If ifs and buts were pots and pans The Arsenal’s cupboard would be full to the brim and I’m about to add my own set to push it to bursting point.
This season’s Premier League was more exciting than most, I don’t think anyone will argue with that. However, it has also been distinctly average. Chelsea were the best of a bad lot, there is no two ways about it. They had the best squad on paper but often times turned up as if they had the game already won and ended up losing to the likes of Wigan – hardly the sign of great Champions.
Manchester United are not a patch on their former great teams. Rooney carried the weight of the team (as he will do with England) that for a finish his body broke and he could do no more. Nani is an overrated acrobat, Carrick is a hyped up English player (again) and Giggs and Scholes are coming to the end. They hung on in the title race by virtue of Chelsea dropping points – a bit like us really…
Thing is with the signing of two players Arsenal would not only have hung on till the last month, I actually believe we would have won it.
Meet my pot and pan.
"Richard, I don't want to be the pot"
Now, we’ve all known for some time that Shay Given had been wasted at Newcastle United. He gave them many years of his career with little to show but lucky for him a goalkeeper normally has a longer career and he could move on for another challenge. Like most players that would be the Champions League. Now what team that constantly hovers around the Champions League could have done with a top ‘keeper over the last few seasons?
Congrats you win the Tupperware, it is of course Arsenal.
Watching Flappy One and Flappy Two flap about in goals all season was a joke. To make it even worse its not like this is a new problem. Many, many, many of us said at the time that Shay Given should have been signed. He had been a top player for Newcastle for years and with them heading for the Championship he was always going to seek a top team. Despite their riches, Citeh had to fork out relatively little to get their man.
Just as at Newcastle, Given often saved the bacon of the City defenders this season. It must be a sense of deja vu for poor Shay to see such a mediocre bunch of defensive players in front of him. Imagine how much happier he would have been at Arsenal and how much happier we’d be to have him?
City’s defence was an insult to the deepening economic crisis. Kolo Toure was past his prime – we knew that. Lescott was carried for many a season at Everton by the talented Jagielka – he got found out. If I wrote down how much they cost together I might vomit…
The hilarious thing is that Citeh made way for these two by selling my pot because he didn’t have a “global” name.
Yes, Richard Dunne might not be everyone’s favourite player but I think the guy is a class act. Before the desert dollars, Dunne was City’s best player and as soon as the money came he was dumped. He reacted though as the best do – by having the season of his life. Villa may have fallen away towards the end but Dunne was immense for them throughout the campaign.
Along with Vermaelen, he has been one of the buys of the season – now imagine if both had been in the same team with Shay Given behind them!
Not alone would we have two experienced players, we’d have had two players who know each other very well through playing for the Rep.Ireland, a Rep.Ireland whose ship Trapattoni has really steadied.
Arsenal’s problem this season wasn’t our inability to score goals, it was our crass stupidity at defending that cost us so we ended third with no silverware.
Imagine the signing of an Irish pot and pan could well have changed all that!
Now the question must be asked as to who this season’s pot and pan will be…
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
I absolutely agree. When Shay Given was available I could not believe that Arsenal did not go and get him. I have no doubt whatsoever that he would have choosen Arsenal. Also the same with Richard Dunne, who played ‘out of his skin’ this season. I have said to my friends that if we had Shay in goal we could have won the league; with Shay and Richard we probably would!
Morning Noel and welcome,
I have heard, but not confirmed, that we were in talks with Shay and he wanted to come to us, but for some reason they weren’t progressed. I think he is the best keeper in the prem. His stats on wiki show him as 6ft 3in – I didn’t think he was that tall?
Great stuff Irish, very entertaining and as I read my way through I found myself in full agreement by the end. Good to have you back.
Forgetting my manners,
Super post Irish in your inimitable style – a mixture of wit, cutting observation and hard facts 😛
Irish is back and as a true patriot for the irish. I think there is some confusion about Given.
About 6 months before he went to City he was available for about half that City actually payed for him, and I don’t think we ever put a serious bid in for him,it was just one of several names touted about as possible signings, and to add to that Fabianski was still being hailed as the wonder kid(which may still happen) and Almunia had firmly established himself(be it right or wrong) as our Number 1.
No one really expected us to round off the last two seasons with 2 error prone goalies,on a regular basis.
Arsenal board there there to make money , but they dont care about the horners.
Therefore, we should lose hope of trophies.
God day.
My first look at an Irish post. I had been warned she was good, well they were wrong Irish you are very good, superb post, Absolutely hits the nail on the head.
My mates were sick and tired of my touting Shay even when we had the mad German in goal. Arsene’s decision not to, or at least not saying why he didn’t sign him is my one big beef against the man I feel is the best thing that has happened to Arsenal in my lifetime.
As for Mr Dunn, 100% commitment from a fearless defender would of course have been a very welcome addition to our side and as you say very likely the little extra that would have carried us home.
Hey everyone!
Good to see some familiar faces (or names more appropriately ) on here..Great post Irishgunner! I completely agree.
Just noticed that the Buffon story is gathering some pace. How I wish it were true!! he would be absolutely perfect-he will give us 5 more years before Chesney is ready to take over.
Super post as usual Irish. Good to see you haven’t lost your touch.
Agreed about Given. I am sure AW is kicking himself.
But Dunne? Given (no pun intended) the circumstances in summer Dunne was a very unlikely signing. We had signed TV and were clearly going to play him and Gallas. With a recuperating JD (no-one realised the extent of his injury at the time), and Silvestre as backup.
Would Dunne have been prepared to take a bench seat? No way. Should we have dropped WG to play him? The same , no way.
Indeed! What a pair to inject some steel into our defense. Beyond me how Arsene let them slip through at such prices. …i still feel arsenal need a few british players to inject that bit of venom and muscle to our build up play and break up play..what say?
Good to see you here Rohan.
It would be great wouldn’t it? But I just cannot see Buffon coming.
I’ve always rated Dunne and couldn’t believe City let him go. Is he better than Gallas and Campbell though? Tough call so he may well not have improved us at all, and it’s unlikely he would have come here to sit behind those two.
Let’s not forget that the reason we concede more than our rivals isn’t that we have bad defenders, it is because the team is set up in a far more attacking manner and that exposes us at the back.
As for Given, that’s a no brainer and really should have happened!
PV wasn’t English. Neither is Song, Essien, Mascherano, Cana, De Jong, Ballack, Mikel, Fellaini, Palacios.Clearly top PL managers do not agree. And that is before we get to CB’s!
I think it is a myth about British Steel.
how about this squad
Buffon/Hart
Sagna Vermaelan Hangeland Gibbs
Cesc Song/Parker Nasri/Lassana Diarra / Eastmond
Chamakh RVP Arshavin Bendtner KenwyneJones
the irish dont like the french 😀
morning guys
Morning all. Have to say, as a person who has known Shay since his days in the Donegal league, I agree totally about Given. How many points has he saved Citeh this season? Compare that to the number of points that our keepers have cost us!! Dunne not so sure, as Hugo says is he really as good as Gallas or Campbell.
Franchise, you are just a trouble maker in the most nicest way 😉
Ever thought of applying as to be our keeper.You certainly have the height 😉
Nismal. Kenwyne Jones ….not for me.
Scott Parker? Too old and not good enough, a fine PL player but we need top quality. Answer me this, would you swap the 22 y.o. Song for 30 y.o. Parker?
And Song is the base level quality that we need to match MU and the Chavs.
Great read Irish. I really rate Dunne and I so, so wish we’d bought Given – but I can’t agree with your conclusion that we would have won the league if we’d had them this year.
Big Sol came in and played out of his skin in the last part of the season. Silvestre also had some excellent games (although some people will always be blind to anything good that he does).
Pound for pound our first choice back four of Sagna, Clichy, Verm and one of WG/Sol are as good as any defence in the PL. It’s the defending in front of them that caused the problems. Song has been outstanding, but after an energetic start to the season the rest of the midfield (and attack) slipped back into a careless or lazy attitude, famously illustrated by a back-tracking Denilson being out-paced by the ref during a ManUre attack which resulted in a goal.
So… much as I like Shay and Dunny, the signing that I believe would have made the difference would have been a world class defensive coach to work with the whole team.
Does anyone have 2000 cubits of wood?
It has been raining hard for 24 hours with no end in sight.
I agree RL. And of course a GK 🙂
That’s the first of many an ifs and but articule that I actually agree with. I hadn’t thought about it either.
could not see drogba throwing around dunne like the way he dose too our defenders twice a year. given was a no brain-er and we could of stolen the pair for £8million. when something that good is put on a plate and left in front of your nose questions should be asked and answers demanded.if they were french and useless they would of been signed
Agree with Given but also remember Dunne being awful when we won 5-1 up their years back.. stuck in the mind think he cost City 4 goals..
However, he would have been better back up than Fish head although would he have come for that… I don’t think so
Nice post Irish. The shay thing is so true. A worldclass keeper would have made a massive difference to us not only for his saves but for the confidence it gives others to know he’s there. Dunne however.. good though he is I do think there would be a lot of ranting done by the arsenal faithful if AW had bought him in the summer. In hindsight yes he’s been good but how many of us would have truly had him on our wish-list this time last season.
Afternoon all, I think Fish head was, at best, sufficient only to play against second tier opposition, i.e teams outside the top 8, t o give our first choice centre backs a breather. Perhaps if they had got more chances to have a breather during the season they wouldn’t have broken down towards trhe end of the season.
As for Djourou – I sincerely hope we are NOT expecting him to be a first choice next season, to my mind he should be shipped out as being unreliable and injury prone. If someone persistently misses large chunks of a season why should we expect them to be a regular first choice player?
I’m fearful that Wenger may say after having him on for the last 15-20 minutes against Fulham that Djorou proves he doesn’t need to buy a Centre back.
Chary – you’re right, with our injury record we have to assume Djourou will miss a chunk of next season. If we haven’t planned for that possibility we will surely suffer the consequences.
Sadly Chary I think you’re probably right. I can see him giving wg whatever he wants to stay and JD will be ‘our new signing’
RLives – surely AFC wouldn’t make that mistake again?
Andy – I hope I’m wrong. The worst case scenario is Fish head gets another year on his contract, Gallas and Sol go, meaning Djorou/Vermaelen first choice and Song/Fishead for back up.
Is it just me or is that scary?
So do I ( hope you’re wrong that is). I might be very gullible but I do kind of think he’s gona be different this year. My hearts telling me he will buy quality but my head is telling me we’ve seen and heard it all b4.
Well it’ll be just under 3 weeks when the window opens and we can seriously start to look forward to some movement on the transfer front Andy.
BTW I thought it was June 1st when the window opens, not July?
Actually friedel,given vds were all available.For some inexplicable reason Arsene did not go for any one of them.
Arsenal’s goalkeeper since lehman left has been a big joke. For any team aspiring to win trophies ,a top repeat top ,goalie is vital.
I personally believe if the gunners had a top custodian,they could have challenged for the title more intensely, poor defenders not withstanding.
We can look only to the summer and hopefully a really classy goalie together with other reinforcements could make the gunners serious competitors.
…….. “There are 2 transfer windows in the English premiership.The first is the summer transfer window which opens on the 1st of july and closes on the31st of August,while the other is refferred to as the winter break which comes up on the 1st of janurary and ends on the 31st of january.”
Was Lehmann ever really world-class ? We have struggled since David Seaman
Deals are being negotiated as soon as the season ends, but the official transfer window starts on the 1st of July – maybe this just means the players can’t be registered until after July 1st.
Hi Jeremy,
Brad Friedel would have been the perfect stand-in whilst the two poles were gaining experience.
I’m with you on that one Friedel been one of the most under-rated keepers in prem for years
lehman was not world-class, but he was very competant in his job.
world-class is cech, buffon, vds, casillas, lloris.
Yeah sfh but temperament let him down and cost us on several occasions
it is worth mentioning at this point, barca won the treble without a world-class keeper
So that means the World Cup will be well under way before we can sign players, yes Raspers ?
Or is it just register players and we can sign players before then?
Otherwise we can;t “do our business” before the World Cup as Wenger said we would.
You’re not a bad keeper if you go unbeaten for a whole season in my view.
However, VDS wasn’t world class until he was about 35, Lloris is largely unproven and maybe too small for the prem but agree with Buffon and Cech.
We just needed to replace Jens with experience to enable the youngsters to learn. I can’t imagine too much you could learn from Aluminia……apart from mistakes
Actually any of the Septic goalies in the Prem are good (Friedel, Howard, Hahneman)– I’d go for Hahneman because of his great saves-shots ratio and that he’s a metal fan !
chary, we agreed to sign chamakh in feb, officially he cannot sign until jun 1st.
he was a free to talk as of jan 1st, so nothing wrong with that.
other signing under contract, we may have to be more careful with.
actually, yes, scrub lloris for the time being… he did not impress that much in the cl semi.
the WC will tell us more about him.
“If someone persistently misses large chunks of a season why should we expect them to be a regular first choice player?”
Sack Van Persie and Fabregas, crocks the pair of them.
Geoff you have a lot to answer for.
So it is June 1st when we can sign players then, SfH? Or is that just out of contract players? I know General Franco’s team sign players whenever they want, transfer windows or not.
Yeah but barca is a bit like Rangers winning the SPL. not a lot of competition week in week out. There’s very few easy games in the prem and i wonder how good Barca would be over the course of an English premiership season ?
chary, i just checked and according to wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_window) the pre-season transfer window opens on the last day of the season up until 31st august.
so, we are free to sign em up now 🙂
june 1st is out of contract players, so chamakh cannot sign until june 1st, but i am sure after next weekends last round of ligue 1 games… we should get an announcement from the club.
Not sure about sacking London, more like plan to have back-ups in place. For example, knowing Djourou was out long term at the beginning of this season and having sold Toure surely we were 2 players down and therefore it was best to bring in someone in addition to Vermaelen?
Similarly, knowing Robin was out during the before the January window why not bring in someone on a short term loan as to rely on a recuperating Bendy was, IMVHO a bit risky? Do you recall Wenger saying that Vela was the reason he didn’t do that ? But Carlos hardly played for us during that time.
chary, vela has done himself no favours apparently… like lansbury was a while back, seems vela likes the party scene.
he was also injured on and off for large chunks of the season.
Oh right, SfH, it temporarily threw me when I was hoping to see our transfers done before the world cup and then I thought I’d have to wait till July for that.
So when I go to Barnet on the 17th of July I’ll see them on display…hopefully.
you wont if they played in the WC 😉
they get extra time off.
excellent news!!!!
john terry out of world cup with metartarsal.
BIG SOL IN????????????
Really SfH – that’d be karma for his behaviour in that case. From England captain to not even going to the World Cup, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person, LOL.
just breaking news on Sky… got done in a tackled in training
i would guess drogba done him 🙂
full scan results not due till tommorow.
seems defo to miss cup final this weekend.
schadenfreude 😎
Ha, ha, ha Sfh – more likely he did his ankle in shimmying down the drain pipe of a team mates house !
😆
Hi SfH,
I read that on wiki too – it is incorrect. A club can enter into negotiations from the end of the season, but the transfer window does not open officially until the 1st July = register new players.
OK, they’ve changed it this season, it was 1st July, now it is officially the 9th June from this season onwards … the link below is to the FA site
http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/NewsAndFeatures/2010/transfer-window-060510
Cometh the hour, cometh the Sol…
thanks for that, rasp
suppose its too easy to rely on wiki, edited by the general public, and expect it to be correct.
Hi Rocky,
I don’t reckon Sol will get the shout unfortunately even if he gets into the 30 man squad. I’d be happy to have him fit and relaxed to help us next season.
Hi SfH,
What was your conclusion re: the Gazidis/fans forum on Monday?
having watched all 3 parts on the offical site, i was very impressed with the man and the content of his responses.
he is very unlike most other football CEO/MD types, who all come across very salesman like, he seems very genuine, and clearly very able.
i think he was an exceptional appointment who can push us on to the next level commercially.
Hi Rasp. I think Sol deserves it – but Carragher will probably get the nod if Terry’s out, which is a disgrace. Carragher drops out of the national team, avoids all the middle-of-the-season qualifiers and friendlies and then gets to breeze in now that we’ve made it to the glory stages in S. Africa. I’m amazed they’ve let him.
Every other player in the squad was available for all those qualifiers – often at considerable cost to their club team. Dipper tw*t.
Thanks SfH, that’s very much the opinion I have gathered from other sites who have analysed the interview.
This summer will be a chance for both Ivan and Arsène to exercise their talents I’m hoping 😉
Rocky, I think you’re right…. Capello rates Carragher because he can fill in at RB and LB.
Rocky where does the term dipper come from with regard to Liverpool
bin dipper
Forgive me string can you expand on that, I cant see the relevance
it’s a rather disparaging hint at scousers being the poverty stricken typed that may have to resort to feeding and clothing themselves by “bin dipping”
the act of going down dustbins for thrown away food and clothes.
actually, having written this out, its an awful term, and shall stop using it from now on.
Funny, I thought it was from the old slang word for a pickpocket – a dipper, the point being that Scousers will pinch anything that isn’t nailed down.
My Mum and sister live in Liverpool. It won’t stop me referring to their team as the Dippers though.
That is what I thought string,
thank you
Link to the Victorian slang dictionary:
http://www.tlucretius.net/Sophie/Castle/victorian_slang.html
that’s a great link RL
what do you fellas think about the big final tonight?
how bizzare, we have an english club in the final of the 2nd biggest european club trophy, and there is zero hype.
for what it’s worth, i fear for fulham tonigh, atletico are a grand team full of prodigous talent, none more so than aguero.
i see a spanking for fulham, 4 or 5 nil.
SfH – in today’s Times I had to leaf back about five pages before there was any mention of the Fulham final – and then it was less than a page.
I know we moan about the press – but at least they don’t ignore us!
I reckon 2-2, extra time, Fulham win on pens.
that would be a great result for the neutral, english fan RL
i would love an extra time, pens game, just love the drama of it all.
I hope so String. It’s been quite a romantic run for the Cottagers and it would be nice to see the fairy tale have a Happy Ever After ending…
Are you having a bet.
lol, i am, just a small specualtive punt on aguero first goalscorer.
you?
Tempted by HT-FT Madrid-Fulham. Woy’s men have got a real never-say-die attitude.
If Aguero scores in the first half we could both win!
be a nice price that one, would be some comeback against this team if they pulled it off.
atletico are very dangerous in attack, they rival any team with that front four of theirs.
Sad that Fulham aren’t getting the recognition they deserve. Can you imagine if it was that mob from down the road and Crooknap
The media darlings……
I am afraid Athletico will win 3-0
Wayne Bridge must feeling sick. hehehehehe
evening all, good blog irish, yes id have vermaelen on the left, Sanga on the right, dunne in the middle partnered by either campbell or gallas with shay given in goals. can you imagine the look on drogbas face when that line up takes the field
dear oh dear… anybody else just see that little compilation of managers giving woy and the lads a gee up?
honest arry just could not look the camera in the eye, looks left, looks right, looks left and on and on.. anywhere but straight at you.
cant deny the man can motivate footballers, but what a shifty bloke.
Evening all.
Really sorry I couldn’t be around earlier today to debate the thread but it seems all agree Given should have been signed.
As for Dunne, I feel he is a no nonsense type defender we need, but as some pointed out he probably wouldn’t have displaced Gallas and would hardly have settled for the bench.
SFH – That’s cos ‘Arry has a twitch 😆
http://www.arsenal.com/news/transfer-links/transfer-linked-suarez-and-akinfeev?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+arsenal-news+(News+Feed)
If enough people “like” this, do you think that Wenger will sign him?!! Kinda like facebook…Arsebook?
Fulham are lucky to be in it . Hopefully Hodgson will instill some belief and pattern, otherwise they are doomed
Madrid come be 3/4 up by now. Fulham came out with stage fright. Madrid own the ball so far.
Better by Fulham
much better from fulham
the fear is, when AM get there little bit of play, they will likely score.
Davis has good technique – hit that one well too.
Madrid have such a threatening forward line though.
P.S. Not sure if it was mentioned here yet – No Nasri at the World Cup. Benzema not included either.
yup irish, i mentioned this last night
vieria, who captained france up until last year, did not make it either….
diaby took his place.
France have a good squad but TERRIBLE manager. Remember he left Pires out last time because he was a Scorpio??!!
Least Nasri can get a good rest.
this final is awesome.
Dempsey has been good since coming on.
The extra refs/linesman just looks lost around the endline…
Exciting stuff.
Murphy works hard but how many times has he given the ball away?
😦
Poor Fulham
Heartbreaking for Fulham.
Deflection, too.
Balls – brave attempt Fulham.
Bit of a downer. Night night Irish.
Night RockyL
Super performance by Fulham’s CB’s. Aaron Hughes was magnificent.
Morning all,
Well according to our Chairman,the vibes are not good re Gallas.He won’t take a wage cut, so I will assume he is on his way, or more likely he has already agreed terms elsewhere and the BOD are using this as an excuse.Negotiations have been going on for months, and if we believe what we read, serious questions have to be asked about bolstering the defence.Wenger’s own words were that we concede too many goals, and Djorou is definitely not the answer as a replacement.I expect work is already in progress to find at least one replacement with Sol staying in more or less the same arrangement as he has at present.
El Mundo Deportivo report this morning that Fabregas “has told friends and family that he has come to a four-year agreement with Barcelona and hopes to leave Arsenal before the World Cup.”
any other good news gg9 😉
gg9 you forgot to include the next paragraph
The Catalan paper add that the only thing missing from the deal is a transfer agreement between Barcelona and Arsenal but Arsene Wenger knows of Fabregas’ desire to rejoin his old team and will not stand in his way.
Letting Cesc go should not even be a topic for discussion with Barca. Every player has his price. In the current market, Cesc has to be worth in the region of £50-60m not the £35-40m that those speculating have picked out of thin air.
The article also suggests that Wenger might simply being playing to he gallery.
More idle gossip. 40 million euros + yaya .yaya a player we could have signed years ago.
The spanish media are going overtime on this.
Why would we want to sell our best player? We are just entering an era when we can spend money to reinforce the squad – not cash in to diminish it… 👿
Wouldn’t it be great if FIFA had balls and lacked the obvious bias and slapped a 2 year transfer embargo on Barca for consistently tapping up players.
The only reason I can come up with for Wenger not signing Yaya in the first place was a concern that it would have given the Toures a too bigger power base in the squad. Meaning that Wenger was concerned about losing influence
Rasp
There is no evidenece that Barça have contacted Cesc, the article says he has told close friends and family, which means one of his old mates from the town he was brought up in (twenty miles up the coast from Barcelona) has earned himself one hundred euros for saying that Cesc has told him that he is moving this summer.
Morning London,
accept your point, but honestly don’t you think Wenger has already lost his influence or respect from some of the players, otherwise why do these constant rumours persist.
Maybe not in this instance London, but there is a history of unsubstatiated claims that player ‘X’ will be coming to the club when there is a power struggle in the hierarchy – which is pretty much an annual event at Barca. They are not stupid enough to release stuff through official sources but it is obvious what they are doing.
Every now and then Arsène lets a player slip through his fingers – Palacios would have played a lot of games for us this season if he’d been in our squad – you can’t get it right every time.
Ramsey would have played a lot of games, you know I don’t rate Palacios.
Kelsey
Why do these constant rumours persist? Do you mean the Cesc or the Yaya rumours.
I agree, Ramsey is the future, but after his injury and perhaps for other games, Palacios would have given us something that Denilson couldn’t.
New post …