Arsenal Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

Pepe LeFrits

We're not suffering at CB because of a lack of options, we're suffering because the first choice options are ****.

Djourou must have banged Wenger's wife 'cos he's done very well every time he has played.

DenMan

Just read the wonderful news that Fabregas is suspended for the trip to Man City.

Hopefully we won't pick up any injuires during the internationals next week. I have a bad feeling Van Persie will come back injured (Holland vs Sweden). Hope I am wrong.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp will launch a £12m raid on former club Portsmouth for Niko Kranjcar. (Daily Star)

Arsenal are preparing a £6m January swoop for Cardiff starlet Joe Ledley. (Sunday Mirror)

Why do the above posts annoy me? Spurs linked with a player Arsenal were looking to get during the summer, didn't happen. Now we are linked with a huge star for the future. The way it's going our senior team may as well play in the reserves.

This is good news though (has to be verified):

Robin van Persie has agreed a new, double-your-money contract with Arsenal - and is set to sign it by the end of the week. The deal keeps him at the Emirates until 2012. (Sunday Mirror)

Frisbee

Galvasean wrote: »

Toure is more than capable of filling in at RB. Unfortunately that limits options at CB which is where we are suffering at the moment.

Agreed although I'd rather Toure push into CB with Gallas and have Eboue at RB. If he's back

Green Hornet

Y'know, it's funny. Senderos was scapegoated last season as being the weak link. Wasn't his biggest fan myself but I'm beginning to wonder if he would be a good option now. Big strapping centre half. Might have added a bit more aerial stability and route 1 to the back line?

He took a hell of a lot of flak last year and some of it got too personal in fairness but I wonder was he a symptom rather than the cause of the problem? Almost wish he was back now.

cson

Green Hornet wrote: »

Y'know, it's funny. Senderos was scapegoated last season as being the weak link. Wasn't his biggest fan myself but I'm beginning to wonder if he would be a good option now. Big strapping centre half. Might have added a bit more aerial stability and route 1 to the back line?

He took a hell of a lot of flak last year and some of it got too personal in fairness but I wonder was he a symptom rather than the cause of the problem? Almost wish he was back now.

When did he play his best stuff? On our run to the champions league final.

Why? Its a different type of game to the premiership.

Put simply, he's too slow for the premiership but would be excellent for where he is now; Serie A.

leninbenjamin

DenMan wrote: »

This is good news though (has to be verified):

Robin van Persie has agreed a new, double-your-money contract with Arsenal - and is set to sign it by the end of the week. The deal keeps him at the Emirates until 2012. (Sunday Mirror)

why is it? he's done sweet **** all to earn that really.

Pepe LeFrits

Agreed. Our wage bill is ridiculous enough as it is.

OPENROAD

Can anyone confirm when the transfer window opens and closes?

Pepe LeFrits

OPENROAD wrote: »

Can anyone confirm when the transfer window opens and closes?

When Wenger leaves.

Galvasean

leninbenjamin wrote: »

why is it? he's done sweet **** all to earn that really.

Indeed. Has he doubled his output for the club? No.

keano_afc

Frisbee wrote: »

Agreed although I'd rather Toure push into CB with Gallas and have Eboue at RB. If he's back

Thats the point I was making. we're better off with toure at centre half, playing him at RB takes him out of the centre, and thats where he's needed. There's no chance of AW dropping either of the 2 clowns in the centre of defence for Djourou. More chance of Toure getting the nod.

Galvasean

I see our reserves are playing against Norwich tonight. Do we even have reserves any more?

Mossy Monk

At least the Carling Cup tie is being shown on tv. It is probably the only Arsenal team I enjoy watching these days.

wandatowell

Mossy Monk wrote: »

At least the Carling Cup tie is being shown on tv. It is probably the only Arsenal team I enjoy watching these days.

I gotta say i get fairly excited when watching the kids play in the cup. Its refreshing to see the hunger they have to succeed.

DenMan

I agree. Gonna be a tough one at Turf Moor. Let's hope they can do it. With Chelsea and Liverpool both out we have a great chance. Tottenham and Man Utd still in it too. Hopefully get past Burnley, then a two legged semi to come.

Frisbee

I reckon we should get past Burnley. I reckon the physicality of this game will be a good tester to see how good some of our young players really are when you have an opponent in your face, as opposed to when things are going your way

OPENROAD

Theo is out of the England match with a disloated shoulder.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1087114/Walcott-joins-England-crocks-Arsenal-winger-months-dislocating-shoulder.html?ITO=1490

Pepe LeFrits

3 months, for **** sake. I'm almost afraid to ask what can go wrong next?

L'prof

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

3 months, for **** sake. I'm almost afraid to ask what can go wrong next?

Hopefully it won't be quite as long, but if this doesn't push Wengers hand in the transfer window (which I'm pretty sure it won't), I won't be a happy camper and not for the first time!

wardie

Hopefully it means Vela gets a run out with maybe Nasri switching to the right but more likely we get more of Eboue

Frisbee

BBC are reporting a much more likely timescale of around a month.

L'prof

Frisbee wrote: »

BBC are reporting a much more likely timescale of around a month.

Sounds more like it, but how long was his other shoulder bothering him for?

anonymous_joe

I'd rather such a young player took as much time as needed to recover were I a gunner. Would be a worry that you could rush a guy like that back to fitness too soon and exacerbate the problem.

L'prof

anonymous_joe wrote: »

I'd rather such a young player took as much time as needed to recover were I a gunner. Would be a worry that you could rush a guy like that back to fitness too soon and exacerbate the problem.

I'm sure all the necessary time will be taken, I wouldn't be too surprised if he has an operation to sort the problem out straight away, rather than leave it a while like they did last time.

Mossy Monk

May aswell get it fixed now.

anonymous_joe

jasonorr wrote: »

I'm sure all the necessary time will be taken, I wouldn't be too surprised if he has an operation to sort the problem out straight away, rather than leave it a while like they did last time.

Really?

Teams at teh top are worryingly bad at taking time.

Look at Hargreaves at United (:()

Owen at Liverpool, etc.

Hopefully for his sake he'll be given all the time he needs.

L'prof

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Really?

Teams at teh top are worryingly bad at taking time.

Look at Hargreaves at United (:()

Owen at Liverpool, etc.

Hopefully for his sake he'll be given all the time he needs.

There are obviously some players who would never play again if they were given time to be 100% fit.

Hopefully it heals up quickly, but it's not the worst injury in the World.

Frisbee

PhysioRoom are now quoting Walcott's probable return as February 09...

I really hope Wenger lets us know in a Press Conference over the next few days...

yahoo_moe

Frisbee wrote: »

I really hope Wenger lets us know in a Press Conference over the next few days...

That's assuming that he hasn't actually exploded this time and that we're not currently searching for a new, less exploded manager.

gosplan

Bummer about Walcott but am looking forward to Vela getting a few starts all the same.

What the hell's the midfield for the weekend gonna be like?