It was light out and my alarm wasn’t ringing. I flicked on my tablet and checked the clock: 6:30 but no network signal. That can only mean one thing. My head was heavy with the drinks from the night before but I swung my leg over the edge of the bed and got up to investigate why there was no internet. I knew that the power was out but to see the cold dead router sitting there filled me with anxiety. Fuck. I have to write. I have to get clothes washed for this wedding tonight. I have to get cleaned and dressed and I have to get coffee. COFFEE.
I stumbled around the house, half doing everything: piling clothes for the laundry that won’t happen, checking to see if I can’t steal some internet from somewhere, and looking forlornly at the kettle for my coffee wondering if I could get the water boiling if maybe I just set the whole house on fire.
“What am I going to write about?” I thought and then remembered that last night, when I was checking twitter and having some whiskey at the local, news had broken about a post match interview with Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers in which he brags that the Scouse have landed Nuri Sahin. I recall watching him as he stood there with his smug git face, happy with the 1-0 crushing of perennial European powerhouse Hearts of Midlothian in a Europa League qualifier, talking about how “Hopefully in the next 24 hours we’ll get some confirmation (that Liverpool have signed Nuri Sahin)” and boasting that the player was “just downstairs now” and my heart sank.
According to the BBC, the reason Liverpool “won” is that Arsenal pulled out of the deal. The loan originally did stall over the buy-out clause but that wasn’t the final factor. In the end Arsenal didn’t want to pay as much of Sahin’s £115,ooo a week salary as Liverpool did and they ended up with the player. The Beeb makes no mention of a £2m loan fee as others have suggested. Just salary, and not even all of his salary.
Minutes later, Arsenal’s official site released their pre-match presser* in which Arsene says that the club “might not be done with transfers and besides which there are Diaby, Wilshere, and Rosicky coming back like a pack of new signings.” I’m paraphrasing here because it’s something we’ve heard so many times that the actual quote is immaterial. The point is that Arsenal have apparently given up on Sahin and unless “something special” (actual quote) comes up, Arsenal are making the familiar noise as if they have concluded their transfer business for the summer. At least the buying portion of their transfer business.
If Arsenal are done buying it means that the club will have spent another summer losing key players, replacing them, and making a profit. Arsenal could still surprise and buy someone like Capoue (highly doubtful), M’Vila, Gabi, Mexes (all my exes live in Mexes), or someone else so I suppose those of us who like to can hold out hope for some signings. Don’t forget that Arsenal bought Arteta at the last minute and he turned out to be a stellar signing.
When I get to a computer, coffee in hand, I see that Wenger has done his actual presser. Asked about Song, Arsene scotched rumors of an unprofessional attitude and highlighted the fact that we took this player who no one rated at first and turned him into a Barcelona caliber player. “That’s nice of us to do for Barcelona,” I say out loud to no one.
I don’t know what else I expected him to say, honestly. He’s hardly going to badmouth the player publicly. But this whole saga is frustrating. We created a Barcelona caliber player, then “took the opportunity” to sell him, and had no replacement lined up – unless you count players returning from injury or Mikel Arteta. This idea that Arsenal are now opportunistically selling off key players is really not something I want to believe. It’s so much simpler for me to hang my hat on the story that Song was a knob and Arsenal had to be rid of him because the alternative is that we are now a feeder club for clubs that are challenging for titles; Man City, Man U, and Barcelona. Maybe that’s what we are and maybe that’s something you’re all ok with.
But either way you have to admit that at the start of summer there was such an air of hope at the club. We knew that Robin and the management team had a conversation but there was no Independence Day announcement as of yet and so we could all pretend for a while that he might re-sign with us. The club bought Podolski and like a roller coaster ride, our cars were jerked into action and started to climb the big hill. Then in late June Arsenal sign Giroud and the roller coaster excitement really starts to build. The club were investing in the team for the first time in years. Money was going out the door before money came in! We were getting in quality players! We couldn’t wait to see the new team!
But just like that famous carnival ride, when you’re at the highest point you get the biggest drop. Robin van Persie sent us over the top with his Fourth of July announcement and the bottom fell out. The fans were upset but said “fuck him, as long as the club re-invest his transfer fee in a quality replacement we are OK.” And they did get a quality player in Cazorla who I’m not at all bothered that we didn’t pay a ridiculous fee for.
So, up went the ride a little bit, until all this stuff started happening with Alex Song and Barcelona. Then the ride started going all wonky, upside down and round in circles until it splashed us in some water. Confused and not knowing what’s next we were starting to get queasy. But the next hill loomed and it was a big one, Nuri Sahin coming in from Real Madrid “everything was done”, Sahin “confidentially “wanted to go to Arsenal”, and “the photographers were ready for a Monday photo shoot.” This was it, the big deal for a quality player who would add much needed everything to the squad.
It took an age to get up that last hill, it was just too long and flat. And just like the last hill before the end of the ride we made one final decent and now we are pulling into the station.
Hey look, there’s the carny offering us another ride but I don’t want to do this ride again at the moment, thank you very much. I think I’d much rather do the Indiana Jones ride or something. Less ups and downs.
*I spoke with the webmaster (ITK!) and he said that it was coincidence. They release content at that time of night all the time so that people can have fresh news when they wake up in the morning. If you’re looking for a conspiracy, it’s not there, sorry.
I think i agree with u now..arsenal r now a proper selling club. Just need to find a way to win titles this way.
Supporting Arsenal is all ups and downs, especially the last few years. I think that’s why some if us are so addicted.
Sahin would have been nice. But he is not the end of the world. The saga built him up as being more important than he would actually have been. He will get more playing time at Liverpool and because of the company he keeps, he will look like a world beater.
Support who we have. Enjoy it for what it is , a sport played for Entertainment. And let’s move forward.
And Tim, not a single teaser against Stoke so that their minions can inform us about what a real supporter is?
Those Song comments are the height of ridiculousness.I know he is not going to bad mouth a former player but to come out with rubbish like that. I would love to know what players are in place to replace Song. Coquelin (has shown some talent but not to replace Song)? Diaby (Haha)? To adapt a quote “same shit, different summer”.
At least we bought 3 high calibre players this summer. RVP could not be stopped from leaving, and with Song if he had 3 years remaining on his contract, that shows the team did not want him anymore. i don’t think Arsenal is hard up for 15 million.
I was excited for Sahin, and it looked as though we were finally going in a new direction – culling the deadwood and in the course of two summers, laying a new foundation of experienced and quality players where we wouldn’t need to worry for a while. I hope we didn’t lose Sahin for a couple million on the option fee, as he was recently the best player in Germany. But if recent reports are to be believed, and wages were an issue, Jose was jerking us around, and Liverpool don’t end up with him next year, then I’m OK with it.
I’d still like to see us invest further. While we appeared to have learned the lesson of buying early as Tim highlights, we don’t seem to have learned the injury lesson. How is it that every year we rely and wager our season on players coming back from major injury: Ramsey, Frimpong, Wilshere, Sagna, Diaby? It’s unrealistic to expect them to come back as spritely and skilled as before a leg break, yet somehow Arsenal believe this. This despite the histories of Eduardo who only came back to form after leaving Arsenal, or an RvP who nursed injured at the teat for years only to put in one good season in time to secure a move away. I’m not saying discard these players, but to expect them to hit the ground running on their return gores against all the evidence. Why not assume the worst and plan accordingly – in the best case scenario we have a deep squad with players competing and pushing each other.
And while on the injury subject, what’s up with our medical team? I think they need a collective internship at the Milan Lab. It’s the patently obvious flaws that are the most frustrating. Yet one or two more additions would massively improve fan morale, squad competition, and our chances in a league decided on margins as thin as goal difference.
“And while on the injury subject, what’s up with our medical team?”
Apparently according to Rory Smith of The Times one of Van Persie’s problem’s with Arsenal (one of fabled demands I think) was that he medical team was “prehistoric” which was also a problem Fabergas had (according to Graham Hunter I think). There was also an interesting piece in The Times during the week asking how Arsenal and Man Utd can suffer so many injuries and Man City and Chelsea so little.
Interesting if true I wonder if Wenger showing too much loyalty to his medical and fitness staff?
While I have my own problems with the medical staff, I hardly think Van Persie is one to talk about “Prehistoric” methods of treatment. Wasn’t he the one putting horse piss on his ankle rather than whatever it was the Arsenal medicos were telling him to?
“At least we bought 3 high calibre players this summer.”
While getting rid of 2 high calibre players, one of which was our only real defensive midfielder, whose sales just happened to cover the outlay of those 3 high calibre players. Are we all that much stronger then we were last season?
Indeed.
We may have a lot of stock in midfield but none thus far can match what Song produces for us. It would have been wiser to have let go of the player when we see that he has an able replacement in the squad.
We are carrying a huge risk at the moment.
Very true, I can Wenger in his press conference on August 31st:
“We do not need a new midfielder we have Diaby”
“Wilshere on course for comeback”
Then September 1st:
“Diaby suffers a thigh/calf injury in training out for 2 months ”
“Wilshere suffers setback out until after Christmas”
At the moment, I’d be surprised if we replace Song with an external candidate. Unfortunately, this Song-Sahin-M’Vila saga has all the feel of that ridiculous summer when we were crying out for a goalkeeper, were heavily linked for months with moves for Reina and Schwartz, but in the end got more of the same in the form of Almunia.
I’m not sure what “more of the same” means in the case of replacing Song, though for some unknown reason Wenger believes Diaby will feature consistently for us this season, and/or that Coquelin is ready to make the step up. As for Wilshere, I’m not buying into the latest optimism about a sooner-than-expected return. There will be all sorts of recurring niggles and setbacks this season as he returns from over a year out of the game. I do not expect him to feature much this season.
Should we make a move for an exceptional central midfielder, I think I’d almost return to that cautious optimism I felt just before van Persie and Song exited the club. As it is, I can only see another monumental struggle to stay in the top four.
As I mentioned, we cannot compete:
1) Liverpool are willing to take him on short term loan which is Madrid’s preferance. That also means they can afford to pay more for salary as it is short term.
2) We want the option to buy which means fixing a price which Madrid are reluctant to set low. That alos means our tolerance for matching what Liverpool have to offer as salary will be lower.
It’s all about the money.
I’m not sure why we spend so much time on this deal without an obvious end to see it through but it is not as easy to replace Song after he is moved on and with selling teams knowing we have an obvius need.
MVila may be the next likely fall back but it may not be as easy with Spurs presence there to spoil.
Meanwhile we play Stoke where Song’s physical presence would have been a plus.
Oh, and Rodgers’ smug face… How it grates! I wish Liverpool nothing but another miserable season, with an early managerial dismissal.
It’s likely, they’re woeful, especially at the back.
I don’t know why i don’t get the same gloomy feeling like you guys. The view in here is vague between having lost the opportunity to sign Sahin or not having Song replacement. Sahin is very good, but i still remember Tim said that he didn’t prefer we sold Song to be replaced by Sahin.
Now, the familiar “we will only sign super/special/etc players” and end up not signing anyone is seems familiar. i do think that the not signing anyone is more to do with we didn’t find agreement with the other clubs and not because we didn’t try anything like people seem to suggest. Unlike Tim, i will enjoy the ride until we arrive at our destination, even if it’s going to be up and downs.
“We have (Mikel) Arteta who can play deeper — the kind of (Andrea) Pirlo role — we have (Abou) Diaby, who is a very strong defensive player.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2193260/Arsenal-continue-talks-Arsene-Wenger.html#ixzz24VCvc2Cr
In what universe is Abou Diaby a “very strong defensive player”?
Diaby has been strong defensively (much improved )but his appearances for us has been sporadic so question marks as to how consistent he would be.
Problem with Diaby is
1) His durability is a question mark
2) He needs to keep concentration (Song lapses too)
3) He needs to stay slightly closer to the opponent when the opponent is just outside the box ina central area.
The second and third point can be worked on. The first one, well, we ride our luck.
Capoue is rumoured to be givena second look. This is an extremely competitive player with possibly better intercept/tackle stats than MVila albeit losing out perhaps in discipline.
If we do go for him, it begs the question why we didn’t seal a deal earlier in the summer (before we let go of Song) in the first place considering he was priced by Toulouse at 9m (A steal compared to MVila)
With regard Arteta, he did play a deeper role against Sunderland to good effect but one wonders if he possesses the same solid physical presence against teams like Stoke in which Song used to impose for us.
Maybe, just maybe losing out on Sahin is a better deal for us as it will bring in a no nonsense ‘defensive’ player like MVila or Capoue.
Diaby has had some good games in that DM role in the past, even though it’s not his natural role. In that ill-fated game vs Newcastle, before he got sent off he was our deepest midfielder and was arguably the best player on the pitch.
But he’s also not really as reliable as you’d want at that position. However in combination with a guy like Arteta who sits deep and keeps it simple, Diaby can work. The midfield we saw against Sunderland has a lot of potential once they learn to play together.
Of everything Wenger said in the presser/interview that annoyed me most. This isn’t La Liga where you can get away with only having a pivote (like Arteta) and a gangly attacking midfielder deputising the defensive roles in the centre.
Song needs to be replaced there is no getting away from that. My outlook on a season that promised so much two weeks ago has shifted somewhat but I’m not sure how I would catagorise it. It’s certainly not all doom and gloom but I think a title challenge may be beyond us and the 4th place cup more realistic. Still a week left for the roller coaster to shift my expectations again!
Anyone putting so high a stake in diaby is insane
Wenger has become a BS, though articulate, guy in recent years so much so he believes in his own BS
Yes, many say fans should ride the highs and lows with the club but only if the club does it part eg moving in the right direction …evidently not in AFC’s case with so many counter -fooball / trophy objectives at even manager level
CritIcal comments do not auto translated to not a fan, as some put it (via the score) on this site …some so called fans eat wenger’s BS and are quite frankly simple minded and if one can pull apart our financials surely the picture is clearer and nowhere near what ivan/ wenger try and portray and use as an excuse for not buying
Lastly, a key issue we are unable to address is the amount of dross we have in the team, sucking our precious budget and not producing… who signed them? And we are mot talking 2 or 3
Despite the 3 quality signings, the dross will drag us down… just watch the tippi tappi BS the ‘okd’ player eg diaby, ramsey dId in the sunderland game… It’s fuc***** disgraceful! No forward momentum at all…lingered around the half line and 5 yards here and there, cut backs… Did you remember jenks hit a ball from the last third in sunderland half all the way to our last third LB!!! Unbelievable and absolutely not under pressure
Sorry if isn’t positive but there’s little to be so
Well, I would dearly like to see the prospective ‘replacement’ show is ability to take over the position first before the incumbent is released.
The issue was similar with Ashley Cole and a relatively inexperienced Clichy.
It’s just a risky strategy IMO.
Hopefully the gaffer finds this all encompassing Defensive Mid with Special Quality.
We have signed a top forward in French league
A proven striker in Podolski
A versatile and to our needs player in Cazorla
I think Wenger is more informed and smart to evaluate whether Diaby, Wilshere and Rosicky is worth the gamble…He trusts all three of them to be enough to fill in the spot…this season..
Then there is Ramsey and Coquelin who can still improve…
Song for all his fitness and physical presence would bugger off to ANC..after Christmas…to an extent ruining the system if we built it around having that defensive midfielder.
The expendability of Song only signifies couple of things
1) that, we will not be restricted to the lone striker upfront which we have seen so much with RVP… there is going to be two strikers upfront, which pushes the opposition to some extent.
2) Also with the “Bouldy defence”, the bombing forward of centre backs will be equally compensated with pulling back of midfielders..I see the engine of Ramsey and Ox being used here..
Overall, Wenger seems to have faith in this team to be better than what it is rated as. For a change I think we all rate this current team a touch better than last year, despite the loss of an ageing RVP and Song.
Definitely we can add more quality and that is why the pursuit is still ON.. but thats is not a be all and end all.. Arsene is a person who tends to avoid complications with players characters and deals..
while someone would happily take Suarez or Tevez or Balotelli fully knowing the paraphernalia that comes along..Wenger will not..
No fear anymore… I have full faith in this group of players to come good..and win the league..Any additions would be welcome..But a lack of that wont make us anymore competitive…this team is gonna ROCK…
I think the Song transfer will be a milestone for us, in a negative way. now anyone wanting a transfer away from us will know that 3, 2, years left on contract is no bridge that’s not traversable. we’re not a club that can hold even our youth products to honor contracts with relative eons to run. Song and Denilson mean a lot of things to a lot of us fans over the past season, and the fact that we can’t hold these players (okay, “this” player : ) is going to hurt us in the perception league. That being said, this team is still good enough to go to Stoke and absolutely hammer them if Cazorla plays as he did on Saturday and Giroud gets a longer run out than he did vs. Sunderland. Theo is going to have to be very conscious of his defensive responsibilities, because Stoke will be preying on Jenks all game. Giroud (or Poldi) will have to pressure Bergovic close at every goal kick/goalie distribution, as Cox pointed out. Hopefully this game can be a more pleasant recapitulation of the game that spurred so much of our transfer flurry after the corresponding (calendar) game last season, ie we win 3-0 or 3-1, which we should be able to do, and then go out and spend 50 million GBP on new players! Up the Arsenal, and, as a Chelsea stooge of Roman under institutional duress said last season, referring to us but we’ll borrow the preface he used anyway, the important thing now is to go and beat the crap out of Stoke.
This is my worry as well.
Song’s move is not because of a contract draw down or some mythical Catalan gene.
It will encourage others to force their way out if we come up empty handed again.
Did i mean…anyless competitive…well..nuf rambling that..
but then..
I think the gloom is caused mostly seeing teams like Chelsea splurging 70Mn + on players..
We have gone for smarter replacements… I like it..
While I share the downs with you. Think of the ups, how many times recently, despite the amount of big names being sold annually, we have come back to qualify the CL. How many other managers would be able to do that? Not many, but we have 1 (at the moment). He has skill and the knowledge to put a team together and make it work, all with a limited budget.
If you can’t trust in him now, well……..
this is the first season he’s done it when we had no “world class” player to fill the mantle. In ’08, we had Fabregas, RVP, and, as it turned out, Adebayor. In ’09, we had Fabregas, RVP Adebayor, then Arshavin! In ’10 we had Fabregas, RVP, Arshavin, and a fit Wilshere. In ’11, there was at least the knowledge that we had RVP. Song was a bonus, as nothing he had done before predicted that season output. In ’12-13, we have…Ox, Cazorla, (hopefully) Jack. far less proof in the pudding we’re cooking.
Absolutely.
We keep risking it and the league is getting more competitive. City are a year wiser with good stability in their squad. Chelsea have bought an extra midfield worth of players. United have our talisman.
We MAY stay in 3rd or 4th gear this season which is commendable but we wreally ought to be pushing into the top 2 spots.
That experience (RVP, Song) we’ve relinquish in the squad could end up critical.