By the time you read this it is possible that Jamie Vardy may have been announced as the second major signing of the summer. If so it will be an almost Fergusonian transfer. Buying the star striker of a top four rival, spending big to cover a temporary injury problem on a player with only a couple of years left in the tank. Aggressive, positive and short term. Well, possibly – that is one interpretation.
Of course Vardy might simply prove to be this summer’s Higuaín. A steaming heap of click baiting baloney providing social media know alls and bloggers like me the opportunity to spout ill informed bollocks about something which was never going to happen in the first place.
I’ll be up front with you; I don’t give a hoot either way. Similarly the Suarez transfer never interested me in the slightest quite simply because it never happened and never came close to happening. It was as worthwhile a use of our time and attention as a discussion on whether or not the earth is flat.
I no longer get angry when people follow up on the journalist’s daydreams and discuss them in all earnest – after all like the flat earthers they do no one else any real harm. They’re entertaining a fantasy which engages and amuses them. So what? The real transfers happen in due course and all the stupid pointless arguments and debates about the hallucinatory targets and fees evaporate like the hot air they always were.
So it isn’t the existence of the Vardy rumours which interests me. It isn’t even the moral debate which signing such a player, even in merely hypothetical terms, has provoked among my friends and other contacts. What made me prick up my ears was a conversation with my wife, a person with less interest in football than I have in macramé, as we traversed the car park of our local Lidl.
I’d outlined the problems people were having stomaching the thought of cheering on a man who has proven to be of dubious moral fibre. ‘But you can’t control that’, she said, ‘you have no say in the players you support. Someone else hires them, someone else picks them. In any case they change every year until after a while the entire team has altered and yet still you support it. Heck the manager and coaches change, the kit and the badge change and even the stadium can change, and still you support it.’
Then came the sixty four thousand dollar question. ‘What exactly do you support? If The Arsenal is like some huge, complex Trigger’s broom, what is it you are actually throwing your weight behind?’ My mouth opened and closed a few times as I absently stowed a half dozen bags of cut price and highly tasty groceries into the trusty Hyundai Matrix.
We can kid ourselves it’s the ethical nature of the club and quietly overlook the scandal of allowing people to work in and around the stadium on match days for less than a decent living wage. We can point to our players’ avoiding the tabloid excesses of those from other clubs as if they were saints rather than simply well drilled and controlled. We can dislike the politics of someone from Leicester City and assume none of the current or past squad are raving right wingers in favour of politicians who’s sole aim is the destruction of all that is decent in our society.
We can make a big deal of Arsène Wenger’s decency, the unquestioned statesmanlike dignity with which he manages our club, but then what if someone like Jose Mourinho was appointed in his stead? We wouldn’t stop supporting would we? We’d perform like moral contortionists, make our excuses and go on cheering for the team.
We stand on feet of clay and I suggest we have no option but to find shoes to fit them. It’s distasteful sometimes but what can we do? The only option is to support someone else and good luck finding another team any better or more consistent with your moral stance. I suppose one could just give up following the sport at all, but where would be the fun in that?
So what did I conclude in the supermarket car park? What exactly do I support? If not the players, manager, owners, stadium, crest or shirt then what? In the end I decided all I was left with was the name. It seems that I support The Arsenal. And like my marriage I do so for better or for worse.
Positively Arsenal 
Stew, his wife more or less confirmed it on twitter.
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Wasn’t that a fake Twitter account not that if know?
I guessed that it was the comment from Giroo that induced some (me inc.) to consider the rumours?
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I first heard the Vardy story on the radio on Friday evening and as it seemed to have moved beyond speculation and was then confirmed as a thing by David Ornstein I assumed a degree of truth. I then went through the same mental process as I had done with Suarez a couple of summers ago, ending up (rather weakly, I suppose) feeling that if it was okay with AW then it was OK with me. Which in itself is ridiculous because I have chosen to believe that AW is a paragon of all that is virtuous in the world, when the reality is possibly quite different. And of course now I have performed those mental gymnastics, of such dexterity that even Sir Archibald Jumper would applaud, I feel that he is the player who will indeed make all the difference and I find myself hoping that he will play a key role for us with all the fervour and star-strickenness that characterised my very early years. guilty as charged, m’Lud
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Did she George? I’ve not been able to find that. And Olly was simply responding to the rumours surely?
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Noticed Weighty has spoken some sense about whether Vardy will work for us footballistically. The following is the only link I found:
@tomgunner14: 100% Agree! Well said @IanWright0!👏 Every Arsenal fan should read. Hope Vardy decided to join Arsenal after the Euro http://twitter.com/tomgunner14/status/740830829107122176/photo/1
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8 years ago today Ramsey signed for AFC
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7 weeks today arsenal will play their first pre-season game, v MLS All Srars
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In your Spitfire this morning Eddy ?
Nice shot
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Beautiful!
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Little bit politics before KO?:
https://m.dreamteamfc.com/c/revealed-jeremy-corbyn-spends-loads-parliamentary-time-supporting-arsenal/
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Gir ooooood!!
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We all saw Payet’s quality on the opening day of last season.
Giroud the French no.9 and Payet their tennish player, scoring and creating but it was their key player at the back who gets my MOTM
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I’ve just watched the highlights of the France/Romania game. I can see why the hard of thinking are so negative about Giroud, as the commentators hold him to a different standard than others and are hyper critical of his every move. It’s so unfair that blackmailing scum with worse stats than him is more coveted because of an inaccurate perception. I’m rooting for him to get the golden boot to shut a few people up, as well as boosting his confidence for next season at AFC.
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I’m disgusted at the MOTD commentary. They are so anti-Giroud. They willfully ignore his scoring record. Isn’t it 7 goals in the last 6 games? Romania smothered France. They suffocated France. Without Payet’s creativity they would not have won.
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Giroud battled all game and played a significant part in the favourable result….under pressure against a, tough, well organised team, a potential banana skin.
As many have previously said, Giroud is judged for what he is not, rather than for what he is, and that is a very good player. He has got Arsenal out of a few holes in his time….let’s see how he does for France in the next month. Giroud, unlike some, makes the very most of what he has been given, and he deserves utmost respect for that.
Maybe OG does not have all the qualities of Benzema….but that has to be put into context on the affect Benzemas alleged actions may have on team morale…..and France do have history on cohesiveness within the squad
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If Kane does as well as Girouds recent, the MOTD wankfest will be never ending and probably affect camera lenses
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Giroud off … up and running! yeah.. let the hater continue to say what they don’t know…
I was wondering myself whether it is not the same match where so many players were struggling… against the Romanian bus
Glad the coach does not follow the pundits false opinion.
If OG had not scored the first goal would Payets goal be the winner? seeing as Evra had other plans
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compare this to what BBC and ITV, and even RTE serve up as a match day panel
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Arsenal confirm Arteta, Rosicky and Flamini have been released, here is a list of all players retained and those released and some of the scholars
I make it 63 pros, not including new signing Xhaka.
Sanogo and Wellington are in the retained list.
Contract Players
Akpom, Chuba
Alves da Silva, Wellington
Armando De Abreu, Gabriel
Bellerin, Hector
Bennacer, Ismael
Bielik, Krystian
Bola, Marc Joel
Bola, Tolaji
Campbell, Joel
Cazorla, Santiago
Cech, Petr
Chambers, Calum
Coquelin, Francis
Crowley, Daniel
Da Graca, Kristopher Santos
Dasilva, Pelenda Joshua Tunga
Debuchy, Mathieu
Dragomir, Vlad-Mihai
Elneny, Mohamed Naser Elsayed
Eyoma, Aaron Jordan
Fortune, Yassin Enzo
Gibbs, Kieran James Ricardo
Giroud, Olivier
Gnabry, Serge David
Hayden, Isaac Scot
Hinds, Kaylen Miles
Huddart, Ryan David
Iliev, Deyan
Iwobi, Alex
Jenkinson, Carl Daniel
Johnson, Chiori
Kamara, Glen
Keto, Hugo Oliver
Koscielny, Laurent
Macey, Matthew Ryan
Maitland-Niles, Ainsley
Malen, Donyell
Martinez, Damian Emiliano
Mavididi, Stephy Alvaro
McGuane, Marcus
Mertesacker, Per
Monreal, Ignacio
Moore, Tafari Lalibela
Mourgos, Savvas
O’Connor, Stefan Ramone Sewell
Osei-Tutu, Jordi
Ospina, David
Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexander Mark David
Ozil, Mesut
Pleguezuelo, Julio Jose
Ramsey, Aaron James
Reine-Adelaide, Jeff
Robinson, Tyrell
Sanchez, Alexis
Sanogo, Yaya
Sheaf, Ben
Szczesny, Wojciech Tomasz
Toral, Jon-Miquel
Walcott, Theo James
Welbeck, Daniel
Willock, Christopher
Wilshere, Jack Andrew
Zelalem, Gedion
Scholars
Gilmour, Charlie Ian
Nketiah, Edward
Pileas, Kostas
Tella, Nathan
Willock, Joseph George
Released
Arteta Amatriain, Mikel
Flamini, Mathieu
Rosicky, Tomas
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list of all bpl clubs retained/released players
http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/2016-17/jun/100616-premier-league-clubs-submit-retained-and-released-lists.html
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looks like Arsenal U21’s one of 16 BPL U21 teams allowed into the Football League Trophy next season,
from Vital Charlton,
The Football League, or as it now wants to be called, the English Football League (EFL), have held their Summer Conference and confirmed that member clubs have agreed that from the 2016/17 season, 16 Category One Premier League/Under 21 sides will be welcomed into a new and fresh format for the Football League Trophy.
Most will know it as the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, but their sponsorship expired this summer, and we’ve already had plenty of talk of format changes to the domestic cups and even the suggestion of introducing a new League Three to the football pyramid in the future – and the idea of introducing Under 21 sides to the Trophy competition is a logical first step with it also being suggested that Under 21 sides could also fill a spot in the speculation League Three introduction.
Whilst it’s tagged as an ‘ongoing commitment to creating more and better home grown players’ any potential boost in reality that this might give to the next generation is offset by the fact that the emergency loan window has now been abolished, so youngsters will miss out on that chance to gain professional league football under their belts in that manner.
In any event, it’s no great surprise to see this idea come to fruition as it has been spoken about for a while, but it is only an agreement to trial it for a season at this stage.
With changes to the Trophy now agreed, it will see 64 sides from League One and Two, plus the 16 Under 21 set ups, and the competition itself will now include a group stage format with 16 regional groups of four sides competing against each other.
Each side will play the other once, but the Under 21 side will have only one home game
The top two sides in each group will progress through to the knockout stages of the competition, which will continue to be North/South based, and the Final will be, as usual, at Wembley Stadium in April.
The full details are expected within the next fortnight, and by then I would imagine the 16 competing Under 21 sides will also be confirmed – but it’s very much expected they will be Premier League based and any Championship Category One sides will miss out.
As part of the agreement, it’s also being said the Premier League are contributing £1million to the competitions prize fund to take it to £1.95million, and bonuses will be spread based on victories.
It’s also reported the vote itself wasn’t straight forward with a number of clubs voicing their displeasure – but the vote count hasn’t been released either from what I tell. But not every club being on board with this would’ve been expected to be honest.
With wider changes up for discussion as well, such as the introduction of a new division to allow the Championship, League One and League Two to reduce to a 20 side make up, chief executive Shaun Harvey said of the Summer Conference.
‘I would like to commend clubs for engaging in an open-minded and thought provoking discussion of these important matters. As outlined at outset, any decisions can only be made by clubs themselves and it was therefore essential that they had the opportunity to hear more about the thinking that has underpinned the Board’s approach and were able to debate all the relevant issues. Clubs have asked for more information, further consultation and the opportunity to discuss additional matters at subsequent meetings during 2016/17. In parallel, we will develop discussions with the FA and Premier League alongside other stakeholders across football, as we look to find what is best for the English game.’
For the wholescale changes that are up for discussion, no vote or final decisions will be taken prior to the Summer Conference in June 2017.
I’m not 100% this list is accurate in terms of Category One clubs currently, but feel free to correct in article comments – that said I’m not aware of other changes since Reading joined, and Bolton Wanderers dropped out I believe.
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Everton, Fulham, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Norwich City, Reading, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Other clubs could achieve that status at the next audit, and equally some clubs also don’t highlight their rank.
Whilst some will no doubt welcome this, namely the Premier League sides looking to boost the experience of their youngsters, plenty of fans will see it as the start to a slippery slope where wider football is again and further marginalised for Premier League priority.
Many will of course see it as a first step towards B teams, and again the advantages or disadvantages of that depend on where you sit in the pyramid and how much cash you have behind you.
And with mixed views already about the Trophy, the regulations surrounding squad changes and the like, many will also wonder if increasing the game schedule – given all the talk of reducing fixture schedules of late – will see the competition quickly lose more of its potential shine with weaker sides being picked, which defeats its purpose of being a better opportunity for a day out at Wembley for clubs at that level.
Read more: http://www.charlton.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=449415#ixzz4BGTD0Ac3
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so a little question that sort of follows on from the theme of this thread,
what constitutes a club legend, is playing for the club enough, or is there a set number of games he must play to be a legend, is it necessary for the player to have won a trophy at the club to be a legend, do they have to be considered by most to have been a very good player, does how they act in regards to the club, both when here as a player, and after the leave, have any bearing on it.
I know many would regard Ashley Cole and RVP as legends, but would not extend the same status to say David Price or Jimmy Rimmer.
For me branding someone a club legend is done far too easily now a days, and it is mistakenly used to describe someone who was a good or great player, and misses the way the player acted both at the club, and after they left, and how they act towards the club when working in the media.
For me two guys who were of similar talent and both won silverware at the club fall either side of the fence of club legend, Charlie Nicholas is a club legend, but Paul Merson is not, and for me its as simple as CN does not go out of his way to attack the club, while Merson, a man who so many gooners seem only too willing to forget, brought shame on the club during his time as a player here, but now, despite what the club did for him in his troubled times, can’t wait to constantly attack all things Arsenal. How on earth can anyone say he is a club legend. A good, maybe even great player, yes, club legend, no, not having it at all.
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Why disgusted George? Bored yes, but not surprised.
.Why they so palpably and undeniably hate the club and what it represets,we can nly guess. But their behaviour is predicatable.
In their coverage they showed multiple rreplays of Giroud defending from corners and NOT ONE REPLAY of Evra’s foul for the pen. You’ve got to laiugh at them. Risable and hilarious plunditry. And nasty too.
We know what they are up to.
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Condemned by a late evening hockey practice to miss the opening game I followed the match on Twitter. Despite my knowledge of that medium I was genuinely surprised to see the abuse of Giroud from some so called Arsenal supporters. It also reminded me that many football supporters are not used to seeing whole games.
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Well PA we got our Flamini back. Pointy-pointy, shouty-shouty Xhaka.
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That Swiss goal-keeper looks good
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Enjoyable game between the Swiss and Albania, plenty of chances at both ends.
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Re Giroud and the media: Lets call a spade a spade. Its typical anti-Arsenal propaganda which is repeated adnauseum because it appeals to the Anti-Arsenal Arsenal fanbase who are caught in their negative counter factual thinking. Because of the club’s success, due primarily to Wenger who has kept us in the elite echelon despite limited resources in recent years, many fans have this unfounded belief we would be superior “if only” we had the top players that only Barca, Madrid, Bayern United and the Oilers can afford. By slagging Giroud, the media are simply playing to confirmation bias which they know will be gleefully supported by fans from other clubs. As a fan of another club what would be better than to have the leading striker of one of your leading competitors slagged in the media as not good enough despite abundant evidence to the contrary. You would be happy cheerleading BBC, Sky, BT , ITV and every member of the yellow press who unfairly judge Giroud by a higher standard than similar strikers. You would be happy if it alienated Giroud from the club and the fans from Giroud. Thank heavens Giroud is a fighter and refuses to let the haters get him down.
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Amidst all the hoo hah about Arsenal’s spiral of decline and the rise of Tottenham (ground hog day anyone?) I think the groaners forget the following:
Arsenal vs. Tottenham 2015/16.
P: 3.
D: 2
W: 1 – Victory for the Arsenal courtesy of The Flame. What a winnning goal it was too. In MIddlesex no less.
Thank you Flamini.
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forgot > forget
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I don’t often watch football on TV these days, so it is quite eye-opening to hear these match co-commentators. They really should check the rules rather than mislead the average viewer e.g. it doesn’t matter if you get the ball if you follow through with your other leg and catch the player, it’s a foul and your ‘opinion’ is irrelevant.
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Ed, as much I love our youth football, totally against this trophy idea. Any dissolving of the enjoyment of the 92 etc is wrong. They will charge higher prices too. For many fans the trophy is their only realistic chance of a day out and silverware, glory and all. To reduce that chance is the wrong way to go.
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The Welsh fans are very tuneful in support of their team
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Well done Wales!
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after yesterday’s unfounded whinging by Arsenal fans about Giroud, they follow it up today with unfounded whinging about Ramsey, the fact that between them they scored in Giroud’s case, and set up the winner in Ramsey’s case, seems to have evaded the attention of the malcontents.
I seen one high profile arsenal blog today have a go at Wenger for Payet’s fine winner for France yesterday, you see that goal is proof that Wenger’s way is wrong, the author of the piece, has decided that Wenger does not allow our players to shoot from outside the area, and of course the author ignores the response that pointed out that up to Paytes winner, there had been loads of long range shots, and none of them had gone anywhere near troubling the keeper. As shotta pointed out, this sort of blogger is caught in a negative counter factual way of thinking, and soundbites, half truths, and after the fact outcomes is lapped up to reinforce the already held opinion.
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Another good game in Marseilles with the points split in the end. England unrecognisable from the recent shower in the friendlies. Much as it pains me Rose and Walker put on best attacking full back performance I’ve seen for a long while. Rooney did well, as did Dier. I did not know he took free kicks. Kane a bit feeble and Sterling wasteful. Still good though overall. Jack on late but very smooth, I expect more game time.
Russians dreadful in the first half- came back stronger in the second half and nicked a header.
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Positively Arsenal @Blackburngeorge 9m9 minutes ago Blackburn, England
Listen to these fuckers, when AFC dominate and don’t win, its called shit. But now its England,its unjust.
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Short, sharp and informative. Worth a read:
http://northlondonisred.co.uk/arsenals-stadium-debt-the-inside-track/
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Perhaps George can set up a PositivelyEngland site ?
Hilarious I know
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The assist from Ramsey was nice.
If I was dithering amidst my Venga vape I would worry about the freedom he has for Wales scrambling his circuits when he wires up for the Arsenal. Fortunately the Welsh manager today described him as one of the best midfielders in the PL.
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As for England. Too much Tottenham can’t be good for anyone. MOTD praising DA to the hilt whilst ignoring his inability to follow Wislhere’s instruction and mark the tall CB after Wilshere had cleared the ball. Quite a contrast to their coverage of Giroud. Hehe.
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Giroud: “Several people have told me I play better through adversity, but I dont always want to have to be fighting against the mudslingers”
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Last minute equalisers are always hard to take. I was surprised by Rooney, who played much better than anticipated
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Thought it slightly embarrassing how much better Wilshere looked than anyone else in the England team.
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I see Uefa are getting both barrels in the mainstream media for the chaos that preceded and persisted yesterday’s game. We have not seen a good riot like that at the Euros for ever so long – probably 2000.
How Platini and Blatter must be laughing.
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Wilshere did look impressive…..a shame these days, the media are only interested in alleged negative aspects of his life.
As an Arsenal fan, I would wrap him in cotton wool during this tournament, but if I was Roy H, I would be very inclined to start him
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Joel Campbell is finished at the Copa America, as Costa Rica failed to make it out of the group stages. A nice little rest for him now, before reporting back for pre-season.
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Not really embarrassing, ‘heady. We’re beginning to get used to seeing an England XI with nobody in it who would get a place in the Arsenal team.
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