Come on everyone, be strong, not long to go, just one more week of relentless boredom over the international week, then we can return to politics. I’m kind of hoping that Jezza Corbyn will continue his epic ‘TAKE IT BACK’ campaign to The Arsenal. Take the club out of foreign ownership and fund it using the power of the nation! Free tickets for everyone. A beautiful vision of the game.
I’d vote for that.
The Mirror is reporting that Unai Emery has been given 4 easy games to save his job. The club are trying to make things as simple as possible for the manager to stay in place until the end of the season. I think more and more folk are convinced he’s on a 2-year deal, which runs counter to David Ornstein’s info, but would make a lot of sense considering we have a contracts man as dastardly as Huss Fahmy overseeing things. That technically makes it cheaper to keep him, but if he misses top 4, the math doesn’t look sexy.
The laughable part about the whole leak, which probably didn’t come from Raul or Edu, is the club don’t think sacking Emery will change things.
That my friends, has been the crux of my confusing point over the past few weeks. Emery is bad. Really bad. But binning him off isn’t the only solve. My bigger worry is that Edu has been here for quite a bit now and the feeling still remains that we’re in trouble regardless of what we do with the manager. That says we’ve not moved the needle on infrastructure, because well-run clubs can survive an Emery (look at Leicester).
What happened to Raul’s beautiful vision he shared this summer? Perhaps we gave too much of it over to bad decision makers. If the head of the fish is rotten, you know the rest. To still be at the start of a transition 18 months after Arsene Wenger left is quite something, especially when you consider the football upgrade was well underway before he was binned.
I’m not down with the doom and gloom though. I know that there are lots of problems at the club and they go beyond the man in the dugout. But a lot can be done with a galvanising figure running the show.
Firstly, a better communicator can sooth the fans and give them a realistic overview of what’s going on. The next manager has to be a statement about the next 3 years, not a hopeful gamble on the next 5 months.
Secondly, a better coach with clearer intentions will help the team immeasurably. Do we have the perfect squad? No. Has anyone ever stated that we do? No. Coaching goes an awful long way in football, and it’s clear we’ve not been getting our share of it. Whatever you think about our expensively assembled squad, the reality is it finished 2 points off 3rd last season, then we spent a fortune in the summer to upgrade it (and added some tasty young kids to the options list). We need a coach that can work with the talent he has and create an offering that is more than the sum of its parts. Nagelsmann did a brilliant job of that when he was at Hoffenheim. Potter built a mini Patriots when he was at Ostersunds, focusing heavily on rehabbing ‘finished’ players into a positive culture, massively out-batting his average. Marco Rose instilled his 11 principles into Salzburg and had them flying high in the Europa League and smashing an invincible season. Arsenal’s players look so bad at the moment because they have a drab manager that doesn’t know how to get the most out of them. We’re Leicester last season (and the season before that).
Thirdly, OUR biggest weakness, Granit Xhaka, is trying to exit the club. This is such a magical gift. So beautiful and pretty. If the club can kick into gear and find a replacement for him in January, it could restart our flagging season. We can target a mobile defensive-minded midfielder that wants to play with discipline. I know it’s a tough ask, but we managed to find a 25 goal a season striker 2 years ago with little problem and there might be clubs willing to sell after the first batch of teams exit the Champions League.
Arsenal is in a mess of its own making, but that should never be an excuse for inaction. Businesses make mistakes all the time, the key to fixing them is to generally own up to what you did, assess what the core issue was, then rectify it fast and hope no one notices. Throwing your hands up in the press and saying, ‘we’re fucked whatever we do’ is embarrassingly defeatist.
I think one of the biggest misses with Emery centres around his inability to create a culture. That problem stems from a lack of vision. If players don’t have anything to believe in, why would they adhere to a set of behaviours or actions that support the cause? That’s why we have a captain that still thinks his reaction to the fans was cool. That’s why we have players liking salty posts on Instagram. That’s why half efforts on the pitch aren’t nipped in the bud.
Find a manager that can focus the players around an exciting vision, then build a culture that supports it. How hard can it be to find a manager that can deliver on such a basic requirement of the job?
That’s why I’d support finding that manager in January. Get the grim December out of the way, put the feelers our for a manager with a vision and a plan, then when the tough games are done, see what they can do over the next 5 months. At worst, the groundwork for next season can be laid, at best, maybe the players make a run for top 4.
Right, PART 2 of my podcast with Matt Scott is below. Listen to it, enjoy it, share with a friend. It’s that straightforward.
Un,
The first item on the agenda for Emery’s successor is to actually play an actual DM in the DM position.
For the moment that player is Torreira. It’s clear that a major source of his unhappiness is not England, English weather, or the pace of the Premier League: it’s the fact that he’s either played out of position or not played at all.
@China : yeah right… lol
Edu do ……….. “”””””At the very least this squad should have us comfortably in the top 4″”””””” That is a falsehood. Granted we have the worst coach in the history of coaching( Sorry Mr. Scott) But Bill Shankly could not get this soggy lot top 4. We are so slow, so static and so ponderous – we are making Big Willie Young look like M’bappe at times. On paper its the worst back 4 in Arsenals history. We re not fit for purpose. Arsenal will not play a Champions League fixture for some time. ( maybe 5 more years?) And… Read more »
Pierre
At least we can agree on that.
You’d have been made redundant on here if those first two “mistakes” had been rectified.
Arsenal Menu
genduzi, cebolas, sok, luiz, holding ,tor, sead= painfully slow
laca and xhaka = want out
PEA= 31
leno= wanted by bayern
pepe= only has 1 leg
tierney= injured
martinelli= saliba = sellable assets.
we are on the way to the Championship in fact!
But we will be back- not sure when though!
“Give wenger the squad we have now and we’d be much better off” No we wouldn’t. Wenger left us in 6th place in his last season, Emery finished 5th in his first. We’d still be conceding the same stupid goals, playing the same kamikaze football with dangerous high lines we can’t defend, and would still play the same way every game where the opposition would know exactly how to deal with us. We’d also be playing sideways crab football with endless passing trying to walk the ball in the net. We had over 5 years of that in the end… Read more »
Reports stated that Edu was the main driving force behind the Academy scouting department restructuring. So he has been doing thing behind the scene. The big question is why has he not be so active with the first team? Before we start casting stone at Edu, maybe there is valid reasons for that inactivity. Is he still finding his feet? Making change to the academy scouting department that was not working harmoniously with Per is much easier than changing the first team coaching staff. Does he even think that changes are necessary? Is he allowed to make those changes?According to… Read more »
CGNovember 16, 2019 14:31:01
bd
Are you undergoing gender alignment therapy.? ( if you are it-it now makes sense)
You are more absurd, more whimsical than even my second ex wife was.
You should team up…..
get on like a bloody house on fire!
crackers!
>>>>>>
CG, I asked you what you meant by this yesterday but you didn’t reply?
CG
During your first time on here, according to you, we were bottom half PL material, now we are a Championship team.
As usual, a slight exaggeration on your part. However, what I will agree with you on is that if Emery is allowed to continue on his merry way, we will be struggling to make top 10.
Edu has done only two things of note- since he arrived on the AFC gravy train.
1) get his son signed up.
2) oust the respected Morrow ( who was a threat to his position)
there are words for people like Edu.
CGNovember 17, 2019 10:18:52 Was it not just heartening to see Tony Adams walkout on to the Wembley pitch the other night with Martin Keown. I am sure – just like me – all my fellow Le Grove patients noticed him wearing his red and white scarf . He didn’t need to as it was an English FA function. Adams/Keown /O Leary is proper Arsenal. Not these cockroaches ( josh/raul /stan) we currently have destroying our very fabric and D.N.A. And as sooner we get these titans back in the club in some capacity – the quicker our road ro… Read more »
Graham
clearly we are not going down this season and probably not next.
but we are going………..
batten down the hatches!
thanks Bd
Tick Tock.
#WeWantOurArsenalBack!
Man City looking at hijacking the Upamecano transfer.
Bloody knew that would happen.
Does anyone else on here fear Southampton this weekend?
Draw or lose and Emery’s a goner.
CG taking over. Though suggesting that we have a poor squad could be seen as a reprieve for the poor job the managers doing.
Anyway somebody was asking about what Edu’s doing and well it seems he might be trying to get one of the best young talents to come out of Brazil for a while to sign for Arsenal.
Valentin @ 12.51:
Very valid points abut Edu. I would emphasise that he has been largely invisible since arrival and his impact has been almost non-existent. I totally accept the change in the scouting operation may prove helpful in the long. But in the long run we are all dead.
*in the long run.
Impact largely non-existent? He was logically speaking the person behind the signing of Martinelli and his impact is non existent? I dunno what people want him to do be more in front of the cameras? Be a bit of a mouthpiece I suppose. Reports are he’s being working and vocal behind the scenes talking to the team after the latest poor performance. I suppose he needs to be more loud and up front for people to think he’s doing a good job
Marko:
I naturally accept that Martinelli has been a very positive acquisition. He looks avery good player and I sincerely hope we can keep him.
But the structural and opertional problems at Arsenal will not be solved by an 18-years old Brazilian.
*operational
What structural and operational problems?
Marko
You’re joking, right?
“Does anyone else on here fear Southampton this weekend?”
Edu and Raul don’t.
Graham stop I’m talking to a reasonable and seemingly sensible chap in Michael
Marko Structural: Ownership by an American billioaire absentee landlord not interested in football; A person who shields his business interests in Delaware to avoid normal scrutiny; Kroenke’s failure to invest in the club (all spending at AFC has been financed internally from our own resources – the only major club in the country which is not directly supported by the owners ) ; total failure of corporate responsibility to permit Wenger and Gazidis to run down the club for a period of many years. Operational: Emery appointment; team performance; failure to address the serious long-term flaws in team (including defence,… Read more »
Michael I thought you were actually going to talk structural and operational problems . I don’t think talking about the kroenkes and where they keep their money counts as structural discussion and operational to me it seems like the criticism stems from not sacking the manager in a timely fashion which is fair enough. Structurally though and in operation we’re going along with the same model as most European clubs now which is fine. Operationally we seem to be working at a slower pace though I suspect that when Emery is sacked and a better manager comes in all of… Read more »
Mark: How is discussing the ownership of the club NOT a structural issue ?
Marko. Apologies I missed the “o” on your name.
Michael the o is fake anyhow. It’s not a problem because the actual structure of the club doesn’t demand a hands on or hands off owner. If everyone is competent and does their jobs then the owner becomes irrelevant. We now look like we have competent people running things. All this trepidation about Raul and Edu will likely evaporate when Emery is gone and is replaced by a more popular appointment.
Fake or not, I would not wish the missing “o” to suggest anything provocative. I have long believed that the fundamental problem at the heart of Arsenal is the ownership. We can argue all day about the finer points. But crux of the matter is that for the best part of 10 years, Kroenke has owned outright or controlled AFC. During that time he was paid the wages and met all other obligations while, at the same time, presiding over the steady and relentless decline. Most notably, this involved the Weger-Gazidis years and the current mess which is aired on… Read more »
We now look like we have competent people running things. All this trepidation about Raul and Edu will likely evaporate when Emery is gone and is replaced by a more popular appointment.
Marko
We can’t be sure yet. Letting Emery continue indicates otherwise.
“We now look like we have competent people running things.”
Absolutely preceless.
Not even necessary to add the “lol”.
*priceless
Agree with Michael on this. For those who don’t think the ownership matters, just imagine if the name of our owner was Abrahamovic or UAE . Our destiny would be totally different.
HL you don’t think so? Since certain people have come in we’ve bipped Wenger gotten rid of half of the underperforming coaching staff and have improved in the transfer market. And look likely to sack another underperforming manager sooner rather than later. It’s not perfect but it’s competent.
‘Since certain people have come in we’ve bipped Wenger gotten rid of half of the underperforming coaching staff and have improved in the transfer market. And look likely to sack another underperforming manager sooner rather than later. It’s not perfect but it’s competent.’
Since when did us being worse off than before equate to competent??
We’d be getting the best coaches, Pep, Ancelloti, Conte etc instead of second bests like Emery and some of the underwhelming names they had on the 8 man shortlist.
We’d also have some of the best players in the game instead of some of the second rates players we got.
There are other positives too.
“HL you don’t think so?”
Edu and Raul obviously don’t give a fuck of our results, so NO, I don’t think so.
Unfortunately, I doubt the best coaches like Pep, Conti, Ancelotti etc would accept the head coach rather than manager role the club reportedly demands
TBH, surprised if Jose or Luis Enrique would either
Un na nai You make valid points. The stone cold truth is that Arsenal football club have not benifitted from the stadium move. When you compare the last 12 years at the Emirates to the last 12 years at Highbury, we have won fewer trophies, finished lower in the league on average and most importantly, when you look at the squad we had during our last stint at Highbury, our current squad doesn’t bear comparison. We can’t go back though, so the question should be this: How does arsenal regain it’s soul because at the moment the club has about… Read more »
David Smith
Of course they wouldn’t want to come to the Arsenal of today. That’s my point though. Cuz If we were under a better management or ownership then it’s a different story.
“But the structural and opertional problems at Arsenal will not be solved by an 18-years old Brazilian.”
Micheal
How do you propose Edu takes care of the structural problems?
Should he order the Kronke’s to move their company from Delaware?
Unfortunately, I doubt the best coaches like Pep, Conti, Ancelotti etc would accept the head coach rather than manager role the club reportedly demands Don’t agree with this whatsoever it’s the exact same structurally speaking as every major club in Europe does successfully. Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, Dortmund all of them hire head coaches and not managers anymore. They have DOF doing the signings and all that shite. Even the names mentioned Conti, Ancellotti etc well Moratta at Inter Milan does all the recruitment and all that and literally Conti like at Chelsea is the head coach. I’m not going to… Read more »
Azed: “How do you propose Edu takes care of the structural problems?
Should he order the Kronke’s to move their company from Delaware?”
I was responding to a point raised by Marko. He suggested that Martinelli was a sign that things were imporoving. I merely suggested that an 18-years old Brazilian was a very good addition – but not the answer to the fundamental structural and operational problems at Arsenal. I was not suggesting Edu is the answer.
“According to some, Arsenal is so skint, it can’t afford to get rid of Emery and his staff. Others are arguing that he can’t do it until Josh agrees.” Valentin I asked you a question some days ago and you haven’t still responded. If Raul were to fire Emery now, the club would have to pay Emery off. Who authorizes the payment? You cannot talk about firing Emery without talking about his payout. You can’t also talk about firing Emery without talking about hiring a new manager and that also cost money so please tell us who is signing the… Read more »
Micheal
That’s ok.
Many people are expecting Edu to do what they like forgetting that Josh Kronke is the boss and nothing with a serious financial consequence would get done without the Josh approving.
I think it’s sad that you have to pay off underperforming managers in order to fire them in the first place. Where is the accountability ?
Might become a manager myself at this rate, since it’s a win-win all round.
Alexander Henry Thanks How does the club regain its soul? Well it has to embrace its past, it’s rich heritage and it’s fanbase. That means stop refusing English people entry if they are carrying the English flag It means bringing through young english lads who we can identify with It means to bring our old badge back with our old motto Victoria Concordia Crescit It means change that shitty desert shit hole stadium name and change it back to Ashburton Grove or the New Highbury or something we can be proud of. The fucking emirates makes me sick. It means… Read more »
“I think it’s sad that you have to pay off underperforming managers in order to fire them in the first place. Where is the accountability ?”
I’m pretty sure most jobs give you a pay off even when you are fired for underperforming .
The new badge is shit. I can’t stand it. It’s like some sort of cartoon sticker rather than the old Victorian style embroidered badge we had.
The version (99 I think) with the gold trim was my favourite.
Not just English lads but British and Irish
Like we’ve always had.
Not the whole team. But a few stalwarts. That’s what arsenal always were.
Azed, I have already answered twice. It is a bad choice as neither will bring long term success. If a new DoF were to bring extremely talented players that Emery likes. He can get top 4. However that would be the extend of his ceiling with some cup competition. On the other hand, if Raul stays and continue to buy mostly overpaid mediocre that the headcoach does not like, then there is no chance of improvement. An extremely talented coach would be able to extract top 4 and some cup competition victory, but again that would be the extend of… Read more »
Alexanderhenry Our hierarchy, as we all well know, do not have the core values of the fans at heart. I’m talking about “our values” not the gobbledygook they promote. Any owner with a knowledge/understanding of such issues would have not, imo, have sat through the past few weeks without acting. Look at the Wenger shambles. Kroenke could have and should have acted sooner, but he didn’t. The consequences of these weak and ineffective decisions have severe consequences on the entire club. Do you think the Liverpool/ MC / Chelski ownership would have sat back and accepted what our inept owners… Read more »
“Unfortunately, I doubt the best coaches like Pep, Conti, Ancelotti etc would accept the head coach rather than manager role the club reportedly demands”
@David Smith : exactly!!
All those who dream of those coaches at Arsenal…
Well, it will still a dream. lol
I doubt many top coaches would have walked in 18 months ago.
Club in transition, angry fans, ugly squad all under the shadow of a once legendary manager.
Ironically, Emerys failure may make us more attractive to the prime managers.
My diatribe sounds a lot better if you imagine Greta Thunberg reading it back to you….
Azed, What are you arguing about? The point that I made about Edu was there maybe external reasons why he has not yet made any change to the first team. I used your own argument as one of the reasons. You don’t seem to accept that the guy in charge of contract Raul does not write the legalese part of the contract, but still decide the overall content. The same way if you buy a property and you want to make sure that some of fixtures remain, you instruct your solicitor. He then write the legal section about it. Lawyers… Read more »
It really doesn’t Don it’s not your club it’s a global club with fans throughout the world. You don’t get it back by signing up British players cause it’s was never yours to begin with
Well said Marko
I don’t think Arsenal gets sorted out by signing overpriced English players or by hiring an average English manager. And I can be corrected but off the top of my head I can’t think of any great English ownership competing for major honours in the premiership. I said English because even though you added British and Irish in to hide your xenophobia you really meant just English. I’m not just saying this because I’m Irish but I can’t imagine how utterly shite and boring Arsenal would be an English manager an English owner and mostly English players. Bland and boring… Read more »
From a pure “football is ultimately entertainment” perspective, getting rid of Emery and replacing him with a coach with a track record of playing successful and entertaining football is enough for me. Since the end of last season and all through this season we’ve played like a mid-table club worried about slipping into the relegation zone. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. There’s nothing wrong with making mistakes and firing a manager if his brand of football doesn’t fit with the squad and are looking to play and the supporters are hoping to see. If Rodgers is… Read more »
Oh and one suggested extra requirement of any new coach is that they must be prepared to play a DM in defensive midfield.
No registas please, and no DMS playing as CAMs, wing-backs or auxiliary strikers.
replacing him with a coach with a track record of playing successful and entertaining football is enough for me.
Successful AND entertaining…if that wasn’t enough for you I’d suggest you sort yourself out
Oh and one suggested extra requirement of any new coach is that they must be prepared to play a DM in defensive midfield. This a million times words. My barest requirement for the next manager of Arsenal is simply replacing Xhaka at the base of the midfield. Address the midfield it’s that simple. It’s not that hard I believe and old Granit has forced the issue thankfully because originally I was worried about some possible managerial appointments and whether they might actually like to try him out for a bit (Allegri liked Khedira for example maybe he’d like Xhaka) but… Read more »
Nah Tetleys is shit. I actually like the strong Mark’s and Spencer’s tea you get
MarkoNovember 18, 2019 17:48:37 It really doesn’t Don it’s not your club it’s a global club with fans throughout the world. You don’t get it back by signing up British players cause it’s was never yours to begin w Jackeen. It was always more mine than someone in Beijing or Lagos. Sorry but it’s part of my culture. I grew up in London and that means something. It’s like trying to pretend the super bowl means as much to me as someone raised in the states. It doesn’t. Arsenal threw tradition and heritage out the window for globalism. Even Chelsea… Read more »
MarkoNovember 18, 2019 17:59:35 I don’t think Arsenal gets sorted out by signing overpriced English players or by hiring an average English manager. And I can be corrected but off the top of my head I can’t think of any great English ownership competing for major honours in the premiership. I said English because even though you added British and Irish in to hide your xenophobia you really meant just English. I’m not just saying this because I’m Irish but I can’t imagine how utterly shite and boring Arsenal would be an English manager an English owner and mostly English… Read more »
It was always more mine than someone in Beijing or Lagos. Sorry but it’s part of my culture Again not yours never been yours. Dunno why you’re bringing culture into it it’s best manager was french it’s record appearence holder is Irish and it’s very best players have ranged from French and Dutch to Spanish and Irish. Some English in there sure but very much overpowered by a foreign influence. Even now you’re spouting English players at Liverpool as a way of justifying your thinking while completely overlooking that if it wasn’t for a Brazilian goalkeeper, a Dutch defender, a… Read more »
In this day and age you can’t not have a global fan base. It is simply the way the world is, sports in the US are followed very keenly in Europe and I have seen first hand how passionate they are. With the advent of modern technology and social media it is easy from people afar to follow the club and personally I welcome anyone from anywhere in the world. However I also respect the tradition of the born and bred Londoner whose grandad stood on the old Clock End et al. It is important to retain these roots as… Read more »
Marko
Yes. I’m sorry. I just will never agree. It’s like me turning round and trying to make out Boca Juniors means the world to me and that I get it with zero Argentinian blood.
And yes culture does have to do with it
Chris
Not saying don’t have a global fanbase but don’t sell out your club and it’s heritage for it.
Juniichi Inamoto? Excuse the spelling. We didn’t sign him for his talent.
No one’s looking for you to agree to anything you’re just wrong.
Un
I think you spelt it perfectly actually. Yes that was a strange singing much like Park Chu Young. However other clubs have made signings such as this.
I meant to say also that I dislike our current crest as much as you do, and I am thinking it is almost 20 years old? Hopefully the club changes it soon and better still holds consultations with fans about a design. Although that worked spectacularly well for Leeds.
Marko You still need some core British player’s in there Do you really think I’d turn round and so may to the next Bergkamp, Freddy, Th14, Vieira or RvP because they aren’t British? Nope. Even the next Guendouzi or Martinelli. I love it when an exciting youngster bursts in the scene no matter where they are from I do feel you need that British core though. The likes or bergkamp, Vieira and Henry learned what it meant to be a Gunner from Keown, Adams, Dixon, Parlour and seaman, Wright and Merson Listen to their interviews. They all say you need… Read more »
MarkoNovember 18, 2019 18:46:15
No one’s looking for you to agree to anything you’re just wrong.
No
I’m not. I was asked my opinion on matter and I have given it. That’s the direction I would like to see the club take
Fuck off the shitty stadium name
Bring back the old badge
Get some proper traditional arsenal players in there and decorate the team with the exotic flair players to compliment the young talent.
I’ve made no secret of these views
It’s not news
The empty stadium will do the talking. So many tickets becoming likely available for fed members for games like City, Chelsea and United. Some emails saying up to 4 tickets per membership. (Even if it is a Christmas rouse) That’s a massive indictment to the current situation. So many tickets available. I partly agree with Un here, you take the tourists away, the day trippers. The ones who pay and will go to watch Arsenal no matter how shit – are the fans raised on The Arsenal, grew up in and around the manor and ones willing to travel to… Read more »
The stadium doesn’t feel as hallowed as Highbury yet for sure, but in relative terms it is still a young stadium. Hopefully we will witness a league title claimed on home turf, a win in the Champions League semi final, all these memories to build a bond with it. No question we had to move, once expanding Highbury became impossible. However as has been discussed here before some items of the design and a lack of character to start with was disappointing. I do believe it has the ability to be a fortress in the right conditions, singing sections to… Read more »
Chris Yeah other clubs have but other clubs have Terry, Cole, j cole, Lampard, Duff, Jody Morris, Glen Johnson, Sean Wright Phillips Scott Parker along with their foreign legends Other clubs have Gerrard, Carragher,Fowler, Owen, Sturridge, Milner, Henderson, Robertson along with their foreign legends They keep that tradition going. They make an effort to ensure there is that value and tradition of young British players as link to the fans. We don’t. Other clubs also charge their fans less than us and don’t dismiss the concerns of fans publicly. Chelsea still have the bridge Man U still have old Trafford… Read more »
Once we lost Campbell Cole and parlour it was the end.
Every team needs its local heroes. It’s parlours and what not. It needs that identity.
In other news prince Andrew has dug a right hole for himself. He’s fucked. Nobody is buying his bollocks
What a sleaze bag man
Having a core of British players is important for any club, in England. No doubt the fans of Juventus/ RM/ Bayern/ Barca/ PSG etc wouldn’t be too happy if their club lost its national identity. If you lose the feel for the country, you lose the the feel for your club. That’s, imo, when it all started to go pear shape for Arsenal. Once the likes of Adams/ Dixon / Winterburn/ Keown/ Bould/ Parlour/ Cole/ Seaman/Wrighty left the scene, Arsenal Football Club was never quiet the same. Gelling them with DB10 and our wonderful French connection plus Freddie/ Gilberto/ Toure/… Read more »
The defensive/ holding midfield has been an ongoing problem at Arsenal for a number of years. The way I see it is, the holding midfielder is a player who rarely ,if ever is ahead of the ball. If you look at other top premier teams , they all have a more effective midfield systems than Arsenal although all are slightly different. Liverpool play 3 in centre midfield, and I think it’s fair to say that the 3 are rarely ahead of the ball in open play, though on occasions one will support the strikers if they are pressing to break… Read more »
Un na naai
I’m with you on this.
Those that don’t feel the same don’t understand the ethos of all Football clubs, whether they are British, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian etc
Very nationalistic tonight.
Super-duper.
If you lose the feel for the country, you lose the the feel for your club.
Absolutely stupid
Very nationalistic tonight.Super-duper.
Glad you said it and not me. At least others are more cryptic and subtle but not you Graham
Personally, it makes no difference to me what nationality anyone is within the club as long as the football on the pitch is of sufficient quality. If Arsenal were top of the league and playing superb football , no one would give a toss which country the players and management come from. Arsenal fans still talk about Adams, Keown and parlour, but in all honesty, do England produce players of this ilk any more. Milner is probably the last of a dying breed, all the kids come through now at the top level play a different game compared to 20/30… Read more »
But a strong British core, agree 100%.
as long as the football on the pitch is of sufficient quality.
So little to no English players then.
Thanks Marko you made me chuckle with your 20.00 post.
Bob I can’t take all the credit 100% of the joke belongs to Graham
As for a British core, we’ve now got Tierney, Willock, Holding, Chambers, Saka, Nketiah, AMN. That’s not bad going is it?
Another promising batch in the u21s and the u18s as well.
We’ve got more than enough of a British core to form a proper Arsenal identity, we just need a better manager/headcoach to get us winning again, then the name of our stadium and the Britishness of our players won’t matter.
Very true Graham
We are a British club
Marko
“So little to no English players then”
Dont speak too soon oh Irish one.
The quality of the English youth coming through is there for all to see.
The quality of the English youth coming through is there for all to see.
???
Where?
Marko
Don’t worry Marko.
Is it not PC enough for you?
Where do you originate from?
Can’t believe anyone is banging on about a British core in 2019 for a team that hasn’t had any successful English player in eons and for a country who haven’t won jack all in generations
Is it not PC enough for you?
I think you’re using it wrong Graham.