FOOTBALL IS BACK PRAISE THE LORD SPEAK TO ME!
What a fucking day, lads, ladies, geezers.
Sir Chips is out at Arsenal. He’s resigned his Chairmanship. According to Tim Payton, he was #WengerOut early, and also first to recognise that Unai Emery was a chancer. Didn’t make a difference, because his role was ceremonial. Now he’s gone. Arsenal is Raul’s, because Josh isn’t about.
Sad times. Would be nice if someone was at the club keeping an eye on how things are run. Great clubs have clear structures. They have CEOs that hold people accountable. Where is that at Arsenal? We’re signing 34-year-olds, spending £20m on them, then losing them on frees? Who is asking questions about that?
Moving on.
Arsenal is kickstarting the new season against Manchester City away. It’s our punishment for basically locking down the game after Arteta cunningly took one for the team so he could whip the players into shape.
I am a little scared about that match, but hey, who wouldn’t be scared of a fully fit Pep G side? At least we’ll be fully fit and raring to go.
Footyheadlines have leaked the second kit.
Some are saying this looks like raspberry icecream. Some others, are saying it looks lightly blood-soaked. I thought it looked like a training kit. I shan’t bag on it until I see how it looks on a player, but it’s a bit training kittish? That said, don’t be the type that complains we’re doing untraditional things with our kits. That’s design baby. You don’t get to iconic if you never move things forward. The bruised banana was not traditional. The gold kit was a curveball. The hooped socks were pure genius. I like it when we take a chance… unless it’s a navy blue kit. They are always so fucking boring.
Anyway, still grateful every day about having Adidas as our maker.
This is the home shirt.
Again, a bit of a risk with the pattern and the deeper red, but not bad.
The patterns are inspired by this kit from the early 90s. This is one of the first shirts I was bought that I remember. I think I had the green keeper jersey as well.
I climbed a damson tree wearing it and was introduced to ‘bobbling’, that things that happen when nylon pulls. I was utterly devastated. Since then, I have never climbed a tree and I actively cheer rainforest destruction. That was a joke, Karen.
Finally, keep an eye on this Akanji story. It has legs.
Right, see you in the comments. Tell me what you think about the kits or how excited you are to have football back?
I’m still laughing at Cockwomble –
Hence forth CG will be known as Cockwomble.
CG
Post 8-2 at OT.
Ka- frigging-ching!!!
Nothing will happen with Ozil – he’ll run his contract down and leave next summer on a free. With a year left unfortunately that is likely. It wouldn’t have been the case had they done what I said a year or two ago or stuck with what Emery had done initially which is to say bin him completely from the match day squad and first team training and let it be known that he won’t play again and he’ll have to leave if he wants to play football again. Massive shame that Mikel came in and made him a focal… Read more »
How ES – can you defend the KSE regime?
10 years of utter decay at the club.
(Even Spurs have overtaken us on the revenues tables.Virtually impossible a few seasons back)
How can he defend the fact that players like Martinelli and Nelson are taking pay cuts- which indirectly is funding their billionaire entertainments empire.
Total and deluded fool.
Marc
Definitely the club is moving forward since Gazidis left but some will do and say anything to prove otherwise.
How can he defend the fact that players like Martinelli and Nelson are taking pay cuts- which indirectly is funding their billionaire entertainments empire.
Facts the man’s about facts
‘Yes it does, only Spurs have a greater proportion of their revenue from gate receipts than Arsenal. Our commercial performance has been terrible, inferior by some margin to United, Liverpool, City, Spurs and Chelsea.’ This I believe is due to the continuous mismanagement of the club for the last 10-15 years. Especially in the Gazidis era where he just let every good player run down their contracts ( Ozil , Alexis , Ramsey, Wilshere , Persie , etc) Selling just these 4-5 players with at least 2 yrs left on their contract could have got us a good 130-150 ,… Read more »
Marko, I think you could argue that Ozil on a £350,000 a week contract, has had all the cards from the moment he signed the extension. Now with a year left, without Covid, there may have been a way of AFC paying a proportion of his £18m to see the back of him this summer, but that’s so unlikely now.
Much as I would have been delighted to see the back of Xhaka in the January window, I’m not sure Arteta, who only arrived at the back end of December, deserves to take the blame for a missed opportunity.
According to goal Adil Aochiche will complete s free trasnfer to St Etienne.
One opportunity missed.
Okay instead of listening to all the so-called experts expressing their opinions about the worth of clubs and how they are performing I suggest that everyone who posts on here read the balance sheets freely available and published at companies house on all the clubs in EPL. No-one disputes that Arsenal have underperformed in recent years when it comes to “trading”., but what is far more relevant is the net worth of the business factoring in assets and liabilities. Manchester City has now a massive “net worth” far exceeding Manchester United and Arsenal. The difference between Manchester United and Arsenal… Read more »
I’m not happy about the scousers winning the title …
No British Bank would lend a football club money to buy players unless it is
secured by fixed assets.
That is in direct contrast to what seems to have been going on in Spain with
both Real Madrid and Barcelona.
So Arsenal are terminating the contracts of our youth scouting network; 10 staff are being laid off.
” A source told Mirror Sport: “These guys are among the best youth scouts in the country, have brought through the best kids and Arsenal have a reputation as one of the best clubs in the country for youth development.
“This is one of the biggest clubs in the world making these sort of cutbacks but football is like a village and every other club will now know they are available.”
Aussie
That’s the exact type of thing Emirates is talking about – Arsenal are making scouts redundant because they are short of money but every other club in the PL has loads of cash to employ them.
The second kit looks like someone was attacked by a lion! On the other hand it could just be considered cool! It may go either way with this one.
I’m not sure Arteta, who only arrived at the back end of December, deserves to take the blame for a missed opportunity
100% his fault he actively looked at getting Xhaka back into the team and to stay until the end of the season. It was a major fuck up even went as far as saying that he rated him and looked into his signing at City. Won’t be able to sell him this summer opportunity is gone
These guys are among the best youth scouts in the country, have brought through the best kids and Arsenal have a reputation as one of the best clubs in the country for youth development.
Not sure I’d agree with that statement pretty sure Southampton, City, Chelsea and Everton would disagree.
Aussie Gooner
Everyone on the planet knows that Arsenal have got a grossly bloated football
staff so laying off 10 youth scouts in not altogether surprising.
Frankly when you look at the staffing do you actually need half of them? We
have 2 goalkeeper coaches for 3 players!!! Do we need that number?
ES A set of accounts rarely reflects the up to date position of a business . Players values are reflected in accounts each year that is players who were subject to a transfer fee and have an amortised value. I would suggest that the likes of City’s and indeed Chelsea’s accounts really can’t be read in the same way as the other clubs you mention. For instance City’s owners have converted the majority of loans into equity so that has massively increased the share capital. As for Chelsea theirs is a far more complex hierarchy of companies where like City… Read more »
Emirates, it’s going to be interesting to see how Barca navigate their debt this summer. The way they’re run has pushed them into making all sorts of short term bets that will now test them.
Football is going to be broken for a while, I have no idea how clubs are going to make up the lost revenue from stadium fans.
“so laying off 10 youth scouts in not altogether surprising.”
I’d also like to see confirmation of exactly who’s being laid off and what their precise role was.
I mean after all it’s not as if the media would take a story and exaggerate the implications.
Pedro
” I have no idea how clubs are going to make up the lost revenue from stadium fans.”
Weren’t you talking up a TV season ticket showing all matches a couple of weeks ago?
Marc, I personally was talking them up, doesn’t seem like the Premier League has moved on it… unless I’ve missed something with the restart?
Pedro
I believe that for the remainder of this season all matches will be shown free to air – how that works with the matches Sky and BT already had I really don’t know.
Can’t see them doing that for say half of next season, maybe longer.
We are probably going to see Barca sell a lot of their players this that too for cheap. Then go back to their old self of using their state of the art academy to fill out the squad. Honestly the way Bartomeu has acted in the last few years has been quite astonishing. Dembele was just pure bad luck but 120 mil on Griezmann. 140 mil on Coutinho. Delayed decision on Valverde and then a hasty one with Setien. There have been some terrible decisions made by the Barca board and in contrast Real have gathered some real good young… Read more »
this summer*
Wasi
Even if you’re selling cheap you still need a buyer.
George Lewis is apparently confirmed by his previous club.
He is a Rwandan so maybe its just a deal that is done to keep the sponsors happy given his low profile and that he was released by his last club.
Marc
Definitely.
But when Umtiti is reportedly on the market for 30 mil and Dembele for 40-45 there will be some clubs who will snap up the bargains.
Imo the players might go for even less. The likes of Rakitic , Alena , etc might go for 5-10 given their status and their current values.
Pedro No club is going to make up the loss of attendance revenues. The idea that Arsenal are going to be more affected is a myth. Arsenal’s major problem is its wage bill particularly on the football side and as I have suggested that will I am sure be reduced. The announcement of 10 youth scouts being made redundant is I suggest only the start of process. You live in United States so you will I am sure understand better than most of the posters on here the mentality of people who run businesses. Kroenke will I am sure look… Read more »
Yes supporters we be much more selective what games they go to watch
finance will dictate that.
And who wants to stand/sit next to someone with a big gob the virus will love that..
Crowds will diminish and clubs will feel the pinch.?
Only a vaccine will give confidence back.
I mean after all it’s not as if the media would take a story and exaggerate the implications. They already did by saying that we are one of the great developers of youth in the country. Best player that came through our youth system the last decade was Cesc signed from Barcelona barely spending anytime in the youths. Even now for all the talk of Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson, AMN, Willock and Zech Medley the only proper one to likely make it long term with us is Saka. Same for quite a number of the kids currently being talked… Read more »
Marko
That was my point – exaggerate the performance of our youth system and then exaggerate the positions of those leaving.
Arsenal’s scouting network has been decimated over the past few years. ‘Official’ scouts were paid a ‘retainer’ by the club to ensure loyalty. Scouts covered most of the world; I even met one here in Perth, Western Australia. Now there are a series of ‘generic’ scouts that find players and pass on the information to the highest bidder. How times have changed!
Marc the corona virus test takes seconds but I also did a blood test and CT scan. The longest part was waiting for the initial CT scan results
Test unsurprisingly came back negative thankfully
It’s also possible that youth scouts being let go is because after BREXIT we’ll be limited on which countries we can bring young players in from.
Maybe this was planned from months ago and their contracts expired on the 1st June?
china
I wouldn’t have thought it took long to scan an empty space!
Ioving the 2nd kit,
Signing George lewis is good, guys who havent had things easy tend to work harder, another Martinelli
Umtiti should cost no more than David Luiz, Dembele, no thank you, another Balotelli, wasted talent.
ES “””””Kroenke will I am sure look after his investment, but he will not damage it””””” And that’s all what the club has become. Over 125 years of history. Blood sweat and tears to be an investment vehicle to preserve KSE wealth. Which is why it all the more scandalous that Arsenal are the only club to ask for 12.5% annual wage cuts…. The irony of it all. Asking players ( some of them from very poor upbringings) taking pay cuts to protect and preserve KSE ‘ s investment vehicle. It makes the blood boil. Now we are hearing more… Read more »
The white shirt looks like your the murderer
White shirt needs throwing into the sea
Nothing less would be acceptable
The irony of it all.
Asking players ( some of them from very poor upbringings) taking pay cuts to protect and preserve KSE ‘ s investment vehicle.It makes the blood boil.
They’re millionaires but sure makes the blood boil.
Dave
You got me – I did it, I’m glad I did it and if I had the chance I’d do it again.
I sorely miss the invincibles yellow strip which was SEXY AS FUCK. Loved the red currant kit as well and the yellow away that season
But part of me doesn’t want arsenal to return to these kits until we have an awesome team. I’ve no interest in seeing such beautiful kits get defaced by overpaid dross. Give me average kits until we’re quality again and then boom with the sexy ones
But really this white one is offensively bad
ES
I don’t think anyone is suggesting that clubs won’t be impacted but the numbers in terms of a%of overall revenue and the fact that on top of missed PL games that Arsenal will have to repay for not playing the required number of cup games is unique
The only redeeming thing about the white one is you could put it on, behead the wiener who designed it then walk away without so much as a suspicious glance at your blood soaked shirt
Ten youth scouts? They probably make less total in a year than Ozil does in a fortnight. Ozil, Mustafi, Mhiki, Xhaka – all grossly overpaid, probably around £35m a year just on those four. We may be able to let Mhiki go on a free, or very low fee, but the others aren’t going to match their salary elsewhere so we’re stuck with them.
China
” I’ve no interest in seeing such beautiful kits get defaced by overpaid dross. ”
Then I’m really glad you’re not in charge of the what players wear, Mustafi and Xhaka would be running round stark bollock naked!
Now tell me this sounds good.
The scouts who are paid an £800 retainer plus expenses ( non of them are part time and the inference is they are all uk based) will have their contracts ended on 30 June.
These same scouts have been told that the hope is that they will be re employed from September.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-drop-scouting-bombshell-10-22106774
None are full time all part time
Terraloon
That makes no sense at all – 10 staff paid £800 per month = £8,000 per month are being laid off at the end of June but might be reemployed come 1st September.
The club are going to save themselves the enormous sum of £16,000.
If it is happening there is more to it than what is being told here.
“”””They’re millionaires but sure makes the blood boil.”””””
Read Rhys Nelson’ story.
Born on the Elephant and Castle sink estate.
Or Martinelli-from the favellas of Brazil.
How is acceptable that they are forfeiting their cash to protect Silent Stan’ investment vehicle?
A Reminder ,Silent Stans wealth has actually increased during this pandemic.
It makes even less ensue with Brexit and the changes to bringing in non English /Welsh players nor the fact that the scouting system went through a re structure only in November when another batch of scouts were released including Steve Morrow.
Sir chips steps down some fans clamouring for you know who.Me.id prefer a double D.Club or wenger never the same when he was shipped out.Redemption I tell you😀
CG, no one cares about millionaire footballers taking a very minor pay cut.
The new home kit looks great, away kit not so much, but its not terrible.
In regards to the David Luiz situation, on the pitch he won’t be missed. but apparently he’s a great dressing room presence so hopefully that doesn’t become an issue somewhere down the line.
Financially it was a shit deal but we all knew that the moment it was announced so going for a free is what it is.
I’d also get Mustafi and Papa off the payroll before Holding but it looks like he’ll be out before both which is a shame.
First of all Arsenal announced that they would continue to pay all salaries at the club until 31st May and then review situation. So offloading some personnel at that date is not altogether surprising in the present circumstances. Second Arsenal will I am sure be reviewing all contracts of players as well. A decision not to renew Luiz contract may well be part of the process. Yes we spent money on his transfer and his wages this season, but the decision not to renew may well be taken to cut cost rather than on grounds of performance. I made the… Read more »
ES,
I think you may be right about Luiz – it’s a straightforward cost-cutting decision. He did look a player again for Arteta but we have too many CBs and it’s easier to get rid of him than anybody else (Mari would be too but, wages and age are in his favour).
“Has anyone else got crazy lockdown hair?”
Shaved my head at the start of lockdown so i’m good. Nobody even saw my egghead cuz i was on lockdown
Bellingham and Thiago Almada I only know from FM20 and they are worth 60m each so i say go for them lol