Morning all.
What a sham that transfer window was. Β Dreadful considering we sit second in the Premier League and are looking to press on and win it.
Well, from what we have all just witnessed, maybe the aim isn’t to win anything because sure as heck, Arsene Wenger has just sent out the clearest message that’s he’s not.
We needed a player who could get a few goals between now and the end of the season, did we get that player? NO!
Just when we all truly believed that a trophy could be just around the corner, well it looks like we’ll be waiting for a while yet. In fact my guess, based on this transfer window, it could be a long time yet…..
How long is Arsene Wenger’s new contract??
However, we did manage to bag the latest up and coming old Swedish international midfielderΒ Kim Kallstrom. I won’t knock him though, it’s not his fault and I’d rather see how he performs for us before giving him a hard time…..
I would give you all a run down about the player but there’s no point, he’d have been googled more times than Solomon Kalou by now but if you do want to know more, check out afc.com, they are full of his history.
Well it is what is is I guess, we have who we have and I for one will be right behind them all.
As for Arsene Wenger, well I think he’s just blown our chances for this season although he thinks otherwise:
We are one point behind Man City, we have 15 games to make a difference on them. I believe we will have our chances, and what is even more important is we are fully committed to take our chances with full belief.
I am convinced we can do it. We just have to focus on our own run – if you look at the schedule [then] if we are consistent we have a good chance to do it.
You cannot speculate on any weakness in Man City in the coming months. So letβs focus on us, and our strengths, in the coming months. It is the way we must do it.
I believe we can [be champions] if we keep the consistency and manage to win the big games – one of them will be Man City at home. Of course that will be very important.
Our game on Sunday [at home to relegation-threatened Crystal Palace] is a great opportunity to win our game to respond to our draw at Southampton and come back and win the game.
Our target is to put pressure on them. Can you win the next game if you give absolutely everything? Yes, so letβs do it.
Let’s hope the players are prepared to put in a lot more effort than the manager just has…
That’s it for another day……
Do I get first bite? Completely agree. I can forgive one transfer window where we desperately needed a striker in the summer, and it was fingers crossed Giroud wouldnt get injured. But to fail again? And get… noone? Outrageous. In fact we are down 2 strikers from the summer (Walcott and Park). Why we left this all down to the last day(s) is negligent. Im not surprised noone would loan us a useful striker, probably also because we wouldve haggled on the loan fee and its more disruptive than its worth to them.
Good luck to Kim, Ill wait and see on that one.
Pathetic that the club and wenger show no intent to challenge for trophies… it’s as if they happy that we’ve done so well so far so why now spend money to push on….?
Raise season ticket prices milk new sponsorship money yet fail to invest in the team and shaft the fans yet again….!
Disgusting…!
Good post rico, everything true, and personally, I think you let AW off lightly. Everyone in Football knows except Wenger, the stubborn fool. Was angry on 1st December we weren’t acting. Wish I wasn’t an Arsenal fan this morning. Reckon rest of team are angry as well. Fans wont boo though, 2nd in league and unfair on players out there. But 3rd be a good achievement now, which is sickening.
What a fucking joke….I tell you what give the geezer a Β£24m new contract and ramp the ST prices up but faff about in the transfer market with kalou/cisse-esque on deadline day!!! It’s properly taking the piss……
What a month………….I’m drained about nothing.
****Kalou/Cisse-esque players****
And if it’s true, get knock backs from their clubs….citeh, manure & the chavs will all be stronger next season, this is a massively missed opportunity by that stubborn French wanker!!! We are one injury away from being deep in the shit!!!! FFS!!!
We all love wenger but…
…………….Sometimes I want to wring his neck…………..
“Loved” is better……
Morning all, I can see your disappointed Rico, but after our spend for Ozil, i have to say i felt that was it for one season. Yes your right what you said yesterday that we have money in the bank lots of it by all accounts but not for the team. Funny when you think that that is what brings money in but investment is down to a minimum. Wenger again lives up to his miserley tight ways. His many degree’s in finance or whatever they are, has told him that the bank balance is of the highest priority. When we look at the halfway position of the league, and see our position at Number 2 we start to realise that you don’t need to keep spending fortunes, Our neighbours have spent bundles this season and not a bad choice of players either but they still got a hiding much the same as we did against Manchester City, Ok i know spuds had complaints but so did we but City’s points tally has continued to increase until they now are leaders. I ask myself if we had brought a top striker in this window would it have guarentee’d a win against City United and Chelsea, and i have to answer no i don’t think so, so what would be the point and would it be worth the expense. Supporters are disappointed i know i am but we have been scoreing throughout our ranks and we are second in the league so we cannot be doing that bad, should our luck and form stay the same we could still win the league and maybe a cup with our initial spending of Β£42 mill. Kim coming will help along the way, but at the end of the season we can wave him goodbye if he doesn’t fit in and at 31 i shouldn’t think his wage will hurt our bank ballance.
Maybe if AW spent less time poking his nose into other club’s affairs and concentrated on Arsenal’s needs, we wouldn’t of been scrabbling around on deadline day trying to get second rate striker!
Morning all..
Ah, I wrote one from the heart last night but thought I’d better write something less scathing..
Gutless manager who clearly doesn’t want to Arsenal to win anything or has his had so far up his own backside he can’t see where we are short.
Toothless and gutless owner and board who won’t grow a pair and get involved and make him sign the players we need.
Three and a half more years of this? No thanks!!
What’s frustrating for me is that this is a reactive signing, one we needed to make because of injuries. Why was the club not proactive in strengthening? If they could secure a decent back up MC in 1 day surely getting a striker during the course of the whole month should have been a mission, it turned out to be. To me it just seems though we dithered the whole transfer window and only woke up in the last week when injuries hit. Now we’re one injury away from NB52 leading the line and that unfortunately is not enough to win the league. Opportunity missed.
some of the ‘we love Wenger sites do my head’ so nice i am not the only one shaking my head at these greedy bastards – more money than a bull can shit “we only want super super players” “its true we can now compete for better quality” “we are always on the look out to improve our squad” blah blah fkn blah –
With you there Lee, all that love for our manager has long gone…
Sp, I’m not disappointed, I’m livid.
One top class striker, that’s all most fans asked and hoped for but no, we are relying on Giroud to stay fit, Nik to hit some kind of form and a kid called Sanogo..
It stinks….
The last 6 hours of the window we went for 6 strikers
every hour someone else,
I heard through the grapevine that Kloser was house hunting friday morning.
By the sounds of it..Wenger went into panic mode again.
His statement now is we are good enough to win the league with this squad….The player brought into replace Ramsey ain’t played for 7 weeks…….but was a good player if I remember.
Sit tight
Breezy. Arsenal and proactive are two words which don’t go together…
I’ll say it again: Told ya!!!!
Apparently we lost some deadwood along the way as well Rico, that will pay for Kims wage. Yes it appears that instead of a bigger squad we have just reduced it somewhat. As you said wwe are now relient on Nick and Ya Ya, i must admit that doesn’t fill me with that amount of confidence but i must say that those two players may just suprise us should they be called on. We can all moan about Wenger but we also cannot ignore the position we are at. at the start of this season was the league really a possibility with the signings we made, not for me but i am aghast at where we stand and should we still be in this position come May i will be knocked out. Obviousley we see The Arsenal as a massive club much the same as Liverpool see their club bujt at the end of the day Liverpool fans are happy that we class their visit to a catagory c game just so they can enjoy cheaper seats, and that is a slant on their status Much the same as our spending talk big spend little
fred – not that i need to remind you but this joker has been saying that for god knows how long? – its his standard line.
Well Rico at least we have a good buffer to that 4th place trophy!!!
Morning all
When the season starts we have Giroud, TW,Podolsky,Park(?),Bendtner(?).Sanogo …
Now we have Giroud,Podolsky, Park(?),Bendtner(?), with many games played,injuries and a hard games soon.
We are second in the league, weβre still in the Champions League and FA Cup and we spent Β£42m on a player in the summer. Then you complete clowns come out with this bile.
Itβs thoroughly embarrassing being an Arsenal fan at times.
Park has gone mate
Haven’t been here for a while, hi all.
So disappointed, with both windows. It just hasn’t been good enough. Forget Ozil, I genuinely don’t care about us getting him. That 42 mil could have been better spent on a striker and midfielder.
Following the current above post, a striker might have helped us draw with united or win against Chelsea, or maybe not but he would have provided more goals and assists and possibly a win against Southampton. More importantly he would provide a different option to always relying on Giroud which is so stupid, even if he never gets injured.
Oz, I am surprised there are any left….
You were right Bill, you shouldn’t have been though!
I know Rico – I know. This window really hurt after so much extra money being generated and all the promises of a new era, we end up with a 30+ bench player on loan from Russian Leagues. I also see at the 11th hour we’ve trying to borrow Cisse off Newcastle, what an embarrassment they are.
And your point is what Graham??
Come back and tell us the same when we have actually won one of those eh….
GFL&B..
Had we got the striker we needed in the summer things may be so very different. I personally disagree re zil as I think he’s a fantastic player and glad he’s ours. He just needs a striker to play off of him.
Still, we’ll have to wait until NB goes in the summer and pray we get the right man in then….
Hi Rico, that’s kinda my point. I don’t care about Ozil if his fee stops us from spending and strengthening more. I’d rather we spent less on a good midfielder and used the rest for other areas.
If we could afford him and still go for other top players like Higuain then fair enough, but that doesn’t look To be the case.
GFL
But it shouldn’t have stopped us from signing anyone, we have plenty of money in the bank just a manager who won’t spend it and a board/owner who sit back and do nothing…
Oz, totally agree….
Ozil would be gone end of season when we don’t win anything. How could wenger think he can hold such players winning nothing
Rico, I might be naive, especially if we were really after Draxler for 30 odd mil. However, I just can’t believe we have all this money sitting around tht isn’t for debts or investment in other areas of the club and we just refuse to spend it. The board and manager cannot be that bad.
Especially when our need for another striker is so great.
Luis Aragones has died….
Took me a while to believe it too G4L, but apparently it’s quite true….
Morning Rico and all. A very topical post Rico and one that raises several points. Nothing is guaranteed but Wenger’s whole stance on transfers these days seems to be to suggest that us fans want a striker because we somehow don’t know any better. Ffs, we need a striker. We need a proper striker and if he wants to know what one looks like then he should look at the player he cocked up trying to sign in the summer, Suarez. A proper striker looks nothing like Gervinho or Chamakh or even Bendtner who is still haunting the club like some unwanted guest who won’t take the hint and leave. How does buying Ozil decrease our need for a striker? I would love to ask Wenger that question. If you wanted a world class striker in the summer, what has happened to make you think you don’t need one now?
Let’s face it, Wenger gambled that Giroud would remain uninjured and that the midfield would chip in with the goals we need and it was a gamble that paid off. But, like all gamblers, he can’t walk away from the table when he is winning so has decided to twist and go again at a time when our main rivals are getting stronger.
The club have plenty of money. They want to sit at the high stakes table and know that the entrance fee is stupid money, but Kroenke apparently gets that. Wenger of course would come out with the same old statements and say that buying new players is not always the answer. Yes, we get that Arsene but tell Chelsea and Man City fans that it isn’t the answer and they will tell you that not buying them guarantees our trophy accomplishments of the last several years.
If, as Alan Smith said on SSN last night, they could have bought Draxler for a few million under the buyout clause (a figure they have been aware of for many months now), yet Wenger pulled the plug, I think that is worrying. If, as many believe, he has a great World Cup, then Wenger is going to look a right chump. He might even choke on his Β£8 million salary as another top team steam in and lap him up.
Overal, I think that the TW reveals a worrying trend. After all, we really needed Wenger to buy, not for the sake of it as he would suggest, but because he cocked up so badly in the summer. We needed him to buy because we are a top club and our striker options are extremely limited and as the big games are where this years title will be won or lost, I think he has just rolled the dice again and played the pauper while the club have raised ST prices to what really must be regarded is an unacceptable level and rewarded him with a contract so enormous that it would choke a horse.
If we don’t win anything this season then there seems to be only one man to point the finger at because, when the going was getting tough he refused to spend the money to ram the point home.
If we do win the PL then all this will be moot of course. Wenger knows football better than any of us but I think he has been allowed to run Arsenal without any accountability. Kroenke should have overruled him and sanctioned the Draxler deal yesterday but then that still doesn’t make up for him sitting on his hands for 100 days in the summer before trying to loan Ba on the last day.
Sometimes being an Arsenal supporter is enormously frustrating and I think Arsene appreciates the wedge he drives between the fans and the club better than we might care to believe.
Agree Rico. It was the right time to be proactive and bring in a great signing as a boost.
Kallstrom – 108 caps / 18 goals – Won titles and cups…. better international record than Freddie Ljungberg. Who knows, he may fill a gap…
What is true is that our squad looks better for the loss of Frimpong and Park which is a plus.
A great post Adam.
its frustrating to be an Arsenal fan right now AW shud understand that there no need to be economical these days.Teams will win everything ahead of Arsenal every season why did we have to save Β£37 instead of investing it on buying Draxler we will no longer get him.I honestly hate our manager for his lack of risk taking how do you do that at this time we have no depth he knows that
Morning Adam. Well said!!
Wenger must be the most stubborn man but this stubborn side is becoming his unravelling.In 2008 all he had to do was replace an injured Eduardo and he failed,he came out with exactly the same spin “I believe in the squad,we can do it,we are mentally strong” but if we fail yet again i am not so sure people wil forgive this year,you cant constantly be told that Rihanna wants to fuck you and everytime you are cheated out of it, AND then expect to get away with it.
I hope he does Syg, although he hasn’t played for two months and looks a tad porky to me….
Park and Frimpong going has to be good news, add Diaby to those two and then Kim and Nik goes too, we’ll have five squad places to fill….
Is Kalou still available???
Morning All….
Morning Rico, a post borne out of total frustration, as have been most of the posts today…
Adam, well said my friend…
Painfully true in every respect…
Wenger knows, we trust him and we love his thinking that’s why we love arsenal philosophy of ta game. COYG #Kallstrom
Adam , I take onboard everything you said apart from the last paragraph where I would add the caveat that yes he appreciates the wedge and the frustration it causes but as he comes from a position of being totally fireproof . He doesn’t care.
Good read Rico…
Not sure I share the same outlook and frustration but then again I am easily swayed…
Syg, I know what I am watching today… Sheff vs Barnsley… π
I might even start following Watford to check on Bellerin and Park… lol
Morning Kev, I think it’s going to be one of those days. Emotions need to be vented and all I hope now is that we can be a new look Crystal Palace tomorrow…
For a big, supposedly well run club, we conduct our transfer business like a Sunday morning team scrabbling around the local pubs on a Saturday night to see who fancies a game in the morning!
Thanks Ts..
We sure do Bj….
potter – your last line said all there is to say about this club – spot on, shameful but spot on
Adam – right on mate. Good post again
Bob John – very apt comparison. The perennial bridesmaids looking for that elusive wedding they never planned for.
Good post rico, AW keep doing the same thing every year and expect different result. You can’t teach a old dog new tricks, how long he thinks Ozil is going to stick around playing for top 4, with JM managing cfc.
Morning all.
People keep saying it is clear Wenger does not want us to win anything, but that is folly.
The truth is he does not want to do what is required for us to win…..there is a massive difference, because what the first theory insinuates is sabotage, so please, be serious guys…that goes for everyone, everywhere who has said that, as it is simply not true.
A few extra million, and NOT out of his own bank account, seems to be the difference between getting those players to take us to the next level, but it happens too infrequently.
Why?
I don’t get it.
I am frustrated as well, yet i would never accuse the man of deliberately ensuring we win nothing.
Good Afternoon Lady, Sir, Gentlemen and Ladies.
Good post Rico. I could not have put it better.
Am I frustrated?
yes and no.
yes because its a wasted opportunity.
No because my skin has toughened up and was kind of expecting it.
I would have been more surprised had Draxler been signed.
Thanks Gdna…
Is there rally a difference though Scott? If he truly wanted us to win things, he would also want to do the right things to ensure we do/did.
Stopping Nikki B from being sold at the last minute spoke volumes imo and after he’d had months of time to get a striker he wanted and we needed…
Scott………I am frustrated as well, yet i would never accuse the man of deliberately ensuring we win nothing.
I agree 100% mate.
Actually make that a 1000%
No, a million %
Because we are only watching from the outside.
Afternoon Devil.
I expected more this January, but never will I again all the time things stay as they are…
Breaking news…..(a joke, but it may be true)…..Bendy has signed a two/three year contract to keep him at AFC.
That will happen before the end of the season.
Rico, of course there is.
Off out now, catch up later….
I guess that’s just how it seems to me Scott….
Devil, that wouldn’t surprise me one bit…
Morning Coach…
I tend to agree, I kinda saw this TW coming, but was seduced by the Draxler rumours, as most of us were…
Sunday is an absolutely massive game, as I suspect that there will be more than a disgruntled mood among the home fans…
It’s not the perfect time to be playing a team desperately trying to retain it’s EPL status, less so a team coached by Tony Pulis…
Dropped points could see quite a surely atmosphere descend over the Grove…
Even a scruffy, narrow win might not raise the spirits…
If ever Wenger needed a sparkling performance and a 3/4-0 win, it is Sunday…
I honestly have no idea why we never brought in a striker over the last two windows, but sabotaging Arsenal FC?
Arrogance….maybe.
Being a tightarse…yep.
Naivety….mmmm.
Unrealistic belief in his current squad….could be.
An owner who does not want anything spend til a certain 42.5 million is redeemed….possibly.
Sabotage??
Not in a million years.
Scott. I really believe that accountability is the problem with Wenger. The evidence for the success of his way lies in our failure to win anything for so long. I firmly believe he wants to win but can only envisage a scenario where he, being a modern-day institution, wants to do it his way. The Draxler deal seems like the perfect illustration of the problem, if the rumours are true. The club knew the price and tried to negotiate it down. This is completely understandable to me. Every player has their price but we wouldn’t pay theirs despite knowing it before we sat down to talk. We also refused to pay for Mata, Hazzard, Drogba etc, etc and we know how they turned out.
Wenger should name the players he wants, presumably like Fergie did and Mourinho and Pellegrini do. Do you think they gave or give a flying fcuk how much those players cost? Ok, they have more money than us. We all accept that but we had a good chance to sign Draxler and couldn’t do it. I have no idea whether he was/is the player we need but, if Wenger wanted him then not achieving that is a failure for me as is not having any achievable back up plan or contingency. When that includes Bendtner then you are scraping the barrel for me.
I think that Wenger should have been offered a rolling deal on the contingency that he wins something. From where I am it all looks too comfortable and the price for not winning is nothing except more of the same.
Ah so kim is going to wear no.29 not no.18 as initially reported on twitter…
He misses the Le Squid curse…
Kev, agreed.
If we drop points this week, all hell will break loose, and i doubt anyone could argue it is not warranted.
Scott I agree 100% its not deliberate as such – Wenger measures success by dollars not trophies. He’s a star as far as the American is concerned and is completely untouchable and he knows it, hence those stupid little grins he offers regularly.
If that Bendtner rumour was a joke, then I’m afraid that it has to be one of the least funny jokes that I have heard in my entire life…
If there is a grain of truth in that rumour, then words fail me….
The Havard educated analyst dictate how much we spend according to IG insomuch as I remember…
Kev. It’s true. He is going to form a lethal partnership with Kalou next season, or the one after that. π
Adam, i agree totally with that.
Please, i am not defending this farcical window, nor the previous one, but really, people all over the net are saying similar things…..he does not want us to win anything.
That is one theory i can not entertain for a single second.
Wenger cares more about the club than those managers you listed, as they all drop by for a few seasons and move one to the next gig.
Whether people think he goes about it rightly or wrongly, i can’t believe people doubt he is doing what he thinks is right by the club.
Agree Kev but gives Wenger one last chance to prove the whole world wrong on his world class player in the making, given Wengers ego, i’d believe it more than possible
I really thought we would get Draxler.
Next time, i will have absolutely no expectations.
Scott, I fear, that by the time you visit for the Man City game, that the atmosphere at the Grove, could have a slight toxic taste to it…
That would be sad for you having travelled halfway around the world, to ‘live the dream’…
I sincerely hope, for your sake, and against the odds, that our defence, superbly coached by Steve Bould, is still in the EPL hunt….
Adam, I really don’t feel very well…. π
Kev, just my luck lol.
Still, nothing, nobody will take away from what i have been waiting 36 years for….watching Arsenal, and meeting true Gooners.
Win, lose or draw, i will have a ball.
I wrote it as a joke Kev.
A sick joke.
But the ‘little boy’ inside me tells me that it might turn out to be the truth.
Scott. Agreed. Having the total support of the crowd is critical. In the recent cup game against Spurs the crowd lifted the team throughout the 90 minutes and the atmosphere was great. It can make a big difference. I think the crowd have been fantastic this year but they know that the club needs a quality striker. Everybody knows that. Apart from that Spurs game I see the team getting progressively more flakey as the weeks pass. We all need to be in this together and we have witnessed first hand what a lift Ozil has given the club and that includes the fans. The feedback loop between the fans in the stadium is vibrant and totally vital. Mess with it at your peril.
Anyway, i am to bed.
Think about it…..what is football and Arsenal all about?
Trophies, or watching the game with mates and fellow Gooners?
Enjoying the ride, or the end result?
We are Gooners……..
Night Scott.
Hopefully both mate.
Oz, I have often given Arsene the benefit of the doubt, and as many on here have stated, I really do think he loves the club…
But as Adam said, maybe Arsenal were too quick on the draw with his contract…
I’d have preferred the club to wait until the end of the season, but then I suppose they were offering him a deal on the basis if how this season had progressed prior to yesterday…
Adam and I were chatting and we both came to the view, that left to him, Wenger would not have spent Β£42.4 million on Ozil…
I believe that that deal was taken out of his hands, at the end…
The Directors could see the dangers following the Villa game…
The worrying thing is, I don’t think Wenger realised quite how pissed off the fan-base was…
Maybe he does cocoon himself in the Training Ground to much…
Maybe it’s his Bunker???
Adam, no promises, but i will try and fire them up when i am over π
Keep the faith guys….we have to, and we know we have 11 lads out there giving their all.
Night guys.
swansea losing again…
night Scott
RIP Luis AragonΓ©s
whao, different mood in here today
Good read from goal.com come of all people…
It appears Aw identified what we needed most in the team the most… another Ramsey and he has gone to get him…
Every winning team has a work horse i.e a Ramsey; Yanited had Fletcher; Chelsea have Ramires and the younger Essien…
http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/69/transfer-zone/2014/01/31/4586343/the-experienced-campaigner-to-fill-ramsey-void-meet-new
I ask myself if as a fan I have the right to tell the manger who to buy or what to do regarding the club. No is my answer. How the manger wants to run the club is totally different from how I would want it. That does not make either of right or wrong-just a matter of opinion and individual differences.
Much as I would want certain kinds of player bought, I respect the manager’s stance especially when I do not know what happens behind closed doors.
Arsenal could buy everybody we want and still not win anything. This same players we think are not good could still win something because there are no qurantees in life.
Man city and chelshit don’t bother me. All I need is the fans to do everything to motivate these players to keep getting title winning points.
One other thing that baffles me about our fans is that they are yet to understand the Arsenal. I usually have extermely expectation in matters of transfer no matter what anybody from the club officials say. I have very low expectation from the players and manger. That way I am not angry with anyone-being angry does not change the transfers we want, does not reverse the points lost or rescinds the manager’decision.
That is why I take a sabbatical from the blogs when we lose or during transfers-cause the fans spit poision. This poision the media takes and spin into stories against the club. Then we turn around to accuse the media of being anti-Arsenal not knowing that we gave them the newd items.
@Your comments get my highest rating.
Guys take it easy-anything can happen in the next 15 epl games. I hope we do well with who we have. I will never disturb myself about who we didn’t buy. A passionate gunner.
Paron the errors p.l.e.a.s.e.@SP and TSGH best comments.
We will grant you what you requested Rejoice. π
Rejoice I totally agree , I support The Arsenal always have always will. Doesn’t mean that I have to like the way that the present incumbents are doing things and I feel that I have the right to question their actions or in this case lack of them. The argument about feeding the media is valid to a point but if there are no voices of dissent the powers that be will feel justified in continuing on their own path . When the players are on the pitch I want nothing less than a win and I try vocally to give them all the support I can. However an Arsene sycophant never.
Kim is already injured and out for several weeks…
http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/internationell/england/article18279647.ab
unconfirmed by the club I must say…
If true chance for Hayden/Olsson or Eisfield to partner Mikel…
No problem from me in seeing Hayden and/Olsson in the squad…
Is Rosicky fit?
Oh no Frimpong gets his first start with the tykes…
Afobe starts too…
Martinez our potential replacement for Flappy is on the bench…
Ginge Its got to be Hayden
kim already injured? where is that news coming from. I guess we may have to callback chuks aneke
Vito mannone is proving to be a class act becoming one of the best keepers in the PL. Unfortunately we are about to lose fabianski this summer
He is Kev
Club say he had a knock with Viviano but no major injury…
I can understand where you coming from re Hayden.
Finally making news re Kim…
David Ornstein β@bbcsport_david 2 mins
Kallstrom suffered back injury in first #afc training session – being assessed. Understood reports of 2-3 months out inaccurate
Sources from inside the club according to Talk Sport say that he has a long standing back niggle and the current injury could be as long as 3 weeks. So knowing an Arsenal 3 weeks the original Swedish report of 2 – 3 months is probably right.
I bet Aw is thinking he shouldn’t have let Frimpong leave as he wanted to…
Dear me…
come on Stoke…
Arsenal deny the KΓ€llstrΓΆm 2-3 months out reports. “Slight back injury”. Phew.
Comical medical performed yesterday plus squad management imho…
who conducted the medical?
Vermaelen and Monreal as the def/mids just sprung into my mind…
Afobe on loan nearly scored… what a poacher
potter – Wont be surprise, it took sanogo 6months to recover from a back injury as long as it takes for one’s ACL(anterior cruciate ligament) to fully recover
ha ha Emma… same line of thought…
Frimpong already doing what he does best… winning the ball like Keoman and Rijkaard in midfield…
Miyaichi as def/mid perhaps???
George Dobson is highly rated in the Academy, not sure if he’s 15 or 16 yet?
ha ha Kev… now you got me… π
inverted sweeper perharps… if there is something like that…
I think Ox and TR07 will form the midfield 3 but we will need someone like Hayden ot TV to come on in the 2nd half…
Yennaris also gets his first start at RB for Brentford…
Afobe looks class at this level at least… very mobile and positioning
Hull beating the sperds… lol
Kev I dont think Rio has it anymore . I think he will in July.
Go
ha ha yellow card for Frimpong already… dear me…
I guess Aw had a point…
Rick, Ryo’s confidence is very low now… it will take a lot get him back to a decent level…
He should have gone back to the Eredivisie
Frimpond. red carded after 30 minutes dear me
Frimpong sent off
He’s been watching so long Ginge, that soon as he gets the chance he goes mental. But still has the aggression that i used to love
Well that was a tad brainless by Frimpong…
What a clot…
Agree re: Ryo back to EreDivisie…
Not suprised that his confidence has vanished…
Feel sorry for the kid…
yes Sp1…. he’s too keen to play well. 2 yellow cards by Mariner…
Its like watching the other side of JW when he is playing..
JW wants to dribble every opponent whilst Frimpong does not want to miss any tackle… he was doing so well until he started to complain about a foul…
Same here Sp1, re aggression… something we need…
The red card is like his debut against liverpool 2 or 3 seasons ago. Its never the tackle or the recklessness of it but the fact that he complains to the ref that ‘pisses’ the ref off…
Rick, not sure that I agree that Ryo will leave in July…
Not sure about his contract status, but I reckon that Wenger will give him another year after all the work done securing him a work permit….
Nice one Charlie Adams π
Nah Rick imo, I think that Wenger will give Ryo more time…
United one down, Charlie Adam
Spurs, Everton & Man Utd all losing
No good giving Ryo more time if he spends it all in the stands
Frimpong makes Flamini look like Dale Winton.
Kim Kardishian is already injured. lol. AW quality never goes out of style, mo fcuka.
Dales supermarket sweep.lol
Ref Ryo. His problems started when he was playing for Wigan against Everton. He has never recovered from that injury.
Whats the chances of swopping one of our CFs for Joel Campbell for 5 months
No wonder he has a bad back carrying all that chest
True Rick… coming on as a sub and getting injured must be hard for a young 17 y.o leaving in a different country on his own…
JoeL Campbell is gone Sp1…
His deal is a ‘suspended sale’ if you like.
Loan deal leading to a sale… fee of Β£2m already agreed and all…
Just stirring the pot tsgh.
That was my concern will Kollstrom last night, we know he’s been training but is he match fit, there’s no substitue for game time.
Ts, your boss decision making is awful. lol
United playing with a full team of Centre forwards and still losing perhaps they should have gone for Drax
All the lies…
from the horses mouth…
Draxler: Was a guest on SKY today & suggested Schalke blocked any move, he was ready to leave… it was between us and BM
as I said in December, JD10 and Ginter will be joining BM next season as Schweinsteiger is not playing much these days…
Must have missed that Ginge. π
Dna… π he’s your boss too if you like it or not…
And why will Micko ever stir shite up… π
We think we have it bad… Carrick at centre-back for Man Utd.lol
Ts, I’m Arsenal fc not Arsenal Aw. lol
If results remain as they are and the oilers share the spoils between themselves on Monday… that will be splendid..
I blame Syg and Micko for Frimpong’s red card btw…
talking on that cack about #Dench…
Kev the reason I think he will leave is as follows ,at the end of the seaon Arsen will have 29 players over the age of 21 onthe books.
If he wants to strengthen the team at least 6 will have to go and im sorry to say he will be one of them.
He will be considered homegrown though. He celebrated his 3rd year with us yesterday- Rick… I might be wrong though…
Rumours are that the reasons why we had this transfer approach is that we will be signing Kroos & MandΕΎukic whilst BM get JD10 and Lew…
yes Charlie 2-1 yanited
Sorry Ginge we can only have a squad of 25.consisting of 8 H/G and 17 non english. For Arsen to include him in the squad he would have to show one of the others the door, and I just cannot see him doing that.
By the way Chck has scred twice for Crewe
Mata is not going to last long at Man U, playing wide left.
There’s a lot of aggressive people around!!
Just been involved in an awful incident of road rage with some arrogant twit of a man – quite frightening actually as he swung his posh merc in front of my car like he was Lewis Collins or Martin Shaw!!
Then the idiot had the audacity to shove his warrant card at me and tell me he was CID!!
I let him know good and proper what I thought of that!!
Afternoon all…..
Oh dear oh dear….
Arsenal midfielder Kim Kallstrom has injured his back and faces a spell on the sidelines following his deadline day move from Spartak Moscow.
The 31-year-old is being assessed by medical staff and it is not yet
clear how long he will be out for.
Kallstrom, the Gunners’ only January signing, was recruited as cover for the injured Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere, and the suspended Mathieu Flamini.
He is not in the squad for Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace.
That was from the BBC, funny that they don’t realise we are playing at home….
Report him to Cowley rico.
I had an OAP pull out his teeth and get in my face when I went around him in the local supermarket car park a while back, I just laughed it off, best thing to do but it sounds like he gave you a real fright, what a brave man.
I have Micko, trust me I have!…
It was horrid honest, never experienced anything like it before….
π re the OAP
you should have shown the git your hh card… lol
hiya Rico.. pleased it was not too serious even if frightening for you…
A big CID trying to bully a lady? tsk…
Although that sounds scary too Micko π
frimpong’s partner has also been sent off… straight red…
10 vs 9 tykes now… welcome to championship rugby
This is criminal…
where is the Lg kangaroo court…
We signed him knowing he wont play until March… he was allegedly not injured in training…
Hi Ts, he wasn’t even that big, just arrogant, pigheaded and a bully.
Had I have been a few years older, he could easily given me a heart attack and yes, I’m being serious…
Barca lose to Valencia and Senderos… lol
If he was already injured then AW has seriously cocked up….
Shocking Rico… did you manager to take his number?
manage*
Who negotiated this ,? Wenger , Gazidis , Law . If proven that we knew before the deal it’s a hanging offence.
Man Utd lose 2-1 at Stoke. 3 defeats in 5 league games… interesting how VP was miraculously fit when Mata was signed… Mata couldn’t help today though… lol
tie for France 5-0
How many players have we fit for tomorrow?
Yes Ts…
Potter – totally agree.
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/tomas-rosicky-of-arsenal-during-a-training-session-at-news-photo/466314219
True Potter… we need a kangaroo court with Dna in charge… lol
Rico- If you going to make a report/complaint don’t give the ’50’ your proper details though…. just tell them they can contact you by email only… not your tel number unless it is unregistered etc…
unless you know someone you can trust…
Don’t worry Ts, I have a direct line through to Cowley… π
If this stuff about our new signing is true, I actually don’t find it a laughing matter. It just reinforces how bad we are as a club when it comes to signing players….
Dale Winton is a Gooner
I love Dale Winton Kev….
He can do my shopping any day of the week….
Evening Rico. Sorry to read the above. Are you ok?
Evening Adam, I am now thanks…
Is this stuff about our new player true?
The injured bit.
Seems so – he’s not playing tomorrow according to the bbc.
Not ;playing for 6 games according to sky sports Rico
He turned up for his medical revealing he had damaged his back on the beach playing volley ball, The team informed Wenger who said he can convaless at the Arsenal treatment and recreational facility with the rest of the walking wounded.
Thanks Sp, what a bloody joke that is then….
Ts, u know I would love to be the 1 to save AW, u don’t have to guess the outcome.
Nothing ever goes smoothe bit like your driving π
Wasn’t my driving Sp, that’s for sure…. π
Julian Draxler has made it clear he would be an Arsenal player now if things had gone his way.
The Schalke wonderkid says he had βa good offerβ from the Gunners and wanted to make the switch.
But the deal didnβt go through because his current club refused to sell.
He said: βI want to go and had a good offer to leave.
βBut the Schalke manager Horst Heldt said no to the transfer and would not let me go.β
The Gunners had made the 20-year-old their main transfer target last month and were still working on a deal to sign the Germany international until deadline day.
The north London club are likely to make fresh attempts to sign Draxler in the summer, but will again hope to secure him for less than his Β£37m release clause.
At that stage they could face competition from other top clubs, including German giants Bayern Munich.
Diner needs cooking… Laters…
If a player is not injury prone, then, he’s not Arsenal quality. If you must come to Arsenal, there is something about you and injury. Even if a player has no previous injury record, at Arsenal he will soon have one.That’s the reality we must live with as fans.
I just want my 3 points against palace tomorrow, even though its a derby, but we are the kings of London derbies. I like my Arsenal.
Tweets between Honigstein and Fjortoft suggest that the mighty fist of Bayern entered the negotiation to block Draxler joining us .
Ravioli again Rico? π
Penne Rico?
No, in fact I ate very little….
I’m off guys…
Night all…
Morning all.
So the only thing worse than the end of the TW was the events immediately after….wonderful.
Might as well laugh π
ha ha Scott…
line-up 2moro szesz, Sagna mert kos Gibbs Arteta Roicky Cazorla Ozil Pod Giroud
Ginge, heaven help Wenger if we drop points, bud.
He will be lynched…
Yep.
Hard to argue his innocence, as well hahaha
I think we will be ok if we manage to score first 2moro…
You are right though,its hard for ‘us’ to make excuses for him…
There is something going on behind Closed-Door, which we the fans/supporters, don’t know that is causing AW or whomever for us not to make the necessary signings. I’m not making excuses for AW, it just my opinion. I might be wrong; who knows.
Nash, I think you are wrong mate…
The only person stopping the completion of transfers is Arsene Wenger…
Kallstrom out for the next six matches, according to the BBC, kinda make his signing a complete waste of time and resources…
By the time he is available, we’ll have all our injured players back ( except Walcott, oh and Diaby of course) so he might not even get a start…
Kev, what is the benefit of the money to AW when it is sitting in the Bank and cant use it?
When He uses it and accomplish something on the pitch, he don’t only make name for himself and Arsenal, he makes name for all of us. I am begging to wonder why?
Nash, I believe that he wants to prove a point…
Whenever Gazides speaks of Wenger, what does he say?
“Arsene doesn’t sign star/world class players. He develops/makes them”…
What does that tell you???
It tells me that he isn’t interested in spending to get the finished article.
But that he prefers to pick out potential, and develop them.
That’s fine, as long as we understand that we’ll be waiting until Hell freezes over before Arsenal win anything….
Players are basically selfish Nash, they aren’t idealists like Wenger.
RVP is the classic example…
Experienced players aren’t going to wait whilst Arsene indulges in his plan to win the EPL, with a team he sourced and developed from youngsters…
Players get itchy feet, and they piss off…
Henry, Fabregas, Hleb, Nasri, Clichy, RVP, etcetera etcetera..
Is he trying to prove a point that he can win the BPL without spending like a drunken sailor?
It doesn’t make any sense if the money is sitting in the bank and we can’t use it to get players to push us forward.
Kallstrom is loaned with a known injury and now is out for possible 6/8 games hahaha couldn’t make it up seriously
Nash – his only goal season after season is the ECL, nothing more, that is obvious and its the financial returns that motivate, he doesn’t have a chance in hell of ever winning it lets be honest but the 30+ m makes him look like a star – well to everyone other than those seeking actual on pitch success of course.
Morning all…..
http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/02/01/bayern-munich-want-arsenals-37m-target-draxler-and-stopped-move/?
Rico, good morning.
Most will ignore the fact Schalke stopped the deal, as it doesn’t suit their argument.
I guess Wenger can not be blamed for that.
However, if he started negotiations on the 1st of January, he’d have plenty of time to find an alternative.
I am still amazed people are saying we knew Kallstrom was injured before signing him.
The window is shut, so for gods sake, can we move on?
Wining will not change it.
Let’s get the season done, then old a post mortem, if required, because those now saying we will struggle to finish top 4 are the same ones saying it at he start of the season, yet here we stand, a point of the leaders.
why are you amazed Scott – it is listed he was hurt playing beach soccer for shcalke training and told the club about it? Disagree? Reporter mischief?
Rico – you have to think that chance is gone now but as Scott said if Schalke said no what can you do? Would be interesting to see if we went in with another one of our silly low ball offers
Can’t see us missing the top four Scott – look at those around us, very poor and inconsistent – the interesting thing for me is far off the top we finish and just how close we actually get to winning anything
Oz, so Schalke knew about Kallstroms injury?
I am amazed.
Stop listening to the media, mate.
They sold you a dummy there lol
While you at it though, the “media” have stated we met Schalkes fee, but their manager knocked the deal on the head, so no, we did not offer them a low fee…..if you choose to believe the media this time lol
Oz, seriously speaking now, Wenger has nobody to blame but himself if we crumble towards the end of the season.
I we are still contending and just fall short, nobody can say whether Draxler, or any other player, would have made a difference.
If we die in the arse, Wenger deserves the criticism for not trying.
lets hope your right mate on both issues. Time will tell no doubt
no matter where we finish in whatever comp’s Wenger will declare the season a great success and those who support him regardless will agree….. π
i will be out on the road tonight watching the scores on the iphone, hope we stuff Palace and put the pressure on City but more importantly pull away from Chelsea – huge test for Mourinho, can he tactically stop them?
Wrong Oz.
I support him, but if he stuffs up, i say so.
Again, if we aren’t at least in with a chance come the mid to late April, he has stuffed up.
If we are still in with a fighting chance, how many Wenger haters will concede he got it right?
We MUST beat Palace.
Dropping points there will be an absolute disaster.
Palace should be a formality, although mentally that might be a danger to us. We all know how we can shut off. Some top games coming, interesting times ahead and 2 stuffed transfer windows will have what effect? There are those who will argue wasn’t his fault and things might not have been any different – what he hasn’t done in my opinion is try. Preferring to stock pile the cash for his buddies as usual
Oz, read my 6.06……
Morning Rico and all. Personally I would ignore anything that Fjortoft says on the Draxler matter as he also said that a fee had been agreed and Dan Coombs writing on This Is The City would also seem one of the least reliable sources possible. To some people quoting insider knowledge gives them a feeling of power. We see it every day don’t we? We all listen to the quotes that suit our argument.
I doubt Alan Smith would have said on Tv that we wouldn’t spend the extra few million to clinch the deal unless he heard it from a decent source. See, I am doing it now. Draxler himself apparently says the offer was good and he wanted to come but his manager said no. Isn’t one of the problems that everything is always left until the last minutes of the last day of the window? After that we are scrabbling around looking at players like Kalou and Cisse, desperate to bring someone in. This acknowledgement that we need players yet cannot bring ourselves to dictate our own agenda seems, from a distance, to bite us in the arse every time.
Morning Adam, Scott, Oz and all. I had a cup of tea and fell asleep….
I’m not I believe that story either, I suspect Schalke would rather have sold him to us than make another German side even stronger.
I think AW knew that too and hoped it would be enough to get a few pounds knocked off his valuation.
All my own view of course and nothing factual…
Still, Draxler wasn’t the only player who could have been snapped up….
Guys, i agree totally, and said so earlier.
The issue was not missing out on Draxler, it was having no time to find an alternative.
Is there any feasible excuse why we always do it?
I hope all the new signings for Palace do a Spurs π
Because we leave it too late Scott and possibly put all our eggs in one basket…
IF AW wanted Draxler, he should have been at it on 1st Jan, not around the 29th…
And I think we do that to save a months wages, or more in the summer.
Say Β£80k a week for Draxler – Β£320 k saved by a late deal, not too mention the interest on the signing on fee..
Just a thought…
If AW wanted a striker on loan, he maybe could have look at Ings or Le Fondre, they’d come off the bench and score goals..
I know it shouldn’t be that way but….
Rico, sorry, that was my question…why do we leave it so late?
What is the advantage?
For a club who turns over 3-400 million a year, what is 320k though?
Surely they can not be that tight.
Perhaps one of the most relevant details of Arsene’s way was revealed by David Dein when he said that Wenger always went 90% of the way but then froze in indecision and Dein himself pushed the deals over the line by convincing Wenger. I wonder if anyone does that job these days?
All water under the bridge now though.
I think perhaps they are Scott an AW likes to sell for big and sign for as little as he can get away with and it’s costing us…
Time for Arsenal to employ/promote a guy/gal who is responsible for transfers alone and AW to keep his nose out of the finances….
Good Morning Fine people.
this is a joke right???? http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/are-you-joking-the-daily-mail-claim-robin-van-persie-may-quit-man-united-to-return-to-arsenal-this-summer/?
Rico. I propose David Icke for the job. π
I think that say’s an awful lot Adam, all in fact…
Morning Devil, I suspect it’s a joke….
Interesting stuff about FFP in the papers today though there is some irony in the fact that Mourinho is fast becoming its poster boy.
Of course its ironic Adam. in fact I would go as far as referring to it as arse-onic. its like saying you will only go out with the town’s most beautiful girl only for her to turn you down and you end up with Sally and keep claiming that its not looks which counts but the character, omitting the fact that the town’s most beautiful girl also has a beautiful character.
Adam, that emphasises the idea of Wenger having nothing to do with negotiations.
He should give someone a list of players he likes and step back.
I know i say this often, but i blame those above him for allowing this situation to eventuate.
That is deep, Devil π
Devil. That happened to me with my second wife and her name was Sally as well.
π
π Adam…
Scott, I too portion some of the blame on the board, they, SK and AW are a dreadful combination when it comes to a transfer window…
Gutless the lot of them…
Morning hh readers.time to get behind the team again and forget about transfers for now.another 3 points up for grabs and a chance to get our tails up before our fixture list goes mental.would love to see ozil,pod,Santi,giroud all start today with arteta,mozart behind them.draxter will be ours in the summer keep the faith gooners
Cork, I think we have missed or chance, they’ll be a price bidding war come the summer.. Especially by the time we get round to making a move for him. If we do of course…
The boys will get the full support they deserve come ko….
Agreed Rico. There is nothing like a game against a Pulis’ side to concentrate the resentment of the opposition and support of our team.
Absolutely Adam..
New post up now…