Good morning Positive Arsenal fans or annyeong-hasimnikka this May Day (as they say in Pyongyang),
I admit I woke with a sharp taste in the mouth this morning. My mood was subdued. Things to be done but unsure exactly where to start on jobs that stretch out in front of me this Bank holiday. The sky light grey, the dregs of yesterday’s defeat in the glasses strewn around the place.
Of yesterday’s game not an unexpected result against a good Tottenham side who, certainly in the Premier League if not in Europe or the FA Cup, are a level above Arsenal this season. Just as Chelsea and Citeh were beaten 2-0 we joined the disappointed band. On the day they were better than us. I see that there was no shortage of BLAME to be apportioned for the result on social media, and on here!. Cut into who you want boys, they scored two and we scored zero.
It was a genuinely ‘open’ game. NLD derbies are very rarely sterile, tactical affairs. It would never be 0-0. History demands commitment and energy and I saw no shortage from anyone on either side yesterday. To add to the tension by 4.30 earlier results had provided both sides additional incentives. For us an unexpected springboard provided by Boro and Swansea past the Manchester clubs for a top 4 finish, for Tottenham the final chance to chase Chelsea. Both sides really needed three points.
We concentrated during the first half and other than two deflected half chances I thought our five-man back line defended well. The home side was faced with 8-9 red shirts as they moved towards our box and a boot or a head invariably stabbed the ball away. Our resistance was well organised and effective. Spurs had understandably came out with a plan to blow us away with an early assault but their efforts failed. In the final fifteen/twenty minutes of the half we got into the game, began to pass accurately and quickly and began to probe the Spurs’ defence. Larry was involved in a constant physical battle with the Spurs centre backs. Sanchez was weaving and bouncing. We also created two difficult goal scoring chances. Our finishing was off target.
I had cautious expectations at half time, a point achievable certainly, and if we could add quality to our offensive efforts perhaps all three.
Within twelve minutes of Michael Oliver restarting the second period we were two down. Both goals a failure of the collective concentration that had impressed me in the first disintegrated. The first goal saw two players in white shorts outwit five players in red, plus the keeper, to put away a scruffy finish. Within a minute Gabriel faced a charging Kane in the penalty box. Not another red shirt close by. The inevitable contact with the Tottenham striker took place. Kane put away a perfect spot kick.
Savage those these setbacks were we had the best part of 35-40 minutes to react and recover. Our first half efforts gave me grounds for optimism. As I said in opening there North London Derbies have goals. We had time, we had the players ……..
During that final period of the game, during which I anticipated we would fling ourselves upon the home side, we created very little. Up to the final third our football was tidy, within the final third we showed nothing to suggest we could penetrate the defence or test Lloris. There did not seem much variation in our approach. For a team full of intelligent players it was a predictable pass – pass – pass. Our shooting was always off target or weak. We had plenty of corners but each one was comfortable dealt with. Changes were made with Danny and Hector on, and later Theo, to no obvious effect. The game petered out. We had failed. My expectations were ash.
Of our players I make no criticism of Cech, the Ox nor of Kosc. Of the others I imagine left the pitch feeling dissatisfied with their afternoon’s work.
We shall not wallowing in misery for more than one day however.
We have an absolutely vital game next Sunday, against the Prince of Darkness.
Enjoy your Monday.
Positively Arsenal 
Yeah AST were on about “stock market rules”
(Raises eyes to heaven)
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What’s a wexit, Anicoll — cousin of a wabbit? lol
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See, it’s all jest spekulation, Anicoll. lol
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It’s odd really about these stock market rules and I vaguely thought we had done this a few weeks back
For example ;
If you discover your finance director is bent or stupid and has embezzled or lost £500 million then you are legally required to inform your investors via the market
The rest is purely discretionary
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Once Wexit is complete next up is Krexit
Henry – keep abreast in the fast moving social media age of mass movements !
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It’s not all Football Monthly and Panini cards now you know
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On things the club must do to improve
well wenger said on Friday that Arsenal must act much quicker in their transfer dealings. He explained that we must identify the likes of Mbappe before they break into the first teams, and once we go for them, get them signed (we tried to do just that but we did not persuade Mbappe to leave France at that time). we must get the signings of the like of Kante done before they get the richer clubs in for them. Again we knew about Kante when he was in France, but did not get a deal done and LCFC signed him.
As Wenger pointed out, its a balancing act, and a risky one at that. You can only sign a certain number of youths with potential, and you can only take a punt on a limited number of unproven up and coming players. You have to get it right, you have to be willing to annoy a certain section of the fan base by going that routed.
As Wenger says, its not only fans, but players, coaches, owners, that are all much more reassured by the big name, big money signings. So when you go the youth/unknown choice, you have to be more often right than wrong, and you have to be willing to be true to your choices.
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Wow Eddie. Some of those things the club “must do” to improve are really out of Wenger’s, Ivan’s or even Kroenke’s hands. By now we should know that unless you are willing to pay any exorbitant price a club or agent throws out there, the transfer market is a long drawn out process. The clubs with deep, unlimited pockets will swoop in early. Most rational, sensible clubs will do what happens in every market, i.e. bargain. Unfortunately there are at least 3 parties to a transfer, the player and his agent(s), the selling club and the buying club. All 3 must agree. If all 3 parties cannot, no amount of wishful thinking will get Mbappe this summer any more than it did last summer.
As for the revisionism and counterfactual nonsense by dishonest journos, bloggers and podcasters, if Arsene had push the boat out for Kante and Lemar two years ago they would have stirred an uprising in the fanbase accusing Wenger of wasting the precious xfer budget on cheap, unproven Frenchmen and overlooking equally promising young Englishmen. Sonogo cost £50,000 only and the b.s. directed at the young man by arseblagger and his ilk is enough to turn a grown man’s stomach.
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Sanogo …only fifty grand…..much maligned , but not bad for a guy who played a significant part in winning a first trophy for the club in several years, he helped turn that cup final.
And I was there when he scored four goals……
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yes shotta, wenger did point out that bringing in the likes of kante, marhez, etc from a ligue 1 or 2 team, or a 17 year old mbappe would see a backlash from fans, and he even hinted that players, and coaches, even directors would not be reassured by such deals. That going down that route would mean the club would have to be prepared to suffer that backlash.
He did of course also point out that such signings should only be part of the transfer system used, that the ozil and alexis type deals must be done when the opportunity arises too.
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so yesterday ian wright said if he was a player now and he had the choice of signing for afc or spurs, he would pick spurs, but today he says Arsenal should sign alli from spurs. you really have to laugh.
by the way he says we should sign mbappe and lewendoski too. is it drugs, drink or just lacking brain cells.
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Eddie: These last 12 years has taught us some bitter lessons. One of which is developing home-grown talent and fast tracking them into the first team is not as easy as it sounds. Challenges:
1) Competition to identify and sign young talent.
2) Motivating those who come thru the Arsenal youth system to not feel entitled but to be hungry and motivated to be the best they can be, not another Jay Emmanuel Thomas.
3) The complete lack of protection from the PGMO referees for talented individuals allowing cloggers to hack and injure without fear of sanctions (e.g. Ramsey, Wilshere).
4) A non-supportive media and a hostile, xenpphobic, loudmouth section of the fanbase who will attempt to destroy the confidence of a young player making 1st baby steps in the 1st team (e.g. Sanogo, Song, Eboue, Denilson).
5) Loaning out young players to complete their development can be hit or miss.
Importantly the club has not given up on the youth program and developing reserves based on local talent. Wilshere, Gibbs, Coquelin, Bellerin and Iwobi have all come through the ranks. Unfortunately none so far have achieved world class status. But one or two per year into the 1st team can be considered a decent return when one considers the savings in transfer fees as well as the added benefit of a player imbued with the club DNA.
Looking over the last few years, are we at the point where the balance has swung too much in favor of protecting home-grown players from the ruthless dog-eat-dog competition of the xfer market?
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Gazidis said recently that the aim for the academy is to provide 1 player every 2 years for the first team
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Dear HenryB. I wasn’t telling you what to think. I was telling you what I think about what you think. Isn’t that how a blog works?
But admittedly I was more abrupt than I could have been. I have two excuses to offer for that (No more excuses! Shard OUT!) One that it was late at night, and two, given our history, I assumed that it was a given that no offense was meant. So for that, I apologise.
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What I’d like the club to ‘do’ Andy, is what PA is doing but on a larger scale. Challenge the decade old narrative of ‘no ambition’, ‘soft touches’, ‘talk about how the refs have affected our season(s) – something even you don’t ‘buy’. In all basically get a PRO-Arsenal movement in the media going so that the pressure that our players is only about the game and not these inanities.
Players of Dixon’s and Henry’s era could block out the noise. It is much harder for this generation to do with the all pervasive ‘social media’. So when Dixon says the players have no excuse for not going to acknowledge the Arsenal fans, I’d tell him to take a look at their social media feed. (And by the way, the way I see it, players coming up to acknowledge you is to be appreciated, but them not coming to acknowledge you shouldn’t be castigated. Since when is it an entitlement?)
Arsenal’s old school stiff upper lip and keeping your head down approach to the media isn’t working anymore. It is contributing to the crazies ruling the airwaves, which in turn is affecting the team’s on field performance.
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Eduardo.
Ian Wright Wright Wright for the trifecta.
But on what Wenger said, is there a link for that? I can’t find it anywhere.
A lot is made of the club needing to change, and while that is true, it isn’t like we’re in an existential crisis. (I have been guilty of overstating the change aspect too) It only feels that way because we’ve been consistently good for so long, and because we have had the media and our own ‘fans’ pushing the club in crisis story day after day, year on year.
But it is probably true that what is needed is only a few tweaks, and maybe a refocusing of energy from being on the defensive all the time, to grabbing the initiative again.
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Mandy
My feeling on this is that Wenger is still undecided whether he wants to stay. I don’t think the fan outrage is his major issue with it.
But as purely speculation, some factors that he might be unsure about. Whether he believes in these players anymore, and vice versa. (He has always said he’s very self critical and self driven) In either case, if Arsenal needs a medium to major squad rebuilding this summer, does he want to undertake that? And how easy or difficult the club will make that, ie what the club is willing to spend, including on keeping players in the last year of their contract. .
The club for its part might be reluctant to commit to anything without knowing where we finish and might want to build in some redundancy in the club’s structure (ie to be able to function without Wenger) John Cross, the club’s go to guy for leaking information says Arsenal want a Director of Football, and I believe that. He also says Wenger is against this, and I’m not sure I believe that totally. I’m certain he has his misgivings and to how it’ll work and who it will be, but I don’t believe in Wenger being a dictator or anything. The one thing he truly loves is being out on the training pitch everyday.
If Wenger isn’t going to accept a DoF then I think he should go. Because I think it is essential for Arsenal’s future to not leave the club’s long term health in the hands of a manager only interested in adding ‘success’ to his CV over his 2 or 3 year stay. Of course, if the club can’t recognise that that isn’t Wenger’s style, then it is their fault, and their loss. My spidey sense says that it will be sorted and he will stay, because when it comes down to it, both parties want what is best for Arsenal. But we’ll see.
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4 (and now 5) and I’m out.
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Good Morning, All
Lovely sunny morn, and the Snooker was brilliant last night. Both Higgins and the eventual winner Selby played some stunning stuff.
I need to wander around and see who is up to what, or at least saying what?
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Shard,
There was no offence taken, and there never has been.
My sometimes eclectic humour is endemic in tall people like me, as you know, especially when my intelligent friends misread or misunderstand what I have written, and give me an opening. lol
My reference to Arsene and my preference for him to have retired 2 or 3 years ago was not deep ‘thinking’, simply a human emotional empathy with him over the rubbish he is having to endure from some in the sunset of his career.
Different thing to what you understood me to write.
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Hope so Shard, also think DOF and maybe others to undertake what will be a transition sooner or later would be a good idea, whether Wenger thinks the same is open to speculation. We are told Wenger is resistant to change, and very loyal to longstanding staff, no idea how true this is,but think it would be fanciful in the extreme to go into a transitional period after a relatively poor season just carrying on as usual. New voices , if not wholesale restructure can sometimes help and sometimes hinders enter may or may not be resistant to such alleged requests for changes, but I think at the very least, they would be an area of some pretty serious negotiation.
On another note, for once, have to agree with Stan Collymore on the divers. He also slated pundits for turning a blind eye, as they usually do with certain clubs .Players from Spurs, city and Utd exaggerated contact this weekend and profited. The usual suspects some might say, two of the players in question English as well, remember the times diving was a foreign disease. Gabriel was certainly rash in his challenge, but that’s two penalties Spurs have got against us in the league this season. no leadership at all from the league , FA and pgmol on diving and simulation
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Mandy,
When Rashford dived to get Manure the penalty against WBrom, it was clear there was absolutely no contact between him and Fabianski who clearly had no intention to take him down either as he pulled his hands away from the player.
Owen and the other TV commentator said it was not a penalty, but it was not a dive either as Rashford was just ‘riding’ the tackle. Excuses poor out of these ex-players mouths, depending on whether they personally know the player concerned, or have played for the club benefitting from the penalty. The reverse is true when they do not know the player personally, or dislike the his club.
Owen was always a diving cheat, but there are many others too, unfortunately.
Who would be a GK — if you stay back you are called spineless, or worse, if you try to get the ball, and no GK wants to give away a penalty, the player deliberately sticks out his foot to enable ‘contact’. Farcical.
And that is what Kane did to Cech on Sunday – he lost control of the ball which was on its way to the goal line, and decided to go over and touch Cech with his foot and guarantee a penalty.
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Anicoll,
Football Monthly and my Pannini cards are the best source of info — except for explains Wexit, Krexit, and Biscuit. So there.
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Mandy, think that’s six of last nine years we’ll be having a minus figure for pens, only two have been positive, while before that we were always positive.
One explanation is bad luck, aw, another that we’re not as good as we used to be. There’s some truth in the second one, but when we’re on a figure of minus 7 for that period and our rivals are plus 30 or 40 surely that can’t be right.
I doubt liverpool for instance have more points than us in that period and that’s surely a decent measure of how good a team is, which itself, long term, should be correlated with penalties won and conceded. Think it was Stoke, Sunderland and Villa we had similar records to in terms of conceding them. Hmmm.
Club must be acutely aware, to say least, of the record, (Stat Dna could knock something together about it in a tea break)- aware, pained and angry- which leads me to think they took on a policy some time ago of trying to never complain about refs in general, i.e while they-Wenger- will say post match if he thinks decisions were wrong, he basically rarely connects this to previous games or comments on how we do generally with them.
‘Disgrace to your federation’ certainly hints at someone angry at things beyond the day, and a loss of control
I can see why they’d conclude complaining is counter-productive and try to strictly rein it in, but i also feel they must see it hasn’t brought much reward as a policy.
I don’t see what we have to lose by now dropping it in with little comment- ‘we naturally expect worse given our record over ten years, and try prepare for it somewhat, but there’s only so much you can do and we have to play the game naturally without excessive fear’- after the latest decision goes against us what that penalty record is.
Let the media bash us and try to explain why minus 10 versus plus 30 or 40 is just bad luck, or because we don’t attack in the way that earns pens or defend the right way either.
It’s a gamble, it will surely provoke Riley’s wrath, but it seems well worth it to me. The disadvantages to us from the massive increase of pen-hunting in the league are pretty appalling.
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Henry, it was Gabriel that Kane kicked.
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shard 7.15
sorry don’t have a link, but it may have been an interview he did with a French outlet, although I thought it was part of his press call for the Sunday papers. either way I always find it odd how the little gems he gives are missed or ignored by the journos, and not expanded upon, and instead they all push a similar line, a similar topic, a similar story or even a similar slant on the same story. I had an old English teacher, and if all our reports/essays or even views on a subject were the same, he would have concluded that we had colluded or even copied from each other. Do the English football writers all sit together and talk about what way they should report on any given story, even match reports look like they have been written by just one person.
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It’s called an angle ed. Editorial line more respectably. Going beyond football, if you look at the news outlets, they do this too. Feed us what the higher ups deem is the appropriate line.
In the 1920s, Oswald Spengler wrote ‘Decline of the West’. I haven’t read it, but some of the quotes from that are amazing in how true they seem even now (or maybe more so)
“The press today is an army with carefully organized weapons, the journalists its officers, the readers its soldiers. The reader neither knows nor is supposed to know the purposes for which he is used and the role he is to play.”
“To-day we live so cowed under the bombardment of this intellectual artillery(the media) that hardly anyone can attain to the inward detachment that is required for a clear view of the monstrous drama. The will-to-power operating under a pure democratic disguise has finished off its masterpiece so well that the object’s sense of freedom is actually flattered by the most thorough-going enslavement that has ever existed”
“What is truth? For the multitude, that which it continually reads and hears.”
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/88483.Oswald_Spengler
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Henry B, make you right about Owen….Poch, a manager who clearly encourages, and gets away with cheating…. cites Owen as a reason for an if you cant beat them, join them attitude…after Owen dived to win a penalty in an England Argentina game
Rich, didnt realise this negative penalty balance went back that far, coincidentally to around about the time Mike Riley rose to prominence in the ref world…..and we all know what he has been capable of doing to Arsenal.
Agree, the club, and Ivan in his influential roles in various committees should be bringing some of this up. Wenger may keep quiet to greater or lesser degrees, but the new man when he comes may not, especially if he happens to be one of the fiery latin managers we are reportedly linked with. used to have a theory those in charge of the club put up with things as they always had the lucrative top four to fall back on, and didnt want to rock the boat and risk that. I hope the current league position gives them food for thought if they ever did think that.
Tottenhams predilection for dodgy pens this season reminds me a lot of Leicester last year, and Liverpool the season before that. Surely, on past record, if Kane or Alli go down, refs should be questioning it, but it seems they cannot wait to point to the spot, in our home ver of the NLD last Nov, I thought Clattenberg could easily have popped a hamstring as he rushed to give Spurs the softest of pens after one of their players jumped into Kos
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Jaysus! How many of you guys have worked with corporations, their owners, directors etc? The best run corporations do not make decisions based on public opinion. In fact the most insightful corporate leaders know that public sentiment is a contrarian indicator. For example 21 years ago very few in England as well as Arsenal fans supported, much less advocated, the signing of a Frenchman coaching in the J-league to become manager. Arsene who? Two decades later Arsenal Holdings PLC is not going to make decisons based on the results of 1 year out of 21. They are going to stick to the policies that made them successful while making tactical changes. That is why those believing and advocating dramatic managerial changes are going to be seriously disappointed. The business of Arsenal Football Club is winning football games while growing the club financially. All else is wishful thinking.
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Gabriel left enough of a leg out for Kane to find and use. It was a penalty.
A bigger question is, how and why do Arsenal so often concede a stupid soft second goal within one or two minutes of a first? It happens too often to be an anomaly.
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Apologies for being late to the party, but,as ever, I’ve really enjoyed following the debate, even though I could have wished for a happier motion (somehow appropriate given what we think of our near neighbours). I wasn’t able to see the game but Andy Nic’s review suggests that although we provably deserved to lose, it was very far from the shambolic disaster it has been painted as by most of the media and fans. What I have found interesting is the discrepancy between the coverage of Tottenham’s League form and their showing in the European competitions – which of course is perhaps best explained by the primacy of the premiership in the eyes of the Media. It is almost as if they own it.
With regard to our side though, I would love to know the answers to these questions.
What (if any) were the reasons behind the summer transfer window of 2015, where we only signed Cech? It seemed odd at the time.
What happened to the side that prevented them kicking on after Welbeck’s late winner against Leicester last February?
What were the reasons that lay behind the sudden loss of form 30 minutes into the Everton game in December 2016, a dip that we have yet to fully emerge from? Up until that moment the season was being wonderful. I know Shotta would point to the loss of Cazorla, but (and I’m only guessing here) we have been in almost relegation form since then, which seems to great a turn around to ascribe to the loss of just one player.
And, of course, what are the reasons for the way we are refereed, and the silence that greets that standard?
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This may be a rumor but, if true, proves my point. No matter how many declarations are made of early transfer decision-making, the clubs with outside money will jump in early and overpay:
“Chelsea are confident they have won the race to land £50m-rated Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk. (Source: Sun Sport)”
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shotta
Corporations don’t follow public opinion, but the most successful ones definitely react to, and even more, try to shape it. Arsenal are likely not going to do the first (good) but are failing in the second (not good)
I also disagree that we can’t win in any transfer dealing. The other clubs might have more resources, but we aren’t exactly little fish either. I can understand when a player is lost to a richer club, like Mata was to Chelsea. I can’t understand that as a macro view on all our transfers. If that were the case, we couldn’t have gotten Cazorla, Ozil or Alexis.
I think foreverheady’s questions are pertinent, and though we may never know the answers (it’s not like we DESERVE them) I think the key to our immediate problems lies in there.
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I never came across a well run corporation that could resist revenge Shotta and Shard.
I’d like to see a bit more ‘front-foot’ action from the club a la PA. Cancel the season tickets of the social media miscreants and banner wavers and ban them from the stadium for life. I am sure some devious strategy could be used to lose their renewals or appeal to H&S considerations. THINK OF THE FUSS. Employ a club press secretary for day to day pressers, pre and post match. If it is good enough for the POTUS it is good enough for the Arsenal. Most of the pressers are the same question/same answer so even I could do it, as for post match interviews – they are 100% rubbish content anyway – give Gunnersaurus the green light!!!
Stage manage an Arsene appearance once a month say, to a selected band of journalists with agreed script of questions, 15 minutes only. He is a very busy man. The Press secretary can work the Trump style Arsenal Twitter feed too – @realArseneWenger – talk total bollocks on social media but cut out the media parasites.
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Some very valid questions FH, would love to know those answers as well.
can only assume Wenger thought the squad was strong enough in 2015 to compete.
As for other questions, the self destruct capability of this and recent sides is a bit of a mystery. have often thought that Wenger plays a very high level, free thinking , intuitive game, very effective at its very best, but maybe not always robust enough to scramble through when there are injuries, a lack of confidence, or certain ref decisions go against them. This is an area that would appear to need looking at, whatever the issue.
Ref silence, another one I dont get
would add to the list….why wasnt there cover for Cazorla in place, knowing his age, recent injury record, and how important he is…why was Jack allowed to leave
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And having formulated the cub’s new media and fan involvement strategies he logs on to the ticket office to pick up a lower tier ticket for the Everton game.
Cheap at twice the price.
Is there no challenge this fan cannot overcome ?
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Be sure your sins, or your club’s sins, will find you out;
RvP from 2009 on chucking yourself on the ground to get the referee’s attention and win pelanties.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/sep/26/robin-van-persie-penalty-diving
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Many appreciate Chambo’s ability to ‘fall’ when ‘under pressure’ but that is not the same thing as witnessed with the pgMOB favoured laundrettes.
Thankfully Shotta concluded the pelanty debate, cheers Shotts!
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https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2017/may/02/david-squires-on-tottenham-finally-finishing-above-arsenal-in-the-league
Like Andrew, Shotta and Steww, David Squries does not dissapoint!
Like Shotts David was clearly inspired to put pen to paper following a cursory glance at by a strong and observable pattern from the last two decades.
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In a parrallel dimension VARs was introduced to football twenty five years ago (that’d be a quarter of a century for those who don’t trust informative data) without any oversight and involvment from crooks like Riley (oh, sure, he’s making some squaking noises atm, who could’ve imagined such a Carry On from this transparent ghoul eh?), and as the system evolved not only did it increase the respect for the skill of the non-crooked officials whilst ironing out some flaws (think of the imprrovement to the application of the lbw law in cricket resulting in a betterment for the paying punter, win win all round etc.) but the primary outcome from the use of VARs was to:
Laugh at (obvious) divers and cheats*, think of Toure’s comical dive last week, not the classic tumble on the blindside of an official though VARs would probably have eradicated that too…
*as well as the added bonus of protecting the best players, which of course is the only reason the officials are meant to be on the pitch: certainly not to apply their own interpretation of, and i quote, “game management”.
–
There is no rational or reasonable explanation that can be supplied in order to explain why the world’s richest sport is in such a retartded fix, in an era of match fixing.
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on the subject of next manager, well I know all the big names in the world are mentioned, but do we expect AFC to go for one of them, I’m over 50 years a supporter and in that time our managers have been
Mee – our physio, yes our bloody physio, watch out colin lewin you may be our man to replace wenger
Neill – failed at spurs and managed lower league Hull
Howe – Neill’s assistant, Steve Bould is our man I tell ya
Graham – from lower league Millwall
Rioch – from lower league Bolton
Wenger – from the J League, do me a favor, it will be from the Rhyman league next, or worst still the Scottish PL
now I do recall Arsenal trying for the Real Madrid coach to replace Mee, and we tried for some big name dutch coaches in our time too, and Bobby Robson and Terry Venables, and lets not forget we had Alex Ferguson for the taking but for Scotland being at a world cup, yeah really Scotland used to make it to world cups.
Not a bad list of big names we wanted to be our manager over the years, but we got none of them.
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Miljan Miljanic eddy – I remember it well
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My old pal Malky Makay is back working in football, a manager who only got great support from the likes of the hack dwarves & the sweet FA, just like Barton! I observe the contrast, and I make note.
He’s now working with a young Scottish national team, u21s or something like that. Who could’ve guessed it!
Somehow I don’t see the Fitba dragging itself out of the sewer anytime soon.
Could be a while before we see a Scottish team losing against Iceland let alone competing with them.
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George @ 9:37
Thank you for drawing my attention to a strange lapse.
It was, of course, The Toothy Warrior, aka Gabriel who became entangled with Kane-The-Diver. My bad.
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Lots of the media printing stories about Ozil on his way out, and Arsenal set price to sell, or Ozil demands 300k from Arsenal. What did Ozil do that was so bad that shows he’s on his way out or that Arsenal want to get rid?
He kicked a door in frustration and apparently told some Arsenal official to fuck off.
Oddly enough, if this weren’t a player who was so outspoken in his support for the manager, this might be seen by some as pashun and caring.
Also, on my news feed I saw LeGrove’s headline talking about A career noose around Wenger’s neck, and only fans can kick the chair. They want a public hanging for Wenger! And these people think they are fans of Arsenal? Worse than Spurs or Chelsea or ManU fans. Can you imagine if these fans had to live through what Spurs have had to endure for two decades? And yet they feel envious of them? What’s that word they like to use so much? oh yes…deluded..The lot of them.
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Shard,
With regard to Özil and the rumours about him circulating on the blogs and in the media, it does not seem to take much to set in motion anger and frustration, usually within a group setting, which does not require any factual proof.
Being an habitué of footballing blogs I am familiar with some of the terms that angry people use, including the one you referred to, and there is a latent tendency to become judgemental about someone [poor old Özil in this case — otherwise Arsene Wenger] who does not fit what they believe is the current norm, and whether it is against any other player or manager [Moyes?] this anger is turned on, the latent ‘superiority’ complex even leads this crowd anger to violate an individual’s rights.
This anger can then turn on other individuals who feel the need to protest the unfairness of such attacks, because the tone of the accusers quickly becomes ‘if you think differently to us, you are misguided, or mistaken or gullible/deluded or all of them’ and woe unto you.
To try and reason or argue with people in the grip of this self-righteous mindset only adds fuel to the fire — and is therefore pointless — one can only hope that such a phenomenon quickly exhausts itself, and the sooner the better — football does not need this.
Sadly, even normally decent, respectable people can be sucked into this cauldron, as ‘group think’ can be all powerful.
[Now see what you have done? Made me foolishly attempt to rationalise a disturbing football phenomenon.]. lol
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Shard
Le Groan has been pro-Wexit since since he was goose stepping in his bedroom to pictures (from the 1930’s) of disgraced members of the Royal Family.
The clue for those concerened is in the name.
To quote the late great John Belushi:
“i hate fucking (facists)* nazis”
*fascism is not colour blind.
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Thank you to everyone here for the most thoughtful and edifying discussion of the current situation. The anger, moaning, and self-importance elsewhere are boring and a waste of my time.
I used the time I saved to reflect on Sunday, the season, and the broader context. It seems to me that we are experiencing a “down year.” That’s no great revelation, but it needs to be emphasized that these happen in sport. They have to happen, I would argue, because to eliminate them would mean removing serendipity from sport. If the outcome was predictable, no sane person would watch.
This particular down year for Arsenal is well within the probability boundaries given our financial outlay. I remember reading some stats person say that the probabilities pointed to Arsenal finishing seventh at some point based on the correlation between transfer-spend-plus-wages and final league position. That we hadn’t was quite an achievement.
Coping with that outcome this season is a challenge because the financial trends have been improving our chances, though certainly not making any guarantees.
Longer-term, I have concerns about the club’s decision-making structures and processes, but I will refine the thinking and expression of those for airing at a less charged time.
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le Groan is exactly the kind of vampire in the modern game witnessed repetetively praising the likes of Mackay, or Rosie the dog, but constantly attacking AW.
I don’t have the power of telepathy. But I can think of, literally, hundreds of millions of reasons why someone would follow such a palpably disingenious path.
Let’s be real. It took ten years after the billboard went up for these clowns to work themselves up into a frenzy and brainwave of the recent projections on the buildings.
For context I know people that were projecting naked people onto Parliament two decades ago. if anyone was truly comitted to such a path, they’d do more then conduct a half arsed drip drip campaign against as big an institution as the Arsenal. Even for a self declared expert in PR, who scaled the Tower of Media to write for a rag that no one would ever pay for, this is a bit much to take in.
So if they’re not serious about the manager, clearly such a campaign cant be taken seriously, what is it about the club that they hate so much? That my good friends, that is the question.
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