By Sir Hardly Anyone
Three sections are now up and running in our list of summer transfers as highlighted by the ever accurate national media and their hangers on.
First off we have the incoming manager section which is today dominated by a Daily Mail list of four, now reproduced on several other sites…
- Brendan Rogers: you might recall him – he was at Liverpool and his results there were interesting. Now at Celtic.
- Leonardo Jardim of Monaco
- Joachim Low the Germany manager
- Mikel Arteta our old chum now at Manchester City and oft seen with a clipboard.
But now moving on to the departures lounge where probably due to the ice and snow not too much is moving. However Untold’s publisher is heading today to Heathrow Terminal 4 and we shall undoubtedly spot someone at the airport before it is time to get on the plane.
Those who are leaving
| No | Player | Going To | Source | What’s the story |
| 1 | Bellering | Barcelona / Real Mad | Star | Star readers have a memory span of less than 1 minute. But we have “Bellering” (TM) Untold. The Guardian has him going to Madrid to escape Arsenal Fan TV. Or Barcelona. |
| NEW | Krystian Bielik | Birmingham | Sky | He wants to reignite his career and is not happy at Walsall where he is on loan. |
| 3 | Holding | Burnley | Mail, Mirror, Sun | £15m |
| 4 | Lacazette | Arsenal Fever, Sun | Manu Petit says he will go. | |
| 5 | Ramsey | Mail, Mirror, Star, Sun | Out of contract; and because of gross financial mismanagement AFC can’t afford him because of Ozil | |
| 6 | Welbeck | Arsenal Mania | Leaving at end of season | |
| 7 | Wilshere | Liverpool | Football London | Wenger says how much he wants Jack to stay, but this doesn’t stop the suggestions that he his going. Arsenal Mania has him closing in on a new deal. |
And in other news
We are decamping to the other side of the world for a while, so there may be some interruptions to our usual flow of exquisite news and information for a few days. But in the meanwhile here are a few bits you might have missed…
The urgent need at Arsenal FC, in my opinion, is to return governance of the Club by a properly constituted Board with real power.
The present de facto ownership by a single individual, Stan Kroenke, interested only in his financial investment, has not worked.
If Arsenal FC is to prosper again, it will take something like a consortium from (say)the City to buy out Kroenke and return the Club to the position of a plc.
With safeguards so as to prevent the Club never again to be owned by a single individual. 😉
Honestly am tired of the present situation of things. You can imagine the poor small boy crying after lossing to Man City. Wenger and the Board are wicked.
In my view, I think Wenger is a good coach and be allowed to stay on. The problem however is that he is too stubborn to listen to simple advice. This is where the board of Arsenal as a club should come in. In Bayern, Real Mad, Barca and Chelsea, the coach must listen to the board.
We all know year in, year out that Arsenal lack the right players especially in the defensive mid-field and the defence. But the board of management keep mute. Why not force him to buy players?
Besides, we have poachers like Lacarzette and Aubamayang who can’t function effectively because there are no good wingers to feed them. Force him to buy players. There are very good players out there.
Sir Hardly Anyone,
Does anyone on Earth actually take all this paper talk seriously? I think it’s pretty widely understood that it is just click bait to get you to look at adverts on the same page. Nice analysis, but you give it a lot more time than it deserves, methinks.
An excellent article in the Guardian this morning from Barney Ronay, who seems to hit a few nails on the head.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/feb/26/zombified-arsenal-lack-obligation-to-be-in-love-with-idea-of-winning
@ Mark Mywurdz
Your link hits which nails? As far as I can see, that is why Barney is masqueradinbg as a “journalist” rather than employing his professional football qualifications and years of top football management experience in the world of football……………..sorry, my mistake, similarly to you and me, he has no experience whatsoever in professional football. That is why I don’t try to pretend I know about football management. He clearly thinks he’s more learned than he is (or indeed, ever will be).
Nasri banned for six months, seems he is an ex man citeh and arsenal player on holiday!
Wiki says he was a citeh player at the time.
Should citeh hold any responsibility?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-5432651/Samir-Nasri-suspended-six-months-drip-treatment.html
Mark Mywurdz
Even though I believe that primarily Sir Hardly does this with his tongue firmly in his cheek, I also believe there is a more serious underlying point here regarding how all this transfer speculation is just another tool used to ‘Bash’ Arsenal with, as opposed to how it is often used to ‘regale’ certain other Clubs’.
I’ll give you an example of how I have heard it work on Talkshite, before I stopped listening to that pile of crap obviously.
They’d have a small item on how Arsenal were looking to buy superstars A B and C. It’ll all be done with a sarcastic tone of course, with the obvious insinuations of how Arsenal will ultimately cock it all up, but for now we should all be getting our hopes up.
But the point is of course that all these players are merely figments of there imaginations. But the ground has been laid.
Then of course a few days, a week later, whatever, player A re signs for his current Club, as we all knew he would, player B moves to Real Madrid, as we all knew he would, and player C is Karim Benzemar, who, as we all know is, well, Karim Benzemar.
But that doesn’t stop good old Talkshite putting aside an entire night of Arsenal bashing for ‘dithering’, being ‘too tight’ or whatever other insult they can come up with, does it ?
Conversely they’ll have a night of telling us how wonderful Man United are, and what a major attraction they still are, and how they’re looking at getting Ronaldo back, or Bales on his way, or Messi’s considering United switch, blah blah blah.
But we all knew none of that was going to happen either. It never was.
And then when none of it happens, as we all knew it wouldn’t, what do we get from Talkshite? Nothing. Not a squeak.
So no, it isn’t serious, and yes we all know it’s bullshit.
But it’s bullshit that as often as not is used as just another way to spend some time Arsenal bashing.
And yes, some see it all as harmless fun, I know that, but as many on here will know, I see it is much more insidious and damaging than that.
But maybe that’s just me.
Tony, just what happens to sights like Untold and all the other contrasting viewpoints when Wenger does either leave or get the sack? What will be their/ your raison d’etre? Does this mean the fanbase will (for at least the foreseeable future) be united?
If the new manager tanks, will you be on his back? Perfectly understand your backing/ loyalty of Wenger as he has achieved so many highs with Arsenal, but the new manager has no history. Will you back him as vociferously?
You might find that Untold and the other contrasting sites have common ground for complaint – I know, scary huh?
*sites
@ AFC1974
The clue is in the title: “Untold Arsenal: Supporting the Club, the Manager and the Team.” Ergo I think Untold will go on supporting the club……………………………
There is no actual evidence that it is Mr Wenger who is stubborn, or that, to give another hypothesis he is trying like mad to sign players but they are saying “I am not signing for Arsenal with the sort of ‘fans’ they have.
Shut up you delusional old fart! What a stupid statement, players don’t join a club because of fans? Your an idiot! What next? Arsenal finish 6th because the sun wasn’t shinning every match?
Seriously!! I am in shock at how idiotic your statement is! No wonder you are losing clicks
Another idiot!
If Wenger is sacked! which he should be!! This site will just continue chasing conspiracy theory after theory! I love the new one they are peddling!! It’s all the fans fault… Players won’t sign because of Arsenal fan Tv!! What a bunch of muppets you all are
Hardly takes it seriously! He reminds everyone every week what blogs are saying! And he thinks he does this to take the piss! He is just recycling shit from papers and blogs because he has nothing interesting to say! He is no better than the people who peddle this crap! In fact he is worse… At least the papers and blogs are inventive enough to make up stuff, he just cuts copies and pastes! My 5 year old could do that!
Wenger Warriors
“Shut up you delusional old fart!”
A bit harsh, especially as, unless I’ve misread Tony, you seem to of completely misunderstood what was said.
This is what he said:
“There is no actual evidence that……Mr Wenger……………….is trying like mad to sign players, but they are saying “I am not signing for Arsenal with the sort of ‘fans’ they have”.
Unless I am reading it wrong I believe Tony is saying that there is NO evidence that Wenger is trying to claim that ‘Fans’ have any influence on whether anyone signs for us.
Maybe I’m misreading it.
I’m sure Tony will clear it up. Old Fart indeed !
Wenger Warriors
Stop digging mate. You’re just making yourself look a bit silly now.
Wenger Warriors
“…At least the papers and blogs are inventive enough to make up stuff”
You think picking a name, well over 100 actually, out of a hat, and claiming Arsenal are going to sign them is inventive do you?
Oh Dear.
Thanks @Goonermikey, but I was kinda hoping Tony would address the specific points. You do know the banner that you refer to was quietly changed about a year or two ago? it actually had something like ‘supporting Arsene in everything that he does’. My stance is no one is bigger than the Club, regardless of impact. The Club is the pinnacle, everyone else is a steward, servant or fan and I include the current owner in this.
@AFC1974 speaking as someone who knows Sir Hardly and Tony quite well, and as someone who has written for Untold in the past (and hopes to do so when I have time in the future) its quite simple really. Untold offers an alternative viewpoint to most of the Arsenal blogs out there, many of whom (not all) peddle a similar anti-Arsenal and anti-AW line.
When Arsene Wenger leaves or is sacked this site will continue to support the team and the manager and attack referees, pundits, and the aAA. It will attempt to do so using evidence, humour and proper grammar – which is why I enjoy reading it (and talking to Tony, Walter and Andrew, my fellow contributors).
The club can be criticised – and Tony has done so – because it does get things wrong. But when everyone including so-called Arsenal supporters – are throwing shit at the manager and the players its nice to have a place where a decent rational and alternative voice can be heard.
No one is above the club, not even its fans
@blacksheep,
Well said.
It’s about time Untold’s loyalty to Arsenal FC was followed by other sites instead of constantly criticising the Manager and individual players.
The Club has no divine right to success but it does expect loyal support at all times. 😉
as i see,arsenal needs quality players and famous new manager b/se wenger can’t understand the problem.New manager should come in and organize the club again buying talented players
Always nice to see how the wenger out brigade can only revert to swearing and abusing people who think otherwise.
He shouldn’t trouble us much longer if the moderation button works properly
Quite agree Walter. No need for abuse.
And @nicky, actually, Untold’s support and following of Arsenal FC is followed by all sites/ blogs – it’s support for the regime that splits the fans.
All fans support Arsenal FC. As I’ve said before a common mistake is to place individuals above the Club. Players, Chairman, Managers and owners all contribute to the success of the Club, but they come and go and hopefully are remembered fondly. Fans remain a constant.
No person is greater than Arsenal FC. Anyone that thinks otherwise is a biscuitt short.
*biscuit
Austin Osemwegie “The problem however is that he is too stubborn to listen to simple advice.” – Right, this gets said time and time and time and time again, but it is never supported by even a shred of evidence. People just hear the “expert” pundits repeatedly say it and then regurgitate it as if it were gospel.