Good Afternoon fellow Positives,
Sadly, for you, words do not fail me after that excruciatingly disappointing result from the SJP. Be assured though – you do not suffer alone. We have not won a point since the turn of the year on the road in the PL. Trust me every dropped point is a nail in my hand. I would however admit, looking back over those painful mostly Sunday afternoons, that we have not actually deserved to earn a point with some poor efforts.
I have not seen the stats for today’s game but I assume we had 75%-80% of the possession. And yet we lost, again, as we did in games in which almost exactly the same possession format developed, at Bournemouth, at Swansea, Watford, we play well, get in front. We have better players than them, technically, probably fitter and more intelligent. We are confident, in control and then, and then, AND THEN – we fall apart and lose.
I have read on here, and I have some sympathy, that these calamities are the defence’s fault, that they should defend better. Looking at the first Toon goal today, though not the second, I have sympathy there. It seems Rafa paid more attention to Shane long’s goal last week than Mustafi did. There is a lack of concentration at the back, I accept that. The notion however that we must win games, in fact the only way to win games, is by keeping a clean sheet, i.e. relying on a defence that we know is gash, seems wrong headed.
What distressed me more though is the lack of quality that we showed at the other end, in our attacking and allegedly creative play. We had oodles of possession throughout, yet barely tested the Toon goal-minder Dubravka. In the final 25 minutes with Toon ahead I don’t think he had to make a serious save. What is the point of having “stellar creatives” (*Copyright Mandy) if we never get a shot or header on target ?
What to do ? Away from the Ems we are not a team at the moment.
We had no “Number 10” today, or if we did I did not see him. We have Ozil, Rambo and Jack at the club, yet young Joe Willock had the job given to him, and he had no chance. He was eaten alive in midfield, in my opinion. Our creative output and goal threat, when it was badly needed, was negligible today. And if we cannot score goals then on the road we are f*****.
Having got that rant out of the way well done to Mo Elneny today, another AFC Man of the Match performance for the Egyptian. 95 hard minutes in Moscow and he still looked like a Spring lamb today.
Enjoy your Sunday.
Positively Arsenal 
Fingers crossed for the final open top bus tour with the Europa League trophy on show.
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A long time coming this. I’ve thought about how this would unfold for many years. So sad that it’s ended. At the moment the only thing I can think of is that Athletico had better be quaking in their boots. The current players owe such a debt to the man that they had better play out of their skins.
I’m not venturing further than this site and have ditched twitter a while ago. I can’t imagine what’s going on in that particular shit hole. I really hope that I’m not right about the fact that Wenger has been making this club and our board punch way above our weight. I’m full of what ifs at the moment. Eduardo’s leg break, and subsequent wobble. The bad timing of the stadium build. He’s been our greatest manager but it could have been more.
4-20 my arse. Shit day.
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“To all the Arsenal lovers take care of the values of the club.” – AW
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I heard a rumour that Alegri is leaving Juve and Tuchel was spoken to, all thoughts and feelings were confirmed on Sunday after Newcastle.
The meeting was held and rubber stamped on the night of the FA youth cup semi.
It was not supposed to released yet as the final details with the new manager has not been finalised. But the cat was going to be let out of the bag.
Varying noises say that Mr Wenger would have stayed if they wanted for one more year but was ready last year to step down.
Far from a dictator but a man of honour and selflessness.
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I started supporting Arsenal in 1998 after watching the most dreadful 0-0 home draw against Palace in the 5th Round of the FA Cup – but I only really began to take a proper and fanatical interest at the start of the 2012/13 season. In many ways, then, I am a rare Arsene fan in that my great respect for him developed at a time when many felt he was already past his prime. But he still managed to win three FA Cups in that time while also demonstrating an ability to change and adapt far, far greater than most ever even realised. I believe that he is one of the greatest sporting figures of my lifetime, and it has been a privilege to watch his work. His legacy will live long for both Arsenal and the game.
I have secured a ticket for the West Ham game on Sunday which will be my chance to say a proper thank you.
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Cheeky tenner on the Schalke boss as outsider?
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There’s no denying that football in general has lost a bit of itself today with Arsène Wenger’s announcing his imminent departure. I just wanna say thanks to everyone in this community for giving me the confidence to not be afraid to express my appreciation for this great man, because his influence transcends beyond the football field and because of him I think we are better people than we were 20 years ago.
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…now the tears flow
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Arsene Wenger
The man the Legend
The French Frank White
Every word he says should be a hip hop quotable
I have found for those interested,if you have never seen this
Enjoy
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“I want to thank the staff, the players, the Directors and the fans who make this club so special.”
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“I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years. I managed the club with full commitment and integrity. – AW
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Any of you premium fans want to get behind this….
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/MerciArsene
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I felt it was nigh. I’m feeling sad. On the other hand you and I have witnessed a pivotal time in football history.
At this time I will withdraw for a while. I’m feeling very sad.
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Its a sad day yet its a day to embrace, we here at PA have supported Mr Wenger, as he was/is for a few more weeks, AFC manager, we will support the next guy too. Those that have disrespected Arsene for all these years, will be the ones that will be the first to disrespect our next manager. I have always been clear when it comes to our managers and our players, its the kind is dead, long live the king. I will always hold Arsene Wenger in the highest of regard, he is the real Mr Arsenal, and always will be. I wish him success in whatever managerial job he takes next, except on the days he plays v Arsenal.
as to who his replacement might be, well I would not rule out Rafa, but with Sanllehí here and it basically his job to advice on the appointment of a manger, I would suggest that former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique could be the man.
But I expect that whoever replaces Arsene will not be Arsenal Manager, but Arsenal Head Coach.
a fun thought, if we appoint Allegri then all the WOB will have to be AKB’s
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the malcontents have claimed for a long time that they would get behind a new manger, any new manger, but already we see them dismiss this name or that name as possible manger. If they can’t even wait for the appointment to be made before starting their bullshit, then let no one expect them to properly support whoever we do appoint.
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I would not be surprised if its Rafa with PV4 as his assistant. Anyway for me only no no’s are Jose and any combo that includes Theirry Henry in it.
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I don’t expect the PIGMOB and the Press/Pundits to lay off either, will still be the same old shit different Manager
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Well fuck me I never thought it would end like this!
I can’t see the announcement being a good thing just before our semis.
As far as a new manager goes he will have all the building blocks to grab success however the PL has proved a prickly thorn for many managers reputations.
The other question is how much support will the new manager get if he doesn’t fill the criteria of the elite fans, also I wonder just how many seasons will Arsene get the blame after he has gone for bad results.
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The malcontents just see the fame in infamy, ed.
They had nothing to do with this though, lest they get their heads bloated any further. The media ran a 10 year long campaign and they simply followed.
Maybe Wenger realised that another season without VAR would bring the same refereeing performances, the same coverup from the media, and the same faux outrage from the ‘fans’.
He probably feels he’s done enough now that the club has gotten the structures in place. He might even feel it will allow the club to go on upwards without the sort of disadvantages he has had to face.
He left the job of protecting the values of the club to us. The Arsenal lovers. The malcontents do not fit that description and never will. Of course they’ll be back making a spectacle of themselves and the club they claim to love. They can have their 15 seconds and their 30 pieces. It will make no difference to the legacy of this great club, and the great man who made it greater.
One Arsene Wenger.
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Oh, they will be saying like we could have had Klopp if the stubborn old git went when we wanted him too and similar I expect. Club in a better state than what old slurgason red nose left Utd
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Maurizio Sarri
Is my choice(if the board asks)
A man with ultimate unweavering commitment to his football ideas.
A bit like Mr Wenger
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Is it too much to hope that we can spend at least a couple of days enjoying what we (still) have rather than speculating as to what we might get in the future.
The funeral baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.
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Just heard what Bob Wilson had to say.
When an absolute gentleman like Bob Wilson has those sorts of things to say about a person, with such emotion, you know he is an extraordinary man. How privileged we have been to have had (and continue to have) Arsene Wenger.
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Ian
The Arsenal holes will be blaming Vengarrghhh when the next manager has to resign a former youth player for £100M, a player who’ll then be dropped by the manager after the next.
Wink wink wink. We all know AFC can’t/won’t be spending at the same rates/bungs as the gigantic tanning salons dressed up as footy clubs.
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April
20 Arsene Wenger announces he’s leaving after 22 years…
22 West Ham H EPL
26 Atletico Madrid H UEL SF/1L
29 Man. Utd A EPL
May
3 Atletico Madrid A UEL SF/2L
5 Burnley H EPL
9 Leicester A EPL
13 Huddersfield A EPL
16 ? Lyon UEL-FINAL?
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corr:
6 Burnley H EPL
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Dimitar Berbatov
A player I always rated, he scored a goal of such stuning beauty 30 ft infront of me (I visualised in the moment what he could do , he did what I thought but in such a simply beautiful and unique way )for S***rs, I actually clapped and said great goal in my pain.
” When you played against Mr Wengers Arsenal , you played against a team that played football in it’s purist form.”
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It feels like the loss of the last diamond in the dirt that’s modern football.
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The same story the writers of the Damned Utd and all other writers who love the sport have told, the change/evolution/variation from football coaches running clubs to giant corporations or the other which we dare not mention for upsetting certain sensibilities (though it has to be said that Fizman was aware of the contsruct and acted in a cogniscent manner though most are happy to ignore the story, or worse)
Which is quite some context for the content of the blaggers these past few years.
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beIN SPORTS reporter at the Emirates says club officials are in tears, players in shock, Özil had a planned i/view with the channel but asked for 24 hours to digest the ‘sad’ reality.
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Ivan Gazidis is holding a press conference at the Emirates at 5pm
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well we will see what our players are made of now, if they can’t get up for Wenger’s last few games in charge then sorry but they will be letting us all down, and all their tributes to AW today will be meaningless.
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the Gazidis press conference is live on Arsenal.com, shortly, around 5
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New post is up btw.
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