My natural inclination is to start every article with: 'As most regular readers know...'. Well, that's how it seems to me, so I've resisted the temptation this time!
However, that leaves me wondering how to reintroduce the concept of Alexis Sanchez failing to deliver as a striker. Wait! Did I say failing to deliver? After his crucial goal against Besiktas that made the £36m or so we paid seem like peanuts in comparison to what that strike was worth to the club?
No. To reiterate what I said about Sanchez: he will struggle for goals in the Premier League. The Champions League is a whole different ball game. He's used to continental teams, so I'm expecting a lot more goals from him in this competition. We might even be able to get away without replacing Giroud for the Champs League, bearing in mind the big Frenchman is a very English-style centre forward.
What we won't get away with is not replacing Giroud in domestic competition. We need a big centre forward for English football, at least as a plan B, when Sanchez is struggling to make a breakthrough. Believe me, that will happen a lot in his first season in England, especially away from home.
It's those tough away trips to the north of England that worry me. If Sanogo fails to make the grade or continually struggles with his fitness, we can kiss the Premier League title goodbye. That's why we need to adequately replace Giroud. To place all our faith in Sanogo is reckless to the extreme, but that's what I anticipate we will be doing.
Let transfer deadline day roll on and let's see what transpires. You'll probably find out about our new signings last here, but at least they'll be an attempt at intelligent comment. And I won't link us with players in a Willy Nilly fashion just to get page views, although I have to admit Willy Nilly sounds like the sort of player we've been linked with lately.
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Friday 29 August 2014
Wednesday 27 August 2014
Zigic to Arsenal hoax etc
Nikola Zigic to Arsenal? Who dreams up these stories?
Is it the same guy who said we'd be signing Manolas? The same Manolas who has just joined Roma?
Let's just pretend there's some truth in the Zigic story. Would we sign this experienced 6ft 7 inch striker, who was earning £60k per week at Birmingham before he became a free agent? In theory, yes, as we've done stranger things. Remember Fabian Caballero anyone? How about Chris Wreh, who at least made some impact? Can we honestly say that Zigic would fare worse than both of the aforementioned players?
Quite honestly, Zigic's arrival is slightly more likely than Falcao's or Cavani's, in my opinion.
Instead of that though, we'll wait for Giroud to mend and make do with Sanogo, Joel Campbell and Podolski. Surely one or more of those three will score enough goals to keep us in contention for silverware.
As long as Sanogo avoids injury, I think he could be some of the answer. Maybe he needs to be played alongside Podolski, with Wenger switching to 4-4-2. Sanogo can distract defenders and keep them busy, while Podolski (or even Sanchez, once he's acclimatises) concentrates on finishing.
That's the only way I can see us getting through games without a high-profile addition to the striking ranks. Fingers crossed, something will work in Giroud's absence.
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Is it the same guy who said we'd be signing Manolas? The same Manolas who has just joined Roma?
Let's just pretend there's some truth in the Zigic story. Would we sign this experienced 6ft 7 inch striker, who was earning £60k per week at Birmingham before he became a free agent? In theory, yes, as we've done stranger things. Remember Fabian Caballero anyone? How about Chris Wreh, who at least made some impact? Can we honestly say that Zigic would fare worse than both of the aforementioned players?
Quite honestly, Zigic's arrival is slightly more likely than Falcao's or Cavani's, in my opinion.
Instead of that though, we'll wait for Giroud to mend and make do with Sanogo, Joel Campbell and Podolski. Surely one or more of those three will score enough goals to keep us in contention for silverware.
As long as Sanogo avoids injury, I think he could be some of the answer. Maybe he needs to be played alongside Podolski, with Wenger switching to 4-4-2. Sanogo can distract defenders and keep them busy, while Podolski (or even Sanchez, once he's acclimatises) concentrates on finishing.
That's the only way I can see us getting through games without a high-profile addition to the striking ranks. Fingers crossed, something will work in Giroud's absence.
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Tuesday 26 August 2014
Giroud injury forces Arsenal's hand
Nothing really forces Arsenal's hand in the transfer market usually, but if Olivier Giroud is really going to be out of action for months, then something must be done.
We've missed out on Balotelli, much to my chagrin, but we could still pick up Loic Remy.
If not, we've got to rely on a possibly disaffected Podolski, inexperienced Sanogo and rookie Campbell.
It's not worth the risk in my opinion, especially after Sanchez spectacularly failed at Goodison Park as a centre forward.
Wenger needs to learn from that: we need a tried and tested Premier League striker, not a brand new import from abroad or a rookie.
Nothing else will do, if we're truly serious about winning trophies this season.
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We've missed out on Balotelli, much to my chagrin, but we could still pick up Loic Remy.
If not, we've got to rely on a possibly disaffected Podolski, inexperienced Sanogo and rookie Campbell.
It's not worth the risk in my opinion, especially after Sanchez spectacularly failed at Goodison Park as a centre forward.
Wenger needs to learn from that: we need a tried and tested Premier League striker, not a brand new import from abroad or a rookie.
Nothing else will do, if we're truly serious about winning trophies this season.
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Saturday 23 August 2014
Giroud will come good for Arsenal
Olivier Giroud has come in for some appalling flak after his Besiktas performance. That's not the best news ahead of a tough game at Everton.
It makes me laugh how some fans are pinning all our hopes on Alexis Sanchez, when he's not had any previous Premier League experience.
I really think Giroud is the better bet. However, he will take time to get back into his stride.
He's a big centre forward and it will take him much longer to get match-fit than it will for a spritely little forward like Sanchez.
Meanwhile, we have to be patient. Mark my words, Giroud will score 20 Premier League goals this season (unless he gets dropped or injured) and Sanchez will be lucky to score half that amount in his first season.
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It makes me laugh how some fans are pinning all our hopes on Alexis Sanchez, when he's not had any previous Premier League experience.
I really think Giroud is the better bet. However, he will take time to get back into his stride.
He's a big centre forward and it will take him much longer to get match-fit than it will for a spritely little forward like Sanchez.
Meanwhile, we have to be patient. Mark my words, Giroud will score 20 Premier League goals this season (unless he gets dropped or injured) and Sanchez will be lucky to score half that amount in his first season.
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Thursday 21 August 2014
Will Arteta's injury force Arsenal to buy?
In short, the answer is 'no'. We've been playing for years with a wafer-thin squad, so why should we change?
I could say our Champions League qualification has never been so precarious given the 0-0 first-leg result against Besiktas, but my warnings would go unheeded. And quite rightly, maybe.
What's the safest thing to do? I'd say put Flamini in instead of Arteta. Defensively, we look more solid with Flames in front of the back four singeing opponents with his tackling, so it's not such a bad thing is it, Arteta's sprained ankle?
Even the best defensive midfielder in the world would take time to bed in, so it wouldn't be worth the risk throwing a new addition straight into the fray. Unless we got him in before the Everton game.
That's a bit short-notice and part of the reason why I can't see us panic-buying, no matter how much the media insist otherwise.
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I could say our Champions League qualification has never been so precarious given the 0-0 first-leg result against Besiktas, but my warnings would go unheeded. And quite rightly, maybe.
What's the safest thing to do? I'd say put Flamini in instead of Arteta. Defensively, we look more solid with Flames in front of the back four singeing opponents with his tackling, so it's not such a bad thing is it, Arteta's sprained ankle?
Even the best defensive midfielder in the world would take time to bed in, so it wouldn't be worth the risk throwing a new addition straight into the fray. Unless we got him in before the Everton game.
That's a bit short-notice and part of the reason why I can't see us panic-buying, no matter how much the media insist otherwise.
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Wednesday 20 August 2014
0-0 to Arsenal: edge of precipice
To draw 0-0 in Turkey is hardly ideal. You don't need me to remind you that if former Arsenal target Ba scores early on in the second leg, we'll need 2 goals to progress. And I think Besiktas will be tougher to break down than Palace, so we'd best be on our toes!
A tough game at Everton now looms on the horizon and this time Mertesacker will actually return to the team. Honestly!
It was good to see us get a clean sheet without the vice captain, and it proved that fears that Koscielny's Achilles heel injury would keep him out we're unfounded.
Let's hope he's not getting injections to continue playing, as that's only a short-term fix.
The potential long-term fix, Iggy Miguel, was left on the bench against Besiktas. But at least he was there. I still have high hopes for him and I hope Wenger has them too!
The second leg is going to be even tougher without the suspended Rambo. What a silly way to get sent off: 2 shirt tugs!
Anyway, Rambo's apology suggests he's learned his lesson and that's all we can ask for. His indiscretions are so minor compared to others of a similar age, so we should just rejoice that he signed for us and not Man U, when he left Cardiff!
As far as other new signings go, there is nothing on the horizon. Kostas Manolas has been having his medical at Arsenal for about a week now, if the media is to be believed!
Vargas won't be signing for us and neither will Cavani. For some reason, I half-believe the Rabiot story, so won't be that surprised if he arrives on 31st. He'd be a typical Wenger signing, as in completely off most radars and French!
Meanwhile, something tells me Khedira could join on deadline day for a knockdown fee. It's just a hunch. Nothing more.
Song and Kolo Toure are not going to join us, I fear, although I'd love the latter to return as a squad player.
So no signings until deadline day and maybe none even then. And yet, I'm still saying it'll be be Khedira for peanuts! Well, as long as we're still in the Champions League, that is!
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A tough game at Everton now looms on the horizon and this time Mertesacker will actually return to the team. Honestly!
It was good to see us get a clean sheet without the vice captain, and it proved that fears that Koscielny's Achilles heel injury would keep him out we're unfounded.
Let's hope he's not getting injections to continue playing, as that's only a short-term fix.
The potential long-term fix, Iggy Miguel, was left on the bench against Besiktas. But at least he was there. I still have high hopes for him and I hope Wenger has them too!
The second leg is going to be even tougher without the suspended Rambo. What a silly way to get sent off: 2 shirt tugs!
Anyway, Rambo's apology suggests he's learned his lesson and that's all we can ask for. His indiscretions are so minor compared to others of a similar age, so we should just rejoice that he signed for us and not Man U, when he left Cardiff!
As far as other new signings go, there is nothing on the horizon. Kostas Manolas has been having his medical at Arsenal for about a week now, if the media is to be believed!
Vargas won't be signing for us and neither will Cavani. For some reason, I half-believe the Rabiot story, so won't be that surprised if he arrives on 31st. He'd be a typical Wenger signing, as in completely off most radars and French!
Meanwhile, something tells me Khedira could join on deadline day for a knockdown fee. It's just a hunch. Nothing more.
Song and Kolo Toure are not going to join us, I fear, although I'd love the latter to return as a squad player.
So no signings until deadline day and maybe none even then. And yet, I'm still saying it'll be be Khedira for peanuts! Well, as long as we're still in the Champions League, that is!
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Tuesday 19 August 2014
Should Arsenal bring Song back?
My answer to this is initially 'no', but rumour has it Alex Song is available on a free loan deal.
It's hard to believe the veracity of that story, but if he's available for £8m on a permanent deal would you bring him back to Arsenal?
I'm still not sure I would. Even Mikel Arteta covers more yards in a match than Song, I reckon. So what's the point in bringing back a mediocre talent with a questionable attitude.
I'd let Man Utd have him, if they're so keen. It's certainly better than Cesc going to Chelsea.
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It's hard to believe the veracity of that story, but if he's available for £8m on a permanent deal would you bring him back to Arsenal?
I'm still not sure I would. Even Mikel Arteta covers more yards in a match than Song, I reckon. So what's the point in bringing back a mediocre talent with a questionable attitude.
I'd let Man Utd have him, if they're so keen. It's certainly better than Cesc going to Chelsea.
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Per-shaped defence v Besiktas?
It could all go 'Per-shaped' with Per Mertesacker's early return in Turkey later today, but let's hope it doesn't go 'pear-shaped' at Besiktas as well (although I don't think it will).
I have to credit the blog, 'A Cultured Left Foot', for that headline. I loved it so much, I thought I'd use it myself.
Enough digression. Mertesacker has enough nous and experience to do a good job, even if he's not fully fit.
This could have been Iggy Miguel's big chance, but clearly Arsene Wenger doesn't have quite enough faith in him.
When the stakes are this high, my question is what would you do: go for a fully fit Miguel or a half to three-quarters fit Mertesacker?
As much as I rate Miguel, I'd probably choose the German: mainly because he's less likely to make a costly mistake.
With Koscielny suffering from an Achilles problem and Gibbs out with his hamstring, the back four could look like this: Debuchy, Chambers, Mertesacker, Monreal.
That should be good enough to ensure a decent result in Turkey, but we can't afford to be complacent.
If we do we'll be like cheapskates at Christmas complaining that 'this Turkey is tough'.
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I have to credit the blog, 'A Cultured Left Foot', for that headline. I loved it so much, I thought I'd use it myself.
Enough digression. Mertesacker has enough nous and experience to do a good job, even if he's not fully fit.
This could have been Iggy Miguel's big chance, but clearly Arsene Wenger doesn't have quite enough faith in him.
When the stakes are this high, my question is what would you do: go for a fully fit Miguel or a half to three-quarters fit Mertesacker?
As much as I rate Miguel, I'd probably choose the German: mainly because he's less likely to make a costly mistake.
With Koscielny suffering from an Achilles problem and Gibbs out with his hamstring, the back four could look like this: Debuchy, Chambers, Mertesacker, Monreal.
That should be good enough to ensure a decent result in Turkey, but we can't afford to be complacent.
If we do we'll be like cheapskates at Christmas complaining that 'this Turkey is tough'.
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Sunday 17 August 2014
Could Cavani really be Arsenal bound?
The chances of us signing Edinson Cavani may have leapt from 0 to 1 per cent, following the failure of Sanogo and Giroud to hit the net against Palace.
Sorry, I just can't see us splashing out around £50m on a player that we don't really need.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love us to sign Cavani. However, £8m centre back Manolas sounds like a more realistic target. Even Khedira is more likely to arrive, now that the asking price has dropped so much.
Adrien Ribot is another Arsenal target currently at PSG, so who know what ridiculous sums of money will be heading in their direction, if the papers are right?
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Sorry, I just can't see us splashing out around £50m on a player that we don't really need.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love us to sign Cavani. However, £8m centre back Manolas sounds like a more realistic target. Even Khedira is more likely to arrive, now that the asking price has dropped so much.
Adrien Ribot is another Arsenal target currently at PSG, so who know what ridiculous sums of money will be heading in their direction, if the papers are right?
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Saturday 16 August 2014
Are Arsenal spineless?
A lot has been made of pundit Jamie Carragher's recent comments that Arsenal still lack a spine.
Although I have a lot of respect for the former Liverpool centre back's opinion (as I think he talks a lot of sense), I think he's slightly wide of the mark this time.
What we have to bear in mind is Szczesny is a year older and Ospina has got to be a step up from Fabianski, surely? So in that department we're better.
Centre backs: we've lost Sagna (who could play there) and Vermaelen. We've gain Chambers, one for the future and, dare I say it, one for now. Perhaps squad-wise we're weaker, but our first XI selection in Central defence should be unaffected or slightly better. I'd rather have Chambers than the disaffected Vermaelen playing there.
Central midfield: no improvements and due to the age of Arteta and Flamini, we may be slightly worse in this department (unless Chambers proves to be a revelation there).
Upfront, we've now got a fit Sanogo, Sanchez and Campbell to add to Giroud. Surely, that's a big improvement.
Overall, I'd say the spine of our team has been strengthened, although there are concerns about central defence and midfield. Hopefully, Wenger will address those concerns before transfer deadline day.
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Although I have a lot of respect for the former Liverpool centre back's opinion (as I think he talks a lot of sense), I think he's slightly wide of the mark this time.
What we have to bear in mind is Szczesny is a year older and Ospina has got to be a step up from Fabianski, surely? So in that department we're better.
Centre backs: we've lost Sagna (who could play there) and Vermaelen. We've gain Chambers, one for the future and, dare I say it, one for now. Perhaps squad-wise we're weaker, but our first XI selection in Central defence should be unaffected or slightly better. I'd rather have Chambers than the disaffected Vermaelen playing there.
Central midfield: no improvements and due to the age of Arteta and Flamini, we may be slightly worse in this department (unless Chambers proves to be a revelation there).
Upfront, we've now got a fit Sanogo, Sanchez and Campbell to add to Giroud. Surely, that's a big improvement.
Overall, I'd say the spine of our team has been strengthened, although there are concerns about central defence and midfield. Hopefully, Wenger will address those concerns before transfer deadline day.
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Khedira D-Day deal for Arsenal?
I've not had much belief in this story, but still it refuses to die a death.
The latest on Sami Khedira is he's available for 10m euros and his salary will be a 'paltry' 3.5m euros per year.
Believe this at your peril!
Nevertheless, it's been reported by Sport Witness so it must be true!
Apparently, unless Khedira moves on he will face a season on the sidelines: hence the new costs being quoted.
If Wenger thinks the price will continue to drop, he will wait until 31st August before making his move.
My belief is it will be a deadline deal or no deal at a.
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The latest on Sami Khedira is he's available for 10m euros and his salary will be a 'paltry' 3.5m euros per year.
Believe this at your peril!
Nevertheless, it's been reported by Sport Witness so it must be true!
Apparently, unless Khedira moves on he will face a season on the sidelines: hence the new costs being quoted.
If Wenger thinks the price will continue to drop, he will wait until 31st August before making his move.
My belief is it will be a deadline deal or no deal at a.
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Per's retirement boost for Arsenal
Per Mertesacker's international retirement has got to be good news for Arsenal.
The 29-year-old vice-captain seems ready to focus on his club career and I can imagine him staying at Arsenal for the foreseeable future.
Mertesacker has never relied on pace, so shouldn't show many signs of decline as he reaches his 30s.
Once Arteta leaves, Per is now in line to be Arsenal's next captain.
He might not have long to wait and clearly he's ready to commit to a new role at the club as soon as it's offered.
Or maybe he's realised he may have have a fight on his hands to retain his Arsenal place, since Chambers's arrival.
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The 29-year-old vice-captain seems ready to focus on his club career and I can imagine him staying at Arsenal for the foreseeable future.
Mertesacker has never relied on pace, so shouldn't show many signs of decline as he reaches his 30s.
Once Arteta leaves, Per is now in line to be Arsenal's next captain.
He might not have long to wait and clearly he's ready to commit to a new role at the club as soon as it's offered.
Or maybe he's realised he may have have a fight on his hands to retain his Arsenal place, since Chambers's arrival.
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Arsenal's line-up v Palace
Looking ahead to today's game, pretty much all Arsenal fans are choosing the same backline: Szczesny, Debuchy, Chambers, Koscielny, Gibbs.
It's in midfield that there's disagreement. A lot of people have left out Arteta, who had a disappointing end to the season. Yet apart from Flamini, can we really trust anyone else to shield the back four? No one else has the discipline and nous, that I've seen so far. Chambers may do it, one day, but we've yet to see him there. Nothing seems impossible for this youngster though.
Regards the rest of the midfield, Sanchez seems set to start on the right, with Rambo through the middle and Cazorla on the left.
I'm wondering if Arsenal will start with Yaya Sanogo and Giroud down the centre. That would be a brave move, returning to 4-4-2 and my choice for a home game against 'lesser' opposition, no disrespect intended to Palace.
So here's my line up again: Szczesny, Debuchy, Chambers, Koscielny, Gibbs, Sanchez, Arteta, Ramsey, Cazorla, Sanogo, Giroud.
Personally, I think Wenger will play Rosicky instead of Sanogo, so it'll be interesting to see his selection.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Palace
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It's in midfield that there's disagreement. A lot of people have left out Arteta, who had a disappointing end to the season. Yet apart from Flamini, can we really trust anyone else to shield the back four? No one else has the discipline and nous, that I've seen so far. Chambers may do it, one day, but we've yet to see him there. Nothing seems impossible for this youngster though.
Regards the rest of the midfield, Sanchez seems set to start on the right, with Rambo through the middle and Cazorla on the left.
I'm wondering if Arsenal will start with Yaya Sanogo and Giroud down the centre. That would be a brave move, returning to 4-4-2 and my choice for a home game against 'lesser' opposition, no disrespect intended to Palace.
So here's my line up again: Szczesny, Debuchy, Chambers, Koscielny, Gibbs, Sanchez, Arteta, Ramsey, Cazorla, Sanogo, Giroud.
Personally, I think Wenger will play Rosicky instead of Sanogo, so it'll be interesting to see his selection.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Palace
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Friday 15 August 2014
Arsenal prospect joins Bees
Usually you'd expect our prospects to be loaned to Barnet, when you hear about the Bees, given the special relationship the two clubs have built up over the years.
However, Barnet wouldn't be the right level for Jon Toral, who's joined Brentford on loan until the end of the season.
The 19-year-old attacking midfielder needs some game time, so a drop down just one division should really help his development.
I've been impressed with what
I've seen of Toral, who certainly has an eye for goal.
It makes sense to loan him out though, as it will be tough to break through into the Arsenal first-team as a midfielder this season, given the strength of the squad.
His former Barcelona team-mate, Hector Bellerin, has got a much better chance of squeezing in at right back.
Let's hope that Toral returns to Arsenal an even better player than he already is.
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However, Barnet wouldn't be the right level for Jon Toral, who's joined Brentford on loan until the end of the season.
The 19-year-old attacking midfielder needs some game time, so a drop down just one division should really help his development.
I've been impressed with what
I've seen of Toral, who certainly has an eye for goal.
It makes sense to loan him out though, as it will be tough to break through into the Arsenal first-team as a midfielder this season, given the strength of the squad.
His former Barcelona team-mate, Hector Bellerin, has got a much better chance of squeezing in at right back.
Let's hope that Toral returns to Arsenal an even better player than he already is.
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Where will Arsenal finish this season?
The BBC reckon Arsenal will finish 5th this season! Phil McNulty say so.
Last season, I said we'd finish 3rd behind the champions Man City and Chelsea. Well, I was half-right about the top two and just a tad too optimistic about our chances.
This time I'm slightly more optimistic. I say we'll finish 2nd, our customary position after winning the Community Shield in all its different guises.
Here's my run-down:
1. Chelsea (the Fabregas factor)
2. Arsenal
3. Liverpool (the new Saints)
4. Man C (are they bothered?)
5. Man U (it takes time to turn things around)
6. Everton
7. Tottenham
8. Sunderland (watch out, they are on the 'up')
9. Stoke
10. Newcastle
11. QPR
12. Hull
13. Leicester
14. WBA
15. Crystal Palace
16. West Ham
17. Southampton
18. Swansea (The Fabianski factor)
19. Aston Villa (The Senderos factor)
20. Burnley
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Last season, I said we'd finish 3rd behind the champions Man City and Chelsea. Well, I was half-right about the top two and just a tad too optimistic about our chances.
This time I'm slightly more optimistic. I say we'll finish 2nd, our customary position after winning the Community Shield in all its different guises.
Here's my run-down:
1. Chelsea (the Fabregas factor)
2. Arsenal
3. Liverpool (the new Saints)
4. Man C (are they bothered?)
5. Man U (it takes time to turn things around)
6. Everton
7. Tottenham
8. Sunderland (watch out, they are on the 'up')
9. Stoke
10. Newcastle
11. QPR
12. Hull
13. Leicester
14. WBA
15. Crystal Palace
16. West Ham
17. Southampton
18. Swansea (The Fabianski factor)
19. Aston Villa (The Senderos factor)
20. Burnley
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One last chance for Ryo at Arsenal?
Ryo Miyaichi is approaching fitness, so, in theory at least, could yet muscle his way into the reckoning at Arsenal.
For a change, it's encouraging news for Ryo, as Arsene Wenger fielded questions on injuries at the club.
Wenger told Arsenal.com: 'Ryo is very close after injury', so quite feasibly he will be fit before his main wing rivals: Theo Walcott and Serge Gnabry.
The boss has made it clear he will not countenance loaning out Serge Gnabry, who effectively usurped Ryo in the pecking order last summer.
Theo Walcott won't be fit until late August at the earliest, so if Ryo's fit before that he could have one last chance to stake a claim for a wide position.
Then again, the boss is still likely to prefer Sanchez or Oxlade-Chamberlain to Ryo, so even optimistic observers like myself think his future is bleak at Arsenal.
The Capital One Cup is not until late September, so Ryo really needs a lucky break before then.
I think it's most likely that he'll be loaned out, as he's not even in Arsenal's preliminary Champions League squad.
Ryo's last chance might have to be elsewhere, but if he impresses then perhaps Arsenal will recall him.
He needs to make the sort of impact that Jack Wishere made at Bolton and try to avoid injury for a while.
Maybe then we'll see the real Ryo.
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For a change, it's encouraging news for Ryo, as Arsene Wenger fielded questions on injuries at the club.
Wenger told Arsenal.com: 'Ryo is very close after injury', so quite feasibly he will be fit before his main wing rivals: Theo Walcott and Serge Gnabry.
The boss has made it clear he will not countenance loaning out Serge Gnabry, who effectively usurped Ryo in the pecking order last summer.
Theo Walcott won't be fit until late August at the earliest, so if Ryo's fit before that he could have one last chance to stake a claim for a wide position.
Then again, the boss is still likely to prefer Sanchez or Oxlade-Chamberlain to Ryo, so even optimistic observers like myself think his future is bleak at Arsenal.
The Capital One Cup is not until late September, so Ryo really needs a lucky break before then.
I think it's most likely that he'll be loaned out, as he's not even in Arsenal's preliminary Champions League squad.
Ryo's last chance might have to be elsewhere, but if he impresses then perhaps Arsenal will recall him.
He needs to make the sort of impact that Jack Wishere made at Bolton and try to avoid injury for a while.
Maybe then we'll see the real Ryo.
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Pulis's absence a plus for Arsenal?
I was shocked and stunned to see Crystal Palace have parted company with their saviour last season, Tony Pulis.
Bad news for them is good news for us, ahead of this season's opening fixture.
Pulis will be next to impossible to replace. It's a shame a top manager is not valued more, but it's indicative of the state of the game where we have businessmen who think they know better than football people.
That's why I'm predicting an Arsenal win, all the more so now Koscielny has recovered from his Achilles problem.
It's about time Arsenal won on the opening day, as it's been about 5 years now since we did (beating Everton 6-1 away in 2009).
It'll be a lot tighter than that, no doubt, but I'm still expecting an Arsenal victory.
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Bad news for them is good news for us, ahead of this season's opening fixture.
Pulis will be next to impossible to replace. It's a shame a top manager is not valued more, but it's indicative of the state of the game where we have businessmen who think they know better than football people.
That's why I'm predicting an Arsenal win, all the more so now Koscielny has recovered from his Achilles problem.
It's about time Arsenal won on the opening day, as it's been about 5 years now since we did (beating Everton 6-1 away in 2009).
It'll be a lot tighter than that, no doubt, but I'm still expecting an Arsenal victory.
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Thursday 14 August 2014
Ryo left out of Arsenal's Champions League squad
Ryo Miyaichi has been left out of Arsenal's Champions League squad to face Besiktas over two legs.
However, he's in good company. Theo Walcott and David Ospina have also been omitted, due to injury.
Should Arsenal qualify for the group stages, they can then resubmit their squad selection, which includes 25 for inclusion in the 'A' list and a 'B' list, made up only of players born on or after 1st January 1993 (Ryo was born just before that date!) and players who have also been eligible to play for Arsenal for at least 2 uninterrupted years after the age of 15 (which would also count Ryo out, given his loan spells away).
Although also injured, Abou Diaby has been selected for the 'A' squad; but obviously Arsenal's medical staff must think there's a chance he could play.
There's still hope for Ryo if Arsenal reach the group stages, as the Gunners will then be required to send in another 'A' list of 25 players. Unfortunately, Ryo won't qualify for the B list for the reasons already mentioned.
That means Ryo needs to displace one of the younger less-experienced players standing in his way like: goalkeepers Matt Macey and Damian Martinez (although one will surely make way for Ospina when he's fit), centre back Iggy Miguel, utility player Francis Coquelin, and central midfielder Gedion Zelalem.
When you bear in mind that Theo will need to be accommodated in the squad as well, it seems there will be no place in Arsenal's Champions League squad for Ryo. His only hope is an experienced wide man gets a long-term injury, thus freeing up a place in the 'A' list.
In the event that Arsenal do make the group stages, they will need to submit the squad lists by 1st September. By then, Ryo's fate should be clearer.
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However, he's in good company. Theo Walcott and David Ospina have also been omitted, due to injury.
Should Arsenal qualify for the group stages, they can then resubmit their squad selection, which includes 25 for inclusion in the 'A' list and a 'B' list, made up only of players born on or after 1st January 1993 (Ryo was born just before that date!) and players who have also been eligible to play for Arsenal for at least 2 uninterrupted years after the age of 15 (which would also count Ryo out, given his loan spells away).
Although also injured, Abou Diaby has been selected for the 'A' squad; but obviously Arsenal's medical staff must think there's a chance he could play.
There's still hope for Ryo if Arsenal reach the group stages, as the Gunners will then be required to send in another 'A' list of 25 players. Unfortunately, Ryo won't qualify for the B list for the reasons already mentioned.
That means Ryo needs to displace one of the younger less-experienced players standing in his way like: goalkeepers Matt Macey and Damian Martinez (although one will surely make way for Ospina when he's fit), centre back Iggy Miguel, utility player Francis Coquelin, and central midfielder Gedion Zelalem.
When you bear in mind that Theo will need to be accommodated in the squad as well, it seems there will be no place in Arsenal's Champions League squad for Ryo. His only hope is an experienced wide man gets a long-term injury, thus freeing up a place in the 'A' list.
In the event that Arsenal do make the group stages, they will need to submit the squad lists by 1st September. By then, Ryo's fate should be clearer.
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Wednesday 13 August 2014
Arsenal pecking order: Campbell or Sanogo?
On Arsenal Player, there was much debate between Adrian Clarke and John Cross over the relative merits of Joel Campbell and Yaya Sanogo.
From their discussion, it seemed as if both would put Campbell ahead of Sanogo in the Arsenal pecking order.
While I agree with Clarke, in that Campbell deserves a chance at Arsenal after a number of loan spells, I'd still have Sanogo in front of him for now.
The reason why is simple: Sanogo must be a nightmare to play against. I think his basic instinct is to be unselfish, so I'm not expecting a deluge of goals from him. However, he's such a handful that he's going to make defences nervous. Opponents will make more mistakes up against him and consequently, as a team, we'll score more.
If he's fit, Sanogo can be the type of forward who will never give the defence a moment's peace. He'll challenge for everything. And when he gets the ball, there's no telling what he'll do with it. He's all arms and legs, and Premier League defenders will always struggle to dispossess him.
Campbell's got a physical presence too, but there's less about him that would make me worry if I were marking him. I'd just try to stop him shooting from long-range and track his runs. That would be enough to keep him from making too much trouble.
Nevertheless, it's still too early to be sure about either player's ability to play a major part in the forthcoming season. Right now, I'd opt for Sanogo, but I'd like to see both get a chance.
May the best man win his place in the starting line-up!
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From their discussion, it seemed as if both would put Campbell ahead of Sanogo in the Arsenal pecking order.
While I agree with Clarke, in that Campbell deserves a chance at Arsenal after a number of loan spells, I'd still have Sanogo in front of him for now.
The reason why is simple: Sanogo must be a nightmare to play against. I think his basic instinct is to be unselfish, so I'm not expecting a deluge of goals from him. However, he's such a handful that he's going to make defences nervous. Opponents will make more mistakes up against him and consequently, as a team, we'll score more.
If he's fit, Sanogo can be the type of forward who will never give the defence a moment's peace. He'll challenge for everything. And when he gets the ball, there's no telling what he'll do with it. He's all arms and legs, and Premier League defenders will always struggle to dispossess him.
Campbell's got a physical presence too, but there's less about him that would make me worry if I were marking him. I'd just try to stop him shooting from long-range and track his runs. That would be enough to keep him from making too much trouble.
Nevertheless, it's still too early to be sure about either player's ability to play a major part in the forthcoming season. Right now, I'd opt for Sanogo, but I'd like to see both get a chance.
May the best man win his place in the starting line-up!
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New Tavlaridis for Arsenal?
Arsenal could sign a new Tavlaridis, apparently: Kostas Manolas. We're favourites to sign him say reports in the Metro. Am I excited? Not really. Why? I'll explain.
Manolas is a current Greece international and only 23. The best is yet to come and Greeks are good defenders, generally, but where's ex-Gunner Efstathios Tavlaridis now? I'll tell you: he's in Athens, playing for Atromitos. He was an excellent prospect, but didn't last long at Arsenal for some reason. Given that he cost £1m as a 21-year-old and seemed to have bags of talent, I think he's underachieved by his own standards.
Going back to Manolas, apparently he was left out of Olympiacos's squad, which has fuelled rumours of an imminent move. Seeing as we have a good working relationship with the Greek club, perhaps we'll find out soon whether or not he will be our new Tavlaridis. If so, let's hope he reaches his full potential with us.
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Manolas is a current Greece international and only 23. The best is yet to come and Greeks are good defenders, generally, but where's ex-Gunner Efstathios Tavlaridis now? I'll tell you: he's in Athens, playing for Atromitos. He was an excellent prospect, but didn't last long at Arsenal for some reason. Given that he cost £1m as a 21-year-old and seemed to have bags of talent, I think he's underachieved by his own standards.
Going back to Manolas, apparently he was left out of Olympiacos's squad, which has fuelled rumours of an imminent move. Seeing as we have a good working relationship with the Greek club, perhaps we'll find out soon whether or not he will be our new Tavlaridis. If so, let's hope he reaches his full potential with us.
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Could Toure or Song fill Arsenal's gap?
There is still a lot of speculation linking us to this player and that, the more irksome being the continued link with Edinson Cavani. Yes, we may have been interested before, but now? With all the strikers we have at our disposal? I'd say, we won't tread that path unless the player is desperate to join us and the right deal can be done. By that, I mean it has to be relatively cheap, as we don't really need a striker.
What we do need is a versatile defender. Therefore, I want to speculate about us bringing back Kolo Toure from Liverpool and/or Alex Song from Barcelona.
To be honest, we might have a chance of landing Toure, if Liverpool can be persuaded to sell. Again, like with Agger, they'd prefer to sell abroad. Turkey seems the most likely destination. The fee? Around £1.5m. I'm pretty sure Toure would love to come back to Arsenal now his alleged chief irritation, Gallas, is gone. The other question would be, how many games could he play? He's always been fit, and he still only 33, so I'd like to think quite a few. After all, he played 20 Premier League games last season. He's so versatile, so he really ticks a lot of boxes. But we'll have to move quickly as Trabzonspor are about to seal a deal.
Meanwhile, I read somewhere that Song might be available. Personally, I wouldn't be keen on having him back, but like Kolo Toure, he ticks a lot of boxes. In fact, he ticks more as he could probably play in more positions. He's only 26, so that's another plus. But his work rate? Not the best, in my opinion.
That's why I'd opt for Kolo Toure. His enthusiasm and love of Arsenal shone through while he at our club. I'd welcome him back with open arms.
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What we do need is a versatile defender. Therefore, I want to speculate about us bringing back Kolo Toure from Liverpool and/or Alex Song from Barcelona.
To be honest, we might have a chance of landing Toure, if Liverpool can be persuaded to sell. Again, like with Agger, they'd prefer to sell abroad. Turkey seems the most likely destination. The fee? Around £1.5m. I'm pretty sure Toure would love to come back to Arsenal now his alleged chief irritation, Gallas, is gone. The other question would be, how many games could he play? He's always been fit, and he still only 33, so I'd like to think quite a few. After all, he played 20 Premier League games last season. He's so versatile, so he really ticks a lot of boxes. But we'll have to move quickly as Trabzonspor are about to seal a deal.
Meanwhile, I read somewhere that Song might be available. Personally, I wouldn't be keen on having him back, but like Kolo Toure, he ticks a lot of boxes. In fact, he ticks more as he could probably play in more positions. He's only 26, so that's another plus. But his work rate? Not the best, in my opinion.
That's why I'd opt for Kolo Toure. His enthusiasm and love of Arsenal shone through while he at our club. I'd welcome him back with open arms.
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Kos replacement for Arsenal v Palace?
The big question on my mind now is how do we replace Laurent Koscielny for our opening game of the new season against Crystal Palace? The Frenchman picked up an Achilles problem and now is doubtful, so who steps in?
1. My preference would be to throw Iggy Miguel in. I've got a lot of faith in him and I think he deserves a chance. He hasn't looked that solid defensively in pre-season, although he's gone close to scoring at the other end. I'll be surprised if he plays from the start.
2. Per Mertesacker. Wenger categorically said the Germans wouldn't play, but needs must, right? Erm, no. Le boss is not for turning!
3. A new signing: eg Mats Hummels or Benedikt Howedes. Even if they did sign, they'd also need a holiday after their World Cup exertions.
4. Another new signing: Kostas Manolas. Would he get thrown into the deep end if he signed? Maybe. Can we cut a deal that quickly? No. It'll be 31st before we bring in a Vermaelen replacement, if at all.
5. Nacho Monreal. I think this will be Wenger's choice. Last year, Sagna played centre back during some of the friendlies and this year the same honour has been bestowed on the Spaniard (who hasn't looked as accomplished as the Frenchman, yet). However, I think Wenger will persevere with his experiment.
If Wenger does go with a centre back pairing of Chambers and Monreal, I'll be very surprised if we keep our goal intact against Palace. Eagles boss Tony Pulis will get his players to target Chambers' inexperience and Monreal's awkwardness in that position. I can just imagine them launching high balls to former Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh, with him heading them onto another ex-Gunner Dwight Gayle. It could be a double curse of the ex!
Additionally, Palace keeper Julian Speroni appears to be in excellent form judging by his performance in their recent friendly.
In fact, I think this next game will be a lot tougher than the cakewalk against City. We must not forget that this is a local 'derby' and we need to be at the top of our game to beat them.
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1. My preference would be to throw Iggy Miguel in. I've got a lot of faith in him and I think he deserves a chance. He hasn't looked that solid defensively in pre-season, although he's gone close to scoring at the other end. I'll be surprised if he plays from the start.
2. Per Mertesacker. Wenger categorically said the Germans wouldn't play, but needs must, right? Erm, no. Le boss is not for turning!
3. A new signing: eg Mats Hummels or Benedikt Howedes. Even if they did sign, they'd also need a holiday after their World Cup exertions.
4. Another new signing: Kostas Manolas. Would he get thrown into the deep end if he signed? Maybe. Can we cut a deal that quickly? No. It'll be 31st before we bring in a Vermaelen replacement, if at all.
5. Nacho Monreal. I think this will be Wenger's choice. Last year, Sagna played centre back during some of the friendlies and this year the same honour has been bestowed on the Spaniard (who hasn't looked as accomplished as the Frenchman, yet). However, I think Wenger will persevere with his experiment.
If Wenger does go with a centre back pairing of Chambers and Monreal, I'll be very surprised if we keep our goal intact against Palace. Eagles boss Tony Pulis will get his players to target Chambers' inexperience and Monreal's awkwardness in that position. I can just imagine them launching high balls to former Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh, with him heading them onto another ex-Gunner Dwight Gayle. It could be a double curse of the ex!
Additionally, Palace keeper Julian Speroni appears to be in excellent form judging by his performance in their recent friendly.
In fact, I think this next game will be a lot tougher than the cakewalk against City. We must not forget that this is a local 'derby' and we need to be at the top of our game to beat them.
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Tuesday 12 August 2014
Best Arsenal team in years?
The big question on everyone's lips is this: how does this Arsenal team to compare to those of yesteryear? The other question, is when did you last think Arsenal had what it takes to win the league before the season kicked off? Or even believed the title was winnable during the season?
Of course, it's difficult to compare teams from different eras, but one thing I'll say before we get started is team spirit alone does not win you trophies at this level. If it did, we could field a team of Arsenal fans and expect to win the league. Nevertheless, a poor team spirit can have an adverse effect on results, so we should see our current squad's seeming cohesion as a sign that they shouldn't underachieve. At least.
That wasn't the case when we had my favourite central midfield pairing of Cesc Fabregas and Matthieu Flamini, who starred together in what an excellent side, in my opinion. We were top of the league for much of that season with William Gallas as skipper, but then it all fell apart away at Birmingham. Maybe the captain lost the respect of the other players. If so, that's an example of poor morale wrecking a title charge.
We couldn't see that happening, of course. Who would have predicted Gallas sitting down in the middle of the pitch, sulking, after more dropped points and Eduardo's horrific injury caused by a reckless Martin Taylor challenge?
When I take a closer look at the team he captained though, I'd have to say our current line-up looks stronger on paper (even without our rested Germans!). Surely the team Wenger fielded at Wembley was better than the team that dropped points at St Andrews in February 2008: Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Senderos, Clichy, Walcott (Denilson), Fabregas, Flamini, Hleb (Gilberto), Eduardo (Bendtner), Adebayor. Which of those would get in this current side? Aside from the two still with us, I'd only say Fabregas. Yet we decided against bringing Cesc back, and it's hard to argue with that while Rambo continues to deliver from a similar position.
When it comes to psychologically comparing the two sides, the truth is we'll never know the mental toughness of this new team until near the end of the season. I certainly believe there's enough talent in the squad to win something, so as long as that's combined with resilience and luck with injuries we might just be able to maintain a title challenge this time.
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Of course, it's difficult to compare teams from different eras, but one thing I'll say before we get started is team spirit alone does not win you trophies at this level. If it did, we could field a team of Arsenal fans and expect to win the league. Nevertheless, a poor team spirit can have an adverse effect on results, so we should see our current squad's seeming cohesion as a sign that they shouldn't underachieve. At least.
That wasn't the case when we had my favourite central midfield pairing of Cesc Fabregas and Matthieu Flamini, who starred together in what an excellent side, in my opinion. We were top of the league for much of that season with William Gallas as skipper, but then it all fell apart away at Birmingham. Maybe the captain lost the respect of the other players. If so, that's an example of poor morale wrecking a title charge.
We couldn't see that happening, of course. Who would have predicted Gallas sitting down in the middle of the pitch, sulking, after more dropped points and Eduardo's horrific injury caused by a reckless Martin Taylor challenge?
When I take a closer look at the team he captained though, I'd have to say our current line-up looks stronger on paper (even without our rested Germans!). Surely the team Wenger fielded at Wembley was better than the team that dropped points at St Andrews in February 2008: Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Senderos, Clichy, Walcott (Denilson), Fabregas, Flamini, Hleb (Gilberto), Eduardo (Bendtner), Adebayor. Which of those would get in this current side? Aside from the two still with us, I'd only say Fabregas. Yet we decided against bringing Cesc back, and it's hard to argue with that while Rambo continues to deliver from a similar position.
When it comes to psychologically comparing the two sides, the truth is we'll never know the mental toughness of this new team until near the end of the season. I certainly believe there's enough talent in the squad to win something, so as long as that's combined with resilience and luck with injuries we might just be able to maintain a title challenge this time.
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Arsenal's new TV hunt update
Now that Mats Hummels has been made captain of Borussia Dortmund, it looks like we'll have to look further afield for a Thomas Vermaelen replacement.
We could do worse than make a move for Benedikt Howedes. We are already being linked by The Telegraph with the centre back cum left back, who performed so consistently for Germany in the World Cup.
Apparently, there are question marks about the Shalke 04 man's pace, but I don't think anybody questions his positional sense. A very solid defender, in my opinion, and still only 26.
The other player we're being linked with is Luiz Gustavo. However, after the way Brazil defended in the World Cup, I don't think I'd want to bolster my defence by adding a member of their back line. Additionally, we've not had much luck with Brazilians since Gilberto and (in some people's opinion although not mine) Edu. I can't see Wenger gambling on bringing in a Brazilian, unless it's an attacking position. However, apparently Wenger tried to sign him last year and he is versatile.
Inexplicably, we're also still being linked with William Carvalho. Given that Wenger is really looking for a new Vermaelen, I'm not sure where the Sporting Lisbon midfielder fits in. Still, facts should never get in the way of lazy journalism, right?
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We could do worse than make a move for Benedikt Howedes. We are already being linked by The Telegraph with the centre back cum left back, who performed so consistently for Germany in the World Cup.
Apparently, there are question marks about the Shalke 04 man's pace, but I don't think anybody questions his positional sense. A very solid defender, in my opinion, and still only 26.
The other player we're being linked with is Luiz Gustavo. However, after the way Brazil defended in the World Cup, I don't think I'd want to bolster my defence by adding a member of their back line. Additionally, we've not had much luck with Brazilians since Gilberto and (in some people's opinion although not mine) Edu. I can't see Wenger gambling on bringing in a Brazilian, unless it's an attacking position. However, apparently Wenger tried to sign him last year and he is versatile.
Inexplicably, we're also still being linked with William Carvalho. Given that Wenger is really looking for a new Vermaelen, I'm not sure where the Sporting Lisbon midfielder fits in. Still, facts should never get in the way of lazy journalism, right?
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Monday 11 August 2014
Chambers gives Arsenal extra joy.
Although Arsenal legend Ian Wright is bemoaning Thomas Vermaelen's departure to Barcelona, I can't agree that it's bad business, especially after seeing Arsenal demolish Man City in the Community Shield.
If Vermaelen's heart wasn't in it, it was better to let him go. Especially for £15m with only one year remaining on his contract.
Meanwhile, Calum Chambers has got to be the best teenage defender I've ever seen. What a find! If he can carry on in this vein then the sky's the limit!
He made Man City look amateurish in comparison, but we mustn't get carried away. It was only a glorified friendly. However, it always feels good to lift a trophy.
That honour was bestowed on Arteta, who should have lifted the FA Cup instead of Vermaelen. Let's hope he gets plenty more practice doing the same in this forthcoming season!
Reading between the lines, you'd think we will be sticking with the skipper as our defensive midfield, but Wenger showed by dropping Vermaelen that the skipper is not guaranteed to be a starter.
A lot of people's choice for skipper, Per Mertesacker, has been made vice captain; but he'll be worried about getting his place back too after Chambers' performance at Wembley.
So much to celebrate, at the moment: goals from Cazorla, Rambo and a wonder strike from Giroud to kick off our new season.
We must approach it with caution though, as last time we won this piece of silverware we only finished 2nd in the league. Yet with some pundits predicting that we'll finish outside the top 4, I'd take that now!
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If Vermaelen's heart wasn't in it, it was better to let him go. Especially for £15m with only one year remaining on his contract.
Meanwhile, Calum Chambers has got to be the best teenage defender I've ever seen. What a find! If he can carry on in this vein then the sky's the limit!
He made Man City look amateurish in comparison, but we mustn't get carried away. It was only a glorified friendly. However, it always feels good to lift a trophy.
That honour was bestowed on Arteta, who should have lifted the FA Cup instead of Vermaelen. Let's hope he gets plenty more practice doing the same in this forthcoming season!
Reading between the lines, you'd think we will be sticking with the skipper as our defensive midfield, but Wenger showed by dropping Vermaelen that the skipper is not guaranteed to be a starter.
A lot of people's choice for skipper, Per Mertesacker, has been made vice captain; but he'll be worried about getting his place back too after Chambers' performance at Wembley.
So much to celebrate, at the moment: goals from Cazorla, Rambo and a wonder strike from Giroud to kick off our new season.
We must approach it with caution though, as last time we won this piece of silverware we only finished 2nd in the league. Yet with some pundits predicting that we'll finish outside the top 4, I'd take that now!
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Sunday 10 August 2014
Brady's warnings to Arsenal youngsters
Former academy director Liam Brady has some great advice for aspiring footballers at Arsenal and elsewhere.
I've taken the liberty of paraphrasing some of Brady's precious nuggets in his recent Irish Examiner interview.
Brady's warnings:
1. Be careful of the media, especially social media
2. Look after your body: stay off the booze, cigarettes etc and give yourself time to rest.
Ingredients of an Arsenal player (you need at least 2/3 of the attributes below and the club will try to strengthen your perceived weaknesses):
1. Skill
2. Pace
3. Football intelligence
4. Winning mentality/determination/grit
5. Temperament - the ability to do as you're told
6. Reliability - make sure you don't skip training because you're not well
7. Punctuality - don't miss the team bus
Some of the above is contradicted by Wenger's comment to Brady that 'all the best players are troublesome', but then again, that doesn't mean they won't be shipped out if they are. By the same token, as I've mentioned before, how many 'bad boys' has Wenger signed? I'd say none. Once they start becoming 'troublesome', they're on their bikes shortly afterwards!
Interestingly, Brady is asked about Luke Freeman, Jermaine Pennant and Emmanuel Frimpong, but the only one he doesn't give any information about is the latter.
Perhaps the editor cut out the response. We'll probably never know so perhaps we shouldn't necessarily put too much significance on the lack of those comments.
Coincidentally, Frimpong's the only one of the three without a club right now, although it surely won't be long before someone comes in for the combative midfielder.
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I've taken the liberty of paraphrasing some of Brady's precious nuggets in his recent Irish Examiner interview.
Brady's warnings:
1. Be careful of the media, especially social media
2. Look after your body: stay off the booze, cigarettes etc and give yourself time to rest.
Ingredients of an Arsenal player (you need at least 2/3 of the attributes below and the club will try to strengthen your perceived weaknesses):
1. Skill
2. Pace
3. Football intelligence
4. Winning mentality/determination/grit
5. Temperament - the ability to do as you're told
6. Reliability - make sure you don't skip training because you're not well
7. Punctuality - don't miss the team bus
Some of the above is contradicted by Wenger's comment to Brady that 'all the best players are troublesome', but then again, that doesn't mean they won't be shipped out if they are. By the same token, as I've mentioned before, how many 'bad boys' has Wenger signed? I'd say none. Once they start becoming 'troublesome', they're on their bikes shortly afterwards!
Interestingly, Brady is asked about Luke Freeman, Jermaine Pennant and Emmanuel Frimpong, but the only one he doesn't give any information about is the latter.
Perhaps the editor cut out the response. We'll probably never know so perhaps we shouldn't necessarily put too much significance on the lack of those comments.
Coincidentally, Frimpong's the only one of the three without a club right now, although it surely won't be long before someone comes in for the combative midfielder.
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Rakitic interest suggests Arsenal still chasing DM
Liam Brady's admission that Arsenal were interested in Ivan Rakitic this summer can only mean one thing: we're still looking to bolster our midfield.
With dead wood in it already, like Tomas 'A good little player' to some but 'The Great Pretender' to me, Rosicky and Abou 'I'm always injured' Diaby, I thought we might be ready to offload one or two in that department.
The former academy director's frank revelation suggests otherwise.
However, the fact that he had to resort to google to find out Rakitic was Barca-bound makes you wonder how professional our scouting network actually is.
You would think somebody at the club had already noticed Rakitic before the World Cup kicked off, or is that asking too much?
If all the respected staff at the club were told to look out for midfielders, then surely they could have been told which players to forget about.
By the way, I'm not blaming Brady for this, as the 26-year-old Rakitic would not be expected to be scouted by the youth academy director.
I'm just saying that maybe 20 scouts worldwide is not enough for a club the size of Arsenal.
Meanwhile, I'm on the search for a Rakitic clone.
I'll let you know when I find one!
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With dead wood in it already, like Tomas 'A good little player' to some but 'The Great Pretender' to me, Rosicky and Abou 'I'm always injured' Diaby, I thought we might be ready to offload one or two in that department.
The former academy director's frank revelation suggests otherwise.
However, the fact that he had to resort to google to find out Rakitic was Barca-bound makes you wonder how professional our scouting network actually is.
You would think somebody at the club had already noticed Rakitic before the World Cup kicked off, or is that asking too much?
If all the respected staff at the club were told to look out for midfielders, then surely they could have been told which players to forget about.
By the way, I'm not blaming Brady for this, as the 26-year-old Rakitic would not be expected to be scouted by the youth academy director.
I'm just saying that maybe 20 scouts worldwide is not enough for a club the size of Arsenal.
Meanwhile, I'm on the search for a Rakitic clone.
I'll let you know when I find one!
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Brady's Freeman insights @ Arsenal
The Irish Examiner is carrying a superb article on Arsenal legend Liam Brady.
I recommend you check it out, as it gives us insights into his role as academy director, which is now presided over by Andries Jonker.
Brady is still about to ensure a smooth transition, but after 20 years in the job, the former left winger had had enough.
In this illuminating article, Brady suggests that one of the main reasons we signed Luke Freeman for around £200k is that the selling club, Gillingham, needed cash.
While that's very charitable, I'd like to think we bought the 'teenage sensation', as he was dubbed then by the newspapers, for footballing reasons too!
Personally, I thought Freeman was a decent striker, albeit not lightning fast, but I was expecting him to score more first-team goals.
He had a decent goals-to-appearances ratio, playing for Arsenal's other teams, but goals were still relatively rare when he was loaned out.
However, like many young strikers, he was often played on the wing, so this adversely affected his statistics.
Now at the age of 22, he's still got plenty of time to add to the 18 league goals he's scored in over 100 appearances.
Perhaps he can take a leaf out of Andrew (he'll always be Andy to me!) Cole's book, now that he's joined Bristol City.
Cole was sold by Arsenal to City for £500k, in 1992, and he never looked back.
At the age of 20, he started scoring goals for fun at first-team level and became a full England international.
Although we'll be ruing the day we let him go, if Freeman goes on to do the same as Cole, I can't help but want him to succeed.
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I recommend you check it out, as it gives us insights into his role as academy director, which is now presided over by Andries Jonker.
Brady is still about to ensure a smooth transition, but after 20 years in the job, the former left winger had had enough.
In this illuminating article, Brady suggests that one of the main reasons we signed Luke Freeman for around £200k is that the selling club, Gillingham, needed cash.
While that's very charitable, I'd like to think we bought the 'teenage sensation', as he was dubbed then by the newspapers, for footballing reasons too!
Personally, I thought Freeman was a decent striker, albeit not lightning fast, but I was expecting him to score more first-team goals.
He had a decent goals-to-appearances ratio, playing for Arsenal's other teams, but goals were still relatively rare when he was loaned out.
However, like many young strikers, he was often played on the wing, so this adversely affected his statistics.
Now at the age of 22, he's still got plenty of time to add to the 18 league goals he's scored in over 100 appearances.
Perhaps he can take a leaf out of Andrew (he'll always be Andy to me!) Cole's book, now that he's joined Bristol City.
Cole was sold by Arsenal to City for £500k, in 1992, and he never looked back.
At the age of 20, he started scoring goals for fun at first-team level and became a full England international.
Although we'll be ruing the day we let him go, if Freeman goes on to do the same as Cole, I can't help but want him to succeed.
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Arsenal to repay Newcastle in kind?
You'd think that £10m is enough to pay for Debuchy, although he already looks a lot more valuable than that.
However, by selling us this talented right back relatively cheaply, it seems that Newcastle have really got in our good books.
Well, that's if you believe the transfer speculation concerning Serge Gnabry and Joel Campbell, both of whom could be heading to the North East to further their footballing educations on loan.
If there is any truth in those stories, let's hope there are clauses inserted in the deals allowing us to bring back both players at short notice, in the event of an injury crisis.
Obviously though, now we've got Shad Fosythe in our backroom staff, the likelihood of that is neglible.
Unless your name's Diaby.
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However, by selling us this talented right back relatively cheaply, it seems that Newcastle have really got in our good books.
Well, that's if you believe the transfer speculation concerning Serge Gnabry and Joel Campbell, both of whom could be heading to the North East to further their footballing educations on loan.
If there is any truth in those stories, let's hope there are clauses inserted in the deals allowing us to bring back both players at short notice, in the event of an injury crisis.
Obviously though, now we've got Shad Fosythe in our backroom staff, the likelihood of that is neglible.
Unless your name's Diaby.
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Will Arsenal use TV cash for Hummels?
Now that Vermaelen has gone for £15m, Arsenal only need an additional £10m to capture Germany's World Cup winning skipper Mats Hummels, suggest reports.
Apparently, Man U are ready to sign £17m Ajax defender Daley Blind instead, who also impressed me.
So it looks like we're going to take the expensive option if Dortmund can be persuaded to sell.
That's a big 'if', in my opinion, but signing Hummels will be a spectacular coup for Arsenal, if it happens.
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Apparently, Man U are ready to sign £17m Ajax defender Daley Blind instead, who also impressed me.
So it looks like we're going to take the expensive option if Dortmund can be persuaded to sell.
That's a big 'if', in my opinion, but signing Hummels will be a spectacular coup for Arsenal, if it happens.
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Crunch time for Arsenal's Jack the lad?
Jack Wilshere is obviously one of Arsenal's most popular players with the fans, but the pressure is mounting on him to consistently deliver.
Back in the 1970s, the same kind of thing was said about Charlie George, who found more consistency elsewhere at Derby.
I fear the same might happen with Jack, as it's difficult to see where he fits in.
I mean, how can he play 6/7 games on the spin if he's not a regular starter?
First of all, he's not a winger, so he's unlikely to play wide in midfield.
Secondly, he's not a defensive midfielder, so despite his tenacious tackling he's unlikely to play there often.
Thirdly, despite what Tony Adams says, I don't exactly see Mesut Ozil as his like-for-like replacement. If we're going to have a player 'in the hole', it should be Ozil. If it's a 5-man midfield we want it has to be Jack. But are we going to leave our record signing on the bench so Jack can get game time?
No! The only position I can see Jack playing in is that occupied by Rambo.
At the moment, Rambo is 'undroppable'. Therefore, if Jack gets his chance to play in Rambo's attacking midfield role, he has to seize it. Otherwise, I can see him getting a lot of his playing time from the bench.
Nevertheless, you've got to admit there's healthy competition in midfield, so that can only augur well for Arsenal. Whether the same can be said for Jack, we shall see.
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Back in the 1970s, the same kind of thing was said about Charlie George, who found more consistency elsewhere at Derby.
I fear the same might happen with Jack, as it's difficult to see where he fits in.
I mean, how can he play 6/7 games on the spin if he's not a regular starter?
First of all, he's not a winger, so he's unlikely to play wide in midfield.
Secondly, he's not a defensive midfielder, so despite his tenacious tackling he's unlikely to play there often.
Thirdly, despite what Tony Adams says, I don't exactly see Mesut Ozil as his like-for-like replacement. If we're going to have a player 'in the hole', it should be Ozil. If it's a 5-man midfield we want it has to be Jack. But are we going to leave our record signing on the bench so Jack can get game time?
No! The only position I can see Jack playing in is that occupied by Rambo.
At the moment, Rambo is 'undroppable'. Therefore, if Jack gets his chance to play in Rambo's attacking midfield role, he has to seize it. Otherwise, I can see him getting a lot of his playing time from the bench.
Nevertheless, you've got to admit there's healthy competition in midfield, so that can only augur well for Arsenal. Whether the same can be said for Jack, we shall see.
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Arsenal - too good for Agger?
As much as I would like to see us sign Daniel Agger, who's unsettled and available for around £10m, somehow I can't see it happening.
Agger's in tears about his lack of first-team opportunities, so why would he swap Liverpool for us where he could play even less?
We have to convince him that he needs a new challenge (trying to oust Mertesacker and Koscielny from the team) or we'll never get him.
What's more, Liverpool won't be keen to sell to prospective title rivals either.
That's why I see him ending up 'down the road' at West Ham or Spurs, where he may go straight into the team as the first-choice centre back.
After Steven Gerrard's comments that Luis Suarez was too good for us, the opposite may be the case here (although I'd still like to see the prospective deal happen).
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Agger's in tears about his lack of first-team opportunities, so why would he swap Liverpool for us where he could play even less?
We have to convince him that he needs a new challenge (trying to oust Mertesacker and Koscielny from the team) or we'll never get him.
What's more, Liverpool won't be keen to sell to prospective title rivals either.
That's why I see him ending up 'down the road' at West Ham or Spurs, where he may go straight into the team as the first-choice centre back.
After Steven Gerrard's comments that Luis Suarez was too good for us, the opposite may be the case here (although I'd still like to see the prospective deal happen).
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Vermaelen seals £15m Barca move
It's not unexpected, but nevertheless it's pleasing this time to sell to Barcelona.
Thanks to Man U's interest in Vermaelen, we've managed to get a good price for him, despite him only having a year left on his contract.
Although, the club always describe the fee as 'undisclosed', the papers are saying we got £15m. That's pretty good money for a reserve! Well done, Arsenal!
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Thanks to Man U's interest in Vermaelen, we've managed to get a good price for him, despite him only having a year left on his contract.
Although, the club always describe the fee as 'undisclosed', the papers are saying we got £15m. That's pretty good money for a reserve! Well done, Arsenal!
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Nasri cranks up heat ahead of Arsenal clash
Samir Nasri has hardly endeared himself to Arsenal fans since leaving. His latest outburst will ensure more boos come his way.
However, he hasn't actually called Arsenal fans 'stupid', despite the lurid headlines in the newspapers.
What he has said is the abuse he receives is 'stupid', and I can't help but agree with that.
Personally, I don't believe abusing an opponent works: rather than having a subduing effect, often it lifts them.
Nevertheless, Nasri will get excessive abuse as emotions are still running high about his acrimonious departure.
Let's not forget, the club made a profit of Nasri, so he's not quite the devil he's made out to be.
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However, he hasn't actually called Arsenal fans 'stupid', despite the lurid headlines in the newspapers.
What he has said is the abuse he receives is 'stupid', and I can't help but agree with that.
Personally, I don't believe abusing an opponent works: rather than having a subduing effect, often it lifts them.
Nevertheless, Nasri will get excessive abuse as emotions are still running high about his acrimonious departure.
Let's not forget, the club made a profit of Nasri, so he's not quite the devil he's made out to be.
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Friday 8 August 2014
Should we be surprised by Sagna?
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has said he feels let down by Bacary Sagna's decision to reject a 3-year contract in order to move to Man City, but can we really blame the full back? Should we really be surprised at what he did by moving on a free to a club that pays more?
A professional's career is so short, and can be ended prematurely by injury. Therefore, they have to take the best deals they can. Loyalty is important to us fans, but not so much to players. We should accept that.
The big question for me is why did we not tie Sagna down to a longer-term deal sooner, when we knew he was in the last year of his Arsenal contract? Then, if he wouldn't sign, why didn't we sell Sagna and buy a replacement?
Hopefully, we've learned our lesson and will now be selling Vermaelen, who's in the position Sagna was this time last year. Only Vermaelen is not expected to play a major part in our season, if he stays, whereas Sagna was integral.
One other thing that stuck in the craw a bit was when Wenger said Sagna was an unknown before he signed for Arsenal. It's true that Sagna wasn't a household name in the UK, but nevertheless it didn't stop Wenger shelling out £7m for his services. Also, I'm not so sure Sagna was so unknown given he was capped by France very shortly after making the summer 2007 switch to Arsenal from Auxerre.
Anyway, it's all about lessons learned and as long as we cash in on Vermaelen, then Sagna is just water under the bridge. Especially as we've got Debuchy now, it's all's well that ends well!
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A professional's career is so short, and can be ended prematurely by injury. Therefore, they have to take the best deals they can. Loyalty is important to us fans, but not so much to players. We should accept that.
The big question for me is why did we not tie Sagna down to a longer-term deal sooner, when we knew he was in the last year of his Arsenal contract? Then, if he wouldn't sign, why didn't we sell Sagna and buy a replacement?
Hopefully, we've learned our lesson and will now be selling Vermaelen, who's in the position Sagna was this time last year. Only Vermaelen is not expected to play a major part in our season, if he stays, whereas Sagna was integral.
One other thing that stuck in the craw a bit was when Wenger said Sagna was an unknown before he signed for Arsenal. It's true that Sagna wasn't a household name in the UK, but nevertheless it didn't stop Wenger shelling out £7m for his services. Also, I'm not so sure Sagna was so unknown given he was capped by France very shortly after making the summer 2007 switch to Arsenal from Auxerre.
Anyway, it's all about lessons learned and as long as we cash in on Vermaelen, then Sagna is just water under the bridge. Especially as we've got Debuchy now, it's all's well that ends well!
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Terrible draw for Arsenal!
I can't say I'm pleased that we've drawn Besiktas in the Champions League qualifiers. Only Athletic Bilbao would be potentially more difficult opponents.
Demba Ba is bound to be a real handful, plus we've got a long-distance flight to negotiate. What's more we'll have to play the first leg and possibly the second leg without our World Cup winners.
Then again, this time last year I was worried sick about us drawing Fenerbahce. Goals from Gibbs, Rambo and Giroud in the first leg away calmed my nerves for the home tie, which we also won. More of the same please Arsenal!
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Demba Ba is bound to be a real handful, plus we've got a long-distance flight to negotiate. What's more we'll have to play the first leg and possibly the second leg without our World Cup winners.
Then again, this time last year I was worried sick about us drawing Fenerbahce. Goals from Gibbs, Rambo and Giroud in the first leg away calmed my nerves for the home tie, which we also won. More of the same please Arsenal!
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Giroud is a proper centre forward
I've read so much nonsense today about Olivier Giroud that I feel compelled to write.
There's been a lot of talk on justarsenal.com about what constitutes a proper number 9. I'd argue that at Arsenal, we've not had a traditional centre forward for such a long time that we've forgotten how to appreciate one.
It's ridiculous to compare Giroud to the best player of all time Thierry Henry, the equally unconventional Robin van Persie or the speed king Theo Walcott, when we should be thinking of John Radford or John Hartson. That kind of comparison would be a lot fairer, but impossible to make for those people who have only been following the game for a short while.
A traditional centre forward should be strong, good in the air and able to hold up play. Giroud can do all those things. I think he does it with a lot more finesse and technique than Hartson did, although I have to say I did like the big Welshman. Giroud's work rate is not unlike Radford's, so I'd argue that the Frenchman's one of the best proper number 9s that we've had at Arsenal.
I'm not going to pretend he played well in his last outing. However, let's not forget it was only a friendly and Giroud was not fully fit.
Additionally, centre forwards take ages to reach full maturity. I wouldn't expect Giroud to peak until he reaches the age of 29.
I've been saying all along that I expect Giroud to score 20 Premier League goals if he starts all 38 games. I haven't lost my faith yet despite the growing number of critics appearing on the Internet. I wonder if they'll be as visible if Giroud has another even more successful season.
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There's been a lot of talk on justarsenal.com about what constitutes a proper number 9. I'd argue that at Arsenal, we've not had a traditional centre forward for such a long time that we've forgotten how to appreciate one.
It's ridiculous to compare Giroud to the best player of all time Thierry Henry, the equally unconventional Robin van Persie or the speed king Theo Walcott, when we should be thinking of John Radford or John Hartson. That kind of comparison would be a lot fairer, but impossible to make for those people who have only been following the game for a short while.
A traditional centre forward should be strong, good in the air and able to hold up play. Giroud can do all those things. I think he does it with a lot more finesse and technique than Hartson did, although I have to say I did like the big Welshman. Giroud's work rate is not unlike Radford's, so I'd argue that the Frenchman's one of the best proper number 9s that we've had at Arsenal.
I'm not going to pretend he played well in his last outing. However, let's not forget it was only a friendly and Giroud was not fully fit.
Additionally, centre forwards take ages to reach full maturity. I wouldn't expect Giroud to peak until he reaches the age of 29.
I've been saying all along that I expect Giroud to score 20 Premier League goals if he starts all 38 games. I haven't lost my faith yet despite the growing number of critics appearing on the Internet. I wonder if they'll be as visible if Giroud has another even more successful season.
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Khedira coup for Arsenal?
Some people say we were never interested in Sami Khedira. Well, that's what I thought until Wenger said: 'It depends what you mean by enquire', when asked if he'd enquired about the Germany international.
However, the latest quotation from the Arsenal boss has confused me even further. When asked about Khedira, Wenger said in a recent press conference: 'We were never close to signing him because we have quite a few offensive box-to-box players.'
That strikes me as pretty strange, given Khedira was supposed to be used primarily as a defensive midfielder, according to most reports. Perhaps Wenger is deliberately misleading the press ahead of a spectacular coup. Then again, he may just be keeping us all guessing, in this transfer-window-special game of charades.
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However, the latest quotation from the Arsenal boss has confused me even further. When asked about Khedira, Wenger said in a recent press conference: 'We were never close to signing him because we have quite a few offensive box-to-box players.'
That strikes me as pretty strange, given Khedira was supposed to be used primarily as a defensive midfielder, according to most reports. Perhaps Wenger is deliberately misleading the press ahead of a spectacular coup. Then again, he may just be keeping us all guessing, in this transfer-window-special game of charades.
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Arsenal additions not required unless...
Despite just about every pundit suggesting we need to strength our defensive midfield options, a cursory look at our squad tells me we have enough strength in depth to launch a successful campaign. The only caveat being if we let any of that squad go, then we need to bring in a replacement. Someone adequate, or better still superior to the outgoing player.
On the subject, I was glad to read that former Arsenal legend Charlie Nicholas reckons Debuchy is a step up from Sagna. As I've noted previously in this blog, Debuchy is not first-choice for France for nothing.
Anyway, let's look at out squad:
GKs: Szczesny, Ospina, Martinez - to me, that's a vast improvement on what we started with last season. The unreliable Fabianski has departed, much to my relief, and we've recruited Ospina - who was hugely impressive in the last World Cup. Meanwhile, Szczesny and Martinez should have improved since last season because a goalkeeper doesn't usually hit his peak until about the age of 30.
DFs: Debuchy, Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Monreal.
Again, we've vastly improved the quality of our squad with the additions of the aforementioned Debuchy and Chambers. Jenkinson, who showed promise and commitment, but not the class of Chambers, has been loaned out to West Ham - perhaps never to return, some say. Vermaelen is the only squad member who is obviously on the slide, but at 29 could have an Indian summer elsewhere.
MFs: Rosicky, Arteta, Wilshere, Ozil, Ramsey, Cazorla, Flamini, Diaby, Coquelin, Zelalem.
Some people have questioned whether Coquelin should still be at Arsenal, but personally I've always wonder what Rosicky offers to our side. Arteta could be on the way out, according to some reports, and like Vermaelen, he would need replacing if he goes. If I had to select 4 midfielders to play from this group, I'd select: Rambo, Flames, Santi and Ozil. My first subs would be Jack and Gedion Z.
FWs: Podolski, Giroud, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez, Sanogo, Gnabry, Campbell, Miyaichi.
With the exception of Ryo, who's always crocked so he's still largely an unknown quantity, all the above could play a significant part in Arsenal's title challenge. My other worry would be about Pod's fitness, but he's always worth sticking on the bench. The biggest problem would be leaving someone out. Sanchez has to play, partly because of the size of the transfer fee. Theo, once he's fit, is too quick and effective to leave out; while the Ox is another I couldn't put on the bench with a clear conscience. Giroud could be our top scorer given a run in the team, while Sanogo and Campbell's pre-season form is impressive. Then again, Gnabry deserves some game time too, doesn't he?
All in all, you have to say the squad is pretty huge. If you take Martinez, Ryo and Zelalem out, we've got 2 keepers, 7 defenders (so maybe we need one more, although Flames can play there), 9 midfielders, and 8 forwards. That's 26 players, so we'd have to cut 2 more at least, to make the optimum squad size of around 23 to 24. I suppose Gnabry would have to go, but that feels grossly unfair. Coquelin could go too (but he, like Flames, could offer cover in defence).
Anyway, just have a look at the size of our squad and see for yourself. We really need to ship someone out before we bring someone in as otherwise the squad will become unmanageable.
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On the subject, I was glad to read that former Arsenal legend Charlie Nicholas reckons Debuchy is a step up from Sagna. As I've noted previously in this blog, Debuchy is not first-choice for France for nothing.
Anyway, let's look at out squad:
GKs: Szczesny, Ospina, Martinez - to me, that's a vast improvement on what we started with last season. The unreliable Fabianski has departed, much to my relief, and we've recruited Ospina - who was hugely impressive in the last World Cup. Meanwhile, Szczesny and Martinez should have improved since last season because a goalkeeper doesn't usually hit his peak until about the age of 30.
DFs: Debuchy, Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Monreal.
Again, we've vastly improved the quality of our squad with the additions of the aforementioned Debuchy and Chambers. Jenkinson, who showed promise and commitment, but not the class of Chambers, has been loaned out to West Ham - perhaps never to return, some say. Vermaelen is the only squad member who is obviously on the slide, but at 29 could have an Indian summer elsewhere.
MFs: Rosicky, Arteta, Wilshere, Ozil, Ramsey, Cazorla, Flamini, Diaby, Coquelin, Zelalem.
Some people have questioned whether Coquelin should still be at Arsenal, but personally I've always wonder what Rosicky offers to our side. Arteta could be on the way out, according to some reports, and like Vermaelen, he would need replacing if he goes. If I had to select 4 midfielders to play from this group, I'd select: Rambo, Flames, Santi and Ozil. My first subs would be Jack and Gedion Z.
FWs: Podolski, Giroud, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez, Sanogo, Gnabry, Campbell, Miyaichi.
With the exception of Ryo, who's always crocked so he's still largely an unknown quantity, all the above could play a significant part in Arsenal's title challenge. My other worry would be about Pod's fitness, but he's always worth sticking on the bench. The biggest problem would be leaving someone out. Sanchez has to play, partly because of the size of the transfer fee. Theo, once he's fit, is too quick and effective to leave out; while the Ox is another I couldn't put on the bench with a clear conscience. Giroud could be our top scorer given a run in the team, while Sanogo and Campbell's pre-season form is impressive. Then again, Gnabry deserves some game time too, doesn't he?
All in all, you have to say the squad is pretty huge. If you take Martinez, Ryo and Zelalem out, we've got 2 keepers, 7 defenders (so maybe we need one more, although Flames can play there), 9 midfielders, and 8 forwards. That's 26 players, so we'd have to cut 2 more at least, to make the optimum squad size of around 23 to 24. I suppose Gnabry would have to go, but that feels grossly unfair. Coquelin could go too (but he, like Flames, could offer cover in defence).
Anyway, just have a look at the size of our squad and see for yourself. We really need to ship someone out before we bring someone in as otherwise the squad will become unmanageable.
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Should Arsenal swap Veers for Tears?
Although I'm ready today that 'Arsenal have been given hope in Khedira pursuit', perhaps there's more chance of us swapping Thomas 'Veers' Vermaelen for the 'tearful' Daniel Agger from Liverpool.
The Reds defender is upset that he's fallen even further down the pecking order since the arrival of Dejan Lovren from Southampton for £20m.
However, there's no guarantee he'd get more game time if he joined us. Nevertheless, with Vermaelen on the way out to Manchester United or Barcelona for £15m or £10m, depending on which club he joins, it would be good business to snap Agger up for £12m.
Better still would be a swap deal with Liverpool, but I'm not sure the Reds would sanction that.
Apparently, Barcelona are favourites to sign Agger, which - if true - leaves us with very little chance of nabbing the 29-year-old Liverpool vice-captain.
The irony is that if Vermaelen goes to Barca first, it may scupper Agger's dream of playing there and give us a better chance of concluding a deal with Liverpool. It would then all depend on whether or not we can convince Agger to play second-fiddle to our first-choice defensive partnership of Mertesacker and Koscielny or not.
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The Reds defender is upset that he's fallen even further down the pecking order since the arrival of Dejan Lovren from Southampton for £20m.
However, there's no guarantee he'd get more game time if he joined us. Nevertheless, with Vermaelen on the way out to Manchester United or Barcelona for £15m or £10m, depending on which club he joins, it would be good business to snap Agger up for £12m.
Better still would be a swap deal with Liverpool, but I'm not sure the Reds would sanction that.
Apparently, Barcelona are favourites to sign Agger, which - if true - leaves us with very little chance of nabbing the 29-year-old Liverpool vice-captain.
The irony is that if Vermaelen goes to Barca first, it may scupper Agger's dream of playing there and give us a better chance of concluding a deal with Liverpool. It would then all depend on whether or not we can convince Agger to play second-fiddle to our first-choice defensive partnership of Mertesacker and Koscielny or not.
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Wednesday 6 August 2014
Arsenal's Champions League worry
A huge hurdle is to be overcome, if Arsenal are to advance to the Champions League group stages. On Friday, we'll know who stands in our way.
It seems the list of potential opponents is more difficult this year than ever (or maybe it's just because I'm a worrier!).
The worst case scenario is we draw Athletic Bilbao, who finished 4th in La Liga. Winger Muniain is their danger man, according to the Daily Mail. If memory serves me correctly, fans can jump on a boat from Portsmouth and get to Bilbao in about 25 hours or more. It's a bit of a long trip, but I'd be more worried about our team having to take on such a consistent Spanish team, which has traditionally included mostly players from the Basque region.
Arguably, just as formidable opponents would be Besiktas. Although they live in the shadow of their more vociferous Istanbul rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, with Denba Ba leading the line they are going to be a tough hurdle to jump. They are also have their highly-rated manager Slaven Bilic at the helm, who knows all about Premier League football thanks to his time in England as a player. Another team to avoid.
Lille, who finished 3rd in La Ligue, should be slightly easier opponents, especially as Wenger knows a fair bit about his native country. However, we will have to watch out for their tasty loanee from Liverpool, Divock Origi (who sounds like a Japanese delicacy to me!).
Talking of Japanese, we could be up against the real thing if we draw Standard Liege of Belgium. Their keeper Elji Kawashima is rated as their star man by the Mail, so they may be tough to break down.
Lastly we have Copenhagen. Perhaps they are the weakest team of the five, but Danes have a nasty habit of proving the pundits wrong. Additionally, former Wolves boss Stale Solbakken will take great pride in using his knowledge of English to bring down Arsenal. Although, he didn't do too well at Wolves, it's always dangerous to write off opponents.
Although on paper, the Danes look the easiest opponents, I think I'd prefer a trip to Lille or Liege. I'd expect a lot of French fans to turn up to back our boys (given the number of our games shown on Canal +) if it's the former, while beating the Belgians should be marginally easier.
Just please don't let it be a trip to Bilbao or Istanbul. Even if we're successful, both trips will take a lot out of us, so the closer to London our opponents are, the better.
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It seems the list of potential opponents is more difficult this year than ever (or maybe it's just because I'm a worrier!).
The worst case scenario is we draw Athletic Bilbao, who finished 4th in La Liga. Winger Muniain is their danger man, according to the Daily Mail. If memory serves me correctly, fans can jump on a boat from Portsmouth and get to Bilbao in about 25 hours or more. It's a bit of a long trip, but I'd be more worried about our team having to take on such a consistent Spanish team, which has traditionally included mostly players from the Basque region.
Arguably, just as formidable opponents would be Besiktas. Although they live in the shadow of their more vociferous Istanbul rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, with Denba Ba leading the line they are going to be a tough hurdle to jump. They are also have their highly-rated manager Slaven Bilic at the helm, who knows all about Premier League football thanks to his time in England as a player. Another team to avoid.
Lille, who finished 3rd in La Ligue, should be slightly easier opponents, especially as Wenger knows a fair bit about his native country. However, we will have to watch out for their tasty loanee from Liverpool, Divock Origi (who sounds like a Japanese delicacy to me!).
Talking of Japanese, we could be up against the real thing if we draw Standard Liege of Belgium. Their keeper Elji Kawashima is rated as their star man by the Mail, so they may be tough to break down.
Lastly we have Copenhagen. Perhaps they are the weakest team of the five, but Danes have a nasty habit of proving the pundits wrong. Additionally, former Wolves boss Stale Solbakken will take great pride in using his knowledge of English to bring down Arsenal. Although, he didn't do too well at Wolves, it's always dangerous to write off opponents.
Although on paper, the Danes look the easiest opponents, I think I'd prefer a trip to Lille or Liege. I'd expect a lot of French fans to turn up to back our boys (given the number of our games shown on Canal +) if it's the former, while beating the Belgians should be marginally easier.
Just please don't let it be a trip to Bilbao or Istanbul. Even if we're successful, both trips will take a lot out of us, so the closer to London our opponents are, the better.
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Arteta is no Denilson
I read an article recently comparing Arteta to Denilson. I can't help but feel the comparison is grossly unfair.
Although the writer thought Denilson was a bit under-rated, I'd beg to differ. He's been dubbed 'the deck chair' by the Highbury Spy on the Gooner Podcast and for good reason.
Denilson rarely broke into a sweat, while at Arsenal, and that wasn't down to superior fitness. His work-rate was pretty appalling, especially when you compare him to Arteta.
The 3.5m signing offered little offensively and almost nothing defensively. It took Wenger a while to smell the coffee with Denilson, but once he did he despatched him back to Brazil, where he still plays without distinction for São Paulo.
By contrast, even if Arteta does leave, he can leave with his head held high. He's made a hugely positive contribution to the club and, aside from last season, quickly became one of the most reliable players in the team. Whenever he was absent, our play lost its solidity.
However, he's not getting any younger, so it's becoming increasingly difficult for him to dominate games. I think it would be a lot fairer to compare him to Gilberto Silva given what Arteta has done on the pitch for Arsenal.
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Although the writer thought Denilson was a bit under-rated, I'd beg to differ. He's been dubbed 'the deck chair' by the Highbury Spy on the Gooner Podcast and for good reason.
Denilson rarely broke into a sweat, while at Arsenal, and that wasn't down to superior fitness. His work-rate was pretty appalling, especially when you compare him to Arteta.
The 3.5m signing offered little offensively and almost nothing defensively. It took Wenger a while to smell the coffee with Denilson, but once he did he despatched him back to Brazil, where he still plays without distinction for São Paulo.
By contrast, even if Arteta does leave, he can leave with his head held high. He's made a hugely positive contribution to the club and, aside from last season, quickly became one of the most reliable players in the team. Whenever he was absent, our play lost its solidity.
However, he's not getting any younger, so it's becoming increasingly difficult for him to dominate games. I think it would be a lot fairer to compare him to Gilberto Silva given what Arteta has done on the pitch for Arsenal.
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Hummels, Arbeloa or Agger for TV @ Arsenal?
Mats Hummels. Just about the best centre back in the world. Well, that's my opinion and it's not just because he's now a World Cup winner. However, he didn't play alongside Mertesacker much in the Germans' successful campaign, did he?
Alvaro Arbeloa. A versatile player, the wrong side of 30. For some reason, I'm thinking of Silvestre (who was a lot better than most fans like to admit, but hardly covered himself in glory).
Daniel Agger. A decent enough centre back, but not somebody to set the pulse racing even if we can convince Liverpool to sell him to us (see Luis Suarez, i.e. They're not fond of selling to us!).
Thomas Vermaelen. The defender who needs to be replaced, should he sign for Barcelona as expected. Most
Arsenal fans could stomach that, rather than a move to Man Utd that could end up biting us on the backside.
To conclude, I'd go for Hummels. The only problem would be, who would you drop? Mertesacker or Koscielny? I suspect the 'Big Friendly German' would get the boot to the bench for most games.
Given that BFG is a potential skipper should Arteta and Vermaelen leave, I think Wenger will look for a versatile experienced player to provide back up to his first-choice defenders. Hence, I predict a move for Arbeloa or someone of that ilk.
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Alvaro Arbeloa. A versatile player, the wrong side of 30. For some reason, I'm thinking of Silvestre (who was a lot better than most fans like to admit, but hardly covered himself in glory).
Daniel Agger. A decent enough centre back, but not somebody to set the pulse racing even if we can convince Liverpool to sell him to us (see Luis Suarez, i.e. They're not fond of selling to us!).
Thomas Vermaelen. The defender who needs to be replaced, should he sign for Barcelona as expected. Most
Arsenal fans could stomach that, rather than a move to Man Utd that could end up biting us on the backside.
To conclude, I'd go for Hummels. The only problem would be, who would you drop? Mertesacker or Koscielny? I suspect the 'Big Friendly German' would get the boot to the bench for most games.
Given that BFG is a potential skipper should Arteta and Vermaelen leave, I think Wenger will look for a versatile experienced player to provide back up to his first-choice defenders. Hence, I predict a move for Arbeloa or someone of that ilk.
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Welcome to Arsenal Central Midfield!
That's what we should be saying to a new defensive midfielder soon, if the papers are to be believed.
Former Arsenal striker and ESPN pundit Paul Mariner reckons we're wasting our time thinking about the injury-prone Khedira, when we could get Carvalho instead. Marina saw Carvalho in a recent international friendly and was impressed with what he saw.
Other speculation has linked us with former midfield enforcer Vieira, returning in a non-playing capacity, of course. I'm loath to jump to that conclusion, just because he's spending a lot of money on rebuilding his Hampstead home.
Finally, an attacking midfielder who has actually signed is already making his mark. Congratulations to Dan Crowley, who scored his first Arsenal goal as Steve Gatting's U21s defeated Forest Green Rovers 6-4 away from home.
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Former Arsenal striker and ESPN pundit Paul Mariner reckons we're wasting our time thinking about the injury-prone Khedira, when we could get Carvalho instead. Marina saw Carvalho in a recent international friendly and was impressed with what he saw.
Other speculation has linked us with former midfield enforcer Vieira, returning in a non-playing capacity, of course. I'm loath to jump to that conclusion, just because he's spending a lot of money on rebuilding his Hampstead home.
Finally, an attacking midfielder who has actually signed is already making his mark. Congratulations to Dan Crowley, who scored his first Arsenal goal as Steve Gatting's U21s defeated Forest Green Rovers 6-4 away from home.
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Tuesday 5 August 2014
Happy days are at Arsenal again!
Despite the 0-1 defeat at the hands (or should I say 'the feet') of Monaco and the eyes of the referee (who didn't give us an obvious penalty), it's optimism as usual at the Emirates.
It really must be catching as even Alisher Usmanov is saying we're at the start of a new era. I can certainly believe that too, although we're far from dead certs for the title.
George Graham reckons we need to sign 2-3 more players, but unless 2-3 leave where are we going to accommodate them in the squad? I mean, how do you keep those who are uninjured happy when they're not in the first XI?
It's a fine balancing act, keeping all egos in check and making sure they put the team first. To give Wenger his due, he's done a pretty good job in that respect, and that's putting it mildly.
All in all, I think we may have just enough in our current squad to make it another trophy-winning season, as surely we're stronger now than we were this time last year.
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It really must be catching as even Alisher Usmanov is saying we're at the start of a new era. I can certainly believe that too, although we're far from dead certs for the title.
George Graham reckons we need to sign 2-3 more players, but unless 2-3 leave where are we going to accommodate them in the squad? I mean, how do you keep those who are uninjured happy when they're not in the first XI?
It's a fine balancing act, keeping all egos in check and making sure they put the team first. To give Wenger his due, he's done a pretty good job in that respect, and that's putting it mildly.
All in all, I think we may have just enough in our current squad to make it another trophy-winning season, as surely we're stronger now than we were this time last year.
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Monday 4 August 2014
Pluses and minuses from Arsenal's weekend
A disappointing 0-1 defeat against Monaco on Sunday capped what was a very productive weekend for Arsenal on the pitch.
Debutantes Debuchy and Chambers were outstanding, while Alexis Sanchez was lively.
Campbell and Sanogo were so effective against Benfica that anything less than excellent would pale in comparison. Unfortunately, Giroud fitted that bill and got some stick from fans, as a result.
As regular readers will know, I'm a big fan of Giroud. He's nowhere near ready to start the season and that showed at the weekend. Nevertheless, we should be patient and persevere. I predict a goal every other start in the Premiership for the big striker this season.
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Debutantes Debuchy and Chambers were outstanding, while Alexis Sanchez was lively.
Campbell and Sanogo were so effective against Benfica that anything less than excellent would pale in comparison. Unfortunately, Giroud fitted that bill and got some stick from fans, as a result.
As regular readers will know, I'm a big fan of Giroud. He's nowhere near ready to start the season and that showed at the weekend. Nevertheless, we should be patient and persevere. I predict a goal every other start in the Premiership for the big striker this season.
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Sunday 3 August 2014
Khedira to Arsenal a real possibility
As many of you already know, I've been rather sceptical of the transfer rumour linking us with Sami Khedira and that's putting it mildly.
However, Arsene Wenger's reaction when asked if he'd made an enquiry about Khedira has made me reassess my view.
His reply was something along the lines of 'it depends what you mean by "enquiry"'. That reply makes me think there's no smoke without fire, in this case.
Meanwhile, it appears that Real Madrid are willing to sell to us for something in excess of £20m rather than let him leave next year for free (probably to Bayern Munich). The stumbling block would appear to be the German's wage demands.
If Khedira does sign, it could be curtains for Arteta. It makes me think it's no wonder that Wenger hasn't decided who will wear the captain's armband next season.
My bet is on Mertesacker, providing Arteta and Vermaelen leave this summer. I really don't think Wenger likes to alter the pecking order, so will leave things as they are providing the current skipper and vice captain stay put.
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However, Arsene Wenger's reaction when asked if he'd made an enquiry about Khedira has made me reassess my view.
His reply was something along the lines of 'it depends what you mean by "enquiry"'. That reply makes me think there's no smoke without fire, in this case.
Meanwhile, it appears that Real Madrid are willing to sell to us for something in excess of £20m rather than let him leave next year for free (probably to Bayern Munich). The stumbling block would appear to be the German's wage demands.
If Khedira does sign, it could be curtains for Arteta. It makes me think it's no wonder that Wenger hasn't decided who will wear the captain's armband next season.
My bet is on Mertesacker, providing Arteta and Vermaelen leave this summer. I really don't think Wenger likes to alter the pecking order, so will leave things as they are providing the current skipper and vice captain stay put.
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Misplaced optimism @ Arsenal?
Regular readers may suspect my answer to this question, particularly as I didn't dance for joy when Sanchez signed.
However, the 5-1 demolition of Benfica - albeit in a friendly - gives us significant grounds for optimism.
Mostly, though, it confirmed what I already believed: Bellerin is a potential superstar of the future, Sanogo will be fine once he remembers where the net is and Martinez is a decent prospect.
Additionally, I discovered to my delight that Campbell is not just a talented individual: he's a good team-player as well. Some fans complained about his fitness level, but I'm not too worried about that at this stage.
As well as that, Chambers slotted in beautifully. His mature display belied his tender years.
Based on this performance, Sanchez will certainly trouble defences, especially in Europe. In the Premier League though, I still can't see him scoring more than 11 in his first season at Arsenal. I'll be happy with that, as it's a decent return for a first season in a new country. What's more is Arsenal definitely have a stronger squad with him in it, that's for sure.
To conclude, can we maintain a title challenge with this squad? I think we have more chance than last season, I'll say that much. I'm worried about getting carried away after what is just a friendly game, but nevertheless we have to be pleased with what we saw.
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However, the 5-1 demolition of Benfica - albeit in a friendly - gives us significant grounds for optimism.
Mostly, though, it confirmed what I already believed: Bellerin is a potential superstar of the future, Sanogo will be fine once he remembers where the net is and Martinez is a decent prospect.
Additionally, I discovered to my delight that Campbell is not just a talented individual: he's a good team-player as well. Some fans complained about his fitness level, but I'm not too worried about that at this stage.
As well as that, Chambers slotted in beautifully. His mature display belied his tender years.
Based on this performance, Sanchez will certainly trouble defences, especially in Europe. In the Premier League though, I still can't see him scoring more than 11 in his first season at Arsenal. I'll be happy with that, as it's a decent return for a first season in a new country. What's more is Arsenal definitely have a stronger squad with him in it, that's for sure.
To conclude, can we maintain a title challenge with this squad? I think we have more chance than last season, I'll say that much. I'm worried about getting carried away after what is just a friendly game, but nevertheless we have to be pleased with what we saw.
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Saturday 2 August 2014
Ryo's Arsenal future in more doubt
Ryo Miyaichi may be dismayed to read that, when asked about the Japanese winger's future at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger replied: 'I don't know'.
In the circumstances, the boss's reply is understandable as Ryo has spent so much time on the sidelines injured.
Even now, the Japan international is still recovering from a serious ankle injury, so will miss the pre-season.
At least he's still got a squad number (31) unlike Johan Djourou, so perhaps there's some hope for him.
The new fitness coach, Shad Forsyth, already has his work cut out rehabilitating the crocked crew at Arsenal, whose numbers include: Theo Walcott (knee), Serge Gnabry (gar-knee), David Ospina (thigh), Thomas Vermaelen (short-term pre-transfer jitters/precautions) and surprising not Abou Diaby...yet. You could say Shad has already got his work cut out!
Despite Arsenal's already crowded sickbay, optimism is high following the signings of the aforementioned Ospina, Calum Chambers, Alexis Sanchez and Mathieu Debuchy. The question is: are there more exciting signings to come before 31st August?
Well, one reported signing not joining is the difficult to pronounce Georgios Spanoudakis. The teenage sensation has moved from Barcelona to Stuttgart instead. Let's hope he doesn't end up as successful as some of the others that 'got away', like Yaya Toure! Not quite the same set of circumstances, but galling nonetheless. Still, with a 15-year-old there's not much you can do to prevent them suddenly changing their minds it seems. In the big-money world of today's game, that doesn't seem right.
Another player we won't be getting is Morgan Schneiderlin. He's virtually on strike, it seems, and Spurs looks to be the most likely destination.
So that 'deal' was a bit of a bum steer provided by the media. The latest one appears to be Juan Fernando Quintero, who was supposed to arrive on Monday. Wenger more or less called that nonsense in his press conference and completely fabricated by newspapers and websites.
Then there's Mario Balotelli. Wenger has flatly denied that he ever had any interest in the player. As I suspected all along, he doesn't like loose cannons!
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In the circumstances, the boss's reply is understandable as Ryo has spent so much time on the sidelines injured.
Even now, the Japan international is still recovering from a serious ankle injury, so will miss the pre-season.
At least he's still got a squad number (31) unlike Johan Djourou, so perhaps there's some hope for him.
The new fitness coach, Shad Forsyth, already has his work cut out rehabilitating the crocked crew at Arsenal, whose numbers include: Theo Walcott (knee), Serge Gnabry (gar-knee), David Ospina (thigh), Thomas Vermaelen (short-term pre-transfer jitters/precautions) and surprising not Abou Diaby...yet. You could say Shad has already got his work cut out!
Despite Arsenal's already crowded sickbay, optimism is high following the signings of the aforementioned Ospina, Calum Chambers, Alexis Sanchez and Mathieu Debuchy. The question is: are there more exciting signings to come before 31st August?
Well, one reported signing not joining is the difficult to pronounce Georgios Spanoudakis. The teenage sensation has moved from Barcelona to Stuttgart instead. Let's hope he doesn't end up as successful as some of the others that 'got away', like Yaya Toure! Not quite the same set of circumstances, but galling nonetheless. Still, with a 15-year-old there's not much you can do to prevent them suddenly changing their minds it seems. In the big-money world of today's game, that doesn't seem right.
Another player we won't be getting is Morgan Schneiderlin. He's virtually on strike, it seems, and Spurs looks to be the most likely destination.
So that 'deal' was a bit of a bum steer provided by the media. The latest one appears to be Juan Fernando Quintero, who was supposed to arrive on Monday. Wenger more or less called that nonsense in his press conference and completely fabricated by newspapers and websites.
Then there's Mario Balotelli. Wenger has flatly denied that he ever had any interest in the player. As I suspected all along, he doesn't like loose cannons!
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