In Brief, Fine Dining, Meade, And Spirits
Jul 16th, 2013 by 'holic
Once again a night in the garden follows a day at work. I am catching up with the news of the day rather later than usual. I am seeing pretty much the same as yesterday, and the day before that, and… you know where this would end, don’t you.
I can understand some of the frustration that is starting to appear. There is a familiar feel about not nailing down any new deals in a Champions League qualifying round summer. I satisfy myself with the fact that it is still only mid-July, and that Arsenal’s negotiators are entering territory they have not faced before. The talk of spending the sort of money that has not been available to us in the recent past is coming from so many people I know and trust.
Whilst we may not have been dining at the top table when Barca opened the bidding for Neymar we are most certainly close by. We are locked in what could become a complex pick and mix from the table d’hote and the a la carte menus (Just don’t, accent pedants!). The negotiators have to choose and negotiate wisely as there are more diners than dishes. This is the summer we find out what they are made of.
Good Luck Jernade
Of all of the departures this summer I doubt I am alone in being surprised that Jernade Meade was one. From what little we had seen of him he looked energetic, quick, and assured. I know other factors will have come into play when the decisions were made, but I was surprised he didn’t get another year to develop physically and mentally. The news that he has been snapped up by Michael Laudrup at Swansea is not too surprising.
Good luck son, I enjoyed watching you play, if not very often. I have a feeling we will see a lot more of you.
The Team Make The Running Man’s Day
I’m sure most will now have seen the video of the Vietnamese supporter who tracked the team bus on the way to training on foot, and with a little help from a moped. However if you haven’t then just watch this. Think not just of the buzz that the lad himself must have got from meeting his heroes, but the spirit of the travelling party. “Sign him up”, the chorus from the players told a story. The tourists may not be the finished article as far as the squad for the coming season is concerned, but a basis is being laid on which hopefully we will build.
94 Responses to “In Brief, Fine Dining, Meade, And Spirits”
Good stuff
Bang
Interesting dining metaphors. You have Suarez on the mind, don’t you?
Agree with every word of that ‘Holic – well said.
If I may give the tea leaves a prod, here’s what I think is going on out there.
The Telegraph are reporting tonight that our initial bid for Suarez was Β£35m including add ons, and that a second bid is expected to hit the Β£40m at which it is widely presumed Liverpool will have to deal.
I think that second bid is key.
If it arrives I think it will demonstrate conclusively that our interest is real, and I believe it will see us get our man.
I could be wrong, but I don’t believe that Madrid are in this race (just a feeling). They’ve already spent a bit this summer, they have Bale to fund next year and the way they appear to have put the skids on the Higuain deal suggests that Ancelotti has come in and decided he’s happy with his existing striking options.
So, who else does that leave? Utd would be a non starter for obvious reasons. Chelsea? I think it’s becoming clear that they’re after Rooney (Moyes has virtually held the door open for him and Mourinho has the Chav players talking about him in typical oil bastard fashion). City? They appear to be after Jovetic and/or Negredo. The LWCs? Can’t see them signing a player who costs more than the value of their entire stadium.
I think we’re interested. I think the path is clear. I think we may need to brace ourselves for the possibility that this could happen.
All just idle speculation, but then that’s what the summer’s for, eh? Sure I’ll be proved wrong in due course.
In all honesty I wish I had never mentioned Suarez in that end of season Arsecast.
I find the current media reporting embarrassing at very least.
N7, we are clearly not interested in Suarez. It is a ploy to push Higuain through. Isn’t it evident. All those stories about us bidding are made up by lazy journos. They always are. Do not believe in them! The most important thing is does Arsene likes him and he clearly doesn’t like him. Suarez is a cheating diving racist scumbag.
Here is the proof
https://www.youtube.com/embed/mPn2np3Y0zU
Question: What happens to Suarez’s ban for biting if he moves to a club outside the Premiership?
NBN
I’m fairly sure i heard that he takes the ban with him.
I really don’t know what to think any more about our alleged targets and activities during this transfer window. The optimism of a month ago is slowly dissipating. Good news from Cesc re Manure at least but where’s the evidence of forward planning?
Thanks, N7G. So no extra incentive for him to choose Madrid over Liverpool or London. It would be nice to think the conspiracy theorists are right and that there is a three-way deal whereby we get Higuain and RM gets the cash that Liverpool want for Suarez.
Bath, the truth of it is that none of us have any idea of what is really going on in the negotiations. And what with agents as well as clubs involved, and all the contingencies around clubs having to keep their second, third and nth choices warm in case their first choice falls through, it must be a nightmare of an operation. The miracle is that clubs sign anyone at all.
Evening bath, et al.
I’m still persuaded we are active, but not yet confident we have the right negotiators in place.
Everything crossed here…
Nice one Holic,
Cap is duly doffed to your headline, sir ! π
Can we please take it as read that the Uruguyan is/is not a bitey racist (courtesy Bloggs) depending on what you have read, and move on, given that there is more chance of me being offered a contract for next season.
There, that should guarantee one signing is completed in the next 24 hours.
Very little mention of Benteke in the drinks. I wouldn’t be at all averse to signing him up – 19 goals in his first season in England at such a young age. A strong physique, not at all bad on the ball and knows where the goal is, for sure. And it would really piss off the Spuds.
And that was all in a badly struggling Aston Villa side.
Any thoughts ?
Has to be better than playing guessing games about Suarez ?
NBN,
I believe the biting ban is eschewed in other countries π
Trev, trust you to sink you teeth into it.
Is Benteke too similar to Giroud?
The word is that Higuain deal was done from our end. The terms with the player were also agreed. The greediness of Perez is what made Arsene to start playing dirty and make 40 million bid for Suarez.
If anyone thinks that 40 millions is the sum that Real is going to match easily, think again. FFP is on the front door, debt, Ronaldo’s new deal with upper wages, 30 million Isco, 35 million Ilarimendi, saving cash for their prime target Bale for this or next summer (remember their fans chants days ago).
It is up to Suarez now.
That ban will soon get gobbled up as the matches come thick and fast π
Talking of thick and fast – have we signed Bale yet ?
Hey Ned,
It was only a tongue-in-cheek remark π
Well played Trev @ 19
I do think Suarez is a more incisorive finisher than Higuain π
Mind you, that’s only my personally percieved wisdom π
Well in Holic! If our man higuain signs for us
after the tactics of Perez et al then what a season it will be, even
without knowing of our other additions… Punk ipa’s all round!
Higuain remains my preferred number one, and with that I shall depart the speculation arena.
Well departed!
‘Holic, has the stench of visiting swamp dwellers left Swindon yet ?
No doubt our “transfer” team are working hard behind the scenes but like you I’m not convinced they are up to the task…just an instinctive feeling. Looking forward to having egg on my face π
As I wrote several threads ago I always believed the Suarez bid was intended to hasten Real into releasing Higuain to us. Now I’m not so sure. It makes a whole lot of sense for Real to try and do a deal with Pool, and I’d not be surprised if that negotiation hasn’t been in Perez’s mind from the beginning. Both clubs would win. And we would lose.
As for AW’s (Arsenal’s?) negotiating skills I still trust the man to do great deals. The problem as I see it is AW’s hardball conviction when it comes to value for money. The man stubbornly refuses to pay what he considers over the odds in a market where over the odds has become the norm. It goes entirely against his grain to bow to such pressures.
Frankly, as one of a certain age, I recognise the onset of grumpiness in our beloved leader. And if he continues to resist a changing world for another season perhaps his time really has come. I love the guy to bits and just hope he wakes up to reality before our slippage becomes Liverpudlian.
Oskar
The above is of course just my opinion about the boss, and he may (I hope he will) prove more canny than I suggest. If we announce the signing of Higuain, Fellaini and a senior keeper tomorrow I will willingly take it all back!
Oskar
With all the vitriol I feel like spewing for not signing anyone or attempting to pay too much for a talented racist cu*t, that video left me with a pleasant taste in my mouth and an honest to God good feeling in my chest. Thanks ‘Holic. Been a rarity this Summer.
I can’t express in words how disappointed I’d be if we sign Suarez. So my stomach sunk a bit when I saw news about a ‘Β£40m bid’ from us, really do hope its just posturing to force RM into showing their hand early and releasing Higuain to us to be signed π
Disappointed with the lack of accents. ‘holic out!
It’s amazing isn’t it. We are apparently about to offer near to Β£40 million for a player that hardly anyone wants to see at the club???? Funny how things happen.
Our friends at Marca are reporting that Santi Cazorla has agreed personal terms with Atletico Madrid. This may be true but we cannot have given him permission to negotiate and I am certain Wenger would not let him go. But if this story builds it will create very negative momentum.
If he helps us win something we don’t have to like him because let’s face it, most of the players we have are too nice anyway. Nice guys finish last! π
Seriously though, I stopped reading the rumours and have fully prepared myself to see nobody come in, so anybody that does, (whether it be an overweight granny-shagger, a bitey racist, or whoever) will make me happy.
Enjoy the sun and the booze in the meantime I say!
And a glass of lucozade for that Vietnamese fan!!! These days I can’t run more than 5 strides before blowing, much less 5 miles behind a friggin team bus…
Trev, I think the problem with both Bale and Suarez is that they have a tendancy to be a bit deciduous. At least they both tend to fall.
But yeah, but would probably improve us in some way. We might just have to bracers ourself that it might happen, at least Suarez. Even though that might make quite a lot of us go a bit dental.
I really should have written “But yeah, both would probably go a long way of filling that offensive gap” instead of “But yeah, but would probably improve us in some way”, shouldn’t I?
No answers? Guess I fluoride you all with the power of my puns.
Right, I’ll get my coat.
You’re molaring us with those Toby π
Scaling new heights with the Suarez puns, Gents. An amalgum of the excellent and the so-so.
Chelsea bid for Rooney rejected.
Source: everywhere
I’ll be wrong of course, but I have unstoppable urge to speculate. This is the way I think the dominoes are going to roll.
Higuain- Napoli, Zlatan- Real Madrid, Rooney- Chelsea, Negredo and Jovetic- Man. City, Suarez- Arsenal, Yilmaz- Liverpool.
Lurky – that looks entirely plausible to me.
The Chelsea bid for Rooney is apparently Β£10m plus Mata. Two thoughts: (i) Mourinho has lost the plot (ii) feel sorry for Mata. Cracking player, deserves better. Sign him up Arsene.
Surely that should be Mata for Rooney +Β£10 million ???
What’s WordPress for ” bewildered face” ???
I would think Moyes will bite Mourinho’s hand off ….. Oh. π
N7, reports are that it is Mata or Luis +10 mill for Rooney. I personally do not believe it, because it would be the stupidest thing both Moureen and Moyes ever done in their life.
Mata was Chelsea best player last year by a large margin. If Moureen is stupid enough to sell him, if Moyes is stupid enough to not want him, if we have the smallest of chances to sign him, that is where our money should go.
There are news that Bayern’s Luis Gustavo might be available this summer, due to crowded Bayern midfield. I would like to have him in our team, we miss a presence and determination a certain Brazilian gave to our squad.
On this day in 2008, Gilberto was sold to Panathinaikos.
This transfer saga (that’s what it is now, no two ways about it) is starting to get right on my tits.
I’m prepared to let the Hig signing go if it means bringing in the bitey racist – I know about the articulated lorry full of baggage he brings with him but seriously, if he scores 20 PL goals next season and helps us get a trophy, I bet the dissenting voices in here will be VERY quiet indeed.
If, however, we lose out on both and end up with just Sanogo – I shudder at the thought – I’ll be fed up to the back teeth (see what I did there??).
Speculating about what’s going on behind the scenes is pointless but how can you stop yourself doing it when other clubs have already wrapped up some deals and rumours abound that Wenger still refuses to raise his bid out of a stubborn adherence to principle??
We’ll never know what is delaying the signings but the whole thing has a horribly familiar stench to it and really, I mean come on, you can’t go bragging about your bank balance and then be surprised when people try to bump the price up in negotiations a bit – and then just walk away from the deal “because I value him at Β£30m so refuse to come up to Β£32m”.
Leaving the door open for the punter who says, “Alright, I’ll pay it then.”
Vicious, vicious circle. I refuse to lose my shit until the second week of August.
…but I’m already getting pretty antsy.
Sagna at CB. No Wilshere in the starting line-up.
Girouds left foot seems to be up for this season. Yet again, who will play there when he’s injured? Never really did settle that conundrum last season, did we?
Rosicky knows.
Rather stable stream if anyone is interested..cheekily watching it myself while at work ..glancing on screen from time to time π
http://cricfree.tv/espn-live-stream.php
We will buy Gonzo and John Wayne Rooney and a boy from U R Gay…according to TIT.
TIT?
if Poldi was his usual ruthless him it would have been 2-0 now, great pass by Gnabry
Reports now saying that Higuain is in talks with Napoli
another Giroud goal
Hattrick Giroud with sublime finish..
I know the opposition are ‘shit’ and all that but Giroud took his goals well and would have, arguably, scored them against anybody.
Chelsea have confirmed that the Rooney offer is cash only.
Well done the HFB. One advantage of Suarez over Hig: can play left wing, leaves more game time for Giroud.
Ox, another impressive goal, 4-0
Akpom 5-0
Zelalem with wonderful defense splitting pass to create sixth goal
I have not seen too much Zelalem in first match but from what he has shown in second half so far, this kid is going to be big player one day if things will align in correct way for him.
Apocalypse now (redux).
Great result. Zelalem looks a real player – would not be surprised to see him get some first team minutes this season.
Apparently a press conference has been called to announce Negredo to City this evening. Assuming Madrid stay quiet, we appear to have a clear run at Suarez.
Wrap this up quickly Ivan, before the picture changes.
I have kind of enjoyed my last five games of football I’ve watched (at least games where I’ve been rooting for one of the teams!)
The Swedish national team in Euro 2013 have a 9-1 aggregate after three games and has really cruised into the quarter finals on home soil. Arsenal, of course, have not been playing games nearly as important, but 14-1 after two games still feel quite good.
And, agreeing whole-heartedly with Cent – Sure, a few of the assists Giroud has been receiving he wouldn’t have gotten against better teams, and probably, yeah, he’s a had a bit more space than in the PL, but his finishes have really been top notch. 5 goals in 2 games, and pretty much everyone a ruthless finish. Class.
Giroud looks more relaxed this preseason. That is so important. If he maintains to keep this calmness and self-esteem he is on the right way. He reminds me of Ramsey a lot, they both have a some sort of psychological barrier at times and if they can overcome that they can do some great thing for Arsenal.
7-1 after a 7-0. Going backwards…. Is the yellow and blue fading after one wash? π
More seriously, does “Player X has agreed personal terms with Club Y” just mean his agent has said to the club, “sure, he’ll join you forΒ£100/150/200/pick a number of thousands a week.”
I can’t believe the club would even contemplate selling Santi after last season unless they have got the entire Spain and Brazil midfields signed to long-term contracts.
NBN, rest easy mate, one of Athletico’s top Executives has come out to say they know nothing about the said agreement between them and Santi/Us. Apparently it’s a story planted by Real Madrid to unsettle Arsenal. This transfer window just got dirtier.
Just watching Player (could someone at AFC please make it a bit more obvious how to start the flaming video? Ta ) and we are scoring all kinds of goals for fun.
Seems all the talk of new strikers has induced a bit of shooting practice.
The Cazorla nonsense sounds like the biggest load of bollocks since Billy Bigbollocks got elephantiasis.
Groundhog day gooners
So dirty, Cent, that no one can see through it — though it is probably not a pretty sight on the RM side.
http://swol.co/oooh-to-be-a-fan-the-life-of-a-modernday-football-supporter/29022 great piece about the modern day football fan(s).
Seems Santi has got wind of the silly rumours and decided to remind us where he is at the moment by posting pictures of him, having a good time on a beach, on twitter.
Indonesia and Vietnam are two of the most populous paces on earth. And we stuffed them 14-1! Imagine what we would do to the Isle of Wight! And Guernsey will be cacking themselves.
Cent @ 77: My prediction for the next headline(s) if Giroud scores a few more goals in pre-season: “Arsenal’s French sensation wanted by Bayern/Real/Barca”, “Giroud agreed personal terms with PSG” , “Last year’s French flop wants out” … :–)
Instead of guessing about transfers, it definitely is more fun to play this meta-guessing game of guessing about transfer stories…
It is annoying to see how the management of Arsenal FC treat Africa. What is it with these Asian countries that u always want to visit? U have more supporters in Africa. What connection did Vietnam has with Arsenal? How many players from Asia have ever made it in the EPL?
Last year Arsenal cancel their trip to Nigeria without any reasonable explanation to their teeming fans down there. May be there are under rating the support they have in Nigeria, but the truth is there are more gunners in Nigeria than the UK itself. So what is it with indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia etc?
@80 Money?
NG @ 80: If I were to guess I would say the reasons are twofold: one commercial and the second security, where the perceptions are often as important as the reality on the ground.
The Economies of the East Asian countries visited by Arsenal in this and last seasons are growing more rapidly with an already established and prosperous middle-class with enormous potential for market penetration of the Arsenal brand, and relative political stability. (As you can see Arsenal is not really attempting to go to Myanmar or Bangladesh or Laos or Cambodia).
That would be the primary reason, and the secondary reason could be the security concerns for a long pre-season tour spanning multiple countries in Africa. And also cities like Jakarta, Kualalampur, Hanoi probably have better infrastructure.
Just read about how Suarez and Fellaini stated they would rather be in Spain and Manchester, respectively, than at the Emirates; makes me wonder, who wants to sign with us? I also wonder if anyone on the team bus was a little scared to chant “Sign him up!”, afraid of giving Wenger any ideas.
Our behaviour this transfer window to date has been entirely inconsistent with Ivan’s June statement.
I am clinging to the wreckage of tab’s earlier reassurance (after lunch with the son of a director) but the wreckage is dissolving fast.
DF@82: Manchester United were in Nigeria and South Africa three years ago, n Man city were also in South Africa this year, so what are u telling me?
If u are talking of a good Market for the Arsenal brand I don’t think Vietnam can offer better than Nigeria.
I agree with u when it comes to facilities, even though ours is not that bad.
Naija Gunner, I’m a nigerian too, I understand your frustrations and was hurt more than I like to admit when I discovered that the club were no longer coming down here as they promised to do when they cancelled last year’s visit, but the truth is that the club have very good reasons for turning their back on us. Firstly, the security of the players and other club staff cannot be guaranteed(not even up to 70%) ask yourself these questions; how sure are we that Boko-haram won’t want to show themselves and get more attention if the club comes around? If the UN’s house/office can be reduced to ashes in one single attack what are the chances that the National stadium won’t be attacked? Even if they don’t detonate a bomb at the stadium can we guarantee that the team hotel or indeed any other place the team or we fans will stay/visit won’t be attacked? We can’t guarantee that none of these things will happen but I can guarantee you that if any these things were to happen most of our players, staff, visiting fans and their families will be scarred for life and as a result might never visit Nigeria or Africa ever again. Another consequence will be total breakdown of. The economic/political relationship between Nigeria and the UK, it could potentially lead to a war, which we will lose of course.
Secondly, last year the club were ready to take the risk and come down, the date and games where fixed and announced but the local organising committee made a mess of everything, two weeks to the day and the turf of the National stadium, Abuja, where the game was to played, was still in a deplorable conditions, I mean conditions way worse than what we faced in Milan a couple of season’s ago.
I could go on and on about reasons why coming to Nigeria is not viable for our beloved club but that will amount to washing our(Nigerian’s) dirty linens in public. A measure of how willing and ready the club were to come over here last summer is the fact that they didn’t have time to fix another make-shift pre-season friendly for the weekend they were supposed to be here, the trip was called off sadly at the last possible minute.
What a long post that turned into, a drink on Lars’ tab for anybody who cared to ignore the transfer morass* for a second and read that.
*learnt that word off TaBS’ Twitter account today. π
@83 – Given the choice of Manchester United, Real Madrid or Arsenal, Arsenal would always be third preference. And that isn’t running Arsenal down, but any player with any ambition would go to either of the two biggest clubs in the world before coming to Arsenal, if he had the chance to do so.
@84 – We are waiting for everyone else to jump, it seems. Again. Only problem is, waiting too long means all your targets end up elsewhere. Assuming we have any real ones at all who aren’t about 18 and French.
Bath @84,
Exactly. Me too.
cent, @86 was a pretty interesting post. i’d not heard of boko-haram, and now i have, even though i’d heard of some of the atrocities they’d performed (i’d just known them as a nigerian islamist group). i appreciate the time you took to go through that.
i’ll take that drink (a sazerac, mind), and offer your choice right back to you. thanks
i don’t know if this makes me less of a fan, but i’m just fine if nothing pans out on the transfer front, other than what’s already happened (plus tgstel heading to somewhere his delicate constitution can stand).
i already *know* i am going to have high highs and low lows following the arsenal, and that i will love or hate (or everything inbetween) every minute of it. years of trophy/success famine followed by trophies/success make them feel all that much better.
of course, that could be because the skin i have in the game is only emotional, plus a bit of merchandise, compared with gooners who can afford to get to the games, home or away.
i just can’t really get fussed about the transfer scenarios. the only thing that has upset me is the 48 hour statement by ivan, and if nothing happens it’ll make arsene’s “we are interested in big signings” ring too hollow. other than that, i like dr. faustus’s suggestion at 79…
“zelalem is the next cesc: barca want arsenal’s young gun if cesc moves to manchester”.
Cheers Scruz! I’ll have a shot of Vodka.
Sorry about the outage earlier, and the lateness of the post.
Melting here… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Everybody chill.
Suspect things are going to come to a head on numerous fronts in the next 7-10 days.
The market so far has been something of a phoney war; none of the players we seem to be interested in (Higuain, Rooney, Cesar, Suarez, Fellaini etc) have moved so far. It feels like that’s about to change – surely there can’t be that many big players with questions marks over them heading into the last week of the summer break?
I still think it’s all going to be fine. And in my dark moments I just take a quick look at Man Utd, who can’t seem to attract their targets for love nor money and who have a wantaway star player being stalked by an oil club.
Wenger appears to have confirmed tonight that we DO have contractual clauses putting us in pole position if Fabregas moves, and his other comments suggest (to me at least) that he would be interested in such an event. That puts the “other” big fear of the summer to bed.
Just a bit more patience lads (and abb). Hang on in there.