Arsenal made their first starting 11 signing of the summer. Dani Cabellos has landed with us for a one-season loan stint. The Spanish technician doesn’t come with a right to buy, which is a shame, but be real people… we’d probably offer £52.50 a year over the next 40 years and try and sweeten it with a small goat with wheels for back legs.
Key message for me is that we finally did a deal.
Big Dave Ornstein reckons this is a going to be a significant week for the club, with Saliba also in the hopper.
There are rumours that Palace won’t budge for Zaha and Celtic are planning on holding onto Tierney because too much of the deal is tied to Champions League, something their people think might be out of our reach.
It’s a bit disappointing we’re doing so badly on the Tierney front, likely because they don’t want to feel like we marched them through the playground with no trousers on (the dream analogy) like Southampton did with VVD. Hopefully, there’s a fallback deal we can chase down.
Zaha seems different to me because he’s older and he needs to move now. Palace is technically in a position to play hardball (5 year deal), but at the same time, they desperately need to strengthen their backline, and as we’re seeing the world over… clubs don’t want to hold onto players that’ll shit-post at their club and sulk all season.
I don’t know Zaha, but he looks a big character, and the fact he’s their best player means they look to him for more than just football… when you sit in 12th place, only 10 points splits you from 16th. Any disruption can be critical to survival… and if they have to sell him when they’ve been relegated, they’ll not be getting £55m and Reiss Nelson.
Big clubs generally don’t fuck around with players that don’t want to be there, a unified culture is far too important.
Cesc, Nasri, Song, and RVP were all let go in the end because the cost of the keeping them wasn’t worth the aggro. PSG will bomb off Neymar. Ajax won’t keep any of their youth products against their will. Atleti said goodbye to AG.
In other news, one signing we can get behind is the MIGHTY Camden Hells being our beer partner moving forward. No more piss water people, proper beer, locally sourced and tasty. That’ll make being 1-0 down at halftime feel a smidgen better!
There are 17 days left before the transfer window shuts, and it’s hard to see how we’ll really have moved the squad forward. The biggest concern for me is that even if we bring in all the players this week, the talent won’t have had a full preseason with us, and if we have to pick players up from other countries, we need these folk to hit the ground running. Coming in from Spain or Scotland… well, let’s just say that’s a huge ask.
It’s also looking ever more likely that we’ll be rolling hard with all the players we want gone, unless there are some predators lurking in the shadows waiting with a seriously lowball bid to see how desperate we’ll be (please god say there are clubs waiting to pounce).
We’re already seeing that with Laurent K. He’s done his deal with the French clubs, regardless of what his agent says… the financials are clearly geared around a low fee.
If you think Mustafi and a few of the others aren’t thinking the same thing, you are NAIVE. Or less conspiratorial than I am. The last week could be very Harry Redknapp, because that’s the way to supposed contacts method of scouting works.
I did think it was amusing in the comments section the other day when people were arguing that contacts scouting is good because, you know, you have to make contact to buy. To those who think that way, let’s be real here, if this is what contacts scouting looks like, it’s pretty fucking dire. No system in the world should wait for agents to offer players. We should be proactive, we should attack our targets and we should have sufficient data knowledge that we’re doing it before other clubs (ala, Dortmund).
Let’s hope Edu nips that nonsense in the bud and guns for the smartest approach to finding new talent.
Finally, I wanted to write this because there’s just too much wokeness going on about Rapinoe and that Bellerin picture.
Facts of life, there are cunts on the internet. You can’t put a picture of a disabled kid on the internet without some lowlife making depraved comments. People are cunts, unfortunately, the internet grows them like mushrooms. We’re not changing that.
However, this Rapinoe furore is so beyond the pale and the ‘why’ around it is such nonsense.
She’s one of the best female footballers in the world. She said she’d do something epic. She delivered on it. She is supremely arrogant. That is her schtick.
‘Men don’t like her because they can’t fuck her and they are threatened’
Why do we have to lower the argument to this because it’s a woman?
Maybe Rapinoe is a fucking PR genius playing the game like an absolute pro? Can we not salute her game? Can we not give a woman credit for doing a damn fine job raising her profile?
We do when it’s a man. Kap, McGregor, Ali, Ibra… the greatest, Floyd Mayweather. In fact, Floyd accused Connor of stealing a black man’s game by shit-talking so the haters would pay to see him lose.
That’s Rapinoe. Fair play to her. This isn’t to do with sex. Toxic masculinity. Some other woke trope.
This is to do with an arrogant sporting talent actually delivering. Can’t we just let a woman have that? Isn’t making her out to be a victim over a protagonist worse? I think so. She’s got game, she knows how to work a crowd and she’s raising the profile of the women’s game like no other. She’ll be rolling in cash this season. Women’s football will feel her halo effect. More clubs will get sponsors. More fans will go to see her. Everyone wins because @JoeMushroomPants wants to talk shit and keep the conversation going.
I applaud the player for having game. Great work.
Right, that’s me done. x
Pierre
You really don’t get it do you? Everyone poster on here would be thrilled if Ozil had a great season and would be happy to admit they were wrong on him.
How many piss poor performance will it take for you to admit Ozil’s at best mediocre? How many will it take before you stop blaming everyone else but the player?
Bamford must be binned
No way he steers clear for this long cold turkey, that fella needs Le Grove
Marc
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3747716/Ten-years-moving-Emirates-Stadium-Arsenal-falling-big-clubs-reluctant-spend-transfers.html
This will give you an indication of what I mean by scraping the barrel.
I think this article goes up to 2/3 years ago but it shows that in the ten years from 2006 to 2016 we had a net spend of 109 million ,which equates to basically to a little over ten million a season .
As I said, ten of the 12 years we were scraping about for bargains.
Marc
Do you think ozil will raise his game then? Or do you think Ceballos will our perform him? If he does how good is that for arsenal if we don’t make him a permanent player?
Marc
“You really don’t get it do you? Everyone poster on here would be thrilled if Ozil had a great season”
Sorry but that’s https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4pQcn2L65J0
Un na
I’d be surprised if Ozil raised the level of his performances over a period of time.
If Ceballos plays well and get’s us into the CL then job done – Madrid could well be looking to sign Pogba next summer and be happy to sell. Even if he went back then the extra cash will help us bring in another player.
Guendouzi is the only glimmer of hope for me and I say this despite being aware of his weaknesses. He is the only midfielder in our squad who can potentially become a complete midfielder.
Tr7
To be fair mate there aren’t many completely midfielders in the world any more. Not in the old sense of the word. The modern game has seen the rise of the specialist midfielder. I would t say many of the world’s best midfielders these days are all rounders. They excell in specific areas of the game
Pierre
I don’t even need to open that link to know what it is.
You do realise that using something like that might be funny first time, second it’s OK ha ha after that it makes you look a complete moron.
Marc
Yeah. Best case scenario they both do well this season and we sign Ceballos on a permanent basis.
It could go the other way though
He doesn’t adapt well
Ozil continues his non plus attitude and Ceballos goes back after holding up a younger player who could have made an impact and got a good season of football under his belt.
I’m not convinced about Ceballos myself but I’d love to be wrong. He already seems dead set on returning to Madrid and becoming an icon
Pierre
No one has ever argued that we didn’t go through a period of austerity. If you paid attention you’d have seen that I’ve been saying that the Spud’s are going to have a similar period.
The argument against Wenger is he didn’t always spend what he had available, didn’t spend what he did spend wisely and fucked up other areas beyond belief.
Stop making fucking excuses for him.
Un na
I want to be a brain surgeon – doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. He’s 21? I’ve no problem with ambition but Madrid change their mind on players as quickly as I crack open cold beers on a warm day.
Just look at the Bale situation – he’s still got 3 years left on his contract and they want him gone.
It just might stop the amount of bullshit written on here..
Will only use it when warranted and I’m afraid your comment of
“You really don’t get it do you? Everyone poster on here would be thrilled if Ozil had a great season” qualifies you without a doubt.
“The argument against Wenger is he didn’t always spend what he had available, didn’t spend what he did spend wisely and fucked up other areas beyond belief.” That’s some of it My particular gripe is that he wasted a generation of such talent Cesc, rvp, hleb, nasri, theo, ox, Ramsey, Wilshere, Rosicky All had the potential to be absolute top class and club legends but he either over played them or moved them around to much or oissed them off and sold them Had he supplemented that group of lads with defensive players from the market at top makrjet process… Read more »
Marc
You want be be a brain surgeon? Fuck that!!!
On point though, yeah he may not get his wish but he doesn’t want to come to us. He wasn’t to be a Real Madrid player. Perez believed in him or he’d be gone already as Zidane apparently was desperate to make the move permanent.
He will get a go at Madrid I’m sure if that. Wether or not he is good enough is another question but he and Perez are keen on him being at Madrid and that’s 2 against Zidane 1
To be frank, Zidane wanted Bale gone like 2 years ago, it’s just that Perez did not want to lose face by kicking away his unofficially most expensive player. Also those pesky 600kpw stopped a lot of clubs being interested.
Pierre
Why wouldn’t I be happy to see any player in an Arsenal shirt have a great season?
If Mustafi suddenly turned into a combination of Maldini and Beckenbauer I’d be over the fucking moon. I’d also be absolutely stunned.
It’s only you who can’t change their mind or say well fair play that wasn’t what I expected.
Un na
It’s alright I’ll practice on Pierre first. By the time I find his brain they’ll have invented robotic surgeons that would make me redundant.
As long as Zidane is Real Madrid manager, Ceballos will not be in the first team. Rightly or wrongly when Zidane made up his mind on a player, he rarely changes opinion. Ceballos will have to have an exceptional season with Arsenal to get back into Zidane good books.
Mind you, Zidane has valid arguments against Ceballos. Defensively Casimero is better. Offensively Isco better. As a relay/link between defense and attack both Modric and Tony Kroos are better. Zidane wanted NDombele and Pogba and both are also better.
Marc
That’s not very nice…. blog of lube people
Valentin
He does t strike me as the sort to develop kids outside of enzo either
Asensio too
Don’t forget asensio. Very talented.
I agree Marc, Ozil at his best is a joy. I saw him do a couple of class moves in a pre season friendly and I start thinking, could he possibly be back to his best? Then I think of all those games when he disappoints and I realise I’m kidding myself.
Mustafi…is and has always been a liability. If by some miracle he became Baresi-like, I’d be chuffed and also on some very heavy pharmaceuticals!
Bob
As cc pointed out he’s actually very capable 90% of the time
Sometimes he looks like he’s on fire then bang. Mustafi happens again. Shame because if he could read the game he could be a monster. Great physically. Just shit mentally. Was never £35m though
We need about 6-8 players, we probably only have money for 3-4 if that, so getting in another player on loan that can help us this window really shouldn’t be this hard to wrap your head around. Same with the haggling and insertion of clauses etc, sure it’s annoying af but if it allows us to bring 4 players instead of 3 it’s the right thing to do. Next summer hopefully some of our wasters are easier to shift out, either on loan or permanently due to having less time left on their contracts, we might even get someone to… Read more »
Valentin makes good points about Ceballos in the Madrid set-up.
He’s pretty much done at Real so long as Zidane is manager is pulling a fast one of us. If Ceballos does well, expect to see Madrid hawk him around Europe next summer and price him above Arsenal.
Un na
Would it be wrong of me then to also mention that I wouldn’t use anaesthetic and an ice cream scoop rather than a scalpel?
*Florentino Pérez is pulling a fast one of us
We need about 6-8 players, we probably only have money for 3-4 if that, so getting in another player on loan that can help us this window really shouldn’t be this hard to wrap your head around. Fred There is if he bombs and/or impedes the development of a promising youngster who needs game time to aide his development. If it works and we sign him then great. Even if he performs well and goes back to Madrid then it’s a waste of time if we don’t hit the champions league next season as we are meant to be utilising… Read more »
Marc
Hey. Far be it for me to police someone else’s speech….
bob
I don’t think all of South America could produce enough happy powder to make anyone see Mustafi as anything other than a fuck up waiting to happen!
Un na
Mate it’s all banter – something that’s forgotten on here far too often.
Dissenter
Agree
Beensaying this for the last few days. It’s a lose/lose for us.
He either comes and does fuck all and blocks a younger player from improving
Or he comes, does well and goes back
Improving Madrid and holding back our own players from developing into a first teamer who can make a difference
Marc
Exactly!!! Now you’re talking my language.
Never heard it called happy powder
We call it personality dust. On account of mate who’s dull as fuck until he gets a bit then he’s the most charismatic fella you will encounter.
My happy powder days are over now though ☹️
If he performs well and we don’t get into the CL we wouldn’t have done it without him either, at least it would save us a season of having to watch Ozil pretend to still be a footballer. If we get into the CL and he goes back to Real our youngsters are a year older and maybe closer to ready than they are now and we can assess if we need to buy someone in that position or not. There’s always a chance that any signing bombs, this is a low risk one. With Ozil and Mikhi as flaky… Read more »
Freddie Then why not alternate between guendouzi and willock for certain games? Aid their development? Increase the chances of us having a player on our hands or someone we can sell and profit from? Us not getting into champions league next year and having him in our team over a olayer who will actually benefit us is a lose/lose I don’t see the benefit of us having a olayer who isn’t good enough to propel us to a better position than the one we finished last season. What’s the point? Better we finish two places lower now and have two… Read more »
I can’t believe that we haven’t prioritised a new CB. Saliba looks an exceptional prospect but he can’t contribute this season. Why have we not sorted this? If we don’t get a LB in, it’ll also be ridiculous.
Un na
If I’d have referred to a particular countries marching powder we would’ve ended up with a 3 week debate over which South American country is the correct choice.
Player
Bolivia boy
You ever read the book “marching power”?
Great story.
Read that in two days in Townsville, Oz
Mad story
https://giphy.com/gifs/goalkeeper-z814KHJuoNck0
Don Guen and Ceballos doesn’t play in the same position, Guen is defensive minded CM, I’m not sure if Willock will end up as a CM or CAM but he is not ready to start for us outside the cups, not really the same kind of player as Guen either. Ceballos has played more than a 100 games in la liga, if he adapts he can starts as our CAM, since we can’t shift Ozil now at least we can relegate him to the bench for a year and hope that he’ll decide to pack up next year. Not all… Read more »
Freddie Well from what I’ve seen he plays a cmf rather than no10 and if that’s the case I’d rather not bother. Anyway This has been argued to death already and I’m sure it will over the next few months but I’m tiring of the debate. I’m not looking to change your mind I’m just expressing the opinion that I’m not really sure it’s worthwu if he goes back, successful or not. We’ve got to be looking at players who can and will improve arsenal now or why bother? If he comes in and displaces ozil I will concede on… Read more »
Fir point Valentin, and I also suspect Zidane/Real have simply put Cebellos on a platform to further showcase his undoubted talent.
Equally, Modric, doesn’t have long left and there’s every chance he could fill those boots, too.
Does anyone else think that if we sign this juve lad, it means exit for one of our main strikers. .?
Freddie is this Caleb player a bit of an aggressive footballer.
He will need to get up to speed .
Let’s try it.
RSPC
Either Emery fancies him as backup to the Zaha plan and plays Kean on left flank or one of the glimmer twins up front certainly gone.
That is .. if that rumor has anything to it which is highly suspect.
True sal
Gambling on a 6 m player is good odds
But gambling on a 40m totally different…
Having two rookies mixed with out own rookies ,,, be stupid to get break up the bromance …
Carts, Ceballos is willing to go in loan to prove himself so he can get a shot back when Modric leaves next summer. However Zidane wanted to sell him, so I don’t think that he can come back from that. His main chance is that Perez wants him as part of a new small Spanish core at the club. Like Ramos and Pavon were before. Personally I think he has chosen the wrong club and league. The extra physicality of the EPL means that he will need time to adapt especially if he does not have a full pre-season. The… Read more »
before.Personally I think he has chosen the wrong club and league. The extra physicality of the EPL means that he will need time to adapt especially if he does not have a full pre-season. The situation at Arsenal will be tense and he may not get the time and opportunity to adjust.
Valentin
Didn’t seem like he had many options.
Valentin
I hear your angle, but equally he’s got the guile and tenacity to also boss it.
The physicality of the EPL takes time getting accustomed to, but if he imposes himself as opposed to hitting the deck at the slightest contact then I think he’d excel.
Without contradicting myself, I agree with this:
“The situation at Arsenal will be tense and he may not get the time and opportunity to adjust.“
That right there will be the determining factor not just for Cebellos, but for some players we’re losing patience with
Holding signing shirts in the US and realizes it’s a Spurs shirt…refuses to sign it!
Not sure if it was a gag from the Arsenal fan.
Hope not. Brilliant from Holding.
I see our defence conceding at least 3 goals today. Madrid is playing Benzema, Jovic and Hazard.
Prove me wrong Skhrodan.
Madrid have put out a seriously strong side
Arsenal XI: Martinez; Maitland-Niles, Chambers, Sokratis, Kolasinac; Willock, Xhaka; Aubameyang, Ozil, Mkhitaryan; Lacazette
Real Madrid XI: Navas; Carvajal, Ramos, Nacho, Mendy; Kroos, Modric; Vazquez, Benzema, Hazard; Jovic
Holding signing shirts in the US and realizes it’s a Spurs shirt…refuses to sign it!
———
I always knew Dissenter was a Spurs fan… 😀
What’s up ladies? Making some Chicken Parm for the match … so I’m all set. Ready to watch AMN and Kola get repeatedly clowned? Miki and Ozil together seems like a disaster as well. At least Mustafi isn’t in there.. I was getting to the point I was going to have to destroy something If I see him start again..
So UE starts with our eleven for next season
Except Leno
Both the teams quite strong
Quite strong? AMN, Kolasinac and Xhaka?
Quite strong?
AMN, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Ozil and Mkhitaryan?
Hi Mid
GG!
Damn I hope he is playing Mustafi ozil and Miki to put them in the shop window
Nw9- I hope not… if this is it we are screwed.. Anyhow, This is one of my biggest criticisms of Emery… he continually plays players that have no upside and have shown it repeatedly.. and puts his trust in players that are questionable at best.. I don’t need to see Miki on the wing… I really don’t.. or Ozil for that matter if they interchange. . Don’t need to see Lacazette and Auba together every match either especially in preseason.. I think I would have done the opposite of him and played all the youth.. screw Real Madrid this match… Read more »
It is a good learning experience for AMN. If he can stop Hazard, he can stop all LW.
Yeah Nelson Im worried about a EL final repeat.. lol Hope I wrong… it will put him to the test for sure. He will need to get some help..
Mid
Live blog would not be the same without you.
Somebody came up with an excellent stream the other night from Russia.
Have to see how adventurous Madrid’s full backs are but Maitland Niles and Kolasinac might be let off a bit if Madrid are playing 2 up front with Hazard as CAM.
Nelson-
Yes… I’m a legend in my own mind… hahaha.. To me that’s part of the fun part about being a fan is suffering or enjoying the matches with everyone. Otherwise your just yelling by yourself at the television.. I have some friends who live in London I sometimes Skype with.. during the matches when they don’t go to the Emirates. Get lots of perspectives that way.
Ozil is captain instead of Xhaka…
Its on Espn here.. luckily..
Here we go..
Ozil captain? What a joke. Unai needs to grow a pair.
Jenks replaces AMN
Hmm AMN looks suspiciously like Jenks.. lol
Jenkinson really is trash
ANM probably shat his pants.
Jenks is not ready to play
Jenks might be our starting RB first match of the season,, wish I was kidding.
Nice pressing right now
Nice play by Willock.
Willock seems to be everywhere. Maybe he is asked to play only the first period.
CA
Do you have a stream or do you have Premier Sports?
FFS come on Laca… penalty though… handball.
Hand ball,
Red card.
Lol Nacho getting sent off I think..
Hits both posts before going in.
Just about.
No complaints on the red, Nacho could have had two straight reds
Hard to evaluate now though…
10 v 10 now – we have Ozil.
I think there are more Arsenal supporters than Madrid supporters.
Need to get a second
I actually think Madrid taking off one of their STs and playing a more conventional wide set up is worse for us
Any live stream links?
http://vipboxing.top/soccer/watch-3740ee-real-madrid-arsenal?l=1454133281
Soon as Madrid add width that’s when we look poor