Toure, Eboue & Song off to ACN but we’ve brought someone in. 2 January, 2008
Posted by lasagnechef in Arsenal News, Transfers.trackback
Yesterday was Toure’s and Eboue’s last Premiership appearance until after the African Cup of Nations. Also Alex Song has been called up by Cameroon , he is uncapped but I’m sure he’d love to break into the side. We’re going to miss this lot for a possible nine games, luckily there’s no really hard games, maybe the 4th round of the FA Cup and Man City away on the second of Feb but if the Ivory Coast get knocked out before then, then we could have Toure and Eboue back. Here are those games they could miss:
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January 6: FA Cup Third Round – Burnley (a)
January 9: Carling Cup Semi-Final first leg – Tottenham (h)
January 12: Premier League – Birmingham (h)
January 19: Premier League – Fulham (a)
January 23: Carling Cup Semi-Final second leg – Tottenham (a)
January 26/27: FA Cup Fourth Round
January 29: Premier League – Newcastle (h)
February 2: Premier League – Manchester City (a)
February 9: Premier League – Blackburn (h)
Blackburn at home could also be a tricky one but as I say, we could have players back by then. To be fair, we’re only really going to miss Toure. Eboue can play well but he’s not as an important first team member as Kolo. Gallas has been talking about how much we’ll miss him; the two have formed a nice partnership this season and it will be a shame to see that broken.
So this provides an opportunity for Djourou or Senderos. Wenger did name Song as the other back up option to Toure but he’s traveled t Africa too now. I think we can cope, our Swiss defenders might be a bit dodgy at times but they are good defenders. I’ve heard Phillippe stormed off an hour before kick off yesterday after not being in the squad. Hmm. He’ll get his chance now. The three cup games coming up will give Wenger a great chance to decide whether to go for Senderos or Djourou in the Premiership so they’ve got to be at their best to get picked.
I’ve got another piece of juicy insider news for you. It seems we’ve managed to sort out a work permit for Carlos Vela and he is joining up with the squad. He came over on new years day but I don’t know whether he’s training with us yet. I can also say that apparently he isn’t just training here over the winter break and that he’s actually here to stay. A number of sites are reporting the story, it should just be a matter of time before it’s officially announced. He’s done really well in La Liga on loan with Osasuna and now looks to break into the Premier League. He’s traditionally a striker but can play left wing well too. He sounds quite exiting but is definitely one for the future.
Hopefully something will come up on Arsenal.com soon, but for now we’re still guessing. The guy I heard this off is genuine but I’d still like to hear it from Arsenal themselves.
Right I’m off, thanks for reading.
Perhaps Connolly is back to cover Song
Nope, he’s gone to QPR
http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=News&article=485896&lid=NewsHeadline&Title=Matt+Connolly+joins+Queen%27s+Park+Rangers
Connolly has just joined QPR!!
Connolly has signed for QPR
young english players again, never patient and always wanting to leave before wenger thinks they are ready
read the quote, he beleives he shld be playing 1st team footy, yet our reserves constantly beat the 1st teams of prem teams. So anyone with an ounce of sense will see that it is better to get the best education inj arsenal reserve than go to other teams who are under pressure remember the sunderland striker (i 4get his name) now cant get into the team. lets hope for his sake he does well for himself
Connolly has sign for QPR
come on in vela and djourou!
that annoys me actually. Connolly is a really decent prospect. good enough for the premiership and no worse than Senderos right now. and we let him go for nothing to QPR. I still regret letting upson go. OK so these players might not be first choice but we are not exactly blessed with lots of centre backs and good english players are rare.
hope the vela story is true but I wont beleive it til wenger says so.
if vela is really back (which i doubt) then its great cover for both or strikers and midfield. even if he doesnt play that many games, it would be good to have him understand the team and style of play so that come next season he’ll be truely ready for the demands of the premiership. What about dimitrov??? any word on if and/or when he’ll be signed up?
i sincerely hope that Ivory Coast will be knocked out as soon as
possible, thank you…
haha…
We are seriously playing with fire here.Would anyone trust a Djourou,Senderos partnership or god forbid song,djourou.Get your chequebook out wenger and ofload one of song,senderos or djourou.
#11: You having watched Djourou that much have you?
Sorry, having = haven’t
Zann, have you watched Djourou?
He gave away several penalties this season for birmingham!
djourou and senderos aren’t premiership winning defenders but we still got gallas. we will probably been vulnerable because if gallas is injured it could be a disaster but if we could just hand on with the games we have because they aren’t that hard games so i think we still have world class attackers so all we need to do is kill teams off early then we won’t need to worry about the defense.
i’ve kept a close eye on djourou’s progress this year and he’s cost birmingham a good 12 points atleast, the mistakes he’s made..oh so casual are shocking and if worst comes 2 worst senderos should be partnering gallas even though he’s not exactly mr reliable either. If diarra wants to leave that badly he can go though he is a top talent we have many in the position he’s in, and if it’s spurs who want him the only way they should get him is if we get taraabt in return unless vela is “really” back.
I think Senderos will be first choice out of the two unless Djourou does something good in the cup games.
Re: Conolly, the problem with these players is that they always wnt to play, the reserve system in England allows for only so many games. And Arsene is never one to deny players who want to leave.
Also the Arsenal squad is quite young, and with so few players retiring or being sold we can only keep so many players happy.
If everyone in the acedemy and reserves are that good then we have to resign ourselves to losing some good prospects.
What are we supposed to do?
any word on dimitrov??
Everybody seems to be forgetting one thing. Sagna was “rested” yesterday for Hoyte. I believe Hoyte will get an extended run as right back with Sagna moving inside to play alongside Gallas. Sagna can comfortably play anywhere along the back four. Hoyte improved tremendously this time last year after a run of games and am sure Le Boss is looking at the fixtures we have and feels Hoyte can cope. Just my opinion but I would prefer that option than “The Swiss Tonys” at centre half! God help us if Gallas gets injured as I’m sure Le Boss will NOT buy in the window. WE ARE TOP O THE LEAGUE SAY WE ARE TOP O THE LEAGUE!!!!!
that is an excellent point
Michael
Then why did he hold on to Flamini? Diarra and Diaby have also wanted to leave so why are they still urged to stay? Connolly has been called into the U21 so I think he’s good.
I don’t like the situation where if an English player wants to leave he’s quickly offloaded but foreign players are begged to stay. All the second players we have; Senderos and Djourou are craps. Senderos has been given chances upon chances since 2006 but rather going backwards. If he were English, he would’ve been sold by now as Muamba was also quickly sold even though he’s proved in his position to be better than some of the French players at the club. Senderos cost us the CC cup and the FA cup at Blackburn. Djourou cost us the CL match at PSV. Senderos cost us at Serville and nearly cost us at Blackburn again but for Song.
Song is the only improved guy who could’ve fit in for Toure. And what is the guarantee that Toure will come back fit?
Now a young man just called into U21 and once the reserve captain who came to the club at 8 has been sold for peanuts because Arsene feels crap players like Djourou and Senderos rather have a future? Poor Pr and poor business ethics.
Harlan, you only see what is on the surface, you do not have any in depth knowledge of what is going on or how well Connolly has developed. Arsene is more often right than wrong and I refuse to believe that nationality has anything to do with his decision making.
Passenal, I totally agree with you…. time and again Arsene has shown his lack of belief in players who feel they can dictate when and where they should play in the team and unfortunately most of the time those sort of players tend to be English. I mean he hasn’t let hoyte go and that kid sits tight and waits for his chance, he is taking his time to groom Walcott into something special. Not for one second do i believe he chooses foreigners over english for any reason other than pure talent and mental strength, and that little twat Diarra had better wake up quick and realize just how priveleged he is to be part of this highly skilled pack of lads or he can piss off too.
I´m sure Dimitrov will sign. It says on the Levski site that he has impressed very much.
Mputu won´t sign. Vela…I don´t know if he has come back, but I have watched every match he has played in for Osasuna and he is a monster, he turned Sergio Ramos at least 3 times.
My guuess for FA CUP:
Almunia
Sagna Senderos Gallas (C) Clichy
Hleb Gilberto Diarra Rosicky
Ade Bendtner
Gallas, Eboue, and Song leaving will be a blow, but I believe Senderos and Djourou are capable of filling that gap
Senderos was instrumental in our wonderful clean sheet CL run a couple of years ago, and played very well most of the time until his Drogba game which killed his confidence. All he needs is a couple of decent games and he will be back at his best.
Remember this is the guy Wenger sees as the next captain, and both him and Ferguson were desperate to sign him when he was younger, if Im not mistaken both managers went to his home in Switzerland to try and convince him to join their clubs.
Also …. he is JUST 22!
I really want to put a positive spin on the swiss pair…..but i simply feel they are a liability.Yes i have watched Djourou play for Birmingham and that is exactly why it sends shivers down my spine.I really do hope that Sagna as suggested by mick can play in central defence that would calm me down a bit but i feel Wenger is playing with fire.Imagine Gallas as a long term casualty then you wont be able to sleep at night.
[...] Toure, Eboue & Song off to ACN but we’ve brought someone in. [image] Yesterday was Toure’s and Eboue’s last Premiership appearance until after the African Cup of […] [...]
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We can still cope as there are many cup games and the best between Djorou and sendereos will definately be picked to play alongside Gallas and if not then we still have the option of gilberto. the tricky game is obviously man city but c’mon we are The Arsenal!!!
some of the stuff here is nauseating. djourou hasnt cost brum 12 points, otherwise they wouldnt be starting him every match or better yet, disappointed that arsenal havent extended his loan. ok, he may have made a few mistakes, but brum arent exactly flying high at the moment. And arsene wenger gave flamini permission to leave in the summer, he didnt “BEG” him to stay. flamini decided that he’d prefer to stay and fight for his place. diaby just said it once that he wants to start more often and its construed as wanting to leave. diarra maybe cant wait to pack his bags, but if matt connoly were as talented as diarra, i’d bet wenger would make him stay too. face it. we’ve never seen him play but i’ve seen toure and gallas play. he isnt getting into to the team as long as they’re there. and theres senderos too. i think wenger would know if he’s better than any of the other defenders we have. some ppl just seem to have as much common sense as hair on my head.
Lets get a couple of things right here first.
Connolly is a good player, however he was not good enough for Arsenal. He may have been sold for peanuts, but remember the like of Pennant and Bentley were sold for decent money, but the club did not disclose the amount. If we got 3 mill of him, we did well.
His comments say it all, at his age he felt he should be playing 1st team football. You have to be exceptional to do that at Arsenal, see Fabregas and Ashley Cole as examples of REAL young players who forced their way into the 1st team.
Center Halves mature later than other players as they are more exposed. The two Swiss guys have played a lot together and I am sure they will improve. Dont forget they both went to the World Cup and will play in the Euros this year.
There is no policy at Arsenal to get rid of the young English players, but if these players expect to be playing 1st team football at 20 then MOST of them will have to move on. If some of them were happy to wait around for a couple more years, then maybe they would break through. I think that would have been the case for David Bentley.
Good Luck Matthew, and good luck who ever players CB in the next Prem game.
nischit..
djourou has cost birmingham 12 points, he has made costly mistakes in 4 games which resulted in losses not draws, and another thing…the only reason birmingham wanted to keep him so badly is because they are incredibly short in the central defensive department, read McLeish’s comments:
“Will I try and keep Djourou for the season? I would think that would be a target we would try and achieve. I know Arsene is mindful of the fact Toure is needed for the African Nations Cup. It is an obstacle we will have to try and overcome.
“But if we can’t do that, we will have to try and look for someone else because we are a little bit light in that department of the team.”
Djourou is only 20 ffs! Sendros is 22!
They are young athletes who have done well and will only improve with time. How many world class central defenders (anywhere in Europe) do you have who are below the age of 26??
Its just that central defenders are scrutinized more than any other position for their mistakes, for obvious reasons.
Rock,
If Djourou made a mistake and the game was level and they lost it 1 – 0 due to his mistake, Birmingham have only lost 1 point, as the game would have been 0 – 0.
If Birmingham were winning and he made a mistake say it was 1 – 0 and then the result was 1 – 1 they would have lost 2 points.
Birmingham’s problem is their lack of goals not the goals conceeded, they are the same as the team around them.
Mark,
Psychology plays a massive, massive part in the game, with the score remaining at 0-0 as the game goes on there is more of an urgency to go out and take all 3 points. Nobody can tell what can happen in a game if the score was such and such looking back in hindsight. This is why every major football stat system includes all 3 points when reffering to club’s recent run’s such as the last 5 games, determining how many points were lost and won, to cover all probability over 90 mins of each game, or it simply wouldnt be on a level playing field. You lose a game, you lose 3 points, straightforward.
x = {q + [q2 + (r-p2)3]1/2}1/3 + {q – [q2 + (r-p2)3]1/2}1/3 + p
where
p = -b/(3a), q = p3 + (bc-3ad)/(6a2), r = c/(3a)
———————————————————–
The above equation determines the severity of the defensive situation at Arsenal during this ACN period. Depending on Danish Gooner’s relative interpretation of the word “fire”, I thoroughly agree with his/her statement expressing that Arsenal are “playing with fire.”
Fire functions with the principle and theory of the fire triangle, each of side the triangle exemplifying the following: fuel, heat, and oxygen.
Remove any side of the triangle, and the fire is extinguished.
Obviously, one of the simplest ways to extinguish a fire is to use a liquid with corresponding chemicals so as to diminish the intensity of the fire’s heat and temperature, and additionally forming an envelope surrounding the blaze in order to obstruct access of oxygen from entering the flame, therefore asphyxiating the fire and ultimately expunging the fire.
When put into context, Djourou and Senderos represent the ‘liquid’ which could extinguish Arsenal’s delicate situation concerning a potential weakness in Defensive positions, and the ‘chemicals’ are regarded as skill.
It is unsure whether or not theses individuals possess the meticulous chemicals to expel the fire, it is unsure into which category of liquid they are accommodated.
Basically, they are conflicting doubts to weather they are, gasoline or water – whether Arsenal are screwed, or if they can solve this problem. Nevertheless, Arsene trusts them…and Arsene knows.
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hehehehe.
we ve got carlos vela! vela vela vela
to the tune of glamorous umbrella!!
Rob,
Ur a tool
Connolly wanted to leave. He’s right. You DO need a first team place to continue your education. Aliadiere is the perfect example of a guy who waited too long in the reserves. Connolly met him when he joined Arsenal at 8. He ended up PLAYING with him last year in the reserves. That would’ve dented his resolve to wait for an Arsenal spot. He realised that he wouldn’t get a realistic opportunity with Gallas, Toure, Djourou, Senderos, Sagna, Hoyte, Gilberto, Song, etc., in front of him. And he will get it at a crap club like QPR.
You “gooners” make me sick. You’re dismissive of English players whinging about lack of first team opportunities in big clubs damaging their chances in the England team. You say they should fuck off to France or Spain or wherever to get that first team experience. And then, when one of our guys is willing to leave the Wengerdome and fight it out in the big, bag world, you all think he’s arrogant and Bentley-ish.
Fuck you all, you hypocritical cunts.
Anyway, there’ll be a buy-back option in his contract. It’s standard with Arsene players. If Connolly improves dramatically, he’ll be called back to the Arse. If not, at least he’ll get his chance to shine.
Connellys Agent,
Connelly wanted to leave because he was sick of Pat Rice putting vegtables up his bum pretending that they’ll make him faster. He was sick of being fingered by Gilberto. And above all, he was sick to death of being forced to lick Flamnini’s pussy. Thats the real reason, and by god I agree with the him. Flamini is a stain on the pants of english football
conor,
Yes, I am a tool.
Connolly’s agent, please relax. I suggest you spend a few hours with the doors locked your step mom’s basement and do recreational depressant drugs, an example is Marijuana. Doing this will assist you to maintain a lethargic, calm state of being, as theses “downers” decelerate one’s metabolism. However, I do not recommend Marijuana as it is illegal in most countries on this planet Earth which consists of over 6 billion people, and is over 40 000 km in diameter, it is part of our solar system [...]
Another simpler, yet more unpredictable example of a downer is alcohol – and that is not illegal and very easy to be gained in one’s possession.
Good luck Connellys Agent.
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Blog, Head
I’m assuming that everything you said in your comment was a lie, however not all of it can be proven wrong.
Except your implication about “Flamini’s pussy”. Flamini does not have a pussy, he is a man. I believe you have the human genders confused and should consult a psychiatrist as you have probably been engaging in sexual activities which deviate from your narrow understanding of ummm…things.
If flamini did have a pussy, he would not be playing with Arsenal in the Barclays Premier League, but with another team, in a Women’s league.
——————————————————–
hehehe i love pretending to be a robot.
Rob’2,
Dude I know its strange but trust me, Flamini has a pussy. A big fat hairy one. He’s too good for the Ladies and cos he’s so damn ugly, Arsenal were able to cover it up. When Wenger first saw it in the changing rooms he shouted “Oh My God, Flaminis got a big, fat, hairy…………………………Smmeeeeelllllllyyyyy pussy”
Explain that Roberto
Blog Head,
Dude, that is possible. Your comment makes sense now, holy crap…I hope he doesn’t have a pussy.
PS: My name is Rob’2, not Roberto. Roberto is the name of my Mafia party leader uncle – and if you were to be sarcastic with him he would feed your balls to the pigs.
Blog Head,
Dude, that is possible. Your comment makes sense now, holy crap…I hope he doesn’t have a pussy.
PS: My name is Rob N’2, not Roberto. Roberto is the name of my Mafia party leader uncle – and if you were to be sarcastic with him he would feed your balls to the pigs.
Great! I posted the same comment twice.
Roberto,
Dude your uncle sounds like Flaminis pussy, Fat, sweaty and bald.
Dude I heard your unlce likes eating willys, tell the fat fuck he can eat mine anytime, and that offer goes to you too Roberto, not your sister though, she’s wrong