Morning all.
I can understand fans betting on football results, I really can. Going back to my childhood days, I remember with great fondness sitting down with my Grandparents and picking out games, or in their case numbers, on the Pools each week. It was all in fun and only cost them a few ‘bob’ back in their day, nothing was too serious about it although I suspect deep down they would have loved to win.
Reading the article stating that an Arsenal fan had bet his house, car and his wife on Sundays match was staggering! As we all know, we lost so if the Manchester United fan stood firm, the poor Gooner has lost a lot, or should I say, the lot! What a twerp and I strongly suspect he’ll not be doing that again….
Apparently the Arsenal fan has three wives so I guess he’ll be ok…..
Onto some serious stuff.
As expected, Per Mertesacker won’t be fit enough to play for Germany this Friday as he’s still poorly but if he recovers in time, he could face England at Wembley on Tuesday. I hope Arsene Wenger keeps him away from the German camp, even if his bug has gone by the time Tuesday arrives, a further few days rest would do him the world of good. We all know how much a nasty bug can take out of the body and we need him fit for Southampton, not suffering a setback in a needless friendly.
I’ve read mixed reports about Mesut Ozil, some of which say he’s fit to face Italy, others suggest he’s not. If he is fit, he’s only set to play in one match according to Joachim Low.
Another sufferer of the dreaded bug was/is Tomas Rosicky. According to reports, he is set to be handed a one-year contract extension at Arsenal, if he manages to play twenty-five matches for the club this season. Our Czech midfield maestro, who is in the final year of his contract is reported to have a clause in his contract which will give him that extra year one year, if he hits the magic number of appearances.
How much truth in that is anyone’s guess.
I’ll finish with a bit on Jack Wilshere who this season has faced a bit of criticism from fans and the media at times, why I don’t know as when he graces the pitch, he gives his all and that’s for both club and country. He’s clearly aware of this and has fought back:
It’s tough but last season I got back into the team, got fit again and had 30-odd games which was nice, and this year I’ve stayed fit so far and that’s the aim for the rest of season.
People are always going to criticise you and judge your performances all the time. They are paid to do that, so you have to concentrate on your own game.
It’s easy to forget what he has been through and it’s it’s equally as easy to forget how young he is.
Apparently Theo Walcott is back for the Southampton game, and Lukas Podolski……
That’s it for another day……
good day all residents.
i wish international breaks, mostly meaningless ones like this one would be put during off season or maybe during winter break.
its hard going through a weekend of no real footie!
thanks Rico for always giving us what to read…… even during dry spells
Ah the pools , £ 75000 .00 jackpot , enough to change your life , the saying of the people “If I win the pools” all gone now and taken Horace Batchelor with his foolproof way of winning them with them. A wednesday night ritual filling in the coupon before the collector arrived The hopes and dreams of a bygone age , one day I will write a book about it should I win the lottery.
“Spend. Spend, spend!” Vivian Nicholson. And she did. And then she died, in poverty. But I think she enjoyed the spending, while it lasted.
Did Wenger win the pools this summer then?
Boo! Haaaate these meaningless games.
rico, you’re right, what a twerp that AFC is.
afternoon Rico&all
thanks for keeping us posted even in this boring interlull..
great news about our injured ones coming back soon.
i wouldn’t bet with my house&car…but for the arsenal ..surely my
wife can go out of the window…lol
Good afternoon Lady, Sir, Gentlemen and Ladies.
just a bit of a hop whenever I can. Today I am a bit lighter from work, so a couple of comments will do me today.
that AFC fan is a real twerp. a dickhead if I may say so. A moron.
speaking of morons, cant wait to see the back of Bendy. I feel that when he goes a lot of negativity will leave the AFC camp. Better still….all the negativity will go.
I miss Ginge, Adam, Kev, Rico, WATH etc. Ahhhh…how can I forget Scottie, Dutch, and the rest.
Ignazio Abate???
Coach, your opinions?
I like Abate Kev. He is good (though nowhere near SAgna). De Schiglio is good as well and he is young. Personally I prefer Janmaat or Corchia to Abate. But the latter brings experience.
Santon is also good and he is premiership tested.
you ok Kev???
But I still prefer to keep Sagna as a back up CB while getting a new right back.
But I think that eventually AW will keep Jenkinson and promote Bellerin. That I think will be the eventual choice…..and they can alternate till one or the other finds his feet. Jenks needs games on the trot to get better. And I think that if he is loaned out to a french/italian club he will come back better than he is.
Cheers Coach…
Yes I am good thanks, very busy today…
Memory Lane – I remember the Pools.3pts for score draw 1 pt for nil nil. I think you had to get 21 pts or so to do very well.
Hopefully Ozil plays 1 game max. BFG plays none and we will see TW and TR07 back, with Poldi shortly thereafter.
I am at ease, still top, injured returning, and maybe purchase or two in Jan.
Cheers
AW please sign BAc to a 3 Year. Consumate pro and he bleeds Red.
Evening….
Good Evening Lady.
How are you??
Evening Devil, fed up with laptops but otherwise, fine thank you. How are you?
Hi Rico, Devil and all.
Quiet lately.
I am fine LAdy and Adam.
Good to see the fruit of your fingertips on the keyboard.
;A lull in the work and I am back. though its hop on and off for me at the moment.
Student Profiling is tough. But it sets me up for the next couple of years. I work hard till December, then I will be more relaxed from January onwards.
Evening Adam.
It’s very quiet, the international breaks have a lot to do with it I guess…
Roll on 2014 then devil 😉
Yes and no Lady. For the period between October and December is my favourite time of the year and the more it lingers on the better. January means that summer is not far away here in the middle of the Med.
I meant work related devil, will be good for you to get a breather… Summer is ages away 😉
Look at this……….
It seems that Arsène Wenger isn’t quite done with plundering AJ Auxerre’s youth team. After snatching promising U20 World Champion Yaya Sanogo in the summer for a staggering £0 due to the youngster’s contract expiring, Wenger has now set his sights on another talented player from the French academy.
According to today’s edition of Le10 Sport, Arsène Wenger has targeted Paul-George Ntep, a young 21 year old French-Cameroonian striker who, so far, has scored 5 goals in 12 games in Ligue 2 (36% of his team’s goals).
The article states that Arsenal have been following the striker for a while now, scouting the player on many occasions. However, over the past week, Le10 Sport believe the London club have made their interest official by contacting the French club about his availability ahead of the transfer window.
Whilst no official offer has been made, discussions did take place and Arsenal are reported to have mentioned a price they would be willing to pay for the player: around €10m. With Auxerre strapped for cash and desperate to balance their books before the end of the season, there is no doubt that they would be willing to part with their promising striker in January.
It’s worth noting that AJ Auxerre have a history in developing French talent. In the past, players such as Mexès, Djibril Cissé, Sagna, and even a certain Eric Cantona all emerged from the club’s academy before moving on to bigger and better clubs.
However, Arsenal are not the only ones interested in the young striker. Their closest rivals, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Lille and Saint-Étienne are all also reportedly following Ntep; but the two French clubs are not prepared to go over €6m for the player, which falls below Auxerre’s valuation.
€10m seems a bit overpriced for a Ligue 2 player, especially with the likes of Moussa Sissoko leaving France (and Ligue 1) for far less in the past, but if Arsenal are prepared to pay that much money for Ntep, who are we to judge? They probably know something we don’t.
Is he the answer to an attacking Kozzer???? 🙂
I’d rather he was going to ‘pluck’ a beast of a striker from another club….
I am off now fine folk.
I am knackered. Hopefully I will get another hop on tomorrow. But in the evening.
cu all my mates.
Night Devil…
I’m off too as it’s so quiet..
Night all…
Morning all….
Morning Rico
Morning Ts..
New post up now..