Morning all.
Awful news about new Cardiff signing Emiliano Sala. There’s a chance he and others on board the plane could yet be found safe and well. I hope they are but it’s not looking good.
So it’s six to nine months out for Hector Bellerin. Rotten news for him and his teammates, it really is. Unless he recovers quicker than expected, I doubt we’ll see him much before Christmas but at least three of those months is the summer break. He’s due surgery over the next few days so here’s hoping all goes well. Meanwhile, Unai Emery has ruled out signing a replacement this month as he’s opted to use the players he already has. Only time will tell if that decision turns out to be a good one.
Emiliano Martinez has departed. He’s gone to my local club Reading FC on loan until the end of the season. It’s hard to believe the 26 year old has been with Arsenal for eight years. He certainly needs to be playing regular football and I hope he gets to do so at Reading because with Petr Cech retiring at the end of the season they’ll be a vacancy within the squad. Martinez, Macey and Lliev are all of a similar age and will no doubt want to be the one who takes over from Cech. Ospina will be out of contract this summer so there’s another one likely to leave for free but on the plus side, another wage off the books.
There’s been a few headlines about Denis Suarez overnight as reports suggest any deal we were close to securing has collapsed. The suggestion is it’s all to do with the contract details and whether or not the club are prepared to make the deal permanent in the summer after an initial loan. I don’t get that at all really because if Suarez is seen to be the player who can make a difference between now and the end of May, then surely he’s a player the club would want to have in the squad long term too. The reports could always be poppycock of course and his arrival is imminent.
Ornstein reckons it is and he says we’re after another signing too before the month is over.
With Sven Mislintat leaving next month, Roma’s Monchi is being lined up to replace him. No surprise really as he and Emery have worked together before at Sevilla, a successful pairing they were too apparently.
Eight days left to go in this transfer window and so far it’s been about as productive as those gone by under the old regime. I’d have thought we as a club would have done any deals we wanted to do by now, even if they are loan ones as it’s not like we’re sat pretty at the top of the league looking down on others with a fifteen point gap between us and second place.
Finally, the picture at the top of the page is of the squad having a team building day paintballing. I wonder who shot who? Aubameyang certainly looks ready for action. Ozil looks.. well, Ozil.
Have a good one guys, stay warm….
Good morning Rico, a great post, you have once again made news out of the fact that there is no news. 👍
So they spent a day running around hiding behind trees and throwing paint at each other . Iwobi looks cold and probably thought that they could do that in B&Q and be warmer..
Ornstein has spoken and L.C is feverishly running around Cornwall in anticipation .
The events off of Guernsey are tragic but reports from France are suggesting that the light aircraft had to make multiple attempts to take off prior to the flight . After the third go , I think it should have been abandoned .
It all seems strange to me ……………./www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1076119/Emiliano-Sala-plane-missing-Cardiff-Nantes
Investigation to follow.
As fo things at the Arsenal . ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Morning Cicero, Potter and all.
Really is a no news month for Arsenal.
I’ve no idea when they went on their day out but I’d have thought it was risky considering paintball can doa lot of damage…
I’d have given up after the first attempt if it was looking dodgy. Strange decision to go ahead..
Afternoon Gooners
Afternoon Rico, terrible news about the Cardiff player, how unlucky can you be..?
I guess the lesson is if you don’t have to then don’t fly over the Channel in a small single engined plane, remember Glenn Miller!
Afternoon Kev. You wouldn’t get me in a small plane over anywhere…
I would have taken the ferry tbh Rico as I’m not a fan of flying.
The trip takes longer but the breakfast is edible unlike a plane…
Ditto Kev. It worked for Bergkamp.. lol
Eric Bailly on loan from a main competitor for a top four finish, if the rumour is true.
Really?
If it is true then whoever thought – at Arsenal – that Man Utd would go for that should take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror.
With Cech leaving next summer the No.2 goalkeeper spot and cup keeper is up for grabs so if Martinez can have a fruitful loan at Reading the gig could be his.
Next summer is make or break for him, if the club decide to sign another goalie then at 26 he should think seriously about moving on.
But if he gets the No.2 spot then he could be in line for some interesting games next season and maybe a cup final at Wembley?
Utd have rejected it apparently Kev. No surprise there
Macey must be optimistic about taking the number two spot. Think he’s been playing a lot on loan..
Seems he got injured in December with a dead leg , lost his place and is now on the bench,
Evening all and great stuff Rico.
Late I know but when you mention Ornstein I have to have hours to calm down ! 🙂
Big plane Little plain, you wont catch me playing with an Airfix one let alone getting in one that flies !
Cant wait for Friday`s game and I pray Dick takes it seriously if he wants to stay in my good books !
Like the photo but I cant see the most influential man at Arsenal in it !……………………………………. O Ornstein, Ornstein, wherefore art thou Ornstein ?
So massive progress is being made on improving our squad, then 🙂
The thing is, this transfer window is slower than Olivier Giroud, nobody is spending anything – except Chelsea.
Most deals are loans, everyone is holding onto their dough, there isn’t any value in the market and we know that better than anyone after some of the overpriced herberts we’ve signed in recent times.
So I’m not expecting any new signings, nothing, nix, nowt…
Evening all.
Do you think that the lack of signings across the world but especially here is a sign of the over heated market has final cooled? Is this perhaps, the readjustment of values that the pro footballer, or rather, his agent has finally run its greedy course, and the clubs are now retreating from the exorbitant market place?
I do hope so. Football and it’s stars have milked the market place for too long and the long suffering fans have been over charged (robbed) for too long whether they passed through the turnstiles or sat at home watching on Sky or BT or even the free to air channels, for nothing is for nothing!
Perhaps the Arsenal’s perilous financial situation is just a sign of the times and more realistic robbery is just round the corner. Well, we can hope, can’t we?
Very dark here and very cold……log burner putting in a bit of overtime!
Wavy, when it comes to input v what they take out of the game, agents are the biggest crooks on the planet.
They do very, very little, if anything, that’s positive for the hame yet make a fortune.
The ultimate scumbags and it’d be lovely if players and clubs eliminated them from the game.
Won’t happen, I know, but we can only hope.
Morning guys.
New post up now.