Thomas Vermaelen set for Arsenal return? French striker steps up in training…

Morning all.

So it was true. Arsenal or Sky Sports and Thierry Henry opted for the latter. I’m surprised Henry was given such an ultimatum in the first place but there you go, it’s Arsene’s way or the highway. Our old Frenchman has gone but I’m sure he’ll return one day, when Wenger has gone perhaps. The sad thing though is he plans to continue coaching but obviously at a different club so by the time Stan Kroenke wakes up and realises Wenger is past it, Henry maybe be settled elsewhere.

Apparently Tony Adams is being lined up to replace him which I suppose isn’t all bad as at least he knows what Arsenal means to the fans and himself and he knows how to defend. Maybe the younger players will come through the academy knowing a lot more about the defensive side of the game.

Jon Toral is the latest youngster to go out on loan, to Granada! To me this looks like being the first step towards a permanent move away from the club as why on earth would he not stay in England and continue to adapt to the English game? After having a really good season at Birmingham where I believe he swooped all the end of seasons awards, he’s heading to a side which flirts with relegation most years in La Liga. He was the one player many of us thought would step up and finally get his chance with the fist team but no, clearly not.

In the transfer gossip there’s been a lot of stuff about Olivier Giroud heading to Napoli and in return, we’ll be getting Higuain which personally I think is poppycock. Why would Arsenal waste £80 million, part of which would be deducted for the value of Ollie, only to get a player a few months younger than the Frenchman? No, they wouldn’t would they….

Wolfsburg are reported to be in desperate need to raise some cash and that’s why Julian Draxler is expected to be sold for a suggested fee of around £50 million. Would Arsene Wenger rubber stamp such a vast expenditure? Would Stan Kroenke? Who knows eh….

But what I find quite odd, well, maybe not considering it’s Wenger and Arsenal,is why after having made an early approach for Jamie Vardy, have they not gone in hard for another striker. Surely Vardy wasn’t the only name on Wenger’s list, he must have a plan B after failing with plan A.

Still, never fear, Yaya Sanogo is back in training and ready for the season ahead and if that doesn’t excite you, nothing will!

Finally, if we are to believe reports in Spain,  Thomas Vermaelen is likely to return to Arsenal according to Sport. The Spanish publication claims that the Belgium centre-back is waiting for Arsene Wenger to make the move to lure him back to the Emirates Stadium and has thus put the interest from West Ham in securing his services on hold.

Surely not!!

64 thoughts on “Thomas Vermaelen set for Arsenal return? French striker steps up in training…

  1. Hell Raising Devil says:

    GGoooodd AAfftteerrnnoooonn LLoovveelliieess aanndd HHuunnkkiieess..

    NNiiccee ppoosstt bbooss.. SSoo ssoorryy tthhaatt iitt wwaass eexxppeennssiivvee ffoorr yyoouu aatt tthhee oopptt..

  2. allezkev says:

    Draxler is ok and would probably improve at Arsenal, but if the reported fee of £50m is true, then that’s another one we can safely say ‘see ya lata’ …

    Even if the fee is actually €50m, that still equates to £41m…

    Wenger ain’t gonna be spending that amount any time soon…

    Still, I guess that Debuchy could be reintegrated into our squad and Vermaelen seems a classic Wenger move, especially if he is on a free!

  3. thenry says:

    how can you blame wenger for henry choosing tv over Arsenal
    no organisation can allow one of its employees to criticise other employees live on TV and see that as conducive to a healthy working environment
    his laughing at giroud and having a go at ozil last year would not be acceptable as an Arsenal employee though he was not on our books at the time but if he was how would the atmosphere be if he was ?
    do you think before you write oh but wait its all wingers fault as usual with all the bloggers out there

  4. Le Coq Monster says:

    Thanks Rico.

    I`ve just looked through the planning applications for St Albans District and there`s nothing about extending the treatment room at London Colney !……………………..I could have just gone on Ornstein and saved me some time, no mention of TV !.

    Just hope you didn`t have same optician as Wenger !…..as I dont want you talking about…..”our spirit is good “…..”our togetherness”….”we were mentally strong ” etc` etc`………………although you maybe quite delighted by reading your bank statements !. 😀

  5. Le Coq Monster says:

    Cant be the wingers fault, thenry ! ………………as we haven`t got any decent or proper one`s…..only Walmart and he`s not a proper one either !. 🙂

  6. Bob John says:

    Personally I totally agree with the Henry decision. How could he possibly coach the u-18s when he would miss virtually all of their games because of Sky TV commitments? Even missing one game would be one too many as far as I am concerned.This is The Arsenal we are talking about not the local Sunday team!

  7. Le Coq Monster says:

    Yes, we are The Arsenal, Bob, but our transfer negotiating team are Sunday League standard !…..actually that`s putting Sunday Leagues down !…….my local team have just bought the Delabole Messi !…..hard negotiations but agreed he could have his own pasty crimper !…………….Hazel from Trebarwith !.

  8. frednerk says:

    Coaches come and go in youth football,youth coaches change each year per year group
    world names such as Henry are not required on a daily basis’s.
    Henry would’nt be picking teams,for any of the games under his tutoring/coaching.
    Only a couple,coaches at The Arsenal have ever won anything.
    So for me it’s a bad day when a player who has won the lot and gets his P45
    then says you don’t have to pay me,I’m baffled.
    If your reading this Henry.I would love you to turn up when ever you like
    and show our lot how to put the ball in the back of the net.
    You let us know what hours you want to do.

  9. obi says:

    Hi All:
    Therny, agree or disagree about the state of affairs at Arsenal: lack of transfer activity, tactics, trophies, player motivation, lack of new ideas, veteran players coaching elsewhere, etc, etc. The one constant is AW, surely he can’t be right on everything. The man is very intolerant, and refuses to adapt to the dynamic changes of the game. Is not just the TH situation, he’s just killing Arsenal n making it hard to be a fan.

  10. thenry says:

    lol at misspelling Wengers name
    still most of you seem to be laying the blame for henry leaving at Wengers feet when henry was given a choice and made an offer to coach at Arsenal he chose to turn it down thats upto him not Wenger
    if you were criticised at your work place by another collegue live on tv how would you take it?
    as for transfers so ozil sanchez kos welbeck xhaka cech were all signed by sunday league level negotiators they all came because of Wengers influence and have stated it many times but don’t let the wenger hate get in your way of spouting your anti Wenger stuff as usual.
    when Wenger leaves you will all realise what he meant to the club and what our standing will be if we cannot secure another top level manager and there are not many of those around in world football.
    the man has done more for this club then all the fans ever could have. I have been a season ticket holder since the 80’s and Wengers tenure has been the most thrilling and enjoyable but the way a small minority of fans have turned on him shows what a classless fan base we have when they don’t support the team pick on players and deride them and attack the players manager and owners relentlessly on social media as if they are all experts and know everything about players tactics and yet Wenger knows nothing is so laughable its beyond a joke.
    COYG

  11. rico says:

    Thenry, I don’t hate Wenger personally, I just hate what he’s doing to the club. Yes he signed some great players but imo, never enough because he’s too tight.

  12. Le Coq Monster says:

    Guess who is the 5th most valuable football club and with the biggest rise in most valuable sports team ?……………………………………and we still act like an Hackney Marshes outfit in transfer dealings !……………………….oh well, Kroenke will be pleased !.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3688735/Real-Madrid-no-longer-world-s-valuable-sports-team-Dallas-Cowboys-claiming-spot-Manchester-United-fifth-Forbes-list.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

  13. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies

    JM…..Colney training grounds and Watford training grounds are next to each other…..divided by a hedge.

    TommyV to return to club??? Can see it happen under AW. Either him or Subotic. both have suffered from injuries and both are on reduced price. So a classic AW signing.

    Honestly…….I don’t like it.

    I prefer a young (22-24) upcoming defender albeit one who might cost a bit.

  14. allezkev says:

    Morning All…

    Morning Coach, how’s things?

    What’s wrong with getting in Rob Holding from Bolton..?
    If he isn’t any good, then why bother bidding for him in the first place, he can either do a job for us or he can’t, as you say both Vermaelen and Subotic have been ravaged by injuries, so signing either of them is just short-sighted, cheap and typical Wenger…

    The whole transfer thing is frankly boring anyway, it’s all full of shit.
    Spivvy agents, over rated super stars, yawn…

  15. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Morning Kev.

    I don’t think its that this or that player is good or good enough or not good.

    I think its all in the last line……agents.

    Remember when GG used to say if he finds players better than the ones he has he will sign them?? and then what…..underhand money.

    AW says the same thing. At the end of the day I feel its more about money than the level of the players.

    Am I suggesting that AW is doing the same as GG??? everyone to his personal opinions.

  16. allezkev says:

    Christian Benteke, £32.5 million, really..?

    Now if Benteke is so good that Liverpool value him so highly, why are they selling him???

  17. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Buongiorno Rico.

    Fifa or Uefa or both should get together and make a transfer cap. A person who has X contract with Y amount of caps and Z amount of club appearance should cost much more than someone who has a lower salary, lesser amount of caps and few club appearances.

    Benteke for that money is ridiculous.

  18. Adam says:

    Higuain would score more goals I suppose, but Draxler is a lot younger. They usually play different positions though I think. Draxler coming from wide and Gonzalo down the middle.

  19. Malaga gooner says:

    Morning Rico and the house

    We won’t sign any 1 else

    We’ve had our marquee signing

    Wenger has let us down again

  20. Lee says:

    Nice to see Arsenal exercising their contingency plan after Wilfred Bramble jogged us on….

    The season starts in a month and we could be without some of our top stars for the first few games! Wtf is the problem in strengthening the squad??? It’s a fucking joke!

  21. Malaga gooner says:

    Not for sure Rico.
    But as past windows go, when we’ve signed a big fee player early in the window, there has been no other players signed

  22. rico says:

    Morning Kev. It’s a glorious morning here too… 🙂

    Adam, agree which is why I have hope… lol

    New post up now, I didn’t write it so be nice…. lol

  23. Wavy says:

    Rico, you said we needed a striker and a defender this time last year and the year before. Didn’t happen though, did it! What would Wenger change his spots he’s got Akpom after all and, anyone can play central defence, Monreal, Chambers, Debuchy, plus Kos, Merts and Gabby. That’s loads! Not to mention the odd child in the development squad. Rick’ll know who’s likely.

    Mg has probably called it right. The excitement is over! Sit back and enjoy the ride as our rivals re-equip themselves and we find ourselves down the table. Mind you a silver lining may exist, Wenger may depart at the end of this season if we do finish in the soft and smelly.

    Morning all. Bright and sunny here…….at the moment!

  24. allezkev says:

    Adam, how do you think the crowd reaction will be, watching Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Akpom ripping into Liverpool on the opening day of the season…?

    I guess if we win, everything will be rosey…

  25. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Kev….24 years in coaching have taught me one thing……the player of this season might well turn out to be a different animal next season. the past is not a guarantee for the future. yes we might bash Theo and the Ox. So there is a chance that those three together with Campbell might surprise us……I always live in hope.

  26. Hell Raising Devil says:

    Icardi’s wife & agent: “There are many offers, but I do not negotiate with other clubs. I only talk about Mauro’s contract, that’s my role, not doing negotiations. Atletico Madrid, Tottenham and Arsenal have made contact. Napoli and Roma are also interested now.”

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