Keeper on his way? – Superstar decline – Why we should buy big!

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Good morning Grovers! I hope you all took time out to read El Tel’s early morning rant, superb effort there, I hope you’ll all agree!

Onto today!

First up, it appears Carvahlo has moved to Madrid for a reported £6million. Jose’s first signing from England this term and a nice piece of business considering the defence they have over in Madrid. I mention this because it has a three-fold meaning.

Firstly, just because a player is over 30, it doesn’t mean you have to release them for a free transfer. Arsenal seem to be very keen to control every penny when buying a player, but when releasing a player who has earned staggering wages over the length of their career, we’re shouldn’t be so happy to let them go for a free.  Pires, Sol Campbell and William Gallas all spring to mind when I think of players we’ve let go for nothing out of love.

Secondly, it’s exciting to see that Chelsea do appear to be falling apart. They’ve lost nearly all of their pre-season games and now they’ve arguably let their best defender go, not to mention their captain has lost all his pace and confidence. I’d love to think it’s over for them, but they’ve got deep pockets and no doubt a £20million signing will come in.

Also, as one of the Grovers pointed out last night. Chelsea bought him for £20million, sold him for £6million and had 6 seasons out of a player who brought them huge success. All for £14million. That’s a good deal and shows you that buying top quality for a large fee can bring rewards.

Man up Arsene and take the plunge with a great keeper like Reina, you seriously can’t lose.

Our squad is looking exciting in a tragic kind of way for the Liverpool game. For the life of me I can’t understand how Wenger can have any justification for leaving Robin out of the Liverpool squad when he had nearly the whole of last season to rest and catch up with his friends and family.

Though Cesc had more of a season, he still had March and May to recover when he wasn’t playing for Arsenal. Factor in he played about 26minutes during the world cup. I can’t for the life of me understand the logic in risking the opening game of the season by fielding a HUGELY inexperienced side.

For starters the psychological blow would be terrible and kicking off a league campaign with a loss against a hungry Liverpool side isn’t going to do us any long term favours, especially when confidence is clearly so fragile in this group of players.

There are big worries about Frimpong in the Le Grove comments section. People who’ve watched him regularly for the youth team believe he has great potential but they have zero trust in his ability to stay disciplined, to control Liverpool’s attacks and to make accurate passes. This was news to me, but the Legia Warsaw game hardly filled me with confidence. Roy Hodgson is doubtful to field a team capable of conceding five… us on the other hand, well, you just never know!

With only a few days before the season kicks off, I thought I’d draw you a to an interesting point that kind of rams home a something Geoff and I have tried to communicate over the past few seasons.

People talk about the ‘bigger picture’ when trying to justify our lack of spending and investment in the first team. I understand we’ve got debt to pay off, but the fans were never told the intention was to pay the mortgage of in 6-7 years so the board could make maximum revenue when selling the club.

Le Grove isn’t fussed about how much money the shareholders make despite Geoff owning some shares. What we’re worried about is the long-term revenue streams of our club. More specifically, the revenue you make from your future fans. How draw these people in?

Well, firstly, you ensure all new fathers have the guts to force their children into supporting the mighty Arse. I know that was my fate. No Christmas presents was the threat… the confiscation of food and water is probably the tipping point.

What about the dad’s with no gumption? What about couples where football isn’t a priority, you know, scrabble on a Saturday afternoon types? What about the dreaded dads who support ‘football’, or like…  *cough…rugby? Who are their kids going to support? I’ll tell you who… whichever team is winning the most. Whichever team has the most exciting players. Whichever team all the other kids are supporting in the playground.

You might say we don’t want those types of fans. Well, I’d tell you to grow up with that kind of attitude. There is a reason that kids like crappy pop music, it allows them to fit in and gives them an easy ride at school. At the moment, I can assure you, kids who support Arsenal will probably be getting a ribbing. My girlfriend knows nothing about football, bar Arsenal don’t win anything… she gets a right hander everytime she says it, but that’s besides the point (Jokes…).

If you want to secure future revenue streams, you have to invest in something other than 17 year old kids. Making superstars shouldn’t be a 5 year process. It should be a 1 season process like it used to be. Just back up this point, I found article on shirt sales and I’ll give you the headline figures.

2007-08 – Adebayor, Robin Van Persie, Cesc Fabregas

2008-09 – Fabregas, Walcott, Robin Van Persie

2009-10 – Arshavin, Fabregas

So what does this tell you? Well, it tells you that this is the first season out of five that we’ve lost a bit of pulling power with the youngsters. We’ve never been a team renowned for shirt sales, but I’d bet you a fiver we had more in that top ten back when we had great players all over the pitch. It tells you that regardless of what you think of Arshavin, the guy is a superstar and kids love him. It tells you that the Walcott kids books don’t do him any favours even with a world cup coming and that £6ok a week hasn’t seen the expected return.

Kids are fickle, I mean, having Adebayor on your shirt after one good season despite his lack of talent shows you what a top striker can do for your shirt sales. Is it any wonder that in a season where none of our forwards scored more than 15 goals, we don’t manage to have a striker in the top 10 for shirt sale? That says that kids don’t buy shirts on potential (Theo shirt sales exploded on the back of the Croatia hattrick)…

So what’s the on cost of Wenger not spending? Why doesn’t anyone see the bigger picture there? Why is a team that boasts the 2nd most exciting brand of football in the world not more represented with shirt name sales and shirt sales in general?

Are the people looking at the bigger picture actually looking at the smaller picture?

P.S. Schwarzer has put in a transfer request. No source, but it wouldn’t surprise me!

1,013 Responses to “Keeper on his way? – Superstar decline – Why we should buy big!”

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  6. sixx pac

    I do have a warped sense of humor. Things I find funny almost no one else does. I apologize/se to all Polish grovers

  10. GoonerT1m

    Dave seaman is his idol, if arsenal knew what they were doing he would be there now, he’s not so let’s spend 25mil and get him. End of.

  16. patthegooner

    All three Arsenal players did well for England tonight.

    Theo was excellent in the first half. He impressed me more in that 45 mins than in the whole of last season.

    Gibbs looked like he had been playing at that level for years. He was superb and easily matched and probably bettered the effort by cuntly in the 1st half

    Jack did not have a lot of time to do anything but he made himself busy even if it was for 8 mins.

  18. SlickBangGoal

    united just signed bebe, and he gets a work permit, are you kidding me, samuel galindo has already played for bolivia and has his rejected and same goes for pedro, disgraceful.

  26. A

    Noone we signed this week would’ve started against Liverpool pat….

    Fabianski in goal it is….

    Who on earth is Bebe?!

  28. Pat

    You never know PTG. We’ve done it before with Eduardo and Sagna. Both came out of nowhere, a bit like this Bebe fellow.

    Vela comes off in the 58th.

  31. Sol

    Pat – cant say I agree with any of your comments.
    Firstly, Jagielka didn’t lose his man, it was Dawson who slipt, Jagielka did well to block the cross but unfortunately went towards goal.

    Gearrard did have a good game – altho he could’ve got forward more before he scored the first. How was the 2nd goal Sunday league?? It was awesome close control.

    Joe Hart did make a good save. Just cos it was straight at him – if you knew anything about goalkeeping, it was perferct positioning and stood up big and late, therefore giving the striker nothing to aim at.

    That’s me finished now.

  33. Pat

    Apparently Bebe played in the homeless WC for Portugal. He was an orphan.

    Whats weird is that his club signed him 5 WEEKS ago for free and now he’s going to United?!?! 8 million is a lot of money for someone who has never really played competitively. recommended by Queiroz

  35. Stu

    Aw shit, i forgot there were internationals on tonight! How did our players do?

    I heard the end of something on the radio about a london club. Who was it about?

  42. A

    yeah pat, certainly a centre back will, and I reckon a keeper is likely, and hopefully schwarzer.

    anything after that would just be a bonus though

  45. SUGA3

    A,

    going into the first game of the season against a strong side with two keepers with shot confidence who try to put on a brave face when it is commonly known that you are in the market for someone else as you clearly think they are shit is just shockingly bad management…

  46. SUGA3

    ptg,

    one clanger from a corner…

    I mean, what were the odds? if, come the start of the season, he is our no.1, I may well invest into a truckload of white coats…

    :lol:

  49. A

    no pat no clangers, the highlights are on 101 great goals, nowt he could’ve done for the goals, though no idea about the rest of the game!

    suga I agree that it isn’t an ideal situation by any means

  52. SUGA3

    ptg,

    let’s just say we have ONE centreback and that is TV – Djourou is another of AW’s ‘diamonds’ and Kozzer will get raped by some brick shit house like players…

    neither of the latter two is anything but an understudy…

  55. gambon

    Sol

    Chelsea have 3 experienced, quality CBs, and they will sign another pretty quickly.

    We have 1 quality CB, and 2 jokers.

  57. SUGA3

    A,

    only the first goal was conceded by Fabianski (Tyton was in goal for the whole 2nd half) and he did what he usually does, which is misjudging the ball and diving somewhere with no rhyme or reason…

  60. A

    ah ok, suga. all i saw was the goals and the etoo lobbing it into fabianski’s hands when through on goal.

    no way you can blame him for the first goal in the slightest, flicked on at the front post, nothing any keeper in the world would’ve done any differently

  61. Sol

    I wouldn’t call Djourou a joker – he’s just never fit for a spell of games.
    I wouldn’t call Alex nor Ivanovic quality. Just decent enough.

    We will def get another CB – I’m more concerned about the GK situation, and the fact we don’t defend from midfield. That is the reason we concede so much…. that and a shit keeper.

  62. reggie 57

    I still cant believe that idiot has not bought a commanding centre half and a top class goalie what the fuck is he playing at?

  63. TOM TOM

    I see Stoke have signed Kenwyn Jones,more fucking long ball football from them this season so. I’d rather eat my own puke than watch Stoke

  64. Pat

    Lets not write Djourou off. He hasn’t played football for an entire season.

    He was excellent at OT a few seasons ago, when we actually won 1-0 and kept a clean sheet. Toure partnered him.

  65. SUGA3

    A,

    you’re having a laugh – every decent keeper, should he dive towards an incoming cross, would catch the ball or punch it to the fuck out, as it is the sole purpose of diving towards it and leaving the goal exposed…

    come on, the ball should have been his, he saw it coming all the way and flapped – does he even keep his eyes open?

    alternatively, he would have stayed in the way of Eto’o, no?

  66. TOM TOM

    I cant understand why people think Wenger will make big signings before the transfer window closes. If Alex Ferguson is saying he wont spend because the market is inflated at the moment then what must Wenger think?

  67. A

    it was a flick on SUGA, no keeper would have done anything differently. Anyone who blames Fabianski one iota for that goal is just trying desperately to find fault….

    He didn’t see it coming all the way, it was flicked on just in front of him

  69. Pat

    No SUGA. That goal was not Fabianski’s fault, as I said earlier.

    That was the defense all over the place. If Fabianski went for that he’d miss it certainly. Keeper should always be at near post when a cross is headed towards the near side of the 6. so a shot doesn’t squeeze in (See Cech’s shit keeping when Sagna scored from that position).

    No way was Fabianski at fault.

  71. SUGA3

    A,

    it was a simple cross from a corner, coming towards a Cameroon player’s head, what the fuck was he supposed to do, head it away?

    it’s called awareness and anticipation and Fabianski just does not have it IMO…

    and by the way:

    http://eatmusic.co.uk/

    check out my mate spinning house – one hour to go ;)

  72. TOM TOM

    I agree that Flappy was not at fault for that goal but the man is a joke. could you imagine playing centre back and having a keeper like him behind you,he has no confidence and just creates confusion in the penalty area with his hesitation and silly errors

  74. SUGA3

    Pat,

    he just should not be where he was, with players around him, as he is notoriously shit at it!

    that’s where I think he cocked up…

  75. Keyser

    You’ve got 5-6 defenders there doing absolutely nothing, the first defender who went towards the player who got the flick on has to at least attempt to be goal-side there.

    I’d blame him, Then poor awareness on the part of the defenders looking for rebounds and players running in.

  78. Keyser

    Suga3 – Watch any game over the last few years, we at least stick someone big in line with the front post on the six yard box, someone like Bendtner would have got to that or at least put the player off.

    It looked like the defender was tracking the runner or got caught unawares.

  79. TOM TOM

    What i cant believe is that Wenger wont admit that Flappy is just not good enough so and either sell him or loan him out. This man should be ashamed of himself and if he had any sense he would tell Wenger that he is giving up playing football as it is causing too much embarrassment for his family

  84. Marko

    Alright I want injury news. Hopefully none of our boys went off with injury. Heard Gibbs was the tits tonight. Say what you like about some of Wenger’s record on centre halfs but his record on left backs is tasty. Cole, Clichy, Traore and perhaps potentially his best one Gibbs.

  86. alex

    don’t think anyones injured but we’ll find out when they return

    Cesc played 45
    Vela played 65
    Vermaelen played – don’t know how long
    Rosicky played 60-70
    Nasri played 80
    Arsh played 80

    Not sure how long Chamkah played

    Usually Wenger doesn’t include Vela after international duty so don’t think he or Cesc will play as they’ll come back abit later

  89. LeProf

    Hopefully we get Schwarzer in.

    How about raiding Villa for extra two CBs (to cover Kos and Verm)? Wenger should consider Richard Dunne and Cuellar. Even keeper Brad Friedel comes handy if Schwarzer can’t get it.

    So that’s it: Schwarzer/Friedel, Dunne, Cuellar.

    Or still fancy to get: Robert Green, Robert Huth, Tit-us Bramble…

  90. el tel

    Agree regarding LBs apart from Clichy and Traore.

    Wenger doesn’t have a skill with LBs thats an Arsenal thing.

    Bob McNab,Sammy Nelson,Kenny Sansom,Nigel Winterburn,Ashley Cole,Silvinho,Geo Van Bronkhurst all excellent players then we get the mistake ridden Clichy.

    Gibbo must be our LB straight off no matter if he has some stinkers the boy is class.

    Our FBs are the weakness after the Keepers.

  95. Pat

    Wilshere only played 10 minutes b/c he was at the hospital night before. Capello was eager to give him the debut despite doctors orders. Stomach pains apparently.

  97. MickyDidIt89

    Only had one eye on England game last night, but from what I saw Gibbs looked very good.

    I really like Gerrards directness in front of goal when he comes more central.

  102. MickyDidIt89

    Jaguar,
    Hypothetically speaking. If we were to sign Hart and Jagielka (or similar quality), how would you rate our chances in the league?

  104. Jaguar reloaded

    I think we will win the league or finish second MDI89,but we could have dropped many points by the time we got them.

    Its all the fault of the hypocrite Wenger that we are in such a pathetic state.

  107. MickyDidIt89

    They could easily be in place before the Blackpool game, so that would leave a max of three points dropped.
    I am not so sure that we cannot win at Anfield as we are.
    Its a big ask to think that AW will buy in that kind of quality, I know, but I will remain optimistic until the window closes.
    Is it tougher being an optimist or a pessimist?

  110. Jaguar reloaded

    Guardiola or LVG GoonerT1m.Or anyother manager,who wants to win things unlike the senile serial loser Wenger.

  111. RockyPires

    What I think is intresting is that Liverpool have bought Brad Jones from M’boro. Why would they buy him when they already have Reina and Cavaleiri?
    Would Jones be happy to sit on the bench?

    No doubt Jonez is a fine keeper with a decent future in front of him. Could it be he is off to pool to be their no.1 and Pepe Reina is coming to us??

    After all Pool are not in Champs League, in major debt and they could stand to make a 20 million profit replacing Reina with Jones.

  112. Geoff

    Morning all, I can’t find Pedro to put the post up for me and I’m off to a meeting, so I’m posting early today, new post!

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