FORM GUIDE LOOKING SHARP

by .

Well, well, well, good morning to you ALL!

Let’s start the day with the great news that West Ham essentially ended the hopes of Wolves entering the race for top 4 this season. I’m not sure there’s any coming back from that many defeats over a short space of time, so I’d say the race is now Arsenal, Spurs, and United.

Also, I need to stop saying we have 13 games left, because we have 14 games.

14 cup finals.

So do we have any reason to think that we’re in good shape? Well, the Statsbomb folk dropped this little table of expected goal difference over the last ten games.

So what does this tell you?

Firstly, all the xG cry babies at the start of December were massively wrong. They misread the data, didn’t understand the context of what was going on, they weren’t watching what was happening on the pitch… and they didn’t understand how a striker like Auba was damaging to a system that needed someone very different.

Arsenal were pretty damn correct when the binned off Auba in December. He has a fan club that wants to point to each goal he scores, but the simple reality is this:

  1. He didn’t score goals for Arsenal
  2. Arsenal score more goals without him
  3. We’re making moves on top 4 just fine without him

We’re one of the most in form teams in the league since he left us. The attitude on the pitch is better, more players are involved in the goalscoring, there’s a deeper range of options that make us very unpredictable.

It is quite heartening that the group of fans that always point to the players we don’t have at the club have been pretty much silenced. You don’t really hear too much about Guendouzi because our midfield has been great this season. You don’t hear about Saliba because Ben White is quite literally the standout centre back signing of last summer. You don’t hear about Ainsley because he’s been really bad.

The project is in good shape, the only drama we’re dealing with at the moment is referees and red cards, we just need to keep our heads down and knock down all these difficult games we have coming up.

Arsenal have put their season ticket prices up by 4% this season. I read from @DarrenArsenal1 that the hike gives the club an extra £2.5m a season, which is a right leg of Auba for 6 months.

It’s really tough to know what to say here. Static prices for years is unusual, inflation is through the roof, the club has been blasting through cash… I’m surprised the hike isn’t more based on business metrics.

However, the flip side that the home fans are treated poorly, they are absolutely essential to project, and the painful PR they get off the back of it is not worth £2.5m. Inflation is absolutely killing UK people at the moment, these hikes seem unnecessary.

I’m also not sure how Arsenal is run. A couple of seasons ago, they fired 55 people, then toppled the Gunnersaurus… only to go and drop £250k a week on Willian. It’s weird how they prioritise where they extract extra coin from.

Finally, let’s talk captains armband. I’m not sure it’s going to be KT when the decision is made. I think they’re going to give it to someone who is more reliable when it comes to fitness and I think they are going to give it to someone who has experience of the role. My view is it’ll likely be Martin Odegaard and that would be the correct selection.

Martin Odegaard is right up there as one of our star performers, he’s been pretty robust this season, and the coaches, the fans, and the players seem to really respect him. I’m also paying a little bit of a attention to the left back links that have been coming through thick and fast. Quite a bit of smoke wafting through the Marble Halls, don’t you think?

We also seem to be getting quite a lot of linkage to Joao Félix, the £100m Portuguese star from Atleti. I honestly have no idea why a player of his flair went to play for Diego, but he fits the profile of a fallen star that is quite young, and I’d imagine he has a profile that’d be of interest to Arsenal. That said, he’d be expensive, and I’m not sure how his sort of star profile would fit at Arsenal? But who knows, he’s the sort of name we’d only be close to if we made Champions League.

Right, jump into the podcast today!

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AFC Forever

Bob Don’t disagree. However, extremism feeds extremism. As I said, if you’re going to spend every waking moment being a very harsh critic then it is only fair you acknowledge the good too. That is how you get a balanced debate. I doubt anyone really believes Arteta hasn’t made mistakes, of course, he has. However, you have to look at the whole picture. It’s that level of extremism that causes polarisation. It is about unreasonableness. Personally, I get a bit sick of it all, the teams doing well and it’s really not the time to continue the behaviour we saw… Read more »

AFC Forever

Bob From a former player about Rioch. Quote: “Building a family spirit within the dressing room was important to him, and on his say-so it became tradition for players to bring in cakes for everybody else on their birthday; something they’d done at Bolton. George Graham would never have considered this – so it wasn’t supported as enthusiastically as it might have been by the old guard – but the intention was nice enough. He wanted to bring us together. One, rather more peculiar ‘rule’ was to be positive whenever he said hello to you. If I’d bumped into him… Read more »

AFC Forever

Bard

Players often put contract talks on hold to avoid distractions. It’s completely normal practice. I personally don’t want any of our players distracted at the moment, we need them 100% focused on what they have to do. We have 14 games to go and every point lost because a player isn’t focused could prove costly.

Invincibles

I was not a fan of Rioch given his previous clubs but he did point Arsenal in the right direction and lay some groundwork for Wenger after the debacle of the last year or more of Graham. As has been pointed out he basically fell out completely with the club’s previous star striker who did not fit his system and even to Wright’s surprise the club decided to back the striker over the manager. But really it gave Dein the excuse he needed to get Wenger in who incidentally then phased Wright out over a couple of years but in… Read more »

Markymark

AFC forever I’m searching my memory banks for games under him I think Kevin Campbell was playing for us I seem to remember things were improving under him
Sounds like the Sargent Major approach rubbed people up the wrong way. Maybe bluntness in a conversation to someone Senior where a more nuanced conversation could have been had caused the departure

Dissenter

If Everton get relegated, it won’t be because Chris Kavanaugh is an in incompetent cowardly referee. It will be because Bill Kenright and Moshiri have made mistake, after mistake.

I wonder why no one is reminding them about the time they got away with footballing murder when Ben Geoffrey decided to use Tomiyasu’s face as a foot mat.

Pierre

AFC forever. “It is only those who want him out who are obsessing on the manager.” I named the WOBS the “wenger obsessives”, who turned into the “Ozil obsessives ” when wenger left . Interestingly enough , i think it has now turned full circle and the “Arteta obsessives ” are not the the negative fans as was the case when they obsessed over wenger, the obsessives are now the Arteta knows best brigade like yourself who are boring the tits off everyone . How about not worrying about what a poster like raptora says , he makes some very… Read more »

AFC Forever

MarkyMark Yes, he was the son of a sergeant major…..! Final story from Clarke: “I do recall him rubbing Ian Wright up the wrong way several times. When he infamously stopped a training session in full flow to tell our main man that he should look at the runs his former Bolton striker John McGinley made and learn from them, it was a grave error of misjudgment. Wrighty didn’t take it well. While I’m sure he was only trying to help, offence had been caused, and I don’t think their relationship was ever the same again. Respect on Wrighty’s side… Read more »

Positive pete

Yep Dissenter.When Everton next rock up at the Emirates.I hope that c** t Godfrey is absolutely tortured by the crowd.Got away with GBH.An absolute disgrace from the ref,VAR & the PGMOL.Should not be allowed to forget it.

Positive pete

Even better if we could send em down on final day.Now that would be some Karma.

AFC Forever

Pierre

You really are a hypocrite; if ever there was anyone on this blog who idolised people it’s you. Your obsession with Wenger and Ozil is borderline creepy. Ozil let himself down mate, great player but one of the problems we had to get rid of; which motivated your discourse.

Raulishuss

So pierre went from pro wenger and defending the club to anti arteta and obsessing about average academy graduates.

Raulishuss

And of course Arsenal fc is secondary to the self proclaimed troll

IAT-Robbie

AFCF, I am assuming you were a user on Le Grove in the Emery days. So I have to ask… Were there not people who remained unconvinced by Emery despite the games we won? Were you calling them “unreasonable” back then? Did you tell them “that’s no way to support a team”? I don’t understand this urge some have on here to purport themselves as some kind of superfan. How does my skepticism of Arteta affect your ability to watch a game? What is this incessant need to have everyone agree with you? Pedro is always bewildered when some of… Read more »

AFC Forever

Dissenter You make some good points about Everton. Firstly, the PGMOL ‘apology’ from Riley wreaks of more bias. Where was the apology when Godfrey stood on Tomi’s face or after the various other wrong calls we have had? Secondly, the elephant in the room:- Chris Kavanagh is from Manchester. For our overseas friends, there is historic hostility between Manchester and Liverpool. The PGMOL is an organisation with a high level of representation from the North West, where Liverpool and Manchester are located. Chris Kavanagh is the same man who decided Harry Kane’s red-card challenge on Liverpool’s Robertson wasn’t a red.… Read more »

Bob N16

IAT Robbie, do you not see some positive signs this season, unity, a willingness to fight to the end as well as our points accumulation? Some of this has to be attributed to Arteta.

If you are forever focussing on your ‘scepticism of Arteta’ does it not make it difficult for you to see the big picture?

AFC Forever

IAT+Robbie

It’s more a case of why now?

Having reservations is fine and completely natural. However, it seems a bit weird that as we propel ourselves into a strong position in the league, the noise has got ‘louder’ from those who wanted change last summer. That has to be explained. Usually, the manager out noise INCREASES as results DIP, performances DIVE and expectations are not met. That needs to be explained because it’s fucking weird.

The Bard

AFC Foreever. Yes it’s one of many possible explanations. I’m afraid I’m of the more cynical persuasion. Liverpool have been sniffing around and I dare say several other clubs have been in contact with his agent. My point is that there are too many moving parts to believe in a long term project.

raptora

Pretty sad that the moment anyone says something that a select others don’t agree with, they gang up and start bringing the poster down, then proceed to name-call, insult and of course the new special is, to question their fandom.

These posters don’t tolerate other opinions. It makes the commenting experience kind of unpleasant.

AFC Forever

The. Bard Good players will always be hunted by other clubs. It is part and parcel of football. When good players leave you to have to replace them with equal quality. I personally would prefer players to stay to continue momentum but we live in a world full of greed and where financially doped clubs can buy who they want. I agree that it’s difficult to build momentum if players keep leaving but likewise, it’s also a problem if you have players in the club who don’t want to be there. Thankfully, we have a really good group of young… Read more »

Mysticleaves

This is really getting funny and childish. Pedro can you start making posts where you don’t have to call out posters for not believing in what you believe(d) in? We have been absolutely terrible under Arteta and people have the right to call that out. I think it’s rich from you saying that people that doubted can’t come around to the “good times” now but when we were terrible and people were pointing that out to you you refused to see it too. Fact is, we rode this out. It was bound to happen that if we have Arteta endless… Read more »

englandsbest

The Bard

Get a hold of yourself. Longterm is not lifetime. Judging by progress made, we’re talking about maybe 2//3 years to go. Not such a burden, is it?

Positive pete

Less than two & a half years and Artetas being accused of having “ endless time”.Ffs get a grip.So another manager would have come on & turned it all around in 12/ 18 months? You’ve got to be f** ng kidding me. This is the mentality of the online fan you’re dealing with.

Mysticleaves

Positive. Novices coaches don’t even get top clubs at all talk more of 2 years to turn around a top club. Lampard was booted out. Pirlo was. Off the top of my head. If you think Arteta getting almost 3 years to turn around a “top” club is normal, point me to another coach that has been given that much time.

That makes you realise that we aren’t a top club anymore. So maybe the fault is ours for thinking we were still a top club.

Rich

The Bard Whether you’re at the top and trying to stay there Or if you’ve been run badly for a long time, and have delivered back 8th place finishes All businesses have immediate, medium, and long term objectives Trying to shortcut our way back to the top failed, so we’ve put in a foundation, and now the objective will be to build around it All businesses have to deal with both internal and external threats to their plans, all businesses have to update their plans based on new data The consequences of having better players, is that clubs will want… Read more »

AFC Forever

raptora “…start bringing the poster down, then proceed to name-call” U N B E L I E V A B L E………………. You and the Commie Kroenkphoebe called me a C=== the other day for disagreeing, I’ve never called anyone that. I was called a pr++k by Tom; again he’s probably another five-foot weakling in his Mum’s spare room who thinks a keyboard makes him hard. Only thing that makes that sort of person hard is keyboards and men in tight shorts. Bullies are usually the biggest cowards, which is why they behave the way they do. DM Pete and… Read more »

AFC Forever

Rich

My own feeling, which I have stated, is that the players down tooled on Emery. We know he’s a good manager and a decent sort. We were absolutely shocking in the EL Final and in the next season we were absolutely dire defensively. Culminating in the sad events that unfolded in the Emirates against Frankfurt. That group of players let us all down with their attitudes imo.

Dissenter

AFC
I’ve never told you I’ll jam a tree up your arse, don’t casually associate me with a useless remark like.
If there’s anything I want to jam up your behind it will be Mike Riley attached to SpaceX rocket.
Why could I waste a tree like that?

AFC Forever

Disssenter

Ha ha. Good riposte mate….!!.

That was very good.

Graham62

Positive Pete

You may be right but whatever way you look at things, Arteta’s mistakes were self inflicted and were obvious to most of us. He may have rectified many of these issues but, imo, irrespective of him being a rookie, he could have moved us on far more quickly and more productively if he had acted on the obvious far sooner in his tenure.

As a fan, I now look forward to these next 14 games and will make my final judgment at seasons end.

AFC Forever

Diss, it must have been Bamford. He was a strange one that’s for sure.

AFC Forever

Graham62

To be fair you want Sean Dyche at the club. I’m not sure that would be a popular opinion.

Dissenter

AFC It’s amazing how you talk you a bunch about approaching Arteta with context but you can’t stop falsifying stories about his predecessor You seem to be cut out if the same cloth as Pedro, regarding Emery. Nobody downed tools on Emery. The club never backed him. He didn’t get the players he wanted and the club didn’t move out the players he deemed trouble makers like Mustafi. He wanted Zaha, they gave him Pepe…it goes on and on. In the end, he ran out time and was fired for poor results. The same players that supposedly downed tools on… Read more »

Raulishuss

What a cunt you are rap. You did all the things you are accusing others of during the summer now you want to cry like a baby. Why don’t you take a break like your twin sad cunt tr7 untill we lose or draw again

AFC Forever

Diss So are you denying Freddie Ljungberg went to the board and complained about the attitude of the players? `Simple Yes or No answer will suffice Those players were a disgrace. I used to go to games you could see the lack of effort before your eyes. We had all kinds of problems with them behind the scenes. Why do you think we had to change the training ground and cull players? Sorry mate but you don’t know what you’re talking about. I feel sorry for Emery because the players let him down But ultimately he paid the price. Arteta… Read more »

Terraloon

It seems that the 20/21 financials seem to have to a large degree been missed or should I say dismissed by many. I haven’t had a chance to look at the accounts as they aren’t yet visible on the Companies House website but the numbers have been discussed by AST on their Twitter account and some of the numbers are a worry 1) The wage bill went up to £244 million that was despite the players not taking their full pay for the whole year. Nor of course was there any bonuses paid for European qualification The projection is that… Read more »

AFC Forever

Diss, I think you need to read before you type. Knee-jerk answers make you look a bit daft to be fair.

Bob N16

Terraloon,
the Kroenkes are seriously wealthy.
We’ve been badly mismanaged for years and we’re still on an upturn
I’m confident that they’ll be sufficient funds this Summer.

Therefore, nothing to get worried about!

Muppetman

So much anger on here

Terraloon

Bob

Of course they are wealthy of that there is no doubt but FFP hasn’t gone away

Bob N16

Terraloon,

Think you’ll find FFP has been confused by COVID. Hopefully by the time, if ever, it becomes relevant our figures will be much improved.

Muppetman

How much has Usmanov put into Everton? Seen his assets are being frozen.

Rich

AFC Forever My argument about Emery was that he wasn’t our biggest issue, and sacking him wasn’t going to suddenly turn around our fortunes, because our issues ran much deeper than that. It’s the same argument I made for Arteta the last 2 seasons, Arteta obviously did well to win the FA Cup + Community Shield, which bought him some goodwill, but it’s not like he delivered an instant upward trajectory from where Emery was. We were 8th, 1 point behind 5th when Emery was sacked, last season we finished 8th, 5 points behind 5th, and that was after 18… Read more »

AFC Forever

Terraloon

“It seems that the 20/21 financials seem to have to a large degree been missed or should I say dismissed by many”.

Perhaps that is because we should just leave that to the owners? I’m not that interested to be fair. There are too many fans who get caught up in reading this sort of stuff and then behave like accountants. The Pandemic hurt everyone except perhaps the doped clubs. Ultimately the Kroenkes have serious wealth so we should leave that to them. I’m happy to have a whip round.

Bob N16

AFCF – f*ck the whip round, I pay for a ST and for sports channels already!

FB

Herb’s Army’s Dad is till fuming over the Royal Arsenal 0-1 defeat to 2nd Rifle Brigade in 1887

Perspective is everything 🙂

Rich

Having a whip around for billionaires is so 2022….

I can’t believe some of the players agreed to a reduction in wages, while Kroenke was out spending $5 billion on a stadium in LA, and billions on ranches across the United States

The correct response would have been the middle finger

AFC Forever

Rich “If a group of players downs tools on a manager, then that club has much bigger issues than the manager. Ultimately you need good players. Managers don’t get anywhere near enough time to work, or work on medium term plans, because of the impulsiveness of the majority of football fans, football is charged by emotion, and clubs need people with much cooler and calmer heads behind the scenes, who can ride out the storm.” Absolutely agree. Fans also forget that it’s not always about the player’s abilities, it is about attitude. I’ve been fortunate enough to have sat in… Read more »

AFC Forever

Bib

“AFCF – f*ck the whip round, I pay for a ST and for sports channels already!”

Ha ha. I was being sarcastic. I’m not sure Kroenke needs a tenner off me.

Naija+soccer

When Wenger left, lots of Arsenal fans agreed that it was going to take us 3-5 years to rebuild the team again. Seeing as the Emery and Ljungberg period is a write off, we are about 2 years and some months into the project.

Emery is as good a fit for Arsenal, as Torreira.

Terraloon

Bob The 2019/20 and 20/21 figures are being averaged to allow for the COVID impact. The point very very much is that casting back to the two previous years (2018/19&2017/18) there isn’t an issue but the current trading year ( ending 31/5/2022) will replace the£97 million profit reported in the 2017/18 year . So the year 21/22 is crucial. But hey let’s not worry because the Kronkes are rich yet everything w3 have seen to date suggests that if the inject monies it will not be by way of equity it will be further loans and loans it seems come… Read more »

Dissenter

AFC “Arteta fixed it by getting shot of the problems which is why some players had their contracts terminated.” No, Arteta didn’t “fix” anything The club backed the manager and helped him move the players who were suffocating him out I think Arsenal were on the steep learning curve as an organization trying to rebuild after having the same manager in place for 20 years. They made mistakes under Emery by nott backing him with key players, and learned from it. Did Arteta pay off Mustafi, Kola, Ozil and the rest of the bad apples. How exactly did he “fix… Read more »

Naija+soccer

AFC

That Attitude aspect is why I m loving Arteta’s non-negotiables so much. People don’t understand how impactful having the right mentality or attitude is. It’s partly why clubs like Bayern, Real etc continue to stay on top. It’s their mentality. I would add Man U to that list but this isnt 10 years ago bwahahahahahaha!!!

Dissenter

Chelsea are about to lose the heart of their defense this summer
-Christensen isn’t signing, probably headed to Barca on a Bosman
-Rudiger is yet to sign, probably headed to Real on a Bosman
-They didn’t offer an extension to César Azpilicueta, who’s been a colossus for them, as good as John Terry ever was.

They are going to be worse off next season.

Danny

The correct response would have been the middle finger
————-
That’s what Ozil did.

AFC Forever

Dissenter

“Did Arteta pay off Mustafi, Kola, Ozil and the rest of the bad apples. How exactly did he “fix it”

Is this actually a serious question?

Does Arteta pay the players wages?

Terraloon

Dissenter César Azpilicueta probably ranks as one of the best £ for £ signings in the PL era he has indeed been a colossus but he will be 33 in August so I can quite see why he won’t be getting a contract over 12 months at Chelsea as we all know players aged over 30 can see their form and or fitness drop off the edge of a cliff almost in a blink of an eye. Rudiger is an interesting one because it seems that he has asked for mega money plus . Christensen clearly wants more that he… Read more »

Positive pete

Mysticleves.Suffice to say your timeframe for “ sucess” bears no reality to the real world.your timeframe apply to the likes of the financially doped clubs with a bottomless pit of money who can throw what they want at it & coudnt give a monkeys if it fails.No problem.Throw more money at it.Next superstar manager..Next Galactico.Next super kid.You get the idea. We( Arsenal) have never been in that ballpark.Therefore,unfortunately,it takes time. Having said all that. I do agree with Graham.Mistakes have been made.Not fatal thankfully & without these progress would have been quicker.He is right.But we’ve taken a chance on a… Read more »

Dissenter

AFC
It’s a very cogent question directed at you for coming up with such comments as Arteta “fixed”: it, when in fact it should read as the club backed Artet

Players don’t mess around with a manager that’s backed by the higher-ups, when there’s a whiff of not backing the manager then players walk all over him.

Arteta didn’t have the power to “fix” those players man, the club does and used it to reinforce the manager’s standing in the dressing room.

Dissenter

Terraloon
All those exits point to a weaker Chelsea
There’s no way their defense will be as good without Azpilicueta, Rudiger and Christenssen. All the Koundes in the world wont replace all those exits quick enough.

My point is that top 4 will be even more competitive next season

Stephen Camfield

Guendouzi is in fantastic form and is just what we need in midfield. We will sell him for a pittance and he will play for France, one of the best teams in the world, and our fans will wonder why that was allowed to happen.

Rich

Diss Completely agree with that, a weak manager creates a weak dressing room. Emery publicly tried to dump Mustafi, Kolasinac and Ozil, the club should have backed him, and they didn’t. Thankfully they learnt from that mistake 14 months ago, and did what was necessary to strengthen the manager, and deal with the players They also did something similar with Aubameyang in January. If the club had backed Emery to sign Zaha or Nkunku, and exited the players he seen as an issue, then his story at Arsenal might have turned out very differently What’s done is done, the positive… Read more »

Positive pete

Please,please no reports of the dodgy syrup wearing Gwen Dozy.He’s gone.Enough.

Dissenter

Rich I think sometimes we forget how much organizational atrophy Arsenal had having kept one manager in place for 20 years. You saw how labored we were even signing Arteta, we let it drag on and on, even though he was an Assistant manager that everyone knew cried like a baby in his last game with us. The Arsenal organizational has been learning these past 4 years. I credit Arteta too for winning the trust of the owners and nudging them to reinvest to keep up with competition. It is in Arsenal’s best interest that the owners feel connected to… Read more »

Nigel Tufnel

Dissenter, I agree about what’s been said about Chelsea, Rudiger will be a big loss if he goes, and Silva will be a year older. They are so stacked with depth and talent in forwards and midfield that they should be challenging higher up. Maybe they could use a little leaner squad in some ways. Hard to keep everyone playing in such a big squad, and affects continuity. We can only hope that sanctions end up affecting them, but that’s not very likely. Most of all I agree that top 4 will be more competitive because we’ll be right in… Read more »

AFC Forever

Stephen

There is no question the boy has talent. But when you have a tight dressing room and have spent time and money getting the culture right at the club, you have to be certain he’s not going to disrupt that. I personally don’t trust him not to be disruptive.

Saliba is totally different. From what I have seen in France he really does have talent and a very good attitude. Adding him to the squad will be a real bonus. It also provides us with options.

AFC Forever

Nigel I think Chelsea’s problems may extend beyond players leaving. Obviously, none of us know what will come of the negotiations that will inevitably take place but Chelsea is owned lock, stock and barrel by Abramovich, who is being targetted for sanctions by everyone. Fordstam is currently owed just shy of £2 Billion and if Abramovich needs access to funds he’ll have no choice but to call in loans. In addition, everyone knows Bruce Buck and the charity won’t be running things, so whether or not Chelsea will be in. a position to spend money will be interesting. At the… Read more »

Tom

”I was called a pr++k by Tom; again he’s probably another five-foot weakling in his Mum’s spare room who thinks a keyboard makes him hard. Only thing that makes that sort of person hard is keyboards and men in tight shorts.” AFC forever, I don’t remember calling you a prick, and if I did, I apologize profusely. It would’ve been completely inappropriate. You’re more of a cunt who distorts others opinions and then writes 1500 word self aggrandizing, boring essays. Also, I’m 5 foot 2, so I demand a retraction on that front…….and it’s not a spare bedroom but a… Read more »

AFC Forever

Tom,

“You’re more of a cunt ”

Thank you. You might need to work on your debating technique it’s a tad flawed.

“Also, I’m 5 foot 2, so I demand a retraction on that front…….and it’s not a spare bedroom but a whole basement.”

Sincere apologies. happy to retract. The basement makes sense – at least you won’t bang your head in there.

Rich

Tottenham Tom

You mean 5ft and 2 inches right?

Those are 2 separate measurements?…. 😂

Pierre

Rich
“I can’t believe some of the players agreed to a reduction in wages, while Kroenke was out spending $5 billion on a stadium in LA, and billions on ranches across the United States
The correct response would have been the middle finger”

The one player who gave them the middle finger never played for Arsenal again , though he did milk them for every penny he could …..and who could blame him.

And that’s why most of the players agreed to the reduction in wages….

AFC Forever

Rich

Good spot about the 2″. Surely his name should be Justin?

Markymark

Dodged a bullet with Usminov. I think he’s a lot easier to go after than Roman who I suspect has friends throughout the world who will drop carefully managed PR in the right ears.

IAT-Robbie

Terraloon,

Great summary. I know users have said they don’t care about the club’s finances but it’s been an eye-opener for me. I can’t say I’m not a bit worried. Champions League qualification won’t solve all the outstanding debt but it will certainly help.

Venga, Dani

This Everton penalty is making me feel insane. Peacock coverage showed a very obvious offside in the buildup to the handball but Lamps gets an apology and everyone is losing their mind. Looked like a straight forward call to me

IAT-Robbie

“do you not see some positive signs this season” Bob/AFCF, Willingness to fight – Yes for the most part that has improved. We do still have these limp performances,which are frustrating, but the recruitment of defensive players has been very good. They’re definitely a more reliable bunch than the bargain bin buys Wenger was addicted to. It feels like they’re less likely to capitulate in a bad situation. In the late-Wenger era there was not much hope. Unity – That’s conditional. Is it genuine unity when dissenting players are either frozen or shipped out every blue moon? Amongst the players… Read more »

IAT-Robbie

Terra,

Thank you so much😊

The Bard

Rudiger leaving the CL champions for more money ? Who would have thought. According to a few on here money is secondary for footballers to living somewhere nice and playing with mates. Naive doesn’t cover it

Markymark

Interesting to see what the fallout will be with Tuchel.
I have no idea in reality what he is like but I’m guessing a bit highly strung. He’s not hiding the fact the ownership issues at Chelsea are having an effect. Telling journalists to please stop is not likely to get the results he desires.

englandsbest

Stan has turned out to be something of a gambler, not the play-it-safe operator he was. Perhaps because in this apocalyptic period he knows it’s now-or-never. The five billion dollar gamble with the Rams paid off, and It’s hard to imagine him giving up on Arsenal, despite bottom line balance sheets in the red. The Rams may be big in the States but they are pygmies compared with Arsenal globally. Strangely, what was long term will, at the end of the season, become short-term. My belief is that this summer Arteta will be given all the money he needs to… Read more »

Naija+soccer

AFC Forever

Let’s just hope that Saliba’s desire to play for Arsenal I still burning. I know it would really hurt, for me personally if we end up selling him.

Hleb to Barcelona level hurt.

englandsbest

There are a few on here who believe that money is the ONLY factor players take into account when moving to a different club. Seriously. I guess they have a total lack of imagination.

Karsa

A player nearing the end of his career will be more driven by money than one starting out.

Graham62

So Mike Riley sends an official apology to Everton for the decision at Goodison Park on Saturday. What then should we conclude from this? Well, firstly, Chris Kavanagh ( VAR hub) should be penalised heavily. He should be withdrawn from the refereeing rota for an indefinite period. Mike Riley should be held accountable for this and the ongoing inconsistencies and incompetent leadership by himself. Did Arsenal receive a letter of apology for the assault on TT earlier in the season? Each week we witness the incredibly poor decisions being made and yet there is no accountability. Mike Riley should be… Read more »

Dissenter

Did Arsenal write to formally receive a letter of apology for the assault on TT earlier in the season?

I thought it was desperately whinny for Everton to go that formal route.
They too have benefitted from diabolical refereeing errors like when Tomoyasu’s head was used a floor mat. They should have gone one man down and lost that game.

Markymark

Englands Best – A striker is guaranteed I feel the easiest to obtain will be DCL ( personally I’m a bit stuck undecided on him ) possibly also wild card older guy with 2 seasons left as a mentor. ( like UTD with Cavani )
I’m not sure if an out and out striker of the highest grade is needed ? The Arsenal Vision pundits had an interesting view saying we need a guy to link up the left and right Pods. Get a Xhaka replacement in the LHS pod as well and it could be the business

TheLegendaryDB10

Graham Totally agree with you re PGMOL. The excuse rolled out as to why they came up with that bullshit decision is quite hilarious, courtesy of SSN: “It is a penalty, no doubt. I think the VAR inspected it for too long. There are a couple of angles that may have affected the decision.” https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11671/12554608/mike-riley-personally-apologises-to-evertons-bill-kenwright-and-frank-lampard-for-man-city-handball-decision-vs-everton Will that affect PGMOL? Nope. But it should. This alone (not to mention our file case load) should have the EPL brass actually question PGMOL’s ability to referee. To have such a level of ineptitude is staggering yet still nothing is being done about it.… Read more »

AFC Forever

New post chaps.

Wish we had a new PGMOL.