Up the Arse! Goons thread. :)

[DB10]

Hleb will not buy out his contract because all the former G14 clubs have an agreement with each other to never invoke the Webster clause. If he goes it'll be for a big fee. It's just bullshit paper talk, as usual.

 

[Benno_900]

So the question that I ask now, given all of this Famini, Hleb, Adebayor confirmation/speculation is ... are we developing the right sort of players?

Maybe we're turning into a selling club? Will Arsenal ever be as big as teams like Barca, Real, Milan and Inter?

 

[PendlePie]

Maybe we're turning into a selling club? Will Arsenal ever be as big as teams like Barca, Real, Milan and Inter?

Over the past few years Arsenal has acted like a feeder club - a club that develops world class players who then leave for supposed "bigger" clubs. At the moment, IMO, the culture isn't quite like Barce or Real's.

Hard to tell why, but IMO it's because of Wengers managerial methods (wage structure, youth policy, etc). Until this changes we won't be at the same level.

 

[Latro]

We havent became a selling club, most of the players we have sold have been after they are past there best. I am not concerned over losing players that have a had 1 good season at Arsenal. The Adebayor story is meant to of come from Usmanov as in one version of the story there is a mention of the club needing a rich owner to come in and increase the budget.

On Cesc, he is only going to leave for Barca and not for any other club. The rumours will be around as long as he is any good when playing here.

 

[DB10]

http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?...eports+I+want+to+leave+the+Club+are+'rubbish'

"I am very happy here. Reports which suggest I have threatened to quit are rubbish. I love the club and the fans. We have a great set of players here with a fantastic team spirit. We have had a good season but next season we want to go one better by winning a trophy."

Seriously. Don't believe a word the press says about our club. 99% of it is made up because Arsenal in the shit sells papers.

 

[DonMania#5]

Hopefully the Hleb news was rubbish aswell..

 

[Latro]

We are meant to of signed Hatem Ben Arfa for 16m pounds.

 

[Benno_900]

Wenger rejects Hleb reports
Last updated: 9th May 2008

Arsene Wenger has rejected out of hand reports that have suggested Alexander Hleb is to follow in Mathieu Flamini's footsteps and quit Arsenal.

The talented Belarus international has long since been linked with a move to Internazionale, with his agent Nikolai Shpilevski having been quoted on Friday morning as saying his client 'is leaving' Emirates Stadium this summer.

Wenger has previously reacted angrily to rumoured interest from the Italians, even claiming he might report them for 'tapping up' the former Stuttgart player.

But he has insisted on Friday that there was no reason to suspect that Hleb would not be playing for the London club next season.

Asked if there had been any developments, Wenger told Arsenal TV: "Frankly, no.

"You cannot stop people talking but at the moment there is nothing (to discuss).

"I believe that usually all the players want to stay, and I expect this team to say 'let's make a pact together, come back next year and win'.

"That's what I expect them to do and my priority is to keep the team together, add what I think can help us to even be better and then see from there."

Arsenal have received criticism from some quarters over their inability to keep Flamini in the capital but Wenger insists the club did everything in their power to persuade the Frenchman to stay.

Asked if everything possible had been done to keep the Frenchman, Wenger said: "Yes. I believe that even Mathieu would concede that.

"We put him in the bracket of where we could go (financially, with a contract offer), and we made him that offer, but unfortunately it wasn't enough.

"We have to accept that because Mathieu was a good servant of the club for four years and he came without costing any transfer fee and left without costing any transfer fee, so he was free to go."

Wenger does not believe that Flamini's exit means a central midfielder must be brought in this summer, citing Denilson, Abou Diaby and Alex Song as possible replacements.

He is also hopeful that Brazilian Gilberto may still be at the club next term.

"I personally would like him to stay but he has to make a decision on that - I want him to feel comfortable," concluded Wenger.

"I like Gilberto and since he has been playing again he has shown how good he is as a player, but we will see."

We are meant to of signed Hatem Ben Arfa for 16m pounds.

If your source is the papers, then it is most likely bullshit.

 

[Latro]

I have read on Arseblog and Gunnerblog who say they have sources other than the papers that say it is likely.

On the Hleb buying out his contract apparently it can take months and even go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to decide if it is to be allowed. So I think Inter would rather just pay a transfer fee if they want Hleb.

 

[DB10]

Steve Rowley is in Germany at the moment looking at centre-backs, rumoured to be either Vincent Kompany or Per Mertesacker. If either sign then Senderos is probably on his way out the door.

 

[Benno_900]

Good read ...

Clichy makes plea for unity

Gael Clichy has urged his Arsenal team-mates to stick together and achieve the greatness he believes is around the corner.

The French international left-back is convinced Arsene Wenger’s young team has the ability to dominate English football again despite falling just short this season.

But he knows the Gunners cannot afford another year without a trophy if they are going to fend off the vultures hovering over the Emirates Stadium.

Mathieu Flamini has already signed for AC Milan, Inter Milan are sniffing around Alex Hleb and Real Madrid are up to their old tricks in their efforts to prise Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal’s grip.

Yet Clichy warns that the grass is not always as green as it might seem on the other side of the Channel.

He said: “No one can ever say they are leaving to win trophies because you don’t know what you are going to find when you join another team.

“Thierry Henry left us because maybe he wanted to win La Liga or the Champions League with Barcelona.

"But that is not how it worked out.

“With the squad we have at Arsenal I am sure we are going to do something great very soon.

“I don’t want to say we have to be patient because we have been waiting for three years now and we definitely need to win trophies to keep our players happy.

“All I am saying is that if everyone at Arsenal sticks together we can achieve so much.

“For me, England is the best place in the world to be a footballer and, if I could stay here forever, I would.

“I love the people, the stadiums, the pitches, the atmosphere, the fans . . . everything.

“Really, England is fantastic.

“So good luck to anyone who leaves. But, first, make sure you are going for the right reasons.”

Clichy became the youngest player ever to win a Premier League medal as part of Arsenal’s Invincibles in 2004, aged 18.

But he then missed the 2005 FA Cup final victory over Manchester United and is disappointed to be finishing another campaign empty-handed.

He said: “For seven months we led the table by playing fantastic, creative football with a great spirit and real character.

“But I cannot say that Arsenal are the best team because we haven’t won anything and people only remember the teams with the trophies.

“It is a big shame and maybe it would have been different if we had not suffered all those injuries at the same time.

“But we can only blame ourselves because it was in our hands and we let it go.

“For the past two years we finished more than 20 points behind the champions.

“This time the gap is only four points, maybe even less after the final game on Sunday.

“But we are not playing to be closer to the top teams. We just want to be winning trophies — the Premier League, the Champions League, whatever. And we haven’t done that.

“So once again we have failed and that’s the most important thing — because we didn’t get anything.

“But, as we say in France, any experience which does not kill you can only make you stronger.

“And I am sure that next season will be better.”

Clichy, who cost just £250,000 when he signed from Cannes in 2003, remains totally committed to Arsenal’s cause and places his implicit trust in boss Wenger to lead the club back to the top.

He added: “I am sure this squad is good enough to win the league — absolutely certain.

“When I first broke into the team we had so many experienced players.

“Now look at us. Cesc is still only 21, Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor and Emmanuel Eboue are 24, I am 22, Theo Walcott is just 19. William Gallas is the only player over 30.

“The future is so bright. We have already shown this season that we are a good team.

“I am sure the success we want is not far away. Four years ago I won the title and it was a great feeling.

"I just want this team to experience that same emotion.”

Clichy is still waiting to hear if he will be included in Raymond Domenech’s French squad for this summer’s European Championships.

But he has already been declared the best left-back in the Premier League by Wenger and was recently voted into the PFA’s team of the season by his fellow professionals.

He admitted: “I am proud of what I have achieved because I have progressed a lot this season.

“I have worked really hard to be the best player I can be for Arsenal.

“This was my first season as first-choice left-back and I think I have played more games than anyone at the club this season.

“Because I had been injured for two years there were doubts whether I could play regularly and cope with the pace of the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup and the Carling Cup.

“But I think I have shown the boss that I am strong enough to deal with it all.

“There is no big secret. I live for football. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I eat properly and I don’t go out in the evenings.

“When you work hard and make sacrifices you get your rewards.”

And Clichy is certain he is about to reap the benefits of all that dedication very soon.

 

[DonMania#5]

http://thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article1141018.ece

LOL at Adebayor..

 

[DB10]

Sagna's dreads look even cooler in civies.

 

[Sir Vlado]

Hleb will not buy out his contract because all the former G14 clubs have an agreement with each other to never invoke the Webster clause. If he goes it'll be for a big fee. It's just bullshit paper talk, as usual.

I'd be relieved if it was some shitty paper talk, I don't think anyone would want him to leave Arsenal.

 

[Latro]

There are quite a few fans who want him gone after his behaviour in Milan.

 

[DB10]

http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/sport...ts-set-on-stuttgart-ace-gomez-98487-20414176/

Arsène Wenger sets sights on Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez

EXCLUSIVE
By Steve Stammers 11/05/2008

Arsenal are set to make a £10million swoop for Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez.

Gomez - born in Germany to a Spanish father and German mother - is seen as one of the rising stars in the Bundesliga and has scored 38 goals in 87 games for his club.

Although he could be selected by Spain, Gomez opted to play for the country of his birth and has already been capped nine times, scoring on six occasions.

At 22, he is the perfect age for recruitment by Arsenal manager Wenger, who prefers to mould players into his way of playing rather than spend big on top players who can be set in his ways.

"We don't buy superstars," Wenger said earlier this season. "We make them."

Gomez certainly has potential and would be the perfect addition to the Gunners' current strike force of Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicklas Bendtner.

And, with Adebayor demanding a contract review this summer, Gomez could emerge as an exciting replacement for the team's leading marksman.

---------------------------------------

There's a reason why I'm posting as you all know my opinion on the press ... and that's because it comes from Steve Stammers. This is the guy who broke the Reyes story, the Rosicky story, and the Eduardo story. He's typically on the case with the Arsenal and is reliable, so this sounds very promising.

 

[Darealrath]

http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/sport...ts-set-on-stuttgart-ace-gomez-98487-20414176/

Arsène Wenger sets sights on Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez

EXCLUSIVE
By Steve Stammers 11/05/2008

Arsenal are set to make a £10million swoop for Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez.

Gomez - born in Germany to a Spanish father and German mother - is seen as one of the rising stars in the Bundesliga and has scored 38 goals in 87 games for his club.

Although he could be selected by Spain, Gomez opted to play for the country of his birth and has already been capped nine times, scoring on six occasions.

At 22, he is the perfect age for recruitment by Arsenal manager Wenger, who prefers to mould players into his way of playing rather than spend big on top players who can be set in his ways.

"We don't buy superstars," Wenger said earlier this season. "We make them."

Gomez certainly has potential and would be the perfect addition to the Gunners' current strike force of Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicklas Bendtner.

And, with Adebayor demanding a contract review this summer, Gomez could emerge as an exciting replacement for the team's leading marksman.

---------------------------------------

There's a reason why I'm posting as you all know my opinion on the press ... and that's because it comes from Steve Stammers. This is the guy who broke the Reyes story, the Rosicky story, and the Eduardo story. He's typically on the case with the Arsenal and is reliable, so this sounds very promising.

Who does he play like?

 

[DB10]

Adebayor if Adebayor had been taught how to finish by a human being. He's 6'3.

This season Gomez has 18 goals in 24 Bundesliga matches.

 

[Darealrath]

Adebayor if Adebayor had been taught how to finish by a human being. He's 6'3.

This season Gomez has 18 goals in 24 Bundesliga matches.

Cheers.

Leaves Bendtner in trouble if that's the case.

Now for the news about us signing a natural left winger...

 

[DonMania#5]

This season Gomez has 18 goals in 24 Bundesliga matches.

Wow, sounds very impressive. You would think Bentdner would be on the way out if we do sign him.

 

[Benno_900]

Why? If anything, we need to increase the amount of strikers we have.

Wenger is keen on keeping him and Eduardo will miss another 7-8 months and probably won't get back to his best at all next season when he's back. No guarantee that RVP will play more than 30% of next season either.

Vela also coming in, Wenger will probably consider him the left winger we need.

 

[giantroo]

220 players called him. Yet watch him come out of it with a player who he hasn't recieved a call from. That's Wenger for you. Though these articles made me chuckle because it is so true.

Wenger - 220 players want to join Arsenal



By Richard Clarke
If you believe all that you read, it seems that Europe's top clubs are picking at the carcass of an unsuccessful Arsenal season hoping to gobble up the most tasty morsels.

Mathieu Flamini has gone and, they say, Alex Hleb plus even Cesc Fabregas may follow.

But it was a perception rubbished by Arsène Wenger at his pre-match press conference on Friday. The Arsenal manager says the players who have gone already will be the only ones to depart and he has had calls from 220 players who want to join his side.

The Club could not stop Flamini agreeing to join Milan this week. The out-of-contract French midfielder was offered an attractive deal by Arsenal but chose to go to Italy. Jens Lehmann is also going because his deal also ends in the summer. However, according to Wenger, they will be the only players using the Emirates Stadium exit this season.

"Look, [apart from Lehmann] there is one player who is free," the 58-year-old. "He has already left. For me, 98 per cent of the squad will be here next season. And the two per cent have already gone.

"The rest are all under contract. If anybody wants to buy a player he has to call me. I can give you my number if you want because maybe some ignore that I have a phone.

"What is unbelievable is I’m sitting here [at the press conference and it is] like we have killed all the players. Yet when I go to my office I have 220 calls from players who want to come in."

It has been suggested that Hleb may employ the new Webster clause and buy out his own contract.

"That is not as simple as it looks," retorted Wenger. "And you should not forget that what players can do to us we can do to them.

"The Webster clause is not easy, you can't come in next day and buy out. There is no rule that says what it is all about.
"You have to go to a tribunal and then to FIFA and if you don't agree with FIFA [you] have to go to ACAS. It takes a lot of months. And you can be banned for the whole period if it is not done in a proper way."

Wenger: 'It's fishing time for the agents'



Many call the early part of the summer the "silly season" given the wild speculation in the newspapers during this time of the year. Arsène Wenger, however, has a different name - fishing time.

It is a cast-iron certainty that Arsenal will be linked with any number of players between now and the big kick-off in August. Only a couple are likely to join and even then they may not be the names trumpeted by the major headlines.

"The agents always get nervous in May and they calm down on August 31," explained Wenger at his pre-match press conference. "For them it's like going fishing. You're allowed to fish now, you know?

"And after August 31 they don't feel that way any more until January 1. It's like they take tranquilisers on September 1."

Of course, the major factor in many moves is money. The manager is on record as saying Arsenal's contract offer to Mathieu Flamini could not match Milan's. That was the one factor in the French midfielder's decision to move to Italy. But in the worrying global financial climate, Wenger is unsure that players' wages can continue to rise or even be sustained at the current level.

"I don't know about that really," he said. "It looks that wages that were good last year are not good any more this year and that cycle was much lower a few years ago. Now, from one year to the next, the wages go up, up, up, up.

"But the money available for the clubs is changing very quickly and we are in a world where it is a little bit strange. The whole world is suffering from deflation and we [in football] are in a world of inflation. How long can that last? I don't know."

 

[Benno_900]

Changes from the Everton game (starters) ... Gallas and Toure out. Djourou and Senderos in.

 

[Latro]

Apparently having 2 players from your full strength team is a strong team.

The bench is Mannone, Traore, Nordtveit, Randall and Barazite.

 

[youngsaint]

Doing exactly what you should be doing... Blooding the youngsters to see if they have the stuff.