But surely it is Arsenal's problem that they developed 3 breakout / worldclass talents in a single year, and then they all turned out to be complete twats? Surely with better talent management, that would not happen?
Your questions have me confused. I agree that all 3 had breakout seasons. I agree 2 turned out to be twats. I also would state that better talent management may have allowed us to retain 1, 2 or 3 of them (I would have kept all of them!). However, that wasn't really my point. My point was hindsight has shown that Flamini and Hleb turned out to be fatally flawed players. That's all.
I'll take one that isn't this miserable mess we're seeing right now. Being in the fight just to collapse after the new year was a lot better than being eliminated from the fight by November end.
For me, it's not about trophies at all so that's a moot point. Sure, it's nice to have your successes commemorated in a nice countable way, but I'm in it for the day-to-day enjoyment being a fanatic gives me. It's about going to the pub at 7:00 am on my Saturday to watch my club and feeling proud to wear my kit and having an excited feeling. It's about counting the minutes until I can skip out on work in the afternoon to catch a CL matchday. It's about optimism, it's about rivalry, it's about history. It's about being in the fight for top place. At the moment, we have little to be proud of except a good balance sheet. I honestly can't think of anything to be optimistic about--even our youth squad isn't what it was 5 years ago. We are no longer competitive with those that have been our main rivals over the last decade (United and Chelsea). Our historic and most bitter rival whom we've enjoyed routinely beating down and stepping over is a decent bet to finish above us in the league for the first time in what 18 years? All these things are tolerable for some period of reorganization as long as it looks like the club is trying to turn things around. But, in the last couple of years we've suffered the ultimate humiliation of losing core players, not to distant sun-drenched Italian or Spanish clubs, but to the very rivals we profess to be "competing" against. How is this trying to compete or get better? I was just a wee lad (or not born) during those down periods the writer mentions, but I'd ask the writer were those down periods coupled with or preceded by: record club profits? Huge bonuses for the CEO? The sale of players for profit? The total inability or unwillingness to keep an experienced squad together? The utter lack of transparency toward the fans? The total denial from administrators and management that anything is amiss? Absolutely NO investment in the squad?
This is the whole point I have been making for years. The EPL is the real product here - not any of these ditsy little clubs that barely make 100- 250m a year. The EPL product makes billions a year and it does not give a toss about proper competition or any bollocks like that. They will be happy when 95% of fans are Utd fans and every year an evil villain tries to steal the crown. This is the joke this tournament has become, complete with titled matches, buying matches and obvious political & broadcaster influencing of outcomes. You guys should watch german football and see the difference where there is at least some semblance of a sport going on.
What sucks is that I can now practically watch every Arsenal match on TV (and most live). 5 years ago, that wasn't the case. Remember when FSC seemed to show Spurs matches exclusively (05-06)?! I almost don't want to watch many of the matches now because it is generally an exercise in frustration. Where can I see Bund in the US?
and yet, ironically, business interests, not footballing performance, are at the forefront of and basis for almost all your posts.
I love the Bundesliga, but lets not pretend that Wolfgang Stark didnt just fucc over Dortmund this weekend. In fairness, he had the balls to apologize for it which is the opposite of what happens in England.
I said some semblance of a sport. Not that it is great. The league is more competitive and that is primarily due to less political influence over refs, and no billionaire doping. The glaring issue is that Bayern is massively doped compared to everyone else, but they still have to compete harder than what you see in the prem.
As i have said before - I stopped watching the premiership when I realised it was just as corrupt as italy, and arsenal started dishing up such poor entertainment product. When you have two kids ages 2 and 0 its hard to justify watching bent games over spending the time with them.
It's hard to justify when they're older, and even in the sport wasn't corrupt... But your point stands...
My little girl is 4 months. Agreed about sports in general. They just aren't that important in the scheme of things. Now, I can post on BS right now because she's sleeping. Haha
mine are 4 & 6 now. Previously I lived just a few minutes walk from Angel, so it was easy to spend a sunday afternoon with mates in a local. But here in germany I can't really be bothered to camp out at the irish bar which will be full of celtic fans, drunks and other vermin in order to see the the EPL. And I refuse to pay those criminals at Sky any money
quality wise it's not quite the top league, still very good though, but everything else easily makes up for that. fan owned clubs, ticket prices, terracing, atmosphere, reasonably close competition (minus bayern munich's financial advantage).
The ticket pricing is huge. Sadly Pauli have rebuilt the ground but to be able to stand on the bank for €11 and drink beer whenever you like makes for a much better experience.
Jitty, wait till they start playing football. Then you become a whole other kind of maniac. Then they get old enough where they walk around the house ranting "we need to sack the manager...." or " Did you see what Gervinho did?" You just don't have a respite.
That's a fun age. My kids are 2 and a half years apart and I remember that was the age when I stopped loving them just for being my kids and started enjoying who they were as people. It's gotten better every year since (they're 16 and 14 now) but I did really enjoy them at that age. Cheers.
I am in the same boat. My kids are 4 and 0. I still watch almost every Arsenal game, but I figured out a couple of years ago that DVR is my friend.
So why do they play well for us and not other clubs? A player is responsible ultimately for his own success/failures, since it's his innate talent at play. A manager can only nurture and encourage that talent. it's the same in any industry or line of work. "Adebayor" has proven he has quality, and really has only messed up his own career post-Arsenal. I think most Arsenal fans would grudgingly admit he is potentially the best striker in the world.
Yet somehow you found time to post 17,000+ messages here Just busting your balls. I would love to watch the bundesliga but I need English commentary to really enjoy in on the tele. It's hard enough watching a russian Arsenal stream, would be really tough when I don't know much about the club and players.