HOW ‘CONVENIENCE’ SETS THE TONE AT ARSENAL FC

by .

The theme of the moment at Arsenal is the lack of leadership and how every time there’s a tough decision, we seem to shirk it. The greatest example of this was the Arteta land grab after he won the FA Cup, the project went downhill when he was given too much responsibility that he hadn’t earned. He was given control to buy players like Willian, when he should have been slapped down. He made personnel decisions that led to him surrounding himself with a lot of average people that don’t challenge him. He fell out with players, and we held faith that any arguments were in the name of fixing the busted culture we had.

Well, a year on from that decision and things are looking pretty bad, but you know what, you can kind of see why the club might have thought promoting Arteta was a good idea. Watching Edu’s behaviour on social media this summer has been a real eye-opener. If you want to get on top of how tightly a club is run, watch for the details. Which other football exec around Europe is posting his holiday snaps on a public IG feed? Which other exec, after being accurately accused of signing duff players from his super-agent pal, would post pictures of said agent on a boat with him? What sort of person would also share a boat with someone that exited Arsenal under a dark cloud of scandal? Even this weekend, after the mess of a squad he’s put together lost in humiliating fashion, he’s back on his social feeds posting pictures of himself at a BBQ.

That is a lack of control at a leadership level. Once, you can forgive, but we’re at the point where this is a pattern. Edu must know how these things are perceived because his son mentioned it in an interview, but he’s still doing it. I have little expectation that Vinai would say anything, but where is Tim Lewis on this, the ‘adult’ in the room looking after things?

Football is about the details and these things that feel insignificant actually speak to a bigger problem… because at a club run effectively, that behaviour would be snuffed out immediately, especially for a staffer that is underperforming like he is.

To make matters worse, the club has apparently put the finishing touches on a new 5 year deal for Granit Xhaka. Now, I have little problem with the player, he’s decent, he’s a professional, and the performances he’s given us have been good. However, I can’t for the life of me understand what value we are protecting here. He’s at the backend of 28, he’s just had a massive performance at the Euros, and no one came in for his signature. So we’ve tied him down until he’s 34? He already struggles with the pace of the league, did we not have a little more leverage to add a year to his deal? Will we ever stop tying down older players to long-term deals?

CORRECTION: Deal runs to 2024 with the option of 1 more year. Point still remains, are we really protecting value of a player we can’t sell at 28 years old after a banger of a Euros?

Then we get to this goalkeeping issue. We have a child as our backup keeper right now. Our main interest this summer is a £30m keeper that has all the hallmarks of Richard Wright. Namely, he looks decent getting 50 shots powered at him every day, but what does that tell you about suitability in a system where you’ll be dealing with 3 decent shots a game? We don’t have much money as it is, we’ve not added a single creative player to the system, we’re down a striker, a right-back, and a CAM… are we really going to blow that much money on a keeper no one can suss? I can trust the signings of Sambi Lokonga and Ben White because most people smarter than me ran the numbers and said they were good. What the f*ck are our analysts looking at with Aaron Ramsdale to indicate that he is £30m worth of talent in a deflated market that has Onana going for £10m?

Again, this comes back to a leadership issue. How do transfers get done at Arsenal? Who knows. I can see a straight line with Lokonga, White, and Gabriel. But that same system, or process, gave us Cedric, Willian, and Pablo Mari. My guess is there is no system, because let’s be honest, if there’s no operational structure that makes sense, why would there be a transfer process that does? Edu and Arteta are clearly on bad terms, so they’re fighting it out out in the media. It’s embarrassing, but who couldn’t have predicted that at the time when Edu was made to sit on a deck chair and tell the world he liked being cauterised in public?

The more I write about this, the clearer it is to me that the only way we get out of this mess is a restart. This is the 3rd/4th reboot we’ve had at Arsenal. Each one starts with a good idea that we can’t execute properly. We tried the Sven Mislintat approach, but let Raul encroach on the deals. We tried the Raul approach, a man of no football expertise, and he f*cked it. Then we let Edu loose, and he splurged on his mates ‘very nice deals.’ Now what are we trying? What data points led to a Xhaka 5 year deal? Who presented that idea? How did so many people agree to that after he received zero significant bids at the peak of his powers, we should make it more impossible to move him on?

None of it makes sense.

You have to reboot Arsenal with a sale. Because what we have now, unfortunately, is what we are always going to have. Rich owners, that aren’t focused, empowering people of convenience to drive their second biggest asset forward. It’s embarrassing.

Ivan G leaves? Put two CEOs in charge. A wet decision but a convenient one.

Technical Director called Diamond Eyes complains about one of the CEOs not being right? Exit him from the business and trust the non-footballing guy to guide us with his ‘contacts’ approach.

Watch that fail, let said failure hire a Technical Director that has a super-agent repping him because that is not an odd move.

Bring in a family lawyer to check out the CEO Sven warned about.

More dominant CEO gets fired. How can we fix this lack of leadership? Promote the CEO that stood by and let all the nonsense happen. Why? Convenient.

Also… keep the Technical Director that was at the table for all those deals because he’s definitely got what it takes and there’s nothing odd about his signings.

Hire an inexperienced manager and get some immediate success… PROMOTE HIM. LET HIM CHOOSE HIS OWN STAFF. DON’T PUT GUARDRAILS AROUND HIM. LET HIM MAKE DECISIONS ON PLAYERS.

Read those points and weep. KSE doesn’t know how to fix Arsenal. They are throwing money into a pit over and over again and things just get worse.

We are at the point now where the best thing for Arsenal would be a sale. Give the club to Daniel Ek, let him burn the place to the ground, hire up specialists in every position, and rebuild the club the proper way.

It’s a pipedream though, this is our lot in life, and it seems the only way we’re going to get a solve is if we land on one by accident.

I promise, I’ll get back on the hype train tomorrow, but the reality is… even 5 wins in a row won’t mask the errors at our club. We are badly run, the structure is a mess, we are not built to succeed.

GOOGLE | SPOTIFY | AUDIBLE | ACAST

963 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Gunner 14

Hello

Gunner 14

2nd

Gunner 14

3rd

Gunner 14

Top 4

Benjamin

1st?

David Smith

Our ownership is a complete disaster.
Sadly, Stan is more likely to relegate us than sell

Paul Mc Daid

Complete regime change, Nothing less.
A total boycott secures this goal.

The Bard

Good post Pedro. I agree we need new owners. As fans we need to get rid of the Kroenke’s. They way we do it is to either boycott matches and/or protest in the ground and make it unworkable for them. In todays world it would crucify the brand and make a sale the only way out. There is no way they will be able to ride it out. Liverpool supporters managed it.

Gunner 14

Unlucky Benjamin but maybe just maybe we might finish 5th end of the season

Matt

Pedro Whilst I appreciate it will be difficult to churn out a blog every day if all you are ever doing is talking about the negatives, please don’t get back on the hype train because I think 99% of people have had enough of it. Look at how staunchly you wanted Wenger out back in the day. Look how aggrieved you were about how the club was being run. There was no hype and here we are, in a much worse state then we were then so I say forget the hype and focus energy and doing whatever you can… Read more »

CG

I could have written that- so it must have been a good post.

ps. Edu really did post Sunday BBQ fotos. ????

So he did not want to watch Newcastle United v West Ham United or Spurs v Man City on a bank of TV screens in his office like I do? ( and most supporters)

(A. Wenger never took one day off in 20 plus years working for AFC)

China1

Pedro how can you say the white signing is based on people smarter than you viewing magic data but the ramsdale one isn’t? This is just a convenient way to justify us spending 50m on a CB most of us said wasn’t a top priority

Spudnik

Pedro,
I believe a major issue at Arsenal has been the exiting of Arsenal people since Kroenke took over. Where are the Arsenal people at the club? Who has replaced them? Where has the Arsenal culture gone? What is it? There is no longer excellence at executive level and that lack of standards trickles down the hierarchy.

Jim

Genuinely how is it possible to get such a complete overhaul underway if it doesn’t come from KSE? Fan protests didn’t last long re:SuperLeague and probably made them feel as though they can ride any storm that comes their way. And then there’s the issue of who comes in. Ek is the only option we’ve seen but even if that were to be the case is he the kind of man to come in and completely tear down the structure and start over? The longer you look at it the worse the situation at The Arsenal really is. From the… Read more »

Jim

** Incoming owner

Mb

Outside the relegation zone?

NJ Gooner

17th. Arsenal’s position this season?

Moe

Ownership ownership ownership….whatever! The cluelessness manifest in Arteta is Arsenal’s germane problem.

S23

The xhaka debacle is going to be the final straw for a lot of fans. I and 99per cent of Arsenal fans never want to see the club lose,but I feel a boycott of the Emirates might be the only way to exhibit our anger at the way our club is being mismanaged. I fear we may get a Blackpool situation with the board sat in the directors box surrounded by empty seats and angry fans. the Kroenkes have been here before with the Rams in the states,but football here is more tribal and feelings run much more hotter. So… Read more »

Nelson

I have to SMH. All those long contracts for average players:

3 years………Willian
4 years……….Cedric
4 years………MaRI
5 years………Xhaka

It is just mental and incompetent to hand out these contracts.

wattsy

Strange things happening, my son aged 23, has received an email from the club offering him an upgrade from Silver to Gold membership, with a guarantee of being offered a season ticket, if he does.
\last time he looked a short while ago he was number 26,000 on the waiting list.
So if true a good many have given up their season tickets, or is it just a very bad joke?

curse

Amen

time for real change, unfortunately I won’t hold my breath if we’re relying on the fans to get the owners out.

they’re all to busy working hard so they can buy a shirt or a season ticket.

so, we cross our fingers and hope a miracle happens in the window.

Wengaball

The current Arsenal board
Lord Peckham, Stan, Josh and Tim Lewis.
One carpet seller, one lawyer and the father son duo.
Football people – what’s that?

salparadisenyc

Great post Pete, Arsenal history since Wenger left is really not a pretty read. All seems like such a squandered opportunity now. When Mislintat exited, the manner in which it came off was when the red flags came out for those paying attention. Whats happened since has to be comedic for the neutral. Hard put any kind of positive spin on state of club, nothing really makes sense or adds up at this stage. Petit quote over the weekend sums it up pretty succinctly “I am gradually loosing interest in Arsenal, they don’t give me any emotion.” Debating becoming a… Read more »

Muppetman

Pedro is a broken man after one game

Valentin

Pedro

“Edu and Arteta are clearly on bad terms, so they’re fighting it out out in the media. It’s embarrassing, but who couldn’t have predicted that at the time when Edu was made to sit on a deck chair and tell the world he liked being cauterised in public?”

I am surprised because 3 weeks ago when I wrote that you told me that I was a fantasist and that was not happening.
What changed, did suddenly your sources made things up as well?

I’ll take an apologies from you and CC with that humble pie you are eating.

gunnerman

Finally Pedro’s on the Kroenke Out train.

They really really really need to go

Wengaball

I hear Wenger is on good terms with the Qataris.

If he has any love for Arsenal left, he should be pleading with them to buy the club. They have one in Paris, another one in London won’t look too shabby.

Radio Raheem

Only way KSE sell up is if we are relegated twice in succession so we’re in league one.

In a weird way it might be best for the owners to keep making dumb decisions to hasten the process.

T

you guys are so depressing… get a life.. I cant for the life of myself understand why you are melting down like this after ONE game into the season in which we had 5 out of 11 starting IX players missing due to illness, injury or euros involvements…. any team would be weakened considerably by something like that… arsenal whose summerbusiness is still ongoing because the last deals CANT BE DONE until very late in the window especially suffers from it. and I dont understand why you are taking things on arteta. he is absolutly right to sulk and be… Read more »

TT

Once the team shits the bed in a few home games we will start to see protest happening at the stadium. It may work in getting the parasites to sell up as long as the majority of the fans don’t get sold on another ” we should all get exited ” promise from Josh.

Gentlebris

Paul Kagame is angry…that carries some weight.

Emiratesstroller

Pedro Arsenal may well need a new owner to sort out the mess at the club, but I am not sure what Daniel Ek brings to the table apart his claim that he is an Arsenal supporter. In today’s real world we are competing with Manchester City and Chelsea who are willing to throw £200 million on an annual basis at the transfer market irrespective of whether they make equivalent sales. From time to time another club may produce a competitive team such as Man Utd, Liverpool or Leicester, but with no certainty. Arsenal are not being offered either the… Read more »

Janky

Agree on the ownership front, but reality is a new and experienced manager, an experienced DOF, isn’t an impossible dream. It’s done all the time and shouldn’t be beyond the limited powers that be at Arsenal. Arteta is certainly more of a problem in no small part because of the fact that the environment around him is dysfunctional, but that shouldn’t be used as an excuse for any of his abundant and obvious inadequacies. Sure, the owners and the management team aren’t good enough, but even if they were, Arteta is not. Arteta and his hair out.

Danish Gooner

We are skint and it is end game for Tapas Pep.Arsenal are On a downwards trajectory to complete obscurity.
We could easily end up like Aston Villa or even a proud club like Nottingham Forest.Nothing with a decent career Will ever touch us again.

Uwot?

If krankies can see their “asset” diminishing is the only way.Hits them in the pocket Udall they understand or care.The only way this happens is fans not turning up at matches & visible protests inside the ground.Sadly neither will happen because unlike the rest of football we are a middle class club with day trippers outnumbering the homebase fans & they don’t/ won’t protest.

gunnerman

Just imagine a Rangnick as our DOF…

gunnerman

A DOF with an actual vision…

Danish Gooner

We somehow have to get rid of this unbelievable mess of The Kroenkes ,Arteta,Edu etc.

Globalgunner

Kroenke out is not going to happen unless there is a sustained boycott of the entire Arsenal Fc enterprise. No fans so ST purchases constant protesters outside the gate. He owns the club lock stock and barrel. Besides for me. The only thing he does wrong is leave the club in the hands of people who care not 1 jot for the club its history and its fans. His has been a hands off approach. Not fleecing the club (largely) and not adding his own funds. Isnt that the ideal owner. Well no. The ideal is closer to what the… Read more »

Alexanderhenry

Pedro

Well said.
All avenues of blame ultimately lead to one place.

Kroenke out.

Terraloon

Having as i do a brother who’s a Chelsea ST holder I get bombarded with stats or should I say little snippets that he wants to rub in Some are very easy to dismiss, some are easy to ignore but the one that is driving me mad is his take on income generated v spend in this transfer window. Let’s be honest spending £97+ million on Lukaku is eye watering but it seems every day he adds to the every growing list of players who they are getting good money for be they deadwood , players, or players who have… Read more »

Ernest Reed

“you can kind of see why the club might have thought promoting Arteta was a good idea. ”

This is the “Plausible Deniability “ factor i was waiting for.

Gentlebris

Muppetman,

Must you drag Pedro with you if you must travel the unreasonable route all the way?

Rich

Arsenal have exercised an option in Granit Xhaka’s existing contract to extend his deal until 2024.

The club now have a remaining option which could take his deal to 2025.

Via the Athletic

Sean

Great post Pete. Haven’t commented for a while. I’m happy that you’re now seeing the light about Arteta.

At this point KSE just need to sell. They are never going to get it right. Just need to move on now. Best way to look at how badly we are run, is the CB signings over the years no plan whatsoever.

Since 2016 we have signed the following CB’s. Mustafi, Holding,Mavropanos,Sokratis,Saliba, David Luiz,

Foxy

Excellent clinical analysis of a dysfunctional club.

Re the hype train although the club management and team performances are pretty rotten Pedro could always lighten the mood with some positive blogs on individual players who are excelling , like hopefully Lakonga, ESR or even those on loan.

James wood.

“Pedro do you actually work for the ARSENAL.”
You seem to be all over the place.?
“PEOPLE SMARTER THAN ME.”
Ouch.
You need a break as much as I admire your blog
and the efforts you put in.
Perhaps GEOFF COULD DO A FEW ARTICLES..

Alexanderhenry

ES

Regarding ownership, Ek or whoever it is, may not bring increased financial clout and certainly won’t bring us the financial firepower of city, Chelsea and man utd, but look at what Leicester have achieved with relatively minimal resources.
Also teams like Everton and West Ham are looking hungry and purposeful.

There is no hunger and purpose at Arsenal at the moment.
I believe that the commitment, ambition and expertise needed to make a club become the best it can reasonably be, comes from the top, from the ownership.
Investment is crucial, but it’s more than that.

Ray+in+LA

“even 5 wins in a row won’t mask the errors at our club”

Can’t undo the past…at best can only learn from it — unless you’re one of my previous girlfriends that reframe the past very creatively and I think a little biasedly 🙂

A Spurs fan (who I can’t avoid socially) said to me, “Arsenal’s best plan is to keep losing until the value of the club is cheap enough for a ‘real fan’ to step in as owner”

I have a hard time ever wanting the team to lose, but I am sympathetic to the sentiment

Foxy

WE are giving contracts that will commit us to players well into the thirties whilst this seasons prem is going to be faster and more physical than ever. Watching MOTD 2 yesterday the sped and determination of the players in both games was extraordinary and a worry for us. Antonio late on ran some 60 yards to then hammer a superb low strike into the bottom corner. The spurs players gave the city elite no time on the ball and players on both sides were flooding the opposition 6 yard box at the sniff of a cross coming in. Arteta… Read more »

Sean

Great post Pete. Haven’t commented for a while. I’m happy that you’re now seeing the light about Arteta. At this point KSE just need to sell. They are never going to get it right. Just need to move on now. Best way to look at how badly we are run, is the signings we have made at CB over the past few years no plan whatsoever. Since 2016 we have signed the following CB’s. Mustafi, Holding, Mavropanos, Sokratis, Saliba, David Luiz, Pablo Mari, Gabriel and Ben white. Every summer we sign a new CB. What is our plan with the… Read more »

Matt

The only way the value of the club reduces significantly is if we get relegated and that is surely something nobody can be behind.

The whole time we are in the premier league the value of the club is not going to change, even if we come in with another mid table finish this year!

Foxy

We need a new top manager in fast just to give some hope to the players and fans and stop this downward spiral of despair.

Kroenkephobe

Pedro Bard, Global and various others make sensible points about where the blame lies (although none of it is shatteringly new of course). In the run up to the Chelsea game, and in your role as editor of this pretty influential publication, please write something this week that helps to coalesce and give added oxygen to the protests that are starting to gather momentum. We need to use this first game (where, let’s face it, the auguries are less than good) to add LG s voice to the obvious and justified discontent. A chance to make a small but positive… Read more »

Danny

We are skint
—————
Skint clubs don’t buy 50 million pound players.

Kroenkephobe

* First home game (although I’m trying to forget the actual first game ever happened).

Sid

“””””””because most people smarter than me ran the numbers and said they were good”””””””

You really are tempting me to end up in the bin, looooool

Danny

Wenger never took one day off in 20 plus years working for AFC
—————
Of course he didn’t…….but he had time to cheat on his wife!
https://www.arsenalnews.co.uk/arsene-wenger-accused-of-having-secret-affair-with-french-rapper/

Matt

I think the numbers people should have spent more time looking at height and weight of Ben White before any other numbers. He has to be the slightest CB in the league.

Sid

Ben Whites height and weight isnt the problem, its his IQ

Gentlebris

‘There is another question to be asked particularly when you read the posts on Le Grove. Will
the so-called Arsenal supporters be more patient with a new owner and/or manager than they are now?’

When you see a decent structure in front of you, why wouldn’t you be patient?

All we need to be patient is a needle that is moving in the right direction.

And by the way, if an actual president of a country whose government is an Arsenal sponsor could voice his frustration on Twitter, are you saying we are being impatient on le grove?

Matt

It will be a problem when Lukaku destroys him this weekend.

Champagne Charlie

Val “Valentin November 23, 2020 12:30:28 If you think that I am a fantasist for saying that everybody at Colney is not happily dancing to Arteta’s tune, you are in for a rude awakening in a few weeks time.” You talked up a rift over 9 months ago according to your famed sources (voices in your head), it never happened in the 3 weeks that followed and you remained radio silent as is typical whenever you’re caught in a lie. Now after tensions are rising from a poorly negotiated transfer window this last month or so you want to swoop… Read more »

shaun

it will be interesting to see if Auba or Laca are fit for the Chelsea game

Gentlebris

‘Of course he didn’t…….but he had time to cheat on his wife!’

That was… maybe immediately after the season, before pre season😎

And those were just accusations, nothing was proved.

Receding Hairline

“Arsenal have used their option in Granit Xhaka’s contract to extend his deal by 12 months.

The Swiss midfielder’s contract now runs until 2024.”

Not quite a five year deal

CG

Foxy ”””””WE are giving contracts that will commit us to players well into the thirties whilst this seasons prem is going to be faster and more physical than ever.””””””””” Agreed. Arteta has green lit contracts for ageing and/or plodders Cedric 29 ( 4 years) Mary ( 4years) Holding ( extended last season) William 32 ( 3 years) PEA 31 (3 years) Runarsson ( 5 years) Partey 29? ( 4 years) Xhaka 29 ( 4 years) And the game is getting quicker! the next manager will have to be a mix of Fergie/Wenger/Klopp and Cloughie to get Arsenal back on track… Read more »

Muppetman

Gentlebris say again over?

Janky

White’s IQ is less of a problem than Mike’s.

Terraloon

ES In today’s real world we are competing with Manchester City and Chelsea who are willing to throw £200 million on an annual basis at the transfer market irrespective of whether they make equivalent sales. There’s two elements to this first whilst they may be willing to spend that sort of money nett they just don’t before I made my last posting I spent a couple of minutes looking at nett spend and Arsenals nett spend isn’t that shabby and that is reflected in the sums shown in the accounts in respect of amortisation. 2019/20 Arsenal £109.1 million Chelsea £127.3… Read more »

Ray+in+LA

Matt

“The only way the value of the club reduces significantly is if we get relegated”

Really?

The poor performances already have got the sponsors questioning whether or not Arsenal provide a decent return for their investment — when the sponsors go elsewhere we will have even less funds for our continuous rebuild

We are already well into the downward spiral with things looking progressively bleaker financially as the sponsorship deals are being questioned

“Ryanair Stadium” and you know how little Michael O’Leary would give us 🙂

TheBayingMob

I see a specific issue with the money we are spending at the moment. If these are all loans to the club then what are the repayment details to KSE? If Ek were take over I assume Arsenal would still owe on those loans and will the contractual requirements of the repayments drive us further into the ground?

Gentlebris

‘Now after tensions are rising from a poorly negotiated transfer window this last month or so you want to swoop in and claim that’s what you were actually spilling the beans on back in November? Hahaha expected no less.’

CC,

You don’t know that the tension didn’t begin before November last year do you.

TheBayingMob

Also a further issue we are not discussing is if this shit show doesn’t get sorted soon the few shining lights we have (in Saka and Smith-Rowe for eg) will be prime for being head hunted. Unless we get on a decent course with leadership and vision then I don’t expect those lads to stay on board beyond next summer and that would be harrowing, invoking memories of Stapleton, Anderson and latterly Vieira and Henry.

Receding Hairline

We have a difficult season ahead of us, last year home form was toilet, we got were we did on away form.

Now the crowds are back and with it home advantage, and for a manager who likes to dictate play from the sidelines he may it will be difficult to be heard, i just hope players don’t start looking to the touchline for gestures he is making.

Tell the players what they need to know pregame and let them get on with it.

Terraloon

Danny

Skint clubs don’t buy 50 million pound players.

I worked in debt management and believe the biggest spenders and those that built up the biggest debts were more often than not doing so for show

Matt

Ray

We seem to be doing OK for sponsors and we havent been in the Champions league for 5 years.

As much of a shit show as we are, we have a great history, brand new stadium and a huge global fan base so we are still a valuable asset. I’m not saying we wont be a depreciating one, but a few league places here or there is really not going to make a huge difference in the value of the club for potential buyers.

Ernest Reed

“Seize the opportunity Pedro and make a name for yourself. ”

I think you will find that Pedro already has made a name for himself, Kroenk. The only difficulty for him at the moment is finally coming to terms with a reality that he simply did not want to consider.

Valentin

CC, I said that last summer there was a massive fight between Arteta and Edu because of Arteta behaviour. Especially of him leaking to everybody that he wanted Aouar and that Zdu had messed up with only getting Partey. I wrote that this fight was going to repeat itself this summer and that this time I hope that Edu would grow a pair and tell Arteta where to go. For months, you and Pedro argue that the fight never took place and that those were best of buddy. Pedro even said that Arteta never leaked anything. Suddenly Pedro reveals that… Read more »

Rusty

Arsenal football club need to be very careful or we will actually get relegated in the next 5 years. At the bottom of it all, Arteta is a prick. Hes an ego driven coach with a huge sense of entitlement. The poor people skills stem from that personality type. He has no interest in managing personalities, he only demands deference. Incredibly naive. He also clearly lacks a self reflective approach and this board will allow him to make more of the same mistakes. Fool me once with the Auba contract, then we have Willian and Xhaka. Hes toast and id… Read more »

We just got beat by a Championship side. Maybe when we join that league will the Krankies decide to sell…

Ernest Reed

I don’t honestly believe that anyone is genuinely surprised that the club under Arteta is not performing to expectations. I think the real area of misgiving is that pretty much everyone knew and knows that this Transfer Window is the crucial one and any mistakes or shortcomings would likely define the upcoming season.

On the above, i don’t think anyone with a shred of common sense would have or could have anticipated just how utterly inept and incompetent both Edu and Arteta actually are.

Shockingly terrible management on display, from top to bottom.

Ray+in+LA

Matt “As much of a shit show as we are, we have a great history, brand new stadium and a huge global fan base so we are still a valuable asset” A friend of mine when asked if he regarded a glass as half-full or half-empty said, “It didn’t matter, in each case there was more room for wine” 🙂 I don’t disagree with your assessment in general, the stadium will retain its value while PL Football retains its value, but the ‘brand’ is damaged and our global fan base is shrinking. New fans don’t come to a club for… Read more »

WengerEagle

Glad you are finally starting to see the wood for the trees at last Pedro, utterly depressing what is happening at the club at this moment.

I hope we won’t see another flip-flop though if we manage to fluke a result vs Chelsea. We have utterly mailed in using the summer to massively improve the team and give us tangible hope that we can be competitive which is unforgivable and sackable for all those dickheads at the forefront, largely Tets and Edu.

Ray+in+LA

Rusty

You scared me with that talk of relegation…then you held out the possibility of becoming Newcastle and I felt so relieved 🙂

Mr Serge

Pedro I agree new owners all the way
We are never getting them out
I have been harping about the kronkes for years but we are stuck with them
We are screwed

Champagne Charlie

Val I’m sorry, wriggle my way out of what? Calling you a complete bullshit merchant with fake sources? I vehemently stand by that, you have zero insight on matters behind the scenes beyond Twitter. You were just quoted posturing like the peacock you are back in November about a fallout we were to witness inside a few weeks. It never happened, you went mia on the subject, and now you’re trying to save face some 9 months later ironically in an article all about convenience. Do skip the weak as piss insults about me, fountain of knowledge you most certainly… Read more »

Ray+in+LA

Rusty

Oh, by the way…

Agree with you

that Kia will re-emerge soon

and that Ragnik then [a] Hassenhutl

The twin failures against Emery were the perfect time to ‘correct’ the Arteta ‘land grab’ — separating first team coach and manager — as they didn’t have the coilons to Ragnikate the situation more ruthlessly 🙂

WengerEagle

The ‘positive’ brigade on here also can do one for bitching all summer at the sceptics for merely pointing out the obvious.

Hang your heads in collective shame at being so gullible.

Jim

Pedro, if we’re talking hypetrain for tomorrow’s post can I request a return of the Ragnick propaganda. Your post from last year on the subject still rings just as true as it did then.

curse

kia nmovements in the next couple weeks? lol.

Philip courtinho rumours are already doing the rounds. sure, we need another creator and he ticks a lot of boxes but…

Guns of SF

Arteta will tank us. KSE will need to react. How they do it, yet to be seen. Ek needs to stir the media again. Make a bid or a fake one,,,, get the pressure on KSE once again. Its Crickets with Edu, Stan and Josh. In this regard I do feel a little bad for Mike. Ill admit it. They put him as the moutpiece. At least Ivan would meet fans, speak in the media. We have this fucking CUNT edu, and what the fuck he actually does. Get him and Arteta out together. You cannot keep one. They are… Read more »

Mr Serge

Overmars is 10 times the dof edu is

Muppetman

Lukaka v white should be interesting at the weekend. Be a lot of focus after Brentford game.

Mr Serge

Not sure Lukaku starts on Sunday he is just coming out of quarantine

Gbat

CC

According to Valentin, Xhaka is getting a £30k a week pay rise. Totally made up nonsense.

The guy complains about everything. We win and we were lucky or the other team are poor. We lose and the manager’s clueless and he gives us a breakdown of what tactics he should have used. My personal favourite was that he’d tell the strikers to shoot at 80% power to try and win corners. Bonkers.

TitsMcGee

Pretty silly to expect a change of ownership. There’s about a 1% chance of that happening,.

Sid

Since gunnersaurus was laid off, supreme leader has been struggling for insider info

Br0wnie

We have Rob Holding who is a competent CB and a player in Ben White who is capable of playing right back. Why not play him there?

1 2 3 10