Yesterday I tweeted this:
“Same philosophy, same tactics, same vision, but increased spending power. So, NO, ARSENE HASN’T CHANGED, his credit limit has.”
A few days ago I had this to say:
“Wenger isn’t back, because he’s never been away. He hasn’t changed and he certainly hasn’t listened to fans, or the media.”
It doesn’t take a lot to irk me [No shit – Ed] but the insistence from certain sections of the fan base and the media that Arsène has changed infuriates me to the point where I could punch a puppy.
They are adamant that Arsène has changed. Well, he has. He is older and wiser.
He has not, however, changed in the way they are insinuating.
These idiot halfwits (trust me that is the nicest description I could muster) want us to believe that they were right. He had “lost it”. He did want to feed his enormous ego by trying to win with a bunch of kids and cut price players. He was choosing not to spend the money that was available. He was happy with 4th and a last 16 place in Europe.
They have to think these things otherwise they would have to accept that they have been wrong.
Very wrong.
Completely wrong – and they won’t do that!
They have been wrong about Arsène.
They have been wrong about Ivan being incompetent.
They have been wrong about Stan being an asset stripper.
In short, they were wrong about everything.
However, having spent years talking absolute bollocks, they have to find some way of justifying their stupidity.
They want us to believe that they were right. Their lack of support for the great man – our greatest ever manager – is to be excused because “Arsène has changed“.
You hear things like, “we wanted him to buy world class players and now he is“. Completely ignoring what has been clear to anyone with even half a brain for 10 years.
He didn’t have the money to spend!
Or this little gem “We wanted to win trophies and now he has!” Again ignoring that he didn’t have the players to do it given that there were three clubs spending north of a billion pounds to buy up the said trophies.
I repeatedly hear “mistakes were made” and yet the vast majority of these perceived mistakes can be put down to the simple lack of funds.
They will do anything, and say anything, rather than admit they were the ones that were making mistakes.
Arsène is the same as he was last year, 5 years ago, 10 years ago, and 18 years ago when he first tipped up.
These people were unable to understand the simple economic realities that hamstrung the club. They spent years writing blogs, doing podcasts and tweeting about how they could do a better job than Arsène and the board. Make no mistake, if you are telling someone how to do their job, it’s because you think you know better.
Well they didn’t, not a single one of them.
The divide in the fan base was caused by them. It was not caused by those people who held their position of simply supporting the club. Both sides of the divide were not to blame. It was the uninformed pea-brains that thought they had the answers. Not those who just wanted to support the club.
It’s alright to be wrong. We are all wrong from time to time. But it’s not alright not toaccept being wrong, look for an excuse for your wrongness and hide behind it.
The most popular excuse seem to be Arsène has changed.
Well he hasn’t, so admit that and stop digging.
By pedantic george @Blackburngeorge
Positively Arsenal 
FunGunner
August 4, 2014 at 10:02 am Edit
Yay! Well said, George, and I agree with every word of it.
And while we’re at it, the same people love to try to include others in their previous folly. “We *all* did or said X,” they say. No, we didn’t *all* do or say X. Take responsibility for your own actions and words and enjoy that humble pie.
ArsenalAndrew
August 4, 2014 at 10:22 am Edit
Nice one George and well said, above, FunGunner.
Arsene’s changed? Talk about clutching at straws.
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Santi Claws
August 4, 2014 at 10:40 am Edit
Absolutely spot in George! Unfortunately, some of our fans really believe in their own self importance to no end. Last season it was because of fan pressure that Arsene grudgingly and reluctantly went and bought Ozil. Some guy even had the temerity to tell me that it was because the fans were boycotting games and not renewing their season tickets, hence the board has decided to act by inserting a clause in Arsene’s contract that demanded he spent money on new signings!…….I just gave up cos otherwise, it might have detoriorated to the point of trading punches! You see, such fellows are not arsenal fans to me! Never! You cannot be happy when we lose and dismissive of our victories and call yourself a supporter of our club……..not having it!
Which brings me to yesterday’s post (great work Swales). It’s a shame that our fans have also joined the arsenal hating band-wagon (grumpy bus if you will) and now that we are where we are, financially and in stature, it will only take a good helping of humble pie to bring the grumpy bus riders back on side……….and in the words of Sam Alladici, they can’t take it………hahaha! They can’t take it!
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anicoll5
August 4, 2014 at 11:10 am Edit
I am sure I have said this before, maybe elsewhere, but in order to be as good at his job as he is Arsene changes constantly.
He learns, he experiments, he tries some new thing out, if it works he uses it, he discards it is it does not work, he refines, he sharpens, he listens, he watches, he ruminates , he ponders. The resources he has to effect change alter, sometimes he has exceptional personnel, at other times lesser human capital. Sometimes it is £££, others not.
Arsene is a shark, moving constantly through the football ocean, constantly in motion, feeding, moving forward.
And among the constellation of knowledge, stimuli, resources that whirl through the sea water around him he draws us forward, into another glorious season.
finsbury
August 4, 2014 at 11:18 am Edit
I’d seen the gaffer as more of a vulture then a shark in recent years, but shark works for me too!
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finsbury
August 4, 2014 at 11:25 am Edit
“The divide in the fan base was caused by them.”
Plenty of evidence for this. Plenty.
I wonder if the Groaners will attempt to respond. If like them to.
The trolling upon various blogs by the same people/IPs was recorded. The smearing of any and all who disagreed with them with the invented slur “AKB” which was previously a self-endearing term used by supporters of the club. Who can forget the genius “cult” meme, that was successful…yes…plenty of evidence of the depths to which these Arsenal holes sank.
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finsbury
August 4, 2014 at 11:40 am Edit
I think the perfect example of the dishonesty and opportunism of the publicity seeking Groaners is the meme they created around one Dick Law.
As anyone who grew up reading 2000AD, wholesome British punk sci-fi for those who don’t know, you don’t mess with the law! Only, well, only an idiot would do that. Speaking of which, I bet these self same Groaners enjoyed the performance of Joel Campbell this weekend. You couldn’t make it up. Except they do!
So many other examples aside from Dick law of the Groaners conduct and lies. So, so many…
Such as the one about the goalkeeping coaches! Wholesome slagging off of the arsenal coaches on a podcast of course. Very pleasant. Support!
These would be the very same coaches that have helped to bring through from youth level three of the PLs first team keepers in 2014/15. Mannone, Fabianski, and our very own pole in goal. What percentage is three out of twenty? I’ll leave the genius Groaners to make that calculation. You couldn’t make it up!
So, so many other examples.
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FunGunner
August 4, 2014 at 11:50 am Edit
@ anicoll5
I think you may be missing the nub of George’s article. Arsene was supposedly previously a) choosing not to buy the best established talent, b) choosing not to win trophies, c) choosing not to buy pay large talent, d) choosing not to buy players early in the transfer window (factually incorrect anyway because he has always done *some* business early) etc, etc. And all because of his massive ego/fear/greed/shortsightedness/lack of ambition/inability to manage big players – delete as applicable. Without regurgitating George’s article, the point is that AW did not *choose* any of that – he was temporarily constrained by the club’s relative poverty.
He remains committed to achieving value for money in the transfer market, for respecting his valuation of a player and to spending within his means – the only difference is that our means are now greatly increased.
He still buys young players and gives them a chance.
He still believes in the same football philosophy which he has espoused and promoted since he came to the club.
What you are talking about is his willingness to learn and to embrace new technology or developments in any field which will help his team to win. That has not changed, either.
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FunGunner
August 4, 2014 at 11:51 am Edit
@ finsbury
Very good points.
anicoll5
August 4, 2014 at 11:55 am Edit
A vulture ?
Well I suppose Arsene is looking a bit more lined around the neck and face these days but a VULTURE ! Hmmmmmm ( banned s******)
Interesting week coming up, CL qualifiers coming up on Tuesday and Wednesday followed by the draw for the knock out final qualifiers on Friday with our name in the hat.
A trip to Zenit/Bilbao and Besiktas would probably be the least attractive and Lille seem a decent side. All beatable but after yesterday the banana skin warning sign is on.
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anicoll5
August 4, 2014 at 12:04 pm Edit
I thought I was agreeing with G’s article !
The probably failed to make sufficiently clear is that for all those fans with tiny, tiny brains, myself among them, we have no idea at all what is going in in the man’s mind.
The feeble insights of the Groaners are laughable, as G points out. Always have been, always will be.
In truth however I have very little idea what is happening and why. As I say the Great White Arsene glides across the ocean floor, finely tuned, relentless, ever alert.
I just sit back and enjoy the outcome.
finsbury
August 4, 2014 at 12:05 pm Edit
To be fair to myself it was when he swooped upon the carcass of Malaga that I had the impression that the old bird had been coasting up there upon the thermals. Biding his time, waiting for the right moment to strike.
But since that day the Arsenal manimal has evolved (BT & Puma deals) and started to attack the big fish, it’s true. Arsene smells blood.
–
Zenit a goal down from the first leg, but they should win the home tie.
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shottagunna
August 4, 2014 at 12:35 pm Edit
Not unsurprisingly George’s sentiments are in line with the majority of us. But the points made by posters are excellent and and just as god as the blog itself.
Obviously the malcontents who turned on Wenger as well some of our friends will be quick to say George is simply resurrecting old disputes and furthering the divide. But reality is very different. Many of these Wenger has Changed-ers have simply become advocates for scapegoating any of our players whom they have annointed as not being world class. Yesterday’s nonsensense on Twitter where Giroud and Arteta were roasted in a pre-season friendly is a first taste of what to expect. Seems more things change the more they remain the same.
OutforaCorner
August 4, 2014 at 1:02 pm Edit
Spot on, George. I can’t foresee many of the Groaners acknowledging that they were wrong. In my opinion, there at least three reasons. They like the (delusional) feeling of power that they somehow helped to change things (far better than to acknowledge that what they did had no positive effect). They may want to play the “Wenger out” card again – they can’t do that as easily if they acknowledge that he was right all along. And they are too self-absorbed to recognise that their actions have harmed the club and, ironically, helped to prolong the trophy drought that they so desperately wanted to end.
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gunner_getcha
August 4, 2014 at 1:08 pm Edit
Well said George. I’ve raised this very point myself on twitter to both of my followers. I presume by their silence that they were in full agreement.
So many fans actually must believe that they could do a better job. Criticising everything that they can. The papers have picked up on this and give them fuel to use ripping our own team down.
The only changes Wenger has made is to have an air of caution over how he treats our fans. For all he talks of us fondly and dedicates positive events to us it seems false somehow. Who could blame him though. Hopefully he is well aware that there is a strong voice of reason that is entirely grateful for his fantastic achievement over the last 8 season.
Great post.
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Why would he listen to fans or the media? He’s a professional football manager with many years of experience while fans and the media are rank amateurs with unsubstantiated and poorly thought out opinions based on little knowledge and no experience whatsoever. Great article.
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Brilliant article
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Gooners, all what you have said about Arsene Wenger is not correct. Remember Arsene Wenger is an Economist. He is not just an ordinary coach. Whatever he does, it is according to future plans. People might say a lot about him, but he is of different opinion, it was not easy for Arsene Wenger to go for many years without a trophy, but some people they see him, as a failier which is not correct. The fact that they were playing at highbury as home ground, was the main reason for Arsene to plan for the future, because Highbury was only commondating only 35,000. This was the main reason why Arsene Wenger started making some plans for the future and for the benefit of the club, but a lot of people disagree, but that was the main reason why Arsene Wenger has gone for so many years trying to archive what he wanted. He has been talking about it for so many years, but what a lot of people look at is shot term planning, long term planning if you do it according to proper planning, at the end they will be reward for it, which is what is happening at Arsenal now. We have to give a credit to Arsenal and Arsene Wenger. The Emmerates Stadium is accomodating more than 60 thousands funds and is generating more revenue which was not the case before and their marketing strategy is working very well, which brings more revenue, that shows Wenger is a good planner and has a vision for what he want to archieve. I remember some years back, Arsene Wenger says he want Arsenal to be one of the best clubs and we can see some developments which is happening now. The building of Emmerates stadium was a stumbiling block for Arsene Wenger, because they were paying the debts for the Stadum, but a lot of people do not reliaze that, because they want shot term planning, they cannot think how much Arsenal were paying for Emmerates Stadium. They cannot think why Arsenal was like selling club. You have to put a lot of things into consideration to come up with a correct answer.
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Thank you George, it’s amazing that they think a guy like Arsene hates success or has a different definition of success to mean finishing 4th in the league.
They conveniently forgot what he won when there was money to spend, they somehow think you can spend about £400m to build a stadium and continue ‘business as usual’. This was the same guy that paid £11m for a guy that was sitting on the bench at Juventus when that was a HUGE amount of money in football.
You are right George, Arsene has not changed, he just has more money to spend. How can you get angry at a guy trying to preserve the financial future of your club? He is not perfect, no one is but he deserves a lot of respect for how he managed the club through the ‘lean times’.
Looking forward to the season and the future preserved by the great man.
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What an excellent article, I agree 100%, This is the best article I have read on arsenal blog for years and I mean years, I had this the conversation the other day other day
Other person “Excited about the season”
Me “Good to see you supporting Arsene again”
Them “Fuck off I always supported Wenger”
Me “Last year when Utd were getting rid of Fergurson you said he should fuck off to United so he can fuck them up too and we should get mourinho”
Then there was some stuff in between and some abuse hurled my way, then this gem by them:
“when things go bad I’ll voice my opinion, if you dont like that or call me fickle thats your opinion, its ridiculous as people have a right to comment and disagree/demand action. You could have said if people weren’t saying “in wenger we rust” he may not have spent money. its suprising to hear you say we had no money because if you look at the accounts we clearly did have money to spend – your logic is if you criticise wenger you become fickle which is nonsense because everyone has a right an opinion.”
What you make of that?
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Very Positive George…. but not enough anger, you need to release some of that angst and venom, get it out in the open.
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C Gooner@3:18pm
“What you make of that?”
He had a right to his opinion!
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NB , dont tell your mates on the other place what I’ve said. They will think I’m talking about them.
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Everyone has the right to be stupid ,Eh NB? And we have the right to point it out.
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Absolutely brilliant article… I am so sick of the negativity, I decided to unfollow legrove today.
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I love the plunks who claim Wenger can no longer do tactics. That’s my favorite sort of realist.
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Most definately George…. I would have to agree.
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I’ve just entered a Fantasy Football league for the very first time…. and choosing the frigin team was a nightmare, and I hate to say it, but no matter how I lined up my forwards, there was no way i couldn’t include RVP. I know, I’m sick with the shame.
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Sav from Australia 27m
Powerful reading. Has to be said, so thanks for saying it.
But the fools do not he have the humility to admit fault.
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Good one PG.
NB I remember after the Everton game you said Wenger cant motivate his players and cant change tactics unlike Rodgers. You called him outthought and outdated and should be replaced by Klopp. Good to be able to change mind ehh. People here are very open minded contrary to what some people say.
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Dont you just hate it when that happens ?
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gunner_getcha 8m
Tell you what though, something surely even the most troubled fans must want to stay the same. The value for money that we get. Even whilst financially shackled we’ve gotten Koscielny, Cazorla, Giroud to go into the first team. All of which are punching way above the weight of their transfer fees. Even those that don’t rate Giroud must see he is far above the average striker you’d get for £10m.
I’m expecting both Özil and Sanchez to seem like steals by the end of this season.
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Arsene hasnt changed, some fans have. Good for the club I hope.
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Take him down
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apropos….. you must be getting me confused….. i have never ever suggested that Klopp could replace AW…. get your facts right before you chuck the mud my friend
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What about the rest NB? jUST FOR CLARITY, YOU UNDERSTAND !
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Oh hang on Anicoll, the defence is calling a rebuttal witness.
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Apropos:
This is what I said on February 9th on ACLF after the defeat at Anfield. Show me where i said Wenger was lesser a tactician than Rodgers:
“Time to stand up and be counted. Yesterdays result will hopefully be the catalyst to help us finish the season with a trophy. I’m having a day of mourning, the ghosts of seasons past will eventually be laid to rest and Wednesday night the boys will come back stronger! Not saying anymore…… I still have faith.”
And what did we do…. we finished the season with a trophy. Do don’t try to put me in a bad light when you’ve got your fucking facts wrong.
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There you go George….. fucking evidence….. you can look it up if you fucking want to…. Feb 9th 2014 at about 9:31am
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Case dismissed .
Apropos, you are in the dock for perjury..
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and if I’m being totally up front, this is what I said on April 7th at 11:25am after the Everton game:
Liverpool: A manager who can motivate and change tactics, Suarez, Sterling and Sturidge, a midfield dynamo (Gerard)
Just admiration for another team.
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and more my fine gunner friend: at 10:39 on the same day:
What I can’t understand is how we can have a brilliant second half of a season….. and a brilliant first half of a season, but somehow can’t seem to link the two together for a brilliant first half with a brilliant second half in the same season.?????
So me where I am insulting the club or the manager in these statements. Come on!
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and again at 10:11am:
Hope and faith are the worst of all evils because they prolong your anguish and disappointment.
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Well NB if I read that I might think it was an implied criticism. Of course I would have to see it in context. And that would ,mean me clicking on ACLF, and that will never happen.
But to be clear. I believe you. For what its worth.
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and more:
and this was just tongue in cheek joking:
Wenger isn’t just like a broken record, he’s the cassette tape that gets all tangled up in your car!
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George, you can tear me apart for that last one
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Take it back apropos cos I’m fucking angry with you mate
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Yes I criticise when I think it’s appropriate, I’m no footballing expert but I’ve been watching the game for a fucking long time. Wenger isn’t perfect but he is the best manager the Gunners have ever had…. now and again thngs get cocked up. He gets paid the money so he is in line to be judged, as is the team.
That’s my last word George…. anger is a good emotion.
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Northbank1969 says:
April 7, 2014 at 9:29 am
After reflecting on yesterdays game and a few of the previous, I’ve now come to the conclusion that the light at the end of the tunnel has finally been switched off.
Northbank1969 says:
April 7, 2014 at 9:49 am
Ras
Wenger isn’t just like a broken record, he’s the cassette tape that gets all tangled up in your car!
consolsbob says:
April 7, 2014 at 11:16 am
If ‘pool beat man city next week, then it think they might well win it.
What’s the difference between us and them? Discuss.
Northbank1969 says:
April 7, 2014 at 11:25 am
Consols
Liverpool: A manager who can motivate and change tactics, Suarez, Sterling and Sturidge, a midfield dynamo (Gerard)
Northbank1969 says:
April 9, 2014 at 11:48 am
HTL
I think we have to start dismissing previous evocations of ‘classicism’ from the previous decade as a romantic sentiment in disguise. While clearly owing much to Wenger, Klopp could introduce a recategorisation of Wenger art in general. Bringing about a process of our traditional aesthetics but introducing an impact which radically alters the notion that Wengers culture holds within itself substantial extremes of ego and tragedy.
Wenger culture has been an affair of a very narrow reason and what is essential is that Wenger culture be revitalised through new exemplars. So during the period of modernism the term ‘classicism’ can undergo several simultanious metamorphoses to evoke an historical style (generally considered totalitarian) to enable a psychological disposition and to echo a transcendent truth which denotes an historical style and a failure of nerve. A revitalisation of ‘Wenger classicism’ is largely the result of the collapse of the ‘Wenger mythology’ for within this the aesthetic trust has disappeared.
The emphasis now must be on the new and this needs to be articulated in terms of formal transformations. In the space created by the collapse of the most recent mythology, contempary football will seek to install a tangible order.
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Apropos
If you can understand what the fuck I was saying there on April 9th at 11:48am then you are a better man than me….. I was probably drunk and I disapeared up my own fucking arse. ButI feel quite honored that you remembered and then had the time and energy to go back there and read it and then copy and paste, just to prove what?
For fuck sake…. you need to get a life.
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Don’t tell me you are now searching the whole blogosphere Apropos to find something I said that you think will show me to be something lesser than an Arsenal Fan than you…. because you will be wasting your time…. cos I dont give a fuck.
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I’m not taking anything back NB but ill leave you people alone. Get this thing thou NB, I dont mind people changing minds. What i dont like is when they cant be humliate enough to admit they were wrong, instead they choose to pretend they always been behind the main man. Thats what I reacted to when I read the posts here today. And face it, its not first time you use the tongue in cheek or drunk excuse.
I have good memory and you asked me to give you wrong, what do you want me to do?
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@ anicoll5
August 4, 2014 at 12:04 pm Edit
“I thought I was agreeing with G’s article !”
What I said was that you had misunderstood his point. You were talking at cross purposes, if you will.
**
What’s happened to the comments, Pedantic George? They almost all now look as if they were made by you!
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Humour is humour apropos….. in a pub with mates ,jokes are often made about the team, about players and about the manager…. we take it for what it is, not fucking serious…. I hope you enjoyed your evening trying to put me down. It’s very sad my friend that you feel it neccessary to do that…. very sad.
Some of us find it enlightening in times of stress and defeat to make a joke about what has passed, some just aren’t able to do that, I understand.
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Good times Good times, I fucking enjoyed that!
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