So I get my phone call from the one man in the know yesterday and he tells me that Campbell will go, Theo will have his first injury free pre-season and is determined to show how good he is and Kosielny will get the famed number 6 shirt. I’m happy we are replacing Silvestre but I would have preferred a monster, time will tell if he is the chosen one, but if Wenger is sure, then it’s good enough for me. hopefully we’ll also sign Jagielka, then we’ll have a DM back up.
I think the success of Sol Campbell last season told Wenger we need a big lump with pace in there, so I have to assume that our new number 6 is that man.
Yes I know you need another 2 6′s to get the mark of the beast, but I was referring to our Tone, the only beast we ever truly had.
I felt I needed to explain it as I had a number of know-alls on here yesterday telling me to get my facts right that David Feherty was in fact Irish, ha, ha, how typical of the ill educated that when they hear an Irish accent they assume that person is from Ireland, well I hate to inform those blog nerds that Northern Ireland is actually part of Britain not Eire.
OUT OF TOUCH OR OUT OF TIME?
I have it on good authority that many box holders at the end of their contracts are not renewing, and I mean a lot, I have heard from 3 Grovers they have been bumped up the queue for season tickets, I have heard that many people have drastically climbed the waiting list, I even heard from my cousins that they are going to rent out their seasons for the second year running because times are tough and they are fed up with spending out and making the effort only to see our club not matching them in the transfer market. In betting parlance, they are laying them off.
Though they still have their other seasons in the North Bank, so will still be going, fear not, they will still be there shouting and singing!
Yesterday I met a customer in London, who told me that after 11 years on the waiting list, he was finally offered two tickets in the upper stands, he had the rest of the week to make up his mind and if he said no, he’s off the waiting list. I asked him where he was on that list last season, he said in the 30,000′s!
Now I’m not for one minute suggesting that 30,000 fans have given up their seasons, I’m also not suggesting that 30,000 decided not to stay on the list anymore, what I am suggesting is somewhere between the two is closer to the truth.
Only Arsenal know for sure, but believe me, there will be frayed nerves in the board room, if the empty seats last season were a warning, the lack of renewals and the drop in the waiting list were the bits you reap after the bad sowing.
It is showing Arsenal that the fans are fed up with being taken for granted and the new additional WM club and the Foundry are classic examples of how out of touch with reality some members of Arsenal’s management team really are.
They don’t understand that most of Club level members are just ordinary fans that went the extra mile for a bit of comfort and a free beer, they can’t afford an additional £10k for a 4 course meal and free wine before a game, real fans like a few beers with their mates, the 4 course meal and the expensive wine is what you do in Diamond Club, or with the wife in the evening, then fall asleep on the way home.
For any out there that think I’m talking rubbish, call Arsenal and ask what are the chances of getting a box please, or Ivan, email me and tell me I’m wrong, I would love to be.
I’M NOT MOANING, I’M JUST CONCERNED WE ARE LOSING THE NEXT GENERATION OF FANS, AS WELL AS OUT PRICING THIS GENERATION, THINK HARD BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE, THE WARNING SIGNS ARE THERE AND YOU KNOW IT.
What we said will happen, appears to be happening. Arsenal, spend some money on some world class talent before you blow it, do something now or it will take years to redress, stop making out you are giving us something when all you are doing is killing the same Goose, over and over again. All you are doing is finding new ways to skin the same fans and what you should be doing is looking for new ways of finding sponsors, here I have a few ideas.
Sell the pitch to a sponsor, much the same way they do in cricket matches, sell advertising space on the shorts and socks, do likewise with the tracksuits, do a pre-match tour to the far east or the USA.
Barnet, Dagenham and Austria don’t bring in much money.
I realise you can’t go back in time and re-do the stadium naming rights and the shirt deal, so move on and learn from your mistakes, don’t think it’s okay to sell our players for massive amounts but then not replace them for similar, the fans expect, the fans deserve to at least feel we can compete, having money doesn’t mean you’ll win, I think Man City have made some terrible buys, but having money in the right hands and buying the right players would make a massive difference.
On the positive side we hear that Wenger is going to spend large on top, top players and surprise us all, I hope there some truth in that!
Have a great day grovers, today we get to see our new number 6!
Northbanker thanks for that pearl of wisdom. Do you have a comment about the 95% of the post that wasn’t about that nasty little fat cunt Feherty who is actually now an American?
Zeus, what RVP did tonight would be terrific if the player he was laying off to would bang in the goals. That’s the question: who will stand up and play that roll? Fabregas did some of that last year, running onto RVP’s layoffs. Ideally a Vela or Eduardo, or even a Walcott. All that is immaterial if RVP spends half a season on the treatment table of course.
Wenger said a fascinating thing last season. He said that RVP was the best passer in the league – did you see the comment?
Stuey, why dont you apply for a job with the BBC?
RVP’s world class.. he just needs to stay fit and he’ll do the business.
His main weakness is his fitness!
Exactly Erichero, a brilliant pass is only recognised if there is a goal on the end of it. Kuyt has more assists than VP in this world cup but i’ll bet that VP has created far more chances.
Because im not qualifies or an ex footballer e12. duh!
The English are the only ones who actually employ ex-players as pundits and England have some of the worst punditry and analysis in Europe. Ex players are the worst at it imo
*qualified, ex or current footballer.
RVP’s flick through ball was just Class. Arsenal-esque if you will.
Its a shame Wenger cant give him the opportunity to win trophies like Holland are.
Stu, plenty of people like to think pro’s are useless at dissecting it… generally, you don’t make it to the highest level without knowing a bit about the game.
Pro’s are less articulate, I’ll give you that…
Playing the game is important if you ask me. How can you claim to be an expert in something if you’ve never played the game?
I remember Philipe Auclair saying that on some podcast right after the Ramsey leg break Pat. He was spot on too. Ex players are giving punditry jobs ahead of more qualified analysts.
David, Holland have won nothing
Has anyone come up with a fab and groovy theory to explain how our keepers play or are they actually just not that good?
Dermot O’Leary can apply for his British Passport too, the twunt!
Bitch said Celts would have no problem supporting England as Ireland didn’t qualify!!!!
AYE..RIGHT !!
If you can be bothered to read False nine article about RVP.
http://arsenalcolumn.wordpress.com/2009/09/23/roaming-robin-the-focal-point-in-wengers-master-plan/
Pat, I’d like to know how many of the pundits you are talking about have no experience of playing the game.
I’d guess a big fat zero.
Zeus, see, the reason I wont read that is how can Robin be the focal point in Wenger’s plan?
He’s played more than 30 games once in 6 years.
Only a fool would base a season around an incredibly injury prone player.
Thats true Eric
But i think most people would be happy with making it to a CL final.
2006 was hard breaking but the build up to it was glorious.
heart*
Tat may be true in a way Pedro but if you love football you would have played it at ome point in your life, even if not professionally. You dont have to have played at the very top to know what its like to play the game imo.
You wouldnt, or at least you shouldnt, trust a horses opinion over a jockeys, or something like that. (thats probably a shit analogy though but i dont care).
Very true David… the proudest I’ve ever been about a loss…
Pedro,
Corden’s fat and fat people are funny! QED/QEF/QE2
Pedro, hope springs eternal. Even Robben is getting game time these days, and I seem to remember his injury record is why Chelsea sold him.
Stuey,neither is Adrian Fucking Chiles!!
How does a horse have an opinion?
Stu, all I’m saying is talk of auxiliary midfielders, false 9 strikers and consolidation goalkeepers is over complication of the game.
Each to their own… but I’m not a fan.
Neither is Adrian Chiles what?
Wish i could slow dance with Henri Lansbury!
Exactly choy!
Erichero, hope doesn’t win your Premierships.
There aren’t many players at Arsenal you could base a season around. Cesc is usually quite fit… Clichy, Sagna, Vermaelen… maybe Chamakh.
You’d never base a season around a player like Robin.
It is complicated but the game is complicated. Its not as simple as just 11 vs 11 and see who wins.
lol @ Pedro
“consolidation” midfielders…didnt know midfielders are credit card companies.
Dont forget Rush Goalie’s versus Stationary Goalies.
Stu, thanks for pointing that out…
Gambon.. get back to sleep!
Too late to be thinking about that stuff
No problem Pedro
haha, rush goalie… them were the days!
Pedro..
I think we can add cesc to the injury prone list!
The last too seasons, he’s missed quite a lot!
*two
It is a complicated game, but i think Wenger thinks its ridiculously simple…attack, attack, attack!
“So Arsene, how are you going to neutralise Drogba?”
“Huh? what?…..we’re just gonna play our own game and attack them”
Yeah, that’s true Choy.
I hope this GPS stuff sorts us out this year.
The impact injuries surely have to die down?
Consolidation midfielder
must be Keith Gillespie after he called Ocean Finance.
Gambon, he’s operating on a project darkness formation with two invisible flymo wing backs…
Going gung ho is more complex than you think…
As long as the FA does something, I don’t see things changing.
To beat Arsenal, most teams believe that they need to get physical!
If I was looking for that physco Raoul Moat id be looking in Hever, Leeds or Dover.
You usually find a moat around a castle.
Forget midflieder we’ve got a Consolidation Manager.
Isn’t basing our season around RVP an over-simplification?
I do think one of the best features of Henry was his lack of injuries for about 5 seasons in a row, but that’s not typical.
Certainly as it stands we have enough strikers in terms of numbers. Quality is an opinion.
Choy, we should fight fire with fire… like the Scissor Sisters song.
That’s send them packing…
How many leg snaps did we have in the PV04 days?
What a fucking game … Holland is really the pinnacle of attacking football, Barca should thank Cruyf, those unthankful mofos really owe it to the Dutch, look at how Spain plays to understand the revolution the Dutch brought at Barca.
The footie I watched today makes me love the Arsenal.
Yeah Pedro
I hear Wenger is responsible for con trails in the sky. Hes using his black ops budget to trial a new ‘false 5 & 6′ formation.
PHW says no such project exists.
Eric, I’d have to agree with you there… I don’t think we have a team based around individuals, we rarely do… it’s all about the pieces of the jigsaw…
Kreshnik
Were you watching the right game?
I thought holland were garbage, bar 2 great goals.
Hillwood’s a fucking liar Gambon… A LIAR!
I thought Holland were shite as well… could barely string a pass together.
Erichero says:
July 6, 2010 at 22:12
Isn’t basing our season around RVP an over-simplification
————
Not really friend. Im pretty sure most of us felt our season was fucked after RVP was injured.
So we struggled and fell off the chart…and miraculously came back in it in January where we played Arshavin CF and waited for Bendtner and RVP to come back. Where as Bendtner gave us 20 quality minutes hoping on one leg and RVP gave us 5 quality minutes coming off the bench to a remarkable collapse at Wigan Athletic. But dont worry who needs RVP anyways?
Anyone who things otherwise should get Cha-mached!
Well pedro, our PV is diaby at the moment!
We need some defensive steel, Song is not very aggressive.
….PHW looks like the smoking guy from X Files, maybe the character was based on him.
Although the smoking man didnt keep calling the Daily Star.
Choy, I’d still like Melo… I thought bar the Dutch game, he looked very handy.
lol @ Gambon
I reckon PHW is like the Heff… he supplies the tits to the Daily Star… secretly, he’s a bit of a boy…
Yeah, he puts the Wood in Hill Wood.
gambon you spend to much time on this site go get laid or sumthin
Right, I’m off!
Have a good night everyone…!
Eboue, what you doing on here then?
relaxing with my feet up am sorry i hurt your friends feelings =(
Eboue dont you need to work on new versions of your monkey dance?
Wenger’s obvious plan is that at least 2 of Bendtner, Walcott, Eduardo, Vela and Chamakh will come good. If so, then we can afford RVP’s injuries and then we have substitute pieces for the puzzle. Let’s put it nicely and say the jury is out on all 5 names there. And I’m sure we can agree by now that Arshavin is not going to plug that gap.
eboue
This is the best place to pick up women, or guys if thats what you want friendo!
Where is QoS anyhow?
no because next season i wont be playing in midfield the boss told me he will sign another midfielder so i can focus on my defensive duties.
qos?? why would u want to chat a little girl up
Arshavin has the ability to totally dominate the prem if he wants to, whether he wants to is another matter.
Id love him to come out and tear the league apart next season in what i think will be his last year.
eric
I’ll agree with that..but its hard to show what your made off if you cant get games like Vela and Eduardo.
Agreed gambon, hopefully he’ll get some fire in his belly, although i doubt it.
We’ll get moments of quality mixed in with big periods of his wandering around picking daisies and trying to find animal shapes in the clouds
Arshavin needs to take preseason seriously.
I think he underestimates preparation.
I think he underestimates low bodyfat.
Gambon, don’t think thats an issue at all. Look at Rooney, Lampard, etc. They carry a few extra pounds yet play very well.
GoonerTalk reports that RVP wants the #10 shirt next season
Just to be clear, I was saying Arshavin can’t fulfill RVP’s striker role, although he might work in a 422.
I’m hoping for a terrific season from Arsh, now that he has second season syndrome out of the way. We know what he’s good at, running in from deep and hammering them. Hopefully there will be plenty of nails.
Im joking Pat. Just looks funny cos hes short & tubby!
Will there be any squad number changes? TOP
A: Please be aware that Robin Van Persie has requested a squad number change. This has yet to be approved by Arsenal FC.
If you have or are going to place an order for him we will keep your orders until the number change has been approved then print the correct number with his name. In doing this we will not be able to guarantee delivery for kit launch day.
If you have already placed your order and would like to amend the name and number please call us on 0207 619 5000 option 3 and quote your order number.
Yeah RVP will be 10 next year.
People trying to buy a shirt are being advised he has requested a change of number.
Following in DBs footsteps.
Arshavin would be great in a 4-4-2, right behind a CF. RVP on the wing in that system.
RVP would be great behind a real CF as well.
But Song is a no go in a 4-4-2. That formation need a real workhorse, unless stays back a la Xavi.
I’m trying to buy the 09/10 kit (my personal favourite). Currently 20 quid at SportsDirect/Lillywhite. Do you think it will come down further?
gambon … a team that keeps attacking when 3-1 up, and has 3 clear chances on goal, (even though they should have really taken those) is a great team in my books
Arsh cant be arsed cuz he doesnt like playing up top alone on his own.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1292588/Arsenal-talks-sign-10m-rated-Tottenham-target-Serdar-Tasci.html?
4-4-2 is dead, no top team would play it nowadays….
Daily Mail but would be ok with that if it’s true. Rather someone more experienced but still, three highly rated young defenders competing with each other would be ok
I wouldve preferred a more experienced defender than Tasci, but hes very highly rated.
He would push Koscielny for the starting spot.
What was up with the commentator today. It was as if he was the 12th player for Uruguay. Everything Holland did was bad for him. Who is he anyway?
great minds gambon
To be fair ive said a few times i thought our lack of cb signings means we must be after someone at the WC.
Only annoying thing is i doubt Stuttgart would want to sell us both Tasci & Khedira, and id really like Khedira.
i’d like to see the cuntalan out tomorrow so they can give us a break of their auto-over-hyping-cunts, and hopefully the press turns to the German who deserve much more attention!
busquets is a prick, i am never tired of saying that
I would like to see that as well Gooby.
But I think the germans are going out tomorrow
choy mate, the Germans will show everyone why the cunts are over-hyped.
can’t wait for tomorrow
I suspect at some point in the future it will be revealed just how close the club came to insolvency at the time that the property market imploded. At the stage, I hope that Wenger is given the full credit he deserves for steering the ship through the storm and into calmer waters. It wasn’t Arsenal’s fault, as it had been a medium term plan – but the Highbury Square development’s fruition coincided with the economic downturn. Punters were walking away from their deposits, so dire were things that people were more than happy to write off a few grand rather than commit… The club – at one point were losing thousands of pounds on a daily basis. Wenger never whined, never blamed the board for a lack of funds. You can say he lied to the fans but what choice did he, or the club have? The could hardly tell the entire world that they were on the brink of collapse… It’s not hard, look at Leeds United. Look at Man Utd & Liverpool. As long as the club are not subject to a leverage buy out, they’re pretty much through a very, very frightening period. He could have walked away, Real Madrid would have taken him and so would various other TOP european clubs – he didn’t, he stayed and saw it through. I’m not saying his a saint, or that he’s a perfect manager, he’s certainly not. But he’s a man of integrity, don’t doubt that mate.
We’ll see Johnny Hoy, if that is all true then the truth will come out in time
Oh lordy Johnny
You dont understand. How can the club “lose thousands of pounds on a daily basis” yet make £60m profit at the end of the year.
in fact they were making £165 000 every day.
Tasci is a defender that has impressed me whenever I’ve seen him play (not much thought to be honest)! Still pretty young though, but I gotta agree with A and Gambon. Very young for a defender but he looks very good and he’s highly rated. I’m going to the Uhren Cup over here in a few weeks and Stuttgart will be playing. I doubt he’ll be there though to see him play live, since he’s with the German squad.
you may not be completely wrong johnny, i hope we can dominate soon
And by then he could be a gooner Tariq….
True A! From what the games I’ve seen him play, he looks very good and I hear a lot of good things about him.
If both Campbell and Gallas leave then we’ll obviously need another defender after Kos, so the story sounds credible. It would also give us a good mix of competition.
One question: is Vermaelen good enough to be the senior defender in the team?
gallas has already been released….
Sol leaving would be annoying, but even if he stayed I would say that we would sign someone, and he’d only be 5th choice anyways.
not sure about vermy, imo he’s still a bit raw and needs to be number two to a more experienced player for a while.
Wengker’s an egotistical scumbag.
That said, I’d quite like to sign Tasci.
Doubt we’re really in for him though – too obvious for Wengker to sign a player at the world cup, and he’s obviously got a reputation to think of.
Jimbo, there’s no need for that sort of talk. You might not like him, but he’s hardly a scumbag…
Jonny, Arsenal, close to insolvency?
What a load of rubbish…
I wonder which part of the last 5 years where we’ve never posted a loss you think we were close to insolvency?
Yea, that’s the problem Erichero. I don’t think that’d be the best idea with Vermaelen as the senior defender. I’d prefer if we sign another experienced CB to play alongside of him with Koscielny/Tasci as the back up. Just to throw a name out there, let’s just say Bruno Alves for example.
1. Alves
2. TV
3. Kos/Tasci
4. Djourou
5. Song/Sol (if he’d stay)
6. Bartley/Nordtveit
I’d be very happy with that for our central defenders. Anyway, bed time. Looong day tomorrow. Night guys.
Pedro, I’m sorry, I consider the anyone who takes our club for a ride as badly as Wengker has a scumbag.
He’s driving the club to ruin for the sake of his ego – forget moaning about Cesc, Wengker’s a scumbag.
Either way though, your blog, I’ll leave it there.
Apparantley Arsene said on TV that the Koscielny deal will announced tomorrow.
Well said Pedro. I’ve been wanting to respond to Jimbo but experience tells me it is a waste of time. Didn’t we go through all these crude insults and childish nonsense last year when dire predictions were made about the coming season? And when those predictions failed to come true, wasn’t there a rather welcoming silence? Some people are just longing for the club to go down big time so they can roll out the “I told you so” posts. Unless there are other pressures at play I just don’t get it. I mean “Wengker”? Is that really the sum of it all
lou
you have got everyting mixed up.cos their is nobody in here that want us to loose any sor of game.and the reason why we bash up our own players is that they perform in a way that we want.cos i personally think you should be on our side.cos the rest of the arsenal fans are just people waiting to suck up for wenger.
I meant any sort of games.
I cant wait to see if Cesc has his legs crossed or straight on the bench.
Why one earth have we not taken Barca to Fifa over their behaviour when it comes to Cesc.
Ok it might rub Cesc up the wrong way, but so what. Those cunts are obvioulsy tapping him up without permission to do so and they continue to openly admit that in the press. Today their president comes out with this line about Cesc’s current state of mind regarding the transfer
‘He’s Nervous, I would be to’
And their bullyboy tactics about the price is beyond decency. Their club is a fucking embarrasement, and to boldly keep claiming that Cesc will be a Barca player as long as Arsenal dont go crazy is the cuntish trick of all.
He has a long contract and we dont want to sell. It is like me going up to a man who has a prized limited edition sports car and telling him that I dont care that he does not want to sell, I am buying it and for an amount I decide.
Fuck you Barca, either put your money where your mouth is or fuck off and stop unsettling our players.
Not only that, but they were happy to take the 28m from Man City for one of their fringe players, yet want to offer us similar for our best player!!!! Cesc is twice the player yaya is, so hey the price is at least 55 – 60m .
And not only that, but they have just announced that they are taking out a 150m euro loan to cover short term financial woes including staff wages. How can you be allowed to continue to purchase players if your club is in that state???
Well said pat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Roberto_Silva_Botelho
Any one seen him play ???
I hope Nacer Barazite gets some games this season…tall skillful and isn’t shy of shooting from long range…..
JH,
Unless your the man himself which id very much doubt using his names a bit of a no no isnt it,
Anyways morning all heres hoping for a signing today !
Or even the Arsenals version of a two for one wednesday
i did read yesterday that Seggasson from PSG has agreed a deal with an English side heres hoping !!
Who Seggasson chippy?
PTG
There is no law that says we can.
Tapping up is when they talk without the clubs permission, a la Ashley Cole.
It certainly makes them cunts, as well as awful business men, so our reaction should be £60m or fuck off.
i thought seggasson was awesome at the emirtaes cup, he’s like essien.
Gambon, I think tapping up is if a player is under contract, an approach is made and his team say no, then that’s it. End of story, however, If they continue to unsettle the player, that is considered tapping up.
And that is what they are doing.
Out of reach? Cash-strapped Barcelona refuse to meet Arsenal’s £60m price tag for wantaway Cesc Fabregas
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1292433/Cash-strapped-Barcelona-refuse-meet-Arsenals-60m-price-tag-wantaway-Cesc-Fabregas.html#ixzz0stISgEXJ
these cunts should learn to shut up. You wouldnt to buy a ferrari if you only have money for a tractor
PTG – Hello fella, and well fucking said, Barca, Real Madrid and UEFA are all corrupt, amoral cunts in it together……
Where did the 60m figure come from? Does ‘we won’t sell’ mean ‘we’ll sell for £60m’
Grovers I need to go into a meeting so I’m posting now, have fun, new post!
Barca have taken out another loan to keep functioning. I hope this isn’t another ‘soft’ loan. Surely even the friendly Spanish banks will be looking out for their future over Barca’s. Especially with the way the Spanish economy is.
At first i wanted us to hold on to Fabregas but words coming from his Spanish friend,Pique have made me change my mind. Its now clear that Fabregas wants to go but has no guts to come out in the open so we should let him go BUT ONLY IF THE MONEY IS RIGHT,i.e 60 million and above, we cannot be held to ransom by a player who only signed a new five year contract becoz of the money,he should have refused to sign the contract
I hope wenger knows what he is doing this time…We need to strenghten the defence line of Arsenal in the new season….Also a hard prolific striker to rely on, to give us the needed maximum points to win the league tittle…ARSENE,Make a better choice this time,we wanna SMILE big
Samir. If I could understand what you wrote I might be able to comment. As it is I guess I’ll just leave it.