Morning all,
Another day of waiting, hoping and maybe even praying for some good news.
Could that good news be the sacking of our goalkeeping coach, maybe the attacking coach too as we have become so predictable going forward.
New ideas, a new approach and a whole new Arsenal. Now wouldn’t that be good…?
We all witnessed a very different defensive attitude and approach over the last few months of the season so what is stopping Arsene changing other parts of our game. Bould/Banfield have clearly had an impact at the back, how about bringing back one of the greats who knew how to attack? Bergkamp springs straight into my mind or even Henry once he hangs up his boots.
Then of course there is the issue over our goalkeepers, are they really that bad?
Or do they just lack a proper coach in there to push them on to the next level? Just like history tells us so much in the way we sign players, history tells us that since the day Jens left, our keepers haven’t really improved.
I watched Almunia in the play-off final for Watford. Still rubbish on crosses but everything else about his game was very good. Fabianski is the same with crosses, so is Szczesny.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to identify the problem does it? Yet whoever coaches our goalkeepers isn’t rectifying the problem.
So why not change him?
Onto Indonesia and our tour of Asia.
I never knew that back in 1983, the last time our club featured in the same fixture, the then manager Terry Neill was a very busy man…
Phone calls morning, noon and at night which turned out to be successful as the club confirmed the signing of Charlie Nicholas…
He was a huge signing back then and to this day his speaks like a fan. He was with us for four years. He made 184 appearances but managed just 54 goals…
Not the best statistics I know but fans loved him…..
So now we are off to Asia and we will be playing Indonesia again, maybe Arsene Wenger will have the same early morning and late evening phone calls that Terry Neill had and we sign another big name?
As long as he’s not from the Scottish Premier League….
However……
Perry Groves believes we should do just that:
I really like Wanyama – he is destined for big things. He may be young but he plays for a massive club, has lots of experience for a young player, and he fits the Wenger model – he is hungry, strong and technically very good.
He would offer real protection for the back four, and a real thrust and drive going forward.
We need big players who can step up to the plate and make an impact against the bigger teams, because that is what let us down last year – we had a woeful record against the other teams in the top four.
We need strong mentalities, players who can impose themselves.
I would like to see experienced lads who can come straight into the starting side, not players who take time to gel.
In other news, reports in Spain suggest that David Villa could yet sign for us this summer, if Arsene pays up the right money. It’s us he wants to join, Carzola and Monreal being part of the reason why.
Finally, The Daily Mirror report that new Napoli boss Rafa Benitez wants Thomas Vermaelen to join him in Italy. Our captain has said he’s planning to stay and get his place in the side back so not much chance of that move taking place..
Unless of course we are going to sell yet another captain this summer….
Sssh Perry, we can do better surely??
Morning all…
Morning all
we need to sack our goalkeeping coach Asap
Morning Rico
Seriously,i dont see the fuss in this wayama of a guy,i would prefer Capoue or Lars Bender
Hi Lenz, agree on both there…
Wanyama might be good in the SPL, but that league isn’t a strong as the PL surely?
How about cesc and villa? That would give us 8 top attacking options walcott chamberlain rosicky fabregas cazorla podolski giroud and villa for the 4 attacking roles., Wilshire ramsey: arteta coquelin diaby frimpong to contest the 2 holding positions while sagna jenkinson mertesacker djourou vermaelen gibbs and monreal are good enough defenders. Perhaps add one versatile player that will cover all across fhe back 4 or make sagna that player and buy another right back. To be totally honest that is all we really need to do just strengthen the squad to give competition for places. As long as you have at least 2 players fighting for each position plus a couple of versatile players to cover then you have a fighting chance. The 3 keepers are decent enough if coached correctly but if any can’t handle the competition move them on schwarzer and cesar are both available as is stekelenberg. 3 experienced keepers of different age groups that could see us home for the next 10 years.
Personally, I don’t think we will get either from Barca Bc…
Good morning Lady and Gentlemen.
Just noticed that 50% clause in Cesc’s contract. That means that if Barca want 35 million for him, AW should give them that amount…………safe in the knowledge that Farca have to pay back 17.5million to AFC (50%). Farcelonical isnt it??? 😆
BC……Djourou, Diaby and Coquelin are no go mate. they are not good enough or never healthy enough.
I like Villa, but only if he came less than 7 million. Otherwise I am sorry. He is 31, injury prone etc. I prefer 30million on Shrek.
bdw……….good post Rico. especially if the goalkeeping coach is plastered off and we get an attacking coach.
That would make you a seer or a clairvoyant.
Do you look in a crystal ball, or do you have one of the Palantiri? Or else do you read tea leaves Rico?
And does chicken poo foretell the future??? 😉
Morning Devil, I think it’s the chickens 😉
ahhhhh. you read chicken poo then.
I always knew that you had such a talent.
So who are we going to sign this summer??? 😉
There’s something strange,
in the neighbourhood.
Who you’re going to call
……………!!!!!!!!
Morning all,
Nice one Rico… I like Perry Grove especially on saturday evenings co-hosting football first but this Wagamama guy… I am not too sure?
He is no better than Frimpong and Yennaris is better at reading the game so…
Lenz I think you meant Sven not Lars as the latter is not a DM… its his twin of BVB09 who is the DM and I doubt they will come to us as they are both from Bavaria… 😉
I am with you Dev on Villa… if we can have Benteke then why buy a player passing his best…. saying that due to injuries he still has low mileage on the clock…
Luiz Gustavo has fallen down the pecking order at FC Munchen… he is a very good DM… he is worth a try…
But in my opinion Medel and Camacho are the best DM in Europe now… outside of Busquet and Carrick….
“Javi” Fuego Martínez of Real Vallecano is awesome considering the shabby defensive he has to cover…
Yaya Sanogo Devil 😉
Thanks Ts. I’m not in the Wanyama camp either…. If he was that good, he’d have been snapped up by now…
Good Morning to the Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.
I am with ginge regarding Medel, Camacho and Martinez. Better than Wanyama.
I see we are close to signing another young prospect for the future, but the number of young players now released or transferred has now risen to fifteen (see last part of the following article).
http://arsenalyouth.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/crowley-to-join-arsenal-tomorrow-as-roberts-joins-list-of-departures/
We were linked with Wanyama last year and Arsene had him scouted, yet we didn’t move for him. I don’t see us moving for him now. My money is on Capoue or Gonalons for DM.
As for Villa, I agree with tsgh that he is a little long in the tooth. We were linked with him in the January window, but we were in dire straits then and a little desperate for a boost up front. Now with more money and players available, we can and should do better. Villa is a good player, but has few years left and woul be a stopgap at best.
Morning Cg, another 15 year old, that’s good news then 😉
but you should have foretold it no Rico???? 😉
Rico – As a pescetarian I’m assuming you are not reading the entrails of your chickens. Do they talk to you with their predictions?
What Devil?? Crowley, if so didn’t we talk about him joining a couple of days ago 😉
They do Cg, they talk the same as most of the newspapers 😉
It looks like Gervinho is staying. That will please some of us and enrage others. His quotes below;
http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/article/168/8744369/gervinho-staying-at-arsenal
I hope Wenger has other ideas about Gervinho….
Rico – I thought the comercial gutter press consulted and read the signs in the droppings of large male bovines. It seems they do little investigation, verification, or interpretation. They just transfer it directly from the floor of their oracle’s stalls or barns directly to print.
Who could possibly be happy that Gervinho is staying, if that is the case?
Oh well, Colchester’s loss.
Rico – Although Crowley is an interesting signing, he is definitely one for the future and a bit of a coup as he was being tracked by a number of our rivals. No, the part of the article that really interested me was the number of youth and young professionals the club have released &/or sold this year. Fifteen players and counting is unprecedented in my recent memory. There have been definite changes in policy at the Academy this year. I wonder if this was due to Liam Brady, Terry Burton, Arsene Wenger or has the BOD put constraints on their budget. I believe one of Jamie Sanderson’s articles he speculated it may be in order to accelerate the progress of some of our more promising younger scholars such as Bellerin, Eisfeld, Gnarby and Toral.
Adam – Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. In the absence of much, if any, good news; it only makes it worse.
If he stays then it would be a massive mistake and would throw a huge spanner in the “all change” thing that is supposed to be happening.
Devil alluded to this earlier, but if this article is correct about Cesc Fabregas’s transfer from Arsenal to Farcelona, someone at our club deserves some credit for their negotiating skills. Either way, Arsenal get something out of Cesc’s next transfer and Arsenal stick it to the Catalans for a change.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2333511/Cesc-Fabregas-transfer-Manchester-United-Arsenal-boss-Arsene-Wenger-hijack-deal.html
No idea Adam..
Colchester got a lucky escape Micko…
Adam – You may well be right. I’m neutral on him. If a good offer comes in for him I wouldn’t be averse to taking it and saying Thank You Very Much and next please (Bendtner, Chamakh, et al.).
Cg – I won’t be bitter about any good young signing, not if we sign the mature great ones too, but if we get to 2nd Sept and all we have signed is ‘potential’ or the likes of Sanogo, then we really are in serious serious trouble…
Rico – I can’t and wont argue that at all. I totally agree. However, even without wearing my rose coloured glasses, I think the club will do some good business for the first team this summer. The earlier the better.
I think they will too Cg, They jolly well better had!
I wonder if Gazidis and Wenger are wanting the same things these days.
Rico – If not, there will be a lot of howling, wailing and gnashing of teeth. The knives will be unsheathed and the mob will be baying for Arsene’s blood and his head to be impaled on a pike at London Bridge.
Welcome back Freddie;
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/ljungberg-takes-on-ambassadorial-role
Nice one re freddie Ck pants…
I liked him… he always turned up in big games…. even though he was not the most skilful… his goal in the FA cup and the Carragher hand ball in the millenium stadium brings back memories…
I’m not convinced they are Adam, IF we are to believe what IG says, he wants us to improve greatly and start winning things…
Wish Freddie was 15 years younger and joining us as a player again….
My grass needs a cut so back in a while…
Some interesting comments from Julio Cesar. It seems he wants to stay in London. He would be a good addition to the club and would offer a challenge to whichever young goalkeeper(s) we retain. He/they would benefit from the challenge and his vast experience.
http://metro.co.uk/2013/05/31/julio-cesar-hints-at-arsenal-move-by-confirming-desire-to-stay-in-london-3823432/
tsgh – Maybe Freddie could get the club a sponsorship deal from Calvin Klein, the official Arsenal under garments and sportswear. Could be worth a few bob?
yes, sack the attacking and goalkeeping coaches, then replace them with one of those blog writers who knows better.
The last line of this article “How many of Arsenal’s ‘deadwood’ can they successfully offload this summer?” says it all.
http://hereisthecity.com/2013/05/30/arsenal-squad-dynamics-releasing-players-to-enhance-arrivals/
I think I’m alone in the House?
mornin CG
Good Morning W.A.T.H, what’s up?
Pretty quiet mate but ticking along and you..?
So who would take Suarez then…?
O-dika… good thinking….!
W.A.T.H – I could be better and could be worse, but no real complaints. If Arsene could get Suarez’s head straightened out, I think he could do a better job for us than he did for Liverfool. However, that is a big if and LFC would squeeze us for every penny, if they would sell him to us. Arsenal play a game more conducive to his style, but I’m still hoping for Jovetic or
or… Higuain.
Morning all.
I am on a night out.
I am pissed.
Nothing I say means shit lol.
Except……I love the Arsenal and my HH family.
W.A.T.H – I think you and I have just found ourselves new positions. Wouldn’t that surprise Grandad?
Scott – Enjoy yourself, but go steady on the neck oil.
Grandad will be far to busy with KAT…..
Evening Scott, are there two of you tonight…?
Suarez is a seriously good player CG just a basket case…!
You taking the strikers or the keepers CG..?
Afternoon Gooners…
Have we signed anybody yet, other than Crowley?
Onyendika. Someone with your insight perhaps?
Hi WATH and Cg…
O-dika, Boro is past his sell by date as a first team coach… over the last 2 years I have been saying that as the coach who sits in the stands he has become too stale to ptrompt AW to change things that even us fans can see from outr tv box…
saying that AW is the strikers coach. Banfield and Boro are the midfield coaches with Banfield taking care of the DM coaching and Primorac in charge of the likes of SC19 and Gerv re attacking midfielders.
Hi Scott… did you say you are lots on the brecons in wales? lol
We not even signed Crowley………………. Yet…!
But I am told Rooney has been given your number AK and wants you to pick him up on the QT for his medical and signing…!
lost… even
It’s a beautiful sunny day in London, really enjoying Mick’s warm weather…
KAT, yep, plenty of that today Wath… 🙂
Cg re Ljunberg ck boxers… stan may already have that in mind…
Rooney, yeah Wath, he wants me to pick up 40 fags for him!
That boy is gonna be fat as a house when he hangs his boots up.
W.A.T.H – I think I’ll take the keepers. My older son has played in goal and all the way to front and back again. Though he is now a player coach and usually plays CB or CDM/HM. My younger son has been a goalie since the age of 9 or 10 when he discovered the fun side of diving and sliding in the mud. My daughter can play anywhere along the backline. So, I think I have some experience in that area.
I have no idea, as yet, of the talents of the next generation as they’re just starting to walk.
Wooney and Ricky Hatton share the same dietician…
I’d still take David Villa. Not sure that his age is a problem.
He could give us 3 or 4 great years if Wenger didn’t flog him to death…
Can Vain Wooney pronounce ‘dietician’?
I am sure your having a field day AK…. 😉
Ok I’ll take the strikers then CG, the keepers are all yours mate..!
Afternoon Ts, hope all well mate, think we have seen what has happened with SB and Banfield joining the “team” a few more new faces and new ideas would be a good move me thinks but again Ts AW is to loyal to those closest to him..! Can’t see him replacing Boro..!
Gerry Peyton is our goalkeeping Coach…
I know that working with the currant crop of goalies isn’t the same as working with Seaman, Lehmann and even Manninger, but I don’t think that our keepers are as well coached as they were under Sir Bob Wilson…
Kev – As long as Unreal don’t want an arm and a leg for him, he may be worth a punt. It all depends on who Arsene’s true striker targets are and what’s the likelyhood of signing him/them. I’m dreaming that we get Lewendowski. but it looks as if he might follow Gotze to Bayern Munchen.
Hi WATH, I am well thanks… hope you are good too?
Boro was with AW in Japan… I guess he is the one who will look after AW’s interest if the new appointees start drawing the daggers… 😉
Hi Ak, isn’t Matt Poom Peyton’s assistant?
Canuck, can you get me a link to that J.Sanderson article on the Academy…
I’ll try Kev, but he’s back writing for his own site as well as the likes of Here Is The City.
Ginge, not sure about Poom, you could be right?!
I’d like Lehmann as our goalkeeping Coach.
I reckon he’d beat em up if they didn’t perform.
He might have been mad, but he was a fecking winner…
Did Peyton ever win anything, or Poom for that matter?
Cg, I do not see Higuain as a target man… he is one of those who AW will like to say ‘can play anywhere along the front 3’ but as a target man he is not than good. Last weekend he did the biggest Gerv impression and missed a sitter when real were leading 3-1… Unreal then ended up drawing against Osasuna who are fighting with Valencia for the last CL spot…
I prefer Di Mari or even Benzema and there are no better than Poldi imho…
Next year with Ath Madrid in the CL, every man and his dog will be talking about Diego Simeon aka DB7 redcard.
Will you takke Alexis of Farcelona if he is available… with Neymar arriving?
What??? Is that right Canuck?
Sanderson writes for Here in the City?!!!
My God, what’s he doing on that pile of shit???
Adam will be furious, he swears by Here in the City.
Second only to the esteemed Bleacher Report…
I’m with you on that one Grandad, Jens for me as well as keeper coach… take no prisoners and get the best out the keepers, no pussy footing around with him…!.
Poom was there a few years back Ts, not sure he stayed on though…? could be wrong…! All well here mate, looking forward to the weekend and relaxing with a few bottles of vino..!
Lehman is coming back… he was there towards the end of the season… rumours are that he was offered the job but he does not want to be just a goalie coach… he see’s himself as a defensive coach expert 😉
In fact he wants to be part of the playing staff coaching set-up…
Ts, with Neymare arriving at fcb why not make them a cheeky offer for that little Messi fella… he maybe worth a punt…?
Kev – Sorry that should be Metro. I’ve been reading so many feeds lately it’s becoming a bit of a blur.
Is that right Ginge?
Well I hope he rejoins us…
Freddie coming back is good as well…
Anything to impart a winning mentality on our fragile squad…
Who knows, maybe things are-a-changing?!
Poom always raised his game when he faced us… Henry backed AW to sign him I heard ages ago… he won jack all!
He headed a 90th minute equaliser for Sunderland against his former club at Pride Park. This was described as “the best goal ever scored by a goalkeeper in the 90th minute on his first match against his former club” by the commentator. I believe he on the Championship trophy
Ak… according to Rico favourite Daily Fail… 😀 😛
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2112868/Jens-Lehmann-offered-Arsenal-return-coach.html
W.A.T.H – Messi is even more unlikely than my dream of Lewendowski.
This one instead Ak
http://wearearsenalblog.com/seaman-or-lehmann-to-be-the-new-goalkeeper-coach/
I’d still take Villa for the right price. 8m would be ideal, but I wouldn’t cry over a 10m purchase. I’d actually take that over Higuain, even at the same price.
Wanayama’s a no-go… I always thought he was more of an attacker, guess I was wrong.
Ts, Poom not there it’s Tony Roberts helping Gerry Peyton…!
Kev – Time to breakout your old Robert Zimmerman (a.k.a. Bob Dylan) albums and start playing ‘The Times They Are A Changin”. Surely you still have your vinyl LP’s?
WATH why bid for Messi when you already have Gerv? lol
Seriously though it will be interesting to see how Neymar fits in next to Messi? Will he play in Alexis’s place on the LHS or behind Messi? On papaer a dream front 2 /3 but in reality it looks like a front 2 of Kanu and DB10…
Hi Will, I do not rate Higuain though he is a top player… he looks like an AW or Manuel Pelligrini signing but not Fergies… he is not ruthless enough…
In my view, we already have a striker playing second fiddle to Benzema in OG12 why spend 20M on another back-up?
CG, is that Messi fella any good then…. Didn’t think he’d get a game with Neymar signing for them 😉
Thanks for that Ginge…
Still got a sneaky suspicion that Schwarzer is gonna come to us…
Canuck, I got his Greatest Hits…
Like a Rollin’ Stone
Did you see the wink and smile Aw and Schwarzer shared at the start of the 2nd half against Fulham in April? He will be a perfect fit… it will make Scott a happy man too… 🙂
Canuck, I still have my Dad’s 78’s…
I’ll never part with my records…
Adam is gonna help me get a new system when I have the spare cash…
On Cesar… apart from the long running rumour of some unsporting habits similar to his namesake boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez… did you read about the news that – Júlio César Apologises To QPR Fans For Wearing Chelsea Kit At David Luíz’s Birthday Party
W.A.T.H – As regards Messi:
As Sir Humphrey Appleby would say on Yes Minister/Prime Minister “All will be revealed in the fullness of time”.
No Ginge, hopefully that is a good sign.
Schwarzer would sober up that alcho-Aussie I reckon…
It’s wise not to blog following a booze-up…
Are you reading this Scott, you old boozer… 😉
Back to work, more KAT to fleece…
Lata
I have one in mind Kev. Those 78s could be a stumbling block though.
W.A.T.H – What is KAT?
Find him a wind up megaphone Adam…………
Cheers Kev, drive safe mate..!
Kevs Added Tax….. 😉
rico, 1.49, sod Freddie, wish I was 10 years younger.
Dan Crowley………….super duper !!!
Micko, have a couple of pints of the back stuff, look in the mirror you’ll look 20 yrs younger 😀
Thanks WATH! I thought it would be something like that.
Afternoon all,
Regarding the youth, we should look at Germany who’s coaching all the youngster coming through. Who ever they are, they have that conveyor working well.
Afternoon …..
The German youngsters look hungry as well Brad, the Brit kids in general seem to think they have made it the day they sign a pro contract…!
Does Santos have German in his family, he is always hungry…
Andre gives that away Rico……
What Peter Wath?? 😉
Does that mean the foreign players are actually ruining the English potential that are coming through. Do the teams who can afford to develop youngster have mostly English lads?
Plus the star group of players seem to come in stages at diffent countries. It was Spain and now it’s Germany’s turn. We saw it with the dutch and the French. I wonder if England will have a turn?
I believe that cream will always rise to the top, if the young English players are good enough they will find their way into the first team imho…
For me the question is does AW ever really give them a proper chance?
I thought Beckham, scholes, Lampard, Gerard, Cole etc were the era to go far and they still pulled up short.
Seriously Bradster? I thought they were all class players, don’t like a few of them but top class players..
Loyal ones too….
Afternoon all..
They surely were rico I like that generation.. may be not great for the national team but they were awesome players.
Why Santosh wants to comeback and Gervieenjha wants to stay ?
I think what Bradster means Rico my pulled up short, is that during that era they failed to win anything, not that they weren’t great players.
I feel the opposite is going on at the moment, that a lot of mediocre British players are getting more game time just because of where they are from. And it always shows how good a nations players are by how many of them are playing in the biggest clubs around Europe.
P.s Gervinho says he is going nowhere.. I hope that isn’t an option for him..
Hi Stv, not many English players do give their all for their country, just why I always respected David Beckham, he gave 100% for England…
But their clubs stood by them Esp andf allowed them to prove themselves, and after that they won an awful lot…
Yeah but I think Bradster was just taking about Nationals…
Ah, my error then Esp… Blame my age 😉
Ha, those players were exceptional though, if only they could have preformed a bit better in the major tournaments at the time England really could have won something.
Afternoon All,
70million+ Euro 30million=100million ?
We seem to be stream-lining the playing side,at last.
Wonder why it’s took so long.
Not sure legally if you can give a player,
garden leave.
But what if the players that don’t play and won’t go,
were given garden leave.
We have continued to pay this lot,
which has weakened our squad,
and in doing so,the chance for younger players,
has been wasted.
No wonder brady.s going.
Totally agree Esp but a bit like Arsenal these days, how much blame can be put on the manager at the time. The best one was Sven imho, the country really looked like it had a chance under him…
Hi fred, does make you wonder why it took so long. Wish we knew…
With those senior players we have hanging on, shame the club didn’t just pay off their contracts…
hello!
did we sign anyone?
Hi JM, no…..
so maybe on the 31st august
Late dinner calls….
2nd Sept JM, the window closes later for the weekend… 😉
The reason why AW loves Ramsey… ” Ramsey enchanted by Kenya”… Aw can sense franco-african DNA from a mile away lol
Surely now is the time for Usmanov to make his move.
http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/sports/2013/05/31/arsenals-ramsey-on-trophy-mission-after-kenya/?
The rumour site suggests AU is going to do just that Adam, and they predict he will make an offer which SK accepts…
ok, 2nd September
2nd of Sept is for a last ditch bargain, we need signings on the 2nd July…
That’s me done, night all……