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I'll start at the top.
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Please feel free to post your comments: either click on the post title or the "comments"link highlighted in blue at the bottom of each post and join the debate on Arsenal's next signings |
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Posted by
Phatrick
at
06:21
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Labels: Arsenal, Karim Benzema
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Posted by
Phatrick
at
05:42
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Posted by
Phatrick
at
10:26
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Posted by
Phatrick
at
06:57
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So Arsenal sign Luke Freeman from Gillingham for a fee of 250,000 Million pounds up front possibly rising to 2 million on appearances.
On the player Arsene Wenger had to say:
“Yes, we will be pushing it through,” said the manager when asked about the Freeman deal. “I want to buy English,” he added with a smile.
“I met the boy and I like him. He has personality and he looks alert. He’s a striker and to play in a first team at 15 years of age is something special.
“We were quite well on the case and we are very positive that we will find an agreement with the club without going to compensation. We will pay them a transfer.”

“Will they be professional footballers at Arsenal? I don’t know. The more you go down [in ages] the greater the margin of error. Sometimes you see a player at 13 and you think ‘absolutely amazing’ then two years later he has disappeared.
Posted by
Phatrick
at
10:10
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Labels: Arsenal, Luke Freeman
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The dearth of good technical players in England was pointed out to me by a friend as we recently watched a footsal game. I know this topic has been done, dusted with only the Alan Shearers of this world to be convinced. But the technical level of the game in this country is in a shocking state.
I never played footsal, but heard about it around 1999 - a game developed in South America which emphasised the more technical aspects of football (played with a small flat ball, and penalties for successive fouls over the first 5). However, I was still rather shocked today to learn that England had only recently won their first international game, over the mighty Greece - after some pretty horrendous spankings.
I personally have no love for the FA in this country. Any organisation who put the likes of Mark Palios in charge, syphon off youth development money into money spinning Wembley, fail to win anything on the international scene (40 years and counting) and always are ready to shun the blame, will carry no favour with me. However if something isn't done soon - even the training academies of Arsenal (yes you read correctly) will not be able to save the national team in the next few years.
Posted by
Phatrick
at
08:26
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Karim Benzema, the French teenager who thrilled in Lyon's Champions League victory at Ibrox last week, says he will stay with the club until they win the elite tournament.
The 19-year-old striker, likened in style to Thierry Henry has taken Ligue 1 by storm this season, and alerted Europe's top clubs to one of football's most exciting new talents. Arsenal, AC Milan and Real Madrid are all tracking Benzema; and while he will not rule out a big-money move in future, he insists he will not leave until Lyon lift the Champions League trophy.
"I have a contract with Lyon until 2012, and I've always told [Lyon president Jean-Michel] Aulas I will stay with the club at least until we win the Champions League," Benzema told RTL radio Thursday.
Lyon qualified for the last 16 knockout phase for the fifth consecutive year Wednesday, although it took a win at Rangers fuelled by Benzema's magnificent brace to seal their passage.
Benzema added: "There are still a lot of things I want to achieve at Lyon. Afterwards, we'll see."
Posted by
Phatrick
at
06:48
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The squad is facing testing times, with a fixtures blitz that would rock even the first team. Arsenal are looking likely to face most of the first half of December without several key players. Wenger does not expect to have his injured players back for Sunday's trip to Middlesbrough.
Mathieu Flamini (thigh), Alex Hleb (hamstring), Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) and Robin van Persie (knee) all missed the 1-1 draw at Newcastle on Wednesday night and none of that quartet are likely to be involved when Arsenal return to the North East.
"No Fabregas, no Hleb, no Van Persie, no Flamini will be back for the weekend," said Wenger in his post-match press conference at St. James' Park.
Posted by
Phatrick
at
05:20
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Labels: Arsenal
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December is going to be a long slog.. And injuries are coming thick and fast and to key personnel. Robin van Persie is still injured (despite the manager saying he was very close to a return last week), Fabregas is almost certain to be rested, and the ever present Clichy is out too. On the upshot, Flamini returns, so does Gallas and Adebayor will lead the attack. Villa are also without key dangerman Gabby Agbonlahor.
My take on this is after the decent performance in the Champions league Traore will probably play, alternatively Diarra might be pressed into the right-back and Sagna swapped over to cover on the left. The focus of the Villa attack will naturally be the huge frame of John Carew, and the tricky wing play and crosses of Ashley Young. Experience will ideally be required across the back four and Gallas's willpower to win will be a great boost.
Make no mistake we need to win this one! Arsenal have probably been the most injury hit of the Big Four in the last 4-5 weeks and we have been haemorrhaging squad players. Manchester United, although they have lost Rooney, have failed to rest most of their squad and the packed fixture list will put us back into an advantageous position over December, if we can build a 6 point lead on them - an opportunity that shouldn't be squandered.
If I were Wenger my squad to face Villa would be something like this:
-----------Almunia
Diarra---Kolo----Gallas----Sagna
Eboue/Walcott--Denilson---Flamini---Rosicky
--------Ade-------Eduardo
I'd go for experience in defence, Diarra is a very good Right Back although not his preferred position. Sagna can play Left Back and is basically a very good defender. I'd plum for Walcott or start with Eboue, and put Walcott on if we lack penetration. I think if we play Eduardo he should come in as a striker NOT a Right Winger/Forward..which he is clearly not. I've deliberatly gone for 4-4-2 but suspect the manager might bring in Gilberto and go 4-5-1.
Posted by
Phatrick
at
01:38
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Labels: Arsenal
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Arsène Wenger expects young Mexican Carlos Vela to be a part of his first-team squad next season.
The Mexican, who starred in the Under-17s World Cup in 2005, signed from Guadalajara in January and is spending this season on loan at Spanish side Osasuna. He has one goal and one assist in three La Liga starts so far.

“We scout him every week when he plays,” “He can apply for a passport in March and normally he will start with us next summer.With a great reputation as both a creator and scorer of goals. It may not be too long before Arsenal fans are harking back to the memories of a certain recently 'departed' striker.
“He will straight away be with the first-team and after that it is up to him to get a place in the side.
“I sent him to Spain because he comes from a Mexican culture and it is easier to adapt in Europe. He has what we like here at Arsenal. He is a good passer of the ball and a finisher. He has that intelligent movement with very good technique and great pace.”
Posted by
Phatrick
at
02:12
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Labels: Arsenal, Carlos Vela
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Tresor Mputu's goal, but that's not the funniest bit, have a look at the goalie's celebration...so funny...surly that must hurt your arse?
Posted by
Phatrick
at
09:14
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Labels: Arsenal, Eduardo Da Silva, Emmanuel Adebayor, Nicklas Bendtner, Robin Van Persie, Theo Walcott
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I must confess, I laughed when I saw this. Arsene on the FA's predicament:
“I am always happy to help if I can,” he told Arsenal.com. “I am not sure I am really gifted for that but if they want to know my opinion - and it is a confidential one - then I am always happy.”
“If I was English then of course [I’d be interested],” he said. “But I am not so it is a ‘no’. That is in line with what I have always said. In my opinion, the England manager should be English.”

Posted by
Phatrick
at
06:49
1 comments
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Labels: Arsenal, Arsene Wenger
A blog tracking all the gossip and rumours about arsenal transfers and players