Re: Post Transfer Stress Discussion thats fair... he wasnt against Newcastle tho... or Fulham (Danny Murphey, really?)
Let's assume that nobody's coming in, which seems pretty safe at the moment. Competitively speaking, the news is bad but tolerable. We have a good squad, and we'll be somewhere toward the top of the table for most of the year. Really this hurts at a much deeper level. Ultimately sports are about winning. Not everybody can win of course, but everybody tries. If they don't it just doesn't count. There's an exception for a neighborhood softball game next to a BBQ. But for any level above that, if they're keepin' score, it makes a difference. For everything we've heard about being a "true fan", Arsenal are bigger than mindless bleating of "Hooray for our tribe!" That's what Millwall or West Ham are about. We're play on the biggest stage against the best competition and we're not afraid of being held accountable by the League table. I really don't know where our team's management fits in all this. Maybe there's nothing we could have done. What I'm afriad of is, that M Wenger found a progressive formula and way of working that was ahead of his colleagues, and that's the road he wanted to go down. Then, the rules of the game have gradually turned against us over the last few years. Instead of adapting and perservering, he's tried to turn football management into a new form of performance art. Please I hope it isn't so, and if it is, that it doesn't last.
Re: Post Transfer Stress Discussion And we did get a good *one* in Nasri; only problem is we lost *two*.
Perhaps. We didn't replace Flamini and didn't strengthen a thin squad, so let's pray for the following: 1 - We don't have any major injuries 2 - That Rosicky and Eduardo come back healthy and able to contribute 3 - That we not get "distracted" (meaning we stretch our thin squad) by the Coca Cola Cup and FA cup (if that means we get knocked out early - so be it) 4 - The team finds its groove and doesn't loose it 5 - A Flamini replacement is brought in during Jan to add some steel to the lineup at a critical point and what is becoming our traditional dip in form coming into the home stretch is prevented and 5 - Lady Luck stays on our side With that I think we can win either the League or the CL!
With our current situation, I say we should get ourself to Round 2 of CL then buy new players in January to build up our squad so that we can win it. I don't think any team besides the big four and possibly Man city will cause us lots of problems(In the PL) because we have a squad that should beat most of them. Remember, we beat Real Madrid in the Preseason with a weaker squad. So we should be on top side of the table for most of the season. I think the danger is we do not have depth, and other teams knows this. If they want to eliminate us from silverware then they know who to take out.
Of course. This is bad but not the end of the world. We'll win some games and lose others and life will go on. I'm more afraid that we'll convince ourselves that somehow we're too cool to be judged by ordinary bourgeois criteria like winning and losing. Well guess what, we're not.
It's not the end of the world but it is concerning!! I'm not convinced with Diaby nor Denilson being Cesc's partner. But then again who was really convinced with Flamini being Cesc's partner in the beginning of last year?? but AW showed us what he's all about. I hope I'm proved wrong again this year.
guys sssssssshhhhhhhhh your not a true loyal fan if u complain that wenger has tighter fists than a scotsman well, the only way i see us doing anything this year is if song becomes vieira in his prime, nasri never gets injured and theo walcott actually learns the positional discipline of a right winger and learns how to place a final ball into a danger zone... oh and if eduardo comes back before van persie undoubtably gets some kind of muscle strain that puts him out for 25 years imnot gonna even bother comeinting on ro 'sick-note' ey im not expecting to win ANYTHING this season, please prove me wrong wenger spose we can all get excited again in januray for no reason
Look what just popped up on Arsenal.com's list of first team players. http://www.arsenal.com/first-team/players/pedro-botelho I don't remember signing this guy, what's the story?
Damn, I guess I'm the only one who thinks Denilson & Song are both pretty good. I'm disappointed as well but at this point we need to face the facts that Wenger is tighter than frog **********. Err is Fabianski our back up keeper? Heh </prays for an injury free season>
Bothelo is still listed as a player on Salamanca's website, and has been playing for them, but all of a sudden he's listed in our first team? http://www.udsalamanca.net/cmsa/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11&Itemid=12 I just checked again and now he's gone from the Arsenal first team players page. Very odd. Edit: Checked again, his profile picture has been updated and he is now listed with the reserves.
Correct, I think it was during last season. He signed then, but signed a bigger contract or a proffesional contract in Jan 2008 transfer window. He flied pretty much under our radar because he was loaned out, I think he was got around the time Nordevit was.
Don't know how credible that younggunssite is, but apparently he showed so much promise last year that salamanca sold their starter leftback. Additionally he got voted best player of this preseason. It's not going to help us in the shortterm, but that sounds promising. About our lack of transfers, as probably everyone I was hoping a cm would join our ranks, but now the transfer window is shut I'm done with it. We're very much an outsider for the league, but at least we'll get great odds. Time for some of our younger players to make their mark which isn't an unrealistic thought at all as far as I'm concerned.
The situationis fairly concerning. But Id love Wenger to prove that this side can win something ... anything. We've been waiting so long for these young players to come good. But hopefully we can show that you dont need a rich foriegn businessman to buy a club in order to win stuff. But that by developing players and giving youngsters who deserve it a chance you can compete. The foreign investment in the Premiership is getting ridiculous. Seems nothing can be won without it!! So well never mind, we'll have to trust in Wenger AGAIN! If this season brings nothing though and City really do compete - which I doubt thoroughly this year to be honest, then we may well have to hope Stan or Abromovich the 2nd help us out, which would unfortunately make Arsenal a totally different club with a new agenda, that has had to sell out to stay at the top. Coquelin, Coquelin, Coquelin ...
Does anyone know whats happening with Coquelin at the moment? I could have sworn he was on the first team but he isnt.
He got injured in preseason, but played with the reserves against chelsea yesterday. I stumbled upon a link to videohighlights of that game on newsnow. edit: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YHkTGlqIfys
I wonder if wenger watched the game just to see where he was at because he needs another first team player in the team and another CM to back up these guys. I know from what I say of Coquelin in preseason he looked really good...Anyone who watched the game yesterday thought he looked good?
a signing... a signing!!!! http://highbury1913.blogspot.com/2008/04/confirmed-arsenal-sign-dimitrov-for.html edit: no signing... its bullshyt
Okay Bigs...I don't share your outlook, but I do somewhat agree with you. We had this discussion last season (and the one before that, and...). Myself and others were of the opinion we should have picked up a CB and another LW/CF for last season's run...see discussions here and here. Last season we got off to an amazing start which I'm sure no one expected (save maybe AW). In the end though, we were done in by a lack of depth up front, on the left (FW/CF) and at CB...(IMO, of course)--two positions that could have been addressed during the off season. This summer I feel a little better about CB, Djourou looks better, Silvestre should help some, and no ACN. Same goes for LW/CF...Nasri looks the sh!t and seems much hardier than Rosicky, Vela looks a little Eduardoesque, and Walcott should be good for a few goals as well. However, the CM position just seems weak to me. We've had a severe drain at that position and I just don't see anyone stepping up on a consistent basis, let alone when Cesc has to be rested or gets injured. IMO, whether we bring trophies back to the grove or not rest on Cesc's shoulders...if he can be the ironman that Clichy was last season and rarely miss a game, then I think we can do really well. But, if we miss him for 4-5 league games or a knock-out round in the CL, that will be likely be it for us. AW knows, but seems like a bit of a gamble to me when one quality midfielder would give us the depth we need. All that said, I'm really excited about the season it's just that my expectations are a bit muted. We've played 5, won 4, scored 10, conceded 1 and only 1 point off the pace in the league--decent start. The best news this transfer season--Gerrard injured, Torres injured, Ronaldo injured and unsettled, no Robinho for chelsea, and spuds in the relegation zone
Pedro? not really... he is actually garbage in FM... no pace... no athleticism... he is sick technically tho...
Pedro Botelho aka Pedrinho, was signed last summer I think from Figueirense. He wasn't elegible to play at Salamanca until January. This summer he came to London and trained with the first team brieflly before the team left for Austria. Salamanca likes him and wanted him back. He's tall and pacy. [youtube]3vffmJEaUEw[/youtube]