It’s May, the final game of the season has passed and I’ve had enough of Arsene Wenger.
No longer can I stand by a manager I once regarded as the greatest in the world.
Yesterday kind of summed up our squad, our club and our p*ss poor mentality.
The players had one final chance to prove to the fans they were worthy of wearing the red and white of Arsenal and once again they blew it in unspectacular fashion.
Arsene Wenger opted to field Squillaci, his bargain basement signing from Sevilla… once again, the Frenchman showcased why he’s never attracted the cream of Europe with his defensive skills.
Arsenal were a Darren Bent goal down very early on… the crowd groaned.
Four minutes later we were a 2nd goal down… a slow crescendo of boo’s erupted around the ground…
No response later and the crowd began to sing…
‘6 percent, you’re avin a laugh, 6 percent you’re avin a laugh’
What a fu*king embarrassment. The fans, who’ve stood by Wenger through thick and thin finally snapped and they’d had enough of the utter dross.
The players picked up their game, but it was too little, too late. They should have played with the right attitude from the start.
Half time came, the crowd jeered the team off. It was a horrible atmosphere on a day that usually feels like a carnival.
The second half wasn’t much better. Robin Van Persie had a goal disallowed unfairly then he pulled on back, but overall we didn’t deserve a victory. Probably the most memorable moment was when the dopey MC announced a capacity crowd of 60,240… the crowd jeered and booed. They could see the stadium was probably the emptiest it had been since it had opened (10,000 down at the least). The youth cup kids probably had more of an attendance.
The paying public have had enough.I’ve been going to Arsenal for 20 years, I’ve never booed in my life, but yesterday, I wondered to myself what the point of me not booing was? I’m not happy with the players, I’m not happy with the manager and I’m not happy that once again I’ve made a massive effort to go to Arsenal and I’ve been let down. Why should I sit there in silence and applaud of a group of players who are more interested in their twitter followings than they are in winning games?
Abou Diaby said the crowd are too nice to the players, I hope he was listening yesterday.
We’ve gone from potential quadruple winners, to handing Manchester City our pass into the 2nd phase of the Champions League (possible opponents include Villareal, Bayern, Rubin Kazan, Twente and Udinese). You know what? I’m glad it’s come to this. I’m glad we haven’t progressed because we haven’t deserved to based on what has been served up this season. Sure I always want what’s best for my club, for me, Arsene Wenger finishing second with this shower of dross was not what the club needed this year.
Progression would have been undeserved vindication of a squad that was getting by on sub-standard competition.
Perhaps the embarrassment of qualifying for the Champions League will be the kick up the backside the BOARD need to start holding Wenger accountable for his decisions. Perhaps Ivan Gazidis will man up now he has the backing of the majority shareholder, perhaps he’ll set some targets for Wenger. He’s not going to sack him now, but if Wenger decides he wants to play silly buggers again this summer, maybe there will be actual consequences next season. I’ve no doubt Ivan is aware that a number of supporters protested yesterday. There weren’t the droves predicted, but it was a start. It was a warning and it’ll worry the board.
The BSM crowd on Blackstock Rd prior to march
The playing side of the club is in a mess, back room and front room. All of the problems stem from one man… the manager.
Do I think he’s going to change his ways this summer? Absolutely no chance…
Wenger has said for the last 3 years there is a problem with the defence, we’re on to concede our worst total under Wenger this Saturday. We’ve conceded 41, the same as Fulham, the same as we did last year. If we lose against an in form Fulham which is highly possible, our points total will be as awful as the total when Spurs nearly pipped us to 4th on the last game of the season at the start of project youth… all this with £35million sitting in a dorment bank account.
Wenger re-signed Pat Rice which suits him down to the ground, he knows he has Cesc tied to the club indefinitly, he knows that the chances of a team willing to offer end of season choker Nasri £120k a week are slim and he knows the rest of his children are fiercely loyal to the man who dishes out the careers and the mega youth contracts.
My guess is that the only players who will leave will be the players who either want to go… ala Nik B, Carlos Vela and Traore… and the players who will be forced out of the club because they won’t sign new deals… ala Gael Clichy.
Wenger might sign a crowd pleaser early on in the summer that will convince us he’s changing… but at the most, that’ll be Scott Parker. Don’t believe the hype that he’s going for an 8 in 8 out… it simply won’t happen. Arsene Wenger is delusional these days, he’s obsessed with doing things his way and the only way we’ll break this cycle is if next season ends in disaster or the press uncover something else about his private life.
Yesterday, many people said to me, ‘be careful what you wish for’… well, in response, I’d say, ‘be careful what you settle for.’
You can spend your whole life worrying about the impact of removing an institution of a manager and you could end up like Nottingham Forrest did when they held onto Brian Clough for a few seasons longer than his sell by date. Or you could make a positive change now based on the evidence that your manager isn’t dynamic anymore and you could reap the rewards.
Remember, our manager is holding onto his job purely based on past glories. In fact, he’s only being indulged in a project everyone can see is failing because the club and the fans feel they owe him an enormous debt.
Inter Milan were Italian Champions but they were struggling to make it out of the last 16 in the Champions League. Did Morratti settle for just domestic honours or did he make a bold move? Well, he sacked Mancini, brought in Mourinho on a 3 year business plan and ended up winning countless trophies culminating in European glory.
How about Barcelona? Frank Rijkaard returned Barcelona to the glory days with La Liga wins, a Champions League victory against Arsenal and the fostering of Ronaldinho as one of the greatest players of a generation. He had one bad year and the rumblings began. Joan Laporta began sniffing round Europe’s finest managers, he spoke with Pep Guardiola about the role and the Spaniard said,
‘Joan, you don’t have the cojones to appoint me’
He was duly appointed and the rest is history.
My fear for Arsenal? This goes the way of Rafa Benitez and Liverpool… A manager who brought back the glory days to Liverpool, found himself caught up in his own stubborness and self belief, a man who took Liverpool out of the Champions League into a world of turmoil.
I think it’s time for a change. Arsenal aren’t a couple of players away from conquering, we’re a complete change of mindset away. In one summer, someone is going to have to alter the way we train to avoid niggly injuries, prepare the squad sufficiently enough so they know what they’re expecting each week, train the defence, flush out the dead wood and instill a bit of Arsenal pride into the squad.
Arsene Wenger is too stubborn and too old to make those changes. He needs to move on and we need a fresh approach. Everyone can see the problem at Arsenal. It’s not a manager slightly lost along the way, it’s a manager trying to flog an outdated method of winning 7 years after the rest of the world learnt how to play against it.
It’s May, Arsene asked us to judge him now… and I’m through with him.
Sacrificing 3rd place from the position of strength we were in has been the final straw… we’re stuck in a perpetual loop of scraping into the Champions League every season. For a club as big as Arsenal, that doesn’t count as a trophy, that doesn’t merit £7million a year and it doesn’t satisfy the fanbase.
Time to align the managers ambitions with the price of the most expensive season ticket in the world.
Time for a change…
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60,240… you’re avin’ a laugh
Fans stream out of ground straight after game
MG
such a bullshitter!
denilson still hasnt gone to roma like you said mate and if Ice is gibbs why did he write this…
“Gibbo out (not considered to standard)”
Breaking news police called to westham end of party dinner in central london westham fans fighting players
what a great idea
Can you imagine some of the Arsenal players fighting, jab jab jab jab jab jab jab jab jab
jab,jab,tip,tap,FLICK..and relax
Why do we have to pay 2 month in advance before the season starts?
Can the AST do something about this and also see if we can pay by direct debit, is it poss for them to speak to the club on behalf of us
Club level had to renew a month before the end of the season
Dial Square says:
May 16, 2011 at 21:54
Can you imagine some of the Arsenal players fighting, jab jab jab jab jab jab jab jab jab
——-
hahaahaha fuckin brilliant
Rob Green tried to save a plate coming towards him but missed it
now that’s what you calla fucking protest,haha quality
rob green weren’t there,that’s funny tho dave.
Djemba Ba refused to sign an autograph and so the fans went for the players en masse…
Fair fucks to them
Arsenal players passed there plates along the table and back down again without managing to eat anything
We have signed Dai O’Rea.
Anyone heard of him?
neamman says:
May 16, 2011 at 20:14
Boo the team. Way to go!!! Now please go and support tottenham. Call yourself a damn supporter?? Band wagoner. What part of the word support dont you understand????
********
Idiotic comments like these really irritate me. These ppl need to just fuck off. If you can’t vent your frustrations after watching your team throw away 2 and 4 goal leads then when the fuck are you allowed to do so?
If your content seeing year after year after year of the same failings then I hope you and your ilk go ‘support’ another team.
Sometimes being a supporter means raising a dissenting voice to effect change. We are Arsenal fans, not Wenger disciples. People luke you would vote in a poor government time and time again.
“West Ham players in a brawl with fans tonight in a restaurant. You can’t write this!” wrote someone on Twitter.
786 i thought he had signed for shitty
Gooner786 says:
May 16, 2011 at 22:12
We have signed Dai O’Rea.
Anyone heard of him?
i heard he’s shit
My oh my, Arsenal fans are bitchy fuckers!
I still think this is a problem with the player’s workrate and application. Fact is, we’re one of the better teams against the top 6. So the quality is not the issue, the application is. If this team would work as hard as it did in January and February, when we were tearing teams up, we could easily have won the league.
Dai O’Rea?
I heard he’s a bit like Linford Christie – brown and runny.
I was always of the opinion that i’d like Wenger to stay but to change his ways and sign what we need. I no longer believe that. Wenger must go, it has become obvious that it’s not the players but the attitude of the team that is the problem. Wenger could sign Messi Ronaldo Cahill and Essien and the team would still swan about like they don’t need to show up with effort and intensity unless they’re playing against a “big” team. This team and this manager is the opposite of mentally strong. Every single major test we’ve had this season against lesser opponents we’ve failed miserably. I’m lucky enough to go every week and what i’ve seen this year has been on the whole embarrassing. With the exception of a few high points this team has showed up with a disgusting, lazy, attitude that does not befit a my great club. You can tell within 5 mins which “Arsenal” has turned up. I just can’t bring myself to cheer for someone who isn’t putting in any effort. It’s not winning and loosing that matters to me (although i fondly remember a time when i expected us to win every game) it’s trying hard to do something positive, rather than what we see which is tippy tappy pass back, pass square no one making runs everyone standing still no one taking responsibility CRAP!!!
And it’s the same every single year. It will not change even if he brings in the best players in the world it is the mentality that is not there and that is instilled by the manager.
I genuinely believe all those AKBs out their are beginning to see what Wenger is doing to their club. How long can this go on for….?
No one learns how to win by continuously loosing. FACT when Wenger and the players say that it infuriates me! If anything its a self fulfilling prophecy, every single time you find yourself in a position to win something you fcuk it up it’s more likely going to happen again then next time because that is what your brain has been programed with. The best players learn how to win early. Our players might still be young but they are vastly experienced and they carry the burden of loosing consistently under pressure, no sports psychologist in their right mind would tell you this is the recipe for future success.
Apologies for the long post but had to get it off m chest.
Gunner for Life!!
Police called to West Hams end of season dinner……
fellas must have been hammered.
voodoo chile -
tearing teams up in january and february?
Would you be referring to the 4-4 capitulation agains newcastle?
or how about the 1-0 loss to an Ipswich team that had lost their previous 9 matches…
or how about the 1-1 draw to Championship side Leeds?
or what about the 1-1 draw with Leyton Orient…?
or how about the 2-1 victory we scraped against Huddersfield with a last minute goal?
Because all those results came in Jan & Feb…
We’ve been shit all season – the alarm bells were ringing when West Brom, a newly promoted team beat us at The Emirates….
Anyone who expects anything from this shit team is as deluded as Wenger 360.
Online Ed: All back in August for a Champions League qualifier then?
There were some people that seriously believed Arsenal could win the league this season. There were others who believe that until obvious lessons from past failures are addressed, then the same mistakes are destined to be repeated. Although I believe fans will see some major purchases this summer, if only because of the amount of money received for Fabregas, Nasri and Clichy (what significance that none of these players were even on the bench yesterday? Don’t expect to see them against Fulham either), ultimately the manager’s refusal to work on the defensive side of the game will continue to cost the team honours.
There’s a lot of money in the bank… and they want more
The crest for next season has the word ‘Forward’ running underneath. A while back, the club badge featured a motto that translated as ‘victory through harmony’. There’s not much harmony at Arsenal these days. When I heard Pat Rice was staying on for a further year, the new crest came to mind. A much-needed chance to shake things up, to actually do something in a positive direction has been put on hold for a further 12 months. And why? Because the manager persuaded Rice to stay on. It is a demonstration that he has too much power and that an employee has his bosses – who decided to pay him £6.5 million a year until the summer of 2014 – by the short and curlies.
A friend saw Ivan Gazidis after the game yesterday and said he looked despondent, really low. I don’t think there is any illusion about the gravity of the situation for the CEO, but he feels powerless to do anything about it. Actually Mr Gazidis you are not. I have written before that the board need to force changes on the manager by insistence on alterations in the way the team are prepared and on the shopping habits of Wenger. For starters, they can tell him he has to recruit a specialist defensive coach and said coach must be given regular training time to work on the team. When Arsenal do not have the ball they are found wanting.
Additionally, decisions about the playing budget need to be removed from the manager. He should identify the players he wants (and be told in no uncertain terms that he needs to get in players with experience and leadership qualities) and the board should then tell him to p*ss off back to his office and leave them to deal with transfer and wage negotiations. Additionally, the existing contracts need to be looked at and some imaginative dealings done. Some players are not going to move because of the fat wages they are on which no other mug on earth would be foolish enough to pay them. So the club must arrange loans (and swallow paying a percentage of the players’ earnings) or free transfers to get them off the wage bill. What is the purpose of Tomas Rosicky going to be in 2011/12. Denilson? Sebastien Squillaci? These players positively handicap the team’s chances of success. Basically, the manager has to be usurped with some strategic instruction to him as an employee. Then he might jump ship and go manage Real Madrid.
Of course it’s going to be ugly. The chain mail divide in club level with Wenger’s giant face has Big Brother echoes about it and now the celebrations of his achievements make compromising him awkward. The club is now starting to go backwards and the manager is already getting his excuses in for a finish outside the top four this time next year. He knows next season is going to be a struggle. It is difficult to replace Fabregas and Nasri and improve.
So the board must pretty much insist on the changes so that the club can get through the next two seasons – they can afford to give Wenger the boot in 2013 and swallow the cost – and halt the decline we will witness if they simply leave Wenger to continue to indulge himself in his vanity project to show what a great manager he is.
The facts are these. The team that won the trophies under him was built on the bedrock of an experienced defence, with the addition of Sol Campbell. It was the defence that sorted out the midfield of Petit and Vieira to give them the protection they needed. A defence Wenger inherited. Trophies followed as Vieira developed into the player a winning team needs. Wenger also had David Seaman in goal and then made an inspired signing in Jens Lehmann. Yes, going forward he signed some marvelous players (although more experienced than history sometimes makes out, Pires and Henry had World Cup winners’ medals before they arrived at Highbury), but we have some marvelous players going forward now – real talent like Van Persie, Nasri, Arshavin and Fabregas. The problem since Campbell left the club in 2006 is the goals conceded. Through the failure to recruit enough quality, experience and leadership at the back, and the ridiculous farce at the start of the season that meant Almunia and Fabianski had to confirm by dropping league points what everyone knew – they are not good enough – the club has wasted a season. A season in which a fantastic opportunity to win the title has been spurned.
There was a demonstration against the board before the game yesterday. Next week at Fulham there will apparently be an anti-Wenger demonstration. The club moved stadium so it could keep up with the big spenders, but there has been £40 million in the player trading account since the sale of Toure and Adebayor two years ago. It has not been used to improve the team on the pitch, but just look at all that lovely money. And the club want more! For what exactly?
If there’s one thing Ivan Gazidis should do it is insist that every penny used for player sales (circa £90 million if Fabregas, Nasri, Clichy, Bendtner and Arshavin all go) plus the £40 million in the kitty is all used. £130 million can buy two Vidic style defenders, a quality holding midfielder (giving Alex Song something to think about and ideally learn from) and a striker to work alongside Robin van Persie. Next season’s team will look very different and it is important there is genuine competition for places. Forget trying to protect the likes of Song and Abou Diaby and make them play out of their skins to keep their places.
Wenger said recently, “I have been asked if I will change my principles and if you can convince me that my principles are wrong, then I am ready to change. But I feel we try to play football the proper way. When you don’t win, your principles are questioned.” But Arsene, if your principles are that what you do with the ball is more important than what you do without it, then they are wrong. They are of equal importance as the great teams have shown, including your own. Wenger again: “I think if something is wrong in our team, it is not the principle of playing our football the way we do.” So paying so little attention to the defensive side of the game is not wrong, is it?
Two more years of this…
To finish, a text that made me smile in the aftermath of the defeat against Villa, a team that had nothing to play for and every reason to have been ‘on the beach’. It’s from occasional contributor Doktor Schneide – Could not stay for the lap of ‘appreciation’. Am more disappointed than Arshavin being led into an all you can eat salad bar
The current issue of The Gooner will be on sale outside Fulham next Sunday and can be bought online here.
well my fellow grovers. Om usually a bit anti facebook and all that stuff but AW has pissed me off so much ive even set up a FB page as my little way of venting and maybe helping to the get wenger out campaign. Link below http://www.facebook.com/pages/In-Arsenal-we-trust-in-Arsene-We-DONT-Arsene-out/185567698161223?v=wall.
Ill of course keep posing on here now ive discovered the site. Might even start to do a little blog every now and then on the new page. Keep the faith guys wenger and the current cronies cant last for ever. AFC however will be forever in my heart and soul despite AW.
shut up, that’s why!
wenger’s the man.
I’ll take N’zogbia over our left backs. If we cant get the “English” Baines, yes please to N’zogbia. No matter what is said about him he leads by example on the pitch.
N’zogbia; another French player who we are craving for. My Francophonic mates even complain about the French contingent in Arsenal
We should go back to highbury, fuck the new stadium, fuck gazidis, fuck kronkee, fuck the tippy tappy, fuck the prices we’re getting.
Give me back the counter attacks, the vieira-like nasty tackles and wake the fuck up wenger.
Rebuild highbury!!!!!
Gooby
Is that coming from you?
We may do well by changing the name of the stadium to ;”Ashburton Grove” or ‘The Grove”. Highbury depicted the real Arsenal though.
Look at this potential player, tonnes of passion, rhythm, pizazz…but will Wenger buy him?
No.
Why?
Coz hes British…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hucTbK9L2-4&NR=1&feature=fvwp
standing and singing in the clockend without a steward or snob in sight, watching world class players give there all and win trophies
compared to now
its like going from the “tesco finest” range to “tesco value”
but without the value
Man City finally got a piece of silverware after 35 years. Liverpool haven’t won an EPL title in 20 years and haven’t won a trophy in 5 years. So can’t Arsenal fans show a little patience?
Its comments like these that make me wanna smack somebody. Just because they haven’t won anything in however long, does that justify our futility or lack of trying? That’s like a 40 year old still living at home with his mom but he doesn’t think anything of it because he has a 45 year old friend down the road that does the same.
Another thing is, some Arsenal fans don’t seem to want to improve. You’ll occasionally see comments like, “Well Red nose is gonna leave Utd soon so they’ll be shit and Chelsea are gonna get old and FFP is gonna prevent City from spending all that much.” So if alll these things happen(they won’t) then Arsenal will be the least shit right?
We are a big club, a very big one . If the standards were high, we would have been demanding success every year. We must not wait long like Chelsea or Man City to win the league or a major trophy. We are among the top 10 most important clubs in the world.
Some Gooners depend on other clubs’ failure a lot. Wenger won’t even capitalize on a daft manager’s mistakes. He would find a unique way to bottle his chances, even if they were for free.
bro read my post,I’d rather Baines but if that wont work, then I’ll have N’zogbia. He has proven himself over the years and he has gannered premier league experience. I understand the misrepresentation of the english in our team,but if clichy were to leave and we couldnt get baines, would u pass on the chance to get N’zogbia?
Hazard just says he wants to leave Lille for a big club, no preference
This is our chance
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1387756/Arsenal-Manchester-United-alert-Eden-Hazard-admits-wants-Lille-leave.html?
I would get Erik Pieters instead
N’zogbia is creepy defensively, but attack-wise, he is good, average…. We could do better than that.
pray will do not qualify for the champions leaguq, f**king Coach
A&B @ 22:36,
Now theres a good old rant mate, agreed with pretty much all of it although I hope we don’t lose both Cesc & Nasri and Wenger wouldn’t spend £130M on his Playstation let alone for real.
The Carling cup debacle is blamed for much and it’s true that our form has suffered since, however the Barcelona lesson knocked them down a good few pegs I feel. Sure we can tippy tappy the ball around but Barcelona can tippy tappy at serious pace and look purposeful whilst at it. They did to us what we did to Wolves and that must’ve hurt as much as it highlighted how far behind we really are. Ok so we could’ve nicked the tie with another goal but don’t lets pretend we deserved it, at times it was painful to watch us being played with, they ripped us a new hole.
Arsene’s appeal was that he got his team to play nice football in a generally blunt styled league, it’s what made us stick out across a globe that had been used to watching gritty fast paced English football that lacked skill. This once consistent level of play has now been replaced by a current team that only look classy against teams that let them. Our style has been sussed out & with the right attitude and workrate can be stifled, with a mere few speculative punts upfield it can quite possibly be beaten aswell.
This team has lost it’s aura of quality, opposition teams no longer fear or respect Arsenal. Look at the bottom of the league and you will see where at least 10 points have been lost every fucking season. This year we went 1 better and lost a cup final to a team that will probably go down, embarrassing.
Can’t see Wenger sorting all that’s needed, too much has been left to erode over the past few seasons to be cured in 8/9 weeks close season. Kasidis is no David Dein, he obviously knows his subject but that subject plainly aint football is it. The board need to either get in help or get back the man they fired, Kronke & Uzmanov should demand it ffs, not like they’re used to accepting failure in life is it.
erik pieters that dutch guy?
sixx pacc – Mate, have you thought about that analogy there, do you sit there and watch a 40 year old down the street, who’s living with his mum ? Do you shout at him through the window or encourage him to get up and move out ?!
Do you stand at the top of the street and chant his name as he goes to get himself a job or follow him when he goes away to visit friends ?!
What do you do ? Are you that 40 year old ?!
Next bit’s not for you, just in general.
I don’t get it really, people talk soo much shit on here, and I suppose it’s a good place to vent and so on, but when it comes down it and people actually get up and organise a protest you get the same people saying “Ooh a scarf in May, I’ll get heat rash, is it 100% wool, what will the banner say ? Does it sum up my exact feelings, what if I need the loo will they wait for me while I make a quick pitstop, ooh I dunno’
The funniest is people who abuse others then say ‘Woah, do something constructive, nah not me, seen it all before mate, best to let things be, give it some time, it’ll all work itself out’.
Keyser
Arsenes Cum Licking Fuckers (ACLF) blog is missing you.Why dont you go and post there instead of posting your retarded bullshit here.
Wanker
for me the easiest way to sum up my feelings is a direct disagreement with what i can only presume is Wengers hope/plan. He will turn around having won the league 2 or 3 years down the road and say something like ” you see the wait has been worth it. ” well my response to that would be a GIANT FUCK YOU WENGER. It will not be worth it. wasting 6,7,8 years because of your shitty attitude is not acceptable in my books. now i dont expect to win everything every year. But i expect improvements to be made every year. and im not seeing it. im seeing a man spit in my face and piss all over the club i love. He and the board think my point of view isnt important? FINE they can leave. every last one of them.
Raugaj – Did you go on the march ?!
Heh Keyser I actually had you and Gambon in mind when I was making that analogy. Strange eh?
Hey if people want to spend 40-50 squid a ticket to watch me eat Hula Hoops off my fingers I’m all for it.
I have been an Aresnal fan for 45 years..I have never turned off watching an Arsenal game..but ive turned off before half-time the last 2 weeks. this team has no spine..U used to watch Wengers sides when we were losing coz u felt we could pull the game out of the fire..but after the capitulations from winning positions..(so many of them)this season Ive had it.Mr Wenger your time is over.Thank u for the gloroius memories…doubles, invincibles,TH14, PV4, Bob, etc. But its over. And im over you.
The biggest problem, and it’s not been highlighted enough is that Arsenal have a captain that doesn’t want to be with the team. Before him, we had a captain who was a headcase, and before that we had a captain who was a prima donna. That’s three lousy captains in a row. The two before them were Adams and Vieira. That’s no coincidence, surely?
So are there any leaders in the current group to replace Cesc? There are only 3 candidates from what I can see.
1. Vermaelen: He has the personality and the respect of his fellow professionals. I’m just not sure if he’s going to be an automatic first-team selection.
2. Song: Appears to be laid back, but he has looked fully committed this season and is a clear first-team selection
3. Van Persie: Arsene has backed himself into a corner. Does he go with seniority and make RVP into an ineffective captain, or does he upset RVP by going with a more logical selection.
Ramsey and Wilshire are too young, Sagna too quiet. I would have put Djourou in the Sagna category, but he seems to have come out of his shell this season. He would be an outside choice.
One thing for sure is that Arsene’s calculation is that everyone has to be a captain on the field is dead wrong. A bad captain permeates through the team and that’s one of the main reasons why we are still trophyless.
My money’s on Vermaelen, even if Koscielny has looked very good on occasion this season.
MG,
I’m entitled to my opinion. Weather I’m plastic fun or not, I have a feeling about the club. I have been reading le-grove for more than 4years. As a supporter, why would I want to follow a team that commits same mistake every year. The stubbornness of the manager plus his igonorance, the fact the board wouldn’t do anything about it, the way stan kroenke handles the matter. players don’t fight for the cause. Why would I want to follow them, to know that this weak players give credit to wenger and pretend they have hunger for the cause. I had enough with this non sense.
Keyser
Nobody wants to watch you eat anything off your fingers!
No refunds on tickets.
Your wrong to call Nasri an end of season choker…
He was played out of position all year long and simply failed to conjure the magic he did in the first half of the season…
Wenger’s fault, not Samir’s
Arsene won’t change. Mark my words. He won’t change as it’s a personality trait of a stubborn and deluded person. He can lose everything: his legacy, his joy, his pride but still he won’t change. Because changing is the ultimate defeat to him.
The board won’t sack Arsene unless the club is losing revenues. With a CL spot and 40,000 on the season ticket waiting list, Arsene has a job for life. Even if Arsenal loses the CL spot, so what? 35M loss in CL revenue can easily be balanced with the sales of a couple of players.
And the nightmare goes on, in my pessimistic dream, until Arsene retires in 2014. Wait a minute. I forgot! Didn’t Arsene say he would continue to work until 80? Damned damned damned damned damned damned damned…..
yes santos, i hate that name, “emirates stadium”
should be called The Grove/Ashburton Grove
I do not get why all the name calling.
Bottom line is Arsene Wenger is a legend. There is no doubt he has gone off the boil the last years, but to insult him and say you hate him is highly disrespectful. A lot of these fans hurling abuse at him, only started watching the club after Arsene took over the helm and took the club to dizzying heights.
Changes need to me made, no doubt. Maybe Arsene needs to go or held much more accountable. But to abuse the man is downright unacceptable.
If you need to abuse anybody, abuse the board. They are ones who need to make the decision to fire Arsene.
The Biggest error Wenger made was not to build on the invigilates! I do not know if he was forced to sell them for financial reasons but if we kept henry, veira, pires, campell, lehman for a few more years we would have won trophies. That i am sure of
just read we’re the team that conceded the least goals from open play. funny, we always knew we’re shit at set pieces
morning!
having survived the belated stag do and the two day long wedding party a couple of days later, I can officially call myself an Invincible
back 2 work today, it’s gonna be a long arse day…
Welcome back, SUGA3. Now you are back, we can look to ship you out and get in some less talented youngsters, prone to choking under pressure…
Gooby says:
May 17, 2011 at 07:10
just read we’re the team that conceded the least goals from open play. funny, we always knew we’re shit at set pieces
————–
just more bullshit stats…just like the 80% possession bullshit.
You dont need to be talkin to a bird all nite to get your hole – buy 1 drink (for yourself) and just point at the door…back of the net…
Wengers such a gimp.
I find it amazing how things go in circles. I remember the end of the George Graham era when we were playing ineffective football but everyone loved the manager so much that it was unthinkable to sack him.
Now we are in the same situation with Arsene. Yes we can pass pass pass but we are hardly creating any chances. If cesc isnt playing we’re not getting forward and the opposition can just sit behind the ball and break on us easily.
Iv been an Arsene supporter for all of his time here but I cant see how he is going to turn this around. I dont believe in my heart of hearts that he is actually going to put his hand in his pocket and sign the type of player we need.
We will probably end up with another Barcalona reject or a league 2 French prospect
tiarnan, why would you slip yourself a Rohypnol?
how many modern day managers stay in situ for over a decade? I’m not sure it’s actually very healthy. Especially if their number two doesn’t change either.
This is a remarkable thing about Ferguson, it has to be said. He has rebuild teams, used youth, purchased when necessary, but retained a winning mentality. Of course, he has benefitted from being the richest club for many years, but this year goes to show just what ability he has to sculpt greatness out of shit.
On that note, I saw a rumour that we were in for Owen Hargreaves…my initial reaction was laughter, but then I thought – I bet Wenger would do this! Just to piss everyone off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYsudimB_uA
Couldn’t agree with more, although I don’t want to see Wenger go, he has no plan B and has’nt had for 5 seasons now. The youth policy is not working with half of the lazy average kids he’s got and because of his arrogance he won’t invest in any quality experienced players. I can’t bare the thought of another season of this crap!!
It’s not a coincidence that this season’s worst performances have come at home. The worst “fans” in the world are sabotaging the club. When a referee feels comfortable to turn down obvious penalties, blow up for non-existent fouls and deny perfectly good goals, you know that he’s not feeling any pressure from the atmosphere created by the home crowd. I took my son to the first eight games of the season, but had to stop because of the negativity, vitriol and language being used against Wenger and that was just in the family enclosure. Yes, the club has been taken over by self-indulgent scum. To be clear, I’m not taking about Kronke. If you can’t get behind the club and all its employees at the start of next season, then stay away.
moray -
coz when i wake up next to me and remember wat ive done to myself i sumtimes wana vomit – so if i cant remember anythin …out of sight out of mind kinda thing…
why do u eat rohypnol?
tiarnan, I remember many nights in my youth waking up with a pile of money on my bed to find that I was so drunk I didn’t actually make it out the night before. Winner. Saved money and less chance of a disgraceful performance…
I guess you might want to roofie yourself so you don’t know what’s going on
moray –
I once was on my way out and was checkin my hair in the mirror – one thing led to another – and next thing i know ive ripped all my clothes off and handcuffed myself to the bed….when I woke up there was also piles of money beside me – id obviously thought i was a prostitute and did things that would embarrass thai ladyboys…
id never been so disgusted at myself for wat id done to me – especially as i never called me again or sent flowers
haha you heartless bastard. how would you like it if someone behaved like that to you? The shoe would be on the other foot then!
Brian Downer says
“If you can’t get behind the club and all its employees at the start of next season, then stay away”.
Sounds like they are starting too stay away.
haha good point. be careful what you wish for, Brian!
Hey Brian are those rebels in Libya who are fighting Gadaffi not worthy of being Libyan. Just coz they are sick of a tired an old despot, it doesn’t make them less worthy than the minority who love the old despot.
Completely agree with you. We need fresh ideas
Wenger has no plan B and hasn’t had so for 5 seasons. Every club knows how to defend against us. All we do is tippy – tappy around the penalty area with no one prepared to shot, how long will it take for that idiot to change the style and formation. It’s obvious that after all these seasons the youth only policy is not working and half of the young players that he has got are sub- standard. But the man is so stubborn and arrogant that he won’t change and what does the Board care! As long as we keep paying for the tickets and merchandise they’ll keep Wenger in charge until the stadiums payed for
I can’t bare the thought of another season of this shite!!!
moray –
dont believe a word I say, it was me that did everything – i only left money for myself because i was…(this is confusing now…) ehhh…wat were we talkin about?
ha
Lurch would like this but he aint around…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQWOVD_M6HY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLZ4PmYKjpM&feature=related
Someone mentioend D’Jourou for Captain!
Holy shit! Maybe when he can stop making schoolboy errors like getting wrong sided by average strikers! If he’s Captain, we really will be in a total shit-fest.
Potentially a good defender but needs a shit load of training first. At the moment he’s pretty shit, which says a lot about our defence.
For a top side our defence is totally comical, even farcical.
Yeah not a great time at the moment. Though im guessing that as soon as you’ve been staved of football during the summer you will all be back in the red and white eager as ever.
This year is the first year I have considered that Arsenal without Arsene might be better. However, I have concluded that its more than likely that he hasn’t got the money that everyone expects to spend. Consider that fat ugly bastard Hill-Wood is STILL at the throne there and has repeatedly said that he won’t spend over the odds for any player.
Very well put.
Aston Villa could buy Bent but we couldnt.
What a joke!!! I would have bought him in a flash and sold Bendtner and Vela in half a flash to finance the deal.
I cannot for my life forget the comments after not going in for Alonso (liverpool) stating that it would have retarted the growth of young players.
He has to change his mind or club has to change the manager.
We can keep the ball but not move forward. We dont play beautiful football now. If no action on manager for not winning for 6 years, guys make me the manager so that atleast i can earn a fortune
It’s sad how some of us are attacking the manager forgetting all the good he ever did for the club, thank God you are not in a position to fire him. And after he’s fired WHO DO YOU WANT TO TAKE OVER AND BASED ON WHAT ? Who’s has the track record and is available for a reasonable cost and knows the Arsenal way to make a significant improvement to the team ? Wenger can not have become rubbish after all the success earlier on.
@Vineet, And so where did Aston Villa end up on the table with Bent ? they are closer to relegation and we are in the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.
After tonights predictable result at Man Cty, yes folks I like a lot of Gooners didn’t expect Stoke to try and give us a helping hand
after Arsene called them a rugby team tut! tut! even if they are Arsene you don’t voice it in public if you need a helping hand along the way on this vital penultimate game.. Our 3rd position is now in grave danger also what has not been mentioned in the media is if we lose that spot will the top quality players want to join us if they think we have to qualify for Europe?
I predicted in a blog after the carling cup defeat that we’ll be lucky to finish in 3rd place this year alas it looks as though my prediction is going to come true.
Arsene has been given more than enough time to strengthen the gunners and has failed to do the last five years. When Lehman was gone,we had a C class gk when all the top teams had an A class gk.Do the other managers care about killing the career of a budding player if not star?That is the differnce between success and failure.
The gunners have been leaking goals since 2005.Remember
beating Boro 5-3,Spurs 5-4 and some other high leaking goals game.Then the fans were happy because the gunners were winning and landed the FA cup.The warning signs were there. As a amanger you have to anticipate changes to the team ,etc. I will give Wenger an F for this.
For next season I believe if there no changes to tactics,it will will be another disappointing season
assuming he signs experienced players and not kids.
Then I personally believe Wenger should go.
Completely agree with the article. Btw I hope Wenger reads the fans postings.He is living on past glory. At any other club he would been axed.Yes many clubs will clamour for him but I personally believe his stock has dipped and he won’t be able to get the salary he wants.
No plan b. That’s it. He is being delusional if he thinks his tippy/tappy or ballet football is the in thing.Who cares about pretty soccer when the name of the game is winning.Only he cares about beautiful soccer and winning in that order of priority.
I was hoping the gunners will be found out at qf/sf stage at the cl. In a way Iam glad because I believe the gunners aint that good to win the cl let alone the FA and title. Shades of the quad.
If next season ends like this season ,then I think he better go before the boards sacks him. We live in an age of accountablity.The more you earn,you must justify it. That’s why football managers are sacked left and right.In a way Wenger is lucky to have survived the last three seasons.
I was working the Villa match and ended up on the track for the final 10 minutes.
I must say that although the Stadium did have many empty spaces the hard core North Bankers stayed behind and there were many youngsters happy to cheer the Guys.
The point is that as much as the hard core want the same thing as many bloggers on Le Grove (Changes) they still support the Club no matter what also the young are still supporting the Arsenal so this is healthy isn’t it.
This talk about giving up season tickets and hurting the Club makes no sense to me.
The protest was a farce too as there was hundreds not thousands protesting.
I know the Club had info about fans leaving early as a walkout was mentioned in the pre match briefing.
FFS I bet the Shammers fans will still turn out in force next year and they were relegated.
Sure they are not a massive Club like ours but they don’t turn on the Club when they are hurting.
I hate hearing to some Guys at the Stadium asking for a refund when we haven’t got a result. I hate the fucking arrogance that I associate with the Mancs that we will win because we are The Arsenal.
I am not saying for one minute I like what is going on at the moment but I hate the fucking people making remarks and suggestions that will ruin the Club.
I know times are hard and the tickets cost a fortune blah blah blah but its the people in the expensive seats making a lot of noise, either down grade or give it up to the next fan waiting to stump up the cash.
If you can afford those tickets anyway then think yourself fucking lucky.
I have two Sons in their twenties and guess what I have been to about 3 matches with them EVER.
I earn a decent wage but not enough to go with my Boys like my Father used to do in the 70′s and early 80′s. Even in the cheapest seats.
I have to put up with Stewarding at the Club and have done for many years, taking stick from Supporters who want to have a pop at us for the Teams poor performance or arrogant tossers who just think they are smart by having a pop at a Steward.
Most of my Steward colleagues support The arsenal and do it as a way to be a part of the Club.
Most of our fans are truly magnificent but those who come in 10+ minutes late with food in hand. Those who come in late at half time and those that fuck off early because they have a train/bus to catch are probably those who dig out the Players for showing little effort.
TH14 said a few years back that seeing these things affects the Players. Would you give it your all if the fans can’t be arsed, even if you were earning fortunes.
My whole point is that I stood for years on the North Bank and gave it my all and the Players did the same. We had some shit seasons too in them days but everyone including the fans were trying.
If any Player was to read the abuse some of us give them then tell me why they should give it their best, also they will be telling their International team mates about how they get treated. Will they want to come to the Arsenal?
FFS lets give these Guys our support lets get behind them. You don’t have to like them you don’t have to rate them but they are our Players shit or not.
I didn’t like Players in the old days, one of the Guys I couldn’t stomache was David PrICE (I think this is ICE) but he was an Arsenal player and I supported him.
There was no boooing in them days and fuck we had some shit Player back then.
I didn’t like or rate Freddie Llungberg or Lee Dixon and although I moaned about them to friends and family I wouldn’t slag them off to another Teams fans.
Freddie and Lee were both very loyal by the way and good players but they frustrated me back then as Bendtner and Clichy do today. You see we didn’t win everything in those days either and that was with brilliant players and brilliant teams.
How can ANY Arsenal fan call Wenger a cunt or want him to get a terminal disease. Arsene is not doing a decent job at the moment and we are all frustrated as hell but he isn’t a cunt and I doubt any right minded person wants to see him die.
Alex Ferguson yes I hate that cunt and if he dies I wouldn’t shed a tear. He is a despicable arrogant shit bag. Yet some on here recently seem to love the cunt.
I also get fed up with the football Manager types who think its easy to just sign almost any player they fancy. The truth is that we all want those Superstars and most of the mercenary twats will either go with the dosh or just want to say they played for Madrid,Barca or Milan or take the cash from Citeh, The Chavs or even Mancunster Yoonited.
These media scum are also feeding off all the negative comments form Arsenal blogs and we are just arming them even more in their pursuit of downing The Arsenal.
I believe Wenger has given it his best shot and he has failed. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him give up at this seasons end but he will not want to hurt Arsenal and will help us until his successor is found. Like it or not this is vital.
I bet that Manc cunt leaves them soon and all tehm old cunts will not be there for the new Boss.
Arsene Wenger wether you like to hear this or not is an Arsenal man. He hurts, you can see this. When people say his body language is awful they are right but its because he hurts too.
It could be Guardiola, would this be a good thing? who knows but it looks like he wants to come to the Prem if reports are to be believed.
Not sure he would be the right person but he looks a classy Guy and he would fit the profile of Arsenal Football Club.
The biggest problem we have had is that our back up players have not been good enough. We have many Arsenal qrown lads out on loan who should be the back ups next season.
If he gets rid of Almunia, Denilson, Rosicky, Bendtner and Clichy then buys three great Players we will be much better next season. Eboue and Diaby could be part of this outgoing crew too but he won’t sell all of them no matter what.
lansbury,Ramsey,JET,Vela,Bartley,Frimpong will be next years back up players.
Will this be good enough we really don’t know but they will try harder than what we have currently and with some real quality signings they will be good long term also.
IF Cesc and Nasri does leave then we do have a much bigger problem as it will be much harder to find replacements for them, especially at the prices we have seen quoted for them.
Cesc at 25 Million will get us what? Nasri at 25 million will get who?
Is Parker really good enough? or is he another Joe Cole waiting to happen?
We need a player like him but does it have to be him? I would rather a DeJong myself but as we all know Citeh won’t sell him and I am starting to sound like I play Football manager.
This pre season lets all think we are getting nobody and be surprised at what he actually finds for us instead of thinking we are going to get a Teves or Benzema. Lets wait and see. If he doesn’t do whats required then it will be the time to let them know.
The Board and Wenger would be foolish to not bother this summer as this could destroy the good things about the Team and there are good things.
We sorted out playing against our big rivals and did better this season however we lost to lesser teams like the Spuds, Villa, WBA you know the rest.
Up the Arse.
From being in the final of CC, QFs in the CL and FA cup, 2nd in the league with a game in hand, down to the situation right now is nothing short of utter disgrace and shame. It is underestimated to say the whole squad deserve the firing squad, to be shot at over and over again even when they are dead. To accomplish what the team has done is outrageously difficult: It took a complete set of losers in every department. Top-down, bottom up, they’re all complete losers. The board: Bunch of outrageously minded losers with absolutely no vision in football. The manager: The biggest Loser whose vision only suits perfectly in the IMF. The medical team: Who are they employing? Some quacks? Losers. The training coaches and staff: Utter rubbish in player management and tactics co-ordination. LOSERS. The players: wimpy loser kids that will most probably gets kicked out of elementary school if not for Wenger. Don’t think I can find another club with the whole hiearchy in such perfect synchronisation and harmony on being loser-minded. Even the scum down the road shows some winning mentalitiy 10 times more often than us. Arsenal is not earning a cent from me and I will view their matches in free online streaming in future. I suggest you lot do the same.