Welcome Petr From The Curmudgeonly Soul
Jun 30th, 2015 by 'holic
Video courtesy of Arsenal FC
And so the signing of Petr Cech came to pass yesterday (Monday). First of all, welcome to Arsenal, Petr. You have given many fine displays at the Grove and we look forward to lots more now!
Looking around at the opinions of my peers on blogs and on social media this seems to have been another warmly welcomed move. The few I have discussed the potential move with in recent weeks will know I am currently less enthused than most about the deal. Being a curmudgeonly soul I have suggested that there is a very good reason why Petr was the number two at Chelsea, and that his few recent appearances (Bradford in the FA Cup for example) would suggest he may have lost a little of the edge that made him the best goalkeeper in the Premiership for the biggest part of a decade.
That said though I know I am one of just a handful of ‘Meldrews’ and when far better judges than I, yes Bob Wilson and David Seaman I mean you, are bigging up the signing then I will be only too happy to be the first to place a large order at humblepiestore.com when the new ‘keeper rediscovers his best form. To be fair we have had players here in recent seasons who have flourished when given a run of games and should Cech once again scale the heights then we will have made another key capture from a rival. It feels so good to type that after the ‘feeder club’ jibes that were aimed at us from 2007 to 2013.
The man himself is very convincing when talking of his expectations both for himself, and the Arsenal.
“I want to be playing, I want to have a chance to compete for my position in the team and I want to be useful for the team and do the usual stuff on the pitch week in, week out. I hope I will have that possibility to compete for my place here at Arsenal and I hope that I can bring something a little extra to the team that can help. I had a good chat with him (Arsene Wenger) and it was the first time after the club approached me that I could speak to him in private for such a long time. He made me believe that this was the right step and that this is the club with a lot of ambition. I have a lot of personal motivation and ambition and the club definitely matches it. It is an exciting time for me, it is a project where Arsenal fans and the club have been waiting for the Premier League title and this is a chance for me to bring my experience and my little extra to the team and we can possibly achieve that.”
Petr’s arrival will now spark a discussion about the future for David Ospina and Wojciech Szczesny. As far as this blog is concerned that is for another day. I may again be flying in the face of popular opinion in who I believe should be loaned, or sold on, so I think I shall go and soothe my curmudgeonly soul with a glass of delicious single malt, and give thanks for the fact that what will be will be and my opinion doesn’t matter a jot!
227 Responses to “Welcome Petr From The Curmudgeonly Soul”
Keep the faith H
I have completely ignored last season when Cech only played a handful of games.
I defy any player to just play the odd game here and there with no continuity,and play to their full potential.
Once Cech and the defence get used to each other,hopefully during pre season,we will all see what a top keeper this bloke is.
Evening Clive. I am actually coming round to your view. I think regular games will bring out the sharpness he lacked last season. Let’s hope so anyway.
Great to see you posting here again! 🙂
You mention the Bradford game, yet he managed 7 appearances last season and kept 5 clean sheets no mention of that. Also he is a better option than real madrids iker casillas or wojech and ospina though ospina did better than wojech and it should be him shown the door rather than wojech. I think he still has three to five seasons left in him. He may not win us the league on his own but if two more quality signings are added then we will have a squad capable of challenging for the title.
Nice one, Victor !
Despite being ‘convinced’ by Bob Wilson and David Seaman myself, I have to admit to lingering doubts for the same reasons as yourself.
Reflexes do not normally improve between the ages of 33 and 40 although judgement might.
Those who are supposed to know about these things seem fairly unanimous that it is a great step forwards. The idea of an ageing player that Chelsea no longer want does not sit easily.
As ever, time will tell.
Courage mes Braves!
Petr will win you over.
Well the signing of Petr Cech has not convinced me of anything…..yet.
However after last season the signs have looked far better for us than at any time in the last ten years and surely that is not a bad thing for all of us who live in hope?
With the new signings of that boy Messi and a deadly new striker called Gervinho we could be challengers again 😉
Colour me curmudgeonly also. I would have been less concerned if Mourinho and others hadn’t made it sound like we were robbing them of the best keeper in the world. As it is, it feels suspiciously Gallas-like to me.
But we’ll see.
If you can’t become a curmudgeon, ‘Holic, what is there left to look forward to?
A back four of Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny and Monreal, which pace Bellerin, is our first choice, adds up to a lot of experience. Put Cech behind them and you potentially have a grown-up defence that really shouldn’t be shipping too many goals.
Proof of the pudding for Cech will be the performances. Like all keepers, he needs a regular run of games behind a settled defence.
By the by, I would start the Cup Final team in the Charity Shield to avoid all the media attention falling on Cech.
Gervinho deal fell through, NotSoDepressed. We could only offer an swim pass at the Highbury Pool and an Oyster card to get him there…
Ist !!
Is that an Omen or what.
last time i came first,i was told off for not having enough self control. !!
Nice Post H.
The fact that you use the word “Curmudgeon” in such a self deprecating way to describe your stance on Cech actually speaks volumes about the type of person you really are 🙂
Its a great time to be a fan of The Arsenal. Seems like the “dog days are over” to quote the wonderful Florence Welsh who, from my couch, was the refreshing stand out performer at Glasto this year.
Its going to a very very interesting Summer. Wenger has such universal appeal and, at last, the money to make things happen. And in fairness – who else would you rather have spend that money?
Best keeper signing since Pat Jennings, imo. Jennings still my all-time best Arsenal keeper – followed by the other three in Clive’s list last round.
Yes there’s a question mark about his getting up to speed after all that bench-sitting, but form is temporary, as they say, class is permanent. I just hope his first games for us go smoothly until he, inevitably imo, finds his Gunner feet.
I view it as a mark of AW’s certainty about him that Cech is already on the payroll. AW seldom strikes so smartly, considering the window only officially opened today.
Öskar
humblepiestore.com ??
I may have to purchase a few shares in that firm myself if the Cech deal comes good. 😉
Anything to get that smirk off Maureens face though.
Cheers H! And by the way I’m always interested in the opinion of a proper gooner, who I’ve shared pints with on many occasions and am sure will do so again.
Too bloody right you will, Esso. Cheers mate.
Thanks all.
North Bank Ned
He turned down an Oyster card!, man is he greedy…..what does he want a bloody aeroplane and a private island 😉
I’m always happy to be proved wrong when it comes to my beloved Arsenal, and even happier when it leads to something glorious.
cracker history post monks
crackin’ goalie post ‘hol
some good cech points well made in the drinks too
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cheers fellas
Top posting Ned and H.
I just watched the video on .com they have made for Diaby’s departure. It is about 7 goals- none of which are alike. We missed out on an absolute world-beater there. So sad.
I reckon Wenger is going to start Theo as first choice striker next year. I think we will keep our powder dry in the market unless an Ozil-style situation develops when a world-class player becomes available.
I had a dream last night that convinced me that William Carvahlo would be a great DM signing. Only now I can’t remember any of it and I don’t trust my dream-logic. So maybe not. But I reckon we have one more player, a defensive mid, that Wenger wants to bring in. After that it just being ready to do a deal in case a Benzema suddenly wants to come on board.
Farewell Abou! Good luck in the future. If anyone deserves it you do
Morning everyone. Not been about much recently but just completed a mega catch up. Some great stuff from Snowy and Ned. All enjoyable reads, as were the drinks that followed.
I think the Cech signing is great for the club. A genuine world class keeper and something we have been crying out for for ages now. I have no doubt that by the time that any rustiness has gone that he
will be an absolutely wonderful signing for us. I do feel for Ospina if he is the one to depart. He has done nothing wrong. If Shezza stays then for the first time he will actually have someone of real quality to look up to.
Reports say that Theo has put pen to paper as well so that is also good news.
A couple more astute signings and who knows what might be possible???
Bring it on.
Mourinho did not want to sell us Petr Cech. It was clearly Abramovic who made the decision as indicated by Cech himself in his letter to the Chelsea fans. But before we go all misty-eyed and think Abramovic did it out of the kindness of his heart, let us not forget that Cech held all the aces. He’d have left for nothing in a year and even Chelsea have to balance their books in light of FFP and they can’t always do bogus deals with PSG to doctor the books. This was their last chance to make some money out of it.
Anyway, a very good signing for us I reckon. Woj and Cech were by some distance the best keepers in the league in 13/14 and we now have both in our team. I think this could very well be exactly the type of competition Woj needs, he is already a very good keeper but he needs to cut out these episodes where he loses his focus.
Been watching quite a bit of the under-21’s Euros, and if his form in that tournament is indicative of his level then I really hope we don’t waste any money on Carvalho. He’s big and strong but fucking hell, it looks like a slow motion replay when he “runs”. I seriously doubt he could handle the pace in the Premier League.
Petr is a great signing. A leader of the defense and someone astute in terms of handling and distribution. In short what we were missing from our gk’s.
I know woj wont be sold because of the home grown talent quota but it is sad that we are going to let go of ospina. Well just hope Cech does prove to be a master stroke to us winning the league.
Carvalho even i have my doubts. Just being built well doesnt mean he is a good dm, he needs to be clever and be aware of what is happening round him. He is way too slow for that. A dm which we need to buy, needs to be an upgrade to coq and not a back up.
I do not see us buying a striker until it is a special one or a cheap buy. With Giroud, Theo, Danny and Alexis, i cannot see a striker and a top one that is coming in.
I find myself very much in agreement with the guv’nor.
No doubt Cech has been an exceptional player. I haven’t followed what he’s been up to for the past couple of seasons – he didn’t play for Arsenal, so what the hell?
I’d be sorry to see Szczesny moving on because, rather touchingly, I still believe in the Project. I think that with another chance, Denilson will come good and that one of these days Bendtner might even realise his undoubted talent.
As to the Cech signing, well, he’s probably better than either of our other two keepers so he should strengthen the squad. Personally, I would have preferred to see us strengthen elsewhere, but maybe players of the requisite quality aren’t (yet, fingers crossed) available.
It’s nice being able to watch, and to feel involved with, the team but not actually to have any responsibility for running it. Maybe the true curse of the Internet is that while you don’t actually have to do anything, and you needn’t really form an opinion about anything, you feel a kind of responsibility to express an opinion about everything.
Hey, ho. Has the season started yet?
COYG
I find it interesting that there is a Curmudgeon race going on among us. I would see myself as Hyper- Curmudgeonly , if such a word exists, because I’m even getting pissed off with a lot of the rubbish that appears after a new signing nowadays.
One friend summed it up perfectly. He said that Wenger had boxed himself in as far as new blood was concerned because he had built such a good squad. I reminded him that if you have a good enough squad you don’t need to build for the sake of it.The explosion in transfer gossip is tedious in the extreme and has affected postings on here lest we indulge too much in it ourselves. Not only do we have made- up fantasy 90% of the time we then get the views of all and sundry including moronic trolls and bitter Spuds as if we cared what they think.
Cech will create new energy and thinking defensively and frankly I’d be quite content without too much more. If I’m picky I would like a complementary striker to Giroud but Theo did well enough at the end of the season to stake a claim for that role. The trouble is he will inevitably be injured for about half the season. If Lacazette was available that might be nice and Carvalho would give defensive and midfield flexibility.
But as someone who has been relatively critical of Wenger in past windows we must accept how deep and strong the squad is and that any strengthening will only come from very high- class players.
TTG, your final clause sums our position up in a nutshell. Only the very best will now improve our team and I am sure that those are our targets. If they are not available then we are in a position where we need not gamble in the bargain bucket. Further purchases will depend on a few high quality signings becoming available as in the signings of Mesut and Alexis in the last two summers. I am sure we have some irons in the fire and if those players become available in the late window merry go round I expect we will jump. Meanwhile I expect a quiet few weeks on the Arsenal front apart from the lies, misinformation, fantasy and hysterical reactions to those hit whores.
Just a month to the Community Shield; can’t wait!
Already there is speculation as to whether or not Cech should start against his old mates and the Odious One. For me, he should play in that match, and get all of the drama about him facing them for the first time out of the way there rather than in a match that really counts in the league.
As for additions to the squad, a striker is less of a concern, if Santi can find his shooting boots, if Ozil can try to take more shots, if Wilshere can transfer his England scoring exploits, and if Ramsey can continue to score from making his deep runs. In short, there’s plenty of opportunity to augment the goals total from within from midfield, as well as from what AW would say are his four strikers.
Another DM is priority. I recall where, not that long ago, Coquelin did his hamstring in an FA Cup loss at Sunderland. If he’s injured, the quality dropoff is severe. Issue is who would be available and at what cost? And would that quality DM be interested in coming to Arsenal knowing that he might not play as much? Agree that Carvalho did not impress in Europe, and missing a deciding penalty kick in a final can’t do much for confidence.
Last one: do you think AW would do a loan out for Chambers, to give him some more playing time and experience at CB/DM? AW may think that he has enough cover at CB with Gabriel, and with Debuchy and Monreal as emergency covers. Would home-grown be an issue?
I’ve enjoyed some quality home grown in the past.
BJ@26: from my (far from perfect) understanding of the Home-Grown rule, it would not be applicable to Chambers going out on loan next season. It applies only to players 21 or older, and Chambers doesn’t turn 21 until January 20, 2016. An because of an oddity of the rules — it is 21 on January 1 of the year in which the relevant season starts — it won’t apply next season either.
BJ @ 26: If we are not getting another deep lying midfielder to allow rotation for Coquelin and cover for his injuries, I would think Chambo will be prime for that role. He can deputize both for Per and Coquelin and that would make him more versatile and tactically more astute. He has the technical qualities and physical stamina, so I won’t be surprised if that is the plan.
Most likely with Poldi leaving, Joel and YaYa both going out on loan again or being sold, we open up some space in the team for a goalscoring wide player especially if Theo become more of a central alternative. Alexis will join us a month or so late, and despite his superhuman qualities on display we should not build a title winning plan around him playing almost all the matches. If we have another genuine winger on that side then we can rest him, move him centrally now and then, and provide more variety to attack without asking Ozil or Santi to play wide too often. Have no clue who that player would be, but tactically it makes more sense to me than a pure center forward which between Giroud, Welbeck and Theo I think we have now enough variation and rotation. I think Danny will step up a bit more this season and score ~15 goals playing the Giroud role. If Arsene gets another genuine CF it would mean one of either Welbeck or Theo, and possibly both, staying to the wing for most matches.
@Esso
I’ve never had a quota to fulfil though.
Unless you count that time we overstocked in Amsterdam and spent our last few hours in Holland on an insane mission to make sure none went to waste. Mission accomplished, of course. Wink.
Tsk tsk, I know not of what you speak. 😉
No wonder you jump out of perfectly good planes, GSD.
Wenger has often talked of Chambers long-term future as being a DM or centre-half, Dr F. But as we know from Song, and indeed Le Coq, it can take a while for young players to come good in those positions, especially DM where reading the game is so important.
Ned. I cannot think of much that would make the plane jump scarier but that would certainly do it. No chemical assistance is required at 13000ft- you are quite high enough!
Returning for a second to Diaby someone drew Tim Stillman’s excellent article on Abou Diaby to my attention. If you haven’t read it, it’s a very balanced assessment.
http://goonersphere.com/columnists/tim-stillman/6259-abou-diaby-myth-and-legend
I am told by friends that the Telegraph are predicting our willingness to let Debuchy leave. This is Jeremy Wilson not the cobble together of transfer gossip they publish every day. This might be feasible although personally I believe his experience could be very helpful this season
Ned @ 33 — Agreed, so probably deputizing would be less risky. If we get someone like Vidal/Bender I suppose Coq-Rambo-Jack-new signing can all be rotated around more seamlessly depending on the opposition and need of the game.
Arsene always insists on — and I think rightly — that the togetherness of a squad is one of the key factors while choosing to sign or not sign a new player and a squad can indeed get too bloated. I would not expect many new signings without departures. If we are getting a new deep lying midfielder I think Flamini and/or Arteta both would be gone from the playing squad. All signs indicate that Arteta would stay on in some role, so let us see.
Anyway, cannot wait for the season to start. And also looking forward to the Copa final. Argentina played some great football against Paraguay, and Chile showed signs of fatigue and nerves in the semi against Peru. Still hope they would win, even if that means this golden generation of Argentina team would remain without a senior trophy.
Of all the players in Copa, Valdivia had lighted up the tournament with some sublime performances in #10 at the final days of his career.
gsd@30, i think “insane” is the operative word, there.
i’m excited. i’ve booked the lad and i for charlie george’s legend’s tour on the 16th. going to arrive early and head for highbury, piebury, and the armoury. if i can i’ll get a yellow 1971 fa cup final shirt to honor mr. george with on our tour 🙂 *so* looking forward to seeing the stadium, the cups, the statues, the holic pavers, and all. after we’re meeting my lovely wife at the tollie for a drink before we head up to cambridge for the weekend.
trev, check yer facebook.
would debuchy backing up le coq be feasible? and play bellerin?
if we could do that, his experience would definitely help in the midfield. and it would give callum time to learn that position, too, from third spot.
Now we have the back end sorted with a keeper who will save us goals,time now to go and get the top line striker that will score 25 league goals a season at the other end.
Giroud/Walcott/Welbeck are not in a million years good enough to lead the line for us if we want to challenge for the big trophies.
It seems to have been forgotten that Giroud was only ever bought in the first place by Arsene,as back up/support role for Van Persie,who had been moaning about having to do it all by himself at the pointy end.
So desperate to avoid another big name departure, Arsene went and bought a B grade back up striker in Giroud to appease VP,who promptly pissed in Arsene’s pocket and fucked off to Utd.
So a technically deficient Giroud inherited the striker role by default.
Whilst he has improved his all round team play,he certainly hasn’t improved his ability to miss the chances that really matter,that grab you a point when you are not playing well,or to win you the games against the top teams with the one chance that comes your way.
Walcott hasn’t got the football intelligence to play as a striker,no more than he has playing as a winger.
As for Welbeck,a bench player at best.
So i do hope Arsene is working on complementing the high standard of technical brilliance of Ozil and Sanchez with a world class striker of the same quality.
Then we will truly be ready to challenge and compete with the best.
Better team lost.. t’was not to be…
Still.. to go out against the world champions is no shame! By a cruel fluke of a goal..
ALL credit to them… if only the men showed such spirit.
Goonersince54 @ 39: With all due respect you may be a little unfair to both Giroud and Theo. The season before Giroud joined us he was the top scorer in Ligue 1, and instrumental (with many assists along the way as well) in inspiring an ordinary Montpellier side to their first league championship. I think his mistakes are often amplified much more and his improvement in finishing is downplayed. He has 58 goals in 134 appearances for us, and ended last season with 19 goals in 36 appearances. Evidently not in TH14 class, but much better than he is given the credit for. His PL numbers are comparable to Diego Costa’s (who, incidentally, is yet to score a CL goal for Chelsea). And then of course the link-up and hold-up play he brings to the team and how our technical superstars use him so superbly as a pivote. I think we will see more from him.
Last few times Theo had played centrally I have been impressed by his tactical maturity and his cleverness off the ball. The first goal in the FA Cup final was excellent not only for the technical control — that was a tough finish — but also how he timed his run late even after the ball was in the box. I think the Theo who never looked up and never knew where the other players are has long been a thing of the past. He still has the tendency to drift out of the game, and lazy about giving his defender support when he is on the wings, but as a finisher he now has both the know-how and the intelligence.
If I may, I think the years with TH14 has spoilt us about the qualities of the striker. Before RVP finally lived unto his abilities 10-11 and 11-12, he used to miss a lot of chances in between scoring the spectaculars, so did Adebayor. There are only a very few central strikers in Europe who will be able to just drop in our squad and improve it immediately and start scoring in the first season. I do hope we get one of them (would love to see Aguero or Lewandowski in Arsenal), but even if we don’t I think we have enough in the goal-scoring department provided we keep everyone fit.
You think “Danny will step up a bit more this season and score ~15 goals playing the Giroud role“, Dr F? He’s never come close before in his entire career and showed zero likelihood of ever doing so last season (just 4 goals in 25 Prem appearances).
I had this discussion with Gregoire last year … http://goonerholic.com/2014/09/a-brief-reflection-on-a-bad-night/ Gregoire asking “will he be a 15-20 goal a season man, or can he ultimately get to the 25-30+ level? in #170, and me suggesting Gregoire was dreaming in #172.
4 goals in the Prem looks more like a nightmare. 😀
As for OG or Theo, my preference has always been for both, with Theo on the wing. I think they make an ideal combo. Not as ideal as Neymar and Messi perhaps, but as good a combo as we can likely afford!
Öskar
Oskar @ 42: I meant ~15 goals in all competition for Danny. Last season he had 8, so he will need to double the tally. I think with a pre-season with the team and a bit more composure in front of the goal he is a viable alternative to Giroud in some matches and will get us those goals.
I agree that Giroud-Theo did work well in the season before, and they have a good understanding, but unless Theo steps up his pressing and defensive covering a bit more (surely possible) that also leaves us more porous down the right especially if Bellerin is playing. I think we will see Theo on the right only if Debuchy is playing.
Welbeck is a decent striker to have on the bench as he can cover any position across the front line. He is not going to start many games ahead of Giroud and Theo, and thus his goal tally will be relatively meagre. His 30 goals in 143 Premiership matches is an eight-goals-a-season rate. If he broke into double figures he would be doing well. The much maligned Giroud has 41 in 97, by way of comparison.
Here’s another amazing statistic : http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-boss-arsene-wenger-overseen-5984192
😀
Ned
re ‘ much maligned ‘ Giroud,how many of his 41 are against the top teams when we need him the most. ?
Oscar,
with the money now available to Wenger,if we don’t improve on Giroud,let alone Walcott,we won’t be vying for the Big trophies anytime soon.
Sorry Dr F, I just don’t get all this Welbeck love. The guy has has the positional sense of a traffic island and even when he did find himself in the right place at the right time he panicked when the ball came his way. I lost count of the number of poor connections he made when the goal was beckoning.
As for the wondrous defensive qualities claimed for him – and all I saw to justify those claims was a lot of (not necessarily productive) running about – perhaps he’d be better off as a fullback, because it is clearly limiting his attacking ability.
Sure he seems a nice lad and I agree he plays his heart out, but he’s never scored more than 12 goals in a season in his entire career. In fact not scoring enough goals is the principal reason he was allowed to leave OT – as the stats clearly show … http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/danny-welbeck-vs-wayne-rooney-4207804
Why anyone expected him to suddenly turn into Danny Wonderbeck simply baffles me (as I may have mentioned before, sorry Trev).
Öskar
Morning,
Everybody knows the deal.
If we do not find what we need, at whatever price, we will stick with what we have and they will just have to step up and perform.
If Le Coq had not stepped up like he did, the likelihood is that we would probably have a gaping wound in the middle of the park and probably go out and buy somebody (like a Schniederlin) or somebody would have to step up or both. I doubt whether we would buy two. So it follows IMO, that not to everybody’s satisfaction, we may not buy another Le Coq.
I could be wrong!
Pre-season starts in 12 days and we have made one acquisition (two if you count Vlad Dragomir). This time last year, we had not even signed Alexis yet. But as we have not really spent much yet, it follows that there is still more money in the coffers.
As Ivan stated, what we want, may depend upon the situation at other clubs!
Let’s see!
One thing is for sure and that is that, we are looking! 😉
Fact is we will start the 2015-16 season where we have started every other season since 1919, as the top team in the top division of English football (alphabetically). And until Accrington Stanley find themselves in the Premiership (or the LWCs officially change their name to Arsehole Hotsperm) we will retain our rightful position of pre-eminence. 😉
Öskar
Fortunately, Otd, the Premier League has the good grace to list AFC Bournemouth as Bournemouth and not by its formal name.
As a historical footnote, Accrington Stanley grew out of an Accrington team called Stanley Villa, and not the Accrington club that was a founder member of the Football League but lasted for only five seasons thereafter.
RE: Cech. I’m happy to join the curmudgeonly crew on this one. As I keep on mentioning, GK was only 3rd summer transfer priority for me, and I’d have been reasonably content with Szczesny v. Ospina again. I also agree with Cynic @7 that I’m slightly suspicious of Mourinho’s protestations. He’s ruthless enough that if he genuinely thought Cech was better than Courtois, he would pick him – even though obviously the Courtois situation needed addressing last summer after his stellar season at Atletico. Also, when people like Bob Wilson and David Seaman talk about Cech, they’re talking in the generic sense about the player they remember at Chelsea. But he did play for them over 11 years, and a lot of those memories of the imperious Cech are probably more from the first half of that period rather than recent years where more mistakes were creeping into his game. Look, I hope I’m wrong and he gets a new lease of life coming to Arsenal, and at the very least I think he should add more calmness and experience to our defensive set-up, but the jury’s still out for me….
And RE: Welbeck. I was wondering when Oskar would bring up our conversations last season! He definitely struggles with his runs and positional play as the central striker, and is an unreliable finisher…and yet, he’s still got all the raw materials (pace, power, skill, good awareness, decent in the air), so I’m sure Wenger feels he can coax more out of him. A lot of strikers don’t mature and their game appreciation doesn’t fully develop until their mid-20s, so there’s still time for Welbeck. For now though, I fully accept he’s behind Giroud, Alexis and Theo in the pecking order, however I feel he might get a run in Alexis’ inside-left position in Aug & Sep while Alexis gets back to full fitness after the Copa America.
Clive @ 39,
Superb analysis.
ned
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3rd tuesday april 72
was it raining?
what colour were arsene’s socks?
and what card was i thinking of?
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*pitchforked villagers mass for a good ole witch burning*
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😉
Morning H…! Just popping in to say hello 🙂
Wahay, happy birthday Doc C. 🙂
Clive@46: Giroud’s scoring record against other Premiership sides, all competitions:
‘Top four’ + Spurs
vs Man Utd 3 goals and 1 assist in 6 games
vs Liverpool 3 goals and 1 assist in 7 games
vs Spurs 2 goals and 1 assist in 5 games
vs Man City 2 goals and 0 assists in 6 games
vs Chelsea 0 goals and 0 assists in 6 games
Best record
vs Newcastle 8 goals and 1 assist in 6 games
vs West Ham 5 goals and 5 assists in 5 games
vs Aston Villa 4 goals and 1 assist in 6 games
vs Everton 4 goals and 0 assists in 7 games
vs Sunderland 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 games
vs Southampton 3 goals and 0 assists in 5 games
Not sensational numbers against the top sides but by no means a flat-track bully.
It wasn’t raining where I was, cba, but it was somewhere I wasn’t. Arsene Wenger was wearing green socks that day, I believe (and I have good reason to think I am right). The card you were thinking of was that fifth ace you had up your sleeve. 🙂
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“BURN IT !!!!!!!!”
.
Oskar @ 47: I think we have discussed this before — it is less of a “Welbeck love” as you put it, more recognizing the potential in a player. As NBN pointed out, he is behind Giroud and Theo, of course, but as a third choice central striker (especially to allow Giroud rest) he I think is capable of improving towards 15 goals across all competitions, given that we will fight for four. His composure in front of goal is a problem now, but he is not yet 25 and many strikers take the step up around this age (as did Theo, who was very erratic in his finishing for a long time before he mastered the calmness a couple of seasons back to have become so clinical).
Anyway, goals from our “technically deficient” center forward last season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtdMa13vDe0
Clive. I agree with you re top class although I do think that Ollie G brings a lot more to the table than you may give him credit for. I do agree, and have said for some time now, that we do need a top class striker. Despite what some might say I again think you were right in the fact that both him and Poldi were bought to play with RVP. A top quality striker to play with Ollie G and give us more alternatives is what is required. Along with a real quality addition for the midfield.
What a blessing it is for us to have those monks at our beck and call as @56. Thanks again Ned for the timely and useful perspective.
Totally agree Steve @60. Only top quality need apply for both positions.
cba@58: 🙂
Team news:
Ainsley Maitland-Niles on season-long loan to Ipswich.
Released Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill joins Swindon.
John Ford-Western on loan from Blockbuster
*promises ‘holic to shut my piehole*
.
*hic*
.
🙂
@ 64
🙂 🙂 🙂 @ 64 then!
before i go
R.I.P. Val
.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm7t3mHsdBM
Hard to beat a John Ford western. 🙂
69?
michelle pfeiffer?
.
.
better pilgrim
better
I need the giggle my friend, you craic on 🙂
Ah cba, good call with Michelle (tho she has been in some crap movies) but it’s still hard to beat a John Ford western.
As for 69, I think I’ll pass. 😀
Just don’t listen to Tarantino on the subject of Ford. For a man who supposedly knows about film, he’s remarkably uneducated about Ford and what his films stand for, apparently all based on the fact that Ford worked for a day as an extra, in KKK gear, on Birth of a Nation.
Tarantino = ignoramus.
john ford thought of himself irish
was he havin chuckles casting
a big lump from kent as his Paddy at Arms
victor mclaglen from the county tunbridge wells
or was he i dunno
who knows or cares
.
like the crying indian in the litter ads
stereotypes are best left to others
.
“WOMAN OF THE HOUSE”
“WHERE’S ME TAE”
.
*lights pipe*
Talking of westerns, since Wayne snuffed it at any rate, you can’t really beat this…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBMsXcSTi4s
i’m not even irish
i’m odd
.
😉
budd boetticher films
coupla laid back crackers there
.
.
the gunfighter
another goodun
high noon inspiration
.
.
LIAM BRADY
.
that should fool ‘hol’s automated bullshit detectors shut down filter
for a while
.
might try HENRY MANCINI later
to see how accurate it is
🙂
another guest post
from one of our own
can’t be arsed
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
(HENRY MANCINI)
budd boetticher films
Particularly Ride Lonesome. You are a man of taste.
CBA
Great man though you are don’t try messing with Michelle. She’s mine and apparently still cut up that I blanked her after the Cup Final to watch Match of the Day.
Tough but fair comment from Clive on our strikers . The suggestion is that AW is looking at CB and DM and not strikers now that Theo appears to have signed up. I always feel you need to get the best striker you can afford if you hope to win the big competitions and in that case I would prefer Lacazette, Higuain , Bacca or Benzema to Giroud as first choice. But the last two would cost silly money and I’ve personally never been totally sold on Benzema although his stats for Real are very good. I have real hopes of Theo in that role this season but he won’t stay fit. So Lacazette and Carvalho might be a decent pairing to pursue.
Must away Michelle is sexting me.
The cba guest post…
Now that would be a thing of beauty. 🙂
cheers cynic
and
sorry m’lud
82
.
not on yer fuckin nelly !
(all shy , like)
.
*shoos moths outta sheepskin coat in readiness*
*stocks up on bad words and uncomfortablenessness*
A very gracious response at #51, Gregoire, much appreciated. We shall see what we will see. Danny still has a few months left in which to score his first Prem goal of 2015, or to add to his one assist. And it would please me greatly if he proved me wrong on every count … the more quality players in the squad the better I will like it. 🙂
Öskar
dr Z
tabs trev thunder T
8ball clive ned steve
throw words around please
.
.
wind’s blueprint
good starting point
take the mind off mindless noodling
.
and by the way
how is young wind?
Ned
thnks for stats,very interesting re the Chelsea figures.
Tellingly,in 2 successive seasons at the Bridge recently, Giroud had a golden opportunity to score very early on,and blew both chances.
Not saying we would have won either game,but it would certainly have given the team a massive confidence booster if he had converted.
Also a game at the Ems in December,late in the game,had the one chance that came his way to win it,and blew it.
Interesting that Cech was in goal in all 3 games,and as i mentioned in my post about him earlier,was that a case of the keepers reputation going before him,and the saves he doesn’t have to make,or did Ollie just panic in the moment.
I do not disagree that he has improved his all round game immensely since joining the Club,but his job as the main striker is to score goals.
The one question i always ask myself regarding the quality of our players,is whether our main opposition would covet them.
So if Ollie was available,would Chelsea or Man City want to buy him. ??
how’s nurse abb?
how’s ollie ?
Evening CBA
trust you and yours,including the cows,are all well.
I see you are still living up to your nickname,V V V.
The Vertical Verbal Ventriloquist.
Interested to hear your ruminations on our Strikers,and indeed our new Keeper.
Another question, Clive, is could we replace OG with someone we can afford who would be better? And while I believe there are more complete CFs in the world we will always be outbid for them in both transfer fees and salaries. So until AW unearths a potential world-beater at an affordable cost I am happy to stay with what we have rather than waste heaps on a Benzema-type minor upgrade … who may prove not even to be that.
Öskar
…unless of course AW can find another Özil or Alexis at under the odds.
Öskar
🙂 clive- cech
.
much like the man
who blew up
hot water bottles
the massive tension required
and sibling solidarity involved
to get my sister after sister
into swimming headgear
i choose to be underwhelmed at the outcome
.
to paraphrase a few
he’s in the descendancy
with a stupid hat to boot
Oskar
As i mentioned in a previous email, Arsene has the funds to buy a proven striker.
Ollie is neither quick enough in the feet or the head,to play with Sanchez and Ozil.
He is an old fashioned centre forward.
With the game becoming more and more about intricate quick passing movement,Ollie is not on the same wavelength.
I think you saw the future in the Cup final when he was left on the bench.
Walcott won’t make it up front,but you can see Arsene’s thinking,which i believe will be the blueprint for the coming season.
Mobile, interchangeable super fast front players,lightning quick ball to feet passing,keeping defenders constantly in 2 minds,off balance and drawn out of position.
Is that OG. ??
CBA
The Bar is certainly divided on Cech.
I guess we will find out soon enough.
Strikers. ??
Evening Clive. A pleasure, as always. I would buy a proven goalscorer too, but not another squad player. 😉
striker”s” clive
don’t get greedy
😉
Cba 74 The Quiet Man….’tis yourself indeed. Maureen O’Hara a fine looking lady in her day.
Various gentleman of the bar, I think we will have to just wait & see if Cech is a masterful buy or whether he is past his sell by date. Certainly his later performances are mainly average – don’t know if he’s in decline or purely rusty from lack of regular playing time. Let’s hope it’s the latter.
Giroo is a valuable member of the first team squad with his goals, assists and hold up play but 1 level below that clinical striker that top teams need to win the league. Difficult to see who might be available at an Arsenal cost level and it is doubtful if Arsene would buy unless they improve the squad.
Pre-season assist for who wants it most……………….
Boom! (Sprints out of the stadium and back into hiding)
AW may have the funds for a proven striker, Clive, if by that you mean a Benzema or Higuain. But I don’t think he’d see either as ‘value’ at their likely asking prices. But I find it hard to imagine him even looking at whatever would be asked for the really ‘proven’ – Aguero, Ronaldo, Messi or anyone else you can name at that level.
I think you under-rate OG just a little. I believe there is more to come from him this year, especially with the distraction of Theo for defences. Although I have my doubts AW will play both of them together which would be my preference.
But whoever plays up front, Clive, we can both hope that they exceed expectations, okay!
Öskar
You’re up late H
But not as late as me,or the burglar who stole the century. !!
Absolutely disgraceful.
Of course Giroud is not in the top bracket of strikers – he is what we paid for him, a significant notch below the likes of Aguero – look back and compare what Aguero cost compared to Kun.
I have seen nothing to suggest Higuain is an upgrade either, Oskar seems to agree.
Unfortunately, should a striker become available at the highest end of the matket, we won’t be first in line to make the purchase. Having money and the willingness to spend is not the same as buying, unfortunately. I don’t see us being able to get more than another squad player in the current market conditions.
There you go cba, some words casually thrown.
What zico said.
Agree with that too Z. I can’t see us buying a ready made proven striker. And if were honest, its not really our blueprint is it?
A top class fluid wide player, which would arguably be easier to buy that a ready made striker, could allow the possibility of playing others options (Alexis) in the centre as a contrasting alternative to Giroud. Considering that Henry and RvP were both bought as wide players – there’s degree of logic to that possibility too.
dr Z
casuallly thrown maybe
but landing with considerable style
.
i100% agree
And of course he meant look back and compare what Giroud cost compared to Kun
Daft bastard.
Zico
I really hope the Boss is not as downbeat and resigned as you on the striker front.
I really hope that as we speak,his negotiators are deep in talks with a club somewhere in Europe or South America,regarding selling us the player who can deliver the 25 league goals a season we need to mount a serious challenge for the Title.
Who is he then, Sweeper?
I am not downbeat – I tend to agree with some of your sentiments regarding Giroud but to realise an upgrade in that position is simply not a case of tapping your nose and saying “Arsene”.
Maybe we should resort to what I did as a child – close our eyes really tight and wish for it to happen. That always works.
Anyway, not looking for a fight – I just don’t think we will see a top end striker in this transfer window. I dont consider Higuain or Benzema to be “top end” although the latter “might” improve on Giroud. So if not them, then who?
Who else do you (we?) think is out there – willing to be educated.
Telly fixtures are out
Arsenal v West Ham United – Sun 9 Aug – 1.30pm (SKY)
Crystal Palace v Arsenal – Sun 16 Aug – 1.30pm (SKY)
Arsenal v Liverpool – Mon 24 Aug – 8pm (SKY)
29-Aug-15 12:45pm Sat Newcastle United vs Arsenal (BT)
19-Sep-15 12:45pm Sat Chelsea vs Arsenal (BT)
So who are the top-tier strikers?
Aguero, Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo and Suarez would probably make most people’s A-list, but who else?
Bacca, Benzema, Cavani, Costa, Falcao, Griezemann, Higuain, Icardi, Ibrahimovic, Lacazette, Lewandowski, Menez, Morata, Muller, Tevez?
I could see AW going for a striker like Dybala at Juve. Young, can play centrally, as a no 10 or wide right, and would cost “only’ £30m.
To your point, Zico, Aguero is worth an estimated 50 million euros, or two and a half times Giroud’s transfer value. Comparables for Aguero would be other 26-year old centre-forwards like Costa and Lewandowski. Comparables for Giroud would be 28/29 year olds like Mandzukic and Negredo. All of which paints a pretty good picture of the difference between Aguero and Ollie G.
?
Top Shelf Strikers?
Whisky, Brandy, Rum, Gin, Vodka or
Playboy, Mayfair, Penthouse, Club?
Oh sorry, just noticed, ‘Top Tier’.
I’ll have 4 from the top
and
2 from the bottom there please Carol
Tsk, Tsk, Esso.
howdy
.
sorry
.
get yer penitence in first
.
posted a noisy blurble bout people on buses
guessing ‘hol’s filters do work
.
sorry big man
think I effed n jeffed like a bollix
.
FUCKIN LIBERTY !
.
won’t happen again
promise
.
.
right
whoever sniggered
.
FRONT AND CENTRE !
.
.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ1vQPEBlnI
Just watched absolutely brilliant interivew with Petr Cech by czech private TV and I am even more chuffed now that we signed him. Definitely most likeable char from the Chavski team.
He really seems determined to make a difference and once again said that was it not for Abramovich, the transfer would never ever happen, since Jose wanted to keep him at all costs…the cunt.
Eandy,
I’m guessing with two Czech icons in the team we will be the most popular team in the Republic? As for Mourinho his comment yesterday was typical of what sports journalism has become. He recited what was effectively a prepared PR engineered statement that everybody knows he doesn’t believe. It doesn’t really matter because every Mourinho utterance will be contradicted the following day or week because his public statements are whimsy that comes into his head, some of it highly vindictive and very little of it has any meaning. In a less celebrity obsessed age he wouldn’t get away with it because he would be called to account but the media is in thrall to the idiot and react to everything he said as if it should be inscribed on tablets of stone.you might guess I don’t like him.
Interesting talking of strikers AC Milan signed Bacca and Adriano. They already have about five others including that guy with the weird hair and Arabic name. A bit surprising top strikers want to go to a side that finished tenth in Serie A last season. Inter also seem to have a spurious lingering glamour. Milan is a nice city but I would have thought they might have preferred to go to Tottenham..or Stoke…..or Bournemouth
Evening all, and a special “howdy” to the very prolific cba 😉
I seem to remember Arsene Wenger saying several times during the course of the season that we had come up short in some games, not because of our defensive shortcomings but because we had failed to take our chances.
A warning shot across the bows of our strikers, for sure.
We have all said for months and months that we need another centre back, a defensive midfielder and, in many cases, a top keeper. Well, we hope, with reservations, that we have the keeper, and the centre back situation seems to be taken care of. Coquelin was as good as anyone in that position in the second half of the season but no-one can play at DM for a whole season without picking up injuries and/or cards and suspensions.
On that basis we absolutely need a partner in the squad for Coquelin and so it is equally guaranteed that AW will buy a striker, I just don’t think he finds buying defensive midfielders exciting enough.
So which strikers are available that we could afford ?
Rabbits out of the hat could include – Swan, Vesta, Bryant and May.
They would, in my opinion, be a match for anyone.
More words casually tossed into the bar by a most casual of tossers. 😉
So lucky you daft bastards have stuck around. Thank you. 🙂
BBQ for me tomorrow. Hunter-gatherer will be burning much protein. Why not?
You might need one of my strikers then, Holic.
Have a good one.
Could be a barbeque for me or, on the other hand, the barber queue.
😉
Czech private tv? That’s a porn channel isn’t it? No wonder he wears that hat.
Private tv, Cynic, not Privates tv.
Smilin’ 🙂
Not really. Was promised storms tonight. No storms. Just humid shit. Don’t mind admitting I need a storm big time…
Strike a light, Trev! You could pair up these Colneys with Eandy’s Czech porn channel.
http://seesaw.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54fabf0ec883301156f8449c6970c-320wi
Humid shit? You been on the Guinness again?
You know it Cynic.
Just dawned on me, it really is BBQ day tomorrow. Should have posted tonight. I’m a cunt.
Sorry all.
Apology accepted Guv’nor. Lots of carnivorous goings on tomorrow, me included. I apparently have to see ‘ The Minions’ with my grandsons on Sunday. I didn’t know Tottenham’s pre- season had started yet:)
Hahaha no porn involved..just an interview made by independent TV channel 😀 yeah TTG, Arsenal might become most popular team in the country now.
There was long time and huuuuuge Chelski love-in in Czech Republic and even Slovakia because of Cech playing for them. Even now I am witnessing Arsenal being much more in the spotlight because of the transfer. The situation with Little Mozart is quite curious, pretty much everyone thinks that he should leave us now since he does not play anyway ..and you cannot fault them for this opinion. Although the prospect of those two winning stuff in same shirt is pretty tasty for pretty much everyone involved with czech meeja.
Zico
My earlier post was not intended to offend.
I just thought you seemed resigned to us only getting a squad player up front.
I am no more the wiser than your good self, or anyone else for that matter,as to what striker we could bring in that will deliver the goals we need to compete for the Title rather than scrambling for top 4 spots.
That is for Arsene and his scouts to determine.
My preference would be for a player in his mid twenties,with plenty of experience under his belt,with a proven record of consistent scoring.
Someone Arsene’s scouts have been watching over many months to gauge his suitability to fitting in at the Arse.
I honestly think we are now one of the top 3 sides in the PL.
But Chelsea and City are still the benchmark,and to match them we need that front man with pace and football intelligence,which Giroud only has one of,and Walcott the other.
“Bacca, Benzema, Cavani, Costa, Falcao, Griezemann, Higuain, Icardi, Ibrahimovic, Lacazette, Lewandowski, Menez, Morata, Muller, Tevez?” you suggest as top strikers in @111, Ned. But no mention of Theo?
I thought we’d gone some way to recognising Theo’s standing by last season’s end. He comes back from a year or more out and immediately starts scoring … in fact 10 goals in his last 9 starts (not including many wasted the five and ten-minute sub appearances), and still you don’t want to include him?
Apart from Barca and Real, and possibly the chavs and $iteh, I don’t see any club with a better front three than Alexis, Ollie and Theo. Seriously.
Öskar
Okay, as I said, the interview I mentioned was so brilliant that I kinda felt compelled to share.
It was made by DVTV and the interviewer was Martin Veselovsky, one of the most well known journalist in the country right now. The DVTV invites interesting people to have a chat about interesting stuff.
http://video.aktualne.cz/dvtv/petr-cech-kerku-bych-si-udelal-nenechal-nemam-k-tomu-vztah/r~996fcdda218c11e58a300025900fea04/ here is the link so you can either hone your czech or just to see in what kind of relaxed mood Petr was. Below I am posting transcript I have made and translated to English for those interested. Beware, it was 20 min interview so it is going to be quite long.
MV: The new strenghtening of Arsenal and also the goalkeeper of Czech National team, Petr Cech, hello.
PC: Hello.
MV: It is almost mid-day now and we are sitting pretty much under direct sun, I think it is over 30 degree Celsius, standardly, you have to endure this while being in goal for 90 minutes, or even longer when it comes to that, how can one cope with it..and..in black helmet.
PC: Well it is a fact that in that black helmet it is not exactly great..
MV: ..I would boil myself..
PC: ..well yeah, but I have no choice, I have to play in it, so I got myself accustomed to the fact that during the pre-season, I suffer just a little bit more than my teammates (laughter), but what is worst on it that one gets the helmet tanned on his face.
So you have tanned face and suddenly there is a strip over your forehead and it looks really weird, so when we are somewhere during pre-season, I try to make up for the deficit in our free days so the difference is not that obvious. I have to say, since my childhood I am kind of person who is not exactly friendly with the sun…
MV: ..that is why we have prepared the interview here (they are sitting on the bench on the stadium on the direct sun with no shade over them whatsoever in the middle of the day).
PC: Well it is true that when I started playing football and there were games during summer in heat like this, I have always had to battle with it a bit, but I got used to it, so the older I am, the more I enjoy the sun, so ..I don’t mind.
MV: I am really sorry but I have always wondered, how many of those helmets do you have?
PC: That is quite common question and I have to say that during the season I use two or three tops, so I have one as the reserve and the other one as another reserve. It is more comfortable when the helmet is already bit used and „softer“ so I have one purely as „match-helmet“, second „purely-training“ and then the one I always carry as the reserve in case something happens to the other two.
MV: Lets talk about the actual transfer to Arsenal, what can you compare it to for someone who is not professional footballer? Is it something like if you work for 11 years in one bank and then you go and start working in other bank, the direct competitor?
PC: Well I think that you can use this comparison, it is the same field of expertise, the direct competition, but for me the really decisive thing was that it was Premiere League and that Arsenal really came with the best offer for me, which means that they offered me contract for 4 years and by that they shown me that even in my age they believe that at least for that 4 years I will be useful for the team.
MV: Just ..I am sorry, is the part of the 4 year contract some promise or clause that you will be goalkeeper no.1?
PC: No, not at all. That is never there and I have never even dealt with that in any club I was at. I just have this philosophy that if person works for 100%, he shows to the coach that he has no other option than to put me in the goal, and I believe that the coach and the club wanted me as they shown by the way how they approached the negotiations how much they wanted to sign me, that I will have the chance to prove that I belong to the starting line-up.
MV: Well I presume that, you can hardly make this transfer with any other feeling or determination, on the other hand, you left Chelsea exactly for the reason that you were not playing as often as you would like.
PC: It was mainly because that my position was pretty much given, it was not influenced by how I train or play but I was just in position that if my goalkeeping colleague made no mistake, my position was clear. This way I have clean start, I start from zero but it will depend only on me how I fight for my position and that is what is important to me. Also, when I saw how both coach and club approached the negotiations, how much they wanted me, it is clear that I will probably have my chance to prove my qualities and it will be only down to me if I can hold on it or not.
MV: Well, I have just imagined the moment when Petr Cech, for example in year from now, is not that goalkeeper no. 1, I am sorry, that is not any kind of anticipation of bad things, and then all those critics will say „Well..you kinda mismanaged this, you have changed clubs and you are still not the goalkeeper no.1“. Is there this possibility?
PC: I have always said that „one who is afraid, should not go to the woods“ (czech proverb), well…I will say it from the opposite direction, of course the (proveb) still applies, but I could have stayed in the club, I still had a year on my contract. That contract, the last year was pretty much the best from the financial side for me, according to the way the contract was written, so I could have just sit on the bench in Chelsea, enjoy the fact that everyone calls me the legend and everyone liked me in the shirt, but that simply is not me.
I simply know that for me, it is not time in my career to be glad that people call me legend, that I will sit on the bench in one of the best clubs in the world and that I am part of it. I believe in my qualities, that I still have 5 – 6 years in me to compete with the best players on this level and I just did not want to waste the time by sitting on the bench in this phase of my career, that it is not that moment yet. And thats why I made the decision, even that I think it is delicate one, I still think it is the right decision.
MV: That question of mine, which gave the parallel with the banks, or pretty much any other job, it led to..when I decide at my job, that I want to leave, I just tell that to my superior, he can just say „okay, what can I do“ and lets me go. At the moment when you told that to your superior, your coach, José Mourinho, what did he say?
PC: Well at the moment when I knew there is possibility of transfer, it was clear that, without the agreement of the „highest one“, it will never happen.
MV: Sorry, the highest one is..
PC: Is the owner, Mr. Abramovich. Cleary, coach wanted me to stay and wanted to keep me at all costs, so it was clear that there is slight contradiction and that in case that no „higher force“ intervenes, in this case, the owner, and gives me the permission, and of course the board of the directors, that if I do not receive the permission, I still had a year on my contract so it was not really about me at all. It was not about me that I decided that I want to try something new.
MV: Wait, you had to persuade him by something then.
PC: Well, apparently I have persuaded him in a way that he said yes (laughter) and I think it is a huge gesture from him, because he is the most important person in the club and without him the club would not be, now after those 10 or 11 years, where it is. And that he permitted this just shows how he valued what I have done for the club and even against the fact that he knows that is a rival club, he knew to which club I want to go, even against that he allowed it and just ..kinda gave little back to me, which I really appreciated.
MV: I get that, I understand that you cannot bring all the details of the private conversation with Mr. Abramovich to the light of the day, on the other hand, one of your agents says that the transfer was possible also because of your human qualities, I just don’t clearly understand what he meant by that. What kind of human qualities, if the person is good or evil (both smiling and almost laughing) or whatnot, if it plays a role in this.
PC: I suppose he just wanted to kind of wrap the whole thing up. Simply things I have done for the club from the football perspective and also from the non-football perspective, during the time I was at Chelsea and I think that the people valued my approach to the club and the fair dealings on all fronts. They simply know that the club has always been on a first place for me and this moment was, for the first time in 11 years, when I thought about myself as a priority instead of the club and they understood it.
MV: Roman Abramovich understood it…
PC: ..(nodding)..if it was not like that, the transfer would really never happen.
MV: Arsenal paid 10 million pounds for you?
PC: Yes
MV: Isn’t it bit binding?
PC: Well binding is already the fact that they decided to sign me, I am 33 years old, I did not really play during last season and they still believe that I will help the team and have the qualities to do so. So of course binding is that it will be up to me to show them they did not make a mistake and it was a right choice.
MV: Simply theoretically, I know it is not really in order of things now, but would any Czech club be able to afford you?
PC: If it was just clearly about levelling somehow the conditions I had during last 10 years in England, then absolutely not. Simply because the Czech league and the financial potential here is on completely different level and I think that it would not even be right for Czech club, since it has its limitations, its budgets and it would really be wrong to do something like this and overpaid a player who might be „worth it“ but this is just not what you do. The philosophies of the clubs have to work in all directions and you just do not do this. Of course if I went back to Czech league I would have to expect that my salary would look completely different.
MV: Maybe we will return to this but I am also interested in one more thing. I have seen the video which was made by people from Arsenal which is called „The first day of Petr Cech in Arsenal“ and it begins with you coming out of private jet to the line of airport employees then you go to the car, you are moved to the Arsenal, you make your first interview, you make a photoshoot with the shirt, without the shirt etc. How easily one becomes accustomed to the fact that you arrive by private jet and there is small line of airport employees greeting you after your arrival?
PC: Well I think that when you are dealing with big transfers like this it is pretty much normal way. I was not in England so when I needed to quickly make the medical and solve all of the paperwork to make it in time at the beginning of the transfer period. Everyone wanted the transfer to be done by 1st or 2nd July so I could prepare or join the pre-season with the club without any rush. Then there is no other way how to do it than this. Of course it is quite nice when this happens that one does not have to care about his own plane ticket and does not have to care how he gets somewhere, if he makes it in time. These big clubs have the financial power to just send the plane to make the player come over and it does not happen everytime, just in really exceptional situations when it is needed.
MV: Well the question should have probably been reversed, how easily you could get used to not have this kind of stuff. Would Petr Cech be okay with that?
PC: Well I was brought up in very humble conditions so for me return back would not be that much of a problem because I have made the steps through every level during my career. My living conditions progressively got better as I went on with my career so I think I would not have real problem with it.
MV: So, your first game, if I am not completely mistaken, and what strikes me as kind of odd, is Community Shield final and it will be against Chelsea. Dont you have problem, after 11 years when you see blue shirts in front of you and you know the blue ones are „yours“, to look now at the same field, same shirts and know that now the danger comes from them?
PC: Well, I do not know even myself how am I going to feel during the game. During the games I have special feeling inside of me, kind of automatic „match system“ which simply starts two hours before the game and I just focus on what I am going to do and how I am going to do it, but I have never been in this situation before, so I do not really know if this is going to be some kind of disturbing element which will interfere with that „match system“ of mine.
Maybe I will feel completely different, I cannot personally even imagine it now to be honest, I think it will not be a problem for me, but, everyone thinks that they would act in a some way in certain situations and you only find out when it happens, so only on 2nd August I will find out how am I going to feel.
MV: So until 2nd August you have enough time to tell yourself „Blue is not the correct colour“, the other one is correct.
PC: Well I will have to learn, but I think I will manage (smile). These things simply happen in football. It is true that I have been tremendously lucky, it was kind of a privilege, that I was in Chelsea for such a long time, because it is not a common practice in todays football. I know that now the situation is bit different but I have been transfered before so I can sort of imagine how it goes.
MV: On this level, do players, who were transferred between two clubs, say to each other something they know would derail the other player? Because right now, there will be a lot of people playing against you who you know personally really well.
PC: I think that that is not the case. Of course players know each other and there are some players who might, you know, use that kind of verbal winding-up or something else.
MV: What do you mean, verbal winding-up?
PC: Well you can talk to people in many ways and sometimes someone gets fed up and someone does not. I think that everyone is different, we have seen the incident on Copa America where player pinched other player in the butt and the other player received a red card and the offending team won in the end. Of course that is an extreme and it should not be part of the game but it is always about the people, when someone has this kind of behaviour in normal life it might transfer on to the pitch. I think it is purely human factor but to be honest you do not encounter this kind of thing too often.
MV: Arent you right now, and I will use different terminology, „valuable intelligence“ for Arsenal? You are a person who played for Chelsea for 11 years.
PC: It is true that if coach will want to know what can we expect from the match or what kind of tactics the opposition is going to use in the game, than I can imagine it might happen but the teams knows each other so well. During those 10 years teams knows each other on such level that each of them just play their football and try to beat the other one with their game and there is no major change in that in my opinion. I do not think that one player cannot really bring something exceptionally new, we have seen it in last season when we played with Arsenal, we had Fabrégas as new player and he did not tell us anything really new, because teams knows each other that well that there is no place for any surprise.
MV: When I was leaving to make this interview, colleague of mine, who is big Arsenal fan, told me to make Petr Cech promise that they will win the cup.
PC. The question is which one. Of course my personal ambition is that my stay at Arsenal will be at least as successfull as my stay in Chelsea, that is why I have accepted this challenge and I believe that the team has it to fight with the best in Europe, to win the trophies and I believe that we will manage to do that.
MV: Just one more thing. For the course of your career, you were always taken as „the good guy“ type of footballer. You do not wear extravagant haircuts, I dont know if you have any tattoo.
PC: No I dont.
MV: You dont? You have never been attracted by that?
PC: Well I have nothing against tattoos, and I even like some..but on different people (laughter). I would not make one on myself. I do not have any kind of affection for it, I think that you have to have that when you decide to have a tattoo of something you believe belongs to the person, so I do not mind that. Same with the haircuts or fashion, I am simply the way I am and others can do whatever they pretty much please.
MV: When I look at the other footballers, for example in Arsenal, I wonder if you are not going to be taken as „dryasdust“. Well I believe that hardly anyone will say „Petr, come, lets have a tattoo on another arm and half of our back“ (laughter) but still.
PC: (smiling) How I am taken by others I do not know but I think they just take me in the way I am. Thats is just the way it is.
MV: Lets get back to when I was asking you what would happen if you would agree a deal with Czech club. You were saying 5 – 6 years, that something like that should not be in order for the day, does that mean that you somehow count with this possibility that you will come back to Czech football?
PC: I think that in football two months are long time, so predicting 5 or 6 years in advance is virtually impossible. For example it can very much happen that I will have some health problems for example in 5 years and I will have to end my career anyway, even if I will not want to do so. I would not be the first or the last. It might happen that the football itself will not bring me the feelings it does now, the joy from the play or the motivation. I am in this merry-go-round since I was 17. You go to training, train, go to the match, play, then stay in hotel. Pretty much whole pre-season is spent on some hotels, you train and you have really just a few free days. Especially in England where there is no winter break, so practically one has three weeks in a summer and afterwards it is whole year without any break. Maybe in three years I will come to the conclusion that this kind of lifestyle does not suit me anymore and that the football will be annoying me and I will end the career by myself. That is one option and of course another option is that I will start to play poorly and someone will say „We do not want him, he is not up to it anymore“ that can also easily happen.
MV: That of course can happen yes, but, my question was more aimed at that Czech football, even against some successes of its players from time to time, simply has bad reputation. It is environment with its corruption scandals, other type of things etc. Etc. From this point of view I am interested if Petr Cech would come back to Czech football.
PC: To tell the truth, the huge factor is one thing and not the behind the scenes stuff or the environment, but also during last 13 years I have been accustomed to the fact that you arrive to the stadium and it is sold out. People come to watch football to enjoy it, support, shout, not to swear, or it is not the main reason why they came to the stadium. That they simply support their team, even if it leads or is losing until the last minute and of course they boo you when you play poorly but it happens at the end of the game. Never during the match and it is simply kind of fun for everyone involved. Here I have a feeling that…. one takes a look and sees 1500 people on some stadiums during czech league games..so even this is a question. If one is compelled to after that whole big theatre with full stadiums if he simply wants to make that step that he will come to the stadium where there are few hundreds of people and the atmosphere will be missing. That, I can hardly imagine and it plays a huge part.
MV: Well, all the best then in the new team and thank you for the interview.
PC: Thank you very much.
MV: Goodbye
weird as fuck
when the ducks
whose downstairs
provided yer egg-centric lunch
waddle past yer window
as if to politely check how yer enjoying their nearlys
.
cows are less understanding
.
.
howdy ‘hol
howdy all
fine bunch o gooners that ye are
.
.
.
UP THE ARSENAL!
tony blackburn on the radio
face fulla homebrew
what feckin decade is this
*measures tie for excessive kipperness*
not that i’m wearing one
dress down saturdays here
she’s lucky i put on a smile
The breathy sound of web-footed passers by at your window, cba.
Look out, he’s coming to getch’ya –
It’s Duck Wader.
*i’ll be off then*
*cups hand to ear – hears faint sound of Theo tub being thumped – decides to go and tweezer his own eyeballs out, it being more fun*
Thanks for transcribing that interview Eandy. Must have been time consuming.
Very interesting.
I am optimistic that Petr will bring not only an upgrade to our goalkeeping but add to the determination of the Arsenal squad to win trophies.
Clive, not offended in any shape or form.
I would prefer that we did not buy a squad player but if we get a striker I expect that is what we will get.
The player that you describe, if available, will be known to the guys with the mega bucks and therefore we’ll be far from first in the queue.
Unless you think it’s possible in this day and age for a player capable of scoring 25 goals, with pace, power and physicality, to remain unknown to everyone apart from Arsene and the Arsenal scouting team?
Oskar, think we already signed Walcott. 🙄
Cheers Eandy. He comes across a very decent, balanced fellow. Just what you would hope and expect. Any good Czech strikers??
trev
.
bath is cech just a rusty musket
or has he blown his gasket
.
indeed time will tell
who knows
maybe given the big I AM status with us
he might zap some of his brilliance from yesteryear
outta the heavens
lord knows
the cunt on his day
was a formidable big shite
i’m still in the blaaaahhhh camp
more than keen
to join the wahay camp
(wanky hat notwithstanding)
add 🙂 to trev
🙂
cba, I know the Guvna shares your doubts but I do think Cech remains a better keeper than our incumbents from last season and that the apparent decline some have identified in his performances last season relate more to a lack of match sharpness than to a loss of his abilities due to age.
Top Man Eandy. Thanks for the effort. I found that really interesting. Much appreciated!
I agree with baff about Cech’s potential to add to our collective mindset.
bath
as i said if he is convinced in himself
that this is his opportunity to show that
the old petr was merely out fer a flag recently
😉
then his mental strength alone will be a massive boost
.
but
.
who knows
.
nobody nose
.
either way
can’t fuckin wait
fag
clearly
not flag
🙂
cba,
if he was out for a fag and not a flag he will have to pay pennants……
😉
Ttg – unfortunately, since the days of Baroš and Koller in their pomp, we do not have any decent striker. Vydra signed permanent deal with Watford after two very successfull loans there, so we might see how he is going to fare in PL next season, he has bags of potential and scored quite a lot for Watford in both respective seasons in Championship (I think he even was player of the year in 2012/2013).
🙂 trev
but not germane to the discussion
Went to watch a game today. Now glowing like the Ready Brek kid.
Thanks for translating the Cech interview, Eandy. The two things that stood out for me were that at Chelsea ‘the Highest One’ trumps ‘the Special One’, and that Cech is clearly expecting to start against Chelsea in the Community Shield. Seems he has the shirt to lose, now.
Poldi to Gala confirmed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33393899
£1.8 million fee seems good business for Galatasaray even if there is another million or so to come dependent on CL qualification.
For those interested in watching Copa America final, here are the streams
http://www.livefootballol.com/streaming/copa-america/04-07-2015-chile-argentina.html
game starts in 40 mins or so.
Eandy, excellent work on the Cech interview – cheers for that!
No worries Lars and thanks, to all who liked it, it was just too good to let it be missed by non-czech speaking fans 😀
One Guinness closer to the new season. Cheers to all the holics after my visit to help old bt8dad on his move into a retirement home. Nice enough spot actually and god willing he will be ok in his new circumstances. But getting back on topic, as I was culling through the family papers I came across my birth certificate which shows I was born on a Saturday suggesting a possible explanation for my curmudgeonly dislike of football matches scheduled any other day of the week.
Regardless of circumstances it seems Lukas Podolski always has something to smile about so for him I expect the Gala move to be a Turkish delight. But it means greater opportunity for a number of the current squad to step into the breech. Come on breech steppers.
Vidal looks like he should be tossing heads down a pyramid, doesn’t he. If we did sign him, the shit-your-pants factor of our starting lineup would improve no end.
158
🙂
cracker
and
i missed eandy’s interview earlier
sorry
cheers fella – really decent of you
top man
Enjoyed that Eandy. Great job!
Alexis, what a man..what a penalty…very well deserved for Chile.
Didn’t see any of it but so pleased for our Duracell man.
Hope he gets a rest now. Then back to crack the winner in next season’s CL final.
Great night of football. Didn’t see any of the Copa America but do delighted for Alexis. That will be some party. He probably won’t want to play again until Tuesday!
I watched our very brave girls beat Germany via a penalty. Brilliant effort. The two girls in defence were heroic and there were a couple of Gooners on at the end. Mark Sampson has done a great job and may see a few job offers come his way. If only our men had the same sort of balls
Eandy, thanks for that. Just had a chance to read the interview.
Yes he’s already ours, zico, but the list I was adding him too was of the supposed best, not a list of those we could possibly sign since many of them are clearly unavailable.
Öskar
still chuckling at throwing heads down pyramids
brilliant cynic
.
can’t remember who said it here
words are fuckin mighty
.
‘hol
ye’ve amassed a collection
of fuckin brilliant word-batter-abouters
all under The Arsenal banner
.
.
fair fuckin play to ye big man
ah
howdy oskar
hope and trust yer well
.
slainte
G’day cba (notice the rhyme 😉 ). I’ll pay your slainte, but still looking for a rhyme for it. La Mancha?
Perhaps I’ll leave the verse to yourgoodself. 🙁
All is well here with meself and the dog. Hope it’s as good for you and yours.
Öskar
Great work Eandy! Translating conversations are the hardest, yours read like transcript of an interview conducted in English. Well done.
And congratulations to super Alexis and his indomitable Chilean brothers. Who knew Gary Medel can keep Messi quiet?
Other than the stalwarts past and present — Valdivia, Alexis, Vidal, Bravo — I have also been impressed by Aranguiz in this Copa. Ramsey-esque in his combination of tireless covering, technical excellence and the quota of well-taken goals.
Higuain…he hasn’t had his head in the right place for a while now. He probably won’t want to be around Messi in the next few days.
howdy oskar
🙂
it’s more of a – “on cha” rhyme
if that reshuffles yer deck
😉
dunno if that opens more opportunities or not 😉
howdy doc fau too
hope all’s fine an dandy chez you
Thanks cba. Yes.
nice one
.
happy gooners all
.
🙂
No good, cba. I can’t get closer than ‘raunchier’ so will stick with G’day mate.
Gotta go, the dog is looking at me with those ‘When the fuck are we going for a walk’ eyes. And that’s nearly as appealing as the gf’s ‘come-to-bed eyes (if a lot more frequent!). 😉
Öskar
be careful out there Ö
.
😉
harry O
fuck
mind that
david jaannssenn
good show
i’ll be gettin out me etchings
of karl malden’s konk shortly
.
younguns nowadays
dunno they’re alive
nope
met a coupla canadians today
they didn’t half go on about
their downstairs neighbours
4th o whatsit
and then they went on
and on
.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kWZs7N7_5EQ
.
feel yer lumps canucks
.
😉
one of canada’s finest
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kO8C9X_3cHM
dance pilgrim
dance
.
but cut yer fuckin hair
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=yDpGsFI3WNg
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=KLi7sK3JfNw
.
last one ‘hol
.
promise 🙂
.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JZXwH8uPBEk
(video bit creepy but tunes what I wanted)
the original is always the best
.
eat yer feet pharrell – ya also ran !
.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-Nt7PWtgOPI
dun got late
gonna
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=_G4rBCsLwSs
hippies eh
.
sorry again ‘hol
homebrew
the cunts a fucker an the bastards a hoor
.
cheerio
on best behaviour
😉
still chuckling at throwing heads down pyramids
I’m just relieved not to have been called a racist 😀
A racist, Cynic ?
Isn’t that someone what does athletics ?
😉
*groan*
I never quite got the point of pyramids ………..
trev : help me please ! running out of options ! how far should I go to end my relentless wordplay ?
‘holics : any means necessary ?
trev. : no it doesn’t
.
.
.
*let’s self down*
*doesn’t deserve coat*
*slopes off coatless*
*weeps*
Point of pyramids? At the top. Unless the pharaohs force the hebrew slaves to upend them and then the new point would be from the bottom.
Repeats Cynic’s last point @187.
Wonders whether Alexis will have recovered from his Copa America enough to help us before late October. AW is sure to try to rest him until then and should be able to do it. Unless he wimps out again like last season and relents when Alexis insists on playing. Or like Giroud two seasons ago when he insisted on playing every game.
Wonders whether anybody else will realize them mighty 200 is out there for the taking.
And I don’t mean 200 pyramids.
Almost as shameless as cba really ….
I once self assisted on the century and although I can’t remember which one of the centurions castigated me for it it still stings like yesterday. Well, maybe like the day before yesterday but I’m not doing it again without benefit of numerous drinks.
Alcoholic ones I mean. And now over to the promising young striker from a faraway land to do the honours….
WALLOP
*taps mic*
“is this thing on”
🙂
right 8ball
gird yer loins
we’re goin’ fer the 3 ton
and
i don’t mean
big bridie mc gonagle
from down the road neither
.
sexist fattist and down the roadist
but definitely not racist
shame on you cynic
bringing this house into ill repute or somesuch
manners cost nothing
so does bridie
and ye get a lift home
quite reasonable
all things considered
Give Alexis a contract extension please…!
😀
mind you
really wish i’d thought o the pyramid line
feckin smarty pants 😉
Ok, cba, point taken.
You want no more word play from me – especially regarding pyramids.
That’s Pharaoh Nuff, I suppose.
🙂
all hail
🙂
.
top man trev
top man
.
🙂
Nah, not really, mate,
I’m just a stupid eejipt ….. 😉
Actually I wrote a whole book of Pyramid Puns but I seemed to have a terrible job selling it !
yer a proper funny giza
.
even I groaned
can’t do puns me
nope
;(
how many more weeks
do we have to do keepy uppys
till the fubble starts
oh vey
🙂
.
‘holic
hire a turn
bring on the juggling giraffes
we’ll all chip in
few lions in leotards
few leopards in nylons
throw in mickey rooney
and we could have the show right here in the barn
or
just throw in mickey rooney
never liked the chirpy wee shite
Howdy cba
Howdy Trev
In both cases your word play is Pharaoh Nuff.
🙂 🙂
so 8ball
yer gonna fanny about
let me do the hard yards
and pop up like a moochin’ glory hunter at 299
when I lump it from the halfway line
feckin shockin behaviour
shockin
nope
.
.
*resumes tending to the children*
all 150 pint bottles of them
homebrew stout won’t bottle itself
.
neither will the two legged ones
but i’ve told them where the fridge is
so don’t ring the cruelty woman
won’t see these fellas for a good wee stretch
few months in the cool darkness
huddled together for comfort
only each other for support
praying for their sanity that
one of them isn’t a belfast beirut hostage
pseudo-psychologically soul searching his script
until the big bad captor drinker
unleashes him to the fresh air
and the warm bosom of the attention long craved
Nothing wrong with your wordsmithery, cba !
😉 trev
probably no coincidence
my homebrew and bullshit
go in and out the same hole
all done and capped
60 litres of apfelwein
to bottle and store
next weekend
gonna be a brutal hoor this one
comin in just over 9%
but already tastes like fizzy apple alcopop
.
might have to take passports
‘in case of emergency’ numbers
and make sure everybody’s affairs are in order
before i dish it out
🙂 🙂
.
yeee haaaa
.
https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=nEjLFpU2pJ4
Howdy Cba…good link. Looks like they all had a few jars of y’hooch before they got up on stage. 🙂
Back in from the garden, so a little post is in order. >>>>>>>>>>>
howdy up
yer not far wrong
my swally is the resurrector
.
sounds like a lee scratch perry tune
.
I AM THE DOUBLE O O O RESURRECTOR
.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RVWM4qlEK1U
.
🙂
i can say what I like here
everyone ‘s fecked the fuck over the page
.
.
.
.
.
.
nope – got diddley
🙁
oooooohhhh
222
a fraction of the beast
nice an breezy here
how long do I have to wait
for a Taiwanese cosmetics salesperson type people
to commend ‘holic on his
massive joy bring website efficiency marvel
nope
not a sausage
.
SOMETHING RUDE