Daily Bits and Bobs

Arsenal move for Kondogbia. Ramsey talks about players leaving…

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

I think it’s fair to say that what’s on most Arsenal fans minds right now is who will Arsene Wenger sign this summer….

Arsenal finished the season in the dizzy heights of third place and we defended our FA Cup so everything is rosy (ish)…

Criky, I’ve not even read ‘Arsene Out’ comments for a long while, well, just a few but reality is, he’s going nowhere just yet and why would he want to having just had one of his best seasons since we moved to The Emirates.

The one thing I really hope for this summer is that the club make money, good money available to Wenger and he spends it. Wisely of course, get the right players in and win the league because then, he may just do something he’s never done, and that’s to win it twice in succession.. Just as he’s done with the FA Cup.

Aaron Ramsey:

The club is now in a good place where they can afford to bring in top, top players to add to the squad. They don’t have to let players go, and we are building on this team rather than having players leaving and needing to rebuild around the ones that are left.

It is a nice feeling and means the group can stick together. The understanding among the players is there already so it can only get stronger. I believe that even with just the group of players we have now if everyone was fit we would have a great opportunity of competing for the Premier League title.

The team has come on a lot over the last few years and if we can get off to a good start next season we will definitely challenge.

There’s mixed views around about this current squad, some think it’s good enough to challenge as long as every player stays fit for the season ahead, some believe we still need four really top players, others like me think it’s somewhere in between the two.

But I guess all that really matters is what the manager and club think and seeing how Arsene Wenger has been in the past, added to his comments about bringing in too many players at once wrecks the balance of a side, four additions this summer might be a bit optimistic.

Unless of course a number of players leave as happened this time last year.

Last summer, we sold/let leave:

Thomas Vermaelen, Lukasz Fabianski, Bacary Sagna and Nicklas Bendtner. All first team players, albeit two rarely played. Carl Jenkinson left on loan.

In came:

Alexis Sánchez, Danny Welbeck, Calum Chambers, Mathieu Debuchy and David Ospina.

Which kind of equates to – Welbeck for Bendtner, Debuchy for Sagna, Ospina for Fabianski and Chambers for Vermaelen although the latter is pushing it a bit as Chambers is young and learning, Vermaelen is an experienced international defender who in my opinion was never truly replaced, not until January when Gabriel arrived.

So the only ‘real’ addition to the first team was Alexis Sanchez and that was in a year when Arsene Wenger knew we’d be without players who were involved in the World Cup during the early stages of the season.

This season we’ll probably be without David Ospina and Alexis Sanchez for the first few weeks too as both Chile and Columbia could go far in the Copa America Cup and then both will need a rest. Other clubs will suffer too but our two have been key this current side and they’ll be hugely missed.

Last season, Hector Bellerin was the only one who pushed through from the under 21’s although, Chuba Akpom, Isaac Hayden, Gedion Zelalem and Krystian Bielik were all given first team squad status on the official site and pre-season will be key for all of these players. It will no doubt determine whether they are staying put, or going out on loan. If any stay, and my money is on two of them, that could affect the managers transfer plans.

As for the keeper situation, well I remain hopeful that we’ll sign one as Szczesny seems to be going down a similar path to Bendtner. He thinks he’s great, he just doesn’t back it up with his performances. Even Ospina looked dodgy in his last couple of games. Emiliano Martinez must be rubbing his hands together.

Ramsey said we don’t have to sell players but imo we have too many players on our books to add many signings so something has to give, or rather some have to go. Mind you, I could think of four with ease, perhaps more…..

Gossip:

Apparently we’ve made an £18 million bid for Geoffrey Kondogbia. How I’d love that to be true and it’s enough to convince Monaco to sell. And of course the player wants to join Arsenal.

Enjoy the Champions League Final folks and don’t forget the Womens World Cup kicks off tonight……

rico

82 thoughts on “Arsenal move for Kondogbia. Ramsey talks about players leaving…”

  3. frednerk says:

    Morning All,
    Agree with what you say rico,
    somehow we must keep the the pressure on wenger
    he is to big for all,at the club now.
    He has changed the way we play..
    its like when he first came here and no one new him.
    We are where we are,3rd best and cup winners,
    he must go out and build on that.
    As you say….to many will upset the applecart.

  5. rico says:

    I hope the board keep a bit of pressure on him Fred. As you say, now we need to build on what we have, not stand still or go backwards.

    Personally, I think at best we’ll sign 3 players to replace Diaby, Flamini and maybe Szczesny.

    But just an opinion…

  6. pryce says:

    Morning to you all,I’m having this good feelings about Wellington Silva having a breakout season for us the coming season

  10. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Frednerk you cracked me up…..Qatar wins bid…….. LOLLLLLL 😆

    Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.

    Nice one Rico. another one soon on the way from me. hopefully midweek.

    Ginge……I asked you a question on the Koln Keeper….Timo Horn. What is your opinion on him? I just saw some clips of him and he looks impressive. 6ft4′ and still 22 years old.

  11. allezkev says:

    Morning All…

    Offer me top three and winning the FACup for a third time in succession next Spring, and I would take that now….

    Morning Rico, Kondogbia eh?
    I won’t believe it until I read it in the Metro!

    Ah, it was in the Metro….

    Must be true then….. 😉

  13. babasola tokoya lagos nigeria says:

    my two priorities are a top class striker / center forward as Girourd is an average striker and a defensive midfielder.co compliment the good coleuign in case of injury suspension or dip in form.a third choice may be a first class goalkeeper as sczeeny is suspect

  14. rico says:

    Mg, can’t see it myself..

    Charlie, I’d prefer the other French guy, Lazacette (spelling lol) But a big yes on Cech and Kondogbia…

  15. rico says:

    Thanks Devil. We’ve been linked to Horn before i’m sure.. Good news re the post…

    Morning Kev.

    2nd and the FA Cup would be progress… 😉

  16. allezkev says:

    Pryce might just have something there you know?

    Coquelin MkII….

    Great post Rico….

    Well, not bad… 😆

  18. rico says:

    Kev, you toad… lol

    Did you see the article on Silva, he wants to be at Arsenal but apparently two other PL clubs are interested in him too. Quite looking forward to pre-season when we’ll see him, Hayden, Akpom and a couple of others play..

  19. Canadian Gooner says:

    Good Morning to The Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.

    Fred – Re: Qatar wins bid to host Sepp Blatters Leaving Do.

    I hope that involves a trip into the deep desert with Septic Bladder given a leaky water bottle, a dickey compass, a map with all references in ancient Arabic, no camel and him smeared in goat’s blood to ensure the buzzards keep an sharp eye on him.

  21. Micko says:

    A couple of super duper early signings like Alexis last summer and a last minute.com panick buy and we can all get the deck chairs out.

  26. allezkev says:

    Yeah Rico, I did see that piece about his Agent talking to two EPL clubs….

    Maybe Wenger will have a good look at him in pre-season and then decide whether to give him a chance or see how he goes on loan in England…?

  27. Drake says:

    Id be happy for qatar to host a world cup every country has a right to host it.i like trying new things in life and i wish india,morroco and more those who have never hosted a world cup

  28. Canadian Gooner says:

    Rico – “Poor Sepp” That better be your tongue in your cheek and not one of your chooks’ eggs.

  30. Canadian Gooner says:

    Kev – With all your talk of leading people to the House and “praise the Lord” yesterday, I have to ask if the Reverend Kev has made a comeback? It has been many months since that persona was in evidence

  33. Micko says:

    Should do really Malaga, would be a chance to see first hand how the FAI spent the 5 mill from Sepp and Thierry, but truth is I’d be like a fish outta water in Dublin ! Highlights for me.

  35. scottfromoz says:

    Australia already has enough of you pom’s, Kev 🙂
    We’ve proven we can hold a massive event…Olympics in 2000…..where Qatar has shown nothing other than how to buy votes.
    FIFA are simply as corrupt as every football fan in the world suspected.

  38. Drake says:

    I think qatar deserve to host a worldcup too scott,fifa does not take bribes they demand them now south africa looks bad as if they offered but they did not.americas were mad when s.a won to host it i do not know why,but they proofed everyone wrong and it was one of greatest worldcup ever to be hosted in africa or any country in the world.

  41. virg says:

    Greetings all,
    A bit tough on Sczcerr there Rico… Yes he has a bit of an ego, I mean he’s said before that he thinks he’s the funniest and most good looking player in the squad. But if anything, those comments show that his ego is more just a bit of fun – not much like Bendtner at all. And I see his winning of the Golden Glove for 2013-2014 and his complete arial dominance of Benteke in the FA Cup final this year as backing up of his talents, which he will no doubt improve upon.

    Re World Cups and Australia, I was in the stands in 2010 when Germany thrashed the Ausies – Ozil was sublime that day, got in behind the defence alot and forced some good saves from the keeper I always hoped he’d be a gunner.

  43. virg says:

    And he’ll put in that sort of performance in the future, the team started defending better during the portion of the season that he was on the bench for. The defence was not much help to him and the bad touches and lack of pressure put on the attack during the Southampton game for which he took heavy criticism are examples of this. Ospina, on the other hand could rely on his defenders, like in the game against Chelsea when Bellerin flew back to nod the chipped shot wide while Ospina took care of Oscar 🙂

  44. rico says:

    Did the team defend better because they had more faith in Ospina, or did they just defend better?

    Difficult one to answer I’d say… but I know mine… 😉

  46. virg says:

    The players would always attacked as a team, but it was after the victory at the Etihad that they seemed to realize the importance of defending as a team as well. This stopped other teams from hitting us on the counter as much and when they did, there were always players running back to cover.

    This approach is logical, so the fact that the team only cared about defending after szcz was benched shows that they began to worry more about the keeper’s safety if anything.

  48. virg says:

    Sure maybe one could argue that we need to Cech ourselves. I don’t think it would hurt, I just don’t think a keeper should be our number one priority.

  51. Malaga gooner says:

    Rico I think wenger will go for it this window, he has 2 years left on his contract, money is not a problem amy more
    He knows we need a keeper, dm and a forward
    Happy days

  52. Joe says:

    The taking or paying of bribes is wrong and both Russia and Qatar should not be allowed host the world cup or even take part.

  54. virg says:

    Same for me Rico, and Mg ya I’m just going to trust Wenger and his team in terms of transfers. They did good business last season, I’m sure if the right opportunities arise they’ll take them.

  61. rico says:

    Virg, considering who left and who was signed, I’m not sure last summer was that good as far as transfers goes.. Yes we made good signings but Alexis was the only true addition as far as numbers go….

  62. Joe says:

    Last year we earned £4.2m from everything for the cup win so I expect we will get 1m or so for tv rights this year.
    Looks like we may have earned the most prize monies of any club this season including FA cup and PL.
    Now just spend it on 1-2 world class players.

  64. rico says:

    Joe, there was an article in the Mail about prize money. It listed Utd earning more than us. How I don’t know…

    Mg, we sure will….

  72. Potter says:

    So Barcelona won it and the towns gone wild. Fireworks party time and these people know how to celebrate.

  75. Lee says:

    Morning Brudder and all. Same here in North Essex, a day in the beer garden sounds like an option!

    Potter, they also know how to win it! Real have won it twice as many times as them…

  77. Adam says:

    Morning Brudder.. Can’t believe Arsenal nicked a few million extra quid out of the Vermaelen transfer after last night.

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