courtesy @allthatchas
There’s cause for celebration and a bit of self-reflection today.
Were YOU watching the Liverpool game yesterday praying for a Manchester City win?
Was that because the MOST important thing for you at that minute was the scousers flunking their invincible attempt?
Yes it was. Just f*cking admit that your big hope in that moment was that another team would fail so they couldn’t displace the record we set 14 years ago.
Shame on you. That’s like hoping your exgirlfriend marries a guy with erectile dysfunction, loses his job, then gets BUSTED on men’s dating app Grindr by her bitchy work colleagues. Absolute shame on you.
As soon as Lovren came out in the press entertaining the possibility, you knew it was over. Let’s be totally blunt here. That record will live on forever. The Premier League is too strong top to bottom these days for any team to dominate the way Wenger did. Not to say it wasn’t strong back then, it was still an outrageous achievement. But now, we have too many good teams with too much know-how for anyone to threaten a real unbeaten run.
The game was pretty spectacular. High-intensity, end to end football in a special game that could rival any big match in Europe. I think it’s fair to say now that not only do we have the best league in the world, we’re nearly there with the best teams in the world. I am very excited to see who ends up in the Champions League final.
One thing that really stood out for me yesterday were the performances of the Liverpool fullbacks. TA-A and Robertson were unbelievable. They cover such a huge amount of ground and moving forward they’re an absolute nightmare. No real pattern to follow, good delivery into the box, and they’re both still so young. The most interesting thing about both of them is they didn’t cost £80m each. You can grow players if you give them a chance, and you pick players up from the lower leagues and they can become monsters.
That’s the bigger picture in world football at the moment. We’ve grown so accustomed to assuming English players are average, overpriced and over-ego’d (made that word up) that we quite often miss the exciting prospects sitting on our own doorstep.
How did Manchester City manage to let Sancho go to Dortmund and become a £90m player? How are Arsenal going to deal with Reiss Nelson when he comes back? What are Willock, ESR, Eddie and Medley going to do with their futures? Is it really true that Chelsea are buying in a £58m bench player from Dortmund with 3 goals to his name in 3 years, while Bayern bloody Munich are trying to snap up Odoi for £35m (who looks seriously good)?
Arsenal has a group of young and hungry technically gifted players sitting on their books (we think). Not only that, they’re mostly fast, strong and built for the league. Do we continue to chase down journeymen hacks that are unlikely to shift the needle in our direction, or do we attempt some sort of Project Youth 2.0? Surely we can’t bin another generation off so players like Lichtsteiner get a game?
I know, I know, feels kind of horrible to think about going back to something that didn’t work. But come on, the original project produced some gems that were sourced from around Europe. The thing it lacked was technical know how when it came to tactics, and it lacked enough investment to build out good players past the starting 11. Imagine if we’d put some of those sides under Klopp or Carlo at the time?
Are you telling me you wouldn’t want to see a rebirth of that 2008 side? Before it all went to shit after the turn of the year, that team was playing some of the most beautiful football we’d ever seen.
Arsenal were one point off the top in Feb of the 2010-11… again, a bit more depth and fitness care at the time could have powered us through. Those years where Wenger wouldn’t address his own inadequacies were so frustrating, because at least he still had the knack for scouting top talent. Imagine if he’d surrounded himself with up and coming coaching talent and taken on Shad F?
Anyway, I’m trying to strategise as to how we bring ourselves up to the next level. I can’t help but think in a summer where we’re going to have to drastically cut down on expensive players, that the logical next step to find our future is going to be a blend of home grown players, exceptional Euro talent on the up (Sarr / Pepe / Pavon / Ligt (lol) / Fornals), with a few really top quality experienced players bringing level heads to the dressing room.
That then gives us the pipeline of players that we can sell, so we can invest in the right experienced players and continue to feed the beast, which has effectively helped liverpool climb out of their mess and turn into a European powerhouse once again.
Right, that’s my thoughts done, see you in the comments.
Un na
Really? I’d say misrepresenting what others have said here is pretty lame.
As was still thinking Wilshere the answer in 2018.
Liverpool signed Solanke for 3m 18 months ago. He’s now moving to Bournemouth for 19m.
Fuck right off
Graham, your reminiscing certainly triggered some memories for me. With the massive number of live games we have now, the excitement of the FA Cup and the Final in particular, will never be replicated. The expansion of the CL has diluted the importance for clubs like Arsenal but I’m sure all the supporters of clubs from lower divisions will still be seriously excited by the prospect of their team playing a big name. Was really hoping that we were going to play Solihull, particularly having played Blackpool only last year. Let’s not forget our history in the Cup…13 times winners,… Read more »
“Liverpool signed Solanke for 3m 18 months ago. He’s now moving to Bournemouth for 19m.”
Arsenal signed Lucas Perez for £17m and sold him for £4m
Mum jokes
Tell tales
Le grove playground on a Friday.
How old solanki ? 21
Perez 30? Get your point at least we should of got 10m for him. Maybe they wanted him out of club gamby.
Wilshere is a skilled technician. So is cazorla
Was madness letting them walk for free
Joke Friday – A gas station in Newfoundland was trying to increase its sales so the owner put up a sign saying “Free Sex with Fill-up.” Soon a local Newfy pulled in, filled his tank, and then asked for his free sex. The owner told him pick a number from 1 to 10, if he guessed correctly, he would get his free sex. The Newf then guessed 8, the proprietor said, “You were close. The number was 7. Sorry, no sex this time.” A week later, the same Newf, along with a buddy, pulled in for a fill-up, again he… Read more »
Behave people. When you’ve got first posters commenting on the behavior,it’s time to up the game and remembers the blog of love vibes from yesteryear.
There should be a few youngsters playing tomorrow.
They should be fired up as there are first team spots up for grabs, if you were Medley or Mavropanos looking at our CB situation or Smith Rowe looking at our CAM situation you should be thinking you can at least start getting some first team minutes if you get the manager’s attention.
I love you Bamford
Jokes Friday
Ok, so none of us are particularly massive fans of Licht or Papa. The arguments are that we should play youth instead. And I understand that idea, and I would have agreed with it were it not for the fact that Bellerin and Mustafi are a pair of softies. And they replaced Chambers and Per, another pair of softies. And people like Jenkinson and Koscielny and Monreal are all a bunch of softies as well. I’m sure that Emery would like to be able to bring Medley or Bielik into the team, but if all they’ve ever learnt is to… Read more »
I long thought that Arsenal should have hired a few of top people responsible for Southampton academy because they have had astonishing record of producing quality players. They’re in a bit of lull at moment but Saints seem to have developed a method that produces premier league level players.
I’m sure when Sokratis was signed he was never meant to play as much as he is. Same as litch.
Un positive post last post had it right. We need a bit more individual focus on the defensive side. Too many individual errors are costing us matches. Part due to the level of player but also due to just making school boy errors.
Chelsea interested in signing Lozano of PSV this month.
Liverpool have made more from the sale of Solanke than Arsenal have from:
Szczesny
Wilshere
Ramsey
Gnabry
Welbeck
I thought they acquired Solanke for free from Chelsea. I could be wrong though.
We are missing out on a big chunk of revenue because we underinvested on the footballing aspect of the club.
All the while we had £150 million sitting in a bank vault, it should have been £150 million of exciting young talented footballers in the club.
The clubs that made the right decisions are reaping the harvest now.
I tend to agree with Emiratesstrollers oBservations on ‘The Mesut Ozil Malaise’ although i don’t agree with blaming our fans. I do however believe he has mental problems, which were exacerbated during the Word Cup after his Nation turned on him with alleged racial undertones. The way Emery spoke about him in Pre-season, words like “We want him to know we’re here to support him” and “He part of the Arsenal family and we’re here to help-” says alot. This is a 30yo seasoned elite pro, former galactico and World Cup winner to boot not a 17yo rookie ffs. I… Read more »
I was against the alignment of Mertasacker as academy director for the same reasons.
If the youth academy is part of the plan to revitalize the club, why appoint a novice as director.
Mertasacker bshoild have been a coach in the academy, not managing it.
We are al get the place, it seems.
*I was against the appointment of Mertasacker
Supposedly Solanke was wanted by Stuttgart and Schalke.
Scary how low the quality of european football is that all these bog standard English youngters – Sancho aside – are wanted by so many german clubs.
Calvert-Lewin will probably get sold to some German team for £30 million.
Dissenter
Solanke was a free transfer. Liverpool had to pay a tribunal set fee of 3m.
Paulinho
English kids are in demand these days.
Chelsea are looking sell Hudson Odoi for 30m. A West Ham or Everton will pay 20-30m for loftus cheek.
Mislintat and Sanllehi were appointed 12 months ago and the first transfer window where they started making decisions was in January 2018. We have brought in 8 players in the two transfer windows. Aubameyang and Torreira are most definitely good buys and have improved our starting X1. Sokratis and Mkhitaryan are experienced squad players. I would have preferred an upgrade at CB. Mkhitaryan was apparently only option offered for Sanchez so we had no choice. Guendouzi and Mavropanos are young players with potential. Neither cost the earth and are good value for money. Lichteiner was a mistake, but at least… Read more »
Project youth 2.0? Why, what did Project Youth 1.0 achieve? No thanks. Football is not for the idealists, I’d rather wait to see what Emery can do, and if its not good enough after another season, then we can talk.
That Solanke deal is unbelievable. Got someone from Chelsea for nothing barely plays him and sells him for nearly 20 million. Bournemouth basically paying so much for a Defoe replacement
Mkhitaryan was apparently only option offered
for Sanchez so we had no choice.
We could have taken 25m that was offered. Mkhit was a mistake. And has wenger’s fingerprints all over it. He wanted him before he went to Man U so I can see wenger saying he wanted him.
He’s been a flop
England performing well in youth competitions recently suggests a blossoming crop of youngsters. German clubs have certainly interpreted it that way. So, there might be some value to be found in the English market.
Fulham’s Sessegnon might be worth a look as his price must be less than what it was last season with all the hype. Palace’ Bissaka is another though he’d be more expensive as there’s a lot of hype around him.
Yeah I too am not sold on the appointment of per
He’s a player who admitted public ally to not even wanting to play whilst still on our books and he has no experience running anything.
I hope he does a good job but this appointment is only sentimental
Yeah I don’t really agree with Per. He’s been part of the crap years of Arsenal. Didn’t really show leadership while here.
So many other proven youth developers out there. Per has no experience
A weird one for me
Radio Raheem
Arsenal have on their books at least 4 promising English youngsters. I would rather focus on these players development rather than acquire other clubs cast offs at grossly inflated prices.
Chelsea have sold Bournemouth an unwanted player who is not good enough for their squad at an inflated transfer fee.
If someone comes in in the summer and offer us a decent transfer fee for Chambers I would bite his hand off, because this player is never going to get into first team at Arsenal whether as CB,RB or DMF. Another utility player
who will not make grade.
Sorry I meant Liverpool and not Chelsea.
It beggars belief that a player who has played just two games this season EPL2
[U23 league] fetches such a high price.
I don’t think Sessegnons value has dropped at all. Think about it, he’s still a teenager with a healthy number of games behind him already.Couple that with the fact that he’s a left footer who can play in any position along the left flank and currently playing PL football i reckon it will take a bid of £40m+ to prize him away from the cottage. Especially if they stay up.
I also like Wan Bissaka and think he’d be a good summer signing. Maybe toss palace Chambers and £10m
Rumours online that the England player thrown out of a nightclub for doing coke is a Spud player!
Please let it be Harry Kane or Deli Alli.
Harry Kane has diplomatic immunity so all he’ll have to do is mumble rap any form of excuse and the issue will disappear
Harry Kane or Alli it doesn’t matter nothing will come of it
Vintage Gun
Wan Bissaka looks like a sure thing. He’s done well against most top wide players. He has the defensive nous, attitude, speed and athleticism to be a top defender for years to come. Has the skillset to play RB, RWB and RCB. One of City or Chelsea will pay at least 45m maybe 50m. Worthy replacement for either Walker or Azpilicueta.
i would like to see Mav & Holding as our central pair next season though would still go for one quality CB
Alli or trippier
Naitland-Miles is the only member of the England youth golden generation that we have in the club.
Everton, Liverpool and Spuds youth products are ere the mainstay of the England U-17 and U-20 youth teams.
Another comment about Mavropanous even though he has only one competitive game. How can he be part of the mainstay of our defense with so little experience.
It doesn’t mean I don’t rate him. He has to be good because he has lots of suitors at the moment.
Dissenter
Didn’t he have 3 games last season Mavrapanos?
I liked the look of him anyway
As well as Maitland-Niles. Got some great younger players in the squad now despite marko’s neighing and lots to look forward to but must get this defence sorted.
£435,000 a week is getting freed up in wages by the end of the season for 5 players whose contracts are ending. If you throw in Ospina40k, Eleneny55k, maybe koscielny 90k That’s 8 players and £610k a week in savings. #Petr Cech 36 £100,000 Last Year (2019) David Ospina 29 £40,000 2 Years (2020) Laurent Koscielny 32 £90,000 2 Years (2020) #Nacho Monreal 32 £65,000 Last Year (2019) #Stephan Lichtsteiner (New Signing) 34 £90,000 1 Year deal #Aaron Ramsey 27 £110,000 Last Year (2019) #Danny Welbeck 27 £70,000 Last Year (2019) Consider that most of the players whose contracts are… Read more »
BobN16 Thanks for responding to my FA Cup post. For all our successes in this competition over the years there have been many horrendous giant killing acts performed on us, not just in Finals. Apart from losing to Ipswich in 1978 and West Ham in 1980, I also remember the heartache of losing to Sunderland in the 1973 semi final at Hillsborough. Losing to York City 1-0 in the 4th round in 1985 still hurts and who can ever forget our infamous 2-1 defeat at the hands of Wrexham in the 3rd round in 1992, which still ranks in the… Read more »
Shite, I am really coming across as a sentimental old fuddy duddy on here today.
Maybe it’s the Eastbourne air and the fact most people living down here are happily retired.
Emiratestroller
How many of those 4 have had the number of top flight games the two I mentioned have?
Do you think all four will make it? If so are they in the positions the two I mentioned play?
Nothing wrong in having quite a few English players as long as they are good enough.
DREAM 10
I agree but if we were to lay down the groundwork from now in regards to a summer move we just might steal a march on them.
As i said Chambers and £10m sounds fairtrade to me.
Dissenter
I think with a bit of luck Smith-Rowe and Nelson along with AMN will become full internationals in the forthcoming years
Vintage Sessegnon will cost a bit no doubt. As to how much higher or lower it is compared to what it might have been last season is impossible to know as no bid, if at all made, was made public. Just thought the publicity around him has been lukewarm this year with some claiming this might be a level too high for him. As a young player we can play a big part to play in his development if he has the basics to succeed at this level. I’m looking at Robertson at Liverpool, moving from a relegated Hull, as… Read more »
Great FA Cup image/memory.
Ronnie Radford’s pile-driver against Newcastle in the 1972 3rd replay at Edgar Street goes down in FA Cup folklore.
Watch it on YouTube. Fans invading the pitch.
Absolutely brilliant
Not that long ago.
Only 47 years!
Fudge me, I’m getting old.
Graham
Year before I was born – you’re definitely getting old!
1972
Only grandparents were alive then
Walsall 2-0 Arsenal ….I remember it well
Marc
Everything still works though.
The trouble is, Ozil isn’t quality, powder puff shot, poor crossing and gets knocked off the ball to easily, he’s shit.
Pierre
Wasn’t that 1933?
Shite, you’re older than I thought!
Ruth
“The trouble is, Ozil isn’t quality, powder puff shot, poor crossing and gets knocked off the ball to easily, he’s shit.”
I reckon Ruth nodded off in the middle of writing a comment and hasn’t realised that the ozil conversation finished hours ago.
Pierre
Not sure what computer you use but on my tablet the Ozil conversation never finishes
That’s true. …I find it you throw in a positive Ozil stat every now and then it makes the natives restless…
Are Tranmere sponsored by Walls Sausages
One starts to wonder whether the brains trust was told about the situation here. A second-rate squad, no cash to spend, a totally unsympathetic bunch of aggrieved fans – not exactly an attractive proposition to offer. If they were in the dark then, they can’t be any longer,the cold light of day must have dawned by now. Maybe the Club is paying them more than any other club will, like it does with the second-rate players, and like it did with the old dodderer who departed, Never mind, lads, there’s always the promise of project youth to fall back on.… Read more »
Bringing on young talent isnt just signing them,,they have to stay at Arsenal once they peak or just before if you want the mega transfer fees,,we sell too late all the time
I just read that Spuds activated an option to extend Alderweireld’s contract until 2020. That additional year comes with a release clause of £25m. The release clause specifically excludes the Gunners from activating it.
Obviously, Spuds and Arsenal are competing for new fans in north London. They set up all these anti-Gunner police. It is worrying that Spuds is on the up and we are on the down. We really have to get our acts together.
Unneededly strong lineup by the spuddies. Emery would have been crucified for doing something similar vs a League 2 team. Glad a lot of the spuddies didn’t get rested.
Solanke…and Bournemouth decide to cough up 20m…speechless
The carnage that Wenger left behind will reverberate for more years to come. Kroenke enabled a complete and utter fool to preside over finances to the point where we’re going to struggle on the pitch for the next couple of seasons.
Cant wait till we strip it all back to the foundation to thoroughly examine the rot
I said back in August that Ozil will replace wenger as the hate figure at the club but I have to say, the amount of rubbish that’s being written about him has even exceeded my expectations. I’ve never known anyone to be derided for such poor performances despite being injured…. Back in September,October and November when he was a regular starter during our unbeaten run, ozil didn’t receive half as much criticism as now ……in All my time watching football I don’t recall anyone being so criticised for his performances despite not being on the pitch….. That contract he was… Read more »
Spurs brushing aside Tranmere away from home….7-0..
I reckon Pierre nodded off in the middle of writing a comment and hasn’t realised that the ozil conversation finished hours ago
That contract he was asked to sign by Arsenal football club has definitely brought out the worse in some fans ..
Because you feel he actually deserved the £300,000 per week paycheck?
You are even more deluded than I thought you already were.
Nelson,I don’t believe release clauses are legally viable in the UK. Could be wrong tho.
You are even more deluded than I thought you already were.
He thinks he’s actually injured and was instrumental in our 21 match unbeaten run. Basically he’s beyond deluded
Pierre Ozil is getting his criticized for his performances. Or I should say lack there of He is not playing like a 350k player. He is not controlling matches. He’s not winning matches. He’s not leading the team You can whine bitch and cry about his treatment all you want but he deserves it all He isn’t playing like someone who should be our best player. Why is our best player? Beacause he’s paid as it. Paid to deliver world class performances and he hasn’t dropped one in years. Where it should I be almost every match He’s not cut… Read more »
Spurs are beating tranmere rovers 7- 0 and some of Arsenal fans care hahahahaha English cunts never learn
Pierre
He isn’t injured. He isn’t showing up when we need him most.even when he is on the pitch he isn’t showing up
It’s not his league. It’s not his team. And at 300k a week it better be.
He’s failed at Arsenal. Just like mkhit.
Move them
Furthermore Pierre also suffers from a superiority complex. Just look how he calls Grovers (which hilariously includes himself, considering how much he posts here) as “natives”.
One has just to feel sorry for a 60 yr old (if that’s even true) who keeps going on about a, unfortunately, washed out player who has refused to adapt to the rigours of 21st century football.
The Spurs game was referenced by 3 people. 3 people…population of England…sure English cunts
eh? I’m a cunt because I mentioned spurs thrashed Tranmere? Gotta keep an eye on the opposition, know your enemy and all that.
Can’t help but think this is the sort of game we would balls up…to be sure
Ozil should Be a game changer. Able to take the game by the scruff of the neck and change it. Lift the team to another level.
A 300k a week player should be able
To do that.
Cork City Gooner
I actually think nobody here cares about the fact that they have thrashed Tranmere, of all teams, 7-0. Who gives a fuck? I really fucking don’t.
I am more interested in how we fare tomorrow against Blackpool. We most certainly should be beating them. Getting a similar scoreline will be a tough ask considering our current team issues.
Here comes joe the cunt
Rain coats on…..
Joe
Just because Arsenal football club doubled his weekly wage ,doesn’t mean he will suddenly become a different player .
If your work doubled your wages would you go sliding down your pole quicker and jump into a fire because your earning more money, or course not… ….it’s ludicrous that his contract is brought into the equation .
Better to be a cunt than a complete loser in life Un
As you were loser
He’s paid as the best player on
Our team
He should Be that
He doesn’t come close.
Pierre
What money was Ozil asking for?
Ozil was probably asking for 300-400k a week.
Arsenal didn’t offer more than he was asking.
Ozil asked to be paid as the highest on the team thinking he deserved it as the best player on the team.
He isn’t. And isn’t showing any worth for what he asked for
Gazidis and wenger gave him the money he wanted to save face after Sanchez debacle
But he asked for it. Knowing the responsibility that comes with that pay packet
He’s failed
They should have just let him walk since both are gone now anyway
Part of the wonderful legacy Gazidis and wenger left behind
Joe
Anyone who has a clue about football would know that a wage packet makes no difference to a footballers performance, so whether he earns 1,2 or 3 hundred thousand a week, his performance will stay the same .
You should show a bit more faith in the players Joe ,to continually criticise players like ozil and Mhkitaryan shows your lack of knowledge in the game .
Pierre
Your last post just shows how much you fail to grasp at reality.
So for you if someone has had a their salary doubled they should carry on as they are.
This is not how it works. The only scenario where someone gets paid double is because they have overachieved in their work.
Have you seen Ozil overachieve? Well most of us haven’t (unless you consider his exploits vs Leicester this season or his hat-trick vs Ludogorets in 2016 as overachievement).
Pierre
In fact, just carry on defending the indefensible. Like you did with AW.
That you defend players like Ozil and mkhit and a manager like wengee shows how little you know about football and how much you understand(very little) what’s going on during a match
Mkhit has been an absolute flop for us and united.
Ozil has been for us. He is not a top level player for us.
He could be in Italy where the pace is slower. Maybe in China. MLs.
But not for the Arsenal
I expect the player that will eventually replace Ozil to be criticized after every bad move by Pierre. Then when he’s found out, he will say he actually criticized Ozil for the same things.
Show more faith? We’ve had Ozil for what 3 years? And what has he done to deserve faith? Should we wait until he’s 34 to take control of the team for a season? Show some leadership. Lead the team forward? Carry the team. No thank you. Waited long enough. It isn’t coming
Mkhit? No thank you. I’ve seen enough. He’s cost us enough.
We are better without wenger.
And we will be better without Ozil and mkhit.
Don’t worry Pierre
I’m sure Ozil will have a world class performance tomorrow and you can tell us how right you were.
Vs a league one team mind but that won’t matter to you
I never really expected the Miki deal to turn out any good. He showed serious inconsistencies at Dortmund and only had 1 wonderful season there.
He would have been better if we played swift combination passes in and he had wingers to feed but would have still fallen short. it is what it is in the end.
Ozil has been with been with us five and a half years not 3
Mikihi is not a top player we need to get rid of him as we do Xhaka and Mustafi at least. On top of that the 4 old boys all need to go . Cech. kos Montreal ospina.
An overhaul is needed
Another puzzling question is why Kroenke paid such a huge amount to Usmanov, I believe it works out at more than £25K per share, more than three times the share price paid to the original owners. It makes little sense because effectively he had total control of the Club anyway. And it was not as if he had the cash lying around in his bank account, he had to borrow £550 million at a high rate of interest. Does he have a customer lined up to buy the Club, another Sheikh perhaps? Perhaps. If his intention is to load the… Read more »
the Past is the Past- we have to focus on the next seasons. I want to make sure Our Beloved Arsenal will have a radical rethink- and be at the vanguard of recruiting British talent. There is oodles of it out there: Just look at the small number of these players- if we had a ‘British Centric Footballing Policy’ akin to Bayern with their German Heritage we have allowed to slip out scouting net, Kane, Ali (MK Dons),Davies (Swansea) Lallana, Milner Robertson (Hull) Stones (Barnsley) Walker (Sheff Utd) , Hart ( Shrewbury),Stirling (QPR) Vardy (Fleetwood) ,Maguire (Hull), Maddsion (Norwich), Gray… Read more »
Ozil has been with been with us five and a half years not 3
Jesus
He really has done fuck all for us in propelling us forward in any way
I mean some of the blame has to go to wenger but 5 .5 seasons culminating in 40 points behind last season.
He’s been a total bust compared to the expectations he came in with.
Cesc has been 100x the player for Arsenal that Ozil has been
Sky Italia are saying we’re ‘close’ to a deal for Denis Suarez apparently. Not sure how reputable they are or whether there’s an element of something being lost in translation there.
It would make sense if we were going after a CAM as Emery is clearly not satisfied with any of his current options.
Likely to be cheap as well with the prospect of a significant upside on the field and financially.
Also meant to be looking at N’Koulou.