Arsenal

[hauk]

So Vela, Bendtner, Chamakh, Arshavin, Squillaci & Park are all back in training? Way to cut the wage bill guys!

[The Fox]

So even though they haven't been sold, we should...not let them in to training?

[Daley]

We haven't sold a single player for actual money. A few have left after contracts ended, including Almunia, but not one player has been sold.

Tight on the way in and tight on the way out I guess.

Ooo-er etc.

[Daley]

Spoke too soon.

Carlos Vela in talks with Real Sociedad

Unusual for the club's official website to comment before a deal is done.

[Rev]

Vela really seems like he should have done better. It's weird that both him and Giovanni Dos Santos both failed to make it, when they both looked pretty good.

Although Vela did alright at Sociedad, so I'm not surprised they're going for him full-time. Still plenty of chance for us to regret it.

[Petrousgyre]

Although Vela did alright at Sociedad, so I'm not surprised they're going for him full-time.

12 goals in 35 appearances - not exactly setting the world alight.

Lots of Affelay and Paulinho chatter. M'Vila stories don't seem to die either. Obviously not convinced all or even any of them will happen but we do seem linked with a lot of players this summer.

[carlito]

12 goals in 35 games is pretty fucking good playing for Sociedad!

I'll be surprised if we don't see a few quid coming from a that sell on clause we've forced on Sociedad.

[Rev]

He's not exactly a number 9 designed to bang goals in, even if he's playing up top. Also:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4DMAgbOCuw

[SeanR]

RVP reckons Chelsea have put in a bid for Theo... Well, that's what he posted on Facebook, but

http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/chelsea-fail-with-25m-walcott-bid?state=19c0f7918afa4d37be407119751b059a&code=AQDpmyWtCVKXz9D-1H4gAmZfev0QD7vcR6daNyF_QK0l_REGeg4DSAnk8RzZBPaaKrAjSnKGqBtwM1RQBltvIzPrMN_Ml4PXPPNDAeaIFs5Ejj4xH2JUxuwW9fWSx3q9VAh_TTdBbE3TCp7nyeZTXmxQoYcbztWheaWC8d367PVMM8rzbWKfvJmUjoXWTMnUmyw#_=_

[The Fox]

Chelsea have bought loads of wingers. I can't imagine they'd want Theo, but even if they did he'd be bonkers to go there.

Edit: lol, £25m?! I'd bite their fucking hand off

[hauk]

So even though they haven't been sold, we should...not let them in to training?

I didn't know (and can't really believe) they were all still at the club! Hopefully some can be at least be loaned out...

[toythatkills]

Not even Man City would give us £25m for Walcott.

[BlinkyBear]

I hope Chelsea have; they've gone fucking mental. They're buying wingers and playmakers like there's a shortage-good luck balancing that team next year.

[toythatkills]

They're going to try and win like Spain did. A team full of midfielders and a £50m striker on the bench.

[Silent Runner]

Chelsea have bought loads of wingers. I can't imagine they'd want Theo, but even if they did he'd be bonkers to go there.

Edit: lol, £25m?! I'd bite their fucking hand off

No way. I'd far prefer to have Theo in the team for his 5 good performances a year than 25M in the bank doing dick-all.

[Daley]

Sky are reporting that we have agreed a fee for M'Biay Nang...M'B...Niang....oh I don't fucking know. The kid from Caen that we've had on trial. According to Twitter anyway, I'm watching Police Academy on ITV.

[Jonathan_Kerr]

If RVP goes, I'd actually like Bendtner to still be in the squad. I always feel like he'll do something.

Not saying I want him as our first choice striker, mind.

And before we sell Theo, I'd like to see him in the striker role against some of the lesser teams. Just to see what he might be like.

[Petrousgyre]

And before we sell Theo, I'd like to see him in the striker role against some of the lesser teams. Just to see what he might be like.

Theo's had a few games for us playing through the middle. He was awful, his movement in particular was poor. I rate him as a winger but he sees himself as a striker which is a shame, he'd be better off concentrating on playing wide.

[BlinkyBear]

They're going to try and win like Spain did. A team full of midfielders and a £50m striker on the bench.

Fella I work with is a rabid Chelsea fan, the sort who calls Terry "JT" and thinks that he's a "legend", "misunderstood" and "the best CB in Europe".

Anyways, he also thinks that Abramovich is trying to do a Spain, but is completely blind to the fact that throwing a lot of unproven tricky wingers and playmakers into a team in a new country with a very fortunate manager with little experience of managing real egos, probably won't do much. It's also like Abramovich has finally realised that he's got a team of 30+ year olds and they'll be finished in 2 seasons with no one to replace them. They're incredibly lucky FFP wise that they won the CL to give them a £60m fillip to bring some players in, but their homegrown quota must be a mess.

I fucking hate Chelsea.

Anyways, Bendtner eh?

[Daley]

RdM actually had a worse record in the league than AVB. Both were probably not in charge long enough to make a real judgement but this season should be interesting for them, especially with this latest round of "Football Manager with unlimited money" cheat on.

[Gotters]

I wish I could seperate the Theo Walcott I see play from the one stats show me he is - I see a run in straight lines ass clown with no natural football ability at all who frustrates me hugely to the degree that after a game where he has his customary assist or odd goal all I recall are the cross into the crowd and failed attempts to take on a full back.

Is that solely the issue with him, in a 'moneyball' sense he's hugely valuable but when you see the fella play he looks pretty poor ?

Personally I'd ship him out but accept that may be a bit short sighted as he does seem to add something

[Daley]

[toythatkills]

Vermaelen.jpg

Fucking hell, Nike.

[Silent Runner]

Wait a sec. Is that real? Tommy V looks like he's at ComicCon.

[toythatkills]

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/free-video-vermaelen-the-chinese-warrior

[Rev]

Maybe it's part of Arsenal's ongoing dreamcast sponsorship deal commitments

Sell Robin Van Persie for £25m. Sell Theo Walcott for £25m. Sell various others for a total of £50m.

MAKE SHENMUE 3.

[BlinkyBear]

Robin Van Persie hits the post a lot.

Here's FitbaThatba singing a song about it:

[Dude Ranch]

That's disrespectful to the cunt.

To be honest, I look at RvP leaving and I'd like him to stay but my mind wanders to incidents where I always thought he was a bit of a prick. Super captain, I felt, and always gave his best when fit. But a bit of a prick. Fabregas wasn't a great captain and was too young anyway. He was and is a brilliant player. But I see him now and think of the times when I should have been honest with myself and admitted he was a prick. Henry was amazing, not as a captain necessarily, but probably in the top two Prem players of all time. Bit up himself maybe, left at the right time some would say but maybe we all regret him going and he probably does too. The comeback was fairytale though. Vieira was amazing too, you'd be a brave man to go against him in any way and would never call him out for being a prick but discipline wise he was a wild card at best and was never a mind blowing captain IMO. He wanted out and left us.

Anyway, the waffle of a fickle football fan. But the best thing of all was that Bergkamp stayed and we can't ever find a way to question him. One of the all time greats in every way and he saw it out. It makes him more special in my eyes and every potential hero who leaves early reinforces that. They are not Bergkamp.

[Jonathan_Kerr]

Theo's had a few games for us playing through the middle. He was awful, his movement in particular was poor. I rate him as a winger but he sees himself as a striker which is a shame, he'd be better off concentrating on playing wide.

Was this when he was a lot younger? As infuriating as he can be, I think he's a better player he was than a few years back. He'd probably do a better job than bloody Chamahk and co.

[Art Vandelay]

Bergkamp was pretty decent to essentially go on a rolling contract and play a bit part when required. He's just the model footballer and I'd shriek like a woman if he ever decided to come back in some capacity. He could teach a few of these ingrates we have now a thing or two grumble grumble.