In the world of Arsenal Content Creation there is no darker 2 weeks than the audience blizzard of international break number 3.
Where did all the people go?
Did they stop caring about football?
Did they find another blog?
Why am I crying? What is this anxiety? Why do I want to put all my feelings into a three-word Facebook update that says ‘Feeling real sad😭’ like it was 2011?
Because I need attention and I have no audience.
So what am I doing to get life back on track? Making BANGER podcasts with Perry Groves!
Did he recognize me when he dropped onto the call after we worked together in 2013? Absolutely not. He was here on the Johnny Cochrane connect.
Was he absolutely fascinating, blending contemporary football analysis with his own professional experiences? 100%. You really need to tune in. He was a brilliant guest with superb clarity in his commentary. A top pro.
Considering renaming the site Perry Le Grove in his honour (thanks Twitch).
The England Social Media admin is having fun with Emile Smith Rowe and the numbers every post is doing.
ESR. pic.twitter.com/TEz44Ad7F7
— England (@England) November 9, 2021
Speaking with James Olley, he revealed that he’s battled with the demons of playing in front of crowds.
I’m always really nervous before the game and not having that pressure of everyone shouting, that helped me a lot. I’m happy with the way things are going.
I’m quite surprised to be honest that it’s worked out this way. I thought I wouldn’t be as confident as I am at the moment. It’s always extra special playing at the Emirates anyway.
I’ve been banging on about Arsenal fans being part of the process this season, there you have it, the difference between making it and not making it can sometimes be how a player thinks they will be received. Not many are born ready to be part of the elite, because the mix is so complicated, so if there’s one thing we can do, it’s make them feel at home at their home. I love that he called it out specifically. What a guy.
The youngster also elaborated on Arteta’s team putting demands on him.
‘They are strict but I didn’t really listen to be honest, I think that’s where I went wrong. But now I’m listening, all the time. “I like Nandos a lot. Maybe that’s killing me a little bit. I’ve tried to cut out chocolate and takeaways as much as I can. I’m always eating from home now.’
FFS NANDOS. RESCIND THE BLACK CARD WITH HASTE. GIVE IT TO ME.
The club has booked him a chef that prepares meals for him, which is a sharp move considering the fine margins Arsenal try to manage. Honestly, these young players are primed from 8 years old for 10 years of peak performance. It’s great when they go all out, accept boring, and make their careers bang.
Hopefully, he can taste some minutes this week, he’s been a superstar since Boxing Day last year, he’s going right to the top.
Vlahovic stories in the media suggest he won’t pick up the phone to Arsenal. Seems a very weird thing for any player rocking out at Fiorentina. The real story appears to be that Juve want him, likely don’t have any cash, so Arsenal are once again the supposed second choice option. I’m not sure Arsenal are banter when it comes to transfer deals in 2020. If we wanted a player, we’d probably not waste our time on agents that don’t pick up the phone. Put that story in the bin.
How is it going for Locatelli under the Allegri this season? 8th in the league you say? 14 points off the joint top leaders? Ouch.
Not as ouch as Aaron Ramsey getting ousted by the Old Lady. They want to chop up his deal in January. That move really hasn’t worked for him bar the cash money he’s been making. Think Juve are going to find out why we didn’t want to give him a long-term deal and where the power sits when you are trying to exit players like that (unless they are named Willian).
LOOK at my man DCL riling the real men of the internet like peak Harry Styles.
Oh to be young, rich, good looking, supremely talented, and confident enough to just roll however the fuck you want. Good for him. If you have the platform push fashion, culture, art, music, gender whatever you want… do it, because life is short, make it count while you count.
I’m gonna be honest. I’d wear that clobber tomorrow if it’d get me my audience back, better than going on Facebook again.
Mikel Arteta has been juicing his PR game HARD again. He had this to say on Wenger.
‘I would like him to be more present at the club. I think the players will love him, they will benefit, they will be inspired to have him around. I think for the club it would be a huge boost.’
Most of the people that moved him on are now out of the club. It’s a different vibe down there. I’m sure there’s a Fergie like role for him. I guess the problem is he is a King and it’s hard for one that has forcibly abdicated the thrown to ever truly believe it has been relinquished. Still, it’s a nice gesture from Arteta who has shown bundles of class over the past 4 months in particular.
The reviews for his new film seem favourable compared to the book. I’ll certainly be tuning in for a journey down memory lane. I’m glad he’s taking in a bit of glory. It’s clear he’s still very burned about the choices he made and how things ended up. I’d much prefer it if his appearances were about the things we cared about: Winning things. Going unbeaten. Having the sharpest talent ID in world football for 14 years. Developing spectacular names. No one needs to rehash the decline.
Right, on that note, take a watch / listen of one of my fave podcasts to date.
Johnny and me discuss the following with Perry Groves:
- Building out a new culture. Perry was GGs first signing. Part of a new breed of characters. Hear what George was looking for.
- Matteo G. Lots of people still whine about his exit, hear from a pro why he’s likely not at Arsenal
- The new 4-4-2. We talk about how Arteta found a system that works for young and old.
- The new signings. We get into what the new signings have brought to the club.
- We also talk about sportsmanship and that Watford incident.
A terrific listen. 5* rank it if you love it. Subscribe to the Youtube channel if you like the videos.
AFC “What are you talking about. Wenger has to share the blame… Trying to blame Emery and Arteta for what they inherited is wrong Pierre” My words were , and i quote “We are now basically back to where we were when Wenger left after spending over 300 plus million, so the “amazingly rapid .transformation ” shows how far we had fallen under Emery and Arteta” As you can see from my words , i did not exonerate wenger from any blame, of course we had dropped a level or 2 from the incredible heights he had taken the club… Read more »
some pretty shocking bowling figures in there
That Jordan over changed the game completely , Morgan shouldve gone for the kill used Woakes early . The Nice guys win !! Kroenkephobe / BobN16 the revenge has been taken 😉
Tom, you basically stated that all food is equal and calorie intake is the metric nutrition is measured by.
Not sure anyone is buying your expertise in this area.
If ESR is literally saying the changes in diet and lifestyle have helped him find fitness, you should probably believe him.
“we are back to where we were when wenger left”
in one sense i agree, in a more common sense, wenger never had to face a league with this level of talent/competition. he began to flop harder and harder the more the league strengthened. in that sense we are only in as poor a position now as wenger’s weaknesses left us. no one looks at a line graph and sees one trend upward and another downward and views their intersection the way ytou are implying we should
Of course Wenger was a major player in the demise of the club. Yes he did some incredible and wonderful things but unfortunately he let his heart rule his head from 2009 onwards. Yes we qualified for the CL and won a few FA Cup’s but we could and should have done far far better. Blaming the onset of the money clubs was, imo, a lame excuse. We needed just a few accessible players to make things work but Wenger’s inabilities to act on our visible frailties ultimately proved decisive. I respect him for what he achieved in the game… Read more »
Haha 😂 what a bunch of homophobes! Anyone who thinks that picture is contributing to any sexual or gender identity issues in people is probably only feeling that way because he felt his dick move after seeing DCL in a skirt and is worried.
“we are back to where we were when wenger left”
Fans booing the players and manager? Getting rolled by big teams every game? No high performance culture to speak of? A messy squad of misfits with some players getting tough away days off? Defence in the gutter? Porous midfield?
We are in much better shape than we were when Wenger left, but to Zach’s point, the league is just a lot more competitive.
luteo when is that not the case haha
honestly if i had a hard time getting laid i’d probably be pissed off too seeing oversexed athletes dressing up like schoolgirls
Pierre, I get the point you’re making but it’s simply not true that we’re back to where we were after Wenger. We’ve spent a shit ton of money for sure and should be in a much better shape than we are. Arteta’s first 20 months were a part of – wrong players, terrible football. But a lot of things have changed this season. I’m still not sold on Arteta. He needs to produce actual results over the course of a season for that to happen. But the football is looking better for each game. And if Arteta was to leave… Read more »
As it stands today, we are in a far better position than when Wenger left.
Remember how we all felt those last few seasons.
Now think of where we are now.
Exactly!
DS
New Zealand were outstanding. They fought like tigers. Great advert for the game. They’re the one team I’d like to see win instead of England. Hope they’ve got enough for whoever they face in the final.
Pierre Arsenal was a mess after Wenger left. Look at the problems Arteta & Emery had to deal with. The Ozil issue. The layers we had to shift out in a Covid market. In his interview, when Any Lawrence mentioned the training ground changes with links to our past teams/players, He said we had a bad culture. We had to tear up players contracts to get the poison out. Your Guendouzi was given the boot because he was trouble. We were soft mentally and physically and I’m sorry Wenger has to take some of the blame for that. You need… Read more »
Pictures of a grown Man dressing up and posing as a School girl (and getting paid for it) seen as Cool, trendy/living his life etc ?
Wouldn’t want to see young girls alone near these weirdoes
If Gerrard becomes Villa manager, there will be three former PL Captains managing teams.; Gerrard, Arteta & Paddy. Rumours are Lampard could be off to Norwich.. That would make four. They have all played a role in PL winning teams too.. Interesting.
Graham62
Agree, except that it wasn’t Wenger’s heart that took over, it was his ego. Listening to him was exasperating, hearing him pontificate on every issue – from ‘every man thinks his wife is the most beautiful woman in the world’ to ‘I never break a contract’ – shit, I can picture that smug smile of his. He was up to every trick that made him seem wiser than he was.
If Gerrard becomes Villa manager, there will be three former PL Captains managing teams.; Gerrard, Arteta & Paddy. Rumours are Lampard could be off to Norwich.. That would make four. They have all played a role in PL winning teams too.. Interesting.
Arteta?
What we saw under Wenger was two separate reigns.
From 96-06 we saw what Wenger was capable of.
but thereafter, we saw a gradual decline because Wenger was unwilling to expand on what had proven to be successful.
Pace and power mixed with the many technical experts he had at his disposal, went amiss.
Excuses can be made but, imo, that is a cop out.
Anyway, enough of Arsene Wenger.
Let’s look forward.
EB
It was the wryness that got so exasperating,
For him and the fans. stan had his cake and ate it for a while and now he’s Obliged to spend 50m on defenders and prob 70m every TW until we’re consistently in CL
We are about as far as it is possible to be from when Wenger left. The organisation bled toxicity at every level. The Emirates was a deeply unpleasent place to be. Too many senior plyers having too much power. The club had no direction, signings were abject. Look at us now, right from the top. we have an owner determined to drive through change, promises of sustained investment. The Emirates atmosphere is at its best ever. We have six exciting new signings. We did not let watford bully us. The back 5 are monsters. Some people still have reservations but… Read more »
Taylor Swift
100% spot on in respect to where we were in 2018.
Unfortunately, some fans get confused between the good and the bad times.
From 2009 onwards I was drained of genuine love for my club.
I’m hoping that Arteta has learnt by his mistakes and that the good times are ahead.
AFC
“Arsenal was a mess after Wenger left”
So bad that we went on a 22 game unbeaten run, obviously the team wasn’t that bad then..
Somehow we went from team that could put together a 22 game unbeaten run to a team that finished 8th in consecutive seasons and missing out on Europe playing the most boring , insipid football in living memory
350 mil later and we are back where we started ….which is a great improvement on mid and bottom half of the table.
Pierre, you remember that one time you said you was a troll? I’m sorry i doubted you.
Anyone read that PSG Women story today?
________
Yep Peds.. just read it… That is some full on crazy stuff.. Definitely shades of Tonya Harding.
Might make players think twice about what their teammates are actually thinking. If Eddie asks Auba if he wants a ride home.. he might want to decline that invitation.
Pedro “Fans booing the players and manager? Getting rolled by big teams every game? No high performance culture to speak of? A messy squad of misfits with some players getting tough away days off? Defence in the gutter? Porous midfield?” Amazing that a messy team of misfits can produce results like this in their last 8 home games under wenger 5-0 1-1 4-1 3-2 4-1 3-0 3-1 3-0 26 goals for 6 against I can’t imagine too many booing the team watching their team score over 3 goals a game,.. Must be an amazing manager to produce results like this… Read more »
Partey groin injury.
.
.
Wenger blew £100m on Xhaka Mustafi and Peres in one mad Summer
On top of collecting top quality talent such as Elneny and Kolasinac
We’re arithmetically in the same position but that ignores context trend and potential
Pierre
Would you still use the unbeaten run analogy if it were 22 draws in a row?
Unbeaten means shit, what was the winning streak?
Perry Groves……wow.
Pierre, we were all there my friend, we all saw the decline.
Where we are now is nothing like where we were when Wenger couldn’t fill out the stadium.
We’ve managed the succession badly, but the succession wasn’t a mistake.
Amazing how much clarity you have over certain things, and the ‘I did not see the incident’ mindset you have over his last decade.
‘We have evn learned how to take corners!!!’
Most important observation of the week.
Bellerin has a fashion partner what is it with these footballers? If it were the Scottish league nobody would bat an eyelid and I doubt any of the people laughing at the pic would laugh at a hairy arsed Scotsman in a kilt and get away with a short term stay at the local hospital. Being born in Scotland I wore one to a Scottish friend’s wedding including the sgian-dubh in ma sock. Have you worn a kilt living in Edinburgh, Jaime? If ye have na, then ya missed oot on the fun. A/C nuts is different, especially in the… Read more »
Pedro
Perry Grove was simply WONDERFUL. He clearly understands the game inside and out, well done on snagging on as a guest…
Make him a regular!
*Groves
Simply excellent. Thanks for that it was worth waiting for!
That little monologue that Perry said about the shirt was excellent.
“It’s the shirt that makes you special…”
Are you listening Guendouzi?!?
IAT , kroenkephobe: IAT-Robbie November 10, 2021 03:25:43 @Nigel TufnelThat is as incendiary a comment as one could possibly make. Not sure why you take it so personally that some of us aren’t convinced by Arteta.RE: Arteta’s 100 game tally Yes, his number of wins is undoubtedly bolstered by cup competitions, which includes the Europa League. What you losers can’t get through your thick skulls is that it’s so obvious to Pedro and most of us, the bitter agenda you’re clinging to …. IAT using all Bamfords style and stat work, to try and convince himself that the Arteta haters… Read more »
Nigel
That’s hilarious you silly cunt. You’re as daft as the character your name is based on. Imagine you comparing someone else to Bamford when your entire act is a powder puff version of his shtick. You’re nothing but a poundshop aubergine – soft, fleshy and watery inside because you’ve gone off. Your ‘best before’ date has passed, you clown.
One final thing in respect to Wenger, which epitomised his last decade in charge, we had an appalling record in games that really mattered.
We became the bully boys of the PL and fcuked up in games domestically and in Europe when the pressure was on.
It was frustrating to us all and those fans that gloat over Wenger’s final eight games in charge aren’t looking at the bigger picture.
Graham
Agreed. The second half of his tenure, ie Wenger’s rule of terror was a miserable time for all sane-headed gooners. There were also long sequences – usually towards the business end of the season – where we’d lose multiple games as the players’ confidence became shot. Out of three or four competitions in a week – that type of thing. It stretched our support to the limit sometimes.
Wenger brings back sad memories here – PTSD inducing sad memories.
All this talk of Wenger Mark 2 has brought back so many bad memories.
Graham What you don’t realise is that certain posters pounced on the mere mention of wenger in my comnenr and made it a topic… This was simply a diversional tactic from posters who had no reply to my point that we are basically back to where we were when wenger left…which is true. Of course , this led to the obsessives putting their twopence worth on Wenger , making out that the club was in total disarray , which it wasn’t as was confirmed by the results just before he left and the results just after he left… Anyway, I’m… Read more »
Pierre
The progress is that we’re building a title winning side , not an eternal top 4 team that wins nothing and cant compete in round of 16 . It looks like youre missing the Wenger days , go and watch his movie might make you feel better.
And I am not saying Arteta is the man to do it , I am saying if he isnt he will be moved on . Now its looking like he can deliver , lets have some fun on the journey instead of being Nostalgic about something thats been done.
Tony –
“Have you worn a kilt living in Edinburgh, Jaime?”
Many times, friend. Weddings, special occasions, going to the rugby at Murrayfield.
It’s incredibly stupid people like AFC Superbam who think clothing choice creates confusion around gender identification in children
The club was in shit Street during Wenger’s second half because he’d acquired absolute power from Stan. Compared to today (where we have a number of slightly less harmful clowns in positions of power) Wengo basically occupied every position in the hierarchy from Tets’s up to and including that bearded buffoon Josh K’s. He was Mikel, Edu, Garlick, Lewis and Josh all rolled into one. Oh, and he was Sir Chips’s puppet master. Rather a ship of fools than a single handed attempt to navigate English football I suppose. It’s better now but it could be soooo much more improved… Read more »
I have a feeling that AMN is very close to securing a startimg place in the team in midfield. His performances have been excellent this season, albeit he has only started in 4 home games.. Arsenal have yet to concede a goal in any of the 4 games he’s started , his recovery pace for a central midfielder is exceptional… Partey being injured with a groin injury is not good but having AMN to deputise will give Arteta a chance to see if he can perform in midfield away from home against top opposition, unless of course Arteta opts for… Read more »
Divinesherlock
“The progress is that we’re building a title winning side , not an eternal top 4 team that wins nothing and cant compete in round of 16 . It looks like youre missing the Wenger days ”
3 fa cups in 4 years is not winning nothing is it…
I will be more than happy with a league cup this season and so will many others(including you) and that’s what i mean when i talk about about fans lowerijg their expectations.
Pierre, i spoke abt niles at the begining of the season and how impressed i was about his performances. I really think he has been very good this season
Have to disagree with “As you can see from my words , i did not exonerate wenger from any blame, of course we had dropped a level or 2 from the incredible heights he had taken the club” for me that’s straight up funny farm stuff .Wenger teams of the last five years of his tenure were like 10-15 levels below the teams he produced when at the peak of his powers .It is those incredible teams like the invincible’s which means even the most ardent wenger out protagonists still have respect for the man .when Wenger finally left that… Read more »
Some pure DCL loving there, Pedro. I hope he notices the seductive wink and he hands in a transfer request at Everton
Shaun
You are correct.
For all of Wenger’s great achievements, he cost us “ten years of advancement”
Those that don’t see that are blind to his earlier achievements.
Winning 3 FA Cups, although nice, didn’t do it for me.
Pierre
The feeling I had during Wenger’s final years was one of zero hope.
With him at the helm, we had no chance of progression and because he had been at the club so long, it was the definition of torture.
Most Arsenal fans felt exactly the same.
It was the minority who kept him at the club.
Morning all It would seem Bolagun is unhappy and may have to leave to get first team football after a loan for which it’s reported, there are many suitors. Along with many here I’ve been vocal of Arteta’s misuse and poor treatment of our Hale Enders and youth acquisitions. Pierre and I plus a plethora of others online were left with incredulous belief that the likes of Azees, Bolagun, Martinelli (when fit) and perhaps cameos for Patino and a few others who didn’t get time last season. With no blooding done of our potential future stars bar Eddie, Arteta doesn’t… Read more »
On the subject of youth players good to read that Martinelli’s father has dispelled rumours of Martinelli returning to Brazil.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-10108067/How-Premier-League-club-spend-transfers-FFP-rules.html
We can spend £201m plenty to add to our rebuilding with others’ contracts running out we’ll be able to add more.
But will any or every club really follow the FFP law?