I thought it was about time, in keeping with other blogs, that Positively Arsenal released a manifesto with a clear plan of how Arsene Wenger and the club should proceed, in order to meet our requirements. I’ve brought all of my knowledge of football and running a billion pound company to bear. Of course this, like all the other bloggers, amounts to zero. But I won’t let that minor detail stop me from pontificating like an expert on all matters.
1. Formation.
We should use the “in vogue” formation of the season. So basically, whoever is winning the league, that is the formation Arsene should adopt. Last season we should have been playing 3 4 3 and the previous season 4 4 2. I understand it will be difficult to copy this until a clear leader is established, but for now I’ll accept the 3 4 2 1 we ended the season with.
2. Tactics.
We should sit back and use our formation to hit them on the counter with pace and power. In order to best do this we should allow the opposition to control the game with possession, and lull them into a false sense of security. I accept that might be a problem with teams that don’t want the ball either, and have set up to sit back, but we can play out a nil-nil, and no damage done. If we are playing a top team and go a goal down, in no circumstances should we go on the offensive. We must bring on more defenders and make sure we don’t get “embarrassed” as our delicate fans can’t cope with this.
3. Rotation
Players should be rotated much more than previously. Better use of the squad should be made. This will never be a problem as no team has to play their best players and our fans never complain when the best players are rested. Should we lose a game that some of our best players have been rested for, that will clearly have been a mistake, but will never be used as a stick to beat the manager, because we fans would never do that. The simple solution is to have all backup players at the same standard as the best ones. I don’t understand why this isn’t the case. We are loaded as a club. Just buy more top players.
4. Injuries
Injuries are unacceptable, especially long term ones, and should not happen. In 2014 the club hired Shad Forsythe as the new head of athletic performance enhancement, I have noticed we are still getting injuries, this can only mean Wenger is interfering in some way. We hired the best man and yet we still get injuries. This can’t be allowed to continue.
5. Coaching Staff
I have no idea what any of the coaches do, but I’m convinced someone else could do it better. I mean what does Steve Bould do? We keep conceding goals so he must be crap ! Unless he isn’t being allowed to do anything by a manager that insists on having 600 staff, but does everything himself. I suggest we bring in someone with a proven record, Tony Adams perhaps? His teams never concede goals.
6. Director of Football
We should hire a DoF immediately. He should be a “real football”man, someone that knows better than the manager what players the manager wants to work with. He should be able to “get it done” even when up against clubs with greater resources. We are after all – The Arsenal.
7. Transfers
Transfers should be done quickly and efficiently, preferably before the transfer window actually opens on the 1st July. The club should publish a list of our targets, with details of fees and wages, so we can understand and approve them. If we have more than one target a Twitter poll should be run so as to help the club know who they should prioritise.
8. Deadwood Players.
When , through injury, loss of form or another player becoming 1st choice, a player should be deemed “deadwood” they should be sold. It doesn’t matter who wants to buy them, or what wages they are being offered, they should be somehow forced to leave. We can’t be paying wages to someone I’ve decided I don’t want anymore. And don’t give me any lame excuses like “he has a contract”. Get deadwood out of my club.
9. Ownership.
The majority shareholder should either spend his own money subsidising us, or sell his shares to someone that will.
10. Transfer Spending and players wages.
The accounts show that the club basically breaks even every year. So this would indicate that spending is in line with income. This is rubbish, we could and should spend more. Who cares if we are in debt? The club should be spending like drunken sailors because I don’t care about anything accept results on the pitch. A board full of football men with no idea about business would surely be better than the bunch of educated “conservatives” we have now.
Ok, that’s 10 to be going on with. I have no doubt you all thoroughly enjoyed my pearls of wisdom. Clearly I know my stuff, I’m a blogger after all.
Positively Arsenal 
That Meerkat is a dickhead.
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This blog is a shambles
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“We should sit back and use our formation to hit them on the counter with pace and power.”
Worked for the England Xi against the French reserves plus Giroud who didn’t out muscle the England CBs and defenders when the non PL rep didn’t allow the opponents to foul the CF repetitively (“it never happened, even whilst it was happening…”), and when they bought on Kozza that was it: game over!
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Kos was peerless last night.
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Thats more like it, now put this on a banner and fly it up,down, all around and hey presto! instant celebrity fan manager!
Now stop dithering and spread the word!
Lets go ranting… (“Lets go trippin'” starts up by Dick Dale in the background)…
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This manifesto isn’t fully costed George,
The fixtures at first glance look better than last season although the europa games will play a big part in the difficulty of the following games and we dont know those fixtures yet. The start looks quite difficult with alot of the big games being away in the first part of the season.
The traditional black months of November and February have difficult fixtures in them with the spuds and city in both months.
Apart from the thursday games there seems to be quite a few tuesday games, considering we will be playing more sundays this also could produce problems. chelski on news year day, just two days after a hard trip to west brom when they are at home, is obviously a disadvantage.
The last ten games seem on paper much better than last season with only manure one of the traditional big teams to play. If we are leading the league by more than six points by that game we could win the league at old trafford again, obviously a dream scenario with maureen crying all the way into next summer.
Of course the main thing about the fixtures coming out is it tells us the new season is coming and with it glorious Wengerball.
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Very good, you capture a little bit of every Bob the Blogger and Arse-expert somewhere in there.
I see the latest fuss is the (entirely unsurprising) news that the club will be retaining their coaching and backroom staff for the coming season. Much finger wagging and harrumphing among the the Scarfists at the confirmation.
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Soft opening three months at home, tricky visits to Anfield and the Bridge. Will be looking for Goodison to revert to the standard three point fixture. 24 points after 10 games entirely do-able.
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that manifesto missed some crucial points, what about the development of young players, surely we have to safeguard ourselves so that a Gnabry type situation does not happen again, so I propose that every young player has written into his contract that Arsenal FC and only Arsenal FC will decide on contract extensions, the player can not have a say in it, if offered a contract extension the youth player must sign it, in fact scratch that, this should be for all players, then we don’t fall into the problems we are having with Oil and Alexis.
So best thing is that we have a rule that all players are on 10 year contracts but with a clause that they must leave if we deem them surplus to requirements, or are DeadWood
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Bravo. The Meerkat took care of Bob the Blogger and Tom the Tweeter in one fell swoop.
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novemeber, december and january see us play
man city away
spurs home
man utd home
liverpool home
chelsea homr
but the really nasty month is February our 3 league games are
Everton home
Spurs away
Man utd home
just noticed that we have 7 league games in December and we will have a Europa league game too, and there might even be a league cup game to find space for too
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‘The dynamic depends on the individuals’
The stats since we moved to a 3-4-3 formation make for a compelling case: 10 games played, nine won, 20 goals scored and just seven conceded.
But while Arsène Wenger is pleased with the way we ended the season, he insists the result of a match ultimately comes down to who the better team is – rather than the system they use.
‘This formation is good for the team’
Ramsey – Why I thrive in our new system
“The system basically is the way you spread your forces on the football field,” the manager told Arsenal Player. “After, it has one basis: basically the position of each player is the house you have to come back to when you have gone somewhere else.
“After, the dynamic, the way the different forces on the pitch interconnect, that depends on the game, on characteristics and on the strength of the player.
“For example, it’s different if you put Gabriel on the right side as opposed to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Of course it becomes a different animation and a different system. With Gabriel, we become more solid defensively. With Oxlade-Chamberlain, you will be more dangerous in the final third.
“It depends on how the system is functioning. The dynamic depends on the individual qualities and characteristics of the players.”
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20170614/-the-dynamic-depends-on-the-individuals-#Hq23K45igflm6Usl.99
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Lucky we have a big, strong squad – lot of hard work to do. That’ll teach them to drop out of the top 4.
Looking forward to the Europa, few new opponents, probably a few young Arsenal faces, cheap tickets and I will revise my avoidance of midweek games.
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I felt a bit nervous about Feb but these days who can tell which games are easier? Could be March thats a difficult one? On the other hand maybe next season is truly ours?
Funny to be playing the Seaweed again after all these years ( in the league at least), and Huddersweat will know doubt put up a fight. Herbs a smiling somewhere?
And theres no reason why we cant win the Europa league…
At least we can be certain of one thing next season, the undying support of the Wob, supporting their team, their club with the relish of any visiting teams fans.
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Is Stones an uglier mule then Mangala?
City spent £80M on two dud CBs (Maybe Stones just needs a few seasons) but Bob the Blagger tells his readers constantly over the last decade that AFC should (not could but should!) be doing the same!
Was it a voluntary lobotomy or did the doctor do it out of pity who knows but I wish they’d…*takes a leaf out of St. Jezza’s guidebook and tries not to curse*
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In my expert opinion Stones does not know what sort of footballer he wants to be or should be. He veers from trying to be a ball playing centre back, dribbling out of defence, picking out the PASS, beating men on the edge of his box etc – then he gets caught out and reverts to a standard ‘hoof-it’ Cahill style clogger.
Make you mind up son, before it is too late.
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just noticed that once again for some very odd reason the fixture computer has managed to give Arsenal away games after 5 of our 6 EL group games. And just to help us out they have given us two very nice easy home games prior to our final two group games, Spurs and Man Utd.
EL Game – Next BPL game
14th sept – Chelsea away
28th sept – Brighton home
19th oct – Everton away
2nd nov – Man City away
23rd nov – Burnley away
7th dec – Southampton away
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Btw: The most outstanding talent on show in the FRAvENG game last night was the Video Asst Ref. Got every call right. As much as we hate that serial diver Alli, Varane was rightfully red carded for being the last man who fouled to stop an obvious goal scoring opportunity, contrary to the blathering on my replay by that ignorant Scottish pundit Craig Burley. No problem with Scots btw but Burley is an egregious example of an ex-pro who as a pundit repeatedly spouts the most reactionary football ideas and uses his Scottish pedigree to suggest he is somehow superior to everbody else.
The VAR can’t come soon enough. I welcome the death of footballing teams being cheated of penalty decisions (for or against), offside goals, defenders and attackers manhandling opponents without fear, as well as diving and conning of referees. Lets hope that public pressure forces the fixers in IFAB (part of FIFA) to make clear transparent rules for the use of the Video Ref. Knowing how corrupt they are and a long history of manoevures to maintain power at all cost we can’t take the VAR rules for granted.
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Shotts,
If the Old Blazers down at the MCC can calibrate their tools to still allow and respect the on field officials judgment (especially in the case as something as complex and esoteric as the LBW law): then IFAB/FUFA have no excuses. For having delayed for so long for starters.
Given the record it’s honestly not encouraging that they will calibrate their system to be as successful as those used in every other sport, in supporting the officials. But as above the examples and references out there do exist, have done for some time now (decades!!!) so if they arse it up there are plenty of these references that we can use to measure what they are doing.
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Have it Jezza
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ha ha, brilliant stuff
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This manifesto dosent need the DUP to prop it up!!
Nice one George.
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Can anyone explain how Man Utd. Are claiming they’ve singed Linderof 2 weeks before transfer window opened?
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I’ve been having a few discussions about how much spurs (England) players are being talked up, especially to the detrement of Arsenal players. At last after last night performance a few people might just be taken a bit more notice. I like Delle, I think he is a good player but no where near what the press have been hyping him to and now this.
BBC 5 live SportVerified account @5liveSport 1h1 hour ago
“I like to call him the broadsheets friend”
Shaun Custis says Eric Dier has been made to believe he’s better than he actually is
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Anicoll5
Corbyn may love Arsenal, but he didn’t do himself or his party any favours with that disgraceful interview on LBC just a few hours after the terrible fire in West London. I see someone on Untold appears to have also picked up on this,
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hahaha…..oh this is just beautiful…. truly lovely stuff.
thank you for this, still can’t stop laughing. More of this please.
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Top advice here George. I hope you are already orchestrating a positive protest if any of your points are ignored.
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I do have a question about players, and it was one prompted by Eduardo’s musings about ins and outs. I understand that we need a squad of 25 – and I also get the need for an academy squad. I even get the point of the various youth teams (although I remain unconvinced by how much good it does anyone, least of all the child, to be playing for Arsenal or Spurs or anyone else at the age of 10).
But taken overall, there are an awful lot of players signed up, the huge majority of whom have no chance whatsoever of ever playing for the First team. And I am left wondering what is the point of it all.
Which in fairness is a question that has exercised greater minds than mine over the years.
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well foreverheady the stats show that around 2% of players taken on by pro clubs at 16 on a two year scholarship is all that have a pro career. Of course its a higher % of those taken on at the BPL clubs, as even when they leave those clubs they have better chance of being taken on lower down. By the very nature, they are at the BPL club over the lower league club, cos they are better players, so when they don’t make it at BPL club they have better chance than those that fail at lower league club. But 2% is an awfully low amount, but when you consider that each BPL club take on about 10-15 or even more 16 year olds every year, that is 200-300 lads right there, and there are not 200-300 players retiring each year, so there is not actual job there for them.
As for taking on 10 year olds, well since football at schools, and local level has gone by the wayside, it has fallen on the clubs to provide the training. Thankfully more and more clubs are now insisting that the young lads do academic classes too as part of the whole thing, and at least it is helping them for when they fail.
of course a major problem is that many clubs lead the young lads to believe that they are certain to be stars, when in fact no coach is even sure if a lad of 16 will make it, let alone a boy of 10 or 11.
Liam Brady said that one of the biggest problems he seen was that young English lads – especially the white one – thought once they got taken on by the likes of Arsenal, at 15 or 16, thought they had made it, thought they were stars, and then do not have the same work ethic of the foreign kids, or the kids of immigrants, that now most English kids have a easier lifestyle than say Brady’s generation had, and so do not have the same sort of desire to better themselves, to get themselves out of poverty.
Brady said that it always amazed him that no matter how much they pointed out to lads the need to work on their game, and what they needed to do if they wanted to make it, how often the talented English kid did not listen, how they thought that they had made it, that their skill alone would get them to the top. LB said that they might point out to two lad that they needed to improve their left foot, one English, one either foreign or an immigrants child, and that the English lad would expect that team training session time would be used for this, while the foreign or immigrant child, would stay on after team training and work on the fault, while the English lad would be off playing on the play station or be down the pool hall.
Liam Brady also said that the massive wages 17 and 18 year olds now get, is causing problems, that too many of the lads now do not progress once they have big money made. That the desire to make it is not strong enough.
Oddly enough Brady also pointed out that it don’t seem to matter as much to kids now, that years ago when they would tell a young lad of 15 or 16 if they club was taking them on on a scholarship or letting them go, there would be the two side of emotion, pure joy or devastation, but that now, more and more, either decision didn’t seem to matter as much to the lads, and that while it was good that the lads let go were not as upset as in the past, it is not good that those offered a deal, were not as excited by the prospect.
Also a big problem now is the parents, we have seen it at AFC with the mother of Maitland-Niles. That now too many parents see their talented kids as a cash cow. And all that matter to them is which club is offering the biggest pay day, and not which club will offer their kid the best chance of making a career out of the game.
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Very perceptive Post, PG, thank you and it neatly sums up everything no one knows!
The only item I need clarification on is the part that refers to the demand that, “Players should be rotated much more than previously” – will we buy individual rotisseries for skewering and turning the appropriate players, and is there a suggestion that “the deadwood” will be used to good effect in cutting company costs by fuelling the BBQ?
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From my understanding some of the independent football youth teams / academies are no better then a cattle market. not cool at all. especially when we are talking about children.
Some independent and club academies are more true to the original community hub/club ethos of many football clubs. Both in the UK and elsewhere.
Some people dream of playing football like Messi
Some people dream of being football agents like Raiola or Mendez, and when that fails they’ll scrounge what they can from around l’grove.
I think AFC do quite well with their youth work in the community etc using young coaches and kids on the books to help out at street parties (bringing along Football gear for kids to play with) etc. they do it better then most.
In the interest of balance we can be critical of some of the youth scouts (completely different topic) for ignoring Clyne etc. In the case of Clyne, if the story is true, then the scout who ignored him because he thought the player was “too small”, he should’ve been chained to Tony Adams’ statue and pelted with rotten fruit and veg for at least two weeks as a fitting punishment for such blasphemy.
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eduardo792
I am fed up of people having a go at Maitland-Niles mother, I have pulled up more than one person about how much they actually know about his mother and the alledged situation and what happened.
Now you seem to think she see’s her son as some sort of cash cow.
You are out of order
Do you know her?
Where do you know her from?
You I suspect have gotten half a story and made up your own mind, I know people who were there on the said day and they did not know anything had happened except for seeing a police car when they were leaving.
There is a vested interest in vilifying and undermining women firstly, then black women in football and life in general,I can provide proof .
Heather Rabbatts, Karren Brady ,Diane Abbot, Kamala Harris, and several more
Mick Mcarthy a grizzeld old ex-pro who played for Barnsley, Republic of Ireland of the kick em and rush Jackie Charlton and Millwall of the 80’s was shook bye a little black woman who used harsh language on a voicemail, give me a break!
.He should be ashamed that story got out.
Mr Wenger has spoken in excellent and glowing terms of Miss Niles, so who you going to believe The MSM or Mr Wenger?
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George,I find your lack of respect for the bloggers,podcasters & Arsenal top table Twitter staggering. If you carry on like this I’ll have to invite you on the Melcast.
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Evening Mel – How IS Hollywood?!?!
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Arsenal’s first team squad return to training on July 3rd – minus players with extended international duty.
Arsenal’s first preseason friendly game kicks off exactly four weeks from today as they face Sydney FC
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seemingly the FA are in talks to downgrade the FA Cup, with replays likely to be scrapped, and the competition played midweek. It will be dressed up as a way to help England national team by making room for a mid season break, but in reality its cos the BPL is the real money making machine, and SKY/BT are not paying all this money for the FA Cup to play havoc with the BPL fixture list., after all that is the tv companies job.
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I’m outraged, shocked and even embarrassed to see Everton sign “Arsenal Target” Jordan Pickford for a £25M fee that could rise to £30M, dithering Wenger has allowed this to happen, its almost as if when he said Arsenal were not after Pickford, and had no need to sign a keeper, what with us already having Cech, Szczesny, Ospina and Martinez, that he was telling the truth, but Jordan Arsenal Target Pickford tells a different story, now who to believe, Arsene Wenger, or the Headline writers and journos.
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New post up
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