By Tony Attwood
1: Arsenal need a striker
Arsenal had a terrific run in second half of last season with the squad we have now. In the entire season, Arsenal scored two goals fewer than the champions Chelsea. So, we don’t NEED a new striker, unless are saying that Chelsea need a new striker too.
Like all major clubs, Arsenal is looking to improve all the time, but when you can score virtually the same number of goals as the champions, that is not going to be a priority. The fact the media thinks we do, shows just how far out of touch with reality they are.
2. Arsenal fans will be worried that…
Arsenal have their own style and approach; why should we copy anyone else? The reason we sing “49” at games is because we do things “the Arsenal way”. We don’t need to be like anyone else. Not after nearly 100 years in the top division.
Given that most journalists don’t get this, it is not surprising that their ability to look inside the heads of Arsenal supporters is deeply flawed.
3. Benzema is a top goal scorer and Giroud isn’t
For week after week the Benzy story ran. If ever there was a case of the media treating us with contempt this was it, because they assumed we would not look and see how many goals Benzema scored as compared with Giroud. It took Untold to point out that the results in terms of game numbers and goals that Benzy and Giroud were the same.
Even worse, after we ran this story the Telegraph started saying that Arsenal were never after Benzema at all. It might have been believable if they had said it at the start of July.
4. Referees are just human and doing a difficult job and should not be criticised.
The issue may well be referees in the Premier League; PGMO most certainly is the issue. The media’s refusal to analyse the bizarre and eccentric figures that PGMO give, claiming that 97.5% of all referee decisions are accurate, is the ultimate damnation of the media in this country: the view that by hiding a topic, the stupid football public won’t notice. Add to this the failure to report on the low number of PL refs, leading to the same refs refereeing some PL teams over and over again, and you have grounds for worry – even before you start looking at the errors that are there for all to see.
5. The attitude of a minority of fans in demanding change after a couple of bad results is reasonable.
As we have shown on this site, sacking a manager is rarely if ever the prelude to success. What the media do however is promote this view, and then when things turn around (as per last season for example) they then say how fickle and silly the fans were for losing faith in the manager.
6. The FA’s support of Fifa across the years should be a matter of concern and should be subject to examination.
When they finally caught up with the Fifa corruption scandal, months after we had suggested it, the media then started to suggest they had been pointing out Fifa’s problems all along. But they have ignored the fact that the FA bid for a world cup, wasting a fortune that could have been spent on grassroots football on a venture that could never succeed. If, as they now claim, the FA knew how corrupt Fifa were, why did they bid? If they did not, how could they have missed all the signs? We really ought to know.
7. West Ham’s ground issues are not an issue
At least the state aid that WHU has received has been mentioned once or twice, but then we move on and nothing is seriously debated. Just a passing concern, but those stupid football supporters have an intelligence that lasts only 10 seconds, so let’s talk about something else. Economics is boring.
But it won’t go away. There are too many people wanting action now. (By the way, sign the petition if you haven’t done so yet.)
8. It is perfectly reasonable to run transfer rumours as if there is some sense in them.
Something in excess of 99.5% of transfer rumours do not foretell a transfer that is going to happen. Quite often papers are quoting each other; “according to the Daily Mail” is the sort of comment we see in Express – although they for get to tell us that the Mail is more than likely reporting an earlier rumour that the Express reported in the first place.
We are not that stupid guys. The idiots are the newspapermen who think these things are believed.
9. You can learn something from one game, and that “Five things we learned this weekend” is a meaningful statement.
Long term perspectives can give insights, but the shorter the perspective, the less likely it is for any generalisation to be made. But “Five things we learned this weekend” is just about the most common headline there is in the footballing press and one of the most stupid.
The fact is we probably didn’t learn much this weekend – but we have learned something from the first four games.
10. That by making up a story about a transfer and then when it doesn’t happen claiming the manager now has to “look again” or has been “beaten to the target” they are indulging in anything other than insulting make believe.
A lot of the discontent fans have comes from this sort of make-believe. The transfer was never intended or wanted in the first place, but to invent, and then continue the fairy story is the ultimate insult.
The message to the media is simple: treat us like intelligent people, and we might start taking notice of you again.
Latest from the Pre-season files
- 1980: The Arsenal pre-season after trying to win nearly everything
- 1893: The first Woolwich Arsenal pre-season
From anniversary files
- 30 August 1997: Arsenal 0 Tottenham 0. Arsenal were fifth in the table in the 5th league match of the 2nd Double season. The second double: part 1, part 2, part 3.
Only 10 stupid things ???
Nr 2 worries me. Not that we do things our own way, but that we ignore how others do things at our peril too much.
A good General will always looks at the opposition’s way of doing things to check if they are going to be a danger to his way of doing things. 🙂
But we will improve with a quality striker.
We have created more chances than anyone else and our top striker is O.G. FFS!
Mr wenger wanted Ozil and he got him. He wanted Sanchez and he got him. He wanted cech and he got him.
If Arsene Wenger wants Cavani, he will get him.
So lets just get behind him and support/accept his decision.
Some great points.
As for strikers, will be very glad when this window slams shut…..or whatever term they use. Think a certain Mr Giroud might be as well, I do wonder if all this speculation affects him, as Wenger said of a few of them, he looks to be trying too hard to score as opposed to a more relaxed approach which will ultimately pay dividends for this fine player.
Giroud is a bit of a streaky player when it comes to scoring, but if we don’t sign a forward, him , Danny, and other attacking players will serve us well on the goal front once things click.
If I may, I respectfully disagree about the first point. We do need a striker. Most of our goals were scored by Alexis. And Chelsea, who outscored us did add a new striker, replacing Drogba with Falcao. I think it is unbelievable that there aren’t upgrades available for Giroud or Walcott. And it is unfair to compare goals scored by Giroud and Benzema because Benzema has an tremendous amount of assists to his name. If I correct, over the last four or five years, he has been second only to Xavi which speaks volumes because Madrid has goal hungry players like Ronaldo and Bale who don’t necessarily feed Benzema and it is the other way around most of the times. I don’t care if we don’t buy Benzema but you can’t argue with the point that we do need a striker. Period.
I cannot help but think Poldi could help us with this scoring issue…he has some limitations in getting back, but a natural born finisher..but then again, I am sure the boss had his own very good reasons for sending him out on loan, perhaps for the players sake so he could get regular game time.
Wenger o Wenger… U will destroy d club…
Wake up 4m ur slumber, eat sum cucumber….
N sign d striker n defensive midfielder….;-)
I agree about Poldi Mandy. He went on loan due to pressure from Löw, who wont play blokes sitting on the bench, so Poldi was desperate to play, its a really big deal to play for the National team, much bigger than people realise, they have a whole industry behind them, as well as the press etc.Poldi admitted in the Kölner Express that it was a kind of a disaster loan, and that he didnt want to leave Arsenal and still had something to give the team but Wenger couldn’t guarantee anything but certainly wanted him to stay.
In Köln he is like some sort of super hero. I saw him fly past on hes bike earlier in the year in our local park grinning his ass of when he knew I recognized him(no bs.)By the time I got my wits about me he was well gone…
Shame he didnt get back more, when he was on fire he was certainly a magic player…
Tony ,I feel that I have to pull you up on a few points.I hope you post this.
1.Chelsea even though they have started poorly did feel the need to try and build on last year’s title winning squad by buying Pedro and Falcao, both would of I’m proved our squad.
3.Comparing giroud and benzene just on goal stats is stupid.Eveyone apart from the regular posters on here can see that is where the comparison ends.Giroud has played as a lone striker where as benzema has had Ronaldo 30+,bale 14+ and rodriguez10+ goals to play along side.B3nzema has got past and a lot of his goals from last season were created by himself where giroud needs others to create the chances for him to finish.I bet if you can find shots per goal ratio b3nzema would come out well on top
5.You say that it’s the minority of fans that want change after a couple of bad results.Some want change because they see the same deficiencies over a period of years and not a few games.And it’s more than a few I can assure you.
For years we have been told we can’t spend what we haven’t got and now we are told that we can’t spend unless the right player is available.why are we the only club that can’t find anyone to improve the squad??
OT
Roma v Juventus result 2-1 a paragraph from the BBC website
”Leonardo Bonucci almost rescued a draw with an injury-time header but Wojciech Szczesny, who is on loan from Arsenal, did brilliantly to tip it wide.”
chidi
August 30, 2015 at 6:44 pm
Agreed.
More rubbish from the media:
11. Chelsea a miles ahead if the rest
12.Wenger is naive or arrogant
13. Rubbish rumblings from Mourinho affectionately called ‘mind games’
14. Calling Micheal Owen and Scholes ‘pundits’
@Ajinkya
If I was playing alongside Ronaldo I would have a lot of assists to my name.
Just fulfilled a life long ambition by visiting the Emirates Stadium this evening. Had goosebumps and totally ignored a group of chicks for the sight of the Ems. Been to almost all the major stadium in Europe, nothing compares to Arsenal Stadium. Maybe except for the historical feeling of San Siro. I’m done with life now.
How about this gem following Utd’s defeat to Swansea from uber plundit extraordinaire the retired clogger Gary Neville:
“Utd don’t have any pace in the front six”
But dear Gary, if Utd “lack pace in the front six” was it therefore not a teeny weeny bit ARROGANT and NAIVE flogging off Welbeck, who just happens to have out scored Rooneh when playing as a CF (for England) these past few seasons. Who doesn’t cost £300k p/w?
Tony re point 8.
You say….
‘We are not that stupid guys. The idiots are the newspapermen who think these things are believed.’
Sorry Tony but my experience is that a majority of people DO believe these ridiculous media stories. Sadly, where football is concerned the average, otherwise sensible, fan regularly displays incredible stupidity, witness some of the people who comment on this very site.
I don’t think there’s anything “wrong” with the Premier League. The standard of the league has definitely increased over the last 3 or 4 years, but what we’re seeing isn’t an increase in quality concentrated entirely within the big 4 or 5 clubs anymore. There’s more to the PL than the top 4. The standard has been raised across the board. More clubs are benefiting from the eye-watering TV and prize money which is more evenly distributed in the PL than the likes of La Liga and Bundesliga. Mid table clubs are an attractive destination for good players. They can earn a very good salary, and play in a very attractive league at each of the 20 teams. City do look top dog at the moment. Their squad has the best balance by a fair distance. Arsenal, Chelsea, United, Liverpool and Spurs are still very good sides with a lot of talent at their disposal, but each of those teams are flawed, and unlikely to plug the gap by Wednesday. It certainly makes for a very interesting season to come. As unstoppable as City look, Kompany and Toure have bounced back from an indifferent season, and they look like a side who perform when those two perform. Perhaps we will see what they are made of if/when Kompany and Toure are sidelined, and they could be very finely balanced. Chelsea, Arsenal, United and Liverpool have very good squads that are probably all 1 solid addition away from being as balanced as City. But the other 15 teams aren’t shackled by fear anymore. They have their own star players, and they’ll come at all of us without a second thought. We don’t want to see the league go the way of La Liga. The bigger the competition, the better the spectacle. We just have to accept that our big clubs are going to lose more games over the course of the season, but that only adds to what makes the PL so good to watch. Yesterday’s fixtures are a testament to that.
According to the media, Arsenal need 2 more players to compete ie DM and Striker.
Chelsea after yesterdays loss needs 3 players to compete ie RB, CM/DM and CB
Liverpool still need 3 players to compete (pick your choice)
Man U after losing today needs at least 2 players to compete ie RW and ST
Tottenham… Well not listed
The bottom line it the all teams are in meltdown ACCORDING to the media and need players to compete. Hence if all teams don’t have what it takes to compete, who does?
I would agree with points 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
About the first one (and it’s somehow connected with the third one)…
Giroud has excellent link-up play, adds physical presence and – when the rest of the team provides him enough space – he can be as deadly as anyone else.
Which is a problem in a system where players don’t stretch the opponents enough to create space for Giroud. Hence five games at home in a row with Giroud leading the attack in which we didn’t score a single goal. That suggests Giroud is too reliable on how the rest of the team will fare. He is more than Kanu but less than Henry.
Benzema’s statistics may have deceived you a bit though because you have forgotten to take into account that he is playing next to a narcissistic maniac who wants to score all goals of his team and is openly unhappy with his team-mates who dare to score a goal instead of serving him a tap-in. Benzema may have played as a No.9 for Real Madrid but his role is reduced to the supporting one just like Gareth Bale can say about himself.
Then, if you really want to talk statistics, here is one. According to Squawka, Arsenal have created 65 chances in four league matches. That’s a little bit less than 16 per game. We have scored three goals of which two were own goals. That means we need a little less than 22 created chances for a single goal. Meanwhile, Manchester City have created 59 chances and scored ten goals. 5.9 chances for a single goal. Chelski have created 47 chances and scored six goals – little less than eight chances needed for a single goal. Their leaking defence is another story though, a rather funny I must say. Someone should start with: “How did Mourinho allow himself to go into the season with just five senior defenders?” 🙂
But, speaking of media, here is one thing I would like to read about. You see, every once a while someone pulls up that head-to-head between Wenger and Mourinho. I would like to see someone who would make a more complex analysis that would include Alan Pardew in equation. Ever since The Disgusting One has returned to Chelsea, Pardew has beaten him three times with the underdogs of Newcastle and Crystal Palace…which is one time more than he has managed over Arsene Wenger in his entire career!
Media darling Brendan Rodgers spent £36 million plus wages on Markovic and Balotelli and now he has sent them on loan after one season. Does he know what he is doing.
Josif
You make some good points about Giroud, but to draw conclusions as to his ability to lead us to the title on such a small sample is unfair.
As I, and others have shown on here many times, taken over a couple of seasons or more, his goal scoring statistics, including goals per minute played, quality of opposition scored against, fairs well against the likes of Benzema and Lewandowski etc.
I’m sure the goals will come again.
The same for Walcott.
Both these guys can score goals and I personally think Giroud will score 20 to 25 and Theo 15 to 20.
As I have said a gazillion times, I would welcome another striker with open arms, but so would Chelsea, United, Liverpool, Spurs..in fact everyone.
But that’s the thing. Can you ever have enough/too many strikers?
But that doesn’t mean who you want is:
Available ?
Affordable ?
Wants to join us even ?
Anyway, despite your doubts, I think the guys WILL come good and deliver the goals, and I truly believe it will give us enough to give the title a good shot.
Yep Kenneth cos you know exactly what Low told Poldi. You read it in the same media this article is challenging. Cheese and bread, said with a sigh. Please wenger strengthen the squad. The logic at times on this site is as embarrassing as the fools on Le grove. Two extremes I suppose. One which just spews bile and the other that has become so defensive of wenger that they make excuses continually, example in case you want one, west ham were better prepared than us. What absolute turd. Cue the few sycophants that parallel process wenger and untold and untold and sycophants.
@Tony,
Good job in highlighting 10 of the stupidest things the media has told us this summer! Must have took a long time to limit it down to just 10!
@Josif,
Interesting points about Giroud and also the Squawka stats. Important not to forget though that Arsenal probably should have had 2 more goals (Ramsey offside vs. Pool, and Bellerin penalty vs Newcastle) which would lower it to about 13.2 chances per goal, still not great, but much better than 22!
I think at some point this year, we’re going to see Giroud and Walcott on the pitch at the same time like Arsenal originally played in 2012/2013. Will be looking forward to that scary front line- RW- Walcott, CF- Giroud, LW- Alexis, Ozil in the number 10 role, DM- Coquelin, and a pick of Cazorla/Ramsey/OX/Wilshere playing aside Coquelin or in one of the other wing positions
I have made several posts in the past why Giroud is a better player than Benzema overall and in the Arsenal formation.
Incidentally, Alexis Sanchez, not Olivier Giroud, took most shots per game and per 90 minutes for Arsenal last season.
Benzema is Muller-lite, exactly as Higuain is Lewandowski-lite. And all of them play in non-competitive leagues.
So, yes, there is the pesky question of how good any of these players would be in the Premiership.
Sounds pretty plausible to me Kenneth. Do miss him in our team.
@Mandy
Interesting point about the effect on our strikers of the transfer window. And most of the speculation and pressure from the press has been of the “Arsenal need a striker” variety. You are right, Arsene Wenger has said our players are trying too hard to get a goal, and that could easily be a factor.
One more negative effect of continuing the transfer window well into the season.
On another topic, it seems to me that referees this weekend have been doing their duty better than usual in issuing yellow and red cards for bad tackles. I wonder why that is? Might some owners be getting fed up of exposing their expensive players regularly to the risk of serious injury?
@Ray
How well would all the players Arsenal is told they should buy do in the Premiership? A very good question.
This must be a big factor in determining whether Arsene Wenger takes an interest in them. Welbeck, Arteta, Cech, Flamini on his second stint all had that experience already. Sanchez seems to have slotted in like a natural. Ozil perhaps, given recent remarks from Arsene Wenger, has found it a bit harder but has now settled in.
In recent years Arsenal has bought very few players who did not succeed and this must be down to good judgment in choosing them from this angle too.
We will sigh when this Arsenal summer transfer saga is over in less than 48 hours time. I am sure most Gooners must have realized that Arsenal can’t compete with Man City or Man Utd on the players buying from the transfer market. Arsenal can’t spend over £150m in one single transfer period on new recruits. Even with the purported £200m in their bank account, Arsenal can’t match the spending power of the 2 Manchester clubs. Even Chelsea can’t be equaled by Arsenal when it comes to spending to buy new players. We all known the reason for this shortfall. But despite the shortfall, the Boss has kept up with them as he has not made Arsenal to go empty handed without getting something for the past 18 years. Olivier Giroud should, Sanchez and Walcott should relax with discipline when they return to face Stoke at Emirates Stadium, after the international break. They shouldn’t over force it, so that they don’t miss it. But cool down their nerves and bury their chances in that game. The Boss should try not be frighten-buy any player to satisfy Arsenal critics that includes the inpatient Gooners. If Arsenal are going to win the title this season, they will. Irrespective of Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea trying to buy the title. I believe Arsenal will be champions in May next year. Before I rest, I hope the Boss is doing something positive to bring in a natural RW which is the missing piece in the jigsaw of the Arsenal trio behind Giroud, Walcott or Welbeck at the Gunners’ center forward position. I think the Boss still remember who I suggested to him. let him do it please. The guy is good. He’s just been thrown away because the owner is very rich and ordinate.
Yep there you go Kenneth, sounds plausible to Mandy Dodd so doesn’t matter if its just a massive assumption, it sounds plausible to Mandy Dodd. God help us. Sums up my point really. #reachsforvalium.
1. Arsenal do indeed need a striker – very sensible suggestion by pundits and media
2. Any Arsenal fan not worried by the lack lustre start to the season is kidding themselves – media correct
3. Benzema and Giroud can not be compared on goals scored. Only an idiot would do so. Benzema is better than Giroud. Period. Would be a great addition and strengthen our team. Obviously not going to happen now.
4. I agree
5. Rather stupid to say its a couple of games. It is 10 years.
6. True
7. Forget West Ham. Arsenal messed up by believing in FFP. Football is corrupt. More fool Wenger and Gazidis. Get over it.
8. The media is about entertainment and clicks. Understand that and all else fals into place. Stupid to whine about it.
9. agree, one game is not enough to learn anything
10. agre, trsanfer rumours are pathetic. See point 8.
Tony, congrats on the most patheitic article seen on the internet. Grow up.
Thank God the transfer window closes in a few days’ time so we can enjoy our football. Lol
If this site upsets you so much , why do you visit Fred, nothing better to do?
FYI, here’s Wengers version on why Podolski went out on his first loan
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20150109/wenger-why-i-loaned-out-podolski
Jayramfootball
You are one negative fan.
Pat, agree on the refs this weekend. Refreshing to see, can live with genuine mistakes from human beings under pressure doing a difficult job in a game that moves so fast, even missing stonewall penalties, but not the allowance of persistent time wasting, serial fouling, potential leg breakers..Newcastles tactics yesterday…..I really wonder what this is, a blip, orders from above, as you say, intervention from clubs, The EPL /PGMOL being told to get in line with the rest of the world, UEFA? corrupt structures under some degree of threat…..is Riley being usurped behind the scenes?
Guess time will tell, but long may it continue.
Omsin_the_legend
JayramFootball is NOT an Arsenal fan. Jayram has multiple personalities, and can say just about anything across those multiple personalities. I don’t know that he is a fan of any football team, or of any sport. He seems to like having his moniker pop up a lot, and is active on many site.
“8. The media is about entertainment and clicks. Understand that and all else fals into place. Stupid to whine about it.”
Tony Understands this very well, in fact, probably better than most.
It’s, however ,extremely difficult to crank out two or three articles a day with any serious substance, so bashing the idiotic and sometimes not so idiotic articles on the blogosphere or written press ,comes real handy to fill in the void.
I mean dedicating a whole article to anything written on “give me sport” ??
FFS !
Any serious person who ever visited that site once would know to stay clear of it for ever again, let alone wasting one’s time on a rebuttal.
@Mick:
Really? You think you are as good as Benzema? What a bunch of crap! Have you ever seen Benzema play? Giroud and Benzema are completely different types of strikers. The way Benzema moves through lines and spaces, it would do wonders in an Arsenal team. And if you think just playing alongside Ronaldo would trump your assists then you are wrong too. Only Ozil and Benzema have been effective on that aspect. But, again, what do I know. You think you are as good as Benzema! LOL..
Maz, please show me someone who has better statistics than Coquelin so we can start to debate whether he would fit in the team.
Yes true Tony, the Media has been coming out with this 10 plus more fiction all summer…if we look and believe their chain of thought, then all major sides need a minimum of 2 signings by the time the ‘bell rings’ tomorrow in order to be ‘challenging’ for the title.
So if none sign any…maybe we will ALL still all be ‘challenging’ for the title because we ALL have the same ‘problems’
🙂 🙂
**…maybe we ALL still be challenging’ for the title because we ALL have the same ‘problems’**
There can be little doubt that The Boss, is working on a deal or two…wether or not that deal/s close are for sure not for the lack of trying – to do what ever is needed for the club!
In Wenger We Trust!!
COYG
Fred, its Löw not Low, big difference but you think those little dots are “johnny foreigner shit” no doubt.
No, read my post again, I said that Poldi admitted in the Kölner Express or the Stadt Anzeiger that the loan was a disaster, i know people who know him, I can conact them if you wish? Re Löw, a friend of mine is involved with training the National Mannschaft(is that alright with you or do I have to talk to Jogi himself???),and he spoke to me about the pressure Löw puts on his players, but true its second hand information but certainly closer than anything you could get close to.The pressure comes form the very top in Germany,and yes I have contact with the very top to?You think thats BS? Thats your probelm old fucking bean.
You dont live in Cologne or Germany your even understanding the power of the German national team or how its affects people here, the support from the press and the infra structure.Its not like in England where the club football takes up most of people thought, if you did you might have been a bit less intolerant.
Dont take too many valium, Ive heard its not good for you or your mind.Having assumed the stance of being the “king of logic” would notice that you wrote “please Wenger strengthen the squad”.Perhaps try writing to his office, UA isnt the mouth piece for that, or are infact trying some form of telepathy?
Why anyone who professes to be logical would watch 22 blokes booting a bit of leather around is beyond me while shouting at them, then “debating” or not in your case on a forum, but you seem to be of such superior intelligence to all the lowly UA and even the LG posters.
You also said “god help us” I thought that most logicians dismissed intelligent design?
Perhaps you could explain your intellectual disposition on your seminal statement “what an absolute turd”.Yep(as you would say, how cool big daddio) smart one that.
Im sorry that you were so offended by my online chat with Mandy, I think you have mistaken aspects of it in your frustration, Im sorry that you see no worth in Wenger or the players.perhaps try yourself, but you couldn’t and cant.
Ive just found out that a someone I really love has just died in the middle of writing this bullshit to you and you can imagine what I think of you and that hes gone and youre here.
But youre so conceited and lacking in tolerance or understanding and probably a little sadistic, that you will find that amusing.But little smart alecks like you eventually get taken down a peg or two, lets hope sooner rather than later.Take a break, dont be a prick everyday of your life.Time to set up the “Fred blog”, the great football luminary hub of tactical understanding and knowledge of “your”Arsenal since 1998 no doubt. King of logic? King of dogshit.Fuck me, my mates dead and youre alive.Stop trying to suck yourself off in front of the mirror, its not big enough.Plus who is it youre actually superior too?What a conceited person you are.I hope you dont come back here again.”God help us?” God help you more like.
@Kenneth Widmerpool
August 31, 2015 at 7:58 am
My deepest condolences!!!
As for your post; HEAR HEAR!!
Sorry to hear that Kenneth. My condolences
On another topic:
Cant wait for Wellbeck to come back. He does help the team immensely in defence and worries other teams too. He may well become a midfielder in the near future. He always works for the team and tends to get others working too.
On Wiltshire, well as much as i want him back too, i fear for the lad after so many injuries that he is going to fade away. Hope i’m proven wrong.
Does the last half of last season mean we dont need to strengthen the strikers? Have we forgotten Monaco already?
On the evidence of the first 4 games, Arsenal have made more goal attempts than anyone else, scored one goal. Our top scorer is own goals. Quite honestly we do increasingly look like we really do need another top class striker to convert the chances we are making.
Anxiety-in key games when the opposition sits deep does seem to significantly reduce the effectiveness of our current strikers- it looks to be psychological, tactical and also related to the style and limitations of our current strikers.
I dont believe there is any evidence that the club intend making major signings. I dont expect any to be made- hope I am wrong.
Sorry to hear that Kenneth.
As for Fred, think maybe it isn’t Valium he needs for his issues, but perhaps another drug beginning with V, seem to get moderated out when I post its name on here!
@Kenneth
Deepest sympathy.
I know how you must feel – been there.
Mick, Re No8, You’re correct that there are some real simple minded guy that believe all the newspaper drivel (see jayramfootballs comments!) but It is a minority. Unfortunately a very vocal minority though… So as you say, the newspaper hacks aren’t the idiots, just manipulators of the brain cell disadvantaged.
@ Kenneth
My thoughts are with you my friend.
Thoughts with you Kenneth
@ Kenneth – My condolences . Was away on family business ,and just read this. So sorry for your loss . Don’t waste your time with ‘them’ , they never learn .
The circle of life –
There was once a stone cutter, who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.
One day, he passed a wealthy merchant’s house, and through the open gateway, saw many fine possessions and important visitors. “How powerful that merchant must be!” thought the stone cutter. He became very envious, and wished that he could be like the merchant. Then he would no longer have to live the life of a mere stone cutter.
To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever dreamed of, envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself.
But soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants, and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. “How powerful that official is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a high official!”
Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around, who had to bow down before him as he passed.
It was a hot summer day, and the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. “How powerful the sun is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be the sun!”
Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers.
But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. “How powerful that storm cloud is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a cloud!”
Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind. “How powerful it is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be the wind!”
Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, hated and feared by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it — a huge, towering stone. “How powerful that stone is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a stone!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a stone!”
Then he became the stone, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the solid rock, and felt himself being changed. “What could be more powerful than I, the stone?” he thought. He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stone cutter.
Dear apo Armani,Walter,Mandy Dodd,bjtgooner,Jambug,Omsin_the_legend and Brickfields-thank you so much.
Everything we hear is an opinion , not a fact . Everything we see is a perspective , not the truth.
Marcus Aurelius
Kenneth – catching up on posts. Deepest sympathies for your loss. Top rant though!