Arsenal Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2016

Bobby Baccala

Blaming the fans is a cop out. Absolute nonsense.

greendom

P4DDY2K11 wrote: »

Blaming the fans is a cop out. Absolute nonsense.

I'm not blaming the fans. Getting on players' back won't help though that's for sure. Not saying I don't understand the fans' attitude but to say it has no effect on performance is as ridiculous as saying it's the main factor.

tayto lover

P4DDY2K11 wrote: »

Blaming the fans is a cop out. Absolute nonsense.

Especially at our place where most of them are corporate or foreign richies. It can be very quiet there at times.
The real fans are the away day fans and they're not very happy either.

kronsington

P4DDY2K11 wrote: »

A striker for sure, somebody like higuain or aubamayang. It'll be hard to tempt them over if we don't get top 4 though.

A quality centre back in the mould of Godin or Hummels

A proper centre mid that isn't made of glass like the rest of ours

Another winger that'll chip in with 10-12 goals a season

All of that and we have a world class squad. Can see maybe one of those signings being made under Wenger at best.

I think most people here would agree on the type of players we need to progress. And I've spent years countless amounts of time thinking on who id like to see come in. My enthusiasm for this team is at an all time low after 25 years of supporting them. I don't bother torturing myself thinking we might go on a major spending spree utilizing our famous, sigh, warchest. as someone said here, we'd probably still find a way to bottle it with new signings. hopeful signs like the signings of ozil and sanchez masked over the fundamental problems and repeated failings of the team. Toxic club at the moment

tayto lover

kronsington wrote: »

I think most people here would agree on the type of players we need to progress. And I've spent years countless amounts of time thinking on who id like to see come in. My enthusiasm for this team is at an all time low after 25 years of supporting them. I don't bother torturing myself thinking we might go on a major spending spree utilizing our famous, sigh, warchest. as someone said here, we'd probably still find a way to bottle it with new signings. hopeful signs like the signings of ozil and sanchez masked over the fundamental problems and repeated failings of the team. Toxic club at the moment

Common denominator = AW.

wawaman

tayto lover wrote: »

Common denominator = AW.

Firstly, i agree that a new manager is needed. But does anyone believe that a new manager will solve ALL our problems. IMO Kronke/The Board are as much if not more to blame than Wenger for this mess. There is no need to win things as far as they are concerned. Keep the money rolling in and Kroenke is happy

tayto lover

wawaman wrote: »

Firstly, i agree that a new manager is needed. But does anyone believe that a new manager will solve ALL our problems. IMO Kronke/The Board are as much if not more to blame than Wenger for this mess. There is no need to win things as far as they are concerned. Keep the money rolling in and Kroenke is happy

The manager is the person responsible for preparing, motivating and getting the best out of the players. Wenger is not doing his job.

The Board have a different kind of blame.

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

I thought about this and although our fixtures are bad for the next two games and we should lose both. But! What's the MOST arsenal thing we can do? Win 1-0 against both Barca and Everton...go on a massive run of wins but yet still finish 2nd in the league. Arsenè takes some credit and clings on for another year.

Yep I've decided that's what's gonna happen.

The Hunky Monster

The Hunky Monster wrote: »

I thought about this and although our fixtures are bad for the next two games and we should lose both. But! What's the MOST arsenal thing we can do? Win 1-0 against both Barca and Everton...go on a massive run of wins but yet still finish 2nd in the league. Arsenè takes some credit and clings on for another year.

Yep I've decided that's what's gonna happen.

I doubt we'll get smashed tomorrow. Doesn't really matter at this stage but it's funny that anything other than a 4+ goal loss is probably a success. :pac:

Also on the plus-side, there's a good chance our second last match v City will be meaningful now. :pac:

jonneymendoza

The Hunky Monster wrote: »

I thought about this and although our fixtures are bad for the next two games and we should lose both. But! What's the MOST arsenal thing we can do? Win 1-0 against both Barca and Everton...go on a massive run of wins but yet still finish 2nd in the league. Arsenè takes some credit and clings on for another year.

Yep I've decided that's what's gonna happen.

even if we win the league, many here want wenger gone

Quazzie

jonneymendoza wrote: »

even if we win the league, many here want wenger gone

If he wins the league, then I'd be delighted he got the send off his Arsenal career deserves. I'd still want him gone though.

This argument is moot because he threw away the league.

tayto lover

jonneymendoza wrote: »

even if we win the league, many here want wenger gone

If we do it again it won't be under Wenger.

jonneymendoza

jonneymendoza wrote: »

even if we win the league, many here want wenger gone

I'll have what you're having.

Spurs and Leicester have a tough run-in and if we were any way in contention I'd have us as favorites. That's what makes it so hard to take.

DarraghF197

P4DDY2K11 wrote: »

Blaming the fans is a cop out. Absolute nonsense.

I don't think they're helping at all though. Every time a sub-par ball is played, the crowd moans loudly harming the confidence and moral of the players.

Ken Shamrock wrote: »

Yup, what do you think we need? I'd go with a proven goalscoring striker, a proven reliable winger, a solid CDM and 1 or 2 very good CB's. Spend between 120,000-200,000 Mill If we have to.

Jesus, that's a lot of money :pac:

tayto lover

Wenger's fighting back tonight. Saying he's working harder than ever.

It ain't working for you then Arsene.
This lad has no intention of quitting anytime soon.
He'll be dragged out of the club kicking and screaming. He's completely lost it now.

tayto lover

tayto lover wrote: »

Wenger's fighting back tonight. Saying he's working harder than ever.

It ain't working for you then Arsene.
This lad has no intention of quitting anytime soon.
He'll be dragged out of the club kicking and screaming. He's completely lost it now.

He might be but the players that he relies on aint and he brought them into the club. Its becoming an embarrassing farce at this stage. Very very sad that our manager doesnt know when to admit that his time is up. We havent had just one season of this shít....we've had 10 at this stage if not more and he has been the man in charge for all of them.

C'mon Arsene, if you love the club like to say you do then do the right thing. Time or tide waits for no man and its no shame in admitting that

greendom

tayto lover wrote: »

Wenger's fighting back tonight. Saying he's working harder than ever.

It ain't working for you then Arsene.
This lad has no intention of quitting anytime soon.
He'll be dragged out of the club kicking and screaming. He's completely lost it now.

That's what I read into it too. Guy has no intention of quitting. Unless the board intervenes or the end of season run in gets very nasty, he will see out his contract

greendom

[Deleted User] wrote: »

He might be but the players that he relies on aint and he brought them into the club. Its becoming an embarrassing farce at this stage. Very very sad that our manager doesnt know when to admit that his time is up. We havent had just one season of this shít....we've had 10 at this stage if not more and he has been the man in charge for all of them.

C'mon Arsene, if you love the club like to say you do then do the right thing. Time or tide waits for no man and its no shame in admitting that

You cannot say it's 10. The stadium rebuild meant we had no chance of competing for 8 of those years. To keep the club in the top 4 during that period was a great achievement. Those shackles are off now though and we should be doing better than we are.

He has left the club in a wonderful position for someone else to take over and push us forward. That man is no longer Arsene. Crucial we get the replacement right. Look at United to see how badly it can go wrong.

greendom

greendom wrote: »

You cannot say it's 10. The stadium rebuild meant we had no chance of competing for 8 of those years. To keep the club in the top 4 during that period was a great achievement. Those shackles are off now though and we should be doing better than we are.

He has left the club in a wonderful position for someone else to take over and push us forward. That man is no longer Arsene. Crucial we get the replacement right. Look at United to see how badly it can go wrong.

The last bit I agree with but I think we may have lacked guts as much as money for those ten years. Perhaps this has been falsely crystalised by Leicester accession to the throne

Liam O

From the outside tbh i think there is an overreaction to this season in here. The other good squads aren't winning games. City, Chelsea, United and Liverpool have all gone through bad runs. This season is an anomaly (though the fear is maybe it's a sign of change) and the teams like Spurs, Leicester and West Ham who have no business being where they are, despite it being on merit, won't be there again.

Managers are taking the blame when tbh, i think it's complacency from players who are used to having 3 or 4 games against quality opposition a season and coasting through a lot of the rest. Now the quality opposition stretches down to about 8th or 9th with even the teams below that having potential gamechangers on their team.

Obviously it's the managers job to deal with this and Wenger must take a lot of blame but it's hard to do so when you see what Chelsea, City, United and Liverpool have done this season. I honestly think Wenger has more a chance of getting it right than the other managers at these clubs.

Guardiola is going to go to City and try to play a possession game which has failed miserably at United. In fact the only time i can remember such a style working is under Wenger. Now he may bring in the players to make it viable but looking at their squad i don't think it'll be achieved soon. Everything is so unclear i think it would be a big call to get rid of Wenger this Summer.

cowboyBuilder

So Arsenal fans , are you gonna bother your arse watching this farce tonight ?


I mean, I'm not having a go at Arsenal, but I wouldn't watch Novak Djokovic v my Ma in tennis either ...

Quazzie

Liam O wrote: »

From the outside tbh i think there is an overreaction to this season in here. The other good squads aren't winning games. City, Chelsea, United and Liverpool have all gone through bad runs.

I wouldn't include Liverpool in with the others in terms of squads capable of winning the title. The tide is turning for them no doubt but they've some business to do.

The other three will be changing managers. All we're asking is that we do the same.

Awesomeness

cowboyBuilder wrote: »

So Arsenal fans , are you gonna bother your arse watching this farce tonight ?


I mean, I'm not having a go at Arsenal, but I wouldn't watch Novak Djokovic v my Ma in tennis either ...

I will be up at 4.35 am my time to watch. I am not expecting to win but miracles do sometimes happen.

Football is all about the highs and lows. We are at a low point right now but without suffering through the lows the highs are not quite the same

COYG!

greendom

cowboyBuilder wrote: »

So Arsenal fans , are you gonna bother your arse watching this farce tonight ?


I mean, I'm not having a go at Arsenal, but I wouldn't watch Novak Djokovic v my Ma in tennis either ...

not expecting much from tonight, but will be looking for signs that the season can end well - hope springs eternal eh !

sonic85

So because Chelsea City and United have had bad seasons it's forgivable for arsenal to do the same? That's a cop out really and a weak excuse. Arsenal are a different club with different problems. If those 3 clubs are still down the table not fighting for the title in 2 or 3 years time there will be uproar amongst their support so telling us that it's not that bad and other clubs aren't going well at the minute doesn't wash

jonneymendoza

sonic85 wrote: »

So because Chelsea City and United have had bad seasons it's forgivable for arsenal to do the same? That's a cop out really and a weak excuse. Arsenal are a different club with different problems. If those 3 clubs are still down the table not fighting for the title in 2 or 3 years time there will be uproar amongst their support so telling us that it's not that bad and other clubs aren't going well at the minute doesn't wash

Mate have u trolled through there clubs threads? they all sound like us, disappointed etc on there clubs performance this season

Bobby Baccala

sonic85 wrote: »

So because Chelsea City and United have had bad seasons it's forgivable for arsenal to do the same? That's a cop out really and a weak excuse. Arsenal are a different club with different problems. If those 3 clubs are still down the table not fighting for the title in 2 or 3 years time there will be uproar amongst their support so telling us that it's not that bad and other clubs aren't going well at the minute doesn't wash

Chelsea, city and united have also all won major trophies in recent years and all we've managed is a few cups in the past 12 years so I agree, complete cop out.

sonic85

jonneymendoza wrote: »

Mate have u trolled through there clubs threads? they all sound like us, disappointed etc on there clubs performance this season

No I don't read through other teams threads because their situations and issues don't interest me and have no bearing on what arsenal as a club do.

It just irks me a bit when fans of other teams tell me arsenal are in good shape and things could be worse. Fans of other big teams love wenger in charge because it means we'll be there or thereabouts but never really challenge.

Settling for fourth just isn't good enough any more - it was acceptable for a long time and Wenger did well during the dry years but things have changed the club is flush with cash and the excuses have gotten old.

sonic85

P4DDY2K11 wrote: »

Chelsea, city and united have also all won major trophies in recent years and all we've managed is a few cups in the past 12 years so I agree, complete cop out.

Exactly. They've all tasted success in major competitions so they have wiggle room. 2 or 3 or 4 barren years where they just scrape fourth spot but win nothing would see mutiny - the fans just wouldn't accept it and rightly so.

Paleface

Haven't posted on here in ages but I think people should be aware of this excellent article written by Amy Lawrence when it comes to how Arsenal are run as a club by the board and chiefly Kroenke

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/mar/15/arsenal-stan-kroenke-arsene-wenger

The following quote is a real eye opener:

Kroenke does not often speak publicly so his opinions were valuable in gaining a little more insight into what he thinks about the Arsenal line in his collection of sports franchises. He admires “rational thought” in club ownership “so that they become real industries and real businesses. I have to have some reality involved. If you want to win championships then you would never get involved”.

wawaman

watched Atleti/PSV and more so Simeone last night. He is really a guy you would love to be managing your club. Just a hypothetical question: Would you let wenger see out the last year of his contract regardless of what happens between now and May if it meant Simeone coming next year?

KaiserGunner

cowboyBuilder wrote: »

So Arsenal fans , are you gonna bother your arse watching this farce tonight ?


I mean, I'm not having a go at Arsenal, but I wouldn't watch Novak Djokovic v my Ma in tennis either ...

Sure according to you the whole Champions league is a farce and that Barcelona have it won for the next few years. So I don't know why you watched Chelsea play in it at all, seeing how it's a farce and the competition has already been won.

Ah the classic, "I'm not having a go, but......" Line.

Skylinehead

wawaman wrote: »

watched Atleti/PSV and more so Simeone last night. He is really a guy you would love to be managing your club. Just a hypothetical question: Would you let wenger see out the last year of his contract regardless of what happens between now and May if it meant Simeone coming next year?

Yeah I probably would. Can't get a better manager than Simeone so we might as well wait, if that were to be the case.

Ken Shamrock

wawaman wrote: »

watched Atleti/PSV and more so Simeone last night. He is really a guy you would love to be managing your club. Just a hypothetical question: Would you let wenger see out the last year of his contract regardless of what happens between now and May if it meant Simeone coming next year?

I don't think I could stomach another year with Arsene In charge.

Bobby Baccala

Ken Shamrock wrote: »

I don't think I could stomach another year with Arsene In charge.

Just can't see him being sacked though I think he'll see out his contract. Way too stubborn to step down too.

jonneymendoza

sonic85 wrote: »

No I don't read through other teams threads because their situations and issues don't interest me and have no bearing on what arsenal as a club do.

It just irks me a bit when fans of other teams tell me arsenal are in good shape and things could be worse. Fans of other big teams love wenger in charge because it means we'll be there or thereabouts but never really challenge.

Settling for fourth just isn't good enough any more - it was acceptable for a long time and Wenger did well during the dry years but things have changed the club is flush with cash and the excuses have gotten old.

they do because u can see that all top teams are struggling. not just us

jonneymendoza

well said below:

Let's not do a Mourinho now and call the man a loser.

But something really went on in between the time when he was able to win this league unbeaten and now. He's had his "wilderness" years without trophies, when Arsenal was paying up stadium debt and working on budgets considerably smaller than the other big clubs, but now he's got proper financial clout for a club of Arsenal's stature and yet, something's still broken.

I think during these wilderness years, much has changed in football, tactics tendencies and approaches. Wenger went from using the old 4-4-1-1 system to using the 4-5-1 that expands into 4-3-3, and that was around the 2009-10 season. During that time, Barcelona flourished into the beacon of classy football, possession, tippy-tappy, tikki-takka or whatever you wanna call it... and I think Wenger grew obsessed with the idea of recreating it at Arsenal.

Back in the time of the Invincibles in 2004 we had not only world class players, but damn, that team could defend. And then the transitions were objective and our counter attacks were lightning fast.
This changed gradually into a more predictable Arsenal, and on top of that all of a sudden we didn't have a Gilberto Silva, we had Denilson/Flamini... we didn't have Henry, we had Adebayor... we didn't have Bergkamp, we had Hleb.
To compound on all that, Chelsea spent unimaginable amounts of money during the time Arsenal could spend less, thus Arsenal was completely out of the picture to be the ones challenging Ferguson's United.

Things have never gotten back into place for Wenger since then. We, the fans, have to be grateful for what Wenger did for the club, the new world class stadium and training ground which he had a direct influence on, and consider the fact we never lost Champions League status (and income) during all that time.

However, what we see now on the pitch is a reflection of the man in the dugout.
Johnny's post is right about some things: the players are all grown men earning ****loads of money per week and they should be accounted for it too. They're the ones playing, but Wenger is the man who picked them in the first place. Not only that, he's the man who signed them, who renewed their contracts, who built the squad. Because he's at Arsenal for 20 years now, it's not as if he inherited some rotten apples in the squad and such.

But for the most part, I'm unhappy with the way these performances are going down. We couldn't break Watford for 80+ minutes, and some things about it raises some eyebrows: our first effort on target was in the middle of the 2nd half by Elneny from long range (Wenger hasn't instiled the mentality of not shooting from long range yet, heh). And most concerning: the casual attitude and approach of the players, letting the entire 1st half pass them by. There's absolutely no urgency about this team and these things are surely down to the manager.

I had an epiphany the other day watching Borussia Dortmund trouncing Tottenham at the Europa League. That is the kind of football that is exciting. Maybe Ranieri is right (maintaining a squad like Leicester's on top certainly suggests he's on to something): possession is overrated.

Arsenal's playing style has been an attractive one and it brought results, then at some point it stopped producing results but still very entertaining. Now let's face it: it's became boring and predictable and it's getting us nowhere.

Wenger probably won't get sacked, this board has much respect for him - and they should. But I think this is his last contract. By 2017 we will probably have a new manager and they better start planning this transition accordingly or we're screwed.

It just pains me to see how things are unfolding and I'll say it again: this season was a bloody miracle designed to make Arsene Wenger once more champion of the Premier League. But he's blowing it.

greendom

jonneymendoza wrote: »

well said below:

it is good - who said it ?

Quazzie

jonneymendoza wrote: »

well said below:

The only thing I'd change about that is the last sentence. I'd change "blowing" to "blown" because it's already happened.

greendom

Paleface wrote: »

Haven't posted on here in ages but I think people should be aware of this excellent article written by Amy Lawrence when it comes to how Arsenal are run as a club by the board and chiefly Kroenke

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/mar/15/arsenal-stan-kroenke-arsene-wenger

The following quote is a real eye opener:

Very depressing - what was David Dein thinking when he got him involved with the club..

If you have a chairman who doesn't think the club is capable of winning things, what is the point ?

Mr.Micro

Has anyone got any idea for the lineup tonight. Strong or weakened team. Tactics?

cowboyBuilder

KaiserGunner wrote: »

Sure according to you the whole Champions league is a farce and that Barcelona have it won for the next few years. So I don't know why you watched Chelsea play in it at all, seeing how it's a farce and the competition has already been won.

Ah the classic, "I'm not having a go, but......" Line.

Exactly!

Thats why I call it a farce ! , not cos Arsenal are 2 away goals down, but at the absurdity of the competition as a whole ..

I watched Chelsea play PSG 'cos I'm a sucker for punishment

Panthro

There's only one man you'll need in the dressing room tonight, the Legendary Timmy Ryan.
(Any D'unbelievables fans in here no?... Ara fcuk it, I'll link on a skit from about 20 odd years ago, showing my age!)


https://youtu.be/guT76kAPYs0

Fierce tough asking but its always lovely to see Barca beaten in their own back yard, hon the lads!

sonic85

jonneymendoza wrote: »

they do because u can see that all top teams are struggling. not just us

That doesn't make our season any better does it? I couldn't give a flying fcuk that other teams are playing poorly. I only care about what arsenal do.

Seriously do you honestly look at the other teams and think to yourself everybody is under performing and have their own problems and issues so that means it's OK for arsenal to play like sh!t too? Or do you say this is a great opportunity for arsenal to win a league title for the first time since 04? Because if you didn't think this season was our chance then I'd question if you're a fan at all to be honest

What channel is it on anyway?

I'm really not bothered to watch it. Which is very f*cking depressing

Thank god F1 is starting back this weekend. A sport that has managed to depress me even more than watching Arsenal in recent years.

Really don't know why I bother with this stuff :pac:

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

What channel is it on anyway?

I'm really not bothered to watch it. Which is very f*cking depressing

RTE2 and BT Sport Europe, I imagine.

Was meant to be working until at least 8:30pm tonight, but have had clients cancel. Now I get to watch the match.....yay.

Mr.Micro

Basil3 wrote: »

RTE2 and BT Sport Europe, I imagine.

Was meant to be working until at least 8:30pm tonight, but have had clients cancel. Now I get to watch the match.....yay.

Through thick and thin, and all that. Mostly thin with the Gunners. An early goal from us would liven things up a bit.

DarraghF197

Basil3 wrote: »

Thank god F1 is starting back this weekend. A sport that has managed to depress me even more than watching Arsenal in recent years.

Really don't know why I bother with this stuff :pac:

I've been dying for this Friday at 1am for quite some time now! :pac:

But Buttonftw (assumed Button fan!) and I will probably endure another depressing season supporting McLaren. It's like a competition between Alonso and Arsenal as to who can let me down the most these past years.

mansize

It's now on C4 with Steve Jones...

They finally found something for him post T4...