Wenger close to new signing

On By jamesgillespIn Transfers11 Comments

Wenger says he knows who he wants in the transfer market this summer and he is hopeful of signing them up.

“I know what I want and I am very confident.

“It would be better to buy someone who has played in England because they are less risky, but it costs more money if they are from The Premier League,”

“Maybe I will try to do both.”

Exciting stuff for Gooners seeing as we normally get to hear little about transfers, except endless crap rumours and players leaving!

Barry and Kranjcar are two creative players who currently play in the Premierhship, but maybe Wenger is looking for ‘that’ experienced defender from a Premiership club, and a creative player from elsewhere. We have the money, so go for it!

If Hleb goes expect some major restrengthening this summer. We are in for the title race next year, and Wenger will want to improve so we can win something!

Arsenal Vs. Sunderland – Youngsters to be included in team?

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal

Arsenal face Sunderland today at 3pm British Summer Time. We have already finished in 3rd place, this match is being played for pride. If we win today we will finish on 83 points equalling our 2004-05 total according to BBC Sport. That will be the highest in the last three seasons, an improvement I think.

It looks like some young players are set to push into the squad for the game, this is an excellent opportunity for them to show what they can do. Wenger said:

“There are lot of English talents in the squad overall. We have Gibbs, Randall, the younger Hoyte, Jack Wilshere and Henri Lansbury, who might be included in the group next year.

“There is a core coming up but I cannot tell you now if all of them make it at Arsenal. But they’ll make it to be in the squad.”

Gibbs and Randall have been included in the squad for today’s game, and I hope they play. I have seen Randall play before and his talent is an exciting prospect.

Alan Green shows gives even more examples of why he is a twat here. It’s not really worth linking to, but I will, just to show you the sort of idiots the BBC employ. Just total rumour mongering about players like Gallas and Fabregas. Bollocks really.

Here’s to a win today!

Arsenal transfer speculation as Hleb’s agent talks

On By jamesgillespIn Transfers3 Comments

Yesterday morning we were greeted with these words from Alex Hleb’s agent:

“Alexander is preparing to make one of the most important moves of his life””He is leaving Arsenal even though they want to offer him a new long-term contract and better conditions. Only time will tell if leaving is the right decision, but there’s no way back now. Everything will be cleared up in the next two weeks.”

As we all wondered whether he would do a Webster, Arsene has hit back:

“It is not as simple as it looks, this Webster clause, you can’t just come in next day and buy out, there is no rule that says that.

“You should not forget what clubs can do, you have to first go to a Fifa tribunal and if you don’t agree with Fifa, you have to go to Acas. It takes a lot of months.

“You can be banned for the whole period if it’s not done in a proper way.”

He also said here:

“I believe 98 per cent of this squad will be here next season. And the two per cent have already gone.”

Well, Wenger has to be optimistic, it must have been a big blow to lose Flamini, but I am sure that we will find players to fill the gap, he’s after a midfielder and a defender, I’m not sure who, but people writing us off will only make us stronger to be honest with you.

These people will see what happens next season, and so will we!

Arsenal’s Season: The highs and lows

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal

I’ve pulled an all nighter writing a huge report thats due a few hours from now, so I won’t be posting toady just sleeping!

I thought I’d leave you this video to enjoy, a few highlights and a few lowlights of the season, just remember, theres always next year! Remember Cesc in Milan, Walcott at Anfield? Here you go!

Speak soon Gooners!

Forget the hype. Arsenal can be successful + Hleb and all that

On By jamesgillespIn Transfers2 Comments

We all know the famous saying; “Arsene Knows”. Reading some articles you would think that only total idiots can agree with this, and Arsenal are doomed.

How many times do we have to hear this rubbish?! Arsene Wenger is the best manager Arsenal have ever had. He has brought unprecedented style, attacking football at its best, unearthed gems in players no one has even heard of and won heaps of trophies.

I agree, we have been through a barren patch these last few years, but this year we saw an incredible improvement and in 2005/2006 we got to the Champions League Final.

If you look at the facts it shows Arsenal are building a team of champions, centred around players such as Cesc Fabregas.

Now that one player has left, Flamini, we hear that the squad will fall apart and again that we will be crap next year. Weren’t we hearing the same things last year?

Granted, Flamini has been a revelation this season and will be hard to replace, and there is some speculation about Hleb’s future, but come on. We have a striker who has scored 30 goals in his first season as the main striker, arguably the best midfielder in the world, in Cesc Fabregas, and loads of up and coming youth talent.

Get real is what I say, Wenger would agree with me. Yes, we should be worried about our club, but speculation gets you nowhere!

Wenger has given a bit more detail about the Hleb situation:

“What people say about the buy-out clause, it is not as simple as it looks,” said the Frenchman. “It is much more difficult and the clubs are reluctant to do that.

“We want to keep Hleb, we want him to be part of our team next year. It is as simple as that. We have lost one player, we do not want to lose more.”

Yes it really is that simple, we want to hold on to him and the media do not realise the complexities of football, to use an over-used phrase – this isn’t Football Manager.

Arsene knows what he’s on about, listen:

“If you are a winner you say ‘you beat me now in a game but give me a chance to come back and beat you’. That’s what I expect of a team. If they cannot do that then it means I was wrong completely in my whole judgement of this team.

“But I hope that 95 per cent of the team, the core of the team, says ‘come on, we have only just lost’. And it is ‘just’ because we were leading at Manchester United, we were leading at Chelsea and we were leading at Liverpool in the Champions League, and every time we just lost a little bit of focus and lost the game.

“Let’s come back and show we are winners. That is the real target of the team.”

Inspiring stuff, Wenger does know, because we were close this year, how many people thought it was going to be our season, almost all of you reading right now I bet you. So lets come next season (hopefully with a signing or two) and show what we’re made of.

Wenger Will Be Able To Spend This Summer

On By jamesgillespIn Transfers3 Comments

Peter Hill-Wood, the Arsenal chairman says that money will be available for Wenger to bolster the squad this summer. Which is good, especially if players like Hleb leave.

“We have never denied Arsene Wenger a penny, whenever he has wanted to buy, he has. What he is not prepared to do is to buy a big name that everyone will be happy with until they see them play.

“He has brought in so many world-class players, some of whom people had not even heard of at the time, and I am sure he will continue that.”

Hill-Wood went on to comment on our season:

“He {Wenger} is not very happy we didn’t win anything. He takes it very much to heart but he seems to have recovered.”It’s laughable to think he doesn’t have the support of the board. We are very happy with him and I think he is with us.

“Overall, it’s not been a bad season. I was very happy with the way we played, but we are in the results business and I’m disappointed with the final result, I suppose.

“We will start next season with the aim of winning something. If we don’t, I will not be jumping off Tower Bridge. It’s not easy winning the Champions League and the Premier League.”

A very balanced opinion if you ask me, and quite correct. Wenger is a fantastic manager, and the board knows he is good in the transfer market, and that he can achieve success. He has done it before and can do it again.

It’s not easy, but we have the potential to win a lot of trophies in the next few years. It’s good to hear the Board are on the same wavelength.

One issue with signing foreign players now will be their level of English. Under new government legislation non-European footballers who can’t speak English won’t be able to join teams. This is part of the new points-based immigration system.

Migrants will have to pass an English test to check they have “basic-user standard” English, using familiar everyday expressions, and be able to discuss basic personal details!

Do you think this legislation will affect Arsenal?

Hleb’s Future In Doubt, Calderon Mumurs About Fabregas

On By jamesgillespIn Transfers3 Comments

The Times thinks that Hleb is on his way out of the club. They claim that his ‘representatives’ have agreed a four-year deal with Inter, and that he has told team mates that he will join Inter.

Again this seems speculative, with no quotes and nothing official, but it may happen. Hleb could leave, and we would be in a bit of transfer trouble were this to happen. Wenger would have a bit of a midfield crisis. I’m waiting to hear more on this one.

A player who is linked with a transfer is Fabregas, and this is one I’m sure won’t happen (bar something totally crazy occuring in the next few months).

Ramon Calderon, the Real president has Fabregas as one of his main transfer targets, and said:

“Something nice about Cesc is that he is Spanish and this is one of my objectives – to make Real Madrid more Spanish.”

Only two weeks ago Fabregas said that he was totally comitted to Arsenal though:

“My future belongs to Arsenal, and it is the truth.”

“I have always said I want to play for Arsenal, it is the best team I can be at, the best club for me.”

So I doubt Calderon’s wishes will come true at this point!

Meanwhile, Sagna is set to sign a new contract after only a season at the club, maybe Wenger is getting wary after the situations with Flamini and Hleb.

Wenger also said that Adebayor needs to keep improving:

“I believe if Ade keeps his work ethic, there is still 20% more to come from him. Does he want it enough – to get this extra 20% out?

“Well that is where his future lies. If you lose that desire, you quickly become a nobody.”

Adebayor should be able to keep up his form next season, I don’t see any reason why not, Wenger just wants to stop him getting too comfortable!

I hope we can hold onto Hleb at least, because otherwise we will start the transfer season weakened, rather than ready to strengthen the squad. I think it is more likely he will stay than Flamini, but if he does leave we might have a confidence problem on our hands.

Arsenal’s Youngsters For Next Season

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal7 Comments

Whatever happens now we will finish in third place this year (click here for league table), and trophyless again.

Not all is bad though, our squad has matured and we have seen a vast improvement in the quality of football and the results. 3rd place is one up from last season, and the QF of the Champions League is one stage further. Had luck been on our side we would have gone further.

Now Flamini has become the first departure of the summer we wait and see who else will come and go. I’m not sure who Wenger will sign, I am pretty sure that we have seen the last of Lehmann and possilbly Gilberto.

At this stage the future of the club is in the balance. Lose players like Hleb, and the squad will be greatly weakened and unsettled. Keep the majority of the players and sign a few more gems and we could be very successful next year.

A few players who I expect to come through more next year are:

Nicklas Bendtner

A very good player, good passing and can run at defenders as well at being great in the air. He has scored 9 this season, and although not a perfect partner for Adebayor, he will start more next season.

Theo Walcott

One of the top young players in the Premiership. His style and pace are fantastic. He has started more and more this season and proved himself, i.e. at Anfield. Expect him to start on the right wing, and more up front next year. Maybe some more goals too.

Alex Song

Badmouthed by some fans, he has proven his quality in the new year, first at the ANC, and then with some good performances in defence. A possible replacement for Flamini, or maybe a new centre back

Armand Traore

Looks like he may get a chance on the left wing after his conversion from left back. He looked good coming on against Everton, and provided the cross for the goal. Him and Clichy would be a menacing duo on the left flank, pace, power, and passing in attack and defence.

Carlos Vela

Another much talked about player. He has done well on loan at Osasuna, and Wenger will recall him next season possibly for a starting line up. Don’t know loads about him. Let me know your impressions in the comments.

Just a quick summary, if you think of any more then feel free to add them in the comments section.

Also congratulations to Arsenal Ladies, double winners, the most successful women’s team in the land.

Flamini: Going, Going, Gone: Signs For AC Milan

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal

It’s official, the Flamster has signed a four year deal with AC Milan, the saga is finally over.

The deal keeps him at the San Siro until June 2012. Flamini told reporters:

“I am very happy, thank you very much”

I hope he is, Serie A is a very different place compared to the Premier League, and Milan are not guaranteed to playing in the Champions League next year. He will be in competiton with the likes of Gattuso, Kaka, Pirlo and Ambrosini for a place, which will be hard.

He has been a key player for us this season, I wish him the best at Milan, but I am very sorry to see him go. We need to find a replacement for him, either through signing them or bringing them from within our current squad.

Wrighty7 suggests Alex Song. I was thinking the same thing. He is a good player who has improved greatly this year. He is a natural defensive midfielder, but can he do the same job for us that Mathieu did? I’m not so sure.

Flamini left Marseilles in a similar way, not having signed a professional contract, we managed to get him without paying a fee, even though he had promised to sign a new contract at Marseilles.

I’ll leave you with the words of his coach at the time, Jose Anigo:

“He’s a traitor – this is a beautiful treason.”

Flamini In Milan. Highlights Arsenal 1 Everton 0

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal

Highlights here.

The game itself was a little dull, Bendtner got a good headed goal and we won 1-0. Wenger said:

“You could see that it was a little bit an end of season game.”

It was, we played some good, football at times, but nothing special. A few points though:

  1. Song had another solid game at centre back, I like him more everytime I see him.
  2. Jens came on for the last few minutes, obviously a farewell appearance.
  3. Traore came on and did well down the left wing, his cross set up Bendtner’s goal. I wouldn’t be suprised if we see him there next year, he looked exciting!

Gallas Strips At Arsenal, Emirates Stadium

Gallas Gets Naked

The players came out to do a farewell lap of the pitch, Gallas threw his shirt into the crowd just in front of me, I didn’t get it though, Jens staying on afterwards, and getting a standing ovation from the fans. He said:

“I had one or two tears in my eyes, It was a great farewell for me. This farewell will always stay in my heart.”

He has been a great player for, even if he is mental. I hope he does well in the future.

Flamini seemed a little awkward, and it seems he has flown to Milan to agree terms with AC. No suprise there, we could see it coming. Not much we can do, he was fantastic this season, but we’ll just have to find a replacement.