Reports are doing the rounds that Steve McClaren is lining up an £11M move for Denilson next month.
I could understand if Denilson made a move away from The Emirates. Wilshere has proved himself , Diaby is soon to be fit and with Ramsey on his way back, Denilson is beginning to fall down the pecking order a bit. But, as much as many will wish this rumour were true, many will also hope it is a load of rubbish. Personally, if an £11M offer came in, I’d snap their hands off but if I was Denilson I wouldn’t go anywhere near Steve McClaren or his club!
Again as we talk about one on the wanted list, there is a story that has cropped up again around Eden Hazard on the ‘in list’.
This morning it’s The Daily Mails turn, they quote Hazard as saying:-
Recently the press have been writing about interest from Liverpool, and it is nice to hear your name being mentioned everywhere, especially with the best teams in the world. If I do leave at the end of the season, I don’t want to go somewhere where I will be on the bench. I am young, not 20 until next month, and it will be difficult to break through in a team like Real, where Ronaldo and Kaka will be my competitors. But there are teams like Arsenal, where youngsters can grow more easily into the first team and make their mark.
I will not leave for another French club, because, with more or less 100 first division matches under my belt for Lille, I don’t think I have to prove my qualities for a team in the same league. I am feeling stronger now and better equipped for the challenge of playing at a higher level.
Forgive me for being a cynic but haven’t we read this before? And yes, I know Wenger said he wouldn’t spend but wasn’t that ‘unless we lose someone’? It won’t be too long until we find out, that’s for sure.
Tomorrow we face Stoke and the horrid little Ryan Shawcross! Pulis has obviously taking lessons from Old Red Nose as he advises referee Lee Mason to ‘keep an eye on dirty Arsenal’ tomorrow. What an idiot he is, we are not dirty we are just not as soft as we used to be. He needs to look at his own side’s tactics, not ours and leave the referee to make his own decisions.
I’m just glad it’s not Howard Webb out there is the middle!
Ahead of the game, Wenger is pleading for fans to be fair on Shawcross but I strongly suspect the opposite. It’s the first time that horrible little *&%$ has returned to The Emirates since that tackle on Ramsey and let him take what he deserves!
Talking of the Stoke game, Fabianski is struggling to be fit and Wenger has hinted Szczesny will step in again, just as we all hoped. Bendtner is to be a father any day so he will probably miss out on the game too. Full squad news tomorrow.
Finally, it’s Champions League draw today, so bring on the anal one from Portugal I say….
Have a good day all….
kelsey says:
December 17, 2010 at 8:47 am
Will fate strike twice as we played RM at exactly the same stage in 2006.
We played the same team in both legs and beckham played in both legs.
Real Madrid: Casillas, Cicinho, Sergio, Woodgate (Mejia 9), Carlos, Gravesen (Julio Baptista 76), Beckham, Guti, Zidane, Robinho (Raul 63), Ronaldo.
Arsenal: Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Senderos, Flamini, Ljungberg, Hleb (Pires 76), Gilberto Silva, Fabregas (Song 90), Reyes (Diaby 80), Henry
Note Eboue,Diaby Fabregas and Song all featured.
Morning peoples…
Real it will be Kelsey 🙂
If tou read all the rumours,Almunia,Eboue,Clichy and now Denilson are all wanted all over Europe and are about to leave.I won’t have it, but Almunia is a cert to go, though it has taken the boss 2 years to realise he is the weakest link.
Time goes so quickly and to see that come next february it will be 5 years since we saw the likes of Eboue,Song,Diaby and Fabregas first play in the CL.I know which of those have improved.
Whoever we get it will be tough.the 2 german sides have a winter break in january and the 2 spanish sides are quite formidable.At least we will know about vermaelen by then and hopefully RVP and cesc will be 100% fit and fully focussed.
Hi kelsey,
Al is def on his way out, even wenger has said the decision is his so that says it all really, eboue is out of contract in the summer and i thought he would have had that sorted by now…
jan return for TV i read…
jan 2011 or 2012 😉
2013 😉
You seen the stuff about PR retiring soon going around today kelsey?
No rico.I saw it before but then also that it was denied.
domestics to attend to, be back shortly.
its rumour retired and resigned, suggestion of a fall out at the spuds game…
ok, don’t work too hard 😉
Rico,
Really nice Post today, full of vim! 🙂
I hear Pulis and Shawcross read HH everyday, and now they know how we feel! Remind me not to fall out with you though! 🙂
Morning RA, good job i know you are teasing about the post 😉
Its so quiet these days on the footie news, other tha who will be taking over from Rice 😉
Hello!
Bergkamp as Wengers understudy anyone?
please god let it be schalke! but it wont!
guys.. here: Valencia – Schalke, Inter – Bayern so far… so that means either barca or real :/
Hi DK, Bouldy for me, ready for him to take over when wenger retires, then bring in DB 🙂
it’s settled: Lyon – Real, Arsenal – Barcelona
Barcelona it is then 🙁
Yeah i guess DB isn’t ready yet.. 🙂
it’s settled rico, we got barcelona 🙁
I really had a gut feeling that we would get them.. as much as I love The Arsenal.. i just cannot see us getting through.. :/
AC Milan v Spuds….
Copenhagen v Chavs
Mancs v Marseille
DK, anything is possible, we have a score to settle, this draw might just temp wenger into the transfer market next month…..
Good thing is first game is at home, we can go to Camp Nou and nick an away goal to go through 😉 😉
you’re right.. anything is possible, but as for Wenger buying.. i cannot see it happening because of the draw… Can you name any players that could make a difference, but who are not cup tied? I like the idea of scoring at Nou Camp :). I watched Copenhagen (where I live) give barcelona a very hard time.. Because they were being physical and fought bravely for every inch of the pitch..
Morning Rico,
I admire you optimism. Nick an away goal….possibly, knock Barca out? Unless they stay at the Marriott and we send the same Chef that cooked for the Spurds a few seasons ago, then we have a chance! 😉
DK, i don’t honestly believe a word that comes out of wengers mouth these days, and for sure there must be players out there who are not cup tied and i’m sure a few of them would be great additions to our squad..
CH – Gary Cahill would do for a start 😉
Morning T-buzz, all very tongue in cheek honest, with the sqaud we have we have no chance, good idea re the chef 😉
Back in an hour, walkies time 😉
Sorry to disappoint you all but we do not have the defense or the tactics to deal with Barca. Wenger will try and play them off the park and get smashed to pieces.
stonroy, i think we all agree we have little to no chance…. my wing and a prayer comment was tongue in cheek…
Wenger can claim Mental Strength all he wants and the players can say they fear no club in the CL but the fact of the matter is this:
Has Arsenal’s squad improved since the last encounter with Barca?
Has Barca’s squad improved since the last time encounter with Arsenal?
our luck we COULD win over 2 legs and then draw united or chelsea and get knocked out.
I’ll rather we get knocked out by Barca than by Manure and Chavs! 🙂
Boo! I was hoping we’d get Madrid. But Barcelona? Whoopee-do! Roll on, the good times! The Catalans aren’t infallible. Hercules can attest to that. 🙂
T-Buzz this is your answer
NO
YES
🙁
Agag,
Spot on. I totally agree that we have every chance of beating Barca. I absolutely love these wonderful big games and all the chat that precedes it on HH! 🙂
It’s a Cup match. Anyone can win if they play well and get the rub of the green.
;(
Time to pray for a miracle bcos thats the only way I see us knocking Barca out. That and if we do get them to stay at the Marriott and they all have the Lasagna special!!
Prayer and Lasagna i will say .
Just heard our injury crises is over everybody’s now fit for the Barca game
My sentiments exactly, RA. 🙂 I think we’re due an upturn in fortunes now. Besides, there is plenty of time yet for one or two or the starting 11 of the catluns to get injured. In addition, we have… Very little to live up too. Anyway, almost everyone has dismissed our chances. The pressure is off. 🙂
Robin and Cesc and Tv5 should all be fit then. And we have AA and Sami and Theo, too. Like I said yesterday… It can be done. Is victory over the stains probable? Not particularly. Is it possible? I don’t see why not. 🙂
AGAG you are wrong the pressure just began.
The pressure will be on the players now , they wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about the game now, i just hope this doesn’t affect the coming PL league games that might decide our fate this season.
Because nothing will make me happier than to shut Evra’s and Alan Hansen’s mouth for righting us off as title contenders.
I just hope Wenger can drum this into the players head to concentrate on the PL games and forget Barca for now.
I just hope Fabregas will be angry enough to punish Barca for not offering enough money to buy him last season and give a hall of fame performance to beat Barca in the two legs .
Now that is what dreams are made of.(Remember Arsenal vs Real Madrid 2006 DVD – get one).
😐
morning all…so barca it is, then. this is what happens when we casually squander a commanding position at the top of our group…we are not going to beat barca in either leg – not with these players, not with arsene. perhaps it is just as well…
plenty of tabloid garbage linking us with player x, and player y moving away. tedious, indeed…
Nobody expects us to win, SD. Our players should know we have nothing to lose really. We already lost face at Camp Nou the last time. 🙂 Ha. Cesc will give it everything, of that much I’m certain. Their insulting offer for one of the finest midfielders should be motivation enough to go show ’em.
i hope so AGAG!
Lets wait for Oliver to give us a dose of proper reality check.
Over to you Oliver!
Well summerized Oliver.
Oooh, heavy snowfall at the mo in London, getting that de javu feeling again!!
sd, i think our form, tactics, and display of vaunted “mental strength” speak more eloquently of our chances – read, “lack thereof” – against barca than i could.
as constructed, we are simply not set up to win a two-legged cl tie against a side such as barcelona. the evidence is there for all of us to see.
barcelona are a great, professional, all-conquering side. we are a perpetual work in progress.
O.k. Oliver summarized it all.
I am going to pray now.
God help us.
hmmm…i detect more than an undercurrent of sarcasm there…something perhaps even more sinister.
rubbish my perspective, fair enough. that is still how i see this…and i don’t think it is just me that sees things like this…
B*ll*cks 😉
Leave it to Lionel Eboue, white tights and all
Maybe my grandchildren will see us lift the CL Cup
hi again all, i’m with oliver, little to no chance… unless they pick up a few major injuries and all our players are fit…
the good thing is we won’t be expected to win so all the pressure will be off….
kelsey 😆
Personally i would much rather that we won the premier league and the league cup for a start, cl should not be a bigger priority than the league title
DK, I think that’s a good point, i’d like to add that i can stomach a loss, what i cant stomach is the way we have played so half-hearted during some matches and lost.
Back in a bit, few things to be getting on with….
Rico when you say half-hearted, do you mean the league or the CL? its quite frightening how teams like newcastle and wba were able to read our game.. we never seem to have a plan b and will cost us me thinks…
No Oliver you definitely said it all without using too many words.
The truth is that as much as i will like to be positive the reality is too daunting accept.
Do i think we can beat Barca ? No
Can we beat Barca ? Yes, under maybe, hiding under the umbrella of in life anything can happen.
No sarcasm just pure worry.
arsenalDK ; i am with you, we should just concentrate on the PL and get the Carling cup in the bag first and keep chasing Man utd for the title.
Who’s rubbishing Oliver’s comment? I thought it was straight to the point! 🙁
SD
I think that we should definitely concentrate on the CC as the opposition is weaker than us, so it is our biggest chance of silverware. If we could have TV, RVP and cesc on top form, we have a very good chance of winning the premier league, although as Wenger has said many times: consistency is the key, cause everybody seems to be throwing points ATM. But will the a small trophy as the CC be enough for us to kick start our trophy collection? time will tell…
we have to start there ArsenalDk even then we have to take the CC seriously because we have being victims of lower teams before.
I sense we might meet Birmingham in the final and they know how to wind us up.
I get your point SD,
it’s just such a shame, that we start to sweat when we here about meeting Birmingham..
you don’t have to go many seasons back, before we could say: YAY we’re playing Birmingham! 🙁
At least i have earned some quid after betting on us getting barca.now i’ll put money on us losing by 4 or more goals…
Bonjour Housers!.. So its Barcalooona, don’t kno about U all, but I prefer it this way – they’d be the out & out favorites, that means no pressure on Wenger’s YOUNG ‘uns. If we do progress to the semis this time (a guy can still dream eh?), no one can complain that we didn’t deserve to be there or that we got the luk of the draw… I also happen 2 think that our style is more conducive to playin the Catalans rather than Maureen’s team. If it had to be either Braca or Real, I’m happy we can look 4ward 2 a spectacle & not a dour cat fight over the mike!
K
make that 5 goals 😛
ADK i see us losing 5 nil at the camp nou.squid vs messi?…you’re having a laugh!
I remember cesc bossing the midfield at the Bernabeu against zidane.i wonder if jack can do the same at the camp nou…
On a positive note the game is all down to
RVP,Fabregas,TV,A.Arshavin and NAsri Fit and firing on that day.
But when was the last time we had all of them together in one game ?
jack at the camp nou?
that actually doesn’t seem inpossible…
So Bendtner is going on loan to Everton, he should have kept his mouth shut.
KT & SD, I’m actually hoping that Rambo would be raring & ready for the game at Camp Nou… Then we could bring Jack from the bench when we’re coasting 3-1 to the good
SD where did you hear that?
In the Dailys ArsenalDK .
Not confirmed yet.
ok sd, it seems that i misread the tone of your response. at least most of us seem in agreement that we are currently set up to lose this tie. stranger things have happened, but all the evidence i see suggests to me that barcelona will win both legs and brush us aside with little difficulty. i don’t think having the players we were missing last season (particularly at camp nou) will make that much difference.
the bendtner to everton is still speculation. he may indeed go out on loan – in fact, he might as well, since he looks a million miles away from getting an appearance in our first team – but nothing is confirmed yet. if we are really considering loaning bendtner, perhaps we should consider what to do about vela? he seems to have literally dropped off the face of the earth.
Who is Carlos Vela Oliver? 😉
Did any of you watch the FC Copenhagen – barcelona ties?
On paper, the weakest team in the CL gave Barcelona the hardest time…
Sagna is also missing the first leg…
Copenhagen can actually defend and are very physical.we on the other hand are quite the opposite.we have absolutely NO chance and if we can somehow win it will take a miracle and a very bad day for barca in the office.
You are actually making us look worse than FC Copenhagen? 😉 I live here, and to tell you the truth, they said to themselves that they had nothing to lose, and combined with that, they fought very well for each other… now if we could say the same thing…
dk, barca has also struggled with rubin kazan for two consecutive seasons – if i remember correctly, rubin actually won at camp nou last season.
i agree with k, that these teams are set up differently to us and play differently. i also suspect that pep did not field full strength sides against each of these two teams. i imagine that he will go full strength at least for the ems leg- and try to effectively finish the tie then and there.
barca are by no means invincible – nobody is…but going from there to predicting this current arsenal side will beat them over two legs is a serious reach.
several of the barcelona players did say that theo gave them more problems than any other recent individual player – in fact, i think messi made his comments in south africa when offering his opinion on theo’s non-selection for the england squad. so having theo figure more prominently – fitness permitting, of course – this time around may be a good first step for wenger.
barcelona do everything with and without the ball that we should, so having our dm and defenders push up will play right into their hands. a major tactical re-think will be in order for this tie. no endless passing like the table-tennis samir and cesc engaged in for a spell at old trafford…
i just only hope Barca will underrate us and get burnt.
That will be nice.
Or Wenger could decide to let loose the Carling cup team of JET, Lansbury, Wilshire, Vela, Walcott(main striker),Gibson and tell them to just run ragged and play as if it is their last game without any sentiment .
That could be something. This guys will play with spirit and without any respect.
If anything fabianski is made for this game.he has superb reflexes and he is a very good sweeper as barca love to hit through balls against high offside traps such as ours.
sd, i doubt they will take this arsenal side likely. they may – just may – be a bit overconfident after handling us as easily as they did in the second leg, and that may be something our arsenal side can exploit. but i think the chances of this are infinitesimal, to say the least. especially after they followed that win up by getting thoroughly beaten by inter at san siro.
i am not yet sure how i would approach this if i were arsene. i would try and keep it simple – no overelaboration or excessive passing. i would keep it as tight as possible – eschew an extra attacking threat in order to make sure we retain our shape, and that we have our players in position to win/clear the ball. as opposed to chasing high up the pitch in an attempt to win it back. most importantly, i would stress the importance of taking chances – when you get an opening, you must convert from it.
all that is easier said than done – especially against a side such as barca. nevertheless, we have to have a starting point, something more substantial than sending our players out there to “express themselves”. that alone will not get the job done – in fact, it will probably get us humiliated.
Boo….
DK, in answer to your earlier, both the league and the last 2/3 CL games, we were quite lethargic 🙁
oliver is more eloquent than i am, and we may well give barca two good games, but keeping a clean sheet in both games let alone one is a big ask.
unfortunately, arsene is already banging on about barca “not wanting to draw us because they will get a game.” yes, arsene – they will “get a game” against a side they know as well as any remaining in the competition. one that they handled comfortably in last year’s competition, one that they could have beaten by an even more convincing margin if they stayed focused for 90 minutes in the first leg. why wouldn’t they want to draw us?
sometimes, it is better not to say anything at all…
hi rico…kelsey, if arsene can change a few things around – prepare the players to execute a specific plan geared towards exploiting barca weaknesses, then we have a better chance than i am giving them. that is, however, still a small chance. even if we are able to do these things, barca are still miles ahead of us in quality, experience, and (most importantly) the confidence that only tangible success brings…
with all that said, we should try and give it our best go and see what happens. an upset is not impossible, just very, very unlikely based on what we currently see from these sides.
Hi rico.i’ll write a post about barca if its ok with you.if we beat the chavs our players may have belief going into that game.we need to get rid of our big game mental block before we face them.if we actually beat barca i would go mental!
KT, for sure thats fine, oliver, arsene needs to get his head out of the clouds….
Well i just hope Wenger can recognise the genius in himself.
He did it once against Rear M and Juventus.
Pack the midfield and play one striker that can convert just one chance to a goal and seal the rest of the game up.
But we don’t have that kind of striker anymore but on the other hand Henry will be available for 3months.
Is anyone thinking what i am thinking.
Bye for now see you on Monday
Oliver if i were Aw id watch both barca games against us last season for a dozen of times.id also analyze how they thrashed madrid recently.
too many maybees for me.We lack consistency and leadrship.We struggle to beat West ham and fulham quite recently and I can hardly enjoy a game anymore as i always think we will concede.
if we were 3-0 up I would relax but that just shows how vunerable we are, that i think like that.
We can’t close a game down anymore and unfortunately our strike foce is firing blanks at the moment.What we do without an on fire Nasri recently.
sd, i am not. thierry henry won’t help much for this – that bus came and left a while ago. i would trust a fit, confident and in-form robin to covert that hypothetical single chance more than anyone else we have right now. i expect we will get some chances in both match – because of the way barca plays as well, so it is absolutely critical we take advantage.
i agree completely that our midfield – entire formation, for that matter – needs to be tight and discipline. don’t be so worried about winning the ball back in barca terroritory. they are going to have plenty of possession regardless of what we do, so let’s not needlessly expose ourselves. keep everyone in position to win or clear the ball as it comes at us. when we get the ball, quickly counter – theo’s pace certainly did them, so attacking with speed of movement and thought should help. too often, we slow ourselves down by looking for the extra pass that is not there – get the ball, bring it at them quickly, and get our shot off. if we try the
“aimless fannying” we did at old trafford, we will inevitably lose the ball, and will almost certainly be out of shape and position – barca counter = goal. so be smart an direct.
again, easier said than done. especially for a team that has had this overelaboration seemingly drilled into them.
k, so would i. i would make the players watch as well. but there seems to be enough anecdotal evidence from inside the arsenal camp – starting with cesc – that he does not worry so much about what other teams do, but tries to impose our style on every team and situation.
nevertheless, he did at least try and adapt some things at old trafford, so i don’t think it is fair to say he sends the team out with no regard for who we play and what the circumstances are. i think we would just like to see a specific set of tactics and responses developed for a specific team and situation – i.e. barca in the cl. our chances of success in this tie are less than slim, but at least try and do something to exploit opposition weaknesses.
SD, have a good weekend, see you soon…
adapt mike d’antoni’s “seven seconds or less” philosophy to this tie, tailor it to our squad and players, and perhaps we have a slightly better chance…wrong sport in practice, but the concept might have some value…
oliver, i’d trust a fit, healthy and raring to go Theo Walcott to….
Oliver,
i understand your realistic analysis of our team and its prospects, but I cannot agree with your despondent prognosis.
This is football. Minnows have, and always will, fight above their weight and cause unexpected upsets. We are far from minnows, and I expect us, even though Barca have better players on paper, to give them a run for their money and quite possibly beat them.
We should be positive and upbeat and as Agag said earlier, a lot can happen between now and the first leg. 🙂
The other good news is that the Red Zone games are all being shown on TV here in the UK on Sunday evening. Again, I am keeping positive about the Giant’s prospects! 🙂
hi ra. how many times have we been burnt by these players – this manager – before? enough that, in my opinion, we should know better…
upsets certainly do happen, and it is not outside the realm of possibility for one to happen here. and it is certainly true a lot can happen – and that includes complete decimation of our entire first team squad, to the point that james shea starts in goal at nou camp. is that likely? of course not. but neither is us winning this tie…
i am pessimistic because i am going on what i see. a group of players that simply are not winners. a manager that continues to coddle them (such as focusing on the pitch at old trafford) and effectively absolve them of responsibility for poor performance. a group of players who, then the seemingly only thing they have been trained to do does not work, resort to endless passing back and forth, as if that will magically open up a way to goal. a team that (being chronically injured) is both physically and mentally unfit to turn a powerhouse such as barca over. a team that i fully expect to step out on the pitch with a collective “we’re in over our heads here” mentality – and proceed to wilt as soon as the first barca goal hits the back of the net.
is this not what we have seen all season so far? what exactly have the players given us that would fuel optimism?
they don’t eat lasagna in barcelona 😉
Optimism = over two legs anything can happen
Realism = we have little to no chance
🙁
isn’t that what i said, oliver (more or less)
Why not kelsey, maybe a poison tapas would do 😉
kelsey, they do in milan, however…
Oliver,
I cannot argue against your reasoning analytically, indeed I am sympathetic to your views and share many of them.
But trying to analyse football and arise at a prognosis for a future game is like a young guy fancying a girl but doing nothing about it on the basis, she is too pretty to be interested; she is too good for him, too smart for him, etc etc.
You can over analyse and use too much logic. Love and football don’t easily lend themselves to those things! 🙂
Look, this is only my opinion, and is obviously heavily influenced by my personal characteristics, but I could not support Arsenal and live in continual dread of the outcome of any individual game. I always look forward enthusiastically to the next game, even if part of me fears the worst.
All the things that you have mentioned that concern you, are not going to be resolved in the near future, and perhaps not in the medium term either, so enjoy what we have got. Compared to many, what we’ve got is a lot!! 🙂
I will compromise on my opinion.As the sleg ia at home and we don’t concede then we have a chance.
sleg is = first is
That’s more like it Kelsey! 🙂
All the meedjah and various pundits have written us off, so that’s when we can shock the lot of them, and win the CL.
Just watch!! 🙂
I guess we’ll never know the outcome until the after the two matches… i know i am almost wrioting of the CL for this season….
Guys, Gals, I have to go for the day, have friends coming for dinner tonight and I need to get my chefs hat out – be good all, catch up tomorrow…
Night Night all…
ra, you made a compelling argument for your point. if we do win this tie, i will be first to give credit to arsene and these players. our last watershed win was at the san siro two-plus years, 2-0 over milan, so we are due. like barca, milan were, at that moment, a side we had never beaten.
you can even hit me close to home with the 2007 super bowl champion ny giants – knocking off the 18-0 new england patriots for that championship…
still, i stand by what i said earlier – we have next to no chance to upset barca, as things are now. as you also pointed out, things can well change between now and the tie – but we have nothing concrete to suggest they will, in a manner that hands the initiative to arsenal, or at least significantly reduces the odds against us.
i am not going to live in dread of this tie – but neither am i going to inflate my expectations on the basis of nothing more tangible than hope. i shall, of course, reserve my right to adjust my opinion and expectations based on events that may unfold before kickoff. but going on what we are looking at now, there is are no basis-grounded reasons to expect we will win the tie.
Oliver,
I think we are pretty close on this.
You are right in all the key points you make, that is inarguable, but where there is life there is hope.
Between now and Feb we may change our respective positions and you may need to cheer me up, but I never like to let things get me down for too long!! 🙂
Nite Oliver.
http://jacksfootballopinion.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/why-arsenal-dont-have-to-worry/
ok, see you later ra.
if you are still here, the yanks just signed reliever pedro feliciano, who spent the last several years with the mets.
philly on sunday afternoon – need to win.
new post up