WE KEPT THE FAITH: THE SEASON 2011-2012 SUMMARY

Posted on by WalterBroeckx

By Walter Broeckx

Many of us kept the faith during the season. We hung on to our dream. Today our players and our manager completed one of the biggest exploits in recent years done by any Arsenal team. It is no real trophy, it is no real title. But against all odds, against the refs, against all and everyone we worked together to get where we are now.

 

The Untold summary of the season 2011- 2012

From 17th to 3rd! In all possible languages given by our readers. Thank you!

The great turnaround

French: Le Grand changement

Lbo: Ntughari ukwu puruiche

Dutch:  De grote ommekeer

Hindi: Ek Mahaan Badlaav

Welsh: Mae’r trowch fawr oddeutu

Espanol: la vuelta grande

Yoruba: Ayipada Agbayanu

Arabic: Al-istidar al-Kabeer

Indonesian:  kebangkitan terbesar

Swedish: Den stora omvändningen

Jamacain: de greyght tun roewn

Text speak: da gr8 trna- 0

German:  Die grossartige Wende!

Kriol(West African Language): Garandi Luta di Rekuperasson

Portuguese: A Grande Reviravolta

Hindi? : Maha Parivartan

Catalan: el gran retorn

Bengali -> Moha Prttyabarton

Japanese: Okina hoko tenkan –  大きな方向転換

Tamil: Evvalavu Periya Thiruppam

Finnish: Suuri paluu (or Suuri käännös)

Japanese : 奇跡の大逆転 = Miracle Turnaround

Chinese: 傳奇性的大逆轉 = Legendary Turnaround

Serbian: Određeni član velik preokret

Hungarian: A nagy körülforgás

Russian: Грамматический определенный член великий оборот с учетом времени на погрузку и выгрузку

Italian: Il grande ritorno

Icelandic: mikill snúningur

Slovak:  veľkolepý obrat

Letzeburgs: Dei grouss Wend

Swedish Chef (aka bork): Zee Greet Toorneruoond

Cockney: The chuffin’ Great Turn’round

Elmer Fudd: De Gweat Tuwnawound

Vietnamese (by the words commonly used in football): “Cuộc Lội Ngược Dòng Vĩ Đại”.

Malaysian: kebangkitan terhebat

Polish: wspaniałe nagłe polepszenie

 

HAPPY ST. TOTTERINGHAMSDAY!!!!!!

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110 Replies to “WE KEPT THE FAITH: THE SEASON 2011-2012 SUMMARY”

  2. First things first! RvP to collect his 3rd award and Jack to collect a fist full of DOLLARS from the Spuds!

    Arsene has to buy another four quality players or we will be going backwards next season.

  5. Hope everyone is sending sympathetic vibes out to the AAA and UK media at this difficult time. And of SAF, considering where his team were when we beat city, Devon Loch comes to mind, he and his friends have really choked this one. I would imagine Riley is being summoned to learn his fate at this very moment.
    Well done Arsenal, a great send off for Pat , and well done Jack Wilshere on winning his bet.

  6. nice one Dodd 🙂

    le spuds foiled again, when will they learn to grab as much happiness as possible?

  8. And in Romanian: ‘Mare de răspuns’ Which is really ‘the great response’. Forward Arsenal

  9. Personally, I’m a greedy sod, but now we have our cake can we have a bit of icing … PLEASE?
    RVP re contract … and Mrs VP, don’t listen to him if he tries to convince you it is only an hour’s commute to Manchester!
    Yossi re Chelsea giving him a free transfer … you know he is only taking up one of your 25 squad places?
    Three shiny new transfers all done and dusted by the 2nd of July. Top drawer signings mind, no ‘LANS’, or with great potential … well may be one of those?
    And while I am on my knees, can we get all our players back injury free in August … Now that would be icing with a cherry on top.
    Thank you

  11. Yeah, what a day!
    Arsenal finished 3rd. I have to pinch myself. Unbelievable turnaround in this season. Season like a dream. Well done, Arsenal.
    Happy St. Toteringham,s day to all!

  12. Interesting on the AAA. If you look at the comments above there is one that says

    Arsene has to buy another four quality players or we will be going backwards next season

    Which is pretty much what the AAA were saying at the start of this season – I remember a comment to the effect that we were doomed to mid-table obscurity. And yet in fact we gave the EPL the biggest turn around of all time.

    If a comparison is needed with anyone it might be

    a) with Tottenham, who have their best team in years, and who still finished behind us – after we gave them a hell of a start both in the league and in the match at the Ems

    b) with Chelsea, who have all the resources anyone could ever want and yet still finished behind us, and were beaten soundly by us this season

    c) with Liverpool who spent the multi-millions on players and finished nearer the relegation position than the top of the league.

    Of course we only came third, not first, and the gap to the top two is large, but if we can have a season without three of our best players all becoming unavailable (Cesc, Nasri, Jack) during the summer, I think next season could be special.

    I’m voting with my wallet – the season ticket is being renewed.

  13. Happy St Totteringham day at last! It threatened not to come. It was predicted that the day will not be celebrated this year.
    Finally, the day is here! Form is ephemeral but class is permanent. The canon will always blast the cockerel into a thousand pieces any where, any day and any how!

  15. Can I presume all Gooners will now support Chelsea in the CL Final so that a win by them relegates Spurs into the Europa League?

  16. @Mandy Dodd…I thought a letter of sympathy to the spuds might be in order…together with Marriott Lasagne singing “Ein, zwei, drei, vier, drink our health with good old beer.”

  17. Nicky, we were debating this just a moment ago.

    If Chelsea win the cup, Tottenham don’t get into the big boys game. Rather droll.

    If Chelsea lose the cup, they are not in the big boys game. Rather droll.

    I think we can risk raising a glass either way.

  18. The Elmer Fudd one actually belongs to Uncle Woy don’t you think?
    Delighted to see Tamil among the list! From a Chennai Gooner, mikavum nanri, Walter… Oh, and Happy St.Totteringham’s Day everyone. It’s 17 years and countin!!!

  20. Walter you really need to double check some of the translations. Russian version is just ludicrous and I think somebody played a practical joke with you 🙂

    To be honest I struggle to come up with acceptable Russian equivalent. The closest I get is “Необыкновенное улучшение”.

  21. Not just St. Totteringhamsay but also the number one team in London again!

    And that with a team of crap players (according to the AAA) a rubbish manager who had lost it (according to the AAA).

    Now could it be that maybe, just maybe they don’t know as much as they think they know?

  22. chelski cannot be the first london team to win it.

    the tots will have to be quite lucky to replace greedy if they cant pay him. does greedy still get petrol medal?

  24. Terrific comeback to finish in third place after everything that happened.

    Massive credit to the manager and players.

    Congrats to Man City.

    A mediocre Manchester United team has finished with 89 points, the highest for the runners-up in 20 seasons of the Premier League.

  25. I am proud of my team…what a season this has been for us!!! Yes we had a bad time…yes there were deserters in our midst…but people please keep the faith! Boss has changed his stance and if Podolski this year and Arteta last year are an indication then the Boss is definitely creating something..just have patience and we’ll do it our way…we don’t need no sugar daddies!

    But for the moment…let’s just enjoy this tremendous turnaround! How many, yes how many of us would have even thought of this in September…Thank you boys. Thanks for the smile on my face! Poor Defoe has become poorer!

  26. I suppose you’ll be getting lots of messages along the lines of “WENGER MUST GO!!!! I predicted that we would fail to qualify for the Champions League the Europa League and would drop to mid table mediocrity. Instead he has guided the team to automatic qualification for the Champions League. This Makes me look like an ignoramus who knows nothing about football. The only solution is to sack the manager.”

  27. @RedGooner My understanding is that if Chelsea win CL they and Arsenal will go directly to CL group stage. There will be no English team in the qualification round. So Arsenal are in CL next season.

  28. I was just wondering how many “fans” on LG have “celebrated” this turnaround in the last hours? 😉 LOL

  29. Today is a moment to celebrate. Wherever you are. Just live in the moment. This is what (cliche) dreams are made off. Yes it isn’t a title. It is still a stupendous achievement by the team. If you cannot see that and can only moan and moan about trophies and proven players..and that too today… you seriously should think of supporting (whatever that means) another club.

    Go Arsenal Go : )…. I haven’t been so happy in a long time : )

  30. Let me add my comments from this part of the world…Africa. Congratuation the GUNNERS. Now, this young boy from Totewhat? should fulfill his promise of paying the dollars to Jack Wilshere for saying the truth that Tots will never finish over the Gunners in English Football. Tots never mess with big boys in the city…

  31. This is a day for enjoying a very unlikely situation but really good teams don’t leap around at finishing nearly twenty points behind the leaders.We used to finish similar distances behind United about a dozen years ago and then we created our best ever team.
    I’m neither an AKB or an AAA. I can’t think of a better choice in feasible terms to manage us but we do need more obvious ambition. We need to invest in two or three more top quality players ship out the immense and expensive amount of dross we have accumulated and keep RVP. If we do we have a real chance to make a bigger impact next year.I just hope there is the ambition at the club and within Wenger to attempt this.

  32. Le Grove is in tears. The AAA cannot believe this is what has happened. Not to worry though…when it turns out that we have bought only Podolski and are treating RVP, Wilshere and Diaby as new signings.. there will be much gnashing of teeth and ultimatums issued to AW to stop ‘ruining the club’. And then it will be July 31st and we’d have not bought anyone and sold more … which means the AAA cannot gloat in the pub …. they’ll be back…

    For now though they can all go to hell tbf.. today no one can burst my bubble… Go Arsenal Go : )

  33. I would like to propose “Le grand retournement” or “Le grand retour” even “Le grand retablissement” for the French version.
    Ray from Norfolk, Virginia.
    PS: Part of the AAA is a bunch of Sp*ds fans pretending to be Arsenal fans.

  34. In Luganda “amazuukira ag’ekyewuunyo” (the wonderful resurrection), Happy st. Totteringham’s day gunners. Trust me if it wasn’t for the imaginary penalties and cheating by the PGMOL, the red devils would be in 6th position now.

  35. Most of them are in tears over at LG…
    Funny thing is that Pedro is going mad about them and is rather happy (in the comments I saw from him).
    He is harvesting what they have been sowing all those years…

  36. Well i have to say thanks to Fulop for making our job easy. But their equalizer was also offside.
    I would pretty much like to see the totts in the CL next season. But wait, even if Chelsea loose they will have to go through a tough qualifier. Definitely not going to be easy if they meet the likes of Udinese.
    @Tony, check your mail.

  37. Phew, what a day. Well done Gunners to overcome the odds, and to think one of their goals was offside, by 5 yards according to le Tiss. Also by the sound of things Bolton was hard done by today, I would much rather have had them stay up than QPR.
    Thank you for the season all of you at Untold for all your hard work. Looking forward to the next one. Have a good summer!
    Oh and congrats to Citeh!

  38. @Walter, the second translation is IBO not LBO. The tribe is Arsenal’s Kanu’s [25] tribe in Nigeria.

  39. First well done Arsenal and AW for pulling it off, there to day and must say we have to thank there keeper for the three goals he gifted us and thank Foster for getting injured before, not our best for sure but third is third so here”s to next season .

  40. Agreed AK47, but I confidently predict Chelsea will not win it anyway, they are actually not that great, and Bayern are at home. Have you seen the number of chances BM create when they are playing well/ Chelski can only hope to park the bus, may not be enough in this game. It all points only 1 way. The Spuds will live to fight again in the qualifying round, some very tasty teams will be up against em though.

  42. It has been a great turnaround by Wenger and the players and credit is well due for this.

    Just a quick point Tony I admire your loyalty and support for Arsenal you and your colleagues are true fans in every sense of the word.

    I myself love Arsenal not at your level I’ll admit and I would say I’m in the middle of your thinking and the AAA.

    Basic point every season should be assessed good and bad and changes made to try and improve the situation going forward.

    Could we defend better … the answer is yes and we need to make ourselves harder to beat.

    Did we rely to much on Robin… yes we got away with in but he needs support Podolski is part of fixing this but we need another striker if Podolski is going to operate on the left.

    Is our wage structure effective … yes we have to many fringe players on big money that cant be shipped on.

    Do you have to many professional at the club… yes Alumnia, Squallaci, Denilson, Vela, Hoyte, Mannone, Chamakh, Park and Arshivan contrbuted nothing this year and should be sold or released to reduce our wage bill.

    Lastly we need to bring in afew additions to provide quality competition for first team positions. Example Utd have Ferdinand, Vidic, Samlling and Jones at centre halve.

    I like to see another striker brought in plus another centre half and winger.

    Plus side

    Szczensy an improvement on Alumnia

    Kozzer and Vermanlen I think Kozzer has been awesome.

    Gibbs getting back from injury.

    Alex Song has had a great season

    Arteta great signing

    V Persie has be excellent

    Theo has improved

    Excellent young players coming through in Oxlade, Wilshere, Sczcnesy,Jenikson, Gibbs, Ramsey, Afobe, Ryo, Coquelin and Frimpong.

  43. In swahili we can say as many wabongos can confirm, GEUZA KIBAO.
    In any case I can first say thank u to Pat Rice. Secondly I totally disagree that 3rd place is achievement. We have been sick n tired of this crap season after season. Arsenal is a massive club n it is a disgrace that we are getting satisfied with 3rd or 4th place yr after yr. We were lucky to get spot to CL.. that’s it,why ? The answer is simple…. is that squad ..squad…n squad. We dont have mix of players who completes the team at any time required. Why? AW n board have the answer for that q. What we have heard previously is due to balancing the bloody books hence we cant invest.. whose books? Let us see what excuses will be thrown out this time. Take my word there will be no any additional signings aside from Podolski n renewal of RVP. N please AW dont repeat the words SPIRIT..SPIRIT next season when we gonna flunk again, at least scratch dictionary from now for new slogan..like we r doom because of my stupidity for not listening to the die hard gooners ..me being one of them

  45. I think we need to remember just how hard this team has fought all season, overcoming adversity, injuries, bad ref decisions – they fought in each match until the final whistle. Lets thank all the players, the fantastic Pat Rice and most of all AW – he really did a fantastic job turning things round after the hand he was dealt at the beginning of the season.

    All the true gunners, many contributing to this site, continued to support the team through good times and bad, only the idiots from the AAA sniped to a greater or lesser extent during the season. I am very pleased that the fans have stood firm behind the team and ignored the AAA prophets of Le Gloom.

  46. @Andrei

    I wasn’t trying to pull a joke on anyone with the Russian translation, it was a “machine translation”. Mind you, to see others that I generated (Elmer Fudd, Swedish Chef, …) was amazing. I just submitted them as a joke. But that you for providing a better translation.

  51. so many fans know that if Wenger goes we can find a whole load of managers to replace him.
    But I think Wenger stays at least until his contract finishes 2014.

    As for RvP I have no idea, his interview today seemed like he was leaving, and you have to think that Tevez and Balotelli could leave City, and Real Madrid seems like an option too if media reports are to be believed.

    But maybe RvP and family are settled in London, and a big singing on bonus will keep him with us.

  52. No player is bigger than the club and QG no manager is either.Yet the AKB’s keep telling us if Wenger goes the club will fall apart and no one else could ever manager us

  53. Wouldn’t it be funny to be able to attach each name to the league position they predicted in August or September?

  54. I’m glad we finished 3, but when I think about the invincible team and see us now 19 points behind Man U and City I think we should be more ambitious.

  55. The invincibles are from another era Mistaken. An era before Chel$ki, before $ity, … Only the introduction of FFP can bring such an era back.

  58. My fear is nothing will change whilst manager and board feel vindicated in their policy of asset stripping. I see more of the same sadly.

  59. when you have a manager whose ambition is win without buying quality then you can forget about having success anytime soon. Fact is that nowadays teams need quality (and sometimes an abundance of it) to actually win trophies and in recent seasons under wenger we have continued to sell our best players while recruiting sub standard players to take their place 👿 How deeply distressing is it listening to the citeeh lesbo talking about how today proved his point that he needed to leave in order to win trophies ? Fact is that our best players in recent years knew that they wouldnt win again under wenger and jumped ship as fast as they could 😥 Maybe if we had a different manager then the whole approach would change and we would at least try to use our maximum available budget to bring in quality proven players but as long as he remains in charge then we going nowhere fast

  60. @Mahdain. I’m still laughing at the link you posted. Great find. Going to use it as a screen saver.

  64. @derek. Not a very convincing whinge, you need a cup of tea and some of Rosie’s biscuits.

  65. @derek i feel sorry for you as you must be living a very miserable life take a break mate and as Frimpong would say leave it yeah

  67. Mahdain thanks for that link – nearly killed me. Read “Football expert” Mark Brights prediction – 1st – Liverpool, and the bit i choked on my drink…. “The Reds have four players who could grace any team in the Premier League: Pepe Reina, Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and ANDY CARROLL!!!! First three maybe but Andy “dumbest dive of the season” Carroll, WOW! Walter i think you should have his job

    Happy St.Totteringhams Day!

  73. @ Derek,

    i would urge you to take a look at dortmund over the last five years. from bankruptcy to defending bundesliga champions and double winners. they have not signed proven or established players or taken the sugar daddy approach. they have signed quaility unknown players who are now considered ‘top’ players i.e kagawa. most importantly they have a good manager who has the team playing for each other and is helping develop the young players at the club.
    i watched them give bayern (champions league finalists with a host of ‘big name’ players) a footballing lesson in the german cup. they won 5-2. first double in their 100+ year history. and they did all this without their ‘star’ player mario gotze.

    we are not city or chelsea so give it up. if arsene left, arsenal would still have the same approach because we have always been that way! it has worked before and it will work again.

    be happy with what you have or youll never be happy.

  74. Walterke, All,

    True Karma lives! The Rednose XX derailed! Oh happy day! The Great Turnaround gathering still more languages by the minute, as it turns and turns. The one and only truly inspired story of this season!

    Let THEM mind the gap: it’s all the difference between buying a tainted championship and winning genuine pride and self-respect.

    Let the apologies begin with the miscreant Stenographers and Destabilizers at the Sun, the Manchester Guardian Football Department, Cross John, Two-faced Robson, TalkShite, Anthony K., Clown Prince Lineker, LeGrovel, and every toxic twat who financed, took envelopes for, struck keyboards for, gloated over, mouthed “lost the plot”, plotted “Arsene Out,” dug up dirt for our burial alive – well, then, NOW DEAL WITH THIS: The Great Turnaround is upon us!

    And let the PGMOL and Septic Bladder and Doughty, Webbmaster, The Dean and Coy feast on the ashes of Rednose XX. You did not deliver the goods. Your maker will have a “word” with you, like he did for Ashley Diver. Watch your back and do mind your mancunian gap (10 goals was it?).

    And Walterke, if you do finally get to review Micky R.’s greatest moments at Old Toilet, that would be the icing on this cake, imho! Can’t wait for the season to begin…

  76. @John L. Watched that mauling as well. Hope we don’t get Dortmund next season. They look an even better side than earlier in the season. Big club, Big support. German football is definately on the up.

  77. I have searched since 5pm Sunday 13th May for a Le-Groan posting. This is 12.18am on Monday the 14th and I am yet to see one. Yet we all are celebrating!! I have to knock it off now. Someone else keep vigil and alert us exactly when their first post comes up.

  78. celebrating because we have gone from 17th to 3rd shows what has happened to the club i have supported for 27 years.

    3rd is not good enough as an ambition and never should be. We might not be able to win every trophy every year but we should aim to, we should be disapointed we were so far off the pace again.

    Someone said the invincibles were from a different era and they can only be brought back by financial fair play rules. This is rubbish

    The invincibles were just that because they were an amazing team, players who played with passion, who played with the desire so often lacking by some of our players this season but also players who worked together as a team, whose tactical understand was sound, who defended as a unit and did not look like 4 individuals doing their own thing.

    Also, anyone claiming an achievement only the lines of we lost our starting midfield so we did really well needs to consider that we only lost those players because we failed to show the ambition to keep them. Nasri and Cesc would not have left if they had a chance of winning things, same as RVP whose interview today filled me with doubt about his future.

    We may have achieved more than we expected given our start to the season but this year represents an important time in the history of our club. Do we spend £50m on 2 top rate players to join Podolski which would probably keep RVP. Or do we spend £20 in total and finish 3rd again if we are lucky.

    We do not need to spend the enormous sums man city and chelsea have thrown around but £50-60 million this summer would still see us in profit for the last 5 years and should be viewed as a 2 year investment so effectively £30m a year, not a lot for top 6 club certainly not one that should be challenging for the title.

    Ambition breads success, we have for too long lacked ambition and not suprisingly lacked success

  79. Oh Mistaken and Derek my fellow AAA whiners…….I am soooooooooooo upset that the Gunners made it to 3rd, my God we should have won everything, the CL, the FA & Carling Cups, the EPL, the NFL,the NBA, the NHL but its all Wenger’s fault for bringing in Shit players like Benayoun, Arteta, Podolski, Gervinho, RVP, Walcott, Ramsey, Szcesny, Rosicky, The Ox, Ryo Miyachi, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Santos, and finally that useless twat Koscielny who isn’t worth shit!
    Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh wait, Benayoun, Santos and Koscielny scored the goals today…………ohhhhhhhhhhh shit! But that was a sheer fluke, afterall the Tiny Totts are the best team in a decade and I secretly loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee them soooooooooooooo but WAIT, they finished below us AGAIN and may not make the CL………waaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I want my mommy!

  80. @Gary

    Ironically 27 years ago today Arsenal finished the season by playing West Brom at The Hawthorns .
    The game finished 2-2 and Arsenal claimed 7th spot in the league, 24 points behind champions Everton FC, Liverpool in second and Spurs third.

    3rd was clearly not good enough back then.

  81. Gary, you are a fraud.

    Going back to the 84/5 season. The EPL begins 9 years in (92/3). Wenger begins 13 years in (96/7).

    Over that time frame, the average position of Arsenal is 3.79, and the modal finishing position is 3.5.

    Just looking at the time you supposedly supported Arsenal when the first division was the highest, the average position of Arsenal was 4.25. The modal finishing position was 5. For somebody who thinks he has only supported over years when they either finished 1 or 2, your first 8 years must have been absolute hell.

    During the Wenger era, the average finishing position is 2.56. The modal position is 2.5.

    Under Wenger, there has only been 4 years we finished worse than 3rd, and all of those are 4th. Prior to Wenger, 10 of your years you were “supporting” Arsenal were worse than 3rd (with a 12, a 10, a couple of 7 and a 6 in there.

    You need to go see a doctor about early onset Alzheimers!

  82. that is evidence of the lack of ambition, saying that once before we did even worse so we shouldn’t aim for higher now

    I don’t expect 3 trophies a season, what I expect is to see an attempt to improve the squad each season, an attempt to challenge for trophies.

    We as a club have slipped into accepting mediocracy.

    Maybe 27 years ago we were 7th, but there is no shame in expecting an attempt to improve each season. Arsene may be satisfied with 3rd but I believe we have the potential for more and we should try to acheive it

    We have the 2nd biggest stadium in the league, the highest season ticket prices, we are one of the top 5 wealthiest clubs in the world, we have an increasing international fan base.

    I believe that a team in that position should be aiming for the top, not mediocracy but Arsene doesn’t seem to agree and he was singing the praises of the europa league and moaning that every other team has improved which explains why we are in decline.

    Ambition breeds success

  84. @ Gord

    I am fully aware of Arsene Wenger’s earlier success and I am also aware that it will be 8 years at least since the last success. His previous success is exactly why I expect more from him now. I am not anti Arsene per se but I wish to see the mentality of the old Arsene return. The main who strived for perfection rather than acceptability.

    Your logic is totally flawed, it is like a fulham fan saying well so what if we are relegated twice because we used to be a 3rd division team so its still up on the average.

    What I am trying to express is that we need to make some changes, that we need to face up to the issues holding our club back. Only an idiot hides their head in the sand and says nothing is wrong and only an idiot believes that any type of criticism is refusing to accept anything positive.

    We have the potential to challenge for honours next season for the first time in a few years but it will require some changes and some things staying the same.

  85. @gary & the AAA

    While you glory hunt spare a thought for relegated Bolton (or not due to their poor hierarchical and strategic management) , 100+ million in net debt with no forseable means to pay it off as they have no rich benefactor and it is very clear that have been living beyond their means during their EPL existence.

    They will no fester in the championship for years, so long due to another case of poor sustainable management.

    Yes, arsenal could spend 60 million before their circa 100 million existing net debt is paid off, but does that show ambition or stupidity?

    Where have chelsea finished by spending 100 mill transfer net over the past year? (yes, the answer is behind us and that is with our poor start, no full backs for 2 months and biased refs)

    The moral of this story is, Gary, if you want to put your own interests ahead of a clubs sustainable future and want them to overspend on players and wages go off and support Bolton-they need you much more than us.

  86. @Gary
    We celebrate because our team won; we celebrate our successes. This is not a sign of lack of ambition; we support our club.
    We see the need for our team to perform better but you and we disagree on how to achieve that. We believe in Victory through Harmony not Victory through Mean-spirited Criticism and Bitterness.

  87. And the Bolton chairman, who has presided over their financial mess Phil Gartside just happens to be on a few top level FA boards, (image) scratching my head…

  88. I wish Peter Hill-Wood never said about Vieira, “No player is bigger than the club.” It has spawned endless variations of it whenever a contract is up for renewal – as in the case with RVP … even before ANY talks take place.

    I thought we had another Norwich game on our hands, I admit I thought the worst. I thought even worse than the worst when Ramsey came on. I was relieved as hell when that final whistle blew because we’ve been hell bent on shooting ourselves in the foot.

    I hope the team that plays next season is much better than the one which finished in 3rd place because of goalkeeper gifted goals. A team that is put on the rack for 90 mins in consequative games by Norwich and W.B.A is appalling. It seriously begs belief that we finished 3rd.

    I’m sorry, I could not keep the faith after seeing lazy defending against lesser opposition, nerves getting the better of the team many times, some of the most pathetic substitutions I’ve ever seen. I hate this rigid formation we play with a lone striker. The formation should change to adapt to the formations deployed by the opposition, and it doesn’t because Wenger doesn’t know how.

    It’s the same old, same old. Like when Toure played right back while Eboue played right wing and while Walcott warmed the bench. Or how about when Chamberlain is subbed for Arshavin while having the game of his life. Why start Gervinho on the Right with Walcott and Chamberlain available. My mind boggles and I have to say this has been one of my most hated seasons. It’s great we finished 3rd because of the revenue and because it helps in the transfer window – and of course it means the Spuds finished the season knowing their place – but finishing 19 points behind 2nd place shouts volumes about us.

    I now have the possibility of seeing Spurs lose the 4th CL place if Chelshit win the final. I’ll treat myself to a cigar if they break the hearts of every Spud supporter.

  89. Gary…….go support another Club that meets your lofty expectations for another 27 years like Bolton,Wigan, QPR or better still Liverpool! They need whiners like you who live in the past and bitch about how little the Club has achieved because they didn’t perform like a mythical ¨golden team¨ that is your eternal ideal.

  91. AAA,
    Let’s say a top quality player becomes available this summer. He has no affiliation with the club and is motivated by money first, aesthetics second. We have a transfer budget of £50 million. Do any of you clowns honestly believe he won’t be bought by Madrid, MCFC or Chelsea for £80 million?
    Landing Podolski for the figures reported is a massive coup,, if we’d gotten into a bidding war we’d have lost him.

  93. I typed this in the comment section of the daily mail:

    “It’s about quality, Graham and not quantity. And that is wrong with Dean. He got a lot of games but made a real mess in some of them.

    Maybe Dean is the best at doing what Riley likes best and there fore is getting so many games.

    How can anyone ever take Riley serious after what he has done at a certain time in his career. So better not mention his name. He was a disgrace in his career and still is as head of the PGMOL.

    There are far too few EPL referees for the moment so Riley has to send the same refs over and over again to the same teams. This is asking for troubles. And thus troubles is what we get in many games. There should be enough refs so that each ref only will have each team twice in a season. One home and one away. And as long as the PGMOL cannot take care of that they are harming the game.”

    I don’t know if it will be published. 😉

  94. @Gary

    Yes.. cause if we had of spent $50 million or sacked Wenger then we would certainly have won, that is why Liverpool are champions this season!

    Whatever the truth of the matter (short memory?)you sound exactly like a plastic fan who only started supporting after Wenger started winning.

    We all want Arsenal to win but some people are just more realistic than others!

  95. I agree with all the so called AAA. Arsenal should show some real ambition, spend truck loads of money on “proven” english players who were readily available last summer and were begging to come to Arsenal (Cahill, Young, Downing etc). Instead Wenger goes out and wastes money on dead wood like Benayoun, Arteta, Mertasacker, Santos, Oxlade- Chamberlain etc and continues to claim that champions league qualification is “like winning a trophy”. I wish our board and manager would follow the exemplary standards of Liverpool, Portsmouth, Rangers etc – at least their fans get to see their team winning trophies.

  97. For some reason the Daily Mail does not publish my comment… 🙂

  98. @Walter

    It should rather be a matter of profound surprise if Daily Mail should publish your comment. Pictorially, it reminds me of that Mr bones II film where the poacher had the backside of his trousers ripped off by thorns revealing his buttocks. Those thorns are your comments. Very sharp, pointed, direct and ultimately, revealing.

    On other issues. Let the whiners support other teams, we don’t want whiners in Arsenal. We want believers.

  99. It is sad to see such division on this site?
    On the one hand, the team, the managment have ended on a high note.
    On the other is this ‘notion’ of lack of ambition is the reason why we are only, repeat ONLY, celebrating 3rd position.
    I am sure, even the most ardent supporter will agree that the quality off the bench has been a little thin at times?
    Unless, you have access to board meetings, I cannot see how the manager can be charged with lack of ambition. He is there to manage with what he given. The new ground has not come cheap, but perhaps now is not the time to judge, given we are towards the end of that financial drag.
    So if we go forward into next season with a couple of quality additions, and AW has hinted as much by saying that CL qualification ‘… helps keep your best players, but also attract better players’, then judge the team and its achievements.
    To another point made above, that the big money players will not be ‘Arsenal’ players … True in many cases, but the likes of Dennis Berkamp and Thierry Henry came from other clubs and became part of the club, because of the manager, the history of the club … AND because the existing players are ‘Arsenal players’. That is a role they develop into, like Robin Van Persie today. Cesc Fabregas had a ‘home’ club to go to,. Robin doesn’t, and why he will find it very hard to move away now?
    So please, enjoy the moment from those dark days of August. Keep a positive view when citing weaknesses. We all have opinions, but they should not be based on speculation. I, too thought the late substition was a mistake. If AOC came on not only would he have been a threat up front against tired legs, he would have stayed out left. But what if AW knows something about the OX that I don’t?
    Roll on 2012/13 season when we have a strong squad who can stay free from injuries.

  101. Even if we had finished on top of the league i bet some would still be whining about how we did not win FA , the beer cup and exited out from the top 16 of CL. Well ambitions are good, but learn to bound them. unbounded ambitions only cause harm and dissatisfaction.
    Its “if van persi leaves” this year, but i have always heard that. “if patrick viera leaves, if gallas goes, if henry leaves, if nasri quits, if fabregas transfers”. I bet if persie does really leave(hope he dosent) next year they will be having some other name.
    Cheer up guys, we are third in the league and top team in london. Support you team every game no matter they win or lose. Keep faith.

    In arsen we trust 🙂

  102. With the below first team that will have improved this year (well maybe not VP coz he’s near perfect) we will be even better next year because of the fact that we will not be letting anyone leave whom we decide not to.

    If we were to move on a few players arsene may enter the market to possibly acquire one of the midfielder’s he’s been looking at (it must either be a DM or ATM at an acceptable price)

    …………………………chesney…………………..
    –sagna——-per/verm—————kons——santos
    —————song————arteta———-
    ———————–ros——————
    –walcott—————————–podolski
    ————————vanp————————-

    and a reserve team of…
    ———————fabi————————-
    –jenks——-verm/mert——dju——gibbs
    ———————coq/frimmy——————–
    ————–diab/wils—-ram————–
    –.oxlade———————–myachi—-
    ——————-campbell,afobe————————

    cannot wait until next season!

  103. …and to come third in what you could call our largest transition period for some time under wenger (most ever flux of transfers in one season), acheive 3rd place, and produce a net transfer surplus of 50 million plus, which further pays down our net debt supporting our financial sustainability is a phenominal acheivement considering the net transfer spending of Liverpool, chelsea and spuds.

    Wenger, we salute you and thank yo to Walter and his team for producing a this incredibly balanced and constructive blog, bravo

  104. First Walter your post has been published.
    I am celebrating 3rd place not because I don’t have ambision for higher but because with everything that happened during season (injuries, refs etc.) AND having LAST 5 WEEKS INJURED GOALKEEPER, we managed to make it 3rd. Only 2 clubs above us are cheating so I’m happy. Then again I have only supported Arsenal since 2006 so what I know…
    For me it will be very sad day when Wenger leaves (I mean I had tears in my eyes watching the video on Arsenal.com about Pat Rice’s last match…)

  108. Sindarin Elvish: Beleg os (or, possibly Aglareth dambeth)
    and
    Troll-speak: What a disaster!! We MUST buy more playres innit?

  110. Walterke,
    I hope that you can release an updated, revised version of The Great Turnaround, UN-style, to include the new entries throughout the commentaries here. It’s remarkable and beautiful. 🙂

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