Arsenal FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

funkyjebus

Evil_Clown wrote: »

New rumoured Kit, looks sweet imo

thats far too nice of a kit to ever be real. but i have hope.

leninbenjamin

Evil_Clown wrote: »

New rumoured Kit, looks sweet imo

It's fake. And it isn't new either, followed the url on it and it was posted over 2 months ago with a 'quasi-official' source. :pac:

Frisbee

I had a really weird dream last week actually that our new away jersey was the same template as the one below except where that one is yellow it was sky blue, where it's navy it was dark blue and where it's red it was orange.

funkyjebus

i hope someone has shown cesc what he could getting himself into if he moves

Evil_Clown

leninbenjamin wrote: »

It's fake. And it isn't new either, followed the url on it and it was posted over 2 months ago with a 'quasi-official' source. :pac:

Well aren't you a spoil sport and on a Friday aswell
I like them so they are real until someone can show me alternatives

leninbenjamin

Evil_Clown wrote: »

Well aren't you a spoil sport and on a Friday aswell
I like them so they are real until someone can show me alternatives

just doing my bit

yahoo_moe

Lads, just having a think about the 25-player (plus unlimited under-21s) squad rule for next year.

http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1797582,00.html wrote:

A home-grown player will be defined as one who, irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to the Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the Season during which he turns 21.

So I'm right in saying that Sol counts as a home-grown player, yes?

Incidentally, Ramsey, Traore, Gibbs, Wilshere, Merida, Theo and Vela (plus JET, Eastmond, etc.) were all under 21 on 1 January this year, which is what counts for next year.

They're also all home-grown, as are Fabregas, Denilson, Bendtner, Djourou and Sol methinks.

SDTimeout

cson wrote: »

21.

Second youngest so far after our Prefect

I'm 17

I'll prefect the thread.:D
I think there is a younger member than myself though..

yahoo_moe

Also, in less than expected news, we scored by far the most goals from outside the box this year :eek: - 20 compared to 10 (Man City, next best). It's also the joint best total for a team ever in the PL, tied with Chelsea '04-'05. Wow.

Source: http://www.skysports.com/opinion/story/0,25212,12038_6150764,00.html

gingelion

yahoo_moe wrote: »

Lads, just having a think about the 25-player (plus unlimited under-21s) squad rule for next year.

So I'm right in saying that Sol counts as a home-grown player, yes?

Incidentally, Ramsey, Traore, Gibbs, Wilshere, Merida, Theo and Vela (plus JET, Eastmond, etc.) were all under 21 on 1 January this year, which is what counts for next year.

They're also all home-grown, as are Fabregas, Denilson, Bendtner, Djourou and Sol methinks.

Isn't Merida pissing off to Atletico Madrid in the summer?

leninbenjamin

yahoo_moe wrote: »

Lads, just having a think about the 25-player (plus unlimited under-21s) squad rule for next year.

So I'm right in saying that Sol counts as a home-grown player, yes?

Incidentally, Ramsey, Traore, Gibbs, Wilshere, Merida, Theo and Vela (plus JET, Eastmond, etc.) were all under 21 on 1 January this year, which is what counts for next year.

They're also all home-grown, as are Fabregas, Denilson, Bendtner, Djourou and Sol methinks.

It's 3 years before turning 21 right? Then Denilson doesn't qualify because he arrived after he'd already turned 18.

gingelion

Think thats right, yeah.

gingelion

was just checking out the list of loanees for the season. had never even heard of this guy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Roberto_Silva_Botelho

leninbenjamin

gingelion wrote: »

was just checking out the list of loanees for the season. had never even heard of this guy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Roberto_Silva_Botelho

Probably because I still don't think he has a work permit. I don't think anyone fully knows what the plans are for this guy.

Pepe LeFrits

The reports on Pedro Botelho are not good. Bad attitude and questionable ability.

Frisbee

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

The reports on Pedro Botelho are not good. Bad attitude and questionable ability.

He's class on Football Manager though.

shano_88

Frisbee wrote: »

He's class on Football Manager though.

so is traore!

Frisbee

shano_88 wrote: »

so is traore!

They got Vela right in the new patch.

He's very mediocre.

gingelion

he's fukin amazing in FM09. but not quite as amazing as Real Madrid's transfer budget if you're managing them!

leninbenjamin

Seems Gallas' departure will be celebrated by some.

Samir Nasri wrote:

"I don't communicate with him [William Gallas], but I'm not the only one at Arsenal who doesn't have any communication with him. We are four or five, but that doesn't stop us fighting for each other on the pitch. You don't get 11 friends in a football team, there are people who have affinities and who get on, but on the pitch we fight for the same cause."

Kirnsy

leninbenjamin wrote: »

Seems Gallas' departure will be celebrated by some.

He really does seem like a charmer doesn't he, Gallas?

Sútalún

We're not even certain he's leaving though are we!? I mean Wenger never explicitly mentioned he would, only that they would have talks at the end of the season. Personally I'd love if the whole team were best buddies and went paintballing together every friday but as long Gallas' lack of mates doesn't affect his or others performance I don't really care.

Frisbee

Sútalún wrote: »

We're not even certain he's leaving though are we!? I mean Wenger never explicitly mentioned he would, only that they would have talks at the end of the season. Personally I'd love if the whole team were best buddies and went paintballing together every friday but as long Gallas' lack of mates doesn't affect his or others performance I don't really care.

PHW came out the other day and said there will not be a new contract offered at the rate Gallas is demanding so we can be fairly certain he's on his way.

Galvasean

L'prof wrote: »

Beat you, I'm 26 ner ner ner ner ner ner

I'm 24 in 3 weeks. Catching up

yahoo_moe wrote: »

Also, in less than expected news, we scored by far the most goals from outside the box this year :eek: - 20 compared to 10 (Man City, next best). It's also the joint best total for a team ever in the PL, tied with Chelsea '04-'05. Wow.

Source: http://www.skysports.com/opinion/story/0,25212,12038_6150764,00.html

Can't believe that. And to think I'm always criticizing us for not shooting from outside the box enough! :eek:

Sútalún

Frisbee wrote: »

PHW came out the other day and said there will not be a new contract offered at the rate Gallas is demanding so we can be fairly certain he's on his way.

Ah right didn't see that. That's fair enough so. Presuming Johan will stay fully fit he'd be back up to a new CB that's brought in along with Campbell. It'll be interesting (obviously) to see how we line up next season. I can see Wenger playing first team players predominately during pre-season because our line up could end up being much changed formation/player wise. I mean we'd probably be looking at -

New GK
Sagna New CB Verm Clichy
Nasri Fab Song Arshavin
Chamach VP

Could it could be radically different to that too. Arshavin could just about do anything. And who knows what way the formation will go.

Galvasean

Sútalún wrote: »

I mean we'd probably be looking at -

New GK
Sagna New CB Verm Clichy
Nasri Fab Song Arshavin
Chamach VP

Could it could be radically different to that too. Arshavin could just about do anything. And who knows what way the formation will go.

I myself was thinking:

---

New GK
Sagna New CB Verm Clichy

---

Song

---

Nasri Fab

---

Arshavin

---

Chamach VP

Frisbee

Galvasean wrote: »

I myself was thinking:

---

New GK
Sagna New CB Verm Clichy

---

Song

---

Nasri Fab

---

Arshavin

---

Chamach VP

Our full backs take a bad enough beating in the 4-3-3.

Take the wingers out of it and we may aswell just see Clichy and Sagna for big bucks and bring in two donkeys as in that system, the full backs will be destroyed.

leninbenjamin

Chamakh will probably start on the right of the current 4-3-3 for the big games, and you'll probably see a good bit more rotation among the front three next season among the weaker opposition.

Galvasean

4-3-3 with Rvp, Cham and Ars? Ill go for it

Sútalún

Galvasean wrote: »

4-3-3 with Rvp, Cham and Ars? Ill go for it

Then Nasri Song and Fab behind!? Could work.. Don't know how suited Cham Attack is to playing on the right though. We have a habit of ruining forwards that way.

EDIT: what about VP on the right ala Holland?

VP Arsh
Cham

Cut in from the right them WHAM BAM with the left peg?

leninbenjamin

Sútalún wrote: »

EDIT: what about VP on the right ala Holland?

VP Arsh
Cham

Cut in from the right them WHAM BAM with the left peg?

No, you want RVP in the box. Chamakh isn't clinical enough. Chamakh has got pace and is pretty good technically so he can do damage from the wide positions. Not to mention with the way we play he'd still get plenty of opportunity to get into the box and get his head on the end of things.

Frisbee

RVP needs to stay in the box. Ye she's great cutting in from the right and whacking it with his left. But he's indispensable to us in the box for holding the ball up and playing those little diagonal balls inside the full backs and bringing the midfielders into play.

yahoo_moe

leninbenjamin wrote: »

It's 3 years before turning 21 right? Then Denilson doesn't qualify because he arrived after he'd already turned 18.

EDIT: Thought you were right (I'd thought he joined at 16/17) but just copped it's 'before turning 21 or by the end of the season in which the player turns 21 so by my reckoning, he actually just sneaks in.

Bonus.

leninbenjamin

yahoo_moe wrote: »

EDIT: Thought you were right (I'd thought he joined at 16/17) but just copped it's 'before turning 21 or by the end of the season in which the player turns 21 so by my reckoning, he actually just sneaks in.

Bonus.

He joined in August on the dead line day after he had turned 18. He wasn't in England for 3 years, not even 3 full seasons. I still think he falls short.

yahoo_moe

leninbenjamin wrote: »

He joined in August on the dead line day after he had turned 18. He wasn't in England for 3 years, not even 3 full seasons. I still think he falls short.

Ah he was deadline day, yeah. Sorry, when I checked Wiki earlier I read it as 1 August (not 31).

Yup, doesn't count.

L'prof

yahoo_moe wrote: »

How many months though? I was 26 in January...

And if we tie, I'm noticing more and more grey hairs these days so that's gotta be worth some bonus points

Nah, you beat me. 26 at the start of this month and have only found one grey hair.

yahoo_moe

Not sure if anyone has any interest in this (bar me evidently ) but in terms of next year's squad list, Alex Song actually counts as home-grown as well (turned 21 during 2008-09 season, which was his 3rd season with us).

So our 8 home-grown players can be: Cesc, Ramsey, Bendtner, Djourou, Sol (but only for a year), Gibbs, Theo, Song.

Wilshere, Traore, Vela, Nordveit, Mannone, Szczesny, JET, Eastmond and Watt, Ayling, Cruise, Bartley, etc. are the rest of the home-growns if anyone above were to leave - most importantly though, all bar Mannone were under 21 on 1 January this year so they get 'free' squad places and don't have to be part of the named 25.

That leaves us with 14 players (13 from last year - Almunia, Fabianski, Sagna, Eboue, Clichy, Vermaelen, Denilson, Diaby, Nasri, Rosicky, Arshavin, Eduardo, Van Persie - plus Chamakh) to go towards the other 17 squad places. I'm assuming here that Silvestre, Senderos, Merida and Gallas will all be leaving.

So obviously we've got a fair bit of freedom - we could sign 3 non-home-grown over-21s if we wanted (as if ) and still be okay for this year. Of course, it'll be no harm to have a bit of wriggle room built in for future years, and I'm sure Wenger will do that, but it's also good that the players we're mostly looking at replacing (GK, Gallas, Silvestre) were all non-home-growns.

So, eh, there you have it... overall, we're really not gonna suffer this year (we have 8 nailed-on players who are already home-grown) and we're in decent shape if 2 or 3 of the JETs, etc. come through in the next few years. We can also send Wilshere out on loan if want (i.e. we don't 'need' him for one of the 8 places) though I think he'll be with us all season. I haven't looked at how other clubs might be affected but if I see anything interesting, I might post it.

Thanks for reading

leninbenjamin

yahoo_moe wrote: »

So obviously we've got a fair bit of freedom - we could sign 3 non-home-grown over-21s if we wanted (as if ) and still be okay for this year. Of course, it'll be no harm to have a bit of wriggle room built in for future years, and I'm sure Wenger will do that, but it's also good that the players we're mostly looking at replacing (GK, Gallas, Silvestre) were all non-home-growns.

I'm interested too I was thinking about this last night, a lot of the CB targets we've been linked to more recently have been from England. Rodwell, Cahill, Upson, Richards, now Jagielka have all been linked to us recently. And it seems a lot of the rumours linking us with foreign targets like Zapata, Kjaer, Subotic etc. have lost their momentum a bit, most of them having fizzled out since April. I know I probably shouldn't be reading anything into this but it makes me think that there is a strong possibility Wenger wants his replacement for Gallas to ideally be 'homegrown'.

Paleface

leninbenjamin wrote: »

I'm interested too I was thinking about this last night, a lot of the CB targets we've been linked to more recently have been from England. Rodwell, Cahill, Upson, Richards, now Jagielka have all been linked to us recently. And it seems a lot of the rumours linking us with foreign targets like Zapata, Kjaer, Subotic etc. have lost their momentum a bit, most of them having fizzled out since April. I know I probably shouldn't be reading anything into this but it makes me think that there is a strong possibility Wenger wants his replacement for Gallas to ideally be 'homegrown'.

Rodwell is a midfielder. He won't be leaving Everton this summer anyway I expect unless someone pays stupid money for him.

EDIT: Actually I just read that he can be used as a centre back. My bad!

Frisbee

Jagielka would be a very good acquisition, but I don't think Everton will sell him.

If we do get him I'd imagine we'd see Senderos going the other way permanently. Although isn't he out of contract now?

leninbenjamin

Frisbee wrote: »

Although isn't he out of contract now?

That's the general consensus, although I've seen nothing official on the matter.

Galvasean

Yep Senderos' contract is up at the end of teh month (same for Gallas, Campbell and Silvestre).

Didn't Rodwell just recently sign a new contract with Everton?

leninbenjamin

Paleface wrote: »

Rodwell is a midfielder. He won't be leaving Everton this summer anyway I expect unless someone pays stupid money for him.

EDIT: Actually I just read that he can be used as a centre back. My bad!

I think he was a CB as a youth. A lot of people seemed to think he'd end up a ball playing centre back a bit like Ferdinand, it's only recently he was used further up the field in the more attacking roles. I reckon he could move this summer (he's so hyped at the moment that now could be the perfect time to cash in on him, and Moyes could do with the cash). But it's unlikely he'll end up with us, I was just using him as an example of the 'homegrown' players we're being linked with more recently.

yabadabado

Jagielka is a good defender but hes on the small side and pairing him with vermaelen would leave ye fairly exposed at the back.afaik both of them are under 6"0.is that currently the problem with gallas and vermaelen.

leninbenjamin

yabadabado wrote: »

is that currently the problem with gallas and vermaelen.

The problem is primarily a lack of organization in the defence that frequently leaves lots of space for opposition teams to counter into. Vermaelen can out-jump most 6 foot something players anyway, he's got the leap of a basketball player.

leninbenjamin

Wilshere supposedly wants to stay on at Bolton (according to the rags).

http://www.imscouting.com/global-news-article/Arsenal-midfielder-Wilshere-wants-another-season-at-Bolton/7757/

Pepe LeFrits

We always get linked to loads of English players. I don't think the homegrown rule has anything to do with it.

Paleface

It could have something to do with Wengers comments earlier in the month on the price of English players which has the media speculating on him purchasing from other English clubs.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-english-players-could-be-cheaper

yahoo_moe

Paleface wrote: »

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-english-players-could-be-cheaper

That headline was hugely misleading though - buying from English clubs does not equal buying English, or even home-grown, players.

Bottom line for me is that if we're buying a non-youth player who's not home-grown, he should be pretty established, as you'd want the non-home-grown players to be really 'worth' their place. The 25 places are still weighted 2:1 in favour of non-homegrowns though so we're comfortable enough.

It also means that it could be worth trying to retain all of our LBs this year. That way, we could try to blood Gibbs and Traore to be first choice and second choice for the following year, when we could sell Gael, for example. Our back-up 'keeper situation is also one to watch, not really for this year but it gives Mannone and Szczesny a (non-goalkeeping ) advantage over Fabianski.

SDTimeout

had to get in on the 500th page lads.
Ah here haha
Any truth to what arseblog had this morning re 4 players tomorrow ?