- He’s French…
Morning all.
When a twenty year old, playing in only his second season in England, bosses a midfield in a way Matteo Guendouzi did on Sunday, one has to just sit back and admire what’s going on.
Last season he was a bit like a kid in a sweet shop, running around a lot admiring his surroundings but not really grasping at anything. He’d fall over far too easily, often grabbing the ball in the process which appeared to be in demand of a free kick. I think it’s fair to say that whilst he didn’t do anything really bad, he hadn’t quite found his feet. No shame in that though as many overseas footballers have found it tough during their first year in England. Bergkamp, Henry, Pires, Reyes are just four I can think of and none were teenagers when they first arrived but there are many many more. Pires even thought about quitting the club because he found it tough, Reyes eventually did but then he was subjected to some rough treatment because he was good. Very good.
Throughout the Arsene Wenger years, Arsenal signed many French players. Understandable because Wenger knew the French market. We’ve had great players, but real duffers too. Some hard as nails, others shrinking violets. Some have been superb for the club, others an absolute disaster with a few being steady eddies.
- Mikael Silvestre.
- Remi Garde. …
- Armand Traore. …
- Gilles Sunu. …
- Guillaume Warmuz. …
- David Grondin. …
- Yassin Fortune. …
- Guillaume Norbert. Who?
- Francis Coquelin
- Yaya Sanogo
- Sebastien Squillaci
- Mathieu Debuchy
- Jeremie Aliadiere
- Gilles Grimandi
- Pascal Cygan
- Jeff Reine-Adelaide
-
-
William Gallas
-
Mathieu Flamini
-
Abou Diaby
-
Samir Nasri
- Gael Clichy
- Olivier Giroud
- Sylvain Wiltord
- Nicolas Anelka
- Bacary Sagna
- Emmanuel Petit
- Laurent Koscielny
- Robert Pires
- Patrick Vieira
- Thierry Henry
-
Alexandre Lacazette
-
Matteo Guendouzi
- William Saliba
That’s a lot of French players over the years, apart from England or Britain guys, I’d say France has been our most popular hunting ground when it comes to signings.
Here’s today’s question though and it’s hypothetical of course, how many of the French players listed above would you sign all over again today, if you could? Ten is my answer with a question mark hanging over a couple of others..
Matteo Guendouzi makes my list that’s for sure but if I’d asked myself the same question at Christmas, I’d have been like Humpty Dumpty before his fall. Right now he’s looking like a really good player who could be the heartbeat of Arsenal’s midfield for years to come. He’s been called up for the French senior team as Paul Pogba has a haircut booked in for this week, so well done to our young man.
But even the great Vieira needed Petit and Petit needed Vieira too. Just as Guendouzi needs a proper playing partner today. Someone he can build a rapport with, someone he can trust to look after him as he looks after the other. That player isn’t Granit Xhaka because he seems to lack a footballing brain. Willock could be the guy, Torreira perhaps but we still need one more in there. One more strong and athletic midfielder to help protect our back line. January please Raul, January.
Mikki’s gone, good. Shame it’s not a permanent move.
Have a good Tuesday guys…
Without Saliba ( he is a dont know )I would find 7 definites but the one I would definitely want in his pomp would be Vieira to shore up the current lot.
But I would pay good money to see Pires in his prime again.
I’ve not included him either. I wonder where we differ, perhaps I need a recount.
For me there are eight, but that includes Diaby before the injury. I think Petit might have the most impact defensively but Vieira would do. Pires and Henry would be obvious choices as would Annelka without the hump. However choosing one in the current situation, Petit.
My extras must be Nasri, Wiltord and Sagna.
Henry, Pires, Vieira, Petit, Sagna, Wiltord, Nasri, Anelka, Guendouzi and Lacazette.
A fit and healthy Diaby would do me right here and now.
I reckon he was pure genius, u til some scumbag ruined him.
Such a shame.
Morning all.
I would not have Nasri full stop and Anelka looking at our present squad do we need him ? , Diaby was tall and black and immediately called the new Vieira , but wasn’t the same type of player . He could have been good but didn’t develop a bit like the early Guendouzi he gave the ball away a lot.
Morning Rico, yesterday was another good day for Arsenal with Mkhitarayan going on loan to Roma, a loan that’ll take him up to 12 months from the end of his contract. If he does well we could move him on permanently next summer.
I heard that we got a €3m loan fee for Henrikh and that Roma are paying the majority of his wages. I hate to see Arsenal paying a part of any players wages when he leaves us, but in this case I think it makes good business sense.
But it does pose a question to me and that is how much influence Emery has on transfer business, because why did he bring him on against Tottenham with the prospect that an injury could have scupperd the loan and left him draining our resources for another season?
Emery now has no choice but to use Nelson, Martinelli and Saka, something his cautious approach doesn’t seem to me as what he would want.
I’ve also heard that it was a club decision to go for Torrieira because of his profile, age, resale value and potential rather than Emery’s choice who was more physically imposing but 29 and with no sell on value?
I’d sign Henry, Sagna, Anelka, Pires, Petit and Vieira again…
I’d resign Diaby if he could stay fit, but only if he could stay fit…
Wiltord is borderline, I liked him, he scored a lot of important goals for us but the manner of his departure soured it for me and for that reason I wouldn’t re sign Koscielny.
I see that Kelechi Nwakali has also moved on, the last year of his contract cancelled so he could move to Spain on a free.
I’ve gotta say that this transfer window, in terms of who we signed and who we sold has to be probably the best I can remember, easily the best in recent memory, I can’t think of another that has so refreshed the look of our squad. So many under achieving players moved on.
It would never have happened under the previous regime…
It’s funny really. I wrote the post and asked the question and yet I didn’t answer it properly.
You’re right Potter, right now we don’t need Anelka, Wiltord, Nasri but the others, yes.
Morning Kev.
On transfer market, Mkhitaryan’s contract includes an obligation to buy which if true, is even better for us. Shame Mustafi is here still but we know why, wages.
Totally agree re the transfer window, it was really good bar sticking with Xhaka. We’ve ten months to convince Ceballos to stay, and Real to sell.
A fit Diaby or a young Gilberto would do me Scott but I know the latter isn’t French… lol
Iwobi is the one transfer that I regret Rico, but I understand why because we needed to balance the books and it’s a good deal for the club financially.
If the club had been able to move on Ozil then I think that Iwobi might have stayed.
Ozil and Mustafi are just squad players now, bit part players, the guys you add to a young League Cup squad to give it experience, the guys who’ll play the early rounds of the UEFA Cup, both we’re totally ineffective in Baku and that says it all to me.
There has been a definite change in policy where the big named, expensive stars are being sidelined by young, hungry talents, but I believe that Raul, Edu and Co are behind that.
Emery’s influence on transfers, I believe, was seriously damaged by his insistence on the club signing Suarez last January and how that deal transpired…
That would be fantastic Rico, if true, I hope that Mkhitarayan has a stellar season for Roma. 😀
If I could re sign just one of our past French players Rico, it would be Vieira at 21, he would look awesome in this team and transform its defensive stability and it’s ability to turn defence into attack.
Iwobi Kev? You’ve surprised me a bit there.
‘ morning Rico and all. According to Sam Dean (Daily Telegraph) there is NO obligation for Roma to buy Mkhitaryan at the end of the loan period. Roma are paying a “small” loan fee and covering the costs of his £200,000 per week wages.
Me too and Rome is a lovely place….
I can’t decide between Petit and Vieira Kev. For strength and physicality Vieira, but Petit, well there was something about him. A bit like Edu really.
Good point re Suarez by the way Kev. If that one was down to Emery, what a serious error he made there. Wenger would have been lambasted for doing that.
Raul and Edu clearly know what they’re doing and much of that imo, is preparing for our next manager. I wouldn’t be at all surprised either if the club and the person already know.
£40m is great business Rico, it’s just that there were other players I felt we needed to move on before him, but the bloated wages of those players prevented their movement so Iwobi had to go, I would have preferred him coming on against Tottenham rather than Mkhitarayan last weekend for example…
I did hear that Roma are playing £180k of his weekly £200k.
It’s all rumour though.
I’m just glad he’s gone.
I liked him as a player and he seemed a decent bloke, but his performances were dire in most cases, with just the odd good game thrown in further frustrate.
In flashes he showed what he was capable of and how good he could have been but it seemed as if he was just either in decline or not bothered enough.
Yeah, Petit was a big favourite of mine Rico,
but Vieira was the best in world in his position for quite a few seasons.
My total is 11.
Jef. I think we have missed a trick with selling him?
Diarra was a good footballer, but had issues with being on the bench
Wiltord. Just like Georgie Armstrong…. A very underrated Arsenal player imo.
Nicolas Anelka. Such quality at a young age. Shame his greedy brother ruined him.
Henry. NUFF said
Lacazette. Quality player
Sagna. Great attacking full back for us.
Petit. Would love him now.
Pires. Love this guy.
Vieira. Colossus.
Guendouzi. Great prospect.
I left Diary out because of his injury nightmares.
Agree there Kev. I was surprised he was the one to be sold but I guess no other clubs came in for those we’d like to see gone.
That’s an interesting point Rico, are the club already putting out feelers for our next manager if Emery doesn’t make top four?
I’ve not seen anything in our four opening games this season, despite the new squad additions, to make me think that the team is showing any definitive signs of developing into a squad that can challenge Man City and Liverpool.
I saw the whole of the Newcastle game on TV and the Liverpool game on TV plus highlights of Burnley and Tottenham and whilst there has been some improvements, that to me is down to the quality of the new personnel, the tactics still leave a lot for us to ponder on.
Ditto Kev, Emery’s only saving grace imo is injuries and the fact most of our signings came late. In my head, He’s got until Christmas but in any case, his contract is up next summer so I guess that’ll be that.
Mine too Kev..
Vcc, bar Jeff, our list is the same and the only reason I didn’t look at him was because he was unproved with us.
Morning all,
We’ve certainly had lots of French players,one more of the top of my head was Diawara(Kebe?)
He was very skillful I recall but it never really worked out.
Patrick Viera would be awesome in the current team.Of the recent crop,my favourite is Lacazette, skillful,hard
working,we are lucky to have him.
All time favourite Thierry Henry,he was on a different level to everyone else,even the best defenders couldn’t stop him.
The opposite of an Emery player though.
Good point Kev about Mikhitaryan coming on as sub,it made no sense,and indicates Emery had nothing to do with him being loaned.
Things are looking more positive than for a long time.
I forgot about him Limey.
I always had time for the Grimster , he never gave less than 100% and his tackle on Davids will remain in my memory till the end.
Vieira for me.
Ditto re Grimandi. He always looked so innocent, even after committing a foul.. The Davids incident was hilarious…
Not Koscielny Adam? Lol
Erh, not really Rico 😎
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/sep/02/arsenal-henrikh-mkhitaryan-roma-loan-buy-transfer-emery
I’m bored by the Interlull already…
Thank God the cricket starts again today because the international football is crap.
I know that Poland might disagree, but for Britain, yesterday was the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War 2…
You really are bored Kev.. 😉
New post up now