Chelsea Fans Gutted As Arsene Swoops For Diarra

2 guns September 1st, 2007

“I was gutted to hear Diarra has gone arsenal. I had really high hopes for him, I don’t remember him having 1 bad game for us at all and he was an excellent versatile back up. Just hope he doesn’t fulfill his potential at the Gooners because he will be a great player.”

“I know Diarra wanted to leave but this is just annoying. Why Arsenal? Couldn’t we have flogged him to some mid-table team. Losing a promising young talent like that to your local rivals is hard to stomach.”

“This decision by Chelsea is very disappointing. Diarra played well for us last year when he had his chances.
To sell such a talent like Diarra will one day, just like Gallas, cost us.”

“What Wenger knows is picking young talents and him wanting Diarra is a testament to what good talent he is. I can’t believe the club let him go when it’s obvious Wenger rates him. Just hope Wengers evaluation of him is as flawed as his evaluation of Baptista etc. Over so many years, how many has Wenger got wrong?”

Thanks to the CFC-net forums for those hilarious comments. After getting Gallas last year, we’re almost getting to the point where we can make crass jokes about Chelsea being our “feeder club”.

Diarra’s a good signing. Not an obvious one in terms of what we need in the squad, but a good player nonetheless. Sometime next week I’ll be assessing all our transfers and final squad in a more in-depth season preview, but for now, I’m pretty pleased with this deal. Meanwhile, Jay Simpson also joined Millwall on a six-month loan deal.

The fall-out from the “Red & White” investment in Arsenal continues. Apparently several Arsenal blogs (though not, for reasons I cannot possibly imagine, Gunnerblog) were quoted in the Financial Times, which gives me some hope: with the Arsenal Supporters Trust happy to support Dein & Co, the fans opposed to United Fan Usmanov need to be heard. Fortunately for us, “Arsenal fans despair at takeover attempt” is probably a better story than “Arsenal fans gleeful at dodgy takeover”.

You can read Arsene’s comments on the situation here. As usual, he says all the right things.

Finally, one of the more popular posters on the comments section, Respects Highbury, has written some extended thoughts on the Usmanov story, which can be read as the first entry in the comments section below.

Portsmouth Preview tomorrow.

Entry Filed under:

247 Comments Add your own

  • 1. GS  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:20 am

    Here’s the piece by Respects:

    Good afternoon all.
    It has been a fairly long while since I have posted on Gunnerblog, as a result of various circumstances – although I have continued to read the passing comments of some.
    Today however, I felt that I need to write something. I feel I need to vent my emotions. This whole business involving he Russian oligarch Usmanov has left me feeling rather uneasy. In fact, I would say that I am apoplectic with rage. What saddens me more than this recent development however, is the apparent notion that a significant proportion of Arsenal fans seems to be in favour of such a move. This beggars belief to be frank.

    I wish to give my version on events. I can of course, fully accept the arguments of others whom think that any potential new cash injection will render us more competitive as a club – however, the point of my post is to try and refute these claims vociferously, with evidence. Only evidence will be able to enable us to perhaps reach any form of enlightened informed choice.

    First of all, there are those who think that a takeover would represent a huge step forward for the club, as a result of the increased financial clout it would represent.
    Here is the flip-side to that argument.
    Arsene Wenger has been manager of Arsenal football club since 1997. In that period of time, Arsene Wenger’s net annual spending has never exceeded the sum of £16 million net. If you backdate all transfers and weigh up the overheads and total ingression vs expenditure, it’s even less than that, and resembles something along the £8 million mark. Arsenal is the only Premiership club to have consistently registered a profit in the transfer market over the course of the last 3-4 years. This has little to do with inaccessibility to funds. It has everything to do with Wenger’s shrewd business acumen and, quaint refusal to pay over the odds for players. I would like those in favour of any proposed takeover therefore, with these facts presented before them, to please explain how this would affect Wenger’s ‘modus operandi’ and working methods that have served him so well.
    Do you think Dein and Usmanov will sack him if he refuses to alter the methods that have brought our club unprecedented success? In the statement yesterday, the focal point of it was that the retention of Arsene Wenger is central to their plans. One of the principal reasons the gluttonous Russian shark has swooped is precisely to do with the profitability of Arsenal: magnificent facilities, real estate in London and an economical miracle-worker in the transfer market who, can bring you a profit every summer. If anybody thinks that a man with a personal fortune estimated to be less than half of Abramovich’s, is going to throw money around as if it were confetti at George Michael’s wedding then, think again. To get in a proprietor who insists on the manager spending obscene amounts of cash on fantasy football signings takes away from the essence of Wenger’s work and impinges on his ethos.
    London Colney has a reputation as the finest training facility in the world. When we signed Denilson, it was after he had trained in Colney with the Brazil under-19s that he realized the brilliance of the facilities at Arsenal, and he insisted in his press conference that the ability to work under such facilities, with a manager committed to the rapid development of young players, was too good to turn down.

    The infrastructure at Arsenal is first-class. The Chavs, for all their illicit blood money, continued to train at Cobham’s run-down school playing fields, and showered in the boys’ junior changing facilities. Allayed to that, they continue to play in a ground that can only be described as Alan Tichmarsh’s autumn cabbage patch.

    Compare this to Arsenal, who have managed to acquire one of the best training grounds in the world, the highest match-day revenue in world football and a wonderful ground. All without the assistance of exorbitant sums of cash.
    The evidence, suggests that it has all to do with planning, patience and a commitment to stringent organization and foresight. Not, outrageous amounts of cash.

    What can Usmanov and Dein bring us, that this current board has not?

    Evidence, demonstrates that the richest man in the UK and one of the ten richest men alive in Roman Abramovich, has reined in Chavski’s spending, to the extent that Jose Mourinho has banked a profit of £7 million this summer- this would have been unthinkable 3 seasons ago. So if Roman himself has subscribed to a policy of self-sufficiency, who is to say the considerably poorer Usmanov will not follow suit?

    The following issue I wish to address are the feeble apologetic excuses for Usmanov’s ill-gotten wealth: ‘All money in Russia is dirty. Find me clean money in Russia’’
    Good point. ‘’If it hadn’t been him, it woulda been someone else’’.
    Maybe so.
    My unease with this? This is the same disingenuous line of excuses I heard from Chelski fans after Roman Abramovich took over. We are Arsenal fans and we should be better than that.
    I am aware that football has moved on with the times, and that the now uber-commercialized ‘EPL’ brand, has made it a strong global brand. This rapid acceleration of capital inflows has lead to two things:
    1 – Fans of various clubs are wanting a quick-fix sugar daddy to remedy ailments
    2 – Reprehensible characters with blood on their hands are using football clubs as means of channelling illicit funds through otherwise legal assets.

    As promised, it is best to only observe the evidence of this and address both points.
    Most people of a sane disposition concur, that Roman Abramovich is of a pernicious background, with a malevolent business streak and dubious methods of means to an end. Abramovich was the blueprint, and now our league has been run over roughshod by a clique of similarly-conceived usurpers: Eggert Magnusson at West Ham. A ‘biscuit baron’ whose Icelandic consortium has been responsible for aiding and abetting Russian gangsters in acquiring assets in Europe, they should otherwise not be allowed to. Sacha Gaydamak at Portsmouth, whose father made a fortune financing human rights oppressors and a blood-thirsty government in Angola. He circumvented a UN arms embargo by fueling a deleterious environment with various weapons, and receiving oil in exchange for this. He is listed on Interpol’s wanted list despite having taken refuge in Israel. Then there is even the forgotten Mohammed al-Fayed of Fulham. The man who has been refused a British passport on countless occasions, despite being one of the largest single contributors to British retail industry and providing the UK Treasury with hundreds of millions in delicious taxes. So why still no passport?
    Again, like Gaydamak, Al-Fayed was responsible for making his fortune by financing terror cells in Yemen with weapons. Terror cells that were responsible for mortar attacks and bombings.
    Thaksin Shinawatra at Manchester City, my personal favourite.
    An egregious oppressor of Human Right of the worst kind.
    Defrauded his nation out of billions of Thai Baht (currency) in state assets and revenue, that could have been used to alleviate the suffering of millions of rural citizens of Thailand. Sold his ShinCorp corporation illicitly, shaved off the tax.
    That’s not even the worst part. The worst part is, Shinawatra had a close brotherhood of drug-baron friends. In exchange for masses of wealth and a cut of the drug-profits, Shinawatra offered these drug-barons invincibility by promising to cleanse Bangkok of its’ main rival drug-gangs. Cue a spate of extra-judicial executions, with eye-witnesses reporting police forces raiding address, asking no questions and executing ‘suspects’ mafia-style. Oh and there’s the international arrest warrant issued by the Thai junta for him.
    Again. You could either bury your head in the sand. Alternatively, you could go on the Human Rights Watch web-site and formulate your own deductions.
    So how does this tie in with Arsenal?

    Usmanov. That’s how.
    Usmanov is a Russian oligarch. Arseblogger said as much on his column today: anybody who made a fortune in the post- Soviet bloc era and under the auspices of Boris Yeltsin, is a character of the most malodorous kind. He has been imprisoned for rape and extortion – only to be reprieved by presidential pardon. A presidential pardon in Russia is a little bit like a pardon by George W Bush to mendacious CIA officials. Or a little like Thierry Henry telling you that he would never sign for another team than Arsenal for the rest of his career: it’s laughable claptrap, not worth the paper it is written on.

    Anybody who thinks that Usmanov is not a dubious character then, please, I beg you to read a book entitled ‘Globalization and its Discontents’ by Nobel prize-winning World Bank economist Joseph Stiglitz. Stiglitz worked closely with the Russian administration and oversaw the financial meltdown of Russia, so the evidence is conclusive. Read Chapter 5 entitled: ‘’Who Lost Russia?’’
    It should provide you with some insight into just what kind of people Abramovich, Berezovsky and Usmanov are. If after reading that chapter, you are still convinced by the merits of such philanthropists, then good on you.

    As Arsenal fans, we should care about the source of our funding and not attempt to compensate by pointing to the fact that, since everybody is involved in a gang-rape, we might as well join in – seeing as we were not the first to initiate it. It does not absolve you of guilt: it’s called guilt by association. No true Arsenal fan in this world, should turn their noses up at the people who have died, been tortured and lost their families – all in the name of lifting the Champions league and Premiership. Is it really worth it? How hollow would it feel? Were these not the same accusations we were throwing at the Chavs? Would it make us any better than them thereafter?

    The other point that those who advocate this potential takeover overlook, is that ok. Say we get this outrageous transfer chest. We sign Kaka, Eto’o, Messi, Ronaldinho, Buffon and Gerrard. Who is to say that this would guarantee us instant success?
    Let us observe the precedents. Real Madrid and the Galacticos: did well for a two years, but imploded and spend four years in the wilderness, trying to recover.
    Chelski: won back-to-back titles which is impressive. Beset by in-fighting however, and surrendered the title to a ManUre side that only spent £6 million net.
    Who is the most successful Prem side of all-time? ManUre. 9 titles in 15 years.
    How did this come about? Brian Kidd brought through some special talents from their academy, which formed the backbone of their team for years – some of which, are still present even now: Giggs, Scholes, Beckham, Neville. The transfers that helped them along the way were cheap ones: Cole, Yorke, Stam, Sheringham. These were all affordable relatively low-cost transfers.
    Arsenal under Arsene Wenger has consistently outperformed richer teams e.g. Liverpool in the league. We came within a whisker of being European champions with a team that cost less than Drogba and Essien put together.
    We created a European record of 1000 minutes without conceding, with a makeshift back-five defence that cost less than Khalid Bouhlarouz. Christs’ sake it cost less than Titus Bramble. Yes, we may not have won – but it showed that team unity and spirit has no substitute. Certainly not billions of shifty roubles.

    One final word has to go on David Dein. I have been watching Arsenal since I was a 7 year-old boy. I stood on the terraces in the North Bank and used to marvel at the colourful language used all around me. I also know that David Dein used to do exactly the same thing and I do not for an instance doubt that he is an Arsenal fan, just like you, and just like me.
    But Dein’s subterfuge, methods and motivation and quite frankly, disturbing.
    I plead with you, do not let his mellifluous ramblings have you taken in or fooled. Fall not for his obsequious statements and ‘Red and White holdings’ lark. It is nothing but PR-spin and you all know it. David Dein is a perfect example of the old adage that:
    ‘Power corrupts. Absolute power, corrupts absolutely’

    I realize that Arsenal have been underperforming in the league for three years and that especially last season, was a nadir in incompetence. I agree we need signings and I would love nothing more than to hear we had signed Lionel Messi on transfer deadline tonight. I do not really rate Alex Song and think Wenger erred greatly in releasing Pires. I think the Sol Campbell affair could have been handled better. I feel his substitutions in the Champions League final may well have cost us taking a 2-0 lead and winning it.

    Despite this, Wenger is still the most important thing for us. I know that he needs to improve, and this season will be huge for him. He has to deliver something competent, I fully agree. However, if you think David Dein’s reappearing on his cavaliering white stallion is the answer then….David Dein is a man who wanted us to ground-share Wembley. I would have laughed at Sp*rs if they had done this, so what a pathetic idea. I agree it would have save the club money – but does anybody remember the last Wembley experiment? And since everybody is so intent on telling us how much we struggle to get used to our new surroundings – then surely we would have struggled to break teams down at Wembley anyway, right? Surely we would have continued to drop points against mediocre sides, right? The only difference would have been, we would have been more cash-rich in the process. But would Wenger have spent that cash? We both know the answer is ‘no’.

    I also have to question Dein’s timing. For somebody who professes such ‘love’ for the club, he sure has a funny way of showing it. If I loved Arsenal and had a 14.75% stake at my disposal, then I would start my own holdings company. Why involve others? Not least a questionable Russian oligarch? The man who denounced Abramovich jumps into a Russian tank wearing nothing but a mini-skirt and a g-string. Pathetic ‘trahison’. Additionally, the timing smacks of an egotistical publicity-hungry, insecure little man trying to divert the world’s eyes to his orange person.
    After a tumultuous summer of constant negativity surrounding the Henry sale, Wenger’s contract, our poor season and ex-players sniping at every given opportunity: at last, we produce a strong start to the Premiership season, we qualify for the group stages of the Champions League, Wenger on the verge of signing a new contract…and what do we get on the very day of the Champions league draw? Yup.
    Mr Dein makes an announcement.
    These are not the actions of somebody in love with the club.
    This is more tantamount to the actions of somebody defecating on their own doorstep.

    Though I agree that Dein’s exit was graceless, what more could have been done?
    He broke the rules and attempted to hawk off the club to the highest bidder. He had to go. And now, fueled solely by avarice, revenge and vindictive rancor, Dein is doing all he can to re-calibrate himself as the saviour incarnate. And some of you are falling for it.

    Arsenal F.C was founded in 1886. That’s right. It was founded before Liverpool, Manchester United, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and even Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. That is a hell of a lot of history. Every single club at present, despite the globalization of the game, possesses an indication of its heritage within the club: at United, Old Trafford. Liverpool have Anfield, their anthem and a Scouser as their captain. Bayern Munich have Rummenige and Hoeness as integral club directors. AC Milan have the Giuseppe Meazza. FC Barcelona have the Camp Nou.

    When we moved from Highbury, we lost a huge part of our heritage. I agree that the game is globalized and that we often field teams of eleven foreigners. (Which in my view, is positive integration). However, one of the remaining vestiges of our culture and heritage remains within the board. I agree this board has irritated on occasion and often appear out of touch. Irrespective, they remain custodians of the club. The Hill-Wood family have been associated with this club for virtually as long as it’s been around. If we allow ourselves to be taken over by a reprehensible character – this has little to do with his nationality, but all to do with his background and disposition – we may as well resign ourselves to becoming just another rich oligarch’s plaything.

  • 2. Abdullah  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:24 am

    Good signing an all…but where is he gonna play?

    yay 4 me im the 1st to post…well after the respects post

  • 3. gooner_15  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:25 am

    2nd gun

  • 4. gunnershabz  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:25 am

    lassana diarra is a great signing for us, the more quality we have the better we become.
    i think we can challenge for the title, it just depends on players being fit thats all.

  • 5. gooner  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:27 am

    hell yeah!

  • 6. ASDFF  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:28 am

    TOP TEN AGAIN!

  • 7. highbury1913  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:33 am

    top 10?

  • 8. Mr Stitch  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:34 am

    Respects piece says it all. Couldn’t agree more and the best piece I’ve seen on this subject. I felt (literally) nauseous when I heard what Dein had done. How can he tie himself up with such people?

  • 9. Kos  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:36 am

    Diarra is exactly what we need in the squad as we have no back up for Gilberto. Flamini, for all his efforts, is simply not good enough and shows no sign that he ever will be. We do have a glut of CM’s but they are all attacking players - Cesc, Denilson and Diaby. Just because Diaby can tackle it does not make him a defensive midfielder. Diaby is always looking to get forward and needs to learn about the defensive side of his role also. Diarra provides competition for Gilberto but its a pity that he’s quite small!

  • 10. Gunner 8  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:36 am

    Well it’s a signing innit… …although when I switched on SSN this morning not a mention bias bastards

  • 11. Arsene Wenger II  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:37 am

    Top 10 for the first time

  • 12. highbury1913  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:37 am

    My view on our transfer activities: :D

    http://highbury1913.blogspot.com/2007/09/arsenal-improve-squad-and-still-make.html

  • 13. Arsene Wenger II  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:38 am

    Top 20 =( (Sniff sniff)

  • 14. Steve  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:40 am

    Diarra is a class player and is versatile. Wish we hadn’t sold him, but the truth is he’s not as good as Maka, Essien or Mikel. In addition, Ballack and even Lampard can / have played the defensive role for the club before so he just wasn’t going to get the games. Arsenal don’t have the strength in depth of Chelsea in that position so he will get games for them and will develop the potential he has. You got a bargain and it may haunt Chelsea in the long term, but not in the short term.

    As for Gallas / Cole I think the opposite. Gallas has whinged about the club constantly whilst Cole has admitted he wasn’t good enough last year and has said he wants to put it right. Cole’s performances this year have made him our player of the season IMO.

  • 15. gunnershabz  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:42 am

    diarra will be great, its good to see chelsea having frank lampard injured, lets see how they cope now.

    liverpool and chelsea have always had stevie g and frank lampard available but now they both injured.

  • 16. El Tommo  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:48 am

    zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

  • 17. Kros  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:50 am

    14 Chelsea fan

    I dont think any comparisons or judgements can be made between Gallas and Cole yet as both of them have been shite thus far.
    In fairness Gallas has looked like a strong captain this season until his injury.

    Diarra might not be the finished article yet but he’s young and has allot of talent and quite frankly im very pleased with his arrival.

    By the way great article above by Respect and yesterday I was not sure which side I leant towards regarding this matter. But I have slowly felt an unease and now reading article am dead against Red and White exploits.

  • 18. Geekov  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:00 pm

    Nice work Repsects. Well said, agree entirely really.

  • 19. RockyLives  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:00 pm

    As to Wenger’s thinking in signing Diarra, how about this: One area where our squad depth is weak is in central defence. If any two of Kolo, Big Phil and Gallas are injured or suspended we have to draft Gilbs in to centre back. Diarra would then be the cover for Gilbs in the defensive midfield role.
    Incidentally, I think AZrsenal fans are bit hard on the Flamster. He’s played some good games this season but most of his work is unspectacular. He tracks the runs of opposing midfielders better than anyone and breaks up lots of opposition moves. And he pops up with the occasional goal too. At least we now have three strong players vying for the defensive midfield role.

  • 20. Steve  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:02 pm

    Respect - Chelsea, or the Chavs as you refer them, now genuinely do have the best training facility in the world at Cobham. They used to train at Harlington which was terrible but moved out almost immediately after Abramovich came along. They also have a cracking youth system in place which rivals Arsenals and will sustain the club for the next generation
    (5 England U19’s for example). We also, have improved the quality of our squad this season (exemplified by my post above re Diarra) AND made a significant profit along the way with the sale of Robben. We will also know in the next 18months whether we can expand the stadium or will have to acquire a new one in the way Arsenal and Liverpool have done so.

    As for your politcal concerns with the club and the (inevitable, Im afraid) takeover I do concur that it doesn’t appear to be in the club’s best interests. What makes me all the more concerned is that Dein was the bloke who continually professed that the future of Arsenal was Cashburden Grove. Now, however, he’s backing a similar takeover to the one which he and Wenger despised so much at Chelsea. I admit that whilst the success for Chelsea has been fantastic as a lifelong fan, the club is slowly moving away from the fans and buying ‘names’ rather than ‘players’ (ie Ballack and Shevchenko and no doubt next season Ronaldinho).

    Good luck for the season - I think you will be stronger than many beleive - especially when you consider Henry didn’t feature much last season and you still came fourth. The team will be less based around him and may actually pull together.

  • 21. Mike  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:03 pm

    Great analysis the Respects.

    Dein did do some good stuff for the club, but it’s now about his ego, not any altruism, and it’s outweighing any good done by a country mile already.

    It’s very telling that Kroenke, a man who likes to stay in the background and have a front man, has obviously lost faith in him to the degree that he didn’t want to buy his shares and allow dein to “run” the holding company.

    Dein has sold of his shares to some characters so that he can be “chairman” of red & White.

    That is very indicative of the type of person he is. He is obviously more concerned with fame and titles than in substance, otherwise he would have kept his shares.

    He sold Danny Fiszman shares when they were big mates. Now they don’t speak.

    A similar thing seems to have happened with Kroenke.

    How long before his new “pals” get tired of him? This time though, maybe they won’t just not speak to him, maybe he could get a parting gift of some shoes, cement ones?

    I suspect that most of the turmoil and bad press we have had in the off season was comeing from dein and his camp.

    He’s not batman, he’s not a valued player, he’s a director. He’s nowhere near as important to the club as Wenger, or even one of the squad players for that matter, it’s just the PR bullsh!t that’s been put out that some are swallowing hook, line and sinker.

    I must say, I am VERY disappointed in the Arsenal Supporter’s Trust.

    I was considering joinging them, but there is certainly no way I intend doing so now, they have swallowed the “Dein is a superhero” rubbish far too easily imo.

  • 22. Geekov  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:03 pm

    Gallas v Cole???? You serious?

    Cole; went behind his clubs back, met a rival manager chief Kunt Kenyon about a move, illegally. Lied tio the club, fans, feigned injury only to suddenly be fir for the CL Final.

    Gallas; Told it like it was; team needs to up their game, players need to become more accountable, henry/Freddy can piss off if they don’t wanna stick around. Now he’s captain and doing and saying everything right.

    No contest.

    Cashley tweedy is a cunt of the lowest order.

  • 23. Ash  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:05 pm

    We’re turning into a team of midgets. Please Wenger sign someone over 6 ft!

    Seriously speaking I think its a good signing. We only have one ball winner in midfield. Diarra is another hardworker, he is small but so is Makelele. We dont need to worry now about Alexandre Song’s scary last few minute appearances.

  • 24. Chapman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:06 pm

    An excellent post!

    We´re so privileged to support this club and especially now when we´re the only top team in this country who isn´t a billionaire´s plaything. Dein could have secured the future of this club together with the board, but instead he went behind the board´s and Wenger´s back by affiliating with Kroenke and now Usmanov.

    The press is speculating wether Kroenke will collaborate with the current board against the Red and White Holdings, and such irony that would be for Dein. I hope we can withstand the pressure from Dein an co and with the influx of funds from the Highbury flats next year we should be in a very sound financial position even without outside investment.

  • 25. Geekov  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:06 pm

    Steve; Thanks for the posts fella. You seem quite sane for a Chav! Definitely compared to some of the dregs that apper on here.

    No offence

  • 26. WillyG  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:10 pm

    Nice surprise,even thought he was not what we really needed…this guy is good and I allways welcome good players,might well mean the end of Flamini and we will see Diaby for on the wing I think.

  • 27. PhilTheGooner  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:12 pm

    Maximum respects to Respect Highbury for a well informed post that I think will strike home to most “real” gunners.

    Never has the phrase “It’s not the winning that counts but how you play the game” meant so much, and I’m not just talking about the 90 minutes spent on the football pitch. I’m talking about the whole ethos of the club. It makes me proud to think what we’ve acheive under Graham and Wenger, whilst mainly being thought of as underdogs to the likes of Utd and Liverpool. It makes me proud that we’re a self suffucient club, to throw all this away in the pursuit of glory would be criminal. We’ve managed plenty of glory without Russian billionaires so far thank you very much.

  • 28. Adam  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:14 pm

    steve, i wish all chelsea fans were like you

  • 29. Geekov  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:15 pm

    IF they cannot get hold of sufficient shares, then what the fuck will Usmanov do? Can we expect a few shareholders mysteriously having fatal accidents while shaving? Mowing the lawn or putting the cat out?

    Hmmm

  • 30. DeiseGooner  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:15 pm

    I hope the current board fight this. They hold the majotiry and they should also try and buy back what Kronke owns. I also hope the fans back the board and not Dein in this. Bringing this Usmanov guy into the fold is disgracful to be honest. The quest for power and money for Usmanov and his like have led them to unspeakable acts. Dein is threading that same slope. Wile he will never act in the same way he is now guilty by association.

  • 31. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:19 pm

    Respects I salute you.
    I belive that the emirates should be boycotted and blockaded the day that the takeover bid is launched. Like it or not, the ppl still decide. And that must annoy them no end, because they can normally just kill them or send them to gulags. Lets not let the orange curtain decend on Ashburton for even one day.

  • 32. Pier  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:25 pm

    Great post by respects. BUT do you seriously believe that the current board have the stomach for the fight ahead. I’m not so sure. Fizsman, who is the main player wants his Swiss exile status and may want to cash in. Hill Wood who is Arsenal through and through isnt canny enough to repel this takeover alone. Bracewell Smith does as she is told. Edelman isnt really an Arsenal man at all and therefore wont be prepared to get his hands dirty.
    Why did the board only commit to a 1yr policy of not selling their shares? Hardly a never say die attitude.
    Perhaps Kroenke will join forces with the current board to repel the takeover, but a lot of humble pie will need to be eaten by Hill Wood first.
    Still I’m not sure about Kroenke either. Will he want to battle Red and White? There will only be one winner I’m afraid.
    The key to all this is Fizsman and what his plans for the future are. Until such time as he reveals his hand all gooners everywhere must sit and wait nervously.

  • 33. Arsenalfever  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:27 pm

    This is not a good buy, the guy had one year left, the comments by the Chelsea cfc fans are naive to the extreme. if the fee is around reported 5-6 million I can’t believe we wasted that much on a guy who would of been free next summer, the kid is a good athlete, played better at right back then dm, which is his natural pos.

    He managed to take spot from Ferreira and Geremi at RB, which is not a hard feat, , only thing he adds is versitile and can fit in with the French atomosphere.

    I don’t like , we could of done better, I don’t like the fact we have to get players from Chelsea now.

  • 34. Gunner 8  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:28 pm

    Respects bend over and let me plant a huge smacker on your Arse!

    What a well written piece that should clarify the situation for a lot of gooners ™ out there.

    Thankk you for taking the time to post that.

    Gunner8

  • 35. Pier  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:28 pm

    I’d also like to hear TH’s comments on what his mate DD has done. Wouldn’t you?

  • 36. Pier  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:30 pm

    33 Arsefever - Chelsea have become our feeder club. Just be happy with that!! ;o)

  • 37. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:32 pm

    33 I think they would have sold him elsewhere if he didnt re-sign. They couldnt risk him leavin on a free. Anyway we already got dopey, sneezy, happy, glum, angry, and sleepy. So now we got the full set and you always get more for a full set. We even got Snow Whenger……. and the wicked orange witch.

  • 38. Le grill  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:33 pm

    For all your write up, alarmist though, you did not mention the board of any of the teams as constituting the “heritage” of the club. For goodness sake, grow up; how can you honestly hold on to the view that the members of the board of any organisation contitute its heritage. You must have been born before and in 1070A.D.

    The other aspects of your write up are quite interesting and I do agree with you that the source of wealth should pla a very prominent part in determining who holds a stake in our beloved club, even if other do not adopt such moral high grounds. But then again, shouldn’t the British government also take action on such issues against the backdrop of prevailing money laundary legislations.

    Sad as it may seem, wealth, no matter how ill gotten seems to be playing such major role in EPL and I sincerely wonder why this is not prevalent in other leagues, do not tell me that they are not sufficiently high class, as money brings inplayers and coaches and these make the league high class. Dear fellow fan, Look for the solution to your this problem internally and not externally.

  • 39. *_Respects Highbury  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:33 pm

    Thanks everyone.

  • 40. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:37 pm

    38 I think the owners are an integral part of the heritage. Particularly in this case, having such a long association and also being reponsible for the creation of the new heritage icons, like ashburton.

    1070? Didnt we win the FA cup in 1070? Or was that the round heads?

  • 41. Gunner 8  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:38 pm

    20. Steve | September 1st, 2007 at 12:02 pm

    Steve, thank you so much for your analysis… …I know the new cobham facility is suposed to be superb… …developing your stadium will not be good enough your only option would be to knock down Earls Court.

    Anyway nice to see a rival fan comming on the blog with something other than;

    chelsea4life

    arsenal fans are cunts and wenger is a paedophile

    Thanks for being refreshing

  • 42. Steve  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:39 pm

    Gallas: The club has no ambition and needs to sign players of better quality. I will leave if they don’t show me there ambition.

    He was the same at Chelsea - always mouthing off.

    Stupid choice for capatin if you ask me.

  • 43. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:40 pm

    42 I did agree initially but the team looked trnsformed under him, and lost at sea when he limped off. AW knows…….tooo much

  • 44. les  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:41 pm

    great article by respect……..no oligargh money and dein is a c***.

  • 45. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:42 pm

    Hey Steve, do they chant Ashley’s name… that’s what he said he wanted?

  • 46. RockyLives  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:51 pm

    One question for Respects: Notwithstanding your very pertinent analysis that Wenger is not a spender and never will be, the main thrust of your piece is that we, as supporters, should not tolerate unethical investment. In that case where do you stand on the Kroenke issue? If his money can be deemed to be ‘clean’ compared with other oligarchs’ money, does that make a takeover by him acceptable?
    For what it’s worth I take the rather old-fashioned view that a club should be rooted in its community and not be a satellite of a multinational corporation. The problem with multinationals (and the people who run them, be they and executive board or an individual billionaire) is that when the satellite investment ceases to be important or when pressures are felt elsewhere in the business it’s just as easy to pull out your investment as it is to put it in. Stuffy upper-crust old buggers they may be, but the Arsenal Board do embody something of the dignity and tradition that our great club represents.

  • 47. sam  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:51 pm

    Stevie shut the fuck up…………. and bugger off

  • 48. Kill2Smile  |  September 1st, 2007 at 12:59 pm

    Don’t worry dudes - with Dein at the helm it doesn’t matter if Osama Bin Laden funds us - he is Mr. Arsenal.

  • 49. patthegooner  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:04 pm

    Well I am pleased that is all over,

    Diarra was a pleasant surprise to wake up to (I gave up at 11PM). Initially when we were linked I was not that bothered that we signed him, but a few weeks of seeing Sideshow Song on the bench justifies his purchase as a utility player and probably long term replacement for Gilberto.

    Overall though on the transfer, I am one Robinho/Left Winger short of being a very Happy Gooner. Luckily our good start has kept me from being too doom and gloom about it. I just hope that Rosicky keeps fit and develops into the player that we hoped for. as for upfront I still think we are a little short of class and base this on the fact that Eduardo will need to settle, Bendtner is a promising kid that should be playing regular for the reserves with the odd outing in the 1st’s and in my mind Adebayor will only ever be a link man which is all very well but it puts a lot of pressure on RVP to deliver the goals.

    Nothing we can do about it now so come on Arsenal,

    One Final point, if Wenger did manage to win the League with this squad, he should be given Manager of the Century.

  • 50. Geekov  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:12 pm

    fuck me has anyone actually enough time or patience to read that first post i fell asleep twice, boring, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, ps i bet y-fronts man will give us his opinion which will be twice as boring, that is right after hes finished complaining to gilberto silver for the 500th fucking time about something or other that gets up his nose on here today, fucking little twat is underpants man

  • 51. DeiseGooner  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:12 pm

    Oh i see we got Newastle in the league cup !

  • 52. tOM hUNT  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:18 pm

    im sure david dein will be worried sick that you crowd of nerdy geeks disagree with him, you people who i bet have never been to an arsenal game yet have the balls to criticise dein whos made arsenal what it is make me laugh, have you nothing else to do, i read here sometimes and its amazing how the same knobs are here almost 24 hours a day,haave you no life

  • 53. LeArse  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:20 pm

    Tom Hunt is David Dein!!

    The PR machine is back at it!

  • 54. tOM hUNT  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:21 pm

    sometimes i agree with you gilberto but sometimes you dont half come out with a pile of shite but no matter what you say you’ve got a little group of sheep here who adore you and im sure no matter what you say they’ll agree

  • 55. arsene knows  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:22 pm

    tee hee, 53 was me

  • 56. Super Super Le  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:26 pm

    34 & 40. He did get skinned at RB alot like Glenn Jonno used to as well, use to make me laugh alot, A Cole has been showing those weaknesses since he left Arsenal, he is declining, hopefully Arsene can work some magic on Diarra, he will need to, not convinced.

  • 57. Super Super Le  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:26 pm

    Essien next season, tapped up by Gallas.

  • 58. chealsea r shit  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:29 pm

    tricky tie in carling cup at home to newcastle .p.s dick(aka willy) u chat enough shit i know its my first time writing on the blog but i read the blog yesterday and u said quresma was joining spurs or chealsea where did he go? NOWHERE!

  • 59. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:32 pm

    58. jesus give the guy a break he thought the romours were true so he told them to every1 rather stupid i know ! but just chill out yeah

  • 60. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:33 pm

    champions fuck u cock sukin pussy hole

  • 61. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:34 pm

    who the fuck is pretending to be the real champs?

  • 62. master of pain  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:35 pm

    newcastle in carling cup……….we’ll smack the walrus cunt….

  • 63. Gunner 8  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:35 pm

    46. RockyLives | September 1st, 2007 at 12:51 pm
    One question for Respects: Notwithstanding your very pertinent analysis that Wenger is not a spender and never will be, the main thrust of your piece is that we, as supporters, should not tolerate unethical investment. In that case where do you stand on the Kroenke issue? If his money can be deemed to be ‘clean’ compared with other oligarchs’ money, does that make a takeover by him acceptable?

    Rocky Lives, I know you asked Respects but Kroenke got most of his wealth through a method akin to insider trading… …his wife a director of Wal-Mart the wonderful chain that has ripped the soul out of so many beautiful towns (also a great episode of South Park) told him where and when they would be building their shops, so that he could buy the (then worthless) land around the megastores and build mini malls that survive next to the Super Mega Wal-Marts while the main streets wither and die.

    Hardly made his money cleanly, but has any billionaire made their money by not lying and cheating?

    guffaw

  • 64. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:40 pm

    54 I want to be interesting and vital and lively like tom… but I am trapped here in my half existence. Do you have trouble meeting ppl Tom? And when they get to know you do the invitations dry up? It must be lonley being so pretetious.

  • 65. arsene does not know  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:40 pm

    63, gunner8, fucking hell you really are an angry young man arnt you. now you even have a problem with the wallmart, ffs who gives a fuck about a shopping centre, so fucking what, its business, are you for real or have you been drinking

  • 66. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:42 pm

    ill be standing up for you gilberto silver, i love you, mabey some day you can mention me in your posts, thanks gilberto

  • 67. y-fronts man  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:45 pm

    here here 66. i wish to make a complaint to gilberto about those guys that dont see it our way, we’re the only true fans and if you dont see it like us then your not welcome

  • 68. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:47 pm

    I am finally important enuf to have my ID stolen. I have arrived

  • 69. JuJu  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:50 pm

    Just when we all thought the final squad of this new season is finalized, Wenger comes up with yet another suprise for all gunners. I remember when i first saw diarra play for chelsea, i was telling my friend how this player perfectly suits our team and i dont understand why Wenger never spotted him in the first place. And when i saw the news this morning that he has officially signed for arsenal, i immedieatly called the same friend and was reminding him of that night in our favorite bar. This is a great signing and will surely boost our chances of any silverware even more! It seems like chelsea’s overly large financial accounts have even cost them their minds coz this decision of theirs shows sheer stupidity from their side.

    ANyways screw them, welcome home DIarra!!!

  • 70. y-fronts man  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:50 pm

    dont worry 64 munitionsman, you’re always welcome here, you dont need an invitation, and dont try too hard arse licking and friends will stay around, no need to feel lonely, we like you here, you’re our friend

  • 71. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:53 pm

    did i ever tell you guys how i picked my name, im sure i mentioned it before but guess again, its cool, go on guess

  • 72. fu  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:54 pm

    71 is it the latin word for twat?

  • 73. fu  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:55 pm

    or perhaps knob

  • 74. fu  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:55 pm

    defnitely one of them, has to be

  • 75. Gunner 8  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:55 pm

    65. arsene does not know | September 1st, 2007 at 1:40 pm
    63, gunner8, fucking hell you really are an angry young man arnt you. now you even have a problem with the wallmart, ffs who gives a fuck about a shopping centre, so fucking what, its business, are you for real or have you been drinking

    err yes quite angry, but that is because I don’t take prozac… …anyway, yeah I have a problem with Wal-Mart.

    I have family in the states in small towns that are a shell of their former selves and it is soul destroying to see the wonderful people who have run little stores loose their businesses to the beast… …but my point was initially about the fact that Kroenke also got his money through an ill-gained practice, just like our Ruskie.

    Anyway, it does piss me off about people who hoard wealth and while doing so let the world fall apart around us all… …so yes I am a little angry perhaps you could offer me some therapy Mr. arsene does not know if that really is your name at least I am honest when I post on here

  • 76. Gunner 8  |  September 1st, 2007 at 1:58 pm

    arsene does not know piss off u chavski fan

  • 77. dilly  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:01 pm

    He’s too small

  • 78. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:01 pm

    the ID stealer is on day release by the looks

  • 79. Gunner 8  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:01 pm

    76. Gunner 8 | September 1st, 2007 at 1:58 pm
    arsene does not know piss off u chavski fan

    hmm I never post with a highlighted name, but otherwise nice post what does it mean?

  • 80. y-fronts man  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:01 pm

    75, what about a poor small club that the big team arsenal rips off by robbing their players for peanuts and constantly takes any player showing promise. whats your opinion on that

  • 81. Gunner 8  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:02 pm

    78. munitionsman | September 1st, 2007 at 2:01 pm
    the ID stealer is on day release by the looks

    which one Fu, Gelbs, Marcus, davey b???

  • 82. Gunner 8  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:03 pm

    munitions man = arms dealer? Work for the army in the supplies tent? You supply the ammunition for the Royal Woolwich Arsenal?

    oh go on

  • 83. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:03 pm

    tee hee hee, i must be the funniest girl on here, go on read my funny posts

  • 84. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:04 pm

    80 big fucking deal, who cares

  • 85. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:05 pm

    77 We are having a mid season spectacular this year. Dwarf throwing. Auminium and Sendy are throwing cliche fab lassana and teo… winner takes all.

  • 86. dilly  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:05 pm

    He is too small - diaby is beta

  • 87. underpants man  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:06 pm

    gunner8 isnt it the same

  • 88. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:06 pm

    86, who cares, read my great posts

  • 89. champions no2  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:07 pm

    …..

  • 90. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:09 pm

    Hey ID stealer you never got over me saying you would understand history after you went through puberty did you?…. that really stuck in your mind didnt it… got under ur skin didnt I ……I know that cos you keep on about my nick, and that was in the same session. You transparent oxygen thief.

  • 91. Gunner 8  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:10 pm

    80. y-fronts man | September 1st, 2007 at 2:01 pm
    75, what about a poor small club that the big team arsenal rips off by robbing their players for peanuts and constantly takes any player showing promise. whats your opinion on that

    Well I think the wealth should be shared more equaly throughout the lower leagues but the difference for me is that every football team in the country wants to either win or make money. To achieve either of those goal they must ultimately win or sell their players. They are all in the same game…

    …now for the small shops on main street usa, a lot of them have been run by the same family for years and they pride themselves on serving the customer sure their prices are a bit more but the guy knows your name and is always there even if you haven’t been back for a couple of years, these people are happy with their small business they don’t want to expand they want to exhist.

    That’s the difference for me in a nut shell… …because Leeds are badly run does not affect my consience whatsoever, they will drop down and die… …but someone else will take their place… …the beauty of promotion and relegation survive on the differences of the chairmen who either want to challenge or sell their home grown products

  • 92. Gunner 8  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:13 pm

    probably not very well written but I hope you got my point

  • 93. HULK HOGAN  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:13 pm

    WOTCHA GONNA DO BROTHERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!11

  • 94. 100th Gun  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:13 pm

    I want to masterbate now

  • 95. 100th Gun  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:14 pm

    ahhh ahhh I’m coming

  • 96. 100th Gun  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:14 pm

    oh oh oh oh

  • 97. 100th Gun  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:14 pm

    ah ah ah

  • 98. 100th Gun  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:14 pm

    oooweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

  • 99. 100th Gun  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:15 pm

    splurge

  • 100. champions no2  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:15 pm

    yes

  • 101. 101th Gun  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:15 pm

    came to quickly again

  • 102. MagicHat  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:16 pm

    Respects — that was F*ing brilliant. Thanks for such a thoughtful and well-reasoned post. I couldn’t agree with you more. Arsene expressed very similar sentiments yesterday. I take heart from the rumor (I hope it is true) that Kroenke was not willing to play Dein’s game and refused to by his shares with all the strings attached, and that he intends to throw his support behind the current board. I hope that’s true.

  • 103. Gunner 8  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:16 pm

    now may we resume… …who wants david healy to get a hat trick against the spursh today?

  • 104. Alexandre Song Billong  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:42 pm

    Alexandre Song is God!

  • 105. seb  |  September 1st, 2007 at 2:55 pm

    Bang on the money from Respects Highbury, Dein has been out of line - as a fan he should never have brought these duplicitous types into such an influential position at the club. He is on a power trip and clearly believes he needs to stoop to any depths to regain control of ‘his’ beloved club. For someone who clearly has been passionate about Arsenal and has assisted our success in recent years, he is acting like a fool. I only hope the board will stick to their intentions despite the pressure from Red & White that will undoubtedly grow and grow over time.

  • 106. Magneto  |  September 1st, 2007 at 3:00 pm

    Respect, that was a very well researched and written article, thank you.

    You’ve restored my faith in allowing football fans to have access to the internet to express their opinions.

    Diarra is an interesting signing.

    As others have already pointed out, he is likely to be the long term replacement for Gilberto, whilst still being a player for the here and now too.

    His signing has demonstrated - again - that Arsene is thinking of both the present and future of the team.

    In my view, Arsene now has the present and future replacements/cover for both Gilberto and Fabregas, in the forms of Diarra, Diaby & Denilson respectively.

  • 107. TH14 aka Fab4  |  September 1st, 2007 at 3:04 pm

    http://gunnerblog.com/?p=744 - comment 324
    Geekov was right we signed Gerrard… France’s version!

  • 108. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 3:40 pm

    Respects article has several flaws:-

    1) It assumes Arsene Wenger will be at Arsenal forever. At the moment, we’re not even 100% sure he’ll be at Arsenal after the end of this season. Congratulations to Wenger for grabbing fourth place and being beaten by teams that have spent money, but having been told all summer that we couldn’t possibly replace Wenger because we’d never find someone as good, I find it rather ironic that it’s now ok to assume that Wenger’s predecssor will be just as adept at working on a shoestring, because it suits the argument being put forward?

    2 - It assumes, as pretty much everyone else has in the last few days, that the choice is EITHER Hill-Wood’s toffee-nosed plodding, and shameless commercialisation of Arsenal football club (because believe me, even without Usmanov’s help, it is well under way), OR the monarchy and absolute power of a man like Abramovich. Actually, there’s a middle ground - a middle ground in which Arsenal have enough money to bring in whoever they want, but can retain the ingenuity and skill of Arsene Wenger.

    3 - Following on from point 2, we all seem to have forgotten why we adopted this youth policy in the first place - because we didn’t have enough money to BUY the established talent that Manchester Utd and Chelsea can. With that money in the bank, the youth policy becomes redundant - and if Wenger wants to persist with it, and MAYBE win a trophy at some point in the distant future, then perhaps we’re better off without him anyway.

    4 - You think one summer of lower spending equates to self-sufficiency at Chelsea? I take it you haven’t noticed how much money all these players are making then. Or the fact that they tried to take Ronaldinho off Barca, and Alves off Sevilla for a cool £23m. Chelsea’s reigned in spending has more to do with the relationship between Mourinho and Abramovich than it does any kind of rejuvenated policy at Chelsea - if things don’t go well for them, Mourinho will be out the door, and a new manager will jizz another £100m into the transfer market.

    5 - I agree with the uncertainty about Usmanov - but it’s wrong to write him off just because he’s a rich russian, and his ‘criminal’ record under the Soviet regime MUST be taken with a pinch of salt. Personally, I’d have prefferred Kroenke to evict our shoddy board from their crusty holes - he’s a clean man, with legitimate money, and genuine interest and experience in sport. But that’s by the by now. Usmanov looks to be the way forward, perhaps with Kranky in alliance - Arseblogger’s spouted a huge amount of shite in the last few days, and his personal ties to Hill-Wood are well known. What he has to say on the matter isn’t worth a two bob bit.

    5 - The bottom line is this - the board are playing a clever game, pretending that they represent tradition, and a safe option for Arsenal and their fans. The truth is, they don’t. They’re there to bleed each and every fan dry. We pay huge money for our tickets, buy not one, not two, but three shirts (for the first time ever), we buy their gimmicky crap, we let them trademark OUR words (Gooner) - who know’s what’s next? We pay more to be Arsenal fans than any other club in the world - yet our board masquerade as our guardians. I want them gone, ASAP, and though Usmanov isn’t the man I want to see oust them, the more pressure they can be put under to throw in the towel, the better.

  • 109. robinvp  |  September 1st, 2007 at 3:42 pm

    re respects article.
    why do people in the west keep going on about dirty money from russia or anywhere else? do you really think that western institutions are whiter then white? if so anyone see what BAE did and the british governments refusal to prosecute is laughable or what most major oil cos do around the world? its a bit hypocriticle to keep having a go at abramowich and the other foreign investors with jibes of blood money when the great british empire was built on BLOOD MONEY.
    lets keep it real and talk football DIARRA is a fantastic signing .

  • 110. topgunwenger  |  September 1st, 2007 at 3:47 pm

    I know from personal experience that lassangne dihhorrea don’t half run well.

  • 111. Zeguyz  |  September 1st, 2007 at 3:47 pm

    Can Arsenal fans look at the whole situation of the Red & White as a piece of good future fortune because as Dein reckons that sooner or later Arsenal will not be able to complete in terms of buying super super rated players. I say “if Arsenal fail to deliver silverware this season then I guess we need to accept the investors.”

  • 112. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 3:50 pm

    I say “if Arsenal fail to deliver silverware this season then I guess we need to accept the investors.”

    EXACTLY.

    Wenger’s spendthriftiness in recent seasons hasn’t actually proven that it can work. Arsene needs to demonstrate that he CAN compete with the moneyboys, because so far, he really hasn’t.

  • 113. Dolomite  |  September 1st, 2007 at 3:56 pm

    respects, 2 words, fucking boring

  • 114. y-fronts man  |  September 1st, 2007 at 3:57 pm

    please gilberto silver id like to make a complaint about post 113. i disagree with it

  • 115. Dolomite  |  September 1st, 2007 at 3:58 pm

    go fuck yourself underpants man

  • 116. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 3:58 pm

    It wasn’t boring.

    It was just fantastically hypocritical, and at odds with the facts. But never mind. Just keep toeing the Arseblogger line.

  • 117. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:03 pm

    i told you that tight fisted cunt wenger fucked up by not buying babel from lyon, hes only gone and scored for spurs

  • 118. Zeguyz  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:03 pm

    Dolomite, are you retard? because it seems you can’t do without the word “fuck” ..

  • 119. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:04 pm

    i told you that tight fisted cunt wenger fucked up by not buying babel from lyon, hes only gone and scored for spurs

    Eh?

  • 120. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:06 pm

    yes eric it was boring, did you not fall asleep half way through then again near the end, i mean what the fucks going through a guys head to spend that much time typing shite, he must have wrote it down first, how sad eric

  • 121. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:07 pm

    I didn’t think it was boring.

    Just wrong, and somewhat unoriginal.

  • 122. Zeguyz  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:08 pm

    i think babels quite cute

  • 123. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:10 pm

    read it again eric, i bet you fall assleep this time, it is boring eric, i bet you cant get further than half way this time

  • 124. Zeguyz  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:11 pm

    did you have some coffee or red bull eric b4 u read it, i think that will explain it munitionsman

  • 125. Glen Helder  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:16 pm

    i agree it was a little boring but i didnt fall asleep as id just got up. torres scored another

  • 126. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:17 pm

    Trust happy to support Dein & Co, the fans opposed to United Fan Usmanov need to be heard. Fortunately for us, “Arsenal fans despair at takeover attempt” is probably a better story than “Arsenal fans gleeful at dodgy takeover”.

    Seriously GS, that was cheap.

    Fucking garbage, in fact.

  • 127. goonerdeano  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:18 pm

    Great piece by respects, man you should have your own column or blog with writing like that, couldn’t have put it better myself.
    I am absolutely devetated with the ‘potential’ russian/iranian takeover. I go to every game and if you could bleed ‘red and white’ i would, and have stuck with the clubs through highs and lows but if all that blood money does come in and we do become another chelski I’d have to question my support, after years of berating chelski fans for abramovichs fortune and ‘past activities’ I really would have to think about cutting ties with arsenal which to me would be a really great shame for I do love the club, I love our tradtiions, transfer policies (although a left winger would have been nice, happy with all signings we have made though, Sagna looks top notch already, Eduardo looks like could be a good one and happy with Diarra too, confident the young additions will eventually develop well too), oand our ld school board of directors.

    I personally think most Arsenal fans are some of the most smart, genuine, honest supporters in the UK and I think we gotta make ourselves heard that we oppose this takeover attempt, The FT has already given some blogs and fans acknowledgement, we have to make ourselves heard collectively and vocally, starting against Pompey tomorrow!

    One last thing, What a c*nt David Dein has truly become.

  • 128. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:20 pm

    There is no clear basis on which to oppose a takeover yet.

    My biggest concern is the number of sheep who think the current board are doing a good job.

  • 129. shady russian  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:22 pm

    fucking hell goonerdeano i hears you. if it is true all arsenal fans in the uk are as smart as you then we will fuck off back to russia

  • 130. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:22 pm

    Our club sold it’s soul down the river long, long ago. Having an ‘english’ board doesn’t change anything.

  • 131. Peter Hill-Wood  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:25 pm

    I say, we don’t want any of those filthy reds at my club…. *ahem* I mean the good people of North London’s club! I mean, I’ve got such a gullible fanbase, they’ll believe anything I tell them, whilst I busily steal all the money from their pockets! Can you believe, our fans actually think I’m stewarding the club, but what I’m really doing is making as much money as I possibly can!

    But psssst! Don’t tell anyone!

    Go Damn Commie Bastards!

  • 132. ----Arsenal Fan---#1  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:32 pm

    I hope we get bought by Red & White Ltd.
    It´s a company at least !

  • 133. David Dein  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:36 pm

    your time is coming hill wood you fat cunt, how many times over the years have i told you to keep your big fat mouth shut and let me do the talking then you stab me in the back. let me tell you peter and indeed all you nerds on here, ill be back soon and theres nothing you or any of you can do ha ha, you just watch me, watch and learn from the master

  • 134. dill  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:36 pm

    when we ko?

  • 135. y-fronts man  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:37 pm

    are you the real david dein

  • 136. David Dein  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:39 pm

    oh yes ha ha ha, im coming back, ha ha, fuck the lot of you nerds, im mr arsenal, ill be back with more power

  • 137. .  |  September 1st, 2007 at 4:58 pm

    go on fulham ya good thing ya

  • 138. gooner09  |  September 1st, 2007 at 5:09 pm

    Funny thing is that people often comment more on respects’ comments than they do on GS’s………….

    liverpool 6-0 derby……………we dont really have the firepower to win matches big anymore………

    my prediction for tomorrow…..arsenal 2-1 pompey.

  • 139. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 5:13 pm

    fulham 3-3spuds

  • 140. gooner09  |  September 1st, 2007 at 5:13 pm

    at least man utd are drawing currently…

    0-0

  • 141. gooner09  |  September 1st, 2007 at 5:14 pm

    oh my, how the tables have turned this year for manchester united…

  • 142. vlcgooner  |  September 1st, 2007 at 5:19 pm

    Hey. I was just checking the tables to see where ARsenal stand. Why do most of the tables show the teams points, but not how many games they have played? It makes for some really crap comparisons since I don’t know if Everton have 11 points from 3 or 4 or 5 games…

  • 143. ron in (san diego)  |  September 1st, 2007 at 5:23 pm

    good morning folks, 9.20 in the morning here, im still drunk, i now u all care…

    RH, i love u

    going to the bar to watch utd stuff keano

    rural, i have a lovely tan, wanna make out???

  • 144. dill  |  September 1st, 2007 at 5:23 pm

    dumb sky has us ko at 3pm - i been at work with lpool fans rubbing there 6-0 win and on sky website we was on 0-0

  • 145. Gunner 8  |  September 1st, 2007 at 5:25 pm

    134. dill | September 1st, 2007 at 4:36 pm
    when we ko?

    Tommorow 1:20pm dill

  • 146. master of pain  |  September 1st, 2007 at 5:51 pm

    anderson is overrated for his price….

  • 147. lookonthebrighterside  |  September 1st, 2007 at 6:10 pm

    Eric asshole WUM.

    Nobody agrees with your pathetic baits so he’s talking to himself. We’ll resist takeover. Maybe on that day you can shove your ass down whatshisname oligarch to show how grateful you are to him. at least he wont have to force you to do it twat

  • 148. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 6:13 pm

    Gosh, now you put it like that…

    Moron.

  • 149. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 6:14 pm

    It’s obvious why Hill-Wood has no problems conning idiots like you, isn’t it.

  • 150. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 6:40 pm

    150?

  • 151. gunner fan  |  September 1st, 2007 at 6:43 pm

    151

  • 152. Rohan  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:06 pm

    Does anyone know around how much we paid for Diarra?

  • 153. ----Arsenal Fan---#1  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:08 pm

    Think about 4-6 mill

  • 154. Arnold  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:09 pm

    2m

  • 155. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:11 pm

    2-5m.

    It’s hard to tell.

  • 156. Gunnerz  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:17 pm

    i actually saw david dein at the man city game last saturday and i saw bacary sagna in enfield town on last thursday

  • 157. Underpants-man  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:22 pm

    what a boring post from respects or whatever, who the fuck takes that much time to talk shit, i agree with those people who fell asleep during it, i would have done if i had the inclination to waste my time reading enough of it

  • 158. y-fronts man  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:23 pm

    sorry like but i got the wrong name down in the last post

  • 159. munitionsman  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:24 pm

    excuse me but does anyone know what time x factor starts tonight

  • 160. Drayton Park Gooner  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:24 pm

    2 Things.

    Thing 1: Respects. That was simply fucking excellent. Well-researched, extremely well written, informative, opinionated and most important.. backed up with hard solid fact and evidence. The fact you took the time to write such a piece not only shows how much you care for this club but also demonstrates that unlike most Chelski fans…Gooners seem to have some dignity and intelligence about their club and such fans are a credit to the club. Spread the word. A massive big-up to you. If anybody comes up with a better argument to support DD and his gangster mate then I’d love to see it. Might have to wait a long time though…

    Thing 2: Eric. Without wanting to offend you mate, I worry that Arsenal seems to have a minority of what I like to call ‘get me my shiny new toys and success RIGHT NOW’ fans. The fact you fail to recognize what this board has done for the club says it all. You also support some Russian United fan taking over the club you apparently support. You should be supporting those lot down the Kings road with an attitude like that. Worst thing is its no guarantee of success so it makes your point of view even more stupid. You sound like a spoilt child. We’re going well this season so why don’t you shut your spoilt cakehole for a bit and see how it goes first before crying for papa Arseski to come get you shiny new toys RIGHT NOW? Eh? There’s a good little boy….

  • 161. Drayton Park Gooner  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:29 pm

    P.S Gilberto please do something about Fu. Fu you bore EVERYONE. You spend your whole day impersonating others and nicking ids. What happened dio you like taking other names since Mummy can’t remember yours? Nob…I noted that you musta spent about 4 hours today nicking ids and chatting general shit under 80 different user ids. You can tell it’s you: write like a spastic, no capital letters, no command whatsoever of English language and the wit of a 3 year-old. Posts 156-159 are xases in point. Seriously fuck you you’re a sad cunt. End of. Oh and I ain’t surprised you couldn’t digest RH’s post. It was full of solid vocab and punctuation. It was for ADULTS. So go suck on mummy titties now like a good little baby. Sweet milk waiting for you there….
    And to think you want Wenger sacked and call him a paedo. You sound like a fucking cunt spud…

  • 162. Drayton Park Gooner  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:30 pm

    Fuck me Liverpool done a number on Derby…Liverpool looking a very good bet to win the league this season I must say…

  • 163. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:37 pm

    Thing 2: Eric. Without wanting to offend you mate, I worry that Arsenal seems to have a minority of what I like to call ‘get me my shiny new toys and success RIGHT NOW’ fans. The fact you fail to recognize what this board has done for the club says it all. You also support some Russian United fan taking over the club you apparently support. You should be supporting those lot down the Kings road with an attitude like that. Worst thing is its no guarantee of success so it makes your point of view even more stupid. You sound like a spoilt child. We’re going well this season so why don’t you shut your spoilt cakehole for a bit and see how it goes first before crying for papa Arseski to come get you shiny new toys RIGHT NOW? Eh? There’s a good little boy….

    Here’s some facts for you:

    1 - The most benificent Arsenal board (henceforth MBAB) charge the highest ticket prices ANYWHERE in world football.

    2 - The MBAB have instigated a policy cracking down on anyone standing at games.

    3 - The MBAB have tried to copyright the word ‘Gooner’.

    4 - The MBAB have introduced a WHITE away kit - can you believe it?

    5 - The MBAB have introduced a third kit for the first time EVER.

    6 - The MBAB have invested LESS in the football team than ANY other club in the Premiership over the last 5 years.

    7 - The MBAB has managed to create the most corporate football stadium in the country, by chasing the hospitality dollar.

    8 - The MBAB spend more time trying to find tacky marketting gimmicks to associate us with, for the sake of trying to line their pockets. The Emirates is one big advert.

    The facts point to one thing - the MBAB are the biggest bunch of money-grabbers ever to have control of this club. Yet the tacit xenophobia that goes on here continues to toe the line, because they still live in a world, about 10 years ago, when the Arsenal board have class. Heck, it’s the same guys as before, but the money and power has gone to their heads, and they need to be removed. Usmanov doesn’t seem like a very nice bloke, but someone needs to kick out Hill-Wood & co. as soon as possible.

    Here’s a lesson for you though - the identity of the club is tied up in the FANS, not the OWNERS. It doesn’t matter two shits what nationality the owners are. Not one jot. It’s the fans that make the club who we are, and the board have shown absolutely no scruples in screwing us out of every penny they possibly can, without putting ANYTHING back into the team.

    Make no mistake - this isn’t about going out and signing Kaka tomorrow. This is about making us competitive down the line if Wenger’s policy doesn’t work (and he hasn’t proven it can yet), AND putting some intelligence at the helm of our club.

  • 164. paulie  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:42 pm

    respects you got your knickers in a twist a bit. how the fuck can you say wenger wont pay over the odds for a player. whos odds? is it so because you say so over the odds. its gets under my skin to see that bullshit written. how the fuck is it over the odds, its called the free market, supply and demand. funny the way every ambitious big club in the world are prepared to pay over the odds. meanwhile we scrape the barrell for bargains that nobody else wants. ive got to accept that as long as wengers here im never going to see a big ready made player come here and it just irratates me every time i hear of how we’ve left highbury to compete with the top clubs, i mean as youve stated yourself wengers never going to pay the required fees for these players even with the money so what are we going to do then, is wenger going to buy up every 16 year old player in the world with this new revenue or is the price of top talent going to fall to the level you and arsene think it should be

  • 165. TheArsenalForum  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:42 pm

    brilliant post respect, every now and then someone makes a lot of sence do you mind if i post this on my forum, i hope you dont as all arsenal fans should read this

  • 166. ethan_gooner  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:43 pm

    another great blog from me people !
    thanks too sol goon and karthic and co.

    http://ethangoonerworld.wordpress.com/2007/09/01/transfer-window-slams-shut-diarra-and-portsmouth/#respond

  • 167. Rabbi Savvy  |  September 1st, 2007 at 7:45 pm

    I was pretty sure Wenger will get Diarra and not that I looked forward to it. He is good but the needs are more urgent else where. I am happy but not too thrilled with the signing. I will be thrilled if Wenger suddenly converts him into a successful winger or striker. Wenger usually pours cold water on any rumors but he was rather too empathic for Diarra. Actually seeing Song play so many minutes so far made me believe that Wenger is looking to sell Song. I guess wenger was hoping Song will play well and he can find a buyer for him.

  • 168. afif  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:02 pm

    happy to get diarra but did anyone know why didnt we get emanuelson?

  • 169. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:04 pm

    168 - I suspect it’s cos he’s crap.

    Just a guess though, could be other reasons too.

  • 170. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:09 pm

    168. people rate him coz hes a drenthe look-a-like!!!! hes a fanny and over rated believe hes shit

  • 171. afif  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:10 pm

    did any watch how wonderful babel was today? why didnt pay to get him?how can wenger let such a wonderful player as him to sign with liverpool?

  • 172. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:11 pm

    171 - because he’s inconsistent.

    This is Derby he was playing FFS, the team even the Spuds thrashed, remember?

  • 173. afif  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:18 pm

    172- my friend babel is an excellent player i think he’s better than adebayor who gave nothing to us, he would be great if we signed him specially with our miss to aleft winger
    ronaldinho in chelsea next summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????? can we really see him playing with the most team i hate all over the world?

  • 174. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:28 pm

    babel??????? walcott much better potential and hes english !wenger obviously wenger didnt buy him coz he didnt think he could develop in to a world beater whateva wenger does is 4 the gud of arsenal

  • 175. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:38 pm

    Babel better than Adebayor?

    Are you kidding?

    Adebayor’s streets ahead of Babel, in pretty much every regard.

  • 176. PEELER  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:40 pm

    s

  • 177. master of pain  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:49 pm

    babel better than adebayor?…..kidding me.adebayor offered us something different when he came on in this fixture last term against pompey………….looking forward for him to play 2moro n scare the shit out of sol n distin……..i thinks tiz would be the line-up

    almunia

    hoyte toure sendy clichy

    theo cesc gilbert rosicky

    rvp ade

    subs:

    fabianski eduardo flamini denilson bentner…….

    wat u guys think….

  • 178. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:49 pm

    wtf r u lot asleep post

  • 179. master of pain  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:50 pm

    predict 2-0 to gunners

    cesc n eduardo the scorers….

  • 180. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:52 pm

    177.that the enevatable team but i think eddy could start on the left wing after his mid-week performance

  • 181. master of pain  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:54 pm

    yes he did well there but i think he neglected his defensive duties there that day……so i think arsene will stick wit tomas ther……

  • 182. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:54 pm

    people r uderestamating pompy i hope that doesnt come to haunt us we shudnt get too complasent other wise they could punish us but touch wood it wont happen

  • 183. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:55 pm

    i think thats coz we was three nil up !

  • 184. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:57 pm

    rvp could start on the bench because as i recall he played 90 minutes in every match this season am i right?

  • 185. master of pain  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:58 pm

    i haven seen pompey play so far tiz season………….who r their dangermen n their line up would be…………n hows is tiz utaka guy plays….heard from a fren hes a similar version of yakubu …izit true?

  • 186. master of pain  |  September 1st, 2007 at 8:59 pm

    sorry maybe out of topic….wat happen to honduran triallist palacios…

  • 187. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:01 pm

    na hes much faster i think we shud put two men on taylor coz he punished us last season

  • 188. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:02 pm

    wenger didnt fancy him he asked brucy if he was interested anser ur question?

  • 189. master of pain  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:03 pm

    so he joined them izit?

  • 190. master of pain  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:03 pm

    wats ya prediction champions

  • 191. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:04 pm

    im not sure but if wenger didnt want he couldnt be that gud

  • 192. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:05 pm

    im hopin 4 a nice flowin 3-0 win but like i sed we shudnt underestamate them

  • 193. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:08 pm

    an own goal to settle us down and rvp to come off the bench and score a stuning free kick and a giberto penalty

  • 194. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:09 pm

    what am i talkin to maself now????????????????

  • 195. ----Arsenal Fan---#1  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:12 pm

    This is the team !

    Almunia

    Diarra Touré Senderos Clichy

    Walcott Cesc Gilberto Rosicky

    Adebayor Van Persie

    Subs: Denilson, Eduardo, Hoyte, Fabianski, Song.

  • 196. master of pain  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:16 pm

    dun think so arsene will include diarra…………hoyte keeps his place n flamster replaces song on da bench

  • 197. master of pain  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:16 pm

    200?

  • 198. master of pain  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:17 pm

    200??

  • 199. DeiseGooner  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:17 pm

    Myles Palmer Conspiracy ……..

    As everybody knows, Diarra has been linked with Arsenal for months. He has said he wanted to join Arsenal. But Mourinho said no. And Steve Clarke said : We’re not gonna sell him to a competitor, we’d rather sell him abroad.

    The Arsenal offer for Diarra has been on the table for weeks.Then, on deadline day, at 15 minutes before midnight, Chelsea decide to sell.We will probably never know the full details of what happened.

    But Usmanov may have had a word in Roman’s ear. They are friends.

    Dein might have said, ” Just call Roman and say, Look, let’s not be silly about this. He’s a young French boy who wants to join a French manager. What’s wrong with that? You don’t need him. Let the lad be happy.”

    That is conceivable. It probably didn’t happen like that. But it might have done.And it doesn’t matter if we never know how it happened.

  • 200. master of pain  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:17 pm

    200???

  • 201. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:18 pm

    no wenger wont throw him in yet i think he will let him settle and let him get used to the new suroundings

  • 202. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:21 pm

    199.well writen and well explained but i doubt that,that happend interestin post though

  • 203. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:22 pm

    195. r u sure or u just guessing???

  • 204. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:27 pm

    people post i gettin bord i need bto talk about ‘le gooooooooooooooooooooners’ lol

  • 205. chelsea for life  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:28 pm

    you see arsenal always like to jack are players specially french i dont know but is wenger addicted to french dick i heard he taste henry vieira and are own gallas at the training ground

    pre sucking diction

    arsenal 0-1 portsmouth

  • 206. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:28 pm

    Is Sagna injured?

  • 207. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:29 pm

    203 - Deise didn’t write that, Myles Palmer did.

  • 208. Eric  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:30 pm

    205 - Are all Chelsea fans as smart and eloquent as you, or did you win a scholarship to get here?

  • 209. Kem  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:33 pm

    Respects, that was an EXCELLENT post, well put & well researched. I always have time for people who put together a concrete opinion/argument, even though I may not agree with it.

    However, I feel Eric puts your argument against a takeover to the sword. His first point I feel is the strongest.

    ————————————————-
    1) It assumes Arsene Wenger will be at Arsenal forever. At the moment, we’re not even 100% sure he’ll be at Arsenal after the end of this season. Congratulations to Wenger for grabbing fourth place and being beaten by teams that have spent money, but having been told all summer that we couldn’t possibly replace Wenger because we’d never find someone as good, I find it rather ironic that it’s now ok to assume that Wenger’s predecssor will be just as adept at working on a shoestring, because it suits the argument being put forward?
    ———————————————————

    Spot on. Respects, your post is totally under the premise that Wenger will be manager in 10 years time. When Wenger goes, no other manager will want to, or put up with building teams on shoestring budgets,

  • 210. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:34 pm

    205 . ur not fuckin welcome here pisssss off u chavski fan come on the villa 1-0 to the villa wiv out lamps ur nothing i heard jose loves rusian cock that how he got roman to give him that oil scammed money to buy shit ova rated player!!!

  • 211. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:37 pm

    u say chealsea 4 life how long have u supported them 3 years ?yeah? i thought so ur neva gona get a lyf long chavski fan there extinct! ha ha ha

  • 212. master of pain  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:38 pm

    205- fuck off…better look on ur own team when u face villa………..ur team is a bunch of overrated jokes…….

  • 213. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:40 pm

    master of pain and champions partners in crime !!!!!!

  • 214. master of pain  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:41 pm

    205-we’ll show u how to beat pompey comprehensively not wit the same old fat frank deflection shit…..

  • 215. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:43 pm

    master ha ha good one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • 216. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:44 pm

    205. i see u havnt posted bk whats wrong afraid u might get merked??? ha u fagggot

  • 217. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:52 pm

    ……..

  • 218. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:52 pm

    …………………………..

  • 219. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:53 pm

    ……………………………………………………………………………..

  • 220. champions  |  September 1st, 2007 at 9:54 pm

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………… ………………………………………………………… ……………………………………….. …………………………….. …………………. ………..——————————————————————————————————————–

  • 221. Righty  |  September 1st, 2007 at 10:59 pm

    II’m thinking,if they dope tested fans ‘chelsea for life’ would sent to a secure unit quite quickly!(Mug)

  • 222. Righty  |  September 1st, 2007 at 11:00 pm

    II’m thinking,if they dope tested fans ‘chelsea for life’ would be sent to a secure unit quite quickly!(Mug)

  • 223. Gunner8  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 12:27 am

    163. Eric | September 1st, 2007 at 7:37 pm

    Here’s some facts for you:

    1 - The most benificent Arsenal board (henceforth MBAB) charge the highest ticket prices ANYWHERE in world football. (true eric but Arsenal are in the capital of the most expensive country in Europe with the best product, for gooners anyway)

    2 - The MBAB have instigated a policy cracking down on anyone standing at games. (it is actually against the law to stand in any PL and championship stadia… …with the new stadium and increased presence with cctv it has unfortunately been enforced and I personally hate it and qould prefer a terraced area in the north lower)

    3 - The MBAB have tried to copyright the word ‘Gooner’. (awful and will never happen, stupid fucking idea)

    4 - The MBAB have introduced a WHITE away kit - can you believe it? (I couldn’t care less aout the white kit… …I think the Chapman stuff on it is bogus but I quite like it)

    5 - The MBAB have introduced a third kit for the first time EVER. (untrue we have nearly always had a third kit, check out thecannon.co.uk or.com lasagnechef has all the kits listed with photos… …really impressive)

    6 - The MBAB have invested LESS in the football team than ANY other club in the Premiership over the last 5 years. (and invested heavilly in the top infrastructure of any club in Europe… …we are in the 4th year of AW’s 5 year project after we have cleared the majority of debt AW might invest)

    7 - The MBAB has managed to create the most corporate football stadium in the country, by chasing the hospitality dollar. (yeah it does suck… …I love whaat Hicks and co are planning with the new kop… …if only we could hve had a 20,000 seat North Bank and 15,000 Clock End (less only cause of opposition fans).

    8 - The MBAB spend more time trying to find tacky marketting gimmicks to associate us with, for the sake of trying to line their pockets. The Emirates is one big advert. (yeah like the new ebel watches… …it will help pay off the ground quicker, I call the ground the Grove not by it’s name no bother)

    The facts point to one thing - the MBAB are the biggest bunch of money-grabbers ever to have control of this club. Yet the tacit xenophobia that goes on here continues to toe the line, because they still live in a world, about 10 years ago, when the Arsenal board have class. Heck, it’s the (Do you not think any new owner would not exploit it further by also issuing dividends, I think so)

    Just my opinion’s

  • 224. Gunner8  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 12:31 am

    Deise, looks like myles has his own agenda with orangeman huh… …at least gooners don’t take him seriously

    I hope that we would play 4-3-3 tommorow

    ————————–Almunia
    Hoyte———Toure————Senderos———Clichy
    ———–Cesc——–Gilberto———Rosicky
    RvP—————–Adebayor——————–Eduardo

    which could also be 4-4-2 with Rosicky switching to the right and Eduardo on the left

    Subs

    Fabz Bendtner Walcott Denilson Diarra (although he won’t be playing after 1 day’s training)

    Come on you reds and g’night

  • 225. shaun  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 12:48 am

    liverpools win against derby is a joke because derby is a JOKE

    arsenal can beat the derby by 6-0 too

  • 226. Dan  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 1:19 am

    Diarra is going to be our midfield enforcer. He’s a tough tackling motherfucker who runs nonstop. Great signing.

  • 227. Eric  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 1:22 am

    Gunner8, a few responses:

    1) - True, we are in the capital - but so are a lot of other teams, who charge a heck of a lot less than us. I still pay, though I can’t afford every single game, but the amount that is charged for an Arsenal ticket these days is extortionate.

    2) - Fair play, I did not know that - totally agree on the terraces though, btw.

    3) - We seem to agree.

    4) - I’ve given up caring about the white kit, but like you I think the Chapman stuff was bogus - it was introduced as a fashion item (an ugly one too, if you ask me - the writing on it just looks shit), without any regard for the fact that it’s a colour we haven’t worn for decades, and the colour of our arch rivals.

    5) - Every third kit we’ve ever worn has been an away kit from a previous season - this is the first time we’ve ever released a designated ‘third’ kit.

    6) - The debt is running for over 25 years. If we don’t invest sooner than that, we’ll have gone under long before.

    7) - Again, we seem to agree.

    8) - I recognise the necessity of these deals - but it just highlights how ludicrous it is to discuss selling the shares of the club as if we’re selling our soul - our soul has been sold by the current directors long ago. What we’re left with is a corporate, money-drived club that is already, from a fan’s persepctive, exactly what the likes of Manchester Utd. and Liverpool’s fans fear their club will turn into, in their worst nightmares (ignoringt he account’s perspective for now).

    Would a new owner exploit the club? Well, the current board issue dividends to over half the shareholders. A new owner would not necessarily issue dividends to anyone, including himself. Capital growth could well be more important to him than dividends every year.

  • 228. Arsene signs Diarra / Car&hellip  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 1:47 am

    [...] Gunnerblog has some excellent quotes from a Chelsea forum, and I spoke to two Chelsea fans at the pub tonight and the overall feedback is that they’re gutted to lose this player. Similar to Gallas, he is a player that I’m sure Chelsea would’ve wanted to keep, however both players grew unhappy of the set-up behind the scenes there and made their way a few miles north to Ashburton Grove. [...]

  • 229. boris  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 3:37 am

    You hypocritical little british snob. Just because you don’t rule the world anymore you think you should still dictate to everyone what is ethical.
    Firstly, you are currently illegally occupying iraq and killing hundreds of civilians daily and you talk about oil money??? Crap! Am sure bp , shell and the others will be the first to join the hunt for a box at the emirates…

    Emirates…how about some dodgy oil money to get their name on your stadium. Embarassing…dubai import slave labour from pakistan indi

  • 230. boris  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 3:44 am

    India, phillipines to generate cheap labour and then plough profits around the world.

    Kroenke is dodgy. But suddenly you prefer the unholy alliance with a yank…why not get bush to invest as well.

    You have. A frenchman managing your club, he buys only players who can’t speak a word of english - hleb anyone?
    And when was the last time someone from your academy played in the first team???? And you call that tradition Wake up dude…you havea frenchman running a team of foreigners,in an arab stadium

  • 231. boris  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 3:55 am

    Yeah get diarra and kick out hoyte …who wants an english player in an english team!!!ha ha ha ha…tradition ha ha ha

  • 232. Bergkamp  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 4:50 am

    *Yawn…*

    zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

  • 233. Arsene Wenger II  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 6:28 am

    Diarra is just 1.72cm tall… Do you guys think he is good in Vieira role?

  • 234. munitionsman  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 7:09 am

    108 Eric, thanks for a good post and providing a little balance. It is very easy to be influenced when everyone is saying the same thing over and over. Respects article was excellent, and so is your response. Isnt free speech a beautiful thing. Not something Russians have the benefit of.

    O and BTW I also enjoyed Boris’s post. Some very valid points there. Probably not the forum here to expand but I do agree with some of his thoughts. Again balance is a beautiful thing.

  • 235. lionar  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 8:17 am

    Eric, whilst I respect your opinion I dont see how any of your comments are not based on facts, the Russian is dodey. Whilsty yes you could argue that his record under the Soviet Union could be taken with a pinch of salt, I would argue that his behaviour since has if anything confirmed the idea that he is a very unpleasant individual; ie buyinup of countries assets for peanuts via dirty money and dodgey friends. Also if you research him properly you will find that his behaviour under the current regime in russia hasnt been the most ethical either. You can, as you appear to be doing ignore/sweep this under the carpet but this alone is reason enough to refuse this mans money it is tainted and we as Arsenal supporters will be tainted right along with it, and that is beyond doubt.

    Taking this into consideration, your various other comments about the board kindof pale in significance, how can you complain about the morality of the present board and then conclude that anyone would be better when quite clearly anyone wouldnt do. Im not the nicest person in the world but even I shudder at the idea of welcoming such an unpleasant character into our home. Furthermore you provide no evidence to back up your claims concering the current board or the vague and insubstantial claims you make, for indtance how you can say theyv invested the least in a premiership club over the last five years baffles me, what about the stadium? the large wage bill? How did we become the third most profitable club in the world after Real and Man U? All this would not be possible with the kind of board you seem to imagine we have.

    FInally onto Wenger, why should we get rid of him again? oh yeah because he doesnt want to spend money, instead he believes the best way to run a club is by using its own internallly generated revenue, as you yourself allude to what would happen to Chelsea if Abrama gets bored/dies etc. I find your argument a bit insubtantial. You say that Wenger might noteven be here by next season yet he has come out to say that something will hapen on this matter next week, amussingly enough Dein himself has tried to hog the praise for Arsenes new contract. Give the man enough respect to admit that he has thus far never broken a promise he made to this club on his contract.

    I could go on, basically what you list as facts are in fact not facts. The board 10 years behind? is that why we have the most lucrative stadium in world football?
    I suspect you are part of the same herd that complained that we werent spending enough money on players/didnt bring in enough quality/look at Spurs coz more spending automatically=more ambition, we are crap weere going to do crap this season Wenger’s lost it, SPurs will ovetake us. Then shazam the season isnt looking so bleak but you doommongers just cant be happy so you compalain that the squad is to thin we wnt be able to compete.

    You were wrong on that and your wrong on this, what a suprise!

  • 236. munitionsman  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 8:34 am

    235 Lion, the squad is thin, that was exposed in the first week or so. Diarra is a good signing and will provide a little more cover, but it’s very early days yet to say the squad is not too thin. And furthermore Liverpool have spent heaviliy and could reasonably be considered favourites at this early stage. Spurs are never going to be a good comparison.

    AW is awesome but without WISE SERIOUS investment coupled with astute youth development we will not will the league, IMHO

  • 237. lionar  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 8:38 am

    TRue we may not win the league but we could honestly challenge I tink, as for the team being too thin. I agree to an extent but I would urge you to tell me were we are thin and I bet you I can name at least two players who can play in that position

  • 238. champions  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 8:40 am

    natural left mid NATURAL

  • 239. lionar  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 8:52 am

    What about Rosiky, I know hes not a natural left mid but he has shown that on his day he can do well in this position, hleb is better on the left than right and Eduardo was great on the left towards the end against Sparta. thats three not too bad. I think the problem we have is the gelling together of the left side. Id say its no coincidence that Clichy has been very good so far tis season, sure I wouldv loved a new left sided left footed winger but I think what wev got could certainly be classed as excellent ( on their day) what we need from them now is consistency. Added to this beleive we may go for Modiric in the January transfer window and I think he is naturally left footeed

  • 240. gunnershabz  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 9:24 am

    lets face it guys, we wont buy wingers, out and out wingers, look at the history of wingers wenger has bought they all either cut in or just score goals.

    marc overmars - he played on the left side, but he cut inside and get into scoring positions, good finisher.

    robert pires - same as overmars, good technical player, good shot and arrives late in the box

    freddie ljungberg - had quick accerlation, good finisher, good movement

    alex hleb - great technical dribbler, can hold onto the ball, slows the pace down of the game, tries to find killer balls often. is a decent finisher, needs more confidence in his shooting.

    tomas rosicky - great worker, good dribbling skills, intelligent player, good shot on him.

    these are good world class players but they aint out and out old fashion wingers.

    the best wingers out there who are direct and hug the line are

    swp, cristano ronaldo, nani, giggs, n’zogbia, malouda, lennon, downing.

    these are the types of wingers out there, cristano ronaldo can play across the midfield.

    now to sign anyone of them we have to pay big money, i got a feeling we will see charles n’zogbia at arsenal next season, he is a player we need

  • 241. Gunner8  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 10:20 am

    233. Arsene Wenger II | September 2nd, 2007 at 6:28 am
    Diarra is just 1.72cm tall… Do you guys think he is good in Vieira role?

    Nope he is there for the Petit/Gilberto Role… …Vieira was a box to box midfielder so is Diaby while Fabregas, Rosicky, Hleb, and Denilson are playmaking midfielders… …Song is just a shit midfielder

  • 242. Gunner8  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 10:21 am

    Eric fair enough… …as munitions said free speach is a good thing so long as it is not abused by the shit stirrirs who frequent the blog.

    oi Gilbosilver where is your match guide huh… …I am leaving for the grove in 30mins

  • 243. Squiddy  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 11:33 am

    Diarra just isn’t very good. Some decent ability, but can’t defend and can’t control the midfield ahead of the defence. Good luck with him. Let’s see how long it takes you to suss him too. I give it until New Year.

  • 244. werheed  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 8:38 pm

    its cool signing that guy I like seeing him in Red & White

  • 245. werheed  |  September 2nd, 2007 at 8:39 pm

    its cool signing that guy (Diara) I like seeing him in Red & White

  • 246. Neal  |  September 3rd, 2007 at 10:53 am

    Last season everyone was desperate for us to sign a holding player, now we have. Still, being third choice captain and with one year left on his deal, Gilberto to leave next year? I wouldn’t bet against it!

  • 247. mark taylor  |  January 4th, 2008 at 10:49 pm

    diarra is a good player not good enough for chelsea but good enough for Arsenal. Its about time they got some ENGLISH players.

Leave a Comment

Required

Required, hidden

Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Trackback this post  |  Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed

Search Gunnerblog

get regular updates from GS with twitter

Top Gunn

Jack Wilshere
Shone against Barnet, and with Joe Cole choosing Liverpool, could this be his year?

    Retro Arsenal T-Shirts from RetroFootballTShirts.co.uk - Bringing Back The Good Old Days!: www.retrofootballtshirts.co.uk: Click Here!

Latest Posts

American Arsenal fans: Cash advances are the easiest way to help you cross the pond, and Arsenal's next win.

Calendar

July 2010
M T W T F S S
« Jun    
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  

Posts by Month


Most Recent Posts

Posts by Category

Syndication

Powered By

eXTReMe Tracker