Arsenal

[alfieconn]

What did Arsole say ? we're not going to play Milan the way spurs did last season, well perhaps they should have done !!!

[SantiSuk]

What did Arsole say ? we're not going to play Milan the way spurs did last season, well perhaps they should have done !!!

He also said the defeat was devastating and shocking. The former - certainly. Shocking? not really, given our inconsistent form for the last two years or more. It ranks up there alongside the ManU defeat in the abjectness of surrender.

Odd that he left our form player out of the starting line-up.

I hope we are not going to throw everything away in the course of a two or three week period (Sunderland away again in the FA Cup at the weekend), but I have to say it looks pretty much on the cards.

[smokie36]

I was surprised at how poor your midfield was last night. Bring on the Library!

[salty]

Given last nights result a rather unfortunate title for the Arsenal thread. With most of their best players gone you have to wonder will RVP jump ship sooner rather than later.

[tigerfish]

humbling !

in a way though i am glad because now the board are going to have to sit up a take notice. put some money up front or move aside and stop ripping off the faithful that fork out good money. its totally unacceptable for a club like the Arsenal !

as for RVP will he go, probably if he gets a better offer and he doesn't see an improvement in the clubs ambitions.

as for Wenger the jury's out im afraid.

[MiG16]

What a bad day

I'm in a terrible mood

[MrRed]

I actually watched the game and thought the beforehand that Seedorf would run the show.. after he went off it seemed to not matter as Arsenal are very weak in the middle of the park and that's where Milan dominated.

On the night Arsenal did not perform at all,very disappointed with RVP and Walcott again found wanting at the top level.

Still stranger things have happened and it is still not lost if you get an early goal at the library.

I thought the guy Urby that replaced Seedorf was superb.

[rijit]

Not the best of results for you lot last night, but against milan!! ide be really worried if it were against a smaller club, but milan they are huge and pay vaste wages and have 4/5 true world class players unlike you're one ish, so whats the surprise with the result ? for me the surprise would have been if u could have walked with a draw, As for this being the end of wenger I dont think so ,but this is football so who can predict, but traditionally your board seems to be of v sound judgement. And world stage players don't grow on tree's, who knows perhaps a year out of the champs league will revitalise you, as the getting of that 4 th spot is looking harder and harder.

[MrRed]

Only a Spurs fan would say that!

They are in fourth now and i think they just got there last week it is there highest position of the season.

[smokie36]

Only a Spurs fan would say that!

They are in fourth now and i think they just got there last week it is there highest position of the season.

Yes they are a bit better than Chelsea. Mind you the scousers might just nick it...

[carmine]

I read a transcript of Arsholes comments about Spurs and their tactics in "beating" Milan last season and i thought they were highly disrespectful at best. The deluded one really has lost the plot. Obviously i wouldn't stay up that late to watch inferior teams but it does seem he's lost the dressing room aswell as the plot. frankly he couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery.

there must be an aweful lot of Arsenal fans cringing the moment he opens his mouth these days. Whats going to be his rude petulant response if Sunderland beat you?

[smokie36]

I read a transcript of Arsholes comments about Spurs and their tactics in "beating" Milan last season and i thought they were highly disrespectful at best. The deluded one really has lost the plot. Obviously i wouldn't stay up that late to watch inferior teams but it does seem he's lost the dressing room aswell as the plot. frankly he couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery.

there must be an aweful lot of Arsenal fans cringing the moment he opens his mouth these days. Whats going to be his rude petulant response if Sunderland beat you?

Yes if the mackems win we'll go to the library with their manager hanging by a thread....a disjointed team with a piss poor defence.

Meanwhile our kids will get a run out this weekend!

[carmine]

I read a transcript of Arsholes comments about Spurs and their tactics in "beating" Milan last season and i thought they were highly disrespectful at best. The deluded one really has lost the plot. Obviously i wouldn't stay up that late to watch inferior teams but it does seem he's lost the dressing room aswell as the plot. frankly he couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery.

there must be an aweful lot of Arsenal fans cringing the moment he opens his mouth these days. Whats going to be his rude petulant response if Sunderland beat you?

Yes if the mackems win we'll go to the library with their manager hanging by a thread....a disjointed team with a piss poor defence.

Meanwhile our kids will get a run out this weekend!

I think he's probably already started making up his excuses for the derby! You have to start worrying when Ferguson doesn't even bother to talk about you anymore! Managers should know when its time to fall on their sword. Or in wengers arrogant disrespectful self, fall on his hangbag.

[Abrak]

The big problem I see with Arsene at the moment is that he seems to have lost his financial mojo. By that I mean people have often questioned some of his football management skills but he is thought to be a very good businessman or 'accountant' if you dont want to be so kind.

And I am not talking about something like Arsenal retail shirt sales - these are peanuts in any case - total Arsenal sales in a year dont add up to more than the average of one of Tesco's 4,800 global supermarkets.

I am talking about wages. Back in 2003/04 Arsenal won the PL with a wage base about the same as Liverpool's, lower than Man U's and considerably lower than Chelsea's.

Fast forward to now. Arsenal's wage base is slightly higher than Liverpool's (125m v 115m) and their team seems to be slightly better. But comparing yourself to Liverpool when it comes to wage efficiency is a very low bar.

Obviously the bar is now set by Spurs whose wage bill (93m up 36%) is 30% below Arsenal and they are comfortably beating them in the League. Put another way Arsenal could have the Spurs squad and still afford to pay 6 additional players 100k a week and still end up with their wage bill.

The question is where has Arsenal gone wrong? I mean they dont pay high salaries. Arteta had to take a pay cut from Everton to join them. Liverpool pays Gerard 140k a week, Carragher 90k a week on the bench and subsidizes Cole 60k a week not to play for them.

Spurs would certainly win the League (well probably) with an extra 30m a year.

It seems the problem is that Wenger and Arsenal believe in an 'equitable' wage structure (sort of think communism here). Where the top players are paid below what they are worth (or he cannot recruit any) and lesser members of the squad are paid too much. So even if they are useless he might have trouble getting rid. Essentially there must be a lot of very average players on 60k+ a week.

[SantiSuk]

The big problem I see with Arsene at the moment is that he seems to have lost his financial mojo. By that I mean people have often questioned some of his football management skills but he is thought to be a very good businessman or 'accountant' if you dont want to be so kind.

And I am not talking about something like Arsenal retail shirt sales - these are peanuts in any case - total Arsenal sales in a year dont add up to more than the average of one of Tesco's 4,800 global supermarkets.

I am talking about wages. Back in 2003/04 Arsenal won the PL with a wage base about the same as Liverpool's, lower than Man U's and considerably lower than Chelsea's.

Fast forward to now. Arsenal's wage base is slightly higher than Liverpool's (125m v 115m) and their team seems to be slightly better. But comparing yourself to Liverpool when it comes to wage efficiency is a very low bar.

Obviously the bar is now set by Spurs whose wage bill (93m up 36%) is 30% below Arsenal and they are comfortably beating them in the League. Put another way Arsenal could have the Spurs squad and still afford to pay 6 additional players 100k a week and still end up with their wage bill.

The question is where has Arsenal gone wrong? I mean they dont pay high salaries. Arteta had to take a pay cut from Everton to join them. Liverpool pays Gerard 140k a week, Carragher 90k a week on the bench and subsidizes Cole 60k a week not to play for them.

Spurs would certainly win the League (well probably) with an extra 30m a year.

It seems the problem is that Wenger and Arsenal believe in an 'equitable' wage structure (sort of think communism here). Where the top players are paid below what they are worth (or he cannot recruit any) and lesser members of the squad are paid too much. So even if they are useless he might have trouble getting rid. Essentially there must be a lot of very average players on 60k+ a week.

Went to Chong Jom market yesterday - a sort of Thai-Khmer poor mans mini Chatuchak. Arsenal (copy) shirts are still up there as a seller alongside ManU, Chelsea and Liverpoool. No Spurs shirts though. Guess when the Arsenal stocks run out they'll be placing a different order, regrettably.

You Spuds have obviously forgotten how Arsenal came from a sea of oblivion to destroy Chelsea at the Bridge in October. OK Chelsea don't have your talent and team spirit, but don't count your chickens for the Library yet.

[smokie36]

We take nothing for granted Santi...that's why you should be worried.

[MiG16]

Still not scared!

[SantiSuk]

Be prepared for a rough ride at the Emirates next week! [i'm talking to Wenger and his team of chokers, not Spurs]

[carmine]

Forgot to mention the comment by your keeper of yours. "We know that Spurs beat Milan last season so obviously we know we can beat them"

[meatboy]

being a lover of good football what has happened at arsenel,the two previous matches they were rubbish and this morning against sunderland well there needs to be a complete clean out.

[alfieconn]

being a lover of good football what has happened at arsenel,the two previous matches they were rubbish and this morning against sunderland well there needs to be a complete clean out.

Problem solved, just watch the Spurs

[meatboy]

being a lover of good football what has happened at arsenel,the two previous matches they were rubbish and this morning against sunderland well there needs to be a complete clean out.

Problem solved, just watch the Spurs

didnt i just love spurs expecially the 60's

[smokie36]

Even RVP is now looking out of sorts!

[tigerfish]

Even RVP is now looking out of sorts!

beware the wounded tiger, especially on home turf against its oldest enemy !

[smokie36]

Even RVP is now looking out of sorts!

beware the wounded tiger, especially on home turf against its oldest enemy !

I was going to use the phrase "cornered rat" but point taken.

[carmine]

Even RVP is now looking out of sorts!

beware the wounded tiger, especially on home turf against its oldest enemy !

A tiger!!!!!! More like a pussy...

The library....fairweather fans, no atmosphere, crap team, disrespectful deluded manager, but the best prawn sandwiches in London

[MiG16]

I think whats most disrespectful is the opponents fan coming on to our thread and talking like the above

[carmine]

I think whats most disrespectful is the opponents fan coming on to our thread and talking like the above

Or perhaps your supporters, at our last meeting at the Library unfolding a huge banner above our contingent of fans with the words "50 years of failure."

Now thats what i call disrespect. Or, hold on, wait a minute, is it a manager that refuses to shake hands after a game he's just lost?

Anyways i look forward to next weeks game and i hope that Monsieur Wenger will show a little more sportsmanship than is his norm.

[SantiSuk]

Amazing gall from the Spuds considering their own performance last night. Pity that Harry didn't give a run out to the kids that you expected, eh Smokie?

[carmine]

Amazing gall from the Spuds considering their own performance last night. Pity that Harry didn't give a run out to the kids that you expected, eh Smokie?

What gall? We didn't lose, we under performed. But give some credit to Stevenage. They played well and deserved a draw. you might remember they knocked Newcastle out last season too.

Atleast Harry didn't scream on the touchline throwing water bottles around. He didn't make excuses, didn't slate the ref he just complimented them on there performance.

Its called sportsmanship.