Well, things are very slow, aren’t they?
The Premier League does not seem to have a united voice on restarting the season. Players are worried about health and the bottom 6 clubs are being very vocal about their opposition to neutral grounds. The Watford Chairman spoke to The Times today and basically said he doesn’t want to finish a season in an unnatural way that could kill his club. It’s all very self-serving, but I suppose these execs have to be, they don’t run businesses, they run the circus. If they are relegated, it could be over for them.
My guess is the government are going to bottle restarting the Premier League. As much as everyone wants the football back, it seems politically toxic to go hell for leather to restart a game. Players don’t want it, there’s no vaccine, and there will probably be a big second wave coming as everyone heads out for social closeness in the newly opened beer gardens.
It’s all very depressing.
Arsene Wenger is so bored, he dialled into Talksport. He had this to say.
“I worry about the club still a lot and I watch all of the games,”
“I believe there is a culture in the way to play football at Arsenal that I want to be respected,”
“And I hope Mikel can get that back.”
The ‘worry’ comment there is directly aimed at Messrs Raul and Edu and some of the values they’re bringing to Arsenal football club.
The culture comment is a bit rich if I’m honest. Wenger absolutely crushed the winnertivity vibes at the club with his dismantling of standards, constant excuse-making, and socialist wage structures. Doesn’t make him wrong. Emery made things worse, a total joke of a manager… Mikel has a lot of work ahead, but at least he’s seen how it’s done in a modern structure. High standards, visionary ideas, and exacting principles.
It’s a huge job, but it really does help to have someone running Arsenal that actually loves what we’re about. Values was often a crutch to fend of criticisms for our failings on the pitch. Arsenal does have values though, the club does things differently, we are special. That Bank of England vibe needs to extend onto the pitch though. Values without success is kind of pointless when it comes to sport.
Footyheadlines have another kit for us to look at.
I’ll have to see it in the flesh, but it’s ok. A bit boring. Could do better in my opinion. Certainly not on the level of the current offering.
Thomas Partey update: People are still pretending they know what’s going on. I have very, very serious doubts that Arsenal are negotiating 40m euro transfer deals at the moment. Though it has to be said, I’m happy that we’re being linked to him. He’d be an unbelievably sexy signing.
Barca currently trying to bring Lautaro to Camp Nou, they are offering up to 6 names for the swap. Shows you where this summer is going. Interesting times ahead.
Right, that’s me done, see you in the comments. x
Me too Bob, was an ST holder back then. I remember Smudger pulling one back very late on that game and praying tor a last gasp equalizer. Loads of great memories (which is why I hate all that GG sides were boring crap). A favorite was the United home game when we’d already won the title without playing (as Liverpool lost to Forest), glorious sunny day, guard of honour and a nice win at home. Only fly in the ointment was conceding a goal which meant we wouldn’t have the best ever defensive record in the top flight over 42… Read more »
Oh, and singing “You can stick your f*cking two points up your arse” to the FA as well.
Marc,
Yes, different personalities but also turning to technically proficient but physically weak players when he’d had all his success with big, strong, fast and powerful players at the heart of the team. Was never going to work in the PL, teams like Bolton knew exactly how to beat us even before the kick off.
Andy
Our Wenger would never have lost at game to the 92nd club- Wrexham.
Obviously GG teams didn’t have the ‘mental strength’ when they played in Wales.
What was Wengers record in Cardiff Cup Finals?
George was great.
Wenger was greater ( and by some distance)
Watched the 5 min final again yesterday that was my first ever taste of Wembley as a 9 year old in 1979 I will never ever forget that day
Pedo
‘The ‘worry’ comment there is directly aimed at Messrs Raul and Edu’
Never knew you had the ability to read people’s minds after watching their video clips.
Barca are not offering up to 6 players they are offering 6 choices for Inter to choose 1 ,2 maybe even 3 players for the swap deal. Inter will want money tho.
As to the relegation clubs opposing relegation thing :
Id say drop reduce the no. of relegation slots from 3 to 2.
Its a good thing we now have a coach with defensive nois as Graham and a offensive phosophy as Wenger
Did anyone watch the Henry documentary yet?
Loved it especially the part when he takes a devastating shot at spuds. ‘ Celebrating a draw look at their mentality’. 🤣
CG – George would never have lost 8-2 at OT either….
Remind me who won the club’s last European trophy again??
Andy, was that the season when Limpar stopped to pull up his sock while in possession?
Wasi – no relegation and two up from the Championship. More games next season = more revenue for clubs and extra games for the TV companies. Everyone wins.
Not sure Bob, don’t recall. Really was a different era back then, more fun, drama and memories than the rather sterile over hyped Premier League we have today. On defending again I re-watched the Coventry 6-1 game and you’ll see how pissed off Smudger was when they got their goal, and we’d already won the league at that stage. Totally different mentality.
Andy “””””CG – George would never have lost 8-2 at OT either….””””” No but he did loose 2-6 at home in a league cup fixture to them instead- with that great defence. And lost at OT 4-1 as defending champions. Fact is this. It proves when Arsenal appoint an experienced and proven manager like GG or AW they can go onto achieve things. This Arteta experiment will fail because there is no evidence that it will succeed. Serious clubs that want to win appoint proper managers. Arsenal are not a serious club any more and they certainly have no intention… Read more »
People still going on about GG and AW.. One was the most successful manager in Arsenals history the other did great things also sold Rocastle {unforgivable} managed spurs and if my memory serves me right finished one season in 12th
andy
Thay could do but the TV people want a relegation dogfight this season too.
I was thinking 2 relegation and 3 up from the championship like usual.
Even if relegation was scrapped I dont think it will affect the broadcasting revenue a lot this season. Nobody’s got a lot do at their homes .
Wasi
Why have less teams go down than come up – it’d just mean 1 team does not have a fixture over a weekend.
I don’t agree that Wenger didn’t buy good defenders. Sagna, toure, mertesacker, koss the boss, were all good defenders. The area where he failed was working on the defence as a collective unit and providing them sufficient cover by utilising the midfield properly to help the defense. That’s where it all went tits up. You can ask the defense under GG to go out and do their job or express themselves but you fail when you ask the same of defenders who have never played together. Also on the matter of Saka, we definitely need to resign him. 50k -70k… Read more »
Gonsterous,
Agree with your first paragraph. Defensive unity and cohesion comes with good coaching. It appeared sometimes that Wenger just told the team to go out and express themselves and not to worry too much about what the opposition was doing. After Gilberto Silva only Song briefly provided protection in front of the back four. He went all Barcelona lite and we were always vunerable to teams out thinking him tactically.
I would imagine Saka a has already been offered what you’ve been suggesting. His agents want to make more money than that!
CG: Yes, I was at the 2-6 game, very un-Arsenal like at the time. Went 3-0 down pulled it back to 3-2 and went all gung-ho for an equalizer leaving us totally open at the back.
Arteta? Remains to be seen how that works out, some good signs but not the big improvement some claim to seen. Let’s give him at least one full season though before we pass judgement.
Gonsterous, a lot of that is absolutely right but the list of bad defenders is longer by some considerable margin than the good ones. Never was a huge Kos fan, could be great on his day but never lost the tendency to do something stupid right out of the blue. Then he acted like a complete c*nt to try and get a free transfer and make a few quid the greedy twat. Mert was a different story, we all knew his limitations but partner him with a more mobile partner and he was class. That last cup final appearance was… Read more »
Per felt “relieved” when he was not selected in his final year as a player because he was “struggling mentally”.
How will he teach the academy youngsters to have ze mental strength?
The culture of prefering meek lambs continues
Funny that Sid because he came into the cup final having hardly played and had an absolute belter of a game.
“This Arteta experiment will fail because there is no evidence that it will succeed.
Serious clubs that want to win appoint proper managers.
Arsenal are not a serious club any more and they certainly have no intention of winning anything.”
There we go, CG adamant the hiring of Arteta was a huge mistake and we won’t win anything while he’s in charge. Desperate for Wenger to come back at any cost. Sad.
Jamie
Do you think its possible for someone to provide me with the “evidence” that Wenger was going to be a success when we appointed him?
As I remember most people were “you’ve hired who?”
That Mertsacker performance against Chelsea was miraculous -one of the great all time performances- that was his first start of the season, I think he played a few minutes as a sub.
Very well respected at Arsenal.
Sid, as usual, going for the dunk and missing the basket completely. Impressive consistency and all for free.
Andy “””””Arteta? Remains to be seen how that works out, some good signs but not the big improvement some claim to seen. Let’s give him at least one full season though before we pass judgement.””””” He had one thing to do this season and that was get in the CL for the dosh to assist with the rebuild. (Forget all the guff about rhythmical pressing he spouts and inverted full backs.) Off course -it was unrealistic of him to get into the top 4 via league position with the mess he inherited from The Clown, granted. But to get knocked… Read more »
“”””That Mertsacker performance against Chelsea was miraculous -one of the great all time performances- “””””
Well said Wally.
Spot on!
Its great that Per had a great performance vs Chelsea, great memories too but being rational is about using your head not your heart, using the heart ends in tears
Im telling you for free!
Bould is well respected at arsenal too but him sitting meekly next to Wenger was tragic
You are such an arsehole CG.
Going to ignore you for another week, cretin.
Funny how Brighton now have Covid problems. They don’t want to complete the season so they can stay up.
It’s going to be a mess as they all have an agenda to avoid relegation.
CG At last you’ve admitted it. Serious clubs, which we haven’t been for a very long time, don’t allow has-beens to continue to rule the roost well beyond their sell by date. Ever since Wenger left you’ve rejoiced in seeing Arsenal struggle. It’s as if you want us to fail. Do you? Is that what it’s all about now for you? Ridiculing all and sundry just to justify how great we were under you know who. Rain check, WE WEREN’T! If and when football recommences, I’ll be happy to see my team playing again, even it’s behind closed doors and… Read more »
Give Liverpool the title.
All other positions are final.
Relegate the bottom 3.
Promote the top 3 from Championship.
Stop all the bickering and get on with it.
Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures.
Graham
Villa have a game in hand and a win would put them clear of the relegation zone.
You’d be opening the league up to years and millions of pounds worth of legal battles.
dave
You cynical old bastard!
Marc
Yep conspiracy theories are out there!
Th same has happened in Germany.
Maybe we could play five a side!
I suppose you could play just the games in hand so all teams have played the same amount of games then call it a day.
Whatever happens there will be endless argument.
dave
“I suppose you could play just the games in hand so all teams have played the same amount of games then call it a day.”
Doesn’t work – one team’s played Liverpool, City, Chelsea, Leicester, Arsenal, ManU and the Spud’s twice another still has to play all of them again. You can’t impose a £100 million penalty on a business based on luck of the draw.
The season either has to be written off or completed.
Marc
Yes it’s a messy one whatever happens.
It highlights the amount of money that’s in the game now.
Completing it is fraught as the relegation sides now realise that they can create problems so that it cannot be completed to their advantage.
The meeting tomorrow will probably not resolve it as Brighton will now play hardball.
Just give them a points average then.
Marc
Ok, fair enough.
As it stands AV have 25 points from 28 games.
0.89 points per game.
Add 0.89 to 25 and they’d still be relegated.
Unfortunate, but fair.
Still get their parachute payment.
dave You’ve got 6 teams either in the relegation zone or within 2 points of it – it won’t just be Brighton playing hardball. Southampton are 7 points clear of the relegation zone but have picked up 1 win in their last 5 matches. I’m firmly of the thought that we won’t have European football next season, even played behind closed doors the traveling for players and staff just risks too much exposer. With that in mind if we can’t finish the season outside of the TV money issue there’s not much to argue about. If there’s a need to… Read more »
Playing just the games in hand would not be fair, as this would imo favour Villa. Closed doors and all that.
It should all be based on actual games played.
Simple.
Graham
It’s easier and fairer to write the season off – just because you have sympathy for the Scouse vermin isn’t a real reason to give them the title!
Do it once and they’ll demand it every season.
Well done Boris.
Don’t follow the American model.
Agree with Marc, void the season, promote the top 2, no relegation. That way the only possible litigation would be from Championship teams in or around the play off places but they would have a much weaker argument and at least aren’t going to suffer big losses as a result. The PL could even bung the Championship sides some cash to sweeten the deal.
Lower down the league I’d move it to a north/south regional competition as was years ago. Would cut costs for smaller clubs who desperately need to do so.
“Whatever happens there will be endless argument.”
Write the season off and the only ones bitching will be the Scousers – so no change there then.
Johnson’s lucky that he looks like a genius compared to Trump.
Marc
No they won’t because this is “unprecedented”
They’ll have plans set up should this happen again.
76% of the season completed.
I know we have Liverpool haters on here but even if was MC/ Chelski/ Leicester or even Spuds in the same position, I’d be saying the same thing.
I suppose it would be payback for the five years lost in Europe through Liverpool .
Its tough but that’s the way it goes.
I think in a couple of months things will look a lot better.
Bob N16
Anyone “looks like a genius compared to Trump”
dave
If this vaccine being developed by the lab in Oxford is effective – we should know in the next month or two and come September when it’s approved we’ll see a massive change in how we can approach this.
During that time hopefully improved treatments are found and an anti body test is also developed.
“No they won’t because this is “unprecedented””
Who’s the they?
My oldest friend is a director for AstraZeneca. He’ll tell me nice and early if the vaccine they’re developing has legs.
Can’t see football resuming until a vaccine/effective treatment hits the market. Players all over Europe are still testing positive on the daily.
Jamie
That’s some site they’ve built up in Cambridge – the CEO was on TV last week (I think I’m losing all sense of time) saying they’d know in June / July if it worked.
Won’t hurt their share price either!
Marc –
They’ve already had an early bounce after the partnership announcement with Oxford. It’ll skyrocket if they’re the first to market.
My friend has been in China for 12 months. His wife and kids are stuck in Australia unable to travel. Hasn’t seem them in months. Pretty grim. Hopefully the money’s worth it..
seen*
Jamie
I’m pretty sure his package includes share options – if the vaccine works there’s going to be 7,700,000,000 people wanting it!
It’s tough now but it’ll work out.
The prize is so massive , but time is the enemy as trials take time.
But they will have something by August if the government allow some corners to be cut.
Just watched Liverpool v Bournemouth Aka would be a useful player very versatile mid player.
dave
From what I’ve heard the Oxford vaccine will have passed testing as to whether it’s effective by June / July – if that’s works then it’ll be known by September if it’s safe for human use.
The lab was putting out statements a month ago saying they were so confident that it’d work they were going to have a million doses manufactured by September so as soon as it’s approved it’s ready to go.
With the companies in partnership now I’d say they’ll have plenty more than a million doses by September if all goes well.
“I think in a couple of months things will look a lot better.”
Based on your medical background, or the fact that you’re an illiterate geriatric?
Alex
Hopeful geriatric at best!
I did get my Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
Marc
Fingers crossed, there are some very clever people out there doing their stuff.
Pierre
“Strangely enough, we only started winning trophies again when a certain German arrived ..”
What a wind up haha
The only ‘fair’ thing to do is to void the season and start again next year. No one knows what the trajectory of this virus will be, how it will mutate, if the vacines are effective or safe etc etc. Many pharmaceutical companies have rushed products to market with catastrophic results ie Thalidomide, TV mesh, Cobalt hip replacements, Efalizumab, Bromfenac, Valdecoxib etc etc.
Don’t take the risk – cancel the season and re-boot next year with adequate insurance and safety measures in place. Sorry Scousers – another 35 years and counting!
Marc
Oops yeah
My bad I forgot to do simple maths there.
I am thinking that 1 less relegation spot will help convince the bottom half teams to get on board with the project restart on neutral venues.
Then the few solutions would be
that 2 go down and 2 go up but that will be harsh on 1 championship team. Knowing they had worked hard for 40+ gameweeks only to be denied a promotion at the last minute.
only 1 goes down and 1/3 come up
2 go down 4 come up.
The leukoderma has limited access to scientific secrets his goal is accumulating materual wealth, the Ma’at is on earth to perpetuate life
You heard it here 1st!
if the prem follows the Bundesliga and plays behind closed doors…will Arsenal have a competitive advantage being accustomed to playing without the crowd noise?
Still have a feeling the Bundesliga will not go ahead.
Cases in Germany on the rise again.
That may be not the case any more Graham.
Scousers sniffing around Partey.apparently AM want oxocube in a swap.If there’s any truth to this we’re f*** kd.Cos our club couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery.As per usual dithering along….
Parteys camp is really dedperate with the stories they’re leaking
Why has that trump wenger now come out and say we lost our soul when we left home …
It was that twats fault we left because of greed ..
Really dislike that man now.
Uwot
Ox won’t leave pool
Story has no chance of floating…
I’m not sure parsley is the correct man we need.
Would rather we looked elsewhere .
Aussie gooner…
Saw the film extra time over weekend … quite good…
Is backyard ashes any good?
“I’m not sure parsley is the correct man we need.”
Ain’t nobody have thyme for that.
FL
Spoken like a wise man (sage).
You don’t have to be a rocket saladist to figure that out.
you are getting caraway ed with yourself now. So sesame.
RSPC so was wenger idea to move to the Emirates.. I know the money he generated helped but didn’t know it was his idea..
Wow
The decision to build or move to a new stadium was taken by the Board. There was we know a difference of opinion there as to what to do. Most of the Board led by Fiszman were in favour of the stadium, which has been built. Fiszman felt that the club should stay close to its original roots in Islington. David Dein on the other hand was in favour of Arsenal moving to Wembley Stadium. Wenger may have had input in how the stadium was designed and built, but I think the idea of a new stadium was taken long… Read more »
Wenger says we lost our soul when we moved from Highbury? How will his acolytes square that with their mantra that he built the stadium himself? he designed it – without soul – right down to the toilet cubicles apparently.
Loved Highbury (or Arsenal Stadium for the pedants). Our leaving mirrors the way that football sold it’s soul for oodles of cash and screwed the fans in the process.
Dein favoured Wembley and also a ground share with Spurs on land adjacent to South Mimms services. We knew the people that owned the house and a large acreage that would have made up the land required for the stadium. It was Fiszman that overruled both projects.
Stroller
“Wenger may have had input in how the stadium was designed and built, but
I think the idea of a new stadium was taken long before he arrived at the club.”
I’m not sure that is the sort of comment that the Wenger obsessives will appreciate.
To fuel their obsession they need to hear that all aspects of the stadium move was 100% Wenger’s idea.
“he designed it – without soul – right down to the toilet cubicles apparently.”
Is he an architect or stadium designer now?
Another day and another chapter in the ‘Wenger excuses section’(re: we lost our soul) It is incredible or, should I say, downright embarrassing, that a grown man keeps coming out with so many excuses for his own failings and what he could have done IF ONLY. It seems that he has this inbuilt desire, or should I say weakness, to latch onto anything that exonerates him from everything that happened at the club since our move to the Emirates in 2006. The list of excuses shows him for what he truly is. It is shameful that he comes out with… Read more »
Why do some on here have this compulsion to attribute blame to people for things they didn’t do?
Wenger had an input into the new stadium but a lot of that was about creating the best possible playing surface – he is not solely responsible for the entire project.
Just the same as people blaming Sanllehi for things that happened before he joined the club.
Hindsight is great isn’t it? Whatever way you look at it, the move from Highbury was a necessary evil. Lets go back to the early 2000s. We had a team that was slugging it out with United year after year form the title. We were a brand on the rise, competing with United both on and off the pitch. We needed a push to overtake them and moving to a new stadium looked like that would be it. We can bitch and moan now considering what we know occurred over the 15 years since we moved, but at the time… Read more »
AW saying re losing it soul is true and is true for other clubs that have moved so not sure what the problem is with him stating it… Also the poster who said money wasn’t an issue after we moved rather then calling you thick or stupid I’ll just say your wrong
“rather then calling you thick or stupid I’ll just say your wrong”
than*
you’re*
It’s a good thing you didn’t call someone ‘thick’ or ‘stupid’.
The talk of the stadium move had been a topic of conversation in the board room since the early 80’s. The Taylor Report hastened the move. Indeed there was considerable disagreement about the stadium location and design amongst the board members and Fiszman, who joined the board in 1992, got his way because Dein and the Bracewell-Smith clan did not have a viable alternative. He was a very strong figure on the board at that time! Consequently the Emirates was built with the sale of the club in the back of the minds of some board members. Wenger was not… Read more »
Didn’t Dein want us to stadium share Wembley with Spurs instead of building The Emirates? Thought that was one of the main reasons he left Arsenal.
Jaime u must be bored.. Go through a few more posts and u may find some more typo errors
Absolutely compelling interview in The Athletic (90 FREE days – then abscond) with Sean Dyche.
From his early days as a player under Cloughie to his Burnley promotions and their Euro Adventure.
A hugely impressive character.
Is there a manager out there that consistently extracts more from his modest resources?
You don’t get flannel or gobbledegook with SD.
(Has more than a touch of Fergie about him.)
Some lucky club will soon be employing his services soon.
Dein and Fiszman were originally close friends. Indeed it was Dein that sold Fiszman his initial shares of about 8% of the club to get him on the board. Unfortunately they fell out over the new stadium as Dein was initially against a new build in the area as he felt this would be too exspensive to finance. Fiszman was determined to see Arsenal stay in the area and build a new stadium close to Highbury. A lot of strings were pulled and favours called in to obtain the land for the new stadium!
Jim
Dein didn’t think we could afford to build the Emirates hence the alternative stadium plans – this lead him to introducing first Kroenke and then Usmanov to the club. He ultimately left because he was fired for attempting to arrange a buyout without the permission of other shareholders.
@Marc –
Ah thanks, I only have vague memories of Dein’s departure!
It always felt a little too coincidental that Dein leaving the downward trajectory of the club occurred quite close together.
This is pure conjecture on my behalf, but it seems like once David Dein left Wenger was given far too much power within the club, this in turn hampered our performances on the pitch.
“The fact we never won a European trophy during his time at the club is, in my opinion, a travesty. I’m sure though Mr Wenger will use his ‘ excuse centre’ to come up with a relevant explanation.”
Explanation is during his time he wasn’t in a position to win a 2nd rate European trophy because we were 90% of the time in the champions league.. So are you saying it was a travesty that we never won a cup while we have never done in our history
G
Yes!
22 years, no European trophy.
Zilch! Nothing!
Indeed a travesty.
Obviously you were satisfied with qualifying with zero return.
Maybe a couple of Europa league wins would have sufficed, even though that would have meant no top 4 trophy.
What do you think?
🍺🍺
Jim
Only my personal opinion but I think the Wenger Dein partnership balanced out perfectly. Wenger would identify a player he wanted and say he was worth say £5 million, Dein would close the deal maybe paying a bit more than what Wenger valued the player at but he’d get it done without going crazy.
The closet we’ve come to replacing Dein is actually Sanllehi and that took over a decade.
G
What about winning the “first” rate CL he was in for 20 odd seasons?