I read something on the internet about the Deeney quote basically how many other players come out and openly mock or give away trade secrets against the opposition. The article asked why Ageuro didn't come out after his hat trick and tell everyone how he was so happy to be playing watford because their defence can't match his guile and pace and he knows exactly how to play against them.

They don't because it is unprofessional, but Arsenal have become such a laughing stock that anyone can line up and have a pop because they know everyone else, including Arsenal fans will agree with what they've said.

Deeney should get a hero's reception when Watford visit the Emirates

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/201 ... el-clears/

There you have it.

2 dead already in Ireland from the ex-hurricane Ophelia.

Stay safe lads....

Newcastle up for sale. I wonder if Usmanov will be interested?

Could we all chip in and persuade Kronke to buy them and sell our club?

Is Rafael Benitez a yesterday man or could he do a job for us. I'm sure he'll be considering a way out.

He would sort out the defence wouldn't he?

3 fatalities now, Niall.

It's just regular stormy weather here now but the wind was absolutely ferocious for a few hours earlier. Roches Point (about 10 miles from me) recorded a wind of 156km per hour. The tree in my front garden looked like it was going to come down but thankfully it didn't. Ive never seen it it this bad. Crazy stuff.

Wenger' 'legacy' will now only truly be judged after we see how long it takes us to bounce back from his horrible mismanagement of the last4 years. He had the same failings during the project youth but I was willing to give more slack then due to budget constraints - and given those constraints I'm not sure anyone could have done better.

In 30 years time when my kids and grand kids ask me about wenger I will tell them about the invincibles, the stadium but also the horrible mess he made after it. How deep he takes us will now be one of the biggest parts of his legacy.

How used have we all got to a bad defeat prompting the players to say it was a wake up call and it has been time for soul searching and they are determined to put it right, only for 5 or so games later the same thing happening again.

How can we have players openly admitting the opposition "wanted it more" twice in 6 months, palace away and now Watford away.

The opposition want it more because they know our guys aren't up for it.

How many players in our squad right now would you trust to put 100% commitment and professionalism in to every game? Now ask how many you think would be capable of that level of commitment under a new manager? All professional footballers are capable of that level of correct attitude, energy, desire etc, it is why they are professional footballers at the highest level having beaten millions to get there.

Personally I think you're wrong. The team was unbalanced AW's fault. We had a handful of chances to make it 2-0 but didn't take them. The substitutions were bad AW should have left Lacazette on and just brought on Özil who wasn't as bad as some said. He got involved but didn't seem to know where he should be. Imo his best position has been on the left facing goal and about 5-10 metres from the halfway line ready to float the ball into our players.

Xhaka was at fault for Cleverley's goal and should have been in his face not watching the ball flying around. He shouldn't play again till he proves his devotion to the team.

Bellerin yet again went in for a tackle unnecessarily. He should have been a foot away from their player and given him no room to get around him.

If both Ramsey and Wilshire are available one should always be on the pitch.

Playing Kos with Mertesacker was always an accident waiting to happen. One injured the other not match fit.

Kolasinac had probably his worst game for us to date. Soon as Deeney came on either him or Holding should have been told to stay with him. We always lose out to Drogba style forwards.

Sorry but I don't agree, although there are a large section of the support who don't want to 'insult' Wenger and so stay quiet, you don't see other owners waiting for things to get that bad, they make a decision because they want the club to move forward, Kroenke is clearly very happy with top 4 (and 5th seemingly, now that CL money is not such a big deal), I don't actually think he cares where we finish as long as we keep making a profit.

Is it a coincidence that we make a net profit when we drop out of the CL?, I'm not sure it is.

I just don't get this attitude that Kroenke has done nothing wrong, if he had any ambition at all he would not have renewed Wenger's contract both in 2014 and especially not in 2017, the sooner Wenger goes the better because maybe then people might see the wood for the trees.. when we have a 2nd rate nobody managing us and are lying in 7th place, we're nearly there already!.

Look at his US teams ffs, the evidence is clear - his brand is mediocrity (at best) and he is using Wenger as his shield, who is arrogant enough to ignore the flack with the help of £10M a year.

The other problem with Kroenke is lack of focus, he owns so many different teams in the US he cannot be focusing on Arsenal, he has just taken out a huge loan to build the new stadium in LA, we are Arsenal ffs, one of the top clubs in the world, we should be his main focus. If he doesn't want to then either f*ck off or hand over the reigns to Gazidis to make the decision on Wenger's future.

Everything a football club does should be geared towards results on the pitch, and should be judged against results on the pitch.

Far too many things are out club are simply not geared towards winning football matches.

what is it that Arsenal FC do really well to ensure great results on the pitch? im struggling to name a single thing we do better than any of Man U, city, Chelsea and Spurs.

We have discussed this before. The players are not held responsible because the loss is justified as being because of some other persons making.

I don't know how people can say we played well against Watford and were unlucky. Ian Wright said we played well as an example. There was to much sideways movement of the ball and no one capable of beating players or putting through the killer passes.

Lacazette is just now starting to understand Alexis frustrations. I noticed he started dropping deeper just to get the ball. Players arrive and their levels drop as they realise you don't have to put in a gut buster in this club.

Oh isn't it just devine. Two days rest after Belgrade prior to Everton match. Everton will be better rested. Expecting a knackered side for Arsenal, but more so with the Norwich game. AW may play youngsters for Norwich. We've needed replacements for ages. No telling what AW's tactics and player choices will be.

Antrim has got off lightly. No more than a heavy wind from 3-4. Night quiet... Another day wfh tomorrow.. Looks like the south bore the brunt.

I see Chesney has savaged Wenger, first Deeney now ches. it's open season on our hopeless manager. We are a laughing stock

An accurate brought summary of our situation as you can get

http://www.onlinegooner.com/article.php ... eW2dtHTWhA

Scary stuff. I must check on my folks in Louth. We are having absolutely mad weather down here too.

Morning Top Gun. Though unlike you yesterday, he seems to place the main responsibility for it on the shoulders of Kroenke, not Wenger. Even though he clearly rates Wenger as useless, my impression from the piece is that he sees Kroenke as the bigger problem, if not far bigger. That wasn't the impression you were giving me yesterday about your own opinions.

TG blows with the wind One minute Sanchez is our saviour the next he's the devil incarnate.

Where have I said that.

I've said it's pointless playing the 2 obvious departures as we will finish mid table regardless,

You the prat who wanted him drop whilst we were chasing 4th last year

Unlike you I never wanted him dropped. My complaint was that he wasn't as effective as most said, was not good for team bonding, and that he was financially a problem for the club. I think it's you that's the prat, how old are you?

I do think Wenger is the problem but the comments he's making about Kroenke not going away are bang on. He's an investor that doesn't care and Arsenal fans think we can oust him are in cloud cuckoo land. He's not helping however he is allowing the manager to invest serious cash in the team. Kroenkes biggest sin is not sacking arsene. The rest is relatively minor stuff in my eyes.

However I believe that Arsenal have not gone to pot since stans takeover bid in 2011 and there were major problems totally evident before this in arsene Wengers management style way before.

Look at all the problems on the pitch and some of our recent signings, it's not Kroenke setting up the team or choosing these bog average players. If a new manager was in charge with Kroenke as owner would our fans discontent be at a similar level, I really can't see it Bernard.

None of your business spunk monkey.

Your birth certificate is basically an apology letter from the condom factory.

Stan had no real interest in the club whatsoever but got all excited when he started to talk about the media rights in Africa and Asia and how they could boom in years to come.

----------

Yeah Stan isn't the problem..

Wake the f*ck up please.

He isn't the WHOLE problem

Stan didn't make Almunia Arsenal captain

So from what I can summise AW is the problem but it's Kronke's fault and because Kronke is the problem it's AW's fault.

I know one thing, there cannot be many if any years between TG and AG, they both make childish posts.

I'd say it's about 80% Wenger 20 % Kroenke ratio on the mistakes being made.

However if you want to know about mistakes I'd recommend asking your parents.

Cheers

I suppose you could look at it in these ways, would we be better off right now and long term with:
a) Wenger as manager and Abrahmovic as Owner or,
b) Guardiola as manager and Kronke as owner

This is a good way of looking at it.

I personally believe that any amount of money at his disposal wouldn't lead Wenger to sorting out the defence of our team or motivational or tactical defects that our completely evident today.

I'd also suggest that if Messi joined us on a free and we sat him just to the left of Lacazette we still wouldn't win the league as this isn't about individual brilliance but a total lack of strategy and organisation that is absolutely deep rooted.

So right now definitely B) and time would have to tell.

I think Guardiola is somewhat overrated so I'd go with A). The point is, Abramovich would sack Wenger before getting past the reception desk of the directors' entrance at the Emirates. I think any new owner would, including Usmanov who has sang Wenger's praises in the past as his comments about him strike me as having softened in their enthusiasm over the last year or so.

You can say Wenger makes more mistakes than Kroenke, and I'd agree as numerically he does. But the sole reason that Wenger is still Arsenal's manager is that Kroenke is the owner. Kroenke has kept Wenger because he isn't bothered about winning things on the pitch, and to him Arsene represents a pleasing status quo. Not bad enough to be relegated so staying on the Premier League gravy train, but not concerned enough to demand the transfer budget that will get the club challenging again in the domestic league, let alone the Champions League. I'm afraid I don't share Darren's optimism about Wenger going anytime soon. Hence if Kroenke stays, it genuinely won't surprise me if we'll have to wait until Wenger kicks the bucket before getting a new manager.

We have to ask ourselves why did Stan want Wenger all these years? Because he thought he could re-create the magic? No, because of how he made money and still remained competitive as defined by top 4.

There is no deep desire to win things from Stan. Maybe there are owners out there like this. Buys a club to make money not to win things as his primary reason. I can't think of any off the top of my head that fits this description.

Scary what Tottenham would be like if they were able to have their present team along with Bale and Modric.
Obviously they got the present team from those sales but if they could, it would be crazy.

City are awesome. The speed of their passing, two touch and trusting every player in possession, they it short everywhere, classic Pep. It's almost as though they invite the press because they know they can work it round you even in their own area and then they work the overload.

Even more impressive is the work rate and desire to win the ball back and close the man down.

Make absolutely no mistake, this evolves all from a manager at the very top, a manager who has a plan, can motivate every player, can improve his players (Sterling, delph), he even improves their world class players, he is everything wenger isn't for arsenal. The attitude, effort and commitment (not to be mistaken with physicality) is in such sharp contrast to our team it is embarrassing

Spurs give away a blatant penalty and after leading 1-0 Ronaldo scores the equaliser,.

wierd isnt it.
We have 3 trophies in the last 4 years.
Spurs have....none.
Wenger has been more successful in recent times than pochettino.
He should get credit for that especially after the 9 trophy less years.
But if given a choice to take us forward we MUST get a young progressive manager.
Wenger should not have been renewed. I loved the fa cups in 14, 15 and 17 and i wish he had gone out on a high.
We would undoubtedly have been hammered if we had played madrid tonight yet spurs get a result and that is largely down to pochettino.
Spurs are looking at a bright future.
With wenger we are not.

I remember the 70s and being the only Arsenal fan in school I would have been absolutely delighted with 3 FA Cup wins in 4 years. But right now I feel underwhelmed and disinterested. Weird isn't it.

Mind you, not sure Spurs are looking at any more a bright future than we were when the Emirates was announced. I think they will suffer from player demands (see Walker), external incitement of their squad (RM, Barcelona etc), and their ground will lose its 'aura', just like we lost our aura when we left Highbury.

Sperz will do well to hang on to their manager when the next major job opens up. If they lose him, will they fall? Hmm...depends on who replaces him, if that were to happen. He seems happy there. They may have found their 'Wenger' in terms of a manager who doesn't want to go anywhere else.

Yep, last year when Everton were in equally dismal form but beat Arsenal and then turned their season around.

I'm not struggling at all. We do nothing better than Man U, City and Chelsea. As David D mentioned, the one thing we've done better than Spurs is win FA Cups.

Personally, I don't attribute the blame to one or other level of the club. The top level management are a joke, the transfer business is a shambles, the football management and tactics are shite and the players on the pitch are a bunch of gutless, overpaid tossers. I'm still amazed that so many fans still bother to turn up when it's so plain to see that they're being royally *%^@** over.

Hi John.
I was watching the match with my Daughter and my Mum and went the final whistle went after the Watford winner.
I was fuming and distraught and my Beloved Ladies could see the pain etched on my face.
Have been here so many times with a Wenger team but you cant help getting emotionally involved.
Why should we though when some of them don't seem to care a jot.
Was fuming that once again wenger took off Lacazette again. Here is a man he has spent 46 million on who knows where the net is.
Why not play Lacazette and Giroud together??
If ozils chance falls to lacazette we win that game yet he is not on the pitch to receive that chance!!!
Stop subbing him and let the man play the whole game.
You may turn out to be right John about Spurs but right now we seem to be heading in different directions if our managers are currently anything to go by.