Arseblog … an Arsenal blog

New head coach Unai Emery met the press for the first time at the Emirates Stadium today. Watching it on video it came across as an impressive performance from the Spaniard, and for a view of the events from much closer, James from @gunnerblog was there and sends this report. -- After 22 years, there is a new man in...

During the Arsene Wenger era, the manager's desire to manage the message and to keep things quiet as much as possible dovetailed very nicely with Arsenal's inherent conservatism and reluctance to play the media game. 'That's the Arsenal way', people would say, but it was as much the Wenger way as it was the club's. That little smile when asked...

That old phrase 'You never know what can happen in football' came to mind last night when we'd taken a break during recording the Arsecast Extra live at Union Chapel last night. During the show, we'd been discussing the future on the assumption that Mikel Arteta was set to be named as the man to replace Arsene Wenger, but then...

Welcome to another Arsecast Extra, the Arsenal podcast, with myself and James from @gunnerblog. So this episode was recorded like at Union Chapel last night, and during the first half of the show we discussed lots of things but also the future on the assumption that Mikel Arteta was about to be made manager of the club. At the break...

A very good and early Monday morning to you. I am writing this blog in my kitchen as the puppy decides that her favourite thing in the world to eat is soil and has used the kitchen floor as a plate for her soilstravaganza. The appointment of Mikel Arteta is set to take place 'this week', according to reports, as...

I sort of watched the second half of yesterday's FA Cup final in a bar yesterday evening. It will tell you the esteem in which I hold Jose Mourinho that I wanted Chelsea to win. I didn't just want them to win, I really wanted them to win because I knew this would make him sad. I'm not saying I'm...

“Nothing in his life became him like leaving it.” William Shakespeare, ‘Macbeth’, Act 1, sc. 4, l. 7 It has, I am sure you will agree, been a wonderful few weeks. He has now departed in the most joyous of ways, relishing every last moment. This was the right way for it to happen, with fanfare, with pomp and with...

If Mikel Arteta was a lady an anagram of his name could be Maria Kettle. Chances are though, if he were a woman, his first name wouldn't be Mikel. Another anagram is 'Rat-like team', and one of things many of us hope is that a new manager makes us a bit more mean and a bit less nice. I want...

Morning all, happy Friday to you all, and we head into the first weekend of the off-season with the focus still on the possible/probable appointment of Mikel Arteta as Arsenal manager. From what I understand the Spaniard has been in London most of this week, and has been up and down from Manchester a fair bit over the last few...

Welcome to another episode of the Arsecast - the Arsenal podcast. On today's show we have a round-table discussion about the final game of the season and the season as a whole, including Arsene Wenger's departure and where we go from here. Mikel Arteta's name is being strongly linked with the job so we discuss his suitability for the job,...

During Arsene Wenger’s three week farewell tour, it became a little dispiriting to see how few people understood that it’s perfectly logical to want a manager to leave, but to be grateful for their overall achievements. Basic emotional intelligence dictates that it’s perfectly possible, nay routine, to hold viewpoints that do not neatly align. People are not filing cabinets,...

Yesterday's post outlining what I felt were legitimate concerns over the rumoured appointment of Mikel Arteta as manager sparked some excellent discussion. Of course, as this is the Internet, there were extreme views one way or the other, but for most it's a nuanced situation. Potentially it could be a very clever decision in the circumstances; but equally it raises...