I DON'T BUY IT...JUST LIKE ARSENE DOESN'T!

[I Hate Hleb]

I HATE HAVING A POP AT AUGIE BECAUSE I KNOW HE DOES REALLY MEAN WELL AND LIKE ALL OF US WANTS WHAT'S BEST FOR ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB.

DURING THE SUMMER I STARTED IN THE SAME PESSIMISTS' CAMP AS HIM BUT HAVE BEEN PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY THE PERFORMANCES AND RESULTS SO FAR. ALTHOUGH EVERYONE CAN SEE THINGS AREN'T PERFECT, ARE THEY EVER? I BET THERE WAS CRITICISM FROM SOME EVEN DURING THE INVINCIBLE SEASON!!

I JUST FEEL THAT THE AMOUNT OF CRITICISM DIRECTED AT WENGER IS UNWARRANTED AND WELL OVER THE TOP, CONSIDERING WHERE WE ARE IN THE TABLE - SOMETHING FEW, IF ANY OF US COULD HAVE FORSEEN IN THE SUMMER.

[tomkingsbury]

I HATE HAVING A POP AT AUGIE BECAUSE I KNOW HE DOES REALLY MEAN WELL AND LIKE ALL OF US WANTS WHAT'S BEST FOR ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB.

DURING THE SUMMER I STARTED IN THE SAME PESSIMISTS' CAMP AS HIM BUT HAVE BEEN PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY THE PERFORMANCES AND RESULTS SO FAR. ALTHOUGH EVERYONE CAN SEE THINGS AREN'T PERFECT, I FEEL THAT THE AMOUNT OF CRITICISM IS UNWARRANTED AND WELL OVER THE TOP, CONSIDERING WHERE WE ARE IN THE TABLE.

here! here!

i, like you and many others feared for this season, but look at the statistics and the performances. Sure the win against man city was our best performance of this year (08) and prob since the first half at villa, but at least we have a plan b and our winning without playing well, amd more importantly winning games we didnt do last season. I honestly dont know if we'll win anything this season, as this year is the anniversary of the munich air disaster, i ahve a feeling the trophy is destined for old trafford, but we've only lost once, rvp will hopefully be back and playing soon, and for the first time in a few seasons we are back fighting for honours on all fronts.
Thats the only ironic thing - as much as i believe in these boys, im still not sure if we can win anything yet!

[26may1989]

I JUST FEEL THAT THE AMOUNT OF CRITICISM DIRECTED AT WENGER IS UNWARRANTED AND WELL OVER THE TOP, CONSIDERING WHERE WE ARE IN THE TABLE - SOMETHING FEW, IF ANY OF US COULD HAVE FORSEEN IN THE SUMMER.

But wouldn't it be boring if we all said the same thing?

Anyway, before we get carried away with things and having had a good weekend, let's see how the next batch of matches go - all three contenders have home fixtures against tough oppo (us vs Blackburn, United vs Man City and Chelsea vs Liverpool).

[Galasso]

I JUST FEEL THAT THE AMOUNT OF CRITICISM DIRECTED AT WENGER IS UNWARRANTED AND WELL OVER THE TOP, CONSIDERING WHERE WE ARE IN THE TABLE - SOMETHING FEW, IF ANY OF US COULD HAVE FORSEEN IN THE SUMMER.

But wouldn't it be boring if we all said the same thing?

Anyway, before we get carried away with things and having had a good weekend, let's see how the next batch of matches go - all three contenders have home fixtures against tough oppo (us vs Blackburn, United vs Man City and Chelsea vs Liverpool).

It's boring when people say its boring if we all said the same thing

[I Hate Hleb]

I JUST FEEL THAT THE AMOUNT OF CRITICISM DIRECTED AT WENGER IS UNWARRANTED AND WELL OVER THE TOP, CONSIDERING WHERE WE ARE IN THE TABLE - SOMETHING FEW, IF ANY OF US COULD HAVE FORSEEN IN THE SUMMER.

But wouldn't it be boring if we all said the same thing?..

BUT THAT'S MY MAIN CRITICISM - THAT AUGIE HAS BEEN SAYING THE SAME THINGS AD-INFINATE, REGARDLESS AND DESPITE OF THE GOOD RESULTS!!

..Anyway, before we get carried away with things and having had a good weekend, let's see how the next batch of matches go - all three contenders have home fixtures against tough oppo (us vs Blackburn, United vs Man City and Chelsea vs Liverpool).

I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY EVIDENCE OF PEOPLE GETTING CARRIED AWAY. IN FACT THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE AS - DESPITE OUR START - MOST PEOPLE STILL THINK WE PROBABLY WON'T END UP WINNING THE LEAGUE.

HOWEVER, THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT WE ARE STILL IN WITH A CHANCE WITH A 1/3 OF THE SEASON TO GO, WHEN NO-ONE REALISTICALLY GAVE US A HOPE IN HELL - EXCEPT ARSENE WENGER, OF COURSE!!

[southampton gooner]

I assume by that last statement that you believe that anelka was either past his best or a bench warmer ??

You tell me then southampton gooner, if you dont think we'll win anything why wont we ? Where will we fall short ? What area of the team/squad/tactics will let us down cos you must have some reason to believe that we wont be successful ? Whatever that reason is do you think it is wise or prudent not to make genuine efforts to remedy the problem ?

As I have said on here for yonks people should feel free to disagree with me on my thoughts but dont dis me by saying that you will be going to these games shouting your head off cos you support the team and at the same time insinuating that some of us who dare to criticise will not shout our heads off for the team too. If we are wrong point out to us where we are wrong - tell us senderos is world class, that almunia is the outstanding keeper in europe at the moment, or that theo is just overflowing with confidence if that is what you honestly believe Somehow I dont believe that you think any of that is true but rather than admit to our shortcomings, and we do have some, you would rather knock other fans opinions than face up to your own - go on dont be afraid we wont think any less of you

It is a well kown fact that AW didn't want to sell Anelka it was his brothers who made sure he was sold and we made about £20m profit on him.

I in my heart I don't think we will win because only 1 team can win it and Chavs, Liverpool and Manure all think they can win the same as us.(ok pos not Pool anymore) but in Ronaldo Manure have a player that can win a game they should loose and I think that is the difference between them and us. And I don't see that as AW fault. I was not having a go at your love of Arsenal but I can't buy in to your having a go at the gaffa and most of our players. I think if you were honest with yourself you would be happy if our keeper had a v bad game and cost us points so you could say "told you so" That is the big difference between the 2 of us. I know we have faults but I get no pleasure pointing them out.

All that said it's great to have people with such different views so we can have rants like this.

[augie]

Have I not said before that I believe that wenger is the best manager this club has ever had ? The job he has done to date has been unbelieveable especially when you consider that he has spent a pittance in comparison to the other clubs. However I believed that much of the reason that he spent only a pittance was because our board could not provide a budget worth talking about

Now however we are told that we have funds in place but the manager doesnt see the need to do so and that in essence is my gripe. We cannot talk the talk about being a big club if we are not prepared to walk the walk - in my opinion we need to show that we can go after top quality players, are willing to pay the necessary transfer fee's and be able to convince these players that this is the best club in the world to play for. In our history we have rarely shown that ability but, as frustrating as that can be at times for fans, I fear the message it sends to players is even more worrying - think over the last few seasons how many players expressed concern over where our club is heading and factor in that Cesc is sure to be targeted by the big spanish clubs again in the summer.

The times have changed a lot since all this money has come into the game and expecting to buy high quality players at outdated prices is as embarrassing as it is unrealistic. I have no problem with wenger wishing to buy young players and develop them into stars but this policy has to be incorporated with the signing of a sprinkling of top quality experienced players. I have frequently challenged the people that knock my opinions to come out and say that they believe that our squad is good enough is opposing my opinions in general. I'd like people to tell me how many teams in this league would have almunia as their 1st choice keeper and how many of them clubs are challenging for honours, how many of those teams would eboue get his place in the team etc - I am not picking on these players as such but their shortcomings are there and shouldnt be ignored especially by management.

As I have said wenger has been a top top manager for this club since his arrival but there were many of us that on occasions said the same about GG. Am I leading a campaign to see wenger sacked ?No but I dont think his perceived shortcomings should be ignored either

[26may1989]

I JUST FEEL THAT THE AMOUNT OF CRITICISM DIRECTED AT WENGER IS UNWARRANTED AND WELL OVER THE TOP, CONSIDERING WHERE WE ARE IN THE TABLE - SOMETHING FEW, IF ANY OF US COULD HAVE FORSEEN IN THE SUMMER.

But wouldn't it be boring if we all said the same thing?

Anyway, before we get carried away with things and having had a good weekend, let's see how the next batch of matches go - all three contenders have home fixtures against tough oppo (us vs Blackburn, United vs Man City and Chelsea vs Liverpool).

It's boring when people say its boring if we all said the same thing

But even more boring when people take things too seriously.

[26may1989]

We cannot talk the talk about being a big club if we are not prepared to walk the walk - in my opinion we need to show that we can go after top quality players, are willing to pay the necessary transfer fee's and be able to convince these players that this is the best club in the world to play for.

There are aspects of your arguments I agree with but you see things very narrowly, there's more than one way to "walk the walk". Wenger's vision for the way of taking the club to the next level is like Matt Busby's was at Man U all those years ago, or Ajax's in the 1970s: use relatively youthful signings and develop a strong team ethic. The emphasis is always on the team and not on one or two brilliant individuals. Most of the top 20 clubs in Europe will of course continue to concentrate on highly priced signings as their means to succeed; Wenger may be trying to do it a different way but without doubt he wants Arsenal to become one of the great European club.

I'd like people to tell me how many teams in this league would have almunia as their 1st choice keeper and how many of them clubs are challenging for honours, how many of those teams would eboue get his place in the team etc

I'm with you 100% on Almunia but Eboue does more for the team than he's given credit for - yes, he playacts and he is also prone to slack passing, but his passing also often provides an incisive moment.

I agree that we should go for the occasional polished gem of a player and sod the expense (I still see no good reason for having not gone for one or both of Ribery and Torres) but turn the question around and think about our opponents: if you were a United fan, would you be happy to have Fletcher or Saha in the squad and getting regular games? Do you think Chavski fans are pleased to see the ponderous Shevchenko play or fatboy Ben-Haim? We all have weaknesses but it is clear that our squad has what it takes to compete in the Premiership. Whether it can go all the way in Europe is another question, and I guess they may not be a final four side this year, but they're developing quickly.

I dont think his perceived shortcomings should be ignored either

If you asked fans of other clubs for their thoughts on Wenger and they would be speaking for a long time before they got to any shortcomings. As you acknowledge, the man's the best coach the club has had, at least since Herbert Chapman.

[I Hate Hleb]

Have I not said before that I believe that wenger is the best manager this club has ever had ? The job he has done to date has been unbelieveable especially when you consider that he has spent a pittance in comparison to the other clubs. However I believed that much of the reason that he spent only a pittance was because our board could not provide a budget worth talking about

Now however we are told that we have funds in place but the manager doesnt see the need to do so and that in essence is my gripe....

SO IF THE FIRST SENTENCE ABOVE IS TRUE, WHY DON'T YOU TRUST WENGER'S OPINION? OR DO YOU BELIEVE YOU KNOW BETTER THAN HE DOES?

..We cannot talk the talk about being a big club if we are not prepared to walk the walk - in my opinion we need to show that we can go after top quality players, are willing to pay the necessary transfer fee's and be able to convince these players that this is the best club in the world to play for...

AND WHAT GOOD HAS THAT DONE FOR THE LIKES OF NEWCASTLE, SPURS, LIVERPOOL OR EVEN BARCELONA CURRENTLY? BUYING BIG MONEY SIGNINGS DOESN'T IN ITSELF MAKE YOU A BIG CLUB AND ALSO DOESN'T GUARANTEE SUCCESS.

..I have frequently challenged the people that knock my opinions to come out and say that they believe that our squad is good enough....

THE TRUTH IS WE - AND THAT INCLUDES YOU - DON'T KNOW YET. ONLY TIME WILL TELL!! HOWEVER, I AM SURE THERE WERE MAN UNITED FANS THROUGHOUT LAST SEASON THAT WERE SAYING THEIR SQUAD WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH IN COMPARISON TO CHELSEA'S. LOW AND BEHOLD, THEY WON THE TITLE AND REACHED THE SEMI-FINALS OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.

..I'd like people to tell me how many teams in this league would have almunia as their 1st choice keeper and how many of them clubs are challenging for honours, how many of those teams would eboue get his place in the team etc - I am not picking on these players as such but their shortcomings are there and shouldnt be ignored especially by management...

AS YOU KNOW, ALMUNIA DIDN'T START FIRST CHOICE AND NEITHER DID EBOUE. BUT AGAIN, I AM SURE YOU COULD EQUALLY SAY THE SAME ABOUT THE OTHER CONTENDERS. UNITED HAVE BROWN COVERING AT RIGHT BACK FOR EXAMPLE, CHELSEA HAVE HAD THE LIKES OF BEN HAHIM, ALEX, SIDWELL AND ASHLEY COLE E.T.C. FILLING IN; AND LIVERPOOL HAVE ALMOST A WHOLE TEAM OF AVERAGE PLAYERS!! YET UNLIKE WENGER, THESE CLUBS HAVE SPENT THE MULTI-MILLIONS YOU'VE BEEN CRYING OUT FOR!!

..As I have said wenger has been a top top manager for this club since his arrival but there were many of us that on occasions said the same about GG. Am I leading a campaign to see wenger sacked ?No but I dont think his perceived shortcomings should be ignored either.

NO ONE IS IGNORING ANYTHING, BUT WHAT EXACTLY ARE THESE 'PERCEIVED SHORT-COMINGS?' THE FACT THAT WE HAVEN'T SPENT THE MULTI-MILLIONS BUILDING UP THE SQUAD THE WAY SPURS, NEWCASTLE, LIVERPOOL, EVERTON AND OTHER CLUBS BELOW US IN THE TABLE HAVE?

AUGIE, THE TROUBLE IS YOU'VE GONE FROM MOANING ABOUT EXPECTING NOTHING IN THE SUMMER, WHEN IT WAS PERCEIVED WE WOULD HAVE NO CHANCE; TO BEING OVERLY CRITICAL AND DEMANDING NOW, EVEN THOUGH WE DO STILL HAVE A CHANCE. IT'S ABOUT PERSPECTIVE AND YOU DON'T SEEM TO BE SHOWING MUCH OF IT MATEY.

[Red Gunner]

100th post on this thread

Augie is quite miserable but he is "one of a kind" on this forum, even if its the kind that annoys you I know that most of the times he is displeased and unsatisfied but his posts do make you think. However, I prefer the posts that include words such as "tits" and "redtube"

We have been linked with Deco and Quaresma, it's probably not true but still. Should we sign them or not if we have a chance? Deco doesn't fit anywhere in my opinion and is too similar to Fabregas. Quaresma is probably too big-headed and Eboue is better... OK, he is not

http://www.sportingo.com/Football/a6826 ... 0Liverpool

http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/ ... _page.html

Augie, are these the big superstars you are asking for? If yes, than were would they fit?

[gus ceasar is a legend]

Just read all the way through my thread and some very good points have been made!

However, I still do not understand why people cannot see that one or two additions to the squad during the transfer window would have had a positive impact.

If you look at the bench on Saturday there was not one midfielder on it. No we cannot count Theo as a midfielder as he cannot play there.....AW's words not mine! Also if the squad was truly strong enough why was Troare amongst the subs on Saturday? How often do you see a specialist left back on the bench.........even more so when Hoyte was on the same bench who can and has played left back in the Premiership? Why do you need two full backs on the bench at all?

Easy answer is we was short of numbers! That is the only explanation!

We all know the Bert's days are numbered and he will be put out to graze in the summer and if we are brutally honest should not get in the side for the rest of the campaign on previous sluggish performances. With Diarra having a hissy fit and the courage for a fight similar to the lion out of The Wizard of Oz so sodding off we are stretched. Would it not have been a good idea to have got someone in now and bedded them in for the rest of the season so at least they were all systems go next and a useful addition for the present. Or are we going to sign someone again at 11.59pm on the last day of the transfer window in the autumn?

Yes guys we are having the kind of season even Augie and me the forum optimissits never thought possible but this is not time to sit on our laurels feeling all smug with ourselves.

The scientists in the game tell us constantly how the small percentages make the difference. It may well be come the end of the season we rue not gaining the extra two percent that a new signing could have bought, more so with everything being so tight at the top.

Let's hope not though hey!

[gus ceasar is a legend]

Someone bastard reply to the above as I fancy an arguement!

Also it is not often I am serious so use the oppurtunity when you can!

[augie]

Gus you havent got a clue. There are far too many cnuts on this forum who spend too much time spouting negative crap about wenger, this team and the squad. If you lot cannot see that this team & squad is the best in world football and that wenger is jesus christ re-incarnated then its off to specsavers for ye all.

Will that do the job Gus ? If not it will at least bump the thread up so someone else may see it and come in for a scrap

[gus ceasar is a legend]

Excellent bump Augie!