By Sir Hardly Anyone
Before I start, I want a name or phrase to describe a really silly transfer rumour. Any ideas?
Anyway, here’s a little test for you to try out while you are thinking. Consider this headline.
1: Three centre-backs Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger should sign in the January transfer window
Now, what is the problem with it?
Here are the answers. One point for each one you got:
a) For a transfer to go through the player has to want to leave,
b) For a transfer to go through the player has to want to come to Arsenal,
c) For a transfer to go through the club to whom he is signed, has to want to sell him.
d) For Arsenal to sign anyone over the age of 21 they have to remove a player from the list of 25 currently given as our team list with the Premier League. Who will they be? (Remember Santi has already been removed).
e) It is not always easy just to ship out players, and if top players see a club that simply puts a player on the sidelines because they are over the 25, or if they don’t want to go, they can refuse and just stay there and take the money. Arsenal’s image is already pretty low among players because of the endless harping on about Arsenal’s problems by the bloggettas and newspapers and people who fly airplanes over grounds, if it gets any lower, no one will ever sign for the club.
Or try this one
2: Arsene Wenger’s 11 Worst January Signings At Arsenal
Got a list ready?
That’s a bit off putting for any player hoping to make his name – no one would fancy seeing their name on this list. Besides the list includes Elneny who was brought in as a back up player to ensure that we had a team capable of making a fist of League Cup, Europa and FA Cup matches against lower league teams.
Watching him this season I am not at all sure he ranks as a poor player. He cost somewhere between £5m and £7.3m depending of which source you read. I’d say that was quite a reasonable buy and was most certainly worth the money when I watched him in the League Cup game v WHU.
OK how about
3: David Luiz to Arsenal … – Daily Express
He’s 30, he’s a central defender and he plays for Chelsea. Really? Now I really do want a word meaning a transfer story that is so silly that even the Daily Express won’t publish it. Oh, ok so silly that….
4: Arsenal transfer news: Lemar signing in January … – Daily Express
Plays on both wings, plays through the centre, plays for Monaco and he’s 22. A bit more likely.
5: Deportivo Saprissa contact Spanish club to lure Arsenal forward away
Joel Campbell, but apparently nothing is going to happen anyway. So not much of a story then.
6: Four Arsenal January transfers that make sense
- Theo Walcott to Southampton
- Alexis Sanchez to Bayern Munich
- Signing a Versatile Attacking Player
- New Contracts for Özil and Wilshere
It’s cheating a bit given that one of the four just tells Arsenal to jolly well sod off and make it happen, and the last one isn’t a transfer at all but a retention.
7: Ozil contract agreement, Sanchez replacement signs & Wilshere stays
You don’t think they might have just made it up and hoped we didn’t notice do you?
8: Alexis Sanchez could still sign new Arsenal deal
9: ‘Better than Iwobi, Walcott and Welbeck combined’ … Arsenal fans react to winger link
Yes it is the wild and whacky FootballNewsNetwork who lifted this from the Daily Mirror. “Arsenal have been put on alert after Spanish media outlet AS claimed that Atletico Madrid are ready to sell winger Yannick Carrasco during the January transfer window, and Gunners fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.”
10: Referee announced for West Brom vs Arsenal – and it’s the news every Gunners fan dreads
Aren’t we supposed to be the bunch of semi-crazed weirdos who go around talking about refs who are biased against the team? How come others are doing it? I mean, if we can’t be so far out on the limb that we fall off the edge and go drifting into space, what can we do?
Unfair, I say, unfair.
You don’t think we’ve actually had an influence do you?
The possibility of Sanchez and Walcott leaving makes space in the squad and they are the most likely scenarios . Sanchez because he has made it clear that he wants out and Theo because Wenger has made it clear that he is only a bit part player in his plans. Debuchy is another albeit I would be playing him in front of Bellerin at the moment whose form and the inabilty to cross or really use his pace to skin defenders seems to be curtailed.
The focus is always on buying although the club may wish to offload to make space for that you need a purchaser ( rather than a loaner ) and a willingness of the player to leave.
I agree with the above.Bellerin needs to be benched.He was very poor last night.With out doubt our weakest link.Barcelona 50 million?.
Fixtures for Arsenal on Arsenal.com
Spot the mistake?
Wed Jan 3 – 19:45 v Chelsea Emirates Stadium Premier League
[Wed Jan 10 – 20:00 v Chelsea Stamford Bridge Carabao Cup]
Wed Jan 10 – 20:00 v Chelsea Stamford Bridge EFL Cup
Wed Jan 24 – 20:00 v Chelsea Emirates Stadium Carabao Cup
Still, Chelsea 3 times in Jan after mistake is corrected. []
I had a serious look at Zaha last night. Sometimes, he’s very good, but most of the time he falls over and DIVES a lot. I decided he’s not what we need.
On the other hand, I had a look at Jack Grealish. Two footed and at times, glides like Ozil. With a bit of work, he’ll be a very good player.
Just a quick comment on our season.
We are out of the title race which is normal as Man City have been unstoppable. We could have won all games bar the one we lost to City & Oliver’s linesmen and we’d still be behind them.
So, that leaves us with three cups on the table and a Top 4 race in the league.
We have three games v Chelsea in January that will set the route of our season. If we lose to Chelsea in the league and/or get kicked out of CC, I reckon we’ll put all our eggs in the Europa League basket. Mind you, there are still three big teams to beat (Atletico, Borussia Dortmund and Napoli) in EL and it’s very likely we’ll have to beat Man City in the CC Final if we beat Chelsea in the semifinal. FA Cup will also bring us big opponents provided that we don’t slip at minor opponents such as Nottingham F.
When it comes to the league, it looks to me Liverpool are going to edge both us and Tottenham out in the Top 4 battle. VvD will make their defence better and they will always score goals. Chelsea look less convincing than Liverpool to me and they have two Manchester visits and two Barcelona games in Feb/Mar so they might be a more reachable target in Top 4 than Liverpool.
Dear SHA , I just heard that Alexis will BE staying at Arsenal as his dogs are quite happy in London , and will behave ,sit , heel, roll over on command if allowed to stay put. They may play dead if forced to leave .
This was communicated to me by the poor neighborhood alley cat that has only two more lives to go !
Josef ever the optimist!
If there are red herrings why not a Kipper!?!
Alexis dogs and quarantine could be a massive factor given Qenger ruled out a rival!
Walcott looks gone, I like Elneny, but Xaka fee could be the tipping point and a starter of better or similar quality is what is needed, bed now!
CB a must!
If we bench Hector who plays!, especially if he gets injured late on in season? Pogba worked that out!
Read could be the easiest best fit! Better than waiting for United, Chelsea and Spurs to be able to accommodate after league closes.
We have to go early!
COYG!
In the manager, players and new and definitely improved contract negotiation team o trust! This window Ian already going better, probably due to them!
And no periphery board members talking ass helps!