First of all let’s talk about our loans, the biggest one is for the stadium and this one was necessary in order to bring in the income to make our team the best in the world of football. The downside is it seems we have to pay for it first. So this is a long term loan and an even longer term payback.
The next one is the players we loaned, the first was Yossi Benayoun, we got him from Chelsea to add strength and experience to our squad, him I’m not so sure about because he can’t seem to get a game, reasonable player but a little surplus to our needs.
Thierry Henry was a sop to the disgruntled fans, sure he was a legend, but it really shows how bad Chamakh is because Henry is scoring, and how completely useless Park is because our stop-gap 34 year old loanee is getting games over him.
Still he is Korean and buying him in theory reduces our loan, the first one that is.
Make no mistake though, Henry was a cynical ploy to disguise the fact Wenger was not going to buy a proper goalscorer in the window, quite shameless really, but that’s our Arsenal these days.
Then there are some of the players we have loaned out, Bothelo, Galindo, Bartley, Lansbury, Ryo, Campbell and Wellington, them I can understand as they are gaining experience or because of permit issues, but players like Vela, Bendtner and Denilson I don’t because they are clearly not wanted by Arsenal and we couldn’t sell them (and we tried), so why don’t we just tell them to leave when their contracts expire?
So without sounding negative, if we added that lot to the players that would never make the team like Squillaci and Park, players that are just not good enough like Chamakh and perma-crocks like Diaby, I wonder how much money we could save in salaries and how much money we would get in fees for them.
Unless of course there is some super clever reason we have these players out on loan that I don’t know about?
People were moaning about Steven Hester, the RBS boss and his bonus, but he runs a bank and earns less than Diaby who doesn’t even play. (They both have something in common though, they both work for banks)
Finally why has Almunia still got the number 1 squad number when he is only our current number 3, and he hasn’t been near our first team for over a year, in fact he was even a loanee this season.
It’s like our manager can’t bear to part with some of his favourite players. And someone needs to explain to my why we just extended the contract of Johan Djourou, nice bloke, not a bad centerback back up, but he is what, 6th choice? And we all now how good he is as a full back back up, don’t we.
Anyway the good news is we have Gibbs back in contention and Jenkinson returns to training next week. So if Gibbs can slot in to the left back spot and last more than his customary 17 minutes, then we look to be close to having a good team to put out for the important next few weeks.
The bad news is Chamakh is fit again so unless something happened to him in Africa, then we can expect to see him getting in the way of any goalscoring opportunities that come our way. Hey, he may go back to that player we had for a month last season, who knows, I sure hope so because we have no other options.
The next 2 weeks will make or break our season, this Saturday is a massive game for us, a win is essential.
I just hope that Gibbs has been doing what Sagna has in his time off, watching the team from the stands and learning how to defend, he is great at going forward, but not so good at staying back, so we can only hope.
I think if we play a forward three of Robin Theo and Oxo, they will be terrified, if we put Rosicky in the midfield instead of Ramsey, I think the passage of play will be too quick for them, that’s not to diss Ramsey, I really like him, he needs a breather though, so this is my team for tomorrow.
Chezzer
Sagna Kozzer Vermaelen Gibbs
Coquelin Arteta Rosicky
Theo Robin Oxo
I would put Coquelin in the midfield and rest Song, Gibbs straight in at left back and Vermaelen in for Mertesacker who I would also rest, this team has pace and the game I saw at Middlesbrough midweek showed me that pace is what will do for them.
I would be sorely tempted to put Arshavin in the middle and rest Robin as well but I can’t see him doing that, if he rested Robin he would use Chamakh, shame really because I think we would see the best of Arshavin running through the middle, almost in the hole behind Theo and Oxo.
No, that’s way too daring for Arsene, but with Milan and Sunderland coming straight after Sunderland he’ll have to mix it up.
Don’t read that last line after a few Cervesas, it was difficult enough to write!
Have a top and fun filled Friday Grovers, Pedro will return from Ireland to write a bumper pre-match post mañana!
how are we going to be able to play Koz, Verm and Mertesacker at the same time with fit fullbacks? A 3 man back line a la Napoli? I’d pay to see that
Robin
Good description ‘bambi on ice’ sum’s him up
Robin, I haven’t been impressed recently with JD at all, but I have been watching him play in a role he’s clearly not suited to play and I’m not sure any 4th choice CB’s deserve 40k a week.
zachase – a 3 man arsenal defense under wenger just sounds like a disaster of epic proportions..
The solutions to that conundrum is quite simples really.. It’s called leave the german on the bench…
You’re probably right about Bartley, Miguel makes me nervous
Your Comment Here
Geoff asked “but players like Vela, Bendtner and Denilson I don’t because they are clearly not wanted by Arsenal and we couldn’t sell them (and we tried), so why don’t we just tell them to leave when their contracts expire?”
Answer is we will probably not renew their contracts, if the contacts run down without us being able to sell hem. But in the mean time we have to pay the players (those damn contracts again) so we might as well loan them out and get some or all of their wages paid by the clubs we lend them to.
goonerDNA -I feel for Bartley a bit. He’s had a couple of injuries but at Sheffield United and Rangers he’s got some good experience and looked fairly decent. He’s been out on loan long enough now and we went through a lot of hassle to bring him in. He’s career is looking like it’s going the way of Nordviet, another player who should have got a chance…. Wenger persists with hasbeens and his signings in the last 4 or 5 years have been nothing to shout about..
Other than Nasri (who’s a dyke looking mug) no-one he’s bought in has looked like being top, top class. Oxlade chamberlain may break that mould, but the jury’s definitely out with only 5 games under his belt.
Arsene wenger gets a lot of praise for his youth development, but all he’s does is bring in children on huge wages then let’s them leave for nothing or discards them if they are english. You’re bound to have 1 or two that turn out decent in the grand scheme of things, but if anyone wonders where the money goes that will have something to do with it.
“but all he’s does is bring in children on huge wages then let’s them leave for nothing or discards them if they are english.”
Go out, have a beer, or watch The Lincoln Lawyer like me, come on.
A guy was driving down the motorway with his girlfriend and she piped up,
‘I think those people in the car next to us are from Wales.
‘Why is that?’
He said.
‘Well, the kids are writing on the window and it says,
‘stit ruoy su wohs’
Bad feeling about tomorrow, don’t think I’ll be able to watch it, and while I love the digital age and the accessibility of Sport nowadays from all over the World, it’s a complete minefield trying to work your way home for Match of the Day without finding out the score.
Stadium of Light, Martin O’Neill, Lee Cattermole, Niklas Bendtner, just feels ominous.
Just realised what the time is, it’s pretty cold out to.
Haven’t watched Bartley at all really playing for Rangers at least this year though I remember him being used in Midfield in spite of some 40 year old at Centre-back,
Put it in Keyser!
Lurch <<<<
Lurchy boy here?
It's me, 'Arry….. wana point you cupten for England
Lurch???
Anyway I read that really boring post
This guy probably had a deprivation for laws studies or so
His post is all about his own interpretation, nothing more
The law is what I quoted then, When you get the 30% threshold you need to make an offer. I agree practically as KSE owns 67% of the shares, there is no point of making such an offer when KSE is not interested in selling
And by the way what he says about the possibility of blocking Alisher from getting access to the accounts, are one big fat total bollox. Truly shocking bollox
The same applies about his vision about the club going private. Total bollox. I agree that then it’s easier to hide suspicious activities but you still need to obey the EPL rules and you need to have some certain amount of transparency
So all in all, what I quoted then was, and still, the law
By the way, I hope it’s the last time you go and try to right your own imaginary Blog just to try and challenge my sight!
I told you, Me and me friend Arsene, never wrong eh!
Keyser is a well known AKB mug!
And I counterattacked your post there Lurchy, me favourite bloke of all
Bade,
why’s it bollocks?
is your knowledge specific to premier league clubs or corporate law?
its an interesting blog generally Bade, check it out more before you diss it.
One of the better ones.
back later
Because what he’s writing there is his interpretation not the laws itself
The EPL laws can add to the general corporate laws, not subtract of’em
Lurchy
I will
I’m not dissing it or judging it, but the lad’s obviously imposing his own views, which is legitimate, rather than quoting the laws. But he should clarify it….
Lurch
Later?
Fuck me, I need to go asleep. I need to get a rest after a hard day at home
Bade, why don’t you get married son?
Dear parents, Blimey bollox marriage. Just fucking leave me alone, I’m happy I’m still young, not even 37 yet …….
Anyway,
Thrilling to think about it, but a massive massive game for us laying ahead, with half a day or so
Com’on lads, pay us back with extraordinary display to demolish the black cats. Blimey me, they”re only cats!
And I’ll close my night with this:
We love you Arsenal, we do
We love you Arsenal, we do
We love you Arsenal, we do
Oh Arsenal we love you!
Naught mates
A quick hello from Paris.
Be ready to fire Gunners!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wgIb2XY8Dc
Boring
Boring
Boring
I enjoyed that Ivory.
I wish my old woman could get jewels out of hers.
massive game tonight
Hilarious link from Lurch’s new best friend
Hahaha, what a cracking flow diagram
http://angryofislington.com/2012/02/04/which-premier-league-club-should-you-support/
haha
‘peace and quiet and good transport links’
Cracking indeed Sug
Today’s a big day
Mancs – Scousers early kick off, then at the same time
Sunderland – Arsenal
Everton – Chavs
Then the late kick off,
Spuds – Geordies
Massive day!
A win And I might start believing again
Anything else, regardless how the other results pan out, we’re fucked
MON has managed a good string of results there so far (9 wins in 12, I think?), regardless of the opposition, it’s the consistency that has to be appreciated, IMO…
once again, I will be ‘cheering’ on the Mancs, their point tally has no relevance whatsoever for us!
draw in SpudGeordie game, pretty please!
good to look at the table and see the GD in double figures at last
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOobdhEE1_o
vids not embedding sucks donkey balls…
hattrick?
We should thank the wanking Rovers for that Sug!
We just about doubled our GD in that match only
I have to admit, I find hard, almost impossible, to cheer the Mancs and the Spuds, regardless of the importance of the result…..
As much as I want us to get 4th, I don’t want them to win the league…..
Arrrrggghhhhhh, fuck you Arsene what poor position you’ve put us on
But I stopped you there Sug
Pulled one back
Actually, two
could never cheer on the Sp*d win, unless it was to give us the title…
come to think of it, they would probably have something to play for, like 4th in the game not to roll over to spite us, no?
but as far as Mancs v Bindippers game is concerned, I am ‘cheering’ on Mancs just for the sake of ripping it out of my L’pool supporting mate
you know, you can deviate from the rules that are akin to religion whenever there is the higher need
another hattrick?
5
sex in a row!!!
and then?
Sug,
If it’s for that sacred cause, I find it hard to argue
Come on Arsenal
Tear them a new one today
Pace is the case for this one
OX and Theo on the flanks should be having a field day
Or it is maybe Robin to equal goals and league matches count
Sex in a row!
The world beater in matchday!!
And then?
Pedro yet to land from the Ireland
So quickly embracing the local jobless habits Pedro?
Suga & Bade.. waiting to pounce for the coveted 1st spot! The tension is high, Geoff has a hangover and Lurcharoo is posting spuriously! Tick-Tock!
Morning boys!
and then we light another early morning ‘un
Morning Thomas
Now it’s really up for grabs, isn’t it?
NEW POST!
We’re already boiling
This day has all what it needs to smash a K easily
Three high profile kick offs? Well well well
And Pedro rides in!
morning sir…
Why the fuck does Song keep trying the wonder through ball, he’s done it twice in his career and he now thinks he can do it all the time.
How many chances have broken down because of his ineptness this half?
Just returned from the Stadium of Light, Sunderland with my ten year old. I’m a gooner who migrated from London to the North East. Was a privilege to see the legend that is Thierry Henry score what may turn out to be his last ever goal for the club. Legend is an over-used word in this part of the world. Shearer’s the only so-called legend up here! Henry , a true legend; absolute class. Thanks for the memories.