Arsenal

[Dude Ranch]

It's a picture of the back of Gervinho's head, and yet you can still see his forehead.

Hehe.

Not to break the mood but Gervinho has been disappointing. I love those photos though. Lucky calling out the keeper there is dead right, I do think his attitude and quality have been a massive plus. I think you need a positive and bonkers character, especially a goalie. The team seems united at just the right time. Famous last words. If Jack makes it back soon he'll be a huge, huge plus too. Arteta has been superb, look at his face!

[toythatkills]

If Jack makes it back soon, what do we do with him?

[Lucky]

If Jack makes it back soon, what do we do with him?

Rest him.

[wev]

Stick him in a cupboard, lock it and pretend he doesn't exist until after the Euro's

[Rev]

I should think Ramsey/Rosicky/Wilshere/Arteta will just rotate if they're all injury free. But since the chances of that happening are roughly equivalent to the earth being hit by an asteroid and all sentient life being wiped out, I doubt it'll come up.

As much as I'm not too keen on Chelsea being resurgent they're only one bad performance away from a collapse with Di Matteo in charge and the old guard being allowed to pick the team. As much as I'd rather have seen Napoli go through, them having at least another two games to play is a good thing for the league, they'll clearly make that the priority even though they've not got much chance of winning.

[Rocafella]

Chelsea showed a lot of heart to get through last night, but they were shit. Fortunately for them, so were Napoli. If they'd put away a few of their chances when they were in control early in the game, Chelsea would have been out of it by half time.

Napoli just couldn't deal with Chelsea aerially. Was disappointed they couldn't offer anything in the second half or in extra-time after they went behind. Says it all when David Luiz is looking a world beater.

Huge games next Wednesday for us and them. They're away to City and we're away to Everton. With City on a bad patch at the moment, they could definitely come away with something there, so we'll need to be at the top of our game to beat Everton.

[Rev]

Chelsea showed a lot of heart to get through last night, but they were shit. Fortunately for them, so were Napoli. If they'd put away a few of their chances when they were in control early in the game, Chelsea would have been out of it by half time.

Napoli just couldn't deal with Chelsea aerially. Was disappointed they couldn't offer anything in the second half or in extra-time after they went behind. Says it all when David Luiz is looking a world beater.

Huge games next Wednesday for us and them. They're away to City and we're away to Everton. With City on a bad patch at the moment, they could definitely come away with something there, so we'll need to be at the top of our game to beat Everton.

I didn't watch it, I'll admit. People seem to have been quite nice about their performance, but if they're getting carried away and they've still got extra fixtures that's even better.

Points are going to be dropped, so I think I would be happy with a point against Everton. City will put everything into their game, it's the biggest game they've got left that doesn't involve Man Utd and so I can really see them battering Chelsea.

[Steve007]

There's a nagging horror scenario going around in my head that it's because RvP might be going but hopefully as suggested, it's because of the Euro's.

From what I have heard, he's off to Man City. The player rightfully isn't making anything public but they have apparently offered him a contract that pays £200k a week (no idea on the length of the deal). Arsenal will not begin negotiating the fee until the end of the season though.

RvP's people have continued to put off contract talks with the club, claiming it will be discussed once the season is finished. Arsenal apparently offered him £120k a week to stay and they won't go above that limit.

[SeanR]

oh, 200K? Yeah, you're right, he SHOULD go.

just think what he could do, with that extra 80K... a week...

[wev]

If it's silverwarehe wants, surely we can all club together and buy him something with his name on from Timpsons?

[Lucky]

I think he'll stay, but it's gonna take something a lot closer to £150k to do it

[The Fox]

From what I have heard, he's off to Man City. The player rightfully isn't making anything public but they have apparently offered him a contract that pays £200k a week (no idea on the length of the deal). Arsenal will not begin negotiating the fee until the end of the season though.

RvP's people have continued to put off contract talks with the club, claiming it will be discussed once the season is finished. Arsenal apparently offered him £120k a week to stay and they won't go above that limit.

Ever the bastion of positivity.

[Steve007]

oh, 200K? Yeah, you're right, he SHOULD go.

just think what he could do, with that extra 80K... a week...

I don't want him to go. I'd give my left nut to keep him at the club! But it would be foolish to suggest that any decision he makes won't be motivated by money.

[SeanR]

if he stays then you'll know it wasn't.

it's win-win!

[The Fox]

But it would be foolish to suggest that any decision he makes won't be motivated by money.

It would? You think everyone in the world is solely motivated by money? You think literally all professional footballers are like Nasri, whoring himself out to Man Utd, then Man City, then PSG, then Man City again?

Utter rubbish.

[Art Vandelay]

At no point during the season has he conducted himself in a way that has has given me the impression that he's not happy at the club. He's certainly not going through the motions before his move anyway. It's almost like Talksport have just made it all up which surely can't be the case.

[Steve007]

It would? You think everyone in the world is solely motivated by money? You think literally all professional footballers are like Nasri, whoring himself out to Man Utd, then Man City, then PSG, then Man City again?

Utter rubbish.

It's his last 'big' contract. He's at his peak & after this contract his earning potential will be drastically less. Of course money will be very important factor in his decision.

There's no real limit to what City can offer a player, with us it's apparently £120k which should easily be enough to tie him down. I'd love to think he'll ignore the extra money on the table and sign a new contract with us, but the bottomless pit of cash at City is enough to turn anyone's head. It's not just the weekly wage which is the problem, City can offer him an enormous signing on fee as well. What did Nasri get, £6-8 million? Van Persie will get a more than that.

If we offer £120k, and City offer £200k over a period of 4 years, then he'll be doing himself out of £16.5m just in wages alone. I don't think being motivated by money is the issue here, it's a question of common sense because you'd have be bloody daft to kiss good-bye to 16.5 million quid!

Still, he might astonish everyone and stay with us.

[Steve007]

Of course, if Man City don't want him, then the clubs more than generous offer should be enough to fend off interest from abroad.

[Petrousgyre]

From City's perspective, if they can't offload Tevez this summer then they're stuck with Ballotelli, Dzeko, Aguero and Tevez up front, all on massive salaries. How would they accommodate RVP, both financially and in terms of having a functioning side?

[redbloodcell]

Adebayor is still technically City's player too, and if he doesn't lower his wage demands/they subsidise them for the next 3-4 seasons then he'll be back there at the end of the season.

Don't think you should be so worried about City, I think you should be worried about Barca again.

[The Fox]

It's his last 'big' contract. He's at his peak & after this contract his earning potential will be drastically less. Of course money will be very important factor in his decision.

There's no real limit to what City can offer a player, with us it's apparently £120k which should easily be enough to tie him down. I'd love to think he'll ignore the extra money on the table and sign a new contract with us, but the bottomless pit of cash at City is enough to turn anyone's head. It's not just the weekly wage which is the problem, City can offer him an enormous signing on fee as well. What did Nasri get, £6-8 million? Van Persie will get a more than that.

If we offer £120k, and City offer £200k over a period of 4 years, then he'll be doing himself out of £16.5m just in wages alone. I don't think being motivated by money is the issue here, it's a question of common sense because you'd have be bloody daft to kiss good-bye to 16.5 million quid!

Still, he might astonish everyone and stay with us.

Firstly it's only £16.5m before tax. After tax the difference is half that.

Secondly does it matter to the point of potentially sacrificing happiness with your work? His family are already set for life financially after all. What is he really going to do with that extra £40k a week after tax?

Thirdly, and most importantly, the £120k a week ceiling on offer from Arsenal is made up anyway. None of us have the slightest clue what Arsenal will offer him. It's not going to match any offer City could make him I'm sure, but it could still be a very good contract.

I don't know whether RVP will sign a new deal with Arsenal. But if he doesn't then it will probably have more to do with us being a bit rubbish than the fact he can get a few extra grand a week playing for some soulless sheikh.

[humdrum]

It's his last 'big' contract. He's at his peak & after this contract his earning potential will be drastically less. Of course money will be very important factor in his decision.

There's no real limit to what City can offer a player, with us it's apparently £120k which should easily be enough to tie him down. I'd love to think he'll ignore the extra money on the table and sign a new contract with us, but the bottomless pit of cash at City is enough to turn anyone's head. It's not just the weekly wage which is the problem, City can offer him an enormous signing on fee as well. What did Nasri get, £6-8 million? Van Persie will get a more than that.

If we offer £120k, and City offer £200k over a period of 4 years, then he'll be doing himself out of £16.5m just in wages alone. I don't think being motivated by money is the issue here, it's a question of common sense because you'd have be bloody daft to kiss good-bye to 16.5 million quid!

Still, he might astonish everyone and stay with us.

financial fair play?

[carlito]

I've always been pretty confident he'll sign a new contract. Despite all the media fanned flappery going about fans.

[gizmo1990]

Firstly it's only £16.5m before tax. After tax the difference is half that.

Secondly does it matter to the point of potentially sacrificing happiness with your work? His family are already set for life financially after all. What is he really going to do with that extra £40k a week after tax?

Thirdly, and most importantly, the £120k a week ceiling on offer from Arsenal is made up anyway. None of us have the slightest clue what Arsenal will offer him. It's not going to match any offer City could make him I'm sure, but it could still be a very good contract.

I don't know whether RVP will sign a new deal with Arsenal. But if he doesn't then it will probably have more to do with us being a bit rubbish than the fact he can get a few extra grand a week playing for some soulless sheikh.

In a common sense, socially grounded world, everything you'd said there would be perfectly reasonable. But in the money grabbing, fuck everyone else, I'm alright Jack, greed is good world we actually live in, I can see rvp fucking off.

[AlwaysBeClosing]

Spurs did the same when they bought Modric just before the Euro's in 2008.

I think we did the same with Hernandez before the World Cup - turned out well even just based on his tournament play.

[Lucky]

I'm pretty confident he'll stay too.

Of course he can earn more at City or Barca for example but a wage of £120k+ per week, a little (big) one off 'bonus' for signing a new contract, the captaincy, being hero worshipped by thousands of gooners, staying where he is and not uprooting his family, staying in London, add to that being the talisman & leader for what is surely the last team AW will build.

I think all of that will compensate the extra money he can potentially earn elsewhere.

[Petrousgyre]

Don't think you should be so worried about City, I think you should be worried about Barca again.

Forgot about Adebayor. I agree that Barca would be more attractive to RVP but there's one L. Messi who's rather playing in his position. Also, aren't Barca pretty broke these days?

[redbloodcell]

Its not exactly a rigid system at Barca though is it? Anyone who plays across the front 3 is going to be flitting around all over the shop. Barca have debt to service sure, but they're hardly broke - only Real Madrid made more money than them last season. Besides, they could chuck Villa into the deal as a bit of a sweetener!

[The Grand Pursuivant]

I honestly don't see where RvP will go in the summer, given the type of person he is. The situation is a bit like Cesc, he loves the club, the fans and playing in England, but without the crucial Barcelona factor. There is no club that RvP particularly wants to go to above Arsenal, and even if there was, I don't see who would be able to take him.

Barcelona and Real don't seem likely. The only two players in the world who are better than RvP already play for them and in basically the same position. The Premiership is also unlikely. Man City have the money, but people have already mentioned good reasons for him to not want to go there. Utd will never happen, and the only other team who could afford him, Chelsea, might not even have CL football next year. That only really leaves the Italian clubs. AC already have too many forwards, Inter are in too much domestic trouble to be an attractive prospect, and none of the others could realistically afford him.

I could well be wrong, but where else would he want to go?

[Rev]

I think it depends where we finish. If we don't get Champion's League football, I think he'll go. If we do, I think he'll re-sign.

Assuming he does, what do we need in the summer? I'm inclined to say marquee or nothing. And a clear out of the rubbish.

Does anyone know how Arshavin and Denilson are these days?