The Arsenal Season Review Podcast – Arsenal FC Weekly 3

Update: I’ve re-posted the Arsenal Season Review podcast today because I there were a couple of technical problems with it yesterday. For one, Panda Bear’s voice was way too quiet and for some unknown reason the podcast ended 6 minutes before it was supposed to. As a result, I’ve re-posted it today with all the technical issues fixed up.

To all the people who requested written results of the season survey, I’ll have them for you in tomorrow’s post. Thanks for understanding.

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It’s the final Arsenal FC Weekly podcast for the season and I’m joined in the studio this week by regular podcast partner and dressing-gown wearer Panda Bear to review the year that was.

Last week I asked you all to answer the first ever Arsenal FC Blog survey and fantastically, 361 of you did. Four of you – ‘willfletch’, ‘ra’, ‘jsloam’ and ‘henrykissinher’ – have won copies of the great book ‘The Last Game’ courtesy of Simon & Schuster. I’ll email you shortly to grab your details. To the rest of you, thanks so much for voicing your opinion; it made for great discussion.

On today’s podcast we run through the findings of that survey to announce the Player of the Season and a host other awards, as well as looking at your thoughts on everything from the manager, the need for a centre-back and Emmanuel Eboue’s dancing skills. Enjoy!

Remember I’d love to hear your feedback and ideas and you can do so by leaving a comment on this post or by emailing arsenalfcweekly [at] arsenalfcblog [dot] com.

I’ll be back tomorrow to discuss further. Speak to you then.

Have your say on the Arsenal Season Review by leaving a comment.

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  1. Written by Tony Attwood, Untoldarsenal.com

    Just imagine what would have happened if Ancelotti – late of AC Milan now of the KGB in Fulham had been at Arsenal.

    At first the club’s world-wide supporters would have rejected his credentials. Here is a man whose greatest achievement in Europe prior to joining AC Milan was to win not the Euro Cup or Champs League, not the Cup Winners Cup of old, not even the Diddly Widdly UEFA cup – but… The Intertoto Cup with Juve.

    But AC Milan don’t think this way. They saw him, they saw potential, and gave him a chance. And in his second season he won the Champs League. Next year he won the Italian League.

    And then, two years later they got to the final of the Champs again again and despite being 3-0 up at half time they blew it and lost on penalties. But two years after that they won it again.

    So fairly secure you’d think, even in the “Wenger has lost it” world of some Arsenal supporters, in which you are only as good as what you have won in the last couple of years.

    But let’s look at that record a different way.

    2004-5, 2nd in the league, 2nd in Champs League
    2005-6, 2nd in the league, semis in the Champs League
    2006-7, 4th in the league, Champs League winners
    2007-8, 5th in the league, Champs League last 16
    2008-9, 3rd in the league, UEFA Cup last 32.

    See what I mean? Those last two years have not just been awful by their own high standards. Worse even that Arsenal under Wenger (for our supporters who measure things this way).

    Not qualifying for the Champs League. Not even getting to the final of the UEFA Diddly Cup.

    Our two 4ths and a Champs semi is way ahead of the KGB’s new man over the last two years. True, we’ve not won the Champs League but our earlier golden age included a couple of doubles and an unbeaten season in a league that is considered by many to be tougher than Italy.

    So did AC Milan fans say the new manager didn’t have the winning mentality when he came along having only won the Intertoto? And are the fans of the KGB saying he’s useless because for the last two years he’s been… useless.

    Actually I’ve no idea – but I suppose there are odd-balls everywhere.

    My point is that KGB Fulham is not buying in a man who guarantees wins all the time. They are buying in a man who generates trophies some of the time, and then has a poor run by his own higher standards.

    Who is to say what he will do with Terry scowling in the background and the KGB censoring his every other word and re-writing the reports of the fans’ forums to exclude any bits they don’t think fit.

    But my point is that the new man in charge of the KGB in Fulham is what you get at the top level. Win some lose some. True Sir Alex F Word is having another good run at the moment, but that is exceptional, just as Wenger’s two doubles and the unbeaten season were. You get exceptional seasons from exceptional managers – but you don’t get them year after year after year without stop.

    If Wenger were to be forced out by the nutters we would be looking at candidates of Ancelotti’s standard – so prepare to accept someone who can’t actually get a club with the finance of AC Milan into the top four in Italy every year.

  2. But Ancelotti can’t speak english so the likes of terry, ca$hley, j.cole lamps and even drogba won’t be able to understand him so he won’t be in the job for long but I’m scarred hiddink will goback as we all know what he has done for korea, australia and even russia so with a 100 mill war chest he would be better than ol red nose in 5 years.

  3. Nice post Spanish, I love the podcast, I think it’s fantastic – the idea works really well and it’s really enjoyable.

    My opinion of the appointment of Ancelotti by Chelski is that it was a big mistake, and if he gets a huge amount of money to spend he will tear the squad apart, which is already weaker than Mourinho’s. I was pleased to see him appointed, as they could have brought in someone a lot better. If he trades the wonderful Essien for the aging Pirlo (nothing against him, I just think he won’t adapt and is too old), i would be delighted.

    Keep up the good work Spanish.

  4. Gareth Barry has just signed for Manchester City for the unextravagant price of 12 million. I never personally saw him as the answer for Arsenal, but I’m gobsmacked that he’s gone to City.

    What a waste!

  5. @ enemyairships – Yeah, I really can’t believe that. Very strange move for Barry, I feel, particularly if we were looking at him.

  6. Looks like Tevez could be going to city as his owner will chase the big bucks.

    a couple of defenders and possibly Eto, or Villa.

    And i see a danagerous team with a average manager lol

  7. Higuain rumored out of Madrid for some odd reason? Id love him if we had the chance- even as an Ade replacement. Replace height with speed and skill

    Barry is overrated imo

  8. PS I cant see Villa at City. He wants to win otherwise he can stay at Valencia. I know they need the money but he has been a great servant to the club so they will let him have his say. I could honestly really see wenger bringing him here. Maybe Barcelona as well

  9. Well some of my votes were the top which is good. My favourite player is RVP, I knew Cesc would be top, and I know RVP isnt our best player but you dont always have the mose talented player as your favourite. I voted for RVps goal v Everton, the 92nd min equaliser.

  10. The very root of your writing whilst sounding reasonable originally, did not really sit properly with me personally after some time. Someplace throughout the paragraphs you managed to make me a believer unfortunately only for a very short while. I still have a problem with your leaps in logic and one would do well to help fill in those gaps. When you actually can accomplish that, I would surely be fascinated.

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