So, the unmistakeable chimes of Big Ben bring the craziest few months an Arsenal fan has ever had to endure to a close. We have lost our club captain, we have lost last seasons best player, and we have been humiliated 8-2 by Man United, yet, with that big bell still ringing in my ear (insert your own joke!) there is a renewed optimism.
Fans had been calling for Arsène Wenger to bring experience into the club for the last few years, it had appeared to be falling on deaf ears, until last night. Finally, the professor has done away with his penchant for kids and brought some first class experience and more importantly leadership to the side.
A 6 foot 6 inch German international with 75 caps to his name has been recruited to teach TV the importance of defensive positioning, something that Vermaelen lacks at times as was all too evident in the home game against Barcelona 2 years ago. There is no doubt that TV is an outstanding defender, with a mean tackle, a wicked left foot, and possibly the best standing jump in the Premier League (apart from Fabianski!), but the chance to learn from a seasoned professional like Per will take him onto the next level.
In front of them we have signed Yossi Benayoun on a season long loan and Mikel Arteta for a princely sum of £10m. Between them they have over 10 years experience in the Premier League, more than most of our midfielders put together. They have been brought in to ease the pressure on young Jack and Aaron, but also to show the young pretenders how it can be done. Not how to pass a ball, Aaron and Jack need no help in that department, no, they are here to show he kids the all important ability to arrive into the box late. This is a skill that made Freddie Ljungberg into a Highbury hero, and with the wide players now at Arsene’s disposal, it is something that the new look Arsenal team can profit from. All Gooners know that we have the annoying habit of crossing into an empty box, if these two can find a way of making late runs more often then we could be adding an extra 15 goals a season from midfield.
As well as these timely additions, Wenger also found time to pick up a Brazilian Confederations Cup winning left back as cover for Gibbs whilst his bones and muscles find a way to get along, the current South Korean captain and 4 other young prospects who are already settled at the club.
Wenger has shown how a club without the megabucks of a sugar daddy can operate in the minefield that is the modern day transfer market. I have heard some fans saying that they are disappointed that we didn’t bring in a marquee signing, but i have to disagree. Big money signings bring with them an air of attitude and cockiness, something that Arsenal FC could do without after the recent Cesc and Nasri sagas. They also carry huge price tags. Cahill was touted as the ideal signing by many, but with an estimated £15m value, Wenger opted to bag himself an extra 60+ caps worth of experience and pocket £5m in the process. Surely a great piece of business.
Another name that was being thrown around by our transfer hungry fans was that of Eden Hazard. Currently with Lille and with an asking price in excess of £20m, this kid is seen as the next big thing. But if that is the case, then why hasn’t he been snapped up already? It is impossible these days to keep an up and coming talent secret from the circling vultures of Man City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea etc so why haven’t they tried to do a deal? After all, they have enough spare change in there pockets to complete this deal without even having to nip to the local cash point! So why hasn’t it been done? Well that’s a question i cannot answer, but if they are unwilling to part with what is quite frankly spare change, then why would Wenger risk his precious money, and more importantly his future at AFC on such a player? Lets face it, after a 6% price hike, the last thing he can do is risk throwing money away. How would that look!?
Its been a crazy 3 months as a Gooner, and arguably the hardest in recent times, but we have made it through with manager in tact (to the annoyance of some), 9 new faces, and a new belief that this could yet turn out to be a successful season for our boys. I really hope so, because after all we have been through in the last few months, it is the fans who deserve it…..
Written by Fatgingergooner
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
This Gooner would like to compliment you (slim, auburn haired gunner) on a very well written dissertation on our recent signings! Well done sir. 🙂
I agree with much that you write, and I will admit to hungering after a ‘big’ name signing, (Hazard M’Villa) without knowing too much about them. That’s a silly emotion really as I would not personally go out and buy a new car- sight unseen- because someone else spoke glowingly about it. But that’s us footie fans – brains and emotions go thier separate ways when the transfer window comes acalling.
One slight area of disagreement is about the notion that X or Y can’t be any good, or not top quality if he has not already been signed by an oligarch’s toy club. Even they become sated and are bound by the 25 man squad rules — or are they?
This Gooner likes your style FGG and hopes to read more of your Posts! 🙂
Really well written post! Good analysis and uplifting to a point of not making us all feel like we can rule the world again but instead, with a bit of good luck (aren’t we due for some?) we can give the rest a good run for their endless, fruit-bearing money tree 🙂
when did Marcia Santos win the world cup since he started his clib football in 2004 after brazil won the world cup?
Well said I am just glad to C new faces and exprnc in the team so that our young boys will get the tutoring they need from players on thr pitch, but i am mostly happy that AW has changed his way ( BIT TOO LATE ) but its OK i hope now he is ready to coach now and forget the transfer.
GL gooners
Good post.
But for all the stress all the drama, how could you not be an Arsenal fan? We’re an Oscar winning movie, Citeh, Chelski et al are just cartoons.
Nice one, FGG.
On the whole I’m very pleased with our new signings. I agree about a marquee signing too.
Now’s the time to be fostering a new spirit of togetherness and team spirit to overcome any remaining doubts from last season. Each and every one of the squad have to stand up and be counted when they enter the field of play in an Arsenal shirt.
RA – a big name signing?
Per Mertesacker surely? He is the german first choice centreback and at the prime of his career.
m’Vila and Hazard are kids looking for an Arsenal to step on the way to joining a top tier team like Real, Barca, Man U, AC or a grubby sugar daddy team like chelsea or merc city.
I mean he has to be considered a marquee signing – an aging Rio Ferdinand or John Terry would be considered huge coups – so why not the central defender of a team that consistantly out performs them at every major tournament for the last 40 years.
I sometimes think we look a little inwardly and take press prescribed nonsense a little to much to heart.
bottom Line: Arsenal needed defensive cover and went out and bought top of the range german and brazilian starting players at the height of their careers.
Arteta and benayoun are nice and blingy but they are cover for the development of Jackie and Aaron who are just as good if not better than m’vila, hazard, yourcouff. And could very well turn out better than Iniesta, Xavi and fatbreakgas.
Big name? Job done – well done Arsene
afriX,
Confederations cup, World cup, what’s the difference?
Who’s Marcia Santos?
D98, a marquee signing has to cost over £25 million and demand a wage of 1 million pounds a month. 🙂
ooops i meant andre santos, a world cup winning player has a higher profile.
Morning all,
Welcome aboard fgg top notch maiden post, an excellent summation of our situation – optimism is the only choice.
afrix, Santos is kissing the Confederations Cup as chas says
and right below the picture incorrectly states “Wenger also found time to pick up a Brazilian World Cup winning left back as cover for Gibbs” change that to “Brazilian Confederations Cup winning”
Chas – Maybe we should have bought Eto’000000 to plug our defensive gap
🙂
OK afrix, if it make you happy, but how about looking for the positives eh?
D98,
Eto’000000000000000.00 earns ( I mean gets) 60 pence every second, even while he’s asleep.
A marquee signing would want at least a pound a second.
Positivity Rasp – How about this? I am more confident of a sustained title charge and some silverwear three games into the season with fatbreakgas and nasti gone, than i was at any stage last season.
Last week before transfer deadline day i was anticipating a relegation fight. but 5 signings and a shot in the arm later and i realise that its all about the “wengerball, baby” and maybe these new players can play it better than the last crop.
FGG, great maiden post. Very well written and a joy to read. I agree with your point re making runs into the box by our midfielders, this has been missing indeed (Newcastle away this season springs to mind especially!).
RA 🙂 great comment about judging the value/quality of players on the basis of whether other big clubs show interest in them or not. We should give ‘pilot’ Arsene some credit as probably the best ‘Gem-Headhunter’ in the business.
Double98, fully agree with you on your points re Marque Signings. Our new defenders might not be as sexy as say Hazard, or M’villa, but we have real quality now and we all should be very happy about that 🙂
Chas can you have outdoor parties in the marquee signing –
Apparently We were in for Peter Crouch and 80 square metres of waterproof cloth – but the tarpaulin was looking for too much money and had barca dna anyway
Hi double 98, I share your optimism. The squad depth alone is a great improvement, but I am also excited at the prospect of a change in playing style brought about simply by virtue of the new signings.
The only part I difer with you is on Fabregas, great footballer who served Arsenal well and will be fondly remembered by me. It makes me sad to see how happy he is at Barca, we should have sold him last year and started rebuilding the team then IMO.
what are u on about RASP?
I was just pointing out a typo so that fans are not misinformed about our new buy, not sure why u going on about “if it makes me happy” line now.
Don’t get upset afrix, the tone of the post is one of optimism, I was just suggesting that you join in!.
We’ve had to endure a lot of negativity over the last few months but we’re now in a position where we are not stressing about transfers and hopefully we can enjoy our team and watch them climb the table to compete with the best.
If the German had cost 20 million,plenty would have lauded Wenger for finally spending on a big name signung! The quality he brought in at such low prices proves Wenger can negotiate with the best of them.
I am rapt with the signings,the squad is stronger overall,and who gives a shit what the “experts” have to say.
Can’t wait til next week.
I congratulate you on an excellent post.
I have always been an advocate that our style of play could shock those teams that have bigger budgets than ours. There are many examples where well run clubs who operate on limited resources to there rivals acheive greatness. After all, when Arsenal done Utd, in Wengers earlier years, were they not more wealthy?
We saw glimpses up to January of this year were ‘Wengerball’ could take us. Many people felt we would fall short because the squad lacked experience and depth and this was ultimately correct. You may think me crazy but the additions to the squad will address the above weaknesss and be a springboard to what i believe will be a sustained title challange this year.
Let us not forget, we have the best manager in modern day football, managing a fantastic football club.
I am now off to take my medication.
Calm down D98.
I have no problem with your enthusiasm, opinions or value judgements, and I cannot believe you thought I was suggesting that Hazard should be bought as a CB, instead of Mertesacker.
Surprise, surprise I do not hold the same opinions or values as you do,
Is that OK?
If you were trying to include me in your – “I sometimes think we look a little inwardly and take press prescribed nonsense a little to (sic) much to heart.”, then you are mistaken.
If you want to pick an argument over an innocent compliment to FGG, well then, I am your man!
hi Rasp. I loved fabregas right up to the bit where he conspired with barcelona to cheat us out of his market value.
right up to the bit where he cheated us out of his market value and still got his loyalty bonus.
Its like your missus leaving you for the big lothario down the road and spending months fabricating a story about how her leaving is all your fault and you drove her into his arms.
As for playing well? When it came to the crunch games against his lothario boyfreinds he played like a tart – he went missing for most of last season.
Only for jack wilshire and contract seeking Nasri we would have been nowhere last year.
FWIW I have no problem with Nasri – he played and was sold as per his contract and never made a big play on kissing his badge. we got market value plus on him and i wish him well.
Thanks for the positives and the negatives people.
Always good to hear both sides of the argument, that’s why we are here right?
TerryM,
No medication needed! 🙂
I said much the same thing yesterday, and my only regret is that we did not buy these players (or equivalent) last year …. then we would have won the EPL.
I understand D98, but what would have been the point of letting other clubs bid for Fabregas when he would only leave us for Barca.
You’re correct that by only setting his sights on Barca he lowered his value, but he had said for years that one day he wanted to return home so it wasn’t exactly a secret.
FFG. Fine way to lose your cherry! A very good and entertaining analysis. More please.
I am afraid I belong in the Wants a Big Name Signing Camp. We are the Arsenal, we need top, top world class talent. We could have one, who is just 19 and at the beginning of his career, & we could have another between the sticks but otherwise we are short.
If one were to pick a World 11, it is unlikely that anyone from AFC would even get on the bench. Not so long ago we had a minimum of 3 (DB, TH & PV).
That is what I want.
FGG
By the way if you weigh in at less than my 18 stone …… you watch who you are calling ‘Fat’. 🙂
RA – you misread the tone of my post. I was only saying that we actually have potentially better midfielders in the club in jack wilshire and aaron ramsay – and that our deficiency was in defence.
Sorry if it came as an attack.
The comment “I sometimes think we look a little inwardly and take press prescribed nonsense a little to (sic) much to heart” was inclusive of all fans. we sometimes do take a lazy pre fed opinion that the press give us. i.e. most people who are desperate for us to sign m’vila have never seen him play, checked him out on youtube or at best saw him once or twice in a european tie.
Reputations are manufactured and i heard some serious people saying how we needed some obscure, european based 20 year old midfielder while at the same time saying we are too young and need experience. They then castigate the arteta signing saying that he is too old.
No offence meant mate.
i also have no issue with the new players those I understand the concerns of those who lament that we didn’t sign a superstar, i think that’s for the january transfer window.
the new players are more or less the type of players wenger used to buy when we were winning trophies so i do expect them to do well but i doubt they will challenge the mancs,citeh and chelsea but it’s a start in the right
Well said Raddy. 🙂
I will be interested in how ‘Pool’s new CB Seb Coates goes this season. He is also 6′ 6″ (makes my 6’ 5″ look tiddly), and our scouting network found him and we had first refusal on him.
He was awarded ‘Best Player’ of the U21s Copa America championship and is expected to have a great career. ‘Pool bought him for £7m and we turned him down.
Two giants in our defence, both with great prospects, would have been some sight, and for about the cost of 1 Cahill.
Just a point about the Marquee signing. Surely the Fabregas and, to an extent, Nasri situation have taught us that a team cannot be built around 1 or 2 players in the modern age. Inflated egos and stroppy players do allow for such things anymore. Wenger has tried and failed at this, losing his 2 main assets prematurely thus leaving us in the situation we found ourselves in 3 months ago. He has shown in his recent signings that he has learnt from this mistake, choosing to add quality in a number of areas rather than going for 1 or 2 Massive signings. This may mean that we lack what many class as a superstar, with maybe only RVP coming close, but what it does achieve is much more strength in depth and hopefully a unity within the changing room.
D98. 11.13. It is comments like this that make me love this site.
Rasp – why does fabregas deserve special treatment? There is no substance to his legend – no titles, notheing.
Vieira a decorated warrior and all round “Mr Arsenal” wanted to go to Real but we sold him to Juventus.
If Aaron Ramsay wants to go to cardiff next season and they only offer 2 million, is that ok?
I mean its ok when thierry henry wants to go to barca because he has delivered. Plus he was old enough to buy his way out of his contract.
We should have been tougher with fabregas and not let him dictate his cut price exit. He should have been less keen to screw over the fans who loved him.
well said FGG!!
D98,
I accept there was a misunderstanding. We are good!
I did make an admission in my comment — ” I will admit to hungering after a ‘big’ name signing, (Hazard, M’Villa) without knowing too much about them. That’s a silly emotion really as I would not personally go out and buy a new car- sight unseen-“.
So I think we appear to be saying much the same thing in differing ways.
BTW, Terry, Ferdinand as marquee signings would not ring my bell — maybe 7 years ago — but Per the Gooner will do for me. 🙂
FGG.
Why not? RM build around Ronaldo. Barca around Messi. MU around Rooney. BM around Schweinsteiger (?), Inter around Sneijder.
There are no guarantees but this is the way of modern football.
Have to go out so cannot continue this discussion, sorry.
RA – I agree and share your regrets about last season.
Who is Mr Wenger? a looney?, deluded fool?, or fooball guru like Chapman or Clough?. This squad is going to suprise a lot of people this season.
Maybe you are right FFG – noone is bigger than the club – recently Wenger bent that rule a bit to accomodate Fabregas…
BR,
TH and PV weren’t marquee signings when they were brought to Arsenal and Dennis’ star was on the wane, too.
They wouldn’t have got into a World Xl when they arrived, so I can’t see the parallel.
TerryM,
Arsene is by far the best manager Arsenal have ever had.
If he had wanted to join Barca or Madrid or even Utd (he was asked by those clubs and others) and splashed the cash like their various managers have so profligately, (including Sir Red Nose) he could have won every trophy, every year for the last 10 years.
Where’s Benitez when you need him? …….. Oh yes, FACT! 🙂
Fabregas loved the club so much, he was happy to leave us in the sh*t.
Reports from Germany suggest Wenger tried to buy Mario Gotze (19) from Dortmund for £35 million !
Would that have been a ‘marquee’ signing or another Wenger kid ?
admittedly, i prayd for a score line like dat at OT so dat wenger will see dat we needed depth in d team incase of injuries in d long run of d season…….thank u manure for exposin us *i cried though*………gr8 new signings AW has made and i hope we can get our season on track startin wt swansea nxt wk
Chas,
I don’t think I have read anything on here this morning with which I disagree. It’s only a question of shading.
I think what Raddy was saying was that buying in a ready made ‘Ronaldo” or ‘Messi” would have a very beneficial effect on the team in the here and now, rather than waiting for some very talented young uns to come into their prime.
The down side is that such players come with their own baggage as you indicated and that can have the opposite effect. Even Manyoo’s mascot, Rooney, threw a strop last season and was only bought off by a few tens of millions of pounds, the poor thing! 🙂
Warning Notice: Raddy might not have meant any of that!! 🙂
A very enjoyable read FGG, I like the slightly different angle you approach things from, I hope I get to read more.
Geoff Strong
Great question.
With Fabregas and Na$ri gone Wenger no longer has to pander to anyone; he can for the first time in ages mould the team exactly how he would like without worrying about upsetting the larger egos. The result should be interesting.
Geoff S,
The papers are full of “Failed Arsenal Bids” and so are the blogs.
An inquiry is often mis-stated as a bid when it is nothing of the sort. Read what D98 said about taking too much notiv=ce of the red top media.
But a hypothetical answer to your hypothetical question is ” Both – at £35m a marquee signing surely and at 19 clearly a Wenger kid”.
Who cares about something that did not happen!
RA,
I see what you’re saying, but I really do agree with FGG that a marquee signing would have been a poor idea.
I hated Thierry’s last season when all the players thought they had to pass to him every time they got the ball else they’d get that famous disapproving stare.
A strong team ethic and all for one, one for all mentality will be crucial to getting our season back on track.
RA- 100% Correct.
I have no objections to those that are critical of Wenger and the club, every one is entitled to there view. I have no opinion on Wenger personaly, ive never met the guy, but as a football manager there is no one better.
By the way, one positive from the nightmare of Old Trafford was the cameo of Alex Oxlade. He looks a fantastic prospect.
Lovely debut Mr FGG. Looking forward to plenty more posts from you!
“Marquee signing” is a crap phrase, suggesting a splurge of cash for the sake of it, not for what happens on the pitch. Regardless of cost, we want quality, and in the end we got enough of it to justify feeling fuzzy and warm this week. Mertesacker is better than the more expensive options from PL clubs. Gervinho is better than Nasri (that’s not just bitterness talking, I genuinely believe it). Arteta, while very decent, isn’t as good as Fabregas but Wilshere over the next couple of years will be. And we have Ramsey, Walcott and Benayoun too. And Santos and Gibbs is better than Gibbs and Traore. Plenty to give us hope, though the chances of winning the title this year are very slim – last year was our chance, and the players blew it.
I think there was enough in the ins and outs (including getting rid of most of the players the fans (rightly or wrongly) had taken against (Bendtner, Denilson, Eboue, Clichy) to inject some positivity into the fans. That will have an important role to play, especially at home. I think it was van Persie who said that one of the few positives from the Old Trafford trauma was the contribution of our fans, and he specifically said it was great to see that, despite everything, the fans stayed till the end. We should start a campaign to stop all those buggers leaving The Ems early – that really gets on my tits….!
Like Raddy and others, I will still be looking for one heavyweight purchase in January (we definitely have the money, after all). If it happens (and there’s every chance it won’t), it would be a primo quality youngster.
I will always wish Fabregas well – watching his scoring La Liga debut for Barca the other night, in which he played beautifully in tandem with Messi, was a delight for any fan of football. Yes, we got done on the sale price, but then Barca were done when he joined us in the first place. Anyway, given our accumulated funds and ongoing trading profits, getting more hardly would have made a difference, save to our egos.
Bearing in mind that Barcelona stated that they would take the Fabregas deal to the last day of the window if necessary I still say the BoD decided to take a hit in order to give Wenger a fighting chance to bring in some new talent. Swings and roundabouts, that one, in my not so humble opinion.
Very nicely put Mr 26 …………. very nicely put indeed. 🙂
Chas, I too disliked the ‘pass the ball to my feet, or eff off’ scowling face that Thierry showed other team mates in his last year.
I suspect that may have been down to Henry knowing his star was on the wane, and that must have been very difficult for a great athlete and footballer to take.
But I still remember with delight and wonder the marvellous years when he blew defences away like they did not exist. Bliss! 🙂
TerryM
I watched the U 21s match last night and you are right about Oxo, he was exceptional in that game. I look forward to seeing him develop at the home of Wengerball! 🙂
Oi, London, as requested, I did my best, yesterday, to show the difference between shares held in a (football) company as opposed to unsecured loans, and you had buggered off without a ‘goodnight mother’! I was cut to the quick!
Can’t trust a London cyclist! 🙂
RA,
Thierry in his prime, ah, happy days.
26,
I saw Cesc’s goal on Monday, too. You’re a far better man than I to be so magnanimous. 🙂
“goodnight mother” ?
Sounds a bit Hitchcockian.
And that was your idea of user friendly?
I meant an explanation in English
Still I learnt a lesson.
Thanks for trying.
http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/park-chuyoung-lebanon-15356930/
In response to” Why not? RM build around Ronaldo. Barca around Messi. MU around Rooney. BM around Schweinsteiger (?), Inter around Sneijder.”
Could you not argue that United were building around Ronaldo before he buffered off? That Inter are building around Sneijder, but he would have been gone had someone paid his wages, and that Everton would have built round Rooney had they been a bigger club able to hold off the advances of MU?
London,
There wasn’t a single question or response following my simple expo, and my keyboard reverberated to the zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz’s that were coming from all the regulars – even the other accountants.
Knew I shouldn’t have bothered. 🙂
RA,
I suspect that may have been down to Henry knowing his star was on the wane, and that must have been very difficult for a great athlete and footballer to take.
I think the Henry scowl also had something to do with Wenger surrounding him with cheap foreign imports and young talent. You are talking about a winner who had played with the likes of Zidane, Pires, Vieira, Campbell, Petit, Bergkamp, Overmars etc in his last year he must have wondered what the bloody he’ll had happened to a club which had not long since gone a whole season unbeaten!
FGG,
I have a sympathy with that view. I have never subscribed to the ‘build a team around’ philosophy. Sounds like pseudo team speak to me.
A manager should buy the best possible player(s) that is/are affordable and play him/them in the appropriate position within the team.
The team are the important thing – not the individual.
FGG,
Fantastic debut, more of the same please!
Your post struck a balanced note of quiet optimism with pithy summaries of the boys.
The more I read about them, the wetter my pants get. One drop at a time.
*goes on marksandspencer.co.uk and orders 3 new sets of boxers to see him through to the Swansea game*
FGG
Players are just like the rest of us, possessing some nice and not so nice personality traits. Henry was an arrogant so and so, but nothing wrong with that. When it comes to been a great footballer it probably helps.
My abiding memory of the great man will always be the way he destroyed spurs and then used to wind up there delightful fans.
Made me smile anyway: http://themondaysupplement.co.uk/headline/man-city-in-shock-arsenal-move/
26
lol
Good afternoon AA,ers.
How nice to see that a semblance of peace has descended again between my favourite Blog and Bloggers.
The last month has IMHO engendered all that is sad about football and its fans. Grown men pouring vitriol on to the club and its staff, they profess to support, willing participants it would seem in a media orchestrated personnel attack, led by the likes of Mr Woolnough and his cronies.
How I have to ask myself can anyone of any kind of intellect take seriously the incoherent ramblings of a man who writes for a paper that on a daily basis cover’s their front page with the happenings in the big brother house. It does as far as I am concerned beggar belief, that rational talented Bloggers have cast aside the reason that has been hallmark of some fine headline post on AA throughout this period to join in this nonsensical witch hunt.
Writing endless comment about not only what the club should do, but would do, based on the supposed analysis of our past modus operandi. Notwithstanding the fact that we had been faced with a situation that none of us knew the true facts about, purely based on hearsay and media disinformation or crap, as it is more commonly known.
The whole thing blowing up into a unpleasant and unnecessary segmentation of our support only to dissipate as the transfer window closed and the realisation dawned that the club had in fact assessed the situation correctly and taken the required steps to remedy situation. How much better would it have been had we waited until the window closed before vilifying our club, a lesson learnt for the future? I doubt it but then that is a football fan.
No doubt the Talk Shite mob and that quisling the lord high priest of nay Sayers Myles Palmer have been peeing themselves with laughter watching the negative cancer they live to plant spreading unchecked through the blogosphere including the more reasoned blogs like AA. Upsetting and depressing fans for whom the Arsenal is a way of and not a part of, life. Hopefully AA will now return to its former glories.
Opps sorry FGG a fine first article, I look forward to seeing mere
Hi Dandan
Good to have you back, I think you were the only one to call the activity in the transfer window correctly.
Like most people I was expecting this ‘marquee’ signing but we ended up with a wigwam and a teepee.
Guess I’m just too tense…
The old ones are the best.
Hi London I am afraid it was all to much for my delicate constitution. 🙂
http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/park-chuyoung-2-lebanon-15357098/
Good afternoon and welcome back Dandan.
I, like you, have tried to stay way from the blogs the last few weeks for the very reasons you state.
Park has his hat trick.
http://www.soccerway.com/matches/2011/09/02/world/wc-qualifying-asia/korea-republic/lebanon/1177903/
Best of the three, too.
http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/chuyoung-park-3-lebanon-15357262/
great first up FGG, looking forward to more
@ TMHT
surely coquelin was another positive from the manure game, he had that jack-like attribute of sliding for the ball and taking off. Loved his first up game.
Love the optimism and the signings. Well said to all those in regards to per being better than cahill yet costing a third the price. Very exciting to see how the new team lines up. Big fan of yossi, always seems to be one who gets into the box (something we have lacked for a while!)
Well here’s a surprise
The Danish international secured a season-long loan move to Sunderland on transfer deadline day after finding himself out-of-favour at the Emirates.
The 23-year-old believes he has not been given a fair chance in Arsene Wenger’s side ever since he had a car crash two years ago.
Bendtner is now planning for life after Arsenal as he has no intention of returning to the club once his loan deal expires.
“I will never go back to Arsenal. If I can have it my way, I will never play for them again.”
Nicklas Bendtner on his future
Quotes of the week
“I will never go back to Arsenal. If I can have it my way, I will never play for them again,” Bendtner is quoted as saying in The Sun.
“After my car accident I never really got the chance to earn a spot in the first team.
“That is over one-and-a-half years with no real chance to prove myself.
“I am really looking forward to playing for Sunderland and then we will see next summer.
“I will find a new club – but I will not go back to Arsenal, that’s for sure.”
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,11670_7143522,00.html
Nice one FFG,you are no longer a virgin 😉
@ Kelsey
what an w*nker saying stuff like that. He was struggling with his groin injury for ages and his ego was too big for boots. With an attitude like that good riddance!
Mr football goes to sunderland haha
Hi dandan. Well put at 1.32pm, and much that I agree with, especially the bits about putting any weight on the lies circulated in the tabloids and many blogs. (I didn’t know who Mr Woolnough was, but have checked and see that he’s at the Daily Star. Nuff said as regards how credible he can be.) Since I don’t read the tabloids or listen to TalkSport, and I have a newsnow block on Myles Palmer’s ego vehicle website and others like it, my exposure to these stories is limited to Sky (though I keep my exposure to their pundits to a minimum), newsnow and reports on AA. So I’m with you on the need to treat all of that with the utmost scepticism.
But I baulk at the suggestion that “the club had in fact assessed the situation correctly and taken the required steps to remedy situation”. We can’t know the truth behind the scenes, who is doing what, or not doing what. But we can judge with our own eyes what is in front of us. It was evident at the end of last season that serious action was needed in the transfer window, and, to protect ourselves, that needed to be done early. United acted early. Liverpool acted early. We didn’t. As I say, I have no idea who is responsible for that, which is why I don’t criticise Wenger for it. Amy Lawrence’s piece in The Guardian (based on her close knowledge of the workings of the club) provided some information about the roles of Dick Law and Gazidis but in the end, we can’t know precisely how these things work or what was really going on. But we can observe the results and collectively those who run the football side of things at the club didn’t deliver.
Gazidis said a few weeks ago that they wanted to get their business done early, so acknowledged the need, but said they didn’t manage it. There might be extenuating circumstances, and there can be no certainties when much is in the control of third parties, but the importance of the exercise means the team undertaking player recruitment (Board, manager, negotiators, CEO, scouts) failed.
I’m delighted we have Gervinho, Mertesacker, Arteta and Oxlade-Chamberlain, and pleased about Benayoun, Santos and Park, and I am ecstatic that our brilliant manager now has the resources and hopefully the fans’ and players’ backing to take this club forward again after a really poor six months. But this has nonetheless been a critical summer that has not been managed adequately.
If you include Vermaelen as a new signing and Szsney as our number one we have virtually a new team, and my hunch is that it will be added to in January.
The media reported Wenger being in france when in fact he was in Switzerland on the last day of the window.
Competition for places is healthy and maybe we will get a better bonding on and off the field with the players.
I fully expect Arshavin to leave maybe even in january for two main reasons, his salary reported as the second highest when cesc was with us, and his age and loss of form. Anyway he finds it to warm in London.
Rosicky will also be in his last year at the club and then of course there is Squillaci and Almunia.
I agree with 26th and to an extent with dandan(otherwise he will hit me)
none of us really know what happened with kroenke and his team, but as I said before it wasn’t the mauling at United that prompted perhaps frantic action in the last few days but that we got CL qualification which ensured another 20/25 million as opposed to 5 million in the Europa league.
maybe it is a blessing in disguise that we haven’t replaced cesc for an identical type of player,maybe we relied to much on him, time will tell.
Going back to bedntner strange that bruce has now taken him on loan twice.
Fair do’s 26. But on a daily basis it seems more info is surfacing Re bids we made and failed on earlier in the month. It seems to me that we were working on bigger fish but within the confines of our pay structure, There is news today of a supposedly 40 million euro bid for Gotze from Dortmund if that be true along with others, “Hazard and co”. then much of the criticism is again unfounded.
The major problem is that football fans live and breath information and if the club wont feed them they are castigated because it cant be happening. Info is money during negotiations and if it can be kept under wraps it is for the fans benefit in the long run but so many cannot see it that way.
My only other observation is that I think Wenger lost control of some of his players but definitely respect by these players.it started with Adebayor and bendtner at spurs in the CC, and now nasri is not endearing himself to anyone at Arsenal
Pffff Kelsey you are just an old gossip. 🙂
Hi Kelsey
Is it strange re Bendtner? Bruce rates him (rightly, he’s a much better player than many Gooners ever accepted, though he never really fitted our system), and will get a season from a player he already knows for minimal outlay. Bendtner, I would guess, has higher ambitions than Sunderland and has an eye on moving to a bigger club in 2012, and will use this season as a year-long advertisement for his talents, hoping that he can score shedloads of goals along the way. Suits all concerned, no?
26
I am bemused by this.
“There might be extenuating circumstances, and there can be no certainties when much is in the control of third parties, but the importance of the exercise means the team undertaking player recruitment (Board, manager, negotiators, CEO, scouts) failed.”
You acknowledge extenuating circumstances, like maybe loosing our two most talented midfielders, you acknowledge the control of third parties like Barcelona made clear that they were prepared to wait until the last day of the transfer window and that Na$ri would have been more than happy to let his contract run out completely and yet knowing all this you criticise the negotiating team, what am I missing?
Cheers Kelsey,
Tho my blogging cherry has been popped, as a 26 year old fat ginger, my actual virginity still remains very much in tact!!!
I can see the day when the transfer system falls into line with European Union working arrangements and the transfer fee becomes obsolete – 3 months notice given by the player and off he goes to where ever he wants.
Now, that would be interesting…
On why we didn’t sign, I still find that blog post suggesting a disagreement between Wenger and the board on the type of player to sign, and on the need to break the club’s salary structure to bring in and keep top players quite convincing. That would explain why no action was taken until late, when perhaps some compromise was reached. Maybe the spanking by ManU caused that.
All of our deadline day signings were of the A- / B+ variety, very good players, but not superstars. But within that category, Wenger went out and got players with experience and leadership, and with the exception of Santos, players who are known for their toughness. That is the kind of player that Chelsea (under Morinho) and ManU were/are full of. I suspect that the ‘top, top class’ that Wenger is always talking about will come later.
seems we didn’t quite see the best from Bendtner – foolish words though – no gratitude!!!! Jog on.
Hi Illy, 🙂
I said the other day that I thought your blogname was unusual and reminded me of something Spike Milligan had made up.
Well, here’s the poem he wrote that I referred to.
On the Ning Nang Nong
Where the Cows go Bong!
and the monkeys all say BOO!
There’s a Nong Nang Ning
Where the trees go Ping!
And the tea pots jibber jabber joo.
On the Nong Ning Nang
All the mice go Clang
And you just can’t catch ’em when they do!
So its Ning Nang Nong
Cows go Bong!
Nong Nang Ning
Trees go ping
Nong Ning Nang
The mice go Clang
What a noisy place to belong
is the Ning Nang Ning Nang Nong!!
It must have been the second line!! 🙂
I am in agreement with 26 regarding Bendtner, in as much as I had great hopes for him as a junior, and he played well on loan at Brum.
For the last couple of seasons he has been very disappointing, which has coincided with him seeming to be played on the wing.
I rather hoped a year at S’land would have revived his Arsenal career, but he has put his great big feet right in it now.
Now what is it with this CF going out to the wing nonsense? I had rather hoped that we might get Connor Wickham as I was much taken with his physique (Bendy like) and his skill when I saw him over the last two seasons at Ipswich.
I watched the U21s match last night and he was absolute rubbish, playing …… oh yes, on the wing. Come on you tacticians – tell me how a coach can rationalize that decision – take a promising CF and stick him on the wing?
I know our Henry played on the left wing and came in to the centre very effectively — but he was Thierry — and unique!!
Great post. I’m excited by the new squad. I would have liked Mata but I’m not that bothered about a marquee signing. Cesc never won us anything.
Hi London (re 3.00pm)
My point is: it was a difficult situation for reasons that are known and unknown to us, but it was critical to get the business done early, and failure to meet that need for whatever reason constitutes a failure. Extenuating circumstances or none, this is what these guys get paid for. George Osborne has a very tough job (I’ve never voted Tory, before anyone accuses me of that one!), and there are lots of factors affecting the UK’s economy that are completely beyond his control. But if he fails to guide the UK through the recession safely, he will quite rightly be considered to have been a failure. Same principle (on a much smaller tableau) applies here.
Kelsey
If we hadn’t qualified for the CL we would never had got Arteta money or no money. Would Per or patk have come?
Well bollix to all this pointless navel gazing and trying to stitch together what did or did not happen, as if we mere mortals will ever know.
Who cares at this remove? It’s over and we have what we have and I am content we bought well, in the circumstances.
This blogger is going to watch the Gerries playing Austria tonite and see how my new man gets on. Oops, did I say ‘my’? Our … our new man, the mighty Per!! 🙂
26
Why was it “critical to get the business done early” and why is it a “failure” that that never happend?
This comes from ACLF, it is couple of weeks old but I cannot improve upon it.
“All well and good but knowing that Arsenal have replacements already for Cesc and Nasri would not have driven the selling price up, more likely down. Signing the replacements first sends a signal that deals can be completed for the want-away players. Where is the motivation for increasing offers if Arsenal are ready to sell? Perhaps the purchasing should have been carried out first but in Barcelona’s case there was no guarantee of them being willing or able to meet Arsenal’s demands.”
You are well aware of the advantage Barcelona had of potentially leaving the Fabregas deal to the last day (and for those who don’t, we might have been in a situation of only having a couple of hours to do business in the transfer window) you know to a great extent that the situation was out of our hands and yet you still regard the business that was achived as a faliure. I am confused by your criticism.
Your political reference strikes me as an example of ignoring a global recession but being critical of a govenment for not turning an individual economy around.
@ RA
how did the date go? if i’m not mistaken it was last night wasn’t it?
Goetze would of been one hell of a signing, that boy has soon exceptional talent. It’s a shame really
If Bendtner doesn’t want to come back to Arsenal then good riddance.
FFG. In answer o your 12.37.
I maintain that to be a major club we have to have major name players. They sell shirts, they give a world wide focus to the club which in turn attracts more support.
I you don’t believe me just see how many kids wear Barca shirts with Messi on the back, however sickening that may be!
You are right when you say there are dangers attached to basing the team tactics around one player and I am not suggesting that. What I am trying to say (not very well) is that having such a player is an essential for the forward movement of the club. Yes, they cost more, yes, they affect the wage structure and yes, they are likely to move on when they are feel the grass is greener.
In my opinion all that is worth it if we can have a true football icon. Weren’t you proud when TH was lauded throughout the land?
If Bendtner scores a pot full of goals, and I hope he does) his transfer fee will rocket and it will be AFC who benefit.
Good business by AFC.
@ BR
fair call, but if RVP had a full injury-free season, and JW pressed on they could by all accounts be considered as World Class!
True BR very true.
Raddy, I hope, in your absence earlier, I reflected some of your intent, which does not seem at cross purposes with what you have just written.
By the way, FFG is that FatFingerGooner? 🙂
Oz. Hope so., but good as RvP is , he is not WC. JW and Szczesny may be.
RA. You did my thoughts justice. Thank you.
Raddy that was a very observant thought about nic. by the way having now seen a picture of you in your twenties I can see you modelled your hair on Alan Sunderland 🙂
Kelsey. No, it was Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd upon whom I modelled my style …. as you know, I am no longer able to
and at least I wasn’t auditioning for the Bee Gees 😀
Oz,
I was only kidding about the date. It was a quiet week and I just wanted to have a laugh.
Altho the surprisingly helpful responses were certainly noted down in case my current amour gets bored with me.
My beautiful partner is sadly not a dentist, and does not have a beard, but, if there is a next time, I am going for a marquee romance – dentist, beard, 3 boobies, the whole works. None of this team player stuff …… altho ……. team player does have a certain ring to it! 🙂
It seems the pitch for to nights England game has a lot of gravel embedded in the grass the penalty spot according to twitter is all gravel. Wonder if England’s insurance covers playing on unfit pitches. A sliding tackle or just a fall at speed could slice flesh wide open. Just our luck for Theo to be the one.
RA. Ooh you are naughty
@OllieHoltMirror
Oliver Holt Just walked on to pitch at Vasil Levski Stadium. Patches of gravel everywhere. The penalty spot at one end is gravel. No grass
@henrywinter
Henry Winter For those whose musical tastes embrace Black Sabbath & Whitesnake, I can recommend the Vasil Levski Stadium DJ. Stones on the pitch too
RA, I think its FullFatGooner!
BR, I agree with you to an extent, big players do help with the fan base and merchandising etc, but Arsenal are one of the only clubs in world football that has another way of selling shirts, and that’s our style of play. We are everyone’s second team and arguably the best team to watch in the biggest league in the world. That alone gives us massive selling power worldwide.
Saying that, Henry was one of a kind and gave fans some unbelievable memories. Let’s just hope one of the new crop can do the same. After all, Henry was not a ‘Marquee’ signing when he came to the club.
Its the Daily Mirror Dandan, don’t believe a word of it. Certainly London and I don’t!! 🙂
Well OK, London doesn’t! 🙂
@ RA
haha you had me going there, i told the mrs and all and she duly reminded me to ask haha.
@ BR
i hope for our sake and arsenals that RVP can prove you wrong. Anyone who performs like he did in the second half of the season has the potential to earn that mantle!
FatGingerGooner, 🙂
Steady on — BR might get his ‘finger’ and his ‘ginger’ mixed up, but full fat? Never! 🙂
Anyway, I already told you, if you are a skinny little 17 stone or less, you better be careful because I might sit my sleek, athletic 18 stone on you for implying I am fat too. Bloody cheek! 🙂
In many ways Bendtner reminds me of David Bentley both having egos greater than the sum of their footballing ability.
Bentley’s career had a high potential of taking off if he had been more patient and less egotistical. He had bags of talent which was only exceeded by his ego – look how far his ego has taken him –
all the way to West Ham on loan?
Bendtner has way less talent than Bentley so let’s hope for his sake that his fate turns our better – but somehow I doubt it.
Aslong as Theo wins a pen then I don’t care if he slices his Walcotts open! Only joking, but on a serious note, when did it become the norm for players and fans to care more about their club than the national team? I think it was before my time, but I hear that at one stage playing for your country was the pinnacle of a players career. Surely the reason for this shift can’t just be down to money, can it?
RA. Gor some reason I have always fot my F & G’s mixed up
GN5,
For a second there I thought you were going to complete the quotation, Bentley and Bendy have egos greater than the sum of their parts.
Take the left leg of Bentley and add the right leg of Bendy. Hmmm, then …. take the head of Bendy and stick it up Bentley’s ar…….
No. I think you were right first time, this parts business could get tricky, I have already got Bentley sitting on Bendy’s face and the rest could become arrestable ……. not in Aus of course .. everything there is fair dinkum!! 🙂
Very understandable Raddy.
The golden rule to remember is that there is no effin ginger! And you wion’t go rong! 🙂
How many english players has Wenger signed from the PL.The answer is 4 not including Cambell.name them.
sorry i don’t do poetry. 😉
Lol RA!
U still get a ‘lol’ cos I haven’t the foggiest how to do the smiley face!!!
Btw, I eat 18 stone for breakfast!!!
Interesting news about Celtic being back in the Europa League, they must be well chuffed. Espescially with the lack of funds in the Scottish game these days
Look Kelsey, you have asked two questions and given the answer to one. So that’s 50/50 and I figure we can call that quits. What do you say? 🙂
I agree with Raddy about Arsenal having one or two big name players – its a wish more than a necessity, but we will sell a lot of shirts because we have added a Brazillian, German, Spaniard and a Korean.
I’m not sure how serious we were about signing any of these players for over £25m, Hazard, Goetz, M’Vila etc, but I suspect the wages would have been a stumbling block even if the price offered was right.
FFG
To do a basic smiley type : – ) but joined up and leave a space before and after the smiley characters. Try it 🙂
Sol Campbell, Jeffers, hold on I a’m thinking ….
FGG, there have been 3,000 hits on your post today so far – that’s very good for a friday 🙂 isn’t it RA 😆
Richard Wright
@ FGG
when players started going away to meaningless games and getting injured impacting on our chances of winning trophies.
International matches finished for me when teams started calling the australian team bullies and dirty. One game against Oman resulting in them using the stretcher 11 times, little nudges had them falling over like they’d been hit by a truck. Out comes a stretcher and wow its a miracle they jog back out seconds later!
I hope bendy has a great year so we actually get a good price for him when he’s sold. However i think he is just another ego with no drive to push his game further, i mean as far as hes concerned he’s already WC. A prime example is drenthe (Real not Everton), he had all the promise in the world (linked with us at one stage i believe a feww seasons ago) then he went to real and thought he ‘made it’. unfortunently he rested on his laurels and never got any better as a player, never furfilling that potential
RA, the 5:31 has actually just made me laugh out loud!
Kelsey, Jeffers, sol, taylor,
Richard wright
Theo?
Which reminds me ….. I picked up a copy of Theo’s autobiography and could not stop laughing ….. I must read it one day!!
ermmmm
RA. Was Theo in the PL when signed – I think not.
I’m not sure that what Bendy said was all that bad. I do feel he drew the short straw sometimes being played out wide and I always thought he put in maximum effort when he did get on the pitch.
We know he is very confident (bordering on arrogant, not a bad quality for a striker) so we shoudn’t be surprised by him stating his ambition as Arsenal have clearly tried to sell him.
Upson!?
Sorry i worded the question in a wrong way.
Having just Bought Arteta from within the PL how many other PL players has he bought.You have given the answers.Wright,jeffers and Silvestre.
Fatgingergooner no he didn’t buy Kelsey 🙂
FGG,
You are the only one who has ever laughed at my humor. It must stop!
Actually, I am immured to the Brits disdain for a sweet, innocent Yankees jokes. They think I am really as bad as I sound! You wait until I meet them before the game!! 🙂
does anyone know the status of young jack?
Theo was in the championship with southampton but the infamous richard wright had only been promoted with ipswich the year before we bought him.
Maybe that’s where we gone wrong over the past 6 years Kelsey 🙂 !
Kelsey, no one guessed Silvestre! 🙂
Raddy, yep … that is yes you are right … no, Theo wasn’t in the PL, but it gave me a chance to crack a joke. What do you mean you never noticed?? 🙂
No RA because i said English by mistake. Now will you kindly read the comments first 😉
Kelsey,
You did ask who had he ‘signed’ from the EPL, not who had he ‘bought’, so Campbell falls into that category too. 🙂
Kelsey, you are as tricky as a bag full of Welsh rabbits! 🙂
I’ve read disparaging comments about our new signings on other sites implying that Arteta or Benayoun (or both) are injured – can anyone verify.
kelsey, can we have an update on Jack please – is he still wearing the protective boot?
Hey my 🙂 worked!!!!
Rasp, I have to agree with u on the Bendy thing. I know he is a bit of a tit, but I always got the feeling he could be a decent striker if he got a run of games.
As for the 3000 hits, that’s probably thanks to the title rather than content! Which was your work!!!! 🙂
RA. ARe Welsh rabbits trickier than their European brethren? I know for a fact and through long experience that Welsh women are !!
FGG. No, As fine a copywriter as Rasp is, it was your post that attracted the hits.
Raddy,
From experience, I find them very tasty, and the welsh rarebits aren’t bad either.
The major tricky bit is working out which to have first. I mean what’s the etiquette here?
FGG, the title can help attract more hits, but if it is not representative of, or promises more than the article delivers, you are likely to get unfavourable comments. As you have seen today, the number of quality responses give testament to what a good article it was.
RA. My experience was that if I started with a kiss behind the ear the rest would follow …..
Oz,
I left a comment for you which has disappeared – must have fallen foul of the Rasper.
L’il Jack had a set back but has now been given the green light to start light training. Could be back in a couple of weeks — or the end of the season if the medical team are as accurate as TV’s injury prognosis.
And they have such long furry ears too …. ooh the memories! 🙂
Welsh girls and rabbits eh, don’t you just love em? 🙂
I think a really big name would have helped to settle the fan discontent..but more importantly ensure RVP and others commit themselves to the cause.
That being said Mertsaeker is a biggish name .. my only thouight is he had been linked with us all summer.. why wait til the last day? A panic buy? Did AW really think what we had at CB was sufficient? Same with Arteta and Bennayoun. good players both but it was obvious we were going to lose Cesc and Nasri..why wait. We could have got Mata early in the summer.
It could be he really rates Frimpong..I certainly am excited by his play..maybe we dont need a bustling attacking midfielder but a more languid passer like Arteta. Anyway..we will know by Xmas and I am encouraged. Champions ..no chance MC are too strong for anyone in my mind..but we should be able to squeeze into
3rd or 4th.. but will Chelsea or Liverpool be 5th.. ???.
I did 😀
I understand both Arteta and Bennayoun are fit. I also echo those in support of Nic B. I would have loved to see him get an extended run as a true front man. He certainly was no winger!!!
Neamman. See London 4.43
Are you somewhere warm? I can never keep up!
Lampard dropped, it’s only taken 86 caps to get to this point!!!!
Walcott starts on the wing. I hope he gets some starts down the middle for us this year cos that is definitely his most effective position.
As for the Welsh rarebits, it’s the bushy tail that does it for me!!!!
Incidentally, no-one picked up on Santos’ goalscoring record that I highlighted the other day – better than 1 goal in 5 at club and international level, that is phenomenal for a wing back.
A’Hole’s record is 1 in 30 for chelski and 0 in 89 for England.
Interesting news about Celtic being back in the Europa League, they must be well chuffed. Espescially with the lack of funds in the Scottish game these days>>>>>>>
I am so happy over that.
Celtic in the Europa league should guarantee Rangers the championship!!!
Thanks neamman, I expect Arteta to start against Swansea then and thank goodness Nik will not be playing against us in the prem as he would be determined to show us what we had missed out on.
Personally I’d much rather we’d kept Nik and let Chamakh go, but the fact that one is brimming with confidence and the othere bereft explains why it has happened this way round.
Rasp. I canot decide if his goal scoring is a positive. I am hoping for a team based upon a solid and dependable defence. Such a high goal scoring record indicates a propensity to attack that doesn’t fit this model.
and what is wrong with Welsh women, RA (be careful how you answer)
I love em Kelsey, and the rabbits too. look you! 🙂
Rasper,
I agree with you. Given the choice between barmy Bendy ( I am the best forward in the world) and Chamakh ( I am a wilting flower), I would plump for Bendy.
Sorry for not picking up on your comment about the goal scoring prowess of Santos ….. it’s probably because we picked up on the previous 3 bloggers who made that point!! 🙂
Just kidding Raspy.
Got to go and watch footie now! 🙂
I agree Raddy, apparently his greatest asset is in going forward (he is Brazillian after all), but hopefully he’ll have a left sided midfielder in front of him who will help out more defensively.
I thought all women could use Rabbits, not just the Welsh? 😳
Rasp,
how many more comments must i post to improve the hit rate so FGG writes another one 🙂
My wife is reading all these comments between feeding the hounds.
Santos
One goal in five…………..impressive
Kelsey, my writing days are over I’m afraid.
Who was it that said always leave em wanting more!?
Can I just take this moment to try and find out why Chamakh gets so much grief from Arsen fans. The first 10 games he started for us he was brilliant. He scored goals and his link up play was second to none. Now as far as I’m concerned, his downfall in the second half if the season was due to an inability to keep pace with the EPL, but if RVP had not got injured then I’m sure AW would have introduced MC a little at a time, thus giving the lad more of a chance to prove his worth. If he can get his confidence back, then he could be a great asset for us this year.
Parker, 31, defensive minded, decent 8m
Arteta, 30ish, flair player, undoubted ability, 10m
Not a tough choice really.
By the way, why all the disdain I’m finding around the blogosphere for Yossi Benayoun? I think he is a quality player — very quick, very creative, good passer, good dribbler and even has a good shot. If Chelsea couldn’t appreciate him, that would seem to be their problem. I really think he might score and create some key goals for us this year. In fact, I think it was something of a coup to pick him up in addition to Arteta.
Totally agree CA, he has the uncanny ability to arrive in the box and score goals. He’s got great feet and can unlock defences, I hope he gets some games cos will definitely score and create goals for us. My only worry is with his fitness. It’s been 2 years since he got a decent run, let’s just hope he’s still got it.
Big Raddy
I am in Canada for the next few months, a bad back and I have to stay here also for tax and health plan reasons.
Evening all – FGG I hope you realise you are know another potential victim when Peachy comes looking for a post !
Well played sir.
It hadn’t occurred to me about the timing of runs by our midfielders being the reason why there is never(often enough) anyone in the box when we do cross the ball in.
I put it down to the GPS in the players tops that stopped the midfielders from entering the penalty area. 🙂
Like you I feel a lot better about the coming season than I did on Monday, Wenger has changed his approach and for that reason I expect a different style of Arsenal play and attitude this season.
and another thing why is arse.com showing 2 number 11’s(Santos & Vela) on the first team players page ?
and finally have we submitted our 25 man squad list for this season ? I thought it had to be in today.
Here’s a recent twitter gem from joey barton
“My team would be Hart, Smalling, Jones, Cahill, A.Cole, Wilshere, Barton, Young, Downing, Gerrard, Rooney. #worldbeaters”
I didn’t know Warren Barton had made a comeback as a central midfield player! What a deluded fool Joey Barton is!
RvP scores 4 times tonight. Who said he is not World Class? Okay, it was against San Marino, fair enough 😛
Kelsey, re your signings from the PL question: Gallas?
And Total, 11-0 is just impolite!
26. Sorry to remove your comment . It is the subject of my post for tomorrows – it being a non-AFC weekend.
26. Synchronicity – what can you do?
Night All.
Raddy, I was just about to get all conspiracy theory! No worries though. But do we know what the situation with Vermaelen is?
Hmmm I’m sure i posted early this morning it must not have gone through as I have just read all comments and i’m not there.
Not much to add but great deyboo FGG, also the best line i’ve read for a while.
” as cover for Gibbs whilst his bones and muscles find a way to get along” 😀
Thanks for the links to those Park goals Chas, two towering headers and a pile driver from the edge of the box…..it was only the Lebanon tho……although Rooney obviously destroyed the rock solid Bulgarian team single handedly tonight 😉 Well thats how the doubters will see it anyway.
26, I know, highest Holland win ever! All four van Persie’s goals were taken inside the box – he was a proper fox in the box tonight.
Ramsey scored a good and important goal today as well. Will be good for his confidence.
@ GiE
although against lebanon that piledriver has brilliant, and hopefully he can replicate that sort of striking ability at arsenal.
@ RA
cheers for the update on young jack, lets hope its sooner rather than later. With arsenals medical team if he comes back any earlier than feb i’ll be plesantly surprised
Morning – good news about RvP, but what about my boy Park – he had a sublime hattrick against Lebanon!!!
MC did not score
Morning all,
New post ………