Morning all.
Having signed Granit Xhaka so early, I’m kind of disappointed no one else has followed him through the door yet. I know, the transfer window isn’t even open yet so I should be more patient but Conte, Guardiola, Mourinho and other managers will soon get going with their summer signings and Arsene could be left fighting for the scraps.
The Euros kick off a week tomorrow and player prices could increase if they have a good tournament so perhaps the next week will see things get moving.
There’s always a certain amount of risk when it comes to signing players, especially when they cost mega bucks and especially when a major tournament is taking place during the summer because can you imagine paying £30m+ for someone only to see him limp off the pitch whilst playing for his country and then ruled out for six months. But that could happen to any club, not just Arsenal and injury can occur in training just as easily as it can during a match.
£49 million for Mesut wasn’t it but where would we be without his assists? Ok, so he didn’t break Henry’s record but I bet he would if he had similar players around him as Henry had.
My only gripe with Mesut is he doesn’t shoot enough because if he did, he’d be the perfect number 10, albeit in a number 11 shirt.
Arsenal have paid somewhere between £30-35 million for Xhaka, a price when compared to Elneny, is hefty but compare him to how much Pogba could be sold for this summer, the Swiss international might just turn out to be a bargain.
The reality is, Arsene Wenger has little choice this summer than to spend big because he missed his chance this time last year. To become victorious again in the league, Arsenal need players like Xhaka, players who are proven, experienced and great at what they do and they often come with a hefty price tag.
We can all scoff at the reported valuation of certain players, I know I used to, but the reality is, football is a much inflated financial business and each club earns much inflated money each and every season so it all evens out in the end.
And Arsenal are huge earners from ticket sales and TV rights so they are in a good place. But now it’s time to spend some of their millions and make the club we all love great again..
Transfer gossip:
Arsenal are eyeing a move for Brazilian sensation Gabriel Barbosa, who is tipped to take the Copa America by storm this summer. That is according to The Sun, who say the 50-goal 19-year-old is also on the radar of Manchester United and Chelsea following a stunning start to his career.
Barbosa is in Brazil’s squad for Copa America and scored on his international début in the 2-0 win over Panama last weekend. Dubbed as the ‘next Neymar’, Barbosa’s 50 goals have come from 150 appearances so far for Santos, where Neymar also plied his trade.
Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina is closing in on a move away from the Emirates, with Besiktas the favourites to secure his services. Reports in Turkey say the Istanbul giants are hopeful of striking a £2.7 million deal.
That’s about it…..
Good Morning to The Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.
Rico – You just couldn’t resist those canine cuties, could you?
Whoa! I’ve never been first before.
Cg- neither have I; that is why I relate to AW. 😉
Good morning again all…
How will work permit issues fit in with Gabriel B.? As things stand unless he can find an Italian or Portuguese grand parent to enable him to get an EU passport he wouldn’t qualify for work permit…
With a reputed release clause of 40 million quid, I’d be very very surprised if we went for Barbosa, a relatively unknown teenager. Surprise us Arsene.
Morning Cg and all..
I couldn’t Cg, I really couldn’t.. 😉
Ginge – I was was going to say it was a little early in the transfer window for such sarcasm, but then I remembered the window isn’t even open yet.
By the way, Arsene has been first. It was just so long ago it is almost ancient history.
Barbarossa, is he gonna arrive in a galley?
ha ha ha Cg- well If the views of the media and pundits are to be believed Aw was never first but GG’s assembled team managed themselves to become first. 😉
Cg, Martial is justifying his price tag I’d say, perhaps this Brazilian will too… 😉
Mind you, AW, £40m and youngster don’t go together… lol
No Kev, in the back of your cab…. 😉
Chat later, I have a few brassica veggies to plant…
Kev’s cab is like a blak pirate galley. So we wait in anticipation for Barbarossa. :p
Good afternoon lovelies and Hunkies
Ginge – For a man that has had such a major influence on the game in England, poor Arsene can’t even buy an even break.
As for “…GG’s assembled team managed themselves…” – it couldn’t have been Captain Fantastic as he proved he wasn’t up to it.
Rico – You may well be right, but I was thinking more along the lines of your second point. I just don’t see Arsene doing it.
If we were to get him would he have to go on loan to the continent as Wellie, JC and the Velas of recent past?
How does brexit affect that?
Devil – I thought Kev’s cab was more like a black hole where unruly tourists, especially those that didn’t tip well, disappeared.
Ginge – For that sort of money and the work permit situation, it sounds a bit far fetched. That sort of thing hasn’t worked well for us in the past. Although the jury is still out on Joel Campbell.
Cg- ”it couldn’t have been Captain Fantastic…” that made me chuckle.
Re Barbossa, its all speculation I guess but hasn’t he already gotten an agreement with Psg?
Kev’s cab is a comfortable pirate ship. It is so smooth that you think you are floating in air. no that up and down feeling of a galley on the waves. I can assure you as I have been in it.
The only snag is that sometimes it runs out of petrol and you have to put up the sails…..or push it to the station.
Brexit will affect all those countries outside the UK Ginge. The thing is I feel that Cameron is taking people up for a ride and will no doubt have already laid contingency plans whereby the UK will still benefit from the EU. UK is a major stake holder in the economy and as such even if out will still have influence over the EU economy and vice versa.
Cameron is scared that he will never see England win the world cup again so probably he has agreed with the FA to make the EPL a league full of homegrown players who can play for England.
Mark my words Ginge……eventually players hailing from Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Asia and the EU will all fall in the same bracket.
I see the site is going to the dogs
Ginge – I’m not sure about Barbosa. I only heard about him earlier today.
Devil – I bow to your superior personal knowledge of Kev’s cab.
I’m off. I’ll catch you all another day.
Woof! Woof!
Tsgh as I don’t watch much German football which team got the better player man city with Gundogan or us with Xhaka.
I seem to remember Gundogan is quintessential Arsenal player in that he gets injuryed a lot.
Leeds have had 6 managers since Wilshere last completed a full 90min for Arsenal……
Pardon me for barging in the middle Ginge. But I feel that we have got the better deal. One because as you said Gundogan gets injured quite a lot. secondly because I feel the Xhaka always did the dirty work for Dortmund whereas Dortmund could not rely on Gundogan all the time. I feel that in England he will get more injured.
Thanks for information devil.
What about Chelsea Lee… 😉
🙂
We are apparently ‘close’ to signing Jeison Murillo…….
Is he any good, a bit small for a CB….
Frank was 5’10″…… #justsaying.
Who’s him I really look outside the Arsenal team ?
Cg- Gundogan before his injure right before Kagawa left BVB was purely exceptional. At that time he played as a deep-lying playmaker with captain Kehl or Bender.
When Kagawa left he was moved slightly further forward and then his injuries occurred as like JW he held onto the ball a tad too long.
Joe- On Xhaka, my assessment of him is that he is a cross between Edu and the Matic of Porto right after he was moved from no.10 to no.6 and the first 6 months at Chelsea.
Edu was good at short passes and alos long passes when needed. He also has Matic’s energy which we need…
When Xhaka joined Mong’bach, Nordveirt had made the CDM position firmly his. Kramer went on loan to Bayer 04 as he was not fitting into the style.
Xhaka came in and Nordvert was moved into CD when Dante left Mong’bach
Really should…..
I never knew Lee, this guys meant to be a bit of a tough nut…
Google him Joe…
Dev- Cameron does not even know the difference between WHU and Aston Villa. 😛
I doubt he cares about the passion/sports of the plebs. 😉
I am sure he knows Stoke Rugby Football Club though. 😉
Tsgh looks like we have got a player that we need its a shame he wanted to stay one more year in Germany and didn’t join us last season.
Do you think wenger desided to wait for a player he wanted and here is one reason he neglected to buy an out field player.
Last season
Joe- I have no idea but chatting to a fellow BVB fan in Borussia stadium last season, a german who I was chatting to mentioned that Mong’bach decided to hold onto him when Nordvert refused to extend his contract.
Rumours were that we refused to buy and loan him back to Mong’bach and take Kramer on loan instead…
The good news is the player only wanted to play under AW so there we have it…
Joe, I do. I wrote it in a post a few days ago… 😉
Where would be the fun in that
Tsgh are you saying some players come to Arsenal because they want to play for our manager na that can’t be true.?
Some players right now seem to want to leave because of him too!
Rico first it’s check Google for information on a player then I am supposed to remember something you wrote a few days ago I am starting to feel like I am back at school. ☺
Will Mancini sell Jeison Murillo to us? They don’t need the money as they have loads of it…
Murillo vs Roma he seemed like a proper ball playing CD but I think Miranda makes him look better than he actually is…
A walking red card imho…
Where does the ‘he only wants to play for Wenger’ come from Ts?
Ha ha Joe, never too late for school… lol
Rico that’s interesting did I miss something recently on players that have come out and said that.
🙂 Joe. You know AW is rubbish… now sit in the corner and write 1000 lines..’ AW is over rated’…
If I was to sign any player from Inter it would be Miranda, Ljajic, Medel,Marcelo Brozovic in that order…
I consider Medel and Aranguiz as the hardest men in modern football but hey…
Marcelo Brozovic is good but not better than what we have unless Ox or JW are leaving…
then again I am just a keyboard winnable expert so… 😉
I’m not sure many truly mean it Joe, even if they say it publicly… Many soon move away when money comes knocking..
Rico- Maybe Xhaka is going to use us as a stepping stone to $hitty…
Tsgh a I read somewhere that inter are having issues with ffp that they have to find £50th odd to balance thier books
By the time he thinks about going, Pep will have left Ts… lol
What about Xhaka’s Wenger comments, I’ve not seen them anywhere…
HI All:
Re: Joe @ 1;26/ Devil @1:37. Injuries aside, Xhaka is a better player for EPL. Stronger, faster, tackles, and will kick the $h&t out of you. I think we got what we need. Gundogan is more like Santi, (good passing and decisions) and I have never seen the dude win a header (lol). I think it is interesting that Pep got him because he and Silva are the same type of players and to think that Pep said possession football is dead. Ts Medel, what a player, 5’6” and winning headers against 6’2′ guys. I don’t care if were are throwing rocks, I want him on my team. Damn Goonster, I have agreed with Ts again, LOL.
lol Obi. Goonie has a new moniker. Sir- Cream-A lot.
Rico. are you implying that AW is going to be the last man standing amongst Conte, Pep, Jose. 😉
Joe- I didn’t know that about Inter’s ffp woes…
Rico- I know its hard to believe that on some instances’ as in OG12’s case when Chelsea made a bid for him but he chose AW instead, that AW still attracts players…
Depends how the season goes I guess Ts..
Are you avoiding my question? lol
lol Rico. I will never try to do that.
I am just deducing since Pep wanted him at BM…
Well Ts, maybe it was the French connection with OG, I still find it hard to believe Chelsea wanted him. Who was the manager there at the time….
Di Matteo. right after UCL win.
What, when he knew he was getting replaced?
I can’t find the france tv interview (video) from 2012 but here is another link…
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/jun/27/france-olivier-giroud-chelsea-arsenal
The French connection it was then…..
Rico-No Di Matteo was sacked in November.
Every summer we seem to have the same discussions. re. provide this or that proof…
Ah, I thought he went that summer, I got that wrong then…
You know me, facts are all which counts and that’s because there’s so much bollox written in the newspapers and even though players are quoted, how often have they soon denied such quotes….
Still haven’t seen anything from Xhaka about wanting to play for Wenger….
Lol.. I will try to find something/link
Work computer not allowing me to search but search for Bundesliga Blueprint quoting Klopp as saying Xhaka was already joining a club in London as he learnt it always (xhaka) dream to play for that club…
Any link lightly alluding to..
http://www.espnfc.co.uk/story/2880666/granit-xhaka-arsenal-wanted-to-sign-me-last-year
Tsgh you make a statement if you don’t back it facts they’ll send you all around the Web for stats. ?
But he doesn’t say ‘I only wanted to play for AW’….
Evening all !
Just back from sunny St Ives and I must say I like the look of this Brazillian Barby doll player !……………..put him on the list behind PEA, Dybala etc`……………..Wenger cant say there aren`t any out there….money talks !.
Saw another photo of Ramsey`s new hair cut and some are saying he looks like Justin Bieber……………although some on here may say more like Just in Beaver !.
Wenger is getting involved in Brexit !………..probably thinks that it will take some attention away from him still not buying a blatantly obvious striker that we need………well blatantly obvious to every man and his dogging session !……………..Arsene !…..Giroud is flashing his head lights in Tesco`s car park and it`s not that he wants you to get into his back seat in your Daniel Craig blue swimming trunks, no !…… a code to tell you to spend the money…………….and I dont mean in the Butternut Squash aisle in Tesco`s………..a striker !.
🙂 Ok I concede Rico. 😉
Ha ha ha Joe…; well only if Brexit had me providing them with stats. 😉
Le Coq- PV04 said in 2004 that ‘Arsenal and AW do not shop in Harrods but Lidl only…’ 😉
Classic LC….
More like ASDA, tsgh !………………the Kroenke connection !……….a few years ago we could have been called ASDA, as in……………. Arsenal Sell Dividends Arrive !
Nice to pop in, now out for some 6-a-side footie on a blazing hot evening !….best bit is always at the end when we play winning goal and everyone tries harder ! 😀
Sounds like Arsenal in the final few minutes of a game LC….
Very few clubs shop at Harrods but I think it’s fare to say we have moved to Waitrose.
I think 4 of our last 5 players proves this.
Do we really need to spend £40m odd on a teenager from Brazil which knowing our luck won’t get a work permit no matter how good he is.
Looks to me that if the Brexit happens the will be problems with the number of Europeans in the pl you know how the fa blame all those bad Europeans for the problems with England.
I also think Giroud is a Waitrose player purchased during a sale ?
Or maybe M/S for our resent purchases
Giroud is Tesco at best…. 😉
Night all, catch up tomorrow….
If so it’s their finest range ?
Probably in all fairness BHS is about right reasonable quality but a little overpriced. Until they went broke that is.
Interesting game vs Portugal, not a classic, but international football is usually dull, so be dull, but win…
To beat England’s Jonah team in Portugal, is progress, despite their 10 men.
I thought that Eric Dier played well and Wilshere looked OK when he came on as did Lallana…
Night All
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/06/02/arsenal-manager-arsene-wenger-is-going-no-time-soon-says-chief-e/
Read it! Truth or l…..?
As the site and my url is working again, I wrote this earlier:
Back to Cameron and his disinterest in ‘soccer’, the only game, as an old Etonian and Oxford,man is, playing piggy in his middle!
Boom, boom.
Fancy having to go through the rest of his life knowing that he was responsible for isolating the UK from the rest of Europe for all eternity. It’s only historical equal is King George III sleeping instead of issuing battle orders to save what became the USA ( I think it was the third of the Hanovarian hoard!)
Players, players, players. None since last week, I’ll wager none next week or the week after, or the week after that………Wenger is too fatigued to go looking for new staff. It so ‘yesterday’.
It will be interesting to gauge the fans of Carvalho post the friendly…
His fellow African Pereira has shown all season and also come into National team proven himself to be a far better all round CDM…imho.
Good morning Rico and all..
Morning Ts and all..
If England play like they did last night at the Euros, they’ll struggle to get through the group stage…
Morning all, day 7 and it’s another lovely day so much so I am wearing shorts to work (sorry world ) is it possible global warming is kicking in.
Morning Rico and all.
Did you watch the game then Rico? I wasn’t even aware it was on but I did see that blokes flying tackle on the news. Stunningly moronic.
##WARNING##………….due to it`s extreme content viewers may be shocked and offended and should be accompanied by an adult and look through their fingers……………….and not alone in the dark !.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/phil-jones-dyes-hair-blonde-8104222
Oh and morning all !
As a neighbour listen to the radio last night going on about the England team you’d think it was an semi-final of a world cup.
It was nothing more than the last warm up game before a tournament no wants to get get injured really it was what it was.
Saying that England need jack to stay fit ?
Morning Adam. I watched some of it but it was awful. Jack did ok when he came on but my goodness, dreadful stuff… The tackle on Kane was awful wasn’t it, a cm away from possibly blinding him….
I`m trying for the life of me to have my England head on, but to be honest I`m disgusted that Bruno Alves missed a great chance of helping us win the league next season……………shoddy marksmanship !
http://cdn.images.dailystar.co.uk/dynamic/122/photos/0/900×738/542000.jpg
🙂 Lc, I can’t look…
I seem to remember that, years ago and before a Tournament, Andy Townsend had a truly appalling bleach job on his hair. Apparently it was to make him ‘stand out’. A fashion statement really. What he failed to take into consideration was that he was so mind-numbingly average that it merely made him look more of a tosser than he already was.
I would say the ‘Townsend syndrome’ should be enshrined in football folklore by now and anybody who copies it had better have a fantastic tournament or be prepared to have their head shaved afterwards. I imagine Ramsey is just tying to attract the interest of RM and Barcelona in a curiously Welsh way.
Seriously though Rico, that was some X-rated stuff when watching it live, cant remember anything like it !
Interesting and I was waiting for Brexit to get a comment on here. Do you really think that leaving means isolation ?. Neither Cameron , Hollande or Merkyl are that stupid. Forget all the claptrap being spouted about immigrants and benefits , the question is about sovereignty and whether we wish to set our own targets and attempt to achieve them. We are too big a fish for the rest of Europe to ignore and it will take a long period of negotiating to extract ourselves from the mess that we have got ourselves into . As of yet the E.U has really failed to change it’s course from federalism and successive governments have had lip service paid to them with a couple of concessions thrown in . The example of how to get things from this monolith is one of the tactic used by Erdogan , if you stand up to them they will roll over. Should we vote to leave , during the period of talks I think we may be surprised to what might just come spilling our way. We are the second largest contributor, THEY NEED OUR MONEY !
If we vote to leave , the whole thing will have to change course, already Sweden and Poland are agitating for referendums and remember Eire only became members on their third go and by the 1 % the politicians wanted. Even Juncker has admitted that “The E.U has full time Europeans when it comes to taking out but only part timers when it comes to giving “. The whole concept is fragmenting , the Eurozone is facing crises with Greece , Spain , Italy unable to meet their debt repayments. it was a vision that is failing but they want to further control a unified currency and taxation system to prop up their failure.
Do you think either of those clubs are really interested in Ramsey Adam?
Glad I missed it then LC…. lol
Potter. It is interesting to me that the whole Brexit thing has become condensed and focussed into an almost single-issue question, depending on where in the country you live.
I agree with the sovereignty aspect but those I have spoken to about the upcoming decision never mention it. I saw Varoufakis highlight it on the Andrew Marr show last Sunday though.
As ever, getting impartial information has become next to impossible.
i see that Arsene is for remain though.
Rico. I think that he might think they are. 🙂
Koeman heading to Everton?? That’s a strange one…
Morning Potter I’d like UK to stay in because they are and have been a moderating influence on the EU oh and we like your money ?.
Also Eire is not that well received in the Republic of Ireland as a name for the contry.
Country
Contry ?
I agree Rico. They must have made him some profound financial promises. He probably read the Gazidis interview. 🙂
🙂 Adam, I hope they are…..
Ha ha Adam. Sad, but probably true…
Rico. You would like Ramsey gone then?
For lots of money obviously. 🙂
Potter, Adam- on geo-political issues I always turn to Zbigniew Brzezinski or kissingers writings and prophesies…; the almost always play out as they see it…
It makes you wonder if this whole Brexit is a diversion.
Damn, I have given myself away as a conspiracy knobbiest..
Adam I started trawling the European media rather than just listen to the poor summaries served up here.Rumours now abound that the media especially the BBC is being paid to take the remain side. Certainly there are large numbers of people throughout Europe feeling disenfranchised by the whole thing. Here we are being spoon fed the remain line and exit sympathisers are being portrayed as loonies and uninformed. However I have known for years that their is an undercurrent of dissatisfaction in Spain where as you know I have friends . University graduates working in hotels on a 20 hour a week contract . After a year of being unemployed , that’s all my friend’s daughter who speaks 3 languages fluently can get. She like many others has travelled to England for a better life but went back to Spain after finding things to be similar here.
As I see it the E.U is good for those with a vested interest in remaining, those in business and the city. You are right , where you live is important in how you see things. If you want a cheap boat go to Lowestoft there’s quite a few fishing vessels for sale.
In Norfolk we have a new crop , we no longer grow wheat or barley because we pay over the odds for them to be imported but the solar panels are springing up everywhere. If we follow the Juncker line , we soon won’t be able to feed ourselves but at least the lights will be on .
On the Remain/Brexit question and the current state of the EU and Europe in general, maybe the question to ask yourself is, if we were outside of the EU, how keen would you be to join it..?
Potter. That is interesting. Funnily enough I can’t remember voting for the chronic alcoholic Juncker and fail to understand how he can make decisions that affect all our lives.
A curse on all their houses.
Adam. It’s a tough one really but I don’t see what he gives the team right now and if a big money offer came in for him, as long as someone comes in to replace him then yes, I’d certainly think about accepting it…
But not just him really.. 😉
TS. I always fancied Kissinger as Bob Mugabe’s assistant at Arsenal.
Rico. He is going to have more competition this year if Pogba arrives. 🙂
🙂 Adam, now he’d be quite a signing wouldn’t he….
Rico. I think Gazidis was sending out subtle clues. I noticed that Ivan had five fingers extended when he was talking about transfers and the name Pogba has five letters.
If anyone is to brexit it should be for one reason only imho unless one is a globalist with access to 10 Duke Street …
Hidden in plain sight as the say.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/eureferendum/12018877/The-truth-how-a-secretive-elite-created-the-EU-to-build-a-world-government.html
I’m saying nothing Adam… 😉
But thank goodness Sanogo has six letters….
New post up now but that doesn’t mean you all have to disappear… lol
No offence meant Joe , just the way I was educated in the 60’s.. You know how difficult it is to keep up with the shifting sands of time. Still if we all stay in , it won’t matter because we will all be tarred with the same brush eventually. One state , one name , one planet , One Star ship Enterprise.Let’s get out of here and kick some Alien arse.
🙂 Adam. I wonder which of them will out live each other…