Are you ok?
Come on, wipe away those tears. We’re gonna be A-0k. Put that Bergkamp poster back up on the wall, put on your retro bruised banana shirt that doesn’t fit back on, then we’ll crack into some tasty Arsenal morsels.
But before we crack on, pet peeve of mine… social media bios that say things like ‘Beans on toast enthusiast’ or ‘Purveyor of cream cheese’… fuck off. Don’t be a wanker. Imagine introducing yourself at a party like that? You’d be asked to leave. Maybe have your ‘craft beers with an interesting story behind them’ deservedly taken on the way out for being so offensively twee.
Anyway, the club is apparently going after Ismaïla Sarr in the summer. ExMonaco defender Willy Sagnol had this to say on the winger.
“The star of this team is Ismaïla Sarr, there’s nobody else. It is he who carries it offensively. He is consistent in his performances, his efforts. He is the only one since the beginning of the season who brings real satisfaction.”
The rumour on the street is that we’re going to offer them Emi Martinez and £16m in the summer. This really would be the sort of signing we should be making. I’ve sadly had enough downtime this season to watch Rennes a couple of times. The player has Kanu like tight control (when it’s good, obviously), his telescopic legs allow him to fend off pressure, and he can explode into space.
You never know what you’re getting when you buy players so young from Ligue One, but it’d be harsh to sniff at a 20-year-old left sided winger who has scored 9 goals and dropped 6 assists in 25 games. That’s worth a punt. We’re getting in there before a Monaco do… and inevitably flog him for £600m in one season. This is Sven’s chance to deliver us a Dembele.
Foot Mercato report that we’re interested in signing Yannick Carrasco from Chinese power players, Dalian Yifang. It’s pretty obvious to me that it’d be insanity to give him £200k a week, but you know, he might hate where he lives so much he’s prepared to take a pay packet that’s more reasonable.
It’s clear whatever happens, it’ll have to be a loan move. Emery delivered some much-needed brutality to fans dreaming of a £100m January.
“We cannot make payments to sign players. We can only loan players. But we can only sign players on loan. I know the club is working to find players who can help us, with this condition.”
That makes our January window feel ever so familiar. The silver lining here is that if it were Wenger in today’s prezzer, he’d be telling us that he’s on the lookout for a super, super talent before pulling the trigger on a 38-year-old goat farmer from the Saudi league. At least Emery has set the expectation dial at miserable. Anything from here is going to be fucking immense.
I also want to lay to rest the notion that Arsenal aren’t appealing because we don’t have £4b to throw at the squad. Spurs has one of the best coaches on the planet, he spent nothing last summer and his net spend is in the minus figures. Or plus figures. What’s the symbol when you’re in profit?
Anyway, when the Arsenal job rolls around, only the mega coaches would sniff. If that’s Allegri, who hardly operates on mega money now (or gets paid well), that’s most likely because he never wanted to leave a club that just signed Ronaldo. Not other major coach was sniffing at a £200m wage bill and the chance to spend £80m last summer. As was pointed out in the comments yesterday. Poch spend net zero his first two season and Klopp spent net £35m in his first two season. Emery has dropped double in his first summer. Hardly poverty.
Arsenal is a hugely attractive role for 90% of coaches out there. Don’t kid yourself otherwise. Sven and Raul wouldn’t be at the club if it weren’t appealing. We just need to make our situation work. That’s getting back to wheeling and dealing. Very much like how Wenger operated when he first joined. Find the gems. The broken pros that need life. Hope that some kids make it big.
COMMUNITY POST: This was from Gambon in the comments. Him tackling the ‘it’s Stan’ issue head on.
Good argument from @TheMightyGambon as to why Stan really isn’t to blame for the mess we’re in (outside lack of leadership presence).
Some of our BEST decisions of the last ten years. pic.twitter.com/Gq7ZesnThZ
— Le Grove (@LeGrove) January 10, 2019
I think judging by our past dalliances in the January window, it’s probably best we keep our moves to loans, versus purchasing in anxiety mode.
Top 4 would be an incredible achievement from where we are, but it seems unlikely. Let’s spend our time trying to shift players other teams want. Mikhi apparently has admirers in Milan, if that’s true, let him go for whatever they’ll give us. Free up that £170k a week and make it happen.
As someone pointed out yesterday, the likelihood is we’ll need to dramatically reduce our wage bill, and one of our most saleable assets is Lacazette. Get that salary off our books, regardless of how much I love him. We cannot operate with someone that expensive occupying the bench. I’d miss the goals, but surely he’s a £65m striker if Chelsea paid £70m for Morata? We could buy 2 and bit Torreira’s for that.
If Emery can’t motivate Ozil to care, the club has to come to a deal this summer and remove him. It’s going to be hard to find anyone to foot that bill, that said, we did find an Italian club willing to pay Ramsey £280k a week GROSS. Unreal figures, so it does show you, anything is possible if you force someone’s hands.
From there, it’s taking punts on players with high ceilings/hoping some of the kids coming through can up their levels and give us some magic.
See, anything is possible when you write it down in a blog. I think we solved Arsenal? Have a great day! x
P.S Don’t be selfish, listen to the fucking podcast.
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Wenger must be considered as one of the worst managers in Arsenal’s history after having 20 (TWENTY) bites at the cherry in Europe and failing to win a single trophy.
Too busy biting chunks out at the FA Cups
And league titles.
And an unbeaten invincible gold trophy, perhaps !
Wenger must be considered as one of the worst managers in Arsenal’s history after having 20 (TWENTY) bites at the cherry in Europe without success…
Arsenal should of stuck with Bruce Rioch.who knew Arsenal’s values and traditions
I was a huge Bruce Rioch fan.
Did not want him to go, whatsoever.
I would have him back tomo – instead of this Emery.
Marko So lets talk about 2013 and 2015 in 2019… that seems sensible. Or you can draw a line, as if Wenger is no longer manager, and worry about current affairs at Arsenal? The kind that have seen similar levels of incompetence take place already in a short period of time. You’re a parody and a half to talk excuses when you’ve offered up numerous for this past summers ‘efforts’. Your desperation to have the conversation lead back to Wenger time and again is tragic. Wengers influence, whatever you consider it, is over. The only pertinent issues at Arsenal are… Read more »
Redruth
You’re so right.
Look at what Rioch achieved at QPR, Norwich, Wigan, Odense Boldklub,and Aalborg after he left arsenal.
… What could have been.
..We had ozil, Rambo and laca on the bench against saints (lost by 3) but had lichsteiner playing ?
And exactly which of those 3 should have played right back, instead? You really are stupid.
Oh and a LINE WRITTEN IN CAPS doesn’t make it right.
Pierre
Overjoyed that Ozil broke cantona’s assist record? The same Cantona who score almost 1 goal ever 2 games?
“Very real justifiable criticism and of course you take offense to it. For some reason. You’re a grown man with a weird fixation on an old man“
Says Marko in 2019, shit talking Wenger over antics from 2015.
Where’s the trophy? This cunt has taken the crown already for dumb cunt comment of the year.
that says more about Emery and his mis use of Ozil than anything else .He is messing about with the one player who could save him his job ….it’s a
How’s Aubameyang already in double figures this season? If Ozil was so important, shouldn’t our attack be suffering?
‘And correct me if i am wrong hasn’t he only taken 3m out from the club??’That’s not the point though. The point is he hasn’t spent a single penny from his own pocket
We have 200m in the accounts. He didn’t need to spend his own money. Arsenal has plenty
that says more about Emery and his mis use of Ozil than anything else .
How so? Last season Ozil played with Lacazette and Auba and only managed 8 assists. He struggled without Emery all by himself
Sid
Bellerin was playing in addition to Leichesteiner!
Both started
Pedro
Pottechino spend net zero his first two season and Klopp spent net £35m in his first two season. Emery has dropped double in his first summer. Hardly poverty.
Way to spin it!!
Saying spent NET 0 and NET 35 seems almost epic, until you find that Spuds sold players worth almost 100 million and Liverpool sold players worth 160 million in Pottechino’s and Klopps 1st 2 seasons and yet they had to invest on top of those sale figures to build the team they have.
They had saleable assets which helped both the managers immensely. While we have none.
The team Emery chose against saints – should have gone and got him fired, there and then
sell Laca our top 2 player lol.
If we really not buying in Jan we can forget CL for next few years no matter who the manager will be. Next season top of PL will get stronger no doubt about that. Not even E L will be a given.
Sid
Bellerin was playing in addition to Leichesteiner!
Both started
Good man! Now tells me who were the 2 cbs? You’ll see we had 1 cb fit (Kos) and Linc was playing the other cb with Monreal and bellerin making the back 4. We had no cbs on the bench.
Now if you were emery what would you have done? Play ANM as RB and bellerin as CB? or ozil/Ramsey/Mikki as RB?
You continue to skim over it because you’re stuck in the past, much like Wenger was. Again for the umpteenth time you started off your day criticizing management for not selling Chambers and for allowing players to run down their contracts yeah still with me and I’m saying that WENGER refused to sell Chambers to Palace AND allowed players to run down their contracts these past few years. He did that. You trying to change the narrative to here and now and not bringing up the past is classic Charlie interference. Put it this way in the most simplest way… Read more »
If we wont spend over £100M in summer TW that will be very suspicious. Stan could be doing Glaizers with his Arsenal buyout.
Charlie George
“The team Emery chose against saints – should have gone and got him fired, there and then”
Yep defeat. 3-2
No Lacazette and no Ozil starting.
Tottenham league cup 2-0 defeat.
No Lacazette and No Ozil starting.
Liverpool 5-1 defeat.
No Lacazette and No Ozil starting
There’s a little bit of a theme going on there.
Auba and Laca have 25 goals between them this season and Ozil has 1 assist. Last season they had 27 goals and he had 8 assists all season
Sid
U over complicating it m8
Just get all the big hitters on the pitch
We are playing saints not real Madrid.
Go and smash them !
Don’t need tactics – they are piss poor!
Pierre
Concurrence
WE ARE THE ARSENAL
Page 1
You only need tactics- when the oppo have better players.!
Get all our big guns on the pitch and keep em out there.
It’s a mindset.
Marko Arsenal made a colossal loss on Alexis and are struggling to deal with the inflated contract they offered Ozil. The previous manager lost his job in parent for his involvement with these situations. It’s not then novel for someone to bemoan management letting the same instances occur this past summer, and not learn from previous errors. Unless you’d rather just rehash all the times Wenger fucked up and totally discount the here and now of course. Bringing up the fact Wenger didn’t sell Chambers etc isn’t a defense that Stan’s new crew didn’t do it this past summer again,… Read more »
It’s not then novel for someone to bemoan management letting the same instances occur this past summer Are you saying that we should have given Welbeck and Ramsey new deals? That’s one thing. Sold then perhaps. Not one single bid reported all summer long. Understandable with Welbeck’s injury record. As for Ramsey I don’t know why they kept him on but you’re blaming them for not doing enough the last 6 months to a year and not the guy who done nothing in the last two+ years to address these issues. Bringing up the fact Wenger didn’t sell Chambers etc… Read more »
Wenger has left the building….
Honestly though, saying draw a line at the summer and don’t consider years prior is kinda like taking away the Judaism from Christianity.
When Wenger come to Arsenal- he serenely set upon his task and won the Double in his first full season( he inherited a team that was also 5th).
HE did not go out alienating Adams, Wright , and Dennis. Like Emery is doing..
And I dare say he did not have 70 mill to spend, as well.
Emery is a mediocre arsenal manger
And you can that after 6 minutes let alone 6 months!
Your point is irrelevant.( with repsect)
Marko Maybe because I’m present in what I talk about with Arsenal. I said at the time we rejected a bid and loaned Chambers that it was a stupid fucking decision. Why should I repeat what’s been said again when it’s not current? The summer is the latest period that can be judged, prior to that is a waste of time because any necessary action to remedy previous mismanagement could’ve been achieved this past summer. Ramsey and Welbz could’ve been sold or signed, Elneny and Chambers both sold. Mentioning how it could’ve been done sooner is total deference. Yea it… Read more »
Dithering Emery and his 5 captains!
Nail your colors to the mask and pick 1, man.
Are they all supposed to write a column in the bloody programme!
it’s coming to the point in the transfer window where a carasco or a suarez will be a blessing. We are skint and the players don’t look available. The team is dire need of reinforcements and it would hamper our 4th spot chances if we do not bring anyone in.
Rioch agreed eith me and recognised that Wright was an obstacle to Arsenal’s success.
Emery looks like he reads Le Grove and has taken note of Pierre’s non stop ‘Burn-out’ training complaining posts. Forget Arteta let’s have Pierre for manager! Reported today in the DM. “When asked whether he would give players a break or make changes to his training regime, Emery answered: ‘We are doing that. We are working, and also thinking and speaking with our performance [analyst] Darren [Burgess] and Julen Masach [strength and conditioning coach], for this week and this month. ‘You have to balance the players because they play a lot of matches in the next month, with the Europa… Read more »
emery loses a few games and deserves to be fired
Wenger loses games regularly for half a decade and runs the entire club into the ground and the sun still shines out of his ass
You guys are honestly disgusting fans
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, any AKB who thinks their miraculously new found critical faculties are worth a damn is having a laugh
Agenda driven cretins
Dismay at the Southampton result and silence when we lose 15-3 to Bayern over 3 legs
Go figure
People enabling the club to become a shadow of its previous self happily. Shouting down others who called out the bs for what it was. ‘Go support city you plastic fans’. Some of the losers on here even suggested I deserved it when I got threatened and almost attacked by a group of wenger worshippers because I shouted ‘wenger out’ one time. Now the new guy is here and they’re ravenous to pounce. All the patience, getting behind the team, judging him in May, negative fans causing bad results has evaporated and these same guys are itching to see the… Read more »
China1
It’s their lack of knowledge of the game. They just aren’t that bright. There’s really nothing to consider beyond that.
And others are taking the piss simply for the sake of an argument. It’s boring.
The only ones who want emery sacked already or who are throwing ridiculous criticisms are wenger ass licking akbs praying emery fails so they can say “ we told you to be careful what you wish for “
Pierre has already said it.
Worst plastic wanna be arsenal supporters.
I just wish the Wanker would get a job so most of them would fuck off and follow the loser but he’s so shit no team is wanting to hire him or Have his loser akbs support their team
Other than the repetitive and ignorant slur there’s much to talk about. The news, rumours, the game today etc. On training, at least we know Emery is adapting and involving the fitness and conditioning folks Afc brought in, and not only his ‘mate’. I wonder which players talked to Emery and have burnout potential… Some reports saying Juve is offering a 31 yo CB Brahimi (sp?) so that Ramsey could join in Jan. Is he ex B. Munich? Worth i( *t 31? Better than losing Ramsey for free?. Max wage you’d consider? Milan ‘s reported interest in Mikki? I godsend… Read more »
They are offering us Benatia if the papers are to be believed. Not sure how I feel about that, I mean we need bodies and he’s probably better than anything we have. If we’re exchanging Ramsey for him it’s better than losing him for free imo. Could give Mavro time to show if he is as promising as many hope and for Holding to get back fit for next season. If we can get Benatia, Suarez on a loan and Carrasco it’s still a decent window. Shift Elneny and it will cost us 10-15m surely we must have that available?… Read more »
Yes, Benatia. Thanks. Just don’t give another 90k pw contract like Licht, and I don’t see Benatia taking a one year contract. Some articles / blogs are singing for WHU because of some speedsters. Somehow I don’t think so esp with our regular defence back. Not all speedsters are like those Pool have. This may have been well debated but I don’t believe for one moment Sarr would be anything less than 50m in today’s market. Hype alone costs 30m these days. Anyone knows if the scoutwe hired from Leicester (2017?) is still with us? Supposed to have been the… Read more »
Mhiki to Milan? Macclesfeild is more his level.
Banatia yes if it’s a free swap and we can’t get money for Ramsey. prefer money though.
Kos teaming up with Henry would be a humane deal for him to see his careerr out in France. Can’t really see how that helps Monaco. Kos should retire gracefully.
Kos has reportedly turned down a move, a shame as I think he’s finished in the PL, french league or Italy would suit him better.
Benatia only makes sense to bring on if Kos is finished and moves on… otherwise the age profile of our main defenders becomes too old and similar and they will all need to be replaced at once. If Kos goes this summer either to another club or the coaching/scouting set up fair enough. I want to throw a name into the mix if it is true we can only bring in players on loans for the midfield… What about Reuben Loftus Cheek? Right age, hungry for playing time and epl proven and World Cup experienced… Plus it is likely Chelsea… Read more »
Joe I wanted Wenger gone in 2008 and although I realised there were going to be many aspects of Emery’s role that would cause him difficulties and problems, I wasn’t expecting him to alienate Lacazette the way he has and also I wasn’t expecting him to overcomplicate our defensive issues. For me this has nothing to do with being pro or anti Emery. It’s all about basic common sense. Ten years of Wenger cocking things up, I think I’m justified in pointing out Emery’s mistakes, even though he’s only been with us less than 8 months. Don’t you? This is… Read more »
I would be surprised if Kos turned down Monaco. It’s an open secret that he wants to move back to France. Didn’t he say that he was seriously thinking of moving this past summer but for his injuries?
I wish him well. Almost forgotten about Squillaci thanks to him. 😉
I’d love to kick joe. Right into his hairy little bead sack
Rather than Benatia I wish they were offering us Bentacour. Young and Uruguayan obviously he and Torreira would hit the ground running.
Tony
Big talk of cesc going to Monaco too. Be good if he loans a couple of our players and gets them into his first team a bit more.
AMN and nketiah could be good shouts.
Leeds
https://talksport.com/football/472308/arsenal-transfer-news-laurent-koscielny-monaco/
Was in loads of papers yesterday
Joe your comment “And correct me if i am wrong hasn’t he only taken 3m out from the club??’That’s not the point though. The point is he hasn’t spent a single penny from his own pocketWe have 200m in the accounts. He didn’t need to spend his own money. Arsenal has plenty” Kronke has spent vast sums of his own money albeit to arrive at the point where he now has total control of all matters and now doesn’t have to have any of those nasty AGMs where awkward questions can be asked. Based on the accounts published to date… Read more »
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/753066/Arsenal-news-Ainsley-Maitland-Niles-Man-Utd-Paul-Pogba-gossip/amp
I really like this lad
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/sport/amp/football/46798654
Cesc Fabregas
Second most assists of all time in the premier league
Most chances created ever in the premier league
Assists 111
Chances created 845
Why didn’t we just bring him home when he was offered?? If all the things wenger has done, this and letting rvp leave we’re his most foolish.
Was the end for him when van persie left. And even more so when he brought ozil instead of cesc.
Un na naai
I think it was all down to Cesc and RVP wanting to leave.
They’d had enough of it all and wanted to taste success.
At Arsenal, under Wenger, they were never going to get that.
Graham I know Van persie wanted arsenal to invest a little extra so he could win the major trophies The side with him and cesc and nasri and arshavin and rosicky were so close. Had he spent on a proper dm and cb he’d have put us right up there We played the best football in the league/Europe. We beat Barca. We had Wilshere and Ramsey coming through and Walcott was at his best then. Barca were terrified of him. He was the only player who could roast Ashley Cole who had Ronaldo and Messi in his pocket every time… Read more »
Irrespective of our on pitch failings, based on the extensive list of financial cock-ups of the past few years, is there anyone on here who still feels sympathy towards Wenger?
“All those financial constraints. It just wasn’t fair”
What a load of balderdash.
Un na naai
We got pummeled by Barcelona, even though we beat them.
So you were also a Walcott fan.
Graham
Yes because rvp was unjustly sent off if you remember correctly
I think Walcott was misused by wenger and ruined. He was never a winger. He didn’t have the skillset but he excelled with rvp and sagna behind him if we used him as a wife forward
I still think he was best suited as part of a partnership. Complete waste of his potential.
Yes
I liked Walcott. Could have been a legend. He still did well enough considering how neglected he was. Loved van persie. Broke my heart to let him go. Little bit of me died that day. I quit playing football shortly after that too.
Ruined my honeymoon. Was on my honeymoon in Mauritius, Flic en flac when he left.
I just got drunk and comfort eat. And cried into my cocktail.
@ UN Nai … Spot on with the van Persie and cesc assessment; Wenger couldn’t hold on to them. They realised ultimately that arsenal had no ambition and the manager was not good enough.Some arenal fans still think rvp is a Judas! … Makes me laugh that they would’ve expected him to stay here and rot his career away.
Freddie
I wasn’t doubting you by the way. I wonder why Kos turned TH14 down though… you would have thought with the AFC connection it would have been an attractive destination.
Go figure.
Un
If Henry starts to turn things around at Monaco then I’d be happy for some of our best youth players to go there. I think the French league is decent enough to gain valuable experience.
Henry needs to establish himself there first.
https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/news/latest-arsenal-transfer-news-kroenke-15660696
Why the hell didn’t they just sell ozil and Ramsey in the summer? Ludicrous
Tony.
Yeah. I agree. Would be a lovely little way to help our youngsters get good game time though and tutelage from the legend himself.
Walcott was a man made footballer his dad and then agent pushed him
to excess.
He was a very fast very fit player.
As regard natural ability he had none there was not one footballing brain cell between his ears not one.
As regard being a better player under another coach well i don’t think that
would have made any difference.
AMN says he wants to be a winger!!??
Not sure that’s his best position but you never know
James wood Not every player is built for tikka takka His strength was running off the ball into space and finishing. When he finally settled down and was finding the jet regaulrly and easily he was dropped. Fucking awful from wenger. I don’t expect you or anyone to agree as football is a game of opinions. Mine is that Walcott was indeed very talented but used incorrectly. How do you think Michael Owen would have played on the wing throughout his career? Not very well I’d say. Walcott’s game was similar to Owen. Maybe not to the same level but… Read more »
New post.
Walcott scored over 100 goals for Arsenal
Walcott scored a hatrick for his country away at Croatia
Walcott has played for his country numerous times.
HE should have never been sold so cheaply.
How we miss his electric pace.
We now have Iwobi, Miki ,Lichtenstein er instead!