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From arsenal.com

The death of Ray Kennedy prompted an outpouring of praise and appreciation for a player who had achieved a huge amount in a career plagued at its end by the effects of Parkinson’s Disease, the condition which eventually claimed his life at the age of 70. Whilst Arsenal fans can be paranoid about media bias it was reasonable in this instance to focus on the fact that he achieved the bulk of his success with Liverpool. But he was an extraordinarily decorated player and in the first four or five seasons of his remarkable career he achieved that success with Arsenal.

This appreciation of a very important figure has been constructed around a central piece by our old friend Ray Coggin, a frequent and welcome contributor to the site. It then draws on memories from some of Ray Kennedy’s teammates and a number of Arsenal fans who remember the impact he had on our club. To score one goal of epic importance in the history of a club is a remarkable achievement. To score two, as Ray did, is extraordinary and assures him of a permanent place in any Arsenal Hall of Fame.

I will let Ray Coggin introduce this tribute, 

‘Older fans will be aware of course that previously, on the 3rd May 1971 the great “double” winning team secured the club’s first league title in 18 years at our old “home” ground, White Hart Lane. This was thanks in no small part to the rapid emergence of a talented young striker by the name of Ray Kennedy, not to be confused of course with my mother’s brother, my uncle Ray Kennedy, sadly not related! Arsenal’s Ray had formed a formidable partnership with John Radford and together their goals had propelled Arsenal forward to great things, ending the club’s years in the doldrums.

‘Ray Kennedy came from the humble mining community of Seaton Delaval in Northumbria. His father Martin was a miner and his mum Veronica, a housewife. Like many boys in the north east Ray possessed a great talent for playing the beautiful game. A local scout for the Potteries club Port Vale had spotted Ray playing for his school and alerted his boss, none other than the great Stanley Matthews as to Ray’s potential. Stan Matthews made it his job to visit Ray’s parents to persuade them to let him sign schoolboy terms for Port Vale. One can only imagine the pride that his parents must have felt when, out of the blue they were paid a visit by one of the greatest names in English football. 

‘Unfortunately, Matthews later decided that Ray wasn’t going to make the grade as his physique wasn’t suited and he would probably remain too slow to make it in the professional game. So, Ray returned home and began to play for local side New Hartley Juniors. That successful, free scoring team were winning enough games to alert more scouts and he was soon noticed by Arsenal. So as a seventeen-year-old he found himself being taken on by Arsenal as an apprentice. Six months later he had done well enough to be given a professional contract and he signed in November 1968.

‘Only ten months later in September 1969 Ray was given his big chance when he was named as a substitute in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup game against Glentoran. It was the beginning of the long running troubles that had broken out in Northern Ireland and the weekend had seen rioting and arrests in Belfast with 1100 British troops being flown in to keep the peace. The game went ahead in front of a crowd of 13,000 and Ray came on to replace John Radford in a game that Arsenal lost 0-1. Having won the first leg 3-0 at Highbury the Gunners went safely through.

‘I was at the Highbury game with my sister (Bodrum Gooneress). Arsenal must have lost the toss and attacked the North Bank in the first half. The quite sparsely populated game, with only 24,292 in attendance, meant that the stadium was almost two thirds empty. This gave us the opportunity to walk from the North Bank through the West Side Terrace to the Clock End for the second half. This was the only time the gates were unlocked for a first team match in my experience.

‘On the 18th October 1969 Ray made his First Division debut at Roker Park, Sunderland in a 1-1 draw. His first goal came on the 28th February 1970 in the home game against Sunderland in a 3-1 win. He really cemented himself in Arsenal history when he came on as a 77th minute sub against Anderlecht in the first leg of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final at the Constant Vanden Stock stadium, Anderlecht.  In the 82nd minute Ray headed a consolation goal to reduce the arrears to 1-3. He took no part in the return leg at Highbury the scene of the famous 3-0 final victory, but it was that headed goal that turned the tide in Arsenal’s favour.

‘The following season, Ray firmly established himself as a first team legend. He got his chance due to a serious injury to Charlie George. Ray came into the team to partner John Radford and formed a formidable strike force that brought our first League Championship since 1953, culminating with that winning header against Tottenham in May ‘71.

With the score still 0-0, with 3 minutes left at the Lane, Ray Kennedy connects with a Geordie Armstrong cross from the left. From zapsportz.com
The ball soars past Pat Jennings and in off the underside of the bar to give Arsenal a 1-0 victory and the 1970-71 league title. From arsenal.com

‘At this time my home was in New Barnet.  Local residents included people of the music industry that frequented the shop. One night in the launderette, I met none other than Arsenal star Ray Kennedy doing his laundry. He was at the height of his Arsenal career and meeting him in this unusual circumstance was more important to me than the other glitterati around me. Having Arsenal’s top scoring forward (we didn’t call them strikers then) as a neighbour really was rubbing elbows with the stars! He was packing up his washing as I walked in, and startled by his presence I asked him, “Do you have to wash your own kit?” He chuckled as he picked up his bag. Leaving he looked at me and said in his North East accent, “No, Bertie Mee does that!” 

‘Ray topped our scoring chart with 26 goals in the 70-71 season, but in the close season first team coach Don Howe left the club to take up the manager’s job at his old club West Bromwich Albion. Don was replaced by Steve Burtenshaw which resulted in a perceived loss of effort on behalf of the squad. Ray again top scored with 19 goals in the 71-72 season, but the rot had set in on his Arsenal career. The strict physical regime that Howe had maintained disappeared and along with it, Arsenal’s fortunes took a turn for the worse. Ray’s form also took a dive and his weight had started to become a problem. 

‘By 1973 Ray had suffered problems on and off the pitch. His health had shown indications of problems as early as 1970 but he was able to shrug it off until it got the better of him in later years. He blamed his loss of form at Arsenal on marriage problems and assured people that after the relationship ended his form would pick up. . Mee had brought in Brian Kidd to replace him and decided to move Ray Kennedy on, so he left for Liverpool in the summer of 1974. 

Ray Kennedy signs for Liverpool. From lfchistory.net

‘It took someone with the genius of Liverpool’s Bob Paisley to have the vision to move Ray from the striker’s role to that of a midfielder. Ray’s career blossomed to make him one of the most decorated players in the history of British football. Even when his Liverpool career came to an end, he continued to add trophies to his lengthy well documented haul with a Welsh Cup winners medal with Swansea. 

‘Sadly, his domestic life continued to be a struggle and the debilitating Parkinson’s disease that had probably shown manifestations in his younger years eventually got the better of him. It finally claimed him in November last year at the age of 70. The memory of him leaping to head those goals in an Arsenal shirt lives on with me and those of us lucky enough to see him play at both our homes at Highbury and White Hart Lane.’ 

Ray’s biography encapsulates the significance of a very fine player. His rise to fame was meteoric and very welcome. 

Bob Wilson was someone who closely shared those successes with him.

Ray and Bob in 1971. From twitter.com

‘It was my absolute privilege to have been a teammate of Ray Kennedy. Unassuming, modest, a gentle giant of a player. Ray’s partnership with Raddy, John Radford, 50 years ago as we achieved Arsenal’s first League and FA Cup double, was outstanding. Fifty goals scored between them that season. Also, Ray brought us back from the edge of defeat and gave us hope in the 1970 European Fairs Cup Final 1st leg v Anderlecht with his late substitute goal. We all know what happened a week later, the first major trophy triumph for Arsenal in 17 long years. And then the headed goal one year later that made us the 1970-71 League Champions and gave me the best night of my entire playing career at of all places White Hart Lane. 

Just a pity most of the rest of his illustrious career came at Liverpool. His courage and fortitude in accepting and living with his Parkinson’s disease from his early 30’s until his death speaks volumes for our friend. I will never forget his smile and happiness on that night at Spurs in 1971.’ 

Similarly Frank Mclintock when talking about ‘The Match of my Life’ called Ray ‘an unsung hero‘. He found it hard to believe that we could acquire a player as good as Ray in the way we did.

‘Another mystery was how Port Vale, locked for so long in the lower divisions, let Kennedy go. They decided he was not good enough, but for us he was a sensation, scoring 19 goals in the league alone that season. He was a strange boy, kept himself to himself and when he arrived we knew nothing about him other than that Port Vale had bombed him out. He and John Radford played so well together, scoring vital goals and dragging defenders all over the pitch. They were a terrific pair! ‘ 

Ray, Frank and Raddy after the ’71 FA Cup Final. From arsenalarsenal.net

Our own North Bank Ned also has fond memories of this lad from the North-East. But his memory is an unconventional one! 

‘I remember well the first time I didn’t see Ray Kennedy. 

‘It was in the March of his debut season, 1969-70. We were at home in the second leg of the Fairs Cup quarter-final against Dinamo Bacau, thrashing the Romanians, 7-1. Raddy got a brace. So did Charlie George and Jon Sammels.

‘But Ray Kennedy was nowhere to be seen.

‘Here’s the backstory.

‘I was at Highbury that evening with a teammate from a midweek side. He also fancied himself as a tactical visionary. One of his theories was that to counter defences using a sweeper, teams should get rid of centre-forwards and play two wingers as Jimmy Greaves-like inside forwards. Not the twisty, little, bandy-legged wingers but the big, strong, direct, pacy ones.

‘This advice was freely given to any club. Still, my teammate thought Arsenal was moving in that direction by pushing George Graham back from centre-forward into midfield and moving Radford inside from the right-wing. What we needed to have done next, he thought, was to buy a left-sided equivalent — and not Peter Marinello.

‘He had seen this kid we had brought in as an apprentice from up North, where he had been scoring goals in amateur football by the dozen, play left wing for the reserves. He thought he might fit the bill, though he might be too slow for First Division football. This teenager had come on as a sub in a couple of earlier rounds of the Fairs Cup. Expecting the same against Dinamo Bacau, we were there to check him out with the first team.

‘A fool’s errand, as it turned out. Ray Kennedy didn’t make the team sheet even as sub.

‘It would be a year until I saw Ray Kennedy in the flesh, against Liverpool, as it happened, in the league at a jam-packed Highbury. Again, I was there with my teammate, who had snuck me into the press box (different times!). We slid past John Arlott, no less, to take our seats!

‘Kennedy, by then, was established as Raddy’s strike partner, vindicating my team mate’s early championing of 4-4-2 (even a stopped clock is right twice a day). But it happened by accident. Charlie George broke his ankle early in the season, and Ray got his chance. In football, them’s the breaks.

‘He scored 26 goals that season, but not that day. It was a tight, hard-fought game, much closer than the 2-0 scoreline suggests. Shankly’s Liverpool were mighty then. Ray had a couple of half-chances in the first half, but Smith and Lloyd snuffed them out. 

‘It looked as if he would score late into the second half when he latched onto a flick from George Graham and rounded Clemence but lost the ball to Lloyd in the mud of the six-yard box. Raddy poked it off Lloyd’s toes and into the net.’ 

The Fairs Cup winning Arsenal squad. From onlinegooner.com

1970-71 was the zenith for Ray at Arsenal. But his important header in Brussels was arguably the goal that won us the Fairs Cup the season before – it was the only away goal by either side in the final.

I remember Ray well. I remember him coming on at the very end of a serious beating by Chelsea at Highbury in 1970 as a substitute given three minutes to turn around a 3-0 deficit. It was January 1970 and the two teams were heading in different directions. Fifteen months later I remember going to a wedding reception in Chelsea with my then girlfriend on the day we beat Chelsea 2-0 to pile increasing pressure on Leeds. Everyone bar us was a dejected Chelsea fan. It was a very nice feeling!  The scorer of our two goals was Ray Kennedy. It followed on from his goal past Gordon Banks, a few days earlier as we reached Wembley in the FA Cup for the first time in 18 years. A few days after the Chelsea win we struggled past Coventry with a late strike from…you’ve guessed it…Ray Kennedy.In the following season he decided a three game FA Cup marathon with the only goal of the second replay against that season’s champions Derby County. The following season I remember him rising in characteristic Kennedy fashion to head the winning goal in a titanic FA Cup sixth round replay against Chelsea at Highbury. In his last season with us he scored our first goal of the season after three minutes against Manchester United at Highbury. His last goal was, I believe, our winner at Anfield which gave the title to Leeds United. It was that performance which persuaded Liverpool to sign him. 

A typically dynamic Ray Kennedy against Newcastle, 1973. From The Grauniad

From that miscellany of Arsenal goals, it is clear that Ray was not just a great scorer of goals but a scorer of big goals in big games against big sides, the sort that remained etched in your memory forever. His departure to Anfield was a surprise and a disappointment as it is always sad to lose scorers of iconic goals who have made special memories for your club. Ray’s replacement, Brian Kidd was quite sensational in his first season in a terrible Arsenal team while Ray struggled initially at Anfield but the switch to a midfield role transformed him and the rest is history.

Arsenal and Liverpool, remain rivals whose history is intertwined with great games against each other, Cup Finals and championship deciders, pivotal games that embellish the history of both clubs and the rivalry is intense and enduring. But in one respect the clubs are united. United by the fact that a shy young lad from the North-East achieved feats of huge magnitude and significance for both clubs. 

Ray Kennedy, 1970. From Michael H on Pinterest

Ray Kennedy, we salute you!

Rest in Peace.

166 Drinks to “Ray Kennedy – an Arsenal appreciation”

  1. 1
    OsakaMatt says:

    Fantastic piece – thanks TTG for putting it all together and Ned for some for great memories of an Arsenal legend. Even a quick shot of Raddy smoking in the dressing room – them were the days!

  2. 2
    OsakaMatt says:

    Quick heads up – there’s a couple of paragraphs repeating at the end of Ned’s contribution.

  3. 3
    Bathgooner says:

    Thanks for the heads up, Matt. That was a recurrent problem loading each section onto WordPress this time. I thought I’d got them all!

  4. 4
    Ollie says:

    Many thanks TTG and Ned, wonderful blogging. Historical pieces during football breaks have always been an important part of this blog, and it is so important that you can transmit that rich history of players and matches past.

  5. 5
    ClockEndRider says:

    TTG et Al,
    Thanks so much for this piece. I lie here in bed feeling sorry for myself trying to get rid of COVID and this really brightened up my day. I remember watching Ray as a very young boy, having been taken to the game by my dad and his mates and he copped a bit of flak for perceived lack of effort. In hindsight, I feel sure this was due to symptoms of the cruel illness he suffered and which eventually took him. I made sure I attended the testimonial match which the club afforded him in the early 90’s by way of some kind of restitution, and to give thanks for such a great player, without whom we would not have won that first double, at The Swamp. That alone qualifies him as legend.

  6. 6
    Countryman100 says:

    What an absolutely superb piece. Ray Kennedy was one of my boyhood heroes and I have learnt so much here. My heartfelt congratulations to TTG, Ray, Bob, Frank, Ned and all concerned. So many Arsenal fans these days think that The Arsenal started with Arsene Wenger. Not so!

  7. 7
    Trev says:

    Wonderful piece, fellas, and thank you all !

    Like Countryman, one of my early Arsenal heroes was Ray Kennedy – especially on that night at Tottenham when he rose right in front of us to head home Geordie’s cross to seal the title.

    A recent TV documentary – I believe on BT Sport if it’s still available – showed the regard for Ray held by everyone who knew him, even if he was something of a loner himself.

    Great piece, truly great player. – well done all !

  8. 8
    North Bank Ned says:

    TTG: Well done on putting together such a touching tribute to a player who, as you say, scored the big goals in the big games against the big clubs. Ray Kennedy left his mark.

  9. 9
    North Bank Ned says:

    Noosa from the previous drinks: The Corporal scored once for us, at Carrow Road in the league in May 2014. If he has found a late vein of scoring form in Melbourne, perhaps he could yet be the unexpected answer to our striker problem. 🙂

  10. 10
    Bathgooner says:

    An excellent piece, TTG and great memories from Ray, Bob, Frank, Ned and yourself. A beautiful tribute to a great player. One of the top players in the 70’s. A real pity he left the Arsenal.

    CER @5, sorry to hear that! Hope you make a swift and full recovery. Listen to your body.

  11. 11
    TTG says:

    I’m so glad this piece has cheered up a number of people in these depressing times . I have sent it to some of the old players who were his teammates . The longer I support Arsenal the fonder I become of the past and some of the great feats of yore! Is that because the current situation is so bad ? I think not and that we are on an upward curve albeit one with an irregular trajectory!
    But we are blessed at Arsenal with a glorious past . Some of us remember it and treasure those memories, others have the chance to research them and live them for the first time I was watching a programme on Robert Pires yesterday and became immensely nostalgic . He only left fifteen years ago…but what an incredible player And we have had so many .
    CER
    Our own medical adviser has given you sound advice . Get well soon !

  12. 12
    Ollie says:

    Of absolutely no help but bath’s last words reminded me of this:

    GWS, CER.

  13. 13
    Bathgooner says:

    Ollie, 🤣🤣🤣

  14. 14
    North Bank Ned says:

    Hope you are on the mend, CER.

    Dr F: Trust you are getting through the Nor’easter safely and warmly. I won’t say more because bt8 will only say that anything under 2ft of snow is barely a sprinkling…

  15. 15
    TTG says:

    I listened to my body and it was very rude about me

  16. 16
    Cynic says:

    Cheeky Toney bid anybody?

  17. 17
    Countryman100 says:

    So Adama Traore confirmed as returning to Barca. I know people say he was inconsistent but he always seemed to play well against us. Glad he won’t be in the Wolves team against us on Feb 10 and that he didn’t join Spurs.

  18. 18
    TTG says:

    Cynic
    I was a big fan of Toney last season but I don’t think he has done enough this season to warrant what would be a big fee. The player who is the best compromise in my view is DCL but Everton would be mad to sell him . I think unless the Twitterati are right ( that would be a first ) about Isak that the only conceivable transfer is Jovic on loan .
    C100
    Traore has frightening potential. I’m glad he didn’t join the Scum

  19. 19
    bt8 says:

    Thanks TTG, and get well soon CER. I’m on the road in Washington State so don’t know anything about Minnesota snow at the mo’ 😙

  20. 20
    Bathgooner says:

    The clock is ticking…

  21. 21
    bt8 says:

    Snir knows but he’s not telling

  22. 22
    bt8 says:

    While we’re waiting I suppose it wouldn’t be out of order to just nick in here for a pint on Lars’ tab?

  23. 23
    Bathgooner says:

    Snir knows nothing this window and Lars’ credit card and tab have expired.

  24. 24
    North Bank Ned says:

    Bath@23: What? “We’re doomed!”

  25. 25
    TTG says:

    Don’t torture yourselves . Nothing is going to happen inwards this window
    But Auba is likely to leave probably on giveaway terms for a loan deal

  26. 26
    Countryman100 says:

    We’ve cleared £50m per year off the wages. It seems the plan is to play the remaining 17 games with what we have, hoping to make top 6, then go hard in the summer. I think it’s a defensible approach but highly risky. Injuries or suspensions could derail it.

  27. 27
    TTG says:

    C100
    Very well summed up. I would describe it as a long-term approach . Qualify for Europe next season, CL the year after and then? But it’s harder to sign big stars if you are a club in the wilderness
    But the delightful positivity we’ve seen this year won’t last especially if the season tails off Unless Gabigol can be converted into a central striker I’d say it almost certainly will tail off. Jam tomorrow might work in some situations but football fans are notoriously impatient . I know I’m one myself .
    Frankly I’m very disappointed and pessimistic

  28. 28
    Uplympian says:

    Many thanks to TTG for compiling this fantastic look at the Arsenal career of the late Ray Kennedy and all those wonderful contributions from Ray, Bob, Frank & Ned.
    Just scoring that header at WHL to win the league was unbelievable and earned him legend status alone. His career with us and at the scousers was just like the man himself, very understated, he quietly got on with doing a great job on the field with no fuss surrounding him.
    C100 has hit the nail on the head with his comments above – it seems there will be no shiny incoming for us to get excited about. We have cleared a lot of dross along with significant reduction in our wage bill. Quite possibly related to our lack of European games and the FA cup early departure. It’s a risky strategy to run with a lean machine – let’s hope it’s a lean and mean machine.

  29. 29
    Bathgooner says:

    As long as we get no injuries to Laca or any of our Hales End graduates, we might be capable of seeing out the remaining 17 games and staying in a Europa League place but 4th place with our current strikers is a hell of a tall order. The forwards we are linked with aren’t going to be any cheaper in June and, despite their own failings, won’t be desperate to join a midtable club without any European football. If we can get a deal done now on the promise of our progress since August, we should do it. If we don’t it’s a hell of a gamble. However it’s also a hell of a gamble spending £70m on any of the strikers we’ve been linked with since the Vlahovic chase went south. Given the lack of striker talent on the market I do see why they went all in on him. We are not in a good position.

  30. 30
    North Bank Ned says:

    C100’s assessment seems realistic, albeit it is a strategy born of necessity. Reports that we turned down Palace’s improved offer for Nketiah suggests that there will be no new forward arriving.

    We have only league games to play from here on in so the workload should be manageable with a small squad. Few of the departures would have got many minutes anyway, and Patino, Salah-Eddine, Hutchinson and Biereth would benefit from those available.

    To TTG’s point, it is vital that we finish the season strongly. That will give us European football next season — all we have left to play for this season — and is needed to sustain faith in Arteta’s project. We shall need both to attract the signings in the summer we need to move up to the next level of competitiveness.

  31. 31
    scruzgooner says:

    ray, ttg, baff, ned, frank and bob: outstanding piece. thank you. would that we had more like ray kennedy in our squad now. as a colonial, and a latecomer to the arsenal, learning about its history is always something to enjoy. and this piece is a decided pleasure.

    btw, any rumors attendant to jack wearing #12 instead of “jw” in training pics? maybe our new midfielder?

  32. 32
    scruzgooner says:

    and CER i hope you heal well and soon. good thing you picked this winterlull to need a lieabout!

  33. 33
    bt8 says:

    Great memories above from Ray, Bob and Frank, in addition to TTG and Ned’s. Many thanks to all.

  34. 34
    North Bank Ned says:

    Just watched Matt Turner play for the United States in its 2-0 loss to Canada in a World Cup qualifier. Hard to get much of an impression of him. He only had three things to do all game. Two of them were to pick the ball out of the net after long-distance shots had whistled past him, both decent strikes, it should be said, although as the temperature was minus 4 degrees C perhaps he was actually frozen to the spot. The third was to recover from spilling another shot.

  35. 35
    North Bank Ned says:

    Scruz@31: I, too, noticed JW wearing 12. The Dubai party must have got a job lot of training kits from the Armoury before they left. All the youngsters are wearing low numbers not used by the first-team seniors. There are, of course, a lot of those available right now.

    It wouldn’t be daft to register JW as a player for the rest of the season if he would do it on a low-cost, short-term basis, and Arteta thought he was up to playing in the Premier League, which he has said Jack is. There is space for him in the 25 man squad list if there are no incomings. He would be useful cover and provide some rotational minutes in midfield, and, for him, it could put him in the shop window.

  36. 36
    North Bank Ned says:

    Might Dembele to PSG open the possibility not only of Auba going on loan to Barca but also for PSG’s Argentine striker, Mauro Icardi, to come to the Ems? Icardi might fancy N5 as an easier alternative to competing against Neymar, Mbappe and Messi for a start.

  37. 37
    bt8 says:

    Ned, I didn’t see the game and this is not intended as any apology for Turner but the thought of punching or trying to catch icy footballs does not make me rest easy. If Canada won maybe we should take a look at their keeper??

  38. 38
  39. 39
    Ollie says:

    Dembélé to PSG is a non-started according to L’Equipe. As for Icardi, the current family baggage means the side-show is a big risk.
    I’d imagine the tabloids would be on his case most of the time. Worth a short-term risk? Not convinced at all, although he’s certainly efficient when on point. Or was a while ago.

    https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/football/ligue-1/psg-la-presse-espagnole-s-enflamme-sur-un-nouvelle-crise-du-couple-mauro-wanda-icardi_AV-202201310116.html

  40. 40
    Ollie says:

    non-starter

  41. 41
    Las says:

    TTG, Ned, what a fantastic piece of history! Thank you!
    For someone like me who started to support Arsenal just before the Wenger era this is like growing roots into our famous past making the connection stronger.
    What a past we have. Thank you for keeping it alive.
    COYG

  42. 42
    Noosa Gooner says:

    NBN
    Thanks for the info on the Corporal. I’ll be keeping an eye on him.
    UTA

  43. 43
    Bathgooner says:

    The clock is still ticking.

  44. 44
    OsakaMatt says:

    Auba in Barcelona to complete a
    loan move.
    The arrivals lounge remains empty
    though.

  45. 45
    bt8 says:

    Ollie, Suppose I didn’t completely get all the French phrases in that story but I’ taking it that Icardi will go to Atlético Madrid if anywhere seeing as they play in the Wanda.

  46. 46
    North Bank Ned says:

    bt8@37: The Canada keeper is Milan Borjan, Red Star Belgrade’s Dalmatian stopper, (he comes from Dalmatia; he does not stop Dalmations.) The commentator on the Canada-US game mentioned he has kept more clean sheets for Canada than any other keeper. He wasn’t exactly overworked by the US team, but his kicking looked weak.

  47. 47
    Ollie says:

    Haha, I like your logic, bt8.
    It’s all happening! 🙂

  48. 48
    bt8 says:

    Has Wanda been seen in the market anyplace besides the fish section?

  49. 49
    bt8 says:

    Could Icardi be a diamond in the rough?

  50. 50
    North Bank Ned says:

    Ollie@39: Fair points about Icardi. I believe he had previous in Milan, too.

  51. 51
    North Bank Ned says:

    I see that Wanda Nara is Icardi’s agent as well as wife, so she could just arrange for him to be sold to Stoke if she wanted to cut up rough.

  52. 52
    Doctor Faustus says:

    Apologies for the late comments.
    Sublime, marvelous, wonderful work by TTG, Ned, Bath and everyone involved.

    Ned, I have been traveling away from Boston for a short while so missed the snowstorm.

  53. 53
    TTG says:

    Latest news is that Aubameyang’s move to Barca is off as the finances couldn’t be made to work.
    He almost did an Odemwingie making a trip to Barcelona but he’s on his way back.Will Arteta use him for the rest of the season?

  54. 54
    North Bank Ned says:

    Dr F@52: Opportune timing. I had to shovel out 12-18 inches yesterday and have the stiff back this morning to prove it.

  55. 55
    Cynic says:

    Latest news is that Aubameyang’s move to Barca is off as the finances couldn’t be made to work.
    He almost did an Odemwingie making a trip to Barcelona but he’s on his way back.Will Arteta use him for the rest of the season?

    Only if he agrees to run out to Yakety Sax

  56. 56
    Bathgooner says:

    from Arseblog’s Live Blog:

    “Fabrizio Romano provides an update on the Auba situation saying the deal broke down because Arsenal have “no intention to collaborate or pay part of his salary for Barça.””

    Quite right too!

  57. 57
    Bathgooner says:

    More from Arseblog:

    “19.02 – Looks like there might be something stirring with Auba/Barcelona again. Talk of a medical.

    Maybe they turned the plane around.

    20.05 – Looks like the Aubameyang deal will be a free transfer.

    As it stands, and we don’t expect this to change, nobody else is coming in.”

  58. 58
    Ollie says:

    Well in for the half-ton Ned.
    Icardi’s playing for PSG in the Cup tonight.
    As is Messi. We’re signing neither…or both.

  59. 59
    bt8 says:

    Not sure who Biereth is but judging by our transfer activity it sounds like he could be one of our first 18 players for the rest of the season.

  60. 60
    Cynic says:

    Can we please steer clear of “star” players now? Sanchez, Ozil and Aubameyang cost us an absolute fortune and we basically gave them all away just to get them out of the door.

  61. 61
    ClockEndRider says:

    Cynic,
    The problem was not in buying them, but in not knowing when to sell them. That’s where we need to get smarter.

  62. 62
    North Bank Ned says:

    If Auba goes on a free, the rough math is:
    Transfer value foregone: about £10 million;
    Wages saved: £20 million-plus.

    You can do the subtraction.

  63. 63
    TTG says:

    Bt8
    Mika Biereth was signed from Fulham in the close season. He was star of their U18 team and went straight into our U23 outfit. He is a striker who I’ve seen play twice online and I was impressed by his finishing and movement . He is already a Danish U21 international but he is nowhere near ready for PL football especially in a team that struggles to make chances in the way we struggled against Burnley, Liverpool and Forest . See how Balogun fared against Brentford to see how hard it is to introduce young players into that level of football
    Cynic
    While you have a very good point about ‘ stars ‘ the problem was we held onto them past their sell-by date . We had a chance to sell Sanchez to City for £70 m but Wenger prevaricated . We renewed Ozil because Gazidis didn’t want to lose Ozil and Sanchez together . In retrospect we should have sold Auba after the Cup Final But what would that have looked like to the fanbase ? The scope of the deals was extraordinary and has hit us hugely .
    Arsenal have made some awful decisions over the last few years . They have pissed money away on the aforementioned as well as Ramsey , Mustafi and Cech and others . The latest awful decision was to offer Xhaka a new contract .
    The rest of this season looks like a long hard unappetising slog to me .

  64. 64
    North Bank Ned says:

    Ollie@58: Cheers! Not that i am a betting man, but neither must be the short-odds favourite.

    On the club site, there is a video of the goalkeepers training in Dubai with one of them taking shots from the edge of the box against whoever is in goal. Ramsdale scores a couple of crackers (it’s about 4 mins into the video). If he could shoot like that from 90 metres, our striker problems would be solved.

  65. 65
    North Bank Ned says:

    CER & TTG: You make the right points about the timing of the sales of the stars. We should remember that there was indeed a huge clamour from fans to give Auba his contract extension.

  66. 66
    Cynic says:

    True enough, CER. Just fed up with players getting a whiff of the chequebook and then going on holiday until they can get a move.

  67. 67
    North Bank Ned says:

    Sounds like Auba to Barca is a deal done.

  68. 68
    bt8 says:

    Re: Ned @46. Serbo-Canadian Goalkeeper Milan Borjan suggested after the match that the Americans are now “scared” of Canada. It sounds like he may have a promising second career as a fight promoter.

  69. 69
    OsakaMatt says:

    Looks like Ned. On the face of it, we have done well to move Auba on so quickly. Similar to Sánchez in that we got a couple of great seasons before things went pear-shaped.

    TTG,
    Could be a long hard slog as you say and we have certainly taken some risks, but as you know I am an optimist so…. It could also be the final step for many of younger players like ESR, Gabi, Saka, Aaron, Ben, Martin, Tomi etc., it’s all up to them now but if they do rise to the challenge with a strong finish it will give them huge confidence and the belief that they are capable of driving us to greater things in the future, Of course, it’s a tough league and the odds are against now but even if we don’t do well it will be great learning. Strengthen in the summer and go again.

  70. 70
    North Bank Ned says:

    bt8@68: there is something of Burnley to Canada, but with decent strikers.

  71. 71
    Bathgooner says:

    I think the decision not to bring in a second-rate striker when it was clear that their targets were unreachable and still get rid of Aubameyang is gutsy but correct. We have shed the bloated squad and don’t need to add any further underachievers.

    We have cover for every position and 17 games to play over 4 months. Of course we could be torpedoed by injuries but do we really need to throw resources at another Gervinho, Chamakh, Sanogo or Park just in case? If there had been a RVP or Edouardo available out there, I am sure that we would have tried to get them in, but clearly there wasn’t.

    With the autumn’s form and a bit of luck, this squad can get a European spot. Then we must build a new strike force. Edu has a lot of tapping up to do between now and June. If we don’t have a pair of top strikers in the sqhad at the end of the summer window, that is the time to rent clothing, wail and gnash teeth.

  72. 72
    Doctor Faustus says:

    Sorry to hear about your snowplowing troubles Ned. The part of the city I live in keeping the car in the garage is the only option (no overnight street parking) so I am spared these troubles.

    A really remarkable transfer window… I loved Auba in Arsenal colors and I think in his first two and half seasons he was phenomenal. One of the best strikers in the league and with unbelievable strike rate for us. It is now obvious that Mikel meant business when he talked about non-negotiable. I admire the willingness and courage of him to stand by his own convictions and create exactly the culture he wants, and not look for easy way outs or compromises. I think the message he has been trying to transmit is that “if we select you for Arsenal then it means we believe you have the quality to play for us, but it is also a privilege for you and you need to show that you deserve that privilege in your actions every day.” I am not sure Xhaka or Nketiah do actually have the quality though, but maybe in the summer we will see the much needed upgrade …

    If we can keep everyone fit and in form, the six first team players — Lacazette, Saka, ESR, Martinelli, Ødegaard, Pépé — to choose the front four in the starting eleven from should be able to see us through one game a week until the end of the season. It is a high risk strategy but if there were no one available that meets Mikel’s demands then there is a certain wisdom in waiting until the summer window. We may also see more of Gabi as the center forward where I think his relentless pressing and ever improving skills in short spaces would give defenses starting to tire out in the second half of the season some trouble.

    This also presents a great opportunity for Nico to make a case for himself by showing consistency, let us hope he realizes that with a bit more nuance in his game and complete focus for the 90 minutes how much more of a threat he can become.

  73. 73
    Countryman100 says:

    Bath @71. Nail on head.

  74. 74
    ClockEndRider says:

    Good points, well made, Dr. F.

  75. 75
    North Bank Ned says:

    Bath@71: Well said. Trolley dashes rearely work out well.

  76. 76
    North Bank Ned says:

    A prosperous and healthy Lunar New Year to all in the bar. The horoscopes foretell a successful and rewarding Year of the Tiger for those born in 1886.

  77. 77
    bt8 says:

    The nearly all-knowing Wikipedia adds: “Dial Square played their first match on 11 December 1886 against Eastern Wanderers on an open field on the Isle of Dogs, which they won 6–0.”

    Happy lunar new year to Ned 🍷 and the hardworking monks.

  78. 78
    North Bank Ned says:

    Gong hei fat choy, bt8.

    A propitious venue for the first game as 1886 was a Dog year in the zodiac.

  79. 79
    North Bank Ned says:

    We’ve bought a player! Auston Trusty for £1.5 million. He is a centre back and being loaned straight back to the Colorado Rapids in the MLS for the rest of the PL season.

    Perhaps that is what Arteta flew to Denver to talk to Stan about. 🙂

    https://www.arsenal.com/news/trusty-signs-club-remains-loan

  80. 80
    bt8 says:

    Ned, I think I saw Trusty play here in St. Paul before the pandemic when he was a Philadelphia Union player. He has a great physique and dexterity. I was impressed, and hope he impresses too.

  81. 81
    Countryman100 says:

    Murmurs from well placed sources that there are plans for are plans for a refurb of the Emirates this summer.

  82. 82
    North Bank Ned says:

    To summarise our January transfer window:

    First-team squad
    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang free transfer to Barcelona (not yet formally confirmed)
    Folarin Balogun loaned to Middlesborough (Championship)
    Calum Chambers sold to Aston Villa
    Dejan Iliev released
    Sead Kolasinac free transfer to Marseille
    Ainsley Maitland-Niles loaned to Roma
    Pablo Mari loaned to Udinese
    Auston Trusty signed from Colorado Rapids and loaned back (MLS)

    Academy
    Tim Akinola loaned to Dundee (Scottish Premiership)
    Ryan Alebiosu loaned to Crewe Alexandra (League One)
    Harry Clarke loaned to Hibernian (Scottish Premiership)
    Karl Hein loaned to Reading (Championship)
    Tyreece John-Jules loaned to Sheffield Wednesday (League One)
    Nikolaj Moller loaned to FC Den Bosch (Dutch second-tier)
    Brooke Norton-Cuffy loaned to Lincoln City (League One)
    Jordi Osei-Tutu loaned to Rotherham Utd (League One)
    Amani Richards sold to Leicester City
    Lino Sousa signed from West Brom

  83. 83
    TTG says:

    Bugger a refurb it’s a perfectly adequate stadium even if it’s not Highbury . The team needs the attention .
    I’m interested to see the Rams reach the Super Bowl. ( although I’m not hugely interested in the NFL). My interest lies in how they’ve done it . When McVey was appointed it was a long-term gamble on a young coach and comparisons were made with Arteta when he was appointed .But whereas ours is a youth project I understand the Rams have gone overboard for very highly paid superstars by trading draft picks etc . It appears to have paid off .
    But if the Rams are Kroenke’s priority and his relative expenditure is significantly higher there won’t be many people in North London cheering them on against the Bengals .It will be a big topic of conversation if the two teams experience differing fortunes in February.

  84. 84
    Countryman100 says:

    I think it needs a refurb. The seats are all faded, as is much of the signage. The seat numbers are unreadable which causes chaos in league cup games. The entry to the stadium needs a major rethink. We seldom fall out TTG but I think you’ve gone over the top on one quiet January window. We’ll see what happens. You have to maintain your property or it falls apart.

  85. 85
    TTG says:

    One of the many estimable things about this bar is the commonsense displayed and the degree of balance and proportion notwithstanding the great passion most of the drinkers here obviously have for the team
    But I do have a concern alluded to above and in one or two things that I have written recently that Arsenal have haemorrhaged money in a way that good businesses just don’t. No way on Earth was that anything other than a massively disappointing window . The idea that there isn’t a striker we could buy that would represent an immediate enhancement to the side is simply not true . There are solutions but we simply haven’t got good enough people looking for them . A failure to get Champions League football, isn’t simply a one year deferral of the good times . It brings pressure to keep your best players and an inability to sign improvements . Other clubs will overtake us . Football always require a degree of immediacy in dealing with problems . We’ve signally failed to improve the side but we’ve improved our bank balance . But if we hadn’t pissed money away on deals with players like Sanchez, Ozil, Ramsey, Kolasinac , Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang , Mustafi , Luiz, Willian , Mavropanos, Cedric etc we would have been in a much stronger position . Almost every big player decision we’ve made has blown up in our face .
    Building a team is an iterative process and it needs to be continuous and coherent . Despite great inconsistency we’ve got a promising position based on a good summer window . I may be wrong but I think we’ve lost any chance of a successful season . I will be utterly delighted if I’m proved wrong but my football intuition suggests to me that we could be doing very much better and yesterday was not a day to congratulate ourselves on tidy housekeeping .

  86. 86
    Countryman100 says:

    Well. We will agree to disagree. Time will tell.

  87. 87
    Ollie says:

    I totally get where you’re coming from, TTG. The optimistic in me wants to see this as a very sensible transfer window given we only have the league, but there is no doubt it is a huge gamble and experience suggests it would now require an incredible alignment of planets to get top 4. Top 6 is very still possible but is far from granted. A couple of injuries could completely derail us, whatever the other teams do.
    Quick fix doesn’t do it, and there is never any guarantee, but it is hard to believe we couldn’t at least have found a striker on loan, no strings attached, who could have helped us, I fully agree with you there.
    We’ve certainly put ourselves under huge pressure.
    I am hearing talks of us being in talks for prolonging Saka. It is all well and good but will he be willing to sign on again and again out of loyalty if we keep coming short?
    The next few months are quite crucial, so let’s hope for very few injuries and that Arteta can extract the best out of a small squad. I have no doubt that all the players left on board now are fully committed and will give their best.

  88. 88
    Countryman100 says:

    Great Twitter thread from a blogger I hugely respect, Mike McDonald of Gunners Town.

  89. 89
    Countryman100 says:

    Here’s another

  90. 90
    Steve T says:

    Some really good stuff above gents. I don’t get in here as often as I’d like these days, but great to see it’s still in full swing.

    I must say, whilst I agree with a lot of what has been written above, I think it has been a poor transfer window. I agree totally about erasing the toxicity from the club. I wss very disappointed to see Auba depart, but if the relationship with Arteta had irretrievably broken down, then his departure was the only option. I agree totally with Bath about a panic buy, but the exile of Auba goes back to early December. I would sincerely have hoped that this would have given us sufficient time to identify and secure a replacement? Even if this had just been on a short term loan. We now go into the final 17 games with two strikers and a total of three league goals this season between them. That doesn’t seem like good planning to me.

    We now go into the final 17 games of the season having taken a massive gamble. We go with a first team squad of 20. We will have the smallest, and youngest squad in the league.

    European football next season is an absolute minimum requirement for me. If we fail to get a European place, not only will we have increased difficulty recruiting the quality that is required, but we may also start to struggle keeping hold of the young talent that we already have. S9, whilst I’m very much in favour of not panic buying, I do have to question why we have let the likes of AMN and Chambers leave? I can’t believe that either were on big wages? Both can play in more than one position and both could have been very useful as backups for a paper thin squad. I really don’t see us going the rest of the season injury or suspension free. Keeping hold of a couple of squad players surely would not have been detrimental to any long term plans.

    I’ve said for ages now that I would judge Arteta and “the process” at the end of next season. But we need to keep making progress. A few enforced absences followed by a dip in form could result in a zero tolerance approach being taken by many.

    We have taken a massive gamble. I hope that by mid May that we have achieved what we need to achieve. If we haven’t, then the “I told you so” brigade will be out on mass.

  91. 91
    bt8 says:

    I’ve noticed an unsettling trend of not being able to recognize the players’ faces in the club’s training photos, whether it is because so many of them are new or because I’ve been watching fewer matches recently, or a combination of both factors. I suppose recognizing Mustafi’s face wasn’t really a good thing though …

  92. 92
    bt8 says:

    TTG, Thanks for the background on Biereth @63. One of the names to watch even if he’s not on the team sheet. He has a chance as he hasn’t been loaned out or sold. Yet.

  93. 93
    North Bank Ned says:

    These are the 15 most valuable centre-forwards who moved in the window either permanently or on loan. Apart from Vlahovic, who we went for, I am not sure there is another name there that I could confidently say would improve our attack, save perhaps for Alvarez, and he would have had to go straight back to River Plate so wouldn’t help us for the rest of his season. Perhaps the denizens of this fine establishment can spot some. hidden gems in the list. I can’t. And if we had signed Chris Wood for 30 million euros, I think TTG would have spontaneously combusted.

    Dusan Vlahovic (22) to Juventus for 81.6 million euros
    Chris Wood (30) to Newcastle for 30 million euros
    Julián Álvarez (22) to Man City for 17 million euros but loaned back to River Plate
    Ribamar (24) free transfer to Ponte Preta
    Fedor Chalov (23) loan to Basel
    Matías Arezo (19) to Grenada for 5 million euros
    Ezequiel Ponce (24) loan to Eche
    Jean-Pierre Nsame (28) loan to Venezia
    José Macías (22) returned to Chivas at end of loan
    Vedat Muriqi (27) loan to Mallorca
    Jean-Philippe Mateta (24) loan to Crystal Palace made permanent
    Manu Vallejo loan to Alvares
    Keiffer Moore (29) to Bournemouth for 4.2 million euros
    Deniz Undav (25) loan to Union
    Marcus Forss (22) loan to Hull City

  94. 94
  95. 95
    OsakaMatt says:

    Thanks Ned, C100 for the various links, information.

    From a business perspective I am not sure I’d have let so many go this window,
    although that’s a viewpoint from outside and MA did say the AMN business was
    complicated for various reasons. But as a fan I love that we have nailed our colours
    to the mast and will go for it for the last 17 games with the players we believe in.
    Like saying bring it on fuckers, we are the Arsenal. A touch reckless? Sure, but I
    will enjoy the rest of the season win,lose or draw.

  96. 96
    ecg says:

    Let’s do this:

  97. 97
    bt8 says:

    It’s not even a run of the mill interlull.

  98. 98
    ecg says:

    cba would not have approved:

  99. 99
    ecg says:

    I need more whiskey:

  100. 100
    bt8 says:

    We have been sucked into …

    the MOTHER of all lulls.

    The kind of lull when The Sun thinks it’s acceptable to publish stories like: https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/17506262/victoria-beckham-meal-every-day-25-year-david/

  101. 101
    bt8 says:

    Quick interchange covering 80 yards in a matter of seconds there, ecg.

  102. 102
    ecg says:

    No handbrake here:

  103. 103
    ecg says:

    For all you Lady Gaga fans:

  104. 104
    bt8 says:

    And a nice set of tunes. Hard to say about the unpredictable cba though.

  105. 105
    ecg says:

    No words:

  106. 106
    ecg says:

    The original. I need to go eat food. And maybe more whiskey.

  107. 107
  108. 108
    ecg says:

    Thanks for that, bt8. I think I was channeling my feeling about the transfer window. One of my happy songs:

  109. 109
    North Bank Ned says:

    Well in for the ton, bt8.

    And as cba would say, now that ecg I like.

  110. 110
    Ollie says:

    bt8 gets the century while ecg seems to get all the runs, how does that work? :-s
    Good team effort.

  111. 111
  112. 112
    Sancho Panza says:

    Chris Woods age 30 for €30 million! That’s a shocking bit of business.

  113. 113
    Ollie says:

    Cheers, baff. Very interesting. And shows somehow that whatever the reason for the initial conflict between Arteta and Aubameyang, when everyone is pushing for something to get done and doing their part, things happen.
    We’ll see if anything else comes out in the furutre, but for now, it seems to me that despite us not getting a fee and Aubamyeang decreasing his salary, ‘everyone’s a winner’.

  114. 114
    Ollie says:

    Sancho: good thing he wasn’t 60 then, eh? 😀

  115. 115
    bt8 says:

    Re: The Chris Wood transfer to the Sovereignty. €30 million could easily be more than Burnley have seen at any one time in club history.

  116. 116
    bathgooner says:

    @112, look at it from the perspective of having obscene wealth and a ruthless, amoral culture. See it as £5m to acquire a target man and £25m to weaken a direct rival (much like Citeh did to us several years ago but at the other end of the table). Also, it’s far more acceptable than inviting all the opposition’s strikers to the embassy for dissection or bombing opposition grounds into oblivion.

  117. 117
    North Bank Ned says:

    Thanks for the Guardian link, Bath. We cut our losses with as much good grace as we could muster. We have avoided another Ozil overhang and all the distractions that would bring. I would be intrigued to know what the ‘pay-off’ at the end of Auba’s contract mentioned in the article as being foregone would have been. A loyalty bonus for completing his contract?

    The Premier League’s published list of Ins and Outs at Premier League clubs this window makes a telling count: Ins: 43; Outs (permanent deals and loans): 157. Even accounting for the fact that a number of the loans would be development moves for younger players, we are not alone in slimming wage bills.

  118. 118
    bathgooner says:

    An interesting reminder from our friends at She Wore that what goes around comes around:

    https://shewore.com

    Keenos has also posted a couple of excellent articles about this transfer window including one headed by the observation that “hiring the wrong person is more costly than hiring no-one”.

  119. 119
    TTG says:

    Ned
    That’s a very instructive note which suggests that by and large the January transfer window is a terrible time to buy !
    I think I was hoping for another Martinelli although some of the best strikers like Darwin Nunez just won’t be sold by their clubs mid-season . The sort of purchase I think we might have made were Schick, Immobile ,Berardi , Ben Yedder, the aforementioned Nunez and the lad at Porto is it Taremi ? who played with Diaz who went to Liverpool .
    I’ve not trawled the lower divisions and it is tough to bring in someone to a big club from a lower division but I also believe there must be candidates in South America . But would they be sold ?

  120. 120
    TTG says:

    Ned
    As we’ve been talking great Canadians this week after the USA victory should have included Jonathan David who has had a fine season at Lille . Mike McDonald will have many more names !

  121. 121
    North Bank Ned says:

    Bath@118 & TTG@1119-20: Keenos is spot on that hiring the wrong person is more costly than hiring no one (Exhibit A: Willian). In all the hype, rumour and gossip, it is often overlooked that the purpose of transfers is to strengthen the team, not to spend money.

    It would have been a scouting miracle if we could have found anyone in this window that was all of:

    better than Laca, Nketiah and Martinelli;
    able to make an impact over the next 17 games; and
    available.

    There was only one candidate in my book, Vlahovic, and we tried, even if in retrospect we were never going to be able to sign him. Even if we had unearthed another Martinelli, would that wunderkind be Premier League-ready by February 10? I doubt it.

    David worked tirelessly for Canada against the US both in the press and in tracking back. Canada is a counterattacking team, ceding possession and challenging opponents to get through two well-organised, disciplined and physical banks of four. David didn’t get many opportunities to show his attacking prowess, but when he did he looked like a quality player.

    Ricardo Pepi is the up and coming star among MLS strikers. He came on as a sub for the US against Canada but didn’t/didn’t have time to make much of an impression on the game. He’s 18 and attracting the interest of Bayern and Inter Milan among others. After that Daryl Dike is probably the best prospect in the MLS. He’s 21 and back with Orlando after a loan spell with Barnsley in the Championship.

  122. 122
    TTG says:

    A very sensible note Ned
    The sort of difficult decision that does get made is whether, because the prize is big, you go with a short-term fix. Such a fix might be someone like Diego Costa . Personally I detest the bloke and would hate to see him at Arsenal and I’m not sure what kind of shape he is in but someone who can give you something different is another option .My sense is Diego would have been a controversial appointment.
    Not sure who else is on that list !
    My Dad told me a story in the post war period where Arsenal had a terrible start to the season and were staring relegation in the face. They signed a 34 year old striker from Fulham called Ronnie Rooke to general derision and astonishment . He hit the ground running , scored tons of goals and stayed the following season when I think they won the title . Is there a Ronnie Rooke for 2022?

  123. 123
    Countryman100 says:

  124. 124
    bt8 says:

    Re: What Keenos said (“Guimaraes is the perfect example of what would’ve been a bad January signing”): I haven’t seen the fellow play a minute, but seeing as we didn’t sign him after all those rumors, I certainly hope Keenos is right.

  125. 125
    Countryman100 says:

  126. 126
    Silly Second Yella says:

    Come on Artenal!

    Come on Artenal!

  127. 127
    bathgooner says:

    A shrewd observation from Pedro on Le Grove:

    So what do we have now squad wise?

    One less defender than Manchester City. One less midfielder. The same amount of forwards.

    That doesn’t mean we have a team of equal quality, but it does give some perspective on the numbers. There are enough players at the club to fight on one front, we know that, because the same players have us where we are now.

    I’ve seen people talk about the fatigue issue, a fair thing to point out, but I’m not sure it’s truly justified.

    We have 17 games left.

    AFC DECIDE NO DEAL BETTER THAN A BAD ONE – PLOTTING THE PITFALLS OF THE SEASON AHEAD

  128. 128
    North Bank Ned says:

    But Pedro forgets Pepe.

  129. 129
    TTG says:

    Pedro is a very modern football thinker and unfailingly positive.
    The elephant in the room is we are very unlikely to score enough goals but why let that get in the way of a positive narrative that does highlight the financial progress made …after a fashion. We’ve wasted so much over the last few years that we run the football club to recoup losses and streamline the finances . Edu has given most of our players away. Wenger traded brilliantly to upgrade the team and to sell players at the perfect time. But it’s embarrassing to compare Edu with Wenger as a strategist .
    To our credit we’ve improved the side in many respects , we have a much better long-term position than looked likely and Edu can give Bellerin to Betis , Guendouzi to Marseille and Xhaka to Roma . But the next few months are crucial for the future of the club and we must hope for good luck with injuries and a renaissance for Laca .

  130. 130
    Silly Second Yella says:

    “But the next few months are crucial for the future of the club…”

    Really?

    I thought a few months in 2007 was crucial

    Silly me

  131. 131
  132. 132
    ClockEndRider says:

    TTG, in the early days, Wenger was the master of the transfer market. By the end he had utterly lost the plot. While comparisons between peak Wenger and Edu clearly favour Wenger, there is very little to choose between end state Wenger and Edu. Indeed, given last summers inbound transfers, once free of the malign influence of the Spanish crook, Edu starts to look much better. Most of the players Edu has given away have been dross accumulated in the latter Wenger years who came to, or at least became accustomed to life at, the glorified spa and health farm Arsenal had become. I’m still happy to cut him some slack, especially as we now appear to have proper managerial oversight being placed on transfers through Tim Lewis.

  133. 133
    ClockEndRider says:

    Great track. Features in the soundtrack to the movie “ The Harder They Fall”. Interesting movie. Great soundtrack.

  134. 134
    Noosa Gooner says:

    Re TTG @ 122
    My dad used to tell the same story – Ronnie Rooke was a name often mentioned in our house.
    UTA

  135. 135
    bt8 says:

    The prospect of being Ku a few months away from having no senior striker is an interesting predicament, but one I would wish on other clubs rather than us. Arseblog today has a really interesting piece about it, especially the parts about how the whole situation developed. https://arseblog.com/2022/02/and-in-the-6th-window-mikel-arteta-bought-a-striker/

  136. 136
    bt8 says:

    Re: CER @133. Some oldies just keep sounding good, like that one. 👍🏼

  137. 137
    bt8 says:

    Not sure why Ku showed up in my drink a couple of spaces above. If it’s an omen I hope it’s a good one. 🤷🏼‍♂️

  138. 138
    TTG says:

    SSY
    I don’t quite get your point.
    Could you elucidate please ?

  139. 139
    TTG says:

    CER
    Your point about the massive difference between peak years Wenger and latter years Wenger is well made . My big frustration with Edu is that he gives players away usually with a lot of Arsenal dosh in their pockets .
    Wenger ( or possibly Dein ) was very good at extracting maximum value from sales in his early years. His hesitation in the market towards the end of his tenure cost us dear . We’ve seen nothing like early years Wenger from Edu. It’s a post-pandemic market and very tricky but some of the sale prices he has achieved have been very uninspiring .Only Willock and arguably Martinez netted us anything like the market value of the player.
    But I do agree that Tim Lewis might have brought some rigour to his purchases .
    I do hope you are feeling a bit better today ?

  140. 140
    ClockEndRider says:

    Good points, well made TTG. The combination of Lewis and Garlick will, I hope, bring increasing rigour and transparency to the process. Undoubtedly, we need it.
    Feeling much better, thanks. Back to normal pretty much now. Still tested positive this morning so looks like I’ll be quarantined right up until the 10 days on Saturday. Freed up in good time to meet up with C100 in The Steve Bull stand for an ale pre match next week…..

  141. 141
    ClockEndRider says:

    Auba making a pointed if somewhat tenebrous reference to his reasons for leaving g on the BBC website
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60209363

  142. 142
    North Bank Ned says:

    Although perhaps not so tenebrously, in saying he never wanted to do anything wrong, Auba implicitly acknowledges that he did do something wrong.

  143. 143
    North Bank Ned says:

    TTG@139: I say this purely on the basis of deduction, but one of Dein’s intangible benefits was to get AW to be decisive.

  144. 144
    bt8 says:

    This AFCON tournament may be living up to its complete potential in terms of derailing Liverpool’s title challenge. After Sadie Mane’s Senegal won their semifinal it leaves a prospective final showdown with Mohamed Salah if Egypt reach the final. Given the imminent discovery a new rehydration therapy they should be up to speed for Premier League football in no time at all. 😉

  145. 145
    bt8 says:

    Bowing to inclinations of sanity I did not attend this game last night even though it was played in my neighborhood. The Hondurans seem not to have appreciated the -16F temperature either.

    https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/60240754

  146. 146
    bt8 says:

    Apologies, I see the story says it was -16C but that’s still too cold to tempt me.

  147. 147
    North Bank Ned says:

    For younger ‘holics, to follow up on the memories of TTG and Noosa’s dads, a little bit of history on Ronnie Rooke. Despite being a prolific centre-forward in his relatively brief Arsenal career, he is not as well-remembered as some former players. You would probably have to be approaching your 90s to have had any chance of seeing him play in our colours.

    He is remembered as a tough character, noted for the power of his shots, which he could unleash with either foot.

    Rooke was 35 when he signed for us from Fulham, then in the old Second Division, in December 1946, and for whom in 1939 he had scored hat-tricks in both halves of an FA Cup tie. He was their top scorer in every season he played for them, including the half-season before joining us.

    At that point, he had never played in the top-flight of the Football League, although he had won a wartime England cap. We bought him from Fulham for £1,000 plus two players, centre-forward Cyril Grant and wing-half David Nelson. He scored 70 goals for us in 94 games over the next two and a half seasons. (The sort of strike rate we could use now.)

    We won the old First Division in his first full season (1947-48). Rooke was the league’s top scorer with 33 goals, including four in an 8-0 pasting of to-be-relegated Grimsby and hat-tricks against Middlesborough and runners-up Man Utd, all at Highbury. Only seven other players scored a league goal that season. No other Arsenal striker would manage 30 league goals in a season until TH14 in 2002-03, and that included the seasons when Malcolm MacDonald, Alan Smith and Ian Wright were the league’s ‘Golden Boot’.

    In a playing career that lasted from 1929-30 to 1959-60 (he was an RAF physical fitness instructor in World War 2, you will not be surprised to learn), Rooke scored at least 929 goals in 1,028 matches at all levels, according to the RSSSF database which tracks European football. That is a remarkable strike rate of a goal every 99 minutes.

    He hit the game’s only goal in his debut against Charlton at Highbury in December 1946 and scored seven of the ten goals we got in his first six matches, creating an unbeaten run that broke a disastrous start with only two wins in our first 18 matches.

    His last goal for us came in a 5-3 win against Sheffield United in January 1949. He would play two more games before leaving at the end of the season to be player-manager at one of his previous clubs, Crystal Palace. He was 48 when he played his last senior game, turning out for Bedford Town in the Southern League, where he was manager, when they were short of players. He was 72 when he died of lung cancer in 1985.

  148. 148
    TTG says:

    Ned
    Thankyou for that very interesting summary on Ronnie Rooke . My father told me there was widespread incredulity when we signed him because he was regarded as a Second Division player. But as you show his record was extraordinary. He went from being a stop-gap to helping us win the league ! Dad attested to his remarkable shooting power .
    I also agree with you on Dein and Wenger . I’ve been told by one or two people who knew them how well the combination worked . He gave Arsenal reassurance about his instincts on players . Losing Dein was a massive blow to Arsenal but many fans resent him because he earns a lot from the sale of his shares and he introduced Kroenke and Usmanov to the club .
    I think he deserves enormous credit . I’ve seen him in Club Level several times since he stepped down . It seems strange and somehow wrong to see him as a normal punter

  149. 149
    Silly Second Yella says:

    elucidate? No, but I can explain

    in a few words

    the beginning of a downfall

    200 & bloody 7

  150. 150
    Silly Second Yella says:

    You are Arsenal. Used to be big.

    I am big. It’s the football that got small.

  151. 151
    Silly Second Yella says:

  152. 152
    bt8 says:

    Ronnie Rooke provides pleasant alliterative possibilities in addition to his remarkable record. 👍🏼

  153. 153
    bt8 says:

    Not to mention David Dein.

  154. 154
    bt8 says:

    On a similar theme, Silverwood sacked.

  155. 155
    North Bank Ned says:

    This is our updated Premier League-registered squad. No surprises (so no JW).

    25 Squad players (*Home grown)
    Alves Soares, Cedric Ricardo
    Dinzeyi, Jonathan*
    Dos Santos Magalhães, Gabriel
    Elneny, Mohamed Naser Elsayed
    Holding, Robert Samuel*
    Lacazette, Alexandre
    Leno, Bernd
    Nketiah, Edward Keddar*
    Odegaard, Martin
    Partey, Thomas Teye
    Pepe, Nicolas
    Ramsdale, Aaron*
    Sambi Lokonga, Albert-Mboyo
    Tierney, Kieran
    Tomiyasu, Takehiro
    White, Benjamin*
    Xhaka, Granit

    U21 players (Contract and Scholars)
    Adamo Gaspar, Luigi
    Akinola, Timothy Olaoluwa
    Alebiosu, Ryan
    Awe, Zachariah Olumide Ebunoluwa
    Azeez, Miguel
    Balogun, Folarin Jerry
    Biereth, Mika
    Butler-Oyedeji, Nathan
    Cirjan, Catalin-Ionut
    Clarke, Harrison Thomas
    Cottrell, Ben
    Cozier-Duberry, Amario Oswald Gerardo
    Da Cruz Sousa, Lino Goncalo
    Davies, Henry Oluwadurotimi Olakitan
    Edwards, Khayon
    Ejeheri, Ovie Prince
    Flores, Marcelo
    Foran, Taylor
    Giraud-Hutchinson, Omari Elijah
    Gomes Bandeira, Mauro
    Gower, Jimi Mark
    Graczyk, Hubert
    Green, Kaleel Shai
    Hein, Karl Jakob
    Henry-Francis, Jack
    Hillson, James Andrew
    Ibrahim, Bradley Ryan
    Ideho, Joel
    Igaba-Ishimwe, George Lewis
    Jeffcott, Henry
    John-Jules, Tyreece Romayo
    Kirk, Alexander Michael
    Kovacevic, Alexandar
    Lannin-Sweet, James
    Lopez Salguero, Joel
    Louis-Marie Richards, Amani Tye
    McEneff, Jordan John
    Mitchell, Remy
    Moller, Nikolaj Duus
    Monlouis, Zane
    Norton-Cuffy, Brooke Dion Nelson
    Ogungbo, Mazeed
    Okonkwo, Arthur
    Olayinka, Olujimi James Ayodele
    Oulad M’Hand, Ismail
    Oulad M’Hand, Zine-Eddine
    Patino, Charlie Michael
    Quamina, Tinochika Chukwu
    Quesada Thorn, Kristopher Elian
    Rekik, Omar
    Roberts, Mathaeus Andrew
    Robinson, Joshua Noah Lynnford
    Sagoe Jr, Charles Kwame
    Saka, Bukayo
    Saliba, William
    Smith Rowe, Emile
    Smith, Matthew Gerrard
    Smith, Thomas Andrew Salvatore
    Swanson, Zak
    Taylor-Hart, Kido
    Teodoro Martinelli Silva, Gabriel
    Varela Tavares, Nuno Albertino
    Vigar, Billy Joseph
    Walters, Reuell Joshua

    >>>>

  156. 156
    Silly Second Yella says:

    oh my lorD

    updated?

    fu*king Valhalla

  157. 157
    Silly Second Yella says:

  158. 158
    Silly Second Yella says:

    Hail to Elneny

    100% for us and his country
    always

    The Man.

    (unlike…)

  159. 159
  160. 160
    ecg says:

    BOOM! In for the 160! (not sure what this means)

  161. 161
    ClockEndRider says:

    BT8 @159,
    Adam Shergold (whoever he is) writes in the piece you have linked to “ Keane is one of football’s most complex figures…..”. Complex? Really? Psychotic would be rather more accurate but I suppose less likely to elicit future cooperation for his newspaper….

  162. 162
    bathgooner says:

    Good grief, CER! You’re an early riser!

    I hope you have fully recivered from the lurgy.

  163. 163
    ClockEndRider says:

    Not ordinarily, Bath, I assure you! Feeling rather more jaunty now as the Escape Committee has set tomorrow as D-Day. Still tested positive this morning but the line on the LFT is now very feint, which I take to mean reducing concentration of lurgi.

  164. 164
    North Bank Ned says:

    Good to hear you are well down the road to recovery, CER.

  165. 165
    bt8 says:

    CER, I’m glad to hear you seem to be on the mending end of the mending spectrum.

    If we contributed to Sunderland’s crisis with our 5-1 Carabao Cup quarterfinal win so much the merrier I say. 😀

  166. 166
    Bathgooner says:

    >>>>>>>