How many big players have we sold in the past? Tons. When a player is not 100% committed to the club both physically and mentally it is best to let them go for the sake of the other ten players on the pitch who are giving a lot more for the side. It doesn’t matter how good this player is, when it comes to a team you are all equal, you all have to work tirelessly and give total commitment. Cesc and Nasri are not in a position to do that, therefore there is no other option but to sell.
Cesc has given us some absolutely blinding memories and he is a player of special, special ability. Physically he has started to fail over the past few seasons, he has a chronic hamstring problem and when a teams most influential player is injured for a big percentage of the games is there any other option but to re-balance the side and find a way of collectively filling the void left by that player?
One point worth making is that when we have sold a big player, it is very rare that another player of a similar ilk has also departed. When we sold Petit and Overmars to Barcelona they were two big players for us, they were also two very different players – in losing Cesc and Nasri we are massively weakening perhaps the strongest part of our squad. It is unquestionable that they need replacing with proven quality.
Today we are linked with Jadson of Shakhtar Donetsk by Le Equipe but somehow I can’t see that one coming off – there is also a story running in El Mundo Deportivo that Juan Mata will sign for Arsenal as soon as Cesc Fabregas departs for Barcelona, everything already being agreed with his representatives. We will see on that, I suppose.
News of our immediate windfall to the tune of £62m did not go down that well, surprisingly, and news that we have opened talks to sign Scott Dann from Birmingham has not done much to ease the tension amongst some fans. Understandably.
One thing I am very much delighted with is that we will have a new captain. No player who opts out of games because he is scared of his hamstring not lasting long enough to face his boyhood club is a fit captain, no player who refuses to take part in pre-season preparations is a fit captain. Like I said, I am thankful for a lot of brilliant memories but Cesc will not go down as a legend, he didn’t lift any trophies as captain – if he did it would be a completely different scenario.
And then there is Nasri – a player we persevered with and he finally started living up to his potential at the start of last season. By all accounts he was absolutely outstanding. He won’t be missed as much as Cesc, and can be replaced far more easily. £24m for a player in the final year of his contract is by all accounts a brilliant bit of business, so long as he is replaced adequately.
The Arsenal money-men now find themselves in the uncomfortable position of having a hell of a lot to spend, clubs know this and will want to exploit it. There is just no choice but to stump up the cash and get in the players we need. The season and immediate future of the club at the top top level probably relies on it.
Give it a week or two and we could have a fresh start, we could be at least one new defender to the good and with an arrival in the ilk of Juan Mata we could have a young, exiting attacking unit at the club. Obviously, the striker issue is a bit of a worry and there are also concerns over the full-back positions in terms of strength in depth, but, things could look a fair bit more rosy.
First up though is a trip to Newcastle and that ain’t gonna be easy..
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Well said-this is an opportunity if we play our cards right and a really really bad milestone for the club if we don’t.
C’mon Arsenal!!!!!!
OK, That’s It. Two very big guns checkin out.
Ok
Jadson is definately happening as is mata should the two leave.
Arsenal could shoot themselves in the foot though if they don’t accept 20mill as man city arent increasing their offer and could sign someone else for cheap.
We could be left with that grump nasri all season which could ruin us as his attitude quite frankly sucks.
Cahill, Kagawa, Mata… sorted.
FM ftw.
All this has been handled badly.
should have flogged both early doors so we could move on.
The fact it is 2 days prior to kick off and we have not strengthened defence is a joke.
Also not wilshere is out on Sat and also Ramsey was struggling with calf.
For me we lack depth in every area. Across defence, midfield and a striker.
Add to that in Jan Gervinho, Song, Chamakh and Frimpong (possibly) will be going to ACN. If VP has the usual 3 months out we’ll have zero strikers as well as zero midfield
Its difficult to take when the writing is on the wall, still thought we might get another year with Cesc. Couldn’t care a less about Nasri, 6 decent months and 2 years of absence or mediocrity are not even worthy of a farewell (we all know what happens to players who start showing promise at Arsenal and then leave following the money (Hleb, Flamini, Petit). My faith is faltering with AW, and i have been one of his most staunch supporters arguing that we have lost the league in the last few seasons because of unfair treatment from officials in comparison to Utd/Chavski etc. But now he must pull an enormous rabbit (or 3) out of the hat to restore mine and many fans’ belief. We are still one of the greatest clubs in the world, we have survived bigger players leaving and i still fancy us to win something. Just want the season to start as all the bollocks of the transfer window has worn my faith thin. COYGs
Why cant people see we have already replaced nasri. gervinho is his replacement. mata will replace cesc. eboue has already been replaced with jenkinson and emmanuel-thomas has been replaced by chamberlain. manone and traore have been brought back from loans to replace almunia and clichy. as far as i am concerned the next player in will be to replace bendtner or he will be an addition to our defence. frimpong has also been brought in to replace denilson and coquelin lansbury miquel and miyaichi will all swell the numbers. if you look at it from now if we sign mata dann mertesacker benzema and campbell i think that will be us done. cesc nasri bendtner eboue almunia and vela are the ones i expect tp leave squillaci too if anyone fancies him.
Dont understand why it was so late but Good riddance to both.
As long as Wenger spends the money I am more than fine.
But why can we get rid of the other ones? Almunia-Bender?
Well, all i’ll say is goodbye and thanks for all the fish.
No player, be it Messi, Ronaldo, Cesc, whoever, is unreplaceable. Having said that I’m really keeping my fingers crossed that Wenger doesn’t come out in the next two weeks saying something along the lines of “I didn’t buy because I would have killed Ramsey’s career”
some players for what ever reason found machester city bad move nasri may find its not quite london 3 or 4 yrs long time to be where you dont like
Cahil/Jagielka, Sneijder for Fab, Mata for Nasri. = +/- 60mil in & out……
the look on Fab and Nasri’s faces when we lift the PL trophy = priceless
wish we just go for it and make 60m out of those 2 sales, 11m from bendtners sale and 7 from clichy. thats 78m, with the supposed 40m kitty to start with which would take it upto 118m. chamberlain and gervinho cost about 24 between then which is now 94m. mata for 25, hazard for 25. cahill for 16, dann for 6. thats now down to 22m and we only really need a striker as mentioned before gerv and chamakh will be off to acn in feb. we all know weng wants to keep a profit so rodallega for 12m would be decent as back up ad then were all set
Did any one see the Liverpool Valencia match? Mata was average to say the best. I know it is only pre season but it seems as though people are getting extremely over excited about a potential prospect when we have the real deal in Cesc, although he does seem to leaving.
To me only GOD is inreplaceable,but human being are replaceable.arsene should cash these boiz. nd replace them with good player to strengthing the team.bye to fab and nas we dont need them again in arsenal.up Gunners.
It’s happened once already, with Edu and Vieira going off in 2005. And yes, in terms of squad, Arsenal already have adequate replacements.
Song will probably not feature in the ANC, because of the falling out with Eto’o that caused the Camroonian federation to disown him.
If Arsenal sell Nasri and Fab, they won’t get 62 million, but only 45+, Barca are supposed to pay less than 30 millions upfront and the rest is going to happen later.
I expect Wenger to come up with 2-3 new names and secure their arrival at Emirates within the next few days. I don’t think any of these players will feature in the nearest games, but they would probably be ready within a few weeks. And that’s just what Arsenal need.
Thanks for the memories cesc and 8 years of hard work for the arsenal.I sincerely believe he walks away with a heavy heart,if anyone deserved trophies with us it has to be this man and rvp as they have displayed class and loyalty only to have their hard work undone so often with novice,cheap defenders.I will always remember cesc with great fondness like so many gooners.Samir nasri aint going to talk too much about you as loyalty and respect are words that dont apply to you.You failed arsene,your teammates and the superb arsenal fans all of whom adored you only for you to turn your back on us and display a side that we didnt know existed with you,on your bike as the feeling is now mutual,you dont want us and we certainly dont want you.Shame on you as you have class as a player but not as a person.In fairness though you are just the average modern day player in that respect.Onwards and upwards gooner pals with classy new hard working,loyal recruits.Heres hoping anyway.Arsenal for the title.
All well said. My issue with the Gunners since 2005 is we’ve become a team that has 9 players on the field of the same physical mold. That is 5’7″ or less extremely skilled players. If I were to liken it to basketball we’re a team of point guards skilled, quick, creative and fun to watch. On the flip side we’re defensive challenged,breakdown/injured often, and when things get a little rough we whine and winge about everything. 2005 and prior we still had those players but also a healthy mix of a bit more size, aggression and backbone ie Vierra,Pettit, Paulor, Adams, and Flamini who wasn’t so big but covered the field and stuck the hard tackles when they were needed. All we’ve had since these names in SONG and a bunch of extremley skilled dwarfs. Diaby can’t stay healthy who else is there… besides our supremely unskilled center backs (TVM excluded) who has any physical presences on the field.
Maybe rugby is a better comparison than basketball. Our team consists of 2 props (our present corp of central defenders ), 1 and sometimes 2 flankers( Song and RVP when not injured)and 12 scrum half’s. If we’re allowed to play a wide open game look out…. any well trained, not as skilled opposition with a game plan will wear us down and not lets us play that game and beat us or at least tie(as good as a loss)