Another frustrating weekend for Arsenal fans has drawn to a close. Two more leads gifted away, a worry over the fitness of one of our best young players and us being denied the chance to see an old hero in the red and white once again thanks to a referee who was all to happy to make decisions he should frankly be embarrassed about. Lets hope it isn’t going to be like this for the season ahead.
Frankly though, it is pre-season. It is only pre-season. Movements that we have long been after in the transfer market are starting to be made – the latest suggestion is that Juan Mata is the small matter of a weekly wage agreement from moving to Arsenal after we have agreed a fee with Valencia. Jagielka could well be following suit.
Booing at the end was predictable, and it does show just how the fans are feeling and have been feeling for quite some time now. If there was every any time for us to race out the blocks when the new season starts it is now, we really really need something to cheer about.
Suffice to say I didn’t boo, nor did I at the end of last season – I don’t see what it achieves and where it gets us. A new season is supposed to be a fresh start and that has to come from those in the stands as well as on the pitch.
It was great to put a face to the names of a few online Arsenal bloggers yesterday, there were some top people there and it was great to meet you all.
Right now I see no point in getting worked up over a few friendlies, we have bigger fish to fry and I will be in a better place to judge everything a week from now when we have played Benfica and hopefully added a couple of faces.
Emphasis on ‘hopefully’.
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No need to get worked up? season is starting in 2 weeks with a difficult start and champions league qualification ties to play and we need at least 3 new first team players (not squad members). we could be in a right mess by mid september and all due to the same dithering in the transfer market that we see every season.
I don’t think the fans were booing just this result or the results in the Emirates Cups. Its a combination of things, from raised ticket prices, to the lack of promised activity. After all, the fans are literally pumping money into the club via shirt and ticket sales, yet to see a return. Its an investment for fans and the number who rejected season tickets is increasing. I myself did not boo, but yet I see no reason why it is considered poor on our behalves, its the main vocal that fans have, as the AST is still a minority in the general retrospective of things. We got told of our activity in the market, yet the most activity we are seeing are sales, with Clichy having left, Denilson out on loan, the prospect of Nasri and Cesc leaving, as well as Bentner, Almunia, Squallaci and Eboue, our squad that does not last a whole season due to fatigue and mentality, is being reduced with experienced players leaving and no one to replace them. Theres only one phrase that we have to believe in …. In Wenger We Trust!
i like the look of mata but why are we only making moves in the transfer window now? two weeks before serious games? we had ages to do something.
i can only conclude that we are still broke, and that we need to sell to buy.
i’m not convinced that phil jagielka is the answer to our defensive frailties either.
i’m really worried about this year.
Its just very very fustrating at the moment, I am a reasonsable sensible fan and always backed Wenger but we were not good enough last year and we have lost/losing Denilson,Clichy,Eboue,Bendtner,Almunia,Cesc,Nasri and at the moment we have Jenkinson and Gervinho.
On what planet is that going to help us do better? I know the players going barring Cesc and Nasri are ones that needed to go but they are not being replaced, plus with the usual Wenger spin of “we are not weak defensively” and “we’ll do our business early” its annoying to say the least, was there yesterday, would never boo and never have but can understand fustration, it just does not help the situation, people who go have the right to do what they want as they pay Diaby’s wages or simlilar and plough money in to the club that is not spent wisely
Booing just so you know for the future is a way that supporters who are truly pissed off with Arsenes dictatorship let him and the board know that his head in the sand style of management is not acceptable ,the players are equally pissed off with him so they don’t give a toss stand up for your team don’t just sit in the stand with your fingers in your ears wishing it would stop get some balls you know Arsenes had his day no tactics no transfer policy inability to bring on young players and feeble excuses wengermustgo
I have to agree with gunner17a, I think we are moving for Mata because Cescs departure is looking more likely. I think the fact that one club want him, and he wants to go to one club give Barcelona too much power in negotiation. In the current market, even £40mil is a joke for one of the best centre mids in the world. Torres at age 27, off the back of a bad season went for £50mil, Pastore just went for close to £40mil after one good season as potentially a world class player. We too often sell players in the eyes of Wengers value, not the market. I still remember being in shock that Henry left for a minimal £16mil.
I do prefer Cahill over Jagielka, due to age, value for money, reported wages, and mostly, aerial dominance.
I completely agree with non-booing at this stage. What does it say to the new players? I bet Gervinho and Jenkinson haven’t ever been boo’d at a friendly before! (and these were 2 friendlies … not a real cup!)
I am getting more and more dissillusioned with mamy online blog sites that constatly rubbish the man who took us from Boring Boring Mid-Table Arsenal to a team that won more things than anyone has a right too in his first 5 years and then since the financial handcuffs went on has managed to have us not only stay in the Top4 clubs in England, but genuinely become one of the Top10 clubs in Europe.
I just ask those booers .. who would you like in charge? And be realistic rather than play fantasy manager …..
Tommy V looks properly match fit, Chamakh, Arshavin, Rosiky will play well this year. Squillachi isn’t that awful and will only improve this year. Denilson has left and I think Nasri will stay and Cesc go. Juan Mata and either Samba/Cahill/Jagielka will arrive (possibly 2 of them).
My only real concern is the keeper …
Going back to booing and wanting rid of Arsene. I can only think it all comes from Jonny Come Latelys who don’t remember (or even know) anything pre Sky Sports and even back to 71-88 when we won mostly nowt, nahd no chance in the league and lived fro FACup runs like 78-80 ….. to these people I say … shut up or sod off the Chavski where you’ll be welcomed with open arms by all the other Jonny Know Nothings.
I don’t even think he wants to join us.read somewhere that he wouldn’t be moving to london cause his family is settled and like the merseyside.
Apparently the news in spain is that Mata is not interested in coming to us – A bit overrated IMO anyway and just 1 level up from the players we have already. We need players who are 2 or 3 levels up from what we have
Your not the only one who’se worried about the upcoming season. I’ve supported Arsenal since I was 10 years old so for 50 plus years I’ve stuck with them through thick & thin, but am becoming very dissatisfield with Wenger’s approach to transfers. It’s claimed we have the funds to buy big but so far all we’ve spent is a pittance ie £11 m. Where are the CB’s that were promised. Wenger only seems interested in keeping Fabregas & Nasri, so what does that say about him. Can’t he see that they no longer want to be with Arsenal & the sooner they’re shipped out the better without anymore disruptions to the team for the forthcoming season
friendlies at the emirates have a panto-style atmosphere(mexican waves, no songs etc) the boos are being blown out of proportion. the majority of the crowd were under 10- and the rest from france!!! Why are you making something out of nothing??!
for 5 years we had to wait for Wenger to realise that Almunia was useless . Will we have to wait another 5 years for Wenger to realise that the defence is disorganised , lacks a leader & is unable to defend set pieces .After 50 years of supporting Arsenal i have never been more dissulusioned .
I have accepted that this year will be trophyless….
Patience is the answer, hope Wenger will be fired next summer… I’ d like for next manager Henry, Vieira, Adams, Keown, Parlour or Winterburn…
what happened to the first dibs on Hazard thing you wrote about in march?
nobody else has put a bid on Hazard..so shouldn’t he come to us like you said ? :S
Booing definitely does get you somewhere. If Wenger and the board recognise that the fans are unhappy they will do something about it. Our defensive frailties are glarringley obvious and there for everyone to see.If we kept quiet then no changes would be made. Arsenal FC rely partly on the fans revenue stream and therefore want to please them.
I get so fed up with all these rumours about transfers….we only need one more signing….two at best if Fabregas or Nasri leaves. Samba is clearly what we need. We have speed and agility in Vermaelen. What we need is a big, powerful and proven player to clear balls from set pieces. Why are we stalling, give Blackburn what they want for him. They only wanted 12m and still Wenger wanted to haggle and wouldn’t pay it. Just ridiculous.
On a positive note Rosicky was very good I thought.
Nothing worhtwhile, meaning (to use David Dean’s words), building a winning team, will happen until some time after Wenger has gone, preferably sacked, but we all know too well that this will never happen, the once powerful board having become both his puppet and now also the mute American’s puppets!
What is he for, anyway!?
The person we all really miss above all is David Dean who always worked very hard and successfully for Arsenal’s cause… For the first time in many years, but really since 2006 I am disillusioned and quite bitter! Anybody agree with me?
Wait for none cause no more signings. you shall never see any new face coming except the one to leave. Wenger is killing Arsenal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please Mr. Wenger stop being mean and buy quality defenders
we need 2 players at the back verthongen n samba/cahill/sakho/mertesacker/jaielka/any1 but squid n/or djorou would b great backline should look like this:
sagna/Carl/eboue samba/cahill exc. verma/kos verthongen/gibbs
n tim wiese 2 teach szczensy i thing or 2, 4 5m max seems like a real big bargain 2 me
I agree that with the important fixtures in August it would have been better to act quickly on the transfer market and I can’t see the reason to why we have waited so long to sign a CB. However, let’s not forget that AW does have an eye for talent. Last season started out in a fantastic way even thoug our two best players were out due to injury. What we fans tend to forget is that at least one or two of last season’s fringe players will probably step up and have a major impact on our game. I think that if we get to keep Nasri, strengthen our defence and sign Mata we could be looking forward to a great season. And I think that this looks very likely to be the case. My only major concern then will be GK. We don’t have a top class GK and that may prove costly for us, as it will for Man U who has signed an inexperienced talent as their no 1.
the booing represents the unhappy gooners and its growing by the week!!!!
we had the SAME problem for the past 6 SEASONS!!! IT HASNT BEEN ADDRESSED!!!! i would get the sack for the constant mistakes!!!
When you look at the squads of the top teams,Arsenal are nowhere their equals.For starters most of the senior players in MU/MC/Chelsea are wc or near wc and fully experienced.
In contrast half of the gunners are babes.That is why the bookies got it right by giving long odds for the gunners to lift the title.
Wenger may not want to know believing his babes can stun the fw. Frankly it has been a dissapointing six seasons.So get ready for another poor season until Wenger gets at least two to three experienced epl players.
Oterwise the gap will get worse.And the gunners will be consigned to mid table staus for a long time. Shades of the world’s third richest club.
http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/871023-juan-mata-transfer-to-arsenal-on-the-verge-of-collapse?
Wenger turns stingy again. What is happening to our beloved club?!
You are all correct. Every summer for 6 years have been nothing short of an inactive hell as we loose player after player to more active and determined and often poorer clubs. If it is true and we have lost Mata due to incompetently letting his contract expire that is the final embarrasing straw surely some one in the club should pay for yet another cock up. It is time the fans were treated with respect and told what the hell is going on. if it is down to wenger then move him upstairs where he can still watch his young boys around the world most of whom will never get work permits and let someone else create a competitive side. When wenger first joined arsenal he said he earnt his money in the summer transfer market. For the last six summers he should have been on unpaid leave.
It’s about time all Gooners realised that signing new players simply isn’t a straghtforward exercise.
Each wanted player must be prepared to leave his Club, the Club must be willing to sell and the fee must be acceptable to both sides. And then there will be personal terms to be agreed. This behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing all takes interminable time.
Yet Gooners clammer for multiple signings within days of a Window opening without any thought of the transfer intricacies. Understandingly, Arsenal have always kept their never-ending search for new talent
as secret as possible…for obvious reasons and it is therefore incumbent on all Gooners to have patience until the 1st September before expressing their views on the Club’s transfer progress. YOU HAVE NO REAL CHOICE.
It is really annoying what the fans are calling for. The majority of them where asking for English grit over the French swagger. They were also telling us, that Arsene looks for new players in his own backyard (french league)rather than giving a chance to English players. When he gives a chance to an English player in a preseason game and the guy makes a mistake, they all of a sudden forget that the chance given is an English player. It is really bizarre, because I do not see the English team improving with such an attitude from the fans because it is so negative and intoxicating. The moral blow to the young kid Kyle would be heavy and god knows if he will recover because he will think of the boos of these awful arsenal fans time and again.
@ nicky …..Well said unfortunate most fans I observed are trophies hunter and wanted the clubs to spend and spend and later go broke, never mind go support another trophies team. That’s not the way things run in a club regardless a rich sugar daddy.
BTW Arsenal not following up on Juan Mata deal as its fees now stand at £30m after 31st July for what reasons obody knows. If you are interested listen to this link from TalkSport http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/drivetime/blog/2011-08-01/balague-its-arsenals-best-interests-keep-nasri-and-let-him-go-free
is practically a close case with Arsenal not buying the player
Mata deal has collapsed. We were only ever going to buy in once we got cash for Cesc anyway. Arsene does not spend before he receives.
Laughable how we can not give away Bendtner, Almunia and Eboue due to their astronomical wages.
Wouldn’t surprise me if they end up featuring or us next season at some point when we get our usual plethora of injuries.
This brings me onto my next point. There has been no summer tournament football yet already injuries have started to rack up before pre season has ended. It is absolutely ridiculous.
Balague said Barcelona told their players it can raised the fee to £29m, with another £5m taken from Fabregas wages over the next few years, and ass another loan of £5m-£6m.
You don’t need to be a maths genius to work out that total transfer fees are £40m or close to what Arsenal want to seal the deal.
I wonder will Arsene spend £30m for Mata after Fabregas deal. We all know Fabregas will not get every regular starter at Barcelona but for the benefits for both parties, we must close this case ASAP and move on. I wish all the best but not against Arsenal.
The latest is Wilshire saying unless Wengers gets some signings the gunners won’t be able to challenge for the epl.I may add that unless he cuts out the weaving or tippy tappy or pass to eternity soccer,more top gunners will want to quit. These guys want to win trophies not play harlem type ie exhibition soccer and getting mugged or defeated.
If Wenger is unwilling to play to win he better go and join the harlem globetrotters whose clowning won them millions of fans.Arsenal fans want winning soccer not pretty but ugly if necessary to win which is agaginst Wenger’s philosophy of the game.
He is living in dreamland and the sooner he goes ,I believe the gunners will start winning and delivering trophies.e
@ Walter ….. I don’t agreed with your negative thoughts which basically were formed by usual short-sightedness and media feed reports against Arsenal. You need to take a distances and look at the direction Wenger and AFC as a whole wanted to do or heading toward our destiny.
Home grown talents like Wilshere, Frimpong will not be easily tempted by rich daddy club cashes. Wenger wanted and created this togetherness in the scholars to youth professional amog players.I saw comments that Arsene youth project was a failure and that is foremost a wrong concept feed by the media. If you can get 6-8 players or even 1-2 players from the youth project, you are a successful nuturing club. Wenger visions deserve credits but not condemnation. Long shall it preserved.
The first patch of youth players Wenger created in his Arsenal way of playing style most closer to Holland Total football and most defintedly differ from Barcelona style…..We saw how Wilshere had shown last season and carry forward this season. Frimpong, Coquelin, Troare, Gibbs are excellent examples what the academy had produced.
BTW give Gibbs and Troare to prove their worth before condemning them both and believed they will save Arsenal few millions. Even Carl Jenkinson at the right back slot is an excellent quality and interesting prospect. In fact few more youth players are in their last 1-2 years to prove to Wenger they can be called for first team. Frankly the 25 players rule set by FA quicken the decisions of Wenger youth coaches to either sell or promote them before the age of 22 YO.
We are right now about to move into the last phrase of club development after we fully self-substained our loan payment to the Emirates stadium. Wenger and the board did a fantastic job to bring to where Emirates or Wenger era to the pinnacles. Not forgetting few average first team players are in the process out either for loan or to be sold to give youth a possible promotion or buy qualities from clubs. We will be a great club in Europe whether the haters like it or not. I for one a Gunners forever.
I retrieved a point I mentioned earlier….I strongly believed Wenger must buy an experienced Left Back instead of relying on Gibbs and Troare….Its a big risk Wenger is putting here unless he and the coaching staffs can work out a plan to teach the defensive aspect when we lost possession & currently zonal marking system perhaps a disaster to happen. Really hope Wenger get this area right as it can make coming 1-2 to 3-4 next season.
2-1 Benfica
Can we start to start judging now ?
I live in ireland and i get to the emirates 4 or 5 times a year.Last week my mother,sisters,nephew and niece all went to the red bulls game during their 10 day holiday in the capital.Everyone of them said the stadium was awesome as was the great day out but that arsenal didnt play well.I myself missed the game on tv as i was out with my lady,its a shame we didnt try harder to win the 2 games because for the excuse of only pre season run outs to be given by the club isnt good enough.This club more than any other this last good while is disrespecting its followers who pay extreme amounts to attend and cheer on the club we adore.Them 2 games last week for a lot of people was their only chance to attend and the club should understand this and work their socks off for the fans,as they in very tough times have to do that in order to go to the likes of the emirates.Our pre season is shambolic and we are a complete mixture of mess at the moment with unsettled unresolved futures,lack of recruits,poor existing quality,injuries and poor form.Never felt as low as i do now about Arsenal and the clubs actions or sorry lack of them staggers believe even for us.In arsene we rust appears more realistic sadly.1 week from going to a very noisy,passionate stadium up north were we will do well to return with a result as far as i can see.Noisy,passionate stadium,it would be nice if we had that also,but there you go thats life as a gooner as there is a few things we dont have,just hope that includes a manager if he doesnt get his act together and very,very quickly.We do have hope but doesnt everyone?.
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