Hot on the lips of many Gooners at the moment is the topic of the keeper. Many fans the world over seem to be keen on us adding an experienced goalkeeper to our ranks for next season. Not just an experienced player… a player who would command the number 1 jersey straight away if not through experience, through the fact we’d have to pay a massive fee as well.
The latest number 1 on our radar is Maarten Stekelenburg of Ajax. I’ve seen him on numerous occasions and I’ve never been particularly impressed. Personally, I thought he was the weak link during the Dutch World Cup campaign. I watched him drop a couple of clangers from long-range shots that made me think he was a touch over hyped. Though when you cross-reference his domestic record, he’s actually been quite impressive. Last season he only conceded 20 goals over a 34 game season, this year, he’s conceded 26. Not bad… though how much of that is down to playing in an uncompetitive league for a top team is down to your own interpretation.
For me, I’m not sure why we’re all talking about a new number one. If there is any position on the pitch I’m certain about, it’s the keeper. He’s got all the ingredients. He’s tall, has a safe pair of hands, he gives the defence confidence, he’s an excellent shot stopper and he’s extremely vocal. He has all the ingredients to be a world-class stopper and he’s only 19 years old. The one concern I have about him is that he’s a little too cocky when it comes to some of his twitter comments. Still, if Jens Lehmann had an account, what do you reckon he’d have been tweeting about back in the day… ?
Bear fighting and dreams of Spaniard slaying no doubt…
In other news, it appears Mr Clichy is stalling on signing a new deal with us. This is a story that might just have legs, not because I’ve heard anything juicy but because he’s been touted away from these shores for the past 3 seasons. There is never smoke without fire unless you’re near a disco smoke machine and I’ve got to say, I don’t think this is one of those moments.
His performances have been under scrutiny ever since he dropped his Birmingham clanger way back in 2008. It’d be hard for anyone to defend some of his shoddy displays… I know for a cold hard Pam fact that he himself admits he’s been below par… I just wonder if a fresh start could be on his mind?
A £13million offer would certainly suit me but this would most definitely be one of those occasions when a ready-made left back would need to be bought in because Kieron Gibbs is nowhere near ready to fill anyone’s boots at the minute. We can’t afford to start next year with a weak link at full back. In my book, if you’re not good enough, go and practice somewhere else until you are. Gone are the days when Wenger was allowed to offer players a 3 year apprenticeship at the cost of trophies… Arsenal fans don’t have the patience, especially if the money is there.
Geoff sent me a shareholders e-mail that informed us that Danny Fiszman had signed over 500 shares to Stan keeping him at 29.9%… pretty exciting news. It’s sad that Danny is so ill at the moment. I’d imagine that he’ll have to make a decision on his holding at some point, that’s when things will really get interesting.
I read that Jack Wilshere is being called up to the under-21 squad. How this is allowed isn’t beyond me, this is UEFA we’re talking about. I can understand international call ups, but something is seriously wrong when it is acceptable to risk the fitness of young man making his way in the game. It’s incredibly frustrating that as fans, we pays huge sums to follow our team and UEFA/FIFA can take away our chance to see our best players playing for their club because two levels of team want to play one player.
I find it outrageous that a manager with such vast experience of managing club players can allow this to happen as well. I guess it shows the selfish nature of people in the game… only out for number one.
We had enough problems last year when Pearce called up Theo, he absolutely tanked at the Under 21 Championships then picked up an injury that ruled him out most of the year. This should not be allowed to happen and Arsenal should be allowed to excuse himself with some sort of sick note… you know, the type of note fat kids always had prepared for school PE lessons way back when… I always wondered what the excuse was?
Nice to see Arsenal.com allowing Aliadiere to pimp himself out ebay style. I remember how excited we all where when he was the Wellington Silva of his day. The guy who ran Clairefontaine said that the 3 best prospects to leave the French academy were Trezeguet, Henry and Aliadiere. Aside from having an appalling name to pronounce and spell, he was more of a crock than Robin Van Persie and so bad in front of goal, he made Juilio Baptista look like Batistuta.
He really was one of the first of many over hyped youth players of Arsene Wenger’s reign. Think of some of the names over the years that didn’t make it? Moritz Volz, Sebastian Svard and Arturo Lupoli spring to mind… who was your favourite over hyped youth player? Let us know his name in the comments… the best name won’t win a prize, so instead, I thought I’d show you a funny picture for your efforts.
Tree Goats
See you in the comments… not long to go before international week is over and we can get back to talking about proper football!
Tree goats… what a laugh!
P.S. I’m looking for 2 or 3 tickets to the Blackburn game… I’m more desperate than Aliadiere, so please do get in touch if you know of some.
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Pedro
I find it weird that so many arsenal fans are dead against us signing English players, players over 18 & players from our own league.
Yeah it costs more, but the successful sides have always done it.
Utd, Milan, juve, Madrid, barca & bayern have always focussed on bringing strong players in from their leagues….wenger never does.
Think about utd….berbatov, valencia, carrick, smalling, Rooney, Rio, van Der sar all proven pl players.
your the king of idiots d.s,tell me ,what’s it like owning a village…
As bears shit in the woods, you knew that Rvp would be injured in one of the 2 games played.
AA23 says:
March 29, 2011 at 22:49
BBK
alright mate. Give fatty a kiss from me.
are you gay????
Suga
Find me a keeper with more clean sheets than Reina since he came to the pl. Or a keeper with more cs in a season.
Big Dave
Sad but true
gambon,
I love you dude, but did you just seriously mention Chris fucking Smalling in the same sentence as Rooney, Rio and VdS?
I have no problem with signing mature players from the same league, but please, Gary Cahill?
like I said, £20M gets you much better…
Suga
I like the way you’re inventing prices for everyone, v amusing. I bet you would’ve said ” van Der vaart, ha £20″ in July last year.
As for “spending 20m to improve the position slightly” – I suggest you check the pl table.
If Arsenal would had a vidic/Vds type players this season we would had pissed this league so far
Yes!
The doomers are now fighting within themselves. Absolutely brilliant.
suga,rio ferdinand was signed for 30 million,untied never looked back…
Suga, I was making the point that when fergie wants a player he looks in his own league first, wenger however is obsessed with finding an unknown from a foreign league.
I like Gary Cahill. Great back up. Don’t think he’s better than Koscielny for one and definitely not the sort of improvement I would expect 20 mill to fetch.
If we really want to buy a CB, it has to be Mat Hummels, or Benedikt Howedes. Both of them are tanks and have the technical ability to boot not to mention they would make most of the PL piss their pants.
Lol, he’s sooooo much better than koscielny. Would be a great foil for vermaelen.
Koscielny & Djourou as backups.
gambon,
can’t be bothered to run through the stats to find you one – mind you, by that logic, Leghmann is the dog’s bollocks thanks to setting the record of clean sheets in the CL, right?
Reina has been shocking this season, do you watch Pool games? I do…
as for VdV: there is a major difference between a player who is a surplus to requirements at RM and Cahill who is Bolton’s only chance of getting some serious £££…
that being said, £8M was quite a bargain!
as for the ‘amusing’ bit, I always though of you as a rational ‘realist’, but that transfer list of yours, now that’s amusing
Rohan says:
March 29, 2011 at 23:00
I like Gary Cahill. Great back up. Don’t think he’s better than Koscielny for one and definitely not the sort of improvement I would expect 20 mill to fetch.
guys on a wind up.
Hummels is undoubtedly the biggest defensive talent in Europe, but I can’t see him leaving, if he does I think hell go back to bayern, and I think Cahilll would be more effective in the short term.
Rohan,
Cahill is better than Koscielny, but agreed, he does not warrant this kind of spending…
Does RVP is really out for the season?
Suga, that wasn’t “my transfer list” – I was merely pointing out ideal players to immediately improve our chances in the pl & domestic cups.
I have said numerous times I would like to see 5 players come in and have said who they are lots of times.
anyway:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyltK6pmJGg
Agreed, Hummells is ex-Bayern anyway, isn’t he. They always snap up the top Germans.
I’d love, absolutely love to get him though.
If not, let’s just get Heiko Westermann. (And no, not just for that name)
BBK calling RvP a cunt, lovely stuff.
rami is a brilliant defender, shame valencia already signed him, mexes is playing well at the moment.
gambon
m’villa is the best young holding mid in Europe by a country mile, he’s got it all even the shooting
I think its less to do with defenders and more to do with the midfielders protecting them.
How often are our defenders caught one on one ? Innumerable times.
Our whole team needs to start defending better.
Did Cahill impress you guys today?
I though he was very poor and frankly a bit out of his depth.
Phil Jones is better.
*Is RVP really out
Whisper it, but I’ve always rated Fulham’s Aaron Hughes very highly. Same goes for the man they call Roger Johnson regardless of whether he’s a cunt.
Rohan, you have a lot to learn about the art of the wind-up. I offer lessons.
But not to akbs.
Agreed choy, and that’s because injuries haven’t really allowed us to play a settled team.
Phil jones is a good defender in the making. Cahill is over hyped and only better than koscienly in the air. i don’t understand what you guys see in him
gambon,
I am of the opinion that:
- we are good in the GK position as it is (Szczesny no.1, Fabianski no.2)
- we need one big fuck off CB to rotate with Djourou and partner TV (two pairings: New CB + TV and JD + Kos)
- we need someone to rotate with Song and a top quality attacking midfielder if Cesc goes
- we should buy Hazard and Benzema
get rid of: Almunia, D******n, Diaby, Rosicky, Bendtner
promote: Lansbury & JET, sink or swim time!
Regardless of the opposition tonight Imo Cahill read the game well and put in some good challenges.Looked better then Jag/Lescott, If we manage to pick him up for 15mill then it would be a good deal
RvP got a knock, he may be fit for the weekend, no need to panic that’s what international games get you. he scored btw
Don’t agree Dave. Thought he was positionally off today and he may have made a few great challenges, but he really shouldn’t be even having to make them if he read the game better.
and oh, buy a LB if Clichy goes…
SUGA3
stop dreaming benzma isn’t leaving real any time soon, he’s been terrific this season and florentino perez loves him i heard.
vermaelen and djourou is going to be a top defensive partnership. While you consider koscienly shit yet we are the third best defence in the league and not far from the top defence, by this logic, if we replace kozzer with vermaelen we would be fine won’t we?
so we have to sign a cover CB as squid is shit. Hazard will come in when arshavin goes and i’d take m’villa too and a goal scorer if there’s room for one, and i hope bendy will make some room and take his pink boots with him to bayern(sorry Rohan BEndy’s getting on my nerves lately)
Van Marwjick says he’s fit for the weekend
Thanks Gooby.
Rohan, disagree. He was put in those positions because of Jag and Lescott poor play in the 1st place Imo I felt he did well tonight.
Anyway bed calls, early start tomorrow.
play nice guys
Thanks sixx pac
Gooby,
now, where did I say Koscielny was shit? all I am saying is that since he played the entire season with Djourou, the partnership should not be broken up unless it’s necessary and would buy a CB specifically to partner TV…
as for Benzema, it’s all about the money…
we need a top striker anyway, RvP is a crock and the rest is fucking shit!
off to bed, night.
OK, bedtime for me too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z99iVXJ8OtA
Hazard is definitely moving this summer and I think we’ll be priced out of a move. That’ll be a shame cuz I feel we could have gotten him 2 seasons ago
SUGA3
most grover consider kozzer shit and i simply can’t see why
If not Hazard I would go for Arda Turan.
Gooby,
I do rate Kozzy as well. He caan only get better.
But we still need a world class cd and cdm, as well as winger and a striker.
http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/robin-van-persie-hungary-8899779/
Does anyone here think we are ever going to see Lehmann in an Arsenal jersey again? Or is he just there incase Almunia is unfortunately injured (or maybe fortunately ijured, considering his performance against West Brom)?
hummels got beat by the skips, can’t be that great.
The Aussies beat Germany?
Koscielny better than Cahill?
Next please
I’ll give Bendtner one more season. He’s always been played out of position this season and injuries have plagued him not to mention he hasn’t had a proper run of games and neither has he been playing with the likes of Cesc and Nasri who would give him better service.
Regardless, he still has scored 9 goals and has 8 assists. I just think it’ll be unfair on him not to give him another chance when in all truth, over the past 3 seasons his stats have been refreshingly good for a young striker.
Jan Vertonghen is better than both Cahill and Koscielny and he won’t cost £20 mil
Dunno if Vertonghen is better than Koscielny. He is a beast though and I’d love him.
And, watching the Sky Special with Thierry Henry, you can just tell that Georgie Thompson wants to get with Thierry hahahahaahah
I’ll give Bendtner one more season
******
Rolls eyes.
Neymar, hazard, arda turan( not that good btw, poor mans nasri)……..are they truly the ingredients needed to win the league? No PL experience and young.
Side note, trying to settle an argument here, who is better Pato or Neymar?
I remember Tim vickery saying that Pato was touched by the hands of a genius and was the closest thing he had seen to fat Ronaldo.
Also, I used to rate Jeremie Aliadiere incredibly highly. Always thought he’d become our fox in the box Inzaghi..
Having said that, I also used to think Jermaine Pennant would be the next Maradona.
Pato has incredible talents but doesn’t have the application and diligence to fulfill his obvious potential.
We’re seeing the same thing with too many Brazilians these days………..
Id love for Neymar to replace Arshavin.
The guy is electric.
Feck Hazard.
Id love for Neymar to replace Arshavin.
The guy is electric.
Feck Hazard.
If the cunt wanted to come to Arsenal he shouldnt have signed a new deal.
So you see Rohan,
Going by your posts at 1:27 and 1:30
Its little wonder why Bendy will never make it as a footballer.
I love Koscielny Rohan but I rate Vertonghen over him. I would love to see if Kozzer is serious abt playing for Arsenal and by that I mean him spending the offseason in the gym. Probably a little P90x. The skinny fuck
Nothing wrong with skinny
Was waiting for someone to catch on that, David.
Needless, to say, we all make some mistakes. Half the people on here wanted Cana. We all saw how shit he was for Sunderland.
What the fuck is a P90x?
Nothing wrong with skinny if ur a striker Zeus. For a CB u gotta have some body.
Rohan P90x is an extreme 90 days exercise program. Gets u buff in 90 days using muscle confusion so there is no plateau
Blaa Neymar doesn’t excite me at all. Watched the game on Sunday and saw nothing really special. Been watching Hazard for two years and been impressed the majority of the time.
Rohan the fact u saw Penant as the next Maradona ( WTF!!!) Is quite worrying since u rate HRP so highly. I don’t like him for an Arsenal striker. Too slow and a bit shite
clichy has been good this year. his work rate seems to have risen to the point in which he runs the lines like sagna does. constantly. he is impacting the game a lot more like he did back in the day and has got a few assists with it. he has also been very solid at the back. though i do agree something is certainly happening in the back rooms of our club. I do believe arsene has always intended for gibbs to be the LB of this team and i believe thats the problem right there. clichy feels as though hes a gap filler. its just unfortunate this could bite arsene in the arse (mind the pun) as clichy could leave before gibbs is ready. the question is do we play gibbs of find a older face out there to add some maturity to our back4? personally i think the move would be bring in flamini or someone who can play both LB and CDM and ARE accomplished at doing so. this would give us a LB tandem of gibbs and whoever plus the whoever can fill in for song if hes injured. i will say this though, the next signing has to cost more the 10 mill. why? the club needs to show the fans they are willing to before the fans leave and because another season like this and the rate of heart attacks world wide will rise like terry’s divorce payments. i think the changees will be out: almunia, rosicky (would want more time on field), denilson and maybe clichy, ins: Frimpong or couquilin (whichever takes the biggest step and i know they are already on our books but still),hazard being optimistic) and if clichy goes then a LB/CDM. i dont think we buy the CB but i dont think we need it really ( i have a good feeling about kozzer and we have good cb’s except the scilachi). your thoughts?
I think Clichy’s been pretty solid this season.Wouldn’t really sell him.
Can’t think of anyone out there who’s gettable and a proper improvement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYZP-MAPjUo&feature=related
The part where he says about knowing from the likes of adams and co about what Arsenal was all about.Brilliant stuff.Except for RVP and now Wilshere we lack players who really love the club
Interesting Sixx.
Your the first one I’ve heard say that about Neymar.
I still think Pato is rated more highly though. Bad move going to Milan and being under ronaldinho’s influence. Too much partying.
Fat Ronaldo aside, every Brazilian to have come through in the las decade has only been able to maintain top level for 2 years max.
Kaka, ronaldinho, Julio cezar, rivaldo………etc.
Yes some if them are still at a good level that most will never reach, but they never quite lived up to their full potential.
Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos are the only 2 that really have done that, and fat Ronaldo would be even better w/out the injuries and weight problems.
Rohan,
so, you would give useless Bendtner another year?
it’s a real shame, but you will get your wish, Wenger will not sell anyone bar Cesc and AA not to ‘destabilise’ the team…
after these two are gone, the only beacons of class will be: RvP (shame he is a crock, so he would only amount to half of a player), Nasri (unless he goes as well, seeing the dross he will be asked to play with next season), Wilshere and Szczesny…
so yeah, we will be pretty stable in bein g fucking shit!
I don’t want either of the two big time Charlies(Bendtner and Diaby) stinking out the dressing room with their shit attitude next season!
I said it before and I will say it again: if OGL can’t live without them, he should leave with them, good riddance!
nishanth
song, sagna and chamakh love arsenal too i think
zeus
pato is a major crock, theguy is an RvP in the making in terms of injuries
Alexandre Pato is one of the finest talents out there. He is worth 30 million plus. His skill level of the charts, pace, dynamism and movement. He is a matchwinner and once he gets past his injuries, the sky is the limit.
Fabregas = Afellay + Mascherano + 20million (10-15 more realistic)
Clichy + Money = Pato
Cahill for 15 million
New LB
I am probably dreaming with the above though
new post!
Let me begin by pointing out a few things=
1. We need proven young talent like Neymah .
2.Our defence should be (R-L)Sagna,metusacher,vermalen,bastos.
Our midfield should be(R-L)Nasri,wilshire,song,arshavin.
Up front llorente,neymah
I guarantee victory.
3.We need shooting lessons
4.Wenger shouldn’t bother trying to hold on to cesc because his heart is in barca and he’s only still in arsenal as a ode to wenger’s belief.
Lastly as fans we should have a way of letting the Arsenal Board know what we want and if we don’t get we should at least stop buying merchandise,afterall we also have a share in ARSENAL.
I really do hope we win the league soon its becoming heart wrenching.
Cahill very overrated, technically poor defender, slow and will never be world class. Ppl hype him up bc he reminds them of John Terry. Physically.
Didn’t you guys watch the Ghana game? He was getting roasted by Gyan and left for dead several occasions.
No… We don’t need another slow coach.