Ivan’s record stained with weakness.

by .

Screen Shot 2018-04-22 at 21.57.52

You sense that Ivan Gazidis is about to leave Arsenal because the PR is kicking in, and ESPN are writing stories that the reason for his move isn’t cash (bitch please).

Fuck off, Ivan.

You’re leaving because you’re landing an equity incentive to turn Milan around.

Congrats.

I’m sure it’s a lot of money, but don’t try and turn the situation around. You set the vision and tone for Arsenal after being a yes man to Stan and Wenger for ten years. Then someone offered you a shit tonne of dollar to abandon a significant project that you believed in, and you took it straight away.

That’s poor leadership.

It’s weakness of the highest order.

Is it a good thing for Arsenal? No way. It’s a terrible thing. The guy who set a savagely unambitious 5-year plan in motion for the club doesn’t have the balls to see it through. He hired a safe manager, all his pals, spent all the clubs money and then bolted at the first flash of green.

I can’t stress how weak that move is.

But look, this is a someone who doesn’t give a fuck about Arsenal.

This is someone who spent 10 years unable to convince Stan K that Arsene Wenger was bombing the club he purchased. Performances slumped, commercials never rose above average, players begged to leave, no one wanted to join, the press complained, the fans booed, ex-players protested… but our CEO couldn’t convince the owner things were going down the shitter.

This is the man who stood tall in 2017 and stated he’d searched high and wide and Arsene was the best manager he could find. He’s weak, he’s submissive and I’ve no doubt he’ll be a bland hire for Milan.

Fuck Ivan.

Let’s move on and hope Stan signs someone with a bit of vision.

History judges the winners, and in sports management, that’s the trophies. Ivan will retire with a lot of money, but he’ll never be a legend of sport. No one will write about his vision. No one will write about his trophies. No one will care.

When you’re rich, the history is what’s important.

That’s his loss… and no matter what he tells himself, the money will never make up for the fact he failed at Arsenal.

Right, that’s me over and out.

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Champagne Charlie

Emirates

Spot on. Ivan is leaving such a void to fill that two current members of staff are sharing his duties moving forward. Hilarious

2.5 mil a year for that? Christ, what a con. Nothing gets past Stan…

Leedsgunner

Julio Pleguezuelo is in contention for Thursday which gives us another option to go to at CB. Perhaps this was why Chambers was sent out on loan. If Pleguezuelo does well tonight and makes significant inroads into the squad — surely that should be curtains for Chambers or Mustafi. If it was up to me, I would sell Mustafi because in Sokratis we have a similar type of player without the mental lapses… I still think under the right coaching Chambers has plenty of talent and potential. We still have players like Jenkinson (contract expiry 2020!) and Welbeck (2019) who… Read more »

steve

Wenger should’ve been sacked for giving Jenkinson a new deal. Criminal offense.

VicVic

See, I’m not sure I don’t understand Pedro. We had no reason to say Ivan was a bad guy until now that he turned his back on the project. We all agree Wenger practically hired the guy, and so that can only mean that he was not hired to hold any power but just to hold a title. Who knows what the man had been trying to pull behind the door all those years. He eventually succeeded in getting Wenger out. For a man who was hired under those circumstances, that was a huge achievement, even if it took time.… Read more »

Up 4 grabs now

Manager gone, check.
Ceo gone, check.
Owner still here, doh!

Oh well two out of three ain’t bad.
Guess we’re stuck with Stan.

Michael24

What I truly don’t understand is why, since Wenger has left, so many fans are looking for negatives and discrepancies after such a short period of Emery’s tenureship? Is it the guilt and shame just kicking in or is it just down to the fact that they became so accepting of the boring and predictable ways of recent years, that it’s in their psyche to want Emery to suffer? Can someone please explain. __________________________________________________________ I readily admit I wanted change 10 years ago and because of that I became, as some of you like to put it, a “Wenger obsessive”.… Read more »

Emiratesstroller

Leedsgunner A much weakened U23 team played last night against Blackburn Rovers. Presumably there are now four players from that squad who are in contention to play in starting eleven or sit on bench on Thursday. My personal view is that there are probably two or three members of first team squad who are likely to be offloaded in next two transfer windows plus the two loanees [Ospina and Chambers]. It is significant that Elneny does not seem to be in Emery’s short term plans with Messrs Xhaka, Torreira, Guendouzi and Ramsey all selected ahead of him. My guess is… Read more »

Danny S

You sound a bit like a jilted ex Pedro.

kc

Break-ups can be ugly. Hang in there Pedro. Dude should’ve been sacked the minute he suggested Arteta as a replacement.

HighburyLegend

“Dude should’ve been sacked the minute he suggested Arteta as a replacement.”

We are now waiting for GoH’s comment… lol

Carts

“Wenger should’ve been sacked for giving Jenkinson a new deal. Criminal offense.”

Outrageous from Wenger.

I remember when he had the audacity to entertain the prospect of Diaby getting a new deal.

Dissenter

” Ivan is leaving such a void to fill that two current members of staff are sharing his duties moving forward.” Not true Wenger was the manger and director football extraordinaire until last season. Gazidis was a gloried errand boy until Wenger’s hold on power lessed afer we drooped out of the CL Gazidis just managed the commercial and administrative duties. Gazidis wasn’t doing much to be honest and won’t be missed because he filled the vacuum properly. In fairness to Gazidis , he strategically planned his exit and left the club with a proper structure in place. He brought… Read more »

Dissenter

Can you imagine if Wenger finished his contract this season?
Jack Wilshere would be recuperating in the Arsenal sick bay instead of with Westham..
Thankfully Jack realized that Westham has a more accessible wheel chair ramp at their training ground so the player left.

That’s one victory for Emery…that he nudged Wilshere out of the door.

Danny S

Xhaka is 4th and Mustafi 29th in the premier leagues ‘most in form players’ list on sky.
Shows how scewed statistics can be.

N5

I don’t think we need to dig Pedro out because he’s changed his mind on IG. We’ve all made a U-Turn on subject…surely. His opinions however are boldly put into a public forum which makes a change of feeling all the more tricky.

Pedro isn’t a spawned lover, he’s just Arsenal loyal and IG is no longer Arsenal. (or something like that).

Dissenter

Sergio Ramos has to be the king of banter in all of football.

He was asked about Greizmann’s claim to be at par with Ronaldo and Messi.
“‘What do you think about Griezmann saying he now eats at the same table as [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo?”
He replied with a Spanish refrain: “Ignorance is always bold” — Daily mail

HighburyLegend

Ha ha ha, spot on Ramos!!

David Smith

Oh well, best of luck to Raul and Vinnie Wengasham

WengerEagle

To me Pedro’s like anyone on here though N5, deserves to be called out on building Ivan up for years in the same way some of us build up players only to be utterly wrong on them.

Not like he gets it wrong often so no harm done in my book, most will forget about it in a few days.

Until then, the banter shall commence.

WengerEagle

Griezzy is nowhere near those fellas of course but he’s etched his name into footy history in his own right now being a central figure in the WC win though.

Needs to start winning domestically with Atleti though, CL Final losses and runners-up spots aren’t going to cut it any longer if he wants to be in elite standing at club level.

N5

WE Agreed on banter it’s just some take a real pride in giving him stick! I’d just imagine it’s difficult to not make the occasional u-turn without it being such an issue.

But you’re right we’ve all been lambasted for our opinions at times so fuck him 😀

WengerEagle

N5

For the insane amount of content that Pedro puts out on a near daily basis through his writing and podcasting etc it’s remarkable how he doesn’t get it wrong pretty often in itself.

Never get the feeling that he’s just filling in the gaps and in auto-pilot filling up column space, takes pride in what he puts out hence it’s usually solid and thought-out material.

Having said all of that… you got it bang wrong on Ivan, Mr Wood. In your face.

😀

WengerEagle

I miss Rhys’ rants…

WengerEagle

Anyone else see Douglas Costa going nuclear at the weekend and pull off a hat-rick vs Sassuolo?

Elbowed opponent, head-butted opponent and spat in opponents mouth.

There you have it kids, if you’re going to pull this off better to do all three in sequence.

Rambo Ramsey

Damn, I’m really gonna miss Gazidis’s bald head, emotionless tone, expressionless face, Zero charisma, dull character, duplicitous nature, habitual liar, balls of cotton.

What a package

Joe

I dread to think what Joe will be like wise if do actually show some improvement on the field.

I dread to think what it would be like when
You ac t like a 60 year old man instead of a 6 year old child

Don’t you have to play golf with all your “friends” today

Yes sir. That’s a group of “1” again.

raptora

Mother fkin Voldemort is finally gone!!! HURRAY for the best day since the news that Wenger is getting sacked! A big EFF you in the face of that slimy, incapable, self preserving bastard. As much as I couldn’t stand seeing Wenger being our manager for the last several years, Gazidis is as, if not more, guilty than Wenger himself. He was the one who was presenting us Wenger as the best manager possible. He was the one lying that we will compete with the very, very best. And he was the one who had the power to make it happen.… Read more »

Joe

Though wenger is not totally blameless ,the main reason for Arsenal’s so called negative image was due to the antics of the obsessives.A couple of bad defeats in the champions league against Europe’s finest is not enough to promote a negative image when you take into account the many victories and The quality of Arsenal’s football over the years.

I hope you’re trying to take the piss with this post because otherwise it has to be one of the most stupid comments ever written
On Le Grove.

don’t expect anymore from a 60 year old man-child though

N5

Agreed Eagle

Lol at RR, what a loss

Dissenter

Wenger Eagle
That Douglas Costa incident was nasty. I’ve never seen a more brazen spit from about one foot away.
People are calling for Juve to revoke his contract even though that may be a tad excessive. He’s persona non grate right now

Joe

Wenger and
Gazidis were complicit in the worst decade in Arsenal’s history. A period where the club became divided and a laughing stock.

Good riddance to both of them. They became rich off the fans and fake promises and lies.

Bring in the new era. It’s an exciting future.

As soon as fans like Pierre fuck off the better

WengerEagle

Dissenter

My guess is he gets slapped with a 10-15 game ban ala Suarez, I’d argue it’s even worse than the Suarez bite even though not as bizarre.

Spitting at someone is nasty enough but spitting in their open mouth? Deserves a hefty ban.

Not to mention the head-butt beforehand.

raptora

I sincerely, sincerely doubt that Voldemort made the big reform in our management. He had 10 years to do it. He was 10 years too late. You know who else joined the club last year and who was interviewed re Voldemort’s moving to Milan – Josh Kroenke. Wouldn’t surprise me if he was the one with the vision for this club. A beggars belief but I hope the kid gets emotionally attached to the Arsenal. If he does, he would certainly make sure we do well on the pitch. Re Pedro and Voldemort’s love story… I feel for Pedro. He… Read more »

Champagne Charlie

Weagle

Saw that costa incident, and wouldn’t touch him on the strength of that alone. He’s electric but I cannot stand that type of character

Champagne Charlie

“Worst decade in Arsenal’s history”

Hahahahahahaha fucking melt.

Joe

According to Arsenal’s statement on the appointments, Sanllehi ‘will lead our football activities’ while Venkatesham ‘will oversee all business operations’.

A new era

And no Josh Kroenke.

N5

“He’s electric but I cannot stand that type of character”

Agreed! disgusting character.

WengerEagle

CC

Yeah unlike Suarez though seems to be an isolated incident for Costa, does make you wonder what made him explode like that.

No excuse for that kind of reaction though and yeah, pretty deplorable stuff. Would definitely make you think twice about his character.

Joe

Hahahahahahaha fucking melt

Coming from a guy who lies about his “friends at the club “ who feed him in the know info

Hahahahahaha. Now that’s funny

Joe

Tell me Of a decade where we had more embarrassing losses than the last decade?

Joe

And put the losses had results against what could have been moving into a new stadium etc and it works out to our worst decade.

We balls that period up so bad.

A proper manager and a ceo with balls and we could have been elite

But we didn’t because of tweedle Dee and tweedle dum and akb muppets like
You and Pierre

Marko

Write up looks like it’s done by a jilted ex

Champagne charlie

@Weagle Suarez biting are you referring to? I find that to be a lesser evil personally, its a juvenile response linked with aggression. Spitting, much less in someone’s mouth/face, is arguably the lowest you can go. It’s total disrespect vs Suarez who has little fits of rage. Costa went back and forth with that defender all game, he did the angry lash out but then escalated it further with the spitting from a position where they were exchanging words. Deplorable. @Joey Who’s lying? I’m from London and one of my pals works in a pretty privileged role within the club.… Read more »

David Smith

I know a few years ago, a number of bloggers were personally invited to the club and met Ivan, i am not sure, but maybe Pedro was amongst them? Those were perhaps in Ivans “I can do things that will excite you” days, and for all we know, Ivan may have meant it, but Ivan, as we know did not have the final say in transfers. It wasnt him that refused to buy proper defensive players. CEO or not, he had Wenger, Stan and possible Dick Law to contend with. Maybe Ivan meant it and was convincing, so some gave… Read more »

Carts

Costa definitely lost his head like he was on an episode of Love Island.

Repercussion will be costly for him.

WengerEagle

CC

Yeah said as much myself, Suarez’s you can put down more to momentary losses of control whereas Costa was standing talking to the player before releasing a gollier down his throat, disgusting and calculated.

Suarez has managed to behave himself pretty well since joining Barcelona as well on the biting front haha. No bites in 4 years, impressive work.

WengerEagle

Carts

Shame as well cause he’s blockbuster to watch, Juventus will badly miss him.

Bernadeschi doesn’t exactly ‘warm the cockles’ in the same way does he? ;D

Champagne charlie

Weagle

Exactly that. Costa calculated what he was doing which only amplifies the cuntiness. Despicable stuff and deserves to be fined and sit clueless for 3 months.

Suarez grew up its safe to say, the petulance diminished and that’s that. Still a fucker mind.

WengerEagle

Out of sorts Inter vs an out of sorts Spuds, who’s your money on?

Slow start to the season for last season’s prolific bunch, only 2 goals in 5 for Kane, 0 in 3 for Icardi, 1 in 4 for Immobile, 1 in 3 for Hig who just got off the mark at the weekend, Ronaldo just opened his account too after 3-4 matches, 2 in 5 for Mo Salah, 1 in 5 for Aubameyang, 1 in 4 for Griezmann.

Carts

WE

“”Bernadeschi doesn’t exactly ‘warm the cockles’ in the same way does he? ;D”

He’ll regret what he did for a while.

Maybe the only saving grace is that Serie A has never come across as a strict league, compared to the EPL.

Carts

Spaletti better get it right cos I can see inter bombing hi off before long.

It’ll be a cagey game that’ll be a draw, I reckon

Guns of SF

Pedro et al

Good morning from Sunny Silicon Valley!
Now that is what you call a smoking post !!!!!

Spot on Pedro!
Ivan is a dirty rat. A fast talking POS
He has never held our club in his heart.

Milan will spit him out fairly fast. There rebuild is taking ages. Kinda like us. So why on earth would they go after him? lol

I just hope his successor isnt Kronke JR!!!!

China

Griezmann is a very good player but should spend less time worrying about his unbelievably smarmy goal celebrations and more time working out how to get to the next level

Very few elite players come across as smarmy as him. If you think of all the top 1% players of the last 20 years, what percentage of them always did stupid mocking goal celebrations and the like?

It’s embarrassing to watch

China

Also he’s realistically still not as good as messi or Ronaldo even as those two move towards the twilight of their careers

He’ll probably be better than them when they’re 35…

Guns of SF

Nice word China- smarmy.
I googled it.

I hate AG…. surprised someone has not left a little something in a tackle with him

WengerEagle

Carts

Has been a shite start for Spaletti, on paper they’ve improved quite a bit with De Vrij, Vrsaljko, Nainggolan, Keita Balde and Lautaro Martinez so you’d imagine that it will come together at some point for them, needs to be sooner rather than later.

Doesn’t help that the likes of Icardi have been sleepwalking so far either.

WengerEagle

I like Griezmann but for me he doesn’t even crack the top 10, never mind sit anywhere near Messi and Ronaldo who are both past their best.

HighburyLegend

“he was on an episode of Love Island.”
lol

@WE : and mostly, he has become an despicable and pretentious dickhead.

Redtruth

Champagne charlie

Since when has a Janitor become a privileged role…

Champagne charlie

Guns of SF
Do you work in Silicon Valley? Doing what might I ask? Feel free to plead the fifth, I’m curious is all. Like it a lot, lots of time for San Fran in general.

Weagle
Yea Grizmann is class, but he always feels like a player who should influence more than he does. Agree that there’s probably a dozen or so players that get the nod ahead of him as far as ‘best’ goes.

Redtruth

Wenger Eagle

Who is top of the Championship…mug lol

Champagne charlie

Red

If janitor isn’t a priveliged role your life becomes all the more bleak 🙁

azed

Since when has a Janitor become a privileged role…

Ruth dropping it like its hots.

No offence CC.

Champagne charlie

Not to ruffle too many feathers, but in opposition to the dumb idea Arteta is ‘third coach’, or some other undermining nonsense he’s been known to get, he’s the one taking charge of City in Peps absence in the CL.

That would suggest he’s very much number 2 where he’s at, if you consider he’s also been commended for mid game interventions on numerous occasions to boot.

But yea, I know, he puts the cones out blah blah..

Guns of SF

CC

I reside in palo alto, and work in the education sector.
My wife works in the tech sector like 90% of folks here.
My 8 yr old son is a baller- he will be our attacking mid or winger in about 12 years.
🙂

Joe

CCs “friend” has such a privileged role that he’s been wrong about every bit of “in the know” info he’s given to CC

Alex Cutter

Head’s up for Americans — Champion’s League is on TNT this year.

Champagne charlie

Guns of SF Very nice! Beautiful area right there, imagine the work/life balance is fantastic. We need him this season, I’m sure he’s better than Iwobi haha Joe What are you blabbering on about? I’ve never stated anything for definite because I’m never told anything in those terms. I shared the fact we wanted Allegri, 12 months before he was even a well known candidate. I also shared that we wanted Griezmann a few seasons back, but never followed through (as per). You’re clearly bitter your circle of friends is more of a line, and by line I mean its… Read more »

TheLegendaryDB10

‘Good riddance’ has been today’s mantra concerning Gazidis. And so it should be. And even more so when he is incapable of completing a project that has barely started.

You can tell that he is a PoS when big bucks come along and turn his head. This guy was happy to sit back cash in his paycheck and let things slide when he should have seen that things were going down hill.

Glad to see Pedro (finally) twisting the knife in his back!

Joe

You’re clearly bitter your circle of friends is more of a line, and by line I mean its just you and your mum. Go grab a recipe from her will you Delia? Hahahahahahahahhhhahhh Keep changing the script CC You told us griezmann was coming and you were so sure allegri was coming you put money on it hahaha What a tool. Can’t wait for the next bit of info you give us. I’ll make sure to put money on the exact opposite happening. Still waiting for your answer to where we had a worst decade than the one wenger put… Read more »

Joe

Anyway

Glad to see the back of Gazidis.

The whole wenger era is slowing being erased.

Emery to win us the Europa this year hopefully.

Joe

Let’s not forget wenger interviewed and was behind the hiring of Gazidis

Guns of SF

CC

Unfortunately, the work life balance is non existent here. Many stressed out parents and students. High suicide rates in this are including students- mental health issues galore. A therapists paradise- silicon valley.

Champagne charlie

Joey You’re unbearably dense. I didn’t once state Griezmann was coming, I said I was told we wanted him – pretty sure another poster was told the exact same thing. Same with Allegri, I was told he was our number one choice so I put money on it because the odds were relatively long at that point. You don’t bet because of a ‘sure thing’ you manchild, it was decent odds and nothing more than a flutter. Obviously you struggle to comprehend the two. I’m not addressing that point about the “worst decade” because its too hilariously stupid to entertain.… Read more »

Champagne charlie

Guns of SF
Interesting, that’s a real shame to hear. Is that predicated on the intensity of the workplaces in the area, and are the kids under added pressure to excel as a nod to the region?

Easy for someone like me to get enamoured by a place like that from a superficial perspective when visiting. You forget each place has its own inherent pros and cons.

VicVic

If Griezmann eats at same table with CR7 and Messi, then maybe Ozil eats there too.

N5

Does Lewandowski eat at the head table?

TR7

Griezzman is a good finisher but he doesn’t have the talent to change a game. Incredibly overrated ! Nowhere near even Dmitri Payet’s level, let alone Messi’s.

WengerEagle

Messi with another gem of a FK.

WengerEagle

Incredible how much Messi has improved his FK taking ability over these least few seasons. Basically went the opposite way of Ronaldo who was a specialist at United and early on in Spain before losing the ability to hit a barn-door from FK range over the next half dozen years.

TheLegendaryDB10

And I am very curious as to whether Sanllehi and Vinai Venkatesham is a temporary set up or one for the future. Can they be any better than Ivan ‘Slimy’ Gazidis?

If it’s temporary then I would be very curious to see who Kroenke Sr appoints as this will be very telling of his ambition.

And I don’t want his son as there is no guarantee that he can slightly loosen the purse strings. On the contrary, he would know exactly his father’s MO and would not challenge it.

China

Deep into the final stages of the World Cup, AG scores and he’s doing that fucking stupid dance I’m all for technical showboating with the actual ball. If you wanna skin someone and skin them again and pull it off that’s fair game. But leave the cocky bullshit out of the celebration imo. Of all the top players of the current generation, he and Neymar are the two I would most enjoy accidentally injuring lol. I wouldn’t do it on purpose but if it happened I’d be lying if I said it didn’t please me. Messi, Ronaldo I think I’d… Read more »

Redtruth

WengerEagle

Who is top of the Championship lol

Redtruth

Messi still shit at penalties, still shit in World Cups..

WengerEagle

Red

Leeds are, why?

Redtruth

WengerEagle

Why lol

Batistuta

Weagle

Bielsa has always Red’s man don’t you forget

WengerEagle

Red on that hype train early lol, what’s it been 5 games?

Dissenter

I hate that Greizmann goal celebration too.
I will boycott any product that he endorses because of that idiotic celebration.
I’ll be the first to but the device that allows me to slap his silly from my sofa while he is doing that stupid celebration.

Dissenter

*to buy

WengerEagle

Bati

One of the select few that Red rates, surprised I’d forgotten.

WengerEagle

Owen Hargreaves has a car crash of an accent, where’s that mug hail from?

Freddylekgunner

Lol Gazidis is actually an AKB despite what Pedro led us to believe.

WengerEagle

Red

How many trophies has Bielsa won in his career? How did his stints in France with Marseille and Lille go?

Shame he’s never managed a player like Messi isn’t it?

Champagne charlie

Weagle

Isn’t Hargreaves from up north, but raised in Canada and then Germany?

Redtruth

I’d say under Bielsa we would of remained unbeaten in our first 5 games.

WengerEagle

Charlie

Sounds about right, can throw in a sprinkle of Twatney in there too.

WengerEagle

Lol Red how many trophies has the great Bielsa won?

Is it more or less than Brendan Rodgers?

TR7

Many top managers revere Bielsa.

WengerEagle

Yeah but he’s Red’s guy TR7 so you know the drill.