Morning all.
Team news ahead of Sunday from Le Boss:
The squad will be exactly the same as last Sunday. The only uncertainty we have is Alexis Sanchez who has a hamstring concern, and that will be decided on Saturday. He might be out for Sunday. The only [other] difference is that Gabriel is available and we’ll check him how he is physically but he should be alright to be available.
Well if there’s a slight doubt, I hope he doesn’t play and to be honest, if we can’t beat Aston Villa at home without him, then we really are in trouble. An injury to Alexis was inevitable at some stage because he’s played so many matches but he’s a guy who doesn’t want to be rested, he just wants to play but I bet he’s being saved for next weekend.
Danny Welbeck misses out again but the good news is, he’s back in the squad next weekend:
Welbeck is very close. He is really, really, really nearly there. He will be available for the Tottenham game.
Ok, we get the point Arsene, he’s nearly there…
Wilshere, Arteta and Oxlade-Chamberlain:
They are not completely there yet but they are not far. Jack should join in normal training in 10 days. That’s where we are at the moment. Arteta a bit longer.
New signing Gabriel is expected to go straight into the squad and Martin Keown has given his view on our No5.
It’s an interesting signing because it’s an area that Wenger has wanted to strengthen. It’s a big amount of money and if you spend that much money you would expect him to be straight in the team.
I think for Mertesacker there’s no room now for any indifferent performances, because he has had a few and still been in the team. In my day as soon as you had a bad game you were out because of the quality waiting in the wings.
There’s been a few times this season when he hasn’t been dominant or mobile enough. Paulista may have to be patient but he is going to get a chance and if he gets a chance he will stay in. But the question marks are over Mertesacker rather than Koscielny.
The German needs a dozen outstanding games to keep his place, but if he does, Arsenal will end up in the Champions League. And that’s the effect you want from any new signing. You want them to improve everybody’s performances.
I personally can’t wait to see Gabriel play, he looks a beast and his arrival should put real pressure on all three of our current centre-backs. He’s already said that his one aim is to get into the first team and stay there. Competition for places is healthy and it makes all those vying for a start to step up their game when they play.
A bad game from Merts or Kos and our Brazilian will soon be in, mind you, it took Arsene Wenger a bit longer to dump Szczesny on the bench and I hope he stays there this weekend too as David Ospina has barely put a foot wrong since taking his place.
Finally, Arsene Wenger has said this morning that there was nothing to tell re a new contract for Mikel Arteta but Francis Coquelin is 99.9% certain to stay beyond the summer.
Oh, and he’s quoted as saying he’s unlikely to make any further signings during this transfer window which is not good news..
Mind you, would he tell the media if he was? No, I doubt it…
That’s it for Friday, have a good one…
Good post, Rico, and some very good points made by yourself, and Martin.
Morning all.
Thanks Scott.
Funny how some fans think Gabriel is to help Kos injury, yet Martin Keown thinks Merts is really under pressure now…
Protect the defence, and they’ll be much better as the City game proved…
Yep, and that’s where Coquelin steps in….let’s hope he maintains form til seasons end, and the new lad can ease his way into first team football.
I hope so too and seems he’s staying put…
Morning All
This geezer looks like he can have it,
what we have seen of him..is all right side,
but he has a history of playing on the left at times,
Keowns about right..Merts has to up his game.
If only wenger would have made this signing july/august time,
and the coq showed a bit more..we could be up the top,I think.
With what we have the squad now looks balanced,
to mount a sustained fight of it.
Still think we lack a midfielder Fred…
I was very impressed with Coq rico,
he was quick in the tackle and closing,
winning the ball upstairs and stamina recoverier for the 90.
Not sure if wenger will buy another now.
Me too Fred, but not with Flamini and Coq can’t play every game…
Just think that if we have to rely on Flamini, Arteta or even Jack to take his place, we are doomed…
The reason we didn’t sign him in the summer was because Wenger was far too busy on French T.V.
with The World Cup when he should have been busy building his side up for this season.
“I NOTICE HE FOUND TIME TO NEGOTIATE HIS NEW FAT ANNUAL SALARY,I JUST DON’T
RATE WENGER.”
Beautifully bright day in London, but cold. It will be nippy on the barge that is commemorating the 50th anniversary of Churchill’s funeral this afternoon.
Steve, but at least he signed Alexis, Debuchy and Chambers…
Will you be on it Adam…?
Too cold for me Rico.
I’ll be on the sofa probably. 🙂
🙂 Adam.
Did you watch us nearly hash up that cricket match this morning?
Catch up later as things to do….
I missed it Rico.
Adam on the sofa!!!
That’s really hard to believe?!!! 🙂
Lucky you Adam.. 😉
R.I.P Vic Groves.
Evening all, looks like Steve is an angry man doesn’t typing in block capitals mean he is shouting and all that before lunch. 😉
We have bought 7 players this season and brought Coq back from on loan that’s a lot of players to integrate in to the team.
Perry’s uncle Bt?
RIP Vic……
Joe, Steve’s caps might have just locked as he typed…
7??
Yes Rico…..
Just seen on .com Bt, he had a good innings eh….
Sanchez
Wellbeck
Chambers
Dubuchy
Ospina
Gabriel
Bielik
Bielik is young but so is Chambers and he has done ok since signing.
You could be right on Steve maybe he is not angry.
We have spent about 95m on players since the start of this season that’s a big change since we started building the stadium.
Good innings indeed,Rico…
I forgot Welbeck but I wouldn’t include Bielik as a first team signing yet…
Still dreadfully sad for his family though Bt..
Evening Rico.
Evening Adam. It’s a cold one…..
So true,Rico…
Brazil v Chile at the Emms on 29th March…
Worrying thing is that I used to see him play regularly. Kind of brings home mortility. RIP Perry and family.
Really nippy out there Rico. I think I will have a lie down in front of the telly. 🙂
Mortality. Not motility or motability. .
Is it cold and snowing in London
Adam, you sofa surfers……
I’m doing the same Adam…
Potter, Kev prob thinks the same… Lol
Rico. Did you see that Dishoom got voted the best restaurant in London? It beat Heston’s place too.
Adam, just had this for dinner as an easy meal was required.
http://www.quorn.co.uk/food/ready-meals/green-thai-curry/
Lovely…..
Adam, I didnt, but I’m not surprised. Their food is really lovely, the flavours are so deep.. Nom nom…
Morning all.
Evening Scott..
Rico. That looks tasty.
Hiya Scott.
I saw that recipe, Rico, and something’s missing 🙂
Hi Adam…how’s things?
Ah but Quorn is that substitute Scott – don’t knock it until you’ve tried it 😉
Adam, I was seriously surprised how good it was. The kitchen now has a lovely lemon grass aroma….
Lol.
Fair call, Rico 🙂
🙂 Scott
The taste of Quorn is similar to real meat but the texture is not the same. I can eat it in a pie or mixed with the real stuff in a spag bol , but on it’s own no sorry.
I’m off for a bit of Friday night rubbish on the box…
Catch up tomorrow guys..
Night Adam, Scott, Bt, Joe and all…..
Potter, agree, Quorn is bland and on its own it’s awful but, I only eat it when smothered in garlic and other spices and like you say, it’s lovely…
Night to you too..
Vic Groves, he was captain og the first game I ever saw at Highbury. RIP VG. He had a violent left leg and foot, anything he kicked with it stayed kicked, ball or man!
Mortality, mmm needs thinking about! Bit scary really!
Evening all.
Vic Groves played in one of the best games of football I have seen.
With 2 brothers I was on the North Bank for the Busby Babes last game
which they won 5-4. a game never to be forgotten.
Scary thing Wavy he was youger then me.
RIP Vic.
Younger
Rick, please excuse my ignorance, I’m not quite as old as yourself and rico, the only Busby I remember was in the 80’s flapping around for BT !!!
rico, Alexis played over 70 games in the 2014 calender year, that’s pretty phenomenon in this day and age, he’s earned couple of sickies imho.
Rick , I saw that match too . A real see-saw affair ,3 -0 down and got back to 3 -3 . then United went 5 – 3 up before we got a 4th. I was 10 yrs old but at least I can say I saw Duncan Edwards play.
Potter, it makes you wonder what the England team of 1966 might have looked like if that ManUtd team hadn’t been wiped out on a Munich airfield in Feb 1958…
Would England have been contenders in 1958 and 1962???
Mind you, a successful England team needed the right manager…
Thanks to those Fcuking idiots in the FA, England never had the proper managers in the first place…
Darn snow!!
Morning all…
Morning Rico. Is it snowing there then?
Morning sitting on my 2nd Ryanair plane still haven’t left Dublin an hour hour and half late and still waiting.
I want to say FU*K 😉
Morning Adam, we had snowfall overnight, just enough to have to clear the chicken run earlier…
Good job we are playing tomorrow Joe, you might be there by then… 😉
Quite sunny here.
Morning
Rain and sleet here.
Lucky you Adam..
Where are you Wavy, county wise?
Oooops. It’s started to rain now.
Morning All,
Have you seen the pictures from the training ground,
Gabriel..Not saying his ugly..But his no bowl of fruit..is he.
Rico as women who the better looking..Him or Keown?
It is here now Adam. Good.
Keown Fred, by miles….
Morning guys.
Australia lead 1-0 in the Asian cup final…..cracking goal from a kid playing for Swindon Town, after Spuds sacked him as no good….he’s killing it 🙂
Rico, I’m still doing missionary work in the East Midlands! Near to a nationally well known all weather horse racing track. I’ll leave you to guess where!
Wavy. Is that near Loch Lomand?
The stats that confirmed Gabriel would be a good buy were provided by a company called StatDNA and were used to back up the reports received by scouts. They also happen to be a company Arsenal own, having purchased them at the end of 2012 for £2.165m. The American company has a large Asian-based staff that provides detailed data which they bill as ‘the world’s most advanced soccer data and analytics’. Ivan Gazidis, Arsenal’s chief executive, said of the company “The company is an expert in the field of sports data performance analysis. The insights produced by the company are widely used across our football operations.”
So another bite into the transfer fund and do their wages come out of the sum that gets reported by the press ?
Oh quote from Lady arse originally now picked up on News now.
We have a ref as “good” as anything in the PL lol.
Our player yellow carded for diving then stretchered off!!!!!!
Allezkev :- Walter Winterbottom was never going to pull up trees and the F.A were still caught up in shock after the Hungarians , Puskas , et al had run us ragged at Wembley. I just looked it up and 4 English players died and another 6 were casualties.
No idea Wavy… 😉
New post up now….