I’ve lately noticed a notion among some people that none of our players are good enough, even to the point of suggesting that the only reason they won’t leave is because they aren’t good enough for other teams to buy them from us. So I decided to put myself in the shoes of other clubs and think about a few things from their point of view. I’m going to look at some of our core players on the team and see what they would seem like to someone on the outside looking in.

Club A — “We need a young shotstopper who has the potential to be world class to act as successor to our current aging incumbent.”
“He must command his area well and have a sense of confidence that should permeate to those in front of him.”
“He should also have experience playing for a big club at the biggest stage in Europe.”
“How much would such a keeper cost us”

Szczesny, who fits the above description to a T, would cost any club at least around 15 million pounds.

Club B — “We need a centerback who is just coming into his prime.”
“He needs to be tenacious in the tackle, read the game well enough to make key interceptions and have the pace to keep up with quicker forwards.”
“Should also be decent in the air and an eye for a key goal in the other box would be a bonus.”
“How much would such a centerback cost us considering this level of quality and combination of skills isn’t easy to find”

Thiago Silva joined PSG for 42 million Euros last year, so Laurent Koscielny, even if not considered at the same level, would cost about 25 million.

Club C — “We need a young fullback who has an engine that allows him to keep running up and down the flank tirelessly.”
“He needs to have an eye for the tackle and be able to mark tricky wingers while also keeping up with them on pace.”
“Should also link up well with the man in front of him and be able to put in a quality cross every now and then and assist in the attacking process.”
“Considering how hard it is these days to get a quality left back, how much would such a player cost?”

Kieran Gibbs, would cost you about 15-20 million pounds having just signed a long term contract.

Club D — “We need a young midfield general whom you can build the team around.”
“He needs to have a combination of Spanish flair/technique and English fight/grit”
“In time he should be able to pick out a pass, lead the team and make players better in future”

Jack Wilshere, the future of Arsenal, would cost anyone about 40-50 million easily.

Club E — “We need a tireless fighter in midfield who will do everything he’s asked to do with aplomb”
“Should be able to do it all, tackle, pass, mark, intercept, and make effective late runs into the box”
“Must be the ultimate professional and never stop trying to impact the game no matter where he plays”

Aaron Ramsey, I would argue, would cost another club about 15-20 million to pry away from us.

Club F — “We need a forward/winger hybrid with electric pace that will trouble anyone in the world”
“Should be young and progressing rapidly with an eye for goal, reasonable control and a calm, composed finish”
“Should also be able to take set pieces and have the understanding to create for others when needed too”

Theo Walcott, would cost any team at least around 30 million to buy.

Club G — “We need a versatile playmaker who could play through the middle or out wide and be an endless source of creativity”
“He should also be able to score the occasional goal and have good shooting ability from outside the box”
“Being able to take set pieces would be another bonus and the ability to take a man on and beat him would be ideal”

Santi Cazorla, a man we bought (or robbed) from Malaga for a mere 12 million, would cost anyone around 25 million to buy in fairer circumstances.

These are but a few examples of what we have as part of our core and there are several more I could list. The point is that some people complain about our wages being paid to youngsters, they complain about trusting youth and relatively unknown players so much, but with this kind of quality that we’ve discovered and developed (or in the case of Santi, stolen), maybe we do spend some money after all and maybe there is some truth to the saying “we don’t buy superstars, we make them” after all. I think we have a LOT more quality at this club than what we normally tend to appreciate at acknowledge and when you FAIRLY think about what it would cost a club to purchase these players from us, or what you’d take in order to be willing to part with some players, maybe we’d appreciate them more than we already do. That is one of the reasons why I wrote this, to show that the idea that we don’t have any good players is well off the mark.

The other reason why I wrote this piece is this — You read every day on twitter, on FB, on blogs and even in the media about how we need to spend on proven superstars to find success as a club and I disagree. I think our success will come from signing the right players for our system who can be nurtured into superstars. Now to be clear, I am not saying it wouldn’t be nice to get one or that I would say no if we were to buy a big name, I am however saying that it doesn’t depend solely on that or the price tag. We could get someone for next to nothing and turn him into a superstar (Kolo Toure for example).

I’d like to wrap this post up by saying a few things about the transfer window. For one, I have full confidence in the club and Arsene to sign the right players (and these need not be the fantasy names that we can all think up) and I would gladly give them the time to do their business this summer (the first summer in years that we have money and that will have squad continuity). Secondly, it has been a little over 10 days since the season ended, and there are still 3 months to go in the transfer window. I believe panicking at this point of time that we won’t get anyone and starting to get angry at the club for not buying yet, is borderline ridiculous. I understand people are concerned about how we will buy but I wonder when people will realize that they have zero control over this and no amount of agitating on their part is going to make a transfer happen for the player they want in the time frame they specify. The only thing this panic and anger achieves is to make things far more stressful for yourself and makes the summer, which is tough enough as it is without our beloved Arsenal playing every week, far more torturous for others. So what I’m saying is, be patient and hold off on your panic and anger at least until the start of the season. I know it isn’t easy, but please try.

PS. This blog was inspired by a little exercise that @GeezyPeas conducted yesterday on twitter on the value of Ramsey. So credit goes to him for sparking off the idea.

PPS. This is to share one of the best blogs I’ve read in a while by @PoznanInMyPants — Part One and Part Two

Today is a Guest post by @Wilsheristic .You should give him a follow on twitter,he tweets as well as he writes.

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As the dust settles over an enthralling win, people have logically begun to talk about transfers. I mention logically, since the Newcastle win seemingly heralded a flurry of activity over the summer.  An agonizing wait of almost 88 days is upon us and we are perfectly poised to be sitting ducks for transfer rumors and speculation.  Amidst all the noise, it’s easy to undermine the efforts of those who helped us reach this stage, berate the ones who had an off season and disown the injured. Yesterday’s heroes become today’s villains.

Let’s start with Bacary Sagna. Unimpressed by two broken legs, Sagna still flies into tackles with scant regard for his injury record. His heroics over the past four seasons have seen him rise up the ranks significantly to be acclaimed as one of the best RBs in the world. I will never forget THAT clearance against Aston Villa in the 09/10 season, one of his many vital contributions . His audacious defending at CB against Sunderland was one of the highlights for me this season. However, after four glorious seasons, it has taken just one seesaw season for most of us to write off his importance. I do acknowledge that Carl Jenkinson has been filling in excellently and has improved remarkably from the past season but his steady rise has seen a number of people lose patience with Sagna and inexplicably welcome his departure. Surely, I have missed something? This is someone who’s recovered from two leg breaks and who, in Wenger’s view, is adamant enough to play games even when he has sustained a knock. That kind of determination doesn’t materialize without a level of commitment and motivation to play for the club. Surely, he deserves another chance/season? He’s been pivotal in our top 3/4 finishes in the previous years and I hope he’s part of our title challenging squad next season. “You never question his commitment and his intelligence”, said Wenger. They don’t like make ‘em like that anymore.

Likewise with Vermaelen. Once we start rotating the CBs, which we will have to eventually, there are few better options out there than our very own Vermaelen, someone who’s highly respected by his teammates, evidenced by . Could it really be true that Arsene Wenger made someone, who apparently has neither drive nor skill, captain of Arsenal without thinking twice?

True, he’s been underperforming recently but if we had to part with every underperforming player we would never have had the RVPs, Nasris or even Mertesacker for that matter. What I fail to understand is how quickly we turn against our own players even though history has always taught us otherwise. The very people who were hurling abuses Ramsey, for example, have been embracing him pretending as if his place in the team was never in doubt. If we don’t support our own players, I don’t see who else would. The last thing we would all want to see is Vermaelen shining in another team’s colors.

I was hoping to include Arsene Wenger in this argument but I will reserve it for some other time since that would take up an entire post. These players have been excellent servants for the club and I am certain that people will comprehend their true relevance only when they leave.  We have to thank our stars that we have someone at the helm who perseveres with out-of-form players until they come of age or survive a bad patch. Wenger couldn’t have put it better himself when he said “You will miss me when I am gone.”

Was this the most important date in the recent history of Arsenal football club, it was two days after the defeat in the Champions League to Bayern Munich a game that saw Arsenal totally out played to an extent not seen before under Wenger’s reign as manager. Yes there had been heavier defeats and games against Barcelona where we were taken apart but to me this was different as we were watching a game where Arsenal and Wenger did not have an answer for the movement and work rate of a team. Wenger could not point to a weakened team through injury or suspensions this was a fully fit team that had players rested on the weekend before losing to Blackburn in the FA Cup.

 Sitting in the stands that night was the silent one over for one of his few visits to London to see how his rather large investment was doing. Even if he does not know much about football (not the American kind) he would have picked up on what he had just seen and probably heard from some of the crowd. Skip forward to the Thursday when Wenger had a meeting with Mr Kroenke, now what was said is I am unsure of the newspapers report that Stan gave Wenger his backing, some in the media were saying these were “crunch talks” but I’m wondering if the “crunch talks” as they call them were not about Wenger’s future but the future of the way the clubs was being run.

 Was this the meeting where Wenger was told that he could now do what he wanted with the club or perhaps he told Mr Kroenke what needed to be done, was this the moment that his hands which had now been mutually tied by the board and himself were free.

 I have long had this thought that Arsenal, the board and Wenger was planning for 2014 the year the two shirt deals were to be renegotiated and the last of Wengers current contract. A ten year plan to get Arsenal back on its feet after nearly bankrupting themselves moving to Ashburton Grove a time where front loaded sponsorship deals were needed and financial prudence required. The spanner in the works was the financial input from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City that made Arsenals and Wengers plan difficult to maintain. 2014 could not come quick enough and has in reality has not, but Mr Kroenke has I think looked at the situation and released the funds on the back of the announcement of the Emirates deal and the rumored Puma deal to Wenger and the club.

This Summers transfer activity could be interesting from an Arsenal point of view, Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and maybe another one or two big clubs with new managers trying to stamp their mark on their new clubs and Wenger with his buying hands free for the first time in a decade with full the support from Mr Kroenke.

Arsenal’s record since the meeting to the end of the season was played 13, won 10, drawn 2 and lost 1.

@Swales1968

Mel tells me that I should remember it is the anniversary of the great night at Anfield.He also tells of the the need for his award winning account of that night ,to be published today.And on this date every year.For ever.

This wonderful story was written by Mel,for another blog,then picked up by Arsenal.com(for a reason no reasonable man can determine).So here we are .Third in line.

Still ,nice of him to still remember his old mate.

Here it is then,Enjoy

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“We’ll win cos we’re the arsenal !”,eternal optimists or deluded fools?

Not sure which camp I fell into as we boarded the coaches on the Avenell road and that chant went up.

I was still cockahoop at a workmate selling me his ticket (£12 including the coach !)a couple of days before this remarkable Friday.

I was at the game against Wimbledon when most believed our title dream had gone,but even if it was to most Gooners, as far as I was concerned if it was mathematically possible,I was gonna see us give it a go,anyway .I’d failed maths O level a couple of years previous so stick me in the deluded camp.

I was traveling alone (most of the mates I knocked about with at the time weren’t really into football,more acid house,the stone roses,ecstasy, raves and failing to chat up girls from what I remember. I was too, but Arsenal was “my thing” always was and always will be and in my 18 years I’d only seen us lift an fa cup and a league cup.

The mood going up to Liverpool  on the coach was helped along with some fierce drinking and singalongs . My Irish genes helped me put a good performance in on both counts,.I  remember as we closed in on our date with destiny that the driver told us it was touch & go whether we’d make kick off.In fact when the boys in yellow & blue ran on the pitch before kick off with the flowers for the Liverpool fans still mourning their 96 brothers and sisters who had died weeks earlier at Hillsborough just because they went to a game(this of course is why this fixture had been postponed and rescheduled to the Friday night after the cup final which tonight’s opponents had won)we were watching it on the coaches portable TV until the Merseyside constabulary decided to give us a fast track escort to the ground.

As we poured off  the coach that chant went up and for the first time I genuinely thought we’d do it.Nothing to do with the drink you understand!.I just fancied us(told you I was deluded).

Once inside, tucked into a corner,I found myself wedged up alongside a Demis Roussos lookalike(look him up kids),anyone that’s been to a massively important game and tells you they remember everything is a liar,the first half was gone in a flash but my new best mate Demis assured me that nil nil after 45 is good and George’s plan was working.

I  remember thinking Liverpool were subdued and there for the taking, and Arsenal were “at it” especially Rocky and Richardson,not surprising really Rocastle was truly one of us and Richardson used to tackle people with his face if he had too! We weren’t going down without a fight that was for sure.

Seven minutes into the second half we got our goal, an Alan Smith header that despite the Liverpool players insisting he hadn’t touched it,the linesman agreed with the 4000 behind him that Smith had,of course he had!, game on!

With about 15 minutes left we looked like we’d get another,Michael Thomas through one  onone with Grobbelar ,but he scuffed it straight at him.

“Don’t worry we’ll get one more clear cut chance” the portly Greek love god next to me whispered. I had my doubts though,neither side were creating that many chances but without hope and all that heh?

As the minutes ticked by that hope was strangling us in our corner but then in the last minute it happened….he was there again. Thomas coolly lifted the ball over Grobbelar and pandemonium was unleashed

Magical doesn’t do it justice.

After the initial going mental bit I remember Demis taking me in his arms, we embraced like grown men only did in at funerals and New Years Eve’s party’s,he could have held me “forever and ever” (I told you!,look him up), there were grown men around us in tears.Remember this was before the days of some blokes letting us down by wearing Ugg boots and applying fake tan but it was beautiful nonetheless.

The players and the trophy malarkey after was a bit of a haze.

We were all still congratulating each other but I do remember Rocastle,his face lit up and his eyes dancing,you see he was our bloke on the pitch despite MT getting the goal ,Rockys medal was ours as well and when he smiled we smiled.

One last bear hug from Demis and soon I was my back to the coach.

Leaving the ground was interesting. Some of the  Scousers  were fantastic, others less so! in fact i would like to thank the 3 Graeme Souness lookalikes that chased me back to the coach helping break the 100m drunken idiot dash world record.I think it was their encouraging words that did it,or the things they said they were gonna do if they got hold of me.

As I waved them goodbye from the safety of the coach there wasn’t a lot of noise at first,just exhausted Gooners with stupid great grins on their faces not believing what we’d just witnessed.

As soon as the first miles to London sign appeared the celebrations commenced.Not sure Ive ever seen drinking like it!.

All the while I was thinking “how did we just do that? How? Cos we’re The Arsenal that’s how”

A source close to Positively Arsenal has told us the the Mother of Cesc Fabregas is predicting he will be home for lunch on Sunday.

This is an experiment to see how many people are easily fooled by an idiot blogger hungry for hits on their ego massaging sites.

Sorry if you have been fooled ,but do wise up.

See you tomorrow

Hello and welcome to this week’s round-up.

First up this week is the tragic end to a season we were all just getting into. We saw the introduction of a new attacking front in the shape of Santi, Giroud and Podolski and while there were teething problems, the team found its stride and finished the season on an impressive run of results, by any measure. In brief, we started the season in a very uptight and defence-focused fashion. It was working from a defensive point of view but the balance was wrong. Despite many good performances, our forwards were in at the deep end and struggling to find each other. In these tougher times, Theo Walcott can take a lot of credit for turning up with some vital goals. We climbed the table but were still off the pace with our rivals. It took the week of weeks to turn our season around and, despite only winning one of three huge games, it seemed to be the slap in the chops that the players needed. We lost to Bayern at home, we lost to them, and we went and beat Bayern in Munich. We were out of the Champions League but we took from it the confidence to believe. Sixteen unbeaten games later and we’re dining at the top table for another season.

37 games in and we were just a point above the spuds and and two behind the chavs. We had to go to Newcastle and the game was as tense as any of the scoreless draws from early in the season. The passing and movement were restricted by fear of failure and creativity was the ultimate casualty. Mikel Arteta had started the game but didn’t see out the first half due to injury. For a moment, if you forgot the crushing weight of history supporting the contrary, you might have thought that Champions League football would be beyond us. Thoughts like these, of course, will pass and be proven as nothing more than irrational nonsense. When Laurent Koscielny decides it’s time to qualify, we qualify. Kos scored with an audacious volley which managed to make the keeper look a bit of a tit on his last day in the job. Then came a deluge of fuel for the fire that is Tottnum’s never-ending embarrassment. Word went out across White Hart Lane that we had conceded and Michael Dawson was on his knees. Daniel Levy had tears in his eyes.  These are moments to savour. You grandchildren will one day turn to you and say ‘Tell us the one about the time Newcastle equalised on the last day’. As expected by most, all three contenders for the two qualification spots won their games. So, by a point, we have achieved the goal which may have once been the minimum requirement but became an apparently insurmountable task. The players who had been labelled as flops did what they could to directly answer their critics by celebrating in the tiniest of pants. This is not something of which we approve, over here at the Round-Up HQ. Certain staff members have spoken of feelings of inadequacy.

Several players have been speaking about their ambitions for next season. Olivier Giroud’s desire to progress further in Europe, coupled with Theo’s desire to push for domestic success, are just harmonies over a symphony of positivity and ambition coming out of the club. Even the most pessimistic fan can only find disgruntlement in which of the world’s best strikers we may sign. Again, I don’t like to speculate on baseless rumours but I couldn’t resist this one. There is talk that this will be the first transfer in which we don’t hear that Arsene Wenger is a “long-time-admirer” of Solomon Kalou. We haven’t won a trophy since those lies were published this potential non-link should be seen as the clearest sign yet that Arsenal are ready to push for glory next season.

Arsene Wenger spoke this week about Santi Cazorla’s season and was very clear in his views that he should have been selected in the Premier League team of the season. Wenger’s innocence on the matter is, while endearing, extremely naive. If Santi was to be selected, then Mikel Arteta and other Arsenal players would also expect to be considered. Santi represents the thin end of the wedge. You let one in, before you know it, the Premier League XI are wearing red with white sleeves for convenience.

And finally, the enigmatic little genius that is Andrei Arshavin has bid farewell to the club. As a free agent, the Russian will be free sign for any club lucky enough to catch his eye. Not everybody liked Arshavin, but then not everybody likes The Beatles or Fruit Pastilles. Some players work hard while others work smart and Andrei spent the majority of his career in column B. From his four goal thriller in Anfield to his delicate cross to set up Thierry’s goal against Leeds, Arshavin entertained and will always have a place in the hearts of many Arsenal fans. Good luck, little dude.

That’s all for this week, thanks for reading.

Up the Arsenal!

“Arsenal only finished fourth because they beat the teams they should of beaten to get there” a great quote from Alan Shearer and one that says nothing but it got me thinking what have Arsenal achieved this season (if anything) in the Premier League? They have finished with three more points than last year, ten more goals, won the same amount of games, drawn more and so by default have lost less. Overall the figures show that Arsenal have had a better season than last even conceding fewer goals (12 in total in the PL).

Have Arsenal over achieved? No, over achieving would be (to me anyhow) finishing on or above 80 points, have they under achieved nope, looking at the clubs above Arsenal you would expect at the start of the season to be there. So Arsenal have this season achieved, achieved stability, a base for the club with its rumoured freedom to pay more money to use as a springboard.

 Looking at the other top clubs – Manchester United after spending £48,000,000 on players in the summer have also achieved stability, yes I know they walked away with the premier league but looking at this and last season they won the same, drew the same, lost the same, scored three more goals and conceded ten more and finished with the same amount of points. If you compare Arsenal and Manchester United you would say they both balance out in achieving. The two teams who do not are Manchester City who have underachieved and Chelsea who although have on the difference from last season to this over achieved, you would say that they have also underachieved.

Manchester City after spending £54,000,000 won fewer, drew more and lost more games. They scored fewer goals, conceded a greater number of goals and finished with nine less points than last season. Meanwhile Chelsea won more, drew less and lost less this season scoring more goals and conceding fewer goals receiving eleven more points in the process. To do this Chelsea spent £92,000,000. To me a club that has spent the total they have over the past two seasons should not be beating Arsenal into third by the matter of two points. They should and Manchester City should  be looking at a minimum of eighty points a season.

That leaves Spurs, another team who have just achieved. They did get three more points by winning one more game and not losing it. They scored exactly the same but conceded five more goals and it did cost them £61,000,000 to do this.

What can we deduce from this for next season, not much? Will Manchester City with a new manager draw less games, which is what cost them this season? Will Manchester United drop from the constant level they have shown over the past two seasons with Moyes in charge? Will Chelsea with a new (ish) manager push on to where their spending should take them? and will Spurs keep Bale?

 But more importantly what will Arsenal do?

Can Wenger in possibly his last season at the club improve the club record next season?

Can he get the squad to turn ten draws into five and seven loses into five?

Looking at results this season and going back to the Shearer’s quote at the top to get to a 28, 5 & 5 record Arsenal needed to make five draws into wins-

Sunderbus, Stoke RFC, Fulham, Southampton and Aston Villa

And to make seven loses into five so any two from-

Chelsea, Norwich, Manchester United, Swansea, Manchester city, Chelsea and Spurs. If Arsenal can turn a couple of those losses into draws as well then that is how you win the league.

Can Arsenal do something next year in the league? Yes and not by over achieving but by beating who we should beat.

@Swales1968

Today the award winning Mel O’Reilly @40shewore. I know ,I know ,we are standing in the shadow of a Giant

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I once went on a boys weekender in Dublin,(i know this is a football blog but stay with me).After throwing our bags in the rooms we decided to go and have a look at the fair city,mostly pubs and betting shops from what I remember and upon returning to our hotel (The Burlington) for a quick spruce up for the upcoming evening ,we were greeted with screaming girls.Not for us of course ,but for the awful manufactured pop group Boyzone ,who would be attending Ireland’s version of The Brit awards at our hotel that very evening.

One of the lads decided it would be hilarious to throw a coat over one of the more gullible members of our group so as to trick said screaming girls into thinking it was a member of  shit boyband.

So there I was being frogmarched like a sex offender out of court ,or a member of Boyzone (take your pick) ,towards the hotel with a coat over my head.

As we drew closer the screaming reached new heights and for a short time there was pandemonium until the coat was whipped off and then?….the biggest collective groan you’ve ever heard ,followed by name calling that dockers would have blushed at,and faces drenched in disappointment.

Apart from my mates who were pissing themselves (but then they weren’t getting the abuse I was getting for not being a boyband twat).

What’s that got to do with Arsenal? I hear you say.

Well think back to a couple of summers ago when apparently Juan Mata had said goodbye to his Valencia teammates on a pre-season tour and was on a plane to London.

in the short period between hearing of señor Mata and him being on that plane I had learned he was a boyhood Arsenal fan.That he was better than Cesc.That he would be paid £80k a week .Also he was brilliant on every YouTube clip I’d seen of him.

I rang my brother like I knew what I was talking about,”yep,it’s a done-deal mate”.

Now ,as we all know ,young Juan wasn’t on that Easyjet flight.

There are many differing stories about the whole saga, but I along with many others was a victim of  “the silly season”.

If he didn’t play for the club I detest more than any other he would be my favourite non-arsenal player .

I can’t help but being drenched with disappointed every time I watch him.Sometimes I curse him with the language of a docker ,or  just let out a loud groan.

Oh I see,”just like those poor girls you duped into thinking you were a pop star?  ” I hear you say.

Absolutely not! They can all fuck right off .I was better looking than any member of Boyzone and a better singer(not hard) and dancer(big box little box).

This write ups about the silly season and the disappointment it can bring if you believe all the nonsense.

So don’t start making up songs about players you think we’re gonna sign but end up going somewhere else.

Ignore it all,wait for them holding the red&white shirt on .com.

Take no notice of Sky sources understands.

Disregard  Talkshite and its spitful presenters.

Turn a blind eye to the tabloids .

Laugh at the Arsenal insiders on twitter who know someone that’s fixed a photocopier at Highbury House and claim to have inside information.

Follow those guidelines and you’ll enjoy the summer.

Don’t forget the fixtures come out in June !

Now just for the record my song for Juan was “ShaddapYou Face-Joe Dolce”

“what’s the Mata you ?heh?”

Freshly served around tea-time on the last day of this year’s EPL season.

.

Well where to start?

A few dishes of Humble pie perhaps?

Before I get to gloating in a huge self-indulgent fashion, let me first say that finishing 4th is not our target. It is however a monumental achievement to finish in a Champions League position for the 16th consecutive season.

Of course there will be many who say it’s eight consecutive years without a trophy. In that they would be correct – mathematically at least.

I, however, believe the last eight years have been a huge success. As Gary Neville pointed out, in that period Arsene has spent a net £9 million on transfers (it’s actually a net of minus £40 million since 2006 – even more remarkable).  That’s £460 million net less than City. That amounts to about an Emirates Stadium.

So those too thick to understand where all the money has gone, ask your carer.

Here is what I wrote in an article for ACLF last summer:

“With the planned move to the new stadium things changed.  Arsène had to work within severe financial restrictions. Big players were sold and the fees helped relieve the pressure of the move, in what turned out to be an unexpected recession. The reduction in the wage bill must have done no harm either.  History had shown that a new stadium usually led to a rapid downturn on the field; relegation beckoned.

I would have thought that our aim would have been to stay in the league in the early years of the move. However, Arsène kept us in the top four, guaranteeing Champions League football and further reducing the financial burden with the revenues generated.

He has only recently let it be known (as if we didn’t already) that he could have left and been paid much more money elsewhere.  He gave up that financial gain and personal glory for the good of the club.  I think that this period is a greater achievement than his first 8 years of on field success. It is a staggering achievement.  And also could give him a claim to be the greatest.”

Well he did it again. Let’s see how we do with the purse string loosened. Now we have Arsene and money.

Here is what I said immediately following the Spurs reverse:

“There are thirty points still to play for.  All is not lost by any means.  But even if it was, nothing is to be gained by withdrawing our support for the team.  Every week I see a team with huge potential.  We simply must give them to time to fulfil that potential.  I honestly don’t see why people can’t relish the challenge.  Rather than throw their arms up and ask for change.  Change may come all to soon, I fear, unless the majority of fans don’t quickly see sense.”

All was indeed not lost.  We here did just that. SUPPORTED.

Well done us I say.

Have a look at what Gainsbourg69 had to tell us yesterday:

“We only dropped four points out of a possible thirty in our last ten games.
We ended up with the second best defence in the Premier League after City.

We recovered a seven point deficit and overtook the Spuds.
We have reached the CL for seventeen consecutive seasons.
We were one of four teams to ever have three players score into double figures.

All of this on the back of having lost an important player and getting three new players to gel with the rest of the squad.”

Another titbit from LeoS:

“Fantastic resilience shown by the squad. Once the new signings were properly bedded in and Wilshere and Rosicky came back from injury, about halfway through the season we turned into a results machine, winning 12 and losing just 1 of our last 16 league games. That’s over 2.4 points per game, which would deliver 92 points over a whole season.”

That’s 3 points more than the Champions this year and last. I know its over 38 games and all that, but hey!  Just saying.

Now a list of some people, experts to a man, who confidently predicted we would not get in the top four:

Hansen, Redknapp, Shearer, Piers, Bale, Smith, Hoddle, Wilkins, Quinn, Stelling, Thompson, Souness.

Well done chaps. How many times does Arsene have to teach the same lesson?  Pillocks.

The doom and gloom brigade must be spitting feathers. They though this was their year. Pillocks.

The bloggers who told us this team was crap, it was the end of an era, could not defend for shit, played the wrong formations, players in the wrong positions. Pillocks.

Did you all see the game?  Yes?

Well no need for me to say anything other than fucking get in there.

Finally, thanks to everyone who has helped with the blog and those who have made it their homes.  Don’t let any miserable bastards jump on your bandwagon.

Let them trail behind in their shit cart.