transfer talk Archives

RVP Still bleeds Red & White

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Jul 262012

In 2010 Lebron James for those who don’t know him an NBA player became a free agent. Prior to that he was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers whom he had given a lot of great years. One thing that Lebron hadn’t managed to do was win a Championship with the Cavalliers. Always rated to be one of the best players in NBA who hadn’t won a Championship. When Lebron announced his decision to Join The Heat who were planning to become the Manchester City/PSG of the NBA. His decision was met with heavy criticism and a media frenzy, thousands of virals of angry fans, burning of jerseys and the old classic death threats. Fast forward now Lebron was voted NBA finals MVP and has now won his first Championship.

I don’t want to educate people about the NBA here as I don’t think theres a lot of interest in it and after all this is a football blog. As a fan its difficult to understand why a player can just move without the motivation of money. For example our old Togolese friend is refusing to sign a contract at sp*** because they cant offer him the amount of salary that he is being given to by the sheikh’s in bucket loads. Samir Nasri, we understand Manchester United were first in for him and wanted him more than Manchester City but he choose to dab his ink where there was more zeros. Is it any coincidence that the biggest players in the world Zlatan, Thiago Silva, Aguero, etc sign for the clubs that offer the most money? Is this trend because they feel there is a better chance of winning things at these money rich clubs or is it because they want a better pay package?

As a fan I like nothing and sitting with friends and berating how Chelsea, Manchester City and PSG are ruining football by injecting unrealistic money into clubs thus corrupting the whole system. Its all fair enough But we Arsenal ourselves have been just as guilty in doing this just like Manchester city albeit with less zeros but its like stealing someone stealing a TV and another one stealing a toaster there might be less value on the toaster but its stealing none the less. Let me expand, Arsenals policy was to sign a lot of young players from mainly Europe taking them from the best academies around and offering twice/3 times the amount they earned at these clubs. When these players join they say things like ‘I’m glad to be joining Arsenal because they give young players the chance’ None of them ever say I’m joining Arsenal because I can now earn 4 times more than my former team mates. In a way maybe some of these young players view Arsenal as a stepping stone or a booster seat to their career even though history proves that for the most part the young players that leave Arsenal never really make it. Why do you leave the club you grew up at and come to a different country? Is it because you get a chance to play more or maybe the nice pay package made the decision easy

So the curious case of Mr Robin Van Persie, there is a famous picture of him sitting in his room decorated in red and white and also wearing a JVC Arsenal shirt. The boy has always been a gooner, , ‘why would he leave his favourite club?’ is some of the words fans mutter. Yes Van Persie might be a gooner and he has played for his favourite club but does that mean he has to stay and potentially not win anything and miss out on that last big payday and a sack full of trophies that comes with it? What Van Persie and Mr Kees Vos had planned is that They plan a beautiful exit plan where Robin gets fan’s pity and people turn on the board and he makes a sweet escape and stays an Arsenal Legend. WRONG! Arsenal fans are not to be underestimated and this beauty of twitter, facebook and blogs means that there is a lot of exchange of information , analysis over and over again meaning the truth or some of it will come out. The backlash was spectacular, I don’t think even Robin himself was prepared for it. Now it has left him in a situation where perhaps he doesn’t have control of it as he wished. Arsene and the board wont have it, No one wants to pay over £20 million. I am not going to speculate on if Robin refused to go on tour or not because Koscielny, Giroud, Podolski and a few others also didn’t travel. Was this done to protect Van persie or the club just had planned it? Why did Theo and Chamberlain go they were at the Euros? are all the questions people have but at the moment its all speculation.

I for one hope Robin does the right thing, show faith in the man who showed him a lot of faith and stood by him through those rape allegations, the petulance and red cards and all those injuries and the club that made him a truly world class performer. Its funny because reading Robin van Persie’s statement theres is a whiff of hypocrisy. Arsenal could have cashed in on Robin and signed a more experienced striker when the likes of Henry left. Yet the club showed faith in him and allowed him to develop. The club is changing its wage structure, investing in ready made talents. I just want Robin to reciprocate the faith that the club and fans have showed him. This summer will decide weather Robin van Persie will become an Arsenal legend or another good player that played for Arsenal.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment and follow me on twitter @mista_mani

Is Malaga Star Santi Cazorla Set For A Move To Arsenal?

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Jul 232012

Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger is actively on the search for new reinforcements to further strengthen Arsenal’s current squad. Following the acquisitions of Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud recently it is widely expected that Arsenal will now turn their attentions to signing a new midfielder of real quality. The skilful Santi Cazorla is a player who fits the bill. Since the departure of Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona the club has never found an adequate replacement to fill this important role for the club. Arsenal had come close to signing Juan Mata from Valencia in the past but this failed to materialise as Chelsea had beaten us to his signature.

However, Arsenal were strongly linked with Spanish international Santi Cazorla last summer before he made a big money switch to ambitious side Malaga. There are widespread reports that Arsenal are once again interested in the Spaniard with Malaga’s owners currently in debt and in need of a significant cash boost. Malaga are also said to be interested in Arsenal’s out of favour striker Nicklas Bendtner with rumours circulating recently that Arsenal had rejected an initial fee believed to be in the region of £6.5 million pounds for the Denmark international.

How Much Will The Spanish Playmaker Be Available For?

Santi Cazorla is expected to command a fee in the region of £15 million pounds although, Arsenal appear to be a keen on a player plus cash deal offering both Nicklas Bendtner and a sum of money to entice Malaga to make a deal happen. With Malaga’s interest in Nicklas Bendtner made public by the player’s agent in the past this could well be a strong possibility for Arsenal Football Club. However, a move for Santi Cazorla may hinge on whether Arsenal can tie Theo Walcott down to a new contract, with some of the media believing that Arsenal could target Cazorla as Theo Walcott’s replacement. But with the clubs willingness to sell Andrei Arshavin there is a position available in Arsenal’s 25 man squad for a player of Cazorla’s quality.

Does Cazorla Want To Leave Malaga? Who Else Is Interested In The Spaniard?

In addition to, Malaga’s apparent need to gain funds from selling some of their prized assets Santi Cazorla is also said to be unhappy at how the Spanish club has broken promises they had made to him previously. Wage and bonus promises have not been met by the Spanish outfit and the playmaker looks almost certain to leave the club this summer.

If Arsenal do want to follow-up their interest in the Spanish midfield they will reportedly face competition from North London rival, Spurs who are on the market for a replacement to Luka Modric who is edging ever closer to the exit door. One of Spurs top transfer targets Joao Moutinho is said to command a fee in the region of £30 million pounds + a fee Spurs are not willing to pay for one of Porto’s standout performers. This is easy to understand though when you consider a player of Cazorla’s talent is available for half the price!

Consequently, Santi Cazorla’s versatility also makes him an interesting proposition with the midfielder able to operate through the middle in a central attacking midfield role or on either wing. He has played a part in some of Spain’s previous international successes although; minutes have been hard to come by in such a talented Spanish national team oozing talent. The pacy playmaker scored nine times for Malaga last season and the only way I can see Cazorla staying at Malaga is if the club settles the dispute over the payment promises they had made to him previously. I strongly believe that with the owners considerable debts he will be forced out the door and join one of Europe’s elite clubs instead. Cazorla could well be the answer to Arsenal’s attacking midfield problems and he could offer the North London Club some much-needed Spanish flair.

Originally posted on: www.football247now.com <– Please check out this website for football news from around the world!

You can also follow the sites official twitter page for the latest transfer news, football latest, article updates and much more! @Football247Now

UPDATE: Silva, Walcott, Lansbury, Bartley

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Jul 162012

Wellington Silva to be loaned again, Walcott to hold vital talks and Kyle Bartley and Henri Lansbury’s return from loan.

Wellington Silva

“Wellington (full name Wellington Alves Da Silva) will again spend this season on loan at Levante – in the Spanish top flight – with the club confident it is the best approach for developing Wellington’s future with Arsenal.“ – Arsenal.com

Last season, Wellington, the promising Striker from Brazil was loaned out to Levante. Ever since Wellington Silva joined the Gunners, I’ve been watching him closely, hoping that he will make a break for the first team. He is a young, fast and very talented player. He plays with flair and pace and can pull defences apart.

Brazilian wizkid Wellington Silva

On January 20, 2012, Wellington Silva Joined Segunda División side Alcoyano on loan until the end of the season. Not only did he score in 3 of 16 appearances, he also netted on his debut. At the age of just 19, he has a bright future at Arsenal.

When questioned about his future at Arsenal last season, he responded:

“I am working hard to prove that I am able to play for Arsenal´s first team. That is my goal.”

Wellington returned back to training with the rest of the squad

The only problem with Wellington Silva is we have to wait for him to get a work permit. Just like with Joel Campbell. Hopefully we can see him ripping apart the Tottenham defense in a few seasons time! In addition to this point, it was rumored last season, that Wellington fell out with managers for bad attitude problems and an unhealthy diet.

Theo Walcott

Now to talk about Theo Walcott. It seems that Walcott, who is already on £70,000 a week, would like a better contract, earning around £100,000 a week instead. In my opinion, I feel that the club should offer him the new contract, with at least a 4 year deal.

Arsene can easily raise the money to pay Theo’s wages, as he plans to offload both Vela and Squillaci, with Squillaci reportedly earning around £60,000-a-week sitting on the Arsenal bench.

Walcott scores a screamer Vs Sweeden

Although many slate Theo, labelling him as just a “Sprinter”, I feel he is a brilliant addition to the Arsenal side. Although it would not be terrible to lose him for the rumored £15 million to Liverpool, I feel an extra £30,000 a week, is worth it.

Last season, the 23 year old contributed to just under 20 goals for Arsenal, with both 8 goals and assists in the Premier League. I don’t want to go on about statistics too much, because they aren’t everything. Walcott can also be a frustrating player yes, unlike Chamberlain he does not possess amazing skill to beat players. But he is quick and also wants to play upfront this season.

Overall I feel that Theo deserves a long contract extension, people forget that he is just 23, to let him go now would be a big mistake, look at Van Persie, he has just had the best season of his career at 29. Give him a chance, remember what he produced against Sweden for England in the Euros? 1 goal and 1 assist after coming on as a substitute. Not bad!

Walcott tears up Sweden after coming on as a sub (video)

I think Wenger should give Walcott a new contract and the chance to play upfront, especially during pre-season. It would be good to see what he’s capable of, in the position he aspires to play.

Kyle Bartley

Just a quick update on the not so new players to make the first team this year. Bartley, the English CB, standing tall at 6ft 3in, made 18 appearances to his loaned team Rangers, where he impressed the coaches.

Although, I can never get over the fact Bartley scored an own goal in the Emirates cup last season (84th min) after coming on for Koscielny, knocking us out of our own cup! The 21 year old is also one for jumping into tackles, which we saw a lot last season at Rangers, receiving 5 yellow cards in his 18 appearances.

6ft 3in Kyle Bartley

“He is fast becoming a regular fixture in the Rangers starting eleven and adds reliability and steel to the full-back slot.” – Rangers.co.uk (Last season)

Therefore I’m looking forward to Bartley as an extra addition to the squad, he adds security to the back four, but can also play a defensive midfield role too.

Henri Lansbury

Last season, Lansbury took a season long loan to newly relegated Championship side West Ham. On his debut against Portsmouth, Henri scored and received the man of the match award. He also showed throughout his loan spell his passion to play for the team and contributed to them being promoted back into the Premier League.

Lansbury, the solid midfielder

In more recent news, Lansbury tapped in a goal against Belgium league winners, Anderlecht, to help Arsenal secure a 1:0 victory and to win the Markus Liebherr Memorial Cup.

Lansbury told ArsenalPlayer after the match “”It’s always nice to play for the club you have been with for so long, and hopefully I can put on the shirt many more times,”

In my opinion I feel he will be able to replace the loss of Yossi Bennayoun and also Rosicky, who only has a couple of years let on his contract. At just 21, Lansbury is also an exciting England prospect, playing central Midfield and captaining the U16 England side when he was younger, he also has a bright future ahead.

Although, I don’t feel he will have a massive part to play within this season, he may have to step up to the role of Centre Midfield if some injuries occur. But, I do feel he will have a big part to play in Arsenal’s future.

Contracts

Talking of contract talks, Van Persie is also set to have more contract talks this week, after it has been rumored that Arsenal rejected Juventus to speak to Van Persie about a possible move to the Italian side.

In addition to this point Walcott will also have vital talks with Arsene about an increased wage, which I mentioned earlier. Another contract that I feel needs sorting is Alex Song who only has 2 more seasons left on his contract. I feel he has had a massive impact on the success of the team and at just 24, he deserves a better contract with the amount of potential he has.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the post and any feedback would be brilliant, also follow me on twitter for more up to date information and articles: @CallumAFC14

French Star Hatem Ben Arfa On Arsenal’s Radar?

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Jul 082012

With the recent acquisitions of French striker Olivier Giroud and Germany international Lukas Podolski it is widely expected that Arsenal will now turn their attention to strengthening in both the defensive and midfield positions. Arsenal have increased their attacking options significantly with the recent signings of these two highly rated players, although, if Robin Van Persie does leave Arsenal it is vital that the club replaces with a quality replacement. With no conclusion to the Robin Van Persie saga as of yet, Arsenal are expected to continue with the clubs transfer plans along with dealing with this ongoing battle. Moreover, several fringe players are expected to leave the club in the near future, with Squillaci widely reported to be heading back to France and Nicklas Bendtner who now has a new agent alerting several clubs including the likes of Malaga and Swansea. In addition to this, the likes of Denilson, Vela, Lansbury, Arshavin and various other footballers currently on Arsenal’s books are tipped to be heading for the exit door this summer. The potential departures of these players will help free up space and funds for any new signings the club wishes to make. Hatem Ben Arfa is a midfield option Arsenal are said to be taking into consideration.

Where Could Newcastle’s Hatem Ben Arfa Fit Into Arsenal’s Plans?

Well, since the departures of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas the North London club is yet to truly replace them. Following a successful campaign at Newcastle recently Ben Arfa could be the player Arsenal are looking for the fill this gap in midfield. Arsene Wenger has been a keen admirer of the French international ever since his day at Marseille as a youngster. If Arsenal want to challenge on all fronts in the upcoming football season which gets underway in August squad depth is vital. The right blend of quality players is what sets a club ahead of its competitors. The lengthy loss of Jack Wilshere last season impacted Arsenal’s hopes of landing silverware greatly and the addition of Hatem Ben Arfa would offer Arsene Wenger the opportunity to rotate between the two players for a starting berth in the attacking midfield position once Jack Wilshere is fully fit. It is also important to consider the fact that Jack Wilshere is only 20 years of age, still learning his trade and will need to regain his match fitness first before he can play a part for Arsenal next season. Hatem Ben Arfa’s versatility is also a major asset with the player able to play both on the wing and attacking midfield positions. The Frenchman had previously played as a striker at Marseille and if required I am confident he would be able to play in this role once again if needed for Arsenal.

How Much Could Ben Arfa Be Available For?

According, to recent reports although Newcastle would loathe to lose a player of Ben Arfa’s ability but a fee in the region of £16 million may just be enough for the Magpies to part with one of their star players. In my opinion, this price does seem a little steep and if Arsenal were able to negotiate this transfer fee down to about £12 million pounds then this would be the sort of deal that could suit both clubs. The Gunners could also tempt Newcastle by offering some of their fringe players a makeweight for any possible deal. Arsene Wenger is prepared to listen to offers for a variety of footballers on Arsenal’s books so why not use them in a player plus cash deal? According to reliable French media outfit L’Equipe Arsenal have been in contact with Ben Arfa’s agent in recent weeks.

What Stumbling Blocks Are There?

It remains to be seen whether or not Ben Arfa intends to honour his contract at Newcastle or move on if he receives a tempting offer from a club that can offer him the opportunity to play in the Champions League next season. If Newcastle demand a price deemed to be over the odds and do not budge on this price this would likely prevent any deal from taking place at all. The player has also been accused of lacking discipline in the past but Arsene Wenger has been able to handle problems with players in the past and get the best out of them, this therefore shouldn’t be a major obstacle. Consequently, Wenger will know enough about the player by now to judge his character and decide whether he is suitable or not. But with Wenger having declared his interest in Ben Arfa in the past this suggests that the Gunners boss cannot foresee any potential problems that could arise from signing the Newcastle star. Nevertheless, bust ups and disagreements can impact the overall performance and morale of the team as seen most recently from the likes of Samir Nasri at Euro 2012.

Arsenal could really use a playmaker like Ben Arfa who has the ability to dart past opposition players with a great dale of pace and menace, using his dribbling skills to great effect. The 25 year old is not afraid to take on anyone with his pace and he also has a very good long distance shot.

Please follow me on twitter @JasonBoyne94 for article updates and more!

Do you rate Hatem Ben Arfa as a footballer?

Would signing the Frenchman from Newcastle be a step in the right direction for Arsenal FC?

Have your say below, all feedback is greatly appreciated! I hope you enjoyed reading this article.

Arsenal formations for the 2012/2013 season?

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Jul 052012

WHAT’S THE BEST FORMATION FOR ARSENAL?

Since Wenger’s arrival at Arsenal, we have seen him deploy 2 formations mainly. We played with 4-4-2 upto 08/09 and then a 4-2-3-1 to get the best out of Cesc Fabregas.Now that Cesc has departed and we don’t have a player of similar style, so what is the formation to get the best out of the current players at Arsenal??

The first formation in question is the one we played last season, 4-2-3-1. Some people might argue that it was a rigid 4-3-3 but it wasn’t. In a 4-3-3, The wingers or wide forwards are in a more advanced position than the most advanced Central midfielder. At Arsenal, the CAM is more in line with the wingers than the two holding midfielders, operating as a second striker sometimes to press the opposition’s Central defender. Cesc, and more recently Rosicky and Ramsey have played that role at Arsenal.

If we play a 4-2-3-1 next season, the lineup would be like this…

Szczesny

Sagna Koscielny Vermaelen Gibbs

Song Arteta

Theo Wilshere Podolski

Robin van Persie

This is the ideal lineup with this formation. We can play Ox in place of Theo or Rosicky in place of Jack but player selection is another matter. This formation gives us the edge vs teams who play 4-4-2 as we enjoy most of the possession because of 3 CMs vs 2 of the opposition. But, There in lies the problem for us as teams play defensively against us, giving us most of the possession while they sit back and force the play towards the wings, which ultimately leads to crosses and everyone knows how bad we are at converting those crosses, especially when only 1 striker is up against 2 defenders. (CHELSEA comes to mind)

Now, the formation with which Arsene won all of his trophies, 4-4-2. (OR a 4-4-4-1 as some people might suggest, but the point is to have two strikers). A possible 4-4-2 can be something like this.

Szczesny

Sagna Koscielny Vermaelen Santos

Rosicky Arteta Wilshere Gervinho

Robin van Persie

Giroud

Again you can change the personnel as you wish. This formation has that Aerial threat upfront which we lacked along with the technical ability of Robin and Giroud (not another Chamakh, I stress). I’d like to bust one myth here that 4-4-2 is dead.. Really? Manchester United won almost everything with a 4-4-2. Spain won Euro 08 with Villa and Torres upfront. Manchester City last season played with 2 strikers in majority of their games. Despite that, 4-4-2 is a risky formation to play vs Big teams. I still remember that United always played 4-5-1 against us to counter our midfield play, And whenever they switched to 4-4-2, they struggled against us. Exception being the last game vs United at the Emirates.

The last formation in consideration is a bit unconventional for the English game, its a 3-5-2. Many people have suggested on twitter that we should play a 3-5-2 with this setup..

Szczesny

Koscielny Mertesacker Vermaelen

Coquelin Arteta Chamberlain Song Gibbs

Robin van Persie Podolski

I remember someone saying on twitter that with a 3-5-2 with Mertesacker as a sweeper and Song shielding the defence, we’ll cope well with the counter attacks which the opposition mount whenever our possession breaks in the opposition half. Interesting point. But 3-5-2 is more of a counter attacking formation in my opinion, which Napoli displayed last season.

There is no doubt about the versatility of our squad. We have a bunch of players who can play in more than one position. Gibbs, Santos, Chamberlain, Rosicky, Podolski, Theo, Robin, Song, Coquelin are all versatile players who make the squad flexible and allow us to have more options.

According to my tiny brain, we shouldn’t just play a 4231, it makes us predictable. Our players are capable of playing different roles, then why not utilise them to good effect?? We should be able to play both the 4231 and the 442 according to the situation. When teams like Sunderland (and Chelsea) come to the Emirates only to park the bus in front of their goal then there is no point in playing a 4231, They just sit back and defend, so why not play to counter them? If we start with 442 vs such teams then it will give us more chance of getting a goal. Giroud is so good in the air as well as with his feet, he gives us the plan B vs such teams (indicated in my 1st article). So to sum it up..

Play 4231 vs teams who will play attacking football like City.

Play 442 vs teams who park the bus and play long balls.

Play 352 vs teams like Norwich and Wigan at home.

That’s it, I think….

@L_KoscielnyFans

The RVP Ramble

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Jul 052012

Robin Van Persie’s statement – It’s a sad day for the Arsenal Football Club…

A ramble on how Robin Van Persie’s statement ruined my day…

Ramble – Talk or write at length in a confused or inconsequential way. (so yes if you don’t understand what is going on while reading this, neither do i.)

So I woke up today, on the 5^th of july 2012, in an already confused mood. As i am an Australian, and a New South Welshmen, I had just witnessed NSW losing to Queensland the night before (4^th july) in the Rugby league State of Origin decider by 1 point, meaning we have lost the series 7 times in a row, the specifics of this game are not very important, but losing by 1 point in a decider is tough to face in any sport. Then after the game I felt even stranger, as I found out German Striker Lukas Podolski, has been officially signed, and added onto the arsenal.com website. So basically I went to bed happy and sad…yeah not a good thing to do.

The next day, I woke up, and checked my twitter on my phone for news on arsenal as I normally do. Someone tweeted that RvP was a traitor and that he hated him forever…not a good start, Then I scrolled a bit more and realised it wasn’t the only one… So I went on his official twitter account and saw:

“Robin van Persie @Persie_official Update for the fans http://robinvanpersie.com/2012/07/04/update-for-the-fans/”

At first I thought, “Wait, why is everyone complaining? All he said is that he wasn’t going to sign a contract extension”. You see this is one of those situations, where the more you think about it, the worse it gets, this was certainly the case.

Gutted, distraught, angry, let down, astonished, sad…to sum up I felt pretty confused, and for no real reason at all. Robin hasn’t actually left, he just said he wasn’t going to sign. But it was basically a “come and get me plea” wasn’t it? I was so certain throughout the Summer (well technically winter for me) that Robin would resign, I thought that he was a different player than the likes of Samir Nasri (who left for money) and Cesc Fabregas (who left for his boyhood club) both were young, naive, and did not spend as many years at Arsenal as Robin did, but maybe I was wrong.

I decided to gather some opinions on what rival fans thought about the statement, specifically from a united fan, Liverpool Fan and a Spurs fan(yes, really!), who all shall remain nameless. So what did I gather?

I asked the Liverpool fan first, or should I say rather, he tweeted his opinions on the situation. He blamed RvP and the questioning of Loyalty, saying where are players like Terry, Gerrard and Giggs now? Liverpool fans probably have some sympathy for us, as they went through a similar situation with Fernando Torres, leaving the club to a rival club in Chelsea for a hefty price and wage increase, Robin looks like he’s about to do the same…

The United fan blamed Wenger, he said why did Wenger buy players to specifically accommodate for 1 player (in Giroud and Podolski) when we needed reinforcements in the midfield and Defense to be considered title challengers? It was a fair point I thought. M’vila has been in the rumour mill for months now, and even now reports are still saying he is close to signing and others that say the deal is off. I think united fans too, would understand to an extent what we are going through, with Wayne Rooney only recently requesting a transfer request, and then doing a u-turn on it later only to renew his contract. How would i feel if robin did that with Arsenal? I don’t know…

The Tottenham fan, was an interesting one, because unlike 99.5% of them, he was actually sincere and sympathetic (I know right?), saying that if/when Modric leaves, he thinks he will feel the same way, and that no player is bigger than the club.

So what did I gather from all this? More questions. Will he do a Torres? Will he do a Rooney? How would I feel if he stayed now? I don’t know. I even considered changing clubs! Yes I know! But when I hear RvP talk about Gazadis’ and Arsene Wenger’s ambitions like that it has to make me wonder, am I supporting the right club? I have only been supporting the club for a few years (and only last season was I truly devoted to the club) and haven’t witnessed the club win any trophies yet. I’m just fed up with the club going back to square one after all the improvements from last season.

“Out of my huge respect for Mr. Wenger, the players and the fans I don’t want to go into any details, but unfortunately in this meeting it has again become clear to me that we in many aspects disagree on the way Arsenal FC should move forward.”

Who knows, maybe this will mean Walcott can finally play in the middle where he was signed to play for in the first place? what will become of Robin? Will he still be captain? Will he be stripped of his captaincy but let go at the end of the year for a free transfer? Will he go in 2 weeks or before this transfer window closes? Is the Self-sustaining model we pride ourselves in really the only option or should we give in and get the board to break their banks and let Wenger spend big? We will have to wait and see…

The only thing I can confirm is: once a gooner, always a gooner. Just because a player leaves, even if it was the captain and best player, there is no one higher than the football club itself, whether a player, captain, manager or even board member. You should always support your club, no matter what. Tomorrow, im even planning to go to out in my Arsenal Jersey, just because it seems right and I hope many join me in doing this. Arsenal till I die.

#COYG

By @morphjin

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Jul 042012

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In fact, Arsenal have been close to acquiring this dynamic, powerful, physical midfielder for almost six years now.

As the Yann M’Vila rumours cool and the Steven N’Zonzi rumours fail to thrill, Arsenal have snapped up a 6ft 2in midfield-powerhouse.

A graduate of the famed Clairefontaine academy in France, the player in question has dazzled a

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Who is this glorious signing you ask? Okay, I admit, it’s Abou Diaby.

Abou Diaby

With talk of the leggy midfield-man potentially departing the club this summer, I thought it was time to bring to attention what we actually have in our number two.

Inconsistent? Sure. Over-paid? Apparently so. Injury Prone? We all know the answer here. However, as Gooners mourn over M’Vila apparently falling from our grasp, we should not forget what a commodity Diaby is.

Diaby is a player capable of gliding up and down a pitch, carrying the ball with a deftness more accustomed to a 5ft 4in La Masia graduate.

The heir-apparent to Patrick Vieira has the physique to warrant the years-old comparison. And we don’t need reminding that he can score a decent goal do we?

(And for those you do…)

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We know he’s not fully fit even yet, as we saw towards the end of last season. Yet Diaby now has a full pre-season to prepare for the forthcoming campaign.

We saw it with Tomas Rosicky last season, a player sub-consciously stricken from the roster by many Gooners, only to align himself among Arsenal’s most crucial players.

August 2012, up step Vassiriki Abou Diaby to claim the throne that is rightfully yours. And I for one am predicting he shall do so.

Follow me on Twitter @BonnyDellow.

Jack Wilshere: Arsenal's Need For A Plan B

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Jul 022012

After a stellar performance in his first season as an Arsenal player, no one could have imagined the ‘The Verminator’ would be limited to just 5 appearances in his second season but it happened. Arsenal suffered but the most devastating effect was on the new defenders who had to step up into the huge gap. Koscienly was brought in to replace Gallas while Squillaci was brought in to add depth to the squad, the deal was completed on 27th August, 2010. Laurent Koscienly was in the First 11 straight away, he was ready but he needed the Verminator (who was helped in his first season by an unarguably experienced William Gallas). Koscienly learned the hard way, Squillaci wasn’t so lucky.

Jack Wilshere incidentally was helped by the early season absence of Cesc Fabregas who was given extra time off (due to his participation in the 2010 World cup final). Jack was ready was ready he took his chance, Denilson was relegated to the bench, Diaby was no longer first choice and Ramsey was allowed to Recover in Peace. Jack wilshere ended the season on 49 appearances and a regular starter for the English National Team.

Vermaelen playing just five games in his second season was surprising, how about Jack wilshere’s absence in the whole of the 2011/2012 season. After Fabregas joined Barcelona, Nasri joined Manchester city and suddenly Aaron Ramsey who wasn’t even a regular yet when Shawcross visited him was thrown into the fray. Although he tried his best but he obviously wasn’t ready. The more worrisome thing is that Wishere is still not ready to make is comeback and according to reports he won’t be ready till at September. Without a pre-season after being out of action for such a long time i don’t think Arsenal should be expecting fireworks from Wilshere in the coming season.

Now we take an objective look at the performance of our engine room; the midfield in the 2011/2012 premier league season

Alex Song

Alex Song started more games than any other outfield player for Arsenal last season, and finished the season with the most goal assists.

He made 46 appearances (all from the start) and was only substituted four times. The breakdown was: Premier League 34, Champions League 9, FA Cup 3. In total he spent 4,079 minutes on the pitch, 83.9 per cent of the total available.

In his 34 premier league games he scored a goal and assisted 11 goals

Mikel Arteta

In his debut season for Arsenal he scored 6 goals and supplied 3 assists in 29 premier league games. Arteta came with a reputation for consistency, style and class – and that is just what he delivered. He was sorely missed during his two short spells with injury, one in January when Arsenal lost every league match and another at the end of the campaign when the Gunners took six points from their final five matches.

Aaron Ramsey

Being named captain of your country at the age of 21 should tell you enough about the promise of Aaron Ramsey.

After missing nine months with a horrific leg break suffered against Stoke in February 2010, it’s easy to forget this was the youngster’s first full season at Emirates Stadium. With Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri leaving last summer and Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby sidelined through injury, Aaron grabbed his first-team opportunities at the beginning of the campaign. The young midfielder was a regular in Arsène Wenger’s first team and quickly began to form a healthy midfield understanding with Mikel Arteta and Alex Song. In his 34 Premier league appearances for the club last season he scored two goals and assisted four

Tomas Rosicky

Tomas Rosicky made more appearances last season (38) than in any of his previous five campaigns.

Tomas was probably not an obvious first choice at the start of the season. By the end, he was one of the first names on the team sheet.

Aaron Ramsey was preferred in the attacking midfield role before Christmas but Tomas came to the fore in the New Year with a string of outstanding displays.

As an illustration of Rosicky’s growing importance to the team in the second half of the season, his average time on pitch for his first 19 games of the season was 45 minutes 29 seconds compared to 77 minutes 25 seconds per game during his last 19 games of the season.

To express it another way, between August and January he played 29.7 per cent of the available minutes, yet between February and May that rocketed to 81.9 per cent.

In 28 premier league appearances he scored a goal and assisted four

Yossi Benayoun

Yossi Benayoun had certainly endeared himself to Arsenal fans by the end of his season-long loan spell from Chelsea.

Wenger often entrusted Yossi in the bigger games of the season and it was his solid display on the left wing against Tottenham which ultimately earned him a more regular place as Arsenal looked to seal automatic qualification for the Champions League.

Soon he became an integral member of the first team and claimed goals against Wolves, Norwich and Westbrom before the season’s end. Quite what the midfielder’s immediate future holds remains to be seen, but everyone at the Club appreciates his efforts during an excellent loan spell.

In 19 premier league games he scored 4 goals and assisted 1. (His Loan spell is over though)

Francis Coquelin

Having spent the 2010/11 season gaining valuable experience on loan at Ligue 1 outfit Lorient, Francis returned to Emirates Stadium with ambitions of breaking into Arsène Wenger’s set-up.

He didn’t have to wait long, making his first league start in the defeat to Manchester United before following that up with a fine display against Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

Despite predominantly plying his trade as a midfielder, the versatile 21-year-old was required to fill in at full back on numerous occasions. He started games against Aston Villa, Fulham and Blackburn at both right and left back, filling in admirably during Arsenal’s injury-hit Christmas period.

In his 10 premier league games he assisted a goal

Podolski and Giroud have signed for Arsenal but the most needed buy generic viagra addition remains a creative midfielder. Abou Diaby isn’t exactly reliable due to his injury record and Ramsey has been named in Great Britain’s Olympic Team. All hope is for Rosicky to pick up where he left last season. The current midfield crop could only be adequate if the current 4-3-3 system is sacrificed for a 4-4-2 system. As it stands, a player who could help if we decide to stick to the 4-3-3 system is Denilson who is expected back at Arsenal for Pre season after his loan spell with sao paulo. If he is reintroduced into the team he could take his place alongside Alex song and Arteta. He already has premier league experience but how effective was his loan spell with Sao Paulo? With Ramsey at the Olympics, a second chance wouldn’t exactly be the worst idea.

A deal for Yann M’vila is rumored to be off but a deal for a creative midfielder is definitely needed. Frankly the midfielders punched above their weight last season, without the assists of Alex Song last season, we probably would have finished below spurs and Harry Redknapp would still have a Job. If we truly want to reach our potential next season we still need to bring in a couple of players and a Midfielder should be Top priority.

By: @olaniyee

GIROUD | PODOLSKI | AND WHAT EXACTLY THEY BRING TO THE EMIRATES?

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Jun 252012

The simplest answer to the heading has to be goals. And lots of them. But lets see what roles they’ll be playing at Arsenal.

Lukas Podolski is the first one we’ll look at. Arsenal confirmed the signing of Lukas from FC Koln for an undisclosed fee, rumored to be in the region of £10.6M. Lukas has played on the left of the front three for most of his career. That’s where I think wenger will deploy him at AFC. He can also play up top with a strike partner or on his own, although we haven’t seen much of him as a lone striker. He has been a regular at Cologne and Germany since 2003 and had a 3 year stint at Bayern Munich from 06 to 09. He scored 46 goals in 81 games in his first spell with Cologne, and 33 in 88 in his second spell. At Bayern, he is deemed as a failure as he only managed 15 goals in 3 years.

But let’s focus on his most recent form at Cologne. He’s been a regular goal threat for a team who was fighting relegation for most of the season. So what he brings to Arsenal?? The answer is Simple. He comes with Pedigree, international experience, amazing work ethic, goals, assists … and a great lad to have around in training and in the dressing room. He’s a more refined left sided Theo Walcott IMO. With a footballing brain, that is, as some pundits might suggest. Arsenal have lacked a regular goal scorer from the left wing of late. Arshavin, and most recently Gervinho have failed to live up to those expectations. So hopefully, he’ll score some valuable goals for us.

And what we have seen at the euros, He’s a team player who tracks back and helps his full back out. Something Arshavin failed to do on a regular basis. In Poldi, we’ve got an international proven goal scorer, with a great attitude. Credit must also be given to Wenger for tying him up early. Great bit of business. Cheerio.

Now, on to our latest capture, Olivier Giroud. Ok ok, he isn’t confirmed by Arsenal.com yet, but the deal is all but done. It cost us around £12.6M to acquire the services of Montpellier’s top scorer who will sign a 5 yr. deal pending a Medical at London Colney.

I have only watched him on YouTube to be honest, but I’ve contacted some Gooners who closely follow the French League, MHSC games to be precise. Olivier Giroud,26, scored 21 goals last season and won the French golden boot award . Now again, the same ol question, What does he bring to Arsenal? Hmmmmmmmm, wait, looking for a suitable word..ah, yes. It’s called plan B. The same plan B all Gooners said we lacked. Stoke Rugby Club. Beware.

At 88 kg, 6 ft.3 in tall, He utilises every inch of that frame. He won 70% of the aerial duels last season, more than any top 4 striker in the to 5 leagues across Europe. His hold up play is among the best, brings other team mates into the game, which is indicated by his 9 assists last season.

And the best thing is…He never fails to shine in big games.

I guess the first line of the blog was quite appropriate.

Hope you liked reading,

@L_KoscielnyFans.

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Montpellier Star Olivier Giroud Set To Join Arsenal In The Next 48 Hours?

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Jun 132012

The emergence of Olivier Giroud has alerted several clubs across Europe including: Bayern Munich, Napoli, Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Arsenal. The striker is hot property at the moment following a sensational, breakthrough season in France over the course of the season just passed. Arsenal are said to be very keen on the French striker with Arsenal club scout Gilles Grimandi having this to say previously “He’s one of those we’re looking at. It is impossible not to watch him after his development in the past two years”. Giroud is said to be flattered by the Gunners reported interest and strong reports suggest that striker wants to ply his trade in the Barclays Premier League next season, with Arsenal.

So How Has Giroud Faired In France Over The Past Season?

Well, he ended the season as Ligue 1 top scorer, with an impressive goals tally for the season . He is the stand out figure at his current club Montpellier and they of course rate him very highly. As much as Montpellier would love to keep the French striker he seems keen to experience a new style of football elsewhere and with the players clause in his contract believed to be between £12million- £15million Arsenal Football Club could land the French international at a very reasonable price in todays modern transfer market.

Furthermore, Giroud is a good, strong, physical striker who would provide Arsenal with a different option upfront. He showed what is capable of against a strong German team in a friendly earlier on in the season. He scored for France in a 2-1 friendly win over Germany before the start of Euro 2012.

Could He Potentially Have The Same Impact As Koscielny Has Had Since He Left France If He Were To Join Arsenal?

Olivier Giroud is definitely a striker to look out for! Although, he was an inexpensive risk when he joined Montpellier he has certainly proved to be a bargain for the French club. He has only recently emerged as a quality striker over the course of the last two seasons, but he looks a very able striker who could complement Robin Van Persie and Lukas Podolski greatly. He would be a great addition to the Arsenal squad and provide ideal, much-needed striking competition. A move to Arsenal would suit the player and he would surely improve his game further by joining the Gunners. His movement and goal scoring prowess will boost Arsenal’s attacking options significantly, further easing the pressure off Robin Van Persie if he remains an Arsenal player. Some people believe that signing Giroud from Montpellier will signal the end of Robin Van Persie’s time at Arsenal, however, the club remain determined to keep hold of the Dutch striker. The prospect of Van Persie, Podolski and Giroud all available as attacking options for the London giants is mouth-watering.

Moreover, Arsene Wenger’s knowledge of French football has served the club very well in the past with the likes of: Robert Pires, Thierry Henry, Emmanuel Petit, Anelka and many others all proving to be great purchases.

Montpellier manager Rene Girard also told French Radio Station RMC recently that “Arsenal are very interested and Giroud wants to play in England, if Arsene agrees with the president, he will sign for them,” further increasing the likelihood that the player will join Arsenal.

In my opinion, Giroud would be a great signing for Arsenal without the hefty price tag of other players available on the transfer market. Consequently, the move could be completed in the next 48 hours with the chances of the player joining Arsenal looking highly likely. But, until a deal is done we must wait and hope…

Please follow me on twitter: @JasonBoyne94 for regular article updates and more!

Feel free to check out the video of Montpellier’s star striker in action below