How hard can it be?
Come on Arsene, just spend the money!
You’d think from the views of some that this should be the easiest thing in football. But interesting recent remarks from ‘Swing’ in the PA comments section regarding Chelsea’s former defender David Luiz made me think further on the subject. Swing eloquently highlighted how Luiz appears to be thriving since departing these shores from a team (or a team set-up/manager) that was evidently ill-suited to him.
One of the more almost endearingly simplistic traits of our Goner friends is the tendency to hop from player to player in a kind of footballing flavour-of-the-month perpetual merry-go-round of helpful suggestions of those who might strengthen our squad and whom Arsene has clearly, albeit inexplicably, so far not spotted. Trouble is, it’s a bit of a kiss of death as a disproportionately high number of these ‘helpful suggestions’ go on to see their careers dip and in some cases dry up altogether in the months and seasons that follow.
There are two reasons I found Swing’s comments particularly interesting.
Firstly, in how they might apply to our own Lukas Podolski, a lovely guy with first class PR and disposition, 118 caps and 47 goals for Germany since 2004 but who carries a faint aura of disappointment around with him when it comes to his AFC career (55 appearances/19 as sub and 28 goals) since 2012. Very roughly, he’s appeared in approximately half of the games played and scored in half of those.
It’s not really for me to judge how successful Lukas has been – certainly not a disaster for Arsenal (not to mention a Germany mainstay) – but the frequency of his 70th minute substitutions only contribute to the vision of a player who appears past his ‘bedding in’ period but who is still not slotting in seamlessly to the squad. Could Lukas, like Luiz burst more fully into footballing life in the ranks of another club?
Secondly, and using LP as a very crude example, this is precisely why AW can conclude a summer’s transfer window with apparent gaps in the squad – Arsene knows he could well have picked up x, y, or z player – we had the funds, clearly, although it’s by no means a given that all potential buys would want to come to the club given the appalling reputation our own fans have earned for themselves. So Arsene might have adopted a robust buying policy but what if he had not had the confidence all the newbies would slot in in the way that, say, Chambers and Debuchy have?
Players may well grow on trees and the buying process might indeed be very simple (as we are repeatedly told by the ‘just do it’ brigade) but make the wrong purchase and you will have a player on your hands who will sit somewhere on the spectrum defined by the Chelsea version Luiz at one end (laughing stock) and Arsenal’s Lukas at the other (decent but ‘enigmatic’).
Start to fill your squad with such purchases and the resulting mixture can give you a team on a second spectrum defined, perhaps, by Newcastle – ‘laughing stock’ – and, say, Spurs, theoretically challenging for honours but always falling well short of their targets (and laughing stock). We’ve seen time and again what happens to teams attempting to stuff themselves with new players – Liverpool and Man u being current examples following on from 2013’s epic big spenders, Tottenham. The Suarez swag, like the Bale bundle before it, has proven to be a double edged sword. An ephemeral cash weapon which, in the wrong hands can prove to be a blunt – and potentially ineffective one – at that.
So, Arsene – just spend the money (but go easy with it, eh?).
***
So on to tonight – and on the exact 18th anniversary of the start of Arsenal’s golden era with Arsene celebrating in his usual low-key fashion, a tough game awaits us against a Turkish side likely to be very well supported and also in urgent need of three points.
As well as reeling from the loss of Ramsey and Arteta, but with the safe squad return of Jack, Arsene knows the Turks’ main threat may well come from Burak Yilmaz breaking on the counter. This will be no walk in the park for either team but should prove one of the more watchable – and enjoyable – of the week’s European encounters after yesterday’s dull affairs involving Chelsea and the misfiring City.
Up, as they say, The Arsenal – and congratulations, Arsene!
18 years to the day of outstanding service and so many incredible achievements.
Here’s to many more.
Positively Arsenal 
Looking forward to further contributions, Mills.
Meanwhile, fill yer boots..
DW23 v Galat
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x271xgi_danny-welbeck-vs-galatasaray-01-10-14-hd_sport
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magic stuff, a touch of the Henrys!Long may it last Danny boy!
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Anicoll
Sometimes the telephone can work better then the online system, but of late if I need to get just myself a ticket I prefer to use the ticket exchange system. Not always a guarantee and not really useful if you are planning to sit with friends or family or need to plan to travel but the system has it’s moments. For last night’s game I found a ticket behind the gaffers dugout on Monday!
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You’re right Fins and usually if I wait I get a better positioned and usually cheaper ticket by waiting for an exchange. Trouble with exchanges I have to keep my eye open on the website. At £36 for a, near the front, block 123 above the goal seat I thought I would strike while the iron is hot ! Impatient as ever …………….
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From the minute I learned we were going to buy Welbeck I knew it was a coup. He can only get better under the guidance of the man who discovered and nurtured Henry and Weah.
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Anyone watch the Ronaldo dive against Ludogorets? What a disgrace. Ludogorets has had two good results taken away from them by bad refereeing.
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What I don’t really understand is how all those flares got in the ground ?
Here is a mob of angry Turks chucking flares around outside the ground on the night, and with a well earned reputation for flare chucking at home and away. And yet they can get in as many flares as they can be arsed to carry (apparently).
If they had attempted to smuggle a soft drink past the stewards who are supposed to search people at the turnstiles I expect they would have been rumbled cos that is against the rules and the Delaware would not like it.
And where was the MPS’s finest and the soppy cocker spaniel that sticks its head into my groin in desperate effort to detect substances that should not be there ? Can’t sniff a flare Fido ? pfffft
Lucky it was only flares I suppose
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Raises all sorts of questions Andrew, not least the size of the fine Arsenal are likey to get for failing to search people properly. The upshot will be, in future, far longer waits at the turnstile while they do the job properly. One just hopes it’ll only be the away fans that cop this as properly searching 57,000 home fans, in winter, will likely lead to many missed minutes of game time.
By all accounts hundreds of seats were wrecked last night, panels broken, frames loosened and some entire rows destroyed. AFC will doubtless be sending a hefty bill to the visiting club but with any luck they’ll be ejected from the whole competition or banned from playing at home in front of any anim, I mean fans.
Dire club – one of the many highlights from last night was the crowd singing:
“You’re just a shit Fenerbache … “
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Be careful what you say about Cocker Spaniels, Ani.
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I didn’t really get a chance to post my thoughts after last night’s game. Despite an unfamiliar, but interesting foray into the lower tier. You are closer to the action and the players, but you don’t get the overview of tactics and formation that you get from the upper tier. I think overall, I prefer the upper tier experience, but from time to time the lower tier experience is fun in it’s own way.
I was very impressed with Chambers last night. Previously I thought he was a good up and coming CB and a limited RB, but I was very impressed with his form as an attacking full back. He linked up really well with the Ox and was much more mobile than I expected.
I was impressed with Welbeck, not just for his goals, but also I noticed that he has started supporting the team defensively at set pieces, which is one of the things we have missed with Giroud’s absence. I disagree with the people behind me who were suggesting that there is no longer a place for the latter after Welbeck’s performance last night. Yes he is faster and more mobile than OG, but there are things that OG does that he does not do and I’m still convinced that we have missed what OG brings to our team in a couple of recent games. I cannot understand these fans who complain about lack of depth and then want to dump one player for another instead of valuing the differing contributions they can both make depending upon the tactics and opposition. It does not always have to be either/or it can sometimes be both.
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“Insufficient organisation” ?
Anderlecht fans can look forward a long queue getting in
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I’d like to know whether UEFA made any recommendations as to how a club can ‘organise’ the strip search of 5000 fans?
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Oh I think the Gala fans who turn up in Dortmund and Brussels in the remaining ties in the group will find out exactly how long it takes to strip search them a few thousand fans GP, and in any future away match for , say, the next five seasons GP.
More likely they will just ban the bastards from travelling and shut their home stadium which will be much more convenient.
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Fair to say that the police turned a blind eye to the flare-wielding Turks as they marched like a mob towards the stadium, hurling lit projectiles into at least one local pub; no doubt the Met can expect to get a fine from UEFA for failing to do their job, as well.
As some wag has already quipped somewhere else, attempt to smuggle in a non-Arsenal branded bottle of water into the stadium and you can confidently expect to be hauled out and hit with a lifetime ban, so it was a bit surprising so many got through with the heavy weaponry. More impressive is the nature of the damage to the seats – and how many (100’s, apparently) which suggests the presence of angle-grinders, welder’s gear and mobile steam-hammers.
What will be interesting the next time excitable European opposition arrive at our turnstiles is the punishment UEFA will dish out for the inevitable riot caused by the length of the queues as 3000 fans fail to get in on time.
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The police probably took a pragmatic view, better to let them into the ground and keep them contained whilst they cause damage. Rather than turning them away at the turnstiles and rampaging, uncontrolled through the streets of London.
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I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what happened Northbank.
Remind you of anything?
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Apart from my hooligan days in the late 60’s, early 70’s……… doesn’t remind me of anything else (smiley… which is banned)
Was there any trouble after the match?
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Careful Andrew we will be invaded by irate Scousers.
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years ago I remember having to go through mobile metal detectors at upton park took the away fans ages to get in and everyone had a laugh at some geezer having to go through several times, in the end the old bill made him take his glasses off and guide him through blind. hope they dont bring that back. personally I think fans should enter grounds without any bags (I include handbags in that) or anything even if it means providing lockers just outside the ground. To be honest the stuff people take in to grounds is ridiculas and it makes you wonder if they’re actually there to watch the match
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You gotta love Arsene ” one of the advantages of age is the lower priority you have on ego” hehehehe
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I’m not giving up my handbag for anyone !
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you dont have to give it up just park it somewhere for an hour and a half
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interesting cesc not only forced a move away but never wanted to come back either
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Does this mean when I visit the Ems for a game next year I can’t take my hip flask of whisky in to the ground?
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“you dont have to give it up just park it somewhere for an hour and a half”
And what will anicoll5 do when he needs to refresh his lipstick and mascara at half-time?
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Quite right NB – I shall not be parted from my Mulberry
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the fact that arsene said the cesc deal happened early in 2014 suggested he was suprised his move to cheski happened too quickly giving us little chance of a second thought on taking up the buy-back option. or maybe he was no longer interested because he felt we were not his first option from his heart.
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maybe he doesnt want darren dean back at arsenal. i loved cesc. but i hate him now more than i loved him. i have avioded watching chelski games since he moved over and it will pain me if he does better than ozil on sunday. the good thing is that ozil is finding form at the right time.
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I think he told(in fact Fabregas said so) Fabregas he didn’t want him back, it seems that it was at an earlier stage than we thought in the Summer.
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i hope non of our players go with the intention of meeting up with an old friend on sunday. he is a chav now and he is no different from other traitors. its intresting that wenger didnt even try to defend his move or appeal to the fans to respect his decision and accord him special honour.
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george, wenger didnt say in the summer. i think the deal was agreed before the end of last season. maybe march or april.
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I know Layksite, I’m saying Arsene told him no quite some time ago perhaps in January or even the Summer before.
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But Arsene did confirm Fabregas would have come back had we wanted him. I suspect it was before Maureen sold Mata.It makes sense now.
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NB, your hip flask passes well basically because its a hip flask and you can get it in your pocket mascara-yes, lip gloss-yes, garden table and full picknic no, this is football and not a carefree day out
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PG, the latest comments tend to suggest we may not of even had a buy back option. It also suggest Arsene knows something he cant or wont tell us about what went on. Sounds very dodgy to me
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AorB: You gotta love Arsene ” one of the advantages of age is the lower priority you have on ego” hehehehe
Stolen. And what a subtle dig at Mourinho. The specialist in failure has no clue who he’s messing with.
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Fabregas also confirmed there was a buy back option and we refused to take it up. What we dont know is when we told him he wasn’t wanted.
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I am very sorry to say ZP did not make it
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What a damn shame
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Terrible news on Paul. I sort of expected it. Sad as sad gets.
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I didn’t know Zimpaul that well, but knew he was a class act. Commiserations to his family.
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like to add my commiserations to Zimpauls family and friends. Thanks to everyone on here who got me to read more than just his comments on here. Unfortunately this is not the first time I have found out just how brilliant someone was just at the end of thier time on this planet.
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sad, sad new about paul. its a big tragedy to his family and the positive arsenal family. its sad that good poeple dont stay around for long while poeple like moureen stay around for a life time.
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if fabregas had already agreed a personal term with chelsea even before asking us to take up the buy back option, its a different matter george. that will be a straight battle between us and chelski as far as personal terms is conserned. £200k a week is out of our reach at the moment.
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Aah, that is so sad; such a decent, decent man.
RIP Paul Brickhill – or as most of us here knew him better, ZimPaul; he’s already been greatly missed and I’m sure we’ll remember his wisdom, wit and kindness very well.
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Very sad news about ZP. He will be sadly missed. RIP Paul
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It is a great pity, that Paul has had to join the great majority.
Congratulations to Passenal, pointing out the difference between upper tier and lower tier seating.
You are truly a gem, Passenal. I have no wish to upset you, like PG did!
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Zim Paul was quite a man http://vimeo.com/40661035
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Passenal is absolutely right about the radical effect on perspective the ground has for the spectator; my current lower-tier view is high on excitement, but high also on reliance for replays of what’s happening at the other (Clock) end.
My previous Clock End upper-tier experience was low on atmosphere but high on tactical appreciation, with four years squandered in Club Level somehow combining the best and worst of both those experiences. These days I invariably watch a recording of the game at home before trying to make complete sense of what I’ve just seen with my own eyes.
Certainly brings home the subjective nature of our appreciation of the game. My seat is in the very front row to the right of the North Bank goal (looking out onto the pitch); many has been the time I have confessed to not having seen an incident first time around although so far I’ve resisted the Gallic shrug/appeal to the ref in favour of more direct language.
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Give it a rest NOTH – do you think I don’t know sarcasm when I see it?
In respect for the passing of a good man, I will leave it at that. It’s really sad news, but I’m glad he was able to pass by here a couple of months ago to say goodbye. He will clearly be a great loss to the positive Arsenal supporting community as well as his own community and family. RIP ZimPaul.
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