Arsenal

[Commander Jameson]

Hasn't impacted Milan much though. Kaka and the rest are still there. It would take 2-3 years of consistently being out of the top four (or three if UEFA change the qualification rules) to make players think about their futures, I reckon.

[toythatkills]

all the "big" players will want to go were the (CL) action is...

I'm going to be so pissed off if Adebayor starts moaning about how we're not in the CL and leaves. If he wasn't so shit for the entire season, and had made some effort, maybe we would be qualified.

Hasn't impacted Milan much though. Kaka and the rest are still there. It would take 2-3 years of consistently being out of the top four (or three if UEFA change the qualification rules) to make players think about their futures, I reckon.

Milan's players are a lot older, more experienced, more mature, which I imagine has a pretty big impact on their attitude and loyalty. Arsenal have got Adebayor.

[phresh]

Hasn't impacted Milan much though. Kaka and the rest are still there. It would take 2-3 years of consistently being out of the top four (or three if UEFA change the qualification rules) to make players think about their futures, I reckon.

AC Milan are one of those clubs just like Real Madrid that seem to attract players regardless of how well they are playing or who is in charge. I fully expect Ronaldo to be courted all summer despite Madrid being poor all season and managed by a chump.

[SeanR]

Hasn't impacted Milan much though. Kaka and the rest are still there. It would take 2-3 years of consistently being out of the top four (or three if UEFA change the qualification rules) to make players think about their futures, I reckon.

and they get paid shit loads of wonga?

[jayboy]

Is anyone else concerned about how so many of our big players always seem to want to move to bigger clubs......we are a big club ourselves, yet our players always seem to go at the first sniff of a move.

In recent years none of our players seem to have much loyalty towards us, which is strange as we are a big club, with fine tradition....but if we don't make the CL, can we honestly say that Fab, Van Persie, Adebayor, Gallas, will all still be here?

[tyler]

BBC predictor

I did that earlier in the season:

Not sure what happened with the missing games.

[Dude Ranch]

but if we don't make the CL, can we honestly say that Fab, Van Persie, Adebayor, Gallas, will all still be here?

I know footballers are hardly known for their loyalty or patience but if anyone wants to leave based on us having ONE season out of the CL then I'd find that utterly pathetic and tell them to fuck off. Top players want CL football, understandably, but leaving in the face of one piece of adversity would be ridiculous.

That said, why the fuck we haven't got Theo and van Persie on long term deal yet is a mystery. It's asking for trouble. Again.

[BlinkyBear]

Judging by the interview Percy did with the Mail over the weekend, I'd be very, very suprised if he left over a lack of CL place; he came across as incredibly mature, reasoned, pragmatic and spoke of long term plans and trophies with us. Not even a hint of another club even mentioned other than his days in Holland. It read like he was in love with the club.

[toythatkills]

He's the one player I wouldn't blame for leaving, too, for a good two months he's been the only one to appear to give a shit.

[Steve007]

I know footballers are hardly known for their loyalty or patience but if anyone wants to leave based on us having ONE season out of the CL then I'd find that utterly pathetic and tell them to fuck off. Top players want CL football, understandably, but leaving in the face of one piece of adversity would be ridiculous.

That said, why the fuck we haven't got Theo and van Persie on long term deal yet is a mystery. It's asking for trouble. Again.

If van Persie walks on a free then it shows how badly the club is being managed. With Walcott, I'm genuinely not bothered as I don't think he's very good, but van Persie is needed.

[Steve007]

He's the one player I wouldn't blame for leaving, too, for a good two months he's been the only one to appear to give a shit.

He's only playing for a new deal/lucrative free transfer. He's usually a lazy fucker but in current form it shows what he's capable of when he puts his mind to it. We can't afford to let him go, but once he gets his deal, will he do what Adebuyor has done?

[Daley]

Did someone say meltdown?

Dear all,

Recently we have reopened our waiting list for our club level season tickets.

Traditionally we have kept the waiting list at 1000 people however due to the current climate we have decided to extend it to 2000 as we are expecting to have 1400 to 1500 tickets to become available for next season. The list is currently at about 1200 and the cost of joining the list is £50.00 which is redeemable of the price of the season ticket.

This is a rare opportunity to get a ticket for next season as the General admission waiting list is still at over 40,000 and is taking between 10 and 12 years.

Club Level Prices 2008/2009

Club Level Halfway Line - £4750

Club Level Midfield - £ 3600

Club Level Behind Goal - £ 3300

Club Level Corner - £2600

Kind regards

[Steve007]

Did someone say meltdown?

I'd love to know how many season ticket holders that are not planning on renewing. I've been going to Arsenal all my life and even I will find it hard work handing £1200 over to watch mediocre bullshit for another season. Sometimes I envy teams like Luton. You know you are going to watch a load of shit each week so you can never be disappointed But I'll end up renewing, I always do.

[Lucky]

Interesting article from Le Grove.

I make pretty much all of it spot on, even though I would probably add Diaby and even Bendtner to his list.

[Dude Ranch]

Interesting article from Le Grove.

I make pretty much all of it spot on, even though I would probably add Diaby and even Bendtner to his list.

I think it's considered and I don't disagree entirely.

I don't think you can have Walcott out, Cesc out and Rosicky* out and expect to have three world class players to come in, especially on our budget. The suggestion is that we have six to eight world class players on rotation with Wilshere, Ramsey and Vela coming through. I don't think there's room for that. I think you can add one brilliant Flamini replacement into the mix, and I think Arshavin will be a good buy, but if we had those two, Cesc, Walcott, Rosicky, Nasri with Denilson, Diaby as possibles, a couple of new players and a number of youngsters we are actually trying to bring through all competing for a few places then it becomes crowded and confused. There's competition and then there's frustration for those not playing.

It's a rock and hard place situation. We can stick with the plan or just buy ready made players that might not work anyway. That's where I hold my hands up and say I don't know. What's the answer? There's no guarantee either way.

I'm not sure I'd play Wilshere yet, certainly not for more than two consecutive games. Pressure, burn out, injury. He's way too precious. He's crucial. I talk about a new Charlie George, Wilshere can be that. Vela will probably make it, Ramsey too. Not yet though. They don't need players stacked up in front of them. If we buy a 25 year old for £9m then that's long term and it blocks the route for younger players.

On the other hand, we do want success today. For every argument I can put forward I can come up with a counter argument .

In terms of injuries, Rosicky (*maybe we should have written him off) Walcott, Cesc, Eduardo is a lot to bear. With those four I think we'd be challenging this season. It's all 'ifs and buts' though.

Adams? I take a deep breath and say no. Legend. I don't want to end up hating him. The only reason to have him back would be to bring him on as manager and I can't see that. I don't think he's got it.

My one personal belief is that we should buy more English players. I think Milner, for example, would have been a good buy. Ashley Young too. Both doing great at Villa. I also can't believe that there aren't English players to take a punt on for relatively small money but we go with Song, Bischoff, Senderos etc.

I'm really unsure but I can see light at the end of the tunnel, personally. Maybe the likes of Song, Eboue, Bischoff etc. are genuinely seen as expendable stop gaps. That would make sense.

[hobo]

Bischoff scores for Portugal Under 21's; tidy finish and incredible Sunday league style setup by the center back.

http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/2074388/

Eduardo created Croatia's second, typical fox in a box footwork to create the chance, but more importantly he came through unscathed:

http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/2079292/

[Daley]

Bischoff scores for Portugal Under 21's; tidy finish and incredible Sunday league style setup by the center back.

http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/2074388/

Amazing (attempted) clearance.

The keeper would probably have saved it too if he went with the right hand. And by that I mean his left. Still a decent finish.

EDIT: Also just realised the high ball came from a back pass. The whole goal was crafted by the oposition.

Eduardo created Croatia's second, typical fox in a box footwork to create the chance, but more importantly he came through unscathed:

http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/2079292/

Nice. That reminds me I would quite like to see Kranjar at Arsenal.

[phresh]

I'm not sure I'd play Wilshere yet, certainly not for more than two consecutive games. Pressure, burn out, injury. He's way too precious. He's crucial. I talk about a new Charlie George, Wilshere can be that. Vela will probably make it, Ramsey too. Not yet though. They don't need players stacked up in front of them. If we buy a 25 year old for £9m then that's long term and it blocks the route for younger players.

I wouldn't agree with that last bit, you need experienced players to bring through the younger ones. I think there is far too much pressure on younger players to perform at a young age these days, especially in an Arsenal team which has very few experienced players. That 25 year old would allow Ramsey, Wilshire etc. to devlop longer, go out on loan and get some proper experience. I only look at Evans at United and see how all the experience he got with Sunderland helped him coming in this season. Sooner or later Wenger is going to realise that gambling on a 'golden age' of young talent is not going to work.

[Lucas]

I wouldn't agree with that last bit, you need experienced players to bring through the younger ones. I think there is far too much pressure on younger players to perform at a young age these days, especially in an Arsenal team which has very few experienced players. That 25 year old would allow Ramsey, Wilshire etc. to devlop longer, go out on loan and get some proper experience. I only look at Evans at United and see how all the experience he got with Sunderland helped him coming in this season. Sooner or later Wenger is going to realise that gambling on a 'golden age' of young talent is not going to work.

QFT

One of the reasons I think Vieira was such a huge success was because he was able to establish himself in a team of experienced players.

[Dude Ranch]

QFT

One of the reasons I think Vieira was such a huge success was because he was able to establish himself in a team of experienced players.

I said this ages ago. Promising youngsters in a poor side is no good. And there's no link to the past now, it's all gone. Keown was probably the last old of the old school. Then Henry and then Gilberto, at a pinch. If we buy someone for ten mill they'll need a season to settle in themselves. I don't see the benefit. Arshavin, for example, is experienced but what's he gonna teach anyone? The 30 years old policy was wrong. I'm not saying Pires, Vieira and Henry should all still be at Arsenal but then again, why not? The benefit of new players coming into United and being schooled by Scholes, Neville and Giggs must be immense. We haven't got that anymore and you can't simply go out and buy it. I wish we had four or five Arsenal men demanding from the young players and telling them in no uncertain terms what's required but we haven't.

[Trigg]

Did they really have "30 years old" policy? Seem very weird if Wenger did, although doesn't seem too far fetched.

[dogsout]

Yes. It was well documented around the time that Pires was after a new contract.

[Swallow]

He was only offered a year-long contract after 30. :/

[Lucas]

Probably a facepalm.jpg moment.

[a big boy]

The 30 year old policy was that all players of 30 or more years would only be offered a one year contract, but he wanted a two year contract so he went to a club that would give it to him. Honestly

[Lucky]

Amazing boots.

They're like someting from the 1930's, only with red studs.

Can't imagine what he'll make of Bendtner's pastel colours boot range.

[Dude Ranch]

He was only offered a year-long contract after 30. :/

One of the best players I've ever seen, we couldn't possibly keep him. He was holding back Eboue.

[Mars]

Amazing boots.

They're like someting from the 1930's, only with red studs.

Can't imagine what he'll make of Bendtner's pastel colours boot range.

They're the same boots just in another colourway

A colourway that isn't bent.

[Trigg]

The 30 year old policy was that all players of 30 or more years would only be offered a one year contract, but he wanted a two year contract so he went to a club that would give it to him. Honestly

Oh, thats not bad then to be fair. I'm fairly sure Man Utd have done that over the past few years. Or something to that effect anyway.

[Swallow]

It's understandable that they don't want the liabilty of players getting seriously injured (more likely after 30, like) and having to stump up for possibly years. Should reeeaaally have made an exception though...