We’re going to spend a BILLION!

by & filed under Uncategorized.

How boring is all this money getting?

I said it a couple of years ago… there will only ever be one Chelsea in my opinion… there will only ever be one team who can buy there way to success in the fashion Abramovich did because he was the first.

I’ve just read the headline about Pompey using Maradona to lure Aguerro, Eto’o, Villa and Silva… apparently he is the going to quit his Argentina post and head to Portsmouth.

Firstly… Maradona, a gun totting coke head from Argentina… ambassador for a Premiership team? For me, that would be the corporate equivalent of making Fred West the face of Marks & Spencers… Pompey are making a mockery of the word! Secondly… what sort of man turns his back on his nation (David Bentley aside)? Thirdly… what type of player is going to go and play on the South Coast in that tin pot stadium for a club with no history? It’s getting ridiculous now… there is so much money in the game at the moment, it almost neutralises itself.

Mike Skinner wrote these lyrics,

When you’re a famous boy
It gets really easy to get girls
It’s all so easy you get a bit spoilt
So when you try to pull a girl
Who is also famous too
It feels just like when you wasn’t famous

I feel like Portsmouth are going to get similar treatment… I can just imagine Al Fahim walking into the Premiership Chairman’s Gala dinner, dressed in a white suite, bottle of Cristal in one hand, a wodge of fifties in the other, a necklace with a spinning diamonte Portsmouth crest round his neck surrounded by a bevy of blonde beauties… hoping to be acknowledged… only to be told to leave at the door…

‘Sorry Al, you’re so 2007… piss off.’

How to win friends and influence people.

New Chairman get up.

Being a billionaire is only cool when you’re the only one… Admittedly, you still need to spend to keep up with the Jones’s, or the Sheiks… but if you want to compete in the top four… I’d guess you’d be looking at spending at least £500million before you could get close. I think the point about Arsenal spending some money is that we don’t need to spend a tremendous amount to challenge for the league… and it seems stupid to compromise a top 4 space over £20million… but I honestly think that even with all Cities flashness in the transfer market this summer, I still think they will struggle to make the top 6. I mean look at Madrid… £300million+ talent on display the other night and they only just managed to beat Shamrock Rovers! Money buys you great players… it doesn’t bind them.

Hopefully UEFA will be able to do something useful and push through their proposals to force clubs to live off their own means.

So following on from Geoff’s post yesterday, I am starting to believe… I had a bad start to the week… I was a little disappointed to read that we wouldn’t reinforce in the middle of the park… but you get over these things… you get that bug back after watching your first full game and then you have no choice… Faith or a damn miserable year! I am extremely excited about the new season… Diaby looked great the other night, and maybe his presence in the midfield is the reason Wenger hasn’t bought in the middle? Rambo looked fantastic… he is quite powerfully built already and Nik Bendtner looks like he could be in for a good year.

If Wenger can rectify the ridiculous problem we have from high balls and we can concede less goals this year, we could be a genuine threat from the off. That really is what it’s all about for Arsenal… when I read people talking about anything other than winning the league, I pity them… if that is what is acceptable to you as an Arsenal fan, I really feel for you… Thierry quite rightly points out,

‘What I know about Arsenal from my time there was not about finishing in the top four — it was about winning the league.’

Nice to see Thierry is part of the ‘I want it now’ generation.

If the fans start accepting second best, or fourth best… what will the players think? Lets not worry about how they feel when they receive criticism… because if winning didn’t run through the fans veins, would the players want to be there? I feel like there is a section of the fan base who probably champion kids sports days where there are no winners… you know the type.

'It's the taking part dear...'

'It's the taking part dear...'

Alex Ferguson has taken aim at us early doors… perhaps he sees something threatening about our team? Cashley Cole has taken a break from being a guniea pig at Nokia’s vibrating ringtone R+D department, specifically to wish bad things upon us… Cashers, stick to vomiting over two bob slag hairdressers in the back of cabs… I sit here safe in the knowledge that for all your money… you’ll never be happy, because no one likes you… that’s a hard thing to stomach, especially when the fame dries up.

So to sum up… We’ve got most of our players back from injury, the most exciting player in the Premiership on our books, we’ve just done the best bit of business in our history, we have a new leader in at centre back… and a group of players who are about to peak… oh, and did I tell you if things stay the same we’re about £26million up on the summer…

Exciting times or what?

P.S. If you clicked the link and just read this post, signing up to our fantasy league is legally compulsory… also, you may have read this new book out that suggests the best way to lead a healthy and fulfilling life is to sign up to everything I tell you to, so here goes:

We have Twitter, Facebook, the mailing list and a handy RSS Feed.

If you haven’t already, please do check out the two excellent guest post by regulars David and Duke.

Last but not least, here is a picture of our roving reporter; Bud, papping Ken Friar. Ken you’re a legend, Bud… your cheque is in the post!

Mr Ken Friar!

Mr Ken Friar!

BREAKING NEWS: Liverpool have just announced two new Italian signings in the last hours. It’s believed the £25million pair will fit nicely into Rafa’s style of play and hopefully kick them on to title glory. Their names? Nikmota and Robbatelli.

… I am to humour what Jesus is to Christians.

Have a great Friday!

864 Responses to “We’re going to spend a BILLION!”

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  1. leon

    who knows song,delinson may suprise use all i know song suprised me,still some imrovment to made in know alot fans think song,delinson,and daiby will never get any better but i am optimist i think all 3 will improve,not ready yet but if wenger cant find top player ,i feel delinson song can step up if the team defend as a team but that involve wenger have change that defence.no one is comming in until wenger sells some players in defence. as for a striker i think wenger will get someone but the way arsenal play they will always create and score alot of goals,evon without ade,edwardo,and risisky the team still scored just 2 goals less than manu.i think its time fans but some in wenger he may not buy as many players as we would like but when he does most them have been real gems

  2. TopGoon

    I think that we have the core of a good team. Like in the 08 season, if it wasnt for that stupid penalty decision against Birmingham, I think we would have won it

  3. Pedro

    haha, I can’t believe he’s nicked my name!

    TAIG, I doubt we will… Savage from ALbania I reckon…

  4. Pedro

    He’s 27… been playing in France since a youngster and the best he could do was Sunderland… I think he’ll be very average… and a bit dirty…

    Lets have a Peroni on it…!

  5. Bernard Baines

    i just read that this cana bloke you mention all the time has gone to sunderland for 5 million. i hope we didn’t miss a trick on that one. . .

  6. A

    Yeah I could pedro – he’s done it a few times, was also like the goal song scored towards the end of the season!

    yaya is absolutely class though, i’d love us to sign him

  7. A

    Wouldn’t say most difficult part of the season Pat!

    It’s from feb 22nd to 8th march this year, and think they go either one or two weeks before it?

    Worst thing is missing first knockout round of champs league, but hopefully we’ll be playing someone shite. After that it’d be travelling after FA Cup 5th round if it’s two weeks, so missing home to sunderland, away to stoke, and home to burnley. Really isn’t a massive deal….

  8. leon

    pedro

    he is class player no dought but we lose in african nations both him and song,whom ever gets if he does find a player it will not be african player,i just which we just needed a winger it much easier,right now there are very few dm players but there a few around

  9. A

    actually it’s 20-31st january, so players would miss a few hard games – no chance of an african player coming in at dm!

  10. A

    “lost Cana” david?! we were never ever interested in him! Matuidi is the one I really want, if eboue, senderos, and kolo then that’ll be departures done so Wenger can get going with finalising matuidi and a centre back!

  11. David

    Eboue is essential to our RB position…I think Sagna played way too many games for us last season as is….Senderos looked ok but like Kolo i wont be so sad to see them leave….but i hope youre right A,

    I think we get a DM and a new CB now…and a striker in January.

  12. A

    Nah David – by January Eduardo will be flying at full pelt, along with VP, Bendy, Arshavin, and Theo, and Vela will have started to really push them having scored a fair few as well, won’t be any room for a striker by then!

  13. David

    If theo plays at right wing and the inevitable injury hits…I think we will A…but We’ve got difficult games coming up to start the season…which is why its worrying the transfer zone is quiet.

  14. Ray in SF

    In the spirit of joke-Friday…

    I followed the earlier link to Foriegner’s Love Stinks and saw Bonnie Tyler in the sidebar

    here’s some dialogs using Bonnie Tyler single’s titles

    Fan: “How’s the off-season going?”
    AW: “IT’S A HEARTACHE!”
    Fan: “How so?”
    AW: “I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR.”
    Fan: “What’s that?”
    AW: “I’M HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO.”
    Fan: “And where do you think you’ll find him?”
    AW: “LOST IN FRANCE

    Flamini; “TAKE ME BACK
    AW: “No.”
    Flamini: “I’M RIGHT HERE WAITING.”
    AW: “No.”
    Flamini: “CALL ME.”
    AW: “SAY GOODBYE!”

    Fan: “Hangeland? Matuida? Huntelaar?
    AW: “2 OUT OF THREE AIN’T BAD.”

    Fan: “Why not Huntelaar?”
    AW: “MY GUNS ARE LOADED.”

    Fan: “What did you say to Denilson?”
    AW: “WHERE WERE YOU?”

    Fan: “What did you say to Arshavin?”
    AW: “RUN, RUN, RUN.”

    Fan: “Why do you play Eboue?”
    AW: “SWEET (love) CHILD OF MINE.”

    Fan: “What advice did you give Vermaellen.”
    AW: “LEARN TO FLY.”

    Fan: “Remember the Invincible’s.”
    AW: “THOSE WERE THE DAYS.”

    Fan: “What did you say before coming to Arsenal?”
    AW: “SAYANORA TOKYO.”

    Fan: “What will you say if we trophy-less again this year?”
    AW: “GOODBYE TO THE ISLAND.”

  15. Stu

    A, this whole Matuidi love fest. It aint happening fella. The only link we have had with him is the SSN fuck up. Other than that its nothing.

    It seems that if anything Cana was more likely to join.

  16. leon

    david

    the melo deal was crazy eboue plus 15 mill at least did not may sense as for diarriaand matiudi,i dont think matuidi is much than song,anyway we have been linked to this player for while and wenger had never gone for him

  17. A

    Where does that come from Stu?! There were no links with Cana whatsoever, with Matuidi there was sky reporting that he was in London talking with us, and at the training ground etc, interviews with the St Etienne President from last season saying we’d enquired but he was gonna stay for a year then reassess things the following summer, which is now, and there was an interview where Matuidi before he was reported to be in London, where he said that there’d been contact with Arsenal, but he couldn’t say any more yet.

    With Cana there was a youtube video that some bloggers watched and decided he was awesome because of, and therefore we should sign him!

  18. A

    The only thing that the Matuidi story lacks is the constant media speculation, which is very weird considering all the stuff they have to use to work with!

  19. Ray in SF

    David don’t think of it as losing Melo, Cana, M.Diarra think of it as having them on the team but injured

    (a spiteful reference to a fit Rosicky and Eduardo being new signings?)

  20. Stu

    I mean this summer, not last. So far this summer we haven’t had much reason to believe that we are after him. As you yourself said before the SSN thing came out of nowhere, noone else ran with it and everything has dried up since.

    Im all for adding to the squad etc but Matuidi doesnt seem very likely. No more so that most other players…unfortunately.

  21. Stu

    IMO going by the asking price we were never going to get Melo and we were never after Cana either so we didnt really lose out on them.

    Its not like last summer when we apparently had bids for Alonso, Inler and Yaya turned down.

  22. A

    Yeah this summer there was the SSN thing, and Matuidi’s comments saying there had been contact, but that was it. There’s still been more with him than there ever was with Cana, as there was precisely nothing with him, but I agree still not convinced Matuidi will happen, though dunno who else would, still he’s the only person there’s been anything about.

  23. leon

    stu

    most of the dm players i dought are that good or would fit in well to the team, i feel we want a player who can realy command the midfield not just be tough tackeler,someone who i think delinson,song,diaby and the other young midfielders can laern from.and because wenger feel s that these will be rady within next 2 seasons wenger will not be willing go another upcomming player but the player must have alot more experienced he must top top class i think wenger will be willing to top doller but only the right player not just any player and i see this matuidi player has a top top player

  24. TopGoon

    Leon, thats why I think that Toulalan would be a perfect signing for us. He’s quality and has the experience. Only problem is the price. Wenger wouldn’t pay the amount Lyon would ask

  25. Pedro

    I’m chuffed Cana has gone to Sunderland… I don’t think he is good enough for us.

    He might be a thug… and we might need a thug… but for me, he is too obvious.

    It would be like signing Hunter… we’ve spent all year moaning about a striker who is lazy and doesn’t fit out style… now we’re crying out for another in the same mould…

  26. leon

    i keep haering about matuidi player but does make nay sence he 22 and only 5ft 9 what can he add to the team that song,delinosn amd daiby cant that the question people should think about

  27. A

    age is irrelevant leon, matuidi has as much experience as cesc, he’s been a regular since he was a teenager. The main things we’re lacking is an athlete, someone with pace, and power, who will cover alot of ground, and tenacity with a good defensive mind. Matuidi ticks all those boxes. Would rather someone with height too but not a disaster if not

  28. raif

    Exatcly.. thats what im saying.. i never saw the guy play so i have no idea what he was like.

    what im saying is 5mil just says he wasnt anything great.

  29. Stu

    My only knowledge of Matuidi is what i’ve heard on here and when i bought him in pro evo for ac Milan and i think i rotated him with a suprisingly brilliant Denilson. ;)

    But to me Matuidi sounds like Anderson. Leftie with loads of energy and running, no height.
    But im assuming Mat is a tad more defensive and less of a massive cunt.

  30. Pedro

    Haha, he is a cunt GM…

    Leon, I don’t know why people keep making reference to Song and Denilson being the same age as Matiudi…

    It makes no difference if he is a better player!

  31. gunnergetyou

    Ok im a little late on my daily dose of arsenal news, just heard the news about cana. this is the same guy that recently said he would only leave for a big club with a chance of winning silverware, and why were Marseille willing to sell their captain for £5m (chump change), im not convinced he’s the real deal. As for steve bruce i think he goes after every cheap player who is linked with us

  32. Stu

    Marseille, or rather DD, wanted shot of Cana for some reason.
    I bet Wenger rang FatHead up and told him abut Cana, like he does with a lot of Bruces players.

  33. leon

    a

    if was that much of a laeder and that good as dm much much better than song which i dought wenger would have signed him,

  34. Stu

    I would keep Eboue IF ONLY because we dont have another right back in case Sagna is injured. Thats the only reason i would keep him…as cover.

  35. gunnergetyou

    wenger only rejected palacios because we had flamini, Gilberto and a fully fit diaby at the time.
    as for florentina i would tell them that eboue has a 21m buy out clause in his contract, cheeky cunts.

  36. leon

    a

    i trust wenger he knows his team bette far than body else and he must something that we dont because he had.he realy does not get wroung to often

  37. Honest Bill

    Well now we know whaty Wenger doesn’t like to shout too loudly about who he’s chasing in the transfer market. You don’t want to become a scouting network for other clubs. Make them find their own targets. Or tell them you’re interested in shite and then while they’re distracted, quietly go after the bargains.

  38. raif

    Yes he was Shit Stu i remember seeing him play there a few times last season.. and all i can remember was how frustrated i got..

    so No i wouldnt play him there,, i was just Quoting our Dark Lord of the Youth, DARTH-ARSENE

  39. A

    lol – jd’s our worst centre back on the ball, as stu said he was just embarrassing at right back because he can’t pass to save his life and has absolutely no composure, he could NEVER play midfield!!

    leon – wenger might still sign matuidi….

  40. Ray in SF

    Thanks for the link to the player stats

    Pedro is there a similar database for team stats?

    it would be nice to have a resource to do some research

  41. gunnergetyou

    Diaby clearly has more ability than Anderson especially going forward, in wenger could give him some discipline and keep him injury free, then i think he could partner cesc. He also has the odd goal in him

  42. raif

    Diaby… IS RUBBISH.. he cant pass and he cant hold onto the ball. he just scores a decent goal from time to time. plus he has 1 good game in 5. thats Poor..

    the only reason his had so long is that he has a Canny Liking to patrick Viera.

    take that away and he has nothing

  43. gunnergetyou

    diaby’s best performance was against fenerbache, he was awesome, he also ran the show against man united in the league game at the emirates, hopefully theres alot more to come from him this season

  44. raif

    Honest Bill.. Hmm you have a point there. i remember standing in the stands at the emirates screaming at him to pass the ball..

    his backwards. he holds on when he should pass and passes when he should hold on. and when he does pass he fucks it up..

    have you seen him TRY to cross. HAHA he cant even get it off the ground

  45. Stu

    Yes i saw it Raif. I dont think JD is capable of playing rb but he certainly isnt as shit as A thinks imo.

    Diaby is shit. Apart from the game against columbia he cant pass for shit…well im assuming that because i dont think i’ve ever seen him release the ball, he is thick and trys to dribble his way out of the box and inevitably loses the ball and the oppo have a shot. Add to that his inability to tackle, his attention span that a fish wouldnt want and you have a player that should never play defensive midfield.

    imo ;)

  46. A

    first half against fenebache he was awesome ggy, second half he was shocking, very odd performance that one! He’s never had a game where he’s been good for the whole game, it’s weird, but he’s shown he’s certainly capable of doing good things, but whether he can keep it up for 90 minutes, let alone game after game is another matter.

  47. gunnergetyou

    Viera was never played out of position, never had his ankle smashed to pieces, and he always played alongside a defensive midfielder, its unfair to compare diaby to him

  48. Honest Bill

    I think perhaps Diaby is just too keen to impress. Every time he gets the ball he wants to beat five players and score a stunner, because he thinks this is what makes the best players. If he gets over that and realises he needs to play for the team, then he has the ability to do well.

  49. raif

    i think if Diaby dont cut the mustard this season round i think wenger should move him on.. how many chances will he get.

    or at least loan him out to one of the teams up north or somthing

  50. raif

    GGY.. Diaby dont have any excuses any.. its do or die.

    how long do you think people will keep using that ankle injury for as a excuse to him being SHITE?

  51. raif

    ***correction***

    GGY.. Diaby dont have any excuses any MORE.. its do or die.

    how long do you think people will keep using that ankle injury as a excuse for him being SHITE?

  52. gunnergetyou

    I agree that diaby has to come good this season, but i think he will if he gets a good run of games in his natural position, dont know if he can stay fit though

  53. Stu

    Diaby doesnt have a position. Thats why he is shit and imo JET will turn out pretty similar unless he bucks up and picks a position.

  54. gunnergetyou

    i think diaby should play alongside cesc in midfield, thats if we dont buy anyone, he has all of the physical attributes – strength, power pace etc.. and can also pass better than song and denilson, like his assist for rvp at goodison park

  55. Stu

    Diabys best position is forward in a 5 a side so he can show off his “skills”. Honestly, imo thats all he is, a skillful player who only wants to impress others with his ability.

    He obviously is very talented but he just isnt a footballer imo because he doesnt have the smarts to follow orders etc.

    I will be happy if he prives me wrong but i aint gonna hold my breath on that one.

  56. Stu

    So because of 1 great pass he is a better passer than Denilsong who must have gotten about 10 assists between them last season.

  57. leon

    pedro

    wenger is far better judge players than you are any use fans if was realy that much better in develment to players we have wenger would signed signed him and i feel that if song is not as good as him right now which i dought he be as good maybetter in next yaer or two

  58. David

    Bollocks loen..

    If he is a better judgement of players then he shld be off with the way he left Diarra go and didnt sign flamini’s contract extention or would signed Kaka and Yaya Toure when they were on trial with us….or never played Denilson for a full season.

  59. Pat

    David, he tried signing Yaya but there were permit issues.

    Diarra refused to play in a Carling Cup game. He made his stance clear.

  60. Stu

    Diarra was a cunt who didnt deserve a chance with us and rightfully got sold. Flamini had kept promising to sign and never did. Toure had work permit issues and…i dont ever remember hearing that we had Kaka on loan.

    A;sp, Denilson played the whole season because we didnt get the DMs we bid for (supposedly) because they turned us down.

  61. BOY BETTER KNOW

    question-if we do make another signing does it have to be before our qualifier in the c.league so that they can be eligible for the group stages if we progress…

  62. Jimbo

    As I said this mornign, Cana’s gone to Sunderland.

    I REALLY wish Wenger would just fuck off and resign before he flushes the club down the toilet completely.

  63. GoonerGod

    Am watching Arsenal TV… This is the game v Bolton where Dennis scored the screamer and put us in Europe?

  64. Jimbo

    Just like we aren’t signing Huntelaar, we aren’t signing Chamakh, and we sure as hell aren’t signing Eden Hazard.

    Fuck off Wenger, you prick.

  65. A

    lol Jimbo – wenger’s done something bad because cana has signed for sunderland?!

    matuidi is the only story that hasn’t been in the papers….

  66. Jimbo

    No, it’s been on Skysports.

    Because they’re always reliable. We aren’t signing Matuidi. And yes, Wenger’s just a prick.

  67. Jimbo

    Well, we’re not signing Matuidi, and no amount of wishful thinking will make him either good, or an Arsenal player.

    God I’m pissed off tonight.

  68. SUGA3

    bloody hell, £5 million? laughable in todays ‘inflated’ market, imo…

    would buy him as a squad player, maybe to rotate a bit…

    mow remind me, how long does this ACN nonsense last from start to end? providing that Cameroon does well – and they will, as usual – we are stuck for weeks with the joke of a DM, the one, the only Denilshit…

  69. BOY BETTER KNOW

    jimbo m8 as long as this current policy we are under continues nothing will change or get better just thought id throw that one in there

  70. Jimbo

    Hopefully, fan pressure will have forced Wenger out by january, and we can start building for 10/11 by that point.

    Would prefer to be winning trophies, but that doesn’t seem particularly realistic under Wengker any more.

  71. A

    yeah we might not jimbo – but as you categorically stated you’ll “eat your face” if we do i’m really hoping it happens!!

  72. Jimbo

    Yup, I’ll eat my face if we sign Matuidi.

    Cana’s a better player, and has gone to Sunderland! Only Wenger could be this stupid.

  73. A

    Cana’s a better player according to who Jimbo?!

    You not see the contradiction in that sentence?!

    A player in his prime, with experience, openly available on the cheap, yet Sunderland are the only team to come in for him?! Yeah he must be AMAZING

    Oh sorry I forgot, he’s awesome in a youtube video!!

  74. Jimbo

    Well, A, nobody’s even been in for Matuidi, have they…

    He’s a better player to me, and I watch a lot of French football.

  75. A

    we don’t know jimbo, and only will know when matuidi moves somewhere, and i’d imagine it’ll be to someone a lot better than sunderland!

  76. Jimbo

    Matuidi’s been ordinary, for several rubbish french teams. Cana’s captained his side to the Ligue 1 title.

    He’s twice the player Matuidi is – it’s like comparing Essien to Sidwell, you’re just being daft because you think Wenger might be in for Matuidi (when he obviously isn’t).

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