Senegal's Arsenal Thread 2012/2013 : featuring positive negativity

[dfgrigg]

Personally I think that article is little better than Barca's media antics, painting Song as a greedy mercenary ready to jump ship at the first opportunity. Is there any evidence he's angling for a move away? I certainly haven't read of any, it's hardly his fault if Barca's players can't keep their mouths shout.

This article in the Guardian claims he's at least exploring his options. I can't say I particularly blame him, who wouldn't want to play for Barca?

[NorthernGooner]

I think Aly Cissokho would be a great signing at LB, I wish we would have gone for Jose Enrique when we had the chance. Can't see us buying a LB though, infact dare I say other than Sahin I think that will be all from us this summer.

[Sy13]

I think Aly Cissokho would be a great signing at LB, I wish we would have gone for Jose Enrique when we had the chance. Can't see us buying a LB though, infact dare I say other than Sahin I think that will be all from us this summer.

No reason we couldn't go in for Enrique now. Why stay at Liverpool?

[PaulHartman71]

Liverpool would probably want more for Enrique then we paid for Cazorla and Podolski combined

[Suggy33]

Afobe scored a hat-trick for Bolton on his debut today.

[ajw10]

Enrique is barely an upgrade on Santos and Gibbs. In fact I would say he's at the same level. Such an overrated player.

We will get Sahin and possibly VDW Maybe another striker if RvP goes and a DM if Song goes. The Celtic lad or M'Vila for the latter.

[SJ234]

We are interested in Ki of Celtic

http://wearethenorthbank.com/arsenal-set-sights-on-ki-signing/

[ajw10]

been linked with Roberto Rosales now. I know very little of him, but he seems like an Arsenal signing. Cheap, unknown, young and versatile.

[dfgrigg]

Quite a bit of talk now that the Sahin move will only happen if Song leaves. Makes sense - I thought it seemed odd that we would go for another CM given the numbers we've got there.

[ArsenalFan7]

You really don't have that much quality at CM when you consider injury problems, who is the select pairing at CM then as Wilshere is non-existent?

Diaby is injury hell and you don't even know he'll be after his latest injury, Rosicky will not keep up last seasons form, Ramsey has potential but is dodgy, Frimpong - meh, suppose you've got Coquelin etc but they hardly give off an impression of a solid midfield. Arteta and Song the central pairing then?

I was pretty excited about Sahin and will be disappointed if that never goes through.

[ajw10]

I'm pretty sure we just signed this guy who is more than capable of playing in the middle. Cannot remember his name though.

Chamberlain is a centre midfielder too, would like to see Sahin come, but we're not desperate. We are not desperate for anyone really, its a good feeling

[SSC]

Wenger going for the old faithful Foreign XI then?

[CloudYildiz]

Isn't VDW supposed to be poor?

It might just be me but whatever I've read about him is that he's rather bad.

I follow him for years and all i can say about him that after WC 2010 (where he played decently), he's been pretty poor the last two years.

He had few injury setbacks and besides footballing, he pays more attention to rapping and all that side bussiness, all who watched Holland at the Euros can conclude he was nowhere to be seen on the field.

He's now a second choice right-back next to a youngster called Ricardo van Rhijn who triumphed over him (imo if Arsenal needs a future rightback wonderkid, they should go for him), and since he's in the last year of his contract, Ajax is desperately trying to sell him to cash in.

Side note though, after the WC 2010 Bayern Munich wanted him for 15 mil, but Ajax wanted 20 mil, so no deal went on. Last year Valencia wanted him for 7-8 mil and Ajax refused back then. Now they wonder why they didn't sell him before

[g00n]

i mean, we all expected these departures. We have to balance the books somehow. In fact, we welcome them because it means we're getting rid of deadwood, and hopefully bring in better players. We could lose as many as 5 strikers this summer, so I hope we pick up one more, especially if we lose RvP.

Yes I agree 100%, I was just replying to the guy asking if some of our many wingers/forwards were leaving

[dan_simmonds]

Ultimately, it's left back where we need to strengthen and not right back. People are basing the VDW rumours on Sagna not getting and staying fit, but if he does we will have one international full back sitting on the bench. Can you really see either of them being happy about that situation if they're sitting on the bench?

[ajw10]

If we sign a left back then we would have two international left backs sitting on the bench. We need a rb far more than we need a lb.

[Kawee]

No doubt about it. We already have one of the best RB in the league, so that doesn't really need addition.

Left back is a position many people want to see strengthen, but I think most realize that Wenger rate both Gibbs and Santos, especially since the latter hasn't really had a chance to prove himself yet.

In other news, Llorente could be available for 20m. Juventus is reportedly interested. Love to see us try and get him.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1130656/fernando-llorente-set-to-leave-athletic-bilbao---report?cc=4716

[ajw10]

We have a RB who has broken his leg for the second time in the space of a year, is out for the start of the season and he's approaching 30. We have no adequate back up for this RB. We really need a RB.

[Sparky9334]

Gibbs was ok in the last few games last season, and Santos is a more than adequate reserve. If Gibbs gets a run if games hopefully he will kick in this year.

We need a good rb to push Sagna. Jenkinson showed promise but I think he needs a loan to a prem team, or top championship side.

[H.O.V.I]

Gibbs was ok in the last few games last season, and Santos is a more than adequate reserve. If Gibbs gets a run if games hopefully he will kick in this year.

Problem is we cannot rely on Gibbs having a run of games yet and i'm not sure we ever will tbh the way things are going with him.

Sure we need a RB aswell but LB is still a big issue, just not fully comfortable with Santos.

[dan_simmonds]

Gibbs remains fragile and I'm still to be convinced by him, and Wenger obviously thinks Santos is good going forward but worried about his defensive ability. I think we do need an established 1st choice left back which IMO neither Santos or Gibbs are.

[ajw10]

The problem with that is we'd need a top class LB and they are nearly impossible to find. Pretty much all of them are at bigger clubs than ours.

[SJ234]

Though Song would be a loss he certainly isn't indispensable and his lack of discipline defensively last season was beyond irritating. We should offer him a new contract and if he isn't interested in signing we should accepted a good bid as we could end up in a similar contract position to Nasri, Theo and RVP

[SJ234]

The problem with that is we'd need a top class LB and they are nearly impossible to find. Pretty much all of them are at bigger clubs than ours.

This, one of the only top ones around who isn't at a big club is Baines. Not sure we should spend huge money on him either would rather we went after Fellaini tbh

[ajw10]

I don't think Baines is THAT good either. Certainly not good enough to warrant us spending transfer record breaking money on him.

[H.O.V.I]

Just saw that press conference with Iniesta talking about Signing Song, they really have no shame when it comes to that stuff do they.

[dudge7]

Iniesta told ESPN : I know Song from seeing him play, and from playing against him. Technically he is a very good player and is also very strong physically too.

If he comes it would be because he has the qualities to play here, there is little doubt about that, and we’d welcome him.

Is that all he said about it?

[dan_simmonds]

The problem with that is we'd need a top class LB and they are nearly impossible to find. Pretty much all of them are at bigger clubs than ours.

I think Cissokho is pretty damn good, and I'd hardly call Lyon bigger then Arsenal or even Schmelzer at Dortmund. There are players out there that are better then our current players, that would actually add something to the team. I don't disagree that Jenkinson needs work, but I'm far less concerned about him then I am about either Santos or Gibbs.

[ajw10]

Cissokho is really really really average.

[Kawee]

Losing the likes of Bendtner, Vela, and Denilson, and bringing in the likes of Giroud, Cazorla, and Podolski must mean we're close to the 17 non-homegrown limit. Might be why Wenger is a bit reluctant to let go of promising youngsters like Gibbs so quickly.

[Carmi88]

Apparently Afobe got a hattrick for Bolton second half sub and 3 goals in 26 minutes, only against tranmere rovers though

[Motherlover]

Baines is easily good enough for Arsenal. From left-back he's a star man at Everton and we aren't exactly slouches.

[Carmi88]

He also scores quite a few free kicks

[dfgrigg]

Baines is easily good enough for Arsenal. From left-back he's a star man at Everton and we aren't exactly slouches.

He's certainly good enough, but he'd probably cost about £20m, right? I suspect that's too much for us to pay for a fullback.

He might not even want to come. I think he's pretty settled in the north-west.

[dan_simmonds]

Cissokho is really really really average.

Are you going to explain that comment, or should I take it as gospel?

[dfgrigg]

Are you going to explain that comment, or should I take it as gospel?

Cissokho's reputation has certainly dropped recently. I haven't personally seen much of him, but I've seen a lot of people say that he's not as good as people thought he was/would be.

[SJ234]

Losing the likes of Bendtner, Vela, and Denilson, and bringing in the likes of Giroud, Cazorla, and Podolski must mean we're close to the 17 non-homegrown limit. Might be why Wenger is a bit reluctant to let go of promising youngsters like Gibbs so quickly.

Well none of those were part of our HG quota as they weren't here last season so their departures are irrelevant to the issue.

Baines is a good player but not worth the price you'd charge

[ArsenalFan7]

I asked in the transfer window thread a while ago about how good Cissokho was, this is what Lisandro Lopez said:

Aly Cissokho is poor defensively, he's not too sluggish which is extremely fortunate for him. He's also only decent going forward, his crossing is er, okay. Aly's been pretty poor for OL ever since he arrived, waste of €15-odd million. Lyon could play a fourteen year old academy prospect there and he'd do a better job for a hell of alot less money a week.

Hugo's rant was at Aly and Maxime about a year or so ago, something about them ******** on the shirt and all that.

[dan_simmonds]

Cissokho's reputation has certainly dropped recently. I haven't personally seen much of him, but I've seen a lot of people say that he's not as good as people thought he was/would be.

Admittedly, what I've seen of him has been Champions League, so not week in/week out, but he gets up and down a lot, is capable of defending and chips in with the occasional assist and goal. Bit like Gibbs but can defend.

EDIT: Teaches me for not refreshing. Again from what I've seen of him, I've actually been fairly impressed with his defending.

[ArsenalFan7]

He just sounds like an expensive Gibbs. Maybe less injury prone though?

[dan_simmonds]

Well like I say, I thought he could defend quite well, but obviously someone like Lisandro Lopez watches him more often then I. Gibbs is very fragile, and if he gets through this season without an injury it would be great. I just can't see it happening and I worry about Santos' ability to defend. He's worse then Gibbs and that's saying something.

[ArsenalFan7]

Has it been mentioned, Poldi #9?

[dfgrigg]

Taken Park's number? Seems possible.

[ArsenalFan7]

End of Park or just giving it to a more deserving player, I wonder..

[dfgrigg]

End of Park or just giving it to a more deserving player, I wonder..

I don't think Wenger cares about traditional numbering. If he gives a player someone else's number it usually means that the original holder won't be playing for us that season.

So yes, end of Park, assuming we can find a buyer.

[dan_simmonds]

Not always the case that the kit someone wears has their actual number on it though. Sometimes just happens to be what is available. I wouldn't read too much into it.

[ajw10]

erm yeah, that description of Cissokho is correct. He's very average. Actually think Gibbs is better than him.

Podolski getting number 9 is what I thought would happen, Wenger has already confirmed that Park is leaving.

[Glenn Wakeford]

He was holding out for his favourite number 10...

van Persie staying?

</tabloid weak link to create news>

[Sy13]

If RvP is signing for United then AW and Gazidis will face almighty wrath this season at the Emirates. You do NOT sell your best player to them. Ever.

[H.O.V.I]

If RvP is signing for United then AW and Gazidis will face almighty wrath this season at the Emirates. You do NOT sell your best player to them. Ever.

You do if they are offering the most money.

Well i say most money if it is substantially more you do, if there is only a miillion or two difference between man utd and juventus then you think about it.