Arsenal

[Gabzy]

You can give me that wink anytime baby.

[Lucas]

Players like Owen, Henry & Fowler are natural goalscorers, you can't teach what they can do as it's natural to them but with Adebayor he's a lost cause. Shame really as he does link up well with Henry but he's just not going to score goals so what's the point of him being there?

Henry is not a natural goalscorer. Is it any coincedence that the departure of Pires, Vieira and Bergkamp along with the spectacular decline of Freddie have marked the worst season of Henry's Arsenal career?

Henry is a one dimensional player - controlling the ball at speed. Pires et al used to feed him the ball early, in spaces he liked. He doesnt get that now. His game has changed. He used to run at defenders. Now he prowls the final third. How often has he really looked like the player of the unbeaten campaign this year? His play used to excite me. Now I'd rather watch RvP and Rosicky. Arsenal is built around Fabregas now and it doesn't fit Henry. It used to be built around him. He had the same problem when France was built around Zidane.

Reading between the lines, our transfer budget this summer is precisely £0.00

arsenalnewsreview.co.uk reports that we have approx £40m available by way of loan.

FYI, Adebayor drives a 52 reg Escalade.

They also reckon RvP is knocking balls around now.

[Petrousgyre]

Henry is a one dimensional player - controlling the ball at speed. Pires et al used to feed him the ball early, in spaces he liked. He doesnt get that now. His game has changed. He used to run at defenders. Now he prowls the final third. How often has he really looked like the player of the unbeaten campaign this year? His play used to excite me. Now I'd rather watch RvP and Rosicky. Arsenal is built around Fabregas now and it doesn't fit Henry. It used to be built around him. He had the same problem when France was built around Zidane.

Interesting. I'm more optimistic about TH and Fabregas in the future but it's a fair point you make about him in the French side.

[Mars]

Well we won

Tom and Cesc get 2 in 2 as well, great stuff.

[Lucas]

Great. beating a mediocre (at best) team at the end of the season, when we've no hope of winning anything.

We ought to be putting teams like Citeh away easily, but we needed 2 late goals. Could easily have gone the other way.

And that awful prick Baptista scored.

[Daley]

Great. beating a mediocre (at best) team at the end of the season, when we've no hope of winning anything.

We ought to be putting teams like Citeh away easily, but we needed 2 late goals. Could easily have gone the other way.

And that awful prick Baptista scored.

I dunno. I enjoyed it. But then me and my mates watched the second half in the stadium bar downstairs while getting pissed so that may have helped.

[Daley]

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has sent a hands-off warning to American billionaire Stan Kroenke over any potential takeover of the club.

I must say I am a little bit glad, even though I don't think this is the end of it. Personally I like the way the club is run. The power, and shares in the club, seems to be quite nicely shared out. No one person dominates which seems to be a good way to run the club in my opinion.

Sure, at the moment we seem to be short of real money to spend and seeing someone suddenly pumping millions into the club would be quite nice but I would like to think that with the cash now rolling in from the new stadium and all the flats being built on Highbury (which should eventually generate £100m of profit according to this) we will soon be able to spend our own money even if we may have to wait (for the flats anyway, 2009 acording to that article) and have quite a large debt to pay off.

If we do sell up I think it will be because the board have over extended themselves and are unable to pay back the debt. Hopefully this doesn't happen with Champions League qualification just five points away, assuming Everton/Bolton win all their games.

[Dude Ranch]

Agreed. I think I could easily cope with being poor cousins, so to speak. I've said before that buying trophies is very shallow and I'd prefer to do it the proper way. The stadium project has been incredibly well managed, I think it's part miracle and part testament to hard graft that it ever happened. I'm not sure if any other Club/board could have made it happen.

I'm still concerned about transfer funds (when will we see the payback from the improved stadium income?) but we've always been mean. Mind you, with Wenger being an economist and the board having short arms and deep pockets we've stayed very healthy.

If we do sell up I think it will be because the board have over extended themselves and are unable to pay back the debt.

I can't see that happening. I reckon it's all watertight unless things go massively tits up on the pitch.

EDIT:

Arsenal are set to splash out on Newcastle United midfielder Charles N'Zogbia.

The Mirror says N'Zogbia is ready to quit Newcastle after a bust-up with boss Glenn Roeder.

The French midfielder, who has been watched by Arsenal this season, is set to head to London in a £3million move in the summer.

Typical if this happens. We have talk of Ribery, Alves or Babel and we'll more than likely go for the bargain basement option. I suppose it could free up funds for a keeper and centre back.

[Lucky]

We have talk of Ribery, Alves or Babel and we'll more than likely go for the bargain basement option. I suppose it could free up funds for a keeper and centre back.

Add a Striker to that too.

[Dude Ranch]

Add a Striker to that too.

I'd like to think so, but when you consider that Henry, van Persie, Adebayor and Bendtner (hopefully) is four strikers I'm not sure we have room. I mean, Bendtner needs convincing to stay and buying a top striker hardly helps his cause. Plus we might still have Aliadiere and possibly (please God no) Baptista. Of course Aliadiere, Baptista and Bendtner might not stay

I know what you mean, someone who can put the ball in the net would be ideal. Maybe someone like Andy Johnson.

[Daley]

I'd like to think so, but when you consider that Henry, van Persie, Adebayor and Bendtner (hopefully) is four strikers I'm not sure we have room. I mean, Bendtner needs convincing to stay and buying a top striker hardly helps his cause. Plus we might still have Aliadiere and possibly (please God no) Baptista. Of course Aliadiere, Baptista and Bendtner might not stay

I know what you mean, someone who can put the ball in the net would be ideal. Maybe someone like Andy Johnson.

I think Walcott will end up as a striker too when he bulks up. Agreed about Baptista too, he can fuck right off.

[Lucky]

I agree about Baptista, he needs to go back to spain, just not good enough. I feel a bit sorry for him 'cos he looks like he is really trying, sometimes too hard though.

Alliadiere's just not good enough.

Bendtner, maybe. I suppose we've learnt from his loan spell that he is good enough for the championship, the premiership? Only Wenger knows.

A type of striker we need is someone who's aim and purpose and only interest is to put the ball in the back of the net and leave all the pretty stuff to the others.

An Owen type - can't see that actually happening and not sure if he'll be the same player after the injuries anyway.

[Shoes]

Baptista looks a bit embarrassed sometimes, because he knows he isn't good enough to be in the side.

I'd like to see Torres at Arsenal, but he isn't really an Owenesque striker is he?

[Dude Ranch]

I agree about Baptista, he needs to go back to spain, just not good enough. I feel a bit sorry for him 'cos he looks like he is really trying, sometimes too hard though.

Yeah, me too. He's been shockingly bad for us but last night I really enjoyed him scoring. He looks a bit bewildered by it all sometimes, maybe he's really, really slow at settling in.

A type of striker we need is someone who's aim and purpose and only interest is to put the ball in the back of the net and leave all the pretty stuff to the others.

It's not an easy one. I mean, we've missed a few one on ones recently and we do create loads of chances but I'm not sure what kind of player we need. We don't seem to create a whole load of poacher type chances. We certainly can't afford another Jeffers type who can't fit in with the way we play. Out and out goalscorers seem to be exactly that and not much else, we need someone who can play one touch and finish from anywhere.

[Lucky]

I've said a couple of times in the past, a Benni McCarthy, Johnson or Yakubu might just work and probably wouldn't cost an arm and a leg.

Who's to say that Yakubu or Johnson wouldn't do better or just as good at Arsenal than say Torres?

[Steve007]

I love how our club is run and I don't want anything to change. Hill-Wood, Dein and the rest of them many be many things but first and foremost they are Arsenal fans and always put the clubs interests first.

Kroenke can fuck off.

[Steve007]

I've said a couple of times in the past, a Benni McCarthy, Johnson or Yakubu might just work and probably wouldn't cost an arm and a leg.

Who's to say that Yakubu or Johnson wouldn't do better or just as good at Arsenal than say Torres?

I'd like to raid Blackburn and take McCarthy & Morten Gamst Pedersen

[Petrousgyre]

I'd like to raid Blackburn and take McCarthy & Morten Gamst Pedersen

You're making much more sense now. Two great footballers, McCarthy has great movement and a cracking shot. Pedersen is pure quality.

[max]

Dein has gone!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/t...nal/6569561.stm

[Petrousgyre]

Crazy. Presumably linked to a possible takeover - was Dein in favour of Kroenke then?

I must know.

[hercules]

Baptista got a goal yesterday and it still doesn't shut you guys up. he was being singled out at a time when the whole team was underperforming. He has his faults but i genuinely believe he will make it with arsenal and i hope we sign him.

Everybody is going on about how we need a poacher, his goal last night was a poachers goal. No other Arsenal player would've shot first time they all would've taken a touch.

[Dude Ranch]

Fucking hell .

Hill-Wood has suggested the Club isn't for sale and that the major shareholders were agreed on this, for at least one year. Not quite sure how Dein has felt about the situation.

[hercules]

Rosicky scores and Fabregas plays well. suprise suprise.

[Dude Ranch]

Rosicky scores and Fabregas plays well. suprise suprise.

We get the picture .

This Dein business is worrying me. It must be to do with this American fella, but whether he was for or against is unclear. I'd imagine that since the board won't be selling their shares Dein must have thought it was a good idea to get some investment from elsewhere, hence the differences. One thing is for sure, the bloke has worked wonders for Arsenal. He fought for the stadium and brought an unknown bespectacled Wenger over from Japan. He's also well connected and respected. This is the start of a new era and I hope we continue to be progressive and don't turn into a Club stuck in the mud.

[hercules]

We get the picture .

This Dein business is worrying me. It must be to do with this American fella, but whether he was for or against is unclear. I'd imagine that since the board won't be selling their shares Dein must have thought it was a good idea to get some investment from elsewhere, hence the differences. One thing is for sure, the bloke has worked wonders for Arsenal. He fought for the stadium and brought an unknown bespectacled Wenger over from Japan. He's also well connected and respected. This is the start of a new era and I hope we continue to be progressive and don't turn into a Club stuck in the mud.

I agree he's done a hell of alot for the club and i just hope this doesn't make the club go backwards.

[Steve007]

I love how our club is run and I don't want anything to change. Hill-Wood, Dein and the rest of them many be many things but first and foremost they are Arsenal fans and always put the clubs interests first.

Kroenke can fuck off.

I'm obviously cursed as Dein has now gone since I wrote that.

I'm genuinely shocked

[Dude Ranch]

I'm genuinely shocked

Me too, it's staggering news. Like, the last thing anyone could have expected.

[hercules]

Me too, it's staggering news. Like, the last thing anyone could have expected.

Its just completely out of the blue

[tyler]

Will this spell big changes at Arsenal this summer?

[Cosmic_Guru]

Me too, it's staggering news. Like, the last thing anyone could have expected.

Not entirely surprised here. Based on reading the various blogs and so on I have had the impression that the Board has been split for some time, presumably over issues surrounding the stadium and financing the team etc (remember Dein was the director who verbally agreed Cashley's demands and must have throught he could carry that Board on the issue). We will have to see how quickly his shares are sold and to whom. I agree that David has done an amazing job at Arsenal and remember meeting him when the North Bank stand opened and at a few away games.

Interesting to see from the members magazine which came yesterday that Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith (16% shareholder) is a relatively young Asian lady, which just goes to show you can't make any assumptions from a name alone.