No, not that … the season.
Were you satisfied?
Did you enjoy it?
Did it cement your affections towards The Arsenal?
Did it make you confident about the future of the Club?
I can only answer Yes, to one of the above. For me this was the first season when I felt alienated from my club. It could have been the departure of Mr. Wenger, who was a magical figure and a man I admired hugely. He single-handedly maintained our traditions and honour. During his tenure I didn’t think at all about management structure, transfer budgets and especially, The Brand. With him gone I fear my connection has weakened.
Don’t get me wrong – I will die a Gooner but this season there were times when I coudn’t be bothered to watch the games. They bored me. In fact, I hate to admit this, but sometimes I preferred watching Liverpool or City than us. The highlights on Arsenalist saved me some of the tedium.
Of course it is not always so, sometimes we played superb football and I enjoyed the introduction of the young players,; Iwobi, Guendouzi, Terriera, Holding and AMN. I enjoyed the Europa run and of course, the early season unbeaten run. The future could be good but we are miles behind the Top 2 .
Mr. Emery had a very hard job taking over from a Legend, he has done OK and statistically it was a season of progress but we have lost our identity.
How was last season for you?
written by BR
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
BR.. “No, not that.. the season” 😂😂👍
I’m struggling to answer yes to any of them, if I’m honest! It’s been tough, really tough, painful even! We saw glimpses of what we can do (the highlight for me was.. spanking the spuds at the Emirates 😝)
But then there was the usual capitulation, players ending their goal drought against us, losing to “lesser” teams.. just a day in the life of being a gooner, I guess! Will these things ever change?? I honestly don’t know.. UE has a massive job on his hands.. I guess we should at least be thankful as to where we finished & at least making a final, as it could have been much worse, but the manner in which we lost that final was unforgivable!
How will next season pan out? God only knows.. I just hope it’s an improvement on this one, as I can’t take much more of that 🥺
You described it perfectly, BR, and I think many will have felt similarly. We had a few mini orgasms when we beat the Spuds, Chavs and Mancs at home, but the rest left us cold and our away form was a total turn off. I don’t think we made any progress from a footballing perspective under Unai as I cannot see any lines on which the future will be built. But the biggest development was probably the fact that the man who sorted out Arsene’s departure then left himself early-season… like a hatchet man. This meant a lot of change within the club but not for the good as much as I can see. Kroenke has got his work cut out this summer.
Spot on BR….a post that should be sent to Kroenke and the Club. “We (not you, the leech), The Arsenal, are not happy!”
I think we lost our identity when we left Highbury, the Emirates is all about the brand.
I thought we’d finish 5th so although I was disappointed, I wasn’t surprised, losing in Baku and manner of it was a huge blow to me.
I wasn’t sure about Emery when he got the job, but I said at the time that I’d give him 2 years before I judged him. So far I think his performance has been ok, but the manner of our squad and it’s many problems isn’t going to be solved quickly.
Honestly Kev, how can our squad been any issue?! Most managers would dream to work with a squad we had at the start of the season. Over the summer, Unai, was given an experienced and keen new defender, a new quality goal keeper, two new midfielders, and he had the services of Laca, Auba, Mkhi, Ozil and Xhaka. I guess it is the chicken and egg scenario… and I don’t blame the quality of the squad whatsoever.
I feel the questions you raise are on the forefront of most Arsenal supporters minds. I wouldn’t be able to answer yes to any of the above but pondering a bit longer I found myself wondering if I was supposed to.
Curiously, no one is angry although I am not suggesting that I think we should be, it’s just as Allezkev says: we are doing ok, just ok. all a it beige really and like him I am not surprised at the situation we find ourselves in.
Mikhitaryan unable to play in the the final is to me a microcosm of UE’s season; he simply didn’t have the players he would have wanted to play in the positions that he would have wanted. And this is where my remaining enthusiasm lies; UE now has an opportunity to put his stamp on the team and forge his own style of play and he will do this by bringing in the players that he needs to achieve that goal, this possibility should surely reignite the interest in all of us.
The answer of: I am not holding my breath is understandable but there has been some real signs of hope: beating spuds and chavs should not get thrown out with the bath water.
UE will have the time and resources to do most of want he wants and as such should be judged at the end of this coming season.
I will be renewing my season ticket (if they get round to asking me)
Total
Just because the club supplied him with the players that you list doesn’t mean that he felt he had what he wanted to achieve his goals.
Total,
If the squad was so good why were the final years of AW’s final years so average? Even with the additions, it has remained average, with older players passed their sell buy date and too many uninspiring, unable to lift the team if brought on as substitute, squad journeymen!
Dick needs 3/4 windows to change the clientele and the spirit and ethos of the Club and needs a significant cull.
TA, it’s just my opinion mate, for what it’s worth, respect to you but I disagree on our squad, I felt it was dysfunctional a year ago and despite the last 12 months I haven’t changed my view, it’s not as fragile as it was but still imo has a propensity to crumble in stressful situations, like in Baku.
How’s the new drum?
I am afraid my answer to all the questions is a resounding no.
I have made no secret here and on the other blogs I visit my view that EU was the wrong man for the job and I feel what has happened throughout the season has shown that to be true.
We signed 5 players last summer, 4 of which are now regulars. That is nearly half the team. To suggest that in order to get us where we would like, or even near that, EU will need to, effectively, replace the whole squad is, in my view complete nonsense.
The business about his dossiers on every player seems to me to have been misleading at best and downright false at worst.
We are used to our players being inspired on the pitch which has given us the attacking flair that we are all so proud of.
UE wants to control everything the players do and there is simply no room for independent thought.
No one has yet explained why he left PSG and why he could not be successful with the players like Neymar there.
His treatment of Ozil and Ramsey was a disgrace and, in my view, was the prime reason why we did not get 4th or higher when it was there for the taking.
Even the 22 game unbeaten run was misleading because throughout that time we did not lead once at halftime and in a lot of the games were terrible in the first half.
Having been a supporter since the 1960s, I have certainly seen worse, so I feel that we must now brace ourselves for some time in the downward curve.
I think they took him because he would be cheap and would not insist on expensive signings and we are now reaping what they have sown.
The bureaucracy in the club is top heavy and getting worse, with more and more people being appointed to do jobs that I bet could mostly be done by one or 2 people.
American sports have coaches for every tiny aspect of a game. A coach for lifting the left leg and another for lifting the right one and another for this and another for that.
That is what we are getting here, so that, in the end, the left foot won’t know what the truth one is doing and vice versa.
I hope I am wrong, but I do not think so.
LB(G)
I am sure that will be Emery’s argument too when he meets up with Kroenke and Co. And if I was them I would ask but where is it you are going and why could you not get the best out of this expensive and recently re-assembled, and in our opinion good, squad? It’s not that he was not aware of the sort of players and qualities we had in the squad. Please tell me what is his vision, style of play, how is he getting the best out of the squad and have them all running for him, and who has actually progressed as a player under him as a result of his interventions?
The thing is I reckon we gambled on the wrong horse and it is now a matter of continuing with him and lose some of our best players this summer, or bite the bullet and get somebody who can do a better job in getting the best out of our talented and experienced squad. The next season is make or break for him and us, and if it is break by say Christmas we are going to be in a right mess.
Kev, look at Xhaka and Torreira, Sok and Kos, Laca and Leno: they are all natural leaders and hard workers and yet they struggled to impose themselves. The big problem that Unai created is that he messed up the midfield – some even argue we had NO midfield last season – and it made it really hard to play as a team, especially away from home where we needed a strong midfield to keep our play together. Nobody can convince me that a midfield out the likes of Xhaka, Torreira, Ozil and Rambo is not quality. I am flabbergasted that our manager messed things up soo much.
I’m pressed for time this morning so I can only be brief.
In the final years of AW’s tenure the squad we had (could afford) was not of the caliber required to compete over a 38 game season with the likes of Man C, Man U, Chelsea and Liverpool . They were buying up the best players available, while we were buying the best players we could afford.
However AW excelled in the FA Cup winning 3 in his last 5 seasons along with 3 Charity Shields – which was an incredible performance that his dis-tractors conveniently forget.
I don’t wish to be unkind to Emery but he like the players we can afford is not a top drawer manager – so I fear that we may be entering another wilderness period.
It was within my expectation; a good cup run and thereabouts 4th to 6th place in the league.
(1) Technical staff changes (Emery, Carcedo, Villa in), (Wenger, Primorac out)
(2) Corporate changes (Gazidis, and then later Mislintat out), (Sanllehi & Venkatesham taking over, Head of Recruitment still vacant)
(3) Players changes:
Mertesacker retired (Sokratis replacement)
Cazorla & Wilshere out (Guendouzi & Torreira replacements, though they were only 19 and 22 at that time = less experience)
Leno in (Ospina loaned out)
So basically the 4 arrivals in summer were replacing the 4 that left. Aubameyang arrived 1/2 year earlier and he was the only one top addition to the squad inherited.
4) Long-term injuries:
Koscielny only returned near end Nov 2018 while recovering from his archilles tendon rapture. (missing close to half the season)
In subsequent months we lost key players to long-term injuries:
starting CB, Holdling (knee) was out from early Dec 2018; Koscielny has to play more matches than necessary after he himself returned from a long term injury, Sokratis didn’t help by accumulating yellow cards (12 in all season) and was suspended for the match away vs Southampton which we lost (after going 22 unbeaten) – a psychological blow. He was also suspended for 2 further matches in mid-late April 2019; Monreal himself was injured (hamstring) from late Oct to early Dec 2018; and lastly Mustafi was having an erratic form.
starting RB/RWB Bellerin (cruciate ligament rapture) was out from mid Jan 2019; we have to use a makeshift RWB in AMN, Mustafi (standby RB), Lichtsteiner(RB).
3rd choice FW/ST Welbeck (ankle) was already missing from early Nov 2018. The burden of scoring most goals till the end of season fell to both Aubameyang & Lacazette (as no other player got to double-digits). Furthermore, both players are also the top 2 assist makers in the team.
Finally, we also lost Ramsey (hamstring) from the closing stages of the season (mid April onwards)
—
Moving onto the new season, Cech, Ramsey, Welbeck and Lichtsteiner are leaving. There’s 2 of the 5 “captains” of Emery. Of the other 3, Koscielny is on his last year, Ozil has 2 years left, Xhaka has till 2023. Although, anyone of them might be moving on this summer or next Jan. In fact, save perhaps Leno & Holding, everyone else in the 1st team could be moved on, either targeted by richer/stronger continental teams (Real, Barcelona, Juventus, PSG, Bayern etc) or trimmed by the technical staff and/or club management.
Both Sanllehi & Venkatesham need to stabilise the club this summer:
to employ the Director of Football (Edu?) and Head of Recruitment (Cagigao?)
to evaluate the footballing staff and players, who to retain and who to release.
Hi Raddy,
I certainly liked the Post, thank you, but I had high hopes we were being invited to discuss something other than whose fault it was that we had such a bad season. On reflection, I have to admit you cleverly and properly steered us away from other matters. 😛
I have to admit that you summed things up very well, and I agree with all you said – and altho I watched every match I could (not all of them) my sentiments reflect yours very closely.
After too many important games against ‘lower’ teams in the run were either drawn or lost I was deeply disappointed and enjoyed them not at all.
As regards the manager, the jury must be out — but I suspect that those with their own agenda will not let it rest) — it is possible that he could be a disaster — or he might be a success — we will see at the end of next season, so let’s not jump to judgement, just yet — the fear of descending into the lynch mob ramblings that so destroyed Arsene’s legacy over his last couple of years would be a little sad to see repeated.
For myself – I did not really know much about Embers at all — and I was pretty convinced that either Vieira or Arteta, both ex-Arsenal men would be selected – with the latter being my choice because of his experience with Guardiola.
I suspect that Arteta, having worked with a brilliant City squad, would have insisted on ridding Arsenal of many of the current woeful squad players we have — but that would have been too expensive, which is perhaps why Mr Kroenke made sure he did not get the job??
JM,
You summed all that up very well in your 3:05 p.m. comment.
The senior management changes to allude to all happening at pretty much the same time, the various injuries to senior players, the retirement of Mert, and the transfers of Jack and Santi were not propitious events in the formative Arsenal career of the new manager, together with the inheritance of some poor quality players (I am not going to name them — it is tiresome to see someone continually banging that particular drum} did not bode well.
In the end, we lost the CL top 4 qualification by a point or two, which a simple win against bloody Brighton would have addressed, and an EL Final spoke well of Embers in his first season — though conversely, NOT beating Brighton, and collapsing against Chelsea in the Final argue the case for a weak minded team.
Well reasoned, GN5, and it is possible that Embers will disappoint us, altho I love his passionate gurning, as his rather comical expressions as he mentally kicks every ball, and scores every goal, from the touchline, amuses me and makes me feel for him, as he clearly is a man who lives and breathes football.
The rest of your observations, regarding AW’s latter years, and Kroenke’s imposed limitations in matching the transfer budgets of other clubs is well said. Agreed!
LBG @ 1:28
Very good question.
And the transfer timescale to build a new Arsenal is spot on from what we have seen — especially if either, or both, Auba / Lacassette are allowed to move on to generate more transfer funds, as has been rumoured.
LB, @1:09 p.m.
Could not agree more — being kicked in the goollies, as Embers has been at important times this season is known as the idiom ‘Life is a bitch’ and who hasn’t experienced that? 😎
Top man.
My comments may seem somewhat haphazard, but as I have previously explained, I read other comments from last to first and reply accordingly. 😳
Finished now!! 😇
Total – “talented and experienced” , “good” squad.
You ask LB and I to answer how Dick was unable to work with his “dream” of a squad. I cant speak for LB, but I certainly express my opinion of his first season squad.
Leno was an upgrade on Cech and Ospina. Two very young additions in Ouzi and Terrier, in their first season, have learned the hard way how physical the Premier League is and how difficult it is to play in front of a defence without quality and considerable leakiness.
A M-N has been played out of position all season in that leaky, non-supportive defence.
Let’s talk about them. Kos has been fighting against age and fitness for at least two seasons. Ditto Nacho. Mustafi “could not be given away by his last Club. Sokratis is solid but slow and reckless on occasions. Kola cant defend. Jenkinson is no more than a below average defender who loves the Club.
( That leaves Holding, Bellerin, and Mavrapanos all of which were improving and were then faced with long term injuries.
Have never agreed with the views of some on Xhaka! Short on real talent, slow of thought and action, not a leader given impulsiveness and preparedness to go missing. Elneny a hard working journeyman. Flamini without the goals or defensive ability. (Chambers – player of the season….for Fulham). Wobbly acceptable but……end product!!
That leaves two strikers who have done the business in front of a less than creative midfield and leaky defence, and the anachronisms, (who I believe cannot work successfully in the same team together because they are both No10s), Ramsey, pilloried for many season at the Emirates for lack of consistency and tendency to give the ball away, who suddenly became invaluable. ( Perhaps a comment on paucacity of talent in rest of squad).And Mesut, who Dick never understood and who has frustratingly run his course it seems.
For me, together with “injurious” bad luck anything but a talented squad and I will only accept experienced if you add ” a little too”.
Nice post, BR.
My answer would be ‘No’ to each question.
I’m not that bothered about watching City or Liverpool either. My general disenchantment with football in its current incarnation, runs deep.
GN5’s posts have been like a breath of fresh air to me. A time before Sky and BT and Directors of Football and players on 300k a week and oil money financial doping and 24 hour newsfeeds seem like halcyon days to be savoured and cherished but with the bittersweet realisation that they are days long gone.
LBG, well argued comment unlike some on here.
But I don’t agree with your interpretations:
Goalkeepers: two good ones to pick from and work with.
Defence: Unai had to create a strong defence from Sok, Holding, Mustafi, Mavropanos, Nacho, Kola, Bells and in the latter part of the season Koz (but Holding and Bells gone). A mixture of experience, youth, and players in their prime. Okay Holdings injury unsettled us, but at no point did I feel he got those defenders to work well, and no way should this defence have shipped 51 PL goals. Are they below the required quality? We could do with a quality CB to partner with either Sok or Holding going forward, but I have seen nothing to believe that Unai knows about setting up a good defence. Just buying new defenders may not be the answer.
Midfield: I said enough about it over recent weeks. We had excellent players last season – and please see Xhaka in action tonight v Portugal to see how good a player he is when managed properly. Rambo will have to be replaced, but that could be AMN or Smith-Rowe, or maybe Guendouzi can make a step up.
Attack: phenomenal talent was available in Laca, Auba, Ozil and Mkhi (and Rambo and the upcoming Iwobi), but we played like old farts. You blame one or two of the players and I blame Emery for not being able to get the best out of these players and not being able to connect midfield with attack.
Total
Thanks for your measured disagreement! Dont like to comment usually if I have fairly profound disagreement!!
Forgot Mikhi, and that probably sums up my view of his talent. So rarely good, easy to forget his contributions.
Crux for you would seem to be Dick should have been able to bring out the “talent” you feel there was in the squad.
“Silk purses and sows ears” would sum up my view of the squad this season.
Cheers LBG. I agree somewhat re Mkhi as I miss an ‘intrinsic motivation’ when he is on the pitch, and he blows hot or cold at games. Re silk purses and sows ears, I guess we have to agree to disagree.. 🙂
Some goal by Ronaldo 👌
Classic VAR
Penalty at one end…..play on….penalty at other! Let’s go back to the first one.
God help us next year. There will be riots
Well Total, re Xhaka
I watched, I saw his usual late tackles, I saw his booking, I saw him arguing with a f*** off that he shouldn’t be booked, I saw loads of space for him and little in the way of close marking/closing down we see every week in the Premier League. I saw one or two (successful) long diagonals. I saw most players in his team of superior ability.
I wasnt impressed, but I guess you didn’t expect me to be!!
Perhaps he will be significant in extra time! Or perhaps he wont!
Xhaka gives the ball away, surprise surprise…. Ronaldo ends up scoring his hat trick! Love him or hate him, he’s bloody brilliant!!
The commentator just said that is his 53rd hat trick 😱 wow!!
Ah LBG, I saw that the Swiss controlled the game and that Xhaka sat deep and played the ball round well, based on his excellent football brain and special awareness. He was always available and had indeed a number of good passes forward. He was a key player in the Swiss’ strategy to control the Portuguese, who were poor for most of the game but just took their two chances late on (and yes Xhaka was at fault for the third goal). It seems we are both looking for very different thing when we watch the same man….. 🙂
2 years ago today, we signed the Bosnian beast 😍 just watched a clip of his best goals/assists (albeit not a very long clip 🤣) all I can say is – what a way to start the day 🥰
Total 9.59
Controlled the game, lots of possession, tons of passes, didn’t score, lost! Sounds strangely familiar!
Sorry to upset you Sue, he’s going to Barca. And Xhaka to Italy. Shame!
LBG.. I have a funny feeling that will please a lot of gooners 😄
LBG, half a chance fell to huge adamsapple and the game was lost, but before that the Swiss created their own chances and did not put them away, and you know the oldest law in footie… Laca and Auba would have won that game for the Swiss.. 😉
LBG,
Thank goodness we have you on AA to state your case and argue it well — sadly, some of us (presumably me) are incapable of such skill or wit.
But luckily, you and I do have something in common — neither of us can usually be bothered to comment with anyone with intractable opinions, and unable to recognise that there is always two sides to a coin.
If I wanted that sort of discussion, I could simply sashay over to Le Grove where someone with my limited abilities would be at home. 😜
We also agree in our views on Xhaka — but that’s just between us!! 😁
Su,
What’s good for you is OK by me!! Not that I have the slightest interest in Kol. 😏
And good morning to you!
Well helloooo, RA… that’s ok then, as I was just about to tell you to back off 🤣🤣 looks like we all agree on Xhaka 😂
England tonight – how painful will that be watching Kane & co?! Tbh, I don’t usually bother, but will tune in tonight, as I really like De Ligt.. what a player!! Plus the premier league darts has finished, so sod all else on 😂😂
Have a nice summer AAers and see you next season, and a big thank you to Chas, GN5, BR, Peaches and Rasper, etc for keeping this fine blog going. 🙂
Morning all,
I missed the game yesterday which is a pity, but no doubt there are a zillion videos to view.
Sue the World Cup of Darts starts today.
Oh, beautiful! Many thanks, GN5.. I thought it was just on at the weekend! Spot on!!
The season was expected for me. I knew UE from his time at PSG, the guy is a football tactics lunatic and a very hard working technician but he didn’t improve PSG and I believe he has not done great at Arsenal although he managed Top 6 games well during the season. He also added fire to the team and his ethics reenergized the fan base too.
I think our team was thin in quality and the injuries didn’t help. Emery biggest mistake remains the management of Ramsey and Ozil.
As for next year, we will build on a cheap and I hop we get rid of deadwood like Mustafi, Chambers, Jenkinson, El Neny, Asano…. We have to sell Ozil as Mikhy is not as valuable.
Carrasco, Chadli are available for very cheap. Pepe from Lille is very expensive but he d prefer Arsenal as he d have guaranteed playing time. He would help us a lot as our front 3 would be Laca, Auba, Pepe and we could then play a DM like Gueye with Torreira. We would then need a CM and we could tempt our chance with Rabiot…
Gueye, Torreira – Rabiot – Laca, Auba, Pepe
Xhaka, Guendouzi – Miky – Sancho, Recruit, Iwobi
That s without the back line reform needed
A few good wins, almost 2 versus spuds, oh Auba, and a endless run of dreary, formless, shapeless and boring games.
I, too, watched a few other teams.
Yes, Emery inherited a thin squad, that was made worse by injuries, but I do not know what I was watching at times, it surely was not that exciting team wise, a few brilliant individual moments, but that is it.
The guy needs to go.
What to look forward to?
The Arsenal will not sign a defender of any notoriety, and will start the next campaign with 2 guys coming off of ACL surgery, and Emery will throw them into 50+ games. Stuck with an deathly aging cast at the back, a defender who is not a defender, and center back who has played about 2 games before getting hurt, no speed in the midfield, and no one who can dribble past anyone to release pressure from the back.
It all adds up to 51+ goals conceded, and a dreary year under staN the man and the box of clowns in the front office.
Get a new coach, sell off the driftwood and their absurd salaries, go with youth, get an identity and plays some exciting futbol. Who cares at this point if the Arsenal get back to the CL. They won’t with this squad and coach anyway.
Shocked at the numbers prepared to propose a Chelski or Manure way of life!! Who would be better, instantly, if Dick is removed?
The lack of desire, pride, determination to fight back against adversity, prevalent in the last years of AW, is dyed deep into many of the current squad. Even the new and determined, like Terrier and Ouzi, showed evidence by the end of the season of the malaise.
Clear the deadwood, re motivate the balance, add some experienced new recruits AND the youngsters, and carry on adding them ( and ejecting anyone not prepared to dig in), until we have a new spirit worthy of The Arsenal.
Dick deserves his 3/4 windows, deserves an Arsenal chance, not a Chelski discard reaction. And dont tell me Chelski win things!! Would prefer to give up supporting……
LBG,
Go over to 7amkickoff and a few other sites and you will see how Emery is making the Arsenal worse. Hell, his sides do not even pass a casual eye test.
Youth, vigor, hunger, and all that in a new coach too.
Aaron
Who?
Why would any “other site” convince me. I have my own season ticket, my own eyes.
Are Holland another Switzerland. Control, possession, availability off the ball ( as stated much in commentary, easily their greatest talent, much like Ajax), but no end product?
No!
Helluva header from De Ligt 👌
Fuck me – are his laces offside? – what a load of bollocks.
RC
You must mean something else because to criticise Emery for his management of Ramsey doesn’t make sense; Ramsey was excellent pretty much all season and a lot of that was down to how UE deployed him.
TGIF 😎
I wasn’t surprised by the score last night (although I was at the darts – yes, Singapore!!)
What I saw (was flicking between the darts) was pretty average, Kane came on & was like a bull in a China shop… and to think they’re on again on Sunday!! That’ll be interesting against Xhaka! Penalties?? OG’s??
Netherlands v Portugal should be good!
Morning All,
6.35 I can name all of the chaps. What a depressing start to a wet Friday 😦
Chas 0635
Them were the days!! When Robert Primrose Wilson and Ian Ure were the brains on Question of Sport. Eat your heart out Phil Tufnell!
And talking of brains….
Xhaka ” (Ronaldo) is good because he knows exactly where you have to go, and what you have to do”…….no shit Batman!
Mesut’s tying the knot today!! He’s also paying for 1000 kids to have their much needed operations 👏
Kane was booked and then committed 3 fouls at least.
Does that mean that even in Europe he is a protected species?
Kane has an MBE, he can do as he pleases!
Very dapper, Mesut 😁
Congrats Mesut. Perhaps a settled homelife will help next season.
I doubt but keep up the wishful thinking BR
Shock Cohen on the list
Wake me when the Arsenal buy a up and coming central defender or when stan the maN cashes in on Auba and Laca.
I like the Nick Hornby artcile on espn –
So: Was Unai Emery’s first season at Arsenal better than Arsene Wenger’s last?
It should be an easy question to answer because sport usually provides clarity, but at Arsenal such is the pace of change that we tend to read runes, over many decades, rather than arrive at snap judgements. Arsenal fans are more like climate change scientists or evolutionary biologists than football fans; you are forced to compare almost microscopic shifts in pattern, temperature and genes in order to come up with tentative theories that may eventually be disproved in 10 seasons’ time.
See u in 2100 Aaron
Thanks for the heads up on that Hornby article VP, enjoyed that.
Half time in the cricket, so I thought I would give the England game a try. Dreadful. Perhaps the worst English midfield in my lifetime.
That’s why I’m sticking with the darts, BR 😉
Spot on, BR.
I do not usually support the England footie team anymore — well I’m allowed 😩 — until they start playing better.
Have loved the India v Aussie game so far — class batting – and also the bowling has been pretty good.
Then the Grand Prix later.
And not a mention of Arsenal! 😜
After the England game against Holland.. Rice was pretty poor, I thought & Danny Mills said he would walk into the Arsenal team!!! WTH!!! 😳
OMG Van Gerwen just lost 😱🎯
Sue,
For me the game of the day was when a 23 year old unknown Canadian beat MVG 4-2 in the singles, MVG’s chin was on his knees…………
Busy day today, French men’s tennis final in France, World Cup Darts, Women’s soccer World Cup and The Canadian F1 GP.
Hi GN5.. yes it was brilliant!! I was so happy for him! MVG doesn’t like losing.. could tell from the look on his face 😄
The cricket has been terrific.
F1 later and I may dip into the Nederlands game.
Fine selection of sport today, plus we had the Red Bull F1 team practicing up the road from here. The noise was spectacular as were the cars which cost €8m each.
I read that Cristiano has yet to score against VVD… all set up to be a belter 👊
I miss Hector 🙁
Yea me too, favorite player out of this bunch
Sue said; “I miss Hector” and so did; Ready Freddie!
I say, practise harder, and you will eventually hit him.
Fred,
As for the smorgasbord of dire outputs shown, it is obvious that someone’s math is kaput!
The Adidas deal – £60m all the way down to the Europa Cup Final – £30m, adds up to minus £384m.
A transfer budget of £40m my ass!!
Sue, also said, “Cristiano has yet to score with Virgil”.
I say, they are both very handsome – give them time!
Stop putting words in my mouth, RA 😉😜 (against, not with 😉)
Ok, if I’m honest, I miss his bun 😂
So, now we’re talking about your ass (which is how red, btw?!!) 🤣😝
Getta room you two 🙂
🤣🤣
There is a New and IMO important post.
Please leave a comment
Lol