing and shooting were as woeful as Clichy’s when AW arrived. And did any of us believe TA could pass and move his way to the edge of the opposition 18yd box and sweetly hit a left foot volley into the corner of the net…..the answer is of course no.
The fact that our re odd signing remains under £20million is evidence that AW has never been supported at all costs.
The fact remains AW will not buy the obvious, I would expect him to as always unearth a few gems for us to savour.
Frimpong tweet this morning:
“I LOVE MY ARSENAL FOREVER ARSENAL.MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.FANS 1ST”
A dig at anyone perhaps?
I don’t want Benzema or Gervinho and I certainly don’t want Cahill or Samba and I don’t care much for Hazard. No, what I really want is a new manager – all of Arsenal’s problems stem from a manager who has run out of ideas – he has had his day and the signing of Jenkinson – another “promising” player suggests to me that nothing about Wenger has changed. Arsenal are stagnant and are managed by a stagnant manager and owned by Kroenke who has no love of the club – sorry but I dont see much to be cheerful about anymore – we are a mid table team over achieving – sorry
Oh and on this true striker debate…..have any of these players (Gervinho/Benzema) got as good goals to shot ratio as RvP…..not every chance falls to the striker where we slowed in the last few weeks of the season was goal contribution from anywhere else on the pitch.
I’ve missed all this Diaby Spuds shirt business so off to have a look at that.
We are not poor, far from it. We generate more income than everyone except Real, Barca and Man U. We just do things correctly and do not spend money we do not have. Man U can spend silly money on players sure (Remember Veron for 27 mill?) they are 1.2 BILLION in debt and getting deeper. I know football fans don’t like to think about boring stuff like that it is all about bragging rights, gloating and Top Trumps. Fortunately, Arsenal live in the real world and will do, as it always does, things correctly and with dignity. To fans shouting about big money signings – Would you rather a Schevchenko (32 mill)/ Veron (27mill) or perhaps an Anelka (750 grand). Point is it aint necessarily about age, experience or a massive value. Aint that simple. I don’t want big money signings I just want the RIGHT signings – signings that will repair the obvious imbalance in the squad.
AW is in a football manager type situation you know when the wife and kids wanna go to the beach or it’s sunday night about 12pm o’clock and you have work at 9am.
Also it’s the last day of the transfer window and you know if you save up and fall asleep or go to that beach you will for get about signing that wonder kid for 5 mill or renewing your star players contract.
Us gooners are on a cliff edge in terms of “Are our players good enough, Is our manager good enough or Is our board good enough” I think a little of all three
1. Abou, Rosicky, Walcott and Bender and Eboue as well as the wantaways Nicky and Denlision Not good enough.
Cesc and Nasri= Lets start with Cesc great player also wants to leave but is tied down to a long term contract. It really sickens me when i read lets keep him for one more year or next year he can go, If this is the case SELL HIM NOW!!!!!
Nasri now here is someone i would hope he signs on for life i think he is a super super player. But again why can’t they pay his wages why not give him as much as Fab or Van Sick Note an extra 10k per week if we are to belive.
2. Our saviour has only this year left to prove he still has it if not off to the old folks home with him. Why i hear would you say these things about the person who brought so much sucksess to this club. First if i go to work and my company moved to another location with bigger floors for more stock so there fore more money and i said to my staff i will build a team capable of beating any other company but wait my system is flawed i keep putting my security gards on the wrong door is people rob my stock you get my drift.
3. Board these shower of money grabbing cowards. We have to ask what have you done for me lately or sorry you want more money for season tickets and you are already the most expensive for match day tickets but it’s alright i will pay these increases to watch a team thats falling apart already has been for two to three years now and yet they flirt with us by saying we are making money so there is money to spend but we will not give a player an extra 10k a week and give or make the manager spend this money on players that need to be bought.
I have been a suporter of Arsenal all my life but when the government are raping you and the tax man is raping you the last thing you need is your football club raping you
Lets be honest now.Since Nasri joined us he has had a good 6 month spell out of 3 years.The rest he was an in and out player.And the way his form tailed off in the 2nd half of the season was frightening.Is he world £110k a week?No fucking way.Let him go.
anyone tell how many media speculations have got it right with regards to Mr. Wenger’s summer transfer. There! Prof will always have something ‘wierd’ up his sleeve, yet, more often than not, seems to work for him.
Frankly, with Cesc hopefully staying, our effeciency upfront and strengthening the defence indepth with Cahill or Diawara, Arsenal should be a championship winning team next season.
i can never get my head around why people play and watch cricket,,its the most boring drawn out game out there,,,,50th test 5 innings 2 wickets …lunch,,,,odi ,twenty twenty,,ashs,,,,,,as del boy said its silly boys rounders,,,,,,what a load of rubbish!!!!!!!!!!
irish
A football game is a battle.
A cricket Test Match is a war, complete with strategy, politics, intrigue, betrayal and sex.
Alright, I made up the sex bit. Unless Raspers knows something that rest of us don’t…
Leon:
“what I really want is a new manager – all of Arsenal’s problems stem from a manager who has run out of ideas – he has had his day and the signing of Jenkinson – another “promising” player suggests…. [snip]… sorry but I dont see much to be cheerful about anymore – we are a mid table team over achieving – sorry”
So who makes this mid table team over achieve? There is a contradiction amidst your thinking either the manager is not getting the best from good players….as you say you want him gone, or he is working miracles with what he is allowed to buy.
PTang – I agree
Frank – the problem is whilst Milner and Barry are on similar money at City, Nasri is worth it in his agents and his eyes.
Mark Barry, you don’t really sound like a lifelong supporter. To be honest I can’t take you seriously when you use that type of coarse language. Personally I think it’s too early in the transfer window to make any real judgements on AW’s transfer policy this summer. He says he will add experience etc. Best to make judgements come the start of pre-season.
The players’ exodus crisis Arsenal FC is facing is mainly down to the club’s resolve to establish a sane financial model in an entirely insane world. We can admire Arsenal’s strict wage-structure as we want to. The problem, however, is the relative incompatibility of Arsenal’s values in comparison with clubs who hold no such values such as Chelsea, Man United, and City.
For instance, Arsenal turned Matthew Flammini into a world class player into his last year of contract, but then refused to meet his allegedly “extravagant” wage demands when his contract was due to be renewed. While Arsenal were not willing to meet Flammini’s wage demand, other clubs were more than eager to do so. We also turned Ashely Cole into the world’s best left winger, but he left us because we were paying him peanuts comparing to what Jose and his Chelsea were then offering him
The same is happening with Nasri now. Arsenal patiently allowed Nasri to turn his potential into real class in the last four years. And now when the time has come to reap the benefits of our investment into him, Arsenal are reluctant to pay him what he deserves in today’s insane world of football players’ wages.
Sadly, while Arsenal are not willing to break their strict wage-structure, there is no shortage of suitors more than willing to meet Nasri’s demands.
I cannot understand how Arsene Wenger and the Board can fail to understand such a simple point! Arsenal can buy young players dirt cheap and hope to turn them into world class. But once they turn into a gem, they like to be paid accordingly or will leave us. And they will continue to leave as long as there are other clubs ready to offer them money that is consistent with their talent as well as what other star players are earning at other clubs.
Just consider this: Yaya Toure is earning 200K-a-week at the City and what we are paying Nasri and Clichy? Also bear in mind that Man United, Read Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, City and other clubs spend a fortune on buying established players whereas we buy young players for almost nothing. Because we save a fortune on transfer money, we should be able to offer them wages to our star players that merit their talent and fame. Our failure to do so has already turned us into a feeder-club.
Anelka, Flammini, Ashley Cole..and now now Nasri and Cesc. Where will it stop?
In answer to a lot of the posts above: AW has done miraculous stuff in the past! He HAS kept us in the top 4 in the last 13(?) years but has had the same defensive frailties for the last (certainly) 3+ years & has failed to address them & has hardly produced from both the academy or the buy-ins in recent years.
Yes, we now have Jack but he’s come right through from 9(?) years old. Walcott is still unproven & has cost us a lot to date. Hopefully TV & Ramsey will be back to their best, Szczesney & more kids come through but as a top club we haven’t done great in the market since Highbury, Moyes for instance has done better with his money.
My main point is Wenger has not sorted the ‘obvious’ & certainly uses too many excuses rather than accept responsibility & seems a spent force – ONE MORE summer to sort out this!
It is said Gervinho might go to City instead of Arsenal because the transfer price and wages offered are higher. If Arsenal can not attract a guy like that who has everything to prove, who is crazy enough to believe Benzema will come to Arsenal? Falcao? Pastore? Hazard? Sneijder? Ozil? Would they come when guys like Nasri or Fabregas want to leave? It is not only about the money Arsenal can have. Do not expect big names or big changes. Next season team will be:
Fabianski/Szczesny
Sagna/Eboue-Cahill/Djourou-TV5/Kos-Gibbs
Diaby/Ramsey-Wilshere/Song
Walcott-Nasri-Arshavin
RvP/Chamakh
sub: Wellington Silva-Miyaichi-Jenkinson-Frimpong-Lansbury-Thiago Alcantara-Bojan-Chamberlain-and some other kids we have in a doomed youth project II…
Wenger will be very active selling because he has to. Arshavin, Denilson, Clichy, Narsi, Fabregas, Bendter all want to leave. Not only because they dont have a place in the first team. Because they can not stand to play in a football academy anymore where the coach talk to you like you are a kid. Wenger and the Board will live like that expecting financial fair play to be applied so they can show off with the financial figures.
In reply of peachesgooner’s comment “I really really really still think that if we’d scored more of our chances last season we would have won the league whatever mess the defence were getting into. ”
Taken from OptaJoe: The PL table would look like this if all shots that hit the woodwork had gone into the net instead. Quirk. http://twitpic.com/4t9shh
If all shots that hit the woodwork had found the net instead, Arsenal would already be champions. Costly.
Good article. I think both Gervinho and Benzema could do a good job in Arsenal, Benzema has played at a higher level though so he is clearly my favourite!
Wow Rasp
This Post has really brought out the blinkered brigade in force.
Firstly, I’m impressed by the number of commenters who “know” what Arsenal’s starting squad will be next season.
And the number who “know” how the club is going to act in the transfer market this summer.
Your inside track to the workings of the Board and AW’s mind is very impressive… oh, sorry, no it’s not, it’s just made-up nonsense.
Last season was the first time since the stadium move that Arsenal were in any position to compete financially with some of their main rivals (there is never any possibility of competing with Man City, for anyone).
Prior to that AW’s achievement in keeping Arsenal competitive and in the CL every year while having literally NO money to spend (yes, that’s right – no money: we showed a net profit on transfers during the five years post the move to the Ems) was something that no other manager in British (or possibly, world) football could have pulled off.
My theory (note: it’s a theory – I don’t “know”) is that last season AW felt his existing squad was finally experienced enough and talented enough to do the job. Also, Vermaelen aside, he had most of his key players fit for the run-in. There is no doubt that in this situation, AW felt his men would win things.
The fact that they didn’t was as much a shock to him as it was a kick in the guts for us.
It has made him seriously question the balance of his team (this bit is not theory – he has come out and said as much and has talked of needing greater experience and defensive strength).
So last summer he had the money to spend but did not feel he needed to spend it. This summer he has even more money to spend and knows that he must do so.
By all means write off our transfer activity before it has even properly begun. By all means think we’ve already failed in the market when it still has almost three months to run. By all means continue to see the negative in everything.
It’s a narrow, blinkered, short-termist view that is encouraged by the simplistic reporting of the red tops and I, for one, am not buying it.
JRS
Thankyou for that.
All those who want to say how sh*t Wenger is and how we’re already doomed for next season, please reflect on the narrow margins between success and failure as epitomised by JRS’s link.
Yes, we fell away dreadfully at the run-in last season, but let’s not forget that we were good enough to get ourselves into a position in March where the EPL was in our hands.
Good points there Rocky, & I’m also amazed at the ‘glass totally empty’ in some of those comments but I do feel that AW should have done a Fergie & got in early to ‘settle’ the squad & the fans alike. Of course he’s not playing Football Manager so if the players aren’t quite ready yet to make the decision necessary …………he also would like to get shot of some before making his squad too large so effectively devaluing the ones that are then ‘excess’ – it is a balancing game.
I suppose Fergie had an advantage in the fact that VDS & Scholes were retiring so there were holes that had to be filled!
Depressing
Thanks Rocky saves me wasting my time at the keyboard.
If Jordan Henderson is worth £20m and Phil Jones is worth £17m how much is Jack worth?
dandan 🙂
Apparently the rumours that Defoe is headed our way are becoming more persistent.
I hope that’s not true. Apart from 2009/10 (when his EPL stats were 18 goals in 34 games) his scoring record has been consistently poor throughout his career. Certainly he’s never come close to achieving anything like RvP’s record from the second half of this season.
We need a striker who’s at least a goal every other game and Defoe’s not that man.
Mark Barry…it sounds like you’re getting royally fucked….Leon, it sounds like your totally fucked mentally! Both of you blame the Board and/or Wenger but the blame game is a pointless, baseless and futile pursuit that leads to being fucked!
AW and the Board have a vision most of us lack. They have the 3rd highest wage bill in the EPL and yet pursue a policy of value for compensation that most other top 6 clubs can’t do. They pay their players based on their relative value to the club NOT their potential value on the market. When they transfer in or out, they almost inevitably make a profit….is that a necessarily a bad thing? AW wants to avoid the Manchestless Shitty dilemma where a series of bench-warmers are earning enormous weekly wages yet contributing little or nothing to the club. Arsenal are overly generous to their squad players but they always honour their contracts. This vision disadvantages them in the transfer market and that is why AW prefers the Jenkinsons and Miyachis of this world rather than the Benzemas.
His record at turning diamonds in the rough into true gems is impressive. He may lose a few in the transfer period but he ALWAYS has a plan B in an up and coming youth player or a relative unknown in the market. He refuses to get caught up in the hype of EPL ¨stars¨who become available in the summer or January and refuses to get into a player auction or bidding war. He is trying to finely balance new players coming in with up and coming youth and reserve players so that his team is balanced, all the while trying to keep his best players at the Arsenal. everyone lamented when Gallas,Senderos,Toure and Silvestre were let go but have any of them shown spectacular form since their Arsenal days? Toure may earn 200K/week which is obscene for a 31 year old and Gallas may have had a decent season for the Totts but that isn’t worth much in Wenger’s books. He got the Verminator, Koscielny and Djourou to replace them and all of these guys are long term successes.
You gloomers,doomers, Wenger-haters, moaners,groaners and whiners need to chill out and wait until the season starts before crying foul and forecasting terrible crises and disasters….you may actually be proven wrong!
You’ve got a long name 🙂
The rumours change by the hour and so many people take them seriously.
Wow, Rocky, 🙂
You are a marvel. 🙂
As Dandan says it saves me having to try and reason with some of these guys.
It would not help anyway, they do not want to listen ………. but they have been Arsenal fans all their lives ……… allegedly!
Hm? I am sure I left a comment this afternoon, but it is not there 😦
GM – of course I don’t think you are not elequent, you silly! It is just that RA and 26 and co would use 4 syllable words, where your plain and simple ‘feck’ does the trick 🙂
Total – yep. Tatra mountain are awsome, really spectacular and pretty high. I didn’t see either France or Argentina playing Poland, but I was told that Szczesny was good against the Argies
Where is Chary?
Hi Domhuaille MacMathghamhna, 🙂
You can come on here anytime!!
Do you think Carlito’s 2nd pair of pants were called into action? 🙂
I was joking Evonne.
I imagine so chas.
“I cannot understand how Arsene Wenger and the Board can fail to understand such a simple point! Arsenal can buy young players dirt cheap and hope to turn them into world class. But once they turn into a gem, they like to be paid accordingly or will leave us. And they will continue to leave as long as there are other clubs ready to offer them money that is consistent with their talent as well as what other star players are earning at other clubs.”
Roy, I wholeheartedly concur with what you say. Furthermore, history suggests there is little likelihood of funds gained from the loss of either Cesc or Samir – OR BOTH – being properly reinvested in players who can hit the ground running but, rather, in those who may develop over three years…and so the vicious circle of youth and inexperience continues.
I heard it said that Arsene looked a broken man at the end of the season. A man ready to learn lessons. Arsene faced open anger at the AGM two seasons ago. And what exactly changed?
Has anyone seen any concrete evidence of a natural leader who might be on the horizon???
Will we ever get a defensive coach a la Martin Keown?
Let alone the frustrating (Spurs wearing) Diaby or the fading Rosicky I have heard nothing to suggest the loss of the seven story disaster that is Squillaci this summer. Or, thus far, even the Spanish waiter. WHY? If either of the latter two are called upon – and they will be at some point – it’s like giving the opposition a one or two goal head start.
And what is the fifteen year perversion with inauspicious French defenders? Garde, Grimandi (excused), Grondin, Cygan, Silvestre, Squillaci. Perhaps cheap is the clue here.
Cheap is as cheap does. And as the years pass it becomes more difficult to unearth the gems in a sea of unpolishable turds.
Hi there Evonne. Don’t worry, that comment did appear when you first put it up, just on yesterday’s post!
And RA is obviously far worse than I am in using over-elaborate vocabulary. Or will he be so pusillanimous as not to challenge me on that one?! 😉
Some fine rebuttals to premature pessimism today, esp from Rocky and Domhouaille (top name).
You’re right, Rasp was on a bit of a downer with the post today but he was filling in, since none of us had written anything, and anyway, we’re all entitled to get the blues about this stuff when we all know there need to be some changes this summer.
And thanks to JRS for the OptaJoe link: “if only” is usually a futile game bit looking at the dramatic difference converting struck posts and bars to goals would’ve had on the title (we win the title by 12 points, losing only three games) does contain a message about the quality already locked in our squad (despite the need for change). Also interesting to see that West Ham would not only have survived the drop, they’d have finished 13th.
Mr Half Empty, the name says it all.
Hi Evonne, 🙂
Are you saying I am as ineloquent as that verbose 26? 🙂
I read thru’ last night’s comments and would like to suggest that when a ‘debate’ reaches an impasse such as the one Herb/GM/26 were having, that a gentlemanly ‘agree to disagree’ is called.
Otherwise the arguments simply go around and around and no one is going to convince anyone else.
Don’t mean to sound Goody Two Shoes, but at a certain stage it all becomes pointless and tempers fray.
The most intriguing comment I read yesterday was from Micky’s mate Stormy Daze. What happened to him? He disappeared in a ‘poof’, so to speak.
I was held up in horrendous traffic in Knightsbridge this afternoon because the Gay Pride, Naked, Bike demo were showing off their stuff.
Gay or straight, no one looks good riding a bike naked is not cool! 🙂
Rasp. Love the post, you’ve turned over a real boulder here and released some real ‘quality life-long fans’..
I too am bored of the speculation. The only plus is that the Transfer Linked section on the Arsenal site isn’t exacerbating it.
Happy Saturday everyone 🙂 I’m having a beer in the garden…bliss!
WG
Thanks Rocky! Are you in the Rocky Mountains now: is that fresh air giving you the energy to fight this rediculous onslaught?
The transfer window will be open for another 80 days, and yet so many people believe they can pull conclusions about Arsene’s transfer strategy at this early stage. Get a life people!
Dandan, 🙂
Your Carlito haiku was exceptional! 🙂
Anyone know how that handsome, blue eyed Viking got on? No, not you TA. 🙂
i just hope when AW retires we get someone as sensible & calm as he is!!!
A beer in the garden WG – you know how to enjoy the simple things in life (and they are best of all to enjoy)! I am going to crack open een flesje Grolsch myself, thanks.
Oi, goody two shoes, outside now….!
Generally, I agree re agreeing to disagree(!). But sometimes I think it’s right to get into one. I don’t really intend to convince anyone to change their opinions (which is lucky, some would say), I just want to express my views from time to time. And when that means challenging what I consider to be sloppy arguments, I want to do that. Much like you actually!
But I know that can be a bit boring for others, I just hope there weren’t many others around in the wee hours last night.
TA – had to be done, in England we rarely see the sun so I’ll take advantage when I can 🙂
On a football note I understand the Phil Jones transfer to ManYoo isn’t as cut n dried as they’d hoped….more negotiating on fee required apparently!
Haha, they were so smug that they beat us to it….hope they have to pay 20mil.
WG
26, Herb works on you like a red (Manc?) shirt does to a bull. I like to read both your and Herb’s arguments, so please keep it up. As long as you don’t expect to change his opinion, you cannot get disappointed.
Hi RA,
I will just say this: If people continue to be so insulting and disrespectful as to continually refer to me as a ‘Man Utd fan’ or a ‘Manc lover’, I will refrain from visiting this site, which would be a shame, because this site is full of wonderfully diverse and knowledgable people.
WG, good to hear about the fee issues haHA. We have got TV, Koz and JD and we have 80 days left to get a fourth CB. Wenger will find us the right one and Phil Jones can stay nicely in the north on his mummy’s lap, so he does not get homesick.
Good Day to you Redders, Total, WG, 26, GM and Evonne
Total, I am not in the Rockies yet – flying out tomorrow.
Redders, I’m slightly concerned at your discription of Stormy Daze disappearing ‘in a poof’. Perhaps we should have looked for him in that cycle demo that held you up earlier today…?
How about “Chelsea Lover” Herb?
😉 Not serious, honest!
You are right 26, of course, saying your piece is both satisfying and necessary, at times. 🙂
It’s just that I made my comment when I was truly discomknockerated that Evonne said my eloquence was as bad as a lawyer’s!! 🙂 i,e You!!
Agree Herb, you are not a Manc lover and nobody should be called one on this site, unless they admit to it.
I have a question for you Herb. If history would have worked out as follows: Wenger became MU manager in 1987 and Ferguson would have joined Arsenal in the same year, would you still believe that Ferguson would have been more successful than Wenger in the last 24 years (all other factors remaining unchanged)?
I am going to go now (before wife kills me), but will read your response later this evening.
Hi Herb, 🙂
Don’t take it too much to heart.
GM is usually very much on your wavelength, and, although I hate to say this, 26 is a decent bloke and would not want things to get personal.
Come on, take up 26’s suggestion and give AA an insight into what you see as the best thing about the Gunners.
Great football? Great stadium? Great hotdogs? Or something sensible? 🙂
Rocky, 🙂
The juxtaposition of the two sentences was perhaps not totally coincidental!! 🙂
RA- Great HotDogs at the Grove?? Are you mad? Heheh the curry pies however are awesome with a pint 🙂
WG
Hi WG, 🙂
Never had a hotdog at the Grove in either of my visits! Just as well from what you say.
Now a nice curry pie sounds ace, I can almost smell one. (Curry pie that is!) 🙂
I see what you were doing there Redders – very clever 🙂
And hello Herb – you hadn’t started posting when I sent my previous “Good Day”.
‘Er indoors has just re-invented swingball (the innocent garden tennis game )into a drinking game.
Good Girl 🙂 hehehe
RockyLives, mate, your talk an unrealistic amount of sense in an improbably constructive manner for the internet,
good work 🙂
Thanks omri
If you stick around on this site you’ll find many people who have what I like to think of as a better sense of perspective about Arsenal than the hordes of moaning minnies who seem to have infested the Arsenal blog universe.
That’s not to say we all think AW is beyond criticism – far from it – but many of his critics seem to want to ignore anything positive about him or his achievements, which I find perverse.
Well, its official, I am rubbish at swingball and gettin tipsy! Na night all!
WG
Evening all, just got in from the game (victorious). Sorry if you found the tone of ther post negative Rocky, it just followed on from the discussion I was having on the tail end of yesterday’s post this morning.
I would say just one thing in my defence. I (We?) are well aware that AW has a blind spot to recognising when a pattern is developing, I don’t need to list them all but subs, square pegs etc come to mind. I was musing as to whether supporters who expect top notch signings this summer are similarly delusional, the pattern so far is all too familiar to me but there is a long way to go and I hope to be incorrect.
No need to apologise Raspers.
You are speaking from the heart which is all that matters.
How did the cricket go?
“And let’s remember that when they were signed by AW, Vieira, Henry, Ljungberg and Pires would all have been considered ‘second best’ compared to the headline names of their day.”
There is a light side and there is a dark side, if you have forgotten this fact then I am afraid you have moved to the dark side and that is not a good place to be.
By the way I thought the head line is very true and that there is no shame in it. I am only being this generous as I believe that financial doping will disappear at the end of the forthcoming season and we will once again be the most desirable destination in London.
Hi London,
I don’t know about you, but I certainly vacillate between optimism and pessimism when it comes to Arsenal.
My heart says its all going to be OK and AW will prove the critics wrong, but the harsh reality is that he has changed. The tormented soul that sits on the touchline cuddling himself is far removed from the confident urbane man of a few years ago.
I should also point out that 5 mins before I posted the article we had nothing to put out, and I was sitting in my cricket gear as I hurriedly one-finger typed the post.
Rocky, it was a very close game but we won and as our opponents were just above us, have now leapfrogged them in the league.
Hi Rasp
I knew it was a save the day post when I read it, congrats on coming up with something at all.
I feel different this summer, I expect a lot less than usual next season. I really see it as a let’s get to the other end and at last start playing on a level playing field again; well, level in as much as we have a much larger attendance than most so if it were a pool table it would lean to our corner and the ball will naturally start rolling into our pocket again.
Congratulations on the cricket Rasp.
Like you, my feeling about our prospects waver. You’re right to say that AW looked like a broken man on the touch lines at the end of the season.
There are two ways of looking at this:
1) He’s lost the plot and will never be able to bring success to Arsenal again.
2) His despair reflected the realisation that a group of players in whom he had placed so much hope and expectation was never going to make the grade.
There have been times when I have flirted with No 1.
But on balance I think it’s No 2. I think he ended the season mourning for a dream that had just died and now he has to forge a new one.
Rasp
3000+ hits for a one-minute post tapped out in your whites. That’s classy!
London
After next season it will hopefully start to tilt our way – but won’t it take a few years before the financial fair play rules are fully in place?
Forgot to say Rasp, well done for the ‘fast food’ post. It is just great the way you and Peaches keep it all going during these newspoor weeks.
Thanks Rocky/London
Rocky, do you see any evidence so far that AW is forging a new dream? We have purchased three 16 year-olds.
I am pretty sure we won’t move for any major new players until the money is agreed for the likes of Bendtner, Eboue and Clichy so we will inevitably be hoping that our targets have not been attracted elsewhere. I think its a gimme that the ideal scenario is to get your major acquisitions done early in the window and we usually have to wait for our signings.
London, I wish I could believe that financial fair play will come into being in the near future but I fear that such is the power of the big clubs it never will. Most businesses are prepared to incur debt in the pursuit of their goals and football is no different. It would appear that the most successful clubs either have the highest debt or super rich owners.
Rasp
It has been widely reported that we bid up to 17m for Phil Jones but he preferred to go to Man Utd. If true (big IF, I realise) then that’s not exactly a case of waiting for the departures before being prepared to spend.
I reckon AW has his targets and will go out to get them. I would be surprised if there haven’t been some significant signings by the end of the month.
Hi Peaches, I (almost) never laugh at your recommendations – what’s this ‘it’s cos I am girl’ business? I really hope we are not being too blooky on AA. I hope you get your wish and Bent or Benzema comes our way (especially if Nik is leaving).
Great stuff Rocky, I hope you’re right.
The other difficult question is why are some of our targets not viewing Arsenal as such a good prospect? Whether we like it or not, we are seen as a club that flatters to deceive and the much vaunted phrase, ‘6 years without a trophy’ hangs round our necks like an anvil.
Blooky = Blokey
Well done Rasp – clearly I should ignore your protestations that you can’t think of anything to write 😆
Don’t hold your breath Rocky, I expect there will be those that manage to avoid being penalised for failing to comply with the financial fair play rules.
If anyone wants to write a few lines for tomorrow please send them in, we don’t need a mega post for a Sunday just something to start the day.
Carlito – are you out there, hope you’re ok and the jump went well – gonna text you anyway
Crikey
I won’t sleep properly until we’ve heard from Carlito!
Hi TA, peaches,
I have said before that all of our major signings have been flagged up for weeks before in recent years – Nasri, AA, TV and Kozzer. The only rumour that I would call relatively strong is Gervinho and possibly Baines if Clichy leaves.
Rasp 🙂
It’s not just that our targets decide to sign for other clubs it’s also that we don’t seem to be able to get rid of (sell) some of our squaddies that need to move on – Almunia??????
I’ve texted him, hope to hear back soon
TA – it’s an in joke – is it cos I’m a girl? – as long as you take me seriously that’s fine with me 🙂
Ok Peaches I get it (now), it is just sometimes hard to tell when you only see typed letters on a white background.
This just in from Carlito
“All good – a terrifying and exhilerating experience. Still travelling back by bus and we set off at 8.30 this morning! Apparently the video takes a week to get sent out 😦 really glad to have done it – thanks for the sponsorship and support”
……….and he sent me a kiss but I’m keeping that for myself 🙂
Hi all, Nice one Rasp, simple article that can provoke a many a thought, whereas some of us waffle for ages, your effective style is very good at getting the mind thinking……..
For me the simple point is that You cannot equate anyone transfer to another, unless it is between the same two clubs……..
The value a club puts on a player is their belief, the outlay a club is willing to pay is equal to the level of real need for that particular player at that time…..
Wenger as frugal as he comes across, is working at a club that works within its own limitations, we can argue that we settle for 2nd best, I just feel wenger looks for value but they must reach our technical requirements. But he will pay money for true class…….
Liverpool can pay 20million for henderson all day long, that is an absolutely so over inflated price, but they want to pay to ensure they got him…….
Samba+Gervinho (8+12) V Benzema + Cahill (20+17)= 17million circa difference, but what are our needs truly? Saying we accept 2nd best by taking the cheaper option is way too simplistic, each player brings a different aspect to the game, to the team.
For me I would take Samba over Cahill, because of what we need as a team.
If Benzema is truly available I would try to get him, but would be happy if we got Gervinho instead if we got gazzumped by say City……. I dont think there is much between them, as wenger does, set a limit for a player and dont pay more. So if we agreed a price of 20million for Benzema great, but not a penny more………
For me the one time wenger got it wrong was when he didnt pay the extra for Alonso, he didnt balance the benefits against the extra dough……
He has a tough summer picking the right player at the right price whilst truly matching our needs, its easy spalshing money round like city, they can afford to get it wrong, we cant …………….
I for one think we are just one or two alterations from greatness…alright maybe 3 or 4. Its true that we have more than a couple of under-achievers and it’s probably true that as a club we have accepted champions league as a target due to the financial implications from failing to qualify. As a fanbase most of us see that we have tightened our belts and had to make-do with bangers and mash when we would rather have steak. I do get fed up with people saying we play good football without winning because we have done both in the past with this manager and we can again. I can honestly admit that if AW left I would not be sitting in a darkened room forlorn and without hope… yet I do feel he can and will get us success again. Why ?…. because for the first time in his Arsenal career he is genuinely under pressure. In the honeymoon period he rode on the back of a very good team and just added his philosophy prolonging the careers of some incredibly talented defenders whilst unshackling others from the 1-0 regime. Then he made a name from discovering hidden talent and moulding players into what he wanted them to be. Now he has become the manager who has created a financially secure club whist continually achieving top four status which is great for the board and great for the shareholders but not so great for the fans or indeed the players. He is without question a very clever man and clearly must recognise that there is now a serious problem at pitch level. The way the team crumbled last year without a fight made every gooner in the world sick to the stomach so how must he feel ? The way players like Nasri, Cesc and Clichy are reluctant to stay must make him feel 10 times worse than it hurts us so does he go to bed at night and just think sod-it i’m getting paid a fortune ? I doubt it. We apparently bid for all of these players and fail because they would rather play for Alec or Kenny or for more money at the chavs or city… thats gona hurt. I personnally think Arsene has one year left and he knows it. I expect a busy window, maybe not stars but maybe we have enough stars, just maybe he will look back at the honeymoon period and see exactly why we were so good. I for one gooner hope so.
It was either believe in the financial fair play rules coming in or slash my wrists, I thought the former was the best option.
Harry. As much as I love the Arsenal you have to respect the fact that Manutd never rest on their laurels, Ferguson wins the league ( luckily with the worst squad he’s had in a decade) and rather than basking in glory he strengthens it to make it better for next year. Stand still and you fall behind. You must speculate to accumulate and you must invest to increase your market share. By purchasing the second best option we are making a statement that either we are trying to prove others wrong or we simply cannot play on the big tables. Imo we must get Cahill and Benzema even if only to show intent to the squad, fans and opposition.
London – 🙂 you’re probably right
BarumG, I agree partly with your sentiment, we must show intent, but to get players just because they cost more would be poor ineffective business……Its amazing how people are blinded by how the press portray situations and players, is Cahill really that good? I dont think he is worth 17million……..
Samba actually gives us more options, and lots more experience, something we really need……….
With regards to United, even though they won the league they are playing catch up squad wise with most top teams………He had to strengthen…..
Its week one of the summer madness and the press think we are miles behind, how?
Lets see what transpires over the summer……….
Honestly I think we all need to realize we wont spend like the other top teams, Our shareholders will not invest their own money in the team, they never have and most likely never will.The club itself doesn’t make a massive profit because of the stadium loan and also the extremely poor commercial deals we have running. We could spend £30m easily this summer and at a push maybe even go as far as £50m but sadly AW would see that as sacrilegious.
I’m more than happy letting wegner spend the RIGHT amount of money on players, especially when others are spending 20 on a poor mans wilshere, 35 on a giant thug, and 50 on a down and out strikerwhose goal scoring record is starting to remind me of aliadiere. The only problem is he doesn’t spend or he won’t chuck in a few pennies more to seal the deal (and considering man city seem to not use a scout they can get away with offering more to players we want).
As for the wage structure, it is good but i think its breeding complacency in the squad (mainly with the reserves players). For example JET, he hasn’t shown much in the last two seasons when there has been such big wraps on him. Denilson was the same, he declined as the seasons past. Not to mention randall who stayed on the books for way too long
Goonermichael……..this is the Irish language version of my real name which shall go unrevealed on this blog….too many Gloomers whining in their stale beer and sodden pretzels….over something nobody wants their opinion on, least of all Aw and the Board!
There is so much unwarranted negativism, wild speculation, pop-psych analysis of Wenger and his motives and generally pessimistic whining about how bad Arsenal are always will be under Wenger and how horrible our season will be next year, regardless of whether we import the entire Barca first team to be bench-warmers that it is pathetic.
Why do some of you so-called supporters even bother paying AFC’s ¨outrageous¨ ticket prices (if any of you lot actually are able to go and do), follow the oscillations of our beloved team and then spend endless hours trolling sites to spread your nihilism and invective like the plague it is! If it is so traumatic for you to follow the Arsenal then watch darts…its less stressful.
@ Domhuaille MacMathghamhna
seems we have the same last name then.
How long before gazidis and the team he has hired start to increase the commercial revenue for the team? i know we are locked in to both shirt and stadium deals for a while (and needed the money quickly due to the building of the new stadium), but it just seems we are getting butched in that aspect in regards to other teams.
Carlito,
You are alive. I call that good news. Really well done. Black stuff coming your way. Briliant and very worthwhile effort.
True Harry but unfortunately thats football, we are living in an unrealistic financial era with teams paying massively over the odds to get their man. I dont agree with it but sadly its what you have to do to get the player you want. I admire Arsenes principles and have said many times that I would hate for the club to become one of these false collections of stars bankrolled by a rich sugar-daddy but we have to have a target and do everything needed to get there. If the manager,club,players and fans are happy with cl football and 4th place then great we are on target but I think we all want more. On the subject of Samba over Cahill I admit that you are more-likely correct but my own bias just would love to see more British players in the side.
Dom: Well said, I have found myself unable to contribute usefully to the dialogue of late or provide a post as I would normally do, so negative has been the outpourings on here of many people I had grown to respect in times past.
Hats of to TA, London,GIE , Rocky and a few others who have kept the flag of optimism flying. For myself the continual peeing against the wind appears to be succeeding only in getting my trouser legs soaked, consequently, I have stopped.
The transfer window has just opened and I am sadly reminded of kids waiting for Christmas to come, in the desperation there appears to be, for some immediate purchases. A reminder of the old cliche that this is a marathon not a sprint might perhaps be in order.
Funnily enough my real fear is not for the Arsenal, who I believe under Wenger will perform perfectly well. Rather it is that football is in many ways a reflection of life, so if the hidden negativity, churlishness and defeatism shewn on here has become a national characteristic (and I know all bloggers are not from the UK) what future is there in these straightened times for the country, you guys and my kids. Optimism like the fight that many accuse the team of not having, is the oil that lubricates success in any endeavor and without it we are a less likely to win in any aspect of life.
As the man said if you think you are a loser you will be.
Barum
Your 10.54pm is such a good comment it really deserved to be a head line post. I know this is not my place to say this but hey ho, as I am sure you have noticed, I am renowned for taking liberties on here. lol.
When you are in the middle of writing something as long and chunky as that think should I simply post this or should I send it in to be used as a headline. They need comments in the bank to make the site work; hopefully you can see this plea is respectful and heart felt.
By the way, if you look at Wenger from the point of view of the board you might change your mind on the idea that if this coming season is as fruitless as the last Wenger will step down/be removed. That man works within the financial restraints of the club without complaint, year in and year out, they must absolutely love him; in fact, I would guess that Wenger is so respected for this that if he had a son the board would consider appointing him as Arsene’s successor now……..in brief, he ain’t going nowhere for a long, looooooong time.
Harry
It’s not Wenger who sets the budget, it is the board.
This myth about Alonso is my pet peeve. When Alonso knew that Real were interested in him he was never going to come to us no matter how much we offered. It’s hard to make a comparison on the strength of the draw that exists for non Catalan’s towards Real Madrid but imagine Gary Neville playing for Sunderland and then finding out that Manu were interested in signing him and you are close to the kind of pull that I am talking about.
“If Benzema is truly available I would try to get him, but would be happy if we got Gervinho instead if we got gazzumped by say City……. I don’t think there is much between them, as Wenger does, set a limit for a player and don’t pay more. So if we agreed a price of 20million for Benzema great, but not a penny more”
“For me the one time Wenger got it wrong was when he didn’t pay the extra for Alonso, he didn’t balance the benefits against the extra dough”
You may be right London, last season though I think the media got to him (psychologically) for the first time. I also think that he has been hurt by his players capitulation. A number of them let him down in the latter part of the season.
I personally find it amazing that some fans can be so contradictory in their reasoning, they criticise AW for persevering with JET, Randall, Denilson, Eboue and Bendtner, but on the other hand demand that we pay more money to keep Nasri or criticise him for not showing us loyalty. AW and the club are loyal to their players, Randall was given as much time as possible to develop, Wilshere has proven that the passport does not matter to Wenger as has Theo. And that it is possible to break into the first team from the academy, the player has to show dedication to do that.
On the Samba/Cahill debate I’d choose neither, I personally don’t believe either are a good fit for our squad, if there was a centre back I thought we should sign it would be Jagielka, if there was a midfielder it would be Fellaini or possibly Heitinga for the extra bite they would bring.
Blimey dandan,
That sounds rather defeatest of you. Chin up, and fight the good fight.
I feel the need once again to make the point that by offering one side of a debate, you automatically open up a forum for others to give the opposing view. That is exactly what happened in yesterday’s discussion.
The tone of the piece was more of a rhetorical question to myself and only drew one conclusion that I believe is unarguable; Arsenal are, by choice, not prepared to spend big money on players.
How is that a choice?
It is a choice because some clubs (manu, barca) seem prepared to incur debt in search of success. We have far less debt than most teams (and obviously that is great) but I thibnk most businesses will accepot that a level of risked debt is inevitable to maintain their place in the market.
I am worried that we are not recruiting young supporters who will buy the shirts and spend money in their support of Arsenal for decades to come. When my kids were young, pool were the fashionable team and 80% of their schoolmates supported them. We currently are not seen as an exciting club by the young but are appreciated by the ‘educated’ older fans most of whom it seems sit in silence at the Emrates.
Thanks London, I see your point and realise that the site needs posts but when I sat down at the keyboard last night during my second bottle of Merlot I wasn’t really intending to ramble on quite so much. I do still believe that AW is under pressure, not from the board but from the fans and from himself. I think he is an honourable man and may just fall on his sword if the crowd go against him and the players fail to perform for him again.
Most businesses do accept a level of debt…….we have built a new stadium and have plenty of debt.
I suspect Arsenal would argue that re-signing Nasri, if we do, does show that they are prepared to spend big.
Nasri is a very exciting 23 year old probably the most exciting player in French football.
Barum
If a bottle of Merlot arrives at your door from someone unknown, don’t worry, it will have been sent by Peaches with the implication that a post is needed.
I am off out cycling the hills of Highgate.
Can you imagine someone snapping up Nasri for £10m? That would really hurt.
King of the Mountains jersey coming your way London.
I hope we do keep Nasri, but I would still say that the perception of Arsenal as portrayed by all arms of the media is of a club that is too conservative and if anything is going backwards and that is not going to garner new support.
I’m all for the idea of solid business, but if that’s the case, why don’t we look further afield than France for players more often? We could try to sign a good player like Honda for example and be sure that we would recoup the money many times over by the recruitment of Japanes support and the associated revenue.
I think a level of ruthlessness in clearing out players that haven’t made the grade and spending the money on some quality would send out a more positive message than re-signing one of our current players.
Rasp,
At least resign Nasri on eight million quid a week or whatever he wants (could all be speculation I know), then he would then have a realistic sale price. 🙂
DanDan- I worry about the optimism of the british public as well. Especially as im not british. I want my son to always see the possibility in life, not this.
Rocky lives- thanks for explaining that to the not so thoughtful.
I think Wenger was just as hurt as the fans were and will now make the changes he deems necessary. (not that the fans deem necessary). i believe we are close.
I also think that the media and rival clubs put a big fat ‘6 years no trophy’ medal around the necks of the arseanal fan and they all bent down and accepted it. Its kind of pathetic. That amount of negativity gets you no where in life. Right?
Great news for F1 Fans. Rain forecast in Canada.
Vana,
I too have children, and looking at their peers, I don’t worry too much about their optimism rather their inflated expectations, especially in light of the chronic lack of discipline, self motivation, respect and education.
Off out for the day. Bye all.
Don’t be down everyone, if Rasp or I put out a post that is a little to the left of positivity it’s usually to get a reaction and some debate going or to snuff out a sterile discussion that is on the previous post.
There’s not much news about and if we don’t have other’s thoughts to publish we have to publish our own 😦
Today we have the thoughts of our Gourmet blogger …………………
New post
……… who’s just announced his departure for the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi All
Just reading a few comments about my post to answer a few I am a life long fan 28 years, No i am not “Fucked Mentaly”.
Lets call a spade a spade here. Arsenal F.C is at a turning point this year it’s all or bust as far as i can see, Two STAR players are been anoyed in the way the Chelski’s ,Shittys and Man U’s can spot a player thats needed and buy them or try to anyway. I am not a Wenger basher he is the best manager ever for us. The board are the problum here FACT all they want is moneys generated. I always admired the way our club was ran but in the last 2 years something changed maybe it was Wengers latest atempt to build a team that failed but the fact that every one arsenal fan knew we needed a keeper that never came. So if everyone of us knew we needed a keeper surly Wenger knew and i honestly think that had we got a decent keeper in the last 3 years we would have a couple of cups maybe leauges to our name.
Don’t listen to people who say Don’t blame Wenger or there is money in the club but the bloke forgot to cash the cheque on time etc…
Wenger or the board It has to be one of them to take the blame.
Online Staff…
That is true but there are conflicting ideas on this topic…