Is it the game that’s funny, the fans or Arsenal’s cash flow?
I was chatting to someone during the game last night who made the point that in the 1960’s and ’70’s we hardly knew who was running the club beyond the Manager. Relatively little was really known about Bertie Mee, even, let alone the Assistant Manager, Physio, the Board, majority or minority shareholders. Attention was fixed on the players pretty much exclusively and, happily, on the wider stage, the ‘culture’ of the game was sufficiently slow and violent to exclude most referees from too much scrutiny. Probably helped that there was next to no football on tv compared to the modern game.
The idea that the ordinary, unbriefed fan might be making judgements about the cash flow of the club in that era would have been completely laughable.
As many are aware, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
But this has been one of the biggest gifts of the online age; it’s ability to throw up wave after wave of those willing to be exposed as having noticeably thin scraps of expertise loosely dressed up as ‘knowledge’ propagated on a platform with almost infinite reach. This indiscriminate dissemination of half-formed views is as efficient as the ability it offers the unwary to dash their own personal reputation on the rock of flimsy logic and foolish conjecture. Sharing their views, fleetingly presented as ‘the facts’ until the white horse of truth gallops in from the wings to save us all.
So, another very decent article from Trader Chris on PA yesterday highlighted that few habits are as potentially risky to one’s credibility as making wild and largely unsubstantiated claims about the club’s accounts whilst possessing next to no understanding of the mechanics of cash flow or the importance of budgeting.
Such people – and this probably applies to 99% of fans – really should just concentrate on the football.
Especially those at the back.
Talking of the football, a decent result last night against a magnificently supported German outfit, none of whose supporters, to my knowledge, appeared to be discussing depreciating assets or waving hi-end A4 “Klopp Out” banners. Someone tweeted me that this is linked to the price of their tickets although I don’t recall seeing similar scenes on the terraces in the lower and presumably cheaper echelons of the English league. But, we are told, the downward pressure on morale caused by having to pay for the ‘most expensive tickets in the game’ is now one of the keys to understanding the mindset of the typical Arsenal supporter.
To me, Arsenal’s German Quarter just looked like 3,000 fans taking pride in themselves as much as their team and they are a credit to their club, regardless of any debate on ticketing prices.
Give yourselves a hand …
For Arsenal, the result was pleasing both in the score and in the manner of the way a team that is still badly fractured by injury went about it’s business.
Some have heralded the significance of the return to form of Aaron Ramsey who has himself recently alluded to the fine-tuning going on at squad-level in training and on the pitch.
The loss to any side of players with the outstanding form of midfielder Aaron Ramsey alongside the injuries to key contributors in attack and defence such as Theo and Kos would have had huge consequences.
That the winner of our Champions’ League group is still in the balance not to mention our place in the English league, is little short of a miracle given the vital importance of these three players alone. Factor in the rest of the injuries and we can see that actually, although not all results have gone our way and in-game finishing and defending errors have clearly been made, what we have here could yet prove to be our strongest squad in many, many years.
That the three of Kos, Theo and Ramsey are about to be reunited is of huge significance both for the Premier League and our future progress in the Champions’ League.
Now if people were to stop wrestling with transfer budgets and get to grips with the realities of the season, they might just begin to appreciate all this.
Sadly, as evidenced last night at least, the joy of an Arsenal win is rarely as heartily celebrated on Twitter or the Blogosphere as are the setbacks, so in certain quarters I suspect the ‘expert’ focus of some may lie elsewhere, for now, at least.
Funny old things, fans.
Positively Arsenal 
prime example of the negativity crew
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sorry posted wrong video by the looks of it, will try and get the right one up in a minute
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have no idea why that has happened. I was trying to put up a video from ArsenalFanTV, one where an idiot was going on about wanting Klopp, saying he might have lost but look at him standing on the sideline, just look at him.
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As for the Terry Burton interview, well its Arsenal in crisis is still the media slant,
ex employee who is unhappy at being overlooked for promotion, and refused offer to stay in the role he had, somehow turns into Arsenal appoint wrong man to head Academy job. Burton seems to ignore the fact he was one of those involved in the stagnation of the Arsenal Academy, but somehow he thinks he should have got the big job.
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Nice one Andrew,on the money again-as for Alex Fynn,he lived next door to Arsene but only mentions in every interview I’ve ever heard him on,Arsene now lives in a gated property further up the road,as our American friends say-go do the math.
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Mel
You will find our own Andrew mentions his near neighbour a bit too.
(but I don’t like to talk about his work for charitee…)
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I see there’s some good news for Villa.
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They won a couple of openers DK and he was the bee’s knees – eight weeks on Keane has made no difference to Villa results or performance wise so perhaps he is best concentrating on Ireland.
I can’t imagine Lambert is sorry to see the back of him.
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Hi Henry, thanks for your reply.
“No one outside of Arsenal knows the actual details of the cashflow budget for the current year which by definition can only be an educated estimate.”
Sorry if I was too vague above (it can happen…) but I think that was the only meaning behind that original comment from NOTH. I haven’t looked at SRs work myself and wouldn’t understand it if I did!
I think we all agree with Chris’ post. None of us are the ones “cooking the books” (is that the technical term? IBSF) for public presentation on behalf of The Arsenal.
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Could be missing some forwards tomorrow.
A return to the bench for Walcott. Maybe more minutes for Campbell and Plodders. A little bit of a juggle there with Southampton in mid-week.
Loving the comments from the hacks to the gaffer in the presser today.
“Does Jack need to ‘get rid of it’? ‘Get it in there mixer’ quicker and stop doing strange Frenchy Foreign fings like dribbling and running with the football?”
Before anyone says anything, i am paraphrasing but to be fair to myself I wasn’t the one asking the questions! Holy jumping footballs? Can you imagine being a kid coached by these twenty four seven football hacks? You might be ready to play the six nations one day (I doubt it) but you’d be struggling to grow up and play like Oxlade-Chamberlain has been.
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< Get it there in the mixer
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Kean’s cold shoulder for Mendes’ Special One was a highlight
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Keane!
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Sanogo apparently in training, no hamstring tear after the Dortmund game just cramp. Understandable since he ran his socks off in his first senior competitive game for ages. Arteta out for minimum 2-3 weeks, Walcott out with a inflamed groin and will miss tomorrow+wednesday, Woj and Welbeck will have tests, Kosc ok to play. Both good and bad news!
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http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20141128/arsenal-train-ahead-of-wba-match
Sanogo:
Welbeck:
No Szczesny, couldnt find him in any picture at least.
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Klopp… ha ha
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Have you broken this website NB ?
Hooligan
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Not guilty
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An old oirish developer told me that the term hooligan comes from the actions of the unruly Hoolaghan clan from S.London, back in the day, and that they were Arsenal fans. I choose to believe him.
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Fins
The oirish fella is probably right, all research into the word hooligan tends to point to an Irish family living in Lambeth at the end of the 19th century.
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My eyes have got a touch of the Marriners today, but looking through the shots from training on the Arsenal site, there seems to be a tall fellow with fellaiiniesque hair that I can’t place.
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foreverheady that would be Stefan O’Connor
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I must admit that Andrew was somewhat, under the weather 2 years ago?
I must point out the Swiss Ramble is a chancer!
The post-balance sheet item does state £52.5 millions owing for transfer fees.
BUT, BUT, we have to also look at the Debtors and Creditors, plus the contingency fees possibly due of £5.5 millions. The liability is close to £87 millions (including SOME Value Added Tax).
Passenal, please accept my apologies. Is this the reason, why you are not posting?
COTG
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Ah but NOTH anyone who writes about business is a chancer my friend, partially informed at best, if they are bright enough or lucky enough to interpret the digits in the right order. The others just parrot back what corporate PR feeds them.
Poor old Swiss Ramble though I like the chap – if you google him through his name Kieron O’Connor you will find a chap with a 2:1 in Economics at the LSE followed by a CIMA qualification which would be standard for any young chap going into an analyst job at any investment house in 90s
He’s a Gooner / leave him be
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Three chaps in one paragraph ?
Where is Jeeves when you need him
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CIMA – Chartered Institute of Masturbating Arseholes
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It’s kicking off between the chartered and the management firms on here !
It’ll be costly
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As George often asks at this time of the evening – anyone fancy a preview of the trip to the Baggies tomorrow ?
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Just win, baby!
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Yes . front and centre someone
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https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10402626_10152609270938250_4198239063833303835_n.jpg?oh=a0791087d7840dad6528b32ce7e72db3&oe=54D265B2&__gda__=1428003031_ce4dae700934cdb9858828897f269d28
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Wilshere injury just another one of those tackles Arsenal suffer a lot from.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B3jkG8_CQAApJcf.jpg:large
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team: Martinez, Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Flamini, Ramsey, Cazorla, Welbeck, Alexis, Giroud
Subs: Macey, Gibbs, Bellerin, Rosicky, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Campbell, Podolski
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jack hits back at the mirror “brittle bones” article
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jackwilshere
1 day ago
We all know the media like to talk nonsense, not all of them, but most! And most of it I can take…however after being shown an article in @DailyMirror saying I have ‘Worlds most Brittle ankles’. @bigrichinnes clearly doesn’t know what ‘brittle’ means, as this picture clearly shows’ most people/players would have broken their ankle if someone tackled them like this. Luckily I have ‘loose joints’, not brittle’ and only damaged ligaments.
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Just as Arsenal is due a run of wins so am I due a run of consistency in commenting here. I’ve been reading d posts but not been able to comment for a long while but I hope to b available to chat with fellow reasonable gunners again.
Thanks to George and everybody who has been keeping the ship steady. Without PA, the goonerverse wouldn’t have been worth living in.
Guess Arsene have something up his sleeves with today’s line up.
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Oh Lorde, welcome back!
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Thanks Andrew.
A pretty comfortable 1st half just incomplete because the net is yet to bulge. A little more pressure in the 2nd half and the baggies will definitely crack.
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A good solid game, and what we need now is another goal to make it 0:2 and that would put them to bed.
Come on you Gunners!!
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We have been very good defensively, until the last 10 anxious minutes. Nerves starting to jangle – at least I think it is my nerves.
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That was damn nerve wracking. Jeez I am caught between euphoria and relief. We seem well on the way to one of our unusual unstoppable runs but it is not easy to see us fighting and scrapping for every point.
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Those banner twats look like idiots when we win.
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Good start to the weekend although I don’t think we clicked 100% today. Must be the early start which I never like.
Kosc and Per very good at the back and sets us up a nicely for Saints. Flamini’s best game for a long while.
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Gains – the ‘b’ word – that is what these attention seeking clowns want
If asked I shall say I never saw it
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And here is the BBC’s jubilant response to an Arsenal win:
“Arsenal prevented a third straight Premier League loss with victory over a lacklustre West Brom at The Hawthorns.
The Gunners started the fixture with their lowest points tally after 12 games in 32 years but Danny Welbeck’s powerful header moved them fourth.
Welbeck – denied by a Ben Foster save in the first half – powered in Santi Cazorla’s cross after half-time.
West Brom had one effort on target, coming closest when Saido Berahino headed against the bar late on.”
We’ll have to remember in future that we nver win – we just “prevent a loss”.
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If you have three ‘straight’ defeats does that mean you are in a spiral of decline ?
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Were they implying there could alternatively be 3 gay defeats, perhaps?
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They were betting we’d lose.
Manure just lost DiMaria
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What’s happened to DiMaria – I’d say he’s Manure’s best player.
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