Tag Archives: Spurs

Saha: Experience gives Spurs the edge over Arsenal

  By jtom | 29/03/2012 - 7:30 AM | Uncategorized
Leave a comment

Usually, I adhere to a strict don’t-post-about-Spurs policy, but Louis Saha’s comments will provide a laugh for most Arsenal supporters.

After a 3-1 victory over Bolton in the FA Cup, Tottenham are feeling confident, which seems odd considering that the Wanderers are one of the worst sides in the Premiership. Also, Owen Coyle’s team surely had Fabrice Muamba in their thoughts as they took the pitch at White Hart Lane.

Louis Saha believes Tottenham’s experience will be the deciding factor in their battle with the Gunners for third:

“It is football, with lots of paradox and things can quickly change. Arsenal have had a run so they are confident. They are in the front seat, they are in a good position but it doesn’t mean we cannot do the same. We have shown consistency during the season. We may have dropped a few points during the past weeks but we have shown that we have closed the gap in terms of our performances. We have players like Emmanuel Adebayor, William Gallas and Rafael van der Vaart, who have won lots of things, so I think experience is on our side.” (Source: The Guardian)

Firstly, Saha only joined Redknapp’s side in January, so he can’t really speak about the ”consistency” Spurs have apparently displayed during the season. Secondly, Tottenham as a club have only qualified for the Champions League once, while we have qualified for the tournament every year since 1996. Let’s not even begin to compare the managerial records of Arsene Wenger and “Harry Can’t Read-Knapp.”

Currently, we are three points ahead of Tottenham. Perhaps Saha and company should focus on winning a Premier League match before they state more ridiculous claims. Spurs haven’t tasted victory in the league since the 11th of February. Shockingly, they still have the audacity to make silly comments to the media.

 

Share

Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham: Gunners crush Spurs

  By jtom | 27/02/2012 - 7:50 AM | Match Report, Premier League
1 Comment

After Tottenham scored the first two goals of the match, Arsenal came roaring back to destroy their North London rivals. Arsene Wenger said that his side’s performance was “perfect.”

The press were ready to pronounce the Arsenal dead following Emmanuel Adebayor’s strike from the penalty spot that put Spurs up by two. Then, rather miraculously, the Gunners opened their collective eyes and stormed the pitch. They overwhelmed Harry Redknapp’s side all over the park, but especially in the midfield, where Tomas Rosicky, Yossi Benayoun, and others put an immense amount of pressure on the Tottenham players.

While Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie will be pictured in the Monday morning papers, Rosicky was the man of the match. The Little Mozart conducted Arsenal’s attack as well as any of the directors nominated at the Academy Awards managed their films . Not only did Rosicky play several fantastic passes, he was working and running about for the entire ninety minutes. Spurs could not have expected such little time on the ball after watching our two previous matches.

If Rosicky deserved the prize for best directing, Gareth Bale deserved the Oscar for best actor. Bale again displayed his incredible ability to flop and fabricate when he tumbled to the ground in the 32nd minute. Unfortunately, referee Mike Dean was fooled and pointed to the penalty spot and Adebayor took care of business.

Still, even after that bit of injustice, Arsene Wenger’s men did not quit. The Gunners showed the fight and fire that they had lacked against Milan and Sunderland. Clearly, the players understood the importance of the North London derby and the increased significance of this North London derby. The effects of a loss would have been very detrimental for the supporters, manager, and confidence of the squad.

More surprising than Arsenal’s comeback was Theo Walcott’s contribution to the turnaround. He was completely silent in the first half, which was not astonishing considering his recent form. Arsene Wenger boldly decided to leave him on for the second period even after Theo received heavy criticism from some supporters. Two goals later and Theo became one of the primary heroes in this chapter of the North London derby.

Regarding Walcott, Arsene Wenger said after the match: “The crowd was starting to get on his back and you wonder if [it won’t] do him a favour by leaving him on. But I felt that he has the qualities that, considering the rest of the team, are highly needed. He is a player who can be straight and go behind the defenders – nobody else is like that. He is a very direct player, he can sometimes miss a first touch but considering the balance of the team I thought it was important to keep him in the side.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Another protagonist was the captain Robin van Persie, who issued a call to action before the game. The other players may have responded to van Persie’s words by exhibiting so much urgency. And of course the Dutchman was brilliant. His equaliser was the goal of the match- an exquisite curler. Late in the game, Robin danced around a few Tottenham clowns, which drew loud cheers from the crowd.

The individual stars were many, but the overall performance was extraordinary. Arsene Wenger reflected after the match:

“Arsenal are alive more than anybody thought before the game. Today we gave a performance that on the spirit side, the technical side, the drive of the whole team, on the style of the game we want to play everything was perfect despite a very bad start.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Our great display forced the man anointed by the British press as the next England manager to panic. ‘Arry Redknapp made two substitutions at half-time when the score was 2-2, and then we went on to put three past Brad Friedel in second half. Expect the media’s golden boy to fall under far less criticism than Arsene Wenger would in a similar situation.

With the victory, we have cut Tottenham’s point advantage over us from ten to seven- a manageable amount. Arsene Wenger believes it’s possible that the Gunners could catch Spurs before the season expires: “It is still possible. I felt even before the game that it was possible if we keep our consistency. Everyone in the Premier League can lose points. They have a difficult schedule, and we have a difficult schedule, but if we continue to play like that, why not?” (Source: Arsenal.com)

At the moment, we are ahead of Chelsea for fourth but just barely. Chelsea’s point total and goal differential is the same as ours, but we have scored more goals. Another difficult tests presents itself in the next match against Liverpool, but for now, let’s just bask in the glory of this wonderful 5-2 win.

Share

Arsenal v Tottenham: The big match

  By jtom | 26/02/2012 - 7:42 AM | Match Preview, Premier League
Leave a comment

Sunday’s North London derby may be Arsene Wenger’s most important in his 15 years at Arsenal. The Gunners will either bounce back from two terrible performances or slide further towards total disaster. No pressure.

As always with our club, there are multiple injury updates to catch up with before a match. On Friday, Arsene Wenger said that both Kieran Gibbs and Laurent Koscielny face late fitness tests to determine their availability. Aaron Ramsey, Francis Coquelin, and Sebastien Squillaci are definitely out after all suffered injuries at the Stadium of Light last week.

The captain has sent out a rallying cry ahead of the derby. Robin van Persie wrote a piece that will appear in The Sun on Sunday morning. In the article, van Persie stressed the need for the players to make it up to the fans for all of the recent disappointments. He also dispelled any rumours about his future by making it clear that he is fully focused on Arsenal.

With all of the talk about leadership, perhaps the Dutchman is a true leader. He’s not English and he’s a striker, so the pundits almost immediately discount his abilities as a skipper. A worry that has been expressed by some Arsenal supporters is that the current crop of players do not grasp the importance of the game against Spurs, but, judging by his article, van Persie clearly understands that the clash on Sunday is vital for several reasons, including pride, form, league position, and etc.

But van Persie is not the one I’m worrying about; He’ll be fine. It’s the others I’m fretting over.

The back four was ripped to shreds by AC Milan and made to look foolish by Sunderland. Lee Dixon made several interesting points regarding the current state of our defence on the Arseblog podcast on Friday. He basically said that our defenders are talented but lack the teamwork and organisation to perform as a unit. While supporters only see what happens on match-day, Dixon believes the most important work in done in training during the week.

The former Arsenal left-back also said that chemistry between defenders takes a long time to develop. Unfortunately, based on the last two matches, our back four has little organisation. It won’t magically appear on Sunday, but hopefully some of the defenders have learned valuable lessons in recent weeks and will put their new-found knowledge to use.

The midfield needs to do a better job of helping out the back four. Mikel Arteta, Alex Song, and the third man in the centre-midfield trio (probably Rosicky) have to limit the cheap methods of giving away the ball. Tottenham are a quick counter-attacking side, so there will be no room for error. When it comes to stray passes, Ramsey is usually the worst offender, but no one in our midfield is completely innocent of this charge.

Our front three also have plenty of issues. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is almost an automatic selection at this point because Theo Walcott has been so poor. Gervinho did not show much last week against Sunderland, but that was his first appearance since his return from the African Cup of Nations. If I were the manager, Ox and Gervinho would be in the starting eleven, with Walcott on the bench.

Despite the heavy amount of the criticism towards the players, Arsene Wenger will be under the most pressure on Sunday- the most pressure he has ever had to endure. A loss to Spurs may be the final straw for some at the Grove, and the scene could get extremely ugly.

Most of us have already come to the realisation that Tottenham currently have a better squad than us, though that means nothing in a derby. We’ve already lost at the Lane by a narrow margin, and it is imperative that we not let them do the double over us for the first time in ages. If only because they will be gloating about it for the next twenty years.

During his pre-match press conference, Arsene Wenger said, “I do not want to speak too much. I believe I can talk to you today for two hours, at the end of the day what will count is how we turn up on Sunday.” (Arsenal.com)

That’s what it’s always about in the North London derby.

Match: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur

Competition: Premier League

Location: Emirates Stadium

Kickoff: 13:30 GMT, 8:30am EST

Television: Sky Sports 1 (UK), Fox Soccer (USA)

Share

Camilla, Walcott promote reading; Redknapp can’t write

  By jtom | 27/01/2012 - 7:40 AM | Uncategorized
Leave a comment

Ironically, the Duchess of Cornwall visited the Emirates Stadium to promote literacy in children with Theo Walcott on Thursday, while Harry Redknapp told the court he “couldn’t even fill in a teamsheet” because he doesn’t know how to write.

Theo Walcott and Camilla partnered up to encourage reading in schoolchildren. The pair held a meeting at Ashburton Grove with children and talked about the importance of reading at a young age. While many Gooners call Theo clueless, he is actually the author of four childrens’ books. We’re still waiting on the book about advanced football tactics and positioning.

At the event, Walcott said: “I love working with children. I think it is important for kids to read. For a lot of kids, we are role models to them, so anything I can do to encourage that, which hopefully my kids’ books have anyway, anything I can do to help them out.” (Source: The Press Association)

Instead of helping children, Theo and Camilla may need to teach a 64-year old man the basics of writing. Of course, Harry Redknapp is not a disadvantaged or mentally ill (debatable). The manager of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is currently on trail for tax evasion. In court on Thursday, he said:

”I can’t work a computer, I don’t know what an email is, I can’t, I have never sent a fax and I’ve never even sent a text message. I have a big problem, I can’t write so I don’t keep anything. I am the most disorganised person, I am ashamed to say, in the world. You talk to anybody at the football club. I don’t write. I couldn’t even fill a team sheet in.”

”I pay a fortune to my accountant to look after me you know. He writes all the cheques for me and my wife. He pays my bills. He runs my life basically.” (Source: ESPN)

Redknapp is trying to get out of trouble by claiming stupidity, which could resonate with the jury given his obvious lack of intelligence. In fact, Redknapp’s dog has even taken advantage of the Spurs manager by running off to Monaco to set up a bank account. One wonders how (or if) ‘Arry even ties his own shoelaces.

In reality, this is a sad story of discrimination. According to Redknapp himself, he has only been charged because of his name and Cockney accent.  Nothing to do with corrupt transfers or foreign tax-free bank accounts holding large amounts of cash in a dog’s name.

Isn’t it odd that our French manager has a much better understanding of the English language than Redknapp? Many in the press have called Redknapp a genius for what he has accomplished at Spurs this season while calling Wenger delusional. The man with a master’s degree in Economics and another degree in Engineering, who also speaks six languages, is the fool while the man who cannot write is the mastermind.

Spending loads of cash has been key to Redknapp’s relative success as a manager, but it may also be his downfall. If nothing else, this recent fiasco will keep him out of the England job. Hopefully, he will leave Spurs in ruin when he leaves White Hart Lane just like he did when he left Portsmouth and Southampton.

If the Duchess and Walcott are looking to further their charity work, they may want to venture down to White Hart Lane to help a future convict learn to write. The children can wait because Redknapp is growing old and heading to prison. If he is to ever learn to write, it has to happen now. Perhaps someday, if all goes well for ‘Arry, he can further his education by receiving an advanced macroeconomics course taught by Arsene Wenger.

Share

Szczesny: Arsenal must finish above Spurs

  By jtom | 20/12/2011 - 7:30 AM | Wojceich Szczesny
1 Comment

Wojceich Szczesny said that the “main target” for the Gunners this season is to finish above Tottenham. Arsenal should be aiming much higher than finishing above Spurs, which is something we’ve accomplished every year since 1995.

Spurs are currently five points ahead of us, though they have played one less match. Following the loss to Manchester City on Sunday, Szczesny said that the new goal is to finish ahead of Tottenham:

“Getting above Tottenham is the main target. We don’t want to finish below them no matter what. That’s just my personal ambition because I am one of the fans and so it means a lot to me to finish above them. I am confident we will do so.

“They will slip up eventually. They have been in good form – you have to give it to them – but I am confident we are a better side and will finish above them. Time will tell if they can handle the pressure but they look good at the moment. Hopefully they will drop points in the second half of the season.” (Source: Evening Standard)

Has it really come to this? Are we so rubbish that finishing above Spurs is the main target? What if they end up in 6th and we finish the season in 5th? Is that the definition of success this season?

Hopefully, this is only Szczesny’s wish for the campaign and not the rest of the squad. It would be a disaster if Tottenham are above us at the end of the season, but surely the goal is to secure a top four spot. Of course, the overall target of the club going forward is to compete for major trophies, but, given the way the season started, that can’t be expected this year.

Harry Redknapp’s side are having a terrific season by their low standards, although it is only a matter of time until Emmanuel Adebayor destroys the dressing room. He always starts well with his new club, then he becomes a nuisance. If somehow Spurs do finish above us this season, we can expect the DVD release of the decade from them.

Enough about Spurs. They are the ones usually obsessed by finishing above us, not the other way around. I know Szczesny means well, but his comments are sickening to many Gooners, including me.

Share

Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal

  By jtom | 03/10/2011 - 7:29 AM | Match Report, Premier League
Leave a comment

Kyle Walker’s long strike sealed the victory for Tottenham in the North London Derby. Arsenal’s woes are multiplying as Bacary Sagna’s injury will see him miss three months. Spurs coach Clive Allen was angry at Arsene Wenger after a post-match confrontation.

Rafael Van der Vaart opened the scoring for Spurs in the 40th minute. He received a lofted pass from Adebayor and volleyed the ball inside the far post. It appeared that Van der Vaart handled the ball when he brought down the pass, but nothing was given. He was already on a yellow card. Wenger commented on the goal in his post-match press conference (from Arsenal.com):

“It is frustrating as well because their first goal was handball. I wonder what the linesmen do in these situations. It is a second yellow card as well because he already had one – for handball, on purpose.”

Some fuss has been made about Van der Vaart’s celebration with the supporters after the goal. Technically, that should have resulted in a second yellow. Personally, I do not think that players should be booked for celebrating with fans. Arsene Wenger agrees with me (from Arsenal.com):

“I am not a fan of that. I can understand that when a player scores there has to be some spontaneous reaction to a goal.”

Aaron Ramsey scored the equaliser for Arsenal in the 51st minute. Alex Song made a run down the wing from his centre-back position to cross the ball to Ramsey, and the Welshman blasted it home from close-range. Besides his goal, Ramsey was terrible. Judging by his many give-aways, he might as well have pulled a lilywhite shirt over his head and made his intentions known.

Kyle Walker stuck the dagger into Arsenal in the 73rd minute. The right back sent a low, hard, curling effort towards the far post, and it beat Szczesny. I almost knew it was going to find the back of the net right from the second it left Walker’s foot. It was a good, long strike, but our keeper should have made the save.

Despite the loss, there were some positives. Francis Coquelin, who started in centre midfield, was excellent, especially in the first half. Per Mertesacker is finding his Premier League legs. Szczesny, apart from the second goal, was brilliant in net.

One worrying thing was the lack of effort shown when Walker scored his goal. Spurs had more chances after Walker scored than Arsenal. The passing was careless and they ran right through our players. Scott Parker was a tireless bull in the midfield. He could have been an Arsenal player…

Bacary Sagna suffered a painful injury in the 66th minute. He was screaming in agony after a tackle by Assou-Ekotto along the touchline. Arsenal.com announced on Sunday night that Sagna will miss about “three months” with a fractured fibula in his right leg.

Sagna’s loss is a huge blow to our back four. He was our most reliable and experienced Premier League defender. Wenger will now have a choice of Andre Santos and Carl Jenkinson at right back. Santos is a natural left-sided player, and Jenkinson has little top-flight experience.

Tottenham coach Clive Allen is furious at Arsene Wenger for “refusing” to shake his hand. Wenger shook hands with Redknapp and coach Kevin Bond, but apparently missed Allen. Allen had to be held away from Wenger by police officers. He said after the incident (from The Telegraph): “He refused to shake my hand. He says he didn’t see or hear me. But he’s two-bob, he is.” Grow up Allen!

 Wenger also spoke about the incident (from The Telegraph): “I shook the hand of the manager and the assistant manager. How many people do I have to shake hands with? Is there a prescription?” Wenger also agreed that Allen wanted to make himself the story.

As upset as I was at the end of the match, it is not a time for Gooners to panic. Yes, we are 15th in the table, but it is the begginning of October. This season was always destined to be a transitioning year after Cesc and Na$ri left. One finish outside the top four is not the end of the world.

Arsene Wenger has already admitted that the Gunners cannot win the league this season (from Arsenal.com): “I do not think like that, I think at the moment we have to set ourselves a realistic target and to get in touch with the teams who are fighting for the Champions League positions. If you say today we will win the league it is not realistic.

“At the moment we are 12 points behind Manchester United and Manchester City – that’s not realistic to say today that we will win the league. We have to fight to come back into a much better position, that’s reality.”

We are forced to lower our expectations for this season, but Gooners still expect Arsenal to challenge for the league in the years to come. As for Spurs, we will get them in the return leg at the Emirates!

Share

Match Preview: Tottenham v Arsenal

  By jtom | 01/10/2011 - 8:00 AM | Match Preview, Premier League
Leave a comment

Look out for Frimpong!

Derby day is upon us again as the Gunners travel to White Hart Lane. Spurs are the favourites heading into the match, but Arsene Wenger’s squad have won their last three games. Emmaneul Adebayor will most likely (definitely) play an important part in the match on Sunday.

Injury News: Laurent Koscielnly is very doubtful to play, while Theo Walcott and Gervinho will have fitness tests on Saturday or Sunday to determine their fate. Arsene Wenger said that Sebastien Squillaci is healthy but not match fit. Another phantom injury to keep a mediocre player out of a match.

Speaking of phantom injuries, there is absolutely no chance that Manuel Almunia will make an appearance at White Hart Lane. Almunia has seemingly been collecting his cash this season and doing little else. The Spanish keeper has been sent to West Ham on loan for one month. Gooners around the world are dancing in the streets.

Our old friend Emmanuel Adebayor has a new kit. This season the emotional striker will be playing in the despicable all-white shirt. Every Arsenal supporter remembers when Adebayor ran the length of the pitch after scoring for Manchester City.

Adebayor has issued an apology to Arsenal fans for that celebration, but he will not hesitate to score (from ESPN): “What happened two years ago was an accident and I do apologise to all the fans of Arsenal. Sometime the emotions, we cannot control them, we are all human beings. I regret what I have done and I say sorry to everyone but at the end of the day sorry doesn’t change anything. For me it’s over.

“I’m looking forward to playing against Arsenal again on Sunday but believe me, if I have a chance to score, trust me I will score but as for the celebration, never in my life will I do something like that again.”

It was not an accident. A mistake, yes, but not an accident. Sprinting the full length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the away Gooners is not an accident. Arsenal fans have not forgiven Adebayor, and the away fans will certainly give him hell on Sunday. Frimpong will be gunning for him too.

Arsene Wenger said that the focus should be on the match and not Adebayor (from Arsenal.com): “That [abusive chants] is what you don’t want. You want people to support the team in a positive way, all the hate [is unacceptable].

“A football game is a fantastic day that everyone has to enjoy and with a positive atmosphere it is even more fantastic. So let’s get our fans to get behind our team and forget about the rest.

“If the game is great the attention will be on the game.”

Arsenal are entering the match with the confidence of three consecutive victories. The Gunners beat Shewsbury Town in the Carling Cup before smashing Bolton. On Wednesday night, Arsenal beat Olympiacos 3-1 in the Champions League. Remember when Tottenham played that one season in the Champions League?

Spurs are coming off two wins. They slipped past Wigan last week and beat Shamrock Rovers on Thursday night in the Europa League.

Some pundits are suggesting that Tottenham have past Arsenal in the Premier League power structure. Arsene Wenger said that it is simply not the case (from Arsenal.com): “At the moment we have been in the Champions League for 14 years and that is all we can say.

“Tottenham is a good side, I agree, and we have to try to be better and that is what we try to do. I believe the consistency has been on our side, but Tottenham has a huge potential. They played Shamrock Rovers on Thursday night and were sold out, so that is a massive potential.

“But we are at the end of September and the season finishes in May. Don’t come to quick conclusions about teams – there is a long way to go.”

I love how Wenger took the time to mention “Thursday night” and “Shamrock Rovers.” Meanwhile, his team has been Champions League regulars. But the pundits and writers will continue to praise their best friend Harry Redknapp.

Despite all my tough talk, it is difficult not to be nervous about this game. Our defensive frailities are still evident, but Per Mertesacker has been learning quickly. Alex Song, who played well at centre-back on Wednesday, may get another start at the back because of injuries.

As we have witnessed the last few seasons, anything can happen in a North London derby. My prediction: Plenty of goals and drama.

Match: Tottenham v Arsenal

Location: White Hart Lane

Kickoff: Sunday at 16:00 BST

Television: Sky Sports

Share

Juan Mata would reject Spurs for Arsenal

  By jtom | 31/07/2011 - 8:00 AM | Transfer News
4 Comments

Reports say that Juan Mata is not interested in moving to White Hart Lane.  The Valencia winger would rather move to Arsenal.  Arsene Wenger “likes” Mata but has not yet made an official bid.

According to Goal.com, sources close to Mata say that he would snub a transfer to Tottenham.  Mata would rather stay at Valencia or move to Arsenal.  He is not interested in a move to Spurs despite interest from Harry Redknapp.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp recently confirmed Tottenham’s interest in the 23-year old Spanish star.  Redknapp is willing to pay £19m for Mata. 

Why would Mata want to move to White Hart Lane?  Valencia finished third in last season’s La Liga, only behind powerhouses Madrid and Barcelona.  Valencia are automatically qualified for the Champions League.  Mata is not interested in wasting his talents at Spurs.

Tottenham cannot lure the talented Spanish winger from his current home.  Spurs will be competing in the Europa League next season.  A player of Mata’s quality demands Champions League play.  Valencia have also won more recent silverware than Spurs.  And Harry Redknapp’s squad will not even compete for the Premier League title this season.

Okay, time to end the anti-spurs rant.  So what does this mean for Arsenal?  It means that Wenger will not have to worry about Redknapp stealing his player away.  Mata is happy to wait for a potential Arsenal offer.

Arsene wants to get the Nasri and Fabregas situations sorted before he moves for Mata.  If Fabregas or Nasri leaves, expect Mata’s signing very soon after.  Wenger will have a deal ready for Mata when he sells one of his two stars. 

If Arsene sells Cesc, then he can move Nasri to the middle and put Mata on the wing.  If Nasri goes, then Cesc can stay in the middle and Mata can play on the wing.  Either way, Mata is the perfect fit if Nasri or Fabregas leave the club.

Share

Transfer Rumours: Mata, Jagielka, Campbell

  By jtom | 30/07/2011 - 7:45 AM | Transfer News
Leave a comment

Tottenham have submitted a offer for Arsenal target Juan Mata, in an attempt to keep him away from the Emirates.  Arsenal are launching a new and improved bid for Everton’s Phil Jagielka.  Despite reports, Joel Campbell has not agreed to a move to Arsenal.

According to The Guardian, Spurs have submitted a £22m bid for Valencia winger Juan Mata.  Mata has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium, but this Tottenham effort could sway Valencia and Mata towards White Hart Lane. 

Arsene Wenger has not yet made a formal offer for the 23-year old Spanish star.  The boss seems to be waiting on the Cesc Fabregas saga to make a decision.  £22m is more than what Arsenal are expected to offer, but Mata would prefer a move to the Gunners where he can compete in the Champions League.

Mata’s contract says that Valencia must sell him to any club that offers more than €21m.  Tottenham’s offer exceeds that amount, so the decision will be Mata’s.  Will he decide to wait on Arsenal or head to Spurs?

Some media outlets are reporting that Arsene Wenger is considering signing Juan Mata and Phil Jagielka in a terrific double swoop. 

According to Daily Mail and other sources, the Gunners are ready to make a fresh offer for the Eveton centre-back.  Wenger is willing to pay £15m for Jagielka but will try to secure the England international for £12m first according to Goal.com.  David Moyes is likely to reject this bid, just as he rejected the last bid of £10m that was submitted by Arsenal.

Everton rate Jagielka at £18m.  Yes, this price is far too high for the 28-year old centre-half.  Wenger should focus his efforts on Blackburn defender Christopher Samba, who will be a better help to the club and will come at a cheaper price.

Arsene Wenger clarified some of his transfer policy for this summer yesterday:  “Our business will be done sooner rather than later but it is difficult to speak about any individual player because that makes things difficult.  I cannot complain about other clubs talking about our players and then do the same.

“I like the player [Mata], but that does not mean we will buy him.  The other player [Jagielka] is under contract at Everton.  If we want to buy a player, we need first the agreement of their club.”

At least Wenger is acknowledging that he likes Juan Mata.  That is about the most anyone is ever going to get out of the boss.  Arsene will not break his own rules and talk extensively and confidently about players at other clubs.  That is just not the way he does business.

Yesterday morning, there were reports from Costa Rica that said Joel Campbell had signed with Arsenal.  The 19-year old striker had been linked with Arsenal in the past, and may yet join the Gunners.  The Costa Rican’s agent told ESPNsoccernet that there is “nothing official” about those reports.

Campbell currently plays in Costa Rica for Samprissa.  The 19-year old is a budding star who has attracted interest from English and Italian clubs.  Campbell made a splash playing for his country and is now poised for a move to Europe.

Let’s close with some comments that were made by Wenger yesterday regarding his transfer policy: 

“The only clubs who buy at the moment in Europe are ones who buy with money which is not generated by our industry. There are two categories of club – those who travel with sweat and those who travel with petrol. We are those who travel with sweat.”

Share

Van Persie Doesn’t Party

  By jtom | 11/06/2011 - 6:57 AM | Uncategorized
2 Comments

Robin van Persie believes that some English players party too much: “The really top players aren’t fooled by riches or fame because they are fully focused with their football. For me, it’s very important to be having breakfast every morning with my two children and that wouldn’t be possible if you were hanging about in a disco all night. When I see some of my English colleagues who are out till three in the morning, then I can only conclude that they are invariably finished at 33.”

These quotes were acquired from ESPN. ESPN have previously been known to twist headlines (most do) and show an anti-Arsenal bias. What I am trying to say here is that possibly something is lost in translation. I am not sure what language RVP used in these comments. He did claim a couple of weeks ago that his reported rant against Spanish players and Chelsea never happened.

That said, I am glad Robin is committed to preserving his body for a long career. While the Dutchman is famously injury-prone, maybe he will be able to play at a top level into his mid-30s. Not too many players have done that so we will find out.

RVP also commented on his frustration with the team:

“Every year it always goes wrong in an identical way and that is frustrating. When you look at results in the last years, then Arsenal shouldn’t be talking about winning the league because too many times things have gone wrong.

“Sometimes you have to eat the truth and be realistic. But I do believe with the signing of a number of players, then next season we should be in there competing for prizes.”

We were in there competing for prizes this season. I want to win a prize next season. Simply competing is what we have been doing for the last six seasons. Whether or not we can win the league, that is another question. Really depends on what players go and what players come in.

Maybe Arsene should try harder to win the FA Cup. The Champions League looks out of reach with Barcelona atop of Europe. If we can win a major trophy (which the FA Cup is), maybe that will give this team confidence to go on and have success elsewhere. We blew the Carling Cup this season but the FA Cup is a much bigger prize.

In other news, Abou Diaby likes to wear a Tottenham shirt: “It’s [the shirt] more difficult to wear in the street. There you are not safe.” What a keen observation! Wearing the shirt of your hated rival may cause supporters to get angry. Apparently, Younes Kaboul is a friend of Diaby, and he gave him the shirt.

There are so many things wrong with this. First, just because he gave you a shirt (presumably at the end of a match) doesn’t mean you have to wear it. Secondly, if you want to where it at your house, don’t admit it to the press. One would think that these footballers would know the basics of public relations.

Share