Tag Archives: She Wore A Yellow Ribbon

Premier League Agree Better Deal For Arsenal Fans

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Over the years, we have banged on about ticket prices. Without blowing our own trumpet, I would say that out of the thousands of Arsenal blogs out their, we have been at the forefront of bringing the ticket price issues to public attention.

It might be down to many of the people involved in both the blog and Facebook page being regular football go’ers. Normal blokes, living in London, who travel home and away. Myself, I go home and away every game, One of the other admins on the Facebook page also has an away season ticket. Ticketing is a real issue to us.

So it is good news today that the Premier League have announced that for the next 3 seasons, ticket prices for away fans shall be capped at £30.

Now of course, it might not be as large a cut as we wanted – we are big supporters of the Football Supporters’ Federation Twenty’s Plenty campaign, but it is a step in the right direction.3119347800000578-3442567-image-a-20_1455209277643

Just over a month ago, we mentioned or dismay that Premier League chairman had voted against a price cap on away tickets. It is reported that Arsenal led the fight against the initiative. Despite Arsenal fans (amongst a couple of others) benefiting the most from price cap, Arsenal showed their greed by rejecting it.

I do now laugh to myself. Last week the footballing world was in uproar. Ivan Gazidis, alongside the chairman of Manchester United & City, Liverpool and Chelsea had a secret meeting. It was reported that this was to discuss a European Super League. It seems the papers misreported this, as less than a week later, the £30 ticketing initiative has been announced.

Putting 2 & 2 together, I would lay money on the fact they were meeting to decide how they would once more vote on this matter. And the result? A better deal for fans.

And what is good news is that Arsenal will benefit the most. Arsenal are ripped off over land and sea. We pay a premium price every ground we step into.

This season, a travelling Arsenal fan will pay around £300 MORE on away tickets than a Leicester fan. Clearly an issue. In fact, Arsenal charge away fans, over the course of a season, £200 LESS than what Arsenal fans are charged to visit away grounds.

My cost for all 19 away games this season is around £850. Next year, it will be £570. That is great news. More money for beer and Rainbows!

Of course, with one hand they give, one hand they take away. This agreement has meant the end of the Away Fans Initiative which was introduced in 2013 by the Premier League and saw clubs individually implement a range of measures, including travel subsidies, reciprocal pricing and reduced admissions as well as improved facilities.

What Arsenal did with the Away Fans Initiative was reduce prices for away fans. This year we have all benefited from a £4 deduction per game. If you went to all 19 games, this would save £76.

Despite this initiative being dropped by the Premier League, the club have perhaps learnt from PR errors of the recent past, and announced that they will continue to subsidise away tickets by the £4. Thus taking the cost to go to games to just £26. The cost to go to all games is now just £494 a season.

The battle is still not over. Ticket prices for home games is still too expensive. As is allocation of cup credits. And the way Silver Members get treated also needs to be addressed. But it is a step in the right direction.

It will lead to a few problems that we can foresee. More people will now buy tickets for away games and not go. It will give other fans less opportunities to go to games and build up their credits. You will now have more buying away tickets to sell on, knowing that the risk if they do not sell on is much lesser. But these are problems to be discussed for another day.

Today is a good day for an away fan. The saving is the equivalent of an extra holiday. An extra Euro away. A couple more dances in Rainbow.

I think every fans should be thanking the FSF and all supporters groups. Not just those of Arsenal, but those of Liverpool, of Everton, even of Spurs. There has really been a “we are all in this together” when it comes to ticket prices. And it is the pressure of all the groups that has led to this price cap.

Arsenal fans will pay the lowest for away tickets in the Premier League

Remember, without fans, football is nothing.

Keenos

The FA Cup is not enough

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We always talk about greed in football. Greed of owners. Greed of managers. Greed of players. Greed of agents. What we rarely talk about is the greed of fans.

When it comes to the greed of fans, we are not talking about money, they get paid none, we are talking about success. You see it up and down the leagues, fans getting on players, on managements back, demanding more. Demanding more, often, then there place at the football table perhaps deserves.

We all want more, want more than what we have.

Two years ago, we craved a trophy. It had been 9 years without one. We wanted anything. It did not matter. Even the League Cup would have satisfied our taste for success. And we won the FA Cup. How we all celebrated.Untitled

The year after, we repeated the feet. 12 FA Cups made us the most successful team in the tournament. Back to back FA Cups. The first team to do it since Arsenal ourselves did it in 2002 & 2003.

And here we sit, in 2016, about to play Hull in the grand old competition. Win and we are through to a Quarter Final against Watford. Just a handful of games away from winning 3 FA Cup’s in a row. Unprecedented in the modern game. A team has not achieved this since Blackburn Rovers won 3 in a row between 1884 & 1886. Wanders the only other side to have achieved this.

And yet, for Arsenal fans, a 3rd FA Cup victory in a row seems to not be enough.

The goal posts have moved. 2 years ago today, we would have bitten your hand if offered to win the FA Cup in 2014. The other hand would have been bitten off had at the same time the offer been for back to back FA Cups. Imagine what we would have bitten off in 2014 and the offer had been a chance to win 3 in a row…

So why have things changed so much? Why is the FA Cup no longer enough for many Arsenal fans? Why would winning a historic 3rd in a row still leave fans unsatisfied? Why would fans still call for the head of Arsene Wenger if we do complete a treble of cup wins?

Well the first thing that comes to mind is greed. We all want more.

It is the natural inclination of many a human being to want more. It is why we drive ourselves at work to gain promotions. It is why countries go to war to increase their land or natural resources. It is why people cheat on their wife. Very rarely are human beings satisfied with what they have.

This greed, this desire for more. It leads to disloyalty in the workplace. It leads to divorces. It leads to wars.

And football fans in general, and at the moment Arsenal fans en masse desire more. Desire more than a 3rd FA Cup in a row. They are unsatisfied.

Of course, there is a lot more in the melting pot of frustration than an individual’s greed.

Had Arsenal not bought just 1 player in the summer, 2 outfield players in 3 transfer windows, and not had £150m in the bank, we would perhaps be more satisfied.

Were we top of the league, on for the Double, the FA Cup would excite us due to what was to be won alongside it.

Or were it Manchester United and Manchester City, whom have both spent £200m+ in the last 2 years, being 3rd and on course to win an FA Cup would satisfy fans a bit more than what it is now.

It is perhaps this financial and physical position that we are currently in that leaves fans unsatisfied with the possibility of a 3rd FA Cup on the trot.

What is for sure, for Arsenal fans, and rightly so THE FA CUP IS NOT ENOUGH.

Keenos

Rating Le Grove’s future Arsenal managers

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Before you read on, have a read of Le Grove’s blog yesterday The End is Nigh for Arsene Wenger.

I have been #ArseneOut for some time, but with a caveat, that it is time to for him to go, but as long as we bring in someone better, someone who can take the club forward. I felt there was no point of Arsene and Arsenal parting ways, for us to go and get in a Roberto Martinez, or Owen Coyle. What would be a Moyesesque decision.

When I first decided on my position, there was only a handful of managers I wanted in. Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti. I felt that no matter what happened this season, Arsenal should have been speaking to one (or all) of these 3 to discuss joining Arsenal in the summer.

Instead, we did nothing. Klopp joined Liverpool. Manchester City spoke to Pep. And Ancelotti spoke to Bayern Munich. All 3 gone, in the matter of weeks. And it concerned me, as looking around the world game, they were clearly the 3 class acts, everyone else was much of a muchness, not exactly an improvement on Wenger.

Then as 2016 rolled on, my personal list grew. As Arsenal performed worse, and Arsene looked more and more out of touch, it meant more managers who could clearly do a better job than Wenger were added. Still no room for Martinez though, who for me is one of the most overrated in the league.

Anyway, this is not about my list, it is about Le Groves. Many of the names on mine cross reference over, some are missing (Conte, Allegri) and there are some I would not have thought of. But it is a valid list.

What Le Grove did not do is analyse the list. He had already write 1,468 words. It is probably a blog for another day. Well this is the other day.

So who are the 10 managers on Le Grove’s list? What are their pro’s & con’s? Are tbhey a realistic fit for Arsenal? This is my view.

Diego Simeone – Atletico Madrid

Who? Former Argentine International who until recently was most famous for going down like a sack of spuds after a petulant flick by David Beckham in the 1998 World Cup. Starting his managerial  career in Argentina, he joined Atletico in 2011 where he broke up the Real Madrid / Barcelona cartel winning La Liga in 2014. Made the Champions League Final the same year. Would maybe feel he can not to Atletico any further.

Pro’s: Clearly a winner. He has broken up the Real Madrid / Barcelona dominance not by buying and spending (ala Man City & Chelsea) but by managing well, being tactically adept and motivating his players.

Con’s: Can he speak English yet? At Atletico, he is in a unique job where his ‘bullying’ and ‘aggressive’ management style works. Could this translate to a new club easily?

Arsenal fit: Yes and No. It would be a risk, as he could come in an upset everyone. But it could also be a success. Players are too comfortable under Wenger. Someone who tells home truths might be an adrenaline shot to the heart of our talented squad. If he is proficient in English, has to be high on any list.

Tomas Tuchel – Dortmund

Who? Current Borussia Dortmund manager, he replaced Jurgen Klopp at the beginning of the season. Like Klopp, he was previously manager at Mainz. Has taken a Dortmund team who underperformed last year under Klopp back to second in the table.

Pro’s: Came in to a side which was under performing under its long term manager and turned things around.

Con’s: Only been at Dortmund one season, bit early to start comparing him to Klopp.

Arsenal fit: Not this summer. With just one season at a top club under his belt, he would be a huge risk. Could be one for a few year time, but we do not want to wait that long.

Martin Schmidt – Mainz

Who? Austrian manager who did not have a playing career of note. He has come up through management the hard way. Now at Mainz in Germany (what is it about Mainz and talented managers?), he has got a previously lower to mid-table side to 5th in the table. Just goal difference separates them and Champions League football.

Pro’s: There is something about a manager who has not had a stellar career. Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger, they just seem to become very good coaches.

Con’s: Until he took over as Mainz’s head coach in 2015, he had only ever been a reserve team head coach. Not much experience.

Arsenal fit: With just over a years experience as a head coach in at any club, I would not be comfortable him taking on such a big job. Also he is clearly a coach, not a manger. Would Wenger stay to sign the players? Would we want him too?

Jorge Sampaoli – Former Chile

Who? The Argentinean manager who led Chile to the Copa America on home soil. He resigned in January this year. Was shortlisted for FIFA World Coach of the Year in 2015.

Pro’s: Plays a very attacking, and successful, brand of football. Knows how to get the best out of Alexis Sanchez.

Con’s: In his 22 year managerial career, he has never managed outside of South America. Has been out of club management since 2011.

Arsenal fit: Would bring a new view point, a new style of football to the club. Would surely know of a few gems from South America to sign. Clearly a good manager and would come with Alexis Sanchez’s approval. But can he adapt to club management and English football?

Frank De Boer – Ajax

Who? Legendary Dutch centre back, De Boer took over Ajax with them having not won a league title in 6 years. He then reeled off 4 titles in a row. Struggled last year, but back in the title race this. Has previously sniffed around the Liverpool & Spurs jobs. A Premier League move would be on the cards soon.

Pro’s: Would surely bring Dennis Bergkamp.

Con’s: Do we only want him because we want Dennis Bergkamp?

Arsenal fit: Yes. Because I want Dennis Bergkamp back.

Unai Emery – Sevilla

Who? Current Sevilla, former Valencia manager. He has won back to back Europa League’s with the former, and could be on course to win 3 out of 3.

Pro’s: Did a solid job at Valencia under difficult circumstance. Doing an equally sterling job at Sevilla.

Con’s: Knocked out of the Champions League group stages this season, although it was a group which contained Manchester City, Juventus and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Arsenal fit:  Would be a step up from his current job at Sevilla. I was surprised he was still just 44 (he seems to have been around for a long time). Certainly a good manager who carries no ego. Would be a good option.

Laurent Blanc – Paris

Who? Former France captain. Former France manager. Now in charge of PSG.

Pro’s: Managed at the top level with France and with PSG. Used to dealing with big ego, big players.

Con’s: Is he actually any good? Got to the QF of Euro 2012 with France. He might be used to dealing with ego’s, but he is not very good at dealing them. I could manage PSG to the title.

Arsenal fit: No.

Ronald Koeman – Southampton

Who? Over 600 games in management, he won it all as a player. Now at Southampton doing a remarkable job taking into account all their top players were stripped away from them.

Pro’s: Vastly experienced, used to working at the highest level. Will command instant respect with what he has won.

Con’s: In management for 16 years, why has a top club not yet taken the risk on him?

Arsenal fit: 2 years in the Premier League, he knows what it takes. Question mark over if he is good enough for the top, top level. Possibility that he would bring Bergkamp across. Would be a good choice.

Steve Bould – Arsenal Assistant

Who? Former Arsenal centre back who played 372 times for the club. Has been at Arsenal for a long time working his way through the youth systems.

Pro’s: Knows the club. Would be a seamless transition from Wenger to Bould.

Con’s: But do we want a seamless transition. We need something different, not more of the same.

Arsenal fit: Would be good to keep around the club in a Pat Rice role to help the new manager, but not as manager.

Ernesto Valverde – Athletic Bilbao

Who? I have no idea

Pro’s: I have no idea

Con’s: I have no idea

Arsenal fit: Probably Not. I have no idea.

 

From Le Grove’s list, I would happily take Simeone, Emery, Koeman & De Boer.

Let us know your thoughts

Keenos