Well, what else are we doing in Germany??
Our friendly against FC Cologne is long gone and our next fixture is on Saturday in the Emirates Cup against Boca Juniors, so what is the point in staying out of the UK to train? Are we out there to scout players from German sides, or indeed Germans?
Franck Ribery springs to mind doesn’t he and rumours have been rife over the last few weeks about Arsenal being in talks to sign him but we all scoffed at the story because of the £20 Million fee that was suggested. I did wonder if Bendtner could be involved in any deal for Ribery but him being left in England kind of negates that.
Personally speaking, I’m sure there are other players plying their trade in Germany who would be a lot more use to us than him, especially at that price.
Per Mertesacker – Central Defender, Werder Bremen
Marko Marin – Winger, Werder Bremen
Marcel Schmelzer – Left Back, Borussia Dortmund
Mats Julian Hummels – Central Defender, Borussia Dortmund
That’s just four players in Germany; any one of them would certainly make us a stronger side. Whether or not they are for sale is a different issue but we all know that any player is probably for sale is the right money is offered and that’s where it all falls down for us.
Reports are we’re interested in Alvaro Pereira and it makes sense to link us to every left back on the planet seeing as Clichy is gone but has Wenger not said Gibbs will get his chance?
What about the link to Biglia for £6 Million, this would make sense as we def need a defensive midfielder as we could lose Song and Frimpong to ACON for six weeks in Jan/Feb and then what?
Please no-one mention Diaby…. 😉
Is this Biglia the answer though, yes experienced probably hard as nails but he’s only 5’10”?
Sure Makalele wasn’t tall nor is Mascherano but surely we need at least a 6′ 0″ player in central midfield to protect the already inconsistent back four who are susceptible to an average hoof down the pitch…?
I’d rather spend extra money on Yann M’Vila or Moussa Sissoko who are both taller and younger but both experienced players, is it yet not another case of Wenger looking to buy at Lidl…?
Arsene Wenger won’t play that way, he’d rather got take a risk on a cheaper option. Sometimes it works but all too often recently it doesn’t, especially when it comes to buying defenders.
Thankfully the rumours about Phil Jagielka have cooled; I’m just praying that Wenger has his eye on someone much fitter, much better and much taller.
The departure of JET was confirmed yesterday as he signed for Ipswich, sadly it looks like the next Englishman out the door will be Henri Lansbury. Suggestion is that Henri has posted a comment on Twitter which would suggest his career with us is about to come to an end.
Give him two years and he’ll be banging on the door for England, I truly hope Wenger has a re-think on this one.
Oh, and Middlesbrough look as if they will snap up Rhys Murphy very soon, that will be another one gone then…..
What happened to ‘Project Youth’ Arsene?
Is it time for him to admit is failing, how many of our younger players have been deemed not good enough, the same players he said would be the heart of Arsenal in time. The same players he said would be ‘killed’ if he bought experience, well that old line has worn thin, it’s clearly not working is it?
Another one on the way out seems to be Eboue, reports are that he has now agreed personal terms with Turkish club Galatasaray although afc.com are yet to confirm this rumour but they have confirmed that goal keeper James Shea has joined Dagenham & Redbridge on a season long loan.
Well, Wenger is having a busy summer in the transfer window, shame it’s been all about selling rather than buying though – if the Eboue deal goes through, that’s another £4 Million in the AFC Bank Account….
Great eh!!
Have a good day all, maybe Cahill will sign today? 😉
However, I strongly suspect that neither he nor anyone else will…..
I am bored with this transfer window.
i am annoyed that the FA, Uefa and Fifa do nothing about the persistant law breakers in the game.
And I am done listening to the Samaritans heading fans who are taking a game way too seriously for their own good.
Morning all….
Because a few youth team players have been released or sold, you feel it necessary to label it Failed Project Youth?
Give me a break man. You think every fucking kid has to make it?
This blog gets worse, always moaning and bitching, give it a rest
Morning Rico, good post…… The media link us with players that play in areas that they know the fans want strengthened hence it sells papers but the truth is 99.9% that are linked is total rubbish. Doesn’t stop us wishing though sometimes does it 😉
Now Mata is close to signing so say the spanish press… god help us, they talk more shit that the english press…..!
They can’t Will, unless we make a formal complaint and wenger said he won’t so we have to live with that….
Fans take it all seriously because we love the club and want it to do well and not be laughed at….
It’s everything to many fans…..
Don’t read the blog then dexter pretty easy eh….. shut the door on the way out…! Oh and dont forget ya rose tints…..!
Dexter, go count the kids who have been released in the last couple of seasons…. The same kids wenger said was the reason the club didn’t need to buy experience….
If you don’t like the blog, don’t bother reading….
Morning Rico. Funny little article in The Mirror on Barca DNA for anyone who hasn’t seen it.
Well at least MARCA thinks we ll be signing MATA pretty soon. That is better than nothing eh Rico…..morning HH
Hi WATH….
Does project youth mean touting every country for young foriegn players, buying them, playing them a bit and then selling them on when they want to go home?
It’s all not as rosy as Wenger thinks imho….
It is a game Rico. Real life is 100 Norwegian kids being slaughted because of a maniacs ideals. Real life is hundreds of thousands of Africans facing deatn because of drought and famine.
Watching 22 over paid tossers chase a ball is entertainment and nothing more.
Wath, he has a right to his opinion and you do and I have to say, this blog has turned a little anti-Wenger in the last month or so.
Wenger admitting he got it wrong ? Ha ha. Now that’s what I call fantasy football.
Failure to buy a new left back, failure to buy any central defenders, the arrogant justification for blowing £25m on Nasri for one disinterested season – just another sad predictable Wenger summer.
Morning Rico. Morning all.
Tried to e-mail you Rico,but there was some connection glich.
Hope your Mum is ok. Pesky carrots eh?
Offski now.
Pretty simple then will, he dont have to come on here, noone forces him too and if all he wants to do is slag off a post then as said go somewhere else its simple !! very few are anti wenger they are merely voicing their concerns and wenger happens to be the manager of our club…!
So Wath, you want a dictiatorship on here where everyone has to agree with your opinions or leave?
Frimpong has represented England up until now and, given his ability, I would expect him to hold out until he has a better idea of whether he has a chance at an England call-up before he declares for Ghana. Last time I checked the first team squad had Jack Wilshere, Kieron Gibbs and Frimpong seriously considered as starters with Afobe, Bartley and others looking to be named on the bench next season and start to push to be considered “proper” first-teamers. That hardly represents the failure of “Project Youth”. Added to that that we have a number of foreign players who were signed young for tiny fees – Szczesny, Walcott, Ramsey, Song, Djourou, Mannone,Traore, Jenkinson, and Miyaichi. In addition there are a number of strong prospects in the youth system – Aneke, the two new boys from Barcelona, etc. Contrast that with almost any other club in the league and we would appear to have a youth system that is highly reliable and performing well above expectations. You also mention that Lansbury is the sort of player that will be playing for England in a couple of years. Really? He was a sub for the Under 21s. Jack is younger and bossing the England midfield. How many kids have we released who have come back to haunt us? Andy Cole, and that’s about it as far as I can see it. All the others have performed at a lower level than what would be required to make the first team so why hang on to them? Let them go – stick a sell-on clause in the deal and reap the rewards when some market trader turned manager splashes more money than it cost to buy all the rest of the players mentioned above and then loans him out to a club who get relegated but still won’t play him.
Don’t you think we all think about that Will???
It’s not all anti Wenger Will, it’s trying to discuss the things going on at Arsenal….
Arsenal are a broad church but does anyone know if other club’s blogs have quite the diversity of opinion, to put it politely, that Arsenal sites do?
Say what you want will dont slag off the post the poster or the blog if the fella dont like the blog then go somewhere else !! Simple..!
What is this obsession with tall DMs? Some of the best DMs in the world are less than 6ft. Mascherano, De Jong, Essien, Lass Diarra, Khedira etc. What is important is that they are good tacklers, anticipate danger, powerful and mobile. Everything Alex Song is not!!!
Err …
Jack Wilshere.
Gibbs.
Sczesney.
Walcott.
That is a pretty good return for a youth policy if you ask me.
We also have Frimpong coming through who looks good, and the impressive Miyaichi.
Rival teams with young players coming through? I see very, very few.
We can’t compete with Man City and Chelsea because our board don’t want to go down that route. Dein wanted to, he knew that Chelsea and other clubs would take over, and tried to compete with Usmanov. Usmanov now has more cash that Abramovich.
Blame the board, not Wenger.
If you want to buy these big money players, the only option we have is A) Get a sugar daddy with endless cash B) Compete a different way until the bubble for other teams bursts and they have no infrastructure (and may be hurt by FFP rules, but I doubt it — money talks).
It is other teams with so much money they have no need to sell that distort the game at our expense. New threats are Chelsea and City. Why? Because they have endless money.
Wenger is trying to build the equivalent of a Barca academy that makes endless good players.
I like Wenger. I will stick with him.
Hi Steve,
i truly hope all that changes in the next couple of weeks, for the sake of our season ahead, LB and CH and we’d be up there…. Add a DM and things would look pretty good eh…
davegooner, agree they dont have to be tall but dont you reckon a 6footer though would help with the aerial bombardment that the defence normally cant cope with…!
Hi Adam, i don’t know, i never read them 😉
I suspect though they are similar….
Is Project Youth about home grown kids or kids bought form overseas??
I know we have a few up and coming but i am talkiing about how many have been sold on or released…. And the one who most fans feel will be a current day Ray Parlour looks like he’s not going to get his chance…. Batley also looks as if he won’t get his, yet surely most of us would rather see him play than Squlli??
buddy if the current kids are not good enough they should be replaced , surely our beef is that he held on to some for to long . i am pretty sure his youth policy is very much in effect , but we are appearing to be trying to add better quality to the first team and reserves . maybe i have not seen lansbury enough but he does not appear to be a world beater
Wath, he didn’t slag anyone or anything, he passed comment, i am guessing that is still allowed?
Ok guys, those who think Wenger is done. name your new manager, now.
W.A.T.H., I agree taller players anywhere in the team would be helpful but it is not necessarily a prerequisite for a DM. It is however vital that we sign a tall,commanding, experienced CB that can attack aerial balls and organise the defence. Jagielka is experienced and capable of organising the defence but isn’t tall enough and Cahill isn’t experienced enough to organise the defence. Samba may be your man!!
Hi Stan and Kev, didn’t see you both sneak on….
I think the Arsenal blogs this close season have become polarized and quite hilarious. This particular forum is about the most even handed with a range of opinions largely respectfully offered. One site, you know the one, had become positively evil and totally offensive with one truly disturbed cretin leading the charge with many slanderous postings throughout the day. That man needs psychiatric help before he does something bad to someone. Another blog, that majors on all referees being corrupt to explain the team’s failings are at the completely opposite end of the scale. Their close-season postings are slavishly devoted to Arsene but their followers seem based largely overseas and have never watched Arsenal play live. As I said, it’s a broad church. I am just waiting for the shortcomings within the squad to be addressed.
Davegooner, you don’t think Cahill organises a defence..? I tried to watch him quite a bit last year and he does talk alot….. Samba on the other hand shouts a lot so maybe your right but if the fee is about the same Cahill still only 25…! Jagielka is a risk for me the fella injured a lot lately. I’d rather have a taller DM as well just to be on the safe side, both those french fella’s in the post are pretty tasty and both 6ft plus..!
Will, he did, he slagged off Highbury House…. saying the blog gets worse, it is simple, if one doesn’t like it don’t bother reading or leaving a comment – there are plenty of other around to be part off…
Alernatively, it’s easy to start a blog, then anyone can run it the way they want and write about what they want…..
The Daily Mail suggest Harry is going after Mata too…..
They have got a few pennies haven’t they, well they will have when Modric goes to Chelsea….
But surely he’d want to play CL footie??
If Arry is really trying to throw his money around in brown paper bags Rico would anyone in their right mind chose that shower over us..?
It is his opinion, I think it is getting negative. This used to be a haven of balance but it is now becoming an anti-Wenger, woe is us site and I am trying to bring balance back.
So Wath, who is your new manager?
I wouldn’t have thought so WATH and CL footie could be the decider and, no matter what faults some believe Wenger has, he is the main reason many overseas players sign for us….
W.A.T.H., don’t disagree with much you’ve said. The truth is I would take either of the 3 CBs mentioned and I wouldn’t be disappointed with Biglia or either of the “french fellas”. I just think that there is as much a pressing need for a DM as there is a CB. Alex Song is not good enough and time and time again he exposes our CBs who ultimately get the blame.
It still is full of balance, it’s called debating and putting over opinions without the need to be rude, insulting or patronising…
What is the point is asking ‘who is your new manager’ – we have one, it’s Arsene Wenger – as said earlier, it’s not anti Wenger is frustration about how little he has done to date in this transfer window…
When HE told us he would be very busy and busy very early in the window….
Has he stuck to his word??
Adam, think there are many blogs that are middle of the rd where you have ppl that are sensible and discuss things even handedly what ever side of the fence they currently sit, then you have the rose tints who can see no wrong and then the ones who are so anti it’s ridiculous, both are as bad as each other for me as there is no reasoning with either…! Again all about choice of where you read and where you comment and if one isnt your cup of tea then there are plenty to go through before you find one thats decent and one you like.
davegooner, i’m a massive Song fan but you are right, add to that his continual lazy tackles which away free kicks – usually in a dangerous area too…..
WE need both, DM & CH, two if Wenger is planning on loaning Bartley and using TV as cover for Gibbs…
Totally agree Dave, Song for me isn’t as good as we need, he wanders and doesnt give the defence the protection it needs at all, added to the fact he’ll be missing for 6 weeks in jan/feb so too Frimpong andwe are crying out for a proper DM as we have been for the last 3/4 yrs and yes its just as critical as a centre half..! add that to the team means we’d have a much stronger and taller spine and would make us far more competative again.
Surely project youth involved buying dozens of youngsters from all over the world for inflated sign-on fees and salaries. By necessity this meant taking resources from the first team budget.
It has failed because we have produced not even a handfull of players of a required quality. Our return does not even compare with clubs like Aston Villa, Everton or pre-arab Man City.
It has also failed because our starved and depleted first team has not one a trophy for six years.
I know that creep dexter…seen him a couple of times on arsenal blogs….pay him no attention he ll probably go back to sleep. If he thinks HH is anti-wenger wait till he reads today post at LEGROVE…back to arsenal. And I can’t believe am saying this. I might sound like WILL but its most definitely me. Rico u guys should cut wenger some slack. Who have the dirty mancs signed apart from clishit and an unproven CB….they even have crisis of their own…..tevez their captain wants out. The chavs have lost essien for six months and still haven’t replaced him. They have an aging squad and can’t even stomp the cash for fugly faced Modric. Manure have only signed one decent player in ashley young but you all can agree with me that gerv is a better buy. It took barcruptonia all summer to finally bag their “first choice” mid fielder and its taking forever to sign cesc…..so let’s not be hasty people..we have not done badly so far…..and hey am not WILL am stan.
Lads, Sounds like we’ve cracked it. Now for the small matter of convincing our manager!!
I was trying to work out Steve if it meant those we bring through from a young age, or those we buy..
If it’s those we bring through it has failed big time as Jack Wilshere is the only one right now, Walcott, Gibbs, Bartley were all bought….
Well Gibbs joined us in 2004 when Wimbledon collapsed, as did James Dunne and Ogogo….
If all the Arsenal fansites are getting more and more anti-Wenger posts surely there’s only one conclusion that can be drawn.
This is the internet not the BBC. Here the audience has a voice.
Stan, ‘Dirty’ Citeh are just about to secure Aguero for 38 Million 😉
If only it was that simple dave………. 🙂
There is certainly an awful amount of frustration out there and no doubt someone at the club peeps at all the blogs during their working day…
The club will know how fans feel, it’s whether or not they will listen and do something to change it….
That is just it Steve, that is why we have blogs……
Steve, lot of valid points in what you said there, what actually constitutes an academy / home grown player…? and we wonder why so many want to leave us when we have infact poached then at 16yrs of age…!
Our turnover on youth is very high so to the youth that we give pro contracts to and never see in the light of day in an Arsenal shirt. Jack n frimpong is hardly a very good return is it..? How old was Gibbs when he came to Arsenal Rico?
Agree with your article. I wish Wenger would go and take that useless muppet Gladis with him ( they are on total wages of £7 million a year ) but know it will not happen until his contract ends in two years time. Why is it that other teams in the PL can sign up players within a few days and it took us about 3/4 weeks to sign Gervihno (even if a visa was required!). Lots of players from project youth are being shipped out and I am glad that Denilson and hopefullyEboue are leving but still no sighn of any more transfers – just crap PR from the club that they are “working hard” to find new players. No sign of the CB (we really need two!), LB, defensive midfield player and centre forward we desperately need to improve the squad. Next season we will be challenging Liverpool,Spurs and other teams for that 4th spot and our defence at the moment is worse than last year! What are our so-called wonderful scout system doing. The Fabregas/Nasri situation has still not been resolved either.
Trouble is though stan, we all know that the chavs will make a move any day, the new manager will have needed time to see the squad in training and work out where he needs to buy…
They are playing with Spurs, waiting to see how much they can get away with paying, just like barca are with us – but, if both clubs really want the player they will offer what it takes in the end, hopefully not too late for us, otherwise AW will be able to say it was too late to go into the market 😉 😉
cameroon havent qualified for the african nations cup so song wont be missing in jan wath
afternoon all
cheer up we might be signing mata plus cesc and nasri are staying for another year atleast
15 years old I think WATH, 2004 it was when Wimbledon disbanded..
M90, don’t get too excited, Denilson has ‘reassured’ us that he is only in Brazil for one season and will return to Arsenal next summer….
rsd, i didn’t realise that about cameroon, good…
Can’t see Cesc staying and i hope we don’t risk losing 20 million on Nasri either….
Allo RSD, hows u mate..? Cameroon not qualified 100% done and dusted they not through..? ok great I can now sleep easy 😉
As for the other two, great two sulkers who dont wanna be with us…! Mata would be good but the DM and centre back is where we need it most.
I saw that denilson comment Rico, I nearly choked on me toast this morning……!
just eboue and gervinho off init
denilson said cesc is staying so that’s it
My soldier nearly split my yolk WATH….. 😉
Eboue won’t be with us rsd….
denilson talks poppycock 😉
Frimpong and Chamakh as well RS……….
cameroon are 3rd in their group with 5 points and you need to be top senegal are top with 10
Bugger, i forgot those two, has Frimpong confirmed he is going to play for Ghana now?
yeah frimpong did
Why is it that other teams in the PL can sign up players within a few days and it took us about 3/4 weeks to sign Gervihno
I am guessing you are talking about the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea. I think I will let you work that one out.
Rico I was just humoring u….I really think those two money-bags will move soon….and God help us all when they finally do. Players valuation will go through the roof. Only wish we had done our own bit of business before the impending MAD RUSH
How many games they play RS…?
oh traore just been called up for senegal
2 more
Think I’d rather song went n Frimpong stayed…………. A bit of a rough diamond that one but i like the fact he kicks anything that moves 😉
R Ghana going through as well RS…?
of course ghana are through easy they got gyan
Sorry RS me bad……. yep good player that lad….!
thanks rsd, i thought he was in two minds still …with essien out, there is a good chance he’ll be in their squad..
Work what out Will?? Why we take so long with transfers?
I think you know the answer to that if that is what you mean…
😆 stan, you got me there….
has frimpong even been called up yet tho
Yes, we have to budget, other teams can waste money and not care.
Does anyone think Traore will be with us this season??
Whats happening with Coquelin, anyone know?
Wow yesterday was slow and today’s gone nuts.
How did i miss all this 😆
Afternoon everyone!!!
I guess it depends on what part he plays for us, i hope he plays this weekend and does well but would AW cast Song aside already?? He’s not known for operating in that way…
coquelin is playing in the u20’s world cup so he’ll miss preseason so another loan in france i think is on the cards last i heard
Conor Henderson is expected to be out for a minimum of six months after damaging his cruciate ligaments bit.ly/nnqnUz
Thanks rsd, horrid news about Henderson, just horrid for the lad….
yo never know he could do an eboue
We have now been linked with the Chavs Alex, 😮
my view differs a bit to yours Will – yes they have the money but i think we faff around a bit for the cheapest deal…
i wait till thats on some thing better than sportsvibe
Hi Mr Is,
Blame Mata 🙂
aftanoon Mr Is…… RSD the ever relaible sportsvibe….. 🙂
afc.com have confirmed that Conor Henderson is out for a minimum of six months… 🙁
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/henderson-out-for-minimum-of-six-months
Theo Walcott has a problem too with an old ankle injury….
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/walcott-s-ankle-needs-more-investigation-
If we got Mata and a good centre half,i would be very happy!!
Will your starting to sound like the missus and i really dont want to get into the same debate i have about football with her with you.
If you dont understand why people take football to heart,then you will never understand and then theres just no point.
RT @Henderson_91: I have damaged my ACL and lateral meniscus and will miss rest of season.I’m absolutely devastated but am determined to come back stronger!
Mr Is. Take it to heart? Yes, life or death? Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
I just can’t believe how many of our players suffer, are they all a bit fragile…?
wenger said in the latest nike edge vid the lighter you are the better you’ll be
Those boots they wear dont help Rico, blades are not liked by many clubs as they say they help cause knee and ankle injuries…! Don’t know if they can back that up or not with stats but did notice Henderson had em on….! he did seem to “stick” in the turf as well…!
He may be right rsd but also very fragile – mind you Essien is built like a bick wall but he suffers….
Blades, i thought you ice skated with them on WATH 😉
When was the last pre-season or even season we didn’t get a full season injury in?
No idea Will, when was it?? Long time ago if ever….
I can’t remember a season where we haven’t had at least one player out for the most of teh season.
Mata has said, if he moves he prefers to join Arsenal, so come on Arsene, go beat Arry for this one….
Then beat the Chavs for Cahill
Amazing how denilson can go from wanting to leave us cos he’s a winner and we cant win trophies with us to being gone a week and snivelling about missing Arsenal and wanting to come back next year, shows how pampered they are at the club eh, oh and thanx but no thanx denilson you stay right where u are we dont want you back ever again.
I thought exactly the same about denilson wath, he has made himself look a twit…..
Theo is off to have a scan…. bloomin heck….
It’s all good news eh, suppose thats Theo out for ten days that will end up being 6 months…!
Sorry Will,
Sounded to me like you was starting that football’s just a game lark,I can’t stand that because maybe i’m sad,but i love Arsenal like i love my family!! 🙂
Theo needs to eat more and bulk up…..he’s like a living matchstick.
I just don’t get why our lot are so frail, bring back pies and beer, that’ll bulk them up…. 😛
This was left earlier and i missed it, sorry jim
jim hamilton says:
July 27, 2011 at 11:32 am (Edit)
buddy if the current kids are not good enough they should be replaced , surely our beef is that he held on to some for to long . i am pretty sure his youth policy is very much in effect , but we are appearing to be trying to add better quality to the first team and reserves . maybe i have not seen lansbury enough but he does not appear to be a world beater…
jim, i think my main gripe is how our young english kids don’t seem to get the same amout of chances that the overseas do, look at denilson, diaby, eboue, squilli etc, they continue to get chances yet Lansbury has never had one…..
It’s an old injury apparently wath, why has he been playing then…? Crazy..
Mr Is – here here, why do they have such an impact on our lives, i bet half the players dont have a crap week when we lose….
Na they don’t Rico,when we lose they really put me down in the dumps.
I was born in the whittington hospital at archway and born into a mad gooner family…My dad starting taking me and was hooked straight away.
The stadium,the pitch,the atmosphere everything had me hooked and just couldnt get enough of the Arsenal and they oooze out of every part of me!
So, why are we still in Germany??
If only we had a few players who were bought up the same way Mr Is, Charlie George was one wasn’t he, fan one day, playing for his beloved club the next….
Dreams are made of that……
I always see him about in the essex road,still lives and breathes Islington…Love good old Charlie.
He was something else….
What a change to life today at arsenal….
Actually I don’t think we need Mata because, when he recovers from his latest operation, Diaby will be like a new player.
Hi Adam,
Now I know you are kidding us 😉
Back in twenty mins….
You sussed me Rico. I was trying to lighten the mood as I believe we are on the cusp of some major signings. Sorry, I am trying to keep a straight face here.
That Diaby.
What a great defensive midfielder…
Wath’s favourite midfield warrior.. 😀
😆 again Adam
Hi kev, long time, hows you??
HA ha ha ha ha ha ha. Watching SSN and they are reporting that Agurro (spelling) is looking forward to joining Man City. I wonder why.
good post…..
just saw samba play today for blackburn against villa in malaysia…..blacburn lost but he had a great game…..he being in malaysia i hardly think we have made a bid for samba…..
Hi af,
Keen said no-one has made an offer for him yet, i don’t understand why really, i don’t think Arsene wants him though, surely he would have gone for him by now….
Guys, i got to go for a few hours, back about 9 if anyone is still here… Have a good evening….
start of the transfer window i was quite confident that surely this window he will get atleast one or two top names by now….but im getting really angry….if we have a bad start i really dont care if wenger goes…..
Do you think Wenger will get a CB?
Wenger will buy, but not sure who, all i can say is he will be 6’plus and there could be two.
Looks like i am on my own again, SteveP what do you think all these so called Gooner fans will say when wenger wins us our first trophy for six years,
I think it will go a little like this, ” i knew we were so close and i knew Good old Arsene would come good, and to think fans actually doubted him, but i never did”.
Sounds about right SP, Beer
Meet you there, Nte all.
Hi!
Hello rico! Hope everything is already better!
I’ll be away for two weeks …
I will try to follow Arsenal as I can …
yesterday start the qualifying round of the CL. In Arsenal, players continue to leave.
Right now, we have no team or squad. Without them, you can not do big projects.
Steve, you still around
Hi Steve, you must stop chatting to SteveP 🙂
Hi JM, Hope you have a fab two weeks away, its getting better slowly thanks, another six weeks and all should be a lot easier, thank you 🙂
thank’s rico
You just get back before the Newcastle game JM 😉
I’m heading off now, Nighty all…
Looks like Wenger has given the green light to the club again attempting to obtain a work permit for Ryo.
Rico, you better keep an eye on SteveP. Next thing he’ll be talking to a giant white invisible rabbit. 😀
it seems i missed all the discussion today…shame, this is certainly one where i would be happy to weigh in. unfortunately, i just could not get an opportunity to read the post during the day; by the time i did read it (well into the evening at home, everybody had left for the night…
i see the point you are making rico, but i cannot agree with it. to label it a “failure” on the basis that we are seeing several departures amongst our younger players is to adopt a rather narrow view of the project and how it actually serves our club…
the project is intended to provide an array of talented young players for our first team squad. that, however, is only one purpose. another – perhaps more prominent within today’s model and circumstances – is to provide a series of talented young prospects, all bearing the arsenal brand name, who can be moved on to other clubs at profit to arsenal fc. this, perhaps more than anything, is the heart of the self-sustaining model: the pipeline of talented “diamonds in the rough”, molded and shaped here at arsenal, many with at least limited first team experience by the time they move. almost all sold for profit. transfer fees for our outbound young players may not be eye-popping at first glance – such as the 1.1 mil ispwich town paid for jet. but part of our model is also ensure that sell-on clauses are a part of these transfers – the gift that keeps on giving, if you will. in jet’s case, if the light comes on and he knuckles down and becomes the player we all hoped he would be here at arsenal, it is not inconceivalbe that in a few years time, a bigger, established prem side will buy jet, and we will get a portion of that transfer fee as well. these do add up. these revenues are (in theory at least) reinvested in the squad, either through improved deals for players who arsene feels earned them; or purchases of more youth players to form the bulk of the production line in another few years; or for the purchase of impact players will improve/supplement the first team squad here and now.
the very name “project youth”, implies long-term. deeming such an endeavour a “failure” after a six-year sample size seems very short term indeed. that is not to say i am perfectly happy to have been empty handed these past six years – i most definitely am not. rather, i don’t think it is justified to lay everything at the door of “project youth” there are plenty of issues within the senior squad – not all of whom were a part of “project youth” – that have undermined our title and cup challenges during the last few seasons….
if it were me writing today’s post, i think i would have instead approached it from the viewpoint that our recent acutal (and rumoured) youth player departures, combined with the events of the past few seasons (not all six) lend support to an argument that winning titles with our current model as basis is an uphill struggle. it’s not impossible, of course, but we’ve found the winning silverware a rather difficult nut to crack since leaving highbury…and, as stated earlier, this has been for a variety of different reasons…that is another post, for another day…
i don’t think anybody – not even arsene – reasonably expects all of our youth players to become first-team squad members…that is simply unrealistic, at any level. yet our first team squad has plenty of players that came through our youth system: two goalkeepers, three defenders, six midfielders, and two forwards. a failed system would provide far fewer players to the first team squad. those who are not able to stay in the first squad are subsequently sold off, almost all for a profit. that is the essence of a youth project self-sustainable model: those good enough become part of the first team; those not good enough are moved on for profit, and the next batch of youth players prepares to take the vacated spots.
i cannot call the project a failure, because it is operating exactly as intended: it provides some players for the first team squad, and it sells those not quite good enough for the arsenal first team at a profit. the goal of the club is (should be) to compete for and win trophies at the highest level. whether that actually happens or not, project youth will continue funtioning, and will suport the club in other ways…
nobody should be alarmed at the spate of youth player departures: this is exactly how it should work when there are more players than squad places and some youth players who are simply not the right fit for our first team. this season, we’ll probably see a few of our youth players claim first team squad berths; we’ll see a few of our academy kiddies promoted to the reserve squad; and we’ll see some more youth players moved next summer. and that pattern will most likely continue for the forseeable future…
Bloody shame about Conor Henderson, out for between 6 & 9 months. Lets hope he’s a quick healer.
Rhys Murphy’s departure will hopefully be only on loan. That kid has had his career crucified by injury. He was a real goal machine before the curse of ‘Diaby’ struck him down. Deserves a huge change in fortune!
Not suprised by JET’s departure, if the ‘whispers’ were anything to go on. Pennant/Bothroyd/Bentley, it’s deja vu.
Where is everyone?
Morning Will, the new post will be up soon…
New Post up