Morning all.
So the latest name on the tip of many journalists biro is Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva. Somehow, his name has been shortened to be ‘Pato’, I’m glad as that’s so much easier to type.
He’s a striker so that ticks the first box.
He’s still only 24 years old, so that’s a good tick in the age box.
He’s played in the Champions League for Milan, so that’s another tick in the ‘experienced player’ box.
Oh, and as far as I know, his current club Corinthians are not playing in the Champions League/Europa, so he wouldn’t be cup-tied for our European campaign, if of course we are still playing in Europe in 2014. Another tick.
Plenty of pluses.
What about the downside if he did sign.
He’s a tiddler at just 5′ 10″.
His scoring ration with his current club hardly sets the world alight with just 17 goals in 54 appearances. However, previously, whilst at Milan, he was far more potent scoring 63 goals in 150 appearances. It’s worth noting that during his last two seasons in Italy, he played in just 25 fixtures which was partly down to injury but Milan wanted him out back then too. They tried to sell him to PSG in attempt to make enough money to sign Carlos Tevez but Pato refused to go.
In January this year, he moved to Corinthians but according to reports, he has had a bust up with training staff and a move away from his current could be possible.
Is he the answer to our striking needs?
Not for me, he’s clearly a bit stroppy and it’s also suggested he likes the night-life. Let him lose in London and he may not get back in time for a 3pm kick-off…
Finally, tomorrow night it’s do or die for France, well in terms of next years World Cup. They need to beat Ukraine by more than the 2-0 defeat they suffered at the hands of the same team on Tuesday night if they are to reach the big competition in the summer.
France will be without Laurent Koscielny as he’s banned, but Bacary Sagna and Olivier Giroud could both be called on for their country. Sagna was an unused substitute on Friday but Giroud played 71 minutes and no doubt the latter will be expected to play again tonight and he’s ready:
We are ready to die on the pitch. I have a lot of determination and I think it will help us get into them.
I’d rather he didn’t go to those extremes of course, in fact I hope Deschamps prefers to play Benzema but I doubt that will happen.
Can’t say I am fussed about whether they qualify or not, all I care about is our players returning to London fit and healthy…
But I guess if France do manage to qualify, the players will be in a much more confident mood than if they don’t…..
That’s it for another day…..
Pato is a gamble, we don’t have to do them anymore right? Then again, every signing is a gamble i guess. For me the more teams get knocked out containing our players the better! 🙂
I’m with you there Oz, on both.
But, would France getting beat tomorrow knock our French players confidence?
nah – as long as we stay out of old trafford we’re right ha!
Morning guys.
Pato….i like him.
Best choice…probably not, but he has quality.
Agree with you Oz…i hope they all miss out 🙂
Thankfully Oz, we won’t be going there again this season, unless we draw them in the knockout stages of the CL of course 😉
Or the FA Cup…
He’s cheaper than the likes of Benzema too Scott, I forgot to ‘tick’ that box 😉
On his day, he is sensational, Rico.
Cheap….mmm…Arsene likes that haha
Morning Rico.
I believe we should use our financial clout to buy someone better than Pato.
Dreaming again Adam 🙂
I hope we do.
As i said, he is not my first choice, and i hope he isn’t Wengers.
Yes Scott. It’s always been my greatest shortcoming. 🙂
I guess we never really expected a 43 million signing though, but it would be unthinkable to get a second of that magnitude.
We dream on though 🙂
Is he Scott?? 😉
Morning Adam. I’d like to think we would too…
How boring is this break from club football….
Scott. I think that Stan and Wenger simply had to do something. I hope that they have noted what the ambition of that signing has bought to the club and do it again. Things were getting dicey over there believe me.
The news re Fergie’s book made me smile, over 40 factual errors made and the publishers want a refund…..
I rather enjoy it Rico. I have made an art form out of doing nothing.
It’s my opium. 🙂
Only 40?
No chance Sam!!
West Ham are set to offer Tomas Rosicky a pay-as-you-play deal next summer if the Czech international fails to win a one-year extension at Arsenal.
Rosicky, 33, has endured an injury-plagued time at Arsenal since joining the London side from Borussia Dortmund in 2006.
He is now in the final year if his contract and is only expected to be granted an extension if he features in at least 25 games this season.
A source close to West Ham said manager Sam Allardyce is monitoring the situation and plans to make a move for the player as and when he becomes available.
“Sam might well be labelled with the long ball tag, but if you look at his time at Bolton Wanderers, he managed Youri Djorkaeff and Jay-Jay Okocha. so he is no stranger to players comfortable on the ball,” said the source.
West Ham are also favourites to land Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey on loan in the new year.
Allardyce led the Hammers to 10th in the Premier League last season.
It’s not much fun trying to find things to write though Adam, I’m boring myself recently 😉
I bet Rosicky is thrilled by that prospect.
You know what I say Rico.
When you can’t think of anything to write, trot out some statistics. 🙂
Morning All.
Morning Rico, re: Hughes to the Dippers!
Yeah, sorry to see another talented English prospect joining the Scousers, but, tbf, we are well stocked with young midfielders.
Toral, Olsson, Jebb, Crowley, Zelalem, at least a couple of them, maybe more, will come thru to the 1st team, and will be superior to Hughes, of that there is no doubt…
Off to read post
oh well, everything returns to normal this weekend and January which is close, will tell us plenty. Was Ozil a one off or are we now lining up this type of talent for real.
Hughes is probably going there because he saw how much Rodgers improved Sahin’s game.
😛 Adam re Tomas and the stats, maybe I’ll give that a whiz for the next few days …
Morning Kev, according to The Sun Hughes has signed. I hope we get Ince…
I wouldn’t bother reading it 😉
Nice one, Rico. 🙂
The teenage Pato was a golden boy a few years ago with a huge reputation and started very well in Italy, but he was injury prone, by all accounts, and was then quietly shipped back to Brazil without any fanfare.
If none of the big hitters wanted him, then I think that tells us all we need to know.
January will tell us a lot Oz, you are right. We sit in a very very good position in the PL, if we are there or thereabouts at Christmas, never will there be a better opportunity to show ambition in the transfer window and go on to give the PL a real go…
Thanks Hb, I thought similar when reading about him, not good enough for Milan, why would he be good enough for us…
Benzema over him that’s for sure…
I dreamed that we won the PL the other night Rico. It was great but, in the dream, I was living with Deborah Meaden.
Alex Da Silva, sounds like a Brazillian Franny Jeffers…
I would take him above not getting anyone in January, but it’s still Llorente for me!
The Pato story could be the usual ploy, to cover Wenger’s true intentions…
Either that, or Pato’s agent inventing Arsenal interest, in order to attract other interested parties…
Morning Adam, I got a ticket for the Southampton game.
Really looking forward to a very tactical but interesting contest…
Adam, that is very true re: Sahin…
Look how the Scousers turned Jordan Henderson into a world class water carrier?!
Deborah Meaden eh Adam?
Well it could have been worse, it could have been the Hairy Biker. 😀
Ha ha Adam, I’d like her money….
Tea up, lata Gooners… 🙂
Glad you included an ‘r’ in Jeffers name Kev, although maybe he would be more suited to without.. 😉
Llorente has started playing more hasn’t he? Shop window perhaps?
Agreed Adam.
Still, Ozil has spoken of the clubs ambition, so hopefully promises were made and will be kept.
Hopefully 🙂
Off out with Fido now before it rains…
Catch up later, night to you Scott 😉
Agree Scott – he did refer to the ambition Wenger disclosed to him, so benefit of the doubt
catch ya later Rico
Scott and Oz.
We live in hope and anticipation then. 🙂
Adam, nothing changed there then ha!
Yeh, but think how many Ranches you could buy with £40m! Or even houses in Mayfair.
If money is spent in January then I don’t think it wil be too much, sadly.
Pato perhaps. I believe Wenger showed some interest in him when he was barely out of nappies but couldn’t compete with the Milan offer. So like Ozil, he may find his way to the physio’s bench at Colney! Benzema, not for me. He has the look of a chav to me, Chelski then, for him.
Rooney. Is he playing his way out of old toilet? They seem very keen to get him to sign a new extended contract, a bit too keen, given what happened over the summer. Well, we’ll see.
Adam, hope and anticipation have been our daily bread for years now 🙂
Hello again all…
I have to disagree Wavy, I truly believe that Ozil was/is a sign of things to come. I can’t see us signing many, but who we do sign, will be to a highly quality…
Ok, £42 million might be a one off, but I can see the club spending big on a striker…
Afternoon rico and all. Andrei Arshavin never seemed the same after Russia were knocked out the Euros by Greece. Although, he was maybe already in decline?
Pato is a gamble. Wenger has no margin for error if he wants to end the drought.
Afternoon Ah. Arshavin was never the same after Anfield 😉
Mg, fingers crossed he stays in Brazil
Hello all,
Very interesting post… I enjoyed reading it.
Not sure if Pato is a ‘striker’ or the type we need. He is not even prolific in Brazil where Seedorf is now playing as a striker; imo
I may be wrong but is he not a second striker?
Its amazing France have Ribery but can’t beat Ukraine… maybe Zouzou was right when he said Diaby was Le Bleu’s most important player… 😉
Was anyone at the England match? My Mrs got me the ticket to see Chile and Vidal who is one of my fave players currently as a b’day present and boy what a waste of a friday night…
England are shite… no pun intended but its a complete joke when a team of ours filled with top 6 type players can’t beat a Chilean team made up of players from Wigan, MLS and a Barca 2nd choice striker…
I’m surprised Ts 😉
I watched much of the game, but have to agree, England were shocking. Long balls hit in hope, boring to say the least…
A mate said years ago that English players grow up hating those from other clubs, hate them even more when playing them then suddenly are expected to be best mates.
You could very often see that on the pitch Scott, especially when Theo plays. Hardly ever does he get passed the ball…
Mmmm……makes it tough, Rico.
What fluency could they possibly have?
They can’t Scott and that shows on the pitch. Too many look like they are only in it for themselves too..
Not sure Roy Hodgson is right man to change things either, he seems too ‘nice’…
Still think SK and his tonsure money won’t be parted this time round. A loan may be more likely. Some of Jeorge’s boys may be invited to step up to the plate? We shall of course have to wait and see. I mean who is available and good enough to be signed this Jan who is not already cup tied?
Not wishing to be boring but what we need is a Rooney type striker, a no10 not another no9. Well we do need another no9 but a good enough sub for Le Queef! Not another over priced narcissist wannabe Bentner! (Real and Barca’s new target according to him). Thanks but no thanks. I’d rather give youth its chance and wait until summer when every player has his price!
The England coach whoever he may be is on a hiding to nothing. We have the most over hyped league in the world and the players believe all that they are told and are genuinely shocked when a team of firemen and waiters come and teach them how to play. They never learn and the press never stop building them up. Internationally we are still playing 50’s football , the players that drag them up at club level unfortunately are all foreign.
Nice is good Rico. 😛
🙂 Scott, not sure it is ‘hate’ per se but more about been in a hurry to get the ball forward as soon as possible…
We can’t blame the players though when most fans in the stands complain about sideways passing etc. post most matches… 😉
The newspaper left out the first part of Bendtner’s quote made to Politiken which was “If I could decide…”
It makes a big difference and even the Danish media have jumped to the defence of Bendtner on this occasion. Danish outlet BT have said The Daily Mail chose to leave out the first part of the quote, setting Bendtner up for ridicule.
Says it all really , misquotes taken as fact.
Wavy, a loan would do for me.
Most January’s are tough to sign quality players, this one being a WC year makes it even harder.
If we get a player on loan and then sign a top striker and winger in the summer, things will be pretty good.
I just want to see a really good striker come in Jan, loan or permanent …
And the FA leave a lot to be desired Potter…
I read something about referees the other day, can’t recall what it was about now but it was an important issue and all refs were in support.
The FA were the ones who said ‘no’.
Just wish I could remember what it was about 🙁
At times Ts, at others, no 😉
At least Nik opted for Spain, unlike some who choose Manchester….
Scott, are you getting ready for another Ashes bashing?? 😉
I have I don’t sound patronising by saying a job well done of B-somethings misquote- Potter…
Its a shame B-something has brought all this ridicule on himself but, it is important imho, that fans realise that he has gotten on very well with almost all the managers he has worked with; and that includes Conte, Steve Bruce and of course AW. Not forgetiing his national team managers and his team mates…
Rico- I like Old Roy, he made has qualify for the CL ahead of the scums 2 or 3 seasons ago by fielding a weakened team. 😉
has- us* even
🙂 Ts. I like him too, but not sure he’s what England need. But then again, look who he has at his disposal….
😀 well all the footballers playing Football Manager 2014 etc has not helped…
Do they play ‘hoof ball’ on there then?
😀 I wouldn’t know lady… I don’t play video/computer games.lol
Ginginho….how are you mate 😛
Good afternoon Lady, Sir, Gentlemen and Ladies.
as I said a couple of days ago……I like Pato and his high level of technicality. But I prefer Benzema or Rooney. Berahino is another I would like and if we put him a good offer he would jump at our club like a dragon in a pinch.
plus he is English.
Ginginho likes to play games under the sheets Lady. 😉
Me neither Ts …
Afternoon Devil. You think so? 😉
Pato is a gambler and a playboy. If he is in a good shape he will in Brazil squad with Scollari. But he isn’t.
Not long to go now, the Interlull is gradually coming to it’s tedious conclusion…
Really looking forward to seeing how Wenger is going to incorporate Walcott and Posolski into the team/squad?
More pace and goal threat coming into the team is just what we need at this crucial stage of the season, leading up to the turn of the year…
Fresh legs and fresh minds, with maybe Giroud getting a well- earned rest?
Like you say Kev…we do need fresh legs and fresh minds, with Giroud getting a well earned rest. However the problem is that we need a striker in the mould of Giroud….one who can play the lone role, score and bring others into play. Benzema and Rooney can do that well. If we get a selfish fox in the box I am afraid it will go all tits up…..like when we had TH and IW08 scoring and the rest of the team playing for them. Giroud is like Smith……he can bring others into play. When we had Alan Smith we had scorers all over the team. Now we have Giroud and we have scorers all over the team. But when we had Wright and the latter parts of TH’s career it was only them who scored. The rest of the team played for them
Good point Coach, but I feel that Podolski can play the loan role.
We haven’t seen Lukasz fully 100% fit yet, and I’m sure a fully fit and refreshed Poldi can do a job for the team allowing Giroud a rest.
But your point about the type of striker reinforcement we need this January is the reason I like Llorente…
tbh mate………I prefer that AW used Podolski as the loan striker instead of bringing in another and bringing back Cesc. With him in the team plus Cazorla, Ozil, Aaron, Flamini/Arteta and Wilshere we will have a tremendous team which can be even better then the IVINCIBLES. Diaby might get the odd minute here and there to waste time if he manages to hobble out on the pitch.
With that team even the greedy little boy would start quaking in his boots.
Just why I hope AW swerves him JM…
Don’t you boys let Wenger hear you say that about Podolski, he won’t get us a striker otherwise 😉
aye LAdy, I agree and at the same time no.
I prefer Podolski up front while getting in another midfielder and defender.
Imo unless he gets one of …….Rooney, Benzema, Torres, Berahino or Benteke AW should steer clear of any other striker. For the simple reason that these players are team players, not selfish ones who want the ball all the time and want the team to play for them.
And remember that we have Theo as well waiting to come in.
My own thought Devil is we are overloaded with midfielders and a striker, winger and defender would be my top 3 signings…
I’d like to see a ruthless poacher kind of striker…
Of those you list Devil, I can’t see AW signing any of them…
Striking man for me.
I don’t mind if he’s not that striking Adam. 😉
Rico. 🙂
Big bucked teeth are my thing Adam 😉
The problem with a poacher is that it is very difficult to find a player who is a hybrid between a poacher and play maker at the same time. Giroud is more of a playmaker mould player. The problem is that we might have to revert to 4-4-2 to have Giroud and a poacher in the same team.
I’m not sure we would – how many times do we wish players would shoot more, or to have someone on the end of a flat ball across the area..
Suarez is deadly in front of goal but he sets up other players as well, the right poacher/striker could replicate what he has the ability of doing, especially if he has pace..
But if we went 442, it wouldn’t be a bad thing imho, as long as we play that formation against the right teams.
We have to be one of not may top sides who don’t have two real strikers in our squad.
I don’t include Nik purely because he is not part of our future…
If we get a winger, Cazorla would also go inside and rotate with Ozil. I get your drift Rico. But I would like to see Cesc back. Imagine him, Cazorla and Ozil behind a striker with Aaron and Flamini behind. Teams would not know what hit them.
Then we would have the Ox and Theo coming in to attack from the wings.
MIND-BOGGLING
I can’t see Cesc coming back though Devil, his future is with Barcelona…
I’d still rather a striker, we already have a darn good central midfield, for me, we just lack width and speed..
But it’s good to agree to differ 😉
that is what I miss most when I am not here Lady. Different perspectives and still remaining friends.
Bless you, thanks Devil – that’s how a blog should be though, everyone has their own view and the freedom to express it without abuse or ridicule…
I’m off to watch some television now.
Night Devil, Adam, Kev and all.
Catch up tomorrow…
Good night Rico.
Tomorrow is another hard long day. Hopefully I can hop on in the evening.
gd night all
cu fine folk.
Cesc is getting more playing time and with Messi out until after the Christmas break the chances are he will play even more. I think the scepticism surrounding the new manager ( Martino ) is going as the team get used to his methods. I doubt that we will see him back in our shirt again , certainly not in the near future.
Good Morning Fine Folk.
Good news from the DesChump base………Giroud is to be dropped for today’s game as Benzema will start. That means he will be rested
Morning Devil and all.
Good news re Giroud although coming from the bench when the pressure is on to get a goal can be more demanding. I hope Ukraine score early and kill the tie off 😉
Morning Dev and Rico…
Morning Ts.
New Post up now…