Russian Roulette:Will Arsene Or Zenit Snap First As Arshavin Hints At Ever Approaching Transfer?, Rosicky Statement + Bendtner
Morning all,
The Arshavin deal seems to be, millimeter by millimeter, getting closer to a conclusion, but, we may well be stuck in a ‘who will break first scenario’.
Zenit have never budged from their £20 million, Arsene never wants to break the bank, who’s hand will be forced first.
Zenit risk losing him for even cheaper next time round and they won’t want that to happen, whilst Arsenal is crying out for some creative gumption. Who will break first and make the big call?
Yesterday Arshavin even talked about what shirt number he would take, mentioning a club that had not got the number 10 shirt available,
“I would prefer my present No 10 but in the team where I hope to move it’s not vacant. So I’m ready for any number they are going to offer me.”
Now William Gallas holds our number 10 shirt, but so does Robinho of Man Citeh so that really does not shed any light on the issue what so ever as to what club he is going to join, and i believe, that we are the only club in for him at the moment.
The fact that he is even talking about shirt numbers probably means a deal is likely, even though the price is probably being negotiated, im informed that the original deal was £10 million up front, with other fees adding up to £5 million in the future.
I don’t think it would be the £15 million price tag that is the problem, its probably an issue with the money not all being paid in one go, something this club is notorious for not doing.
It is what held up the Nasri deal in the summer, Marseille wanted all the transfer fee in one go, whereas we wanted to spread it over a period of time.
Im banging on about this transfer no end and i really hope it will be done and dusted by the weekend, sadly, i think its going to stretch to the final days of the transfer window. And interestingly enough, many other rumours seemed to have died down since our interest in Arshavin has become known.
Reports yesterday in the Czech Republic suggested Thomas Rosicky would be ‘handicapped’ for the rest of his life and unable to ever play football again, his agent has said otherwise..
“He has been going through a shit moment, but he’s back.
“Everything is working well and he will be back in March.
“He can still play!”
Well thats putting it fairly bluntly, no politics there then!
I really hope he does return the player he once was, he really was a key member of the team and part of a trio that could have fired us to glory last year, Hleb, Cesc and Rosicky. They were the core of our attacking play and now we have none on the pitch, its obvious how much we miss them and it shows that Wenger realises with the Arshavin persuit.
Now, im going to get castrated for this as i do with many of my views that make perfectly good sense.
First of all i said that Eboue didn’t deserve his boo’ing. Then i said if Toure wanted out, we should let him go. Now that situation is over and done with but now i have a few words for some so called fans that think it is right to jeer their own players.
Who the hell do you think you are, ok, you pay your ticket money but if you dont like what you see sell your season ticket or your match ticket, im sure you could fetch hundreds for it outside the ground. First it was Eboue, now its Bendtner. He cocked up a few passes and then got ironic cheers when he completed one, why not chant his name? Get his adrenalin going and lift the lad, he is shot of confidence and so are all the Arsenal players that are shit scared of putting a foot wrong and getting some bonehead fans on their backs.
Why don’t we get behind the struggling players?
Im going to say this now, i really do not like some sections of the Arsenal fanbase and its mainly fans that have joined the club since the ‘glory days’, i have stated that we really need to win a trophy, not for bragging rights, but in my opinion for the development of these youngsters.
Niklas Bendtner has talent, Alex Song has talent, Denilson has talent Eboue has talent, they would not be at the club if they didn’t.
Bendtner has won us games in the past and he has won us two games this season, the Kiev game at home and the Bolton game, he also won us the North London derby last season. A game that is coming again soon and i think we are in real danger of losing but i will save that for another day.
Eboue has been part of a defence that has set a Champions League record and he runs his backside off for the clubm be puts up with god knows what stick from fans and sometimes he does take part in some pretty unsavoury events that i do not approve of but there is a player like that at every football club and if you can’t see that then sorry sir, you are a hypocryte.
Ive already written about my regard for Denilson as he is one of my players to watch out for in 2009.
I’m sorry if you are one of the truly loyal fans that sticks with this side through and through and had to read that, but sadly i will no longer take this rediculous barrage of critisicm some players from our football club. For gods sake its supposed to be supported. If you want fan power go to Newcastle.
I love this club and i won’t have so called fans ruining its reputation. If Arsenal were a conference side i would support it and i might actually be able to afford a season ticket!
Anyhow, chat in the comments.
victoria concordia crescit.
you’re damn right about these people booing our own players! I mean, it benefits no-one! makes the fans look bad, makes the player feel bad and play worse… and what is this doing to team morale?!?! and the worst thing is that when bendtner sticks the ball in the net they all f**king love him! I mean let’s get behind the team! all you can hear at the emirates are groans of frustration! I’m only 16 so when I was growing up arsenal were winning trophies, but now I’m still cheering them on as much, or even more! its easy to be a supporter (someone who offers SUPPORT to the team) when things are going well but now in this difficult patch is when we really have to get behind the team! denilson has been one of our bestbplayers this season, I can’t believe the slagging off he gets!
and after bendtner scores against kyiv and Plymouth, this is forgotten after 3 bad passes. it really is dispicable. as for rosicky, when he cones back, provided arshavin has signed, we’ll have rosicky, Walcott, nasri, fabregas, arshavin, vela, van persie, eduardo. thats enough attacking options to beat anyone.
but defensively we are short in numbers. gallas, djorou, toure, clichy, silvestre, sagna and song…. we need a dm as well I think
Too right – get behind the lads through good or bad performances as long as their attitude is good, as it seems to be, they are doing the best they can.
Like you said we have lost the engine room temporarily with Cesc & Rosicky and the rest of the lads are young but what football they can produce when they get it right.
Whatever the outcome this season the glass is always half full. After all I wouldn’t want that little scouse pikey anywhere near the Grove – NO STYLE WHATSOEVER
‘Come on you Gooners’
I think the criticism was well said. I am a fan from the US so I know that most fans from europe won’t really give a crap for what i have to say. The fact is though, I am a die hard Arsenal fan and I love Arsenal more than any other sport team from my country and I would never boo a member of Arsenal. Its been a tough campaign to watch and I have been dissappointed from some of the results but the players are only playing the hand that they were dealt with. I think arshavin would bring creativity back to the midfield and bring a sense of hope to the fans. So I hope soon that I can make it to the emrites to see a game live instead of watching on TV, but in the mean time I think this article does have a point to not jeer but get behind the struggling players. And forever…….. In Arsene I trust.
Bryan, agree with ya kid. From the U.S. myself, NY actually. And I’m with ya…I love the Gooners w/ all my heart. Which I know will be hard for Londoners and Europeans to believe. The red and white of Arsenal run furiously through my veins. I’m 23 years old now but I’ve been following the Gunners since I was around 16. I wish I had the chance to see the lads at the Emirates…most of all Highbury! I would never boo the boys or bemoan how they play. Some of these supporters are spoiled I think and don’t appreciate who their watching and rooting on. I will make it to London someday and when I do, I don’t think I’ll return to the states. Don’t boo the young lads boys, support them. Because you could be fans of a much worse London club…aka Spuds. Love them! Love the gunners! Because you don’t know a good thing til’ its gone. In Arsene I trust….gooner4lyf.
dis is d exact post i’d been waiting for. it’s so f**king hard to convince d fickles dat its only support dese guyz need. i startd supportin arsenal wen Kanu(a fellow countryman) joind & i neva lookd bak, kanu or no. some think it’s all d clubs splashin GBP millions on mediocre players dat can actually afford it. for God’s sake we’re jst 5th on d table & we’ve lost 5 games!!!( it could av been worse), dis tels u d so-called strong teams arent doing so good either. we’v had our reality check & it can only get better in my opinion bt i realy think man utd is d only team with the upper hand coz of games in hand which i kno they cant win all. liverpool WILL not win it. Open ur eyes all, there’s d opportunity. support ur first love. Long live arsenè wenger, LONG LIVE ARSENAL!!!!!
He is a good player to be sure. I think Wenger would be being hasty if he got him in the January window for 20m. I think you are right. 14m tops. 20m is a lot of money for someone not proven in the EPL. Especially if he is being bought as a season salvager. On the upside, he would be used to UK weather.
I am a Premier League neutral, well I am neutral in the sense that I have the “Anybody but Chelski” mentality. And for years have loved the way Arsenal have played, with such youthful vigour. I think Arshavin is of that mould and would fit in nicely at the Emirates. But that brings up the argument I have heard from many gunners on 606 and that is “Aren’t there other positions that need to be filled more urgently?”
No matter what happens, Good Luck for the rest of the season.
does any1 know d full Reyes story? didnt we pay sevilla GBP 17million for him? i’m really gettin used to dis site coz dudes here arent as blinded as other sites, u make sense. Thumbs up.
I agree fully, Im all the way in South Africa and would give my left nut (the one that hangs lower) to be at the Emirates even for a small game in the cold and see the team I love, learn the songs, sing them and taunt oposition players and flip them the bird!
It breaks my heart to see fans go to the Emirates to just Boo when things are not going their way. Why not make the Emirates a fortress?!
Intimidate the oposition fans and players, Boost our youngters when they play well, and lift them up when they are playing shyte!
I’ve read of problems with the transport after games, which I think you guys need to take up with the club and fan clubs to arrange, But whats this shyte of leaving the games early when your team is down OR even when they up, The oposition should be leaving early and the Gooners should be singing songs, waving flags, Scarfs and banners till the players leave the pitch!
I have not seen a Gunners huddle is ages, I have not seen a player applauding the fans for the support.
Its like they playing away ALL season long!
Go the Gunners!
Fair point mate.Totally agree that the boo boys at the staduims are totally wrong.And I watch every game with as much enthusiasm as the next.But in all fairness Eboue shouldnt be in the starting line up of a Arsenal team,yeah he went to the cl final,but as a DEFENDER.Our squad has a load of potential but if you are going to tell me that watching our teams performances lately hasnt hurt you well then I dint know.We should never become used to be second best,and I am afraid that is what this article comes down to.I support the arsenal with everything I have from before the so called glory days,and if watching us now doesnt make you want to pull your hair out then something isnt right.I believe we shouldnt be booing them,but when certain players are not good enough it should be said on places like this.If you see adebayor stroling as if he is taking a walk along the beach ,shouldnt we as the fans expect more??Or should we just keep praying for a champions legue spot again and make it four years without siverware?As always I will be cheering them with everything I have this weekend against Hull.Hopefully Arshavin will be a gooner by then.
great post, u are right, good man and real arsenal supporter….
You people who say “never boo poor perfomance” are tw*ts. When feel as much for the club as I do and you understand the game properly you will realise that Ade and other’s work rate is worse than poor at times. We have a handful of players who think that their reputation will score goals etc. Since his pay rise Ade has been lazy and hopeless ….. either wants to be a winger one minute or standing affixed in front of box waiting for the perfect pass and never attacking the ball, hiding behind the defender.
I have supported the Arsenal all my life (I’m 54) and have never seen such a poor attitude and lazy apporach from our players. I cheer and sing all the game …. every game…. even from my seat in a quiet area of the Emirates …… and yes I will still also shout abuse at our own plyers if I think they are not working hard enough. I am not blind to peoples/players faults just because they wear our beloved shirt. I have a season ticket (£1200 a year!!!!!!) and I love the Arsenal as much as my missess, well nearly, and if I think that their attitude is wrong then I have the right to say so. You must not assume these boos reflect on a poor pass or sh*t game. It is all about their attitude and work rate. Oh and work rate does not simply mean running around like a headless chicken like Eboue style.
Zenit will crack first because they have no real leverage. Arsenal are a world class club that can attract dozens of other players like Arshavin. Money aside, no one in the world can deny that we can provide an opportunity to elevate one’s career. Zenit however are a relatively unknown club in a league that is only familiar to the footballing hardcores. Arshavin is as yet an untested quantity on a stage as big as the Prem and CL and Zenit cannot afford to pay wages to a player who has no desire to play for them any more and then risk losing even more money on him when his contract expires. Arsenal however, could realistically leave Zenit’s mind games behind them and start scouting elsewhere. We have the upper hand and the luxury and Wenger knows this, which is why he has not been frustrated by Zenit’s actions. We should start looking elsewhere and announce public interest in other players, so as to play our own mind games with Zenit to the point that they become desperate and negotiate on our terms, not theirs.
mickey the north bank gooner – mickey the north bank gooner – I couldn’t agree more, it’s nice that we have the support from all over the world and i appreciate that they haven’t been to a live Arsenal game. But they need to understand that paying fans like yourself have the right to question some of our players when they are not putting any effort in. And if certain player don’t give a 100% when wearing the Arsenal jersey then they deserve to be booed, I agree Ade & Eboue have been our worst players this season…..I recall Ade saying a the beginning of the season… when he was demanding a big pay rise “if they want me to play like Henry then pay me the same as Henry” well he is getting the money now and I’ve yet to see him play anywhere near the legend, Ade couldn’t score to save his life, the only time he has had a good game when i watched him at Blackburn early on in the season, other than that he has been very poor.
Doesn’t destroying their confidence make them play worse anyway?
because ultimately, its what happens.
happened with England at Wembley and you can see how uncomfortable our players are after going 10 minutes without scoring
hi goonblogger – what confidence? if they had the confidence then they would play better and score more goals. Do you think Ade is confidant in front of goal……., he gets paid to score goals, he gets paid £80k a week and what for…..always offside, one and one with the goal keeper he can’t score, can’t run forward with the ball, can’t take on defenders and if one is in front of him, he will pass the ball back to his midfield, his body language shows that he doesn’t care……..the list goes on. You talk about confidence, but it is us the fans that are losing confidence. Don’t get me wrong I love Arsenal with all my heart…and it hurts when you see players not giving their 100% commitment on the pitch…..so far this season for what i have seen the only players that deserve to wear the Arsenal shirt are Denilson, Nasri, Clichy, Sagna, RVP, Fabregas, Walcott, Vela, Ramsey, Djourou, Jack Wilshere, Eduardo…………the rest are not fit to wear the Arsenal shirt.
I think with a little confidence the flamboyance would return, you can see when players get on the ball they take the easy option because if they get the other options wrong the crowd will get on their back.
I think if we chanted their names the whole game, and lifted them when they needed it we would get a hell of a return…
To be honest i don’t think they enjoy playing at the Emirates.
Im a gooner through and through and fans SHOULD have their say, thats why the manager should meet with supporters groups and get a one to one opinion without the media’s interference. We should vent our anger in private and get behind the players because a strong show of unity will show what a great club this is.
Hi Goonblogger! How (after paying 1200 quid for my season ticket) am I supposed to get behind a lazy sod who makes little effort to win us the game and just demands he recieve the perfect pass for 90 mins??? My natural reaction is to scream at the f**ker hoping he will react …… not to chant his name is adulation.
No one should assume that these so called boo boys are not cheering the TEAM on all throughout the game as well. These are generally the most motional and vocal elements of the crowd. Real fans …. not some pussy who won’t have a go at aplayer just because he wears our jersey.
Sadly i cant afford that kind of money but i do get to as many as i possibly can afford.
Now, i just think that dissing the players does not help our cause one bit.
Ok, i understand your anger at them, you do have the right to express your views but consider the team… Bendtner will be off in the summer.
You can tell he hates the Emirates, his goal celebrations have really toned down and he doesnt really celebrate now.
I think fan groups and managers should meet every couple of months and have it out, in privacy without the worlds media watching..
By the way, how many of you are regular readers? + thanks for reading and taking the time to debate.
goonblogger – i have saved your site in my favourites as I only found you today….hope to contribute and have more debates in the future……btw excellent web site….
keep up he gooner work!
gunner4life!!
Running a football club is not a democracy. In fact we entrust total leadership to just one man over whom we have little/no influence other than to either stay away (not an option for a real fan) or to scream and shout from our luxury cushioned seats to show our dissatisfaction. How can real fans who really care what happens blindly chant support for their club even when there is so much wrong with some players attitude and when AW’s social experiment (i.e. can he make 19 year old players win us the Premiership?) fails to win us anything again.
Summary: Cheer for the TEAM; Sing for Players when they are trying (even when they have a bad game); and yes slag off the players who just take the 80K and make no freekin effort.
I am a newbie to this blog but will continue to come on ….. if you can stand the hassle!! Thanks for giving us the opportunity to have good rant.
Thanks very much mate, good to know the hard work gets somewhere!
I dont force people to agree with me, in fact i like other people with different views! if everything was the same it would be rather boring.
respect for shelling out all that money!
Totally right there Goonblogger – at the moment my respect for many Arsenal fans is at an all time low…
I’ve been saying for ages that we should get behind the team, not abuse them. That won’t help them play well will it?
not at all, infact the opposite