Random Arsenal Shit (When it's not worth starting a thread) [Archive] - Page 58

HCZ_Reborn

31-03-2025, 06:35 PM

https://www.arsenal.com/news/big-match

:lol:

Us :doh:

Hmmm

I don’t think I’ve ever dated someone who was interested in football. I consider that a good thing, I try and avoid discussing football and politics with the ladies….largely because it’s where my contrarian streak comes out.

I remember doing speed dating once for a laugh, and woman who was more into me than me her was boasting how she’d done this before and asked this guy how he’d voted in the 2016 referendum and was pleased with herself when after he said he’d voted leave, he couldn’t explain why he had. Instead of turning the tables on her and getting her to explain why she’d voted remain (all vibes I could tell) I just said “oh right” and smiled.

I voted Remain but I remember refusing to tell people in my office which way I thought they should vote. And I find nothing more obnoxious, smug or an indication of a false sense of superiority than judging other people on how they vote.

This was someone who made a point of telling me that her closest friends were a gay couple, as if it was a badge of honour. And I remember thinking “do you like them for them, or do you like being the type of person who says my best friends are gay”. I also thought I bet they don’t return her phone calls :haha:

Letters

31-03-2025, 08:56 PM

I don’t think I’ve ever dated someone who was interested in football. I consider that a good thing, I try and avoid discussing football and politics with the ladies….largely because it’s where my contrarian streak comes out.
You're shitting me!

I remember doing speed dating once for a laugh, and woman who was more into me than me her was boasting how she’d done this before and asked this guy how he’d voted in the 2016 referendum and was pleased with herself when after he said he’d voted leave, he couldn’t explain why he had. Instead of turning the tables on her and getting her to explain why she’d voted remain (all vibes I could tell) I just said “oh right” and smiled.
I voted Remain but I remember refusing to tell people in my office which way I thought they should vote. And I find nothing more obnoxious, smug or an indication of a false sense of superiority than judging other people on how they vote.
I think it's valid to ask someone why they voted a certain way.
I also think it's valid to judge someone based on that reason

Mac76

31-03-2025, 09:42 PM

I think it's valid to ask someone why they voted a certain way.
I also think it's valid to judge someone based on that reason

Likewise

HCZ_Reborn

01-04-2025, 07:35 AM

You're shitting me!

I think it's valid to ask someone why they voted a certain way.
I also think it's valid to judge someone based on that reason

I don’t think it’s even valid to ask someone how they voted in the first place, if they volunteer the information fine but otherwise mind your fucking business.

People who voted Remain or voted Leave, you can tell with many of them it’s less about understanding the issue than about trying to communicate a certain cultural vibe. I find that people no matter what side they are on, who judge other people on how they vote are a) not particularly very bright, you don’t have to agree with something in order to understand it b) you wonder how actually wedded to democracy they are when they think there’s a correct and incorrect option to vote for.

If the bloke had gone on about voting leave and had put the woman on the spot about why she voted Remain, he’d have been the prick in my view. And that’s why I decided not to give her a taste of her own medicine

Ultimately I find I have more respect for people who told me (volunteered the information, rather than me asking them) that they didn’t feel they knew enough to make such a decision. Far wiser to admit what you don’t know than to pretend you know, act superior because you think you’re one of the smart people and thumb your nose at others

Letters

01-04-2025, 08:09 AM

I don’t think it’s even valid to ask someone how they voted in the first place
Of course it is. It's equally valid for them to decline to answer.

I find that people no matter what side they are on, who judge other people on how they vote are
I'm more interested in why people voted a certain way.
If you voted to leave because you don't like all them foreigners and a bus told you to then you're an idiot.
If you voted to remain because you thought the sky would fall in if we left then you're also an idiot.

Ultimately I find I have more respect for people who told me (volunteered the information, rather than me asking them) that they didn’t feel they knew enough to make such a decision.
That is actually most people. Which is why there shouldn't have been a referendum, IMO.
Or at least not a vague "shall we stay where we are or shall we move house" one, when there was no indication of where we were moving to. One said said it was a shack with no roof, the other said it was a mansion in the sunlit uplands. Neither were true.

HCZ_Reborn

01-04-2025, 08:22 AM

If you read Tim Shipman’s book on Brexit All out War, Cameron nor Osbourne wanted a referendum either…but basically the backbench Tories had made it clear that he should have called for a referendum on the signing of the Lisbon Treaty when leader of the opposition and that failure to call a referendum would result in a leadership challenge (which he’d probably lose)

I think it was probably inevitable anyway, given that had a referendum not been promised I think the Tories wouldn’t have got a majority (albeit slim) in 2015, and both Labour and the Tories would have lost seats to UKIP.

This was a time of increased nationalism including the SNP taking almost every seat in Scotland (the SNP might regard themselves as socially progressive, but the proposition of independence was much the same as Brexit)

So whilst i tend to agree in principle that especially given we are a representative democracy, that referendum was both unnecessary and unwise. I don’t think there was any getting away from one.

HCZ_Reborn

01-04-2025, 08:39 AM

You can ask someone what colour underwear they are wearing, but it’s kind of bad form. I see it the same with asking people how they voted, unless you’re conducting a survey for an exit poll. You have to ask yourself why you need to know, ultimately if people want to tell you how they voted they will tell you. I look at it from the counsellors perspective, if you ask a client a deeply personal question are they really volunteering that information freely or do they feel like because of the power imbalance that they feel they have to answer.

I voted Remain, and I suspect if we entered a worm hole that took us back to 2016 I’d vote the same way again (although similarly whilst I’d probably vote to rejoin the single market, I wouldn’t vote to rejoin the EU)

Politics has always been more tribal than policy based anyway. Back in the 1950s my maternal grandmother told her husband she was voting Labour but secretly voted Tory. It wasn’t until the fraying of the post war consensus that there was that much difference between the parties. When Churchill got back in, in 1951 he did not overturn any of the changes the Atlee government brought in (it’s not widely known but even if the Tories had been elected in 1945 it’s likely there would still have been a National Health service as there was a white paper about such a plan).
It was really more a case of this far and no further…that and differences over social policy. The Tories were in the main still pro capital punishment, where as Labour was becoming increasingly more abolitionist (and they were in tune with public opinion which was against it from the mid 50s onward)

Being a working class Tory was about patriotism, and the left of Labour to this day still misunderstands the pull of this.

HCZ_Reborn

01-04-2025, 09:13 AM

Whilst he may have some good points, I don't necessarily agree that Berta is just gonna sit there and be a yes man to do Arteta's bidding.
No doubt he would have some assurances in place that he will have some say over the future direction the club will take.
Ultimately we want to win trophies and they have brought in, arguably, the best person to do that in terms of recruitment.

I think the article is overly negative and dismissive of the pros this appointment will bring. The game has changed on the transfer front for us now.

He also forgets to mention this (from the Athletic article)

So, they were not completely put off the idea of working under Arteta.
I also don't agree that a Sporting Director that is in charge of everything (including the manager) is the defacto, correct way to go about things either.
It's a 'it's not right or wrong' thing for me.

What puts the article in perspective is that Le Grove is a big Arteta cheerleader so on the surface at least for him to be concerned about this appointment because of the power it gives Arteta is certainly interesting.

However it’s not like he’s ever been uncritical of Arteta, he clearly feels that Arteta does not seem to deal well with Load management. But equally I think he’s also concerned about replicating a situation that we were in in Wenger’s last ten years which was essentially a power grab and that KSE are ok with this happening again because it means they can take a more hands off approach (which makes sense when you consider that to them Arsenal is a financial asset rather than a sporting project).

As for the evidence for these fears, I simply don’t know….i don’t know the type of working relationship he had with Diego Simeone at Atletico, I don’t know the reason why Berta left the club. I also don’t know whether Le Grove has hard evidence that other prospective candidates turned down Arsenal because of the setup they were being asked to work under (but equally it wouldn’t surprise me given what went before under Wenger)

KSE Comedy Club

01-04-2025, 12:15 PM

You're shitting me!

I think it's valid to ask someone why they voted a certain way.
I also think it's valid to judge someone based on that reason

What's the point when usually the person asking the question will instantly disagree with the answer no matter what it is?

KSE Comedy Club

01-04-2025, 12:18 PM

I don’t think it’s even valid to ask someone how they voted in the first place, if they volunteer the information fine but otherwise mind your fucking business.

People who voted Remain or voted Leave, you can tell with many of them it’s less about understanding the issue than about trying to communicate a certain cultural vibe. I find that people no matter what side they are on, who judge other people on how they vote are a) not particularly very bright, you don’t have to agree with something in order to understand it b) you wonder how actually wedded to democracy they are when they think there’s a correct and incorrect option to vote for.

If the bloke had gone on about voting leave and had put the woman on the spot about why she voted Remain, he’d have been the prick in my view. And that’s why I decided not to give her a taste of her own medicine

Ultimately I find I have more respect for people who told me (volunteered the information, rather than me asking them) that they didn’t feel they knew enough to make such a decision. Far wiser to admit what you don’t know than to pretend you know, act superior because you think you’re one of the smart people and thumb your nose at others

I didn't vote as I was not sure myself.

Whilst I understood and liked the idea of leaving the EU, I was never entirely sure anyone in our government would have the ability and competency to actually implement it properly - seems like I was right on the money.

Letters

01-04-2025, 12:30 PM

You can ask someone what colour underwear they are wearing, but it’s kind of bad form. I see it the same with asking people how they voted, unless you’re conducting a survey for an exit poll.
It's about the context of the conversation. I don't think it's an inherently rude thing to ask but doing so out of the blue would be a bit weird.
A bit like the whole "where are you really from" thing. Certain "right on" people seem to think that's inherently rude. I disagree. Well, maybe if you ask it like that it is.
But in the context of getting to know someone asking about someone's origin - especially if you detect an accent - is pretty reasonable.

I don't regard any of this as "deeply personal" and there is no "power imbalance" in the context of two people getting to know each other.
But if people decline to answer then that's their prerogative. Secret ballot and all that.

Politics has always been more tribal than policy based anyway.
Still very true in the US, I think it's less so here than it used to be. I have voted different ways over time, I don't see myself as deeply affiliated with any party.
Probably closest to the Lib Dems but till we have a more proportional system (i.e. never) there's no point in voting for them round my way.

KSE Comedy Club

01-04-2025, 12:42 PM

What puts the article in perspective is that Le Grove is a big Arteta cheerleader so on the surface at least for him to be concerned about this appointment because of the power it gives Arteta is certainly interesting.

However it’s not like he’s ever been uncritical of Arteta, he clearly feels that Arteta does not seem to deal well with Load management. But equally I think he’s also concerned about replicating a situation that we were in in Wenger’s last ten years which was essentially a power grab and that KSE are ok with this happening again because it means they can take a more hands off approach (which makes sense when you consider that to them Arsenal is a financial asset rather than a sporting project).

As for the evidence for these fears, I simply don’t know….i don’t know the type of working relationship he had with Diego Simeone at Atletico, I don’t know the reason why Berta left the club. I also don’t know whether Le Grove has hard evidence that other prospective candidates turned down Arsenal because of the setup they were being asked to work under (but equally it wouldn’t surprise me given what went before under Wenger)

Yes some of the comments below the article have questioned the same thing - he is being somewhat contradictive based on his opinion of Arteta.

I agree that no manager should be too powerful, like Wenger was back in the day. It had it's plus points of course, but the negatives far outweigh those.
I'm just not sure the approach of being concerned with this appointment is a valid one.

Letters

01-04-2025, 12:52 PM

What's the point when usually the person asking the question will instantly disagree with the answer no matter what it is?

I don't think that's necessarily the case. There are reasons for voting a certain way which are more valid than others.

HCZ_Reborn

01-04-2025, 12:55 PM

Yes some of the comments below the article have questioned the same thing - he is being somewhat contradictive based on his opinion of Arteta.

I agree that no manager should be too powerful, like Wenger was back in the day. It had it's plus points of course, but the negatives far outweigh those.
I'm just not sure the approach of being concerned with this appointment is a valid one.

True, my concern with Berta is that Joao Felix was signed under his stewardship.

Overall it would be interesting to see at signings from the Portuguese league into the premier league over the past two decades to see how they’ve worked out. A mixed bag at best….Chelsea did ok with the players Mourinho signed from Porto but these were his players that he won the champions league with.

I’d be interested to know if Amorim showed any interest in signing Gyokeres and if not, would it simply be a case of budgetary restraints

KSE Comedy Club

01-04-2025, 01:38 PM

I don't think that's necessarily the case. There are reasons for voting a certain way which are more valid than others.

People vote the way they do because of their thoughts & opinion's on the subject matter which corresponds to it.
In no way is a vote ever more valid one way over the other.

That would suggest there is a 'right or wrong' vote - which is a dictatorship.

HCZ_Reborn

01-04-2025, 01:48 PM

It's about the context of the conversation. I don't think it's an inherently rude thing to ask but doing so out of the blue would be a bit weird.
A bit like the whole "where are you really from" thing. Certain "right on" people seem to think that's inherently rude. I disagree. Well, maybe if you ask it like that it is.
But in the context of getting to know someone asking about someone's origin - especially if you detect an accent - is pretty reasonable.

I don't regard any of this as "deeply personal" and there is no "power imbalance" in the context of two people getting to know each other.
But if people decline to answer then that's their prerogative. Secret ballot and all that.

Still very true in the US, I think it's less so here than it used to be. I have voted different ways over time, I don't see myself as deeply affiliated with any party.
Probably closest to the Lib Dems but till we have a more proportional system (i.e. never) there's no point in voting for them round my way.

The point is there is a power imbalance or perceived one in counsellor-client relationships, therefore direct questions tend to be discouraged because a) who’s benefit is it for and b) would the client have volunteered that information had they not been asked.

I’m not saying asking that question denotes a power imbalance, what I’m saying is maybe consider why you want to know. Have they said something that makes you think they voted a certain way and therefore are you trying to confirm your own beliefs. Imagine you liked the person before asking them that question, would how they answer significantly change that initial reaction to them?

As for Britain and Tribal politics, Brexit is the biggest example of Tribal politics existing of course it all happened after the referendum. But how many people claimed they voted Remain as a method of displaying their virtue. And why? Because people like to pretend they are good people whilst being arseholes to other people. And it has to be said, take away the headbangers on the leave side….and the level of contempt and vitriol directed at people for voting the wrong way in the referendum was largely one way traffic.
This was one big giant sulk and it made me ashamed to associate with such people. I wasn’t happy with the result, I wanted to avoid a no deal Brexit but when it was finally done and dusted with, I moved on and people with no skin in the game other than learning that the country wasn’t quite this quaint Richard Curtis fantasy they imagined it to be still seethed with resentment, and instead of looking at why they lost….preferred to treat people who disagreed with them as the dirt under their feet.
That’s what tribalism does, makes you feel like part of an important community, you end up outsourcing your opinions to ones that are deemed acceptable by that community and you have an outgroup to despise

HCZ_Reborn

01-04-2025, 01:48 PM

Letters

01-04-2025, 02:27 PM

People vote the way they do because of their thoughts & opinion's on the subject matter which corresponds to it.
In no way is a vote ever more valid one way over the other.

That would suggest there is a 'right or wrong' vote - which is a dictatorship.

I think there are some issues where right and wrong is pretty clear.
I don't think Brexit is one of them, it is complicated.
But there are definitely better and worse ways of arriving at a decision.

Carefully researching the issue, the history of the EU, our relationship with it, the benefits and drawbacks of membership, arriving at a conclusion: good.
Believing a bus or a coin-flip: bad.

Letters

01-04-2025, 02:42 PM

The point is there is a power imbalance or perceived one in counsellor-client relationships
Well sure, but that's not the context I'm talking about. I'm just talking about a conversation between two people.

what I’m saying is maybe consider why you want to know.
I just think understanding how people arrive at decisions or beliefs is inherently interesting. It tells you something about the person.

the level of contempt and vitriol directed at people for voting the wrong way in the referendum was largely one way traffic.
Well, of course it was. The losing side were butt-hurt. And the result meant a big change in the country, the other result wouldn't have meant any change.
But I agree the level of it was an over-reaction, that's the modern internet-fuelled world for you.

The Brexit vote was incredibly divisive, the tribalism I was talking about is a set of Labour voters and a set of Conservative voters. I don't think that's anywhere near as entrenched in this country as in the US with the Republicans and Democrats.

HCZ_Reborn

01-04-2025, 03:02 PM

I think there are some issues where right and wrong is pretty clear.
I don't think Brexit is one of them, it is complicated.
But there are definitely better and worse ways of arriving at a decision.

Carefully researching the issue, the history of the EU, our relationship with it, the benefits and drawbacks of membership, arriving at a conclusion: good.
Believing a bus or a coin-flip: bad.

Right and Wrong is still placing a heavy moral imperative on the issue

Is it more desirable to be informed on an issue than uninformed yeah. But I’m not sure I follow the right or wrong binary

Ultimately it comes down to how much time you have to study an issue. To get an informed and objective view of the EU warts and all…that to paraphrase Oscar Wilde would take too many evenings. I know operationally how the EU works, I know it’s history, I know our history within the organisation when it went from being the European Coal and Steel community to the EEC/EC (also known as the common market) to its reorganisation as the EU in the early 1990s.

Like any monolithic bureaucracy, it’s slow to adapt and ultimately its stated end goal is a single European state. I don’t regard this as a sinister thing in of itself but I think it’s a rather untenable goal. Even if for no better reason than that economic inequality and global harmonisation are inextricably linked in perception and in some ways in fact.

I think greater centralisation of authority often causes more problems than it solves. Certain shared regulations, pooling of resources etc is fine but in many senses the movement of people is to greater autonomy and independence rather than being subsumed into one vast entity

If you believe what is written on a bus, how much of that is your fault for being credulous and how much of that is it the fault of a system that doesn’t have tighter regulations on what can and cannot be claimed by campaigns.

The problem is with the 350 million (the net contribution was more about 200-250 million) is that it was misleading rather than an outright lie (with the exception of the figure). It’s not what it says but what it doesn’t say, that the contributions we paid in often came back in the form of subsidies.

The 350 million number would also represent about 10% of our current weekly NHS spending, which would be a helpful weekly addition. I think ultimately you have to argue that blaming people for believing something that was misleading and manipulative, isn’t quite the same as believing you’ve won the Spanish lottery or you’re the sole beneficiary of the will of an exiled Afghan prince.

HCZ_Reborn

01-04-2025, 03:47 PM

As for the tribal divide between Republicans and Democrats in the US, it doesn’t really exist…not in the partisan way you’re thinking.

It’s largely what used to be a divide between Conservatives and Liberals and what has now become Right Wing populists and Progressives (conservatives aren’t really conservative anymore and liberals sure as hell aren’t liberal)

A lot of lefty progressives don’t really like The Democrat party just as a lot of the left in this country don’t like Labour

I think because of Trump there’s probably more direct affinity between right wingers and the GOP, but the GOP is largely a cult of personality, thus why it seems to me at least implausible that Trumpism survives Trump because it’s not a coherent political philosophy…it’s largely defined and unified by who they hate or to be specific otherise.

It’s also why Trump is flirting with a third term (I think it’s partly trolling but his ego and narcissism is far too vast not to entertain the idea), and in terms of Republican politics Trump is the only show in town.

Letters

01-04-2025, 09:15 PM

Just in case you need to start preparing for the festivities, Thursday will be St Totteringham's Day if Spurs fail to beat Chelsea.

HCZ_Reborn

01-04-2025, 09:24 PM

Just in case you need to start preparing for the festivities, Thursday will be St Totteringham's Day if Spurs fail to beat Chelsea.

So what you’re saying is St Totteringham’s day will be on April 3rd ?

Letters

01-04-2025, 09:24 PM

So what you’re saying is St Totteringham’s day will be on April 3rd ?

Yes. Yes it will :lol:

dazthegooner

02-04-2025, 07:48 AM

Something for the spuds to celebrate :haha: https://shewore.com/2025/04/02/celebrations-in-waltham-cross-as-tottenham-fans-honour-60-years-as-a-london-club/

Mac76

03-04-2025, 12:53 PM

Something for the spuds to celebrate :haha: https://shewore.com/2025/04/02/celebrations-in-waltham-cross-as-tottenham-fans-honour-60-years-as-a-london-club/

I didn't know that about their only being in London since 1965 - and they've got the cheek to tell us to go back to Woolwich, they should eff off back to Middlesex

KSE Comedy Club

03-04-2025, 02:56 PM

Gabriel out for the rest of the season with hammy injury. :(

Letters

04-04-2025, 03:12 PM

https://i.ibb.co/My94fxg1/St-Totteringham.jpg

HCZ_Reborn

04-04-2025, 06:45 PM

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/32097847.amp

Just been reminded on Twitter that this game happened ten years ago. I was there at the match, definitely makes me feel old

Letters

05-04-2025, 04:42 PM

Quick “odd one out” competition

https://i.ibb.co/vxkqwhfW/IMG-5748.jpg

dazthegooner

05-04-2025, 05:16 PM

The spud result is in green…. :shrug:

Letters

05-04-2025, 05:43 PM

The spud result is in green…. :shrug:

Spotter’s badge.

dazthegooner

05-04-2025, 09:08 PM

Spotter’s badge.

Oh right didn’t see that sorry ;)

Mac76

05-04-2025, 10:23 PM

Quick “odd one out” competition

https://i.ibb.co/vxkqwhfW/IMG-5748.jpg

:haha:

HCZ_Reborn

06-04-2025, 08:02 PM

Not that it’s done us many favours but even with Liverpool far ahead of us this season. Collectively over this season and the past two seasons we have been the most consistent team. Joint most wins with Man City (71), fewest defeats (14) and most away wins (32).

And of course most points (235) compared to City (232) and Liverpool (222)

Letters

07-04-2025, 10:26 AM

So...I think what you're saying is...

Arteta :bow:

:unsure:

Marc Overmars

07-04-2025, 10:35 AM

Feels like the period with Wenger when were calendar year champions but you just knew it wasn’t going to amount to anything.

HCZ_Reborn

07-04-2025, 10:44 AM

We also haven’t lost despite scoring first, or conceded more than two goals in a game, in 15 months

As I said in the Everton match thread, If we actually had goalscorers we’d have walked the league. Away from home this season, there are four occasions where we’ve taken a one goal lead but been pegged back to drop points. And in three of those it’s either been the award of a dodgy pel (Brighton and Everton) or being down to ten men (Man City)

At home? You have the red card against Brighton, that we lost two defenders against Liverpool and really only defensive self harm against Villa.

I know people on here have said we aren’t as defensively solid as last season but I don’t think that’s true. The fact despite having no strikers in the team we’ve only lost three times suggests that we are very defensively solid

The main folly has been lack of goals, which as much as slow build up play doesn’t help has been essentially down to injury and failure to strengthen.

HCZ_Reborn

07-04-2025, 10:47 AM

Feels like the period with Wenger when were calendar year champions but you just knew it wasn’t going to amount to anything.

I think whether it amounts to anything depends entirely on what we do this summer

As per my previous post, the only barrier to us is goal scoring. My personal preference would be for a winger, an attacking midfielder and two strikers.

If this meant Zubimendi doesn’t come in, and we kept Partey for another year….so be it.

Sesko, Delap and Rodgers would be my preference, strength and ability and the capacity to get better. Nico Williams? Maybe but I think that’s more of a luxury signing

Marc Overmars

07-04-2025, 11:18 AM

It would be the most Arsenal thing ever if we spent big on the attack but then went to shit in other areas anyway.

21_GOONER_SALUTE

07-04-2025, 04:51 PM

I think whether it amounts to anything depends entirely on what we do this summer

As per my previous post, the only barrier to us is goal scoring. My personal preference would be for a winger, an attacking midfielder and two strikers.

If this meant Zubimendi doesn’t come in, and we kept Partey for another year….so be it.

Sesko, Delap and Rodgers would be my preference, strength and ability and the capacity to get better. Nico Williams? Maybe but I think that’s more of a luxury signing

A really good analysis of what we need in our team.

The minimum this summer should be recruiting 2 proper CFs and a winger. I also think Zubimendi should be sacrificed as we cannot make the same mistakes we made last summer in strengthening positions that are not the weak spot of this team and then mainly playing those players out of position to correct the initial folly.

As for the attacking midfielder, is that person cover for Odegaard? Probably after this season is over I actually might try and look back at our games as I'm interested in how we dealt with teams that employed the "low block" with Odegaard in the team. I have thought for a while his style of play might actually be exacerbating this problem and could be one of the reasons this tactic is so potent against us compared to our other rivals.

In short I am saying we might benefit from playing a more direct playmaker in this scenario, one who aims to beat players and appear to go for it on his own....my dream would be a mix of Yaya and KDB. I also think Morgan Rodgers you mentioned earlier would be great in this role. Eze too wouldn't be a bad shout.

Anyway, as for cover for Odegaard, I don't think we need to spend heavily or take it as a priority as I still feel Nwaneri can do the job. Also with the way Dowman is progressing, we could be breaking another teenager in their soon enough. Also with the countless DMs we'll probably still have and of course Havertz who should not be starting as our CF, we should be ok even if we decided not to go to the market.

So, Mikel if you are listening, we plead by whatever deity you take seriously, we do not need anymore defenders!

Mac76

07-04-2025, 05:02 PM

we do not need anymore defenders!

In all seriousness there's a case for a left back

yes I know "we've got like literally one MILLION leftbacks!!!"

except we haven't:

Zin is no kind of defender at all

Timber's not very good at LB and much more needed on the right as a RB or RCB

Tomi's finished

Calafiori isn't a good defender and is injury prone

Saka's needed elsewhere...

Kiwior's not a very good LB also I think he will want to get more playing time elsewhere so will go (which btw may mean we may need another CB too)

and ofc Tierney, who is a very good orthodox LB, is going which is a huge mistake IMO as he's good and can provide something different to change tactics in-game or between games

So that just leaves MLS and I'd argue we need more if we're serious about winning things

Go on, knock me down but I'm right

21_GOONER_SALUTE

07-04-2025, 05:34 PM

In all seriousness there's a case for a left back

yes I know "we've got like literally one MILLION leftbacks!!!"

except we haven't:

Zin is no kind of defender at all

Timber's not very good at LB and much more needed on the right as a RB or RCB

Tomi's finished

Calafiori isn't a good defender and is injury prone

Saka's needed elsewhere...

Kiwior's not a very good LB also I think he will want to get more playing time elsewhere so will go (which btw may mean we may need another CB too)

and ofc Tierney, who is a very good orthodox LB, is going which is a huge mistake IMO as he's good and can provide something different to change tactics in-game or between games

So that just leaves MLS and I'd argue we need more if we're serious about winning things

Go on, knock me down but I'm right

Definitely not knocking you, as what you say makes sense in the context of the manager we are dealing with.

However, LB cannot be a priority as we currently have more players that can play that single position than any other in the team, and I list them according to my preference:

MLS
Caliafiori
Tavares ( people forget this guy is still under contract and we are likely to make a huge loss due to Arteta's stupidity again)
Tomiyasu
Zinchenko
Timber
Kiwior

So we've got 7 players contracted that can play and have played this role in the past even without Tierney.

Something tells me even if we sanctioned Arteta going for 2 more players in that role, he'd still be confused. Maybe one day he'll realise the problem with the left isn't the quality of the LBs, but further up field i.e. the players the LB has to link with and the way they play ( his Xhaka replacements coupled with Trossard and Martinelli).

HCZ_Reborn

07-04-2025, 05:42 PM

In all seriousness there's a case for a left back

yes I know "we've got like literally one MILLION leftbacks!!!"

except we haven't:

Zin is no kind of defender at all

Timber's not very good at LB and much more needed on the right as a RB or RCB

Tomi's finished

Calafiori isn't a good defender and is injury prone

Saka's needed elsewhere...

Kiwior's not a very good LB also I think he will want to get more playing time elsewhere so will go (which btw may mean we may need another CB too)

and ofc Tierney, who is a very good orthodox LB, is going which is a huge mistake IMO as he's good and can provide something different to change tactics in-game or between games

So that just leaves MLS and I'd argue we need more if we're serious about winning things

Go on, knock me down but I'm right

I think Calafiori is probably a better centre back than left back but actually I consider that him and MLS being used on a rotational basis is fine. Buying defenders is an addiction that we need to curb ourselves off, if we are that worried about a backup for MLS than bring Tavares back into the squad…either that or hope that Tomiyasu has been out so long that in that time medical science has finally concluded what causes him to keep breaking down

Plus let’s be fair, full back is the least important area on the pitch…the obsession Arteta has with it has been damaging to our transfer plans for years…it needs to end.

HCZ_Reborn

07-04-2025, 05:45 PM

Definitely not knocking you, as what you say makes sense in the context of the manager we are dealing with.

However, LB cannot be a priority as we currently have more players that can play that single position than any other in the team, and I list them according to my preference:

MLS
Caliafiori
Tavares ( people forget this guy is still under contract and we are likely to make a huge loss due to Arteta's stupidity again)
Tomiyasu
Zinchenko
Timber
Kiwior

So we've got 7 players contracted that can play and have played this role in the past even without Tierney.

Something tells me even if we sanctioned Arteta going for 2 more players in that role, he'd still be confused. Maybe one day he'll realise the problem with the left isn't the quality of the LBs, but further up field i.e. the players the LB has to link with and the way they play ( his Xhaka replacements coupled with Trossard and Martinelli).

I know you’ve got a bit of a dislike for Martinelli but last couple of games surely even you’ve seen a player that looks in the best form he’s been in for ages. Trossard? Well I think he was only ever meant to be a squad player and in that capacity I think he’s performed admirably and when as I expect he will, goes in the summer I hope he does well wherever he chooses to spend the autumn of his career.

21_GOONER_SALUTE

07-04-2025, 06:39 PM

I know you’ve got a bit of a dislike for Martinelli but last couple of games surely even you’ve seen a player that looks in the best form he’s been in for ages. Trossard? Well I think he was only ever meant to be a squad player and in that capacity I think he’s performed admirably and when as I expect he will, goes in the summer I hope he does well wherever he chooses to spend the autumn of his career.

Well your first statement is based on an incorrect assumption as I've never disliked Martinelli, it's always been the contrary as TBH he's one of those players who it's difficult to dislike on a personal level.

But I do get what you are insinuating, which is I've not really been supportive of him, which is 100% correct as I still don't think he is the answer to our issues on the left, or , more importantly, ever will be.

Now contrast that with Trossard, who I assume you think I "like" (I actually prefer Martnelli as a person) but I have been more supportive of due to his impact in games .

Anyway, I'm in agreement with you. Martnelli is in better form than Trossard currently and TBH I am looking forward to getting rid of Trossard this summer as I've really hated his attitude in some games this season. Once I see something like that, I can't unsee it or get past it, especially if you've not done enough for this team to afford me giving you the benefit of doubt.

However, it remains my opinion, a Trossard playing at his best exceeds Martnelli (at his best), but that means little if these moments are erratic as both these player have proven to be for the past 2 seasons.

So yeah, I'd take this current Martinelli over Trossard, all things considered.

But I'd rather we stop wasting time, go out, rip these poor excuses for bandaids, and spend good money and put someone on the left that is close to Saka level (Lookman, Nico etc.); and BTW he (Saka) is probably the only player in this team I am loyal to and irrational about (Gabriel is also growing on me slowly).

21_GOONER_SALUTE

07-04-2025, 06:45 PM

I think Calafiori is probably a better centre back than left back but actually I consider that him and MLS being used on a rotational basis is fine. Buying defenders is an addiction that we need to curb ourselves off, if we are that worried about a backup for MLS than bring Tavares back into the squad…either that or hope that Tomiyasu has been out so long that in that time medical science has finally concluded what causes him to keep breaking down

Plus let’s be fair, full back is the least important area on the pitch…the obsession Arteta has with it has been damaging to our transfer plans for years…it needs to end.

I doubt there would be any other manager who has played 8 players in one role in the past 2 seasons.

Just think about it, if he'd shown this must interest in the CF position...we'd probably have won something by now

HCZ_Reborn

07-04-2025, 06:49 PM

21_GOONER_SALUTE

07-04-2025, 07:01 PM

I’m not talking about on a personal level I’m talking about as a player

I have no idea nor do I especially care what players are like as people, unless it’s causing disharmony which has a detrimental effect on team performance

So for any avoidance of doubt I mean you dislike Martinelli as a player, I think he’s an exceptionally good player who has been mismanaged. There’s something I’ve seen of Nico Williams that makes me think he’s anything special, he’s another pace merchant who looks good when he’s got space to operate in but there’s just as many times where he’s reminded me of Gervinho.

Lookman got his chance of premier league football with Everton….a hard pass.

Well its clear I don't rate his style of play, he's to heavily reliant on speed and makes the wrong decision more often than not. Like I said, I'd take a Trossard on form over him any day of the week. But that's not saying much as I'd take a lot of players on form over him also.

BTW, Gervinho is another player who had an excellent career after leaving us and was pretty well rated by fans of his subsequent clubs. It was quite unusual for AW to give up on a star signing as fast as he gave up on Gervinho. The guy seems to be quite bitter about us anytime he's interviewed, one would have thought he'd be thankful about the experience.

HCZ_Reborn

07-04-2025, 07:51 PM

Well its clear I don't rate his style of play, he's to heavily reliant on speed and makes the wrong decision more often than not. Like I said, I'd take a Trossard on form over him any day of the week. But that's not saying much as I'd take a lot of players on form over him also.

BTW, Gervinho is another player who had an excellent career after leaving us and was pretty well rated by fans of his subsequent clubs. It was quite unusual for AW to give up on a star signing as fast as he gave up on Gervinho. The guy seems to be quite bitter about us anytime he's interviewed, one would have thought he'd be thankful about the experience.

Gervinho had a couple of ok seasons with Roma and then faded into obscurity, guy was a headless chicken

I think Martinelli also has excellent dribbling ability, my main issue with him is that he should take on the fullback more rather than cut inside.

Trossard is good on the ball but has never had decent pace, for me he’s always been best as an impact sub rather than a starter

HCZ_Reborn

18-04-2025, 12:15 PM

Couple of observations in comparing this season to last season

We played 52 games last season but in the first 50 (the amount of games we have played this season) we conceded 41 goals in all games (the amount of goals we have conceded this season)

The difference is goals scored is less big than I would have imagined (we scored 11 more goals, 110 rather than the 99 games we have this season)

But then you have to factor in context, we scored a lot more goals in Europe this season (30 in 12 as opposed to 19 in 10 last season). That and the two non premier league teams we scored 8 goals against in the league cup.

We had scored 75 goals in 32 league games last season, 18 more than we have managed this season.

Although 9 of those 18 goals were spot kicks (we’ve only been awarded pels in one game this season)

The breakdown always appears to be the difference in results when we score two goals or more, or one goal or fewer

44% of the games this season we’ve scored 1 goal or none - 5 wins 11 draws 6 defeats

56% of the games this season we’ve scored 2 goals or more - 24 wins, 4 draws

This season when we’ve scored a single goal we’ve won 5 and drawn 8

Last season we won 6, Drew 3 and lost 3

So if it appears that we are dropping more points from winning positions, it’s largely because there are fewer occasions where we have a lead of more than one goal.

Chippy

20-04-2025, 08:16 AM

The top five is looking a bit tight this morning. We really need to get three points today.

Mac76

20-04-2025, 10:27 AM

The top five is looking a bit tight this morning. We really need to get three points today.

we do indeed - while we do need to manage the squad, not least because Palace will be a lot tougher than this, we also need to get the job done

Letters

20-04-2025, 04:28 PM

we do indeed - while we do need to manage the squad, not least because Palace will be a lot tougher than this, we also need to get the job done

Quite liked Arteta’s subs today. Felt like he got the job done and managed to protect key players.

HCZ_Reborn

20-04-2025, 05:12 PM

Yep…can’t complain. I think it’s one of those games this season which was remarkable in that everything went our way…which is such a rare thing. A totally incompetent team…the only player who I think will stay in the premier league when Ipswich go down is Liam Delap. The referees actually properly punished a nasty challenge on our players and we were able to take players off at our leisure

Can’t really ask for more

Letters

20-04-2025, 06:08 PM

Well this is unfortunate :unsure:

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gooner%5C

Shaqiri Is Boss

20-04-2025, 06:20 PM

Well this is unfortunate :unsure:

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gooner%5C

:haha:

I noticed that myself a while ago. Didn't completely understand it tbh.

Could probably sell the domain for a decent amount though

Letters

20-04-2025, 07:02 PM

Could probably sell the domain for a decent amount though

:haha:

That hadn’t even occurred to me.
I have two questions. “How much?” and “give it to me”
:cool:

Shaqiri Is Boss

20-04-2025, 07:18 PM

:haha:

That hadn’t even occurred to me.
I have two questions. “How much?” and “give it to me”
:cool:

Letters I'd like to ask you a few questions. One, where is the fife? And two, give me the fife

McNamara That Ghost...

20-04-2025, 07:29 PM

Just space it out a bit and add one letter.

Go On Ner(d)s Web

Chippy

24-04-2025, 10:56 AM

HCZ_Reborn

24-04-2025, 12:19 PM

I could not be bothered to start a fresh post for the Palace game last night, but still wanted to mention it.

I fully understand that we have one eye on PSG next week, however, that performance just wasn't good enough.
People are still paying good money to watch this end of season dross.

Looking at the remaining fixtures we are going to finish third in a two horse race (behind City), if we are lucky.
I am still relieved that the top 5 qualify for next season Champions League.

I don’t think anything you’ve written here is unreasonable

From my own perspective, I look at it two ways. Was the performance last night acceptable? No, was it understandable? Yes

I was definitely hoping that we would win comfortably and make it a bit of a dress rehearsal for the European cup semi final. I still think we will finish 2nd, I’m annoyed because we haven’t put it to bed and it’s still left up in the air

Letters

24-04-2025, 01:30 PM

Looking at the remaining fixtures we are going to finish third in a two horse race.
It wasn't a two horse race though. The title was done before February was out.
There has been no title race this year.

Chippy

24-04-2025, 02:30 PM

It wasn't a two horse race though. The title was done before February was out.
There has been no title race this year.

We had no excuse but to keep up with the Mickey mouser's. The title race may have been done before the end of February, but that is because of our own incompetence. This needs to be addressed next season or perhaps look for a new manager and back room staff.

HCZ_Reborn

24-04-2025, 03:12 PM

We had no excuse but to keep up with the Mickey mouser's. The title race may have been done before the end of February, but that is because of our own incompetence. This needs to be addressed next season or perhaps look for a new manager and back room staff.

There’s two ways of looking at it

We could have signed Watkins in January in the hope that we could have made a title push, but I think as much as I don’t think Liverpool are all that great I just think they’d have done what they needed to do to keep their noses ahead.

Signing Watkins I think would have had a negative impact on the transfer business we could have done in the summer (not in terms of transfer fees but in terms of wage bill)

We decided not to do that, and by mid February it became evident that it wasn’t going to be possible to sustain a title challenge (you can’t have a circumstance when not only is your striker out, but your two first choice wingers and expect anything good to happen, frankly it’s near on miraculous that we’ve only lost once in the last ten games given those circumstances).

Letters

24-04-2025, 03:17 PM

We had no excuse but to keep up with the Mickey mouser's. The title race may have been done before the end of February, but that is because of our own incompetence. This needs to be addressed next season or perhaps look for a new manager and back room staff.

No argument there. But this isn't a Spursy situation when we were genuinely in a 2 horse race for the title and then somehow contrived to finish 3rd.
We hung on to their coattails for a while but then as HCZ the injuries were the final nail in the title coffin.
Since then we've been fairly comfortable in 2nd place although we are contriving to make that less certain that it seemed it would be.
Overall it's been a complete mess of a season although obviously the CL would change that.

Chippy

24-04-2025, 06:58 PM

No argument there. But this isn't a Spursy situation when we were genuinely in a 2 horse race for the title and then somehow contrived to finish 3rd.
We hung on to their coattails for a while but then as HCZ the injuries were the final nail in the title coffin.
Since then we've been fairly comfortable in 2nd place although we are contriving to make that less certain that it seemed it would be.
Overall it's been a complete mess of a season although obviously the CL would change that.

I agree, it wasn't as bad as Spurs finishing third in a two horse race. We also had some terrible luck with injuries, however, with the players we have got, we should have won several of the games that we ended up drawing. I don't think we will finish second, but that will obviously be forgiven if we win the Champions League :d

Niall_Quinn

24-04-2025, 11:33 PM

Don't let him pollute you with his complacency.

Letters

28-04-2025, 04:57 PM

https://x.com/paddypower/status/1916786386713075937

21_GOONER_SALUTE

28-04-2025, 06:14 PM

https://x.com/paddypower/status/1916786386713075937

"Phase 14 of our masterplan".... :haha:

Is it true we didn't top the league for even a day this season?? Now that is a pathetic stat, especially if you consider the previous 2 seasons.

21_GOONER_SALUTE

28-04-2025, 06:30 PM

https://youtube.com/shorts/GNOOZjrJCaQ?si=KvJVudqL3llhjW-O

HCZ_Reborn

28-04-2025, 07:30 PM

https://youtube.com/shorts/GNOOZjrJCaQ?si=KvJVudqL3llhjW-O

Alas that stat doesn’t go back any further than 1978, in 1963 when Pope John XXIII snuffed it, it was a few weeks after AC Milan won the European cup and the following season Inter won it

IBK

29-04-2025, 10:32 AM

https://x.com/paddypower/status/1916786386713075937

That's very good! :lol:

Mac76

29-04-2025, 10:37 AM

Is it true we didn't top the league for even one day this season?? Now that is a pathetic stat, especially if you consider the previous 2 seasons.

not really, considering that the refs got stuck in early - Brighton was only our third game of the season, they took two points off us then, after which they took another 2 points in our fifth game (away at Citeh), and then arguably at least one point away to Bournemouth (our eighth game)

That's seven points robbed of us in our first 8 games

Shaqiri Is Boss

29-04-2025, 12:08 PM

https://x.com/paddypower/status/1916786386713075937

:haha:

Peter Reid didn't actually realise this was for a video

KSE Comedy Club

29-04-2025, 12:36 PM

This was a poor season all round tbh (premier league wise)

No one that did well the last two or three seasons have been up to scratch, we are about 20 points off where we should be, as well as City, Villa, newcastle, etc.

Liverpool have basically walked to the easiest title in years.

Letters

29-04-2025, 01:24 PM

:haha:

Peter Reid didn't actually realise this was for a video

:lol: I don't know how they get this stuff out so quickly. I guess they pre-recorded that one as the title was all but won a long time ago.
PaddyPower are masters at this sort of thing.

Letters

29-04-2025, 01:26 PM

Liverpool have basically walked to the easiest title in years.
This is true. But they are on track for a points total which would have seen them there or there abouts over the last few years.
This isn't a Leicester situation where they win with 81 points and the next team (us!) got 71.
The main difference this year is only one side had a good league season, the other possible contenders were mediocre (us, Cith) or hilariously inept (Utd)
No-one has pushed them this year, but that isn't their fault.

KSE Comedy Club

29-04-2025, 04:01 PM

This is true. But they are on track for a points total which would have seen them there or there abouts over the last few years.
This isn't a Leicester situation where they win with 81 points and the next team (us!) got 71.
The main difference this year is only one side had a good league season, the other possible contenders were mediocre (us, Cith) or hilariously inept (Utd)
No-one has pushed them this year, but that isn't their fault.

Oh yes, they have still go the points of course, but it's far easier to do when no one is pushing to try and stop you.

Mac76

29-04-2025, 04:42 PM

This is true. But they are on track for a points total which would have seen them there or there abouts over the last few years.
This isn't a Leicester situation where they win with 81 points and the next team (us!) got 71.
The main difference this year is only one side had a good league season, the other possible contenders were mediocre (us, Cith) or hilariously inept (Utd)
No-one has pushed them this year, but that isn't their fault.

Exactly, I really don't get the whole Liverpool distain, apart from the fact they proved so many people wrong (not me obvs ;)) who thought they wouldn't go the distance

Letters

29-04-2025, 05:12 PM

Exactly, I really don't get the whole Liverpool distain, apart from the fact they proved so many people wrong (not me obvs ;)) who thought they wouldn't go the distance

I admit I underestimated them, and you didn’t so props for that. But I don’t think even you could have foreseen Salad’s form. And KSE is on to something, it would have been interesting to see how they’d have stood up to the pressure - they didn’t last year but maybe they learned from that.

HCZ_Reborn

29-04-2025, 05:22 PM

Liverpool’s title came about as a result of Salah having a God mode season and neither us or City being in the title race

They really are nothing special. Their two best players are the wrong side of 30

Predicting Liverpool would win the title on the strength of players like Gakpo, is a bit like predicting Argentina would win the World Cup back in 1986 because of Jorge Burruchaga.

To be honest they aren’t really any better than they were last season where frankly they did well to finish 3rd (far above what their squad suggested they were capable of). And this season? Well it’s absolutely right that the Dutchman gave thanks to Jurgen Klopp. Probably should give thanks to Mikel Arteta and Guardiola as well

HCZ_Reborn

29-04-2025, 05:31 PM

I have disdain for any team that is above us in the league, I don’t play favourites

With Liverpool, I’ve always resented how the pundit class have sucked them off. A lot of their fans seem to think they are back in the 1980s whenever they get a sniff of success.

If we win the champions league this season it still won’t change my upset that we didn’t send them crying all the way back to their poorly maintained council houses. That resentment will last until we take the title, hopefully beating them in their own backyard in the process.

Letters

30-04-2025, 10:00 AM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c4g8yjr497ko

How's he finishing a marathon when he never managed to finish a PL season? :sulk:

dazthegooner

30-04-2025, 10:06 AM

Well it was the 2023 one he'd just finished only took him 2 years :blink;

Mac76

30-04-2025, 04:15 PM

Well it was the 2023 one he'd just finished only took him 2 years :blink;

:lol:

Mac76

07-05-2025, 02:41 PM

Rice on Ode as captain: https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-fc-rice-psg-champions-league-b1226215.html

HCZ_Reborn

07-05-2025, 04:27 PM

Not saying Rice is being dishonest, but that does feel a bit like a PR exercise in light of the fact that fans and the media have happened to notice Odegaard stinking out the place

Mac76

13-05-2025, 04:55 PM

Never thought I'd find myself agreeing with the normally obnoxious Paul Scholes but good to see this: https://dailycannon.com/2025/05/scholes-compares-arsenal-united-seasons/

Marc Overmars

13-05-2025, 05:39 PM

In fairness, I think United know they’ve had a disgraceful season and winning a second tier trophy won’t change anything. I read they will have club BBQ to celebrate should they win it rather than a parade which seems far more appropriate.

Spurs will of course act like they’ve won the quadruple but then that’s the difference between the clubs. One has been starved for a generation while the other has seen it all enough times to not give a shit.

HCZ_Reborn

13-05-2025, 05:43 PM

Letters

13-05-2025, 06:10 PM

Spurs will of course act like they’ve won the quadruple but then that’s the difference between the clubs. One has been starved for a generation while the other has seen it all enough times to not give a shit.
As much as the whole idea of them winning a trophy sickens me, if they do I will console myself by mocking them for strutting around like they’re “champions of Europe” when it’s the Carabao Cup of Europe at best. Wankers.
I have a feeling Utd will do them as…lads, it’s Tottenham

Mac76

13-05-2025, 06:18 PM

I very much hope so

Mac76

15-05-2025, 04:08 PM

The new shirt's out - still got Visit Rwanda unfortunately...

https://www.arsenal.com/news/arsenal-launch-new-adidas-202526-home-kit

HCZ_Reborn

15-05-2025, 04:32 PM

Rwanda was a pretty dodgy place when we first took up sponsorship with it, whilst Paul Kagame hasn’t quite tried to enact a genocide against the Hutus in the way they did against the Tutsis, they are pretty marginalised in society….that and he’s an authoritarian dictator pretending to be democratically elected, he has opponents murdered (even extra territorially) and they are conducting mass rapes and murders next door in the DRC (funded by the money we sent them for the road to nowhere Rwanda scheme).

Not accusing anyone of jumping on a bandwagon, but I find it interesting that there’s only protests about this sponsorship arrangement now.

Mac76

15-05-2025, 08:37 PM

I've never been particularly keen on it, though i admit i do have one of the shirts with it on

IBK

16-05-2025, 10:13 AM

The new shirt's out - still got Visit Rwanda unfortunately...

https://www.arsenal.com/news/arsenal-launch-new-adidas-202526-home-kit

Brilliant promo vid! Not quite so keen on the kit though (I know people like the simplicity but I like the blue detailing on the old kit, and the gold on the one before that).

HCZ_Reborn

16-05-2025, 10:19 AM

I’ve never liked the yellow away kits personally

I know it’s part of Arsenal folklore but yellow is a terrible colour

The only yellow kit that remotely passes muster is the yellow with black shorts in the 88/89 season

The black and gold kit was the best away strip for ages. If had the choice to keep the same away kit for years, I’d go with that one

Mac76

16-05-2025, 12:19 PM

Brilliant promo vid! Not quite so keen on the kit though (I know people like the simplicity but I like the blue detailing on the old kit, and the gold on the one before that).

A lot of people really didn't like the blue, though I must admit I barely noticed it

IBK

16-05-2025, 01:11 PM

A lot of people really didn't like the blue, though I must admit I barely noticed it

Yes I know...I guess I go against the grain sometimes.

Chippy

19-05-2025, 08:23 AM

Now we have secured Champions League football next year, we now face the elephant in the room, The Ropy League final between the Scum and Manure. I have read lots of various Arsenal groups saying they are not sure who they want to win because they hate both clubs. For me it's easy.... please don't let that lot down the road win it, we will never hear the last of it.

Marc Overmars

19-05-2025, 08:47 AM

United win hopefully. They’ve won many cups even during their shit years, so another isn’t going to annoy me.

Spurs though, ugh. If it was a domestic cup final I wouldn’t care but I certainly don’t want them having European success, especially as we are desperately lacking in this section of the honours list.

Letters

19-05-2025, 08:50 AM

Complete no brainer.
It's the Carabao Cup of Europe at best but that lot parading round the streets, proclaiming themselves "Champions of Europe"? :sick:
Doesn't bear thinking about.

Mac76

19-05-2025, 09:38 AM

Complete no brainer.
It's the Carabao Cup of Europe at best but that lot parading round the streets, proclaiming themselves "Champions of Europe"? :sick:
Doesn't bear thinking about.

:gp:

Anyone who doesn't want Spuds to lose isn't a real Arsenal fan, period

They must never win anything, ever

HCZ_Reborn

19-05-2025, 09:58 AM

:gp:

Anyone who doesn't want Spuds to lose isn't a real Arsenal fan, period

They must never win anything, ever

I don’t think anyone who is an Arsenal fan wants Spurs to win a trophy. How much should anyone care about it especially if it’s an insignificant trophy…well that’s on the individual to decide for themselves

In terms of individual wins, if a Spurs win benefits us (like the Man United game in 1999, or the Man City game in 2023) I’m all for it. Relying on them for the win though….like relying on pissing into a 90 mile per hour gale and expecting not to get a urine splash back

Letters

19-05-2025, 11:01 AM

HCZ_Reborn

19-05-2025, 11:37 AM

Yes, there are obviously individual games when we have to hope they win, as nauseating as that is.
But winning a trophy? I can't think of any circumstance where I would hope for that. Only possible scenario is them winning a trophy would help us qualify for European competition maybe but even then...no, not worth it.

Oh no I’m referring to individual league games as opposed to Trophies

My only point is that when it comes to trophies like the Europa league, it hardly ever occupies my thoughts.

I want Man United to win but if Spurs win, I’m going to go to bed like normal that night.

I’m not going to get into long debates online about the impact it has on Arsenal, because the impact it has on us is nil

As I’ve said repeatedly (and of course I’m only speaking for myself) is that I wasn’t nervous about the 2019 Champions League final because at no point did I think Spurs would win. I was however very edgy about the 2008 and 2012 Champions League finals because Chelsea were more than capable of winning and when Drogba equalised and Robben missed the pel, I was beside myself. And to be honest the whole competition was tarnished for me by them winning it.

People can and will get as worked up by the Europa league final as they choose, I’m not going to give it any thought

HCZ_Reborn

19-05-2025, 11:40 AM

Frankly after their league showing if they win the thing and want to argue they’ve had a better season than us, let them go for it. The proposition is so utterly absurd that I feel that you’d have to be pretty thin skinned to let it bother you. For Spurs this is their glass ceiling, for United this is a painful reminder of where their current level is

Mac76

19-05-2025, 11:42 AM

because at no point did I think Spurs would win

But no-one can be that certain, that's not how football works

I'm willing to bet if you'd been asked right at the beginning of the FAC campaign if Palace would win it you'd have said 'no chance', 'certainly not' etc

HCZ_Reborn

19-05-2025, 11:47 AM

But no-one can be that certain, that's not how football works

I'm willing to bet if you'd been asked right at the beginning of the FAC campaign if Palace would win it you'd have said 'no chance', 'certainly not' etc

So I’ve written how I felt about the match going into it and your response is to question it.

“Your feelings were wrong” :lol:

I felt the way I felt chief, if Spurs had won my (complacency if you will) clearly would have been misplaced, but that’s not how it turned out.

But if it helps you, I’m sorry for not being as nervous as you were

Marc Overmars

19-05-2025, 11:48 AM

HCZ_Reborn

19-05-2025, 11:53 AM

I was shitting bricks in 2019. I didn’t even enjoy our EL run because I was sickened over the thought of them winning the CL before us.

I do think they’ll beat United this week but it would just be mildly annoying. I’m not going to bother myself over a competition I hope we aren’t competing in ever again.

And it appears you are far from alone in that feeling

I was very confident (as it turns out completely wrongly) that we’d beat Chelsea in the final

As for Spurs? I remember being more put out that they’d got through to the final because I wanted Ajax to win the European cup (nostalgia for the 1995 Winning team). Rightly or wrongly it never crossed my mind even for a second that they’d beat Liverpool. I thought Liverpool back then were ridiculously unlucky not to be title winners, they overturned a 3-0 deficit against Barcelona in one of the most impressive European performances I’d seen from any side for years, and Spurs had crawled their way into the top four. Just didn’t seem viable to me

Mac76

19-05-2025, 11:54 AM

Letters

19-05-2025, 12:39 PM

I do think they’ll beat United this week but it would just be mildly annoying. I’m not going to bother myself over them winning a competition I hope we aren’t competing in ever again.
It's hard to call. They are two really poor teams and Spurs have beaten Utd both times this year.
But...Utd do have this knack of blundering their way to trophies after poor seasons. They did it last year which is why they're in the competition in the first place.
I'll be pissed off if Spurs win and the thought of them having an open top bus parade is sickening.
But...honestly, these days it is a bit of a tin pot trophy. They've pushed so many of the better sides in to the CL now that the other competitions really are the dregs of European football.
So I guess that will be my coping mechanism. This isn't like 2019. Dear God, can you imagine them winning the CL? :sick:
This would be annoying but nothing more.

Chippy

19-05-2025, 03:45 PM

Oh no I’m referring to individual league games as opposed to Trophies

My only point is that when it comes to trophies like the Europa league, it hardly ever occupies my thoughts.

I want Man United to win but if Spurs win, I’m going to go to bed like normal that night.

I’m not going to get into long debates online about the impact it has on Arsenal, because the impact it has on us is nil

As I’ve said repeatedly (and of course I’m only speaking for myself) is that I wasn’t nervous about the 2019 Champions League final because at no point did I think Spurs would win. I was however very edgy about the 2008 and 2012 Champions League finals because Chelsea were more than capable of winning and when Drogba equalised and Robben missed the pel, I was beside myself. And to be honest the whole competition was tarnished for me by them winning it.

People can and will get as worked up by the Europa league final as they choose, I’m not going to give it any thought

Omg! As soon as the Spuds best Ajax (on my fucking birthday and celebrating prematurely when they were 0-3 down on aggregate), that was the longest three weeks of my football life (even though I was a 52 year old bloke!). I couldn't even bring myself to watch the game or check the score :lol:
Was it just me over thinking that night?

HCZ_Reborn

19-05-2025, 03:56 PM

Letters

19-05-2025, 04:16 PM

Omg! As soon as the Spuds best Ajax (on my fucking birthday and celebrating prematurely when they were 0-3 down on aggregate), that was the longest three weeks of my football life (even though I was a 52 year old bloke!). I couldn't even bring myself to watch the game or check the score :lol:
Was it just me over thinking that night?

I was just leaving on a work trip to Edinburgh and was flying. Checked my phone before we took off - 2-0 to Ajax so...lolz. Spurs gotta Spurs.
Landed and checked my phone and...oh fuck OFF!
I thought Liverpool were favourites but I also couldn't bear watching it. I was actually driving back from something when the final was on, I knew Spurs had gone 1-0 down but nothing else.
The M25 was being a pain and I was at a standstill so I did have a cheeky check - I knew the game was over by then. Saw the result, thought "oh thank fuck" and went home a little happier!

I'm less bothered about Wednesday because although it would be a pain if they won the competition is so devalued now that as much as they'll be strutting around it'll be pretty easy to dismiss their "achievement". They've hardly swept aside the cream of European football.

Shaqiri Is Boss

19-05-2025, 05:16 PM

I can't really remember anything about the final bar the two goals.

I think it was probably a bit shit.

HCZ_Reborn

19-05-2025, 06:24 PM

I can't really remember anything about the final bar the two goals.

I think it was probably a bit shit.

It wasn’t one of the great finals no

But then most of the recent finals have been a bit shit frankly

What does it matter though if your team wins.

Chippy

20-05-2025, 09:24 AM

It wasn’t one of the great finals no

But then most of the recent finals have been a bit shit frankly

What does it matter though if your team wins.

Exactly. Who cares how your team win a final.
Sadly, a club the size of Arsenal should have won this competition by now.

Letters

20-05-2025, 09:48 AM

Wenger's record in Europe was the biggest black mark against him.
That side from 2002-2004 should have won a CL.

HCZ_Reborn

20-05-2025, 09:57 AM

Champions League is a bit of a closed shop, now more than ever

Juventus are the biggest club in Italy domestically, it made a couple of finals but got trounced by Barca and Real

As Letters said, our European record under Wenger was a black mark for him. But again I’d say that’s less outright failure to win the thing, and more than in almost twenty seasons in the competition we made the final once, and the semis twice

Arteta so far at least hasn’t done too badly in that we’ve been back in two seasons and one quarter final and one semi final. We want more and it’s right to expect more, but the disappointment of PSG aside….it was a decent European campaign that slightly elevated a frustrating season

Marc Overmars

20-05-2025, 10:59 AM

Wenger’s record was shocking really in knockout ties. Arteta from 2 campaigns has already got us through 3 ties. Porto, PSV and Real Madrid. Which pretty much eclipses anything Wenger did during his last decade with us in the competition.

Letters

20-05-2025, 03:06 PM

Sign him up! :unsure:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG1lvk13jCM

dazthegooner

20-05-2025, 03:10 PM

Didn't Partey try that a few season back before he started placing his effiorts? :unsure:

HCZ_Reborn

20-05-2025, 03:41 PM

Sign him up! :unsure:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG1lvk13jCM

Last time I remember seeing a player literally knock one out of the park was Freddie Flintoff at Edgbaston, where one of his sixes landed in the car park

Chippy

23-05-2025, 09:36 AM

It's hard to call. They are two really poor teams and Spurs have beaten Utd both times this year.
But...Utd do have this knack of blundering their way to trophies after poor seasons. They did it last year which is why they're in the competition in the first place.
I'll be pissed off if Spurs win and the thought of them having an open top bus parade is sickening.
But...honestly, these days it is a bit of a tin pot trophy. They've pushed so many of the better sides in to the CL now that the other competitions really are the dregs of European football.
So I guess that will be my coping mechanism. This isn't like 2019. Dear God, can you imagine them winning the CL? :sick:
This would be annoying but nothing more.

So, the spuds won the Ropey League and it has been more annoying than I first thought :censored:

How many of you have come across people that claim to have supported them for years!?

The only positive is that they may have to keep Ange for at least the first quarter of the season. That is the only ray of light for me at the moment.

As for Man Utd......they are going to spend a long time getting back amongst the elite.

HCZ_Reborn

23-05-2025, 09:44 AM

So, the spuds won the Ropey League and it has been more annoying than I first thought :censored:

How many of you have come across people that claim to have supported them for years!?

The only positive is that they may have to keep Ange for at least the first quarter of the season. That is the only ray of light for me at the moment.

As for Man Utd......they are going to spend a long time getting back amongst the elite.

In fairness, the Spurs fan I speak to most often seemed almost sheepish about it.

He only said anything at all because I posted “Spurs are on their way to Wembley” by Chas and Dave in our group what’s app

Letters

23-05-2025, 09:47 AM

HCZ_Reborn

23-05-2025, 09:55 AM

There's a parade today and some of the local schools are shutting early for it (I don't know why, we're not a million miles away but we're not that close).
It's all been a bit annoying but, honestly, fuck them - they've won the Carabao Cup of Europe at best. They've not swept aside the cream of Europe.
They played Frankfurt and some Norwegian side I can't even be arsed looking up the name of and who I'd never heard of before. They didn't exactly go toe to toe with Real Madrid and PSG.
In the final they beat the worst Utd side in a generation and I heard this morning they only had one shot on target or something.
They're second rate team who won a second rate competition.
Fuck, and I cannot stress this enough, them.

All that you say is true and yet despite knowing this you seem animated all the same

They’ve won fuck all in 17 years, of course they were going to make a song and dance about it

Spurs supporting mate (the sheepish one) said “That was an utterly shit final, but I don’t care….at least it will shut some opposition fans up about us not winning anything”

And I have to say fair enough really.

I haven’t had anyone trying to rub it in my face. Because I think deep down even they know it doesn’t change the fact that they had a shocking league season

Chippy

23-05-2025, 09:58 AM

HCZ_Reborn

23-05-2025, 10:00 AM

When West Ham won their tin pot European trophy two years ago I was quite pleased for them, until they started acting like dick heads over the Rice transfer.

Marc Overmars

23-05-2025, 10:03 AM

HCZ_Reborn

23-05-2025, 10:08 AM

Let them have their moment. It’s annoying but there really isn’t much you say to a Spurs fan right now that will bring them down from cloud 9. First trophy in 17 years is bound to send you loopy. I know how I felt after the 2014 FA Cup and that was 8 seasons without a trophy so imagine how they must be feeling now.

My Spud mate put it into perspective when he said this is only the third trophy he’s ever seen them win in his lifetime. :console:

When was he born?

The two fa cup wins in the 80s were before I was born

I would have been less than a year old when they won the uefa cup

But I remember the 91 cup final where I wanted Forest to win

Strangely I don’t remember the 99 league cup win that much. Last minute goal apparently

Marc Overmars

23-05-2025, 10:11 AM

When was he born?

The two fa cup wins in the 80s were before I was born

I would have been less than a year old when they won the uefa cup

But I remember the 91 cup final where I wanted Forest to win

Strangely I don’t remember the 99 league cup win that much. Last minute goal apparently

Born in 88.

He was too young to remember 91 so he excludes that. So it’s 99, 08 and 25. :lol:

Letters

23-05-2025, 10:44 AM

Let them have their moment. It’s annoying but there really isn’t much you say to a Spurs fan right now that will bring them down from cloud 9 for an objective discussion. First trophy in 17 years is bound to send you loopy. I know how I felt after the 2014 FA Cup and that was 8 seasons without a trophy so imagine how they must be feeling now.

My Spud mate put it into perspective when he said this is only the third trophy he’s ever seen them win in his lifetime. :console:

Yeah. I don't really begrudge them their moment. I've congratulated some of the Spurs fans I know. Most of them are actually pretty reasonable and are in on the joke that it's a second rate competition.
But as you say, the FA Cup win in 2014 felt brilliant because it had been a while. Most Spurs fans will have never seen a title win, you'd have to be middle aged to even have seen an FA Cup. So I get it.
But any Spurs fan strutting around claiming they're "champions of Europe" - I'll laugh in their stupid faces.

dazthegooner

23-05-2025, 11:57 AM

Wasn’t this also the first time no one from the Champions League was relegated to the Europa league ?

Letters

23-05-2025, 12:12 PM

Wasn’t this also the first time no one from the Champions League was relegated to the Europa league ?

I think so - although I don't really think that should be a thing anyway.
The issue is so many teams are in the CL now that the Europa League is much lower quality. And why is the Conference League or whatever it's called even a thing?

In general there's far too much European football. This will never happen but the Champions League should be for champions and the Europa for the next 1 or at most 2 teams.

McNamara That Ghost...

24-05-2025, 07:09 AM

Women's Champions League final today!

Fairly sure Barca will have too much but at least we're there.

Niall_Quinn

24-05-2025, 11:54 AM

Wasn’t this also the first time no one from the Champions League was relegated to the Europa league ?

Yep - they guaranteed no decent teams, or even semi-decent teams, could end up in the Europa League. What's even funnier is they have another tournament on the go, below even Europa. Can you imagine the pubbers hashing it around in that one, as they vie for European "glory"? Whole thing is about making cash, literally nothing else.

McNamara That Ghost...

24-05-2025, 03:59 PM

Arsenal: Van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe, Little, Maanum, Caldentey, Kelly, Russo, Foord.
Subs: Zinsberger, Williams, Wubben-Moy, Codina, Mead, Walti, Hurtig, Pelova, Nighswonger, Blackstenius, Ilestedt, Cooney-Cross.

Barcelona: Coll, Batlle, Paredes, Leon, Rolfo, Bonmati, Patri, Putellas, Graham Hansen, Pajor, Pina.
Subs: Gemma, Roebuck, Jana, Paralluelo, Marta, Vicky, Engen, Brugts, Cano, Schertenleib, Serrajordi, Judit.

McNamara That Ghost...

24-05-2025, 04:22 PM

1-0 Arsenal but probably offside.

McNamara That Ghost...

24-05-2025, 04:47 PM

0-0 HT.

Letters

24-05-2025, 04:57 PM

Proper European Competitions :bow:

Come on, girls #importantcomma

McNamara That Ghost...

24-05-2025, 05:33 PM

BLACKSTENIUS!!!

McNamara That Ghost...

24-05-2025, 05:56 PM

WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNERS ARSENAL!!!!!

Holy shit.

HCZ_Reborn

24-05-2025, 06:04 PM

:shrug:

Marc Overmars

24-05-2025, 06:05 PM

Well done ladies.

Letters

24-05-2025, 06:07 PM

Brilliant effort!

Champions of Europe! :bow:

:trophy:

21_GOONER_SALUTE

24-05-2025, 06:23 PM

:trophy: at this point we'll take anything :scarf:

But seriously, this win is quite remarkable as both Lyon and Barca are usually unbeatable at this stage...and they overcame both of em !!! :scarf:

21_GOONER_SALUTE

24-05-2025, 07:38 PM

BTW I wonder if they'd had been able to turn around their season so spectacularly and achieve this if they didn't have the "balls" to move on their manager who was always managing to get away with just achieving the bare minimum.......oh well.

Marc Overmars

24-05-2025, 07:47 PM

On closer inspection this seems like quite an achievement from the ladies. Huge underdogs throughout and overcame the two teams that have dominated the competition. Only English club to win it and they’ve done it twice now. Fair play.

Niall_Quinn

25-05-2025, 05:22 PM

Now go and make coffee, FFS!

Letters

28-05-2025, 06:16 PM

:lol:

https://x.com/paddypower/status/1926688406626566550

Shaqiri Is Boss

28-05-2025, 08:13 PM

:lol:

https://x.com/paddypower/status/1926688406626566550

:lol:

I mean it does beg the question. Would you swap places with that chimpanzee?

Letters

28-05-2025, 09:14 PM

:lol:

I mean it does beg the question. Would you swap places with that chimpanzee?

It was the best of seasons, it was the blurst of seasons.
Stupid monkey!

Letters

30-05-2025, 08:13 PM

:lol:

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/14DojjyKZ7S/?mibextid=wwXIfr

HCZ_Reborn

06-06-2025, 11:47 AM

Gabriel Magahat has signed a contract extension it appears

Always good to hear. He and Saliba are arguably our most irreplaceable players along with Saka

Letters

18-06-2025, 04:45 PM

HCZ_Reborn

18-06-2025, 04:57 PM

“Everyone thinks he’s a nice guy but in fact he’s a son of a bitch. He has a history of incidents that all too often have gone unnoticed. We hate him and have real reason to do so”
- Vieira on Ruud Van Horseface

:lol:

Van Nistelrooy was actually quite an underrated striker, one of the best finishers and predatory front men there was. But he was Dutch, the Dutch are dirty bastards. And it felt like at times the non existent refereeing at Old Trafford meant he was given licence to be a vicious shit. Stray kicks, dragging his studs down people’s legs, even punches and elbow.

Vieira was foolish to react the way he did that day especially as a captain, but it was just sheer frustration at the way that dickhead threw himself into him and threw himself backwards like a rabbit trying to avoid being run over when Vieira again foolishly but understandably kicked out.

Players like Keown and Lauren knew the score, they were getting digs in because of what he’d done to get Vieira sent off

Mac76

29-06-2025, 12:05 PM

Chippy

03-07-2025, 09:17 AM

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cr4we9z2l42o

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota has dies in a car crash, aged 28.

This puts everything into perspective, what a terrible thing to happen :(:rose:

IBK

03-07-2025, 11:24 AM

Yep shocking news - reminds me of Reyes.

Chippy

03-07-2025, 11:54 AM

Yep shocking news - reminds me of Reyes.

Indeed :rose:

Letters

03-07-2025, 12:24 PM

Upgraded stadium plans are gaining pace apparently

While it would annoy Daniel Levy, who pathetically made sure their toilet had 61k seats just because ours has 60k, as someone who goes to the games it sounds like it will cause a lot of disruption

https://sportsrender.com/2025/06/25/arsenal-planning-emirates-stadium-expansion-to-80000-seats/

Interesting. I remember at the time there was debate on here about whether there was any potential for further expansion. Some on here said there wasn't, I said I'd be surprised if that's the case as it would have been a bit short sighted. So...as always...Letters woz right :cool:. Unless I wasn't and it's going to be a massive ballache to expand it.

HCZ_Reborn

03-07-2025, 02:03 PM

Interesting. I remember at the time there was debate on here about whether there was any potential for further expansion. Some on here said there wasn't, I said I'd be surprised if that's the case as it would have been a bit short sighted. So...as always...Letters woz right :cool:. Unless I wasn't and it's going to be a massive ballache to expand it.

The impression I always had was that Islington Council had a veto on expansion (but then again they were opposed to it being constructed in the first place).

We aren’t allowed to have concerts at night time. Robbie Williams performed at the Emirates about three-four weeks ago but it was a late afternoon start time.

It always feels like we do our bit but the local authorities don’t reciprocate. For example we were asked to build a railway bridge for the Northern City Line at Drayton Park, but did TFL expand the facilities at the station to make it usable on match days? Did they fuck.

I think personally the stadium needs renovating anyway. Seats need replacing, larger screens need putting in, need to either put in WiFi or improve the 5G coverage.

And just a general lick of paint and facelift

Letters

03-07-2025, 02:49 PM

Islington Council have been pricks about this from the start. Given the money we must generate for the local economy you'd think they'd be more amenable.

HCZ_Reborn

04-07-2025, 07:07 AM

HCZ_Reborn

04-07-2025, 07:10 AM

Also Gabriel Heinze, ex Man United left back and Arteta’s mate from PSG is joining the coaching staff after Carlos Cuesta left to become the coach at Parma

Mac76

04-07-2025, 07:32 AM

the stadium needs renovating anyway. Seats need replacing, larger screens need putting in, need to either put in WiFi or improve the 5G coverage.

And just a general lick of paint and facelift

It had a facelift with the murals etc

The wifi's improved but could still better, the seats are fine, the main thing for me is making the concourses better, IK it's a football stadium but there's still not enough places to rest your overpriced beer while you eat your overpriced pie

Mac76

04-07-2025, 07:39 AM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cedgv61x9j9o

Have to say this is a bit of a pity, rarely had a bad game when he did play but just couldn’t stay fit. Hope he’s able to pick up his career elsewhere

Yes let's hope he has a Cazorla style renaissance elsewhere - although if he does it perhaps casts yet more doubt on the Arsenal medical setup

Marc Overmars

04-07-2025, 07:41 AM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cedgv61x9j9o

Have to say this is a bit of a pity, rarely had a bad game when he did play but just couldn’t stay fit. Hope he’s able to pick up his career elsewhere

Yeah this is a shame. Thought he was generally a reliable performer when fit. Think his absences at the end of 21/22 and 22/23 were felt.

I’m also quite happy the club have opted to cancel the contract though, it’s brutal but we can’t carry players like this. As you say hopefully he’s able to have a career elsewhere once his injury problems clear up.

IBK

04-07-2025, 09:05 AM

Agreed - it's sad things worked out this way. Very talented player but his fitness let him down.

Mac76

04-07-2025, 09:21 AM

I’m also quite happy the club have opted to cancel the contract though, it’s brutal but we can’t carry players like this. As you say hopefully he’s able to have a career elsewhere once his injury problems clear up.

yes, I think they gave him a contract last summer as a goodwill gesture in recognition of his situation, so they've done the right thing

You have to wonder about the difference he could have made if fit last season, could have taken some minutes off Saliba at least, plus helped out Timber and White, neither of whom were really fully fit.

21_GOONER_SALUTE

04-07-2025, 10:35 AM

Yes let's hope he has a Cazorla style renaissance elsewhere - although if he does it perhaps casts yet more doubt on the Arsenal medical setup

Looking forward to how this case unfolds as the part highlighted is something I've been wondering about for a while.

Wishing you the best Tomi :scarf:

HCZ_Reborn

04-07-2025, 01:49 PM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c39zr7y9ep3o

Somehow I think our failure to agree a new contract wasn’t about money

21_GOONER_SALUTE

04-07-2025, 01:59 PM

It was clearly reported that we refused to increase his salary and that we were in contract negotiations ....so trying to retell that story this late in time in order to make the club smell of roses is a bit pathetic.

I wondered a bit about the timing of the charges, but it kind of makes sense when you think about it. The Met is notoriously known for taking their time in these kind of cases and clearly the realisation that we are not offering him a new contract means they know that he could be out of the country soon and need to act now.

We were a bit lucky here and I'm sure Partey is regretting in more ways than one not signing that extension.

Marc Overmars

04-07-2025, 02:02 PM

This has been brewing in the background for a very long time and let’s just say we’ve had a stroke of luck that he isn’t our problem anymore. :wave:

HCZ_Reborn

04-07-2025, 02:03 PM

This has been brewing in the background for a very long time and let’s just say we’ve had a stroke of luck that he isn’t our problem anymore. :wave:

Precisely

21_GOONER_SALUTE

04-07-2025, 02:06 PM

This has been brewing in the background for a very long time and let’s just say we’ve had a stroke of luck that he isn’t our problem anymore. :wave:

Yeah, we were definitely lucky with this, would have been the perfect excuse for another "coming 2nd" campaign.

We should still expect a lot of blowback though from the matter....definitely more reasons for the same set of people to go on their anti-Arsenal drive.

HCZ_Reborn

04-07-2025, 02:09 PM

Yeah, we were definitely lucky with this, would have been the perfect excuse for another "coming 2nd" campaign.

Don’t think that would have worked. We’ve all known for three years that he was a sex fiend

Oh and who gives a fuck if people get angry with us over this. The fact is he was kept anonymous for years. We did the only thing any sensible club would have done.

We’ve got what we want out of him, let the law deal with him now

21_GOONER_SALUTE

04-07-2025, 02:12 PM

My assumption is that if he had signed the extension and then been charged during the season (which now looks like what was planned), it would have been the perfect excuse by some for why we couldn't compete towards the end (obviously we'd need to suspend him and all the media brouhaha).

HCZ_Reborn

04-07-2025, 02:29 PM

So quite likely the charge has come as a result of him leaving Arsenal where he isn’t tied to England and possibly moving to a country where they wouldn’t extradite him back to the uk

Marc Overmars

04-07-2025, 03:06 PM

Also explains why his departure was never announced with the usual well wishing statement.

Mac76

04-07-2025, 03:14 PM

It was clearly reported that we refused to increase his salary and that we were in contract negotiations ....so trying to retell that story this late in time in order to make the club smell of roses is a bit pathetic.

I'm inclined to agree, I think there were sound footballing reasons to let him go, we could replace him with someone on lower wages and also while he stayed injury-free last saeason there's no guarantee it would have happened again.

HCZ_Reborn

04-07-2025, 03:40 PM

I think the CPS has charged him before he leaves the country. The fact is they’ve had three years to charge him, so before that it would suggest they didn’t think they had sufficient confidence of a conviction to take it to court, yet at the same time found his accusers compelling enough not to let it drop.

So most likely had he signed a new contract with us, he wouldn’t have been charged because an investigation would have been ongoing

To put it bluntly, if you’ve got a player of Partey’s quality and you know he’s under investigation for serious crimes but you also know he’s protected by anonymity this whole idea that you were going to drop him is for the birds. We did the right thing from the club’s perspective.

People whether from rival clubs or from our own club pearl clutching about this can get to fuck, we aren’t running a women’s refuge shelter. If Partey is guilty, nothing we did or didn’t do has any bearing on that fact…I’ve said many times we might want to consider cutting him loose to spare ourselves a headache if things went south. Now either we knew what was coming and decided to cut him loose, or as I think is more likely to be the case the charges have come because he’s no longer any reason to stay in England.

21_GOONER_SALUTE

04-07-2025, 06:10 PM

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13392443/chelsea-and-aston-villa-fined-27m-and-9-5m-respectively-by-uefa-for-breaching-financial-rules

Clearly, adherence to UEFA FFP rules are for losers.

No wonder Villa couldn't be bothered to offload more players. I really feel like sporting authorities everywhere are becoming a bit of a joke. Though I like the sounds coming from the Spanish FA and the way they've stopped cuddling both Madrid and Barca.

Mac76

05-07-2025, 01:19 PM

Yeah, we were definitely lucky with this, would have been the perfect excuse for another "coming 2nd" campaign.

We should still expect a lot of blowback though from the matter....definitely more reasons for the same set of people to go on their anti-Arsenal drive.

Bluesky is full of po-faced crap about it, I've no doubt the club co-operated with police or whoever if asked, that's all they can do, it's not for them to become a kangaroo court

That said I think Arteta's comments in May were ill-advised and he'd have been a lot smarter to be more reserved about the whole thing

Mac76

05-07-2025, 01:20 PM

We’ve all known for three years that he was a sex fiend

We've known nothing of the kind, simply that there were accusations

HCZ_Reborn

05-07-2025, 01:29 PM

We've known nothing of the kind, simply that there were accusations

One accuser ? You’re right we simply don’t know

Multiple accusers ? Even if he’s acquitted in court, it’s most likely that he’s not been found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt not that he’s innocent.

The law has a high threshold for conviction and that’s rightly the case. But again what’s more likely that three seperate women are all lying about the same footballer or that Partey has a different understanding of the word No than the rest of us

So to appeal to your autistic sensitivities, I’ll change my statement and say we knew for three years that he was likely a sex fiend

HCZ_Reborn

05-07-2025, 01:37 PM

Bluesky is full of po-faced crap about it, I've no doubt the club co-operated with police or whoever if asked, that's all they can do, it's not for them to become a kangaroo court

That said I think Arteta's comments in May were ill-advised and he'd have been a lot smarter to be more reserved about the whole thing

It’s Bluesky, what exactly were you expecting. It’s like me saying I’m shocked that you have a bluesky account :lol:

Although if one was inclined to mischief and claimed one of Partey’s accusers had said “Transwomen are men” they’d quickly change their tune and say they deserved to be raped. There’s nothing more important to those people than the rights of balding perverts in dresses, wigs and poorly applied makeup

Mac76

05-07-2025, 09:24 PM

So to appeal to your autistic sensitivities, I’ll change my statement and say we knew for three years that he was likely a sex fiend

A desire for accuracy and fairness has nothing to do with autism, although I'd venture to say spending your whole life on a messageboard possibly does.

Or accirate?

HCZ_Reborn

05-07-2025, 09:55 PM

A desire for accuracy and fairness has nothing to do with autism, although I'd venture to say spending your whole life on a messageboard possibly does.

Or accirate?

There’s accuracy when it comes to command of facts and there’s spelling and grammar pedantry. What was the correction the other day? “If it’s legal to marry someone of 13 in certain countries than technically it’s not rape”. Because a 13 year old girl is definitely consenting to sex with a much older man, also in most of these countries rape isn’t recognised within marriage because a man has sexual rights to his wife. But if he forces himself on his wife, what are we to call it mr accuracy and fairness (two biggest self attributed misnomers I’ve come across)

Bit of a one trick pony with this “spend your whole life on a message board” thing, as I said to you a couple of weeks ago I’m
More than happy to break down the events of my life if you’re concerned for my welfare.

The Wengerbabies

05-07-2025, 11:35 PM

It’s Bluesky, what exactly were you expecting. It’s like me saying I’m shocked that you have a bluesky account :lol:

Although if one was inclined to mischief and claimed one of Partey’s accusers had said “Transwomen are men” they’d quickly change their tune and say they deserved to be raped. There’s nothing more important to those people than the rights of balding perverts in dresses, wigs and poorly applied makeup

Surprised the bluesky bunch aren't defending an African migrant raping our women tbh.

The Wengerbabies

05-07-2025, 11:35 PM

Don’t think that would have worked. We’ve all known for three years that he was a sex fiend

Did we though?

It wouldn't be the first time women have used rape accusations for nefarious purpose.

Mac76

06-07-2025, 08:46 AM

I’ll change my statement and say we knew for three years that he was likely a sex fiend

No,.we knew there were accusations, no more or less, if you made assumptions on the likelihood of them being true, so be it, but that's not the same as 'knowing', it's applying your own bias to decide they're probably true

Mac76

06-07-2025, 08:48 AM

Surprised the bluesky bunch aren't defending an African migrant raping our women tbh.

Are you sure some of 'our' women weren't immigrants too? If they were is it ok by you?

Mac76

06-07-2025, 09:34 AM

It’s Bluesky, what exactly were you expecting. It’s like me saying I’m shocked that you have a bluesky account :lol:

Well, there's also a lot of kickback on there (not from me, I just read it) saying the club's done nothing wrong, innocent until proven guilty etc, so 'lol' yourself

Just because there's not as much hate on there (though human nature being what it is, i suspect it's only a matter of time) doesn't mean it's one-sided

HCZ_Reborn

06-07-2025, 11:25 AM

No,.we knew there were accusations, no more or less, if you made assumptions on the likelihood of them being true, so be it, but that's not the same as 'knowing', it's applying your own bias to decide they're probably true

Bias has nothing to do with it, it’s applying probability. Saying that because there are multiple accusers make it more likely that he is guilty than that there is a malicious campaign against him isn’t controversial.

You understand there’s a difference between assessing guilt from a legal standpoint and forming a view on culpability based on likelihood. Or maybe you don’t?

It’s not unreasonable to conclude that it’s more likely that he’s a rapist than not. That doesn’t amount to a certainty, but it’s like seeing overcast skies and saying it’s likely it will rain

HCZ_Reborn

06-07-2025, 11:27 AM

Did we though?

It wouldn't be the first time women have used rape accusations for nefarious purpose.

I’m not sure I’m aware of any outright false allegations against footballers, if you think an acquittal means the allegation is false it shows you understand the law about as well as you understand most things

HCZ_Reborn

06-07-2025, 11:33 AM

Well, there's also a lot of kickback on there (not from me, I just read it) saying the club's done nothing wrong, innocent until proven guilty etc, so 'lol' yourself

Just because there's not as much hate on there (though human nature being what it is, i suspect it's only a matter of time) doesn't mean it's one-sided

My facile understanding of Bluesky is where all the screaming lefties and liberals went after Musk bought Twitter

So essentially you have two places, one that is an echo chamber of wokeness and one that is an echo chamber of right wing to far right nonsense (outright racism, conspiracy theory and soft support for authoritarianism over democracy)

Twitter is pretty revolting at times, I just imagine bluesky matches it but in shrillness and piety replacing hatred of people with different colour skin, women and a neo trad Christianity

Letters

09-07-2025, 02:17 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyPa9viVBwY

:blink:

Mac76

09-07-2025, 04:28 PM

My facile understanding of Bluesky is where all the screaming lefties and liberals went after Musk bought Twitter

So essentially you have two places, one that is an echo chamber of wokeness and one that is an echo chamber of right wing to far right nonsense (outright racism, conspiracy theory and soft support for authoritarianism over democracy)

Twitter is pretty revolting at times, I just imagine bluesky matches it but in shrillness and piety replacing hatred of people with different colour skin, women and a neo trad Christianity

first of all one big difference is there's not the angry language and insults, so it's more civilised (though that doesn't mean people don't get a bit sarcy or testy at times)

obvs what you see will be dictated by who you follow - I'm mainly only following Arsenal people - i admit most of the bloggers/pod people are fairly right-on but as i said the ones who have said the club shouldn't have played Partey have had a degree of kickback from those who see it the same way as I do (that the club should have continued to play him but not offered him a contract extension)

elsewhere i'm sure a lot of the political stuff is centre-left and if you want 'woke' - although for me 90% of what's classified as 'woke' actually just means 'considerate' - the other 10% is mainly where some people have taken what equality etc means a bit too far - e.g. on trans

but as i say the main thing is there's a distinct lack of nastiness, so it's a fairly benign space IMO and acts an info point without all the crap