Since we’re doing the Wenger retrospective, how about great mysteries of his era?

[Burney]

For me, it was the fact we employed Jeremie Aliadiere for eight years despite him never appearing to be anything more than ordinary.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

For me, it was the fact we employed Jeremie Aliadiere for eight years despite him never appearing to be anything more than ordinary.


Has to be the Korean lad, surely?

[Sir C]

For me, it was the fact we employed Jeremie Aliadiere for eight years despite him never appearing to be anything more than ordinary.

Gervinho. Just... Gervinho.

What could he have been thinking?

[Sir C]

Has to be the Korean lad, surely?

Nah, that was a market penetration move, surely?

[Herbert Augustus Chapman]

For me, it was the fact we employed Jeremie Aliadiere for eight years despite him never appearing to be anything more than ordinary.

near the team.

As for Alliadere, I had actually forgotten that he existed.

[Burney]

Nah, that was a market penetration move, surely?

Is the South Korean market that important to us? Surely if we were all about the market penetration, we'd have got a sh1t Chineser in instead?

[Sir C]

Is the South Korean market that important to us? Surely if we were all about the market penetration, we'd have got a sh1t Chineser in instead?

:shrug: Like there's a difference?

[Luis Anaconda]

For me, it was the fact we employed Jeremie Aliadiere for eight years despite him never appearing to be anything more than ordinary.

Made of balsa wood obviously but a real talent there. His movement was absolutely top draw, finishing wasn't bad and given the players he was surround by I would say it was more of a surprise he didn't make it

[Burney]

near the team.

As for Alliadere, I had actually forgotten that he existed.

The inability to see what a liability Almunia was is genuinely mystifying, it's true.

Mind you, we also had a succession of centre halves who took some fvcking explaining, too.

[IUFG]

For me, it was the fact we employed Jeremie Aliadiere for eight years despite him never appearing to be anything more than ordinary.

MANUEL ALMUNIA.



I'm off to cut myself...

[Burney]

Made of balsa wood obviously but a real talent there. His movement was absolutely top draw, finishing wasn't bad and given the players he was surround by I would say it was more of a surprise he didn't make it

EIGHT FVCKING YEARS, though, la!

[Pat Vegas]

Kallstrom loan.

And Viviano that was a strange one.

and Armoury Bischoff though worth a try I suppose.

[Sir C]

MANUEL ALMUNIA.



I'm off to cut myself...

It might have been the last away game I attended. Birmingham. I swear the ball actually passed through his body, as if he were porous. :-(

[Luis Anaconda]

EIGHT FVCKING YEARS, though, la!
Yes - fair enough, b

[IUFG]

It might have been the last away game I attended. Birmingham. I swear the ball actually passed through his body, as if he were porous. :-(

That fúcking West Brom game at home, despite a penalty hitting him :nono:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/9024632.stm

[Tony C]

How good was Alberto Mendez?

Rumour had it he was making mince of Dixon and Winterbuen on the training ground and was faster than Overmars...before he broke his leg.

[Burney]

Kallstrom loan.

And Viviano that was a strange one.

and Armoury Bischoff though worth a try I suppose.

Buying a player with a broken back was pretty special, tbf. :hehe:

[Burney]

Yes - fair enough, b

We've had players we now consider legends who didn't play for us that long, la. :shakehead:

[Tony C]

Can’t wait for him to confirm that Stuart Taylor was indeed too tall to be a goal keeper.

[World's End Stella]

I was going to say Almunia however our resident goalkeeping expert Peter assured us that he was excellent and who are we to differ? :shrug:

So Reyes then. As much as I loved the little gypo, it's hard to argue that given Wenger's reputation for spotting talent at the time, and given all the stories re how much we scouted him and what Wenger thought of him, in the end it was very surprising that he wasn't quite a bit better than he really was.

[Viva Prat Vegas]

Why he wasted more time berating the 4th Official than hollering at the team on the pitch was always a mystery to me

[Rich]

Kallstrom loan.

And Viviano that was a strange one.

and Armoury Bischoff though worth a try I suppose.

Chamakh was a strange one. Arsene pursued him for a couple of years prior to getting him. This was despite there being no evidence of his pedigree & there being no other clubs interested in him.

I also understand that we paid him upwards of £60k a week (which was partly why he was so difficult to shift).

[Burney]

Can’t wait for him to confirm that Stuart Taylor was indeed too tall to be a goal keeper.

:hehe: Actually, the Richard Wright thing was still a bit of a mystery.

And that little seal-headed fella who couldn't get a game with us and went on to play for Real Madrid.

[Tony C]

Also can he clear why the following players never signed and how close were we:

Hackman 6
Trabelsi
Mexes

That’s all...don’t care much for rehash of Suarez and I never really liked / cared / rated Benzema...completely overrated and a donkey for me.

[World's End Stella]

:hehe: Actually, the Richard Wright thing was still a bit of a mystery.

And that little seal-headed fella who couldn't get a game with us and went on to play for Real Madrid.

FFS. :rolleyes:

Porpoise headed, Burney. Porpoise. Get it right.

[Rich]

:hehe: Actually, the Richard Wright thing was still a bit of a mystery.

And that little seal-headed fella who couldn't get a game with us and went on to play for Real Madrid.

I think he left us for Portsmouth before Real decided he was quite good. He played many times for them, i believe. More recently, I believe that he was plying his trade with PSG.

When I think of cases like this and Oxlade Chamberlin I wonder if Arsene is really a very good manager at all :-(

[Burney]

Also can he clear why the following players never signed and how close were we:

Hackman 6
Trabelsi
Mexes

That’s all...don’t care much for rehash of Suarez and I never really liked / cared / rated Benzema...completely overrated and a donkey for me.
Trabelsi. Every fvcking summer for about six years we were going to sign him. Pricktease.

[IUFG]

:hehe: Actually, the Richard Wright thing was still a bit of a mystery.

And that little seal-headed fella who couldn't get a game with us and went on to play for Real Madrid.

Lassana Diarra. How the fúck did he happen?

[Just Trent]

For me, it was the fact we employed Jeremie Aliadiere for eight years despite him never appearing to be anything more than ordinary.

Sanogo deserves a mention. Especially as he turned up when we started getting more money to spend on players. Remember when he started that Champions League match against Bayern? :hehe: WD Arsene

[Burney]

FFS. :rolleyes:

Porpoise headed, Burney. Porpoise. Get it right.

:hehe: That's right. I knew it was a sea mammal of some sort.

What was his name again?

[IUFG]

:hehe: That's right. I knew it was a sea mammal of some sort.

What was his name again?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Ozil%2C_di_Maria_and_Diarra.jpg/1024px-Ozil%2C_di_Maria_and_Diarra.jpg

I bet Mesut cries himself to sleep most nights nowadays...

[Burney]

Sanogo deserves a mention. Especially as he turned up when we started getting more money to spend on players. Remember when he started that Champions League match against Bayern? :hehe: WD Arsene

Sorry, but if we're doing bizarre selections, that time he dropped Henry and played Aliadiere in the semi against United still rankles. I know he got away with it a couple of years before with Wiltord, but Aliadiere wasn't Wiltord.

[7sisters]

For me, it was the fact we employed Jeremie Aliadiere for eight years despite him never appearing to be anything more than ordinary.

Franny Jeffers ? Just what was he thinking. Kim Kallstrom, the broken back wonder. That sh*t defender we signed from United, who was so far past his sell by date, his must have had green mould in his hair.

[Pat Vegas]

I liked the lookalike/likeforlike replacement approach Idea he had for a while. I mentioned this several times over the years.

Adebayor for Kanu.
Theo for Henry
van Persie for Bergkamp
Eboue for Lauren
Clichy for Cole
Rosicky for Pires,
Diaby for Vieira

all similar in stature.
I am sure there were more.

[IUFG]

Sorry, but if we're doing bizarre selections . . .

Those 100+ matches his bizarrely selected Manuel fúcking Almunia

[Pat Vegas]

Those 100+ matches his bizarrely selected Manuel fúcking Almunia

we got to CL semi final with him goal.

[World's End Stella]

Steady on here lads. This thread is moving from a revealing of mysteries thread to a slating of our soon to be departed beloved manager thread.

Tread carefully now.

[IUFG]

we got to CL semi final with him goal.

Yes, and he conceded a fúcking 40 yard free kick at his near post during it.

[SWv2]

Sanogo deserves a mention. Especially as he turned up when we started getting more money to spend on players. Remember when he started that Champions League match against Bayern? :hehe: WD Arsene

To be fair Sanogo joined us at a time when he was a key member of a brilliant French U21 side with players like Umtiti, Pogba, Kondobgia and perhaps Griezemann.

We appear to have simply went for the lad that was free, or cheapest, without asking why.

[Pat Vegas]

Yes, and he conceded a fúcking 40 yard free kick at his near post during it.

he played in a final too. so he's basically done the whole thing.

[World's End Stella]

Yes, and he conceded a fúcking 40 yard free kick at his near post during it.

Lovely volley that time. Genius.

Sadly it was with his hands and into our goal. :-(

[Viva Prat Vegas]

Manuel played a blinder in the Semi Final 1st Leg at OT
Sadly he played like a blindoid in the return game

[Burney]

I liked the lookalike/likeforlike replacement approach Idea he had for a while. I mentioned this several times over the years.

Adebayor for Kanu.
Theo for Henry
van Persie for Bergkamp
Eboue for Lauren
Clichy for Cole
Rosicky for Pires,
Diaby for Vieira

all similar in stature.
I am sure there were more.

With Cole, Clichy and Gibbs we seemed to be building a dynasty of taupe-coloured left backs. Monreal came along and ruined it. :-(

It's weird how little respect Cole gets. I know he was a gobsh1te, but he was also for many years one of the very best players in his position in the world and proved it consistently at club and international level. And yet his career ended with virtually no recognition.

[Burney]

Steady on here lads. This thread is moving from a revealing of mysteries thread to a slating of our soon to be departed beloved manager thread.

Tread carefully now.

I think we can good-naturedly laugh at some of his foibles without descending into slating him.

Stepanovs, though. :-(

[Viva Prat Vegas]

Don't forget the man who won a competition to play at Left-Back for a year - Andre Santos

[Just Trent]

To be fair Sanogo joined us at a time when he was a key member of a brilliant French U21 side

Yes, as Nic would constantly remind us about on here.

[Pat Vegas]

Silvestre. he's the strangest one.

[Pat Vegas]

Yes, as Nic would constantly remind us about on here.

Is Nic still around of unfortunately fell of a cliff or something?

I wonder if he ever watched Arsenal fan tv. :-(

[Burney]

Don't forget the man who won a competition to play at Left-Back for a year - Andre Santos

:hehe: Oh, yes. I remember when he started the season and we all thought he'd come good when he lost his pre-season weight.

Then he got even fatter. :hehe:

[IUFG]

Don't forget the man who won a competition to play at Left-Back for a year - Andre Santos

A weird signing that one. Scored at West Brom on the last day to be fair to him.

[Pat Vegas]

:hehe: Oh, yes. I remember when he started the season and we all thought he'd come good when he lost his pre-season weight.

Then he got even fatter. :hehe:

Kept up the tradition of left backs scoring surprise goals against Chelsea :cloud9:

[Just Trent]

:hehe: Oh, yes. I remember when he started the season and we all thought he'd come good when he lost his pre-season weight.

Then he got even fatter. :hehe:

Yes, and the constant arguments on here. 'He's not fat, just heavyset' :cartman:

[Burney]

Silvestre. he's the strangest one.

That 2011/12 season was weird and really did smack of desperation at times. We'd sold Fabregas and Nasri and we got Arteta and Benayoun. It was hard not to feel underwhelmed. :-(

[Luis Anaconda]

Kept up the tradition of left backs scoring surprise goals against Chelsea :cloud9:

Left backs surprise goals and Chelsea are not something I want to think about, p

[Burney]

Left backs surprise goals and Chelsea are not something I want to think about, p

Bridge? :-(

[Sir C]

Is Nic still around of unfortunately fell of a cliff or something?

I wonder if he ever watched Arsenal fan tv. :-(

He's doling out stick to journalists on twitter :hehe:

[Just Trent]

Is Nic still around of unfortunately fell of a cliff or something?

I wonder if he ever watched Arsenal fan tv. :-(

I stumbled across him on twitter recently. He's still fighting the good fight. I can imagine him at the game yesterday, with a big stick. Going around poking anyone who wasn't singing 'one Arsene Wenger' loudly enough.

[PSRB]

Dropping an on form Arshavin (who I think was also CL cup tied) for that FA Cup semi final against Chelsea. Mystifying

[Luis Anaconda]

Bridge? :-(

ffs b - language

[Pat Vegas]

Bridge? :-(

I am talking at the Bridge,

[Sir C]

Dropping an on form Arshavin (who I think was also CL cup tied) for that FA Cup semi final against Chelsea. Mystifying

I think he wanted a little more, shall we say, industriousness in the team that day. Chelsea could have ripped us a new one...

[Luis Anaconda]

I am talking at the Bridge,
Sylvinho :cloud9: I was right in line with where he hit that

[Sir C]

Franny Jeffers ? Just what was he thinking. Kim Kallstrom, the broken back wonder. That sh*t defender we signed from United, who was so far past his sell by date, his must have had green mould in his hair.

Eh? Everyone was mad for Franny Jeffers, he was officially The Next Big Thing.

[SWv2]

That 2011/12 season was weird and really did smack of desperation at times. We'd sold Fabregas and Nasri and we got Arteta and Benayoun. It was hard not to feel underwhelmed. :-(

Peter hated Benayoun.

[Sir C]

Peter hated Benayoun.

The Asian lads who sat beside me used to call him The Jinky Jew. Sometimes The Jerusalem Jumper.

I think they were being good-natured.

[Burney]

Eh? Everyone was mad for Franny Jeffers, he was officially The Next Big Thing.

Remember that game where we’d won the league and he basically had some of the finest players in the world at the time trying their best to tee him up to score and boost his confidence

He still couldn’t. It became embarrassing and almost certainly destroyed His confidence . :-(

[Burney]

Peter hated Benayoun.

:nod: We’ll we know why that was, of course.

[Luis Anaconda]

Remember that game where we’d won the league and he basically had some of the finest players in the world at the time trying their best to tee him up to score.

He still couldn’t. It became embarrassing. :-(

He did in the end - still a tosser though

[PSRB]

They pretty much did anyway

[Burney]

He did in the end - still a tosser though

Oh, that’s right. Took ages, though. And he missed about half a dozen gilt-edged chances first.

Christ. Remember when we were good enough to just toy with lower league sides like a bored cat with a crippled mouse?

[Rich]

Don't forget the man who won a competition to play at Left-Back for a year - Andre Santos

Did we sign him on the supermarket sweep style deadline day where we picked up a phalanx of poor to average footballers - I seem to remember Per being the pick of the bunch :-(

[Luis Anaconda]

Oh, that’s right. Took ages, though. And he missed about half a dozen gilt-edged chances first.

Christ. Remember when we were good enough to just toy with lower league sides like a bored cat with a crippled mouse?

Oh yeah - on both counts. Henry was desperate for him to score. Lee Dixon's last game - it seems so long ago

[Burney]

Did we sign him on the supermarket sweep style deadline day where we picked up a phalanx of poor to average footballers - I seem to remember Per being the pick of the bunch :-(

Harsh on Arteta.

[Just Trent]

Oh, that’s right. Took ages, though. And he missed about half a dozen gilt-edged chances first.

Christ. Remember when we were good enough to just toy with lower league sides like a bored cat with a crippled mouse?

:nod: it was like they were having a pre match kick about with the young mascot. When the goalkeeper moves out the way and the young kid still misses a penalty.

[Peter]

Harsh on Arteta.

Yes, when Arsene went into outright panic and signed two footballers who went on to play a huge part in the club for the next five years, both serving as captain.

and a couple of quid on Santos and Park, two of the worst players in the history of the world :)

[Peter]

:nod: We’ll we know why that was, of course.

I think (LA?) he scored a couple of crucial goals at the end of that season that squeezed us into fourth.

I always liked him.

[Rich]

Yes, when Arsene went into outright panic and signed two footballers who went on to play a huge part in the club for the next five years, both serving as captain.

and a couple of quid on Santos and Park, two of the worst players in the history of the world :)

Arteta & Per are two of the most underwhelming captains in the history of Arsenal FC. Great men, there can be no doubt. Great footballers, not so sure.

[Burney]

Yes, when Arsene went into outright panic and signed two footballers who went on to play a huge part in the club for the next five years, both serving as captain.

and a couple of quid on Santos and Park, two of the worst players in the history of the world :)

Didn't we also sign Gervinho that season? Or am I mistaken?

I was always confused by the fact he wasn't Brazilian.

[Peter]

Arteta & Per are two of the most underwhelming captains in the history of Arsenal FC. Great men, there can be no doubt. Great footballers, not so sure.

Great signings? At the time, no question whatsoever. THe point is that when Arsene panicked he did better than a lot of managers do after a summer of work.

They were not Tony Adams and Cesc. They were both massive improvements on what we had and became crucially important to us.

[Peter]

Didn't we also sign Gervinho that season? Or am I mistaken?

I was always confused by the fact he wasn't Brazilian.

I think we signed the Ox that summer. I was ridiculed at the time for saying he was not ready. He still isnt :)

[SWv2]

Didn't we also sign Gervinho that season? Or am I mistaken?

I was always confused by the fact he wasn't Brazilian.

Gervinho was utter shíte, and I am being very generous to shíte here. And he looked like an alien from one of the later Star Trek franchises.

The best thing about Gervinho was when he left and proceeded to tear up Serie A with Roma and the old Greek would give us running updates on his success.

[World's End Stella]

Gervinho was utter shíte, and I am being very generous to shíte here. And he looked like an alien from one of the later Star Trek franchises.

The best thing about Gervinho was when he left and proceeded to tear up Serie A with Roma and the old Greek would give us running updates on his success.

I found his hair distracting. It was difficult to concentrate on the game such was the degree of its absurdity.

Also, disappointed no one has commented on my team. :-(

[Peter]

Gervinho was utter shíte, and I am being very generous to shíte here. And he looked like an alien from one of the later Star Trek franchises.

The best thing about Gervinho was when he left and proceeded to tear up Serie A with Roma and the old Greek would give us running updates on his success.

He did slap Joey Barton on his debut :)

[SWv2]

I found his hair distracting. It was difficult to concentrate on the game such was the degree of its absurdity.

Also, disappointed no one has commented on my team. :-(

You may have got a response had you not so blatantly played for a response.

:nono:

[Burney]

I found his hair distracting. It was difficult to concentrate on the game such was the degree of its absurdity.

Also, disappointed no one has commented on my team. :-(

Yes. I didn't like his skull. Mind you, remember the time Sagna came on without his weave and we all thought we'd signed a new player? :hehe:

[SWv2]

He did slap Joey Barton on his debut :)

You're a pervért.

[Burney]

He did slap Joey Barton on his debut :)

For me, Nasri blatantly kicking Barton's legs from under him was the funniest assault on the ghastly prick.

[Peter]

You're a pervért.

A pervert, an anti-semite, a liberal and a hippy- anyone else want to add anything?

[Peter]

For me, Nasri blatantly kicking Barton's legs from under him was the funniest assault on the ghastly prick.

That was pleasant enough. I have a recollection of the young Kolo Toure flattening Peter Schmeichel. It may have been a dream.

[Burney]

A pervert, an anti-semite, a liberal and a hippy- anyone else want to add anything?


A communist? A Red Tory?

[Peter]

A communist? A Red Tory?

Its one of the other. I wont allow both

[Alberto Balsam Rodriguez]

The inability to see what a liability Almunia was is genuinely mystifying, it's true.

Mind you, we also had a succession of centre halves who took some fvcking explaining, too.


The only time we put in a credible challenge for the PL was with Manuel as no 1 :hide:

His best GK performance was the 1st half against Barcelona at the Emirates. Made half a dozen outstanding saves. Then ruined it all by going walkabout and allowing Ibrahimovic to score 1 minute into the 2nd half.

[AFC East]

I liked the lookalike/likeforlike replacement approach Idea he had for a while. I mentioned this several times over the years.

Adebayor for Kanu.
Theo for Henry
van Persie for Bergkamp
Eboue for Lauren
Clichy for Cole
Rosicky for Pires,
Diaby for Vieira

all similar in stature.
I am sure there were more.

One of the best observations I've read on awimb.

[SWv2]

One of the best observations I've read on awimb.

In the January window when we signed Walcott and Adebayor and perhaps Diaby (perhaps not signed that window) I recall a newspaper article about how we had signed the new Henry / Kanu / Vieira with a caption of each former player and each new signing alongside.

It was on reflection one of the most ill-judged and wildly optimistic pieces of journalism ever put to print.

2 legends and a man who conjured some moments of magic, and 3 ****s.

[Burney]

In the January window when we signed Walcott and Adebayor and perhaps Diaby (perhaps not signed that window) I recall a newspaper article about how we had signed the new Henry / Kanu / Vieira with a caption of each former player and each new signing alongside.

It was on reflection one of the most ill-judged and wildly optimistic pieces of journalism ever put to print.

2 legends and a man who conjured some moments of magic, and 3 ****s.

I remember reading an article where it flatly stated that, with players like Walcott, Wilshere and Gibbs, Arsenal would be providing the core of the next World Cup winning England side.

Wrong on so many levels it's not even funny. :-(

[AFC East]

In the January window when we signed Walcott and Adebayor and perhaps Diaby (perhaps not signed that window) I recall a newspaper article about how we had signed the new Henry / Kanu / Vieira with a caption of each former player and each new signing alongside.

It was on reflection one of the most ill-judged and wildly optimistic pieces of journalism ever put to print.

2 legends and a man who conjured some moments of magic, and 3 ****s.

Bit harsh on Diaby? To be fair, Adebayor was 3 cvnts on his own.

[Peter]

Bit harsh on Diaby? To be fair, Adebayor was 3 cvnts on his own.

A **** who scored quite a lot of goals and left for a lot of money that we badly needed.

[Peter]

In the January window when we signed Walcott and Adebayor and perhaps Diaby (perhaps not signed that window) I recall a newspaper article about how we had signed the new Henry / Kanu / Vieira with a caption of each former player and each new signing alongside.

It was on reflection one of the most ill-judged and wildly optimistic pieces of journalism ever put to print.

2 legends and a man who conjured some moments of magic, and 3 ****s.

Diaby could have become a genuinely outstanding player...maybe.

[Burney]

Bit harsh on Diaby? To be fair, Adebayor was 3 cvnts on his own.

sw has no sympathy for injury. To him, being injury-prone is just another form of sh1tness.

[SWv2]

Bit harsh on Diaby? To be fair, Adebayor was 3 cvnts on his own.

No, fúck him. Do you not remember his own goal at Old Trafford.

Thankfully now we can laugh.

:-|

[Burney]

A **** who scored quite a lot of goals and left for a lot of money that we badly needed.

There were times when Adebayor was on his game where he was a real handful. Not far off Drogba levels of physicality combined with actual pace.

[IUFG]

There were times when Adebayor was on his game where he was a real handful. Not far off Drogba levels of physicality combined with actual pace.

His top quality play was all contract chasing.
Mind you he scored a good goal against them after his initial mis-control.