It's okay. 'Cheeks' is going to save us. Some alarming imagery here from The Guardian's David Squires.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng ... e-sackings

I'm a time-served Grauniad man but I'm afraid I find David Squires the most un-funny cartoonist out there.

This guy on the other hand......

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ng-interactive/2019/aug/24/stephen-collins-on-seagulls-cartoon

And now



According to @David_Ornstein, #Arsenal are unlikely to be able to spend big on a new manager due to financial constraints. As a first port of call, The club are looking for candidates who are available to start immediately.


Exactly what i predicted


#mystic top gun
# I an oracle

Bundi now that really is a nice drop .... evokes a few memories .

When I was a nipper ; about 24 ... went to Aussie ... got a job ; barman on South Molle Island ... befriended this old coot who had a fishing boat passing through ... "Ron the Ram " real ladies man .

He was probably in his late 40s ...seemed ancient then .

About six months later I've moved on , got a job driving a forklift down in Mackay .

Buying myself a hamburger one day , this bloke pulls up in a '67 Fairlane .... "Holy smoke it's Ron the Ram " we go for a few beers at some country pub ....... at 10 .30 they close , chuck the blow flies out but Ron knows the publican so we carry on drinking ...

About 1 .30 am about eight of us pile in the Fairlane drive out into the Wop Wops to some rundown donga .... real " Saltbush Bill " outfit .... a few Aboriginals in tow ... they cook up a feed involving octopus .

Jesus it was like trying to eat a couple of Michelin tyres . More booze , sing a bit of Slim Dusty ... then one of my new friends grabs a bottle of Bundaberg Overproof .... says to me " Let's going catch us a couple of Barra " ... we stagger down to a creek ..... he chucks in the line , then upends the bottle takes a hefty guzzle straight .

... " here ya go young fella get this into ya " ..... passes it to me . I don't want to let the side down so I do the same .

Jesus H Christ ...it's like I've ingested about six litres of battery acid . My insides are on fire , hair stands on end , nose running , eyes watering , cough up half a lung

We didn't catch any fish but boy did I get p*ssed .

Anyone who hasn't experienced outback Australia hasn't lived

The world and his wife was reporting that we hadn't 2 cents to rub together in the summer and we went and smashed our transfer record.

#itsallbullshit

It was reported at the time that we gambled on bringing in Pépé by bringing forward a large part of this coming summer's budget assuming we qualified for the CL. The longer we're out of it, the more we will see our ability to spend decrease. Whilst there's no 100% way of knowing the validity of this story, I really wouldn't be surprised if we're going to go for an untested coach due to financial constraints. Hopefully, I'm totally wrong on this. But if we do go for Arteta or similar then, whilst exciting, it may be for more pragmatic reasons.

Listen up Decaf ....

I've been on this forum since about 1994 [ I think ] and if you and those other two heartless bully boys Gaz and Socrates keep making an issue of my ocassional rum tipple I'm going to follow Bernard off the forum

.... I've got feelings you know

Hoping against hope that, given time and the benefit of my infinite wisdom, you would eventually begin to make posts that would not be a complete load of bollocks.

Sadly, however, my hopes have been dashed

Keeps intact your perfect record then ....... .... you've been hopelessly wrong on every other ocassion .

I used to think a good coach could take any back 4 and a pair of holding mids and turn them in to a functional, disciplined and hard to break down unit. I’m really not sure with the players we have. They lack so many of the basics and have had so long and show no sign of learning or improvement.
Gary Neville called Arsenal’s defence ‘uncoachable’ and its hard to argue

I think it’s a pretty strong bet that a novice or untested manager comes in.

Rodgers would cost a fortune in compensation and salary
Pochettino similar
Ancellotti under contract
Allegri supposedly expensive but also demanding

They are the 4 that would make sense but I think to get one would be difficult.

The name that keeps cropping up that concerns me is Marcelino from Spain. He looks to be Emery mark 2 after winning a knockout cup, not great with English and managing some middle of the road Spanish sides. I could just see Kroenke doing that and the club concocting a PR story of how he impressed them at interview.

Personally I’d offer Rodgers or Pochettino any amount of money it took. Even if it means selling a player or 2 in January. Sell off smith Rowe or el Nenny to help get cash to fund it.

Raul is running the show it seems though so Arteta and Marcelino must have a good shout because of the Spanish thing.

This season could turn into an absolute disaster, it’s a long time since we have been in free fall like this.

Fair enough, DHD, we obviously have a slightly different sense of humour! But don't tell me this Squires cartoon didn't get to you:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng ... er-arsenal

Several points here for us deep thinkers TG ....

why would "Pochettino be similar to Rodgers " ....? he is out of work ...we only have to cough up a salary

.

Leno, AMN, Tierney, Sokratis, Holding, Xhaka, Guendouzi, Özil, Pépé, Saka, Aubamayang

I'd like to see us go out with this all out attack team tomorrow, high tempo, high press
Maybe 5 of these players shouldn't be in Arsenal's first 11 but if we're going to struggle I'd rather we were a bit more exciting and swashbuckling about it - especially at home to Brighton

Sorry McQ - still does very little for me I'm afraid. I just find his stuff over-worked and leaden.

And I don't think much of Stephen Collins, I have to say. Well, it's a game of opinions, Clive.

Ljungbergs comments after the match gave me some encouragement that he knows what to fix and how to fix it. He's had probably 3 or 4 training sessions so expecting to see some signs of improvement even if it's marginal. A 5-2 win will be acceptable.

https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/news/arsenal-next-manager-diego-simeone-17362275

Pipe dream but if Simeone is getting itchy feet then is there a better 'available' manager in the world to fix our defence, our attitude, our work-rate, our off the ball positioning?

A manager with bags of personality who crafts teams in his own image. I feel that the Arsenal fans are dying to get on board with a charismatic firey manager, a bit of "us against the world".

One can but dream

Need LFC to get that loss and ease my weary heart.

Freddie, you are a club legend, but the little I've seen so far, you are out of your depth. Long term, we are better off waiting in the summer for Rodgers if, understandably, he won't leave Leicester mid season.
Arteta may be a great assistant but that doesn't mean he'd be a great manager. Pat Rice was a great assistant.

Freddie has too much handle to turn the ship right now. My personal opinion is work on team defense. I did see some of that. He had everyone tracking back. The way to win right now is more of the 1-0 to the Arsenal way if we can defend as a team. The Kevin Keegan style isn't going to work.

Can't say I'm too impressed by the idea of Arteta. Also, as far as I can recall, he won no trophies in his playing career and he never won an international cap - that sort of thing is important

Good point ..... sort of the same as Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson .