How I look in the chip shop after the pub (via @Arsenal)
A cold hard slap to the chops. A spanked backside. A welcome to the real reality of what it is to be an Arsenal fan under the current Arsene Wenger led regime.
Arsenal lost 1-0 to a Spurs side that bested them in every department. It was a 1-0 hammering. We were lucky to come out of it feeling only slightly humiliated. The truth of the matter is the game was a stinging rebuke of Wenger’s methodologies, and klaxon call to the owner to make an aggressive change this summer before we start to resemble an also-ran of the Premier League.
The starting 11 was robbed of Aaron Ramsey who tweaked a groin before the game, and we also saw Iwobi drop to the bench. Our midfield of Jack, Elneney and Xhaka looked balanced but lacked pace and spark. The Wenger plan looked fairly clear, absorb Spurs pressure and break on the counter, leaning on the creativity and quick distribution of Mikki and Ozil to feed our roadrunner of a striker.
If you’re absolutely fair to Arsenal, the first half worked out as well as could have been expected. The midfield did a fairly robust job, and Petr Cech put in a solid performance. We had one clear chance for a break when Jack Wilshere set Auba free, but the Gabonese was harshly judged offside. Hardly a critical moment in the game, but when your team offers up next to no service to the star forward, I guess it becomes a talking point.
The second half Arsene demonstrated he really does not have a penchant for the motivational talks. Mikki mentioned before the game that Arsene was way friendlier than Mourinho, cute compliment, but symptomatic of the larger issue of ease of life at Colney. I don’t know what was said at halftime, but to me, the reaction looked like the team had had a cheeky Thai Massage and a couple of joints. Spurs looked like they’d been told their families were being held hostage and a victory was the release fee.
Everything crumbled, including our backline. After a few warning signs, Ben Davies moved down the left side of the pitch, Xhaka and Bellerin didn’t challenge him, he picked out Harry Kane’s majestic leap; with Koscielny and Mustafi hopelessly out of position, the striker drilled his header into the bottom corner. I don’t want to keep bagging on Xhaka, but is he not the worst serious midfield signing of Wenger’s tenure? He is always part of the mix when we concede, why isn’t he dropped? As for Laurent Koscielny, he’s just mailing it in. Another big mistake in a big game, it’s simply not good enough.
Anyway, that goal opened the floodgates for chances, Eriksen, Kane and Alli all went close. The only hope you had as an Arsenal fan was historical referencing. When we were good, we’d dominate teams, and lose to two chances. Wenger changed things up, bringing the abysmal Mikki off, and rolling on Iwobi, Lacazette and later Welbeck. Hardly the cavalry, right?
I’m being harsh, all three kicked us into at least making a menace of ourselves. Arsenal had three huge chances to make something of the game.
Lacazette, career hanging by a thread, had a golden opportunity at the back when Bellerin found him with a cross. The Frenchman fluffed his volley horrendously over the bar, the look on his face said it all. He wasn’t finished, Iwobi found him with a delightful pass that flustered the Spurs defence, Lacazette ferreted his way in behind, Lloris bounded out, the shot was the chosen weapon but the strike was dragged wide. If that were Thierry or Pires, they’d have plated it for the incoming Aubamayeng.
The final chance of the game fell to Ozil. Danny Welbeck did well to get himself fouled on the edge of the box. Ozil the anonymous £350k a week superstar stepped up for the 22 yard freekick. His effort as meak as his performance. The game finished, Jack tried to fight Lamela, but it was too late. 4th place, served up to Spurs on a plate next to a salmonella-free lasagna.
What did we learn?
You can shuffle the furniture. You can buy new furniture. You can sell the old furniture to make the new furniture look nice. None of it matters. If the furniture is on the Titanic, and the ship has hit an Wenger shaped iceberg, everything is going to spoil regardless.
Wenger’s secret sauce when he was good was to find players with superior technique and fitness, and let them loose, the only guide being creative freedom. Now all players have good technique and most clubs have similar fitness approaches, the place where you win is smart tactics, pressing philosophy, man management and in game smarts. Arsene doesn’t have those tools, nor does he care for them. We still have great players, so it’ll never be that bad, we just don’t have the tools to compete.
Pochettino is extracting miracles out of his players. They die for the cause, they press strategically, they are all equipped to succeed. Everything at that club is built around improving the players, on a fairly modest budget.
Arsenal are deck shuffling. We have great data folk, but a manager not really interested in what it has to say. We have capable coaches, but there’s only one man empowered to make decisions. We have access to the best thinkers in the game, but one man runs the show and he is the most immovable bottleneck in world football. Arsenal FC is the greatest indulgence bestowed upon single paid employee in history. We are Arsene FC. We have been since David Dein left. It’s time for a change, and it must happen now.
The strategist in me looks at what the club have tried to do this January. The headline to the untrained eye is the club made a crap shot for 4th. To the conspiracy theorist in me would suggest the club may have tried to mitigate for excuse making come the summer. Wenger has a striker that can score goals, we removed his Sanchez problem, and the team is still playing exactly the same as it was before. The last time Wenger made a dent in a top 6 side away was 17 games ago against Manchester City. In our last 26 away games, we’ve only taken 26 points! Quite appalling really.
Sure, on another day, Lacazette scores those two chances and we come away winning. But it didn’t happen, and you can’t blame luck when the data so categorically points to the one issue at the club being the man who runs it.
It was interesting to see Carlo Ancelotti at the ground. His home is in Vancouver, which is a helluva flight. The man tweeted a selfie of himself at Wembley, it was almost like some sort of grim reaper message to Arsene Wenger. I’m at the point where I’d take the Italian as a transition manager. People I speak to insist it’ll take quite the iceberg to shift Wenger on this summer, but I’m struggling to see the new guys Ivan has hired not being used as weapons in the campaign to shift Arsene on.
If he goes, we’re in new exciting territory. If he stays, the club is working with an employee who is currently having his second worst season since he took over (only 05-06, our last at Highbury was worse at this stage, and that was a team that had Kanu, Henry and Bergkamp in it). If we keep him over the summer, imagine our levels of performance when the ‘I’ve only got one more year on my deal’ excuses start to drop.
He has to go this summer, or he has to be given a new deal.
Ivan G is a lawyer, you’d imagine he’s thinking ahead. You’d imagine this scenario is being thought through with Raul Sanhelli and Sven Mislintat. You cannot imagine a situation where the club risks another season in the wilderness just to give the manager a good send off?
The only hope Arsene now has is the club win the Europa League. I can’t see that. Bilbao, Leipzig, Atleti, Lazio and Napoli likely all have more than we do at the moment. So we’ll see. The ideal scenario is a poor sixth and no trophies. If it’s anything that smells like success, the nightmare could be a knee-jerk 2 year deal.
P.S. I don’t often ask much of you, but I wrote a piece for Mundial Magazine for March about the Dennis Bergkamp & Thierry Henry partnership. It meant a lot to write it, I’d like you to read it, and the magazine looks super cool on any self respecting football fans coffee table. Pre-order here. ALSO, scroll a bit below and listen/watch our latest podcast about Spurs and Arsenal being a bit shite.
Interesting that Walcott is coming back to life, now that he appears to have been given purpose and a lifeline at Everton. Always thought he would have been more than he was at Arsenal, but its more or less a 50/50 split on it being his own making and that of an anemic manager who never could quite figure out where to play him. Would be nice to see him come good, as it stood he was never going to be anything other than a footnote under Wenger.
Raptora
The funny thing is that (1) I don’t call for people to be binned any more often than anyone else does — people were calling for Red to be binned just the other day; no one gave them shit for it — (2) nearly everyone I’ve called for binning was binned on their own later, and (3) Peanuts is precisely the kind of poster — a Chelsea troll — who should be binned without hesitation.
Re Rafa. I do like him of course. He has been working on a limited budget. Still though, his team has decent quality players. He should have been looking at a finish around the golden 10-th place zone. You look at Burnley and you see a team overachieving. Newcastle haven’t. Rafa is doing a decent job, but not spectacular.
After the begining of the season when we lost badly to Pool, people in here were saying how Newcastle will compete for top 4 along with Everton. And how both of those teams will finish in front of Arsenal. Before the win today they were in 19-th place. Not good enough.
Shelvey was top class today though. If no one new their price tags before the game, they’d think that he is the 90m player and that Pogba cares more for his hair than his football. Would swap Xhaka with Shelvey if I could. And that’s not a compliment towards Shelvey.
@Raptora – “Would swap Xhaka with Shelvey if I could. And that’s not a compliment towards Shelvey.”
Ooh what you said! Soap Bar Time – wash that mouth out!
Ishola
‘You backed down previously when it was pointed out that Wenger and the like before Stan even came on the scene had decided on the self-sufficiency path’
The decision was initially made by Arsenal’s previous owners, specifically danny fiszman. It wasn’t wenger’s decision and it’s worth bearing in mind that as the team manager it was never a decision that he was in a position to make.
He may well have agreed to it but it wasn’t his idea.
That’s all in the past anyway. The worrying thing is that Stan will stick to it.
“The funny thing is that (1) I don’t call for people to be binned any more often than anyone else does .
You should stop, Bamford. That hole you are digging is taking you clean through the earth to the other side.
Raptora:
“After the begining of the season when we lost badly to Pool, people in here were saying how Newcastle will compete for top 4 along with Everton”
Who said that?
I know you said you were confident that Wenger would get top four lol
On binning:
No one should call for other posters to be binned based on their football views. If I came on here and started saying that in fact the next arsenal manager should be Madonna, or players should change their diets to a combination mars bars and monster munch,as ridiculous as that is, it’s an opinion and according to this blog, this is a place where ‘you can have an opinion not get one’.
It’s written top left
alexanderhenry
“The decision was initially made by Arsenal’s previous owners, specifically danny fiszman. It wasn’t wenger’s decision and it’s worth bearing in mind that as the team manager it was never a decision that he was in a position to make.
He may well have agreed to it but it wasn’t his idea.”
I’m sorry but I don’t believe for one minute that Wenger wasn’t a part of the idea of making Arsenal self-sufficient.
Not when we heard his sermons from the pulpit chastising money clubs continuously down the years. He was even at it the other week.
Remember Arsene Wenger more than a football manager. Fans used to be proud of that.
For understanding, is Lacazette Wenger’s signing or Gazidis?
Ishola
I don’t dispute that Wenger has been a zealous convert to the self sustainability model, but he’s still the manager and an employee of Arsenal.
Financial decisions are made by owners and shareholders, not managers
But Pedro, you were foaming at the mouth after two signings and beating Everton 5-1.
Tell me it’s all gum drops and rainbows, again, I need to feel warm and safe.
Not entirely true, Alexander. Wenger has an immense say in financial matters through his recommendations. No owner is going to sanction paying the wages that Wenger’s socialist structure has permitted unless he/she were convinced it was in the clubs best interests.
Make no mistake, Wenger has had power that no other manager in football has had or will have. No one person should ever be given such power again, it remains not in the the clubs best interests short or long term.
alexanderhenry
“I don’t dispute that Wenger has been a zealous convert to the self sustainability model, but he’s still the manager and an employee of Arsenal.
Financial decisions are made by owners and shareholders, not managers”
I repeat Arsene Wenger more than a football manager lol.
He was seen as a financial genius at one point with his profit making in the transfer market. A financial guru.
Stan was enticed.
Doubt the club lets wenger go. Since when does arsenal do dramatic things? We are way too conservative
Even if we fail with nothing this season wenger stays. I doubt that he will be renewed after that though.
Alexander
No one has. Not by me at least. Only calls for binning have been for trolling, dishonesty, racism or other forms of hatred or prejudice.
And btw, Wenger remains the principle problem at Arsenal, not Stan Kroenke.
Apparently Ancelotti was at Wembley yesterday
I would love to see him replace Wenger at the end of this season even if it is a short term contract
Just get Wenger out of this club
Sanchez earned 600k for doing fuck all for 90 mins, laughing all the way to the bank.
Alexander
Sorry, but are you still claiming that Kroenke has restricted what Wenger could do in the transfer market?
Ishola (and everyone)
You should watch this.
“Only calls for binning have been for trolling, dishonesty, racism or other forms of hatred or prejudice.”
Says the Moral Authority Consciousnesses of all things Bamford. You really should stop, its beyond embarrassing, its pathetic. You are a hypocrite, live with it.
Ishola
There is no evidence to prove that self sustainability was wenger’s idea. More importantly he’s ever been in a position at Arsenal to make that decision.
He has had total control football matters, not financial matters. If he actually owned the club himself he could have made those decisions.
He is the manager not the owner.
Yea let’s sell our highest goal scorer who’s in his first season having played in his most disjointed team ever and leave the mountain of shit that is Welbeck
Tifo football on youtube.. It’s a good channel actually- a bit pretentious but informative.
Very intriguing, Alexander.
Alexanderhenry
Of course Wenger’s view on whether to accept a self sustaining model was considered as it affects the playing side of the team……you silly sausage muncher
Alexander
Wenger has an advanced degree in Economics, has spoken as much about financial matters as football matters for 20 years now and was as powerful as anyone at the club when self-sustainability was adopted.
No question he was one of the key voices in the self-sustainability decision.
What would Wenger have done back then if you gave him £100m for transfers? He’d give it back, he said.
Not to mention self-sustainability isn’t even our problem, Wenger is.
I did not say it was solely his idea.
I am saying that he was most probably a part of the idea.
More than a football manager.
Saw that vid. Doesn’t tell us what we already know. We all know that Kroenke was enticed by Arsenal and Arsene Wenger for a risk free profit venture.
And let’s not forget the disgraceful mocking of Usmanov all those years ago by many fans all aided and stoked by Wenger may I add with his sermons on the distasteful notion of “buying” trophies.
It is done. Kroenke was a beneficiary of it all.
‘highest goal scorer’
Misuse of stats.
Context: He played striker for most of the season and has single digit goals. How many does he have in the last two months?
Regarding Peanuts&Monkeys – The concept of ignoring him would work.
As annoying as he is, he does have a point – Arsenal have been crap this season. Not total bottom half of the league crap, but certainly bottom of the Top Six crap. Asking for him to be binned, as a certain Bin Happy individual has tried over and over, is really at Pedro’s discretion. The fact that he has chosen not to over this much time is proof that yes, ignoring him works.
alexanderhenry
Over the last 5 years we have the third highest net spend, our wage bill is the forth highest over both Liverpool and the Spud’s.
When are you going to stop blaming Kroenke for the state for the team?
We’ve just started to build a world class management infrastructure – I suppose that’s over Kroenke objections?
Give it a fucking rest – the single biggest problem at Arsenal is Wenger.
Ishola
The degree to which Wenger influenced the decision is all conjecture. That doesn’t alter the fact that it was not his decision to make.
The important aspect of all this this is that the self sustainable model has failed and continues to fail. The club has gone backwards in the last ten years and I think it will continue to drift unless we somehow get a miracle worker of a new manager.
Peanuts outshines all you mugs on this blog..
Monkeynut should be binned. Anyone who says otherwise is pulling a facade.
Alexander still persisting with his bogus narrative. Self-sustainability hasn’t failed; Wenger has.
Kroenke’s only real problem is that he doesnt care enough about AFC to realize or recognize that his manager is no longer capable of keeping up with todays managers. Then again, he’s also not willing to keep up with them, why should he – he’s got 10 million reasons not to care.
Bottom line, AFC are as dysfunctional on the pitch as they are functional as a financial entity. A no win scenario if ever there was one.
Why should he Rambo, cause he hits a raw nerve with some of you “intellects”? Too funny.
alexanderhenry
“The degree to which Wenger influenced the decision is all conjecture. That doesn’t alter the fact that it was not his decision to make.The important aspect of all this this is that the self sustainable model has failed and continues to fail. The club has gone backwards in the last ten years and I think it will continue to drift unless we somehow get a miracle worker of a new manager.”
Well I have already agreed with you on this in the past regarding self-sufficiency as a whole but I don’t agree with you when you keep pegging self-sustainability onto Kroenke. It was not his baby. He was enticed to the baby that was already in place.
We can’t cry about it now. It is done. The shameful hounding and ridiculing of Usmanov saw to that.
Redtruth and Monkeynut… Sitting on a tree… trolling 😀
Marc
After 8 years at least of making profits in transfers, selling our best players and being one of the lowest net spenders in the PL, Arsenal had a lot catching up to do.
Worryingly if you look at last summer’s and this January’s spending, arsenal are back down to 18th biggest spenders.
You don’t have to be a miracle worker to compete with the resources available at Arsenal; you simply need to be an excellent manager (with an excellent DOF). Wenger is neither, though he has fancied himself both. As have some people here (i.e., fancied him those things).
The fact wenger has seen off the clubs previous occupants shows he played a major role in the club adopting a self sustaining model……
Ishola
I agree.
Much of the responsibility lies with the previous board and owners.
But, Kroenke can change that.
He was at one time, Bamford. But that time has long since passed. I am in agreement on this one point, Wenger must indeed go – for the long term health of AFC. His departure cannot come soon enough – embarrassment has yet to reach its lowest depths under One Arsene Wenger.
Also,
Usmanov should be running Arsenal. The way he’s been treated by the BOD is a disgrace.
Bamford insisting Wenger is a dud then gets all euphoric after beating lowly Everton …..idiot
I will say this, Red you are funny.
Redruth
Allow me to ask you this:
When was the last time you gained any enjoyment from anything Arsenal related?
alexanderhenry
“I agree.
Much of the responsibility lies with the previous board and owners.But, Kroenke can change that.”
What change the whole ethos of the club? A man that only came to Arsenal to get a risk free profit. lol
You know he won’t change it like everybody else knows he won’t change it.
Does that make him a horrible nasty man? Not really. He is just a financial opportunist who took advantage of the situation. A situation that was put in place by many others and abetted by others. Wenger, fans et al.
Again, self-sustainability is not the problem, Wenger is.
alexanderhenry:
“Also,Usmanov should be running Arsenal. The way he’s been treated by the BOD is a disgrace.”
The way he was treated by the majority of the fanbase was a disgrace as well.
Not only didn’t the fans want his smelly dirty money they commented on what an ugly looking slug he was as well lol
Alexanderhenry
2005
Fvck off Usmanov they said. This is Arsene FC. Don’t want you. Fvck off.
Ishola
He could if he wanted to. I don’t understand it personally. If I owned a football club and was already a multi billionaire, I’d want to win things, but not our Stan.
‘Does that make him a horrible nasty man?’
No, just wrong for Arsenal football club.
What does make him a ‘horrible nasty man’ is the way he treated the St Louis Rams, the forced eviction of tenants from his Texas ranch and the fact he owns a blood sports channel .. but let’s not get into that now.
Arsenal fc are a great, old club. He’s not worthy.
http://fox2now.com/2017/02/02/texas-ranch-residents-ready-to-move-on-after-eviction-from-kroenke-property/
Alexanderhenry is trolling as he is fully aware that AKB’s consider Usmanov a bandit…
Ishola
I remember that. I’ve always been an Usmanov fan.
At the end of last season he said this:
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/alisher-usmanov-statement-in-full-arsenal-ownership-offer-stan-kroenke-takeover-talks-a3650726.html
Alexanderhenry up until Wenger’s exposed hideous tactical ineptness was all in favour of self sustainability…
Yeah, a horrible, terrible owner who has:
– abided by the club’s self-sustainable model (adopted prior to his arrival)
– never restricted what the manager could spend in the market or on salaries
– re-hired the manager/club legend who, prior to a few months ago, most Arsenal fans still believed in and supported
My favorite part is that certain Kroenke critics, like Alexander, would themselves have re-signedWenger last summer, as they believe/d in Wenger just as much as Kroenke ever has.
Bamford
I’d rather not engage with you at all, but I don’t like being misquoted. I wanted wenger to go last season and was amazed that he was re employed.
Really you’re not the one to talk about ‘dishonesty’.
I had to endure last night with a drunk gloating Spud mate
Wenger has no idea of the misery he causes
Bamfraud
‘– never restricted what the manager could spend in the market or on salaries’
How the fuck do you know this? Here’s a clue….you don’t.
Please don’t get me banned cos I’m calling you out on your facts you fanny.
Alex, last summer we tried to buy Lamar last minute for 90m.
Since 2010, we are the 8th highest net spenders in Europe. We’ve spend more than Madrid. Every which way you look at Stan, he’s doing ok by the club bar sacking Wenger or going full on Man City.
Alexanderhenry
You surely wasn’t pining for a Oligarch Owner during the Invincible season…
Northern, the clue is in the cash that we’ve accrued is still there and the club has been the the 3rd highest net spenders in the league.
Seriously gobsmackled posters are giving Bamford the stick for asking for that plonker peanuts to be binned
#bintheChelseatroll#
Imagine the fall out had Sanchez pulled that shit in an Arsenal shirt?!
Victorious
Peanuts is a hero in my book for calling out losers like you……
@Victorious –
Its not an objection to the banning of Peanuts, I personally think he should have gone a long time ago.
Its just the frequency which he asks for posters to be banned that is causing the backlash I believe.
Also more puzzling are those who are bigging up Rafa for the Arsenal job,WTF
I’m afraid the hatred of Wenger is clouding so many poster’s judgment on here
Good to see Boringnho loss again,Utterly disgusting manager
Jim
I totally agree with you,but on this occasion,he is right,no?
Peter
According to my research Arsenal are the 12th highest net spenders.
Not bad you might think, but Forbes values Arsenal as the fifth most valuable team in Europe. Also, the club has one of the biggest cash balances in football, currently £180 million.
@Victorious –
“but on this occasion,he is right,no?”
Yeah absolutely right
Redruth
No I wasn’t. I was enjoying the football.
Red
I honestly think you should go away with peanuts,your winding up parade is has gotten stale, oh
where’s your buddy I886?
Victorious
Your mindless support for mediocrity is deserving of binning…
Northern
Ummm, Wenger told us that. In plain words, in a press conference.
So, ummm, no: you’re the one who has it wrong. Thanks.
Alexanderhenry
You poor thing, not enjoying the football anymore, looking for an oil Sheikh to fix the broken football..
Alexander
Except that I didn’t quote you. I did allude to the fact that you’re a former AKB who only recently lost faith in the man. You’ll have to forgive me for not knowing exactly when you gave up on him. Good to know you weren’t still a believer last summer, though. Congrats.
If I wanted to quote you, btw, I’d go back and find a quote from the times you told us that the reason Wenger signed only Cech in the summer of 2015 was because Kroenke has restricted what Wenger could spend. Remember that?
What a joke.
Victorious,
“Also more puzzling are those who are bigging up Rafa for the Arsenal job,WTF”
Who exactly did that oh wise one ?
Alexanderhenry is a firm believer in Wenger as his posts on Untold testify..(prove)
Bamford
I do, and I stand by it.
Here endeth the conversation.
Red
What has Alexander posted there, specifically? And when was his last pro-Wenger post? I am curious.
Redruth
I’ve actually been banned from Untold for being too critical of Wenger and Arsenal.
I’m rather proud of that actually.
Stan has done many things wrong by this club, not least refusing to listen to British board members last summer who had and have a far greater grasp than he will ever have of what’s going on at the club.
He has put complete trust in a manager who has been failing for years. A manager who on the surface has morphed into all he thinks Stan would want from an employee with the aim of survival, but I suspect, a manager whose intelligence means he is laughing all the way to the bank at Stan and his complete lack of a clue about the sport and the club. I have no doubt Wenger is taking advantage of Stans naive largess for power, and something both men have in common, an obsession with personal financial gain.
Whether Wenger, Stan or self sufficiency came first, what is certain, without Stan, Wenger would no longer be polluting this club.
is there any other business going that would , without Ivan’s intervention, give a bitter, selfish, power mad, egocentric , failing manager such a free hand and over ten million a year? That’s some fine mess Stanley
Then no one here has any reason to take anything you say seriously, Alexander, as that is one of the most ridiculous things ever said in these pages. As I said about you a long time ago, you’re an ideologue who has had one idea in his entire life — Stan Kroenke is the problem! — and you stick to it regardless of evidence, regardless of the absurdity of the claims it leads you to make.
You are a joke. Go back to Untold with the other dead-enders.
Kroenke is absolutely a clueless owner though, any owner worth his salt should know the appropriate thing to do,I hope he sells someday,that is when we truely start getting our club back,Plonk ass owner
Victorious
He isn’t ‘clueless’. He’s sat back and watched his asset double in value and has invested nothing himself. I’d say buying into Arsenal was the best deal he ever made.
What he is someone who is not at all interested in Arsenal fc’s success.
Victorious
Sure, he’s clueless, but if we replace Wenger with a good manager, Kroenke will pose no problem whatsoever. He doesn’t meddle in footballing decisions and he doesn’t restrict what the manager can spend. Yes, it’s a shame he gave Wenger another two years, but so too would have Ian Wright, so too would some 50% of Arsenal supporters.
Really Bamford ? You’re now agreeing with the 12 year old that Stan is clueless ? And you teach at Harvard ? Are you drinking ? Heavily ?
UtASS
How’s the protest coming?
But Pedro, you were foaming at the mouth after two signings and beating Everton 5-1.”
For some reason it feels like we always hammer at least one or two clubs 5-1 every season so it was unusual watching the reaction to that victory. Just goes to show how desperate people are for the good old days. Logic gets thrown out the window.
UT
Do you imagine that Stan knows a lot about football? Let me help you: he doesn’t. He’s completely clueless about football.
Do you think he knows a lot about managers? About who is good and who is not? About what makes for a good manager in the modern game? Let me help you: he doesn’t know a fucking thing about it. Totally clueless.
Does he know finance? Sure. Valuation of assets? Sure. Accounting? I bet? Football? Fuck all. He knows fuck all.
All he knows about football is what he has picked up listening to Wenger and the board, which is to say, not much.
No idea what your point was supposed to be.
But the problem is, will Stan ever get rid of Wenger, ” Wenger is one of the greats he will be in charge for as long as he wants”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/8797931/Arsenal-owner-Stan-Kroenke-Arsene-Wenger-is-one-of-the-greats-he-will-be-in-charge-for-as-long-as-he-wants.html
This is one of a few reasons why I have a massive problem with Kroenke at this club, no ambition, no checks and balances, no grasp of what is going on, not a care
“Do you imagine that Stan knows a
lot about football? Let me help
you: he doesn’t. He’s completely
clueless about football.”
This!..even UtASS should grasp this now
5:1 Victorious is a virgin.
Alex Cutter you mug go wank yourself on a Wenger poster
Just because Kroenke extended Wenger’s contract this summer — a massive mistake, yes — does not mean he will do so going forward.
I think the gig is up at this point, even from Stan’s perspective.
When you think of spuds are doing with their relatively wage bill, it really makes Arsenal look very inefficient. Overpaid, luxury players who are pampered and refuse to work hard. Plus wenger fails to remove under-performing players to set an example to everyone. He is too stubborn to drop his favourites.
Man City could lose 8 games and still win the league comfortably..
Bam
Do you trust “clueless Kroenke” to appoint a manager experience and knowledgeable enough to get us challenging though?
Don’t trust him in the slightest
Man City need 3 more wins to seal the title..
Victorious
Knowing nothing himself, Kroenke will have to go with whatever Sanllehi, Gazidis and the board think. And I do trust Sanllehi and Gazidis to make a good decision in this regard.
Bamford 19.19, agree, I also think the game is up for Wenger, even Stan must have his limits, and he is allowing Ivan to do things that must really piss Wenger off.
BUT, with this owner , there is always a horrible nagging doubt when it comes to Wenger..
V, wouldn’t trust Kroenke to appoint a ball boy, but hopefully, that’s where Sven and Raul can help out
Man City: 16 points clear
Bayern Munich: 18 points clear
PSG: 12 points clear
Barcelona: 7 points clear-17 points clear of Real Madrid.
Red
You look at that pattern and you discover those clubs have really splashed the cash to make them champions elect,Money is now a telling factor to who wins the league
Its amazing really that years later everyones still arguing over things that are so obvious
Kroenke – has no real interest in success, yes im sure he would like it, but he isnt going to spend the money needed to be a top top club all the time the club is making him money, if you take a look at the other clubs he manages he will never sacrifice profit for top success.
However what that doesnt justify is the ability of the current manager.
If you really take a look at things, there is no true justification to him staying at the club.
You cant blame the players as, over the years, it does not matter who he has brought in, we still havent managed a serious challenge for the Champions League or Premiership in recent years, we always fall short.
Ok so lets say we cant compete with the money of Chelsea and City
A few years back we were the only competition to Utd
Now recently Utd, Pool and Spurs have been rebuilding, new managers, tactics, belief the whole works
Where are they now, challenging for those top 4 spots
Where are we, under Wenger, yes, you cant deny, just look at the results, tables, performances – we are getting left behind
If you look at this sensibly, Wenger has pretty much stayed at the same level, no matter what hes spent, or formations he has used.
Others have moved up to and beyond him
The longer he stays, the further we will be behind, because he doesnt know how to change, to improve.
Look at the latest big mistake
1-0 down vs spurs
Brings on Lacazette and Iwobi
Ok – yes, good attacking intent
But why, just why would you move the Striker who has confidence oozin from his every move, to the wing and leave the guy who has no confidence as the main striker.
Sorry but to me that was a really amateurish mistake
Im still undecided on who should come in, Ancelotti or Low- just dont see the point
Maybe look to rebuild under Jardim or Sampaoli
You can love Wenger all you like, but try and see that its time for new ideas, new confidence, new tactics, new organisation
11 games left and possible 8pts off 4th if Chelsea win – and City to come twice in the Cup final and League – it just looks bleaker by the day
Victorious
“You look at that pattern and you discover those clubs have really splashed the cash to make them champions elect,Money is now a telling factor to who wins the league”
Not Bayern Munich.
They are our role models.
Gazidis told us so.
Bamford,
The 12 year old said he was a “clueless owner,”, no mention of whether he needs to know anything about football. He is a billionaire and a very successful “owner” of assets he has owned and currently owns in his portfolio, so spare me your authority on asset management. Also thanks for your kind offer of help on all things football you seem to think you have a ubiquitous understanding for, Stan has played his investment perfectly and I imagine he will continue to look after his investment as he sees fit.
As for you 12 year old, if your balls had dropped you wouldn’t be berating people who protest to get a senile arrogant self centred cunt out of the club you profess to love. Numpty.
Been saying it since it’s become apparent Sven and Co are handling transfers now. Wenger needs to go ASAP before he ruins Auba and Mikki. I would get him out right now and forget about this season. But he absolutely can’t be given next year too or our new players will go soft and learn crab football
Wenger certainly should go now. But dont think Stan moves that quickly.
If they really want Ancelotti, he is available.
After the Manchester clubs, arsenal are the biggest club financially right now.
Chelsea are already a couple of seasons into the sustainability model. They’ve been breaking even for a while and they use their youth loan system really well. They are not the same financial behemoths anymore. Their squad is average just like ours except hazard and cortouis, who will leave when/if Madrid comes calling.
Pool and spuds are operating a level below us financially but with each failed season that gap is closing. They have not pulled an auba or ozil level signing and they won’t unless they sold a genuine WC player of their own. They have performed better, simply because of their managers. It has nothing to do with their owners. Even with this sustainability model, we are not as poor as someone like Alexanderhenry would make you believe.
Wenger has ran our club into the ground not just on the field, but off of it as well. Case in point, Alexis. Can you blame that on kroenke too? Instead of signing Perez and welbeck for 35 mil, we could have signed Auba 18 months back pre Neymar for the same amount. Not even real throw away money like that.
With Ivan,Raul and co, I think we have solved our off the field problems. The way we sold our fringe was encouraging.
Now on the field, We cannot afford one more failed season like this. We should be looking at managers like Sarri, tuchel, Conte if he gets fired etc. Ancelotti would be a short term fix.
Oh hell the Wenger apologists are back trying to pin this whole mess on the yank owner again. Except Arsenal have dropped 150 million on 3 players in less than a year, so the money is there to spend. Isn’t that the owners job? Supply the money and let the football specialists run the team? This is all on Wenger. Xhaka and Lacazette were both Terrible buys.
Ramsey’s injured.
No doubt his injury will be pointed to by some as the reason why we lost yesterday. Whatever. What it says to me is that Ramsey is a decent player who’s injury prone. Didn’t we do this sideshow already with Walcott and Chamberlain?
As a matter of interest, has Chamberlain or Walcott been as injury prone with their new clubs? Anyone know?
Won’t be getting Tuchel, him and Sven don’t get on
David,
It’s got to be Carlo as an interim 2 season manager to stabilise club and get us back to champs league and looking like challengers and then over to a vieira or another up and coming young manager who has cut teeth elsewhere ?
What fo people think to bringing back LucasPerez next year as back up striker/winger and binning welbeck?
Personally i think Lucas is streets ahead.
Victorious
You could give Wenger 1Billion and it wouldn’t make the slightest difference.
Even you know that.
Wenger out! Shelvey in!
Marc February 11, 2018 17:28:46
alexanderhenry
Over the last 5 years we have the third highest net spend, our wage bill is the forth highest over both Liverpool and the Spud’s.
When are you going to stop blaming Kroenke for the state for the team? ——————-
When the self indulgent try hards stop responding to his inane arguments…
Not that you are one of the repeat offenders Marc.
Completely agree UTarse, hope there is something in this Ancelotti situation, he seems to be wait g for something he thinks could happen.
Of course it could also be Chelsea, or Spurs should Real pounce.
AFCamden convinced J Low is on his way, Geoffarsenal says Wenger will see out his last contract, Di Marzio thinks Carlo is heading to London ,we shall see.
Not the Kroenke stuff again Alex. And by the way there is evidence that we adopted the self sustainability model prior to Kroenke taking over. Danny Fisman (Fizman?) Came out years before when there was criticism that we didn’t spend enough money and he said that there was more money available to Wenger than what he was spending and the idea that we could only spend 10-15 million in transfer Windows was wrong.
Look the simple fact is that for some reason we have a manager who refuses to spend or who’s adverse to actually spending money to compete. It seems like you have to twist his arm to actually move on players. He’s stuck in the past. Kroenke has a person it’s pretty obvious he’s probably a republican and definitely a piece of shit but as an owner the worst thing about him is he’s vacant and doesn’t get involved and that’s it. The recent turnaround for the LA Rams is mostly down to the head of operations or CEO who actually runs the club not him. Basically he’s the wrong type of owner for a football club in Europe. Our hopes lie in Gazidis for the future. The spineless egg
Arsene is the type of person that takes 1000 pounds to the track. Looks at a race with 1/10 favourite in the field and decides to back 10 other runners with 100 pounds each. Then proceeds to blame bad luck as his horse fill the minor places with the favourite winning by 4 lengths… Juxtapose that with how he operates in the transfer window and there’s your reason why we always fill the minor places.
“My favorite part is that certain Kroenke critics, like Alexander, would themselves have re-signedWenger last summer, as they believe/d in Wenger just as much as Kroenke ever has.“
Yet Banford calls for dishonest people to get binned (as usual). Can’t make it up.
Lying profusely yesterday about what I’ve said on here and now Alex gets his version of things.
Hey Pedro, can Banford find his arrogant self in the bin? Guys a fucking wet mop. I’d sooner stomach Reds ignorant tourettes.
Just watched Pavon playing for Boca Juniors , Another Theo.
“lying profusely,” i.e., telling the truth
Amazing that when Chelsea missed out on UCL football they regrouped and made a charge for the title (and won the title) when we miss on UCL football we can’t even compete to back into 4th.
Wenger is out of depth, out of ideas and out of time. The contrast is stark isn’t?
This is with the most expensive and well paid Arsenal squad in the club’s history by the way.
*to go
John Cross has just written that Arsenal have to sack Wenger at the end of the season in the mirror. Isn’t he like the unofficial mouthpiece of the club? I think Wenger is really going at the end of the Season.
I think it would help if they announce he’s leaving before the cup final. I still believe that the players haven’t given up on him yet. So, it may lift them up for the occasion. That’s our only chance of lifting a trophy this season.
Sorry but the league cup would give the old fraud a further stay of execution. I can’t see us beating this city side but who knows but for the long term a win won’t help. With the ropey league I expect us to edge out ostersunds but then we should be down to the cream and if we get any of the following it will be the end. Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Bilbao, milan and a couple of others in there that could be dark horses. If we somehow won this we are in contract extension territory….nightmare time.
Any trophy even if its mickey mouse cup hands another year for wenger.
We should really sacrifice europa league and mickey mouse cup if it means pushing wenger out.
Wenger blaming Lacazettes confidence on Aubameyang arriving? Hahaha this man is a filthy lying pig.
Nothing to do with you omitting Laca from the starting XL in a couple important matches? Nothing to do with you hooking him off at the 70th min even when we’ve needed a goal?
Can’t stand this guy.
Lacca should wait for Simeone and pairing with his buddy Griz. Too late for regret.
lmfao, Jack got called a pussy. in fact that whole team acted like a bunch of pussies on Saturday..
@leftsidesanch
” Nothing to do with you omitting Laca from the starting XL in a couple important matches? Nothing to do with you hooking him off at the 70th min even when we’ve needed a goal? ”
Totally agree, nothing is ever his fault. A total narcissist of the highest order. I really despise him now, I feel not one shred of pity for the tortoise faced fraud.
I spoke to a few gooners where I work, and it still surprises me when they say they think he should go but, are not pushing for it ???
So that means they’re happy for him to stay. Whilst admitting that he’s washed up & past it.
I just don’t understand this as it’s borders on insanity. This fear of change or some stupid emotional attachment to a man who has continued now to disappoint for the last 10 years ( at the least ).
Why oh why , I’ll never know.
Wenger out now!
To those people who said Laca is finished , and waxed lyrical about Auba after the Everton game.
Now after the Derby are they gonna say Auba is crap doesn’t suit our system….
A good manager buys players to fit in with his system or creates a system around the players he has.
Wenger isn’t a good manager hence you see what we are served up week after week. He rarely picks the right team, based on the personnel he has. Prefers to play his favourites (babies) regardless of form or opposition.
It’s not that Auba or Laca aren’t any good, it’s the lack of system and players, tactics that do not take advantage of or allow them to show their ability. E.g. how many balls did we cross or slip through for PEA ?
It’s all down to Wenger !