Transfer rumours 14/01/2011: Defender – Almunia – Arshavin
Today Arsene Wenger held his pre-match press conference and he discussed the possibility of signing a defender, the future of useless keeper Almunia and the future of Andrey Arshavin.
We all know I want a new defender, a proper defender and no quick-fit half cop center-back like Silvestre or Squillaci – however it seems this is the type of defender Arsene is after:
“On a short term basis you would say yes. We’ve got so many games that if we got another injury it would be a problem. It would be an insurance more than a need.
“When you sign someone you have to ask: ‘is it a first choice or as cover?’ We are very far at the moment.”
- quote published is originally by John Cross, MirrorFootball
It is completely the wrong approach but it is typical Arsene, spend little, get little in return but hope for better. I understand not wanting to tread on Djourou’s or Koscielny’s toes but this is about what is best for Arsenal Football Club, not about what is best for a player.
I’m sure we will buy and the player will be old and useless.
Manuel Almunia’s future seems to lay at Arsenal for the short term at least. Wenger is reticent to reduce his stock of goalkeepers and therefore it looks like Almunia will remain until the summer:
“No [I won’t sign another keeper] because we still have Vito Mannone who plays at Hull who is available, I think Almunia will stay, then we have three goalkeepers. People want us to have four, five, six, I don’t know.
“We have a young Argentinean boy [Emilio Martinez] as well who is very good. We have plenty of goalkeepers, I think a club who works well can produce good goalkeepers.”
I just want Almunia out the club ASAP. He is wasting valuable wages that could be put to far better use on keeping a player we really need at the club!
On Andrey Arshavin, the manager wants to keep him at all costs. Statistically he is up there with the likes of Robert Pires for end product but there is no doubt he is going through a horrible slump in form, the manager however is desperate to retain him:
“We have had no contact. As far as I know, I believe he and his wife are happy in London but what is very important as well is that I am very happy with him.”
“As soon as a player doesn’t play fantastically well, he is criticised. We all know that.
“I personally believe he is a great player – he is going through a period where it is more difficult at the moment. But he works very hard in training – his attitude is fantastic and I am desperate to keep him.He has played almost every single game since the start of the season – he has played for his national team as well and he is physically a bit less fresh. But he will come back stronger than ever because he works very hard in training.”
The most important part of that is that he is working hard, as long as he works hard in training no doubt his form will start to return.
Arsenal are far better off with a fit and firing Arshavin.
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Just what is wrong with Arshavin? Maybe we should ask his wife…
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If Arshavin manages to get consistent and fit, then sure, keep him.
If he keeps playing like he’s been playing, get rid of him.
Arsene Wenger should just bring Vito Mannone back from that loan, and get rid of Almunia right now. He’s doing absolutely nothing and he’s always been a sub par GK.
Szczesny is the best keeper we have right now, Fabianski got better so we have enough good keepers, and with Mannone as third choice we should be just fine in that department.
And for CB, buy someone that is extremely good, we don’t need another cheap crap player that will F*ck up just like every sh**ty player we have right now.
Wenger needs to F*CKING REALIZE, he has to spend money to improve the team, because no matter how good he thinks Arsenal is, the freaking truth is that it’s clearly not good enough.
GET RID OF ALMUNIA, SQUILLACI, DENILSON, VELA, BENDTNER.
And buy an incredibly good CB, because you know what that will do? COMPETITION Vermaelen is certainly very good, Djorou has been impressive so far, Koscielny has the potential to be very good, but he needs to improve, if we get another top quality CB, each and evry one of them will have to get better if they want to play.
So Mr. AW… JUST BUY ACTUAL PLAYERS NOT HALF *** COVER UPS.
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Almunia is a good penalty keeper~
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GoonerM, why are you so critical about the way Arsene acts in relation to transfers and news. Arsene will do what is best for the club and your negative emotional filled anxiety does nothing to help a positive debate about future signings.
A defender who fits the Arsenal system will be found and you can’t just go out and get what is good at the time. I don’t see that many defenders out there that would fit Arsenal. We don’t need to buy another Gallas.
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just pay up buy a bloody defender. Look at mancity, they look so compact defensively. That’s the way to beat barca.
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I heard Vito was pretty happy and looking to stay so he could get more first team football.
I see our keepers and defenders as good prospects but not current world beaters. Vermaelen still has a long way to go as do the likes of Koscielny and Djouro. We could probably use another experienced head in the ranks.
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@ Boaz, if you carefully read and analyse Arsene wenger’s statement quoted above, you will see understand that he intends to buy a “stop-gap, quick-fix defender and that will be worse than Gallas.
Playing ability-wise Gallas was and is still good, it was his interpersonal relationship with some other players that was his problem. When it came to renewing his contract, he refused to accept a cut in his wages as well as a year contract. You cannot compare Gallas with Squillaci or Koscielny. You can see how pumped-up he was in the game against Spuds, he wanted to prove a point.
Wenger will not sign the quality defender most fans want, and to those who says he knows and is doing the best for the club, only time will tell.
The club does not have to be bankrupt to win trophy(ies). There is big difference between being PRUDENT, RECKLESS SPENDING and MIS-JUDGEMENT. Will forever be a GOONER!!!
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wenger go and get vertongher for as this guy is really good and when u spend 10m on this guy it ok u will give him pls go and get him
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Hello mr wenger allow almunia to go and let ask arshavin the reason while he always sleep when playing
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Typical Arsene!
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Morris nobody was going to deduct the wages of William Gallas. Actually the truth is that he wanted a more improved contract with better pay and I think that was his undoing. Gallas did serve us well and because of that he felt that he should be paid more wages and given a two year contract instead of one. Sometimes I think players demand too much even though Gallas was good. Tottenham got their guy and now he’s not even playing.
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All i can say i realy like Garry cahil he is a gud one y can’t AW buy him
about AA just give him sometime am sure he will back to form i think he stil have world cup fever
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I think onyewu fits well…
Or nesta..
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maybe
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if he and his wife are happy in london,then so what?am sure every arsenal supporter is not happy with the way he plays.not even to talk about his team mates.he is so rubbish.players like bendtner-,diaby,chamakh,arsharvin, are cheating players like cesc,nasri,clichy,song and other members of the team always work.what pains me about arsharvin is that he always complain about lack of winning trophies but he keep on wasting our chances. Pls wenger if u know that u will sign quality players allow cesc to leave.Almunia? I will not even waste my time about him.wish all arsenal players and supporters goodluck.hope will gun down hammers today.
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I think even Wenger himself realizes that a defender is needed.. from what i understood, the boss is not looking for a quick fix, but he is searching for a proper starter at the back.. I am expecting its Cahill, Coyle have highlighted Tim recently and how desperate he is to keep him.. which means there must be something going on behind close doors.. just wait and see fellow gooners..
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Hey Gunners,
I cant wait for Barca to take back Prof Arsene for a fellowship in football matters. Remember how Arsene’s defense was ripped a part by Barca last season and immediatly he (AW)admited that he needed to strengthen that department. unfortunately though our professor has got short memory, when he went to south Africa (world cup) for his job with a french tv he forgot every thing. who does he bring in? Squillacy a player who has outlived his usefullness. One of the reasons he gave when signing him was that he will be providing experience at the back what a joke it has turned out to be.Well iam not being pessimistic but it looks like Wenger is an out dated coach who does not metarmophose with demands of the current game. He is still running the club like when he arrived in london. For Gods sake the game has mutated and Wenger should be knowing better than any of us. Good luck but i hope our team know that W ham is awounded buffalo
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We have ignas miguel
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what wenger is trying to prove by keeping almunia….is he going to play him in frist team again or what?
i think arsenal should first sell wenger…he is being root of arsenal pronlem now.
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WENGER NEEDS TO GO, AND THATS IT , GO WENGER GO .
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WE NEED TO BUY SAMBA AND ONE MORE DEFENDER LIKE PER MERTESAKER
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Almunia is under contract and knows the Arsenal system. He is not doing you (or the club) any harm. He is experienced and we may need him if injuries strike or the youngster’s fopm dips. He isn’t on top wages like, say, Cesc or Van the Man. We all know he isn’t world class but he isn’t useless either. It isn’t as if a transfer fee of say £500,000 or £1m is going to make a huge difference as we are in profit every season. Treat him as back-up insurance!!!
Much the same for Nic the Dane, Rosicky and Vela and one or two other fringe players. Safety in numbers until the summer. It is not as if any of them will bring in a fortune.
The little Ruski is a bit different. He is on big money and at 29 his value will start to dip soon. Like his form. I think there is a case for cashing-in on him if a decent offer materialises.
Nasri. We do need to offer him top dollar and try and tie him down to a long contract. I fear he may slip the net in eighteen months time and by then Cesc will probably be off.
On the flip side of thecoin, I would like us to sign a versatile, but quality, defender. Ideally someone who can play cb, dm and right back too!
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Theres a rumour that Wenger will offer blackburn, one of our half-decent players on loan for the rest of the season + a few million, in return for Samba.
If sure hope this is true!
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Crazy speculation:
What if Almunia is actually injured? It looks like James Shea is our reserve keeper for today’s match against West Ham. This is clearly a game Arsene is taking seriously: van Persie, Walcott, Nasri, and Fabregas are starting. So where are Fabianski and Almunia?
Maybe, just maybe, Almunia is actually facing one of those strange, nagging injuries. Just crazy speculation.
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Hi Mr wenger i think it time for almunia to live
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Hi Mr wenger i think it is time for us to win something atleast premier league it has been long time for such a big team like arsenal to stay cupless and is shame us fans think about 2001\2002 seasons what happen to us is not happening to any team do something i know you will dont let us down we will not let you down promise
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Hey I’ve heard that price tag for Arshavin is 20 mil.
DD
Let him go and bring Hazard in.
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listen guys look arsenal have a very gd team we just need to play our best with jens lehmann in goal again come on gunners lets have joy for our team again we can win the leauge trust me all we need is an new defender and maybe new striker as in defence kompany and striker pato come on guys BRING ON THE TROPYHER….!!!
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