₦airaland Forum

HNIC:
Will this game go on tonight
See snow everywhere!

Would be a shame if it doesn't as the groundstaff have worked really hard to get the pitch in perfect condition. Besides, I'm on an early shift today and should be home early enough to watch this.

debosky:
There is no reason to be concerned about Merida leaving - we have sufficient talents at the club and coming through as well. If after how many seasons Ramsey is ahead of him in terms of first team contributions then no need to panic.

I'm not too bothered about it either, I just want us to get fair value for what we've put into his development starting from the 3.2m Euros we paid to Barca and the money we've put into his football education. Losing 1 out of about 7 good youngsters is not too bad and yu're very right that Ramsey has always outperformed him despite being younger.

debosky:
We should focus on getting quality budding CBs at the club, just as we have LBs and not any more creative midfielders.

We have a decent number of young CBs coming through, (Nordtveit who is on loan at Nurnberg shld be back next season to compete for a first team place) and Bartley and Ayling are not too far behind him with Boateng and Ignasi Miquel also showing promise in the U18s (and don't forget Djorou). I worry more about the right back position where we seem to have some sort of hoodoo with the elder Hoyte and Gilbert not able to make it at the top level in recent times. Eastmond also played right back at youth level but obviously did not have the pace to make it a permanent position as he was given a torrid time by Andros Townsend of Tottenham in that position during the youth cup campaign (anyway, we can always buy, we are doing well enough producing about 60% of our team as it is)

rasputinn:
Myles P is a Jackass

I can assure you I hate the bloke as much as yu do (possibly more), even when making a good point he still found some time to be sarcastic with the foreign player quip.

For those still worried about Merida's situation, I just checked up on the Arsenal site (after someone noted it on another forum) that he signed a new long term contract about April 2008 (after coming back from loan at Real Sociedad). Considering long term contracts usually range from 3-5 years it seems he has at least a year left on his present contract so the news from Sky can't be totally true. If he is leaving us, Athletico will have to show us the money (which I would like to go towards buying Romelu Lukaku if his father allows him to come to us).
I won't be surprised if news comes up on the Arsenal site that he has renewed his contract tomorrow. The English media never wishes us well and they wld be so glad another Johnny Foreigner is leaving thereby reducing competition for their golden boys despite the fact that they will go ahead to portray it as a failure of our youth policy, Arsene just can't win with those people.

Correction: Seems he signed a 2 year developmental contract at the time and not a longer term contract but Athletico will still have to show us the money even if we have to go to a Tribunal to get it.(anything between 3 and 6 M would be adequate compensation for our troubles)

Double post, seems even my PC is feeling the cold.

For once Myles Palmer agrees with me that Hugo Rodallega is the player Arsene should go for:
despite his anti-Wenger stance and his hatred for everything non british, he's got good footballing eyes after all. amazing.

[Quote]
[size=14pt]The centre forward Arsenal should sign
By Myles Palmer[/size]


When does the transfer window open?

Has anybody got any money?

Has anybody got a real appetite for buying players?

I'd really love to know when that window opens. It should be in my diary. Good Friday is in there and Boxing Day is there too. If football's a religion, the transfer window should be in all our diaries.

Talking about two-footed players like Aaron Ramsey, I started thinking about the kind of two-footed centre forward Arsenal need right now.

He would need to be young.
He would need to have a sell-on value or he wouldn't be on Wenger's radar.
He would need to be fast.
He would need to be non-British.

He would need to be able to score breakaway goals, running through one-on-one against the keeper.

He would also need to be an ensemble player, someone with bright movement, the ability to stay onside and wait for the right pass.

He would need to be able to go into the team and deliver immediately.

Therefore he would need to be a foreign striker already playing in the EPL.

And there is a player like that.

He's 24 and South American and has pedigree. He was South America's all-time top goalscorer for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup. He scored 11 goals in 9 games.

Steve Bruce signed him a year ago for £4.5 million.

What a steal that was !

He is Hugo Rodallega of Wigan.

A good striker who is wasting his time in a struggling side that lost 9-1 at Spurs and 4-0 at Portsmouth. He should not have to play with a clown like Jason Scotland. It's ridiculous.[/quote]

[quote author=kay_pumpin link=topic=362333.msg5252662#msg5252662 date=1262694535]Rosicky signed a four-year contract yesterday despite having made limited appearances over the past two seasons because of injury. The 29-year-old becomes the fifteenth player to have agreed a new deal at Arsenal since last May, reflecting the club’s desire to maintain their existing squad rather than bolster it with signings.[/quote]This is good news but does nothing to ease my apprehension about Merida's situation, good thing Arsene has learnt from the breakup of the invincibles and is keeping some good old heads around, having a player of Rosicky's calibre around into his early thirties can only be a good thing. I'm almost resigned to us losing Merida (but wld be glad if its done on our own terms with regards to bringing him back sometime in the future or getting a lot of money to soothe his exit). Letting him go would allow Nacer Barazite (who I personally feel is more physically suited to the PL at 6ft 2) more opportunity to push for a first team place and we've still got Lansbury and JET who are already tied down to long term contracts waiting in the wings. Wenger's statements at the beginning of the season and his being assigned a first team number convinced me he wanted to keep him but he would definitely have to prove himself better than Rosicky, Arshavin and possibly Nasri (a tough ask for a 19 year old) to become a consistent first teamer.
I'm sure Athletico are promising him a better chance to become a full spanish international by putting him into their first team right away and one might be a bit selfish to begrudge him such an opportunity.

Dr Kitaun:
Vela, MERIDA, WILSHERE were piss-poor . . .I wonder why Wilshere wasnt subtituted as early as the 1st half . . .I am beginning to have my doubts on the boy what could be the problem ? the media ? AW ? himself ? a natural phase he has to go thru ?

It is too early to start making these types of assesments (remember what some said abt Diaby barely 2 mnths ago?), those guys were anything but piss poor against a WH side that gave everything and was allowed by the ref to be so physical in the 1st half, WH waned in the 2nd and we were in the ascendancy before the addition of fresh legs finally nailed their coffin. Also yu've got to consider the statement by Arsene that such players who get few appearances are under additional pressure to do something special in their cameos, team chemistry and synergies between players is also a factor. Even if I agree about the younger ones I've got to disagree about Vela who gave Faubert an absolutely torrid time with his running and movement on the left.

Dr Kitaun:
My man Abel, am not gonna bother myself comparing Vela with Bendtner, THEY ARE BOTH NOT ARSENAL MATERIAL TO ME !!! ANYBODY COULD HAVE ASSISTED THE GOALS TO TAKE ARSENAL OUT OF ANY DOLDRUM, EVEN AN OWNGOAL COULD HAVE . . .SO WHAT ARE U ON ABOUT ?

Doki, lets not go down this route, when we begin to disregard critical stats such as goal related contributions. On the day, Vela was a major part of our success and long may that continue.

yousouph:
Am not one of those that criticised Diaby earlier in the season but we can't compare his performances now to the past. We are high in spirit and goals hopefully, it will continue till end of the season.

Diaby always had the required individual technical ability but needed to fine tune his tactical aptitude and there is no other way to do that than getting game time which is what he is doing now. These 3 lads (Song, Denilson and Diaby) developed before our very eyes without the opportunity to establish themselves in a smaller club prior to coming to Arsenal. They were thrown in at the deep end and I'm glad they are swimming. 

Where are our resident Tormentors Crizzle and Sauron? licking their Jermainio Beckfordio inflicted wounds I think. Does anyone remember my prayers when this new thread started?? I'm puzzled about which to start, A babalawo consulting center or a church pls I need your advice? 

I'm surprised Wilshere is starting, thot the idea was for him not to be FA cup tied before going on loan. Except if he'll be going on loan to West Ham and not Burnley considering we want to knock them out.  

Manure already out of the FA cup, to a league 1 side   now what does Sauron have to say about the present crop of youngsters at OT?  

edoyad:
Arsenal to sign Jermainio Beckfordio from Brasil

I heard we've been linked with Cartolito Colata from Westo Hamalita in Mexico.

ayusman16:
Wenger aint buying no player. Trust me. Just hope he proves me wrong.

I would say its about 50/50, Arsene is never one to pass by a good bargain as he did with Baptista in the 06/07 season particularly when we are a bit light up front at present, but I agree its definitely not going to be the 20-40 million range striker most peeps are expecting and personally, he's got my backing on that.

I'm almost sure he won't buy a striker, the MF player position is rather fuzzy and that is what I think he meant by saying it depends on the situation with injuries (Denilson's back injuries seem to have been reoccuring and might require a long term solution that will keep him out for an extended period) and Arsene might be loath to put faith in untested players like Eastmond and Coquelin with Song on ANC duty. Besides, the Blaise Matuidi rumors never seem to die down and he is even more known as a Makelele role player than Song is so might be what we need with all our remaining MF players being more attack minded .

slimshay:
@Dudu its a new year oh, lets enjoy our thread before inviting vermins

Slim, vermin are also an essential part of the circle of life. 

No2Atheism:
@duduspace
I saw the comment too but decided not to bring it to Sauron's notice cus i suspect he's going to find one reason to discredit Andy Cole just to support his warped point in regards to "Morrison" . . .

Sauron's writings are always an interesting read but I'm waiting to see how he wiggles out of this one. 
On another more important note, the opening of the transfer window gets me scared of the contract situation of 2 of our players as most of the others I'm interested in have been tied up (including Lansbury and Jay Emmanuel Thomas). I can't help thinking Arsene is at a crossroad as he might have to choose btw Merida and Rosicky.

They are both free to start discussing with other clubs and neither of them has been tied down yet. 
To be honest I don't want to lose either of them but our squad is already bloated enough with quality players as it is with us having to send so many players out on loan including someone of Jack Wilshere's class. I think Arsene should start exploring the buy back option with some of our younger players as Madrid did with Granero, we could then sell Merida to Athletico with a buy-back option at a stipulated price as they are quite interested in him.

The most surprising recognition of Jack Wilshere's talent so far, I wonder what Sauron has to say about this.

[Quote]
[size=14pt]Jack Wilshere a 'superstar in waiting'[/size] - Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole
Cole joins queue to praise Arsenal's Liam Brady incarnate.

Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole has described Arsenal's prodigiously talented academy graduate Jack Wilshere as a "superstar in waiting". 

"I've written about Arsenal's Jack Wilshere before," Cole said in The Independent. "The kid is 17 [sic] and his talent is frightening.


"Every time I've seen him he's played well. I'm surprised he hasn't played more often because he's a diamond, a superstar in waiting."

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has been meticulous in nurturing the development of the teenager who turned 18 today, Friday, and is reportedly looking to secure a loan spell away from Ashburton Grove for the attack-minded midfielder.

The Frenchman has likened Wilshere's potential first-team education to that of former Arsenal pupil Ashley Cole, who enjoyed a temporary spell at Crystal Palace before going on to establish himself as Arsenal's first choice left-back.

Owen Coyle's Burnley are believed to be leading the chase for a six-month loan deal.[/quote]

slimshay:
Arsene has hinted we wont be going first 11 to West Ham, would have been worried, but with Zola's current survival struggles i doubt he would be putting out his own first 11 either.

Its actually looking like most of WH's consistent performers so far this season are out of this match (apart from Diamanti), a quick visit to the WH section of the physio room reveals thus:

   Herita Ilunga Hamstring Injury 10th Jan 10   
    Scott Parker Hamstring Injury 10th Jan 10   
    Mark Noble Hamstring Injury no return date     
    Zavon Hines Knee Injury no return date   
    Carlton Cole Knee Injury 10th Jan 10   

I think we should be able to win this even with a Carling cup strength team but football is never that straightforward as Liverpool v Reading aptly illustrated today.

[Quote]Senderos has been missing due to a foot injury (not because Wenger wants to sell him as some claim) and will start if he passes a fitness test.[/quote]I've never been one of those calling for Big Phil's head as most other defenders have struggled against the likes of Torres and Drogba for which he has been villified. 24 year old international CBs of such experience are not readily available on the market (particularly one who came through our academy too). The problem with Big Phil in the grand scheme of things is the high defensive line we play which is quick to expose the lack of pace in defenders (as an obviously waning Kolo Toure illustrated last season).

If he can learn to position himself better and not get isolated into 1v1 races that allow strikers to turn him then he should be just fine. I'm a bit sceptical of the injury issue however though I doubt Arsene would lie about such a thing but it is obvious a move was seriously discussed to Everton in the summer but things cld have changed since then.

In the long run, he might also struggle to reassert himself in the midst of the quite good young CBs we're developing right now like Nordtveit(on loan at Nurnberg), Kyle Bartley and Luke Ayling. The truth is that we wldn't have bought Vermaelen if Arsene considered him good enough as a first teamer and we've never heard of Arsene ever discussing selling Djorou (despite his injury issues) so its likely he's moved ahead of Phil in the pecking order and is being kept as a potential replacement for Gallas in the near future.

Happy New Year to everyone, what better way to start the year than the news that we've signed Welligton Silva from Brazil.  

Arsenal have finally wrapped up the protracted signing of Brazil Under 17 international striker Wellington Silva. The prospect will complete the move from Fluminense when he turns 18, in January 2011.

The Gunners have taken advantage of a financial problem with Flu and after thrashing out a deal last month, everything has been signed and sealed. Arsenal have paid for 65% ownership of Wellington, and will pay the other 35% when he is eligible to move to England. Fluminense have been struggling to pay players and staff so an immediate payment has been made to ease their cash-flow problems.

Agent Rodrigo Pitta conducted business on behalf of the Brazilian Serie ‘A’ club, and confirmed to local newspapers yesterday that everything has gone through.

[quote author=A-40 link=topic=362333.msg5220907#msg5220907 date=1262218604]A striker and someone that can efficiently deputize for either Vermaelen or Gallas. I just wish Cameroun lose their first two games so that Song can get back ASAP. He was a monster today!! And i swear i would bathe in acid anyone that even compares him to Mikel
Aaron Ramsey is really starting to live up to the hype i have to admit[/quote]Mikel ke , that wld be some misguided attempt at patriotism. Is it possible to do some sort of international swap or loan deal? Mikel + 20M for Alex Song would be in order.

@Debosky

Even if we no buy, that team is getting set not for only PL domination but UCL too. I'm already looking beyond this season to that 5 year period of European domination that Prophet Arsene already foresaw.

[quote author=~Sauron~ link=topic=362333.msg5218803#msg5218803 date=1262198162]Midfield is not the defence.
Arsenal have never had the injury crisis United suffered this season.
U don't even have 8 defenders let alone survive without 8 defenders.[/quote]Worse things have happened to us for longer periods and no one complained for us so stop all the noise about defensive injuries already. Yu had no crisis.

[quote author=~Sauron~ link=topic=362333.msg5218803#msg5218803 date=1262198162]If Hargo gets fit tonight, he will walk into in the first team.
He is that valuable.[/quote]We will discuss that when he gets fit first, until then he is not a member of your first team and he hasn't been for a season plus.  

[quote author=~Sauron~ link=topic=362333.msg5218803#msg5218803 date=1262198162]Gallas and Clichy injured. but you still had your first choice goalie, and you never played Cesc and Denilson in your defence.[/quote]Since when did it become a sin to give youngsters opportunity? Gavin Hoyte played in defence for us atimes last season due to injury issues,  currently he is on loan to a league 1 club for experience so go figure.

[quote author=~Sauron~ link=topic=362333.msg5218803#msg5218803 date=1262198162]We didn't lose 5 PL games last season and last season saw[b] Vidic n Rio kept 14 clean sheets in the league breaking the English record.[/b]
Eduardo's injury was used as an excuse in 2007/8. RVP has played more games this season than VDS and it hasn't affected United.
We are still in all the 4 competitions we entered for this season, Arsenal are NOT!!!![/quote]Blah blah blah, Senderos also held a defensive record in the UCL with Kolo Toure and neither of them can get into the present Arsenal squad so yu aint sayin much.

Bottom line is your so called defensive crisis only existed in manure supporters' imagination.

Team list already out, only change from weekend is Ramsey coming in for Denilson. Wilshere, Eastmond and Merida on the bench, one or two of them likely to come in sometime during the match. Rosicky also on the bench.

[quote author=~Sauron~ link=topic=362333.msg5218127#msg5218127 date=1262192244]4 PL games.[/quote]4 games and here yu are shouting defensive crisis, do you realise we played a 2nd choice MF for almost half a season last year?

[quote author=~Sauron~ link=topic=362333.msg5218127#msg5218127 date=1262192244]The same Hargreaves that confirmed Arsenal's TROPHYLESS status in 2007/8.
Can you remember his peach of a freekick against Lehmann. . . . .At least Friedel dived but couldn't catch Fabregas' kick.
Lehmann did not move a muscle when Hargo curled the ball into Arsenal's net.
Hargo >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> any Arsenal midfielder.[/quote]That is now a story, a whole season plus has passed since then and yu shld no longer consider Hargo a first teamer when Rio while playing was rapidly declining before our very eyes at the same time. Stop living in the past Sauron.

[quote author=~Sauron~ link=topic=362333.msg5218127#msg5218127 date=1262192244]He is better than Gallas and Vermaelen cloned together.
The liability of Rio is the brilliance of Gallas/Vermaelen.[/quote]Yu're definitely taking the mick here aint yu? 

[quote author=~Sauron~ link=topic=362333.msg5218127#msg5218127 date=1262192244]Take Gallas and Vermaelen out for 6 PL games and tell us the number of games you will lose.
Even with them in your team, you have lost 4 EPL games so think deeply before answering.[/quote]Please stop all that yeye story and leave it for those clueless journalist who are so quick to worship at Fergie's shrine. Did anyone of them remember that we played the latter stages of the champion's league without Gallas and Clichy last season? didn't yu lose 5 games in the PL last season even with both Vidic and Rio playing? You have no defensive crisis, just a number of short term injuries. Can you compare that to Djorou or RVP who are virtually out for the season?

Haba Blue, why are yu dissin Dayo like this? hand lotion ke? wetin do him vast array of erotic toys?

[quote author=~Sauron~ link=topic=373524.msg5218167#msg5218167 date=1262192513]Like Lampard took your midfield apart at the Emirates?
The scoreline was 3-0 in case you cannot remember. [/quote]Lampard had nada to do with any of those goals. This is not a comparison between Arsenal and Chelsea. In the only season where Lampard had more assists than Cesc, he was out for 2 months and played a paltry 24 games to Lampard's 37. That is why I asked for clarification between effectiveness and creativity. You shldn't even think of comparing Cesc and Lampard in terms of creativity as the gulf is too wide. The english are not too keen on creativity but on guts and graft.

Here is my most recent pic.
https://nigeriaworld.com/images/news/big/politics/obasanjo-muscle.jpg
some buncha idiots photoshopped Aremu's face on it. I'm still in the gym pumpin up dem muscles ready for summer. My next pic will be of me carryin Muki on one hand and bluediva on the other.  

I'm not so much into this psychic/religious hocus pocus but a friend of mine (hard core chelsea fan) has recently gone ahead to make a 100 pound bet on Arsenal winning the premiership, says he had a nightmare of Arsenal winning it and didn't want to lose both ways.
I'm not sure the nightmare wasn't brought about by our ruthless dispatch of Villa though.

[quote author=~Sauron~ link=topic=362333.msg5217753#msg5217753 date=1262188641]It means he has missed EIGHT games.
I doubt Cesc has missed 8 so calm down your erections.

United can very well do WITHOUT Rooney. . . . .
Hargreaves? Rio? VDS? Vidic? Do those names ring a bell to you? These players are CL starters and only God knows the number of games they have missed this season.

United's squad in depth is immeasurable.
Arsenal woulda relegated with 8 defenders and Almunia out for 2 weeks.[/quote]At present, manure can't do without Rooney. How many PL games did yu actually play with those defenders out? and yu shouldnt even mention Hargo for now, the bloke probably needs to relearn how to kick a ball and Rio this season was more of a liability as I wld choose Evans ahead of him on current form. Vidic has only missed 6 PL games for you so far of which yu've already lost 2.
And have you so quickly forgotten that we benched Almunia for 5 games earlier in the year of which we lost none.

[quote author=~Sauron~ link=topic=362333.msg5217425#msg5217425 date=1262185929]How many games has Rooney started this season for Man Utd?

We are too big to miss a single player.
Rooney can go on 12 months leave and United will come out unhurt.
We didn't need Rooney to beat the German Champions on their own soil.

BREAKING NEWS. . . . .BOLTON SACK GARY MEGSON.[/quote]Stop this useless grandstanding, in 29 manure games so far this season Rooney has played in 21? If that guy gets crocked, Fergie will develop serious cardiac palpitations like those in the Talk to Frank adverts.

Temporary happy days at Anfield, hw many games until the real Liverpool stands up?

shabbie:
'Lonely bomber' in his own words: What Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab wrote about his family, sex , and[b] his love of Liverpool FC[/b]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1239162/Umar-Farouk-Abdulmutallabs-charred-underwear-hid-explosives-Christmas-day-airline-bomb-plot.html?ITO=1708&referrer=yahoo

Now we all know why he carried that bomb, Gillet and Hicks have a lot to answer for.

The only thing I want to see in that index is confirmation of Cesc as the PFA player of the season.

Why are y'all wondering why the press is reporting Fab out for 3 weeks? they've never had anything good to write about us anyway so f**$%k them. I will only await the official news, Arsenal delayed the scan for a day so the injury could settle. They must have done it yesterday so news shld be out later today.

how on earth did yu mention Lampard and creativity in the same sentence? effective yu meant?

Davidylan ke? yu peeps shld have also nominated Abuzola or Olabowale for the muslims to even things out.

[quote author=Tudór link=topic=371631.msg5194526#msg5194526 date=1261928209]GAME OVER!!!

what a great game!!

3 - 3 draw!!

Agbolahor with two last minuite goals!!

Wonderful!! Marvelous!! Beautiful!!

Villa will play champions league footie next season. . . .watch out!![/quote]Tudor, na wetin do yu? mind yaself o.