The Telegraph is now suggesting old Ash could be sold for up to £30m. While this would perhaps be possible due to the ability of most clubs to drive up the realistic valuations of players who are sold to Chel£ea, this does seem a little too high. I would say that if we get any fee above £20m we've done a good bit of business; indeed the Mail are suggesting that £20m may be nearer the final price. Anti may be right that we are acting a little like a 'pimp' in all this business, but the onus of blame has to remain on Cole, despite the board's early mistakes. I think the Mail got it right when they said that this has been one of the bitterest transfer disputes in recent memory. Seeing Arsene's coded admission that we are on the verge of losing Ash was still a little sad. It reminded me a lot of when Anelka left; I think Arsene probably feels personally let down by a player he's helped so much, especially through the early stages of his career. The important date by which this should all be cleared up is 3 August, when clubs have to submit player lists for the CL.
Still, as several reports have pointed out, Traore was apparently the best player on the pitch in our 2-1 win in Austria yesterday. As i was neither in Austria, nor have Arsenal TV, I can't really give a fullsome description of what occurred. It seems we made slightly hard work of the game, but I suppose this is to be expected when it's this hot, and when players are only at the bottom end of pre-season fitness. Still, Aliadiere scored, Hleb made his [hopefully to soon become his trademark] intelligent ball to set up Hoyte, Rosicky made his debut, and even Song played well according to several reports I've seen. So lots of positives to take from the game. What I think is most important in this pre-season, is that the team work together to ensure that they can score goals without having to rely on Henry as much as we did last year. Van Persie, Aliadiere, Adebayor, Lupoli and Bendtner, need to realise that this is their chance to carve a niche for themselves in the team if they can both score goals, and show an ability to intelligently support their fellow strikers.
It's perhaps worth mentioning Jermaine Pennant's imminent transfer to Liverpool, as we will reveive a 1/4 of any fee Liverpool pay Birmingham. Nice. Another player sold mainly due to attitude rather than ability. Although I was never hugely impressed with his performances when he was given a chance to start.
Links to players we're looking to sign continue to be rather thin on the ground, but we are operating 'under the radar' as Arsene put it. It appears we're making progress on the Curtis Davies front, or that West Brom are at least resigned to losing him, as they seem to be lining up his replacement. That doesn't, of course, necessarily mean he'll come to us though. We've also been linked to Benayoun, who I thought was excellent last season in the premiership; yet the mooted £10m is a lot, and for his position - winger - we are probably ok at the moment, with Reyes, Rosicky, Hleb, and Ljunberg probably the four who'll alternate on the two flanks.
Also in the news is the near Whitewash slashing of verdicts in the Italian match-fixing trial. As soon as I saw the verdicts, I thought that they could only be a basis for an appeal. All teams have had their deductions slashed, Milan have been let back into the Champions' League, and while Juve remain in Serie B, the chances of them winning promotion first time have been siginificantly improved. Also, given that this is merely the first round of appeals, I should imagine that this might not even be the truly final verdict. I hope Italian civic judges stand firm or this could turn into a farce.
Gb.
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Just what you said then. Apparently we need 4 this year, 6 the year after and then 8 the year after that. And then it stops, thankfully.
Hopefully we'll get Davies at a reasonable price - and I'm also very open to us pursuing Hargreaves - but aside from that...Ryan Smith? I can't actually think of anyone else.
Also read in the paper today that the Chelsea players knew before the start of the World Cup that Ash's transfer was a done deal.
HArgreaves would not count as one of the four: it is not the nationality, but the fact they have come through an academy in Britain, so for example Fabregas will be one of the four as he arrived at Arsenal's academy as a 16 year old.
I think you are granfathered to the rule if you have played in the prem for a certain amount of years before the ruling takes place too. Much like Cudicini being eligable to play for England.
It's not English players guys.
It's homegrown players.
Therefore the likes of Clichy, Cesc, Lupoli, Muamba, Connolly... yeah.
Basically it's either a player that has been nurtured in England at another club or a player that was nurturted by us for 3 years between the ages of 15-21...
wait, wait
Hoyte, Walcott, Djorou!!!
HA, we're sorted for the next couple of years!!!
Looks like Arsene is playing mind games!
Here is what he had to say on Arsenal.com
Arsène Wenger is in no rush to sign a centre back.
Arguably, Arsenal are short in that position after Sol Campbell’s departure and Philippe Senderos picked up an injury that is likely to keep him out for at least the first month of the coming campaign. The manager admits he’d sign another centre back if the opportunity arose but, for now, he remains phlegmatic on the issue.
“We have Toure, Djourou, Senderos and Cygan,” he said. “If we can find someone and we can get them then we will do it. But at the moment I have not found anybody.
“But remember these defenders went 10 games in the Champions League without conceding a goal so I cannot say they are bad. I am a strong believer in them. We just want to improve our collective team play on last year. We did that well during the season and we want to keep this development going.”
Media reports are still linking West Brom defender Curtis Davies with a move to Emirates Stadium. Wenger has admitted he admires the England Under-21 defender but refuses to overpay.
“I know the prices in England,” he said. “The prices [you pay] for young talent are the prices you’d pay for established players. We do it sometimes. We did it for Theo Walcott for example but we cannot do it always.”
yes thats correct Anon12:43
this season squad sizes for Champions League teams are restricted to 25, while a Champions League club must also have four players who are ‘home-grown’ in their squad, either produced by the club’s academy or trained by another club belonging to the same association that the club belongs to.
This number will increase by two every year until it reaches eight in four years’ time.
Seems Ryan Smith's days are numbered - not in Austria, press links saying Arsenal are in advanced negotiations for a transfer to Derby (not a loan a transfer), Leeds app made a bid for him a few months back.
Hoyte's future doesn't look too bright either. Seems only injuries and the Cashley saga are keeping him at the Arse' for the moment. Even if it is another loan I can't see a future for him as it will typically be a loan and purchase of an expensive replacement.
Other than Cashley I can't think of an Arsenal player who has gone on loan and had any kind of future at the Arse' afterwards.
thats because the crop of youngsters arsene inherited off the bat and in the immediate years weren't good enough, the ones that were had ATTITUDE. bentley and pennant were flash bastards, boothroyd was mental. sidwell seems to be the only one of them with a decent head on his shoulders.
The crop now are the next generation. I can see one or two players up to the standard (and not complete fools) stepping up to the plate, especially now wenger is going kid crazy. he didn't before.
song set up hoytes goal not hleb.
Sorry, it said in The Guardian that it was a Hleb assist.
I agree on Hoyte and Smith's days being numbered. I hope Gilbert isn't permanently shipped out after going on loan; he's too good for that.
Anon.12.36 - I wasn't agreeing with Anti. In fact I thought my article had put across a point of view similar to the one that you put across.
And Anon 12.48, you're right about Arsene playing mind-games. It's a disgrace that Cygan is still at the club. I think Arsene is letting the dust settle a little before he pounces for Davies.
Interesting stuff. Benayoun would be a good signing - though not at the 10million mooted. We already have four good wingers.
Regarding the strikers, I feel Bendtner could be the man who establishes himself this season; Aliadiere has looked good in pre-season and, at 23, is most certainly in the 'last chance saloon.'
Cygan. Sigh. It's not as though there haven't been clubs prepared to pay us good money - Rennes, for example, have only reluctantly given up trying to buy him. In fairness, I suppose he has played quite well in pre-season, at least compared to Aliadiere who I really don't rate. Yesterday he missed another sitter and at Barnet he missed three or four. I never used to harp on about the favouritism shown to the French but I'm really beginning to wonder why we keeping Aliadiere and letting Ryan Smith go. He was terrific at Barnet, and with Freddie's perennial injuries genuine wingers are something we need. It's not that I particularly want English players; in fact the one I'd most like us to sign is Ribery. What talent, what pace, what a fighter. No chance, though, alas.
GunnerPete says....You are so right anon 5.57. Has Arsene not noticed that no british club has come in for Cygan, and why does that not hit him? Two year ago I recommended Davies to AFC and he would have cost £1 mill, as usual when its a brit, arsene waits until the price has multiplied by ten, then refuses. He did the same with Carrick....on offer £3 mill, wannting to join, but then nothing , now valued at £ 15 mill.
Sorry Arsene (God) its no use telling us that locals are overpriced when you by crap like Song for £2.5 mill, and turn down players I have mentioned above.
I for one cannot wait to get shot of Disloyal Cole, but not if young Brits are going to be past over again for his role. Hoyte should be given a long run for us before buying another French unknown (like Cygan). Also why was Gilbert loaned out after his great displays? Why is he not being given a run at left back NOW, and before anyone says he is right footed, remember Flamini & Lauren are too.
I think Arsene & the board have been stringing us along with promises of 2/3 players during the close season. They have done it every year, for too long now for it to be a coincidence. The reality is that whilst AFC sell of aging or disloyal players ( Cole, Bentley,Campbell & Penannt ) and mostly Brits, Manure, Liverpool, Chelski, Spurs, are again signing 4/5 each, to add to the 4/5 from last season etc. etc. Based on this, unless AFC buy 1/2 very soon, we will probably have to srap it out with Spurs for the crumbs again, and sit in our super stadium praying our debts not keep us from progressing.
manure have bought how many players? I think it's none
Gelbs - the one trick pony. Do you have anything else to say other than Wenger has lost it and all our players are shite.
On practically every blog there is . All you do is whinge about how we wont win anything with the players we have. But if we buy good players like the ones the tabloids say are good then wel be great again. You dont need to shut up altogether mate , just stop singing the same tune over and over. It gets a bit tedious.
Im not bothered Gelbs. But is seems every blog you come on, no matter the original topic (this one was " Cole for £30m? Friendly review, Pennant, Davies, Benayoun.") you turn it into your personal slagging off of the club.
The season hasnt started yet so how can they face critisism if thay havent even played.
ok but you dont think any players have made progress no ? Senderos and Toure had commanding world cups for weak teams (eboue did ok too). Cesc and Reyes are breaking into an talented Spanish side. VanP shows he is adaptable positionally. Lehman was arguable the best GK there. Rosicky makes the Czechs tick. Surely that accounts to making them stronger ? Yeah they are young, but while Chelski have the league monoply, isnt it a good thing that these young players grow as a team in the cups (CL included, and they didnt do too shabby there did they) for when that monoply breaks. Then we have a team that has come through together from a young age with better understanding of each others games. Rather than an band on 30 something mercenaries.
But hes not done it all the time. it looks to be a way of making sure the future is bright. the kids are getting chances here they probobly wouldnt get at other clubs(especially chelsea). Spend 2 or 3 years rebuilding a young squad and not spend too much money, at the same time as you build a new stadium which costs a lot of money. Rather than spend millions each and every year for players that stay for 2 or 3 years. Its never ending that way. And staying at highbury would mean the club stagnates. It can never join the really big boys. Speculate to accumalate.
Change is necesary for growth. Would you be happy staying at highbury buying 1 or 2 players every year. The way Chelski have changed the playing field it would have seen us stagnate and then fall further and further behind each year. As great as highbury was and as great the teams that played under Wenger there were , there was a limit to what could be achieved there. Although its not exactly starting over it is a change in strategy. Yes there will be risks, and im sure all working for the club know this. But i feel wenger and the boars feel they had reached the limit they could achieve at "old" arsenal. It was time to look forward. Im sure if the situation at Chelski hadnt happened it wouldnt look so much like a risk. And maybe even they way wenger and the board has gone about things may have been different. But it is the way it is now and i have faith in those running the club to take those calculated risks and come out the end of it all the better for it.
glebs do u think arsene should be fired?
for all those clamouring for davies to signed yet at the same time complaining about too many young player are u not contradicting yourself. for all those asking for cygan to go and yet complaining about the erosion of experience is that not a contradiction. also there was reported interst from blackburn for cygan. wether true or not i do not know
how do u know that toure and appiah would be better that cesc and gilberto against bolton?
appiah and yaya toure really are not that good if you actually watch them closely.appiah has played well recently at times. toure is not really a tough tackler as everyone likes to say and he did not have a particularly good world cup he just made a couple of runs that looked impressive. he is a good passer though. these players (espesially toure)only seem good for people who listen to the media hype and dont relly watch them closely. toure is average and lazy as fuck
does anyone know how much JD cost? I am wondering what gelbs and the rest would have been saying if we did not sign him and he went to wigan got loads of experience, impressed alot and was now being offered for sale for say 15M. The fact is if Davies came to arsenal he may as well have been behind DJ and not gotten any EPL experience and we may not be saying what a great player and wondering why we did not get maybe Richards of Man City instead.
I believe AW had all that in mind when considering.
If he was to buy all the players we want we may end up with.... would not conclude.
And would they work in the Arsenal system of play. Good players yes ? . Better that what we have ? Whos is to say. Wenger would be in the position to say , no >? just because the tabloids says they are is doesnt make it true. im sure wenger has looked them over and made a decision.
johan djourou
Too many african players could be an issue when the african cup of nations rolls around though. And didnt we have the chioce to sign Appiah a few years back but desided against it ? Hes more of an attacking midfielder anyway tho aint he. Hes a big enuff guy but not really a defensive or holding player.
why are everybody slating song so much on so few performances.
because he is young , inexperienced and not english. all very very bad attributes
i love the way that every one loves to slag song off, it is so predictable. i wonder if anyone saying this has actually watched him play properly or they are just repeating what the last person said. so a then 18 year old boy mainly comes in for the end of the season when the team are under a huge amount of pressure and he sometimes looks like a rabbit in the headlights at certain moments. i have been watching old games and he lookes shaky at moments but he did nothing that you could not expect an 18 year old to do.
some players enter straight away turning it on and pushing forward with no fears e.g fabregas or rooney and others enter with not such a brash approach and maybe a bit more intimidated.it does not make him a bad player it is just another approach and means he will have to catch up afterwards.
a way to put it is some players start off sprinting and may be able to keep that pace up while some start off hanging around the starting line not knowing how to approach it but once they work it out then they will run solidly, if they are a good player with a good head and wenger see that in him. do you think wenger is sitting around counting matchsticks, he is watching everyone and he knows when he sees that thing in someone which most managers are unable to do.bring it out of them is something else
yaya toure does not have a good head and he is nothing like his brother.
i can not wait to see song prove whoever wrote him off wrong but i wonder if everyone will have there excuses and will not question there way of looking at things.
he is solid and it is obvious from his build what his job is. his passing is accurate the majority of the time and he has an excellent skill of being able to shield the ball which makes it almost impossible to get it off him. everything in his game is at a good standard he just needs to bring it all up together. he has not shown so much amazing flair skill or 5second wonder moments which is probably why everyone is giving him shit but he is moving the ball forward a lot more and shows a lot of promise at creating play. those moments of skill and having twinkle feet does not mean you are a good player. makelele is a good player yet he shows little flair
and incase anyone is thinking to say it. i am not comparing fabregas or rooney to song , they don`t even play similar ways to him.
neither am i saying that we do not need more strength and experience in the middle of the field.
i am aware this is a long email but that is too combat the immense amount of shit that is said by people about how bad he is and how "whatever we do just dont put song on the field" when they probably have hardly watched him
i can not wait to see alexandre song prove all of those people who doubted him, as wrong , probably this season
well said r
how much have you actually watched song play, and i dont just mean waiting for him to make an error, i mean actually watch him play, his movement on and off the ball, his first touch, his vision and he does have that. from what you have said about yaya toure you seem to know little about him because he is not the player that everyone says he is and you just seem to be repeating what is said about him in the media and by everyone else.
Tell me about song and i dont just mean saying "he`s shit". tell me about him, why
Hey guys,
I wrote a post this morning, published it - well at least I thought I had - went away, and it disappeared!
Somethings I mentioned in it:
Freddie's injury, and his future at the club
Djourou becoming third choice cb (?)
We need to get a better cb than Cygan, but shouldn't pay £10m for Davies.
Sol going to Marseille
Smith going to Derby
Larsson and Muamba going to Bham - Hoping that this isn't the loan 'kiss of death' for either of them.
Regarding Song - I think i said this in the testimonial post - there was a moment when he played a woeful, woeful pass, but then battled back and won the ball back. I think that encapsulated his potential, but also his rawness. I think we may have to give him time.
yes muamba is going to be an amazing player. wenger knows it, i know it and you know it.he will be one of the brightest sparks to come out of arsenal.it would appear he wants him to play a big part in the team the year after this, but he is not ready to run the midfield. that is why.
i asked you a direct question in the last email but you did not answer at all instead you change the whole direction of the conversation.
a person who had confidence in what they were saying would not feel the need to do this. are you going to answer.
GunnerPete says....Right lads time out. Of course Gelbs can critisize, and praise at the same time, why not, he is a Gunner, and being a true Gunner, you never feel commfortable or relaxed about what is happening....BECAUSE, it is our history that makes us. As most know I have supported AFC since I was seven, and Im 64 now and just as fed up as I was in 1950. Why because our board & manager constantly gets the club into wonderful positions ie; winning the league or a cup or two, then allowing others to catch up & overtake.....not for one season ,but in Liverpools case 18 bloody seasons, and Manures, 14 seasons. Yes we have broken the hold they have (and should not have) every other year, but every time we are THE TOP CLUB, somehow the bosses manage to cock it up.
I love Arsene & the club dearly, but most of them have not suffered like us true Gunners. I will not go back to the 1950's but suffice to say it was the beggining of the rot..
The real Gunners of that era like me, then followed the lads up & down the country watching our great club get humiliated, year on year, for seventeen barren years. Sp what then happened, we won the Inter fairs cup in 1970...bloody great, then we won the double 1971, and then with a really great young side, did we do a Liverpool and add to this almost unbeatable squad.....did we bugger. Mr Mee, then started to break up the team selling Charlie George apotential genious, He sold Frank Mac clintock to QPR ??? He the bought in runners & carthorses like Blockley.never heard of him.....well just say Cygan makes him look bad !!
Go forward to Terry Neils era, he constantly got us to cup finals, and better in the league, but could never take us to the level this club should have been since the 30's, why because he had to sell, and buy all the time. Never able to just add quality to quality.
Now jump to Arsenes period. Wonderful for all of us, and we deserve it too, but just go back to what he took over from George G, a great team who were getting better & better, and only needed some quality midfieders to dominate the UK for 10 years, and probably done a liverpool in Europe. So what happens ? He makes a team that wins a double twice, and then its broken up long before its due date, and did we add real quality with all that money he made us.....did we bugger. He re made the team into the unbeatables, and did we add the missing quality we were all screaming for to sustain that domination...did we hell. So here we are again, with a team of potential greatness. They have reached the champs league final a first for us, and came on a bundle at the end of the season.....so have we added that magic quality we needed to get back to another league title & champs league final......no we bloody have not. We just kept Henry, we still have Cygan, we sold Viera, and Bentley ,and many more but only bought in Hleb, Rosicky (who I love) but where is the strength we are desperate for in defence, and in midfield ?? God knows and he aint buying.
So dont argue with Gelbs right to have a moan , we deserve to hear others feelings inc stupid remarks, but always remember, it could all be so much better IF & ONLY IF, we add to great squads, and not sit on our hands and hop.
GunnerPete say...sorry last word should read 'hope'.
If we have a better team than them (your words) then where has Wenger gone wrong?
Amazing how this site has changed since last season. I used to look at it quite often then and the comments section was usually fine (apart from the odd Spurs fan spewing abuse). Now it's revolting, a mind-boggling change during the couple months I've been away. Is it the nauseating Gelbs who's responsible? He seems to have a vocabulary even less extensive than the Spurs fans' - cunt, shit, fuck, wanker, no, maybe wanker's too long - and an equivalent brain. Could he be banned, if not for stupidity (though, god knows, he ought to be), then under your political-correctness policy? Some of his comments are more repulsive than the Sun's and his opinions about Arsenal are if anything worse. I dunno, maybe lots of people like his type of comments? In which case, fine. But if not and he continues to monopolise the site, isn't he going to drive a lot of others away? Perhaps you could have a vote on it?
I was going to say something about wingers - our lack of, especially now Frddie is permanently injured - and the problem of the newly wide pitch, but the Gelbs phenomenon shocked me so much I didn't get round to it.
Doomsday tomorrow. Champtions League draw.
just announced Arsenal play either Ekranas (Lithuania) or Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) in Champions League
Gelbs - no you can't say what you want, it's not your site.
Your comment in 8.28 is offensive to the point of me deleting it.
Look Guys, I going to say this again - do you want a site where i let you run wild in the comments section, or do you want a more measured one? I mean, I can, at present only control what's put in my post - everything written in the comments is down to you.
What I may do is end anonymous posting, or would people like me to keep this on?
gelb is a class one cunt but i dont think that bad post was his. least is the fisrt time i agree with him.
Yeah, I think Gelbs has a problem now that he is being unfairly imitated. When I read it it looked like a parody.
I've written a little bit in my post about some more mutual respect in comment posting, but I'd rather anarchy than either severly limiting who can post, or having to bloody monitor what people say.
Vive Anarchie!
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