Morning all.
Yannick Carrasco, a Belgian winger/forward who left Atlético Madrid in February 2018. The year before, according to Transfer Market, he was worth €40 million. Now the same website values him at just half that amount. Either playing in the Chinese League has done him no favours, or his level of football has dropped. Perhaps the two go hand in hand.
He’s 25 years old, the perfect age. Whether or not he’s the perfect player for Arsenal as reports suggest he thinks he is, remains to be seen. Firstly of course IF we sign him, secondly, how he fits in if we do. No different to any other player. If he were to join and have a cracking season, he’s young enough to sell at a profit, young enough to give Arsenal three good seasons at least. If he flunks, well that’s a risk every club takes.
Talksport are bigging up our chances of signing him. Dennis Praet and Joachim Andersen too. Apparently Arsene Wenger once said Praet was weak, a statement which is now being repeated across the internet but the player was just 16 years old when Arsene explained why his trial at the club wasn’t a success. As for Andersen, well all I know is what I’ve read. He’s 6’ 3” and ‘considered a great ball playing defender with the ability to play in both right and left side of the central defense and even in defensive midfield.’
Emile Martinez is reportedly set to replace Petr Cech which is no great surprise if true after his outstanding season on loan at Reading.
Anyway, if Talksport are to be believed, we could have a week full of news and new signings……
England play this afternoon and I’m looking forward to watching them kick start their World Cup campaign. Of course I didn’t mean the men’s match, who wants to watch a third place playoff match…
Finally, 49 years old is far too young to pass. RIP Justin Edinburgh. On behalf of HH, my thoughts and prayers are with those you’ve left behind….
Catch up in the comments guys..
I’m pleased that Emiliano will be our second GK I’ve liked him every time I’ve seen him play & he was well thought of at Reading. He’s tall,and I think he’ll be good. Another bonus is he won’t cost us anything
He deserves the chance I reckon. Should mean Ospina leaves, another wage gone.
Afternoon, Rico. 😜
Have seen some of the ‘Losers Play-offs’ and you have not missed much!.
Afternoon Ra, I’m watching the cricket, a wiser choice I think..
I’m watching Englad v. Switzerland
Carrasco does not convince me.
Just like the coming of Suarez.
Watch the England women Jm, a much better game…
I’m watching the women’s game Rico. There are some hard-nuts out there.
There sure is Adam..
Pretty disappointed that most most matches are on the red button..
Martinez deserves a chance, we let so many players go without giving them a decent shot, Carasco on the left wing!! Is it going to be a 4 4 2 or does Auba play up front on his own???? More questions than answers
England (men) win a penalty shootout, how times do change. 😉
If we get Carasco and he plays on the left wing where does that leave Iwobi?
Perhaps Carrasco will be signed to play the right, instead of Mkhitaryan. Nelson and Saka to get the left spot. Who knows..
A report in the Express says Emery is in talks with both PSG and right back Thomas Meunier over a summer transfer. Our urgent need is for a left back to replace Monreal. So where does Hector Bellerin fit in the picture? Has he not recovered from his injuries? Or does Emery not see him as part of the starting eleven?
Questions, questions, questions. 😉
When Bellerin is fit he will definitely be a starter for us again, it’s Monreal on the other side that needs replacing . I’ve read Barca are after Sead !!!! not sure how I feel about that, I suppose if it’s good money , that’s OK, but he has had some good games for us especially going forward , he just fell off a bit later in the season. Iwobi is still improving, and if he could only improve his final ball, then we should keep him. I think AMN best position is a more central one, he has been playing out of position this year
There are more, questions than answers.
Vito Mannone has revealed what it was like to be stuck in the middle of Jens Lehmann and Manuel Almunia during their bitter battle for the No.1 spot at Arsenal throughout the 2007-08 season.
The feud between the two goalkeepers has gone down in folklore in north London with their relationship having totally broken down following Arsene Wenger’s decision to replace Lehmann with Almunia following a series of high-profile errors from the experienced keeper.
Lehmann took Wenger’s decision very badly and reports of training ground bust-ups were common place throughout the season – with the German often taking swipes at the Spaniard in the press.
Things got so bad that in April, before a game at Manchester United, Almunia admitted that he couldn’t even face talking to his team-mate anymore.
“Every morning I wake up and I know it is going to be the same,” said Almunia. “I’ve had to put up with it every day since he was out of the team.
“But I don’t care about him anymore. He can say what he likes. It’s his problem, not mine, and I don’t see why I should try to talk to him about it.
“The truth is I don’t want to talk to him. If he was someone important, I would try, but he’s not.”
Mannone had arrived at Arsenal as a teenager from Italy in 2006 and spent the 2007-08 season as part of Wenger’s first-team set-up at London Colney.
So he was always working with Almunia and Lehmann during training sessions and saw first-hand what the feud was like, even finding himself right in the middle of it at times.
And for a youngster who was new to the club, he admits it was often a tough situation to deal with.
“It was difficult because Jens was a very aggressive keeper, especially with Almunia,” Mannone told Goal. “So you can imagine what it was like for me and the tension inside the training ground.
“It was very difficult because you’re trying to learn and do your own thing, but at the same time they were trying to kill each other.
“When you do certain sort of exercises like crosses, challenges and shooting, you need to help each other. But there was not so much help there.”
Lehmann discussed his feud with Almunia in his autobiography which was published in 2017.
In it, the German recalled one incident when the intense competition between the two spilled over due to an incident during a training ground match at London Colney.
“Nicklas Bendtner went up using his elbow, and headed the ball into my goal,” said Lehmann. “The assistant manager, however, indicated a free-kick, prompting my friend Almunia to shout all the way across the pitch, ‘Hey! That was no free-kick; that was a regular goal!’
When the match was over, I went up to him. ‘Listen, when something’s happening at my end, you’re not to yell at the back.’ That was when all his rage broke out of him. ‘What do you want, b*stardo?’ ‘What are you saying? Why are you insulting me?’ I shot back. ‘Shut the f*ck up, b*stardo!’ came the reply. ‘Ah, at least now you’re openly saying what you really think of me,’ I said. ‘This is your true character – insulting colleagues!’
“By now, the other players and the boss had noticed our argument and tried to calm us down, having to positively restrain Almunia so that he would not smack me. I, of course, would have welcomed him losing control, since that would have meant getting rid of a rival. Unfortunately, he cooled down again.”
That was far from the only the time the pair clashed before Lehmann left the club at the end of his contract in 2008, with team-mates regularly having to pull the two keepers apart to stop them from coming to blows.
Mannone – who is currently on loan from Reading with MLS outfit Minnesota United – admits, however, that he would leave that job to some of the more experienced players in the squad.
“I was not the one to split them up really,” he laughed.
“I was the youngster and those two were always fighting so it was a nervous situation for me to try and deal with. Every training session was like a Champions League final. You couldn’t miss a ball or do anything wrong.
“But again, it was a great learning curve. It gave me the chance to grow up, become a man and be ready for a tough environment.”
Charles Watts : Goal.com
Hahaha………………..I love the word “Bastardo”……….so much more funnier than Bastard !…………shame they didn`t put an “o” on the end of “shut the fcuk up”……….shut the fcuk upo bastardo ! hahaha
We are condemned to live 20 years in the shadow of the neighbors of the North …
Carrasco, is a player who only created problems wherever he went …
Belgium arrived where they arrived at the last World Cup because they took it out from the first game and no one else ever remembered it.
Bet on new players, with “blood on the gill”, willing to assert themselves. The u-20 World Cup has a few.
Funny tale from Mannone, very believable too.
Jm, I do love your positivity… lol
We’re all doomed
Never Kev…
Come on lads cheer up , next year we’re all going to be Millionaires !!!!
and buy kronke out ? or at least a few brilliant players
Only, Sohara, if your name is Del Boy Trotter. 😉
With an old watch in your back pocket Cicero….
I think I read somewhere that we can sign players from abroad from today.
Get it done early Raul…
Morning Rico, People,
Just caught up on the comments and really enjoyable they were, especially AK’s regarding Mannone/Manuel/Lehmann. 😁
Le Coq-a-Doodle showed us, in his follow up, that he has an impressive grasp of languages, but I was a little concerned that he previously called me his ‘favoritti bigo bastardo’ it was not a Spanish term of endearment.
I expect he will claim ” I only speak ‘pidgin Spanish, coo’ and he was not pecking at me – the bastardo – coo.
Anyway, the transfer rumours are as weird as ever, and I hope some of the suggested names we are allegedly interested in are poppycock.
The new-ish Arsenal management don’t fill me with confidence.
Morning all.
Yep, transfer window open everywhere now, how exciting. 😂😂
Hi Ra, I’ve never heard of most we are linked to. Very Arsenal like I think.
Morning Rico. I’m checking NN every few minutes for transfer news myself.
Morning Adam, you and me both. Ornstein’s twitter account too of course…
Goes without saying Rico. 😂
New PL fixture list for next year out this Thursday June 13th at 9am ….oooh getting excited
😂 Adam
That’s come round quickly Sohara, at least there’ll be something to talk about.. fear mainly. Lol
I just hope we get the last game of the season as a home game, we have been away for the past two years, and it is not the same, especially this year it was very poor, the result didn’t help, but the mood wasn’t right at the ground either. also it was a 4.30pm kick off The last home game two years ago was lovely, Cazorla’s little boy stole the show, showing amazing skills with the football, and then shooting at goal with all the crowd cheering him on , that was a really good ending to the season
New post up now..
Thanks Rico. Only 2 days late to reply to your post 🙂
Carrasco looks decent but doesn’t really give me that wow feeling. I haven’t really seen anything in Carrasco that makes me feel he will be a better option than promoting Nelson through. If anything I feel Nelson has the greater potential and looks quicker for a wide left attacking player, Carrasco not looking like he has blistering pace. Will that hamper him in the EPL? I am not sure we should use any of our transfer money (even if reduced to a year ago) on average players.
I am all for us trying to do a Fergie’s Utd class of 92 route with our youngsters next season, so would prefer young Nelson gets his chance over someone like Carrasco. With Iwobi I remain convinced he would make a better box to box CM than winger. He is one of 2 regular 1st 11 players I would potentially look at for a switch of position (the other one is even more out there, and I doubt I will get many agreeing with it 🙂 ).
If we were talking Nicolas Pepe or Zaha as an attacking wing forward that would be different as they look 1-2 levels above Carrasco, but I am not sure either would choose us before other suitors and, even if they did want us, will the board extend to their transfer fee?
There could still be some merit in Carrasco but much may depend on what happens with Ozil and our strikers. I wonder if he could make a better ACM or number 10 type player? If so he could be a useful addition and potential replacement if Ozil is done with us, in taking up a goal-scoring ACM role but with the option to cover wide left if Nelson is not able to.
On the others, I am happy with the Martinez promotion and Anderson sounds promising. I agree with those that feel we need an addition to our left full back position, but do we have an academy prospect waiting in the wings in this position?