Random Arsenal Shit (When it's not worth starting a thread)

[Power n Glory]

As much as I like Pep, that's exactly what I think he is ..... a junkie coach, comes in ...sells the family silver to get his fix and off he goes to the next house. I want a coach who would be grateful for the opportunity to manage our club and committed to creating his own long term legacy.

:gp:

[Munchies]

Aaron Ramsey on a league of their own

'if he was PM for a day' he'd relegate Spurs

Vid: https://twitter.com/VintageOzil/status/690284746304327681

:haha:

[fakeyank]

Aaron Ramsey on a league of their own

'if he was PM for a day' he'd relegate Spurs

Vid: https://twitter.com/VintageOzil/status/690284746304327681

:haha:

:bow:

Best midfielder to ever play for Arsenal tbh.. :coffee:

[Özim]

Provided things don't go fully tits up at Pool, I expect Klopp to last between 5 - 10 years as well.

Probably Pardew as well.


But yep, Maccy's right. The days of Wenger and Fergie building dynasties at a club for 20+ years are long gone.

Wouldn't want another dynasty, especially if it involves a repeat of the last 10 years. A decade is more than enough for any manager, if you go on too long complacency can set in you lose that hunger for success you had when you first started.

[Özil's Panoramic View]

Rambo. :bow:

#InstantLegend

[Maestro]

our options for this weekend's game have just been boosted by this midfield addition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mycgcwSD20&feature=youtu.be

[Letters]

Meh. Bet he doesn't make it.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Hutchinson is better than Quaresma.

[Munchies]

Arsenal fan forges letter to his son from Arsene Wenger so he won’t support Liverpool

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZZMt4vWEAA1JA9.jpg:large

:lol:

[milla]

Arsenal fan forges letter to his son from Arsene Wenger so he won’t support Liverpool

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZZMt4vWEAA1JA9.jpg:large

:lol:

Permissable lie :coffee:

[A Gunner]

http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/leaked-mesut-ozils-transfer-contract-from-real-madrid-to-arsenal-includes-buy-back-clause/

We really got Ozil on the cheap.

For those not interested to read the contract: We got him for 44 millions Euro in 3 installments, 24M in 2013, 15 in 2014 and 5 in 2015. Should we be in the group stage of Champions League, then we pay Madrid 1M per year, upwards to 6 years. So in total we could pay up to 50M Euro.

[Munchies]

Alexis with his dogs when they were puppies

https://scontent-lhr3-1.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xpa1/t51.2885-15/e35/12383306_1020828157963951_1219417063_n.jpg

Now:
https://scontent-lhr3-1.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xfa1/t51.2885-15/e15/11326684_1115994868414649_358275693_n.jpg

https://www.instagram.com/alexis_officia1/

:bow:

[Globalgunner]

I love puppies. They're brilliant. Dogs I care not so much for.

[AFC Leveller]

Alexis with his dogs when they were puppies

https://scontent-lhr3-1.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xpa1/t51.2885-15/e35/12383306_1020828157963951_1219417063_n.jpg

Now:
https://scontent-lhr3-1.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xfa1/t51.2885-15/e15/11326684_1115994868414649_358275693_n.jpg

https://www.instagram.com/alexis_officia1/

:bow:

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/53323bb4e4b0cebc6a28ffa2/t/54e539b2e4b0a35656e28e43/1424308664056/

[AFC Leveller]

Southampton next week will be very tricky. I would say they are one of our bogey sides, esp under Koeman. They always put in 200 percent against us and their manager seems to know a thing or two about tactics.

wouldnt be surprised if we dropped points again.

[Xhaka Can’t]

I love puppies. They're brilliant. Dogs I care not so much for.

Me too.

NSFW

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H_f6dRm1QqU/UpYT_eAZ40I/AAAAAAAACEQ/V4C0Yt_BNWE/s1600/dog+tattoo.jpg

[GP]

Ruff

[AFC Leveller]

Watching how Atletico Madrid played (and usually play) against Barcelona is always enjoyable. The way they set up, defend, press, get stuck in and fight for each other is such a joy. I know they lost and usually do against Barcelona but they are probably the only side who dont get humiliated against Barca and stand toe to toe with them. Even with 9 men they almost equalised.

I hope we dont let ourselves down when we play them later this month, we have to set up properly and plan for it this time.

[Niall_Quinn]

we have to set up properly and plan for it this time

:haha:

[Marc Overmars]

If we had an ounce of the attitude Atletico Madrid have we'd stroll to the title but we don't, that's why we're meandering along and why we have no chance of knocking Barca out.

[Letters]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35461090
:patrice:

Wenger's here for EVER!

Wenger :bow:


:run:

[Niall_Quinn]

That's harsh on Pellegrini. They don't even have the decency to keep this to themselves until the end of the season and let him get on with his job.

Pep sure likes to play it safe. Just get the unlimited chequebook out and then leave after a couple of years while the going is good. Utd would have been a genuine challenge. Anyway, he might just get a surprise in tBLitW

[Power n Glory]

Yeah, Pep was never right for us. He needs a club with deep pockets so he can scratch a few more trophies and leagues off his bucket list. Throws City into chaos but should be a good opportunity for us. And Leicester City.

[Özim]

:haha:

Why plan when you can turn up on the day unprepared.

[Özim]

If we had an ounce of the attitude Atletico Madrid have we'd stroll to the title but we don't, that's why we're meandering along and why we have no chance of knocking Barca out.

Simeone's done a great job at Athletico, up there challenging every season, really hard to beat and sign some quality players to boot. They have a realy great work ethic and give more talented teams a run for their money through great teamwork and attitude.

[Marc Overmars]

Barca tickets going on sale has crashed the box office website for the 2nd week in a row. :doh:

They've postponed the sale again.

[Letters]

The website was probably already swamped with people cancelling their memberships.

[Niall_Quinn]

Barca tickets going on sale has crashed the box office website for the 2nd week in a row. :doh:

They've postponed the sale again.

People eager to see a decent striker at the Emirates.

[Marc Overmars]

Pretty much. Only one team I'm looking forward to seeing and it sure as hell isn't Arsenal.

[Letters]

We'll probably win :lol:
You know what we're like.

[Globalgunner]

I see the mighty Watford were able to stop the Chelsea juggernaut in its tracks yesterday. Chelsea have 29 points 6 of them courtesy of Wenger. imagine if we had beaten them twice. They would just about be in the relegation zone now.

[Kano]

I see the mighty Watford were able to stop the Chelsea juggernaut in its tracks yesterday. Chelsea have 29 points 6 of them courtesy of Wenger. imagine if we had beaten them twice. They would just about be in the relegation zone now.

He's also responsible for the Syrian refugees crisis.

[Globalgunner]

He's also responsible for the Syrian refugees crisis.

That too. But i wouldn't want to bring his non football crimes onto this forum

[Xhaka Can’t]

If Diego Costa was a cat.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uQ9YKfxJ4Q

[adzzzbatch]

I see that the cunts that run the club are charged ST holders an additional levy of £20 for the Barcelona game, they're just dicks.

[Gooner23]

Not a season ticket holder myself but I'd be fuming if I was. Changing the rules to sponge more money from the fans, greedy fucks.

And the timing of it after spending next to nothing in January and seeing results slip is a comically bad PR move.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

The real bonkers thing about it as well is that it'll only raise about a million pounds which is peanuts to the club given their current revenue figures. Are they really that desperate for a million pounds right now? Why not waive it as gesture of goodwill especially given the current mood at the club.

I usually have a lot of respect for Gazidis but this is a downright silly move and it comes at a comically bad moment.

[Gooner23]

From what I'm reading there shouldn't be anything to waive. Season ticket holders get 7 cup games and this is the 7th one. I guess they're relying on some giving up the option to free up more tickets which can be sold at a premium. Very poor from the club.

[Power n Glory]

The real bonkers thing about it as well is that it'll only raise about a million pounds which is peanuts to the club given their current revenue figures. Are they really that desperate for a million pounds right now? Why not waive it as gesture of goodwill especially given the current mood at the club.

I usually have a lot of respect for Gazidis but this is a downright silly move and it comes at a comically bad moment.

Yet Wenger says we need this sort of money to stay competitive and pay for wages. Bollocks.

[Letters]

I see that the cunts that run the club are charged ST holders an additional levy of £20 for the Barcelona game, they're just dicks.

The art of good comedy is timing :d

[Power n Glory]

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has warned extra television revenue for Premier League clubs will be used to buy players rather than cut ticket prices.

In excess of £8bn will come into the league from new broadcast deals.

But Wenger says clubs will need that additional cash to meet the rising cost of transfer fees and player wages.

"What will happen is the prices of the players will go up and you will need this supplement of money coming in to buy new players," he said.

"I believe that the pressure on spending the money will become bigger and you cannot necessarily distribute the money to other people."




http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35502898

How much more needs to be said? He puts the interest of the likes of Kronke ahead of the fans. He doesn't have to justify this bullshit. He's a smart guy and studied economics. It wouldn't cost that much to lower ticket prices. We're able to set aside £3m a year for Kronke and nobody at the club can explain what it's for but Wenger has an excuse as to why ticket prices must keep rising and why they won't spend on the fans even though revenue has increased. It's utter bullshit and he's the face of this charade. He's using his reputation to help peddle these greedy bastards agenda.

[Özim]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35502898

How much more needs to be said? He puts the interest of the likes of Kronke ahead of the fans. He doesn't have to justify this bullshit. He's a smart guy and studied economics. It wouldn't cost that much to lower ticket prices. We're able to set aside £3m a year for Kronke and nobody at the club can explain what it's for but Wenger has an excuse as to why ticket prices must keep rising and why they won't spend on the fans even though revenue has increased. It's utter bullshit and he's the face of this charade. He's using his reputation to help peddle these greedy bastards agenda.

The guy doesn't give a toss about the fans so I'm surprised he gets so much loyalty, all here cares about is lining his and his players pockets, can't stand the man.

Ironic as well as the guy barely ever spends any money, hope people wake up to his nonsense and start putting pressure on the club to make a change.

[Niall_Quinn]

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has warned extra television revenue for Premier League clubs will be used to buy players rather than cut ticket prices.

The greedy agents and players are certainly cashing in and all clubs will have to pay the price.

Except one. Ours. We won't cut ticket prices and neither will we spend any extra on players. Not unless the club suddenly changes its whole philosophy.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Well the good news is that is seems the club have listened to the backlash and have now decided to drop the £20 levy.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20160205/season-ticket-cup-tie-credits-update

[Munchies]

Well the good news is that is seems the club have listened to the backlash and have now decided to drop the £20 levy.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20160205/season-ticket-cup-tie-credits-update


Good, but it also seems pretty clear that it's only for now.

They've worded it in a way that says they'll definitely be back for the extra £20 in the future should the situation arise again!

[Niall_Quinn]

"Leicester is a fantastic example that football is not only about just spending the money," said Wenger.

:haha: :haha:

The nerve of this guy, it's breathtaking. What a fucking con artist. If you want to talk about cash instead of drive, ambition, teamwork, energy, tactics:

Arsenal
Most expensive adult: £2039 (general admission)
Cheapest adult: £1035
Cheapest junior (U16): £345

Leicester
Most expensive adult: £730 (and that really is a small, prime, prime, prime patch)
Cheapest adult: £365 (renewal) £395 (new)
Cheapest junior: £135 (renewal) £145 (new)

This guy really will say anything to try and cover his tracks.

[Seaman's Ponytail]

:haha: :haha:

The nerve of this guy, it's breathtaking. What a fucking con artist. If you want to talk about cash instead of drive, ambition, teamwork, energy, tactics:

Arsenal
Most expensive adult: £2039 (general admission)
Cheapest adult: £1035
Cheapest junior (U16): £345

Leicester
Most expensive adult: £730 (and that really is a small, prime, prime, prime patch)
Cheapest adult: £365 (renewal) £395 (new)
Cheapest junior: £135 (renewal) £145 (new)

This guy really will say anything to try and cover his tracks.

Was just reading the same thing and saw the quote "You reproach me about not buying big names, but you will support the team who has no big names." Really quite unbelievable that he'll use another teams success to excuse his own ineptitude. Lost for words. Other than "cunt"

[Power n Glory]

Was just reading the same thing and saw the quote "You reproach me about not buying big names, but you will support the team who has no big names." Really quite unbelievable that he'll use another teams success to excuse his own ineptitude. Lost for words. Other than "cunt"

:doh: He's an embarrassment. What happened to the financial doping excuses? Someone should told him he needs to spend money because he's not good enough to do what it without spending.

[Seaman's Ponytail]

It is unreal. I apologise for the use of the "C" word (Sorry Letters!) But he is so infuriating.....
I'll feel better once we've beat Bournemouth then Leicester and City either win or draw with the Spuds next weekend. She'll be game on then :pray:

[Power n Glory]

It's even more embarrassing because he just said we needed all the money from the TV deal for transfers and wages. He said we can't cut ticket prices because we need all resources. A few years ago he justified a season ticket price hike and said we needed it to stay competitive with our rival clubs. Now he comes out with this bollocks about not needing to spend big. The guys a con artist. If this were coming from any other manager in the league, it would be understandable. But this guy spends the least at a club that charges the most. It's a complete joke. They are taking the absolute piss out of fans.

He mocks the fans and press that say we need to spend money on certain players but when it suits him and he'll talk about rising costs, the threat of China, oil baron clubs, FFP, financial doping and all this other nosense when he's hardly effected by it. Wenger's legendary smokescreen in full effect.

[Özim]

:haha: :haha:

The nerve of this guy, it's breathtaking. What a fucking con artist. If you want to talk about cash instead of drive, ambition, teamwork, energy, tactics:

Arsenal
Most expensive adult: £2039 (general admission)
Cheapest adult: £1035
Cheapest junior (U16): £345

Leicester
Most expensive adult: £730 (and that really is a small, prime, prime, prime patch)
Cheapest adult: £365 (renewal) £395 (new)
Cheapest junior: £135 (renewal) £145 (new)

This guy really will say anything to try and cover his tracks.

Honestly the guy is the biggest joke in world football, what good things does he do apart from being complicit in fleecing the fans?

I read the spending money comment and he just gets more and more ridiculous by the day, he's using Leicester success as a further reason to not spend and yet 10 years down the line he's managed almost no success with that method.

The other difference between us Leicester and us, the most important one, is they have a decent manager who makes changes and uses his resources to the maximum.

It amazes me this guy has any supporters left.

[Xhaka Can’t]

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/11745570_858865580857335_7011726428126850153_n.jpg ?oh=3b488d903aae357e7b070f19043a63a6&oe=576CE36A

[Niall_Quinn]

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/11745570_858865580857335_7011726428126850153_n.jpg ?oh=3b488d903aae357e7b070f19043a63a6&oe=576CE36A

SUCKERS!

They will never be top of the gate receipts league with an attitude like that.

Anyway, who wants to watch them when you can pay 10x to watch us?

[Kano]

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/11745570_858865580857335_7011726428126850153_n.jpg ?oh=3b488d903aae357e7b070f19043a63a6&oe=576CE36A

Very noble when you compete in a league of one, are part owned by Adidas and Audi and have the highest commercial revenue in the world. Well apart from PSG. But their league is a mirror image.

[Niall_Quinn]

Very noble when you compete in a league of one, are part owned by Adidas and Audi and have the highest commercial revenue in the world. Well apart from PSG. But their league is a mirror image.

So they should rocket the prices in case they are viewed as cynical? Do you think the German fans really care that much about the intent when they are paying out their £104, as opposed to £1004? Bayern could take the extra money if they wanted plenty of tourists out there who will pay it. But as they say, in full acknowledgement of their financial strength, "what's 2m to us?"

No, this is a good thing and they have a very, very valid point about the English league.

[Kano]

Exactly, what's two million to them when they are kings of the football commercial world, part owned by two multinationals, rarely in danger of not winning their league and forever hoovering up the best talent in the country? The Prem is an absolute rip-off, in fact, the cost of living in the UK is fucking absurd but I'm not hearing a lesson from a club so absolutely bloated and distorted by its own singular monopoly.

[Power n Glory]

Exactly, what's two million to them when they are kings of the football commercial world, part owned by two multinationals, rarely in danger of not winning their league and forever hoovering up the best talent in the country? The Prem is an absolute rip-off, in fact, the cost of living in the UK is fucking absurd but I'm not hearing a lesson from a club so absolutely bloated and distorted by its own singular monopoly.

Across the German league the season ticket prices are low and Bayern one of the lowest because of the commercial deals. We should take a lesson because we've just had a huge revenue increase from the TV deals on top of our other sponsors but instead of trying to lower ticket prices, the club will try to milk more from the fans.

[Power n Glory]

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/11745570_858865580857335_7011726428126850153_n.jpg ?oh=3b488d903aae357e7b070f19043a63a6&oe=576CE36A

It's obvious we don't have that mentality. It's greed. If we were in good shape to compete with just our kit and stadium sponsors, why can't we take a million or two from the TV money and lower ticket prices?

[Marc Overmars]

We have signed Ben Wrigglesworth, Leicester's head scout.

The next Mahrez coming our way. :bow:

[Özim]

Exactly, what's two million to them when they are kings of the football commercial world, part owned by two multinationals, rarely in danger of not winning their league and forever hoovering up the best talent in the country? The Prem is an absolute rip-off, in fact, the cost of living in the UK is fucking absurd but I'm not hearing a lesson from a club so absolutely bloated and distorted by its own singular monopoly.

We're owned by two billionaires, it's not like we're short of a bob or two, if Bayern can do it and compete with the best we should be able to, instead though we choose to ripoff the fans and then add insult to injury by telling them extra money coming in won't lead to falling ticket prices as sgnings and wages will need to be supplemented (we pay way over the odds for unproven premadonnas already) even though we don't spend any money.

It's laughable.

[Power n Glory]

We're owned by two billionaires, it's not like we're short of a bob or two, if Bayern can do it and compete with the best we should be able to, instead though we choose to ripoff the fans and then add insult to injury by telling them extra money coming in won't lead to falling ticket prices as sgnings and wages will need to be supplemented (we pay way over the odds for unproven premadonnas already) even though we don't spend any money.

It's laughable.

:gp: I often forget we're owned by two billionaires.

[Globalgunner]

We're owned by two billionaires, it's not like we're short of a bob or two, if Bayern can do it and compete with the best we should be able to, instead though we choose to ripoff the fans and then add insult to injury by telling them extra money coming in won't lead to falling ticket prices as sgnings and wages will need to be supplemented (we pay way over the odds for unproven premadonnas already) even though we don't spend any money.

It's laughable.

The irony is that we have often walked away from signing a player because of similar sums. We too often play the cheapskate. All to boost our rainy day fund. I wouldnt be surprised if a huge ark is being built somewhere down the coast. Letters and the Optimistic chap will have been allocated berths no doubt. Hope they manage to squeeze TY in somewhere.

[Kano]

We're owned by two billionaires, it's not like we're short of a bob or two, if Bayern can do it and compete with the best we should be able to, instead though we choose to ripoff the fans and then add insult to injury by telling them extra money coming in won't lead to falling ticket prices as sgnings and wages will need to be supplemented (we pay way over the odds for unproven premadonnas already) even though we don't spend any money.

It's laughable.

I agree. In part. A club part-owned by two corporate giants, not allowing any sense of competition in their league are in no position to preach about doing the best for the sport. Likewise, I'm not about to run into the arms of two billionaires waiting for them to save Arsenal football club. We have more than enough money to spend already. But our manager is far too picky on where it is spent. We have the right model but the wrong people leading it. No doubt at some point in the future we'll be swept up another another billionaire as our club is passed from one to the other and we'll become just another Russian/Arab plaything.

[adzzzbatch]

We have signed Ben Wrigglesworth, Leicester's head scout.

The next Mahrez coming our way. :bow:

How did you get on with getting a ticket this mornin MO?

[Marc Overmars]

How did you get on with getting a ticket this mornin MO?

Bagged a couple of seats. :scarf:

[adzzzbatch]

Bagged a couple of seats. :scarf:

Well done mate! :good:

Managed to get one up in the goods of the clock end. Need to do it all again tomorrow to try and get one for the red membership :lol:

[Marc Overmars]

I thought I had blown it because I joined the queue later than I normally do at 9:40, normally I like to leave half n hour at least to be sure but luckily I found 2 seats together for me and my mate.

[adzzzbatch]

I thought I had blown it because I joined the queue later than I normally do at 9:40, normally I like to leave half n hour at least to be sure but luckily I found 2 seats together for me and my mate.

That's mental because I joined the queue at 9:35 and didn't actually get on until 2 hours later! when they said the silver sale was sold out, but still managed to get one, the annoying bastards.

[Marc Overmars]

Yeah it's stupid but in fairness when you've got tens of thousands of people trying it does end up as a bit of a lottery!

[Letters]

And that, right there, is why they charge such high prices...

[Bumble]

I thought I had blown it because I joined the queue later than I normally do at 9:40, normally I like to leave half n hour at least to be sure but luckily I found 2 seats together for me and my mate.

I joined the queue at about 9.25 and managed to get two tickets for Barca. Clock though as there weren't many pairs on the lower tier at the other end.

[Munchies]

Stan Kroenke just bought a a 520,000 acre Texas ranch (list price: $750M)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CazANdJWIAAM8ap.png

[Globalgunner]

Probably used the club as collateral. Every little 3m a year helps I guess.

[Niall_Quinn]

Mr Kroenke is squeezing what he can out of sport to fund an extensive land buying project. There will be a reason beyond him just liking ranches. He found an ideal cash stream (passionate fans) and he's milking it. It's great to have people like this in sport, really excellent. It has been so much better since his kind turned up. Spinning logos, wall to wall coverage of an ever declining game, mega prices on the gates, huge transfer fees, agents creaming it, old farts absconding with half a billion still proclaiming their love for the club (I bet they fucking love it, wouldn't you?), so much going on, so much excitement. Thank you Mr Kroenke.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Very noble when you compete in a league of one, are part owned by Adidas and Audi and have the highest commercial revenue in the world. Well apart from PSG. But their league is a mirror image.

Yeah. Not that I think we don't need cheaper ticket prices, but it's a bit ridicolous for Bayern to lecture people on ticket prices considering the disparity in their league born from them using their immense financial clout to literally buy the best players from their nearest rivals.

Additionally, being the only real super club in Germany they can dominate all the big German sponsors (Mercedes, Allianz, T-Mobile etc etc) whereas we have to compete with the likes of Chelsea, Utd, Liverpool etc etc for ours.

[AFC Leveller]

Liverpool's owners have cancelled their planned ticket increase and apologised to their fans. Their highest season ticket is at 865 quid!

When you look at how much Arsenal charge and continue to fleece fans while giving nothing back its ridiculous.

[Kano]

Liverpool are in a much more precarious position with their stadium expansion and need to back Klopp with some funds. They can't afford to piss off the people who have to part contribute and eventually fill it.

[Özim]

Liverpool are in a much more precarious position with their stadium expansion and need to back Klopp with some funds. They can't afford to piss off the people who have to part contribute and eventually fill it.

You could argue they actually need the money, whereas we don't and just choose to ripoff the fans because we can.

[Kano]

Always with the comparing. I couldn't care less. I've already said numerous times I think our owners are crooks, ripping off fans. Go have that debate with someone else.

[Power n Glory]

Liverpool's owners have cancelled their planned ticket increase and apologised to their fans. Their highest season ticket is at 865 quid!

When you look at how much Arsenal charge and continue to fleece fans while giving nothing back its ridiculous.

Goes to show what happens when people vote with their feet.

[Power n Glory]

You could argue they actually need the money, whereas we don't and just choose to ripoff the fans because we can.

I was going to say something similar. With the stadium expansion, needing money for new signings, they could actually make an argument for the extra funds. A flimsy one but they could actually point to new signings to show where the money is going. We can't.

[Marc Overmars]

Fair play to the Liverpool fans. Always good to see these owners squirm.

[Letters]

You could argue they actually need the money, whereas we don't and just choose to ripoff the fans because we can.

You could, and would, argue anything if it paints the club you 'support' in a bad light.

[Globalgunner]

You could, and would, argue anything if it paints the club you 'support' in a bad light.

Who made you the arbiter of what a supporter could, should say?. Bottom line is where we are as a club is not where we could be. If you are happy, more power to you. Its been 11 seasons since we last won the EPL. But of course in your world that doesnt matter. Does it?

[Özim]

You could, and would, argue anything if it paints the club you 'support' in a bad light.

I'm not painting them in a bad light, they are doing it for themselves after all they choose to charge the highest ticket prices and then choose not to spend on transfer but yet maintain extra income will be spent on them.

[Letters]

Who made you the arbiter of what a supporter could, should say?. Bottom line is where we are as a club is not where we could be. If you are happy, more power to you. Its been 11 seasons since we last won the EPL. But of course in your world that doesnt matter. Does it?

If it didn't matter I wouldn't be saying Wenger should be sacked if we don't seriously challenge this year.
There were circumstances around why we've failed to challenge, some of those are because of Wenger, others are out of our control.
Literally last season we won (retained, actually) the FA Cup and finished 3rd. This season, despite some wobbles, we're very much involved in the title race, we're likely to get to the FA Cup Qtr Finals so we've got a chance there.
The level of whining on here is massively out of proportion with the situation.
IMO.

[Letters]

I'm not painting them in a bad light, they are doing it for themselves after all they choose to charge the highest ticket prices and then choose not to spend on transfer but yet maintain extra income will be spent on them.

I agree with that, but that doesn't change the fact that you take every opportunity to have a dig at the club you claim to support, sometimes making things up in order to do so. It is strange behaviour.

[Power n Glory]

If it didn't matter I wouldn't be saying Wenger should be sacked if we don't seriously challenge this year.
There were circumstances around why we've failed to challenge, some of those are because of Wenger, others are out of our control.
Literally last season we won (retained, actually) the FA Cup and finished 3rd. This season, despite some wobbles, we're very much involved in the title race, we're likely to get to the FA Cup Qtr Finals so we've got a chance there.
The level of whining on here is massively out of proportion with the situation.
IMO.

Levels? :haha: It's like 3 or 4 people at best.

[Letters]

Which on a board this size is quite significant.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Fair play to the Liverpool fans. Always good to see these owners squirm.

Yep, good stuff from them.


Despite this, frankly I think the best hope for some action on ticket prices is some unified action from the PL/the FA/the government and not through expecting individual clubs to be shamed into action like Liverpool have here, because a lot of them (like sadly ours) won't care as they know they'll still have the long term demand to cope with any immediate losses. Additionally, given how competitive the league is, no one really wants to reduce any advantage they have over others unnecessarily which is why I think most are reluctant to be the first to pass on the new TV money as savings in ticket prices. Nope, it really has to be an entire league wide rule to make things fair - e.g. set a maximum price for non corporate/executive season ticket prices.

[Munchies]

Wenger flat out said the tv money will be used 'on signings rather than reducing ticket prices'

This is the same guy that wanted Kroenke in over Usmanov.

£200m in the bank, one outfield signing in the Summer :lol:

Him and Kroenke are obviously getting more than they let on

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Wenger flat out said the tv money will be used 'on signings rather than reducing ticket prices'

This is the same guy that wanted Kroenke in over Usmanov.

£200m in the bank, one outfield signing in the Summer :lol:

Him and Kroenke are obviously getting more than they let on

I know. I'm guessing from his perspective he doesn't want the club to lose what competitive & transfer market advantage we already have over others through a higher revenue intake.

I honestly don't think he would mind if everyone was equally handicapped and forced to pass on the savings though. After all Wenger seems more akin to a French socialist rather than some greedy Wall Street hedge fund manager.

[Power n Glory]

I know. I'm guessing from his perspective he doesn't want the club to lose what competitive & transfer market advantage we already have over others through a higher revenue intake.

I honestly don't think he would mind if everyone was equally handicapped and forced to pass on the savings though. After all Wenger more akin to a French socialist rather than some greedy Wall Street hedge fund manager.

I'm not so sure about that.

[Kano]

Well clearly the plan for kroenke is to keep the money in the bank and use it to levearge his business activities elsewhere. It allows him to take out loans on much more favourable terms when the creditor sees a 'business' like Arsenal so much in the black. This whole '£200m in the bank' that can be all be spent on transfers is complete garbage though. No sane business would empty out their entire cash flow. That may imply that Wenger is free from all blame but I'm sure he still has funds to use that he doesn't.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

I'm not so sure about that.

Well Kroenke certainly isn't but I do hold out some hold out some hope for Wenger. Not that I think he's ever openly discussed his political leanings before.

Tbh maybe I'm just blinded by his appearance, general friendly demeanour and the fact that he's French.


On another point, thinking about it more, I think the most effective mechanism to pass on ticket price savings is if the PL/FA/Gov set a law which stated that a %of TV money had to go towards reducing ticket prices every year. That way clubs can still differentiate prices from each other reflective of how attractive their product is.

[Kano]

On another point, thinking about it more, I think the most effective mechanism to pass on ticket price savings is if the PL/FA/Gov set a law which stated that a %of TV money had to go towards reducing ticket prices every year. That way clubs can still differentiate prices from each other reflective of how attractive their product is.
The problem being, in this rancid, free market, that is effectively curtailing the earning potential of limited enterprises. Phone/TV services that provide more of a public service can usually be brought into line for overcharging by independent governing bodies they are signed up to but I'm not sure the Government, particularly the Tories, would want to muddy themselves in a mess like this with football. Historically they've just let the ruling bodies of the game get on with it and do as they please. As an example, in the post-World Cup bid discussions, they hardly made much of a comment on it at all.

[Niall_Quinn]

If it didn't matter I wouldn't be saying Wenger should be sacked if we don't seriously challenge this year.
There were circumstances around why we've failed to challenge, some of those are because of Wenger, others are out of our control.
Literally last season we won (retained, actually) the FA Cup and finished 3rd. This season, despite some wobbles, we're very much involved in the title race, we're likely to get to the FA Cup Qtr Finals so we've got a chance there.
The level of whining on here is massively out of proportion with the situation.
IMO.

Why is pointing out the persistent failure (on the pitch) of this club and this manager, "whining"? That's like "whining" about somebody who keeps pissing in your face by telling them to piss off. That's all people are doing, telling the manager to piss off. It's not like he hasn't been given a fair crack to get the job done, in fact he's had 3 or 4 times as much leeway as other managers get in the modern game.

How can a decade of underachievement be viewed as anything other than unsatisfactory? Is 'Not so bad, could be worse' the club motto now? Yes, the club has faced challenges but anybody who wants to pretend the response to those challenges has been the absolute dedication of all available resources to meeting and overcoming those challenges is deluding themselves. You can still be ambitious even if you are prudent and when you look at the record of this board and this manager there's no sign of ambition at all. Safety, security, growth, we've even taken these principles onto the pitch now where we shut up shop as soon as we score.

[Niall_Quinn]

Well Kroenke certainly isn't but I do hold out some hold out some hope for Wenger. Not that I think he's ever openly discussed his political leanings before.

Tbh maybe I'm just blinded by his appearance, general friendly demeanour and the fact that he's French.


On another point, thinking about it more, I think the most effective mechanism to pass on ticket price savings is if the PL/FA/Gov set a law which stated that a %of TV money had to go towards reducing ticket prices every year. That way clubs can still differentiate prices from each other reflective of how attractive their product is.

What incentive does the PL/ FA/ Gov have to reduce or cap revenues? None at all. They are queuing with their own wheelbarrows. A locust doesn't do crop management it just strips everything in its path and moves on when the field is dead.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

The problem being, in this rancid, free market, that is effectively curtailing the earning potential of limited enterprises. Phone/TV services that provide more of a public service can usually be brought into line for overcharging by independent governing bodies they are signed up to but I'm not sure the Government, particularly the Tories, would want to muddy themselves in a mess like this with football. Historically they've just let the ruling bodies of the game get on with it and do as they please. As an example, in the post-World Cup bid discussions, they hardly made much of a comment on it at all.

True, which is why any unilateral action on the part of the PL/FA/Gov wouldn't be effective and probably would be immediately subject to legal action from the likes of Kroenke and the Glazers for the very reason you mention, "curtailing the earning potential of limited enterprises". It's got to be preceded by a discussion and an agreement from the PL clubs ......... which is easier said then done.

Maybe again I'm being too optimistic here, but I'd like to think that most owners are intelligent enough to realise that the popularity (and thus ultimately the money) of the PL is dependent on full stadiums, healthy match day atmospheres and ensuring new younger fans can replenish any ageing fanbase. Only one look at Seria A should be enough to demonstrate what happens when fans stay away and you have half empty stadiums.

I mean if the Americans, who are the ultimate capitalists, can enforce a socialist style salary cap on their popular sports I don't see why we can't have something which is far less restrictive but similarly in the collective good. It would require some leadership from the PL/FA/Gov though to put together which may be asking for too much.

[Letters]

Well clearly the plan for kroenke is to keep the money in the bank and use it to levearge his business activities elsewhere. It allows him to take out loans on much more favourable terms when the creditor sees a 'business' like Arsenal so much in the black. This whole '£200m in the bank' that can be all be spent on transfers is complete garbage though. No sane business would empty out their entire cash flow. That may imply that Wenger is free from all blame but I'm sure he still has funds to use that he doesn't.

I like to think (and who knows what goes on behind the scenes really) that Kroenke is the 'bad' guy, only interested in money with no regard to how we do on the pitch and Wenger is the 'good' guy who is genuinely trying to do his best for the club and trying to balance our long term future financially with success on the pitch. He may be failing, but I think he genuinely wants the best for the club.
That doesn't absolve him of all blame of course, a lot of the criticism on here is justified, but I don't think the abuse is, I don't think he's the bad guy.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

What incentive does the PL/ FA/ Gov have to reduce or cap revenues? None at all. They are queuing with their own wheelbarrows. A locust doesn't do crop management it just strips everything in its path and moves on when the field is dead.

Well for the PL, the realisation that the global popularity of their product would collapse if teams started playing to half empty lifeless stadiums.

For the FA/Gov, fan and constituent pressure and for the latter, the importance of ensuring the economic benefits that the PL brings to the country remains.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

I like to think (and who knows what goes on behind the scenes really) that Kroenke is the 'bad' guy, only interested in money with no regard to how we do on the pitch and Wenger is the 'good' guy who is genuinely trying to do his best for the club and trying to balance our long term future financially with success on the pitch. He may be failing, but I think he genuinely wants the best for the club.
That doesn't absolve him of all blame of course, a lot of the criticism on here is justified, but I don't think the abuse is, I don't think he's the bad guy.

:gp:

I hold the same view of Gazidis.

[Power n Glory]

Well Kroenke certainly isn't but I do hold out some hold out some hope for Wenger. Not that I think he's ever openly discussed his political leanings before.

Tbh maybe I'm just blinded by his appearance, general friendly demeanour and the fact that he's French.


On another point, thinking about it more, I think the most effective mechanism to pass on ticket price savings is if the PL/FA/Gov set a law which stated that a %of TV money had to go towards reducing ticket prices every year. That way clubs can still differentiate prices from each other reflective of how attractive their product is.

Wenger’s recent comments about not being able to lower ticket prices shows where his head is at. He’s smart enough to know that a few million towards lowering prices can make a difference but he’s not saying that. He knows Stan is taking money out of the club but then has the gall to talk as if a few million can’t be spared. I’d rather he just said nothing at all instead of treating us like idiots. There has always been an argument on here that our board lack ambition and won’t put pressure on Wenger. They’re happy collecting their Champions League money. But why must the incentive come from them? I don’t get why Wenger has been so passive and hasn’t been beating down their door for more support, more funds and looking out for the interest of the fans. It seems as though he never leaps to our defence but he’ll defend the interest of very crooked men and that’s why I question the ‘socialist’ persona fans have given him. We shouldn’t even have to look to the FA or any outside organisation to look out for the fans interests. Wenger sits between the fans and the top exec types. He sees both sides so I’m baffled some of his comments and can only conclude the above.

[Kano]

I like to think (and who knows what goes on behind the scenes really) that Kroenke is the 'bad' guy, only interested in money with no regard to how we do on the pitch and Wenger is the 'good' guy who is genuinely trying to do his best for the club and trying to balance our long term future financially with success on the pitch. He may be failing, but I think he genuinely wants the best for the club.
That doesn't absolve him of all blame of course, a lot of the criticism on here is justified, but I don't think the abuse is, I don't think he's the bad guy.
Me too, although I think Wenger perhaps has become blindsided by his own principles over the years that has impacted on our effectiveness on the pitch. There is a flip side to the idea that Wenger is the 'good guy,' in that if he still doesn't have access to the larger funds on a consistency basis but allows the directors at the club to constantly speak in bolder financial terms about our spending power, then he has to shoulder blame there too. Especially if he is the one on the front line taking all the abuse in the media and the mongs who shout 'cunt' at him behind their keyboards but upon meeting him in person would become quivering wrecks. If he is sacrificing his own reputation for the good of the club then that would be amazing but I don't think that is the case entirely. He surely has cash to spend and could of secured a Giroud-like striker or Coquelin-like back-up in the summer, amongst other things.

[Power n Glory]

What incentive does the PL/ FA/ Gov have to reduce or cap revenues? None at all. They are queuing with their own wheelbarrows. A locust doesn't do crop management it just strips everything in its path and moves on when the field is dead.

:lol: :gp:

[Power n Glory]

Me too, although I think Wenger perhaps has become blindsided by his own principles over the years that has impacted on our effectiveness on the pitch. There is a flip side to the idea that Wenger is the 'good guy,' in that if he still doesn't have access to the larger funds on a consistency basis but allows the directors at the club to constantly speak in bolder financial terms about our spending power, then he has to shoulder blame there too. Especially if he is the one on the front line taking all the abuse in the media and the mongs who shout 'cunt' at him behind their keyboards but upon meeting him in person would become quivering wrecks. If he is sacrificing his own reputation for the good of the club then that would be amazing but I don't think that is the case entirely. He surely has cash to spend and could of secured a Giroud-like striker or Coquelin-like back-up in the summer, amongst other things.

Please! ;)

http://worldsoccertalk.com/2015/10/15/arsenal-ticket-prices-high-arsene-wenger-ivan-gazidis/


The ticket pricing issue was one of the main talking points at Arsenal’s annual general meeting on Thursday morning, with the BBC survey also finding that the Gunners sold the most expensive season tickets in the English top flight. But Wenger is determined to see prices driven down and feels his club have done well in recent years to freeze their prices: “It is my job to do that. “Overall I feel that we have made a conscious effort in our board meetings to block the increase of our tickets and in seven of the past 10 years we have not increased our prices. “Overall there is a desire on our board to stabilize (prices) and make the tickets more affordable for people. Is football more expensive? Yes, but Saturday or Sunday if you want to go to rugby you will see the tickets are expensive there as well. It is maybe part of professionalism and a modern society.”

Wenger isn't shouldered with anything. He's right there alongside Gazidis making excuses and coming up with his own opinion on the matter. I don't get the sense that he's reading from a script. You don't have to lay into him like some others do, but let's not make excuses as if he's a powerless mute.

[Kano]

True, which is why any unilateral action on the part of the PL/FA/Gov wouldn't be effective and probably would be immediately subject to legal action from the likes of Kroenke and the Glazers for the very reason you mention, "curtailing the earning potential of limited enterprises". It's got to be preceded by a discussion and an agreement from the PL clubs ......... which is easier said then done.

Maybe again I'm being too optimistic here, but I'd like to think that most owners are intelligent enough to realise that the popularity (and thus ultimately the money) of the PL is dependent on full stadiums, healthy match day atmospheres and ensuring new younger fans can replenish any ageing fanbase. Only one look at Seria A should be enough to demonstrate what happens when fans stay away and you have half empty stadiums.

I mean if the Americans, who are the ultimate capitalists, can enforce a socialist style salary cap on their popular sports I don't see why we can't have something which is far less restrictive but similarly in the collective good. It would require some leadership from the PL/FA/Gov though to put together which may be asking for too much.
It would be nice to think that but we are dealing with people and as we all know we have a miserable history of repeating the same mistakes again and again. Especially when it comes to money. When you look at the age and their lack of emotional attachment to the football clubs they own in the modern age, I would think they are all trying to scoop up as much cash as possible before the bubble burst. The new TV deal is changing the entire landscape in terms of revenue and it wouldn’t surprise me if owners thought fans being present or not would make much of a difference. The recent £30 cap proposal that was rejected by the PL clubs shows they have no interest in entering this discussion. Arsenal’s response is they would rather focus on increasing the £200,000 pot currently given out to each PL to help away fans. They brag about 19,000 £10 tickets being available for 16 year olds, as if that is a significant number, set against the 1 million plus tickets that go on sale for our home PL games across the season.

The NFL salary cap is more complex than it first looks, because essentially teams can roll over any surplus from season to season and contracts are not guaranteed, meaning they can cancel an expensive contract at any point. It’s horribly to speak so negatively about the state of our game but the grim truth is the power was taken away from the ordinary supporter a long time ago and only something catastrophic happening, along the lines of the ITV deal that fell to pieces a decade ago, will force any change.

[Niall_Quinn]

Well for the PL, the realisation that the global popularity of their product would collapse if teams started playing to half empty lifeless stadiums.

For the FA/Gov, fan and constituent pressure and for the latter, the importance of ensuring the economic benefits that the PL brings to the country remains.

It may still be essential to get people into the stadiums but if the global appeal and TV revenues and sponsorship deals keep increasing then the match day take will become less significant. The chavs and gypos struggle to fill the stadium, West Ham will play in a half empty stadium. With virtual reality and 3D finally making a breakthrough I can see a day coming (relatively soon) where you'll be able to attend the match from your living room and with social interactivity your mates will still be there, right beside you. It's coming. You'll be able to make your in-game purchases from the club shop, you can already get food and booze delivered to the front door. "Stadiums" will soon be able to hold 2-3 million spectators on match day so who will care about the 60K who put up with the crappy, overpriced transport? This is a consumer product now, the cultural remains actively discouraged and dying fast. Maybe the 60K seats will all become luxury corporate lounges with butlers and hookers in attendance. For football to keep eating itself at the current pace they'll need a lot more than a few seats strung around the pitch to make it work. Who would have thought "friends" would be electronic bits flowing around Facetube rather than flesh and blood people you actually meet? When sport dies and is replaced by whatever shit the money ghouls have in store I bet you most will think it's way cool dude.

[Letters]

How can a decade of underachievement be viewed as anything other than unsatisfactory?
Because I think that's a bit simplistic. There was a time when it was difficult for us to compete. What Leicester is doing doesn't invalidate that, if it was that easy then why has no-one else done it?
The fact is money and success have been highly correlated in the modern game and it's no co-incidence that the 3 sides who have won the title since we last did all have bigger resources than us.
That doesn't absolve Wenger of all blame, there are times when we could have pushed on and won trophies, maybe a title or two, but overall in the era when we were hamstrung by poor financial deals I think he did a pretty good job.

For the last couple of years the financial deals have been in place, we can now compete more seriously in the transfer market so Wenger should be judged differently. Already it's yielded a couple of trophies. The lack of a title challenge was disappointing last year. Had we not won the FA Cup I think he should have been sacked, the cup win mitigates it somewhat and IMO earned him another chance, but I do think - and I've said this repeatedly - this has to be his last chance for a proper title challenge. And so far this season he's delivering that. We've been wobbling recently, if we lose or even draw against Leicester then we probably will fail to challenge properly and I'll agree Wenger should be sacked. If we win and properly challenge...well, I'll assess things at the end of the season. One could argue that if we finish below Leicester, or Spurs actually, then he should be sacked. But I don't think wanting to assess things at the end of the season is a massively unreasonable thing to do - I picked you up on a post where you declared us out of the CL after 2 group games, it's only at the end of the season you can sensibly assess how things have gone although the further we're into a season the more reasonable the assessment is. If we lose this weekend for example then we'll be 8 points behind Leicester, I think that would be a pretty reasonable time to throw in the towel. If we win then it's 2 points and while we're in touch I'll believe we have a chance even though my faith in the team has been knocked recently.

[Globalgunner]

People seem to forget we have been following this 4th is great philosophy for a long time even before Stan showed up. Wenger gave up competing soon as Abramovich threw money and Mourinho into the mix. Ferguson stepped up to the challenge but Wenger, he retreated into a cocoon shielded by the barrier of being outspent. When it was a 2 horse race with just Utd we invariably came 2nd. When Chelsea came along we slipped to 3rd. With City in the miux our average league position has been 4th.

We have never been short of money. Our revenues shot up immediately we moved into the Emirates. That is when the accumulation of cash started. The 200m was not gathered up in the last 3 or 4 seasons. This is a cumulative surplus of monies not spent on improving the team since 2006. Question is: Whose strategy and why?. My take on it was initially it may have been to provide a buffer against the uncertainties following the 2008 crash. Later however it became a lure to investment sharks like Kroenke who seek only to maximise the earning potential of the club against other investments in his portfolio. We are not really a sporting franchise just a commercial vehicle and Wenger is riding shotgun along and not at all against his will I believe.

[Özim]

I personally don't see Wenger as the good guy as some think, have you seen how much the guy earns, seems to me he's looking after himself and his players, he's always protecting them, defending them finding reasons as to why they deserve more money, if he cared about the club he'd care about the fans because the fans are the club and he's made it pretty clear over the years he couldn't give a damn about the fans.

Wenger isn't this good guy people paint a picture, he's complicit in almost everything at Arsenal, he's been here way before these owners appeared and the problem existed back then, he protects his pals above him and the players he chooses and doesn't care about the others, he only cares about his personal relationships.

Is he good for the club, a resounding "no", as for caring for the club I guess it depends how you define that, if caring for the finances of the owners is caring for the club, then yes, if it's anything else than no.

[Letters]

I personally don't see Wenger as the good guy as some think
You're shitting me :o

[Niall_Quinn]

Wenger could walk into any club anywhere in the world if he decided to quit Arsenal. There's a reason for that and it doesn't have anything to do with what happens on the pitch.

[Letters]

People seem to forget we have been following this 4th is great philosophy for a long time even before Stan showed up. Wenger gave up competing soon as Abramovich threw money and Mourinho into the mix. Ferguson stepped up to the challenge but Wenger, he retreated into a cocoon shielded by the barrier of being outspent. When it was a 2 horse race with just Utd we invariably came 2nd. When Chelsea came along we slipped to 3rd. With City in the miux our average league position has been 4th.

We have never been short of money. Our revenues shot up immediately we moved into the Emirates. That is when the accumulation of cash started. The 200m was not gathered up in the last 3 or 4 seasons. This is a cumulative surplus of monies not spent on improving the team since 2006. Question is: Whose strategy and why?. My take on it was initially it may have been to provide a buffer against the uncertainties following the 2008 crash. Later however it became a lure to investment sharks like Kroenke who seek only to maximise the earning potential of the club against other investments in his portfolio. We are not really a sporting franchise just a commercial vehicle and Wenger is riding shotgun along and not at all against his will I believe.

There is no '4th is great' philosophy, clearly Wenger wants to do better, why wouldn't he? But qualifying for the CL is important in terms of money and prestige - we wouldn't have signed players like Ozil and Sanchez were it not for CL football.
Wenger didn't 'give up' competing but clearly what Chelsea and then City did skewed the market and made it much more difficult. A for example being when we were looking at SWP, Chelsea game in, doubled the price and stuck him on their bench. Because they could. We weren't short of money but it is difficult to compete with teams who can do things like that. And yes, our revenues went up but so have salaries.
What do you mean we 'invariably' came 2nd in the 2 horse race between us and Utd, between 1998 and 2004 is was 3 to us and 4 to them.
If we were only interested in top 4 finishes I don't believe we'd have signed Ozil, Sanchez or Cech, we don't need players of that level if we're only interested in doing the bare minimum. When the money was there from the new financial deals we started spending it, I agree last summer was disappointing (Cech aside) but for a couple of years we were spending as much as anyone (with the exception of City who I think were still going mental). Why do that if you're not trying to compete?
Whether Wenger is able to compete now is debatable - I still maintain it's valid to see how this season pans out before assessing that, it's only been a couple of years since we started signing the level of players that should see us compete. But I don't buy he's only interested in doing the bare minimum.

[Power n Glory]

You're shitting me :o

What's your thoughts on this? I've heard Wenger defend our ticket prices more than once, example below.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/arsene-wenger-defends-ticket-prices-at-arsenal-8447839.html


Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists all clubs want to keep ticket prices down, but accepts fans have to contribute to income through the turnstiles.

The issue of prices resurfaced this week after Manchester City returned 912 unsold tickets to Arsenal, priced at £62, for Sunday's match at Emirates Stadium.

There have been calls for a cap on the amounts clubs charge away fans - especially for high-profile Category A matches - but the Premier League insists prices are a matter for individual clubs, while the Football Supporters' Federation want some of next season's bumper new TV deal passed on to fans by reducing ticket prices.

Wenger admits the situation is "delicate", but believes supporters will always have to make a significant contribution to revenue streams.

He said: "Ideally you want ticket prices to be as low as possible, but on the other hand the only way we can pay the wages and compete without any external help is through the ticket prices because it is our main income.

"Therefore we are in this situation where of course the prices are high.

"I am really worried they are high for our supporters. For the visitors, it only happens once per year, so that is less of a concern.

"We sell out our games, but ideally you want ticket prices to be affordable to everybody. It is a very delicate subject.

"It is down to every individual to decide 'Do I spend the money or not to go anywhere to watch anything?'

"If you want to go to a concert tomorrow, you look at the price of a ticket and after if it is too high for you, you say yes or no. That is everybody's individual responsibility."

Arsenal have yet to bring a trophy to the Emirates Stadium, with many supporters bemoaning the lack of consistency and seeing key men sold.

Wenger defended the club when asked whether the Gunners continued to offer value for money, with their season tickets among the most expensive in the top flight.

He said: "How can you measure that? What is very important is that we try to give value for money and that our attitude is absolutely 100% committed to try and achieve that. That is the most important.

"After, everybody can have a different opinion when he comes out of the stadium. Did he get enough for what he has spent? You have to leave that to every individual.

"The only way you can measure that is do people come back or not."

Again, this doesn’t sound like a guy that hasn’t thought this through and just singing from the company hymn sheet. Weigh these comments up with what Gazdis said about focusing on increasing revenue in regards to ticket prices and Wenger’s recent comments about where that revenue will go.

[selassie]

There is no '4th is great' philosophy, clearly Wenger wants to do better, why wouldn't he? But qualifying for the CL is important in terms of money and prestige - we wouldn't have signed players like Ozil and Sanchez were it not for CL football.
Wenger didn't 'give up' competing but clearly what Chelsea and then City did skewed the market and made it much more difficult. A for example being when we were looking at SWP, Chelsea game in, doubled the price and stuck him on their bench. Because they could. We weren't short of money but it is difficult to compete with teams who can do things like that. And yes, our revenues went up but so have salaries.
What do you mean we 'invariably' came 2nd in the 2 horse race between us and Utd, between 1998 and 2004 is was 3 to us and 4 to them.
If we were only interested in top 4 finishes I don't believe we'd have signed Ozil, Sanchez or Cech, we don't need players of that level if we're only interested in doing the bare minimum. When the money was there from the new financial deals we started spending it, I agree last summer was disappointing (Cech aside) but for a couple of years we were spending as much as anyone (with the exception of City who I think were still going mental). Why do that if you're not trying to compete?
Whether Wenger is able to compete now is debatable - I still maintain it's valid to see how this season pans out before assessing that, it's only been a couple of years since we started signing the level of players that should see us compete. But I don't buy he's only interested in doing the bare minimum.

The problem is we are trying to compete, but it's all based on Wenger's Philosophy.

We compete the way he wants to compete. At face value we are doing things to compete but in the grand scheme of things are we really doing enough and using our resources wisely?

Wenger is able to compete now, he just needs to be more pragmatic and identify areas where he is struggling and seek help.

[Letters]

What's your thoughts on this? I've heard Wenger defend our ticket prices more than once, example below.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/arsene-wenger-defends-ticket-prices-at-arsenal-8447839.html



Again, this doesn’t sound like a guy that hasn’t thought this through and just singing from the company hymn sheet. Weigh these comments up with what Gazdis said about focusing on increasing revenue in regards to ticket prices and Wenger’s recent comments about where that revenue will go.

I'm not sure what he's supposed to say.
"It's disgraceful how we're ripping off all our fans"?
That would go down well at the next board meeting.

Ultimately all the club's income is coming from us in one way or another, if it's not tickets it's replica shirts or Sky subscriptions or whatever. Football has become a business and in business if you're selling out you don't drop the prices. It's happened throughout the game. It would be interesting to know how our prices have changed in %age terms compared with other clubs.

I'm not defending how high our prices are but while wages and transfer fees continue to spiral to nauseating heights the money's got to come from somewhere. The prices are part of why I dropped out but while people are queueing up to take my place they're not going to slash prices.

[Letters]

The problem is we are trying to compete, but it's all based on Wenger's Philosophy.

We compete the way he wants to compete. At face value we are doing things to compete but in the grand scheme of things are we really doing enough and using our resources wisely?

Wenger is able to compete now, he just needs to be more pragmatic and identify areas where he is struggling and seek help.

Agree. He is a stubborn so and so and has lost a lot of the edge he once had - he was pioneering in fitness methods (ironically, given our perennial injury problems) and diet and had a knowledge of the worldwide game which none of his peers had when he first joined us. Other clubs have caught up, arguably overtaken us, and while I do think he's done well to keep us in the top 4 in the era of clubs spunking so much money around it's debatable whether he can still win the biggest prizes. If he doesn't think year then I don't think he ever will but I'm glad he won the two FA Cups as it will help his legacy.

[Power n Glory]

I'm not sure what he's supposed to say.
"It's disgraceful how we're ripping off all our fans"?
That would go down well at the next board meeting.

Ultimately all the club's income is coming from us in one way or another, if it's not tickets it's replica shirts or Sky subscriptions or whatever. Football has become a business and in business if you're selling out you don't drop the prices. It's happened throughout the game. It would be interesting to know how our prices have changed in %age terms compared with other clubs.

I'm not defending how high our prices are but while wages and transfer fees continue to spiral to nauseating heights the money's got to come from somewhere. The prices are part of why I dropped out but while people are queueing up to take my place they're not going to slash prices.

So whose interest is he defending? The Boards or the fans if you're going to answer in that way.

He doesn't have to say we're being ripped off. We've heard plenty of PC/PR type answers from Wenger so I don't get why he has to go the extra mile when talking about ticket prices. He could just say ticket prices are high but we do our best to keep them affordable. That is all.

This doesn't sound like he sees a problem and he finds a way to justify the price when he doesn't have to.


"If you want to go to a concert tomorrow, you look at the price of a ticket and after if it is too high for you, you say yes or no. That is everybody's individual responsibility."


How can you measure that? What is very important is that we try to give value for money and that our attitude is absolutely 100% committed to try and achieve that. That is the most important.

"After, everybody can have a different opinion when he comes out of the stadium. Did he get enough for what he has spent? You have to leave that to every individual.

"The only way you can measure that is do people come back or not."


Overall there is a desire on our board to stabilize (prices) and make the tickets more affordable for people. Is football more expensive? Yes, but Saturday or Sunday if you want to go to rugby you will see the tickets are expensive there as well. It is maybe part of professionalism and a modern society.”

[Letters]

I'm not sure he needs to defend either interest.
The last comment suggests he does recognise a problem but what is the solution? If we want to compete then where else does the money from from?
If there is a solution then it's to deflate the transfer and salary market but that can only happen across the board and I can't see that happening.

[Power n Glory]

I'm not sure he needs to defend either interest.
The last comment suggests he does recognise a problem but what is the solution? If we want to compete then where else does the money from from?
If there is a solution then it's to deflate the transfer and salary market but that can only happen across the board and I can't see that happening.

You think they can't take a few million from the TV deal money and save some money for the fans? It's a rubbish explanation as if a million or two is the difference between us competing.

[Letters]

I guess they could, but a million / 60,000 fans = £16.67 per season, significantly less than a pound per game.
They should do something but while they're filling the ground where't the incentive to?

[Power n Glory]

I guess they could, but a million / 60,000 fans = £16.67 per season, significantly less than a pound per game.
They should do something but while they're filling the ground where't the incentive to?

Yes, where is the incentive? Hence why I don't think fans should be shielding Wenger from criticism when he comes up with nosnese in the press about ticket price hikes being necessary and needing all the TV revenue money.

[Power n Glory]

Again, we somehow manage to find £3m a year for Stan which nobody cares to explain but we're getting this bullshit answer about ticket prices.

[Kano]

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-fans-urged-to-join-fiveminute-leicester-walkout-during-title-clash-a3178006.html

Something I suppose. But a full strike for an entire game may well prove more effective.

[Marc Overmars]

Catergory C title 6 pointers. :bow:

[Niall_Quinn]

Premier League side Arsenal will prepare for the 2016-17 season with two fixtures in America.
The club have confirmed they will travel to the United States to face both the 2016 MLS AT&T All-Stars and Chivas de Guadalajara.
Arsenal will kick off their adventure against the 2016 MLS AT&T All-Stars at Avaya Stadium in San Jose in late July before travelling to Los Angeles to take on Chivas de Guadalajara.

Yay! Very valuable pre-season preparation if you ask me. And worth a few quid too I'm betting. Thank fuck we aren't doing that old shit where pre-season preparation used to be about preparation.

[Letters]

I think they're mostly doing so FY can see us lose without having to cross the Atlantic.

[Letters]

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-fans-urged-to-join-fiveminute-leicester-walkout-during-title-clash-a3178006.html

Something I suppose. But a full strike for an entire game may well prove more effective.

The only effective way to protest is to stop buying tickets. Not just for one game. Just stop going.
Where's the incentive to drop prices while they keep filling the stadium?

[Letters]

Sign him up, Arsene. He'd work for choccy drops and all the Pedigree Chum he can eat.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FM0yZ7pKo4

[Power n Glory]

The only effective way to protest is to stop buying tickets. Not just for one game. Just stop going.
Where's the incentive to drop prices while they keep filling the stadium?

A good piece from Tim Stillman.

http://arseblog.com/2016/02/enough-is-enough/

Walkouts are a good for step. It's an action at least and one that draws attention.

[Letters]

I can't see the point in walkouts. It makes a statement I guess, and actually if has had an effect at Liverpool so even as I typed that sentence i realised there is a point :lol:
:getcoat:

But the point is they still have your money, if people stop buying tickets the club would have to act.

[Power n Glory]

I can't see the point in walkouts. It makes a statement I guess, and actually if has had an effect at Liverpool so even as I typed that sentence i realised there is a point :lol:
:getcoat:

But the point is they still have your money, if people stop buying tickets the club would have to act.

It spreads awareness, sparks more protests and I'm sure more action will be followed if the clubs ignore the walkout. It may even discourage potential fans from taking up vacated seats and protesting as well.

[Niall_Quinn]

Arsenal are this morning selling The EMIRATES 5 MINUTE MATCH DAY EXPERIENCE. Apparently you get a free cardboard hat, a photocopied program and 5 minutes in the away end for £30.

[Kano]

The only effective way to protest is to stop buying tickets. Not just for one game. Just stop going.
Where's the incentive to drop prices while they keep filling the stadium?
I think one game would have a far bigger impact than 5 minutes at the start of the game. I'm not sure football fans would keep away week after week enmasse, which is the unique brand loyalty being exploited by the clubs. The problem with staying away however is 45,000 of the ground are signed up to season tickets.

[GP]

I can't see the point in walkouts. It makes a statement I guess, and actually if has had an effect at Liverpool so even as I typed that sentence i realised there is a point :lol:
:getcoat:

But the point is they still have your money, if people stop buying tickets the club would have to act.

The problem is of course, if people don't buy tickets, there's a queue of people behind them waiting to buy them anyway.

A walk out sends the biggest message.
Although 5 minutes at the start of the game isn't enough. Everyone's still at the bar then anyway.

[Letters]

Well yes, that is the problem and it's also the reason they don't need to reduce ticket prices.

[Power n Glory]

Again, the ball has only just started rolling. It's a statement that's getting attention at least. Far better than a protest or March before the game or random banners around the stadium.

[GP]

Protests in a nutshell...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZn4Nt1ppPw

[Letters]

:lol:

Flaming Moes :bow:

[Özim]

To be honest I can't understand why there's so many people who want to watch us, we play boring football and charge extortionate prices, it's not like we're great to watch and real entertainers and have a host of world stars like in the past.

[Kano]

To be honest I can't understand why there's so many people who want to watch us, we play boring football and charge extortionate prices, it's not like we're great to watch and real entertainers and have a host of world stars like in the past.

Of course you don't because you probably haven't seen the team play in the flesh for absolutely ages, rarely watch our games and watch next to no football. On the other hand, football fans want to go and see their team. There is an entirely different set of logic for paying football fans to armchair fans.

[Özim]

Of course you don't because you probably haven't seen the team play in the flesh for absolutely ages, rarely watch our games and watch next to no football. On the other hand, football fans want to go and see their team. There is an entirely different set of logic for paying football fans to armchair fans.

I've seen us play and have seen plenty of comments on matches from others as well, fact is to me we're boring to watch and have been for quite a while, the reason I don't watch so much nowadays however is because quite frankly we're boring to watch.

Regardless of mindset people only have so much money so this get's factored in, the amount we charge is a lot of money to most people and there's plenty of things you could do with your money that would be far more rewarding and enjoyable than going to watch a side who aren't very entertaining and don't have many star players.

I could understand it if prices were reasonable and we played great football, but neither of these are true.

[Kano]

No, mindset and the need to for an escape to watch something you love clearly counters a lot of peoples financial situations. That applies across the country for fans who travel home and away, paying for tickets, travel, food and accommodation. That desire to be part of a group, bonded together supporting your team through thick and thin isn't decided on most occassions by the cost or what you directly get back from it in tangible terms. If that was the case, there would be no away fans in the lower leagues.

[Özim]

That desire to be part of a group, bonded together supporting your team through thick and thin isn't decided on most occassions by the cost or what you directly get back from it in tangible terms. If that was the case, there would be no away fans in the lower leagues.

Don't really agree with this, lower league clubs have fans because they are cheap to watch, have a community feel due to the size of the clubs and often attract locals who support their hometown, in addition they aren't really run as business so much, that's not really the case for us.

PL football is an entirely different animal to lower league football.

[Kano]

Sigh. Yes the point is the tickets are cheap but the travel is the same, the food, any accommodation. It all adds up. Fans do not make most of their judgments based on pure financial commitment. Or how many 'stars' or glorious football you are going to be given. Those are the cherries on top. The time and effort to do all that every other weekend on top of the home games. The principle remains the same whether you are in the PL or conference. You love your club, you love going to watch a football game, so you make the sacrifices. The tribalistic element of football, being part of that community of likeminded people is valued far higher than the financial cost. Hence the full houses around the PL every week.

[Özim]

Sigh. Yes the point is the tickets are cheap but the travel is the same, the food, any accommodation. It all adds up. Fans do not make most of their judgments based on pure financial commitment. Or how many 'stars' or glorious football you are going to be given. Those are the cherries on top. The time and effort to do all that every other weekend on top of the home games. The principle remains the same whether you are in the PL or conference. You love your club, you love going to watch a football game, so you make the sacrifices. The tribalistic element of football, being part of that community of likeminded people is valued far higher than the financial cost. Hence the full houses around the PL every week.

If that's the case why did Juventus has to downsize their stadium due to not being able to fill it, why did Wimbledon FC in the 90's only 1/4 fill their ground, why do Carling Cup games often end up being played in 1/2 to 3/4 full stadiums, didn't someone also mention Chelsea's falling attendances as well?

It's clearly not as simplistic as that or else every club would have full stadiums through thick and thin every game, I think with Arsenal a lot of it is also to do with perception and the perception that we're actually entertaining and that it's a privilege to be able to watch us, when it clearly isn't, it becomes apparent that the club have done a great job of marketing themselves in that sense, as some peope buy into this nonsense and are happy to accept being treated however the club wants to treat them.

Whilst I agree their are those fans who follow us through tick and thin (those who generally go away as well) and perhaps that's due to a community of likeminded people, I think that's only a small percentage of the crowd in the PL these days, you're talking about how football use to be 15 years ago, not now so much IMO.

[Power n Glory]

It's a bit of both and more. No point in arguing over why people go to games because nobody has a concrete answer and this is all presumptuous. But there is no denying the entertainment factor. Even Wenger acknowledges that and has always said when linking it to our style of play. Heck, he even made a comparison to theater in one of his quotes I posted.

[Kano]

If that's the case why did Juventus has to downsize their stadium due to not being able to fill it, why did Wimbledon FC in the 90's only 1/4 fill their ground, why do Carling Cup games often end up being played in 1/2 to 3/4 full stadiums, didn't someone also mention Chelsea's falling attendances as well?

It's clearly not as simplistic as that or else every club would have full stadiums through thick and thin every game, I think with Arsenal a lot of it is also to do with perception and the perception that we're actually entertaining and that it's a privilege to be able to watch us, when it clearly isn't, it becomes apparent that the club have done a great job of marketing themselves in that sense, as some peope buy into this nonsense and are happy to accept being treated however the club wants to treat them.

Whilst I agree their are those fans who follow us through tick and thin (those who generally go away as well) and perhaps that's due to a community of likeminded people, I think that's only a small percentage of the crowd in the PL these days, you're talking about how football use to be 15 years ago, not now so much IMO.
Juventus' old stadium was falling to pieces and plagued by hooliganism, as is the case across Italy and still remains the case. It has never been addressed because the Government lack the balls and the owners are terrified of the hardcore fans that drive it. That is a huge reason why fans stay away in their droves across Italy, along with the corruption that still remains. Wimbledon had their highest ever attendances during the mid to late 90's. Even when they won the FA Cup in '88 the attendances didn't shift. By the time they left Plough Lane a decade later the ground was sold out. I'm not sure what your point is there. Chelsea's average attendance is near capacity. Again, I don't get that one.

And you cannot seriously be using Carling Cup games as an example now. We are talking meat and bread of league games that fans are committed to through season tickets, which make up the large bulk of fans returning for most games and account for the group that then follow their team away.

Going to Arsenal in particular is seen and sold as a 'luxury' experience, hence the rip-off London prices. The perception is that we play good football but in reality, at the moment, it is as garbage as all the other 19 teams in the league. Still, the season ticket holders go every season, watch nearly every match in the flesh or at the home and know fully well what they are paying so much for. There are no surprises in store for them but they still cough up. Fans aren't as stupid as their clubs believe them to be but they are allowing themselves to be exploited so they can keep watching and enjoying the game they feel is still theirs.

Your stand point is from someone who bitterly dispises a football manager, doesn't watch many of the games (for whatever reason) and hasn't been to a live football game in God knows how long. So after a while your connection with fandom changes, which is normal, along with your understanding of the mentality of those who spend ridiculous money season after season to follow their club. An armchair fan can't always rationalise or understand just why fans keep going to games because the comfort zone at home wipes away a lot of that zealous commitment.

[Özim]

LOZ, Wenger saying fans shouldn't miss a moment of happyness by missing the match, has he actually watched our football recently.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35560475

[Letters]

To be honest I can't understand why there's so many people who want to watch us, we play boring football and charge extortionate prices, it's not like we're great to watch and real entertainers and have a host of world stars like in the past.

And yet you 'thoroughly enjoyed' the glorious 92/93 season when we won 15 league games (we've already won 14 so far...) out of 42 scoring a whopping 40 goals (we've already scored 39) and were known throughout the land as "Boring Boring Arsenal".

You do talk a lot of crap and endlessly shift goalposts to suit your agenda.

[Özim]

Juventus' old stadium was falling to pieces and plagued by hooliganism, as is the case across Italy and still remains the case. It has never been addressed because the Government lack the balls and the owners are terrified of the hardcore fans that drive it. That is a huge reason why fans stay away in their droves across Italy, along with the corruption that still remains. Wimbledon had their highest ever attendances during the mid to late 90's. Even when they won the FA Cup in '88 the attendances didn't shift. By the time they left Plough Lane a decade later the ground was sold out. I'm not sure what your point is there. Chelsea's average attendance is near capacity. Again, I don't get that one.

And you cannot seriously be using Carling Cup games as an example now. We are talking meat and bread of league games that fans are committed to through season tickets, which make up the large bulk of fans returning for most games and account for the group that then follow their team away.

Going to Arsenal in particular is seen and sold as a 'luxury' experience, hence the rip-off London prices. The perception is that we play good football but in reality, at the moment, it is as garbage as all the other 19 teams in the league. Still, the season ticket holders go every season, watch nearly every match in the flesh or at the home and know fully well what they are paying so much for. There are no surprises in store for them but they still cough up. Fans aren't as stupid as their clubs believe them to be but they are allowing themselves to be exploited so they can keep watching and enjoying the game they feel is still theirs.

Your stand point is from someone who bitterly dispises a football manager, doesn't watch many of the games (for whatever reason) and hasn't been to a live football game in God knows how long. So after a while your connection with fandom changes, which is normal, along with your understanding of the mentality of those who spend ridiculous money season after season to follow their club. An armchair fan can't always rationalise or understand just why fans keep going to games because the comfort zone at home wipes away a lot of that zealous commitment.

Italian fans are football mad on the whole, there's obviously plenty of reason they stay away however if it's that tribal why don't they choose to go anyway, it's clearly not a logical decision according to what you're saying.

As for Wimbledon, they had largely empty stadiums for years when they were in the PL, I can remember them playing at Selhurst Park with barely anyone there, people didn't like their route 1 football and thus they didn't have the same level of fans in the PL. As for Chelsea, I was simply picking up on a comment someone else made on here, it wasn't from me.

The CC is less popular, but if a fan has doesn't make a logical decision then it would be odd they would neglect the opportunity to watch their team in this as well.

I largely agree with the rest of your post, I just feel a lot of the fans now are not the hardcore group you talk about, which is why I don't really understand the waiting list for a club who don't spend on new players, don't win a lot and never change and don't really entertain anymore, perception has gone a long long way for us there's no doubt about it.

[Özim]

And yet you 'thoroughly enjoyed' the glorious 92/93 season when we won 15 league games (we've already won 14 so far...) out of 42 scoring a whopping 40 goals (we've already scored 39) and were known throughout the land as "Boring Boring Arsenal".

You do talk a lot of crap and endlessly shift goalposts to suit your agenda.

Different times, there was none of this marketing spin or BS around, prices weren't astronomical and players actually gave a sh*t on the pitch and earnt their stripes, it was also unpredictable in those days, which it really isn't with us now.

It's no shifting goalposts it's called being bored of the same old sh*t with Wenger in charge, he takes all the enjoyment out of watching Arsenal with his stale methods, refusal to spend, constant nonsense and refusal to change a failed formula.

I know you don't like to hear it because to you Wenger is like a saviour and you can't imagine life without him, but it doesn't mean it's not true.

[Niall_Quinn]

LOZ, Wenger saying fans shouldn't miss a moment of happyness by missing the match, has he actually watched our football recently.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35560475

He's making it increasingly obvious where his allegiances lie. He really is a bullshitter these days.

[Özim]

He's making it increasingly obvious where his allegiances lie. He really is a bullshitter these days.

Pretty much, he's not the good guy he likes to portray himself as, he chooses to support something rather than saying he has nothing to say as he doesn't set the prices, it's one big boys club where the all support each other and really don't care what anyone else thinks.

People will always say what is he suppose to say to questions like this, there's a simple answer to this and yet he pretty much everytime prefers to stick the oar in.

[Letters]

players actually gave a sh*t on the pitch.
Yes, I can see how hard they were trying by winning 15 games out of 42.

If you're bored of it then stop watching. LOL at the irony of you accusing someone else of "constant nonsense" though.

[Özim]

Yes, I can see how hard they were trying by winning 15 games out of 42.

If you're bored of it then stop watching. LOL at the irony of you accusing someone else of "constant nonsense" though.

Just because we didn't win it doesn't mean we didn't try hard, we had far less resources and far less talent in those days and yet we still upset the odds and won cups and leagues. You associate what we have now, which are scrappy wins with effort, there's no effort in winning games you should be winning narrowly especially when you have far more resources than the club you're playing, effort is giving your all in a match, not scoring a couple and then congratulating yourself and then limping over the line when the opposition run you close.

It's not ironic at all, I don't talk nonsense it's my opinion whereas it's kinda obvious he does, hence the reason make jokes about his interviews.

[Letters]

Two seasons previously we'd been champions, we weren't plucky minnows upsetting the odds, we were always a big club.
I had a season ticket back then. We were bloody awful, they only bothered during the cups.
Wenger does spout a load of balls, I'll give you that. But he's not the only one...

[Özim]

Two seasons previously we'd been champions, we weren't plucky minnows upsetting the odds, we were always a big club.
I had a season ticket back then. We were bloody awful, they only bothered during the cups.
Wenger does spout a load of balls, I'll give you that. But he's not the only one...

We did upset the odds when we won the league, Liverpool were the major force back then and anyone that overcame them did it as the underdog, not saying we weren't a big club but we certainly weren't the favourites and didn't have the same resources.

We're bloody awful now to be fair so not much has changed other than the prices and nonsense after the match which we never had to put up with before.

[Power n Glory]

He's making it increasingly obvious where his allegiances lie. He really is a bullshitter these days.

Exactly. It's blatant. We need to put to bed this idea that his hands are being tied by the Board. He's in bed with them from the sound of it and really taking the piss with fans.


"Football is a moment of happiness in your life, so don't miss it."

He can't be serious.

[Letters]

We did upset the odds when we won the league, Liverpool were the major force back then and anyone that overcame them did it as the underdog, not saying we weren't a big club but we certainly weren't the favourites and didn't have the same resources.
Vaguely true but the gaps weren't as big as they have been in more recent times.


We're bloody awful now to be fair so not much has changed
Again, we have pretty much the same points and goals scored now, after 25 games, as we did at the end after 42 games in 92/93.
Last year we finished 3rd and won the Cup, this year we're still in all the major competitions and right in the middle of a title race, we've got a chance on Sunday to go within touching distance of the team leading.
So stop talking balls.

We're a shadow of the best sides under Wenger but we're much, MUCH better than the team in a season you apparently 'thoroughly enjoyed'.
That is where you're shifting the goalposts.

[Niall_Quinn]

Was reading today that the average age of the fans attending PL matches has shot up to 41 years. That sounds pretty incredible if true. I wonder what Wenger intends to do for the younger demographic that can't afford even a minute of happiness because they have been priced out? Or maybe only the highest bidder deserves to be happy?

[Özim]

Vaguely true but the gaps weren't as big as they have been in more recent times.


Again, we have pretty much the same points and goals scored now, after 25 games, as we did at the end after 42 games in 92/93.
Last year we finished 3rd and won the Cup, this year we're still in all the major competitions and right in the middle of a title race, we've got a chance on Sunday to go within touching distance of the team leading.
So stop talking balls.

We're a shadow of the best sides under Wenger but we're much, MUCH better than the team in a season you apparently 'thoroughly enjoyed'.
That is where you're shifting the goalposts.

It's not a fair comparison either, because that season we focussed on the cup and played weakened teams in the league a number of times. as for this season, the standard has been shocking, good thing otherwise we'd be miles behind as usual.

I don't think we're much of a side to be honest, we've got a handful of excellent players, but lack hunger, desire, application and any kind of unpredictability, how many games have we actually impressed in? We're well positioned but a lot of that is due to circumstances, this side is a million miles from our great sides.

[Özim]

He can't be serious.

He clearly thinks everyone has such sad little lives with nothing but football to make them happy, in his eyes he's the ultimate entertainer.

[Niall_Quinn]

He clearly thinks everyone has such sad little lives with nothing but football to make them happy, in his eyes he's the ultimate entertainer.

I don't think he's saying that. But he might as well be saying, fuck you sure paid a lot for this, you must love it, it must make you happy so why waste a minute of it? For a man of principles, supposedly, he's missing the principle here. Big time. But that's what happens when a minority is so far removed from the majority. They no longer have a mechanism to comprehend that majority.

I hope this protest gets bigger and wider. I hope it starts asking questions beyond the ticket prices, such as why we have greedy corporate cunts making profits from our national game. Or why we have greedy corporate cunts making profits from our national transport infrastructure that fans use to get to games. The corruption goes so much wider than football and ticket prices.

Whenever the majority can agree and organise against the abusive minority the possibility of change is real. I hope the clubs don't win this by freezing already exorbitant prices for a season so the organisation and energy goes away. That's probably what will happen though.

[Power n Glory]

I'm not sure what he's supposed to say.
"It's disgraceful how we're ripping off all our fans"?
That would go down well at the next board meeting.

Ultimately all the club's income is coming from us in one way or another, if it's not tickets it's replica shirts or Sky subscriptions or whatever. Football has become a business and in business if you're selling out you don't drop the prices. It's happened throughout the game. It would be interesting to know how our prices have changed in %age terms compared with other clubs.

I'm not defending how high our prices are but while wages and transfer fees continue to spiral to nauseating heights the money's got to come from somewhere. The prices are part of why I dropped out but while people are queueing up to take my place they're not going to slash prices.

The BBC quote is another example of not what to say. He doesn't have to comment.

Contrast that with Klopp's response.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/feb/08/jurgen-klopp-ticket-prices-solution-liverpool

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/jurgen-klopp-salutes-liverpool-fc-10879659

It's a difficult situation but you don't have to stick your neck out for the owners at the expense of the fans.

[Gooner23]

Further confirmation of a manager well and truly in bed with the greedy fucks running the club / football in general.

It's quite sad really, for someone so intelligent I really thought he was better than that.

The walk outs are a very good thing in my opinion.

[fakeyank]

I think they're mostly doing so FY can see us lose without having to cross the Atlantic.

:lol:

I think my luck is only limited towards PL games. I think I need to try my luck during a CL game in which we have a small chance of advancing..

[Marc Overmars]

https://youtu.be/HGQXZsnYeRM

Finally something #decent from AFTV.

Bobby. :bow:

[I am invisible]

http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/social/an-arsenal-fan-celebrated-danny-welbecks-winner-so-hard-hes-now-in-hospital-facebook/?

[Letters]

http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/social/an-arsenal-fan-celebrated-danny-welbecks-winner-so-hard-hes-now-in-hospital-facebook/?
:lol:

Zim's cat had to be taken to the vet too.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

http://metro.co.uk/2016/02/16/arsenal-legend-robert-pires-is-to-blame-for-the-premier-leagues-dive-culture-claims-danny-mills-5686484/

This fucking berk can't seriously believe this, right?

[Letters]

:doh:

[Kano]

This version gives a slightly better perspective

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/robert-pires-brought-diving-to-england-when-he-came-to-arsenal-says-pundit-danny-mills-a3181281.html

The prat basically just can't drop his bitterness after all these years. But it goes demonstrate the xenophobia that hangs around in the game because the current generation of English pundits rule the roost.

[GP]

'Explaining why he was so critical of Pires but vociferous in his praise for Barcelona Mills added: "Barcelona succeeded, Arsenal did not, and that is all that matters."

Fucking donkey brain.

[Niall_Quinn]

http://metro.co.uk/2016/02/16/arsenal-legend-robert-pires-is-to-blame-for-the-premier-leagues-dive-culture-claims-danny-mills-5686484/

This fucking berk can't seriously believe this, right?

What did I tell you yesterday? These cunts actually believe it. There was huge resentment when that non-English bloke (French or Welsh I think he is) came over from bongo-bongo land and started telling our lads how to behave, without so much as a by your leave. Then the uppity little foreigner started bringing all his mates over and so began the shitty stuff you see in the game these days. It's not all bad of course. We still have Rooney, Bale and Young in the game but it makes me wonder what will happen when these last bastions are gone.

Poll results so far:

Who or what is to blame for the Premier League's diving culture?

The growing need to win at all costs - 47%
Danny Mills - 44%
Robert Pires - 9%

[Marc Overmars]

What a sad bastard.

Genuinely pathetic comment regarding the penalty.

[LDG]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhR-WnafzoE

[Penguin]

He sounds like a bitter little toddler. Grow up you fool. :console:

[Coney]

http://metro.co.uk/2016/02/16/arsenal-legend-robert-pires-is-to-blame-for-the-premier-leagues-dive-culture-claims-danny-mills-5686484/

This fucking berk can't seriously believe this, right?

By coincidence, a colleague who is a Liverpool supporter was talking this very morning about some of the players from the early '70s and he said how Frances Lee was always taking a dive to get pelanties. I would guess Pires was probably in nappies at the time. Maybe Lee went to his christening and Pires dived into the font.

[Maestro]

https://youtu.be/auOoOVa8LTY

[AFC Leveller]

The pundits/experts on the tele/media these days are clueless ex pros who jump on any bandwagon and dont bring anything new to the table. Jenas, Mills, Savage, Owen etc to name a few.

[I am invisible]

What did I tell you yesterday? These cunts actually believe it. There was huge resentment when that non-English bloke (French or Welsh I think he is) came over from bongo-bongo land and started telling our lads how to behave, without so much as a by your leave. Then the uppity little foreigner started bringing all his mates over and so began the shitty stuff you see in the game these days. It's not all bad of course. We still have Rooney, Bale and Young in the game but it makes me wonder what will happen when these last bastions are gone.

Poll results so far:

Who or what is to blame for the Premier League's diving culture?

The growing need to win at all costs - 47%
Danny Mills - 44%
Robert Pires - 9%

Curse those shady foreigners! They take our jobs... they take our women... they're even winning the bake off!

[Power n Glory]

http://2.images.southparkstudios.com/blogs/southparkstudios.com/files/2014/04/0806-Took-Jerbs.jpg?quality=0.8

[LDG]

I seem to remember a certain German who went to spurs who liked to roll around a lot. He was doing it quite a long time before Pires came to Arsenal.

[Marc Overmars]

Nah mate, Pires invented diving. It's a fact in this country.

[adzzzbatch]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhR-WnafzoE

Quality moment!!!!

[AFC Leveller]

Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney love a dive too.

These foreigners.

[Kano]

Apparently Santi may be back in time for the Tottenham game.

[LDG]

Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney love a dive too.

These foreigners.

It's no wonder that this country fails to compete on the world stage. The media, and the old boys with their blinkered views, outdated methods and bandwagon-esque culture. What a bunch of retards.

[Kano]

It's no wonder that this country fails to compete on the world stage. The media, and the old boys with their blinkered views, outdated methods and bandwagon-esque culture. What a bunch of retards.

I think what will really help is leaving the EU.

[LDG]

I think what will really help is leaving the EU.

We're better on our own. There are too many Polish people and Syrian spongers and I don't like Germans.

[I am invisible]

http://metro.co.uk/2016/02/17/odds-slashed-on-arsenals-danny-welbeck-being-next-james-bond-5695532/?

[Niall_Quinn]

Paddy Power has a great media team, or a despicable one depending on your views related to corporations bombarding us with shit 24/7. At least they are inventive. Unlike the atrocious cunts behind the Hive advert that plays before every fucking thing on SkyGo. That fucking advert puts you off being alive.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Paddy Power has a great media team, or a despicable one depending on your views related to corporations bombarding us with shit 24/7. At least they are inventive. Unlike the atrocious cunts behind the Hive advert that plays before every fucking thing on SkyGo. That fucking advert puts you off being alive.

Can't complain against any company that has the Not Big Sam guy as a columnist on its website

[Power n Glory]

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/495187/Ezequiel-Lavezzi-China

Lavezzi off to China. £400k a week.

Football is going down the shitter.

[Niall_Quinn]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/picture/2016/feb/09/david-squires-premier-league-secret-society

[Niall_Quinn]

We're better on our own. There are too many Polish people and Syrian spongers and I don't like Germans.

These two things are only related by scoundrels. It's not racist to want representation. You can't have that with a European government, or worse the world government that is the next logical step. I suspect Poles would rather stay in the own country if given the choice and given a country that wasn't pillaged by western money interests driven by centralised authorities such as the IMF and World Bank. Less government is the key to solving almost every problem, not less government in a Tory or Repug way but less government as in less authority from the centre and more representation at the local level. Basically less cosseted cocks making big decisions for millions of people. It's just sensible.

[Niall_Quinn]

Can't complain against any company that has the Not Big Sam guy as a columnist on its website

Bottled it. Not Fat Sam was the correct title.

[AFC Leveller]

Gabriel more or less ruled out of the Barcelona game.

Merts it is then.

[Niall_Quinn]

Gabriel more or less ruled out of the Barcelona game.

Merts it is then.

By one means or another it was inevitable.

[GP]

Gabriel more or less ruled out of the Barcelona game.

Merts it is then.

Mertesacker would have played anyway. And he should.

[I am invisible]

Does it matter? We'll likely be begged back so deep that pace won't be much of an issue. Not at the defensive end, anyway...

[AFC Leveller]

Mertesacker would have played anyway. And he should.

No he wouldnt have. Gabriel had been starting before his injuries and Wenger hinted recently that he'd choose his CBs depending on who the opponents were. Barceloina's front three are fast, Gabriel would have started IMO.

[Niall_Quinn]

Does it matter? We'll likely be begged back so deep that pace won't be much of an issue. Not at the defensive end, anyway...

We can't defend for the whole 90 and expect anything bar a loss so we'll have to come out at some point and try to grab a goal. You would hope. That's when Merts will be mercilessly targeted, if we lose the ball in the middle (highly likely on current form) we'll need somebody to cover for him when he's stranded 10 yards off the play. Not sure who that would be, the full back I suppose or the wing back doing extra shifts. It's a massive blow having to carry Merts. But will Kos be fit? Dead leg should be 5 mins recovery but they said the same about Welbeck. Merts and Chambers - that's a scary prospect, or a delicious one if you are Suarez and Co.

[Globalgunner]

No he wouldnt have. Gabriel had been starting before his injuries and Wenger hinted recently that he'd choose his CBs depending on who the opponents were. Barceloina's front three are fast, Gabriel would have started IMO.

Douglas likes his massacres laid on thick apparently

[Globalgunner]

We can't defend for the whole 90 and expect anything bar a loss so we'll have to come out at some point and try to grab a goal. You would hope. That's when Merts will be mercilessly targeted, if we lose the ball in the middle (highly likely on current form) we'll need somebody to cover for him when he's stranded 10 yards off the play. Not sure who that would be, the full back I suppose or the wing back doing extra shifts. It's a massive blow having to carry Merts. But will Kos be fit? Dead leg should be 5 mins recovery but they said the same about Welbeck. Merts and Chambers - that's a scary prospect, or a delicious one if you are Suarez and Co.

Time for Bould to put on the jersey again perhaps?

[I am invisible]

Time for Bould to put on the jersey again perhaps?

Fucking A! Now we're talking!

Especially if he can come out with a few more of those lofted through-balls, à la Adams vs Everton!

[Power n Glory]

We can't defend for the whole 90 and expect anything bar a loss so we'll have to come out at some point and try to grab a goal. You would hope. That's when Merts will be mercilessly targeted, if we lose the ball in the middle (highly likely on current form) we'll need somebody to cover for him when he's stranded 10 yards off the play. Not sure who that would be, the full back I suppose or the wing back doing extra shifts. It's a massive blow having to carry Merts. But will Kos be fit? Dead leg should be 5 mins recovery but they said the same about Welbeck. Merts and Chambers - that's a scary prospect, or a delicious one if you are Suarez and Co.

I'm not sure how the mistakes from Kos go unnoticed. We lose the ball high up the pitch against Leicester City and he goes diving in, taking himself out of the game and leaving Monreal exposed. Penalty next!

[I am invisible]

We can't defend for the whole 90 and expect anything bar a loss so we'll have to come out at some point and try to grab a goal. You would hope. That's when Merts will be mercilessly targeted, if we lose the ball in the middle (highly likely on current form) we'll need somebody to cover for him when he's stranded 10 yards off the play. Not sure who that would be, the full back I suppose or the wing back doing extra shifts. It's a massive blow having to carry Merts. But will Kos be fit? Dead leg should be 5 mins recovery but they said the same about Welbeck. Merts and Chambers - that's a scary prospect, or a delicious one if you are Suarez and Co.

You say that like we have a choice! Honestly mate, we may have to defend for 180 minutes, never mind 90. I can see them having about 80% possession across both legs, and that's not an exaggeration.

At this point, my main concern is avoiding a morale-sapping embarrassment. I'd be very tempted to just camp our defence on the 18 yard box for 180 minutes, sit Coquelin + any CM we have available who can hit quick, accurate long passes (it might even end up being Elneny at this point!) + Özil in front of them, and have a front 3 of Sanchez, Walcott and Welbeck ready to sprint for their lives, and close down their back line! The only things that seem to scare them are quick breaks and lightening pace up front - beyond that, I've got nothing!

[Niall_Quinn]

I'm not sure how the mistakes from Kos go unnoticed. We lose the ball high up the pitch against Leicester City and he goes diving in, taking himself out of the game and leaving Monreal exposed. Penalty next!

A mistake is not the same thing as a persistence weakness. Mistakes may or may not happen. An opponent can't build a game plan around the prospect of a mistake occurring. But they can certainly target a weakness they know in advance will be present. And many of these mistakes can be laid right at the feet of Wenger who insisted on going into matches without a central midfield. Of course it's going to be lucky dip at the back when there's nothing at all in front of you. Happily that changed in the last match and of course things went, in the main, more smoothly. We assume Wenger will not bench Cech or revert to a Flamini/ Ramsey non-centre for upcoming games so that's something that will help the defence no matter who plays.

I mean there's no way he'd revert to Flamini/ Ramsey, right?

[Niall_Quinn]

You say that like we have a choice! Honestly mate, we may have to defend for 180 minutes, never mind 90. I can see them having about 80% possession across both legs, and that's not an exaggeration.

At this point, my main concern is avoiding a morale-sapping embarrassment. I'd be very tempted to just camp our defence on the 18 yard box for 180 minutes, sit Coquelin + any CM we have available who can hit quick, accurate long passes (it might even end up being Elneny at this point!) + Özil in front of them, and have a front 3 of Sanchez, Walcott and Welbeck ready to sprint for their lives, and close down their back line! The only things that seem to scare them are quick breaks and lightening pace up front - beyond that, I've got nothing!

We'll have to break out at some point or else we might as well just play the reserves and take a hiding. If we can't get the ball into their half then we can't score and if we can't score then we're out. So Wenger has to come up with some sort of attacking threat.

[Power n Glory]

A mistake is not the same thing as a persistence weakness. Mistakes may or may not happen. An opponent can't build a game plan around the prospect of a mistake occurring. But they can certainly target a weakness they know in advance will be present. And many of these mistakes can be laid right at the feet of Wenger who insisted on going into matches without a central midfield. Of course it's going to be lucky dip at the back when there's nothing at all in front of you. Happily that changed in the last match and of course things went, in the main, more smoothly. We assume Wenger will not bench Cech or revert to a Flamini/ Ramsey non-centre for upcoming games so that's something that will help the defence no matter who plays.

I mean there's no way he'd revert to Flamini/ Ramsey, right?

True but Merts lack of speed is overstated. We haven't had a game where he's been completely out of his depth and lack of speed exposed. It's been odd mistakes like what we saw with Kos over the weekend or similar to Gabriel getting caught out against Bournemouth and Bellerin having to bail him out.

[I am invisible]

We'll have to break out at some point or else we might as well just play the reserves and take a hiding. If we can't get the ball into their half then we can't score and if we can't score then we're out. So Wenger has to come up with some sort of attacking threat.

Sure - I just think those break outs are gonna have to be quick and precise. Can't see us getting more than a handful of touches in any passage of play.

The only other option I can think of that has a chance is to go with the Athletico approach, and amp up our chasing and pressing to super-human levels. But, to be honest, I'd probably pick much the same set of players for that too - ball-winners and quick passers in the middle, with pace and work rate up front and down the flanks...

[Niall_Quinn]

True but Merts lack of speed is overstated. We haven't had a game where he's been completely out of his depth and lack of speed exposed. It's been odd mistakes like what we saw with Kos over the weekend or similar to Gabriel getting caught out against Bournemouth and Bellerin having to bail him out.

A very ordinary bunch of chavs knew where to punch when they again mugged us for 3 points. That wasn't a mistake by Merts, it was the ruthless targeting of his inherent weakness on a football pitch. We have to pray we don't play a high line against Barca, that's all we can really do because injury means that part of the team picks itself.

[Niall_Quinn]

Sure - I just think those break outs are gonna have to be quick and precise. Can't see us getting more than a handful of touches in any passage of play.

The only other option I can think of that has a chance is to go with the Athletico approach, and amp up our chasing and pressing to super-human levels. But, to be honest, I'd probably pick much the same set of players for that too - ball-winners and quick passers in the middle, with pace and work rate up front and down the flanks...

Quick we can do, precise is something we have been having major issues with of late. Head thumping, frustrating problems. An Arsenal that can't pass. It's unthinkable but it's where we are right now. I don't know how Wenger is going to come up with something that can worry Barca. Top performances from Ozil, Alexis and Walcott or Bif are required. All at the top of their game all on the same day. And then we have to hope Barca have an off-day. Then, maybe then. I can't see us putting much more hustle in. We used to be the fittest team in the league but we aren't any more. For once though, Wenger has to to sit down and make a plan. He likes watching football so he should be pouring through Spanish games trying to figure how on the occasions Barca have been run close the opponent managed to do it. I expect Simeone's team will be choice viewing.

[Power n Glory]

A very ordinary bunch of chavs knew where to punch when they again mugged us for 3 points. That wasn't a mistake by Merts, it was the ruthless targeting of his inherent weakness on a football pitch. We have to pray we don't play a high line against Barca, that's all we can really do because injury means that part of the team picks itself.

You're being selective in what you call a mistake and what's a tactic. We've got three cases of us being caught out playing a highline and all three CB's judging the situation wrong but Merts is the one you single out because of his pace. Too many variables in that incident to assume it was a tactical masterstroke. It’s not as if we assumed that was the tactic for Bournemouth and Leicester against us. Why assume in this one incident against Chelsea Merts was the target? If it happened time and time again and just against Merts, you’d have a solid argument.

[I am invisible]

Quick we can do, precise is something we have been having major issues with of late. Head thumping, frustrating problems. An Arsenal that can't pass. It's unthinkable but it's where we are right now. I don't know how Wenger is going to come up with something that can worry Barca. Top performances from Ozil, Alexis and Walcott or Bif are required. All at the top of their game all on the same day. And then we have to hope Barca have an off-day. Then, maybe then. I can't see us putting much more hustle in. We used to be the fittest team in the league but we aren't any more. For once though, Wenger has to to sit down and make a plan. He likes watching football so he should be pouring through Spanish games trying to figure how on the occasions Barca have been run close the opponent managed to do it. I expect Simeone's team will be choice viewing.
We're gonna need a minor miracle, no two ways about it. If this fixture had come up in another month's time, I'd hold out a some vague hope - as it is though, I think it's come too soon. Too many of our players still look physically and mentally creamed from having been run into the ground over the last couple of months, and the guys coming back into the side don't look like they're quite there yet in terms of match-fitness and match-sharpness.

Nope, whichever way I turn this, I just can't see us putting together the kind of cohesive unit that you need to take on a side like Barcelona - it's going to make for seriously uncomfortable viewing, but I think our best bet is going to be to simply keep our guard up and hope (/pray!) that we catch them with a lucky sucker-punch!

[Niall_Quinn]

You're being selective in what you call a mistake and what's a tactic. We've got three cases of us being caught out playing a highline and all three CB's judging the situation wrong but Merts is the one you single out because of his pace. Too many variables in that incident to assume it was a tactical masterstroke. It’s not as if we assumed that was the tactic for Bournemouth and Leicester against us. Why assume in this one incident against Chelsea Merts was the target? If it happened time and time again and just against Merts, you’d have a solid argument.

Far from a tactical masterclass, it's a no-brainer.

Mert's positional play is very good. I wouldn't argue that. He allows Kos to be more proactive, that's fair enough. But when Merts does get caught for pace there's no chance of recovery. Merts covers well when Kos is caught out (and I don't deny that happens) but Kos can recover quickly, the opposite isn't the case. Bottom line is why would you want such an immobile player in your defence even if he is positionally astute? Instead get somebody who is positionally astute but also has the other attributes required in this league. That just makes sense. Is it Gabriel? Don't know, we have to see him have a run in the team, see if he can strike up a partnership with the rest of the back 4.

The other point, the way Merts slows down the game, drives me mad.

[Power n Glory]

How can a CB slow the pace of the game down with his passing? That still doesn't make sense to me. In fact, I've seen you mention our tip tappy play and the lack of lace in certain games and I honestly can't see what you mean in some cases. In our most recent games we've struggled to find a rhythm. We're not dominating like we used to and tippy tappy is almost non existent.

[selassie]

I think Chambers has a shout for a CB spot in the future too, I liked how he played on Sunday even before they went down to 10 men, I don't know whether Merts guidance and experience plays a part here but I thought Chambers played an aggressive game on Sunday that was controlled and steady. Chambers has had some stinkers but has also put in some very good performances, I think the potential is there with this kid, he's a smart player.

[Power n Glory]

Merts is supposed to be good at helping team mates and being the organiser. An intelligent player and I rate him. I think his presence has helped his partners. He communicates more.

[Globalgunner]

Merts is supposed to be good at helping team mates and being the organiser. An intelligent player and I rate him. I think his presence has helped his partners. He communicates more.

Isnt that Arteta`s job

[Power n Glory]

http://www.footballinsider247.com/revealed-oxlade-chamberlain-wants-pay-parity-with-attacking-team-mate/

:lol: I hope this is media bollocks. It's on my Bleacher Report feed.

[Xhaka Can’t]

'Arsenal correspondent' Tony Hughes wrote 13 paragraphs in that piece and the only quote was Graeme Souness saying, "banging down".

[Power n Glory]

When do we ever get quotes on these stories? Over the past couple of weeks this 'insider' knows the wage demands of Sanchez, Ox and Ozil. :lol:

[Static]

In other news, Draxler scored two goals last night.

[Marc Overmars]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3451676/Petr-Cech-line-Arsenal-captain-making-huge-impact-season-following-summer-switch-Chelsea.html

Cech could be captain next season.

[JaneEmily]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3451676/Petr-Cech-line-Arsenal-captain-making-huge-impact-season-following-summer-switch-Chelsea.html

Cech could be captain next season.

Well what with Mikel not being able to play many games without injuring something or the other, I'd go for that. There's no other really outstanding leaders on the pitch. Per does alright but everyone else is just...quiet. You know if Cech was captain, he'd undoubtedly give someone a bollocking if they fucked up.

[Niall_Quinn]

More interesting:


Meanwhile, Arsenal boss Wenger is sweating on the fitness of central defensive-pairing Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel.

Koscielny, who suffered a dead leg in the win over Leicester, is hopeful of facing Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, but is set to miss the FA Cup tie against Hull on Saturday.

Am I just remembering things wrong or did it used to be usual to run a dead leg off during a game? It wasn't the sort of thing you were sidelined for was it? Is a dead leg something different now? These guys would miss games for a broken fingernail.

[Özim]

In other news, Draxler scored two goals last night.

That ship sailed a long time ago when Wolfsburg signed him, he'd now cost too much.

[JaneEmily]

More interesting:



Am I just remembering things wrong or did it used to be usual to run a dead leg off during a game? It wasn't the sort of thing you were sidelined for was it? Is a dead leg something different now? These guys would miss games for a broken fingernail.

Well now we are more scientifically advanced, I guess they've realised that having a dead leg can cause more problems than first thought: http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/thigh-pain/dead-leg


Although a dead leg or charlie horse can often seem a minor injury it is important the correct diagnosis is made. If you try to exercise on a bad intramuscular injury you can prevent healing or even cause permanent damage. If heat or massage is applied too early myositis Ossificans or bone forming within the muscle. Contusions are either intramuscular or intermuscular.

[Niall_Quinn]

Well now we are more scientifically advanced, I guess they've realised that having a dead leg can cause more problems than first thought: http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/thigh-pain/dead-leg

So in conclusion and based on new evidence - they're pansies?

[selassie]

http://www.footballinsider247.com/revealed-oxlade-chamberlain-wants-pay-parity-with-attacking-team-mate/

:lol: I hope this is media bollocks. It's on my Bleacher Report feed.

:haha: Wow if true, 1 goal in 15 months, he can barely control or pass a football and he wants to double his wages?!

[JaneEmily]

So in conclusion and based on new evidence - they're pansies?

Depends on your own individual level of pain threshold :P

[I am invisible]

:haha: Wow if true, 1 goal in 15 months, he can barely control or pass a football and he wants to double his wages?!

To be fair, he probably deserves to be on more than Hazard based on those stats...

[Marc Overmars]

:haha: Wow if true, 1 goal in 15 months, he can barely control or pass a football and he wants to double his wages?!

Must be nonsense, no one could be that much of a cheeky cunt. Then again, you never know with footballers these days. Doesn't Oxlade have the same agent as Sterling?

[GP]

I think it's more like his agent telling him 'Chill, I got this'

[selassie]

To be fair, he probably deserves to be on more than Hazard based on those stats...

Aye, Chelsea would do well to get rid of Hazard this summer, 200K per week and a return of no league goals!

[selassie]

Must be nonsense, no one could be that much of a cheeky cunt. Then again, you never know with footballers these days. Doesn't Oxlade have the same agent as Sterling?

Yeah Mo, same agent as Sterling which kind of makes this story quite believable! :wacko:

[Power n Glory]

Must be nonsense, no one could be that much of a cheeky cunt. Then again, you never know with footballers these days. Doesn't Oxlade have the same agent as Sterling?

You never know. We doubled Ramsey's wages after that purple patch. Talks of us upping Jack's wages to a silly amount....I wouldn't be surprised if we upped Ox to something close to £100k. He's on £50k now so maybe he goes up to £90k next.

[Power n Glory]

Yeah Mo, same agent as Sterling which kind of makes this story quite believable! :wacko:

Aidy is supposed to be involved but Ox's dad is the agent.

[Özim]

He'll get his pay rise, all the rest that did haven't done anything so we can hardly say no now, we all know how much Wenger loves his players and with the extra TV money he's bound to be generous.

Rosicky will probably get another deal as well knowing Venga.

[Letters]

Still upset about Sunday? :console:

[Özim]

Still upset about Sunday? :console:

Do you mean Valetines day or the lucky win?

[JaneEmily]

Do you mean Valetines day or the lucky win?

Yeah it sucks not having a Valentine's huh? Then again, I wouldn't know. I've got one every year :satan:

[Kano]

It's in the Daily Star

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/495406/Arsenal-Transfer-News-Alex-Oxlade-Chamberlain-Arsene-Wenger-Chelsea-Man-United-Liverpool

Which makes it 100% real.

Time to scapegoat the impudent bastard.

[Bumble]

Why are United persisting with Van Gaal? Its baffling.

[Power n Glory]

It's in the Daily Star

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/495406/Arsenal-Transfer-News-Alex-Oxlade-Chamberlain-Arsene-Wenger-Chelsea-Man-United-Liverpool

Which makes it 100% real.

Time to scapegoat the impudent bastard.

It's contract talk season. The players that signed new deals in 2012/13 are up for new deals. Still not sure how he made it it to £60k. I'll ignore the stuff about what he's demanding because they've written the same about Sanchez and Ozil recently. Jack's £120k story has been framed in a different light. Papers will always try to add their spin to a story.

[Niall_Quinn]

Why are United persisting with Van Gaal? Its baffling.

He probably has a clause in his contract that will see him bank millions if his overwhelming failures are terminated too early. Top, top, top quality fuck-ups don't come cheap you know.