Arsenal

[Dhav]

Interesting stuff going on over there. All we seem to hear from their key players is how disappointed they are by David Dein's departure. Henry has come out today and said how shocked everyone is that he's left, Wenger said a few weeks ago he had lost a friend and ally, and even Fabregas is getting in on the act saying how he'd be missed and that it casts a shadow over the futures of Henry, Wenger and himself at the club.

Now is it me, but how can players be so upset about the departure of a CEO? I can understand why Wenger might be disappointed, but why the **** should Henry and Fabregas care? I cant imagine Stevie and Carra throwing their toys out of the pram when the inevitable day comes that Parry is sacked.

Arsenal have fallen short on all fronts this season, early exits from the Champions League and FA Cup, so near yet so far in the League Cup, and a second successive season finishing 4th in the league. They seem to be quite far away from a genuine title challenge and don't seem to be as competitive in the transfer market as the 3 clubs above them in the league. The new stadium doesn't seem to have ushered the new era that they'd hoped to allow them to compete with MAn U and Chelsea finacnially . Instead it seems to be an albatross around their necks.

We say every year is a cross roads for Liverpool, but I think it is especially true of Arsenal this season. Seems to me that people like Henry and Fabregas are seeing the screws loosening and the house of cards about to collapse and are already paving the way for their departures. The David Dein thing is either the final straw or the smoke-screen they needed to make a sharp exit out the back door.

Either way, should be interesting to see the way this plays out.

[Red Chilli]

Interesting stuff going on over there. All we seem to hear from their key players is how disappointed they are by David Dein's departure. Henry has come out today and said how shocked everyone is that he's left, Wenger said a few weeks ago he had lost a friend and ally, and even Fabregas is getting in on the act saying how he'd be missed and that it casts a shadow over the futures of Henry, Wenger and himself at the club.

Now is it me, but how can players be so upset about the departure of a CEO? I can understand why Wenger might be disappointed, but why the **** should Henry and Fabregas care? I cant imagine Stevie and Carra throwing their toys out of the pram when the inevitable day comes that Parry is sacked.

Arsenal have fallen short on all fronts this season, early exits from the Champions League and FA Cup, so near yet so far in the League Cup, and a second successive season finishing 4th in the league. They seem to be quite far away from a genuine title challenge and don't seem to be as competitive in the transfer market as the 3 clubs above them in the league. The new stadium doesn't seem to have ushered the new era that they'd hoped to allow them to compete with MAn U and Chelsea finacnially . Instead it seems to be an albatross around their necks.

We say every year is a cross roads for Liverpool, but I think it is especially true of Arsenal this season. Seems to me that people like Henry and Fabregas are seeing the screws loosening and the house of cards about to collapse and are already paving the way for their departures. The David Dein thing is either the final straw or the CHEESE CHEESE CHEESE! they needed to make a sharp exit out the back door.

Either way, should be interesting to see the way this plays out.

[Dhav]

I typed smoke-screen and it came out CHEESE. I've now edited it.

We can filter out "smoke-screen" but we cant force AFII to say "has"

[PTP]

I typed smoke-screen and it came out CHEESE. I've now edited it.

We can filter out "smoke-screen" but we cant force AFII to say "has"

that really grinds your gears doesn't it

[Dhav]

that really grinds your gears doesn't it

Yep, when I was a teacher, things like poor grammar really got on my ****ing nerves.

[Red Chilli]

I typed smoke-screen and it came out CHEESE. I've now edited it.

We can filter out "smoke-screen" but we cant force AFII to say "has"

that really grinds your gears doesn't it

What if I wanted to type "That **** had a lurch towards me but it was all a smokescreen"?

[dww]

Interesting stuff going on over there. All we seem to hear from their key players is how disappointed they are by David Dein's departure. Henry has come out today and said how shocked everyone is that he's left, Wenger said a few weeks ago he had lost a friend and ally, and even Fabregas is getting in on the act saying how he'd be missed and that it casts a shadow over the futures of Henry, Wenger and himself at the club.

Now is it me, but how can players be so upset about the departure of a CEO? I can understand why Wenger might be disappointed, but why the **** should Henry and Fabregas care? I cant imagine Stevie and Carra throwing their toys out of the pram when the inevitable day comes that Parry is sacked.

Arsenal have fallen short on all fronts this season, early exits from the Champions League and FA Cup, so near yet so far in the League Cup, and a second successive season finishing 4th in the league. They seem to be quite far away from a genuine title challenge and don't seem to be as competitive in the transfer market as the 3 clubs above them in the league. The new stadium doesn't seem to have ushered the new era that they'd hoped to allow them to compete with MAn U and Chelsea finacnially . Instead it seems to be an albatross around their necks.

We say every year is a cross roads for Liverpool, but I think it is especially true of Arsenal this season. Seems to me that people like Henry and Fabregas are seeing the screws loosening and the house of cards about to collapse and are already paving the way for their departures. The David Dein thing is either the final straw or the smoke-screen they needed to make a sharp exit out the back door.

Either way, should be interesting to see the way this plays out.

From what I hear Dein had a significant role in sorting out the way each player was paid so they put things through businesses to get paid as tax efficiently as possible. Maybe with himgone peoples wages have effectively gone down.

The other thing is that he was known to all the players and was a popular figure at the club. If someone who you have a good impression of goes and it upsets the boss (who in a lot of cases is the only reason they came to England in the first place) it is understandably disconcerting.

I think Henry is probably off to Barcelona and it might well do Arsenal a favour as he has been injured a lot and has seemed to inadvertantly upset people by being first choice even out of form and fitness.

Next season is a key season for Arsenal as now a lot of the young players have had a season or two in the top flight and increasingly the excuses have to be left behind. I think they will probably kick on though - Wenger seems to have high hopes for the group.