Good morning Grover’s, last night was awash with rumour and counter rumour regarding the fitness of Jack Wilshere. Well I can confirm that the stories were right, I’ve been told there were issues on Wednesday and that he’s likely to face a minimum of 3 weeks on the sidelines. No one knows the extent of the problem yet… so it could be more serious.
I mentioned last week that his return was going to be hugely complicated, now that statement has come to fruition, we’re in a spot of bother. The good news is we’re looking to bring in players now. Much like the last window, losses and issues have forced the boss and the club into a corner, so hopefully we’ll see a busy end to the month. You’d have to hope someone creative can be snared and certainly another defender has to be under consideration. Santos is back in the country, but I don’t think he’s anywhere near and return date yet.
This Jack return has all the hallmarks of the Vermaelen return last year, the only stroke of luck is that Jack broke a bone… just pray he didn’t fracture the same bone again because then we’re talking a career threatening problem.
The news isn’t all bad. We should have up to 7 players returning over the next week, I’ve heard that Arteta could be back for Sunday and our full back issue could be mostly under control the week after. Still, a week is a long time in football, so don’t get your hopes up until you see the ink on the team sheet. Sagna returning is the big one for me, we’ve missed his solidity and professionalism down the right. If we can get Gibbs in, at least we’ll have someone mobile in a position that demands it… even if he is positionally weak at times.
Sunday is looking like a massive day for us. An FA Cup would salvage our season to some degree and maybe Arsene’s career. Kenny Dalglish has been receiving lashing of over the top praise from Liverpool loving journo’s in the papers and I’d imagine calls for his head are at a premium, even if his huge outlay only returns a Carling Cup.
We need to take the competition seriously, we need to go at it with the right attitude and we need to get this club back to winning ways. Geoff and I went on a run of FA Cup finals back in the day, some of my best memories are from that competition, from Newcastle in 98, to just about everyone bar the Liverpool debacle after that!
Champions League quarter-final versus an FA Cup win? It’s FA Cup all day for me!
I recorded a podcast with Alex Fynn last night, sadly, it didn’t upload last night, which means I’ll have to sort that out this evening. Hopefully I’ll have that up for you tomorrow morning and with it, a nice offer on his book (Arsenal – Making of Modern Superclub).
Right, that’s all I’ve got for you today! Happy Friday!
P.S. Don’t go too crazy on the club before you know what the injury is… the return was complicated, set backs were inevitable, let’s just pray to Herbert Chapman it’s only minor. Before I go,imagine if Arsenal did this to us (Bayern)!
Clint Dempsey could be the answer up top! Dempsey wants to play Champions League. No more than a 10 million pound offer could see the player try and force the move. Wenger are you listening, here is a bargain buy in the making. Dump Chamakh and use the funds for Dempsey, a much much better player!
So Jack’s out for the season. So Arsene what now?
We now need a playmaker as well as a striker .(bet you didn’t want that news out before jan 31st).Judging by Jack’s muted tweets over the part few weeks this new’s was already know.
What about Sahin or maybe Gourcuff ? Both are available and would fit into our midfield easily. Has for a forward we all know the option’s. 4/5 day’s to save our season Arsene.Are you up for it ?
haha Dale, you’re really just a deluded fool
just re-read all your comments from today, and find me only one piece of usable information, any post that is not insulting other posters, and actually participating to the discussion.
you just troll here.
I interact with other posters who are here to discuss, not just drop their balls on the table, and wait for the cook to cut them.
If they don’t buy anyone soon, they are in for a massive shock he be
And they fully deserve it. It should be clear to anyone that this squad will not win anything, and they are in serious danger of not achieving the bare minimum which is CL qualification.
They need to invest or the club will plummet pretty quickly. The best players will leave and we will be left with all the shite.
Anyone genuinely believe that RVP will be an Arsenal player next season? I don’t think we have a chance of keeping him personally
Ivory
It’s the same situation but worse than SAF and his son at Man Utd at least he wasn’t taking the best players out of the club and dealing with more the fringe ones.
I suppose they look at it as if the players are going to move on then somebody will make money off it so what not Darren Dein.
I don’t believe that family members should be involved in situations like this because Darren Dein could be working against our interests and the interest of David Dein to weaken the club temporarily, maybe to give Usmanov a better chance, who knows.
Dale: you are a white sheep amongst 1000 sheeps.
at least I and most on here have an actual opinion and don’t just change what they say based on who is here.
Im sure as soon as Keyser will show up you’ll start wanking.
at the end od the day, ask yourself how much you actually participate in the debate.
to me you just sound bitter, sad, without friends, and without any clue about football. soccer for you, that is
Arsenal has become renowned for it’s stingyness when it comes to buying players. It would therefore be natural for this miserly approach to extend to our fitness coaches and medical staff. I wonder is this the reason we seem to be ‘unlucky’ when it comes to injuries and player’s inability to return quickly when they get injuries.
Miser’s in all walk’s of life come to nothing and that also extend’s to football club’s.
I don’t have to participate in every useless conversation or comment on everything that doesn’t really concern me, you on the other hand Ivory, you are a bitch that gets bloody Mary in your pants even at the slightest of fun banter towards gambon….
Funny enough, you talk about “usable information” really, you are deluded to think EVERYONE finds your long pieces of shit as useable, especially if it is to antagonize and make yourself feel very important…
Now hope off Mr. Dick and go some where and lick your “lips”
Excuse No1
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-we-re-unlikely-to-sign-a-left-back
Chamakh on the bench for Morocco vs Gabon. It only took one game for their manager to see he was crap. haha
For once I agree with Wenger – now is not the time to sign anyone.
This is the squad he was happy with at the start of the season, this is the squad he tells us has strength in depth etc. So this is the squad we should keep until the end of the season.
Let them all get on with it.
Fck em.
Ivory…white sheep? LOL make your self useful and stop regurgitating the same shit over and over…have some color, stop being grey and stop following the crowd. Be your own man….it’s easy to say Wenger is a cunt, we all do it every now and then…but key is every now and then, not every fucking day.
What is useful about saying we need to buy this and that everyday???
And stop acting like me and you share the same space, you have no clue who I am, so stop the assuming, NOT all Americans are clueless about Association Football idiot, buy yourself a ticket and get a visa, stop sounding uneducated, for someone who is Educated, so you say.
kwik fit that theory is entirely possible. Our injury record is horrendous and it’s indisputable that it is worse than other clubs
“any Nigerian readers here?
how much did you ever spent on Arsenal merchandise?
was it legit?”
Stop now Ivory “You Dont Know What Your Doing”
Wenger on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain…
He is alright, it was just fatigue. His calf was not gone or anything like that, he just started to tire a little bit. It is normal for a guy who plays a game at that intensity. But health-wise he has no problem. He will be involved on Sunday.
What is the point in Wenger spending more money of average at best players? It makes no sense to be calling for signings when we all know full well:
1. He won’t
2. They won’t be the signings we need.
To let Wenger out into the market would be madness.
kwik: I think the medical team could be better, but that they already told Pedro during the visit what the main source of injuries is.
overtraining for the last 10 minutes push. at the time, I added that the only thing I would personally reproach the med team, is to not clearly refuse to do it, as it increases injuries, and as far as one is a signed doctor, it’s actually against his Hypochrite’s oath (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=fr&sl=en&tl=fr&u=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FHippocrates&anno=2)
rest is just Wenger policy of not saying anything.
That is me done…I don’t claim to be an author of a blog, I come here read what Pedro has to say (emphasis on Pedro) i read through a few intelligent peoples post, I form my opinion and i make asses look like, well…poo holes and I keep it moving….
I actually don’t have to brag about work….i just go ahead and make my money…don’t need to bring personal life onto this forum.
Joppa ‘average at best’ may still be better than we have.
yeah but Jappa Road last years squad was the one Wenger said was his “best ever” and how did that work out? I kind of agree with you though, I’m not sure now is a good time to buy. It will inevitably mean that this season is down the crapper but so be it. I’ve become used to Arsenal disappointing me after the last thee years. The problem is with Euro 2012, Wenger will probably say “Because of the Euros prices are inflated” and not buy in the summer either. Haha
Socrates….why bother…to him, Americans, Nigerians don’t have a right to support Arsenal or watch Arsenal…yes, an Ivorian who is lost in FranceEngland and where ever else can question how much people spend on Arsenal or if they know football at all..what a moron…
Ivory why would the board pay ‘top dollar’ for quality medical staff when they scrap the barrel when it comes to buying players?
kwik fit
Can’t see us getting anyone of quality while Wenger is still here. His view of quality is obviously the totally opposite to ours, evidenced by him saying we only buy super super quality and there are no players out there better than what we have.
Honest Bill
We will find some ridiculous amount of money to try to entice RVP to stay and I mean 150-200k pw I don’t think he will take the bait though. He’s 28 probably got 4 good years left? Ideal situation to move if you ask me. He needs to win something and I don’t believe when he looks around the team he can see a team that can win anything, as much as I feel he doesn’t really want to go but he needs quality around him.
kwik fit says:
January 27, 2012 at 18:53
Wenger on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain…
He is alright, it was just fatigue. His calf was not gone or anything like that, he just started to tire a little bit. It is normal for a guy who plays a game at that intensity. But health-wise he has no problem. He will be involved on Sunday.
====================
You won’t find Wenger admitting he cocked up…no sir.
Dale: you clearly don’t see the irony or the stupidity of your comments. just re-read yourself.
if you were a black sheep, you’d at least be unique in the 1000 but that you didnt get.
I keep repeating the same “stuff” because the same idiot comes here with same behaviour. if you’re expecint different outcome, you got to be even more stupid than I expected.
Socrates: yes, what’s wrong with that? that’s a honest question.
Im sure there are Nigerian fans out there reading, and I’d like to know what THEIR view is of the merchandise prospects of the Arsenal brand in their country.
follow the money. If Wenger is intending to leave in 2014 then I don’t believe we should allow him to spend anymore money and just ride the situation out until then. If we sell RVP he’ll have to replace him but I don’t want to see him buying as if he’s rebuilding because as far as I’m concerned Wenger doesn’t have a future at Arsenal, so leave the money in the pot for the next manager to re-build.
I don’t expect an outcome from you Ivory…I expect you to stop being a bitch on here ..like it’s your period everyday!
Dale
That’s not a cock up, that’s a blatant lie considering what he said at the time. I’m getting to the point where I can’t stand Wenger and his lying mouth anymore.
Exactly follow the money he did say about last years squad that it was “our best ever”. It just emphasizes my point about not wanting any new signings.
It’s exactly the reason I think it would be crazy to want Wenger to go on a spending spree. The man is out of touch with reality. The above quote proves it.Who would he sign? Do you honestly think Hazard, etc. No chance.
NO SIGNINGS PLEASE….let’s get on with the season.
I’m more a black sheep on here cause I don’t state the obvious everyday like you, I like to talk about fools like you who label others a sheep, when you are more of a sheep, just a bitchy sheep though, one with daily blood flow on your pants.
Now is as good a time to buy as any. The market isn’t about to deflate any time soon, so we may as well dip in now, That way, maybe we get some better footballers, who will get time to settle in before the start of the next campaign, not to mention help us qualify for CL football.
I can’t see any sense in waiting at all. If we don’t buy now, we will not qualify for CL and we won’t be able to buy any player who considers CL football to be a priority (Which is most top level plyers these days) not to mention that our best player will most likely leave (And no i don’t mean Theo)
2301, he lied after he made the most bone headed mistake in football.
i would love an FA cup run. there’s something magical about that cup.
kwik: I actually agree with that, and as I already said in the past, we should have couple of the top surgeons and ‘soccer’
injury specialists with our new medical centre rather than a still acive rugby doctor.
whats the point of a shiny new medical centre if there’s no class doctors in our field of sport to use it?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/jun/17/gary-odriscoll-lions-doctor-arsenal
*expecting
Joppa, i would agree with you, seeing there isn’t anyone really out there worth throwing money at, or a club willing to let go of real quality….
IvoryGoonz- Dont see how you can ask that question without coming off as a bit of dick .
Maybe there are no Nigerians who actually spend money on Arsenal, but is that all there is to the tour? Selling Arsenal shirts to Nigerians?
What I would encourage is more players to be brought through the youth system like Jack was. Not always possible i know but I would much prefer a few British (in an ideal world) come through and stake a place in this mediocre team, rather than the likes of bad foreign imports i.e. Squid, Park, Cham, Den etc etc etc
I have re-aligned my expectations and dumbed myself down to where this club is at. Yes, it’s taken me the last 6 years to do it but do it I must while Wenger remains.
Gunner2301
Agreed. I wouldn’t blame him if he went. We will end up selling him, and probably Theo too (The latter i won’t miss)
Hope Keane is kept quiet on Sunday. That guy alway’s raises his game for the Arsenal.
Socrates says:
January 27, 2012 at 19:07
IvoryGoonz- Dont see how you can ask that question without coming off as a bit of dick .
Maybe there are no Nigerians who actually spend money on Arsenal, but is that all there is to the tour? Selling Arsenal shirts to Nigerians?
============
Well said Socrates…but one small correction..HE IS A DICK! not a bit
And with my new dumbed down outlook I fully intend to get behind the starting with Sunday.
I know realise this team is at best a FA Cup run team (semi at best), a EPL 5th-7th place team and the icing on the cake when we reach the QF of the Champions League.
Those must be our realistic goals for the rest of the season.
To clarify a good season for this team (THIS TEAM) will be FA Cup – semi, EPL – 5th to 7th & CL QF.
Those must be the goals.
Joppa Road
We have the money, we should spend it. None of the other top teams will stop improving their squads, so we can’t either unless we actually want to fall down the table in to mediocrity.
kwik fit says:
January 27, 2012 at 19:09
Hope Keane is kept quiet on Sunday. That guy alway’s raises his game for the Arsenal.
================
This Sunday? Aren’t we playing O’Neill the great?
DaleDaGooner 14:05 “Yido, you cunt son of a whore!”
DaleDaGooner 14:26 “DDM, are you a fatso, that likes coding and plays all those weird fantasy games?”
DaleDaGooner 14:51 “gambon, a Song hater…what a wank job”
DaleDaGooner 15:04 “ha ha, gambon and DDM, only work I like is selling you dreams.”
DaleDaGooner 15:38 “Shhhh, don’t tell anyone, I met gambon in Nevada, he’s a fat Valet who isn’t allowed to touch the cars, they make him wash the rims and tires of the shot callers cars.”
DaleDaGooner 15:41 “…he also has a second job, cause he talks a lot, he got a gig as local car wash as the fat sponge mascot who talks you into washing your car on a rainy day”
homeless was a reference to Dale Farm. but I don’t expect you to understand Gambon humour.
DaleDaGooner says:
January 27, 2012 at 19:04
I’m more a black sheep on here cause I don’t state the obvious everyday like you, I like to talk about fools like you who label others a sheep, when you are more of a sheep, just a bitchy sheep though, one with daily blood flow on your pants.
——–
you really want me to go back to all the posts you came back on here, started again insulting everyone, and got put back in your place again?
I don’t feel you understand.
Socrates: ok, what for then? for the risk of getting Diaby kidnapped or killed by a pirate?
alright, do it.
Cant help thinking that if we make any big signings this window AW will be around for next season regardless of how this season ends.
If there are no signings on the other hand and season ends badly something big has to give at the end of the season. Either we make a few big signings or Arsene leaves.
Socrates: and I don’t see many people actually answering that question, while I don’t think I’m the only one wondering. I’d rather look like a dick and be less stupid, that look intelligent, and be a total dick like some.
Honest Bill: No it’s not the time to spend. This of a culmination now of Wenger and how he has made his bed. Why would he go and spend? It goes against everything he has tried to achieve.
Nope for me Wenger has to love or die by what team he has now. It’s too late for spending this season. It’s not just about money and signings now, it’s about the whole way Wenger picks and runs his teams. e.g. Do you honestly think Mertasacker is an average defender? But when he plays for Arsenal he looks like one – the man has almost 80 caps! I’m talking about the whole Wenger philosophy – that is what must be questioned, not his lack of signings.
The last thing I want him to do is go out and spend.
*live
DaleDaGooner says:
January 27, 2012 at 19:14
kwik fit says:
January 27, 2012 at 19:09
Hope Keane is kept quiet on Sunday. That guy alway’s raises his game for the Arsenal.
================
This Sunday? Aren’t we playing O’Neill the great?
————–
that kind of comment tells you everything
Ivory….you are a noob!
first off, me, gambon and DDM banter and joke with each other, you wouldn’t know that, as you are more interested sifting through like a police dog-bitch…..
second of all, can you do us a favor, hop off gambon’s cock!
*than
Dale: you are a joke. really.
IVORY..fuck off, Yes he meant Robbie Keane, and I meant O’niell always raises his managerial skills against us…so you fuck right off if you didn’t get it.
Wenger should be showed the way out of the Emirate stadium bcos AW is an old fool
…if you didn’t get it, then maybe you should humbly ask questions…you always come out looking like a cock when you don’t ask properly.
Dale: ’nuff said. WUM
Gentlemen, less insults to each other and more sensible debate !!
Ivory, think if the tour was to be in Japan, you would probably be thinking Asia. Why not think Africa. The tour will probably be televised free to view in a lot of African countries and it will boost Arsenal’s African fanbase everywhere in the world.
Money coming from Africa may not be much but setting up a real fanbase early can only be good for the club.
Morocco playing better without Chamakh.
Same MARTIN O’NIELL some people wanted to tae over as Arsenal manager..hence “The Great” in sarcasm…
Bergkamp63, you are right, but i try to ignore the idiot and enjoy any non boring rhetoric
Did you agree with my re-assessment of what would be a good season for us with the current team, taking into account our season so far?
EPL – 5th to 7th.
CL – Quarters
FAC – Semi.
With our manager and team I think that is as much as we can ask.
Didnt know Neymar was from Gabon!!!!
Maybe there is some mileage in not spending and let the season pan out into 5th in EPL etc that way the majority of us get what we want and Wenger replaced. The drawback is we don’t attract top quality as they only want CL football, we won’t attract top manager as they will want CL football for starters and that could lead to Arsenal remaining outside top four for some considerable time.
And that’s not to mention our commercial deals which will be up for renewal in 2 years time ?
There’s a more serious point to not giving Wenger any money to spend apart from he would only waste it anyway.
The financial system in the West is collapsing. We are in a financially good position as a Club, therefore when it does collapse many clubs will go out of business and everything will need re-structuring in view of this.
I’m not sure what will replace the current financial system but it would have to be something based on realistic values not inflated ones.
Bergkamp: you tell him. that was my main point mind you.
Socrates: I don’t mind an African tour, I just think in the order of priorities, it is not at the top of the countries we should be touring if we toured.
I don’t think we should be touring every summer, and especially not over this summer with the amount of injuries we already have, the work to do, the ACN, then the Euros. Arsenal already has an academy in Africa and plenty African descent players and links with various clubs. Making a tour is not gonna change much, apart being followed by Man U who will take all the market, just be a good way for Gazidis to put paper over the cracks, have more “new” fans to claim “In Wenger I Trust”. Fitness training in Africa? Good luck.
I think just let Wenger get on with it now. He has taken this path, it’s down to him.
Personally I don’t think we will get near 4th. I’m not hopeful of the FA Cup but do think we will beat Milan, then is the draw is favourable who knows?
What I want at Arsenal isn’t going to happen anyhow:
Core English players mixed with top world talent.
Most of the current 35 players in the squad I don’t think are good enough but there you go, what do I know?
Do you think we are waiting for the FFP to kick in and a correction in the market to take place, The likes of city will have to offload a lot of players at cut price.
The trouble is, can we afford to wait ?
Bergkamp63
Think the club will always be able to attract top Managers we are in the top 5 richest clubs in the world. Problem I think is a top manager may want some assurances maybe on a budget on new players.
On your comment on the commercial deals that just reinforces that something has to give at the end of the season if we dont make big signings now.
Dale: I’m sorry if you are jealous and you can’t even admit it to yourself. but that’s not my problem. I don’t have anything to hide. I’m not a liar like the Wenger, I’m here to share, discuss, not to be constantly hassled by assholes like you.
Joppa Road,
Sounds like you’re more interested in Wenger being fucked than you are Arsenal’s position.. If we can do better, we should do better.
Wenger will not last long now anyway, either he will have to spend, or the club will continue it’s downward path and we will be without CL football.. That will only harm us long term
Bergkamp: FFP isn’t going to happen, top clubs and financial men will find a way around it.
Can’t see how it can work or be implemented.
FFP is not going to save us, it definitely should not be our plan A for god’s sake
IvoryGoonz says:
January 27, 2012 at 18:10
any Nigerian readers here?
how much did you ever spent on Arsenal merchandise?
was it legit?
—————————————————————————–
I Bought a legit female jersey for my best friend last season, i know a lot of guys that buy and customize(Nigerians don’t buy replica with players name) every year. I would have bought for myself this season but not until Arsene or the Board spend some f*****g money on quality players.
Not really Honest Bill, it’s a sad day really when he goes because like I have said himself and George Graham have given me all my best Arsenal memories for the last 25 years.
Wenger is/was/still is a top manager but like I said for reasons not known to me has decided to take a totally (from what I can see) one dimensional approach to the game, whether it be tactics, formations or signings. I don’t understand it.
I am going to see how the season pans out but if you asked me “Do I think he is doing a good job football wise?” The answer would be an emphatic no.
I know we have to have squad rotation and all that but if we are to compete we may have to have a smaller squad than 35 with a great first team and a second 11 made up of hotter younger prospects (a little like Barca), maybe a few English youngsters from lower leagues who could be back up ?
Bergkamp: there are always new opportunities opened. Of course we can afford to wait. the board and wenger know. there’s plenty money available. but the FFP coming into play is not gonna change much for someone who doesn’t spend anyway.
and if some are hoping that it will prevent an Adebayor playing for Tottenham, I’d like to remind Wenger is the one who sold Adebayor in the first place, and that Wenger still loan players to inferior teams in the league and eventually does the same thing he reproaches.
Bergkamp, I am not quite in agreement with the school of thought that dropping out of CL means we can’t attract quality players…Look at the cocks, they are flying high right now after missing out of CL this season, and they are on a structured wage criteria.
Dale and ivory give it a rest ffs its getting very boring now
azed: thanks! much appreciated answer! at least a real insight!
Joppa Road.
But do you genuinely think we will achieve 4th place this season? and if not do you really think we can afford to miss out on CL? Not just financially, but it makes our club totally unattractive to prospective signings.
If we can’t attract top players, how can the club ever compete again?
azed: do you think touring this year would be a good idea, or wouldnt you mind next year, especially with the ACN currently running.?
bennydevito: you know what? I just ignored you yesterday, but if you want I can just go back and check exactly what you said? Im sure that was very interesting.
Joppa Road
Never understood your obsession with the English spine. Think you believe your own passion for the club can only be matched by an English/Brit forgetting perharps that most English/Britts are shit or not fit to take us where we want to be.
Surely Liverpool must have proved this to you. Look at all the 4 clubs at the top and pick out an English spine.
We can’t even begin to think we are going to improve until we get rid of the 20 or so players who are bleading us dry.
How on earth did we get to this ? you can’t keep playing someone 200 times in the hope they are going to improve.
Bennydevito says:
January 26, 2012 at 14:17
John, you’re new on here aren’t you? Generally speaking if you are considered a staunch AKB by Gambon and a few others you will be banned. It happens all the time. Whenever a newbie comes on and dares to have a differring opinion to the doom and gloom they normally get ganged up on, abused and then banned.
Modric is massively overated, Wilshere is head and shoulders above him already.
———–
talk to us about Wilshere again.
Rooney, Scholes, Ferdinand
Bergkamp: Would love to see more kids who have come through the ranks getting their chance.
I’ve long argued there must be something massively wrong if Arsenal cannot produce better than Bendtner, Denilson, Eboue, Almunia, Stepanovs etc etc.
I simply refuse to believe there isn’t a better English equivilant.
if Suga didn’t have his accident, he’d be pianoting on his keyboard
Dale,
There’s no doubt it helps though.
You are right of course, one can still attract talent with enough money, but there are a certain class of players out there (i.e the type of player who should be in an Arsenal shirt) who wants to achieve at the very highest level, and will only look at the top clubs.
Why did Mata say that he wanted to join Chelsea?
I can’t remember exactly, but he said that it wouldn’t be an ambitious move to go to a club like Arsenal or Tottenham (Yes he sees us in the same bracket… Anyone care to argue with him?)
Socrates: im afraid on the english spine, even being ivorian-french, I still agree with him.
there should be more english players in the core team.
just for the flexibility on the HG numbers.
currently we have to send a player on loan to free one of our 22 registered players. what kind of a joke is that?
If we can get Ox, Wilshere and a solid English CB, I think we can be ok,, But I like Vermaelen and Koscielny to fit in nicely and be part of the spine…assuming we can keep them satisfied
Wenger’s ‘big’ money signings have not been very impressive.
Reyes and Arshavin spring to mind.
two best midfilders sold . jack out for season oh yea diaby out for season wonder why we are were we are .lets not bring anybody in good idea that you could not make this stuff up wonder why fans alittle upset i feel more pain on the way no other manger would let this happen . we need at least 3 new players buy tuesday just to give a fighting chance this could end ulgy hope not
if better players like Baines compared to Gibbs were available without an expensive fee, we should also have gone for it, count Samba, Cahill…
Socrates…it’s just my personal preference. I can’t really relate to Chamakh, Bendtner, Denilson etc Or many of the other better players who just want to leave.
I can however relate to Adams, Wright, Merson and I guess the others who truely love Arsenal i.e. Vieira, Wrighty, George Graham, Parlour etc.
I question the need for foreign mediocrity – hasn’t England got enough mediocre players of it’s own?
Man U – Scholes, Ferdinand, Rooney this season but look at Nevilles, Beckham, Giggs (Welsh), Cole etc
Chelsea: Cole, Lampard, Terry have been mainstays.
The trouble is Arsenal are not producing them throug their academy, they are having to buy them in from elsewhere ?
HB..well Mata is in an ambitious team..(even though he was in talks with us for a long time) and we aren’t far from them on the table. He isn’t that better than Ox is for us…we just have to let the boy play, he’d massively add to our quality going forward, I can just imagine him instead of Walcott, all those blind alleys would suddenly look like a lighted up highway.
Bergkamp63
We don’t need FFP. The World market is correcting the disparities itself. Europes financial system is collapsing (Greece technically in default others will follow), we owe a ridiculous amount of debt in the UK (1 trillion) the US Dollar is dead.
It’s only a matter of time. New rules would have to be written for those Clubs left after the collapse that goes beyond FFP tinkering. Things will be more equitable for those who remain and hopefully everybody not just football will be cutting their cloth accordingly. We should be paying realistic prices thereafter for everything in all markets and not artificially inflated prices.
When things are based on the real world true values, wages for sports people as well as footballers may also start being more realistic, which would be good to see.
Can someone explain to a newbie what AKB means please.
Thanks.
onbeingaminimum: look up the page, there’s an AKB guide at your disposal
LOL onbeing: It means Anal Now Bitch!
Gunner2301,
I agree with what you are saying but football seems to be bucking the trend with an ever growing world market for some reason. I think there will be some correction but not as great as we would like to think.
I personally do not think any footballer is worth more than a 100k a week, it’s not like they are saving someone’s life like a surgeon is it ?
Ivory
I think the tour would be at Abuja the capital city, but imo it should be held in Lagos.
I don’t know how they make money from tours but if its by gate fee for a Match then i’m pretty sure at 20-40 pounds they fill the stadium(don’t know the capacity).
Taking about the acn, Nigeria did not qualify so its has no effect and trust me if arsenal were playing the same time with the national team in Nigeria, arsenal would get way more fans
onbeingaminimum: and welcome onboard
Thank you Ivory.
Dale,
I was just using Mata as an example of how our team is actually viewed in the football world. I agree Ox is the real deal and there are certainly better players than Mata out there. My only point is, our club is becoming less and less attractive every season, and it is purely down to lack of ambition in the transfer market. We let go of all our top talents, and nobody in the very top bracket will want to come here.
You must see the frustration on RVP’s face all the time, he wants to be around top class players, and wants to win trophies, all top players do.
You really think we will hold on to him?
I don’t think so. He will be gone in the summer unless he feels we can become a competitive team again. We stand no chance of winning the league with this squad. We can’t keep relying on the players we have, and thinking everything will be fine if we don’t get too many injuries. We always get them, there is no denying it, we are stretched and need more quality. There’s only one way to do it, and that’s just to take a risk on a couple of players.
I use the term risk, although i believe not signing is a far better risk to Arsenal’s profits.. At least if one takes a long term view, which Arsenal, despite what they say, do not take.
Ivory
Even Enrique would have kept us on a level costing less than we got for Clichy and he’s better than Santos and Gibbs. I’m hoping Santos improves his defensive side because he could be good but we’ve been in this situation many times before and players don’t step up.
have we actually toured USA ? I would have thought that would have been a bigger money spinner for us ?
Arsenal has a massive following in Nigeria but its beginning to wane and majority of the fans see Wenger as stingy.
Business wise, arsenal would do well to set up a shop in Nigeria where they sell others things besides replica jerseys cos i’m pretty sure most Nigerian(the arsenal fans) know about other products.
The richest man in Nigeria is a gooner.
“Scholes, Ferdinand, Rooney”
Didnt Scholes retire at the end of last season?
I agree that having more English players would give the fans a huge lift and we would see some passion on the field but we probably wont win.
How long before the passion you want grows weary and you want results? Look at Liverpool.
“I question the need for foreign mediocrity – hasn’t England got enough mediocre players of it’s own?”
Your demand of English players is more of a consolation prize. Like they are shit but at least they’re English shit.
onbeingaminimum
AKB definition is in the link navigation above. Kindly provided by Le-Grove
HB, I see your point and it’s tangible, But several things can happen…Van Der Vaart went to the spuds, when they had no hope of making even Europa…
In the RvP case, while I agree we may lose him, but last season and this season has been his most productive and injury free, so he matters this season as the only shining light..but you have to ask where he has been when we needed him for that extra bit of class at finishing off a season…No fault of his, injury has been a curse…but i won’t blame injury, Wenger is a control freak.
azed: thanks again. really interesting to have first hand info
about the ACN, “trust me if arsenal were playing the same time with the national team in Nigeria, arsenal would get way more fans”.
that sells it ok to me for a stop there. but if it’s a tour, it would be more than one game anyway. question is do they stay in Nigeria, do they travel a lot, what installation do they have to train on the trip.
the main trouble is that at that time they are supposed to improve their fitness in preparation of the season, and I feel like we’re gonna skip on it again, already putting sticks in our credentials’ wheels.
it would still to me make more sense to tour Nigeria or Africa during a summer without ACN or Euro.
the biggest danger for us is if Wenger stays in the summer, how many of the 20 or so will we actually get rid of ?
We can’t shift them for nothing given the wages they are on ?
Socrates I am saying I refuse to belive the Arsenal Acadamy cannot do better than the mediocrity I mentioned.
RE: Liverpool. Don’t be so quick to dismiss Liverpool. It’s Dalglish’s first season back. They have drawn far too many home games but they are easily on a par with Arsenal now and with Suarez back may well have a late crack at taking 4th (although I think Chelsea should get it). Also they have got an excellent chance of a trophy. Not as bad as most Arsenal fans would have you believe.
I would love a Gerrard, Suarez or Bellamy at Arsenal, not to mention Adam and Reina. Good team.
HB: “a club that can’t hold onto its best players can’t be called a good club anymore”.
did that prevent him from selling Fab and Nas and not replace both?
Bergkamp: no player is unsellable. “We” are just too greedy and overestimating our players.
Socrates, as much as I’d like to agree with you buddy…Scholes was a main stay till this season, and his back, so he never left…Chelsea had Cole, Lampard and Terry and in there last competitive season, Liverpool had Carragher, Gerard …..
I would settle for selling them for £0 and getting them off the wage bill ?
We must be spunking £50 m a year at least ?
Manchester United, Tour in Nigeria…nuff said.
there you go.
And don’t forget Smalling, Carrick and Evans. It’s good to have them in the squad. Must be part of the reason Ferguson has won 27 trophies in 27 years or whatever it is.
Don’t be so quick to knock my logic.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16567387.stm
Even currently, Shitty has Lescott, Richards, Hart, Milner, Barry and Johnson as a spine of their “resurgences”
IvoryGoonz
Exactly, So when we have the manager himself admitting we aren’t ambitious, or a big club, how can we convince players who want only the top level that they should come to us.
It’s true that we can still attract quality if we throw enough money at it, it still limits us more than it should.. We are The Arsenal ffs, we should be the club that people aspire to play for, not dismiss as readily as they would Tottenham
bergkamp: I wouldn’t hesitate to.
And Wellbeck…any other United players I have missed!?
And lets not lie to ourselves…Wenger has finally accepted that as well…Reason why we spent that much on Oxlade-Chamberlain…wanted Jones and Smalling, gave Wilshere that much playing time and insistence on Walcott and Gibbs as first team players.
azed: how’s the whole situation regarded over there?
Joppa Road, probably with the Academy you might have a point but you might be suggesting that the club take a bullet for England and drill technical football into English players which would probably take the club back.
On Liverpoll, would you have expected them to be below us with all the signings they made coupled with how they finished the season? And they would probably also love Vermy, Wilshere, RVP not to mention Song.
with regards to attracting quality, if we had a great team and were very successful, players would wan’t to come to us and take a pay cut like at Barca !!
It doesn’t always follow that you have to pay over the odds ?
More English players = more favourable refereeing decisions.
I’d say that’s a good thing.
Neymar scores for Gabon
For me Arsenal may well be a global brand but they are an English club and should play more English players. Whether that view is right or wrong doesn’t matter to me, it’s just my own view.
Man U have lots of English players on their books, they are Champions and are always in the mix at the business end.
Dale/Joppa, we are talking spine not just English players. I think that means guaranteed first team players who show passion, skill and leadership on the pitch.
Daniel Cousin > Chamakh..
Not to mention that English players dont disappear to the the ACN or get homesick.
Maybe Fergie has got something there !!
“More English players = more favourable refereeing decisions.
I’d say that’s a good thing.”
Nah, would never sit right with me knowing that the team was helped to win trophies with favourable decisions.
Let’s not kid ourselves, Cesc and Nasri sale was done by agents and the powers that be…Once the agents cornered Wenger and the players made it clear they wanted out, there was no way Wenger was keeping them. Agents run this … Wenger was pig headed and naive to think they would stay
naive? after 15 yrs? yeah
7m/yr? yeah
Managers buy from their own home countries, proven fact. Fergie,Arry and Daglish will always but Brit.
Look at Chelsea much as it is claimed they have an English spine, how many English players have been bought pre Abromovich?
Bergkamp…Chelsea has done well, even with Drogba and co leaving…so no excuse.
They have a stronger squad than us to start with ?
Naive because everyone he brought in at 21/22 were sold when HE wanted to sell them not they wanting to leave…Cesc and Nasri, he didn’t want to let go. Nasri should have been replaced before this season and Cesc should have too, But he was naive to think he’d win something and they’d stay till his next pets were ready…that is Wilshere to replace Cesc, and who ever to replace Nasri.
Chamakh in for the league game
YEEEESSSS Chamakh our saviour is coming home