Official Gooners Thread - A New Hope

[ONeill]

What do the Gunners & Ryan Giggs have in common???

Ans: Same amount of league titles......

Both scored with a late ball to Thomas.

Oh come on, I thought that was actually a good one. Have any of you an Imogenation?

It gave me a wry smile.

As for RVP - I don't believe players leave looking for silverware I think that is always a smoke screen like in any job you leave for more money. That's why I would respect Steven Gerrard more than RVP, Nasri or any player who proclaims he's leaving for the trophies. All bullshit they leave for the fat wedge that lines their and their agents pockets.

RVP great player but just another mercenary to me same as 99% of footballers.

Don't agree. Could've done a Beckham.

I'm sure RVP looked around him last season and saw Walcott, Chamakh et al and thought what the hell. The squad was weakening year on year since he won the cup in 2005. VP wanted proven world class talent in the squad. Wenger couldn't/wouldn't guarantee that. He deserved an arena like Old Trafford.

As for being a mercenary - he's Dutch - not born and bred in Islington.

That's my point 99% are mercenaries and they all follow the money. Talking about trophies is just romantic bullshit imho.

I suppose that's all it can be - an opinion. My reading, from having probably read everything about him or what he has said since he joined Arsenal, is that he's not your Nasri or Adebayor. He had no obligation or moral responsibility to stay with Arsenal. A wealthy man already, he had some glaring omissions in his trophy cabinet.

I've always found Alan Smith to be a sober judge - too sober for TV though. He said at the time:

Former Gunners striker Alan Smith does not believe, however, that the Dutchman was swayed to turn his back on the club by the riches the likes of City can offer.

"From what I have heard from people close to Robin he's not motivated by money," he said.

"I think at his age, he's 28, it's about winning medals. He's in his peak years now. I truly believe in this case he wants to win things in the next few years when he can.

"That doesn't reflect well, of course, on Arsenal. It's really disappointing from Arsenal's point of view.

"But Robin van Persie is looking at the next few years when he's 28, 29, 30; he thinks they can't win trophies. You don't want to say it but you probably have to agree with him."

[Dinny Breen]

Alan Smith is the business of selling newspapers, he hardly wants to alienate his audience, his opinion has it's own agenda. Football is a soap opera, people want to believe the fairy tale.

[ONeill]

Alan Smith is the business of selling newspapers, he hardly wants to alienate his audience, his opinion has it's own agenda. Football is a soap opera, people want to believe the fairy tale.

Don't understand that view about Smith. Surely by saying that he's alienating Arsenal fans. If he said he left for money, the only 'audience' he alienates is the Van Persie family.

Ian Wright, who'd be quick to shoot his mouth off said "The Londoners' club skipper is heading to Old Trafford because he must believe playing for United will give him a better chance of winning things."

Frank McClintock said at the start of the previous season that Van Persie would leave because Arsenal were showing no ambition to win things and he was proven 100% correct.

George Graham: "He knows he can get a better offer elsewhere but it's not just about an offer, it is about winning trophies and Arsenal haven't won a trophy for five or six years and that comes into the equation, whether the club are ambitious enough."

[muppet]

I remember as a kid reading one of those soccer mag interview. The player was Arsenal's Frank Stapleton. The only answer I remember was to the question "Fav other club?:. Frank said "Man. Utd."

[ONeill]

[Dinny Breen]

Alan Smith is the business of selling newspapers, he hardly wants to alienate his audience, his opinion has it's own agenda. Football is a soap opera, people want to believe the fairy tale.

Don't understand that view about Smith. Surely by saying that he's alienating Arsenal fans. If he said he left for money, the only 'audience' he alienates is the Van Persie family.

Ian Wright, who'd be quick to shoot his mouth off said "The Londoners' club skipper is heading to Old Trafford because he must believe playing for United will give him a better chance of winning things."

Frank McClintock said at the start of the previous season that Van Persie would leave because Arsenal were showing no ambition to win things and he was proven 100% correct.

George Graham: "He knows he can get a better offer elsewhere but it's not just about an offer, it is about winning trophies and Arsenal haven't won a trophy for five or six years and that comes into the equation, whether the club are ambitious enough."

Most of those guys played when there was no money in the game unless in a brown envelope in George's case. They are no relation to the modern footballer. Smith writes for a national newspaper his audience is bigger than just Arsenal fans, he knows football is soap opera and fans want to believe players care more about trophies than money. The others are all Arsenal fans to a man and the bottom lie in their thinking if Arsenal spent money on players they can't afford and paid RVP his worth, well he would have stayed. It's all about the money.

[ONeill]

Do you honestly thing he left for 200'000 a year instead of 130'000 a year and no other reason?

[From the Bunker]

I remember as a kid reading one of those soccer mag interview. The player was Arsenal's Frank Stapleton. The only answer I remember was to the question "Fav other club?:. Frank said "Man. Utd."

Yeah, I remember Frank going up to receive a winners FA Cup medal (with Arsenal) wearing a Man Utd Jersey in 1979!

[Dinny Breen]

Do you honestly thing he left for 200'000 a year instead of 130'000 a year and no other reason?

Do I think he left for the money? Yes I do and I don't begrudge him over 4 years he was going to be 25m approx better off. (70k x 52 x 4 + 10m reported loyalty bonus + 10% signing fee. )

[ONeill]

Ha! A year says I.

[Main Street]

What do the Gunners & Ryan Giggs have in common???

Ans: Same amount of league titles......

Both scored with a late ball to Thomas.

Oh come on, I thought that was actually a good one. Have any of you an Imogenation?

It gave me a wry smile.

As for RVP - I don't believe players leave looking for silverware I think that is always a smoke screen like in any job you leave for more money. That's why I would respect Steven Gerrard more than RVP, Nasri or any player who proclaims he's leaving for the trophies. All bullshit they leave for the fat wedge that lines their and their agents pockets.

RVP great player but just another mercenary to me same as 99% of footballers.

Don't agree. Could've done a Beckham.

I'm sure RVP looked around him last season and saw Walcott, Chamakh et al and thought what the hell. The squad was weakening year on year since he won the cup in 2005. VP wanted proven world class talent in the squad. Wenger couldn't/wouldn't guarantee that. He deserved an arena like Old Trafford.

As for being a mercenary - he's Dutch - not born and bred in Islington.

That's my point 99% are mercenaries and they all follow the money. Talking about trophies is just romantic bullshit imho.

Compare Shearer and Andy Cole.

Does the number of trophies won matter?

Shearer signed for Southampton as a kid and then followed the money to Blackburn (could have signed for Man U but less money) and won one league title before following the money to Newcastle.

Cole signed for Arsenal as kid, didn't work out and joined Bristol, did well and followed the money to Newcastle and then Man U, won a heap of trophies. Maximised his revenue potential in latter years as moved from club to club.

Shearer was the better player, Cole won more trophies. Not sure what point you are making to be honest.

If RVP was offered the same money at Arsenal as Man U were offering and still moved well then yea he moved to win trophies but he wasn't and he didn't.

That's where you meet your own standards of the bullshit argument   Arsenal didn't offer the same contract.
As it stands, his agent managed to secure an excellent improved contract and Van Persie was also able to follow an ambition. 

It would have been silly to think his agent would have settled for a similar contract in the current player salary madness, from the club Van Persie chose.
Just because the agent & Van Persie weren't silly, does not mean that ambition had no place in Van Persie's reasons for leaving Arsenal.

[ONeill]

Wenger calls Robin an oul woman:

"He's an honest guy, Robin. He got to 29 and thought, "Can we win the Championship here or do I have more chances somewhere else?" There's a kind of timescale like for a woman who has no baby at 39. She starts to think, "I have not much time left".'

[Milltown Row2]

Think Arsenal will beat UTD today, a lot of hangovers I'd say after the celebrations of last week. No need to push hard and risk injuries, lot of players thinking of holidays now I'd say and not interested. Arsenal have a different agenda, Arsenal -1 11/4

[CorkMan]

Anyone know where I can get a stream of the game?

[Milltown Row2]

Anyone know where I can get a stream of the game?

http://www.firstrow1.eu/

I use this site, just scroll down to the fixture click on one of the links and it should work ok