(The not-so-temporary quite-official) Gooner Thread

"Thank you for your interest in our affairs" version 2.0.

No problem. Every other supporter of the other 19 teams hope he stays.

That was a patronising quote from Peter Hill-Wood at the club's AGM 3 or 4 seasons ago and that statement from Sir Chips basically says the same thing, wasn't aimed at you.

There are a couple of you guys on this thread who for some time have argued against AW. Pretty hard to do when you are a fan of the club. However, most neutrals have seen this coming for a very long time. Easy for Gunners to have a go at me, but for years ( I can't be bothered)to find it.

I have said that AW has not been a top achiever  that he should have been. In saying that I don't think the club has been a great help.

most likely but I have hit record

Millwall and Boro both 1-0

very frustrating to watch this. The team is making Lincoln look good and dont seem as up for it as the boys in green.

that was better. controlled, quick and in the net. nice one wally

Big win. Let's get the cup!

These protests are starting to ramp up a bit. Plane with a banner planned for next week at West Brom (apparently already paid for by a member of the group) and a crowd funding page setup. Good to see people doing it in a peaceful way, and I'd probably be there too if I could. But it all seems a bit pointless. A few hundred people out of 50k is just a fart in the wind really, and Wenger and the board will just see it as a bunch of louts who don't know how lucky they are.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Wenger_Protest

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/chris-butl...

Why do you feel the need to protest? 

I suppose like many issues, it's an effective way of having your voice heard. Can't see it influencing the board in the slightest, but doing it peacefully and outside the stadium so not impacting on the actual game seems the best way to do it. The plane is probably going a bit far as it will create a whole media circus which may impact on the game.

As much as I want him gone, it does feel sad that it's come to fans resorting to try and hound him out.

Thanks for sharing, I don't necessarily share the same desire to protest but it's good to understand where you're coming from :)

I think the distraction thing is the frustration for me, as it's becoming the focal point instead of football. It seems like a self fulfilling prophesy really, talk about the manager leaving because the teams playing badly, create uncertainty in the dressing room, team plays badly. Not a dig at protesting fans but more an observation.

Great point brumbys. It does feel this way at times. 

Draw for remainder of season;

EPL

Mar 19 @ WBA 

Apr 3 vs Man City 

Apr 6 vs Westham 

Apr 11 @ C.Palace 

Apr 18 @ Boro 

Apr 23 vs Sunderland - TO BE RE-SCHEDULED DUE TO FA CUP

May 1 @ Spurs 

May 7 vs ManU 

May 14 @ Stoke

May 22 vs Everton 

Also: 

Apr 22/23 FA Cup Semi Final 

May 27 Potential FA Cup Final

EDIT: LIST IS NOT 100% CORRECT. 2x EPL fixtures still to be re-scheduled;

@ Southampton

vs Leicester

That is a tough draw to finish the league season.

Not confident. 

mmmm that is a tough end to the season, we just dont seem to play well against man u and have been average against spurs recently too

May 1 @ Spurs

May 7 vs ManU

May 14 @ Stoke

May 22 vs Everton

Yep.

Man.C, Spurs, ManU, Everton and Stoke (away only) are all fixtures we have struggled in of late. 

5 out of the 10. 

Which also just highlighted to me that that is not entirely correct - we also have Soton away and Leicester at home which are still to be re-scheduled. 

Happy enough with 2nd or 3rd plus the FA Cup

Not all happy with 4th and no cup

Crying with Europa League

An honest question, with your current squad, do you think the team should be achieving more than a top 4, as in do you think the squad is good enough to challenge for/win the title?

Yes. Definitely. 

You have got Man City in the semis.

City at Wembley, followed closely by Spurs away, ManU at home, Stoke away and Everton at home to finish the season, with a home game against Sunderland to be re-scheduled between two of those fixtures somewhere.

Prior to that group of games, we'll probably have 7 games in the next month (or 6, with one being pushed into the following month outlined above), and that includes provision for an international break. If anyone plays every single game for Arsenal, and their country, they will play 15 games in 9 weeks.

Mad set of fixtures. 

That's my preferred semi. With the options being the other big teams I can't see anything other than another big game hammering, and if it's City that somehow wouldn't feel as bad as if it was Chelsea or Spurs. Also see them as the more likely opponent we could get a result against currently.

I wanted the Cocks but will settle for them in the Final

That would be an amazing last game for Wenger I feel.

Me too

I'm not normally this negative but it's tough right now, I look at all our big games we have left and struggle to see us winning any of them. 

I really didn't want Spurs just because of the fear of losing. 

Could be the final nail in the coffin too. Fudgeing hell. Imagine losing a Cup final to Spurs.

Ultimately nows the time for a clear focus from the squad. 12 league games, 1 cup semi final, 1 cup final. Win 10 of those league games and ECL is locked in. Win the cup final and the season has counted for something. With only The Ox, Ospina, Elneny, Cazorla out injured - and Welbz/Ozil ill we should have the legs needed to rotate and find form. Time for Wenger to flex his managerial muscles and the squad to get their sh*t together.

Edit: while the manager still takes responsibility for the team, the form of the squad collectively is down - even Sanchez.

Wenger's long time right-hand-man Boro Primorac is moving to Turkey to take over a team there next season. Interesting tidbit of info. He has been a trusted Trainer of Wenger's since he was in Japan, one of his most trusted guys. 

Sounds like the guys one of the good ones. Arseblog pointed out that when BP was coaching in Ligue One he was a whistleblower against corruption in transfers when AW was at Monaco but it cost him his career as no one would touch him afterwards. AW took him under his wing in Japan. Smoke, fire etc.

Apparently Gilberto is going to be in Auckland this weekend with the Confederations Cup trophy.

http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/fifa-confeds-cup-winner-coming-to-auckland/

Wow that is interesting. 

I wish he was coming to Wellington. One of my favourite players during that era. Very much an unsung hero of the Invincibles.

Same. A player who was let go too early and still been replaced.

He only made 12 league starts in his final season, then left for Panathanaikos having dropped out of both Arsenal and Brazil's starting line-ups.

Was dropped too early and replace by Denilson who turned out to be probably the worst regular starting player of the Wenger era. Was also a leader and felt he should have been kept around for longer.