Arsenal

[Lucky]

Walcott wearing a shirt with a dodgy looking collar at his birthday bash.

Mrs Arshavin's with some 12 year old kid. .. Eduardo and his Mrs arrive after they were attacked by a crocodile on the way to the party.

Sol with his bird (Rumours? What rumours?)

Walcott's birthday cake.

Maybe they were out of adult cakes so he had to make do with a kids one.

Gareth Bale (being followed by a fit bird) looking gutted that he's not a Gooner.

[Petrousgyre]

Bales suit could do with a little extra shine.

[Eats hoops and leaves]

Fuck me, footballers should not be allowed to choose their own clothing. Jesus. They all look absolutely dreadful.

[Rev]

Fuck me, footballers should not be allowed to choose their own clothing. Jesus. They all look absolutely dreadful.

This. But also add "cakes" as well as clothes.

[Daley]

I'm feeling pretty smug about Bendtner right about now, for the record.

Not as smug as he is.

[Lucky]

Or as smug as Wenger.

[anders limpar]

BANGING THE DESK SCENES

That cake!

[The Fox]

Fuck me, footballers should not be allowed to choose their own clothing. Jesus. They all look absolutely dreadful.

Arshavin looks pretty normal. I wouldn't wear that myself, but I wouldn't say he looks absurd -- certainly nowhere near as awful as the others. Isn't he really into his fashion though?

edit: i dont know why i'm discussing this :x

[Silent Runner]

Arshavin looks pretty normal. I wouldn't wear that myself, but I wouldn't say he looks absurd -- certainly nowhere near as awful as the others. Isn't he really into his fashion though?

edit: i dont know why i'm discussing this :x

Why not ask Andrey?

[mr_rmg]

ello.

someone I work with has started an arsenal blog. Have a look if you want.

http://www.positively-arsenal.com/

I know nowt about football but I thought it looked ok.

post any feedback and I will pass it on!

cheers.

[Dude Ranch]

Anyway, I find Brown perpetually sits on the fence between 'proper cunt' (Ferguson, Wenger, Benitez, Redknapp) and 'comedy cunt' (Warnock, Mourinho, Keane). I just can't decide.

I don't get why people have such a bee in their bonnet over Wenger. I mean he's witty, intelligent, football mad. He really has transformed the game over here, IMO. He plays football and runs his Club the right way. All this 'I didn't see it' is exaggerated rubbish, having sat in the front row at the football you're hard pushed to make a good call on anything. He defends his players, like any other manager does, sticks to his principles. He might have missed a few handshakes but I bet he had good reason and he never rubs it in when we win. Win, lose or draw it's a quick handshake. Bar a few stand out moments involving trivial things like broken legs he doesn't really rant on or make excuses. He goes out of his way to say that injuries are no excuse. I've consciously watched and listened to other managers over the last few weeks and if you call Wenger a whinger then fuck knows what you'd call the rest of them. He's not perfect but I think he can hold his head up. The way he takes the United paedo chants on the chin does him credit too, when he got sent to their stand this season I bet most of their lot had at least grudging respect. He owned them. He's stood firm in the face of personal attacks and never lowered himself. Most of the stuff people say about him is repeating what other people say based on selective quoting and mischief making.

This. But also add "cakes" as well as clothes.

Also, partners.

[Peter Hitchens]

Yeah obviously being an Arsenal fan it's easy to be blind to it but I find it hard to understand. He's certainly not perfect and has occasionally said some laughable things but he's no worse than most managers in terms of favouring his own team and 'not seeing' things. And he's one of the few managers who seems to have any intelligent or thoughtful things to say on wider issues (in and out of football). He seems like someone who is just a thoroughly decent guy in normal life who I would want to have a conversation with whether he was a football manager or not.

But then I'd also say I've never really felt much reason to dislike Ferguson particularly, other than general rivalry and jealousy of how good Man U are. I wouldn't say he comes across as likably as Wenger but I don't really see why some people seem to have a seething hatred of him.

[BlinkyBear]

Arshavin looks pretty normal. I wouldn't wear that myself, but I wouldn't say he looks absurd -- certainly nowhere near as awful as the others. Isn't he really into his fashion though?

edit: i dont know why i'm discussing this :x

He's got a fashion degree and creates a new line every season.

It's shit though.

[Petrousgyre]

In the bad loser stakes he outstrips even Ferguson - only on a few occasions have I ever heard him even remotely praise the opposition. Losing or drawing is always the fault of the referee, the pitch or the opposition playing hoofball or tackling too hard.

This is just cliched drivel. He frequently praises the opposition, admits when his team have played badly and so forth, certainly much more than the majority of managers. Don't make me requote lots of actual interviews with him. You 'really, really dislike' the simplifed, pantomime version of Wenger regurgitated by every halfwit hack in this country.

[Shoes]

At least Arshavin made the effort, unlike Eduardo. He looks like a dogs' dinner.

[Art Vandelay]

I'd take a thousand 'I didn't see the incident's over one of several other manager's frothing reactions that invariably get proven wrong within seconds of the words spilling out of their mouths. And before you start, yes, Wenger has said some silly things in the past. And yes, he rarely criticises his own players, but he genuinely seems like a man of integrity with a passion for the way football is played. He's not Rosa Parks or anything, but he's put up with some real bigoted shit in his time too.

[Lucky]

Looks like Cesc and Rosicky could well be back for the weekend, Gallas not yet though.

Gallas's injury is starting to get a bit worrying. The signing of the Sol man could turn out to be a masterstroke from Wenger.

Song's suspension is finished too.

All in all it's getting pretty scary.

[Lucas]

Squeaky bum time.

[anders limpar]

Hmmmmm.

[Rev]

Jesus.

Jesus.

This is not a double post.

[Daley]

The players are even believing it now. "I'm like a new signing. Maybe I should go around the training ground and introduce myself to everyone."

[a big boy]

Theo should ask for a signing on fee everytime he comes back from injury.

[Daley]

Theo should ask for a signing on fee everytime he comes back from injury.

If every player did that Arsenal would be finished and Rosicky would be a millionaire. Well...even more of a millionaire.

[Rev]

It's the self-parody aspect that is killing me. He must know how stupid that looks, surely?

[Peter Hitchens]

I know we're all mocking the phrase, but Rosicky really HAS been like a new signing this season. He's been away so long that having him available again over the last few months has seemed like a good addition to the squad. He's not particularly different or better than players we already had (Nasri, Fabregas, Arshavin) but he's given us added depth where before we would only have inferior (or less reliable) players to bring in.

Think back to the period around last January/February before Arshavin had come in/reached full fitness, when Fabregas (and I think maybe Nasri at the same time?) was injured as well and we were frequently starting with a midfield featuring Song, Denilson, Diaby, Eboue: not bad players but nobody with real creative/attacking class or the experience to dominate games. Things have really got better since then, even if we do fade away and win nothing by the end of the season.

[SeanR]

so, arshavins car crash last night...

for car insurance, compare the MARKET dot com...

simplez!

[Dude Ranch]

Gallas's injury is starting to get a bit worrying.

Injury/not signing a new deal.

[Daley]

Injury/not signing a new deal.

I think it's looking more and more certain that he will be off in the summer. If he doesn't sign by the end of the month I think that's it. Is Eboue also free in the summer?

[Rev]

Is Eboue also free in the summer?

I believe so, but I'd be quite surprised if he went. Gallas will be in Roma though next season though.

[Dude Ranch]

I think it's looking more and more certain that he will be off in the summer. If he doesn't sign by the end of the month I think that's it. Is Eboue also free in the summer?

I think he's got one more year.