Yesterday’s horror show at Anfield has brought out all the usual media clichés, memes and tropes about Arsenal Football Club. No fight, no leadership, no spirit, no heart, etc.
As readers are familiar, conventional ideas based on feelings and opinions have no appeal to me. There is need to identify the real objective reasons for this sub-standard performance and support real solutions rather than engage in hyperbole and vitriol. That is if we truly care for the club, rather than our own egos.
Arsene Wenger in the post game presser expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance:
“I think from the first to the last minute we were not at the level requested for such a game and not physically, not technically, not mentally were we at the level and we were punished and that’s basically it. You can of course analyse the chances we gave away, but I just think overall that the performance was not at the requested level.”
But he was careful not to offer his opinion as to why it was substandard:
“That’s a question that is very difficult to answer straight away after the game and there are some reasons, but I don’t think I have too much to come out on that now.”
We as fans are entitled to our own opinion. Many have been quick to suggest there was lack of commitment by want-away players prior to the close of the transfer window. Those of us who witnessed a very lackadaisical performance by Samir Nasri in his final game for the club prior to his Manchester City transfer have good reason to believe it is déjà vu all over again.
Outplayed in midfield
While there may be truth about lack of commitment by some team members, I am more concerned about how easily we were outplayed in midfield. Possession statistics are very misleading having Liverpool and Arsenal at 49% and 51% respectively. While Arsenal apparently had superiority, most telling was AFC’s inability to turn possession into goal-scoring opportunities. The data makes horrible reading. Liverpool had 18 shots on goal with 8 on target. In comparison Arsenal had 10 shots on goal, nearly 50% less, but zero on target. Watching the game it was obvious Arsenal’s midfielders were easily pressured and did not have the ability to retain possession or make forward passes into dangerous areas where the forwards could make good shots thus forcing the clearly skittish Kaius to make saves.
Whoscored.com summarized Liverpool’s strengths as the following:
- Created a high number of chances relative to their possession
- Stole the ball often from the opposition
- Were effective at creating goalscoring opportunities from the flanks
- Were effective at creating goalscoring opportunities from counter attacks
- Were strong at finishing
In contrast they concluded Arsenal had “no strengths.” (Brutal.)
Compare this to the similar fixture last year, Sunday, August 14th, at the Emirates when Arsenal lost 3:4 and the same analytics indicated Arsenal’s strengths as:
- Were effective at creating goalscoring opportunities through individual skill
- Were strong at finishing
Those with vibrant memories will recall Arsenal was playing poorly that day. The club was down 1:3 at the 61st minute mark when a certain little Spanish magician entered the fray and from his deep-lying midfield position helped retrieve some honor from a bleak position. It even worsened to 1:4 but Santi helped to stem the tide and bring it to a respectable 3:4 final score.
With Santi starting every game from then onward to October, when he finally succumbed to his current long term injury, Arsenal was an unbeatable force. I have kept banging the point since then. Arsenal’s midfield has a big giant hole, and needs a deep-lying playmaker to make the system work. This is a technically based team that needs technically accomplished players, especially in midfield, to play according to its DNA.
Arsenal’s midfielders are collectively inferior to main rivals
Based on EPL data, the brutal fact is, collectively Arsenal’s current crop of midfielders are arguably of inferior standard when compared to its main EPL rivals. I used data from Whoscored to compare like with like. For midfielders returning to their current teams I compared their 2016-17 data for Goals, Assists and overall Average Rating. By the way Whoscored classifies players like Alexis and Walcott as midfielders when in my opinion they are primarily wide forwards. In these cases and for similar players from other clubs they are excluded from the analysis. Similarly players classified as defenders but who played primarily as defensive midfielders, e.g. Emre Can, I include them in the analysis.
| Club | Goals | Assists | Avg Rating |
| Liverpool | 43 | 30 | 7.27 |
| Manchester City | 24 | 35 | 7.22 |
| Chelsea | 26 | 26 | 7.10 |
| Manchester United | 18 | 16 | 7.09 |
| Tottenham | 34 | 27 | 7.00 |
| Arsenal | 16 | 25 | 6.92 |
The data makes somber reading for all gooners. Among the top-6, of the returning midfielders from 2016-17 Arsenal is dead last in goals-scored and second from last in assists. Top of the list is Liverpool and hopefully the data should shut up the screaming imbeciles who think they are chopped liver.
What most concerns me is that although Wenger has bought quality players in Lacazette and Kolosinac to improve the forward-line and defense repectively, unlike his main rivals he has been unable to sign a top-top midfielder. Liverpool has brought Salah as an AM and he was rated 7.48 in the Scudetto, United has bought Matic who had a 7.01 overall rating at Chelsea last year, City has bought Silva who had a 7.29 rating in Ligue Une and Chelsea bought Bakayoko who brings a 7.27 overall rating from Monaco.
I am not arguing that any of these new players will suddenly become world class at their new clubs but they are clearly making an effort to strengthen with at least 7/10 players. Apart from Ozil, all other midfielders at Arsenal were less than 7/10 last year. This I would suggest is the root of Arsenal’s current midfield woes.
In my last blog I argued Arsenal will challenge based on the consistency of the club and its manager over the past 21 years and the evident efforts to strengthen the squad this season. The emotional outpouring of wailing and gnashing of teeth after the Liverpool defeat strengthens my contrarian conviction. There was a similar outpouring last year and the margin of defeat was far less. The data leads me to the conclusion that the manager knows where the weakness lie and will use the last days of the transfer window to try find a fix.
PS: I must take a temporary leave of absence from blogging to take care of some pressing issues. Hoping to return after the international break.
Positively Arsenal 
P.S. did I miss Oxlade-Chamberlain’s goodbye and thank you AFC message? Or was that it in the form of the giant finger he gave us on Sunday?
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passenal I noticed too how the media had decided to ignore Ozil body slam of the “legends” and instead to make it all about him going to leave, when he actually does not say it at all.
also p did you see how Arsenal.com gave Gibbs the big thank you send off but just gave ox the standard he’s gone type post, not much different than what they gave Sanogo when he was released.
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I see 17 year old Ben Woodburn of LFC has just scored a screamer for Wales on his debut. I seen him destroy our U23’s last season, a massive prospect.
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Croatia v Kosovo abandoned, waterlogged pitch
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once again well done Ozil, for the apology days earlier and for this speech… would be great if he can ease the pressure on AW by signing as soon as possible
still, I trust him to be professional, all the signs and ingredients are there
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Transfer window shut,
Chelsea got Drinkwater,
Everton got Drinkdriver
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Ramsey played full 90 mins for wales,
Monreal unused sub for spain
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Eduardo, I’m glad Oxlade-Chamberlain got no more than a perfunctory farewell on the official website. His lack of comment on his departure speaks volumes about what sort of person he is. Even Perez said a few words after only a year at AFC and a handful of appearances. He has a lot more reason to be bitter, but showed respect and maturity that the former can only dream about.
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typical anti arsenal headline
Arsenal finish 4th in rankings of CEO earnings
by the way this is the list of wages given in the article
TOP EARNING CHIEF EXECUTIVES
1. Manchester City – £4,410,000*
2. Manchester United – £2,962,000
3. Tottenham – £2,843,000
4. Arsenal – £2,608,000
5. West Brom – £1,952,000
6. Liverpool – £1,210,000
7. Bournemouth – £1,074,000
8. Stoke – £934,000
9. West Ham – £907,000
10. Crystal Palace – £692,000
11. Brighton – £578,213
12. Swansea – £500,368
13. Southampton – £445,000
14. Everton – £400,000
15. Watford – £245,000
16. Chelsea – £223,000
17. Leicester – £158,000
18. Newcastle – £150,000
19. Huddersfield – £73,489
20. Burnley – Nothing
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well passenal you will find that Perez is still an Arsenal player, he is only on loan, so he has to be a bit more cautious now doesn’t he. Anyway anything Ox has to say after forcing a move means little to me. Had a chat with a LFC fan today, and he thinks we robbed them, he can’t see Ox getting regular slot in CM at LFC
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I thought there was a statement from the ox somewhere… not missing it much cos am not happy with him but still, I think I saw a statement from him thanking the fans and team mates…. something about it being time to move on
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Lucas didn’t have to say anything Eduardo under the circumstances and I would not have been surprised. But the point is that Chamberlain spent 6 years at Arsenal and the club stood by him through numerous injuries. To leave without acknowledgement is poor. Funny how none of my Liverpool supporting friends have been in touch to gloat about stealing one of our players. He may have his moments, but he’s mainly style over substance and I’ve no worries that he’s going to set the world on fire.
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If you can find the link TS, I’ll take back what I’ve said, but I’ve seen comments from a number of players but not him.
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passenal ox did make a statement, time to move on yada yada yada
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Any news on Kos, he looked a bit in pain after France game
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Ox, over, done with, life goes on, worse things happen at sea etc and time for another player to really step up and fill his boots.
Ox was a decent player for us, but nothing really more. Wish him no ill, but one we can all get over
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I don’t mind much any grief Ox gets like I said, not happy with him and take no comfort from the speech. it was polite and okay, just would have preferred he sign and not disrupt a team being built him with him as a key member.
I think I saw it on the BBC live commentary when he was unveiled, certainly not going to look for it…
go ahead girl, give him all the grief. LOL
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If i had about 5% more faith in people, I’d be hoping Ozil’s statement could be the rallying cry it should be for our fans.
Could hardly believe it was real when I first saw it.
Seen some who are saying it is a cynical PR ploy- bullshit.
Those who appreciate Ozil will just appreciate him more. Those who don’t won’t change their minds. The arseholes in the media meanwhile will only attack him for it.
Presumably he knows that, especially the last part,and was still willing to do it. Kudos
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spot on rich, anything the ASB don’t like or agree with is a PR move, any bullshit that puts AFC or any employee in a bad light is the gospel truth, one of the big muppets piers morgan has already attacked Ozil for his comments, just watch his like minded or should that be small minded idiots agree with him.
some journos who bigged up the CS when utd won it last year, are now laughing cos Ozil called it a title(as in trophy), some of the idiots are even saying FA Cup not a trophy. again same people who lauded jose and utd for winning the league cup. Hypocrites one and all, the sad thing is that so many Arsenal fans go along with and back their nonsense.
I had a chat with a couple of mates recently, a utd fan, a liverpool fan a spurs fan and a leeds fan, and the utd fan brought up an interesting point, he said what sets Arsenal fans apart from fans of all other clubs, and the reason they are laughed at, has nothing to do with lack of league titles or CL, but its the fact that so much of our ex players, and fan base do not back the club or defend the club when media and other teams fans attack it, and instead so many do the attacking for them. They all agreed on this, and the Liverpool fan said he has never met another liverpool fan who would side with the media or another clubs fan in an attack on Liverpool FC and he says no Liverpool legend would even consider doing anything of the sort, as the fans would turn on him. They all agreed that they whinge and bitch about their clubs/teams at times, but just can’t understand this total undermining of Arsenal by Arsenal fans and legends.
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Eduardo, I hardly read and listen to what folks have to say. It’s my opinion and I don’t believe I am innacurate.
All along we hear how players are staying, then said players are out. I am not even saying not to sell the ox, but not on the last day and especially not to the team that put 4 past you the previous week. I cannot vibe with that. Arsenal have strengthened direct rivals too many times for my liking.
I don’t clamor for a bunch of signings every year, that is silly to me. I say Mahrez because he can beat most defenders 1 v 1 (and he scores), we need more of that in my opinion. I have always thought that we don’t go at defenders enough. Wilshere can help with that. I also rate that young man highly.
Yes, you have to try to keep out the negative vibes, but I don’t think the club helps itself at times.
I like the players in the team, hopefully we do well this season. We have ground to make up, obviously.
Anyway, I’m going to back the team regardless. I am not going against the team, even if I am bit annoyed.
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and Pau N how are u… been a while…
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paul, arsenal reference was chelsea but ox wanted only liverpool. the only option was to keep him. after the liverpool game, that was not an option anymore. i’m happy we are rid of him. left wing-back, i prefer kolasinac. right wing-back, i’ll take bellerin all day because he create more chances and defends better. right wing i’ll take walcott above him, let alone the fact that ozil now play that position in the new formation. i wont take him above iwobi on the left wing let alone sanchez who has been retained till january at least.
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Mehn! This Mesut Özil thing got me thinking.
His arrival coincided with Thierry Henry becoming a pundit. Henry made no bones about it that he never wanted Mesut at Arsenal but Cesc. He questioned everything about this guy non-stop, but Mesut just grew stronger and stronger. Pretty soon Wright, Keown and Merson joined in… because the King had spoken!
After his first 3 seasons Arsenal finish 4th, 3rd and 2nd and broke the trophy drought by winning 2 FA Cups in succession. The team put that heavy 8-2 loss, and the initial heavy defeats at Liverpool, Chelsea and Mancity early on in Mesut’s career behind them.
Arsenal found that magic to really kick on. But no! Henry and co wouldn’t have any of that. They kept holding the heavy defeats over these players’ heads, even when we dished heavy defeats out ourselves to others, they said scoreline was “flattering”.
Despite Mesut’s record breaking stats and obvious talents, they refuse to acknowledge that their initial assessments about him were wrong and they grew bitter each passing day because he made them look foolish. They even refuse to say it out loud that Arsenal finished 2nd in Mesut 3rd season. To this day still they see that season as a 2 horse race between Spurs and Leicester.
In the middle of last season, the burden of having to wake up and have notifications on their phones of ex players saying how useless they are, a gullible mob that use these erroneous words as evidence, coupled with uncertainty over Wenger’s stay became too heavy a burden for them and they had a mini collapse. But Wenger managed to pull them together, change things up a bit and they got their mojo back. Finished the season strong, kicking Mancity, Manutd and Chelsea in the teeth along the way, and got another FA Cup to reward their mental fortitude. We were all happy as partied to Despacito in the midnight hour.
Fast fwd to the start of this season: 3-2 down at the Emirates vs a spirited Leicester with 30 minutes to go, and if we are honest with ourselves, we would’ve been happy with a draw that night. But Arsène and the boys dug deep and secured all 3 points.
But our “legends” didn’t had words of praise for our players for showing “grit” and “mental strength”. No! all hell broke loose and the reporting and general punditry were as if we had lost the game. This rippled down to the baying mob. Our legends talked after all.
If these guys needed any strength as they went up to Stoke, they weren’t getting it on social-media, neither were they from any of out ex players. We lost that game, aided and abetted by some rather dubious refereeing.
2 games in… Keown, Wright and Henry pulled up their noses at this players, the ASB were out in full force. These guys were drained of any confidence. Wenger pandering to one or two players’ good senses as deadline day loom drained them even further of whatever little confidence they had left, and if ever we saw a team collectively have an emotional meltdown, it was in that game vs Liverpool. It all became just too much for them. And can we even blame them. They receive death threats from so-called supporters via social-media for crying out loud. Not exactly a booster when you travel up north.
This past week we saw the human side to these players; Giroud said he never felt so ashamed and beg of supporters to, well, support them, Ramsey’s best mate told how unfair it is to one week praise our boy, only to use him as an easy target the next. Özil’s DFB homies couldn’t help but ask him how do even cope with all of this bitterness from so-called legends and a hateful attention seeking mob.
Imagine that for a moment. Your own friends and family asking you why do you still bother, you are not appreciated and would be so much better off elsewhere.
What they do is kiss the badge and play with their hearts on the sleeve.
2 scenes of Mesut of always stay with me. When he scored as we beat Bayern he balled his eyes out in front of Wenger, and right at the end vs Mancity at Wembley in the semi”s, he couldn’t finished the last 2 minutes as his legs just gave up on him and he was gasping for air. He literally left it all on the pitch that day.
How can anyone not love these boys nor this team.
Its really time those that can’t stop yapping and create a hostile working environment for our players, just get over themselves and start supporting.
Mehn! I will always love Özil. Ya gunners ya!
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Labo goon
Well said.
We stand behing Arsenal and the boys
We stand with ozil
Ya gunners ya
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Ed
I barely looked at it but saw a retweet of the Moron’s response to Ozil. 100% predictable.
Think it was one of those where he dismissed the FA cup again. Interesting note on that is that only this week I’m pretty sure I heard one of the Pool players, probably Carragher or Owen, make a throwaway comment about their cup win in 2001 which made clear how much it meant to them.
That isn’t unusual. A while back I read the first 40 pages of Paul Scholes book, where he detailed that the cup final in 99 was probably his favourite ever game, and the reasons why. Pretty sure I’ve seen the same from Owen for the 2001 final. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen similar things in a number of other autobiographies. Big players who often had very successful careers spelling out the importance of the cup to them. Wright has probably done the same at times.
I suspect they talk differently about it in their books than they typically do on the telly, mainly because they tend to be on premier league duty when we see them, and to thrive on Sky you learn to be a good Sky man.
Whatever. Piers and others may try diminish the importance of the Cup but I think what it really means to players is a better gauge of what’s what.
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My thinking on Özil is that he makes a good team great. Germany would not have won the WC without him, and when we’re doing well he makes us look like we could beat anyone.
But because of how dependent he is on teammates running off him and getting the ball to him in the right places, he suffers more than anyone when the team isn’t working. I’m convinced you could get relegated with Özil in the team because he can’t seem to extricate himself from that malaise.
The problem with him isn’t about scrapping in 50-50s or yards covered; it’s about how alert and engaged he is.
He could be more of an individual and carry the ball against congested defences. I’d love it if he could eliminate defenders like Cazorla, and he could be a little sharper under pressure like we saw at Anfield. He looks like an easy target to cough up possession when things are congested and the team is low. And yeah, demeanour comes into it as well. He needs a captain in his ear, like we saw with Mertesacker.
You can never drop him because he can make the difference in a moment, but you have to weigh it against a lot of other stuff. I don’t mind saying this because he’d have signed if he was staying, right? One of the superclubs would be crazy not to go in for him.
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The so called legends can be really damaging to the players. Remember how Giroud suffered a serious dip in performance after being slagged off by TH? I was always lukewarm about him as a player due to his massive ego and neediness, but as a pundit I despise him. Same as Ian Wright, I loved him as a player in fact he’s the one that made me an Arsenal supporter. But since he became a pundit I’ve lost all respect for him. TH will not praise any other Arsenal player who might surpass him. He’s a massive tool as are the mindless idiots who listen to the garbage he spews. Who cares about the club he claims to love as long as he’s getting his 30 pieces of silver from Sky. Well fuck him and all the rest of them. The current players need and deserve our support while those dinosaurs need to STFU.
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Good to some old faces in the house!
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Yeah it is Fins, but sadly not Dexter. “There is nothing worse than a reformed AKB”
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Passenal, they’re from a different time and a different culture. English football doesn’t produce characters like Özil, or players with anything close to his ability. He might as well be from a different planet. They also didn’t play during when there was blanket coverage and twitter etc; they’d never understand how this stuff gets through. Says me who just criticised Özil.
I still love Ian Wright because his heart is in the right place. I just think he’s susceptible to prevailing opinion and doesn’t filter very well. He’s much more astute than Henry, who has turned out to be a bit of a Paul Scholes. People expected them to be lateral thinkers or something but there’s not much going on upstairs.
Adams just makes me feel sad. He’s travelling his own journey as they say. Merson’s the dumbest of the bunch and needs a wide berth.
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Wright has made more money as an agent then as a footballer or as a plundit.
Wright’s primary loyalty and allegiance is to the Agents’ Guild, the same guild that is so enamoured with the club that spend the same amount on Sanchez as a petro-laundrette would upon Bony (in case you were ever confused at the bad press, there are literally tens of millions of reasons that you can look to).
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Just lost a post comparing Ozil’s previous role as a ten in an Arsenal 433 with Germany’s flatter three CMs with Ozil playing the Arshavin/Nasri role, more or less, with the new set up seen since the end of last season.
With Sanchez speeding through his delayed pre-season during these internationals, could be fun to see how they all get on.
Promising signs seen against LCFC and Riley’s Rugger Betting Club in Stoke.
Another thread that George would enjoy would see Ramsey also play in the two behind the striker, with Sanchez dropped!
This thread on comparing Ozil’s role for Germany and AFC is one you won’t see on discussed by countless blaggers or gallant selfless podcastateers or by broadcasters who spend billions on their rights. It appears as if the Agents’ Guild ain’t too interested in the Footy!
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But the same broadcasters love to attack AFC for, in their own words, “being difficult for agents”.
No content on the footy. Plenty of agents PR.
If you looked for the international football matches being played on Friday night, you’d have to had passed by the transfer-mongering first.
There it is.
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<Thursday
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George
Scudamore and pals would love to send AFC and AW down the same path as Forest and Clough. And those like Dex have chosen to do their best to help them. Nevermind what happened to Leeds Leeds Leeds. Or Rangers (how does Souness still get a gig? it’s not for his record as a football manager! For the same reasons that Barton is now a mainstream plundit?)
Fortunately for AFC AW never dreamed of the England job, is not bitter, and is not drinking too much (to the best of our knowledge). And he chose to stay on after the ownership handover. Given that the manager was offered out by PSG just last summer (you know the club that just broke the transfer market) people attacking the manager regarding transfers, they are not being very smart.
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Arsenal Chairman Sir Chips Keswick was on SKY TV talking horse racing – the keswick are big into their horse racing, here are some of his quotes – guess which bit is being left out by media and uber bloggers so they can attack him and Arsenal
asked about his patience with racehorses, he said he was “very” patient, Let’s rejoice in racing. I much prefer it to football at the moment.”
The interviewer then joked about it being good news for him that Arsenal were not playing this weekend, to which Sir Chips replied: “Exactly”.
have you spotted the three words that are being purposely left out of the quotes to make sensational anti Arsenal headlines and articles. (at the moment), once again the old half quote, distorted quote, leaving out the interviewer’s question etc are all being used to change the whole tone of the interview and what he actually said.
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a few interesting comments by Wenger on French TV
Arsenal did bid €100M for Lemar and we will try again.
We wanted Mbappe but we could not do €180M for him
He was fully in support of FFP but now its time to scrap it as no point in having rules that are not enforceable or being enforced
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@Labo_Goon best post ever. *stands and applauds*. Get behind the boys, for heavens sake. The truth is, they can do what they do most of the time whether we do that or not. They’re used to all this crap now, and they gain most of their support from each other. But sometimes even the strongest struggle to stand against the constant battering of an angry mob. This is one of those times, I think. They truly need us right now. Let’s hope we deliver.
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Bielik out for around 3 months with a shoulder injury
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Wenger revealed he had talks with PSG over the managers job but decided to sign new contract with AFC
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Eduardo, I bet he wishes he hadn’t!
Sorry for my earlier posts. I think my vitriol is all out now and I’m ready to move on.
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I see the WOB saying Wenger is lying that PSG tried for him last summer, after all they like to say no big club would hire him now, well not for the last ten years in fact.
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just on our €100M deadline day bid for Lemar, how is Stan Kroenke restricting funds when such a large bid was sanctioned, how is Wenger unwilling to spend big when such a bid was made, it really shoots down two of the favorite soundbites of the ASB
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I stand with the team and certainly against the legends if they do not support the team.
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Some of the shit spouted by ex players, especially Henry really pisses me off. Dead to me
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Ian Wright having a go at Ozil for being critical of ex players, “when he is not performing”, laughable what these ex players think of themselves
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FT: France 0-0 Luxembourg
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Wenger on Kylian Mbappe: “I wanted him too, but €180m is too much for us. He could become the next Pele. He has no limits.”
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Ozil really has hit a nerve with our ex player pundits, well the ones that know he is right about them, one by one, despite Ozil not naming any names, they are exposing themselves by attacking Mesut’s comments, so far Ian Wright, Alan Smith and Less Dixon have all shown he has hit a nerve. They know he is right about them, and they can’t stand it.
Has Henry responded yet, although with his ego he probably thinks he is beyond criticism
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