Morning all.
Looks like the above two are heading to Arsenal. When asked about signing them, Arsene Wenger said:
“Yes. The (talks) are progressing well.
“Yes of course there are work permit issues. There are medical issues, because they have to make medicals. It’s progressing well.
“We identified Nwakali as the player of the tournament, basically, and as a top player. We will see if we can manage to get it over the line during this transfer period. [If we can], we will do it. He (Chukwueze) is signing as well.”
“We will see if we can complete them.”
Neither are hardly likely to get Arsenal fans excited but considering Bayern Munich and Man City to name just two clubs have been chasing this young duo, they might just turn a few heads in the years to come. Kelechi Nwakali is 17 and Samuel Chukwueze is 16 years old and both have been impressing in their homeland and helped Nigeria to win the World Cup in Chile back in November.
After what seemed an eternity, Arsene Wenger finally silenced his detractors in the spring of 2014 and again in 2015.
Those two seasons left the Press and Media scumbags having to eat copious amounts of humble pie and whilst they’ll never go away, it was good to see them choke on their own bile…
Whatever the circumstances, and any team that wins a cup competition has to enjoy good fortune to win it, Arsenal finally ended their and our barren spell by winning the trophy which the club first won in 1930, to announce its arrival as a major football club.
2014 was fraught with tension, nerves and the spectre of Birmingham a few years earlier. By comparison, 2015 was a breeze. Although it didn’t seem that way when Rooney equalised at Old Trafford but we beat a top four club, just as we’d done at Man City. Remember when we were told Arsenal weren’t capable of that?
Funny how after two Wembley victories over Petro Dollar Subsidised Man City and Chelsea, we don’t hear that any more…
So it hasn’t been a bad two years…
The Arsenal and the FA Cup seem inextricably linked, tangled up with each, whether it be the daddy of all giant killings, Walsall in 1933, sending the football world, especially up north, into a frenzy, or the total eclipse of Aston Villa last May, when Arsenal destroyed an opponent in a cup final like I’d never seen before. The Samaritans must have been inundated with phone calls from fraught Aston Villa fans that weekend…
And so to this season, 2016, and the real possibility of Arsenal, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal, the Specialist in Failure, becoming the first team to win a hat-trick of FA Cups in 130 years!
Blackburn Rovers were the last team to achieve this feat in 1884/1885/1886. Yes 1886, the year Arsenal, or to be exact Royal Arsenal, were formed in the Dial Square works at the Woolwich Arsenal, three years before league football even began.
Of course, there’s a long way to go yet and an EPL title to fight for.
So the prospect of a Joey Barton inspired Burnley in Round 4, should not be underestimated. Barton will ensure that his team mates are motivated and Burnley are in great form and it wasn’t so long ago that Sheffield Wednesday taught us a harsh lesson.
Arsene Wenger has since admitted that it’s unwise to rotate more than three players, even if he’s done as much in the past. It’s a game where Gibbs, Gabriel, Arteta and Co can come without the level of the team dropping. Rosicky is available, as is Francis Coquelin and new man Elneny must be in with a chance of playing.
It’ll be an interesting game, that’s for sure…
Can Arsenal match Blackburn Rovers achievement?
There is a certain symmetry, I’m sure most of you have seen it…
1884, 1885, 1886.
2014, 2015, 2016?
Written by AlezKev.
The only downside that I can see, and Morning All btw, is if Iwobi and the two Nigerian teenagers, become key members of the Arsenal team, and not forgetting Elneny who is only 23, is that in 4 to 6 years time, we could be losing 3 or 4 players, mid-season, for the ACN…
Still I hope they all fullfil their potential…
Morning Rico
Morning Adam
We will be winning today, no question.
Everything adds up, for mine.
3-0.
New post up now
Hi Scott.
Morning all.
Morning Adam. I think so, for the future..
Morning Rico and all. Exciting new signings then.
Morning Marshall and all..
Looks like the two young Nigerian players are signed up after they’ve been photographed at the club with AW and IG. Kanu is in the photo too, I wonder if he persuaded them to choose Arsenal over other clubs…
Good stuff Kev, then he can be ready for the Bournemouth game hopefully.
Marshall, Welbeck is gonna play 45 minutes at Brighton next Friday, with the U21’s…
Yes Rico, this place is therapeutic. We come to rant here, keeps our sanity :D.
Night Rico, night everybody.
*looks like LvG will keep his job tonight* will be a slow day at the press.
Rico Welbeck retutn will definitely get Ox and Theo to raise their games. Him and Santi we really miss.
Kev a double would make critics bury their heads in the sand.
Lee give the old fella a break. He managed to sign a player in less than a month! Last summer he signed cech in 3 ;-).
Is JW back in time to bully Barca? Then we call him WC and slap £50mil on him – a bargain for petroSaint Germain.
Ha ha Kev..
I’m off for the day..
Thanks again for the post Kev, shame it’s been so quiet. Still, I bet it’ll be busy the next time we lose or play badly…
Night all…
As long we don’t get Monaco in the next round Rico…
Mancs winning…
Come on Derby, go for the draw…
Think I can guess what might happen Kev… lol
But imagine if we beat them over two legs..
Elneny and Coq in midfield could work wonders….
I reckon we should just have a go at them Rico…
See what happens.
But with our defending, I don’t think we’ll need to worry about the CL for long.., ?
Kev, would you throw the CL game?
I had to read that twice Kev, thought you wrote 1989… Lol
Cheers Marshall…
Winning the FACup three times on the spin would be quite an achievement…
That’s why it hasn’t been done in 130 years…
Mind you, I want the league more, of course.
Mick that was 1888-89.
The Invincibles…
They also won the FACup without conceding a goal (I think)…
Steady on Marshall, there’s still three missing through injury… Lol
Seriously though, isn’t it great to see Coquelin and Rosicky back ready and knowing Welbeck is real close to playing again is fab too because their return puts pressure on a few and I wouldn’t be surprised to see one or raise the level of their game…
Our annual new January signings are back. Third FA is doable.
Nice post Kev, good symmetry too ;-).
Suddenly we have a full squad to rotate. We are all looking forward to see Elneny debut, hope him and Coq Marshall the mid. Ox needs such a game to work on his shortcomings. Then legs like Rosicky to come in for the kill and flair.
id agree re the supplementing of the squad, sadly during the time those players were injured, there wasn’t enough, or good enough in the Academy to step up…
What’s worrying though Micko, Burnley battered Derby just a few days ago… Lol
Ah, that’s a toughie Micko..
Not just the Diaby situation though , what it shows is the way the squad has been decimated over the past few years and why it needed supplementing . You can’t help feeling that we have been fiddling whilst Rome or Home burned our chances of pulling away from the clubs around us that have caught us now with the new T.V. deals.
Derby away, it’s on the box rico, tricky tie,
That’s a lot of time lost in football terms Potter..
Micko, who are they playing tonight?
A lose tonite and I think he’s gone rico !
Must be touch and go Micko, hope he stays a while longer personally. Don’t want the dwarf back in England…
That’s over 3 years potter lol.
Rosicky 1276 days , Walcott 1030 , Wilshere 897 , Gibbs 646 . According to http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/9982523/arsenals-most-injured-xi-of-the-21st-century-featuring-abou-diaby-theo-walcott-and-jack-wilshere
Although Diaby eclipsed them all.
Anyone think LvG will still have a job in the morning !
Kev, didn’t Preston do something around the same time as well which we matched a few years back.
Must be close Adam…
Rico. Probably right.
Has to be Rosicky, closely followed by Jack.
🙂 Kev, what are stats….. lol
Brudder. That is a beautiful image.
I’d rather sauté my bollocks in Lambda olive oil over a gentle heat……
Brudder. You’re just looking forward to the return of Jack and Danny. 🙂
I don’t think he cares what the fans think Lee . After all we have not been in management for 30 years and therefor don’t understand what we are watching.
Wenger seriously must think all Arsenal supporters are gullible, thick cnuts…..
It is quiet Rico…
Today would a good day for a load of stats.
Ginge….. ?
Whose had more time out injured during the last 10 years…Gibbs, Wilshere, Rosicky or Walcott?
In a word :- NO
Saloman Kalou is available…
Greedy, a double would do…
I’m not, not one bit…. But always open to a special signing… Lol
Afternoon Potter. Do you think we have enough to go on and win the treble?
Very busy ?
Once they had sent out for coffee and pies from Piebury Corner ( Delaware ones ) too expensive and not as good, They shuffled the papers with names on them put them in a hat , went to lunch . came back had tea and cakes because it was the birthday of hiding the chequebook then tried to find the phonebook to get the number of ” Agents “R ” us. and then it was home time . They sang chop chop work work busy busy bang bang as they made their way to Arsenal station to their waiting taxis , said goodnight and promised to look again next week.
That’s true. I am still supremely confident that a top player is coming in. 🙂
Still three days to go Adam… 😉
Rico. I thought we were going to be “very busy” in the TW.
And Khartoum?
Mafeking’s been relieved.
Afternoon Adam, no, it’s very quiet…
Afternoon Rico and all. Any news?
Ahmed Musa is the player Jm.
Not sure Jm, a striker I saw on Sky Sports..
who goes to Leicester?
We have a serious important game next Tuesday, only a few days for rest and the weeks will be full next.
Quiet day here Kev…
Coach, you watch youth football, what do you make of the two Nigerian teenagers, almost signed?
🙂
Or a Thursday at 2.25 to accommodate all fans!
I’m surprised it’s not been moved to a Saturday lunchtime, 12-30 Iceman, the FA don’t obviously see us slipping up… Lol
Ospina starts tomorrow Devil, confirmed by AW..
Morning Kev, always a pleasure… 😉
my team for the game……
Cech
Bellerin, Gabriel, Kos, Gibbs
Elneny, Coquelin
Rosicky, Aaron, Alexis
Ollie
You’d never know that we are the record cup holders if tv was your only way of watching live games. Ordinarily – and as a bit of a tradition, the current cup holders are always shown live in round three…oh, shame, maybe round four then? Oops, no, my mistake…I wonder, if we make it to round five they will snub us again?
Fair point Potter…
I’m not suggesting 7 or 8 changes…
But we have a seriously important game on Tuesday vs Southampton, and no Koeman team is gonna roll over for us…
So I reckon we could see 4, maybe 5 changes…
And tbh if we can’t beat Burnley at home in those circumstances, and that’s accepting their present form, then we should really forget all about winning the EPL…
Cheers Wavy…
Yeah, I agree with you, with Ospina in goal we’re likely to concede…
I’m just interested to see what Elneny brings to the party. We need a bit more physicality and stamina in front of our centre backs, so maybe he can bring that?
Morning Mr Adam…
A draw..?!
I really hope not mate, we can really do without a midweek replay up at Turf Moor with the Barca game looming…
I think that the inclusion of Gabriel, Elneny and Rosicky can give the team a bit of drive…
Nice one Kev.
Two Nigerian children? I thought AW had given up on young black Africans! Just goes to show how stuck in his ways he really is! He’s returning to type. Well here’s hoping, you never know he may have found a new Kanu or two.
As for tomorrow, we owe Wee Joey a sending off has his come up pence arrived? Score? With our defence and its sieve like qualities, I’ll give them one goal to our two or maybe three? I think we’ll win but it won’t be easy, as always.
Three in a row? Yeh, why not? At the moment it is still possible. Let’s see how it all pans out but it would be quite an achievement in this day and age.
Morning Again All…
Thanks for the Edit boss…
Morning Ginge.
Morning Coach and Scott.
Thanks Madhav. Yeah, let’s win 3 in a row first…
It’s a game where Gibbs, Gabriel, Arteta and Co can come without the level of the team dropping.
Not so sure about that , We can carry one or two but too many and the fault lines start showing, We have a history of foot shooting , and this needs a strong captain to lead a committed team . Have we got the team ? and have we got the captain to drag us over the line ?
why not Madhav??? one at a time will do the trick. If AW and the players take it seriously I do not see why not. After all, before 2004 everyone said that no team can do a whole season unbeaten, except AW. And they all laughed at him. Then everyone was left to eat a humble pie.
we have won 2 already. Nearly halfway through.
I agree with you though………its a bit too much to ask or expect.
But it can be done.
Nice post Kev… Enjoyed reading it…
I reckon it’ll be difficult if we don’t turn up with our play… But, if we play our game, we should be on top with a wonderful 3-1 with slick passing and Ramsey netting a goal…
5 FA cup in a row is too much to ask or expect from anyone Devil… 🙂
Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.
Nice post mate. I would love AW to make 5 FA Cup wins in a row. That would be difficult to beat.
Hopefully we will see a midfield of Elneny and Coquelin beating Joey Barton into submission.
Taking Fido out before the rain falls, back in a bit.
Morning Adam. Let’s hope nt…
I reckon it’ll be physical, Burnley will get right at us but we’ll overcome with a confident 2-1 victory… 😉
Morning Rico and all. Nice post Mr Allezkev.
I reckon a draw tomorrow.
I see Leicester are boosting their squad with players, or at least trying too..
Meanwhile, AW say’s no further signings unless there are exits….
Surely he’s got a surprise up his sleeve in this ‘busy’ month…..
Nice post Kev.
It’s been a while 🙂
Morning all.
Morning all again..
Nice one Kev and thanks..
I didn’t know BB managed three on the trot all those years ago. If we get lady luck with us when the draw takes place, anything is possible.
But, take Burnley lightly at our own peril…. I reckon it’ll be a tough old slog tomorrow.