Goooood morning Grovers! Well those of you that can see the site. Apologies for the many problems we’ve been having over the past few days. Let me quickly explain…
We’ve been housed as a site on WordPress servers for the last 4 years. That means that everything works all the time, but very little changes. It also meant we couldn’t redesign the site. An issue I know many of you have raised over the past year.
So, I took the plunge this week and shifted over to our own server. From there we’ll begin to tweak the site, integrate new features and hopefully, if God grants me the the earning power, we’ll overhaul the design and bring out an app. You’ll still be able to login via Twitter and Facebook, they’ll ask you if you want to let Le Grove give you access to your e-mail, don’t worry, it’s nothing sinister, it’s the minimum requirement, I won’t be doing anything with your data. Those of you on our mailing list might have to wait while I sort that out. You’ll also be pleased the mobile site is looking superb again.
That does mean we’ll have to enter into the murky world of advertising. We’ve gone pro bono for long enough and traffic was getting to the point where WordPress.com were selling United advertising inventory on our site. We want control if they’re going to do criminal things like that.
Anyway, the user experience is at the heart of what we do. So we’ll consult all the way. We’ll take suggestions for the new site as well. If you’ve been unable to get on over the past two days, that’s because your ISP is playing catch up on our servers. I’m very sorry if you had to read rival blogs… Unless of course they are a friends of the site.
News today….
I’m already cringing at the blogs who have arisen out of their slumber gearing up for the transfer rush of December. Amazing how many go to sleep when they have to use their brains to write about something other than a rumour they didn’t hear.
First up is the news that German side Schalke maybe interested in snapping up Andrey. This one could have legs but not until the summer. He’s out of sorts but I’d rather have him on the bench than in another squad. We have a nice amount of depth at the moment (widemen wise), let’s not start shipping out players in January unless we have someone ready made to jump in.
Robin…
The ‘no sh*t shurlock’ award this week goes to James Olley of the Evening Standard who says if Arsenal don’t qualify for the Champions League, he’ll leave. How he deduced such a conclusion with the information on hand is a journalistic marvel.
A wasted Talksport article. It’s very rare they look to wind up Arsenal fans to improve traffic to their site. They’ve become the new Daily Mail… ‘I’d never read or listen to such drivel, though it has to be said I’m an expert in all their content’.
Is this a familiar retort at work if you send a Daily Mail link to a group…
‘I’m not sure what’s worse, the caliber of the story or the fact you’re reading the Mail’
Usually a line spurted from someone who has The Guardian app on an iPad (No wait, that’s me!).
Back on topic…
Aaron is going to the Olympics… Screw the rest of you if you think otherwise! I don’t blame him either. I’d be there, mixing it in a fancy Great British shirt vying for a once in a life time chance of a Gold medal.
What we should be doing is possibly delaying the start of next season. Or maybe aligning all the leagues in Europe to one calendar. Surely fit and healthy players make the league a better proposition for TV?
It’s telling now that the average top level career of a player seems to be about 30 max. I’m sure back in the day a striker didn’t come into their prime until they were 32.
The Sun have run an interesting experiment on fan noise at Arsenal. They’ve taken the quotes of Cesc and Nasri, multiplied them by Andy Emery’s (who!) opinion and come out with an ‘Arsenal is quiet because of rich fans’ article. What a load of nonsense. Just goes to you how talented some of the staff at NI are when they can’t hack phones for a story.
Internationals…
Park Chu-young scored some more goals. It’s hard not to when you’re playing a UAE beach volleyball team. Still, it’s all about confidence. He just needs more game time.
There were some rumours last night that Robin is done with international duty for this week and he won’t feature on Tuesday. The Dutch mindful of his fragile health and the importance of keeping him fit for next summer.
England are going to let Spain play football around them tonight. You know you’re in trouble when a broadsheet has to make the suggestion of Darren Bent playing in the hole Rooney is vacating.
Hopefully we won’t see John Terry on the pitch. Maybe Theo will have a blinder, something which is both a good and a bad thing. If he plays well, he goes on the Madrid / Barca shopping list. If it goes badly, Arsenal fans will start calling for Oxo to start.
I see the Irish spanked Estonia, that’ll make my trip over there pleasant next week. I’ll have something to talk about if there are any awkward silences.
I don’t have any final thoughts. Have a great day. While you’re out drinking beer and having fun, I’ll be buying toasters and decorative plants. I hate international breaks.
P.S Congrats to Kozzer on his well deserved 1st cap.
This post was delivered via iPhone. Please ignore my spelling mistakes.
haha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=g6OaSzoSpHE
7 days to go…
Fabre-ponce!
The Cesc curse is very alive. I hope Real Madrid win everything this season…… If we don’t .
Le Loner?
hes gone to spain for the easy life and to pig out on paella
haha
no just kidding, probably win every trophy going and captain barce and spain one day
bastardo
i see kock played for france
how the mighty have fallen there, france are shite these days
just noticed we have some hard games coming up
fulham dortmund city twice
united in jan, that game is huge psycologically
Cesc – the jinx! Real will win the La Liga and Bayern the CL
Jon
Comparatively easy fixtures imo. Only United and City till Jan next year & Spuds at home in Feb, we’ll get fucked in March though
Haha. Chezzer = Legend! “Well done England for beating Spain but someone has to tell Cesc to sort out his hair!!”
Lest not beat around the bush Cesc is even better now, i couldnt belive how good he looked when he came on ib the second half great player.
Hello Grovers
Congratulations for a famous win, and a great bus parked in there if the reports I read were accurate
Hahaha, Brits are the world champions, friendlies wise
haha
Why am I in moderation?
mmmmmm, Democracy anyone? Free of speech ?
Jon – what a strange way to look at our fixtures. A bit like saying ‘shit we need to play Man U, Man City, Spurs and Chelsea before the end of the season. Tough fixtures coming up!!!’
In the PL, the only really tough fixture for 2 months is Man City away…
test fifteen
Compared to London, Barcelona is fucking boring, no wonder Cesc looks like he wishes he was back with Arsenal, he had a chat with Lewin after the game, I reckon he asked him to contact Arsene and say he has changed his mind and wants back home…..
Hello Grovers
Congratulations for a famous win, and a great bus parked in there if the reports I read were accurate
Hahaha, Brits are the world champions, friendlies wise
This site is fantastic. I don’t care about ads. I’d even drop a £1 for an iPhone app. Well done lads!!
I love that England are now the greatest international team in the world.
fulham looked good vs spurs albo
i guess i meant important fixtures coming up
it would be great to keep going in the carling cup, keep improving in the league and qualify in europe…
our mentality is so fragile slip ups could be disastrous
Jon – I take your point that there will be games that we ‘ought’ to win but might not (QPR have looked decent on occasions too). But the bottom line is we could realistically get to the new year with something very close to maximum points from our games between now and then.
I also agree that losses in the other tournaments would be bad for our current feeling of confidence and optimism which is so important.
Fingers crossed and all that. I’ve kinda written off the CC since Man City’s squad is so ludicrously amazing. Both teams could rest players, but they’ll probably still be playing guys like Nasri and Balotelli!
Dortmund I think we’ll beat. I REALLY hope we learn from past seasons and top our group this time. Let’s have a serious push in the CL again, rather than a heroic exit to Barca for the millionth time!
sadly im watching x factor
its dire this year, not one decent singer
if we get barce again next round im giving up
if we avoid city, united barce and madrid we coud get to the semis no problem.
Dude – be strong and turn of that dreadful celebration of mediocrity. If you have to, watch the US one or American Idol. Always in a different league talent-wise…
Pity that England make it work only in friendlies!
just supporting dermot oleary, big gooner
Ha, true…
i remember getting a dvd one year from the membership and he was presenting it and was worshipping henry shirt in the changing room
top guy!
just catching up on the arse news.
vvan persie waiting till the summer has got darren dein written all over it.
i dont think he will sign now
ducking agents…
*fucking
we hould put clauses in all arsenal players contracts that they cant have darren dein as an agent
le grove is deader than rednapps career
may as well post one of the best tune ever written
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTaIXNlN4Vw
So is this what Le Grove traffic levels would be like without posts from abroad!?
Ok so we all know that the ‘meejya’ love old twitchy, but this from the BBC is just bizarre. As a companion article to the story that the dodgy old cunt’s shifty past has caught up with him, do they run an article outlining his brushes with controversy and suggestions of illegal dealings?
No of course not. They run a glowing tribute to him, beginning ‘Harry Redknapp is one of English football’s most experienced and respected football managers,’ and continuing in the same sycophantic vein throughout.
One highlight includes declaring his second spell in charge at Pompey an ‘even greater success’ than the first (carefully avoiding the part his spending had upon the total implosion of the club after he left).
And if you’re in any doubt as to the whitewash, they do at least admit the journo love in, noting that he is ‘Always ready with a quip and an anecdote for journalists’ and ‘has become a popular figure due to his approachable and affable manner.’
Seriously, what does he have to do to get unfavourable press?!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15698146.stm
sup
Where has our Le-Grove gone? Geoff out!!!
rohan whats the new snow patrol album like? haha
jon are you incesc?
i think this is a more befitting gravatar
Last
yeah santos
i fucking hate barcelona like cancer. i cant be called after cesc anymore
hate barca more than the scum these days
yo i am the last to post
New post!