The morning papers are linking Robin van Persie with a move to Manchester City to replace Carlos Tevez. Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke broke his silence and talked about a wide range of issues, including Arsene Wenger, Samir Nasri, and Cesc Fabregas.
According to The Guardian, Manchester City see Robin van Persie as a direct replacement for the disgruntled Carlos Tevez. Even with the transfer window three months away, Van Persie is already a hot topic of disussion inside City. The Dutchman revealed earlier this week that he was not interested in negotiating a new contract with Arsenal this season.
Mancini and company know they have to sell Tevez for the reduced price of £20 million or less. If RVP refuses to sign a new contract, he has to go. Maybe Arsene Wenger will be able to work a swap for Tevez. Carlos Tevez and cash to Arsenal and Manchester City get RVP.
The rumours around the Dutchman will only multiply as we head towards January. It is ridiculous because Robin’s contract does not run out until the end of next season. The Gunners will have more leverage because they can chose to keep Van Persie until the summer. But Arsenal, seeing the extraordinary fees paid for Torres and Carroll last winter, may be wise to sell in January.
Arsenal majority shareholder Stan Kronke is no longer “Silent Stan.” The American told The Telegraph (from The Guardian): “I have tremendous confidence in [Arsene]. He is one of the great managers in the world. Arsene is one of my [...]
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andre Santos scored for Arsenal as the Gunners defeated Olympiacos 2-1. The Greek champions did threaten Arsenal, but the Gunners were able to pull through in the end.
“The Ox” scored eight minutes into his Champions League debut. The 18-year old midfielder gathered a wonderful pass from Alex Song and finished in the bottom corner. Chamberlain did well to work his way into space before firing the expert shot.
Andre Santos scored his first Arsenal goal in the 20th minute. The Brazilian left back drove down the flank and his cross was blocked. The ball bounced right back to Santos, and he maneuvered around the defender before sticking it inside the near post. The Olympiacos keeper really should have made the stop, but Santos did a good job of threading the ball into the net.
Arsenal did not waste time in giving away the momentum. A David Fuster header put Olympiacos right back into the match in the 27th minute. Fuster was completely unmarked when he scored. It was yet another example of Arsenal’s terrible marking on set pieces.
Pat Rice was the manager on Wednesday night as Wenger served out his touchline ban. After the match, Rice reacted to the goal the Gunners conceded (from Arsenal.com): “It was soft, yes. From a defender’s point of view it was really poor.”
Many were questioning the Arsenal team selection before the game even started. Robin van Persie, Aaron Ramsey, and Kieran Gibbs all began the match on the bench. Alex [...]
Arsenal will play Greek champions Olympiacos on Wednesday night at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners will be expected to beat Olympiacos, but Arsene Wenger knows it will not be easy. Mikel Arteta is anxious to make his Champions League debut in front of the Arsenal supporters.
Injury News: Theo Walcott, Gervinho, and Laurent Koscielny will miss the match due to injury. Wenger said that all three “have a chance” to recover in time to play Spurs on Sunday. Regarding Theo, Wenger said that he has “more than a 50-50 chance” of playing at White Hart Lane.
Mikel Arteta against Dortmund
Arsene’s mood at the pre-match press conference was much more pleasant than we have been seeing. He looked very positive and even snapped off a few jokes along the way. When a reporter asked Mikel Arteta if Wenger was a different manager than his reputation around football, Wenger said, “Don’t talk too much Mikel.”
Looking at the group (Marseille, Dortmund, Olympiacos), this match at the Emirates is the easiest fixture on paper. But Arsene Wenger said he is not taking this game lightly (from Arsenal.com): “For me, it is difficult to beat anybody. We have a lot of respect for Olympiacos. I have seen their game against Marseille and they played well.
“You never win easy in the Champions League – when you give absolutely everything, you have a chance to win. If we have not learned that from 14 consecutive years in the Champions League, then we are really stupid. [...]
Wilshere posted this picture on his Twitter account after the surgery.
Jack Wilshere is set to miss “four or five months” after undergoing ankle surgery. He sent out a message to Gooners after the surgery.
The 19-year old midfielder’s recovery will take “four or five months” according to Arsenal.com. His ankle surgery on Monday was successful. Wilshere wanted to notify his fans of his status (from Arsenal.com):
“I’ve had my operation this morning and all went well. My ankle is little bit sore, but I’m already looking forward to working hard to get fit and playing again.
“I would also just like to say thanks for the many messages of support I have received from you – the fantastic Arsenal supporters. See you all soon at the Emirates.”
I am starting to wonder whether we will see Jack on the pitch this season. At first, his injury was deemed fairly minor. A month or two seems to be added to his recovery time daily, and Arsene Wenger will not want to see Wilshere’s career tarnished by injuries. Maybe Wenger and the medical staff give Wilshere a year off and start fresh next season.
Most are predicting that Jack will return in late Feburary or early April. It is possible that he could provide a boost for the next North London derby on 25 February. Wenger and his squad will face Spurs at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
In other injury news, Theo Walcott will not feature on Wednesday night [...]
Robin van Persie said he does not want to negotiate a new contract with Arsenal at this time. Arsene Wenger compared the Dutchman to Lionel Messi and said that he does not think that Van Persie will leave the Emirates.
The Dutchman’s contract at Arsenal runs until the end of next season, and the rumours are starting already.
Van Persie said (from The Guardian): “I still have almost two years left, so for the moment that’s fine. I’m happy with my contract. I can’t look into the future. I can’t see us talking now because we are so busy. Maybe we will leave it until the end of next season”
Manchester City are rumoured to be interested in RvP, but Arsene Wenger said he does not expect the Dutch striker to go (from The Guardian): “It’s true that we had a meeting during the summer. It is understandable that he would want that when you lose players such as Fabregas and Nasri. I don’t think we will lose him.”
Wenger also said that no one would be leaving Arsenal shortly before Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas did just that. City are clearly trying to weaken our squad while strengthening their team. Reports say that Manchester City would have to pay £ 30 million for Van Persie. That is a low value considering the price paid for flops like Fernando Torres (£50m) and Andy Carroll (£35m).
People will point to his injury-riddled past, but I would rather have Van Persie for [...]
Robin van Persie scored two goals against Bolton, including his 100th for Arsenal. The Gunners came out firing in the second half, and dominated the match after Bolton centre-back David Wheater was shown a straight red card.
Arsenal were tentative in the first half, but the Dutchman hit the net less that a minute into the second period. Van Persie took the pass from Aaron Ramsey and blasted the shot near-post. Jaaskelanien was caught standing straight up, and the low, powerful strike was too much for the keeper.
Arsene Wenger needed his team to score another goal against the 10-man Wanderers to close the match out. Van Persie completed his century of Gunner goals in the 71st minute. Theo Walcott broke free down the wing and sent a low cross towards the Dutchman. RvP finished it off with a tap from the outside of his foot.
Surprisingly, it was Alex Song who scored Arsenal’s third. He curled the ball into the upper corner in the 89th minute. Song’s strike was the best goal of the day, but it will be Robin who takes the praise for the win.
David Wheater was sent off with a straight red in the 55th minute. Aaron Ramsey played a perfect through ball to Theo Walcott. Theo had too much pace for Wheater, and the Bolton center-half pulled him to the ground. It was a clear break, so Wheater had to go.
Walcott was terrific. He burned the Wanderers’ back four throughout the match, but especially after Bolton [...]
Jack Wilshere will undergo ankle surgery on Monday after disappointing test results this week. Wilshere will be missing until the end of the year.
Arsenal announced late on Friday night that Wilshere will have surgery on Monday. A report on Arsenal.com said about the length of recovery: “Wilshere is now expected to be out for a period of months. Following surgery these timescales will become more specific.”
A Club spokesman told Arsenal.com: “We have given Jack time to heal naturally which is important wherever possible with a young player. The latest scans show surgery is needed. Everyone at the Club wishes Jack a speedy recovery.”
The recovery has not yet been “speedy”, and I do not expect it to get “speedy” anytime soon. Based on recent history, the Arsenal medical team is terrible at handling injuries. Until there is a change made in the medical department, expect minor injuries to turn into moderate injuries, and moderate injuries to turn into major or severe problems.
Wilshere sent out two Twitter messages about the new developments: “been in a boot for a month and the bone is not responding. i will have surgery on my right ankle on monday with the two best surgeons around.” [sic]
“hopefully i will return to action around christmas time. i am in good hands! thanks for your support everyone!” [sic] Many Gooners have been saying that everything would be fine once Jack returned. Now, with Wilshere out at least three more months, Arsenal supporters, including [...]
Arsenal desperately needs a victory over Bolton at the Emirates Stadium. Arsene Wenger will be under immense pressure if the Gunners cannot beat Bolton, who sit at 19th in the table. Owen Coyle also needs a win in order to justify his philosophy.
Injury News: Jack Wilshere will miss “months” after a set-back in his recovery. He will have surgery on his ankle on Monday. Later this morning , I will post a full article regarding Wilshere’s injury. Arsene Wenger revealed that Tomas Rosicky, Aaron Ramsey, and Bacary Sagna are available for Saturday. Johan Djourou (thankfully) and Yossi Benayoun will miss the match.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who had a great performance and goal against Shrewsbury Town mid-week, will be in the squad. Wenger said that the Ox is “two or three months” away from being a “responsible” senior player. We better hope Andrey Arshavin and Theo Walcott do not teach him how to be a first-team player.
Arsene Wenger said he must take the criticism (or bullets) for the young players (from The Telegraph): “Since I arrived in England there have been a lot of things said that are wrong, but on the positive side as well. I personally do not complain. When you have heavy criticism of a young player I am more worried about it. I am supposed to take the bullets and absorb them. Like a bear. A polar bear.”
Since Wenger’s teams of recent seasons have been mainly comprised of young players, Arsene seems to [...]
Bolton manager Owen Coyle said that he expects Arsenal to attempt to sign centre-back Gary Cahill in January. Reports are now suggesting that Inter Milan could make a move for the England international.
More Gary Cahill rumours are spreading in the lead up to the Arsenal v Bolton match on Saturday. Bolton boss Owen Coyle is responsible for creating the vast majority of these rumours. Coyle was quoted as saying (from the Daily Mail): “I don’t know how Arsenal’s finances work, but they know he’s an outstanding player.
“The valuations in August were between the two chairmen, and, of course, it never came to fruition.
“Now there’s the problem of the January window, and I think there will be more than just Arsenal coming back in for him then. We will deal with at the time.”
According to the Daily Mail, Inter Milan will try to pry Cahill away from Bolton. New manager Claudio Ranieri is eager to add quality to his back four.
Even after the addition of Per Mertesacker, the Gunners still need to bolster the backline. Laurent Koscielny is just not good enough to play for Arsenal on a consistent basis. Johan Djourou’s lack of positional sense, awareness, and urgency were all on display against League Two Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday night. Thomas Vermaelen is a quality centre-half, but Arsene Wenger cannot rely on him to stay healthy for a few months, let alone an entire season.
Joey Barton has revealed that his brawl with Gervinho ended his chance of moving to the Emirates. Arsenal supporters should be praising Gervinho for keeping the QPR thug away from the club.
The incident occurred when Barton was still at Newcastle. During the first match of the season at St James’ Park, Barton picked Gervinho up by his shirt ,and Gervinho gave a slight tap to Barton’s cheek. Barton then dramatically fell to the ground in mock pain, and Gervinho was given a straight red card.
The current QPR thug had this to say to BBC Sport: “If I hadn’t played against Arsenal, I may have signed for them. There were a couple of conversations [with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger] but that’s different to actually signing.
“The Gervinho incident happened and there’s nothing I can do about it now. If it happened again, I’d like to think I’d deal with it differently.
“Things happen for a reason and there’s a lesson to be learned from it. Right now we sit above Arsenal in the table – hopefully that’s the case in May.”
Gervinho is now officially an Arsenal legend. If Barton’s story is true, then the Ivorian striker saved Arsenal from the controversy and drama that Barton brings to a club.
This week, Barton is having an ongoing fight with Wolves midfielder Karl Henry. Next week, Barton will going after another innocent victim. Arsenal aspire to have a sort of class and dignity, and nothing would do more to take away [...]
