Not much to report on today, the managerial drama went hyper-specific with Ornstein calling it Mikael or Patrick, but it looks very much like that was a mistake because now he’s back peddling with ‘IT COULD BE ANYONE ANYTIME COULD EVEN BE A FEMALE OR A GOAT’ and some of the other journos are keen to play up the long and winding process.
Carlo was fired by Napoli. He’s the dark horse this time. Like Emery, freshly fired because he’s a bit average these days, he’ll lurk in the background like a sexy temptation ready with a pen and a contract in the hope Raul will cave to his BIG NAME allure.
Anything is possible. Remember, this process the club are keen to drive home is running the same way it did last time, then the club blew it up and hired someone that couldn’t speak English.
Hopefully the, ‘he’s not in our profile’, is true. Rapha Honigstein said that Carlo failed to implement a style at Bayern Munich and the players complained that the training lacked intensity (post-Pep). His work at Napoli was widely panned. I think the reality is, Carlo is a galactico manager. He operates best in environments where the key role is to make people care about the work they are doing.
I think it’s highly unlikely he’s an Arsenal remedy, there’s not enough money for him. Add to that he’d be hugely expensive and he’d come with a massive entourage… I would suspect he’s very much the sort of manager Everton would end up going for. Inexperienced owners shoot for managers that have a nostalgic sexiness to them, makes them look good at dinner parties.
I think the curveball for Arsenal is Pochettino. He’s available, he lives in North London and he has a body of work that aligns very nicely with our pros and cons. The man is pure sauce, on paper, there’s no better manager in the world of football to take us on at the minute. The main roadblock is going to be that 1) We are Arsenal 2) We are skint 3) PSG job looks like it’ll open up in the summer.
Still, I’ve no doubt we’ll be talking to him this week, so you never know. I simply don’t buy the new line of ‘Freddie could do it until the end of the season’, mad departure from ‘Senior players say Freddie must go’ 7 days ago. If our execs are basing this new position on one win against West Ham, we’re in deeper trouble than I thought.
For me, it’s simple. The next 5 months is bonus time. There are no expectations. The fans can barely be bothered to go to the games, the players are at a very low ebb, no one is talking about top 4. We should be investing in a coach that is actually a coach with future proof ideas. Give them this season to make assessments of the squad, no point in waiting until the summer, half the team will be away at the Euros. We need to hit the ground running, we have to ship out at least 5 senior players that are no good, and we need to sign a DM and a center-back, and replace some weak areas. We can’t just have Edu making decisions on the squad, he needs to know who the manager is so they can work in tandem, so we don’t end up with a person that needs an Nzonzi but rolls with a Xhaka.
Also, if we are hiring in someone that has an intricate vision of how the game should be played, they will need time. Let’s have the training wheels at least partially off by the start of next season by getting the painful work done now.
Huge Liege game this evening, we need to win to progress into the next phase of the Europa League as table-toppers. Freddie has some interesting challenges to deal with, namely, who he doesn’t play.
Gabriel is a superstar talent for now, he should be on the pitch against City at the weekend. United did a brilliant job at the weekend confusing the City backline by playing 3 fast players in wide positions to stretch and disorientate. That’s a good blueprint for Freddie, so he’ll need his kids fresh, because we’re going to struggle if our front 3 is Lacazette, Auba and Ozil.
That said, there’s still plenty he can do tonight. Hopefully, everyone is feeling more confident after the win against West Ham and we can go back to enjoying Thursday night football. All we have to do tonight is avoid a 5-0 tanking, which should be doable.
Did you get a bruised banana shirt?
Will you be my yellow?
It’s back. Only in selected adidas and Arsenal stores and online. Tomorrow at 9am@adidasfootball @adidasoriginals #HereToCreate pic.twitter.com/339DsrNiyM
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 10, 2019
No, nor me… but how good is that video? Most of the joy I’ve had from Arsenal this year has come from Adidas. No messing around from them, high-performance design culture over there.
Before I go, I heard the sad news that fellow blogger, Dave, of Goonerholic, is having a rough time of it in hospital. I grew up reading his musings way back when he was part of the original set of Arsenal fans that took to the internet to entertains us on the regular. I was lucky enough to spend some time with him, we walked around Arsenal’s medical facilities a few years back. What a top bloke. Kind, knowledgeable, and great fun. When he’d tell me off on Twitter, I’d listen, the guy commanded respect, he had the sort of sauce our next manager will need to put our car crash of season back on track. Fingers crossed he pulls through, in the meantime, we’re sending big love from everyone from Le Grove. xx
Red
“I’m not turning, they have turned their back on Labour and voted for a racist dictator…”
Technically Dictators are elected in “real” elections.
I’m so happy you’re bordering on apocalyptic with rage – lala lala lala lala LOL
Red,
Do you live in the UK? Are you over 18. Were you eligible to vote?
Left
It’s hysterical that the “Remain ignore democracy it doesn’t count” individual is now calling for an immediate no deal BREXIT.
aren’t not are!!!
Even my spell checkers giddy with happiness!
“John Bercow”
Disgusting creature.
David Starkey correctly termed him a “baboon”
Ishola
That’s unfair.
Baboon’s are highly evolved intelligent creatures.
Marc
I do work in Hong Kong quite a bit, have many friends there. Very worrying times indeed. Sadly its pretty clear the protesters are being financed with no end goal other than chaos facilitating everything there supposedly protesting against. Makes zero sense.
sal
Where do you think the finance is coming from? I don’t want to make the obvious “it’s the yanks trying to cause China problems” line with no personal knowledge of the situation.
sal,
It is obviously for the purpose of getting Xi to go full Tiananmen on Hong Kong. Or to destabilise China, once the rest of the country see that the state is limp wristed about it.
SUGA
That’s why it’s scary – at some point the Chinese Government will feel the threat has gone to far and as you say go full on Tiananmen Square.
How the rest of the world will react? God knows
Hong Kong will ease off once Lam is gone.
Oh yeah, and Jess Phillips can do one as well.
Sal
The per capital income in Hong Kong is 46,193.61 USD (2017). The protesters don’t need external funding. There’s a lot of pent-up anger being let out.
Hong Kong isn’t even as important to China as it used to be, There are a few mainland Chinese cities that have surpassed Hong Kong in infrastructure and industry.
China misread the amount of resentment that the locals had. The promised it would be separate but equal, yet were trying to subvert the freedom the locals thought they had.
Left
On a serious note again! If the result mirrors the exit polls it’s going to scare the shit out of the EU. I’ll guarantee you they were betting on a close result and then fucking about on a trade deal with a view of taking down the Government.
They can’t try that now – also who do the EU think they are to try and fuck with internal UK politics – cunts.
Hong Kong should never have been handed over to China, IMO. By doing so, the west had lost the hold on the Chinese cash flow to and from the west. Big mistake.
Not debating Hong Kong on here.
You guys catch this article.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7786839/Pep-Guardiolas-secret-release-clause-REVEALED-leave-end-season.html?ito=amp_twitter_share-top
SUGA
The West had nothing to do with it – it was the UK and we had a legally binding lease for want of a better word.
I’m sure in hindsight the British Government would have bought rather than leased Hong Kong.
Marc,
Bought? Back then, it was about telling China to go fuck themselves.
Sending all the best to Goonerholic. Don’t know him but sounds like a top chap….especially if he pulls you into line Pedro! Haha
SUGA
Yeah but to refuse to hand it back would’ve resulted in war under the agreement that was done.
The Tory’s have won a seat in Northern monkey land – good grief.
Marc,
Yes Barnier was at it yesterday trying to influence the vote by saying that even if Brexit went ahead it would take years.
Marc,
I mean when the whole lease agreement was made. No leases, no deadlines. We keep HK, now fuck off.
Yeah CIA slush funds are funding the protests. That and hotdogs sold at Toronto Raptors games
it’s going to scare the shit out of the EU
I really really think you’re overestimating things a bit. I think most of Europe is sick of this shit and just wants to move on and get back to thinking of Britain as that belligerent racist uncle it tolerates at Christmas and funerals. They’ll be fine.
This could be a blessing in disguise, if it means a gost of Blairites losing their seats then it is a price worth paying for.
This could be a blessing in disguise, if it means a host of Blairites losing their seats then it is a price worth paying.
I say thank you electorate for kicking the traitors out of the Labour Party.
Red putting a positive spin on the facts.
Red really is a communist. He wants Labour to go even further to the left!
The struggle starts now, a gideon’s army of men and women fully commited to the cause is needed.
Red, it sounds like your preparing for war.
Un Na This is supposed to be a football blog. There must be hundreds of right/left blogs to go get your jollies off rather than spout off all the bs on here. Arsenal were playing last night, you would hardly know it on here though. Anyway, according to God Arsenal are scouting Ben Godfrey of Norwich. The CB is valued at 50 mil by the Canaries. Freddie on the young players “I felt sorry sometimes for our young players because a lot of them have not been on loan. So they haven’t got that exposure to play 90 minutes of… Read more »
Un hasn’t posted for hours?!
Martin Keown may have been a great defender for us but he’s a right dick as far as punditry goes. He’s giving Freddie a blast for making so many changes for last night’s game. Maybe nobody told him we’re playing Citeh on Sunday.
The Hammers tried to induce Poch to replace Pellegrinni and obviously failed. Poch saying he is not available until the summer. If Arsenal are still interested in him they’ll have to go with Freddie until May.
Arsenal possible opponents for next round:
APOEL, AZ Alkmaar, Bayer Leverkusen, CFR Cluj, Club Brugge, Copenhagen, Getafe, Ludogorets, Olympiacos, Rangers, Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sporting CP, Wolfsburg
As for unseeded teams, possible opponents are:
Ajax, Arsenal, Basel, Benfica, Braga, Celtic, Espanyol, Gent, Internazionale Milano, İstanbul Başakşehir, LASK, Malmö, Manchester United, Porto, Salzburg
Nelson
Where do Wolves fit into those lists?
So not Arteta then? Pedro, your thoughts? “Pep Guardiola’s secret release clause REVEALED: Contract agreement means he could leave at the end of the season… and while Manchester City chiefs are confident of keeping him – they are fans of Mauricio Pochettino Pep Guardiola has a release clause inserted into his Manchester City contract The details mean Guardiola could leave at the end of the season if he wishes Guardiola penned a new deal last year extending his original contract until 2021 City hierarchy remain admirers of former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino The club are confident Guardiola will stay but… Read more »
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7786839/Pep-Guardiolas-secret-release-clause-REVEALED-leave-end-season.html
Is this another ‘Gazidis’ moment for Pedro?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7786887/MARTIN-SAMUEL-Man-City-sticky-situation-Guardiola-looking-tired-Pochettino-available.html
Sorry but that was pretty grim! What’s with the Laca flicks to nowhere? Guen falling down every time he is on the ball looking for a foul? SL are p*ss poor and even our second string should have brushed them away (a better team would have buried us). Not good enough! Look at Utd tonight, no problems playing the kids. Sorry but AMN needs to be moved on, he will never have a role to play at Arsenal. As I predicted before Martinelli and ESR will make it, Saka and Willock may make it with some work, AMN and Nelson… Read more »
Red, you talk some bollocks, Blair won 3 elections in a row, you’ve lost 4 in a row. Going further left has been a disaster. The UK does not want to be socialist. Simple as that.
Tony, not sure what you’re saying? That Pep would come to Arsenal?
LOWEST NUMBER OF LABOUR MPS SINCE 1935.
Fucking embarrassing.
Pedro
It was a Brexit General Election.
Johnson could of set fire to a nursery and still won.
Red, it was a repudiation of Corbyn as much as it was about Brexit.
Pedro
It was a repudiation of Jo Swinson who lost her seat.
Corbyn got the flak for not picking a side.
“Tony, not sure what you’re saying? That Pep would come to Arsenal?”
He means Potts ain’t coming to Arsenal. At least not when there are juicy job openings still potentially available.
Also I think the folks in charge want someone they can control. Not someone high profile.
Hongkong belongs to China, remember the falklands? Imperialism has no place in todays world.
Europa latter stages look tougher than last year. I feel we will have to play strong line ups from here on, certainly from the last 16 should we make it.
Dark Hei
I was highlighting that if Pep moves on, Poch is the guy fancied by the City hierarchy- not Arteta, which takes a lot of sauce away from Arteta that Pedro has lavished on him.
Certainly raises a lot of questions and maybe the reason Arteta has been reported to want the Arsenal job.
Does it highlight concerns about Arteta’s viability to be our next coach?
I think it does.
Phew. We’re still blue.
The main question for me is; if Arteta is not considered a suitable manager/head coach for City other than as an assistant coach, then why is he thought to be a good enough head coach for us?
It has long been thought here by Pedro and some posters that Arteta’s lack of actual club and game management was covered by Him being of such high quality sauce that Arteta would take over from Pep.
Dont understand all this fuss about Arteta. Has he managed any club yet? Just because he is assisting Pep that doesnt mean he is going to be a world class manager. Going by that logic, shouldnt we go after assistants of all elite managers? How many such assistants have made it to the top? We need an established manager, not a rookie. Btwn, why is Everton not interested in Arteta?
GOH
Do you really think that is anything to celebrate?
That was a Clinton/Trump choice of neither being right for the president/PM position.
With Johnson/Corbyn both would lead the country badly just in different ways.
Fortunately, I left UK politics behind 20 years ago when I left the UK for good.
Red truth
Hahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahha
Aaaaaaaaaahahahahahahhaahahhaahhaha
Hahhahaahhaahhaahahahahahahahahahah
Hahahahahahahahahahaha
City owners are not fools to give away the manager’s job to Arteta. They are probably going to go after an elite manager like Pep.
Arteta should first manage a bottom half club and try to prove himself before running after the Arsenal job. He has zero coaching experience. He didnt inspire confidence when he was playing with us either. Would turn out to be a disaster.
Tony while you’re up
Do you think I’m martinelli’s Head?
elite manager like Poch*
Labour’s worst result since 1935!!!
Loooool
The red wall is rubble
Strange how the press yesterday we saying the election was too close to call!!!
A lot of journalists are socialists in Islington living their little bubble.
Bloody nose for all of them
Ah
Sweet remainer tears
Yum yum
Dave
Never pay attention to the press or polls
Leftist agendas and ideologies are at an end the world over.
Get over it.
There are millions of people 50 and over who don’t have Facebook or twitter accounts and who don’t do online polls who come out on the day and havetheir vote
We saw it with trump and brexit and we have experienced it once more today
Thank God.
Corbyn is dead and buried.
I had 100% faith this would happen. As it told rt two days ago
Just you wait.
#ArtetaIN
So the British public has elected a shambolic guy who cannot say for certain how many kids he has. Strange times.
Keir Starmer should be the next Labour leader. Once the northern and Welsh peasants realise they’ve been sold a pig in a poke, it should be a Labour walkover in five years’ time.
#ArtetaIN
Moray
No you muppet
The British public voted for brexit and against corbynism
Will there be a Labour Party at the next election.
They have a civil war going on within.
.???.
James
Did you see them on this morning? Just a bunch of shrill women shrieking at each other
Glorious
Down with anti Semiticism
Redtruth was delusional last night. Take it easy on him. 🙂
Un,
Makes for great TV.
I made it to 1.30am but have woken with a spring in my step. A lot of very quiet, tetchy Labour supporters at work today. 🙂
The glorious silent majority!
Surely Labour have to move to the centre. The extreme left experiment has proved to be a disaster.
Fair play to Rory Stewart. Taking it on the chin.
Tony
“Does it highlight concerns about Arteta’s viability to be our next coach?”
I would go for Potts too.
But I doubt our football executive committee have the stomach for someone with such a profile.
They don’t even want David O’Leary.
As an outsider looking in, it is such a shame that Western voters are faced with a choice of Trump/Clinton and now Johnson/Corbyn.
I am glad where I am thank you.
Where are you Dark?
CA would be an unmitigated disaster and would further sink us for a few years. Arsenal are in very serious danger of becoming Liverpool pre-Klopp if they don’t stop forking about. We’ll be on the outside looking in for years.
The standout in the TV coverage was Londoners on the street gasping in horror at the early exit poll prediction that was projected via BBC TV on a building in central London.
No different to the EU referendum.
Provincial against the metropolitan chattering classes. And once you completely lose the hinterlands you are in big trouble.
And Boris however people like to think of him as a buffoon was always going to win a populist vote over Corbyn who has always lacked charisma and had aged so much over the last couple of years.
Ishola
This wasn’t just about populism. It was about a country wanting to be heard
This is 4th time in 3 years the people have put their vote directly on brexit favoured parties
As soon as Lib Dem and labour reneged they were deserted. It’s now crystal clear which way the people of Great Britain want to go. No more doubts. A majority and the biggest and clearest mandate yet
Give us what we voted for.
Left
The lefties are all heading up to parliament today to protest
I was thinking of heading down there with my Union Jack and laughing at them.
But I’ve got severe sinus pains and may have to just go home and get under a blanket and watch the melt downs remotely
We need to vote now for our next manager!
When’s that going to happen?
Justice served