On a totally different tack I watched this movie at the weekend and it is simply wonderful.

Fair assessment imo.

Talking of films, go and see The Street, a documentary about the gentrification of Hoxton Street in Hackney. I think its only going to be showing this week in London for a very limited run but well worth it.

Didn’t Emery give Ljungberg the job though? If he didn’t, who did? Sanllehi, Venkatesham, Edu?

Even he's available.

Take your pick....

It seems Arsenal fans (and most fans to be fair) want to be served up attacking football. We were served that during wenger’s years but bemoaned the terrible defence and leaky goals.

I wonder how the fans would react to a Simeone-esque approach where defence is absolutely everything. We concede perhaps only 25 goals in a season but don’t score very much, say 50 odd goals. There are lots of tight 1-0’s and 0-0’s because we’re so tight in defence. We win a lot more games as a result.

Nuno Espírito Santos has come out of nowhere to become bookies favourite at 5-2 to replace Emery. Does someone know something we don’t?

Yes to your question.

Another middle-ranker I fear who has won far less trophies than Dick, and would be easy meat for the fans. If we are not getting big experience in then I'd sooner see somebody with strong links to the club.

Came across these odds at Skybet.

Nuno Espirito Santos 6/4
Mikel Arteta 7/2
Rafa Benitez 5/1
Max Allegri 6/1
Mauricio Pochettino 6/1
Freddie Ljungberg 8/1
Eddie Howe 12/1
Patrick Vieira 12/1
Brendan Rodgers 20/1
Steven Gerrard 20/1

Don’t know what the odds are based on, but that’s what they were.

Think you've woven two different scenarios in there ... Bernard .

The shocking football is Emery's fault alone .. the board isn't partly responsible for the sh***t football .

Their fault lies in not sacking the bloke who is to blame . .

So my good mate Soc's point about not totally blaming Emery doesn't hold water

On happier note for me anyway .... my son's mate lost his mother recently ; the father died a few years back

The mate lives in Auusie so came back to sort out her affairs .... gave my son eight bottles of spirits which he can't take back to Oz.

My son in turn pulled out 27 unopened bottles of wine , some in boxes with straw packing [ whether that means anything ] plus a few liquers , some brandy and cognac out of the skip bin that was destined for the dump and gave them to me

Southampton are a poor team, they’re 2nd bottom with minus 18 goal difference, they regularly play 5 at the back. For their trip to us they switched to 4 at the back because they knew they could attack and press us and we’d fold.

Such is the small gap between the midtable teams it wouldn’t take that many more bad results to see us down in 15th or so.

We’re clearly looking at things from different angles. If what is happening on the pitch is totally Emery’s fault, I think the people keeping Emery in post deserve to be looked at critically. Because they have the power to sack him, and are choosing not to.

Just gonna jump in to try and defend Italian footy.

Id consider myself a Roma fan. I probably watch as much Roma as I do Arsenal. Theyre currently rubbish. I started following Italian footy when Gazza went over and channel4 bought the rights and covered everything lazio, so it was natural to back the rival. *%^@ Gazza.

Basically its different. Its an acquired taste, its slow, slow, slow, quick, dive, cheat, appeal dramatically, wave arms, score screamer. Its opera. Emotional. It kind of eats itself tactically as the football is a bit chess like. I guess you have to immerse yourself, much like cricket and baseball. It really isnt everyones cup of tea for sure.

But on the dull point. The Prem for the last few years has been really dull in my view, not just Arsenal. The games are generally the same, a lot of the teams all do the same possession based stuff, or they pack the defence and its one way rubbish. I really dont enjoy watching any of it.

To try and emphasise my point, if youve got a spare 20 mins. Goals from the prem from 05/06 season. I dont see much of this going on any more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqG2cZxy5fU

This is what they were talking about when they said Best League In The World. Its not like this any more. English football now is generally dull, and made worse by how much money has been spent making it duller.

I think the most damning stat is that in the last two seasons under Emery our opponents have had more shots than us. How is that even possible for a team with top four ambitions.

The shot differential last season was 30 something, this season so far it is is apparently 50 something. So opponents had over 30 more shots than us last season, and this season have had 50 more than us.

That statistic is incredible

https://twitter.com/1DavidWall/status/1 ... it-stop%2F

Why is Emery still manager this morning?

My guess is that the Arsenal management having let the situation get out of hand are surely now in the process of sounding out a new manager. I'm assuming the failure to install an interim manager is to save some money in severance pay to Emery and his staff in the short term. It is weird, however that their inaction suggests that they are not that fussed with our top 4 challenge being over by November/December. Even if we know that as a sporting institution, AFC under the Kroenke's aren't motivated by sporting success, surely the financial ramifications of a floundering team only makes the value diminish. Unless there is a long term goal we aren't considering, for example we are guaranteed members of a future money spinning European League so league form doesn't really matter (to KSE)

I think that sums up why I find it impossible not to apportion some of the blame for what is happening onto the board, and specifically Stan Kroenke. Bloody hell, however much of a prat Emery is, I would suggest Kroenke is arguably even more to blame because it’s him keeping Emery in post.

Agree with Bernard. Emery is just a bloke turning up for work until he’s told not to now. This is now all on the Football Executivw Committee or whatever they’re called and the Kroenkes. This has actually stopped being about Emery’s ability as a manager and is now squarely on those above him to manage this situation.

Absolute spot on in that assessment. It’s become ridiculous.

Ljungberg swapped jobs with Bould, he wasn't appointed as such.

Look, the way I see it when Graham was replaced Pat Rice stayed even though Wenger brought his own people in (ignore Rioch for this). When Wenger was replaced Bould stayed even though Emery bought his own people in. In the same way I'd be amazed if Ljungberg didn't stay when Emery finally goes. Either way I hope we find out very very soon - I think we can agree on that.

Anyway, here's an advert from the Picture Post today in 1938.

Rog, don't know if it means anything or matters at all but when I upload the photo before posting this comes up at the top of the screen (the on screen font size changes to a larger one as well). It all worked fine but I thought I'd mention it. Feel free to delete.



[phpBB Debug] 8< snip >8

Yeah I know it does that sometimes - it's ok.

Belated welcome back to the forum and thank you for providing the historical items which have been missed by this poster. You will know this, but I believe it was writing about 'Boy' Bastin that launched the incomparable Brian Glanville's football writing career?

Brian Glanville is still alive. Getting on a bit, as he’s now 88.

Get ready for a record low attendance on Thursday... https://arseblog.news/2019/11/club-anno ... kfurt-tie/

Hope the comms make a really big deal of it. Never mind the awful results and performances, it's this kind of superficial crap that seems to make the difference.

Just received an email from the Club: "Premier League Matchday Fan Experience Survey 2019/20"

Not the greatest timing.

They got both barrels!

When I was younger I always loved his writing. My favourite football journalist

Glanville seemed to try and hide his feelings about arsenal in his writings I think and over compensated but you’d Always enjoy his pieces.

Like I said previously being able to write like that is a true gift

It beggars belief that Emery is still in the job. It says as much about the ineptitude of those above him as it does about Emery himself. I mean, can Edu not see what is going on in front of him?!

I'm sure Edu can see what's happening, but also that he may be able to recommend getting rid of Emery, but without the power to actually sack him. That decision will be down to the person who will have to pay him off - Kroenke.

Hi OMOH.

Yes, and you can read it here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/99068843@ ... 0109428779

Also this is a few (Arsenal relevant) pieces from a collection he edited https://www.flickr.com/photos/99068843@ ... 9383303896

Man U and spurs target Bruno Fernandes of Sporting has just signed a new deal with them with a buy-out clause of £100m

This...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/metro.co.u ... 24310/amp/

Did he write that book 'They used to play on grass'. Despite it being about Spurs it was a great read

That was Terry Venables, Gaz

I think you might be remembering 'The Glory Game' by Hunter Davies. It was indeed a great read and I remember it well. It's still widely regarded as one of the best books ever written on football, right up there with 'We All Live In A Perry Groves World'.

The guy from Wolves would be a fundamentally underwhelming appointment for us.

It wouldn’t shock me at all if he’s appointed though would be very Kroenke

Emery’s future will be judged on the Frankfurt & Norwich fixtures, according to @TeleFootball

It’s changing after every bad game

Hi TG,

As someone on here pointed out the other day, there are a lot of elite (or would be elite) clubs looking for elite managers and there are not many around.

Everyone we've been linked with is flawed in some way and we are going to be rolling the dice that we hit on someone whose strengths can significantly outweigh their weaknesses once they take charge. Otherwise we will be back to square one in two years time.

He'e had more than enough time to show his mettle and it is just not working, he is not the right fit for this club, the way we want to play and where we want to get to.

Who is the right fit is another matter entirely.