Arsenal Transfer Rumours And General Chat

shatners basoon

Pepe LeFrits wrote:

Indeed, better off just spending some of the cash coming in on youth development facilities and scouting networks and invest the rest outside of football. One day Wenger will be gone and we'll have a manager who won't be so adept at finding gems in the rough... having a giant warchest will be useful then.

Gotta agree with that, can't see any need for Wenger to spash out really, the scouts are definitely good enough to bring in excellent players for good prices and if they start spending big teams would possibly start charging more too. The war chest thing definitely works though, look at Bayern this summer. Failing to make the champions league and the decrease in the television rights should really hit a club financially but they said they always had the money in reserve to use if they felt the need to and now they've an excellent team.

Can't see Arsenal needing to do such a thing for a while though, maybe a winger and another good defender would add that extra bit of strength to the squad, won't know til January i guess

AnCapaillMor

Oh noes!!!! http://soccervoice.com/n0709121.htm

Actually i'd like too see more English players, we barely get 1 in a match day squad.

PHB

Fabregas will only ever play for Arsenal in England, then he'll be off to Spain.

PDN

Carling cup tonight.

Do you think Wenger will play the youngsters again? Isn't he already playing most of them in the Premiership?

leninbenjamin

PDN wrote:

Carling cup tonight.

Do you think Wenger will play the youngsters again? Isn't he already playing most of them in the Premiership?

he'll be giving the preschoolers a run tonight

Gangsta

Lol, Fabregas will never go to Chelsea.

Pepe LeFrits

It'll be something like this:

Fabianski

Traore/Hoyte
Senderos
Song
Hoyte/Eboue

Diaby/Walcott/Other (Merida, Gibbs?)
Diarra
Denilson
Walcott/Eboue

Eduardo
Bendtner

kinaldo

Pepe LeFrits wrote:

It'll be something like this:

Fabianski

Traore/Hoyte
Senderos
Song
Hoyte/Eboue

Diaby/Walcott/Other (Merida, Gibbs?)
Diarra
Denilson
Walcott/Eboue

Eduardo
Bendtner

vs.

.......................Given
Beye......Roz.............Taylor......Enrique
Milner.....Smith........Faye........N'Zoggy
............Ameobi.....Martins

Subs:

forster
emre
geremi
butt
edgar

Pepe LeFrits

I was close.

Arsenal's formation (presumeably):

.............................. Fabianski

Eboue ............ Hoyte .............. Senderos ................. Traore

Walcott ........... Song ................. Diarra ............... Denilson

..................... Bendtner .............. Eduardo

Disappointed not to see Denilson in the centre really.

Actually, it could be Hoyte at RB, Song at CB, Eboue RW, Walcott LW and Denilson at CM. I wonder which...

Fuzzy_Dunlop

What about Eduardo on the left and Walcott up front?

Pepe LeFrits

Also possible!

Fuzzy_Dunlop

The match is on BBC 5live, dont know if you can stream it online in ireland but im listening to it on NTL digital

Pepe LeFrits

Can't, don't have digital either.

Trying to see if I can find a quick UK proxy to get around the BBC 5Live gayness.

kinaldo

this one works

mms://streamwebtown.com/ARS

Pepe LeFrits

Yeah, was listening to that and then it broke down again. Can't be arsed with it now.

Pepe LeFrits

2122: Closing in on the final 10 minutes and three games are still all square, although how Arsenal haven't scored against Newcastle is beyond belief. The Gunners have had 58% of the possession and close to 20 shots. Newcastle have had three goes on goal, one on target.

BENDTNER!

1-0, woohoo.

kinaldo

Moments later Martins put clean through, rounds the keeper, Senderos off the line. Commentator said your keeper would have been sent off had Martins gone down.

Pepe LeFrits

2133: GOAL Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle
That wraps it up for Arsenal. Denilson scores his first goal for the club and it is an absolute thunderbolt. An assist for Abou Diaby.

Lovely jubbly.

ErinGoBrath

This is a dream start to the season. Someone please pinch me...

AnCapaillMor

come on its the mickey mouse cup, when we've beaten united, them, and the pool then i'll say dream start.

Pepe LeFrits

Someone post links to highlights if they get them, kthx.

jester77

Pepe LeFrits wrote:

Someone post links to highlights if they get them, kthx.

Here you go, poor quality but still viewable.

Nice clearance by Senderos and great finish by Denilson.

PDN

Attendance tonight was 60,004 for a Carling Cup game.

No wonder Abramovich was ticked off that his multi-million pound team couldn't attract more than 25,000 to a Champions League game!

kinaldo

PDN wrote:

Attendance tonight was 60,004 for a Carling Cup game.

No wonder Abramovich was ticked off that his multi-million pound team couldn't attract more than 25,000 to a Champions League game!

In fairness now, adult ticket prices were starting at only £10, and there was no TV coverage to be found anywhere. I'd pay that everyday of the week to see Arsenal at home.

jank

Luckily enough I was at this game.
Right behind the goal for 2 of Arsenal's goald. happy days!

Diarra was very impressive, as was Traroe.
Eduardo will still take a bit to of more time to settle in I think.
Denilson was brilliant! The new cesc in the making!
Great goal!!
I worry about Theo he always seems to make the wrong decision. Still young i suppose, his touch is better i must say

Newcastle were **** by the way!

the season just keeps on getting better but must keep the feet on the ground.
Beat united now in 3 weeks time!

AnCapaillMor

Once Theo bulks up and wisens up, he'll be a different player, very easily knocked off the ball and as you said makes the wrong decisions.

Just saw the highlights, i can't get over how high Bendtner got up for the header.

Pepe LeFrits

Whatever else about Bendtner, he is a huge aerial threat.

gosplan

AnCapaillMor wrote:

Once Theo bulks up and wisens up, he'll be a different player.

I worry about this. Any player can bulk up, that's just a matter of hard work. It's not as simple to wisen up and I feel this is where a lot of players like Aliadiere and Jeffers just fell short.

There's a lot of support for Theo as he's one of the few British talents at the club but I haven't seen anything too special from him yet(or anything that leads me to believe that he will be very special).

PHB

His pace is immense, I'm pretty sure he's faster than Ronaldo, which is incredible pace. If he bulks up, which he will, by about age 20 he'll be quite strong if he tries, he will be very very very difficult to deal with.

Pepe LeFrits

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/arsenal+newcastle/video/x32ea9_arsenal-v-newcastle-united-250907

That move involving Diarra, Bendtner and Eduardo was delicious, shame Eduardo's finish was lacking.

gosplan

ROFL!!!

Last year Rafa decides to 'do a Wenger' and his team conceed 5 in the Carling cup getting ripped apart by the not so scary duo of the beast and Aliadiere.

This year Fergie tries it and they lose 2-0 to Coventry.

Stick to your chequebooks boys!!!!!!:D

PHB

Short memories eh Pretty much all of the golden generation of players made their debuts in the league cup

Gangsta

long time ago now mate.


Good win - Denilson played some game! Bendtner could be a very useful player to bring on late in game imo.

Joeyjoejoe43

Some start to the season lads, lets hope they can keep it up. The united and Liverpool double header coming up in a month or so will be a defining moment of the season IMO. There seems to be an unbelievable confidence running through the team at the moment, epitomised by Fabregas. He's such a joy to watch, especially in the red of Arsenal. Unbelievable vision and he makes it look so easy..

Pepe LeFrits

Indeed, but this weekend is a big one too, West Ham away. Since they came back to the premiership they've beaten us 3 times and drawn once. How that has happened I don't know, their double over us last season has to be the luckiest double of all time, but all the same, they are a banana skin. Hopefully it'll be pay-back time as I expect United, Liverpool and Chelsea all to win their games this weekend.

gosplan

Gangsta wrote:

long time ago now mate.

Indeed, a very long time ago and pretty much proven to be a one off.

PHB

I was just disputing the phrase, pulling a Wenger

PDN

PHB wrote:

Short memories eh Pretty much all of the golden generation of players made their debuts in the league cup

Charlie George, John Radford, Peter Storey, Peter Simpson, Bob Wilson, Pat Rice, George Armstrong etc.

No, I don't think many of that golden generation made their debuts in the League Cup.

fortuneg

How many Arsenal players will be departing when the African Nations Cup starts?

AnCapaillMor

Eboue, Kolo, song and possibly Ade.

Royale with Cheese

Adebayor is back in the fold for Togo as far as I've heard.

Pepe LeFrits

Not sure if Togo have actually qualified, though?

The reports from the win against Newcastle are quite interesting and encouraging. Specifically:

- Fabianski was extremely solid
- Traore was outstanding at left-back and MOTM by most accounts
- Song had a very strong game at CB
- Diarra was superb in central midfield
- Eboue was bright on the wing
- Bendtner was impressive, displaying much better touch than in pre-season.

I'm not really surprised by Traore doing well as physically is a monster, he just needs some coaching in the defensive arts and will improve with age as Clichy and Cole did before him.

When I looked at the Arsenal squad in pre-season I thought there were three weak areas: CB, the wing and possibly in goal.

Apparently Wenger hinted that Song's future may be at CB - I can't see it being anywhere else at the club now, with so many central-midfielders around already. Senderos apparently had a poor game again and will be gone before long I think, so Song could take his place, at least until Nordveit puts on a few pounds. Still, I don't see a quick solution to our CB problems here. Djourou coming back in January with 6 months premiership football will help though.

However, the reports on Fabianski and Eboue are encouraging. Hopefully these two can solve the problems in goal and on the wing respectively.

Some people have had concerns about our strike options, but with van Persie, Adebayor, Eduardo, Bendtner and Walcott to choose from, I don't think there is an issue. Adebayor is developing extremely well, van Persie is van Persie, Eduardo looks quality and Bendtner looks like a serious talent. Theo is erratic as ever but I think it's mostly a mental thing as well as playing out of position on the flank and he will come good as he matures.

AnCapaillMor

Clichy would want to watch his back, Traore is looking very prominsing, was really impressed by him in last years cup final.

PHB

If Song's long term position is gona be CB, it makes more sense of Djoura's loan move. Wenger sees him as 4th choice CB then, probably 3rd choice soon enough.

jank

Id have Djourou as 3rd choice and id imagine Wenger will see it the same come January
I would love Senderous to make it at arsenal. He was a monster at the world cup last year but he always seems to make a mistake

PHB

Yeh no, I just meant until January.

Joeyjoejoe43

Senderos does not have what it takes at this level. You accept that on occasion your centre half will make a blunder, Senderos however makes over and beyond what's excusable. I think he is a liability and I am never at ease when I see his name on the team sheet. I'd be delighted if Wenger's plan is to blood Song as a CB. Gallas and Toure make a great pairing, but should injuries occur, a little more back up would be nice. here's hoping this will be Senderos's last season at the club. Harsh yes, but just my opinion, as he's not the kind of back-up id be confident with especially when making a push for the title.

AnCapaillMor

Senderos reminds me of Cygan, nerves of butter and so prone to mistakes. I think if he gets his nerves back he will ibe mmense. He was pretty solid 2 years, but ever since Drogba did a number on him, he's never been the same.

song i wonder what Wengers obsession with him is, he's had 2 great games, last tuesday and last years mickey mouse cup game against the pool. But he's been horibly bad the rest of the times.

cson

I wouldn't be entirely comfortable with Song at CB. He's too much of a ball player imo, he'd try and walk it out most of the time. Having said that Toure does it a good bit, against Derby he ran up into their box :eek: at some stage.

leninbenjamin

Pepe LeFrits wrote:

Not sure if Togo have actually qualified, though?

they are 2nd in their group. 12/13th of oct is when it will be decided. with Mali and Benin in the running i'd be surprised though if they don't make it in...

cson wrote:

I wouldn't be entirely comfortable with Song at CB. He's too much of a ball player imo, he'd try and walk it out most of the time. Having said that Toure does it a good bit, against Derby he ran up into their box :eek: at some stage.

i'd much rather that than a defender who just lumps it forward. as long as he can win and defend the ball i wouldn't mind really, a good defender who can play the ball is a much greater asset that a good defender who just lumps it forward. besides, the knowledge of when and when not to play the ball around can only come from experience really.