Arsenal FC Summer 2008 Thread

De Guzman wrote:ME TO THE ARSENAL! you heard it here first.

Don't know anything about the reliability of the source, so for what it's worth:


Gunners boss looks set to move for Feyenoord midfielder
By Guardian-series
Comment

Jonathan de Guzman
MEDIA reports are suggesting that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will raid Feyenoord this summer for attacking midfielder Jonathan de Guzman.

The 20-year-old has scored 18 times in just 83 appearances for the Dutch club and the Gunners along with a host of other European clubs are believed to have sent scouts to the Feijenoord Stadion to check out the Netherlands Under-21 international.

While De Guzman is Canadian born, although just like England's Owen Hargreaves has chosen to secure a European passport and from February this year is now clear to play for the full Dutch national team.

And while the midfielder recently signed a new contact extension with Feyenoord until 2010, it is believed Wenger could be set to make a large cash offer for De Guzman.

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/sport/topstories/display.var.2157906.0.gunners_boss_looks_set_to_move_for_feyenoord_midfielder.php

Would be an excellent signing for Arsenal, though once again we'd be looking at a young, relatively unproven player without much experience of winning things so who knows if he, like so many others, would go missing when he was most needed.

Still, a very bright talent who I think could make a tangible difference to Arsenal's squad. Love playing as Feyenoord on FIFA largely because of De Guzman.

Personally I'd rather we targetted Afellay over De Guzman as he's a lot more versatile. Would still be very happy with getting De Guzman though.

Personally, I still think our priorities lies elsewhere though - the left wing and a keeper, but he'd definately add some much needed depth to our first team.

I find it incredible. Just five weeks after bone was sticking out of his leg he is able to continue his rehabilitation without a cast. I don't mind him doing light training with Croatia in June, they need him for the World Cup qualifiers next year so they certainly won't be putting him at risk. He is going to be with the Croatian national team anyway as he is a guest of honour alongside Dado Prso.

Is anyone going to the game tomorrow? Heading down to the ticket office later and see if they have any returns.

I'll be there. I'm looking forward to it, although I wish we were playing a big European team and not Liverpool. With the greatest of respect to them, it hardly has the same glamour, and it's guaranteed to be a tough game, but if we play well I think we will win.

It's about time the crowd got their act together and got behind the team. It's really beginning to annoy me now. Nearly everyone around me just moans constantly, and other than that are deathly silent. It's about time they encouraged the team and made some noise. It was better earlier in the season when expectations weren't so high and we really need an improvement.

It's funny though, at the same time, the atmosphere in the pub I drink in before games is getting better. When at Highbury I always drank in the Auld Triangle, which was a bit of a dump but had a good atmosphere. I miss that atmosphere before a game, but it is now starting to return, so hopefully that will continue tomorrow.

Face it Sheff, we have some pretty horrendous fans. They get frsutrated way too easily and when we rap up the game early the place is like a ghost town because the fans already know the result. 4/5 of the fansdon't chant either and look at you like you've just commited a crime when you do. Fucking most negative, fickle and short minded people I've ever seen. Our away fans are great though.

That pretty much sums it up. I always take the piss when talking to my dad about it. Most of the crowd get more animated and excited when they play 'Wonder of You' beforehand than watching the actual game! There have been a couple of occasions this year where the atmosphere was good, I just hope tomorrow is one such occasion. If we had lost to Bolton though they would be grumbling within minutes of kick-off, so that's one small mercy at least.

Not been on here for a while for a variety of reasons, but I feel a few things need to be said regarding the CL games, without stating the obvious:-

Anyone who remembers our visit to Anfield last season where we lost 4-1 (hey we also won 6-3....) will know that Peter Crouch terrorised our defence and scored a hat-trick. Whilst it's well known that the strongest part of Billy/Kolo's game is not their heading, considering their both 5ft10, playing against Crouch will exascerbate this I feel. One has to hope he has minimal playing time.

You've got to feel that now RVP has been in full training for a month+ he should get his sharpness back. Robin taking his chances is vital because much though the victory against Bolton was a great result, we dont want to get into that predicament again.

Gallas is a good captain. This is shown by the way this team has tremendous spirit. We have lost twice in the league this season: at Boro we didn’t turn up, and against Chelsea a poor offside decision changed the game. Generally though, we have fought hard and have often attained a point where other teams in similar situations would have lost. I believe this is a direct result of the never-say-die attitude which Gallas has imbued in the team. This is exemplified by the way where it would be easy to concede the title, our players still have the belief we can win it. - thats part of a piece I wrote which I hope will be published in the Gooner. One has to hope that they will come out all guns blazing tomorrow night, but the crowd as has been noted must get behind them. No "stand up if you hate totteringham", but cheer the players, hound the referee into giving us decisions, and it could be one big step to celebrating a double by dancing round Red Square in May

Tweedle wrote:Personally I'd rather we targetted Afellay over De Guzman as he's a lot more versatile. Would still be very happy with getting De Guzman though.

Personally, I still think our priorities lies elsewhere though - the left wing and a keeper, but he'd definately add some much needed depth to our first team.

Where do you think he'll be playd Tweeds. Sure he's primarily a central player, but most of our wide players are. I think hes better than Afellay and nearly as versatile... He'll be able to play on the left/right no problem.

That said, in an ideal world, i'd like some more depth there, an actual wide player. Ben Arfa for example. Add to those two signings that Vela should return meaing that we could actually have wide players who are back ups for wide positions and not central midfielders, and i think our attack would be sorted.

We should play toure---senderos--gallas--clichy if crouch starts.

If it's Torres alone upfront, we should go eboue---toure--gallas--clichy

The problem with Afellay is he's injury prone. Class player though.

And yeah De Guzman is also very versatile.

Mentioned it in the CL thread as well, but so far it looks like RVP is outb for the rest of the season.

Fey wrote:Mentioned it in the CL thread as well, but so far it looks like RVP is outb for the rest of the season.

I hope your not serious.

He has to be sold in the summer IMO.

Not the greatest result or performance by the team tonight, we have to do better at the weekend if we want a win to keep our very slim title hopes alive.

I haven't heard any news on van Persie, but it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he picked up another injury. This is what he has picked up in the last four years of his career.

Arsene just said the injury doesnt look to bad.

But will prob miss the next 2 matches.....so that will be the next 2 months out then!

What line-up would you play on the weekend?

Wenger said:

"It doesn't look too bad and we took him off for precaution. But he will probably will be short for next week."

Great.

Thought Van Persie did well in the 1st half looked lively a shame he went off injured especially as he recently coming back into form.

Arsenal looked better without him anyway

I'm not sure him and Walcott ontribute different things. We were more direct in the second half although we missed his set piece delivery which is a big weapon anyway. I hope this is not a big injury but I'm starting to get pissed off with him now.

Disappointing to hear about Van Persie. Despite the poor result tonight, Arsenal were excellent at times.

Cesc wrote:Not the greatest result or performance by the team tonight, we have to do better at the weekend if we want a win to keep our very slim title hopes alive.

I haven't heard any news on van Persie, but it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he picked up another injury. This is what he has picked up in the last four years of his career.

The thing is its only recently that its become a muscle problem. before it was bone issues which are not reoccurring which is why I still have hope. As for Rosicky

I thought we played our best match since San Siro and were particularly unlucky with the penalty incident (ref lives five km from Kuyt's home town apparently ) and Bentdner getting in the way. Tough about vanP - we really have had rotten luck with injuries this season - but also a bit harsh to come down on him (and Rosicky) for getting injured. It's not their fault and you can't just get rid of them (which I have seen posters do on other MBs) because of that.

Obviously Liverpool have the advantage but it's way too premature to write us off, as many of the press (The Times, normally not our greatest fans, haven't for a change) have done - Rafa the master tacitician blah blah, the same stuff they've been writing about since 2005. One of them said that Torres was being used last night as a decoy for Kuyt, which is a bit OTT surely.

We are only at the half time stage.

Cesc wrote:Not the greatest result or performance by the team tonight, we have to do better at the weekend if we want a win to keep our very slim title hopes alive.

I haven't heard any news on van Persie, but it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he picked up another injury. This is what he has picked up in the last four years of his career.

Most of those injuries took place in October, November, December, January. He seems to do okay in the summer months but winter comes and he's fucked...

I miss Rosicky

Its the same story every fucking season.

We get to about Febraury time and experience serious burn out. Why the hell doesn't Wenger invest in squad depth

He's really beginning to piss me off.

On the one hand I don't think there are any coaches out there that could have got as much out of the players at our disposal as Wenger. He's also been superb at bringing in talents on the cheap for us. On the other though, we're never going to become a 'top' club under him, as he just doesn't seem to realise what our main problems are. We need players!

RVP was always fit when he played here...come to think of it..anyone ever doubted the medical staff of Arsnal?

Or perhaps Wenger is asking too much of his players...

Re Kuyt: He lives in England so unless Vink lives in England as well...it's more then 5km

Tweedle wrote:Its the same story every fucking season.

We get to about Febraury time and experience serious burn out. Why the hell doesn't Wenger invest in squad depth

He's really beginning to piss me off.

On the one hand I don't think there are any coaches out there that could have got as much out of the players at our disposal as Wenger. He's also been superb at bringing in talents on the cheap for us. On the other though, we're never going to become a 'top' club under him, as he just doesn't seem to realise what our main problems are. We need players!

when otto and i said as much the other day you shot us down in flames

The-Frank-Tavern wrote:

Tweedle wrote:Its the same story every fucking season.

We get to about Febraury time and experience serious burn out. Why the hell doesn't Wenger invest in squad depth

He's really beginning to piss me off.

On the one hand I don't think there are any coaches out there that could have got as much out of the players at our disposal as Wenger. He's also been superb at bringing in talents on the cheap for us. On the other though, we're never going to become a 'top' club under him, as he just doesn't seem to realise what our main problems are. We need players!

when otto and i said as much the other day you shot us down in flames

You only provided one side of the arguement though Frank.

I'm not saying that I want him out neccessarily. I'm just venting my frustrations at his transfer policy.

tweeds, i said something similar 18 months ago, i honestly believe he's taken you as far as he can. i love his style of play and there's nobody in the epl i enjoy watching more, BUT he isn't enough of a winner imho he needs to be more ruthless, and except he needs a bigger squad even if this brings more man management difficulties, which is why i'm sure he hasn't done something about it before now, he's had money at his disposal for 18 months now.

Tweedle wrote:Its the same story every fucking season.

We get to about Febraury time and experience serious burn out. Why the hell doesn't Wenger invest in squad depth

He's really beginning to piss me off.

On the one hand I don't think there are any coaches out there that could have got as much out of the players at our disposal as Wenger. He's also been superb at bringing in talents on the cheap for us. On the other though, we're never going to become a 'top' club under him, as he just doesn't seem to realise what our main problems are. We need players!

Tweed, we can have 50 players at the club and it won't help.

I mean how can people blame Wenger for not buying when we keep on losing our 1st and 2nd choice players in certain positions? do people expect us to have 3 or more class players for only a single position? we don't have that sort of money to do that.

I said after the psv game last season that we should really look into why our (key) players keep on getting injuries.

I was comparing the number of matches played by our regulars to that of Manu's this season and found out they've all played about the same number of games, so how come it's our players(who are still relatively young) that are suffering from burnout?

For me it's case of our potential match winners not performing either by drop in form( ade, cesc, hleb) or through injury(RVP, rosicky, eduardo) and a backline that has been solid for much of the season becoming shaky all of a sudden.