This feels like the end of the Terry Neill years.

[Sir C]

At least in those days we had Charlie Nick to hang our hopes on :-(

Our remaining seven league games all look eminently loseable at this point.

It's important to keep things in perspective, though. We've had an amazing 20 years at or near the top; it's our team for a few years of struggle. Perhaps we can get back to enjoying the small triumphs again.

[Burney]

At least in those days we had Charlie Nick to hang our hopes on :-(

Our remaining seven league games all look eminently loseable at this point.

It's important to keep things in perspective, though. We've had an amazing 20 years at or near the top; it's our team for a few years of struggle. Perhaps we can get back to enjoying the small triumphs again.

Does that mean Don Howe will be coming back to steady the ship? :cloud9:

[IUFG]

Does that mean Don Howe will be coming back to steady the ship? :cloud9:

Stewart Houston. If he isn't dead.

[Pat Vegas]

At least in those days we had Charlie Nick to hang our hopes on :-(

Our remaining seven league games all look eminently loseable at this point.

It's important to keep things in perspective, though. We've had an amazing 20 years at or near the top; it's our team for a few years of struggle. Perhaps we can get back to enjoying the small triumphs again.

I am glad no CL :cloud9: I hate that tournament.

shame we didn't win it. Otherwise I could have ignored it forever.

[Burney]

Stewart Houston. If he isn't dead.

I don't see why Don Howe being dead should prevent him acting as caretaker manager. Just dig him up, stuff him and have a recording of him saying things like "At the end of the day, the Arsenal fans demand that we put eleven players on the pitch" and "The Saudis would struggle in Europe because of that problem with those prayers five times a day".

Job done imo.

[Burney]

I am glad no CL :cloud9: I hate that tournament.

shame we didn't win it. Otherwise I could have ignored it forever.

Yes. I only hope we can sink low enough to avoid the Europa League as well.

[Pat Vegas]

Stewart Houston. If he isn't dead.

Is Pat Rice getting better?
Are we still undefeated under his management?

[Pat Vegas]

Yes. I only hope we can sink low enough to avoid the Europa League as well.

:nod: I think next year whatever happens could be best if we just have the league and domestic cups to concentrate on.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

At least in those days we had Charlie Nick to hang our hopes on :-(

Our remaining seven league games all look eminently loseable at this point.

It's important to keep things in perspective, though. We've had an amazing 20 years at or near the top; it's our team for a few years of struggle. Perhaps we can get back to enjoying the small triumphs again.

His stubbornness is remarkable.

[Sir C]

Does that mean Don Howe will be coming back to steady the ship? :cloud9:

My word. Watching a Don Howe team now would open a few people's eyes to how dire football can be.

[SWv2]

At least in those days we had Charlie Nick to hang our hopes on :-(

Our remaining seven league games all look eminently loseable at this point.

It's important to keep things in perspective, though. We've had an amazing 20 years at or near the top; it's our team for a few years of struggle. Perhaps we can get back to enjoying the small triumphs again.

Sad scenes and I say that as one who can casually dismiss it all as being simple a game, which of course it is.

I blame Wenger personally and entirely. So much around the club at the moment appears from the outside to be shambolic from playing performance to imminent future planning to supporter behaviour to catering.

[Sir C]

Sad scenes and I say that as one who can casually dismiss it all as being simple a game, which of course it is.

I blame Wenger personally and entirely. So much around the club at the moment appears from the outside to be shambolic from playing performance to imminent future planning to supporter behaviour to catering.

I'm sure everything is under control, sw.

[Burney]

My word. Watching a Don Howe team now would open a few people's eyes to how dire football can be.

I don't watch a lot of lower league football, but I do wonder how low you'd have to go these days until you hit the level of crapness required to be a mid-table First Division side in the early 80s.

[PSRB]

At least in those days we had Charlie Nick to hang our hopes on :-(

Our remaining seven league games all look eminently loseable at this point.

It's important to keep things in perspective, though. We've had an amazing 20 years at or near the top; it's our team for a few years of struggle. Perhaps we can get back to enjoying the small triumphs again.

You are correct, sad times

[Pat Vegas]

Sad scenes and I say that as one who can casually dismiss it all as being simple a game, which of course it is.

I blame Wenger personally and entirely. So much around the club at the moment appears from the outside to be shambolic from playing performance to imminent future planning to supporter behaviour to catering.

:nod: It's a boring soap opera, Wenger playing around, it's ****ed the players, it's ****ed the season, ****ed the next season, and divided the fans more than ever. We've even got idiots fighting each other at the emirates. I mean what the hell is going on here.

[PSRB]

Sad scenes and I say that as one who can casually dismiss it all as being simple a game, which of course it is.

I blame Wenger personally and entirely. So much around the club at the moment appears from the outside to be shambolic from playing performance to imminent future planning to supporter behaviour to catering.

I blame Kroenke, the rot starts at the top and the fact that he just seems happy for us to coast along with no specific goals being set

[World's End Stella]

His stubbornness is remarkable.

As much as anything because of how intelligent he is. As you say, remarkable.

[SWv2]

I'm sure everything is under control, sw.

Perhaps so but then they are doing a fine job to suggest otherwise, 7 or whatever games from the end of the season and a large degree of uncertainty about who will be leading the team come July 1.

But then we can relax as we are always told we are a club that does things correctly.

[Pat Vegas]

I blame Kroenke, the rot starts at the top and the fact that he just seems happy for us to coast along with no specific goals being set

Thing is PSRB we have spent money and we have some top players. (or I thought we did). We just turn up every match the same way and it doesn't work like it used to.

They can't have all turned ****. We've got world cup winners in the squad. You can replace the players and it's the same again.

[Sir C]

I don't watch a lot of lower league football, but I do wonder how low you'd have to go these days until you hit the level of crapness required to be a mid-table First Division side in the early 80s.

Easier just to take a Pulis team and medically extract all the skill. :hehe:

[Pat Vegas]

Perhaps so but then they are doing a fine job to suggest otherwise, 7 or whatever games from the end of the season and a large degree of uncertainty about who will be leading the team come July 1.

But then we can relax as we are always told we are a club that does things correctly.

:hehe: the great Arsenal do things right myth.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

I blame Kroenke, the rot starts at the top and the fact that he just seems happy for us to coast along with no specific goals being set

We've spent fortunes the last 3-4 years and the team hasn't got any better. Everything happening on the pitch is down to Wenger. The only thing Kroenke is responsible for is offering him a new contract, and even then Wenger can't be forced to sign it.

[Burney]

Easier just to take a Pulis team and medically extract all the skill. :hehe:

Polite rounds of applause when someone successfully traps a ball - remember those? Or when someone hits a superficially accurate, but actually quite pointless crossfield pass?

[Sir C]

Polite rounds of applause when someone successfully traps a ball - remember those? Or when someone hits a superficially accurate, but actually quite pointless crossfield pass?

A backheel would bring the whole stadium to its feet :hehe:

[Pat Vegas]

We've spent fortunes the last 3-4 years and the team hasn't got any better. Everything happening on the pitch is down to Wenger. The only thing Kroenke is responsible for is offering him a new contract, and even then Wenger can't be forced to sign it.

I think we were exactly the same last season. Just that fortunately everyone else was ****erer

[Sir C]

Perhaps so but then they are doing a fine job to suggest otherwise, 7 or whatever games from the end of the season and a large degree of uncertainty about who will be leading the team come July 1.

But then we can relax as we are always told we are a club that does things correctly.

Well, we sort of were, a club that tried to do things correctly (and sometimes failed, of course) but that culture definitely ran through the place, mainly through the three Hill-Wood chairmen, I suppose. But then we sold out to a yankee and the last remaining custodian of the old Arsenal values is the manager, who appears to have lost his battle against 'progress'. It's all very sad.

[SWv2]

I blame Kroenke, the rot starts at the top and the fact that he just seems happy for us to coast along with no specific goals being set

Sorry but I am not having that.

Kronke is the owner of the PLC and should were possible have little to do with the football side of the club, he is a business man, probably knows even less about football than Rich.

He has people who do things for him, he runs businesses and Arsenal is a very successful business.

Blaming Kronke I see as the last vestiges of a stoic defence of Wenger where one cannot bring themselves to criticise the Frenchman because of a blinding loyalty to him.

Wenger has spent a lot of money on these players who are not ****, but appear to be on too many occasions. He has chosen to invest in every single player involved in the first team squad. The same group of players who appear to make the same errors annually. Factor in tactics, preparation, motivation etc., all or most of the elements involved in playing and winning football matches.

Not one of the above is anything that Kronke would have any input to.

When we were good and won titles and doubles I recall songs about Wenger and his magic hat, I never recall any person lauding the board of the time for the achievements. Works both ways.

Wenger out (asap please).

[PSRB]

We've spent fortunes the last 3-4 years and the team hasn't got any better. Everything happening on the pitch is down to Wenger. The only thing Kroenke is responsible for is offering him a new contract, and even then Wenger can't be forced to sign it.

We've bought a couple of shiny additions, we've not exactly gone out and put down £100m a la United (I know), Chelsea, City, etc. There is just a general malaise around the entire club and that's the boards responsibility to fix.

[Alberto Balsam Rodriguez]

I blame Kroenke, the rot starts at the top and the fact that he just seems happy for us to coast along with no specific goals being set

I completely agree. Wenger has to take his fair share of the blame but Kronke's custodianship has been abject. He appears to show little interest in anything except the share price imo. The club are drifting and on and off the pitch in exactly the same way.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

We've bought a couple of shiny additions, we've not exactly gone out and put down £100m a la United (I know), Chelsea, City, etc. There is just a general malaise around the entire club and that's the boards responsibility to fix.

He has been given money to spend and bought a load of **** for the most part. £300m spent since 2012/13 and we've not improved in the slightest. If anything the football has got worse.

[PSRB]

He has been given money to spend and bought a load of **** for the most part. £300m spent since 2012/13 and we've not improved in the slightest. If anything the football has got worse.

Have you seen what you get for a £100k a week these days? Jesse Lingard*









*I could probably have said Walcott

[Billy Goat Sverige]

Sorry but I am not having that.

Kronke is the owner of the PLC and should were possible have little to do with the football side of the club, he is a business man, probably knows even less about football than Rich.

He has people who do things for him, he runs businesses and Arsenal is a very successful business.

Blaming Kronke I see as the last vestiges of a stoic defence of Wenger where one cannot bring themselves to criticise the Frenchman because of a blinding loyalty to him.

Wenger has spent a lot of money on these players who are not ****, but appear to be on too many occasions. He has chosen to invest in every single player involved in the first team squad. The same group of players who appear to make the same errors annually. Factor in tactics, preparation, motivation etc., all or most of the elements involved in playing and winning football matches.

Not one of the above is anything that Kronke would have any input to.

When we were good and won titles and doubles I recall songs about Wenger and his magic hat, I never recall any person lauding the board of the time for the achievements. Works both ways.

Wenger out (asap please).

Spot on. The rest too but the bit in bold in particular.

[Mo Britain less Europe]

This is all too late!!! Too late now!!! If you'd told us last night we might have done something about it! But it's too late now!!!

[Ash]

This feels like the end of the Terry Neill years.

But those years actually ended.

[Alberto Balsam Rodriguez]

But those years actually ended.


I was looking forward to seeing Ozil back to form last night

[Ash]

I was looking forward to seeing Ozil back to form last night

Yes. It seems that any hope that any of these players might be able to keep any kind of form together is misguided.

[Alberto Balsam Rodriguez]

Yes. It seems that any hope that any of these players might be able to keep any kind of form together is misguided.

We go to Middlesboro away next Monday. Can any sane person honestly say that they are confident of us getting anything from that game?

[SWv2]

Yes. It seems that any hope that any of these players might be able to keep any kind of form together is misguided.

Dark days A.

When I see Theon Walcott as team captain and thus leader of men I cry real tears.

[Viva Prat Vegas]

Dark days A.

When I see Theon Walcott as team captain and thus leader of men I cry real tears.

He does talk nicely :hehe:

[Ash]

Dark days A.

When I see Theon Walcott as team captain and thus leader of men I cry real tears.

I would quite like the auld fella to announce that he is calling it a day right now, were it not for the fact that it would give that repulsive walrus Allardyce the chance to crow forever about being the man to deliver the final blow.

[Sir C]

I would quite like the auld fella to announce that he is calling it a day right now, were it not for the fact that it would give that repulsive walrus Allardyce the chance to crow forever about being the man to deliver the final blow.

:nod: Exactly my thought this morning when I opened the paper expecting to see an announcement.

[AFC East]

Not one of the above is anything that Kronke would have any input to.

When we were good and won titles and doubles I recall songs about Wenger and his magic hat, I never recall any person lauding the board of the time for the achievements. Works both ways.

Wenger out (asap please).

Our future as a competitive football club largely depends on money or the flukey appointment of a manager. Let's face it, there is no reason to believe that Kroenke or Ivan have the vaguest idea what they are doing in the recruitment domain. What they are responsible for is income.

In that respect they've done a pretty shocking job and Wenger Out/Next manager Out etc completely misses the point of the real problem with Arsenal.

Quite soon we will fall behind Spurs and Liverpool in income. We're 4th at best now, that would put us 6th.

Wenger could have done better, but please don't delude yourself that we're likely to any better without him in the next decade or so. Our only hope is a very lucky managerial appointment.

[Alberto Balsam Rodriguez]

He does talk nicely :hehe:

I thought you rated Walcott?

[Viva Prat Vegas]

I thought you rated Walcott?

Not me Albert
He is in the wrong sport

[Tony C]

as long as people keep purchasing season and match day tickets and all the merchandise they can get their hands on nothing will change.

Kronke will stay as long as his investment keeps paying out.