After a sunny few days in Spain I'm back and annoyingly we've not hit the International break although that may be a blessing in disguise. On Sunday we played out a 1-1 draw with Leicester away on what proved to a thoroughly frustrating afternoon.
After just 20 minutes we took the lead through Alexis Sanchez with his first Premier League goal and his second Arsenal goal following his crucial finish against Besiktas. Cazorla picked the ball up on the edge of the box and scooped it over the defence to Sanogo who through a complete fluke somehow found Sanchez who smashed it past the keeper and defenders. As we looked to build on out lead Koscielny clashed heads and was rushed back on sporting a rather interesting piece of headgear. This decision proved costly bearing in mind it was a head injury. Leicester broke and the defence was at sixes and sevens allowing a simple header past SZCZ.
The rest of the game was utterly frustrating with Arsenal struggling to get any fluidity going. There were some particularly poor performances from Sanogo who I'll come to in a bit and Ramsey who was definitely off. Chambers who replaced Koscielny almost instantly after the equaliser played well in general but showed a moment of inexperience as instead of standing his man up went sliding in and allowed the player to simply drag it back across him only to shoot into the side netting. SZCZ made a huge save in the second half one on one and we simply failed to create anything.
The frustration on social media was clear to see as people called upon the manager to buy a striker after Sanogo's poor showing. I hate to put a young player down but he's clearly not ready for the step up to lead the line and I can't help but feel he needs to clear his head and get some game time in the so called "lesser" competitions.
As deadline day began fans were horrified to learn that Arsene Wenger had flown to Rome to referee a charity match. As the day wore on, news of Arsenal moves was non-existant until out of the blue Danny Welbeck was having a medical with us and the move was confirmed for around £16m. I'm not sure what to make of him as a player but United fans were particularly disappointed with the move. His work rate is evident and I do think with the right service when we get going that he could bang a few in for us.
However much more worrying was our lack of movement for a centre half. We are currently just one injury away from being worse than bare bones. Quite how we can go into a season with 6 fit first team defenders is beyond mind boggling. Chambers is the only senior (at age 19) stand in we have. Following that we have nobody. Arguably the player who was most likely to make the step up Ignasi Miquel has been sold, leaving us from either a) a makeshift back four with possibly the likes of Flamini in there or b) promoting a youngster.
I refuse to believe there was nobody available for the manager to sign and we are taking a huge gamble from now until January banking out our defence staying fit which let's face it we don't have the best track record of doing. However it's done now and this is our team so we may as well get behind them and see where we end up. I'll be back next week with a preview of the City game. Until then.
Showing posts with label Transfers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Transfers. Show all posts
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
Sunday, 10 August 2014
Arsenal ease past City + Vermaelen Leaves
20 minutes later Ramsey got in on the Wembley action, Sanogo again held the ball up well and slid it across to Ramsey. After a deft touch to lift the ball over the leg of Nastacic, Aaron fired the ball across Caballero again to make it 2-0. City got slightly better in the second half and Arsenal brought on 3 players: Giroud, the OX and Monreal. Sanchez, Koscielny and Sanogo made way. As Arsenal played their way back into control of the midfield the ball broke to Giroud who after teeing up a shot, crashed it past the City keeper from all of 25 yards. A truly great goal which rounded off a very nice performance.
Of course theres little point reading into this game as both sides were without key players, it appears that the only issue is that Koscielny has a minor Achilles problem and may miss the season opener against Palace. Aside from that there were brilliant performances from Chambers who I actually thought should have been MOTM and Debuchy. Considering Alexis Sanchez is still not fully ready according to Wenger he certainly looks like a very exciting player and I can't wait to see him properly this season.
In other news Thomas Vermaelen has left the club for Barcelona. I can't say I'm surprised but it still saddens me a little to think we're letting him go. However the captain featured very few times last season and for a player like himself he needs game time. Whether he'll get that in Catalonia I'm not sure but fair do's to him. He conducted himself phenomenally well over the last couple of difficult seasons for him and his message to the Arsenal fans and family was pure class:
After 5 years at Arsenal - and the last 2 years a proud captain too - it's time for me to move on. The club, the team, the fans, the manager, the staff and other employees, you all made me feel at home at both the training ground and the Emirates Stadium. It was a wonderful time and I feel blessed I've had the opportunity to be a part of such a great club. There have been so many wonderful games and experiences, with lifting the FA Cup as an absolute highlight. I would like to thank you all for your support, it was a huge honour to be a Gunner!
I wish Thomas all the best at Barcelona because a player of his quality and class deserves to play at the highest level for as long as possible. Wenger said earlier in the window is Tommy V left that he'd bring in a replacement so let's hope he does just that. Until next weekend when the Premier League season kicks off, have a great week.
Saturday, 2 August 2014
Arsenal sign Ospina and Chambers + Emirates Cup
One that did come from left field however was the signing o Calum Chambers from Southampton. The 19 year old versatile player was bought for a fee that could rise to £16m with add-ons. The youngster is another product of Southampton's renowned youth academy. It was in odd signing in a way which many suspected cause signal the end of Jenkinson who has joined West Ham on loan. I'm not so convinced. Wenger spoke just yesterday about how Sanchez appealed due to his versatility and I believe that's why he bought Chambers who can play RB, CB and even CM so it'll be interesting to see where he's deployed.
In other news the Emirates Cup kicks off today and as per usual there will be a collection of players who will get game time. Unfortunately David Ospina won't be one of them and of course neither will the German contingent who will be out till potentially the first or second week of the season. However there could be a cameo performance for one Alexis Sanchez which no doubt will get the fans excited and there will also be chances for the likes of Joel Campbell to impress the boss or potentially the AC Milan scouts who many outlets report will be in attendance today.
I have doubt the team that plays today will differ probably totally from the one that plays tomorrow. But still it's a money spinner and we'll get to see (hopefully) part of the team that will take part this season. Anyway enjoy the football and the sun if you have any and I'll be back soon with more Arsenal guff. Till then
Saturday, 19 July 2014
Snachez, Debuchy and more
Firstly apologies for being away for a while it's been a busy few weeks for myself and also for Arsenal.
Of course now we all know that we have signed Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona for a fee of between £30-35m and what a signing he looks to be. Anyone suggesting he was surplus at Barcelona is very wide of the mark, he has been one of their most important players and the only reason I believe he was sold was because they were in desperate need of funds to buy Suarez. His record speaks for itself and he scored 39 goals and in 88 appearances for Barcelona and bearing in mind he was played as a winger that's certainly nothing to sniff at. It'll be very interesting to see how Wenger deploys him he could easily be played as a lone striker, as a partner for Giroud or on the flank. Seeing him in any of those roles is certainly an exciting prospect.
Our second signing of the summer comes in the shape of former Newcastle right back Mathieu Debuchy and as far as I'm concerned he's a perfect fit for us. He's an experienced and competent defender who has played alongside Koscielny for the French national team and already has 18 months of playing time in the Premier League meaning there will no "bedding in" period. Personally this deal was on the cards as soon as I first heard us linked with him, it's only been held up because that headbutting bell end Pardew hates Arsenal and Wenger so it must have hurt him to have to let him come to us.
There was a real hype this week due to the stories surrounding Sami Khedira but that seems to have been dead in the water from the start, to me all this angling seems to be due to the fact he wants a new contract at Real Madrid. Gamesmanship from his agent and a few deliberately leaked stories seem to be doing the trick. If the stories involving us and him are true and he wanted £105,000pw AFTER tax then quite frankly Madrid can keep him. He's a good player no doubt and if we signed him I certainly wouldn't complain but I'm not gonna lose sleep over it if we don't get him.
Naturally this has fueled talks of our attention turning to different players. Morgan Schneiderlain from Southampton seems to be one of the names and there's a lot of hype around him. I'm not so certain he's up to scratch personally and I'd prefer to see go for Bender, another name being banded around. We know Wenger is interested after having a bid rejected last year, that being said I also know that Leverkusen are very difficult to negotiate with. These two could run and run.
There are also strong links with goalkeeper David Ospina, the Colombian keeper who shined at the World Cup and reports that we could be interested in a £3m deal for him. It's no secret that with the departures of Mannone, Fabianski and Viviano returning after possibly the most pointless loan spell in history, we are now one injury away from reserve keeper and with the SZCZ prone to having an injury or a mid season wobble we need to reinforce that position. I am feeling pretty confident of this deal and I wouldn't be surprised to see it tied up within the next couple of weeks.
Finally we have also been linked with 20 year old Atletico Madrid right back Javi Manquillo. Interesting one here considering we have Jenkinson who is in essentially the same position as Manquillo getting a smattering of first team starts every season. This one doesn't really make sense to me so I can't see it happening but I suppose you never know.
Right that's it for now I'll be back with more stuff as and when, until then remember we're taking a strong side to Borehamwood today and it's available to watch free on Arsenal Player.
Of course now we all know that we have signed Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona for a fee of between £30-35m and what a signing he looks to be. Anyone suggesting he was surplus at Barcelona is very wide of the mark, he has been one of their most important players and the only reason I believe he was sold was because they were in desperate need of funds to buy Suarez. His record speaks for itself and he scored 39 goals and in 88 appearances for Barcelona and bearing in mind he was played as a winger that's certainly nothing to sniff at. It'll be very interesting to see how Wenger deploys him he could easily be played as a lone striker, as a partner for Giroud or on the flank. Seeing him in any of those roles is certainly an exciting prospect.
Our second signing of the summer comes in the shape of former Newcastle right back Mathieu Debuchy and as far as I'm concerned he's a perfect fit for us. He's an experienced and competent defender who has played alongside Koscielny for the French national team and already has 18 months of playing time in the Premier League meaning there will no "bedding in" period. Personally this deal was on the cards as soon as I first heard us linked with him, it's only been held up because that headbutting bell end Pardew hates Arsenal and Wenger so it must have hurt him to have to let him come to us.
There was a real hype this week due to the stories surrounding Sami Khedira but that seems to have been dead in the water from the start, to me all this angling seems to be due to the fact he wants a new contract at Real Madrid. Gamesmanship from his agent and a few deliberately leaked stories seem to be doing the trick. If the stories involving us and him are true and he wanted £105,000pw AFTER tax then quite frankly Madrid can keep him. He's a good player no doubt and if we signed him I certainly wouldn't complain but I'm not gonna lose sleep over it if we don't get him.
Naturally this has fueled talks of our attention turning to different players. Morgan Schneiderlain from Southampton seems to be one of the names and there's a lot of hype around him. I'm not so certain he's up to scratch personally and I'd prefer to see go for Bender, another name being banded around. We know Wenger is interested after having a bid rejected last year, that being said I also know that Leverkusen are very difficult to negotiate with. These two could run and run.
There are also strong links with goalkeeper David Ospina, the Colombian keeper who shined at the World Cup and reports that we could be interested in a £3m deal for him. It's no secret that with the departures of Mannone, Fabianski and Viviano returning after possibly the most pointless loan spell in history, we are now one injury away from reserve keeper and with the SZCZ prone to having an injury or a mid season wobble we need to reinforce that position. I am feeling pretty confident of this deal and I wouldn't be surprised to see it tied up within the next couple of weeks.
Finally we have also been linked with 20 year old Atletico Madrid right back Javi Manquillo. Interesting one here considering we have Jenkinson who is in essentially the same position as Manquillo getting a smattering of first team starts every season. This one doesn't really make sense to me so I can't see it happening but I suppose you never know.
Right that's it for now I'll be back with more stuff as and when, until then remember we're taking a strong side to Borehamwood today and it's available to watch free on Arsenal Player.
Saturday, 7 June 2014
The Silly Season Begins
As always, the moment a transfer window opens, Arsenal are immediately linked with a plethora of players and bearing in mind the Premier League season ended four weeks ago we've already been linked with: Aurier, Benzema, Morata, Fabregas, Mandzukic, Remy, Insigne and Eto'o but to name a few. This will of course continue throughout the summer and until the window shuts on deadline day, our job is cipher through the crap and pick out the stories that have some element of truth. Not an easy task.
At the moment I'm not going to attempt to pick out the ones that are truthful because quite frankly I don't think any of them will come to fruition. But what was made clear the other day by Ivan Gazidis is that the club are in his words "deep in talks" with players. Clearly the club are willing to make moves and after all the talk of a £100m "warchest" it appears that the club have instead settled on a a modest £60m transfer budget and I knowing Wenger we won't spend a penny more than that. People linking us with 50 and 60 million pound transfers I feel are well wide of the mark. Personally unless inflation takes hold I can't see us breaking our £42.5m transfer record for a long long time.
As it stands we have no notable transfers of note, we've unveiled our list of players who we released. No real surprises on there Bendtner and others who we just don't use or haven't played. I think the majority of the business will be done post world cup and I'm hoping although not believing that a lot of the transfer hype will die down over this period and we'll get a brief rest bite before the quick fire finale after the World Cup.
This was only a brief post to say that I am keeping on top of transfer news but at the moment nothing has been suggested from papers, the club or *cough* my sources. When this changes I'll be sure to post. Enjoy the World Cup!
At the moment I'm not going to attempt to pick out the ones that are truthful because quite frankly I don't think any of them will come to fruition. But what was made clear the other day by Ivan Gazidis is that the club are in his words "deep in talks" with players. Clearly the club are willing to make moves and after all the talk of a £100m "warchest" it appears that the club have instead settled on a a modest £60m transfer budget and I knowing Wenger we won't spend a penny more than that. People linking us with 50 and 60 million pound transfers I feel are well wide of the mark. Personally unless inflation takes hold I can't see us breaking our £42.5m transfer record for a long long time.
As it stands we have no notable transfers of note, we've unveiled our list of players who we released. No real surprises on there Bendtner and others who we just don't use or haven't played. I think the majority of the business will be done post world cup and I'm hoping although not believing that a lot of the transfer hype will die down over this period and we'll get a brief rest bite before the quick fire finale after the World Cup.
This was only a brief post to say that I am keeping on top of transfer news but at the moment nothing has been suggested from papers, the club or *cough* my sources. When this changes I'll be sure to post. Enjoy the World Cup!
Sunday, 2 February 2014
Crystal Palace (H)
The boss has admitted that we're stretched in the middle of the park with Wilshere out, Flamini out and Ramsey out. I think we'll probably go for Arteta and Rosicky in the holding roles. On the flanks I think we'll have Cazorla and then I'm not so sure on the other side. Gnabry has shown a lot of promise but he was struggling against Southampton the other night. With the typical Pulis brand of brutality I think the power of the OX or Podolski would win out. Obviously depending on who would depend on which side Cazorla plays.
We'll need to be on our game though as Palace have been picking up points here and there. They do have a few dangerous players in the form of Jedinak and Puncheon. Chamakh up front should pose no surprises, but the defence will have to be sharp. With the run in we have coming up we need to make sure we don't slip up at the first hurdle.
This presents us with an opportunity make sure regardless of the score tomorrow we'll still be in the top 2 and potentially with a bit of luck go top and with the run we have coming up every point is going to count.
I want to end with a brief bit about our new signing which is just honestly baffling. News began to emerge yesterday that he was injured in his first training session but as the day wore on it actually came out that he had a back problem before we'd bought him. We were told about this and still brought him in. Now bringing in an injured player to cover for injured players is beyond stupid and I personally can't believe Wenger went ahead unless we're missing something...
Anyway on to the football after the madness of the window. COYG!
Friday, 13 September 2013
Sunderland (A)
After the boredom of the international break we return to Premier League action tomorrow and all of the buzz around the club is about our record signing potentially making his debut. However reports suggest that Özil missed training today due to illness along with fellow German team-mate Per Mertesacker. Must have been some dodgy Bratwurst or something.
So we may be made to wait until Wednesday or possibly even next weekend to see our new boy play. Either way we travel to the Stadium of Light short of players as it is. Rosicky, Sanogo and Zelalem add to our list of woes which now really does leave us with one striker. I said at the start of the window we were desperately in need of another striker and whilst I'm over the moon with Özil we still lack back up for Giroud.
In more positive news Thomas Vermaelen is back and in with a chance of playing which gives Wenger options to cover Mertesacker playing either him or Sagna at right back. With
Özil a doubt too we may see Wilshere slot in behind Giroud with Ramsey and Flamini holding the line in front of the defence. Despite the arrival of Viviano who I already can't help but like after watching his interview with Arsenal.com I think SZCZ will keep his place in the starting line up.
Sunderland have a team that is barely recognisable with Di Canio signing nearly a whole new starting 11 in the transfer window. There are some players that I know of and others that I don't but I would expect a few of them to start. Andre Dossena (if you remember from Liverpool) is a bit of a bruiser and could give Theo a few problems, however if Theo can get in behind him he'll struggle to keep up so that could be a potential area we could exploit.
Giaccherini is a doubt but Fletcher is back and could partner another new boy in Jozy Altidore upfront for Sunderland. We know Fletcher has goals so he'll be a threat, Altidore had a blistering season for AZ Alkmaar last year and he certainly knows where the net is. Despite scoring against MK Dons the other week he hasn't quite found his feet in the league yet but that could easily change against us. This is not an easy game and we'll need to be ready for it if we're to take all 3 points.
Let's hope our current run of form continues and we can ease to 3 points.
Prediction: Sunderland 1-2 Arsenal
So we may be made to wait until Wednesday or possibly even next weekend to see our new boy play. Either way we travel to the Stadium of Light short of players as it is. Rosicky, Sanogo and Zelalem add to our list of woes which now really does leave us with one striker. I said at the start of the window we were desperately in need of another striker and whilst I'm over the moon with Özil we still lack back up for Giroud.
In more positive news Thomas Vermaelen is back and in with a chance of playing which gives Wenger options to cover Mertesacker playing either him or Sagna at right back. With
Özil a doubt too we may see Wilshere slot in behind Giroud with Ramsey and Flamini holding the line in front of the defence. Despite the arrival of Viviano who I already can't help but like after watching his interview with Arsenal.com I think SZCZ will keep his place in the starting line up.
Sunderland have a team that is barely recognisable with Di Canio signing nearly a whole new starting 11 in the transfer window. There are some players that I know of and others that I don't but I would expect a few of them to start. Andre Dossena (if you remember from Liverpool) is a bit of a bruiser and could give Theo a few problems, however if Theo can get in behind him he'll struggle to keep up so that could be a potential area we could exploit.
Giaccherini is a doubt but Fletcher is back and could partner another new boy in Jozy Altidore upfront for Sunderland. We know Fletcher has goals so he'll be a threat, Altidore had a blistering season for AZ Alkmaar last year and he certainly knows where the net is. Despite scoring against MK Dons the other week he hasn't quite found his feet in the league yet but that could easily change against us. This is not an easy game and we'll need to be ready for it if we're to take all 3 points.
Let's hope our current run of form continues and we can ease to 3 points.
Prediction: Sunderland 1-2 Arsenal
Thursday, 29 August 2013
Transfer update
Another solid win on Tuesday and we're in the Champions League group stage for a sixteenth consecutive year. Quite an achievement however you look at it and we should be pleased with the teams performance. But we're far from looking rosy. The team is stretched to it's limits and we look as active in the transfer market as a corpse.
The word from ex and current players is that the signings will come with Lee Dixon saying there will be 2 big names, Liam Brady saying there could some surprises and Arteta again re-iterating that the signings will happen. But the longer this goes on the more and more Arsenal fans are feeling that the wool has been pulled over their eyes and that nothing will happen. Realistically who would be surprised?
There has been much talk in recent weeks about a potential raid on Real Madrid following the supposedly imminent transfer of monkey man from the Spuds. By my count we have been linked with 4 players: Benzema, Di Maria, Casillas and Ozil. Now Benzema and Ozil have both said they are staying put, no surprise really. Di Maria has remained quiet and is a player I rate highly as a playmaker and a winger. Casillas is obviously a top drawer keeper. But really can you see us even bothering with either of them?
I don't buy any of this it takes time or its hard rubbish, look at what Tottenham have done without CL football, if they can do it why can't we? Are we really that scared to pay big money? The frustration amongst fans is understandable and if we don't buy which is looking more and more likely by the minute I personally can see a poisonous atmosphere at the Emirates all season. I can't understand the manager, he knows how the fans feel and he knows who'll get it in the neck should we not sign. If it's his ignorance and stubbornness then he needs to go. But I still can't help but feel the powers higher up are the ones using him as their scapegoat. Look at when we spent £14.5m on Bergkamp back in the day when that was an astronomical figure, what has happened that manager?
A lot of questions in this post I know and questions that should we fail to sign anyone will need to be answered otherwise it could be a long and painful season for Arsenal fans.
The word from ex and current players is that the signings will come with Lee Dixon saying there will be 2 big names, Liam Brady saying there could some surprises and Arteta again re-iterating that the signings will happen. But the longer this goes on the more and more Arsenal fans are feeling that the wool has been pulled over their eyes and that nothing will happen. Realistically who would be surprised?
There has been much talk in recent weeks about a potential raid on Real Madrid following the supposedly imminent transfer of monkey man from the Spuds. By my count we have been linked with 4 players: Benzema, Di Maria, Casillas and Ozil. Now Benzema and Ozil have both said they are staying put, no surprise really. Di Maria has remained quiet and is a player I rate highly as a playmaker and a winger. Casillas is obviously a top drawer keeper. But really can you see us even bothering with either of them?
I don't buy any of this it takes time or its hard rubbish, look at what Tottenham have done without CL football, if they can do it why can't we? Are we really that scared to pay big money? The frustration amongst fans is understandable and if we don't buy which is looking more and more likely by the minute I personally can see a poisonous atmosphere at the Emirates all season. I can't understand the manager, he knows how the fans feel and he knows who'll get it in the neck should we not sign. If it's his ignorance and stubbornness then he needs to go. But I still can't help but feel the powers higher up are the ones using him as their scapegoat. Look at when we spent £14.5m on Bergkamp back in the day when that was an astronomical figure, what has happened that manager?
A lot of questions in this post I know and questions that should we fail to sign anyone will need to be answered otherwise it could be a long and painful season for Arsenal fans.
Tuesday, 27 August 2013
Fenerbahce (H)
So we go into a game tonight where we already have a comfortable lead after our fantastic 3-0 win in Turkey last week. That said we can't relax, all it takes is a couple of first half goals from Fener and the nerves will start all over again. Or we can go out and get an early goal and that would probably put the game to bed. It's a game that we can make as easy or as hard as we want for ourselves.
There is an interesting piece on Arsenal.com today from Wenger about the use of Wilshere and how he is being cautious because he doesn't want a repeat of previous incidents. That might suggest that Wenger is planning to play a similar team to that he fielded on Saturday. The only difference could be Koscielny slotting back into centre-back if his cut has healed up sufficiently.
The manager may have half an eye on the North London derby this Sunday and if all goes well early on he may ring the changes if he feels comfortable. We may see the likes of Cazorla make way. I expect Podolski to keep his place after his double against Fulham and to also possibly make way later on.
As I posted earlier: tonight can be as easy or as difficult as we want to make it. If we go out and look dangerous early we could have the game well and truly killed off within the first half. It all depends on how fired up the players get.
Personally I don't think that much of Fenerbahce and I can see us finishing this tie off early on but it wouldn't be at all surprising if we conceded early and the wobbles started. COYG
Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Fenerbahce
Friday, 12 July 2013
Arsenal Latest
It's been a very quiet few weeks in terms of Arsenal news. The team flew out to Jakarta for the first leg of our Asian Pre-Season tour. Aside from being a huge money spinner for the club it's fantastic to see just how excited the fans over their get and it's only right that they get their chance to see the team.
In other news we've released our new Away kit and its a very nice yellow and blue number which is supposedly a tribute to the Invincibles. I much prefer it to the purple kit we played in last season and compared to some of the monstrosities Nike have rolled out over the years its certainly not a bad way to end our manufacturing deal with them.
Right now onto the less than concrete news on transfer business. We'll start with players leaving first. The news from Germany was initially good, Francis Coquelin has joined Freiburg on a season-long loan. I like Coquelin and I think he's certainly got some talent so if he gets games out there then it can only be a good thing. Then the news from Germany then turned bad with Bendtner's requests supposedly wide of the mark for Eintracht Frankfurt who have now ended all negotiations. This is not the first time this has happened so maybe its time he realises that he isn't worth what he thinks. I must admit its hard to see why nobody would want to pay a weed smoking, shisha puffing, reckless driving, party animal...
Other possibly positive transfer news for us is that Santos could be on his way back to Brazil and to Flamengo, a club where he previously played. However with the Brazilian window closing soon a deal has to be pushed through sharpish. I think some of the criticism of him has been a little harsh and he has been used as a scapegoat but that said he's never really been an Arsenal quality player. I think it would be best for all parties if he returned to his homeland.
OK now onto in's and really the biggest story since my last post has been the news that Arsenal have reported had a £30m bid turned down for Liverpool striker Luis Suarez. Now initially I thought this was just some very unsubtle brinksmanship from the club by trying to force through the Higuain deal by bidding for a player that Madrid are reportedly interested in. But if reports are to be believed we're supposedly returning with a higher bid in order to try and lure the wantaway striker from Anfield.
Whatever the intentions this is a very un-Arsenal like move. Firstly if it was to try and drive the Higuain deal through it definitely didn't work as everything has gone quite on that front. Ancelotti is supposedly meeting him on Monday to convince him to stay and quite honestly I think any chance of seeing him in an Arsenal top next season has gone. Suarez has certainly divided opinion amongst Arsenal fans with some hoping that he will join and provide the firepower that we need up front. Others find him repulsive and would hate to see him in an Arsenal shirt.
Now there's no doubt that he's a top class striker and on his day he's unstoppable. There's also no doubt that he has had his problems, racism, biting and even pre-dating his Liverpool career he's always been a bit of a mental case. Personally I'd love to see him sign to not only provide the goals upfront but also because he's a nasty bastard. Something we've missed since the Viera, Keown and Adams era. They weren't afraid to get mean when they needed too and let's face it they had their own problems. Viera has one of the worst disciplinary records in the history of the league. Adams had his problems with drink but both players delivered on the pitch and contributed to the teams overall success.
I don't fall into the mentality of many Arsenal fans who seem to think we're better than signing someone like that, if he puts in a shift and does his job then I don't see a problem. Now I want to say I'm not condoning racism or aggressive behaviour such as biting on the pitch, far from it. But a bit of spirit and fight wouldn't go amiss. However there is a problem with such a player, he is currently serving a 10 match ban for biting Ivanovic and still has 6 to serve. If he joined us there's no doubt that the FA will uphold the ban and they certainly have his number. If he causes problems again what the ban be that time? 15, 20 matches? That's a big risk to take for a £30m plus investment.
I personally don't think we'll sign Suarez but stranger things have happened and at the moment all we can do is wait and see. For those of you on twitter, give me a follow for more Arsenal related nonsese @fisher_mr.
In other news we've released our new Away kit and its a very nice yellow and blue number which is supposedly a tribute to the Invincibles. I much prefer it to the purple kit we played in last season and compared to some of the monstrosities Nike have rolled out over the years its certainly not a bad way to end our manufacturing deal with them.
Right now onto the less than concrete news on transfer business. We'll start with players leaving first. The news from Germany was initially good, Francis Coquelin has joined Freiburg on a season-long loan. I like Coquelin and I think he's certainly got some talent so if he gets games out there then it can only be a good thing. Then the news from Germany then turned bad with Bendtner's requests supposedly wide of the mark for Eintracht Frankfurt who have now ended all negotiations. This is not the first time this has happened so maybe its time he realises that he isn't worth what he thinks. I must admit its hard to see why nobody would want to pay a weed smoking, shisha puffing, reckless driving, party animal...
Other possibly positive transfer news for us is that Santos could be on his way back to Brazil and to Flamengo, a club where he previously played. However with the Brazilian window closing soon a deal has to be pushed through sharpish. I think some of the criticism of him has been a little harsh and he has been used as a scapegoat but that said he's never really been an Arsenal quality player. I think it would be best for all parties if he returned to his homeland.
OK now onto in's and really the biggest story since my last post has been the news that Arsenal have reported had a £30m bid turned down for Liverpool striker Luis Suarez. Now initially I thought this was just some very unsubtle brinksmanship from the club by trying to force through the Higuain deal by bidding for a player that Madrid are reportedly interested in. But if reports are to be believed we're supposedly returning with a higher bid in order to try and lure the wantaway striker from Anfield.
Whatever the intentions this is a very un-Arsenal like move. Firstly if it was to try and drive the Higuain deal through it definitely didn't work as everything has gone quite on that front. Ancelotti is supposedly meeting him on Monday to convince him to stay and quite honestly I think any chance of seeing him in an Arsenal top next season has gone. Suarez has certainly divided opinion amongst Arsenal fans with some hoping that he will join and provide the firepower that we need up front. Others find him repulsive and would hate to see him in an Arsenal shirt.
Now there's no doubt that he's a top class striker and on his day he's unstoppable. There's also no doubt that he has had his problems, racism, biting and even pre-dating his Liverpool career he's always been a bit of a mental case. Personally I'd love to see him sign to not only provide the goals upfront but also because he's a nasty bastard. Something we've missed since the Viera, Keown and Adams era. They weren't afraid to get mean when they needed too and let's face it they had their own problems. Viera has one of the worst disciplinary records in the history of the league. Adams had his problems with drink but both players delivered on the pitch and contributed to the teams overall success.
I don't fall into the mentality of many Arsenal fans who seem to think we're better than signing someone like that, if he puts in a shift and does his job then I don't see a problem. Now I want to say I'm not condoning racism or aggressive behaviour such as biting on the pitch, far from it. But a bit of spirit and fight wouldn't go amiss. However there is a problem with such a player, he is currently serving a 10 match ban for biting Ivanovic and still has 6 to serve. If he joined us there's no doubt that the FA will uphold the ban and they certainly have his number. If he causes problems again what the ban be that time? 15, 20 matches? That's a big risk to take for a £30m plus investment.
I personally don't think we'll sign Suarez but stranger things have happened and at the moment all we can do is wait and see. For those of you on twitter, give me a follow for more Arsenal related nonsese @fisher_mr.
Monday, 10 June 2013
Ivan Gazidis: All talk and no walk?
So there hasn't been much going on in the Arsenal world as I'm sure you know, the usual crazy rumours from people who are blatantly making up a complete load of bullshit. Over the past few days I've seen reports linking us with more players than you can count. We've gone from the ridiculous: "Arsenal trigger £22m release clause in Fellaini's contract" to the even more ridiculous "Wenger to spend £40m on Lewandowksi". Now anyone with any common sense will know that both of these statements are going to be well wide of the mark but the fact that it only takes one person to come out with a rumour for it spiral out of control is a sad fact of the off-season.
That said, going back to the post last week about this being an enormous summer for Arsene and the pressure being on, Ivan Gazidis was interviewed in the Mirror the other day talking about Arsenal's new "financial firepower". Again this goes back Arsenal showing intent and making it public that the money is there and it is at Wengers disposal. As a natural skeptic I'm still not sure he's ready to spend it or will spend it, which makes his position vulnerable should be fall further behind this season. Have a read here Gazidis Interview with John Cross.
So naturally with all this money that we have available fans, including myself, are starting to wonder just who (if anybody) we'll be spending it on. Of course the rumours about Higauin are flying all over the media and depending which paper you read we've either: agreed a deal, made contact with his agent, have a gentleman's agreement for him to sign or have not even registered our interest. Personally I doubt we've made contact with his agent yet, that's not really our style. Reports are also suggesting Madrid aren't willing to sell until they have a new manager in place along with Juventus being strongly linked with the striker. Honestly at the moment I believe he will end up at Juventus but that's just the way I think.
Aside from that potential-in's range from older keepers to young strikers and everything in between so I'm not going into detail. However Arsenal have confirmed the departure/release of Squillaci, Denilson and Arshavin. Now I've never really be a fan of any of them but I don't I'll ever forget the moment when Arshavin fired his shot past Victor Valdes at the Emirates and I'm sure it's a moment that will stay with many Arsenal fans to come. I wish these three players all the best in the future, they all have their qualities and abilities but they just weren't in the frame at Arsenal.
Those 3 players have on the plus side freed up £175k-a-week which hopefully will be re-invested in players although with Arsenal you never really know. But between now and my next post we'll be linked with more players, there will be more outlandish statements and we will have signed more players that we've never heard of. Until then enjoy the summer.
That said, going back to the post last week about this being an enormous summer for Arsene and the pressure being on, Ivan Gazidis was interviewed in the Mirror the other day talking about Arsenal's new "financial firepower". Again this goes back Arsenal showing intent and making it public that the money is there and it is at Wengers disposal. As a natural skeptic I'm still not sure he's ready to spend it or will spend it, which makes his position vulnerable should be fall further behind this season. Have a read here Gazidis Interview with John Cross.
So naturally with all this money that we have available fans, including myself, are starting to wonder just who (if anybody) we'll be spending it on. Of course the rumours about Higauin are flying all over the media and depending which paper you read we've either: agreed a deal, made contact with his agent, have a gentleman's agreement for him to sign or have not even registered our interest. Personally I doubt we've made contact with his agent yet, that's not really our style. Reports are also suggesting Madrid aren't willing to sell until they have a new manager in place along with Juventus being strongly linked with the striker. Honestly at the moment I believe he will end up at Juventus but that's just the way I think.
Aside from that potential-in's range from older keepers to young strikers and everything in between so I'm not going into detail. However Arsenal have confirmed the departure/release of Squillaci, Denilson and Arshavin. Now I've never really be a fan of any of them but I don't I'll ever forget the moment when Arshavin fired his shot past Victor Valdes at the Emirates and I'm sure it's a moment that will stay with many Arsenal fans to come. I wish these three players all the best in the future, they all have their qualities and abilities but they just weren't in the frame at Arsenal.
Those 3 players have on the plus side freed up £175k-a-week which hopefully will be re-invested in players although with Arsenal you never really know. But between now and my next post we'll be linked with more players, there will be more outlandish statements and we will have signed more players that we've never heard of. Until then enjoy the summer.
Thursday, 30 May 2013
Wenger's last chance?
It's been a while since the season ended in fantastic style for us gooners, pipping our rivals to the final Champions League space on the last day. But as many have pointed out, we aren't a club that should be content with 4th and as the rumour mill has started we've been linked with everyone under the sun. I'll deal with these links at a later date but this summer is of vital importance for Arsène Wenger. After a difficult season the pressure is on and with one year left on his contract his actions this summer could dictate whether we start the 2014/15 season looking for a new manager.
The spotlight is on Wenger after it was revealed by himself and the board that we have money to spend and a lot of it. The reported £70m war chest according to various papers. With the fans demanding the money be invested in top quality players Wenger must be very careful about how he spends this money. If he barely invests at all he has shot himself in the foot if we fail to compete next season and there is no reason to suggest why continuing with the same squad would make any difference to our standings. If we invests very little then once again he is in the same boat. If he invests all of it and we finish 4th again, he at least has the defence of he invested the money he was given.
Now of course spending £70m on any old player is not the way to go about building a team that can challenge, it needs to invested in the best quality players in the positions we need. What those positions are I will leave for another post. Along with who we have been linked with. At the moment there is very little point speculating whilst the media are in a post-season frenzy, once things have calmed down I will do another potential ins and outs similar to last season.
So this is a pivotal summer for our manager as he has the pressure heaped on him from all angles, but managers get paid to deal with the pressure so we can only wait and see what his course of action is. Until next time.
The spotlight is on Wenger after it was revealed by himself and the board that we have money to spend and a lot of it. The reported £70m war chest according to various papers. With the fans demanding the money be invested in top quality players Wenger must be very careful about how he spends this money. If he barely invests at all he has shot himself in the foot if we fail to compete next season and there is no reason to suggest why continuing with the same squad would make any difference to our standings. If we invests very little then once again he is in the same boat. If he invests all of it and we finish 4th again, he at least has the defence of he invested the money he was given.
Now of course spending £70m on any old player is not the way to go about building a team that can challenge, it needs to invested in the best quality players in the positions we need. What those positions are I will leave for another post. Along with who we have been linked with. At the moment there is very little point speculating whilst the media are in a post-season frenzy, once things have calmed down I will do another potential ins and outs similar to last season.
So this is a pivotal summer for our manager as he has the pressure heaped on him from all angles, but managers get paid to deal with the pressure so we can only wait and see what his course of action is. Until next time.
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
Jovetic to Arsenal? International boredom
It's been a while since I've posted having missed our very tidy victory against Swansea which has been followed up by the international break which has been as dull as ever. A few Arsenal players scored for their countries, one Arsenal player has been injured whilst away with his country, the usual stuff really.
We'll start with the injury and it appears that Theo Walcott has suffered a strain training with England and played no part in the 8-0 mauling over San Marino. He will play no part tonight either and he's a big doubt for the weekends clash with Reading at the Emirates. With Wilshere also a doubt it could be a very interesting midfield that is fielded on Saturday. Now the Arsenal site has Podolski up as injured before the Swansea match yet he played 71 minutes for Germany last week so make of that what you will.
Now as always when the internationals roll into town the rumour mill has started churning away. The Jovetic to Arsenal rumours have been around for some time yet and just when you thought that one had died a death, the Sun (I know) has quoted Jovetic himself as saying:
There are other strenuous links around at the moment linking us with Diego Costa but as it's fairly obvious we need a striker it's going to be a long summer with us being linked with every forward who's scored this season.
I'm going to spare a few words for our youngsters who beat CSKA Moscow in the NextGen Series last night, a fantastic achievement and they should all be very proud of themselves. They've set up a very tasty looking semi-final with Chelsea. This has all produced the question however of when will we see any of this success in the first team? It's a question that just highlights how difficult it is to make it in this sport.
When I played football, I played just off a young lad who had plenty of talent and was easily the best player in our squad. Three times he was picked up by scouts and after spells at Fulham, Chelsea and a two year spell at City he has yet to make a name for himself on the scene and very sadly for him, I doubt he ever will. Then at school, two lads were scouted, one a goalkeeper who was actually signed by Charlton, then dropped and he has now given up on his career in football. The path to becoming a professional is littered with players who just never quite made the grade.
But there you go, that's football lets hope that our lads can go all the way! Until Friday have a good week.
We'll start with the injury and it appears that Theo Walcott has suffered a strain training with England and played no part in the 8-0 mauling over San Marino. He will play no part tonight either and he's a big doubt for the weekends clash with Reading at the Emirates. With Wilshere also a doubt it could be a very interesting midfield that is fielded on Saturday. Now the Arsenal site has Podolski up as injured before the Swansea match yet he played 71 minutes for Germany last week so make of that what you will.
Now as always when the internationals roll into town the rumour mill has started churning away. The Jovetic to Arsenal rumours have been around for some time yet and just when you thought that one had died a death, the Sun (I know) has quoted Jovetic himself as saying:
"I have an affinity with Arsenal. It's a major club with a big tradition, one of the biggest in Europe."I'm still very skeptical about whether a move for him was ever on the cards or quite frankly ever will be. If you want to hope though you can watch him take to the field when England play Montenegro tonight.
There are other strenuous links around at the moment linking us with Diego Costa but as it's fairly obvious we need a striker it's going to be a long summer with us being linked with every forward who's scored this season.
I'm going to spare a few words for our youngsters who beat CSKA Moscow in the NextGen Series last night, a fantastic achievement and they should all be very proud of themselves. They've set up a very tasty looking semi-final with Chelsea. This has all produced the question however of when will we see any of this success in the first team? It's a question that just highlights how difficult it is to make it in this sport.
When I played football, I played just off a young lad who had plenty of talent and was easily the best player in our squad. Three times he was picked up by scouts and after spells at Fulham, Chelsea and a two year spell at City he has yet to make a name for himself on the scene and very sadly for him, I doubt he ever will. Then at school, two lads were scouted, one a goalkeeper who was actually signed by Charlton, then dropped and he has now given up on his career in football. The path to becoming a professional is littered with players who just never quite made the grade.
But there you go, that's football lets hope that our lads can go all the way! Until Friday have a good week.
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Potential Ins
After the potential outs post the other day I'm following it up with a potential ins post. One of the three players I touted to leave has already gone, albeit on a loan deal, but gone for the season none the less. With Chamakh gone for now, strikers are on the bill and there are a lot of them out there. We'll start it from a story that just will not die at the moment:
David Villa
We have been heavily linked with David Villa, he's out of favour at Barcelona and just wants to play football at the minute. But there are issues with Spain's leading scorer joining us. Firstly I've heard that his wife is pregnant meaning that a move now would be totally out of the question. Secondly, I struggle to see how he would fit it. We have Walcott who is starting to play upfront, Giroud who is doing well. It would be unfair to have Giroud as our 3rd choice striker but Villa wants to play. Finally I've heard from other sources that he is reluctant to leave Spain.
Chance: Unlikely
Adrian Lopez
This young man from Atletico Madrid seems much more like a Wenger signing, he's young, versatile and clearly talented. He netted 19 goals for Atletico last season, even though he wasn't playing as a striker. The move would also suit him as he is down the pecking order at Madrid with strikers such as Falcao and as a young player he wants to play. The issue with this deal appears to be the fee for him, he has a £15m buy out clause but we are apparently only offering £12m at the moment. Expect this one to rumble on.
Chance: Possible
Eduardo Vargas
This is an interesting one that has cropped up in only the last few days. After a £11.5m move from Universidad de Chile, Vargas has really struggled to make an impact in Serie A without netting a single goal in 16 appearances for Napoli. Reports suggest that a loan would suit Napoli and we have been linked. I'm not entirely sure a loan is what we are looking for but he does seem like a typical Arsenal player. That said reports suggest Sao Paulo are also interested in the striker and to be honest, if they make a bid I can see him moving.
Chance: Unlikely
Arsenal fans are none the wiser it seems at the moment, with Wenger stating one thing one day and then a different thing the next. We seem to be interested in making a couple of signings but there appears to be no effort on our part, leading many fans including myself worried that we may not sign anyone. Till next time, have a good week.
David Villa
We have been heavily linked with David Villa, he's out of favour at Barcelona and just wants to play football at the minute. But there are issues with Spain's leading scorer joining us. Firstly I've heard that his wife is pregnant meaning that a move now would be totally out of the question. Secondly, I struggle to see how he would fit it. We have Walcott who is starting to play upfront, Giroud who is doing well. It would be unfair to have Giroud as our 3rd choice striker but Villa wants to play. Finally I've heard from other sources that he is reluctant to leave Spain.
Chance: Unlikely
Adrian Lopez
This young man from Atletico Madrid seems much more like a Wenger signing, he's young, versatile and clearly talented. He netted 19 goals for Atletico last season, even though he wasn't playing as a striker. The move would also suit him as he is down the pecking order at Madrid with strikers such as Falcao and as a young player he wants to play. The issue with this deal appears to be the fee for him, he has a £15m buy out clause but we are apparently only offering £12m at the moment. Expect this one to rumble on.
Chance: Possible
Eduardo Vargas
This is an interesting one that has cropped up in only the last few days. After a £11.5m move from Universidad de Chile, Vargas has really struggled to make an impact in Serie A without netting a single goal in 16 appearances for Napoli. Reports suggest that a loan would suit Napoli and we have been linked. I'm not entirely sure a loan is what we are looking for but he does seem like a typical Arsenal player. That said reports suggest Sao Paulo are also interested in the striker and to be honest, if they make a bid I can see him moving.
Chance: Unlikely
Arsenal fans are none the wiser it seems at the moment, with Wenger stating one thing one day and then a different thing the next. We seem to be interested in making a couple of signings but there appears to be no effort on our part, leading many fans including myself worried that we may not sign anyone. Till next time, have a good week.
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Potential Outs
Apologies that I haven't been posting much over the festive period I've been incredibly busy. I've missed 2 wins and a disappointing draw with Southampton at the weekend, but I shall be back on Saturday with a preview of out FA Cup game at Swansea.
Now as you're all fully aware the Transfer window is open and tomorrow I'll post about potential signings but today it's potential outbound players.
Johan Djourou
I feel like a broken record on this one, every window that comes round seems to lure interest over Djourou yet he never seems to move on. Now as many of you know I'm not exactly a fan of Djourou but you can't knock his commitment and whenever he gets onto the pitch he does give it his all and he has had some good performances for us. If he does go, I hope he does well.
Sebastian Squillaci
Another international player who arrived from a good club that just never really pulled it together. He was sporadic during his first season but a string of shocking performances have seen him fall further and further down the pecking order. A move seems on the cards, if he can find a club that wants him however.
Marouane Chamakh
His time at the club is over and he'll leave without having much of an impact. As much as nearly every Arsenal fan would like to see him move on, I think we may struggle with this. His wages are on a par with our highest earner and he seems happy to live in London, earn his money and just let his contract run out. There was no doubt he was a risk when we signed him and this one didn't pay off.
I hear stories of a few other players that I have heard mentioned but simply can't see leaving so I've left some out. The defenders are the most likely to be on their way which will leave us short for cover at the back so replacements should be a top priority.
Tomorrow, potentially inbound players.
Now as you're all fully aware the Transfer window is open and tomorrow I'll post about potential signings but today it's potential outbound players.
Johan Djourou
I feel like a broken record on this one, every window that comes round seems to lure interest over Djourou yet he never seems to move on. Now as many of you know I'm not exactly a fan of Djourou but you can't knock his commitment and whenever he gets onto the pitch he does give it his all and he has had some good performances for us. If he does go, I hope he does well.
Sebastian Squillaci
Another international player who arrived from a good club that just never really pulled it together. He was sporadic during his first season but a string of shocking performances have seen him fall further and further down the pecking order. A move seems on the cards, if he can find a club that wants him however.
Marouane Chamakh
His time at the club is over and he'll leave without having much of an impact. As much as nearly every Arsenal fan would like to see him move on, I think we may struggle with this. His wages are on a par with our highest earner and he seems happy to live in London, earn his money and just let his contract run out. There was no doubt he was a risk when we signed him and this one didn't pay off.
I hear stories of a few other players that I have heard mentioned but simply can't see leaving so I've left some out. The defenders are the most likely to be on their way which will leave us short for cover at the back so replacements should be a top priority.
Tomorrow, potentially inbound players.
Friday, 31 August 2012
Liverpool (A), Walcott and deadline day
So I have found some time before going out to dinner tonight to post for the first time in a while. I do apologise for the infrequency of these, the normal schedule will return as of next week when I return from the US.
Another goalless draw and I must say I was a little disappointed. We bossed the game again from what I saw and the stats back me up. We just couldn't find the net. As the game drew on I knew that changed were imminent but I must admit I think it was a poor decision to take Cazorla off, who again sparkled. We went for it though but that final clinical finish wasn't there as Podolski and Diaby fired wide. I thought just when it was over we were going to nick it as Giroud went charging down the left, but you could tell he hasn't gelled just yet, firing over the bar from distance when he should have played Ramsey through the middle. Talking of Ramsey I was disgusted to hear the Stoke fans booing him when he was brought on, it's low and I hope it was a minority but sadly I feel I am mistaken. Never have I wanted him to come on score the winner than I did then but it just wasn't to be. None the less, two clean sheets so maybe what Steve Bould is doing is working (fingers crossed).
Our attentions turn to Anfield on Sunday when we take on a new look Liverpool side and I must say I'm quite optimistic. From what I can gather, due to an absolute howler from Reina, their game with Hearts was taken to extra time. This gives us the advantage as many of the players will be tired and feeling the effects of tonight's match. I don't rate Liverpool as much of a side even with new signings and a new manager and it's a game that I think is definitely winnable. In terms of the team, its a difficult one with doubts over Szczesny and Koscielny. I think we're more likely to see SZCZ in the starting line up that Kos purely because that's the way Wenger is normally but we shall see. Wide positions are difficult at the moment, as personally I would have Walcott in over Gervinho every day but due to the issue with his contract I think Gerv could start again.
Now with reaction to the issue with Walcott and his ongoing contract. I've heard conflicting reports but it appears that he will be staying with the club and talks over his contract will continue over the next few weeks with his wage demands being the sticking point. He's asking for £100K a week whereas we offered him £75K, now I know this issue has divided Gooners so here's my opinion. Do I think Walcott is worth £100K a week? No. Do I think we should keep Theo? Absolutely. He is one of those players that can turn it on, he's "consistent patches" are good, admittedly when he's not firing he can be equally useless and that's where having additional firepower on the wings will come in handy. Basically I'm in Arsenal's position. I want him to stay but don't want to pay over the top for him.
So tomorrow is deadline day, one of the most frantic in the footballing calendar. According to Wenger we are still active and I can see us bringing in one or two players tomorrow. I'm not going to talk about rumours because there are simply too many, I suppose we will just have to wait and see. But I expect us to do some business, in and out.
So that's it from me for today, my next post will be from merry old England so fingers crossed for Sunday! COYG.
Prediction: Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal
Another goalless draw and I must say I was a little disappointed. We bossed the game again from what I saw and the stats back me up. We just couldn't find the net. As the game drew on I knew that changed were imminent but I must admit I think it was a poor decision to take Cazorla off, who again sparkled. We went for it though but that final clinical finish wasn't there as Podolski and Diaby fired wide. I thought just when it was over we were going to nick it as Giroud went charging down the left, but you could tell he hasn't gelled just yet, firing over the bar from distance when he should have played Ramsey through the middle. Talking of Ramsey I was disgusted to hear the Stoke fans booing him when he was brought on, it's low and I hope it was a minority but sadly I feel I am mistaken. Never have I wanted him to come on score the winner than I did then but it just wasn't to be. None the less, two clean sheets so maybe what Steve Bould is doing is working (fingers crossed).
Our attentions turn to Anfield on Sunday when we take on a new look Liverpool side and I must say I'm quite optimistic. From what I can gather, due to an absolute howler from Reina, their game with Hearts was taken to extra time. This gives us the advantage as many of the players will be tired and feeling the effects of tonight's match. I don't rate Liverpool as much of a side even with new signings and a new manager and it's a game that I think is definitely winnable. In terms of the team, its a difficult one with doubts over Szczesny and Koscielny. I think we're more likely to see SZCZ in the starting line up that Kos purely because that's the way Wenger is normally but we shall see. Wide positions are difficult at the moment, as personally I would have Walcott in over Gervinho every day but due to the issue with his contract I think Gerv could start again.
Now with reaction to the issue with Walcott and his ongoing contract. I've heard conflicting reports but it appears that he will be staying with the club and talks over his contract will continue over the next few weeks with his wage demands being the sticking point. He's asking for £100K a week whereas we offered him £75K, now I know this issue has divided Gooners so here's my opinion. Do I think Walcott is worth £100K a week? No. Do I think we should keep Theo? Absolutely. He is one of those players that can turn it on, he's "consistent patches" are good, admittedly when he's not firing he can be equally useless and that's where having additional firepower on the wings will come in handy. Basically I'm in Arsenal's position. I want him to stay but don't want to pay over the top for him.
So that's it from me for today, my next post will be from merry old England so fingers crossed for Sunday! COYG.
Prediction: Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Sunderland, Song and Sahin?
OK so as you know I'm currently on my hols but as I have a few hours to kill I thought I'd just go over recent events and goings on.
Well let's start with the game on Saturday that sadly didn't get off to the start we all wanted. I didn't watch the game but was getting updates and saw the highlights after. It's always a gutter when you boss the game and create 20 plus chances to end up 0-0. We, in all honesty should have scored and won, the chance the fell to Giroud should have been 1-0 Arsenal but I think potentially nerves got the better of him and he put it wide. I said when we signed Giroud, it had the potential to be a really good buy, but I think he will take some time to settle. Podolski I'm not so worried about coming from a league with a much higher calibre of football, but Giroud may take a bit of time to bed in, let's hope it's not too long. Cazorla looked phenomenal, a real star, he could easily be our best player this season. His real test will come when we travel to middle earth on Sunday and take on that colony of orcs known as Stoke. If he stands up to them and still shines then we know we are most definitely on to a winner.
Unlike the RvP deal, I was really disappointed with Song. Firstly because the deal we struck was pitiful. £15m for someone of his quality with 3 years left, really Arsenal is that the best we can do? I am sad to see him leave after he said "I am happy at Arsenal" but once again greedy agent Darren Dein (wanker) turned his head away from us like countless other players over the last few seasons. I can't see Song playing much this season and it just feels like another deal that Dein had engineered in an effort to spite us fans. However the good news is that Song was our last player tethered to that unbearable fucker so we're rid of him at last.
Finally and I must say take this with a pinch of salt, the Sahin deal seems to be moving in the right direction with 'according to sky sources: a deal has been struck'. I suggest much of this has to do with the fact that the Luka Modric deal also seems to be moving in that direction. But please don't take this deal as done these are the same sky sources that claimed RvP was staying at Arsenal a day before he signed for United so...
Anyway looking ahead to Stoke on Sunday where hopefully we can get our first win of the season. Until then have a good week from a rather stormy Orlando.
Well let's start with the game on Saturday that sadly didn't get off to the start we all wanted. I didn't watch the game but was getting updates and saw the highlights after. It's always a gutter when you boss the game and create 20 plus chances to end up 0-0. We, in all honesty should have scored and won, the chance the fell to Giroud should have been 1-0 Arsenal but I think potentially nerves got the better of him and he put it wide. I said when we signed Giroud, it had the potential to be a really good buy, but I think he will take some time to settle. Podolski I'm not so worried about coming from a league with a much higher calibre of football, but Giroud may take a bit of time to bed in, let's hope it's not too long. Cazorla looked phenomenal, a real star, he could easily be our best player this season. His real test will come when we travel to middle earth on Sunday and take on that colony of orcs known as Stoke. If he stands up to them and still shines then we know we are most definitely on to a winner.
Unlike the RvP deal, I was really disappointed with Song. Firstly because the deal we struck was pitiful. £15m for someone of his quality with 3 years left, really Arsenal is that the best we can do? I am sad to see him leave after he said "I am happy at Arsenal" but once again greedy agent Darren Dein (wanker) turned his head away from us like countless other players over the last few seasons. I can't see Song playing much this season and it just feels like another deal that Dein had engineered in an effort to spite us fans. However the good news is that Song was our last player tethered to that unbearable fucker so we're rid of him at last.
Finally and I must say take this with a pinch of salt, the Sahin deal seems to be moving in the right direction with 'according to sky sources: a deal has been struck'. I suggest much of this has to do with the fact that the Luka Modric deal also seems to be moving in that direction. But please don't take this deal as done these are the same sky sources that claimed RvP was staying at Arsenal a day before he signed for United so...
Anyway looking ahead to Stoke on Sunday where hopefully we can get our first win of the season. Until then have a good week from a rather stormy Orlando.
Thursday, 16 August 2012
The Saga Concludes
Well there you have it, in a way we all knew it was inevitable. The destination wasn't inevitable however and I can completely understand all the bitterness that followed and all the hatred. That's just football...
Where to begin? OK those who know me personally and follow me on twitter
(https://twitter.com/fisher_mr) will know that last night, far from being hurt and disappointed I was actually in a rather cheery mood. I'll explain. £24m for a 29 year old, injury prone player with one year left on his contract, to me is brilliant business. As always we've made an enormous profit and I think United have taken a huge gamble for a number of reasons.
Firstly, with a injury sheet longer than the Olympics bill, there is always that question mark over RVP and his fitness. With his many injuries over the years every time he goes down there is always that fear that he might stay down. At 29, one more big injury could spell real trouble for him. I don't want to wish injury or anything like that upon him, even when a player moves to sp*rs you still don't think like that. But I do have a niggling feeling he may be seeing a lot of the United physio.
Secondly I have real reservations about how he will work with Rooney. I can't see them working together, he won't score 20+ goals I will put money on that. Can he feed Rooney as a Shadow Striker? Is that worth £24m? I don't think so. I'm sure Ferguson will play them side-by-side upfront, but considering they have problems in centre midfield will they get the support they need?
So it's a big risk. In terms of my personal feelings, I don't feel betrayed or angry. Just a little disappointed that he could have been up there with Henry, Wright, Bergkamp and now he'll just be that dutch bloke that scored some good goals for us. He won't be remembered as a legend and I'm sure that one day he'll look back and regret it. But he engineered this move himself and now he has to deal with whatever it brings.
We need to continue our build up to the new season now and re-invest the money that we will get from the deal. A striker should be right at the top of the list, I worry about Giroud coming from Ligue 1, yes he looks promising and he certainly knows how to find the net but it's a big step for him. Podolski I'm less worried about but I don't really think Wenger wants to play his as another striker as such more as a versatile attacker. I'd like to see us buy Llorente but I can't see it, Wenger now surely knows that we need to bring in some players and it's just a case of waiting and seeing what happens.
As I'm jetting off to the USA tomorrow posts will be limited, but I will do my pre-match posts as the new season FINALLY kicks off! In the words of Thomas Vermaelen "Life go's on".
Where to begin? OK those who know me personally and follow me on twitter
(https://twitter.com/fisher_mr) will know that last night, far from being hurt and disappointed I was actually in a rather cheery mood. I'll explain. £24m for a 29 year old, injury prone player with one year left on his contract, to me is brilliant business. As always we've made an enormous profit and I think United have taken a huge gamble for a number of reasons.
Firstly, with a injury sheet longer than the Olympics bill, there is always that question mark over RVP and his fitness. With his many injuries over the years every time he goes down there is always that fear that he might stay down. At 29, one more big injury could spell real trouble for him. I don't want to wish injury or anything like that upon him, even when a player moves to sp*rs you still don't think like that. But I do have a niggling feeling he may be seeing a lot of the United physio.
Secondly I have real reservations about how he will work with Rooney. I can't see them working together, he won't score 20+ goals I will put money on that. Can he feed Rooney as a Shadow Striker? Is that worth £24m? I don't think so. I'm sure Ferguson will play them side-by-side upfront, but considering they have problems in centre midfield will they get the support they need?
So it's a big risk. In terms of my personal feelings, I don't feel betrayed or angry. Just a little disappointed that he could have been up there with Henry, Wright, Bergkamp and now he'll just be that dutch bloke that scored some good goals for us. He won't be remembered as a legend and I'm sure that one day he'll look back and regret it. But he engineered this move himself and now he has to deal with whatever it brings.
We need to continue our build up to the new season now and re-invest the money that we will get from the deal. A striker should be right at the top of the list, I worry about Giroud coming from Ligue 1, yes he looks promising and he certainly knows how to find the net but it's a big step for him. Podolski I'm less worried about but I don't really think Wenger wants to play his as another striker as such more as a versatile attacker. I'd like to see us buy Llorente but I can't see it, Wenger now surely knows that we need to bring in some players and it's just a case of waiting and seeing what happens.
As I'm jetting off to the USA tomorrow posts will be limited, but I will do my pre-match posts as the new season FINALLY kicks off! In the words of Thomas Vermaelen "Life go's on".
Monday, 13 August 2012
FC Koln 0-4 Arsenal
Ah I have returned from my holidays after barely keeping track with all that's been going on I think I'm on top of it all. So we took on FC Koln or Cologne, whatever you prefer, yesterday and as we were expected to do won easily. Again the result comes second to the pre-season preparation but it was nice to see our new boys out, with Podolski grabbing a smart brace against his old club. Giroud had chances too but their keeper made some nice saves. Cazorla looked very impressive, he's fast and very very creative, obviously this is one game and against a side that got relegated last season, but I think he could be a really good signing. Vermaelen scored first with a move that will have (slightly) older fans relieving many goals with a classic Arsenal corner that Steve Bould would have taken part in many times. The flick on at the near post and headed in.
In the second half we made wholesale changes and Gervinho continued his impressive pre-season with yet another goal that was a great piece of individual work down the wing and he finished well from a tight angle. It was a good match and it has really got people excited about the highly anticipated return of the Premier League this weekend, me included! However the main talking point of the whole thing is something that has been rumbling on since the start of the summer.
Robin Van Persie came on after the 69th minute, not the 45 he said he'd play but he still played. I think it sent a message to various people (Robin included), to just say, he's still contracted and he's still an Arsenal player. As expected he came on and played his part, he didn't do anything of note, but he played with professionalism and at the moment that's all he can do. Wenger again re-iterated we want to keep him and that he is part of our plans. What we must remember is that deadline day is not Saturday and if he plays on Saturday it doesn't mean he will be our player for the rest of the season so at the moment, much like the rest of the summer we can only wait and see.
But there are positives to take from yesterday and we look relatively sharp going into the first game of the season. Let's hope for a repeat of the scoreline against Sunderland!
In the second half we made wholesale changes and Gervinho continued his impressive pre-season with yet another goal that was a great piece of individual work down the wing and he finished well from a tight angle. It was a good match and it has really got people excited about the highly anticipated return of the Premier League this weekend, me included! However the main talking point of the whole thing is something that has been rumbling on since the start of the summer.
Robin Van Persie came on after the 69th minute, not the 45 he said he'd play but he still played. I think it sent a message to various people (Robin included), to just say, he's still contracted and he's still an Arsenal player. As expected he came on and played his part, he didn't do anything of note, but he played with professionalism and at the moment that's all he can do. Wenger again re-iterated we want to keep him and that he is part of our plans. What we must remember is that deadline day is not Saturday and if he plays on Saturday it doesn't mean he will be our player for the rest of the season so at the moment, much like the rest of the summer we can only wait and see.
But there are positives to take from yesterday and we look relatively sharp going into the first game of the season. Let's hope for a repeat of the scoreline against Sunderland!
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Koscielny new deal + transfer rumours
Hi all, just a quick post today as I am extremely busy.
As I'm sure many of you know, this morning Laurent Koscielny has agreed a new long-term deal with us. We have been criticised for our defensive frailties over the last couple of seasons but Koscielny, especially last season, I think has been fantastic. He's really got his head down and got on with the job in hand making crucial interceptions, tackles and scoring the odd goal too including our winner at West Brom. He has really won the fans over and it's great to see him (much like Vermaelen) sign a contract, no fuss, no problems and focus on his football. See Robin, it's not that hard is it?
In other news and these are only rumours I have seen from various sources that we have agreed personal terms for Malaga winger Santi Cazorla. He's a lad I don't know much about I'll admit but he would be yet another addition to our attacking line up. Giving us plenty of depth up front. I don't know whether he's a left or right winger but it means there will be hot competition for one side.
Malaga are currently in a bit of a financial situation. With the new owner piling money in at a rate of knots, there have been issues with players wages not being paid and tax problems. If they don't wipe their debt by July 31st, they will be relegated and banned from playing in the Champions League. This gives us the opportunity to possibly force a sale of around €20m.
Yesterday Wenger also stated that we won't be going in for Yann M'villa, unless Wilshere or Diaby suffer a setback which sadly seems likely. I think it's risky to gamble on Diaby's fitness and bringing in a player as cover would be no bad thing. But we can only speculate until anything else is said.
We play the Malasyia XI later today in our first proper pre-season match, let's see what happens and pray for no injuries. Till next time.
As I'm sure many of you know, this morning Laurent Koscielny has agreed a new long-term deal with us. We have been criticised for our defensive frailties over the last couple of seasons but Koscielny, especially last season, I think has been fantastic. He's really got his head down and got on with the job in hand making crucial interceptions, tackles and scoring the odd goal too including our winner at West Brom. He has really won the fans over and it's great to see him (much like Vermaelen) sign a contract, no fuss, no problems and focus on his football. See Robin, it's not that hard is it?
In other news and these are only rumours I have seen from various sources that we have agreed personal terms for Malaga winger Santi Cazorla. He's a lad I don't know much about I'll admit but he would be yet another addition to our attacking line up. Giving us plenty of depth up front. I don't know whether he's a left or right winger but it means there will be hot competition for one side.
Malaga are currently in a bit of a financial situation. With the new owner piling money in at a rate of knots, there have been issues with players wages not being paid and tax problems. If they don't wipe their debt by July 31st, they will be relegated and banned from playing in the Champions League. This gives us the opportunity to possibly force a sale of around €20m.
Yesterday Wenger also stated that we won't be going in for Yann M'villa, unless Wilshere or Diaby suffer a setback which sadly seems likely. I think it's risky to gamble on Diaby's fitness and bringing in a player as cover would be no bad thing. But we can only speculate until anything else is said.
We play the Malasyia XI later today in our first proper pre-season match, let's see what happens and pray for no injuries. Till next time.
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