Good morning people.
Today, I’m experimenting with ‘voice’ combined with the common blog format.
I’m working on the ‘voice-log’ with Dan Ahern from the Le Grove comments.
Would appreciate your ears and comments on whether you think this is a format worth continuing.
In the ‘voice-log’ we talk:
- Mesut being a piece of you-know-what
- We opine on Emery and his strategy
- We talk about how vision should be playing a bigger role in the future of the club
- We set the record straight on Ramsey
Go long and deep people.
See you on the other side.
SPOTIFY | STITCHER | ITUNES | GOOGLE | POCKET CASTS
P.S. I thought pop-sockets were the total shite until I saw these sweet offerings from the top melts over at SheWore.com. That Clockend looks real good to me. Right? Yes. Totally right.
Marc, the slide into irrelevance.
It’s not about Bate loss really, Emery has been underwhelming through out the season. That he doesn’t have much to offer looks more and more evident with every passing week.
Poor football. Solidly top 6. Empty seats for big games. Steady influx of bland players.
That sort of thing.
“Maybe someone with more of an elite pedigree.”
Isn’t Monchi one of the most highly rated DOF’s in world football? If not him Pedro who would be on your three man short list?
-2 is hardly that cold. You can still get a Sunday league game off in that weather
“top managers make an impact with any group of players.”
Lolz
Pedro
We’re 1 point of 4th with barely the 6th best squad, hardly a disaster. I know it doesn’t fit your agenda though to say our players are bad even though you’ve been spending the last decade and more saying exactly that and how Wenger watered down the squad year on year.
Pedro
You and a couple of others keep going on with this “he’s bland” thing, but his assignment is to finish top four or win a Europa title, not to revolutionize football. Emery was a sensible choice given our near-term aims and given the options available. The next manager can be more of the hipster’s choice type, but hopefully we’ll have CL football at that point, so he will be operating in improved circumstances. If Emery doesn’t work out, fine, we’ll hire someone else. But he was a sensible hire. End of story.
Marc, jury is out on him in Italy according Marcotti.
Berta, Campos, Rangnick all very interesting.
Pedro
Overmars featuring more in the media over the last week. Reckon he is Raul’s man and Monchi is Emery’s. With the exception of the Kroenkes stepping in, Raul will get his way.
Bam, his job is to improve the team and performances. Part of his role is to excite the fans.
Imposing a style is table stakes
Dream10, he has mixed reviews. But Ajax looked very good against Madrid the other night. So much energy in that team.
Pedro
“Steady influx of bland players”
Care to explain this a bit more?
I thought Sven was responsible for the players in the summer, isn’t that why your crying about Emery “ousting” him from the club? Who else? Suarez who we only got on a short term loan because we didn’t have a pot to piss in?
This is why most sane people think you have an agenda.
TR7
I agree with that, which is why I long ago said I have serious questions about Emery. It is this over-the-top, Emery-is-a-disaster, get-him-out, BATE-is-unforgivable narrative I am pushing back against.
Pedro
No, his job is to finish top four or win the Europa. His job is to get us CL football. Yes, he should be improving our play as well, obviously, but the above is his principal task.
Freddie, my agenda is a better arsenal. Always been that. I have the same standards for Emery as I did for Wenger. Whilst some of you clearly don’t.
Cold weather and no need for a footballing identity quite incredible carryon really.
Dissenter
Yes, if we do not advance in the Europa, that would be a serious, serious, serious problem for one Unai Emery. No question.
No Bam, he’d have been held to higher expectations than Dave Moyes football to get to 4th.
But we’ll see if he makes 4th.
He gets another year regardless.
Pedro
Right, and the minute Wenger fell out of the CL, his task was to get us back into the CL, not to get us playing prettier football. Yes, we are all underwhelmed by the football we are seeing, but that is not the most important thing at the moment. CL football is. If Emery fails to get that, we can find someone else for the job — preferably someone who gets us playing pretty football again as well.
Pedro
Wenger had plenty of time to build his own squad and failed miserably, this is of course affecting the new manager so no I don’t hold him to the same standard until he has got more time.
You however was on his back right from the start because you didn’t get who you wanted as manager and it’s been obvious ever since, even the praise during the unbeaten run and the games against Spurs and Chelsea was grudgingly given.
So no explanation to the “bland players influx” then, ok.
Pedro
OK whilst that’s not good it’s not a disaster. You seem to be getting into a huge negative spin about Arsenal since Wenger left. The management level appointments are all poor – people we’re being linked to now aren’t good enough it’s making it real hard work reading the blog every day.
Bam,
Wenger went when the fans stopped showing.
Marc, I write for myself, you don’t have to read.
Freddie, the new manager is not good. You can’t wish talent into existence. He will get a chunk of money in the summer and we will see.
Bam, also worth noting that Bruce R hit his objectives and was fired for a better manager. Better football, more innovation, more gravitas.
Pedro The same can be said about the players we have. That’s why I’m for giving the new manager time, no matter who it is, and I really don’t care who it is. We would see the same boring flair less crap no matter what with these no talent hacks we have playing for us. Add a new CAM and 2 wingers and we’ll see more flair, add new defenders and we’ll see a better defence, add a new CM instead of Xhaka and we’ll see better control, or we can hope for someone coming in and sploosh special sauce… Read more »
OK so chances of us getting 4th ManU’s remaining PL fixtures are: Liverpool H Palace A Southampton H PSG (in CL but right before our match so could be relevant) Arsenal A Watford H Wolves A West Ham H Everton A Chelsea H Huddesfield A Cardiff H Now if Mau lose to Liverpool and if we can beat them but lose to the Spud’s with both teams winning the other fixture before our match we’d come out of beating ManU on 59 points compared to their 57. There’d then be a straight 8 match fight over 4th. It won’t be… Read more »
Marc, we should take 4th. We had the Europe advantage over United that we flunked. But we still have enough ammo
Fuck Saudi Arabia and Man Utd. Does nobody want to talk about the results of my Twitter poll? After A day or two of intensive arguing with the 4 Emery out horsemen of the LeGrove apocalypse I decided to do a Twitter poll to see what the opinion was of the wider Arsenal community. A Twitter poll is limited to 4 choices so I chose Arteta as choice 1 as Pedro and a few others wanted him. I chose Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as choice 2 because a lot in here were saying he’s a better manager because Man Utd’s squad… Read more »
Freddie
Couldn’t agree more. Pedro’s criticism on “play it to Kolas” is purely down to us having no other width, we also don’t have a CM / CAM who can control the ball when needed and quickly transition the ball forward. It’s not pretty at the moment but the level of criticism is way off the scale. That’s also before you bear in mind we’ve lost 3 players to season ending injuries, Welbeck is not a world beater but he’d give us a much needed wide outlet at the moment.
Pedro
I hope you are right but we’ll soon see!
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/mesut-ozil-leaves-uk-clear-14011284
Stressed out you know. Also Ramsey apparently didn’t want to stay. Various contract offers and the eventual taking away whilst being fed up suggests that. No point in rehashing Ramsey it’s a win win for all concerned imo
“Bam, also worth noting that Bruce R hit his objectives and was fired for a better manager. Better football, more innovation, more gravitas.”
That’s a little simplistic on what happened. Rioch had a major falling out with David Dein including banning him from the dressing room after a match. Dein had pushed for Wenger before Rioch was appointed and Rioch picked a fight with the wrong man.
Marko, he did.
Benny, the masses are never a good gauge of the right path forward.
If there is one sliver of good news for all AFC fans – with this Raul/Emery debacle. And When the inevitable happens- they are sacked and paid off… and a new management and executive team brought in to great expense . And the crowds have dwindled to ridiculously low levels and the apathy is too entrenched. The Kroenkes will feel so exposed. And They no longer have Wengers shield- to hide behind. I think for the first time- they might actually contemplating selling. I think they would be very reluctant sellers…. But I have a hunch- if things continue to… Read more »
I’d take Juventus over Emery’s Arsenal without question. And on better money. What’s there to decide?
Marc,
So you think it’s good management to opt for a path that you know won’t deliver?
Seems an odd approach.
You want to outscore the other team because you can’t organize a defence. Yet you seek the least creative setup to achieve this objective.
Petit: “I have huge respect for Ozil but the Ozil I used to watch years ago, he was one of the best attacking midfield players in the world, he was a pleasure to watch”
“Now it’s not even a pleasure or a desire to see him in the team because he’s lost it”
“Ozil is a big player but he’s not a big personality. He never talks. Sometimes I think he’s a ghost on the pitch”
“He never says anything to his team-mates. He never shows any emotion.”- Mirror
Ozil was last spotted on a Turkish movie set
Pedro
“Benny, the masses are never a good gauge of the right path forward.”
Maybe not but the masses are generally the group that affects changes. Wenger was fine until a) it was clear he’d miss out on CL football for the 2nd season b) the stadium was only hitting 50 – 60% capacity.
The Masses still chanted “one Arsene Wenger” at Wembley in May 2017.
That’s the same season that planes were carrying banners, people fighting in the terraces, Wenger publicly ridiculing the idea of a DoF and Palace smashed us 3-0.
Arsenal fans have a reputation and it’s not a pretty one.
“So you think it’s good management to opt for a path that you know won’t deliver?” No of course not but with the available options (I wanted Allegri but hey ho) and only a single summer TW I don’t believe the suggested alternatives touted on here would do better, in fact they are all a major risk and could cause the sort of damage you allude to. What ever you say Emery has some pedigree and track record as a manager. This was never going to be a quick fix as much as I hate saying it (I’m the most… Read more »
Pedro
I have no problem with us replacing Emery even if he accomplishes his assigned task. However, it remains the case that his task is CL football, not “play football people like”.
Marc,
Yes, you are right.
I’m not asking for change. Just pointing out the chinks in the armour.
Bamford
Step 1 – get us back in the CL
Step 2 – begin to get us playing the football we want to see.
Pedro’s in a burning house and he wants to re decorate before putting the fire out.
Bam, sure, you can keep saying it, but it’s not correct.
Arsenal did not hire a coach to shit house us to 4th. Nice bonus, but strong leadership would recognize the path we are being taken down and would rectify the path.
Which is exactly why Emery will be here until next year
Marc
You forgot to add; clear the dross from our books.
Int do much when you have the likes of Jenks still drawing 45k weekly for doing nada.
Pedro
Sorry not sure if you’re being sarcastic there!
My dad use to say there’s only one club that’s an upgrade on Arsenal… Juuuuuventus.
Dissenter
Christ that’s a job all in itself.
… working through the basics in year 2. Sure guys.
Emery having to play 3 games a week will be a disaster.
Can’t manage fitness with all the rest time the Europa affords us
Sal, Juve a great club… but who wants to move a young fam to another country? Hard enough on your own!
Pedro
It’s a little easier when you’re pulling in £5 million a year net.
Of course it’s possible that you marketing guy’s are all massively overpaid as well!
Wenger was for all and senses finished When the whole world witnessed the 3 nil home defeat against Man City
The plethora of empty red seats resonated and the exact same thing will happen with this Emery- When the season inevitably fizzles out.
ITS ALWAYS THE EMPTY SEATS THAT GETS THE MANAGER THE SACK IN THE END.
E.g. Allardyce – Everton last season – despite finishing 8th.
Pedro I’ve always thought you should write a post to explain why you backed Gazidis all that while. It will be interesting reading what guided you to reach the pro-Gazidis positions you held back then because it was so clear that this guy was a snake oil merchant. Now you’re endlessly bashing a competent professional who was DoF at Barca when you were in lock-step with the pretender whose only record was to organize CONCACAF champions league games for the MLS. Do you have any reservations about your positions about Emery/Sanllehi now since you were really wrong about Gazidis? Just… Read more »
Charlie George
Honestly when I read your bizarre rantings like when you suggested we rehire Wenger as technical director…
…I find myself wondering who let the wild dogs into this arena?
If City were to draw the winners of Chelsea / Utd in the FA Cup Qtrs it would leave a really open cup run for a few teams.
CG
“ITS ALWAYS THE EMPTY SEATS THAT GETS THE MANAGER THE SACK IN THE END.”
Well the Spud’s only pulled in 29,000 the other mid week so are you suggesting the Poch is on thin ice?
Pedro “Marc, I write for myself, you don’t have to read.” Interesting attitude to express to your readership, Pedro. Seems a little arrogant or contemptuous, no? If your readership thinks you’re being unreasonable or unfair, is there any chance you are being unreasonable or unfair? Yes, there is. You say you write “for yourself,” but is this true? Is Le Grove Le Grove without Le Grovers? Is Le Grove Pedro, or is Le Grove Pedro + the comments section. I’d say it’s the latter. And I’d say a blogger who expresses contempt for his readers (and for facts, btw) is… Read more »
Dissenter. Absolutely I don’t know how I would feel if MBS was the owner. Ruthless human being in the worst way. I was just saying in terms of ownership, I imagine he would be like the owners of PSG and City. I wish there was no foreign ownership in football. Club members ideally should control a club and it should be non-profit and live within its means. We don’t live in an ideal world though. I’d rather have the City owners than Stan. I’d rather have Stan than an owner that would medle to stroke his own ego. And I’m… Read more »
Dissenter. I realise I didn’t finish what I meant in my first paragraph. It sounds like I would be indifferent, but I would be far from that. So take 2:
Dissenter. Absolutely I don’t know how I would feel if MBS was the owner. Ruthless human being in the worst way. Not sure if I could even support a club whose owner did the types of things he is accused of doing, like human rights abuses.
Pedro
Big move indeed with big egos to deal with.
Nervy yet exciting times for Rambo, he’ll be a better baller for it in the end.
Emery’s Arsenal doesn’t compare at the moment. I bet had Arsenal offered same money before it all started looking bleak he stays, but Ozil seemed to of killed that chance. And Rambos team answered the call pulling a blinder imo.
Was just about to agree with qna about human rights abuses but turned round and saw Mike Dean on the telly as ref for the match and I suddenly find myself understanding that there are occasions when maybe some fuckers deserve it.
Marc
“”Well the Spud’s only pulled in 29,000 the other mid week so are you suggesting the Poch is on thin ice?””
If they get those crowds at The new stadium- yes!
They would also go bust.
Bam,
You are free to go to another blog that speaks to your views.
Pedro
“Bam, sure, you can keep saying it, but it’s not correct.”
This in reply to my saying:
“However, it remains the case that his task is CL football, not ‘play football people like’.”
So Pedro, are you claiming that his principal task was not to get CL football? That playing attractive football was an equal priority? Care to tell us how you know this? Please explain.
Bamford
You are a drama Queen of the Highest Order!
Dissenter, I wrote extensively at the time about why I thought Gaz should be given time.
You seem to be pretty into his decisions. A huge Emery crush and a passion for Raul. No one is more pro Ivan than you.
CG, tell me about it 😂
On a side note, I am reading a very good book called Principles by Ray Dalio.
Well worth your time.
CG
To be honest I was being sarcastic. On a serious note even with full crowds I’d love to know how they can afford the £1 billion and counting debt. I mean we were hurt when the Highbury Flats didn’t generate the amount we’d assumed due to the crash and the Emirates cost £380 million. The Spud’s have no assets that will generate extra funds other than selling off players and we all know where that leads.
Pedro
Well, my only “view” here is that you should be reasonable and fair and honest in your criticisms of the new manager, and that you shouldn’t be contemptuous of your readers.
Is this an unreasonable view?
Pedro
Sorry I don’t do Principles but then I’m a single male and a salesman!
Marc
Gawd knows – how they do it.
Borrow- like everybody else.
Shows what absolutey unbelievable job Poch has done.
And what good management ( which basically is making the sum of your parts bigger than what they should be ) can achieve
Poch- penny for penny is the best manager by a country mile in the Prem.
We have the worst.
Truth hurts.
Pedro
More arrogance, more imperiousness. It’s not a good look, mate.
Pedro
Between roles at the moment – worked for a great company who brought in a new sales manager and then a new MD which resulted in the entire sales team leaving over 18 months, I got pissed off with having the piss taken out of me and told them to poke it.
I used to sell wood based panels.
Banford Whether its being an abrupt twat with your “Wtf is this….I’m not using it” reaction to a flirt with change in the comments section, to expressing an ABCDE list of things you’d have in said change, to claiming the author is this/that for expressing his POV, it’s any wonder you haven’t set your own blog up already and ran as the moderator you so clearly feel you ought to be. I’ll take a leaf out of your book in the hope it registers… We discuss Arsenal here guy, if you don’t like the content of the blog you can… Read more »
You turned off the podcast because I said Ozil was a good or great player?
Feel like you invalidated your hissy fit with that little pearler.
Thank you CC.
It’s a choice to be here.
Disagree with the content, but when you start attacking me, it’s game over as far as the debate goes.
I love shooting the shit about football, I have no time for getting personal. It’s just football chat.
“You turned off the podcast because I said Ozil was a good or great player?”
There’s a whole can of worms in that one between “is” and “was”.
Pedro
“I love shooting the shit about football, I have no time for getting personal. It’s just football chat.”
You do seem to be more sensitive recently, I thought it was just down to your favourite boy band breaking up.
Pedro
Sorry mate, not much of an audio consumer so this one’s left me feeling a bit out the loop. I’ll cry tonight, but i’ll get over it by Friday.
Real Madrid lost again didn’t they? Spurs fans must be getting really twitchy, Poch must have half an eye on things there. Plum job.
CC
Who did Madrid lose to this time?
Pedro:
I think Bamford should ask Pedro to ban himself
Poch to Madrid would be superb. Always thought he’d be the UNited manager. Ferguson loves him
Marc
The mighty Girona. Ramos getting the 25th red of his career in the 90th minute 😂 he’s never fucking dull.
Pedro is a grown up who takes a lot of criticism with considerable aplomb. Who wouldn’t be wrong sometimes if you had to pen your views publicly so often..
Kudos to him for his resilience
Kudos to the posters who won’t fall in line too.
How to Draw a Long Bow Now that you have your wildly exaggerated preposition, you will need to scour the books for those rare events that support it. Example 1: Although 99% of rookie managers fail, ignore those and focus on the 1% that succeed. Now use those examples in broad sweeping statements to suggest the exception is actually the rule. Example 2: Success in football is highly correlated to money invested. In order to debunk this fact, focus on the examples where this did not occur. For example if a team spends a large amount of money, pick the… Read more »
‘I think Bamford should ask Pedro to ban himself’
Hahaha
Wasn’t gonna comment and just read for a while as I have a bit of a hangover from last night but couldn’t let this “gem” of a post slide.
azed
“We’ve won 65% of our games without Ozil while with Ozil, its 56% .”
Simple math, genius. It adds up to 121%. How is that fucking possible?
CC
There’s going to be some serious changes at Madrid in the summer, I expect to see a serious splurge on players and they need to get the managers appointment right.
The thing for the Poch is in modern football your star only shines for so long and you’re relevant one minute and gone the next. If the Spud’s are going to go through a similar period of austerity then he’s got to think about the once in a lifetime opportunity.
Dissenter, you do make me laugh. 😂
@bamford, I think that you speak as a fan. Kroenke is not a fan, but a business man. He is in the sport entertainment business not the sport business. If the football is dreadful and fans stop showing up. He will intervene. Winning ugly may appease some, but clearly not everybody. More importantly it will not generate new overseas supporters in sufficient numbers. Emery’s task is both to bring back Champion’s league football, but also to do in within financial constraints while generating new fans or at least stop the stadium being half empty. Half empty stadium means that you… Read more »
Upstate
That’s the genius of Ozil he can bend space time and maths!
Also, if I’m following correctly I’m to believe that Raul was completely in agreement with the 350k contract to Ozil because it was logical to assume he would have started his duties before his actual join date. Perhaps, but that is pure speculation. What is not speculation is that prior to Raul’s arrival Ivan was in charge and gave that contract to Ozil and an offer on the table to Ramsey. Within days of Ivan leaving his post, Raul withdrew that offer. Suggests that Raul was not actually in agreement to that contract. So if he wasn’t in agreement with… Read more »
Bamford
Let’s not forget that there was time when many of us backed Pedro full throttle because out views were meshed with his.
Now the ball is one the other foot, he doesn’t back the same opinion as some. His views are closer to the same people who were more sympathetic to Wenger.
We just have to live with it.
Upstate Goon… as in upstate NY?
Pedro,
You’re probably right but I was just genuinely interested to see what others outside of here thought, that was all.
I also forgot to end my post by saying you/LG were in a huge minority for a good 5 years regarding Wenger out so the same could very well be the same here with Emery.
Marc
I think Real would be mental to overlook Pochettino this summer, and I agree entirely, they’re going to turn that club upside down (relatively speaking).
Isco, Benzema, Bale could all get the chop for something shiny and fresh. Hazard is surely a cert to finally move over there, be nice to see him strut his stuff in Spain.
Champagne It looks like Pedro agreed with me — thank God — regarding that terrible embedded reply function. If he had listened to you, the blog would be the worse for it. That wouldn’t be the first thing you’ve gotten wrong, of course. You’re an AKB, after all, a guy who defended Wenger until the very end, a guy who was wrong about the most important question at Arsenal Football Club for the past decade. If we had listened to you, Professor Dinosaur might still be sitting on his hands on the bench. Or telling us that he doesn’t know… Read more »
Pedro “the personal attacks are a bit tiring. I spend so much time doing this with a FT job for some muppet to come on an attack my character because I think emery is shit.” I hope you don’t see my comments as a personal attack? I am thick skinned and can be blunt but I see this comment site as a group of Gooner’s in the pub talking Arsenal and taking the piss over a few beers on a sunny day. You of all people know that football banter can be aggressive but that doesn’t change the appreciation that… Read more »
@qna,
The NFL is a system designed to avoid dominance by a single team. Yet the New England patriots are the current era most successful team. The difference one man their manager.
In the long run, the manager and the structure behind a team are always the most important factors. Great players can provide individual moment of brilliance that provides success. However that is never sustainable over time.