Predictable Friday update: defence, goalkeepers and Cesc 30 July, 2010
Posted by lasagnechef in Arsenal News.trackback
I can’t believe the Emirates Cup is tomorrow, I’ve spent all summer moaning that I miss proper club football and now the start of the Premier League season is just two weeks away! The Emirates Cup is always a good day out, nice to be back at The Grove to see Arsenal play, good to see a few familiar faces and it always turns into a day long piss up which is a laugh. This afternoon there’ll be a press conference with Arsene ahead of the tournament which will probably immediately render this blog post out of date and useless but I’m going to go ahead and update you anyway.
Wenger has revealed that he is still in the market for at least one centre back which is suppose is a relief. However as much as we know how reluctant he is to spend cash in the transfer window there’s no way he could avoid this problem. With Campbell finally making his mind up and joining Newcastle we’re left with just Vermaelen, Djourou and Koscielny – A guy who’s had one good season with us, a player who has never had a run in the first team and has consistent problems with injuries and newcomer with unknown potential and work to do to become Premier League standard; I don’t want to sound negative but that’s the reality. Here’s what Wenger said anyway on potential new signings in that area:
“I wouldn’t like to give you any names. There are plenty of names that we consider and we analyse. We look at the financial possibilities and the technical potential. But it is impossible for me to come out with a name.
We are still on the search because at the moment we only have three centre backs and we have seen last season you needed five. I believe we need at least four because we have some other players who can fill in this position but overall we are still on the search.”
I don’t like how he says he found out last season you need five centre backs so he needs to get four. Hopefully he is working to have five just to be safe, however I have a feeling that fifth member will be Havard Nordtveit. Wenger says he is trying to build up his experience by playing him at right back, I guess it’s not as important a position as centre back and mistakes made by him on the right wing might not be as costly as ones made in the middle. It makes sense and he could be the back up to Sagna this season who we’ve seen does need a little rest now and again freeing Eboue up to focus on his attacking play. In today’s Gunnerblog Gilbertosilver speaks to a Nuremberg fan and it does sound that despite his three different loan spells he needs more experience. Maybe the departure of Gallas, Silvestre, Senderos and Campbell this summer will open a door for the reserves captain. I’m expecting him to make an impact in the Carling Cup this year, which might lead to first team opportunities.
We’re still looking weak in the goalkeeping area too, I hear Mark Schwarzer is still our main target but we’ll have to wait and see what Mark Hughes’ plans are for the club and see whether he’s willing to let him go. There’s talk in the Daily Mail of them lining up Rob Green as a replacement for the Australian but we’ll see. Lukasz Fabianski has been talking about how all the goalkeepers are fighting for the no.1 spot this pre-season. He says that the games so far haven’t been very testing for us but the Emirates Cup could be a good chance to impress. I can see him, Almunia, Szczesny and Mannone getting 45 minutes each against Milan and Celtic with all of them in competition for that first team spot. A week tomorrow we’ve got that friendly against Legia Warsaw which is the final chance to pick a ‘keeper out of the four before the trip to Anfield 8 days later. That is of course unless we sign someone, so I’m hoping the auditions are cut short by a new arrival.
Another day, another story about Cesc Fabregas. These quote appeared apparently from him saying he loves Barcelona etc, etc, but is captain of Arsenal and he must respect that or something but they turned out to be old quotes recycled to create a story. However Carlos Puyol has decided to open his trap again and give his thoughts on the situation. Again. Why don’t they get it? You cannot afford him. It’s that simple. I really want a nice shiny new sports car but you don’t see me going into the garage every day with only half the money it’s worth complaining that I really want it and it’s not happy sat in the garage. It’s just not how it works unfortunately, Carlos; otherwise I’d up to my neck in speeding fines.
Well that’s about it for the moment, there should be a load more news later this afternoon from the pre-Emirates Cup press conference so look out for that on the official site. I hope you like the new look of the blog by the way, I’ve taken on board some feedback and changed it a couple times already but I think it’s looking alright now.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the football this weekend.
well i think poyul just acted out his nickname “Caveman”
i will call him an asshole
re the website : the tophies at the top
shouldnt there be (according to Wenger) the 13 trophies for finishing in the top 4 as it seems that is all the club is interested in
This management has no ambition. Wenger is a fool and liabilty and the sooner he clears off along with a board that is only interested in money and not football then the club will just stagnate and win nothing. Charge us the highest prices yet serve up dross like Almunia and Denilson. Wenger is a Joke.
Has Wenger only just realised this about his defence? He swanes off to the WC for a nice little 4 week earner to subsidise his 4.5m salary then comes back and thinks thaty 3 CH’s might not be enough. The tight wad was witing for a 35 yo to save him money by re signing. The clocks ticking and the way this idiot moves in the market it could be until January until we can get anybody. Mind you the board will be delighted the idiot has saved them even more money. The board and the management are a disgrace. We want our Arsenal back so the sooner Wenger leaves the better.
A The-Cannon post become useless ? , no dude , this is one of the finest Gooner blogs out there! Keep up the good work!!
I feel your pain Dave and Steve agree 100%
Dave and Steve…your both fools. Yeah yesterday Wenger woke up and a light bulb appeared above his head “bing”, “we need at least 4 defenders!!”, Do you want the club to go broke? Why don’t you just go support C$ty or Chel$ki if you want to support a club that throws ridiculous money around beyond its budget! Arsenal do it the right way, they have a sound investment in youth, of which the world’s best midfielder is a product! They have a new Stadium, the best and most modern in Britian! And they have books that balance, and not by a great margin, but a safe one! Sure go out and spend 40-50 million for two seasons reap the benfits for 3 years then the club is bankrupt a la Liverpool Leeds dropped out of champs league battling mid table or worse! then you’ll come on here and complain again!! The fact that Arsenal have the longest run of any team in the champions league should be a strong indicator of where they are at!!
Shut your faces and support your team
Fabianski is absolutely the worst goalkeeper I think I’ve seen for Arsenal. Everytime i see his name in the lineup i cringe. He would easily make the Arsenal Worst XI (so far the only other dead cert in that team is Franny Jeffers wearing the number 10).
I wish we would sign someone who was an established name already. Not someone who has the potential, but someone who already has a track record of success. Imagine the boost in confidence that would give?
Chamakh made Bender look like a cart horse.Unlike Bender he has a first touch which isnt a pass
Fabianski what a joke.How is this clown and the other one Almunia still at the club.Wenger go and sit in a row and watch the goals these two clowns let in last season and see how bad they are
No keeper no CB and we will finish 5th
To finish in the top 4 again next season we need a top class keeper and CB but Wenger the twat wont sign them.
The defenders who played in the EC all looked shaky once the ball was played into the box.
I have not seen anything this weekend to fill me with confidence for the coming season. There was absolutely nothing to get excited about. Walcott still hasnt found a way of getting past a full back and chamakh looks the part but i doubt he will be prolific. Wenger and the board are once againg playing an elaborate con trick and its the blinkered muppets on this site that are going to be conned again.
Dave has hit the nail on the head, the sooner Wenger fucks off the better. He has ruined a once proud club
ARSENE COLLECT YOUR COAT!!!!
wehayyyy!
At last, some proper fans on this (decent) site who can see the bigger picture.
I got sick to the back teeth five years ago of hearing Wenger whittle on about how moving to a new stadium will help us compete with the biggest clubs in europe in the transfer market. Wenger and the board and particularly fizman kept pleading with the fans to be patient as there would be money to spend. Its a complete red herring to say that buying players now would put us in financial peril. This board is happy for us to finish 3rd or 4th every year, the golden egg of champions league is prize enough for a sub standard squad, lets face it we are on the slide whilst them lot down the seven sisters are on the up…….however hard that is to swalllow. Ive said it before and its a fact, we will win fuck all with almunia, denilson,eboue, song, bendtner and diaby. They all have the odd good game but none of them would walk into any other top team in europe let alone the top 8 in the prem.
We should win 6 out of the first 7 fixtures, anything less and it will be another shit season!!
I acknowledge anyones right to an opinion but the spotty little yoofs that spend too much time in their bedrooms with imaginary friends who keep spouting “in arsene we trust” are deluding themselves, wenger is a spent force who has let sentiment get in the way of ruthlessness
Great Posts on this forum.At last Arsenal fans who live in the real world and not the “wenger cant do nothing wrong” world
Less than 2 weeks to the start of the season yet we still havent bought a keeper to replace the two village idiots we have at the moment.Its criminal that a club our size doesnt have a world class keeper
Wengers final season Me thinks
Mr lasagnechef,
your lack of enthusiasm to update this site after the weekend games speaks volumes
Everything to do with Arsenal now is related to profit, they have lost all sense of what it means to be a fan. 50 quid to put a stone on armoury sq, 35 notes to watch 4 bog standard teams, arsenal ring tones and the most expensive ticket prices in the world, YES the world. And for what? lousy 3rd and no hope of any siverware soon. Liverpool finished 7th, no champs league and they manage to keep torres, gerrard and gain cole. We finish in the top 3, champs league and cesc wants out and the manager still refuses to buy worldclass talent, is it any wonder experts are talking of our demise.