Arsenal Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

thorbarry · 29-07-2009 12:21PM

Frisbee wrote: »

City won't continue to finish below us if they continue to spend like they do. I don;t think they'll finish ahead of us this year.

But if by next season we haven't made serious changes to our transfer policy I can see them finishing ahead of us.

yea with strikers such as Bellamy and Ade, I'm terrified

kidding, yea i do agree if they keep buying players, maybe some more defenders and mid fielders I'd get worried, but if we buy 1/2 more players this summer, I wont be worried

premierstone · 29-07-2009 12:50PM

The thing about City though is that they seem to be just buying random players without Hughes actually having a plan or an idea what he is trying to achieve

Wreck · 29-07-2009 01:20PM

I think losing Toure to City will be a big blow for us, I seriously hope Wenger has a top notch replacement lined up along with a dynamic DM or else we are going to struggle to finish 4th again, let alone challenge for the title.

keano_afc · 29-07-2009 01:28PM

Yep, unless he gets the finger out there are very few reasons for optimism this season.

yahoo_moe · 29-07-2009 01:36PM

premierstone wrote: »

The thing about City though is that they seem to be just buying random players without Hughes actually having a plan or an idea what he is trying to achieve

Yup, they'll need a top-notch partner for him to get the best out of Toure, who's a sweeping/covering centre-half with serious limitations (particularly if his pace continues to go). And I'm not sure if they'll get that immediately. So as things stand, it's far from certain that this will really shore up City's defence.

As for where it leaves our defence, it looks certain at this stage that Wenger has bought Vermaelen to start at least 25 games. I'm not sure how much he'll rotate, but we currently have Djourou, Gallas and Vermaelen as our three main CBs, and then Senderos (for now), Silvestre and Song (Wenger mentioned 7 CBs the other day, so he must be counting Song too) as back-up options.

So I'm just trusting his judgment - if Vermaelen's a hit, then Toure wouldn't really have been playing much anyway (he's similar to Gallas, but Gallas is better) so Wenger may have just taken £16m for someone who'd be surplus to requirements. But we don't know for sure yet.

angel01 · 29-07-2009 01:37PM

I think if they lose Toure, that will really effect them. He hasn't been as good as in previous years but he is very dependable.

Frisbee · 29-07-2009 02:26PM

thorbarry wrote: »

yea with strikers such as Bellamy and Ade, I'm terrified kidding,

But add in Robinho and Tevez and it's looking a lot grimmer...

L'prof · 29-07-2009 02:32PM

Shots taken may decide the tournament if teams are tied after goal difference and goals scored.

From here.

speedboatchase · 29-07-2009 02:48PM

"Do you love money enough to give away your last Kolo?"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1202938/Do-love-money-away-Kolo-How-Arsenal-banked-83m-flogging-wantaway-stars.html#ixzz0MeyGrIIf

What a headline

DenMan · 29-07-2009 02:53PM

jasonorr wrote: »

Shots taken may decide the tournament if teams are tied after goal difference and goals scored.

From here.

Well thats Rangers fcuked.

gosplan · 29-07-2009 03:53PM

Wreck wrote: »

I think losing Toure to City will be a big blow for us, I seriously hope Wenger has a top notch replacement lined up along with a dynamic DM or else we are going to struggle to finish 4th again, let alone challenge for the title.

)

I wouldn't hold my breath.

To be honest though I'm not as pessimistic as most of the Arsenal fans here.

Man United won the league last year playing Anderson and Fletcher as their defensive midfielders. I can't seriously say that that's a big improvement on Song and Denilson.

OK so Man United had an awesome central defense and that won them the league, but my point is this - you don't need a perfectly balanced amazing-on-all-fronts team to challenge. You just need to regularly score more than your opponents, whether through attack - scoring a few and conceding only one, or defence - conceding nil and having Ronaldo dive to win a penalty(just kidding :P).

I really think that this year we're going to have the strongest, most robust attack in the premiership. If RVP and Arshavin stay fit and combine well with Cesc and Rosicky, then we're going to score a hell of a lot of goals. Add to that the possibility of Bendtner and Eduardo chipping in about 20-25 goals between them, and we're a force. If Rosicky stays fit, that's another bonus.

Obviously, we all look at the DMF position and see that teams like Chelsea and Liverpool have better players there but it wasn't Denilson or Song that couldn't score against Fulham, Hull or Stoke.

The problem with last year (and I've said this before here) was that no part of our team ever bailed another part out of trouble. When the defense was having a bad day, suddenly the attack couldn't score and when the attack couldn't score suddenly, the midfield couldn't pass the ball and the defense began to slip up.

Obviously we can always improve the team - that's a given, but it is totally incorrect to say that without a defensive midfielder we'll be nowhere near challenging or will finish fifth. To do that is to basically say that the only problem last year was that we needed one better player whereas the truth is that the team were collectively at fault last year when, at crucial moments, they were found seriously wanting. Fix that problem and we're good enough to challenge. Buying two players like Vidic and Essien would of course make the job easier but they're not essential.

BTW, I'm typing all this now as we're not buying a new DMF or Defender before the season starts - defo not one that slots straight into the first team.

yahoo_moe · 29-07-2009 04:17PM

Anyone else think we should try (or should have tried if it's already gone through) to make Onuoha part of the Toure deal? Good little player, I've always thought, English and can play CB or RB (even LB)... good for any upcoming Champions League quotas and would allow both Toure & Eboue to go...

Redzer7 · 29-07-2009 04:29PM

Yeah would have been a great signing but i think they already agreed the deal so it's just a matter of Toure completing a medical

.

keano_afc · 29-07-2009 04:32PM

yahoo_moe wrote: »

Anyone else think we should try (or should have tried if it's already gone through) to make Onuoha part of the Toure deal? Good little player, I've always thought, English and can play CB or RB (even LB)... good for any upcoming Champions League quotas and would allow both Toure & Eboue to go...

Aye, him or Richards. Once he gets over his swine flu obviously...:P

Souless · 29-07-2009 04:50PM

Yeah we definatly should of tried to get one of the defenders thrown in with the Toure deal pitty its pretty much a done deal now

Wonder how we'll fair against Hannover tonight, doubt it'll be as much of a walk in as the last friendly

Qs · 29-07-2009 04:58PM

gosplan wrote: »

Obviously, we all look at the DMF position and see that teams like Chelsea and Liverpool have better players there but it wasn't Denilson or Song that couldn't score against Fulham, Hull or Stoke.

Well it was sort of. That is to say they didn't score in those games, nor did they assist. My point being a central midfielder needs to be involved in all aspects of the game. I think both of them are going to be excellent players eventually but I'm not really happy with either starting right now.

gosplan wrote: »

The problem with last year (and I've said this before here) was that no part of our team ever bailed another part out of trouble. When the defense was having a bad day, suddenly the attack couldn't score and when the attack couldn't score suddenly, the midfield couldn't pass the ball and the defense began to slip up.

I'd put alot of that down to a lack of leadership and a lack of experience.

gosplan wrote: »

BTW, I'm typing all this now as we're not buying a new DMF or Defender before the season starts - defo not one that slots straight into the first team.

I don't think we will either and I think its ridiculous considering if the sales of Toure and Eboue go through we'll have made £50m in the transfer market this summer.

Anyway the Hannover match is on now in a minute. Should be a decent enough test for us compared to the last few friendlies.

Qs · 29-07-2009 05:03PM

Fabs in for this game.

yahoo_moe · 29-07-2009 05:05PM

Qs wrote: »

I think its ridiculous considering if the sales of Toure and Eboue go through we'll have made £50m in the transfer market this summer.

Just on this - arseblogger made a decent point today that the purchase of Arshavin was probably budgeted for based on Ade leaving this summer, so we were essentially £15m down at the start of the summer. And given that we're probably always looking to turn a slight profit these days, we're not exactly sitting on a pile of money and refusing to spend it.

Souless · 29-07-2009 05:14PM

1-0 Fabergas, nice little set up from Bendtner and Van persie also, he's looked lively in these few friendly games.

Also in other not so nice news http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/8172622.stm Toure's gone it seems.

newbie2 · 29-07-2009 05:25PM

he's deffo gone

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/kolo-toure-signs-for-manchester-city

Royale with Cheese · 29-07-2009 05:29PM

Doomed. DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMED.

Seriously though, if this summer's transfer activity is to bring in Vermaelen and some 15 year old, and sell Adebayor and Kolo... Arsenal are fúcked. The defence needed strengthening anyway. Really could have done with another centre back on top of Vermaelen, instead one of the most experienced players in the squad has left.

Souless · 29-07-2009 05:35PM

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

Doomed. DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMED.

Seriously though, if this summer's transfer activity is to bring in Vermaelen and some 15 year old, and sell Adebayor and Kolo... Arsenal are fúcked. The defence needed strengthening anyway. Really could have done with another centre back on top of Vermaelen, instead one of the most experienced players in the squad has left.

Yeah it's pretty depressing but you never know I mean there's still over a month till the end of the transfer window so fingers crossed a new CB, RB (if eboue goes) and DM are signed

call me a dreamer...fine lol.

newbie2 · 29-07-2009 05:37PM

ffs, Traore off and silvestre on. Silvestre should've been part of the deal when selling Ade.

Souless · 29-07-2009 05:38PM

newbie2 wrote: »

ffs, Traore off and silvestre on. Silvestre should've been part of the deal when selling Ade.

Lol I dont think we could give sivestre away

Traore's looked fairly decent at LB on the plus side though after the best part of a season on the bench at Portsmouth

newbie2 · 29-07-2009 05:47PM

Bendtner misses from 1 yard.

As it was in the beginning is now and shall be forevermore.....;)

Souless · 29-07-2009 06:10PM

I think Silvestre thinks he is playing CB instead of LB, looks like it's only a matter of time before they get a goal

Redzer7 · 29-07-2009 06:15PM

Where the fcuk is Silvestre playing?

Souless · 29-07-2009 06:19PM

Redzer7 wrote: »

Where the fcuk is Silvestre playing?

Lol im glad im not the only one confused as hell! I dont think even he knows what position he is in. Only thing he's done so far as give the ball away

so a normal match for him.

Anyone else watching this on IraqGoals? Im so confused they didnt have a line up or tell about who's gone on and off at half time

And I hope Eboue goes off soon so he can stop mispronouncing his name

Redzer7 · 29-07-2009 06:21PM

I wouldn't mind seeing him playing behind Van Persie

:pac:

Have a feeling Van Persie is going to get sent off.

Souless · 29-07-2009 06:26PM

Redzer7 wrote: »

Have a feeling Van Persie is going to get sent off.

Yeah he looks a bit pissed off alright since that clash of heads. Would be a good idea to bring someone else on I'd say. Any time Arshavin gets the ball there's like 3 red shirts around him

was hoping to see abit of magic from him today.

There we go lol. Go on Eduardo

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