Daily Bits and Bobs

Draxler the last minute signing? Wenger hints that things are about to happen…

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

The transfer window causes Arsene Wenger a headache it seems but you know what, it causes the fans a bigger one. Perhaps because we’ve only signed Petr Cech so far and with just six days to go, tension is rising…

That’s fine, it’s expected as most of us just want a couple of players signed before the transfer window closes and hope then we’ve got enough to kick on through the season. Maybe we’ll even surprise others and get top spot in the league, the Champions League group too, although I can’t see it. But that doesn’t make me right, it’s just my opinion.

Opinion, everyone has one of those and are free to express them and that’s life in general, not just here on HH. As much as we fans are getting frustrated, let’s all remain civil towards each other. Argue all day long for all I care, but as soon as the mud slinging starts, if it starts, your comment will be binned. If it carries on, you’ll be binned for the day too regardless of whether you’ve been on HH for five years or five minutes. Comments in capital letters will be binned too, no-one needs to shout do they!

There’s plenty of websites around where it’s just a free for all in the comments section and I won’t have HH being one of them…

That’s that out of the way….

This is how it is for our next Champions League challenge…

Group F: Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Olympiacos, Dinamo Zagreb.

Not a bad group at all really considering who we could have drawn and thank goodness we only drew one club from Pot A. We should get through to the knock-out stages but Bayern will be a tough nut to crack for top spot, however, we’ve beaten them before so there’s no reason we can’t again. Just have to be smarter at home this time around…

This is how next month looks following yesterdays draw:

16th: Dinamo Zagreb   (a) CL
19th: Chelsea                 (a) PL
23rd: Tottenham          (a) LC
26th: Leicester              (a) PL
29th: Olympiaikos        (h) CL

5 games in 14 days, with 4 of them being away from home. That’s going to be tough. Tough on the players and testing for the manager. Rotation will be key as our squad depth as far as strength goes, isn’t that deep..

But that could yet change over the next five days..

Gossip:

Arsenal could make a late swoop for cut-price Julian Draxler, according to Tuttosport. The Schalke winger could now be available for as little as £21 million.

Arsenal will try and lure Denis Cheryshev from Real Madrid, despite his wish to stay at the Bernabeu, according to the Daily Express.

No gossip relating to a midfielder, but that doesn’t mean something isn’t planned to sign one.

Fingers crossed Arsene Wenger gets a couple over the line real soon an he’s hinted the last four/five days is when things start to get moving….

I am always confident that a last-minute situation or solution is available, because the transfer market is especially moving in the last four or five days.

So in other words, a game of dominoes could be about to start……..

That’s it for today, have a good Friday….

rico

121 thoughts on “Draxler the last minute signing? Wenger hints that things are about to happen…”

  6. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.

    I still say AW should get rid of MF and JC and sign a DM, a CF and two squad players. We need four new players, since MF and JC are just warming the bench. If we get a DM and a scorer we will be better. if those two are shipped on and two more squad players are added we will be much much better

  7. Hell Raising Devil says:

    AW is a man dammned and doomed.

    We get people saying that AFC have a soft belly and no one is tough enough to withstand the big boys.

    Then he puts Coquelin on and some steel is added.

    Now we get those ex pros and now arse spoken pundits and voila….Coquelin is hindering AFC’s attacking play.

    We never win.

  11. rico says:

    If you are referring to Carragher and Neville Devil, wasn’t it Santi they were having a pop at or both?

    🙂 Lee, it’s never happen. 2-1 away win with an own goal… lol

  13. frednerk says:

    Morning All
    I know we don’t need a young centre half but…
    As a so called big club we should break
    the bank for Stones…
    Being compared to John Terry and future
    leadership quality’s he has he could be
    the captain we crave for.

  14. Edmund Quigley says:

    “The transfer window causes Arsene Wenger a headache” Thats basically the same as saying ‘Drinking a full bottle of Vodka gives you as head ache’ #SelfInflicted

    I am one of Wengers biggest fans and respect the man so much!! but nothing changes regarding his Transfer policy his negligence in leaving things to the final days is a massive concern. Remember last season we started the season with 5 first team defenders?

    He stated 2 YEARS ago we lack a player of Vieria stature and still he hasnt done anything about it.. He said we need to score goals as a team, well it clearly isnt working (5 games of the last 6 at hoime we havent scored) weve scored ONE PL goal from open play.

    Its obvious what we need but all i will say is whoever help write Arsene Wengers interview scripts need to be sacked because there rehashing the same lines every window. We shouldnt have to tolerate it but we do.

    One of our biggest mistakes this window was Lord Harris though tbf, he shouldnt of stated what we have available financially thats leaves us open to ransom.

    Either way Arsene Wengers magic he wears a magic hat, just hope he pulls a Centre Forward and DM from it 😉 We need to build on what we have and not settle with what we got!!!

  15. allezkev says:

    Nice post Rico, like a plate of scrambled eggs, with a couple slices of bacon and a crusty roll… 🙂

    Draxler for £21 million?
    Could be a go’er…

    Chambers and Gabriel up at Newcastle…

    Yeah, I know that Chambers had a bit of a mare in the 1st half.
    Or so I’ve been told and that’s how it sounded on the radio, during the Liverpool game.
    But Wenger left him and although I didn’t see the game, didn’t Chambers have a decent 2nd half?

    If he’s gonna be considered one of our centre-backs, then I guess that he has to be given a chance…

    Bellerin had a sticky start, last season, but nobody would question his place in the team now..

  16. Hell Raising Devil says:

    I never said we will sign 4 players Lee.

    I said we need to sign 4 players for this squad to be complete.

    But dont hold your breath. we will not be signing them not even if we kop 10 against the barcodes.

    the maximum he will sign is only 2 and maybe a 3rd if a player suffers a season ending injury at NUFC

  17. allezkev says:

    Hi Fred, do you think that Stones is that good mate, just asking…?

    I’ve not really noticed him before, although if I recall he was a bit iffy playing for England…

    Even taking into consideration the extra you have to pay for English players, £40 million for a centre-back is a lot of lolly…

  18. frednerk says:

    As its friday..bit rude

    A bloke is in a queue at the supermarket when he notices that the rather dishy blonde behind him has just raised her hand and smiled hello to him. He is rather taken aback that such a looker would be waving to him, and although familiar he can’t place where he might know her from, so he says “sorry do you know me?”
    She replies “I maybe mistaken, but I thought you might be the father of one of my children!”
    His mind shoots back to the one and only time he has been unfaithful, he says “are you that stripogram on my stag night that I shagged on the snooker table in front of all my mates whilst your mate whipped me with some wet celery and stuck a cucumber up my rear?”

    “No”, she replies, “I’m your son’s English Teacher

  23. frednerk says:

    IF it was up to me kev I would.
    He looks a great prospect,the chav’s
    see the new terry so will try to break him
    with offers,
    It’s monoply money now mate.
    As that other Kev would say.
    I would love-it if we could nip in
    and beat the chav’s.

  25. Dublingunner says:

    Berahino to Arsenal so, Totts have signed a Striker.
    Well said Rico, re your post, I do like a Rico Rant !!!
    What about this Yarmelenko guy, few reports suggesting Wenger has Rang him personally
    Can the wiley old goat speak russian too.?

  26. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Bayer Leverkusen Rico, not Dortmund.

    Song hyun min plays for them. he is not cup tied for the champions league. so that is an added bonus.

    Hang on. they do not play in the CL. darn. that thought just floated out of my mind for a second.

  27. BT62 Gooner says:

    Rico, may i add we have Stoke at home four days before the Zagreb match, 6 games in 18 days, a right proper minefield…

  29. Hell Raising Devil says:

    I would love Berahino to AFC. Same with Austin.

    And honestly….I would love AW to go for Rodwell if he is not to go for anyone else. He is English, knows the EPL and can revive his career to what it was during his Everton days.

  30. Dublingunner says:

    Yesterdays tweet of the day, you,ve got to love it.
    Zlatan: “I would love to work with Mourinho, but not at a club where the stadium has more tourists than fans.”

  31. rogerbij says:

    Its all a bit much to take at the moment for me! I need to lie down. My most level headed Arsenal mate is starting to panic. That sets me off. And to put the cake on the cherry Chambers is likely to start at Newcastle! Worst first half performance in defence since the bad old days… Good luck for the day on the boards…

  34. rico says:

    Fred, Martinez has said Stones is going nowhere, perhaps we could get him in January. Like you, I’d love us to beat Mourinho to getting him eventually..

    Berahino would be a good signing imo, and Austin. Not huge names but do their job very well… Both English too…

  35. Hell Raising Devil says:

    What do you think of Rodwell as Coquelin alternative Rico? he is still young, 24. He can grow in the role as well. I rated him highly at Everton and still do even though he is plying his trade at Sunderland.

  36. Dublingunner says:

    In total contrast to what we,ll be going through
    Rodgers tells Sky: “You won’t need to be set up around here on deadline day. We’ll be quiet.”

    Apparently we drew Munich in the rehearsal draw too, that was meant to be.

  37. rogerbij says:

    They are both fair players Rico, Berahino especially. But the point remains that they wouldnt be starters, and hence I dont see how this will radically change our fortunes unfortunately.

  38. rico says:

    He’s ok Devil but not seen too much of him. Again though, Everton aren’t prepared to sell players so late in the TW apparently. Shows why leaving things late is risky…

  41. frednerk says:

    Hope the chav’s don’t get him rico.
    Rodwell about 4/ 5 years ago looked
    a good prospect,not to sure now devil.
    Berahino?….is he better than Tuba?

  42. Dublingunner says:

    Rodwell did start he,s everton career as a D,M. I think Moyes played him as an attacking mid, after a season, could he do a job, maybe with the right guidence and tutelage, that Wenger can bring, still only 24, but i think if Wenger was to bring in a D,M, it should be a more experienced player, maybe 28 that Coguelin can still learn from and not hinder he,s progression, but i think with Arteta and flamini still squad players, we wont see cover for Coquelin brought in.

  44. scottfromoz says:

    Morning all.
    So I appear to be one of the subjects of today’s posts.
    That’s fine.
    Lee, before I’m banned, I hope you accept that we are all square on our bet, as it’s obvious the man who wished Arsene would die in his sleep won’t answer my questions.
    DNA 1, Scottfromoz 0.
    Well played.
    Goodbye all.

  45. bob blyghton says:

    If we were to sign only one before the deadline I would like it to be a midfielder of Vieira’s stature. Long legs concede less free kicks with due respect to Coquelin and Flamini. They also cover the ground more quickly. Surely we already have enough up front and the goals will soon flow. Spending 40 plus million does not guarantee a 25-30 goal return

  53. Hell Raising Devil says:

    According to J Baird………Players in training today: Cech, Bellerin, Chambers, Gabriel, Monreal, Cazorla, Coquelin, Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez, Giroud, Ospina, Gibbs, Debuchy, Flamini, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arteta, Campbell, Da Silva, Agyei-Tabi, Malen, Nelson.

    note the new names……..promoted from within the youngsters.

  65. allezkev says:

    Lee, His Lordship is an eminently decent fellow and has justvbeen recently admitted to the House if Lords…

  66. arsenal11730 says:

    As Rico and BT stated – 6 games18 days during Feb. Time for AW to earn his 8.5mill and Rotate.
    Trying my hardest to remain calm for first 10 games and end of Transfer window. Then I believe we can make a fair assessment of the squads attributes and shortcomings. I will support wholeheartedly until that point.
    Our Love and Passion for the club is intense. It pains us Gooners when AW and his scouts miss the obvious weaknesses that need rectifying.
    Cheers

  70. Micko says:

    Act your age not your shoe size would have sufficed rico !

    Arsene Wenger “Coquelin boasts the best defensive statistics in European football”…….make of that what you will.

  72. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Draxler is avery good player but we need players for others positions.
    Monreal out?
    Totts new player is good.

  73. rico says:

    Bugger the stats, eyes can see what a good job Coquelin had been good for us…. Lol

    He could do with a bit of help though eh…..

  77. Gdna says:

    Gary Neville says Arsenal don’t have enough strength, power or pace to win title:

    “We cannot be blind to the hard facts of football over 30 or 40 years. Pure football has never prevailed, though I would be delighted to see it happen for Ozil, Ramsey, Sanchez, Giroud and Coquelin, who together can summon a great deal of technical ability but not much pace, power, height or strength. Giroud cannot challenge the space behind defenders. Coquelin is the only one amongst those who has any true defensive intelligence.”

    “I was asking Thierry Henry why there has been this big change from power and pace in the team to what I would call a wholesale emphasis on the more diminutive, technical footballer.

    “The definition of insanity, they say, is making the same mistake over and over again. My point was that the one black mark over Arsene Wenger is the change in the profile of players he has signed. I used the phrase “arrogant or naïve” – and the headlines that followed were all about arrogance. I was in no way trying to be disrespectful. It was more a statement of fact. If you refuse to change your ways – and those ways don’t take you to the top – naivety certainly comes into play. Only once against Manchester City last season have I felt that Arsenal adapted for the strength of the opposition with Cazorla and Coquelin at the heart of midfield. It’s whether this can become the norm.

    “I was describing the style, the philosophy; how they play – come what may, despite the evidence that suggests those methods won’t take a team to the pinnacle.

    “In my broadcasting life I hate to make wild statements. I like to protect my credibility and to speak what I see as the truth. I certainly don’t want to be seen as an embittered ex-pro sticking the knife into one of the great managers the Premier League has seen.”

  79. Adam says:

    Gary Neville surely cannot be so naive and arrogant as to think that his words won’t be jumped on by the inane urine and beer-stained members of the press. Can he?

  80. rico says:

    Surely not Adam…

    I thought Neville spoke sense and I could almost feel the frustration in his words as he spoke. I jumped on his words and probably because I’m peed off with the way the club are acting in this window…

    But in hindsight, naive and dogmatic are perhaps the best way for me to describe the way I feel about AW…

  81. Adam says:

    Perhaps Gary is just too open and honest but he should have realised that the words he used would become ‘the’ news story rather than a part of his whole general argument.

  88. Rick says:

    Evening Rico and the house,
    The U21 are at home to west ham tonight and after just 5 Mins
    are winning 2-0, Mavididi and Hinds with the goals.

  91. Micko says:

    rico, that Jm is a hard man to pin down.

    Who-ever comes in now at this late stage won’t have as much influence on the team as Cech this season, personally I admire Arsene’s sensible and prudent approach to transfers, it’s just a matter of time before the rest of the league catch up imo.

    Beer o’clock time, laters.

  93. Rick says:

    Rico Kev how things have changed.

    A year ago tonight the u21 played Wba
    There was a 16 player squad that night and only 3 of that squad are
    in tonights,
    4 have left 5 are on loan and 3 are with the first team

  98. allezkev says:

    Thanks Rick, the Dutch guys seem to be having a positive influence now they’ve been in charge awhile…

  99. Rick says:

    Full time 5-0
    Last goal Sheaf pen after Willock brought down.

    We go top West Ham bottom.
    Bad mistake George you should have stayed with us.

  101. Rick says:

    Kev it looks like there was some good news today.
    Last year we signed 5 young foreign players but there was something
    wrong with the initial paperwork and they could not play unti Nov time.
    We signed 4 this T/W and so far they have not played and Jeorge Bird hinted
    it was again paperwork.
    However Bennacer came on tonight as a sub and it will be interesting to see
    if the other 3 are in the U18 squad tomrrow.

  102. allezkev says:

    Rick, did you see that Arsenal have paid a fee to Ipswich for a 15 year old midfielder.
    Can’t remember his name, but he was being chased by all the usual suspects…
    Sounds a really promising prospect…

  105. Rick says:

    Thats the guy BT ,
    Scored a wonder goal last season and every one was after him.
    I wonder if the Hiles loan helped us.
    Have you seen Akpom has been selected for England U21 team.

    He has said I am over the moon.

  109. BT62 Gooner says:

    I saw his/team wonder goal earlier today, a well worked team effort from the back to the front.
    Well chuffed for Akpom, Wellington was booked and then later replaced by Heskey in Bolton’s 0-0 draw tonight. Rick,when i read about Harry C, i thought the same as you, perhaps Niles loan had smoothed the way for the deal to go ahead.

  114. allezkev says:

    Yeah Rick, I did read that about Akpom…

    Glad he picked England tbh mate, not for any other than selfish reasons, in that he’ll remain an English based player in our Arsenal squad and he won’t disappear mid-season for the ACN…

    Nigeria were really keen to get him, so it’s worked out well for Arsenal…

  118. allezkev says:

    Wonder who the centre-back pairing will be???

    Koscielny having a late fitness test I hear?
    BFG recovered from his chest infection?
    Or..,
    Chambers and Gabriel or a combination of all four?

    Giroud to lead the attack again or Theo?

    Ramsey on the right or Ox?

    It’s all in flux Rico…

    Anyway, I’m gonna visit my son today and see the boys on TV for the first time this season.
    And see my Grandaughter which will make it an excellent day…

    Lata

  119. rico says:

    I reckon it’ll be the same 11 as Monday Kev, barring Kos if he is passed fit. Then Chambers to make way…

    You have a great day, don’t let the football ruin it… 😉

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