102 comments on “Horses For Courses ?”
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Eddy 6:36 pm
They are fake, that’s Giroud’s France squad photo from the WC.LikeLike
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Fake !! I have been put through Hell for the purposes of a jest
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Speaking of Hell trying to get a ticket for West Ham at home is a struggle – sold out very early and very few on the exchange
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I have just viewed this interview with Sean Dyche and its the first time I’ve seen that “tackle”, and really I don’t know what all the fuss is about, the Burnley player was making a pass, Matic was the one making a tackle, I really do think that many are judging it on what jose had to say and from only seeing photos of the impact point,
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The youth cup defeat last night really was a case of a self inflicted loss, gave away the ball in build up to their first goal, OG for the second goal, and gave away the ball for their third goal. A team with O’Connor, Maitland-Niles and Zelalem who have all played for the first team this season, plus Huddart who has been a sub, and with Willock who played first team friendly last summer, also with the highly skilled Crowley, really should not be going out to Crewe
It seems Bielik still can’t play for us as all his paper work has not been fully done yet, EUFA are dragging their feet in completing their due diligence, and its not been the first time this season on youth moves to Arsenal, we had same issues with Keto and Da Graca.
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I see some writing off the idea that Arsenal could pay 80M for Pogba this summer, suggesting that we could not afford it, well I see no reason why we could not, we spent over 80M last summer, yes on a group of players, but we could afford that outlay and we still had a good wad left in reserve, so if the guy is good enough to warrant that fee, and seeing as he is still only 21, and that would mean his future value is likely to increase, there is no good reason why we could not or would not be interested in bringing him in. The fact is it makes more sense to spend 80M on Pogba than say the 30M on jackson martinez (a rumor widely reported this week), as Martinez will be 29 early next season, he would have no future resale value.
Now it is unlikely that we would spend 80M on a single player, but I really would not rule it out as a possibility and I find it odd that at this point, with all the info we have regards Arsenal’s accounts, that anyone would say we can’t afford it. We also know that the new TV deal is coming which means another massive increase in revenue, and AFC are also adding more sponsors all the time.
The Arsenal squad needs very few additions of quality to make it as good as any of our rivals, so if Pogba was deemed to be “that player” who would make the big difference, then wouldn’t spending 80M to get him actually make complete sense.LikeLike
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Thanks for the Dyche interview, eddy. What a difference in style from the Moaner. My first view of “the tackle” too. Matic – big girl’s blouse – time to tell him it’s a man’s game, Jose (or is that only when it’s your players doing the tackling?). As eddy, says, it’s not even a tackle, never mind a bad one. Retaliation, red card means a three game ban (although maybe a yellow would have been enough – it was only a push). Still chuckling a bit at Dyche’s “was the grass too short?” after the game.
Interesting comments from Keith Hackett though about Atkinson’s performance. Don’t think I’ve ever heard such a vitriolic attack on a referee from a former colleague.LikeLike
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Hell hath no fury like a referee scorned
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Good post about Dyche, Ed.
If you can either bear it or be bothered, here’s the full moan from the poisonous one:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ip-rFwIeIeg
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Matt Dickenson in the Times this morning has a few pertinent comments on the nonsense about Barnes’ tackles that Dyche highlights in the film;
If Ashley Barnes leaving his mark on Nemanja Matic’s shin was so obviously “criminal”, as José Mourinho claimed, it was odd that not one Chelsea player reacted with outrage. Willian did not flinch, Kurt Zouma stepped away, John Terry walked back towards goal while Branislav Ivanovic appealed half-heartedly for a throw-in — yet all were at least as close to the scene of the “crime” as Martin Atkinson, the referee.
It took the only good perspective, from an armchair with a remote control, to expose the true forcefulness of Barnes’s follow-through. It took freeze-frames of Matic’s bowed leg to put Atkinson in the dock. But then replays can always make referees look incompetent. Television has been mercilessly making fools of officials for 83 years.
Dickenson even has something useful for us;
We can mark Monday April 25, 1932, as the day referees’ lives changed for ever. The front page of the Daily Herald carried the news that Adolf Hitler was threatening to assume power in Germany — and next to it the headline, with exclamation mark, that “CUP FINAL GOAL WAS NOT A GOAL!”
Scouring the grainy highlights of the FA Cup final, the paper had found footage that proved that Newcastle United’s first goal in their 2-1 victory over Arsenal should not have been allowed because the ball had clearly run a foot out of play before being cut back for Jack Allen to score.
Football had its first significant refereeing controversy though, in these more respectful times, no one “slammed” WP Harper or his assistants, or raged about a conspiracy or tweeted #disgrace. “The referee’s word is law, however, and there the matter must end,” wrote the Daily Herald, while, on the pitch, Tom Parker, the Arsenal captain, instructed his team-mates to stop complaining. Sir Samuel Hill-Wood, Arsenal’s chairman, told the paper that it was “very bad luck” and “that is the end of it”.
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So there we have it ………….. “that is the end of it”.
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When you say “some” Eddy, I take it you mean me.? We could pay it but we cant afford too. With the proposed improvements to Colney, the pot is empty for this year. And £80 mill + wages on one player would be beyond us .
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I had a feeling that Arsene was pursuing Pogba all last summer, and that it was only relatively late in the day that he knew it wasn’t going to happen. Too late, perhaps to find another forceful midfielder – or maybe keeping the powder dry if the player intimated that he wanted one more Italian season but would move in 2015. These of course are the little fantasies I allow myself, and which help pass the time of day. Just now I read George saying that we could afford him were we to sell Jack, Aaron and Theo, and this of course is the downside of any shiny new signing. Just at the moment our capture of Alexis and Welbeck has meant that Theo doesn’t play, which I find sad, but I also understand that that is the way of things. Should we sign anyone of Pogba’s stature this summer it would certainly mean the end at Arsenal for at least one of Jack, Santi or Aaron. But fans feel differently about players who are let go rather than those who force a move, so perhaps all that would happen is we would enjoy watching them play for slightly lesser clubs.
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Anicoll
We woz robbed!!!
#CampaginAgainstArsenalLikeLike
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pogba? fuck him…lets get di maria who is upset at that miserbale shithole
and turn jack into macherano …him and coqlin to be our fighting pitbulls…80 for pogba? ahahahahahah
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pogba for 80m is not the way wenger spends his money. infact its a no win situation as far as the malcontents are concerned. if he pays that amount ( i know he wont ) they will ask why he didnt get him for free just 3 years ago and if he fails to buy him and maybe chelsea or city do, they will say he is stingy.
we can only talk of resale value only if he does well and improves significantly on his present level. if i may ask what would be the resale value of suarez if barca want to sell him at the moment? at best they will only cut their loss.LikeLike
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I think we will have some money to spend. The Colney development is likely to come out of a different pot, some profit will have been made (even allowing for loans to be paid off) and we’ll make a fair bit on player sales I guess. How much we will have to spend will be determined by our progress through the last third of this season. Now that we know those kits are fake it will be easier to attract more than the colour blind anyhow.
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juventus – dortmund …what a game. rematch from that epic final. paolo souza, chapuisat, mueller, sammer del piero , jugovic, zidanne .BOKSIC!! hitzfeld vs lippi ..fkn hell great times….education!
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improvements to colney? but its brand new , no?
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i have spotted a nice field that used to be a chicken farm down as i drive to bunbury every thursday…cutprice..can turn it into top class facilities
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Rumour shenanigans on PA?!
Pogba is an anagram of BO Gap. That is a term for the length of time between a shower and the point at which ones armpits start to hum.
That all of course is nonsense I just made up but, nonetheless, has no less validity that transfer rumours in February or, indeed, at any time.
ANICHOLL there’s often the odd ticket available at short notice in the group I sit with. You good for short notice if a West Ham at home ticket pops up?
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I certainly would take it Steve I would need to know by 10.00 on the day of the game.
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Ok mate. will let you know if one comes up as soon as I hear
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I will keep haunting the Ticket Exchange and if I get lucky I will DM you on Twitter
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love this less we forget https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5wP-KYsCa8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=W5wP-KYsCa8LikeLike
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Is it ok again to want BvB to do well?
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we use to have it rough against german teams but have fared better against italians. so i’m going with juventus. we may get them in the quaters and knock them out on our way to the semis. it will be great to see coq reduce some millions of pounds off mr ‘hype’ pogba.
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all real top class gunners to boycott the book of that clown journalist ..the audacity to write a book on the achievement of the manager she has been questioning openly goes beyond any explanation i can give other than MONEY…cheap classless bi bi bo.
wenger is arsenal..you amy are a nothing that makes money via Arsenal …..same goes for the fence sitting coward frequenting at tollington selling books and t-shirts
arsenal do not need them. with friends like those who needs enemies…..
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PG I did not mean you, I seen an article on another Arsenal blog laughing at the idea of signing him, and I seen other blogs comments deride the idea also. I disagree with you about not being able to afford it, there is no reason why we can not spend 80M on him, if he is good enough. As I stated earlier, our squad needs very little added, so one over the top fee should be within our scope.
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Ped George is indisputably correct – anyone seriously believing that we would or could, within the boundaries of prudent accounting, spend £80m + £48m (4 year contract at possibly £12m per annum) on one player is perhaps guilty of wishful thinking.
Mind you, with all the sponsorship and TV rights money cascading thru football, anything is possible in this crazy world. So if Arsene and Arsenal decide to throw all their prudent financial caution to the four winds – then who knows?
I just do not believe it.
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seemingly Wilshere will be rested tomorrow and will return to the squad for Everton game on Sunday.
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If proof were needed that the FA are a bunch of yellow livered dilly droops, then the decision to reduce Matic’s 3 game suspension for a red card to a 2 match suspension is all that’s needed.
I mean anyone would think that Maureen had gone on Sky TV and launched a one-sided, unchallenged version of the ‘conspiracy’ against the Chavs.
Perish the thought – no decent, correct thinking FA commission would allow themselves to be so publicly bullied into hoisting the referee up the totem pole to be left blowing in the wind!Would they?
Do all clubs and managers now have a precedence to do the same – or is it only for the poison dwarf?
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Cannon you are 100% correct. That joker she wore not only slags Arsene but also has a go about ARSENALs commercialism and then goes and sells loads of shit what a fucking cheek!
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while Untold have long said there is type three matchfixing in the PL maticgate is right on type one. Pure cash for favours,Matic is arguebly chelskis most important player and after getting sent off for violent conduct only missing one league game is a golden handshake. Bent to the enth degree
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Next time Olivier makes an pillock of himself Arsene make sure you get down to Sky eh ?
Mind you is the reduction of Matic’s ban all part of the conspiracy !! What have the FA got up their sleeves next.
Jose should be very worried
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I see the entirely predictable whining about an Autumn World Cup is front and centre
Apparently it might cost PL clubs money to have to rearrange the season to accommodate the World Cup – wrong sort of sand or something similar
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No doubt the Qataris can anticipate Scudamore’s begging bowl being thrust under their noses in the near future.
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Three seasons, and it might even have a knock on effect on the euros. This may drive us perilously close to a European league and the end of National football for all countries. Either that or the bigger nations may demand a several teir system a sort of premier world cup if you like with very little qualification needed.
Whatever happens I can’t see it being a win for the normal football fanLikeLike
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You have a forward line of Messi Neymar and Suarez
And you are lucky
I predict a bleak blue moon
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messi. what can you say? and that canibal strikes again…something with english teams awakens the beast inside him and he punishes..every time…lets stay away from these two..per would agree. pogba on the other hand…i see he plays left midfield..not dm..vidal the marathon man
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Eddy, I have a file under the title – Anti-Wenger!
Pogba slipped from ManU’s grasp, on a free.
Real Madrid, Man City, Chelsea, Man U, Liverpool will be the front runners in the spending war.
Round pegs in a square hole is so, so yesterday. Pogba represents the new player, the coming player, no set role. The universal player, interchanging positions without a thought, as a script does not exist for them.
Pogba, will be the first £100 millions player.
The London Colney extension should cost at the most, £15 millions, £5 millions over the 5 years for Hertsmere BC! Still no approval, it would seem.
COTG
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Messi goal drought continues
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A few thoughts from me…
1) Even if we had £80m to spend do you think Pogba is a player worth Arsenal spending £80m on? I don’t.
2) Raiola his agent is doing the tried & tested method of linking the player to Arsenal to get PSG & Man U’s attention again. Juventus think it’s time to cash in and are open to offers.
3) It’s okay to like BVB again now that the master and apprentice situation has been clarified. AW will step away from current position & not be ousted by Klopp.
4) OK so no one is talking about Chelsea’s racists, exit from the FA Cup, Costa as public enemy no.1, Cahill’s dodgy defending and Ivanovic’s headbutt & arm round the neck of an Everton player. Maureen’s has succeeded in changing the Chelsea debate and made the focus the FA & Burnley. Martin Atkinson has always been Chelsea’s 12th man at the Bridge – the one time things did’nt go their way, they threw him under the bus and reversed over him!
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I actually had a bet with someone this morning that Man C would have a man sent off and a penalty against them.
The game was interesting but laboured at times, Bony didn’t seem like the answer, Nasri disappeared for much of the game, Clichy stupid (I had dibs on Kompany getting the red), ref could of let that tackle go and I am not sure what Zabaleta was thinking, I didn’t think he looked like winning the ball at all. At least Sagna now know’s that Citeh have to be down to 10 men before he gets a game from the bench! Aguero & Silva worked there socks off.
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They were testing the lights at the stadium earlier.
Özil & Sanchez set to start together in the CL for the first time I think.LikeLike
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Positively Arsenal 
A guest post from @foreverheady
I really don’t like games that start at 3 on a Saturday: they are so last century, and we certainly got a last century pitch to play on yesterday. Three o’clock means of course you only get to see the game if you actually go, and yesterday only 24,721 lucky punters were able to do that. I’m not sure how many away supporters found tickets but I’m guessing not many. For the rest of us in the UK you had to rely on dodgy streams, a private showing at the Emirates, the audio commentary on the Arsenal player or snippets on Radio 5. It was so far back in time the only surprise was not finding a copy of the Saturday Pink through the letter box to be consumed on route to the Dog and Duck for a pint of mild and bitter and cribbage and dominoes with Ernest and Albert. Even Arsene in his pre-match presser suggested that Selhurst Park was a bit like Highbury, and it was easy to see just what he meant, with the crowd on top of the players and vocal support relentless. I doubt somehow that the Palace authorities are too fussed about safe standing.
And safe standing was certainly a problem for the players too, the pitch ironically prepared to produce a level playing field. It certainly didn’t appear to suit our technicians, and it was no great surprise that Welbeck, almost alone, seemed to relish the conditions. Not that he lacks technical ability, but his forceful, powerful and direct approach certainly seemed to fit. I wondered after the game whether Arsene needs to pick very different teams for some of our away matches. Playing at the Emirates is easy if you have the skill to do it. A large pitch perfectly prepared allows for intricate one touch play, and we are at our best when we zip the ball around. It is no coincidence that our home form is so good, the underfoot conditions seemingly being more important to us than whatever atmosphere is generated by the Emirates crowd. But away from home is very different against some of the more robust sides on pitches that are less than perfect. I’m not going down the Arsenal are soft route here – far from it – but suggesting that maybe some players are better suited to certain types of game than others. I think this is why we so often hear the call for a physical midfielder, and yesterday would have suited Ramsey and Oxlade more than Cazorla and Ozil I suspect.
But this is largely conjecture, because the commentary on the Arsenal Player is absolutely hopeless if you want to get an idea of how the game is unfolding. In fact it is worse than hopeless and I would say is negatively misleading. The pattern seems to be that any time Arsenal have hold of the ball the commentary team talk about anything and everything bar the action: memories are polished, emails are read, even when those emails are critical of team selection and players. Once we have lost the ball the commentary restarts so you get an impression that at no stage do we ever have any possession at all. It is a really depressing experience. I was quite surprised to see the highlights this morning to see that there were moments when we were allowed to play a bit ourselves. If I had one wish it would be that the club has a serious look at what it does with the matches it broadcasts. Not all can go to the game, not all have access to live coverage, but most can find a way to tune into the clubs own service. As such it is an important outlet and needs to be treated as such. The excellent Adrian Clarke was good at half time, and I am looking forward to his analysis of the match tomorrow.
So what of the game itself? A truly excellent result and a heart in the mouth last few minutes. Top play by Welbeck to win the penalty and provide the assist for Giroud. I hear he was outside the box when fouled but it didn’t look that way to me on the replay and offside for the second, although there didn’t seem much protest at the time. How wonderful to get a decision go our way for a change and the three points won yesterday makes up a little for the points lost when they haven’t. I don’t think these things even up over the course of a season but we deserved a bit of payback. Before the game I saw a couple of articles that suggested that Van Gaal was right to let him go and that he wasn’t up to Arsenal standard, so I was pleased that he so quickly proved himself. I have no doubt whatsoever that he will become a major Arsenal figure and suspect that more than many he will benefit from working closely with the manager. After all Arsene Wenger seems to have done a pretty good job with Giroud, who was on hand again to score what proved to be the winning goal. And beyond that I can’t comment as I haven’t seen the game properly at all, but what I do have is a satisfied and slightly smug smirk on my face as I listen to the moans and groans of the media, Mourinhos and Rooneys of this world. We are third now, have a Champions League home fixture to look forward to, before preparing to face Everton next Sunday. And Jack is back. What’s not to like?