Morning people, so the season of summer madness has started. No sooner had I stated that Arsenal’s interest in Jovetic was low… rumours had surfaced on Twitter, via Italy, that the club had put in a €30m bid for him and his agent had been in London discussing a move.
If that’s the case , exciting times. I’d still be surprised for a number of reasons. The main one being that he’s not a striker in the truest sense of the word. He’s a forward or a false 9 to all those students of Zonal Marking. Maybe we have a development plan for him? The guy is clearly a million miles off anything we have up front, €30m Euros just seems a large sum to go straight in with when names like Rooney and Lewandowski had been discussed in the last few weeks. He scored 12 goals in 31 games last year… even with cash to burn, can you see our opening bid being the one Fiorentina have asked for? Most papers have us down at ‘baulking’ at the price tag.., Twitter has us with a bid accepted talking to agents in London. I simply love how many total nobodies online have a direct line into the power brokers of European footabll
‘Errr, Fali Ramadani, it’s me.’
‘Who?’
‘Gooner_7990 from Twitter. I’ve got 2300 followers.’
‘Oh f*ck… so sorry, let me break away from this Abramovich meeting… so what’s up?’
‘Don’t mess around Fali, just give me the confidential f*cking lowdown on what’s going on with Jovetic so I can reinforce my celebrity this summer’
‘No problem, how many followers did you say?’
I’m also suspicious as this is an Italian rumour and we know Juve are in the mix. We’ll see though. I don’t know enough about the man to have a concrete opinion. Intent seems to be there regardless. Which is important. If this goes ahead, we’d have smashed our transfer record before the window even opens… that’d be a great opener to the summer.
However, I can’t help but think The Hig sounds a more appealing option. Mainly because we can write headlines with a play on words like ‘The Stig’ (from Top Gear). That’s be grand. It’d almost make up for losing JET and Tom Cruise in one season. Or never being able to write ‘Chamakhtrick hero’ or missing out on Ben Arfa ‘King Arfa has arrived’.
Sanogo joined up officially yesterday, the young Frenchman put pen to paper on a £25k deal. He’s excited to join the party and said he wanted to emulate his hero Diaby.
“I am pleased to be following in the footsteps of Abou Diaby who came through from Auxerre. There are many teams interested in me, but Arsenal is my choice.”
Eh?
Someone clearly didn’t brief him on the French Arsenal heroes you’re supposed to mention. I mean come on, at least go with Bacary Sagna! Anyway, it’s all an irrelevance. He’s an educated punt and as a third choice, I’m not too fussed about his injury record or his lack of experience. If he’s poor, we’ll loan him out and his wages aren’t rich enough to merit an extended Almunia like stay. I hope we’ve scouted him beyond his goals this season.
In news from French fan site Le Phoceen, Marseille are apparently interested in bringing Gervinho back to France along with Diaby (I’ll believe that when I see it). That would be amazing. That’s two clubs interested in bringing Gervinho back. Maybe he’s like Diego Forlan… only magic in one country. Well, that’s what I’d be telling both French clubs. We picked him up for £8m, so if we can shift him on for anywhere near that price tag… we’ll have done extremely well. As for Diaby… give him to them. He’s a waste of time on our books for another year where he’d take £3m for doing precisely nothing bar put in about 6 promising games. It’s a shame he’s broken… but that’s sport and life… at least he’s been well compensated compared to others who can’t work because they’re broken.
Phil from Angry of Islington has put some clarification around the Gary Neville comments that dropped at the weekend. Eloquent Neville may be (eloquent compared to Shearer, not compared to a normal person), informed on the finances of Arsenal football club he ain’t… this blog is though, so if you’ve been confused by Neville read here.
Right, that’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Join me for more good time fun tomorrow. I might start reviewing the season? Not sure if that’s a bit boring thought. It was a sh*te season. It’d be like reviewing a Spurs highlights DVD.
Finally, check out this video of the Ox… pretty good fun.
Re: Thiago, great little player…(like Coutinho) has a natural invention, flair and creativity we lack outside of Cazaorla. Something that can’t be taught.. And something that players like Ramsey, Wilshere, Diaby, Coquelin etc, simply don’t naturally possess and never will have.
We won’t get him though.
NM,
The link you put up for Podolski does indeed show that we knew about him before he became a team member but it is a bit unfair. That link is from the BBC which means that if he appears on there the deal is as good as done. That news item is dated March 2012. The point I was trying to make is that nobody would have guessed or mooted Podolski before that time. He wasn’t one of the players people would have been talking about in the same way as for example Cavani, Falcao, Jovetic, Higuain, Benzema, Bale, Rooney etc. and there is a very good reason for that.
Podolski is the type of player AW would go for first and foremost because he’s within the price range and we needed a striker of sorts but possibly one who could also double up as a sort of winger. If Podolski was a player in the calibre of Van Persie (the player we were trying to replace) and available I think most people would agree that Arsene would not have even entertained the idea.
Technically you are right of course; we signed him way after the deal was done but I hope you understand the point I am trying to make which is that past modus operandi precludes any of the star players that are being linked to us now.
BWhat’s wrong with the page all of a sudden?
@tits (hehe)
@dan ahern
Exactly! I really really think, with all the names being banded about. Were setting ourselves up for a major disappointment.
So! Before I’m called a doomer
Ill go the other way, I’m going to put some trust in giroud. When I see him. I’m going to think happy happy thoughts «not THOSE thoughts kwik 😉 »
He’s just looks so much like a typical wenger project.
Jani my missus thinks Higuain is much better looking than Falcao and Cavani. Much.
Listen, I am a fan of Higuain Higuainand I agree that the Walcott comparison is plain odd but I think the other 2 are more capable of scoring a ridiculous goals out of nothing. They are therefore harder to neutralise. Just my opinion. I think Higuain is slightly more reliant on his team mates than Falcao and Cavani.
I would still be delighted with his signature and you make the case for it very eloquently. It’s a no brainer as far as I am concerned: if we have 70m and he is available we should snap him up quickly and focus on another area of the team. Job done.
Interesting chat with Martin Lipton on the radio, he reckons Rooney will end up at PSG. He was asked if they can do this because of their wage bill and he reckons they don’t care as they will be challenging FFP soon.
Will be interesting to see which side of the fence Platini comes down on.
A good summer list for me would be:
Higuain, Luis Gustavo, Jovetic and Ashley Williams, that’s a title contending side even with Wenger at the healm. Oh and also to clear lots of the deadwood and kid loanees like we seem to have started.
While I think Szczesny is seriously average and Fabianski is comically injury prone for a keeper, and thus we could and should arguably upgrade, I think we can get by with the defensive improvements we’ve made already this season, and with the additions of Gustavo in MF and the premier league experienced Williams to bolster the squad. Though, I definitely wouldn’t be upset with either a top notch in-prime keeper or even a more seasoned short-term veteran to provide competition and grooming for the two Polish jokers we have.
Dan – imagine that little pussy Messi up at Stoke on a Wednesday night. He’d only score 2 or 3. Absolute joke. Give me Jermaine Pennant all day long. Brave and English. Fish and Chips.
Jeff, didn’t we know about Gervinho and Chamakh well in advance?
Gotta love MARCA
Operation exit Real Madrid
Out
Higuaín, Di María, Modric, Coentrao, Benzema and Pepe
Higuain to Juventas
Di Maria to United or Citeh
Modric back to Tottenham
Coentrao – yet to be determined
Benzema – Arsenal or PSG
Pepe – Citeh
IN
Bale, Isco and Falcao
Sam no problem that’s why we have opinions, I think how you characterize Falcao and Cavani is actually in Higuain’s favour..those two are in my opinion far more dependent on their team mates as every thing is and has been tailored to suit them which was never the case with Higuain, and also I think actually Higuain has and has proven more ability to score in more ways than both of them, and can make his own goals easier..but hey, we won’t agree on that and that’s fine.
Re: looks, lol, just going with crap I read on F365 as they are always referring to how supposedly dashingly handsome Falcao and Cavani are. But on a serious note, a good looking top player is more marketable than a not so good looking top player of similar talent. Things like that while silly, actually do tangibly feed the hype machine, perception and I think real value of players.
@Raz “I am very worried about this 15m transfer fee ceiling we seem to hit”
And you have every right to be. Just to put it into perspective, Man U bought Rooney for £26m in 2004. We’re still straddling the 10 or 12m mark in 2013. Other clubs have adapted to and moved with the changing climate. For some inexplicable reason we have been left behind and which ever angle you look at it, it is by choice.
This is why it is so frustrating for us Arsenal fans to watch the club repeat the same mistakes for nearly a decade and learn nothing from them. The reasons why we don’t win trophies are obvious. Yes we have been consistent in achieving a CL place but we have also been consistent in not winning anything which kind of defeats the point of a CL place when we haven’t a cat’s chance in hell of winning it. Conclusion: we’re not in it to win it.
This is the situation that frustrates, disappoints and disillusions a lot of Arsenal fans. Believe it or not, the season’s winners and losers are decided for the most part during the window of opportunity that begins in May and ends in August.
Every one goes on about Ferguson being a brilliant manager but I don’t think even he could have won more than the odd domestic cup with the Arsenal teams that have come and gone over the last eight years. It really does boil down to the type of player in which the manager is willing to invest. Nobody is saying we should buy 4 or 5 superstars and spend £200m. But we have the capacity to break both the £15m barrier as well as the artificial wage cap. Both these policies lie at the heart of why we can’t and won’t win anything of note.
@Samsenal, “didn’t we know about Gervinho and Chamakh well in advance?”
I don’t remember anyone mooting Chamakh or Gervinho for weeks and months which means the deal may have been announced before the actual signing but again we have to say neither player is really anything to write home about but point taken.
Jeff – ferguson could have won a couple of titles with the squad wengers had. We bottled 2008. Ferguson’s teams never bottle anything.
‘Other clubs never came into my thoughts once I knew Arsenal wanted to sign me’.lionel Messi
You know, you guys sound like fucking hypocrites talking up players like Higuain and Jovetic. All we’ve been talking about on here for years is that Wenger barring Arteta has refused to bring in EPL players with proven experience and results IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE. For all of the Hazards and mat as there are twice as many Girouds and Cisses and Remys and god knows who else.
Oh yeah and how many goals has Messi scored in England during CL games? that’s right…
Not saying i wouldn’t like to have Messi, just that I’d prefer RvP.
Would you rather have Neymar, Jovetic… or Lukaku, Ba, Suarez?
David Luiz would put a solid foundation in our team. He’s a game changer ALWAYS. And if he’s actually for sale, that’s beyond me anyway…
would rather give 30 mill to get cesc back than jovetic.. cesc imo has a higher ceiling and would be a better number 10…
just throwing that out their, and do i think barca would sell him to us for 30 mills? well yeah I do!
http://arsenaltruth.squarespace.com/arsenal-truth/2013/5/22/arsenal-truth-to-change.html
Shed a tear dearly beloved.
Jeff I understand the point you’re making. The Reyes signing was a bolt from the blue for example. Generally big names are strongly linked and then die away. Sadly it seems this is happening with both Jovetic and Higuain as the Juve rumours are increasing…
It would be more in keeping with our traditional behaviour to announce the signing of Bony tomorrow.
Save it Keyser
“This is the most outstanding group of players I’ve ever had, Wenger remarked in a twisted plea for clemency.”
this is bad writing. you shouldn’t post crap like that here
I’ve argued that Pedro’s is the most consistent AFC blog, people tell me he’s inconsistent and then i read crap like that.
Players who haven’t been mentioned yet who could all do us a turn;
Navas 16m
Soldado 15m
Winston Reid 8M
Jas Mc Carthy 8m
Grenier 6m
Barca selling Cesc is the most laughable rumor of the summer
why would cesc leave right before he’d replace Xavi?
makes less sense than naything since Joey Barton to AFC
I’d take Reid if he were less. That guy is tough as nails AND good. Perfect for the nortyhern away games, for CL… probably not
Keyser – a dark day in the history of deranged Bile.
Reid is on an upward curve. Was Hammers player of the year. At 24 can only improve. Kos and Reid would be the perfect combo . Mert/verm as backup. Not bade….Not bade at all!
Zacharse our Premier League success has been based upon outstanding foreign talent all of which made their Premier League debuts in an Arsenal shirt.
samsenal, care to put it into context
i mean are you going to sytart talking about henry bergkamp pires
or will you go with the more modern cesc, robin, sagna
perhaps look at last summers relatively good purchases
santi, podolski, giroud – santi had a great season, podolski & giroud….
I don’t even have an opinion about.
so keep on talking about jovetic my man, i’m sure he’s great on Fiorentina
Zacharse – you seem to be rejecting overseas players players because they have no premier league experience and I am saying:
Lehman, Lauren, Kolo Toure, Overnars, Ljunberg, Pires, Reyes, Viera, Petit, Gilberto, Edu, Henry, Bergkamp, Anelka, Wiltord all won us titles not having played for another Premier League side.
6th-is-a-new-trophyMay 22, 2013
22:09:19
Jeff – ferguson could have won a couple of titles with the squad wengers had. We bottled 2008. Ferguson’s teams never bottle anything.
___
Watch out. Someone might tell you to piss off back to a manure blog.
This is the beginning of the end for utd IMO. Not that they won’t have money coming in and the ability to buy whomever they want. More like ‘how do you replace/replicate the success of the best manager there ever was?’
The only way is down. David moyes. C”mon really!
This is wengers chance to stomp all over these new managers. Simply put,
“I’m a veteren, you’re just a novice”
I think all these Higuian/Jovetic rumours are designed to keep us of the track. Have a feeling Wenger could pull a rabbit out of a hat and shock us all to the core #Cazorla
kwik
really? navas? a player who can’t cross the road without his mum? have you thought about a cold Wednesday night at Stoke? 😀
cesc+any efficient striker will do for me.
cesc is the missing link: imagine cesc, cazorla and jack running the show.
Is Modric for sale?
Samsenal
which of the players you mentioned was last on our squad?
Do you believe the modern game is a little bit different now than it was then?
or are you going with classic symptoms of Wenger-Denial illness
gooby
Apparently he’s all grown up and wants to get away from mammy’s apron’s. Navas is as good a wide player as their is in Europe. Lets take a chance .
People
Cesc is not coming. Not now. Not ever. Get it through yourselves once and for all
“I think all these Higuian/Jovetic rumours are designed to keep us of the track.”
Or on track, link Arsenal with any player, what does it matter, it’s win-win for the bullshitters, we sign them they get Kudos, we don’t they’ll get to moan about the indifference shown by Wenger and the club.
Likewise the player and his agent, it’s in their best interest to create as much hype as possible, the only people it could be considered that it’s not in their best interests, unless you feel they want to sell season tickets is the club.
Zacharse
they want him out, we have first option.
unlikely at the moment but not impossible
Zacharse the game has changed yes…it is more technical. The need for power has reduced. It is more suitable to Foreign players which is why little guys like Silva Mata and Cazorla have prospered so much recently.
Keyser
But thats a doomers view and thsi is not a doomers blog 😉
LG is the new ACLB
You mean realists ?
Samsenal
I think you’re on to something.
Look at all those little guys on Utd and City
I can count them on one hand.
I can count the teams that take players like that on one hand too.
I can also count the teams that can afford Silva Mata Cazorla on one hand.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed teams like Swansea, Southampton, Everton.
These are technically gifted teams. Not a lot of little guys in those squads.
Keep learning the game. Don’t be an adolescent know-it-all
there’s too much of that on here already. I like arguing and learning from other people’s opinions, you can too
Gee… The transfer window hasn’t even opened yet and I already feel that its dragged on too long.
Gooby
…and you’re still talking about Cesc?
come on man. I’ll gladly eat my words, I wish I can eat my words in the future.
But buddy, he ain’t coming back
Last Post
What I’m saying is get our Core settled. Someone like David Luiz could do that, someone like Ashley Williams will DEFINITELY help with that. Get proven EPL talent, and then start taking punts trying to find the next Mata/Suarez.
It’s not rocket surgery
zacharse
1- I am entitled to my opinion
2- it is possible
@Zacharse, before you go around calling everyone hypocrites, I think what we have a problem, or in fact let me just speak for myself here, what I have a problem with is that he either buys young, pretty untalented players or he buys average older players. He rarely buys world class youngsters and he rarely buys world class players full stop. He also rarely buys top players with decent champions league experience and players with winners medals.
I will admit I have complained about Wenger not buying from prem teams, I think it’ a massive flaw. But I am also one of the ones saying buy Benteke, I am buzzing at the thought of us buying Ashley Williams, I am the one saying we should add Ben Arfa to the squad, we should have bought Sturridge in Jan, Moses in the summer, we should be looking at poaching whoever we can from the teams below us.
It’s what Fergie has always done.
It’s the first thing City did when they came into their money. They bought Milner, Barry, Adam Johnson, Lescott, and Tevez.
But about overseas players – talent is talent mate, every single year players prove that if they are talented they will cope. Mata, Silva, Cazorla, all small players, from abroad, yet world class and thriving. If you spend the money on talent you will be rewarded.
The thing is, any clever agent or club can make a rubbish player seem good and get them sold for £10m or so. If all you do is fart around buying turd at low prices like that, then we will undoubtedly pick up shit players.
That’s precisely what has happened with Chamakh, Bendtner, Gervinho, even Theo for years…I mean these are just average to poor players and when you only spend 10-12m on players how the hell can you be sure of what you’ll get? It’s a bloody ridiculous policy that a club of our wealth should be shot of asap. This is the kind of behaviour that sees Sunderland pay £10m or something for Danny Graham, Fulham pay £10m for Rodallega. RODALLEGA!! He is awful!! But in France even he would bang them in.
When a player comes with a £20m+ price tag you know exactly what you are buying and 9/10 you get it.
It’s not that players are foreign, it’s that they’re shit usually.
true
Gooby
true
David Luiz is a great player but he roams more than Song. Do we really want someone like that? He is a total liability as a defender
Sam
i have never once said foreign players are shit. And I’ll admit that i talked shit on hazard saying he wouldnt make it. Proved wrong, yes. But i’ve also predicted correctly quite a few things
but listen to yourself, mata, cazorla, silva…those players aren’t being peddled in the market. those are three very specific players and theyre not really hanging around waiting to be bought.
also, my last post…
so if youre big on getting EPL players, who besides Ashley Williams is a realistic buy for us? Michu?there will be dead weight lifted from city and chelsea you better believe it
Raz
comparing him to song would have made sense two years ago
not now
It’s open Kwik.. since Midnight on Sunday! 😀
The silly season is indeed upon us
Zacharse thanks for the advice. I haven’t been an adolescent in a considerable period time. You say Swansea I say Michu. You say Everton I say Fellaini. Quality foreign players that made an immediate impact. Not small small guys. But that’s not the point.
You have an out-dated idea about the type of football played here. As Raz says, TOP quality foreign players will deliver. The evidence is overwhelming.
6th-is-a-new-trophyMay 22, 2013 22:09:19
Jeff – ferguson could have won a couple of titles with the squad wengers had. We bottled 2008. Ferguson’s teams never bottle anything.
—————————————————————————–
I think you forget when we beat Man City at home last season, United had what seemed an unassailable lead, yet they bottled it and lost the title on virtually the last kick of the season.
Man utd outspent everyone before chavski.
they were the richest boys in town, not taking anything out of fergies achievement but it’s a major factor in building a winning squad
Zacharse — Where do you imagine David Luiz came from?
Hint: he wasn’t born and raised at Chelsea.
alexander dimitri song bilong
the poor cunt
Dan
come on.
If we’d bought him from porto instead of chelsea he’d have come good by now. Point is, he wouldn’t be EPL experienced and proven at that point. It would take him no time to break into the first time and make a huge impact as it stands now
that is the point i am making.
Samsenal
I’m sure you’ve not even taken into account what i am saying
“You have an out-dated idea about the type of football played here. As Raz says, TOP quality foreign players will deliver. The evidence is overwhelming”
you can only say they are “top quality” in hindsight. that is what i’m saying. was michu “top quality” before swansea? or fellaini before everton?
I’d say anyone would agree that they were not except to the few scouts.
Same goes with Henry before Arsenal. You win some, you lose some,
this is the platitude wengers had for too long, and you are echoing it.
What I am saying is we’re not in a position to spend millions taking punts like you seem to be unwittingly suggesting
everyone seems to think im suggesting we become Stoke or something
not the point. Its not about foreign vs english either.
it is about EPL experience
nothing more
that’s Wenger’s job and his staff to determine witch player will succeed in our system and will adapt best the this league.
John Terry has just been spotted leading the EDL in Woolwich still dressed in his full kit.
Zacharse — Okay, I get where you’re coming from, but EPL-proven can’t be your sole criteria.
Take your example of Michu: Yes, people knew he was good. He was the top scoring MF in La Liga. Some people probably took your attitude and said don’t bother, he’s not Prem-proven. Others, Swans included, just assessed his play and ability and knew he’d work. You are right that there’s always some risk in adapting to a new setting. But in the main, talent is talent, and worth it.
Henry was quality before he joined Arsenal, you could see in the 98 World Cup he was raw but the quality was their.
samsenal May 22, 2013 22:42:35
Zacharse – you seem to be rejecting overseas players players because they have no premier league experience and I am saying:
Lehman, Lauren, Kolo Toure, Overnars, Ljunberg, Pires, Reyes, Viera, Petit, Gilberto, Edu, Henry, Bergkamp, Anelka, Wiltord all won us titles not having played for another Premier League side.
——————————————————–
Jesus, those were the days when you could buy Kolo Toure for 100,000 pounds. EPL football has evolved, but more importantly so has its scouting.
Dan
it’s not MY sole criteria
but it sure is an exponential factor in knowing you’ll be getting results.
Have a chat with City 2012 or Utd 2013
Welcome to the modern era.
Proven- first criteria
Potential -second criteria
Resale- third criteria
This should be our strategy if we’re gonna spend money. We don’t need 12 new above-average players from teams that did not make CL. Enough with the Oxlades and I love the Ox, but we need to build a strong core, much stronger than it is now if we’re going to seriously challenge for anything and rebecome a force in the premier and not just 4th place. Is it not better to bring in PROVEN TOP SHELF talent than taking a punt in La Liga or more Oxlades? Sanogos? I love quality, but life in england is not life in spain or italy. same goes for the EPL.
Fuck
buy Fellaini and Luiz and make a fortune on Afro merchandising for all I care, just get some players like that in, players that wanna win. no more busybody theos and ramsays
If david luiz signs for arsenal he will forget how to score from freekick
and he will go behind walcott, ramsey, sagna in the pecking order.
wenger ignores freekick practice unless the player wants to do it on his own. le lazy doesn’t have time for that shit.
Horrific event yesterday
Barbaric f*ckers
Players I forgot to mention yesterday who are better than Bale
Mueller
Rues
Mata
Hazard
D Silva
Yaya Toure
Aguero
And I barely touched the Italian league or defensive positions
Higuan to Juve. Mark him off your list.
Why not Cavani or Lewandowski? How can we expect to be the best if we can’t get the best players? An alternative would be to produce the best players but obviously, we can’t do that as well. We do seem to get the best out of young players that we buy….after 2-3 years but then they leave us……We must change some of the things that we have been doing recently to stop this trend immediately.
Looks like we’re being tought our usual lesson in recruiting players….
Higuain to Juve and us quibbling over a million euros here and there for Jovetic….
It’s like Deja Vu… 8 times over
Bade.
You are beginning to sound really absurd.
How can Mata, Hazard, Aguero, Dsilva be better than Bale, yet he won the PFA&PWA awards???
On present form….I’d pick Bale over that bunch save Reus…he’s pure class
I remember at the start of the season when some of you tried so hard to convince yourselves that theo walcot was better than Bale because he had a couple of assists + goals and an hattrick against Reading in the C1cup.
I said something, that take away the stats, Bale is more of a threat and a match winner who can step up a notch to win you the 3pts than theo is.
Bales is a quality player, no question – However, as Barca are finding out, when absolutely everything goes through one player, you’re fucked when that player is injured or off form. Dortmund & Bayern have dominated CL from the opening rounds because it’s all about the ‘team’ – The whole Ronaldo & Messi individual goals per season, who’s the best player contest between the two has bitten both their sides on the arse. No question whatsoever.
”Jeff – ferguson could have won a couple of titles with the squad wengers had. We bottled 2008. Ferguson’s teams never bottle anything.”
2011/2012