620 replies to this topic

[sachmoney]

Where did we leave off?

This might be Arsene Wenger's most important transfer season since he came to the Emirates. Certainly, there is a lot of talent already at Ashburton Grove, but there are certain pieces missing from truly putting Arsenal over the top. The First Team has gone 4 years without winning a trophy, and in order to retain players like Cesc Fàbregas, Robin Van Persie, and Gaël Clichy, Arsene will have to lead the club to trophies now.

All is not gloomy in North London, as the acquisition of Andrei Arshavn certainly was a step in the right direction. However, there are plenty of issues that need to be resolved such as the central defense, holding midfield, and a striker. Furthermore, the futures of players like Emmanuel Adebayor, William Gallas, and Kolo Toure need to be determined.

It seems that every day, there are new players that have been linked with a move to the Gunners. As of now, however, only Thomas Vermaelen appears to be headed to the Emirates. It's a matter of when the move will actually take place. This addition would certainly be a step in the right direction, but I would really like to see another central back in addition to the Ajax skipper come to the Emirates. Certainly, Wenger will want to add company for Cesc in the central midfield. The absence of Mathieu Flamini was great last year, and there definitely needs to be someone brought in to replace him. One player who won't be that guy is Yaya Toure, who is closing in on a contract extension with Barcelona.

Adebayor really hasn't been making headlines in terms of a move to Manchester City, Chelsea, or AC Milan, but rather for his absence from the Togolese National Team hotel. Players such as Fàbregas, Clichy, and Sagna have all reasserted their desire to stay with Arsenal, wiping away speculation that they may move else where. One player, who might move, is Robin Van Persie. However, he is having showdown contract talks that should yield a new contract for the Dutch striker.

What we should expect to see, though, is the returns of Eduardo and Tomas Rosicky. Eduardo managed to appear in a handful of games this past season, after coming back from that brutal broken foot injury. He plans to be ready for the upcoming season. Rosicky is in a similar situation, but he has admitted that he has doubt about exerting himself at full speed.

This morning, the fixtures were released for the 2009-2010 Barclay's Premier League season. Arsenal will open up at Everton in, along with Tottenham-Liverpool, should be one of the matches of the week. Key matches include:

August 29: @ Manchester United
October 31: Tottenham
November 28: Chelsea
December 12: @ Liverpool

Then a brutal three league match stretch:
January 30: Manchester United
February 6: @ Chelsea
February 9: Liverpool

And finally:
April 10: @ Tottenham

I'm going to be in London during the first home match of the season, but I suppose that it would be awfully difficult to get tickets. If Arsene can find his diamonds and the squad can stay healthy, I have no doubt that this club can challenge for and come away with some silverware.

Edited by sachmoney, 02 April 2010 - 04:55 PM.

[sachmoney]

Thomas Vermaelen is now a Gunner:

Manager Arsène Wenger said: “Thomas is a great signing for Arsenal Football Club, and we are all delighted that he is joining us. Thomas is a solid performer with good experience of Champions League and UEFA Cup football and is also a regular with the Belgium national team.

“I’m just so happy to be joining Arsenal. This is a great Club with a world class manager, high quality players and a fantastic stadium. Everything is set up for Arsenal to be very successful for years to come and I joined this Club because I know Arsenal will be challenging for trophies.

“I have had a good taste of the Champions League during my time with Ajax and this is something I am looking forward to experiencing again with Arsenal. I’m also looking forward to playing in the English Premier League, which for me, is the best league in the world. Also, I just want to assure the Arsenal fans that I will give everything for this Club and I hope we can enjoy winning some trophies together next season.”

Love the move.

However, the Kolo Toure to Manchester City rumors have picked up. I'm not a huge fan of Toure. However, I know a lot of Arsenal fans love him, and he's been with the club for a long time.

Fiorentina are said to be interested in Philippe Senderos, which could means that Arsenal could get Felipe Melo in a cash + player deal.

Although there was a report earlier this year about him, there's now speculation that Arsenal will be in on Raul Albiol. I would absolutely love him because he can play both centre back and holding midfield. Oh, and he's only 23. Liverpool is also interested. Seems like total speculation to me as of right now.

There's a ridiculous rumor that Manchester United are trying to get Robin Van Persie. Regardless, Internazionale are still mooting a move and is probably a much more realistic destination were Arsenal to sell the Dutch striker.

Theo Walcott came off the bench for the U-21 team and helped set up the second goal. Cesc Fabregas was hurt during training, but I haven't heard anything on the status of his knee. I hope that he is able to play in the semifinal because Spain certainly weren't as effective last match without him.

[sachmoney]

Our new baller centre back's first interview:


A few points:
Kieran Gibbs looks set to be offered a new contract.

Abou Diaby is training rather than going on vacation.

Felipe Melo remains a target and has said he is flattered by the interest (in general).

Carlo Ancelotti appears ready to bid £25 million for Adebayor. That's more than I expected him to go for, so if that is true, it would be nice...to see every Chelsea attack stopped by an offsides...oh and that money be spent on players!

Arsenal target Marouane Chamakh is pushing harder to make a move to the premiership. He has been seen as a possible replacement for Adebayor. I would still prefer Dzeko, but he appears to be on his way to Milan. The other player that I really like, but has not been linked with many clubs is Andre Pierre Gignac of Toulouse.

Arsenal might be making a move to bring in Thomas Hitzelsperger for £7 million. Melo should be a priority by far.

I'm happy that Arsene made a move early to bring in a player that was a necessity. I would like to see him continue to that over the course of the transfer window. Arsenal could definitely use 2 more players in the defensive midfield/centre back role. I would love to see Raul Albiol at the Emirates. Also, if Adebayor leaves, a striker is a need as well.

[Spacemans Bong]

Unfortunately I'll be in the States during the first few weeks of the season, otherwise I would try and help you get a ticket. Best of luck - try Arsenal America.

[sachmoney]

Unfortunately I'll be in the States during the first few weeks of the season, otherwise I would try and help you get a ticket. Best of luck - try Arsenal America.

Thanks, I'll definitely try to get a hold of them/get more information when I get back to Boston.

Arsenal just tied up Robin Van Persie to a new contract worth £70,000 per week.

Apparently, according to Talk Sport's Gabriele Marcotti, Arsenal are going to be holding talks with Felipe Melo and are already in contact with his agent. If this is indeed true, I would be very happy because it would go along way in closing the gap. The league is going to be more open than ever this season, and Arsenal can certainly make the improvements to win it. Melo has been absolutely sensational during the Confederations Cup and has shown me that he would be a very good player to partner with Cesc.

Stuttgart's Serdar Tasci might be coming to the Emirates as well. He can play both on the right and in the center and would bring the type of versatility that Arsene seems to love.

[sachmoney]

Much speculation has been made about the future of Cesc Fabregas. However, as always, Cesc has reiterated his desire to stay and loyalty towards Arsenal.

"I’m not sure how many times I need to talk directly about my commitment to Arsenal as I continue to say the same thing over and over again, but it appears that every time I have spoken to the Spanish media recently, my words have bounced back to England, leaving question marks about my future.

"So, for anyone who is unclear or may have misunderstood what my position is, let me make myself absolutely crystal clear. I am wholeheartedly committed to Arsenal and my future lies with this great Club.

"It is a fact that we have not won a trophy for four years and yes, I am angry about that, but that anger stems from the deep deep desire I have to win things with Arsenal. I care about this Club and believe in this team. I am proud to captain this team and proud to wear the shirt. It really upsets me when people express my thoughts otherwise. The spirit in this squad is fantastic and we have the ability and mentality to compete on all fronts for silverware. Make no mistake, we are focussed and determined to show that we are capable of achieving great things together."

The media is out of control. STOP TWISTING HIS WORDS!

In other Arsenal News:
Adebayor offered to Inter and AC Milan.

Kieran Gibbs is getting a new contract.

A report in Spain suggests Arsenal are ready to spend £25 million on one player. I don't know who that could be and if there's even a hint of truth to the rumor. I just don't see anyone in Spain worth £25 million that could perceivably come to the Emirates.

The new Arsenal away kits are on sale, I know I'm going to snap one up when I'm in London.

[sachmoney]

Buckle up guys,

Arsenal are said to have entered the race for Karim Benzema were they to sell Emmanuel Adebayor. I'm not a huge Benzema fan from what I've seen of him with the national team (I know he's better than what he's shown with the French National Team). I think he's overrated, but he's certainly better than Adebayor. Benzema is rated at £30 million, but considering the other clubs involved, I would doubt that Arsenal has the financial clout to compete. Obviously, Wenger could make the difference for the French starlet, but he also has the chance to go to another one of the biggest clubs in the world.

AND apparently Franck Ribery too? Of course, it is the Daily Star, and you can't trust a report like that. According to the report though, it would be a £40 million bid plus Nicklas Bendtner in exchange for the Bayern winger. Furthermore, it is said that the player plus cash deal has struck a cord with new München manager, Louis van Gaal. I'm anxious to see how this plays out and whether there is any truth to this rumor. I don't think you can link a team to a big player without some truth, but were either of these two deals to happen, it would be one of the crowning transfer achievements of Wenger's career (you know besides Henry, Vierra, Pires etc).

Robin Van Persie says that he will not be leaving Arsenal and that they are the only team he is talking to as of right now. It had been reported earlier in the week that he had agreed to a deal, but apparently that is not the case as of yet. Here are a couple quotes:

"I'm not in negotiations with any other club - just Arsenal," van Persie told the News of the World. "I want to become the best player in the world. My career will only be a success when I consider myself the best. Anything less won't do."

"I see the potential at Arsenal. We have to do it," added van Persie. "One fact which aggravates me is that in the five years I've been at Arsenal, we've won exactly the same number of trophies as I did at Feyenoord - ONE - that's not enough. When I arrived here, Arsenal were winning trophies for fun," he said."But, if everyone is fit, we have a heck of a team and it's up to me to ensure we go out and win these trophies."

Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs are a part of the English squad in the U-21 European Championship finals which take place tomorrow. Be sure to check them out if you get the chance.

EDITED: To add the link to the Daily Star article.

Edited by sachmoney, 28 June 2009 - 11:48 AM.

[sachmoney]

I'll get to some rumors, but the big issue for this week is the rights issue. Arsenal have a history of being conservatively run and the rights issue should exemplify this. Nobody wants one person to gain more power and the board doesn't want to "dillute" the shares of current holders. However, the proposal, proposed by Alisher Usmanov, could clear a sizable portion of Arsenal's debt and make way for Wenger to sign some players of experience in the transfer window. The board doesn't want to spend willy nilly like Real Madrid, but if Arsenal ever needed a cash infusion, now is the time.

Here are some links.

I really hope they strongly consider it.

Old friend, Gilberto, has told Felipe Melo to sign with Arsenal. I would love to have him, but more clubs seem interested in him every single day. Wenger seems keen to get it done sometime this week, with Barcelona also said to be lurking for the Brazilian.

Arsenal appear to be closing in on another defender, Stuttgart's Serdar Tasci. He is a player that can play both in the center and on the right and would be a good addition to play in the middle, and to occasionally give Bacary Sagna a rest.

Milan have made an approach to Emmanuel Adebayor after Edin Dzeko said that he will be staying with Wolfsburg, despite his dream to play for Milan. Arsenal need that money if they are serious about making a run at Karim Benzema.

Le Mans holding midfielder, Mathieu Coutadeur has said he has agreed to personal terms with another club, but that the club has yet to agree to a fee with Le Mans. Arsenal are a long time admirer of Coutadeur and could be that club, but it could also be someone like Bordeaux. We will find out in the weeks to come.

Edited by sachmoney, 29 June 2009 - 01:21 PM.

[sachmoney]

Reserves Update:

Luke Ayling
Some of Arsenal’s forward-thinking stars may have earned a lot of the Youth Cup plaudits last season but Luke Ayling deserves as much praise as anyone. The stylish defender played every minute of the triumphant cup run impressing in the air and on the ground. Luke signed scholarship forms in 2007/08 and his consistency at Under-18 level saw him break into Neil Banfield’s Reserves last season making nine appearances at centre-half and right-back.

Craig Eastmond
Craig is another member of Steve Bould’s FA Youth Cup winning Under-18s and he supplemented his tremendous work at Academy Level with a string of classy performances for the Reserves. Although he is equally confident as a holding midfielder, Craig spent most of 2008/09 at right-back where his pace, agility and clinical distribution caught the eye.

James Shea
It’s hard to believe that last season was only James’ first as an Under-18 regular. The young goalkeeper was a mainstay in the FA Youth Cup and Premier Academy League in 2008/09 and also made three Reserve team appearances towards the end of the season. Known for his superb shot-stopping ability, James has also improved immeasurably in kicking and catching.

Cedric Evina
Cedric has been affiliated with the Club since he was nine and rose through the Hale End Academy. The 17-year-old played most of his football in the Under-18s last term but did feature for the Reserve team on a handful of occasions. His highlight of the season came in the Premier Academy League Semi-final when he slotted the Gunners ahead against Manchester City at Eastlands. Usually deployed at left-back, the rapid Frenchman also starred on the left-wing in 2008/09.

Amaury Bischoff
Amaury will be leaving after failing to make an impact during his one season at the Club. The Portuguese Under-21 international played most of his football in Neil Banfield’s Reserves but did make four substitute appearances for the first team.

James Dunne
Former-Wimbledon youngster James signed professional terms in 2007 and made 16 reserve outings in his debut season at the Club. However second-string appearances were limited last term and he moved on-loan to Nottingham forest in October but didn’t appear in their first-team.

Rui Fonte
Cultured striker Rui is moving on after almost three years at the Club. The Portuguese Under-17 international made his Arsenal debut as a substitute in Arsenal’s Carling Cup victory over Wigan. In January he joined Crystal Palace on-loan where he appeared five times.

Abu Ogogo
After signing professional terms in 2007, Abu made more Reserve appearances than anyone in 2007/08. But his second-string chances were limited last season and he joined League Two Barnet on loan in November, 2008.

Paul Rodgers
Paul signed professional terms in 2007 after impressing at right-back and centre-half. He made his first-team debut against Burnley in the Carling Cup in December before joining Northampton on loan in January. However, he suffered cruciate ligament damage before his return.

Rene Steer
Rene joined Arsenal at the age of 13 and earned a professional contract in 2007 after impressing for the Reserves and Under-18s. In 2008/09 the left-back made four appearances for Neil Banfield’s Reserves before spending four months on loan at Gillingham.

Vincent van den Berg
Dutch U17 international Vincent joined Arsenal in 2006 and impressed as an attacking midfielder in the Reserves and Under-18s. He featured in Dennis Bergkamp’s testimonial before moving on-loan to Go Ahead Eagles in 2008. Vincent spent last season on loan at FC Zwolle.

Anton Blackwood
Versatile defender Anton joined the Club from Northampton in 2007/08 and played mainly in defence for Steve Bould’s Under-18s. However he didn’t make an impact in the Reserve Team last season.

It always sucks to have to let players go, but I think it was clear that none of these players were going to make an impact on the first team any time soon. I could probably name at least 11 players ahead of these guys in terms of depth. Bischoff is the "big name" that was released, but it didn't seem like he was going to make the impact people thought he was going to. He was brought in to may be be the holding midfielder, but ended up playing mostly on the wing (it seemed) in reserves. He was also coming off a serious groin injury. It seemed like he was looking to leave.

Oh, Barca might be making a seismic offer for Our Cesc, keep posted. The big topic of discussion this week still remains whether or not to approve Alisher Usmanov's rights issue. I do think it's something they should strongly consider, but they also need to limit the power of Usmanov because this seems like it could be a power grab. The important thing is doing what is best for the club and not protecting personal interests.

[sachmoney]

Let's get to the most exciting news first,

The new third kit has been released:

Arsenal Football Club today reveals its third choice kit for the 2009/2010 season, available to pre-order from today, Wednesday 1st July, via our Online Store and the Club's official shops. On sale from Thursday 23rd July, the kit echoes design elements of the north London club's away kit including a white shirt with redcurrant pinstripes and a polo collar. Further shirt details include a panel of horizontal stripes at the back of the shirt, to mirror the craftsmanship of a fine English shirt. Inside the collar is a high quality woven label that reads Arsenal, while engineered in to the side seam is a small red label featuring two Arsenal canons either side of the club motto, 'Victoria Concordia Crescit,' which translates as 'Victory Through Harmony.'

As with all Gunners replica kits, the shirt is made from Nike's innovative Dri-Fit fabric, which keeps players drier, cooler and lighter by drawing sweat from the body to the fabric's surface, while it's three-dimensional construction gives more air space around the skin to reduce clinging.

The away shorts are anthracite grey with a redcurrant stripe along the side, a graphic showing an Arsenal canon is on the back of the waistband, while the draw cords feature Arsenal's name on the tips. The socks are white with vertical redcurrant pinstripes and an anthracite stripe on the top band with Arsenal printed on the calf.

Adult shirts are priced at £40 (£45 long sleeved), with children's shirts at £33 (£35 long sleeved).

Now onto the rest of the news,

William Gallas has cooled a possible link with Inter.

Arsenal are favorites to sign Brazilian defender Naldo from Werder Bremen. He's a 6 foot 5 inch defender who would add some much needed size to the defense. I don't know anything about him.

Senderos might be heading to Aston Villa.

Rambo has signed a long-term extension with the club.

Andrei Arshavin has said he would love to play for Barcelona.

Now that Melo has signed a contract extension with Fiorentina, Arsene Wenger has turned his attention to Marsielle skipper Lorik Cana, someone who he has admired for a long time.

[sachmoney]

The future of English football, Jack Wilshere, signed a long term contract with Arsenal.

Gibbs's contract extension is official.

The Gunners will be heading to Mestalla in preseason. Here's the full preseason schedule:

BARNET v ARSENAL
SATURDAY 18th JULY 2009
At Underhill, Barnet FC.
Kick-off: 3pm
Ticket details: www.barnetfc.com or 020 8449 6325.

LINCOLN CITY v ARSENAL XI*
MONDAY 20th JULY 2009
At Sincil Bank, Lincoln City FC
Kick-off: 7.30pm
Ticket details: www.redimps.co.uk or 0870 899 1976.
*Please note the Arsenal team for this fixture will consist of Youth and Reserves players.

HANNOVER 96 v ARSENAL
WEDNESDAY 29TH JULY 2009
At AWD-Arena
Kick-off: TBC
Ticket details TBC

ARSENAL v ATLETICO MADRID
SATURDAY 1ST AUGUST 2009
EMIRATES CUP 2009
At Emirates Stadium
Kick-off: 4.15pm
Ticket details – Click here

ARSENAL v RANGERS
SUNDAY 2nd AUGUST 2009
EMIRATES CUP 2009
At Emirates Stadium
Kick-off: 4.15pm
Ticket details – Click here

VALENCIA CF v ARSENAL
SATURDAY 8TH AUGUST 2009
Mestalla Stadium, Valencia
Kick-off: TBC

Three pretty competitive matches for Arsenal in Atlético, Rangers, and Valencia.

In terms of transfer news, Arsenal appear to be after Bremen's Naldo and OM's Lorik Cana. I think both would be tremendous additions at the Emirates. Cana is an absolute monster and would surely create a meadow of space for Fàbregas. Naldo is a big guy who has very powerful free kicks. It is said that he can kick balls at 60 MPH. These are the two main targets. Wenger has said that he expects Adebayor to stay, but that were he to leave, Marouane Chamakh of Bordeaux could be a target as replacement.

Oh and the board is still discussing the rights issue.

[sachmoney]

Carlos Vela was injured playing in the Gold Cup for Mexico. The "little Mexican" (as the UK announcers call him) could miss Arsenal pre-season with the injury. It was initially feared that it was broken, but it is only a sprain.

According to The Sun (lol!), Arsenal have put a £40 million price tag on Cesc Fabregas. Were this actually the case, I would anticipate that Cesc would be a Barcelona player by the end of the transfer season. I do not think Wenger wants to lose his star pupil and that the rumor is not in fact true.

Arsenal are back in the running for American born, Norwegian defender, Brede Hangeland of Fulham. This after Hangeland has yet to sign a contract offered to him doubling his wages, it's fueled speculation that he will be leaving Craven Cottage.

While Arsenal continues to follow Lorik Cana, it appears that AC Milan will offer back Mathieu Flamini and cash in exchange for Adebayor. While it is already proven that Flamini has a good partnership with Fabregas, I would hate to see Cana on the side of a chief rival/competitor (Tottenham or Liverpool). At the same time, Arsenal continue to keep an eye on Felipe Melo, whom Fiorentina is said to be willing to exchange for Emmanuel Eboue plus cash. Personally, while I have no feelings towards Eboue (good player, messed up in the head), I think I would rather have Cana or Flamini.

The board is still reviewing and reflecting on Usmanov's proposal.

Edited by sachmoney, 06 July 2009 - 01:10 PM.

[sachmoney]

Alisher Usmanov has been assured by the board that Arsenal have the financial resources to support the club and keep them at the highest level and that his proposal was turned down because the board did not want to use "permanent capital in an inflated transfer market" (Thank you Florentino Perez!asswipe). Red and White Holdings issued the following statement:

"Based on financial information that only they have, the board have informed us that they are confident they have adequate financial resources to support the manager to strengthen the squad, to weather the property downturn, to renegotiate the Highbury Square loan on good terms and to deal with the continuing difficult economic conditions."We do not share their view but are prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt for the moment.

"However, we will keep the situation under close review and remain committed on behalf of interested parties in the club to ensure that there are sufficient financial resources for the club to succeed at the highest level and win major honours such as the Premiership or Champions League, while operating within a self-sustaining financial model."

It seems that Ivan Gazidis and the board disagree. I don't disagree with the "inflated transfer market" claim, but I do feel that opening new capital for the club would have been beneficial. I would hope that the proposal gets resurrected at a different time. While I do believe that the young players will step up, I also feel as though Arsenal could use investment in the current squad because they have as good a chance as any other club in the Big Four to win the title this year.

Good news, Robin van Persie has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal. I've been critical in the past about where Robin fits in the current Arsenal squad, but he is still one of the most talented and certainly one of my favorite players on the squad. Glad to see he will still be a Gunner.

It looks like Felipe Melo will be headed to Juventus and not the Emirates (bummer, nahht). Hopefully, this means Arsene will devote his energy to sign one of Flamini, Cana, or this new candidate, Éver Banega. I've only seen the highlight video of him, but he seems like a fearless tackler (not as aggressive as Cana) and a very skilled dribbler and passer. He's only 20 and if it is true that Arsenal can have him for £5 million, I think Arsene should pull the trigger. It appears the holding midfielder of choice will not be Gokhan Inler.


Some good news on the training front as Rosicky and Eduardo are back in training for Arsenal. Hopefully, this means both will be ready for the upcoming season, it would be a huge boost to the squad as when healthy, these players are world class.


Lastly and probably leastly, Real Madrid are considering a bid for Cesc Fàbregas. Apparently Xabi Alonso is too expensive for them (his price tag is ridiculous). However, Real aren't willing to pay the £40 million for Cesc and think Arsenal might sell for less. This baffles me because only an inflated bid should tempt Arsenal to sell Cesc.

[sachmoney]

Adebayor now linked with City move:

Manchester City are in talks over a possible £25m move for Emmanuel Adebayor, Sky Sports News has reported. The Togo international has previously attracted interest from Chelsea and Milan, with the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, believed to be ready to let the 25-year-old leave.

City are due to commence their pre-season tour of South Africa this week and are keen to have any deal in place before then. Neither club has commented on the matter, although they are understood to be in discussions. Wenger has previously refused to guarantee that Adebayor would remain an Arsenal player after an indifferent season.

Arsenal would probably target the Bordeaux forward Marouane Chamakh if a deal with City does go through. Wenger has admitted his interest in the 25-year-old, but claimed that an approach would be made "only in the event of a departure".

Nothing really big on the incoming side.

Almunia now eligible for England:

He told today's Sun: 'It is almost impossible for me to be called up by Spain.

'But it would be an honour if the England coach counted on me.'

[ElUno20]

Is this still the case with Tevez now going to city?

[sachmoney]

Is this still the case with Tevez now going to city?

City has been trying to get Eto'o in addition to Tevez who has been linked with City for at least a month and a half now. With the recent inability to obtain the services of Eto'o, it appears City is looking at alternative solutions including Adebayor and Luis Fabiano of Sevilla. I truly hope that were Arsenal to sell Adebayor, they can sell him to City because it would be hard to get the same kind of money from anywhere else. A prospective £20 million plus Flamini swap with AC Milan would be good too, but I doubt Wenger would take a player back after he left in the fashion that Flamini did.

The player rumored to be lined up to replace Adebayor appears to be Marouane Chamakh of Bordeaux. I like his game, but I don't know how long it would take him to adjust to the English game (there are some big games early in the season). I think he can work better with the supporting strikers than Adebayor has. I still think there are better options out there for the money.

[sachmoney]

An interesting article looking at the reports from Usmanov (Lazard) and Arsenal (NM Rothschild):

Here are a few bullet points from the Lazard document:

1) It believes that Arsenal's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) will fall from between £55m-60m in 2009 to £35-40m in 2010. The most striking contributor to this squeeze that it cites is a 12-14 per cent increase in costs to £179m "as a result of players being compensated for tax changes and a number of step ups in wages for individual players".

2) It predicts that cash flow will fall by more than that because of some pre-payments on assorted deals that were taken in 2007.

3) It says that Arsenal's fans are already paying 40 per cent more than the average for the big four English clubs for match tickets and 24 per cent more for season tickets - implying there's little scope to increase gate revenues, especially in a recession.

4) It calculates Arsenal's gross average annual spend on new players as £18m, compared with £37m for the big four; and the net annual spend, including sales, as precisely zero, compared with a £20.2m big four average

5) Perhaps most germanely of all, it fears that redevelopment of Arsenal's former Highbury stadium into luxury apartments may not turn out to be profitable - and that refinancing £140m of property-related debt over the next couple of years will be neither cheap or easy.

The advice to the board from Rothschild was;

a) paying down the Emirates-related debt would save a maximum of £5m a year;

b) there are better ways to rehabilitate the Highbury redevelopment, including a putative cunning plan under negotiation right now - and even if the worst came to the worst, there should be no direct financial contagion to the club, since the providers of the property loans have no recourse to the footballing assets;

c) perhaps most controversially, the chaps from Rothschild don't believe Arsene Wenger is seriously constrained by lack of finance in his ability to develop the playing squad - and, more importantly, they don't believe that he feels fettered (if you see what I mean).

The more I read up, the more I'm siding with Usmanov.

[sachmoney]

Adebayor now linked with City move.

Looks like it's close to being done:

Manchester City are on the verge of completing a deal to sign Emmanuel Adebayor from Arsenal, the Guardian understands. The two clubs have agreed a fee, believed to be closer to Arsenal's asking price of £25m than City's original offer of £20m, and the striker is in Manchester discussing terms on a five-year contract worth between £150,000-170,000 a week.Adebayor, who would become the ninth striker on City's books, was identified as a realistic target last week, leading the club to end their interest in Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o. Talks with the Togolese have moved rapidly over the last few days, and though the striker was initially keen on a move to Serie A, it is believed the scale of the salary persuaded him to move north.

City hope the 25-year-old will now be able to take some part in their pre-season tour to South Africa, with Mark Hughes's squad due to fly out tomorrow. Carlos Tevez will be on board after the club confirmed his arrival on a five-year contract.

First off, I'm happy with the transfer fee, obviously. Secondly, how in god's fuck is Adebayor going to command a salary that large? He can't even get a haircut without losing form. This is lunacy.


BBC says he's passed a medical:

Emmanuel Adebayor has passed a medical and will move to Manchester City once his work permit is approved.

That should give Le Professor some stacks of high society to work with. I would like to see him get a striker and a holding midfielder. Optimally, he would add another center back as well given Toure or Gallas will likely leave soon (Gallas is a free agent after this season, it would be nice to have someone at least by Winter to adjust to England).

Whatever, preseason starts on Saturday, and I am thoroughly excited. According to Arsenal.com, the squad could include:

No-one's participation is guaranteed. However it is expected that the visiting squad will consist of younger players and some the senior stars who returned on July 7.

This group included: Almunia, Rosicky, Eduardo, Clichy, Mannone, Gallas, Djourou, Wilshere, Nasri, Denilson, Silvestre, Arshavin, Traore, Senderos and Vermaelen.

I'd be ecstatic if those two guys got onto the pitch having seen what they've been through.

[Spacemans Bong]

£25m and £170,000 a week is just a stupid amount of money. Wenger must be laughing his head off - I think he'd have let him walk happily for about £15m considering what a lazy shit he is.

[LTF]

So City just nabbed itself a slightly more prolific, more acclaimed, much more expensive version of Benjani? Sweet.

[ethangl]

So City just nabbed itself a slightly more prolific, more acclaimed, much more expensive version of Benjani? Sweet.

slightly more prolific?

Edited by ethangl, 15 July 2009 - 11:04 AM.

[ethangl]

I read the other day that klaas-jan huntelaar was going to sign for a team in the bundesliga (stuttgart?) but he seems an ideal replacement for adebayor.

[sachmoney]

I read the other day that klaas-jan huntelaar was going to sign for a team in the bundesliga (stuttgart?) but he seems an ideal replacement for adebayor.

Huntelaar is stalling on the move as he hasn't talked to Stuttgart at all according to his agent. He wants to evaluate if it's the right decision for his career. Real and Stuttgart have agreed to terms, it's just up to Stuttgart and Huntelaar to agree to terms. Arsenal could technically sneak in and pouch him, but I doubt with his £17 million price tag that he would be an option that Arsene Wenger will choose. Arsenal have been linked with him in the past, and with Bordeaux wanting Silvestre plus cash for Chamakh (I don't know why that's a problem), it appears that Arsene is looking at other options. I don't know how much Chamakh will cost, I've seen him evaluated between £7-15 million. If Arsene can bargain with Real and get Huntelaar for around £14 million, I would say that it's a very good deal. He is an absolute beast inside the penalty box (Louis van Gaal said about him "in the penalty box, he is the best player in the world, bar none"), and very good on set plays. Chamakh is a good player and probably will better fit the Arsenal style, but Huntelaar is just a pure scorer and may be that's what the Gunners need. When given the opportunity (starts), he usually produces. I also think Chamakh would take more time to adjust to the Premiership because he's played in Ligue 1 and not the Premiership or La Primera.

More importantly, the supporters can chant:
Huntelaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar, Huntelaaaaaaaaaaaar, Give him the ball, and he will score!

May be that doesn't work perfectly.

City's deal would be investing £60 million in Adebayor over the 5 years, with £25 million in transfer fees and £35 million in salaries. That's is an insanely large number for a player who has been a problem at Monaco, at Arsenal, as well as for his National Team. I wouldn't be surprised if he produces this season (he better playing with Tevez and Robinho), but I really hope his replacement or Bendtner scores the winner when Arsenal faces City. It would certainly be a big F-U.

Adebayor has been granted a permit:

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has been granted a work permit for his move to Manchester City.

Adebayor passed a medical on Wednesday and now looks set to move to Eastlands after being given permission. The Togo striker, who has spent three-and-a-half seasons at Arsenal, is believed to be valued at £25m.

The 25-year-old, who scored 16 times for the Gunners last season, has also been linked to AC Milan and Chelsea but has chosen to join Mark Hughes' men with a weekly wage of £170,000 being reported.

Adebayor will be City's third striker signing this summer, and will join target-man Roque Santa Cruz and Argentine forward Carlos Tevez on the club's summer tour.

The burden is gone, the weight is lifted.

Edited by sachmoney, 15 July 2009 - 01:54 PM.

[sachmoney]

Adebayor wants time:

Emmanuel Adebayor has asked for more time to mull over his proposed move from Arsenal to Manchester City, a transfer he fears could lead to strong criticisms of his motives in his native Togo. The striker's misgivings are such that City have been forced to delay plans for a medical while he considers their offer of a salary worth in excess of £150,000 a week.

Arsenal have accepted City's £25m bid and Adebayor has given his prospective new employers sufficient encouragement to organise a work-permit hearing at which the striker received permission to change employers. Adebayor, however, has concerns about being perceived as money-driven if he should leave a club that is hugely popular in Africa and go to one that has a much lower standing.

Although the opportunity to double his salary has an obvious appeal, Adebayor's preference was a move to Italy and he has asked City if they will allow him a few days to talk to his family and representatives before going through with a move that he believes could open him to criticism. The last year or so has been a difficult period for the 25-year-old, and he is acutely aware of how the public perception of him has changed for the worse.

You're basically getting double the salary to go to an up and coming team. It is clear that you are unwanted at your current club. People in Africa will understand, considering money is of some importance. I expect City to contend for a Champions League spot. It's all about the way you spin it, control the story before you let the media spin it against you. It's not like this City project is absolutely hopeless.

Honestly though, I'm just hoping he's leaves.

[sachmoney]

The club announced the squad for tomorrow's friendly:

Manuel Almunia
Vito Mannone
William Gallas
Johan Djourou
Mikael Silvestre
Thomas Vermaelen
Tomas Rosicky
Andrey Arshavin
Jack Wilshere
Thomas Cruise
Craig Eastmond
Luke Ayling
Conor Henderson
Francis Coquelin
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
Mark Randall
Emmanuel Frimpong
Gilles Sunu
Sanchez Watt
Jay Simpson
Nacer Barazite

I highlighted the four first teamers that I'm excited to see play, though I love watching a lot of these reserves. I wonder why Henri Lansbury wasn't included.

The Adebayor deal is still not finalized, but it was rumored that he had chosen to sign with City and that he was to take a medical today. I'll obviously get that information here as soon as it turns up.

[sachmoney]

Not much to report, but Arsenal had its first friendly, a 2-2 draw. A few of the starters played minutes, like Arshavin and Gallas, and Vermaelen played the full 90, but the big story was the return of Tomas Rosicky. He played a solid 46 minutes. Arshavin and Barazite scored the goals for the Gunners.

[sachmoney]

Highlights:


Wenger Interview:


Rosicky Interview (PQ):


It's nice to have a little of Mozart's music back at the Emirates. With Rosicky, Arsenal are a much deeper and stronger squad. From what my friend told me, he and Arshavin partnered up pretty decently and that should only get better with time.

Well, the big news is Adebagone:

Adebayor claims he left the Emirates with coach Arsene Wenger's blessing after three and a half years in north London.''It (leaving Arsenal) was a little bit difficult but at the end of the day it's a game,'' he added on Sky Sports News. ''They will have made money as well. I had a good discussion with Arsene. I have all his blessing to leave the club so I'm very happy.

''I went through a lot of good moments in Arsenal and a lot of difficult moments as well. I'm very happy to be a player who played for Arsenal.

''I wish them the best of luck. No matter what happens they will always be in my heart because I love the club.''

He's still a miserable money-seeking cunt.

Wenger's comments on the Adebamove:

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger says he has no plans to replace Adebayor after agreeing to sell him to Manchester City.

''We're not on the verge of signing anybody but I'm able to spend the money if we find the right players,'' he said. ''We're not in a hurry because we have a big squad. We'll see in pre-season if we need to make any additions.

''If we need to add something we will. Chamakh is one of the players we've followed and if we need to go for a striker he's a possibility. We're keeping an eye on him.

''We have Rosicky and Eduardo back so we've lost a big striker but have gained two offensive players who were absent last season. We also have Nicklas Bendtner, Andrey Arshavin, Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott who can play striker. We have top players we can use as strikers.''

Wenger understands Adebayor's desire to leave the Emirates and admitted he was joining a growing force in the Premier League.

''We'll miss him - he's a great player. I'm sure he'll give something special to Man City,'' he said. ''I don't believe that last season he got enough support and I think that played a part in his mind.

''There was a bit of resentment you could feel through last summer. I believe he wanted to do well but didn't have the confidence of the year before. If you consider the money we paid for him it was good business, but that was not our main target.

''It's a good opportunity for him because City could be a big force in the coming years. Carlos Tevez, Robinho and Gareth Barry have done it. Man City will be a threat to the top teams.'

God, I can't for the season to start. Arsenal make the trip up to City in the fourth week. That should be an interesting match.

A lot of speculation has been made as to his replacement. I think it is more important that Arsene add another tall and aggressive central defender and a holding midfielder.

[sachmoney]

Nasri hurt:

Arsenal's injury curse has struck again after the club confirmed Samir Nasri has sustained a fracture in his right calf.The midfielder was injured in training during Arsenal's pre-season tour of Austria and the club say he will be out of action for two to three months with a fractured fibula.

The news means he will miss the start of Arsenal's new season and won't be available for France's World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands.

I had high hopes for Nasri this season and this injury is not going to help at all. If he does return healthy, he will not really be at full strength until boxing day. While Arsenal are certainly boosted by the return of Rosicky and Eduardo, this is a huge blow. However, I had a hard time seeing where he fit in with the depth at attacking midfielder. Arsenal really need a holding midfielder and a tall central defender right now. All I've seen them linked to in the past week is a striker, after the Adebayor fall out.

[sachmoney]

Arsenal win a friendly against a cut rate Austrian team, celebrate!

Nicklas Bendtner, Robin van Persie and Aaron Ramsey scored two apiece as Arsenal kicked off their mini-European tour with a comfortable victory over SC Columbia.

Arsène Wenger's side did suffer a minor embarrassment when a freakish goal from Patrick Lehner gave the amateurs a shock first-half lead.

That delighted a record crowd of 6,900 at the Schwarzlackenau Stadium but it merely stung Arsenal into action. Bendtner equalised within a minute and grabbed another after Ramsey had fired the visitors ahead.

There's a much longer recap if you click the link. If/when I find highlights later, I will post them as well. Since I actually got to watch this game, I will give my impressions of the team.

Almunia-He wasn't really tested at all. However, he had a Victor Valdes-esque moment and just tried to do too much near his goal. He kicked it, it went off a Columbian into the goal.
Eboue-He was very good on the wing in the first half, but he was playing right back and wasn't really tested at all. In the second half, he played midfield and was perhaps a little to anxious to score as he missed an easy opportunity to set up RvP.
Silvestre-He played on the left wing and was okay. He could've had a better link up with Arshavin and the center midfielders (Ramsey and Diaby), but he did get some good looks on the wing. He just didn't have the crossing abilities of a Clichy and couldn't find Bendtner.
Vermaelen-I thought he partnered up very well with Djourou. His passing is only going to improve as he plays more and more with the rest of the team.
Djourou-Djourou played with a great deal of maturity and composure. I thought he was the best defender of the first half.
Wilshere-Jack is going to be a star in England. While he's a left footed attacking player, Wenger deployed him on the right, which I thought was both interesting and beneficial to him. He had a good connection with both Ramsey and Diaby and had some very good drives to the net. He will be a huge force in the future.
Denilson-The thing about Denilson is that sometimes you forget he's on the pitch, but then he'll gather a ball and help get the attack started again. He was the only player to see all 90 minutes.
Diaby-The big knock on Diaby is that he's too slow and he's too passive. I thought he was very aggressive today, looking for his shot, getting on the ball as much as he could.
Ramsey-Rambo was the best player on the pitch by far. He was calm, composed, and intelligent with his decision making. Today, he showed why Arsene paid £5 million for him. He had two goals but he was intregal part of Arsenal's attack the entire match. I hope that we see more of him besides in the Carling Cup, especially in the central midfield where I believe he will be a factor for Arsenal in the future.
Arshavin-I thought Arshavin had a horrible game by his standards. His touch just seemed off.
Bendtner-This is a huge year for Bendtner as it might be his year to be that striker. He had a really classy finish on his second goal, but there are definitely things he can improve on.

Mannone-Nothing really to report.
Toure-Toure didn't need to do much defending, but I believe when Sagna was caught up without cover, Columbia did have a break away on the left side which Toure covered and totall smothered before taking the ball away for Arsenal. I thought that was the best defensive play of the entire match.
Gallas-I can't really think of a defensive play involving him, but he had a goal. He really has a way of scoring goals for this team. Last year, Arsenal would not have made it as far as they did without him.
Sagna-Sagna and Ramsey linked up fantastically on Robin van Persie's second goal. Sagna had a perfect cross, and I hope that he will have a better connection on his crosses with the forwards this season.
Senderos-Wenger played Senderos as a holding midfielder of sorts, which I found really interesting. He didn't do a poor job at all as it was his header which led to the Gallas goal. He also had a fantastic block as well. If Arsenal doesn't sell him, I wonder if he could play the holding position, especially given he is good friends with Fabregas.
Song-Not much to report.
Traore-Like Clichy and Gibbs, Traore played left back in the typical Arsenal fashion. He seemed to be always attacking. His touch needs to be better though.
Van Persie-Didn't see as much of the ball as he should've, but he did finish a nice PK as always and his header finish off the Sagna cross was very nice as well. Van Persie is going to have to be a lead dog this season.

My overall impressions are that Arsenal did as they should; dominate a lesser opponent in terms of ball possession and attack. The two best attacking players also happened to be the youngest players on the pitch, Ramsey and Wilshere. This was a good outing, and I can't wait to see the team once Fabregas, Walcott, and Eduardo get involved in the play.

I'm just excited football is coming back. It's been a boring summer.

[sachmoney]

Eduardo will not be out for two months:

"Eduardo should play on Monday," confirmed Arsène Wenger after the 7-1 win at SC Columbia earlier this week.

It sounds like people misinterpreted Arsene's "Eduardo will be back in two months" comment. He must've meant that he'd be back in those two months.

Arsenal's Number Nine's Reaction:

'I do not know anything about the statement made by my coach,' he told native Croataian newspaper Jutarnji.
'It can not be true. I am completely ready physically.


'I was told that I will play between 20 and 30 minutes on July 27 when we play against Szombatelya. Two days later against Hannover 96 I will play a half.

'I feel great, next week I will play for Arsenal, and I believe that everything will be OK.'

Good news. Eduardo is absolutely one of my favorite Arsenal players and he adds so much to the team. I hope he is healthy for the start of the season.

In Loan News, Pedro Botelho is going to be playing in Spain again because he hasn't been able to get a UK work permit, this time for Celta Vigo.

Not really much news on the transfer front. AC Milan are said to have interest in Nicklas Bendtner and Tottenham have said to have offered Roman Pavlyuchenko to Arsenal at a discounted rate. Neither of these moves are attractive to me as selling Bendtner would be having the same sort of departures as last season, only this time at striker, and Pavlyuchenko didn't impress me at all last season at White Hart Lane. The only thing that would make a possible Bendtner to Milan deal attractive is getting Flamini (and cash) back in return. Additionally, Arsenal would have to make a purchase of another striker such as APG or Huntelaar. That's probably too much change so close to the season.

[SoxFanInCali]

I'm sure this will make for some fun when City comes to the Emirates.

Adebayor blames departure on Arsenal fans

[sachmoney]

This is going to have a former player theme to it.

I'm sure this will make for some fun when City comes to the Emirates.

Adebayor blames departure on Arsenal fans

The parting shot from the Daily Mail:

'I scored 30 goals for Arsenal two seasons ago and it was not my fault that AC Milan, Barcelona or Real Madrid wanted to buy me.
'The way the fans turned against me was not nice. They didn't turn on Cesc Fabregas when Barcelona showed interest in him. When a player plays well clubs come in for him. The fans never understood that and I cannot understand why they went after me. I played my heart out for that club and gave it my best and the way the fans behaved towards me was not nice at all.

He is going to get torn apart when he comes back to the Emirates.


Ashley Cole says he hopes City finishes higher than Arsenal:

"I hope they do. I have friends there and I hope they do really well - and that they finish above Arsenal."

Cole laughed as he said the name of his old club, where he gets bucket loads of abuse for moving to west London.

There is not more dislikable figure in all of professional soccer.


Ian Wright has bashed Cole for his comments:

Wright, though, believes Cole's twisting of the knife was totally unnecessary.

"If he wants the backlash then carry on," Wright told TalkSPORT. "Does he need to do it? No he does not.

"He should just skirt round the issue and avoid the question, but for some reason Ashley has come out and said this and he really doesn't need to.

"He left the club under controversial circumstances, and Ashley Cole remains a sensitive subject for Arsenal fans, so why does he do it?"

Thierry Henry says Arsenal must keep Cesc:

Thierry Henry has called on Arsenal to keep Cesc Fábregas at all costs. The club have been in the habit of cashing in on valuable assets in recent seasons, but Henry said any bids from Spain for the midfielder should be rebuffed. "It is vital," he said. "He's the Arsenal captain, he's young, and I am sure he wants to give something back to the club. Knowing Cesc, that's really important."

The real irony is that Henry's current team is the club trying to court him.


Arsenal are rumored to be making a move for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (The Sun, I don't believe it):

ARSENAL are ready to challenge Spurs in the race for Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

The Dutchman, 26, has turned down Stuttgart in favour of a move to the Premier League.

And the Gunners are confident they can outbid Tottenham with an offer of £16.5million.

I would love to have him, but as I've said, holding midfield and centre back should be priorities.

Eboue may have a new home in Fiorentina :

Fiorentina president Andrea Della Valle has expressed a desire to sign Emmanuel Eboue from Arsenal.


The Ivory Coast international emerged as a transfer target for Fiorentina earlier in the summer when the Gunners were keen to take Felipe Melo in the opposite direction.

A swap deal involving the two players was proposed by Viola but ultimately failed to materialise, with Melo securing a move to Juventus.

Fiorentina have now rekindled their interest in the 26-year-old, although Della Valle admits it will be difficult to prise him away from Emirates Stadium.

"Arsenal's Eboue is a really good player and it won't be easy to take him to Florence," he told the Italian press.

Eboue is contracted to Arsenal until 2010 and reports suggest Fiorentina would be willing to pay around €10million (£8.6).

That's a good price for Eboue.

[ElUno20]

I'd take Roman in a switch for that club footed mule in a second. Wenger prefence of him over vela is mind boggling. Especially given our style of play.

[Spacemans Bong]

I went to the Emirates Cup last year, which was his first game back from summer break. The fans were not hard on him at all. Most of his criticism throughout the year was because he's a lazy fucker. What a turkey he is - enjoy Citeh fans.

[sachmoney]

Kolo gone?

MANCHESTER CITY have agreed personal terms with Arsenal defender Kolo Toure as the Premier League’s most affluent football club continue their assault on the English transfer market. City expect to sign Toure, Joleon Lescott and John Terry by the end of August for combined fees of around £100m.

Occasional Arsenal captain Toure has been seduced by City’s standard double-your-money offer and following a season in which he was not consistently Arsene Wenger’s first choice should be sold for around £15m. The Arab-financed club have offered Everton £20m plus England under-21 international Nedum Onuoha for Lescott, who has been attracted by the prospect of starting in his preferred central defensive position.

This is a shocker to me, and I hope that Arsene has lined up a replacement. In addition, Arsenal desperately need a holding midfielder. I can't believe they sold Toure.

This Milan Derby I'm going to tomorrow is not going to be fun.

Edited by sachmoney, 26 July 2009 - 03:27 AM.

[sachmoney]

More board room turmoil:

Farhad Moshiri is a London-based investor with close links to billionaire Russian oligarch Usmanov, who owns around a 25% stake in the club.

Moshiri is "mystified" as to why the Gunners board rejected a rights issue proposed and underwritten by Usmanov this summer which he intended to generate transfer cash for manager Arsene Wenger and also reduce the club's long-term debt.

Rather than spending, the summer has mainly been about the players leaving the Emirates Stadium and Moshiri insisted the sale of Togo striker Adebayor was a "worrying" development.

"There is no question that it is a talented squad but there have been very limited additions and you cannot help but feel that there is still not enough depth to that squad," he said.

"To compete on a number of fronts over a long season, especially with the African Cup of Nations when we are going to lose Kolo Toure as well, that is going to make it very difficult."

Asked whether the club were in danger of slipping out of the top four, he told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme: "I think there are certain risks but I have confidence in Arsene to keep us within the top four, but you cannot ignore the risk."

On the subject of Adebayor's transfer, he added: "He did not have the best of seasons last year so I can understand the fans' feelings, but the bottom line is we are down a proven striker going into the next season.

"He averaged 20 goals a season so unless we replace him with a striker of that talent we will be weaker going forward.

"That is the most worrying thing because Manchester City with their enormous firepower are one of the challengers for the fourth spot and I would have felt much better if he had been sold to any other club than Man City."

I would like some answers as well. Not approving the rights issue was absolutely stupid.

News of the World is reporting that Arsenal is after Salomon Kalou:

New Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti wants Kalou to stay at Stamford Bridge but Chelsea have yet to offer the Ivory Coast front man a new contract. His current deal of around £45,000-a-week runs out next summer and Arsenal would be prepared to up his wages to nearer £70,000-a-week to make him one of the top earners at the Emirates.

A Blues insider declared: "Salomon is flattered by Arsenal's interest, but at the moment he is fully committed to Chelsea."

Don't believe it and hope it's not true. It would be a horrible way of spending, especially with the African Cup of Nations coming up this winter.

I'm officially worried. I'm frustrated by the complacency since acquiring Vermaelen, and the growing board room tension just seems to be coming to a boiling point. In my mind, the board could've just revised Usmanov's proposal to limit his ability to acquire shares. Right now, I wouldn't be against Usmanov being a benefactor. He seems to actually care about the club. Wenger should have £30 million to spend right now...

[Apisith]

I don't know what Wenger's doing but with what's been happening in the blue half of Manchester, I'd definitely be worried if I was a Gooner. The debt must be killing them; that's the only logical explanation for this summer's events.

[sachmoney]

I don't know what Wenger's doing but with what's been happening in the blue half of Manchester, I'd definitely be worried if I was a Gooner. The debt must be killing them; that's the only logical explanation for this summer's events.

Well, apparently the transfer isn't official because Toure played for Arsenal today in their match against Szombathelyi. I'm sort of surprised because The Times is one of the few papers I've been told is reliable. However, if they haven't sold Toure, that's great. I am enjoying the two center back partnerships that Wenger is developing between Djourou and Toure, and Gallas and Vermaelen. It would definitely benefit them with all the games they have to play (well, hopefully with the CL).

Speaking of Gallas, it seems like he hasn't missed a single beat. He's been as good as he was right before he was hurt. I'm very impressed with his recovery from the injury, and his level of play surely is a boost for Arsenal. Also, I'm quite intrigued by the experiment of having Senderos at the holding midfield position. I'm anxious to see him in that position with Cesc actually playing.

Here's the match report:

Eduardo celebrated his first pre-season appearance of the 2009/10 campaign with a classy brace as Arsenal brushed aside Szombathelyi Haladas 5-0 in Hungary on Monday night.

A few days earlier, it had been rumoured that the Croatian striker was injured and would miss the first two months of the season. However he seemed extremely fit and well this evening, firing home a low shot in the 24th minute and a free-kick five minutes before the break.

Nicklas Bendtner also poached a pair before the interval. The great Dane nodded in a delightful cross from Armand Traore in the 17th minute and slotted home a simple second, the fourth for his team, just before half time.

The flood of goals dried up somewhat after the interval but Robin van Persie did add to Arsenal's tally, scoring with a penalty in the 66th minute. He also had a late header ruled out.

Eduardo had two clinical finishes (The norm). I cannot understate how important it is for him to be healthy. He is such a great player, and he can bring so much to the club.

Bendtner was once again solid. He scored one via the air and another via the ground. He continues to impress, and I wouldn't be surprised if he takes Adebayor's spot.

Both Ramsey and Wilshere played decently, but they both seemed more challenged physically and could not put on the same display as the last friendly. While everyone knows Wilshere's talents, I have to say I continue to be high on Ramsey, and that he will develop into a very solid central midfielder as he matures.

My one concern continues to be Arshavin. He continues to not have the best touches on the ball, and I don't know exactly what's up with him. His pace is fine, but his touches seems to be a tad off. It's something to watch out for I guess.

I don't know when Cesc and Clichy are making their first appearances or when Rosicky is going to make his next appearance (or Eduardo for that matter), but I'm looking forward to the Hanover match on Wednesday, but moreso the Emirates Cup this weekend. This transfer window is starting to worry me, and seeing the club actually play matches is very therapeutic.

[sachmoney]

Arsenal are playing Hanover 96 (mid-Bundesliga finish last season) and look absolutely fantastic. Fabregas has not missed a step and looks like he might even be better. He had some great runs (something we saw at the end of last season), the first of which he scored on and another which he had a great set up that Arsenal couldn't capitalize on. He started playing in an attacking midfield role behind Arshavin, Bendtner and Van Persie, but in front of Song and Denilson. He then dropped back deeper more in front of the center backs with Denilson and Song in front of him. He ended the half more in an interchanging role with the other two central midfielders. He's looked very good in all roles. The most impressive thing I saw was when he gave up the ball, recovered, and made a strong tackle to get the ball back. It's this assertiveness that Arsenal needs from Fabregas.

Other Notes from the first half:
-Arshavin looks better today, but not great.
-Van Persie has been very good, he's had some very nice passes and great touches.
-Bendtner probably should have a goal, but has played very well on the wing.
-Denilson and Song have done well in the holding role, but I don't see them being physical enough for the big premiership teams.

Second Half:
Not as good, Arsenal looked tired. The center back combination of Vermaelen and Djourou did not look good, though I believe this is the first time they've played together. Arsenal were not nearly as good without Fabregas. Ramsey struggled. Van Persie lost his cool a little bit, Eduardo wasn't a factor.

Might as well add that Toure has left:

Manchester City have signed central defender Kolo Toure from Arsenal for a reported £16m on a four-year contract.

So that's two of our four (I believe) African internationals. Once Eboue leaves, we will only have Alex Song going for the ACN. Arsenal definitely could use a replacement center half (Hangeland?) and a holding midfielder. I've been impressed with most of the strikers, and I don't think the depth will be a problem although adding someone like Huntelaar would be a plus.

Edited by sachmoney, 29 July 2009 - 01:54 PM.

[sachmoney]

Match Highlights:

[sachmoney]

Patrick Vieira might return

Although no deal has yet been agreed, it is understood that Wenger is open-minded about the idea of offering Vieira a heavily performance-related one-year contract as he attempts to bring added experience to the Arsenal squad.

The possibility of Vieira returning to Arsenal was first raised on Wednesday by his former team-mate, Ian Wright, on his TalkSport radio show. "I'm hearing Vieira, pay-as-you-play, back at Arsenal. That's what I'm hearing, and that's what I'm hoping," Wright said.

The idea was initially met with caution. Wenger has never previously gone back for a player and would be extremely sensitive about the impact Vieira's arrival might have on his emerging midfielders, particularly Alex Song, Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas, Denilson and Abou Diaby.

Wenger, though, also ruefully noted at the end of last season that he already had enough players who lacked experience. In Vieira, he would not just be getting a powerful presence on the field but, potentially of equal importance, a personality who could help mature and inspire others in the dressing room.

Arsenal did little on Thursday to silence the speculation, greeting all queries relating to Vieira without making any comment. Sources in Italy, though, spoke positively about the idea, and the issue will be top of the agenda when Wenger addresses the media this afternoon.

Edited by sachmoney, 30 July 2009 - 07:22 PM.

[sachmoney]

Rosicky set for Emirates return

“Gael Clichy and Tomas Rosicky will play but Abou Diaby will not be available,” said Arsène Wenger at his pre-tournament press conference on Friday. “He should play at Valencia because he has a little knee problem.

“Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs are not available because they have only had four days of training.”

Line up vs Atlético:
------------------Mannone-----------------
Sagna-----Gallas-----Djourou-----Traore
Eboue-----Denilson---Ramsey----Rosicky
----------Van Persie----Bendtner----------


Halftime Substitutes:
Clichy for Traore
Wilshere for Eboue
Merida for Rosicky

Wilshere already making an impact

Substitutes in the 67th minute:
Fabregas for Ramsey
Arshavin for Bendtner
Eduardo for Van Persie

Edited by sachmoney, 01 August 2009 - 11:50 AM.

[sachmoney]

Need goals? Wonder how Arsenal is going to compete for the title? Arsene Wenger has the answer: Andrei Arshavin.


I'll post match highlights and everything when they're up. Arshavin had two goals today, the first a sick volley, the second, just pure dirt. The Atlético goal was a nice finish as well. Good match.

[sachmoney]

Since the Emirates Cup is Arsenal's tournament, I'll include both match highlights:

Rangers 1-0 PSG


Arsenal 2-1 Atlético Madrid


When I get a longer highlight of the Arsenal match, I'll edit it in. Arsenal essentially took the lead in the 86th minute, gave it back, and took it in the last minute with an incredible effort from Arshavin. Cesc's pass on the first goal is very nice.

Wenger's thoughts:

On his side’s performance…
“We had some good combination play and overall I think we deserved to win the game. The substitutions made a difference because of their quality and because when your legs get heavier and you have that quality coming on it has a big impact.”

On Andrey Arshavin’s match-winning performance…
"The difference is now he knows how English football works. He knows as well he is part of the team from the start, and the team knows how important and how big an impact he can have on the results. Arshavin has what you cannot give to a player - he understands when there is an opportunity in the final third, and is certainly dangerous. I believe he can have a big impact his season.”

On Tomas Rosicky’s Emirates comeback…
"I am pleased, but cautious. He has not played for 18 months so I am not a dreamer. If he gets through the next two months without set-backs, then we have won the battle, but it is not won yet."


On the impact of substitute Jack Wilshere…
"He has matured, and compared to one year ago he has more power to take people on. That shows there is big potential there and makes him much more dangerous, he has gained a fraction of power that makes him much more dangerous. When he starts to go past people in the final 20 yards, you can always say there is something special there.

“At that age, unfortunately patience is not the first quality, but he is at a big club and has a chance to compete at the top level. We have to manage that well, the desire and the opportunity to play. The potential is there.”

On Wilshere’s first-team chances this season…
“I feel he can play in some games. Wilshere is more a player that goes past people using power whereas Cesc was more of a passer of the ball. Wilshere is a guy who provokes, goes past people and destabilises people and already in the pre-season we have noticed he has gained power.”

On his attacking options this season…
“Today shows we have plenty of offensive players and strikers. Don’t forget today we were also without Theo Walcott. If you consider the number of offensive options we have, it is quite decent.

“We have Arshavin, we have Walcott, we have Eduardo, we have Van Persie, Bendtner and we have Carlos Vela. To play with Arshavin, Fabregas and Walcott and find the balance is very difficult. Our target is to now find a good balance with the offensive players we have, and that is why we could afford to let a striker go.”

On Arsenal’s tough start to the season…
"We want to prepare seriously, because we have a strong start to the season - we play Everton, Manchester City and Man United away in the first few weeks.
 We are cautious, but determined to do well. We are highly motivated and focused, which is a good basis."

On the possibility of new faces before the start of the season…
"I will be looking at all the options we have during the week, and then we close [pre-season]. I believe we have quite a strong squad now. If we can add one or two players, we will do it, but not more.”

[The Bloody Sock]

Since the Emirates Cup is Arsenal's tournament, I'll include both match highlights:

Rangers 1-0 PSG


Arsenal 2-1 Atlético Madrid


When I get a longer highlight of the Arsenal match, I'll edit it in. Arsenal essentially took the lead in the 86th minute, gave it back, and took it in the last minute with an incredible effort from Arshavin. Cesc's pass on the first goal is very nice.

Wenger's thoughts:

I hope Arsenal rape Rangers tomorrow. How did PSG get to play in the tournament?

[Phil Plantier]

That Jack Wilshere play v. Rangers was fun to watch. Wonder if he'll get into the rotation this year...

[tulse_luper]

I was just about to post that too. Every time I see him play he impresses me. Wenger has never been shy about throwing the young uns in at the deep end if they deserve it either.

[Phil Plantier]

Haven\'t embedded YouTube in a while, but, although you might have heard about him scoring twice, I was really posting about this:

Edited by Phil Plantier, 03 August 2009 - 09:13 AM.

[sachmoney]

I've been telling this to anyone who would listen to me, but Wilshere will be the best player (I guess along with Rooney) in 3 years. He will be amongst the best in 2 years. Because of his age, I think it's going to take him a couple more years to be physically strong enough for the league, but he's definitely got the skills to take on the league. Arsenal has so many young players that I could see having an impact on the club in the future, it's not just Wilshere. Ramsey has once again impressed me in preseason, I think he has to get stronger as well. Lansbury is a tank, and is raping U-19s. Merida is probably my favorite (I'm a sucker for brilliant passers). Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is very good as well. Sanchez Watt has very nice touch. I could go on and on. I do hope Wilshere gets more of a chance to make an impact on the first team though.

There's more than enough attacking quality on this team. I cannot wait for all these players to be given a chance though. If you watched the way reserves played last season, it's like watching a regular Arsenal match (same quality), but there's so much confidence. You sometimes feel uneasy watching the first team, like they're going to blow a lead, but the reserves inspired total confidence. A great blog on the reserves and youth is http://youngguns.wordpress.com/.

I missed yesterday's game, and I'm pissed that I missed Fabregas (obv), Arshavin, Merida, Eduardo, and Wilshere. Sounds like they put on a class showing yesterday, I've seen some highlights. Can't say I'm impressed because that's what I expect from those players.

Edited by sachmoney, 03 August 2009 - 07:09 PM.

[sachmoney]

Senderos signs with Everton:

Philippe Senderos has agreed to move from Arsenal to Everton according to the Swiss football federation. The Switzerland international centre-back is believed to have been earmarked by the Everton manager, David Moyes, as cover for the injured Phil Jagielka.

The 24-year-old spent last season on loan with Milan, playing 14 times in Serie A, before returning to the Emirates in July with only one year remaining on his contract with Arsenal. Having joined the club from Servette in 2003, Senderos made 115 appearances for the Gunners and won an FA Cup winners' medal in Arsenal's penalty shoot-out win over Manchester United in 2005.

The report on the Swiss federation's website said Senderos was joining Everton to improve his chances of playing regularly, with a view to pressing his claims for a place in Switzerland's 2010 World Cup squad, should they qualify for the finals.

Neither club has so far commented but Senderos has been linked with a transfer to Goodison Park for the past week.

The depth is eroding with these sales. Wenger really has to make some purchases.