John-Jules fluffs it, the keeper went the wrong way but his shot went wide of the other post, oh what a wasted chance to really put the pressure on, oh feck
Thanks to Shard, Eds and others for the thread above.
For Arsenal fans confused about what’s happening to their club: there’s no need to be confused if you read PA!
Best Arsenal blog out there and the only one (along with Untold) with a credible record left after not spouting stinking gibberish these past twelve months.
“Protect the values of the club”
We wondered why he said it at the time.
Now we know without a shadow of a doubt what’s been going on.
A change in these ineffable “values” that these experts and Blaggers always gave a big swerve and never described as they didn’t have the footballs to go there, hence their inability to even describe what is going on, that’s if they are something more then clickbaiting PR merchants.
Well. I had zero problem with calling the Great George Graham a twat when he sold off limpar Rocastle and Thomas to line his own pocket and relegated Davis to the reserves because he didn’t want to play shite football.
Didn’t mean I didn’t follow the club but I saw better footballers then Hillier and Morrow in Clissold and Finsbury Park most weekends…still love those guys but you wouldn’t catch them arguing with this opinion, at least not very strongly! Hehe.
And if I had zero problem in calling the very Great Graham an idiot for fleecing the club, whilst playing shite footy, then…
incredible double goal line clearance from one of the AFC defenders, then AFC go down the other end and hit the bar, we are just not getting the luck up front tonight,
3 minutes to get two goals, not likely to happen now
5-2 to Derby, then one of the derby players roars in an AFC defenders face, Ref right there and takes no action, well actually I’m wrong he booked the Arsenal player for reacting to the roaring in his face,
annoying, nothing worse than media gloating, but Liverpool seem on a different planet to us these days. And aren’t they paying for a stadium upgrade?
Speculating to accumulate is paying off for them. Emery has a long way to go to catch Klopp it would seem
Think Arsenal are a very different type of operation Labo, but look forward to them proving me wrong! Emery emulating Klopp might happen but looks a long shot at the moment.
But the current team could certainly learn a few things from Liverpool in terms of never say die attitude, breeding confidence, managing the media, managing referees, buying and selling and fitness/injuries.
Ok perhaps just a little tongue in cheek, Arsenal managing refs, that would never get off the ground, and I for one find Liverpool’s fitness strange . Among of Arsenal’s many problems, one looks to be fatigue, running out of steam, injuries, apart from impact injuries, Liverpool seem to suffer none of the sort despite fighting for the league and CL.
Is it really the case that if Liverpool win the CL and Arsenal win the EL then the 4th placed side in the Premier League won’t qualify for CL.
Help me out here guys; I’m clutching for straws and silver linings after both Sussex and Barca imploding tonight.
Mandy I just think with new commercial partners lining up for Liverpool their place at the top will be guaranteed for a number of years. Then there’s Mancity and Chelsea. Manutd will certainly look to buy their way back in.
Will Arsenal just accept making up the numbers, looking directionless as they want to rid themselves of their best players as they currently do? With Emery so all over the place there’s just plenty of confusion.
*No sarcasm in my praise of George Graham above. Great, obviously so but no harm in repeating it. Just think what he did to his squad ignoring the reasons why he was sacked was wrong and dumb. The big plus for me was that he did continue to bring through young players.
Will be interesting to find out where Arsenal see themselves in this situation Labo.
Those teams have different models, and have moved ahead of us in terms of turnovers, which is a shame, we used to be right up there, but have gone through a bit of a decline at a bad time. Stan isn’t doing anything wrong, as far as we know, he takes nothing out, and the concept of self sufficiency cannot be questioned, but over time, Fenway have been more successful with their US team than generally KSE have been. And it seems Stan won’t, and does not have to change our model. Liverpool and co are now at a level of more lucrative self sufficiency than we are, should they choose to practice that, than we are, and that is going to be a hard gap for us to bridge.
Emery getting his act together either this month, or next season would be a good start. As would losing a few less players for peanuts, or worse.
No worst, there is none. Pitched past pitch of grief,
More pangs will, schooled at forepangs, wilder wring.
Comforter, where, where is your comforting?
Mary, mother of us, where is your relief?
Seriously, though, that was a nightmare for me tonight. I thought their chances were slim at half time and was pretty relaxed. Then the 2nd and before I’d even had a chance to say many ‘oh ohs’, the third was in.
Some sort of who knows what state after that, half dead emotionally, please no. Yep. Dead.
Potential silver lining is it made such ridiculous gloom run through my head- daft things like ‘it won’t even matter if we, say, beat them in a game next year, with all they have over us’- it’s forced me to consider whether I can change my ways with football- live for the moment or something, take it less seriously, and most importantly stop comparing to others so much.
Far-fetched to change such engrained behaviour, maybe, but in the moment felt possible, because so damn necessary!
I’d say the plan is not to become Liverpool, Chelsea, ManU, or ManCity. The plan is to become Spurs. Lower wages, perceived as plucky challengers. But with more transfer ins and outs. That should keep the media (and dare I say, the refs) satisfied, and hence, the fans onside.
Hey. Maybe Emery is the perfect coach after all. Underdog is the role he plays best.
I have a horrible feeling any introspection might rear further and even more unpleasant opportunities tomorrow night, and really hope I am wrong on this
My only thoughts in the footy are: Arsenal need to score. And if they can do it in the first half it will be as big a moment as Lacazette’s free kick which silenced the San Paolo Stadium.
The worry is the recently increasing habit of not making that many chances.
Self sufficiency obviously doesn’t work. To invest heavily in a decent squad with a decent manager at the helm will bring in more money in the long run. I was so hoping we’d get Klopp three years ago but knew the ambition at our club has been stunted for years..What we have to hope for is an excellent manager similar to Spurs now, only better, but that I fear isn’t Emery. Kronke, in my view, is a cancer we need to remove but realistically we’re stuck with the leech for years. Well done Liverpool. But then they’ve had a European pedigree since the 70’s which we can only dream of. At least domestically we have an exceedingly impressive history. Let’s hope Valencia weren’t inspired by Pool’s performance and we can duplicate our Napoli performance.
Greetings Shard, recall our battles on UA. Hope you’re well.
Clever, maybe even ingenious, and v well executed from Pool perspective. Strange and pretty dire from Barca
Literally never seen a goal like it so find it a bit hard to account for. How’d it happen at that moment? Something seemed to happen to make Barca players think they still had time.
FH -I think youre on to something there, I only had a quite flit through some interviews and nobody seemed to be talking about it.
Rich, lesson any team can learn is dont boot the second ball off the pitch-leave it to the home side? Why did Barca think they have more time, it was a weird moment? When you look at it again, even the Liverpool players werent really ready either. For me, something wasnt right about it ( I hope its not just sour Lobscouse on my part)…but as you write, can be seen differently from each perspective. Must be really kacki to be a Barca fan this morning, worse than a hangover.
It bloody made me feel even more nervous about Thursday! Grrr! Arrrgh!
Didn’t think I’d have any interest in discussing game afterwards but some fascination has emerged now.
Wenger made key point beforehand : Barca better technically, Liverpool better physically.
In fact they seemed much much better physically, but can, or should, that be sufficient to allow what happened to happen?
Of course there’s more to it- that better physically includes world’s most expensive defender (I think), maybe world’s most expensive keeper (?), a prodigious young right back who underlined in the game he’s in the top bracket, one of the world’s most in form forwards in Mane, a high calibre dm, again not cheap- but still, it did look as though physical qualities were the most decisive factor.
And it was done with, I think, maybe the world’s best ref in the middle, so I don’t think (can’t blame!) the foul play part of huge aggression was as influential as it sometimes is with a physical approach.
They had Barca well beat in terms of Barca’s counter threat from deep ( B’s own half/halfway) vs Pool’s defence of it, and even more so in terms of the press they applied to Barca in Barca’s half.
They were able to make it look as though playing from the back is just too dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs for most part at Anfield. How? Why the hell can’t other teams do that if the primary factor is physicality- hard running, speed, stamina, aggression?
I mean Jordan Henderson, a good and much better player than some make out but still Jordan Henderson, how can he play such a pivotal destructive role, and even find room to create for the first? How can a team be that successful against a team with the world’s best and a handful of other world class players, without any great passers in central midfield?
Impossible to escape truth Anfield itself seems to play a vital role and is a huge asset- the atmosphere intense, the support vociferous- and with it the issue of belief it gives players, and negative effect it has on opposition.
I guess one truth is that all the main ways of playing have their day, and when it really is their day it makes you question all other ways of playing…but the truest judgement of any way is in the much longer term – i.e the Barca way failed yesterday (as it has done badly three years in a row away from home in Cl), but it has brought them the best spell in the clubs history, with endless league titles and 4 champions leagues.
The other is that Pool have simply made a lot of good decisions and a few great ones in recent years.
So there we were. It bloody happened. Still think Van Dijk the absolute key. Can’t see any of it having taken place without him. The security he gives them to push on and press is invaluable.
Oh my mind was trying to find something underhand in it, too. To do with a 2nd ball, or players listening to ref or something (were all looking forward)
Mind you, like the rest of it, not sure I can analyse it because my mind tends to shut off or go a little haywire at those moments when ‘the bad thing’ happens. Or I actually look away at those moments or something. Odd, but has become common with me in our own games at painful times
I’d like a try at the positive thing by the way. Nice day off after stressful couple weeks (outside of football!! double whammy) and quite fancy the challenge of it.
I think every club overspends doesn’t it? Which clubs actually make a profit? I think if you spend heavily you will then have a foundation to build upon. So the first few years you spend a lot and then when you’ve got a good squad you can then cut back on spending. Liverpool have spent a decent amount but they don’t need to spend a fortune in the Summer and neither do City. Of course you can spend poorly that’s why you need a good infrastructure at the club. Do we have that?
Also City, Pool, Spurs and Chelsea have players that will make them a healthy profit so helping them towards a self sufficient model. It;s the initial investment that takes courage and vision. I don’t know whether Arsenal have either. I hope so.
Oh and we’re going to win the Europa. Yes we are because we win a European tournament roughly every 25 years.
You don’t have to get players in using special connections with special agents (to borrow from fins), just a distinctive style, an identity, to bring out the best in what you work with. Then to build something you back them as well as yourself.
From which clubs did Liverpool sign the players who started last night?
Liverpool, like Chelsea, sold well too. My guess is that requires agents and their special relationships with the buying clubs.
I actually don’t mind the use of agents. I think they are often unfairly maligned. But I worry when there’s too close a relationship between so called super agents and someone at the club. Like we had with Darren Dein by the way.
If you’re not self sufficient, what are you? Sure, you could recoup the money in a few years. Again, nothing against that. We should be exploring that too. But before we even get there, there’s a whole pile of cash in the bank under Arsenal’s name. I thought it was a safeguard when we had the long term commercial deals tied up. But we’ve allowed it to just sit in the bank, even as players have gotten more expensive and would have been a better investment. Especially with someone who cared about building the team and developing the players.
Anyway, anyone who thinks the club is going to give more money to Emery, when they didn’t to a constantly over achieving Wenger, is living in cuckoo land.
Positively Arsenal 
Saka with his second goal of the night makes it 4-2, AFC have ten minutes to get two goals to bring it to extra time
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now its a penalty to Arsenal
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John-Jules fluffs it, the keeper went the wrong way but his shot went wide of the other post, oh what a wasted chance to really put the pressure on, oh feck
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Thanks to Shard, Eds and others for the thread above.
For Arsenal fans confused about what’s happening to their club: there’s no need to be confused if you read PA!
Best Arsenal blog out there and the only one (along with Untold) with a credible record left after not spouting stinking gibberish these past twelve months.
“Protect the values of the club”
We wondered why he said it at the time.
Now we know without a shadow of a doubt what’s been going on.
A change in these ineffable “values” that these experts and Blaggers always gave a big swerve and never described as they didn’t have the footballs to go there, hence their inability to even describe what is going on, that’s if they are something more then clickbaiting PR merchants.
Well. I had zero problem with calling the Great George Graham a twat when he sold off limpar Rocastle and Thomas to line his own pocket and relegated Davis to the reserves because he didn’t want to play shite football.
Didn’t mean I didn’t follow the club but I saw better footballers then Hillier and Morrow in Clissold and Finsbury Park most weekends…still love those guys but you wouldn’t catch them arguing with this opinion, at least not very strongly! Hehe.
And if I had zero problem in calling the very Great Graham an idiot for fleecing the club, whilst playing shite footy, then…
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didn’t want to < wanted to play shite footy
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incredible double goal line clearance from one of the AFC defenders, then AFC go down the other end and hit the bar, we are just not getting the luck up front tonight,
3 minutes to get two goals, not likely to happen now
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5-2 to Derby, then one of the derby players roars in an AFC defenders face, Ref right there and takes no action, well actually I’m wrong he booked the Arsenal player for reacting to the roaring in his face,
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Raiola has said today that Dortmund want to sign Mkhitaryan from Arsenal this summer
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Mike Dean has been appointed referee for #Arsenal’s final Premier League game of the season against Burnley.
what could possibly go wrong with that
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A relatively meaningless game but we are getting one after another of these refs, just a drip drip undermining of the team.
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Please dear Gunners watch how L’pool have come back tonight, and dont let Valencia do it!!!
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annoying, nothing worse than media gloating, but Liverpool seem on a different planet to us these days. And aren’t they paying for a stadium upgrade?
Speculating to accumulate is paying off for them. Emery has a long way to go to catch Klopp it would seem
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If Liverpool goes on to win the Champions League I hope it leads to some introspection at Arsenal.
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Think Arsenal are a very different type of operation Labo, but look forward to them proving me wrong! Emery emulating Klopp might happen but looks a long shot at the moment.
But the current team could certainly learn a few things from Liverpool in terms of never say die attitude, breeding confidence, managing the media, managing referees, buying and selling and fitness/injuries.
Ok perhaps just a little tongue in cheek, Arsenal managing refs, that would never get off the ground, and I for one find Liverpool’s fitness strange . Among of Arsenal’s many problems, one looks to be fatigue, running out of steam, injuries, apart from impact injuries, Liverpool seem to suffer none of the sort despite fighting for the league and CL.
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Is it really the case that if Liverpool win the CL and Arsenal win the EL then the 4th placed side in the Premier League won’t qualify for CL.
Help me out here guys; I’m clutching for straws and silver linings after both Sussex and Barca imploding tonight.
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foreverheady
I don’t think that’s accurate. A max of 5 English sides can make the CL. Top 4 plus Arsenal would then make it because Liverpool are in the top 4.
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For the first time in my life as a football supporter, I’m genuinely jealous of another club.
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Mandy I just think with new commercial partners lining up for Liverpool their place at the top will be guaranteed for a number of years. Then there’s Mancity and Chelsea. Manutd will certainly look to buy their way back in.
Will Arsenal just accept making up the numbers, looking directionless as they want to rid themselves of their best players as they currently do? With Emery so all over the place there’s just plenty of confusion.
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*No sarcasm in my praise of George Graham above. Great, obviously so but no harm in repeating it. Just think what he did to his squad ignoring the reasons why he was sacked was wrong and dumb. The big plus for me was that he did continue to bring through young players.
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Interesting result at Anfield.
Doesn’t make me more nervous about a 3-1 first leg lead at all!
COYG
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Correct take, once again, Mills.
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Will be interesting to find out where Arsenal see themselves in this situation Labo.
Those teams have different models, and have moved ahead of us in terms of turnovers, which is a shame, we used to be right up there, but have gone through a bit of a decline at a bad time. Stan isn’t doing anything wrong, as far as we know, he takes nothing out, and the concept of self sufficiency cannot be questioned, but over time, Fenway have been more successful with their US team than generally KSE have been. And it seems Stan won’t, and does not have to change our model. Liverpool and co are now at a level of more lucrative self sufficiency than we are, should they choose to practice that, than we are, and that is going to be a hard gap for us to bridge.
Emery getting his act together either this month, or next season would be a good start. As would losing a few less players for peanuts, or worse.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No worst, there is none. Pitched past pitch of grief,
More pangs will, schooled at forepangs, wilder wring.
Comforter, where, where is your comforting?
Mary, mother of us, where is your relief?
Seriously, though, that was a nightmare for me tonight. I thought their chances were slim at half time and was pretty relaxed. Then the 2nd and before I’d even had a chance to say many ‘oh ohs’, the third was in.
Some sort of who knows what state after that, half dead emotionally, please no. Yep. Dead.
Potential silver lining is it made such ridiculous gloom run through my head- daft things like ‘it won’t even matter if we, say, beat them in a game next year, with all they have over us’- it’s forced me to consider whether I can change my ways with football- live for the moment or something, take it less seriously, and most importantly stop comparing to others so much.
Far-fetched to change such engrained behaviour, maybe, but in the moment felt possible, because so damn necessary!
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https://twitter.com/ShardGooner/status/1125745486143483910?s=20
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I’d say the plan is not to become Liverpool, Chelsea, ManU, or ManCity. The plan is to become Spurs. Lower wages, perceived as plucky challengers. But with more transfer ins and outs. That should keep the media (and dare I say, the refs) satisfied, and hence, the fans onside.
Hey. Maybe Emery is the perfect coach after all. Underdog is the role he plays best.
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I have a horrible feeling any introspection might rear further and even more unpleasant opportunities tomorrow night, and really hope I am wrong on this
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Not even King effing Lear felt as wretchedly played by the Gods as I do now.
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My only thoughts in the footy are: Arsenal need to score. And if they can do it in the first half it will be as big a moment as Lacazette’s free kick which silenced the San Paolo Stadium.
The worry is the recently increasing habit of not making that many chances.
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But I’m optimistic even though Valencia have momentum from the weekend results. COYG
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Self sufficiency obviously doesn’t work. To invest heavily in a decent squad with a decent manager at the helm will bring in more money in the long run. I was so hoping we’d get Klopp three years ago but knew the ambition at our club has been stunted for years..What we have to hope for is an excellent manager similar to Spurs now, only better, but that I fear isn’t Emery. Kronke, in my view, is a cancer we need to remove but realistically we’re stuck with the leech for years. Well done Liverpool. But then they’ve had a European pedigree since the 70’s which we can only dream of. At least domestically we have an exceedingly impressive history. Let’s hope Valencia weren’t inspired by Pool’s performance and we can duplicate our Napoli performance.
Greetings Shard, recall our battles on UA. Hope you’re well.
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And of course the morning is full of twats making the early hours of work unbearable.
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What do you guys think of Liverpools fourth goal?
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Not quite cricket, Mills.
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Mills
Clever, maybe even ingenious, and v well executed from Pool perspective. Strange and pretty dire from Barca
Literally never seen a goal like it so find it a bit hard to account for. How’d it happen at that moment? Something seemed to happen to make Barca players think they still had time.
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FH -I think youre on to something there, I only had a quite flit through some interviews and nobody seemed to be talking about it.
Rich, lesson any team can learn is dont boot the second ball off the pitch-leave it to the home side? Why did Barca think they have more time, it was a weird moment? When you look at it again, even the Liverpool players werent really ready either. For me, something wasnt right about it ( I hope its not just sour Lobscouse on my part)…but as you write, can be seen differently from each perspective. Must be really kacki to be a Barca fan this morning, worse than a hangover.
It bloody made me feel even more nervous about Thursday! Grrr! Arrrgh!
COYG!
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If anyone can write something positive that I can post, please to so.
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Unathanthium, self sufficient is not the problem. It’s really not. What if every club overspends, do they all benefit ?
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Didn’t think I’d have any interest in discussing game afterwards but some fascination has emerged now.
Wenger made key point beforehand : Barca better technically, Liverpool better physically.
In fact they seemed much much better physically, but can, or should, that be sufficient to allow what happened to happen?
Of course there’s more to it- that better physically includes world’s most expensive defender (I think), maybe world’s most expensive keeper (?), a prodigious young right back who underlined in the game he’s in the top bracket, one of the world’s most in form forwards in Mane, a high calibre dm, again not cheap- but still, it did look as though physical qualities were the most decisive factor.
And it was done with, I think, maybe the world’s best ref in the middle, so I don’t think (can’t blame!) the foul play part of huge aggression was as influential as it sometimes is with a physical approach.
They had Barca well beat in terms of Barca’s counter threat from deep ( B’s own half/halfway) vs Pool’s defence of it, and even more so in terms of the press they applied to Barca in Barca’s half.
They were able to make it look as though playing from the back is just too dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs for most part at Anfield. How? Why the hell can’t other teams do that if the primary factor is physicality- hard running, speed, stamina, aggression?
I mean Jordan Henderson, a good and much better player than some make out but still Jordan Henderson, how can he play such a pivotal destructive role, and even find room to create for the first? How can a team be that successful against a team with the world’s best and a handful of other world class players, without any great passers in central midfield?
Impossible to escape truth Anfield itself seems to play a vital role and is a huge asset- the atmosphere intense, the support vociferous- and with it the issue of belief it gives players, and negative effect it has on opposition.
I guess one truth is that all the main ways of playing have their day, and when it really is their day it makes you question all other ways of playing…but the truest judgement of any way is in the much longer term – i.e the Barca way failed yesterday (as it has done badly three years in a row away from home in Cl), but it has brought them the best spell in the clubs history, with endless league titles and 4 champions leagues.
The other is that Pool have simply made a lot of good decisions and a few great ones in recent years.
So there we were. It bloody happened. Still think Van Dijk the absolute key. Can’t see any of it having taken place without him. The security he gives them to push on and press is invaluable.
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Mills
Oh my mind was trying to find something underhand in it, too. To do with a 2nd ball, or players listening to ref or something (were all looking forward)
Mind you, like the rest of it, not sure I can analyse it because my mind tends to shut off or go a little haywire at those moments when ‘the bad thing’ happens. Or I actually look away at those moments or something. Odd, but has become common with me in our own games at painful times
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George, just posted a pretty long post which hasn’t made it up so far
All gone skewiff for me since finally signing up to wordpress. Does system deal differently with long posts perhaps?
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I’d like a try at the positive thing by the way. Nice day off after stressful couple weeks (outside of football!! double whammy) and quite fancy the challenge of it.
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Pedantic George,
I think every club overspends doesn’t it? Which clubs actually make a profit? I think if you spend heavily you will then have a foundation to build upon. So the first few years you spend a lot and then when you’ve got a good squad you can then cut back on spending. Liverpool have spent a decent amount but they don’t need to spend a fortune in the Summer and neither do City. Of course you can spend poorly that’s why you need a good infrastructure at the club. Do we have that?
Also City, Pool, Spurs and Chelsea have players that will make them a healthy profit so helping them towards a self sufficient model. It;s the initial investment that takes courage and vision. I don’t know whether Arsenal have either. I hope so.
Oh and we’re going to win the Europa. Yes we are because we win a European tournament roughly every 25 years.
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You don’t have to get players in using special connections with special agents (to borrow from fins), just a distinctive style, an identity, to bring out the best in what you work with. Then to build something you back them as well as yourself.
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I’m doing pretty terribly actually, but thanks for asking Unathanthium.
UA seems a lifetime ago.
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Liverpool, like Chelsea, sold well too. My guess is that requires agents and their special relationships with the buying clubs.
I actually don’t mind the use of agents. I think they are often unfairly maligned. But I worry when there’s too close a relationship between so called super agents and someone at the club. Like we had with Darren Dein by the way.
If you’re not self sufficient, what are you? Sure, you could recoup the money in a few years. Again, nothing against that. We should be exploring that too. But before we even get there, there’s a whole pile of cash in the bank under Arsenal’s name. I thought it was a safeguard when we had the long term commercial deals tied up. But we’ve allowed it to just sit in the bank, even as players have gotten more expensive and would have been a better investment. Especially with someone who cared about building the team and developing the players.
Anyway, anyone who thinks the club is going to give more money to Emery, when they didn’t to a constantly over achieving Wenger, is living in cuckoo land.
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Done my positive piece ,George, I’ll send it to email address though not sure it worked last time.
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New post is up
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