Morning all.
Ban them all, that’s what I say! No, not the referees in the Premier League, although that sounds like a good idea to me, but the media and their football transfer stories. I know it’ll never happen because the press seem to have a rule of their own when it comes to what they write, but certainly for us arsenal fans, our footballing life would be a whole lot better.
I’m not sure a day goes by, certainly during the weeks building up to and including the transfer window period when we don’t read at least one article linking us to a player from another club. Depending on which newspaper you read, often there’s more than just the one. Right now we need two hands to count the players we are soon to sign under new head coach Unai Emery, yet not one seems to be any nearer to putting pen to paper on an Arsenal contract than they were when the details were first printed. Then what happens is Liverpool sign Fabinho, Sky Sports decide to be mischievous, or simply darn right liars by printing details on how Arsenal failed with a last minute attempt to scupper the deal. Arsenal fans fall for such nonsense, and so it begins… Stressed already?
Sven Mislintat and Raul Sanllehi have been in the game long enough to know what they’re doing and how to go about it I’d have thought. For the first time in a long time we appear to have a plan going into this transfer window. They, together with Emery will be working hard on identifying the positions within the squad which need filling, players who need to move on and those whose contracts need to be sorted out, the latter responsibility though falls into the lap of Huss Fahmy.
For once, I don’t fear a last minute dash to get numbers through the door, instead I’m optimistic that Arsenal will get who they need instead. Those players might not be ‘our’ first choice as we play football manager, they may not be big names or come with a hefty price tag either but that doesn’t mean to say they won’t work.
As said, as well as bringing in a few players, the coach/club need to decide who will leave, especially as this time next year, give or take a few weeks, the below list of players will be free to leave for nothing.
Danny Welbeck
Aaron Ramsey
Petr Cech
David Ospina
Nacho Monreal
Chuba Akpom
Welbeck, Ramsey and Monreal are the only ones I’d like to see stay.
Also, there’s a decision to be made on those who have been out on loan last season:
Takuma Asano
Chuba Akpom
Jeff Reine-Adelaide
Emiliano Martinez
Carl Jenkinson
Krystian Bielik
Joel Campbell
Lucas Perez
All of the above barring Asano, have at some stage played for the first team under our previous manager but what about their future, do any in your opinion have a part to play in the clubs future?
The one stand out for me is Lucas Perez, a player who imo, should never have been sent out on loan in the first place. Within a squad which so often lacked commitment, energy and passion, he looked a shining light. There were plenty of rumours about him being an Ivan Gazidis signing and one which Arsene Wenger wasn’t in support of although whether that’s true or not I’ve no idea but it made sense at the time and still does. After all, why would such a talented player be cast aside with such ease otherwise? If Emery wants experience and the club really are strapped for cash, he’d be one of the first players I’d expect to be welcomed back to the club.
Martinez and Bielik could have an outside chance perhaps. Both have a lot of potential but Martinez loan was a disaster as he didn’t play much and for Bielik, injury pretty much wrecked his last season.
Other than that, I suspect we’ll see the usual suspects fighting hard to push their way into Unai Emery’s plans. Maitland-Niles, Nelson, Eddie, Willock and perhaps Macey too and one or two others.
Finally, another story which will probably leave us disappointed yet again and that surrounds PSG rising star Yacine Adli,. He’s quitting the French Champions because he wants to continue his progress in the game under Unia Emery. Yep, he’s coming to Arsenal any day soon, or that’s what The Mirror say.
When I first read that article I thought his surname was Aldi. How fiitting I muttered to myself.
Then I smiled..
According to multiple reports Adli has signed a 3 year deal with a option for 2 more
Morning Gooners, morning Rico, there’s nothing wrong with Aldi, a fine store with great prices and no flim flam….
Get Rabiot as well Rico, I’d definitely take him if Jack leaves…
No news on Reiss Nelson yet and that’s worrying.
Morning all and thank you Rico.
Yep, nothing wrong with ALDI or LIDL`s…………………I got some great garden maintenance gear from LIDL`s ( Florabest ?) with no quibble 3 year guarentee ! 🙂
Another scorcher down here and looking forward to some new transfer rumours today, by the end of the window the rumours will succeed over 100 and only 1-3% will have been true…………………………………..Please let Oblak be one of that % …………………. 🙂
I know everyone (apart from Wenger) know`s we have had defensive problems over the last so many years and it looks like we have a coach who also knows that, but I wonder if he only thinks it`s defensive outfield players and not the goalie aswell !
Not sure if other clubs do it or if anyone does, but do other clubs have coaches purely for defence and attack like they do in American Football ?………………………..I`ve always wondered what we would have been like if Arsene had just concentrated on attack and we had Gorgeous George taking care of defence !
Morning Kev, all.
I read that Hants but not sure if it’s true or not.
Rabiot would be a great addition Kev, but doesn’t he have personality issues?
Afternon all!
Not good news I think.
The opponents seem to me to be getting stronger.
ZZ has quit !
That ALDI has some nice tekkers !
Wenger to Real Madrid?
Good afternoon all and thank you Rico for the post.
Wenger, the cup only coach, is not what Real need. They want someone who can sustain a season long challenge for the league title. I await with interest to see which of Bale or Ronaldo leave the Bernabau.
If Wenger does take the RM job, it will be interesting to see how long he lasts without winning a trophy , he wont be afforded the time he had at Arsenal as RM like PSG, Mansour City, Manshafter, Chavs owners demand success unlike our major shareholder who is just happy as long as we are in the EPL gaining TV money and being self sustainable…………………..trophies are not top of the list at Arsenal PLC
I`m waiting for it to come up on SKY Sports news that Bindippers have bought Oblak and that Arsenal came in with a late offer ! hahaha
I was hoping for some of Herbs wisdom on here, but have noticed he is back on AA !……………………come on Herb, they treated you like shit, by not agreeing with their AKB views……………………..difference on here is that we like you behind your back ! 🙂
For me the first two out the door should be Welbeck and Iwobi.
Welbeck for his almost complete lack of any meaningful contribution over the last couple of seasons and Iwobi for consistently failing to put the bloody ball in the net when it seemed easier to score than miss.
Poch or Allegri perhaps Cicero, or Sarri.. Good decision from Zidane I reckon, leave at the top..
Can’t see At Madrid selling Oblak Lc..
Everton have appointed Silva as manager. I reckon he might do rather well there..
Rico, he could hardly do worse than he did at Watford.
It seems the managerial carousel is running at full speed and there are even a few new donkeys added to the “usual suspects”. Trouble is the paint on some of them is wearing thin and a few have even gone to the manager’s equivalent of the knackers yard.
Poor old Zidane, missed out on the Tottenham job and Ipswich too, they appointed a new manager yesterday.
If he’s willing to wait a couple of months, the Rangers job will become available when they sack Gerrard, or perhaps, if he’s quick he could get in at Derby County before they appoint Lampard. .
I thought he was doing well until Everton turned his head Cicero..
There’s still the Chelsea job up for grabs…
Strange things are happening, or maybe not happening, at Chelsea. Abramovich hasn’t got his new visa yet and has taken Israeli citizenship. The new stadium project has been put on hold. Conte is still there and it will cost them £9 million in compensation if they sack him.
Just see that Cicero…………………..Chavs new Stadium put on hold !…………………………I like conspiracy theories, so gett cracking someone !……………………………I`ll dip my toe in the water first and wonder whether Abramobitch is sort of pissed off !……………………………….he cant like for example that he is now not the richest owner that can buy the trophies as much as CFG…………aka World Domination Company…………..aka Mansour City……………………………then there`s as you say the visa thingy………………………I`ll be so gutted for them if it all goes shit shape !
Not forgetting the diplomatic handbags between London and Moscow………………………….oh, and maybe Abramobitch thinks he can hold West London to ransom by his not building stadium will maybe lose jobs and £Ms` of investment, so someoine will give him a visa !
Le Coq, he’s not even the richest man in West London, isn’t that the bloke who owns Fulham FC and wants to buy Wembley Stadium?
Hasn’t Roman found a way around his visa problem by obtaining an Israeli citizenship?
The Israeli Citizenship allows him to visit the UK but, crucially, not work here.
Good! ?
WC hasn`t even started and Xhaka is having an MRI scan on his knee from a training injury !
Abramobitch is worth $11.4B…………………………………Fulham`s Khan is worth $7.2B……………………………………….Kroenke is worth $8.3B…………………………………………..Uzzy is worth $12.8B………………………………………over $20B between our two and not a dime invested in team !
Le Coq, you could hardly expect Usmanov to put money into the club. He owns nearly thirty percent of the club but is not a board member, does not receive a penny in dividends and has absolutely no say whatsoever in the running of the club.
Kroenke doesn’t need or want Usmanov’s shares and nobody else will buy them.
……….and on that night I wish you all goodnight.
…….on that note, not night, stupid spell checker.!!!!
I think the Israeli citizenship allows Abramovitch to spend up to 6 months in the UK, but it isn’t just him, the UK government, albeit late in the day, are looking into some of these wealthy types who overnight became fabulously rich and decided to invest in the UK as it gives them a veneer of respectability and their money is safe over here.
I’m no fan of Kroenke, but as far as I know he didn’t rob the US people in order to become a billionaire. That’s not to say that he hasn’t done shady things, but Usmanov has quite a chequered past.
Yes I know that Cicero, I was just being sarcastic and putting the two amounts of wealth together makes it more im,pressive to what we are missing out on !……………
😆
Actually, with what`s happening over at the Bridge we need someone other than Uzzy now that isn`t connected to Russia and some dodgy deals or best buddies with Putin…………………………we need a Sir Henry Norris type who is richer than the Mansours !
🙂
Evening all !
Only problem I see with the Chav thing is that if Abramobitch was to sell imo it`s quite likely that someone even richer like a Mansour type abab will buy and make Chavs even bigger, at least Abramobitch has recently been trying to run it more on a self sustainabilty model than in previous years, maybe becuase he knows he cant compete with Mansour !……………possibly better the devil we know !
A game to watch whilst nothing else on.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/what-channel-real-madrid-v-12634662
Morning Rico and all.
All quiet on the Arsenal front.
Morning Adam and all.
Very quiet, although if one believed the headlines on NN we have around eight players on the verge of signing for the club.
Exciting eh…. lol