Arsenal

how i see it to day

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:41:39 -0500

Silvestre is much better than Senderos who was an absolute liabilty and disaster waiting to happen. I like Silvestre as he bring a no nonsense attitude to defending and I can see either Gallas or Toure flourishing when paired with him.
Also, Senderos was never good with Gallas, he was good with Toure and only because Toure was at the time in good form and forever covering for his frailties.

Many gunners wouldn't like to admit this but I think that Toure and Fabregas have been absolute shite this season. For instance, Fabregas has played 10 games and only contributed 1 goal and 2 assists. Currently, Denilson is our best central midfielder with more successful tackles and passes but of course to criticize Fabregas is almost akin to blasphemy for most gooners.

Also, as much as I like Nasri, I don't think he's a genuine wide man as he seems to lack pace. I still don't understand why Wenger bought him instead of Hatem Ben Arfa who is taller, quicker and more direct. Or why doesn't Wenger try Vela there for a few games, this guy has got pace and the ability to terrorize defences as he did so in Spain.

spurs v reserves

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:32:01 -0600

Yes, Tottenham deserved to win, not just in the clash at White Hart Lane but over the two legs. But face the facts, fans - you only beat a half-strength Gunners side.

'I'm not saying that Tottenham didn't deserve to win. It's just pathetic that they believe they beat a full or near full-strength Arsenal side'

Let's look at the facts of the Carling Cup semi-final second leg. Arsenal were missing from the starting line-up Manuel Almunia, Tomas Rosicky, Mathieu Flamini, Emmanuel Adebayor and Eduardo, all rested. Plus Robin van Persie, Johan Djourou, Philippe Senderos and Gael Clichy, through injury.

Kolo Toure, Emanuel Eboue and Alexandre Song were also missing through the African Cup of Nations (ACN). The counter-claim is that Tottenham were missing Didier Zokora (ACN) and Gareth Bale through injury.

To be fair, let's just compare the two missing Tottenham players to two missing Arsenal players who perform similar duties. Zokora at his best is a decent midfielder who gets the job done, not of the same importance or ability as Flamini, who has rightfully taken his spot in the Arsenal midfield ahead of a sluggish Gilberto Silva.

Bale, however, is an undeniable talent. I don't and will never understand why he didn't end up at Manchester United as the heir-apparent to Ryan Giggs, or at Real as the replacement for Roberto Carlos - or even at Arsenal as it is a proper left-footed winger in the left-midfield position that we lack. However, Arsenal have Clichy at left-back, who this season has been the best in the league along with Patrice Evra.

I could mention that we were also missing Toure, who is without a doubt one of the best centre-backs in the world, a far cry from the sixth-choice Justin Hoyte (after Toure, William Gallas, Senderos, Djourou, Song and maybe even Gilberto Silva), along with Rosicky, who is a much classier and effective player than Abou Diaby.

Finally the missing strikers such as Van Persie, who borders on world class and, given a run of good fitness, would achieve that status. In the league alone, he has five goals and an assist from seven games and a substitution appearance.

Nicklas Bendtner and Theo Walcott are fourth and fifth-choice strikers at Arsenal, unlike Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane at Tottenham. When the proper uninjured strikers did come on, it took only five minutes for Adebayor to score, showing the vast difference between him and Bendtner or Walcott, though Eduardo admittedly was ineffective.

I'm not saying that Tottenham didn't deserve to win. It's just pathetic that they believe they beat a full or near full-strength Arsenal side. Furthermore I have seen and heard and scoffed at Spurs fans' remarks that this game is the cornerstone to some Tottenham 'revolution,' similar to what was said when Thierry Henry left.

The fact is you played a near full-strength Arsenal side twice this year - and lost 3-1 and 2-1.

debt

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 03:44:34 -0500

Unfortunately as an Arsenal fan, I cannot choose my co-supporters, however much I would wish. But some of them have a scary cynicism. Firstly, Arsenal are conducting their business as they have throughout the 10 yrs of Wenger. Why is it suddenly a worry now? Secondly, why in the world do the current shareholders need to inject money when the club is self-sufficient. Perhaps you do not get, Mr Cynical Gooner, let me repeat: LIVING WITHIN HE CLUB'S MEANS. What that means is that u do not spend what you do not have, like Man U and Liverpool. Man U have GBP600m in debt and they spend GBP50m on players when their interest payments are GBP62m. We have not even mentioned the capital repayments. Do the sums. Based on GBP600m in debt and GBP800m in enterprise value, Man U today is worth GBP200m! Based on GBP260m in debt and GBP650m in enterprise value, Arsenal are worth GBP400m today!!! By next year, with only GBP20m in interest payments, we will be able to spend GBP50m a year on players if we so wish. But we will not with or without an idiot billionaire because the club has NEVER done that and does not believe in that. Now I ask you again, sell the club for what purpose?????

up the gunners

Mon, 2 Jul 2007 11:14:38 -0500

The move was confirmed by Arsenal earlier this afternoon for an undisclosed fee.

The 24-year-old was delighted after completing the deal: 'I am excited and happy in the same time, also a very proud that I am going to play in such a big club.

Every football player want to play for Barcelona, Real , Manchester United or Arsenal one day and so do I.

I want to progress in my career, but it is be hard to leave Dinamo Zagreb after eight years.

I will miss the club, the guys...I will be back one day, but now I want to accept a new challenge.'

Dinamo Zagreb's president Mirko Barišić is quoted on UEFA.Com as saying: 'I think the transfer is worth €24m from the money Arsenal got after selling Henry to Barcelona.'

To me that sounds like a mistake in the translation, and he's trying to say that he thinks the fee for Eduardo has come from the £6.1Million Arsenal got from Barcelona for Henry.