That was a shot across the bow! No I don't believe AFTV represents all Arsenal fans or an accurate representation of most fans. They do serve a purpose they give us fans a platform to speak on the club it's highs, lows, challenges, input and knowledge of the game. It doesn't tow the company line it's promotes the feelings and sentiments of many. AFTV is more than just rantings and blowups you have knowlegable and passionate fans giving their take on the Matches on Arsenal in general, tactics etc. Robbie is a standup guy who loves the club and is very reasonable. I don't buy the idea AFTV is toxic or profiting of the club failures. Just my two cents.
Agreed that Robbie is a good dude. And I confess I haven't seen much of AFTV for a few years now, probably since the peak of #wengerout. So maybe it's not as negative or toxic now as some of the clips I saw from years past. Also when I made my comments, about bringing it full-circle, I was thinking more about Yos's comments about AFTV, than yours. IOW, no intentional shot fired!
The guys on AFTV talk about football like the guys on the playground or the boys at the pub do. It's real, it's raw and it's emotional. The club is trying to deflect everything on to the fans and it's shameful.
This place can be a bit elitist These are working class fans actually at the games travelling home and away this is their platform they might night quote xg or orny when u go to games u see alotmore too in terms of context
Sure. Nevertheless, as I said previously, the people I'm referring to also go to all the matches home and away, yet they have a different, or at the very least, less hyperbolic perspective than most of the AFTV regulars.
Latest rumors popping up... Xhaka - Italian interest is waning a bit (Milan rumors still hanging around) but rumors of a loan deal to Newcastle are heating up significantly. Personally, I have no issue sending him to Newcastle but I have zero interest in a loan deal. Torreira - Rumors floating around that he has told the club that he wishes to leave but is willing to wait until the summer. Supposedly he has expressed desire to go back to Italy. He's been linked with Milan and more notably Napoli who are said to be interested in getting him to replace Allan. Bellerin - His agent has been talking about an unnamed Italian team expressing interest in him and Bellerin's supposed interest in playing in Italy one day. Can't figure the angle here. If he really wanted to leave you would think they would be a bit more aggressive. If this is a bid for a raise it is bad timing with A) just signing a new deal last year and B) just coming back off an injury.
Reading up on the Allan situation... Looks like he wants to leave Napoli because some fans got pissed at a performance and broke into his house. That is the only reason he is looking to leave. Seems there are quite a few fans that are extremely pissed because they think he drives their entire MF. If he is looking to leave and they want Lucas, I think we just need to work out a swap deal. He can be the #6 or a defensive #8 that we have so badly needed and is old enough that he can A) mentor some of the younger MF and B) won't block them long term.
I can see how the LT to Italy rumors are correct. But I'll be a bit sad if he leaves. He hasn't quite reached his potential with us and it feels like there's more upside. If he stays through spring I guess we'll find out!
I'd rather not see him go either but Emery has misused him and now doesn't play him hardly at all. That combined with the change in environment (size of city, crappy weather and language barrier) I can understand why he would want to go back. The way I see it right now, the only way we can rectify the situation is... A) Emery pulls his head out of his butt and realizes the proper way to utilize him B) We replace Emery with a coach that sees Lucas's true position/value C) We sell/trade him for a player that makes a bigger impact on the squad than Emery has allowed Lucas to
Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part, but I wonder if these stories about player discontent we're starting to see are calculated to pave the way for Emery being shown the door.
Perhaps, but this approach would require a level of competence from Arsenal management that has yet to be demonstrated.
It's the players, not the club hinting that they are unhappy with Emery, not the club. The club isn't on social media liking posts criticizing Emery.
The club doesn't have to coordinate with players on stories of player discontent, to grease the skids for getting rid of Emery, they can simply fire him. The coordination is between the players and the press. Both are aware of fan discontent, so the press are looking for stories about Emery's relationship with the players and the players unhappy with Emery are willing to provide the press with what they want either in interviews (see Mhkitaryan's claim in Four Four Two that Emery paid "more attention to tactics, so my role changed, I was starting as a winger, but had to build play with the defensive midfielder. It’s why I couldn’t contribute as many goals or assists.”) or through semi-cryptic tweets, retweets, and likes on Twitter or other social media sites.
If Emery had just continued to play Torreira in the holding spot throughout the end of last year (remember how LT couldn't get a look-in and we all thought he was burned out?) and this year he would be a 60M+ value player right now. Instead he might be leaving for a fraction of that. That we're flippantly talking about replacements for LT is infuriating--he could and should be the foundation of this midfield and he's 23.
Didn't say they have to. I was speculating that for PR purposes they might be assisting with these types of stories.
To what purpose? To turn the fans against Emery? Emery has already done that job and none of this is exactly positive PR. I suppose Raul and Edu could be trying to lay the blame for Arsenal's travails squarely at the feet of Emery to deflect from any culpability they might have, but then, as I suggested above, why not simply fire Emery.
Because it's possible that Raul and Edu aren't one unit, or that there are other parties who want Emery gone sooner than Raul does. Somebody from Arsenal is building the case but it's hard to say who.