Win tickets to kids-only area in Emirates Stadium
Aug 15th, 2013 by 'holic
Arsenal has introduced an area for 12 to 16 year olds to Emirates Stadium this season, and I’ve got a pair of tickets for the new ‘Young Guns Enclosure’ to give away. The winner will get to go to Arsenal’s first Premier League game of the season on Saturday, against Aston Villa, and to watch the match along with up to 1,000 other young supporters aged 12-16.
The Young Guns Enclosure will give young fans a chance to watch Arsenal with their mates, and get hold of tickets for just £10.
For the chance to win, just answer this question: Who’s the youngest player to have ever played for Arsenal?
a) Cesc Fabregas b) Thierry Henry c) Thomas Vermaelen
Send your entries to competition@goonerholic.com and don’t forget to include your name and email address that I can contact you on in the morning.
As you’ll be coming on your own make sure you have parental permission before entering the competition. Don’t forget BOTH tickets will be for 12 to 16 year olds only.
You will have to be quick. The draw will be made at 9.00am on Friday morning and the winner will be notified then.
For more information on the Young Guns enclosure and how to get hold of tickets, check out www.arsenal.com/yge
214 Responses to “Win tickets to kids-only area in Emirates Stadium”
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Absolutely brilliant.
Well done ‘H. Hope the tickets find a good home.
*Stands in front of mirror saying “I’m 16 guv’ ‘onest”*
*Gives up immeadiatly*
I’m surprised you haven’t kept one for yourself, ‘holic 😉
Good luck kids!
Disturbed to see aun unexpected post. Happy to see it’s not a harbinger of doom. Off to read it.
Thought for the day: “No day is truly wasted when you’ve used the word harbinger.”
Nice touch Guv!
Pangloss.
Hateto be the harbinger of doom, but Arseblog reporting Arteta doubtful for start of the season with a thigh strain.
It just keeps getting better, doesn’t it? 🙁
Nice post Guv. It;s good to support a club with Class.
H2H – I’m still with Zen7.
Oummmmmmmmmmmmmmm Oummmmmmmmmmmmm Oummmmmmmmmmmmm
Not just arseblog H2H : http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/team-news-who-is-fit-to-face-villa-
In fact I reckon that’s the source 😉
Pathetic sub-editing at the start of this though:
All the texts we had have back are OK
Seriously, at least it’s clear that the money at Arsenal doesn’t go into sub-editing…
LWC’s tickets available on Tx if you are loaded…
Aaah, I see Ollie, straight from the horses mouth, as they say.
I only knew ‘cos Arseblog goes straight to my phone, unlike .com. Must say though that Arseblogs version does seem a little doomier.
In other news I see Moyes is complaining about Manures fixtures at the start of the season. He’s fitting in there nicely already, isn’t he. 😉
My hopefully realistic shopping list for the next 2 weeks:
5 points in the Prem
CL qualification
2 signings
I think I’ve lowered my expectations enough not to disappointed.
…to BE disappointed…
How many matches are there in the first couple of weeks Porco? If three then I’d be hoping for 7 points.
At what level did your expectations start?
Porco, sorry to be pedantic, but;
It’s not possible to get 5 points from two games.
But if you meant 5pts from the first three games, then I think that would be a pretty poor return. We really should be beating Villa, Fulham away is always tricky, but doable. If we go into the NLD in the same shape we are now and drop points then I fear the backlash will not be pretty.
If we don’t sign quality re-inforcements let alone first choices at striker, holding MF and CB by the close of this window, top 4 will be a miracle given the strengthening of the teams around us. It will prove to be the end of the miracle-working by the Alsacian wizard.
Failure to do so will be unconscionable arrogance surpassing that of our post-Premiership topping summers when we failed to re-inforce a position of strength and thereby failed to retain the trophy (a long harboured grudge).
That history of arrogance makes me legitimately fear that we will fail to do so this time because we only want top, top quality and rightly don’t want to repeat the Park/Chamakh/Squillacci/Santos/Sylvestre mistakes.
However there are 18 days left to disabuse me of that fear. Don’t let us down, Arsene.
Goonsterham – prev drinks,
You may certainly echo me if you wish and, if you say you were just muttering to yourself, well muttered.
ZEN7 – prev drinks,
Why would £49,000,000 now be our final bid ?
We can still increase it in the final week to £49,000,001. 😉
H2H, indeed,
I heard Moyes talking about fixtures just now, saying he can’t believe the balls came out of the hat (or computer ?) “like that”, and that he hopes “they” are not trying to stop ManUre establishing a big lead at the beginning of the season
Is Moyes really accusing “them” of trying to fix the league ? I thought Slur Chewy had retired …..
The Messiah or just a very naughty boy?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BRqLUlXCMAAEIf3.jpg
ATTENTION VIRGINS
You may or may not have heard that BT Sport 1 & 2, plus ESPN are now free for those with Virgin Media XL tv. This includes the HD channels.
MESSAGE ENDS
TNBWEL not TGSWEL
But who’s that guy next to Frimpong? 😉
On a still lighter if not an Arsenal-related note, I can think of some places where half a century is considered permanent.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23698795
H2H, it is possible if you get a 1 point deduction 😉
Right you are Trev about the £49,000,001. But what would happen if Real swooped in with a bid for £49,000,002?
‘holic do if qualify for the Young Guns Enclosure if I have the sense of humour of a 12 to 16 year old? 😉
BT Sport deal confirmed, I just checked my box. 🙂
ESPN and HD are in the same place as before 529, 530
BT Sport 1 and 2 are on 547 and 548 with the HD versions on 549 and 550
Almost time to turn the amps up to 11 …
.com has no mention of a Sagna injury.
Arteta has a scan today. Monreal expected to train in 10 days.
New dimensions in time need to be discovered to even estimate when Vermaelen or Diaby might be ready.
Is there a Tardis at the medical centre ?
Lloydie. From the previous drinks. “zen until then” has a nice ring to it but when is “then”?? 😉
Unbelievable eh Trev.
Moyes getting his new generation uberFergie mindgame tactics all in a row.
Other underhand dealings will include;
Telling the opposition that one of the Yanited players has a contagious decease, but not which one.
Gain an unfair advantage by putting all the clocks in Old Toilet to the correct time so that all games will start 5 minutes earlier then during Fergiscums reign. (eveyone will just assume it´s Phil Jones)
Pretend to sell Rooney to the Chavs, feeding the rags stories that he´s supposedly unhappy, then offer him another 56p a week and field him like nothing at all has happened.
Fool Arsenal fans by inventing a so called player by the name of Gustavo (it’s really Nani in disguise) who we waste time chasing before he signs for another made up entity he calls Wolfsberg,. (like a football team would have z name as silly as Wolf Mountain, yeah right, tsk)
And his masterstroke to make all our heads explode / Give interviews after losing games.
The sneaky basterd.
°°°°°°°°°
Ollie, I stand corrected and bow to your superior pedantary. 😉
Damn it.
The “(eveyone will just assume it´s Phil Jones)” bit was supposed to follow the contageous dicease line. Grrr.
Great previous thread. Threads, really. A lot of quality writing and commentary this Summer.
I too have been avoiding the news, blogs, rumors and misc. all summer, or at least trying to do so. Have been fearing the obvious: that AW will do fook all and the unkown teenager from France. Voila’ … .
Two weeks to go, yes. The fact that we’ve only brought in Sanogo on a free, culled much dead wood, and been humiliated by that flesh-eating maniac Suarez is just maddening.
There is a lot in the press that is just B.S. Perhaps there is more AFC transfer work afoot than we all know. I hope to hell so.
Oh, and I can’t even believe AW has the gaul to talk about Diaby. Fucking Diaby… really??? Arrrggghhh….
Alright, back to zen mind.
Cheers all, looking forward to Saturday.
I know H’ et al, I totally didn’t check my facts. So is it 2 or 3 games before the end of the transfer window?
We play 5 games before Sep 2.
2 x Fenrbeche, Villa, Fulham and the Swampers the day before TDD.
Well, at least I have managed to make a purchase today. Flights and hotel booked for the Stoke home game on September 22. Originally I wanted to wait for the COCup draw because we could have a home game on the tuesday or Wednesday (and the COCup is a competition I have yet to attend a game in) but flights were starting to become more expensive so I had to make a quick decision.
Now, can Arsene follow suit and do a couple of deals to bring in a few decent players, please?
Zen zen zen zen zen zen zen
Hold onto your cosmic trilbys folks, I think this one is going all the way to the very end of the window.
And remember: nothing will EVER be as bad as August 2011. Nothing.
Heh N7, hope the emphasis is not on Nothing!!! 😉
Maybe we should focus on signing Bolo Zen.den for our period of meditation ( or should that be medication). I guess Bolo is available on free transfer from somewhere.
Pretty balanced article from Jeremy Wilson at the Telegraph ..
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/10245226/Arsenals-summer-of-frustration-in-the-transfer-market-could-jeapordise-their-Champions-League-place.html
I think the question, (assuming that the Arsenal hierarchy aren’t all sitting back in their swish leather armchairs, smoking cigars and rubbing their hands together whilst saying “fooled ’em all again”), is are you prepared to get decent enough squad players (of the kind the LWCs have signed) or are you prepared to gamble for real top drawer quality with the risk being that you end up with diddly squat?
Is it beyond the realms of possibility that most of Arsenal’s targets are going to wait on Arsenal’s Champs League Qualifier, if they are coming from other Champions League Clubs? I don’t think it is. The exception is Suarez who has already signalled a desire to come. No real surprise there. Even a Qualifier is a massive step up from where he is at the moment.
So what would you prefer, second tier signings and 9 points in August, or top drawer signings arriving at the last having dropped points in August? No doubts for me. I would go for the latter every time.
Of course the nightmare scenario is that we lose the Qualifier and we lose out on all possible signings, but fuck it, I’m in the mood for a gamble.
Stick it all on Red Arsene.
Pangloss – I stuck my expectations low. 5 pts from 3 games, pretty pessimistic I’ll grant but with all these injuries and uncertainties clouding our vision I’m dreading a draw with the little club down the road.
Let’s not forget it was the same perfect storm that contributed to the 8-2 – everything up in the air, noone knows who the fcuk is joining the club, squad and team not settled and prepared. Kinda like now.
TaBS fucking knows!
Porco please don’t compare the team we have now to the one that lost 8-2 at old Toilet. This current team is like 60percent better than that team.
Guess we need that extra £3m for all that last minute sooooper duper top quality. Please.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/10244580/Arsenal-blow-as-Wolfsburg-pounce-to-agree-17-million-deal-with-Bayern-Munich-for-Luiz-Gustavo.html
Some great posts above as always. I love your outlook TaBS, but this pre-season does appear to be diminishing faster and faster and the bright hope of late Spring that we all shared has all but disappeared with it.
I’m still reasonably positive as are most here, but what was our CEO doing in publicising our wealth the way he did when clearly he and AW hadn’t an agreed and coherent strategy?
I suspect Moyes is continuing to flutter his eyelashes at Cesc (the Mancs are yet to fill that role) and maybe this is part of a bigger picture that we’re all unaware of.
I’m really frustrated that we never bought another CF last pre-season (as cover for Giroud) let alone this one. And the names we’ve been linked with since the last transfer window as well as this… Can’t remember who made the point, but even if we’d purchased just one or two of them, we wouldn’t be fretting the way we are — or me anyway.
I’m still reasonably, hopefully, optimistic, but that’s due more to the worry beads, the gin, a few beers, no walking under ladders etc.
Can’t be as bad as the transfer window after that game as Old Toilet a few years back. Can it?
Tabs knows and is zen.
🙂
Matt, we don’t need a cover for Giroud-we already have Sanogo, Walcott and Poldi for that-what we need, and I believe we are going for, is someone better than giroud and that’s why it’s taking time because such big deals take time a to complete.
Porco, I commend your management of your own expectations – that is, after all, what it’s all about.
Just to be picky, and my memory may fail me, but in the lead up to that game at Old Toilet, I seem to recall that one of our leading players was transferred out at about this time of year. May be you guys can put me right on that. Do you believe that we are running a similar risk now?
Cent: Yes, good point. I just hope and pray we get him…
NBN: That Telegraph link — thanks. Bang on the money
Actually, it was TaBS link — we’ll worth a read…
Cheers Matt(2), hopefully we will get THEM.
Matt,
I don’t disagree with you mate, I really don’t. I was just trying to outline possible reasons as to why we’ve yet to splash any cash after so much bullishness at the start of the Summer.
The scenario that I came up with might have an element of truth to it. It might be complete bollocks. I have no more idea than anybody else.
We don’t have long to wait either way. In the meantime, I can’t see the point in losing my shit over something where (a) I have no inkling of what is really going on and (b) I can’t affect in any way.
Obviously different people will deal with it in different ways and I fully understand that. I just prefer to look on the bright side until it’s no longer possible to do so.
*Reassumes the lotus position and joins in with N7’s chanting* 😉
TaBS: And because of ‘holic and the rest of you in here, I’m just about holding my shit together! So thank you one and all!
Just a few decent signings and I’ll be high as a kite!
Aye 🙂
Tabs @ 51 nails the whole summer.
Stoicism. Stiff upper lip. Zen.
Whatever you want to call it, it beats the alternative. We’ll know where we are in just over a fortnight. I dare say we’ll have spent some money.
Until then, we’re basically in the position of a diner in an expensive restaurant, complaining that the chef appears to be making a balls up of his dinner. Personally, I’ll wait until it’s ready and give it a taste before I ask for my money back, even if it does currently appear that the chef cannot purchase basic ingredients.
How’s THAT for a tortured metaphor?
Back to the lotus position.
Tabs, you already know my answer to that. I know I’m in minority here, but I’d love some more good squad players of the level of the players we’ve got now. I think that as a unit they are great to watch, even if many lack individually. Football is still a game of long term as well as short and just strengthening the foundation in a situation where we are thinly stretched would for me not be a bad thing. That is still not to say we shouldn’t try to get the best players in the world, but I believe that we can’t get them all in one summer, and getting more next summer will be easier if we solidify, qualify and get through a solid season with less squeaky-bum time during the business end. That will convince the real talents that just see us as a bit hit-and-miss still.
So – good squad players on medium contracts, and continue selling the worst performerce next summer, and strengthen more. Bit by bit, friends, bit by bit.
…but of course, keep looking for the Suarezes and get them if we can!
Goes for the four-in-a-row, content to wait and see if we must. I’m not sure whether you really are in the minority Toby. Even if you are, you’re certainly not alone.
Courage mes braves.
Oummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Oummmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Oummmmmmmmm
Toby – All fair points.
Porco: there is a massive difference this summer compared to the one you mention. We hade the Cesc and Nasri affairs hanging over us and a very unsettled squad. This time we have a much more settled squad and whatever we get in (if anything) will be addin instead of desperately trying to replace. We still need more players, though.
tabs: seeing as we have got this far without strengthening, I would wager that there are players awaiting the CL qualifier before committing. We know that was the case last time around, the BFG waited for us to qualify before putting pen to paper.
*sun salutation
What I really love about Arsenal is just watching Arsenal players run around a field, wearing Arsenal shirts… The excitement I feel from week to week waiting for the next game, the thrill of the ball in the back of the net, and of course the smug superiority of the moral high ground. Winning is nice, but what’s really nice is just supporting the classiest club in Europe.
*sphincter really tightly squeezed
Arsene knows. He will bring us quality signings in the remaining 3…make that 2 and 1/2 weeks. (squeeze really hard now) we can and will find top quality for less than top dollar. At the last possible moment. It’s the arsenal way.
*another sun salutation
Release sphincter. Whoo. This isn’t getting any easier.
cheers trev. And in my better moments I do mean about half of this post. 🙂
cheers trev
N7 – Haha 🙂
We’re waiting on the Fillet Sir. It might turn up in a fortnight, but I should warn you that we’re still trying to locate the cow.
The delay will sharpen your appetite, but we have got bread and water for you to feast on in the meantime.
Up to you Sir.
We don’t have long to wait either way. In the meantime, I can’t see the point in losing my shit over something where (a) I have no inkling of what is really going on and (b) I can’t affect in any way.
Amen to that, brother. Twitter is a veritable mass psychosis of doom at the moment, the way some people are reacting is beyond all reasonable proportions.
Right, back to this:
*Ah-ummmmmm, Ah-ummmmmm, ah-ummmmmm…* 🙂
Lars – Agreed. I certainly think it might be at least part of the explanation as to the hiatus.
tabs and N7: Let’s just hope we’re not waiting for this chef!
Ah my @63 was aimed at your @59 Lars.
As to your @62, I couldn’t agree more. I just come off it when the hysteria reaches unfathomable levels. The low point for me was the other night when people started losing it over what some chancer Uruguayan journo had said, when what he had stated was very clearly palpably false.
Lars – Haha 🙂
tabs@65: that is a great example. Also, I recall many going apoplectic over the “fact” that within hours we would present the signing of a 27-year old player from Ligue 2 – which was over a week ago.
Porco, :blush:
I stand corrected, of course the Dutch Skunk left in summer 2012. Summer 2011 it was that Spanish bloke and the dodgy Frenchie.
Still, I don’t think there’s any comparison between that summer and this, as Lars has pointed out, although he could remember who left in which summer.
Oummmmmmmmmmmmm Oummmmmmmmmmmmmmm Oummmmmmmmm
Lars and tabs… That’s why I choose my twits carefully. 🙂
A round of sake on me!
goonsterham, but even if you choose your twits carefully there’s always some twats retweeting twaddle 🙂
Goonsterham – Heh and cheers.
Tabs @37 and 51 plus N7 at various: I’m on board:
Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
*untwists damaged knee*
FFS
Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Well played Lars. And yes, yes they will
Bath – Haha, when is it time for a Beer?
Cent – fair point about the difference in quality between this squad and the one that got schooled st Old Toilet, I hadn’t considered that.
Aw, Wenger talking about Lambert:
“It is a fairytale story and it raises many questions. How can a player of that calibre, that talent stay for so long in the lower leagues? Immediately you go to the next question: is there somebody else down there who has the same qualities and not be detected? It raises interesting questions.”
I just love the old sod. He is trying to buy Suarez, two and a half weeks left, and he shouldn’t be saying things like that. On the other hand, he IS absolutely right, and he really does do us proud daring to say things like that whilst supporters and press alike are gathering their pitchforks. He really does frustrate and delight in equal measures doesn’t he? He really has built a team in his own mold.
Have we signed anyone ye…
Oops, soory!
Uhmmmmmmmmmm uhmmmmmmmmmm uhmmmmmmmm…
Lars, 7am Kickoff was ahead of his time…
http://www.abeautifulnumbersgame.com/2010/04/arsenal-is-unusual-observation.html
Lars and co, fairly true, this place here seems to remain the last bastion of half-sanity on the Web of Arsenal things.
Well, when I say, ‘sanity’, obviously, I know the word ‘barking’ isn’t far.
Not sure if this is going to reassure many of the Zen practitioners or not but I have news gathered over the last couple of days from two horses mouths of the highest order.
Some of you know who one of them is.
As reported before we have been making a lot of bids on players but have so far failed to conclude any of them.
The new “news” is that the manager does indeed spend all day on the phone discussing various deals, as we would suspect, but seems rather prone to late changes of mind.
I think ttg has suggested this in the past but it is verified by my source too.
Not very comfortable reading, in my opinion.
Anyway ……. Ding! Errrrrrrrrrrrr ….. Oh no, Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm
Cheers Porco.
Worth a mention (ala Tim stillman on the tweetfeed) that for a Brazilian player, the World Cup in Brazil trumps everything. Brazilian players are going to go where they’ll play this year, cf. also Bernard, paulinho… That said I would have thought Gustavo would have played a fair bit for us this year, even amongst the likes of arteta, jack, ramsey. But just to make the point that if he is indeed headed for Wolfsburg, money isn’t necessarily the only factor.
gl,
Gustavo is a DM who also plays at CB and LB.
I think he would play a lot anyway, allowing Arteta to move further forward, and not to have to play every game, but with all those additional positions to cover Gustavo, if fit, would play pretty much all the time.
Why else would you be breaking your transfer record to get him ?
Terv @84, I’m thinking same too.
Mass hysteria on Twitter over Arteta supposedly being out for six weeks. Apparently the source is a Sky Sports nobody taking things from thin air and guessing. Wenger said “Mikel has a slight thigh problem. We have to check that. I don’t know if he will be out for the weekend. He has a scan today.” which sounds to me like he’s got a pretty good chance of playing on Saturday.
Maybe he will be out for six weeks, but can we at least wait until we know that for sure before we panic?
Indeed, Lars. Twitter is full of shite.
I’ll believe he’s out for 6 weeks only once Arsène has said he’s out for 2-3 weeks 😉
Trev
I have had similar conversations with several men who know and the problem appears to be that we actually use an algorithm to decide on a players worth which is particularly sensitive to Wenger’s valuation of each player. These keep changing apparently.
I have worked with people using things like these for years but the reality is if your squad is down to the bare bones ( and just look at the pre- season results of the Under 21s if you want confirmation of how bare those bones are) you have to look at market values. If we need Liis Gustavo then we shouldn’t lose him to a not very high placed German club not in the CL. But we are apparently refusing to pay an extra 2 million euros.
If we sustain three injuries on Saturday we will be going to Turkey with a totally inadequate squad in a game of massive importance to us. It’s too late now to alter that but we are skating on very thin ice and possibly hoping UEFA chuck out Fenerbache if they beat us. We thought 2011 was a cock up but it seems we aren’t learning.
Cazorla who is short anyway ( in every sense) has been in Ecuador, Ramsey and Arteta have knocks and the latter’s may be quite serious and Wilshere is far from his best. Only the Ox looks fit for aid field role which Luis Gustavo might have filled nicely. I hope the penny wise pound foolish approach doesn’t stymie us before the season has really got underway . But I fear it might
Heh@Ollie 🙂
Trev, you’re probably right. I just don’t want to think we’re missing out on another target because we couldn’t cough up a few more pounds past our platonic valuation of the player…
Interesting piece tabs.
Seems like a political game of pass the parcel is in full swing, and Arsene is no politician.
I’m reading the article now.
But seriously : downward spiral of negativity.
Where have I heard that already?
Oh, AVB works for the Torygraph? 😉
Apart from the re-use of that phrase, I thought it was a decent article for once!
The Gustavo deal is unlikely to be decided on financial terms due to the statement from Scolari earlier this week that players who wanted to be considered for the Brazil squad for the World Cup had to be playing regularly, not necessarily at the highest level. If Wolfsburg guarantee him playing time then he will go there unless he can be convinced that his ability will get him regular game time with us. For the same reason there is no chance of us getting Cesar as he is one of the players who has already been warned by Scolari.
Yeh fair comment ‘H. Obviously a lot of buck-passing going on at the moment.
Just re-read the piece with your comment in mind, and though it might be slanted, I still find it difficult to disagree with a lot of what he said. You?
To be honest, I’ve long since given up trying to understand the political manoeuvering that has been going on at the Club for what seems an age.
Just got back from a “football free zone” in Kent and find panic in the ranks.Please tell me this hysteria is not catching and all will be well on Saturday!
All will be well on saturday, Delia.
Have there been any official statements about Gustavo from anyone involved yet?
Looks up and hits a fierce cross towards the far post…
BOOM
Well in, Toby!
The Swedish Connection.
Who gets to be Ljungberg and who gets to be Limpar?
Or perhaps you feel like a Kris Olsson?
Where is my shot?
I’m asking myself two questions TaBS.
Do I believe Arsene does not have a wish list?
Do I trust the negotiators to execute it if it exists?
Let’s leave it there…
I’ll be Ljungberg, Toby!
*mutters*
No bloody way! I’m definite I hit one for The Cents FC just now but it seems too have disappeared into thin air.
Where is the Dubious goal committee when you need them?
Well in Toby.
Loving the mass zen-in. Sadly I fidget too much for all that meditation and chanting stuff. Anyone got any jokes for us ADHD types?
Arteta 4-6 weeks. Cripes!
That is a huge blow for the structure and discipline of team. Time for Aaron and whoever else they buy tomorrow to step up 😉
Yeh that’s all fair ‘H, but I think that if we get to the end of the window without the stardust promised then I think they are all culpable, IG for mouthing off in June, the negotiators for not closing deals, and Arsene for not being flexible or strong enough to make the whole team work.
If the situation stays the same, then I can’t see any other outcome than this being Arsene’s last season. Perhaps that is what he wants?
Arteta to get a late fitness test ahead of Villa game apparently. Rosicky, Walcott, Sagna and Ramsey all expected to be sufficiently patched up to be available for selection.
Where did you get that info, Bearded?
H2H – Arseblog who quotes “various reports including Sky Sports” so I suppose it might be wrong but the new feed there is usually pretty reliable.
Although now I am looking at NBN @113. What is your source NBN? Would be great if you are correct.
Tabs,
Hmmm. Arsene’s last season? I don’t think so. He has spent years getting to this point and now he finally has a commercial platform to make him compete again. And I think he’s going to be focused on building a team over the next few years that can win the one trophy that has alluded him thus far. The CL. It could well be his last contract and it could be the one that defines his tenure, especially the last 8 years, at the club – so he’ll be keen to make the new few years count.
As you said earlier, we’re not fishing for mid range players here, we’re back at the high table playing for the big stakes. I take what Holic has said about being concerned in closing the deals out, and it may well happen that we don’t get all the first options we want, but I really do think there are alternative players identified and he’ll keep that under wraps until he needs to play those cards once he knows he can’t get the primary targets. Does anyone seriously think that Dzeko or Michu are serious alternatives to Suarez…?? Whose to say that Suarez is even being considered for a role in the centre as opposed to one on the wing or in a more creative space?
No, there’s a reason we’ve cleared the decks………
bearded, check ollie’s link @9 above. straight from the hoss’s mouth.
Interesting link @37, Tabs.
Interesting @88, ttg.
The more I hear and read about how the club is valuing players, the more perplexing and irritating it gets.
What is with the determination to never learn a lesson ?
I think it is generally accepted that we lost out on Xabi Alonso due to a very small discrepancy in valuations, and we now seem to be about to lose out on a Brazilian international defensive midfielder who, by all accounts, was the lynch pin of Brazil’s recent defeat of Spain.
This player is coming into his prime, has Champions League experience and plays for the German champions.
But we apparently have set a value from which we, as usual, seem unlikely to budge. While I respect the fact that we don’t have petro-dollars to throw around, we are supposed to be able to compete at almost the top table now.
Well, I’m afraid it would appear that Arsene’s valuation system is wrong.
What do I know ?
I know that a player’s value is what can be realised for him in the market. We never seem prepared to match that price, and we never seem to be prepared to accept anyone else’s valuation of their own assets.
I know the club has bid a whopping £40 million for Suarez, but I wonder if Arsene Wenger, at his age, is suffering a bit from “old boys syndrome”.
What does that mean ? Well, it’s like when you go to buy that chocolate bar (Turkish Delight in my case) that you remember used to cost 25 pence. You’re quite prepared for it, in the meantime, to have gone up to 55 pence, but the man serving you says “Thanks, that’s 85 pence”.
“EIGHTY FIVE PENCE ?!?!?!”, you say, “It’s a bar of Turkish Delight, not gold bullion, mate ! No thanks, very much !”
And off you go with nothing.
The younger chap who follows you into the shop never knew Turkish Delight when it was 25 pence. He pays his 85 pence and happily leaves the shop with his purchase.
Just a thought.
Trev – If Arsenal hold tight to their valuation it means they never have to spend money despite gobbing off about how big they are going to spend, or the super super top top quality they are in for.
It is even more perplexing when you factor in the kinds of fee we have paid for certain players, along with the level of wage we have paid some of them.
I just don’t think Arsene Wenger wants anyone around who is a big figure any more. We’ve had some huge players at the club under him, but only one – Thierry Henry – was a dominant figure.
We will continue to operate in the £10m African player market, I reckon. I still do not believe we were at all serious about Suarez, despite the big bid. A BBC bod, I forget which, says we never lodged a single bid for Higuain, despite tying up all the other details with his agent.
I can believe that.
Oh and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if, despite denials floating around, Flamini ended up with a short term, probably one year, contract with Arsenal just to up the squad numbers a bit.
Tabs,
Agree with you @112 that they are all culpable. Not sure it will be AW’s last season if that is the case, but he is going to have to learn to be a bit more flexible at the very least.
I think he should identify and prioritise his targets and minimum requirements but I don’t think the setting of acceptable prices should be down to him.
Directors and negotiators must know what budget is available and should be left to get on with securing the targets.
A bit like most normal businesses, in fact.
Bearded@116: EPL injury table. Not infallible but usually reasonably reliable.
And it has never been wrong about Diaby. Always says ‘no return date’…
It looked simple enough at the beginning of the window … 1) clear out the dead wood … 2) sign an international quality striker, DFM and back-up keeper, and …3) any other player of quality the money will stretch to.
So far 1 has been accomplished successfully and Sanogo may (judgement currently suspended) fit into 3. That’s it. And it’s left us weaker than we started the window. Not a lot, admittedly, given who has left, but still weaker when it comes to filling in for the (inevitable) injured.
AW seems to have put all his eggs into the Suarez basket while, presumably, holding fire on everyone else pending his signing the Uruguayan so he has a stronger bargaining position with him in the club. But if that’s the case the plan has backfired badly with the options slowly slipping away (Higuain, Gustavo, Capoue, Bernard, etc etc).
Bar Fellaini, Willian and Rooney I can’t see a lot left who would help us very much and might be persuaded to join us.
The time has come, imo, to grab some experience as bandaids to cover our weaknesses, while hoping for better luck in January. Barry and Drogba for example. Or Pirlo, Puyol, Cannavaro, Ronaldinho or others now consigned to backwaters, but who could still play significant cameo roles if called on.
Just a thought.
What I don’t want to see is big money thrown at the likes of Samuel Eto’o or Edin Dzeko, which I fear is what may happen.
Oskar
Joe,
I sincerely hope you’re right and in my better moments still think you may well be.
My concern about this being Arsene’s last season was made strictly on the proviso that if the situation remains the same and the stardust doesn’t arrive. I simply cannot see any other outcome if signings are not made. For a start there will be a major supporter explosion at the first setback on the pitch.
I must admit that my zen levels are always severely tested by intimations of Club infighting. Nothing pushes my buttons more. If ‘H is right and IG is briefing against AW then what hope have we got? I have always said that the great imponderable in all the Arsenal politics is AW’s relationship with Red and White and Mr Dein, and the consequences that flow from that.
Anyway, as I said above, I’ve long given up on trying to understand all the various dynamics operating at the Club. Best sit tight, and let it all unfold (or not), as you say. The latest twitter madness tonight is that a major signing will be unveiled tomorrow. We shall see.
Trev – I had my fill of Turkish Delight after the Emirates Cup thank you very much 😉
Trev @122 – Aye, agree.
Interesting and, I suspect, chillingly accurate article linked there at 37, tabs.
Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Trust Bodhisattva Wenger to confound them all by pulling off three miraculous conversions.
Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
*adds a Prozac*
Scruz @118 – I was assuming the 4-6 week figure came out as a result of the scan mentioned in that link, but would love to be wrong.
Have we signed Flamini yet?
Is it ommmmmmmnipotent Wenger or impotent Wenger – we will know within the next 17 days??? I cannot believe he is not trying to buy super qualite players but if he fails there will be a shitstorm of all shitstorms to face. The club will need to buy a JCB to dig him ( and Ivan & Dick) out!!
Meanwhile ommmmm.
This is not really about transfers but it’s well worth a read to the very last word. http://waynegooney18.tumblr.com/post/58365904610/arsene-in-arsene-out-shake-arsene-all-about
Interesting article, Cent, but still doesn’t explain AW’s handling of the present transfer window. WTF has he been doing getting 17 players out of the club but just one in (who is, inevitably, already injured)?
Oskar
Of course, if we lose to Fenerbahce it will be a lot easier to secure a top 4 place in the EPL… 🙁
Oskar
Oskar, you should have mail?
bearded, unless i am hearing it from the .con, i find such interpretations specious 🙂 no matter they turn out right later, i’ll deny them all the way!
Mail received and acted upon, thanks ‘holic.
Oskar
cent, that’s so spot on. thanks.
for everyommmmmm…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBiLrZT3eno
Cheers Scruz.
Bearded@116: update on Arteta. Out until Sept 28. Six weeks. Very bad news.
So are we looking at a midfield against Villa of Ramsey and Jack as the double pivot behind Rosicky for an hour and then the Ox for the rest of the game? Poldi, Giroud and Theo up front with Santi on the bench for emergency use only?
Cent@133: good link. Thanks. Generous to AW to a fault, but still makes a convincing argument.
Shalom – I truly hope if they won the Treble this year all you would feel is absolute joy and elation and not give a damn about what has happened the last 8 years. If not I feel bad for you.
Ned, sorry, “suspected” and “could be”. Unless you have a link, of course, we don’t know more than what was said in the presser. jeez, it’s worse than transfer rumors.
While it is entirely possible that Arteta is out for six weeks I find it difficult, providing Arsene was telling the truth, to believe that he’s gone from “he might be out for Saturday, we’ll just have to check it” to being gone for six weeks. Yes, I know Sky Sports reported it but I’d say chances are pretty good that they just cotton-tailed onto someone on Twitter having a nervous breakdown. And since when did we start taking Sky “Sky Bet are reporting odds have shortened” Sports as gospel anyway?
I guess what I am really trying to say is “can we please at least wait until we know things for a fact before we shit ourselves?”.
And you know what?
Tomorrow morning, in a little more than 24 hours as I am typing this, we will all wake up and start getting ready. I will be off to the Arsenal Sweden AGM and then the pub, but you Londoners (and Swindoners, Parisians, St Albaners and so on!) will be off towards the Tollie. Some of you will get there really early, maybe even before opening. The pub will be empty and filling fairly slowly for the first hour, but then the pace will pick up and by about 1 it will be absolutley jam packed. Familiar faces will turn up one by one or two by two, some faces you haven’t seen since May, some you’ve seen more recently. The beer, wine, cider and possibly some stronger liquids will be flowing, hopefully the weather will be good and the beer gardens packed to the rafters, the nerves will kick in and the anticipation increasing and then, by about 2.30, most will have started moving towards the stadium. You will walk up Hornsey Road, towards the rail bridge and see that strangely beautiful concrete colossus of a stadium tower majestically over it’s surroundings. You will enter through the turnstiles, maybe bump into some other old aquaintances, say “hello mate, you alright?” and you’ll all have big smiles on your faces, because it’s now just minutes away. You will go to your section, through the opening and onto the stairs and then down or up to your row and your seat. The teams will emerge from the tunnel, do the pre-match routines and then, just a few moments later, they will be lines up on either side of the half-way line and then… it’s back on, proper fucking football is back on again!!!
COME THE FUCK ON, ARSENAL!
Well in, Lars. It’s almost time.
attaboy, lars. that’s why you’ve got the big wallet…
Top post, Lars 147!
Lars, that’s a proper call to arms – love it!
Lars….that’s what it’s all about…..wonderful post.
Fantastic post Lars. Top stuff.
Well in Lars.
For a little over 24 hours I intend to shrug off the zen cloak and let loose the snarling, match-day beast. Meditation will resume in the bonzai garden tomorrow night.
Come on you rip-roaring, goal-scoring super Gooners!
Looking forward to the football Lars, even altough I’m not from Paris, Swindon or St Albans 😉
Doesn’t prevent me thinking that with the potential absence of Arteta AND Ramsay though that Wenger has presided over a clusterfuck of a transfer window.
Flamini to be signed today so he can play tomorrow?
Fantastic post Lars – absolutely spot on.
Very interesting link @ 133 Cent. Shake it about indeed. I used to be addicted to the Hokey Cokey. But I’ve managed to turn myself around now and that’s what it’s all about.
*gets coat*
So Ramsay is fit according to the press conference.
Put your wallet away, Arsene…..
Cheers all!
zico, I know you’re not, you (like me, I might add!) are from “and so on” 🙂
Ramsey is good to go for tomorrow, apparently. And I must say that the more I think about it, the more I feel that signing Flamini might not be such a bad idea after all. He’ll, presumably, be willing to prove himself and he can also fill in as a full-back and would probably not demand prohibitive wages in any way. I also think he fits in a lot better in the Premier League than he does in Italy which is a bit slower and more tactical.
If anyone wants a grim chuckle, Le Grove is this morning complaining that he doesn’t want to pay good money to sit in a toxic atmosphere.
Great post Lars.
Twists knees back into position.
Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Well Arteta is certainly out for tomorrow:
** Wenger – Why Per will captain side
Fuck Flamini, but anyway I doubt he’d be eligible for tomorrow if we sign him today.
Tomorrow? Fuck, I’ve only realised it starts again tomorrow:)
Heh, N7, I won’t bother checking but it’s good to see they have no self-awareness at all….
Unrelated, but I was rather suprised to find yet another e-mail on my Inbox asking me whether I was interested in a ST.
To recap: I got an e-mail from the club over 2 months ago, then an e-mail from someone specific (sales dpt) from the club who proceeded to call me the next day while I was in Qatar.
Rather than having an expensive phone conversation, I suggested I’d send him my local mobile number and that he could call me on that the next day if he’d fancy (perhaps to try and convince me).
With the number though I did send an e-mail explaining why I thought a ST wasn’t really value for money in my particular Parisian case.
Never got a reply or a call after that, so the e-mail yesterday (coming from someone else at Sales) is quite a surprise.
I can only surmise that they haven’t sold all the STs (2 days before the start of the season), and are going further down the list (I’m still listed as 12368).
To be fair, I have no idea which way they’re going through the list, they might be doing a ‘oh this one seems to be going to many games, he may be interested in a ST’….
It does certainly seem to me that we’re reaching a point where offer may actually become greater than demand.
A very important season ahead.
Apologies to Aaron and anybody else whose nose gets out of joint by me continually spelling his name the Scottish way. 😳
It’s a mental thing.
Lars, I assume you were not being ironic would not demand prohibitive wages in any way? Memory suggests that he pulled our chain once before over wages…..
Cheers to everybody who read the link.
Lars, top post @147.
Ollie @163, interesting.
Phew, I thought it was some obsession with Celebrity Chefs, zico.
We may scrape through the Villa game but Fulham will surely be a different prospect, I can’t remember the last time they gave us an easy ride.
Nope, I stick to my earlier pronouncement. This window represents damage limitation at best, I just can’t bring myself to truly believe that whoever comes in is going to help us get higher than 3rd and/or materially closer to a cup.
Therefore, up the Gunners and let’s concentrate on doing Villa over!!!
Also it’s my birthday so I’m buggered if I’m going to mope around with a face longer than Southend pier.
zico, but that was in a completely different situation. We didn’t have the money we have now, and he was a lot more attractive in the transfer market.
Happy birthday then, Porco!
N7 @159 – Fucking hell! What Ollie said @162. Staggering. Is he really that thick or does he do it for kicks do you think?
Porco – Happy Birthday! Have a good one.
Sky reporting Liverpool have opened talks with Willian. £30m transfer and play reportedly willing to join.
No indication of what the remaining Black Eyes Peas intend to do with all that money.
Cent: Top link — agree with pretty much everything
Tabs @ 170
I think he’s that thick and then some.
What’s also interesting to watch is that at the start of the summer Ivan had him in and gave him the smooth talk. There followed 6 weeks or so of comparatively positive blogs. Then, a couple of weeks ago, his readers started to get on his back and accuse him of being a mouthpiece for the club.
His response?
He’s now running blogs absolutely coating the manager and stating that he knows – categorically – that nothing that’s happened this summer is Gazidis’ fault; it’s entirely on Arsene. Apparently “everyone” at the club is furious with him.
Great case study in the little agendas that underly some of the summer hysteria. Also a great demonstration that, whatever Ivan’s flaws may be, he’s a silver-tongued devil who can run rings round a muppet like Pedro.
I’d send him a crate of zen but I think it’d be wasted on him.
Zico – Do you spell it Arran? Because he’s a hard working midfielder (sweater, geddit)
Ok I’ll go then 🙁
I love Lars. Proper fucking boy!
Can’t do anything else than join in the universal acclaim of Lars.
Also, this might just be pre-season nerves, but I somehow really did enjoy your little dance routine, Snowy.
Here’s to a another routine win over the Willians, eh Villains.
DISASTER!!!!
Just over 24 hours to kick off and all the Sports Channels have played musical chairs and switched everything around. The music has stopped and I’m stuck with tennis, golf, motorsports and a Bundeslga/ La Liga packet. F*&^%*#!!
To tht H2Hphone, let’s go…………………….
N7: “He’s now running blogs absolutely coating the manager and stating that he knows – categorically – that nothing that’s happened this summer is Gazidis’ fault; it’s entirely on Arsene. Apparently “everyone” at the club is furious with him.”
Even if that is true, then it doesn’t reflect well on Ivan et al either. I mean, this can’t then be the first summer that has happened – so why haven’t they sacked him by now? Unless Arsene has a very wierd contract that basically makes him owner and director and superior to anyone in the club, Ivan has every right to say “tell you what Arsene, I don’t give two hoots if you think this player is only worth £15 mil – I am bidding £20 mil if that is what it takes, you just tell me who you want and then shut the fuck up and let me deal with it”.
Ah, fuck it.
Oummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…
Esssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssso!
Excellent stuff Lars. Thanks.
Congratulations to Max Howick, winner of two tickets to the Young Guns enclosure for tomorrow’s game against Villa.
Max, you have mail.
Lars @ 178
I don’t think he has the foggiest idea what’s going on inside the club, he’s just playing to the gallery.
He can’t mess with my chakra
Ommmmm.
Nice post Lars.
*still on the phone.
Can I tuck in here quietly for a while?
The other gaff is twisting my head.
I’ll end up getting a life at this rate.
You are more than welcome Larry. Just order a drink of your choice….don’t worry it’s on Lars tab. Partake slowly and enjoy.
Oh and by the way, shut that door behind you. 😉
Wotcher Larry. Done with the other gaff myself. Once the blog is taken down a consistently negative road, where perception becomes nine tenths of the truth, its pretty well fucked. It gains a immediate significant following of shit mouthers and the rest is history. Always thought until this summer, that it did a fair job in trying to be fair, non judgemental and against comments purely constructed as personal abuse of the club’s management. Not any more, and its a sad day for me to say I’ve finished with it.
I sense the anger, incredulity, exasperation and fear on here. However the boss’ absolute refusal to allow personal abuse of Arsenal people, of any description, means this place remains a delightful haven in a vast ocean of shit.
Earl Grey enema, ta very much.
Sky reporting Suarez has made an apology and trained with the first team.
Pinch of salt until confirmed.
Ommmmmmmm
TalkShite, I know, I know, also reporting Suarez training with the first team, having apologised.
Gustavo has joined Wolfsberg.
The plan is clearly working ………….
So much for the masterful negotiating hand played to secure Suarez. Two weeks ago it was, I believe, game over.
Not the first time the Suarez saga has been “over”.
Let’s wait until Liverpool announce the apology before we ring the bell.
Fellaini, Jovetic, Rooney, Gustavo (who), Higuain, Suarez, Cesar, Capoue, Schwarzer, some signing, Arsene knows, no signing, Arsene doesn’t know, Zen, Buddism, Happy Train, Taoism, any signing, resigning, somebody is to blame, anybody else is to blame, Arsene knows, nobody knows, ………………..
So another looooong close season is almost over. Thank you all Goonerholics for keeping me occupied for the last couple of months but, seriously, Frank Evans that we’re finally ready for some football.
Viva Bobby Gould and walk a million miles for a Jon Sammels goal but
we’re stll the Arse and always will be. Bring it on.
UTA.
Larry, Esso – other gaff?
What Pangloss asked.
Hello larry, I’ve given up on the other gaff for now too.
Phew, sorted.
Once again money has come in and ruined football.
Murdoch bought the rights to the Ere Divisie and took over their channel a few months ago, being the naive fool I am I didn’t expect that to impact me as I had a sports packet from a different provider, little did I know he would swoop in and gaffle up that too.
I have now been forced to take up the entire Fox packet which includes the Ere Divisie on three channels, which neither do I want, nor due to registration laws in bars am allowed to show, (unless I pay extra stupid money that I have no intention of doing) but due to an introductionary offer I’m stuck with it until at least December. The Fox International Football has two channels. The Sportspacket I’ve now been forced to dump also had 5 channels, but on most Saturdays at least 4 of those were dedicated to the PL. I’m not sure how this will work in the future if there are more teams playing at the same time, but at least I’m sorted for tomorrow when the games will be Poo v Munsters, Swansea v Manure and Us v Villa and for a reason that I haven’t worked out yet Wigan v Bournmouth. A quick scan of our upcoming fixtures tell’s me I should be ok for the first few weeks, although the game on the 14th of September (Sunderland away) may not be deemed interesting enough, time will tell, but one things for sure, if we don’t stay up or around the top, we’ll get limited broadcast time.
I’ve also lost most of the European leagues (am I bovvered?), but gained the F.A and League Cup. All in all, not exactly the business I wanted to do in the close season, but at least I got it done.
Over to you Arsenal………..
I mean The Arses (Arseblog comments section, not the forum).
Treasure of The Sierra Madre time, with a nod to baff 😉
H2H: so you mean the tv networks are getting away with Murdoch?
*gets coat*
Oummmmmmmm…
Doesn’t seem to be anyone there, but crosses towards the penalty area anyway…
First assist?
TABS
Heh Lars.
You could also say that they completly Foxed me over.
OMM OMM OMMMM Tish
Fluke goal, I’ll take that 🙂
They all count, so well in TJ
‘Holic, dear Sir, you have got mail. Please let me know if you don’t see it or if there is any problem from your end.
Look at the pictures of the players in training. When was the last time we started the season with a fit TR7? Wishing him a full injury-free season at his best.
Sagna is fit, Jack is thereabout, Aaron is fit, we don’t have any disgruntled member on the verge of leaving. Now that the real game is starting, let us all hold off on transfer talk until the window ends at which point of time we can criticize/praise/express apathy depending on the gap between our expectations and reality.
Fellow stateside gooners, the Villa match is on NBCSN, where our first three matches would be.
http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/07/29/premier-league-tv-schedule-for-nbc-sports-group-released/
The simultaneous Saturday afternoon matches are what the NBC network is having problem finalizing the channel distributions across the so-called ‘Premier League extra package’ beyond the NBCSN, but given that we rarely conflict in this slot with other top fours we should get most of them in NBCSN. Lunch-time/Sunday/Monday should be all on NBC/CNBC/NBCSN.
Heh@203!
Fucking love this…
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151500214396045
N7 @173 – Aye, completely agree on the bellend.
Btw I don’t think for one moment that Suarez has apologised. Saga definitely not over.
Dr F,
Thank you so much. I will reply personally later.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Excellent glory position taking Toby 🙂
Cheers for the wishes chaps! 20 mins from now I’ll be skipping out of work in my glad rags ready to chuck some delicious nectar down my neck.
As perfected by Eboue, Tabs!