Arsenal fixture list released

The Arsenal fixture list for 2008 – 2009 has been released, starting with a home game against newly promoted West Brom. They were never a classy team during their previous spells in the Premiership, but their form in last season’s Championship and FA Cup suggests to me that they might be a little better this time around, a high scoring team but defensively questionable.

A foreseeable problem is that away games surrounding the earlier Champions League matches like a fog, and this caused Arsenal problems last season. The team dropped points in similar matches – remember Wigan, or Middlesbrough?

The season might also have an interesting finale, the last 6 games include Liverpool away, Chelsea at home and Man Utd away. This is similar to last season, and those late games were devastating. The squad will hopefully learn from their experience last season, come back as a better team, and keep their concentration.

Rosicky to stay injured next season?

Tomas Rosicky, surely the unluckiest player in the current Arsenal squad in terms of injuries. The guy is an amazing player, but he just can’t stay fit for us, ever since he joined the club he has been plagued by muscular injuries, especially to his hamstrings and groin.

He said:

“It will be yet a long time before I return, but at the start of the new season – some time in August – I will hopefully start with training,”

So after months out he may finally return to fitness in August. You have to wonder, how much of a role will he play for us next season.

This news comes after his operation to ‘fix him’ in May, which means that he should be injury-free next year. Rosicky should be better, but we have seen players never properly recover from recurrent injuries in the past. I just hope Tom can get over it and get back on form for us, because without him in the side we lack some attacking flair and pace.

Tomas was also upset at the spectacular defeat of his country, the Czech Republic, by Turkey

“The finish was a collapse, as if the guys stopped playing. I am very sad”

Turkey came from 2 goals down to win 3-2, after a horrific Cech error (scummy Chelsea) this sent the Czechs out of Euro 2008! It was a brilliant match, check the highlights out if you didn’t see it at the time!

Arsenal make £1.65 million!

Fabrice Muamba the ex-Arsenal midfielder has left Birmingham City for Bolton for a reported fee of £5.5 million. The reason this affects us is because when Birmingham signed Muamba from Arsenal we put a 30% of next sale clause into the deal.

This of course means that we get 30% of the cash which Bolton paid. If that is £5.5 million, then an astute piece of buisness just brought us an extra £1.65 million for Wenger to spend at the shopping mall we call Euro 2008!

Arsenal Away Kit 08/09 – New pictures

Looking for the 09/10 kit? It’s here!

New pictures have emerged of the Arsenal away strip for next season (2008/9). It’s based on the 1989 Championship winning kit, worn at Anfield when we won the title with a historic Michael Thomas goal!

I like this a lot better than the new home kit, yellow is the only good colour for an Arsenal away strip!

Arsenal Away Kit 08/09

Arsenal Away Kit 0809

Arsenal Away Kit 0809 Close Up of Collar Details

Personally I’d prefer a return to this classic style from 1991-93!

arsenal away kit 1991 - 93

Haha! Gotta love it. Thanks for reading guys!

Keep updated with all of our posts using our RSS feed. Or go to the Front Page.

Van Persie linked with Inter + Transfer talk: Ade + Hleb

It has been suggested that Jose Mourinho is looking to sign RVP from us for his new club, Inter Milan.

I wouldn’t be suprised if top clubs are interested, but as you know, here at ArseSpeak we’re cynical and we know that the media aren’t trustworthy. Yes, clubs may want him, but will he actually leave? It is doubtful.

The same can be said of Adebayor, our 30-goal a season striker who has been linked to the other Milan club: AC. Now the president Silvio Berlusconi has said that Ade is too expensive for them.

Silvio Berlusconi:

Berlusconi

“He costs a lot.”

Adebayor is also now in contract talks with Arsenal, so much for that one!

Another bit of news is that Aleksandr Hleb may not be leaving Arsenal after all.

Inter, the original ice cream bandits, who tapped him up in February now have a new manager, and don’t want him. Barca have spent so long bumbling about I don’t know whether it will happen and Real and Bayern were always dubious links. I reckon that there’s a 50% we might see Hleb staying, watch this space!

All in all I don’t think we will lose many more players this summer (maybe Hleb), I hope we don’t. Just be a little critical of some stories you read Gooners.

Click here to get the latest Arsespeak news via RSS feed.

Video – The moment when Fabregas became a great player

28/03/2006

Cesc scores vs. Juventus at Highbury – Arsenal win two nil in the Champions League QF 1st leg.

This was when he showed his greatness on the world stage.

Adebayor new deal? + Parejo transfer talk

Ade has been constantly linked to Milan for several weeks now, we’ve already heard that he wants to stay, but a fresh wave of rumours surrounding his departure have cropped up.

His agent, Mr. Courbis said that Milan had made a bid and it would be hard to ‘say no’. Wenger told them where to stick it though.

Adebayor has now come out and said:

“My future with Arsenal has never been in doubt and I want to assure fans I will be here for many years,”

“My agent has met with coach Arsene Wenger about a new deal and I am happy about how the talks are going so fans can rest assured.”

It seems as if the whole saga with Milan has been stirred up in order to secure Ade the best deal posssible on his new contract. This is a bit cheeky since he only got a new contract last year, but players seem to be cashing in on the speculation at Arsenal since we lost Flamini.

Ade should be careful he doesn’t get a big head because the only reason he did so well last season was because he kept working away quietly. An inflated ego is the last thing we need, so Ade, keep your head down and get on with it.

We’ve also been linked with Real Madrid’s young Daniel Parejo, I have never heard of him, but he’s a 19-year-old midfielder who played at the European Under-19 Championship last year.

I’m sceptical of this one, when compared to Cesc Fabregas he said:

“For me, it is a compliment that such an important European team is showing interest,”

“I have heard rumours but my intention is very clear – my dream is to succeed in Madrid.

“Nobody dislikes something like that [being compared to Cesc Fabregas] but I prefer to look in the mirror and see Raul, Guti and Iker Casillas, three footballers who have come out of this youth system and have gone on to triumph in Madrid.

“I am young and I have patience.”

It seems he would rather succeed in Spain, but if we came calling and seriously wanted him we could get him, even if the trqansfer fee might be a tad high; £11 million.

That’s all till later Gooners!

Fabregas hopes Hleb stays

Cesc Fabregas, representing his contry at Euro 2008 is keeping up to date with what’s going on at Arsenal, he wants Hleb to stay and play with him.

“I have always said that Hleb is an incredible footballer and what he has done is underrated, well, everything that he does, because he is still an Arsenal player,”

“That kind of footballer deserves more credit. But I tell it to you, he is an incredible footballer. I hope we’ll carry on playing together for years.”

This mentions nothing about whether Hleb is actually leaving and I think he needs to make his mind up. It’s very nice that Fabregas wants to play with him, but the transfer saga surrounding him is growing to crazy levels.

His transfer options have been reduvced since Mourinho doesn’t want him at Inter. It looks like Barca might come in for him but nothing is very clear right now.

Van Persie scores – Out with the old, in with the new

Yesterday saw Holland continue their good form and thrash France 4-1 at Euro 2008, putting them through to the Quarter-Finals, and France on the brink of disaster. The game itself was a great spectacle, both sides had a lot of chances, but Holland’s counter-attacking play ruined France’s chances of a comeback.

This game mirrored in some ways the transition at Arsenal, with players like Henry playing for an aging France side, while young starlets like Van Persie (when fit!) scoring. The Dutch play a great passing game, and have really stood out for me. The way they have brushed aside the two finalist of the 2006 World Cup is impressive.

I can only hope that we can start getting more results like this next season, and one for the future – I wouldn’t mind seeing Van Basten at Arsenal when it comes to the day that Wenger retires.