Alexis Sánchez: The Star and Talksprout were wrong – Sánchez wasn’t a phantom

Posted on by Tony Attwood

 

By Tony Attwood

So it wasn’t a phantom signing at all – as the Star and Talksprout desperately tried to claim yesterday (suggesting it was another Higuain case, but forgetting to say who the “Ozil” was in the deal, if it were to be a complete repeat of last year).

And it didn’t make the main sport story on Radio Five Live this morning – that was Neymar saying he could have been crippled by the tackle that took him out of the world cup.  But then that station never made Arsenal the lead before, during or after the FA Cup final.

And we didn’t fail to make signings because Mr Wenger is in Brazil rather than attending to his duties as some of the anti-Arsenal blogs suggested.  In fact is was a meeting in Brazil between the two that sorted it all out.

I’m reminded (because I have that sort of brain) of the old story that Arsene Wenger speaks six languages – which is six more than Sir Alex F-word ever managed.  Certainly that linguistic ability comes in handy – knowing Mr Wenger he probably manages Spanish with a South American accent.   Just to make the lad feel at home.

The contract is “said to be” five years and speaking from Brazil our Mr W said, “As many people have seen during the World Cup this summer, Alexis is a fantastic footballer and we are delighted that he is joining us at Arsenal.

“Alexis will add power, creativity and much quality to our squad and we are all looking forward to him joining up with us in a few weeks. He has consistently produced top-quality performances at the highest level for a number of seasons now and we are all excited to see him integrate into the Arsenal squad. I’m sure all Arsenal supporters will join me in welcoming Alexis to our club.”

And none of this depended on that old racist vampire Luis Suárez going to Barcelona.  And Juventus didn’t steal Alexis at the last moment in what the papers love to call a hi-jacking.  Sánchez didn’t want Liverpool – and who save a demented racist vampire would?

“I’m so happy to be joining Arsenal, a club which has a great manager, a fantastic squad of players, huge support around the world and a great stadium in London,” said Sánchez and that just about sums it up.   When Arsenal has the money, as it does now, it attracts players.  The only thing going against us are the anti-Arsenal Arsenal (AAA) who endlessly snipe, moan, complain, and get bitter.  For them the FA Cup isn’t a trophy.  Having the second longest period in the Champions League is worth nothing.

But they didn’t put off Ozil and they haven’t put off Sánchez.

Here’s his record to date…

Season Team League Games League goals
2005/6 Cobreloa 47 12
2006/7 Colo-Colo 32 5
2007/8 River Plate 23 4
2008/11 Udinese 95 20
2011/14 Barcelona 88 39
2014 Arsenal

Alexis’ first game for Colo-Colo was on 23 June 2006 in a 1–1 draw with Antofagasta. He won his first title in Colo-Colo

After the Under 20 World Cup he went on loan to River Plate, and won the league there, before moving on to Italy. In 2008 however he had a slump in form and was heavily criticised for a while, but came back to form as his team got to the semi-final of the Coppa Italia in 2010.

On 27 February 2011, Sánchez scored four goals in the 7-0 defeat of Palermo – and that with playing under an hour of the game.

He was named the world’s most promising young player in 2011 – in a ranking that compared his with Gareth Bale, Javier Pastore, Ganso and Neymar.

On 20 July 2011, Barcelona paid €26 million fee plus €11.5m in performance related bonuses for him.    Guardiola said of him, “He can play in all three attacking positions, he shows intense defensive skills, he’s direct and from what I’ve been told, he’s a very nice kid.”    He ended the 2013/14 season with 21 goals in all competitions, his best thus far.
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Sánchez has been given squad number 17, previously worn by Nacho Monreal, who has taken the number 18.
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Meanwhile, in other transfer news, Arteta’s agent Inaki Ibanez  says that Arteta is staying at Arsenal.  “We have not spoken to any club and I would like to remind everyone that we are talking about the Arsenal captain, with all respect for Fiorentina.”Everywhere the story is that Newcastle’s Mathieu Debuchy is on the move for £11m, with Javier Manquillo coming in on loan to allow Carl Jenkinson to go to Newcastle, perhaps on loan, to get more games.Not a bad day eh?

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62 Replies to “Alexis Sánchez: The Star and Talksprout were wrong – Sánchez wasn’t a phantom”

  2. This has to be the most depressing Arsenal site on the webosphere. “Everybody hates us, quick lets run for the hills”

  3. When the Sanchez speculation first emerged I wondered if it was indeed a phantom transfer and then tried to work out who was the real target.

    I must say (again) how delighted I am at the outcome and I am really looking forward to seeing him integrate into what should be a very formidable attacking unit.

    There is a sense of excitement in Arsenal circles and in the fan base – a very good team definitely on the up!

  5. Good morning Tony and what a wonderful morning it is. The lean years are over it seems. Can I suggest that for someone who is clearly a positive person you seem to have hooked on to the negativity out there, most if not all of your posts nowadays seem to start with you caught up in what others are saying or not saying, hope your not offended. coyg

  6. Thanks i hope he can help. Arsenal sign the one of the world’s best players and you use it as an opurtunity to have a go at Talksport and the Daily Star.

    Why not have a post about who else might we sign? or how will we do next year? What will the starting team be next year?

  8. Fred – perhaps about half of the posts in the last week or two – not most. But yes, quite a lot, I agree.

    But I do find the manipulation of news by blogs and the press an interesting topic, and Untold over the years has found certain issues that it has explored – and quite often come up with some interesting findings in the end (although it takes time).

    Football economics, the bias of referees, the media, injuries grassroots football, stadia, the failure of England’s national team, the FA… these are all topics that we’ve done – and I think in each case it has taken a while of kicking the issue around before we have got to the very nub of the matter.

    But I can promise you, these explorations of odd footballing topics never get in the way of writing about Arsenal.

    I’d just love to come up with a theory as to why so many outlets of “news” will go to any lengths to make the “news” about Arsenal utterly negative. I’ll go and talk to Billy.

  9. Zoon
    Why are you defending the gutter press? If you want to be fed bullshit you’re on the wrong site son.

  10. The media need a scapegoat, Suarez is useful as was Balotelli but they are individuals and each story has a shelflife (it can be rehashed from time to time) Arsenal are an instituition and therefore it runs and runs gathering momentum with each year we have not won a trophy. If we are sucessful this year and united fail again (praying) we may see the telescope finding a different focus. coyg

  11. ZOON,

    You are definitely new here as Untold have several articles on how we are likely to play and perform next. Granted that they are mostly written by Walter but they are written all the same. Tony does more of media critiques but some of us regulars love him for it.

    On speculating about who we might sign next, that is what many of us regulars prefer to avoid. It’s not our call to make and when the decision is made and executed, we’ll all be duly informed as with our brand new Mr Alexis Sanchez.

  12. Its a reverse of Higuain case if he was in fact very closed to signing.

    From the report about Wenger talking Sanchez into signing Arsenal, he was acutally going to sign with the Italians but Wenger took up the work to talk to the player and the player turned around.

    Also the new financial strength helped. The Italians are rich so they could not come up with the money quickly. Barcelona need the money to get the vampire.

    Going to Brazil is fine. That is the largest concentration of players in four years. As long as Wenger is doing something, its perfectly alright.

    Afterall, they got Wenger wearing Arsenal badged clothings everywhere he goes. He lives Arsenal!!! We can’t imagine him not slacking off.

  13. even last year when doing well ArsenalAction and She Wore A Yellow Ribbon constantly sniped at Arsenal and especially the manager. Despite being top before xmas they bitched endlessly during and after the transfer window. Two low life slimey blogs

  14. On a side issue i dont like the 2 away kits that Puma have designed.Home kit looks alright though.

  15. Agree Tony. Read some comments on a Spanish blog where Barcelona fans were unhappy with this, saying in their view he was better than Neymar, but underrated because he wasn’t Brazilian. I fully agreed with that. He’s one of the few strikers I’ve seen tracking back to defend, and he does that very well.

    For those moaning about us having a go at talksprot, I cannot believe you. This is a station that dedicates a half hour ( or is it an hr? Don’t know as I never listen to that crap) to bashing everything Arsenal, surely we are allowed to rejoice at their expense when they are left with egg on their faces? Methinks you don’t seem/sound happy with this coup of a signing. Every gunner I know is celebrating today, and not moaning about how we keep repeating how a fantastic signing this is.

  16. Meant dedicates half an hour daily, without fail. We are well within our rights to have a go at them too. My only gripe is we are not doing that enough, we should do it daily as well!

  19. This is a nice day for gunners.

    Let’s not talk about the bitch moaners. Some have the ability to backtrack at least(Le Moan, yes its true! There are AKBs there), while others come up with new and more vicious way to attack Wenger (ANR).

    But the worst thing we can do is to go at it at their level and rage at them over and over again.

    This is a good day for the AKBs. Revel in the Sanchez sunshine and go about with a big smile on our faces.

  20. @Al
    Maybe Billy can teach you how not to mirror negativity. There is no need to attack. Its not big and its not very clever.

  22. OK Fred, I shall be seeking an appointment with Billy soon. But only to congratulate each other on this fantastic signing 🙂 BTW Fred, you not the Brazillian no 9, by any chance?

  23. Great articles on Untold thank you Walter and Tony for the great work you made me a regular ever since i got to know about this great arsenal site and am a regular though i don’t comment regularly but know i read every write up.

    I have come to think that Arsenal is now controlling the transfer market because of the FFP people were laughing at us that we never used to spend but the graph has shifted now especially when the big clubs are to buy the only club in the last two seasons that Barca or Real contact first before selling is Arsenal look at Ozil and Now Sanchez they have to wait for our money before they buy any players coz we look like the only club heading in the right direction Financially.

  24. Nice summary I think the nice thing is that it’s nice and early for a change before he would start pre season and my heart starts beating to fast to keep in my chest wondering if we will sign anyone if anyone decent.
    Things are looking up world class last year although last minute and world class this year and early too

  25. FiveLive used to be quite fair to Arsenal, but as soon as Mark Chapman got the MOD2 gig he became a complete prick and has slagged us regularly.
    Hope that it is only a loan of Jenks to Newcastle, as he’ll be great in a couple of seasons and we can’t afford to lose any young English players.

  26. @Al
    I wouldn’t mind being a pound behind him. We can hold onto our dignity even if we remain a tad patronising. Arsenal are back competing on every level. Coyg

  28. Please join to singing if you like; if not, tough!
    Will you specially join me in singing this Tony, Walter? An especially you Bootoomee?

    Old Arsene Wenger has a club
    ee-i ee-i o;

    and o that farm he has players
    ee-i ee-i o;

    with a world star here
    and a big star there;
    here a star, there a star
    everywhere a big star

    Old Arsene Wenger has a club
    ee-i ee-i o.

  30. Tony – you do what you do and we Untolders will enjoy it.

    I am always concerned with the Game and how it is being ruined by corruption on the pitch. This is officials that do not react to physical fouling correctly. Sanchez was kneed in the back by JT of Chelsea and the official Red carded JT. There were several knees in the back by Messi in this World Cup but the Referee didn’t ‘see’ it. I hope the officials that the FA use this coming season are properly advised on what physical challenges are akin to GBH.

    Neymar is lucky to still be able to walk let alone play after the assault he suffered on the pitch. FIFA have done nothing to the perpetrator.

    Walter – I hope you bring this to the notice of the association you work with.

    Looking forward to a great season and praying for fair officiating.

  36. Sorry Walter but Balotelli never was is or will be a Wenger type of player. Wenger is very picky on morality and social presence. He does not tolerate idiocy.

    Wengers players have to behave and he will act very quickly if he finds any player straying from his rules.

  37. We’ve signed a red hot chilli. now lets wait for the fire in the opponents arse.

  38. And Radio FiveLive right now ? (1.15 pm on Friday) … one ex-Liverpool manager, (Evans), one ex-Liverpool player, (Mellor) and a Liverpool season ticket holder speculating about who they might bring in up front … Arsenal ? Like we are EVER news worthy !!!

  40. LRV,

    I am happily singing along.

    Already ordered my twins’ complete Puma kits. Expected in 3-5 days. I won’t mind those girls ending up not being football fans but I’d be damned to see them support another team.

  41. “old racist vampire Luis Suárez going to Barcelona”
    Tony,
    From what I could follow, there’s been no established evidence — only he-said (Evra) vs he-said (Suarez) – and no teammates allege it — that Suarez is racist. As for serial opportunist vampire, well, guilty as charged. 🙂

  42. @Zoon msg#1
    Particularity of this website is to have a -good- memory There is a book on Arsenal’s history for instance done by authors of the website, and as well a full review of referee’s games of all PL games, and as well tons of statistics in each articles. And yes, that helps to put into perspective some Anti-Arsenal comment. But maybe all of that is a bit too complex for you. You prefer to look only at the title and the picture of the last page of your favorite newspaper.

  43. @Tony, great job as usual! Great for Arsenal to continue to prove critics wrong! I think looking at this transfer window, however, I would consider Fabregas as the vapor transfer similar to Higuain. Arsenal was “interested” in Higuain, but really wanted the maestro teammate Ozil. The difference this year was that Arsenal jumped out ahead and said we’re not interested in Fabregas, but went after his teammate Sánchez instead! If it was any other team, the reports would have been Chelsea picked up Arsenal’s left overs, but of course they can never write anything good about Arsenal.

  44. Even in Norwegian newspapers I have to Wake up to negative Arsenal “News”, today the main football story in the biggest Norwegian paper is that it will be a : CRISIS for Germany if Mertesacker have to play instead of Hummels… They uses Words like, Clumsy and lousy With the ball, and even said he was the worst defender of all the teams that reached the quarterfinal. And this was written like a serious article in a big paper, its INSANE!

  45. edda,
    I wonder if the Norway jorno/newspaper/media group has any commercial ties (or personal ties) to any UK jornos. There’s probably some link in their somewhere, otherwise why would a particular Norway paper be in on the Arse-bashing? Any thoughts are welcome…

  46. WELCOME Alexis Sánchez to Arsenal.
    The team gets another piece of the puzzle.
    Arsenal are going to rock even more now.

    I am looking forward to the next signings, i’m sure there will be more, but i’m waiting even more for the first Arsenal game in pre-season.

    @ edda, bob
    ALL the major news organisations in the world are owned(or controlled) by one and the same organisation, so they can dictate an agenda across the whole world if needed.

  48. English football is big here in Norway and News about Man Utd, Liverpool are selling more papers than News about big Norwegian Clubs like Rosenborg and Molde. I think they bash Arsenal to make fan’s of other Clubs happy and then sell more papers (or get more CLICKs)

  50. Following the fantastic news of the Arrival of Alexis Sanchez I thought I would take the risk of buying a couple of Redtops and having a listen to Talksport as I crawled round the M25 to Mums.

    The Sun:

    Okay. Full back page piece on the signing, and all pretty positive.

    The Mirror:

    Joke. Main back page headline was all about the POSSIBILITY, yep, just the possibility that Wilfred Bony might go to Liverpool.

    As for the small matter of Sanchez joining us, well that was just a sub heading directing us 6 pages in to page 66. Not only that but when you get there all it warranted was a tiny piece down the side. To make it worse, the main topic on page 66 was an extract taken from an Arteta interview that basically highlighted our 3 big defeats last season, comparing them to Brazils Germany defeat.

    So on the day of Arsenals 2nd biggest signing EVER and definitely the biggest signing of this window, the Mirror can hardly be bothered to report it. And this, a supposed Arsenal friendly paper, with Arsenal fans Darren Lewis and John Cross on the staff.

    Also whilst I’m at it, I find there take on Liverpools loss of Suarez rather odd. As I recall every time Arsenal lost a big name it was an ‘exodus’ or a ‘dissaster’, yada yada yada.

    But this is how Darren Lewis sees it for Liverpool, and I quote:

    a)”Liverpool have targeted Wilfred Bony as Brenden Rodgers continues his summer revamp”

    So no echoes of how the Spurs ‘Revamp’ faired in the Bale debacle.

    b)”….complete the sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona”

    So he’s not ‘desperate to get away’. ‘Going somewhere where he can win something’ Nope, that only happens to arsenal

    c)”…..join Rodgers revolution at Anfield”

    So again, no echoes of Spurs disastrous ‘revolution’ last year then.

    And isn’t funny how when Liverpool (and Spurs for that matter) lose there best player it’s somehow a ‘revolution’ as opposed to the disaster it is at Arsenal.

    So the Mirrors Arsenal fans, Lewis and Cross, see the Arsenal marquee signing of Sanchez as a mere footnote compared to the Rodgers ‘revolution at Anfield.

    Thanks lads and as I wrote and told you years ago Cross, you was a tosser then, and you’re still a tosser today.

    Talkshite:

    Not too bad early on. Apparently they had Yens on saying good things but I missed it. When I did listen it was mentioned a bit but they where hardly enthusiastic. They read out one text and it was from a Liverpool fan who said the only reason he picked the much inferior Arsenal move over a move to Liverpool was because HIS WIFE WANTED TO LIVE IN LONDON. This, in the callers eyes, made him a terrible professional and Liverpool where therefore lucky to miss out. Groves dismissed it, but the point is, that was the ONLY text read out from what must of been thousands, of which many many of those would of been positive………..

    ……..and how do I know this. Well, we move on to Hawksby and Jacobs. Now how did I know it would take less than 5 minutes before they had a pop. Nope, no ‘what a great signing’. No ‘we was wrong’. Straight in for a dig. But not at Sanchez. Even they would be hard pressed to condemn that, but at the fans. Apparently Arsenal fans are getting all excited about Sanchez and tweeting how we are going to storm the PL. Now don’t all fans do this when they make a big signing? Aren’t talksport themselves going all OTT about Utd winning the title just on the back of getting LVG? But of course when Arsenal fans get a little over excited it’s ‘pathetic’.

    Oh, and just to have another dig, and I quote……”Well we all know what’s going to happen, wenger will run him into the ground before Christmas, like he does every other player he buys, he’ll get injured, and then we wont see him again for months.

    At that point I switched off.

    I dread to think what shite that prick Durham spouts.

  51. Untold you do wonderful report,s and keep right on doing so. Thank heaven,s we have you to tell it like it is. Thank you Arsene Wenger for another great transfer and I trust in you to get whoever you see fit to put on that great shirt. I trust in the Prof completely because he is Arsenal through and through and so am I .

  52. 🙂 Excellent analysis jambug. Funny how Liverpool loose Suarez and now want a reVamp.
    Ahem.

  53. Jambug
    Nice analysis. I’ve come to the conclusion there’ll be no positive news regarding Arsenal in the media. Even at the world cup, the pundits seemed like they couldn’t bring themselves to mention Ozil’s name, you know when they were describing Khedhira’s brilliant movement for his fifth goal, they just wouldn’t say ‘and Ozil lays the ball back to him” or something like that. They didn’t, and I was really looking out to see how they’d rate him after Dixon had blasted him for his ‘poor’ performance in the game versus Algeria in which he scored the winning goal. It’s concerning, how can a whole country think and act like that? Arsenal are more hated than say some Russian side in the English media. They should be ashamed of themselves.

  54. Jambug, you are right about John Cross, he is a Gooner, but Darren Lewis is actually a Liverpool fan with a strange spurs thing going on!

  55. Mandy

    Are you sure about Lewis? I was sure he was an Arsenal fan. I could be wrong of course. According to Mrs Jambug I am in fact, ALWAYS wrong 🙂

  56. I don’t care for the media. They are all liars in some form or they wont sell papers or draw listeners. I only care about the Game & how Arsenal play it.

    Arsenal have changed many aspects of their game to accommodate the media critics. They avoid going down when fouled and avoid crowding the officials. They are the purest exponents of the Game, within the Laws and morals of sport.

    Yet, the media will find something to annoy the Arsenal supporter. The stupid will get goaded into anti Wenger attitude. The intelligent will eventually find Untold and realise the truth.

  57. Could it be jealous? Jealous of how we do things;our style of football, our stadium? Got a feeling it’s about to get worse, what with world class players leaving big clubs like Madrid and Barcelona at their peak,two seasons in a row, to join us.

  58. Actually its fun to hear Alexis’s first interview and how HE explains why he choose Arsenal. Here are the main reasons :

    1. Arsenal are a big club, a club where he can win trophy’s (I guess if any journalist heard that they would turn a deaf ear!)
    2. Arsenal have a great manager who takes care of his players. (Why doesnt anyone write that in the papers ??)
    3. Arsenal play a style of football which every good footballer would love to play.
    4. Arsenal play at home at a great stadium with 60000 fans every other week.
    5. Arsenal have been playing in champions league for a number of years and have a good reputation all over the world.

    And YES, I guess living in London is not a drawback if u are used to big city life, but I dont ever think that will be the main reason why footballers chose where to play…

    And its actually kind of funny, because I remember correctly, õzil’s comments last year were almost the same, especially praising how he could learn from AW.

  60. Mandy Dodd

    EARN a living? Now that is pushing it a bit 😉

    The Lewis/Cross partnership are at it again today.

    Yesterday they somehow didn’t deem our second biggest signing of all time, and the biggest signing of the transfer window so far, even worthy of back page headlines, preferring in it’s stead Liverpools POSSIBLE acquisition of Remy for the lead.

    But Today it seems they do see it worthy of screaming from the rooftops the fact they think Chelsea are going to ‘steal’ ‘hijack’ Khedira from under our noses.

    Look, I know it’s all rumour and bullshit and we may or may not even be interested in Khedira, but that’s not the point.

    It’s the fact that even a supposedly Arsenal supporting Journalist (and I use that term in the looses possible way) working for a supposedly Arsenal friendly paper, basically ignore positive Arsenal stories in favour of any Liverpool ‘titbits’ or better still it seems, a negative Arsenal story.

    Again, I know in the great scheme of things it doesn’t matter that much, but I just think it’s worth mentioning to show just how hard the media, even Arsenal ‘friendly’ media, find it to be positive about anything we do.

    Cross? Arsenal fan? Don’t make me laugh.

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