It is like before the first day at school.
Now I have a new challenge in a new country, a new style of play and a new language and I am ready for it.
That’s the big 6’ 6” central defender speaking as he’s ready so say his goodbyes in Germany and head for pastures new in London and he won’t be alone.
Together with Yossi Benayoun, Andre Santos and Mikel Arteta, he’ll be meeting up with all his new team mates today as they prepare for Saturday and the visit of Premier League new boys Swansea.
Mikel Arteta though has already had a couple of days in training and he’s had time to speak about his move and he can’t wait to make his debut. Also, he can’t wait to play at The Emirates in the red and white shirt in front of all the Arsenal fans…
He’s so desperate to slot right into the way we play, he’s been watching videos of the team! One thing he is very clear about though and that’s he’s not Cesc and he’s not Na$ri!
When asked about being seen as a replacement for Fabregas or Nasri, he told afc.com:
No, I don’t want to use the word replacement. They were two top players for the Club, they did really, really well in the last few years and now we have some new players coming in to try and make the same impact.
I am sure we will. I don’t want the fans to be expecting the same as them because every player is different.
We need some time to adapt as well, but I am sure that we will give everything we can to make this team better.
Well said Mikel and all I would add to that is that he’s definitely not a Na$ri, our new man took a pay cut to join us, which just about says it all really….
On making his debut on Saturday?
I am really excited. It has been a bit strange having been at the same club for six or seven years, and it is a big change. Even when you just put a different kit on. But I am so excited, I hope I can do my job well and if I have the chance to play, I will give everything.
He wants to be where he is right now and that is what we need! All our new signings want to play for Arsenal, they have said it and that’s just what we need – ok, they may not all have been at the top of our own shopping lists but let’s get behind them, that’s what they need….
Cesc and the money man are gone, we need fresh ideas and Arteta, along with our other summer signings can bring just that.
They will all be a breath of fresh air in our side and personally, I cannot wait to see what they bring to Arsenal…
As for Mikel, for sure he will never be Cesc, Cesc is a one-off, just like Bergkamp and Henry were…….
Maybe in two or three years time, Mikel will have made his mark, so may have Ryo, Chamberlain, Gervinho and the younger ones like Afobe and Miquel who coming through?
Who knows, but I’m sure we’ll enjoy watching them try…..
Have a good day all….
Good Morning all…
Saturday, roll on Saturday….
i’ll use my nuts on a cheese grater if we don’t win on saturday!
itchyball,
I think your balls and grater will be safe 😉
Really looking forward to the match and watching our new signings a must win game for us !!!!
Spot on mikel. Just what I wanna hear.. Morning Rico. Roll on Saturday? Couldn’t agree more. COYGs
Hi Diane and goonster
Sure is must win, get our show up and running and get the fans back in a good mood 🙂
Just reading about the plane crash in Russia, horrific…..
Have you guys noticed that our new number 8 looks more appealing than the former. Something for the LADIES,huh? Think about it. Its a win win situation here. We win trophies and make a cool million or so off him. I know rico ll visit the EMs more with arteta around.
😆 goonster, i put a photo of him up the other day, his bum isn’t as big either as the old money grabbing number 8…
Yeah I forgot the former money grabbing punk has a fat backside. What a freak!
Theo is fit for Saturday… Guess that will mean Oxo on the bench…
Well he’s playing well Rico. You can’t fault wenger’S logic besides he’s our leading goal scorer. So there you have it but boy what I ll give to have the OX start on saturday.
Morning GOONERS, I wouldn’t risk TW14 on sat personally..
Morning Lee – i’m with you on that, good game to rest him, if his hamstring is dodgy, leave him out, we have another game in the week…
goonster, leading golascorer, we only scored 2 in the league 😉
Another quiet old day….
will hot up sat Rico…
HeY lee my man or like kev will say RIZLEE. What’s happening my man? Looking forward to the weenie roost are ya?
Hope so Lee 😉
Well he has scored three goals so far rico
u have said it all
stop comparing or expecting
rather supporting the players on the pitch.
maybe its time the fans should start competing with other fans
on how the generate an amazing atmosphere for the players
then at the end of the season we also judge ourselves.
well said
Goonster, just looking forward to the new signings and a victory!!
I know goonster but if he is not fully fit, rest him for the CL game, we have Yossi, Ryo and Chamberlain 🙂
I’d love to be going on saturday, i think the new boys are going to get a pretty warm reception..
Gibbs or Santos then??
Hi gays, as said, i think they’ll be loud and proud at the ems on saturday, we need to forget the last result as best we can and move on…
one player who according to me if he can stay fit could add a whole new dimension into our attack that player is yossi benayoun.
Lee – are you going on saturday??
terry, i think he’s fit – he’s just played in two matches for his country, whther he can maintain that all season remains to be seen, agree though if he does, he brings bundles of experience with him….
Off to do the shopping, catch up later…
nah Rico..
hi all arteta is already exciting our young players and he can start straight away. I liked the fact the he was respectful to Everton fans and club when he talked about the reason he joined Arsenal. But, I liked him more when he said that he”d been watching videos of Arsenal games! Here’s a man on mission? He understands that he’s here for work, on assignment and that he has to study and research for it.
What a slow day…….roll on Saturday. Can’t wait to see the boys in red and white. Come on arsenal!
Hello all, mertesacker looking forward to learning a new language, I thought everyone spoke english.
Saturdays game we come around quick enough now, feels like the 1st game of the season again with the new signings.
Micko, there are people that speak american & australian….apparently.
Hi guys, Arteta says we can still fight for the title? Is he realistic, or just saying that because of the fans?
It depends of our performance for the future. I said before, it will be impottant our position in the table on December/January (more or less the middle of the season). If we are in the top or close we fight for it; if we have more then 7 points behind, forget it.
Hello ADK, i can’t, top four if you ask me, we gotta get back in the groove and start winning again, I can’t even remember the last time we won in the league which is why i’m looking forward to saturday so much, we need to get back to winning ways and quick.
Its almost here ladies and gentlemen. Just two days to go folks. Not to long to wait.
Hi all…
I reckon top three, behind both Mancs…
Catch you later…..
Soooo quiet. Can’t wait to get our season well and truly underway now. I’m optimistic about our summer signings! The Money Man would do well to take a page out of Arteta’s (and Cesc’s) book. Stop taking potshots at the team that made you.
evrybody is waiting for Stauurday match.
rico, chelsea is stronger then us and not weaker then both Mancs. Probably stronger and more compact
Saturday…:-)
from http://www.eurosport.com
Arsenal force Spanish woman to change name of her hat shop
Arsenal have finally earned their first win of the season, but it’s not an on-pitch victory: the club has won a court case in Spain forcing the owner of a hat shop to change the name of her premises.
The Gunners have won their case against Seville resident Alicia Simon, who has now been told by the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office to change the name of her hat shop ‘Arsenale’.
Simon registered the name of her shop before she even opened it in 2007 despite protestations from the club, but Arsenal’s lawyers have been petitioning the Spanish authorities ever since, trying to convince them that she has infringed their trademark.
The stunned shopkeeper, who admits to having no knowledge of football, pointed out that her shop does not even share the same spelling or pronunciation as the English football club, and that it is a word which carries “more connotations of culture than sport”.
But despite the apparent ridiculousness of their case, Arsenal have now successfully persuaded the Spanish authorities that there was a “risk of confusion” between the monolithic English football club and the tiny hat shop.
Simon named her shop after the Italian word ‘arsenale’, which was the name given to the shipbuilders’ yards in medieval Pisa and Venice. Her premises are in Seville’s Arenal de Sevilla district, where Seville’s ancient shipyards were located – hence her choice of the name.
Her shop concentrates on selling her self-designed hats, but she also sells shoes – bringing her under the umbrella of “clothes, hats and shoes” as seen by the patent and trademark office, and thus causing the infringement.
Simon has no intention of backing down, however: despite admitting that she feels in a ‘David v Goliath’ situation, she will not change the name of her shop and has already appealed the decision – thanks to a pair of friends who are lawyers – to a Madrid tribunal which will have the final say.
“I will fight this to the end,” she insists.
We are the arsenal…….we are the arsenal. We fear no foe and don’t take no prisoners. We are the arsenal.
JM, big club, small mentality, bit embarrassing really.
Is this for real, JM? Our beloved clubs: declaration of intent: pick a fight with a milliner. Very ambitious, indeed. Eeek. 😉
Agag – whats your prediction for saturday ?
I remember the arsenal legal team taking on a street trader outside highbury over the badge a good few years back, I’m pretty sure they won the case and put him out of business, the poor sod.
We ll rip them to shreds micko. This new revamped arsenal team will surprise a few. We finally have players who want to be with us. Listen to them speak. These guys are proud to wear the red and white. Come on arsenal.
Evening all.
Great post Rico, really upbeat. Just what we need to read.
Arteta being 28, has got an opportunity he must have thought was gone.
At his age he won’t be looking for the next move or pay-day. He proved that by taking a pay cut.
Yep, i think our new matador is gonna give us everything he’s got.
And the girls are already in love with him 🙂
micko, we’ll win by a four goal margin, at least. 😀 Pretty silly things to be getting embroiled in. I understand all about IP protection blah blah, but really, a hat maker??
Hey, goonster, I like your fearless forecast. Let’s hope all their excitement translates to something meaningful on the pitch.
Boo, AK. How are ya?
I’m even a bit more optimistic about Benayoun.
Initially i was fairly underwhelmed by his arrival.
But if he can give us a good years service, then alls well & good. At least it’s another experienced body in the squad to aid Wenger in rotation.
Goonster, your like a rabid dog straining on the leash, these last few days have been tough.
Looking forward to seeing our new left winger as well, the number 11 that is Santos.
Hey ak….its been a while buddy. Looking forward to Saturday ain’t ya?
Booo agag. How ya been.
Your holiday pics, reminded me of Camber Sands 🙂
Stan i can’t wait. I share your excitement.
Hiya Mick. You flying over on the day?
Yeah kev, setting off tomorrow lunchtime, always stay a few extra days in london with friends and family.
Mick that sounds good. A comfortable bed and some home cooking…
I’ll meet my boy outside a pub on the corner of Liverpool Rd and Holloway Rd for a couple.
And we might have a ruby afterwards.
3 points & 3-0 in between and i’ll be made up.
Been busy. 🙁 Eeek. Where’s Camber Sands, AK? Those photos were taken in Pecatu, in the southernmost of Bali. I always like rooms beachside or with a view of the water.
That’s pretty much spot on kev, I tend to stick to drinking at finsbury park, old habits die hard, it would make a lot more sense to a have few beers at Holloway as I could fall outta the pub into my seat !
The curry sounds great though.
Mick i used to come to the ground from the east, but i get the tube to H & Is stn now.
Holloway Rd is great now. Full of restaurants & bars.
Agag Camber Sands is in sunny Kent. A few miles from me. You would love it. Fish & chips, pie & mash, jellied eels, cockles & winkles. You don’t know what ya missing. 🙂
Righto, had me spotty dick & custard. A nice cuppa & now back to work.
See you Gooners lata.
Lee, i agree re: Walcott. Save him for Dortmund.
Adios
I love the new arsenal team no super stars just a bunch of hungry players. There’s no pressure on us. Nobody expects us to do well so there’s the element of surprise. We ll ruffle a few feathers. The stokes of this world better sit up and listen…..we won’t be bullied anymore. Try bullying a team made up of jack the lad frimpong song mertesacker arteta and the verm. We are back ladies and gentlemen. The old arsenal is back. COYGs
Evening folks, looks like i missed kev and agag 🙁
JM, nah, we’ll woop the chavs 😉
Catch you next week rico, have a good one, C’MON ARSENAL.
Have a good weekend Micko, let’s hope for a top result….
Am hoping for a cricket score guys..say 11 to the arsenal! A guy can dream,no?
I hope we win goonster and the more goals the better but right now, 1-0 will do 😉
No way Rico. Not after what we had to endure at the hands of manure. A 7 nil advantage will do it for me. Its pay back time.
Trust me goonster, i’d be smiling all week if we win by that scoreline 😛
its possible Rico. We ve got arteta*wink*
Am just glad I won’t beheld the sight of bendtner turning up on the right flank. That always bums me out. Good grief.
But, you watch him shine at Sunderlad in a CF role goonster….
Benny, he’s the man 😉
Pah nik is just a bag of fart. All talk no action. I ll be glad to see the back of that one. He doesn’t even wanna come back to us. Let him go to hell I say.
He’s not my fav either goonster but just watch him shine up there…
Park ll make a better second striker than nik pink boots. So glad we got him. He shoots from distance and takes a mean free kick. The only problem is he ll only be with us for two years. Unless he wins a major international medal. Here’s hoping he does.
Everybody’s gone I guess. Oh well good night guys.
Agree re Park goonster, i cannot wait to see him play….
I’m offski too, nighty all, tomorrow just one day to go 🙂
Til tomorrow,….
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