Morning all.
Younes Kaboul. According to many a headline, he’s about to follow in the path of Big Sol and switch from wearing a cockerel on his shirt to a black cat. Surely not….
If that didn’t make you laugh, this might, well you have to really otherwise, well slitting your wrists would be silly but shedding a tear might be nearer the point if any such story about Kalou became reality.
Kalou told the BBC World Service:
There has been a lot of talking about me going back to England. I had an amazing time with Chelsea and I always keep that good memory with me.
If I have the chance to go back, I would love to, because it’s the most exciting league in the world so I would like to try it again.
Whatever team comes for me after the World Cup, I can decide where I can develop as a player, where I can have an impact, because it’s important to go to a team who suit me and who give me the opportunity to excel.
If you happen to write for the London Evening Standard, those few sentences, although spoken in English, have somehow translated into a headline which suggests that Arsene Wenger is making plans to sign the Ivory Coast striker in the summer.
Poppycock!
Kalou has been linked to us more times than Olivier Giroud has poked his tongue out this season after missing a chance to score!!
He hasn’t joined us yet has he and I’m quite confident he won’t in the summer. Let’s forget that silly story right now!
Anyway, Kalou is getting on a bit at 28 years old and Arsene Wenger has been talking about just how important it is to give the youth players a proper chance:
It’s one of the values of our club. We want to be very successful without neglecting the need to give a chance to people.
I want it to be part of our tradition and I also want to develop a spirit inside the club that makes the young players be faithful to this club. They think the club has given them a chance so they want to give something back as well. It has to work in both ways but we want to be the ones who give a chance.
It’s a big mental test for the players because you see how they resist stress, how they can deal with the pressure and how they can be committed in a very demanding environment. These kinds of qualities you discover only when you play the players.
Of course it’s an early test that not everybody can take on. Some fail but the strong ones just feel they belong there. They are not at all surprised that you give them a chance. In fact they are more surprised that you did not do that earlier!
You could take that one of two ways.
Either, project youth is on it’s way back and no more experienced players are going to be signed in the summer. No, Arsene wouldn’t do that would he, that’s not his style. (cough)
Or, he truly believes that one or two of the younger players are simply proving they deserve a chance to make the step up into the first team squad.
I don’t count the likes of Serge Gnabry, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain etc as they are already proving that they have what it takes, although strangely, our young German, who despite putting in a number of solid performances earlier in the season, is being overlooked these days.
We have a vast number of players out on loan, 13 I think it is in total – some like Park, Djourou and Coquelin are no doubt heading for the exit door but others, younger players like Aneke, Campbell, Wellington, Afobe, Boateng etc are no doubt waiting for the summer to arrive arrive and only then will their future be more clear.
Boateng has not long signed a new contract and Wenger has hinted that Joel Campbell could finally be part of the team next season but as for the others who are on loan, I’m not sure where their future is…
And let’s not forget, there are one or two in the Academy side who no doubt believe they are ready to join the big boys….
Not everyone will have what it takes, not everyone will make the step up but I strongly suspect that one or two will or at least be given the chance.
It’s been a long time since Jack Wilshere came through the youth set-up and surely we are long overdue seeing another young player follow in his footsteps…
That’s your lot for another day….
Is it April fool’s day today? Those two wankers, not for me….Bernard Bresslaw and sweetcorn teeth!!!
🙂 Lee, not for me either, not ever!!
Must be a slow news day for the journos so they’ve pressed the fiction button!
Morning Rico. The start of another fun packed day. Good start.
Morning Wavy, nearly as bad as the stadium share with the Totts headlines…
Thought the scum were negotiating with Enfield Town!
They are, apparently 2017 they will be moved…
Quiet old morning….
Good Morning to the Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.
Rico – I trust you had a good old English holiday at the the seaside.
Wavy – It is rare that the sports journos don`t hit the fiction button.
As for Kalou & Kaboul – their the first signs of the Silly Season.
Oops – tsb “…they`re the first signs of the Silly Season.“
Morning Cg, one of the worst ever but thanks for asking.. 😉
I think it’ll get only worse with the players we get linked to…
Load of tosh ! (Not your wonderful post)
Wenger sounds more like a politician with each passing week.
With the exception of Jack, all these young players have been poached from other clubs with a flourish of the cheque book and a bunch of flowers for mum. Where’s the moral high ground in that ?
Once these kids are good enough and if they are hungry enough they will be off to work for a manager that actually delivers on his promises of trophies.
Slow news today EH !
Anything so that they don’t have to talk about cheating diving English players.
Diaby’s return to training is no April Fool
“It’s probably apt that Abou Diaby’s return to training took place today — April Fool’s Day.“
http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/arsenal/id/3718?&cc=5901
Sad, but all too true.
Ha ha Steve, just for a minute….. lol
Not all though, some have been with us since their boyhood days but as you say, many haven’t. Serge, OC, Toral, Bellerin, Campbell etc and they are the seem to be the ones who re tipped for a bright future with us…
I’m hoping Anenke, Akpom etc can follow Jack…
Spot on Potter, what a cheat Rooney was last night. How did Valencia stay on the pitch too yet Bayern players were getting booked….
Diaby is earmarked to face Everton. Just not sure which season…
Rico – Sorry to hear that your trip to the seaside was such a bust. Was it the weather.
After watching the game against Swansea and seeing Bony slice through our team like an fast express train, I have to disagree with you about our need for a large physical DM. Any of our players that tried to tackle him just seem to bounce off like they had hit a brick wall.
Talking of Project Youth;
Released by Arsenal: Youngster ‘better than Gnabry’, among world’s best
http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/04/01/released-by-arsenal-now-named-among-worlds-best-young-footballer/?
More Project Youth?
Sky Deutschland pundit insists Bundesliga striker will join Arsenal
http://www.cleansheetsallround.co.uk/16052/sky-deutschland-pundit-insists-bundesliga-striker-will-join-arsenal?
Back in 20…
20 what…………….?
Yeah we’re gonna win the league with those two muppets. Project Youth is dead, Wenger’s like a drowning man flapping around for anything to save him now.
20 years Wath… 😉
45 😉
Hi Wath/Adk…
Cg. All of it 😉
I was quite surprised Kyle Ebecilio was allowed to leave at the time.
There was another young one too, went to Germany, changed from a defender to DM and now everyone raves over him. Can’t recall his name…
Is it Cocquelin rico? 😉
You never know with young players. They can show so much promise, but when given opportunities with the first team just fail to impress. Some just take longer to mature and others flame across the heavens briefly, never to be seen again.
🙂 Adk, no….
Havard Nordveit, that’s him…
Most of ours are never seen again… Seldom do they do well after leaving us…
Sorry you were stuck in moderation Stan…
I doubt we’ll see either at Arsenal, it’s all media garbage…
Off to bed.
Have a great day fellow Gooners. Keep The Faith!
Night CG, sleep well…
I’m off too for a while, got a hectic afternoon – hopefully catch up this evening…
I thought it may be 20 yrs… Just when Wenger retires…. 😉
Afternoon ADK, hows you mate..? well I hope.
Where’s MrWath???
See that Barcalona have been banned for two transfer windows for irregularities in signing youngsters…
What about banning a few artificially financed clubs for FFP irregularities???
Afternoon All
Afternoon Wath
Get back ‘ere Rico. 😉
Allo Kev,
Fat chance that ban will stick though… watch them get out of it..!
UEFA/FIFA bent as a €9 note….
Yep Wath, I make you spot on….
Bit like that Chav ban the other year mate…!
Scott is quite, I reckon he choking on his Mrs smashing his credit card to bits in Honkers 😀
Scott, ha, he’s probably on the grog somewhere… 🙂
Plenty of overtime in store for Digger when he gets back home… 😛
He’s on the grog the Mrs is in the shops hammering the cred card…! He’ll think it’s all a dream til he gets the bill end of the month lol
Talking about credit cards Wath, where is Agag these days?
In fact, where is everybody? 😐
Anyway, tonight I am 100% a fan of PSG
I dunno, fair weather supporters, next week it’ll be Atletico Madrid !
Me too Kev. I had a new toy to play with tonight 😉
Night all….
Ohh err, rico, enuf said.
Thought Luiz’s finish tonite was superb, very koscielny-esque in his heyday for us.
Ha ha ha, Rico, you had better explain… 😆
Mick, it’s, I believe, something with a battery in it, that can vibrate and you stick it to your ear… 😛
Mick, I have one as well….
They’re really very good…
After thinking long and hard about it, we really need a signing this summer that will take us to another level.
Maradonna done it for Napoli in 84.
Zlatin to a lesser degree is doing it for PSG since 2012.
Perry Groves done it for us in 86 followed by Dennis Bergkamp in 95, come on Arsenal, start acting like a big club FFS.
Nite Gooners and you kev.
Lol…Micko re Luiz.
Lets see if Psg win the CL as I predicted last summer…
Lady Rico raving about Nordvert of M’bach?
Kyle like Ozyakub(spelling) all took advice from rvp and left…
The politics at the club…
JC getting a chance will mean AW conceding that Dick has an eye for talent…
Just checked the scores, ha ha ha, stuff you Mourinho…
He won’t be in any position to rest anyone in the return leg…
With the goal scoring talent in the PSG team, they’re quite capable of scoring a couple or three at the Bridge…
Expert in Failure eh, suck it up you Portugese prick…
Gervinho scored twice tonight, but in my opinion, booth were offside!
Night All, Night Rico….
And Mjck
Mick even…
Kev,Zlatan misses the next leg.
We should have gone for Lavezzi…a similar player to Tevez imo…
Morning Ginge if your still about,
I watched Cahill last night i feel we really missed out there, he just seems to get better.
Hi sp1,
I didnt rate Cahill back then but I think with John next to him he looks a proper CB…
I wanted us to get him though because based on some stats I worked out no team had won a title in any of the top leagues without a citizen of that country in the starting xi.
If city or the bin dippers manage to win it then it will be the first in Europe…
Morning Rico and all…
I am looking forward to Ath vs Barca for the 5th time this season…
Rumours are Ath and Jose have agreed a swap plus cash deal involving Costa and Torres…
Filthy mind Micko/Kev, just filthy… lol
Morning all…
Morning Ts, I was one of a few who really wanted us to get Cahill, but was laughed at..
See, I get it right sometimes 🙂
PSG had a good result last night, but if i speak the truth i never liked their style. Watching them reminded me of some of our games of the sideways backwards passing that i so detest. Penalties in both the Mancs game and last night convinces me that Champions league Referee’s have a different criteria than Premier league. But where they still mirror one another is the need to play 10 against eleven.
As you know i have always felt that the leagues are fixed, very hard to put your finger on exactly how it all works, but something fishy going on in world football convinces me that the winners are picked out before the comps have started.
I can moan about a lot of things as you all know, but surely you can all smell a rat or is it just me.
And there was me thinking you loved the way Arsene Wenger sets our side up to play Sp… 😉
Didn’t think you ever read my comments Rico, but if you had read just a few you would have seen me moan about backwards sideways passing. 🙂
Make no mistake Rico i want top players at Arsenal the best that are out there, i want style oozing through the team, i want scintilating football with grace and finess. I want a striker that can race like a greyhound in fact there are many things i would like but i am also a realist, i understand that many clubs have a lot of clout and also more money than us. I know that my club can bid on players but if these other clubs also want the same players we are stymied. I hope that my team can win a cup i would love my team to win the league and the Champions league but while Barca PSG Real and our own multi billionares are the competition i have to realise that my wants will not be met. I blame the markets the Fa Eufa and Fifa not my clubs owners and Managers thats life i’m afraid.
Morning Rico, how’s the new thingy??? 🙂
Of course I read them Sp and if you really want all that, I am surprised that you defend AW the way you do…
Morning Kev, it’s fun, if not frustrating trying to work out..
I tried my ear as you suggested… 😉
It’s a chilly morning here in London Town, but the sun is always shining after that arrogant Portugese knobhead gets beaten….
Yeah, it’s all about him isn’t it?
Tbh Rico, your ear is the best place for it… 😀
Just hope them going out of the CL doesn’t stop them getting three points at Anfield though Kev…
I’d say the bin is the best place for it 😉
Tell me who you think is better then Rico, I am all ears as i haven’t anything in mine or between them. 🙂
Ha ha, stick with it Rico, it’s a good tool when it’s working…
I am sure there are plenty Sp, plenty who would get us playing in a much more attractive way.
Even in the PL alone there are a few, Rogers, Martinez, Pellegrini.
Then there is Klopp, Low, Pep, the list is endless….
I love it really Kev, once I get used to it I’ll be fine… Hopefully she adds whilst fingers and toes crossed 😉
Who’s your choice, as you have made it quite clear that its not Wenger, after all he only has 17 years as a top 4 manager, i expect you to compare that with your pick.
If anyone saw the comical BVB defending they may reconsider the preference of Klopp imo..
But maybe I am being harsh; most teams will struggle against Bale and Ronaldo…
Hi Rico… I know deep down you love the sideways passing.. 😛
My choice of potential replacements are still Simeone, Conte and Martinez, Rijkaard too…
I am not still convinced on Loew though tbh…I don’t think he has improved the krauts since Klinsman’s stewardship…
My own choice Sp is for AW to wake up, smell the gravy and change!!
Go and sign up someone who can help him with football in the 21st century and to kick his butt during the transfer windows….
You assume too much Sp!
Morning Ginge, Saw your reply and i have to agree, 🙂 Cahill was a miss may have been wrong about Samba but one out of 2 aint bad 🙂 Your a stats man Ginge you know more about stats than i will ever know , can you tell me a manager who compares with Wenger.
Ts, I think you are right, most sides would struggle against such pace and Ronaldo is unstoppable right now…
Sp1, I have fallen out with AW as you may have guessed due to one or 2 of his selection policies but I still consider him as a very good manager…
AW has never been a win at all cost manager and even when his first managerial team Nantes got relegated he was considered as one of the very best in the business…
Morning Rico and all.
Arsene Wenger is an analogue manager in a digital age.
What a great way to sum him up, by ANR
Morning Adam, nice to see you back…
Sorry i put you to the sword Rico, When i read supporters say its time for change and Wenger has had his day i feel that they have a replacement that is better than what we have. As you know i am just a supporter not an expert. I have seen a man come into Arsenal football club, a no body who i remember as Arsene who, I see him in charge and change things that looked to be going wrong, I see this Frenchman who i thought should have been English but i saw him help lead the Arsenal through from Highbury to the EMs and seen him work through tight times, and all that time he has kept the club i love in the top four, i have seen this man win doubles i have seen his leadership take us through a season unbeaten i have seen him bring through mediocre players into superstars, i have seen 30,000 extra supporters now watchin games in a stadium to be proud of. And now i see supporters trying to wave that all away as the funds are now coming in. Yes supporters have had to pay through the nose for the privaledge to watch their team but someone has to pay and by all accounts many are waiting to buy a ticket should those supporters call it a day.
Arsenal for me is at the start of something big, sponsors now clammouring to join us and the stadium now half paid for, why on earth would i want change, when the man has devoted so much of his life fighting for the club i love.
His contract is up and he hasn’t signed, whether he will will have to be seen but should he go he certainly would leave the club a sight better than he found it. I would be heartbroken as i think we are really heading for greatness but i am just an old man what do i know.
We should have been at the start of something big last summer Sp, but AW neglected his duty
The past is all too easy to point out when trying to justify today, but in reality, the last few years have been pretty average….
New post up now…