Morning all,
Arsene Wenger had to answer questions about Theo Walcott yet again yesterday, is he staying or is he going and the answer to the latter was:
No, that is for sure. My gut feeling is that he belongs to this club and that I hope he will sign for us. I always am convinced he will stay.
Then of course came the next question about the £100,000 he is reported to be asking for and is he worth it or will he get it:
You never fix yourself a limit on financial restrictions. At the end of the day, can you pay what the player wants? And does it fit with your wage structure?
I have always fought for the players to make money so I am happy when the players make big money. But it has to be made possible for the club to pay it.
I believe the board will follow my recommendation if it is possible. We have a wage bill that has to be respected. When we go overboard and higher than it is expected, I ask the board to do it and most of the time they follow my demands.
Since when has a manager told the board what to pay a player?
Anyway, Wenger seems confident Walcott is staying but sadly that means very little, he said Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and a few others would stay, but we all know what happened there.
Talking of the manager, his pre transfer window speech was also in full flow yesterday:
If we can add one or two exceptional players, we will do it. What we do not want to do is add players just because people put us under pressure to buy players.
That is where we have to be strong enough. If we find a player who will give us something special, we will do it, but that, in January, will not be easy.
We have money, and why should I not spend it if it is to find the right players?
There is certainly no point in adding players who are either identical to what we already have or who are no better than who we already have playing in that person’s position but, we have spaces to fill and Wenger really needs to fill them, especially if he wants us to beat Bayern Munich in the knock-out stages of the Champions League.
We last played Bayern in Europe in 2005, losing 3-2 on aggregate so we have a score to settle. The first leg at The Emirates will be played on 19th February, with the return match at Munich’s Allianz Arena on 13th March.
Don’t worry though, Pizarro is getting on a bit now……
Ray Wilkins reckons we will get knocked out, mind you, he reckons Manchester United and Celtic will knocked out too…..
What does he know eh?
That’s it for another day……..
Good morning all,
Quote “If we can add one or two exceptional players, we will do it. What we do not want to do is add players just because people put us under pressure to buy players” What can anybody find to argue with there?
A perfectly sensible statement of fact by a perfectly sensible manager.
Evening all..
I survived last nights Xmas cruise and todays hangover in remarkably good condition.
On Theo….who knows??
On new signings….who knows??
On anything Arsenal…..who the hell knows 🙂
Walcott’s gone! His footballing brain has made his decision for him. It’s a no brainier!
There will be no transfers. In because there are no exceptional players available!
And
Goodbye to the CL two more games and we are gone. As is “normal”. Just check the records. Out again with 16 teams left. When last 8draw takes place Arsenal’s name will not be there!
JW, we all know he gives nothing away…..not even to himself!
Morning all….
He’s getting closer….
http://angryofislington.com/2012/12/21/arsenal-share-update-usmanov-closing-in-on-30/
Wenger would never gonna buy any player; but gonna get ban after we lost 2 Beyern. Not until the board, Gazardis, Keronke n Wenger are kicked out would Arsenal see glory.
Wavy, who cares….the world is ending today anyway.
Well yours must be, judging by that positive post 🙂
Morning all. Lots of reporting on Demba Ba joining in January. I don’t see it. I reckon Wenger will carry on with Theo through the middle and the Ox on the right.
That leaves us needing a back up winger as Ramsey doesn’t do it in that position. That’s as well as another left back and midfielder.
Can’t see any of that happening.
Wavy, I feel all warm and fuzzy now. 🙂
wenger comments
What we do know is Ba is 7.5million to buy out
Huntelaar’s contract is up in summer
but are they good enough for wenger.
The list of “possible” targets is growing by the hour.
JW, that’s what I said in the post 😉
But there is no point in buying just for buying’s sake, we have previously signed too many players that are no better than what already have in the squad.
But we don’t have a DM and we seriously need a defender who can play left back ..
90 mins to go folks, then the world is set to end….
Thanks for all your help guys and have thoroughly enjoyed chatting with you all over the last two years….
😆
What players do we need
My opinion is for what its worth
left back
central midfielder over 6ft with a pair bollox
and striker
cherry on the top a keeper with grey hair will do.
As for the thing near Durham’s nose. I believe that certain creatures at the very bottom of the evolutionary scale had their brains mounted externally. They were only useful for maintaining the very basic of motor functions as that was all they needed. Durhamus Moronicus is such a creature.
No Scott,
The number of drooling agents, with clients to flog, crawling out of the woodwork is increasing by the minute and so called journalists are lapping up the crap.
On that note, I’m off out for a walk along the beautiful North Norfolk coast, I shall be in The Dun Cow at Salthouse later for lunch. All are welcome.
We’re doomed! We’re all doomed!
Don’t panic! Don’t panic!
Chorus of Wenger’s optimistic army!
Typical wenger… Lets wait and see. Stopila sunzu or mr stop as he is fondly called for his hard tackling abililties yesterday won the best african based player award at the Caf award nite. Forget mvilla or wanyama. I ve seen this guy play plenty times and he will fit in arsenal’s midfield perfectly. The only downside is that his hard tackling nature while suited to the african game will definitely get him initial red cards in the bpl…. Other than that i say get him in wenger.
Same here fred but we need a keeper too but that could prob wait until the summer…
Wavy,we shall let the doom and gloomers panic enough for the rest of us lol
You are on form this morning Adam.
JW – have a good day….
Jeff, seems Reading are after Mr Stop too and have already made an offer for him, according to the newspapers of course….
Scott, was it a good bash?
Thank you Rico. I am wearing The Hat Of Cynicism. 🙂
Rico see we agree
sticks out don’t it
wonder why he won’t go the extra yard
he seems scared to sign a player..but you would have thought by now he would know the gamble is at the cheap end of the market. He has to splash the cash.
It was a great night thanks Rico….the most beautiful harbour in the world is always a joy to cruise.
Speaking of bash…..we shold not bash our heads in over who Wenger might or might not bring in.
It will happen if and when it happens.
Though if we want a prediction……Bilgia and Ba in for mine.
Based on what??
Who the hell knows 🙂
Biglia…sorry!!
And Theo to stay based on the same reason given above!!
Morning all..
‘Durhamus Moronicus is such a creature.’ Now that is a classic. lol
Oh so the world ends in less than 90 minutes and I have not even started to prepare my fave dish to enjoy before it goes pop.
I have my doomsday prep notes or photocopied so if any one needs one just drop me an email after the EMF and solar flares toasts all the computers in the world… 😀
As if the world is not bad enough we now have the ‘Daily Arsenal’ in print. God save us the Arsenal fans.
Exceptional players, hmmm.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder…
Maybe at one time Gervinho, Chamakh, Squillacci, Santos etc etc , we’re viewed as ‘exceptional’….
A questionable term indeed…
Morning Gooners.
Moaning Lee.
Nice post Rico.
Kev,”exceptional player” is obviously a relative term….exceptional compared to……….
How is work Kev?
I am pleased to say another work years has passed, tough the phne seems to kepp ringing…pesky customers….still, christmas presents and a new car to pay for, so i had best be nice 🙂
Oh i forgot Rico good post again.
BUT as we are saying our farewells before getting initiated to the higher level as with ‘the ginger man now airbrushed a blond’, I must as well tell HH worshippers that Rico and Theo have a history… 😉
This news is ‘above classified’ according to the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) so keep it on the down low… 😀
Hi Scott, the Sales kicked-off in Oxford & Regent Streets last night, so today will be busy.
But overal it’s been quieter in town Digger…
On-line shopping is having an effect of course.
Also the cost of going out for a beer…
Still at least it’s not raining today.
Cold but sunny.
if arsenal ready come out with sometin dis season they should better enter market and buy player bcause we need player such as deffencive mildfilder all dis goal when we dey concied is bcause of deffencieve mildfild esspacially when arsenal dey lead first half second half our opponent will come back and equalise d goal and dat is not good also we need quality stricker bcause our forward is not good enough and if walco is going they should bring some body dat will replace him
Maybe at one time Gervinho, Chamakh, Squillacci, Santos etc etc , we’re viewed as ‘exceptional’
I think charlie he was hinting at that the other day when he signed the young brits.
It must be amazing to come to london and then have 50,000 sticking out you pocket every week
According to Jehovah’s Witnesses the World should have ended some 20 odd years ago.
And those people know what they’re talking about, I can tell ya…
They call themselves ‘The Truth’…
Yeah, Rock On…
That’s on a bad day Fred
Ginge,Theo is Rico and Arsenes love child 🙂
Kev, everything is bloody expensive lol.
We only bought the car now because we saved around 10 grand……the car dealers here are giving them away atm,plus i get a decent tax rebate of 4-5 grand.
Too god a deal to knock back.
The missus is a champion…..she finished Xmas present shopping months back.
If it was left up to me, i wouldn’t have started yet!!
Scott I have a very good friend, who goes to car auctions and picks up some absolute bargains.
I always get my motors from him. He’s never let me down.
A top mechanic as well….
Hey kev just don’t come knocking on my door telling me you are Charles Taze Russell re-incarnated. You have eatten too many kebabs for me to believe that. lol.
On a serious note, Kev do you know if Jessops have good boxing day sales on cameras?
Scott how are you going to eat your christmas dinner hanging upside down in Oz? 😀
Gotta go, see ya lata Gooners
Ginge, i will manage mate.
Food is ok…..beer is a bugger though!!
Kev,i have a mate who is sales manager for a big Holden Dealer and play cricket with a guy who is sale manager at Ford,and a part owner of the greyhounds is a used car salesman…….best of both worlds.
Hi Ginge, not sure about Jessops tbh.
You after a telephoto lens then??? 😀
Try Tottenham Court Rd for camera’s…
Gone now
Take that hat off Adam… 🙂
Bye Kev.
Same old bollox from Wenger…”exceptional players” in whose eyes?
fred – i don’t know why we don’t, our trophy cabinet would be bursting…
We desperately need an out and out goal scorer and a diaby replacement as a bare minimum if AW want’s his 4th spot trophy…… sad isn’t it?
I think Jessops price match any other shop…
Five minutes to the end of the world ffs!
BANG!
Is it over yet??
Am i the last living soul on earth?
Well,it seems we will finish above Spuds again.
We all know the world will truly end when that mob beat us in the league!?
you missed the world ending 12 hours ago Scott…
I think we’ll struggle to finish above them this season……however with a RvP replacement it might be different!
Hi Kev, thanks and bye 🙁
I thought the world had ended, seems i just fell alseep 😉
The only things to survive the Mayan holocaust will be cockroaches and Durhamus Moronicus. These creatures will procreate and a new species will be born. Give it a few million years and the inhabitants of our planet will have exo-skeletons and red hair. It will be a sickening sight for sure.
if it had ended bro Germain would be asking you why you slag of AW… lol
Agree re the goal scorer and midfielder Lee, and a defender, especially if JD is off to Italy and Santos off to Turkey….
Unless of course, Meade is deemed good enough to cover for Gibbs until the summer?
But… Henry is rumoured to be joining on loan for 3 months
Adam, was it Graham Stack??
Rico. Bang on. Well remembered. 🙂
Hi Rico
you seem to have a good knewledge(my opinion) of the game..do you have any history
And without Google Adam, it just came to me as the kettle was boiling 🙂
Pure inspiration then Rico.
Hi fred, I have a lot of history but not any related to the club 😉
I have many names ‘stacked’ up Adam 😉
Miguel is adequate cover imo
Knowing you as I do Rico, that all stacks up nicely. 🙂
Wigan tomorrow, a win might spring surprise at the table.You never know because football is a funny old game.
He’s injured though…
Ha ha Adam…
Darn, I thought we were at home tomorrow, it’s at Wigan…
The Mayans were known to be a few days off. Those open-heart plumbers didn’t exactly wear atomic clocks on their wrists, you know. Download Bear Grylls episodes while the internet still has a pulse. I race you to the first camel carcass.
united is signing Lewandowski. holy crap. had anyone elsr heard that he has agreed on terms for a summer move?
DG. That is really rather ‘orrible? And I never actually watched it.
I think you are being optimistic there on manure re.Lewandowski . BVB are no arsenal even though they have their own financial issues…
One of the most reliable papers in Germany are not reporting that apart from ‘So schön feiert der BVB das Super-Jahr’
I think manure have bigger problems than we have with Rednose rumoured to be odds on to retire next summer. Additionally, Scholes, Rio, Giggs and possibly Vidic are retiring.
I would be more worried with TV4 joining his best friend in manchester next summer with Polly working in Salfords (BBC)..
Not heard that Will…
Afternoon fine folk….
And Lewandowski is not really pulling trees compared to Stefan Kiesling and Alexander Meier this season . At the moment if I was a coach I will be going for Keisling instead. A modern day Rudi Voller but without the spitting and diving persona if you like 🙂
liverpool could do better with Sami Hyypia in charge. he has taken his unfancied club to 2nd in the Bundesliga…
Saying that with Liverpool struggling with the Welsh Latino in charge we can possibly qualify for CL and AW can claim to have won the 3rd most important trophy available…
Adam
My fellow country man, Andy vd Meyde, was a doomsday-preppy long before it became fashionable. I just follow leaders.
Football: Goodison Ark; EXCLUSIVE EVERTON STAR ANDY’S ANIMAL CRACKERS He’s got 7 horses, 9 dogs, 3 geese, 3 goats, 3 cats, 2 ferrets, 2 turtles, 2 deer, 2 rabbits, 2 zebra, a parrot, a camel.. and his wife wants a koala!
Van der Meyde, 27, bursts into laughter as he recalls: “Yes, the camel. I forgot all about the fact that she had bought that thing when I went back to Italy before Christmas. She had mentioned something to me that one day she wanted a camel.
“But when I arrived late at night and opened the garage door I nearly died on the spot. In the dark was this massive camel, staring at me from about half a yard away!
TS doing their best to top their anti-AW reputation by saying AW is wrong to say TW deserves to pay arsenal back (after all the years the so called expects claimed Theo would be world class if he played for Aston Villa instead of us). Idiots!
AW’s latest comments are the most transparent to date.
The club don’t want Theo leaving the honeycomb as a freebie. After the ink dries they probably don’t care flogging him if the price is right.
Afternoon all,
Aparently the world has not come to an end, so that means we have to persevere with the team we have. Mind you i couldn’t work out that if that had been believed why would we sit on all the money we have as we wouldn’t have been able to use it. I can only assume that we was only waiting to see if we had to spend or not, so i now expect a big spend up in January. Looks like the end of the world won’t save Wenger he will now have to work his socks off to get us out of the shite.
Dg is that you in the photo with the long beard?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2251450/Phew-survived-Deadline-passes-Mayan-apocalypse-raining-killer-earthquakes-tough-luck-chap-won-50-000-HAD-wiped-out.html
Ginge
The one and only……me. That stick I’m holding goes way back to the red sea. 😛
Ha ha ha… DG10.
Is it not a long way to fly on your citation x aircraft to Guatemala to usher in the new beginning?
That must be kev playing the panpipes at the Bugarach mountain as the charles Taze re-incarnate…
That was super walk, cold and windy five miles, followed by bangers (snags, to you Scott) and mash washed down with a pint of Adnam’s. Time for a nap now! back later.
Hi JW,
a long walk from Norfolk to Stonehenge. lol
Kev for you….
‘It’s Derek!’ Kat’s mystery lover unmasked in explosive EastEnders episode but will brother Max REALLY kill him on Christmas Day?
Viewers were glued to their screens as overweight gangster Derek Branning was unmasked as Kat Moon’s secret lover in an explosive EastEnders episode on Thursday.
Long-suffering husband Alfie Moon finally discovers who his wife Kat is having an affair with, a mystery that has been baffling and frustrating viewers since summer.
Soon after Thursday’s episode was aired ‘Derek’ was trending on Twitter, with many viewers reacting in disbelief that Derek, who simply lit his cigar as Kat unmasked him as her obsession, would be attractive to the pub landlady character.
Ginge, put those binoculars away…. 😉
Hi Sp, I survived 😉
Dg – ha ha re Kat, wait until Christmas day, the ugly Branning gets murdered ….
Hi DG10, Is that a Dutch soap you are talking about, it sounds a lot like some awful programme that has been running over here since the last century. 😀
Cheers Dutch. I’m still baffled and frustrated though.
I wanna know what Ken Barlow has to say about it all..?
Kev,
Ken Barlow? Who he?
JW
Charlie George aka AK missed a EastEnd cliffhanger. Daily Fail runs the aftermath like Kate got knocked up by the stable cleaner. 😉
William Roach JW…. 🙂
JW, Ken Barlow is one of the central characters of Emmerdale Farm…
He is 95 years old and still going strong.
He was in the same class at school as Wath…
DG10,
Stable cleaner? Wouldn’t she be more likely to get knocked up by an unstable cleaner? Trigger who sweeps up down the market, might be available and he’s pretty unstable, just ask Del Boy. 😀
Kev. Ken Barlow has always been like a God to me.
Trigger’s been doing the job since his old dad retired and is still using the same broom, it’s had five new heads and six new handles.
Arkwright sold Trigger’s dad the original broom on the same day as he had his evil way with nurse Gladys Emmanuel.
Adam, I also have great affection for Pat Phoenix…
Elsie Tanner reminded me of my first wife Kev though she was considerably younger.
JW
Waiting for the truth is the hardest bit. Still a few months of nail chewing beyond repair before the world gets shocked.
Revealing baby pictures, with the toothless wearing an oversized overall and a fluorescent vest.
Adam,
Which was younger Elsie or your first wife?
Dg10,
At last we are back to talking about Arsenal, a few months of nail chewing before the world gets shocked….by The Mighty Gunners becoming European Champions!!!
Emmerdale Kev 😆
I thought he was in E’enders….
Sorry, lady came to get her eggs, boy she can natter…
JW. It was my first wife who was younger though she was very feisty like Elsie and used to beat me heavily. It didn’t stop me remarrying her though, after our acrimonious divorce.
Hahaha JW
We’re tapping from the same collective HH conciousness only my line was: Waiting for the truth is the hardest bit. 😛
Glutton for punishment Adam.
Time to go, the nurse is here to give me my blanket bath.
‘night all.
Night JW, have a good evening….
Bah fuckin humbug!! D.A.W!
D.A.W is the word Lee.
What word??
When/Where did Wenger say that Walcott owes the club?
I should have said words really Rico. Dear Arsene Wenger.
Ah, I see, thank you Adam….
He is a huge bah humbug…
Just off to eat, back shortly
I didn’t miss anything then 😉
Absolutely nothing Rico. Nice dinner?
Very nice thank you Adam…
Good.
JW…….i call them bangers as well mat3 lol.
Bear Grylls is not a tough nut.
Cutting a camel open and sleeping inside it for warmth is what we in Oz call camping!!!
Bear often pops down to my joint for some tips on what might shock you poms….we just call it life 🙂
Morning all.
It’s game day!!!
But what you were really thinking Adam is, what did you have? 😉 😉
Not here it’s not Scott 😉
I know Rico……some say you guys 12 hours behind…i reckon it is more like 12 years 🙂
How are you…..a lovely friday night i trust??
Ha ha Scott…. Yes, all very well here thank you, you soon heading out to work or a day off for you?
Well, what did you have Rico? 🙂
Not telling you 🙂
I am done with work for a few weeks.
My wife is having her bi-annual garage sale, so i will be moving things around for her, then off to cricket.
Big weekend planned???
Typical Rico. Anyone would think I am nosey. 🙂
Very nice Scott, maybe you will catch up on some sleep too…
Quiet weekend for me, few things to do which mainly involve using a cooker 🙂
Surely not Adam…..
Sarcasm doesn’t become you Rico. Not. 🙂
Off for the evening. Night all.
😆 Adam….
Good night, have a lovely evening….
Evening all, as Jack Warner in Dixon of Dock Green used to say… Good post Rico.
Wigan away tomorrow, the least we should expect is a draw. I do like Martinez, and what he has done with the budget that he has.
Any news on which season Diaby may return in?
I have a sneaky feeling that Walcott will be off, and probably to the Mancs. Fergy will pay him £100k + and leave the worry of their mounting debt to the Chairman.
Hi marinello, I used to love Dixon of Dock Green….
Not this one re Diaby and I thought we’d win tomorrow, then realised we were away….
I am off for the day.
Have a great night all…catch you at game time.
Ya boo Rico/Adam, i’m not telling you either…
Lee has gone home.
Broadgate is safe….
I’m off for the day folks, have a good one where ever you are and catch up tomorrow…
Night all
See you Scott, Hi and Bye Kev 😉
Diaby returning to fitness???
The never-ending question…
Night Rico…
Diaby, the never-ending thigh strain…
Hey Kev.
Diaby….his thighs are more famous than those of Colonel Sanders!!
What a crying shame such an immense talent is going to waste.
It is a shame Scott, and the dip in our fortunes since he broke down, again, only makes it worse…
Likewise Rosicky.
David Villa on loan for the rest of the season looks interesting.
Bendtner returning to Arsenal next summer is just depressing.
Morning all…..
Morning Rico, my heart melted this morning my daughter said “three sleeps until comes…” Told her not to believe in that old crap! 😉
Santa even…. 😆
Morning Lee, you cruel man, your poor daughter…
And what do you mean, Santa still comes down my chimney…. 😉
New Post up….