Monthly Archives: August 2011

Transfer Rumours: Hazard, Vargas, Dempsey, and more!

  By jtom | 31/08/2011 - 8:16 AM | Transfer News
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Dempsey could join Arsenal by the end of the day

Eden Hazard could make a move to Arsenal if Lille land Joe Cole. The Gunners are also interested in Juan Manuel Vargas and Clint Dempsey. Arsene Wenger is still looking to sign David M’Vila, Marvin Martin, and Christopher Samba before the deadline.

With deadline day here, almost all the transfer rumours involve Arsenal and Spurs. Both North London clubs suffered heavy defeats on Sunday, with Arsenal falling to United by a score of 8-2.

According to Metro, Lille could consider selling winger Eden Hazard if they pull off a loan move for Liverpool’s Joe Cole. Arsenal would have to pay around £26 million for Hazard, which would shatter their transfer record.

There is also a rumour on Twitter that Hazard has demanded a move to the Emirates. He wants to leave Lille after the French club sold many of the key players from last season’s double-winning side. Sounds familiar, except that “double-winning” part.

According to Skysports.com, Arsenal have made ”enquiry” for Fiorentina left winger Juan Manuel Vargas. The Peruvian star can play at left back, but he excelled with Fiorentina as a left winger. Think Eboue with the ball skills and the ability to score from long-range. The 27-year old has 34 caps with Peru.

Fiorentina are reluctant to sell Vargas but sources say that the Gunners could change the Italian club’s mind with a £12m bid. Vargas has attracted interest from many of the top clubs in Europe.

According to Goal.com, Arsenal are serious contenders to sign Fulham striker Clint Dempsey. The 28-year old has scored 40 goals for Fulham since arriving in 2006. Dempsey has earned 77 caps and scored 22 goals for the United States. He scored the equaliser against England’s Robert Green, who let the ball through his legs, in the 2010 World Cup.

Dempsey is an experienced Premier League player who can play a number of positions. He can be played as a striker, central attacking midfielder, or winger. The American could be a nice addition to add depth to the aquad. Fulham value Dempsey at £10m.

A source close to Dempsey told Goal.com: “The deal seems like a very real possibility, but will come down to how quickly the two sides can agree on the selling price.”

Fulham are open to selling him after signing Bryan Ruiz.

According to The Guardian, Arsene Wenger is still trying to bring David M’Vila, Marvin Martin, and Christopher Samba to the Emirates. If the Gunners are unable to sign the two French midfielders, they may go after Florent Malouda and Yossi Benayoun from Chelsea.

Arsenal have already submitted a £22m bid for M’Vila, but his club, Rennes, are asking for more. The 21-year old defensive midfielder already has 11 caps for France.

Marvin Martin is a 23-year old central midfielder for Sochaux. He is known for his creativity and vision.

Surprisingly, Arsenal are still tracking Blackburn centre-back Christopher Samba. I thought Wenger was done buying defenders after the signing of Per Mertesacker. Samba wants to play in the Champions League. He had better get to the Emirates quick.

Benayoun and Malouda were both linked with Arsenal on Tuesday.

We have finally reached deadline day as everything hangs in the balance for Arsenal. They have already signed Park Chu-young, Andre Santos, and Per Mertesacker in the last week. What more surprises are yet to come?

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Arsenal sign Per Mertesacker

  By jtom | 31/08/2011 - 7:00 AM | Transfer News
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Per Mertesacker

Arsenal have signed 26-year old Weder Bremen centre-back Per Mertesacker. The German defender has signed a three-year contract, and the transfer fee is reportedly £10 million.

According to Skysports.com and other sources, Per Mertesacker passed a medical and signed a contract with Arsenal on Tuesday. The tall centre-half brings the kind of experience the Gunners sorely need.

Mertesacker has earned 75 caps with Germany, and he played extensively in the last two World Cups. He joined Werder Bremen back in 2006 from his hometown club, Hannover 96. Mertesacker never made under 35 appearances a season (in all competitions) with Bremen.

Mertesacker is listed at 1.98 m (6 ft 7 in), and his height may help solve Arsenal’s inablility to defend set pieces. Despite his size, Mertesacker is known as a clean centre-half. The German is rarely booked, which will come as good news to Gooners.

And Mertesacker is an Arsenal supporter himself. According to an article by Paul Ducan in The Telegraph, Mertesacker (as a boy) returned to Germany with an Arsenal shirt on after visiting his aunt in England. Since then, the German international has admired the Gunners, and has been wanting a move to North London.

The signing of Mertesacker will likely mean the end of the Gary Cahill-to-Arsenal transfer saga. According to Sky Sports, Arsenal are no longer interested in Cahill. Tottenham are now the favourites to land the Bolton centre-back.

Some Gooners are already moaning about Mertesacker, saying that Wenger should have landed Cahill. Bolton are demanding far too much for Cahill. Mertesacker is an experienced defender who is also an Arsenal supporter, and his signing allows Wenger to spend more money in the midfield. What more do you want?

Mertesacker and left back Andre Santos are expected to be introduced officially on Wednesday (today). The Park Chu-young signing was announced on Tuesday at Arsenal.com.

Arsene Wenger is expected to be very busy on Wednesday. He is still reportedly trying to bring in more players. The Gunners have already signed Park, Santos, and Mertesacker in the past week.

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Transfer Rumours: Malouda, Benayoun, Gotze

  By jtom | 30/08/2011 - 8:07 AM | Transfer News
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Florent Malouda

Arsenal are close to signing Chelsea winger Florent Malouda. Yossi Benayoun confirmed that he will be leaving Stamford Bridge, and the Gunners are one of the clubs interested in signing the midfielder. Arsene Wenger attempted to land Borussia Dortmund star Mario Gotze, but he wants to stay in Germany.

According to The Sun, Arsenal are on the verge of signing Chelsea winger Florent Malouda. The Gunners are offering Chelsea £8 million for the 31-year old.

Malouda has scored 25 goals for the Blues in 59 Premier League appearances during the last two season. The French left winger has put one in the back of the net so far this campaign.

The only question with Malouda is his age. At 31, how many more productive seasons can he have left? There is no question that Malouda is an experienced international player. He has been capped 69 times for France. Malouda has also won a Premier League title with Chelsea and four Ligue 1 championships with Lyon.

According to BBC, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Lille are interested in Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun. The 31-year old Israeli international wrote this on his Twitter account on Monday: “Negotiating with several teams… news soon.”

Chelsea are expected to sell Benayoun, who has been playing in the Premiership since 2005. He was at his best with Liverpool, where he scored 29 goals in 134 appearances. Benayoun has been capped 83 times for Israel and has scored 24 goals in the process.

Benayoun missed most of last season after he suffered an Achilles injury. 

Arsene Wenger, if the reports are true, seems to be targeting older players. While this may seem like a good idea, there is a such thing as a player in decline. Both Malouda and Benayoun are well past the prime of their careers. But it would be nice to see experience in the squad, so if they can be purchased for cheap, then Wenger should make his move.

According to Goal.com, Borussia Dortmund rejected an Arsenal bid for 19-year old midfielder Mario Gotze. The German youngster’s agent said to Goal.com: “Mario will stay at Dortmund, for sure, the next two years. There is no chance of him going to another club this window.”

Gotze could be the perfect replacement for Cesc Fabregas. Last season, Gotze scored six goals and assisted on 15 for the German champions. The 19-year old attacking midfielder already has 5 matches with Germany. Gotze is clearly a rising star who could become one of the top players in the world.

If the reports are to be believed, Arsene Wenger is scrambling to patch up his squad. He has already brought in Andre Santos and Park Chu-Sung. Expect more and more rumours (and hopefully some official transfers) as we head towards Wednesday.

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Arsenal agree to sign Andre Santos

  By jtom | 30/08/2011 - 7:30 AM | Transfer News
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Andre Santos

Arsenal have signed Fenerbahce left back Andre Santos for a fee of £6.2 million. The Gunners are also expected to announce the signing of Monaco striker Park Chu-young. Arsene Wenger is also set to sell Armand Traore to QPR.

According to The Telegraph and other sources, Arsenal have made an agreement to sign 28-year old Brazilian defender Andre Santos. The deal was completed late last night with the Gunners set to pay £6.2m for the left back.

Santos joined Fenerbahce in 2009 and has made 52 appearances for the Turkish club. In that time, he was able to score ten goals, which is quite a nice total for a left back. Santos has also been capped 22 times for Brazil, including 4 matches in 2011.

With Kieran Gibbs sidelined for who knows how long, Santos should be able to provide some quality at the back. Bacary Sagna has been starting out of position at left back so that Carl Jenkinson can play on the right. Jenkinson was terrible against Manchester United, and Arsenal would benefit by keeping him off the pitch against quality squads.

Another positive about Santos is his age. At 28, he is neither inexperienced nor a teenager, which are qualities that have come to represent Arsenal so far this season.

Arsenal are expected to announce the signing of Andre Santos and Park Chu-young on Tuesday. Arsene Wenger confirmed to BBC after the Manchester United game that the Gunners were set to sign Park. The South Korean captain is a 26-year old striker from Monaco. Arsenal will pay between £3m and £10m for Park.

According to ESPN and other sources, Arsenal left back Armand Traore is set for a medical at QPR. Many Arsenal supporters were puzzled by the news before the Andre Santos story broke on Monday night. Traore is unlikely to see much playing time with the Gunners, so he will be heading to Loftus Road.

Arsenal have already addressed their need for a left back. Santos, while relatively cheap, is a quality Brazilian international. Park is an experienced international striker, and he will likely replace Nicklas Bendtner. Overall, Arsenal will have a stronger squad once these two players complete the move to London.

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Arsenal refund tickets; Board backs Wenger

  By jtom | 30/08/2011 - 7:00 AM | Uncategorized
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Arsenal will give each of the away fans who attended the 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford a free Premier League away ticket. Stan Kroenke and the Arsenal board are fully behind Wenger as the Gunners suffer through tough times.

The Arsenal supporters who made the trip to Manchester showed tremendous love for the Gunners as they continued to sing, even when the team was losing by six goals. Arsenal released a statement regarding the free away ticket:

“Sunday’s result was obviously disappointing for everyone connected with the Club. Our travelling fans were magnificent throughout and we want to recognise their fantastic support. We will be writing to them shortly with the details.”

This is why Arsenal are a class club. The Gooners continued to sing until the very last whistle, and they deserve to get the free ticket. Arsene Wenger’s weakened squad was terrible and embarrassing. People criticise our home support, but I believe we have some of the best away fans in the Premiership.

The Arsenal board, including majority shareholder Stan Kroenke, are not thinking of sacking Arsene Wenger. An Arsenal source was quoted in The Guardian:

“The club is very much behind Arsène Wenger from Stan Kroenke to the board, downwards and sideways. There is absolutely no suggestion of any conversations about his future. We are right behind the manager who has led us to such great success for 15 years.”

Presumably the same Arsenal source told The Telegraph: “Arsene has the absolute backing and solidarity of the board. His position is rock solid. Arsène is a manager with a great record and the club expect to be working with him for years to come.”

The recent troubles at our club have split the Arsenal supporters into anti-Wenger and pro-Wenger groups. To be fair, the pro-Wengers still think Arsenal need to buy players to improve the squad. They just don’t want Wenger sacked. The anti-Wenger crowd just want the boss gone.

I am still with the pro-Wenger team, but my allegiances are wearing thin after the demolition at Old Trafford. My feeling is that the board may be affecting the transfer policy. Will they let Arsene Wenger spend money? If so, then will they let him break the current wage structure for a big-name signing? Players will not want to come to the Emirates, or stay at the Emirates, if they are getting offered huge contracts at other top clubs.

Arsenal Football Club showed their class on Monday by offering away free tickets. It would be a disgrace to sack Wenger three matches into a new Premier League season.

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Transfer rumours: Alex, Cahill, Campbell

  By jtom | 29/08/2011 - 8:07 AM | Transfer News
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Alex

Arsenal are ready to make a bid for Chelsea centre-back Alex. Tottenham have joined Arsenal in the fight to sign Gary Cahill. Owen Coyle will not sell his centre-back leave on the cheap. Striker Joel Campbell is likely to be sent out on loan.

Arsene Wenger will need to bring in players after Sunday’s 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford.

According to The Sun, Arsenal are ready to make a £10 million bid for Chelsea centre-half Alex. The 29-year old Brazilian has also attracted interest from Juventus. Arsenal would like to pay £7m for Alex, but Chelsea want £10m for him.

Alex scored that remarkable free kick against Arsenal last season when the Gunners lost 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. Otherwise, he has had an unremarkable Chelsea career. Alex has only made 29 appearances for Chelsea the last two seasons (also counting one match this season).

According to Daily Mail, Tottenham will make a bid for Bolton centre-half Gary Cahill. Spurs will attempt to hijack an Arsenal deal by offering £8m plus a player in exchange. The report says that the player would either Darren Bentley or Sebastien Bassong.

If Tottenham steal Gary Cahill from us byoffering up a mediocre player or paying a few extra million, then the Gunners will really be in a crisis.

Spurs are looking for a centre-back after getting crushed by Manchester City on Sunday by a score of 5-1. North London is really getting thrashed by Manchester.

Bolton manager Owen Coyle is not ready to let Cahill without a fight (or negotiations) (from Daily Mail): “I can tell you I won’t buckle. I have had a chat with Gary. He knows my opinion. We don’t have to be taking poor offers. If someone makes the right offer, then we can do business.”

Coyle could be refering to the reported £6m Arsenal bid. Wenger denied the report, saying the bid was larger.

According to The Sun, Arsenal’s newest signing, Joel Campbell, is set to go out on loan to PSV. Campbell failed to get a work permit, so he will probably not be playing at the Emirates this season.

The Gunners signed the 19-year old Costa Rican striker earlier this month. Arsenal reportedly paid a fee of £900,000 for Campbell.

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Manchester United 8-2 Arsenal: Rooney, Young crush Gunners

  By jtom | 29/08/2011 - 7:15 AM | Match Report, Premier League
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Arsenal’s poor defending was exposed by Manchester United on Sunday. Rooney’s hat-trick along with two curlers from Ashley Young helped United rout the Gunners at Old Trafford. Arsenal were missing eight players but that does not make up for the eight goals allowed.

Arsenal held the Red Devils until Danny Welbeck header’s marked the first tally of the match in the 22nd minute.  Anderson chipped the ball towards Welbeck, and the Arsenal back four misplayed the pass. The ball bounced close to Szczesny before Welbeck nodded home the goal.

Just four minutes later, Theo Walcott earned the Gunners a penalty. Jonny Evans made minimal contact with Walcott, and Arsenal had a chance to draw even. David De Gea saved the awful attempt by Robin van Persie. The Dutchman tried a soft, low strike towards the middle of the goal. A very poor shot indeed.

Ashley Young scored two brilliant goals (28th minute and 90+1). The former Aston Villa man really knows how to bend a ball into the far corner. Szczesny did not have a chance to save either of the attempts.

None of Wayne Rooney’s three goals came from open play. The first one (41st minute) came from a free kick just outside the Arsenal penalty area. Szczesny got a hand on the near post strike but not enough to keep it out of the net. Rooney’s second (64th minute) was a free kick as well but this time he picked out the far post. Szczesny was completely beaten and did not even move a muscle.

Rooney completed his hat-trick when he converted a penalty in the 82nd minute. Carl Jenkinson added to Arsenal’s woes by conceding the penalty and getting a second yellow card. Yet another Gunner will be suspended. Unlike RVP, Rooney did not have any trouble scoring from the spot.

Nani also scored for Manchester United (67th minute). The Portuguese winger calmly chipped the ball over a sprawling Szczesny. The Arsenal defenders were nowhere to be seen. Ji-Sung Park scored his usual goal against the Gunners with a low, corner shot in the 70th minute.

On the bright side, Arsenal finally scored their first goal in Premier League play this season. Tomas Rosciky sprung Theo Walcott, and Theo finished it off. David De Gea should have made the stop. The goal cut the Red Devils’ lead to two going into half-time.

Robin van Persie’s goal came only as a consolation to Arsene Wenger and company. Jenkinson crossed the ball, and the Dutchman volleyed the ball into the back of the net. The goal did not matter as the United victory was already guaranteed.

Jenkinson was helpless against United.

Another positive note was the away supporters. The Gooners were still singing “We Love You Arsenal” at the end of the match. Many of the highlight films keep showing the Arsenal fan with his hands on his face, and not the many Gooners who continued to cheer on the Arsenal. If Arsenal decide not to spend most of the £60m they gained from selling players, then they should at least refund those poor Gooners who made the expensive journey up to Old Trafford.

Overall, the team looked really disjointed on Sunday. Carl Jenkinson and Theo Walcott were spotted arguing after Jenkinson pushed too far up the pitch. The 19-year old right back was terrible at Old Trafford. He continued to position himself on the wrong side of the attackers, and that eventually earned him the red card.

Bacary Sagna and Thomas Vermaelen did not play because of illness and injury. Traore had to start at left back, and Nani was not troubled. Francis Coquelin made his Premier League debut as a defensive midfielder. Needless to say, it was a nightmare.

Arsene Wenger’s back four was ripped apart by the Red Devils. There was pleny of space for Young, Nani, Rooney, Welbeck, et. al, to roam the pitch. Arsenal were trying to play some sort of offside trap, but it failed miserably. The Gunners need to bring in two defenders by Wednesday to cure the chronic problems at the back.

To be fair, this was a reserve side for Arsenal. We were missing Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wilshere, Abou Diaby, Bacary Sagna, Gervinho, Alex Song, Emmanuel Frimpong, and Thomas Vermaelen. We expected to get well-beaten but not embarrassed.

Wenger admitted the humiliation (from Arsenal.com): “Of course it hurts, it’s humiliating, but you could see that we had not recovered physically in the second half from Wednesday night.”

Arsene Wenger and his staff will have plenty of work to do before Wednesday night: ”I am very open if we can find the right players. We have the money to sign players. If we find players who can strengthen our team then we will do it. But I am not the only one to work on the case, we have 20 people who are working on that. If we do not do it, it is because we don’t find them.”

You had better find somebody Arsene.

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Transfer News: Cahill, Campbell, Van der Wiel

  By jtom | 28/08/2011 - 8:15 AM | Transfer News
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Bolton boss Owen Coyle has asked Arsenal to make another bid for Gary Cahill. Sol Campbell would like to return to the Gunners as a player. Arsenal have been linked with Ajax right back Gregory van der Wiel.

Arsenal are set to sign striker Park Chu-young.

Gary Cahill

Owen Coyle told the press that he is willing to sell Gary Cahill after Bolton’s 3-1 loss to Liverpool: “If whoever it is out there wants to buy Gary Cahill then come and make a firm, proper offer for the lad and we will find out by the close of Wednesday if that is the case.

“There has certainly been no dialogue since the initial chat that took place on Tuesday night between my chairman Phil Gartside and Dick Law, the senior representative from Arsenal.”

Coyle went on to say that Cahill was off his game because of the “endless transfer speculation.” Bolton have opened the door for another Arsenal bid. Wenger and Bolton chairman Phil Gartside got into a fued on Friday over a reported £6m offer.

According to Daily Mail, Arsene Wenger will offer Bolton £12m for Cahill. The Gunners expect to sign the 25-year old centre-half before the end of the month.

£12m sounds like a fair bid for Cahill. Hopefully, we do not have to see more X-rated rants from the Bolton chairman and frustrated interviews with Owen Coyle.

Sol Campbell told The Guardian that he would welcome a move back to Arsenal: “It would be nice to go back to Arsenal, for sure. I trained there for a month [after leaving Newcastle in May] and have been doing regular fitness work on my own since.

“We’ve just come back from a holiday in Portugal and I was even working out then. So I’m not too far behind, all I need is two or three games to regain my match fitness.”

Campbell is trying to talk his way into a third stint with the Gunners. He was a major component of the “Invincibles” squad and played under Arsene Wenger from 2001-2006. Sol returned for a 14-match run during the 2009-2010 season.

The 36-year old free agent last played with Newcastle, making only only 8 appearances.

While Campbell will be remembered as a Gunner great, it is not the time to bring him back as a player. He has had a very difficult time staying fit in recent years, and Wenger does not need another injury-riddled centre-half. Maybe Sol could be brought in as a player-coach and help the younger players. He is certainly a better player than Sebastien Squillaci.

According to Metro, Arsene Wenger could bring Dutch right back Gregory van der Wiel to the Emirates. Van der Wiel sent out a mysterious Twitter message on Saturday: “In the plane 2 London.”

The comment sparked rumours in Holland. The 23-year old Ajax right back reportedly wants a move to the Premier Leauge. Van der Wiel sent out another Twitter message on later on Saturday: “We had a weekend off.. So im just in london to chill and watch a few games, nothing more. .”

There is a possibility that one London club is interested in the Dutch international. If he was a left back, I would urge Wenger to bring him in. But we already have Sagna (currently playing out of position on the left) and Jenkinson on the right. Gibbs plays on the left but he is constantly injured.

Looks like this rumour could be another piece of aimless specualtion, but you never know…

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Match Preview: Manchester United v Arsenal

  By jtom | 28/08/2011 - 7:45 AM | Match Preview
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Arsene Wenger's squad face a tough test on Sunday.

Arsenal will be without several key players as they travel to Old Trafford. Alex Ferguson complimented Arsene Wenger this week, but he also said he would not let Manchester United struggle the way that the Gunners have in recent years.

Gervinho (suspension), Emmanuel Frimpong (suspension), Jack Wilshere (injury), Alex Song (suspension), Abou Diaby (injury), and Kieran Gibbs (injury) will miss the trip to Manchester. Laurent Koscielny and Thomas Vermaelen could be fit to face United. Arsene Wenger gave an update on the two centre-backs on Friday (from Arsenal.com):

“Vermaelen has a test on Saturday and Koscielny had a positive fitness test today. There is a little doubt about Vermaelen but he should be alright.”

Johan Djourou, meanwhile, will be able to play for the Gunners. Vermaelen is desperately needed for this match. He was excellent against Liverpool, and hopefully he can heal quickly from this knock. Vermaelen was bothered by a nagging injury for the almost all of last season.

Manchester United have received an early season jolt from several young players. Tom Cleverly (centre midfielder), Danny Welbeck (striker), and Phil Jones (centre-half) have refreshed United’s rapidly aging squad from last season. Nemanja Vidic will be forced to sit out on Sunday due to a calf problem, while Rio Ferdinand could be back.

Arsene Wenger said this about Manchester United: “They are definitely [still the team to beat]. For us to beat them would be a great boost and would put us in a great position. We did it at the end of last season and would like to do it again.”

Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have been friendly to each other in the last week. Ferguson had this to say about the recent criticism of Wenger (from Manchester United official website):

“As I say in my piece for the match programme. I think the work Arsene has done in the 15 years he’s been at the club is the best in Arsenal’s history. Yes, he’s not won a trophy in six years but what does that mean? The quality in his side has not been reduced. He’s still had great quality in his teams in that period.”

Manchester United supporters will say that Ferguson no longer fears Arsenal, and that is why he is willing to be kind to our club. I say that Ferguson is just being honest and not playing one of his Jedi mind tricks. He went on to say that newly-wealthy clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City have made the top of the Premiership more competitive.

Ferguson has a huge ego.

But Alex Ferguson said he would not have allowed a Arsenal-like trophy drought: “I would not have allowed it to happen. The press would have played their part and you expect that, but I could not have contemplated these things.”

“Arsene has got his way of managing and I have got mine. You do the best with what you believe in and that is what Arsene is trying to do. I don’t know exactly what his philosophy is but for a long period he had a group of good young French players but that seems to have dried up a little bit.

These comments are where the love affair ended between Ferguson and Wenger. Obviously Wenger did not “allow” the six-year trophy drought to happen. It is not just about wanting to win silverware. Manchester United take in far more cash than Arsenal, and they also spend much more money in the transfer window. Arsene Wenger has had to work around a new stadium and responsible owners. Ferguson is simply “allowed” to drive his club further and further into debt.

On the other hand, Gooners do not pay the highest season ticket prices in Europe to be financially stable. Red Devil supporters yawn when another cup is thrown in the case, while the Gunners are continually thwarted in their attempt to get their hands on silver. There is no debating that United are the most successful club in terms of titles.

Tomas Rosicky will likely earn a place in Arsene Wenger’s starting eleven after his performance mid-week against Udinese. Rosicky was brought on at half-time for the more defensive Emmaneul Frimpong. He helped swing the balance of power in Arsenal’s favor, and he deserves another opportunity on Sunday. Rosicky is more experienced than many of Wenger’s options, and he is coming off a great outing in Italy.

All of the experts are forecasting Arsenal to get steamrolled at Old Trafford. They point to our suspensions and injuries and lack of squad depth. They point to United’s young stars and defensive strength and squad depth. Everything seems to be going against the Gunners.

On the bright side, the confidence gained from the Udinese victory could carry over to Old Trafford. Wojceich Szczesny is certainly a better keeper than David De Gea. Arsenal still have the Dutch scoring machine up top. The Gunners could surprise the football world.

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Park Chu-young set to join Arsenal

  By jtom | 28/08/2011 - 7:15 AM | Transfer News
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Monaco striker Park Chu-young is set to sign with Arsenal after his medical in London. Park agreed to terms with Lille but then left France in order to join the Gunners.

According to various sources (including BBC and The Guardian), Arsenal are set to sign the 26-year old striker. Park, who plays in Ligue 2 with Monaco, is the captain of South Korea. He has 53 caps and 17 goals for his country.

Lille president Michel Seydoux was shocked that Park decided not to sign with Lille. Seydoux told L’Equipe: “From what we understand he could be at Arsenal. Everything had been agreed.

“We haven’t had a telephone call, nothing. Lille are baffled.”

What will Arsenal pay for Park? According to BBC, the fee will be between £3m and £5m, but The Guardian say that Wenger will have to pay his former club £10m for the Park.

Monaco were relegated to Ligue 2 last season, but Park does have three seasons of experience in the French top flight. He scored 12 goals in 33 appearances for Monaco in Ligue 1 last season. In the 2009-2010 season, Park scored 8 goals and earned 3 assists in 27 league games.

Park was already in the process of signing with Lille when he made his decision to move to the Emirates. The 26-year old striker was scheduled for a second medical on Saturday, but he did not show up for it. Lille were completely stunned to find that Park had left his hotel room.

Some are wondering whether this incident will dent the relationship between Lille and Arsenal. The Gunners are still being linked with Lille winger Eden Hazard. The French club may not be pleased with the way Arsene Wenger hijacked their deal for Park. Remember that Arsenal also bought Gervinho from Lille earlier this summer.

Some Gooners are already starting to moan about Park, saying that he is not a top quality signing or that he will only be used to sell shirts in Asia.  Just because Wenger did not spend a fortune on Benzema does not mean that Park will not contribute to our club. He will certainly help fill the void for Gervinho and Chamakh when they leave in January for the African Cup of Nations.

Arsene Wenger said on Friday that he wanted a striker, midfielder, and a defender. He may have found his man with Park, who could turn out to be a real bargain

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