How can anyone defend selling Cesc and Nasri the day before the season starts? Unless… Oh and Campbell signs!

August 13, 2011

Unless he swaps Nasri for Tevez! And we are closer to Argentina than Manchester so who knows, but it’s the sort of hardball we should be playing, sign him Arsene and all will be forgiven.

Let’s start with what our esteemed leader said yesterday – Our squad is too big, with too many players.

Yes he really said that, and yes he really has sold Cesc and Nasri, the day before our season begins, my goodness.

Let’s go back 2 weeks, then he said that if we sold our two best players we are showing that Arsenal are not an ambitious club.

Yesterday he said ‘ManU sold Ronaldo, does that mean they have no ambition?’
NO ARSENE IT MEANT THEY GOT £80MIL FOR ONE PlAYER, not £50mil plus add-ons for two.

So where I struggle is the statements he makes, he comes out with stuff and then says the opposite down the line, like the Wenger classic of 3 years ago, ‘Judge me in May’ I did! Unfortunately no one at Arsenal remembered.

Maybe next time any of our chums at the AST or whoever has Q&A’s could ask Gazidas or dare I say it Wenger about these huge contradictions, are there no checks and balances at Arsenal? Don’t worry, I know the answer, that question was rhetorical.

Now the reason we have too big a squad is because you fill it with useless kids, then you fail to get rid of those you fall out with, Bendtner, Denilson, Eboue or Vela spring to mind. Or useless older players like Squillaci and Almunia, I mean our number one is Chezzer, yet Almunia keeps the squad number and is still being paid, even though he doesn’t play anymore, same with Bendtner and Eboue.

You pay your useless players so much that we can’t give them away, then you get rid of Clichy, Cesc and Nasri and buy in 6 teenagers (including Campbell) and Gervinho, then say our squad is too big, and no one at Arsenal questions you, weird as hell that.

And you paid £15mil for a 17 year old that’s never played outside of the old second division, but say £17mil for an England centreback is crazy money, who’s the crazy one?.

Our self sustaining model would be even better if you cleared half of our overpaid squad out wouldn’t it?

I hear cesc has been a complete cock through the summer, and you let him, now it appears you are letting him go cheap, because Barca won’t pay what he’s worth, don’t forget last summer you said £60mil. He has 4 years left on his contract and the season starts today, I say let him rot.

Nasri I don’t blame, take the money (or Tevez) and move on, but leaving it all so late is shameful and shocking business, shocking.

Then he compounds it with this statement ‘We feel we were very close last year and that we can improve from what we achieved. We will be in there, don’t worry,’

Close? Close? We were 4th and miles behind, then we sell our 2 best players and he thinks we’ll improve, was he watching pre-season? I was.

Now if Arsenal can sign Juan Mata, Jadson, Gary Cahill and Scott Dann using the £60m we are about to receive, that still leaves the original £25mil from the sale of those flats to get in Tevez or Benzema, now that would be making a statement and that would be a team that could win the league. No doubt. But we have to invest.

All the Barca players are tweeting that Cesc has left, all the papers and the feeds are too, only Arsenal have said nothing, because if we the fans are told on Monday, we won’t mind as much, this management team are not the full shilling are they? What, they don’t think we read?

Anyway, forget them, they aren’t going to spoil the first day of the season, this is it, this is the beginning of the EPL and our road to silverware.

Today we travel to Newcastle, but without Jack, our new midfield general. How will will fare? Read on…

We always start well, last year we went to Liverpool and got a draw, the season before we beat Everton 6-1 away, so we have it in us, and with all the criticism we have had then maybe we’ll see some fight, Newcastle have lost top players from last year and their newbies haven’t bedded in, well not like ours anyway, Jenkinson, Gervihno and Chamberlain, well I expect Gervinho to play today and I expect he’ll get on the scoresheet, so me, I expect to win, if Wenger thinks we can win the league, then games like this shouldn’t be tough, we have those to come.

I’m not sure what team to expect, I think Robin is fit, but Jack, Joel and Andre aren’t, so here’s my guess for today.

Chezzer

Sagna Djourou Vermaelen Gibbs

Song Ramsey Rosicky

Walcott RVP Gervinho

I’m saying Djourou because I think he’s fit and Koscielny has a knock, but if not then he’ll play Kozzer in there, either way I’m not fussed, both are not good enough but both are better than Squillaci.

I expect a high scoring game because even with our hamstrung captain we are by far the better team, I don’t expect them to get more than one goal, don’t forget the 4-4 draw last season was because that twit Diaby got sent off, he didn’t realise you can’t smack nasty players in the cakehole if they foul you, silly sod, he was having his best game for us at the time. Never mind, that was last season and this year as I didn’t go and support another team I am behind my beloved Arsenal again.

So I’m going for a 4-1 win, yes I know, I’m predicting scores again because I feel lucky this season, the Tevez rumour has cheered me up, not because he’ll come, but because we are doing what I’ve been crying out for, playing hardball.

The only person that will be unhappy with the Cesc transfer will be Thiago Alcantara, me I’m deliighted, I hope his hamstrings rot, and I would like to thank Barca for their cash, once again we can add it to the £28mil for Overmars and Petit, the £2.5mil for Gio, the £16mil for Henry, the £15mil for Hleb and now the £40mil for Cesc.

That’s £101,500mil and we paid £500k for Cesc, ha, ha no wonder your economy is in the shitter you stupid pikies!

I think you’ve done more for Arsenal finances than the Arsene Wenger has!

Have a great day Grovers, back to football, hope and maybe some silverware at last.

For the record, I’m delighted we’ve signed Campbell, from the youtube clips, he looks a real prospect.

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Posted by Geoff

Wenger press conference: The beginning of the end I’m afraid

August 12, 2011

‘I hope for a swift end to the transfers’

Perhaps Arsene you should have been a bit more forceful about that months ago. Losing your two best players the day before the season starts is nothing short of an embarrassing disaster.

How could drama like this be allowed to roll on and on in such fashion? How are we on the eve of the season three first team players down… Progress? More like the sad beginning of the end for Arsene Wenger.

There are two options here, he either goes out and signs 5 players before the end of the window. Those being a striker, 3 midfielders of note and a centre back. The he prays to the footballing gods they gel and adapt. Or he doesn’t do that and the season collapses because we’re under experienced and under equipped.

We’re hoping for a miracle here. How many squads could deal with a morale sapping situation like the one we’re in? Even with our best players in the side we lacked direction and leadership. Now we’re hoping Jadson and Mata can come in and pick up where Sammy and Cesc left off? What an expectation…

I do sympathise with Wenger in a way. Only in the sense that he’s the rich geeky kid at school who announces a party on Facebook at his Dads mansion, that  is well attended but as soon as the attendees have had drunk all the booze and eaten all the food they wreck the place and leave for the next bigger and better party.

When Wenger set up his master vision for project youth, he forgot a few things… Trophies and money. If you lure kids in on the promise of riches, don’t be surprised when they leave you for the same things. Don’t expect to command loyalty when disloyalty is the very first thing you encourage them to do.

It’s a sorry state of affairs but we’re now in a situation where we’re not an attractive proposition to overseas players. We’ve missed out on countless targets and to the outside eye, we’re a shambles.

I’d love Wenger to get this right but Le Grove has had 4 years of people telling us we’d rue our words. We’ve been told for god knows how long Cesc would lead us to a ten year stretch of dominance, now we’re at the point where he’s on the verge of greatness…. He’s taken a pay cut and run… for £29million. Less than Andy f*cking Carroll… what an absolute joke.

Those two will go now, Theo and Robin will likely follow suit next summer… Then where are we?

Even our sustainable model is under threat. What is the point of it all if you can’t compete on salaries or transfer fees? We’ll end this week as the most organically cash rich club in the world. The 18th lowest net spenders in the league. Marvellous… what an achievement. Still, on the plus side, that gives the next manager a great opportunity to add more to the plans than great foundations and a good balance sheet.

The Wenger philosophy has taken an arrow to the chest, I just hope it doesn’t go septic before it’s killed off.

Team News for Newacastle…

Good news is that out of the squad that does want to stay, many of them have returned to fitness. We should have Robin, Theo, Arshavin, Ramsey, Gibbs and Vermaelen. That should be enough to take on the might of Newcastle, a team that effectively ended out chances last year in that horrible 4-4 draw.

Here’s hoping eh?

Wenger Prezzer Pearlers

‘We are full of confidence, ambition and desire to do well’

Oxlade-Chamberlain has “exceptional quality and we feel he is a big talent for the future

“Fabregas in the squad. Nasri not certainly in the squad. He has had a sickness. No other issue”

‘I expect nobody to leave the club’ (What about this quick resolution?)

“We have enough quality to deal with whatever situation we decide”

“Manchester United sold Ronaldo. Does that mean they are not a big club?” (‘If we sell our best players, we are not a big club’ 2 weeks ago)

“There are 2 markets. One internal and one external. The one internal is the promotion of young players.”

“I have not been disappointed by attitude of Cesc or Nasri. They have been professional”

Wenger on signing players ‘it’s not as easy as people think it is’

‘At the moment we have a big squad … We are not short of players’

… make of that what your will.

That was our 1500th post. Thanks for all the support you’ve given the site over the past four years and thanks for continuing to drop by everyday!

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Posted by Pedro

We’ve lost Cesc Fabregas, we’ve lost Cesc Fabregas

August 11, 2011

Sad times… One of the most talented players to throw on an Arsenal shirt looks set to leave after one of the longest transfer drama’s since Nik Anelka, Ashley Cole or Chamakh!

A part of me is relieved. Relieved because this forces Wenger into a corner. He needs a total rethink about how we play. I think we’ve tried to build about three systems around Cesc, all have failed for one reason or the other. Now it’s time to revert back to good old fashioned power, pace and aggression.

Now it’s time to bring in a captain who sees the arm band as something more than a CV diamond. We can choose someone who can lift the team, maintain high standards on and off the pitch and stay with us for a decent period of time. If Robin won’t sign an extension, give it to Vermaelen… Simple as that, no messing around bribing non-committal players.

Ask yourself this… How many Captains have Chelsea and United had over the last few years? There’s something in that…

Wenger has to buy, Dan Roan from the BBC says he’s been told all the funds will be reinvested. Good job, they need to be to prevent a fan revolt. Buying a centre back we had the money for all summer won’t suffice. Buying Mata alone will also not satisfy, he was coming before he was deemed a replacement.

I’m pretty annoyed the best we could get for our captain is 6mill less up front than Newcastle got for Andy Carroll. That’s a poor deal for a player who will no doubt win the Balon D’or at some point.

Still, if we spend that plus the money we land for Nasri and actually end up with a more dynamic and hungry team we might surprise a few people.

We’re struggling for bodies at the moment. Jack Wilshere looks set to miss the opening two games, Aaron Ramsey picked up a calf injury for Wales and we’ve probably lost our two best players. It’s maddening that the board knew they’d end up bending over to Barca and instead of buying in replacements before the world knew we had a war chest bigger than Americas cash reserve… We’ve waited until after.

Lots of names are being thrown about. None are floating my boat. An injury prone Japanese player from Dortmund. A Marseille creator I’ve never seen. Eden Hazard again! We’re basically trying to replace Megan Fox at the Barnsely Tuesday night Fat Busters Club. I have no idea what Giltube and Wenger have up their sleeves…

Out of all this, always remember one thing, Arsenal are bigger than any player. We were great before Cesc arrived, we’ll be great after… He’ll never have the adulation he’s had at Arsenal, he’s a commodity now… One of many… We’ll work it out soon enough and hopefully when the Barca bubble bursts, we’ll be there to take over.

Blind faith? Absolutely…

So… Who makes sense to you? How do you feel about Cesc? Do you think Arsene can rescue this?

As always, let us know in the comments!

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Posted by Pedro

Two news signings in two days | Blind faith time for Arsenal fans

August 10, 2011

Nice wings...

Two new signings in two days. You’ve gotta love that, as Geoff said yesterday we’re now the ‘wing kings of Europe’… We’re not the Gunners, we’re Top Guns… Bring back JET and Cruise and we’ve got ourselves a party!

Ryo Miyachi landed a permit yesterday for special talent. Great news, Wenger clearly aware that last year we lacked pace going forward. Chamberlain certainly has speed to burn, I’m just not to sure expecting those two to give us a winning edge this year is fair… rumour has it Southampton expect to earn their add ons in year one of the deal, so we either set the triggers low or he’ll be seeing a lot of first team action. He’s been saying he’d like to be the new Zola. Short, ugly and playing for Chelsea? I hope not… let’s hope he’s got a bit of the magician in him.

The other big news this morning is that Cesc and Nasri are in our Champions League squad. If they play, they’re cup tied and less likely to move. As I’ve said all summer… One can leave and we can cope, if two leave that’s a disaster on the playing front and the team morale front. At this late stage, there is no one who can replace what Cesc does… certainly not anyone younger than 20.

Mata would be a great buy, a Cesc / Nasri hybrid from what I’ve seen. With Man City rumoured to be gearing up to sign Nasri, we could be on the verge of getting the best outcome. Though if Cesc stays, he should be relieved of Captain duties and benched until he comes back with the right attitude. Maybe sent to the footballing naughty step, or spanked with a Copa Mundial.

The season is edging ever nearer, still no sign of a centre back… Which you’d have to say is messing up both Bolton and Arsenal’s preparation. Bolton can’t afford to keep Cahill on this season, Arsenal can’t afford to keep messing around, so in my view, Bolton should just hand him over gift wrapped pretty sharpish.

I still can’t quite believe that the extent of our summer transfer business is one player over the age of 19 who doesn’t play in defence. I still can’t believe that after all the young player disappointments we’ve had, some Arsenal fans are rejoicing over two more children being added to our squad… what you gonna do eh?

It’s getting pretty close to that point where blind faith starts kicking in, that point where I start believing that between Jack and Ramsey, they can give us 15 goals and 25 assists. Where I start to think that Benik Afobe can be a genuine 3rd choice striker who can offer us something different, that Chamakh will take a hit of confidence and Robin will stay fit for 80% of the season. Most of my blind faith will go on the defence though… JD and Kozzer were a pretty mean pairing for large parts of last season. I’m hoping that Thomas Vermaelen can add statistics to his great presence this season. I’m hoping that with a good keeper behind him and the monkey off his back (Gallas), he can dominate that defence and show us what it is to lead from the back.

If we keep Cesc, this season will be no good for him heading into the Euro’s if he’s not on top form. He’ll be 24 this year, he doesn’t want to be warming the Spanish bench again and he certainly doesn’t want to be handing over his super sub spot to Alcantara. If he stays, this season is massive for him. If he wants Barca to buy him, sulking isn’t the way to make Barca up the fee… playing like a hero is. If you’re in a bar and you want to best looking bird in their to take notice, you don’t act all mopey and desperate.You bust out your football kit and play a 30 yard pass into the DJ booth to rapturous applause. Cesc needs to remember that when London isn’t being looted and set on fire by rioters, it’s the best city in the world… things could be far worse, you could have just been part of the group that looted Primark in Romford… the shame.

Have a great day Grover’s and let us know how you think the strongest line up will look this season!

P.S. Nik B looks like he’s making for the exit door, read my tribute to at the Sabotage Times.

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Fantasy Football…

That time of year has arrived again where we pedal a bit of Fantasy football! We have a £100 prize for the winner, which basically feels like I’m gifting myself and Geoff £50. The league comes with an app for your phone and it’s all very sophisticated! If you fancy your chances…

1. sign up the Metro Fantasy League HERE

2. The Join the below league, using the below pin!

League Name: Le Grove

League Pin: 4450

636 Comments | New Review | Permalink
Posted by Pedro

Yeeeaaah! Arsenal signed someone! We spent £15mil too, but we may have to wait a while.

August 9, 2011

Let me begin by saying how great it is to sign England’s most talked about talent, beat all the top English clubs (sugardaddyfreeones) to it as well and spent decent money too, but how long will we have to wait to see him making £15mil’s worth of impact? Who knows.

So we won’t spend £17mil on Cahill or £12mil on Samba, but we are happy to spend £15million, yes £15million on a 17 year old that has only ever played in the old second division.

In his position we have what? Ryo, Theo, Arshavin, Nasri, Gervinho, Van Persie, Chamakh, Bendtner, Vela and Rosicky in the first team and from the reserves we have Wellington, Freeman, Galindo, Sunu, Afobe, Aneke, Murphy and Watt as well as the two Barca players and the kid from Madrid, who’s names I can’t even find on arsenal.com

We do though have the biggest collection of potential young talent in the world, only there isn’t a trophy for that is there?

Now before you say all I do is moan, I ask for a decent signing and now we get one, let me address that, of course I’m delighted we got him, but for that money we could have bought what we need to win the title now, sources tell me Cahill is next, great, but he should have been in in May.

If we have no money, spending on someone for the future is a bit wasteful, however, time will tell.

So that’s what, 21 players? How many centrebacks have we? How many DM’s have we? Hmmmm. There seems to be an obsession with young midfield/forwards that cost a fortune but so far have rarely delivered. How long do we plan for the future? Because by the time Wilshere reaches 23 he will cost us what Rooney costs the Mancs, that or he’ll go, so why not sign a grown up or two now, when they can make an impact.

And how many players that we signed for any amount at 18 or under have ever, ever made the first team? Cesc, Wilshere and Walcott, and Cesc is about to leave. Hmmmm.

We won’t win the youngest team award any more, Fergie’s just done that, so let’s kick on from this signing and get Cahill, Mata and Parker/Barton in and maybe we can win something.

If we sell Nasri then get someone back our way, a De Jong or a Johnson, or someone, if not then sell him to Milan. Me I would keep him and sell Cesc, Cesc wants out so sell him to the highest bidder, if he loses the armband he won’t want to stay, but then that’s good business and I don’t think we have anyone at Arsenal that understands that.

Bring in Mata to replace which one of those we sell and we have the makings of a winning side, so out of the ashes, Wenger could pull this off.

We are so close I am tingling, although Chamberlain isn’t what I necessarily wanted to hear, I like him and maybe he is the start of something big happening at last , it’s a shame it wasn’t sooner as it would have been great to see him in pre-season, but it’s a start, let’s hope for Cahill and Mata today.

If we get Ryo a permit then we have 5 players that can rip new ones on the wings, Ryo, Gervinho, Arshavin, Theo and Chamberlain, so that’s 5 options, and at least three of them are proper wingers, add Mata to that little lot and we could become the wing kings of Europe, yeah, I like that, Arsenal’s wings kings win the Champions League!

So Grovers, we do have reasons to be cheerful, step one!

Have a great day, and no matter what the temptations, don’t be a giant mug and join the looters, stealing is wrong and what’s happening isn’t British, in this country we don’t act like that.

Stay safe and stay away.

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Fantasy Football…

That time of year has arrived again where we pedal a bit of Fantasy football! We have a £100 prize for the winner, which basically feels like I’m gifting myself and Geoff £50. The league comes with an app for your phone and it’s all very sophisticated! If you fancy your chances…

1. sign up the Metro Fantasy League HERE

2. The Join the below league, using the below pin!

League Name: Le Grove

League Pin: 4450

505 Comments | New Review | Permalink
Posted by Geoff

It’s time for someone at Arsenal to stand up to Wenger

August 8, 2011

I was staggered to read that Steve Rowley (our chief scout) was sent to watch Scott Dann and Gary Cahill, the latter because Vermaelen is injured yet again.

First question is why? Did we not see enough of them last season to know what they can do? Were we not offered Cahill for £17mil in May? Why on earth is watching them in one pre-season friendly going to change anyone’s mind?

When Vermaelen had his first season and he looked class, we still shipped over 40 goals, the problem is the way we defend and the type of player we buy. I have heard many times that Kozzer will be better this season as overseas players need time, why? Vermaelen didn’t. Why spend £10mil on an unknown defender when we could have bought any number from the EPL, and still can that would have adapted straight away.

When will Pat Rice or Ivan Gazidas stand up to the manager and say, ‘you know what Arsene, zonal marking doesn’t work and Squillaci is absolute rubbish’ we can all see it but no one has the bottle to tell the nutty professor, no one. If he thinks the defence is good enough, then he clearly isn’t. (any more)

Gazidas comes in and amasses a huge management team to do player trading and sponsorship deals, well so far I can see we have done the Thomas Cook deal, hmmm I wonder what the return on Ivan’s crew is so far? Yes I’m sure there are others, but nothing big enough that warrants buying a player or paying for his team.

We were promised signings and big changes to our defence this season, so far we bought a 19 year old with potential, got rid of our regular left back and paid Squillaci a bit more, comforting, we can’t even win the Emirates Cup, we have a manager that seems more interested in giving Henry 5 minutes in our team than winning the Cup. Don’t forget Henry broke our hearts when he left for Barca. He wasn’t the victim, we were.

We signed Gervinho for Bendtner, who because he earns too much, we can’t get rid of, we should have got rid of Chamakh, and played Bendtner down the middle.

I suspect we’ll sign Chamberlain and Scott Dann, I also suspect we’ll get shot of Nasri and let Cesc go, and if we replace them the spin will be we signed this player and that. All we would have done is replaced two top players.

Why do we need to sell them before we can buy? What happened to our £50mil transfer budget? We are treated like children.

It’s scadalous that we are a few days away from the start of the season and we have 2 unhappy want-away players, a crap defence and even if he makes the signings we need, they won’t know each other, we should have bedded players in months ago, and all our management do is sit and do nothing. Sleepless nights and working around the clock my rectum.

Arsene Wenger seems hell bent on destroying his legacy which is a scandal in itself, what is the matter with him?

I don’t care if he falls on his feet, leaving it this long is complete madness, if we get lucky then that’s it, we get lucky, look at the Mancs yesterday, they did all their business early and looked settled, well settled enough to beat City, we couldn’t even beat an MLS team for goodness sake.

We were woeful against Benfica, Cesc not playing is the tail wagging the dog and Nasri having a row on the plane for me is understandable, I don’t blame him, he knows we need new players, Cesc does so does Jack, Theo and Robin, in fact everyone bar Wenger knows and not one person at our club has the guts to tell him, well bar Nasri and Cesc anyway.

Project youth is doomed, Cesc wanting out says that and that’s why Wenger is being childish, he can’t admit his madcap experiment has failed, that’s not stubborn, that’s autocratic and very, very dim, it will cost Arsenal, and Arsenal is about the fans not the ego of a manager that has gone way past his sell by date and surrounds himself with buffoons like Hill-Wood and the other sycophants.

I get sick of hearing from our manager that we were so close last season, we were miles away, our last 11 games form wasn’t as good as the teams that went down, close, are you blind?

Our team lacks fight, passion and mental strength, our team is brittle, why? Because we play them too young and too often, and that is the real issue with project youth, they get way too many injuries, so why doesn’t someone point that out to Mr Wenger?

We need a Barton in there, forget what you think of him, what he did was as stupid as Alex Song driving with out a license, Barton stubbed a cigar out on someone, Song could have run someones kid over, footballers do stupid things, it doesn’t take away his ability and he’ll cost nothing, better a Barton than a Chamakh for nothing.

Pat Rice won the double with Arsenal, I remember watching him at Highbury, from the schoolboys enclosure, he played with players like big Frank and Peter Storey, who make people like Joey Barton look like a girl, he knows what we need, get off your hands Pat, you don’t need to agree with him, you know what’s wrong.

Another interesting thing is Wenger pulling Jack from the England squad, why? We need him in the England squad, all that will do is piss him off and next season City or Chelsea will be after him.

It would have made far more sense to stop RVP going to play for Holland, those games have cost us his services for months at a time.

This post is a moan, granted, but I, unlike the Arsenal management teaam cannot sit by and watch this happen to the team I have supported my whole life, and not since 1996 like most of the twits that won’t like this post.

Before you think I have it in for Wenger, I don’t, we started Le Grove on the day he committed his future to us, we were delighted, he only started to go pear shaped when he became obsessed with young players, he still is and that will screw this club over, he will eventually get fired and we’ll have to start all over again, why?

Sign what we need now Arsene, this can still be saved, and you are the only person right now that can do it in time.

Kroenke, Gazidas and Wenger aren’t Arsenal fans so they don’t care like I do, Usmanov I’m ASSURED is at least an Arsenal fan…

Have a great day Grovers, something will happen this week, but will it be what we want?

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Fantasy Football…

That time of year has arrived again where we pedal a bit of Fantasy football! We have a £100 prize for the winner, which basically feels like I’m gifting myself and Geoff £50. The league comes with an app for your phone and it’s all very sophisticated! If you fancy your chances…

1. sign up the Metro Fantasy League HERE

2. The Join the below league, using the below pin!

League Name: Le Grove

League Pin: 4450

827 Comments | New Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Geoff

Arsene has overseen a shocking summer | Joel Campbell and Scott Dann can save us

August 6, 2011

Highlights

Frankly, the whole preseason has been a bit of an embarrassment. We were told contract situations would be sorted out early, they haven’t been. We were told defensive problems would be addressed, they haven’t been. We were told that we’d be busy in the transfer market, we haven’t been. Now we’re a week before the season, we’ve added a winger, about 10 sixteen year olds, a 2nd string right back, sold our left back, Cesc wants to leave, Nasri can’t sit next to Wenger on a plane, we’ve conceded 7 in 6 and we’re expected to look at this as progress?

Fine, tell me that perspective is needed, tell me that you honestly believe this is the calm before the title challenging storm. I just can’t believe you. I don’t believe in the manager this season and from watching the players, hearing the stories and seeing what’s gone on in the games… I can’t believe the players do either.

I said in the match review after the Villa game that my gut feeling was that Wenger wouldn’t change this summer, read the post if you’re interested, it’s very ground hoggish.

‘I have no expectation that he has it in him to change. I have no expectation he’s going to do what he needs to this summer and I have a horrible inkling this is going to end in a sacking next season.’

How can a man so esteemed in the game be so deluded about the quality of this team?

There’s only so long you can keep bleating ‘it’s just preseason’. There comes a point where you have to face up to it, the coach has failed this summer, now we’re on the back foot.

It certainly was a game of two halves, though I wouldn’t say the first half was exceptional, we did enough to take a one nil lead. Rambo, Rosicky and Song in the midfield lacked bite, pace and any sort of directness really. Gervinho certainly likes to force moves, if nothing is happening he has the ability to take the ball round players and that is refreshing to watch. Alex Song slipped Robin in and his chip just wide of the back post showed he was sharp.

Moments later, Gibbs was fed in outwide by a cushioned Arshavin pass, he cut it back for Robin who couldn’t miss.

Robin hit the deck about 3 minutes later. It was at that point you realised how horribly exposed our squad was to a Robin injury. We’re looking down the barrel of 4 months of Chamakh at any point. We already know how useful he is as a player, really, we should have a decent striking option, because that Moroccan has been next to useless since December.

Our defence was still doing its best to look shambolic. We play a kamikaze high line until someone is looking to cross the ball in, then we sit ridiculously deep and forget who is sitting 4 yards in front of that line.

The second half was a disaster, we made 62 changes and brought in the three players who give nothing to the side, Chamakh, Squillaci and Fabianski. It didn’t take long…

1) Gibbs fluffed a clearance outwide

2) Vermaelen failed to close down his man, Squillaci failed to close down his man

3) Pablo Aimar managed to get goal side of Vermaelen and slot home

A calamitous goal, but so, so typical of a defence who don’t have a clue what they’re doing. Pablo Aimar? I thought he only existed in Championship Manager? Another example of defending space, not players.

The second goal was sheer Squillaci. He swung a half assed boot at Nolito, who turned him like he was turning a tree in the park, looked up and rifled home a shot inside Fabianski’s post. Now, I’ve been saying Fabianski is a poor keeper for a while. He still hasn’t improved and should the Squillaci hit the fan, we have to rely on him against big clubs. That shouldn’t be allowed to happen, we know what he’s capable off, keepers cost us all too often… we need to sign in some experience.

Anyway, the rest of the game played out and we basically took a spanking from Benfica in the second half.

Conclusions…

Question.Why are we letting Nik B go? I’m not saying he’s a champion striker. I’m not saying he has a marvellous attitude. What I am saying is he’s a far better player than Chamakh. He’s younger. He has more Premiership experience that the Moroccan. He can play with his back to goal and he’s far more talented as a striker (not a right winger).

Answer. Wenger didn’t track him for three years, he’s not the favourite.

Question. Why are we persisting with Squillaci? He’s made a mistake in almost every preseason game so far. He has no potential, this is pretty much it. He scares the whole side every time he’s given a run out on the pitch. He was also a disaster last season.

Answer. Wenger signed him as a bargain and it takes at least 3 seasons for him to own up to a mistake.

I mean seriously, I know this is preseason, but this year, I was hoping we’d compete, I was hoping we’d at end the summer without a transfer surplus and I was desperately hoping that instead of begging players to stay, Wenger was going to show the whole world how ambitious he was with his buys and we were going to get players to sign off the back of that.

Turns out that’s not the case. We’re going to run with Ramsey and Jack in the middle. Two players with undoubted talent but with a real lack of experience. That’s risky. They don’t have the presence as a pairing to take on older teams and I think it’s grossly unfair to put the expectations of a club on their shoulders. People were asking me what we’d do with those two if we signed a decent replacement for Cesc. My retort was what would we do with them if Cesc stayed?

This club needs progress, not projects.

I know that Jack and Ramsey could be the best thing since sliced bread, but not for a few years. They simply don’t have the wherewithal to compete for the league next year and as we’ve seen with Jack, they don’t have the bodies yet.

This summer has been as disaster from start to finish. Even if we do sell Cesc this week, how much practice has Nasri had in centre midfield if that’s the solution? If he’s not the solution, how many Premiership games has Ramsey played there?

Don’t worry though, Joel Campbell is signing.

Scott Dann…

Scott Dann to Arsenal feels less like a solution and more like a two fingers up to Bolton and Everton. He’s a leader, has previously known how to play in a disciplined back line, he’s so outspoken Tony Adams kicked him out of Wycombe and he’s a bit of a tough guy.

Has Wenger thought this through?

Well, one thing is for sure, we’ll be told Arsenal have a 52 page dossier on him and that Giltube has been studying his career 8 hours a day 7 days a week. Truth is, this feels like a cheap ‘ lm clever’ deal. Though I can’t complain… I’ve made the case before that Lower league English defenders never get a look in… we’re willing to back Kozzer and JD… We should back Dann if he comes in. He’ll know what roughing it is all about and I’m sure he’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure he’s a success. A panic buy if ever I saw one… One that will be a tremendous success or a terrible fail… not really the ‘super quality’ we were looking for eh?

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Fantasy Football…

That time of year has arrived again where we pedal a bit of Fantasy football! We have a £100 prize for the winner, which basically feels like I’m gifting myself and Geoff £50. The league comes with an app for your phone and it’s all very sophisticated! If you fancy your chances…

1. sign up the Metro Fantasy League HERE

2. The Join the below league, using the below pin!

League Name: Le Grove

League Pin: 4450

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Posted by Pedro

Nasri nearing exit | The real reason Cesc is staying at home | Udinese vs Arsenal…

August 6, 2011

Well hello there fans of football finery. Today, we have much rumour and counter rumour to speak of. We’re at the end of yet another listless Arsenal week and some interesting stories with no substance have been cropping up all over the place.

Firstly though, let’s get straight into the major story and that was the one about our punishment from the footballing over lords for our embarrassing end of season collapse. Much in the same way they condemned us for losing our last three Champions League groups with a last 16 draw against Barcelona, they’ve offered us a similarly hard path into the group stages this season by pairing us up against Udinese, the Italian surprise package of last season.

On the face of it, I’m not worried. Personal opinion is that I’d much prefer to be playing a team of note. That means we’ll turn up, concentrate and give a good account of ourselves. I know we’ve been notorious for dropping our pants in the big games over the past few seasons, but let’s not kid ourselves that Udinese are any sort of powerhouse here. In fact, let’s not kid ourselves that Italian football is anywhere near what it used to be. We’ve taken out Milan and Roma over the past few seasons. Spurs gave a good account of themselves against Inter Milan last season.

The Italians have cut loose a lot of top talent this summer. Alexis Sanchez has left for Barcelona, long-term Arsenal target Inler has left for Napoli and Zapata has found a new home at Villareal. A pretty poor summer by anyone’s standards. They still have World Cup flop Di Natale who has been the top scorer in Serie A over the past 2 seasons, but with a rock solid defence like ours, we needn’t worry!

I’m confident we’ll pass this test, if we don’t, we’re in big trouble on a whole host of levels.

The Cesc Fabregas story continues to rumble on, Barca bid a low, Arsenal tell them what the ‘buy it now’ price is, Barca go back to their fax and argue amongst themselves, leak a few stories and the process starts again. I said last week that £40million is what we’re looking for and Barca aren’t offering that at the moment… so Cesc stays. The fact he’s rejoined training tells you all you need to know about how confident he is at landing his move.

I don’t think Barca want Cesc this season, if they can land him on the cheap, he’ll arrive. If they can’t, it’s not problem, they’ve given someone else the number 4 and they’ve disrupted our season already. They like doing that to us because we keep pinching their young superstars.

I don’t mind what happens with Cesc as long as 1) We get a fair price for him 2) If he stays he’s not allowed the Captains armband 3) He isn’t given a way straight into the first team when he’s fit (much in the same way Rooney was punished last year).

He’s not on the flight over to Benfica. I know people are keen to point out that this is crazy but the contacts I’ve spoken to have said that he’s in no shape to play football at the moment. He’s had a week of preseason, the others have been going at it for 4 weeks. If you play an unfit player this late in the programme, they could pick up an injury.

It’s amazing how many people are on the imaginary injury band wagon now… no one was so keen when I pointed that out earlier in the summer.

The Samir Nasri story doing the rounds is that he had a massive argument with Wenger on a plane as was seen storming down the other end of the plane. Now, if Wenger dropped something he shouldn’t have in the tight confines of the plane, I can understand Sammy’s reaction. If however, they had an argument and Sammy stormed off down the end of the plane… where was he going, he’d have to come back at some point? A very Saved by the Bell reaction. Anyway… rumour has it, he and Wenger are not seeing eye to eye. Players clearly don’t hold the manager in the same regard as they used to, mainly because he’s not giving them the platform to succeed I’d imagine.

Benfica are up tonight, that should be interesting.

It should also be interesting to see if Wenger does have some good news for us next week on the signings front. He’s had another shocker due to his feet dragging ways. I can just imagine how the players feel. New players inject fresh enthusiasm into a camp. The players are watching as the team is taken apart by want-away players and no one has come in. That’s not good for morale and it’s not good for future summers. Next year, this is only going to get worse. Whichever way we look at it, Nasri and Cesc definitely won’t be here this time next year, plus, we’ll have Robin and Theo in their last year. You think they’ll sign up with riches and trophies on offer elsewhere?

I’d be surprised.

That’s why we should sign Mata this instant. Even if Cesc stays we need a player like him to raise morale and be in place should the worst happen. He’s a signing of intent and he shouldn’t be signed as a reaction to a sale. He should be signed to show the rest of the squad we mean business. If we did sign Jagielka and Cahill, again, those guys would be two major shows of strength and ambition. Currently, we’re miles away from competing for the league, if you think otherwise, look at our friend history, he’ll show you what happens when you don’t strengthen in the necessary places.

Here’s hoping for a swift resolution to the summer of hell…

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Fantasy Football…

That time of year has arrived again where we pedal a bit of Fantasy football! We have a £100 prize for the winner, which basically feels like I’m gifting myself and Geoff £50. The league comes with an app for your phone and it’s all very sophisticated! If you fancy your chances…

1. sign up the Metro Fantasy League HERE

2. The Join the below league, using the below pin!

League Name: Le Grove

League Pin: 4450

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Posted by Pedro

Cesc goes through the motions | Stan is in town to do some deals!

August 5, 2011

I’ve been asked a few times since yesterday what the Members day was like. It’s a bit difficult to explain because the weather really was torrential, but overall, I’d say the vibe was muted.

The players came out one by one to a name announcement last year, all very cringe worthy, all very NFL. However it was a noticeable ommission this year. Would this be to avoid a chorus of boos for certain want away players? Possibly…

The good news is that Cesc showed up (great pic), the bad news is he looked like he was going through the motions. Everyone gasped everytime he reached full speed during the shuttle rums, mindful his hamstring could blow at anytime taking squad members like Afobe out with shrapnel blows. Nik pulled his legs whiles he was stretching Our other want away star showed his face then scurried down the tunnel with permanent crock Theo.

Highlights of the day included seeing Chamakh having a shot. Nik B scoring a bloody screamer and looking pretty sharp… and watching Afobe demonstrate why he’s so highly rated.

The players finished off the rain soaked occasion by smashing balls into the crowd, rumour has it, Chamakh was told to aim his at the goal. My one groan would be the lack of player interaction. Fans took time out of their week to sit in a rain sodden ground for three hours and the only player who signed autographs was Cesc… For about ten minutes.

Why couldn’t the players spend an hour making a kids summer? It’s not like they’ve got anything else to do is it? It’d be a nice gesture and considering their salaries, not a particularly onerous one.

After is when the real action happened. I smashed 8 sandwiches and two segments of falafel wrap. How many drinks did I have? 2 coffees, 1 tea and a bottle of Arsenal branded water that tastes suspiciously like it’s been bottled at the Islington Park duck pond.

Silent Stan was there rocking a delightful shirt tie combo from Asda’s George range. The American was over for a board meeting, hopefully looking to guide the ship and maybe to sign off a few signings. Parlour and Keown were also on the pitch getting soaked chatting to Wenger about Eboue and his departure.

It was nice to mingle with some of the fans and bloggers after, it was fun for about 20 mins listening to Bob Wilson talk about his love of Seaman. It got a bit embarrassing when it was clear he was filling

Have a great day!

P.S. Matt Scott has put together an article in the Guardian (page 3!) today about football and social media, I’ve managed to land a few quotes if you’re interested. Being a professional Twitter Operator never felt so right!

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20110805-091726.jpg

Too cool for school...

 

Fantasy Football…

That time of year has arrived again where we pedal a bit of Fantasy football! We have a £100 prize for the winner, which basically feels like I’m gifting myself and Geoff £50. The league comes with an app for your phone and it’s all very sophisticated! If you fancy your chances…

1. sign up the Metro Fantasy League HERE

2. The Join the below league, using the below pin!

League Name: Le Grove

League Pin: 4450

 

712 Comments | New Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Pedro

Wenger deeply worried that Fabregas saga could derail Arsenal’s season. Head and sand springs to mind.

August 4, 2011

What, did I read that right? Are you kidding me Arsene? This could have been sorted out in May. Something like this…

Barcelona – How much for Fabregas? 

Arsenal – £40mil cash, no add ons, no swaps and no part exchanges, £40mil

Barcelona – We’ll give you £27mil

Arsenal – Grow up, £40mil by July 1st or don’t bother come back ever again. End of story. Any longer and it will destabilise the team, pre-season and the player, not to mention it will hack off millions of fans, and frankly Barca, without them, we’d be in the conference league.

Whatever that very, very old, half witted, bloated, butt smoking daddies boy says. Stan do yourself a favour, kick him out or shove him in the attic and feed him fish heads for the rest of his miserable life, he really is that embarrassing relative that messes his pants at a party but won’t go home because he won’t admit he smells.

Once again we have had all summer to buy what we need and once again this club has failed spectacularly, Wenger already has his excuses lined up just like the rubber ducks he pays so much money to, and we can’t get them off the books, again, smart management. But no one ever says a word!

If you like me have watched pre-season, you can see we haven’t missed cesc and that killer pass, because when Cesc plays, we play tippy tappy football.

What we have missed since the invincibles is a credible defence, Squillaci, Koscielny and Djourou aren’t it I’m afraid, I have inside information that says the whole staff know it too, but Wenger’s ego won’t allow him to admit he’s cocked up royally, so we all have to suffer, please don’t think stubborn and massive ego are the same thing.

What happened to the days of sacking under performing managers, ask Terry Neil, Don Howe and Bruce Rioch!

It’s great having Gervinho, but we only got him because Chamakh is so bad, Bendtner is also poor but that’s because he is played out of position, either way we have had to suffer him for years because Wenger said he would come good, now he realises he won’t, he quietly disses him. Oh and remember when he used to quote Denilson’s Opta stats???

We are all so fed up, we applaud Gervinho arriving instead of questioning why we suffered Bendtner for so long, now we are going through the same thing with Chamakh.

I can see no difference between this season and last, we play the same way and defend as bad, we don’t miss Cesc, we miss Adams, Keown and Campbell, that’s what we miss. There are scores of top stoppers out there and we get 3 that can’t stop, smart move for a top manager that.

I can never understand the logic in selling a top player, then looking for a replacement, then using the excuse, ‘they know we have a lot of money so we can’t buy anyone, I won’t pay inflated prices’

We should buy Mata or whoever we like and let Cesc know we don’t give a rats arse about his feelings, this is Arsenal football club, not Arsene’s nursery and ex player roadshow, Sunday’s debacle showed us that.

Yes I know TH14 was a legend, but you know what? He left us for riches elsewhere, he now plays for Red Bull New York and getting 5 minutes for us is all about him and it should be all about us. And like everything else this club does, Wenger said he pleaded with the ref at half time, how long have we known about this fixture? If he wanted that he should have stipulated it last year, when the fixture came out.

I have said before, Cesc will be a crock, I have said before get a replacement in before we decide on him, I have said before we need 2 world class centre backs and we will need 4 throughout a season, TV5 and Bartley will make up the four, and I have said before that Bendtner, Almunia, Denilson, Squillaci and Eboue are not good enough, all are still here and the season starts next week, no wonder we have no money.

But Eboue makes everyone laugh, well so does a plastic turd at a party but you wouldn’t pay that £60k a week and give it an 8 year contract and image rights would you? Hmmmm but I know someone that might!

Denilson by the way says he’ll be back next year, as we are kindly letting him have a year off so he can be near his 3 year old daughter, generous that, never mind Arsenal’s needs, I also bet we are paying his massive salary too.

So a quick report on progress so far boss, we sell Clichy and replace him with one of two players that aren’t as good. We buy in a right back for the future and three 16 year olds, we buy in Gervinho (who does look good) and we are begging Cesc and Nasri to stay, but at what cost, oh and we are trying to sell 4 more.

Oh and I didn’t even bother mentioning the youth players let go or sold.

Me? I’d keep Nasri, but only if he signed a new contract, otherwise I would sell him to the highest bidder, if it were to City I would ask for Richards and De Jong in return or I would sell him for less elsewhere.

Cesc would go to the highest bidder, I’m afraid he has blotted his copybook once to often for me, I also believe he is now a crock, and who’s fault is that? Playing a kid at 16 in a mans team will do that everytime, there aren’t too many young kids that make it through a career, look at Michael Owen.

Jury is out on Gibbs, Ramsey, Wilshere and Theo, time will tell.

Have a great day Grovers, the weekend is looming and we have our last pre-season coming up.

P.S. Make sure you follow the Le Grove Twitter account today as Pedro will be reporting all the news as it happens!

Fantasy Football…

That time of year has arrived again where we pedal a bit of Fantasy football! We have a £100 prize for the winner, which basically feels like I’m gifting myself and Geoff £50. The league comes with an app for your phone and it’s all very sophisticated! If you fancy your chances…

1. sign up the Metro Fantasy League HERE

2. The Join the below league, using the below pin!

League Name: Le Grove

League Pin: 4450

Follow us on Facebook, subscribe to our daily e-mail or catch us on Google+!

603 Comments | New Review | Permalink
Posted by Geoff

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