Morning all.
International round up.
Gabriel was an unused substitute for Brazil last night in their match against France.Ollie only played the final six minutes and Koscielny watched on from the bench. Good, a bit of a rest for all three.
David Ospina played the entire match for Columbia but I don’t think he had too much to do as his side battered Bahrain 6-0. Apparently one of Columbia’s fans invaded the pitch just to give our number one keeper a big cuddle. How sweet eh….
Finally, Chile suffered a surprise defeat to Iran with Alexis playing the second half of the match.
Tonight, Spain and England kick off their European Championship campaign.
Santi Cazorla is in the squad for Spain who face Ukraine and for England, Kieran Gibbs, Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott are all hoping to start.
Staying with Walcott – yesterday he denied the alleged training pitch bust-up with Arsene Wenger, as did the manager but perhaps more importantly, he denied that Arsenal have offered him a new contract which is strange as just a few days ago, Arsene Wenger said talks had begun with Walcott’s ‘Embassy’….
So someone is fibbing and my money wouldn’t be on Walcott….
Paul Merson believes Arsenal have to everything they can to keep Walcott as he’s one of those players who will return to haunt us during the years ahead. I can understand why he’d say that as on his day he can score great goals and perform well on the right but those days have been few and far between. It doesn’t help that his injury record is shocking but unless he starts upping his game and putting a shift in when he plays, I can see him going this summer and apparently both Manchester sides and the Dippers are keeping a close eye on things…
If he goes, so be it, all I’d really care about his who will replace him.
The Mirror report Marco Reus will be that player, my guess it’s more likely to be Wellington Silva, who should finally join Arsenal this summer, or Serge Gnabry…
And many other newspapers report that having confirmed his summer exit from Real Madrid, Sami Khedira could finally become an Arsenal player when this season comes to an end.
Somehow, I doubt it but he’ll be free so you never know and with all the previous talk about him wanting to join us, maybe he’s the man Arsene Wenger has been waiting for to fill the midfield, he just didn’t want to pay a transfer fee for him….
Rambling over for Friday, only another week to go until proper football is back..
Have a good day all….
why does anyone have to be lying, talks beginning and a contract being offered are two completely different things, the club can have opened talks with Theo’s agent to see what they are asking for, and then the club go back to them with an offer, and it can be that once we see what they are looking for, we might actually offer them all they want. Don’t know why anyone would jump to the conclusion that someone has to be lying about it, contract talks and contract offer can be long time apart.
You have a point eduardo…
However, Theo denied talks too:
‘There have been no contract talks as yet and my current focus is not on contracts but on doing my best for Arsenal FC’.
Good Morning to The Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.
Rico – I have to agree with eduardo. I think there may a day or two between Theo’s and Arsene’s quotes. Also, Theo’s agent may not bother to discuss all inquiries/offers with Theo if they are well below their target. It may well be posturing from either or both sides. It is just part of the negotiating process. I wouldn’t worry about it.
As for Theo, I don’t think he has a strong negotiating hand after another injury and a very long recovery. He has never quite fulfilled the early promise he showed. Just when he starts to perform after a run in the team he is injured again. Even Judas van Pursestrings gave us one good season, but not Theo.
I’d like to keep him, but he can be replaced.
Morning Cg..
I can see what eduardo is saying but there must have been something which sparked Theo to reply..
I’m with you, I’d like us to keep him but he’s certainly replaceable…
Rico – A ‘source’ cited Nigel Winterburn? as telling him that Arsene And Theo had a big bust-up on the training pitch and that sparked press speculation that Theo was on his way out of the club. Theo’s tweets seem to be in reply to that article and the subsequent re-posting of it and the resultant speculation. Theo’s denial may be an attempt, who knows for sure, to calm the waters.
I’m sure Theo’s camp realize he isn’t in as strong a position as he was for his last renewal.
Spot on Eduardo.
Theo just said talks haven’t started. It looks like Arsenal have made an offer and Theo either doesn’t like it, doesn’t like his place in the squad or genuinely hasn’t even looked.
I get the impression Theo’s team wants more, Arsene isn’t having it and we have the sqaud to not care either way.
I like Theo, huge threat and it would be a shame if he went to Liverpool, played every week and had the 20 goal season he has inside him. however, we are constantly associated with players of a similar ilk, we have two great players in his position already. And as a team, we’re are playing better without him.
I think Arsenal is in the driving seat on this one, and whatever happens, we’ll win.
COME ON THE GUNNERS
Cg – yes, I read the Winterburn comments about the bust up, I wonder where that originated from as Winterburn has never seemed the kind of person to stir the Arsenal pot. I suspect there’s some truth in it and probably based on him not playing much. And of course there was that shirt throwing incident a couple of matches ago…
He’s not in a strong position re a new contract, I think we all agree on that one…. 🙂
on a very boring day can anyone tell me what theses teams have in common.
Portsmouth / burnley / derby county / preston north end / Blackburn rovers / Huddersfield town
Wolverhampton wanders / leeds united / Sheffield wednesday / Newcastle united
sunderland / aston villa / everton
there are more but that might make it to easy.
babakrdaemi
But AW said talks had begun… 😉
No idea Mog…
Morning all.
Theo’s last contract came at a time when “Arsenal couldn’t keep its players” I think it was vital to the team, the club and the supporters that he renewed, back then. Now, his presence is not so essential. The side and its players have developed, been brought in and the standard is high, Alexis, OC etc etc. theo has to fight for his place now whereas before he was an automatic choice. His last long term lay off was a real shame and didn’t seem to be as a result of foul play or serial kicking by opponents! However, many of his lay offs have been as a result of serial fouling, I mean, that’s what pros do! When confronted by a player who a defender knows he cannot possibly deal with in a fair way he wii make sure he leaves his ‘mark’ on him in a foul way, often unseen by our purblind referees! He has suffered in the past and will do so in the future because he has a lot to offer when he’s tuned in!
Selling Walcott would be a real waste because he, like Alexis or Ozil can change the course of a game in a blink of an eye, and when he gets the ball with space in front of him the temperature of the crowd lifts instantly. On his day he offers a wow factor, we still don’t have many players who have that ability and it would be poor of us to let him go. I accept he’s a bit streaky but that’s what he is. I have to say I get quite excited when he races forward from the halfway line and even more so when it results in a goal his or another’s. ( not as excited as Goonie, however!).
I think for the rest of this season he will only be a squad player but maybe next year he will force his way back in to a starter and I don’t think we will be disappointed. It would be a retrograde step, by the club, to sell him, they would be returning to the dark days of no cash and no players of real quality. We need a large, deep squad not an exclusive small band of brothers, not if we seriously want to compete at the big table of Premiership and European football.
We need Walcott, he’s ours let’s make sure he remains ours and contributes to our success and not another’s.
Rico – How can you tell it is an international break and most of those games are friendlies. A real snooze fest for the gutter press. So, as usual, in the absence of any interesting or substantial news to report; they dust off and fire up the rumour mills in their back rooms to generate some ‘interesting news’. You’d think it was June already.
The article I read, which I believe was the original, was not quoting Nigel directly, but someone who Nigel had reputedly told. I agree, Nigel isn’t the type to talk out of school, but either the Nigel didn’t expect it to go any further or he is being used as a patsy for someone else’s rumour mongering.
This all may be a tempest in a tea cup, who knows. I’m not going to trouble myself about it. I’m more concerned with all our players away on international duty returning fit and ready to teach Liverpool a lesson next Saturday.
Reus would be a great acquisition and I’m sure Ginge would be pleased. Khedira is a good player, but I’m not sure he is what we need and is another who might tax our medical staff.
Wavy, if he could learn to track back a bit more and help out when we needed it, I think he’d start more.
Imo, that’s the only reason DW is preferred right now…
Good comment by the way…
rico ill leave it for while see if anybody else knows.
heres a clue they have all managed to do as many times or more
than the tiny tots
Cg – i’m not too fussed if the fall-out story is true to be honest, everything can’t be rosy all the time and maybe it shows he cares.
Like you, all I care about is no injuries and three points against the Dippers….
Reus is a bit of a diver though…..
Won a cup and got relegated in the same season Mog? 😉
I’ve a busy day ahead. So, I wish you all a Good Day.
Keep The Faith!
rico no they have all won the championship 2 or more times.
[that’s old championship / premiere]
Go steady Cg, catch up soon…
Didn’t know the neighbours have ever won the league Mog…. 😉
yes rico back in the olden days when the world was still in black and white
you would have to be a pensioner to remember it.
hope that’s not being ageophobic.
I don’t get how anyone can think that Theo is not in a strong position, he is coming to one year left on his contract, is a highly talented player who would have loads of clubs interested in him, and he can let his contract run down and go on a Bosman, under which he gets a massive contract, he is not only an asset on the field but off it too, he is a marketing dream, which adds to his value. Arsenal can not force his sale if he refuses a contract he deems not worthy. So he like any player in last year of their contract, holds the aces. Especially a player on a big contract, and with these new homegrown quotas expected to come in, his value soars again.
I recall those day Mog. Just….
eduardo – he’s in a strong position to get a big contract somewhere but for us, he’s not being selected and there must be a reason for that in the managers mind…
We don’t want any ageophobic stuff on here please…
Being only 29 it doesn’t affect me, but I’m just worried how it might affect other members of the Curry Club… 😀
Oi ! what’s all this dragging up me childhood. Everytime the North bank , sing that delightful ditty about having ever seen them win the league, I always shout yes and then they turn look and mutter ” Poor barsteward ” I think : and offer me wine gums and ask if I need to sit down. They are very caring , sweet boys, or so their Mum’s say.
Have you finished your book yet Kev?
🙂 Potter… That made me chuckle….
Welbeck starts for England and Gibbs and Walcott on the bench.
Not surprised Joe, Danny is in good form for England….
Just wait for the media melt down Danny starts ahead of the new spurs golden boy Durham will be out raged 🙂
That’s a very good thing an outraged Durham will always make me happy.
🙂 Joe, he’ll be on before the end, just hope Danny gets a goal of two before then….
Night all….
Looks like we will have to take the fuses out of our radios. The Harry Kane love in will be going full blast. Bloody keeper dropped into his goal.
Hi Rico, 🙂
Late to the party, so my comment is a bit pointless I guess, but for what it is worth, I agree with you about the talk/no-talk issue between the club and Theo.
When do talks start?
It must be the first overture – Arsenal: How much are you looking for? — Agent: I want x, y, z. (talks have started). How difficult is that?
Basically you are right – there is either a miscommunication – or Theo’s agent is not keeping him in the loop.:-)
kev if you could apologize to the older members of the curry club it would be appreciated.
rico i think I can safely say that 63 was a vintage year.
Morning Henry, Mog and all…
Morning Rico and all.
Morning Adam…
New post up now…