Arsenal

[Benji]

I dont know about the Adebayor stories... sounds a bit out the blue

[Silent Runner]

That Ade story seems to have appeared from nowhere all right but it’s understandable, a 25 premier-league-goals a year striker is a rare commodity these days.

[Steve007]

That Ade story seems to have appeared from nowhere all right but it’s understandable, a 25 premier-league-goals a year striker is a rare commodity these days.

Needs to prove it over 2-3 years though before his agent can say he's worth 80k a week!

[Daley]

isn't the webster ruling free money for the club.

or are wages paid up front now, and all the player is doing, in paying off the last two years of a contract, is giving the money back?

doesn't make sense

Thw Webster rule seems to be that a player can buy out the last two years of his contract by paying his club what he would get paid for those two years and effectively being a free agent. As some have said the big clubs have a "gentlemen's agreement" not to do this to each other but this clearly won't last.

How about this. Hleb (and players like him - all fancy skills and no end product) are the reason Arsenal play good football but win nothing.

Regarding the Adebayor "story". Again Arseblog shows the way. This couldn't be from our former vice-Chairman and his new rich Russian mate could it?

Despite claims from former chief executive Keith Edelman that the manager has a pot of gold at his disposal, it is thought Wenger's hands are tied in the transfer market, largely due to the crippling cost of their two-year old Emirates Stadium.

All that could be solved if the club were to accept the help of Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, but chairman Peter Hill-Wood and director Danny Fiszman say no.

So transparent it's funny.

[Hass]

This is all so depressing. If we could have held the team together into next season and added to it in the necessary areas we would have had a chance.

[Lucky]

Obviously there's a lot of negative stuff in the press at the moment about Arsenal, but I don't think it's all doom and gloom. It seems Wenger's hand has been forced slightly as he will need to be busier in the transfer market than he would have liked (ins and outs).

Flamini going is a bigger blow than Hleb in my opinion, and Wenger could/should now take this opportunity to shuffle the pack and make it work in our favour. The players that don't want to play for us should go, the players that are not good enough can also go or stay and be further down the list.

The new season doesn't start until August, it's still only early May. There will be a lot of rumours, speculation, bullshit and all sorts of Shennanigans written until August so I don't think there's reason to panic just yet.

As long as Wenger replaces people that leave and adds to the squad further still we should be in a stronger position than we were this season.

I know it's a big if, but if Wenger replaces Flamini and Hleb and improves (by that I mean brings in better players) on players like Eboue, Senderos & Gilberto then next season could yet be an improvement on this one.

My only worry is that Wenger won't go out and buy five or six top players, he'll just buy a couple of players we've never heard of that might be good in a few years. If that happens then yes I'll start panicking.

Also, I think next season will be the first time that Wenger has been under pressure to win a trophy since he arrived. For most of the first years we won things, it's only the last 3 years that we haven't won anything and we had the Stadium as a reason. Next season will be the first that we can't really use the excuse reason of the stadium.

The time has come to deliver.

We need players that want to play for us, add to that some proper signings and the younsters we already have and then next season could be a winner.

[Daley]

Also, I think next season will be the first time that Wenger has been under pressure to win a trophy since he arrived. For most of the first years we won things, it's only the last 3 years that we haven't won anything and we had the Stadium as a reason. Next season will be the first that we can't really use the excuse reason of the stadium.

The time has come to deliver.

We need players that want to play for us, add to that some proper signings and the younsters we already have and then next season could be a winner.

We didn't win anything for three years between 1998 and 2002 either. Not winning anything next year would be the 4th empty season.

[Lucky]

We didn't win anything for three years between 1998 and 2002 either. Not winning anything next year would be the 4th empty season.

That was on the back of doing the double, also it was Wenger's early years compared to now.

Surely there's more pressure on Wenger now to prove that he can still do it rather than then when he was still building his own team.

We finished 2nd in them 3 years compered to 3rd, 4th and 4th in the last 3 years.

Our expectations are higher now than they were then as well, so surely there's more pressure now to deliver.

[Takizawa]

Must admit i'm a bit shocked by Hleb's departure, I wonder if Wenger is too.

[Mars]

Nah, we should keep Bendtner. If he can improve next season as much as he has this one he'll be a great player to have.

[Daley]

That was on the back of doing the double, also it was Wenger's early years compared to now.

Surely there's more pressure on Wenger now to prove that he can still do it rather than then when he was still building his own team.

We finished 2nd in them 3 years compered to 3rd, 4th and 4th in the last 3 years.

Our expectations are higher now than they were then as well, so surely there's more pressure now to deliver.

Yea definitlely more pressure now. But I still trust and believe in him. The man has earned all the time he needs (just no more defeats to the scum though please.)

[Cosmic_Guru]

Must admit i'm a bit shocked by Hleb's departure, I wonder if Wenger is too.

I doubt it - following "Icecream gate" that evening in Milan it has seemed pretty inevitable. Not too bothered about it personally although in sheet skill terms Hleb is up there with the best I've ever seen at the club - passing the ball through the eye of the needle stuff and footwork out of this world.

Nah, we should keep Bendtner. If he can improve next season as much as he has this one he'll be a great player to have.

Agreed - we need to take to the field with 4 wide players who can cross a ball and Nick will have one - Everton last week (and Spurs earlier) is proof of that.

Yea definitlely more pressure now. But I still trust and believe in him. The man has earned all the time he needs (just no more defeats to the scum though please.)

I would like to see a defensive coach come in and drill the back 4 like George Graham did for years. Other than that I think people who believe Wenger's time is up are living in cloud cuckoo land. Who out there would do a better job? We dont have the money to compete with Chelski or even Man U so we have to develop our own talent and polish players brought in at reasonable prices. I dont believe there is another manager out there who could do a better job in these circumstances - when all is said and done we were 2 goals scored away from being level with the top 2 in the league this weekend, and a single moment of madness from going into the CL semis. Of course there are grounds for improvement - ditching Eboue would be a good start and taking the FA cup seriously too - but I dont see a change at the top being helpful to us at present.

[tyler]

Do Arsenal still have a wage cap that I remember reading about when Bergkamp was playing? Though I guess that was broken with Henry's final contract.

[Daley]

Do Arsenal still have a wage cap that I remember reading about when Bergkamp was playing? Though I guess that was broken with Henry's final contract.

I think they do but i'm not sure what it is. I think they are just sensible rather than saying nobody can get over x amount.

Henry got a "special" contract.

[SeanR]

£55,000 pw isn't it? The cap I mean. That's why Cashley went to Chelsea, to get 60K a week.

[Lucky]

Isn't Gallas on 80k?

And surely Cesc has got to be there abouts too I would have thought.

Edit: Oh and Cashley went to Chelski because he's a cunt.

[Sinister]

Gallas is on 60K .

Official site rubbishes the adebayor reports just as i expected . + also hleb reports

Cashley = Cunt i saw him driving around here the other day .

[Mars]

I think that the £55,000 figure is the highest for second tier players with Gallas representing the current highest salary for tier 1 players.

Good to see that Randall & Gibbs are likely to be involved against Sundeland, when did Randall come back from Burnley?

[Art Vandelay]

If we buy anyone, expect it within then next few weeks before the Euros. Unless we're planning on buying some uncapped no-marks. Ahem.

Adebayor can get lost if that's what he's said. One swallow does not a summer make and he really needs to prove himself before he can spout that. If he did.

I would have sold Bendtner as he is fucking pony. £7/8m would be too good to turn down.

[BlinkyBear]

I would have sold Bendtner as he is fucking pony. £7/8m would be too good to turn down.

I'm no fan of his, but he's scored 10 goals this year, which isn't bad return considering how little first team opportunities he got.

I'd keep him unless someone wanted to pay silly money.

[TehStu]

Interesting how close it was in the end, to think of all the points we've chucked away.

[BlinkyBear]

Interesting how close it was in the end, to think of all the points we've chucked away.

Funny, I was just thinking the same thing. Especially as a few years ago 83 points would've won you the league

[Steve007]

Interesting how close it was in the end, to think of all the points we've chucked away.

All those draws in a row cost us a few weeks ago. I can't tell you how frustrating it is. All these knob end experts say we are miles away from silverware but we're not!

[Mars]

Hey guys. I don't frequent this thread very often so apologies if it's already been discussed, but I spotted this on the Beeb website in the Transfers section

"Mathieu Flamini [Arsenal - AC Milan] Free"

Is this true? Flamini has gone to Milan for nowt? I thought he was pretty good.

God, where have you been?! Yes, he went for free has his contract had expired and he chose not to take the offer we made.

Also, good to see Theo finally scoring a goal that wins us a game.

[Lucky]

I know it's silly season but it seems there could be some truth in this one.

More of a wide man than a forward isn't he?

Looks very much like an Arsenal type signing but then again so was Ribery.

We'll see.

Lyon winger Hatem Ben Arfa says discussions have taken place regarding a possible move to Arsenal this summer.

Ben Arfa, 21, was voted Ligue 1's Young Player of the Season on Sunday but has so far failed to hold down a regular starting role with Lyon, with many of his appearances coming off the bench.

Ben Arfa has suggested he would be open to a move to the Emirates, and manager Arsene Wenger is known to be a big fan of the creative midfielder.

Speculation in the French media claims Arsenal will beat Marseille to Ben Arfa's signature, and the player himself said: "It is true that we have spoken about Arsenal, but we will see how it is going to happen".

Actually, while we're at it we might as well pick up Ben Arfa's mate Benzema too, and then pop over to Marseille for Samir Nasri.

Well I did say it was silly season.

[dogsout]

Actually, while we're at it we might as well pick up Ben Arfa's mate Benzema too, and then pop over to Marseille for Samir Nasri.

Well I did say it was silly season.

That lot would cost £60m+.

Ben Arfa is a very good player. I think he'd suit the style of your team really well too. I think he'd have to be used sporadically in his first season over here, though, much like Babel for us.

[Lucky]

That lot would cost £60m+.

Ben Arfa is a very good player. I think he'd suit the style of your team really well too. I think he'd have to be used sporadically in his first season over here, though, much like Babel for us.

Yeah they seem like similar players, who probably need a season or so to settle but surely have the potential to come good.

I reckon you could pick up all 3 for around 50ish (15+15+20 for Benzema).

Still a bit high for Mr Wenger I suspect.

[Mars]

Ironic seeing as we were after Babel as well, apparently. He's the type of player we need and could rotate with Vela/Merida/Walcott (fuck off Eboue) to get at teams a la Freddie and Bob Pires in a way we haven't always managed this season.

[dogsout]

Yeah they seem like similar players, who probably need a season or so to settle but surely have the potential to come good.

I reckon you could pick up all 3 for around 50ish (15+15+20 for Benzema).

Still a bit high for Mr Wenger I suspect.

Nasri will cost £18m+ and Benzema will probably be £25m+. Crazy money but two tremendous talents.

[dogsout]

Ironic seeing as we were after Babel as well, apparently. He's the type of player we need and could rotate with Vela/Merida/Walcott (fuck off Eboue) to get at teams a la Freddie and Bob Pires in a way we haven't always managed this season.

I remember when you were first linked with Babel I posted in here saying I'd cry if you got him. I fully expected to see him become a massive star for you, so I was obviously over the moon when we signed him. Ben Arfa's good, I don't think he's got quite as much potential as Ryan but I do think he's got a bit more to his overall game at this stage. He's not quite as raw as Babel anyway.