Bernard, I await OMOH's response. I think Alexis has a different way of thinking about life and I would understand if he moves on. The dogs might be bored with the current walks they have and may need new challenges in their life. Alexis has an FA Cup medal, a Copa America medal and probably would love to add an EPL medal and WC winners medal. The last he may have limited chance of owning but you just never know. As someone who moved a few times in my career for challenges not necessarily money I can understand his mind set. I am sure Kiwi probably understands the need to move on to avoid staleness. He has probably been to many countries and companies before they run him out of town.

How any of you can compare to Wenger is beyond me, it's unbelievable.

Wenger has been nothing but a true Gooner, unfortunately not the right Gooner to drive us on, while Sanchez has behaved like a spoilt brat.

well put together

... saw Passarell play in the doubles with Bob Lutz at the Aussie Open ....... I thought he was the ultimate in cool , Lutz as well ...good serve and volley nice no nonsense economical style .

He is NOT a football fan. We are investment. Pure and simple. No different than shares of a company on the stock exchange. Accept that reality.

Personally, I think its sacrilege to sell the team to a man who is not an Arsenal but not even a fan of the sport. He's an American football man. I've always said I'd love to wager him personally for any amount I can afford if he can name maybe 7 of the 11 positions. If he knows ice hockey he stands a good chance at guessing the right answers.

Dollar signs True Blue ..... since the advent of the Premier League it is just one massive gravy train .

Arsenal have the name ; all the other really big clubs , the two Mancs , Chelsea and Liverpool have been swallowed .
Kroenke just has to bide his time knowing Usminov wants to get his mitts on Arsenal , same for Nigeria's richest dude , no doubt there are a few filthy rich Arabs ready to offer well over what he paid for it .

....and to add. I'm not saying he doesn't get some pleasure in seeing us win the cup. Every man has his pride. However, its not his motivation. My guess is he was convinced by Gazidis and others that the league has changed and has gotten very competitive and costly and that for us to maintain CL and not slide down farther we need to spend a bit more and change the team. I think he was told by doing so, the fans and perhaps new fans will put more money into tickets and merchandising and increase our brand for overseas tours, etc.

Basically, financial reasons, not sporting reasons.

ahh yes definitely Gaz ..... there's nothing to compare with being in a brand new environment and something cr*ps out that you have no idea how to fix it.

Sweat pouring from the forehead , chewed fingernails , mountains of stress , breaking out in a rash ....... wonderful

Was working as an engineer on a cruise boat on South Molle Island years back .. we went out to the Barrier Reef on a five day fishing trip ... fridges full of coral trout , sweet lip , red emperor , third day in we suddenly lose power , the 240 volt three phase alternator is not charging and everything is starting to defrost .

What the f&&^%$ ... I'm no electrician but I thought there's a phase out here ...wandered around the engine room with a torch fiddling with this and that to no avail ....

Oh well we'll have to head for Mackay and drop them off .

How happy will they be ...... 30 blokes [ they were from Townsville as it happened ] once the word gets around we wont get another booking , and the bogus engineer will be sitting on the wharf at Shute Harbour .

Finally after a couple of hours I took the cover off this little box and here's a bunch of melted wires .... got a knife stripped them back found some colours ........ found some wire to bridge the gap , tied them together .... cranked her up......Voila .....Halleluhah .

If you meant "How any of you can compare" Sanchez "to Wenger is beyond me, it's unbelievable", I'm not aware that anyone has suggested the feelings of Sanchez to the club are comparable to Wenger's. If they did, I missed it. I'm sure Wenger has a great deal more affinity with Arsenal than Sanchez. By a big distance.

However, I would also argue that Wenger has had very good reasons to stay at Arsenal so long, even to the point of turning down Real Madrid. Firstly, the targets given to him at Arsenal (if any have) are, I reckon, far easier to meet than what would be expected of him at Real. Their managers tend to last the proverbial five minutes if they don't win the Champions League or La Liga. Wenger knows the level of job security he has at Arsenal probably wouldn't be repeated anywhere else that's a very big club. Secondly, Wenger may have been able to earn a higher rate of pay elsewhere, but surely he has been one of the highest paid managers in world football at Arsenal so the fairly marginal difference may not be that important a factor. Thirdly, Wenger has such enormous power at Arsenal, even to the point where organisational restructuring apparently planned and favoured by board members including the chief executive and chairman don't come to pass. Wenger's control at the club might even satisfy someone with severe megalomania.

In short, I think Wenger would have been barmy to leave Arsenal and I'm unwilling to dismiss the possibility out of hand that he himself didn't realise that. I thus believe his 'loyalty' to Arsenal, with you calling him a 'true gooner', should be defined with that perspective in mind.

If it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger

Some reports surfacing that Mourinho has also been accused of tax fraud in Spain. The only thing we need to do is ask the Spanish authorities if they need a hand to prove this case. Maybe someone can start a crowd funding site to help out the Spanish authorities.

Here you are. I think the clue to all of this further anti-Wenger nonsense is in Bernard's use of the word 'apparently' when describing Arsene's re-signing. Rather than speaking like oracles why don't you guys just stop the pretence of inside knowledge and admit you know nothing of the reasons for the timing of his signing, or anything else about the motivation of players and the internal workings of the club? Like children, you make it up.

As for Sanchez, Ox and Özil - great if they stay and are committed to the club. If they are not then thanks and goodbye. We don't need half-hearts or moaners around the place. Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, and don't mess with Mr. In-between.

My use of the word 'apparently' is a safeguard against stating something as a firm fact, when it is strong rumour from various sources. What do you think were the reasons for his delay in signing then (the delay was a fact)? After all, quite a few times you yourself asked here what a new director of football would do, so you presumably saw something in the strong rumours Gazidis and others wanted one.

Whatever the reasons for Wenger's "delay" in signing a contract, they have bugger all to do with Alexis, Özil and Ox and their current contract negotiations. The notion that any of them would run down their contract to the last few weeks because that is what Wenger did is absurd.

Players' contracts are influenced by the transfer market. There is no transfer market for managers. Alexis and Özil have been offered very lucrative contracts. If they don't sign, it is on them. I'd reckon Ox has been offered something good too. With the nature of the transfer market, the club can only do so much. It ultimately comes down to the players and their agents.

I apologise if I gave the impression I did, but I didn't mean to say the players were running down their contracts because of what Wenger did. Without checking myself, did Gaz then? My main memory of his post was that he suggested Top Gun moaning that the players were, or Sanchez and Özil at least, might have been over the top after Wenger did exactly the same thing. Namely, why moan about the players doing so when Wenger himself set exactly the same example. He didn't say 'setting an example' as far as I recall (perhaps I should have read his post before replying to you). But I used that everyday expression in a way that doesn't mean the players are doing what they're doing because of what Wenger did. Simply that Top Gun might have been going over the top about the players because it's common to want assurances before signing a contract. I would agree with Gaz, if that's what he meant. That's why I haven't moaned about them not renewing their contract. As you implied yourself (I believe), it's what happens in life.

I haven't a clue why he signed when he did, but I would assume it had something to do with focusing on the job in hand for the final dozen or so games rather than letting the media and minority fan frenzy dictate events. As manager I wanted him to concentrate on the task of winning the FA Cup and finishing as high in the league as possible. Everything else could wait.

But didn't he himself admit the distraction over his contract harmed the team?

In a half hearted look around cyberspace, this is what I've discovered. Apparently we are waiting to see what Alexis and Özil are doing before we make any major moves in the transfer market. I've also discovered that Alexis and Özil are waiting to see who we bring in before they decide whether to sign the new deals.
Sounds like there's going to be plenty of waiting.

Wasn't it other people (media, anti-Wenger supporters) making his contract a distraction? I can't recall him or the club making it a big issue. Between them they surely knew all along he would sign a new one. It must have been what the club and he wanted, otherwise he would be gone. The media and the anti brigade whipped up a storm in a tea cup.

If that was the case, wouldn't it have been quietly signed ages ago? Then it wouldn't have damaged the team so much, which Wenger has admitted it did. Perhaps the likelihood is stronger than you think that there was a boardroom split, and some directors wanted a change in management structure. Wenger, and I'll use the word again, it would appear didn't want one, and delayed signing it until he had assurances from Kroenke senior that there would be no restructuring.

You and a number of others have some difficulty understanding that all they need to do is see out their contract. It is a 'çontract' - that is an agreement of minds at the time it was entered into. Because the club might want to ask them to enter a new contract does not mean they have to sign it. They are not holding anyone to ransome. They can take less pay for another year and then chose who employs them. This is a basic human right.

The uncomfortable fact is that then the club gets nothing for them. So it is the club who has the problem and want to make money out of them by selling before their contract ends..

Will the Ox, Özil or Sanchez put in less effort if they do not extend. It is WC year - they will all give 100% to ensure they get to go to the WC. I back all of them to put in a greater work effort than Theo has ever done or some of the other passengers we have at the club.

The stupid b'stared played on an injured ankle and cracked himself badly

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... ankle.html

So.............are we going to make a massive statement in this transfer window or will it be a case of what ifs and missed opportunities?

Answers on a postcard please.

Waiting to see whether Alexis and or Özil sign before making recruitment decisions is all well and good but in the mean time the clock is ticking, players will be heading elsewhere and the list of possiblities will be dwindling both in terms of quality and numbers.

If the stories are true, Gazidis wants to make some statement buys but who knows what Wenger wants and how much he will fight the rumored readjustment of the the team.

On a tactical note, are we to assume we will now be playing 3 at the back?

As much as I would really like Mbappe, I can't help but think with that sort of fee 110+ we could also get 3 great players to strengthen the team.

You can't use articles like this on this forum otherwise OMOH and half a dozen others will go into shock. Every word of the article truly reflects our current position. I await their defence.

I would have thought our current position should be that when negotiating we tell the likely target that Özil & Sanchez may not be at the club. It is an opportunity for you to shine if you come to the club. If they are here then that is a bonus. If either or both of them go then the club must, not should, replace like with like. even if they have to spend a lot of money. Open the personal cheque book Kroenke.

In relation to the other players listed they should be spoken to immediately and told the situation. That is either an offer made or put them on the market. Given that Per, Santi, Wilshire and the Ox are in this group the situation is urgent. Simply Wengers negligence is by itself a sackable offence at every place other than Arsenal.

Don't anyone give me the BS that we are a well run club. We are not. Succession planning -0/10,
governance 2/10, having a transparent strategic plan 1/10. Making a profit 7/10 (remember our deals with clothing makers etc are pretty poor). Well run organisation - you are having a laugh.

Wenger might love the club but he lacks courage. Remember when you have to make the heart breaking decision to pu

Isn't he supposed to have said he's set his heart on joining Real Madrid? If so, I wouldn't worry about it the possibility of signing other players for less money too much. I suspect it's the only option Arsenal will have.

I don't have any sympathy for the club because we've allowed contracts to run down and are now either being faced with losing top players for a fraction of their true worth or having to pay them far more than they are actually worth to keep them knowing that we'd have to fork out evn bigger transfer fees to attempt to replace them.

I've said before, it's a right mess.

If our transfer activities are indeed frozen because of the uncertainty surrounding Alexis and Özil then it seems like the tail is wagging the dog.

Some might think you're being rather over-generous with your score for governance.

Well, Rog's leaked photo regarding the new kit was true.

http://www.arsenal.com/home

Haven't Aleixs and Özil been replace in the pic?

Apparently not (apologies to OMOH for adding 'Apparently').

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... e-kit.html

It is to stop OMOH saying I have no heart.

Morning Soc
Whole situation is ridiculous. Why say you want to keep a player and want to make him the future of the club before the cup final then don't even offer him a new contract to the point where he has a year left in reference to Oxlade Chamberlain. If I was him I'd be proper p***** off. Its like say one thing or do another.
Getting sick and tired of this Özil and Sanchez saga. Don't let them hold us to ransom. If they wont stay then sell them. That 80 to 90 million can further go to strengthening the squad. They are not bigger than the club. Cant afford to let whole saga drag on at the whim of these 2.
We just seem to come across as so amateur sometimes.

OMOH here, borrowing Bernard's computer. It's far too early in the summer to be sure what's going to happen in the transfer market so after due consideration of the article Rich, I am defining it as so uncertain in its potential accuracy it needs the word 'apparently' in the headline.

Bernard back, taking over from hoy at the keyboard. Did anyone seriously think this isn't how things will probably turn out once Wenger got his new contract? The writing wasn't just on the wall in terms of a bit of graffiti put there with spray paint on the entrance of Drayton Park train station. It was engraved with chisels along the entire distance of the great wall of China.

Guys, just want to plug my new book "The Little book of Hoy".

Essentially it's a guide to mild-manneredness tm and how even when you think catastrophe is staring you in the face it's time to just let things crinkle out, whittle yourself a kipper, and maybe hum The Surrey with the fringe on top while musing over that wonderful double-winning Tottenham side and just take things sunny-side up because in the end it don't add up to a whole hill of beans in this crazy world of ours.

What will be will be, all in good time, the time to cut a stick is when you've considered it for a while, somebody will come along to make the old onion bag bulge again, keep them doggies moving etc.

The manage may move. He may not move. And that's fine because tectonic shifts do not happen overnight.

Its a bit like Brexit. All this caterwauling from fancy-dan experts about shafting the economy and unleashing xenophobia yet I think they'll be sneering on the other side of their metro-faces when we unveil the big bilateral bad boy of a new trade deal with St Vincent and the Grenadines.

So read my book for an introduction to fun relaxing games like "Tweak the Bern" and "D'ye ken Ted Drake?' as well as songs to sing with the family round the old Joanna like "My Sanchez lies over the Penines" and "Bobby Pires went to sea"

Now turn off that hosepipe don't you know there's a heatwave on!!!

I'm just relieved that the opinion of Daniel Storey - yes, the Daniel Storey - on all matters Arsenal has finally been revealed! Spread the word! Usually, 'Il Papa' Daniel shares his sacred syllables via an encyclical, but it seems Football365 will have to do.

And don't think me ungrateful.