Santi Cazorla is confirmed as an Arsenal player. No matter how long drawn-out the affair might have been, you cannot be anything other than excited by his arrival, adding extra quality to the squad. I am often bemused when I read the reaction by some, complaints that he is not a Messi or Ronaldo. Who is? Aside from Messi or Ronaldo? To me there are few players in their sphere, transcending world-class. And even then I am not convinced that the latter does merit such accolades; sometimes he is, sometimes not. Perhaps he occupies the netherworld betwixt the two. Neither has dominated a tournament in the way that Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Puskas, Pele or others such as Jairzinho or Rivelino have in years gone by.
Disparagement from suppoerters of other clubs about Cazorla’s absence from the recent Euro2012 starting line-up falter in analysing the tactics employed by Del Bosque, Cazorla probably more than most suffered from the absence of a traditional centre-forward. It also betrays their jealousy that Arsène has been busy adding to make the squad stronger whilst other managers are relatively inactive. That is understandable to some degree; Arsenal have ground to make up on the top two whilst keeping ahead of the chasing pack.
The player himself offered the expected enthusiasm on joining, admitting encouragement from Cesc and Le God Pires to join Arsenal. Presumably that was the sentence before Cesc asked if Cazorla had any Catalan DNA.
The midfield looks strong. Injuries will play their part to disrupt the campaign but there is depth in the centre of the park. Versatility is a strong selling point for the Spaniard; it benefits the squad but also allows other younger players to be developed at a less hectic pace. If Sahin arrives as well, Arsène is posing himself a series of selection headaches for which a steady supply of Ibuprofen might be needed.
But that presumes football is a perfect world. It isn’t and there are clouds overhead, some darker than others. Whilst there has been transfer activity inwards, departures cannot be ruled out. Some will be welcomed – Park, Squillaci and Bendtner for example – are professionals who should be playing regularly. It is hard to imagine how players who are regulars at international level feel when they cannot get near the starting XI for their clubs. The frustration must be immense.
Mancini’s recent admission of defeat in the pursuit of van Persie is hollow; he said similar things regarding Samir Nasri and ending up signing the player. Time will tell. Equally, the silence over Theo Walcott’s future is likely to become more uncomfortable as the days pass in the lead up to the season. It is a delicate balancing act for the winger. Stalling for longer may see his first team chances diminish as Arsène seeks a settled side. I am not suggesting the manager would cut of his nose to spite his face and drop Walcott but substandard performances will not be easily forgiven.
Walcott is beginning to show the talent he has more consistently but the emergence of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, along with Cazorla and Gervinho’s ability to occupy the same position are things he will be mindful of. The silence surround his future is reassuring in one sense. Beyond the initial burst of rumoured interest from Chelsea and City, there has been nothing. That suggests to me that the player wants to sign for the club and his agents are not actively pursuing other avenues with good news hopefully emerging in coming days. Either that or they are more discreet than other advisors.
Recent times have seen Alex Song become a small talking point in the Arsenal transfer reports from Italy were dismissed. This time Barcelona have started their wooing with proclamations about DNA surely not too far away. There is a huge difference between any deal over Song and Cesc; Arsenal will have more interest in the Cameroonian than a young man returning home. No short-changing this time will surely be countenanced.
The dripfeed made it into The Guardian, as a justification for signing Sahin on loan. Reasoning that Arsène is tired of the attitude is interesting; whether this is sourced from anywhere or journalistic interpretation is not clear. However, it picks up on a trend which has emerged over the last twelve months, namely that Song is not good enough. His contribution in an attacking sense is derided because of the perception that he is solely a defensive midfielder whose role is to protect the back four and that passing to van Persie can be done by anyone.
Song is not without his failings but those who accuse him of betrayal where none has actually happened need to remember one match; Fulham, 29th November 2006. His performance that night was poor but his reception was utterly over the top; the abuse, frankly, unforgivable and with hindsight, totally in keeping with a minority of the support and the reactions which continue to this day. And yet the same people have the temerity to complain about treachery? Who’s zooming who?
Sahin is not the only midfield option that Arsène is reportedly pursuing. This morning Ki Sung-yeung replaced Victor Wanayama as the Celtic midfielder of choice whilst Anderlecht’s Cheikhou Kouyat‘s agent has talked a good game, good enough for The Times’ Gary Jacobs to believe a deal is in the offing.
’til Tomorrow.
I doubt we will sell RVP to the red Mancs unless they offer silly money and they won’t do that. He would represent a big upgrade for fergie while he would alter the balance of power less by going to city because of all their other options, so if we have to sell him to one of the Manc clubs I suspect it will be city.
Its still hard for me to believe that we will finish this summer without at least 1 “big” sale to bring the money in closer to the money out so I still expect he will be sold before the end of the window. That said, I have already been very pleasently surprised by the way the summers business has been conducted so far, so here’s hoping RVP and song and theo all play with us this season.
Anyhoo, you’ll have to hold on to yer guns for a little bit yet. Transfer titillation will only increase and increase this month. Joy unbound.
Meanwhile, I’ll go no back to watching this Villareal-Arsenal game.
Mmmmmmm….marvellous. Gadzoots this signing might even be as a good as Sagna or Kozzamundo. *sighs* how I wish the gaffer had broke the piggy bank sooner. Eh?
Plenty of RvP vitriol on Twitter George; maybe hate’s a strong word but some of the comments some were making sounded pretty hateful.
‘Its still hard for me to believe that we will finish this summer without at least 1 “big” sale to bring the money in closer to the money out so I still expect he will be sold before the end of the window. ‘
Bill, i suggest you try to believe it.
Andrew
well, what else did you expect? van persie insulted (or allowed his agent to) insult Arsenal and Arsene Wenger.
mind you, i don’t think highly of many of our so-called fans out there, but if any real fan was hurt by it and did what they did (spout the vitriol) i can perfectly understand.
not that i agree with it. one thing to voice your displeasure/concerns on ACLF and another to hurl abuse at the man himself.
http://www.101greatgoals.com/gvideos/benik-afobe-bolton-v-tranmere/
Afobe goals.
Kori @ 7:23
I really hope you are right!! Time will tell.
Correction: Just one Afobe goal above.
Andrew ,there is plenty of vitrol out there towards anyone you care to pick.All you have to do is visit the correct site .
I mistakenly went to read Gunnerblog last night ,And was staggered to see the amount of hate and spite directed towards Arsene himself.Not all forums are like ACLF.Even our idiots are made look like the love child of Einstein and Clough compared to some /most football commentators.
CWDComps Carzola goodies.
Markus, it was a cleverly worded statement – he said he would not sign an extension, but he also said there would be further talks and claimed money had not been discussed. He did not say he wanted to leave – he would lose his ‘loyalty’ bonus. Most of us inferred that the intention was to burn his bridges and make his departure quick and cheap for his suitors.
Personally time has tempered my initial emotional reaction. If Arsene feels that it is the right decision to keep him and he is able to focus on the job in hand, I can live with that. I do not see the point of shooting ourselves in the foot by giving him away to a close rival. We had a good team last season and I would rather add quality to what we have than continue with this endless cycle of rebuilding. Sometimes you have no option but to be pragmatic.
Passenal ,you always have the option of standing by your principles.No matter what the cost ,It just depends on exactly what value you put on your principles.
Passenal @ 7:43
A standing ovation for that one, especially the last sentence.
George it depends which principle you are standing behind. The point has to come surely where the club asserts it’s authority over a contracted player and shows one of the big boys that we can compete and hold onto our top players? If this is the principle Arsene is following, so be it. Surely he is in the best position to know what is in the best interests of AFC? All I am saying is that I will go with his decision but I just hope it is not to sell to a direct rival.
Cbob gets it.
Can’t be bothered with bs.
A day after unveiling Santi, Robin & Song are off??
Please be sensible enough not to feed people who make money off gooner paranoia.
Yesterday I wondered who else was in Germany
From the pics i see:
Szcz, Jenks, Gibbs, Nico, Santos, Djourou, Kos , Verm, Per, Coq, Gnabry, Song, Ox, Theo, Gerv, AA, Poldi, OG, RvP, Santi, Diaby
NO sign of:
Bartley, Ryo, Lansbury, Miquel, Don Vito, or Fabianski?
what gives?
Korihikage – at no point did I say I was surprised by the anti-RvP reaction, I was simply answering George’s question when he asked me:
“Andrew,who hates him?
Who are these fabled “haters””.
For my part I’ve just pointed out through all of this is that he remains the captain and he’s not gone yet. As a result I have been labelled an apologist for the guy and had my ‘standards’ called into question as if I somehow agree with or support everything that’s gone on.
I don’t like the idea of anyone disrespecting the club although, as you say, we have plenty of followers prepared to do this at the Emirates on a regular basis.
My reaction, from start to finish, has been based pretty much as Passenal sums up the situation (at 7.43):
“If Arsene feels that it is the right decision to keep him and he is able to focus on the job in hand, I can live with that. I do not see the point of shooting ourselves in the foot by giving him away to a close rival. We had a good team last season and I would rather add quality to what we have than continue with this endless cycle of rebuilding. Sometimes you have no option but to be pragmatic.”
My only caveat to that is if someone offered silly money then I’d be inclined to take it based admittedly largely on my faith in AW’s talent spotting credentials.
But building, rather than replacing, has to be the order of the day if we can possibly achieve it.
Philmar;
Sorry both your examples arent very good man. Teves was fucked off/jettosined during the season and he refused to return. While cesc, refused to actually go on training camps as well.
IF RvP was so intent on never playing for AFC again, this season, he wouldnt be at the training camp and would have contracted some mysterious illness.
forgot to add Chamakh to the list of those pictured.
NO Squilly, B52…
make sure you look out for THE REAL PODOLSKI,
coming to you deadly & bangin’ in a few weeks time.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/-you-will-see-the-real-podolski-soon-
new man on a team full of characters
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/mertesacker-this-team-is-full-of-characters
and you imagine a bored millionaire like AA would desert this stunning array of players on the most attractive stage on the planet thats in the black for what???….a few extra quid back in St.Pete or Qatar???
Look on and weep doomers…
understand the envy,
we have AW!
RASERS!
I think the statement tried too hard not to say too much, really. It was full of inane agent spiel; ambition, direction, etc.
It also bent over backwards to suggest it was anyone bar Wengers and the fans fault. You know, the usual soft soap whereby a player wants his cake and eat it too; leave the club, but still wants the fans of that club to love him.
Oh it wasnt me, it was them orrible board members refusing to pay my agent the commision he craves….Erm I mean we havent signed messi, CRonaldo, Maldini, Baresi, banks.
It was a mess.
I wouldnt suggest anyone has to forgive RvP if they dont want to, just dont rush him out the door and into the arms of another club.
Passenal, I guess the keep him or sell him argument now boils down to whether you believe the replacements can deliver in VPs absence. Wenger will be watching them closely, and unless he determines that they definitely aren’t ready to do that I think we’ll see VP go.
I’d have confidence in our players stepping up.
Interesting happenings in France…home of the FFP,
http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/story/_/id/8246594/gabriele-marcotti-psg-looks-dominate-france-ligue-1
RVP going to manU would be a huge upgrade for them for the next 3-4 years and significantly alter the balance of power. He would be a marginal upgrade for city but would definitely make them stronger also. In the past arsene has justified selling players to man city by saying that if we didnt sell them our players they would go out and get someone else just as good so we might as well take their money. That was true in the case of Ade, kolo, clichy and probably nasri. There is no one close to the quality of RVP that either team could get especially the reds so the logic we used to justify selling to them in the past doesn’t really fit in this case.
Just as with Nazri last summer, I think the ‘other’ costs of selling one of our best players to a dmoestic rival needs to be considered as well as any footballing and financial considerations.
I know we are used to negative media shit storms, but I think if we can avoid another one with RvP, it could mean the difference in having a great start to the season and maybe even success at the end of it.
Bill;
I think AW wanted to keep hold of Na$ri, but was over ruled by the board who didnt want to lose the £££s.
I think he has a stronger argument for holding onto a 29 year old who has been here 8 years.
I like Passenal @ 7:43 and cannot wait to see the Colgne game on sunday.
Should help with the boredom & bs.
True Aman.
It is typical we cant enjoy a great week and a new signing….
Dex…”dmoestic?”
speaking of which..any sign of Moe lately?
anyone got any new options for 2nd goalie ?
Dex,
i remain santicharged man.
NOTHING can displace my good vibes @ the moment!
Andrew i agree mostly with you and Passenal. but we won’t know his motivation until we see him play. we really won’t know.
in any case, it has come to my attention that man utd’s IPO is taking place supposedly tomorrow. so all that talk of van persie joining them might be a sad attempt to avoid crashing and burning like Facebook.
which pretty much sums up their situation right now, really.
doesn’t it feel good NOT to be playing CL qualifiers?
…personally elated i am
Anyone with access to Arsenal Player should check out the interview with Poldi – his English is really good. It’s also great to see a player who is so keen to be part of AFC.
F*ck is Victor Moses thinking going to Chelsea? Does he not want to play football for a few years or what?
He’s probably thinking about his retirement fund Markus. A few years on the chelski bench won’t do his bank balance any harm. Also, it seems like chelski are just buying a load of players who all play in the same position. Where’s the balance?
I don’t mind if Arsene makes him play out his contract or ever offers him a new one.If that’s what he thinks is best.I will support the managers decision and by inference,RVP.
But equally I will support Arsene ,if the decides the disloyal git should be sold to Man U.for two bob and a pickled egg.
In fact they can keep the egg for me!
Are we back to pickled eggs again?
What do you think the wage cap at Wigan would be? 30, 40 grand a week?
Mmmm Pickled eggs.
korihikage – yes, their increasingly desperate attempts to raise money via share issues may have been behind half of the rumours surrounding Manure ‘targets’. And you are right, we won’t know how RvP will shape up in ten days time although my gut feeling is he would continue to want to showcase his skills for any potential Yuletide (or even late Summer) suitor.
The Chelsea purchasing ‘strategy’ would appear to have Roman’s fingerprints all over them …
Andrew ,they are genuine currency Up here.
At Wigan? Well it would be a flat cap, for starters, like the ones I imagine George looking very dapper in.
Where the hell is Yogi ?
Its anarchy around these parts without his guiding hand.
YW is probably busy in his workshop hammering out an upgrade to Stew’s radio advert.
But can’t confirm that at this time.
Why sell him to the Mancs, why strengthen a rival team whos squad in my opinion is no better than ours as it stands today. Man for me I think weve got the edge well when fully fit (Yes I know lol). Im all for selling the traitor and at a bargain basement price to anyone on the continent, fuck it give him to the debt ridden catalans for a gift voucher at the club shop, whore him to any club in any league and tell him and his advisors the club are in charge. If he wants to go to the Mancs he can sign his pre contract in January and make his move at the end of the season. I don’t care if he goes on a free, the club need to take a stand with RVP and Utd. Strategically we simply can’t let him go to Utd, it should simply be taboo like Liverpool to Utd. I don’t care if we sign another three players in the window as some whispers are suggesting, RVP can go anywhere he wants except to the Chavs and Utd I believe that to be entirely reasnoble.
BradyRF – sounds like AFC are playing hardball with Manure and it’s being suggested they are standing by their apparent valuation of £30 million. They held out for top dollar for Nasri last summer and got a huge figure for a guy that could have walked away on a free a year later; looks like they’ve adopted the same strategy this summer.
I think Arsenal are going to win on this one either way – Manure have spare cash from having missed out so far on all their major summer targets and Arsenal don’t need to sell. Although they have a policy of not spending big bucks on players over 26, things are looking desperate for Fergie right now which is why they are not letting go of this, for now, at least.
Could be the sale of the century coming up (though personally I still doubt it).
You can’t sell a player to a club he doesn’t want to go to. This isn’t the 80s.
Markus the 80s the horrible decade that it was has as much to do with the RVP transfer as say the 50s or 90s. If he doesn’t find the necessary club to match his ambition and that of his bank manager he can stay as he is contracted to us for another season, i think you’ll find were on safe ground with that. I think whatever Utd offer we should as a club turn down. If any big club from the continent get involved give the fucker away, let him get as much as he wants from a signing on fee i don’t care, if he doesn’t want to go we keep him. The guy publicly betrayed the club could you imagine the reaction if this had have been Nasri’s statement last year, who although an odious benchwarmer for the northern chavs never so publicly disrespected the club as our captain did. When you take the emotion out of it the players might not owe the club or fans anything but you know what the clubs owe the multi millionaires they’ve created and invested thousands of hours in absolutely fuck all. We owe RVP nothing Arsenal has to come first and strengthening Utd puts us second.
Agree with Bill…Nasri’s case is different from RVP’s. This cannot be viewed as a business opportunity. We should let him run out his contract even if his ‘heart is not in it’. Sad to know that he is even considering Manchester United. Arsenal would be better off not selling the best player in EPL to a rival. If RVP needs money, he can try PSG.
OK Troops, new post is over the top
http://www.aclfarsenal.co.uk/?p=9076
“I can’t give you any more information,” said the boss when asked about van Persie after United’s 0-0 draw with Barcelona. ”We have made a bid and they’ve been trying to negotiate with other clubs. We just have to persevere. Hopefully it will come our way. We’re trying our best but there’s no progress at this moment in time.
“I don’t have a gut feeling on it at the moment, I must admit. We’re not getting any breakthrough with Arsenal. It’s difficult to say why they’re operating this way. I don’t know what their thoughts are because they’re not giving anything away.”
This old fucker….what did he expect, that we seel him our best player just because he asks? WTF??
God I really hope we don’t let him have RvP. Would love to hear one of Wenger’s famous put downs in response to this rubbish?