Just Arsenal News

It’s been hard for Arsenal fans in the last few years watching our ex-players leaving the Emirates in search of trophies (or money!). It was nice to see Nasri’s face yesterday after yesterday’s Cup Final defeat, but he did win a Premiership medal last season, even if it was just by the skin of his teeth….

We all cannot ignore the fact that Van Persie has just won the Premiership in his first year away from Arsenal and Fabregas of course has won a La Liga title in Spain, Clichy joined Nasri at City, and our old friend Emmanuel Adebayor won the Cops Del Rey with Real Madrid, but now I have just heard that bloody Nicklas Bendtner has won a Serie A winners medal while on loan at Juventus! .......Read the full article here

With the African Cup of Nations about to begin, we are running a series of articles looking at the role that African players have had at Arsenal. by Ed Dove

Armand Traoré – Senegal, 2006-2011, 30 games, 0 goals

Much was expected of Armand Traoré when the young left-sided player signed for Arsenal in 2006. Almost deer-like in his movement and stature, the youngster impressed with expert control and scintillating pace. Always looking to attack and develop the play, Arsenal’s youth sides benefited from having such a proactive figure at left back, bringing others into the game, and developing the Gunners’ method. .......Read the full article here

Even if Theo Walcott does not play as the central striker for Arsenal against Manchester City today, a lot of the expectation for scoring goals will be on his young shoulders. With the jury still out on whether he can make it as an out and out front man for the Gunners, people will be watching him closely today to see how he fares against the better teams in the Premier league.

Man City have let in the fewest goals in the Premier league this season, along with Chelsea. They have conceded just 19 in 21 games and just 10 from 10 away games. The City defenders are used to dealing with speed as they train with Aguero, Tevez and Balotelli every week, so Theo will need to be on his mettle to show what he can do. .......Read the full article here

As the season moves forward with the up and down drama that a Premier League season promises, Arsenal have struggled to find their feet and with so many notably poor performances against the less favoured sides in the league questions must be raised about the attitude of the current squad.

Arsene Wenger is under pressure to deliver and now faces a task of steadying the sinking ship that is Arsenal Football club. The boss is struggling and, due to his stubborn nature, he refuses to face the cold truth about himself and his weak squad. Arsenal lack quality in various positions and more worrying they lack competition all over the pitch. It has meant senior players like Vermaelen and Sagna have kept their place in the team whilst their performances haven’t been up to standard and the boss is lacking suitable cover. .......Read the full article here

Gael Clichy spent eight seasons at Arsenal under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger before moving to Manchester City last July. He does not occupy the same pantomime villain role as Samir Nasri or Ashley Cole, however, because he is not gloating and disrespectful like those two. He seems to appreciate what Arsenal and Wenger did for him and his career.

Two weeks ago at the Etihad stadium, the tunnel camera showed Wenger going past Clichy without acknowledging him and much was made of it in the press. Clichy denies that there is any rift or bad feeling however, stating that his response of ” it’s only been
nine years,” was just a joke to his friend Joleon Lescott. .......Read the full article here

You could have forgiven the Arsenal left back Kieran Gibbs for becoming disillusioned and thinking that he was never going to see his career as a Gunner take off. Arsenal fans may also have started to think that Gibbs was one of those players who always seems to be getting injured but, so far this season, it seems like he may finally cement his place as first choice left back.

The 23-year old England international has definitely got the talent to play at the highest level, but he needs alot more experience. His performances and his confidence are better with each game after three seasons marred by injury. He got his first big chance in 2009 when Clichy was out for a while but broke his metetarsal in November and missed the rest of the season. .......Read the full article here

Feel sorry for Wenger by AS

Some fans loyal to Arsenal Football Club will be fervently hoping the last couple of days have been a really bad nightmare, most probably caused by something you ate. They’ll be hoping that Robin van Persie has not borrowed Fabio da Silva’s number 20 jersey at Manchester United. Others will fervently hope that the injuries the Dutchman suffered at Arsenal come back to haunt him.

Whatever the reaction suffered by Arsenal fans, I’m sure you’re all feeling sorry for yourselves. You’ve seen a man who was in such scintillating form last season he made Batman look like his sidekick. .......Read the full article here

Manchester City – The Arsenal Bank by CS

Are Arsenal fans being a bit ‘too harsh’ on Manchester City Football Club? NO, not at all comes the torrent of replies, ‘They keep taking our ‘Best’ Players?, They treat us like a ‘Feeder Club’.

Manchester City’s Transfer Tactics, and public statements on ‘wanting’ our players, especially in the case of $amir Na$ri last summer, WERE totally unprofessional and disrespectful, and made Arsene Wenger particularly angry – but unfortunately, that’s the way ‘Unprofessional Clubs’ Operate, AND, on the face of it there ‘seems’ to be a lot of truth in those perceived responses given above.

BUT .......Read the full article here

When Ashley Cole controversially left the Gunners to join Chelsea in 2006, substitute left-back Gael Clichy was given the chance to prove his capabilities on a permanent basis and didn’t let Wenger down. Now the Frenchman has himself left the club – in this case to Manchester City – one would have assumed that his deputy Kieran Gibbs would take over but a certain Andre Santos could be between him and his left-back spot. .......Read the full article here

Former Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy still thinks that Arsenal will be fighting for the title until the very end despite the slight setback from the start of the season, but he is happy that he now plays for Manchester City instead, who are challenging at the top of the table.

Clichy deserted Arsenal this season and chose to go where many of Arsenal’s brilliant players have chosen to go as well. After Vieira, Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Clichy also went to Manchester City in the summer transfer season, and was closely followed by midfielder Samir Nasri. It looks like the money City is offering persuaded the players to forget about any affiliation to the club or colours or any other thing of that kind, and chose to leave. .......Read the full article here

If you listen to the consensus from all the Arsenal rumours flying around you would expect that Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas will be leaving the Emirates imminently, with Nasri set to follow Gael Clichy to Manchester City.

But Arsene Wenger doesn’t seem at all worried about losing either Nasri or Cesc and seems to indicate that he actually wanted to sell Clichy so he could promote Kieran Gibbs to the first team.

He said: “The reasoning is that Kieran Gibbs at some stage has to get a chance to play. And Gael had only one year to go. .......Read the full article here

The ex-Arsenal defender Gael Clichy turned down the chance to join Liverpool (after long negotiations) when moneybags Man City came in with an offer, but he is absolutely adamant that he didn’t leave for the money, he left simply because he believes that he has more chance of winning trophies at the Eastlands. In fact, he says the wages are not much different to what he would have got at Liverpool or Arsenal.

Clichy also maintained (fairly I guess) that City “have more weapons” to challenge for the big trophies, especially after the frustration of Arsenal’s end-of-season collapse. .......Read the full article here