So given that Ben Arfa looks set to fill the left wing slot and Nasri is looking good for Hleb’s spot, who will it be for Flamini’s role?
I think Barry won’t be coming, Johnson is too young so could it be Veloso or Alberto Aquilani? I hope it will be Veloso, he can offer us more and should be the one.
Wenger has said he will sign experience and talent, and from the above, we tick the right boxes, I also think he will do it within two weeks and it will be before the Euros, all that then remains will be the centre back, and I really have no idea, but with Veloso, we’ll have the options.
I read that Toure is unhappy with the Gallas situation, but I have to say, I don’t believe it, Toure is not that kind of player.
All I can say, is if we do sign two from the list, we’ll be stronger and better equipped than this season, so bring it on Arsene.
I so want this sorted out and quick, so Arsene, go for it, we’re all getting excited.
I’m in Pinehurst playing golf this week, so today’s blog is the first transatlantic gig. It’s been a great few days blogging Grovers, so keep it up, I’ll be watching!
getting banged up is an appropriate peice of terminology there pdero, regularly and forcefully i woudl imagine for a period of 6 months,
euro speculation diets top gear the usual
best bit of news is about cashley being injured however
Top Scorer at Euros…. RvP (if he stays fit).
yeah just saw that on sky news chris, cant say im dissapointed for the cnut!
choy top scorer will be dutch hunteleer or van horse face.
Sorry cahps…. rude of me….. Good evening from sunny CPH
The news feed is so dead, this mornings story is still on it!
i would’ve thought eduardo would be up there but unfortunately… i think i’ll have to go with rvp.
and top assists to cesc of course!
At least Joey can be closer to his cousin for a few months…
So, nothing new at all… nothing!
This must be the calm before the storm?
I still have no idea regarding a centre back…
I also have no idea who i’d prefer… Nasri or Arfa?
I guess you’ve already been over this today!
Actually Torres is a god call. Spain are sure to progress, whereas Holland may not.
Some interesting stuff as usual on the blog. Transfer speculation is a sport and the only thing that’ll keep me going until my summer hols (apart from the Euros).
I have tried the Cesc show feed and it doesn’t load out of the UK. So….. Chris…… pretty please….
Evening Big R.
Pedro the Nasri story has been gathering momentum all day and I get the feeling an announcement will be made in the next 48 hours if it’s def for real.
choy i dont think the spaniards will be in long enuff for any of their players to score that many. let’s be honest they enevr get past the quarters do they?!
The italian strikers might be worth a punt too!
i hope we get both of nasri and arfa… and a monster CB who would scare even his own team mates!!!
italians.. nah.. i would think that they would keep the most clean sheets though… the art of defense!!
and through all this no one has thought to mention the french strikers!!
TH14, and all the ones weve been linked with recently!!!
Luca Toni has been banging them in for BM. He could do well.
I still think we need a DM to replace Flam, preferably a big man with a good engine. Diarra of Real looks special but they won’t sell him. Maybe Yaya but the same problem.
I was going to write that I was surprised no-one emerged from the ANC, but some-one did, & he plays for Arsenal !! We have to try Song in the DM position. Find out if he can step up to the EPL.
Evening Odub….
th14 plays in a funny role with the french team..
i think the midfield will determine which team will score the most…
who will be in the middle for france?
flamini and diarra?
Trez didn’t make the squad did he?
Thierry + Benzema? I am a bit out of touch with the Euro squads!
Huntelaar would be a good punt…
The italians wouldn’t have injected much into their squad since the world cup… I sense a milan like fall this summer!
huntelaar will be top scorer… im backing the dutch!!
remember wneger said he’ll play vela as a forward not a winger so we’re gonna end up short again if we dont replace hleb
no chance choy!! Vieira,makelele alou diarra and Toulalan start ahead of them 2.
the french have a great squad.. wish arsenal had a squad like that…
just look at the strikers they have >> benzema henry trezeguet anelka to name a few…
will we be seeing nasri at the Euro’s?
Lets hope Arsenal announce a big signing tomorrow or thursday to take the spotlight away from the CL!! Its unlikely but seems a good ploy to me or maybe I’m just back to dreaming again.
The French have an imbecile as a mananger. They will not make the semi’s.
Spain, Portugal, Italy and the Krauts
Right GMR. I am so pissed that two of my top 3 most hated teams in any sport, in the world, are in the Final.
May they both lose…….
Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Hatem Ben Arfa (Lyon), Karim Benzema (Lyon), Sidney Govou (Lyon), Djibril Cisse (Marseille), Samir Nasri (Marseille), Bafetimbi Gomis (St Etienne), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Florent Malouda (Chelsea), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich).
fantastic options to have, Big Raddy’s right though the manger’s an idiot.
that is some attacking line up !! & no Trez !
Big Raddy, you won’t get any disagreement from me however my support is 100% behind Man Utd in this game for a few reasons.
1) Chelski are utter scum & illegally tapped up Cole, then got the media to paint Arsenal as the bad guys for reporting them.
2) Cole, I couldn’t bear to see that cu*ts face celebrating a win in probably the best competition going.
3) Abramovich, again another face I couldn’t bear seeing, especially as he’d be so smug winning it in his homeland.
4) I don’t want Chelski winning this cup & I want Arsenal to be the first London club to win it, can you inagine how unbearable the chelski fans would be if they won it before us.
5) Chelski themselves because I detest everything they are & everything they stand for.
I hate man utd but I respect them. Ferguson is a great manager & as a club they have made themselves successful. They may have massive debts now but that wasn’t due to poor management by them in the first place, its purely down to a greedy american!!
So I’ve just read a story about Pat Rice stepping down in the summer? It has no source… but apparently his wife is sick?
That would be bad news wouldn’t it…
big raddy
downloaded the cesc show in about 40 mins it has taken 6 hours to get it on to goolge video and it still hasnt been processed,
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7923594413165991047&hl=en
thats the links but it aint showing yet,
odub said earlier it is viewable via nike football put i suspect it is uk only
i have eth torrent for teh whole thing if that means anything to you
Fair point , well made about MU. And they have played the best football this year (apart from our early run).
OK, I will be sporting red and white tomorrow evening.
Pat Rice ? This is news. I am not sure how I feel about it. Obviously sad should he have a sick wife, but for the club ? We could use a fresh input in the coaching of the team. I felt we suffered from having a lack of cohesion between the midfield and the defence. Whether that was down to him is questionable. He has been a stalwart of the club, and I hope the report is not true.
thanks Chris. I will check tomorrow a.m. to see if it has prcessed.
Very kind of you to put in so much work. I owe you a beer (UK prices – not Dansk)
Guys, reports are coming in that Pat ‘the main man’ Rice is departing and Tony Adams is coming in – shit, Pat is a true legend and i will be real sad if this is true……………………..
its on Goonertalk – not sure if this site is a good one, but sounds as if it is not pure speculation….
Bloody picture!!!!
I read the same story guys. Is this the same site that said Flamini was staying becuase he told one of there mates at a presentation?
Pat Rice wont quit.
Hey Rico… is that a guinea pig in a subbutteo goal?
Top effort!
Yo Pedro, it is indeed – that is why i was so excited, is she cute or what….
Chris did suggest she would be good in a pitta with homous, and i got real spikey, but then he told me he was being a tinker – mme, from a veggie aswell, can you believe he could be such a bad one….
That is your own pet? Well played… it is quite cute, and I say that in a gruff manly tone.
Chris is a veggie? I thought that went out of fashion years ago!
Raddy, it is ManU all the way… Cashley lifting the champions league? It would be too much for me to take…
We are in the process of getting a five a side goal in the garden Pedro, we have four and they each so much the goal needs to be bigger……. Watch out Almunia, you have serious competion for the place betweenthe posts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do you know, i have never been the proud owner of such a group of kind, gentle, very bloody clever little animals in my life, its like keeping four puppies/kittens who never age. They are so clever, open the fridge – squeak, chopping knife out the drawer, squeak, tap runs – squeak, bag of veg out the fridge – squeak….. hay bag out and they go mad…………… anyway, all the family love them and so do i….
Anyway, enuf of me being soft, back to football….. or lack of it!!!!
there’s someone we’ve taken on trial…
some 20 reserves/youth are being replaced.. and i think that’s that…
Has anyone read the latest article on goona talk aparentally Pat Rice’s Wife is ill and he could be stepping down as Wenger’s no 2 to take time to care for her.
If it is the case i wish him all the best (what a guy) but Big Tone as number 2 I’ve been an arsenal fan my whole life and i had the utmost respect of Big Tone as a player but, i don’t think Tony has enough up top to take Pat Rice’s place as no 2 to Wenger.
I would love to have him onboard somewhere within the coaching team and think he would be an asset to our defense, his motavational skills would come in handy for geeing the lads up. But personally i don’t think he would cut it in management
jondagooner – saw and reported this earlier but didnt realise his wife was ill, and thats is why he needs time out….
Pat Rice, if you read thi blog…………..
Be strong, may the Lord give your wife strenghth to overcome her illness.. You and your family will be in our thoughts and hearts, and you both do as you have always done for our club, and that is…
Never give up Pat Rice
Thinking of you all
can i invite everyone to watch teh eurovision semi and observe the irish entry,
it is a singing puppet, some of you may remember zig and zag on channel 4 or the bronkes bunny on paramount, he use to be a side kick of theirs, may not be to evryones humour but id regret not mentioning it to you if it is as funny as i expect it to be!
youtube it otherwise when you have time
fashion, veggie, screw you hippy!!
jondagooner, are you serious? Tony Adams w’ont cut it as no2!!!!!
Portsmouth had just won the FA cup & had a very good away record in the prem mainly down their defensive eficency, it’s lot to do with Adams!
Big Tone will be just what the doctor orderded i say.
p.s I wish Pat Rice’s wife a speedy recovery, all the best!
I do think Tony would have something to offer the club but think if Pat does go then we should bring in someone to be groomed as Wenger’s eventual successor as No 2.
Big Tone would offer motivation and i think he would help bring the team together and give us a bit of old fashioned grit and fight, i just don’t think he’s cut out to deal with the day to day running of things at the club.
Tony could do the above from anywhere in the coaching setup maybe DB10 would be more suitable as No2.
DB10 is gonna pair up with Van Basten at Ajax though
Yeah just an example
Maybe Keown?
jondagoona, what do you mean he’s not cut out to deal with the day to day running of things at the club?
That’s the manager’s job not the no2!
DB10 will be the future manager methinks!!
but he’s afraid of air travel isn’t he?
keown would belt all the ref’s that give wrong decisions against us and that will be quite a few.. too hot headed!!!
abdenor if you read my post, you would notice it reads-
I do think Tony would have something to offer the club but think if Pat does go then we should bring in someone to be groomed as Wenger’s eventual successor …. …. ….
Spot on choy DB10 would be the one
Could be right about Keown lol
My prediction for the future manager of Arsenal…
DB10 and Van Basten!
Tony Adams may have a degree now, but he is thick as pig shit… lets not forget that.
Not that you need to be a brain surgeon to be a manager… I just don’t think he is manager material. He reminds me of O’leary… I real fucking know all…
Keown is pretty sharp… I’ve met him before, he seems quite smart.
what position did wenger play in ? when he was a footballer?
Right back I think?
Whilst i agree TA is not really manager material however i feel that we are too big a club to be grooming our next manager under Wenger’s wings, we should only focus on the curent setup, if we fail then obviously changes will be made.
As much as i admired Bergkamp as a footballer, i’d like to see him having a bit of experience & success as a manager first before taking over from AW otherwise it will be a big gamble!
I think ‘grooming a successor’ is a term coined by the media… who really does that these days?
TA doesn’t have the experience to takeover at Arsenal, it would be an emotional choice… similar to Newcastle and Keegan (Or shearer as they proposed!).
Giles Grimondi, would he be the no 2 (lucosade holder) . Wenger loves him.
Perhaps Wenger don’t need a no 2, then he can have every job at the club from chairman to ball boy.
Was Weller any good last night Pedro?
I can see your point, maybe grooming our next manager was a bad choice of words. just a a quick disclaimer i am not one of these arsene knows Pocket arsene fans.
I do however think that this could be an exceptional case as i think wenger has a hell of a lot of knowledge to pass on and i think it would be a waste not to have someone like minded to carry on what wenger has stated with the club from the youth setup to the scouting network and the way we play the game.
Gilles would be a powerful number two… He was responsilbe for the greatest moment at the emirates yet…
http://youtube.com/watch?v=PtidXpWaVVM&feature=related
Weller was brilliant. I am quite into music but I’ve never really listened to much of his stuff. I wasn’t sure what to expect… I was pleasantly surprised though! He played the old sky sports theme tune!
I wasn’t having a dig at you Jondagoona!
If Wenger was to train someone up… I’d like it to be DB!
I wonder if Arsene would be involved in his successors appointment?
how good is this aquilani
senderos linked with juventus!
http://www.fansfc.com/arsenalfootballclub/news.asp?newsid=185354
Anyone heard of this guy?
http://www.oleole.com/blogs/columnists/posts/arsenal-to-sign-gibran
Ha ha , that Grimandi tackle will live long in the memory, shouldn’t let the Spuds scum score, well played Gilles!
Rocky… it’s a spoof right?
a bid for senderos from juventus!!
5 mill
double post.. my bad
It’s the smile that makes it for me. (Grimondi)
Theres some nice guys on the blog just read the Paddy Rice stuff respect to you lads. Don’t think many big clubs do it the Arsenal way.
TAKE IT!
Offer Eboue as a sweetener…
What do you mean David?
Champagne Lager on Gordon Ramsays show!
I’ve been champing that for a while!
Sounds like a realistic Arsenal target
The DB10 Testimonial, the Ray Kennedy game with Liverpool , Rockys lad as the mascot, Geordie Armstrong, Stevie Bould, Brady Pat Rice it’s like a big family that I don’t think any other club has.
Spurs do the same with managers then sack them within the year.
Wenger was a center back Pedro, take the money for Senderos, and don’t ask why!
and another day comes to an end… hope we have some good news tomorrow…
good night people
Samir Nasri To Join Arsenal Later Today !
http://youngguns.wordpress.com/2008/05/20/lequipe-samir-nasri-to-join-arsenal-later-today/
Apparently Nasri is signing today. L’equipe say he is flying in this morning to have talks & do a medical at the training ground before going to the Emirates for pictures so Arsenal can put it on the website. Then he is flying back to the French training camp at 7.30pm.
Usually I don’t take much notice of this stuff but considering they seem to know the exact sequence seems to suggest they know something!!
Would be good to get an early signing. If only to watch him in the Euro’s. The word seems to be that this guy is very good, plus we have lost 2 Frenchies recently and only signed one, so we need to top up.
Morning all – bet this Nasri deal gets cofirmed today, the boss wants to brighten us all up knowing that we know we should have been in Moscow…..
Have you heard that Cashley was crocked in training yesterday and a big doubt for tonight……
Come on ref, make have a howler, and let that be the talkd on this farce of a final
makelele superstar
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1188273.ece
gotta love karma
if cahley whore misses the final, i will personally be setting up a website in order to gain public backing in giving claude the freedom of islington
love it
i will never detest a player for the rest of my life as much as i have/do detest the cunt cole.
i am excited today – have a feeling about today, the sun is shining, speculation is at fever pitch and cant wait for todays blog and all our views – god, i need to get out more………….
Morning all, saw this on L’equipe’s site, and translated on line, not great but you get the drift…
Information THE Equipe: Samir Nasri will play Arsenal the next season. The young formed leader to the OM even could sign his contract in favor of the Gunners before rediscovering the team of France to Clairefontaine, this Wednesday to 19h30, the moment will begin the gathering of the Blue ones preceding the Euro.
The two clubs, Marseilles and Arsenal, would have come to an agreement on a compensation of transfer of 15 million Euros, reveals THE Equipe. Nasri, of which the season was marked by several physical pips, notably a viral meningitis, had extended his contract up to 2012 with the underlying idea to allow his formative club to pocket a beautiful compensation of transfer.
It there will have passed four seasons, discover the League of the champions, the team of France, won the title of better hope of L1 in 2007. To twenty years, the career of the one that the Real Madrid considered a year ago as the new Zidane will quicken.
” Nasri will be Gunner”, information to discover Wednesday in THE Equipe, page 8.
Anyone wgo can translate from french, feel free to see site below
http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2008/20080521_001506_nasri-arsenal-c-est-boucle_Dev.html
Morning all.
Odup…. I have read the article carefully and what you have missed is the main points of L’Equipe’s exclusive and that is ….
1. That Sp*rs are shite
2. Ashley Cole is a deeply unpleasant human being.
Though I have to admit my French is not as good as it used to be !!
i am being bit greedy but i think we deserve it
imagine
nasri and ben arfa in a double swoop for wenger
both signed for an undisclosed fee
NEW POST!!!
Big Raddy your french’s obviously better than mine because I could have sworn I saw the word cnut not too far from cashley’s name!!
Highlight of the week so far, the Claude Makelele tackle yesterday!! Plus the reaction from Andy Gray and Redknapp!! Ha ha!!
I would be happier with Nasri and Ya Ya. We need some muscle in front of the defence. Perhaps GS can last another season, but he is very much a stopgap.
Gray/Redknapp’s raction was… ?