The communications age has changed football. Time previously spent reading CEEFAX and the ITV equivalent before falling for the sucker punch of Clubcall is all we had until the back pages were feverishly scoured for the latest morsel or hint of what might be happening in and around the club in terms of its transfer activity. Now the impact of social media is seen through the number of people In The Know whose claims are recycled through the websites and back pages; the truth is out there, it’s just nowhere to be seen when it comes to football transfers.
This morning, Arsène dampened the hopes and dreams of many when it comes to recognised names. David Villa is not coming to The Emirates nor any French players, presumably including those who play in this country already. Having been severely criticised by Alan Pardew following the team he fielded in the Bernabeu in 2006, when the opportunity arose to be critical, Wenger finished with some aplomb, advising the assembled hacks to go to Newcastle for any transfer information on French players.
A misplaced conception has arisen that we are entitled to know what players the manager is trying to sign. Agents and clubs brief the media when it suits them but is naive to believe that Wenger will tell the press that he is in negotiations about specific players. Even the before his reign, Arsenal rarely allowed news to emerge prior to signing of a player unless it suited them so I am not sure why this is suddenly an issue. It strikes me that a lot of the time – like attendances – it is a stick with which to beat the club.
The logic goes that if there is no news in the back pages, there is no activity. That may be the truth but seems unlikely. The question then turns to why it takes so long for transfers to complete at Arsenal, presuming that there are any incomings this month – and that is a big presumption to make. We cannot rely on the manager in his press conferences and today’s was no different,
What I worry about is to get the players who are out injured back fit and to get the players who play for this club to perform at their potential. If we perform we can potentially not expect any miracle from outside, we have got to make things happen from inside
If somebody else can strengthen our squad we will of course do it, I have said that many times but we have the resources inside to do well. We have two players in every position and that should be basically enough plus the young players we have in behind.
But if we find the top class players in every position we will never refuse to strengthen our squad.
Frequently I find that his words do not tally with his actions; the games with the media obscure some of the points he is making and often phrases seem to be aimed directly at the players. In this scenario, he has admitted that he has a squad which is lacking in confidence. Would, you have to ask, the manager talking of bringing this striker, that midfielder or a certain defender into the fold, be a counter-productive move? Do the players respond better to gentle chiding or encouragement that the manager has belief in them? The latter would reinforce any messages delivered on the training ground, irrespective of private thoughts.
Or are we saying that we want an open assessment of the squad, or even something which falls between the two extremes: the squad is good but not good enough to win titles. The latter is a painful truth and the question to ask is whether that would be motivational for the players to prove their worth and produce what might be considered title-winning form over the remainder of the season? Given the brittleness of their confidence, I am not sure it would be the best course of action to follow. Better to let events unfurl than pronounce publicly on them.
This is an entirely separate issue to strengthening the squad, something which it is my personal belief that should be happening. I struggle with the concept that the signing should come at the end of the month although it is a futile argument to suggest that new players would have changed any interim results; it cannot be proved at all.
Depending on your inclination, it is either brave or foolhardy of the manager to fail to bring someone else in, possibly both. Time will be the only judge, one or the other is the right answer. Recent matches have seen that there is a noticeable lack of depth in the forward line with only an out-of-shape Arshavin available if a change up front is required; that is almost as worrying a prospect as relying on the fitness of Abou Diaby in midfield for the rest of the season. As much as I would like the Frenchman to be seen as a pivotal player, crucial in this season’s redemption it is a huge risk given the manager’s public utterances on the player’s healing capacities.
There is less than a week away and no evidence that nothing is changing at the club. Until the deadline is reached, we will not know whether or not Arsène is bringing in new faces and as such, rushing to judgement now is counter-productive. Thankfully there is a busy footballing spell to take our minds off it, starting at Brighton in the FA Cup.
’til Tomorrow.
New players aren’t a magic solution but strengthening the team with top players who have the talent to start games now can only improve our chances of winning the FA cup (should we beat Brighton), staving off relegation from the CL, and giving Bayern a really stern challenge that could lead to us going deeper in that competition than we have the last couple of years when we’ve gone out in the first knockout tie.
To me enhancing our chances for each of those things is really worth it even if we might be able to hang onto 4th anyway. If the players are from a foreign league, it is all the more reason to bring them in now so that the adaptation can begin to take place, they have a full preseason with the rest of the squad and we can make a fast start to next season with a settled side.
@Goonerkam
I do think that and it odd but hopefully they have learned from their mistakes and will come out and punish them with Giroud getting another brace along with Theo and Poldolski getting a goal apiece. I would go with
SCZNY
Sagna-Mert-Kos-Gibbs
Ramsey–Jack
—–Santi——
Theo–Giroud—Podolski
Bench: Mannone, Ox, Mozart, Diaby, Santos, Arshavin, Jenks
C
The bench? Blimey, did we even have enough fit players to make the numbers up
Great news on FABIANSKI training again. Best o luck fellow.
Glad FAB IS back.
Best o luck.
@Yogi
I hope that is our bench as Mozart and Diaby by all accounts has traveled with the team. It would be great but like you say who the hell knows who’s fit and who’s not. Maybe Arsene might call you up and give you a run!
C
from your mouth to gods ears mate.
I have a good feeling the game will be a good win and we shall go deep in this comp.
YW
assistant manager
AW AND. YW.
match made in heaven
@Goonerkam
I completely agree with you mate and I do feel if we can get to the next round that we have a real shot at winning it all!
Just make sure to call Frimpong if he is eligible to play tomorrow to go ahead and Frimpong a couple of the Red Mancs
We can get Bouldy back on bench.
I was thinking maybe Yogi comes in off the bench in typical Wenger fashion i.e. 80th min and gets the match winner off of a lovely build up with touches from Jack, Santi, Theo with a flick on by Giroud. Yogi with the easy tap in on the back post.
That ain’t our style C but I would love to get the red manc Basterds in the next round and expose the shit out of their team weaknesses. Knock them out the comp.
Hope the gelling continues and we make our run , god willing,
who do you pick in the super bowl??
Maybe Yogi off the counter attack similar to when we played West Ham. I would prefer to avoid the Red Mans with Fulham knocking them out tomorrow.
49ers. 1 because I’m a Steelers fan and if you know anything about the NFL, Steelers fans hate Baltimore and the Ravens like Arsenal fans hate the Spuds! 2. Ahmad Brooks(#55 on the 49ers) I played against him in High School and he is a friend of mine starts for the 49ers so I’m cheering for them. 3. They should win cause their the better team.
Who are you picking?
Miami,
I think with the exception of Gervinho, even Wenger would agree with the list.( no I can’t channel his thoughts)
I like AA, but it’s clear he is on the outer. Wenger has had ample opportunities to start him and doesnt.
No problem with young players being loaned out as part of their education, but by definition they are a long way from the first team.
Fabianski? No thanks.
Still hold the view we need a quality experienced GK.
Paul,
Really ?
being a RAMS fan since 75 my dislike for the 69ers is barely below my hate for the redmancs and ferret face Ferguson ,
That said I don’t really care for Baltimore that much.
Hope for a good game nevertheless.
would have been nice if Seattle had made it.
WOJO. VITO. FABIANSKI. MARTINEZ.
best GKS in EPL now and in years to come. Great depth.
SCHWARTZER can stay where he is. IMO.
C
maybe you can score some tickets from your mate AHMAD,
what position did you play in??
Rams and the Arsenal.
are you a Kroenke groupie ?
lol
No , not really, was a fan of both long before STAN came along,
That said I have nothing bad to say about him PHIL,
he helped us when it really mattered.
Like my LAKERS and the HOUSTON DYNAMO. AND THE ANGELES ,
That’s a bit worrying, I’m a gooner and Rams fan as well. Have been for years. I forgot about the Kroenke connection. I used to follow them when it was a 4 team division, Rams, 49ers, Falcons and Saints.
Just a reminder as the inconsistency of AW’s statements and why you have to take them with a huge pinch of salt. On the 11th he said:
“At the moment no, [no one is leaving],” Wenger told Arsenal Player.
We have a good squad, a balanced one. At the moment nobody can go out, unless we buy somebody. At the moment our focus is to keep everybody. In every position we have two players. Three is too many and one is not enough.”
So we are buying someone, or he completely changed his mind.
wow Villa is struggeling no?
I even saw them play (and beat) the Broncos in one of the friendlies they used to do at Wembley Stadium.
I thought only girls could be groupies,
If Paul Lambert survives this he must have naked photos of Lerner tied up on a bed with a goat nibbling at his balls.
the only reason for signing anyone this window is if they can give asmuch a psycological impact as a proper players impact.
A signing like the arsharvin one a couple of years ago, that really lifted us. he made the difference that year and was very very very good and had a high standard.
Only a player of that quality, which lets be honest, Arsharivn had that spring, would be good enough for us now imo.
But Arsharvin was really the difference that year.. he gave us new spirit and new belief.
Hope someone like that comes in . So that the team feels the buzz and the excitement
You are probably right GK,
Double standards in society. A girl hangs around rock stars, she s a groupie. A guy hangs around a girl band, and he gets lucky!
Good on you WAVEY.
don’t worry about much that is said to the press mate. He knows what their games are and he likes to throw off the competitors. Many of our targeted players ended up else where due to info leaking out. With AW and his scouts we are in good hands.
@ GoonerKam
see I have a theory:
All groupies have the potential to grow boobs.
In an episode of Seinfeld, where Kramer and Georges dad invents the Malebrazier for men with over delveloped breasts,
they prove that all men can also grow, well, “boo things”, better known as man boobs.
so the argument goes:
IF all gropies have the potential to grow boobs.
AND all men can grow boobs.
THEN all men have the potential to be groupies
If we then define a groupie as a “crazy fan” then by definition all footy men are groupies
wow you reckon Thomas Aquinas would be impressed by my logical reasoning?(atlest thats who our professor referd to when he tried to learn us reasoning, a lesson i tragically fell asleep in).
OR you reckon i just had a beer to much? hmmm….
Phil
Right you are
The thing is STAN came in and helped US avoid a hostile take over DEAN wada engineering.
Dean wants back in and won’t atop at nothing and will use his agent son too to destabilize the club.
Our troubles really started when he got kicked out due to the board not buying Into his goals got the club. Its all documented.
And we haven’t been able to deal with it at all. He is basically being ignored and he doesn’t like it ,
Lol
I’m always confused and amazed at your logic poodle and yes I think you have had too many . As I will in a few hours. Yeah the weekend is here and the GUNNERS ARE IN ACTION.
a steamrolling machine just came to my mind.
“Double standards in society. A girl hangs around rock stars, she s a groupie. A guy hangs around a girl band, and he gets lucky!”
Or arrested.
Lol
Personal experience DUPS??
where the heck is IRISH??
and DEX ffs,
http://goo.gl/3ysja
Captain Jack
GK,
I thought the Rams were put up for sale, and Kroenke who had a minority stake, exercised his option to purchase.
A goat nibbling at his balls…. hmmmmmmm
That’s what happened , Georgia frontierie put the team up for said sale and he was in position to make his move.
I was not talking about the RAMS earlier. ARSENAL was never up for sale though. When DEAN got excommunicated he hooked up with the Uzbek and they started buying club shares from anyone willing to talk their money. That was when we really had a crisis on our hand. If not for the board and STAN we would be another oil shitty or chelski.
Just another mercenary filled club trying to buy titles and trophies.
http://www.aclfarsenal.co.uk/?p=10480
Today’s post.
I’d hand Sagna the armband regardless of how well suited for the job Jack might be.
Its too early, its unnecessary pressure and if Sagna isn’t starting pass it on to Mertesacker.
Its a distraction that we do not need.
We have a game to win…..handsomely.
RASERS!