Morning all.
I was chatting to a friend yesterday about this subject and it made me wonder whether this really could be the last transfer window Arsene Wenger gets to sign players for our club. His contract is yet to be renewed but whether that’s his decision or that of the board is unknown.
Yesterday he said:
We believe in ourselves and we are determined to give our best, absolutely, and to turn back on the season at the end and think we have given our best.
That’s all he and the players can do from now until May. We don’t have the depth/strength in our squad that the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea have but if our players can stay free from injury and continue to show the kind of defensive spirit they showed at Newcastle, anything can happen…
Adam said something similar to this on here a few days ago.
Our season will probably pan out in one of three ways:
1. We sign no-one in January and come May, we end up with nothing again but come close, very close.
2. We sign one or two players in January, but still end up with nothing.
3. We sign one or two players next month and go on and win the Premier League, FA Cup or Champions League.
Ok, maybe there should be a 4th, which is by some miracle, we win something with the squad we have and Arsene Wenger looks back and smiles with a tad of arrogance…..
I’d be seriously amazed if the 4th option came true as just as the injured are coming back, others are picking up little niggles, the latest being Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil, both whom are very influential to our side and our style of play.
Because we lack depth, rotation has been a problem and certain players have featured in too many fixtures and having just gone through a hectic Christmas schedule, we are likely to suffer more injuries.
To date, Wenger has got lucky when it comes to Olivier Giroud. Somehow he has always managed to get up from the knocks he’s received and stayed fit but until his goal on Sunday, his performances have dropped off. By that I mean he’s not been scoring enough goals for a leading striker.
Yes he works hard for the side and carries out a lot of good work elsewhere on the pitch but he’s our main man up front and he should be scoring goals and it’s not like he hasn’t had opportunities. His dreadful miss against Newcastle summed up his recent performances.
I’m not trying to suggest he’s not good enough for Arsenal, of course he is but he’s not a clinical goal scorer.
If the coach wants me to rest, he can do it without buying a new striker.
Lukas Podolski is having a good comeback. Theo Walcott can play as a striker. We have the quality and the quantity.
I would rather not see a new striker come in.
Strange words from our big Frenchman who back in the summer was routing, encouraging Arsenal to sign Suarez.
This is the time he should be begging Arsene Wenger to sign a top class striker, one who can bring something more to our seasons campaign, not just settling for who we have and making do….
My own view is that if Arsene Wenger gets us that much needed striker next month, most fans will be happy. Not only happy with the signing but happy to see our manager stay for a few more years.
Neglect our needs and we fall away in this years league campaign when we are such a good position going into the second half of the season, I can see those fans truly believing we have missed our chance and Arsene Wenger can leave…
In my opinion, this could be one of the biggest transfer windows for our manager. We are in such a good place right now, just one top class striker could make this season a successful one…
I truly hope he gets right…..
That’s your lot for another day….
Giroud is in a cleft stick , He wants to win the league and he wants to represent France as first pick at the world cup . If we get another forward and he doesn’t keep scoring for us he knows that Benzema is poised waiting for that spot . It’s time for Wenger to be cruel to be kind and get him the support he needs so that if he gets to lead the French line he will be fresh enough to do himself justice.
Good Morning everyone.
Good Post Rico. What do you expect….Giroud to welcome a new striker with open arms???
For the benefit of those who did see this article…..
http://www.onlinegooner.com/article.php?section=exclusive&id=3043#.UsKGQtJDuiY
Agree re the cruel to be kind….
Yes devil, I do – back in the summer he wanted Suarez, why now the change in his mind.
Does he not want Arsenal to win something??
Good read Rico,
Of course OG12 is talking non-sense but we can’t fault him for looking out for number 1…
In terms of French strikers he is now number 3 or 4 in terms of goals/efficiency. Until 2 months ago it could have been argued that there was no difference between Benzema and himself but the former has step-up recently. Then there is Remy and this new kid called Emmanuel Riviere of AS Monaco and possibly Gignac.
OG12’s advantage is that he plays for AFC but he does himself no justice as even his staunchest supporters can’t explain that Gerv-like miss against NUFC.
Morning all btw…
Lets be straight , if we hadn’t lost to villa and if the fans hadn’t been calling for his head Wenger would never have accepted Ozil when he was offered (remember no Wenger magic, Ozil was offered for sale).
Wenger is way too arrogant to buy players needed for various positions and prefers to live off his myth of ‘making’ good players.
Don’t get me started on his transfer cock up’s: Drogba rejected for 100,000 and Bale spring to mind, there are many more!
I think he should move on, I hope he has a great season for the team and then goes, no magic there anymore, ok we are at the top (by a point and if Citeh draw level their GD will always put them ahead) but if he had conducted the summer window like he should we would have that striker and maybe 2 more for cover and be some points clear!
Giroud is a plank, definitely not good enough.
Suarez was not a threat to him. Suarez in our formation could have played on the left or behind him. But with the acquisition of Ozil the competition for places would have been in the AM/W positions where Cazorla, Theo, OX, Podolski slug it out. So that removed the need for an AM or as yesterday we put it….AW’s obsession with number 10.
A new striker would put him in an uneasy situation.
Do we give a f**k about France??? I dont care if he plays or not. I care about AFC.
And we know what happened to Gerv Ts 😉
Re. injury’s we have a 9-day break after Spurs game…
Definitely out of Cardiff: Ozil, Ramsey, Gibbs, Giroud; Doubtful: Theo, Verm, Monreal…. Wenger’s latest update. If this isn’t an indication that we needed reinforcements then i wonder what will. Morning all.
😀 Rico… playing with Totti, De Rossi, Strootman, Pjanic instead of SC19 and JW?
Exactly devil, I don’t give a flying one about France 🙂
Geo a bit harsh don’t you think…
Morning Dev
Goodness, that’s a lot of players out tomorrow…
Typical, I’m going and half the first team are missing… grrrr
My post at 10:17 was let’s say a foolow -up to Potter’s excellent point about being cruel to be kind…
All I was trying to say was that OG12 has to step upfor us and take most of his chances or accept he can’t play every single game and expect to make the WC squad for France imo…
Geo, say what you really think why don’t you…
What’s happen to Giroud? He is out for tomorrow match
I expect Sagna, TR7 and Gibbs out…but Giroud?
Moreover. what’s happen to Vermaelen. Monreal and TW?
probably 7 players out more Ox and the great Diaby
What’s happen to Giroud? He is out for tomorrow match
I expect Sagna, TR7 and Gibbs out…but Giroud?
Moreover. what’s happen to Vermaelen. Monreal and TW?
probably 7 players out more Ox and the great Diaby
Rested I suspect JM…
So many changes will really upset us tomorrow…
Morning all, Not sure about this post Rico, i think your jumping the gun. 🙂
Arsene Wenger is not leaving, he will manage till he drops, why go anywhere else when he has it sown up here, As for signing a striker in this transfer window, that is something else. In my opinion Giroud has never been the man up front that i believe we need, but having said that, with the support he gets and the chances he gets he is not doing to bad, Podolski and Sanogo and the strikers we have either on loan or in the wings could be good enough but will Wenger use them. Giroud has been flogged to death,and now and again Bendtner has been there to cover should Giroud get injured, and as we know he is not long term. In all honesty i don’t think Giroud’s lack of goals is down to himself yes he has missed a few but he hasn’t been fed enough, and the way we pussyfoot around we will always struggle for chances. Any centre forward needs a supply and we do not feed him. The kind of passes we try and put through does not suit Girouds talents, he seems clumsey at times and looks to have trouble sorting his feet out he is more of a battering ram type of player who races in and mixes it up. The way we play is more suited to a Suarez type style as he turns on a sixpence and can shoot at speed with either foot and is nimble enough to turn a chance into goals. Our faults have been with the supply our feeding players have been a disappointment, Theo has the ability to lay these kind of opotunities on but he cannot do it on a regular basis while Gibbs and Sanga has a lot to do with no support, Our attacking midfield are soon nullified and that should be the driving force for goals. Yes we need good back up in the striker department, but we also need the supply
You never know Sp re AW 😉
Nipping off now for an hour…
JM. Giroud has an ankle injury. Don’t know if its true or the usual Wenger made-up ‘injury’ but definitely out of tomorrow according to Wenger. Think he said Ozil and Ramsey are 3weeks each too.
Wenger says Arsenal are in January market for a “special” player, but says club not “desperate” for a signing
Possible team: Szczesny; Sagna Mertesacker Koscielny Monreal; Arteta Flamini; Gnabry Cazorla Podolski; Bendtner.
Rico, I know AW has a fortune in the bank, but 8 mill a year, even that has to turn your head surely 🙂
Monreal is probably injury too
so … Jenkinson… Sagna; Ar teta flmini Wilsher Cazorla Gnabry Podolski
Morning all.
Forget discussing the TW…..we never know what the hell Wenger is going to do, anyway 🙂
Off i nod off beforehand, happy new year fellow HHer’s, and here is hoping it is a great one for GEO’s favourite manager as well 🙂
Morning Scott
Good day all residents.
am wishing you all a happy and trophy-full new year. At least i will begin the year on top of the log.
thats something to be happy about as a gooner.
Those injuries (sic) mean one thing……..AW wants to use the Cardiff game to rotate and go for next Saturday safe in the knowledge that there will be a long resting period for the players after the spuddies. So he wants to make sure we win the coming two games.
Ox starts ‘proper’ training this week too…
Happy new year to you too Fatgun
Ahhhhh. The next year!!! 2014………..
….Arsenal’s 14th league win
….the league clincher scored by TW14
has a nice sound to it.
What if he picks the wrong team, rests too many ‘tired’ players and then pays the price by losing to Cardiff? It is not without precedent. He could, if he is over confident about playing the reserves against a weakened and poor side lose the lot!
Playing devil’s advocate here, I know, but there is always a danger of believing you are better than you are and then paying the price!
At present we are top of the tree, it would be very easy to slip to 5th as The dippers did on Saturday! And then where would we be – down the toilet without a brush!
with Cardiff’s 2nd best record in terms of goals scored and 3rd worst defensive record, you have a point Wavy… teams always break their record against us.
Start the new year well at least…
Gnabry to start vs Cardiff, Bendtner or Podolski thru the middle…
Sagna can play left-back, he did so at Auxerre.
Jenks in at right-back…
Flamini, Arteta, Wilshere in midfield..,
We have Rosicky as well….
Sorted…
We’re playing Cardiff next, not Barcelona ffs…
Boring Boring Chelsea btw
Afternoon All btw
Afternoon Rico…
Left my fcukin’ glasses at home. Can’t see a bleedin’ thing….
So Happy New Year you lot…..
See ya tomorrow….
COYFRRG
hi Rico&all housers
good read
not digging at anyone,but OG12 isn’t expected to come out and say we are desperate for a new striker! that will just inflate the market even higher..and knocking his teammates confidence away (Theo,Poldi…etc…it could be just diplomacy talks..following his boss way of dismissing any new arrival.
he is overused? ….he played all/in 32 matches for club and country so far and we are just half-way through the season!! one too many matches..imo
i love AW but his squad management is questionable at times….waited longer than should be to rotate players and keep them fresh and fatigue is taking its toll lately.
i think we will sign a good CF this TW …IG statement earlier on comes to mind
Good afternoon and a happy New Year to all fellow gunners wherever you are.
Enjoy highlight of Bellerin vs QPR last weekend here. He played as a LB
kali – I doubt we will sign anyone except someone with a top top top talent which wont happen in this window.
Arsène Wenger has revealed the latest team news ahead of Wednesday’s game against Cardiff City at Emirates Stadium:
on the team news…
Starting of course first with Ramsey and Ozil who are out, and we lost Gibbs at Newcastle with a calf strain. We have as well Monreal and Vermaelen who are not certain to be ready because they have come just back from illness, then we have uncertainty about Rosicky, Wilshere, Walcott. We lost Giroud to an ankle problem at Newcastle so this morning will be more medical checks to see who will be available for the game.
on Ramsey and Ozil…
Ramsey three weeks and Ozil has seen a specialist last night, I haven’t got a report yet.
on Walcott and Rosicky…
Walcott has a little shoulder problem. Rosicky got a little kick on his calf. They are all going to be assessed this morning.
on Oxlade-Chamberlain…
Alex is one week away from normal training.
Afternoon all…
A ‘special’ player, well there’s a few out there Arsene 😉
Hi and bye Kev and Scott, HNY to you both…
Five muntes and counting…
For me a striker on loan in January.
Minutes, even 🙂
Happy new year Scottie.
May you have a wonderful year full of all that you wish for.
Happy new year…..it is officially 2014 here………..
Not here Scott 😉
HNY to you all in Oz…
Thanks Rico.
Off to bed now, so i will talk to you all again soon 🙂
Have we bought anyone in your world Scott ?
Have a good one to one and all.
From today’s training pic, Wilshere, TW and Vermaelen were involved. 😉
Night Scott..
Phew emma, any one else there or just those three 😉
However, it may be that Cardiff will rest their ‘big’ players as they know that they can’t win at the Erms! Or that they have too few players with the number 8 in their birth dates, or that they do not like playing in red, or mr tan can’t be present for some other superstitious reason (what a knob!) So, Arsene is right to send out the subs bench, as he knows he can win. He has read the runes and come up trumps. Tanned their hide before a ball has been kicked!
We’ll see!
COYGS
Happy New Year all on HH
rico – link to training pic here
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/editorial/arsenal-fc-pictures#
New Year here in less than three hours. Yay! How are you, guys?
Our sick bay is beginning to fill up again. 🙁
Wavy, you are very confident, hope you are right though as I’m going 🙂
Was kidding emma, am looking at the training pics now …
Hi agag, looking forward to seeing AW snap up this special player he talks about….
It might be Lew or Costa, rico. 🙂 I hope they give you a match to remember tomorrow. 😉
Nice thought agag.. 🙂
Thanks, I hope so too agag….
Finally stopped raining here so off out with Fido, HNY to you when it arrives agag…
Latas
Cood afternoon Rico and and everyone reading HH.
I hope your xmas was as good as mine and our new year to be just as happy.
Emma I have a request for you.
Happy new year for everybody!
Do we have 14 players (without the gks) fit for tomorrow?
Silly me pressed wrong key.
On dec 21 our under 21 played Man u u 21.
The match was live on U tV and finished 1-1. Our right back was
16year old Tarif Moore and I thought he was outstanding. Is there any chance you could show a link to the high lights so every one else can pas judgment There is a short highlight on the player Emma look at Elsfolds goal Thanks.
Available players for tomorrow…….
Szcescney FAbianski
Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Jenkinsons, Vermaelen (?) Monreal(?)
Arteta, Flamini, Wilshere, Rosicky, Gnabry, Cazorla
Podolski, Bendtner, Theo (?)
the rest will be made up of Frimpong, Zelalem etc.
I think a midfield of Arteta/Flamini, Wilshere, Rosicky and Gnabry will be enough to see Cardiff off.
Afternoon/Evening folks…
I’m soon off of here for 2013 so just want to wish you all a very Happy New Year and hope 2014 brings good health and happiness to each and every one of you….
Have a lovely evening, however you say goodbye to the old and bring in the new. I’ll be fast asleep long before then… 😉
Happy new year Rico. May it all be full of all that you wish for.
Thanks devil, and for you too….
Happy new year Rico. I whish Arsenal win at least, The League
Thank you JM and the same to you, I share your wish…. 🙂
Happy new year Rico.
Enjoy your visit to the palace tomorrow.
Hi Rico and all.
Just parachuting in to wish you all my best for the New Year. Have a nice evening and stay safe.
Let’s hope we can win the PL this year. 🙂
Thanks Rick, and to you….
Hi Adam, and to you and who knows what miracles can happen 😉
That’s me done for 2013, have a fab evening all…
Goodnight and God bless you all…..
hiya pals………….
when is our game?
is anyone home??? hellooooo
Goonie, it’s New Years eve, party time….
So it’s hi and bye from me 🙂
Enjoy the evening, guys.
Hey Stan, Big Daddy, how are ya going?
Happy new year to the faithful.
Nice fireworks in Sydney bay earlier… huge bill from the mayor later me think. 🙂
New post up…