Another quiet day in the world of Arsenal…
Theo Walcott travels to the Euros without his family nearby as they fear of being on the end of nasty racist ‘stuff’ and support has come from Joleon Lescott:
It is shame we are talking about it, but I think we always will be. Theo is a vital member of the squad. He is likely to play a lot of games and have a big role in the team. It is a shame his family won’t be able to go and support him and it is a shame they have to make that decision for nothing to do with football.
I understand it though, if they feel it is going to be a problem when he is out there.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s family has followed suit, they too have opted not to travel to support their son for the same reasons. That must be a hard decision to make for both families and it’s a decision that shouldn’t have to be given thought should it? There is no place for racism in life, let alone football.
Must be hard for the black players in the England squad too, wondering if the guy at the back really did make those comments to Anton Ferdinand and a reason why John Terry’s court case should have been heard and finished with before this competition!
Finally afc.com had some news yesterday, not ‘breaking news’ or anything as exciting as a player signing but they filled the website with confirmation of the Bould & Banfield promotions and both had a bit to say:
Steve Bould:
All of our kids have to be technically sound and able to play and that is the basis we all work off. First and foremost is the philosophy of the football club and the manager.
There is a brand and philosophy that we have to play, that is No 1 whether it is youth players, reserve players or first-team players.
Neil Banfield:
I am absolutely delighted, it is a dream come true, to think I am now going to be first-team coach… well I pinch myself sometimes. I am really looking forward to it.
Banfield said that when he was called into the headmasters managers office he thought it was merely to explain why he had not been given the assistant managers job but:
Then he told me he wanted me to become first-team coach, and you could have knocked me over. I was a bit gobsmacked to be honest, but after the initial surprise and sense of achievement inside, I was just delighted.
Banfield says that while his role may have changed, the players know what they can expect from him.
We have had a good relationship with all of the younger players who have come through at the Club – being in and around things will hold us in good stead.
But we can’t get away from the fact we are in a results business, winning leagues and cups, and there is a different edge to it. We are now coaching to win games, and that is a different mindset.
I am demanding but patient. One of the biggest things is being honest with players. They know they will get honesty from me, they won’t get any flannel: it will be straight down the line, good and bad. They know I am trying to help them.
I like what Banfield had to say more than Bould,
We can’t get away from the fact we are in a results business, winning leagues and cups!
Yes we are Mr Banfield, now go and tell Arsene that will you!
Have a good day all….
Morning all…
Pep is ready to return to work 🙂
Reading?
Nah, they have McDermott 😉
Did you see my update on the SS1 AW thingy Lee?
yep, I have staying days and leaving days…….today he’s mostly leaving! 🙁 Got Podolski and sniffing around Giroud…..
Good Morning Fine Folk of the St Totteringham’s Faith.
If Giroud is in than that must mean one of two things……..either RVP is going to leave or else we will be changing formation.
My take is that RVP is going to leave.
Morning all.
“I’ve said repeatedly that Tottenham are my first choice, but the talks haven’t progressed,” the centre-back is quoted in the Daily Star.
“They have shown me around, I have met all their key people and their chairman came to meet me on Monday.
“But Arsenal want me too. They remain a possibility if my Spurs move falls through, as Ajax are asking €15m for me. That is a lot of money for someone with just a year left on his contract.
“I’m sure Spurs won’t be able to pay that much after they missed out on the Champions League.
“Ajax want to get as much as they can for me, while Spurs want to pay as little as possible.
“I hope a deal can be done. But I won’t fight with Ajax, that is the last thing I’d want after so many good years with them.
“England is my preferred destination. But if needed I will see out my contract and leave on a free transfer next year.”
Vertongen quote, why the f**k would his first choice be the Spuds??!!
Today is ‘he stays’ in my mind 🙂
Morning devil, formation change 🙂
New men in Banfield wants us winning, its all looking rosy… cough
Agree Lee, my thoughts on RVP swing daily. Like you today is a ‘he’s off’ day.
Coach, I concur…. say £25m for a 29yr old with an injury plagued career that’s just had the season of his life, too good a deal for AFC to turn down! As long as he’s replaced like for like…..we can’t go through another season with one quality striker, can we?
Hi Lewis –
because they can give him first team footie each week, where as with us he will have to prove himself, a man with a bit of fire in his belly would accept that challenge, not shy away from it…
i still see the chavs or citeh snapping him up…
If the new men coming in have even an ounce of the ability at coaching they will be working heavily with our defensive unit and asking Wenger, Gazidis and co to Strengthen.
In my mind he is always going to leave. If he stays he will be a bonus
Good point Rico, if he’s not up for the fight of breaking into our back 4 then we don’t need him.
Then it is a win win situation, IF RvP is replaced…
Lewis, in Bould and Banfield we have two very good defenders in their day and between them they can only improve things.
Pat Rice, for all his qualities and loyalty, stayed 2/3 seasons too long imho, everything just carried on as it was at the back and it was almost like the coaching had run out of ideas etc…
Things can only improve, we can’t and won’t concede 49 goals next season….
Half that amount is a title winning defence.
Got to feel sorry for Ruddy, just called up for England and has now broken his finger – Jack Butland has now been called up, a keeper we are reported to be after….
Who is the better defence coach between Bould & Banfield?
It seems they have got both because Wenger needed help and major surgery in regards to the defensive side.
Who will coach the reserves and the u-18’s?
Would love us to bring in former players…..
Agree there, that kind of goals conceded is relegation material, good job we were able to score a few 😉
Can’t keep having a player exodus every fucking summer, stop paying pricks like almunia etc £50k p.w and start rewarding our quality players! It’s hardly rocket science is it? We can/could easily afford a Hazard type player’s wages if we redistribute what we are paying our dross!! Come get your finger out IG!
Would love us to bring in Keown…..he’s intelligent, extremely passionate and will help the team out a lot. Would like him to be assistant manager with the reserve team or u-18’s and when Wenger leaves he can brought in as defensive coach.
What is Pires doing nowadays? I’m sure he would love the chance to come back to Arsenal. Bring back Parlour too.
Mark Chamberlain has been talking to Sky and he was asked how Alex is getting on training with the England Internationals….
‘I’m sure he’ll be just fine, he trains at Arsenal with Internationals all the time’
😛
RVP is not the be all and end all. one day he will have to retire. DB10 left, TH14 left, came and left, and all the times we survived. And we will survive whether he stays or goes.
Imo I will always sell players when they are 29/30 years, especially if they can get my club good financial pay off. Imagine buying RVP for 3.25 million and selling him for 25 million when he is at 29. Imagine buying Campbell for 1 million and selling him when he is 29 for 25 million. These are all profit making. The thing is replacing them with quality. Now if that quality comes from the academy better still. But if it is not forthcoming than at least try to replace it with the same or better.
In itself the AFC method of getting them young is good. Its when it is taken to the extremes that it fails. So imo yes do promote, but when a player who came up from the academy is not up to it, replace him. A good coach can easily see whether or not he can cut the mustard. And a professional coach will know beforehand whether or not that youngster will make it.
Lee
I dnt think policy of selling your best player is going to stop until Kroenke changes his mindset and until we pay off our debt. The sponsorship renewals will help to pay it off faster.
Dont know who is the better KM, just glad we have the two of them, now get Keown in to teach the youngsters how to defend at an early age..
Thats when they need to learn
Here here Lee 🙂
http://www.setanta.com/ie/Articles/2012/05/25/Midfielder-rules-out-Gunners-move/gnid-143199/?
Hazard confirms that we’r not even in the running – ouch! Wenger followed this kid for ages and now we’r not even going to let it go. Why didn’t he get him earlier!?!?!?!?
It means more than just that though devil, arsenal are and always will be bigger than any one man but it always seems we sell the best, thats what i don’t like….
My own view is that had we bought right over the last few seasons, we would have been winning, and with that players would be staying, not looking to leave….
RvP could easily play at the top for 4/5 years, i’d much rather that was with us….
Good KM, no man is worth £200K a week….
I wonder if there’s any players from the reserve team or the u-18’s who are going to be promoted to the first team squad nxt season?
Anyone know?
We never keep our best players, how are we going to be the best team? It’s a revolving cycle.
#stilldepressed
I think Afobe is the most likely to make the step-up – don’t really see room for anyone else.
Rico
I honestly believe if we had a better SQUAD we could have won the league this year. We have a good 1st team but have failed to strengthen the squad……I find that strange…..the manager should be able to straighten that out over the last few years.
I think the only role where we have proper cover is CM, where we will have Arteta & Wilshere. You have an experienced pro at the top of his game and then a young gem Wilshere. That is the way to go but we lack in the other positions.
Afobe is the only one i can think of KM, but he could really do with a loan, as could a few of the reserves…
Hi Romford
KM – had we signed the players we did on DD 6 weeks earlier it would have helped, they were all thrown in after the OT result and expected to gel from the start.
We all know that doesn’t happen, had they all had a pre-season together, we wouldn’t have suffered that horrific result….
And – we really need our signings done and dusted by the day the players return for pre-season training….
Rico, he may not be worth £200k pw but add up how much we are/were wasting on Squill,chammug,nb,jd,waiter,denilson plus others, it’s a fucking joke!
It’s like AW’s corner cutting buys over the years are the problem….
Hazard made those comments a few days go,before the “mystery” fourth club appeared….we don’t even know for sure if it’s us.
As I said on here overnight,Vertonghen would settle for us only if Spuds cant get the deal done.
He’s a lifelong Spuds fan…..at least it’s not about money or CL for him.
I don’t know what to make of him……he’s loyal to a club he’s always love,so that’s a positive.
it does,however,raise the question of would his heart be in it if he came to us.
Lee – you are right, i know we totally over pay that shower of s***e, it is indeed a joke, talk about reward rubbish…
i have a feeling this wage structure won’t continue though, once this lot of mediocre players are out the door….
Scott – JV has also said that he is prepared to see out his contract and leave for free, that no doubt is a subtle warning to Ajax to lower their asking price….
Lee,was RVP a higher profile player than Denilson when he signed?
They can’t all work out.
Devil, having watched that video, Giroud reminds me quite a lot of a certain forward rumoured to be leaving us…..
Good morning/eveningorwhatevertimeofthedayitis Scott. It does not matter if Vertonghen is a spuddie. Bergkamp was a spuddie but he is an AFC legend. Bale is a gunner, but he plays for the spuds. Twitchy Redknapp is a Gunner but he works for his pocket.
RVP is a Gunner…..but that does not stop him from demanding extreme wages does he. If the club pays me just two weeks of what he is demanding I will be off to coach there like a shot.
So is he whoring himself Rico??
If Hazard said it,everyone would be all over him.
They can’t Scott, but that is Wengers downfall, he doesn’t get rid of them quick enough, instead, he persists with them and gives them new contracts…
Lewis……….there are moments when I feel like that also. So its not only me then. But those are simply the goals. At least Giroud does drop deep and help in midfield like RVP does.
Lewandowski is who we need. Or Thomas Necid.
Devil,as I say,I give him credit for wanting to play for a club despite no CL football and no massive wages,but id rather not hear him say he’d play for us if he had to.
All players say the same old things, it’s the ugly side of the game, they and their agents ultimately want the best deal for their own pockets…
The difference with Vertonghen is, he doesn’t want £200K a week which for a player as young and untested in the PL as Hazard is, is a joke in my book…
Lewandowski is on Fergies transfer list i think devil
I’d be more than happy if we signed Giroud, especially if the deal meant Chamakh went the other way…. 😉
Rico,I read yesterday that Almunia kept 70 clean sheets out of 175 games for us.
Reading comments on here over the last few months,he’s the worst keeper ever to pull on an Arsenal shirt.
Chamakh WAS a very,very good player early on…RVP comes back,he’s sown the bench and loses all momentum and form….Gooners would have me believe he’s the worst striker EVER to pll on an Arsenal shirt.
I hope you see my point here.
Sure they all can’t work out but why do we hang on and pay them astronomical salaries?? Any other top manager gets rid of them sharpish or is it because AW dosn’t like admitting he fucked it?
Denilson was the Brasil U19 captain I think and rvp was Dutch footballer of the year when he joined…..
So Denilson had at least as good a profile as RVP then.
Rico,the 200k a week has only been mentioned in the last few days,so it’s not relevant.
So the other 105 matches he let in goals Scott – its not about the ones he saved, its about the ones he let in, most were soft goals which he should have saved and they stick in fans minds…
Chamakh had a good start, we can’t deny that, but we are in the here and now and he is shocking, he has no confidence, doesn’t want the ball and appears scared…
He has to go…
Morning, if Arsenal are you’re second choice team the door is to your left and mind the gap as you leave the club. Not everyone who comes has to be an Arsenal fan but the club has to be their first choice or else don’t sign them. If you have to demand first team football to sign so are not confident enough to come in and prove you are the best and take the place don’t sign for us please go somewhere where you’re mediocre attitude will be rewarded.
We’re other clubs in for Denilson when we got him?
Imagine if we’d refused to pay Ox the same as Utd…Wenger wild be copping it for being too cheap.
If Ox does what we expect,Wengers a genius.
If he never,ever improves,Wengers a dunce.
All im saying is its easy to sit back and complain,but I sit back and read,and I read a hell of a lot off comments telling me no matter what Wenger does,he’s wrong.
The difference is Lee, one wanted to go on and learn and become better, the other just stood still and didn’t a lot of effort in….
Whats the relevance of comparing RVP and Denilson’s profile? Denilson is shit and should never of been given the game time he was, imho. AW needs to be more ruthless with under-performers….
I read about his wage demands a while ago, so of course it counts Scott – Hazard has been a long term target for Wenger, how do we not know that afc contacted Hazards agent and was told about how much he would be expecting to earn?
RICO,I’ve read 1000 times that Chamakh was not good enough for Arsenal,and has always been shit…….and I’ve read it on here.
On Almunia…….how has our defence been over the last few years,because everything I read tells me it’s been shit for years…..
hi vernat – i can’t see wenger going in for JV now, even if he was interested in him, he’d know how much JV’s comments would naff of fans….
Denilson came to afc young and with great potential, he failed to live up to expectations long ago, thats when he should have gone, not be rewarded with a new bumper deal….
The reason I complain is because I’ve been paying £1300 (stopped last season) to watch players that aren’t good enough to play for Arsenal.
Lee,his profile and popularity dictated his wage,which,in turn,dictated that it wasn’t easy to get rid of him.
How can you say it’s not relevant?
I stand corrected hen RICO,because the first I heard of the 200k was when Citeh went cool a few days back.
On here Scott, most say chamakh started well but faded, he is not good enough if we want to win, there is no place for sentiment in sport if we are to be winners – he’s not young and learning, he should be at his peak….
like i say, we are in the here and now, what he was like two seasons ago, means little…
Again,not for one second am I suggesting Wenger hasn’t got an average squad due to his choices,but it’s not as easy as everyone makes out getting rid of deadwood players.
Our defence has been poor for years but that is because wenger has bought some awful defenders, but they can’t be blamed for goals sneaking in at the near post, flapping at simple crosses etc etc.
Almunia has gone, good luck to him, but i’m glad he’s gone….
Rico,most have said he was never good enough.
Rico……this year we had a good goalie who did not flap at simple crosses, did not have coals sneaking in at his near post etc etc
And still we let in 49.
It would be darn easy if we as a club didn’t pay very average players such a high wage…. Its not selling the players that is the problem, it’s getting them to take a drop in their salary.
Which shows that they are more interested in their wage packet than they are their football career….
I’m glad he’s gone,too Rico….we’ve got better now.
We’ve definitely got too many players on the books.
Best off having ten less,with better quality throughout.
I can only speak for myself Scott, and i have always said that he started well, then it all went downhill…. For him and us, he is best out of afc….
Almunia, Denilson, Fabianski, Chamack, Bendtner, Park, Squilly, all have two things in common……..they are all derided as being not good enough. And secondly…….THEY ALL HAVE BEEN BOUGHT IN BY AW.
Rico,how many players,or plain old workers,would be prepared to uproot and go elsewhere,whilst earning less money to boot???
Nobody I know would.
Scott, Denilson joined in 2006 surely he’s not on a 7yr contract? So he has had a contract renewal, NEVER should of imho!
Yes devil we have on both accounts, but it’s not often we are left thinking ‘bloody ches, he could have got that’ etc etc and he is still very young.
Almunia was/is at an age where he should be at his best, and some of the goals he let in were shocking. If only he could have permormed more like he did during our CL match against Barca, one great half which kept us in the tie….
Sadly though, he could not sustain that level….
Coach, the point is AW hangs on to the players too long….SAF just doesn’t do that…
Lee,I honestly don’t know when it was renewed,so can’t comment.
Exactly devil – and there are many more you could add to that list..
Scott – you cannot compare the two, ordinary workers as you put it don’t sign contracts like footballers do. Had i performed at a level some of our players do in my own profession, i would have had three warnings and sacked…
Do we all know the nuts and bolts of clubs like we do our own??
I’d bet very club has players they’d like one but can’t due to wages.
That is the shit of it all………he hangs on to them too long.
I like the Italian way…….two in two out every summer, and sometimes every January window.
Sept 2009
Denilson signs a new long-term contract
Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce that midfielder Denilson has signed a new long-term contract with the Club.
His contract must expire 2014, that must be why no further loans, now to sell him whilst we can get a few £’s
Rio,you’re asking them to cop a pay cut when they have a contract….that’s ridiculous.
Bendtner…..go away and cop a paycut.
Why,I’ve never been given The chance to prove myself as I’m a striker and have been played as a winger….why should I lose out?
Don’t rant about Wenger being at fault for that….thats a different issue again.
Rio,was everyone complaining then?
No Scott, i was answering your comparrison to the real world and performances in the work place, in the real world they’d be sacked….
No they wouldn’t Rico.
They do go through retraining,counselling……
But again,they’d say I’m not working in the position was hired for.
Nik, Vela, Denilson & Chamakh have all made it clear they want to leave – so, to do that they have to give a bit…
That is the reality of it….
I agree with you there,100%.
Ryo is not on £50K a week, and he’s a kid – time will tell what happens with him.
That ‘i’m not playing in the position i was hired for’ is very very weak Scott, they are footballers first and foremost.
And as for the training, they train every week, but obviously don’t seem to get better 😉
Didn’t AW say not too long ago, that his current squad was the best he’s had whilst at Arsenal……well there’s hardly an orderly queue forming to buy what we want shot of, is there? Deluded man….
He did Lee, not sure he meant in quality though 😉
Jeeze, even Sunderland don’t want Nik, doesn’t that just say how crap he is, and now he has added a few brushes with the law to his CV….
When he signed
Squillaci
International defender, twice top-flight league winner, double national association cup winner, league cup winner, champions league runner-up and team of the year player.
And how many players have played better in there second season? Denilson in 2009 was not a bad player, the stress fracture to his back put his development back. Chamakh again last season not bad, this year lacking confidence but i could see why he was kept.
AW is like a mad professor….who in there right mind would of played Russian roulette with just having RVP as our only striker for a whole season, with his previous injury record?
What can he say Lee…he bought them.
Rico,I’ve heard you bag Wenger plenty of times or playing strikers as wingers….
But he was 30 years old vernat, how can a player at that age be expected to come into the PL and get to grips with it?
Players younger than Squilli struggle, we’d be better off looking to the Championship for a 4th choice defender rather than overseas…
Rico,where did Vermaelen come from???
Where does Vertonghen play???
See what I mean….nothing Awenger does will be right.
Forgot Kozzer…
Yes I have Scott, I don’t get your point?
Yes, not playing them in their ‘proper’ position is simply stupid imho, and yet another of Wengers downfalls – but, again, I was answering your idea of a defence for the player should he face one of the three warnings before out…
And how old were they when we signed them Scott, not 30 years old and over the hill….
Warnings…….we’re certainly mixing up the conversation here lol.
They wouldn’t Lee, Wenger got lucky 😉
Read your last sentence Rico…nothing on age,so you can see my confusion.
You never know with any player of any age from any country.
Every signing is a risk,and hindsight makes things simple.
Denilson thought he was the next Gilberto, to an extent he was, as they were both slow 😉
The difference was, Gilberto could read the game and was very good imho, Denilson couldn’t and his lack of pace exposed him…
Oh, and Gilberto knew how to pas the ball forwards 😆
We kept on asking Arsenal to sign experienced players Rico, and at 30 i don’t think it was to much to ask. My point is people are deriding the players that aren’t good enough (but there were reasons for signing them or extending their contracts) Also what proof do we have that if these players were not on the payroll we would pay higher wages?
Scott – read my first sentence, it says he was 30 years old 😉
vernat, but PL experience would be a lot safer at his kind of age… imho of course
Petit (left back) turned into a midfielder, Henry (winger) turned into a centre forward, Lauren (midfielder) turned into a right back,
Rico you could have put the AC Milan back four (best defence ever?) in Arsenal shirts all in their prime and they still would have conceded goals because there is no cover in front of them.
Every signing is a gamble/risk – of course it is but, it’s Wengers job to know when that risk has been a sucess or not – not just carry on dishing out new contract and high wages for fun.
That is why we are in this situation right now, we can’t offload players easily because they are on long contract and their wages are far too high….
I’m just talking about Squilli vernat, don’t get me started on the midfield and Song and Ramsey 😉
Can we get you started on RVP and Jussi Rico?????
Nice thighs!!!! 😉
I agree not adapted sell him, and i think he will do well in Spain or France. But i can see why he was kept for the second season. windies two down at Trent bridge having elected to bat
Ok,last comment tonight,as we are going in circles.
Plenty seem to think managing is a simple job,and running a club is a no brainer.
Sorry,but I don’t pretend to know 1% of what goes on behind closed doors,so will never,ever presume to know better than Wenger,or any manger of any football club,regardless of the level.
I do,however,know that negotiations aren’t as simple as simply writing a cheque to buy,nor putting a for sale ad on the net when waning to sell.
It’s easy to forget that players are all of different temperaments and personalities,and they’re represented by bottom feeders known as player agents,each of whom could care less where their player plays,as long as they’re earning him a commission.
Before anyone tells me that they’ve never said managing is easy read any topic and you will have endless attacks on Wenger…..proofs in the pudding.
Night all…..early start tomorrow,and Seany says hello.
Tomorrow we have the radio station broadcasting live from the game,so the kids are pretty excited.
😆 devil
Nighty Scott – you are just to soft on our players and manager 😉
Good Night/morning/orwhatevertimeitisnow mate. Sweet dreams Scott. 😉
am watching the cricket too vernat…
cricket????? nahhhh. boring.
Football and handball for me
Handball 🙄
eveninh’ all! For you Agag, an all Led fans
I like handball, its fast and fascinating
And my cousin is in the women’s national team…..so there must be something in the family
I prefer listening to it on the Radio Rico, don’t like sky’s commentators. TMS much better coverage, working so handy but I will watch the pictures on TV and listen to commentary on radio.
Whatever RVP is to do, pray to God that Inter enter the race for his signature, because usually they pay over the top and up front. So if he is to go he should go to the highest bidder…….Inter. They paid Ibrahimovic+40 million for Eto’o.
Same here Vernat. I do not like my country’s commentators and usually I switch on to Italian TV. If no Italian TV is showing the game but there is a radio commentary I switch on the radio and see the game on a soundless TV.
Hi alan
I recall you telling us about her call up devil 🙂
I’m the opposite vernat, love the boys on Sky covering the cricket, especially Mikey 🙂
Vertonghen……….I’ve said repeatedly that Tottenham are my first choice, but the talks haven’t progressed,” said the centre-back, as reported by the Daily Star.
“They have shown me around, I have met all their key people and their chairman came to meet me on Monday.
“But Arsenal want me too. They remain a possibility if my Spurs move falls through, as Ajax are asking €15 million for me. That is a lot of money for someone with just a year left on his contract.
“I’m sure Spurs won’t be able to pay that much after they missed out on the Champions League.
“Ajax want to get as much as they can for me, while Spurs want to pay as little as possible.
“I hope a deal can be done. But I won’t fight with Ajax, that is the last thing I’d want after so many good years with them.
“England is my preferred destination. But if needed I will see out my contract and leave on a free transfer next year.”
Its like telling a girl that if the one you want turns her back she is next in line.
PISS OFF VERTS.
I’ll see your whispering death Rico and raise you a Master Blaster Sir I.V.A.Richards on the radio
ol Verts is after every quid he can get, or maybe, His manager is getting every quid Vert can get 😀
I am off now mates. I might not be on today. But hopefully tomorrow I will be on afternoon.
Sunday my last league game.
I am glad to see the back of the league this year.
cu all Fine Folk
cricket eh! Excellent!
That’s harsh devil 😉
Ah, but I got Beefy too vernat 😉
Laters devil, have a good one…
Dempsey wants out of Fulham…..
Beefy, great cricketer, lousy commentator, is doing lunchtime on TMS with Sir Viv should be fun to listen to. What do you think of signing Craig Gordon ?
bowling times. Quite interesting this, so I think
Who signed C Gordon?
No Alan, should we sign C. Gordon
He’d be a good buy for the money
Not sure vernat, rather have Jussi…
And much rather Beefy any day of the week, he’s one of my heroes…
PHIL BARDSLEY last night claimed Europe’s bargain buy of the summer is a Scot and whoever lands Craig Gordon will be getting £9 million worth of quality for free.
Sunderland full-back Bardsley has been assured that he’s in boss Martin O’Neill’s plans for next season when the Black Cats aim to push for the Premiership top
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/322313
Gordon is only 29 Rico, could have 5-7 years left easily.
great bowling by Curtley
He may be a bargin but is he really that good?
Not being awkward, I just haven’t seen him play that much….
he has spent some time injured
Surely we have signed someone? Afternoon good people.
Thats what worries me alan…
Afternoo goonster
Hi mama bear, giroud? Really? Oh well i have my reservations.
Not Giroud goonster, Craig Gordon, he suffers injuries…
Devil are you crazy? Denis a swampy? How can you say that? God a spud? No way! Take that back you ninny.
good afternoon
Hulk – Chelsea 50 millions euros?
I’m quite sure RVP will leave.
Dutchgooner can help us in sign Verthongen… 🙂
He was a very good goalkeeper until Jermaine Defoe stamped on him and broke his arm.
Yeah but a lot of folks are clamoring for him yet few have seen him play…who does this remind you of? Oh well i ve been wrong before.
Hi Adam, where have you been? Still waiting for ya big guy.
Afternoon Adam and JM
Didn’t realise that about Gordon…
What makes you so sure JM?
Defoe is a mug of the highest order though i heard he’s arsenal through and through.
Hi Goonie. I have been holding watching brief. Been busy at home and only worked a bit here and there. I am still coming though it might be to Haaften first. Do you know it?
Who goonster? Gordon or Giround 😉
Something tells me we have mvilla in the bag. Remember how it all went cold on podolski too. Even wenger denied when questioned about his interest in the German. Its the same with mvilla. Two weeks ago it was everywhere in the media that we ve signed him. Then it went cold. Finally wenger denied it. Coincidence? I think so.
Gordon was on his way toward being one of the best GKs in the PL and then Defore did him and he lost his place and has struggled since then. As per usual though Defoe went unpunished. He buys clothes, like a number of Spurs players, at my friends shop. He loved Ian Wright and always wanted to play for Arsenal apparently.
Must admit goonster, all that stuff earlier this month about M’Vila seemed a bit too ‘strong’ for it not to have some kind of substance – but i also read that Yaya wants to leave City and M’Vila might replace him….
However, M’Vila wants to play for a french coach 😉
Yeah i do Adam. Rico, giroud! A lot of folks have barely seen him kick a ball but they join the bandwagon claiming he’s class and we should sign him yet one misplaced pass later they ll all call for his head. All am saying is YouTube ll make anybody look good, even my dead grand mother!
I can see him leaving them this summer Adam, Arry doesn’t play him enough….
Ah but goonster, the reason everyone wants him is Chamakh could be going the other way in the deal, now that’s enough to get anyone excited 😉
Me too Rico. I saw that bloke Kaboul in my friends’s shop a while ago. He reckons Arsenal would be finished if Wenger left. I laughed when he said that. He is very tall with an extraordinarily odd-shaped head and drives a matt black Mercedes.
Chamakh has been going the other way for a while Rico.
He really said that Rico?
Then its a done deal!
Kaboul really said that, what a buffoon he is Adam 🙂
But that could mean Blanc goonster 😉
😆 Adam, since LV wasn’t it….
Nope Rico, its wenger!
Calm down stanley 😉
Time will tell eh….
I think he’s trying to unveil two or three players at the same time, hence the delay in announcing.
Guardiola, says he wants to be seduced by his next club, Rico obviously a Job for you.
I am ma’am. Wait for it.
Yep a job for Rico and agag!
Afternoon vernat…
You wish goonster, we’ll be lucky to get one more in imho…
😆 vernat – i don’t want him to be our manager….
Afternoon Gooners.
Afternoon Rico. Good post.
Calm down Stan.
What’s all this talk of seduction?!
What’s Lee been up to now???
Arsenal in for Hazard???. Don’t make me larf…
Afternoon Goonster, why not Rico?, successful, style of football is good and brings youngsters through.
Just read that M’vila is having a press conference today in around half an hours time …..
Diaby…
Vertonghen might be a scummer, but i’d still take him.
I’d like an arsenal man vernat….
Rather than some one with a track record? Cant think of any Arsenal or Ex Arsenal person managing with as good a record.
What has Pep done though before Barcelona?
Keown and Bergkamp would be my choice but hey, we have Wenger for a few years yet I guess 😉
Afternoon Charlie, you went into moderation again 🙁
Keown and Bergkamp have not managed full stop, big ask for them to go to Arsenal and manage
It would never happen vernat sadly – so i’ll be kept waiting 😉
M’Vila’s agent suggests that there is no interest in his player from us or any club in the PL…
Martinez has been offered the liverpool job…
All quiet here now so i’m off for a bit… laters..
Martinez……you,ve gotta love the scousers. jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez.
Be funny if he turns it down but if he takes it he’l be gone by Jan and regretting it.
sport international news:
Tottenham is very close to ensure the hiring of Jan Vertonghen, central defense of Ajax for 12 million euros, according to British newspaper “The Guardian”.
The President of the English club, Daniel Levy, was on Monday in Amsterdam to discuss the negotiations with Jerome Slop and Henri van der Aat, respectively CFO and commercial director of Ajax.
The Dutch club want 15 million euros for Belgian international, 25, who has admitted wanting to leave for Spurs, which may help in achieving the business.
Hi thorny, JM
The BBC report that the JV to swampies deal is very close 🙁
Evening all,
He’s going there Rico no doubts about that, if we had been at all interested we would have put an offer in and at least made the spuds dig a bit deeper
Evening Steve
think you are right, we really couldn’t be looking at signing him and he knows it. So he’s had to settle for second best 😉
Hi Steve, will he be the new Rebrov, who also picked the wrong club
Never mind we still have Squilly
I actually wonder if Ajax are hoping we still do make a last minute bid 😉
To tell the truth Vern if i was him i would go there as well, we have shown very little enthusiasm and Spuds have played some great football this year and signings like Vertonghen may help keep some of there players. We at the moment are a fcuking joke.
Having said that Wenger has stated that he would never keep a player that doesn’t want to be here
I don’t know Steve, lets wait and see, he hasn’t played in this league before and better players than him have struggled over here. Will be interesting to see who we buy, i do believe we will get three more players in, if we don’t then questions need to be asked about the club and the direction it is going in.
I have a sneaky feeling JV will be very very good 🙁
Vern, you have a lot more faith than i have at the moment i only hope your right, I believe it all depends on who we move on before we buy anybody, and i hope i’m wrong 🙂
We spent 40+ million last season (i know we brought in 55) which for Arsenal was a sizeable amount. This season 12 on Podolski if we spend another 25 on three players that would be 80+ in two seasons which with some good yongsters a year older should see us considerably closer to the league and cups.
Vern, i love your optimism
I said on here until the 1st September my glass is going to be half full, after that we can judge what is happening and where we are going.
Last summer
nasri – £22M
Cesc – £35M
Clichy – £7 M
didn’t we sell a couple of kids too?
£65m
What did we spend?
£30 – 40m??
more like 45 Rico,
Ox =12
Gerv =11
Arteta =10
Mert =7
Park =3
Jenks =1
Campbel =1
popping off for dinner, back in a bit
And it was reported that the Barca fee is paid over four years so we don’t have all that in the bank to start with, would i have liked them to have spent more maybe one more player at 5 or so to add depth but we didn’t spend chicken feed.
Vern, coaching will be a huge benefit to us if we can get them diciplined we have the makings of a good team but against quality players it will show Quality and experience will overcome good youngsters
Lansbury Wilshere coqu Ramsey Rosiski Arteta the ox Frimpong Song and people reckon we are in for a midfielder i think not
I agree Steve and we cant just rock up to grounds and go we are going to beat you because we aren’t as good as we used to be and the gap between teams is not a big as it was. I don’t believe that the ref’s help us zero penalties at home all season but we need to be able to switch formations depending on who we are playing and we need a collective WILL from the squad to buy into the ethos.
If we don’t win but we see that effort and desire then you’ve done all you can but too many times we don’t see a collective belief and desire from the team and that just plain pisses me off.
Vern, I am still pinching myself if i speak the truth, apart from a handfull of games this is the worst Arsenal team i have watched for quite a few years, i know people will say we couldn’t have been that bad as we still made top 3 and that is why i am still pinching myself how the hell did we do it mate.
Well a little Spaniard who brought heart and balls and skill helped, for starters. Arteta, Sagna and Kosielny just embody what we used to stand for, not superstars or world beaters but 100% every game. Add in RVP and Theo’s best season production wise, we aren’t far off being a very good team not as talented as some of Arsene’s teams but a bloody good team who can beat any one on their day. Get rid of the Bendtners, Arshavins and anyone who is not on the same journey as this squad and we wont be as far away next season and will suprise a lot of people.
Steve you list all those midfielders but I seriously think we need a beast of a defensive midfielder! We have just conceded 49 goals and that’s embarrassing for a club of our stature!!
Vern, I see Arsenal as an unfinished Engine it may run erratic but with the right parts could run a lot smoother but where the owner has to decide on whether we buy the genuine parts, or does he buy the cheaper option, you know as well as me that the cheaper option is not guarenteed where the genuine part has been tried and tested if you want to be certain of a smoothe running performance you go with the genuine part and that is the story of Arsenal in these very lean years at the end of the day you only get what you pay for.
The point i was trying to make Vern is that with all those midfielders which one would you sell to make way for a beast we cannot keep on adding midfielders so some would have to go remembering of course that a lot of these have been trained in the Arsenal way which seems to be so important.
Sorry Lee that last comment was for you
For me Lansbury & Diaby have to go plus loan out Frimpong…. I just watched us beating the yids 5-4, Viera was a beast and imho that’s what this team needs!!
I’d also buy baines as we are weak there…..
Morning all.
How is everyone….full of optimism and anticipation???
Did you get the job today SP?
If it turned out like you say Lee, you would have my vote. I must admit though Diaby if he had a season of good health could be a Viera. But as you say his record is he has to go
There he is….. Morning Scotty! It’s like a roller coaster my Arsenal emotions at the moment and the windows not even open! Keep getting suckered in by all the media drivel that’s spouted…..
The job is not ready Lee, so very hard to price a job when all you have is open space i said i’de go back when its a bit further down the road. could be a goer though 🙂
Arsene interview on sky sports 1 now!!!!
Evening or morning Scott
Fingers crossed Steve!
Hope he aint going to UTD
Arsene said he’s confident RVP will be playing for us next season!!!
Quality parts for an engine, i can see what you mean but i think what we need is to not buy into the next great player syndrome (Hazard, Goetze, M’vila ) etc… they might be good but it is a might, veron struggled here, schevchenko, morientes, just because you play well in one league and in one style of team does not guarantee that you will somewhere else
I know what you’re saying Lee….it’s a painful time or us all.
How are you Steve?
Cheers Lee 🙂
Yeh not bad Scott, Your old boy seems to be getting on ok
Copa del rey tonight……
Old boy?? It’s 5.15 am here,so I may be little Slow off the mark lol.
I just read a really interesting,well thought out and well written article.
It was from a non-Arsenal fan,just an observer.
His main point was that M’Villa signing would keep us,the fans,happy,but wouldn’t necessarily bring to the club what we need.
He pointed out the plethora of central midfielders we already have,and that it could be a luxury buy.
On the other hand,he reckons Giroud is exactly what we need.
Apparently,Giroud loves the fact that we have a French influence already,so would be delighted to join us.
Not just that scott but he is a different type of striker from the look of him, and i would like to see him and a centre half come in an TV moved into midfield with Arteta would give us that drive and energy that we sometimes miss
I meant your boy playing football,
Sorry Steve….
I spent five minutes last night quickly showing him what a step over was,and he’s straight onto it…….did it better than I ever did. He’s bloody incredible and is at me all the time to teach him.
Trouble is,I wasn’t much if a player,so can’t teach much lol.
Vernat,I’m with you on Vermaelen playing midfield….he’d be a gun.
Evening….
vernat – still £20 m keot in the bank 😉
Lee – or try and sneak Enrique off the dippers 😉
Now have to walk the woofa as its cooler, back in 30 mins….
When i used to play, a mate of mine used to be able to flick a ball behind his back and backheel it over his head he also did it in games. i have never seen a pro do it and i tried to learn how to do it , i spent hours and hours practicing and never done it once, what a way to beat a defender.
He’d be an upgrade but I prefer baines…. I just hope bouldy can halve the 49 we shipped!!!
Off down the pub, Have a good evening.
Enjoy Steve!!
Steve,I saw a highlights package of Hazard the other day…….not that I want his sort of personality at the club,but shit,the tricks he has to beat a player are the best I’ve ever seen….the guys is pure brilliance. What a shame the rest of he package let’s him down.
Having said that,some of your tough defenders in he league might just want to pin his ears bak when he ones over.
The reason I got onto the step overs with Sean was that a pro coach was telling me the other day that he had nine year olds who’d almost perfected it,and that’s a massive task.
Everything I’ve shown the kid has been lapped up thus far,so I tought I’d try it.
First one was good,tenth was perfect…all in five minutes.
Have a pint for me.
I’ve got the In laws here for the weekend…may need alcohol to ease the suffering!!
evening all!
Verthongen is ours or not?
Time for watching la Copa del Rey
Come on Athletic ! 🙂
Morning JM…who knows on Vertonghen….it’s a bloody soap opera!!
Enjoy the game…catch you later.
Boo…
half time…. barcelona 3 Athletic 0
Morning Rico.
How’s the weather over there….bloody cool here,winters coming.
Could be 10 by the end JM 🙂
Evening Scott – its cooler now, but been 28c all afternoon – nice 😉
Thats me done – catch you all tomorrow…
Nighty and stay safe all….
We’re copping very cool mornings,but lovely,warm days. My favourite time of year,except no games to watch!!
Rico, your definately governed by the seasons, winter time the curtains are drawn at 5.30, the logs are on the fire and your snuggled up in front of the tv for the evening, summer time your burning the midnight oil at both ends.
Hang in there Scott, there’s always the 2003 Invincibles dvd to fall back on.
😆 Micko – just about to switch off and caught you…
That is my kind of day Scott …
Nite rico, don’t forget to put the chickens out.
Def gone now, nighty guys….
6am Micko – nighty to you too 🙂
Micko,Arsenal fans have it easy.
I was born in Parramatta hospital,so have followed the Parramatta Eels since birth.
We haven’t won a trophy since 1986!!!!!!!
I still can’t believe that we made 3rd this year. Remember the start …it was an unbelievable finish …all be it a stagger toward the end. But Arsenal don’t do thing’s easy we make it as hard as possible. This year was no different. Thank God for St Totteringham. Every year we must celebrate that day.
Smudge, can’t be bothered to post one one of your dodgy late night video clips, your one lazy git !
Scott, count your blessings, you could have grown up supporting Accrington Stanley.
Catch you tomorrow.
See a guys,off to the boys game.
Micko it’s as if your in the other room! Video’s coming up cos I have it on good authority that rico worships them.
I have a soft spot for the Irish but with little bit of luck the England will do it for RICO!
Don’t knock these buggers!
Hazard, Gotze, Vertonghen, M’Vila, all those most popular new signing rumours, who we’ve spent the last 12 months or so speculating about. Looks as if Arsenal are not going to get any of them…
I have often said this one was a song for us HH guys and girls
Charlie George aka AK
It has started to become sicki in term’s of M’vila will not say that he has signed for us. Even though every one knows he’s signed but Wenger will not allow it to be announced. . He will delay the announcement so much that the enjoyment of a new signing will be completely gone.
This is for you guy’s the guy’s who love who I love you know what i mean!!!
Yes little willie sends them silly!
Has M’Vila signed then Smudge???
Not sure about that mate.
Hope you’re right, but i can see no logical reason for delaying the announcement of his signing, if in fact, he has signed…
Why announce Podolski and not anyone else?
If the club really wanted to ‘put down a marker’ for next season. Then Wenger would have announced about 3 top signings and Robin would have signed.
All this delay just points towards things not working out!
Imho of course. 🙂
Charlie
i Have heard that m’villa has Signed about two weeks ago but the thing the really pisses me off is wenger. |its happened finished but still wenger doesnt allow it?
If Giroud does sign, then how does Wenger fit Giroud, Podolski and RVP into the team?
Podolski hasn’t joined us to sit on the bench.
Giroud wouldn’t want to be a bench~warmer either!
So would Giroud’s arrival signal the end for Robin?
I hope not.
Of course you could say that the arrival of Giroud & Podolski is just to replace Chamuck & Park..?
Where would that leave Joel Campbell if he got his work permit?
Mind you, 4 quality forwards would be a nice problem to have..!
Just as long as one of the four isn’t Kalou…
Charlie
Not the end of the world that at 29 (one good season) does go?
Even though RVP is quality.
If he goes we need quality midfield brought in such aS M’VILA KAGAWA?
Charlie i have been told that rico really loved this shit!
Smudge, we’re swimming in rumour at this time of the year. Agents are working like Dervishes, in an effort to secure their clients a juicy move and a juicy commission for themselves.
I’m very sceptical about some of these stories we here going around. I was a bit suprised at how early the links to Podolski were revealed.
Not like Arsenal, who seem to revel in the misinformation that does the rounds.
But i hope you are right all the same.
My favouite team is Arsenal
My favourite band are these fuckers
!!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBZ1HTkGF4s
Smudge, i’m on my phone, so i can’t see your vids.
Rico does love a bit of GlamRock.
Glitter in the hair, platform boots and tartan trousers.
Music that makes us feel 16 again. 🙂
Well, for me that Slade… 😀
Shitty done the business and what can a young boy say?
Righto, i gotta get some zzzz’s in Smudge.
Night to you.
Afternoon Scott.
Morning Lee.
Yea Baby last one of the night unless you want more?
listen rico’s favourite band.
has Micko would say Yes Fuckin Yes!
Mother told me yes told me I meet girls like you!
I am not a frequent gezzer on HH but I am a LG stalwart(kwik fit) and I have had a good time with rico and she pull her knickers up after do you know what I mean?
Rico the sun always shines on TV
Rico this is Dave Barrem What a gezzer . Remember When!
HH can you believe that arsenal finished third cos i fucking can’t, And yes I prayed but Wenger has got an ego bigger than my cock,
And My Cock is really Big!
this song is for rico cos i fucking love her
POUR QUR
http://le-grove.co.uk/ ( ITS KWIK FIT)
tHAT GUYS A FUCKING HERO.
yOU BET YA!
Yes listen to this rico it’saslmost as good as terry scott and june whitfield happy ever fucking after1
i
pOUR QUO
YES KIDS ITS ALMOST TIME RICO I COULD FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU IF YOU DIDN. WATCH IT BABY
Boooo!! smudge, what are you on?? 😀 😀
These days, I have time to blog only when nobody’s home. 🙁
Agag,are you on???
I think Smudge was indulging in a wee tipple for the last few ours,and his taste in music was obviously distorted by it…must have been pissed lol.
Anyway,for all Gooners.
I saw an interview with Wenger on tele earlier…not a transcript or a journos version,an actual live interview.
He said that he’d be absolutely amazed If Van Persie WASN’T playing in the Premier League next season,and he’d be even more amazed if Van Persie WASN’T in an Arsenal shirt.
All this was said with a knowing smile.
It led me to eleven the deal is done but the games are being played for some reason…….can you guys think of one???
Anyway,just seeing the interview convinces me he is staying.
Morning all….
Morning Rico.
Morning Scott –
that i/v is the subject of todays post so i hope you like it 🙂
i watched it here yesterday morning….
Morning all, to answer one of your earlier questions on why Wenger doesn’t announce our signings but did with Podolski. Correction Podolski’s Agent and club announced it and Wenger had to confirm when asked. thats What i read anyway
Morning Steve
You are right, Pod’s club announced that we had agreed to sign him, but there is another deal that was done, which no-one knew about for a couple of months, and that is the one in todays post… 😛
We’ll have to talk about something else in the meantime 🙂
Just nipping off to walk Fido whilst it’s cooler, back in 30 mins ish…
Morning Rico, you little tinker, have you been holding out on us 🙂
😆 Steve, no, it’s ano old one so don’t get excited Steve, all will come clear 😉
Back in a bit ….
Just looking back on your 7.20 and i don’t know if it was the same interview i saw Wenger said that Robin would play in the premier next season and in red and white, he didn’t say an Arsenal shirt surely not Sunderland 🙂
Rico you have me intregued, but i think i have it, does he ski 🙂
Steve,you loony nark.
They’ve turned you lol.
Mathias Suarez???
.
Going out for dinner now….catch you in a few hours.
I’m as mad as a hatter Scott, they wouldn’t let me out the pub last night. tough man 🙂
New Post up 🙂