Arsenal FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

OPENROAD

jasonorr wrote: »

Sometimes I wish I still had a subscription but, I never used it!

Great for Friday nights and after matches.

cson

Paleface wrote: »

So Fabianski has mental issues basically.

I'm thinking Arsenal is too high profile a club to give someone the time to sort those out on the field. They should loan him out if that's the case to a club where he will be under pressure to perform.

Nevermind loaning him, he should be ****ed out. He is not and will not be good enough to be Arsenal no.1 or no.2 GK.

leninbenjamin

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Arsenal-transfer-news-Juventus-to-offer-Gianluigi-Buffon-and-Felipe-Melo-as-bait-for-Robin-Van-Persie-article401275.html

Juventus are considering using Gianluigi Buffon and Felipe Melo as bait in order to lure Robin van Persie away from Arsenal.

Reports in Italy suggest that the Turin giants are gearing up for a full scale attack on the transfer market this summer, with Van Persie, Fernando Torres, and Edin Dzeko topping their list of targets.

However, with Juventus unlikely to be in the Champions League next season, it’s unlikely that Torres would be tempted into a move, and Dzeko would fetch a figure close to £30million.

Therefore the Old Lady see the Gunners forward as the most realistic prospect, and with Arsene Wenger in desperate need for a goalkeeper and defensive midfielder, the Italians feel that their offer of Buffon and Melo could just tempt the Frenchman into parting with one of his prized assets.

Not that there's any truth to this, but I have to say that'd be pretty tempting given how injury prone RVP is.

Pepe LeFrits

World Cup winner Jurgen Klinsmann and four-times Champions League winner Clarence Seedorf have joined the BBC's team to cover the 2010 World Cup.

The pair will be joined in South Africa by Manchester City's Emmanuel Adebayor and Middleborough boss Gordon Strachan.

RTE coverage ftw.

L'prof

leninbenjamin wrote: »

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Arsenal-transfer-news-Juventus-to-offer-Gianluigi-Buffon-and-Felipe-Melo-as-bait-for-Robin-Van-Persie-article401275.html

Not that there's any truth to this, but I have to say that'd be pretty tempting given how injury prone RVP is.

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no, we can't start this shíté of letting our best players go again!

Wreck

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

RTE coverage ftw.

I dunno, the guy's such a moron it's bound to be hilarious.

leninbenjamin

jasonorr wrote: »

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no, we can't start this shíté of letting our best players go again!

Trading the 5th best striker in the world for the worlds best goalkeeper? We've proven we can score goals without RVP, but we sure as hell can't keep them out.

L'prof

leninbenjamin wrote: »

Trading the 5th best striker in the world for the worlds best goalkeeper? We've proven we can score goals without RVP, but we sure as hell can't keep them out.

I don't care, Buffon is great...Worlds best? Debatable! van Persie is quality, we can't let him go.

Frisbee

However, with Juventus unlikely to be in the Champions League next season, it’s unlikely that Torres would be tempted into a move, and Dzeko would fetch a figure close to £30million.

Without Champions League football Torres wouldn't move?
Then why would RVP leave CL football to play for a team not in the CL?

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

RTE coverage ftw.

RTE for Bill and the boys anyway.
But I'll definitely be watching to see what Ade has to say.
He is a reasonably intelligent guy aside from some moments of madness.

yahoo_moe

AnCapaillMor wrote: »

Then again with a few games left, he's hardly going to come out and call fabs a total plank, ruining what bit of confidence he has left.

In fairness, if he's trying to sell him, he might be giving him a bit of a shop window as well? I think that's part of the reason we couldn't really drum up much interest in Senderos.

Personally, I think it'd be a mistake to have a new GK as number 1 and then just assume that Mannone/Scezny will do as #2.

yahoo_moe

Also, great analysis of DMs dropping back into defence to cover attacking full-backs.

It's something that I think we didn't manage that well this season at times - early on, Song was playing DM and then later he started pushing higher and higher up the pitch (must've been under instruction). For me, he's not terrier-like enough to press ahead of the other CMs and we've been left exposed sometimes. Especially with Vermaelen prone to a wander.

cson

That Juventus thing is laughable; lazy fantasy journalism from a Juve fanboi is what it sounds like. Juve are a mediocre side these days and any player with career aspirations wouldn't touch them with a hot poker.

Frisbee

yahoo_moe wrote: »

Especially with Vermaelen prone to a wander.

This is something I've noticed a lot this season and was starting to irritate me a bit.

Here's a great article on it.

Fuzzy_Dunlop

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

RTE coverage ftw.

I dunno it could be pretty funny!(and completely incomprehensible)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA-DuGGCf68

Pepe LeFrits

Buffon has been injured quite a bit over the last 2 years by the looks of it; hardly the ideal solution to our inconsistencies at the back either. Though he is a ridiculously good keeper.

FearDark

jasonorr wrote: »

Ugh, I'd prefer to see Mannone given a shot for the last few games...Fabianski it is so! No chance of us getting rid of him now!

This ^

Fabianski shouldn't be given a chance to show how good he is in all fairness. He has had plenty of chances so far and has proved beyond doubt that he is a calamity in goals. We know exactly what we will get when he plays, butterfingers, terrible distribution, mayhem at the back. He's had his chances, ****ed them up and now its time for him to go. We need a new no.1 and Mannone will be a good stand in and imo he is a future arsenal no.1 himself. Really impressed me last Sept-Oct when he was deputising for the injured traffic cone and Fabianski.

Wenger should play Mannone for the rest of the season, the other two clowns have had their day and should't be part of the set up at Arsenal anymore, if those two had made the mistakes they made this season if they were playing for Chelsea/Man United/Pool/Citeh... any respectable club they certainly would be shown the door. Sometimes Wenger shows too much faith and loyalty in players that are underserving of it.

Frisbee

FearDark wrote: »

Really impressed me last Sept-Oct when he was deputising for the injured traffic cone and Fabianski.

Aside from the Fulham game where he had a stormer and earned us 3 points I though he was mediocre at best.

FearDark

Frisbee wrote: »

Aside from the Fulham game where he had a stormer and earned us 3 points I though he was mediocre at best.

Couldn't disagree with you more.

Mannone 09-10

Arsenal 3-2 Standard Liege (and one was a penalty)
Arsenal 4-0 Wigan
Arsenal 1-0 Fulham (man of the match)
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Frisbee

FearDark wrote: »

Couldn't disagree with you more.

Mannone 09-10

Arsenal 3-2 Standard Liege (and one was a penalty)
Arsenal 4-0 Wigan
Arsenal 1-0 Fulham (man of the match)
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Keeping a clean sheet doesn't automatically mean you had a good game.

That Olympiacos game in particular I don't think they were even in our half more than twice...

FearDark

Frisbee wrote: »

Keeping a clean sheet doesn't automatically mean you had a good game.

That Olympiacos game in particular I don't think they were even in our half more than twice...

We're talking about a boy here, he was bound to be a bit shaky playing in prem and CL games in all fairness. The other two clowns have no excuses, plenty of experience between them with Fabianski playing for Poland and the human traffic cone being our no.1 for too long.

Galvasean

playa3 wrote: »

I dunno it could be pretty funny!(and completely incomprehensible)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA-DuGGCf68

Am I unique in having no problem making out what he is actually saying?

re: Mannone v Fabianski.
We know Fabianski is a calamity of errors. He has messed up big time in nearly every game he has played for us. Where Manonne, when he has been given game time, has looked more solid, making far less errors. Mannone's shocking mistake to game ratio is much lower than Fabianski's (probably lower than Almunia's too). Not to mention that Fabianski is 25, while Mannone is 20/21. Fabianski should be showing signs of getting a grip on himself by now, but if anything he has gone backwards. I don't know why Wenger has so much faith in him. Maybe he is phenomenal in training and has a phobia of football stadiums?

leninbenjamin

Galvasean wrote: »

Am I unique in having no problem making out what he is actually saying?

Nope.

L'prof

Galvasean wrote: »

Am I unique in having no problem making out what he is actually saying?

I remember listening to an audio clip on the BBC before and it was very tough going, video is OK though!

yahoo_moe

FearDark wrote: »

We're talking about a boy here, he was bound to be a bit shaky playing in prem and CL games in all fairness. The other two clowns have no excuses

That just means you'd rather someone with seemingly more of an excuse for making mistakes than someone with less of a reason. As Frisbee said, scoreline ain't everything - dodgy moments don't always get punished and sometimes people score really good goals.

On a possibly related defensive note, did anyone see Boateng tonight (or before)? Good or bad? I watched the PM debate instead so still haven't seen him...

yahoo_moe

Also, spot the ex-Carling Cupper starring in his first single (the rapper not the singer). The lyrics say he grew up "in the ghetto" but don't let that throw you off - he's from Islington

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do7kcSEKbbk

Spoiler:

Ryan Smith

leninbenjamin

yahoo_moe wrote: »

Also, spot the ex-Carling Cupper starring in his first single (the rapper not the singer).

Haha, saw that. What utter drivel... man that guy completely wasted his talent.

x PyRo

No matter how crap we are this video always makes me happy! His footwork is class. Pitty he's always injured. If he stays fit, next season should be exciting to say the least. Positive thoughts and all that jazz!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i3fWIeWjOQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCepc7H8s1E

Galvasean

x PyRo wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCepc7H8s1E

Better than porn.

I was at Highbury for #2

x PyRo

The man is pure class made of glass. :pac:

If he stays fit next year it'll be brilliant! He was unfortunate after looking like he'd stay fit he gets injured by a tackle instead of his usual muscle problems etc. Here's hoping.

leninbenjamin

Today's random transfer rumour linking us: Everton's Jack Rodwell (which isn't actually new but oh well...)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/everton/article7105698.ece

Everton are creeping closer to tying Jack Rodwell to a lucrative new deal as they try to secure the player’s immediate future, but Arsenal have emerged as the latest in a line of leading clubs pursuing the teenager.

Rodwell, who turned 19 last week, signed a five-year contract with Everton in February last year, but the clamour for his signature has been so great that the Merseyside club are eager to improve his terms in the hope of deterring the advances of the Barclays Premier League’s big hitters.

Arsenal are understood to have joined Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City in the hunt to sign Rodwell, who is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in English football, and have been closely monitoring his situation.

AnCapaillMor

We stand a great chance of outbidding those 3.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/apr/23/ray-parlour-small-talk

Love that it was overmars that gave him the romford pele name.

Tusky

Will Song play or is he still injured ?

L'prof

Tusky wrote: »

Will Song play or is he still injured ?

He's in the squad anyway.

leninbenjamin

Tusky wrote: »

Will Song play or is he still injured ?

I think he's in the squad but it's not clear if he'll play yet.

arsenallegend

I'm worried about City running up a big score tomorrow. If lowly wigan can beat us what can city do to us. Its clear now Wenger needs to splash out big time during the summer we've clearly lacking Depth and we need to mix experience with youth Cause City and Spures are clearly on the way up.

Frisbee

I'm very worried about tomorrow, I reckon City are going to hammer us.

The thoughts of Ade+Tevez -v- Campbell/Silvestre is worrying...

L'prof

Frisbee wrote: »

I'm very worried about tomorrow, I reckon City are going to hammer us.

The thoughts of Ade+Tevez -v- Campbell/Silvestre is worrying...

Seasons over for me now and we have no players left so, I'm not all that bothered! I'd like to see us take points off them to damage their push for 4th but, I don't know if we can or not!

tony1kenobi

I hadn't any concerns about tomorrow till I came on here.....I can't see Man City being any bother...I know they've come on leaps and bounds this season but still....it's Man City.....

patrickc

I'll be there tomorrow, please let me see some nice football Arsenal, and I want to see Van Persie do a Hatrick.. (wishful thinking) but a win please

my first time to go to Emirates too

OPENROAD

patrickc wrote: »

I'll be there tomorrow, please let me see some nice football Arsenal, and I want to see Van Persie do a Hatrick.. (wishful thinking) but a win please

my first time to go to Emirates too

Have a great time, have a pint of bitter for me

Frisbee

jasonorr wrote: »

Seasons over for me now and we have no players left so, I'm not all that bothered! I'd like to see us take points off them to damage their push for 4th but, I don't know if we can or not!

Not really, we could still end up only coming 4th. which would mean another round of qualification for the CL, I'd rather win and get 3rd for sure.

L'prof

Frisbee wrote: »

Not really, we could still end up only coming 4th. which would mean another round of qualification for the CL, I'd rather win and get 3rd for sure.

Yep but, I think we'll get 3rd anyway. We need 5 points from City, Blackburn and Fulham to ensure it (in case Spurs don't drop any points).

Frisbee

I'm envisaging a loss tomorrow, draw at Blackburn and win at Fulham.

arsenallegend

Once Spures gave us a whipping the season was over for me
Clearly we're not champion material right now and until Wenger spends money during the summer we're never going to get near a title or a cup.

cson

St Totteringhams Day could fall tomorrow iirc.

I think that's the only thing we have left to celebrate, bar RVP peeling Adebayor tomorrow. Any Arsenal pubs in Dublin btw? I'm up here for the weekend so might head to somewhere 'friendly'.

arsenallegend

How many signings do you think we need for us to become a championship winning team?

cson

arsenallegend wrote: »

How many signings do you think we need for us to become a championship winning team?

How longs a piece of string?

It's hard to quantify; sure we need depth in almost every position. but what happens if have a miraculous injury free season?

I would say; A Goalkeeper, a CB, a Winger, Theo to come good and Fabregas and RVP to stay injury free for the season.

arsenallegend

cson wrote: »

How longs a piece of string?

It's hard to quantify; sure we need depth in almost every position. but what happens if have a miraculous injury free season?

I would say; A Goalkeeper, a CB, a Winger, Theo to come good and Fabregas and RVP to stay injury free for the season.

Van persie and Fabergas staying injury free is like Pete doherty staying off smack
never going to happen

Theo will never come good he's been bigged up when clearly he's a decent player rather then a world beater

A center defensive midfielder like ESSien type would be great and a world class goalkeeper is a massive thing we need

Centre back and another Striker too

Frisbee

arsenallegend wrote: »

A center defensive midfielder like ESSien type would be great

This really irritates me when people say stuff like this.

Essein is not a defensive midfielder. He's a monster of a box-to-box midfielder.
Yes he loves tackle and tracks back basically all the time, but he also scores goals and is great on the ball.

Calling Essein a DM is seriously underestimating him imo.

arsenallegend

Frisbee wrote: »

This really irritates me when people say stuff like this.

Essein is not a defensive midfielder. He's a monster of a box-to-box midfielder.
Yes he loves tackle and tracks back basically all the time, but he also scores goals and is great on the ball.

Calling Essein a DM is seriously underestimating him imo.

But thats where Chelsea play him i'm not saying he's a awful player he's Chelsea's best player look at the results when he hasn't played. I'm saying is we get bullied in midfield by top teams and we clearly need a type of player like Essien cause i don't think Song is up to it.