Arsenal, seen from planet Zorch or worst team ever only 2 points behind 3rd place

82 Replies to “Arsenal, seen from planet Zorch or worst team ever only 2 points behind 3rd place”

1. Walter
   Hear Hear!

2. Always knew we would make 3rd place. Arsene does the math, how many else do?. AFC4LIFE

3. Our BIG problem is how we defend. Too many times this season we have been caught out by the simple long ball. It’s the easiest thing to defend against, yet we seem to have difficulties with it. Fix this and we will be serious contenders for titles.

4. I remember 16yrs without a trophy. I say Wenger out and Billy Wright back (RIP)

5. Walter
   We might be 2 points behind them but they’ve not gone the last eight years without a trophy.

6. You have told it light it is but a lot of people like change for change sake and the so called arsenal supporters must make the team happy to play away to take pressure off Bit harsh the arsenal chant is a little better as far as media is concerned arsenal are the Pitts sky sports bbc all rags put them down but the truth is arsenal are 2 or 3 players off a push for top PS the media make up stories and lies why are they not sued any other instance they would be

7. War cry…..yeah. I am with you. Standing by the team.

8. Whoever wrote this piece is a moron who just wants to justify mediocrity! For your info, Chelsea have won 10 trophies in the 8 year period Arsenal have won NOTHING! Chelsea are clearly a team in transition, they don’t even have a permanent coach, yet they are ahead of Arsenal and you dare celebrate it? You make it sound like being ‘ONLY’ two points behind Chelsea is an achievement. You forget that Chelsea can afford to go trophyless after winning the UCL.

   Its a relief not every Arsenal fan thinks like you, ‘cos its fans like you who keep making Arsene and the Board think everything is alright. Well I’ve got news for you, IT AIN’T ALRIGHT!! Utter crap!!!

9. I tell ya what really makes me Laugh, Chamakh has scored more than torres and he doesnt even play. I mean he scored a brace this season against reading in the FA cup. We all think he is crap and should be disposed of……but OMG how would we feel if we had spent so huge on torres 50M but only to have a striker that never scores and you would be better off with 10 men.

   At least with Chamakh he might not score all the time, but at least he will run around and look somewhat lively and try to hussle defenders etc, Torres stands around like a dodo expecting the goals to score themselves.

   If wenger spent 50m on a talent and we got such poor result he would be murdered. I mean i am STILL hearing people slating Giroud calling him a waste of space that misses sitters and in general is crap………..but he has scored 14 this season and assisted about the same amount so he has been involved in more than 25 goals for us in his FIRST season.

   Giroud openly admits that he can do better and we are still not seeing the best of him and he is still getting used to things (you can see he is frustrated with himself when he misses etc) But giroud has been on of the better strikers this season. Look at the spuds saying they have a class striker in Ademoneywhore…….how many has he scored this season 2……….that’s right TWO. Yet again if we were paying such high amounts for ade to score 2 goals all season wenger would be murdered.

   Difference being (i know you can compare with other strikers that have done better, but this shows wenger has done quite well)

   Torres = 50m +185k a week wages
   Ademoneywhore = 5m + 100k a week wages
   Giroud = 13m + 50k a week wages

   Lets not forget also podolski has contributed about 10 goals this season from the wing and walcott about 18 goals from mainly the wing.

   I wonder who is really doing better here!!

10. Wonderful Article. I hate it how easily our supporters can turn against the team and the manager. If there is a bad result, the supporters are to blame as much as the players. If you go to Old Trafford, Camp Nou, Allianz Arena the fans get behind their players jeer at the opposition cheer for their team this equates to an extra player on the pitch. On the other hand if a visiting team comes to the Emirates all u can hear is the home team being booed and jeered. So our players feel like the they r playing an away game rather than a home game. Its time for the supporters to stop whining and get behind the team and the manager. COYG!!!!!!!!

11. @Dominic that goal vs aston villa was the keepers fault, I think we need competition from the keepers department! Nice article from the writer! I think is high time we give our Manager and the team the needed support and stop criticising them. Cos it’s destblising our club! #gunner4Life.

12. Excellently said; incredibly logical but still some people don’t understand.

    @asd support the club because you love them not because you have a personal deisre to be associated with glory for your own ego.

    @Dominic why immediately moan about something without acknowldging what has been said? Man U have conceded more goals in the Premiership than us, who’s moaning at them. The media were banging on a couple of months ago about what a joke Arsenal’s defence was for conceding two goals at Reading in the league. They didn’t say a word about man U conceding 3 against them a week or so before.

    Walter has tried to make this as simple as possible so everyone can understand. One can now only assume people are choosing to ignore the facts for some unknown reason now.

    Keep up the good work Untold.

13. I was truly surprised that our leaky back four has conceded 30 goals. Same as Man City and Tottenham and 1 less than ManU.
    Of course, we could have scored more and conceded less and therefore won as many as ManU but I think this Arsenal team is a victim of our past lack of success with trophies rather than a team that has no potential for greater things in the short term….

14. The defence has been an issue for many moons.Wenger has failed to fix it since the famous five retired.The most comical part was getting crocks like Campbell and Silvester. Redfaced couldn’t wait to sell the latter.
    Even if he were given 70 million to buy wc talents,believe me,unless he stiffens the defence it will be as usual.In fact he shd look at his tactics especially the hdl. This is an attractive incentive to play o the break. And that’s why if he doesn’t change expect MU to win when they come to the ES.

15. Don’t you think it is scary to see how many “fans” are indoctrinated by the media?

16. Our defence isn’t the best this season – Manchester City’s is (24 goals conceded), ours is the second best with 30 goals. We are no less hopeless than United, Chelsea or Spurs.

17. Hector or whoever,

    you should check the table on spent money in those 8 years between Chelsea and Arsenal.
    You should check how much money we had to pay for building the stadium in that period of time.

    ah what the heck, why do I bother…. 😉 I bet some of you hated our winner last weekend.

18. Arsenal are a wonderful club but not because Walter or Tony or any individual fan says so. Over the years it has built strong foundations for the sustainable running of a football team AND a business. Prudent investment and conservative spending on and off the field have been matched by a patient and loyal fan base that over the decades have helped build this club. Every fan who ever bought a ticket has built the Arsenal as has every manager, staff and player. It has resulted brand equity, an intangible asset that only the most resilient clubs have, and it fills stadiums.
    Why the tide of anti-Arsenal sentiment? Success begets envy? Arsenal, a London club, innovative on and off the field in ways highlighted so often on UA. Arsenal has won admiration but only from the objective and impartial. Appointing a French manager unknown to all but those in Japan, great players signed for pittance, faltering stars reinvigorated and made superstars. An audacious move to a new stadium and the possibility of a gilded future. And a balance sheet, which is the envy of many.
    How then to compete with this bastion of solidity. How to reduce the Arsenal brand? Look at who stands to lose if Arsenal or Everton or any other well-run club succeeds with a strategy of taking a long-term view of business, with financial prudence and values as foundation. Agents? Broadcasters? Illegal betting syndicates? Those who have a vested stake in the movement of ‘big’ names and the fan(natic)s who follow them. See http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_sports/view/1256262/1/.html. Those who have no wish to see a halt to the wealth of Arab or Russian coffers pour into Europe and the EPL.
    Maybe the way to undermine Arsenal is through the one weakness that is exploitable… new fans. Brought here by success and when you take that away, heaven help! If one wanted to weaken the club, feed the 24 hour news cycle with stories of instability, whispers of discontent and speculation of change… a left back here, a striker there and a manager waiting on his contract. This not a criticism of ‘new’ fans; that would be naïve but some fans can be swayed to wonder, even join the cacophony.
    Is it a conspiracy? Can’t find the evidence? It doesn’t have to be an orchestrated campaign but in the age of new media it seems it’s easier to create concerted action, a wall of noise and a war of attrition.
    I just don’t think there is one conductor but the media is certainly a great platform to play this tune week in week out. Arsenal are a wonderful club but not because Walter or Tony or any individual fan says so. But the way to fight this war is to support Walter, Tony, Mandy and all the other right-minded posters here and on other sites. Certainly, from Planet Zorch, that is how it appears. Keep up the good work guys!

19. Nice analogy,but if we can be in dis position with less money spent,then we can win every trophy in site when we spend big on big players.i m i making scence too?

20. “The defence has been an issue for many moons.Wenger has failed to fix it since the famous five retired.”

    2003-04 Lehman, Lauren, Cole, Toure & Campbell (i.e. Wenger players) conceded just 26 goals in 38 games.

    2005-06 – 31 goals conceded

    2007-08 – 31 goals conceded

    2012-13 – second best defence in the Premier League (better than redface’s)

21. We are behind our team supporting them all the way, but loosing to lower league Blackburn in FA cup at home and a league two Bradford City in a league cup , combined with the worst start to a season under Wenger , does warrant some concern. Chelsea are a club in transition and despite spending a lot of money last year , I don’t think many people outside of Chelsea fans , expected them to win it all this season. Besides , Chelsea finished sixth last year , six points behind Arsenal so as things stand they are eight points better off than last year in relation to Arsenal and three places higher in a table. It’s Tottenham we are going to fight it out with ,not Chelsea anyways . Tottenham who changed managers and lost two creative midfielders in Modric and Van Der Vart last year, and if things go their way they will be four points ahead of Arsenal by the end of the day, and seven points ahead by the end of the week.

22. All this crap about spending money on the stadium by the AKB’s on this site make me laugh. Juve and Bayern built stadiums after us and they are winning again

    Indoctrinated by the media is utter crap. Wenger has had an easy ride from the press for most of his time as manager and only recently have the press got on his back after the fans began to get on his back and stay away from the stadium.The people who think only a few fans are not happy with the situation are deluding themselves Arsenal is a divided club and fanbase.

    Even Wenger has started to realise this and started to talk about spending money on decent players.

23. I think Wenger needs to go and buy one or two people who can change the game. The kind of guy who stops physical opponents, gets penalties and demoralizes rivals and opposing fans. In short MATCH WINNERS.
    (I’m sure regular untold readers figured out who I’m talking about) 😉

24. Referees

25. Walter you are right! 🙂

    Isn’t it odd that the people who disagree with your article cannot do so by quoting their own facts, but simply launch into personal abuse.

    Says it all really!

26. The defence is not Arsenal’s main problem. We have three strong central defenders and four first choice fullbacks. We have one good keeper and an adequate backup. We have one of the top defences in the EPL. Why, strong defenders and a philosophy of maintaining procession. If the other team doesn’t have the ball they can’t score.

    Why does every other poster complain about our sorry defence made up of good players with good results? Because nearly every goal that is scored against us is on a break away or an obvious, glaring error.

    We play high risk, high reward football. And when it clicks we all love it and nobody can play with us.

    We are lacking two things to make it to the top, better finishing and an answer to physical pressing in our midfield.

    A DM and maybe a CF but mainly a little more direct play from the midfield and a little schooling on finishing for Whilshire.

    And of course, try to keep our best players here and playing together. Start by signing Bac. Give him £90K a week and two years.

    We are closer than anyone thinks.

27. asd,
    No one is celebrating the 2 points gap between us and Chelsea, what we’re saying is: why is the media picking on us? We have clearly achieved something in those 8 years and yet still, the media attacks us. Do you think Arsene would have sold his better players every season had we stayed in Highbury? Why do you think a man who said in 2003/2004 that the best of a player is visible between 27 and 30 years, all of a sudden he would change and buy young players?
    All we’re saying is that you should not be brainwashed by the media into turning against your team. Ok, don’t allow anyone to brainwash you, put things into perspective, is all.
    At the moment, we need to support our team, if we finish 4th, 3rd or 2nd, it will still be the same; then we can start all over again next season.

28. @ Tom,
    Ah…you can see that Chelsea is in transition, yet you see nothing at Arsenal. You see that Spurs have lost some players, yet you don’t see the players we have lost. Now thats a fair analysis. If you claiming to be an Arsenal are so negatively biased, well what hope do we have from the media.

    @elvis
    Right BAYERN have got a new stadium, but have they built it. What you fail to note is German league is much more even. And they have a bigger commercial income than what we have.

29. With you all the way on this. There have been serious frustrations this season, but we are not currently so badly off. We can do better in certain areas, the squad is a bit unbalanced in certain areas, but if we were so bad, we would not be where we are. If you believe the aaa and media, especially kastrinakis, the spuds are one of the greatest teams that ever lived ……with the greatest player….we now sit pretty close to them. And no, that should not be the limit of our ambition. Shame that same kastrinakis has now been outed on a respected blog as a spud supporter, something i havemlong suspected, but it explains a lot. I assume it was he behind the story in The Sun about the fictitious wenger contract extension, and directly resulting in that rag being banned from our press conferences. The more extreme elements of the aaa should be very careful who they are taken in by, as they are currently so steeped in their own bitterness, and maybe even in some cases, penis envy that they are doing the bidding of people who want rival teams to succeed at our expense.

30. Sorry Elvis, my post was intended at Matt

31. Also, bayern share a stadium, and would have been helped out by its use in the 2006 world cup

32. “Walter you are right!

    Isn’t it odd that the people who disagree with your article cannot do so by quoting their own facts, but simply launch into personal abuse.

    Says it all really!
    ..”
    So in disagreeing with those that disagree with his article, is there anything factual about many fans being supposedly indoctrinated by the Media? If so so show some factual analysis that quantifies and proves such indoctrination. Exactly, thought so.

    What’s scarier that this supposed indoctrination, is the unrelenting paranoia and obsession about some mythical evil nefarious force, “The Media”, which has nothing to do with our performance on and off the field.

33. Good points Walter, we need to get behind the team and help the players get the best league position we can! I thought we more or less did that on Saturday – one or two groans but mostly positive in the stadium.

    I’m one of the frustrated fans because I am sure this team could do a lot better with a change of approach. A more organised defence would mean we concede less and if we reintroduce the Bouldy near post flick on that we saw in pre season we might get a few goals from corners.

    But AW believes in the beautiful game and won’t compromise his principles. Fair enough if you have world class players, mighty frustrating if you don’t.

34. “why is the media picking on us?”

    What tangible difference does this make to wins and losses?

    Also, all clubs, supporters feel the media picks on them, a sense of victimization by the media is nothing unique to Arsenal…Just like all clubs and fans feel they don’t get calls from the refs etc.

35. merkin, great name, but the pic doesn’t match.

    I see your point about the defence, we are pursuing the approach of outscoring the enemy but without the players and/or organisation to do it consistently.

    So the options are to tighten up with what we’ve got or plug the gaps in the summer and keep with it. We can all agree on the need for the CF.

    Not sure whether we really need to buy players to press the midfield? Isn’t that something you can sort out on the training pitch with the current squad?

36. The writer is right. get behind our team, we have a very good team, apart from van persie and song the same team that performed last season is still present, what we should do is buy a defensive midfieder and take the risk feature conqueline move arteta forward use podoski as a pointman and get a good finisher we will get there.

37. A Stewart,

    What a talent you have for double negatives and an innate inability to understand the point that is being made.

    So by removing the double negatives in your question;

    – “So in disagreeing with those that disagree with his article, blah, blah” – becomes:-

    – So in agreeing with those that agree with his article, blah, blah” — priceless.

    Perhaps what you meant to say was “So in disagreeing with his article, blah, blah”.

    But how can one debate with you when there is such ambiguity of language? Not I.

38. @ A Stewart : The press make Arsenal sound bad and foster the “Arsenal in Crisis”. The brainwashed AAA boo players on the field. This does affect game performance and fan base. Read Von Clauswitz – the first step of war is to defeat enemy morale.

39. We all seem to have an opinion, which is what makes this sport interesting. Some recognise in other teams that, which they refuse to see in Arsenal? Many a team are in transition but not many clubs are in transition, which Arsenal are, and hopefully will soon settle down after many disruptions, some self induced but most are of outside influence.

    There have been many studies in to footballing success and the most obvious statistic is the settled side or squad. Keeping the same players together for a good duration in a team sport has positive effects on the output of the team, look at West Bromich Albion and their consistent challenge for a European qualification spot.

    Hopefully Arsenal have put a stop to outside disruption (losing players) so can finally focus on team/squad improvement. Arsene Wenger has always added and let players leave during the transfer windows this summer will be no different, just don’t be fooled in to believing what you read in the papers.

40. Good points and maybe views; For whatever reason, 8 years is long enough to grab a trophy…I don’t care whatever achievement the club has clinched during these periods! At least once in 3 seasons..get us a trophy and f***k off whatever achievement! what would you say about Swansea who just lifted the Capital one cup! I love Arsenal my club but I also want to see them lift trophies…pls

41. Yes Juventus won again after building their stadium. We now are awaiting the moment that the Italian police comes up with new evidence to take the title away again 😉

42. @Walter, Check your e-mail.

43. Comparing our league position to Chelsea’s is the highest level of mediocrity tagged to us from the begining of time. No success venture should be tagged to failure mind you, Chelsea has won 10 trophies in all our 8years trophyless campaign including CL. HECTOR, please don’t let me believe that you are anti-Arsenal for making this irrelevant comparison.

44. Juventus’ stadium cost them 90m pounds as I recall. As opposed to the 390m for Arsenal. A huge component of the Juve cost is also to be paid over a long term lease. Don’t ask me how Juve’s stadium cost so little. I have no idea. But those are the only figures I had been able to find of them. Oh, and Juventus are financed by the Agnelli family.

45. Speaking of money, Arsenal have released their financial figures (Nov 2012), INCLUDING cash reserves. 123.3m, up from 115.2 in 2011.

46. Red Arse you’re overthinking it, what I said was pretty simple. You were maligning some fans as not retorting with anything factual while simulteneously praising an opinion that that speak of lots of fans being indoctrinated by the media. Where’s the detailed analysis complete with criteria of Media indoctrination that proves this as fact?

47. So, for the first time (I think) we know how much cash we have. Of course the figure would have changed now with the purchase of Monreal, and of course running expenses. There is also some part of the money which has to be kept in the account. According to Swiss Ramble, this was 34m in 2012. But then he referred to cash balance as being 154m, rather than the 115.2m the club quote as their cash reserves (I’m assuming cash reserve and cash balance means the same thing)

48. In the 1930’s, when Arsenal were the team of the land, the media i.e. the newspapers, were full of the Club, its players, its stadium and any titbit of information about the Camelot that was ArsenalFC.
    Inevitably, jealousy was spawned, largely by emerging clubs, coupled with the association of newspapers (and sportswriters) with certain clubs.
    After WW2 and the introduction of television, a concentration of support for one team over another became the norm and it wasn’t long before “support” was changed to antipathy by many in the media….and the old jealousy was resurrected.
    Professional football quickly became big business and while Arsenal prospered, much of the publicity attaching to the Club now became manufactured and ultra critical. Stories of alleged would-be transfers, sackings, signings, dressingroom rows and the like are now commonplace and reported as being the truth. The more gullible of fans take the view that “It’s in the papers so it must be true”.
    It is now incumbent on all loyal fans to separate wheat from chaff in what they read about Arsenal FC and continue their support regardless.
    Those who have little faith should recall last season when, against the odds, our Club’s resurgence in the final stages gained qualification into the Champions’ League.
    Remember that over 99% of clubs in the land envy our success and position and we are very close to achieving greatness again.

49. A Stewart : The press make Arsenal sound bad and foster the “Arsenal in Crisis”. The brainwashed AAA boo players on the field. This does affect game performance and fan base. Read Von Clauswitz – the first step of war is to defeat enemy morale.
    ..”

    Elvis, the press speak of many crises affecting many clubs, managers, players since as long as anyone can remember.
    Believe it or not, but out of the bubble of the permanent state of gooner victimization by others, other clubs (big and small) managers, fans etc regularly complain about their treatment by the press too. *Gasp* believe it or not, there are many people in the football world out there who actually think that Wenger in particular has generally gotten an easy ride and had a good and forgiving relationship with the press, even during most of these barren years, and has had a much longer leash than other managers likely would have gotten. Is that right or wrong? Who knows, just showing that everyone has gripes with “The Media” and there are no shortage of differing opinions of supposed biases by different observers and by different parties affected.

    Brainwashed? Prove it.

    Have you even remotely considered that some of your fellow gooners are capable of making up their own minds, and their feelings are genuine and organic from their own observations and opinions of what is going on at Arsenal, without being willfully or blindly manipulated by the Media. Probably not because it’s much easier to paint those with a different opinion as somehow less intelligent and free thinking. I don’t agree with much that is said on UA, but I accept that free thinking people can simple, wait for it….have different opinions, and actually want the same thing (success for Arsenal) while disagreeing on how best to get there or who should lead us there.

    Also have you ever remotely considered that “The Media” (which by the way is not a homogenous thing with singular focus) in some or many instances actually picks up on the sentiment that exists perhaps naturally (It seems it’s hard to actually think that may be true for many here)and builds on it (yes sensationalizing as they do with pretty much everything and everyone) as opposed to being the cause of it?

    With regards to performances, there’s an overall net stagnation (for any myriad of reasons) on the field for almost a decade, many of those years there were far more cheering than booing, or no booing at all, at the end of the day it’s made little net difference, top 4 no cups, which will likely happen again. So I really don’t think the fans’ reactions are more a cause of our on-field dynamics than more tangible factors like player losses, youth reliance in some cases, things like tactics, injuries etc.

    Does the booing help or hurt? Who knows really, as nothing much has changed in a while, be it with cheers or boos. Perhaps some might argue negative reinforcement may have a greater long term positive effect than positive reinforcement, that some may argue may lead to complacency. On the pure fandom part of it, sure cheering is better, but I’m not sure it’s so clear cut as a sport psychology case study applied to our unique current and recent circumstances.. Pretty captivating stuff now to think of it, but ah well.

    Regarding “the first step to war is the defeat of enemy morale”… So seriously, the Mythical “Media” see Arsenal as the Enemy? Enemy of what exactly? So our on-field competitors are less the enemy than the Media? What “war” are they waging against AFC and for what purpose, that they would so calculatedly in unison (nevermind media outlets are competing against each other) come together to conspire against Arsenal? Are the Media also at war with just about every club out there, especially the bigger clubs who all have a moan at how they are treated? I guarantee you can easily and readily find Scousers, Spurs, Citizens, Chelsea fans, and even Mancs moaning about something about the Media with relation to how their club is treated, biased against and portrayed, and I guarantee you this is nothing new nor unique to AFC.

    Nevertheless, what does it say if you (infer I think) that our morale is so fragile that it can’t even stand up to the enemy, “The Media” so much so that our performances are affected? It would infer that than “Mental Strength” that Wenger talks about so regularly actually isn’t that strong after all correct?

50. @ Adam, great post, and many of the points I alluded too in a post above, however, some seem to be inferring that cheering or booing has some great (or greater) effect on our performance as opposed to the more tangible things that have contributed to our stagnation like loosing players etc, we’ll probably disagree with how many of the problems are “self-induced” or not, but yeah, I just don’t get why some gooners not focus on more of those things for our continued transition (stagnation for me) as opposed to getting all riled up and needing to feel like a victim because of what someone writes in a paper.

    I’m sure many could find instances of media biases/groans against Wenger’s teams when he was winning (like not enough Englishmen, “I didn’t see the incident” etc etc.) But we were winning because of settled teams, with top players, much fewer gave a rat’s ass, and even fewer thought it possible of the media having any actual tangible effect on our fortunes on the field of play.

51. I just feel it in my bones, I just feel it in my finger tips: We are at the beginning of a new era in the history of Arsenal. And we are lucky to witness it. That is if you are lucky to stick to the club, players and managers.

    A birth of a new life is not always the easiest part. Let alone the rebirth of a football club that will be with us in the next 50 years and beyond my miserable existence 😉

52. Your points are well taken. However, it is no about being in the worst place Arsenal have ever been. It is about a team that can be great being treated as someone’s (the board and owner) cash cow. We are not expecting 30 million pound signings. What we are expecting is some meaningful attempt at winning. For example why are we paying Squillaci, Arshavin,Chamakh, Gervinho so much money to sit around and screw up, and then our great manager claims there is no one that can add value to our team. Give us a break, we are not stupid.
    Your article only looks at one side of the issue. Let’s focus on all that is going on, and why we can’t win trophies.

53. @MIKE,
    We are paying Arshavin, Chamakh, Gervinho AND several others “so much money to sit around and screw up” for the simple reason they are still under contract and refuse to move for less money. Until their contract ends we cannot get rid. Arsenal honour all contracts, unlike many employers.
    Of course, if you know of any way we can part with these players, legitimately, before end of contract, it is your duty to inform Arsene Wenger.

54. Where exactly is Zorch Walter? Can the locals read English? And are the season tickets exorbitantly expensive there as well?

55. Have a feeling you are right Walter, just need to et through this season and things,will pick up. have a feeling you may know something? Or just a gut feeling?

56. Completely off topic, but i just thought i’d check the score update on the BBC website, and after 27 minutes its 1 – 1, with spuds reported to be enjoying possession of 87%!! Now in all my years of watching football I don’t think i have ever seen anything like that, even the most one sided encounters involving Barca were like 78-22 or something close to 80%. Either w/ham are absolutely rubbish tonight or the BBC are up to no good again( the scoreline doesn’t suggest w/ham are just rolling over, but remember a game we were enjoying about 70% possession recently but on the BBC site the other team were credited with a weighty 56%). Thought it was interesting.

57. Many apologies, I was wrong, clattenberg for the spuds

    http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/2012-13/feb/match-officials-appointments-2-4-march.html

58. Clattenburg, don’t know what to think really. But certainly a better option than you-know-who.

59. these facts are very true. in Arsene we trust. long live Wenger, long live Arsenal

60. You know what Mandy, just looked at the link you provided and seen some ‘strange’ names in there such as Moss, Swabrick, Pawson.. who are these guys? Did we ever get them before? I’m hearing these names for the first time.

61. red jim,

    Just take the direction of the moon then turn left a bit, full speed ahead and after 3 light years you turn right and you can’t miss it then. But don’t go now as you will miss the trophy collecting season in the next years 😉

62. Al,
    Moss and Swarbrick are new from last season and so far have a good Arsenal record 4 wins out of 4 games (there is still hope with the new refs it seems 😉 )

    Craig Pawson is a new ref in the PL.
    Not much data on him yet in the PL. He only did two games and is not reviewed yet. He is 26 years and from South Yorkshire. Despite the south another Northern then…

    I think Riley heard that I am working on a new series on the lack of refs in the PL and wants to stop me while doing the research 🙂

63. @walterBroeckx

    A spending table for you

    AFC net spend since 1992 £30m
    MUFC-£213m
    CFC-£592m
    MCFC-£481m
    AVFC-£151m
    LFC-£267m
    NUFC-£110m
    THFC-£167m
    Stoke Rugby Club £73m

64. Walter, Ill leave you with one quote…

    “If You Eat Caviar Every Day It’s Difficult To Return To Sausages” – Arsene Wenger

    How do you respond to this?

65. Ah, ok, cheers Walter. Wasn’t even aware of any of them or that we had got them before. Lets hope we get both of them sometime before the end of this season:)

66. Off topic from the post, but West Ham up 2-1 in the 70th. Hope they can hang on.

67. Thanks Walter, had heard of moss and the other chap, but now pawson.
    Just hope they do a good job, are fair and do not fall for officially the leagues worst diver. Very very surprised dean did not get this one. But am sure we have not heard the last of him this season

68. Should have kept my mouth shut about the WHM game. We’ll need an amazing performance from whomever out of Sagna/Jenkinson gets the nod against Bale to keep him quiet.

69. Hmmmmm…..we got called a one man team last year…..wonder if that applies to others?

70. Bale has scored to make it 3-2.No player is unplayable if a manager sets his mind to stifle such aplayer.I remember Maradona was playing for Napoli in a European cup match against a German side.
    Maradona was the best player in the world then.What did the German manager do?He got defenders to tail him wherever he went and forced himto use his right foot which aint as good as his left.This effectively neutralised Napoli.
    As for Bale he scored when the WHU defender nearest him allowed him time and space. I don’t know but if the other defnders nearby had closed him down,maybe he w ont have been able to score ,let alone shoot.
    Arsenal better be careful. A loss would see them 7 points adrift.

71. Curses!!!!!
    The Hammers came so close… But if they can stick 2 past the scum, we should be able to do something similar. I suspect Olly will be up for this one, as will Podolski and Theo. Santiago will probably be hungry to show the spuds what he’s made of as well. I’m pretty confident going into this NLD, mostly because I don’t expect a bus, and that should work well for us. I just pray that our defense is on form. COYG!!!

72. Strange, all over the net about our financials, but no praise on being one of the few that are running a club properly, just people having a go at the eight years and how we pay more wages than the spuds. But no anti arsenal bias at work in our media. Will wait for someone like Swiss ramble to interpret what it really means

73. DOANYTHINGFORTHEMONEY AND ALL. reasons why many want to own football clubs. This is just notts county. What would the prestige of the big clubs get you. The billion dollar conman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAbJGgDnk7U.

74. Mandy Dodd https://twitter.com/SwissRamble

75. Things are getting interesting in football. Man city using the tactic of hurting arsenals hope of self sustainability with the ticket fiasco. To me they were saying they don’t need ticket money. Obviously arsenal do. How much did arsenal lose from the returned tickets? Fans being used to give power to a power move? linesman caught saying go and say thanks to the fans on camera? Gary nevilles recent article on agents?http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/feb/17/gary-neville-football-agents-player-wages.Annes old articles(where is she hiding?). Divide and conquer in full effect pushed through fragments of greed. For me the sad thing with the city scenario and others are the fans are pawns for rich ,well positioned people of concealed power. Our reactions shape the game but our words are just disgruntled opinions between fans who love the same club. Also other clubs and fans being taken for a ride. Sometimes the truth hurts but it can also set you free .The fact that football holds to many secrets that are destroying the game, we are only trapped through our love and allegiance . All these owners are doing what they should in their minds. Treating us like consumers. Painting a reality for us fans real or fake that we enjoy consuming. Bad times or rain before the sunshine?

76. The main comparison is that we are 21 points behind the leaders, ManU.
    All other comparisons are meaningless.

77. @ Sammy,

    Name for Name, on paper we are as good as Man Utd. So why Man Utd are 21 points above us…..well, I would say “FANS”. I’ve heard their fans complaining, Evra, Rafael….are shit, we need defenders. We need midfielders….BUT when the season started, all their rants, over…..finished. They were all behind the team. BUT us we were busy Booing our players, Sitting like Zombies at the Ems. Our support could have made the difference.

    Mathematically, we can still win it. Cant we. BUT lets hope, we attain the best league position as possible. 2nd is not out of reach.

78. @Arsenal 13, so if we’re as good as Manu on paper can you explain why we’re 21 pts behind? The fans. Come on , that’s disingenuous. If we have players that are so mentally weak because of a few boos we really need to give them some psychiatric sessions.

    Certainly the atmosphere at the Emirates can be sterile, can’t deny that.

    Of course this isn’t a terrible season compared to some in the mid 70’s. Luckily some of you are too young to remember those days. I think it’s just the same old situation every year when the team once again fails to deliver. It’s not as if we have a manager who is a stranger to success and we’re not skint so it all seems rather tedious to see us repeat the same mistakes, usually defensive ones.

79. “I remember a lot of Arsenal fans salivating and praising the rich Russian bloke at Chelsea for the way he ran his club this season. Well his way of running his club has given them a massive advantage over us of 2 (two) points”.
    – if this is all you see other than the achievement they (Chelsea) have had these past years in terms of trophies, then you sure need some glasses!!!

80. Johhny,
    one could also say if you look at the other achievements Arsenal has made in 100 years in term of trophies that the Arsenal way is the better way….

    In this article I only looked at this season. 2 managers, +90M spend and 2 points more than us.

81. I think all this article establishes is that:
    1) Chelsea are poor – mismanagement through spending
    2) Arsenal are 2 points poorer – mismanagement through not spending
    3) Amazingly there are 15 even poorer teams in the league.

    This is then ignoring the elephant in the room:

    We are 21pts off the top of the league with over a quarter of the season to go!

    Spending or not spending; both seem to fail when the management fails to get the best from the players they have at their disposal.

    Old red nose does not have a squad of exceptional quality but as I’ve stated above, the standard is so ppor this season they only have to be better than those around them. Hence complete and utter domination.

82. Walter,
    Keeping it to this season alone wont reflect the true picture. Compared to other premiership teams, Arsenal weren’t the least spender in its glory days either. Again, i am not advocating we go the Chelsea way with what we dont have. but then we should be able to replace the players sold with adequate quality. The fans deserve some joy, something that is lacking in the past 8yrs.