Interior: it’s a bar, a cramped place sandwiched between a yoga studio and a pastor’s office. It’s late, the after-work crowd has vanished in a cloud of whiskey and the only people left in the place are the bartender, a kid playing pool by himself, and two men sitting next to each other drinking beer.
So now what? What does Robin van Persie do now? You heard about Juventus, right?
No.
Their coach has been basically caught looking the other way while the team he managed was involved in match fixing. To put it another way, he was caught match fixing, I mean, “allegedly caught match fixing”. He offered the Italian government to ban himself for three months from managing football, and they said nope. It’s a mess. Why would Robin van Persie go to Juvetus when its looking like their coach is involved in some shady shit like that?
Good point. And there’s been no further interest from Man U or Man City?
Yeah, they probably took one look over the wall and saw the fact that for a year and a half he played more games for Holland than for Arsenal and promptly climbed back down off the wall. Let’s say that Man U offered him £150,000 a week for four years.
Yep.
That would be uhhh… do you have a calculator?
Use your phone.
Duh! 31.2 MILLION pounds. Even if they weren’t going to care a lick about Financial Fair Play, Man City’s not that stupid. Are they? Haven’t they learned anything from Robinho, Adebayor, Bellamy… I heard Roque Santa Cruz is still on the payroll! I mean who is going to pay a 29 year old crock 30 million pounds? Half of it in his last two years when he will likely not be producing?
Huh, that would be fucking hilarious if his only real option was to stay with Arsenal. Ha ha ha… I can see the contrite statement now. “My words were misconstrued” and “You guys know I have always given everything to this club” or the best one, he could pull a Rooney. “After the purchase of Podolski, Giroud, Cazorla, and Sahin, I feel like the direction of the club has improved dramatically and want to do my part to help The Arsenal win trophies.”
I doubt he’d say “The Arsenal”.
True, but you get my point.
That Robin van Persie is a two-faced cunt?
NO! They are all two-faced cunts and the tooth fairy isn’t real. Sorry to be the one to break it to you but all footballers, every one of them, is a two-faced cunt. Except maybe Jenkinson. I don’t think Jenkinson would crash his car if Arsenal offered him £55,000 a week. My point is that Arsenal have improved or will have improved if they get Cazorla and Sahin.
You sound like a dick when you say his name like that.
Cathorla? That’s how he pronounces his name.
Yeah, but the guy playing pool keeps looking up every time you say it like that. It’s not natural. People don’t go around pronouncing Shogun “showgoon” or Godzilla “gojira” so stop sounding like you are taking a Rosetta stone course in Spanish. Also, why not roll the r while you’re at it. That will give it full effect. Cathhhorrrrrla! Andele!
The point is that Arsenal are clearing out a lot of the dross. And after years of buying kids are finally bringing in players who are ready to make a difference right now. Guys like CaZORla who will make an instant impact. In an ironic twist, Arsenal are showing everyone and especially Robin that they have ambition. It’s almost like they heard the chants last year of “spend some fucking money” and took it to heart.
Huh… it kinda makes Robin’s statement look even dumber and greedier. I mean, he had to have gone into that meeting with Ivan and Arsene and talked about what they planned to do this summer. That’s what he said they did and that’s when he decided that “we disagree on the way Arsenal should move forward”. What if Arsene told him that the club were going to be offloading players like Arshavin and bringing in a big center half like Giroud. That the plan was to move him back to the number 10 spot and add some depth with Podolski and Cazorla. And that they were looking for a real defensive midfielder like Nuri Sahin to come in and provide cover for the defense. What if they told him all that and he still said “I don’t like the direction this club is headed.” What direction? The direction of getting better players in the team? Adding more experience throughout the whole club? Getting players in who can cover for injuries and for when the Africa Cup of Nations happens?
l. o. l.
Ugh… I hate when you do that. What are you a teenage girl in 2002?
I think you’re right. The club looks pretty good, though. I’d like to see some fullbacks and a backup keeper but other than that the club is looking pretty solid. If they get Sahin and Cazorla.
Backup keeper? You don’t like Flappyhandski?
Can we talk about that nickname? Because it’s fucking gaytarded. Seriously, are you not at all embarrassed saying that out loud? Ooh, there goes Flappyhandski again. Why don’t you come over here and give me a Flappyhandski?
l. o. l.
Cathorrrla.
Touche.
—scene—
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Without the death rate and social irresponsible behaviour (usually). Gimme another hit, Tim!
I know you typed that with one hand.
Some good chuckles in there. Also some very good points.
The arrivals of Podolski, Giroud, and Cazorla this summer and Koscielny, Arteta, and Gervinho in the last two, already represent a gradual return to Wenger’s transfer policy when he first arrived [getting players mid or late career who still have a higher level to reach, and on whom we don't necessarily need to recoup investment] It would also appear to sound the death knell of the youth project, if that gong wasn’t ringing already as Fabregas left.
I don’t believe the way we have done things in the past 6 or 7 years was a permanent strategy. It was a means to an ends—that of paying down stadium debt while maintaining our presence in the CL and as a ‘top club,’ and if we won something along the way? Gravy.
Now that there is some light at the end of that tunnel, I think we are going to see a lot more balance in the squad. I’m sure Wenger desperately wanted to build that young team together that would dominate for years, because he’s that kind of mental idealist. But I don’t think that was the intention as a long term strategy, and it’s clear to me that the players arriving represent the manager’s recognition that the youth project wasn’t going to work.
For me, it has been an incredible summer already. A big improvement from a year ago. I’m excited to see this team come together.
If you go back to when I first started writing here you’ll see that I was one who believed that the youth policy was going to be a forever strategy.
Glad I was wrong!
I have to say I had no idea what was going to happen, but I definitely drank the kool-aid, especially in 07-08. And last season was a bit of a wrench too, to be fair. I thought we were nailed on to win something.
I do remember Wenger saying a few seasons back though, that if we didn’t win something soon, he would have to admit that his youth project wouldn’t work. So you may have been right and my view may be a bit revisionist.
Either way, it does indeed feel like the direction has changed and I have to admit it has got me anticipating this season big time.
Great points today. I am not sure if project youth failed or if the youth failed Arsenal. The only way it would have worked is if the youth stayed and played together. Our history of injuries and players leaving at their peak meant that this was doomed.
I do like the balance and mix we are getting in this summer and the players we already have.
RVP staying or better yet signing a year extension to keep him here thru his peak is bothering me less and less each day. We have cover for him and I feel his 30 goals were a wonderful thing last year but not going to be repeated. We will score goals. Poldi, Giroud, cazorla, Arteta, Walcott and Gervinho will all chip in more this year than we had last.
Defense will be better but our style will always be susceptible to a quick counterattack , especially if we have a defensive mid that doesn’t constantly break up play in front of him.
Arteta was very good at covering for song and even if he had to foul someone cynically, he did.
I’m ready for some football!!
hilarious would be if RVP comes out and says it’s because he held gunners at gunpoint that they signed such quality players.
If he had signed a contract I don’t think arsene would have signed giroo.
Arsenal were scouting Giroud in April.
Arsenal signed Giroud June 26th.
RvP statement came out July 4th.
Perhaps, Arsene saw it coming, but I think Giroud was well on the radar before the crunch talks with RvP.
Exactly. Giroud’s an upgrade on Chamakh essentially, and with his buyout clause at a reasonable price, it was a wonderful opportunity to buy someone like him (by which I mean not his chiseled looks and abs of steel, but him being top scorer in France….by which I mean GOAL scorer..not scoring with the….gaahhh..never mind)
Lol! Don’t worry, you’re not the only one with a man-crush on Giroud! Which is not to say that I have one too…that’s not what I meant, etc
Agreed Tim, but Robin had already done his EOS talk with Gazidis and Wenger and they obviously knew he probably would not have re-signed. If nothing had been agreed upon either way in that meeting there was no need to place a gag order on proceedings.
As per Grimandi BTW , who came out and said Giroud was a RVP replacement.
Frankly I’d love to see RvP stay. He is top quality if even he screwed up big time with that statement. If you accept Tim’s point that the overwhelming majority of footballers are driven by money, then you have to accept that they all have a price and will all try to do for themselves. That sucks, but if they’re going to exploit that system for their own good, I see no reason that the club should not profit from his staying.
Anyone else thing Wenger might plan to use Nico Yennaris as the backup rightback to Sagna & Jenkinson? Or even make him play there permanently as pointed out by Arseblog?
And then TV as backup to Gibbs & Santos with Per, Kos & JD in center? I understand where you are coming from Tim regarding fullbacks & keeper but i suspect Wenger might be happy with that situation. Just a guess.
The few times I saw Yennaris, I thought he was pretty good…
Yeah, but you think Arshavin is good.
I also think he is good, but I also think he seriously lazy. I’d prefer to keep him as well since he is a decent option from the bench.
I don’t know what next for Robin. I still think it’s unlikely he’ll stay, but you never know. It would be good for us if he stays actually, but if there really is nowhere for him to go, I’d offer him less than the 130k p/w we were reportedly offering and expect him to sign it.
Paying him 130k over 4 years was always a little much, based on his age and injury history. The main reason behind it was to preserve the image of the club in terms of keeping the best player and leader happy. He’s already destroyed that. Even if he stays now, it’ll be only because he had no other option. Hence, a lower offer than before.
I wouldn’t give Van Persie another contract even if it turned out that none of what was on offer elsewhere was attractive to him or us (which, incredibly, is almost looking likely now, though I still retain some hope that the Juventus deal will work out).
No, I would let him play out his remaining year, during which he would probably fail to reproduce the heights of last season, probably because of another six-month injury inflicted during a Holland friendly, and then where would he be come next summer? At Aston Villa, that’s where, or whatever other middling club would be desperate enough to take a chance on a player with such a poor injury record.
This is starting to sound bitter.
I’m much happier when I consider a future with Podolski, Giroud, and, possibly, Cazorla and Sahin. I know nothing is a guarantee when you buy players from other leagues and what not, but I really see some great quality coming in, and some great quality coming through the ranks.
I’ll end with a question: What do others here think about the possibility of losing Song this summer?
I saw that Song rumour too, and my gut reaction is no way in hell, but then again, I’ve come to the conclusion that I really have no idea what goes through a footballer’s head these days. Why any of these guys, who already make more in a year than I’ll ever make in my lifetime, would throw away the potential to become a club legend (the closest thing to deification in our society) for what amounts to a slight bump (per centage wise) in their already bloated paycheques, is beyond me.
I think when Overmars left, either he or a teammate at the time said that he was just that type of guy, never one to stay in one place too long. Of course the bump in salary must play into it, but I can see how a lot of footballers would have this attitude. They are young and have a limited playing career, and might want a taste of life and football in different cultures.
It is harder to take though with players like Song, Flamini, van Persie and even Cesc, who spend their formative years at the club, then leave right when we start to see their true value and best form. And especially, as in the case of those just mentioned, when they leave in pursuit of trophies having not actually helped us secure one in return for the development of their careers.
Losing Song would be a disaster! Offered a choice of Song or RVP signing a new 4 year deal, I would take Song for sure.
Song’s departure would be another case of Wenger’s youth project not coming to fruition. Imagining a player like Coquelin taking the reigns after perhaps Sahin covering for a season doesn’t seem so bad.
Song has been at the club for what, 8 years? That’s about as long as we can realistically expect from any player these days. Actually, even in the trophy winning squads it’s just about what we got. What has hurt the most is that in the case of players like Vieira, Henry, Bergkamp, and Pires, we got their best years. For players like Cesc, van Persie and Song, we trained them to their best in that time, and may see them all in their primes somewhere else.
If we’re looking for more discipline in midfield–especially in terms of defending as a team–would you not say Song is something of a liability? I’m just throwing that out there, because Song was everywhere and anywhere he wanted to be last season, which often produced spectacular attacking results, but not always solid defensive results.
Would this mitigate his loss? Does it perhaps explain the interest in Sahin.
I don’t know. I really don’t know what to think of selling Song. I think I’m mostly against it…
Losing Song should be furthest thing from our minds. We can all argue about his discipline, but we can’t improve if we keep on losing our best players. His numbers defensively last year were decent and offensively he was amazing, but you also need to remember that he hardly ever gets injured. Rosicky, Arteta, Ramsey, Coquelin, Diaby and Wilshire can hardly convince me that they can play 30 games each.
Honestly sometimes I wonder if the idea that Song needs to hold his position more is more about perception than reality. Man U, for example, don’t really have such a player, yet they seem to do ok.
Ever since Makelele become a player of renown, many in the footballing world have developed the idea that every team needs a guy who does nothing but sit in front of the back four, passing to better creative players. I’m not denying the importance of the defensive midfielder position, but I just think some of us have developed a sort of tunnel vision about this, and regard a DM as rubbish if he ever ventures outside his predesignated position. Would an M’Vila type really be better than a Song?
Here’s a thought: Has Song has been made a scapegoat for the fact that our defenders can’t defend properly as a team? Did Petit, for example, hold his position better than Song? I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure it mattered less since the defensive line behind him knew how to work together.
I am not sure any of our midfielders have a designed position and I think Song was given the freedom to push forward by design. He looked like a genius when his forays forward led to his chipped assists. But he looked exposed when they didn’t come off and we got counter attacked and scored on. My perception ( could be wrong) is that this happend more when Arteta was off the pitch. I think the defense is more exposed in the last few years because of our style of pushing more and more forward. Song, Verm, and Kos all venture in to the attacking third frequently ( not to mention both fullbacks). Is the defense not playing well as a unit or are we too attack minded as a team?
The biggest complaint I have is that even when we got a lead at the end of the season last year we continued to push forward only to be caught by a counter. We need to keep a better shape as a whole team. Especially when in a winnig position!!
Has Song has been made a scapegoat for the fact that our defenders can’t defend properly as a team?
===
Scapegoat? No. Our scapegoat is Ramsey, don’t you know? Song is not a scapegoat, but he is part of the problem. I’m not sure what you mean by “our defenders can’t defend properly as a team”? Makes no sense. If we want to defend “as a team,” then that includes more than our defenders, and especially those assigned to help protect our back four.
Ok, that should be “defenders don’t know how to defend properly as a unit”.
I’m sure I’m a bit biased here since Song is one of my favourite players. But I do find it interesting how much he gets targeted as a prime reason for our defensive frailties in comparison to Vermaelen and Chesney, who for my money are the 2 players who most need to improve on last season if we are to stop conceding so freely.
Yes this didn’t escape me either. And of all people it’s that cockroach Busquets who is apparently impressed by Song’s bulging biceps. Am I completely convinced by Song? No… but we need to hold on to him. He is still developing and despite his drawbacks, he is a top class midfielder. I think if there was more creativity in the team, you would automatically see Song pull back on the offense. Last season he seemed to have taken it upon himself to be the driving force in MF when we struggled for offense – and I don’t blame him for it. He is technically very good and will put 90% of the teams we play to shame if Arsene instructs him to focus on his defense more. Of course I also HATE the fact that he is still so friendly with Adebayor, but we should sign him to a long term contract as soon as we have sorted out Theo’s contract situation.
Looks like Cazorla has just tweeted he’s an Arsenal player? Is this legit?
https://twitter.com/SCazorla12
Fake account apparently.
Aw, shucks. I suppose it’s only a matter of time anyway. Still, I did get excited for a second there.
Well, at least I’m not the only one who bought it!
http://news.arseblog.com/2012/08/cazorla-signs-for-arsenal/
[just taken down from the site]
…and L’Equipe ran with it, too?
Wow.
Damned internet! Where are my lapdancers???
Oh come on! That’s just cruel! I was ready to go streaking!
Don’t let this stop you. There are many good reasons to streak, like finishing lunch, for instance, or after reading the newspaper, or after a really good phone conversation.
True – this could be therapeutic and just what doctor ordered after the RVP saga
Shoot, I was naked in the driveway before checking it on my Android.
Now my neighbors know exactly what I look like.
Not even remotely football related, but cool as fuck! At 1.31 am eastern on Monday morning, NASA’s new Curiosity rover will touch down on Mars. The landing is being shown live on the jumbo trons in Times Square. If only I were going to be in NYC then!
Seeing the landing would be cool, but I’m no longer interested in those rovers. This is what, the third or fourth one? AND THEY STILL HAVEN’T FOUND ALIENS.
Third, and that’s the entire point of Curiosity. It’s actually designed to look for signs of life.
Oh, all right then. So long as “signs of life” are giant green crab-like creatures with fleshy tentacled heads and rows of razor-sharp teeth dripping with poisonous ooze.
Go, Curiosity, go!
Sorry, to disappoint you mate, but Carlos Tevez is on tour with Citeh.
Cheers,
Jon
Could someone explain to me how one of the Mars Rovers is still operating under the most miserable conditions after 8 years, and they have no Shell stations on the planet last time I heard.
Just suppose we applied that technology to earth vehicles?
Naw, that wouldn’t work. Big oil would be out of business.
If you were in NYC, then Times Square is the last place you would want to be.
Exciting times. I have faith that all this activity will yield better results on the pitch, but we still badly need to upgrade defensively.
Agree that I’d rather lose RvP at this point, over Song.
Tim you should really try your hand at being a playwright. That was terrific.
I still think RVP goes. Too much bad blood between him & the club/supporters at this point. That letter on his website was extremely stupid and now he’s looking like a fool and a liar. Nobody with a shred of intelligence can now believe that Arsenal is not showing ambition. If only he kept his mouth shut and was professional about the whole thing. Of course this also brings about the question that nobody is asking at the moment. What’s going on with Theo? I guess we’ll see what he’s made of. He knows the club means business and it’s upto him now to fight for his place in the team.
I’m trying really hard not to jump around with joy until we have received the official word from the dot com on Santi. Till then, I’m going to have to be zen like about the whole thing. Om Santi…
What frustrates me is if you work out the £130k p/w plus the £5 mil, it works out at over £200k a week for the duration. I think its about wanting the same cash as other clubs pay their top boys and feeling like we can challenge. If we make the signings that are on the cards then we can challenge and I feel RVP will see that. I think he’s been very clever how he’s handled things. Going to be interesting come the end of tomorrow as that is when everyone says it should be resolved. Never a dull moment, got a good feeling for the season though.
the Juve scenario would be perfect..
far from sight, far from heart.. or however that saying goes..
and than to have those cu**s relegated again for match fixing next year..
forgive if I sound a bit bitter
Unfortunately, it’s not a Juve problem. It’s Conte when he was coaching Sienna in Serie B.
Re Song, I can’t see it happening, he would be too expensive for a bench warmer. Barca talked big money but I don’t think they have it, and who would he replace in their 1st X1? Remember Hleb?
I agree. Don’t think barca have the money this year. Maybe next year when his contract is entering its last year. But not this year.
VanPersie 29 – Podolski 27
Chamakh 28 – Giroud 25
Arshavin 31 – Cazorla 27
Yossi 32 – Sahin 23 (loans)
Where is the deviation from youth policy…??!? infact we are buying younger replacements…
I think the perception is caused if you see it as Bendtner and Vela leaving and Giroud and Podolski coming in…but Bendtner and Vela had left last season itself…without kicking a ball for AFC…easily replaced by Ox and Park Chu…
Long live youth policy..!!!!!
This is as close to an official announcement as I need: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/aug/02/arsenal-santi-cazorla-robin-van-persie
Spanish MFs seem to be the hot property these days. We had one of the best but the Barcelona siren song was too strong. I’d have liked Mata but he was classless at the Olympics and we just sent classless to Man City. We were never in the running for Silva and now look who ‘falls’ into our lap, another Spanish MF. I once said that you can’t be a contender unless you have a Brazilian in your line-up. The same can now be said about Spanish MFs. Now we are a contender.
What say you RVP? You should have used your heart rather than your wallet. You damn well should not have followed the advise of Ibrahimovic to change clubs like underwear. Juventus, what a joke. I follow Serie A but like I’ve always said, it’s a football ‘burial’ ground.
Too early yet to determine whether he should be called Santi Carzola or SAINT Carzola.
Give me 6 goals and 12 assists and I’ll instantly canonize him.
Getting Cazorla is good but getting Sahin (with a buy clause) is crucial given our MF attrition rate because he will give us depth. Season hasn’t even started and we have Arshavin in limbo ( and he’s a box of chocolates), Rosicky crocked, Wilshere tbd, Frimpong tbd, and Diaby tbd (based on his history).
So is Poldoski following RVP around just waiting for his to take off that number?
I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR NOT SAYING “DEADWOOD” AT ANY POINT IN YOUR BLOGGING.
really though, i mean it. we can take “deadwood” and add it to that nauseating cannon of transfer saga terms: “swoop”, “raid”, “double-raid”, “starlet”, “reverse-cowgirl”.