There isn’t a whole lot going on today, which is a good thing.
The worst case scenario would be that all the good results we’ve had so far either A) get blown out of proportion and people started screaming “I told you so” at the top of their lungs at every opportunity or B) the opposite of A) and the cynics start talking about luck and how Everton were in disarray and how we need to buy £100m worth of players or we won’t win shite. Let’s just take the middle road, relax, and see what happens against Pompey this weekend.
After all, we’re only 1 game into the season so far.
I mean, it would be just as big a mistake for Man U fans to write off their team after losing to Burnley. Burnley’s not a big team but they have a lot of heart. I remember last year when Arsenal’s Carling Cup Kids lost 2-0 to Burnley at Turf Moor and I remember thinking that we’d go in there and roll over them, but Jensen was a monster that night and the crowd was supportive and Burnley did a great job all over the pitch. What is it that they say about any given Saturday, any Premier League squad can beat any other squad?
Anyway, there isn’t anything going on today. According to the papers Arsenal haven’t even made a bid on any new names, if anything, we’re losing out on Chamakh and Coutadeur. We could see something happen next week now that Joleon Lescott has been basically dropped by David Moyes. As I’ve said, I believe that deal is the linchpin for something that Arsene Wenger has in mind with Senderos leaving and some backup defender coming in.
I suppose there is a “story” what with Mooney talking up the team spirit and saying that Arsenal have hammered out the defensive problems but you’ll pardon me if I’m just going to wait on those two. I’m sure everything IS great right now, it sure looks like it on the pitch, and I sincerely hope that we go 38-0-0 all season, scoring an average of 6 goals per match. But realisticially, there will be rough patches ahead and that’s where the team really shows its character.
Or maybe the real story is that Arsenal are strengthening their management team. I don’t know, I haven’t had a chance to think about that yet.
There’s a free video over at the dot com, explaining the injury situation and why Eduardo was replaced with Wilshere on the bench Tuesday. Check it out.
That’s pretty much it for today, the boss will do his interview tommorrow so look for that. It’s a perfect start to the season, let’s just keep plugging away.
Another rumor has come up via metro.uk saying us and ‘pool are going to fight it out over van der Vaart. Another crazy rumor. We already have 14 attacking wingers/midfielders/converted strikers who play the van der Vaart role in Cesc, van Persie, Arshavin, Walcott, Nasri, Rosicky, Diaby, Vela, Dudu, Bendtner, Vela, Ramsey, Wilshere, and the Pass Master (you could almost include Denilson, but he is better when he does not play the advanced role); no idea why we would need another one. And at 15-20 million at that.
@dk.nyc,
I would take Van der Vaart any day at 6 million (which is what’s been quoted)….. he’s class and we can’t really realy on the injury-prone quintet of nasri, rosicky, eduardo, walcott and diaby…. I’m still not convinced with Bendtner on the right of the new 4-3-3, nor RVP as the focal point of the attack…. I hope Wenger gets Chamakh.
@DC Gunner, I don’t think we need Chamakh. At 25 he won’t be getting much better, and from what I’ve heard, the scouts say he has peaked. Also, I feel that he and Bendtner are the same style player. And with Bedntner at 21, there is more room for him to get better.
Antime you can spend that little amount of money on a very experienced player would be great. That 6m is the same amount i think that we got as the sell on agreement for Diarra. I like the idea of that PSG player too. i have always said with Nasri and Rosicky out, we need a more natural wide player and grab Arshavin from the flanks. it’s not his natural or preferred position.
I would like to see some of the major players rested for the portsmouth game this weekend. With these two a week games, we need those fresh legs for the manchesters and off the bench v. celtic.
Come on you gunners!
Van Der Vaart is a great player and more of the same of what we have. At the cut price of 6M he’s be a steal. Dutch international and loads of experience. However, he prefers to operate centrally and it was the dilemma with Sneidjer at Ajax that forced him to leave. Both of them preferred central roles but there’s only one spot and Wenger would have to convince Rafael that he’d have to start out wide and drift in.
There’s some shady rumours that we had scouts at the Newcastle game to take a look at Steven Taylor – I know Tim hates him with a passion but even I can’t deny that he could be a very good defender on a top level team with a good supporting cast. In any case we definitely need the cover at the back because Djourou and Silvestre are more Gallas than Vermaelen and another physical defender to compliment them and give Vermaelen some competition could be a good thing.
@WC, I hate him when he plays against us.
🙂
@WC, I absolutely agree we need cover at the back. As it stands right now, if Gallas or Vermaelen are injured, its Gerry coming in (Djourou is injured)… I’ll let that sink in for a minute… yes, please Wenger, please, buy someone, anyone for that matter.
Can’t see Real parting with him for 6, if it really came out that they were serious about selling, more than a handfull of teams would get involved at that price. The crowded market would drive his price up. I don’t see him going for less than 12.
Where did you see the Steven Taylor rumor?
@dk.nyc, Van Der Vaart at 6M is not unrealistic simply because his wages cost more than his fee. Just because he’s cheap it doesn’t mean every club is coming after him because let’s face it, he’s a top class player and although Wigan could afford him, he’d never choose to go there so he’d be looking at teams in Champions League.
I’ve seen the Steven Taylor rumour on numerous sites such as goal.com and other blogs also have reported that scouts were sent to watch him. He’s valued at around 10M whiih isn’t bad considering his experience in the EPL.
@WC, Agreed about the wages, but still, more than a handfull of teams can afford him. The top Serie A, EPL, La Liga, and maybe even the Ligue 1 teams could afford it as well as offer Champions League play; that’s why I think just more than us and ‘pool would be involved (Inter, Athletico, Lyon, AS Roma, Chelsea immediately come to mind).
Ahh, the infamous goal.com. I would love to get Taylor, as he would compliment the entire backline, but with Wenger you never know, its all just smoke and mirrors with him sometimes.
@dk.nyc, Sure alot of other teams can afford him, but do they really need him? Chelsea can’t fit Deco, Malouda, Essien, Lampard and Ballack all in the same midfield at the same time with their formation. Inter need a deep lying midfielder, not a midfielder who plays far up the park which is why they want Sneidjer, Atletico have more midfielders than they know what to do with, Roma can’t afford to spend money because the Aquilani money will go towards covering their massive debts, Lyon just bought about 3-4 new players already of which one is Bastos who is similar to Van Der Vaart.
Liverpool actually need to find a new Xabi Alonso but Van Der Vaart isn’t it and neither is Aquilani (but don’t tell Rafa). If Benitez was smarter, he’d have brought in Sneidjer instead but I think he’s losing his mind slowly as Fergie picks away at him.
Right now our defenders have been pressed but they haven’t broken in terms of giving away too many FKs. Steven Taylor does not strike as the a player who can defend at a high level without giving away oodles FKs because of his inadequacies.
Portsmouth are planning on ‘parking the bus’ and trying to stop us playing as well.
I know Man U start slow but this has got to be a worry. Until our strikers start to score I won’t get on Man U’s offense yet.
Agree with ctpa, have read the same rumours, Taylor may not be the man. Young, but does he have the skill levels?
Rumours also circulating re Jolene, sorry Joleon Lescott, who may be away from the Toffees, Would ManCiteh still want him having bought Kolo? What price would he command if Sparky doesn’t want him?
Viva!
No steven taylor, simple as that, the last thing wenger needs to do is buy a player that was in a team that got relegated last year. Especially one that’s very injury prone, a nasty tackler and lost his spot to bassong last year and I really don’t want to have to hear british commentators and media hype him up like they do other English players, having to listen to their Walcott/Wilshire nonsense is bad enough.
I don’t know if you guys have to listen to british commentators but it’s quite annoying when there’s an english player on a team, he’s automatically the best in the world or will be soon, like Michael Owen. Both man u matches so far (where he was, for lack of a better word, s**t), it’s all things like “unusual for a player like owen to miss that chance” “I think we might be looking at the new English strike parntership for the world cup (owen/rooney)” then when he was subbed for berbabtov anything berba missed a comment such as “If owen was still on the pitch he would have been able to score that” etc. etc.
There aren’t any English players (for sale) that are good enough in any position for our team. Walcott, Wilshere and Almunia 😉 are enough.
@Bongo, You are absolutely right. This vague rumor bothered me enough that I feel compell to amplify my thoughts. When you listen to Sky Sports during the transfer windows and they announce this and that unknown lower league player going hither and yond and I’m thinking what if anything about those players does anyone see to merit a transfer. That’s how I see Taylor. He’s the sort of player now that a Burnley or Wolves bring in because he’s got EPL experience and can ‘bolster’ their newly promoted side. No Championship can afford to bring him in unless they have promotion in the bag. He’s now what I call a ‘retread’. He’s your Hyypia or McCann, your Bikey. You know the type. Been around the block but never anything but average and now less so. I distinctly remember his last game against us and he was a foul a minute player. Arsenal aspire to better and we require better. We have U16, U17, U18 players who are better defenders and that is no joke.
I don’t see Wenger doing something silly again like when he brought in Syvestre. Our team’s back line will have to be “dead or dying” before Syvestre gets another game this season. Wenger is not in a charitable mood this season, trust me.
You know there are always rumors swirling around but we need to filter a litle bit better. Van der Vaart. This is a rumor that has potential to fly but when examined critically, it ain’t going to happen even if the player is free. He would get in Ramsey and Wilshere’s way and that would hurt the team’s spirit
@ctpa, Not sure that Arsene would use either Ramsey or Wilshere against very physical opponents. Last year against Cardiff, Ramsey was awful. Both look much stronger this year, but against Celtic they would have been physically intimidated.
Arsene has consistently shown to be fatherly protective of his youngsters. An experienced midfielder, would add to our team confidence, with the revolving door injuries to Theo, Rosicky, Eduardo, Nasri, Diaby……..Van der Vaart is only 26. Sneijder turns 25 in 2 weeks.
At the moment, who is going to back up Cesc? Arshavin? Denilson? Diaby? Ramsey?
60+ matches is a marathon.