Arsenal Rumours Archive March 13 2012

13 Mar 2012 17:48:09
Who should go in the summer and probably will:
Arshavin
I think he was great but he won't be involved in any of our future plans.

Park chu young
We might as well sell him if he does not play because we will get nothing for him when he goes to south korean military.

Chamakh
He has had his chances and looks disinterested.

Squillaci.
He just has to go simple as!

Denilson
Poor attitude and big ego , would not mind it but he does not live up to his own hype.

Bendtner
He has made a joke out of himself he honestly believes he is a great forward and rates himself so highly I reckon he could do well in germany though.

Vela ??
I think he deserves a chance but I doubt he will get one.

1732

Yeah mate pretty well spot on, I mean I don't know about Denilson's attitude, I just know he's like Walcott, he has one good game and a million terrible ones.

Sadly I think Carlos has adapted to life in Spain very easily and he has no real reason to come back here, I don't see him in our plans at all but for me this season I feel he should have had equal chances to Chamakh (therefore halving the number of times we saw Chamakh), I would have put money on him getting at least a few goals.

P.s. thank to first response :-)

Raz

Arshavin i will be sad to see go. good games bad games from him but i think he and theo if they were happy to could be great on the bench. chamakh i think was bought incase RVP had lenghty time out. if robin stays fit his time with us is over when podolski comes imo. squillaci you are the weakest link goodbye. denilson just never made it. bendtner if he tried harder and was humble who'd of know but now hes gonna be jumping from mid table team to mid table team. vela i think maybe its worth keeping him if we play well next season and the extra games europe and 2 good cup runs can bring maybe he could prove useful if RVP picks up a knock or Podolski gets a red.

No worries mate its great to have you back

I agree. I think that all have to go, and all would bring in much needed $$ to spend on other players we NEED.

I don't think any player is really 'happy' to be on the bench. That is the one reason why Arshavin wanted to go to Russia, so I don't think he will be happy to return to sit down again. I hope all players want to play.

It's dissapointing with Park. I think he might be ok (not 'great'), but there has been no opportunity to see him, I feel wenger felt pressured into buying him with vela and bentner wanting to go away, but either of those 2 are better than Park by a mile (from the limited time we've seen him).

Bentschke

Park won't go yet. He hasn't had the oppritunities people like Arshavin and Vela have had. Wenger will keep him and see if he blossoms.

The rest should go and I would add Diaby to that list... assuming some club in France has a big budget for crutches.

Got to put that liability Djourou in that list as well,worst centre half i have evr seen.

COL

13 mar 2012 16:52:46
ed whats the craic with jack wilshere on his injury?
dave.w {Ed002's Note - I don't really understand the question. Sorry.}

Sorry i thought the arsenal ed was on,he usually has a bit of info about injurys
dave.w {Ed002's Note - If that was all you wanted you should have asked instead of using polari. The club have said that his ankle injury should be clear in about a month and he should be available for a return for either the Chelsea or Stoke game according to my notes.}

If the asker is Irish, then 'craic' isn't polari, just his vocab. You EDs certainly get up on your high horse sometimes. {Ed002's Note - I answered his question once he explained what he meant. Perhaps I should just leave the Arsenal posts if all we are going to get is anonymous bleating.}

Dave.w you do realise that polari is an old gay language

13 Mar 2012 17:09:36
hi guys i think were missing the point vertonghen will be a great sigining a solid versatile player he could play defence or even midfiled i think we will put him left back to sort out our problems gibbs can't stay fit for a whole season autos really not a soild player at all so imagine sagna kosh verm and vert bring it on that a strong defence BRING IT ON

Can't believe the negativiy towards Santos. I admit I had never heard of him but guess what, I went and did some homework and it turns out he's only one of the best/experienced LBs in the world. He had an inconsistent run and then got injured, don't write him off. The man is class.

13 Mar 2012 14:03:23
arsene wenger has plans to buy 4 players this summer, 1 for versatile and experienced CB, 1 CDM, 1 CAM, 1 ST/RW/LW.
he has also apparently identified his targets for each position which are believed to be;
CB- vertonghen, dann
CDM- belhanda, mvila, javi martinez
CAM- goetze, hazard, marvin martin, hermann
ST- podolski, giroud, suarez

As much as i reading people on this site state how much they think we dont need Vertonghen, i player like that would mean when our injuries eventually come in a season our first team will still be strong. In relation to your post, he would also cover the CDM position, saving money there (opposed to M'Vila - 20m) would mean we are more likely to land a big name AM such a Goetze which would be more beneficial to our team.

Vetonghen, Goetze and Pod and we will hopefully be fighting for titles on all fronts again. Easier said than do though.

Bear Gunner

Belhanda is more of an attacking midfielder, than a defensive midfielder. But still a possibility anyway.

JH.

Belhanda is not a CDM, he plays just behind the striker or on the wings.

Dzagoev?

No belhanda is a box to box midfielder. very much like wilshere.

To be honest, i hope belhanda is more of a last resort, i'm not trying to belittle his skill, but to be true title contenders, we should go for those who have proven their skills instead of gambling. i know wenger likes his youth, but we need to mix seniority and experience as well

13 Mar 2012 12:07:30
okay then, vertonghen seems to be keen on a move here.

i've been against this transfer simply because our centerback department is already quite good - verm, kos and merte are all great players. djourou is a sufficient back-up plan. bartley seems to join the first team next season too and miquel seems to be a future star. so, what do you think? vertonghen may be good but should we really spend the money on him? i doubt he would break into our best XI for a season or two so he would be 3rd or 4th choice maybe.

iceman

I am debating this but it is the difference between competing for both the league, champs league and maybe a cup, or just a cup, or just the EPL. Look at City - they have Kompany, Lescott, Toure and Savic.

Savic is by far the weak link in that, but more importantly, he's been shocking! Like City's own Squillaci. This has cost them so many times this season but they've had to play him when they've needed him. If Savic was in fact Vermaelen, I don't think it would have cost them. I think this is the long view we need to take. We've been screaming out for real quality in depth for so long, yet now we're faced with the prospect, people are starting to think twice. We need to focus on our goals - winning the champs league - winning a cup - winning the EPL - and then think 'YES SIGN HIM NOW' ha ha.

Iceman,
i think vertonghen signing for us is a stepping stone to get hazard.
he is all so a top player that can play in 3 different positions.
he wont cost the earth with 1 year left on his contract about 10 million euros.
i would take him in the morning there is no risk with him hes the real deal.
dave.w

I agree with you that Vertonghen would be waste if we where to get him as he is more or less a centre back which we will have 6 of come the beginning of next season as you have already mentioned in the shape of Vermaelen,Koscielny,Mertesacker,Djourou,Bartley and Miquel. But what I do think we lack is a genuine utility player that can comfortably play in both fullback positions and on both flanks ala Eboue. That is why I would go for Å ime Vrsaljko.

Sydney Gooner

Not sure what games you have been watching to come to conclusion that Mertesacker is a 'great' player. I can assure you he is not, I can also assure you that djourou is by no meaning of the word 'sufficient' for anything
W12Gooner

I think 6 centrebacks is plenty barring a serious injury crisis. I think we are pretty well covered in that department. Although if we can get him for £10 Mill or less and his wages are reasonable I wouldn't mind all that much. Although I would still go for Sime Vrsaljko as I think we need more cover in both fullback positions and because his an incredible talent at just 20.

He would be a waste, are yous mental!! Vermelean and Kos yes are doing brilliant, but if you think Verm can stay fit for a whole season you are on something, Metersacker is a good defender yes, but he is a liability in the premier league becoz he is so slow cost us quite a few this season, Djourou is only there for the homegrown quota, he is absolutely dreadful and doesnt deserve to wear an arsenal shirt, squilliachi...well no need to explain, we need depth with good players to challenge or we will not move forward, you seen what happened at the start of the season...also striking positions are a priority if we werent fortunate enough to have kept van persie fit we would be languishing about 6th or 7th right now..

SO YES GET VERTOGHEN signed along with 6 or 7 other quality players and we will bring the EPL home!!

What i think will happen is that miquel will go on loan next season and bartley will step in. then that's 5 cb's next season and then 6. what do you expect djourou to be? he's 4th on the pecking order, he doesn't have to be the messi of defence to fill his role! as for mertesacker, i think you're wrong w12. he's good. it's easy to blame him because he lacks pace but he covers that with other abilities which aren't so easy to spot.

iceman

How can any of you say djourou an d mert are good players! have any of you even watched them play.
this is where the crap starts on here! people making comments that cant even remember what games these 2 have cost us this year.
the only reason we are doing so well is because we have are 1st back 4 playing,so what happens when 1 of them gets injured!
we have 1 left footed cb,what do you want to do put mert as cover.
most stupid argument ever on here..
bring on vertonghen
dave.w

If you think djourou is suitable for back up you have something wrong in your head

bs18

"SO YES GET VERTOGHEN signed along with 6 or 7 other quality players and we will bring the EPL home!"

Sounds like someone is confusing us with Man City...

Let's be realistics. Our first choice pairing is actually very good. Both are mobile, good on the ball and strong. I think people forget that there is a 25 man squad limit...

Merts/Djourou/Miquel/Bartley is fantastic cover...

Do you think Vertoghen would be happy on the bench? Only way this works is if Vermaelen becomes at permanent LB and gibbs goes out on loan.

Billybob452

Mertesacker is the worst ever he is about 10 times worse than 'that' Canadian was!

He isn't anywhere near what I would consider a good player certainly not Arsenal standard.

Vertonghen would get into the first team I think he is far more than capable.

Let's hope he does arrive can't have too many good CBs when you're injury record is as patchy as ours!

CS

Well said cs
i cant believe that any 1 would post the original post let alone get people to agree with it..
vertonghen is as good as tv!
i have been watching him for a couple of years now he would wipe the floor with mert and djourou and not break sweat..
i thought the idea was to improve not stand still.
dave.w

Unfortunately Mr Billybob452 it is people like you that seem to be keeping our club fighting for forth spot. 'Merts/Djourou/Miquel/Bartley FANTASTIC cover' if this is 'fantastic cover' for us I am ashamed to say we can settle in the europa cup/champs league borderline for good because our ambition as a top flight club has completely gone out the window.
W12Gooner

Ok so this is the situation

everyone seems to agree that we have a good first pairing: kos and verm

then we have four other options: mert, djourou, bartley and miquel

now here are two sides: the other who thinks back-up is good enough and the other who wants to strengthen. i personally feel mertesacker is a good defender, he came here when we were in the middle of a crisis and went straight on to play a string of games. yes he made errors but then improved as he got into our system better. now i think he's good enough.

what i feel is that we should have four good cb's and there are definitely three already (kos, verm, mert). djourou isn't really good enough, but as a back-up who plays only when there's no one else, i think he can do a job. so, it depends very much on bartley and miquel. i have no idea about bartley and miquel should imo go on loan. so it depends a lot on bartley. what if he turns out to be a real beast? then i think we don't need vertonghen. this was my point, i'm sorry if my djourou=sufficient sentence distracted you, i meant sufficient to play only when there's no one else. i have nothing against vertonghen but let's first check if our own players can do it.

oh and by the way i might have "something wrong in my head" but at least my posts aren't like 'mertesacker is poor because... because... BECAUSE HE'S F****** SLOW!!' has anyone ever thought that he has a load of other abilities to compensate his lack of speed?

iceman

Djourou is a liability full stop. if he plays 10 games he will give away at least 5 goals. Merts is a good reader of the game but he is the slowest player ever, and for a tall player he cant jump. Well said to the guy who talks about progression, we should always be looking to strenghen when we can. So if Vertogen is available and can compete with kos and Verm then we should sign him.
For Arsenal to challenge for Epl, champ league and the domestic cups we need. new number 2 for goal. centre half as good as Verm and kos, a proper left back like Baines, cdm to relieve Song of a 55 game season, and a world class centre forward.
squad for next year
SCEZ and new number 2
RB Sag and Jenkinson
lb Baines, Gibbs
CB Verm, Kos, Vert, Mert, Bartley, Migel
CMSong,NewCdm,Jack,Arteta,Ramsey,Coch, Frim, Rosicky,
Wing, Walcot, Gerv,Santos, Ox,Ryo
Cf Van p, Podolski, Giroud or another.
Anyone not on this list and over the age of 22 should be sold for whatever we can get. anyone who can not be sold should be loaned out, anyone who can not be sold or loaned should have there contracts bought out. This is NEW ARSENAL!! AJT

To compete in all 4 competitions you need top quality cover at every position. We should definately buy Vertonghen to give us 4 top centre backs. In my opinion, TV5 and Koscielny would be the starting centre backs, but in Mert and Vertonghen we would have 2 back ups who I would trust in a big game.

Play the two v's at c/b, play Kos as the holding midfield player, he has great pace, passes well and can tackle, Song can be cover, if he stays, we are trying to improve, not stand still. Do not forget there are rumours of song leaving anyway.

Bit alarmed at the vitriol iceman is recieving for his post. He's got it spot on with all his points about first team opportunities and the role of a squad, and in my opinion also got it spot on with his assessment of Mert and Djourou. To the people crying about how our defence is only good now that Verm and Kos are together at last, I think you'd do well to remember that this is also the first time for nearly the whole season that we've had fit full backs. How can any centre back look good in a team thats had this awful season of injuries? I've been really impressed with Mert so far, and once he's had the same chance to settle in we've all given Kos, i'm hoping he'll be nearly as good.

Iceman is making a perfectly valid point that we don't have £100's millions, so we really do need to invest wisely this summer. £12 million on Vertonghen is all well and good, but we can't get the world class CM, CAM and back up striker we probably need aswell.

Those shouting about how fans that settle for 'good enough' (or whatever), are dragging our club down, I think it's equally valid to ask why you think we should spend like Citeh, or buy 7-8 new players? These things could just as easily ruin our season, or even the club.

Anyway, chin up iceman, enjoyed your post, and your replies. Ned

I agree with Ned. While Vertonghen would be a great addition to our squad - is it more essential that we get a world class CAM or ST instead? $12 mil on Vert is $12 less on CAM?

I think each and every one of our CDs have cost us games at some point - and does that mean we get rid of them? NO. They are going to be wiser and gain experience from them to help them improve. I don't think we should go into a season expecting to get injuries, but we shouldn't go in not expecting any either. We need to have a healthy balance, and 17 CD's as some people have almost suggested is ridiculous. We also have Song who can cover (and is probably better than Djourou) in CD if needed. Kos, Vert, Met, Djorou, Bartley & Miquel will be PLENTY, and enough quality for us to battle on many fronts next year.

Bentschke

Ned I think you are getting off topic. No one has been 'crying' that our defence is only good now that TV5 and Kos are together, they have been together for a while now. But it is exactly your point now that we have a full defence including full backs it appears to be both solid and appropriately attacking at the back. But what happens when just one of those players is injured? And that is a bright outlook on the situation. The majority of the time we are having 2 or 3 big injuries to our back line and the likes of djourou and miquel are playing too big a role for my liking. I also think you are delusional to have been 'really impressed' by Mert so far, just have to simply disagree with you there, waste of a signing. You shouldn't forget that he was a panic buy in the last day of the transfer window! Being out for the rest of the season is not going to do him any favours either. I wouldn't say Vertonghen should be a priority signing but that's only because we have to put up with the fact we have just signed Mertesacker, if we had just signed Vertonghen in the first place things would have been different for us, especially as he is adapt in 3 postitions. Anyway I think if we could wrap up Vertonghan, Gotze and it appears Podolski is on the way, I would be happy with that. Obviously get rid of the Bendtner, Denilson, Diaby, Djourou, Park, Chamack, Arshavin types and allow some youth players to step up.
W12Gooner

Hi W12Gooner, thanks for the reply. We'll just have to disagree about Mert's quality I guess. I'll maintain that when inevitably Verm and Kos's partnership is broken up for whatever reason, he'll do a fine job in their place, because hopefully he'll have a settled back four (with all its full backs) to step into. It's true that his ankle is concerning, with it being the second time in a year or something, but we'll know about that before the start of next season. If he's fit I definately rate him. His performances next season will have to settle the argument!

My comment about 'crying' fans was only in relation to the large number of over the top replies to iceman in this thread, I apologise if it made it look like I was bagging all Arsenal fans who don't like Mert together. Obviously at the end of the day I'll respect all fans of the Arsenal!

I disagree that the signing of Mert was a true panic buy though. Wenger had been linked with him over a few windows before that, he was obviously a fan. The mis-management of last summers window wasn't good enough I agree. Waiting till we sold Nasri and Cesc before making our signings may have been prudent, but cost us a good player probably (Mata), and really disrupted our preperations for the start of the season. Looks like things are going to be different this year! Looking at your list of sales and the three big signings, that would be spot on (except that Djourou will not leave, and lets not argue more about him!). Just like iceman was saying though, if the club has to choose between Goetze (or another big money cam) and Vertonghen, I'd say Goetze is the priority. Ned.

13 Mar 2012 11:47:14
Tbh i dont think arshavin should leave i think he needs to be given a chance in acm as he is a really good player when he is confident and he can still give the club alot to take us forward
Alan

I know what you're saying but mate we have to accept the fact that he does not have his legs any more and he NEVER defends. We work best when everyone defends.

I'd keep him as a sub to come on and produce a chance out of nowhere like he did against sunderland. but his wages are simply too high for an impact-sub so i think it's his time to go.

iceman

It's no coincidence that AA's best form for the club was when he was playing off the main striker, his 4 goals at Anfield are a prime example. Since AW changed the formation to 4-3-3 AA has been the biggest victim of this as it's clear he cannot operate left of the front 3, and neither is he strong enough to operate in the midfield 3 and let's be honest, he's not one to track back & help out like Rosicky has been doing of late.

If his wages were lower, then he would be worth keeping as an impact player and for his experience, but AW needs to find somebody who can fit into the formation better then AA

Sadly, I think it is time for some fresh blood. Podolski, Gervinho, Ox, Theo, Miyachi - make him somewhat unneeded.

I think wenger will probably target 1 more CAM. I highly doubt a CB will come in.

Billybob452.

13 Mar 2012 08:55:24
According to L'Equipe, Arsenal agents have been observing Dijon 24 year old midfielder Benjamin Corgnet...