BOD: Does Wenger know the real meaning of ‘experience’?
WENGER’S LACK OF UNDERSTANDING by Brandon O’Driscoll
I would like to talk about Wenger’s inability to comprehend the meaning behind our desire for “experienced players”. Every season it is the same; Wenger says he will bring in some experience and to that extent he keeps his word. But how many of these players are still in their prime or anywhere close!
‘Experienced’ players that Wenger has brought in over the past few seasons:
SILVESTRE – this signing is the beacon of Wengers transfer, Ferguson realised he was past his prime and sold him. Because he could no longer cut it at the highest level!! This also shows that unlike other managers Wenger likes to hold on to dead weight!
CAMPBELL – Wenger brought him in during a defensive crisis (which is still there!), when most of our defenders were injured. Although he started well, when it came to the last two months of the season his legs gave way and so did our title challenge yet again. I still think of what might have been that season if he had bought a quality defend in January rather than giving that burden to a player who had already come and served this club before.
SQUILLACI – This has to be the ultimate insult; A player not only past his prime, but also inexperienced at the highest level at both international level, where he only holds 21 appearances (most of which were sub appearances and friendlies) and in the Premier League where he held no previous experience. To be recruited at the age of 30 to play at the top level in the Premier League was insane. It was unfair to the fans and to the player nearing the end of his career to finish his last few years being torn apart in defence.
LEHMANN – An Arsenal legend through and through and similar story to Campbell really. He came through for the club even at the age he is, when needed for backup he answered the call. But the same question remains over the keeper. I think we can all agree that Fabianski and more especially Szczesny are solid goalkeepers as they have proved this season, but there have still been those mistakes which have cost us points and a Cup! We all agree Szczesny will be quality and Fabianski good back-up. I wonder would it have been better to bring in a world-class keeper in January so then we wouldn’t have had to rely on Almunia while Szczesny was recovering. This would have given Arsenal a quality keeper for the run in and also a mentor for Szczesny. If that meant losing Fabianski and having Szczesny upset for 2-3 years so be it (he signed a 5 year deal earlier on in the year), at least we would have had quality when needed. Shay Given would have been perfect especially since he was begging for someone to take him from Man-City in January.
To conclude my argument notice the area of the pitch where the inadequate players have been bought. *Drum roll please* . . . . the DEFENCE! I know shocker isnt it?! This really proves Wenger’s lack of signing experienced players who are quality in the defence. Stats this year show that we conceded over 50% of our goals from set plays! No matter what team you are I guarantee you would not see that at any club. So why at a top club like Arsenal. This one area of the pitch has been the sole reason why we have gone six long miserable years without a trophy.
I hope someone finally tells Wenger that only are we sick of seeing toddlers playing for arsenal, we are also sick of seeing there grandparents playing too!
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Great article
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Fantastic article! I think wengers the problem and should be sacked ASAP!!!
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Spot on. Wenger is so stubborn and has completely lost the plot and he can continue his hopeless signings because he knows that he won’t be sacked. As I have pointed out many times in the last few months, the only change can come from a player revolt and it looks like it is happening now. Nasri won’t sign a new deal (I understand him) and Fabregas is going (fully understandable). Clichy is probably also leaving (not a big loss, though). Nasri and Fab are leaving because of Wengers unbelievable transfer policy that has resulted in no trophies for 6 years. When Nasri and Fabrgas has left the big challenge will be to hold on to Van Persie, obviously he won’t like to play for a team that will struggle just to qualify for the Europe League tournament (there is no way we can hold on to top 4, Liverpool, Man shitty, Scum United and Chelski will boost their squads significantly this summer). Our only hope is that Stan Kroenke buys really experienced quality players and not leaving any transfer dealings to Wenger!
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Great article.
Love arsenal,hate arsene.
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Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna, Wojciech Szczesny.
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Funny how one may have to laugh at somethimg rather unfortunate! I really had a good laugh!!! This is the first time I’ve read an article on an Arsenal blog in which the criticism of Wenger has been very fair and very true. Most critics are so unfair on him. I really love the Wenger phylosophy of trying to win a trophy without “buying” it like some people do. Secondly, the man is crazy about making Stars rather than buying. Both very noble but I think he must amend a bit. The chap is just so naturally thrifty!
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Bring another coach who is hungry for success (trophy); likes of FERGUSON not WENGER who thinks training children and selling them and making money for himself and d club is success. (fans and d players want trophies) buy real quality players and win something and that is SUCCESS! “AW old punpunka“
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Lanz says it well he is just so thrifty!! I think this season he may spend more though.
Sack him? Who do you want instead i am interested? We are not man city a new manager isn’t going to be buying Messi or Ronaldo.
Maybe we could get Benitez or Mourinho? Ha ha Bet you Real would give there left nut for Wenger.
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clearly don’t understand football at all all where brought in for 0 money and all where only going to be used as last resort, what is the point of spending big money on a player in January that when the others are back from injury you have no place for? and as for SQUILLACI he has had some good games Sunderland Away is a prime example and is defiantly a decent 4th choice centerback which he was brought to be… think before you criticise
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I think that when Wenger bought Squillaci, the Arsenal blogosphere WERE ACTUALLY EXCITED. Just check out the articles a year ago.
ON PAPER, he fit the bill. He has won the French Cup, the French League, and was in the Champions League finals. That does make him “experienced” doesn’t he?
Transfers are not that simplistic.
Buy a Cahill, and if he performs like his seniors in the game against Switzerland, we’d be wasting 20 million quid.
Please take this into consideration when criticizing.
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Baz doesnt seem to have anything else to say other than sake wenger. It sounds funny at times when you say it. You wont make a difference mate so dont waste your energy.
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Wenger needs to deliver a trophy this season or resign.
How long are the fans to suffer due to his sturboness and inability to strengthen thee team
Manure have just won the PL and are still looking to strengthen so wtf is AW doing?
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experience for wenger means very old and very cheap ah ah ah
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What an article,luv gunners,wenger,a stubborn goat.
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AW has to take a pay cut, which can then be used to finance Nasri’s wage demands and to increase the wage structure of the club!!!!
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there are thousand type of experience..
the only experience arsenal youngsters got is
-losing,frustrating,depressing…
sad but truth, and it will continue to hunt them.
and wenger is responsible for this, he basically sent all his youngster out all hope they perform like world class player.
and all he got implant in his player mind its
-its ok to lose, lose is the way of getting experience.
thats why they keep losing, and getting even more losing experience. and thats why they will never ever win anythings.
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You forgot manone… In fact most arsenal fans(fake) don’t know him! He was top class!
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Wenger is a damn rat that deserve d hottest part of hell. I wil keep on saying it dat Wenger wil nvr sign any reasonable player. He wil assure d fans dat it wil take his under-age players 2yrs to become a world class. I’m hv become familiar wit his useless lies. May Wenger’s soul rest in pieces.
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jenkinson!
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Brain out dead(BOD),Szczesny IS QUALITY, not will be and if Given is wat u make him out to be,he should be no 1 at city,not Hart. It is obvious that most arsenal fans know nothing about managing a team,all they know is splash the cash…buy big expensive players. The writer says wenger doesn’t understand the word experience but he fails to clearly define wat it is. Cahill,Samba,Parker,Jones,Baines(the players arsenal fans clamour for),…wat experience do they have. If Wenger is that bad as a manager,why would madrid,city,juve,etc want him as their manager? Does it not tell you wenger is intelligent enough to adjust to the clubs shoe string budget and still compete even in a bias league like the EPL? You want guardiola,mourinho,ferguson. They will fail under the same conditions Arsene is facing now or plunge the club into debt. One thing’s for sure,wenger won’t be sacked but by the time he leaves,he would ve left us a world class stadium,a youth academy,a strong financial base and of course trophies. IN ARSENE WE TRUST!
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“I think we can all agree that Fabianski and more especially Szczesny are solid goalkeeper”
Fabianski is rubbish, inexperienced yes, but so was Joe Hart and I’ve never seen him mess up as much as Flapianksi. He’s learnt well from his mentor Almunia.
Perhaps we should get a new No.1 in and loan out Fabianski for the season. Perhaps dropping down into the championship like casper, whos got stronger and stronger.
Shay would be a good buy this summer, he was injured in January, so we couldnt buy him, we tried to poach Schwarzer but that fell flat on its face.
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superb article, i wonder if Wenger always reading your article if so its great, at list these particular article, those are the turbulent years Wenger make us pass through some time i can talk when Chelsea and Man U fans are talking its a shame when will sign SILVESTRE n CAMPBELL what a sh***t Arsenal has turn to Crystal Palace and Burnley FC i wonder when these man call Wenger will put smile on our face
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Can’t believe so many of you armchair fans with short memories are slating Arsene. O’Dwiscall failed to mention Koscienly, who for me, is quality and will only improve. Yes lehman came back on a pay as you play and he played one and we won that game.
We’ve come close to winning things so i believe it’s not far away, just a few tweaks here and there and we’ll do it. We need a huge bully of a centre back and a powerhouse of a striker.
Keep the faith you bunch of moaners! If I have to put up with you mugs booing our players again next season I’m going to start unloading on you all!
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Szczesny is our new number 1, he world class, mark my words… saw him at brentford and he was phenominal
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Yep my research has confirmed you all started suppotring arsenal since 2005…shame on you all and damn you to hell!
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Wenger just signed an experienced Finnish defender, Carl Jenkinson. When you consider he is 19 yeers old he is definitely have more experience than Wenger’s usual signing of 15 and 16 years old kids.
Great ‘signing’ and should appease those frustrated fans.
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Shut up truth, most of us are saying the same thing you are. you’re not any smarter or any more original in your thinking. You hypocritical piece of shit. Let everyone have their views. If you are taking time to write on these blogs clearly you have some strong feelings for arsenal. Why is it bad to have started cheering for arsenal in 2005 anyway. A lot of the top clubs are gaining fans year in and out and we are losing fans. Why? cause we are sucking. Why are we sucking? A lot of it is because of Wenger. Our 4th CB or with should be an up and coming defender not some rusty guy like squi. 1 2 and 3 should be in their peeks and 4 and 5 should be saved for bartley’s and such
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I see no point on this article
In fact most of the naive fans believe experience is defined by being 30 or older.
Wenger needs to keep our top players, van persie is becoming the experience we have been lacking and he is therefore very influential. But, he is one of the best strikers of the wolrd so at the moment him and his agent look a better contract… guess what many would say goodbye to this marvellous footballer… although we are the third richest club in the wolrd and however we find more appropiate to sign sh*ts like almunia, denilson, squillaci, rosicky (new contract) for amounts between 50-80,000 a week. But when some fantastic player asks for 120,000 it is outrageous.
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I was like every arsenal fan this year had some brilliant moments and some real real low points. That is in the past if we don’t forget what happened last year we will carry on lossing players because of fan support.
If i was arsenal manager i would 1.buy hangerland or cahill sell squallich(excuse spelling please)that will cost 20-25 mill my starting cb would be cahill v-man.
2. sell fabs for 40 million and give jack W the arm band bring in melo from juve for 6 million.
3. give nasir how ever much he wants and tell him to play in the cesc role as we need him more than ever is cesc goes.
4. Play as my midfield
song/melo
jack nasri nzogbia
RVP walcott/ drogba
5 buy drogba and nzogbia no more than 20 mill
6. sell vela denillsion and bendnter and almunia get whatever you can
7. when we play stoke and newscastle and the bully boys play a side that can cope with the big me so bring in Hangerland, cahill v-man and melo and ramsey.
Last thing bring in martin keown or adams as a defensive coach and drill them to stiop letting in set playes
but as i aint the manager i will sit back and watch and CHEER are manager!
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Wenger lacks a lot. He is good recruiting creative MF and strikers, well, sort of. He sucks at defending signigns. Simple.
AW: delegate dude, its simple and maybe you lose control, but you earn other things…maybe even a trophy.
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Does Wenger know the definition of winning trophies nowadays?
Coming to a second place in the next 20 years in PL is the definition of success in Wenger opinion.
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that just about sums it up.wenger as we all know has no idea about defending as it was tony adams who helped him when he he first came to the gunners.
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Those that can manage do it. Those that can’t will sit at a laptop grinding out sniping whines like this. I’ve had about enough of so called fans, more than a little spoiled by success. I was a fan for almost 20 years through the fifties and sixties before they won anything. So as I see it we’re in a golden age that, thanks to AW, will be sustained for years to come. Consistently finishing in the top four & offering a real challenge in all competitions. If thats failure then maybe you’re following the wrong team. Tell you what, go and support Spurs, they LOVE whingeing!
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The_truth: So what’s wrong with starting supporting Arsenal in 2005? In fact thats what we need. My young daughter started knowing football then and has been very loyal to the gooners. But all along she has only seen other teams win trophies and never Arsenal. She is entering her teens and now she tells me she likes ManUre. So in the end, yes it will be only you and me, very old people supporting this team on the basis of history, like Looserpool fans! Is that what you want? No youth in our supporters? Thats very sad.
To all my colleagues who are frustrated by the Arsenehole, here is what I really think of him. Its either this man is really very brilliant and has lived too early before his time such that we are so primitive we do not understand him (I am not sure about the legality of child labour though!). Or simply, as is more likely the case, that this man is really out of his depth and does not know how to fix this team. He is just a plain old fool.
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Are Given and Schwarzer really that good? Has nobody ever seen the cock-ups they make, just like all other keepers, including Schmeichel,Lehmann, Czech etc? Leave our keepers alone. So AW has bought in a few duds. Has old purple-nose never bought any? Or ‘Appy’Arry? Or Jose? They all do it and have spent more money than AW doing it. And none of The Invincibles cost a fortune either. He’s kept us at or near the top with not a lot to spend because we’ve had a world-class stadium to pay for. You can’t spend the same pound twice. Now he’s got some to spend – he will. Trust him. If we get rid of him don’t you think there will be a queue of Clubs after him. And who would we get in his place? Only someone who’s been kicked out of another Club because they couldn’t do a job.
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Sam you might be sucking mate (your words not mine) but I am certainly not! Of course everyone can have their views but I’m asking why you dumb-a$$es have short memories! We don’t have to spend millions to win a trophy, that is my point. I know I hurt you badly with the supporting in 2005 comment but we should be behind our team whatever happens. So have you started supporting united or city now? Idiot. To conclude, I am original and smarter than you. Old man arsene is one million times smarter than you. It’s not his fault you have to get a dictionary out when he speaks you mug!
Next: Nutracker of course there is nothing wrong with supporting arsenal in 2005, all the support is welcome and it’s great your daughter has been following. I’m talking about the disloyal glory hunting adults who have switched teams to whoever’s winning the trophies. Of course your 5 year old likes man u because they’re winning but remember SHE IS 5 YEARS OLD it is natural. All I’m saying is we need to be patient and we’re going to win trophies the right way. Like I said we came close again but it wasn’t good enough. We’re nearly there but we need to get behind our team! Arsene is a living legend, don’t forget the untouchables season, never been done and will never be done again! Thank you and good night.
P.s. Sam you’re still a mug! xx
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some of you honestly; you call yourselves fans, you might as well support Tottenham.
our defence is fine, yes maybe we let in a couple of goals but which team doesn’t?
even barcelona let in goals,
so before you come on these sites wanting to blame our players, actually look at our players, not just listening to other team fans.
if our defence is as terrible as some of you say, we wouldn’t of beat Barca, Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City etc big teams, with quality players,
we flop to smaller teams because we seem to underestimate teams, we need a player with a winning mentality, not some 19 yr old League 1 player (Jenkinson or whatever)
Wenger is just being silly, i give him 1 season; if we win a trophy he stays, if we don’t f@(k off.
we’re tired of paying £50-£90 every week to watch a team of real quality players get embarrassed.
we have the potential to win trophies but no winning mentality, like the carling cup, if we had a proper captain, we probably would have won the cc final,
we have a rubbish excuse of a captain, look at Gerrard; would he ever dream of leaving liverpool? NO, why? because he loves the club as much or MORE than the fans themselves.
thats the kind of players we need, players who would die for the club, give it there all week in week out
i hope fabregas goes, £50m + Affelay? would do me good, he doesn’t want to play for us so he can leave, f@k off we’re tired of getting the same crap EVERY transfer window.
go to barcelona and ruin your career, just dont ask to come back.
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im not a fan of wenger’s not spending policy but has anyone considered that its the board that put him up to it because they don’t like to spend money on players that will demand high wages and are happy to let him take all the flack
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@The_Truth so true even i started supporting arsenal since 2008 but i can understand the position of arsenal without wenger but why can’t these others god knows the time when we went without league 4 20 years straight 1970 to 1990
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Ok if everyone is so raving about the article, please tell who should have Wenger bought? you think its easy to go with a wish list and get everyone on it? We dont have astronomical budgets like chelsea city or even spurs, nor can we plunge into debts like manu and still spend, we are running a football club and not an event management company where we get in the big names to show of.Wenger has made mistakes and he needs to admit it, but when you tell he has only made mistakes that is where my problem lies. For every squillaci he bought, he unearthed akoscienly or a Vermaelen right, you say goal keeper, he did bid for Sorensen but dint happen, he tried Reina as well right, so dont balem him squarely for all wrong doings. the players need to hold their hand up and say sorry i dint perform. You also say you understand cesc and nasri wanting to leave, care to explain???
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Yes, the old man frustrates me as well. He won’t spend big because he believes he shouldn’t have to, it’s not what football is about and we won’t buy trophies. I’m with that totally but he has to be stronger, the team has to be more physical against the smaller teams. We lost a lot of points against teams like sunderland and wigan. Wilshere is a perfect example of what I think is the start of a new England (technical and a typical bulldog). Let fabregas go, no player should stay if they don’t want to. NAsri is a disloyal n0bhead, ooh i want to win trophies…doesn’t everyone you buck-toothed midget?! Let’s cash in on them and get a couple of meatheads in and build the team around Jack and v.persie.
Going to work now so I bid you farewell!
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Adil I hear you, some good points but i cannot let this go
‘we have a rubbish excuse of a captain, look at Gerrard; would he ever dream of leaving liverpool? NO, why? because he loves the club as much or MORE than the fans themselves.’
That is just not true. He came very close to leaving Liverpool for Chelsea. If they hadn’t won the champions league that year he would’ve gone for sure. Moroninho had it all lined up. Gerrard is like eveyone else, he would’ve left if the timing was right, believe me.
In my opinion, wilshere is our new gerrard but Jack is technically superior by miles and he’s got a heart the size of a small island!
Adieu
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Sam…thanks dude..Ʊ are very matured!…and D-silly Truth guy,Ʊ really don’t make sense
I wonder what kind of research you do when you can not seee simple things that doesn’t even need research!
Realmadrid,ac milan,barcelona etc are rich today cause they buy players that makes them money through d sale of merchandise alone(ronaldo,kaka,ronaldihno,becham…)
Are you aware that the cash AW is trying to make will be lost when fans get completely unresponsive to arsenal products and tickets?
Are Ʊ aware that arsenal are loosing fans worldwide?
Are aware that fans are not even pissed over not winning alone…but are mad over d way we loose?
Are Ʊ also aware that we lost this season’s title because we did not have substitutes..we had just a team!
Are Ʊ observant enough to know that even as an arsenal fan…Ʊ can’t be sure Ʊ’ll not concede a late goal!
Can Ʊ compare any player from the invicibles with d bunch we’ve got now?
Do Ʊ know arsenal is the only big team trying to win title without soending?
Did Ʊ know it’s on record that fans have committed suicide because of this team?…check…(In kenya and Nigeria)
Are Ʊ aware that you can be more frustrated than the players that wants to leave?
Did Ʊ know AW bought bischof knowing he had injury?
Are Ʊ aware arsenal is french team….in England!….with english referees?
Have Ʊ asked youself…why must we always buy a french player or french speaking?…how many of them ever becomes legends?how many came back to betray AW himself?!
Are you aware even platini does not like AW’s project!…and AW himself?!
Do Ʊ know that nothing good comes cheap?…I’ll tell you..titles are not cheap,goals are not always cheap….so must be the players!
Are Ʊ smart enough to know that liverpool crumbles immediately alonso left?..quality player!(Just 1 change!)…and now
Are Ʊ now smart enough that just an inclusion of 1 quality character(suarez)brought back the spark?
The-SILLY truth…what character do you have now that will make a difference next season?
Bunch of clowns!….look at this!
Ars. Man. Che
Chamack. Hernandez. Kalou
Bendtner J.s park. Anelka
VP. Rooney. Drogba. (Ok)
Arshavin. Giggs. Malouda
Diaby. Anderson. Ramires
Squillaci. rio. Terry
Denilson. Fabio. Essien/mikel
Vela. Nani. Torres
Funnny dudes!
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Ajizzma, you have fingers like pigs teets mate. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were sam the mug in disguise! Anyway you’re a complete idiot as well. Do I have to keep repeating myself? We came close and with a few key signings we’ll win again with arsene.
Chamack, scored important goals on his own at the start, he got burned out in my opinion. Kalou? Is this a joke? Even chelski fans want him out! You can’t compare bendtner to park, different positions. Anelka we made good money on. I could go on but I’m not wasting any more of my time schooling you. It’s a waste.
Ajizzma, you are the type of moaning arsenal fan who will always have a problem. You are a questionable fan in fact, i believe you are an arsenal-hater with a very very short memory.
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i think “the truth” or whatever that lousy little pig cals himself talks much sh*t dan any idiotic fool i have ever heard of and i insist the best transfer for beloved team is to transfer AW’S stupid ass in exchange for a more trophy minded manager.Just yesterday man u signed phil jones who was previously contacted by arsenal but with the incompetence of our “MR.BEAN” faced coach we were unable to pursue him to team just for 16m
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The transfer season’s not the easiest for coaches (so as not to put too much blame on Wenger)…nevertheless, when i see already strong teams (like Manure and Real Madrid) buying strong players, and they are being really active in the transfer market, it gives me reason for concern…and i wonder what my beloved Arsenal is doing…and all is say is “Has Wenger finally lost it?”
Gooner, Win or Loose.
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Re. The Truth.
Thank God for a REAL gooner. Your only mistake was having aa go at our new gooners.
We all have to start sometime and I started in 1955.
This manager is the best we have ever had but this is the season he must re – establish himself as a top manager by buyng experienced players as he as promised.
For all you “new gooners”, I remember walking around Highbury when Arsenal were playing Blackpool in the old first division and the crowd that day was just under 17000 and we lost!!!! – now that was a crisis.KEEP THE FAITH and KEEP WENGER.
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Mustapha, The_Truth always hurts you. I know you are masquerading as Ajizzma and Sam. Phil Jones is overrated and so is Samba. Mustapha, not only does your pathetic attempt at grammar irritate me, your crude ideas belong in your room with the dirty magazines under your bed. You couldn’t manage to change yourself, let alone manage a team. You don’t have the balls or the integrity.
Kenneth, you along with some others are not reading this correctly. I was merely saying our new supporters should support arsenal through thick and thin as we have, that is all. You’re right though, we need experience and I’m sure the old fella will come through.
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