The Daily Star claims Samir Nasri will see out his contract at Arsenal. No surprise there. Why? Arsene Wenger has hinted he would keep Nasri, despite Manchester City's reported £20m bid.
While it has been pointed out to me by a Spurs fan that Nasri was Arsenal's best player last season, £20m is a lot of money to turn down for a guy who will almost definitely leave for free next summer. Can we get him to sign a new deal next year? Unlikely. Unless we're prepared to pay a £10m signing-on fee as well as competing with the likes of Man City in terms of wages. I can't see it myself.
I also can't see any consistency in our dealings with Man City. We've cashed in on Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor and more recently Gael Clichy, but we baulk at selling Nasri to them. I just don't get it.
Meanwhile, a player who has a long time left on his Arsenal deal, Cesc Fabregas, still seems jammed in the revolving exit door. He's neither in nor out. Why can't the club bring this to a swift conclusion. Instead of 'conclusion' we get 'confusion'. Surely that's not good for our pre-season plans.
Finally, yet another undisclosed fee passes hands as Jay Emmanuel-Thomas leaves for Ipswich. We've received around £1m apparently. Some fans will be really disappointed to see him go but, to be honest, I didn't really see him as a first-team player for us. We've let some really good youngsters leave in recent times, and I was more upset about us letting Sebastian Larrson, Fabrice Muamba and Jay Simpson leave the club. Nevertheless, I wish Emmanuel-Thomas well and feel sure he'll be a regular at Ipswich, who will be pushing for promotion to the Premier League next season. So it probably won't be long before we see Emmanuel-Thomas back at the Emirates.
At least there's consistency in our youth policy. We make them, we rate them, then make some 'cake' from them!
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Oh Ger Cologne - Gervinho gives us a splash of what to expect
Arsenal's new signing certainly made a positive impression against a decent Cologne side, in our most recent friendly. A much better impression than the club's online video recording on Arsenal Player, that failed to kick in before Monday!
Nevertheless, I was glad to see the boys in action for myself, as relying on Arsenal Player IPhone updates can be misleading. For instance, following the game on my IPhone, I was led to believe that Gervinho scored with his first touch of the game. The belated video footage revealed the Ivory Coast international contributed prior to his volleyed lob of the keeper for goal number one.
Arsenal Player's summariser, Stewart Robson, is usually spot on with his analysis, particularly so when talking about Gunners he's seemingly not too keen on. When his says Theo Walcott put in a good cross, you'd best believe it's true. And Theo did just that for Gervinho's second goal.
Robson has been honest enough in pre-season to highlight Arsenal's defensive frailties. When he was asked if he was 'worried' about this aspect of Arsenal's play there was a long silence before he diplomatically replied that Arsene Wenger still has time to address the problem. Robson's initial silence spoke volumes. Will Arsene Wenger address this problem? Perhaps, but our relative inactivity on the transfer front also speaks volumes.
Ratings:
Szczeny 7 - looked assured, couldn't do anything about the own goal.
Jenkinson 6 - his best game of the pre-season was marred by the own goal. He shouldn't lose sight of the good work he put it earlier. His passing was excellent. However, I still can't see him challenging Sagna next season for the right back slot.
Koscielny 7 - didn't make any major ricks.
Vermaelen 7 - seems like as natural a captain as Arsenal possess.
Gibbs 7 - looked solid and even managed a shot on target - Gael Clichy eat your heart out!
Walcott 7 - one assist and some good work down the wing . . . not bad for a striker!
Ramsey 7 - made one major mistake, giving the ball away deep with a poorly-taken free kick. Needs to retain his focus.
Song 6 - in the comfort zone really, didn't step out of a low gear.
Wilshere 8 - looked like Diego Maradona at times, with his mazy dribbles and incisive passing.
Gervinho 8 - two goals and a near perfect debut performance, apart from two misplaced forward passes.
Chamakh 6 - bereft of confidence and unable to make much impact. Ran a lot though.
SUBS:
Mannone 7 - good handling.
Fabianski 7 - a clean sheet, although had little to deal with.
Sagna 7 - got caught out of position a couple of times, but good going forward.
Squillaci 7 - could have got a red card for an incident with Podolski, but was solid and aggressive.
Djourou 7 - used his pace to snuff out attacks.
Henderson 7 - looked assured, it's a great shame he twirted his knee as he looks an excellent prospect.
Vela 5 - contributed very little, playing out of position on the right wing.
Nasri 5 - didn't seem that interested.
Frimpong 7 - broke up play well, but misplaced a few longish passes.
Rosicky 6 - spritely performance.
Miyaichi 5 - didn't get involved enough.
Arshavin 7 - looked dangerous.
Van Persie 6 - a couple of nice flicks, but little else from the second-half skipper.
Afobe n/a - not long on enough to judge.
Nevertheless, I was glad to see the boys in action for myself, as relying on Arsenal Player IPhone updates can be misleading. For instance, following the game on my IPhone, I was led to believe that Gervinho scored with his first touch of the game. The belated video footage revealed the Ivory Coast international contributed prior to his volleyed lob of the keeper for goal number one.
Arsenal Player's summariser, Stewart Robson, is usually spot on with his analysis, particularly so when talking about Gunners he's seemingly not too keen on. When his says Theo Walcott put in a good cross, you'd best believe it's true. And Theo did just that for Gervinho's second goal.
Robson has been honest enough in pre-season to highlight Arsenal's defensive frailties. When he was asked if he was 'worried' about this aspect of Arsenal's play there was a long silence before he diplomatically replied that Arsene Wenger still has time to address the problem. Robson's initial silence spoke volumes. Will Arsene Wenger address this problem? Perhaps, but our relative inactivity on the transfer front also speaks volumes.
Ratings:
Szczeny 7 - looked assured, couldn't do anything about the own goal.
Jenkinson 6 - his best game of the pre-season was marred by the own goal. He shouldn't lose sight of the good work he put it earlier. His passing was excellent. However, I still can't see him challenging Sagna next season for the right back slot.
Koscielny 7 - didn't make any major ricks.
Vermaelen 7 - seems like as natural a captain as Arsenal possess.
Gibbs 7 - looked solid and even managed a shot on target - Gael Clichy eat your heart out!
Walcott 7 - one assist and some good work down the wing . . . not bad for a striker!
Ramsey 7 - made one major mistake, giving the ball away deep with a poorly-taken free kick. Needs to retain his focus.
Song 6 - in the comfort zone really, didn't step out of a low gear.
Wilshere 8 - looked like Diego Maradona at times, with his mazy dribbles and incisive passing.
Gervinho 8 - two goals and a near perfect debut performance, apart from two misplaced forward passes.
Chamakh 6 - bereft of confidence and unable to make much impact. Ran a lot though.
SUBS:
Mannone 7 - good handling.
Fabianski 7 - a clean sheet, although had little to deal with.
Sagna 7 - got caught out of position a couple of times, but good going forward.
Squillaci 7 - could have got a red card for an incident with Podolski, but was solid and aggressive.
Djourou 7 - used his pace to snuff out attacks.
Henderson 7 - looked assured, it's a great shame he twirted his knee as he looks an excellent prospect.
Vela 5 - contributed very little, playing out of position on the right wing.
Nasri 5 - didn't seem that interested.
Frimpong 7 - broke up play well, but misplaced a few longish passes.
Rosicky 6 - spritely performance.
Miyaichi 5 - didn't get involved enough.
Arshavin 7 - looked dangerous.
Van Persie 6 - a couple of nice flicks, but little else from the second-half skipper.
Afobe n/a - not long on enough to judge.
Sunday, 24 July 2011
Stevenage 0 Arsenal XI 1 - match report & ratings
While the first team were winning 2-1 in Cologne, thanks to new signing Gervinho’s brace, Arsenal fans who didn’t make the trip were treated to a dull victory over dogged opposition in less-perfumed surroundings (i.e. Stevenage is not Cologne, get it?).
There were no queues in evidence on an autumnal day in July, but plenty of fans shouting ‘robbery’ after paying £15 for a ticket behind the goal. Tickets were issued at the turnstiles in what seemed to be a throwback to yesteryears when attendance figures were allegedly fiddled. I’m not saying that was the case here, as there was no official announcement of the number that turned up. That may have been a blessing as the Stevenage PA announcer was in full cock-up mode, or should I say Oguzhan Ozyakup mode, as he got the away fans laughing with his abortive attempt at pronouncing the former Holland U-17 international’s name.
Ozyakup looked one of Arsenal’s sharper players early on, when he foiled an opposition attack, following Samuel Galindo’s first stray pass. However, Ozyakup’s attempt to goad his fellow central midfielder, Galindo, into stepping up a gear had a detrimental effect, with the Bolivian struggling for a while after a very promising start.
Indeed, Galindo was one of the few players getting stuck in and moving the ball around quickly, so it seemed a tad unfair of Ozyakup to single him out. Central defender Daniel Boateng was having a torrid time, passing into touch frequently, although he managed to pick up his game in the second half. The forwards couldn’t get into the game and even the goalkeeper, Reice Charles- Cook, was almost caught dwelling on a back pass.
Like the first team, Arsenal were vulnerable to the ball over the top. Had it not been for left back George Brislen-Hall’s timely interventions, the Gunners may have trudged off a goal or two down at half-time.
Brislen-Hall was man-of-the-first-half, but in the second half he found himself on the backfoot more frequently thanks to the trickery of former Bristol City winger Jennison Myrie-Williams. The substitute wideman was much more effective for Stevenage than the former Arsenal and Spurs man he replaced, Rohann Ricketts.
However, Arsenal were also more incisive in the second period and actually began to register shots on target! Whatever next? Goals? Erm, yes, actually.
Chuks Aneke, who had been involved in a couple of off-the-ball scuffles, netted with a superbly placed curler, scoring what turned out to be the winner.
Liam Brady’s charges should be proud of this result, given that Stevenage had beaten Fulham’s first team 1-0 in a recent friendly.
RATINGS:
1. Reice Charles-Cook – 8 – pulled off some great second half saves and his handling was good. Needs to remember not to dwell on the ball too long and needs to concentrate on his kicking.
2. Nico Yennaris – 7 – a reasonable shift, but got caught out a couple of times.
3. George Brislen-Hall – 7 – an excellent first half, but was less assured after the break.
4. Samuel Galindo – 7 – a great start and then a brief ‘iffy’ period ensued, before he got on his game once more.
5. Sead Hajrovi – 7 – the Swiss central defender proved he’s quite a cool customer with good positioning.
6. Daniel Boateng – 5 – after a very poor first half, he picked up his game.
7. Henri Lansbury – 6 – although we all he’s a class act, he didn’t really prove it often enough.
8. Oguzhan Ozyakup – 7 – showed some good touches and displayed some fighting spirit, but he needs to learn to get the best out of his team-mates. Not all of them will respond well to nagging after they’ve made a mistake. Has the confidence to take free kicks, but needs to make sure he doesn’t just smash the ball into the wall.
9. Sanchez Watt – 6 – very quiet.
10. Chuks Aneke – 7 – after a slow start started to get more involved and scored an excellent goal.
11. Luke Freeman – 7 – had a quiet first half but caused Stevenage problems in the second with his running, dribbling and crossing ability.
SUBS
12. Martin Angha – 6 – the Swiss defender put in a reasonable 17-minute shift.
14. Zak Ansah – 5 – didn’t really manage to contribute much of consequence in his 30 minutes on the pitch.
15. Jernade Meade – 7 – The tiny Luton-born midfielder made a huge impact, coming on with 20 minutes remaining.
There were no queues in evidence on an autumnal day in July, but plenty of fans shouting ‘robbery’ after paying £15 for a ticket behind the goal. Tickets were issued at the turnstiles in what seemed to be a throwback to yesteryears when attendance figures were allegedly fiddled. I’m not saying that was the case here, as there was no official announcement of the number that turned up. That may have been a blessing as the Stevenage PA announcer was in full cock-up mode, or should I say Oguzhan Ozyakup mode, as he got the away fans laughing with his abortive attempt at pronouncing the former Holland U-17 international’s name.
Ozyakup looked one of Arsenal’s sharper players early on, when he foiled an opposition attack, following Samuel Galindo’s first stray pass. However, Ozyakup’s attempt to goad his fellow central midfielder, Galindo, into stepping up a gear had a detrimental effect, with the Bolivian struggling for a while after a very promising start.
Indeed, Galindo was one of the few players getting stuck in and moving the ball around quickly, so it seemed a tad unfair of Ozyakup to single him out. Central defender Daniel Boateng was having a torrid time, passing into touch frequently, although he managed to pick up his game in the second half. The forwards couldn’t get into the game and even the goalkeeper, Reice Charles- Cook, was almost caught dwelling on a back pass.
Like the first team, Arsenal were vulnerable to the ball over the top. Had it not been for left back George Brislen-Hall’s timely interventions, the Gunners may have trudged off a goal or two down at half-time.
Brislen-Hall was man-of-the-first-half, but in the second half he found himself on the backfoot more frequently thanks to the trickery of former Bristol City winger Jennison Myrie-Williams. The substitute wideman was much more effective for Stevenage than the former Arsenal and Spurs man he replaced, Rohann Ricketts.
However, Arsenal were also more incisive in the second period and actually began to register shots on target! Whatever next? Goals? Erm, yes, actually.
Chuks Aneke, who had been involved in a couple of off-the-ball scuffles, netted with a superbly placed curler, scoring what turned out to be the winner.
Liam Brady’s charges should be proud of this result, given that Stevenage had beaten Fulham’s first team 1-0 in a recent friendly.
RATINGS:
1. Reice Charles-Cook – 8 – pulled off some great second half saves and his handling was good. Needs to remember not to dwell on the ball too long and needs to concentrate on his kicking.
2. Nico Yennaris – 7 – a reasonable shift, but got caught out a couple of times.
3. George Brislen-Hall – 7 – an excellent first half, but was less assured after the break.
4. Samuel Galindo – 7 – a great start and then a brief ‘iffy’ period ensued, before he got on his game once more.
5. Sead Hajrovi – 7 – the Swiss central defender proved he’s quite a cool customer with good positioning.
6. Daniel Boateng – 5 – after a very poor first half, he picked up his game.
7. Henri Lansbury – 6 – although we all he’s a class act, he didn’t really prove it often enough.
8. Oguzhan Ozyakup – 7 – showed some good touches and displayed some fighting spirit, but he needs to learn to get the best out of his team-mates. Not all of them will respond well to nagging after they’ve made a mistake. Has the confidence to take free kicks, but needs to make sure he doesn’t just smash the ball into the wall.
9. Sanchez Watt – 6 – very quiet.
10. Chuks Aneke – 7 – after a slow start started to get more involved and scored an excellent goal.
11. Luke Freeman – 7 – had a quiet first half but caused Stevenage problems in the second with his running, dribbling and crossing ability.
SUBS
12. Martin Angha – 6 – the Swiss defender put in a reasonable 17-minute shift.
14. Zak Ansah – 5 – didn’t really manage to contribute much of consequence in his 30 minutes on the pitch.
15. Jernade Meade – 7 – The tiny Luton-born midfielder made a huge impact, coming on with 20 minutes remaining.
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
What does Arsenal's failure to sign Joel Campbell tell us?
I woke up this morning to news that in itself is not that upsetting. It appeared on the Sky Sports news ticker. It was something to the tune of 'Arsenal's bid to sign Costa Rica forward Joel Campbell has broken down'.
The 19-year-old was all set for a £930,000 move from Deportivo Saprissa and reports suggested he would be loaned out for a season unless we could secure his work permit immediately. The chances of that seemed remote because Campbell has not played enough full international matches to automatically meet the Home Office's criteria.
But it's all academic now, if Sky Sports are correct and talks between Arsenal and the youngster's representatives have gone pear-shaped.
Saprissa president Juan Carlos Rojas told La Nacion newspaper: "It is a disappointment for football, for Saprissa and for me that they have decided not to take up an offer from as serious and first-class people as Arsenal.
"I hope it works out for Joel.
"I assume his father thinks that things will get better and that's why he made this decision, but, hey, there's always a risk.
"It's a shame that Costa Rican football could not have a player at Arsenal at this time."
I find it a shame and almost feel ashamed that our 'serious and first-class people' can't even conclude a deal with a teenager. We rarely seem to agree deals with anyone nowadays.
We can't even agree deals with our existing players. We could be set to lose Samir Nasri next season for the same reason. We couldn't get Gael Clichy to agree a new deal so he was sold on the cheap to Manchester City. Going back in time, we lost Matthieu Flamini to AC Milan on a free transfer and I've always argued that was a bigger blow to the club than many realised. I've been vindicated somewhat by Matthieu winning Serie A while we've gone on to win nothing at all.
Then there are all the players that seemingly want to come to us but we don't manage to sign for one reason or another. Names like Xabi Alonso come to mind. Then there's Chris Samba.
I can only assume there's something very wrong in our transfer dealings nowadays. Why did the Andrey Arshavin transfer become so protracted? Other Premier League clubs seem to do their business a lot quicker than us.
Was that the case when David Dein was at Arsenal sealing deals? I may be mistaken, but I remember us being quick to snap up players in the Dein days. Dennis Bergkamp springs to mind. That deal was done long before pre-season training began.
Doing deals early makes so much sense. It gives the player time to gel with his new team-mate. Instead of doing that, Arsenal seem to want to cut a last-minute deal just to save a couple of quid. It's a cheap mentality and it's not leading to success on the silverware front, so it's high time the club reconsidered this policy.
Perhaps we need a new David Dein or even the old one back. But that seems highly unlikely unfortunately. As unlikely as Stan 'we don't want that sort' Kroenke joining the board!
The 19-year-old was all set for a £930,000 move from Deportivo Saprissa and reports suggested he would be loaned out for a season unless we could secure his work permit immediately. The chances of that seemed remote because Campbell has not played enough full international matches to automatically meet the Home Office's criteria.
But it's all academic now, if Sky Sports are correct and talks between Arsenal and the youngster's representatives have gone pear-shaped.
Saprissa president Juan Carlos Rojas told La Nacion newspaper: "It is a disappointment for football, for Saprissa and for me that they have decided not to take up an offer from as serious and first-class people as Arsenal.
"I hope it works out for Joel.
"I assume his father thinks that things will get better and that's why he made this decision, but, hey, there's always a risk.
"It's a shame that Costa Rican football could not have a player at Arsenal at this time."
I find it a shame and almost feel ashamed that our 'serious and first-class people' can't even conclude a deal with a teenager. We rarely seem to agree deals with anyone nowadays.
We can't even agree deals with our existing players. We could be set to lose Samir Nasri next season for the same reason. We couldn't get Gael Clichy to agree a new deal so he was sold on the cheap to Manchester City. Going back in time, we lost Matthieu Flamini to AC Milan on a free transfer and I've always argued that was a bigger blow to the club than many realised. I've been vindicated somewhat by Matthieu winning Serie A while we've gone on to win nothing at all.
Then there are all the players that seemingly want to come to us but we don't manage to sign for one reason or another. Names like Xabi Alonso come to mind. Then there's Chris Samba.
I can only assume there's something very wrong in our transfer dealings nowadays. Why did the Andrey Arshavin transfer become so protracted? Other Premier League clubs seem to do their business a lot quicker than us.
Was that the case when David Dein was at Arsenal sealing deals? I may be mistaken, but I remember us being quick to snap up players in the Dein days. Dennis Bergkamp springs to mind. That deal was done long before pre-season training began.
Doing deals early makes so much sense. It gives the player time to gel with his new team-mate. Instead of doing that, Arsenal seem to want to cut a last-minute deal just to save a couple of quid. It's a cheap mentality and it's not leading to success on the silverware front, so it's high time the club reconsidered this policy.
Perhaps we need a new David Dein or even the old one back. But that seems highly unlikely unfortunately. As unlikely as Stan 'we don't want that sort' Kroenke joining the board!
Monday, 18 July 2011
Theo Walcott - Arsenal's boy wonder to become Batman?
The following headline caught my eye this weekend: 'Walcott ready to spread his wings and take central role'. It was in The Times and written by Tom Dart, the paper's correspondent in Hangzhou. Of course, as the title suggests, it was all about Theo becoming a striker.
Should I write 'becoming' a striker? Hasn't he always been one? But instead of playing Theo where his pace could have the most devastating effect, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger prefers to play him on the wing, where his pace will take him past one or two players and lead to a hurried cross or a shot from an acute angle. Although Theo can score from ridiculous angles, the chances are aganst it and I don't think we should moan about spurned chances when he's playing in that position. He's doing an awful lot of work tracking back, so he can't be expected to be going hammer and tongs at goal at the same time. It's too much to expect.
But journalists generally pander to populist opinion for fear of irritating their readers, so the following day I read that Theo had squandered a plethora of chances, or words to that effect. While it's true he did miss the target a couple of times and forced the Hangzhou keeper to make a save or two, the fact that he's getting in positions to score should be credited.
You might say that's not a big deal, but in the Far East friendlies, very few shots were registered on goal. Obviously, Hangzhou were wary given they'd conceded 8 against Manchester United in their last friendly encounter with Premier League opposition, but nonetheless the rest of Arsenal's shot-shy attack looked tired.
The 4-0 scoreline against Malaysia looks a better result on paper, but really it only served to mask Arsenal's deficiencies that have yet to be addressed by the manager. Yes, Wenger's done some business on the transfer front. Not a lot, but some. Now we've got Gervinho and he may make a difference upfront. And we've added Joel Campbell, for just under a million, but he's going to be loaned out apparently. So once again, the transfer policy seems to be about investing for the future, not for the forthcoming season.
But many Arsenal fans feel that it's about time this squad started delivering and I believe if Theo is played in his rightful position, as a striker leading the line, this team can become more effective. He doesn't need to hold up play. Theo needs a ball behind the defence, and if he's playing off the final defender's shoulder, he will be first to the ball every time. Even if the pass is a poor one, Theo's speed can make that ball defence-splitting.
I'd stick Robin van Persie in 'the hole' behind Theo. Maybe Gervinho can do a job on the right wing and fill in for Theo, the boy wonder makeshift winger who might become a real Batman delivering Arsenal's knockout punch if played in his correct position. Pow!
Should I write 'becoming' a striker? Hasn't he always been one? But instead of playing Theo where his pace could have the most devastating effect, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger prefers to play him on the wing, where his pace will take him past one or two players and lead to a hurried cross or a shot from an acute angle. Although Theo can score from ridiculous angles, the chances are aganst it and I don't think we should moan about spurned chances when he's playing in that position. He's doing an awful lot of work tracking back, so he can't be expected to be going hammer and tongs at goal at the same time. It's too much to expect.
But journalists generally pander to populist opinion for fear of irritating their readers, so the following day I read that Theo had squandered a plethora of chances, or words to that effect. While it's true he did miss the target a couple of times and forced the Hangzhou keeper to make a save or two, the fact that he's getting in positions to score should be credited.
You might say that's not a big deal, but in the Far East friendlies, very few shots were registered on goal. Obviously, Hangzhou were wary given they'd conceded 8 against Manchester United in their last friendly encounter with Premier League opposition, but nonetheless the rest of Arsenal's shot-shy attack looked tired.
The 4-0 scoreline against Malaysia looks a better result on paper, but really it only served to mask Arsenal's deficiencies that have yet to be addressed by the manager. Yes, Wenger's done some business on the transfer front. Not a lot, but some. Now we've got Gervinho and he may make a difference upfront. And we've added Joel Campbell, for just under a million, but he's going to be loaned out apparently. So once again, the transfer policy seems to be about investing for the future, not for the forthcoming season.
But many Arsenal fans feel that it's about time this squad started delivering and I believe if Theo is played in his rightful position, as a striker leading the line, this team can become more effective. He doesn't need to hold up play. Theo needs a ball behind the defence, and if he's playing off the final defender's shoulder, he will be first to the ball every time. Even if the pass is a poor one, Theo's speed can make that ball defence-splitting.
I'd stick Robin van Persie in 'the hole' behind Theo. Maybe Gervinho can do a job on the right wing and fill in for Theo, the boy wonder makeshift winger who might become a real Batman delivering Arsenal's knockout punch if played in his correct position. Pow!
Friday, 8 July 2011
Na na Nasri - Please Don't Go - Arsenal in the transfer megamix!
Arsenal fans never cease to amaze me with their musical ability, especially when some changed KC & The Sunshine Band's 'Give It Up' into a Samir Nasri song. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to stop singing it, as Nasri wants to jump ship, according to Sky Sports.
Us fans could start singing another KC song, 'Please Don't Go', but it would be to no avail. Nasri wants trophies. I can't blame him for that. I can't blame him for thinking we're like the Titanic cruising towards an iceberg or maybe just sailing into nothingness. Oh yes, the Titanic was thought to be invincible too and that ended up sinking, while the band played on. So much for the power of song. No point composing a Nasri megamix then!
Meanwhile, it's clear Mancester United have unsettled him, going public with their interest. They even claim they've bid £20m. That's a lot of money for a player out of contract in 2012. But Arsenal say no bid has received. Can we believe our club? All our transfer fees are 'undisclosed' for some reason, not that we're hiding anything!
Now that Arsenal legend Ian Wright has described us as 'Manchester City's feeder club', maybe Nasri will head to the Ettihad Stadium instead. I hope so, in a way, as at least we'll get better money. Of course, it will mean that even finishing 3rd will be more difficult for us, but we've already sold Gael Clichy to them (our nearest rivals, league-position wise) so why not say 'in for a penny, in for a pound'?
Although, it's admirable that our boss Arsene Wenger is prepared to fight to keep Nasri, we're in a weak position. If we're going to get good money for Nasri, this is our last chance to do just that. So we have to get the best price we can and that's one thing I think we will do. Even if it remains an 'undisclosed' amount, it should be big.
The next question is will we spend all of the money brought in from selling Clichy and Nasri on replacements? I think our relative inactivity in the transfer market so far gives us a clue about what we should expect.
Us fans could start singing another KC song, 'Please Don't Go', but it would be to no avail. Nasri wants trophies. I can't blame him for that. I can't blame him for thinking we're like the Titanic cruising towards an iceberg or maybe just sailing into nothingness. Oh yes, the Titanic was thought to be invincible too and that ended up sinking, while the band played on. So much for the power of song. No point composing a Nasri megamix then!
Meanwhile, it's clear Mancester United have unsettled him, going public with their interest. They even claim they've bid £20m. That's a lot of money for a player out of contract in 2012. But Arsenal say no bid has received. Can we believe our club? All our transfer fees are 'undisclosed' for some reason, not that we're hiding anything!
Now that Arsenal legend Ian Wright has described us as 'Manchester City's feeder club', maybe Nasri will head to the Ettihad Stadium instead. I hope so, in a way, as at least we'll get better money. Of course, it will mean that even finishing 3rd will be more difficult for us, but we've already sold Gael Clichy to them (our nearest rivals, league-position wise) so why not say 'in for a penny, in for a pound'?
Although, it's admirable that our boss Arsene Wenger is prepared to fight to keep Nasri, we're in a weak position. If we're going to get good money for Nasri, this is our last chance to do just that. So we have to get the best price we can and that's one thing I think we will do. Even if it remains an 'undisclosed' amount, it should be big.
The next question is will we spend all of the money brought in from selling Clichy and Nasri on replacements? I think our relative inactivity in the transfer market so far gives us a clue about what we should expect.
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