There’s really not much really going on. The usual “Cesc is contemplating Barca move” story which are lapped up by the Arsene haters are circulating today.While the more enterprising writers are digging deep in to the well for what they think is an “unusual” story like “Robert Green coming to Arsenal.”
I used to hate the transfer speculation, but I’ve come to understand its purpose. It’s kind of like trying to predict a Saturday lineup on Wednesday; a fun little distraction. Chatting with Marty McFly yesterday at my daughter’s birthday party reminded me of my favorite transfer rumor: Buffon to Arsenal.
I’ve had the chance to watch Buffon quite a number of times this year and one thing I wonder about is if he can command the box the way we really need? I’m not sure because in Italy he’s pretty protected by the refs and if he comes to Arsenal, as we know, the refs will be allowing players to obstruct, kick, push, hold on to, and otherwise actively foul him on every set play. In his favor, he does strike me as the kind of nut case that would go full Lehmann on the John Terry’s in the league.
Either way, I agree with Marty that a signing of his magnitude would be a major coup. I don’t see it happening, given his likely contract requirements and transfer costs, but it would be a coup.
It would also be a major break from Wenger’s economical style which I, and others, have detailed ad nauseum in the past. You already know that he likes players either very young and precocious or between the ages of 22 and 26 — right before they are at the top of their career and their value skyrockets. Buying a 32 year old like Buffon, in the prime of his career, who would demand a crazy salary and who is probably worth £15m+. Despite the fact that his team finished 7th and out of Europe. Did you know that Buffon currently earns £85,000 a week at Juve?
Wenger would look at a player like than, then at Joe Hart, and surmise that Hart is the better value. And you know what? Getting Joe Hart would be nearly as big coup as well, I think, because he’s English.
He’s widely tipped as the future England number 1 and judging by the calls that I see players like John Terry get away with he would have free reign to decapitate opposition players in the box. Which is clearly what we need.
I also get lots of questions about when Chamakh is signing for Arsenal and I’ve looked at the calendar and I’m going with… Monday. Give or take a few days.
No surprises in the polls; Song won MIP by a huge margin, Cesc was hero, Shawcross just broke the legs of Adebayor at the death and edged him for goat, and Cesc sloughed off three defenders to take goal of the year from Nasri. I might write something about the MIP and Hero categoreis later this week. Right now, I’m working on an article about Denilson and why you should love him with all your heart, or at least appreciate what he does.
If you have any thoughts on that, please post them below. Also, if you have any hot and I mean HOT, as in “Buffon’s WAG and Joe Hart’s WAG have reportedly made a sex tape,” Arsenal transfer rumors that don’t involve any of the men I spoke of above, or Phil Jagielka, please, share them below.
Arsenal News 24/7
This was the first time i read this blog. Have to say i’m really impressed! Will definitely be returning.
Player of the season: Thomas Vermaelen
Goal of the Season: Nasri vs Porto
Player Performance of the Season: Mannone vs Fulham
Most Improved Player: Alex Dimitri Song Bilong
Team Performance of the Season: Arsenal 5-0 Porto
May 16th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Team performance of the season:
I will say it is 2-2 against Barca at the Emirates, instead of 5-0 against Porto, simply because Porto did not turn up on the night. But the Barca game has skill, grit, determination, and Cesc even broke a leg for the second goal, and confirmed his status as hero for the Arsenal. How dare the media still recycle the Cesc to Barca crap?
If we sign a goalkeeper then my hope is for Sebastien Frey of Fiorentina he’s perfect. He’s got experience, we can afford him, he’s french and what a shot stopper.
I’d take anyone in goals as long as it ain’t Mooney or Flappyanski….
As long as someone is on the pitch to organize the defense at set plays, i’d be ok if the goalkeeper wasn’t that commanding but generally you want that person to be the goalkeeper.
In reading some of the transfer rumor sites, I’ve come to a realization: The number of exclamation points which follow “FACT”, “Watch This Space”, “You Heard It Here First” or “I have it on good authority” – is in direct correlation to the level of BS contained in the rumor.
For example: “I have it on good authority that Arshavin’s wife and Gourcuff’s WAG, while not making exactly a sex tape, did get filmed pool side in Ibiza with quite a bit of sideboob on display and some more than friendly frolicking. FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Watch this space!!!!!!!!!!!! You heard it here first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
On the flip side: “If Fabregas leaves for Barca, a deal for Yaya Toure in exchange could well be part of the deal.”
See the difference there? Simples.
Anyway, further to our chat on FB, Tim, Lady Nina’s Tweets are kind of like the ex-GF commenting on the new GF. Think “Gosh, her ass looks so fat in those jeans. I wonder why he wants such a heffer!?!” She doesn’t make direct comments on rumors and so forth, but does chime in with sort of 45-degree angle sniping. It’s kind of funny, in a sad way.
I know that Tim just loves these type of stories, and I suppose every other Arsenal supporter, myself included, reacts in the same way when he hears the usual beginning of a transfer rumor containing a friend of a cousin of a mistress of the postman i haven’t seen since high school, but I guess I just have to write down what I’ve heard, no matter the reactions, or lack of.
A very good friend of mine, (like in, I spend every day with him, good), and an avid Barcelona fan, is in Spain today to watch the final game of the season. He also works in TV, and has had numerous opportunities to interview the players and staff at Barca. Today, he had an interview with Mr. Alfons Goddal, who is the vicepresident of Barcelona FC and right-hand man of Laporta himself. According to my friend and Mr. Goddal, both Fabregas and Villa are done deals, they will both be coming to Barcelona this summer,and this will be announced at the beginning of June . This, of course, was said off the record, but I really see no reason why should Goddal and my friend conspire to deceive or provoke me as an Arsenal fan, since I wasn’t even present at the interview:)
Of course, you can take this with a huge pinch of salt if you like, you can dismiss me as another shit-stirer, naive gossip-follower, but to be honest, I am already preparing for a Fabre-less season, and praying that either Nasri steps up big time, or we buy Gourcuff with the millions they get, because, without Jesus, there won’t be any miracles at the Emirates.
Tim,
Just read an article about the Opta statistics. Should be fun browsing through them and discover some ‘truths’ about the Arsenal. For example:
Arsenal’s Cesc Fábregas generated opportunities more frequently than any other player (every 23.1 minutes, apparently)…, a better rate than Robin van Persie (30.6),…
There are four Liverpool players in the top 30 most frequent tacklers – more than any other team. Arsenal have only one – Alexandre Song is 23rd, having attempted 88 tackles, one fewer than Birmingham’s James McFadden. You might deduce that this is because Arsenal did not need to tackle as much since they tended to have the ball a lot – and it is true that only Chelsea averaged more possession in matches (59.8% to Arsenal’s 59.3%)…
The most prolific tackler….is Javier Mascherano (178, of which he won 144), ahead of Mohamed Diamé of Wigan (176, won 125) and Fabrice Muamba of Bolton (152, won 102).
The proportion of goals originating from set pieces has leapt by over 7% in the last five years, reaching 36.66% this season. The main factor in the climb in set-piece goals has been greater accuracy from corners and throw-ins. Last season 11.89% of goals came from corners; this season that figure rose to 13.58%.
This is a huge season coming and Arsenal need to radically change.
For all their talk of financial success the powers that be at the club are unable to grasp the fact that commercial sucess depends on winning trophies even the carling cup.
A kid in an Arsenal shirt in my street now is harder to find rocking horse s**t ,Chelsea and Man u shirts are more prevalent than traffic wardens in the West end. Followed Arsenal for 40 years but now we are a lqaughing stock.
Laughing stock?
Oh dear, are you in amateur dramamtics as well sweety?
May 16th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
@GunnerSince!WasAGlintInTheMilkman’sEye, Amateur dramatics no unfortunately would come in handy though when getting the piss taken season after season and pretending its funny,
Getting the piss taken every season? Are you for real? You havent been a Gooner for 40 years if you think things are shit now.
May 16th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
@GunnerSince!WasAGlintInTheMilkman’sEye, 40 years ago I didnt have scousers mancs or spuds up down my high st, media coverage tv has changed the game and my expectations have increased along with ticket prices.
So you expect more, so the club not matching your expectations is their fault and not yours?
As for the horrid plastic fans who live up your street? So the fuck what?
I must say as a spurs fan i can’t see cesc turning down a move to barca where he will challenge for major honours that arnt the carling cup and will finish bove 3rd/4th ni abut 100 years and arsenal really are hugely reliant on cesc so it would be funny to watch them rumble an i think it this tht massively makes him look oodles better than he is.. i personaly dont think hhes good enough to pay for barca and his dawdling on the ball would slow down their attack. looking on this site its lear i know more abput the beautiful gam ethan yu so you can now this in confidence. UP THE SPURS!
btw i wouldnt even have him at spurs tbh oh an why on earth do you ignorant ppl sumhow think YOUR club needs specific protection from the big scary boys the games almost no contact as it is you dumasses just cos your team full of light weights you shouldnt get rewarded as you shouldnt get rewarded for the diving stamping and whining that you over achievers have gotten ovet the yrs:) lol
May 16th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
@Spursmad,
Jesus Christ.
Any Yiddish translators amongst us? I can’t make head nor tail of any of that!
Yid prick!
May 16th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
should that be spur’s maid? either way, I believe you should be in school, learning how to read and write. It must be only other spur’s fans that can understand the nonsense you write. Maybe go back to one of their sites? CAN you understand what I am saying?
.Plastic fans wouldnt be so bad if we didnt have Plastic players.
We cant win a big game anymore and a match against Chelsea or Man u is a recurring nightmare.
best players sold and not replaced,what price Fabregas still here next season?
There’s nothing else for it, you better top yourself.
A|nd as for the spuds? make the most of the CL, it will be a long old time before you get even a sniff of it again.
Right now, the best thing I can say about any Arsenal player is… Freddie Ljungberg looked pretty good last night for the Seattle Sounders, who played the New York Red Bulls at the new Arena. He didn’t have annoying hair, he can still move both himself and the ball, and he still does corner-kicks better than anybody on the current Gunners except Nasri and van Persie. It was my first time seeing an Arsenal man (present or former) live, and it was a bit of a thrill.
And Seattle’s goalie was Kasey Keller, and we treated him like the Tottenham cunt he was and is, even though few Red Bulls fans are also Gooners. I did see 3 Arsenal shirts in the stands, one with Freddie’s Number 8, so I wasn’t the only one who came to see him.
Unfortunately, Seattle won, 1-0, and Metro got cheated out of two penalties, a second-half handball and an injury-time Shawcross-style cutdown (thankfully, no injury), both in the box. Good thing it wasn’t against the New England Revolution or D.C. United, Metro’s two biggest rivals, or else I’d really be mad. But Freddie’s still got it.
May 16th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
@Uncle Mike, Word on the street is that titi has signed a pre-contract with the red bulls. If true I can not wait to see him suit up. You will definitely will be there with my TH14 on.
Actually all Arsenal need is a goalie of reasonable quality and for Arsene to stop playing his pattern weaving soccer. Furthermore don’t dither in the box . Have a quick pass like some other teams. I think Arsene will hate it if you mention the team.
Btw make sure there are fleet footed defenders when the attack breaks down. By that I mean make sure the defenders don’t go awol. So many times have we seen the attack break down and Drogba/ugly bd score breakaway goals. If Arsene doesn’t learn how the team concedes goals he will never learn.
Someone wrote that Buffon maybe loath to go to the epl. In Italy referees protect players and goalies. In England if he is harassed in the goal mouth the ref would just close one eye.In fact the guy in black would only dish out the yc if someone’s leg is broken. Even then he wont wave the red card in Eduardo’s case until consulting the lm.
I tell you what. England will never win the wc until the refs are like those in the cl meaning they haveto punish players who don’t want to play soccer but injure the other player.
cant wait to read ur post about denilson. i know he is not the greatest player ever, but i think he does try his best, and isnt as bad as most people say he is. get ready to get attaked when you do post it though.