Morning all.
Nigel Winterburn joins comedian Maff Brown for the second episode of AskFans TV. The legendary fullback gives his thoughts on the never-ending #WengerOut debate, his suggestions on how to shore up the Arsenal back line and discusses his ideal summer signing for Arsenal. We also hear some great stories from his time as a player, including anecdotes from the legendary Tuesday Club.
Plus, how much does Nigel think he would be worth in today’s transfer market, and he chooses between Martin Keown or Steve Bould as his ideal defensive partner?
Nigel Winterburn played for Arsenal between 1987 and 2000, and was at the heart of one of the best Premier League defences of all time. During his time at the club he helped win the league title and FA cup.
Just what our old left-back thinks about our recent defensive lineup I’d love to know but like us, I’m sure he’s been unimpressed although I suspect Jurgen Klopp is relishing the chance to face it on Sunday afternoon. Liverpool’s attack can be deadly on it’s day but at the back, they are nearly as disorganised as Arsenal.
There’s been a few headlines which suggest we’ve been in contact with Southampton about signing Virgil and if this was true and we sign the player, I’d be over the moon. He’s just what we need in my opinion, a big presence at the back and he’s strong in the air too. Sunday’s opponents want him aswell but I’m pretty sure that if Saints had to choose one club to sell to between the two, it would be us. Trouble is Wenger and his reluctance to pay massive money for a top notch defender.
Paul Merson has waded into the defensive criticism but in all honesty, it’s no great surprise and as he said, everyone can see the the problems, well, everyone but Arsene Wenger. For a man who likes to tell us how many games he’s managed and how many years he’s been doing his job, he still gets the basics wrong. You win nothing without a strong and well drilled defensive unit and this Arsenal side right now, is far from being anywhere near that.
Six days left in this transfer window, one fixture and then an international break and both Ox and Welbeck have been called up for England. My guess is that only one of though two players will be an Arsenal player by the time that break is over as it looks like the midfielder is going to reject the offer of a new contract. Jack Wilshere, well his England days are long behind him and with his contract up next summer, he too could soon be playing his football elsewhere. Wenger has hinted he could yet stay, that’s if he proves he’s worth a new contract and if he wants to stay at Arsenal. He’s said to be heading out on loan again to prove himself which is strange if he’s still in the managers plans. A fit and healthy Jack Wilshere is worth keeping imo.
Laurent Koscielny is back for the trip to Anfield as is Alexis Sanchez. Whether the latter starts or not is anyone’s guess, but if he doesn’t, I doubt he’ll return after the international break either…
Anyway, the sun is shining so at least that’s a reason to smile… 😉
You beaudy!!! Some good news?
“Chelsea odds shorten on signing England star from huge rival”
This is one of the headlines on Drossnow that tries to pull you in amongst the bullshit that is about The Arsenal. FFS grow up Wenger you 69 year old accountant. It’s because of you for the past 10 years that this sort of shit gets recycled. England star my arse?
What surprised me Gg is Wenger saying ‘if Jack wants to stay’ they’ll hold talks. Whatever happened to the manager deciding on who stays and who goes…
Rico
Arsene Wenger needs to toughen the f&$k up!!!
Arsene is delegating responsibility, Rico 🙂 🙂
Morning all.
In many ways Gg..
Rico. VVD would be a very unlike-Wenger signing.
To who Scott?
Adam. He is, for all sorts of reasons. Perhaps Ivan or Stan will sign him… 😉
To Jack, of course.
Rico. He might be too tall for a central defender perhaps. 🙂
🙂 Adam, and too good at tackling…
Mr Adam, I do suspect a cynical lilt to your remarks these day… ?
My dear Mr Allezkev. I was going to point out the same flavour to your posts. 🙂
Really, is that so my dear friend and chum.
I must try to cultivate more the casual approach of Mr Brudder Lee… ?
Arsenal have been drawn with BATE Borisov, Cologne and Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League…
Problem is, no one gives a toss…. 😉
You two need to get a room… 😉
My sporting background tells me that if I enter a competition I enter to win. Whether I give a toss about it depends on the team we put out. If it’s a few bench warmers and kids and we get a hiding my attitude will mirror that of the club.
Arsenal may have been in contact with Southampton, I’m sure that they’re in contact with many other clubs, but that initial contact is as far as it goes.
Arsenal won’t be signing Virgil, or Plato or Socrates, it’s not happening folks, don’t wind yourself up…
If Mustafi goes, although I’m not convinced that even Wenger is that dumb, then I guess that Sead will remain as part of a back three.
As for Wilshere, who knows, would he be more disciplined than Xhaka and Ramsey?
Probably yes, so he’ll go out on loan and our midfield will remain a shambles…
Wenger to retire next summer I think…
That’s not very British my dear Rico…. ?
Just been reading up on our UEFA Cup opponents, apparently visiting Belgrade is like visiting Istanbul, as Red Star have some interestingly violent fans who love a flare.
Islington beware!
Koln will be a nice trip.
As for Belarus, who knows?
Afternoon rico and the House.
Another beautiful day here in the SE. However……………..
Wossoccurin? Ox has turned down Le Prof improved offer. He said ‘It’s not about money, my mum and dad want some trophies on the sideboard’.
Will he and/or Sanchez play at L’Pool? The want awayers may want to impress their suitors, but the Cop will be baying for goon blood, so they may get injured. And my dog Alfie, has just had Cruciate ligament surgery, so he won’t be fit by the weekend. Sorry Prof.
What about Virgil? Talk is cheap Prof, but he isn’t. They will want at least £50 mill for him. Prof could have signed Mbappe, Lemar, Draxler, Joey Barton……………the list is endless.
Mustafi away to Inter Milan. Why?
Desperate Barca cough up £138m of the Neymar money for Dembele (they refused to pay Rennes £12m for him a year ago. LOL!). Does this mean Coutinho’s going nowhere?
Aston Villa want Wheelchair, but will he want to move there? It’s cold up there and he doesn’t like the food!
Que sera sera;-))
(In case anyone is wondering, I made some of that up, lol)
Oops, I forgot.
Ozil has custody of his dogs after splitting from his girlfriend.
“The love of my life, apart from the Goon squad, I’m happy here”
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/78/11/9c/78119c0b12d7e135200c3082311dddb2.jpg
? Kev, I thought it was…. lol
Hi Meerkat..
Ox has turned down the offer of a new deal according to Sky Sports.
Oh no!
?
Oh yes.
I told you, his mum wants some more silverware on her sideboard. His Dad can’t stand Wenger, for not giving his little soldier more games.
Sorry to all the Ox fans, but I just don’t rate him. Brawn without brains IMO, the opposite of Ozil.
It seems Le Prof does rate him now though. Too little too late mate.
If he wants to go to L’pool, he may go all out to impress his suitors at the weekend, if selected, at Anfield.
Just two, (perhaps three if we include a new goalie), new players, and I’m certain we will have a decent side, so let’s get shot of those who want away, they will only cause unrest in the team.
I will admit an interest in exactly how our squad will look after that dickhead Jim White brings deadline day to his usual hysterical end.
Agree re getting shot of those who want out but with a week left in the transfer window, it’s ridiculous to behave in such a way. Those ‘crunch talks’ should have taken place long before today.
Bloody amateurs…
Arsene looks in denial to me.
Perhaps Wenger has a few bargains planned on DD…
You shock me Adam… ?
Have a sit-down Rico. 🙂
I am Adam, I had to… lol
Brudder I wish he was in the fucking Nile!
Let Southampton have any of Ozil, Ramsey, Walcott, Wishere, Gibbs, Coquelin for VVD….no he’ll shoe horn the majority of those wankers into the team and expect a different outcome in May! Even the red hat brigade are finally working out that Wenger’s not got a scooby!
Let’s hope this car crash scenario ends inside the 2 year time frame!!
Embarrassing manager, he really is!
I’m quietly confident Wenger will be gone in next summer, if not before…
Brudder. That took me a minute to work out. I guess that, as ever, we have to sit and wait to see what he comes up with. I can foresee a number of scenarios but, laying here, I can’t remember what they are.
Should have been sorted quietly at the end of last season so that we had some bargaining power . If he stays it’s a third non committed player in the squad stinking out the atmosphere.
Do we have any one who picks things up and deals with them or do they put all the difficult ones under the pile and hope someone else will pick them up.
The old wrinkly limpet? Leave before his time? I should cocoa! Not a hope in hell of leaving before his contract expires. You forget who is in charge at the Arsenal., and he won’t sack himself, will he?
The Ox issue reminds of Flamini’s exit from the club. Wenger treated him like shit during his first spell with the exception of the last 4 months or so when he dropped into left back. Suddenly he was worth keeping but he, like the Ox has a longer memory than the dimential ridden old man who has always ‘treated Alex with a view to the future’ but in the mean time Wenger went through a period of totally ignoring young Alex. Why in the name of all things glorious would he want to stay and ‘play’ for such a stupid manager? I wouldn’t, and he won’t. And who can blame him?
Ev4ening Rico and the House.
The U23 are at home to Liverpool tonight.
Team is Keto, Osei-Tutu, Mcguane, Pleguezuelo, Da Silva, Niles, Willick, Nketiah, Nelson ,Jeff, Akpom.
Beilick not in squade talk is he is on the way out
Goal less at H/T
Both teams should have scored.
1-0) Nelsons 5th goal in 3 games
Assist Nktiah
Beilick is there with his left arm in a brace.
This is the first goal conceaded by the dippers this season
1-1
Why so much distress about Ox wanting out?
I think people are more upset about the fact another player seemingly wants out, and another see it is another reason to hate Wenger, than the fact Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain wants out.
Seriously, if we’d made two or three signings-as we most definitely should have-nobody would care that Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain, the very decent player, wanted to leave.
Yes, it’s on Wenger for again leaving us short, but please, let’s not get carried away about the player, himself, becauase he’s had ample time to lock down a position, and to say Wenger has treated him poorly is ridiculous-he just hasn’t done enough to warrant playing every game, and in whatever position his dad tells us he should be.
It’s the Ox ffs, a bit part player.
Wengers biggest mistake would be paying the kid 100k plus a week!!
Spot on Potter.
Evening Rick, all..
Think I’m going to move to a place where the Internet doesn’t sleep… ?
Bielik wont be going out on loan then?
Dippers win in the last mjn direct freekick after Mcguane foul
Scott, as a Wath always says, it matters not always who wants to leave itsabout who replaces them. Wenger seldom replaces them with better, if at all. And how do you replace Alexis.
But yes, why do all these players want out? Well I think I know the answer and that’s because we simply don’t compete with the best, and sometimes, not even the rest.
Wenger has now undone all the good he once did and the sooner he’s gone, the better!
Bielik is a mystery to me Kev…
Rico, it’s a mystery wrapped up in a conundrum ?
Rico, as I said, that’s the REAL issue, the entire culture of the club, not the fact that it’s the Ox.
That’s all I was trying to say.
Ox can go and we won’t be any weaker, but will he be replaced?
I’ll never understand the last few transfer window dealings-we know for a fact the money’s been there!!
I agree Scott. Players all think the other man’s grass is greener, plus their greedy Agent’s are pushing for a move so that they get a % of the transfer fee, or (if they run their contracts down), the signing on fee.
The fact is, Sanchez never stays at a club for long, and Ox isn’t as good as he and his dad think he is.
Wherever he goes, he will be a squad player imo, not a first teamer automatically.
In other news, Mbappe to PSG.
The boy Coutinho is depressed after Barca sign Dembele, he feels unwanted and is praying they still will come in for him.
Poo sources said Coutinho’s mood is “very low”, the boy had set his heart on a Barca move. He won’t play on Sunday due to a “Back issue”
However, Barca are said to be preparing a fourth bid of £138m before the transfer deadline.
But there are other reports from Spain, saying that the Crafty Catalans are preparing a cheeky move for another Boy from Brazil, Chelski’s Willian, instead.
Why don’t they make a move on OXO or Sanchez? And we would give them a good deal on Jack and Mesut, a very nice package. Just what their midfield needs.
He is Kev…
Scott, I doubt he’ll be replaced. Kroenke wouldn’t know who to replace him with….
Offering Ox £180m a week just to get him to stay smacks of desperation, especially when better player are on half that amount across north London…
I don’t think people realise the mess Arsenal really are in….if the Ox does go I presume Bellerin will take his spot that will definitely make us weaker and if Alexis leaves definitely weaker.
Serge Aurier at £24m would of been a cracking Ox replacement but the spuds are all over him!
God knows how you replace Alexis…. strong rumours that Ozil wants out (good riddance) and has turned his best mate Mustafi’s head i.e. Links to Italy. So coupled with Perez leaving that’s potentially two of last year’s signings leaving inside a year!!!
Not great reading is it??
Lacazette must be thinking what have I done joining this keystone club.
Still got a few days of the window left to try and salvage the squad but if history is anything to go by. As Fraser used to say “We’re all doomed!”
How can any sane supporter believe in Wenger anymore?
Pass me the red hat my one has faded quite some!! ?
Morning Rico. From the outside Arsenal do seem in a shocking mess don’t they?
Rico but if Wenger had some foresight he would of targeted Aurier(or another player) sold the Ox and made a profit….. not that hard is it? Instead he’s been dithering like usual!
Brudder we really do… I like the look of the left back but will he alone stifle our pathetic goals conceded stats? Not on the first two games evidence…
I don’t think it’s a necessarily a grass is greener scenario I think players want to compete against the best and win big trophies something that Wenger can’t offer anymore. Wenger making the same mistakes every season and expecting to get a different end result. Players must be bored if not anything else of the same shit every season, I know I am.
Brudder. I doubt that any of us are that enamoured with the way that football is going. The arrival of the big money from both owners and TV deals has seen the nature of competition change. It’s been a snowball effect where the players are concerned and the ‘old’ sense of club allegiance is vanishing every season.
Personally I don’t feel the same way about the club as I used to but things change and I recognise, so must the club. Players go where the money is and their loyalties are buyable these days. For a while anyway. The whole idea of grimly hanging onto players when they clearly want to be elsewhere seems wrong to me so I see the contract situation of our 3 as being both bad planning on a club that always used to pride itself as being sharp business-wise and as an inevitable consequence of our failures on the pitch. They are, of course, part of that particular problem but Arsene must accept a huge amount that of the blame as to where we are this morning.
If the often-mentioned ‘change’ is to come then it had better get a bloody move on because time is running out and in real terms, very little seems to have happened. Wenger is storing up a whole world of problems for himself and it’s almost as if he was hoping that all the contracts would somehow sort themselves out because the players in question love the club as much as he does. They don’t and it has taken him much too long to get to this point. I cannot imagine that the board are wrapped in the same illusion as he is and I cannot see them simply letting all 3 players walk for nothing this time next year with all the financial ramifications that entails.
Morning Adam, Lee.
I agree with both of you which I suspect you knew.
We’re in a right old mess and it’s only going to get worse under Wenger. How anyone can’t see that is beyond me…
New post up now guys..