Morning all.
There’s little point in going into great detail about last nights draw with Lens as it’s the first game of the pre-season. Until the league campaign kicks off it’s all about the players getting match fit which is a good job really as there wasn’t much to rave about the match. A defensive error allowed Lens to go 1-0 up and it wasn’t until the dying minutes of the game that a draw was salvaged. Mind you, what a great goal is was too from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
These friendly matches are also about Arsene Wenger identifying which players will go out on loan, who needs selling and working out the way he’s going to play this coming season and in which positions he needs to strengthen before the transfer window closes, although one would like to think much of that is already clear in his mind.
Yesterday the news was all about Ivan Gazidis telling the world that Arsenal weren’t going to spend big but after last nights match, Arsene Wenger gave us slight hope again:
On the transfer market…
I am sure that my chief executive didn’t want to dampen the expectations on that front. We are very active. If we find the right candidates then we will spend the big money. We have already spent big. Until now, nobody has spent more on a transfer than we have in this country. Even if Pogba might fly from Italy to England today, I don’t know… Overall we have made a big investment already but we are active.
On Turan, Lacazette and Icardi…
I wouldn’t like to come out on names because if you don’t get them afterwards, people ask why. We are active, very active every day and it’s not over. Today we are on July 22 and the transfer market finishes on August 31. You know that a lot happens in the last week, so it’s a long time to go, but we are active and we are working.
So that’s good to hear, although what Arsene says and what Arsene does has often meant two different things but from the latter comment, perhaps he’s waiting until the final week of the transfer window and as much as that’s not ideal, it would be better than getting to the end of August without a striker and an experienced defender signed up.
Next up in pre-season is a trip to America where they’ll play an MLS All-Stars side and Chivas de Guadalajara. The provisional squad has been named for that tour and a few of the big guns return.
Chuba Akpom, Hector Bellerin, Krystian Bielik, Joel Campbell, Santi Cazorla, Petr Cech, Calum Chambers, Francis Coquelin, Mathieu Debuchy, Mohamed Elneny, Gabriel, Kieran Gibbs, Rob Holding, Alex Iwobi, Emiliano Martinez, Per Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal, David Ospina, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Theo Walcott, Chris Willock, Jack Wilshere, Granit Xhaka, Gedion Zelalem.
Both new boys are in there so it’ll be good to see them playing in an Arsenal shirt for the first time.
That’s your lot for today, enjoy the sunshine….
Wenger just said that to counter the effects of IG’s speech. It’s all PR. Last summer he said he had a full team working round the clock, what did they come up with. Won’t be any different.
Theo is still sh!t, can we cash in while we already can and bring in a proper winger. Had high hopes on Gnabry becoming a winger we always wanted since Freddie
Good one Rico.
Good morning all
Mahrez to Arsenal, yeh right like that will solve the striker issue… Not…! Don’t Leicester want Theo….??? Please Leicester please…………………
Morning ginge
What do you make of wengers comments regarding transfers
Shit, get us a great winger and Giroud scores twice as many!
Morning all.
Scott, Giroud is never going to score 25 OK goals a season
Pl
MR WENGER PLEASE YOU MUST SPEND THIS SEASON BUY TURAN, ICARDI, LACAZETTE DRAXLER AND HIGUAIN PLEASE GO BIG FOR THE SAKE OF THE ARSENAL FANS PLEASE
THANK YOU.
MG, twice as many chances would mean twice as many goals, or thereabouts.
Of course, people raving about Vardy ignore the fact he only scored a single goal more than Giroud last season in general play.
Amazing what penalties do to a goal tally.
Equally amazing is they had 15 penalties and we had 2.
Equally again is we should be better than relying on officials.
Anyway, I’ve been calling for a great winger for a while…..when was our last one?
I’ll believe it when I see it on .com!
It’s all wind and poss from the pair of them. They’re just ‘working the tabloids’. Imo!
Morning all and a very hot and humid one it is too, lovelyish.
we don’t play football to accommodate wingers, although this is how I would like us to play
Morning wavy
Same bull shit every year
MG, I’d say if we buy a top class winger, we may well adjust and lest face it, adjustment is needed.
Mahrez anyone?
For £40 odd million?
Scott 10.58: Brian Marwood, a proper winger
Morning Mr Adam esq, I would take Mahrez, but Arsenal ain’t gonna pay £40m
Kev, so it’s been a while then 🙂
Scott, they don’t make ’em like that anymore…
Crossing the ball is a dying art…
Good Morning to The Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.
The usual Chinese water torture of the summer transfer window continues.
Scott – I’m with you when it comes to Vardy. I was relieved when he turned us down, as I don’t think he would have fitted in to our team and I’ll be surprised if he has another season like the last.
Kev, the best crosser we’ve had in the last 5-6 years without question was Andre Santos-shame he was a LB who could not defend lol.
CG, I’d have taken Vardy, but almost as much to stop people whinging about us singing a Striker as anything else.
He’d have done well with us, but I’ve no doubt we can do better.
Is big Tony off to China?
I often think back to George Armstrong and had he not so tragically died I wonder if our current crop of players would have received the coaching on how to cross a ball. Last night I watched Theo get to the by line and pass on the floor to no-one in particular . It’s as if they are told to just play it in and it’s the forwards job to get to it. Whatever happened to looking up before you pass. We were always taught “” Look , receive , pass “” and know where your players are before you release it.
Kev, Marwood, Limpar and of course Mr Overmars, all of whom could skin a fullback and put over a decent cross…! How many wingers these days skin a full back and put in a cross..? Very very few, most all want to cut inside hence clogging up the centre of the pitch, width width width beats the parked bus..! beat the fullback get in behind and you make chances..!
Let’s not forget Eboue who could cross a ball while falling over like nobody else.
potter – Take away Theo’s pace and you are left with a very average, at best, player. In another year or two, if that, he’ll be no more than a squad player as he starts to lose that pace. I’m sure teams like Abu Dhabi Citeh will be looking for players to make up their English/homegrown quota. It’s best we sell him now while we can still get a decent price for him.
Chris Woakes is making a case for putting him up the order permanently, maybe No.6
Totally agree CG. Said last year on here that I would not be unhappy if he never played for us again.
Wath, I loved both Limpar and Overmars, they were top quality players, but Marwood was more of a traditional ‘dying breed’ English type winger, just like Geordie…
It’s all overlapping full backs now…
Well done Chris Woakes, 50
Strange to see Liverpool sign 39 year old former Gunner Alex Manninger on a short term contract. I can’t say that I’ve been impressed by any of Klopp’s multiple signings.
Kev – I loved Overmars, but Limpar had a bit of a nasty streak, especially with a well placed elbow or kick after the play and off the ball. He was a good player, though I didn’t admire his flashes of the dark side. I was always amazed at what he was able to get away with.
CG there’s still time to move on Walcott, if Wenger brings in a wing-forward to replace him.
He’s what, 27 now, so he ain’t gonna get better at Arsenal…
I wonder if Wenger is worried that if he sells Theo and suddenly he begins to score and play well in a different system under a different manager, how badly that will reflect on him..?
CG, I can’t honestly say that I can recall that part of Anders game, but I imagine that if he did what you say, then it was probably some form of retaliation, having seem him on the receiving ends of some agricultural challenges…
Kev – That may be part of it regarding Arsene with Theo. However, I think it has more to do with Arsene’s stubbornness. He has seen something in Theo and persists in trying to allow/get him to show it.
Arsene just doesn’t like to admit defeat or error. Sometimes that stubbornness pays off and other times it doesn’t, but I don’t see Theo shining on a consistent basis. He’ll have his occasional great games, but he is one rough gem who will just not take a polish.
As the old saying goes CG, you can’t polish a turd…!
Scott @ 10:43 you are so right. AW bought Giroud because at Monteplier he had crosses coming in from everywhere and he was scoring. As much as we slate him, he’s been consistent in scoring his 15-20 goals without a proper winger and no penalties. Even with a WC striker that’s maybe an additional 5-7 goals, Arsenal problem is more than that. As Devil keeps saying other players must contribute on the goal front, but also the elephant in the room is AW tactics.
Good Afternoon Lovelies and Hunkies.
Previously I used to think that Theo was kept simply because he was English. Now Kev has added another spanner in the works and I believe he is also right. Maybe AW is afraid that Theo would blossom elsewhere and it would reflect badly???
In January 2014, Mahrez was signed for 400K. Had AW gone for him and got him for the same figure how many of those who want him now would have ridiculed him and stated we need a multimillion pound player??? How many would have lambasted AW for penny pinching???
Now the same people want him at AFC….but not concerned that he costs 40mill+.
And we are talking about the same player
I want to sign mahrez. The 40m would be worth if just to see vardy’s face after he messed us around for over a month.
for the benefit of those who did not see the game yesterday……..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36kyTkg8rsk
A poor header from Chambers……..and other idiotic adjectives from commentators and also those writing on various blogs and match reports……….
But I ask…….Where is Nacho???? He was in front of Chambers at an angle on the flank. Where is Per???? he was also slightly in front of Chambers. He should have been behind him covering him as well. Per was ball watching instead of organizing from the back. He should have seen the danger coming and provided cover knowing fully well that his pace is non existent.
People should stop laying the blame at Chambers’ foot simply because as a defender you have to assume that when a player goes for a high ball to head it there is a good chance that he will either miss it or misdirect it. Per did none of these two. And they scored.
Chambers seems to be an easy target at the moment Dev, it’s jump on the bandwagon and slag the fella off…! As you say where is the cover and why kepe moving him around the back 4 willy nilly, Wenger needs to keep him and centre half and stick with it and stop pissing around with the right back bullshit which he clearly isn’t..!
Aye Wath. I concur.
TA06 may go to China to coach and it seems he has turned down the offer to coach the under 18.
Maybe AW is the reason for all of this.
As I said on yesterday’s post all this playing Chambers for 1/2 hour in one position and then switching him for the next 1/2 hour and then taking him off is not doing him any favours . He needs a settled run in one position to get to know the players around him and to sort his own positioning out . At the moment I don’t think he knows quite where he should be in relation to the other players and is playing on the hoof as we say in Norfolk.
I wonder why Tony Adams didn’t accept a coaching position, that’s assuming that he was offered one?
Wenger seems to be haemorrhaging old ex-players…
Hi Rico
I read a rumour on another site, that the forward were after is Paulo Dyabla from juventus
When I fished around for info on him, was very impressed with what’s been said
Looks like a typical Wenger signing
Evening guys..
I’d love us to sign Mahrez… 🙂
Dybala only moved to Juve last summer Mg, can’t see him moving on so soon…
Evening boss.
Mahrez would be a great signing if he reproduces last year’s form. He will also make Ollie look better
I’m not ‘boss’ Devil, I’m Rico… 🙂
Just like there’s no lovelies and hunkies on here either… lol
Or, Mahrez could make Ollie look worse…..
Kev, cricket highlights are worth watching… 🙂
Speak for yourself Rico. Am definitely a hunkie :).
AW has a poker face on.
Theo+ 15-20m for Mahrez would be a good business from my point of view.
🙂 Marshall, I’m so sorry…… lol
Leicester don’t want Theo do they, although he’d suit the way they play…
Catch you guys tomorrow, night all..
Well said Marshall, you’ve either got it or you ain’t, some of us just get better looking each day.
Rico, you was right about the cricket highlights… ?
And I’m a lovely… ?
Mahrez….is it happening, or just media crap?
Morning all.
Morning Rico and all.
Nobody knows Scott. Could be either. 🙂
Ha ha Kev, but you are right… 🙂
Morning Scott, Adam and all..
I hope it’s for real re Mahrez. But I suspect it’s not…. 😉
Adam, it seems to be a rumour that’s building, but we’ve seen that before.
Apparently, allegedly, rumour has it Ranieri has stated Mahrez wants out……
Hiya Rico.
Yeah who really knows?
Bloody player agents…..they make it all about them, and not about the player they represent.
Morning all.
Arsene has said he`s….”very very active !”………..well what do you expect !, Stans syrups dont clean themselves !
I bet Kroenke has spent more money on wig dryers than he has on players from his own pocket !
http://www.hairstylersfriend.com/images/products/detail/wigdryer.jpg
How creepy ?……………….I would sleep with one eye open if I was Kroenke. I can just imagine the syrups ganging up on him for a good kicking as he doesn`t wear them that well…………….syrups have feelings too !
Perhaps Mahrez just wants a pay rise Scott… 😉
He scored a cracker yesterday against Celtic…
I’m surprised that clubs aren’t beating down the doors of the Emirates in a bid to sign Theo. 🙂
Rico. Have you checked your Whatsapp recently?
I’m surprised Arsenal don’t open the doors and let Theo keep on running into the wide blue younder….but not really.
Morning All
Morning Rico. Wasn’t Roots knock superb, although the Pakistan catching is quite poor, not that I’m complaining…
Would be nice to see Jimmy knock a few over today…
Mahrez is overpriced, but I’d still go for him. At 25 he is at the perfect age and we’d have a player again, in the Bobby Pires class…
I actually think if we got Mahrez, that Walcott would be sold to balance the books and get his wages off of the clubs balance sheet…
I just have Adam.. Oops…
Adam, Sydney FC have launched a bid for Theo, so be careful what you wish for 🙂
Rico, you could be right, but I dare say his agent will push for a transfer.
Funnily enough, I have more respect now for Vardy than I ever had.
He’s stayed loyalty.
A diver, nonetheless, but a loyal one 🙂
Morning Bt, Kev.
Root was outstanding wasn’t he, and Woakes – his knock and then the wickets was great, especially from a night watchman… 😉
Walcott has always remained loyal too Scott, useless nonetheless, but loyal…. 😉
Money talks…. lol
Rico, it’s great having Woakes and Stokes in the team together, they are such good players and offer so much to the batting and bowling…
Vince and Ballance must be worried, as I doubt that they’ll bat again in this match and both failed to cash in on a favourable wicket…
I think that Hales is safe for this series, but he needs to get a knock.
Agree there Kev, if they can’t get runs at OT, they won’t get them anywhere..
It’s a shame England can’t fit both Buttler and Bairstow into the side…
If Vince get dropped then maybe Buttler will come in, Bairstow would retain his place as a batsman alone.
New post up now
That would be a smart move Kev