Gunners Win Friends And Sign A Keeper
Jul 27th, 2014 by 'holic
Friends made, Arsenal’s makeshift squad departed New York having lost to the Red Bulls in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Sadly not all ticket holders reached the stadium but those that did gave tremendous vocal backing to the touring Gunners.
In truth they got a very watered down Arsenal experience in return, but one that was necessitated by the absence of so many of Arsenal’s World Cup stars. We started with Tomas Rosicky up front, and with Nacho Monreal partnering Isaac Hayden in the centre of defence.
The pleasure of seeing Thierry Henry once more was counter-balanced by the sight of Tim Cahill launching into reckless challenges. This was not a friendly in his eyes, clearly. Henry it was who had the first clear opportunity and Wojciech Szczesny was grateful to turn the effort wide. Bradley, son of Ian Wright Wright Wright, failed from a similar angle and both Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey went close for the visitors.
The goal that would decide the match arrived just past the half hour when Wright-Phillips applied the finishing touch to an Oyongo knock down from point blank range. Had we been fielding two experienced central defenders that goal would have rung alarm bells, but under the circumstances it was a minor irritant. Our best chance to level came shortly afterwards when Jack Wilshire was denied by the excellent Robles in the Red Bulls goal.
Not surprisingly Arsene rung the changes at half-time and the introduction of, among others, Abou Diaby gave us a different shape. The injury-plagued Frenchman had the ball in the net only to have his celebrations cut short by an offside flag.
At least we did field a striker in the second-half. Chuba Akpom, like Wilshere before him, found Robles in the way when put clear. In truth though chances at either end were few and far between as the game petered out.
As a football exercise we probably gained little. I felt for Zelalem, built up pre-match, a wonderful creator of chances but with no striker to pick out. A little too for Monreal, like a fish out of water at centre-half. Such observations seem harsh. With so many good players yet to feature we have yet to take shape. Three big weeks lie ahead.
In diplomatic mood the boss praised Thierry and our hosts afterwards.
“For us it was a great experience, everybody enjoyed it and nobody wants to go home. It was a short trip but a very exciting one because New York is a special city. But what is even more special for us is how popular football is now.”
Therein lies the reality. This was an exercise in promoting football in general, and Arsenal in particular, in a valuable market. The sight of so many Arsenal shirts in the crowd last night was proof that the objectives had been achieved.
Welcome David Ospina
It is good to see confirmation of the signing of Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina from Nice. I think anybody who witnessed his performances in the World Cup will agree we have definitely strengthened a key position. At 25 his best years lie ahead and he will surely push Wojciech Szczesny hard for a starting berth.
468 Responses to “Gunners Win Friends And Sign A Keeper”
Bang…
Now for Khedira!!!
Get In!
😀
.com had confirmed the signing of ospina
Top signing! Szczesny needs serious competition! Can he be as good as chelski’s new no. 1?
I guess the frenchies and Alexis should be back tmrw?? Happy days!!
Judging by body language last night poor jenks looked deflated,caught napping on the goal no attempt to head away,I hope the lad only goes on loan for a year see if he can make the step up he’s got a great engine and good physike just lacks the confidence you get through playing week in week out.in fairness there was a lot of cobwebs all round. The real work starts now.welcome David(the wall)ospina to our club.
#FreeADM
Nice write up Holic. Not seen any of the game and I have virtually no interest in these types of matches at all. As you have rightly alluded to, this is not about football but more about money. Hopefully there will be a few more back in training next week.
The signing of Ospina is an interesting one for me. I will admit that I had never heard of him pre World Cup. The displays that I saw were impressive. At his age he isn’t coming here to sit on the bench and to keep Shezza company. I do sometimes wonder if Le Boss actually thinks Shezza has what it takes to become a great???
#freeludivine
Surely, we can’t possibly be thinking of allowing Santi go to Atletico?
Surely.
I can’t even begin to fathom the possibility. Big Ivan will certainly become Little Ivan over such an event.
Trev, to answer your question from the previous round of drinks regarding the effectiveness of this US trip as a PR exercise: too early to say anything definitively.
The majority of the attendees in the ground were already converted Gunners, and similarly the majority of those who followed the match on TV or were following the trip at every stage.
For some of them, especially the ones who made the trip to NYC from different corners of the country, it would have definitely helped to foster a stronger tie if the team played with verve and enthusiasm. But I don’t think the poor performance would lose any significant support. However it would lose some ‘potential’ supporters who were on the verge of deciding upon a PL team, especially with this recent wave of increase of interest in soccer following the world cup.
However I think for the younger generation — kids and teenagers — for whom the allegiances were not fully formed yet, this trip would help to create a stronger connection. Again, having one of our world known stars (TR7’s international heroics are way too far in the past ) like Ozil or Alexis would have helped more in that respect.
I think Arsenal missed a trick by not showing up with the German three, even if they were not to kick a ball. Just show up in some of those events for a day or so, all expenses paid by the club as they bring them in from their vacations for a day. This strong association with World Cup winners would have created a stronger bond to those who are yet to be fully convinced.
At the end of the day though, it is all down to performances in the season. The best brand identity Arsenal has had in the recent years here in US is that it is the most exciting PL football team, justified or not (I think justified). Maintaining that while bringing in a few more measurable achievements would go a long way.
Also, I think the recent two top acquisitions from Latin America would improve the visibility as well, especially given that the immigrant Latin American communities often follow their players in Europe and their European club allegiances change accordingly.
Lonestar @ 9: Should not happen. The only way it can happen is if we are getting another player, who would have to be considerably superior than Santi, in a similar position. However I think Santi is immensely valuable for his versatility and also the fact that he is most accomplished #10 we have in Ozil’s absence. TR7 despite his peter pan effervescence and great qualities still a little too old to play that week in week out.
I don’t think we have any intention at this time of selling Santi. He has been central to lot of these pre-season events, in my recent memory I don’t remember anyone who was so prominent in pre-season build up and then was sold.
Cheers, ‘Holic.
Dr, F knows re Santi.
Steve T, On Szczesny and Ospina, I think Arsene understands that Szczesny has the potential to be the best ‘keeper in the world but might become too complacent and as a result fail to live up to his potentials if he doesn’t have anybody challenging him for his position everyday. Ultimately I think its a win win situation for us because if Szczesny loses his way or becomes injured we would have someone of equal potential to take over from him. Furthermore, I think Arsene is trying to build a team that will have the best possible shot at success this coming season; we lost Sagna, we signed the man who benched him in his national team; we lost Fabianski, we go out and sign someone who is arguably better than him; Arsene has even come out to say that if we lose Vermaelen he will definitely replace him; we have done considerable good business very early in this transfer window and more are reportedly on the way. In years past we would have seen Arsene talking up Jenkinson, Bellerin and Martinez as replacements for Sagna and Fabianski, he would still be trying to tell us that Vermaelen is going nowhere when he is clearly on his way out.
Cent@14: Exactly! And we are actively in the market for a couple of more defensive signings, including a DM. If TV5 leaves, and most likely he will, I think we will get another established defender (in addition to Chambers), and anyway one DM.
This is definitely shaping out to be the best transfer window in the Emirates era.
… meant shaping up above…
Cheers, Holic.
And thanks to Doctor Faustus. Good point about the Germans.
howdy
good man yerself dr. Faustus
gonna give anton webern
the attention he deserves
when i’m closer to me ns10s
next week
cheers fella
never heard of him
Maybe we didn’t miss a trick by not signing Loic Remy.
Liverpool have apparently pulled out of the deal due to concerns over his medical.
#GetTheRealNewsHereFirst. 😉
Dr. F: I was about to attempt to respond to Trev’s questions to US Gooners but your response covered everything I would say and more effectively than I could.
Nevertheless, I think it was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for many US Gooners like myself, to see our beloved team in the flesh. Thus, from the fans’ perspective, it was very worthwhile. Even though it cost us quite a pretty penny to attend.
The atmosphere in the stadium was unbelievable. For a minute I thought I was at the Emirates. The atmoshpere and excitement were actually better than the game. The King got a king’s treatment indeed as he received about 3 standing ovations with the entire stadium standing and applauding on each occasion. Surreal stuff!!
The King and Diaby were the standout performers. By the way, we cannot be selling Santi as he was the most popular Arsenal player in the stadium as there were continous outbusts of the “Oh Santi Cazorla song” throughout the entire game. The leader of the “Oh Santi Cazorla” song was the cutest little 2 year old girl sitting next to me with her dad.Her proud dad was grinning from ear to ear and took time out to reiterate that you have to train them from early. I informed him that he was doing a magnificent job.
This experience confirmed to me how much football is growing over here and the Arsenal fans in the stands were so knowledgeable about the club and players. It was a great experience and there were only a few pockets of empty seats. There were easily 25,000 Gooners in attendance. Lovely day out indeed, despite the dour football on display. Who cares??????
Dr. F and Impec: you covered most of the ground re Trev’s query from the previous drinks. Having been to the Thursday event and yesterday’s “match” (read: glorified practice session), I can easily say that the most popular booths were for the kit tops — overwhelming lines and sales. Puma and Arsenal FC must be very pleased.
And even though the German contingent didn’t make it, and would have been a nice gesture, the F.A. Cup did make the trip, and for many that was a big, big highlight. Had arrived early at the Thursday event, and while most were queuing up for overpriced food and drink on the concourse, I luckily spotted the cup at the far end. Quickly went over and took a photo, and had one of the attendants take one of me in front of it. No sooner than that occured, waves of supporters flocked over in what became a tsunami of selfies.
A nice touch!
Nice report maestro. Thanks for that. Now let’s sign that DMFer please.
Khediraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa come on!
😀
We are going to challenge this season! Main target would be the CL and League!
Cent. I agree with a lot of that. Ospina is a massive upgrade on the Flapster. It does make me wonder why on earth Swansea would part with Vorm. We have done some good business so far and I do hope there are one or two additions around the corner, and not replacements. It will be interesting to see what develops.
Trev, to respond to your question in the previous drinks, and to which I erroneously posted post-chevrons. I spend a bit of time in NYC one way and another. Based on casual observation, I would say these are the shirts you see being worn most frequently on the streets, in descending order:
Barcelona
Real Madrid
Boca Juniors
Bayern Munich
Roma
AC Milan
Man Utd
Liverpool
You probably see as many or more Mexican, Colombian and Equadorian club shirts than Arsenal ones.
Not there now so can’t answer your question about how good or not a PR exercise the Red Bulls visit was.
These Transfer Windows have suddenly become fun again – Quality players being brought rather than being sold whilst each day getting linked with Top Quality rather than Kalou Quality – Happy Days are here again 🙂 Big Splurge this summer then 1/2 additions each summer and we will soon be back at the Summit !!
Boy oh boy, we dodged a bullet there with Remy. Any new signings yet? I know, I know Ospina was just on .com but its been some few hours now. I am beginning to enjoy this transfer window. About time, have to say congrats to all Arsenal fans, we deserve it, waited long enough.
Chippy knows. He’s not just a pretty left foot. 🙂
Remy fails medical
The plot thickens
Apparently Remy has a heart condition. If this is the case, I wish him all the best.
I heard he had a knee with cartilage like old chewing gum.
Possible
More news is that Falcao will make the ems cup.
Lovely report Guv on a lovely occasion even if it wasn’t really a proper football match. Thanks also to the very interesting responses Re NY. I visit there often, in fact I was there during the World Cup and one definitely misses the excitement of wondering if the walk through Harlem would be your last. In fact I still wouldn’t go gallivanting around Harlem.
Mega- pleased about Ospina . He is an excellent keeper for a very reasonable price . Ches has done well for the last two years but knowing he has this kind of competition will be very challenging for him. I’m glad we got this Colombian goalkeeper rather than Higuita though.
Chambers is sorted I believe so we will see what Arsene plots next.
Ornstein predicts Chambers will be announced tomorrow
I-Bath,
Not sure whether it’s the happy pills or the fact we are having a summer to note but for once I’m positively upbeat for the coming season – Were not just moving forward now but taking giant sized leaps it’s great fun to see 😉
Hope alls well matey ?
Hi everyone,
I didn’t catch the red bulls game but judging by the report, it is evident that a good time was had by all involved
Pre-seasons are a bit like pre meal complimentary bread which no one really cares about but everyone digs in because they are, you know, a bit hungry
Anyway, a bit off topic, I am looking for a couple of tickets to Chelsea away on October 5th this year. I am not a red member or anything but I desperately want to make it to this game. All this because, I have planned a euro trip between September 25th and October 9th and this is probably the only match I can catch. Since I will be in Brussels on that day and can easily make the day trip to London. It would be my first time too
So if any of you good holics can help me with this, I would be absolutely grateful
I will of course pay in full, the cost of tickets. Holic has my email I suppose if anything turns up
Cheers,
Harsha
ttg@134, saw that too. In general I take Ornstein more seriously than your average ITK. For whatever that’s worth. Still not sure what to make of it all re: Jenko, who will seem very much like the odd man out if we do bring in Chambers. I’d feel pretty badly for him if so. But we shall see.
Also, LOLZ at Remy apparently failing his medical? I already got a pretty good laugh out of the Pool fans congratulating themselves at having “beaten Arsenal to Remy” when it was clear we simply didn’t want him. And now this.
Chuffed about Ospina. A little surprised at how many are saying he will be a legitimate challenge to Sczcesny for the #1 job. Terrific signing if so. Can’t say I’ve seen enough of Ospina, outside of this World Cup, to have any real opinion, but he seems very highly regarded.
Cent, you nailed it @14. This summer does have a very different feel to it, no? Hard to imagine that the resulting season, too, won’t have a unique feel to it as well. 🙂
@33 – TTG, you’re probably in more danger walking around Times Square or the Financial District than Harlem. I don’t know you, but I suspect you are better than that comment.
Impec1, Bayonne Jean, NBNed,
Thanks for taking the time over those responses.
A real shame for all those US fans that it was such a poor game, although we Brits who are lucky enough to attend games all the time have stood and sat through our share of stinkers over the years.
Rub of the green, thick and thin, good and bad, and all that, but the game really fell at the worst possible time.
I have to say I continue to be amazed at the knowledge of, and dedication to Arsenal shown by so many fans from such distances around the world.
Another league title this coming season would make a nice little reward, eh ? 😉
Sanchez misses the Austrian camp because he has to get a visa in Paris. If I read correctly we go on Tuesday and come back on Thursdsy. Is it really worth the bother to go all that way for two days. Surely it’s not worth the hassle?
ILonestar
I meant no racist comment at all and frankly I know enough about New York to appreciate your well- intentioned comment. There is no doubt that the zero- tolerance policing policy brought in by Giulani has radically changed the crime rate and atmosphere in the City.
My comments came from a tour guide I was speaking to a few weeks ago. But I’m not on the spot and may be misguided. I stayed close to Times Square last month and it was certainly a very different place from my first visit.
Apologies for any unwitting offence I may have caused.
Ttg: The article I read claimed the squad is going today, which I guess would be either Sunday or Monday UK time.
Nevertheless, the boss is a different animal this transfer window as he just basically confirmed the Callum Chambers signing by saying his versatility and potential is worth the amount we signed him for. This Arsene seems almost weird to me as he has been confirming signings before they appear on the club website. Interesting and exciting times indeed.
COYG!
We are in an alternative universe, I’m sure Impec1 😉
Harsha, hope you are lucky with those tickets. I’ll drop you a line hopefully tomorrow.
So will those who claimed over the last few years that AW was afraid to spend money, now agree that it was only because he had no money.
I’ve lost track of the number of times he’s broken the club’s transfer record …………. but I bet North Bank Ned hasn’t ? 😉
Sorry, Ned, that was a bit naughty. 😉
Trev. Do you honestly think that over the last few years that we had no money to spend????
Well Steve, I can’t say for certain, but I’ve seen quotes from AW saying he had to raise £20 – £25 million each year before he could spend anything.
I would say that for the last couple of years there was money, but not on the scale of this summer. But then he did spend in the last couple of years – Giroud, Cazorla, Podolski – rising to Özil last summer, but even that has been surpassed this summer.
So, on that basis, it looks like he will spend what he has, provided the required quality is available.
We’ve all heard about ring fenced funds for transfer activity and argued the toss about how they were calculated, but I don’t honestly see a refusal to spend what he has.
I think that refusal is not the right word. Reluctance I’m happier with. From the figures that keep getting trotted out I think we have had pot loads available should we have chosen to use it. I think the figures quoted even after the Özil signing last year showed a net spend of about 10 million in 8 years. I’m pleased with the signings so far but we have hardly gone nuts have we. Sanchez I think will be a great addition to the squad and will be money well spent. The only other buys have been to replacing the departed right back and reserve keeper. Hardly ground breaking stuff I would suggest??
Steps definitely in the right direction but I’m hoping for at least 2 more quality additions before the window closes.
Steve T @ 47: Based on Swiss Ramblers and others, what I understood was that neither did we have pot loads available nor did we spend every single penny that we could have. I think we intentionally erred on the side of being a bit conservative to anticipate the possibility that one of those seasons we might have not made the CL in which case that revenue drop, as well as the need to improve the squad significantly to get back in CL the next year, would have required those little amounts we chose not to spend to be fully leveraged.
Thank Arsene that we didn’t have to use that contingency plan. And if I understood correctly (again based on analysis written by others, not my own research), historically speaking Arsenal board has always been more conservative about spending than the rest of the top level teams in England. So you can say that it is a bit of a tradition. 🙂
My interpretations of events entirely, based on reports from the more reliable of the neutral observers, but I could definitely be wrong. 🙂
TTG/Lonestar: There is Harlem and then there is Harlem.
The area around Columbia University, St Nicholas Park etc. are worry free zones all around the clock, or even north of 145th Street in the West side. However East Harlem, especially closer you get to FDR drive, is not the safest for outsiders late at night. A simple and pure function of poverty and misery, nothing to do with the color of the skin.
Manhattan is really now as secure and safe for the most part as big cities come. There is the odd pickpocket etc., but unless you are looking for danger (and some do) or choosing to engage in acts that you wouldn’t want to do at your home, there is not much to be concerned about. If you are looking for a little unusual thrill, Tribeca , west Village, even midtown late at night all can present you with encounters that you may not eventually enjoy. But if you are just walking home from the Metro or taking a taxi to a restaurant or a club, nothing much to worry about.
If Marvel comics has taught me anything, Manhattan is safe thanks to the watchful eye of Spiderman 😉
So, we’re basically signing a player a week now, eh? Are we Spurs in disguise???
Some disguise, CöR!.Like James Bond pretending to be Johnny English!
Öskar
Heh! I guess so 😀
Excellent coup, Ospina. Cheap and quality. Typical Arsene signing. Should keep Sir Ches on his toes, although there’s no question who will be #1, Woj wouldn’t be out of place keeping for any team in the world, imo.
Öskar
Re Santi, I wouldn’t be fussed if he left. I don’t see him as a first XI regular this year. His second season was a huge disappointment after being player of the year in his first. He didn’t come on at all. If he really is home-sick, let him go find his DNA. But only if we get an adequate replacement bench-warmer. Douglas Costa for example.
Still hanging out for Reus though, unlikely as it now seems.
Öskar
Oskar @ 54: Agreed Santi is no longer an automatic choice in the first eleven. But he is the best #10 alternative to Ozil we have (TR7 cannot play week in week out), and Ozil cannot play all the matches. He is also a good alternative on the left flank, to Sanchez I suppose, and this quality versatility is precisely what would be hard to replace.
We can throw around names, Firmina or Costa or whatever, but are they really better than Santi based on their performances until now? The familiarity with the team and the league also counts.
But yes, if we are getting Reus in place of Santi, then yes that is obviously a noticeable upgrade. 🙂
I think we should keep Santi and get one more left sided forward.
Alternative universe indeed Guv.
Dr. F : I tend to agree with almost everything you say. Your argument regarding the club’s economics makes perfect sense. I also agree with the Santi reasoning. He’s an extremely valuable member of our squad due to his versatility and talent. However, as much as I rate Santi, if we had to sacrifice him for Reus, so let it be. Reus is phenomenal. I rate that guy as one of the top 10 players in the game at the moment. Truly World Class.
As good and efficient as the Germans were in the World Cup, I can only imagine how better he would have made them if he was fit.
Trev, just for you…
Existing record transfer when AW arrived was:
1995 Dennis Bergkamp £7.5 million
In the Wenger era
1999 Thierry Henry £10.5 million
2000 Sylvain Wiltord £13 million
=2003 Jose Reyes £13 million
2008 Samir Nasri £14.1 million*
2009 Andrey Arshavin £15 million**
2012 Santi Cazorla £16.7 million
2013 Mesut Ozil £42.5 million
*This figure is uncertain. Some source say it was £12 million, which would not have broken the Wiltord/Reyes number
** Transfer was for £12 million with £3m of add-ons.
Impec1 @ 56: Agreed about Reus. Fantastic player, and would still improve given his youth.
I think we did try to sign him when he was moving back to Dortmund from ‘Gladbach. Probably would end up at Bayern or one of the two Spanish giants.
Or Aresnal. 🙂
Nice write up Holic and agree with your comments that it was a shame the US fans seemed to get such a ” watered down arsenal experience” considering the big tour marketing prior.
It is very pleasing to hear impec and others say what a great day they had. If arsenal ever ventured down under it would be a dream come true for me an many others and I am sure it would be a complete sell out.
The game was unfortunately a true pre season training match. Lots of tired legs on our side it seemed as the team is obviously in the middle of preseason.
Seeing Thierry get his deserved legendary status applause and the fans standing from both sets of followers was fantastic to see, even just on the TV coverage. Must have been amazing experience in the ground as impec above described.
Shame young chuba could not convert the best opportunity of the match for us or jack who got himself into the right position to equalise.
One area of the match (even though preseason only) was to see us continually pass sideways and then back time after time and not actually penetrate forward even when their seemed to be a few clear opportunities to do so.
Thierry was amazing to watch when he played a bit deeper and just fed fast and sharp first time passes forward with some real zing on them and many were very close to breaking our defensive.
We used to play like that with real speed on the break. Thierry obviously has not forgotten how we used to play.
As I said, Santi can go but only IF we can secure a quality replacement. I’m just not keen on retaining players who would rather be elsewhere, and that may be the case if rumours of Santi’s wish to return to Spain are true.
As for Reus I have absolutely zero evidence of his even being a target for us, let alone any move made to negotiate for him. It’s just that I’ve been advocating for him (and Mats Hummels) for a couple of years now believing Reus could well be a second coming of Dennis.
Öskar
Wow, it just keeps on coming. What a moment to be an Arsenal fan, seeing the fruits of Arsene’s vision finally paying off. Delightful scenes.
As several of the local Reg the Managers suggested might be the case, AW is looking for Chambers to fill a variety of roles if quotes in the press are believed. Looks a very shrood piece of business. Hate to compare our boy wonder to such an ugly mug, but when they were half-decent Phil Jones did that job very handily for the mancs, especially in Europe. Offers us some good variation and, thankfully, more much needed athleticism.
Santi: “we are surely going to sign more players.”
Bring it on BIG Ivan. I am ready.
The way they have methodically gone about adding to the squad, bit-by-bit, suggests a master plan… Who is next in this transfer window Sistine Chapel? Defender, holding player, attacker? Maybe all three? BIG Ivan knows.
I’m off to lump my meagre world cup winnings on Arsenal for the Prem and tickle of the double to… At 5000/1 you’d be silly not to have a little nibble at the quadruple as well.
FORWARD
Trev @19 – cutting and pasting from newsnow mate? Quite a turn of events for our local transfer misanthrope 😉
Be silly to sell Santi imho. Top quality player and there is no need.
@55 – if I am reading that right, you are saying that Santi would be an excellent option on both the left and centre, but that we should be buying another flying left-winger to finish off our attacking options?
#FreeADM
Oskar, Santi has come out many times this off season and stated clearly that he is happy at Arsenal and not looking to move elsewhere. It’s just the press making up those stories.
Wrong again, El Puno.
Haven’t bothered looking at NewsNow for over a year.
Anyone got any rumours about possible central defenders coming in if Tommy V leaves? Short on Monday lunchtime #YoutubeScout material 🙁
65 – The specific news outlet wasn’t really the point Trev. Keep the info coming 🙂
EP, I hear that scientists at London Colney are trying to construct a clone of Tony Adams; or is that not the calibre of central defender rumour you had in mind?
#mondaymorningblues
COYG
68 – Cheers mate, that’ll do, assuming youtube have old Tony Adams footage? 🙂
Good morning
Santi has confirmed he us staying and the rumours are false.
Sami negotiations still ongoing. I hope he us next with a quality centre forward to follow.
Morning GT. Another forward would be the finishing touch. You still keen on Jackson, or got any other fancies in mind?
Morning All]
Trev / Steve T – Interesting and never ending debate re: did we or didn’t we have the money to spend?
There’s no doubt that this year the financial shackles are well and truly off. The Puma deal and well planned debt financing/management are, I believe, the two principle factors.
With Ozil and Sanchez we can see that The Boss loves to spend money, but only on what he deems are players that are really worth it. Then again, he’s also willing to pay over the odds and gamble on the odd promising youngster – Chambers (if true) is a very good example but there are others too.
What’s my point? I believe there has been money to spend over the past four windows or so, but this is the first time in ages where we have enough income to really make a statement and commit to £100K++ wages over 4 or 5 years for incoming superstars.
I agree with Steve in that we haven’t pulled-up trees yet but Sanchez is, at the same time, a mouthwatering prospect for our striking options. Like Steve, I’m still hoping for a late, surprise deal of intent at the sharp-end of the squad plus it must be a certainty that another defensive option of some description will be added esp. if TV5 is off.
Looking at it logically, we have ‘lost’ TGSTEL, Fabs, Sagna, Park and could also see Jenks (please god no, not even a loan) and TV5 go too. So 6 out and 3 in with a league title to win. Me thinks, there is more business to be done.
Like most, I have no real idea how it will all pan out but so far, so good and I hope we don’t stop where we are, even if Chambers is a ‘done deal’.
A round on the bar for all.
UTA!
With Chambers apparently being looked at as a midfielder as well as a defender, would seem to make a lot more sense of the Khedira signing. Add another physical box-to-box player for a bit of brawn when we need to mix it, but also have Chambers as a specialist defensive midfield option when Le Boss thinks we need that. Oh so exciting.
FORWARD
#FreeBalotelli
Now Drogbas back I would take Balotelli. Just to mix things up even more. Falcao is back fit too.
As much as I like Drax and Reus, I think to place the right balance within the squad, our next forward should be an out and out number 10. A player who can operate on his own in the danger area as a target man. To me Jackson or Balotelli would fit that mould.
Thanks, Ned.
I knew it was quite a few but, as usual, the monks did a fine job. 😉
Aha ! A fine morning to you Prof Storey ! 😉
I like the idea of plying ourselves with defensive minded players. One or two more wouldn’t go a miss. I am not clued up about Chambers but he is described as somebody who can play a variety of roles and is more of what Jenks should be. Shame because the boy Jenks is Arsenal to the bone.
Bath
I heard it was a hole-in-the-heart too. Aren’t they usually diagnosed at birth? Can you develop a hole-in-the-heart in later life?
Where are all the doctors in the house?
To you too Trev. Nice day for it.
Talking of bullsh*t, the signing of Balotelli would prove, unequivocally, that Le Boss had finally lost his marbles. £9M in wages per annum on a volatile prima donna would make Chambers (if true) look like the bargain of the century.
It’s all media and agent generated shenanigans of the highest order designed only to up the market value of a troublesome and possibly fading star (harsh?). He is Italy’s answer to TGSTEL only a lot less of a prat and with more natural talent.
Never. In. A. Million. Years.
El – what would your choice/s be?
Hey GT – Still a bit frisky for that Carvalho fella here. Could apparently play both central defence and holding role. Would love a bit of that, even if Tommy V stays. Chambers apparently got a future in central defence to. In any event, another robust defence minded player would be good. As it stands, only got 1 year left of Flamini and Arteta, so might make sense to get the future in now to ease them in to Arseneball and the Prem style.
I wonder if the choice between a wing and a striker is just about quality on the market? Sanchez could fill either role, so we can take the best option available, wherever “super quality” is to be had?
Obviously completely out of the air fiction pieced together from more or less or not at all reliable tattle merchants, my wet dream would be to add Carvalho, Khedira, and Balotelli (orADM) up front.
(I still think about Arsene’s grin last season when he said he might have a surprise for us and think ADM might be it.)
BIG Ivan is really pulling out all the stops this summer. It is wonderful to watch.
FORWARD
TS – I would only disagree with you in the sense that Balotelli has a hat full of honours, has proven himself at the highest level and has a good goal ratio and he is only 23. The only thing missing at present is a manager who specialises in helping young talent mature. Now I wonder who that can be?
But all of the rest is true. He is a menace and a handful and would disrupt a lovely title race derby or two if we could use him in the right way. However, if you want the finished article, you would go for one of the Colombians (see what I did there?)
El – we always tend to meet in the middle with our thoughts about this wonderful club.
I just thought ADM would get in Sanchez’s way and would restrcit Podolski (A-ha!). But there is no denying his quality. My only concern is convincing a whole load of world class players about our rotational system. Otherwise, I owuld take em all. Balotelli an all! 🙂
So if I am reading this right then our potential new signing Callum chambers will be our 3rd highest transfer ever ?
If this is anywhere near true, then this kid must be very talented
Aussie,
There are Southampton fans who will tell you he is better than Luke Shaw who cost in excess of £30 million. We have been following him closely and his versatility is clearly key to this. I applaud Wenger for this move. We cant blame him for being too conservative and then hammer him for a move like this. He will have a big sell-on value at 19.
Pangloss
We tried the Adams cloning idea a couple of times. The resulting clones-Stepanovs and Cygan went a little wrong . I think they were using Terry Mancini DNA by mistake!
It’s amazing how Southampton have cashed in on 3 of their back 4 and 2 of their front 3 (presuming they play a 4-3-3) all in one season.
I hear everything is up for sale, including the kitchen sink 😉
Jenks gone to hull 3million acc to goal.
87 thunder T
🙂
.
“Terry Mancini was a great centre half ”
.
Praise from gus Caesar indeed!
When it comes to pre season, its better that we keep it to as less travel as possible, more games but less travel please. There is nothing like game time, so yes the boys need to play than just practice but this commercial aspect to everything is getting rather irritating.
We still need to buy the DM. As much as it has been an excellent window so far, it will leave a lot to be desired if we do not end up with a DM. All the other teams are well equipped as well going in to the new season and hence if we need to win or be very close to it, we need a DM and a top quality one.
All the papers seem to be crying about how Southampton are being raided and dismantled, well whats there in that??. If players want to leave and clubs are willing to pay the money, then it is bound to happen. I for one cannot understand this sympathy towards the saints.
Striker seems to be the last piece of the jigsaw, of course we can look into it once we get the DM, but if we indeed are going for a striker then why not Huntelaar?. We tried once before and i hear that spurs are after him, so why not us? He is proven and can handle the pressure to.
Vinay. Hunterlaar will fit the mould and will pee off Van Man. Is he the dressing room type though? I wonder. He lasted all of five minutes at Real Madrid.
ttg (@87)
I heard that they were going to work some Ian Ure in, but that was stamped upon as just taking the p**s
Back in the day, Vinay, English clubs set up a training camp somewhere in Europe and stayed there. Arsenal went to Austria. None of this long-distance travel to boost the brand and sell more shirts.
If the Corporal really is off, then it must mean the Chambers deal is done, and shows there is no sentimentality in our transfer business. If the clubs interested in him really are Hull, West Ham, Swansea and Sunderland, that is a fair reflection, to me, of his present standing as a Premiership full back: first choice at a mid-table team. Hope for his stake he can develop from there.
Wow.. I seriously hope the Carl Jenkinson rumors are a joke.
Would be gutted to see him go. Hasnt been given a fair chance at Arsenal.
We keep someone like Diaby and ship out Carl? WTF?
If we dont show loyalty towards players and then expect players to be loyal to us.
TTG-
Hence my post above about the potential purchase of Calum with one L, based on arsenes previous history to not overspend, if he is our 3rd highest transfer ever and so young, arsene must have a great opinion of the young lad which is exciting to hear and clearly he can play in the DM role and also in the back line if needed.
Every time I read about a new player we buy rather than one we are selling,I feel a strange warming sensation, almost like the suns glow.
Really no need to offload Jenks. He counts as homegrown (so doesnt affect the squad numbers) . Moreover, I doubt he is on a high wages either. Most of all, you can be sure he gives his 100% every single damn time.
Trev@75: You’re welcome, but the monks are demanding double Guinness for Sunday working…
One other stat is that AW’s total transfer spending to date is a net £103.6 million — £486 million in acquisitions and £382.4 million in sales. So the Chambers signing, if and when done, could push him past the half a billion mark.
I respect that opinions are purely personal and that everybody is entitled to theirs but I am intrigued at the almost mythical status that appears to be developing around Reus.
I’ve seen quite a bit of him in CL and BL and think he’s a decent player but … comparing him to proven legends seems way over the top to me at this time. I’ve seen some excellent performances and an equal number of virtually anonymous contributions.
Does anybody have any performance stats to substantiate the growing hyperbole? I am willing to be amazed.
UTA.
bang
More transfer numbers (blame Trev): Season by season breakdown of net transfer spend. In just five seasons of the Wenger era have sales exceeded acquisitions, concentrated around the move to the Emirates years, and marked by a big-name sale.
This season (to date): +£40.8m
2013/14 +£32.5m
2012/13 +£8.6m
2011/12 -£17.5m –Fabregas sale (£35m)
2010/11 +£6.8m
2009/10 -£31m — Adebayor sale (£25m)
2008/09 -£3.6m — Hleb sale (£11.8m)
2007/08 +£13.4m
2006/07 -£17m — Henri sale (£16.1m)
2005/06 +£6.8m
2004/05 +£1.6m
2003/04 +£16.7m
2002/03 +£0.9 millon
2001/02 +£11m
2000/01 +£3.3m
1999/00 -£6.2m — Anelka sale (£23m)
1998/99 +£8.9m
1997/98 +£0.05m
1996/97 +£5.5m
Well in, Sajit.
Sajit,
Would be a shame to see him leave as hes Arsenal – But on the other hand is he really good enough to compete in a side which wants to challenge for Major honours ? – In my view probably not and think its fairer on the lad if he goes in search of first team football and has a proper career, If he moves on leaps and bounds we can always buy him back like Keown ;-).
Loan for Jenks sounds good to me, I am big fan of his and I think that year of first team football will help his development. He is brilliant crosser, has awesome engine and pace to burn. He needs to iron out his defensive weaknesses and that only comes through experience of playing.
He was more than solid after Bacarys leg break when given proper run of games, so I really hope we did not sell him but just loaned him out.
Well in Sajit!!
NBN – Given our trophies and consistently high Prem placings, amazing that before last summer Le Boss had only had a #NetSpend over £10mil three times.
Shackles well and truly off now.
FORWARD
Can’t see a Jenks loan does any harm. Debuchy will be first choice and Bellerin/Chambers, offer cover. The White Cafu has a better chance to prove he’s ready for the top level playing than he does on the bench imo.
I was under the impression Jenks was being sold to Hull for £3million. I’m sorry for the lad who has shown some real quality during his time with us. But there can be no sentiment when you are crossing swords with the likes of Mourinho
GT – I’d love a bit of Balotelli. Granted he’s a risk, but the quoted prices for his talent reflect that. He’s a potential bargain or someone you could shift for a small loss with no great difficulty if it all goes pear shaped. We have enough mature players and the experience of NB52k loafing about the Colney pool in someone’s bra that it’s difficult to see him imploding and it seriously destabilising the team. If it works, you have a 23 year old striker of huge talent and experience at huge value. Letting him a Giroud fight for a place sounds just about what both of them need I reckon.
Seeing as it’s a Reg the Accountant day, much to my delight, worth looking back at where we are at this summer. Taking the high and low figures quoted in the press and middling them, I make a rough estimate of our spending at: Sanchez 30mil, Debuchy 10mil, Chambers 11mil, Ospina 3mil. That’s 54mil in total. Knock off a few quid for Cesc and Vela, plus a small loan fee for Jenkinson and we are probably at about 45mil #NetSpend. The AST figure was £100mil to spend “comfortably.” Swiss Ramble numbers support that. So, we’ve still got over £50mil to spend if BIG Ivan is tempted. Given how proactive they have been so far, no reason to think they will start cutting corners now 🙂
FORWARD
on jenks
i have been hoping that he got a better chance this season to get a run of games under his belt. for me, he’s looked capable deputizing for sagna, and he’s probably the best crosser on the team and possibly one of the best in the league. he put in a brilliant ball on saturday that our forwards just ruined. in addition, his passing was fair and his control wasn’t bad. i thought he was out of position a couple of times, but some of those problems were created by the center back pairing. gibbs was flying up the flank on the other side as well. and bellerin did not look ready at all, unless the only qualification is running down the flank and trying to get into the opponent’s box.
also, i don’t think he was at fault for the goal. clearly, we were doing some kind of zonal marking nonsense, and jenks went out from the 6 yrd box (his zone) to try to get to the ball coming in, but he was marking essentially 2 men at that point, one of which set a basketball-style screen on him. that is a tactical/defensive set up issue.
so if we’re selling him, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. he doesn’t look out of place as a premier league right back, even if he’s not quite good enough for us. but to think of the dross we’ve had-sometimes for long stretches and in much more critical areas of the field-in recent times, almunia, denilson, santos, chamakh, bendtner etc. etc. and i don’t see how he’s worse than monreal and a few others.
so i don’t really get it.
This thing of being a boy hood fan and hence needs to stay does not cut ice for me. If you are good enough you stay and at the moment Jenko is not good enough, defensively for sure.
Should we sell him? no, for he has the potential to be good, remember he will always be a good but not a great player. In the modern world of football, full backs and CDM’s are probably the most important positions which influence games more than it used to say 10-15 years back.
Loan deal for him to Hull City works fine.
Debuchy and Callum to compete for right back, Woj and Ospina for GK, this is good stuff.
Where is the DM and the striker boss???????.
It’s official. Welcome Chambers. Just announced on Twitter.
Another formality …… :
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140728/calum-chambers-completes-move-to-arsenal
😀
Come ON Khedira!!!
Arsenal apparently holding out for £5mil for Jenks:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2708483/Hull-make-3m-bid-Carl-Jenkinson-Arsenal-holding-5m-defender.html
Would be sad to see him go, but the idea he could play for us is based upon him making significant improvement at age 22. I always thought his biggest weakness was that he basically doesn’t want the ball at his feet. Head down charging to the byeline to cross maybe, but he looked terrified every time he had to take a touch to control it and look up. Teams knew this and he could be pressed into errors.
Tough not to see Bellerin and Chambers as better prospects imo. A sad casualty, if the stories are true, to BIG Ivan’s new aggressive squad building strategy. (If we get that, £6mil and Jenks for Chambers basically. Hardly Russian roulette of a “gamble” that:)
FORWARD
BB – BOOM 🙂
BIG Ivan is relentless 🙂
“Tall and athletic, the versatile youngster started his career in midfield, but established himself at right back last season and can also play in the centre of defence. He is currently captain of England Under-19s.”
From Arse dot com 🙂
On .com now. Pray that Jenko’s only going out on loan. Anyway, sort out Vermaelen and that DMF and we are set. Congratulations, Arsene.
Eandy, reading quotes from Steve Bruce, it appears as though Jenks is only available on loan. So with that in mind, do not sell Jenks.
Chambers looks to be a wonderful signing, but I wish the official site would keep Ospina up as the main feature for today as he is also a great signing, and he deserves full honors on the main page for today. Chambers can have the spotlight tomorrow 🙂
Good going Boss on these 2 signings!!
Welcome to Arsenal, Callum!
El Puno @ 114: Even if we sell I am sure we will have a buy-back clause. It is not inconceivable that Jenks might turn out to be a very good RB once he hits the mid-twneties. Debuchy is 28, so in 2-3 years time we may need to look again, especially if Bellerin doesn’t live up to his early promise.
The things are rapidly changing, eh? A few years back both Jones (and I think also Smalling) snubbed us for ManU. Now we are quickly becoming the best club for the final steps of emerging English talents: Theo, Jack, Ox, Gibbo, Callum…with Akpom to follow suit. 🙂
4 signings already done and still a month of the window left. Super stuff 🙂
Now BIG Ivan just needs to take this home and go from a good window to a great one!
FORWARD
Jenkinson is NOT for sale!
I am, but he’s not.
Peter @ 119: Ospina is a fantastic signing. But I don’t think the formalities have been completed yet. 🙂
The announcement of two significant signings within such a short span — just in a couple of days — simply means … more on the way. 🙂
Someone asked about Reus stats above. Quick look, combined goals and assists, just in the league last 3 years: 27, 22, then 29. Got the 8th highest score in Europe last season from Whoscored. He is 25, so entering his prime years. Would be tasty.
Dr F – Exciting times. If Wenger can push us through this season it could all fall into place. City and Chavs are running scared of FFP, Sussex mancs sponsored by Enron… He could really cement his legacy over a span of 5/6 years. Just got to win it this year and there will be no stopping us 🙂
Lol Theo stealing some spotlight XD https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/t1.0-9/10472878_10152386452052713_2568583066311717414_n.jpg
Gt @ #82
I don’t know about ‘hat-full of honours’ but he has certainly played at the highest level for club and country. Anyway, I’m 100% sure it’s all bullcrap.
My immediate hope is that we leave a return route for The Corporal by only allowing him to leave on a loan. That boy would run through brick walls for The Arsenal.
Welcome Callum,
I really like the look of him, so I can only hope he fulfills his potential here at Arsenal.
El Puno,
what is all this talk about BIG Ivan? BIG Ivan’s new aggressive squad building strategy?!?!? Who the fuck is this BIG Ivan? Gazidis maybe? Hope it is not him, for my own sake or I could die laughing.
I just hope that I am mistaking and that you are not serious saying that Gazidis was planing all this summer transfers.
Or maybe I might have missed somehow and Arsene got sacked earlier this month? If that is so, silly me, I thought he is still the manager.
Schneiderlin to became a Spud? Worst decision of his life, I liked the kid, but that’s life.
Anyway, I am sure that Arsene realizes that we must sigh defensive oriented midfielder and I think the choice is between Carvalho and Khedira at the moment.
Also there are noises about Fabian Schar of Basel being the possible Vermalen replacement. Good player. I was amazed we didn’t go for De Vrij, who signed for Lazio this morning for just as little as 7m. Absolute bargain.
Douglas Costa is another name connected with us. Never seen him play, plays as an ATM if the reports are true and is 25m expensive. No, thank you very much, we have the one and only Santi Cazorla.
Something puzzles me.
There seems to be something of an exodus of players from Southampton – Lallana, Lambert, Shaw, Chambers, Schneiderlin and maybe a few others I’ve forgotten. Why is it than none (apart from, possibly Schneiderlin) have followed the manager to Tottnum? I can think of various possibilities –
a) They are rubbish and Pochettino doesn’t want them;
b) They don’t want to play under Pochettino again;
c) Sp*ds can’t afford them
I rule out the possibility that they are all players of rare discernment who wouldn’t dream of playing in a swamp, since not all have elected to come to the right end of the Seven Sisters Rd (three have even gone ‘oop North).
Do any of my esteemed drinking companions have any idea what’s going on here? There’s a virtual drink in it for you.
COYG
AISA invited me to the launch of a book on Paul Vaessen on August 8th. Sadly I will be away. Vaessen’s name won’t mean much to younger Gooners but to those of the vintage of Holic, Clive and myself he played a short but significant part in Arsenal history by scoring the goal that beat Juventus in Turin to take us to the ECWC final in 1980. Sadly injury ruined his career and he turned to drugs and died tragically early at the age of 40 . A sad tale and a salutary one for those who suffer the disappointment of seeing their dreams shattered . I suspect it will be an interesting but tragic read.
DM and a forward and let the games begin. Cant wait to see us go to the bridge, hold on for 60 min and then hit then with 2 lightning counter attacks with the dna crap losing the ball to ramsey, who passes it to ozil who finds sanchez , who dribbles past courtious and before scoring gives the 2 finger salute to jose and scores, well alright its a monday and i am about to get off work, let the good times begin.
Pangloss at 130.
Good question. I think the answer is definitely not 1 and probably not 2. It’s probably not even 3. I suspect they all got ( considerably) better offers.
Certainly Chambers did!
TS @ 127 – always expressing your point fairly and respectfully !!
Newbies and pretenders – Take note!
Re Baloteli; Fair dues. He’s not everyone’s cup o tea! That much is true!
#Free the Colombians
Lurky,
Have you only just noticed the ‘BIG’ Ivan stuff ?
It’s been done to death for weeks and, you’ll notice, has been pretty much ignored. There’s probably a good reason for that. 😉
Pangloss,
The reason no Southampton players have moved to Spurs is that they all wanted to take a step up to a bigger club. 😉
Interesting interview with Arsene and Gazidis.
http://www.si.com/soccer/planet-futbol/2014/07/24/arsene-wenger-arsenal-ivan-gazidis-gedion-zelalem-alexis-sanchez-red-bulls
I would take Baloteli than start the season without an extra forward.
Once we buy the DM and replace TV – we should go all out to get a striker with a good ratio, at the very least! Preferably at the top level and not from a totally inferior club!
Onwards and upwards!
From the interview:
How difficult was it to be the Arsenal manager when teams like Chelsea and Manchester City were spending so freely?
Wenger: It was very difficult because the demand for success at the club his huge. Just before Ivan arrived at the club, I can remember board meetings where we sat there, and thought, ‘How can we manage to survive?’ But now we move into a different era again. We went through a patch where we had restricted finances. We went through a time where other clubs had unlimited resources. Now we’re going through a period in the game where it looks like, with financial fair play, the era of unlimited resources is finished. Now, it looks like we can compete again. We managed to get through the storm without too much damage.
Geoff is really teasing on twitter at the moment. Don’t know what to expect, but it looks like the good old Arsene Wenger is back.
Balotelli GT ?
Not sure what the ‘hatful of honours’ is. My perception is that Balotelli has been lucky enough, due to his undoubted potential, to have been at some great clubs at a time when they have won honours.
His own contribution has not been that great – even getting himself criticised by his fellow professionals along the way, and banned from first team involvement at Internazionale by Jose Mourinho.
Subsequently, Man City couldn’t wait to get rid of him and AC Milan are happy to see him go after one year.
Is that what you meant by ‘proving himself at the highest level’ ?
Arsenal FC will become Balotelli FC the day he joins, which I hope he doesn’t and doubt that he will.
When Arsene Wenger talks continually about the spirit in the ‘group’, why would he risk it all by buying a posing prima donna who is usually absent without leave or suspended ?
Hope that is fair and respectful. Out of interest, did you have me down as newbie or pretender ?
#
well you asked me
if i’d take balotelli
i don’t know
i can’t say
i don’t like it
but
i guess things happen that way
#
.
nope
.
nutloop is batshit
.
.
BIG Johnny Cash nose
128 please see 136 re: BIG Ivan 🙂
Loved this, from the article in 136:
SI: It’s the “silly season,” as we all know. So everyone wants to know, will Arsenal be making any more big signings? We hear Mario Balotelli and other names in the rumor mill.
Gazidis: I never really like the words “big signing.” Because for us, the key is finding the pieces Arsene wants. What may be a big signing for us may not seem so to others. I would say disregard everything you read. It’s very seldom close to what we’re thinking.
BIG Ivan!!! 🙂
Trev @ 140 – To put it simply, Baloteli has a good goal ratio. To me that indicates that he makes a substantial contribution to his teams, where honours have been won. He has also earned personal honours and is still only 23 years of age. Wow! What does a guy have to do to get a little credit?
Admittedly he still has some maturing to do!
More here, this is just too good:
Gazidis: Think about this club. In 2002 and 2003, it’s really at the top of the world. And Arsene is at the top of the world. We have fantastic players. It’s us and Manchester United battling at the top of the Premier League. It all looks amazing for the Arsenal Football Club. But what does the club do? And what does Arsene do? And what do the board members do? They say we’re more ambitious than this.
Most people would have just sat back and said, ‘This is great. Everybody loves us.’ But what do they do? They throw all of that up in the air, a massive risk. They say, ‘We’re going to commit all the resources of this club to building a stadium that we think we are going to need 15 and 20 years from now if we want to be a really global football club.’
It’s an incredibly bold decision. They do it, they see it through, go through all the difficult times. Arsene continued to do an incredible job, threading the eye of the needle on the pitch. The board does an incredible job threading the eye of the needle off the pitch. We are now, just now, all these years later, beginning to come out of that. Arsene navigated us through that.
Yet it seems people just assume, at Arsenal, we’re going to be in the Champions League. They assume we’re going to be near the top of the Premier League. There’s nothing that really distinguishes us from the other clubs in England, other than this man.
SI: Still, incredible to have one a manager in the EPL survive 19 seasons.
Gazidis: It’s required, along the way, a lot of resistance to public pressure, a lot of unity. It’s not been an easy task, but now we begin to see what this was all really about.
El @ 143- I like that quote. It sums up the new Ivan strategy perfectly!
el P
the BIG ivan
is
hilarity
with
diminishing beginnings
.
run away
.
embrace the world
.
and/or etc
GT – “the key is finding the pieces Arsene wants”
Suggest that AW has given up a bit of micro management and is allowing BIG Ivan a bit more scope to scout/sign players within his specifications?
GT,
If Balotelli had played 2 games and scored 1 goal he would have a very good goal ratio. A random statistic means nothing. The guy is trouble. Not for me thanks.
147 – Eats shoots leaves?
Gazidis is a lawyer and was heavily involved in contracts when he worked with the MLS, so it wouldn’t be a major shock to hear he was involved with the formulating and signing of contracts at Arsenal.
So now he is scouting and selecting players for Arsene Wenger ?
Is there really enough cyber space to waste it like this ?
Ivan = car designed by Steve Jobs ?
Trev, I think the newbie or pretender comment was directed at me as I referred to his postings as puerile. I have resolved that by not bothering to read anything posted by him or his sidekick. I agree with your assessment of Balotelli, great talent but there is to much baggage. There is a Mourinho story about Balotelli in a game between Inter Milan v Rubin Kazan where he states that he spent 14 of the 15 minutes of half time talking to Balotelli explaining to him that he was the only fit striker in the squad and that as he had been given a yellow card in the 43 minute he told him not to make contact with any opponent, play only with the ball; when we lose the ball, no reaction. If someone provokes you, no reaction. If the referee makes a mistake, no reaction. Minute 46, red card.
Great stuff @143, 145 El Puno.
Howdy trev
and
its a big
bugger away off
Balli-gocrackers
.
think it was true storey
said earlier on
ABSOFUCKINLUTELYNOT
.
or
words
tap dancin near
.
oh yeah
a talent
but
no
Trev @ 149 That’s right. You’ve made your point and I’ve made mine. Tomorrows another day. Have a drink on me. :
Onwards and upwards!
Joeos – You sound very paranoid! And for somebody who does not read my comments, you seem to know every last thing I say, but without conception (can’t believe I am having this conversation).
Cheers!
cba
Everyone is
entitled
to their
opinions
nanoo nanoo
over
and out!
🙂
Anyone who knows – really knows – how Arsenal go about evaluating their squad, scouting, choosing, signing players, how these tasks are broken up and amongst whom, please let me know. Maybe someone with this in depth, inside detail could also just tell me who we are signing now and save the wait?
Is it just me? Do other people sometimes think that occasionally responses to people’s responses don’t actually, as it were respond?
Hmm.
This might work well vertically…
Is it just me?
.
Do other people
sometimes think
that occasionally
.
.
responses
to people’s responses
.
.
don’t actually,
as it were,
respond?
Yup, I think it does.
joeos
.
el pinky and perky
mean no harm
.
i find them entertaining
.
let your bright lights shine boys
.
*gets emotional*
handling ambiguity
with elegance , irony
and no little self-deprecation
wasn’t that the quintessential
english thing?
waugh and amis and
le carre?
all that
why this bludgeoning
drive to simplicity
that is very american,
apparently
no?
160
next time
put less gloss
on yer pan
.
life gets stuck less in the glar
El Puno @ 159:
no one does
it’s a science and
an art
i think no one even
has all the keys
to the puzzles
maybe arsene
like one of those
carthusian monks
making chartreuse
you are i are but drinkers
gossiping about the secret
ingredients
in our poison
🙂
I’ll have Campbell over mad mario any day.trev nail on the head @140 the chap is nuts.
since when
did P
and his
retentious
family take over
.
balding men
ponytails
metal t-shirts
cod erudition
.
i remember
the olden days … . . . . .
El Puno,
I suspect you know very well how the scouting function works but, just in case, here’s a clue –
France —> Gilles Grimandi —> Steve Rowley —> Arsene Wenger.
Here’s another clue –
It does not include Ivan Gazidis, but signing of contracts does.
Who are we going to sign ?
Nobody ever knows that until it’s on dot com, or AW or IV choose to announce it.
I am not an ITK but I do know people at the centre of the organisation.
They NEVER mention names of imminent signings and, even if I had them, neither would I.
I have had the names of imminent arrivals confidentially from estate agents arranging accommodation that I have treated. But that is given and remains confidential.
Some folks may have access to agents, who may have their own reasons for divulging information. I don’t personally see how that can ever help the club in a negotiation.
That is how I know that 99.99% of all the speculation is exactly that. Each to his own, but that is why I find it frustrating and boring – not because I am an inherent killjoy.
Cheers Joeos, Garsguns,
don’t let them wear you down, fellas.
Sticks and stones, and all that. 😉
164 – It is good poison.
Drink up mate 🙂
Trev – I appreciate you naming a few people who get some press, but I’m not convinced that knowing Danny Karbassion(?) is our US scout really answers the question. As suggested by others above, no one outside has any idea, hence the speculation.
How BIG Ivan and AW divide their roles is similarly not something that is in the public sphere. Again, leading to speculation on the topic. Tension between them has been the subject of whispers on many sites for a couple of years now and there is talk of some realignment as part of AW’s new deal. No idea if there is any truth, but given that as even a commentator as the host of this blog was questioning the managers position just a few short months ago, it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility.
Just as AW, by his own admission, had a deep working relationship with David Dein, he now seems to have one with BIG Ivan. (I would guess where they draw the line on strategy and application is probably blurred with great deal of overlap.) Certainly IG has switched his tone, judging from that SI article quoted above. Not so much, “there is money to spend” repeated again and again this summer.
We can’t know for sure, but like many things in life, it may be the inability to completely comprehend that makes it so wondrous. Of course most transfer rumours are fabrications, we all know that, but I also know most of my bets lose and I still gamble. Sometimes the ride itself is fun. This passes my tea breaks and gives me some lighter reading in the day. When the season starts we will have something more concrete to discuss, but this will have to do for now.
Centre-back, the beast in midfield and “Super quality” up front please BIG Ivan.
FORWARD
#FreeReus
I will be perfectly honest and say I don’t honestly remember seeing Chambers play. I’m sure I would have seen him on MOTD or the like but nothing that sticks in the mind. He is obviously one for the future and wherever The Jenk ends up, my first thoughts were that his future at Arsenal can at best be described as limited. Apart from what I’ve read I know very little of Chambers. I have just heard his interview and he spoke well. He sounds an intelligent young man who will hopefully progress into a top quality performer.
Re Balotelli. I must say I’m very much with Trev. I think he is a decent player but vastly over rated. His “why only me?” T shirt can be answered with one simple sentence. ” Because you’re a twat.” He believes his own hype and for me is more trouble than he is worth. That said I do believe that we are at least one quality forward short.
Ivan Gazidis the saviour of Arsenal??????? Some need to lay off the strong stuff.
Clearly two reasonable side in “balotelli is a nutter dickhead” and “he’s really talented at football.” Probably both true? That said, would it be worth signing him to see what he does for this:
http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/calum-chambers-sings-the-kooks-naive-at-his-arsenal-initiation-video/?
As for realignment of responsibilities, I can imagine something along the lines of – AW, decide who you want and the board will decide whether the club can afford him.
That exercise clearly has to be carried out within the context of the whole squad and seems sensible and reasonable.
But anyone other than Arsene Wenger deciding which players come into his squad ? Sorry, not having it.
That would be less a realignment and more the opening of a fault line which one party or other would not survive.
173 – talk was that AW would produce a list of targets, but had to give up the money side of it.
Trev @ 168
You’re a funny guy.
El Puno. I saw enough of Balotelli at The Grove the year he nearly crippled Song to say emphatically no. For all his potential and/or ability he is not worth the gamble. I think he would be more trouble than he is worth.
Trev, spot on again in my view. I can’t for one second imagine anyone apart from AW deciding what the squad will be. He may list targets that don’t materialise but I don’t see anyone arriving at the club without his say so.
Look everyone here wants the same outcome- for arsenal to be successful!
What happened to Victoria Concordia Creset?
El –
what ever that stuff is which you are drinking, keep sharing it 😉
Nothing wrong with optimism and a positive outlook. I salute you my friend.
UTA
GT,
funnily enough I think it was optimism and a positive outlook that got me to The Emirates and a walk back to Finsbury Park station on crutches and a collapsed knee half a dozen times last season.
Do you actually read anything anyone writes other than yourself or El Puno?
I used to enjoy your slightly off the wall posts but this summer your insinuations that anyone who doesn’t enjoy or want to join in with your constant waffle is not a proper fan is just a touch offensive.
A bit playground I find it all.
Cheers.
So sorry about Remy to all you Liverpool fans out there. 😉
Cheers, guvnor. 🙂
Joeos and Steve T
In support of your points re Balotelli.
I suspect the stories about him are legion but I have never seen anybody behaved so stupidly in a football field as he did on that day Steve recounts. Apart from the repeated GBH on Song my abiding memory from that game is the moment just after we scored with three minutes to go. Tevez passed the ball from the kick- off to him and he…..shot.it missed by at least twenty yards. He still had time to foul Song twice and then with his team chasing the game trudge off at a snails pace after his red card. He is a liability much more than an asset. I think Sanchez will be our top scorer this year and okay through the centre. As far as I know he is not a nutter
Pangloss. Enjoyed that one at 160. 🙂
The discussion about balotelli does seem a bit futile considering we have just signed a world class forward in sanchez.
We have theo walcott to return, we have olivier giroud who did a good job on his own last season and we have one of the most sought after young strikers in the world in joel campbell.
We have our spare keeper to add pressure to woj.
Add serge and poldi and our forward power looks pretty good to me.
If calum chambers is brought in to support abou in DM and as an option for the back line, we seem in pretty good shape.
Every now and again Aussie I am stunned to find I completely agree with you. if Giroud improves his movement and positioning in the penalty area then he can score 30 goals a season for us. If he does not then I expect him to be replaced at the end of next season.
Aussie. Are you convinced that Sanchez will play as an out and out striker??? I’m not sure I am just yet.
Campbell? One of the most sought after young strikers in the world???? Really???? Not sure we are fighting off bids on a daily basis for him at the moment. I’m not even convinced yet that he will still be here come deadline day.
Steve – I have spent the last few years as an arsenal supporter pretty disapointed about our lack of intent and our inability to be our best due to some obvious funding restrictions.
I even think the term ” be our best” was one of yours and I think you were spot on.
However I now see some real intent and willingness to be our best by making some top class buys. I also trust that arsene has seen many youngsters and I trust him to know the rubbish from the gems, considering he doesn’t seem to be restricted now in his choice.
Yes I think Sanchez could play striker, but in a 433 system does it matter if he is wide or in the middle. I don’t think so and either way he will be a force.
Yes I also think Joel Campbell would be be very sought after if he were on the market, but arsene wants him because he is very very good.
He is a young Henry in my view, very confident and aggressive, so no need at all for balotelli.
Joeos- I understAnd I have been openly critical of arsenal and arsene in previous seasons, but this was purely based upon my above comments to steve T about our lack of intent and restrictions.
I am now seeing real intent to be our best and trust arsene to make some great choices as he is clearly doing
Guys, am perfectly fine with our front line. Sanchez, Giroud, Poldi, Theo, cross my fingers and hope he comes stronger and better. If we keep young Campbell, I don’t see the need for another striker, let alone Balotelli, hell no.
178
with a big tin hat
good man trev
187- you got it.
Anymore in the market and I will be ….. Fully sunny
I am intrigued at the almost mythical status that appears to be developing around Reus. … Does anybody have any performance stats to substantiate the growing hyperbole?
-Noosa Gooner #99
——————————————————————————-
Here’s an analysis of Reus from an evaluation, including stats, of the top 25 players in the Bundesliga last season. Philipp Lahm coming in at #2:
1. Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund)
It could have gone either way to be honest. Lahm’s accomplishments and tactical transformation deserve a top spot and as many plaudits as he can possibly receive. It’s not every day you see a world class fullback abandon his position and promptly become a world class midfielder. But as great as Lahm has been this season, Marco Reus’ performances, impact and influence at Dortmund were second to none this season.
Let’s start with the numbers. Reus scored 16 goals (only three players had more) and a league-high 14 assists. He was directly involved in almost half of Dortmund’s goals this season. The numbers are even more impressive in all competitions where he had a hand in an incredible 46 goals. Just from a statistical perspective, his impact is enormous. Reus was the engine behind Dortmund’s attacks. Aside from being a prolific goalscorer he was also the team’s primary creative hub.
What makes his performances truly impressive is the context in which they happened, a season where the club was depleted by injuries. Player after player went down throughout the season and Dortmund’s resources were stretched thinner than ever before under Klopp. That would have made things difficult for any player but Reus thrived and instead he picked up his game and helped his side see out the season in better form than any other team in the league. In his last eight games alone Reus created or scored 13 goals.
If Reus was world class last season this year he truly nailed down his place as one of the game’s elite players. With Lewandowski leaving in the summer Dortmund will have to adjust yet again and many will look to Reus to potentially fill the vacuum. And if this season is any indicator Dortmund fans have very little to worry about. Congratulations, Marco. On a truly memorable and remarkable season.
– See more at: http://bundesligafanatic.com/25-best-bundesliga-players-201314-5-1/#sthash.VjevpBpI.dpuf
Öskar
Sanchez would be wasted as a striker, Aussie. He’s an attacking midfielder with a great work ethic. Not unlike Luis Suarez, imo. Restricting him to a strike role would be a waste of his creative engine.
I’d caution against expecting too much of young Campbell. One excellent WC game and he’s seen (by some) as another Ian Wright. More likely he came into that first game under the radar, because he was effectively snuffed out in all subsequent games.
Öskar
Good morning Europeans! Just about bedtime here in Chicago.
Arseblog News reporting that Jenkinson is on his way to West Ham for a season-long loan. Also suggest that unless he shows marked improvement, his Arsenal career is likely over.
My heart goes out to the guy. He must be gutted. I hope he has a fantastic loan and a terrific career, whether it’s at Arsenal or elsewhere. As much of a dream as it has been for him to play for his boyhood club, it must be that much worse to see the dream slipping away. Not that it’s a foregone conclusion just yet I suppose.
http://news.arseblog.com/2014/07/jenkinson-heading-to-west-ham/
Oskar, not to quibble, but you do realize Suarez plays as a striker, right? And that Sanchez usually plays as a winger and has occasionally played as a striker?
I was likening his work ethic to that of Suarez, göönsterham.
Suarez is principally a striker, but drops back a lot in the fashion of an attacking midfielder. It’s a part of his game that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Sanchez is an attacking midfielder/winger who also gets forward to strike.
A subtle difference perhaps, but both work hard for the team.
Öskar
Oskar – understand your point and I would be completely happy for Sanchez to play in any of the front 3 roles or in any of the 3 midfield roles with his creative touch. He is top shelf and world class and that level can play anywhere and be dngerous.
I was impressed with Joel Campbell at the WC not just in his best game but in most games as there is a massive difference between playing against pressure or against no pressure. I.e playing weaker sides.
The top 8 sides in the World Cup were not that far apart excepting Germany IMHO and Campbell did everything right and not look out of place one bit with heaps of pressure on him.
The ability To stand out under high pressure is also why I don’t rate sonogo and to the annoyance of many I don’t rate young Carl jenkinson, because they don’t stand out against average to below average opposition.
Before anyone jumps up and down and wants to remind me how well they both played in the FA cup final as a supposed decent quality and pressure match, please watch the game again without your arsenal trophy hat on. It was a low quality match against poor opposition and the only reason there was any pressure on us was because of our own slow start. We need to start thinking about our team in terms of CL quality opposition such as Bayern and atletico, not how we looked against hull.
Judging by some arsenes decisions later, it would seem he may agree with me.
Ok, I guess. But dropping a little deeper to pick up the ball/linking up with other attacking players are typical traits of an awful lot of strikers.
Sanchez has featured predominantly as the main striker for the Chilean national team. He’s never been an attacking midfielder, unless you consider a winger a midfielder.
We’ll see plenty of Giroud this year, with Sanchez on the wing, but it’s a safe bet Sanchez will feature as the main striker sometimes as well.
can anyone pinpoint when
this place turned into this
.
stats?
anyone?
.
where once there was arsenal
now there is this
where once there was humour
now there is this
.
repetitive teenagers
in open plan offices
sniggering over twaddle
.
SIDEWARDS!
.
*BIG yawns*
.
oi blogs!
lend us yer smiting stick
an i’ll start smitin’ the shite
outta the place
.
we have a few hours before
the turgid few
awake
.
*fashions own in meantime*
.
but
.
how will i recognise them,lord?
.
“by their tripe cba
by their tripe”
.
okeydokey
thank you lord
yer a diamond
.
*clicks neck*
.
*cracks knuckles*
.
.
*lurks*
.
*all smote up*
Cba
hits
nail
on
head
again
Hola amigos, como esta ustedes?
awww shucks
Aussie. I agree totally that for several seasons now that we have fallen well short in where we could or should have been. But I also think that people are getting slightly carried away.
Sanchez in my opinion is a top drawer signing. I am expecting big things from him next season and am really looking forward to seeing him play. Apart from that we have brought in a right back to replace our first choice right back. We have brought in a 19 year old right back who Arsene presumably expects to be our first choice within 2 seasons. Add to that a reserve keeper to replace our departed reserve keeper. That said, he is from what I have seen a substantial upgrade on what we had.
Joel Campbell a young Henry???? Interesting view although I must confess, I have not seen any of that. Oskar pretty much nails it above re his World Cup for me. Let’s put it another way. If Joel Campbell was not already an Arsenal player would we remember his performances in the World Cup? My guess is no. If he does stay with us next season then I wish him all the best. I hope he develops into a top class striker who nets goals at a great rate of knots. But at the moment he is some way short of that in my opinion.
Be the best you can be? Yes, that’s one of mine. We are definitely making strides in the right direction but we also still have some considerable work to do in my humble opinion.
Morning cba. Top strike for this time of the morning.
*gets helped offstage cloaked James Brown stylee*
Decent piece from the club site on Sanchez’s possible role:
http://www.arsenal.com/news/features/20140722/alexis-sanchez
“Alexis showed he can play either role – he can be the Thierry Henry, or the Dennis Bergkamp. Power and creativity.”
Arsene has already said he expects AS to start in Theo’s spot. (What we get from Theo this year has to be a bit of a question mark given the severity of his injury.) That means we are still rolling with Giroud and Sonogo. For a team with 4 legitimate trophy chases on the go this season and money in the bank that will cause a bit of speculation. Sonogo may be great, he may not, it is difficult to tell as he has hardly ever played anywhere. All the usual caveats apply: arsene will decide, he knows best, etc. Still, it is cause for speculation, especially given the proactive transfer strategy this summer.
On a tangent, this is interesting, I think:
http://www.statsbomb.com/2014/06/is-santi-cazorla-a-central-midfielder/
Article suggests that even when starting nominally wide left Santi basically plays in the middle (and is superb at it.)
I don’t know how Arsene is using the data analytics company that he and Ivan purchased – maybe Trev can tell us? – but that is the sort of thing that site aspires to. If, speculating of course, AW sees AS as a left winger longer-term, with Santi playing inside more, as he does t anyway, it would again leave Giroud as the only striker. He is still the only proven commodity who wants to be playing with his back to goal.
Roll on the Em’s Cup. 🙂
what can i say steve t
😉
i got brady in me bones
Well in cba, I hope you enjoyed the latin assist 🙂
Regarding the latest happenings at the club, I must say all of these signings have made me a bit dizzy.
It’s kind of like when you abstain from drinking for a year and then bash down a case with some mates at home while watching Inception. My head’s spinning in other words!
So, with Chambers coming in to maybe fill in at either RB or CB, does anyone else think that only one more player may come in, probably a defensive midfielder?
I guess it might all depend on whether Vermaelen and Jenkinson transfer or leave on loan…
Ah well, if anyone needs me I’ll be in the corner trying to stop my head from spinning
CoR – Bien, gracias. Y tu?
“repetitive teenagers
in open plan offices’
Deary me. A real put down there from a mature man with walls I guess. If only we all had that sort of wit and vigour.
Keep it football.
Muy cansado mi amigo!
Just had a long morning of meetings which prevented me from reading all of the Arsenal malarkey on NewsOfTheWorld, so going to catch up now. 😉
News of the World seta bien, pero hay mucho malarky en Sun, Mirror, y Metro tambien.
Adelante
seta = seta of course. D’oh. 🙂
Deary me, autocorrect 🙁
el you
.
wit and vigour?
.
.
now its for precisely this reason
you can’t be trusted with walls
.
cheeky wee madam
210 – 212
.
ye really covered yerself in glarry there
CoR – Abstain from drinking for a year? I don’t understand. 🙂
Rewatched the first half of away match v Soton (so take this as equivalent to a single match WC review) to check out our latest signing. Young Chambers looks like a solid player, comfortable on the ball, decent defensive positioning, and some excellent passing. Only noted one cross, which was not worth noting. Seems like a lot of potential, probably more than Gooner Jenks at the same age. Hopefully will have time to watch the second half tomorrow (or today for those of you in the Old World).
and
cheers cannöns
triumphant
🙂
214 – I won’t lose any sleep over it mate 🙂
Backwards
Trev @ 178
You make me laugh.
(Why always me?)
😆
Sorry to hear about your leg mate. I do hope it materialises to how you would like it to develop.
My posts have been the same as usual. It’s just that for some reason my transfer discussion became met with insults and abuse. Now I am as opinionated as the next man, but for some reason, there has been this air of disrespect to certain posters tone this summer. I am not sure where all of the playground stuff comes into it, but there has definitely been some anti-grouping taking place this summer.
But you know me, I like to keep it Arsenal 100%
And on that note…
I see typical service is being resu,ed.
Sigh.
COYG
Big yawns
pan G
yup
*BIG yawns*
Morning El
Arsene Wenger is one of thee if not thee most interesting manager in European if not World football.
In which team would you see players like Calum chambers being bought during the same window as Alexis Sanchez??
I have become resigned to the idea that Sanchez can become converted in a sort of Surezish type of way. If anybody can, Arsene can.
Now moving on to something slightly different – I have glanced over some drinks above and still find that the bar are divided upon Sanchez’s role within the squad. Let me just be clear about my thoughts. I do believe Sanchez can perform the way in which we intend. My only reservation is that season when Chelleini butchered Van Mans ankle. As a result, we were short upfront. The answer was play Arshavin through the middle. Now, don’t get me wrong, he tried his damnedest. The only thing was, he was not built to perform the traditional role of the number 10 although he could drift during matches and notch up a hatful of goals (see:Anfield 2009 you know when he became an a Arsenal legend).
In the end we brought Bendtner off of the bench who eventually ended up scoring a hatful of goals and kept us in the title race. This was because he was more suited to the role.
Now, on a normal day, you will see Messi, Sanchez and Suarez making runs behind defence and through the middle. For me, this is an alternative to playing Giroud or Sanogo who will most of the time, win balls and knock downs, which is pivotal to how we play. So with that in mind, a like for like for Giroud would be an alternative to Sanchez.
I just think everyone should play to their strengths and this will make us a more balanced squad with depth. Thus, less risk of falling short throughout the season.
Now, where’s the anadin??
#free Baloteli and the Colombians
On another note I see Athletico Madrid have signed greazyman. They are re shaping nicely so far this window. I expect them to be back in the mix in Spain this year. I hope they can find a replacement for Herrera. Just not Santi boys. Sor-ry!! But good luck with it all!!
Cba you sound like you need a kip mate.
goonertown
you talk too much
now thats coming from me
(king of the dunnowhendashuddups)
.
SHADDDDDDAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPP !!!!!!!!!
CBA
You talk nonsense – Now thats coming from someone who people think talks twaddle
You’re not funny!
Morning campers. Never seen so much backbiting in this bar as has been in evidence recently.
Keep it civil and put the handbags down! (Sorry Holic not trying to do your job for you)
Blessings to be counted: Sánchez, Debuchy, Ospina, Chambers, a fine sunny day, something good is gonna happen, I just know it!
We are still a little short though Porco. If we get that CF and DM then I will stick my fingers up at every chav and Manc!
cba it’s good to talk
I love to talk
It’s a discussion forum
That’s why I
talk
mate
over
and
out
nanoo
nanoo
221 – I hear you there mate. Everything going smoothly, Giroud and Sanchez can man the attack. When was the last time it all went smoothly? I think we’d be better off with 3 top quality attacker who each play 30/35 games IF they all stay fit than gamble, i think that’s what it is, on having two who can each play 45+ matches with Sonogo behind.
Arsene will know. Always interesting to see what he plotting.
Keep it Arsenal.
#FreeReus 🙂
El – Damn skippy!
🙂
Mirror still linking to stuff saying we offering Casillas a 5 year contract… I will eat my own underwear if we sign Casillas. That bin-bag rag gets worse and worse every day.
Keep it Arsenal.
Hi, cba
One of the gooduns.
The top of a fine morning to you, sir.
What can I say
when the noise
all around
is deafening ?
And the littl’uns
don’t even realise
they’re shouting
again.
😉
El – just imagine if we did end up signing Casillas too? I mean…
Again with the child analogies. I wonder if the irony of being snotty on a blog comments section by comparing people to children has been noticed?
Back to the football please.
Keep it Arsenal.
El – (why always me?)
I would appreciate a warning before my next yellow please ref!
🙂
237 – #FreeBalotelli 🙂
Keep it Arsenal.
*Drums fingers on desk*
Please remember all, respectful debate.
Thank you.
Hi all bringing the kids to tayto park today(my kids)can u believe they have a park for kids named after a bag of crisps!! Only in Ireland anyways have a good day all keep calm.
I’ll take that. Thanks ref! 😉
Would never normally talk up a piece on Le Grove and I won’t link to it, but amongst the really ghastly writing it is a kind of interesting post he has today.
Come on Khedira! A solid DM and we’re set to go!
Le Groan making sense?.. All I can say is : http://i.imgur.com/qZEiXXj.jpg
😀
Actually if Diaby manages to be fit for more than half of the season, methinks the squad is about there..
True, most of our signings are about replacements rather than reinforcements but they look like real improvements over what we replaced, if that makes any sense.
Don’t forget ‘like new’ signings of Theo and Diaby coming back!
Would really hope that we just get another class player just to be safe in case of injuries.
😀
Have to agree. Le Grove getting it in today. Must agree, I am hoping for the next five weeks of joy.
Seriously? Talking up the cunts from le shit on goonerholic. Stopped clocks twice a day etc. BIG BIG yawns
Ref! Surely thats a warning?
🙂
Another generally negative blog that the feel good vibes have bought something interesting out of:
http://shewore.com/2014/07/29/has-arsene-wenger-wasted-66-million/
BB- agree that if diaby can fulfil half his potential we could be in for a top year.
arsene has been incredibly loyal and patient with and for abou and obviously has a huge amount of respect for the man.
Just like Calum chambers must be a very talented kid for arsene to stump up his 3rd highest ever transfer on, abou must also be really something special at his best, which sadly most of us have not seem too often, but arsene surely has, hence waiting so many years for him to come good.
BtW – Calum is spelt with one L only.
240 garsguns
.
tayto invented the flavoured crisp
.
yup
.
we also invented
the penalty kick
.
savoury tenterhooks indeed
.
🙂
249 El Puno
That blogger has done a great job of making some good transfer business into something to moan about. Just incredible, people whinge for years about our lack of movement in the market and how the Chavs have hoovered up all the talent before us, then the first time we get it done early there’s something else to whine about.
Just putting it out there, revolutionary suggestion I know, but why don’t we make that judgement at the end of next season?
Tom called it on Arseblog. The very same people who were complaining that ‘Wenger can’t bring himself to spend money, now complain how he spends the money’. Utter cunts. No other description for them.
Heh cba I’m more of a king man myself 🙂 loved the cannon and ball ref the other day!
i do apologise ‘hol
always
i do my eyebrow standing
in person
sorry
.
failed today
.
but
had to get up early
for the deep pocketted
shower
.
hence
early morn shite
.
all the best fella
The interesting part with all the midfielders is who do e play where. Can we play a formation where we have Ozil Left, santi middle and Sanchez right?. I mean Ozil’s best position is behind the striker but then he is equally adept on the left. I believe this will be the formation we should go with-4-2-3-1. 3 as i mentioned, 2 will be Ramsey and the DM( not jack/arteta/flamini please) . I think at the moment this will be the best option we have all though how do we fit in a Reus( dreams) or anyone else in the midfield is beyond me. On the bench we will have jack, poldi, theo, ox, rozza, arteta, diaby, flamini,
A DM, A CB and a striker to support Giroud, well with a month to go and the way the boss is going on, anything is possible. Come on bender what are you waiting for, Christmas?????
Re ‘shewore’ – what Porco and Bath said.
I actually gave up after the Calum Chambers stuff. Beggars belief.
On that basis we shouldn’t have bought 16 yr old Theo Walcott, 17 yr old Aaron Ramsey, The Ox etc. etc.
And Patrick Vieira was a 19 year old reserve at Milan when AW bought him…….. Complete waste of time and money too.
Me, I’m looking forward to some proper conversation – I think I remember that’s when two or more sides engage, listen and respond to each other – about Arsenal at The Tollie when the season kicks off again.
Sorry I got involved earlier, Holic, but the relentless nonsense has got to me a bit.
252 – I’d agree with that. I’m obviously dead keen on our transfer business. I’m not averse to seeing the other point of view though.
252 – sorry, got cut off there. What I found interesting was the question of how much have we improved for next season? We have replaced a departing keeper and two departing right backs and are up a Sanchez. His characterisation of that does seem fair. That said, we are clearly going to continue trading, all the tattle men an Geoff on twitter say so 😉
garsguns
🙂
i’m not jokin though
tayto invented the cheese and onion crisp
and
indeed
twas an armagh man
thought up the penalty
.
the north of ireland
.
shazaaaaammmm
😉
Afternoon Vinay. I’d see it similar to that. Ramsey, jack, arteta plus one to be named later rotating in the 2 at the base with flamini and Diaby as cover. That 3 with Alexis, Ozil, santi, AOC, rosicky, Poldi , and theo when he gets fit sharing. Leaves giroud up front alone basically, again….
before oskar
tells me how to pronunciallate mc crum
its
m/crum
there
phewee
🙂
Griezmann joins Altetico Madrid.
So Atleti sold Costa and got Mandzukic and Griezmann with that money. Good for them. And I think a good move for Griezmann himself, improving his game in a familiar league with a well supported but low expectation club. A couple of more years and we may have an Arsenal candidate. 🙂
El Puno @ 261: I am also expecting some non-obvious tactical reformations. As you and Vinay implied, in our current formation Giroud and Ramsey become almost irreplaceable given the unique attributes they bring in to their roles. That was the main problem last season. Once Rambo got injured we could not get the rhythm back. And in the few months when Giroud too lost form and fitness even the basic stopped working in the attacking third.
I think we will see more variations this season, one of which would be Alexis through the middle and Ozil as old school #10 — not the self-effacing clever meta-football he is sometimes fond of playing, all off-the-ball movements and opening spaces — feeding him and Ox/Theo/Poldi with Santi/Jack/TR7 providing technical assistance on another flank. This would obviate the dependence on the hold-up play of Giroud and those penetrative late runs from the deep by Rambo. I think we will primarily see a mix of these two variations. The third one would be a classical 4-4-2 with Giroud and Alexis (or their understudies, Sanogo and/or Campbell) centrally deployed , switching positions continuously and playing off each other. Not in Europe or in matches against big teams containing good central midfielder, but in some PL matches especially against stubborn oppositions or in desperate situations we are likely to see more of that.
Whatever we choose to do, we need to be able to rotate and rest Rambo and Ozil so that come the final part of the season they are fit and at peak form. If we can manage that and keep our defensive discipline from last season, we will have a great chance.
goonertown
.
theres plenty i could say
but
outta respect for ‘holic
and
his bar
i’m gonna keep schtum
with regards to you
.
good day
for good
Dr F – Enjoyed that. I think you are spot on. The 4-4-2 is an exciting prospect, especially at home against the teams lower in the league. Not sure about those two back-up striker options though… 😉
As you said the other day, Santi looks the natural replacement for Ozil when he’s rested. Ramsey… I guess Jack would be the one, although I figure’d he might spend this year taking over the Arteta role for when his contract expires in the summer.
In any event, if we can mix and match to suit the opposition and get our main men a rest in the process we will be set up for full season of title challenge.
Forward.
263 – I’d just ignore it mate. (Couldn’t help but put a bit of needle in an apology, it’s ridiculous. I’m not even sure he realises he does it.)
Now you el short arse
i made no such promise
.
🙂
True story.
—————
Mullah Nasruddin is a big city man now. Sultan’s favorite advisor, and everyone’s favorite funny man.
He receives a visitor from his village, a distant cousin. A simple ordinary man who is spellbound by the charms and chaos of the big city.
The relative wants to be introduced to Mullah’s neighbors, all ministers and poets and artists in Sultan’s inner circle.
Nasruddin, rather embarrassed by the clumsy clothes his cousin is carrying hands him over one of his old jackets that he no longer wears, somewhat faded and frayed, but obviously so much better than the last century’s fashion the simple villager has ever seen.
So there goes Nasruddin with his cousin from the village, the cousin proudly wearing Mullah’s hand-me-down.
Mullah knocks at the first house, his friend the poet opens the door. Mullah introduces, “This is my relative from the old village. The jacket he is wearing is actually mine”.
After the pleasantries they leave the poet’s house. The relative, ashamed and a bit angry, accuses Mullah: “Why did you have to embarrass me so? Did you really have to tell him that the jacket is yours?”
Mullah gravely agrees that it was a very unfair thing to say. And he promises not to repeat that mistake.
Mullah knocks at the second house, his friend the finance minister opens the door. Mullah introduces, “This is my relative from the old village. The jacket he is wearing is really his, and was never mine”.
After the pleasantries they leave the minister’s house. The relative, aghast and fuming, chastises Mullah: “Really? Did you have to say that? Why can you not introduce me without talking about the jacket?”
Mullah gravely agrees that it was a very unsophisticated thing to say. And he promises not to repeat that mistake.
Mullah knocks at the third house, his friend the court musician opens the door. Mullah introduces, “This is my relative from the old village. The less we talk about the jacket he is wearing, better it is for both of us”.
—————–
I guess our relationship to our own prejudices and biases are that of Mullah’s to his old jacket. Even after we had outgrown them, and someone less fortunate is now wearing those, we cannot quite fully shake off our claims of ownership to those prejudices.
CBA – you reckon we will play a bit more 4-4-2 this season mate? 🙂
Anyone noticed that Chambers is wearing no. 5 in Austria? Can’t remember seeing any pics of Vermaelen either. TV5 definitely on his way??
Baffson, he has been allocated 21, according to club site.
El Puno @ 266: Yeah, not too sure about the understudies. Let us see. 🙂
If both Ox and Theo are fit — one can dream — and we are playing that type of a game where 4-4-2 works I won’t mind Theo being the second striker. SHowed some good potential last year in that fateful FA Cup against Spurs as the lone striker. Put him through the middle with Giroud and opposition defense will have a true chalk-and-cheese pair to handle.
I think even when we play 4-3-3, or rather our very own 4-1-1-3-1, with Theo on the right we might see that converge a lot to 4-1-3-2, with Ozil/Santi moving to right, Sanchez on left and Giroud and Theo through the middle. Or that Giroud out, move Sanchez down the middle and spread Santi and Ozil on two flanks, nominally .
Whose workrate and tireless runs with and without the ball make such variations and fluidity possible? Rambo. If Jack can move his game up to be a good enough rotation candidate for Rambo — and there is no reason he cannot — then we can make do with whatever forwards we have until now.
However, that DM holding together the tactics and the defensive shape and springing counter-attacks become all the more important. I am a big fan of Arteta, and was really impressed by the way he moulded his game back to the pivote role, but I don’t think he — or Flamini — can no longer play such a crucial position against top oppositions.
Good story DF @ 268
Baffson – superb spot there mate!
Would not just suggest that TV is off, but that AW views Chambers as a player for right now, rather than just a prospect.
The new Kolo Toure?
(Of course, maybe they just didn’t have kit for him and he had to borrow the skippers! :/
Forward
@ 272
Good spot. I reckon there’s no smoke without fire. Thanks for pointing that out. I haven’t actually flicked through em myself yet. 🙂
Goonertown @ 273: Applies to all of us though. Yourself included…as well as the storyteller. 🙂
It appears that the England Cricket team is beginning to remember how to play the game.
274 – Love it, we should really be doing this in a cafe with brown sauce, salt, and pepper over a fry up. Couldn’t agree more, a proper Gilberto style holder to tie it all together still looks like a gaping hole in the squad.
I thought last preseason we switched formations within games really fluently, then when the real games started that just disappeared until the final throw of the dice in the wonderful cup comeback. Even when we were losing there was an odd refusal to go 2 up front.
All about the wings last year for me. We were generally playing a true 5 in midfield after Theo went out. Even when Poldi got fit his form wasn’t there to be the guy making the extra man with Giroud. This year we can put Sanchez/Theo either side, with The Panther and The Ox backing that style up. Like you said, if we go 4-4-2 I guess all of them apart form the Ox join the 2, with Santi going left. (I wonder how Poldi really fits in, he looks to be a bit of the odd man out. Can’t see him starting the big games.)
A 4-4-2 midfield of Santi- Ramsey- ??? – Ozil if everyones fit. Ox and Poldi offering options on the wings. Jack and Arteta in the middle. Then Giroud/Theo/Sanchez for the forward spots…
Be a huge blow if Theo can’t come back, find form and stay healthy this year. All that pressure for pace an goals falls on Sanchez and then the Ox to step up as well. Do we become a bit one dimensional if Giroud goes down? Be the opposite problem, all pace and running behind but teams can sit back and we have no one to offer variation the other way.
Exciting times. I do think that article that got slammed above did make a fair point that in terms of outs and ins we are up Sanchez in the short term. Time for BIG Ivan to turn a decent summer in to an amazing one.
Forward.
277 – I backed India, that might be the more likely explanation 😉
DF I am sure it does me old mate.
A fair, balanced view of our title chances I reckon:
http://www.barriesview.com/2014/07/can-arsenal-compete-for-the-2014-15-premier-league-title#comment-484546
Gremlins Holic????
One person mentions Le Groan in a positive manner and all systems crash???
🙂
That must have been it SteveT. Well spotted.
like vapor lock in a car, Steve.
The bigger hammer did the trick 😉 Sorry about that all.
Bad thing to admit, ‘h@285. Trying a bigger hammer should always be the first idea.
Anyway, thanks for restoring normal service – cold turkey isn’t fun at all.
We are back!!!
I was showing withdrawal symptoms. 🙂
El Puno @ 281: Too simplistic, no? Just based on names, not taking into consideration how team chemistry would work etc. For instance I think Cesc’s success in Chelsea is far from a foregone conclusion.
However I agree, and I guess we all do, we need that DM.
Nice to see you up and running Holic.
I thought the server might have crashed under the weight of trivia of late.
Dr F – that’s fair, it was obviously a short piece the guy wrote. Short a set of legs in midfield, not clear we have a top, top quality centre forward was his conclusion, from a non-biased neutral. Worth pondering? (He likes a gamble.)
I’m not sure I see Chavski both carrying over last season’s “dest defensive record” and fitting Cesc in at the base of midfield. They are short Luis, who despite being occasionally nutty was also generally pretty useful, and Terry is a year older and still a b*st*rd. Maureen will have to work out how he gets his 3/4 holding midfielders on the pitch for big games with Cesc. As you suggest, not a foregone conclusion that the little wife thief doesn’t end up on the bench for the glamour ties, as at #BustoBarca.
City still the team to catch for me. If they can score 100 goals and trot out two lumps at the base of midfield like Toure/Fernadinho/Fernando they will be a tough out again imho.
Forward
El Puno@289: Yes, Man City is still the favorite. And YaYa remains the key to their success. Their defense can be had though, despite Sagna joining…for all that the difference was seven points in last season.
I think the key to our potential success must have to be defensive resilience and consistency, same as last year’s, and better in big matches, of course. If we can manage that, and do not repeat last year’s atrocious injury record, we have as good a chance as any after we have signed that DM.
Come on Khedira.. or Carvalho… or Bender!
Just need one more enforcer that’s it!
So close…
😀
Chelshit are the favourites for me simply because of the squad depth. They have reinforced the areas that made them miss the title last time and i think that is the reason that little pony shit got the players he has now. Their only area of concern is CB and as much people rave about Terry and Cahill, i feel they are vulnerable their the most and hence they still are after a center back in Miranda. How will Felipe Luis fit in, will also be an issue. Definite favourites for me.
City have not lost anyone and with another DM they have quite literally covered the toure to AFC issue. Jovetic was always a good player and he is bound to come good sooner or later. Again whoever they pair with Kompany, he is the weak link and the left back area is something good teams( us) should be able to exploit. Still second favourites considering their forwards are bound to come back to form, Aguero and Dzeko are too good to be poor.
We are 3rd favourites at the moment. We still need reinforcements at center back, left back, DM and striker positions.Yet with what we have now as well i am fairly confident that we can still finish 3rd even if pool may buy Reus or Lavezzi going by the rumours. If we do buy the elusive DM and a striker, add in a backup CB, nothing great but solid, we should win the league.
Couple of observations of various above:
Key to next season will be not dropping as many points against the title-contenders as we did last year. We took six points out of a possible 24 against Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea, for a net of minus nine points. Even sharing the points would would go along way towards closing the gap. And if we could beat each of them at home and draw away, then the title becomes very winnable.
Formation speculation is probably futile. What the increased squad depth gives us is more flexibility in how we play, including within games, and how we rest players for what hopefully will be a 65-game season.
Bookies have Chelsea (19/10) and Man City (12/5) as clear favourites with Man Utd third (5/1), us fourth (13/2), and Liverpool in the Thursday night football slot at (12/1).
Must say that I think it is City’s to lose, though we can run them close. Chelsea is rebuilding; it is a big ask for LVG to get Utd in title-winning shape in his first season and Liverpool were one-shot wonders.
NBN@293: Agreed about the need for not dropping points agains the fellow contenders.
However, curious to know why you think formation discussions are futile. There is obviously not an open ended set of infinite possibilities. 🙂
There are a finite few and don’t you think how effectively we mix them and use them based on the then state of fitness and form would be a key to our success?
I agree Dr F. In my opinion it was not the lack of a world class DM that caused the fiascos at Anfield and Stamford Bridge. In too many games last season midfield players gifted possession of the ball to opponents around the half way line. The main culprits were Wilshere and Cazorla and to a lesser extent the Ox. This happened often when the full backs had moved forward to join in the attack and when the attack broke down after negligently gifting possession there were spaces in the full back positions to play the ball into. We got away with it in many games but Chelsea and Liverpool took advantage of the opportunities gifted to them. While I would be happy if a quality DM were to be added to the squad, it will make little difference if the sloppiness in possession is not eliminated.
Solid point that Joeos @296. However, I would still like to see a strong, athletic and defensively disciplined central midfielder coming in this window. I think it would solidify the squad and make us deeper and better.
Some people have been crying out about our need for a new or another left back but I don’t share that view. I am fine with Gibbo and Nacho. Nevertheless, I think both of them can improve their games.
Nacho had some poor games last season but I think he’s a solid player. Defensively, Gibbs has improved immensely over the years, however, he needs to add some dynamism to his attacking play by beating his man on the outside and delivering better crosses into the box as he has a tendency to always come inside and narrowing the play. His first instinct is always to pass to the midfielder inside instead of going outside. However, I think these are improvements that can be made with practice and better awareness on his part.
I see no need to replace or discard our current left backs. We have money but let’s not go overboard and crazy like the oil and mafia clubs. Let’s concentrate on strengthening where it’s needed.
Nudges it towards goal.
Plays a neat 1-2 with Cent and produces a Zelalemesque through pass………………………………..
COMEBACK!!
ned, completely agree about the mancs and pool, i can’t see them replicating their form from last season (and i can’t see mancs replacing chelsea for third in the table).
i’ll be happy with another season like last, but with the improvement i think our signings and healthier players will provide. will it be enough? i think so, if not then damn close.
All about timing, innit.
Howdy all, hope you are all well.
Major busy around this period so too little time to hang around here, sorry, no time to back drink so I’ll just assume that you’re all as excited as I am about all our new additions.
——
Hey Trev, hope your knee’s getting better mate.
Agreed Impec1. I saw an interesting tweet from Hayden a few days ago “watching videos of the best players in the world in your position is vital” and he tagged Martinez, Busquets and Viera. While he is still young and not ready for a regular place in the first team, his thinking is sound and I have been impressed with what I have seen of him.
To start so appallingly against four of your closest rivals goes beyond tactics and suggests a real problem in preparation and motivation. Frankly I was almost as ashamed of those performances as I was the 8-2 fiasco at Old Trafford. Lessons weren’t learnt and experienced players didn’t step up. Wembley almost went that way but we managed to claw it back.
Wenger and Bould should have a long hard look at those games and wonder why we were so pathetic. So should the players of course but you don’t get many top sides playing (and particularly starting) so poorly in key games
I have a feeling it’s Carvalho.. if they can agree a price.. Khedira seems injury prone.
We shall see 😀
While I agree that experienced players did not step up I do not agree that there is a real problem in preparation and motivation. You can prepare all you want but if players indulge the opponent by negligently gifting them the ball in dangerous situations then all the preparation and motivation in the world is worthless. In my opinion those defeats last season were much worse than the 8-2. Given the players we had available for that game there was no prospect of us getting anything out of it, even though Webb awarded us a penalty that RVP missed. The real damage that day occurred after Coquelin was subbed off and United subsequently scored 5 goals.
Zenit lost the first leg of their CL qualifier today – if they did go out, we wouldn’t be able to get Bilbao in our qualifier. So fingers crossed for AEL Limassol next week!
Charlie: unfortunately, it was only 1-0 to Limassol so I doubt they’ll be able to keep Zenit at bay next week. But then again, stranger things have happened.
Joeos: that 8-2 doesn’t bother me anywhere near as much as the big losses we had last season. In that ManU game we played a severely weakened side which was also Jenkinson’s first PL game as well as Coquelin’s I think. We hade Traore at left back and if memory serves me we had Djourou and Squillaci in central defense. Neither Arteta nor Mertesacker had signed for us yet and nor had Benayoun, and Song, Gervinho and Frimpong (OK, he probably wouldn’t have made much difference but still) were all suspended and Wilshere was injured. We had no such excuses at Anfield or Stamford Bridge.
Joeos: now that I read what I said to you I realise I could have just said “I agree with you” 🙂
Joeos and Lars I dont disagree about the relative humiliation attached to OT and last season but the defeats last year were all lunchtime kick- offs in massive games and we couldn’t compete. We showed a lack of fibre and quality but the coaching and management staff have to bear a huge responsibility
H2H – sensational comeback ! 😉
Knee doing ok thanks – at least until the dog span me round on it at the weekend going for a cat under the hedge !
Never work with animals !
Off to the West Country in the early hours for a week.
Participation here will depend on whether the coffee cups and string reach all the way down the M4 – M5. Here’s hoping ! 😉
ttg: I think it was a combination of poor tactics and players not performing. When you lose like that it’s not just one player or just the manager, they all need to share the responsibility. However, I don’t think the lunch-time KO had anything to do with it, we played well and won in other early kickoffs so it can’t have been that.
The 6-3 at Man City is completely different (while we’re on the subject of big losses!), I think we actually played quite well for large parts in that game but we were just knackered as that was our third game in less than six full days but we were well in it until the last ten or so minutes.
I fear that I must remind some of my distinguished fellow-barflies of the small print of their admission to the sunny side.
Without for one moment down-playing the depths plumbed at Anfield and the Bus Stop last season, I invite you to consider, for a moment, our play in subsequent matches and to contrast it with the team’s reaction to similar defeats in the past.
Memory is a fragile thing so I may be mistaken, but I recall the Invincibles going somewhat into their shells after Pizzagate and who can forget how the team played in the weeks after Dudu had his leg snapped at St Andrews?
Contrast that with last season’s team who came back from that game at Anfield to defeat the same opponents in the FA Cup only a couple of weeks later – a result which required them to hold their nerves as a resurgent Liverpoo scored to reduce the lead to 2-1.
I’m not blind to the deficiencies of last year’s team, not of the areas which have yet to be addressed in this transfer window. I merely choose not to focus on them, in order to improve my own happiness. There is, after all, nothing I can do to address those areas myself.
COYG
Lars, I agree about the City game. It was a silly game by both teams that could have ended up 5-5 or 8-7 to City. Unlike the media, I recall the City manager expressing his dissatisfaction with the defensive performance of his team.
Pangloss, I agree the squad demonstrated the mental strength to recover from a few disasters and if we eliminate the sloppy gifting of possession while transitioning from defence to attack in the coming season then we will be very hard to beat.
Pangloss
Very good point and one might say the Wembley victories both came from losing positions. But those defeats were so conclusive they did raise a lot of question marks.
I also agree with Lars about the Citeh game. We looked great going forward. We were arguably more disappointing against United
Now I know what attending a one room school house feels like 😉
(Kinda like it!)
WELCOME BACK H2H 🙂
My Ronaldinho is on a free! Hey Ivan …. 😉
abb, you are so very special here. Thank you 😉
ttg@315, what made the city game so conclusive? yes, liverpool and chelsea both raised questions, but as pangloss points out they were fairly well answered in the following few games.
even though we lost those games handily, in the end, i’m not sure they’re referenda on our season. the fa cup victory, finishing 7 points off the pace in the face of all our (usual) injuries, those (to me) are far more conclusive about the quality of the season.
Oh Holic, our holics here are so dear … xx
I’m now a little confused after reading all the positional options mooted in this round. And I mostly think it’s all a bit prior cos I don’t think AW has finished spending yet with a DMF and another striker, winger or attacking midfielder still likely to be added.
But I’d like to suggest that if Özilla plays anywhere but in the pocket behind a lone striker he will be wasted … again. Unless he scores more often – and that isn’t easy playing as deep or wide as he did last year – he’s not contributing as much as his talent suggests he should. I have still to be convinced he’s up for the weekly grind at Arsenal, but if he starts scoring more goals that will also have a positive effect on his attitude.
Öskar
Dr. F: I meant futile in the sense there won’t be one definitive formation that we’ll play (just as I don’t believe a word of it when LVG says United have to play 3-5-2 this season because that is his only option with the players he has available). Certainly, our system flexibility is another key to success in the coming season.
H2H: Well in for the triple ton. Back with a bang.
TTG: but then look at how Brazil imploded against Germany in the WC semi-final. It happens even to the best teams.
The other thing about the 8-2 at OT was that United scored just about every other time they took a shot: eight goals from 15 shots on target. We had 13 shots on target in that game, but only two goals to show for it. Similarly with the 6-3 last season at Citeh. We could easily have won that 8-7. I agree with Lars that the defeats last season at Anfield and the Bridge were far worse. We were well beaten in both.
smiling at oscar…i don’t agree, i think he could be really effective behind a pairing of sanchez and giroud, flanked by two of santi/theo/rozza, with a holding aaron. IF we keep the fullbacks from pushing too far forward.
Is it just me or do the days seem to be getting slower and longer as we approach August 16th? I am so excited about the coming season. Can’t wait to see a front line of Sanchez, Giroud, and Theo/Ox with Ozil and Rambo sitting behind them. That has to make other teams nervous. I’m not a religious man but I’m praying the injury bug decides to wander off to new surroundings (preferably Chelsea, but will take either Manc team).
Thanks NBN.
About last season, it is worth noting that despite those awful away defeats, and despite a rather ordinary scoring record, we would have still been very close to the top come the end of season if we had just played true to our form and taken care of the weaker sides as we had done consistently.
Stoke away, Swans home, ManU home, Southampton away .
+3 +2 +2 +2 = 9 points
Yes, I know football quite doesn’t work like that and if my auntie had beard she would be my uncle. 🙂
But the point is if we had failed to turn up in those ‘big’ away matches — including the Everton 3-0 loss which was as awful as the rest, Everton!!! — we had also failed to do what we were doing best otherwise in some relatively low key matches.
Winning a league is a combination of quality, stamina, planning, resilience, belief, hunger and a bit of luck.
I would say we lacked the depth in quality which combined with injury led to some poor planning, but we probably lacked a bit of belief as well once Rambo was injured.
The stamina and resilience shown by Per and Kos last season was extraordinary. I hope we do not go into the new season assuming that everything would go as smoothly as it did last season in that aspect and we won’t need to rotate/rest them at all.
One sure thing that should not be option is the BFG for captain….
Aussie are you trolling?
Dr. F – “if my auntie had beard she would be my uncle”
Should be the mantra of all football conversations. If only Flamini hadn’t deflected that ball into the net against Swansea. But if he hadn’t, we would never have sucker-punched Dortmund away.
Or any of a million iterations of that. Here in America we have college football, where the teams play just 11 games a season. And there are hundreds of colleges, so strength of schedule is everything. The beauty of the premier league is that everyone plays everyone else, twice. It all comes out in the laundry. The table never lies.
GL@327: Heh… Yes, the table never lies. Except when Arsenal is not at the top. 🙂
I actually live in US, for nearly two decades now. Never got into American football though. 🙂
I think ‘what ifs’ in sports can be a great source of entertainment, and cruelty.
Lukaku joins Everton for a club record 28m : http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/28569197 .
Given how tightly that ship is run, I would expect some outgoing movements .
I grew up in Georgia, where (college) football is king, but I haven’t really paid attention to it since I was in high school. Still like some baseball though.
Always liked Lukaku, and now that he’s left Chelsea I don’t have to feel bad about it. 🙂 Good for Everton – they haven’t had a striker like that for some time. He’s really a terrific player. He got out of Chelsea before they could corrupt him. I predict a great year for him at Everton, and then a line of suitors across Europe.
Sorry goonster – poor English on my part.
Meaning with all the player combination options above, one player that should be a dead cert is the BFG for captain.
I.e ( no other option should be considered for captain)
Love the BFG (in a manly kinda aussie BBQ way)
shit, that sounds even gayer then just saying I vote the BFG for captain….
Oskar- why do you have to see ozil scoring goals to rate him.
He is not a goal scorer and never has been.
In the pocket is the only place he should be and as scruz said above, feeding Sanchez and any other combination of 1 or 2 more forwards will simply be close to an arsenal dream team.
I wonder if ozil scored 11 goals for the season or 15 goals for the season, if you would still say, he should score more for the money we paid.
I can guarantee now that we have some forward power with speed in Campbell and Sanchez and when theo returns you will see the real ozil stand up and be counted.
If the players who should be scoring can’t put his through balls into the back of the net, that ain’t his fault
BREAKING NEWS:
Liverpool are on the verge of signing Gary Ballance for £20m after his performance at Southampton over the last few days.
Just saying like. 🙂
I’d be happier if he scored 11 goals in a season, Aussie, happier still with 15. But he’s capable of 20 and that is what Arsenal need from their best player. Otherwise a big part of his talent is going to waste.
What concerns me most about Özil is his attitude (sorry to bore the bar with this again) abut I believe scoring more often would make him more enthusiastic about the game.
Öskar
I hear you Oskär, BUT it seems possible to me that if Özil were scroing, say, 5 more goals a season, he might be providing 10 fewer assists, which would be a bad thing for the team as a whole. I don’t know if that really is the case, and I certainly don’t know whether, even if it is, the numbers are accurate.
It’s the kind of thing you need a manager to know, understand and make a decision about and I trust Wenger to do just that.
COYG
I do not agree that Ozil has an attitude problem. He has a languid style of movement that some misinterpret. He is permanently on the move to find space at the same time looking around to confirm where his teammates are on the pitch; in some instances indicating the position they should move to so they will be in a more threatening position for when he receives the ball and delivers it to them.
As I’ve pointed out many times, Pangloss, creating chances hasn’t been a problem for Arsenal, even through the barren years. Converting a higher percentage of those chances is where the problem has been. And our midfield has been letting us down most. Last season Rambo became a midfield goal-scorer, and we became competitive at last, topping the table … until he was injured (along with Theo).
That Özil was also injured was pretty much irrelevant, imo, cos he hadn’t been contributing goals anyway, just chances that went unconverted = status quo.
Öskar
Our only forward last season scored 16 league goals. As stated above, if we don’t give Özil the targets to aim at then we are wasting his talent. That is one of the reasons why signing a top quality striker is an essential for me. I’m still not sure where Sanchez will play but we do seem short up front.
You’re welcome to your opinion, Joeos, but most analysts agree that Özil started well last season, but tailed off to have an overall disappointing first year at the Ems. Per even had to tick him of, in public, about not acknowledging Arsenal fans after a loss in one match. And he looked disinterested in a number of other games.
Yes he has a relaxed style, but there’s a point when relaxing turns to not bothering, and Özil has been criticised for this at his previous clubs, not just with us. He used to give his best only when playing internationals, but even his WC form wasn’t his best this time by a long shot.
Öskar
Oskär@337, if you believe that we have difficulties in converting chances into goals, then fair enough, but why lobby for the conversion of one of our chance-creators rather than for the acquisition of a chance-converter?
Otd,
With no malice, I’m curious to discover what you think makes the complete footballer and what you feel are the necessary attributes. Also, what to you, makes the consummate midfielder/striker/defender?
Love to know who these ‘most analysts’ are Oscar that you keep quoting.
Ozil had a better first season than both Bergkamp and Pires.
KLAXON
KLAXON
Backing into corner warning
Thank you for your attention. Please carry on
Good Morning to all and hope the day is filled with vitriol towards a certain steven slip up shut up gerrard.
He apparently has stated that he dissuaded Suarez from joining us stating he is too good for Arsenal.
Flash news you moron and i say that with the same amount of respect you have when you said with due respect to Arsenal, we are far bigger than you, your club, him and all of your kops put together. You dont need to have tried to convince him, he was always going for the highest bidder.
He also says for an English player, playing for liverpool is ultimate and for foreign players it is Madrid or Barca. So you piece of shit why did you hand over a transfer request to go to chelsea. Secondly, did you do a analysis which stated that every english player wanted to go to pool, did you check how many are there at Arsenal???
The next time you open your stinking mouth and talk about us, we will guarantee you this, you wont just slip, you will lie down in a heap forever.
For all your talks, do you even see a response from our club or from our players, that is what is class, history and tradition, something you, your stupid club and crappy fans will never be.
I usually do not stoop down to such levels responding to such idiocy but i am tired with people taking cheap shots at Arsenal.
Well said Vinay.
“With all due respect to them, I said to him that he was too good for Arsenal.”
No Stevie you have it back to front, Arsenal is far too classy for racists who bite.
Oskar. I must say that I think you are massively off the mark with Özil. I fully understand from all you have posted previously that you are not a fan of his. But he had more assists than any other Arsenal player last season and created twice as many chances. The fact is that our strike for consisted of Giroud, top top player but hardly prolific, along with Bendtner, Park and Sanogo. My views are well documented about how we fucked up the Higuain deal. Can you imagine how much better he would have looked if we had actually bought a proper striker? What ever you think of the bloke I’m not sure that you can blame a board fuck up on him?
Arsene said he will be player of the year this season. If we supply him the players to hit with his passes he might just end up being right???
Vinay @ 344: Liverpool FC has always been, is, and will always be a bit of shit. And Steve G. and the rest of the ‘Pool scums would always be jealous of the class and quality of Arsenal.
No need to lose your temper, just watch amusedly as they find themselves back relaxing at their comfort zone, sipping a cocktail of mediocrity and hubris.
Oskar, mon ami, you really don’t like Ozil, do you?
Former clubs ‘complaining’ about Ozil? You mean the self-serving quotes by Perez once he had sold Ozil? Did you also read the comments of despair from the whole Madrid team, including their talisman who would rather get bald than praising a fellow player?
Which current player in Europe has earned unequivocal praise from all the managers he played under — a varied a list including two diametrically opposite personalities in Arsene and Moanin’ho — and fellow players as different as CR7 to Santi Cazorla?
If you think he was not instrumental, along with Rambo, to our sustained stay at the top for the first half of the season, or he was not a key to Germany winning the world cup … then you are probably watching a different game altogether than most of us. It is not inconceivable that you have the more accurate picture, but it is highly improbable.
As others pointed out, the attitude thing is sometimes misunderstood because of his demeanor. I find him highly engaged with the game, and deeply frustrated when the result is not in our favor. Check out the end of the Everton home game.
Let us take out the subjective aspects altogether and let us set Ozil a target for the 14-15 season. A meaningful target for a #10, including goals, assists and number of chances created. And then evaluate that vis-a-vis other #10s across Europe’s top leagues. Shall we?
“sipping a cocktail of mediocrity and hubris”
LOL brilliant! I don’t like the Pool normally, but they just moved a few places up my shit list.
Trust El to be the first back when the lights came back on @ 281
My small contribution to the discussion about Ozil-
He is a genius. I make no bones about the fact that i adore that guy. He is so classy that i pinch myself that he plays for us.
Yes his first season was not as good as per the high expectations we had, yet he was not bad. He will never be bad. He is so intelligent that he reads the game in the mind far more quickly than a lot would and hence there could be a disconnect.
I have seen him exasperated at times at our players but that is because the thinking levels may not be in sync.
yet when we see him link up with a ramsey or a cazorla, you know the wave length match.
Mesut Ozil is our jewel, someone like him make a lot of tough things easy specially for others.
He will know what to expect this season and now with an outlet for him with a fit ramsey or our DM coming in, we should see the genius in him being even better than last season.
Did i say i adore him??? i do, i so do
Manchester United’s world record £750m kit deal with Adidas will be cut by 30% if they fail to qualify for the Champions League in consecutive seasons from 2015-16.
—————–
I knew it.. long may they finish out of the top 4!
And another thing… F Stevie G too, long too may he slip!
There’s another reason I have Arshavin on me shirt.., Pool and Barca.. all previous indiscretions are forgiven… brilliant player that one.
😀
Steveee Geee is a bitter and twisted whiny little Scouse git. He knows he has missed out in a Premiership unless in his twilight years he gets a move to one of the usual top four and gets lucky. He also failed to notice that Bitey doesn’t have enough class for the Arsenal and he himself has never ever been good enough to interest us over what we had already.
He needs to get back to adding to his hubcap collection.
Stevie G is more hilarious than Liverpool’s title bid last season.
“This doesn’t slip now”
Whoops…
Give a Scouser a sniff of the bigtime and they’re gallavanting all over town talking shite. But guess what, I’m willing to bet that next season, and the one after that we’ll still be singing:
Have you ever seen Gerrard win the League?
Have you ever seen Gerrard win the League?
Have you ever seen Gerrard,
Ever seen Gerrard,
Ever seen Gerrard win the League?
Have you fuck!
Bringing up the 40 million plus 1 pound bid….everyone knows the 1 pound was for Stuart Downing!!! 😀
Some interesting stuff here:
http://news.arseblog.com/2014/07/how-shad-forsythe-can-help-fix-arsenal/
Interesting to note that Shad Forsythe seems to be taking the same approach that Trev (and Catalan too, I think) has been talking about, i.e. to look at the whole body and not just the injured area. Let us hope that is the right path to take.
That’s an excellent link Lars.
Gives one hope Arsenal may finish the season with all its first team players, ya know … playing.
Big props to Trev for the insightfulness and whatnot.
Looks like we are addressing all the issues on and off the field.
Gerard took shots at us? Enjoy your Tequila Stevie, we are all currently too busy sipping on all those Barclays wine we have accumulated over the years, especially the one that comes in Gold bottle, to do shots now. Thank you.
Who is Juan Fernando Quintero? !!
Good sources for the Quintero story which suggest that Campbell or Cazorla or both may be off if we sign another playmaker. Douglas Costa is a dead duck too.
Hope it’s not Santi.. he’s got a good year or two left in him.
Whatever happened to a DM? Can Quintero play as a DM?! Hmmm.
I rather think we will sign Quintero and loan him back to Porto or someone in England.
This is The Day Before Friday, chaps 🙂
Not getting into the Ozil debate; discovered him when some of you were still in your nappies 😉
Lars, Good article (albeit over my head just a tad), his theory sounds very logical to me. Fingers crossed. Cause we would have won the league if it weren’t for all our injuries 🙁
Now, did you listen to ‘Ask Wenger’. He loves animals, esp. dogs and horses. I’d marry him, if I could 🙂
And speaking of pleasant people, Manuel Pellegrini is sorta cute, too.
He has a great sense of humor. He and his assistant were chuckling after 3 of their lads missed their PK’s last night.
Samir is very lucky to have him 😉
Not getting into the Ozil debate; discovered him when some of you were still in your nappies
Ha Ha
Best response ever 🙂
Douglas Costa is a dead duck ?
That would have been our worst signing ever ! Makes a decent coffee though. 😉
And just bear in mind that Juan Fernando Quinteiro is only half as good as Two Fernando Quinteiros. Just sayin’. 😉
And thanks for the ‘props’ re the physio thing.
Oh H2h!!!! ♥ you man 🙂
The Trev(or) too! 🙂
Özil ?
Absolute class.
You don’t have to huff and puff like Dean Windass and react to every incident like Craig Bellamy to prove you’re any good.
* waves to Nursie * 😉
Hey fellas, one margarita is all it takes. Winks 😉
Heh @ Trev
You gonna be able to hobble down for Palace, Trev?
There may very well be a visitor from the Lands of Low in the watering hole of choice.
So Hammers got Jenks on loan it seems…
Good for him to get some regular playing time!
I’ll be there, mate, one way or the other.
Toppie.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140731/jenkinson-joins-west-ham-united-on-loan
It is a good move for Jenko especially if he gets steady game time. With Jabba the Hut rumoured to be on his way out of the Hammers, what guarantee does Jenko have of playing regularly?
Good luck to the Corporal. Hope he tears it up over there.
And God I hope Santi isn’t going anywhere. That would be a HUGE buzzkill.
By the way, can someone help me out? Has Sami Khedira ever been a holding midfielder? He’s always been a box-to-box type guy right? If so, and we really are in for him, I’m assuming the boss would want to convert him to a holding midfield role. I don’t see Khedira content to play second fiddle to Rambo.
Good Luck Corpl. Jenks.
Sad to see you go but here’s to hoping you’ll be back soon.
They just keep on coming. No stopping BIG Ivan this sumer.
Hola Quintero 🙂
377 – GL, check out this re khedira:
http://www.statsbomb.com/2014/07/is-sami-khedira-arsenals-answer-at-defensive-mid/
The Quintero rumours seem to have extinguished as quickly as they appeared if his agent is to be believed. The world of football rumours is remarkably stupid at times as this ridiculous rumour about Casillas underlines.
Goo stream- Khedira is not a defensive midfielder as Luis Gustavo for example is. A DM sits in front of the back four and breaks play up. Khedive a is a box to box player who would form a double pivot with Ramsey. This is the system Wenger seems to prefer. A double pivot does mean that one midfielder holds if the other goes forward and the way that any midfielder brought in interacts with Ramsey or whoever else is I the double pivot may determine how effective we are in protecting our back four. There is no question of Khedira displacing Ramsey unless Rambo loses his form
Ozil = Superb. Amazed its even debated. Just a joy to watch to.
Ttg – “Goo stream” haha!
Super helpful explanation re: Khedira, and thank you. That makes sense. I was assuming Ramsey would keep his place, and trying to understand where Khedira (or someone like him) would fit into our midfield system.
El Puno, that’s a helpful link as well.
Sorry about the Goo Stream my iPad has a mind of its own. I think it is a S***s fan!
I figured as much. My contributions to this forum are much more legible which I have a real keyboard in front of me.
when* obviously dammit.
aaahhh
blaa
.
howdy ‘hol
howdy all
and
what time do you call this?
h2h
.
tuts all over the place
.
anyhoo
.
🙂
the sweeper
got it right
.
i can’t stand
this vertical rubbish
.
never effin started it
.
on purpose
.
i just talk in chunks on this screen
.
sorry
.
*tips imaginary hat*
Why have we wasted decent oxygen talking about that wanker Gerrard????
So, Baby Lady Gooner officially joined FC Dallas academy on Monday. Chuffed doesn’t do it justice, so I reworked Eduardo’s song for her:
She joined the team at 5 years old.
Maddy. Maddy.
She’s always brave and always bold.
Maddy. Maddy.
She loves to run.
She loves to score.
Give her the ball,
She’ll score some more.
She’s Maddy B. FC Dallas’ number nine.
My girl.
ECG – I know I once said I was deciding between Seattle Sounders and Sporting KC for my MLS allegiance, but I guess I’m locked in with FC Dallas now.
I wonder if it would be poor form to wear Arsenal kits to the stadium?
Probably. 😛
Hope you ‘holics have been, erm, behaving.
Hmmmm. I’m in a minority of one, apparently, so not much point debating every issue raised against my opinion … life is too short!
I’ll just repeat that I have always believed Özil to be an outstanding talent. My complaint is solely about his attitude and how it affects his game too often. It’s not what I expect from an Arsenal player.
And if you guys really believe his first season was as great as you say, I do wonder what you base that on. History?
Tabs … you say Dennis had a poor first season with just 16 goals and 13 assists. And yet Özil managed only 6 and 11. I hate stats too, but if Dennis was poor as you say, how come Özil wasn’t? And what if he has a second season like Santi, i.e worse than his first?
I hope he has a stormer of a 2014-15 season and proves to be an Arsenal legend. I just remain to be convinced.
Öskar
That’s a great imaginary hat, cba. And very deftly doffed.
The imaginary underpants, however, do not leave enough to the imagination, imo.
Öskar
Lonestar – Congratulations on your daughter’s success! I cannot fault you on your selection criteria!
I would occasionally wear an Arsenal kit to the Sounders first season in the MLS when we had Freddie Ljungberg and former Arsenal academy player Steve Zakuani. Now I stick with my Sounders kit.
After raising the topic a few drinks back that Carl Jenkinson was not going to make the Arsenal squad of 2014 and beyond, I received plenty of “never gonna happen in this lifetime”.
well, it does seem that Arsene and I are in complete sync about the squad going forward, so here is a sneak preview of AW and my squad line up for the first match.
we discussed the needs of the team over a barbie and a few beers recently in Sydney on his way back from the WC.
ospina (send woj a short sharp message)
debuchy per kos gibbs
aaron santi
theo ozil11 Campbell
sanchez
Quintero?
Quintero ..seems like a ruse by his agent to get someone to buy him.
Don’t seem to me like we need anyone in that position, but what do i know?!
😀
Why would you want to send Sir Ches ‘a short sharp message’, Aussie? He was one of the best keepers in the premiership last season as well as one of the best of ours week in week out. Ospina will need to be consistently outstanding in whatever non-premiership matches he gets before Sir Ches has anything to worry about.
Sanchez as a #9? That’s never going to happen. And Theo is unlikely to play any part until next year.
Sir Ches
Debuchy Per Kos Gibbo
Rambo
Ox Özilla Jack Sanchez
OG
Rambo, Ox, Jack and OG positions subject to Theo return date and transfers yet to come.
Öskar
oskar – AW and I both discussed chezza at length in the backyard.
AW feels chezzas dad has been a poor influence on him and the young lad needs his ego slighty adjusted in the form of quality competition.
we also discussed jack over a couple of bourbons at the end of lunch and in his current form jack wont see much game time until he improves significantly and can string 3 passes togeather and stop falling to the ground all the time.
Ox – good call if theo is not back.
But ozil11 will run the the plays and OG may come off the bench when young Campbell runs out of legs.
!Sanchez!
😀
Campbell is more likely to be loaned out than play regularly. Jack just needs to be encouraged given time, then he’ll be back to the old (young) Jack we all loved. He’s a better bet than Santi anyway.
Öskar
* and given time
BB @ 397 Yeah there’s a lot of that around
Good shot by the way 🙂
Good morning, all! Barring further injuries I think we will start the season with Szczesny, Debuchy, Chambers, Koscielny, Gibbs, Arteta, Rambo, Jack, Cazorla, Alexis and Giroud. I would expect Vermaelen to start ahead of Chambers if he recovers in time from the injury he sustained at the World Cup but I don’t think he will make it considering he is not yet back in training. Per and Ozil will gradually move into the starting eleven at the expense of Jack and whoever is pairing with Koscielny in central defence when the Germans come back.
Well in, BB!
Oskar, We all loved Carl as well, but arsene and arsenal are in the business of football on a global stage and jack is nowhere near ready for the global stage where we will be heading this season.
He is learning off the best in ozil and aaron, so hopefully he can make our FA cup or league cup sides and get a few runs under his belt.
Aussie
I don’t think you can play Cazorla that deep, certainly not in a double pivot. He’s not a holding midfielder. Diaby could play that role.
Thanks GT and Cent!
Wow! What a season it’s gonna be for us…can feel it in my bones!
On another note, hope Jenks does well and we can recall him in future seasons, he just needs matches that one!
😀
Aaah TTG –
Abou diaby, of course.
I knew I was missing somebody important.
It has been so Long since he played for us I keep forgetting he is like a new signing.
It is clearly going to be a very tough gig getting a starting spot in our first 11.
Well done arsene. Happy days ahead.
And as BB said earlier – Sanchez!!!
It will be goose bump stuff when Sanchez first sets foot on the emirates hallowed turf with a big home crowd.
Can’t wait.
Oskar@398: Theo is almost back in full training and will be before the end of August so he’ll most likely be back playing before the end of September – hell, he may even be on the bench when we play City at home after the September international break.
3 in a row.
Given out first 11 is now not able to even include santi cazorla as a starter as abou steps in, makes you realise what a strong cup side we will have.
Ospina, nacho, bellerin, chambers and (not Miguel as he will be sent out)
Then santi, jack, zelalem, gnabry and poldi
Campbell up front
Fuck a duck that’s pretty good
Morning all,
From sunny Devon,
Where it rains
Six days in seven !
I’m assured that is an exaggeration as they don’t get a nice day EVERY week ! 😉
It’s misty here at the moment. As misty as Steve T’s eyes looking at a picture of the now departed Fabianski. 😉
Ducks seem to be getting a hard time in the bar lately ……. ? 😉
Hi Trev, whereabouts in Devon? Wave to me in Cardiff f you’re on the North coast.
Thanks, ECG.
Why do you think it’s so green, Trev? Enjoy. Hope the rehab going to schedule.
Where’s the sweeper when you need him?
Oskar @392,
Several strawman arguments there. To take each in turn …
– I didn’t say that Ozil had a ‘great’ season. What I do say is that he is a ‘great’ player, and that he had a season that in all the circumstances – new country, new football culture – was more than acceptable. There is a difference. Most observers saw Ozil have a fantastic impact on the side initially. This impact lessened in the new year due to a combination of tiredness perhaps as a result of being overplayed, and because our only 2 players who regularly got ahead of the ball – Walcott and Ramsey – got injured, thus minimising Ozil’s effectiveness. Even then, there were stellar games – Everton in the Cup stands out – and his return from injury towards the back end of the season showed immediately what we had been missing whilst he was away.
– Ozil was exactly what we needed. Your characterisation of the Arsenal side of 12-13 as a side that created loads of chances and simply needed someone to put away these hatfuls of opportunities is quite simply wrong. At Villa, at Norwich, at Southampton (just off the top of my head), we struggled to create a chance worthy of the name. The defeat at WHL, (another game in which we enjoyed the bulk of possession but struggled to create any chances), prompted a tactical reshuffle from AW and the last quarter of that season was characterised by nicking an early goal and then sitting on it, with often nerve-shredding consequences. It was all a very far cry from the free-flowing hugely creative side that you infer.
– Where did I say that DB had a ‘poor’ first season? I didn’t. All I said was that Ozil’s was better. DB’s first season was one largely of ‘moments’. Some wonderful goals, some exquisite passes and some wondrous pieces of skill, but there were many many games that simply passed him by and where he remained peripheral. Despite this, the Highbury faithful saw enough to suggest that we had a hell of a player on our hands, and that once he was fully integrated and settled, his impact would be huge. That is of course how it turned out. Same goes for Ozil. I referenced DB simply to make the point that it is a fools game to write someone off on the back of their first season.
– I have very little time for stats (apart from those that are fitness related) but even indulging the modern fad for a moment, to compare Ozil’s goal stats with DB’s is, with all due respect, nonsensical. DB played as a forward in a 4-4-2. Ozil is simply the furthest forward of the midfield trio. To compare the two’s goal tally is to compare apples with pears and means absolutely nothing. Worth pointing out though at this point that DB only scored 11 premiership goals in that first season. His tally was boosted by goals in a league cup run against the likes of Hartlepool and Barnsley.
– I have even less time for the ‘assists’ stat. It is meaningless.
– You keep referencing Ozil’s ‘poor attitude’. It is ludicrous to do so. The kid works incredibly hard and his off the ball running is up there with anyone elses at Arsenal. I accept that this might not be apparent to those that have to make do with a tv screen, but given that you appear to like your stats you might want to take a look at how far he runs in each game.
– the idea that he only turns it on in International games is equally ridiculous. Presumably this penchant for the International scene only was the reason that both fans and players at Dortmund and Madrid alike were up in arms when he was sold?
Still waiting for the names of all these analysts that apparently ‘prove’ Ozil was a disappointment. Savage, Shearer perhaps? Here’s three that thought he was terrific – Neville, Keown and Bobby Pires himself.
And while I’m at it …
Aussie, the idea of you and AW crossing swords over the barbie did make me laugh, so a tip of the hat there, but I suspect that AW’s loaning out of Jenks is a rather far cry from your ‘deadwood’ description of a few bars back.
If AW had been on the same page as you, Jenks would have been sold, something which if reports are to be believed, he resolutely refused to do.
I’d wait to see how Jenks gets on with the Hammers before counting your (barbie) chickens on that score.
tabs @ 419: Agree whole-heartedly (except for the relevance of the stats, statistics if interpreted properly can give us a lot of insight). A minor correction though: Ozil’s German clubs were first Schalke and then Werder Bremen, and not Dortmund.
Ozil’s international captain, not given to hollow words, one of the most intelligent footballer of this generation:
“Anybody who has played with Mesut will tell you how intelligent he is as a player,” Lahm told Goal. “His vision is probably the best I have ever seen and that is why it is so important to have the right striker ahead of him.
“He is a dream for strikers and you saw that with [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Karim] Benzema when he was at Madrid. If Arsenal can find the right striker who is fast and makes intelligent runs – then Mesut will be devastating next season.”
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2014/05/26/4822029/arsenal-need-to-find-the-right-striker-to-get-the-best-out?ICID=SP_HN_1
If AW’s trip from the World Cup in Brazil back to London took him via a backyard in Sydney, then I would be asking serious questions of the abilities of the AFC travel co-ordinator.
And if our midfield pivot/anchors were a combination of Rambo and Santi then I would hold serious concerns about our goals conceded column.
Seriously.
UTA.
I stand corrected Faustus. And ta for the kind words.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is speaking in a news conference at this very moment. He rules out a move for Porto midfielder Juan Quintero, saying: “That is wrong.”
He says the club still plan further signings before the close of the transfer window, adding: “I think 15-30 August will be busy again.”
——————-
Yes!!
I foresee with my prescient mind, a DM coming, we shall strike FEAR into the hearts of our opponents! Solid defence and blistering attack…good days be coming back again..!
This discussion about Mesut needs to end. He is a class act and he is a fabulous talent. Yet as all great players, he needs to prove himself everytime for that is what separates the great from the good.
He had a good first season, time for a great one now.
Pangloss,
Duly waved. I’ve just sent you over an enormous black cloud – well, sky really ! – that sprinkled gently onto me while ambling up the beach in Westward Ho!, North Devon indeed. And yes, the “!” is actually part of it’s name. You have to admire a place that declares itsself so enthusiastically to the world that it ends it’s name with “!” 😉
The breeze blowing the worst of it here inland, will be heading straight for South Wales. There’s plenty of it too – no need to worry about missing out !
Cheers Bath – recovering slowly from a bit of a dog induced twist and stumble !
Never straightforward, is it ? 🙁
Back to read yours later, Tabs – lunch awaits.
Just very briefly on Mesut. From what I saw of the World Cup, Germany would have looked a bit like two separate half teams without him.
His contribution is sometimes subtle but never inconsequential.
Also said :
No truth to Balotelli rumours ( Thank you Wenger!)
Not spoken to Southampton about Schneiderlin
Wenger confirms Thomas Vermaelen is injured: “Its a possibility that he leaves the club.” ( Better have a replacement in mind! )
😀
BB@425: There is one more round of transfer merry-go-round to happen. I think both Barca and Real — the real heavyweights whose moves often have the domino effect — would sell and buy a few more.
I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that our DM and defender signings would come a bit from the left field. I am not entirely convinced that we would buy Khedira, who is a brilliant player, but is essentially Rambo and with both of them we would have to play a double-pivote in the center of the midfield. Our typical playing style — a malleable 4-3-3 with highly mobile front line and fullbacks joining attack — is always best served by someone sitting deeper and organizing from the back. Physicality wise Khedira and Rambo are both dynamic and capable to move up and down, and interchange the defense-attack responsibilities, but are they naturally inclined and comfortable as the organizers? Both can grow in that role though, Khedira more so given his greater experience and age.
We might also buy Khedira, and another DM, and say fond farewells to one of Arteta or Flamini. Might appear impossible now but these are ruthless times in WengerUniverse.
Further to my post about Theo earlier today, it seems he trained with the team today according to phots posted by Arsenal on Facebook. It doesn’t say if he took part in all exercises but the fact that he is training with the team at all is hugely encouraging news.
Arsene Wenger says striker Joel Campbell has a part to play at the Gunners, adding: “Yes Joel Campbell is part of my plans. He might play tomorrow [in the Emirates Cup] against Benfica.”
On new signing Calum Chambers, who has joined from Southampton, Wenger adds: “I like the player. He was a long-term goal.
“They [Southampton] could have won the European Cup if they could have kept the team together.”
——————
Looks like no more strikers then… good news indeed! Focus on what’s needed most, prioritize!
@429 DocFaust
With my limited knowledge this is what methinks will happen,
we shall finally have the flexibility of playing varying formations which will be a huge advantage against different opposition, this will happen with Sanchez (and Campbell?!), don’t think i am taking too much of a risk saying that he won’t need a season to adapt!
No one else will leave (after Vermaelen) who doesn’t want to go, if we get a younger DM and i expect us to, Flams and Arteta will be great cover that we will need as the season progresses.
While we won’t have the tremendous depth of our vilest opponents, (see Chavs et al.) we will no longer be lacking when we need it most as our new found highly respected physio works his magic.
Plus Wenger finally wants to make something of what may be his final contract, a league win and a Champions league would do him justice!
Long live the Arse!
😀
Arsene Wenger responds to Steven Gerrard’s claims that Luis Suarez was too good to move to Arsenal last summer, saying no player is ever too good for the club.
The Gunners tried to sign Suarez, who this summer joined Barcelona from Liverpool, last year but Gerrard said on Thursday he told the Uruguay international not to join them.
“You’re never too good for Arsenal and Steven Gerrard knows that,” Wenger says. “But I can understand completely that he asked him to stay because he wanted him (Suarez) to play with him and have a chance to win the Premier League. But it didn’t happen, and anyway, Suarez left.”
——————
Last sentence is the best! 😀
Very excited to see the Ox this year. Amongst all the injuries, he has had a few star turns that suggest he is really ready to move from promising young talent to shit-the-bed-Ramsey levels of awesomeness. Jack primed to step up as well now he’s fit. Wonder where this leaves Gnarby this season though. Huge talent, but maybe a loan season on the cards?
Great last sentence indeed BB.
And what tabs said @ 419
With the Dr F. Amendment.
iLonestar @ 390 A chilled glass of Gatorade awaits you and your rising star 😉
Hey Folks. This Corporal Jenks business has me a bit sad. Some on twitter are saying they won’t watch him because he’s playing for WHU. Now I don’t understand all that is involved with the loan process. But I’m pretty sure it was his only viable option. He is of good character and will work his boots off! I’ll be rooting for him.
It’s August 1, approx 2 weeks away from the start of the Season. No DM yet is a little worrying. Additionally, who plays alongside Koz at CB v Palace? TV5 will be gone or not fit enough. Risking Chambers in that position is exactly that. Nacho who played CB last week v NYRB isn’t the answer. Any thoughts.
I dont usually quote comments on arseblog news but this one under an article with this pic of Arséne http://news.arseblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/wenger_beach.jpg had me in stitches.
“draw me like one of your french girls”..absolutely brilliant 😀
Vinny, the BFG will most likely be ready for Palace.
Lars, the 3 German WC Winner’s don’t report back for training until Aug 11 after a month off. I’m assuming he might be a little “short” as AW would say. Hopefully he returns back before Aug 11.
Evening all. Looking like a four pint preview tonight. Thank goodness football is back.
Indeed, Holic. 😉
It’s looking like old times in the bar.
One thing I don’t quite get above is the idea that we won’t sign Player X because we already have Player Y and he’s really good too.
Surely our recent problems have been mostly down to a lack of options and the resulting fatigue and eventual injuries.
So having Player X and Player Y promotes competition which tends to keep players concentrated in their best form, provides backup for injuries and allows sensible rotation when games are coming every three days, often involving travelling across Europe, or even further for international matches.
Now we can afford options we will have develop a mindset to use them.
Can someone enlighten me as to exactly what I’ve missed here ?
Vinny — Arseblog is reporting that he has heard it through the grapevine that BFG, being the big consummate professional he is (BFGBCP), is apparently scheduled to return early and help his beloved Arsenal out in the initial stages of the campaign. Ozil and Poldi to return later.
Per didn’t play that much in the final stages of the tourney, and I am sure he has been keeping himself fit, raring to go.
I think more than the Palace the CL qualifiers are probably in Arsene’s mind.
Also, about the DM, I expect something to happen in the final two weeks of August.
Trev @ 442: I fully agree with you that lack of depth and the inability to rotate squad has been one of the main reasons for those season defining injuries. And hence more the options the better it is.
However the potential for squad depth is indeed limited by the number of players we can register, no? While previously we filled in those numbers by a few from reserves we probably don’t need to do that anymore. But again that number is not unbounded (25 with 8 home-growns, right?).
Ideal is of course two top players (third goalie to be used from the reserve squad) at each and every position (so 22 altogether), fighting to the first choice, and then three versatile enough players who can play across different positions. This is somewhat simplistic as our midfielders and forward players can play in many positions anyway and hence offer a greater variation than this rigid formulation may suggest, but nonetheless the squad depth is balanced using a strategy such as those.
Using that arithmetic, there are positions where we should strengthen and where we can strengthen without having to let go one of the current, and in positions if we are to strengthen we will have to release one or two players.
A closer look at our squad.
So, the squad rules says 25 players of age > 21 with 8 home-grown. Under 21 we can supplement with as many as we want.
Removing the ‘playing time’ satisfaction form the equation altogether, if we concentrate on what we have now and see how best we can optimize according to the somewhat simplistic strategy above (Ox, Serge and Chambers need not be included as they are all < 21):
GK: Szczesny & Ospina — 2
LB : Gibbo & Nacho — 2
CD1: Per & TV5 — 2
CD 2: Kos & ?? — 2
RB: Debuchy & ?? — 2
DM : Arteta & ?? — 2
Box-to-Box: Rambo & Jack — 2
#10 : Ozil & Santi — 2
LW: Sanchez & Poldi — 2
RW: Theo & Campbell — 2
CF: Giroud & Sanogo — 2
Jack of all trades: TR7 (forward line), Flamini (midfield), ??
So, if we are to maximize the squad depth without losing any player, we can still potentially sign four more players, but not any more than that unless we want to be Chelsea or Man City and loan them off while playing their salary.
Arsene Wenger you champion, that one line made my day. I wont say it made my week for that will happen when i see Sanchez playing tomorrow or the day after. Take a bow boss, you are brilliant.
On the homegrown note, this is the current squad:
(not counting players like Coquelin, Ryo and a few others we can safely assume won’t be part of the team)
HOMEGROWN
Woj
Gibbs
Wilshere
Ramsey
Diaby
Oxlade-Chamberlain
Walcott
NON-HOMEGROWN
Ospina
Debuchy
BFG
Kos
Monreal
Vermaelen
Rosicky
Arteta
Özil
Santi
Flamini
Poldi
Giroud
Sanchez
Sanogo
Campbell
Gnabry, Zelalem and Chambers do not have to be in the named sqaud as they are all still under-21 players.
That’s 7 HG and 16 non-HG if I managed to count them correctly, which leaves room for two more senior players, one of which must be homegrown – but as Vermaelen is likely to leave that most likely leaves room for two non-homegrowns and one who is. If Sanogo goes on loan that also leaves one more space of course etc.
Correction: the Ox is still an under-21 player.
I also see that Faustus posted along the same lines as I was typing!
Lars @ 447, thank you. I missed Diaby. But in your list Ox is under 21 as well. So, 445 rephrased:
Removing the ‘playing time’ satisfaction form the equation altogether, if we concentrate on what we have now and see how best we can optimize according to the somewhat simplistic strategy above (Ox, Serge and Chambers need not be included as they are all < 21):
GK: Szczesny & Ospina — 2
LB : Gibbo & Nacho — 2
CD1: Per & TV5 — 2
CD 2: Kos & ?? — 2
RB: Debuchy & ?? — 2
DM : Arteta & ?? — 2
Box-to-Box: Rambo & Diaby — 2
#10 : Ozil & Santi — 2
LW: Sanchez & Poldi — 2
RW: Theo & Campbell — 2
CF: Giroud & Sanogo — 2
Jack of all trades: TR7 (forward line), Flamini (midfield), Jack (midfield)
So, if we are to maximize the squad depth without losing any player, we can still potentially sign THREE more players, but not any more than that unless we want to be Chelsea or Man City and loan them off while playing their salary. Among these three one must home-grown.
Faustus: I realised my mistake and corrected myself@448 🙂
Thanks Lars. Saw that. 🙂
I missed Diaby altogether. A bigger mistake I must admit. 🙂
Thank you, Abb @ 436. Pure class as always…
Doesn’t the Flamster count as home-grown from his first spell?
An enjoyable discussion-as Trev says back to old days!
Particularly good stuff from Tabs and Dr F.
I have a friend in North London who is a huge Tweeter(no law against it). He tells me a very reliable ITK called ? Paul Dempster is claiming Khedira is already signed.
I cant be arsed with this stuff but it is the one thing that I disagree with Dr. F on. I think he may go for Khedira . I also hope we don’t try to replace all our CBs with converted right-backs!
Enjoy your hols thosewho are on them. I’m off to Norfolk tomorrow. I don’t know any regular supporter going to the Emirates Cup!
Pangloss: no, he was too old when he came to England. You have to have played in England or Wales (note: playing in Scotland or Ireland does NOT count towards HG status) for three seasons as an under-21 to qualify as homegrown. Note also that citizenship has nothing to do with it so Owen Hargreaves, despite being an English citizen, did not count as a homegrown player as he had never played football in England before he signed for ManU.
Thanks, Lars. I recall his being about the same age as the Catalan bloke but didn’t recall (and wss too lazy to look up the details).
So, Doctor Faustus,
If I understand correctly, as things currently stand I haven’t actually missed anything – but thanks for the detailed response.
To think you can be too old at 21 🙁
Lars @455,
“Owen Hargreaves, despite being an English citizen, did not count as a homegrown player as he had never played football in England before he signed for ManU.”
He didn’t play a whole hell of a lot after he signed for them either. 😉
Trev: well, I only said he signed for ManU, didn’t I? 🙂
Trev…..could have guessed you have come downt to Devon as for the first time in weeks the heavens have opened and that wet stuff has fallen. We have missed all the storms and downpours you have been having in the Home Counties. Today was the first cancelled bowls match of the summer – had to spend the time in the bar just in case the weather improved 🙂 Hope you have a good break of R & R so you are fit and ready for the new season.
What a season to look forward to as well….nothing better than seeing Arsene on top form. Hope to make it for a game or 2 and replenish that half pint of yours.
Cheers Uply,
Sorry about the rain. Afraid you’re lumbered with us until next Friday, so put the bowls shoes away and get the bog snorkels out ! 😉
Tabs,
Finally got time to read your @419 and have to say I couldn’t agree more about Özil.
On the point of his ‘laziness’, I took special note to watch him off the ball to see if any of the accusations were justified. Time and again I was, I have to admit, surprised to see him as our deepest lying midfielder when the ball was being played out of defence, and then making lung busting runs to get up with the attack, often late into games.
Not something you would get to see on TV cameras which follow the ball. But, hey, it does give the media something to bash the Arsenal with, so why not.
Another example of that was this afternoon. I was driving when the toss pots of the day on TalkSpite asked whether Arsenal’s centre backs would be good enough to win the league if Vermaelen left for Man Utd.
No questions asked of Man Utd of course, who currently boast the reserve players Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling, and Phil Jones who, if fit, seems to play anywhere but centre back.
Why do I listen ?
Dunno. Must be the chance to hear Darren Gough again ! 😉
Seem to be on the most volatile WiFi in the world down here. 🙁
Cheers Trev. Couldn’t agree more re Ozil. It seems that unless you’re constantly pumping your fists and bellowing exhortations you ain’t made of the ‘right stuff’ according to some. Sadly, it’s the type of attitude that has held English football back for years, where ‘passion’ (whatever that means) is placed in front of technique.
Hope your leg is up to an Ems outing soon.
New post >>>
Seems the guvnor has forgotten them, so…
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
🙂
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