Ebenezer Wenger and the flawed English mentality to problem solving

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Ebenezer Wenger counting pennies for January...

Ebenezer Wenger counting pennies for January…

Happy Christmas Eve to all you beautiful folk. I hope all your dreams come true tonight… you know, the ‘please don’t take the sherry too far and ruin tomorrow’ type dreams. I’m praying for that. Hopefully the bad home friends aren’t about tonight, otherwise it could be mad trouble…

So, Arsene, you keep doing it… you keep dropping serious clangers in the press conferences that just further the fear you may not know what you’re doing.

Firstly, you’ve admitted to overplaying Chambers. I mean, this one’s a given. We all knew that was going to happen because you bagged out £15m on him. He was never going to get an easy ride. He was always nailed on for 500 starts in his first three months. Injuries happen, sure. But they always happen. Every single year they happen. Which is why it’s ever the more perplexing we went into the season with 6 senior defenders.

I like the general reasoning… ‘we only sign Arsenal class’… it’s  great way of making the fans feel warm and fuzzy about inaction.

‘Mate, we didn’t sign anyone again’

‘End of the day, what would you have preferred, a player, or an Arsenal class player? Exactly. I’d prefer to wait until January, when it’s harder to sign an Arsenal class player’

It’s a myth. There’s no such thing as an Arsenal class player. If you set the Arsenal class barrier, you have to adherre to it. Flamini is not Arsenal class, Sanogo is not Arsenal class, Seb Squillaci wasn’t Arsenal class, Kim Kallstrom was not Arsenal class. Let’s put the class systems to one side and just sign some players who can provide a function. We didn’t need Arsenal class at centre back. Not every Chelsea player is Chelsea class. Not every United player when they won the league was United class. Sometimes you just need a squad. Lescott was a free transfer in the summer, he’d have done nicely. Winston Reid is a very solid defender and a contract rebel, he’d have done nicely. Fabian Delph (contract rebel) is a very good midfielder who could have come in and done a very good job in that holding role, far more interesting than Flamini, far fitter and mobile than Arteta. Ron Vlaar is another, he’s on a free this summer, we could have picked him up for a pittance.

There are so many options that don’t seem ‘Arsenal class’, but could easily do the job an empty squad number couldn’t.

For me, with the centre back role, we should be aiming for super class with a back up. We should have been shooting for a Hummels type player in the summer. If we were going for a kid, that Varane guy at Madrid would have fit the bill (apparenlty they’ll sell)… or even John Stones, who’d have been pricey but he certainly looks a very good player.

Point is, there’s no excuse for not having a squad with depth when you have the resource Arsenal do. Look at the wastage as well. What’s the point of keeping Campbell, Podolski and Rosicky in the squad if you don’t need them? I mean, even when we need them we don’t use them. So what’s the point? Bomb them out, bring in some spare cash and utilise that £200k a week in a smarter way.

I listened to the Guardian Football Weekly, Rafa Honigstein (easily the best pundit about) absolutely nails the English mentality when it comes to making excuses… ‘English football will never learn if the attitude is always ‘we need one or two better players’. You need to coach players until they are better than the sum of their parts. Only one or two coaches do that in England’.

BRAVO.

I love this, because it’s true. In the real world, you don’t always have the option of unlimited budgets. In fact, you never do. Businesses up and down the country are always trying to better themselves by being bigger than the sum of their parts. Mainly because businesses up and down the country aren’t allowed wage bills that equate to 70% of their revenue, but also because you have to be smart to win out against mega brands. Small companies don’t move to medium sized companies by being average compared to mega companies… they do it by being smarter, more nimble and more innovative. Arsenal are a mega brand, we don’t need to work half as hard to compete as Dortmund did. Yet we still don’t, and we just accept it because we can’t compete with Chelsea for players (which is a myth these days).

Arsenal fans have forever forgiven Arsene Wenger under the premise of, ‘a couple more players and we’d be challenging’… so you always have hope. A couple of players doesn’t change the tactical set up. A couple of players doesn’t change the way we approach fitness. A couple of players doesn’t change the culture of the club behind the scenes.

All a couple of players does is give you hope as a fan.

Football fans always look for the single reason for the failings of a club. It’s human nature, scapegoat mentality. Truth is, there’s rarely a single failing, it’s lots of little failings than make up the ultimate fail. It’s the same with winning. There’s rarely a single reason for a team winning all the time. Sure, you could cite Lio Messi at Barca… but he’s merely and exceptional catalyst. Under Guardiola, they had ruthless preparation, they had exceptional players complimenting him. They rarely had injuries. Their approach to fitness was not of this planet. The culture of the club was built around being the best. Every single player had total respect for their leader.

Winning is getting the baseline right and adding the percentage points on top that put you above the competition. Marginal gains is king.

Scapegoat mentality kind of works under the Arsene regime, why? Because he has ultimate control of the players side. At Barca, they don’t operate an autocratic regime. At Arsenal, we do. You can point the finger of blame on the CEO, but we know he doesn’t have control over Wenger. You could point the finger at Stan, because he allows it to happen, but again, he has little idea of what’s going on. So if you want to solve the main problems at the club, you have to change the one person who controls all of the parts that make up the failure.

Arsene.

For Christmas, I’d love our manager to open up a box of introspection. I’d love for him to realise that his approach is doomed to fail. I’d love him to take time out to ask what people at the club thought was going wrong. Take a back seat, let the team below you come up with a plan of attack. Do something radical, because doing it the Arsene way has run it’s course… doing it the Arsene way with more expertise… well, that might have some legs. But it all starts with him. He has to empower his staff and his team to be better.

Chances of that happening? Slim my dears. But you can always hope. I read a Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge had it all, but he turned a bit dark in his old age. But maybe visits from the ghosts of Herbert Chapman, David Dein and the ghost of Christmas Past (Blackburn 97), Present (Liverpool last week) and future (what the club could be if he listened and learned)… could bring him back.

Wouldn’t that be fabulous? F*ck yeah it would be!

Right, it’s Christmas Eve, crack open a beer, open someone elses Christmas present for a laugh and have a bloody great day and evening.

Oh, and if you are of a different culture, I believe I must say HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

BIG LOVE FROM LE GROVE xxx

160 Responses to “Ebenezer Wenger and the flawed English mentality to problem solving”

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  9. Adam A. Carbarundum

    All that I want for Xmas is just one really simple thing, but impossible thing for Wenger to do…Admit fault and accept accountability! Why is it that every other manager can do this except Wenger? Not healthy for anyone.

  12. Zementalstrength

    “Happy Christmas Eve to all you beautiful folk.”
    ==>> thanks a lot Pedro, you too mate!!

    “I hope all your dreams come true tonight… ”
    ==>> so wenger will be fired tonight ?? lol

  15. TitsMcgee

    It’s a myth. There’s no such thing as an Arsenal class player. ”

    Sanogo
    Flamini
    Arteta
    Park

    Just to name a few.

    Wenger knows how to manipulate his sheep however. He’s WC at that.

  17. Ughelligunner

    Adam, wenger just admitted to over playing Chambers.. Isn’t that what you what or you don’t know what you want?

    Chambers was played because debuchy got injured early in the season. Anybody want to fault a person for this is insane.

    And before you say go, moreal played at centre back until he too got injured.

    Chambers was bought as a 2nd choice, first choice got injured what do you do?

  18. reality check

    I’d love for him to realise that his approach is doomed to fail.

    Fail? It what sence. I mean if 4th is success then he’d disagree.

    Didn’t Ivan say what Arsene wants and what the fans want are two different things?

    He was talking about transfers and/or value right?

    Wasn’t that a clever way for Ivan to give the fans some insight into the mindset of Wenger as a whole.

    Also every post these last few weeks have been kind of directed at Wenger.

    I get it, i do. But remember when Gambon done his post about Giroud. Now i know he wasn’t telling us anything we didn’t already know, but it was nice to just focus on the team the players. What do we think of X, has he impressed has he gone backwards, has he delivered value, why doesn’t he have a song, why does he have a song (giroud).

    I am not having a go. Really, i couldn’t do what you do everyday pedro. Just like reading things about our players that i never knew before.

    Wenger is washed up. But the light through the darkness are some of our better players. Sanchez, erm erm The Ox, er… struggling here… oh yes of course, Santi in the middle.

  19. Adelaide Gooner

    Excellent work again Pedro. All the best to all that read this wonderful blog. Don’t give up Gooners, life will be so much better post Wenger.

  21. TitsMcgee

    Arsenal fans have forever forgiven Arsene Wenger under the premise of, ‘a couple more players and we’d be challenging’… so you always have hope. A couple of players doesn’t change the tactical set up. A couple of players doesn’t change the way we approach fitness. A couple of players doesn’t change the culture of the club behind the scenes.”

    The fact that he thought buying one good player(Alexis) and simply replacing Sagna with a like for like was going to push us on shows how much he is stuck in his own mind.

    Debuchy was/is simply a Sagna replacement not an addition to the squad so essentially we added one true starter to the lineup compared to last season. Alexis.

    The fact that he thought one starter addition would be enough shows how crazy he would have to be. However I am of the belief that he’s not actually crazy. He’s just aiming for 4th and he figures we got 4th last year without Alexis so by basically bringing back the same squad with one good player as an addition he would have cemented 4th yet again.

  22. Ughelligunner

    Now say we bought a centre back, how do we know he isn’t going to be injured “this is Arsenal”and we start all over with the complains again. Debuchy got injured.

    Vemaelen got injured for barca, Rojo, Shaw, Loveren, all got injured for their clubs and they were new players.

    Wenger just trying to put the blame basis off the young lad because that’s what people do when we lost matches.

    Now its mertesaker, and Chambers turn for the blame game (and wenger’s trying to protect them), since Sanchez Welbeck are the people choice and Giroud has just scored nick to back.

    We needed a new scapegoat goat, and wenger is not going to give him to us.

    Stick to the bigger Scapegoat goat which is wenger to you.

  24. Ughelligunner

    Tits why don’t you do something about wenger instead of coming here to throw tantrums and fireworks everyday.

    You hoping Gazidis would read one day and notice you?

  26. Zementalstrength

    According to wenger, Alexis chose Arsenal over Liverpool “because of our style of play and our regularity”.

    “Regularity”… Alexis loves to fight for the 4th spot every season ?? lol

  28. TitsMcgee

    Tits why don’t you do something about wenger instead of coming here to throw tantrums and fireworks everyday.”

    That’s the best you can do?

    “Why don’t you do something about it?”

    Like what? March into his office and point my finger at him?

    Don’t be a prostitute.

  29. Ughelligunner

    Tits, buy adequately?

    Did you just read what Pedro said on Rafa Hogstein piece on buying players to replace other as an English mentality when you are suppose to train them?

    Or you skipped through the post and chose what suited you.

    Even that quote stated by Pedro is laughable, when you quote something and in the next paragraph you go on to list players you wanted to just buy for the sake of it and tommoro you come here and change your mind again for the million times.

  30. Moray

    @ ughelli “Chambers was bought as a 2nd choice, first choice got injured what do you do?”

    Wenger knew kozzer was injured months before yet he still went into the season with that paper thin back line. You have to get it out of your head that Wenger is a victim of bad luck EVERY season.

  31. TitsMcgee

    Or you skipped through the post and chose what suited you.”

    Take Wenger’s member out of your mouth.

    Wenger sold Verm a month before signing day and didn’t replace him.

    He went into the season with a 19 year old utility defender.

    Don’t even act like Wenger left us with enough defensive cover. It will expose you even further for what you are.

  32. Ughelligunner

    Adam, i was waiting for you to say tactics.

    Now please explain the need tactics required for Arsenal vs Liverpool, with the players that placed in that match.

    Tips: assume your players hit a rock in your tactics, or switch off like mertesaker ducking instead of jumping, what do you do?

    I am listening.

    #manage arsenal for free on line. Cos you love the club.

  33. TitsMcgee

    You have to get it out of your head that Wenger is a victim of bad luck EVERY season.”

    When you have an agenda you have an agenda.

    lol

    He doesn’t even realize that both Mert and Koz went deep into the WC as well and the old joke still went into the season without adequate cover and when the inevitable injuries occurs he blames the injuries for our poor record like our injuries are coincidence EVERY DAMN YEAR.

  34. Trinidad-Gooner

    Pedro,

    Long time reader and occasional poster, but I just have to say thank you for the daily contributions and for giving us this platform, a Merry Christmas to you (and everyone), and great post as usual.

    All the best to you and the family.

  35. Ughelligunner

    Moray, chambers played at right back not at centre back.

    It was Monreal that replaced kos for the time. Get it.

    So if Chambers played at right back as a norm, and wenger used Monreal at center back, who would have played at right back when the first choice got injured?

  37. TitsMcgee

    So if Chambers played at right back as a norm, and wenger used Monreal at center back, who would have played at right back when the first choice got injured?”

    I dunno an actual RB? Like Bellerin?

    So dim that you don’t even reaize that shifting LBs to CBs and RBs to LBs and DMs to CBs is a sign of inadequate cover.

  38. Ughelligunner

    Tits, you know Vermalean was injured all through his last season right? And was sold injured? And Monreal played at Centre back in Pre-season?

    Can you see they had a fall back if they couldn’t find a centre back to buy?

    Hayden was graduated to first team as fourth choices, but also got injured. So Monreal played at center back until he too got injured.

    This is Arsenal, players both youth and senior team get injured while having sex.

  40. Ughelligunner

    Tits, belerin, another 19yr old and this ones is a midget, so you can come here and crucify him/wenger for playing him? He also played not that he didn’t.

    He covered for chambers, against dortmund, gala away and newcastle.

    So chambers didn’t really played all the games this season. See thanks for that.

    He wasn’t really over played. Just wenger trying to chided him from fault finders like you.

  42. Adam A. Carbarundum

    It’s self-explanatory, Ug. It’s been hashed out a million times already and on display countless times. Yet you want explanations on everything? Do yourself a huge favour already, get a seriously good pair of glasses and not with rose coloured tint. Wenger don’t do tactics!

  43. Cesc Appeal

    Someone should stop Wenger doing these press conferences.

    Though it is like a car crash, you can’ quite look away from it.

    Our £8 Million manager has just worked out that having 2 senior CB’s and being reliant on a 19 year old with 21 PL Games in case there were injuries (and he knew since July that Kozz was crocked) MIGHT not be the best idea.

    That’s another keeper in the book of “Wenger doesn’t know what he’s doing any more.”

  44. TitsMcgee

    Tits, you know Vermalean was injured all through his last season right? And was sold injured? And Monreal played at Centre back in Pre-season?”

    …and you say this to explain what?

    If we are an injury prone team, which you admit, then it’s even more idiotic to go into a season with low numbers at the back.

    The fact that you are even trying to defend Wenger’s actions here or put it down to bad luck is quite frankly really sad and EXACTLY why the term AKB was created because you blame everything on bad luck as long as it defends the man himself.

    Wenger went into a season with inadequate numbers at CB even if we had a healthy group of players with no history of injuries much less being the league leader in injuries for the past decade with two CBs coming off of a very long season that carried them into July.

    Gibbs Koz (insert name here) Debuchy
    Monreal Chambers Mert Bellerin

    …and the above is the absolute minimum of one more CB being purchased.

  45. Cesc Appeal

    Ug

    No one is crucifying the players, not Chambers not Bellerin.

    It’s the berk who decided no defenders were necessary in the summer.

    A look at our defence.

    Debuchy, just arrived.
    Kozz, acute tendinitis of the Achilles…we knew this since the WC
    Mert, played the WC the whole way and athletically awful
    Gibbs, made of glass
    Monreal, average

    Looking at that, with even a modicum of football knowledge would you not think, yeahhhhh 19 year old with 21 PL games probably isn’t the best option to place all our faith in in case of injuries (starting CB is already injured.)

  46. TitsMcgee

    So chambers didn’t really played all the games this season. See thanks for that. He wasn’t really over played. Just wenger trying to chided him from fault finders like you.”

    You are all over the place.

    Bellerin has covered a handful of times.

    Chambers has been played at every opportunity give or take a few.

    You are grasping at straws here. You are backed into a corner and finding any piece of furniture to defend yourself with.

  47. Cesc Appeal

    Just Wenger trying to chided him from fault finders like you.”

    Hahahahahahahaha…what all us ‘fault finders’ who said when the window shut how UNFAIR and harsh ON Chambers it was what Wenger had done.

    You can’t just make stuff up.

    No one is blaming Chambers.

  48. Masterstroke

    Stones & Delph. Yes please. I’d always take a decent Brit. over a Johnny Foreigner any day of the week and I suppose we’ll need to be avoiding African players due to ACON coming up soon.

  49. David Smith

    Barcas approach to fitness, yes, I could go there but would probably subject this website to libel, and I don’t want to do that.
    Bad example to highlight Arsenals genuine faults in this area. A bit like comparing Lance Armstrong with a run of the mill cyclist.

  52. WengerEagle

    As it’s my first full year posting on here just want to say great job on the blog Pedro, easily the best Arsenal blog out there and we’ve got a great little community on here barring a couple of mince pies.

    I’m out for the short time we have left in 2014, Happy Xmas and a New Year to everyone on here. Yes that’s right Xmas you filthy undesireables that means exactly what you think it means. 😉

    In all seriousness they have a special place in Hell for those despicable people who write Xmas instead of Christmas.

    So just a Happy Christmas/Happy Holidays/Seasons Greetings will suffice.

  53. S. Asoa

    Why is 2nd choice bought . To rotate to give R&R to the 1st choice. Agree 1st choice might get injured and likely to get injured with 1996_2005 player management methods courtesy our 18 years Vintage Relict . Not rocket science to realize we need 3rd choice in attrition locations such as defence .
    Beyond Le Imbecile and his ilk .

  54. Cesc Appeal

    Yeah second that.

    Good job again this year Pedro, a blog everyday and nailing the issues with Arsenal.

    Comments section is the best around, even Ben Affleck frequents it regularly.

    Happy Christmas to all the grovers in case things get a little liquidy later on and I can’t type.

    Except the pro-Wenger rabble. No Christmas for you…just kidding…

    …except not really

  55. TitsMcgee

    Hahahahahahahaha…what all us ‘fault finders’ who said when the window shut how UNFAIR and harsh ON Chambers it was what Wenger had done.”

    LOL @ fault finders

    lol

    People were saying before the season even started that the lack of cover would come back to bite us and that Wenger would use the injuries as an excuse. Fast forward to Xmas and voila.

    The same thing the “moaners” said last season when we didn’t have proper cover/quality at CF and that the lack of goals would come back to bite us when we started to play the meat of our schedule after Xmas. Fast forward to end of season. Plummeted from 1st to 4th. So said, so done.

    It’s disingenuous to sit back and say that people complain because they have an axe to grind when in reality the “moaners” are right and have been proven right time and time again.

  56. Me

    Erm Pedro,you mean if a boss is being controlled by his subject,he shouldn’t be blamed?You seem to really love this Ivan.Stan,Ivan and Wenger are all parasites and they all must leave.

  57. Cesc Appeal

    Me

    Just my opinion but I think Kroenke and Wenger are the two biggest problems at Arsenal.

    Imagine being Gazidis, the CEO with the boss (Kroenke) who adores Wenger and then manager who was on the board that appointed you!

    Gazidis should be harder, but I don’t think we can accurately gauge his ability in that environment.

  58. Me

    S. Asoa December 24, 2014 12:54:19
    Why is 2nd choice bought . To rotate to
    give R&R to the 1st choice. Agree 1st
    choice might get injured and likely to get
    injured with 1996_2005 player
    management methods courtesy our 18
    years Vintage Relict . Not rocket science to
    realize we need 3rd choice in attrition
    locations such as defence .
    Beyond Le Imbecile and his ilk .
    It’s like you can’t even say your mind without any insult.You want a change?Maybe you should change your own ways too.Insults don’t add weight to your posts.

  59. Gunner2301

    Pedro

    Another great post. Merry Christmas (Xmas for WE 🙂 ) Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to all Grovers. Pedro can’t remember if you post on Christmas Day despite the number of years I’ve been coming here or am I taking the piss? :-).

    Well done for doing a great job in and amongst your day job, jaunts abroad globe trotting, media whoreing and shagging women. A mention to Alex chief assister for his efforts too.

    Merry Christmas Everyone
    WENGER OUT!

  63. Me

    Cesc Appeal December 24, 2014
    13:03:49
    Me
    Just my opinion but I think Kroenke and
    Wenger are the two biggest problems at
    Arsenal.
    Imagine being Gazidis, the CEO with the
    boss (Kroenke) who adores Wenger and
    then manager who was on the board that
    appointed you!
    Gazidis should be harder, but I don’t think
    we can accurately gauge his ability in that
    environment.

    Yeah Cesc I kinda understand you but that doesn’t mean he is a saint as some people see him.If RVP(Oh yeah I know) remains blameless to some people for leaving when he wasn’t satisfied with the way things were being run,then I think Ivan shouldn’t be blameless for receiving his salary happily despite not being able to control things.For God’s sake,he was even a big party to Wenger’s contract extension.Well,just my thought.

  64. Gunner2301

    Tits

    Don’t forget we wouldn’t have had Welbeck if Giroud hadn’t broken his leg.

    But we’ve known for years Wenger likes to keep it #closetothebone at some point he’s bound to get caught out after winging it for so many seasons.

  65. Cesc Appeal

    Me

    Yeah. I do think Gazidis is a money man, and I think that’s what was intended when he was hired.

    Kroenke is the silent owner.
    Gazidis is the money
    Wenger is the football

    What’s letting us down?

  66. Cesc Appeal

    What’s hard to reconcile is how thin our squad is and what a lack of quality there is in a lot of areas yet our wage bill is enormous.

  69. TitsMcgee

    But we’ve known for years Wenger likes to keep it #closetothebone at some point he’s bound to get caught out after winging it for so many seasons.”

    I dunno.

    I think Wenger will get 4th easily and the cycle will continue. He really is a genius in that sense. He knows his past successes has basically bought him indefinite time so he plays the “oh woe is me ” card and has convinced 75% of fans that he’s doing us a favor by remaining as manager because we “over achieve” to 4th every year and that nobody else could do it but him.

    He’s convinced them that we are somehow West Ham and that 4th place is some massive achievement. He’s managed to brainwash his sheep.

  71. Martin

    So true! I hope for a couple of good results and would love to be able to ‘enjoy’ a game all the way through watching superior football. There have been few games where we have been comfortable and then one or two we were and proceeded to capitulate. A Merry Christmas to everyone, thanks for the hard work throughout the year. I wish our team a better new year and therefore everyone a Happy New Year.

  72. TitsMcgee

    Merry Christmas, Pedro! And thank you for all of the time and effort you pour into Le Grove. We appreciate it.”

    2nd’ed

  74. Dissenter

    Pedro,
    Thanks for keeping this blog going day after day, even when you just want to shout faaaaaaaaack it and slam your laptop down.

    Brilliant Article by the way.

    There’s no such thing as Arsenal quality. You need reliable players that can carry the piano from place to place do Virtuoaso pianist can do their thing.

    Wenger needs to stop doing this press conferences. I’m beginng to think he loves talking to the media than actually doing his job.
    The crap he spouts daily is just befuddling.

  75. Cesc Appeal

    Madrid are a disgusting club aren’t they?

    Bale inexplicably seems like he may be for sale at the right price no doubt to facilitate a move for the flavour of the season, Sterling, Hazard whoever.

    Can’t help but dream though, Bale, Ozil and Sanchez…oh myyyyyy…be worth £100 Million purely for the #bantz to the Spurs lot

  76. SpanishDave

    Wengers now run out of ideas hes now blaming everybody and everthing around him. Its not his fault in his Walter Mitty world.
    Hes probably scouring euope hoping to find a free half fit one legged midfielder as we speak.
    It really is the end game for him.
    He ho Happy Christmas.

  77. Seg

    @Ug things you spout! Worse than even Keyser. Do you even understand things you type? Anyways, merry Christmas to all grovers! Even Keyser.

  78. TitsMcgee

    Can’t help but dream though, Bale, Ozil and Sanchez…oh myyyyyy…be worth £100 Million purely for the #bantz to the Spurs lot”

    No offence to us but you’d have to imagine Bale would not agree to play for us. That would be a massive downgrade. Madrid to anybody save for Bayern or Barca would be a downgrade but especially to a club that isn’t interested in winning.

    Crazy to think that Madrid would want to sell a player just to sell a player.

  79. Highbury Daze

    I don’t believe for a minute Ozil has been out this long with injury, I think he was taken out of the firing line by Wenger, no winter break, world cup, so he may have have had a slight injury, but not this long, the poor guy was blamed for everything that went wrong, he was hounded in the media and by idiots who know not too much about football,so Arsene makes up this long term crap to cotton wool him

  80. ARgooner

    Merry Christmas to all on here from a US gooner and thanks Pedro for all the insights, comments,controversy but above all love for our club come hell or high water as we say!

  81. Highbury Daze

    Wilshere has been run into the ground,always injured, walcott out a year, Ramsey a fair while, Giroud out months, Gnabry, Kos, Rosicky Podolski Campbell can’t buy a game, great management Arsene you have won dope of the year, Merry Syphilis

  83. Cesc Appeal

    Tits

    Oh no chance.

    We’re not big enough and he wouldn’t do that to Spurs.

    He’ll be at United or Chelsea. But would be hilarious.

    Courtois
    Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Dave
    Matic, Fabregas
    Hazard, Oscar, Bale
    Costa

    Oh shit.

  85. Highbury Daze

    At Xmas the players usually visit kids in hospital, cheer them up, at AFC the kids visit the players in hospital what a club under this regime

  86. Rhys Jaggar

    Ah, so Rafa Honigstein says something so it must be new.

    Look mate, when I went abroad to school and to study music at an Austrian Conservatory in 1982/3, I came back with all the evidence needed to say what Honigstein just said. I’d had 11 years of being badged as ‘useless’ by UK Music and in one year, Austrians transformed me. I didn’t work any harder, I was just taught properly. I had 2hrs a fortnight for about 40hrs total (no more). I saw how you could make a nation fluent in foreign languages by starting to learn aged 7. None of those Austrians were doolally through starting English in the first year they went to school (and they stayed at home longer over there). All those Austrians did proper warm ups, warm downs and high quality sports training for a variety of sports in school in ways which shamed the English and was 15 years ahead of what Wenger introduced in 1996 and that was just school sports science, not national team stuff..

    When I went back to Cambridge, it was back to the English rubbish. Being told to teach myself everything practical but be spoon fed all the stuff I could teach myself anyway. The exact opposite to the selection mechanism to get in (which was ‘who’s sharp in the head?”)

    I’ve spent 35 years telling anyone and everyone precisely what Rafa Honigstein just said, but because he’s foreign, you’ll listen. It tells you that the English hate their own, because they need to retain their pathetic class system and trash those who see how the system must be improved.

    It didn’t just happen to me in one sport, it happened to me in everything. Science, music, business, sport. You name it.

    But after 35 years of sneering, deriding, fencing and blaming, someone suddenly says: ‘The German said it, so he’s right.’

    You need to all ask yourselves some hard questions about what you are, why you are what you are, and whether it’s done you any good being that way.

    It doesn’t do the country any good, I can tell you that.

  87. Highbury Daze

    Silvestre, Bischoff, Kallstrom, Sanogo, just a few players that Wenger brought to this club injured, he is real good at this management caper, buys crocks that sit on the sideline collecting wages, Mr Wasteful, how mant games did Bischoff and Kallstrom play, not forgetting the Diaby waste, and people actually think this guy is a genius, I would like to see that explained

  88. Highbury Daze

    What was that ramble thanks for dropping in son, why don’t you post that shit on ANR it was a load of bollocks

  90. Highbury Daze

    I studied music I went abroad I went back to university who gives a fuck, it’s all about you Rhys you sound like Venger

  92. Me

    Cesc Appeal December 24, 2014
    13:19:47
    Me
    Yeah. I do think Gazidis is a money man,
    and I think that’s what was intended
    when he was hired.
    Kroenke is the silent owner.
    Gazidis is the money
    Wenger is the football
    What’s letting us down?

    What’s letting us down?Very simple.It’s the presence of the trio we’re talking about.I know Usmanov might not be a saint(No billionaire is a saint) but I would gladly take him without hesitating if it means we will be rid of Stan.His first decision should be bringing on board any manager that isn’t scared of competing.Send Wenger to the vatican too please.

  93. Highbury Daze

    When I was hunting tiger in India, just before I wrestled crocodiles in the Nile, after I swam with the piranhas in the amazon, I ran the 4 minute mile with one leg, then won first prize in a one legged arse kicking competition

  94. Simon McMahon

    Merry Christmas to all gooners everywhere , have a feast day tommorow with your loved ones . Thanks pedro for another great year from le grove .

    And wenger spend some fucking money in January !!

  95. Highbury Daze

    What has that got to do with football you ask, it was in response to Rhys, who seems a tad miffed people take more notice of hoffmeister than him

  99. Majestic gooner

    The gaurdian weekly featuring Rafa honigstein was quite insightful, because the presenter made it a point of saying Rafa was a very good friend of per metersacker so I guess both of them speak about what is wrong about arsene and arsenal. Rafa honigstein said that wenger is not a good coach and even went on to say when asked if wenger should still be in charge , he said it’s not for me to say , implying he was not, and as I say him and metersacker are good friends and he must have a feeling as to what the players really think of wenger and his coaching methods.or non existent one.

  103. Relieable sauce

    Superb post Pedro, I dont think I have ever agreed with you more completely.

    Exactly, who are these rare creatures that posess the right qualities for our style of play? Are their abilities so rare that the quest to find them supercedes every other aspect of basic management? IF we can find said gems & IF they are available, wont any of the big clubs be interested? or are their qualities so intangible only someone as great as wenger can see them…
    Good point about coaching as well. Players are adaptable because humans are adaptable, its one of the reasons we are top of the food chain. Arsene isnt & he isnt a great manager, hes a dinosaur & a relic of the past, an evolutionary cul-de-sac.
    If the players which we seek are so hard to come by then why are we not producing anything of note from the academy? surely the best way to obtain players with Arsenal quality is to forge them in the Arsenal academy if they are so unique?
    Therein lies the problem…that project has fail miserably also.

    Chasing rainbows for pie in the sky players while the self perpetuating BS machine that is Arsenes Arsenal keeps churning out the same old shit.

    Merry Christmas.

    WENGER OUT!!!

  105. Paul Mc Daid

    Wenger is such a pathetic old fool, We do not sign players that are not Arsenal Class, That is exactly why we are not in the mix for the title, We only have one player on our books this is truly Arsenal Class, Thanks Arsene, Coward.

  107. Relieable sauce

    ug

    The desire to improve your English skills is admirable & I personally don’t have a problem with it…I do think you should be an Arsenal fan though.
    Wengers English is quite poor btw, all things considered. Maybe it would be a good idea to stop listening to him.

  108. ADKB

    Dear Santa. I’d like Wenger leave or get sacked and I don’t want him given any role at the club. We deserve a clean break from this dictatorship.

    Merry Christmas dear Grovers!!!

  109. Goondawg

    “It has been 7 years since Arsenal had their first choice 11 available. In the 1-0 win over Chelsea in December 2007. ”

    Just read this tweet from GoonerStat. Now I’ll be the first to call bullshit, while I cast my mind back, if I recall correctly it probably has been many seasons since we did field our first choice 11, with long-term injuries to Ozil, Sagna, Walcott and RVP amongst others. When was the last time we fielded our strongest 11??

  110. Emiratesstroller

    We have at the moment in our first team squad ‘on paper ‘ seven defenders if
    you include Bellerin who has virtually no first team experience.

    If I factor in Chambers who is the same age as Bellerin and had before this season just 16 starts at Southampton we had in reality just FIVE experienced defenders and only TWO Centre Backs.

    My view is that Bellerin [not Chambers] will make a decent Full Back once he
    gets some experience. He has pace and also when defending ‘positional sense’.

    Looking at Chambers I have felt since the season started that he was not an
    upgrade on Jenkinson who was loaned out to West Ham and will be overtaken
    by Bellerin for squad right back position.

    On current evidence he may have a long term future as a Centre Back to play
    occasionally in Cup Competitions i.e. as a fourth string option, but certainly not higher in pecking order.

    This poses the question why Arsenal decided to sell Vermaelen to Barcelona
    and leave us so exposed should either Mertesacker or Koscielny suffer injury
    or loss of form?

    Furthermore the injury to Koscielny was diagnosed BEFORE the transfer window was closed. For me there are two questions which need answering,which
    are:

    1. Why did we sell Vermaelen for what was a very low price? According to Transfermarkt Barcelona have only paid £8 million [not £15 million as suggested]. If that is case we might as well have kept him.

    2. Why did Wenger not go into market at beginning of July and buy someone?
    Assuming that Mertesacker and Koscielny were our first string then we should have been looking only for third string player? Surely for £10-15 million
    we could have bought someone half decent.

    I am in no doubt that the failure to bring someone in has cost us a decent finish to season even more than our weakness in Defensive Midfield position.
    Playing full backs in heart of defence may work on Continent, but not in EPL
    particularly alongside Mertesacker.

    As far as I am concerned Arsenal must not buy in January any new players unless it is FIRST a Centre Back. Using up budget elsewhere before that is done
    would be criminal.

    I read all the time the rumours that we are after strikers,wingers or offensive
    midfielders. Most of these rumours are pure fantasy and if not stupidity. From
    my point of view we could offload both Campbell and Sanogo and it would not
    make a blind difference to our squad. Both are not realistically needed even
    with our long list of injuries.

    Bluntly there is absolutely no excuse for Wenger not binging in a Centre Back. The only likely consequence is that we will probably need to pay over
    the odds because everyone knows we need such a player. That is I am afraid
    the price of Wenger’s poor judgment in Summer.

  112. Goondawg

    “Bielik to Arsenal almost done, according to reports. £2.3m fee. Wenger tells 16-year old he will be in first-team plans immediately. #afc”

    From Kwiks video posted earlier, it is evident the guy is a better baller than Flamini despite only being 16. However its going to be a repeat of Chambers and he will burn out from all that responsibility I feel. He has the size and stature to cope, but it will be a tough ask. Would rather we buy a proven DM like Shneiderlin AS WELL

  115. Tipster

    This time next year we’ll be even worse…. Wenger knows sweet fa….ho ho , what’s the point in worrying about results, we’ll win sweet fa again.

  117. gee

    Merry Christmas Pedro……Great years write up’s from yourself. Really hope the next month brings us a couple of good signings. All the best to you and all the Le Grove readers.

  118. tenerife gooner

    Do not like QPR Statistics one bit,not scored against us in 6,not ever won a premeirship game on Boxing day,not won away this season.

  124. Ughelligunner

    Relieable sauce.

    Is that all you ‘ve got?
    Well looks like you understood me just like you do wenger’s, and am satisfied, but…

    Maybe you should start making up your own opinion instead of agreeing to everything Pedro says?

    In eminem’s voice i kid, i kid.

    P.S. One man’s shit hole is another’s pleasure hole. Lol

  125. MidwestGun

    Merry Christmas! Ho ho ho’s. For everyone.

    Pedro…… Thanks for keeping it going despite the haters. Shoutout… to Alex for some fine work off the bench.

    Apologies to those I angered. Apologies to those I didn’t. Drinks all around.

  127. Carts

    Keyser

    “How ? They have tv deals on top of their Commercials.That’s not the point, while our tv deals are massive, there is also a far more even split, everyone shares in the money, so it pushes the money teams can use for wages up.Bayern have little to no competition financially in their own league, whereas Liverpool actually outbid us for Sanchez.”

    Everyone has their own unique deal on top of the basic TV deals. I was speaking figuratively when I said that their commercial deal is like their own unique Sky deal. I’m referring to the % of what their commercial deals contribute to their overall revenue. It’s so large that it could be like they get a mini Sky deal (similar to what EPL team get).

    “Lol only one counts as homegrown, and why would Clyne be half the money ? You make little sense.”

    So are you saying Clyne would’ve cost the same as Chambers? IM almost certain Clyne would’ve cost half the price. After all, Chambers had already began to dislodge Clyne from RB.

    As for Aurier, I’m talking about an explosive, physical RB – who’s performed just as good as a lot of RBs in Europe. Cost considerably less than Chamber; being younger that Debuchy. Homegrown factor wasn’t essential!

    “The premiership is the richest league in the World, this also means we have to pay that much more to compete within it.You could say Bayern are more efficient that any premiership team, but then they play in a weaker league with less competition on and off the field, a more efficient league and a country with a far better infrastructure for youth development.”

    Yes the EPL is the richest league – by way of Sky – but that doesn’t necessarily mean we always have to pay more. And when you say more, how much more than what Munich paid for their costliest players? There is parity between our spend and theirs. This is why I’m struggling to comprehend how Munich get value for money out of their players regardless of their price?

    Munich still have to contend with other big weight teams; it’s not like they’re given a clean run at all their transfer targets. Lastly, I’m not talking about youth development, I’m talking about their purchases and wage.

  128. Relieable sauce

    ug

    LOL.You said it brother! 😉

    I’ve praised Pedro’s posts no more than half a dozen times. I strongly disagree with his stance on protest for instance & think he’s too soft on IG. It’s pretty much irrelevant what I think either way, just offering my opinion like most other posters.

    Have a happy Christmas 🙂

  130. valentino

    Most Arsenal Fans are so used to failure that they can’t even wish for a better life. Take it or leave it, arsene Wenger has delivered in the past,but he is presently not meeting up to standards. Everything that has happened in the course of the season so far is all his fault. If chambers is playing badly bcos he is being used too often,its Arsene’s fault. If chambers was supposed to be the cover for right back,then where is the cover for CB? For crying out loud, a coach DAT is as experienced as Arsene should knw DAT After playing kosc all tru last season without rest,and even played world cup, He is definitely ganna Av to b rested more dis season, yet he sold verm and bought no replacement. D inexperienced cover for right back had to b a cover for CB too. Its all Wenger’s fault. Going into a premier league season after so many years of being a manager at Arsenal in d premier league with just two central Defenders, and d DM of d likes of Flamini and Arteta, and expecting a successful campaign,is stupidity of the highest order. Other clubs such as mancity and Chelsea have spent and still spending lots if cash just to make sure their team becomes a force to be wary of,and u r expecting arsenal that has a manager and a board who has refused to solve the glaring problem in their squad to be having the same results with the tinkerers??? Hell no. YOU WILL SURELY HARVEST WHAT YOU SOW. So pls stop Backing Arsene. It won’t mean u re NT a good Arsenal fan. Rather it will only mean u are a great Arsenal fan bcos you want your club to be successful. Arsene Wenger is our problem and we have to fix our problems so that we can at least,once again, rejoice that we Won the likes of Chelsea, Bayern, Barcelona, Madrid, e.t.c.
    imagine how the investments and good decision making has made those clubs very successful. We had to pray that we shouldn’t be drawn against them in the champions league. Why? Who are they going to field? Is it not players too? Humans for DAT matter. Why can’t we get Good players too so that we won’t have to be scared to play against the top teams but rather be a top team too.

  136. Leedsgunner

    Merry Christmas Gooners, Grovers and everyone in between. Very beys wishes from the Grim North!!!

    A special shout out to:

    N5, Cesc Appeal, Romford Pele, Emiratesstroller, Rhys, Gunner2301, Middy, Tits, Thank you and Good Night, carts, Arsene’s Nurse, kwik fit, tunny, gambon, Wenger Eagle, Arsenal1886, Karim and Suga3 …..

    and others too illustrious to mention thank you for chatting through all things Arsenal and other things…. It’s been fun. Let’s do it again next year. 😉

    … and have a drink on me in unity and sympathy for my in-laws invited themselves over for four days and four nights… basically taking over my entire holiday. I’ve to be on best behaviour all week!

    At least my boy is happy. He loves his grandparents,bless him.

    I digress,have a good holiday fellas and don’t be miserable –IT’S CHRISTMAS!!

  139. David Smith

    Emirates Stoller 15.53, a lot of whys in there. And why you may well ask. The fact is, when rulers fall and empires,crumble, there is a time leading up to the end which is characterised by everything going wrong, and the leaders doing everything possible wrong. As the pressure mounts, and the ego comes to terms with cataclysmic failure of a long term vision. Stubbornness takes over for a while, but wenger contrary to popular belief is not a dictator, he is an employee of a man of money. Wenger is over the place at the moment, he knows the end is near, so do execs at the club, anyone who thinks Gazidis Chipps and co cannot see this is deluded. It is only Stan who kept wenger here last summer, surely even he realises his mistake, if not , he is certainly being told.
    I am intrigued as to what wenger will do this Jan, he knows it is over, another Kallestrom, or will he at least try to go out with some respectability?

  141. Ustynobaba

    Merry Christmas Pedro….you are just so amazing with your daily post even with your schedule,and to your deputy Alex,cheers

    To all the grovers,you guys are the best,even when Wenger has made the team so distasteful at times to watch but i still find joy cos you guys hardly stop droping insightful analysis on here,this platform is so educative if not entertaining too,from down here in Nigeria i say a big to you

    Merry Christmas

  143. N5

    Cheers Leeds and TYAG. Merry Christmas to you boys and your families as well. Big love to all the African and American and of course, African American Gooners that have educated me on all things non Arsenal and of course our South African Babe Gooner Girl.

    Most of you Locals, including Marble have a great Christmas too. Karim and Sylvie, make new year the time to be friends 😀

    Have a great one all of you and Pedro, thanks for another year of constant blogs and a place for me to escape every single bloody day when work gets boring.

    Up the Arsenal!!

  144. N5

    Also forgot to add, enjoy tomorrow CA, I expect we’ll see you again sometime in the future, if you can put the controller down. You can post whilst GTAs loading! You’ll see what I mean when you get it.

  146. N5

    TYAG, I’m at the inlaws in Staines as we speak. This is the first time I’ve been able to sneak away. I’m only here for two days though. Drink a lot mate. It’s the only way through it all.

  148. Cesc Appeal

    N5

    Cheers mate. Cannot wait.

    Absolutely battered right now. Got in. Drunken wrapping, you always end up thinking “fuck it that’ll do”…wake up the next day and looks like a quadriplegic, drunk cow had a go at the wrapping…shameful stuff.

  149. Thank you and goodnight

    @N5

    I hope you and your family have great one geez. Hope santa brings you everything you ask for…..then again 2 days with the in laws obviously means your on Santa’s naughty list this year. ….no presents for you.

    @Keyser

    Merry Christmas keyser. Hope you and your loved ones have a great day.

  150. Adam A. Carbarundum

    N5, you are beyond kind my friend. Both Keyser and Ughelligooner are miseries unto themselves. They both are pure shits who love preying upon everyone in hopes that their own sadistic sense of debates are satisfied. Truth be told, both are lousy louts who have no lives to speak of and crave the attention they so sorely and desperately seek. Both are worthy of toilet guttings and equally are deserving of the scorn heaped upon themselves for wasting the much valued time that those who engage them sacrifice. May both you lousy sods reap your own misery in ways deserving of yourselves. No one is ever wiser for encountering either of you. Take a flying leap into the stupid depths that each of you wrought on others with your stupid insidious games. Take one each, sincerely!