Jump to content

Arsenal 2020-21: Here Comes The Arteta


shadow_operative

Recommended Posts

until we get new ownership we are fucked. our one main, glaring problem, a problem that has existed since before i became a supporter in 2010, is ownership/the board, and more specifically, our player personnel dealings. i don't claim to be an Arsenal historian, but i feel quite confident when i say that Arsenal's failings over the last decade+ come mostly down to two events: David Dein leaving the club, and the Kroenkes taking over.

In my time as a fan, our transfer dealings have been embarrassing, and that's honestly putting it lightly. go back a page and look at the photo i posted of the newspaper headline regarding Arsenal's overabundance of midfield talent. how much in transfer fees did we get from those guys? i don't have the numbers in front of me, but i'm pretty sure it was about $3.50. absolutely fucking dreadful. i don't give a shit who the manager is- spoiler alert: it won't be anyone world class so long as the Kroenkes remain in charge- nobody is going to lead this club to anything truly meaningful under its current ownership. we refuse to even field a competitive squad, much less come up with an actual strategy/direction. firing Arteta will accomplish nothing. Kroenke Out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/11/2021 at 7:00 AM, shadow_operative said:

until we get new ownership we are fucked. our one main, glaring problem, a problem that has existed since before i became a supporter in 2010, is ownership/the board, and more specifically, our player personnel dealings. i don't claim to be an Arsenal historian, but i feel quite confident when i say that Arsenal's failings over the last decade+ come mostly down to two events: David Dein leaving the club, and the Kroenkes taking over.

In my time as a fan, our transfer dealings have been embarrassing, and that's honestly putting it lightly. go back a page and look at the photo i posted of the newspaper headline regarding Arsenal's overabundance of midfield talent. how much in transfer fees did we get from those guys? i don't have the numbers in front of me, but i'm pretty sure it was about $3.50. absolutely fucking dreadful. i don't give a shit who the manager is- spoiler alert: it won't be anyone world class so long as the Kroenkes remain in charge- nobody is going to lead this club to anything truly meaningful under its current ownership. we refuse to even field a competitive squad, much less come up with an actual strategy/direction. firing Arteta will accomplish nothing. Kroenke Out.

I'm sorry you missed early-Wenger era: The Double winners of 1998 and 2002. "The Invincibles" of 2004. Forget just north London- ALL of London was Red. Epic clashes with Utd. The 2006 run to the Champions League Final (that one still stings; Campbell heads us ahead after Lehmann got himself sent off, and then Henry missed two 1v1 chances to seal it. Urgh.) 

We were good.  Sublime in long stretches. Merciful God in Heaven did we play achingly beautiful football, but football backed up by an absolutely ridged spine.  None of our current squad gets in an XI from 1997-2006. 

One picture signifies what is missing from Arsenal right now:

spacer.png

The "Give a Fuck" quality. The "No Way in Hell are We Losing This Fucking Match" quality. The lack of "Give a Fuck" starts in the owners box, which is usually empty.

When the club took on the massive debt needed to build The Emirates around 1999, no one could foresee the driving financial factor in English football would change from stadium-driven matchday revenue (Highbury seated 38k, Old Trafford about twice that with vastly more hospitality - "British" for luxury suites/boxes) to oligarchs and "petrostate-funded whitewashing through sport" shelling out 100 pound notes as though they were pennies.  Arsenal were operating on a strict wage structure; the nuevo-riche weren't. Players, as do all workers, like doubling their salary. Ashely Cole forcing through a transfer to Chelsea who more than tripled his wages was a worrying sign of what was to come.  That was 2006, and I remember thinking at the time this isn't good and I hope it doesn't become a trend.  It did. We weren't operating at the top of the transfer market and weren't paying the inflated salaries others could afford.

The talent of the squad slowly started to drain, slowed at first by Wenger's eye for spotting young talent (he managed to construct a young side that nearly won the league 2007-2008, and few more veterans might have helped steer us though a rough patch after Eduardo had his leg broken; having the club captain throw a tantrum on-pitch after a 2-2 draw probably wasn't helpful.) But that young side was picked apart as players were offered bigger salaries at other clubs and/or didn't think we had the "it" to win silverware. Selling RvP to Utd was the ultimate slap in the face. It's been a complete mess since Wenger left.  Disengaged and absent ownership, a revolving door in the front office, and gutting the scouting department to save a few bucks.  Not to mention Edu's seeming policy of "Oh, is Kia Joorabchian your agent? Great, sign here" is not the best way to define transfers. As was noted above, even if we had 400m to spend, would anyone in the front office know how to properly spend it?

David Dein... yeah, Henry said Dein leaving was what got him to want out; said he didn't trust the club being run without Dein at the helm (well, that and Barca's money and the opportunity to play alongside Messi, Xavi and Iniesta). 

Then Kroenke and we all know the rest.  I really wanted Arteta to succeed, but we was badly outmanaged by Emery in the EL semis, and the league form has been wildly erratic.  He mentioned trusting the process and other clubs who dropped out of the top four and were able to recover. United and Liverpool did fall all the way out of Europe but both immediately canned their managers and began a rebuild with a massive infusion of cash.  I don't see either of those forthcomming.

Our best hope is Kroenke sells high.

 

Edited by Dutch
  • Hook 'Em 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Dutch said:

I'm sorry you missed early-Wenger era: The Double winners of 1998 and 2002. "The Invincibles" of 2004. Forget just north London- ALL of London was Red. Epic clashes with Utd. The 2006 run to the Champions League Final (that one still stings; Campbell heads us ahead after Lehmann got himself sent off, and then Henry missed two 1v1 chances to seal it. Urgh.) 

We were good.  Sublime in long stretches. Merciful God in Heaven did we play achingly beautiful football, but football backed up by an absolutely ridged spine.  None of our current squad gets in an XI from 1997-2006. 

One picture signifies what is missing from Arsenal right now:

The "Give a Fuck" quality. The "No Way in Hell are We Losing This Fucking Match" quality. The lack of "Give a Fuck" starts in the owners box, which is usually empty.

When the club took on the massive debt needed to build The Emirates around 1999, no one could foresee the driving financial factor in English football would change from stadium-driven matchday revenue (Highbury seated 38k, Old Trafford about twice that with vastly more hospitality - "British" for luxury suites/boxes) to oligarchs and "petrostate-funded whitewashing through sport" shelling out 100 pound notes as though they were pennies.  Arsenal were operating on a strict wage structure; the nuevo-riche weren't. Players, as do all workers, like doubling their salary. Ashely Cole forcing through a transfer to Chelsea who more than tripled his wages was a worrying sign of what was to come.  That was 2006, and I remember thinking at the time this isn't good and I hope it doesn't become a trend.  It did. We weren't operating at the top of the transfer market and weren't paying the inflated salaries others could afford.

The talent of the squad slowly started to drain, slowed at first by Wenger's eye for spotting young talent (he managed to construct a young side that nearly won the league 2007-2008, and few more veterans might have helped steer us though a rough patch after Eduardo had his leg broken; having the club captain throw a tantrum on-pitch after a 2-2 draw probably wasn't helpful.) But that young side was picked apart as players were offered bigger salaries at other clubs and/or didn't think we had the "it" to win silverware. Selling RvP to Utd was the ultimate slap in the face. It's been a complete mess since Wenger left.  Disengaged and absent ownership, a revolving door in the front office, and gutting the scouting department to save a few bucks.  Not to mention Edu's seeming policy of "Oh, is Kia Joorabchian your agent? Great, sign here" is not the best way to define transfers. As was noted above, even if we had 400m to spend, would anyone in the front office know how to properly spend it?

David Dein... yeah, Henry said Dein leaving was what got him to want out; said he didn't trust the club being run without Dein at the helm (well, that and Barca's money and the opportunity to play alongside Messi, Xavi and Iniesta). 

Then Kroenke and we all know the rest.  I really wanted Arteta to succeed, but we was badly outmanaged by Emery in the EL semis, and the league form has been wildly erratic.  He mentioned trusting the process and other clubs who dropped out of the top four and were able to recover. United and Liverpool did fall all the way out of Europe but both immediately canned their managers and began a rebuild with a massive infusion of cash.  I don't see either of those forthcomming.

Our best hope is Kroenke sells high.

the current disaster is 50% kroenke, and 50% ivan gazidis.

gazidis was the man behind don garber's curtain as mls was converted from an actual competition to a soccertainment exhibition.   the board promised arteta time and treasure and you're not getting kroenke out unless he profits.  it's going to take several years under the same manager to build something without oligarch/petro/yuan money.

the good news is unlike scum, arsenal don't have a billion quid leveraged against the shield.  the esl blowback was a shock to kroenke and the other american perpetrators.  let's see what happens during the euros.  if there is no rumor mill on big buys for arsenal, then get your dander up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I want to believe in Arteta.  But I'm in a wait and see.

20 hours ago, Dutch said:

None of our current squad gets in an XI from 1997-2006. 

And this is why.  From a Jimmy and Joes point of view, we just don't have the players needed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

Odegaard looking like Ozil on that link up w Martinelli. Let's go!!

https://streamja.com/5rbEn

Very slick assist, and a DAMN cool finish.

And the gloss... Fine bit of skill from Pepe.

https://streamja.com/qVPNV

Yes, I get the highlights from clips posted on R/Gunners (Peacock can choke on my cock.)

Edited by Dutch
  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, Ted Lange said:

So if/when Pool passes up LCFC, there is an extra spot for Europa League as they auto qualify due to the FA Cup win.   So top 7 could very easily end up in Europe next year.

FYI, appears that is incorrect.  Need like 3 things to break our way for Europa.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Saw this on Reddit. 

"Prove you are not a robot.  Click the images containing a red card."

spacer.png

VAR has fucked us hard this year, but that damn Wolves one... we get at least a point there and Europa is still in play for us. 

  • Rage+1 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...