And why wouldn't they hold off negotiating new contracts when they just watched their manager run his contract to expiry.

Come on OMOH you're implying that a bloke who earns 8 million a year doesn't have time to hire a lawyer to advise/negotiate a contract on his behalf?. If Arsenal had offered then it could and should have been sorted out 6 months ago. Might as well, the rest of the team were on their mid season holiday so he could have taken a break along with them and negotiated then.

That is one thing about our club - we have always been innovators. While others were debating having a mid season break our players have had them every year for a number of years. If the FA caught up and didn't continue to play games during our mid season break we would have done a lot better. Still you can't have everything.

I'll watch most sport but I draw the line at competitive eating contests.

You should stop reading the dirty books at your age, Kiwi

Actually I thought I was implying the opposite! That signing a new contract was always on the cards and so was not really an issue. Short of a relegation disaster or some serious wrong doing by the manager, it was surely always going to happen? Arsenaal FC clearly rate Arsene Wenger highly and want him to stay. My point is that it was only the minority anti-Wenger lot, spurred on by a story-seeking media who ever thought any different. It was a non-story in the end, but I suppose it kept a few pilots in work for a little while.

Being you didn't qualify your comment with 'apparently', what's your evidence that the Arsenal fans wanting Wenger out was a minority? Just reading comments on social media sites didn't strike me that a majority of Arsenal fans wanted him to stay, although I'd accept fans of bigger other clubs generally want him to stay in order to make Arsenal less competitive against their own. I'm not sure why the membership of the AST wouldn't be generally representative of Arsenal fans as a whole? 78% wanted him out, 15% wanted him to stay, and 7% couldn't make their minds up one way or the other.

I would have thought it was far from a minority, perhaps around 70% wanting Wenger out at a conservative estimate. He'd lost the hardcore away support which was a clear sign that things were not good. I suspect that had we lost the FA cup in embarassing fashion it would have been hard for Wenger to stay.

A majority who care want the fraud out.
Problem = the thousands of worthless old farts who are subsidising this has-been.
You should do the real fans a favor and kill yourselves.

are you mentally ill

Storm in a cup for cha in my view.

But we didn't. Much to the annoyance of some 'fans' of course. How dare he bring his players to Wembley in the right condition to play the league champions off the park. Did he not read the script, silly old fart?

You are crackers obviously, but just to point out that it is probably the zillions of younger farts who are paying broadcast subscriptions which pays all of their football gravy train salaries.

Actually I think socrates is wrong on that point. Even if we'd lost the final I reckon Wenger would have stayed, as long as Kroenke assured him he could retain his power which I strongly suspect Stan would have done. I doubt Wenger or Kroenke care much about what the fans want, although the public confirmation of the new contract may well have been delayed until the season ticket renewal deadline had passed.

So it was more your view than based on hard evidence? Perhaps you should have used the word 'apparently'?

I mistakenly replied to the wrong post but was referring to the one where you said you'd preferred he focus on the job at hand. Fair enough you also mentioned that it was the end of season where you wanted him to focus but I still feel the club could and should have made things clearer sooner. Corporate mind games aside it just pissed a lot of people off the way they were fobbed off with the usual "wait till may" routine except this time it wasn't about what was happening on the pitch.

You my friend are the ingredient this forum has been missing.

A veritable pornstar martini of words so othat speak. You've already surpassed the current holder to become my favourite poster.

You should go for a pint one day with American gooner and have a competition to "out nutter" each other

Bravo keep it up

I was one of the many who absolutely loved the Wembley performance and most certainly did not want us to lose beforehand, so don't tar me with that brush.

However, I do think that it partially papered over the cracks of what had been a very poor season littered with some very poor and embarassing performances. It gave the club just enough wriggle room to announce Wenger staying without a huge outcry from fans.

I see we are now being quite strongly linked with Lacazette. His goal record in France is very impressive but I still don't get the bit where he's not a nailed on starter for France, not even in the squad sometimes.

Could it just be tht he isn't better than Antoine Griezmann?

Maybe, I would have expected a man with his goal record to have more than 11 caps at 26 though.

He is quick, mobile and a great finisher so perhaps, like Wrighty, he's a victim of circumstances and has not has the international recognition his talent deserves.

Let's hope so.

Imo I hope we get him. He will be ale to play with the team with or without Olivier. Some don't like him but he is productive and scores goals. A good coach would use him in the right setup. Similarly i think we should hold on to Walcott. He has been a regular scorer season after season and needs to play in the right setup.

Both have a better attitude than Alexi who could have been our greatest ever player had he not sold his soul.

There's an article today that says we can't give big pay rises to Sanchez and Özil as we could be charged by the FA or FIFA . Can't recall where but someone must have seen it.

There is hope for us next year but we still need a great coach. Without we'll just keep going groundhog day even if AW leaves tomorrow.

found it

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

It's not personal, just a comment on how I see it. Yes there were a few poor performances, but not embarrassing ones. It's only football.

Palace 0-3, West Brom 1-3, Liverpool 1-3, Watford 1-2, Bayern x 2 1-5.

How the *%^@ could you not be embarrassed?

yeah ...... I knew I was inviting that .

Once you stop thinking about that stuff Brom ....you might as well cash in your chips .

Not meant to be smutty , but I laughed when an uncle of mine [ he was 90 at the time ] went to visit a dying friend in hospital

"Is there anything I can get you Agnes " [ she 89 ] ...thinking grapes , fruit juice , chocs , a book .

"You know Alf ....... I'd love a bl***dy good shag "

It's football. It is not that important.

I't's all a matter of perspective .

Check out the daily routine ....... opening the cat food , then don the coat and scarf for a leisurely walk to buy the paper .

Home again via the canal to admire the ducks going about their business among the old car tyres , shopping trolleys , plastic bags and McDonalds wrappers .

11 am ..... in between verses of "Goodnight Irene " while knocking up a dozen jars of chutney from vegies her brother gave them "Waste not want not " is the golden rule in the Hoy household , Mrs Hoy announces 'I've made a cuppa "

Now it's major decision time ; to do the Easy Sudoku now while sipping his tea or leave it till later ...

Hmmmm that's a tough one .... but wisely he decides on the tea , two digestives and heads out to the garden shed to do battle with that recalcitrant rake handle , it's only taken two weeks so far but it will be a job well done when finished and a great source of pride .

Best leave the Sudoku for this evening .

In the afternoon in front of the fire he opens "Trustee from the Tool Room" .... he was delighted to find two Neville Shute novels he hadn't read at the last church bazaar . Three pages in he is sound asleep . Mrs Hoy enters and lovingly removes his glasses and adjusts his blanket .

Excitement levels race off the scale when one of his mates [ the one who spent the last week in hospital having his stomach pumped after Hoy's culinary efforts ] .....the famous paella , frittata , risotto or whatever the hell it was minus the rice

....and breathlessly announces Frank Worthington has come out of retirement and has signed for the Darts .

They are still mates by the way , he is of the same ilk as Hoy you don't break off a friendship over a trifling matter like a near death experience .

Arsenal lose to Bayern Munich 1 - 5 ..." okay well that's football life goes on ".

Arsenal beat arch rivals Chelsea , silverware for us stop them doing the double ...Halleluhah treats himself to to two small sherries .

Now you tell me who has it right .........Old Man ............ or Claude , TJ , Mo and all the other moaning doodles giving themselves an ulcer over affairs in which they have very little control ...?

Kiwi you made my week. I bet even Hoy laughed. Especially, most probably.

Good one Kiwi -apparently very funny apparently

I see the officials in the Lions - All Blacks game are sponsored by specsavers . Thoughts, Lomekian?

That was great Kiwi. I'm looking forward to reading your next project: A day in the life of Daz.

27 high rise tower blocks in 15 Local Authority areas failed Government cladding tests.

Many of them had work done by one Company.

Does Soc, was it him, still insist their assets should not be frozen?

Camden evacuate 800 tenants from their failed blocks.

Has anyone checked Hospitals and office blocks and what about hotels like Premier Inn that shot up in recent years?

Nothing to do with me.

Sorry Soc it wasn't you it was your nemesis Kiwi

Very ggod Kiwi. Can't wait for the movie to come out. Speculative titles: 'No Country For Old Farts'; 'Oldfinger' or 'Once Upon A Time There Was a Pest'.

So long as its not the day we beat United in the FA Cup Final. That would be embarrassing.

Arsenal will pay $56m for Lacazette
4 yr contract

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfS5kBGBh00[/youtube]

Thanks Ash and Gaz .
Bored ..... I have penned little character assassinations on Daz in the past , and he about me .

All Blacks played terrible against the Lions and stuttered to a flattering win .

We are going well in the America's cup yachting but anyone thinking we will win , think again we haven't a prayer .

The Yanks must be the most anal bunch of pr**cks on the planet . They have no shame , win at all costs .

Last time out four years ago , they cancelled the race which would have given us the cup when we were four hundred metres from the finish and half a mile in front because in light winds the race had taken too long ... then they announced a few lay days flew in every expert on the planet redesigned the boat and won .

This time in Bermuda , they arranged to have their compound in a fortified location , while the Kiwis are in plan sight of every Tom , Dick and Harry ...Ellison has boats cruising back and forth photographing everything we do .
He has taken us to court to try and have us disqualified because of the ingenious way we crank the hydraulics
They just had five days off ...... changed their boat , brought in other crew members , tacticians .

It's same as we lose the first leg of our match v Bayern Munich so we bring in Messi , Ronaldo , Ramos and Vardy

.... then here's the clincher ..because they came out victorious in their preliminary round robin they awarded themselves one point to be carried through to the final .

One point is awarded for every race win , first to seven takes the cup ..... so the Kiwis were behind before the first race was run .

Imagine Federer wins Queens Club so if he makes the final at Wimbledon he gets a four game head start . or because Germany won the last world cup if they make the final of the next one they start one goal to the good over their opponents .

We've won five races but we only have four points ......due to their awarding themselves a point beforehand ...... unbelievable .

You've got the symbol for dollars. Do you mean dollars, or euros or pounds? If it's £56m, that seems very expensive. But $56m seems moderately reasonable at approaching £44m. €56m, which is £49m, is obviously around mid-way between the other two prices.

I'd like to see us make a serious offer to Schalke for Goretzka. A talented midfielder who isn't a midget.