The Last Dance

?Wenger whatever your opinions about him loved football and was a purist – he wouldn’t want or suggest anything that would hurt the game. Doesn’t mean he’s right of course but his ideas are at least worth listening to”

Marc-your response to Norg shouldn’t go unnoticed by those who have openly questioned our objectivity when it comes to Arsenal-related issues…most on here have spoken about their displeasure for what transpired during Wenger’s post-Dein reign, yet we have no problem giving him his flowers when it’s applicable…so when some are quick to suggest that we aren’t capable of separating fact from fiction, when it comes to our present manager, they should look in the mirror, as it’s much more likely that they’re the ones with a subjective agenda in mind…I have a deep respect and admiration for what Wenger accomplished here and how he went about his business, at least prior to our move, and I can likewise acknowledge that things have looked objectively better during the last two seasons under Arteta, but that doesn’t mean that I will simply bite my tongue if I no longer agree with the manager in charge, like with Wenger, or not make my beliefs known when I don’t believe that our present manager can take us to the next level…ultimately all I want for our club is to be the best version of ourselves and if I don’t believe that our best chance to accomplish this goal is with the current manager, I will make a concerted effort to raise all the reasons why I believe this to be the case…of course, if you don’t agree with my reasoning feel free to speak your mind, but if you do so don’t think for a second that I won’t respond in kind…Cheers

Hoopah
Check out Sarah Todd in Goa and other parts of India. She’s perfected Indian French fusion cooking.

:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChNx99RhiahMLe2bbGjCZjw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNKO599urrU

This guy has something like a billion plus views for his cooking.

Tony-my palete is undoubtedly far more pedestrian than yours…when I was younger I suffered from what doctor’s then suggested was a doudenal ulcer, which left me feeling that I had to pursue a fairly static diet for fear that I might jeopardize my sporting-related pursuits…as such, I wasn’t much of an acquired taste kind of guy, which likely influenced my rather severe preference for all things sweet over savoury…so much so that I’ve never been a coffee drinker, yet I could down a Coke on the sidelines of any field or court without giving it a second thought…as I grew older I definitely enjoyed what was then classified as fine dining, but that usually entailed captain’s cut roast beef or beef tenderloin, some yorkshire pudding and a typically untouched side of mixed veggies…I knew this wasn’t the best situation and made an effort to make sure my children didn’t pursue a similar course, which has likewise enabled me to be a bit more flexible with my choices…in fact, my son is a foodie of epic proportions, who spends a considerable proportion of his income at michelin star establishments and other fou fou dining options across the globe…I definitely respect those at the top of the culinary food chain, but I care even more about finding ways to best enjoy those foods that work best for me so that I can enjoy those things in life I enjoy considerably more…Cheers

Tony
The final of UK Masterchef was aired last night on BBC. The chap who won is a Vet from Chelmsford. His parents I believe were Indian east africans who probably escaped Edi Amin.
I enjoy fine dining and would have loved to dine at La Gavroche before it closed. Some of the best meals I have enjoyed over the years have been far from fine dining but the combination of flavours from the simplest of dishes and at reasonable prices I have provided food much enjoyment.

Norg

There can be far too much snobbery in food – good food well prepared is good whether its a cheese burger or a Chateaubriand.

Of course the other important thing is it doesn’t matter what others think if its what you like go for it – just try to keep your mind open to new tastes ideas.

TRVL

One of the things I love about football is the banter and disagreements. I have a firm belief that if you love something you should be passionate about it but if you can’t tolerate criticism because you can’t make a counter argument then the issue is yours not mine.

I think we have a similar approach to football.

Cheers Marc

on another note, I do agree with your food-related sentiments, as I’ve had home cooked meals that were fairly basic in nature, but were far more delicious than meals that have set me back hundreds of dollars…to be fair though, my wife spent some time, in her more formative years, learning how to cook from a local woman who was well-known in the industry…cooking is definitely a lost art, as it’s rarely passed down from one generation to the next, which is a crying shame

some recent quotes from the BBC’s ask the fans series:

“Arsenal’s season overall was an excellent one, but to take them to the next level I believe a new striker is needed”

“If we can get a striker (Viktor Gyokeres is my pick) and back-up in some other areas (central defence and defensive midfield), it would take a very special season to stop us”

“I’d like to see us bring in a striker”

“Arteta does not possess a single proactive bone in his body and his infatuation with shoehorning Kai Havertz into the team has cost us the league”

“Increase the squad depth, sign a striker and a full-back and go again next season”

and finally one from Cesc in another BBC interview:

“If Arsenal can manage to get that top striker that can guarantee you goals through the all of the season, they will be much, much, much closer to getting it.”

so maybe we’re not so seemingly alone in our opinion of what needs to be done, regardless of all the nonsense being spewed by the Kool-Aid crew about our presently shoehorned “Striker” Kai Havertz…hopefully someone in a position of influence will heed these collective words of advice…unfortunately, if somone were to push too hard for this and MA was thinking otherwise, they would likely face the axe, as that appears to be our manager’s MO

Morning all
Thanks for indulging my love of food.

I find Masterchef is a wonderful journey to see people’s lives grow and, in doing so, they enrich people like me, as I find them inspiring when finding solutions to save the dish to continue competing under immense pressure of cooking on live TV.

Competing is the key word here, but it’s not the winning, but the learning, as part of their end game winning process to make fine food or just good food, such as food found the Michelin star footpath eateries. In Tokyo you have to queue for hours to get a seat at such places. Something I couldn’t do with ADHD. Queuing is like watching paint dry for me.

For my daughter food is her religion. She picks holidays for the places she wants to eat.

Junior’s ADHD meant he only food he ate was brown or variations of brown until her was 12 where now his palate is slowly developing to include vegetables of all colours. Slowly being the operative word.

I love food, but it’s a potential killer for me as I have a disease that makes cholesterol for fun where a quintuple bypass at 35 and 5 stents in the last 10 years is what I get for eating food I like.

So, I vicariously enjoy food via Masterchef and following chefs carers watching some 600+ episodes in 11 years of Masterchef Australia, that began the series with 3 UK chef judges who have restaurants in Australia.

Norg I know you enjoy cooking and I believe Marc does, too.

This is a time of year that is difficult for me because The Arsenal is more than just a football club me.

It’s a way of life.

I may be 6000+km away from the Emirates, but the distance doesn’t matter, the football first and then winning is my fanaticism for my club.

Reiterating what I’ve said before is ‘football is a sport’, and in sport there are only winners and losers.

When we win I’m on top of the world in my little kingdom. All is well with my life for that short time we can enjoy the win. To win a title keeps me sated until the start of the next season where I dare to live in hope, and dream, as I did when I was 10, and a young Gooner.

Music and football were my world which I could get lost in when my reality of life was a living hell until I left home. Then my world literally became my world to enjoy, and with no family to be part of I became a nomad. The British way wasn’t for me, and back in the late 70s onwards life was full of opportunities if you looked for them. I got into food as I toured different countries on the road. We’d get taken out to restaurants by the record companies, so it was a very good early food education, as was living in Paris for months.

When the season ends it’s like I’ve lost something from my life.

So, I replace football with food, and my room, and then truck on happily for the 12 weeks of no real football: Euros and WC notwithstanding, as I rarely watch either. Retirement gives me freedom at these times also to pursue things that interest me.

When you’ve watch the magic of us winning the WC in 66 on a small B&W TV nothing else comes close except the GG class of 89. Those matches will always live in my memory with Hurst’s goal bringing tears to my eyes as I sat alone watching. Then, the 2:0 at Anfield.

The 66 WC win confirmed my undying love of football and my first taste of winning that has stayed with me.

The 89 title win fulled me for another 10 years of topsy turvy Arsenal.

Wenger gave us a happy decade but ended up getting fired as he had from all his previous clubs.

DD was the visionary: he was our footballing luminary. DD wanted classy foreign players where with Rioch Bergkamp was the first legend to wear our shirt. Rightly or wrongly I believe Wenger fueled DD’s thirst to change the game, as we knew it back then. Wenger was Dein’s vehicle who fit Dein’s footballing model.

Rioch was a stable authoritarian manager who may well have go one to do well had he been backed. He had been a decent player in his day. Dein we know now had other plans for us, which brought us glory and bragging rights with very happy years taking on United’s might with old red nose.

Once Dein was despatched aided by – et tu Brutus – Wenger, our decline began to set in, albeit slowly.

Like KP, but not as deeply, I am affected by us losing, but it’s not a mental issue that forces me to feel our important, and all losses really: it’s an emotional one because we lose games we really shouldn’t have, and that is all down to El B. He is the manager and the back stops with him.

We’ve had this for 5 years now, so for me, it get personal where I/we can’t change the outcome, which adds much higher levels of frustration. Am I right?

Over the last 5 years El B could and should have been fired for a number of reasons but losing the club around £200m in player values and pay offs should be chief among them when El B demanded to be rookie manager and not rookie head coach. either way he was a rookie learning on the job.

My argument is he hasn’t learnt anywhere near enough because in His mind He is the 2nd coming of Pep!

Except he isn’t. He’s the 2nd coming of Moyes or Wenger isolated and in tandem.

I mean Moyes has a Euro cup to his name, right? Wenger? nada! El B? a Covid FA Cup. Facts!

I despise trolls.

They are a relatively new concept to me. I’ve never bothered with blogs. LG was my first, and LIR will probably be my last. In my world, I just can’t understand trolls? Why? And what pleasure can they derive from angering others? Banter, especially sardonic banter I get and enjoy.

Mindless winding up at others’ expense I just don’t get on any level. To me they are just sad Fcuks!

They need to get a life, and it’s best those whom have attacked me personally better hope that we never meet. Fortunately, Thailand affords the space I need to enjoy a happy and peaceful life where I’ll never meet any of the trolls in person.

TRVL will understand my feeling on this more than most.

I don’t take prisoners in business or my personal life, but as Marc says banter is part of football. Not just a part of the game, but it is an essential part to be able to be tribal or partisan supporting our club.

Banter becomes our war of attrition against other fans with funny chants of “Who are Ya?” and so many more tribal songs and witticisms.

In my 25 years here and before we really were able to use the Internet, bars were the only places you could find the games even at 2am in the morning if you were in a town that had a bar with girls either for Thais or westerners: there are both.

When I was single here I’d go to a big late massage spa, and watch from a big tub (think smaller old football changing room bath or hot tub now) in a private room. Kind of brought a new meaning to the private box at £100 for 2 or so hours of herbal and alcoholic delights back when I drank occasionally.

That was 20 years ago, I’m sure inflation has come into play here, but also the Internet has taken that particular viewing source’s exclusivity away. Although, most Thai girls like football, so banter in the baths was fun, too, but you never won. Well, you did, but didn’t in such a paradoxical world, especially if you had a subs’ bench.

At 2am in the morning the girls would be bored looking for action where if a lonely Arsenal or any football loving fan came wandering in, as the only target in sight, they instantly be your very persuasive FWBs for as long as you wanted to stay, sorry I meant pay.

Benefits would come with a tariff unless you had a bottle of single malt with you, as Thai’s love their whiskey. It’s a national past time with whisky & soda. They make their own white whiskey in the villages where they drink, and then go out hunting frogs for breakfast. The frogs are sober so generally escape the frying pans. The village hunters are hung over and hungry, if not unscathed from the jungle, and so will find another bottle to share as the cure all morning remedy.

It’s really hard to explain unless you have been here for more than 2 weeks only doing tourist things.That, and if you key in soapy BKK massage you’ll get the idea.

It’s a way of life here being a 3rd world country, but Thailand is a country where they see death as nothing to be fussed about, as they believe in reincarnation. Completely different culture to the west that’s predominantly similar in beliefs, in all of S E Asia.

They can also really appreciate having a drink and watching a game and talk football. They have their own teams their fathers and brothers support. It’s all surreal as you end up feeling like you’ve known them for a long time and they you, where their football knowledge can astound when sober. Drunk and they are betting dates of games with you and scores.

Hotel managers were the only other live game source to get them to change satellite channels at a fee of course.

That was then, and now we can watch a game together texting in real time where we can banter with others also online.

Back to banter and trolls I enjoy the first if it’s intelligent; the mindless stuff from LG is not for me. I can be over protective here as it’s the way I am. I don’t suffer fools gladly where LIR only has regular posters I respect and enjoy the company of.

The close season and click bait ad infinitum about to descend on us, is where I apply my ADHD handbrake or I would be in a futile data gathering mode that would have me delving deeper to no real avail. It simply is not conducive to the peace and harmony I generally find in my life by my own course charting.

I have plenty to keep my mind active this year where it will be a year of big changes for me that arise from some tough, but necessary life decisions we all have to make when we face crossroads in our lives.

As far as the TW goes, we all seem to concur we need a LB, 8 and 9.

The names that were all bandied around here have been pretty much agreed with, as if not THE actual player we need, but certainly the position that needs filling. A Partey replacement is also essential or Rice will burn out. El B may think so, but Havertz can’t play 6 at all or 8 effectively for that matter.

Then there are the Euros to give us some relief to our Arsenal addiction. A respite of sorts.

As a fan I expect us to challenge to win all of the time.

Not go draw a game at the cost of trying to win as we did at City. I expect a manager of 5 years who has spent £600m+ to deliver trophies: Pep did as did Klopp, Toucal and even the Tinker man when Wenger let him.

Now, it’s El B letting them and 88522 is simply not good enough for me.

86421 I could happily accept. It’s the results of an Elite manager creating there right progression for money invested in winning.

We should have been 88511, which I would have been happy, and would have accepted that I was raising the bar too high with expectancy for the first 3 seasons.

I’m happy to admit my mistakes, but history proves otherwise in El B’s case.

In the future something like 12413 over the next 5 seasons would keep me very happy because, unless you cheat as Manure did and now City has, you can’t win every season.

City has what? 5 from 6? Let that sink in.

On the subject of VAR, I feel, for all its sins, it keeps the game honest up to a point. To take it away just leaves the dark arts to slowly suck the good life left, out of the game. With VAR players have to toe the line to a certain degree.

Nothing goes unnoticed with VAR, which can also be a bad thing where rugby TMOs can have too much influence off the ball.

As Marc said, VAR is not the issue; it’s the VAR operators’ who need examining more closely.

Sat, Aug 17, 2024 – Sun, May 25, 2025 are next season’s dates, and we all eagerly await the new fixtures while we supposedly buy and sell well, in the summer TW.

We have just under 12 weeks before the new season kicks off. I, like the rest of us, hope that El B and Edu finally get a TW 100% right with round pegs for round holes et al.

TRVL
Looks like those quote owners should come join us here.

KP
You ok?

I meant to add this little ditty as my tribute to El B: The Jokerman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XSvsFgvWr0

Why the Jokerman?

Well, when you tell someone something about El B they often reply, “you’re joking, right?”

It seemed only fitting.

KP
Can I drag you away from your revelry to offer another song for El B?

Almunia?

Anyone?

Can we make an EL B album?

Tony

If we’re putting together songs that some up Arteta I’ll nominate “It’s bad you know” by RL Burnside.

On the subject of Dein I believe he and Wenger were friends (they’d met at some UEFA type thing) and Dein wanted Wenger when we appointed Rioch but the board overruled him.

They were a perfect balance to each other – Wenger the football purist and Dein the hardnosed mother fucker who could get a deal done. Our transfer business went pear shaped when Dein left (and rightly so) because we didn’t replace him and Wenger took complete control.

Gazidis put a plan in place with Mislintat and Sanllehi (one to spot the talent the other to broker deals) but then left a power vacuum – power vacuums rarely end well.

Great track Marc. A more mellow Dr Feegood with Lee B. I’ll toss in bad to the Bone George Throrogood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyhJ69mD7xI

Marc
I heard that DD and Wenger still are friendly. I ordered DD’s book but it was in reprint and I never got it. I was hoping to find out more that way. I’ll get it in BKK some time.

Interestingly Wenger suggested and approved the appointment of IG thinking he could walk all over him. IG, after a while realised Wenger was in decline and suggested a change to SK & Josh. First he interviewed Klopp but that idea was dismissed. He then went all out for Pep who was having a year off at the time. Pep visited N5 but Wenger was starting to get twitchy and fought like a cornered animal. IG knew it was time to go and let Wenger get the big shovel out of the shed. Josh was on the scene when Raul was appointed – and Raul knew how to manipulate Josh and IG was already planning his departure.
With Raul in charge he was basically doing what he wanted with only a distant Josh overseeing the mess that he didnt understand.

Tony
Thanks for the cookery link. My maid can replicate if I send her video links. But Sarah Todd is a bit sketchy with details, so guess will not try this one.
But definitely you have prodded me and will start looking again
Thanks, good friend.

How about the old Carly Simon 1972 claasis “You’re so vain” or the Stones “Under my Thumb”

I’ve spoken at great length about my admiration for our former renaissance man, the once honourable David Dein…his former greatness certainly doesn’t absolve him of his fuck up, albeit he tried desperately to make amends, but I’m totally convinced if he had stayed on we would have been a force to be reckoned with in the years following the ribbon cutting, with or without Wenger…he was a GD force of nature who would have moved fucking mountains to make us the Real of the North…he was the straw that stirred our organizational drink

classic

Sorry guys but I think I just won the name a song that describes Arteta competition.

He’s Misstra Know-It-All by Stevie Wonder.

Actually I can’t believe none of us thought of it earlier!

TRVL
Under my thumb & the brilliant You’re so Vain are great efforts. The Carly song worthy of 2nd.

Marc
There can be no better than your Stevie Wonder offering and worthy winner for me: He’s Mister Know It All.

Norg
I was furious to learn Wenger had interviewed IG. Talk about the tail wagging the dog. Wenger was Top Down management when everyone had changed to horizontal dissemination management. Our The Arsenal were the sum of Wenger’s autocratic kingdom parts he had created where results proved the need to be rid of him. The bottom line said different: Stan was happy in his mediocre sports franchise days.

Then Stan and Junior have invested in winning both sides of the pond. Here it’s £600m and counting, and not a tile or cup in sight.

When Raul & Dimond Eye were formed I knew IG had lost the plot completely. It was a recipe for disaster, and they did not disappoint with poor Unai getting eternally shafted with the rough end of a pineapple. I mean Unai did walk funny in his touchline box always grimacing even when we were not losing for 22 games.

He’s Ok now so maybe had colonic irrigation the right way instead of Raul kicking the shit out of Emery, and then wanting to resign the malleable manager. It was all about control.

Since the Kroenkes took over our club has been comedy central. Yes, they’ve invested after our oligarch had vacated the premises, but El B has also lost them a truck load of money right under their noses.

It could be as much as £200m+ in the incumbent’s 5 years. We are leveraged for the £600m in one way or another, but we’ve gone from £2b+ to probably £4b+, so the profit margin is acceptable for such alleged losses.

It’s not just the losses, is it? £200m invested even risk adverse would pay dividends that would maybe fund colony for a year. There doesn’t seem to be any fiscal prudence with El B at the helm.

Just think if we’d had that £200m for this window? Perhaps not, as you’d have to think about EL B and Edu spending it. Edu has gone very quiet these days and no ST razzmatazz that I’ve noticed.

Hoopah
Sounds like you have a cool made with a good palate. I want to taste Sarah’s food, just not sure if in Australia or Goa? Not a bad problem to have and I’ve never been to India. We’ll see.

LIR
When I woke up I saw the headline of Xavi sold and I immediately thought, YES!!!!!! El B is Barca bound and we might snag Xavi. All of a sudden I heard angels sing with unicorns dancing until I saw that Herr Flick is taking the reins of the Cules faithful’s club.

I’m just hoping Herr Flick is in some way related to his namesake from Allo Allo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6jCUogKDrY

Once I realised El B was staying and that silly season is upon us I thought same shit different day.

Have a good weekend LIR.

A final El B thought and a song from him that would make me happy as he sings goodbye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SneCkM0bJq0

Tony

or this version of of Goodbye – El B at the piano in the middle of the pitch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKai4Ss13CI

Listening to Pete & Dud I thought it is going to be a long summer without football – I hate internationals – I am not into horse racing but this commentary has a couple of references to El B.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWpRcRCUKsY

Hi Tony
Just having a down week after last weekend. Decimating the garden, watching cricket, the usual summer shite. Feel like I need a wee break after all the meloodrama. I should research more about the depth and width of City’s historical cheating but fuggit!

Tony
I prefer the method of the Rugby TMO much over football’s VAR. The TMO can look at and correct infractions from phases prior. You can find yourself in a phase when the TMO interrupts and alerts the on field Ref to an infraction and they act upon it with total transparency. It is made much easier by the total respect from players to the Ref.

On the other hand VAR is totally fucked until they correct it perhaps by bringing in former players to become VAR operators as well as modifying when they can intervene and at what time. But at the present we are screwed.

KP
For me there are some tasty Summer Series Rugby matches especially South Africa v Ireland where the tickets sold out in less then an hour.

By the way how did Arteta’s moniker El-B come about and what is its explanation how it relates to the on the job manager wer have?

Killroy

Either KP or Tony conjured up the name.

Kroenkephobe conjured El B
Moniker had a surname as well in the original Kroenkephobe version.
Think Incopetente or something like that.
Whatever, but El B is apt and has stuck.

I find myself in the unpleasant situation of wanting ManU to win the Cup.

On the other hand I can’t see it actually happening.

Mickey mouse defending by City there after completely dominating the first 30.

ManU is up 2-0 . Second half Pep has upped the game.
Surprisingly ManU is playing well except maybe for MC Tomominy

Dokku does not have a left peg ,so compulsory has to come inwards to shoot. The only deficiency in a a fantastic player with pace and close ball control

Foden without de Bruyne is like ESR without Saka next to him.
Looks Like similar galaxy brains

so far this match has been all about one side capitializing on their only real opportunities, whereas the other side has failed to do so, minus 1 glorious save by Onana, which would have been a goal 9 out of 10 times…as for Doku, he’s a crafty little player but he’s a bang average finisher, otherwise he would be regularly deployed on the left…I really wonder if City will sell Grealish this summer, as he’s been, in large part, a disappointing signing…that said, I would suspect that he’s a very positive locker room presence and loved by all, as you could see during their interactions after they won the title last weekend

There are rumours Grealish is going to Bayern

KP-I figured as much…I do apologize for my role in the melodramatics…just as it pertains to you of course, as they were acting like snide little cnuts towards myself and Tony, so things were bound to get messy…I know you would relish having a wider array of posters, but surely you can see the vast difference in the way they conducted themselves towards you, even though you hold many of the same managerial views as myself and Tony…I get it though, as you’ve been far more forthcomng than myself when it comes to putting yourself out there and they likewise haven’t ruffled your feathers from a more political perspective…to be fair, I never made my attacks personal except when I was in their direct firing line…I have no problem whatsoever with differing opinions being expressed on here, in fact, I’m a huge proponent of having some lively back-and-forth, but only if those involved can handle a little take with their dish…who knows, maybe by melodrama you were simply rederring to how things panned out again this season and I totally misread the room…even if this were the case, I would still consider this to be worthwhile venture on my part…take care

just when the fat lady was preparing to sing City finally potted one…should be an electric final few minutes

this might create a very unusual situation if ten Hag gets axed in the hours or days following a FA victory, which qualifies them for Europe

Man U win 2-1

And into Europa uff