Well GOOD morning to you all.
I was thinking about that Laurent Kos contract issue yesterday, and the more I thought about it, the more I thought it was very clever.
You give an older player a 3-year deal, which is good news to the player. The clubs assumption, generously, is that they will be relevant-ish for the first two years, but then less so in the players 34th year, but they are still kept on life support with a performance related bump so it’s not offensive. Maybe the total value of the deal is front-loaded to make it more interesting to sign.
Arsenal make the final year of the deal an unpleasant place to be if the player is not playing. That gives two options: The player leaves, freeing the wage bill. The player stays and DOES NOT mail it in for the final year. The player stays and doesn’t play but doesn’t cost at lot.
Daniel Levey of Spurs has a different way of making the final year tough. He gives players a bit of premium in their contract offers. So, say you have a young Harry Kane, you give him more than he’s worth at a young age and you give him a loooong deal. Then his special sauce is putting an optional extra year in the deal, so if it gets to that danger zone where they look like they could be off, he activates the additional year. The hope is also that the player becomes more valuable than the deal as it chugs along.
You’ll remember comically that Arsenal did this with defensive superstar, Johann Djourou.
So whilst I don’t agree that we should be keeping Laurent this summer, I do like the idea of being a little smarter with contracts so we don’t have to suffer the indignity of having 60% of our squad waiting out their deals.
In more positive news, Arsenal has kicked into gear with the Keiran Tierney deal. We’re finally going to cough up the £25m needed for him. That’s super exciting, he has all the ingredients Emery desires from a left back and he’ll be a nice counter to Bellerin on the right. The Celtic fans are naturally gutted, they feel like they’ve been pillaged by an English club again, and hopefully that’s 100% true.
There are STRONG rumours from France that we’re in the race for Pepe this summer. The £80m man is looking for an intermediary club for him before he moves to a big club and that intermediary is Arsenal.
Utter tosh people. If you think we’ve been pissing around in the shame mud all summer trying to work out Zaha when we’ve been carrying £80m of gold for Pepe, you are a madman.
Though Pepe has a lot going for him, namely age and fanciness because he’s foreign, we do not have that sort of cash… and Luis Campos is not going to let his star man leave for £40m while Spurs drop £80m on a similarly valuable player.
I’d imagine the noise is that PSG haven’t moved yet and the panic is setting in with his team that he won’t move this summer.
Zaha really would be lovely. Someone that’s powerful, direct, skilful and a total bully would be a very steep upgrade on what we have at the minute. It’s just a shame there’s nothing in our mixer worth swapping. Either because the player wouldn’t go, or the player we’d swap is clearly not good enough.
It’s also worth noting that whilst we sit there and concern ourselves is the lack of wingers at the club, there are bigger issues we’re facing down.
We lost all of our leadership. Petr Cech may not have been the biggest name at the club last year, but he took over from Per Mertesacker as a big voice in the dressing room. He’s gone.
We lost Aaron. I cannot overstate what an issue that’s going to be this year. We lost his energy, his passion to move the ball forward, the threat in front of goal and obviously the deep understanding of what it meant to be an Arsenal player.
We have 1 centre back that wants to be at Arsenal next season. That really is a problem. Can someone please get Lewis Dunk on the blower right now? Whoever we bring in needs to be organised and a natural born killer when it comes to leadership. We simply cannot go into the season with Mustafi throwing himself into imaginary challenges like a lunatic every game.
I don’t know how we’re going to plug all these gaps this season. From the outside looking in, it seems like we’re in a very nightmarish place. There’s no fixed vision of where we’re moving as a club, because the person tasked with that blueprint only just landed.
Interesting looking at the Chelsea model. Bringing in a young coach, take the transfer ban on the chin, refocus the club for a year, then spend the savings surplus next season when you know which young players are going to be good for anything.
We look like we have a self-imposed transfer ban, and to be honest, it’s looking more and more like the gaps in our armour are going to have to be filled by the kids. Chelsea is like the person dieting because they’ve been slung in a Spanish prison, we’re dieting because we’re on a self-imposed Crouch End juice cleanse.
Before I go, I’m not sure who this seasons celeb right back is going to be, but how about Dani Alves? He dresses real nice and he is a WINNER. Would shift some shirts as well. Make it happen, Edu.
Right, that’s me done, see you in the comments x
Batistuta
100%
Let’s see how serious the fan base is though. Dying that. Not all of us are united on this. The yanks and the Emery fan boys/die hard wenger haters will cling to anything they can to prove wenger was solely responsible for our decline
Saying that
Not dying
“And maybe if you weren’t so clicky I wouldn’t notice how all the Nigerians huddle together and nibble off other posters for each other.”
There is a word for someone who sees nationality and race in all he does
“We’ve hired an inferior
We’ve gone backwards no doubt and we continue to slide. Look at this abomination of a summer. ABOMINATION!!! Our squad is weaker than it was 4 weeks ago never mind than when wenger left us.”
In your opinion
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/community_petitions/Enos_Stanley_Kroenke_-_Owner_Arsenal_Football_Club_fans_unite_in_warning_to_owner_Stan_Kroenke_WeCareDoYou/
There’s a petition that has just started doing the rounds on Twitter.
For whatever it’s worth, if you’re like minded it’s another avenue to exert some form of concerted pressure.
“I’ve got to say I’m really excited by the prospect of all the Le Grover’s getting out there and making life for Kroenke untenable so he sells up.Can’t wait for a break down of what the plan is.”
Honestly
How can you force a man to sell his asset??
Un
The reason so many folk like Emery on here.
Is because they are like him.
Limited, mediocre, incoherent, average, poorly endowed,Scruffy, yellow teeth etc
We are a club of Chapman,Graham, Mee,Wenger
Emery ain’t Arsenal and never will be.
I’ve got to say I’m really excited by the prospect of all the Le Grover’s getting out there and making life for Kroenke untenable so he sells up Marc Me too. I’m just made up that kroenke is finally getting some stick. Tip of the iceberg hopefully and a sign of greater things to come A football club is for the fans. Not the billionaires It’s down to us to reclaim it. We’ve let this go too far Just like the EU and Parliament. They’ve been let away with it for far too long. As John Lennon said. Power is… Read more »
“We’ve hired an inferior
We’ve gone backwards no doubt and we continue to slide. Look at this abomination of a summer. ABOMINATION!!! Our squad is weaker than it was 4 weeks ago never mind than when wenger left us.”In your opinion
Yes
That’s right. Well noticed
There is a word for someone who sees nationality and race in all he does
Erm, who said anything about race? I recognised a oatterna dm called you on it now you’re pulling the race card? Put it away for a Rainey day transplant. It’s not needed here.
“We’ve hired an inferior
We’ve gone backwards no doubt and we continue to slide. Look at this abomination of a summer. ABOMINATION!!! Our squad is weaker than it was 4 weeks ago never mind than when wenger left us.”In your opinion
Yes
That’s right. Well noticed
“There is a word for someone who sees nationality and race in all he does”
Erm, who said anything about race? I recognised a pattern and called you on it now you’re pulling the race card? Put it away for a Rainey day transplant. It’s not needed here.
Looks as if the petition has only been up about 2 hours or so and already has nearly 16 000 signatures.
The more it gets shared the higher that number will go.
Again, every little helps.
And very predictable from Un naa naa and Charlie in regards to Wenger.
Wenger was regressing.
Wenger was seen as Arsenal FC. He was the face of the club.
Under those circumstances no surprise at all that the focus on Kroenke wasn’t as focused as it should have been. Not that fans didn’t know that Kroenke was a problem.
The responses from the predictable ones today just goes to show how the focus on Kroenke would be seen to be diluted as compared to post Wenger. Clearly ironic.
Too concerned with their Arsene.
CG
Preach brother. Amen
Marc
“I’ve got to say I’m really excited by the prospect of all the Le Grover’s getting out there and making life for Kroenke untenable so he sells up.Can’t wait for a break down of what the plan is.”
Ask them again … what is the plan?
Sort of self-immolation or leaping from the London bridge, they have no discernible plan.
Right now, Kroenke is hiding away in bunker because Hughwizzy signed a petition.
Bennacer has a wonderful tournament at the AFCON with Algeria. Looks a really good player. Club could sell Torreira and Elneny then replace with Partey and Bennacer with a net cost of 5-10m pounds.
Two players who can do PL tempo.
*short of self immolation
Ishola
But Arsene has gone and the same problems not only persist but have increased in severity
So who was the problem all along?
Out went DD in came IG and Kroenke and boom. We went down the toilet. Only wengers abilty to spot and nurture young talent kept us at the top table beating Barca with song and arteta in the side.
Long way from that now aren’t we?
CGYou must be loving it? Having your theories come true through the whole year?
Are you that fucking dumb
The KROENKES lack testicular fortitude. The shirt isn’t the issue, the anger brewing within is too much hence towards the Josh.
No signings yet? Yawn and SMH.
How can you force a man to sell his asset??
Transplant
Banks do it every day around the world 😂 😂
Un naa
The problems we see with the side today are still predominately because of Wenger. The pussy players he left behind that can’t be moved on.
The shit owner is another part of the story.
Ishola Predictability is an irrelevance if you read the content of what was said. Wenger was waning, no dispute. But how was it easier to remove a former managerial giant and institution of a manager etched in the club history books over a voiceless yank that hadn’t overseen any success? How? I just don’t compute that. The “AKBs” were coined because their love for Wenger blinded them into the realities of his suitability to continue as manager. These were a majority, so what cause do you think they’d have rallied behind? 1. Getting rid of their idol 2. Getting rid… Read more »
“I’ve got to say I’m really excited by the prospect of all the Le Grover’s getting out there and making life for Kroenke untenable so he sells up” Receding & Un Opposites end of the spectrum on here but you’ve both missed that I was being sarcastic. The number of fans who comment and actually go to matches regularly on here can be counted on what one hand? Everyone talks a good game but the fact is who on here actually does anything? My suggestion for all you mighty warriors is get a red membership and start buying up tickets… Read more »
Are you that fucking dumb
Here comes enlightenment itself to share its wisdom among mere mortals
I was a never-Kroenke before there was one. I was always for Usmanov. Emirates stroller will recall the intense arguments we used to have. US based gooners issued public warnings about Kroenke at the time he started buying up these shares but are just as powerless as every one else. Everything that was predicted is coming true. We need to stand united right now and focus. I sense lot of anger but anger or passion is not a plan. We also need to realize that it will take time to turn things around. It’s going to get worse before it… Read more »
Marc
I was a member until we left Highbury
The sale of cashley and the insult of a season ticket price when offered for the new stadium (coupled with the fact I’d bought my first house that year) meant I disnt want to spend another penny on a club that were clearly starting to take the piss out of us and it’s got worse form there
Have read through #WeCareDoYou. Great!! About bloodytime. A lot of defeatest responses though from those thinking it will make no difference. Of course it will make a difference, because it at least starts the ball rolling. No response from SK will ignite the fire and believe me, if he ignores this communication and brushes it under the carpet, things could get very nasty. All fans worldwide are up in arms, fed up with the status quo and fed up with an owner who continues to show a total disregard for what Arsenal FC stands for. As a former STH and… Read more »
Good to see the good old Wenger boys are of the same thought and in unison. Warms my heart
Ishola Yes. I would t disagree that he left a crèche culture. However the rot began with the introduction of kroenke and the lax attitude to winning his arrival brought. Had a more demanding owner been around or I don’t know, a David Dein type still existed at the club then maybe our winning culture may well have been preserved. Either way one man loved the club and did what he thought was best for it and the other didn’t and did what was best for him By your own admission now that the former has gone we can all… Read more »
Marc Empty seats at the stadium always do the trick… You have a very odd way off finding negatives when anything is said or suggested as regards to getting the Kroenkes to pack it up or do better. And if you bothered to read the statement signed, most folks are not asking Kroenke to sell up, we’re asking for better in terms of the playing front, more engaged members of the board, overall we just want an owner and a board who are more in tune with the modern realities of football. You and Dissenter are always quick to put… Read more »
History has shown us Charlie that it was easier to get rid of Wenger than Kroenke. That’s all that matters.
And if in time this leads to domino affect with the two then Wenger leaving will be seen as even more necessary at the time.
Wenger’s time was up anyway.
Oh well – look’s like the Le Grover revolution has suffered it’s first two casualties. Un and Graham both former ST holders / members are ready to stand behind other fans and watch them do the work.
Never mind I’m sure all the others will be charging the barricades.
News in. Marko has a heart. It’s beating to the English drums though boy
Ishola
No, history has shown us that the target for overhaul was Wenger. You could argue too that very recent history is showing that up as a very sideways endeavour.
Like all billionaires, Kroenke is removed from day-to-day reality. He will not give a shit about the petition, the letter or the posters on Le Grove.
If people are serious about exerting pressure, he has to feel it where it matters most – his wallet. Billionaires speak only one language – money.
Write to Arsenal FC’s main sponsors to say because of Kroenke’s ownership you will not purchase any of their products, don’t buy merchandise in the shop or oinline and boycott the bars/fast food joints at the stadium.
Ziyech rumored to be joining Bayern for 30m euros. Good luck to him if true.
People can do whatever they want when it comes to Kroenke, forcing him out is not going to be as straight forward as signing petitions. Sad that this issue has been hijacked by the Arsene Wenger loyalists here,” a former managerial great” three league titles in 21 years no European trophies, i wonder what Ferguson gets to be called
Marc
Well you’ve got a ticket big gob. What are you going to do? Me and graham took a stand years ago. What have you done? Line the pockets of everyone you moan about like a fucking right numpty.
Bottle job.
Bati
I’ve no problem with the concept of getting rid of Kroenke or protesting against them – my issue is with all the key board warriors on here who talk big, expect others to throw money away whilst doing nothing themselves.
It’s not the argument I’m negative about it’s the hypocrisy of other posters.
All those giving up their tickets……
The shoreditch hipsters will take your seats!!!!!!!!!
Un
Mate I’ll be right behind you when you do something that actually makes a difference.
Like I said why aren’t you buying up tickets and then leaving the seat empty?
Samesong
No they won’t. The Asian tourists will. Hipsters don’t spend money on football
Marc
Because I think it’s better to not give them the money. That would be stupid.
Like I said. Bottle job.
Marc
What exactly is your issue here?
We’re in a state of flux (to put it mildly), and prominent online fan engagements have joined to make a statement calling for greater action and clarity from the leadership of the club.
Up you step to point fingers around the blog and claim everyone is just waffling discontent, you really do seem to think you’re the only guy that goes to fucking games. Do us a favour
Un
And you’re full of shit.
Batistuta “You and Dissenter are always quick to put down any slight criticism of the owners of the football club which is weird because we’re not exactly pulling up any trees at the moment.” If fee paying fans want to give up their season tickets…maybe that will grab their attention. I’m just applying some reality to the possibility that an online petition makes a difference. Do you really think Kroenke gives a damn about what anonymous people think when he was willing to give his home town the middle finger to take his franchise somewhere else? Disagreeing about a few… Read more »
Even if in three years we finish 8th,9th and 10th getting Wenger out of this club will always be the correct decision. Nothing sideways about that. I guess the argument now is with a better owner he would be competing for titles now or we will be in a better place. The man who signed off on box to box midfielder Xhaka The man who thought Mustafi was top quality The man who wouldn’t buy a player until he was humiliated 8-2 at United I find it astonishing someone is trying to spin facts to show that we arrived at… Read more »
Marc why do you whine like some cat looking for a bit of tuna then give it the big’un when it comes to action?
Grow a pair man
Charlie
Wenger needed to go.
I hope you are not suggesting otherwise.
There was also singing against Kroenke anti stuff when Wenger was still at the club.
That Wenger was seen as the face of the club is why he was eaten.
Now there is no face of the club.
And this in turn makes it more uncomfortable for Kroenke.
New post
CC
I’m one of the few on here who goes to matches regularly.
If someone comes up with a plan that will get results I’m all for it. I get pissed off with armchair supporters on here telling me that I should do something when they aren’t prepared to do anything themselves.
I haven’t criticised the supporters groups have I?
Dissenter
You resent everything.
If he came in and had the club purring, if he kept us where we were. At the top. We’d all be singing the star spangled banner every Saturday. But he hasn’t
So he’s a Yankee tosser 😂
“Wenger was waning”. Oh Lordy. Wenger systematically destroyed Arsenal, though not quite apparent to many fans who fell for his bullshit persona and pretenses of knowledge on any subject matter under the sun. Wenger could have placed Arsenal on a comfortable perch that teams like Pool and Tottenham would have never caught up for at least another 2 decades. Instead, he was more interested in going against the grain to make a name for himself. Well, well, well how did that work out for him? From FFP to Brexit to globalization, he always had an urge to pretend to be… Read more »
Moe
Do you own a tavern?
Receding
Just stop will you.
This all started when we heard “good ebening” for the first time.
Some people are only coming to terms with what they denied for so long, i.e. how baldly Arsenal has been run for the better part of 10 years.
Ishola There’s literally nowhere I’ve hinted or suggested he didn’t. I said he was a micro problem vs the macro. We’ve changed his seat and still have the same issues, that’s clear to all. Doesn’t mean Wenger was fit for purpose, simply means he wasn’t the primary issue facing the football club. Going back to the discussion a couple of years ago that I was comically mocked for: given the choice I’d have binned Kroenke over Wenger. Doing that would’ve taken care of Wenger, the other way around doesn’t as you suggest. Receding Usual ignorant take of what’s being said… Read more »
Hipsters don’t spend money on football
Don they do where I work!
Pass the parcel around with season tickets cause Daddy got a box there.
Un na
It’s not our fault that wealthy Britons just want to sell out and move to Monaco, Singapore or anywhere that will take their money.
I mean there are corporate boxes empty in every London stadium because of exit pf the financial; services industry from London to places like Dublin.
Why did you keep so quite when Wenger was on auto-piloting the club to irrelevance?
I bet you were chanting ‘one Arsene Wenger’ all through.
People like you wanted Kroenke to stay away… that was the manifest wish once upon a time – “yank stay away”, remember?
Marc
You come across as a bit of a prat.
Where are you based and what are your historical ties to the club.
There’s sarcasm and there’s taking the piss. You are taking the piss.
If you’re going to mock, mock the right people.
You know, the ones who supported the regime and continued to line their pockets for all these years.
As Un na highlights, you come across as a bit of a “numpty”.
Oh so now it was Gazidis who wanted Mustafi?? Didn’t know he was our Chief scout.
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1125764/Arsenal-news-Arsene-Wenger-Shkodran-Mustafi-Premier-League-Ivan-Gazidis
Guess the report above whose sources are “football london” is your source. So Gazidis now picks defenders for a manager who has been at a club for 20+ years, that is actually an indictment not a defense.
“We’re showing no semblance of change in 18 months, don’t conflate the two”
It took 10 years to damage, why should it be fixed in 18??
CC “Doesn’t mean Wenger was fit for purpose, simply means he wasn’t the primary issue facing the football club.” This is where you show up your agenda Wenger was the dominant footballing authority at Arsenal. A man that the owner publicly kow-towed to. Wenger has acknowledged that Kroenke has never denied him transfer funds. Yet you write [I believe with a straight face] that Wenger was not the primary problem. Wenger kept quiet all through. He enabled the passive ownership because it gave him unquestioned authority to pursue his mediocre experiments in his last decade. Blame Kroenke all you want,… Read more »
Kroenke was the stereotypical no-nothing hard nosed American business man who wanted to gut the club
Wenger was the epitome of everything Arsenal stood for. We all loved him [once upon a time]. He was supposed to watch out for us and protect the footballing aspect.
Together they did the great wreck, one for profit, the other for his own self-preservation.
Moe
The “Wenger was waning” comment typifies the mindset of many. That’s one of the reasons why we’re in this mess.
That’s like the captain of the Titanic coming over the tannoy five minutes before the ship sinks and saying ” I’m so sorry ladies and gentlemen, we hit an iceberg. No need to panic”
Have you also noted that those who say ‘Yeh, Wenger had to go towards the end’ , are the same folk who are now questioning every single facet of the Emery reign.
Strange that.
Wenger helped to ruin the club.
No ifs or buts.
He fudged us over big time.
Un na
Yes, I own a pair…….you want the adrresses?
Graham 62
Am with you on Wenger, but am not wedded to Emery or anyone else for that matter. I’ll be hard on Emery if he fails just like I’ve been on Wenger. Emery knew what he was getting into, so the Wenger excuse will soon wear off. Understand his predicament, but that’s why he makes a handful.