By Tony Attwood
Now here is a twist and a half. It is being reported in some of the stranger quarters in the footballing world that our Mesut is saying that for him to sign a new contract Arsenal will have to sign Julian Draxler of Wolfsburg.
Of course it might be the case that Mr Wenger actually wants another midfielder but whether he does or not, the notion that a player might be inclined to put the buying of someone else as part of his contractual arrangements seems to me to be about as post-truth as you can get.
According to the Independent web site, “Draxler looks nailed on for a move in January after falling out with the Bundesliga club, despite only joining the club from Schalke last year, and he has been a long-term target on the radar of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
But they then go on to say that Arsenal “have shown a reluctance to move for Draxler though and did not lodge an offer when he left Schalke in 2015, but various reports suggest that Wenger remains keen on the Germany international and has kept a close eye on his availability over the last season.”
They report that (still according to RMC Sport) Özil has asked the club to move for Draxler “in a demand that would help convince him that agreeing a new deal is the right move for his career.”
Then almost immediately a new popup blog appeared running the headline
Mesut Ozil wants some of Arsene Wenger’s power before he signs a new contract at Arsenal
and beneath that pretty much the same story, clearly copied from the other blog.
Fascinated by all this I went a looking at RMC Sport and flipped through the latest articles that mention Draxler. I found one “Mercato: le PSG discute avec Julian Draxler” which also mentions Özil but it certainly does not contain a suggestion of anything to do with Özil trying to take control of who Arsenal buys.
Of course this sort of thing is not new. I remember quite some time ago, I found that a set of educational materials prepared to help teachers who work with dyslexic children that I had worked on, got a really bad review in a prestigious teachers’ magazine, the review being written by an Oxford University academic. He stated that the theoretical approach we had used as the basis for our work had been long proven to be not valid, and thus the whole approach was worthless. He gave a reference to back up his claim.
Bemused, because this was a subject I knew rather well, and because I’d never heard of such contrary evidence, I got hold of the book he quoted and read it. Curiously it proved exactly the opposite – the old fraud has just cited a vaguely relevant reference and imagined that no one would actually bother to follow it up. And he did this because… our materials rivalled a project he had contributed to the year before. Rather naughty, you might agree.
I came across this approach a second time when helping a friend with her divorce case. Her husband’s solicitor wrote a long letter citing various previous court cases as precedents aimed at showing that my friend’s case was invalid and she was entitled to little or no money. Again, being a pedantic sort of chap, I followed one of the references up, and found it referred to a case that had nothing whatsoever to do with my friend’s divorce. The lawyer was simply citing divorce cases at random in an effort to make the other side give up the fight.
Now what links these two little adventures of mine with the Draxler story in the Independent is this. First, it is true that no one generally bothers to check sources. Stick in a source (especially one that is in a foreign language, or in a long book or from an obscure court case) and there is every chance that your comments will be accepted.
But second, and even more interesting, few people move in to stop this sort of nonsense.
In each of the cases I mention above I took the matter further. I reported the Oxford senior lecturer to his college and to the journal, offering evidence of his “mistake” and noting that he was involved a rival set of materials the sales of which would be affected if our new approach held sway. The Oxford college that employed him said it was not responsible for the reviews of its academics. The journal didn’t reply.
In the divorce case I put it to my friend’s solicitor that a protest should be made concerning supplying false evidence but she insisted that this would not help. “One does not cast aspersions on the behaviour of the other side,” I was firmly told.
So when the little bloggetta says, “the club believe that Özil is much closer [than Alexis] to extending his stay at the Emirates and the addition of Draxler could be the move that seals his future,” there’s not much to do except expose them as a bunch of drongos.
As for Draxler, I’ve no idea if Mr Wenger wants him. Certainly there are reports that say that Paris Saint-Germain would like to sign him, but they could be made up as well. But let’s remember that not only might stories be made up, so might sources.
However let’s more on with a couple of nice pieces of news, or maybe invention. Francis Coquelin and Olivier Giroud are looking to sign new contracts. According to, oh, the Daily Mail.
Actually I do hope Coquelin stays, not just because I think he is a super player, but also because spotting him as someone who might make it when he first played for Arsenal at summer training camp (in the days before the mega summer tours of distant places) is just about my one triumph in spotting a player who could really become something.
And finally, I wrote a little piece the other day “It’s not the defeat that counts, it’s what happens next” in which I cited the route Arsenal had taken the last three times we’ve won the League – which is coming back from a poor position at the turn of the year.
I find it rather nice that the Telegraph has suddenly run a rather similar piece under the heading “Disappointed Arsenal have no time to feel sorry for themselves.” If we can get the press to copy just a few more Untold articles, we might even get them to copy a piece about refereeing by mistake. Now that would be success.
Tales from Untold
Ref Review: West Ham – Arsenal: an even bias score, miracles do happen
Football journalism has become a walled wonderland inherently incompatible with reality
All the Arsenal transfers you might have missed and some that may yet happen
The video ref in action: a practical example of video refereeing in the Club World Cup
It’s not the defeat that counts, it’s what happens next
Everton – Arsenal : 2-1 time to start a new run
Le Prof will buy Julian Draxler in January or not we would not know until it happened or failed then would we know the truth to the matter.
All sort of rumours have started flying again about Arsenal signing Draxler, this time from Wolfsburg. There was a transfer window when his signing by Arsenal was crazily over hyped by the media. But Arsenal eventually did not sign him that time. We were made to understand that he preferred to remain at his club then rather than to come to Arsenal as his club then was overrating him as the new Gerd Muller. But event surrounding later proved him to be far from being that.
How could Ozil force Le Prof’s hand by extorting a transfer of his country man from him. I don’t think Le Prof will be interested in any transfer extortion by any Gunner however highly placed he is in the squad. But if Le Prof for strong Arsenal football reason wants Draxler, of course he could summit a bid for him in January. But certainly not at the €45m price tag for him claimed by the media. Besides, doesn’t Draxler has a reputation of being regularly sidelined with injuries and how many goals has he scored at the 3 top clubs he has played and is currently playing for? Will he have a strong character to get going when the going gets tough, tough and tougher for him at Arsenal and not start to ask for a move away if he’s signed?
It appears that the contract negotiations with Sanchez have started with a club offer of £180.000 per week, which is appx. £70.000 short of what he’s asking for. £180.000 is £9.36 million per year which exceeds Wenger’s reported £8.9 million. If it’s true that Wenger insists on being the top paid staff member then this suggests to me that he already has negotiated a new improved contract for himself or has made up his mind to leave when the current one expires next summer.
Fact is, this is the way of the world we are born into. Many will have noticed the increase of corruption in all areas of life.
Although this may be because as one gets older one tends to become more aware and sees more, but maybe the same level of coruption was always there, we just didn’t see it when young?
Anyway, Arsenal cannot afford to lose games where the fault lies with Arsenal, that does not allow enough leeway to win PL. We now have to play catch up.
Depending on todays results(we cannot depend solely on those results to win PL) we may not be in a bad position, but on the other hand…
Still, wishing that the results today do favour Arsenal and we can take out ManC on sunday.
Rise Arsenal, Rise.
Have also read Juve want Draxler.
If Wenger wants him, who am I to argue, but we also have Iwobi developing nicely in that position.
Without knowing the full facts, not overly impressed with what has been reported of draxlers conduct at his current club
Anyway, we have already signed one of ozils mates
I don’t know why but I personally don’t rate Draxler neither do I think that Wenger truly does.
It’s quite ridiculous for any one to ever think Le Prof is in desperate enough waters to be blackmailed by his player even if he’s Ozil.
Another of those folklores we read we read daily especially whenever a transfer window is around the corner.
Interesting snippet from this morning’s press conference – where Wenger directly accused the media of telling lies with this…
QUOTE:
“In my job, people who like losing – believe me – they don’t last a long time. And concerning the referee: yes, I don’t agree with the performance of the referee against us on Tuesday night but I didn’t say a word about it [after the game].
“It’s the old trick that the journalists, young journalists who are very ambitious, do. They take a lie into the [press conference] question for the next manager and hope he responds to it. If you read well what I said after the game, you will see that I didn’t say a word about the referee.”
From the Arsenal Official site.
Maybe he understands our frustration more than he sometimes lets on, but this certainly points the finger at the media, even though not directly at Clattenburg.
I personally don’t have a problem with Ozil’s stance, if it indeed be true. How is it in any way different to me sitting here at my PC thinking ‘Wenger, get me Draxler!’ because I happen to like the player and think he has great potential, particularly playing amongst the talent we have at our disposal? I’m just a punter, but Ozil himself will get to play alongside the kid – it may well be that he’s as excited by that idea as I am. I’m not comfortable with the double standard that’s emerging here. On the one hand, we often criticise the monstrous wages these players make, yet when they vocalise a bit of ambition with regards to club/team concepts, we slate them for behaving in a mercenary way. If they came out and said ‘it’s only about the money’ they’d be equally vilified. Can’t win really.
@ Leon – And what exactly is your source for that little snippet of information?
The most important thing to know about an information is WHO is telling this story and WHY …
This snippet?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4038726/Arsenal-offer-Alexis-Sanchez-9-3m-year-forward-won-t-budge-wage-demands-new-contract.html
Ah yes, they wrote it in the Daily Mail, with literally no source to back it up, so of course that means that it’s 100% certified fact.. You’re a genius.
Jammy J
I can see that you’re just out for an afternoon’s troll.
I think you should actually look up what the definition of trolling is, as you use the word a lot and it’s practically always done incorrectly. Just FYI – someone correcting your ignorance, is not trolling.
So that’s what they call it now. In future please do not ‘correct’ my ‘ignorance’. That way there will be no misunderstandings.
Tai, you nearly made me cry 😀
Daily Mail are quite disturbingly accurate about transfer, well as I can tell over the last 3-4 years, especially where we are concerned.
I think we inquired about Draxler, officially in the summer/
The suggestion that Draxler is a wantaway, is absurd, he said, I asked to leave and was not allowed, so he had no choice. He is a perfect fit, he can interpret the 10 position similarly to Bale, he can play on either flank and tends to look to cross from wider positions rather than always cutting inside.
Alexis (L) Draxler (R) fives you an in out and switchover, with a winger and a inside forward, ofensive playmaker.
That is first team quality, Mustarfi said Ozil helped convince him, Ozil see’s the bigger picture, he is doing it again. Iwobi is a natural understudy for Alexis and The Ox for Draxler. that leaves development for Nile, and Adelaide, agan no Theo. Meyer, allday!
Similarly Gabriel plays similarly to Kos, you need a supporting cast for Mustarfi, Holding and Chambers can go on loan, and take the EFL Cup. Gibbs is a supporting cast, has potential to make the leap, but he needs the team to be flowing, he feeds off everyone else, see Spurs goal, he’s ours, no need to worry, Wenger doesn’t even go there. It hikes Monreals value.
Debouchy is cooked, but Jenkinson missed the games he could playt as all the future ones are crunch now and he’s off the pace, needs to get back to early Hammers days, was first choice for them then.
we need a wide left, wide right in defence and one more injury and Holding is facing Bayern, no more 8-2 and confidence melting results please, Jenks owes me too much to leave and he’s good, nervous guy, seen hs bedroom???
Elneny is Ramsey uderstudy, Granit is his own man, Jack is Santi understudy, what happens with Santi effects his replacement, it’s all up in the air and that one is crucial, because without leaving on a free, he commands at least £12m, that’s half a starters fee.
In front Perez, well, he needs time obviously, but look at his return and they weren’t particularly easy opponents.
Giroud and Theo just aren’t working, Giroud scored half his tally with his first two touches during a period where everything we did hit went in. Draxler would give us the chance to hit a target, but Alexis, and Draxler will be waiting for 5seconds for him to catch up with the play, Ozil is having to bust a gut to get there, that is how he miscued the two chances, his body wasn’t set. Welbeck will get the nod ahead of Giroud once fit, because of style of play, not finishing competence, like Saha, he might miss 5 but will score 1. Although again, for England he has the space, because nobody parks the bus against England, not even San Marino (see Gnabry hat-trick).
Monreal, Giroud, Welbeck and Theo do not fit in as sqauad rotation, Giroud and Theo command too high wages, but firstly we need the replacements. I would happily see Monreal go back to his former employers, thanks for a couple FA Cups, fondly remembered, but times change as do our requirements.
Giroud just needs a textbook format team, get it wide and into the box, like when he did hit 25 in a season, have you seen the 25?
Theo needs to go upfront, he’s a little Defoe, but strikers confidence comes from goals, he needs less pressure and to be central, to drift wide and play off the shoulder, he’s not doing anything at all in games out side at times.
It’s funny how some of our fans view our team, if we all supported Barcelona, Real, Bayern, even city, we would all agree we need the best. Even Alaba can see the potential, new contract or go where I can smash it and prove myself.
I am happy with the noises coming from the potential acquisitions. Ryad should have come, but clearly he and Vardy have other potential preffered suitors, so play in CL, but not the league, not my type of guy.
Reus, they cup tied, surely? so for me, the only other player I think not cup tied and totally suitable is Draxler, and he’s also best value for money at 23 and different, we can play wide, or narrow or lopsided with him in the team, we can go all out pace and counter, with out Giroud.
You always showcase the players you want to move on in the early season, when you can see what they look like, let them fight for places and demonstrate whether they are understanding what you expect/ Theo got ten, then just seemed to stop and the 10 were not illustrative of 100% commitment, they were 2/3 of what he should have scored at least.
We are going places. some of our players are not upto the task, rather than prove as much, let them make a decent show of it and leave. by summer Giroud, Monreal, not so much Theo, but surely Santi and Mert are not worth as much. We can do it without them.
I’d like to have Mert retire and coach, but I think he wants to play on.
Santi has more time, but in the PL, will they just simply try to butcher him, when I see strapping on a knee I ease off, other really don’t.
Theo I do not trust to stay on, he’ll have 4-5 years left and wont be striker and is coming in for a lot of criticism. We need Wolfsburg to stay true to their word and release Draxler as soon as the window opens. That changes everything, he can play as CF also, we just need more pace.
in the wide areas and upfront, but we need quality also.
IWIT COYG, for life!