Well good morning to you all. Today, I’m starting the blog with bold type. No reason for it. Just a stylistic choice to keep you on your toes.
Here they are.
Wednesday June 17
Man City vs Arsenal
Kick-Off: 8.15pm; Live on Sky Sports
Saturday June 20
Brighton v Arsenal
Kick-Off: 3pm Live on BT
Thursday June 25
Southampton vs Arsenal
Kick-Off: 6pm; Live on Sky Sports
Wednesday 1 July
Arsenal v Norwich
Kick-Off: 6pm Live on BT
So all of our openers are on paid-for channels, which is a shame, but hey, I’m sure you’ll find ways to access them.
The real shame is that you can’t enjoy the games with a pint in hand at a local bar in the summer. Maybe they’ll open some beer gardens and get a socially distant big screen for you?
Either way, it’s starting to feel very real. Football is coming back. So are the Le Grove readers, I lost 75% of my traffic over the last few months. Now you’re creeping back here begging for me to give you the good content.
Well fuck you. Loyalists only. The people who came here to read about my concerns around Billy Bear Ham sandwiches, they’ll be getting the free stuff, the rest of you? Hit me with a Patreon donation.
Chelsea are making moves already, there are strong rumours that Timo Werner is going to join Lampard’s revolution at The Bridge (might actually be confirmed). I’ve got to say, I am very jealous of that move. They’ve already nabbed Ziyech. They are going to be pretty deadly moving forward next season. Also, they landed him for £53m… that’s £20m cheaper than Pepe. We won’t be crying about that if the Ivorian delivers on that talent he has, but at the moment, it’s looking worrying.
The other worry is that Liverpool are still looking for a sharpshooter. Auba has a great relationship with Klopp and you could easily see them coming in for him. You’d imagine they could land his signature for less than £50m. Worth noting that Lampard was sniffing around him as well, Petr DIRTY Cech had been telling everyone what a model pro the Gabonese was when he was at Arsenal.
Spurs announced they are taking a £175m loan from The Bank Of England. The club reckon they have lost £200m in revenue to date. Never, in the history of football, has there been a worse time to move to a brand new stadium. They must be pig sick. Getting more than 30% capacity in their ground is a pipedream for at least 2 years… but the creditors don’t stop getting their cash. Poor Jose, I wonder what his transfer fund is looking like right now?
A lot of Arsenal fans are bemoaning the lack of ambition of our owners. Chelsea are out picking up bargains, United have drawn down on a £140m credit line to engage in predatory behavior, and Madrid are sniffing around… what will Arsenal do? Nothing I suspect. Though the Thomas Partey rumours will NOT die. The player wants in at Arsenal and so do his people… same old story though.
‘The deal could happen if the money is there’
Kind of an amusing way to finish an 800 word story, right? However, the money should be there. If Stan K had big brass balls, he’d hoover up elite young talent that will be 50% cheaper right now, ride out the bad times, then he could sell them in three years and make a killing… and also have a decent football club.
I think the only way big deals happen for us is if we can convince people of swaps or loans. Lacazette or Matteo Guendouzi look like the only type of players Simeone might be interested in. Maybe we could convince him that AMN could be a goer? Outside that, I struggle to see how we find the money to make the deal happen.
Alex Lacazettes agent has a piece in one of the french papers where he basically says swap deals are a thing this summer. He reckons it’s usually a nightmare to deal, but unprecedented times call for unprecedented moves. Fingers crossed he’s going to find his client a new place to play and the return players will be more suitable to the Arsenal system.
Ok, that’s me done, see you in the comments x
Marco
Your Xhaka-hate has blinded you to other possibilities.
Arteta wanted him, convinced him to stay and had already gotten better performances from him.
….maybe it’s because Xhaka has a good influence in the dressing room😀😀😀
Tom Emery wanted a proven premier league dribbling winger- he wanted Zaha, the club went for Pepe who was going to need time to get up to speed. Emery wanted Ozil gone, more so after the foolish tantrums he was pulling at Baku. Any serious club would have ditched Ozil after that incident, instead they did nothing and allowed his corrosive influence on the group to continue Emery told Mustafi…point blank- vamoose , instead the club choked and still let him stay. Arsenal didn’t give Emery the tools he needed to succeed. He deserves his sack because he totally lost… Read more »
**AMN is one that’s I’m watching right now
Dissenter
Well he can fuck off and be a good influence in someone else’s dressing room.
He is by far the worst player I’ve ever seen play so regularly for the club.
Marc
He wanted to leave. He had a buyer lined up.
If you’re going to keep being angry at him, at least direct your anger to the right source.
Arteta knows best 🤭🤭🤭
Dissenter
It’s hard to get rid of players nobody wants or can afford.
Emery got his shot and failed.
When players make fun of their direct boss’ accent out in the open then you know it’s curtains.
If you think Arteta’s gonna get all “his players “ before he needs to prove he’s got what it takes then I think you’re wrong.
Un
You can be as sarcastic as you like but it doesn’t alter the fact that Emery did give young players a reasonable opportunity. I’m not defending Emery btw as in all other respects he was a dreadful manager and a dubious track record when he arrived (there were enough problems at PSG to be an alert)
BUT your point that he only wanted old war horses was patently wrong
Dissenter
If you read the earlier comments you’ll see I described Arteta’s decision to persuade him to stay as atrocious.
Glad we have pulled out of signing Aaron’s,,
Don’t mess the tutu,,,
Youth youth youth ..
The only way forward..
Pepe
Was it a good buy in the reality of thing…
Did the club not asses the youth players coming through.
So many …
Poor ill throughout decision from the owners narks.
Why many have fallen out of love With the club.
Pierre
18.39 6/6
Agree totally
Marc I did read it. My point is anything Xhaka fucks up, cuss Arteta. Xhaka has more self esteem and integrity than most players. He stood up for himself when he felt he was being bullied, refused to back down, truly wanted to leave and only stayed because the new manager made personal entreaties to him. If you noticed, he never joined the pile up on Emery. He maintained his professional distance. He’s the type of player who will engineer his way out if he feels he’s not wanted. Arteta is the ONLY reason why he’s still at Arsenal. Sheath… Read more »
*anytime Xhaka fucks up
Un
Let’s do this a different way – name one of the current crop who made their debut under Arteta rather than Emery. Answer = 0
Getting knocked out of the Europa League by a pub team is about as low as it gets and would make even someone as shameless as Johnson blush with embarrassment.
Arsenal failing to score against Burnley for the first time in Premier league history is another walk of shame.
Arsensl’s home record under Emery was excellent until the novice came along.
Undie, See yer getting desperate and yer ovaries are Swelling! Who is backing Unai Emery? Is this yer straw man grasp on yer sinking boat? There must be nothing but smelly gas and mucous btw your batty ears. Hey Undie, criticizing Arteta’s choices doesn’t equate to being an Emery fan boy. Only a dumb mute like would make such a leap. Thank God stupidity isn’t genetic or communicable … your whole lineage would have long died off or been put outta their misery. Keep flapping Uranus cheeks :.. it makes even those in the trailer park feel good about themselves… Read more »
😂 “You mean he selected our captain over an 18 year old? I mean I’m not Aubameyang’s biggest fan but have to concede it makes sense to play our top scorer at the expense of a promising youngster“ Undie, LMAO … Your stupidity clearly has no limits. Once again you prove you have the IQ of a squirrel … Dummy what does maintaining the budding partnership of Saka and Martinelli on the left side have to do with Auba? Are you seriously this stupid? What part of playing them on the left and Auba through the middle where he belongs… Read more »
Undie,
Which point is causing flares in yer small brain?
Is it that criticizing Arteta doesn’t mean flying the flag for Emery?
Oh dear, what a slow learner …
Gotta agree with Marc, xhaka is the worst pound for pound signing I have ever seen in an Arsenal shirt.
Unnai v The Godfather …score draw?
Un,
Whilst Ozil ,as an outlay, runs Xhaka close for worst investment ever, at least he actually was a top performer for Arsenal at some point….. Xhaka has never been worthy of he Arsenal shirt. As for the others you mention in your list, they cost fuckall relatively speaking.
U no nothin’ …..ironic?
new post
Un
Sorry but left the debate to cook dinner
So the point isn’t omletely lost i wasn’t arguing against MA – I’m a huge fan and exceed by what he brings and not arguing against what he has done for many of the players so far
I was also against Emery’s appointment and wanted him removed after the Europa Cup Final. I was merely trying to put the record straight on his selection of young players
That was it and nothing more