Diaby injured, hope it's just a niggle. Muki the prayer really worked .

Cesc is threemuch, this boy is too much

Edo yeah it did, we didnt sleep over at the beach for nothing

One word!

Great spirit. . . oh that's two.

One prayer!

May Tunisia turned Barca tommorow and annihilate Cameroon.

One more prayer!

May Alex Song score 2 own goals tommorow.

Come on thou Red and White Army  

Ibime:

If Arsenal win the league this season, it would be the first time in history that a central midfielder (Fabregas) has won the league singlehandedly. . . . this must be the greatest central midfielder we have ever seen in the Prem. . . . the nucca is averaging 1 assist per game and almost 2 goals every three games. . . . FFS, is he playing football like Neo in The Matrix?

This is one reason you get my nod as a good analyst on here. . your unbiased position(at least for 80% of the time).
We have a new Michel Platini on our hand.Cesc is just on a pedastal so lofty i wonder if he can get better.His second goal was calmness personified that will make attackers like Eduardo look like ninnies.

Cesc is a god.

Francesc Fabregas. . . what a player. . . what a player. . . i mean. . . . [size=16pt]WHAT A PLAYER!!!!!![/size]

debosky:

Wenger might have been conned by that Galindo kid. If that's the case, it serves Wenger right - you don't go stealing players from under another club's nose.

The haste in signing the guy is very unusual - Wenger usually scouts for ages before signing, but when you take a player based on a two day trial alone without 'background checks'? Very sloppy.

Buying yet more kids? There had better be a clear out of unproductive youth players cos we can't afford to let our wage bill rise continuously from signing new kids everyday.

I heard an interesting rumour today that Wenger missed training at Colney y'day and had an earlier than usual press conference.

Did he sneak out to finalise a deal? Watch this space!!

And how much are the kids earning to bring about a significant or sharp rise on our wage bill

Arsenal are almost like a plague when they play against you.
Fabregas confounds me wallahi. . .i'll be profoundly astonished if he shuns all advances made towards him and stays with arsenal.
Goddamit, Arsenal cant pay cesc!!

MrCrackles:

And how much are the kids earning to bring about a significant or sharp rise on our wage bill

It's more than just the wages of the players, remember that more players in our youth teams mean the need to improve the youth system to accommodate them, this means we start to pay coaches.
It also means more training expenses and many other things like that.

It doesn't make economic sense to pay someone and spend money on him per week if we know he's going to end up in Plymouth on a free at the end of the day.

Something must definately be wrong with Sagna's arm as he refused to make any throw-in again today as it was on Sunday

eldee:

It doesn't make economic sense to pay someone and spend money on him per week if we know he's going to end up in Plymouth on a free at the end of the day.

abeg my bro, it makes sense cos for every Flamini who runs away on a free, yu have one David Bentley who is disatisfied and sold off for good money that ends up burning a hole in the pockets of the rich mumus at Tottenham and more importantly yu also end up with one Fabregas who stays and becomes captain, it is the path Arsene has chosen for us to follow and it is what has brought us to where we are. I have embraced Arsenal's youth culture, it is what has made Barcelona better than Real Madrid in recent times.
It also becomes more important with the recently introduced home grown rules at both UCL and PL games. At present, Arsenal has one of the highest proportion of quality HG players within their first team. Song, Cesc, Clichy, Denilson, Vela, Bendtner, Djorou and even Diaby all qualify as HG players despite being non UK nationals (cos they've been with us for 3 seasons before clocking 21) and we still have a lot of quality HG players coming through the ranks whereas Liverpool has had to pay ridiculous money for low quality players who just to make up their quota while leaving out more expensively bought players.

eldee:

It's more than just the wages of the players, remember that more players in our youth teams mean the need to improve the youth system to accommodate them, this means we start to pay coaches.
It also means more training expenses and many other things like that.

It doesn't make economic sense to pay someone and spend money on him per week if we know he's going to end up in Plymouth on a free at the end of the day.

I still dont agree with you and how you and Debosky think our wage bill will skyrocket because we bought Galindo and are tracking the likes of Raheem Sterling, Sergio Canales, Adam Matthews and Co. . . .
The existing coaching set up and facilities is enough to cater for any influx of talented youths. . . .
We have loads of youngsters who are never going to be ready for 1st team and if we are to maintain our culture, we need to tap the best outhere. . .

eldee:

It's more than just the wages of the players, remember that more players in our youth teams mean the need to improve the youth system to accommodate them, this means we start to pay coaches.
It also means more training expenses and many other things like that.

It doesn't make economic sense to pay someone and spend money on him per week if we know he's going to end up in Plymouth on a free at the end of the day.

Most of the ones on football scholarships are on less than 1000 pw, the young pros initial contract are between that and 5000 pw (and that is still a lot of money cos a lot of people don't even earn up to 400 pw) so its not much money compared to one big player like Gallas earning close to 100K pw. The academy structure is already in place and they'll ensure they don't go over capacity as the coaches and scouts are already contracted.

It is survival of the fittest and only the best survive, which is what you and I want at the end of the day, there are some of the players that are even good enough but lost to injury (e.g Danny Karbasiyoon and Ryan Garry) but Arsenal always try to really educate the lads and even get them some other educational qualifications like NVQs in case they don't make it or even reemploy some of them in other capacities.

Also, they can only go on free transfer if over 23, or else the club taking them on will have to pay compensation which can get very high as was the case of Sturridge recently between Man City and Chelsea which could get as high as 6.5 million.

@Debosky it is the usual practice that when most of this kids come around for trials , they, under the guidance of agents or gaurdian will visits 2 or 3 clubs for trials. And that was what happened with Galindo too. So im not so sure Arsene was not following him before the trials. Infact i dare say Arsene must have known what the shoe size of the person this guy sat with in primary school. That is how thorough his protfolio on player gets. 

And please when it comes to youth footall, Dudu is the truth up in here. And as it was said at the bamtism. . . . this is my son fellow Gunner, in whom i am well pleased. . . .listen to him!!!!

And oh before i forget, Arshavin owes Theo Walcott 7 assists before the end of the season!!!!

WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE. . .say it with me. . . WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE!!!!! COMOOOOOOOOOOOOONN YOU GUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNEEERRRRRRRZZZZZ!!!!

This is the sort of display i wanna see against ANY mofo team from ANY corner of the world!

FAB4 really is Capitan Marvelous, Capitan Fantastic *no disrep to Gerrard" buh my boy makes u look like poo right now. Any doubters n the bookmakers'll seriously be having a rethink about Arsenal now. Wah amazes me is that with the injuries n all. . .We STILL have players who can come in n show how its done!

Arshahohohohohoohohoohohohohoho , you're an arse for NOT giving Walcott an opportunity to score, so make it up to him with 7 assists!

Great Performance from the boyz! Who dey on top?

Come on U Gunz. . .Dem don push una for toooooo long!

how i wish ED9 got a goal for his effort last nite. . . .

last night victory is what we have been missing . . .THE FIGHTING SPIRIT!!!!!

God. . . i am now rest assured that this team has GROWN and are READY!!!

FAB4. . .what more can i ask for? - STAY FOR LIFE!!

Go gunners! we are on T O P!

FAB4 is playing the best football of his life, and we're glad his form has come-in at various times to rescue or precious buttz, i dare to say. .buh can FAB4 be considered a "cult hero"?, time'll tell people, time'll tell!

Did anyone see the Sagna-Diaby 15 sec verbarama? Sagna was barking at Diaby not to push deep into bolton territory (cuz Verm,Gallas and Denilson were all in there) and a swift counter by bolton coulda caught us napping?

Diaby's tooo slow and keeps the ball on him for long. . .Didn't have a gr8 game, juz one assist for verm's goal! I wanted Gallas to get one cuz he deserved it (no FL points for me )

Now we have DM crisis and Eastmond has to prove he can adapt to d physicality of the game, else Coquelin!

Stoke, here we CUM! Gidigidigidigidigagagaggagagaga

GAYYners,

How Market? Una dey shine teeth like Roasted corn or Isi ewu

Remember If smiling endureth for today, wailing and gnashing of teeth cometh at end of season as usual for Assanal

slimshay:

WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE. . .say it with me. . . WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE!!!!! COMOOOOOOOOOOOOONN YOU GUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNEEERRRRRRRZZZZZ!!!!

See celebration!!

@ dayokanu,

How are you doing? In as much as I appreciate your taunting of GUNNERS here, I'ld like you to refrain from posting picture of the poor guy who hanged himself on this thread again. Let's allow the soul of the guy be wherever he is please. That picture is disgusting.

Thanks

Two things:

Many of the so called youth players are eventually released and not sold on. Those players bring zero return to the club, and might have collected wages in the youth team for 4-5 years before this happens. Arsenal is reputed to pay youth players some of the highest wages in the land (which is what attracts so many of them) so it does have an impact on our wage scheme.

I guess dudu might know more in this regard, but my gut feeling is that when you take in scouting costs, wage costs and the academy costs, we might be spending too much vacuuming youth talent from all over and eventually losing a good deal on a free - Flamini (ok not youth when bought) and maybe Merida are examples.

I realise not every player will make it, and not every kid will be sold on for a transfer fee. BUT - signing 5 or 6 kids a year is likely too many for me - sign 2 or 3 with genuine quality and focus our energies more on CONVERTING youth talent into first team players and less on sales. In my view, less Owusus and more Bendtners & Cescs or Bentleys - people who make it into the first team or yield transfer proceeds.

nateevs:


See celebration!!

Coming from the same misguided armchair football dimwits who wrote us off just recently because dem manage to score 3 for emirates, we will gladly take this as a compliment.  

U know how 9ice said it nah. . . .Gegemu dey here, afikusere, awon alakori bi ti e won takitisere. I go translate am for you. The cannons are here, you are toying with your life, make the mumu like you dey drool for mouth.

Oponu osi.

I'm not a rumour monger, but I'm beginning to pick up slightly stronger scents on the purported missed training by Wenger:

http://www.arsenalnewsreview.co.uk/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=1500&cntnt01origid=30&cntnt01returnid=42


Wenger never misses training.

But it's been reported that he missed training yesterday.

And Michael just told me that his mate Ajay called last night to tell him that Edin Dzeko was at the ground last night.

Ajay's mate called him to say Dzeko was there. Let's hope Ajay's mate knows what he's talking about. If not, there will be repercussions,

Wolfsburg striker, six foot three, scored in away games against Manchester United, CSKA Moscow and Besiktas, has 14 goals in 23 internationals for Bosnia.

Won't be eligible for Champions League.

Firstly Debo i wont claim to know much relaly about the off the pitch youth football shit. But i was going to agree with you on the fact that at the end of the day we seem to release quite a number of them. we did release 3 last season, i think.

But the fact is that for those good enough, but not making the set up, they will be picked up by other teams but we get a compensation. The compensation really does cover the wages and expenses we have incurred while they were at London Colney. We are in the football businness. While we wait for on-field success to start generating figures Real and ManU make from off feild merchandising, a good way to go is in the youth football business.

We often do get it wrong at times, not in the case of the player's talent but like in the Merida case where we reportedly paid £3.5m as compensation and are yet to employ his potential to our benefit and might end up losing him for peanuts if nothing.

The problem is signing 2 or 3 with quality means if only one turns out fine due to all kinda factors you are left short somehow. Not forgetting the very reason we are coping quite well with the injury situation is cos of this 'net dragin' we have done over the last few years. A lotta players to pick qulaity from and very well increase squad depth. How many cvlubs have 4 leftbacks that can be called up at anytime without oohs and aahs coming up.

Okay maybe im just helping this rumor or what nt, but some guy on rseblogger match thread said the same yesterday, that he saw edin Dzeko at the match. The only reason i strongly doubt is that if he truly was, the camera woulda caught him. Premier league cameras miss nothing.

That sly old fox , I knew somefin was up with Dzeko. THB, he'll be a good buy should Wenger decide to bring him in because he's quick, tall (we could use his & Bartender's height together   ), probably two-footed,  but it's all in Le Prof's hands now.

Debo you're on point with the youth team analysis, it'll take the grace of God (or any other unforeseen circumstance) for one of those kids who do BRILLIANTLY well to progress into the first team, thats why the policy of loaning "NEW SIGNINGS"'s been there from day 1. There's just sooo much competition at both youth and senior level that EVEN Wenger knows choosing a first 11 at both levels requires intense scrutiny, but NOT from him alone.

The rate at which those boyz mature n play good football is simply breathtaking and what better way to keep the fire burning than loan em out to get some game time, case in point "Lansbury, Simpson n Co"

Slim, it's strongly gathering momentum as we speak, arsenal forums litter their homepages with it, some said he was at the training ground before the match (prolly to look at facilities n all), while some said he we spotted in the stands.

Slim,

There's somethings the cameras aren't privileged to show during a match, u suppose know that one na. . If they didn't let us see him, it's all for a reason, you know how Wenger does it na? "Under the radar"

@Debosky

You are right up to a point in the sense that we are definitely in the top 3 and possibly No. 1 in the table of expenditure on youth players but I think overall its being managed very well and we are already seeing the benefits.
There are 3 stages in the route to the first team.
1. Pre Scholar (mostly kids living within a specific radius of the club pre 16)
2. Scholars (players on scholarship contractual terms with stipends and made up of a mix of  graduates from 1 and those exceptional talent brought from abroad like Angha, Bendtner e.t.c at 16+) further subdivided into 1st year and 2nd year scholars to tally with the ages 16+ to 17+
3. Young Pros (These are those offered full contracts at 18+) and who either make up the reserve team or are sent out on loan like JET and Lansbury.

There is a lot of weeding done out at every one of this stages so its is a system that ensures only the best progress through. It is important to note that some exceptional talents bypass some of this stages e.g Wilshere who became a young pro at 17 and some like Barazite and Ozyakup joined from overseas before clocking 16 but had to be relocated with their families (parents given jobs) so they could join the club prior to clocking 16.

Bad news from the arsenal site, Gibbs is out for the rest of the season as the first operation isn't healing the foot as expected and he will need a bone graft.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/gibbs-to-miss-rest-of-the-season

Dzeko will welcome with much joy if Monsiuer Wenger sign him. 100 Gbosaaaaaaaaaaaas to the spirited players with their never say die attitude last night and  89 Gbosaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas to the nairaland's GUNNERS PRAYER UNION.  

Not too sure hence my hesitance to post it. . . but with one rumour comes many translations.

From seeing him at the stadium it's turning into seeing him at the ground looking at facilities. . . .very soon it will be seeing him having dinner with Cesc and Arshavin

Don't get carried away yet - the 'sources' so far are less than credible.

Like i said its all but rumors. But sya something abt how much people will like to see a new player come in.

Now Gibbs out for the rest of the season? Mangala may wateva you rely on be mangled oh.

Anyways its the Arsenal, THE RED AND WHITE ARMY MARCH ON!!!!!

yousouph:

Dzeko will welcome with much joy if Monsiuer Wenger sign him. 100 Gbosaaaaaaaaaaaas to the spirited players with their never say die attitude last night and  89 Gbosaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas to the nairaland's GUNNERS PRAYER UNION.  

Tenjuberiberimuch!

Damn, mur prayers to be said, we need Gibbs back in less then 2wks as Kilishi is seeing thingz and NOT the ball and Traore's leg are pregnant again!

Gunner Prayer Warriors, tonight we dine in prayer!!!! Cum fastin & bring your cannons and canes!

@v3, that your prayer point eh, every priest knows his limits o ! 2 weeks ?

@all, please don't give a hypertension with waiting for this Dzeko thing.