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.

Hi Soc

I think the 2 logical options are Allegri and Pochettino or alternatively go down a seperate route and take a Hail Mary on an ex player like Arteta or Vieira.

Just think that Nuno guy is underwhelming. Whilst he has done well at wolves his previous career was mediocre and middling.

That said I think pretty much anyone including fat Sam would be better than Emery. I’ve been in the US so missed the saints game but looked at the starting line and couldn’t believe it

Chambers, Luiz, Sokratis, Bellerin, Torreira, Tierney ALL in the same team at home v saints!

The bloke is just absolutely hopeless and I can’t for the life of me suggest why he hasn’t been fired yet.

Not sure why .... from what I've seen he has Wolves playing nice and direct , press well when not in possession , has them punching well above their weight , knows the league already .

" A very Kroenke appointment " what does that mean .

We all thought ANYONE after Wenger would be an improvement we got that totally wrong .

When Wenger dynasty started to sour we could have had our pick of managers to replace Arsene .... We were considered up there with the elite .

These days sorting out Arsenal would be similar to rebuilding a classic Pierce Arrow that's run off the side of a ten thousand foot mountain and hit a dozen rocky outcrops on the way down .

If he had any brains Nunez would stay at Wolves anyway , far less stress .

Sorting out our log jam of mediocrity is going to take a super human effort .

Kroenke's LA Rams got absolutely massacred at home last weekend by the Baltimore Ravens

.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92LgF8-WrQk

An Unimpressive cheap option rather than being ambitious and making a statement of intent.

Reminds me of Emery mark 2. His best achievement was winning the championship with a team that was flooded with Jorge Mendes loan imports and backed by Chinese cash. Does this mean we should also consider Tony Pulis who got stoke promoted and to mid table.

He also seems very embedded in the Portuguese 'project' going on there. I'm with Kiwi in that I'm not sure he'd exactly jump at the chance, but maybe he would. I would suspect he's coming to the end of his contract otherwise exteicatung a manager from his contract can't be considered the cheap option.

Whoever we'd go for, it's literally impossible to tell what might happen. It might work it might not, unless it's someone in their prime, on the crest of a wave, at the elite end of success, it's always going to be a gamble and a huge ask. Clearly Emery has the major control over the team, the atmosphere at training, the lineup and captain etc, as Edu Sanlehi et Al seem to have had no influence at all over the team or performances, so we're asking someone to come in and effect culture and atmosphere change, not just someone who's a decent match day coach.

We're really looking for someone who has
1 A very strong personality to impose culture change
2 who knows the league
3 is a proven winner or someone who can be a winner (in the case of Vieira or Arteta)
4 plays with big club mentality and style

Anything else? Because I think we've already narrowed the field to no-one.

So we have to gamble simple as.

Thinking about the make up of our central midfield and just comparing it to Chelsea:
Arsenal: ceballos, Xhaka, torriera, Guendouzi, Willock
Chelsea: kante, Jorginho, kovacic, mount

It’s like chalk and cheese.

Liverpool: Fabinho, Henderson, Milner, winajldum, ox

Experience, discipline, strength, power. Everything we miss. Need a complete rebuild in that area

His contract is only 3 million per year though. Emery’s is 6 million. When you consider that spurs are now paying Mourinho 15 million a year he’s a cheap option.

The appointment that’s would make sense is probably Pochettino of all people, out of work, used to working on a budget, decent football philosophy, already lives in London. He’s probably going to end up at a bigger club and yes you and kiwi are right that the arsenal job seems a less attractive proposition these days,

There are plenty of top managers out there. Using your criteria the field could include Ancelotti, Lauren Blanc, Conte and Rafa. For a temporary solution until end of season, an older guy like Hiddink could be considered. And then there are the national managers who could be chased after Euro Championships are over - Low, Koeman, Deschamps and my personal favourite, Mancini. Even Southgate could be considered.

I think you are correct. I hate getting old and things I read in the 70 & 80’s are a bit fuzzy. Embarrassing really.

Listened to some podcasts & they were talk as if the Frankfurt game is an easy win. Obviously they didn’t watch the first game because they absolutely took us apart in the first half and should have been out of sight by half time. I think we may struggle even though we are at home

I wonder if he will pick the kids given how much pressure he’s under. If it’s essentially our first team you know he’s feeling the heat.

Would be nice to see some more of our 72 million pound winger who sits on the bench most weeks.

"A very Kroenke type"
As long as those 2 are at the helm, anticipating a Simeone or Allegri calibre seems a bit out of reach, costly. Nothing against Nuno, Arteta, Benitez or Vieira at all. Just that KSE prefers someone who isn't demanding, let alone overly ambitious. After all, Stan stated he wasn't interested in trophies.

Well Stans wish has been granted because I feel a long way away from any trophy

Should have popped around and given Stan Kroenke a few pointers while you were there . TG

Pochettino would be my choice / Arteta next

Why isn't the Frankfurt game listed on BBC sport https://www.bbc.com/sport/football

Sounds like the approach we've taken with our defence for the last 10 years.

I think you exaggerate how much work it would take to fix things. I don't agree with people who attribute this to some deep malaise at the club that would take years to correct.

The matter is fairly simple. Emery has failed. This is for very specific reasons that are all too plain to see. Mostly, he tried to play a style of football that was very unlikely to work, firstly because it is not really suited to the Prem and secondly given the players at his disposal (particularly in central defense and central midfield). This has led to chopping and changing and players losing confidence and a general loss of direction. He wouldn't be the first continental manager to fail to adjust to the English game.

I think it’s not that Emery hasn’t adapted he’s just not that good full stop. He just doesn’t know what he’s doing.

At PSG his moaning after about Neymar etc was ridiculous and despite having a ton more money he lost a title to Monaco’s kids.

At Spartak the chairman fired him in the dressing room in front of his own players.

The height of his achievements as a manager was a Europa league with Seville. How we got the PSG job I have no idea and He shouldn’t be anywhere near a club like arsenal

Tony Pulis it is then. Some people work and some don’t. Frankly I have no idea whether the next one will work and that’s before he’s appointed. Total lottery & either a truck of money or just plain old luck will decide it. Not much use losing it. What’s done is done & when we find a new manager let’s hope it works. Afterall 19/20 managers are actually duds every year in the epl.