I am asking you to vote – do you want Wenger to sign a new contract or do you want him to go and inevitably become the next English manager?

This month we are celebrating the 20^th anniversary of Arsene Wenger’s managerial career at the Arsenal. Quite frankly, in this day and age, that is an unbelievable achievement in itself. Many managers have been given their P45 days after they have started their job. Chelsea have had 8 (Mouinho counts as 2) managers in the past 20 years! Man United had 4 since Fergie left. Congratulations Mr Wenger.

With the departure of Sam Allardyce, the search for the new English manager is on. This time the FA are not making a secret of the fact that Arsene Wenger was before Sam and still is their first choice.  ‘Arsene Wenger would “fit the criteria perfectly” of the next England manager, according to Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn’.  Terrific news for Wenger; true recognition of him at the top of professionals in the footballing world.

Now. We have suffered the usual roller coaster start to the season. We have seen the worst and the best from our team. This is seriously messing up my head – a month ago I wanted Wenger out and made my views known. Today I cannot bear the fact that he could leave – what will we do then? We were nice and safe in his hands. The next manager could bring havoc to our stately home at the Emirates.

How do you feel on the subject? Let me know………….

Written by Eddie

In the 2001 census Southampton and Portsmouth were recorded as being parts of separate urban areas, however by the time of the 2011 census they had merged to become the sixth largest built-up area in England with a population of 855,569. This built-up area is part of the metropolitan area known as South Hampshire, which is also known as Solent City, particularly in the media when discussing local governance organisational changes. With a population of over 1.5 million this makes the region one of the United Kingdom’s most populous metropolitan areas.

Here are a few miscellaneous pieces of trivia about Southampton.

The Mayflower, the famed ship which brought the Pilgrim Fathers to America, actually set sail from Southampton. There were in fact two ships – The Mayflower and The Speedwell, which left Southampton together in early August, 1620.

However, the smaller Speedwell was soon found to be taking on water, so the two ships diverted to Dartmouth for repairs before setting sail again, only for The Speedwell to spring yet another leak. All the passengers then clambered onto The Mayflower and continued on for Cape Cod in New England that September.

God’s House Tower, on the corner of Town Quay, Lower Canal Walk and Platform Road, was the first dedicated artillery fortification built in England. It was constructed in 1417, as part of the drive to fortify Southampton following the French raids some 80 years earlier. The town gunner was paid sixpence a week.

Southampton played a major role in the success of fish fingers. Clarence Birdseye tested herring sticks and cod sticks on shoppers in Southampton and South Wales. The Southampton customers loved the cod sticks, which then became known as fish fingers and rolled out across the country.

Arsenal and Southampton have played against each other 34 times in the Premier League

The record is –

Away – W6, D5, L6, GF23, GA21

Home – W12, D5, L0, GF41, GA 14

Our home record is most impressive not losing a game and winning 80.4% of the points.

I see no reason for this to change and I predict a straightforward 3-0 win.

My prediction for our starting eleven will be –

Subs – Ospina, Gibbs, Holding, Mustafi, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ox.

GunnerN5

After just 3 games we have already seen the influence of new managers and the untold wealth they have had at their disposal. The only teams with 100% records are Manchester City managed by Pep Guardiola, Manchester Untied managed by Jose Mourinho and Chelsea managed by Antonio Conte. All three managers are new to their clubs and only Mourhino has Premier League experience – with Chelsea.

They are all competent managers and have managed and been successful in various different countries. Other than their success they all have another thing in common – they have all moved to clubs with seemingly endless cash availability and none of then wasted any time in proving that they are also good at spending.

Conte has already spent 120 million at Chelsea on five new recruits

Michy Batshuayi 33m, David Luiz 33m, N’Golo Kante 30m, Marcos Alonso 20m and Eduardo 4m.

Mourhino wasted no time at Manchester United and has spent 158 million

Paul Pogba 90m, Henrikh Mikhitaryan 36m and Eric Bailly 32m.

Not wishing to be outdone Guardiola has left no doubt about Manchester United’s cash reserves and his willingness to spend by setting a Premier League record in the amount of 181million on nine – yes nine new players

John Stones 47m, Leroy Sane 43m, Gabriel Jesus 27m, Ilkay Gundogan 23m, Claudio Bravo 15m, Nilito 15m, Marlos Moreno 5m, Geronimo Rulli 4m and Oleksander Zinchenko 2m.

Meanwhile at Arsenal Arsene Wenger has spent a club record of 113 million on five new recruits ….

Granit Xhaka 45m, Shkodran Mustafi 41m, Lucas Perez 20m, Takuma Asano 4m and Rob Holding 3m.

So even though we spent over 100million we were still outspent by the big three.

(The transfer amounts are all taken from the Transfermartkt .com)

It has the making of being both one of the most competitive and the most exciting seasons for several years.  Gaining one of the coveted top four positions will be more difficult than ever before. Our purchases have been very impressive but we did not manage to add an out and out super star striker which many of us felt was a must buy. Lucas Perez looks to be a superb player who is fast and tricky he has a good eye for goal plus AW has stated that he is also technically gifted. He may not be the sparkly diamond that we were hoping for but he can most certainly be described as a diamond in the rough.

Personally I’m very excited about the 2016/17 season and feel that we will gain a top four slot but what position we finish is anybodies guess.

Where do you think we will finish?

GunnerN5

A fairly easy win against Watford really and a win that was rightly expected; if it had gone the other way though the knives, as we all know, would have been out and sharp, very sharp. This possibility was obviously anticipated by Arsene who wisely held conformation of our two new signings back until after the game. It never hurts to add good news to a good win but it would have been a life saver for him had we gone and done something as stupid like lose.

I was fortunate enough to get a ticket, although, it was amongst the home supporters. All my in laws are Watford season ticket holders; they usually make themselves scarce when this game comes around and I come begging for a ticket but this time I got lucky, someone they knew was on holiday and so I got the nod.

Watford supporters are a bit like Scots, when they find out that you have one in the family they immediately warm to you. I know this because my girlfriend’s mother was a Scot and I saw this happen on a few occasions, as soon as my girlfriend mentioned that her mother was Scottish they were offering to buy her a drink in preparation for a long chat about the auld country. At the same time they were never quite sure what to make of me or what I was thinking which was just as well as most of the time I was considering what a wise decision it was to have built a wall between our two countries.

The same is true when I meet Watford supporters; they are a bit shy and hesitant in letting on which team they support especially after I have mentioned that I support Arsenal but as soon as I say that all my in laws are Watford season ticket holders I am immediately accepted. This doesn’t stop me thinking though that a wall could have been built a lot further south.

I am of an age that going to games at a few remaining clubs and sitting in the away end still holds a certain amount of concern for me all due to a history that is probably well out of date. For example, as much as Tottenham – Arsenal is my favourite game of the season and I love going there I find the idea of sitting amongst them uncomfortable to put it mildly. Not so with Watford though, I always got the feeling that they are victims of supply and demand; that’s to say, if there had been more season tickets available at Arsenal they would all be turning up to the Emirates week in and week out.

I didn’t know where I would be sitting but in the event that the seat was behind their goal which could have been a tad tricky should they score I wore my yellow top to blend in a bit. However, as it turned out there was no need for concern as I was in the family enclosure and that couldn’t have been more civilised if they had brought their nans along with them and actually thinking about it some of them did. It was refreshing to be around people who just wanted to get behind their team: one nil down, no despair around me, no calling for the manager’s head, two nil down, no screaming for the club to spend some money, three nil down and not one “c” word, not even an utterance under the breath, just love, support and encouragement.

Interesting comparison with the Arsenal fans who until Watford scored were in fine voice and so they should being three nil up but when the home side got one back you could have heard a pin drop in the away end; the concern was tangible even from where I was sitting.

I have to say that it was easier getting up to applaud the Watford goal being three up than had we been three down, although, I was bit late in getting to my feet, I forgot for a split second where I was and what I was supposed to do, I got a couple of unusual looks for the moment I was still in my seat longer than anyone else but this was rectified after I was up and clapping.

It crossed my mind that they might be able to smell that I was an Arsenal supporter; do we smell differently? I never anticipated that I might be in danger if they found out but it would have been a bit embarrassing. Anyway the game went on, we survived the mini Watford come back and with five minutes left, when it became apparent that we were not going to mess this one up, the Arsenal fans found their voices again.

I made my way to the Red Lion which is the only pub opposite the ground, flashed my Watford season ticket which allowed me to get in, gave it back to a couple of family members and made my way back home, a happy bunny having had a very enjoyable afternoon.

A new season, a new kit (3 in fact) and only a few new players so far. However the same problems seem to remain at Arsenal Football Club, one of English footballs grandest clubs. The team traveled to Leicester and left with 1 point but this maybe a watershed moment given the hostile chanting towards Mr Wenger, at the end of the match, by the away fans.

The journey to Leicester was filled with apprehension more than optimism given Arsenal’s poor record at the start of the season and the feeling of being “under-prepared” yet again. On arrival and walking to the Counting House pub, there was lots of talk about possible incoming transfers with most fans voicing their frustration at the lack of money being spent.

As fans got their last orders in, the teams were announced and there was huge relief to see the name Laurent Koscielney in the starting line up after he’d had a  busy summer with France at Euro 2016. By contrast there was disappointment that Giroud was on the bench leaving Alexis to lead the line one more time.

Arsenal kicked off and set themselves under pressure from the off as new boy Granit Xhaka gave the ball away cheaply, which was played forward to Jamie Vardy, the man who rejected Arsenal’s attention over the summer. A chorus of boos and jeers from the travelling support greeted the Leicester forward as the danger was cleared.

The Gunners began to get in their stride with Cazorla trying to pull the strings in midfield and making Arsenal play. The flanks were proving to be Arsenal’s best option but there were numerous occasions when the final delivery was disappointing. The fans then slowly started to bemoan the lack of presence up front with Alexis playing as a makeshift forward.

Another Leicester man, Riyad Mahrez, who like Vardy, rejected Arsenal’s advances was next to be hounded by the away support every time he touched the ball with one man in the upper tier chanting “you could have played for a big club, played for a big club, you could have played for a big club!” Then on 24 minutes play was brought back as Francis Coquelin picked up a yellow card for a late challenge on the rattled Jamie Vardy who was sent sprawling to the floor.

Arsenal began to work through the gears with Hector Bellerin charging forward at every opportunity. The fans then began to turn on Theo Walcott who seemed to be non-existent and fans were getting angry at his lack of runs. Fans began to question his £120k salary per week, with one young fan screaming “you’ve done nothing in 10 years apart from grow a beard!”

Then Arsenal’s first attempted shot came from the lively Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain which brought some to enthusiasm to the fans. Then the first contentious decision of the game. Cech came racing out of his goal to deny Leicester, Drinkwater want crashing to the ground. Mark Clattenburg waved away the penalty claims as Laurent Koscielny was deemed to have got a touch on the ball with his momentum taking Drinkwater down.

Half time and much of the talk in the concourse was about Arsenal’s lack of cutting edge with the play being too predictable and intricate.

The second half began and Leicester ramped up the pressure with Mahrez looking to unlock the Arsenal defence. The fans were warming to young Rob Holding who alongside Koscielny was delivering a very resolute performance winning his aerial duels and keeping Vardy in check.

The Arsenal fans began to turn on Mark Clattenburg as Mendy was forced to go off the pitch with the stretcher coming out but the player standing much to the displeasure of Arsenal fans who wanted the game to continue. One fan shouted “how is Clattenburg a World Cup referee!”

Again Arsenal were up to their usual tricks of trying to overcook the ball with Chamberlain being the culprit trying to play the perfect ball through leaving supporters fuming and Walcott again looking lost and low on confidence with supporters chanting for Mesut Ozil to appear. Bellerin then tried his luck from distance but his shot was easily saved. Walcott then had an effort ruled out for offside and Chamberlain faded as the game progressed. Vardy was then off target as his shot was too high with the ball landing in row z.

Arsenal fans were then pleading with Arsene Wenger to show more desire and stand on the touch line with supporters asking  “how the f**k can the players be inspired when all he does is f**king sit down!” In contrast his counterpart Mr Ranieri was in his technical area barking instructions at all times.

Finally some substitutions were made but fans were moaning about how late these changes came. Wilshere and Ozil came on for Xhaka and Cazorla and the difference was glaring. Ozil was a delight to watch as he forced the issue and was trying to make the team go forward in search of that elusive goal. Olivier Giroud shortly followed coming into the pitch after Walcott was through only for his take effort to be deflected wide. Then moments later Walcott was through on goal with Giroud free for what would have been a simple tap in but Walcott went for glory himself and missed and the this was the turning point for the fans who were fuming more towards the manager than the players. The chant “spend some f**king money” was ringing around the King Power Stadium with Leicester fans finding the whole episode rather amusing.

Ozil had a late chance but was denied and then a Leicester free kick late on never troubled Cech. Ahmed Musa was sent to the ground under Hector Bellerin with the young Spaniard very fortunate not to have given away a penalty in the dying moments of the game.

During the last 10 minutes the supporters were expressing their anger and the majority of the away support where chanting ‘Wenger out’. This is why it could be a watershed moment as the support for the manager is waning fast with perhaps it being 70-30 in the Wenger out camp. The chant was deafening and there was no denying that the atmosphere at the end was toxic amongst the away support. The game was over and it was a case of 2 points dropped rather than 1 point gained and the Arsenal fans were left pondering what might have been. Some pressing concerns for the supporters as the aggressive chants continued as fans headed for the exits.

Outside the ground there was fighting between Arsenal and Leicester fans and reports of missiles being thrown at the Arsenal supporters end which struck a child, a young Arsenal fan. This left Arsenal fans reeling resulting in clashes with Leicester supporters. Online reports claiming the fighting was between Arsenal fans was wide of the mark and nonsense.

Again a poor start to the season.. I ask myself why do we put ourselves through this every season. Maybe us fans should be in the dug out and on the pitch. Maybe then we will have a club who will show the desire to reach the top of English football once again.

We want our Arsenal back! UTA!!!

Written by Sir A