Last week on Arsenal.com “New signing expected before Twente return leg”
When questioned about the midfield problems and if the fans could expect to see a new signing manager Arsène Wenger said “Will something be done ahead of the second leg? Certainly yes, but before Saturday, no.”
Surly he was not talking about the signing of Silvestre.? or was he?
Well the signing of Silvestre WAS before Saturdays and was by all accounts a unexpected bit of business.
What is worrying for most Arsenal fans is the amount of players have have left the club this summer. 10 players in total have been sold or loaned out. With only 3 signed but the club to date.
On the 10th May 2008 Wenger also said “I know who I want and the fans will be reassured by what they see in the next 2 to 3 weeks”…Was he talking about Nasri and Ramsey?
Towards the end of last season Wenger identified defense as a key area to strengthen. He said he wanted to sign a big player as we had some problems dealing with balls into the box. We were then linked with players like Zapata & Kompany but a few weeks ago Wenger then said “I have been interested in Vincent Kompany ever since he was 16, but I am not interested in him this year, “There is nobody I need for my team’s defensive department.
But then he signed Silvestre? A player for the defensive department? Wenger then comes out and says he allowed Senderos to leave the club because of “congested” He said ‘We have [Johan] Djourou, we have Kolo [Toure], we have Senderos, we have [Alex] Song, [William] Gallas and [Mikael] Silvestre now, who can play centre-back, so we have a congestion there, That’s why I have allowed Senderos to leave”
I really don’t understand? We have allowed 10 players to leave the club this summer. We have signed 3 including Bischoff who is out until god knows when.
We all almost allowed a whole team to leave..
——————Lehmann
Hoyte–Senderos———-Nordtveit–Traore
Gilbert— Flamini——-Gilberto— Hleb
——————–Barazite
All gone!!!
I don’t expect him to tell us everything that is going on at the club by why come out and tell the fans something and get there hopes up and not deliver.
I would like to ask…….
Why have we allowed so many players to leave this summer?
Why have we not replaced key players in key positions?
Why has wenger said 1 thing and done something totally different?
Why has the Arsenal board said time and time again that Wenger has money to spend but then the manager says we have to sell to balance the book?
Something stinks worst then a kipper, Whats going on at Arsenal?
Do we really expect to be challenging for honors this season with a squad as weak as this?
A very concerned Arsenal fan.
Join the forum
Gooner Blog 
We are being told by the Arsene knows brigade that we “should shut up and support the team”. I have been a season ticket holder for the past 30 years through thick and thin. But I will not blindly give my loyalty to a manger and board who have disgracefully let the best supporters in England down by being too miserly to buy two substantial players a year.
Every year the Wenger Knows brigade spout the same claptrap about waiting for players to mature and waiting for players to come back from injury. Has it never dawned on you morons that we have been waiting for the starlets for the past five years (Walcott anybody!) that we tend to have more players in the first aid room than on the pitch( Rosicky and Bischoff anybody!).
We lost the league last year because our panel was not strong enough. So what do we do this year? We reduce it substantially!. The reason we have had a shit start is because the likes of the much derided Eboue (who had a great first year at right back) was played last year wide on the right and this year in central midfield. The Fulham midfield last week wiped the floor with us.
But of course everything will be well when Fabregas comes back. And what if he gets injured again. Reality bites!!!
no matter what happens we should support the team! the team as in whoever is picked to play ! this is not the teams issue ,more the clubs issue!
i too am a season ticket holder who works in marketing and i know spin when i see it. first we have the board saying in feb “we have 75 million cash” to play with, this is a week before the corp box’s and and club level seats are to be renewed and then wenger comes out with the “you will like what you see line” this time just before the season tickets are up for renewel??? there will be lots of spaces tonight this could be a sign of the future
Best thing is that he wouldn’t sign Kompany cos he is a centre back. WRONG Mr Wenger. If you care to look at where he was deployed in his first game at Man City he was in Defensive midfield and actually played very well there before having to cover for Richards. For one who changed the great Henry from a winger to a striker why did he not see this move then all the Arsene knows lot???!!???
Look Gunner is spouting the same miserable bollocks on every site he visits! And he’s being doing it for three decades, the moaning cunt!
Like thousands off others i`ve been a gunner all my life but I`ve had enough….If there is money for God sake spend it ……Lets not forget its us that pay the wages
Letting Senderos go was a joke IMO. Congestion is the worst excuse I’ve ever heard. Song is our only defensive-midfielder but he plays him CB, Toure is horribly off form, Gallas doesn’t even deserve to play let alone be the captain and for some reason, even after good performances, he drops Djourou.
We may have the same numbers as last year but last years reserves are this years starters. That is total bullshit. Wenger is also promoting the wrong reserves IMO. Randall is anonymous whenever he plays and Ramsey just isn’t ready yet. If it was my choice i would at least bring Merida into the fold. He is the most consistent reserves we have and he is a great playmaker. The perfect replacement for when Cesc needs a rest.
Wenger keeps going back on his word. Someone to deal with long balls?…..lets get in a manU reject and let Senderos go. Perfect!
He said he was going to make at least one top class purchace….Lets get rid of the Brazilian captain and bring in a french/portuguese guy who has never played first team football.
Its easy to hide the problems when you’re winning but 4years without a trophy shines a light on every single crack.
I must confess that its no one else apart from the funs that has always surported Wenger,especially those in England.Why dont you boycot watching games from the stadium when Arsenal is Playing for the whole season or even sorport Arsenal when playing?Lets just watch from our homes on T.V then may be Wenger can understand our Frastration.
We’ve bought another crock for the defence and Ferguson must be laughing all the way to the bank, even if it is only £750k. We’ll be lucky to see any of the so called new players that are already injured before the end of the year and then no doubt they will get injured putting on their shorts for training, and will be out for several more months. I think if a player is injured for more than 2 months then their pay should be halved and then if they’re out for even longer halved again. If someone was working for a company and kept being out with illnesses I’m sure their company wouldn’t keep paying them their full wages, and then you’d see they would suddenly become fit again so that they could continue earning their exorbitant wages.
We have Bischoff and Ramsey coming in to replace Gilberto, Fabianski (signed last summer) to replace Lehmann, Nasri and Vela to replace Hleb, Silvestre to replace Senderos. Hoyte is no real loss. His departure allows us to play Eboue as a back up right back. Traore is no loss. He hardly played last year, and – assuming Clichy stays fit – would hardly have played this year. His experience at Portsmouth should really help him.
The real issue here is centre mid, where Flamini’s departure (coupled with the sale of Gilberto) has left us weak in a key area. Wenger has made it perfectly clear that he is looking to address this issue.
If, as we all hope, Nasri settles well and Rosicky stays fit, then we are as strong – if not stronger than we were last season in every other area.
Lie , lie and always lie that’s what unfortunately wenger is doing since years till now!!!! Maybe this man has nothing to give anymore to Arsenal
Well said Alanc. As I have said I am a season ticket holder of some 30 years. I am a true and loyal supporter of Arsenal but also an Arsenal supporter who wants his team to do their best and win. Unfortunately there seems to be a sizeable percentage of Arsenal supporters who are willing to support their team blindly and just keep repeating the mantra “Arsene knows” and accept their lot. Winning to them does not seem a priority and they are willing to see the team panel be reduced to an ineffective level. I ask you to go and support another London team who does not have the same lofty ambitions as we have. London is full of them.
I am not asking for Wenger’s head. I just ask that he and the board be honest with us and bring the player pool back up to the strength that we were used to five years ago. As a season ticket holder for so many years. I in these plc times also consider myself a share holder. A share holder in my club’s future.
Fair enuff abot arsene knows brigade but at the same speed all the Championship manager/internet manager Know brigade are much more qualified as they pretend to manage!!
I guarantee u that there will not be many spaces. There are many fans dying to have a season ticket. Yes this club has gone a shit period and we all want a quality signing, but sometimes you will have to accept that it WILL NOT HAPPEN. Arsenal does not deserve a divine right to winning. So please at least support the team until the final whistle THEN complain, not during the match. What happens if everybody boos at the Emirates at Arsenal: Players become disillusioned with the club and might want to move. Yes Wenger has dragged us through the dirt but an atmosphere of positivity helps whilst negativity ads to the destruction
wenger is becoming a politician he does not exactly lie but never tells the whole truth? arse are skint, flat sales have plummeted much money still needs to be spent on contractuall agreement around the emirates. the board are all liers,David Dein knew all this 5 years ago he told us so many times, why are we always looking to loan sell to reduce the wage bill. wenga does the best he can with the resources he has just stop talking shut wenga
Another thing, don’t blame the players on the lack of signings, blame the board, especially Peter Hill Wood
Total agreement. I have supported this club for 40 years, never have i felt as concirned as this season, funny because only a few weeks ago on the back of what i now believe to be manager speak i truly believed that we would win the prem and have a real shout at the other cup comps. None of the players trusted our midfielf either against 20 or fullham, the ball tended to get spread to the flanks and crosses or the direct route. I read someone write that we havnt played the flowing football for a while, and that it is the press and commentators keeping this mythe going. If you ever saw an average team then it was us , for the past 3 matches. If the get behind Arsen brigade want to keep their mouths shut over this then fair shout but im sorry , i cant. What Wenger is doing is detramental to the future of the club. I dont like closed doors but thats what you get when managerial staff are having problems. Wenger is wrong tactically. No i am not a badge holding coach, to argue with Wenger you think one might have to have one, the sad truth is that my wife has started saying, “why does aboue get in the team ” sorry sunshine readers but this club has problems, doesnt have to be. and i say this for the sake of the club, not Arsens, or the board but the club and fans, the fans remember are the ones that buy in for life without a contract. I say if we fail to win or at least get to the final of a major comp then i think there will be one man to blame and thats Wenger. If he does what even my wife sees to be obviouse then hes back in my good books, if he doesnt then look forward to a life of mediocrocy, if thats how you spell it. I love The Arsenal, but i can easily fall out of love with a manager or a player when they serve The Arsenal an injustice. I will still be cheering and supporting but without the sunshine glasses, i have a bit more passion than those who are or appear to be happy with the pathetic nonsence talked by an obviously intelegent man, and i think thats why it feels so bad.
Is Arsene lying to us or is he playing a game with the press and other managers/clubs? Everybody knows that as soon as Arsenal are interested in a player so is everyone else and the price gets jacked up. This is why our signing are usually out of the blue. Silvestre for example, how many clubs in the premiership woud have been in for him if they knew he was available for less than a mil? Wenger has to be snide. We always do our business late to get the best price. I am confident we will sign someone in midfield but Wenger is just playing his transfer game, and I think by now our fans would have be aware of his tactics. Do you want Arsene to come out and go “we are buying….” like madrid do then look like a***holes when the price goes sky high and they don’t get their man? Thought not. Be patient it will come!!!
Got to agree with the article and comments, like iv’e mentioned already, if we have money to spend on players, but wenger chooses not to, then use that money and lower ticket prices. We know they wont, wanting your cake and eat it comes to mind.
what a bunch of cry babies… judge the team AFTER tonight.
And then judge Wenger’s transfer window on Tuesday morning… before then you’re just making fools of yourselves… like last summer, the summer before that, etc etc etc.
Protest
http://www.goonerforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7273
Wenger will live and die by the signings he makes – or doesn’t make. But what really angers the supporters is his continual contradictions about where we need strengthening, don’t need strengthening, buys and non-buys. This is pure arrogance and he would be better served to just keep his mouth shut than keep winding up his own supporters with false promises. What does he hope to achieve by this? He is alienating the very people he needs on his side – and trust me, Wenger is not immune to the supporters wrath. More bad results will see the media scrambling all over him for answers, and he cannot expect back up from the supporters he’s been fucking over all summer.
FFS people. Not everything that is printed in the papers is genuine.
A lot of the stuff that Wenger puts in the press is not intended for you and I – it’s for the benefit of the other clubs that Arsenal are trying to do business with.
Do you really want Wenger saying “F me, we need a midfielder – I’m desperate. I might have to spend my entire £20million budget on a single player!!!”?
Not every deal comes off, and right now Wenger will not be held to ransom for a decent midfielder.
Villa want crazy money for Barry. Liverpool want the same figure from us for Alonso so that they can buy Barry without dipping into their pockets. Why should we pay over the odds to strengthen a rival?
Let the man do his business and stop whinging.
The current squad will surprise you all. An additional player should arrive before 1/9.
Arsene is suffering fro an acute case of Hubris. He wants to prove that he is greater than sir Alex and Mourinho (both CL winners, by the way) by coaching a bunch of kids to beat seasoned world cup winning ‘expensive’players.
When will the ‘Arsene knows’ brigade wake up and smell the coffee? This is another case of the ’emperors new clothes.
Injuries? that excuse can be used by every team in every league on the planet. INJURIES HAPPEN. A young team? well it will remain young if AW keeps buying 16 year olds. No matter what bs AW comes out with…the brigade swallows it hook,line and sinker.
His enertia in the transfer market….despite the available cash and players is extremely discouraging. His arrogance is so enormous now…which must be bolstered by his total power at the club…allowing him to do everything his way.
It has come to a point where every supporter has to ask themselves Do you support Arsenal or Arsene? I support Arsenal . The boos should have been for him last saturday.
Nasri
Bichoff
Cocquline
Ramsey
Silvestre
if you include Vela and perhaps merida thats 7, not three add that to the fact that we as the fans that attend games would have gone mad had Wilshire not been put in the squad makes it 8 additions to the first team
I am fed up with the situation over the past few months. Arsenal fans accept that we have less money than other clubs…. That’s football.
However, it is frustrating to hear the constant mixed messages. I would like to lay the true situation out for everybody:
1) Arsenal are in a poor financial position
2) Our debts are huge
3) Our stadium looks like it will reduce in value in the near term
4) The Highbury flats are not selling as projected
This cannot be said publicly because the club’s shares will reduce in value and put the club further in the financial sh*t.
So let’s just accept what we all really know. It is going to be another balancing act for Wenger to keep us at the top of the league and he will have to do it with less money.
Edyboy 100% agree.
Some fans support Wenger more then the club. Its the same people that think that the club will fall apart the day wenger leaves. What people forget is that Arsenal were a great club before wenger and will be after.for the first time in 11 years 50% of Arsenal fans are now doubting the manager. He needs to do something and fast
get used to it, “lying” is Wenger’s modus operandi, just that he ducks very well when confronted abt previous statement he’s made!
Guys to be honest i’m starting to question le boss. Its as though he watches a different game to the rest of the world. I dont honestly think we need to buy big, we just miss a captain. I honestly believe we haven’t had a proper captain since Patrick Vieira.
Another thing i cantg understand with le boss. How can he give Silvestre a 2 year deal aged 31 but any first team player who reaches 30 is offered a one year deal or sold??????
Mus. Again agree with you mate. 2 think that Pires was only offered a 1 year deal when he reached 30 after everything he did for the club makes me sick. And this guy gets a 2 year deal and worst still he is a crock
To all the Arsenal fans with the rose tinted glasses
YES…
We know the transfer window shuts on 1st September and that the legendary Arsene Wenger could surprise us before then. But you dont need coaching badges to see 10 out, 4 in does not strengthen a team that fell short of numbers last year. It certainly doesnt help that two of the signings were crocked all of last season!!!!!
What bugs me the most is that Arsene let Diarra leave in January, knowing that Flamini was able to walk out on a free in May, and Gilberto was over 30 so therefore would only receive a one year contract…… he then signs Silvestre, AGE 31 and gives him TWO. Common sense says he should have sent Diarra on loan until the end of the Season, then see what happens from there.
The Arsenal blind faithful say Trust Arsene…… He knows. What if he’s mistaken??? What if Walcott is not the next Henry and turns out to be the next Aliadiare???? What if Rosicky, Diaby, Van Persie, Bischoff, Silvestre, Eduardo have injury decimated seasons? God help us if Cesc joins this list!!!
Whether or not Arsenal have money to spend at this moment in time is almost irrelevant. The fact is that Arsenal committed to spending a vast amount of money prior to a Global Credit crunch and banked upon huge revenues due to a full capacity stadium at all premiership matches along with continuous Champions League football. Failure to achieve this goal will hit Arsenal HARD!!!! We would find it almost impossible to hold on to our best players eg Cesc, and equally impossible to buy quality replacements ( even less revenue for transfers, no European football, Strict wage limits).
Please remember…..We are ALL LOYAL ARSENAL FANS. We realise that NO-ONE IS BIGGER THAN THE CLUB. We all want Arsenal to prosper all continue. Therefore, we canno, and should not trust to blind faith in that everything will come good. If we cover for the worst of eventualities by plugging the obvious holes in our squad, and it doesnt happen, then at least we know that we have achived everything we could have. Otherwise we end up, at best, with a season like last year when we should have got so much more, and at worst, fail in ALL competitions and lose all we have worked for.
Alex Song will be our miracle.
well well well wenger it seems you can no longer differen tiate between making money and churning out success, i used to believe so much in you but it appears that you have lost the plot. the primary objective of arsenal is to win trophies, you appear as if your hell bent on destroying arsenal i got a silent prayer for you i hope we dont qualify tonight then you can smell the grass
If we can’t criticise the club you support when things are not going well then what’t the point having these forums. I keep reading people saying to Atsenal fans to go and support another club if you don’t like what AW/board are doing with the club……………this is stupid and it saddans me……why should they support another club, they just want the best for Arsenal because they are passinate who are true supportes………those that critisice these supporters should go and support someone else. If you don’t like what you read on the net then don’t look…………….for crying out loud we all support Arsenal, we all have different opinons, lets not rubbish each other or abuse one another and lets stick together……Gunner 4 Life.
I wonder if Arsene is waiting until tonight’s game. Might not want to make a huge investment if we go out. Anything can happen in one game.
Wenger has not lied. He EXPECTED Inler from Udinese to sign this week, but for some strange reason Inler was not interested because he thought the move was “too soon”. You really can’t blame Wenger for that. Neither can you blame Wenger for injuries and loss of form in key players like Ade, RvP, Kolo and Gallas. The defeat at Fulham was NOT a fair reflection of the strength of our team. With our best players back – and in form – we can match ANY team in Europe. We proved that last season, and don’t tell me that the loss of Flamini and Hleb has suddenly turned us from title contenders into a mediocre team. Remember this: Form is temporary – class is permanent. We are off form at the moment, but we have class and ability all over the pitch.
I am not saying that we shouldn’t buy, but I happen to agree with AW that we should only sign REAL quality and there is not much of that going round at a fair price at the moment. Oh, and remember that while Liverpool bought Torres before last season, they STILL won NOTHING! Chelsea also won NOTHING! Some Arsenal fans seem to think that if only we blow off 20+ million on a “big name” we will automatically win trophies. That’s rubbish, and it’s childish, too. There are no guaranties of winning anything, and that goes for EVERY club – including Chelsea, ManU and Liverpool.
So even if you for some stupid, childish reason don’t like AW, you should still stop moaning and get behind our PLAYERS.
Spurs to sign Corluka, Veloso, Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko
BBC
to all those Arsene Knows Brigade, ok, lets assume everything would go our way and we would really be a contender just like last season but, the problem is, when it comes to our paper thin squad- since the squad haven’t outnumbered of last season, what if we got some injuries again?? does it mean we have to let the trophy slip away once more?! if Arsene really knows, we would have won the trophy last season. i have had enough!!
I do not want to disagree with your views, you are entitled to those, but talking about 10 transfers out and 3 in is totally misleading, I would even describe it as a lie.
If you count all the 5 loan deals, most of them for the youngsters who would not have played for the first team anyway, please also count all the young players that have come in. The transfers in for the summer are Silvestre, Ramsey, Nasri, Bischoff and Coquelin which makes that five. And while counting, why not take into account Vela, who comes back from loan?
So, actually the truth about ins and outs is very different from what you try to make it in your text. As I said, feel free to exress your opinions but do not try to back them up with lies.
How come Silvestre passed a medical? when he is injured
We would like answers is it the board or Wenger who doea not want to spend
Barry is no longer moving so this could effect Alonso deal if there was one in the first place Inlar said no so looks like no new signings and a smaller and even younger squad than last season a long term injury to cesc and we have had it.
Is it fair to put all the pressure on Cesc ?
I think a bid of 16 million will land Alonso we have to buy him tommoro
Wenger has just told a reporter from BBC 5 Live at the Emirates that Arsenal fans can NOT expect to see any new faces before next Mondays transfer deadline.When asked if he had any new signing coming he said ‘no’ before going on to say how he felt Song can grow into the position.
I dont understand why Wenger doesn’t get some stick from the fans. If this was any other club there would be people waving Wenger out flags.
Not that I want him to leave, I just want him to wake up and take winning seriously.
Bergkamp mate. You say that we have loaned out 5 players who are youngsters and would not have played in the first team and then on the other hand you class players like Bischoff and Coquelin as first team player? Thats hypocritical
We have lost 10 player. Thats not a lie. You can play around with your words as much as you want. The fact is we have lost 10 players.
I have a question ?
Clearing the 350 million debt OR Title What does a Gooner want ?
Smoke mate, Was we not told that the reason for the move was to give the manager more money in the transfer market?
What was the point in moving if it was going to come to this shit. I would have rather stayed at Highbury
what a joke !!!! Chelski sign Robinho, Utd look like getting berbatov off the Spuds !!, and who do we get Silvestre who is already injured and thats without playing a game for 4 months, we are a joke, i will not be paying money over the emirates no more, we have to work hard just to pay for a seat, and to see 16/17 year olds is crap !!!, i want ot see the best when i pay top dollar, i want Wenger out, dont get me wrong he has been a fesh of breath air in the past, but he has lied to us all and all the idiots who say trust arsene go on then.
Is he taking the piss out of us? Weve backed him through thick & thin for over 10 years, and when we voice our concerns over the team we love AND pay for, he tells us im not buying any £30 or £40 million pound players! excuse me you arogant dick, you show me one single Arsenal fan whos asked for that, we know your stingy ways far too well to ever expect that! Well carry on sticking your finger up our arses boss and you see when your 60,000 a week turns to 20,000 and you wont be able to give your beloved Ade his 80 grand a week. Mr Wenger i have supported Arsenal since 1969 and i always will, but you can kiss my crack!
The Arsene knows brigade isn’t a brigade at all, it’s the club’s minions sent out by management to suppress dissent among the fans, their mission is to stop you from thinking and keep on spending. The Arsene knows brigade isn’t paid to think.
When one considers signings for a season, objectively those signings brought in should only include players that can realistically play in the first team that season. With that in mind, we’ve only really had three players in Silv, Bisch, and Nasri, and we’ve lost far more in first team numbers. Incidentally, Nasri, our best signing was not developed at Arsenal. That’s the way the world works, one cannot expect Arsenal to become the world petrie dish for upcoming stars. Yes, in Nasri we are ‘buying success’.
As for potential signings, rated players like Alonso and Inler that we do want (as Arsene and club news have alluded to many times), may not wish to join a club experiencing turmoil and signing with a manager who just might be sacked next summer. I have spoken to a fan of over 65 years and he said he has seen this cycle many times. That 11 years is as good a run as one could expect and there always comes a time with managers as with players that it’s time to move on. He also said something quite wise ‘the great ones know when it’s their time and when their time is up and the accept both with grace, knowing they’ve done all the could and given their best.’ Fergie is an anomaly and not a fair comparison. Look around the league how long do managers last on average? Wenger has contributed hugely to Arsenal and is an Arsenal legend, but it may be that his next meaningful contribution will be to step aside. My old friend said one last thing ‘Wenger probably has a few years left at Arsenal but the longer it drags out the more bittersweet it wil be.’
Arsene is a very rich man now, he’ll be ok and so will we.
[…] So has Wenger lied to the fans again? Last week on Arsenal.com “New signing expected before Twente return leg” When questioned about the […] […]
Although Wenger’s policy of disclosing transfer dealings/plans with the press can be frustrating, every Arsenal supporter who has been a fan for more than 2 years knows that what Wenger says in the press about transfer should be taken with a pinch, nay, a TRUCKLOAD of salt. Don’t be surprised to see us bring in 2 or 3 more, and definitely one on the deadline day as Wenger seems to like (see Lassana Diarra).
This blog appears to radiate negativity, every article that I see on NewsNow is just bitter negativity that is detrimental rather than constructive. I know Arsenal need midfield reinforcements, you know Arsenal need midfield reinforcements, my 83 year old grandmother knows we need midfield reinforcements. So you can rest assured Wenger knows too.
The horrendous performance against Fulham did Wenger no favours, but let’s wait til 1st September til we judge Arsenal’s summer
Durrr Wenger doesn’t give away his secrets. Many smokescreens with Monsieur Wenger.
Are you all retarded? So if Wenger leaves, who will we get in that can buy a title-challenging team on a shoe string budget? Wenger has no cash obviously because of the stadium. Bet you want all be so happy when Sam Allardyce comes in and blows 20 mil on Peter Crouch.
A whole lot of plastic fans. Stop whinging and get behind the team !!!
Excellent post. Wenger’s word always used to be gospel but it’s hard to believe anything he says these days.
Smoke – the answer is to clear the debt.
thegoonerforum – who gives a shit who spurs sign?
checha – you’re a fuckwit and the club doesn’t need fans like you.
oh come on, folks.
remember last yeaR? when our great king HENRY left us for barcelona? at that point in time, nobody believed that Adebayor could score 30 goals, nobody believed that Arsenal will stay at the top of the league for more than half a season. but that did happen, right? so instead of whining and whining, why don’t we give full support for Wenger? he’s the one in charge of the team. he knows a hell lot more about his own team than the supporters certainly. ok i admit that the midfield department currently is lack of depth. but i prefer to put my trust in Wenger rather than criticize him and tell him what he need to do. because Arsene Knows, right?
i agree with Wenger. Big money signings do NOT guarantee a title. Remember Spurs, anyone? So they bought modric for 16 mil, they bought bently 10+mil, they bought dos santos for 6mil. and reports are suggesting that they’re close to signing arshavin for 20mil, pavluychenko for 12mil. But look at their 1st 2 games. 2 lost. what’d happen if this occur to arsenal? spending over 30mil and still got beaten? what would you say?
THE GOOD MAJORITY OF YOU ARE QUITE SIMPLY THICK!
spouting on about players like Merida, Kompany etc, there is no chance that anyone on here can claim to have watched those players enough times to claim they can make a call on them when Wneger “genius amongst men” has hours and hours of footage on them..so u just think, who is in a position to make a DECISION on these young players, a muppet noone fan, or one of the greatest judges of player potential ever known to football.
And with regards to the financial situation, it is DIRE. I’m not sure if any of u imbocials are aware, (the majority of u dnt and probably cant read) but there currently is a global CREDIT CRUNCH(not a breakfast cereal) and nobody has any cash bar an ounce of the population. And as an institution that has relied heavily on paying back debts of the back of property sales and funds we are in deep schtuch – a lot worse than most of u realise. BUT APPARENTLY WE’RE MINTED!lol!
Stop booing Ebooooue!
“Total agreement. I have supported this club for 40 years, never have i felt as concirned as this season,”
Clearly you wernt supporting during the dire eighties you plank. I am so sick and tired of the whinging and moaning on these sites becuase Wenger doesnt do what you want him to Spending money does not guarantee anything. Ask chelski or the scum down the road. I have to admit to some concern especially in the CM area but do you honestly beleive that AW doesnt know that? he’s running a business and he has to run it in a way that 1) turns a profit and 2) doesnt give competitors unfair advantage. Why the hell SHOULD he tell you what he is up to? GIven that nothing is ever right for you muppets and your only happy when you’ve got soemthing to moan about telling you anything won’t make any difference.
Sad isnt it – all you sad morons will be singing AW’s magic hat when we win something and all this crap written above will be forgotten until the next time you dont get exactly what you want and then you”l throw your toys out of the pram all over again. Losers.
Stop frothing you bunch of clefts.
Phew! There are some angry Gunners out there. But I don’t agree with most of these views. It’s ok to criticise, but this stuuf reeks of ignorance. Arsenal have never and will not in the near future talk honestly about who they want and at what price. You simply canot do that when you are a company that trades publicly, but also because it would be bad business. If you don’t like it, then find a way to get rid of the board and the manager and get Peter Kenyon in or one of those Madrid guys who go to the media to tap up players. As for players leaving or coming, well, that’s what Wenger gets paid the big bucks for isn’t it? His career is on the line, not yours. So let him do what he wants. If he fails, the board won’t need you to deal with it, they will themselves. If you want to tell him who to sign and when, then you must also pay his salary if he gets fired when YOUR experiment does not work. Let’s hope by then the club is not insolvent.
I totally agree about the midfield signing that we all hoped for and didn’t materialize. I can only assume that we need to be certain of our European place (after Twente game) before a player like Alonso would join Arsenal. I’m hoping anyway!!
To be fair, regarding the players we’ve sold, the only one that we didn’t want to sell was Flamini and it was out of our hands. The fans have been screaming out for the other players to be sold for quite some time, and I don’t think we’ll miss any of them.
we did bring 3 players and carlos vela but u R forgetting about 6 players who R coming up from the youth academy like sanchez watt jonas rassmussen jack wilshere etc. wenger knows what hes doing!!
Heey Bergkamp ..
one could always do tricks and turns with who has comed and who has gone ,but the fact is, and there is no way getting around the fact that the Team has been build down,and even more sad is that it seems like it is a concrete plan in doing so…im worried..not stupid or out to be a poor Gooner,my supporting Our Beloved Arsenal has nothing to do with the fact.that i am fed up with the lies of Mr.Wenger and the board of moneygrabbers…
nor am i overexcited of the win over Twente last night,it will not put things right…Our squad is extreemly thin and vulnerable…
for all of You Gooners who defends Wenger .please just ask the Boss to stop lying ,,and to be honest,,that would help even if he is buying or not,i can accept the fact that we are a poor club and heey i will even support the team if we go bankrupt,,but i do not appreciate to be lied to about the situation,,and to Mr Wenger why not be a man and say ….this is the team we have and we will try our hardest to be succesfull…that would do it for me,and maybe stop buying players who are injured even before they come….
Hilly Woody You should pack youre bags and be on the first flight back to the stoneages..and while youre at it grab the rest of the board….of money sharks…in my eyes you dont deserve the time of the day….
and as always all you Gooners whether you agree or not have a great day,,,and me well ill grab a pint and take a Bertie Mee ….lol
For fucks sake listen to all you twats moaning, Why? because he wont spend big? ok who do you want a £18m Barry? Fuck off he’s not worth £10m or Alsonso nice thought but do you really think liverpool will sell to us, NO. Or maybe a £80 MILLION KAKA?, or how about a £30M Robiniho. Who is out there for a Flamini replacment? He fucked us over buy not signing a contract and kept on playing(meaning Diarra got pissed off waiting and gilberto left), Wenger could do nothing about that he was a greedy cunt. Shut up and stop fucking moaning. At least wait until the close of the transfer window, Wenger NEVER makes his buisness public, you not remember Rosicky and Hleb signings?
Excellent article, and mirrors the way I feel completely.
There have been some well reasoned responses too, so for once this summer I feel there is a genuine debate on this page and something I can get my teeth into.
Lets start with a brief recent historical recap and go in-depth from the 2006/2007 season and subsequent summer. We finished a massive distance behind Chelsea and Utd, just a handful of seasons after the “Invincibles” dominated all and sundry.
Why – well over those years we’d let SPINE players like Campbell, Vieira, Petit, Edu, Bergkamp, Kanu, and MATCH WINNERS like Pires/Overmars go without replacing them adequately.
Read that list again.
How many of them were leaders on the pitch?
How many took responsibility and showed real spirit?
How many were MATCH WINNERS in their own right ?
Wenger bought potential (Senderos, Djourou, Denilson, Diaby, Walcott, Reyes) to replace these. Of these, only Reyes was a regular starter for his previous team.
Of these ‘potentials’ – after 3-5yrs of ‘realizing their potential’, which is a FIRST TEAM starter BY MERIT ? (Not simply because there is no-one else to play). Which of these is better than an equivalently aged Campbell, Vieira, Overmars, Bergkamp ?
Easy. None.
Q. So how long are we going to wait ?
A. Until Arsene proves himself right or is found out.
(See Fabregas, Clichy, Cole, Wilshere for examples of players fulfilling their promise, see ‘the rest’ for examples of those that are not)
Ok – so we’ve replaced aging star quality with raw potential that has sadly not been fulfilled, so we are holding spots in the team for people that won’t cut it. Would Chelsea, ManU or Liverpool do this ? No. Hell even Tottenham are letting go dead wood and buying experienced talent. Once they gel – I feel Ramos can mould them into a much better side than his predecessors.
Ok – onto 2006/2007 season and summer.
We lost Lauren, Ljungberg, Reyes/Baptista, Aliadiere and one Thierry Henry (disillusioned with AW’s reluctance to re-enforce the squad and keep it competitive, just like Vieira).
Just to recap – that’s a very experienced defender, leader on the pitch, fearless competitor (Lauren), a hard working formerly high-goalscoring competitor, a couple of experienced and talented goalscorers, and one highest-goalscorer-in-our-history and arguably former best-player-in-the-world.
We bought Sagna (woot!) and Eduardo. Ok so on a technical level Sagna is a replacement for Lauren, minus the on-field presence (he’s young though) and probably a better athlete. Eduardo (sentiment aside) is probably what Reyes could have been (as a finisher) if his head wasn’t so messed up. Eduardo however, has the speed of a snail on valium.
Ok – so JUST numerically the squad was shorter by 3 players than the one that finished an unacceptable distance behind the front 2. Of the 3, we came NOWHERE near replacing Thierry Henry (I’ll get onto the c*nt AdeBarnDoor later) – when Torres was available.
Btw – Torres 23M, Henry 16M, Eduardo 11M.
How the hell were we not in for Torres ?
Ok – so thin squad enter the 2007/2008 season and starts very well, flatters to decieve and finishes a lot closer than perhaps we deserved. We played a liability at right-midfield all season in Eboue (no goals, 1 assist, 4% tackle completion) and a lanky streak of piss up front.
There are a lot of Ade lovers out there, and his goals propelled us into a position we scarcely deserved. In turn he claimed a lot of credit – when the VAST majority of goals that he managed to actually put in the net were handed to him on a plate.
24 league goals – great return from a stiker right ?!
What it doesn’t tell you is that there were 8 EASIER chances that he managed to ‘Ken Livingstone’ throughout the course of the match.
That 6 of those goals came against hapless Derby – the record-breaking WORST team ever to stain the Premiership, and who won only 1 game all season.
Goals scored vs ManU/Chelsea/L’Pool ? 1
In fact:
Against the top 7 teams he scored 4 (1 was a pen)
Against the mid 7 teams he scored 9
Against the bot 6 teams he scored 11 (6 vs Derby)
What’s worse is this cnut misses some absolutely crucial sitters against top opposition (Milan, home, last minute – anyone?) and then turns around and has the audacity to grin and smirk. I really wished he’d fcuked off in the summer.
A top striker would have scored 50-60 given the same chances as Ade last season. Torres, Berba, Tevez, Anelka.
Anyway – on to the departures again.
A top club needs a fantastic GK, a solid GK and and promising GK. We lost Lehman (albeit he was getting on) so we are now left with a solid GK and a promising one. No fantastic GK to win us games we should have lost (Seaman/Lehman).
Lost Diarra (Def. Centre Mid) in January. Extremely promising and talented – exactly what we needed, had him and lost him.
Lost Flamini (Def. Centre Mid),
Gilberto (Def. Centre Mid)
Ok – anyone (sane) would start to worry when you lose EVERY Def Centre Mid at the club and not replace them. Yes – we’ve lost THREE. So fcuk the Arsene knows brigade with their “Arsene says he will buy one before the deadline”.
WE NEED THREE YOU MUPPETS, NOT ONE. Def Centre Mid get injured, tired, booked & suspended more than ANY other position. One isn’t enough. Barca desperately wanted Hleb – could he have held out for Yaya? (who wanted to play with Kolo) – esp since Barca already have Iniesta, Xavi and had recently bought Keita (sp?). Did he? did he fcuk.
So as the poster wrote:
From the 1st team squad, we’ve lost:
Lehman (leader), Hoyte, Senderos (leader), Diarra, Flamini (leader), Gilberto (leader), Hleb
From the immediate reservers, we’ve lost:
Nordveidt (leader), Traore, Barazite
We’ve replaced them with
-1st Team:
—Nasri
—Silverstre
-Reserve Team
—Ramsey (zero top flight experience, 16 snr apps)
—Coquelin (zero top flight experience, 0 snr apps)
—Bischoff (zero top flight experience, 0 snr apps)
Well fcuk me for a tool. Minus 7 players, plus 2 = thin squad trimmed down by a further 5 players. And still no defensive centre mid players FULL STOP, let alone cover. And I pay the MOST EXPENSIVE SEASON TICKET in the world for this ?
We can’t defend corners or set-pieces for toffee – why? because they don’t practice them.
(We also can’t beat the closest defender when we take a corner.. sad but true).
Adams was available as a coach this summer (until Pompey re-hired him), he could have done a sterling job and taken defensive training off AW’s hands.. obvious right ? wrong.
So now we have a team of kids with potential. One leader on the pitch (Fab), one star player (Fab) with a couple of other strong players (Clichy, Sagna, Toure (off-form), van Persie (off-form), Vela, Bendtner). The rest aren’t good enough or not ready.
I know Wenger likes to have a 5-year love-in with his kiddies, but I don’t think it’s fair to fans (forget blind love) to expect them to shell out 1-2k/season and not give them value for money in that time.
Don’t tell me there is no money for transfers, we sold Henry (16M), Reyes (12M), Ljungberg (3M) and Lauren (3M) and brought in Sagna and Eduardo for 18M. So we were +16M last year (not including that summer’s transfer warchest)
This season we sold Hleb (11M), Hoyte (3M), Diarra (5M), Gilberto (1M), Flam and Lehman (free). Ramsey and Nasri come in at 16M so we are +4M this years transfer budget AND the 16M + last summer’s unspent budget
And if he’d sold Ade for 25M
I think he COULD have pulled it off with a handfull of signings this summer.
Richards (AFC fan) from soon-to-be-bankrupt Man Citeh
Kompany (6M) Hamberg
Ashley (AFC fan) from Aston Villa
Benzema from Lyon
+cheap
Friedel from Blackburn
Silvestre (750k) from ManUtd
Stephen Appiah (free transfer) from Fenerbache
Yaya Toure for Hleb
anyway – 2 more working days to complete the one transfer that will save our season. Will need to be Clark Kent from Smallville Rovers imho to turn this around.
Alex/
I really cant understand why we didnt try n get Yaya as part of the Hleb deal
I REALLY SEE WENGER AS A MAN WITHOUT CONCLUSION BY LYING TO US AS A FANS Y? THE MAN IS SO SELFISH AND I WONDER HOW HE CAN FIGHT OTHER RIVALS CLUB WENGER JUST HV TO GO BACK AND TICK OF WHT TO DO AGAIN BCOZ DIS SEASON NO HOPE 4 THE GUNNERS WHY NOT LET WENGER PLAY D MIDLE OF MIDFIELDER AND WEAR NO15 JERSEY OF DENILSON? SINCE HE NOWS WHT HE IS DOING WHT I TICK IS THAT WENGER IS SEFISH I TICK HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT HIS JOB
Alex, your analysis is spot on..with the exception of yr take on Ade. I do think he gives us something extra. Without that, the arrogant AW, should have been in the mkt for Torres/Benzema quality upfront.
AW is in a comfort zone. To many AW ass kissing fans, content with failure …making him complacent.
I fear it will take a disaster for these loudmouthed Minority to wake up and find AW out.
He may have been the greatest coach weve ever had. However, times have changed and he gas no answers. What he is doing is simply self serving…not for the 67,000 that come in to AG.