Arsenal FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 10/11

_Bella_

The Telegraph are predicting this starting line up:

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Almunia

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Sagna---Vermalen-Koscielny--Clichy

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Eboue

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Diaby

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Walcott

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Nasri

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Arshavin

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Chamakh

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gosplan

Quazzie wrote: »

Please see post #2039

I'm just pointing out that when you say 'success off the field is forgettable', it's intrinsically linked to success on the field.

Failure(i.e. lack of success) off the field certainly isn't forgettable for Pompey and won't be for some time.

So your point that in ten years time, Pompey will still be talking about their FA cup but not what happened off the field is incorrect IMO.

How many Leeds fans are eager to talk up the Champions league semi-final achievment?

Galvasean

"Hey remember when we won the FA Cup?"
"The same year we came last in the league?"
"Yes"
"Tragic"

Podge2k7

Who are doubts and who is definitely out on Sunday?

JPA

What's the story with Koscielny? What is he like?
Who could he be compared to?

peabutler

JPA wrote: »

What's the story with Koscielny? What is he like?
Who could he be compared to?

Looking good, like Pascal Cygan.

Not bald tho...

peabutler

Papa Smut wrote: »

Not bald tho...

Hope he plays like him :cool:

danlen

tbh if it was one or the other I would rather sign another CB rather than a keeper.

Obviously both would be great (and surprising), but I feel another CB would be more of a priority, as another injury at CB could throw us into total disarray at the back. While, in fairness, Almunia can do a decent job 90% of the time. Don't get me started on the other 10% tho...

yahoo_moe

Yup, I think it's where we most need cover.

It obviously depends how much faith our defenders have in our keepers but given how much more likely a CB is to get injured, it'd be my preferred signing alright.

SDTimeout

JPA wrote: »

What's the story with Koscielny? What is he like?
Who could he be compared to?

Minus the size, keep the tiny arms.

OPENROAD

Lads, is Theo likely to start on Sunday?

Frisbee

OPENROAD wrote: »

Lads, is Theo likely to start on Sunday?

I hope not, but I reckon he will as I'm gonna guess:

---Nasri---Frimpong---Rosicky---
Walcott----Chamakh----Arshavin

I'd much prefer Eboué on the right wing though.

Don't like seeing Frimpong start though

Frisbee

Papa Smut wrote: »

Don't like seeing Frimpong start though

Neither do I, but we don't seem to have many options there, it's him or Eastmond and Eastmond seems to have fallen out of favour.

Pepe LeFrits

Wilshere is more likely to start in CM than Rosicky imo.

_Bella_

Frisbee wrote: »

I hope not, but I reckon he will as I'm gonna guess:

---Nasri---Frimpong---Rosicky---
Walcott----Chamakh----Arshavin

I'd much prefer Eboué on the right wing though.

Diaby is fit to play too

efb

I am gonna be optimistic and say Arsenal will finish 2nd in the league!

Royale with Cheese

Yeah diaby has been declared fit so he should play. There's talk about denilson and song too. Feeling much better about the game after that news.

Had wenger ever played nasri and rosicky as the central two? I can't remember it ever happening.

lord lucan

AW signs a 3 year contract extension.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/ars-ne-wenger-signs-contract-extension

efb

lord lucan wrote: »

AW signs a 3 year contract extension.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/ars-ne-wenger-signs-contract-extension

Good Times!

_Bella_

lord lucan wrote: »

AW signs a 3 year contract extension.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/ars-ne-wenger-signs-contract-extension

Thank God! Its hard to imagine Arsenal without Arsene! I really hope over the next four years he manages to win another PL title and maybe even the Champions League !

gandalf

Excellent news

Frisbee

I suppse it will be too much to ask for us to go form Given considering we've never gone for him before?

_Bella_

Frisbee wrote: »

I suppse it will be too much to ask for us to go form Given considering we've never gone for him before?

We've never needed him more than now though! I really hope we do but our main obstacle will be Man City agreeing to let him sign for us because I'm sure he'd love to come to Arsenal and be given the chance to play Champions League football.

Royale with Cheese

Arsenal should definitely be going for given. Wenger may have never gone for him before but the club is in desperate need of a keeper and if its a choice between schwarzer or given then it would have to be given all day long.

That said it wouldn't surprise me at all if wenger didn't bother considering how stubborn he can be.

PHB

City selling to Arsenal Given would be a very ballsy move.

Frisbee

I don't rate Given as much as many on here do. He's a great shot stopper, but his command of his area is woeful, as is his distribution. He'd be a step up on what we have certainly, but not the answer we need in the long run tbh. If we got him in for a year or so and then picked up someone else I'd be happy.

Frisbee

PHB wrote: »

City selling to Arsenal Given would be a very ballsy move.

They owe us after we sold them Ade and Kolo

redzerdrog

_Bella_ wrote: »

Thank God! Its hard to imagine Arsenal without Arsene! I really hope over the next four years he manages to win another PL title and maybe even the Champions League !

when was the last trophy you won? Imo you wont be winning either of those trophys anytime soon unless arsene gets a grip and buys players ye so obviously need like a GK and a CB both needed badly

lord lucan

With a bit of luck AW is outside WHL in disguise with a contract in his hand for Given!

Fanny Cradock

PHB wrote: »

City selling to Arsenal Given would be a very ballsy move.

It could be perfect for Arsenal and Given. Arsenal have had need of a decent Gk for years. And Given could well be around as the first choice GK for anything up to another 4 years. More than enough time to find a replacement. Perhaps if he kicks up a big enough stink City will sell him to anybody for a reasonable price.

cson

redzerdrog wrote: »

when was the last trophy you won? Imo you wont be winning either of those trophys anytime soon unless arsene gets a grip and buys players ye so obviously need like a GK and a CB both needed badly

As much as he gets stick in here [and deservedly so, some of it] Arsene Wenger is the only reason Arsenal are where they are at this moment in time. We were another Leeds/Everton/Newcastle [with the greatest respect to those clubs] before he took over; now we're pretty much assured of Champions League football every season touch wood. I'm sure a lot of Liverpool fans would take that at this moment in time.

I don't think anyone is under any illusions that with the current squad anything we win will be a huge bonus, but we can still live in hope.

FUNKY LOVER

cson wrote: »

As much as he gets stick in here [and deservedly so, some of it] Arsene Wenger is the only reason Arsenal are where they are at this moment in time. We were another Leeds/Everton/Newcastle [with the greatest respect to those clubs] before he took over; now we're pretty much assured of Champions League football every season touch wood. I'm sure a lot of Liverpool fans would take that at this moment in time.

I don't think anyone is under any illusions that with the current squad anything we win will be a huge bonus, but we can still live in hope.

em how long have you been following arsenal??

arsenal was here before wenger and will be after.

cson

Of course, but ****ing him out when he wants to stay doesn't serve the club well either. Look at us before AW came and now look at us; completely different club - new stadium; a bagful of trophies notwithstanding we haven't won one in a while; been to Champions League Final; top notch youth set up; club is financially the best run in the league. He's made an indelible mark for the best on the club no matter how much you knock him.

OPENROAD

Frisbee wrote: »

I don't rate Given as much as many on here do. He's a great shot stopper, but his command of his area is woeful, as is his distribution. He'd be a step up on what we have certainly, but not the answer we need in the long run tbh. If we got him in for a year or so and then picked up someone else I'd be happy.

Pretty much sums up how I feel, the again anyone is a step up, I just hope the Schwarzer deal will be done.

cson

Agreed here too; whilst far from ideal Schwarzer/Given would likely be worth another 6 points to us over the course of the season imo which is an improvement.

FUNKY LOVER

cson wrote: »

Of course, but ****ing him out when he wants to stay doesn't serve the club well either. Look at us before AW came and now look at us; completely different club - new stadium; a bagful of trophies notwithstanding we haven't won one in a while; been to Champions League Final; top notch youth set up; club is financially the best run in the league. He's made an indelible mark for the best on the club no matter how much you knock him.

Im not knocking him mate i love the man just as much as any supporter.i was just saying arsenal were successful before he arrived.

OPENROAD

12th in the league, really not good enough imo


On the plus side, Barcelona beaten tonight

iMuse

Arsène Wenger has revealed that the keeper who starts against Liverpool on Sunday will be Arsenal's No 1.
"The goalkeepers are great, all ready to play," said Wenger ahead of the trip to Liverpool. "I just wait for my decision and you will get it soon.

"The guy who plays on Sunday will be No 1. It is never for definite but it will be a consequence of what I have seen in pre-season."

However, the manager has admitted that handing the gloves to Szczesny would be a 'great gamble'.

"He has not played one game in the Premier League," he said. "I believe he has huge quality but I believe it would be a great gamble to play him.

"Man United play with a goalkeeper who is 40 years old and Chelsea with a keeper with seven years in the Premier League. You need experience at the back."

No Schwarzer or given then by the looks of it? Cant see it being anyone other than almunia

x PyRo

It's going to be Szczesny, Wenger's a sly fox like that.

SDTimeout

I'd secretly love that.

I'd love an new keeper more, but still would love to see Woj get straight in there

x PyRo

Szczesny is worse than Almunia. Pornstar should be in goal tomorrow, sad to say but, he's our best keeper by a long way.

iMuse

x PyRo wrote: »

he's our best keeper by a long way.

Which isnt saying much Going to try and forget about the keeper situation until the next fcuk up

SDTimeout

x PyRo wrote: »

Szczesny is worse than Almunia. Pornstar should be in goal tomorrow, sad to say but, he's our best keeper by a long way.

How could you say that about Woj ? He's got nothing but rave reviews from inside Arsenal and the Brentford forums around the net etc have said he was fantastic.

Maybe it's because what we've been so used to as a keeper recently. By pornstar you mean fabianski ?

x PyRo

SDTimeout wrote: »

How could you say that about Woj ? He's got nothing but rave reviews from inside Arsenal and the Brentford forums around the net etc have said he was fantastic.

Maybe it's because what we've been so used to as a keeper recently. By pornstar you mean fabianski ?

League 1, Brentford, enough said.

Hardly. Almunia is the pornstar.

Frisbee

x PyRo wrote: »

League 1, Brentford, enough said.

My worry essentially. People are bigging Woj up as the second coming of (and in a very particular order) Chico -> Bendtner -> Christ.

He has had one decent season with a bunch of semi-pro's, he needs to go on loan to at least the Championship before we get a decent idea of what he is like.

L'prof

x PyRo wrote: »

League 1, Brentford, enough said.

Frisbee wrote: »

My worry essentially. People are bigging Woj up as the second coming of (and in a very particular order) Chico -> Bendtner -> Christ.

He has had one decent season with a bunch of semi-pro's, he needs to go on loan to at least the Championship before we get a decent idea of what he is like.

To be perfectly honest, with the way the other two have been playing, I'd love to take the chance. If he ****s up, he'll have done no worse than the other two would have anyway!

Pacifico

Lads, anyone know of any pubs in Kilkenny showing the game today?

peabutler

Pacifico wrote: »

Lads, anyone know of any pubs in Kilkenny showing the game today?

Most should have it, the hurling will be your main problem. Left Bank, Kytelers and more should have it, might head Village Inn meself but that's just handy for me.