Something simple

By Tony Attwood

The Villa game was a game you could break your leg in, just by turning the wrong way.  An opposition player, one of your own team, a hoarding at the side of the pitch – you could collide with any quite innocently in weather like this, and end a career.

It was simple: avoid injury.

Villa v Arsenal is something we all want to forget – but, would have been something we might have remembered for ever had Jack played and broken his leg.  Or had Jack played and scored the winner.

Quite honestly, I think we might all agree that the game was horrible, the weather was horrible, and our support siding with the AAA and the media near the end, did us no favours.

Is there anything good to say?

Well, we have a few more details on the shirt deal.  Reports suggest that by next summer we’ll have £70million to spend on players after the five-year sponsorship deal with Emirates comes into effect.

What I didn’t realise at first is that the arrangement is again frontloaded so that there is money now to put into the team.  What that implies is that someone (Mr Wenger presumably) demanded the money in order to compete against the money clubs, in the next couple of years.  They will have problems coming to terms with FFP, but with our FFP position secure we should be ok to lash out the extra dosh.  It also became clear that there is, as we have always thought, a £30m contingency fund held by the club to compensate for not qualifying for the Champions League.

So Emirates Airlines pay us £30m+ sometime in the next three months.  Perhaps not enough to make a huge impact in January, but with sales sluggish as the money clubs won’t be spending too much because of FFP and with Arry the Red sniffing around for players who need to be moved out to reduce the salary burden, there could be some movement.

Ivan Gazidis said: “We’ve got a lot of money coming in but you’ll see it in next year’s financial results.  We want to be able to invest in the team a little bit more now so we’ll have that capability by the summer. But we also kept some powder dry so we’ve got the ability to invest if our manager finds the right opportunities in January

“We can pay bigger salaries and I think we can invest more in transfer fees now. How we make those decisions will be based on a manager whose judgement over the years has been shown to be absolutely outstanding. There is nobody I would want to be thinking about those types of decisions on behalf of this football club.

“There’s clearly pressure to spend money. The bigger pressure though is doing it in a way that actually pushes the club forward.

“It is very easy to spend a lot of money and not get a lot of benefit from that on the pitch. We’ve had a manager who has done an outstanding job through a difficult period and he will do an outstanding job investing this money, I have no doubt about that.”

By way of comparison, Man U’s curious deal with Cehvrolet which resulted in the senior vice president of Chevvy resigning, are getting £51m from 2014-15.  Man City are on £20m from Etihad.  Chelsea get £14m from Samsung, and Tottenham £10m from Aurasma.

.
As for Villa v Arsenal, I think I am just going to play some music and forget it.

127 Replies to “Something simple”

  1. Avoid injury? ……Seriously? Is that your excuse for such an abject display?

    I’ve always supported Wenger but there comes a time when you need to step back and be a little more objective. This time last season we were 6 points better off. Wenger continues to bleat on about character and commitment and our qualities but the team has shown none this season. Our passing is poor, movement ineffective and predictable, our attacking play lacking any vision or creativity. All these things have nothing to do with risk of injury, or with supposed fatigue (I really can’t see how professional athletes can be fatigued playing twice a week with very little travel involved). They are more to do with Wenger failing to arrest the decline of the past 7 years. The team is unbalanced and lacks real heart. Yesterday Villa were first to every second ball, they pressed quicker and higher up the pitch. Where is Wengers much praised team character? Where is the passion and pride for the shirt? Someone please point it out because I haven’t seen it for a long time.

  2. the conditions were atrocious, must admit, I feared the worst when Giroud went down. That substitution did seem strange for Wenger – I wonder if he was settling for a clean sheet, protecting Giroud or he realised Giroud was playing a bit deep, not getting much joy and decided to use Le Coq as an anchor to try and enable more creative players to unlock what was by then a very packed defence.Who knows. As for the fans reaction, this sort of thing is now becoming so common placed, it will soon be water off a ducks back reducing the desired effect – apparently some jeered Utd off the pitch at half time yesterday. Similar goings on recently at WHL, Newcastle and Sunderland- to name but a few. But we do have a problem, we are very light on the striker role. I was very surprised not to see Chamakh at least on the bench, seems like the manager has completely lost faith in him. We have only 1 recognised central striker, unless you consider Poldi for that role, but he rarely players the latter stages of games. Utd have 4 top international strikers. Anyone know what is happening with Campbell? I personally do not think Henry alone is the answer, he would not be able to replace an injured Giroud, and he will only be there for a few weeks if he comes over. Failing to sign a striker in Jan will in my opinion, be a risk not worth taking. Another problem, we seem to be overplaying key players, Cazorla is in his first season, Arteta has a recent history of injuries. Fatigue…and maybe the conditions seemed to be factors yesterday. Those who criticise our squad depth may have a point. Ivan talks of keeping powder dry, but last summer, we …I think…made a bit of a profit on transfers, so how much was Wenger actually allocated. Again, those who have a go at us hoarding money at least have grounds for debate. The selling of Song now does not look too clever.
    But on a positive note, what a save by Ches – we do…on the whole, look more solid at the back when he plays.

  3. @Alan
    What exactly is abject in playing 3 games in a week and drawing one of them?
    seems some section of the arsenal fan base live in some dream world where Arsenal is supposed to win every game.

  4. Yes music, it soothes the savage soul. I didn’t see the game and I’m glad I didn’t as it sounds as if we were dire. Still it is Aston Villa at home and they’re in the bottom three so obviously a difficult proposition.

    Music, yes that’s what I chose. Went to see a very entertaining film called The Sapphires about a sixties aboriginal girl group. Great fun, unlike watching Arsenal.

  5. utill jan. we need to play with what we have got. arsene need to instill some faith in players like coq. and arshavin. my main worries are sagna and walcott. sagna is only 18 months away from contract while I simply can’t understand what is so wrong about Walcott playing a winger. he is fabulous in that role. unless he signs for a low tier team he’s not gonna get a ST role.
    if we buy a striker in jan will walcott leave? is arsenal gonna do a Bosman on him?
    everton is dipping in form but fellaini will be back. if we win that game maybe some faith will be restored. can’t wait for that game. its more of a test on how arsenal is gonna bounce back.

  6. I saw the match, and the conditions were indeed atrocious. We couldn’t impose our superior technique over a Villa side that did push forward but could only muster little. At times I got the impression that they were merely keeping us away from their goal – although that didn’t work out too well either, and were it not for Kos being in Giroud’s place at the end of the first half, the picture would have looked entirely different. What I really liked was the mobility of our front line, and indeed the solidity of our back line. And Ramsey charging forward:)

  7. @ Duduspace
    I didn’t say drawing a game was an abject display. The performance was abject, the result a consequence. It has nothing to do with playing TWICE in one week. Yes, that’s right, 1 week is 7 whole days. At 5pm Saturday a whole week had passed since the Spurs game. The full squad of professional athletes should be able to cope with that.
    Did I say Arsenal should win every game? Seems some sections of the Arsenal fanbase don’t get the point of a comments section on a blog site. I hear you talk but you’re not saying anything.

  8. Must admit Arsenal should be beating the likes of Villa away, who lets face are pretty crap this season and more than likely to be involved in a relegation scrap. The conditions played a part, but it’s the same for both sides ultimately. However 5th in the table (I think) cannot be sniffed at, considering the form hasn’t been consistant enough

  9. @Alan

    You said:
    ‘Where is the passion and pride for the shirt? Someone please point it out because I haven’t seen it for a long time.’

    I’m sure you didn’t see it on Wednesday and you also didn’t see it last week. Right? talk of shouting off the roof tops and making no sense at all.

  10. Another Wenger apologist !

    It rained everywhere else but managers didn’t leave their best player out of the squad because it is “dangerous”. Utter nonsense.

    Kieran Dyer played the whole game for QPR and he has been out for ages and they are in an even worse position than us ! so if it rains against Everton should we expect Wenger to not risk Wilshere AGAIN ?? Pathetic.

  11. I do forget that this site “supports the Lord Wenger” so I should refrain from commenting. apologies.

  12. Rupert Cook, if you didn’t see the game, you should have nothing to say. End of.
    Personally, I would like to see Henry back in January. I think he brings a comraderie and spirit to the team when he is around. I do not think, however, that this should happen at the expense of a striker. We need a striker badly. Giroud is a fantastic player but we shouldn’t be over-reliant on him. There is a fair way to go until the end of the season and a lot of football to be played.
    Mandy Dodd, I think you are right. Arteta and Cazorla also need some rest, especially Cazorla. I’m hoping that Rosicky manages to come back before because Achilles problems are notoriously difficult to get over. Also, the difference Diaby made was incredible and I think since he’s been injured again, we’ve been a bit lightweight in mid-field. People just knock Cazorla over. Not so with Diaby who seemed to do more of the rough stuff freeing the ball for Cazorla to pick a pay. We definitely miss Song in this regard.
    Duduspace, you’re just wasting your breathe. A derby followed by a CL qualifier followed by an away game to relegation battlers in horrendous conditions, winning two and drawing one, keeping a clean sheet in the process and some Arsenal fans are up in arms. It just sums people up in general. My mum always said: “a person never knows the use of their backside until it has a boil and they want to sit down”.

  13. Those chanting at Wenger yesterday were wrong to do so. It’s disrespectful and abhorrent. But Wenger’s reaction at the post match PC was a little strange. He seems to be saying “you don’t work in football so you have no right to criticise what I do”. Isn’t that belittling the fans somewhat? Some of us have been watching football long enough to know when something isn’t right in a team. Some of us have even played professionally themselves. One of us (CJ) is even living the dream (although in my dream I have the balls to try and take a player on).
    Like Olly said, you would expect Arsenal to put this current Villa team to the sword regardless of the weather. Arsenal have lacked sharpness going forward for large parts of the season and it does worry me. I just hope Wenger can turn it around and prove the boo-boys wrong.

  14. @Mogooner

    Some of our fans are just plain amusing, atimes I wonder if some of those who are up in arms live in a realistic world.
    They do give some of the other Arsenal fans a bad name.
    Someone summed it up in a joke recently that Arsenal fans must always have something to complain about. This quote from Arseblog basically sums up these fans:

    “Arsenal fans, the only people could get laid by Angelina Jolie and complain that it wasn’t a threesome with Scarlett Johansson.”

  15. Guess what. One DRAW (he would have preferred a loss) and doublegooner’s back.. Welcome troll.

  16. “We want to invest in the team a little bit more now” says Gazidis. Does this suggest that Arsene Wenger has been restricted in strengthening the team in the past? Something he has always (loyally) denied.
    And I don’t go along with the view that signings during the January Window will solve all ills. Incoming players, particularly those from overseas, however good they are, will have a measly 4 months to get used to a new country, new club, and new league. Too short a time to make a real impression.
    It is an inescapable fact that however good the coaching, when the players take to the field, the manager has little or no control over how they will perform. Even the judicious use of substitutes is no guarantee of improvement.
    To say that Arsene Wenger “doesn’t know what he is doing” is the height of moronic ignorance by socalled supporters who should know better. Both the team AND the manager know full well that they are not delivering and are trying their best to put matters right. They deserve 100% support in their continuing efforts.

  17. I must be easily pleased but I quite enjoyed the game and do not consider our efforts worthy of such negative crticism, given the atrocious conditions. As Florian has pointed out if Kos had accepted the open goal chance then we could have celebrating a fine 100$ return on the weeks work. Why have we got so many vultures, our own supporters some of them as well as your Robson’s and Merson’s and the swarm of media snakes waiting to feast on Wenger every time we do not win a game? Support, support and support some more, to hell with the gloom merchants.

  18. Weird how the only person involved in yesterday’s game that has won the Champions league was Villa’s manager Paul Lambert. Won the bloody thing with Borrussia Dortmund against Zinedine Zidane’s Juventus whom Lambert apparently kept quiet all game so the man should know a bit about defending. Still disappointed with our display good weather or bad, WELCOME TO ENGLAND. get used to it. Maybe we should check the latitude of the jet stream or what the Atlantic current is delivering before we play again?
    Maybe put our youth team out to protect our first team? Since they are smaller and closer to the ground they might not be blown over by the high winds and lighter so they should not sink in the mud? Or maybe get them all jet ski’s so they can get about the pitch when its wet (wouldn’t mind seeing that actually).

  19. @Nicky

    It doesn’t take a genius to know that Arsene hasn’t been given much to work with in the past years without anyone on the board uttering a word, all it takes is to check out some of our accounts over the past few years. I also do not believe the club embarked on an ‘Austerity’ policy just for the sake of it, advancement in life is a steady process. Even in nature, you crawl, walk, run and then potentially fly. I’m proud of the way this club has been run. The fact however remains that until we are able to keep our important players, it will be a struggle to even stay in the top 4, that we’ve managed it for the past 7 years without failing is to Arsene’s credit.

    The club has said, and we can see that a new era of abundance is beginning at the club, I think it would be a travesty if the man who steadied the ship in a period when things could have gone badly wrong is not allowed to usher us into that period.

    It looks to me that there is a concerted effort by some section of the fan base that this should happen and I’m not completely sure these people have any idea what exactly they are doing or what the consequences will be in the future.

    Like a friend told me during the week, when you have a legend like Arsene in your club, you keep him for as long as you can because you do not really know what will come after.

  20. @ Duduspace

    Plenty of pride in beating a shakey 10 men Spuds team, who until Ade’s moment of madness made us look pretty average. This followed by a midweek win against an already eliminated team lying 16th in Ligue 1. Its awe inspiring, the stuff of legend. Lets put up another statue!
    Rather than focusing on one section of a comment how about taking in the broader picture. Its not that we only got a draw. Its that we keep getting excuses like poor conditions, or fatigue, or risk of injury, when the real issue (unbalanced team, lack of cohesion, lack of commitment) in my opinion, is not getting any better.
    Like I said in my first post, it’s time some fans were a little more objective. Rather than just booing Wenger or defending him.

  21. @Alan

    I wonder how many teams exactly Manure have beaten this season who have kept all their 11 players on the pitch.
    If I recall properly, when they beat us we didn’t exactly have 11 players on the pitch and Chelsea ended their match with 9 men on the pitch. Almost all teams in the top half of the table who have kept their 11 men on the pitch against Manure this season have actually beaten them (Tottenham and Everton).
    So, go figure.

  22. Mind you @Alan, this same unbalanced Arsenal team remains in 4 competitions while Manure is out of 1, City out of 2, Chelsea is looking like they are going out of 1 as well.
    There are issues in this team like in any other team but lets not make of it more than it is.
    If a team plays 3 games in a week and draw 1, I personally don’t think that is a tragedy worth demanding the head of a manager for.

  23. I have been on a few blogs today, some posters seem to be falling over themselves along the lines of “change is coming and when it happens, just know it started at Le Grove”…and a few others along those lines.
    These rather bizarre characters…or a few of them seem to believe Guardiola / Jose would be a shoe in if they can force Wenger out (on the finances Wenger has to cope with…reality please!!). They do not want to hear that in such an event, it is more than possible Bould and Banfield could end up managing the club. I have full respect for both of course, but in terms of experience and past record, Wenger beats them hands down. Apparently, some Wenger critics were calling for Owen Colye last year…..cannot really say more to it than that!

  24. @Duduspace “Arsenal fans, the only people could get laid by Angelina Jolie and complain that it wasn’t a threesome with Scarlett Johansson.” Priceless! Made my day 🙂
    @ Nicky The sooner players are bought, the sooner they can integrate. Arshavin and Chamackh didn’t need any time, maybe others can have the same effect?
    @Alan Actually, 10 man teams can be very difficult to break down. Also, I remember us looking quite average at that stage in the game the last time we beat them 5-2 and they had 11 men on the pitch the entire game. 5-2 was still the result so there are no givens that Ade’s sending off was a factor in the result.

  25. Did I demand the head of the Manager? No. Comparing our issues with other teams (like Chelsea, Manure) is pointless. Chelsea are Champions of Europe, United still win trophies and can keep their best players. You go on living in denial. We’ll probably still finish 4th which is like a trophy, right?

  26. @Mandy

    Its rather unfortunate, it seems they’ve taken the events of the AGM as a sort of misguided ‘Arsenal spring’ LOL.
    Seems its time some of us more reasonable fans got a bit more active and make ourselves heard as well.
    I’m beginning to feel guilty I turned down the opportunity to attend the AGM due to work commitments even though I was entitled to go as a Fanshare member.
    The same mistake will not repeat itself next year for sure.

  27. On Arsenal player, Arsene Wenger said he did not so much put the draw down to the conditions, but more down to two other tough games – WHICH WE WON – in a short space of time. Yes, we WON at Spurs and Montpellier, and we have qualified for the next round of the Champions League. Amazing how quickly some people forget all this.
    Even the highlights on Match of the Day showed that we had pretty well all the chances in yesterday’s match. As Arsene said, we lacked a little bit of sharpness in the final third.
    How anyone can talk about an ‘abject display’ I don’t know.

  28. In the space of 8 days, Arsenal have smash Spurs 5-2 in the NLD, qualified for the knock-out stages of the CL for the 13th year in succession, then kept another clean sheet away from home in the EPL.

    Where did it all go wrong!

  29. @Alan

    We live in the present hoping for the future and not the past, if I’m not mistaken Manure won nothing last season, NO?

    If we do finish 4th, it won’t be for want of trying, it would only mean we like water ultimately found our level (based on spending and other factors) you might well say its like a trophy considering the media say we currently do not have a squad to finish in the top 4 anyway.

    I personally wonder why they never give Arsene the credit for always surpassing their expectation while falling over themselves to praise the likes of Moyes and MON even though none of those even has a track record of consistently finishing in the Top 6.

    Top 4 might not be satisfying for me, but I’m not unrealistic enough to not understand that we have no divine right to win anything (like 19 other clubs in the PL who end the season potless) but hope springs eternal for me because I know this club is on the right track and will definitely get there.

    Finishing 4th would just be another step in the right direction on our upward climb.

  30. The fans who did so appeared to be chanting ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ because Arsene Wenger brought on Francis Coquelin, not the fans’ favourite Jack Wilshere.
    Arsene explained in his press conference that he was protecting Jack from the conditions. It was just the kind of situation where he could have got injured again after just recovering from 17 months out.
    How would those same fans have felt if Jack HAD been sent out and HAD got injured?
    And what have they got against Francis Coquelin? Is it just the fact that he’s French and not English?
    Arsene Wenger DOES know what he’s doing. Thank goodness.

  31. I understand why Wilshire and the rest were rested. You don’t expect Arsene to play the same team the whole season. And besides, Wilshire and Saghna were only coming back from injury, what would be the point of injuring a fatigued player now when we have a whole season ahead of us? But what the team lacked from the off was urgency. Had we had that bit of self belief and urgency, we would have definitely done Villa in. Such games needed Walcott, Rosicky and Wilshire, unfortunately they were not there.

  32. With regard to the front loading, I was under the impression it was the revenue for stadium naming rights that has been front loaded, not the shirt element

  33. man, we don’t need more players to produce results here except for ramsey and coquelin to be dropped to the reserves, and rosicky being used as the regular sub, WHAT WE REALLY NEED is the motivation and spirit for winning the ultimate reward that is on offer, of which to be very honest Wenger just can’t do it anymore however much he thinks he can. You just have to look at his body language yesterday after the final whistle, can someone convince me that it was not from a person who has not felt any nerves on what we were digging out of that match and what it meant on the gap with the teams at the top of the table.

  34. Alan
    For the first 10 minutes of the spurs game before Ade went off, they dominated 5 and so did we. I would hardly say we played poorly or average as you put it. We were controlling the game prior

  35. @Stuart

    There is a lot of speculation about how exactly the money will trickle in, however it does trickle in will be evident in the Financial accounts. I’ve become quite an expert in Arsenal finances now LOL.

    We are actually very cash rich even at present but you don’t also want the manager to start acting like a kid in a candy shop when it is his prudence over the years that has put us in such a very strong position.

    I strongly believe Arsene will make another Carzola class purchase in January if the right player is available. With the requirement of the spendthrift clubs to now comply with FFP regulations and our cash rich position, we should find it easier acquiring top quality players going forwards.

    The purchase of Poldi, Giroud and Carzola is only the beginning of the new Arsenal, it is all there in the Accounts if only people can be bothered to look closely when they are released.

  36. Duduspace – Arsenal Spring – like that term, but I think you have summed it up very nicely. There seems to be a lot of protest in the air, and not just at Arsenal. Wenger seemed more irritated than mortally wounded at the few that chanted. Wenger will go when he or the club, or both want, not when someone from Le Grove decides he is bored of the manager. And this is why RVP should never be forgiven, he did not have to make that statement, but in doing so, gave too many out there strength to their cause, and did it for purely selfish reasons.
    As fopr the finances, whether he admits it or not, Wenger has certainly had his restrictions. Look at the summer beofre last, even with Cesc and Nasri money, he waited until CL qualification to spend. That smacks of financial restrictions. There may well be money there, but maybe the financial climate has spooked a few. But now, we have £30m a year from the Emirates deal, reportedly £25m more to come on the kit deal, up to £40m from the new improved EPL deal, and when we pay off the stadium, another £20m or so on top, that is quite an increase on the bottom line. Theo is getting more valuable by the day!

  37. @Rupert
    Once again you just astound me.
    A so called Arsenal fan. Who’s glad he missed the match.
    Me I watched the whole game to the very last kick.
    Seriously who gives a F*** what movie you went to see?
    Honestly don’t know why you bother to comment here.

    No excuses it was a poor game by EPL standards but by no means as bad as some of the comments here make out. We have just played two important games with another tough game to come mid week. An abject display? No just a hard fought game by two teams in very bad conditions. Probably a draw was a fair result and the clean sheet a bonus. I thought we looked better with Scez and Gibbs back in the team. The game just needed that one spark of magic which unfortunately we lacked yesterday.

  38. The point about Jack is that he is still not fully fit and after two tough games Wenger was quite right to rest him. When Wenger was criticized for bringing on the fresh Coquelin to replace Giroud – who had taken a few knocks – thr question shoud be asked – who is qualified to make that criticism?

    @Shard

    I see you noticed the return of the double talking Doublegooner, regrettably he is not just a troll, but rather he seems to be one of the self appointed AAA protest organizers – and possibly more.

  39. I thought that Villa hassled non-stop yesterday,and until later in the game, there wasn’t that much in the way of space to be exploited, but what was fascinating to see was the some of the one touch football that Arsenal played, as they tried to get out of trouble from the Villa pressure.

    Going into the game, i felt Villa would try to close us down and keep the pressure on,(re the Norwich game)knowing we could get frustrated and then the players heads would go down and lose concentration and the eventually the joy of playing, which sometimes seems to have happened in the past. If the decisions hadn’t have gone against Villa last week, I think the result against City might have been different…

    Ramsey looked sharp as he did in mid-week which is good to see, as if he wants to fight for a place in the side, this can only aid the squad. I also saw that Mertesacker is getting more confident as each game goes on, wanting to go forward and his passing is looking a lot stronger, which is also what we really want to see as he lacked a bit of confidence last year, lets hope he keeps developing, perhaps into another Tony Adams type.
    Szczęsny played well, and his confidence is high, which is what we need,as he didn’t start well to the season and Gibbs was really fired up too, which is also great.

    It was a frustrating match, not just for us, but for the players and the managerial staff,lets hope it doesn’t rain for the Everton game!

  40. Whilst I agree with a lot of above I am overly concerned with our inability to finish teams off. I would sincerely hope we get in a striker in Jan otherwise I don’t see us getting fourth… A trophy it seems these days

  41. @Mogooner

    With this increased cashflow, we could pay it off over the next 4 – 5 years at them most but we don’t really ‘need’ to as it is totally manageable and what you would call a ‘good debt’.

    Its a bit like having 1000 pound balance on your credit card with a 6% APR when you earn about 2500 and spend about 2100 per month, you know you can pay it off if you actually go all out to do so over 3 months but you also know you can actually pay it off over a year instead.

  42. I really don’t understand, why some fans(?) believed if Ade not sent off we can not win 5-2?

    Please watched again last season Arsenal-Spud game (highlights), after we down 2-0, Sagna score first goal on minute 40, against 11 man Spud, and Scott Parker sent off after 5-2, at the end of the game.

    This year Spud not stronger than last year, and Arsenal not weaker than last year.

  43. Is it such a difficult ask to support your team, even if the result goes against us? Real supporters stick with their team through thick and thin. The impression I get is is ‘win at all costs’ even if it means Jack gets crocked again, Giroud is reduced to a runaway manic depressive, Arteta is made to lick spittle when he can’t even stick out his tongue, Carzola runs around in endless circles while the Ox is denied time to properly grow into a proper attacking threat.

    We are too fixated on short term gains in the name of trophy today just as we are on running Wonga sized interest loaded pay-day debts for meaningless consumer items! Arsene is not infallible but he is the only one we’ve got for now. He is doing a damn good job, never mind the outward appearances.

    Why is Chelsea on their 9th manager in 9 years? Why is ‘Arry back in management after being kicked out by the Spuds only 6 months ago? Why are more foreign managers in the EPL today than 20 years ago? Why is AFC winning such a big sponsorship deal from Emirates Airlines if AFC were such a woefully managed outfit? They could have let the deal run its normal course and dumped AFC in a
    couple of years. Why does AFC attract the most talented football players to EPL?

    I won’t answer those questions but allow our whining pals to figure it out by themselves. In addition to that, the amount of stick Arsene gets from the English press appears, to me, to be xenophobic whilst AFC remains an English club. What gives? Why allow ourselves to be mislead by these so-called experts who don’t even know how to put a football team together?

  44. Lots of goalless draws this week, maybe due to weather or the fact that many teams played in Europe just a couple of days before. Arsenal, Chelsea, ManC & Liverpool drew nil-nil and New Castle lost. Only ManU & Tots won despite their European game.
    Hardly the end of the world.

  45. ManU and Totts won at home. This could also make a difference after a European week. ManU had send a reserve team to Turkey so that also could make a difference.
    And even then they had a lot of trouble in beating QPR. I watched the first half of that game and they hardly created chances

  46. The apologists keep telling us that Wenger has to work under financial restrictions – Poppycock. Eduardo £8milion, Nasri £15.8 million, Diarra Bischoff £0.75million, Walcott £12million, Adebayor, £7million, Koscielny £11, Squillaci £7.8, Arshavin £15.52, Ramsey £5,63, Sagna £7.92, Fabianski £3.82, Vela £4million, J.S. Park £4million, Rosicky £8.8, Denilson £4.4, Vermaelen £10million, Mertsacker £7.5, Joel Campbell £0.95million, Gervinho £12, Oxlade-Chamberlain £12(rising to £15), Jenkinson £1, Arteta £10, Santos £6, Carzorla £16million, Podolski, £12million That’s £203.89million spent in the last 6/7 years. No it’s not net expenditure and he has recouped money. The issue is these players have either left in disgust or we are still stuck with them because they are useless. How many of that list have been a resounding success? I defy anyone to say more than two, personally I don’t think any have. Is this money well spent or an example of a clueless manager.

  47. Well the apologists and the Wengies were telling us last week that because we had beaten a poor 10 man Spuds team we were going to win the PL and the CL. We duly qualified for the latter by beating a Championship level side in Montpellier but as I have said so many times before the more intelligent and knowledgeable amoungst us knew that it was merely papering over the huge cracks. We have the poorest squad we have had in 30 years. We have a manager that refuses to spend money, believing that the failed kiddie and cheapo policy still has life in it. We have had Gazebo jumping up and down all week because of our new sponsorship deal. Firstly it’s not a great deal and secondly it doesn’t matter that we already have a transfer kitty of £70+million, Wenger wont spend it, and if he did he would buy rubbish because that’s what Wenger does. The only way forward is to dump this loser and then get the club back in the hands of someone who will invest. Hill-Dead-Wood, Gazebo and Silent Stan all have to go but we need to dump that idiot first.

    some on here will tell you Wenger isn’t responsible for anything but he picks the teams, he decides the tactics, he comes up with a formation, he makes the substitutions, and he buys and recruits the players. Wenger is the manager and if yesterdays lack of effort coupled with awful tactics doesn’t convince you that the bloke has totally lost the plot nothing will. It’s not Stan, it’s not Gazebo who picks the team and coaches the players, it’s Wenger and he is doing every part of his job badly.

  48. Also if you look at the post match press conference and it is simply embarrassing. If you question the rights of a reporter to question you on a decision (based on the fact that you have more experience than said reporter) then you are questioning the rights of anybody who hasn’t your managerial experience to question your decision. This is Kenny Dalglish’s last days at Liverpool being repeated. The difficult questions are met with arrogance, sarcasm and venom.
    However many Arsenal fans that traveled to Villa Park yesterday along with the rest of us have every right to question what is wrong with our club.So have the media, obviously we have suffered more than most over the years because of bad journalism, but yesterday the questions were hitting but not unreasonable. If Arsene Wenger does not have to justify his decision making to anybody who hasn’t 30 years managerial experience the heaven help us. Maybe that is the root of the problem, he is so powerful within the club and the club has a board who are so unambitious that Wenger doesn’t ever have to answer questions.
    Yesterday’s press conference has me torn between whether it was delusional or arrogant. Think it’s maybe both, with arrogance the primary trait.

  49. He is more than happy to talk about other teams, issues that don’t concern him and voice opinion about what is wrong with the game in general, but doesn’t think that we, the paying public (fans to you and me) deserve even the slightest bit of respect

  50. @Mogooner
    The Stadium debt is currently just under £100m. Arsenal pay off @15m per year. So Unless they add to their debt which looks unlikely with the new sponsorship deals coming in. The debt should be paid off within the next seven years or so.
    Arsene recently touched on the debt issue by stating that the club needs to make at least £15m profit per year before they even kick a ball.

  51. The hothead would probably be the first to moan if Wenger over plays Wilshere and he gets another injury…

  52. Like RemaK Kwen said: the AAA are waiting for the first misplaced pass to come out of their hiding place. They enjoy each lost point and celebrate each defeat.
    Because that is the only time they can talk their doom and gloom lines

  53. Seems to be a lot of angry people about today. You’d think were beaten over the weekend?
    Wonder if all the Chelsea fans are happy with what’s happening to their team?
    Can’t remember seeing plackards displayed asking for the “manager out” in his first game in charge.

  54. @ Walter
    See the guy Rupert who says things like ” watching a movie is more fun than watching Arsenal”?
    I just can’t understand any Arsenal supporter enjoying a movie more than watching us play.
    This from “fan” who didn’t even bother watching the match. In fact he said he ws glad he missed it?
    Just another unhappy fan.

  55. @barrys at 10:14 pm

    So why not demand that a manager consults the paying fans before each game and together pick the team? Sounds like a very bizarre expectation

  56. barrys

    You don’t watch many of Wenger’s press conferences do you? Instead you probably rely on the media to tell you what he said, and as is their wont, they don’t often tell things in their proper context.

    Wenger had already said that he does not wish to comment on fans chanting against him and that he leaves others to judge him. He refused to justify his decision to sub a player off and that is exactly right. As he said, judge it however you like. His job is to manage the club, which he does to the best of his ability. His job is not to justify every single decision made and whatever some people decide should be the agenda of the day. A press reporter actually had the gall to accuse Wenger of trying to cause a rift among fans. Oh the irony.

  57. Personally i thought we did ok yesterday, guess what kids, we picked up a tough away point, in shitty weather against a team who had not played mid week. and we rested some key players, for another tough midweek match. Well done AW and the boys. anyone that thinks different, well its 9.50 now, they have been in bed for a while so who cares!!

    PS when the press speak to Fergie like that he just gives them a Glasgow Kiss, soon shuts them up

  58. The point is…do you really trust Wenger to waste, uh, I mean to ‘spend’ money? Arsenal is full of average players, no need to add more…

  59. @Duduspace and Woody Thanks for the info. I think the club are apprehensive to pay off the debt, at this time, because of the huge penalties we would incur.
    @Walter Some people want to be right at all costs. If the team lose, I’m quite sure they celebrate and feel gutted when we win. After all, it would prove them right, right? Well, I’ve been an Arsenal fan for the past 32 years, ever since I was 9 and saw the pain it caused my Spurs supporting brothers to lose to them. There have been worse times at Arsenal and if one day we get relegated, I will continue to be a proud Gooner. ‘Til death do us part.

  60. My Gran (who cleans at the Emirates) and whose idea of light reading are the comments on Gooner News, says that it’s peculiar how the comments about Arsenal at this time THIS season are so like LAST season…….particularly by the moaners. She wonders whether they keep a record of what was said then and send the same thing out each season. She says that the season isn’t even half over and folk are already questioning the ability of Le Patron (as she calls Arsene Wenger)….just like last year.
    Have a little faith, she says and this will soon spread to the team and you will all be amazed at the differance.

  61. @ Barrys, yep Carzola, Giroud, Poldolski all look shite, as did Henry, Pires, Viera, Overmars, lunjberg, Petit, Sol, Cole, Wilshere, Sagna et al. Twat.

  62. @ robl
    Awesome and to the point!
    some people are never happy. Some people just like to moan for moanings sake.

  63. Looks like rupert has temporarily had to go to the vet and the AAA nest has had to send “barrys” on as a sub.

    nice post robl.

  64. @Barium enema……….get your head out of your ass and stop your narcissistic ranting,moaning and unsupported, irrational, disrespectful criticism of Wenger. When he deserves just criticism, we give it BUT unlike you, we actually base our judgements on hard facts, NOT nebulous, media-fed antagonism and rancourous pessimism that pervades your every waking hour, other than when you become a legend in your own mind of Fantasy Football Manager! We do SO need someone like you to run AFC into the ground, with your vast Xbox professional management and coaching experience, your astute faith in whatever the media says and your AAA blindness to all that is reality or positive.
    Go back to Le Grovel and congregate with brother slimy sycophants bemoaning the fate of ¨their¨Arsenal, as if they even really care….please don’t disgrace yourself anymore on our excellent blog….I am sure Walter and Tony can find better Arsenal supporters t WHL than a raving moron like you.

  65. @Americangooner
    I caught the end of the Swansea v’s Liverhoof game. Yeah it was pretty poor although both had their chances near the end.
    The Chelsea v’s Man. Shitty was worse than our game. Again played in the pouring rain. The commentators just kept on going on about Rafa and the deMatteo sacking. Another poor EPL game. Torres was rubbish the whole game.

  66. @barrys man, your comments just opened my eyes. up untill now I was wearing wengerian brand spectacles. but barry your beautiful insights have shattered my spectacles. I have to acknowledge your intelligence has taken me by surprise. and I heard you have an army of ‘intelligent’ so-called arsenal fans…what’s that….its called the AAA.
    @barrys if you don’t like to call yourself AAA you may as well be a disillusioned spuds supporter. I can’t understand your rage but its kind of garbled and very hard to decipher what you wanted to convey. your opinions won’t be taken seriously here. please proceed to, may I suggest, Le-grove.

  67. @ Dom , I do think that a brain enema would be cathartic to most AAA and trolls ,as thats where their brains(?) are situated !All that shit blockage would be cleared !
    At the same time a prostatic massage with a ‘happy ending ‘ would most definitely cheer them up !

  68. Just as I had written the above and checked my e-mails , a friend had sent me this and I have to share it here as it backs up my earlier commemt .Never keep it all in !Enjoy !

    http://www.youtube.com/embed/jsseUBFDDuo

    Tony , I know that I often drive you crazy with my offbeat humour but I just had to post this ! Call me when I’m forgiven or if you want to present me with the coveted OIK
    award !

  69. I was awaiting an ‘avalanche ‘ to ‘rumble ‘and roll but glad to see that I’ve managed to ‘evacuate ‘all the moaners (as C4 puts it!) and cleansed this site , pronto !
    A ‘job ‘ well done ,I must say !
    @ Walter – you’re on the right ‘tract’ !

  70. Fans expecting Wenger to justify his decisions to them is a joke. Until they get their coaching certs and work their way to the top then they really need to keep in their box.

  71. @Woody and all the other moaners, I’ll do what I like when I like. The wife was going off to Bulgaria for the week and wanted to see a film. It happened to clash with an Arsenal game. Wow, I’m no longer a supporter. I put my wife before football because I’m a balanced individual unlike some of the crazies on here who take great pleasure in exerting their abusive characters to the full if someone dares doubt the manager.

    And if none of you have failed to notice let me remind you, Arsenal do not play exciting football and most of their performances against poor teams in the league have been abject.

    I suspect I had a better time watching a movie that entertained me than 11 clodhoppers struggling to beat a relegation candidate.

  72. When I read all the demented comments from people like Domhuail and Brickfield and Robl you can see how flimsy the arguments for Wenger are. The former two just spill endless bile whenever a reasonable argument against the manager is put forward.

    And Robl I don’t know why you’re being applauded for comparing Cazorla, Giroud, Pod and Wilshire to Henry and all the other great players AW signed. Those players have won trophies, they played in a scintillating Arsenal team. The new lot have yet to earn the right to be mentioned in the same breath. That’s an insult to the intelligence. Compare them in three years time and then you might have a point.

  73. I think a point wasn’t bad at all. From what I can see, I believe AW got it right. He rested the players who most of us believe could have pushed for all 3 points. I’d rather take 1 point against Aston Villa and rest the big game players for the Everton game, which if we win, will take us 1 place up in the table and pull back one of the teams above us. So if I had to make a rotation choice, I would also rest some big palyers and have them fresh for the Everton game. It’s a gamble, but I think he played it smart.

  74. Really. Consider how many points this team has dropped against so-called inferior opposition, Norwich, Sunderland, Fulham. We need three points when we play teams of such poor quality as Aston Villa. It’s easier to get three points there than Everton. If this team wants to challenge for the title it needs to be beating the weaker teams because it can’t beat the top three.

  75. Apparently Wilshire had a knock and that’s why he wasn’t played. So why was he on the bench then? Bizarre.

  76. @Brickfields Gunners
    Is that some sort of an initiation ceremony you have to go through when you join the AAA, just to make sure you are sufficiently full of shit. Maybe rupert or barrys could confirm?

  77. Stuart Downing – keep reading that, must admit I would be very verysurprised – he can certainly cross a ball, but not what I would consider a Wenger type player, and a huge risk if there was some sort of deal with Theo

  78. @ Rupert , demented? Barrys stated “Wenger won’t spend it and if he did he would buy rubbish cos that’s what Wenger does” I was simply responding to that point with examples. I’m not saying Poldo is as good as Henry, but fact is he’s a German international with an amazing amount of caps for his age and cannot be classed as rubbish by anyone with even the intellect of an unripe cheese. Why don’t you bother to read properly before you decide that yours is the only opinion that matters on planet Rupert?

    This is clearly stated as a pro Wenger blog at the top of the page, so what if you don’t follow that train of thought then what is your agenda for coming here?

  79. @robl
    Maybe rupert sees himself as a sort of missionary intent on converting us heathens into following his faith.

  80. @robl, what exactly is the intellect of an unripe cheese? Mine seems like the only opinion because I’m the only one that talks sense based on logic.

    In between the riotous mirth of the unintelligible and those in the grip of false consciousness it’s hard to actually stoke up a sensible debate.

    Podolski has only played well for us intermittently, Giroud works hard but is hardly world class, yet. And Cazorla looks pretty good. But they’ve won us nothing so let’s not get carried away.

    @Mandy, apparently Wenger was, and still is it seems, a fan of Downing. Personally I think he’s average but maybe Wenger’s thinking he needs a player to cross the ball so Giroud can use his head in a profitable way.

  81. @Rupert
    You’re the worst type of Arsenal “supporter” You’re a fair weather fan. If the team is winning every game and a trophy at the end of the season then you’ll be happy.
    Instead you slag of the team and the manager. You have an opinion on Saturdays match. Even after admitting that you were glad you didn’t see it.
    Honestly I have no idea why you do come to this website apart from the obvious which is to give your opinion which in reality nobody’s really interested in.
    You are in fact a joke.

  82. Google ‘footballosopher wenger’ and it will come up… worth the time to read it, especially as it has some bits of light hearted humor which seems needed this week.

    Its interesting the whole trophy/drought debate/thoughts, to think that even a player like Liam Brady only won one trophy during is time as a player with Arsenal,and even that he nearly didn’t happen! Even if he hadn’t have picked up a winners medal he still would have stayed a great player.

    I get the feeling that the pressure that’s now on the Everton match is way to big, I wonder what the feeling is on Mersey-side,as Everton also need to win that game, in the same way Villa also wanted to win to start dragging themselves out of the mire, lets face it Villa did want to win too. But I think Everton are very beatable, and WBA when that comes around too.
    Its seems other clubs/fans are starting to pick up on the frustration of many of our supporters, and this will be exploited as much as possible, which is why I think Wenger deflects as much negativity away from the team as possible. Ironically I personally think the man does know what hes doing.
    I also want Arsenal to win, but I’m interested when it goes wrong, why and what could be done, it seems to be our big problem this season isn’t the loss of RVP but Alex Song, or a player like him, its such a shame that Diaby is so injury prone, he really commanded the midfield against Liverpool.

  83. @Woody

    I share you sentiments about rupert, but I came to the conclusion quite some time ago that he is not any sort of fan at all; it could be he gets a perverted amusement from trying to wind up AW supporters and also he does seem to have an illogical and compulsive need to get an unsubstantiated viewpoint across.

    However; the motivation behind rupert seems more obscure; the one scenario that would fit is the possibility that he is employed to disrupt UA. I do wonder – is he not just an AAA sewer rat – but rather an Eastern European AAA sewer rat?

  84. @Woody, what a reasonable response. I think it’s time you were tucked up in bed with your favourite teddy bear. And what if the team do win every game and a trophy, what will you be? Miserable. You’re the new species of fan that Wenger has manufactured who is quite happy with mediocrity whilst AW polishes his imaginary trophies he awards himself every year.

    Did I have an opinion on the match? No. And yet you claim I did. I happened to read a few blogs and the stats which told me we had one shot on target. But that apparently according to some was enough and we were unlucky not to win. I also managed to fend off sleep and watch the highlights (insufficient description) on MOTD. Villa probably had the best chance to score but hey ho never mind the facts.

  85. Well Kenneth I think it’s the loss of Song and RVP. Together just how many goals were those two responsible for last season? Plenty if I recall correctly.

    And yes Diaby looked imperious against Pool but Wenger knows he’s a sick note so persisting with him is just reckless.

  86. I’m not too sure of the stats, but the commentator(!) on the game versus Villa stated that Poldi and Giroud had netted together as many as RVP had at this point last season and therefore were doing the job they were brought in for.

  87. Excellent. Let’s hope they continue to do so. Shame they couldn’t produce anything at Villa but a win at Everton will make things a lot better.

  88. Two MASIVE wins, one qualifying us for the champs league next round yet again, one ( emphatically )over the main rivals,followed by one of the biggest ever shrt deals in football meaning we are moving onto the next phase financially of the stadium move masterplan ( which will make us stronger on the pitch ) then a tuff away game @ a resurgent young , fresh Villa team who ran themselves into the ground. A good point!
    So what to moan about this wk ?? next week ?? there’s always something if you put your mind into it
    People like Rupert will always find a negative, & provide the answers to problems he so expertly exagirates.
    Truth is arsenal have had a great week except for the ( huge ely in the minority but always screaming )mentally ill self harming section of the fanbase .Most logical thing to do is laugh at em, poor things!

  89. @Limpar, oh and beating Montpelier who are about the equivalent of Southampton is hardly a monumental feat.

  90. The behavior of said minor section of the so called fan base borderline in my opinon Rupert .
    Dont speak on behalf of other fans you have your opinion , I have mine . The royal we is a bit presumptiuos unless you actually are officially representing some body ??

  91. ‘oh and beating Montpelier who are about the equivalent of Southampton is hardly a monumental feat’

    I referred to the entire week so please take care before making your point otherwise it wastes time.

    Although, you did prove one pint ; As I said , you’ll always find a negative , even in a victory

  92. I think the attitude among our players is that ‘big games are six pointers. they’ll lift us up. we will be putting a big statement of intent’ and when its the turn of playing against small teams we always hear wenger warning players of complacency. every big games we have done very well (exception being against MANUre). while we aren’t putting much effort on smaller games.
    the sense of urgency is simply not there. i am sure we’re gonna win at goodison park. but swansea city at home is the litmus test that’s gonna determine whether we are complacent or not. these two games are also important cause we’ll be using a full squad strength. these two games are gonna determine the internal chemistry between our players.

  93. @ Limpar, I said “we” because proper Arsenal supporters wouldn’t use such vile insults. I know exactly what you referred to and that result happened that week you delightfully spiteful little person.

  94. Really sorry Rupert, but i stand by my description of that section of agitators / so called fans behaviour.
    It’s not an individual diagnoses of yourself so best not to take it too personally

  95. Proper arsenal supporters dont exhibit the vile attitude to wards the club that I’m speaking of

  96. Some supporters question the way the club is going, they wonder why aspirations at Arsenal seem limited, why the best players are sold and inadequately replaced when there’s money in the bank, why a manager is telling us fourth is like a trophy and still has a job, why average players are on huge wages so that we can’t shift them, why Wenger seems untouchable.

    Reasonable questions, by no means the preserve of the mentally ill.

  97. @rupert (mentally ill depressive sewer rat with acne but not a lisp)

    You are once again sounding like a gramophone with a stuck needle, hopefully stuck where the sun doesn’t shine – just under your tail!

  98. And now I’m off to sleep. Even the so-called mentally ill need to rest their crazy thoughts which they’ve merely collected from the realms of common sense, only for them to be falsely coloured by the “sane”.

  99. Reasonable questions arent a problem , all fans ask these questions.
    Its the extreme nature & negativtiy in the reaction , which is so harmfull to the club, & uncalled for after such a week as I just described the club has been through. I prefer to say its emotionally unstable, menatlly ill has obviously offended you.
    I also question the integrity of many of these agitators who claim to be genuine arsenal fans.
    There seems to be a real desire from cerain quarters to keep the tone around the club negative, & if a ‘proper fan’ as you describe it has this mindset then I question their sanity !

  100. Btw , you have been directly calling people on this site demented in this very thread so don’t go all sanctimonious on me!

    I’ll leave it with there with a classic from the anals of your great wisdom & common sense , a quote for us all to rejoice in & look back on over the coming season & when remembering seasons just past :
    ‘And if none of you have failed to notice let me remind you, Arsenal do not play exciting football and most of their performances against poor teams in the league have been abject
    I suspect I had a better time watching a movie that entertained me than 11 clodhoppers struggling to beat a relegation candidate’

    Thanks , oh great one, oh wise see-er of all things football

  101. @Limpar
    I’m sure the lovely Rupert is only on here as he has nothing else or no one else to moan about. No doubt he can’t moan at his wife as she’d probably just knock him out. I honestly believe he just loves the sound of his own voice.
    You know the old drunk in the corner somewhere in a bar spouting out his opinions to anyone who’ll listen.
    It grates on me that he keeps on saying he’s an Arsenal supporter yet says nothing good about them. He slags of Arsene the team and even the performance in the game against Villa that he didn’t even see.
    He really is just a sad sad little man who obvioulsy has nothing much else in his life but hate.
    The worsrt type of supporter for sure.

  102. @ Rupert – Dermented ? Bile spewing ? Gee thanks ! And here I was under the impression that my posts were lighthearted and meant to elecit a chuckle or two and generally bring balance to the farce !
    This is a pro -Wenger site if it has not already got into your thick skulls and if you are not happy here,go on to another site which shares your views or better still ,start your own blogs and fuck youselves silly !
    Some of you remind me of arseholes who go to gay bars and ask them what they have against straight people !Or to repent
    as the end is nigh !
    For me like most of the others ,its like the ” CHEERS ” bar , “Where everyone knows your name and glad that you came !”
    We are like psychiatrists ,who, when they meet would ask each other ,”You’re fine ,how am I ?”

  103. @ Limpar,Demented, it means a loss of cognitive function. Not quite the same as mentally ill.

    @Brickfields, I always chuckle at your posts. It’s a pro Wenger site which happens to be in the public domain; if you don’t like a different opinion why not ban those with different views?

    @Woody, you’ve said nothing of import.

    Some of you remind me of religious fanatics. Wenger is your God and you detest those who lack your faith. Rather like those clowns who issued a fatwa against Rushdie or those who wanted that Danish cartoonist dead because he made fun of their prophet.

    I always wondered why these people get so upset. Is their religion so weak? I remember the fuss over The Life Of Brian when it came out. Some religious nuts really came out of the woodwork then. They couldn’t see that their religion, whether it be good or bad, will still be relevant to many a thousand years later whilst that film will probably be forgotten.

    Same with Wenger. He’ll be gone in ten years time or sooner. Arsenal will still be there. Those who love him more than the club can follow him like the good disciples they are.

    I’m sure I’ve now encouraged more abuse. At least if you’re fanatics (I’d say they’re mentally ill) you’ve got a twisted excuse for your bilious comments. But if you’re not and your over 12 years old I despair.

  104. @ Rupert – I do not have the power to ban another poster on this website nor would I want to . I do like a lively debate (where I would like to learn something new or different point of view ) but sadly most are pissed off if you don’t share their view .
    While I don’t go headlong into any argument ,I do admit I take sideswipes ,but in a humourous( I like to think I’m funny!)vein.Its never personal nor spiteful.
    As a Hindu and a Freemason ( the plot thickens !), I’ve no comments on Fatwas or Papal Bull !
    As an Arsenal supporter of 43 years ,I’ve no attachment to any players or managers but do feel that AW’s reign will later in hindsight be considered a golden era .

  105. I was wondering which film was so important that rupert missed the AV match – possibly “The Pied Piper of Hamlyn”?

  106. rupert

    We’ve had some debate and some banter in the past. I haven’t had a problem with you or any criticism of Wenger (I do have a problem with people taking potshots at Wenger and abuse directed towards him because as perhaps the club’s greatest manager he deserves a minimum of respect)

    But the problem with you is that while you are overtly respectful, you are covertly disrespectful. Virtually all your posts are jibes or insults towards the regular posters here. You might think yourself clever that you manage to couch your insults in seemingly polite language. Which actually makes you even more disrespectful, since you can’t even show enough respect to forthrightly say what you mean. It does make you a two faced hypocrite when you moan about being abused. And one thing I can’t stand is hypocrisy. We’re all a bit hypocritical at times (it’s human nature) but you seemingly get your rocks off on it.

    You can’t come on a site which has a declared bias, and then proclaim yourself better than the rest just because you don’t follow the normally held view on the site. Since you’ve been here you’ve accused people here of being conspiracy theorists, religious fanatics and acolytes, being demented, uneducated, and every other snide remark you could sneak in along with your sugar coated bitterness.

    STOP! It’s annoying, it’s boring and except giving you some cheap thrills it serves no purpose in either driving any debate or reaching any sort of understanding.

  107. Sorry Shard, so should I just use the language of those that abuse me? I disagree with some people on here, as they do with me, and both parties think they’re right otherwise why have an opinion? But that doesn’t mean, objectively, that they or myself are right.

    I never started insulting anyone, I got that the minute I posted here. Arguments aren’t won by shouting abuse at people or have you never actually debated anything with anyone before?

    It’s bizarre and paradoxical to show respect to someone by calling them rude names as you seem to suggest. Perhaps you’d like to list all the names I’ve been called?

    And I do find it odd that when I make cogent points based on facts I get shouted down by a certain few and then you’re telling me I stop debate!

    There are definitely some people on here who are conspiracy theorists. Their convictions maybe right. And their are people on here who act like fanatics.

    The last thing I get from this site is cheap thrills, please don’t make assumptions. And please don’t tell me what to do.

  108. It’s not an assumption. Just an observation. Look if you want to disagree with a popularly held view you have to expect some sort of ‘abuse’ or disagreement. You linger over only those aspects of the site though, and you do it in a way that pisses people off. It might not be down to just you, but you’re hardly building bridges, and you’re hardly the sole voice of reason. You just focus on the ones who aren’t logical (or whose point might not be logical) and use that as your ideological opposite to paint yourself better off.. Like I said..An observation. Either way, it’s getting annoying.

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