FULHAM HOME THREAD

[MK Gould]

Mad as I may be, I'm still looking forward to the game. Have to say though that even my boys looked at me strangely this morning when I said that so maybe you have a point....

Fact is though - as some have pointed out and got stick for - this season has hardly been a disaster. All this talk of protest is a joke! The club are at a real crossroads re-Management/Ownership and I think you should save your protests for when things really do go badly. Chances are that the catalyst for things going badly will be:
- Wenger leaving
- Change in ownership
Which, bizarrely are what some (most?) of you are clamouring for....

City would have died for a CL place last night. Well we already have one. Liverpool are desparate for a new stadium. We have one. Things aint perfect, but we're well placed for next season....

The best post I've read in a few weeks on here!

Thanks, but the trouble is that the more I think about it the more I doubt it myself.....I could stand acused of praising the club for being financially astute (miserly?).....as if we were Portsmouth or Leeds.

But the fact is that we are the 3rd biggest club in Europe by revenue and if top 4 is the limit of our ambition (as it seems to be at the moment) then maybe all isn't as rosy as I sometimes think!!! Maybe the directors are being astute but not for the right reasons. Their reluctance to spend money is helping pay off stadium debt early.....but also helping to boost the share price.....at a very convenient time when more than one of our investors has decided to cash in....

[mikeyb772001]

I don’t know what to expect on Sunday to be honest. In a way I am kind of looking forward to the match, wondering what the atmosphere will be like ECT and if we get a big score line.
We have to fight for 3rd no matter what and really have to get behind the team. ONE thing for sure I won’t stay till the end and support any lap of so called honour. My other worry is that if we do win by a landslide, Wenger will be back to his old tricks. He will no doubt say... "the squad is great, we have players back from injury, vela and Denison scored so we don’t need to buy anyone now"

[SteveO 35]

One thing that can be guaranteed is that if Fulham are still in the game with 20 minutes left then any set plays they get in and around our box will create havoc, and the Polish clown will gift them a goal.

Come to think of it, if Fulham aren't still in the game and get a set play, the Polish clown will gift them a goal

At least in these uncertain times some things can be relied upon.

We've done just great since Almunia's been out

[topgoon]

Mad as I may be, I'm still looking forward to the game. Have to say though that even my boys looked at me strangely this morning when I said that so maybe you have a point....

Fact is though - as some have pointed out and got stick for - this season has hardly been a disaster. All this talk of protest is a joke! The club are at a real crossroads re-Management/Ownership and I think you should save your protests for when things really do go badly. Chances are that the catalyst for things going badly will be:
- Wenger leaving
- Change in ownership
Which, bizarrely are what some (most?) of you are clamouring for....

City would have died for a CL place last night. Well we already have one. Liverpool are desparate for a new stadium. We have one. Things aint perfect, but we're well placed for next season....

Who says things have to go bad, AW is one of the highest paid mangers in Europe to not deliver a trophy, new owners might realise that there is no point in paying for a stadium if there are no decent players left at the club. They will not pay for the stadium if there is no champions league football. If the squad remains exactly the same, there will be NO champions league football in season 2011/12.

We are praying we beat a reserve Fulham side to get 3rd, that's awful.

Who gives a s**t what the dippers and Citeh do, I'm only interested in what we want and what we do.

[topgoon]

just checked out the form table, we are relegation fodder..scored 6 conceded 8...5 directly or indirectly from a set piece, the other 3 from counter attacks when we were actually in a good position in the oppostions box.

Lots of good news in the build up to this game. I really hope Fulham don't turn up for this. Anyone else see the interview with Greening and Pantsil where both seemed more interested in the cup final on wednesday than sundays game.....fingers crossed eh

[Cloggs]

Mad as I may be, I'm still looking forward to the game. Have to say though that even my boys looked at me strangely this morning when I said that so maybe you have a point....

Fact is though - as some have pointed out and got stick for - this season has hardly been a disaster. All this talk of protest is a joke! The club are at a real crossroads re-Management/Ownership and I think you should save your protests for when things really do go badly. Chances are that the catalyst for things going badly will be:
- Wenger leaving
- Change in ownership
Which, bizarrely are what some (most?) of you are clamouring for....

City would have died for a CL place last night. Well we already have one. Liverpool are desparate for a new stadium. We have one. Things aint perfect, but we're well placed for next season....

Which means for a club like Arsenal and their fans;
- 3rd or 4th spot on the table is OK
- not being competitive to chelski or manure or any other team heading for 1st and 2nd place is OK
- FA cup doesn't interest us anymore, we go for the CL because we convinced ourselves that we can compete with the Big Ones.
- Be happy to face Fulham in the last round and not (almost) any other team because our 3rd spot is at stake in favour of the spuds is OK.
- We're stuck with Wenger because once he brought us silverware and a new stadium and as long as he goes on as he did for the last 5 seasons it will be a disaster when we drop him.

About citeh, scousers, it doesn't make sense does it?, it's the "it always could be worse" fallacy.

Now..

1) I don't see why things would go for the worse if Wenger went, he has to go at some stage does he?, so when would it be for the better then?
Why is this Frenchman so irreplaceble?
It's sorta like quitting smoking isn't it? I stop tomorrow, not today, I stop when there's a less stressful period but when that period comes the need of stopping smoking suddenly has disappeared. (if that period comes in this analogy because personally I think it won't get any better under Wenger, why, this has been spelled out all over the different boards and blogs.)

2) How long are you -as a Gooner- prepared to accept the scenario we've encountered for the last 5 consecutive seasons? Or you think next season will get any better? (Remember Wenger promised us silverware this season, add to this that IF we loose tomorrow we're in humiliating shit) If I was a Villa or Everton fan, yes because that would mean achievement, but I think we haven't achieved anything these 5 years and I'm affraid next year will be another Wengerian copy.

[Dan_85]

A raft of injuries just add to the feeling that Arsenal are limping over the line to third place. Cesc Fabregas (knee), William Gallas (calf), Thomas Vermaelen (calf), Denilson (groin), Manuel Almunia (wrist) and Aaron Ramsey (leg) were out well before Monday's trip to Blackburn. Tomas Rosicky (ankle), Alex Song (knee), Nicklas Bendtner (groin) and Gael Clichy (ankle) dropped out before the game. Only the last of those has any chance for Sunday. Wenger's squad is stretched to the point that he may bring in midfielder Henri Lansbury after he completed a successful loan spell at Watford last week.

Henri Lansbury to play?! That list of injuries is a f*cking joke to be honest...

[topgoon]

Just seen an ad for a ticket for this game for £100 pounds which sounds like a huge mark up, this is a cat b game isn't it which should make it a max of £66 or am I wrong and it's cat A game..?

[Cloggs]

IF we lose I'll hand Le Boss a **** scarf tomorrow, his delicate sense of french humour should appreciate the gesture me thinks.

problem is, where do I nick that scarf.

[MK Gould]

Mad as I may be, I'm still looking forward to the game. Have to say though that even my boys looked at me strangely this morning when I said that so maybe you have a point....

Fact is though - as some have pointed out and got stick for - this season has hardly been a disaster. All this talk of protest is a joke! The club are at a real crossroads re-Management/Ownership and I think you should save your protests for when things really do go badly. Chances are that the catalyst for things going badly will be:
- Wenger leaving
- Change in ownership
Which, bizarrely are what some (most?) of you are clamouring for....

City would have died for a CL place last night. Well we already have one. Liverpool are desparate for a new stadium. We have one. Things aint perfect, but we're well placed for next season....

Which means for a club like Arsenal and their fans;
- 3rd or 4th spot on the table is OK
- not being competitive to chelski or manure or any other team heading for 1st and 2nd place is OK
- FA cup doesn't interest us anymore, we go for the CL because we convinced ourselves that we can compete with the Big Ones.
- Be happy to face Fulham in the last round and not (almost) any other team because our 3rd spot is at stake in favour of the spuds is OK.
- We're stuck with Wenger because once he brought us silverware and a new stadium and as long as he goes on as he did for the last 5 seasons it will be a disaster when we drop him.

About citeh, scousers, it doesn't make sense does it?, it's the "it always could be worse" fallacy.

Now..

1) I don't see why things would go for the worse if Wenger went, he has to go at some stage does he?, so when would it be for the better then?
Why is this Frenchman so irreplaceble?
It's sorta like quitting smoking isn't it? I stop tomorrow, not today, I stop when there's a less stressful period but when that period comes the need of stopping smoking suddenly has disappeared. (if that period comes in this analogy because personally I think it won't get any better under Wenger, why, this has been spelled out all over the different boards and blogs.)

2) How long are you -as a Gooner- prepared to accept the scenario we've encountered for the last 5 consecutive seasons? Or you think next season will get any better? (Remember Wenger promised us silverware this season, add to this that IF we loose tomorrow we're in humiliating shit) If I was a Villa or Everton fan, yes because that would mean achievement, but I think we haven't achieved anything these 5 years and I'm affraid next year will be another Wengerian copy.

You were a bit slow off the mark. You've used my posting as a quote but probably didn't notice that I'd sort of issued an update last night where I expressed much the same view as yourself.

Sometimes I actually feel "grateful" for the top 4 finish. But that time is coming to a close. I think the Board need to start to answer questions about the oft mentioned transfer pot and why it never seems to get spent.... Clubs like Fulham and Everton need to work miracles on a shoestring. But we've got 60000 paying top prices so we should see on the pitch where our "investment" is going....not in a bank account!!

[SteveO 35]

Mad as I may be, I'm still looking forward to the game. Have to say though that even my boys looked at me strangely this morning when I said that so maybe you have a point....

Fact is though - as some have pointed out and got stick for - this season has hardly been a disaster. All this talk of protest is a joke! The club are at a real crossroads re-Management/Ownership and I think you should save your protests for when things really do go badly. Chances are that the catalyst for things going badly will be:
- Wenger leaving
- Change in ownership
Which, bizarrely are what some (most?) of you are clamouring for....

City would have died for a CL place last night. Well we already have one. Liverpool are desparate for a new stadium. We have one. Things aint perfect, but we're well placed for next season....

Which means for a club like Arsenal and their fans;
- 3rd or 4th spot on the table is OK
- not being competitive to chelski or manure or any other team heading for 1st and 2nd place is OK
- FA cup doesn't interest us anymore, we go for the CL because we convinced ourselves that we can compete with the Big Ones.
- Be happy to face Fulham in the last round and not (almost) any other team because our 3rd spot is at stake in favour of the spuds is OK.
- We're stuck with Wenger because once he brought us silverware and a new stadium and as long as he goes on as he did for the last 5 seasons it will be a disaster when we drop him.

About citeh, scousers, it doesn't make sense does it?, it's the "it always could be worse" fallacy.

Now..

1) I don't see why things would go for the worse if Wenger went, he has to go at some stage does he?, so when would it be for the better then?
Why is this Frenchman so irreplaceble?
It's sorta like quitting smoking isn't it? I stop tomorrow, not today, I stop when there's a less stressful period but when that period comes the need of stopping smoking suddenly has disappeared. (if that period comes in this analogy because personally I think it won't get any better under Wenger, why, this has been spelled out all over the different boards and blogs.)

2) How long are you -as a Gooner- prepared to accept the scenario we've encountered for the last 5 consecutive seasons? Or you think next season will get any better? (Remember Wenger promised us silverware this season, add to this that IF we loose tomorrow we're in humiliating shit) If I was a Villa or Everton fan, yes because that would mean achievement, but I think we haven't achieved anything these 5 years and I'm affraid next year will be another Wengerian copy.

Fantastic post Cloggs - nice to have some new blood putting forward a reasoned argument

It's a bit like being forever indebted to someone who once lent you £20 five years ago supporting Arsenal these days.

Still...we are in the minority and when the GIC gets his contract extension to 2014 we'll still be lambasted for not being patient enough nine years on from our last trophy (the most negative FA Cup final win in history)

[Step]

Unless Wenger gets rid of at least 8 players ( Almunia, Fabby,Gallas,Silvestre,Rosicky,Denilson,Eduardo,Vela) and replaces with at least 4 of proven quality we are in for a desperate 2010/2011.

I think even Arsene can see we need changes but he must be bold and do what is necessary.

The above are deadwood and will never be able to achieve what we need.

Eduardo is a shadow of his former self. Re the Blackburn game I could not believe he didn't even go for that late cross which was about a yard in front of him. Not acceptable.

Hart, Chimaque, Flamini, Hagerland plus a couple of promising 22 + year olds would do for me and give me hope for the new season.

You must do this Arsene or you will be a gonner by the end of 10/11.

[SammyDroppedHisShorts]

Arsenal to win 7-1 against Fulham....you just see

[topgoon]

Unless Wenger gets rid of at least 8 players ( Almunia, Fabby,Gallas,Silvestre,Rosicky,Denilson,Eduardo,Vela) and replaces with at least 4 of proven quality we are in for a desperate 2010/2011.

I think even Arsene can see we need changes but he must be bold and do what is necessary.

The above are deadwood and will never be able to achieve what we need.

Eduardo is a shadow of his former self. Re the Blackburn game I could not believe he didn't even go for that late cross which was about a yard in front of him. Not acceptable.

Hart, Chamakh, Flamini, Hagerland plus a couple of promising 22 + year olds would do for me and give me hope for the new season.You must do this Arsene or you will be a gonner by the end of 10/11.

You read my mind mate, exactly the players I think would make us strong enough to not keep falling away in March/April and keep the scum at bay.
Not sure we'd get Hart because of Given's injury but not too many other quality keepers available.

Wonder if our 4th choice keep Szcesny will get a look in today, Flappy has to be kept on the bench as don't think any of us like getting butterflies anytime we concede a set piece.

I predict 3-1 and the most half hearted applause at the end from the fans. Bit torn as to whether or not to stay for this.

If Cesc,Song,Bendtner and even Ramsey hobbles on to the pitch, I'll stay. If it's the Eboues,Almunias,Denilsons then to hell with that......

[Rob]

Unless Wenger gets rid of at least 8 players ( Almunia, Fabby,Gallas,Silvestre,Rosicky,Denilson,Eduardo,Vela) and replaces with at least 4 of proven quality we are in for a desperate 2010/2011.

I think even Arsene can see we need changes but he must be bold and do what is necessary.

The above are deadwood and will never be able to achieve what we need.

Eduardo is a shadow of his former self. Re the Blackburn game I could not believe he didn't even go for that late cross which was about a yard in front of him. Not acceptable.

Hart, Chimaque, Flamini, Hagerland plus a couple of promising 22 + year olds would do for me and give me hope for the new season.

You must do this Arsene or you will be a gonner by the end of 10/11.

Well Said !


Right I'm off to the game but with a distinct lack of enthusiasm other than the fact that it is finally the end of the season.

I used to feel sad when the season ended. Now it's a bloody relief !

Says it all really.

to you all !