Now for some good news
By: travis |
2 Comments
I’ll admit the last week has been rough. All that I’ve posted are rumors of this player or that player leaving. I’m done with the negative - at least for this post. Time to bring in some good news about player movement, along with a quick few thoughts about the close of the season.
Before mentioning anything on Sunderland, to the transfer market we go. Wenger has promised Gunners fans signings within the first few weeks of the transfer window. And this is news that is welcome to those concerned about a time when the boss won’t make any moves. He’ll show the critics, of that I’m almost positive.
But what about the actual players he’ll bring in? Well, according to a few sources, the first rumor out of the hat is a potential deal for Lyon winger Hatem Ben Arfa. Obviously, neither side has announced anything, but it would be a great start to the transfer season. With the midfielders bolting left and right, a tandem of Ben Arfa and Walcott on the wings next season wouldn’t be all that bad. I don’t think Wenger needs more than one ‘big’ signing - in terms of money spent at least. A boost in depth is something badly needed though.
That said, the Daily Mail links us to Valencia’s Carlos Marchena. They also mention Micah Richards being forced out, which would set off a battle between us and Man United. Other names? Samir Nasri of Marseille is apparently being sold for €12 million which would spark interest. Latest rumors have him going to Lyon though. The pressure will be on Arsenal to land a big name or two during this transfer season.
Finally, to today’s game. Unfortunately, another trophyless season awaits. And while early season forms gives every right to be disappointed, there is lots of hope. Assuming the entire first team doesn’t leave - and outside of Hleb, Flamini, and Lehman no one seems keen on leaving - next season should be much better than this one. Sunderland doesn’t really have much to play for, and it seems as though a few of the younger players will get a chance today. Kieran Gibbs and Mark Randall will possibly make their way into the squad. I’d expect Cesc to be dropped because of the Euros, and Fabianski will continue in goal. Not to sure what will happen, I could see it go either way. But here’s to a win, and finishing the season on 83 points - not bad at all. Just not quite good enough.
Tags: The “silly season” is almost underway
By: travis | 3 Comments
The season is not even over and it’s apparent that Arsenal faces many challenges between now and the first kick of the 2008-2009 season. The dramas, rumors, and speculation of where players will end up seems to never bore the press and should be a constant during this summer. And according to the media, Arsenal seem primed to lose every single important player. And Wenger doesn’t take kindly to this:
“Look, [apart from Lehmann] there is one player who is free. He has already left. For me, 98 per cent of the squad will be here next season. And the two per cent have already gone. The rest are all under contract. If anybody wants to buy a player he has to call me. I can give you my number if you want because maybe some ignore that I have a phone. What is unbelievable is I’m sitting here [at the press conference and it is] like we have killed all the players.”
Well put. The rumor of Alexander Hleb leaving leads ESPN Soccernet writer Jon Carter to apparent cracks in Wenger’s philosophy. Yes, three seasons in a row without trophies is not a good sign. But to push the panic button and draw conclusions because Hleb might leave is a bit drastic. Arsene is going to make it very hard for him to go.
Soccernet isn’t the only media outlet having a go. BBC asks “Should Arsenal fans be worried?” I vote no. Because I’m sure Wenger knows what he is doing and is a competent football manager. Just because one player leaves, maybe two, why all the drama? If Cesc and Adebayor left as well, then there would be a real cause for concern.
Wenger also adds how many players want to play for him:
“When I go to my office I have 220 calls from players who want to come in.”
Now it doesn’t seem unreasonable for players to want to join Arsenal. It’s a high profile club in one of the best league’s in the world. The question is, are any of those 220 players any good?
Wenger doesn’t stop there. He next takes a swipe at football agents:
“The agents always get nervous in May and they calm down on August 31. For them it’s like going fishing. You’re allowed to fish now, you know?”
These reactions have resulted from the provocations of certain agents - namely Adebayor’s - who like creating rumors to try and get their player a better deal or a wage increase. In case anyone still thought that was true, Adebayor himself says they are rubbish. Good for him. See a rumor, quashes it himself.
There’s a lot more out there and heaps more to come. Real and Bacelona will probably be in line once again to get Cesc, and who knows, maybe more talks of Henry coming back. Whatever happens, it will be worth keeping an eye on.
Category: Arsenal NewsDetermined to keep Hleb. But why?
By: travis | 3 Comments
Well to nobody’s surprise, Flamini is gone. The rumors were all true. Sad, but I’ve pretty much said all I want to on the subject. Visit this post at gunnerblog for an excellent number of reasons as to why he left. To sum it up, Milan is a bigger club than Arsenal, and they are paying him far more. Easy to understand, yet hard all the same.
With that in the past, time to focus on the players we still have and if they’ll stay around. That brings us to Hleb, who has been flirting with Inter Milan. They took him out for ice cream which seemed to properly piss off Arsene. And I’m glad he got angry. And he talks about being determined to keep Hleb. Fans of Arsenal know Hleb to be all style and little substance. He can sure perform nice moves, but when it comes to putting the actual ball in the net, he falls way short for the withdrawn striker/attacking midfielder he’s supposed to be. Seven goals in the league? That’s not going to cut it. That’s three seasons and 84 appearances with just seven goals. Correct me if I’m wrong, but a greater return should be demanded of him. If he wants to walk, let him. As long as Wenger goes out and buys a suitable replacement. Arsene does seem to be adamant about letting no one else leave the club though, which is good, considering the midfield is looking pretty thin. Gilberto, please stay.
Category: Arsenal NewsJoleon Lescott Has A Large Forehead
By: Abby | 2 Comments
And thank God he does, because otherwise I would have had nothing to talk about while watching the game yesterday.
Because really, nothing happened. It was very much an end-of-season game where the team couldn’t quite be bothered to actually play. Everton weren’t exactly inspiring, either, which was a bit more surprising because they actually had something to gain from this game, unlike we did.
But yes. The game was played at half-pace. There were a few half-hearted chances in the first half, mostly Gilberto off of corners (and one high cross). Everton were blunted up front, although young goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski did look a bit nervous when the ball came into his box anyway.
Eventually, Arsenal decided to put in some substitutes, because why not? Carling Cup regular/French teenager Armand Traore was one of them, and his energy and general feeling of wanting to be there did add a bit of life to the proceedings. It also added a goal, as his lovely cross met Nicklas Bendtner’s head in the 76th minute (after doing some nice pass exchanges with the Dane). Which was enough to win a game that neither team seemed to care about.
The other substitute was Jens Lehmann, my beloved crazy goalkeeper. Those who know me know that I really do love Jens, despite everything that he’s actually said and did. He was crazy but talented, and certainly never dull. I have great memories of both his fantastic saves and the way he used to anger all our opponents. Wherever he goes from here, I’ll miss him.
And a final congratulations to Arsenal LFC. The Ladies beat Leeds United 4-1 to lift the FA Cup and complete another domestic double. Congrats!
Auf wiedersehen Jens, Arsenal win
By: travis | Add Comments
With the news of Flamini leaving now coming from the foremost news source, Arsenal took care of business in a particular unconvincing fashion. It was an interesting game more than it entertained, with the only goal coming from a powerful header from Dane Nicklas Bendtner. That brings his tally to nine on the season, a decent showing from him. Wenger spoke of Bendtner’s improvement:
“Bendtner? Fantastic. I think if you look at Bendtner on the August 1 and Bendtner on the May 1 there is a massive difference. He has become a good player, and if you look at the chances he has created, in the time he plays, and the times he has scored, especially the goal he scored today.”
It will be interesting to see what kind of role Bendtner plays going forward. He seems a bit nervy on the ball at times, but his finishing in the air has been solid. He’ll probably start again next weekend against Sunderland. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him score again as well.
Fair play by Wenger to put in Lehmann for a farewell appearance. While definitely a talented keeper, Jens seemed to lose himself when he lost his spot earlier this season. But Wenger seemed to always support him, although he had a few remarks on this apperance:
“It was a farewell, yes. I wanted him to say goodbye to the fans and to show him that we respect him for what he has done for us. He was a 100 per-cent professional, not always an easy character but you take that if the guys is committed every day.”
Wenger also touches on the future of Gilberto, expressing his desire for the Brazilian to stay. With Flamini on his way out, the need to keep Gilberto is massive. He could play an important role yet. A midfield of Denilson and Cesc may be talented, but leaves the team younger than before. Only one game to go, and second place may still be within reach. Probably not though.
Arsenal v Everton for what it’s worth
By: travis | Add Comments
Well, Man United won so the Gunners are mathematically eliminated from the title race - although no one said they were still in it. It’s unfortunate that with two or three wins against the teams we dropped points against (Birmingham, Middlesborough) we’d still be in the thing. So for us, with third place locked up, and very little chance at making second, today’s match against Everton means almost nothing for us and something for them. Everton are still in the hunt for fifth place, and a spot in the UEFA Cup. Any points for them today would secure fifth place, thanks to a Villa loss yesterday. It would be nice to finish the season with 83 points.
One of the things to look out for is if Flamini says good bye to the fans. Will Arsene even include him in the starting XI, or the squad itself? Hard to tell. On one hand, he had a great season and deserves a send off, on the other, he’s a bit of a money grabber (or at least it seems like it). Preview from Arsenal.com gives you the rest.
And on a funny note, rumors that Barcelona have offered Henry and £15 million for Fabregas. I laugh at the notion. It’s a main feature on goal.com, but if you click on the story it links back to the main page. Make of it what you will.
Category: PremiershipMore Flamini news
By: travis | 3 Comments
The latest report states that Flamini has agreed to a four year deal with Milan. Hopefully, this is for real and the whole thing can be put to bed. It came down to money in the end, as Milan were willing to pay more than Arsenal. Wenger wasn’t willing to break the bank to keep him around, and as much as it hurts to lost a player like that, Arsenal couldn’t match the €5.6 million Milan is reported to throw at him.
These still may just be rumors and speculation, but as I said a few posts back he’s probably gone.
He’s on fire!
By: travis | 3 Comments
Check out this Nike commercial featuring Cesc Fabregas being lit on fire and juggling. At first I thought it’d be fake (maybe they switched people) but it seems pretty convincing
Category: Arsenal NewsFlamini out, possible replacements?
By: travis | 3 Comments
With Flamini now supposedly off to AC Milan, it’s time to admit what has been inevitable for the last few months. Arsenal loses a player of unquestioned toughness and grit to some team in the Serie A. Best of luck to him, and I guess in the end money talks. Flamini had a great season and despite missing the last few weeks through injury, it’s hard to be anything but appreciative with the way he played the tough guy role in defensive midfield. He’ll be a tough player to replace.
Speaking of replacing, the rumors are flying all over the place. Aside from Cesc dreaming of a title miracle. New rumor of the day is that Arsenal are interested in signing former Sydney FC defender/midfielder Mark Milligan. He’s off contract with Sydney, so he’ll be a cheap gamble, and having watched him play all last season, he could pay big dividends, playing a similar role to Flamini. I know the comparison is a bit of a stretch, as the A-League is several notches below the EPL, but it’s worth keeping an eye on. Milligan helped Australia qualify for the Olympics and had a solid showing in the 2007 Asian Cup. Not a bad move, as he should come cheap.
The Daily Mail links us to Hatem Ben Arfa as well, saying that we’ll have competition from Marseille. It would fit into Wenger’s desire to bring in as many Frenchmen to the side as he possibly can.
The business side of Arsenal brings news that Managing Director Keith Edelman has “left”. Or been forced out, as other articles out there claim. Edelman helped secure things to get the Emirates built, so due credit to him. His departure may increase spending on transfer, but also the takeover of the club by some crooked, fat Russian oligarch.
Walcott player of the month, more rumors
By: travis | 2 Comments
After I called for Arsene to start him a few weeks ago, young gun Theo Walcott has finally been backing up the hype that has surrounded him. He’s put in two or three consistent performances in a row, not to mention finding the back of the net as well. This has led him to be named as Arsenal’s player of the month. Good for him too. Only a daft fool would claim for the kid not to be talented, it’s just up to Arsene to give him some real match experience for him to come closer to meeting his potential. And he’s just starting to scratch the surface in my opinion. His spectacular run in the Champions League, a goal here and there over these last few games, and perhaps a strong finish to the end of the season will give him confidence going into next year where he may be called upon (and should be given) a bigger role next season.
On a less fun note, now Adebayor’s name has been thrown in a hat to leave in the off-season. Milan seem primed to take as many of our players as they can. And it seems kind of batty to leave for another club. Outside of Man United, there isn’t a team that can match Arsenal’s level of young talent.
Category: Arsenal News
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