Alexis Sanchez (official).

[Niall_Quinn]

to be fair - I've seen a documentary of where he was brought up as a kid & I do think Liverpool would have felt more "homely" for him

Rags to ruins?

[Niall_Quinn]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XKJ8SkjJJI

[Static]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33072299



Arsenal: Alexis Sanchez 'disappointed' by lack of trophies

Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez says the FA Cup winners' failure to win more trophies this season is "disappointing".

The £35m signing from Barcelona scored 25 goals and feels he grew as a player.

But the 26-year-old, who is on international duty with Chile at the Copa America, said Arsene Wenger's team could have achieved more.

"I would have liked to be in the Champions League final or to have won the Premier League title," he said.

"We have a bunch of skilful players so to not achieve more is disappointing."

The Gunners won a second consecutive FA Cup by beating Aston Villa 4-0 at Wembley on 30 May. They also qualified for the Champions League but finished 12 points behind Premier League champions Chelsea in third.

They were knocked out of the Champions League by Monaco at the last-16 stage, and lost their first game in the League Cup, at home to Southampton.

"It was an OK season, but it was bittersweet," said Sanchez.

But on his own game he added: "I had a breakthrough in my football life. Now I switch to the left, I make goals, I pass, I am evolving.

"And if I am put in at centre forward, I will do it in the best way possible."

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Alexis. :bow:

Prepare to be disappointed each and every season tbf.

[Marc Overmars]

Shows how high the bar is set for players of this calibre.

[Niall_Quinn]

I wouldn't expect a winner like Alexis to think or say less.

I heard he got some stick from the drips who call themselves fans, they thought he was being greedy and ungrateful :haha:

Bottom line, it shows us what a Chilean international of this stature, quality and character thinks of the FA Cup. FA.

£50mill striker required. Make it so Mr Wenger.

[Xhaka Can’t]

I get all kinds of encouragement from that statement. Especially where he talks of him personally having a breakthrough season. It demonstrates that he is happy with his role at the Club and the freedom he has. However, there is also a warning to Wenger and the Board there. A half assed approach to pushing this Club on is likely to lead to him moving on to a Club that shares his winning mentality.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

This guy is an absolute animal.

Our best player since Henry I'd say.

[selassie]

This guy is an absolute animal.

Our best player since Henry I'd say.

Yep, he was toying with them in that first half an hour today, world class player is our Alexis :)

[GP]

Yes, he's incredible. He must be an absolute nightmare to play against because he'll never let you have a breather. He's relentless.

[Marc Overmars]

Easily our best player since Henry.

Absolute beast. We really have to win the league to keep him on our books, the CL failure is not going to sit well with him.

[Kano]

When's the statue going up?

Little fucking genius.

Worried about Bayern poking their heads in next summer.

[Munchies]

Read through the first few pages of this thread again

:lol:

What a player!!!

[Munchies]

Easily our best player since Henry.

Absolute beast. We really have to win the league to keep him on our books, the CL failure is not going to sit well with him.

Nor should it, the guy deserves to win every trophy out there

I just hope it's with us

C'mon Wenger, sort it out.

[adzzzbatch]

He really made the difference today!! Fantastic performance, despite the united team trying to hack all game!

I was on the guy's back after the first few games because he did look off the pace, but he's well and truly back on form now and may long it continue!!

[Marc Overmars]

He really made the difference today!! Fantastic performance, despite the united team trying to hack all game!

I was on the guy's back after the first few games because he did look off the pace, but he's well and truly back on form now and may long it continue!!

He was unfortunate not to score against Palace and Stoke, there was never a doubt a really about his output. He's always involved in one way or another, the mark of a worldie.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

He was unfortunate not to score against Palace and Stoke, there was never a doubt a really about his output. He's always involved in one way or another, the mark of a worldie.

Yup. Some of the bloggers were getting really worried about him. I worried about the team as a whole but not him individually and he has again shown why we needn't have been.

[adzzzbatch]

Yup. Some of the bloggers were getting really worried about him. I worried about the team as a whole but not him individually and he has again shown why we needn't have been.

I think the team playing badly compounded my worries about Alexis, he did look really out of sorts in early games, but I know it's also unfair to expect one man on his own to deliver every game.

[Master Splinter]

Peru put a curse on him.(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/11928603/Alexis-Sanchez-cursed-by-Peru-fans-with-tortoise-ahead-of-World-Cup-qualifier-with-Chile.html)

So he did this:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNI3ac18w6I

:haha:

Two goals, an assist and that brilliant pass to set up the third.

9 goals in his last 5 games.

What a freak.

[AFC Leveller]

Sick player, tireless freak.

What a signing.

[Marc Overmars]

We've apparently opened contract talks with him.

Give him whatever he wants tbf.

[GP]

Genuine Ballon d'or candidate.

Best in the league.

[Kano]

Good to hear he's saying the right things at the moment, that he's happy and isn't thinking about leaving.

Of course for a player of his calibre that won't stay the same forever, contending in Europe is essential to keeping the best players content. The big plus we can offer is he is the main man here, not a sideshow to Ronaldo. Bayern would be my only concern in the next season or two.

[JSAO]

Yeah the usual media dross of Spanish giants sniffing again but like MO said give the guy what he wants and try to sell the dream of we are on the up (may be an idea to leave Wenger out of the latter so we at least stand a fighting chance)......

[Niall_Quinn]

Yeah the usual media dross of Spanish giants sniffing again but like MO said give the guy what he wants and try to sell the dream of we are on the up (may be an idea to leave Wenger out of the latter so we at least stand a fighting chance)......

You only have 5 posts :haha:

[Globalgunner]

You only have 5 posts :haha:

JSAO. Must mean Just Setting AOut

Hey weve all been there. Its the hope that one day we may be able to catch Letters in a compromising position that keeps us coming back.

[JSAO]

You only have 5 posts :haha:

Middle finger to you squire........you know who I am.......it was my fault Master Splinter hacked into my account and blocked me out of it.......

[JSAO]

JSAO. Must mean Just Setting AOut

Hey weve all been there. Its the hope that one day we may be able to catch Letters in a compromising position that keeps us coming back.

Actually no......same name as I was before Japan Shaking All Over.......not going to think about Letters in compromising positions as it will put me off my dinner

[Master Splinter]

James Simmons Arsenal Observer was a good poster.

I wonder where he's gone.

I hate it when new members use old members' names. Especially when they've only amassed 8 posts :doh:.

[JSAO]

James Simmons Arsenal Observer was a good poster.

I wonder where he's gone.

I hate it when new members use old members' names. Especially when they've only amassed 8 posts :doh:.

What do I have to do.......? It's me FFS......I'm one if about two who is yet to call for Wumgers head.....Surely you recognise the needless overuse of the full stop is a give away???

[Niall_Quinn]

Welcome to our newest member, JSAO

:haha:

[Letters]

https://twitter.com/Joshuarse47/status/655737783596789760

:wacko:

[GP]

It's fair to say his performances have been acceptable.

[JSAO]

:haha:

I remember you when you were knee high to Santi :oldboy:

[Munchies]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CUIMX7bU8AE0fy2.jpg

:bow:

[Xhaka Can’t]

That works out at ~£192k per week.

On the face of it, insane but considering the likes of Rooney are on £300k per week, the bargain of the century.

[GP]

He's an exceptional player. Whatever it takes to keep him.

[Static]

Wow. LVG doesn't do anything, and delegates and earns lots of money.

[Maestro]

Lets get both Sanchez and Ozil signed up by the end of the year

[Marc Overmars]

He's going to be integral to any future success we might have. Get this sorted regardless of the cost, he'll pay it back in no time.

[Power n Glory]

We can afford it.

[Niall_Quinn]

Arsene was on Kickstarter yesterday, trying to get 599,999 Gooners to kick in a quid a week. Messi is on the way guys.

Alexis, Ozil, Messi :bow:

[Letters]

If we get Messi (we won't, obviously) then everyone else might as well pack up and go home.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

50 goals for this guy now.

What a man. :bow:

[Marc Overmars]

Beast of a player.

Pay him whatever the hell he wants. He simply has to sign a new deal.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Beast of a player.

Pay him whatever the hell he wants. He simply has to sign a new deal.

:gp:

[Power n Glory]

Not intelligent enough to play as striker. Let him go. ;)

[selassie]

Not intelligent enough to play as striker. Let him go. ;)

:lol: I got to admit I did have doubts about him as a Striker but he's massively proved me wrong.

He's been awesome this season, our "Suarez". :dancingman:

[Niall_Quinn]

Not intelligent enough to play as striker. Let him go. ;)

I disagree. He's a very good striker.

[Marc Overmars]

:lol: I got to admit I did have doubts about him as a Striker but he's massively proved me wrong.

He's been awesome this season, our "Suarez". :dancingman:

Same here. I didn't think he'd have the positional discipline to excel but he's really transformed us.

[Power n Glory]

Glad Wenger stuck it out even when he wasn’t scoring goals and not revert back to Giroud like he did once Theo got injured last season. Alexis is still learning the role and not even mastered the position yet but as long as he stays fit and keeps playing there, we’ll play a better game.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

my only issue is that it looks like we lack a focal point through the centre when sanchez plays as a striker, it does appear to be something we can get away with when Theo plays but in instances where we have had Sanchez through the middle and the Ox wide right we have looked less clinical.

Ox picked out excellent cross for Sanchez to head in on saturday but after that, Ox was all over the place and Sanchez likes to receive the ball deep and sometimes in the wide areas.

I had a feeling when we brought Giroud on that he'd score as he is a flat track bully and will gobble up chances against these sides when brought on from the bench.

So in that sense i'm glad Giroud is back, against better and more open sides the pace and guile of Sanchez will be able to play off the last man and open up defences without having to bring on Giroud, especially if Walcott is fit as i think those two tend to tandem quite nicely.

[Niall_Quinn]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnLti87bPXc

[Kano]

Same here. I didn't think he'd have the positional discipline to excel but he's really transformed us.

It's that movement and not always being in the middle that as we have all seen now allows others around him to play into. That said, if Theo hadn't of woken up this summer as he admitted, then it's likely he wouldn't be profiting off that space as he has been. So that's been a lucky coincidence. We've always benefited from Iwobi playing to such a consistent level so far at his age every week. Alexis is also showing more craft with the assists he's offering and Ozil quite often the furthest forward filling up the space where Sanchez was. More goals from Ox and some from Xhaka, are spreading them around nicely, something we've missed for quite a while. If we can get Ramsey to fit into a system and scoring again, then it's happy days. That space in middle that Sanchez allows could be a good thing for Rambo too, as long as he and Ozil don't get in each other's way. To have a truly big season lasting near the of the table obviously we need our main two firing but Ox, Theo and Iwobi have to be able to keep this up too.

[selassie]

It's that movement and not always being in the middle that as we have all seen now allows others around him to play into. That said, if Theo hadn't of woken up this summer as he admitted, then it's likely he wouldn't be profiting off that space as he has been. So that's been a lucky coincidence. We've always benefited from Iwobi playing to such a consistent level so far at his age every week. Alexis is also showing more craft with the assists he's offering and Ozil quite often the furthest forward filling up the space where Sanchez was. More goals from Ox and some from Xhaka, are spreading them around nicely, something we've missed for quite a while. If we can get Ramsey to fit into a system and scoring again, then it's happy days. That space in middle that Sanchez allows could be a good thing for Rambo too, as long as he and Ozil don't get in each other's way. To have a truly big season lasting near the of the table obviously we need our main two firing but Ox, Theo and Iwobi have to be able to keep this up too.

Yeah I agree with this. I'm still sitting on the fence with our chances as we've kind of been here before but...we do have very good depth this season in all areas of the squad. Moreover I am getting a vibe that the players want to put "right" what went "wrong" last season so things are looking good.

Obviously we have a relatively healthy squad at the moment and that will need to remain as is if we want to truly challenge for trophies this season.

[Power n Glory]

It's that movement and not always being in the middle that as we have all seen now allows others around him to play into. That said, if Theo hadn't of woken up this summer as he admitted, then it's likely he wouldn't be profiting off that space as he has been. So that's been a lucky coincidence. We've always benefited from Iwobi playing to such a consistent level so far at his age every week. Alexis is also showing more craft with the assists he's offering and Ozil quite often the furthest forward filling up the space where Sanchez was. More goals from Ox and some from Xhaka, are spreading them around nicely, something we've missed for quite a while. If we can get Ramsey to fit into a system and scoring again, then it's happy days. That space in middle that Sanchez allows could be a good thing for Rambo too, as long as he and Ozil don't get in each other's way. To have a truly big season lasting near the of the table obviously we need our main two firing but Ox, Theo and Iwobi have to be able to keep this up too.

With Sanchez creating so much space for others and getting assists as well as goals, I'm tempted to see how Ramsey would play with him making runs beyond Alexis and Ozil taking on Iwobi's role wide left. The change up top changes my whole outlook on how certain players can be played.

[Master Splinter]

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/o2C0MPL_q0I/maxresdefault.jpg

:bow:

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Give Alexis 250 K a week! Give Atom and Humber 100 K a week each as well!!!

[Marc Overmars]

Please sign. :(

[Goonermerree]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnLti87bPXc

:fury: I hope Pep and Maureen are not watching this video!!!

[selassie]

Please sign. :(

That's how I am feeling too!

[Niall_Quinn]

The legacy media is saying we have offered Alexis £180K per week and he's said no. 180K a week, what a ludicrous amount of money for kicking a ball. It's actually quite disgusting and offensive. It's also a low-ball offer by the increasingly unjustifiable PL standards. So I hope the story isn't true and I hope we're planning an even more offensive and disgusting offer to put him in line with other "big" names who frankly aren't half as good as him. But if it is true then he's gone in the summer.

Familiarity is the only thing that stops me being repelled by football. Like politics or economics, if you'd never been exposed to football and were witnessing it for the first time you'd be horrified.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

The legacy media is saying we have offered Alexis £180K per week and he's said no. 180K a week, what a ludicrous amount of money for kicking a ball. It's actually quite disgusting and offensive. It's also a low-ball offer by the increasingly unjustifiable PL standards. So I hope the story isn't true and I hope we're planning an even more offensive and disgusting offer to put him in line with other "big" names who frankly aren't half as good as him. But if it is true then he's gone in the summer.

Familiarity is the only thing that stops me being repelled by football. Like politics or economics, if you'd never been exposed to football and were witnessing it for the first time you'd be horrified.

It's an obscene amount, but I already assumed he was on about 160k already so that really isn't a significant increase

If we aren't prepared to offer him what he wants, hard to know whether you can blame Wenger for it or not I have read that he doesn't want any player to be on a higher wage than him (I don't think any player should be earning more than their manager it's counter intuitive) but sometimes when it comes to keeping your top stars it's the way it has to be.

My personal feeling is that we will reach an accommodation with Sanchez because I think he wants to stay, I don't think the same is true for Ozil though.

[Letters]

You get desensitised to these amounts of money but it really is obscene.
I just with the whole world would tell the players and particularly the agents to collectively sod off.

[Power n Glory]

People have to switch off from the game in order for that to happen. It's a great distraction to be honest.

I really can't understand what's going on with this club. £180k is not enough of an increase if he's already on £140k. We need to pack this up if we're not going to do all that's possible to keep our star players. Wenger is the one that has to go if he's still trying to build his mini society with a small football club. We haven't got time for the socialist wage structure nonsense. Do something else with your time, old man.

[Goonermerree]

Other top players might thing twice about coming if they think they can get more money elsewhere.

[Power n Glory]

Other top players might thing twice about coming if they think they can get more money elsewhere.

Definitely. Reaffirms that 'feeder/steeping stone' rep we have. We had our chance to shake that off.

[Letters]

Do we have that rep? Sanchez and Ozil came from Barca and Real.

[Goonermerree]

Do we have that rep? Sanchez and Ozil came from Barca and Real.

We did before them.City scooped up most of our payers, then we lost Cesc and RVP. The cynic in me thinks we got Ozil because RM needed the money to buy Bale. Similarly, Barca may have needed money to buy Suarez.

[Letters]

Isn't that how all transfers work though? You sell players to buy players, partly.
It's been a few years since we've lost a major player, if we don't start winning big trophies soon that will change though.

[Power n Glory]

Do we have that rep? Sanchez and Ozil came from Barca and Real.

We were shaking if off with those signings along with Cech. If we lose players again because we won't budge on wages, it reaffirms that tag. Also, it's not as if we wrestled Sanchez or Ozil from Real or Barca because we were more appealing.

[Goonermerree]

Isn't that how all transfers work though? You sell players to buy players, partly.
It's been a few years since we've lost a major player, if we don't start winning big trophies soon that will change though.

The point is, if their respective clubs hadn't wanted to sell them we wouldn't have got them. Not sure either of them really wanted to come. Ozil certainly didn't seem to.

[Letters]

Ozil said that Wenger called him and that swayed him. I don't know what you're basing the idea that he didn't seem to want to come on.
Whether he wants to stay is another matter, he has at times seemed frustrated by the lack of quality around him.
Sanchez and Ozil won't stay if we don't start competing for major honours but I don't buy they came under duress.

[Power n Glory]

Ozil said that Wenger called him and that swayed him. I don't know what you're basing the idea that he didn't seem to want to come on.
Whether he wants to stay is another matter, he has at times seemed frustrated by the lack of quality around him.
Sanchez and Ozil won't stay if we don't start competing for major honours but I don't buy they came under duress.

If Real didn't want to sell or if we were in a bidding war with a club like Chelsea, City, Bayern or Barca, we'd have lost out.

[Goonermerree]

Ozil said that Wenger called him and that swayed him. I don't know what you're basing the idea that he didn't seem to want to come on.
Whether he wants to stay is another matter, he has at times seemed frustrated by the lack of quality around him.
Sanchez and Ozil won't stay if we don't start competing for major honours but I don't buy they came under duress.

Like I said, the cynic in me. He's not going to scream 'I wanted to stay at Madrid where they win things and stuff.'

[Niall_Quinn]

Both the Ozil and Alexis deals always seemed non-standard, as if no other clubs were aware the players were available. Ozil certainly was very last minute and we seemed to have the inside track on that one. The Alexis deal was the one that surprised me most. It was so smooth by our standards and it's amazing nobody else was in for him, expect possibly Liverpool who are the only top club we are able to beat to a signature. Both, I think, would be fine with staying provided they are paid what, unfortunately, top tier players get paid these days. I mean how much is that lump of shit Rooney on over at Utd? And Ibra. That's the club that is really inflating the market with their stupid overpayments and whacked out salaries.

[Marc Overmars]

It's fairly obvious we signed Ozil and Sanchez because their clubs needed to raise money quickly for Bale and Suarez, we were the easiest to sell to because we were cash rich after the new sponsorship deals. That's the way it goes at those circus clubs, replace last seasons toy with the latest model.

Great opportunism on our part.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Ozil said that Wenger called him and that swayed him. I don't know what you're basing the idea that he didn't seem to want to come on.
Whether he wants to stay is another matter, he has at times seemed frustrated by the lack of quality around him.
Sanchez and Ozil won't stay if we don't start competing for major honours but I don't buy they came under duress.

Well no, he probably didn't want to leave Real in the first place and Ancelotti was more prepared to sell him than Di Maria, there is no question for Ozil that going from Real Madrid to Arsenal was a step down in his career and yeah for that he probably needed a big sell from Wenger whispering sweet nothings in his ear.

[Niall_Quinn]

Which is why we should sign Draxler in January. Keep those signing coming and keep sending a message that we are on the way up. That's how we keep these players at the club.

[Power n Glory]

Which is why we should sign Draxler in January. Keep those signing coming and keep sending a message that we are on the way up. That's how we keep these players at the club.

I don't think that sort of signing sends a message to be honest. It's on par with when we signed Nasri. Someone with bags of potential but a still a lot to prove. He has no chance of breaking into the starting line ups of the major clubs but moving to us would be a perfect stepping stone to develop and showcase his talent.

It's a good addition but I doubt that would stop them from leaving. It would have to be someone bigger like Marco Reus, Auba.

[Niall_Quinn]

I don't think that sort of signing sends a message to be honest. It's on par with when we signed Nasri. Someone with bags of potential but a still a lot to prove. He has no chance of breaking into the starting line ups of the major clubs but moving to us would be a perfect stepping stone to develop and showcase his talent.

It's a good addition but I doubt that would stop them from leaving. It would have to be someone bigger like Marco Reus, Auba.

Those are summer signings, you aren't going to grab them in January. We've had years in the wilderness, penny pinching, being second best. We shouldn't even be in a position where players are contemplating leaving. We should be bringing in enough talent so they all end up fighting for a place and we can do without them if need be. Boot would be on the other foot.

[fakeyank]

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10698366/alexis-sanchez-admits-the-onus-is-on-arsenal-in-contract-tug-of-war

Wonder how we will F this up..

[Letters]

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10698366/alexis-sanchez-admits-the-onus-is-on-arsenal-in-contract-tug-of-war

Wonder how we will F this up..

By not offering enough, probably. Although the whole idea of having to offer someone £400,000 a week to make them happy makes me :wacko:
The bubble surely has to burst at some point.

[Niall_Quinn]

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10698366/alexis-sanchez-admits-the-onus-is-on-arsenal-in-contract-tug-of-war

Wonder how we will F this up..

That's a standard negotiating press conference. I love the club, I love the fans, I want to win for the fans, I'm happy here. Standard stuff. What we need to do now is look at players like Hazard and Aguero, see what money they are on and pitch a figure that's in the ballpark. Alexis is easily at that level and can demand the same sort of money and if we want to keep him we have to accept this is where football is at today and we'll have to cough up. Either that or sell him, bring in somebody more affordable and announce second tier status. The rewards at the top of this game are huge, but so are the costs. Either we have ambitions to be at the top or we don't and this contract negotiation, along with Ozil's, will tell us where we stand. We mustn't let this drag on. Having a player like Alexis happy and with his long term future secured can only benefit us on the pitch for the remainder of the season. If we fuck this up then it's game over. We're done. We can join the spuds at their level and see if we can do a one-off Leicester somewhere down the road.

Wouldn't it be great if the club made a big, bold statement by signing our two stars up in double time and then announcing we were spending more bringing in a third top talent in January? That would transform the place. What I can actually see us doing is dragging this out and penny-pinching and low-balling all the way to a summer crisis where Alexis' and Ozil's positions will be twice as strong. Like we did with the signings this summer. Hunting in the bin, scraping out the barrel, waiting until the very last minute and then overpaying massively for the players we ended up with. Any lessons learned I wonder?

[Niall_Quinn]

By not offering enough, probably. Although the whole idea of having to offer someone £400,000 a week to make them happy makes me :wacko:
The bubble surely has to burst at some point.

He won't want 400k, that's just a negotiating tactic. Nobody except Utd pays those stupid Chinese bribes because the PL has far more to offer. We're probably going to have to end up paying him in the regions of 200-220k. That seems to be around the figure the top stars are earning at the top PL clubs, excluding Utd's joke payouts of course.

[Goonermerree]

Well he's not exactly poor is he, so if he chooses to go to China just for the money when he's in his prime, let him go. (I don't think for one minute he wants to go to China though.)

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Not sure about Drax these days...... taking a while to come of age.....perpetually unsettled and failing to pull up trees in Germany....

Wenger is a long time admirer which is the only reason there's any chance whatsoever but not sure he's any better than Iwobi or Chamberlain.

Reus??? Yes please.

[Penguin]

Well he's not exactly poor is he, so if he chooses to go to China just for the money when he's in his prime, let him go. (I don't think for one minute he wants to go to China though.)

I doubt it too. If he keeps playing like he has been he'll have his pick of title challenging European clubs. He might even be willing to go back to being a bit part player at somewhere like Barca after having a taste of Wenger's mediocrity.

[GP]

http://i.imgur.com/l9oHULQ.png

[rodders]

Looked pretty pissed off at half time today, in another abject Arsenal display.

[selassie]

He'll be gone this summer, enjoy him while you can.Anybody see the look of disgust on his face at the final whistle? He's not hear to pick up paltry wages and slug out top 4 battles, he wants to win titles & trophies, losing isn't part of his persona and that is why he won't be hear after this season.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Unless we win the fuhking CL how the hell is he going to want sign a new contract. FFS!

[Maestro]

He'll be gone this summer, enjoy him while you can.Anybody see the look of disgust on his face at the final whistle? He's not hear to pick up paltry wages and slug out top 4 battles, he wants to win titles & trophies, losing isn't part of his persona and that is why he won't be hear after this season.For as long as Wenget is here, then Sanchez leaves with my blessing. His sheer talent and winner mentality is wasted at this club and so incompatible with the manager's incompetence and loser mentality. Good luck to him I say.

[Marc Overmars]

His body language is a cause for concern. Still works his arse off but his visible frustration is not a good sign at all.

[Niall_Quinn]

His body language is a cause for concern. Still works his arse off but his visible frustration is not a good sign at all.

I might feel the same if I was working my arse off and then got relegated so we could set up a lamppost in his place. And then haggle over whether he's worth as much to us as, say Hazard is to the chavs or Aguero to the gypos. Even so, he's still busting his arse every time he goes on the pitch. Shame the tools at our club can't spot the difference between the real deal and a waster.

[Niall_Quinn]

Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez confessed to tax fraud in Spain of almost €1million.

The Chilean owned up to defrauding the Spanish treasury of €983,000 (£865,000) between 2012 and 2013 when he was playing for Barcelona.

In his statement to a Catalan court, via video link from London, Sanchez confessed to two counts of tax fraud.

According to Europa Press, the Arsenal star is understood to have already returned the money he admitted to withholding.

As a consequence of his repayment, he is not likely to have to face a trial with an agreement to be reached by both parties.

This would involve the defence team of Sanchez negotiating with the prosecution an adequate fine to compensate for the delay in tax payments.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4125514/Arsenal-s-Alexis-Sanchez-admits-tax-fraud-865-000.html

Thieving, corrupt, commie bastards. Fat bureaucratic bastard sons of whores. Did they play football to earn the money? Did they do one fucking thing to earn it? So why do they feel entitled to it? Cunts. Trouble with government is it exists. Fix that one tiny oversight and government would be fine.

[Marc Overmars]

Barca. :lol:

Crooked as hell.

[Power n Glory]

Thieving, corrupt, commie bastards. Fat bureaucratic bastard sons of whores. Did they play football to earn the money? Did they do one fucking thing to earn it? So why do they feel entitled to it? Cunts. Trouble with government is it exists. Fix that one tiny oversight and government would be fine.

Damn tax dodgers! What sort of operation are Barca running? Didn't they have that whole PR spiel about being a more ethical club hence the years of no sponsors? Well, you can see that's gone out the window. They've gone the other way.

Oh well....I guess they were trying to be 'smart' as Trump would say when it comes to avoiding taxes. ;)

[Niall_Quinn]

Barca. :lol:

Crooked as hell.

Very true, but not in the same league as government.

[GP]

Més que un club

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

More than a club indeed, giant dummy corporation for tax evasion and money laundering by the sound of it

[Niall_Quinn]

And druggies. Or is that Marketing? Or both?

[GP]

You'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

[LDG]

We must be cautious.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

https://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/alexis1.jpg?w=748&h=451&crop=1

You mean this plan didn't fool the taxman?

[fakeyank]

:haha:

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

https://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/alexis1.jpg?w=748&h=451&crop=1

You mean this plan didn't fool the taxman?

Jesus if he sulks like that over coming off after the game is seen up, than imagine how he'd react to not getting a blowjob from his girlfriend

[Niall_Quinn]

Alexis is a driven player. He gives 100% out on the pitch and he's always up for a game. You don't just switch that on and off on demand. You psyche yourself up to a peak performance and then go all guns to maintain it. He's, "in the zone", when he plays and I'm sure he's geared for 90 minutes. So when he gets dragged off before the end he can't just switch it off. It's completely understandable. We should be grateful we have at least one player who gives a fuck to that degree. Shame the others aren't like it. 11 players like him would rip apart any opposition. We used to win our games in the tunnel before the kick-off, when we had more characters like Alexis in the team.

[AFC Leveller]

Alexis is a driven player. He gives 100% out on the pitch and he's always up for a game. You don't just switch that on and off on demand. You psyche yourself up to a peak performance and then go all guns to maintain it. He's, "in the zone", when he plays and I'm sure he's geared for 90 minutes. So when he gets dragged off before the end he can't just switch it off. It's completely understandable. We should be grateful we have at least one player who gives a fuck to that degree. Shame the others aren't like it. 11 players like him would rip apart any opposition. We used to win our games in the tunnel before the kick-off, when we had more characters like Alexis in the team.

I think one of the reasons he was upset was because he wants that top scorer award and could see that Swansea were there for the taking and fancied getting a goal or two.

He is just a great player though, and i would be sad if he leaves.

[Power n Glory]

Alexis is a driven player. He gives 100% out on the pitch and he's always up for a game. You don't just switch that on and off on demand. You psyche yourself up to a peak performance and then go all guns to maintain it. He's, "in the zone", when he plays and I'm sure he's geared for 90 minutes. So when he gets dragged off before the end he can't just switch it off. It's completely understandable. We should be grateful we have at least one player who gives a fuck to that degree. Shame the others aren't like it. 11 players like him would rip apart any opposition. We used to win our games in the tunnel before the kick-off, when we had more characters like Alexis in the team.

It’s dramatic but he has that desire and drive to win. It’s not a problem. Hopefully it rubs off on the players. I can imagine Sanchez giving Giroud a glare after seeing him immediately signalling to the bench for a sub when he thought he was injured. ‘Walk it off you pussy’. :lol: To Giroud’s credit he soldiered on until the second half and didn’t go off straight away but I’d like to think we have a squad willing play through the discomfort if it’s possible.

[Niall_Quinn]

Arsenal have started planning for life without contract rebel Alexis Sanchez.

The Chile star is at the centre of a long-running contract wrangle that is showing no sign of being resolved.

And the Gunners look like they have accepted Sanchez will leave this summer by starting to look for his replacement.

The club’s scouts have been asked to find forwards worthy of filling Sanchez’s shoes. Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette, Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus and Porto’s Andre Silva are all admired at the London club.

Sanchez currently earns £130,000 per week and has been offered a new deal worth an extra £50,000 a week.

But he will not accept an offer below £250,000.

The forward enters the final 12 months of his deal at the end of the season, at which point Arsenal will consider selling him to ensure they do not lose him for nothing when his contract expires in 2018.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4276144/Arsenal-news-replace-Alexis-Sanchez.html#ixzz4aE7rhFjQ

They want to pay one of the world's best players just over half what shrek is getting? Not sure what fantasy land they are living in but all that money they love so much that's pouring in from TV and sponsorships means player wages have gone up, especially for the top stars. The list below is already out of date, Alexis isn't on it so we've had a great deal up to this point.

If these cunts let Alexis go because they won't pay him the going rate then... nothing. Nobody can do a fucking thing about the cunts wrecking this club, can they?

Kroenke's generous new offer for Wenger would put him on that list though, in near the bottom along with another waster who isn't worth a fraction of what he's paid, Samir Nasri.


Forbes' 20 highest paid footballers:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) - $82 million
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - $77m
3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain) - $37m
4. Neymar (Barcelona) - $36m
5. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) - $34m
6. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) - $26m
7. Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) - $24m
8. Luis Suarez (Barcelona) - $23m
9. Eden Hazard (Chelsea) - $22m
10. Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea) - $21m
11. James Rodriguez (Real Madrid) - $21m
12. Yaya Toure (Manchester City) - $20m
13. Radamel Falcao (Chelsea) - $19m
14. Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain) - $18m
15. Mesut Ozil (Arsenal) - $18m
16. Bastian Schweinsteiger (Manchester United) - $18m
17. Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint-Germain) - $18m
18. Robin van Persie (Fenerbahce) - $17m
19. David Silva (Manchester City) - $17m
20. Samir Nasri (Manchester City) - $15m

[Marc Overmars]

I'm going to be gutted when Alexis leaves.

Best player we've had since Henry.

[Özim]

Arsenal isn't a club top players will stick around, never win or challenge for anything of note and won't pay the going rate, what's the incentive for top players to stay?

Worse still noone at the club cares about that.

[Bumble]

I'm going to be gutted when Alexis leaves.

Best player we've had since Henry.
great attitude as well, always gave 100% and showed effort at all times.

[Niall_Quinn]

Arsenal isn't a club top players will stick around, never win or challenge for anything of note and won't pay the going rate, what's the incentive for top players to stay?

Worse still noone at the club cares about that.

<---- Ungrateful fan

[Niall_Quinn]

Juventus have launched a £25m bid for Alexis Sanchez, according to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport.

Sportsmail understands Arsenal are preparing to lose the Chilean forward in the summer, with Sanchez demanding a huge pay increase to remain with the north London club.

The Gunners are set to cash in as Sanchez's contract expires in the summer of 2018.


Don't they bid for him every year?

[RomfordPele]

Giroud up front next year then. And Wenger still in charge.

Brilliant. Can't wait.

Where's that season ticket renewal form...

[rodders]

Looks like Sanchez only on bench today. Master tactical plan by Wenger!!!!!

[Niall_Quinn]

Looks like Sanchez only on bench today. Master tactical plan by Wenger!!!!!

Wenger and the other money obsessed bastards in the boardroom are counting the pennies from his sale now, although some of that will have to go back on paying Kalou to come here.

[Marc Overmars]

Alexis :wave:

[Niall_Quinn]

The fans need to burn the place down if the greedy cunts sitting on that 200 mill cash pile don't shell out to keep hold of one of the few players it's worth watching at this club.

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

So.... why didn't he start? Can't have been gambling on resting him for midweek, surely?

Not that I'm complaining.

[Marc Overmars]

So.... why didn't he start? Can't have been gambling on resting him for midweek, surely?

Not that I'm complaining.

Our manager is fucking loon that's why.

[Niall_Quinn]

Even Jermain Penis gets it.

"If you want a player to leave then stick him on the bench for one of your biggest games - it's a ridiculous decision."

[rodders]

Go now your time has gone. W & K a recipe for disaster

[Letters]

The fans need to burn the place down if the greedy cunts sitting on that 200 mill cash pile don't shell out to keep hold of one of the few players it's worth watching at this club.

I don't think throwing money at him will keep him, unless we go mental in the transfer market in the summer and show him we're serious about pushing on next year he'll be long gone and I wouldn't blame him.

[The Verminator]

If reports are to be believed then somehow he would be willing to stay if he gets paid £250,000 per week, as already mentioned...

How the fuck can we turn down such an offer? They are morons if they think it will break our already ridiculous wage structure. Nobody comes close to his performance levels and won't have a leg to stand on in negotiations if they think they can extract the same amount from us. The only guy who could try would be Ozil because of his star status. I could accept losing him (though the clear real solution would be to cough up the extra money for him too and install a manager who will give him a kick up the arse). But not Sanchez. We must keep him at all costs. Nothing is more important than getting rid of Wenger but in terms of players it's far more important we keep Sanchez than make any new signings.

Watching the game today I was in 2 minds. I actually didn't mind us losing because it increases the chance of Wenger leaving. This is such a fucking stupid situation to be in as a fan but I crave change so much. At the same time, I felt pity for Wenger when the camera focused on him at the end and he was clearly quite distraught. Growing up with Wenger in the glory days (first game I attended was in 1992 as a kiddie) I will always treasure those years and the joy he brought me. But as each year passes I am getting more and more irate with the man. Please Wenger, save as much as you still can from your reputation and leave with some dignity. I am worried he is going to hang on until the bitter end and leave a broken man. Nobody wants this, even his biggest detractors. But I really fear this could be the case now.

< Lurker but rare poster.

[Master Splinter]

So.... why didn't he start? Can't have been gambling on resting him for midweek, surely?

Not that I'm complaining.

"We have as well you know Giroud, Welbeck, Walcott, Perez, Iwobi, Chamberlain, Sanogo, Park. I have nine world-class strikers. Where do we fit them all? Sometimes we must be humble and rotate to respect the collective."

[LDG]

"We have as well you know Giroud, Welbeck, Walcott, Perez, Iwobi, Chamberlain, Sanogo, Park. I have nine world-class strikers. Where do we fit them all? Sometimes we must be humble and rotate to respect the collective."

Before I came, Arsenal had not Sanchez. We win before Sanchez, and we can win wifff out. Is he better than Jeffers? They are different positions I fink.

On Alexis future: "I said I wait. I always honour my contract"

On whether he heard the word Alexis: "Who?"

[selassie]

I don't think throwing money at him will keep him, unless we go mental in the transfer market in the summer and show him we're serious about pushing on next year he'll be long gone and I wouldn't blame him.

I agree, I think Sanchez has gone, nothing will keep him here now.

Ozil is one step away from the door too...I think in Ozil's case he's sizing up where he can go...where as Sanchez is a step further and is negotiationg with his preferred suitors.

[Penguin]

Would Alexis really stay if we offer him more money? He could easily get that kind of money elsewhere. He has had enough... he's gone.

[rodders]

Yes I am afraid like others before him he will leave because he knows he will win nothing at Arsenal. Wenger and Kroenke out. Wenger has lost the plot and Kroenke more concerned with money than success.

[Marc Overmars]

Would Alexis really stay if we offer him more money? He could easily get that kind of money elsewhere. He has had enough... he's gone.

Unless we offer Chinese level of absurd wages, there's no chance in hell he's going to stay. The bloke is at the very top of the game and staying with us would be to his detriment.

[selassie]

Yes I am afraid like others before him he will leave because he knows he will win nothing at Arsenal. Wenger and Kroenke out. Wenger has lost the plot and Kroenke more concerned with money than success.

Sad thing is I don't even think Wenger thinks he is wrong in any of this. I don't for one minute think Wenger would entertain paying Sanchez or Ozil 250k per week or whatever it is they are rumoured to want to get back round the negotiating table. In Wenger's eyes they are wrong, because he thinks clubs like Chelsea, Man City and Man United are wrong for paying their stars top salaries.

Kroenke and his cronies are a complete bunch of cunts...they are so far removed from it all it's scary.

[Power n Glory]

Sad thing is I don't even think Wenger thinks he is wrong in any of this. I don't for one minute think Wenger would entertain paying Sanchez or Ozil 250k per week or whatever it is they are rumoured to want to get back round the negotiating table. In Wenger's eyes they are wrong, because he thinks clubs like Chelsea, Man City and Man United are wrong for paying their stars top salaries.

Kroenke and his cronies are a complete bunch of cunts...they are so far removed from it all it's scary.

Of course Wenger doesn't want to pay them that much. He was making a statement yesterday. Gave Ozil the day off with that bogus flu excuse and benched Sanchez to try and show them that they aren't needed. Did he really say he developed Sanchez? :lol:

It's this sort of thing where you can see he has his priorities twisted. He's allowed a board level decision to dictate his team selection. Nobody at board level has intervened to say he can't play them. He'd never stand for that. It's his own decision to try and show that we don't need then and that suggests to me that he's also unwilling to pay them what they want.

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

The Telegraph and John Cross in the Mirror both saying Sanchez has had some bust ups with others in the squad since the Bayern loss, hence why he was dropped.

[Marc Overmars]

Too big a personality for Wenger to manage.

He'll be shipped off and leave as a villain. Just like all the others that wanted nothing more to do with this sorry excuse for a sporting entity.

[Niall_Quinn]

The Telegraph and John Cross in the Mirror both saying Sanchez has had some bust ups with others in the squad since the Bayern loss, hence why he was dropped.

Cross leaps into Wenger defence mode. Wenger blameless, player at fault. But mostly it's the fans. Also it rained the other week and we had the wrong sort of leaves on the line when the ref cheated us and the fixture list went against us. And it has been happening for 10 years. Wenger is the unluckiest manager alive.

[Niall_Quinn]

I have a solution to all this.

Kick Wenger out, pay Alexis his 250k and make him the manager. Board saves money, team gets a manager who gives a fuck. If these stories are true, that Alexis is having to do Wenger's job for him, then let's make it official.

[RomfordPele]

The Telegraph and John Cross in the Mirror both saying Sanchez has had some bust ups with others in the squad since the Bayern loss, hence why he was dropped.

Knew it. Time to vilify the bloke now we've decided to flog him. So, so cynical. These people think we are idiots.

Kroenke out.

[Niall_Quinn]

Knew it. Time to vilify the bloke now we've decided to flog him. So, so cynical. These people think we are idiots.

Kroenke out.

Alexis has a serious attitude problem. He wants to win. We don't need that sort of shit here.

[Niall_Quinn]

Apparently Wenger has not been impressed with Alexis' attitude of late. Yeah right, Alexis' attitude is the problem. What about Wenger's lack of ambition and his cowardly, negative football? Alexis has the attitude problem? Sounds like he's not up for the complacent bullshit that constitutes life at the club. Scandal. He should be more like the guys who are happy coming 4th - that I'm sure would satisfy our manager.

Alexis' attitude problem
Games: 128
Goals: 62
Assists: 40
Minutes per goal: 168
Points per match: 1.91

Wenger's attitude problem
Honours: FA Cup

Alexis has been carrying the club because the manager is not capable of doing it. Please don't tell me we are set to lose Alexis but end up lumbered with more Wenger. The nerve of a loser like Wenger preaching to a winner like Alexis.

[Gooner23]

Alexis has a serious attitude problem. He wants to win. We don't need that sort of shit here.

Even if it's true, who cares. It was on the training ground so in private. Some of our players need to be told the truth and not be pampered like babies.

[RomfordPele]

Yep, we'll probably get some story briefed out later about how alexis's head "wasn't in the right place" after all the juve speculation. Make him the villain before they flog him for mega bucks that they will then sit on over the summer.

Same drill they've used for rvp, Fabregas, nasri, Cole etc.

This is what I wrote before the Liverpool game. Here is what is in tomorrow's papers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/03/05/alexis-sanchez-furious-bust-up-angry-arsenal-team-mates-just/
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenals-alexis-sanchez-set-summer-9970720

We have absolute scumbags running this club. Parasitic leeches who think we are all gullible fools.

Alexis is gone. We never had any intention of giving him a new contract. This is the PR fluff to make us think he's the villain.

So fuck the Wenger Out bullshit. That's a sideshow and the least of our worries.

We need to get Kroenke and his cronies out before they bleed this club dry.

[Power n Glory]

This is what I wrote before the Liverpool game. Here is what is in tomorrow's papers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/03/05/alexis-sanchez-furious-bust-up-angry-arsenal-team-mates-just/
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenals-alexis-sanchez-set-summer-9970720

We have absolute scumbags running this club. Parasitic leeches who think we are all gullible fools.

Alexis is gone. We never had any intention of giving him a new contract. This is the PR fluff to make us think he's the villain.

So fuck the Wenger Out bullshit. That's a sideshow and the least of our worries.

We need to get Kroenke and his cronies out before they bleed this club dry.

They pulled the same stunt with RVP and Song.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

This is what I wrote before the Liverpool game. Here is what is in tomorrow's papers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/03/05/alexis-sanchez-furious-bust-up-angry-arsenal-team-mates-just/
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenals-alexis-sanchez-set-summer-9970720

We have absolute scumbags running this club. Parasitic leeches who think we are all gullible fools.

Alexis is gone. We never had any intention of giving him a new contract. This is the PR fluff to make us think he's the villain.

So fuck the Wenger Out bullshit. That's a sideshow and the least of our worries.

We need to get Kroenke and his cronies out before they bleed this club dry.

I am not sure anyone is buying this bill of goods anymore, journalists will criticise Sanchez because then it protects the integrity of the story they are perpetuating (apart from Henry Winter, who to be fair on him said if truth behaviour can't be condoned but his frustration more than understandable)

[Niall_Quinn]

This is what I wrote before the Liverpool game. Here is what is in tomorrow's papers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/03/05/alexis-sanchez-furious-bust-up-angry-arsenal-team-mates-just/
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenals-alexis-sanchez-set-summer-9970720

We have absolute scumbags running this club. Parasitic leeches who think we are all gullible fools.

Alexis is gone. We never had any intention of giving him a new contract. This is the PR fluff to make us think he's the villain.

So fuck the Wenger Out bullshit. That's a sideshow and the least of our worries.

We need to get Kroenke and his cronies out before they bleed this club dry.

I think most people who are desperate fro Wenger to go would equally like to see Kroenke bugger off. Problem is there's nothing anyone can do to make him sell up. Last season a polite protest was organised and the whole stadium instead erupted in support for the club and the manager. For as long as that's happening the leeches robbing the place can sit there and keep their scam running. "We" at Arsenal, in terms of the fans, means a vocal minority split away from a complacent or nonchalant majority. Football has been methodically pricing out fans and replacing them with consumers and tourists. These latter groups won't be interested in doing what it takes to get the likes of Wenger and Kroenke out of the club. I doubt they are really that interested in football to be honest. I'm afraid the fans have lost their game. It has been bought out from under then and transformed into an environment where the whole point of the game has become milking a consumer base and attracting blood suckers like Kroenke. We're the odd men out now, Kroenke is very much in his natural environment.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

They pulled the same stunt with RVP and Song.

Van Persie went to United, it's as simple as that.

There was no animosity towards Vieira, Fabregas and Henry because they all went abroad (well until Fabregas came to Chelsea)

[Niall_Quinn]

Even if it's true, who cares. It was on the training ground so in private. Some of our players need to be told the truth and not be pampered like babies.

Anyone who has upset our precious 4th place champions needs to go.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I think most people who are desperate fro Wenger to go would equally like to see Kroenke bugger off. Problem is there's nothing anyone can do to make him sell up. Last season a polite protest was organised and the whole stadium instead erupted in support for the club and the manager. For as long as that's happening the leeches robbing the place can sit there and keep their scam running. "We" at Arsenal, in terms of the fans, means a vocal minority split away from a complacent or nonchalant majority. Football has been methodically pricing out fans and replacing them with consumers and tourists. These latter groups won't be interested in doing what it takes to get the likes of Wenger and Kroenke out of the club. I doubt they are really that interested in football to be honest. I'm afraid the fans have lost their game. It has been bought out from under then and transformed into an environment where the whole point of the game has become milking a consumer base and attracting blood suckers like Kroenke. We're the odd men out now, Kroenke is very much in his natural environment.

Kroenke is a sporting vampire, but on the whole i'm not so sure i care that much about him.....once Wenger is gone, i am hoping at least that Ivan Gazidis actually has power over managers, and as long as he's making money he won't care and will continue to be the absentee owner that we'd rather him be.

Plus the alternative to Kroenke is Usmanov

[Niall_Quinn]

Van Persie went to United, it's as simple as that.

There was no animosity towards Vieira, Fabregas and Henry because they all went abroad (well until Fabregas came to Chelsea)

Not only did RvC go to Utd he then won a title in a shitty team, virtually carrying that team over the line himself. It was a stark demonstration of how ineffective Wenger is a football manager. So we has the Judas moment from the player that was then rubbed in when the player was proven 100% right in his claims we are losers. Because we are. That's how the scumbags in charge have set things up. Their attitude to sport is horrifying but this is all the long drawn out result from the first Sky TV televised match. From that moment football was doomed. The local aspect, the tradition, the two way loyalty, Roy of the Rovers, all replaced by money and the deep cynicism it brings.

Damn, we are so fucked as a club. It's hard to see any sort of light at the end of this circular tunnel.

[Niall_Quinn]

Kroenke is a sporting vampire, but on the whole i'm not so sure i care that much about him.....once Wenger is gone, i am hoping at least that Ivan Gazidis actually has power over managers, and as long as he's making money he won't care and will continue to be the absentee owner that we'd rather him be.

Plus the alternative to Kroenke is Usmanov

Exactly. We're so fucked.

[RomfordPele]

I think most people who are desperate fro Wenger to go would equally like to see Kroenke bugger off. Problem is there's nothing anyone can do to make him sell up. Last season a polite protest was organised and the whole stadium instead erupted in support for the club and the manager. For as long as that's happening the leeches robbing the place can sit there and keep their scam running. "We" at Arsenal, in terms of the fans, means a vocal minority split away from a complacent or nonchalant majority. Football has been methodically pricing out fans and replacing them with consumers and tourists. These latter groups won't be interested in doing what it takes to get the likes of Wenger and Kroenke out of the club. I doubt they are really that interested in football to be honest. I'm afraid the fans have lost their game. It has been bought out from under then and transformed into an environment where the whole point of the game has become milking a consumer base and attracting blood suckers like Kroenke. We're the odd men out now, Kroenke is very much in his natural environment.

Think there would actually be more consensus around a protest against kroenke than Wenger. People still feel loyalty, gratitude, nostalgia or whatever the fuck it is for Wenger - and the bastards at the top exploit the sense of division in the fan base for all its worth. They will continue to do that as long as the debate focuses on Wenger.

I don't think there's the same sense of division in attitudes to kroenke. It's pretty black and white. He is a leech who hasn't invested a penny to make the club more competitive, and has sat on his hands while Wenger slowly lost his grip. So we should be targeting him directly, not the senile old fall guy he's kept in place, basically as his spit guard.

Whether it would do any good is another matter, of course, but it might at least send a signal that this ain't the land of milk and honey, and that this is going to be an uncomfortable place to invest your money.

There may not be much we can do as lowly fans, but I want to see that bastard squirm.

[RomfordPele]

Plus the alternative to Kroenke is Usmanov

Not necessarily. There will be others interested in Arsenal should kroenke go.

This is not a reason to shrug and let kroenke carry on leeching the club.

[GP]

Not necessarily. There will be others interested in Arsenal should kroenke go.

This is not a reason to shrug and let kroenke carry on leeching the club.

And what can be done about it?

[Power n Glory]

Van Persie went to United, it's as simple as that.

There was no animosity towards Vieira, Fabregas and Henry because they all went abroad (well until Fabregas came to Chelsea)

I'm talking about before RVP went to Utd. Contract talks never took place and the club kept feeding the media stories about wage demands despite no offer being put on the table for RVP. It's the same process. The statement he made to through the press made that clear. Money wasn't discussed and he wanted to know what players we were signing when he met with Wenger and Gazidis.

He's a total cunt for how's he acted since joining Utd or even having the gall to push for the move there but the club played their part. That's the point being made.

[RomfordPele]

And what can be done about it?

Possibly not much, as I say. The only thing we can do is make the issue firmly and explicitly about kroenke, not Wenger, and unite around that.

So make his life uncomfortable. Find a way to protest every match. Walk out after 6 mins each game to mark his six years at the helm. Whatever gets noticed. Just make him understand that the enmity is towards him, and make him feel he could have an easier time investing elsewhere.

[Ernesto]

According to the BBC, a training ground bust-up with his team mates was the reason Alexis was left on the bench yesterday.

It's a sad state of affairs at the club. Do we blame Wenger for Alexis throwing a hissy fit? Indeed, do we apportion any blame at all?

It does make it almost certain that he's off in the summer, though. The only thing that's left is how he leaves. Is it like that ungrateful Dutch tw@ or is it more like Liam Brady, where he wouldn't be considered a rat off a sinking ship and we'd just remember the good times...

[RomfordPele]

According to the BBC, a training ground bust-up with his team mates was the reason Alexis was left on the bench yesterday.

It's a sad state of affairs at the club. Do we blame Wenger for Alexis throwing a hissy fit? Indeed, do we apportion any blame at all?

It does make it almost certain that he's off in the summer, though. The only thing that's left is how he leaves. Is it like that ungrateful Dutch tw@ or is it more like Liam Brady, where he wouldn't be considered a rat off a sinking ship and we'd just remember the good times...

Given that it is 100% made-up, manufactured horseshit from the Arsenal press office, I don't blame alexis one bit. I suspect he has done nothing wrong apart from reacting to the mediocrity around him, just like RVP and Fabregas before him.

And even if there was one iota of truth to it (which there isn't), whatever happened to dealing with stuff like this in-house, rather than briefing out to all and sundry?

It's almost like the club want to distract us from something, isn't it?

[Marc Overmars]

I can't knock someone for having high standards and getting upset when those standards are not met. That is the hallmark of a winner and frankly if Alexis is vilified for this then it speaks volumes about the mentality at this club. He's not here for a jolly like the others.

We used to have stacks of players with his kind of mentality and they all fed off each other. Now though it seems you can't do anything to upset our poor little lambs who show such great spirit every week.

[selassie]

Of course Wenger doesn't want to pay them that much. He was making a statement yesterday. Gave Ozil the day off with that bogus flu excuse and benched Sanchez to try and show them that they aren't needed. Did he really say he developed Sanchez? :lol:

It's this sort of thing where you can see he has his priorities twisted. He's allowed a board level decision to dictate his team selection. Nobody at board level has intervened to say he can't play them. He'd never stand for that. It's his own decision to try and show that we don't need then and that suggests to me that he's also unwilling to pay them what they want.

:lol:

He did the same thing with Wiltord and Edu many years ago when they refused to extend.

Yeah he came out with that he has developed Sanchez line yesterday, he almost sounded like he felt Sanchez should be grateful for what we have done for him so far :lol:

I agree 100% with you P'nG and this is one of the reasons to why he absolutely has to go.

[Gooner23]

Sanchez is a winner and they are trying to vilify him for it. Meanwhile the loser Wenger can carry on regardless what happens on the pitch.

Fuck this club and the way it's going.

[AFC Leveller]

Who would blame him for wanting to leave? he is a world class forward and can play anywhere he likes, he wont be short of suitors. He has probably realised that the players and manager arent hungry enough for trophies and he cant stick around and play along.

[Niall_Quinn]

Reports coming out today that Alexis killed Kennedy by flying a plane into him on 911. If true the fans need to beg Wenger to stay for two more years at least.

[Power n Glory]

:lol:

He did the same thing with Wiltord and Edu many years ago when they refused to extend.

Yeah he came out with that he has developed Sanchez line yesterday, he almost sounded like he felt Sanchez should be grateful for what we have done for him so far :lol:

I agree 100% with you P'nG and this is one of the reasons to why he absolutely has to go.

Good memory. He'll cut his nose off to spite his face. Same was the case for Lauren. Did the same with Theo not so long ago...I think Reyes had something similar happen to him.

He's really lost the plot if he thinks he has anything to do with Sanchez's development.

[Özim]

The guy is gone unless we replace Wenger and have a convincing stragetgy on how we'll be moving forward and our plan for winning the big trophies. Basically he's gone because I reckon Wenger will be signing a new contract as soon as the dust has settled.

[Niall_Quinn]

Good memory. He'll cut his nose off to spite his face. Same was the case for Lauren. Did the same with Theo not so long ago...I think Reyes had something similar happen to him.

He's really lost the plot if he thinks he has anything to do with Sanchez's development.

In between building the stadium with his bare hands, he was flying over to Chile to give Alexis special coaching. Fact.

[Özim]

Who would blame him for wanting to leave? he is a world class forward and can play anywhere he likes, he wont be short of suitors. He has probably realised that the players and manager arent hungry enough for trophies and he cant stick around and play along.

To be honest, I wonder why any top player comes to Arsenal, when it's been obvious we don't compete for years.

[Niall_Quinn]

To be honest, I wonder why any top player comes to Arsenal, when it's been obvious we don't compete for years.

They come here to take a mid-career break. The location is excellent. The facilities second to none and the atmosphere is the most relaxed in world football. Plus you get paid and there's an excellent health care plan. Can't knock it.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I think we are in danger of rewriting history a bit to suit a new narrative, for sure the club has thrown Alexis under the bus to protect the manager.

Which is the equivalent of doing a Mason Verger to spite your face

But Reyes? The guy was a pansy who didn't like it when it got cold, let's be fair he never came back to England and he never really flourished anywhere else.

Van Persie was a cunt for going to United, although yes we know that it broke down because he was dismayed that we weren't going into the transfer market to strengthen the squad.

Sanchez story and you've never had it so good has Mark Gonellas fingerprints all over it, but how long has he been at the club?

[Niall_Quinn]

I think we are in danger of rewriting history a bit to suit a new narrative, for sure the club has thrown Alexis under the bus to protect the manager.

Which is the equivalent of doing a Mason Verger to spite your face

But Reyes? The guy was a pansy who didn't like it when it got cold, let's be fair he never came back to England and he never really flourished anywhere else.

Van Persie was a cunt for going to United, although yes we know that it broke down because he was dismayed that we weren't going into the transfer market to strengthen the squad.

Sanchez story and you've never had it so good has Mark Gonellas fingerprints all over it, but how long has he been at the club?

More a case of hindsight isn't it? As more of these disasters unfold so do patterns that allow you to look back on past events with a new perspective. After all this time, what top player would want to be here if he's serious about winning? The money doesn't come into it either, players can get more elsewhere (unless they are sub-standard, in which case this is the place to be.)

[Power n Glory]

I think we are in danger of rewriting history a bit to suit a new narrative, for sure the club has thrown Alexis under the bus to protect the manager.

Which is the equivalent of doing a Mason Verger to spite your face

But Reyes? The guy was a pansy who didn't like it when it got cold, let's be fair he never came back to England and he never really flourished anywhere else.

Van Persie was a cunt for going to United, although yes we know that it broke down because he was dismayed that we weren't going into the transfer market to strengthen the squad.

Sanchez story and you've never had it so good has Mark Gonellas fingerprints all over it, but how long has he been at the club?

There is no rewriting of history and it's not a new narrative. Nobody is revising the character of these players. The character of the players isn't what's in question. It's the character of the manager and how he tends to let contract disputes affect footballing decisions. Or more recently, how the smear campaign starts when we have a contract rebel on our hands.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

There is no rewriting of history and it's not a new narrative. Nobody is revising the character of these players. The character of the players isn't what's in question. It's the character of the manager and how he tends to let contract disputes affect footballing decisions. Or more recently, how the smear campaign starts when we have a contract rebel on our hands.

The character of players like Reyes and Wiltord should very much be in question.

That and other players you cited were part of the invincibles squad, and at a time when Wenger wasn't running his own personal fiefdom.

So no I don't buy that every player leaving is on Wenger and not their own crappy attitude. We know he has become entrenched and no longer Instills a winning mentality, but I think this is the degeneration of someone who has taken on too much and now can't stand to be questioned, and instead of helping him the club are enabling this behaviour.

[Power n Glory]

More a case of hindsight isn't it? As more of these disasters unfold so do patterns that allow you to look back on past events with a new perspective. After all this time, what top player would want to be here if he's serious about winning? The money doesn't come into it either, players can get more elsewhere (unless they are sub-standard, in which case this is the place to be.)


I've been saying the same thing about RVP and Song for ages in the way the club tried to smear their reputation. It’s not hindsight for me. For RVP, I'm talking before the 'little boy' in him spoke and before he started celebrating goals against us like a cunt.

RVP's contract talks dragged on for ages. Unlike Sanchez, he wasn't dropped, but the club kept feeding the press stories about not being able to afford his wages despite no official offer being made or number discussed. PHW coming out and saying we can’t afford the sort of wages City can pay. Remember? Sounds very similar to what Sir Chip has recently said about our contract rebels. The statement being that we’re prepared to lose both players. Wenger even said that he didn’t think it was right to offer a player close to 30 a massive contract when he’s most likely to lose form and play less in the final years of his deal. We had no intention of offering RVP a deal and were trying to attract bids from other clubs but only Utd and Juve were interested.

Song was a funny case as well. Contact talks were due and the club kept knocking him back. When they decided to sell him to Barca, a story leaks that he was disruptive in training. ;) How classy of us! Since when was he disruptive and since when did we leak shit like that to the press? The fans were being handled. Under the Stan and Ivan regime, PR is everything and the last thing they want is for us to look like a selling club. They saw the reaction from the fans when we sold Nasri and Cesc. I still firmly believe it was Gazidis and his cronies doing most of the leg work for the transfer deadline day panic. He’s more in tune with the sentiment of the fans but still a devious shit.

It’s all well and good everyone now saying Sanchez can do better but the day he makes a statement about wanting out and trying to force a move or if he wants to play for one of our rivals…that’s when the narrative shifts. Happens all the time. With RVP, he’s acted like a complete shite since leaving but people on here forget what they were saying before he left and how he ended up at Utd. The club sold him and were unwilling to offer him a massive contract. But he wasn’t even asking for more money. He wanted to know about the players we were signing and our ‘sporting ambition’. Sound familiar again? Remember the day Henry questioned Wenger in the same way and dropped for the North London Derby after? Question Wenger’s tactics or challenge his authority and he gets defensive and agitated. In fact, it comes across as petty and illogical. You only have to watch his interviews when challenged to see how rattled he gets.

[Power n Glory]

The character of players like Reyes and Wiltord should very much be in question.

That and other players you cited were part of the invincibles squad, and at a time when Wenger wasn't running his own personal fiefdom.

So no I don't buy that every player leaving is on Wenger and not their own crappy attitude. We know he has become entrenched and no longer Instills a winning mentality, but I think this is the degeneration of someone who has taken on too much and now can't stand to be questioned, and instead of helping him the club are enabling this behaviour.

That's not the argument at all. The attitude of the player is irrelevant. That's not the focus because I'm not denying that these guys can be difficult. We're looking at how the manager reacts when having to handle difficult players and circumstances. It's not a case of them being dropped because they're underperforming and stinking it up on the pitch. It's boardroom level politics bleeding on to the pitch.

[Özim]

I've been saying the same thing about RVP and Song for ages in the way the club tried to smear their reputation. It’s not hindsight for me. For RVP, I'm talking before the 'little boy' in him spoke and before he started celebrating goals against us like a cunt.

RVP's contract talks dragged on for ages. Unlike Sanchez, he wasn't dropped, but the club kept feeding the press stories about not being able to afford his wages despite no official offer being made or number discussed. PHW coming out and saying we can’t afford the sort of wages City can pay. Remember? Sounds very similar to what Sir Chip has recently said about our contract rebels. The statement being that we’re prepared to lose both players. Wenger even said that he didn’t think it was right to offer a player close to 30 a massive contract when he’s most likely to lose form and play less in the final years of his deal. We had no intention of offering RVP a deal and were trying to attract bids from other clubs but only Utd and Juve were interested.

Song was a funny case as well. Contact talks were due and the club kept knocking him back. When they decided to sell him to Barca, a story leaks that he was disruptive in training. ;) How classy of us! Since when was he disruptive and since when did we leak shit like that to the press? The fans were being handled. Under the Stan and Ivan regime, PR is everything and the last thing they want is for us to look like a selling club. They saw the reaction from the fans when we sold Nasri and Cesc. I still firmly believe it was Gazidis and his cronies doing most of the leg work for the transfer deadline day panic. He’s more in tune with the sentiment of the fans but still a devious shit.

It’s all well and good everyone now saying Sanchez can do better but the day he makes a statement about wanting out and trying to force a move or if he wants to play for one of our rivals…that’s when the narrative shifts. Happens all the time. With RVP, he’s acted like a complete shite since leaving but people on here forget what they were saying before he left and how he ended up at Utd. The club sold him and were unwilling to offer him a massive contract. But he wasn’t even asking for more money. He wanted to know about the players we were signing and our ‘sporting ambition’. Sound familiar again? Remember the day Henry questioned Wenger in the same way and dropped for the North London Derby after? Question Wenger’s tactics or challenge his authority and he gets defensive and agitated. In fact, it comes across as petty and illogical. You only have to watch his interviews when challenged to see how rattled he gets.

Totally agree, the club have been very clever, always shifting the blame away from themselves and onto the players who left, what's wrong with a top player questioning your ambition when you come 4th every season, nothing because 4th place is pathetic target no top club should settle for, no top player in their right minds will want to waste his career just for 4th, it seems Wenger and co think they should be grateful for it however.

We're set to lose yet another one of our star players, how many times is it now, we know we've got the money now and still it looks like it's going to continue to happen. Other clubs are catching up and will overtake us soon, we've wasted the advantage of the stadium and have got nowhere with it, the only people to benefit are basically the people at the top. There's one constant throughout this whole process, Wenger, he's overseen and encouraged this change in the club and it's help attract the people we have in charge at the moment because they all wanted their share of the honey pot.

[Letters]

when you come 4th every season:haha:

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I've been saying the same thing about RVP and Song for ages in the way the club tried to smear their reputation. It’s not hindsight for me. For RVP, I'm talking before the 'little boy' in him spoke and before he started celebrating goals against us like a cunt.

RVP's contract talks dragged on for ages. Unlike Sanchez, he wasn't dropped, but the club kept feeding the press stories about not being able to afford his wages despite no official offer being made or number discussed. PHW coming out and saying we can’t afford the sort of wages City can pay. Remember? Sounds very similar to what Sir Chip has recently said about our contract rebels. The statement being that we’re prepared to lose both players. Wenger even said that he didn’t think it was right to offer a player close to 30 a massive contract when he’s most likely to lose form and play less in the final years of his deal. We had no intention of offering RVP a deal and were trying to attract bids from other clubs but only Utd and Juve were interested.

Song was a funny case as well. Contact talks were due and the club kept knocking him back. When they decided to sell him to Barca, a story leaks that he was disruptive in training. ;) How classy of us! Since when was he disruptive and since when did we leak shit like that to the press? The fans were being handled. Under the Stan and Ivan regime, PR is everything and the last thing they want is for us to look like a selling club. They saw the reaction from the fans when we sold Nasri and Cesc. I still firmly believe it was Gazidis and his cronies doing most of the leg work for the transfer deadline day panic. He’s more in tune with the sentiment of the fans but still a devious shit.

It’s all well and good everyone now saying Sanchez can do better but the day he makes a statement about wanting out and trying to force a move or if he wants to play for one of our rivals…that’s when the narrative shifts. Happens all the time. With RVP, he’s acted like a complete shite since leaving but people on here forget what they were saying before he left and how he ended up at Utd. The club sold him and were unwilling to offer him a massive contract. But he wasn’t even asking for more money. He wanted to know about the players we were signing and our ‘sporting ambition’. Sound familiar again? Remember the day Henry questioned Wenger in the same way and dropped for the North London Derby after? Question Wenger’s tactics or challenge his authority and he gets defensive and agitated. In fact, it comes across as petty and illogical. You only have to watch his interviews when challenged to see how rattled he gets.

I partly agree, however I don't believe a player should ever question a manager. We call Wenger a dictator, as far as the players are concerned that's exactly what a manager should be. The problem is a) that so many players have legitimate cause to question the manager b) no-one else in the club infrastructure seems willing or able to.
Imagine if you will we had a competent manager in and he made a tactical instruction of his players that came out of left field and the players question it, it becomes anarchy.

[Niall_Quinn]

It has taken fans time to shift from a mindset where we all thought we were engaged in a sport and trying to win to a realisation that the people at the top of the club are not working in the best interests of the club. We were all here thinking about results and team selections and substitutions and tactics and all the other stuff that is related to, you know, football. Behind the scenes the club was being transformed from a football focused operation to a vehicle for a small group of individuals to benefit personally. There was no immediate reason to be cynical of every move the executives made, the older fans were used to a traditional and tribal culture while the newer fans were in the unfortunate position of never having known anything but Wenger - and Wenger was still considered a winner bravely suffering the hardship of a stadium move that (perhaps naively) most fans thought was taking place for the good of the club.

Time has unfolded and a different and very nasty picture has emerged. In the case of RvC I can recall many fans wondering why the hell he'd ever want to leave, he was so integral to the club, he'd developed his career here, he'd come off the back of a great season, we were still in that "any day now" mode where the finances were expected to be opened up and we'd be adding to talent like his, not seeing it walk out the door. But it was one of the first big indicators of something being rotten at the club. I would have been much easier for players on the inside to detect this rot. It's not surprising the fans, increasingly on the outside, didn't detect the warning signs as early.

Nobody wants to be entirely cynical, do they? Unfortunately it turns out that complete cynicism is the most appropriate response to what's going on at Arsenal and within football in general these days. RvC lost his head and started spouting off, he played straight into their hands and ended up crucified. And that was still the right call by the fans because even though football tradition has pretty much died you still don't go and give a major rival a leg-up. Then again, you don't sell your star player to a major rival either, not if you genuinely have ambition. So that was a giveaway and plenty of fans did pick up on that one.

But yes, the banners should have been out and the vitriol should have been flowing at that stage. Half a decade on and here we are, in the same shitty position as back then. Watching our best players walk away and waiting for the club to show an ounce of ambition. A missed opportunity for the fans to act but what we have seen in football is unprecedented and has been dripped slowly into being. Fool me once and, unless I'm called Ty, I won't be fooled again. At least I hope so, but I still get the impression the majority of fans still really don't get it.

[Niall_Quinn]

Totally agree, the club have been very clever, always shifting the blame away from themselves and onto the players who left, what's wrong with a top player questioning your ambition when you come 4th every season, nothing because 4th place is pathetic target no top club should settle for, no top player in their right minds will want to waste his career just for 4th, it seems Wenger and co think they should be grateful for it however.

We're set to lose yet another one of our star players, how many times is it now, we know we've got the money now and still it looks like it's going to continue to happen. Other clubs are catching up and will overtake us soon, we've wasted the advantage of the stadium and have got nowhere with it, the only people to benefit are basically the people at the top. There's one constant throughout this whole process, Wenger, he's overseen and encouraged this change in the club and it's help attract the people we have in charge at the moment because they all wanted their share of the honey pot.

The stadium move has been far from wasted. Is it 3 ranches that have been mortgaged on the back of it? And look at Wenger, it bought him how many years? Plus all that extra revenue, the increased share price.

Provided you don't mention football, it has been a roaring success.

[Bumble]

The stadium move has been far from wasted. Is it 3 ranches that have been mortgaged on the back of it? And look at Wenger, it bought him how many years? Plus all that extra revenue, the increased share price.

Provided you don't mention football, it has been a roaring success.

dont forget its allowed more fans watch the team get steadily worse.

[Niall_Quinn]

I partly agree, however I don't believe a player should ever question a manager. We call Wenger a dictator, as far as the players are concerned that's exactly what a manager should be. The problem is a) that so many players have legitimate cause to question the manager b) no-one else in the club infrastructure seems willing or able to.
Imagine if you will we had a competent manager in and he made a tactical instruction of his players that came out of left field and the players question it, it becomes anarchy.

You said it yourself. We have an incompetent manager. Do the players just sit there and accept that? I agree they need to be professional and play their role accordingly. But so does the manager. When everyone is doing their job then the hierarchy works. When the crazy generals are slaughtering their men then somebody probably needs to speak up. This is the inherent danger of hierarchy and authority, an unquestioning acceptance the guy in charge knows what the fuck he's doing. Personally I'd have liked to see more players questioning this manager. The fact they haven't and, if the stories are to be believed, have turned on Alexis instead doesn't fill me with any confidence that they are up to the main task at hand, striving to win. How can any of them be even partially satisfied with the shit that is going on? "Losing the dressing room", happens. It's a fact of football life. Plenty of managers have walked as a result. It can leave a bad taste, as with Leicester most recently, and especially if the players haven't been delivering themselves. But Alexis has been delivering since they day he arrived. Can he not expect the same commitment from the manager and players at this "big club"? If the other players don't agree with him then fine, but to come out in support of this shitheap of a manager, as Ramsey has done, is just a joke. Ramsey? Who has spent the last two seasons playing like a pub reserve? Shut it Ramsey and get your own house in order, then you can have an opinion. At least Alexis has done the business before opening his mouth.

And I'm also seeing that old cliche, no player is bigger than the club. Fine. Well neither is any manager bigger than the club.

Oh, except at Arsenal.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

You said it yourself. We have an incompetent manager. Do the players just sit there and accept that? I agree they need to be professional and play their role accordingly. But so does the manager. When everyone is doing their job then the hierarchy works. When the crazy generals are slaughtering their men then somebody probably needs to speak up. This is the inherent danger of hierarchy and authority, an unquestioning acceptance the guy in charge knows what the fuck he's doing. Personally I'd have liked to see more players questioning this manager. The fact they haven't and, if the stories are to be believed, have turned on Alexis instead doesn't fill me with any confidence that they are up to the main task at hand, striving to win. How can any of them be even partially satisfied with the shit that is going on? "Losing the dressing room", happens. It's a fact of football life. Plenty of managers have walked as a result. It can leave a bad taste, as with Leicester most recently, and especially if the players haven't been delivering themselves. But Alexis has been delivering since they day he arrived. Can he not expect the same commitment from the manager and players at this "big club"? If the other players don't agree with him then fine, but to come out in support of this shitheap of a manager, as Ramsey has done, is just a joke. Ramsey? Who has spent the last two seasons playing like a pub reserve? Shut it Ramsey and get your own house in order, then you can have an opinion. At least Alexis has done the business before opening his mouth.

And I'm also seeing that old cliche, no player is bigger than the club. Fine. Well neither is any manager bigger than the club.

Oh, except at Arsenal.

I think my point was that, some players may just be arse holes and some may feel like they have no recourse because no-one above the manager is questioning him

[Niall_Quinn]

dont forget its allowed more fans watch the team get steadily worse.

And more corporate customers to buy more seats to leave empty.

The Emirates (it's even named after a corporation) is just a few yards down the road from Highbury but it seems a million miles.

[Power n Glory]

I partly agree, however I don't believe a player should ever question a manager. We call Wenger a dictator, as far as the players are concerned that's exactly what a manager should be. The problem is a) that so many players have legitimate cause to question the manager b) no-one else in the club infrastructure seems willing or able to.
Imagine if you will we had a competent manager in and he made a tactical instruction of his players that came out of left field and the players question it, it becomes anarchy.

But we don't have a competent manager. That's a different scenario and we're not talking about tactical instructions either. These aren't just any players either. I think the majority of his captains have openly questioned our transfer strategy.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

But we don't have a competent manager. That's a different scenario and we're not talking about tactical instructions either. These aren't just any players either. I think the majority of his captains have openly questioned our transfer strategy.

I wasn't referring to Wenger but all managers, for me it's not for a Captain to question a manager's transfer strategy that's for his bosses to do

Of course Wenger is incompetent, the fact that so many players are questioning him shows that he's lost the dressing room.

My point is if a player questions the manager the player should be punished, if players are continually doing it the manager needs to be sanctioned from above.

[Niall_Quinn]

I wasn't referring to Wenger but all managers, for me it's not for a Captain to question a manager's transfer strategy that's for his bosses to do

Of course Wenger is incompetent, the fact that so many players are questioning him shows that he's lost the dressing room.

My point is if a player questions the manager the player should be punished, if players are continually doing it the manager needs to be sanctioned from above.

I get that. But Arsenal is the glaring exception. Ridiculously it's up to the fans and the players to put this club back on track now. Nobody else is going to do it or is capable of doing it. What a bloody mess it all is. Somehow, in a couple of seasons, we've gone from being stable compared to the mess Ferguson left Utd in, to being in an even worse situation. It shows that when you let something rot for so long it will fall apart very quickly once a critical point is reached. Two more years of this guy would be catastrophic.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I get that. But Arsenal is the glaring exception. Ridiculously it's up to the fans and the players to put this club back on track now. Nobody else is going to do it or is capable of doing it. What a bloody mess it all is. Somehow, in a couple of seasons, we've gone from being stable compared to the mess Ferguson left Utd in, to being in an even worse situation. It shows that when you let something rot for so long it will fall apart very quickly once a critical point is reached. Two more years of this guy would be catastrophic.

Also love how journalists are now trying to protect the integrity of the story they are running with by saying it doesn't come from the club, well no it wouldn't...not directly....it's still a classic briefing leak.

[Power n Glory]

I wasn't referring to Wenger but all managers, for me it's not for a Captain to question a manager's transfer strategy that's for his bosses to do

Of course Wenger is incompetent, the fact that so many players are questioning him shows that he's lost the dressing room.

My point is if a player questions the manager the player should be punished, if players are continually doing it the manager needs to be sanctioned from above.

It’s a bit pointless discussing hypothetical scenarios for this sort of case. We’d all like a component manager that’s able to discipline players but also listen and be flexible. With Captain’s I think they’d have earned the right to voice that sort of opinion to manager if done in a respectful way.

But I’m more so referring to RVP’s case. If you’re about to commit the rest of your career to club, why wouldn’t you ask about the clubs future strategy? If this were being treated like we were trying to sign a new transfer target , I’m sure Wenger would do the old personal touch charm and do his best to convince a player to sign. If said player were to ask about new signings, I doubt it would be met with such hostility.

I really can’t understand how Wenger and Ivan went to meet with RVP and failed to mention the new sponsorship deals that would increase our spending power. Surely they must have? I imagine we were negotiating these deals at the time RVP’s contract talks were due. Why not keep him and let him leave on a free if determined to go? Take a chance and see if he changes his mind once the sponsorship deals come through. Don’t destabilise the team and sucker punch the fans by selling him to Utd. We had a choice and sold out. It’s spineless stuff.

[Niall_Quinn]

It’s a bit pointless discussing hypothetical scenarios for this sort of case. We’d all like a component manager that’s able to discipline players but also listen and be flexible. With Captain’s I think they’d have earned the right to voice that sort of opinion to manager if done in a respectful way.

But I’m more so referring to RVP’s case. If you’re about to commit the rest of your career to club, why wouldn’t you ask about the clubs future strategy? If this were being treated like we were trying to sign a new transfer target , I’m sure Wenger would do the old personal touch charm and do his best to convince a player to sign. If said player were to ask about new signings, I doubt it would be met with such hostility.

I really can’t understand how Wenger and Ivan went to meet with RVP and failed to mention the new sponsorship deals that would increase our spending power. Surely they must have? I imagine we were negotiating these deals at the time RVP’s contract talks were due. Why not keep him and let him leave on a free if determined to go? Take a chance and see if he changes his mind once the sponsorship deals come through. Don’t destabilise the team and sucker punch the fans by selling him to Utd. We had a choice and sold out. It’s spineless stuff.

You're joking, right? This lot take a financial gamble for the sake of the team? Never, ever, ever happening.

[Power n Glory]

I get that. But Arsenal is the glaring exception. Ridiculously it's up to the fans and the players to put this club back on track now. Nobody else is going to do it or is capable of doing it. What a bloody mess it all is. Somehow, in a couple of seasons, we've gone from being stable compared to the mess Ferguson left Utd in, to being in an even worse situation. It shows that when you let something rot for so long it will fall apart very quickly once a critical point is reached. Two more years of this guy would be catastrophic.

Agreed. Definitely the exception.

In regards to how Wenger will leave us....if Stan and Ivan have no interest in the new managers ideas and he's not allowed to bring in his own coaching staff....we could be in trouble. But if they're receptive and we have a forward thinking manager, we could end up in good shape.

[Penguin]

Wenger said Alexis' training ground bust up was made up and nothing has happened. but he also said this:


"It's a team sport, our game is built on collective expression and not one individual. Sanchez played in all the games when we didn't perform away from home we lost as well and that is what I think is the most important, to perform as a team."

Wenger seems to be telling Sanchez he needs to wise up with his teamwork here...

"Players at that level are proven but football is not about one player, it's much bigger than that.

"There's not a lot to add. Everybody wants to win."
Clearly not everyone knows HOW to win though...




Wenger steps into interrupt a question put to Mertesacker about whether the players are behind Wenger.

"Look honestly I don't think it's adjusted to the press conference. It's not up to a player to choose a manager.

"If I ask you is everybody in the company behind you, I promise I will find somebody who would like to be in your position. I can understand when results are not there when I'm criticised but it is not up to players to decide their manager."

On Champions league hopes:
"In last four, five years we have always played Barcelona or Bayern Munich, always the best or second best team in Europe so it's a difficult period.

"If you look at recent years we have done well from March until May.

"I think short term happiness is much easier to get than long term..."

:popcorn:

[Power n Glory]

"I think short term happiness is much easier to get than long term..."

:haha: How long has been since won the league?

[Marc Overmars]

Don't have much sympathy with the tough draw excuse, particularly after the way we choked against Monaco.
We should relish ties against the top teams but instead we're completely gripped by fear. That's why we're never capable of getting results as an underdog in the same way our rivals have done in the past.

What good is it playing well from March to May when you're not competing for anything? Should we take solace in that?

[Niall_Quinn]

Short term happiness :doh:

This guy.

[Niall_Quinn]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhbVZWD-SJ4

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Short term happiness :doh:

This guy.

If Wenger is honest with himself the last time he was truly happy was nuzzling into the bosom of his chocolate mistress Sonia Tatar

[Penguin]

Don't have much sympathy with the tough draw excuse, particularly after the way we choked against Monaco.
We should relish ties against the top teams but instead we're completely gripped by fear. That's why we're never capable of getting results as an underdog in the same way our rivals have done in the past.

What good is it playing well from March to May when you're not competing for anything? Should we take solace in that?

That part made me laugh. One of the reasons we keep drawing teams like Bayern and Barca is because we keep fucking up in the group stage. Then we play like a bunch of school kids against them and get demolished because the manager doesn't understand tactics.

Wenger doesn't even have the luxury of using that excuse when we get knocked out against the likes of Monaco and PSV. What was his excuse then? :doh:

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

That part made me laugh. One of the reasons we keep drawing teams like Bayern and Barca is because we keep fucking up in the group stage. Then we play like a bunch of school kids against them and get demolished because the manager doesn't understand tactics.

Wenger doesn't even have the luxury of using that excuse when we get knocked out against the likes of Monaco and PSV. What was his excuse then? :doh:

"We can only think we played the game we wanted to play but we didn't take our chances. It's cruel." - His excuse for PSV


Asked if Monaco deserved to progress, Wenger said: "I don't believe so.

"If you look at the number of shots on target they had you will be surprised. Every defeat hurts but we didn't lose." - His excuse for Monaco

[Niall_Quinn]

"It wasn't me!" - His excuse for everything.

[Xhaka Can’t]

He's gone.

https://youtu.be/TiNJdMQe1XI

[Özim]

Wenger said Alexis' training ground bust up was made up and nothing has happened. but he also said this:


Clearly not everyone knows HOW to win though...





:popcorn:

:lol: He is so cringeworthy honestly, it's actually a real embarrassment to the club and fans to have this guy in charge, his interviews are ridiculous, he gets prickly when you question any of his decisions and his answers are nonsense and stink of sour grapes.

I honestly don't know how anyone can support this man, what is actually good about him for this club, he's a guy who hails failure and finds every excuse to absolve himself of blame, it's just very very embarrassing really and he's making a laughing stock out of himself quite frankly.

[Ernesto]

I think what really accentuates my pain, my disillusionment with all things Arsenal right now and the turmoil the club finds itself in (it is turmoil, let's not beat around the bush) is what's going on at Chelsea.

They're building a new stadium. They're top of the league. They're gloating and laughing at our poor results and the situation of our players at every given opportunity, on social media and even the more conventional outlets. And we've had to take it from these shitbags for more than ten f***in years! We've let them dominate. We've allowed them to cast a shit stained shadow over London. An unambitious board, an incompetent manager and a conveyor belt of nondescript players shamelessly adoring the badge have conspired to ruin the good name of this fighting football club. Just sick to the back teeth of it.

[Niall_Quinn]

He's gone.

https://youtu.be/TiNJdMQe1XI

Crazy how similar he sounds to Troopz - are they related?

Anyway, I agree with everything he said. I want Alexis to be the manager. Why the fuck not? How could it be worse than the guy who has the job now?

[Niall_Quinn]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1DCHz22W68

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

[Özim]

Chelsea is what we should have been by now, a club with top players, competing for the biggest trophies and a real heavyweight of the football world who view success on the pitch as success. Instead we're a powderpuff club, with no ambition, who never challenges for the big prizes and is proud of it and who views sucess in terms of the size of it's bank account and what are we now, 3rd best club in London (we use to be the best even before Wenger).

We use to be a great football club, who did things the right way, on the pitch we were an example of what hunger, desire and pride can achieve...what are we now, a great business, who doesn't care what they do as long as they make a hefty profit and who epitomise, lack of application, desire and passion on the pitch.

The difference is night and day and the people in charge should be ashamed of themselves for turning this once great club into what it is today.

[selassie]

:haha: How long has been since won the league?


Wenger made it clear he is not ready to walk away without a fight and told fans to “look at the bigger picture” even though that message is unlikely to go down well with a growing number who want change this summer.The Gunners boss said: “I’ve been here for 20 years and think I’ve built the club up. It’s important for me that we’re always successful and that’s why I’ve given myself a bit of time.
“I haven’t come to a decision yet. I’ll wait a bit and see how the season finishes here to take a bigger picture. You do not make this kind of decision focusing on one result or two bad results.

:haha: Wenger is so god damn arrogant I'll give him that. He repeates the same old stuff every single season, once we put a few decent results together he'll come out with the "We are doing well, everybody thought we were fighting relegation" line.

[Niall_Quinn]

Chelsea is what we should have been by now, a club with top players, competing for the biggest trophies and a real heavyweight of the football world who view success on the pitch as success. Instead we're a powderpuff club, with no ambition, who never challenges for the big prizes and is proud of it and who views sucess in terms of the size of it's bank account and what are we now, 3rd best club in London (we use to be the best even before Wenger).

We use to be a great football club, who did things the right way, on the pitch we were an example of what hunger, desire and pride can achieve...what are we now, a great business, who doesn't care what they do as long as they make a hefty profit and who epitomise, lack of application, desire and passion on the pitch.

The difference is night and day and the people in charge should be ashamed of themselves for turning this once great club into what it is today.

Little bit selective there.

Wenger put Arsenal on the global map. We can't take that away from him. We'll never see football as good as we saw in the first part of his reign here. It really was magical stuff. Arsenal or Brazil in the 70's? Hard call. Best team to ever play the game in this country and if anyone disputes that they are just jealous or unreasonably biased.

But that was then and this is now.

Something very bad happened at Arsenal during and after the stadium move. The focus of the club was hijacked. People lost their character and I include Wenger in that. It really is impossible for anyone to look at the Invincibles and then look at the shit we are suffering now and not conclude that something very, very bad and something very rotten happened at this club. Greedy and power hungry people who sacrificed a whole culture and history and tradition and who threw away excellence in pursuit of their own personal interests. The people who did this should be vilified, and I again include Wenger in that. I don't care what he says now. He's been part of this all along. The good part and the rancid part. the glory and honour and the shitty, horrible fall from competitive sport into the grubby world of cash. Fuck them all. They have ruined this club and it's hard to see how it will be put back together again. We're a bloody corporation now, suffering the shitbag owners we currently have and waiting for them to sell up so the next shitbag can come it.

Wenger's legacy is now a break even zero. If he pushes on for 2 more years then he goes into deficit. Up to him. If he stays then we have all the answers we need about what sort of man he has become.

[Niall_Quinn]

Wenger made it clear he is not ready to walk away without a fight and told fans to “look at the bigger picture” even though that message is unlikely to go down well with a growing number who want change this summer.The Gunners boss said: “I’ve been here for 20 years and think I’ve built the club up. It’s important for me that we’re always successful and that’s why I’ve given myself a bit of time.
“I haven’t come to a decision yet. I’ll wait a bit and see how the season finishes here to take a bigger picture. You do not make this kind of decision focusing on one result or two bad results.

The fans have to look at the bigger picture now? But Wenger gets to wait until the end of the season to view this bigger picture? How does that work then? Plainly we are looking at different bigger pictures. This guy contradicts himself within the space of a paragraph. And if it's so important that we have success then what the fuck happened dude? You call this success? By comparison to what? Crewe Alexandria? Success for a club like Arsenal means challenging for titles and at least not being humiliated in the CL - can we at least have that FFS? Success? Get the fuck out of here! What the fuck are you on about? Are you blind?

This guy lives in his own little fantasy world and assumes that everyone who isn't living in the same place is irrelevant. It's a classic case of delusion. He's ill. He should be in a hospital, not suffering the stress of managing a football club.

[Marc Overmars]

:haha: Wenger is so god damn arrogant I'll give him that. He repeates the same old stuff every single season, once we put a few decent results together he'll come out with the "We are doing well, everybody thought we were fighting relegation" line.

He's clinging on to the past for dear life.

The only big picture everyone needs to look it is the complete failure to compete for the league and CL. There are no migitating factors anymore, he's past it.

[AFC Leveller]

The fans have to look at the bigger picture now? But Wenger gets to wait until the end of the season to view this bigger picture? How does that work then? Plainly we are looking at different bigger pictures. This guy contradicts himself within the space of a paragraph. And if it's so important that we have success then what the fuck happened dude? You call this success? By comparison to what? Crewe Alexandria? Success for a club like Arsenal means challenging for titles and at least not being humiliated in the CL - can we at least have that FFS? Success? Get the fuck out of here! What the fuck are you on about? Are you blind?

This guy lives in his own little fantasy world and assumes that everyone who isn't living in the same place is irrelevant. It's a classic case of delusion. He's ill. He should be in a hospital, not suffering the stress of managing a football club.

Hes out of touch, hes arrogant, hes in denial, hes a liar and a hasbeen.

[GP]

Wenger turned me into a newt.

[Globalgunner]

Hes a scared old git. Scared of what will happen to him if he loses the couch potatoe security of his Arsenal job. Scared of what his epilogue will be when he has to hand it in. As long as he stays in the job he has the illusion of a greater tomorrow. But when this job is taken from him, the reviews will be harsh, especially if we make the mistake of getting someone who actually knows his job after he leaves.

There will be nowhere to hide for a man who was great for maybe 8 years of his life and woefully inept for the rest. Before he came here he was known as the man who always came 2nd. After he leaves this job, he will be known as the man who could never really make it to the top even with all the tools at his disposal.

[Marc Overmars]

John Cross is really digging Alexis out for his recent performances. Ignoring the fact he's scored 3 and got one assist in the past 4 games, 2 of which he didn't start. That's besides the point though, he's happy enough to call out our best player for a perceived lack of performance but what about the manager, for whom it hasn't just been a handful of games but a handful of years?

[Özim]

Little bit selective there.

Wenger put Arsenal on the global map. We can't take that away from him. We'll never see football as good as we saw in the first part of his reign here. It really was magical stuff. Arsenal or Brazil in the 70's? Hard call. Best team to ever play the game in this country and if anyone disputes that they are just jealous or unreasonably biased.

But that was then and this is now.

Something very bad happened at Arsenal during and after the stadium move. The focus of the club was hijacked. People lost their character and I include Wenger in that. It really is impossible for anyone to look at the Invincibles and then look at the shit we are suffering now and not conclude that something very, very bad and something very rotten happened at this club. Greedy and power hungry people who sacrificed a whole culture and history and tradition and who threw away excellence in pursuit of their own personal interests. The people who did this should be vilified, and I again include Wenger in that. I don't care what he says now. He's been part of this all along. The good part and the rancid part. the glory and honour and the shitty, horrible fall from competitive sport into the grubby world of cash. Fuck them all. They have ruined this club and it's hard to see how it will be put back together again. We're a bloody corporation now, suffering the shitbag owners we currently have and waiting for them to sell up so the next shitbag can come it.

Wenger's legacy is now a break even zero. If he pushes on for 2 more years then he goes into deficit. Up to him. If he stays then we have all the answers we need about what sort of man he has become.

Whilst I acknowledge he did some great things and we played some great football which I absolutely loved, what he's done to Arsenal since then is nothing short of scandalous, to go from that to this, boring, repetitive, slow, unentertaining nonsense is just unbelievable and as a club we're in a very bad place at the moment thanks to him. Yes he built the club up but he's also knocked it down a fair few levels since then, when he does leave us, other than having money what else is there to be proud of? We're all about profit and nothing else, there's no respect for the fans and if anything they go beyond that and stick two fingers up at them and on top of that we've had one guy for 20 years who's so ingrained in this clubs culture (the losing culture) it's going to be very very hard for anyone new to come in and change things, if they do it will take a fair amount of time.

He's not left us in a good place at all in my opinion, the culture of the club is to make a profit, the players, staff etc have got a losing mentality, the medical area is nothing short of shambolic, the youth team is a joke, we can't defend and tactically we're inept.

[GP]

John Cross is really digging Alexis out for his recent performances. Ignoring the fact he's scored 3 and got one assist in the past 4 games, 2 of which he didn't start. That's besides the point though, he's happy enough to call out our best player for a perceived lack of performance but what about the manager, for whom it hasn't just been a handful of games but a handful of years?

I agree I think it's completely pointless to point fingers at any of the players right now. Players come and go but the results stay the same.

[Niall_Quinn]

Wenger turned me into a newt.

Well nobody is saying everything he does is bad.

[Niall_Quinn]

John Cross is really digging Alexis out for his recent performances. Ignoring the fact he's scored 3 and got one assist in the past 4 games, 2 of which he didn't start. That's besides the point though, he's happy enough to call out our best player for a perceived lack of performance but what about the manager, for whom it hasn't just been a handful of games but a handful of years?

Cross is Wenger's bit on the side. A bloke masquerading as a journalist who has zero integrity. Used to be the press represented the people by calling the powerful to account. Cross is one of the new breed who sees it the exact opposite way. That's why he can write such shit without shame.

Alexis #NickingALiving - been there, seen that, get some better material Cross, you twat.

[Power n Glory]

John Cross is really digging Alexis out for his recent performances. Ignoring the fact he's scored 3 and got one assist in the past 4 games, 2 of which he didn't start. That's besides the point though, he's happy enough to call out our best player for a perceived lack of performance but what about the manager, for whom it hasn't just been a handful of games but a handful of years?

I stopped entertaining the opinion of these idiots. I’m not sure when it happened but I don’t really care what mainstream media pundits have to say about the club these days because it’s rare to find any sort of honesty. They haven’t had the balls to call Wenger out on his bullshit and they’re so out of touch, they still write crap up about us playing beautiful and entertaining football but lacking that physical presence. Rehash stories from 2006! They’re totally out of touch with what’s going on at the club, zero commentary on tactics, player types, trends….it’s the gossip rag stuff that they’re only good for.

I prefer reading and listening to content created by the fans like Arseblog, podcasts like Arsenal Vision or even Arsenal Fan TV. They’re at least honest and know what they’re talking about. These fraudulent pundits are probably stealing material from the bloggers anyway. They’re definitely checking the sites to come up with some of the stuff they’ve only recently said about Wenger.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

The opinion of these idiots?

It's not John Cross' opinion, he's just doing his job. His job is to report upon what the club tells him to report upon in order to get favourable access. He is doing that job superbly.

[Power n Glory]

The opinion of these idiots?

It's not John Cross' opinion, he's just doing his job. His job is to report upon what the club tells him to report upon in order to get favourable access. He is doing that job superbly.

;) Really? You really want to debate that point? Knock yourself out.

[IBK]

TBH I have mixed feelings about Alexis. Our best player by far, and the only one who shows any fight, passion or initiative. But my sympathy for his thwarted ambition only goes so far. Understanding why he clearly wants to leave is not the same as admiring his attitude. I am not blaming him for being the same as many of the top players these days who wants to look after his own interests, and he is of course entitled to run his career in the way he wants to. But as we saw with Fabregas; Nasri; RVP et al, his attitude of 'things aren't going my way so I want out' is part of the malaise at our club, and part of our decline. Fight is not only game to game - it is longer term. Too many of our players don't have the long term fight or commitment that we desperately need to turn our current situation around. Is it the manager's fault. Hell yes. But there is also such a thing as player accountability and while Alexis is undoubtedly the best of a bad lot at Arsenal, ultimately he wants out rather than staying to fight. That I find difficult to admire.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

;) Really? You really want to debate that point? Knock yourself out.

There's nothing to debate, I'm just stating that I have no idea what John Cross' opinion is, on the state of Arsenal football club because i've never seen it stated

[Power n Glory]

TBH I have mixed feelings about Alexis. Our best player by far, and the only one who shows any fight, passion or initiative. But my sympathy for his thwarted ambition only goes so far. Understanding why he clearly wants to leave is not the same as admiring his attitude. I am not blaming him for being the same as many of the top players these days who wants to look after his own interests, and he is of course entitled to run his career in the way he wants to. But as we saw with Fabregas; Nasri; RVP et al, his attitude of 'things aren't going my way so I want out' is part of the malaise at our club, and part of our decline. Fight is not only game to game - it is longer term. Too many of our players don't have the long term fight or commitment that we desperately need to turn our current situation around. Is it the manager's fault. Hell yes. But there is also such a thing as player accountability and while Alexis is undoubtedly the best of a bad lot at Arsenal, ultimately he wants out rather than staying to fight. That I find difficult to admire.

How do you fight it? You can see he’s being vocal and trying to rally the troops but there is only so much you can do as one player. I remember the Liverpool CL game where Theo set up Ade with that amazing goal but we conceded within seconds of scoring and went out of the competition. The coaching staff won’t correct the mistakes, the manager has no problem with the lax attitude when it comes to defending and won’t buy the right personnel to help solve the issues.

Add to the fact that our top players must sacrifice top wages to be at a club like Arsenal even though they’re wanted by bigger clubs. It’s too much to ask a player to sacrifice that much for club and coach that won’t sacrifice their own earnings and wages for the good of the team. Players have that ambition to win everything shouldn’t be held back by this club. I can understand why players like Cesc, RVP, Henry and Sanchez went looking for the exit. It’s not as if Cesc, RVP and Henry weren’t at this club for years either. We as fans have spotted the flaws and pattern after witnessing the same cycle for over a decade, but can you imagine the players seeing it week in week out? A humiliating defeat one week and you arrive for training on Monday and it’s as if nothing has happened. Same routine, same drills, same philosophy with the manager making excuses about the loss and blaming the ref or pitch for our recent loss. It has to drive them mental.

I don’t admire them wanting to leave, but can only relate to the frustration. Up close and personal, I can’t imagine what it’s like trying to keep your cool in that sort of environment. Certain players, I wouldn’t want them to retire with regrets when they’re talented. It’s a short career and loyalty works both ways.

[selassie]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1DCHz22W68

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

Too right, Per could barely look ahead at the camera, he knew!

I also found it quite amusing that Wenger jumped in and answered Per's question for him regarding what the players thought of him and his leadership! Doesn't Wenger trust Per to answer the question? Or does Wenger want complete over that too?

[Niall_Quinn]

The opinion of these idiots?

It's not John Cross' opinion, he's just doing his job. His job is to report upon what the club tells him to report upon in order to get favourable access. He is doing that job superbly.

The modern definition of a journalist.

[Özim]

They don't half ask some dum questions, they asked Mertesacker if all the players are behind him, what is he suppose to say.....no there's a few who aren't, he's got the manager next to him and is in front of TV cameras.

I can't stand these interviews, they never ask the right questions people want to know about, for example why do you persist with the same methods despite not really having any success in the last 10 years, why do you in every transfer fail to identify and sign targets early, why is your defence still as poor as it was last season and the season before than and before that.....there's so much to ask!

He answers about our failure every season and says we always do well from March to May, but they should pick him up and say well yes but that usually coincides with the periord when you're out of all the top competitions realistically, as for his comment about playing Barca and Munich...a) we played so weaker sides and still lost and b) other sides have managed to upset the odds and beat them, it's just us that doesn't seem to be able to compete, his responses are laighable but he never gets picked up on them which is annoying.

Notice he says it's easier for Munich than it is for us because they are financially dominant, thing is it doesn't explain why they do so well in Europe, always lame excucses from him.

Apparently it's important we're always successful according to Wenger, so what's happened in the last 10+ years then?

His interviews really never address the important points, he skirts around the issues with excuses that don't even make sense and always seems to be making claims that are just snippets of the actual situation, his comment about the 2 weeks don't decide anything in another interview is proof of that!

As for Mertesacker, we've heard this nonsense every season, we're ready to prove how good we are basically but now we're ready to prove otherwise, cheap words never backed up by performances sadly, you'd be a fool to buy into it now.

[Power n Glory]

Too right, Per could barely look ahead at the camera, he knew!

I also found it quite amusing that Wenger jumped in and answered Per's question for him regarding what the players thought of him and his leadership! Doesn't Wenger trust Per to answer the question? Or does Wenger want complete over that too?

It's a bit of circus. Merts laughed at the question. I don't know how they expect him to answer that sort of question right in front of Wenger. Same goes for the question about his relationship with Sanchez and the rest of the players. It should be obvious to the reporters that they're not going to get the 'dirt' they're looking for from a press conference so just ask sensible questions. To me it looked like Merts was embarrassed to be sat there. I can kinda of understand Wenger's flippant response when I see stuff like this.

[Power n Glory]

They don't have ask some dum questions, they asked Mertesacker if all the players are behind him, what is he suppose to say.....no there's a few who aren't, he's got the manager next to him and is in front of TV cameras.

I can't stand these interviews, they never ask the right questions people want to know about, for example why do you persist with the same methods despite not really having any success in the last 10 years, why do you in every transfer fail to identify and sign targets early, why is your defence still as poor as it was last season and the season before than and before that.....there's so much to ask!

He answers about our failure every season and says we always do well from March to May, but they should pick him up and say well yes but that usually coincides with the periord when you're out of all the top competitions realistically, as for his comment about playing Barca and Munich...a) we played so weaker sides and still lost and b) other sides have managed to upset the odds and beat them, it's just us that doesn't seem to be able to compete, his responses are laighable but he never gets picked up on them which is annoying.

Notice he says it's easier for Munich than it is for us because they are financially dominant, thing is it doesn't explain why they do so well in Europe, always lame excucses from him.

Apparently it's important we're always successful according to Wenger, so what's happened in the last 10+ years then?

His interviews really never address the important points, he skirts around the issues with excuses that don't even make sense and always seems to be making claims that are just snippets of the actual situation, his comment about the 2 weeks don't decide anything in another interview is proof of that!

I was just punching in the same response when you posted that. It's a surreal setting and we're on the same page. It's a ridiculous thing to sit through. You can't take it seriously. Poor journalism.

[Niall_Quinn]

TBH I have mixed feelings about Alexis. Our best player by far, and the only one who shows any fight, passion or initiative. But my sympathy for his thwarted ambition only goes so far. Understanding why he clearly wants to leave is not the same as admiring his attitude. I am not blaming him for being the same as many of the top players these days who wants to look after his own interests, and he is of course entitled to run his career in the way he wants to. But as we saw with Fabregas; Nasri; RVP et al, his attitude of 'things aren't going my way so I want out' is part of the malaise at our club, and part of our decline. Fight is not only game to game - it is longer term. Too many of our players don't have the long term fight or commitment that we desperately need to turn our current situation around. Is it the manager's fault. Hell yes. But there is also such a thing as player accountability and while Alexis is undoubtedly the best of a bad lot at Arsenal, ultimately he wants out rather than staying to fight. That I find difficult to admire.

It seems to me that Alexis has done everything he's physically capable of doing to win for this club. I find it incredible that Wenger hasn't been able to harness that effort, absolutely incredible. Wenger's job was to take Ozil and Alexis and use them as the centrepiece of a squad capable of challenging for the title. He's failed to do this and everyone has seen him fail. What must really stick is that Wenger won't accept it. Even worse, he plans on pumping out the same old shit in the hope doing it wrong a thousand times will suddenly become successful. What must it be like for the players to watch that? We know what it's like as fans, but to actually be involved on the ground and realise that nothing is ever going to change and that you have a career on the line, why should players accept that? It doesn't matter if Alexis stays and fights. It won't make any difference while Wenger is still in control. Alexis chose to come here. The question is why? To see out his career in a constantly failing team? I doubt it. More likely himself and players like Ozil were handed a string of promises, much like the fans have been. And none of those promises are materialising. Not because we've been unlucky, but because the guy in charge can't deliver. This is the period where our stadium move was supposed to deliver a world class team on to the pitch. Well that hasn't happened either. Outside Arsenal the world of football rolls on, titles are being won, champions are being made, Alexis and Ozil are looking at that knowing they can't be part of it in a club managed by Wenger. If we're determined to keep Wenger here (and it sounds like we are) then what we are doing is asking the likes of Alexis to sacrifice the remainder of his career. It's an unreasonable demand. I don't blame him one bit for wanting to be out of this shit show and back into the mainstream of football. Why shouldn't he be? He has the talent and the ambition to succeed at the top. Hell, I'm not sure even I want to be involved with Arsenal any more and all I do is watch on TV. It would be madness for Alexis to stay here if Wenger remains at the helm.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I would like to see someone ask him why his record against the teams we compete against for the title is so consistently poor.

Post match after Liverpool would have been an opportune moment to ask that, but it became a Sanchez side show.


This season against Spurs, Man United, Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool (so far)

Wins 1 Draws 2 Losses 4

Last season against Spurs, Man United, Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool

Wins 2 Draws 5 Losses 3

14/15 season against Spurs, Man United, Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool

Wins 2 Draws 5 Losses 3

5 wins from 27? Jesus

Spurs have 7 from 28

United have 11 from 27

Liverpool have 11 from 29

City have 8 from 26

Chelsea have 10 from 28

[Niall_Quinn]

It's a bit of circus. Merts laughed at the question. I don't know how they expect him to answer that sort of question right in front of Wenger. Same goes for the question about his relationship with Sanchez and the rest of the players. It should be obvious to the reporters that they're not going to get the 'dirt' they're looking for from a press conference so just ask sensible questions. To me it looked like Merts was embarrassed to be sat there. I can kinda of understand Wenger's flippant response when I see stuff like this.

They're more looking for what isn't said, so they can create some sensational headline based on pure speculation. The questions are bait for traps. They don't expect answers, they want slip-ups and quotes that can be taken out of context. They are absolute scum.

[IBK]

How do you fight it? You can see he’s being vocal and trying to rally the troops but there is only so much you can do as one player. I remember the Liverpool CL game where Theo set up Ade with that amazing goal but we conceded within seconds of scoring and went out of the competition. The coaching staff won’t correct the mistakes, the manager has no problem with the lax attitude when it comes to defending and won’t buy the right personnel to help solve the issues.

Add to the fact that our top players must sacrifice top wages to be at a club like Arsenal even though they’re wanted by bigger clubs. It’s too much to ask a player to sacrifice that much for club and coach that won’t sacrifice their own earnings and wages for the good of the team. Players have that ambition to win everything shouldn’t be held back by this club. I can understand why players like Cesc, RVP, Henry and Sanchez went looking for the exit. It’s not as if Cesc, RVP and Henry weren’t at this club for years either. We as fans have spotted the flaws and pattern after witnessing the same cycle for over a decade, but can you imagine the players seeing it week in week out? A humiliating defeat one week and you arrive for training on Monday and it’s as if nothing has happened. Same routine, same drills, same philosophy with the manager making excuses about the loss and blaming the ref or pitch for our recent loss. It has to drive them mental.

I don’t admire them wanting to leave, but can only relate to the frustration. Up close and personal, I can’t imagine what it’s like trying to keep your cool in that sort of environment. Certain players, I wouldn’t want them to retire with regrets when they’re talented. It’s a short career and loyalty works both ways.

Like I say, I understand totally his desire to leave an under-performing club, but I cannot admire it. I guess I am thinking at a macro level rather than a specific one with Alexis, but it is inevitable that if the best players will only commit to clubs where silverware is more or less assured, then those below that level will not win honours. Its a self-fulfilling prophecy.

How does one player fight against a culture of mediocrity. Well, its difficult, but a start is to do just that. Stay and fight. Most successful clubs have one or 2 committed players who drag the others by the scruff of the neck. Ours tend to leave.

[Niall_Quinn]

Like I say, I understand totally his desire to leave an under-performing club, but I cannot admire it. I guess I am thinking at a macro level rather than a specific one with Alexis, but it is inevitable that if the best players will only commit to clubs where silverware is more or less assured, then those below that level will not win honours. Its a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I don't think that's the case with either Alexis of Ozil. Silverware was far from assured when they signed, looking at our record. Surely the aim was to bring is the next level of quality and that's what would bring the silverware? But when you have a manager that effectively sabotages the possibility of moving up a level you lose all possibility of silverware, which is a different thing to wanting assurances. There has to be at least hope. But there's none for as long as Wenger remains.

[Özim]

In the end though I don't think he's assembled that great a group of players, Sanchex and Ozil needed more quality players around them, some leaders as well perhaps, players who won't accept coming 2nd best, I think we're very overrated, other than Sanchez who is there (I'd include Ozil as he is very talented in the right setup).

Not being funny but the rest are decent enough players, but really nothing that special, the keepers are dodgy now, the defence is a shambles and even our best defender Koscielny is very error prone (Gibbs, Monreal, Mertersacker, Gabriel are rubbish and Mustafi doesn't look all that eith4r), the midfield is full of average players with a few with more potential is used correctly (Ox is decent, Coquelin, Xhaka, Elneny are not up to much) and Cazorla who is great but is getting on, up front other than Sanchez we're dogshite to be honest (Giroud - pass, Walcott one of hte worst signings of Wengers reign and that's saying something, Wellbeck is ok but we should be aiming for a level above) .

If I was a new manager I'd dismantle this squad and bring some quality new players in and try to get them playing counter attacking football as a team, it'll take time but this bunch have been brought up on tippy tappy nonsense, the sooner we get rid of that the better and that will involve a squad overhaul IMO.

Overall this is one of the worst Arsenal teams I've seen, there is some talent there but absolutely no drive and desire, I just think we need a massive clearout and some new players brought in with the manager, bring in some fresh talent, with hunger who haven't been programmed to tap the ball 5 yards all their life and who aren't scared to shoot and can perhaps cross for a change, we do the basics so badly it's untrue.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I think the worst squad we had under Wenger was probably 11/12

Fabregas and Nasri gone

Really even with Van Persie we overachieved coming from 7 points after 7 games to get to third, but of course it was Wenger's fault we got in that position.

All defenders can be error prone, the problem with the defence is more the system than the back line, and the fact that the backline gets almost no protection from the midfield.

Personnel wise our midfield is stronger than last season, no relying on players like Flamini anymore. But instead we have players like Xhaka played out of position, Elneny never played and Coquelin shown up for his averageness.


I would get rid of Mertesacker, Ramsey, Gibbs, Ospina, probably Cech now as well, Coquelin, Monreal and Walcott


But i think better managers would get more out of a squad with Bellerin, Koscielny, Mustafi, Gabriel, Holding, Xhaka, Elneny, Iwobi, Oxlade Chamberlain, Welbeck, Lucas and even Giroud with a couple of decent signings. No point mentioning Sanchez and Ozil they are both gone.

[Özim]

There's not much in it to be honest if you analyse our squad.

Our back line never has got any protection in the last 10 years and never will with Wenger, it takes a certain type of player to do that, a player we would never sign (we've needed this for as long as I can remember, likewise a goalscorer).

Other than Bellerin and maybe Koscielny though he always seems prone to make bad errors so I'm not totally convinced with him either we have nothing to work with the rest are plainly sub quality.

But who is actually much good in our midfield, Ox Chamberlain, Cazorla (but he's getting on now in football terms and injuries will probably affect him more), Xhaka hasn't impressed and it remains to be seen if he does, Wenger has come out and said the guy can't tackle (why buy him in the 1st place then???).

If you took Sanchez our of the equation which it looks like that's going to happen, we'd be nowhere this season, we just have a lack of quality and just no desire at all, year after year it's the same, there just isn't the hunger and passion in Wenger teams anymore, it's just the same mundane stuff every game, pass, pass, pass, pass.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

There's not much in it to be honest if you analyse our squad.

Our back line never has got any protection in the last 10 years and never will with Wenger, it takes a certain type of player to do that, a player we would never sign (we've needed this for as long as I can remember, likewise a goalscorer).

Other than Bellerin and maybe Koscielny though he always seems prone to make bad errors so I'm not totally convinced with him either we have nothing to work with the rest are plainly sub quality.

But who is actually much good in our midfield, Ox Chamberlain, Cazorla (but he's getting on now in football terms and injuries will probably affect him more), Xhaka hasn't impressed and it remains to be seen if he does, Wenger has come out and said the guy can't tackle (why buy him in the 1st place then???).

If you took Sanchez our of the equation which it looks like that's going to happen, we'd be nowhere this season, we just have a lack of quality and just no desire at all, year after year it's the same, there just isn't the hunger and passion in Wenger teams anymore, it's just the same mundane stuff every game, pass, pass, pass, pass.

Again i think the lack of hunger and passion comes from the manager, i see the Liverpool squad especially in defence and it's inferiors to ours

I think Liverpool are tactically deficient under Klopp at times, but i think he gives them the hunger and desire which Wenger doesn't

Whoever we have in the team they will fail as long as other attacking sides know all they need to do is press us on the ball to get a result.

[Power n Glory]

Like I say, I understand totally his desire to leave an under-performing club, but I cannot admire it. I guess I am thinking at a macro level rather than a specific one with Alexis, but it is inevitable that if the best players will only commit to clubs where silverware is more or less assured, then those below that level will not win honours. Its a self-fulfilling prophecy.

How does one player fight against a culture of mediocrity. Well, its difficult, but a start is to do just that. Stay and fight. Most successful clubs have one or 2 committed players who drag the others by the scruff of the neck. Ours tend to leave.

I hear you to extent. It used to be a problem for us when we had just moved into the Emirates but it’s been a while since we’ve lost a key player. Since 2013 we’ve signed key player after key player and had time to build with no disruptions like how we’ve seen before. We’re still no closer to winning the title and the manager is no closer to finding an identity for this team or system despite having many transfer windows to address the balance. That’s just talking on an overall team selection/tactics level. I have no idea how we fix the culture of the squad despite the makeup of the whole line up being very different to the ones Henry, Gallas and Cesc captained.

Also, let’s not forget, Cesc was here for 8 seasons. Even if he had stayed along with RVP to see the day we’d be able to sign star players, I highly doubt we’d be any closer to winning the league. Sanchez and Ozil could stay another 4 years and we’d still see the same sort of results. Alexis looks to be the most likely candidate to shake things up in the dressing room with his temperament but look how he’s being reprimanded. He’s the odd man out and we have a history of this. Despite being a shit, Gallas was the sort of guy to not hold his tongue and demand more from his team but ended up isolated and ousted. Henry was similar. He always looked the odd man out on the pitch for the way he’d point and demand better from his players. Years back I thought that sort of behaviour was disruptive to the team but it wasn’t. We needed that but it takes more than just one player to change the culture otherwise you end up as the odd man out. The players are used to a comfy life at Arsenal.

You only have to think back to that story about when Pat Rice was saying Wenger wouldn’t allow him to shout at the Arsenal players during a training session or something like that because it wasn’t the ‘Arsenal way’. Steve Bould is from the old guard he looks to have been neutered. I at least thought his presence would have changed the culture but it hasn’t. He looks passive these days. You can even read a recent article on Andries Jonker’s recent departure. He wanted to stop us rewarding contracts to every and any 17 year old in our academy. Change things up so the young players have to earn a new contract and not expect it. It breeds complacency. That never happened and he was quickly rebuffed so he had to learn to swim with the tide. When he tried to appoint Henry as coach that was even refused by Wenger. It all points to a man that doesn’t want to change and won’t put things in place to see it come about.

In order for real change to happen we need Wenger to go and I don’t expect any player to sacrifice his career for us. I don’t admire it but I think only a fool or someone extremely well paid would do that (Walcott). We can’t really talk about other clubs because we know most other clubs that have that sort of rock and pillar player get rewarded with competitive contracts and incentives. We don’t offer contracts like that and older players aren’t even given a chance to become part of the coaching staff. We’ve heard the stories.

[mastermind84]

My issue with Alexis is that he acts like a prick on the pitch at times to his teammates. Why are you mad at them for not pressing up when that is clearly not the instruction from the manager? He is also only busy around the ball. I think in the Bayern match, he ran less than everyone on the pitch.

I don't want him to leave but we can find a replacement for him. Will cost a lot, but they are out there.

[Marc Overmars]

My issue with Alexis is that he acts like a prick on the pitch at times to his teammates. Why are you mad at them for not pressing up when that is clearly not the instruction from the manager? He is also only busy around the ball. I think in the Bayern match, he ran less than everyone on the pitch.

I don't want him to leave but we can find a replacement for him. Will cost a lot, but they are out there.

I certainly wouldn't trust Wenger to replace him. Another manager, maybe.

[mastermind84]

I certainly wouldn't trust Wenger to replace him. Another manager, maybe.

Totally. I dont want Wenger anywhere near any decisions after his contract is up at the end of the season.

[Power n Glory]

I certainly wouldn't trust Wenger to replace him. Another manager, maybe.

Sanchez is the one player in the squad I'd rather have in the squad if a new manager is starting next season. 20 goals 17 assists this season so far. He's the type of South American forward that you can't find in the market these days and we're looking at a hefty transfer fee to replace him.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Sanchez is the one player in the squad I'd rather have in the squad if a new manager is starting next season. 20 goals 17 assists this season so far. He's the type of South American forward that you can't find in the market these days and we're looking at a hefty transfer fee to replace him.

In a fantasy world i'd like to pillage Juventus if we got in Allegri

Pjanic, Dybala, Alex Sandro

And bring in Carlton Banks from Sporting Lisbon

With whatever money we got from Ozil and Sanchez (and the spare change we get from ridding ourselves of the rest of the chaff) that would incur a net spend of about 80-100million.

[mastermind84]

Sanchez isnt a unique player, and his best form doesnt lead to an increased performance from the rest of the team.

You can find a replacement out there. Just go find a center forward. Belotti, Aubameyang, and get Mbappe. Mbappe should be our #1 target this summer.

[Power n Glory]

Sanchez isnt a unique player, and his best form doesnt lead to an increased performance from the rest of the team.

You can find a replacement out there. Just go find a center forward. Belotti, Aubameyang, and get Mbappe. Mbappe should be our #1 target this summer.

There few unique players in football these days but that is not the point. It's the one position where a club could easily slap a £60m price tag or more. Torino have just said the £86m buyout clause for Belotti is too cheap!

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

There few unique players in football these days but that is not the point. It's the one position where a club could easily slap a £60m price tag or more. Torino have just said the £86m buyout clause for Belotti is too cheap!

Which is do with the fact that they know English football is minted because of the TV deals, it hasn't made the clubs richer it's just inflated transfer prices

[IBK]

I hear you to extent. It used to be a problem for us when we had just moved into the Emirates but it’s been a while since we’ve lost a key player. Since 2013 we’ve signed key player after key player and had time to build with no disruptions like how we’ve seen before. We’re still no closer to winning the title and the manager is no closer to finding an identity for this team or system despite having many transfer windows to address the balance. That’s just talking on an overall team selection/tactics level. I have no idea how we fix the culture of the squad despite the makeup of the whole line up being very different to the ones Henry, Gallas and Cesc captained.

Also, let’s not forget, Cesc was here for 8 seasons. Even if he had stayed along with RVP to see the day we’d be able to sign star players, I highly doubt we’d be any closer to winning the league. Sanchez and Ozil could stay another 4 years and we’d still see the same sort of results. Alexis looks to be the most likely candidate to shake things up in the dressing room with his temperament but look how he’s being reprimanded. He’s the odd man out and we have a history of this. Despite being a shit, Gallas was the sort of guy to not hold his tongue and demand more from his team but ended up isolated and ousted. Henry was similar. He always looked the odd man out on the pitch for the way he’d point and demand better from his players. Years back I thought that sort of behaviour was disruptive to the team but it wasn’t. We needed that but it takes more than just one player to change the culture otherwise you end up as the odd man out. The players are used to a comfy life at Arsenal.

You only have to think back to that story about when Pat Rice was saying Wenger wouldn’t allow him to shout at the Arsenal players during a training session or something like that because it wasn’t the ‘Arsenal way’. Steve Bould is from the old guard he looks to have been neutered. I at least thought his presence would have changed the culture but it hasn’t. He looks passive these days. You can even read a recent article on Andries Jonker’s recent departure. He wanted to stop us rewarding contracts to every and any 17 year old in our academy. Change things up so the young players have to earn a new contract and not expect it. It breeds complacency. That never happened and he was quickly rebuffed so he had to learn to swim with the tide. When he tried to appoint Henry as coach that was even refused by Wenger. It all points to a man that doesn’t want to change and won’t put things in place to see it come about.

In order for real change to happen we need Wenger to go and I don’t expect any player to sacrifice his career for us. I don’t admire it but I think only a fool or someone extremely well paid would do that (Walcott). We can’t really talk about other clubs because we know most other clubs that have that sort of rock and pillar player get rewarded with competitive contracts and incentives. We don’t offer contracts like that and older players aren’t even given a chance to become part of the coaching staff. We’ve heard the stories.

I guess the truth is in the point that I've highlighted. I don't expect it either - particularly in this era where the players rather than the clubs hold the ultimate power. But does this hurt us - very definitely - which is the reason for my mixed feelings about Alexis. We can be realists, sure, but real love for a player is a reciprocal thing.

[mastermind84]

There few unique players in football these days but that is not the point. It's the one position where a club could easily slap a £60m price tag or more. Torino have just said the £86m buyout clause for Belotti is too cheap!

then you pay for it.

I didn't say replacing Alexis' output would be cheap, I just don't believe he is hard to replace.

[Maestro]

John Cross is really digging Alexis out for his recent performances. Ignoring the fact he's scored 3 and got one assist in the past 4 games, 2 of which he didn't start. That's besides the point though, he's happy enough to call out our best player for a perceived lack of performance but what about the manager, for whom it hasn't just been a handful of games but a handful of years?\\

John Cunt is fake news