Morning all.
Emmanuel Petit has been talking about his old manager, Arsene Wenger:
For me, he is a visionary and someone who is very pragmatic. He leaves nothing to chance, he calculates everything.
He approaches the job in a very professorial manger, almost scientific and that is of course very paradoxical for someone who didn’t want to pass his football manager diplomas and who always considered football as a second option.
He never had the intention of doing this job. Before, he studied economics and management.
I wonder if he ever looks back and wishes he’d taken a different path in life? Perhaps his bank account would make him realise he made the right decision. The man is clever, of that there is no doubt but I’m sure a job in economics wouldn’t have given him what football has, financially but then economics wouldn’t have given him all the abuse he’s had over the years, certainly not from the media and so called football experts…
Many of the media darlings report that when Liverpool arrive at The Emirates, Arsenal trio Mathieu Debuchy, Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere will be fit and ready to play having returned to full training this week.
For the squad, that’s good news but will any of those three walk straight back into the side?
Francis Coquelin is hardly likely to be replaced by Arteta. Wilshere, well I’m sure Arsene Wenger will treat him with kid gloves so I can’t see him being thrown in for such an important match which could be a feisty affair. Maybe the manager will be tempted to give young Hector Bellerin a rest and opt for the more experienced Debuchy but the young Spaniard has been playing so well, perhaps that would be harsh.
How about Debuchy at right-back with Bellerin ahead of him…..? Just a thought..
Germany kick-off the international friendlies tonight as they face Australia at home. Mesut Ozil is the only significant player involved for Arsenal – Podolski is in their squad too.
The transfer rumour mill is going strong.
The Mirror report that Arsene Wenger is hoping to finally get Chris Smalling signed up. The players contract expires in the summer of 2016 and a figure of £12 million is being quoted to be enough to see the player move to London. Well considering Utd are in the process of sorting out a new deal for the defender, I very much doubt Smalling will return to London.
Petr Cech rumours won’t go away either, he’s been quoted as saying he’s not prepared to stay at Chelsea as their number two keeper which is understandable. He’s too good to be sitting on the bench and at 32 years old, he’s got plenty of years at the top of his game left yet. I know him signing for us is unlikely as Mourinho will do all he can to block any such move but one can dream and if the player really does want to stay in London, then who knows what might happen…
Finally, it looks like Nottingham Forest have won the battle to sign Chuba Akpom, a deal which should be confirmed soon as the emergency loan window shuts tomorrow.
Enough of my ramblings, enjoy this sunny day all..
Morning all.
Nice work, Rico.
A little Daily Mail game! How much are you hated? Follow link and play the game, share it with all your friends! Enjoy. If it helps, I was HATED! So there!
Morning all. Sunshine and clouds here. Happy and sad by turns.
Will Ozil incur the wrath of our legendary leader for his night club pranks or did he have a 24 hour bug and the 24 hour limit had been reached? Or is it all a Daily Mail plot to unsettle our mega star midfield maestro?
Good hit Rico. Nail on the head again, in a no news period!
Morning Scott and all..
Thanks – it’s tough… 😉
Sorry, forgot to post the link! Silly me!
Here it is:
http://games.usvsth3m.com/are-you-hated-by-the-daily-mail/?fb_ref=Default
Enjoy
Morning, and thanks Wavy. I’ll let you know my results shortly 😉
Hated for me too… 😉
Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.
I enjoyed reading that post Rico.
Bellerin ahead of Debuchy????? that has been one of my thoughts for a long time. I see Bellerin’s development having the same trajectory as that of Bale’s. he is that good. I see him more as a winger than a fullback. Eventually he can develop as a right sided striker.
Last match he should have been bought on earlier than the 89th minute. I was screaming for that for the last 30 minutes or so. Solidity plus speed plus good attacking options.
I will vouch for that. Keep Debuchy and Chambers, sell Theo and put Bellerin as a winger. Quod erat demonstrandum……quod erat facendum.
Even Gibbs should be used as a winger imo. So keep Monreal and buy another left back. hopefully Cresswell. obviously alternate the wingers…..Bellerin and Gibbs should not play together.
But they are all options and imo should be tried as well.
Morning Devil, thanks – one could suggest similar on the left with Gibbs because he’s far too offensive to be a full back – imo of course
Rico, 9.06;
I can’t think of any keepers better than Cech – Well, I can but they’d cost five times as much as Cech… 😉
Me too Rico, but there has to be goalkeepers out there that are an improvement on what we have. We just don’t know them yet…
Not sure that we’d have to spend £50m on one either…
But if Chelsea hold up for £20m for Cech, and it’s quite possible that an English club would have to pay a premium for him, then I reckon that there has to be a dozen or keepers who we could get for that money, who are a lot younger than 33…
Having said/wrote all that, to me, £10m for Cech would be money well spent as Cech could go on, at the top level for another 6 to 8 years imo…
I’d have to agree Kev, there must be keepers out there who are better than who we have although Ospina is doing well, his height goes against him.
Just how highly Martinez is rated is key in our keeper situation. If he’s really in line to be our next number one, then an older/experienced keeper who is at the top of his game has to be a summer must surely with Ches going.
It’s been far too long since we had a regular match winning keeper…
£10 million for Cech would be one of the best £10 millions AW has ever spent…
tbh….I cannot see AW getting another keeper unless he sells Ches. And to be more honest even if he sells Ches AW will promote Ospina to the number 1 shirt, MArtinez as Cup keeper and Iliev as the third choice.
AW will rather spend the money elsewhere but not on a keeper.
With regards to the comment Kev made on how much AW has paid for a keeper its Ospina mate….at a little over Eur3. Then Lehman for a million and a half and then Almunia on a little less than a million.
I would sell Ches for aroun 11 million and then get Cech for 10 million. But he would have to share with Ospina who I rate highly.
Devil. Imo, if AW isn’t going t change our keeper situation, the best decision would be to change the GK coach and see if Ches improves.
I much prefer Ospina to Ches right now… Even though he’s under tall… lol
Afternoon all. I was hated but to be hated by Adrian Durham is a real honour.
🙂 Adam..
How did you achieve such exalted notoriety Adam.
Hi Potter. Hope you are progressing well. Rico pointed out a Durham ‘article’ yesterday. I glanced through it and it was just the usual stuff. Very, very low level of intelligence and appallingly written hate piece. Kev suggested I wrote a few words about him so I crashed my own riposte out but, upon reading it back, I thought it too appalling in its sentiments and unpleasant to appear on HH so I sent it to Kev and Lee for their entertainment.
I then took the survey, the link for which is above and discovered that I am too white and far too liberal, so I would be hated by Mail readers and hopefully their writers too. Personally I find Durham really repulsive and the thought of him, as a living breathing entity, brings a tiny globule of vomit into the back of my throat.
So you did write something Adam….
I did Rico, but it was vile in both concept and execution. I would be ashamed for you to see it as I know you are quite delicate. 🙂
That I am Adam…
I know Rico.
**cough** **cough**
Hi all
Skrtel banned for 3 games. Haven’t listened to Talkspite for years but Durham once confessed his boy was an Arsenal fan. Then again can you believe anything he says?
Indeed Lee… 😉
Hi Bob, good re Skrtel, one less thug to worry about for the Dippers…
Yeah, I also know Rico…
Great news re; Skrtel, or the Screaming Skull…
Steady Kev… 😉
I am looking forward to seeing the gleam of little Brenda’s newly whitened teeth as he licks himself on the touch line when we play Liverpool.
Adam, even a man as you, with your gleaming ivories has to admit that Brendan Rodgers had an impressive set of Hampsteads
Sorry Rico…
It’s all this sun… 😉
Kev. I have a soft spot for diminutive egotists who reinvent themselves. Like Brenda in fact.
Apparently Skrtel has posted a picture of clowns on his instagram account…..hopefully his ban will be doubled!
Coulrophobic Brudder? 🙂
Referring to the F.A in a coulrophobic way Brudder, bit like that flat-line that was on here a few years ago! 🙂
You want clowns????
I give you:
Steven Gerrard
And
Martin Skrtel
🙂 Kev, just been out in the sunshine with Fido. Got home just in time…
It’s raining here….
It’s not raining in London… 😀
Actually Rico, I’ve got my sunglasses on… 😛
I’ve just seen Adam in his cerise speedos……
It’s sunny again now 🙂
I hope no-one else has Lee…. Lol
Lee, that is quite a memorable image…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D5Sa2Yq-2g
Gerrard , Skrtel and Liverpool in general.
Oi!!
Don’t look in the mirror Adam… 😉
Whose Afam? 🙂
Just realised Kev and changed it. Didn’t want the spelling police on my case… 😉
Tumbleweed…………
Potter or Diaby, I know who my money’s on !
Only 10 days till our next game rico, hang in there.
I’m hanging in Micko……
Hell Raising Devil,y not one Latin tag or r u out to emphasise the point? As it happens i agree re the idea of Bellerin ahead of Dubuchy but one Latin tag will do, ta.
Rory, what do you mean re the Latin tag…?
Ah, the – Quod erat demonstrandum……quod erat facendum.
Night guys….
Bonum Nox, Rico
Morning……
Morning Boss Lady………….
Morning girls…
Morning Rico and all.
Morning Wath, Lee and Adam..
Just watching the cricket… 🙂
Morning Lee, no lingerie shopping for you then…?
Yesterday I posted that Adam was spotted in cerise speedos….. in fact it was Kev! Sorry for any confusion.
Perhaps both Lee…
Morning all.
Thank you Brudder for clearing that up.
Morning Scott, I thought you’d be in the air?
Also don’t tell anyone but Kev was the “arse” double in this advert…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp-3PGugBnk
That advert drives me mad – it’s on far too often…
There’s something disturbing about that ad and I think it might be Sharon Osbourne’s boat race. I think she uses the same Botox man as Moyes and little Brenda perhaps.
If you look closely, where her skin has been pulled so taught over her face her ears are now located in the middle of the back of her head!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/11494432/Mesut-Ozils-critics-are-ignoring-the-low-key-genius-of-Arsenals-crucial-player.html
You two boys can be so cruel… 😉
Hi Rico,
Saturday morning my time I head off.
The debate on Ozil is likely to run and run. He is clearly a different kind of player. Watching him live is always interesting and even more so now others are giving him more room.
Hi Adam,
He’s nearly unique in world football.
Not that I watch a lot of non Arsenal games, but I can’t think of anyone like him.
Poetry in motion, to my eye.
Bit like Gervinho…
Oh he’s unique, Lee, no question lol
Silly me Scott, I thought it was Thursday you went…
Nearly rid of me, Rico. 🙂
New post up now..
🙂 Scott..