Match Preview: Arsenal v Tottenham; EPL Match Day 7
It is simply- “the Norf London Derby.” Twice a year it is the time on the calendar that most Arsenal fans yearn for. A chance to put their noisy neighbours in their rightful place. And in the 15 years since Arsene Wenger has been at Arsenal there has never been a time when Spurs have finished above Arsenal. But, is that about to change?
If we’re honest, the club we love while improving isn’t as dynamic or thrilling as it has been in the past. It is as frustrating as ever. 6 matches in and 3 losses. The form somewhere between good and god awful. For Arsenal to keep their neighbours down they will need to be somewhere near good and better.
Our “friends” from North London, have had a good run after stuttering start of their own. Punditry all over England are calling this year they displace Arsenal in the heirarchy of clubs. Just like they did last year and the year before. But given our form of late – even with our improvement – there could be something in it this year. Yes, it pains me to say that. More than anything I always look forward to this match because there are so many memories. But I am filled with a mix of excitement and dread. I hate it when our club is the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons – a set back at the Lane and well that kind of negativity will come back in spades with the added insult of Spurs fans piling on. Points and success from the Lane are an absolute neceessity
Last season who could’ve forseen that Arsenal would’ve put 10 past a Spurs keeper only to wind up with one cup win, one league loss and one league draw. Or who could forget Fabregas stealing the ball seconds after an Arsenal goal to score a second and cause the Emirates to erupt. These are the things this derby is made of. Of course outside of those moments the recent memories against Spurs have certainly given Spurs fans and pundits ammo for their argument that Spurs will over take Arsenal.
For both teams it is matter of intent. A win by Spurs even this early could give them hope that they are finally going to put an end to Arsenal’s 15 year run of supremacy over them and possibly supplant them in the table. For Arsenal, a win would signal the fact that the early season woes are clearly behind them. A win turns the corner completely and against a good team a win likely begins to remove any doubt that Arsenal will be competitive this season.
The key problem for both teams isn’t in their attack, it’s in their defences. King, Kaboul, Walker, and Assou-Ekotto will make up the back line for Spurs. Hardly a back 4 that makes strikers quake in their boots. If I am Arsenal I am going right at King and his weak knees with Robin Van Persie at every moment I can. For Arsenal, the merry go round of Centre Backs continues with Laurent Koscileny facing a late fitness test, making it more likely that Alex Song will move out of the centre of the pitch and join Per Mertesacker as a CB. Gibbs or Santos will be on the left and Sagna will be on the right. While its not a shambolic defence – its not my first choice for our starting central pair. Mertesacker is improving in his understanding of the English game but he has yet to have a regular partner. Song at CB isn’t a foreign concept and it is his original position and where he has played for his national team. It may be a sure fire way of keeping him from going on unwanted runs rather than anchoring his spot on the field. I want service into the box for Van Persie so I think Santos would start though Gibbs would be better against Van Der Vaart on the wing. Sagna – well what can you say, he is the best right back in the league.
The key for the defences is the match up of american keeper Brad Friedel for Spurs and Wojiech Szczesny for Arsenal. I am taking Szczesny every day of the week in that match up. Right now the two top keepers in the EPL are Szczesny and Hart. Where Szczesny beats Hart, is that he parries the ball away from the net cleaner leaving little for an attempted rebound. Hart killed himself against Munich last week by not being able to do this. But we aren’t up against Hart. Brad Friedel is an able keeper but he is hardly world class. Szczesny is. Just ask Germany.
Spurs attack is going to be a handful and they might actually have the edge over us in the midfield with Sandro being their weak link. Parker and Modric however make them better then a group made up of Frimpong (who will start here if Song is a CB), Arteta and Ramsey. The lack of Wilshere in this midfield for this match can’t be over looked. And while Arteta is impressing every time Modric is a better creative mid. Ramsey has been inconsistent and while I think Frimpong will relish playing in the derby his youthful exuberance could get us in trouble.
Up front I’d say its a wash. Van Persie, Gervinho and Walcott/Arshavin are as good if not slightly better than Adebayor, Bale and Van Der Vaart. Adebayor is back to antagonize Arsenal fans. We haven’t seen him since that first year he joined City.He’s apologized for his antics of that season but he has also vowed to score against his former club. And given his recent form it should be expected. Head to head against Van Persie, I’ll take Van Persie more for sheer heart and work rate. Van Der Vaart looks like a transfer target in January and is dealing with niggly injuries and doesn’t seem to be the threat he was last season. Gervinho will keep him honest. Bale is so so. He’s good but is the European nightmare the press made him out to be? Absolutely not. As a matter of fact the noise that has typically surrounded the Welsh winger is awfully quiet which suggests he is not having a season like last.
So where is the advantage for either team? It is likely in the locale. White Heart Lane is an opposing place to play on good occassions. For a derby? Its going to be down right inhospitable. For the few of our players they haven’t played in this match or anything like it, it is going to be completely foreign. Arteta will know what its like because to me the Merseyside derby is the only derby that comes even close to being on par with this match up each season. Other than that unless you’ve played in it – you won’t have a clue what its like. For the first leag of the derby ties being at White Heart Lane gives Spurs that mental advantage they would need.
I’m going to skip the usual “how this match should play out” section because I have to be honest, I don’t know. Spurs have been playing better and Arsenal are improving. For Arsenal it will take a consistent performance across 90 minutes of football. In their last few matches even though they’ve won, they have yet to put together two consistent halves. They need to come out with a performance reminiscent of the second halves against Olympiakos and Bolton. They absolutely have to boss the match and control the ball. The less Spurs have it, the easier it is to keep them off the score and shuts the WHL crowd down. The ability to play well and in a style consistent with Arsenal skill levels is there. They’ve shown it. Just not for 2 halves put together. If they want to walk out of the Lane with all 3 points they will need to do it. They can do it.
Players to Watch:
Arsenal: Robin Van Persie. He scored his 99th and 100th goals of his Arsenal career last week. He is now the heart and soul of this club and he has shown he can carry them on his back. He needs to come up big.
Spurs: Emmanuel Adebayor. The former Arsenal hitman has joined Spurs on loan to prove his worth. Scoring against his former club would go a long way to at least proving his worth to Spurs fans.
Probable Starting XI:
Injuries and Suspensions:
Arsenal: Diaby (ankle), Vermaelen (ankle), Wilshere (ankle), Squillaci (calf) Koscileny (ankle)
Spurs: Gallas (calf), Dawson (achilles), Huddlestone (ankle)
Leading Scorers:
Arsenal: 6 (3 league)
Spurs: Adebayor 3 (3 league)
Last Meeting (EPL):
Arsenal: 3
Spurs: 3
Goals For:
Arsenal (away): 1.7
Spurs (home): 2.5
Goals Against:
Arsenal (away): 4
Spurs: (home): 2.5
Last Five:
Arsenal: WLWLL
Spurs: WWWLL
Goal Difference:
Arsenal: -5
Spurs: 0
Match Official:
Referee: M Dean
Broadcast Information:
US: FSC 1100 AM EST
UK: Sky Sports 1 1600 BST
GAMEDAY CHAT: It’s Open!!!!!!
www.youaremyarsenal.com/gamedaychat
YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 2
Spurs: 2
The Final Word
This weekend marks the 15th anniversary of the signing of Arsene Wenger. It also marks the first time since Kroenke took over the club that he actually had something to say about the the club and about Arsene Wenger. Looking back at the Wenger years they have been filled with every high and low you can name. He has said he’d like to continue on for the next 15 years (its not realistic but you get the point). Stan has said the person who will dictate when Wenger leaves will be Wenger. So you get the sense from both men that the Arsenal manager will be here for a while.
Stan has gone on to lend support to Wenger on the controversial deals for Fabregas and Nasri saying while they wanted to keep both Arsene’s decision (he made a point saying both deals were Wenger’s choices) to sell both is supported by team management and the owner.
Of the sale of Fabregas, he says: “That was between Arsène and him. I like the kid but I’m not going to change his mind. Arsène made the decision. If we wanted to be really hard about it, we could have done but Arsène believed that it was the right way to do it. We talked about it when we were in London.
“I also get it on Nasri. If we didn’t do something on Nasri people would be looking at us next summer and saying, ‘Why didn’t you do this?’ We bought in a lot of resources that we can use on other players.
“I honestly didn’t make the decision on Nasri. Of course the board talks about these things but, at the end of the day, that’s for Arsène.”
Additionally, he articulated something I’ve felt about the club for a while. This spell, this run of form and lack of trophies is something sometimes you have to go through. It is part of a transition. Of course you want that transition to be shorter than its taken us. But it happens when you make a fundamental shift in how you operate. These are time frames in a club’s history you have to get through or as Stan said:
“Maybe it is one of those times when we have to work our way through, maybe with some young players. Arsène has been really good at developing these guys, people like Alex Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere.There are some really good players that Arsène thinks can be special.
“Sometimes you go through periods like that. Arsène’s our man. As an owner, that’s who we put our confidence in.”
The words from Stan won’t do much to assuage the fears of those who feel Wenger is past his prime. If the club are committed to Wenger for the long haul and let him leave on his own terms you could see him finishing out this contract regardless of the club’s form. That can’t feel good to the Wenger out crew.
While support from management is a good thing, I think it clearly places too much in the hands of one man. And while I think Wenger clearly should be given this season to see things out, saying he can basically remove himself takes away any authority the club has over him to exact any kind of change. The club need leadership from above. Not hands off and letting one person run the entire show. I get it, Wenger is a legend and should be treated as such, but legends sometimes fall away or let the game pass them by. It is a sad thing when that happens. We want our legends to be on a pedestal, revling in all their glory. Just ask Tom Landry. But if the game has gotten away from Wenger, the club leadership needs to say, (and I am paraphrasing) we want Wenger to stay but the team will be assessed at the end of the season and we’ll make choices based off of that. That’s what we need from Stan but at least he said something.
To read the full Stan Kroneke interview go here
Until next time – Stay Goonerish!!!
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i agree with fred about players running their mouth. let your football do the talking. with that, i understand that szczesny is young and can fall into media traps from their loaded questions. they’re not interested in the truth; only a headline and szczesny got caught up. it happens, especially to young players. as far as the poor goal he conceded, all keepers have two things in common; they’ve all made great saves and they’ve all let in very poor goals. once again, it happens.
as for song, his game is still developing and i believe he’s becoming a more complete player. one goal and 2 assists in 4 bpl games isn’t bad. also, when in midfield, he’s still our leading tackler. i’m happy with song’s contribution. what’s more important is i believe there is quite a bit more yet to come. like vieira, song’s okay at dm but he’ll probably do better in a box-to-box role with a dm behind him. song lacks the range of vieira but few can compete vieira’s ability to cover ground. lastly, he has this johnny on the spot ability to be in the right place at the right time to score goals. the goals he scores are never intended for him but i’ll take a goal however i can get one. the question is how will arsenal use song when everyone is fit?
as for what it would take for wenger to be sacked, the only way that happens is if he loses the dressing room. bottom line, as long as arsenal collect champions league money without spending money, the board is not going to spend. only arsene can do that for them and they will ride that train for as long as they can. once they lose that champions league check, they will need to spend money with hope that wenger can bring them back to the top four. if he fails, after spending money, only then will the board sack him. the problem the board fails to realize is the top players are going to want champions league football and if arsenal aren’t in the champions league, good players are unlikely to come to arsenal. another lesson they may learn is that a lack of proper preparation is very expensive. we’ll see if those smart money guys at the club know something we don’t.
@Fred, Fred he is a CM, have I not said that 3 or 4 times already? Have you forgotten all the good defence splitting balls he played including the assist? have you forgotten the player who passed three or four inexplicable balls that game, Ramsey? So why hate on our player of the month, our best player so far this season?
Yep the buck stop at Wengers feet, they are his tactics. However the fallacy that Gilberto played as an out and out DM is just that, fallacy. He like the rest of the DFsive minded CM was always encouraged to join the attack except for exceptional games/circumstances. How was Gilberto able to score the quickest goal in CL history if he only sat in front of the back four?
@arthur3sheds,
@arthur3sheds,
Gilberto was a DM that sat back. You can NOT rewrite history.
All DMs occasionally (and am talking even Makelele) occasionally go forward, so your argument about a DM scoring a goal is quite retarded.
Song is not a DM, he is not a CM. He is just a waste of space and time. A dummy player that should be playing at a bottom 10 club like QPR or West Brom. But considering Arsenal are now a bottom 10 club he is right at home isn’t he?
The same clownish arguments being used to defend Song now were the ones used to defend Denilshit 4 years ago. How did that turn out??
Don”t worry four years from now, your eyes will be opened. Arsenal would have been long done and dusted by then though.
@arthur3sheds, Song is our player of the month?
and he plays defense splitting balls through… to WHO? WHEN?
We’re talking Song? not Cesc? right?
Song is just average at his very best.
He hasn’t done anything special, EVER.
I know we love to prop up our players, and how amazing they are, and how fantastic they will become… but there aren’t ANY great players in our entire team… they’ve all been sold.
Alex Song couldn’t make it into ANY of the better teams in the league NONE of them.
when we moved to the Emirates, the refrain from the club was that in a few years time, the move would allow us to compete finanically with ANY TEAM IN THE WORLD, with the goal of becoming a “EUROPEAN SUPERCLUB”…
We had to make this move in order to compete.
I think all agree that this was just another in a long line of BOLD FACE LIES from the Arsenal Football Club, LLC, PLC Inc.
I have been saying from his introduction to the first team that Schezny is not ready to be our number one.
I like the boy but he is not yet world class in my opinion, but at that time I did not hear ONE person agree with me. Why jump on his back now that he makes an obvious error? Especially when he had a good game apart from that mistake, the boy kept us in the game.
As for his loyalty, I must say I am surprised to hear that he made such a comment as he is one of the most loyal, I thought. However that is one of the criticisms I leveled against the Youth Policy. We cannot expect loyalty from foreigners who have never supported the club. Unfortunately the scenario that I predicted, the reason why I labelled the approach risky is coming to pass. But it may have worked if Wenger got the tactics right. Our DF frailities will continue to hamper success and the end result the youth who are supposed to grow up loving the club do not feel the affection/loyalty as we are not achieving.
@arthur3sheds,
Me, stag and a few others have been venting for over 3 summers now on our not buying a proper number 1.
Infact I remember a raucous on here when the Ajax number 1 went to Roma for just 5 million. But Wonga decided to plump for this ungrateful Pole.
I was ready to let him be …. but once he opened his big, fat, ungrateful mouth I can’t even think of supporting him again.
Fred I cannot believe that you have misinterpreted my argument, I think you have simply chosen to ignore it.
I would like us to go back to… the point. Song is NOT a DM comprende?!
Wenger has always had his CMs share DFsive responsibility so stop putting Song in your own imaginary box. He is not instructed to play the way you want him to play… simple.
Song has probably been our best player so far this season, our most most adventurous and creative passer, I think he may have even been voted our player of the month, yet you choose to label him as brainless. You’re just doing what you like to do…. HATE.
THe problem is not Song but rather the tactics our dear manager chooses to employ. I don’t want to see Song stuck in a DM box, season by season he has being showing he has far more to offer than that. If we are going to play with a static DM then we should get somebody else to play that role. Although to be fair to him it is usually Song back there to fill the gap when our CBs go marauding forward.
I do not like our high line I do not like our 4-3-3 (virtual 4-5-1), I would like RvP to have a partner up front but I understand that is the way our manager wants it, so I will not blame the player simply because they are following the managers instructions.
But then again I am not a Hater :-D
@arthur3sheds, I agree that Song has been one of our better players, but it is really not saying that much.
I like him though, he has certainly developed much more than other youngsters coming through. So instead of losing him at 23-24, we’ll lose him at 26-27 instead.
@arthur3sheds,
Yaaaawn !!!
If Song is not a DM then what is he? An AM???
Maybe we should give him the Fabregas role
Wenger is a tactical buffoon and the fact we don’t have a DM in a 4-3-3 just proves that.
Like I told you before Gilberto used to SIT BACK so stop spreading the lie that Wenger has never done that.
It is only when Wenger changed and became an egotistical old fool that he has decided to rewrite all the common sense rules. Surprise, surprise, we haven’t won squat in 7 years and counting.
PS: In the 7th minute against Spuds, after Coquelin had made an excellent tackle and played the ball out, Song then proceeds to inexplicably pass 5 yards to Scott Parker who should have made it 1-0 very early.
And he does this and more (and worse) every freaking game. If this is competent display to you then I have absolutely nothing to say to you.
Cheers.
I feel sorry for Carl Jenkinson (aka the white Justin Hoyte), before this month is over he will wish he was still playing innocently in the conference league (like he was earlier THIS year) …. because the amount of relentless beating he will receive at the hands of EPL wingers will be so severe his career might never recover.
I haven’t commented on here in almost a month. Once upon a time, that would have been an eternity for me. But now? I haven’t commented because there is nothing left to comment on. Those who see this situation for what it is have been saying the same things for years now, and those who don’t have all gone away. So what is there left to debate?
Honestly, looking at the long-term picture of Arsenal, not including the day-to-day, match-to-match stuff, there is only one main talking point in my mind, only one question that we don’t already know the answer to:
How low does Arsenal have to sink before things will really change? Before Arsene is replaced. Before the Board make some significant policy changes.
If current trends continue, would the club consider sacking Arsene during the season, or would they wait until the end of the year if they were to sack him at all? Would finishing outside the top 4 this year do it? Out of the Europa Cup places? Out the top half? Or would it take relegation? Or would nothing, not even last place, result in Arsene’s sacking?
This can be broken down into two questions really. One is a question for all Arsenal fans: What do you THINK it would take for Arsene to go? Remember this is not what you want to happen, but your best guess at what will happen. The second question is for my AKB friends: what would it take for you too to want Arsene to go? To me it is amazing that some still want him here at all, so I have to ask, what would it take for you to change your mind?
@ChicagoGooner,
I think if we were still bottom half of the table come January, then he might get the arse.
Or if he loses the dressing room completely, and players start to speak out publicly against him.
Got to touch on the Almunia thing. I’ve been a defendant of him for some time, in fact I think he’s probably been the most unfairly maligned Arsenal player of all time!
Well I would like to think his performances and supposed contribution to our inability to win trophies has been put into some sort of perspective in light of the absolute shambles we’ve seen in the last year since he’s been on the fringe. He’s not played, and guess what, we’re still absolutely crap(worse in fact) and on the verge of mentally scarring another keeper with a bunch of outfield chancers who couldn’t close down Rosie O’Donnell after a McDonalds.
He’s still an average keeper, I’m not trying to claim otherwise, but pound for pound he was absolutely no worse than Denilson (who surprise surprise is doing nothing in a league that supposedly suits him), Diaby, Eboue, Song, Chamakh, Walcott etc.
So yeah, so much for all the hoopla over Manny and how he’s the reason we didn’t conquer the world.
P.S – This is more a dig at other fans on other blogs and radio stations etc, than this site and AA.
@Mazza,
Huh? Defending Almunia. Weird
“I can’t declare that I will spend my entire career here, but if I leave I will have a very important reason or I will go to Barcelona.”
Guess who?
@Kiwi,
I googled that quote figuring it was surely van Persie or maybe Vermaelen.
Then lo and behold it is the Polish t%&$ who Arsene Wonga sacrificed several matches for and refused to buy a proper number 1 in order to protect.
This level of ingratitude is so blindingly incredible and is just another pie in the faces of the foolish AKB masses.
Speechless really.
@Fred, What’s the big deal? He didn’t say he was leaving, just that he didn’t know if he would be at Arsenal his whole career. Not a lot of players stay at one club their entire career.
He also said that if he left it would not be for money. Read that as “he wants to win something, someday.” Just like Cesc did, just like RvP has recently said. All players want to win trophies and if you were playing for Arsenal right now and Barca came calling, which club would you pick? I would say almost 100% would say Barca.
In the same interview he states that he wants to be captain at Arsenal some day too. What an ungrateful little shit.
@seattle gooner,
Why on gods green earth will the ungrateful clown be saying such a thing NOW. After EVERYTHING the club has done for him??
On FOUR seperate transfer windows we SHOULD have bought a proper NUMBER ONE keeper in his stead. But Wonga kept faith in him ….. and then just after a bitter loss to our London rivals …. a game in which he BLUNDERED for the winner he shoots his mouth.
Yes, I KNOW all the players will leave if a proper club came in for them …. I said it would happen 4-5 years ago …. but why talk that crap now??? Nobody in the club should be more grateful for being a starter than him ….
This ungrateful clown should not even have been at the club after the Carlings Cup final. He would definitely NOT start at any top club anywhere in Europe … but he gets a free freaking ride here.
A horrid ship we run.
@Fred, Why would he say that? Because he was asked the question in an interview. It was no big secret that Cesc was going to leave at some point – he was always very honest about it, but heaven forbid someone else say the same thing. He also said he wants to be Arsenal captain at some point so it’s not like he’s asking for a move.
@seattle gooner,
Dont compare this clown to Fabregas. Fabregas is a world champion, a european champion, a world class player who also COMES FROM Barcelona.
What is Chesney’s relationship to Barcelona? The fool hasn’t even played one full season at the club yet. If he was actually a star player, I would understand his impatience in not waiting for Wenger”s project.
No way this clown (or ANY of the other “kids”) be made captain. They just need it as a stepping stone … like I always knew from the very beginning of this bulls%&t “youth” project.
Bottom line: Chesney is a number 2 keeper who should shut his big, fat mouth.
@Kiwi, lol….I saw that headline today and thought, man, I hope he said that BEFORE he let the winning goal through on Sunday……
From Fred’s response, I guess not everybody rates the Sneezster…..(Personally, I think he’s doing remarkably well and I shudder to think about Mooney or Flappy in his stead. From what I’ve seen few are blaming him for any of our results….But then again, Schwarzer’s Fulham team is level with us on points and he’s let in far fewer goals…..)
DAG, if TWAT is not considered offensive or swearing or whatever, could you let us know what is? (You know, I have a fondness for the feminine anatomy and don’t want a picture of our #1 when my thoughts stray down there. But as always, that’s just me…..)
@HighburyTerraceSteve,
I don”t rate Chesney highly. He is good COMPARED to Fabianski and Almunia. But that doesn”t make him great.
There is no point making tons of reflex saves (that Almunia used to make in 2007 by the way) if you are going to commit a blunder and concede a winner. He has done that a few times already. Allowing a shot from 40 yards to go right over your outstretched palm is the kind of pathetic display we could have pummeled Almunia for.
But not for the ungrateful “wunderkind” apparently.
Time is a great test of truth. The web allows everyone an opportunity to express their thoughts, and we do, but after the debate it is time that proves the comments that are insightful and those that are merely a positing of a point of view. So, time to recap:
Fred: “Wenger’s pi$$ing on his legacy”
Stag: “It’s all about the money league with Arsenal”
Maz: “Too many of the Arsenal projects are $hit”…..Denilson, Diaby, Song….et al.
Those comments were made long ago and well before the evidence of time had made them obvious. Well done to the threesome.
It’s hard to argue that Wenger’s legacy as a managerial genius has been irreversibly tarnished. Six years of decline as his teams structural weaknesses have become glaringly obvious and his lessening charm thinly disguises his refusal to adapt mean he’ll be remembered as a manager of 2 massively contrasting periods in Arsenal’s life – one sublime the other infuriating failure.
The obsession with money has reached a climax. I’m almost speechless at how the last off-season was managed. It speaks volumes to me that Wenger wasn’t even ‘on deck’ when the deals were clinched – he was preaching to some forum. Clearly manager and board movers are in sync – the pursuit of money trumps the pursuit of glory at Arsenal.
The promise that buying youngsters would result in a champion team with a strong bond has proven an illusion on both fronts. The boys rarely become good enough and the bond is non-existent. It must be galling for the Gaul on both fronts. The ‘success rate’ of teenagers becoming commanding first teamers is very low. And the commitment to Arsenal FC is simply not there. Wengers attempt to redefine reality has failed.
What now?
What is clear is the Boards love of Wenger. What is also clear is Arsenal on-field are a mess and Wenger has lost the art of developing a winning team. The two don’t seem to mesh – how does obsessive Wenger-love and on-field failure co-exist going forward? I can see the Board and Wenger manufacturing a scenario where Wenger moves into a role where he stays with the club in another capacity and that another man takes charge on-field. Quite what shape that role would take I don’t know – it would be up to Wenger to design (I’m guessing). Will it ‘work’ – well that’s another question altogether. The truth is this Board (and leading members) have ZERO desire to jettison the man who keeps AFC financially viable
@Kiwi, Not a whole lot to disagree with here, and kudos to the “I told you so” brigade. Cold comfort, I would think…..
I think the debacle over the summer, however, indicates a split between the board/owner and the manager. Yes, he sold them the vision and (naturally) they bought it sinker, line and hook. The way Fabregas went out (drawn out and for crap money) is just plain strange and indicates that Cesc held us to some sort of ransom, maybe with the manager’s blessing, while the initial (irrational) fight to keep Nasri speaks of the manager trying to tell the board that money wasn’t everything and that fielding a decent on-pitch product was essential. Finally, leaving the deadline day matters to the others was also indicative of a split–get them or YOU (Gazidis, et al) should have to shoulder the blame.
AW seems content to go down with his ship (or force his firing so that he gets the rest of his contract paid). There will be no honorable resignation which is (maybe) a final show of cheek to the board and owner, even though it might be the best for the club. And I can actually imagine a scenario where AW persists but the board/owner go (Usmanov/Dein buying out Kronke and dismissing PHW, et al…..) Certainly a strange and intriguing drama for the neutral, a bit tougher to take if you’re bleeding red….
@Kiwi,
And kudos to you Kiwi, for writing hands down the most insightful, well written summarisations of Arsenal issues for the last three years, without resorting to curse words :-D
@Kiwi, The only problem i have with your post is that Wenger will no longer be keeping AFC viable.
Yeah, I got nothing…..And I have to agree with josh (below) about the way the business is getting done. Big trouble here for the team….
The call for Wenger’s head seems reasonable, but it’s naive to think it will solve things (or that it will happen anytime soon). We need management that is willing to overhaul the team and then actually coach it. At the moment we have players who are too jaded to give their all and others who don’t know what to do because nobody is telling them. There are a few decent talents in the squad, but it’s only natural, given the other factors, that they might have one eye on the exit. The new ones, perhaps happy to be at Arsenal, need time and coaching, rather than extreme pressure, to learn how they might contribute. The situation is a mess…..
In many respects, and against my desire to “support” the club, I have to buy into the narrative that the failure of the club’s vision (sold to the board/owner by Wenger) is a failure to prioritize on-field results above other goals. Self-sustainability, a big, modern stadium, developing youth players, etc., is all fine and good, but it has to be subsidiary to what happens on the pitch, i.e., winning. Without the latter, it seems only natural that the better players will be jaded. The only leverage the manager has for creating “collective belief” is the idea that team triumph is possible. Success begets success, but when it doesn’t come, the opposite (failure) becomes the norm. Resisting the relentless pressure to stave off failure while (somehow) making the financial transition into a “Superclub” is not going to motivate a bunch of suddenly rich 20 year olds.
But that’s the model. Our biggest buy to date was Andrey Arshavin, in a January window when we were in danger of losing our CL place. Never fit and never motivated, I knew (barring a miracle) that we were cooked when he was subbed in on Sunday. The more recent stop gap signings, Mertesacker, Arteta, Benayoun, were huffing and puffing, but amidst the various “prospects” (Walcott, Ramsey, Gibbs) there was a lack of quality that shone brighter than any sort of hope. A few of our “projects” looked decent (Song, Sneezy, Le Coq) and they almost carried us to a result. And maybe if Gervinho didn’t have Joey Barton still haunting him or if Mike Dean wasn’t relentlessly fighting his bias….. (The handball I can forgive maybe, gifting Adebayor an offside goal–denied by Sneezy, seems far worse. That would be nine matches–in a row–that Dean has reffed without an Arsenal win…..) Still, there are no excuses and the result probably flatters us. The entire mix is hopelessly wrong and a new narrative (or maybe a dozen or so lucky wins) seems desperately needed.
So, where to now? I have no idea. Sagna’s injury is a killer and who will be next? (Short money would have to be on RVP…..) Even if we win everything from here til X-mas (and we won’t) we will be positively desperate for reinforcements come January, which, like josh says (and the Arshavin buy proves) is no time to do business. Given that the owner and board and manager are marching together it seems that we’ll just keep heading over one cliff after another. At some point it will end (Kronke selling out to Usmanov/Dein?) but when?……
arsenal are in big trouble. i was out of the country all summer so i missed all the transfer nonsense, or lack of transfers. my stance is quite simple; i don’t like the idea of buying essential players late in the summer window or in the january window. if you can get a decent squad player in, (diarra or adebayor) it’s okay. but don’t put yourself in a position where you need to buy a player during the season. that’s unprofessional.
i saw an interview last week where gazidis declared that arsenal were prepared to wait to get a player for the right price. sorry, boys but i don’t believe this mess is all wenger. arsene knows better. as much as he moans about the idea of traveling to the u.s. on a pre-season tour, he’s got to value that time to prepare a team for the season. arsenal had their best seasons when they had their team settled early. look at man united’s success this season after buying all their new players early. that’s no coincidence and wenger knows it. the arsenal board are playing fantasy manager. that never happened when david dein was at the club.
like a few of you, i haven’t seen all the matches. i was still gone when the man united debacle happened. it’s on my dvr but i can’t make myself watch it. arteta’s looked okay. like stag, i would have liked parker. mertesacker looks stronger than i thought he would. ramsey works his socks off but seems quite a distance from ready. i wrote a few years back that coquelin would replace flamini. song is becoming a complete midfield player right before our eyes. jenkinson makes me miss eboue. no sagna’s going to hurt bad because he makes so many plays he’s not even supposed to make because he’s such a focused defender. like i said, arsenal are in big trouble.
@joshuad, I find Song to be average at best…. a complete midfielder? he’s not even playing MIDFIELD!!!
Jenkinson is immediately targeted in every match he’s in, and right now, he’s our starting RB.
we are really screwed.
You might not think January is a good time to buy, but the alternative is MID-TABLE, and Zero chance at a European spot. Maybe that’s better … Top 4 is not possible… especially not without major signings in January.
Perhaps its best that we sink into 10th to 12th position, and are forced to drastically change what we are doing.
There might be no other way forward.
@joshuad,
Song a complete midfielder???
You must mean a complete (joke of a) midfielder.
He is so useless at his midfield job that at this stage Coquelin is better at it than he is. And Coquelin isn’t even that great.
Song will NOT start for a top 10 club in the EPL. And considering we are not a top 10 club then he is right at home in this sorry mess.
Is Torres an Ancelotti blunder? I’m not so sure. I thought Abramovich wanted the player and signed him.
Ancelotti has great credentials. We’d be lucky to pick up a manager of his calibre. Chelsea is a very difficult operating environment for any manager.
I haven’t watched one Arsenal match this season. 11 games I think and I have seen limited parts of 1 maybe 2 games.
The whole story has become a snore. Wenger becomes more reclusive, the Michael Jackson of the EPL. The off-season was the worst I’ve ever witnessed. We seem so wholly preoccupied by money. Money dominates every discussion. No matter what happens…..even getting tonked by 8 goals by ManU and the response is the inequity in the money world and a hollow claim that we’re magic in this area. Ah well……the majority still want to believe and will still defend Wenger convincing themselves that a Wengerless world is a dark and fearful place.
What you can’t deny is the frightening run of results that we have achieved last year and this year. Neither can you deny the diminishing interest in Arsenal FC as a passtime (which is what it is – a passtime). There’s a prevading sense of meh about the Arsenal supporters universe. Hope has faded. Kroneke did nothing to inspire. I did my due diligence and ascertained early that he’s a hands-off owner. He’s a bad fit for Arsenal now. We need someone to balance Wenger’s slowness to act……we’ve got a mirror image. We needed someone to galvanise action, we got a guy who’s in love with Wenger and wants to listen to him on a whole range of subjects. That pretty much sums it up. Wenger’s good for many many things – just not managing a winning football club.
@Kiwi, Totally understand Kiwi… I feel like someone has STOLEN this joy from my life… this passion that used to exist is GONE, because the people running the club do not care about winning… its about making money, their brand, selling kits and merchandise, filling every last seat in the stadium… selling every last star player for as much profit as they can get.
just bizarre…. I hope and pray 5 and 10 years down the road, I will look back at this blip on the Arsenal screen, when a few tried to destroy the joy of the many.
@stag133,
I’m sure things will change in time. Many fans will simply go into hibernation. There’s not a lot of fun in watching your team slowly implode. Still, we’ve got Wenger’s values to keep us warm at night, you know the ones…..overpaying non-performing youngsters…….woeful defending……last day last minute transfer brinkmanship…….all the while preaching to everyone about our superior football and financial acumen. Yawn.
Is anyone still having fun?
How many people bother to watch AFC?
Ancelloti and Van Gaal ARE AVAILABLE.
— Both will accept for 2-3 million easily. (HALF of what our resident dummy makes).
— Both are tactically VASTLY superior to our clown “manager”.
— Both are YOUNGER than our resident dummy “manager”.
— Both have won MORE titles than our dummy manager.
— Both have won CL titles (plural) and reached several finals.
— Interestingly enough both have been involved in unbeaten teams – Ajax and Milan in the 90s (when both leagues were the strongest in Europe). So even the AKBs can’t attempt to up their Wonga by that stat either.
Ancelotti still has his house and family in London. Is 10 years younger than our resident clown.
Needless to say, this international break is the perfect time time to get rid of our mess and start afresh.
If they dont act now, by beginning of December when we are in the relegation zone, they will act.
@Fred,
Ancelotti? No thanks. Yes he won the league and cup double with Chelsea Season before last, but I wouldn’t like him making another Torres Blunder at this club. Not really sure about the other one, dont know much about him. Id like to see Moyes at this club, he’s done a fantastic job at Everton.
Im not an AKB btw, I think that Wengers youth policy has failed, I hate the fact our greedy board are pocketing the profits when they should be reinvesting and helping this team win, and if we’re in a bad mess come January/ haven’t won anything by the end of the season, I will have to put my hands up and say Wenger must go. The job of a Manager is to do the best they can, and at a club like this, that means winning trophies.
Id be lying if I said I wouldn’t be sad to see Wenger go, I know he’s fallen out of favour with the fans but he’s done some great things at this club, even you can admit that Fred?
@George,
Abramovitch bought Torres not Ancelotti. No Chelsea manager has had ANY control over transfers at Chelsea … not even Mourinho. So nice try.
Ancelotti is a proven tactician (even before he started with Milan) and so is Van Gaal. And tacticians are exactly what we need to squeeze the most out of our current players.
I don’t care about the Invincibles. Wenger should be fired NOW. He has FAILED for SEVEN years.
If Wenger does not leave, Arsenal will NOT make top 10 this season, we’ll lose ALL the interesting players we have and we will be done and completely dusted.
But I fully expect you and your fellow AKBs to come out then and tell us how good we have it under your boss.
@Fred, I think Ancelloti would be a good replacement… George, I don’t blame people for trying… the “Torres blunder”… to me, was a good gamble…
At least they TRIED… they have the money to be able to try and fail and take the hit.
I’d take Torres over anything we have RIGHT NOW…
Unfortunately Fred, we are going to REALLY have to hit rock bottom… and fall out of the Top 8… as Lee Dixon suggested, we aren’t Top 8 right now… and the defensive lapses are just horrific…. not even defending the throw in that led to the game winning goal yesterday…. its school boy stuff.
Now we have Vermaelen AND Sagna out LONG TERM… our 2 best defenders… we have Song playing CB… with a slow plodding Mertz…. Djourou? Koscielny? are they answers or questions?
HUGE BLUNDER NOT TO BUY CAHILL. HUGE.
But then again, waiting ALL Summer to sell our best 2 players, and not replace them with equal level talent, is worse…
We are witnessing the clubs fall from grace. This is our “Liverpool year”… where we fall out of Europe… and have to sack the manager, and clean house… get back to basics, and build back up to respectability.
I find it interesting the those that CLAIM they love the club more than me… that I am not a supporter or fan… have all but dissapeared… I am still here… will be all the way thru… like I said, I was here before Wenger and board, and will be after as well… I guess its that way with some “so called” supporters as well.
;)
We are in fact back to… “boring boring Arsenal”…
@Fred, I’m sorry to say that if Arsene doesn’t quit he won’t be fired. This owner is not going to pay a dime in compensation, and his board is just as stingy.
Why doesn’t Arsene quit though? Because he wants his money too.
If he were a decent person, who took the club to wonderful journeys, BUT has completely missed the point in the last 4-5 years culminating with a botched transfer season and humiliating results, he would resign.
He is the main person in charge of football at the club, he insisted on the multiyear youth policy which is a failure, he is the main culprit behind the the despicable defense of AFC, he is the reason for the complete lack of team character and style.
Yes, he was very successful, yes the team used to play wonderful football, BUT that all went down the drain during his tenure.
Unfortunately looking at Kroenke’s other sport teams, where winning is not really a necessity, the future is very very bleak for AFC. Kroenke will only act when there are financial losses directly linked with the team’s performance.
So let’s brace ourselves for the worst season of AFC in the Premiership.
There is still a hope, maybe Arsene will be successful in taking off, in a robe from the technical area, as he tried many times last year.
Now, the clown AKBs are all screeching about how everything the club is going thru now is ALL because of the referees!!!!!
HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
The slow, retarded fans (who are still the MAJORITY) are the MAIN reason this club is gonna sink and become a bottom 10 club THIS season.
We are already seeing instances in which the vast majority of fans I know are no longer bothering to watch Arsenal games. These are fans who used to build their entire schedules around these games.
Yet there are still a bunch of slow, “special” folks who will back our maniac, dummy “manager” till death.
We are just at the beginning.
in the words of the great NFL coach Bill Parcells…
“you are what your record says you are”
2 Wins
4 Defeats
1 Draw
7 points from 7 matches
15 place
Let in 16 goals in 7 matches, and would probably be 3 or 4 goals more if it weren’t for Sneezy…
But no worries… we’ve got the right manager running the team, and the right board members lining their pockets …
Unfortunately for them, the gravy train stops NOW… we aren’t making the CL next year, and the foolish folks who pay the highest prices in Europe to see the “pretty football”… won’t be ponying up the bucks to see us play SHITE FOOTBALL… I can guarantee you that.
This is all coming to a CRASHING SCREECHING HALT.
N O W
Sagna is out three months with a broken leg. Just keeps getting better.
Arthur – It doesn’t matter where Frimpong plays, or how he he plays; he’s shit, plain and simple. Told you that a few weeks ago and it was the usual fence sitting from you where you come out with cliches to defend him.
Coquelin is decent, that’s clear to see, obvious ability with the ball and an intelligent tackler and reader of the game
Not ONE of these youngsters who ever display the pathetic technical level of Frimpong – as well as his dumb decision-making – ever make a decisive improvement and become top flight players. Not one.
As for the match, what is there to say?
Wenger gonna be Wenger, Arsenal gonna be Arsenal. The two are indistinguishable at this point.
Nice to see the handbrake excuse get a run out. It’s been a good few months since that one got reeled out. I wonder if Wenger has a dartboard in the dressing room, made up of different excuses, and throws darts to decide which one he’ll use?
ordinary.
that’s what we have become.
The ARSNEAL FC have become.
Arsenal.
There is nothing about our team that makes us stand out any longer. We’re just another team in a back of about 6 to 8 teams, hoping to avoid injuries to key players… and hope to get into a European position.
The top 4 dream is NOT a reality. Unless we somehow manage to stay close, and bring in 2 or 3 VERY GOOD players in January, we have ZERO chance of making the top 4.
Tottenham has a midfield of Modric, Bale, VDV, and Parker.
We had NO CHANCE against that midfield. I feel bad for Arteta, because he’s not a bad little player.
As noted above by Fred, and by myself REPEATEDLY, OVER and OVER… we could have had Scott Parker for 5 or 6 Million. He would have improved our shit midfield by MILES…. why we didn’t grab him is absolutely beyond explanation.
We have no style.
We have no flair.
I don’t know what we are trying to do as a club off the pitch, and on the pitch is a mishmash of players as well… its really sad to watch, but we’re mediocre at our very best.
Sagna goes off injured.
Probably our best and most consistent player, let alone defender. PRAY he is not out long term, but it didn’t look good.
And immediately Spurs targeted Jenkinson.
Can you imagine a back 4 with Gibbs, Jenkinson and Song in it? or Squillaci? or whomever is in there without Vermaelen?
UTTER SHITE.
And speaking of which, we’re all so carried away with players like Vermaelen & Wilshire… whom we over-rate because they are the best we have left… Vermaelen has had a good season, and then nothing but injuries…. and Wilshire is a KID, who’s been over-played… waaaaay too many matches, in a tough league, which leads to INJURY. He is NOT a game changer. He is simply a pretty good player that would be great to have in a GOOD TEAM.
Instead, we are reliant on him, and now he’s gone for most of the season…
I still have no idea how we could have sold Cesc and Nasri and brought in NOBODY NEAR THEIR LEVEL, and expected to compete for a Top 4 spot.
Its INSANITY.
Why is Arsene Wenger still in charge of this sinking ship?
Why is the board not sacked.
The fans are going to stop showing up. You watch. its going to be the worst year in MANY…. we will be LUCKY to get into a European spot… it will be a small miracle… because there is not much separating us from the middle of the table, and what does, is probably already injured.
Can’t expect much from RVP, Gervinho or Theo, when the midfield is completely over-run… passes going directly to the opponent regularly…
I watched the match at a Scottish pub… with a Newcastle fan and a Spurs fan… both thought it was pretty sad that the beautiful football Arsenal played was gone. We weren’t ever going to win anything with that style and no grit in midfield… or defensive strength at the back, but at least it was fun to watch… but now, we’re shite.
That’s from a Spurs and Newcastle supporter. Newcastle’s undefeated, Spurs just beat us, and they feel PITY for me.
Just fantastic putting all our eggs in the Wenger basket. Not sure what it is we have to look forward to. Really.
@stag133,
Hey Stag, didn’t you know Wenger’s is Billie Beane’s hero?
True, check it out.
@Mazza,
Someone watched Moneyball lol.
Saw the movie, loved it.
However, Billie Beane is Wenger of 2004. Making it in the EPL (regular season) but falling in the playoffs (champions league).
He was also succesful in convincing others to follow his methods and win with it. Nobody is gonna follow Wenger’s “tactics” and anybody that does will fail badly and get fired within a month.
@Mazza, Arsenal HAVE the money to spend, but instead it goes into the pockets and coffers… The A’s don’t have the cash, so they have to make due with MoneyBall…
(though they never won, and the Florida Marlins do a similar thing and won 2 titles.
I am just so done with this team at this point.
I don’t recognize the team, the style of play, or anything…
we’re a mid-table team… who should be playing amongst Europe’s elite.
so freaking sad.
@stag133, I know how you feel. I couldn’t even be bothered to watch the game. It’s bad enough living in Seattle where the landscape has been pretty much dominated by bad teams since forever. I don’t think I need to import bad teams to support from other countries.
We are more likely to get relegated than to make the Top Seven. (Forget about top four).
Again AKBs, refresh my memory on why Wenger should not be fired immediately.
Oh yeah that’s right only Leader Wonga can “save us”. Never mind that he doused the building with fuel and lit the matches whilst screaming maniacally … him and ONLY him can put out this fire.
@Fred,
Er well….er….er…..I believe….. er…..handbrake
1) With Fabregas, teams – big teams(Man U, Chelsea, Man City) used to FEAR us, and SIT BACK because they know even though our team wasn’t that strong, a single Fabregas flick could break ’em down. So they gifted us probably more possession than they needed to. And that allowed us to give off the illusion of a top team.
Now, except the really poor teams no one fears us, nobody respects this team. They now have a proper go at us.
Are the Fabregas denigrators happy now?
When I said Fabregas was the SOLE reason we were in the top four, the SOLE reason we were a better team than the likes of Everton or Spurs, most people laughed.
Don’t worry y’all. You folks come around soon.
—————————
2) Scott Parker was available for THREE (3) MILLION pounds !!!!
Spurs TWO man midfield of Parker and midget Modric DOMINATED our THREE man midfield. Says it all doesn’t it.
Again I repeat, Scott Parker was available for 3 M and was eager to stay in London. (And before he moved we had already sent them Lansbury – so it was not like we had no communication with West Ham at all. Wonga was just not interested.
But ofcourse instead of a close by cheap London based solution to a vital problem, Wonga was more interested in Pork Foo Chung from the French SECOND division – who will add absolutely NOTHING to us this season.
Well, where to start…
Our defending is shocking, there second goal all started from Sandro being allowed to run all the way through 3 players from a throw, unacceptable. We were unlucky with that first goal, it was a hand-ball, Ramsey’s equaliser was nice and we had a few other chances to go ahead
Coquelin was FANTASTIC, winning the ball cleanly and intercepting and getting forward as well. Im going to be brave and say that he could turn out better than A) Frimpong and B) Song
However, there are three things I am sure of after this game:
1) Van Persie needs service to be fantastic
2) Ramsey is a defensive liability, but can surprise you offensively
3) We really, ReallY, REALLY need Vermaelen back.
@George,
I told you not too get too excited about that Olympiakos game.
Coquelin will not “turn out better” than Frimpong and Song …. he is ALREADY significantly BETTER at the DM job than those two brainless twats. That said, he is still incredibly inexperienced and should be a BACKUP DM to a more senior and experienced DM. Not starting London derbies.
Vermaelen will NOT solve ANY of our problems.
@Fred,
Vermaelen not solve any of our problems, really? have you not seen the guy, he is fantastic and him alongside Mertesacker will be a good partnership.
Song was not brainless, he actually played quite well its just the defending as a whole was fairly Shit
@George,
Yeah, Vermaelen has played just ONE season in two and half years yet he is the SAVIOR and when he returns everything will be alright!
You will believe anything.
—————————————————
I will not judge Song as a CB as that is not his real position.
As a DM though, he is lazy, slow, does not track his runners, abandons posts too often, abandons post when there is no one covering, concedes too many fouls unnecessarily, concedes possession too often, loses headers, gets beaten too often by mediocre AMs.
So yes, he is brainless and should not be playing DM for a top 10 EPL team.
We all expect a loss and the more optomistic a draw, but I am hoping our boys can do something special and surprise us.
Coquelin starts over Frimpong, I would start him over Frimpong too he is a better player and is better going forward.
However when Song returns to his rightful position I would like to see Coquelin instead of Ramsey until Rambo gets his manhood back. But since Arsene has made his promises to Rambo whilst stealing him out from the jaws of Alex Ferguson, he will not go back on his word. I think that Wenger should drop Theo for Chamberlain already too.
@arthur3sheds,
Song has no “rightful” position in the midfield of a top 10 EPL team.
Brainless, lazy and pointless.
From my recollection Song is not originally a CB but a DM. Wenger has wanted to convert Song into a CB but he has far more to offer going forward to be wasted there.
As for unwanted runs going forward, they are only unwanted if you do not understand his role or you want to pigeon-hole him in a box that our manager has declared himself that he does not want from his MF. It is debatable whether we should have a static DM, Wenger doesn’t want one, so why people persist in making comments as if Song is an indisciplined DM that keep running out of position is beyond me.
Song is the 3rd man in the CM, his role is not to sit in front of the back four all game, this false argument has been discussed in previous threads and the Fred/Nipuna argument was blown out the water when Wenger himself came out and said he “hates that kind of thing” (CM doing one thing i.e soley defending in front of the back four). Funnily enough when Frimpong takes it on himself to be a DM he looks average does not display the passing ability and technical skill he has, often times it looks like he is not contributing at all.
Song has been immense all season, his passing in particular has been near excellent. I am talking about the numerous defensive splitting balls, even long balls that have led to goals or near misses. Defensively he has been the best MF in some games too. In fact I cannot think of a more consistent player for us this season, although he has made one or two mistakes.
I see no reason for Song to be singled out as being “brainless”, when you have Ramsey playing like a hermaphrodite without any criticism whatsoever, except bias, the fuel of a hater.
@arthur3sheds,
No … we are telling you that what Wenger is trying to achieve by having a DM that runs forward is UTTERLY, UTTERLY wrong. Just because Wenger does it, doesn’t mean it is right.
Sure the DM should not be sitting deep 100% of the time, an occasional upfront venture might be necessary … but Song does it WAY TOO MUCH. And he is not even good at his primary duties either. What makes Song especially brainless is that he runs forward when he can see that NOBODY is covering him.
What is the point of playing 3 in midfield if you are not going to have extra protection for your defense in there in the shape of a specialized DM. Why not just play 4-4-2?? (Even in a 4-4-2 most teams still use a DM … like Gilberto was in our Invincibles). So your argument and Wonga’s “tactic” holds absolutely no water.
If you have the DM all over the place, then who has the RESPONSIBILITY to track runners, see plays before they develop, organize and counter opposing plays before they get to our defense? At Arsenal, no one. And you can see that by our atrocious defensive record.
Notice that our defense has been getting WORSE since Wonga started this brainless “tactic”. But whatever man, if Wonga does it, it must make sense!
Our lack of strength, tactical nous, bite and hardwork in midfield is a principal reason, we will NOT make the top six this year.
@Fred,
So, if everyone in our team is shite and the manager is shite. Why dont you apply for the job Fred and sell everyone and get the board to buy 30 odd world class players eh? I imagine you could do a better job than “useless” Arsene Wenger who obviously hasn’t led us to the most successful period in this clubs history.
Either put up or shut up, or apply for the arsenal manager job.
@George,
Typical AKB response.
No one mentioned anything about “selling all the players” or that “all the players are shite” or about “buying 30 world class players”. I made several specific points about Song and the DM position. Rebut those points or shut the f/(k up.
The problem is Wenger. Fire the clown and give his incredibly high salary to a proper manager – anybody who doesnt have clown, retarded tactics and knows how to set up a team.
——————————–
You were the AKB salivating after the Olypiakos game … weren’t you??? How did that turn out???
EVERY SINGLE thing we “realists” have been telling you AKBs for years have come to pass exactly as we said they would. But you keep arguing and living in your delusion.
At least of the AKBs you still come out to “fight” for your boss unlike the others who have gone into hiding. For that I give you credit.
@George,
And if I was offered the job of Arsenal manager I will simply give 4 million of my 6 million/ year salary to Louis Van Gaal to act as manager and 0.5 million/year to Dennis Bergkamp and Steve Bould each as assistant manager.
Ofcourse I will pocket the remaining 1 million a year for myself.
Most top managers earn less than 2 million a year. The vast majority earn less than a million a year. So 4 million will snag ANY manager other than entrenched ones like Ferguson (who is on just 3 million by the way).
That will be SIGNIFICANTLY greater value for money for Arsenal than the current BS situation you Wonga lovers are defending.
Starting XI: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Song Gibbs; Ramsey Coquelin; Walcott Arteta Gervinho; Van Persie.
Coquelin gets the start over Frimpong. Interesting choice but Coquelin is a little more level-headed and has more experience.