Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread I agree with this. If Arsenal got him and Samba I'd be happy as can be as far as defensive additions.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread whatever we havent won shit with nasri. its just my opinion that id rather have a player who is committed to the club and would be better for team chemistry than a talented but greedy french bastard who wants to play at old trafford and hasnt really done shit since the first half of the year
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Wenger passing on Sahko is the same as when he passed on Kompany. Massive mistake that he didn't use to make in the past. AW replaced Anelka with Thierry, and Paddy with Cesc, but he never truly replaced Pires, Thierry, Freddy, Sol or Mad Jens. The quality of the squad is just bad, especially in the back. I don't think AW has it anymore, great scout but if you aren't willing to pay for talents than what is the point? If Wenger would actually spend on the talent he knows is great, Arsenal would be world beaters.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Agree with some of that. Not nearly to the extent Rainey makes it. We have some great players, problem is we have major weaknesses. The 2 guys I think we've struggled the most to replace are Sol and Henry/Bergkamp. The midfield is great but in England strikers and central defenders are more important a lot of games. Even though he's 21 and we need experience I'd buy Sakho. Samba would be good too but Sakho is getting in on something at the ground floor and he is ready for the EPL. Only problem is both him and Vermaelen are left footed. Gameiro is the same. He's 23 but has proven himself last couple years in France and is a potent goal scorer. You put Gameiro and Sakho/Samba into this side and retain everyone I think we can be a great side. My wish would be to buy Sakho and Samba. Get rid of Clichy and go Vermaelen-Sakho-Samba/Kos-Sagna across the backline. That's not gonna happen though and I'll be happy with 1 and it will improve the side a lot. I don't think Wenger has lost it. He may have never had it as he had Dein also making sure the squad was top notch. He has a great eye for talent but not sure he's the best tactician and way too lenient with some players.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread If you talk to fans of other clubs the only "great" players that get mentioned are Cesc, RVP (when healthy), Sagna and to a lesser extent Alex Song. It used to be half the squad practically. TH14, DB10, Ashley Col, Paddy, Sol, Kolo, Freddy, Pires, Lauren, Seamen (than Mad Jens). Fuck I miss that team.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Think most teams in the world would have a place for Nasri and Jack either as starters or the first 2 off the bench. Think both would start on every team not named Barcelona and even then they'd play a lot. Theo is pretty damn productive. And Vermaelen is pretty damn good. As I said, I like the starters besides Clichy a lot. We need depth though. A major part of that invincibles squad was they were not injury prone like this team and a reason we need depth. I'll wait to see signings but yes Wenger needs to quit worrying about money and worry about building a squad which we could do if we weren't so interested in real estate and paying off debt.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Apparently Japan "can't afford" to have Ryo on the u-22 Olympic qualifying squad at the moment, this is not a good thing for Arsenal right?
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread No. He needs to be playing for their first team. To get a work permit he needs to be a "special talent" or something like that. I may not be saying it exactly right, but its something along those lines. I'm not sure he is ready to step into the first team yet anyway and another year at Feyenoord may be better in the long run.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Gotcha that work permit deal confuses the he'll out of me. We should try to sign Honda if Fab/Nasri leave speaking of Japs.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread To get a workpermit you need to have played for your country for 75% of the games in the past x games .. not sure how many .. and if it's the # of games or the time period that dictates the 75% requirement .. "Special Talent' permit on the otherhand is different .. it's sought for those who don't qualify for the workpermit right now .. the club has to make a case about the "special talent" and why the kid is worthy of that visa or something along those lines .. the good thing is .. Ryo played a lot many games for Feyenoord ever since he went out on loan ..
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Yep. Carlos Vela had to be loaned out to clubs in Spain for a few years before he could get a UK work permit. We did the same thing with Wellington (the 16 or 17 year old Brazilian kid).
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Wellington, Pedro Botelho, Reyes for his first season, Emmanuel EBoue as well initially etc. etc.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread We had to loan him out? I thought we bought him from a club in Belgium?
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread IIRC, we got Eboue & Toure from the same club .. Eboue's arrival was delayed because of visa issues and he had to be loaned out for a while..
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread I did some research... Eboue and Toure played together for some club/academy in the Ivory Coast (ASEC Mimosas). Then Eboue went to Beveren in Belgium for 3 years and we bought him from there in January of 2005. He made his debut a few days later against Stoke in the FA Cup, so there is no way he was ever an Arsenal player out on loan. The only thing I've read to suggest he's ever been on loan is that Beveren is a feeder club to ASEC Mimosas. Him playing in Belgium for 3 years probably made it possible for him to immediately get a visa. It also helped that he'd been playing for Ivory Coast since 2004. Not sure which of the two carries more weight, tbqh.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Well, I think he was on loan in Belgium from the Ivory Coast club when we bought him. Not a big deal, I just didn't remember him ever being on loan FROM ARSENAL.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread http://arsenal.theoffside.com/team-news/season-in-review-top-ten-goals-of-the-season.html best individual goal was Nasri's 2nd against Fulham best team goal had to be Arshavin v Barcelona, mainly because of the moment
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread just read nasri is trying to play down talks of leaving... i have been getting way too worked up over rumors i am officially just going to let all this play out then react when something is concrete
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Did you all know about the new ruling this year for only allowing 25 players who're 21 years or older in the squad in addition to the homegrown thing from last year?! I just read about it a few days ago .. that explains why we let Mark Randall & Thomas Cruise go .. they'll be over 21 years of age when the rule kicks in this month and I guess Wenger didn't think they'll make the cut anytime soon..
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Yeah I'm aware of the homegrown rule. Don't know the exact specifics of it but Wenger was bitching last year about it. Carl Jenkinson deal has been agreed on for 4 months. Just a backup right back at this point, will fight with Eboue for that spot.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Someone I was talking to yesterday went on about how Arsenal should sign Clint Dempsey ..
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Wenger's being a pussy again .. got outbid on Jones .. and looks like Man City wants Gary Cahill + Gervinho now ...
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Not buying that one And even if Wenger wasn't a pussy, if Man City offers they'll get him because they'll offer like 20
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Me too, mostly because it gives me more opportunities to laugh at that picture of Aziz.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Jones would have been a stupid signing. He's not ready. Finding reliable center backs isn't hard, you don't need to pay 16 mil for a teenager unless you have extra money lying around. He's gonna be what, the 4th-5th choice at Man U? Samba or Sakho are who we should be after.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Or is city trolling and just inflating the prices since they know most of the other clubs can't afford to pay as much as them? Kinda like your buddy that inflates all the prices during your fantasy baseball auction..
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread and that buddy is a huge faggot, reminds me of that dude on storage wars, also WHY HAVENT WE FUCKING DONE ANYTHING
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Blackburn Rovers accepted Arsenal’s bid for defender Phil Jones last night, but the 19-year-old opted to join Manchester United instead. The news comes as Jones puts the finishing touches to his switch to Old Trafford, despite Arsène Wenger trying to thrash out a deal last night. This was confirmed by the Lancashire Telegraph, who report that Blackburn did give Wenger permission to discuss a deal, after a fee in excess of £16 million was agreed. However, despite reports suggesting the Frenchman was ready to offer more in wages, Jones had already decided he wanted to stay in the North, and move to United. The England Under 21 international is the second centre back to reject Arsenal for United, following on from Chris Smalling in January of 2010. Daily Express journalist Matt Law told his Twitter followers that Wenger “did all he could” to convince Jones.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Arsenal target Eden Hazard was left reflecting ruefully on his latest opportunity to impress Arsene Wenger after delivering an incredible snub to his national coach Georges Leekens. Wenger monitored the 20-year old’s form throughout Lille’s title-winning season and despatched one of his scouts to Brussels for Belgium’s European Championships qualifier against Guus Hiddink’s Turkey last Friday. The Arsenal manager is unlikely to have been impressed with the feedback, though, after Hazard was substituted early in the second half and ended the game leaning against a burger stall outside the stadium. Walk out: Eden Hazard stormed out after being substituted by Belgium against Turkey With the scores tied at 1-1, and Belgium needing a win to revive their qualifying hopes, Leekens sent on Dries Mertens for Hazard on the hour. An angry Hazard responded by marching straight down the tunnel and hurriedly changing before meeting his father Thierry and his agent at one of the burger bars, in the surrounding areas near the main entrance. While Belgium were frustrated in their quest for a winner, Alex Witsel blazing a penalty over near the end, Hazard tucked into a quarter-pounder outside, in full view of a television camera that captured the show of defiance. Apology: The Arsenal target admitted he was wrong to overreact on international duty After being ticked off by Leekens, on his return to the dressing room after the final whistle, a contrite Hazard said: ‘I wasn’t happy, but I have no problem with the coach and I accept I should not have reacted like that.’ Despite also being courted by Real Madrid and both Milan clubs, the winger is known to admire Arsenal’s style of play and is seen as a ready-made replacement for Sami Nasri, should the France midfielder leave this summer. But after winning the French League, and bracing themselves for the likely loss of another Arsenal target, in Gervinho, Lille are adamant he must stay at least one more year.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread If we wanted Jones for 16 mil I don't see any reason not to go after someone better like Sakho. Wenger must not want Samba if he went after Jones, may go after Cahill next. We'll see. I'd take Sakho first.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread last few reported facts ITT are about what I'd expect if I had any expectations
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Barca say they only have 45 mil to spend this summer. See if they make a real bid for Cesc. Doesn't sound like it so far. Mirror says we are trying to land both Samba and Cahill.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread Saw that and had a good, long chuckle. Yep, that's exactly what Wenger will do. Sign 2 experience, likely expensive, CB's from middle tier EPL sides. Arsenal will end up with a 20 year french defender(not named Sakho), maybe another cheap veteran like Squillaci and a couple more youths then call it a day.
Re: Arsenal 2011/2012 Season Thread So United wants Ashley Young now (A player we should have never let go and hell even tried signing again) ... Whatever happened to the Nasri jig?! Barca has a deal in place for Rossi (Villareal) for 40 million Euros I think .. and possibly bidding 25 mill for Sanchez (Udinese) ... I doubt they're gonna make a Fabregas bid anytime soon