Well I’m already standing and I have more hope for the future of our club than I have had in many a long year.
You may ask why?
The answer is that I want the Arsenal Football Club to be a club that all future generations of supporters can be as proud of as I have been in my seventy years of support. It is my opinion that in order for us to achieve that we need a manager who is honest, successful, and brings us stability along with common sense player decisions that are within our fiscal budget. Arsene Wenger brings all of that in spades and his twenty one seasons have been the most successful in our club’s history.
2016/17 was the only season that Arsene has not got us into a Champions League place – but with sixteen games remaining we were still in a good position to gain our accustomed spot. However the next eight games were disastrous causing Arsene Wenger to reconsider his tactics and switch to a back three in defence against Middlesbrough and it turned out to be very successful, as is shown in the chart below, but it proved to be too little too late as we missed our customary CL spot by a single point.
Not to be forgotten was our fantastic victory in the FA Cup Final when
Arsenal beat Chelsea 2 -1 while utilizing the same back three system.
There have been many periods; some lasting for many years, when I have been disappointed in our lack of success or ambition but my pride in the club has never waned.
The very worst period that I have personally experienced lasted for thirty three seasons.
During this period of thirty three seasons we won one League title, two FA Cups and one Fairs Cup and for the vast majority of the time we started off the season with little or no hope of winning anything. Looking back at these years is a stark reminder of just how bad we were as a team and how much we suffered as fans. Our first double in 1970/71 was, understandably, one of the few seasons when we fans could hold our heads high and we all oozed with pride.
Then along came George Graham (1986 to 1995) and he helped to lift our heads up by winning two League titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups and one Cup Winners Cup, ending up with an average league position of 5.11. Unfortunately his demise was one of my lowest moments as an Arsenal supporter when he was fired after being caught accepting illegal payments from an agent whose players were transferred to Arsenal.
However the black cloud that it cast over Highbury turned out to have a silver lining as in 1996 Arsene Wenger was hired as our new manager and he quickly turned our frowns into huge grins as we won our second double in 1997 -1998. His record to date has made him the most successful manager in our long history putting him up on the same pedestal as the great Herbert Chapman (1925 – 1934) who won three league titles and one FA Cup and was a trail blazer in introducing multiple new innovations to the game.
Arsene’s level of consistency over his twenty one seasons with Arsenal is deserving of high credit and the only manager in history to have a better record over such a long period of time is Alex Ferguson. However, that is not a simple comparison as the conditions they managed under were very different.
Fergie inherited the Class of 1992 and these young players became the nucleus of the United team that dominated the Premier League; given United’s deep pockets Fergie was able to import some of the World’s top talents to round off his team.
Arsene inherited our famous Back Four – they were a top class but aging group of players. Ian Wright was approaching the end of his career while Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira had just joined Arsenal. These players formed the core of Arsenal’s initial team. Arsene, unlike Fergie, has had to work within a strict financial structure that became even tighter with the decision to build a new stadium.
With the signing of his latest contract it means that Arsene he will be with us until at least the end of the 2018/19 season. Given that we have to win our way back into a Champions League spot it will mean that Arsene will only have one season in which to win the trophy – if he wins then he will retire – if not I predict that he will extend it for a further two seasons.
Written by GunnerN5
Arsenal News 24/7
He is now confirmed as our Manager and we must unite behind him.
However, fans shall be able to – IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER – voice their disagreement and frustration if they feel like it.
For us to compete, we need to keep Sanchez and add 1 starter per line:
1 CB
1 DM/CM
1 FW
These three have to be world class players.
We also need to offload some players, quite a few….they are just easting in our budget
I’m standing and always will!
unshakably upstanding!
Lukaku joining a PL club that will play the Champions League. Who do you think he will join? I think he will end up at Man Utd OR Liverpool.
Hell yea am standing
I am standing as well, metaphorically speaking.
I am happy to proud of the overall achievements of our club, rather than to glorify methods of getting there that leave a lot to be desired.
For those if us who have been supporters for more than 50 years we have seen terrible lows and great highs.
Even now, I would hardly say last season was such a low.
The younger supporters who have only experienced highs, have been spoiled and simply do not understand how these things can work.
Bloody hell GN5
Stat me up to the gills, or what. Very impressive piece of work. Thank you indeed, Sir.
Oh, and what a lot of erect gentlemen your post has unearthed. Perhaps, for some, Arsene works as well as Viagra. Certainly appears that way.
I hope Sanchez stays. For me that determines whether Arsenal will really push on or have to rebuild to a degree. Fingers crossed on that one.
GN5
The bottom chart showing the Arsene years does reveal how well he was doing until Chelsea and Man City were invented
By the way, some good news GN5, in the 2015-16 season we came 2nd not 4th 🙂
GN5. Thank you.
I am a huge admirer of AW and following the new contract will be solidly behind the old man. And that is my problem, I wanted a new younger manager to take us into the new era of Arsenal. I doubt if AW can do so without a major shift in policy and coaching staff.
I hope I am wrong but I see the teams above us improving and we must keep up otherwise we will be another Everton (I used to write Spurs 😦 )
There is no doubt Mr Wenger has been a marvellous manager and taken my team to places I never imagined when Mr Rioch was in charge. At that time getting a Europa place (UEFA/Fairs etc) was a huge achievement and a time to celebrate – no more!
Evening Erik
What do you mean by a shift in policy? The players trying bit, or more upstairs kinds stuff? Right now, I’d settle for the former
Cheers, GN5.
Excellent stats, though I’m sure some will say that 3 FA Cups in 4 years doesn’t make up for the lack of a sustained title challenge. I’ve no idea why we were so pants in the middle part of the season. Toxic atmosphere in the stands, lack of direction from the manager, players not happy about the uncertainty of the manager’s future………Who knows?
Part way through this season my bum was definitely inches away from touching my seat as regards Mr Wenger.
The whole charade surrounding the ‘will he go, will he stay’ and Wexit bollix took virtually the whole enjoyment out of my football.
The season run-in and narrow missing of CL football plus the FA Cup semi followed by the complete destruction of the best team in the country over the season in that majestic Final, all have me firmly bolt upright again. 🙂
Micky. Upstairs stuff. More ambition, more money spent, more responsibility taken.
And more players trying
Chas. Like your last para. So true
I believe your last table is incorrect. We finished 2rd in 2015/16, just ahead of Spurs….
Lediable
If you’re 2nd, you’re always going to be ahead of Spurs 🙂
I appreciate the comments from those that cared.
Thank you to those who pointed out my error in the last table – but I have to admit that there is a far worse omission. The table detailing my worst 33 years as an Arsenal is missing 10 years and 1 FA Cup win – I used an older table showing only 20 years. Missing are 7 years under Terry Neill where we only won one FA Cup and 3 years under Don Howe where we won nothing.
Oops I wish I could edit my posts it showed 23 years not 20………
GN5
It’s the gist that matters, and you had that in abundance
Detail and accuracy is for wimps
Micky, it doesn’t matter where we finish in the table – we are always above Tottenham.
Spurs above us is just sooooooo temporary darling
Tomorrows general election makes me want to start my own country but I’m not that keen on the idea of countries.
Really not my bag.
I saw the picture of Arsene and Gazidis in Nice. Looked to me like they were shopping for clothes, not footballers.
Micky – Lets hope that you get a fair election that is unhindered by Russian interference.
Ahh, the Russians. That old chestnut. It’s not like the Americans don’t like interfering with other countries governments.
I believe they call it regime change. They tend to use bombs rather than some computer hacking but hey
Sorry, that Russia thing doesn’t wash with me at all.
Ok, I need to be a lot fresher tomorrow than I was today, so bed
Nite all, and thanks again GN5
MIcky – it’s the conclusion of 7 separate US and the rest of the “Five Eyes” intelligence agency’s that the evidence against them is conclusive.
Thanks for the dialogue Micky – have a good restful nite.
Morning All,
Election Day.
Yesterday, I took the Danish Citizenship exam (which was very, very difficult) in anticipation of 5 more years of Tory rule.
Not a restful night at all. Bad sleep patterns
The Russia thing is 100% Clinton excuse making. The US election was so skewed her way. All US MSM was behind her, and that included the likes of Google.
Five Eyes and all the rest of them, led by GCHQ. What were GCHQ doing sniffing around Trump? Same as CIA under Obama were doing to Merkel?
They’re all at it. Always have been since spies were invented by James Bond.
Hey Erik
I had a brilliant idea about those citizenship exams. They talk about knowing some English history, being able to speak the lingo etc before being allowed in.
Here’s my brilliant plan. I think the English should have to pass the same test before being allowed out 🙂
Think how the terrible image of English people abroad would be improved.
Not one Chelsea fan would ever get a permit
Spying seems a decent job; lots of travel, staying in fine hotels, unlimited budget, girls on tap etc.
I know a spy though he has never confirmed his profession, he told us he was working for the government in International Communications All his friends call him Martin the Spy. Retired at 55 with a lovely house in Hampstead
Brilliant Micky.
Write to Mrs May
6.43 LoL
Secret Agent. Really secret. Name: Martin The Spy 🙂 🙂
6:43 ROLF indeed
I think it’d be amazing in the current world if the Russians weren’t influencing the US elections.
Saying they aren’t is like saying Murdoch isn’t influencing ours.
Totally agree about that Chas
Having said that, what on earth could they have done to swing the US election
Haha – must go.
Elections are just business opportunities for the big boys in today’s corporation led world.
Notice you’re not publishing the Clinton diagrams 🙂
By the way, can you hack GCSE results. My children’s names are O. Didit and J. Didit and weirdly I’d be interested in buying a good friend a season ticket and holiday to Thailand with all extras thrown in.
7:04 That is even truer.
In fairness to the politicians, it’s not a free ticket. No matter whether they’re Republicans or Democrats, Tories or Labour, they all have to take it up the bum from a fat Saudi. Minimum. Hillary still can’t walk properly.
Election Day Vote
It is either or : Sanchez or Mbappe
And none of that Mbappe as long as we also buy another forward.
I vote Sanchez
Don’t you like Hillary?
She is a war mongering, cash for lives, fucking hate poor people whore, in my most humble opinion
Look Chas, far more importantly, what’s the chance of a hack? 🙂
I vote Mbappe
Interesting choice Erik
Mbap offers excitement, change and hopes of a worldy striker
Sanchez is by far our best player and prem. proven
Yeah but is he committed?
How about both?
micky @7:41 – blimey me, you are an angry man Didit. What has she done to you??
Sanchez, we know he is good. If he stopped exposing his legs and torso each time a camera is pointed at him, he would be a very likable midget. Mbappe? Mbappe. Horrid name, can’t be any good. And please do not post 3 mins compilation of his brilliance, one could do that for Chamakh too. Or even Reyes
Eddie. The future will tell but this season augurs well for Mbappe
What was wrong with Reyes apart from his height? He had lovely hair and eyes.
raddy – true, not a bad looking chap. Couldn’t score in a brother, except for his first game against Chavs, I was there and had fallen in love with Gypo Jose Antonio. Didn’t last, he was useless even with lovely hair and big brown eyes
GN5 – I guessed 2 things correctly yesterday. I saw the new post’s title and guessed it was not for me. I glanced at the content and guessed it had to be GN5 stats manipulating classic. Both right 🙂
Very good read and formidable long sentence at the end. Don’t even say it – Wenger has overstayed his welcome and another 2, let alone 4 years would be plain rude.
this is fantastic
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-40192100/welcome-to-the-museum-of-failure
Colgate lasagne 🙂 🙂
Morning all, sorry to GN5 that I didn’t make it on yesterday, but thank you for a typically upbeat GN5 post 🙂
I’m with Raddy on my feelings about AW and the future for the club …. I’m with chas on his ‘last paragraph’ ….. I’m with Micky on Sanchez …. and I’m with GoonerB on his silence 🙂
Costa to leave Chelsea – shall we lure him into staying in London? I hate the bloke’s bad boy attitude but love his energy and finishing skills.
If you play 3 up front with Ox – Costa – Sanchez, the defenders are going to go nuts being harrassed…
RC78 – in a nutshell – no!
Imagine:
Cech – Mustafi, Kos, RECRUIT – Bellerin, NAINGOLLAN, Xhaka, Kolisinac – Ox, COSTA, Sanchez
brrrrr…perish the thought. Costa in an Arsenal’s shirt, NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eddie, re your 8:56
If you believe that I manipulate data then I think you need to expand on your comment to prove your point.
GN5 – chill out, I was half joking
no time to argue today, but just look at the first table – why last 16 games?? Why not half the season, ie 19, or 20 to have a round figure??
Read what I wrote Ediie, the first chart was only prepared to highlight the effectiveness of the back three defence.
If you don’t want to argue then don’t throw stones.
England U20’s have reached the final of the U20 World Cup after beating Italy 1-3 in today’s semi final.
They will meet Venezuela who beat Uruguay 4-3 on penalties
I have read that and still don’t see why last 16 games?
Every statistic that uses selective rather than random data is a manipulation of sorts.
As I said before, I was half joking, I am sorry to see your angry reaction, no need for that.
Eddie when making statistical comparisons it is preferable to use identical periods; therefore it made absolute sense to choose the final 16 games as games 23 through 30 were the penultimate final 8 games when we used a back four system and games 31 through 38 were the final 8 games where we used the back 3 system.
My attempt was to use equal periods so as not to muddy the waters and get a clean comparison.
My “angry reaction” is actually a very mild reaction.
GN5 – I am data analyst by profession. I cannot analyse people to save my life, but give me a set of data and I can perform miracles. Please don’t argue with me, that’s really not what I meant. If you wanted a fair representation you would have to use the whole season, not last 16 games. That’s completely meaningless
I give up – end of!!
Ospina off to Turkey
Vardy or Giroud off to Everton to replace Lukaku?
Sigurddson approached by Leicester
M’bappe to snub all clubs to remain at Monaco
Ahem Eddie
GN5 was highlighting the difference a back three made ie 8 games
So showed same period pre change
I like a verbal bun fight as much as the next fella, but there’s no wiggle room here 🙂
Anyway, far more importantly. Strikers
RC
Re Mbappe at Monaco. Isn’t their manager off as well as one or two to City? If so, he might be prepared to move
Can someone twitter Sanchez and ask him what the hell he’s doing next season.
Hey RC again
You know about these things. If Aubemeyang goes to Paris, is Cavani likely to be happy to be shunted wide again?
If not, is he definitely coming to Arsenal?
Cavani would be nice. A little on the old side but for a couple of seasons he would fit the team.
So would Lacazette who is more likely target as AW has tried to sign him in the past.
If Sanchez stays, do we really need another striker apart from a replacement for Perez?
Are any of our boys in the England U-20’s?
Maitland-Niles (Conservative)
Ha ha, always makes me smile that M-N Tory line
Do we need another striker Erik????? Well yes actually, rather a lot in fact.
I think Cavani is 28 and just scored about 700 goals last season
Seriously, I have a horrible feeling about Sanchez. No idea why. I guess just because he’s so valuable to us.
superb vids 🙂
Love B. Adder
Micky or can I call you M?
I have the same feeling about Sanchez. Hope I am wrong.
highlighting is fine micky, but if you want any credibility you have to chose data randomly or from a representative sample not conveniently. Show the same stat across the whole season and what will you get?
never mind me, I am too picky I suppose. Instead of enjoying a good read I am mocking the author, not nice
Call me whatever you like E
Stop digging the hole
….you are standing in
Eddie
Take a specific event. Don’t know, say, a change in defensive formation. Look at the total sample available. 8 games.
What sample is it wise to compare those 8 games against to see the effect. The previous 8 years,8 weeks or 8 games. You can’t compare a specific event against random data. Well you can I suppose.
Tell you what Eddie, I’m going to set RA onto you 🙂
RA RA RA come here this minute and do complicated theorem shit to Eddie 🙂
Yeah, Set Zee on her!
GN5 asked me to post this……
Personally I don’t like it because 4-3-3 was working fine up until Everton away in December, so it seems crazy to include the period when there was no valid reason to switch formation.
Thank you Chas – that was really quick.
I have no idea what it proves so I will leave it up to Eddie to give us an explanation.
Can we have the 8 years one as well?
I can do that really easily but I don’t think word press would be able to handle it.
What an outstanding, indeed astounding Post, my dear GN5. Superb stuff, with ‘proper’ statistics! 😀
And Chas has added some really good comments and graphics, especially the
CorbynTrump link to Mr Putin. 😀Mickish,
I would never diss the adorable, if scatty, Eddie, but as regards data there is something I taught kids, and that I was taught myself as a 10 y.o.
Actually, Eddie has mentioned an important point in that data has to be carefully collected and measured in a consistent and systematic fashion that provides answers based on tested hypotheses, which in turn lead to evaluated and agreed outcomes.
The fact is that data and statistics are different – data is simply raw information which enables relevant statistics to be created, whereas statistics are a way of providing an interpretation and summary of the properly collected data.
Hope that helps. 😀
Does it f***
😀 😀
I don’t agree RA
Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnn
Ha ha ha ha☺☺
trust me to put a spanner in the works
But I genuinely did not want to upset GN5
Once I was in a shop trying some dress and alcwoman asked me if the dress looked nice on her. I told the truth that it was more suitable for a younger woman and hell broke lose. Why as a question if you don’t want an honest answer?
I have a knack for upsetting people unintentionally
Right, back to those 16 games. If in all 16 games everything was the same, but the defence than I agree it is acceptable to compare the last 8 with previous 8. But that is not the case, is it?
And that is why I find ALL footballing stats incorrect, there are too many variables. I think and that’s just my opinion, only points at the end of the season make any sense
Oh Eddie, how happy I was to read the first few innocent words “Right, back to those 16 games….. ” pure joy 🙂
Love it
Although I can muster no enthusiasm for this election, I love the whole exit poll thing followed by the swingometer. 17 minutes to go.
Chas
I love those three labs
Eddie you didn’t upset me (very much).
But all is forgiven in blog wars.
🙂 🙂 🙂
Eddie is right. The sample size is so small that any attempt to draw meaningful, statistically based conclusions is a complete waste of time.
And don’t take it personally GN5. We all understand your perspective. And it’s ok. We still love ya.
Well then, there’s owen jones’ view. happy days 🙂
Morning All,
Looks like you have a well hung parliament. My Green vote counted!
ha ha ha, just googled Owen Jones 🙂
Are you registered Brighton Pavillion Erik?
Yip, Lucas hung on. It’s amazing we don’t have more Green MP’s. Lack of proportional representation being a factor
Reason I ha ha’d owen jones, is I googled him, and then recalled him being wheeled out on here before
I remember after the brexit referendum, that turd owen jones sending those arrogant know it all tweets. At the time it was like “well done morons and less clever know it all like me, you just voted Boris and Gove to run the country”.
Who the heck will take over from May if she gets the heeve ho?
BoJo
Erik
Not sure of your status, but which constituency do ex-pats vote in. Last known address or what?
It’s surely going to have to be a soft brexiteer. Don’t know
Pistols. You’d think they’d be sitting in the back seats with the bad eggs
…and The Clash.
Anarchy tour bus.
Johnny Thunders at the back has a chronic flatulence problem
I vote in Haringey. Staunch Labour.
Is that a genuine Sun front page?
Damn it … work calls.
There’s something quite funny about an anarchists organized tour coach trip
Oh yes, just zoomed in. Clash indeed. Thought that was Bob Rat at first glance
Shit a brick Chas, you may be on to something
Some bookies have Bojo as favourite
ooh, I think I like Owen Jones you morons 🙂
so we have a country in turmoil, not good for anyone. I don’t want Labour but can see why millions voted for them. Mrs May has to go one way or another, should have never taken the job. How can anyone believe in her doing the Brexit job well when she doesn’t believe in it? Joke and Europe are laughing
hold on a second, lets look at a positive side of this election. If Labour were to form a new government we would have a Gunner in charge of the country. A mad Gunner, but still one of us. That has to be good, perhaps he would take the stadium from West ham, stop N17 development and never allow chavs to expand…hm…it could be good after all
Morning all, whatever your politics, this is the worst possible outcome for the country. A hung parliament, a leader who nobody believes in and diminished leverage in the Brexit negotiations. Could the tories and May have handled it any worse? … “I know we’ve got a massive lead in the polls … so we’ll slip in a manifesto that alienates all young people and pisses off our core over 50 voters” … bloody brilliant 🙂
I’m only a simple soul … can anyone explain to me why the stock market has soared after this result? … is it just that they are hugely relieved that JC didn’t win? … one thing is for sure, the fat cats and bankers invariably make money out of these situations 😦
I did not know who Owen Jones was, until I was watching Sky News at 10, some months ago, and they had a Papers Review at which he was a commentator.
He spoke just the way that tweet was written – constantly interrupted and argued with the other two people, implying they were complete morons and only he knew ‘the truth’.
The Sky News guy then mentioned an article in a paper about a homosexual incident, and suddenly Jones jumped, screaming that Sky News was not taking the matter seriously, stamped his foot, threw his papers on the floor and raged out.
He seemed a lovely guy.🙄
I am chuffed by your election results – it is definitely a backclash vs the alternative facts/lies that led to a successful Brexit campaign
Corbyn is not the best but he managed to put public institutions at the heart of the political debate and his talk of funding for public institutions and free education echoed with many voters…
Anyways – now May has NO mandate nor legitimity to negotiate with the EU on Brexit. Who will she ally with: DUP? SNP? DUP wants to remain in the single market and so does SNP…She wants to stay as PM but I believe that she should step down graciously once a coalition government is formed.
“I can’t imagine that May will be able to remain PM. That’s why it would be wrong to put pressure on GB. I think we should give them time to form a stable government.” German MP and the Chief EU Negotiator (Barnier) said something similar.
UK now needs to put together a coherent government together that has the same vision on Brexit and it seems that it is all parties VS Conservatives.
Let us see…
Rasp – Incertainty about the British political stability has impacted the Pound’s strength. However, if you are going to have a soft Brexit, I think that this gives a good signal to investors/traders but am not sure
We need a leader whose judgement we can trust. TM has exercised very poor judgement and was incapable of doing anything to change people’s minds when it was apparent her plan had backfired. I agree a change of PM would just fuel the instability, and I can’t think of a candidate with the necessary history and gravitas to take her place, but she cannot survive for long as no one believes in her any more. She is exactly as she appears …. a rather ordinary, unimaginative and humourless politician …. not a leader.
Thanks RC78, that’s as good an explanation as any …..
Rasp,
I suspect that the stock markets have worked out, correctly, that the most that the UK will get is a ‘soft’ Brexit.
That means the UK will remain in the customs union, which will mean continued trading with the EU (on their terms) and will continue to have ‘open borders’, pay the annual contributions to the EU budget, remain under the jurisdiction of the ECJ (Law etc) but without any of the rights of a full member.
For UK citizens it’s the worst of all worlds – but the markets do not care – they will see uninterrupted trade, and the rest of the EU would benefit from the UK contributions every year. Lovely.
Then the US has Trump!
Football wise – Milan has millions to spend so see them snatch some players like Ricardo Rodriguez, Baldé and others…They have also approached Belotti, Morata and Costa…
Does the weak £ now mean we will have to pay more for M’Bappe? 😆
Does the weaker £ mean your many holidays will cost you more this year, Rasp? Not that a wealthy man like you would notice! 😀
As an aside, the weakness of the pound sterling – and it will get worse, I suspect – means that the players will want to get paid in US$ and that will hurt the clubs.
If only Zee, I have no holiday booked for this year. The pensions ‘reforms’ of recent years mean I will have to keep working into my 70s 😦
RC, I believe the DUP are in favour of a hard Brexit. The only way the tories can remain in power is by a coalition with the DUP … so I’m not sure a soft Brexit is that likely … especially not if TM goes and Boris takes over?
The French will be disappointed, Rasp, if you Brits have a hard Brexit – not that I think that will happen now — their interest is not fraternal, they just want the UK to keep pouring money into the EU, as together with the Germans those two fund the EU.
The French? Not so much.
Sorry to hear about your lack of holidays this year, Rasp.
Everyone needs a break – and to keep working until you are 70 next year is a bit of a drag! 😀
I have no time for the French over the EU Zee …. they are crawling up the backsides of the Germans … but we’d better steer off politics on here I guess 🙄
That’s fine, Rasper — not that I would comment on internal politics in the UK anyway – that’s not my business – or anyone else’s from outside the UK. 😀
Morning all. Eddie, interesting thought in your 8.36 🙂 I am all for the country going bankrupt in 10 years with austerity measures at a level we have never seen before lasting an entire generation, (due to a debt level that can be seen from outer space and not having a pot to pass water in), as long as Spurs, Chavs et al are screwed over by comrade Corbyn. We must get our priorities right, musn’t we 🙂
Right best get onto GN5’s marvelous post. Trust him to not put it up when I had time to comment and do it when I didn’t….actually probably deliberate on reflection 🙂 Still much to agree with and disagree with so best come back with my tuppence worth shortly.
GN5. Excellent post sir. I will stand up and love Arsene for all the reasons you have mentioned. He is our greatest ever manager and brought us great success with great football. He has overseen us into a new stadium, with years of financial austerity as a result, while still managing to keep us still at the top end of the game. He is honest and I believe truly loves the club, and everything he does is in what he believes is its best interest…..what is not to love with that?
However, the question of loving him and whether he is the right man to lead us from here are 2 separate questions IMO. I am not a believer in all this “he has earned the right to decide himself when to leave”. If he is the right man then great, but if he isn’t then it is a “thanks for everything Arsene, we will never forget you but this era has ended and the club need to now move on”.
The clubs best interest has to be before any one mans, no matter how great they have been.
If you asked me 12 weeks or more back GN5 if AW was the right man I would have said no. Despite the enjoyable FA cup wins in recent seasons it is league form that dictates the true quality in a side, a sentiment often mentioned by Arsene himself. I view the last few years (with the access to better players) as the start of a project under AW to develop the team into title challengers.
He has been able to get better players and also had a good consistent time frame in which to progress the side. The project ( at least as of 12 weeks ago) has failed.
What has given me pause to consider is the change in formation and I do believe (with the current team) it is worth 12-15 points a season already. If Arsene can keep what he has and add a top forward and a couple of others we could be looking very strong next season.
That could be a big if though, because it seems our key top player has become disillusioned with the project and its failure to improve, and this doesn’t reflect well on the image of the club. Our reputation as a destination for the best players (who have options) I feel has been tarnished over the last few seasons, so we may find it hard to keep the top guys and recruit the top guys now.
I have to say that I personally feel that Arsene has woken up to a need for tactical tweaking far too late, and sat on our problems for far too long, and for me he is the biggest or at least a big part (not the only part) of what has gone wrong in recent seasons.
If Arsene can pull this off though and achieve both then I am not one to cry over spilt milk. As long as we have belatedly found the right formula and have the right quality of team, and there has been little fall-out in the summer TW (could be a big ask), then we can look forward to next season with hope.
Love him, yes. Have utter faith in him in the modern era?????
Well, goddamn it, GB, I find this very unsettling — I find myself pretty much in agreement with your comment at 12:49.
I have great respect for Arsene, but at base I have to go with the club over the individual. So, if things do not work out next season, I hope he will call it a day.
However, there seems to be a bit of a spring in his steps towards the end of the season, and if Stan has really agreed to loosen the purse strings (or has forced AW to spend — how weird is that to type?) then I am much more inclined to believe that we will have a much better stab at the Premiership title.
Fingers crossed. 🙂
GB – Your comment was very impressive and captures your viewpoint without creating any rancour – it’s worthy of being a headline post in its own right. It’s very difficult to find fault with your opinion and to do so would simply be petty.
My personal wish for the club is that future generations will be able to support a club that is secure and successful and so far Arsene has done an incredible job in creating that potential. My biggest fear is that when Arsene decides to leave we will go on a merry go round of new managers that will cause no end of angst to our fickle fans which in turn will lead to player unrest.
Thank for your comment – it was well worth waiting for.
I know very little about English politics, I’m way out of touch.
But I follow US politics extensively and the whole world needs to be scared of Trumps levels of ignorance – he may well create WW111 – if he is not impeached beforehand.
I’m off out to take my daughter grocery shopping.
Brilliant GN5
Arsene is a breath of fresh air. Dignity, intelligence, loyalty, and empathy. These are values that can not be bought Personally, I am proud we have him as manager.
My dream is that next year he wins the league and the following season the Champions League. And after that, he signs a new 20 year contract.
By the way GN5, your comment about WW3 quickly followed by taking your daughter grocery shopping cracked me up. What a superbly genteel response to impending Armageddon.
I knew Labour would do well. Last week I spotted a neighbour, former flash City Worker but now redundant. Hes not a nice man, the type of bloke who wears sun glasses in the Autumn. I observed him closely. The Shades had gone, replaced by baggy hen pecked eyes. He still wore a suit, but it had obvious signs of wear and tear and his flies were undone.
Then something remarkable happened. He stopped at a public bin and became transfixed by its contents? I believed at this stage that one of my fantasies, dickhead sun glasses wearer is reduced to pulling out a skeleton of a trout sized fish from a public bin were about to come true
After about a minute he reached into the disposal unit and as my excitement escalated at the thought of a foot long trout, he extradited a copy of yesterdays Sun Newspaper.
Of course I was disappointed it wasn’t a fish and that the Sun had foolishly abolished page 3, but then it dawned on me. His desperation could only mean one thing, he was going to vote for Corbyn, and whilst making his way to the ballot box, hopefully encounter plenty of Bins.
The next day I put £100 quid on a hung parliament at odds of seven to one. Who said you cant make money out of socialism?
The Ghosts of the Thirties are Stirring
Owen Jones may well be a bit of a tosser but that tweet I put up at 6.13 was bang on.
Yes, BR, that was a genuine Sun front page.
Here’s another….
The Sun really is an appalling, nasty rag. Delighted that Klopp told them to F off.
What is DUP? A foot disease?
GN5, I think at some time (but obviously not immediately now) we will have to enter that uncertainty with a new manager and no guarantee of them maintaining or progressing what Arsene has done. It may be that the first one or two don’t work out and we may have to kiss a few frogs before we find our prince…..Terry can tell you more about the difficulties with that.
Terry your comment is excellent. Personally being married to a Scandi (like Raddy), observing people seeking out dilapidated rotting fish is like water off a ducks back to me. The Scandi’s are just a bit more refined with it in turning it into a ceremonial process of burying said fish for months, and then making it a fun game to locate them and dig them up at children’s parties…it’s their form of pass the parcel. Overall not much different from getting them from a bin though.
As a camel wormer Corbyn worries me Terry. Power to the people communist lefties just don’t get camels and he would likely undermine our whole industry. Far better off with the true blue Eton educated chaps who have always had an understanding of the humble desert horse from colonial days.
Take Lawrence of Arabia, you would never find him outside a coal mine shouting scab. No you would find him striding majestically into the worming camp on his beloved dromedary for a bit of an MOT thus ensuring I could still afford to attend a couple of games the following season.
Another good comment GB!
The only bit I was uncertain of was your story of ‘Lol of Arabia’ shouting down a coal mine for a cab — obviously he would have gone to a camel rank. 🙂
Raddy, DUP means Democratic Unionist Part [Ulster].
Chas, I think you are correct about Jones’ tweeted media rant – it has to be the same naughty bast*rds that have caused that nice Mr Trump so many problems with their Fake News.
[Oddly enough, Jones works for the media himself as an obnoxious Grundian journalist – but I take everything he says as gospel – obviously.] 😀
Terry, darling — it is well known that the Sun smells a bit fishy – which brings me to your goats of the thirties – and I have to tell you they smell a bit like well ripened U Kippers. 😀
GB married to a scanti???? Did you tell her you were Lawrence of Arsenal and had a flock of camels complete with worms, on an U21s Club Ice tour, you lucky bugger?
I presume your ‘all mod cons’ desert tent purchased from Argos closed the deal! 😀
Haha, forgot you were married to a Scandi GB. Superb women. Marvellous bone structure and teeth. Bit like Lawrence of Arabia’s horse.
Quite agree about those Eton chaps. Born to rule. People make the mistake of thinking that just because they cry for matron and there father disciplined them by not acknowledging there existence for 20 odd years there a bit abnormal. Not at all, it was these very same men that defeated the Luftwaffe and proved that the odd rodgering was character building. They can look down on me and keep me poor for as long as they want.
Corbyns like all other Marxists. Nice to your face but as soon as he gets power, march you out in the snow in your underpants and shoot you for the crime of resenting Stalins fabulous hairline.
Can’t stand those Ukipers RedZed. They generally fall into 2 camps. Chavs who fear immigrants are going to take there benefits and secondly strange fat faced types that live in the sticks who think we should invade Germany.
How could you not be pleased with that?
Look at the smirk on his face!
I have to watch what I say now chas. The Tories are already after me I proposed all there money should be confiscated and given to the undeserving. Namely, me.
Now if I have a pop at Stalins hairline, I would have to spend the rest of my life fearing Corbyn and McDonall would, after waiting to it snows and they are suitably attired in full Cossack fur, march me out in my underpants and have me shot on the pretence I own a buy to let.
Terry at 6:04 — fat faced types living in sticks – stick insects if I ever heard of one! 😀
😀 😀 😀 Terry you are a case 😀 — your 5:58 is brilliantly funny!!!!
Great stuff Terry.
GB. Nothing wrong with a bit of fermented seal flipper
Fantastic goal for France by the FFP. Didn’t know he had it in him
Cracker of a goal from Giroud, brilliant.
Great post GN5
looks like AW might spend some serious money this TW but it could also be only Sead, so who knows. If AW does spend the money then no excuses, AW has to get the team to become seriously seriously competitive. If not then its transition time etc.
Last night we had 96,000 fans watch the Brazil vs. Argentina game at the MCG. Not bad for a friendly in which your own country is not even playing. I had to turn down tickets due to a work function.
Australia play Brazil on Tuesday so that will be worth watching.
Not sure what all this talk about soft and hard brexit is? I like my breakfast hot.
Haha, all the nuts out tonight
Zee, Argos is far too upmarket for me.
Terry, Laurence of Arabia on a horse?…I think not. You are thinking of Peter O’Toole…completely different.
Raddy, I will raise your fermented seal flipper by some stinky fish marinated in sulphuric acid.
Great goal from Ollie. He should be kept because he has some unique qualities, but we still need Micky’s insanely expensive worldy to play up top as 1st choice.
Morning All,
Lovely pic of Her Maj
Another angle of the FP’s beard
I watched the first 75 mins of the Sweden game and considering the vast gap in the value of the two teams there has to be question marks over the desire of the French. Pogba was awful, so was Matuidi and Greizmann.
Kos had a good game and OG did what he was paid for.
OG hit that screamer with his left peg
Absolute cracker from Ollie
What I liked as much as the swing itself, was his nonchalant look afterwards as if saying “normal” 🙂
Transplant,
Just wow. We’re lucky to have you.
I think this one is fake.
Giroud is left footed
I realise it’s difficult to tell sometimes
😯😯 Durgh …
Xhaka v Giroud – no contest
Has Ollie sign a new 10 year contract? Should be a priority for Wenger
Morning all.
It will be interesting to see what will happen with the country now Labour have won the election. Corbyn will have to earn his crust now.
Eddie
I’m terrified Arsene has seen that goal and done exactly that. 10 yrs for Ollie and the hunt for a striker is off 🙂
Didn’t Ollie just sign a new deal?
Erik
One hopes that getting some players to sign deals is nothing more than a tactic to retain resale value
Micky / Raddy, I do wonder whether top players are waiting to see if we can retain Sanchez before looking to come to us. A club that can’t keep its top players doesn’t look that attractive to other top players. He could be the catalyst to everything else so we will need to go to un-Arsenal levels to secure him.
I have a massive regret that we didn’t push for Cavani the summer we got Cech, when he was being pushed wide or coming off the bench playing second fiddle to Zlatan. I still think it AW didn’t fancy paying £45-50m for him, a figure that looks very decent in today’s market.
Our club has not been good at predicting future market trends and recognising when what might look a little over the odds at that time will be reflected on as excellent business 2-3 years down the line.
I hate strimming. So I’ve stopped.
GB
Too right about retaining Sanchez. In fact, beyond your analysis of other players coming, I reckon Arsene will find it impossible to survive a poor start should Sanchez go as the knives would be out and they’d be very sharp
Is there any good sport on
Are any of the girls in the French Open Final great players to watch?
If we have to lose Sanchez then the recent rumoured £50m to Man City would be just embarrassing. In a TW where at least 2-3 top players are being discussed at nearer £100m levels him going for half that to a main rival will just make us look like minnows, a club in decline that can no longer be considered a big club (which is what the new stadium was supposed to be addressing)…certainly not a club that other top players would consider IMO.
If he is to go we have to be very smart. If he insists on Man City or nothing then we should say to City we want Aguero in exchange or forget it. Or we may be forced to accept a loss on him next year and make him play and train with the reserves for an entire season in a world cup year just to show we will not be pushed around. It may still trigger a better option in January.
The best alternative is overseas and the best then would be for player swap deal. There could be many options with 2-3 clubs but I would favour something like an approach to Madrid in a swap with James Rodriguez and then go in seriously for Cavani to team the 2 Colombians up together.
A front 3 of Cavani with Ozil and James playing a double number 10 role behind is none too shabby especially with the quality of back up players we have. As crucial as not dropping in terms of team quality is that we won’t have lost face, which we will massively do if we sanction him going to City for £50m.
GB
I guess bottom line is that if Sanchez wants to go, then go he must.
Oh well, wait and see, although my guess is the club will try hard to line up some very good news before hitting us with the bad.
Just seen England Scotland in a minute and it’s not a friendly. Having said that, no Ox 😦
Sun everywhere but the west country. yuk and grrr
Brilliant end to a shite game. 🙂
Indeed and in the end I only caught the last 20 mins
Did you see the Strachan Oh FFS moment 🙂
Ok busy evening here. Have fun. Later
I only watched until Ox scored then thought it was all over.
Morning All,
OG vid very funny
Terrific Chas. Love the Opium den and the evil foreigners.
OG, Xhaka, Ox and Mustafi scoring. Good for the club
Some of your very best work this morning Chas
Morning Gents
Too many comments, must be time for a new post, so here is one
There is a New Post
BTW Lovely to see the Aussies go home early in the cricket 🙂
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