By Tony Attwood
Alexis Sánchez has been involved in 31 goals for us this season. 20 goals 11 assists. Mind you, the way he plays I wouldn’t be surprised if he assisted with his own goals sometimes.
Still, not bad for a debut season.
And Özil is showing us what he can do. He can score the perfect free kick, pass the perfect pass, find space that no one else can see. Three goals and four assists in eight games since he came back.
But here’s a thought amidst all this (apart from the new aaa cry that Wenger is clearly useless because he only delivers in half a season).
Arsenal don’t actually want to buy Sterling but instead just want to mess about with Liverpool, as further revenge for the “what are they smoking” comments made by John Henry. A rather nice ploy in my view, if that is the case.
Which presumably means Manchester City’s new manager, whoever that is, will buy Sterling, while Liverpool keep on following the Tottenham model of transfers.
Still, the papers are not really leaving us alone. The Telegraph today said, “After stuttering into 2015 Arsenal are the in-form team, but must now prove themselves against Chelsea later this month if they are to win the league title.”
Which is a bit naughty really. No one is seriously saying we are going to win the league, because to do so we not only have to keep winning but Chelsea have to slip up, and the latter is not in our control. Of course beating them will help, but it won’t grant us the league title.
And that stuttering into 2015 is a bit rich. I mean, do they actually recall what we did in December?
Perhaps I do, because I was there, (even so I could only see half the pitch as it was pre-operation days) but still the Telegraph must have had someone there to watch… Or maybe he had eye problems too…
- 3 December – Arsenal 1 Southampton 0
- 6 December – Stoke 3 Arsenal 2
- 9 December – Galatasaray 1 Arsenal 4
- 13 December – Arsenal 4 Newcastle 1
- 21 December – Liverpool 2 Arsenal 2
- 26 December – Arsenal 2 QPR 1
- 28 December – West Ham 1 Arsenal 2
Played 7, won 5, drawn 1, lost 1
“After stuttering into 2015…”? No I don’t think so.
So what else have we got?
Interesting debate with some Liverpool fans I thought, where they argued that because they had won the Champions League in the past they were not only a better team than Arsenal, but that the past victories totally outweighed any issue of them not actually qualifying for the Champions League for a few years or even winning the domestic league for 25 years. History, it seems is everything.
Which is exactly the opposite of what the aaa argue – with their “4th is not a trophy”. Incidentally, I recall that Arsene Wenger once said (somewhere around 2010) that winning the League Cup would not count as an end to the trophy drought, but that’s another matter, since we didn’t win anyway.
Since it is a public holiday in the UK, this is a time for catching up on the odds and ends, as we don’t actually have any news – although Blacksheep is in Northampton watching his second favourite team (Cambridge) but at the wrong end of the ground. A report follows I hope. (I can’t go as I’m off to a grand daughter’s birthday party shortly, and they cannot be missed for the world).
And so, catching up…Arsenal are going to sign Yohan Cabaye from PSG this summer for £10 million. We tried to get him while he was at Newcastle, but player is now fed up with a lack of playing time in Paris “according to reports” (ie, it was just made up).
And we are also going to “seal a shock deal” for Kevin Wimmer after “hijacking” Tottenham’s move. What does that mean – “hijacking”. It suggests we are waiting around watching what Tottenham do and then go in and say, “don’t go there, come to us”.
Really?
He was going to Tottenham for £5 million but now, apparently not. Still buying players at Tottenham is tough. No Champions League, and a year on the road away from the stadium, plus the austerity years that Arsenal suffered. They did play in the League Cup Final, but that doesn’t count (according to Mr Wenger).
However, try this…
“Mauricio Pochettino is convinced the transfer is set to go through when the window re-opens, but the Daily Star says Arsenal have now moved in and are looking to sign him instead.”
Elsewhere Arsenal are “set to complete” the signing of Argentine wonderkid Maxi Romero in the coming days.
Romero is 16, plays for Velez Sarsfield and is VERY BIG in South America at present. Here he is…
Apparently our men on the spot are, well, on the spot, and will sign him but leave him on loan for two years. Then we’ll have four years of trying to get a work permit, or more if the FA change their work permit rules again. The fee is about £2 million.
I found an article about the young man on the internet in Spanish, and asking Google translation to translate for me. It gave me…
All Boys pulled up with a marvelous free kick converted by Franco Olego. He reacted Velez and Maxi Romero left equaled the first time. And the second best of the local wine with a brace from Mariano Pavone and other annotation kid Romero to close the 4-1.
I kid you not.
Maximiliano Samuel Romero, born on January 9, 1999, was the leading scorer in AFA amateur football season in 2014. He possibly has already had nine months out with knee surgery, but that could be the translation again.
The Metro also reports that Arsenal are set to make a bid for Stephan El Shaarawy at the end of the season, as he prepares to leave AC Milan.
Elsewhere Milan are apparently ready to let the player go. El Shaarawy, still only 22, would cost £18.1m to sign at the end of the season.
Oh, and we are still going to buy Sterling, as are Chelsea.
Tottenham and Liverpool and Arsenal want Petr Cech, according to a report in The Express.
Oh and blow me down if while I was writing to fee for Max Romero hasn’t gone up to £4.5m. He said, “I will have to learn English”.
Other snips are
I see the Express have resurrected the Higuain saga again and we are in poll position to sign him, see this mornings transfer news headline from that ever reliable newspaper….
‘Arsenal Transfer News: Hummels’ gut instinct, poll position on Higuain, ‘new Messi’ deal’.
(Romero is apparently the ‘new Messi’).
Off-topic, but this happened in Argentina the other day. This may interest Walter.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3027469/Argentine-referee-faces-ban-using-television-replay-overturn-decision.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
Well to be fair without their advertising revenue from various agencies these poor esteemed hacks would probably be out of a 🙂
Another hack failing to even vaguely research what Untold did nearly for odd years ago on coaching, writes another weird article:
Paul Wilson’s poor effort at avoiding mentioning the coaching and the lack of funding from the sweet FA in his exceptionally poor effort at obfuscation within the smudged entrails of the Mancheter Grunt.
Five odd years ago…
When you think of he effort that goes into avoiding the topic that most volunteers or coaches involved in English Football understand then it’s a fair and reasonable question to ask if these hacks even like football, no?
Tony,
I think you made a mistake in quoting
6 December Stoke 3 Arsenal 2.
It should have read Stoke (plus referee).
“However, I look at Arsenal and their bench, the world-class players on the field with big talent and it shows the continual work we have to do.” Brendan Rodgers
@ Usama
An interesting article and shows why their is need for FIFA/UEFA to seriously think of using video replays especially as the pace of the game is on the increase and mistakes like that are becoming common in the PL.
The rumour mill is on full drive.
@ Usama
An interesting article and shows why there is need for FIFA/UEFA to seriously think of using video replays especially as the pace of the game is on the increase and mistakes like that are becoming common in the EPL.
The rumour mill is on full drive.
Off topic, but even the German press aren’t impressed by how fickle our media is;
http://www.dw.de/english-press-suddenly-fall-in-love-with-mesut-özil/a-18362791
When I saw the headline about Romero it didn’t surprise me (didn’t see the price but at sensible terms I thought ‘maybe’). We bought Bielik and it seems to be the chavs way around FFP. But another site says we’d only get 80% of his image rights and I can’t believe we’d get involved with sharing anything about a player.
No Idea if there’s anything in the Cabaye rumour but I’d be quite happy if it happened.
Palace leading 2-0, come on Palace!
And the bank holiday in the UK ends on a high note. Well done Palace.
Well done Palace and Sanogo!
Looks like a new manager and an FFP busting squad renewal for City unless they stay in the top 2 if recent reports are to be believed.
Hope for a nice draw between them and Utd with about 6 red cards between them next week…thinks that’s what works best for us?
@Mandy
Seconded 🙂
Can anyone remember the moaners moaning about us only winning 1-2 at Crystal Palace?
We have definitely have got to get a song for Özil. He is here to stay and is a crucial part of our team success.
City suffering PGMO selective vision. Wonder of flavour of the week impacts decisions.
Will Chelski have a similar impact on PGMO flavouring if Man United get close to title?
This is a great time for football the Arsenal way.
Felt a real flicker of hope when I saw Chelsea’s next three fixtures.
To have a chance, I think we need at least a draw in their next one, QPR away. Should we do the business at Burnley- not easy but on current form we should do it- a draw would leave a five point gap, with them playing Utd (h) next while we play in the cup.
Utd have a very decent chance there. On current form, I’d make them slight favourites. Should they do so, 5 point gap remains in place, same number of games, and we face them at home.
Meanwhile, Utd’s probability of defeating Chelsea is probably significantly improved if they win the City match. Yikes, effectively that means I’m sort of hoping they do, and then after definitely wanting them to win at Chelsea…it means I’m hoping for Utd, in red hot form, to be bang in the title race too (with a relatively easy run until they face us, at their place). Oh well, a mental deal with the devils in order to give us a shot.
Yep, on the one hand it remains improbable, but the form at least gives grounds for hope. Much depends on whether or not Chelsea can find some freshness this week. Play as they have in the last two, and there’s a good chance they won’t get away with it this time. Do a job there, and the trophy will feel extremely close for them.
It feels like so much to ask for Chelsea to pick up no more than a point from three fixtures at this or any other stage, but looking at each game individually it feels like there is some possibility. They must know this, and therefore their focus on winning at QPR should be immense.
Roll on next weekend
No, changed my mind- can’t hope for a Utd win against City. Just can’t do it.
Hard enough to see what at one stage looked like a wonderful chance of them missing out on CL for a second year (which would have put them in real danger of serious, lovely damage) slip away.
Rich, would need a Devon Loch from Chelsea, and a series of events that would cost their manager his job, it is possible, and our boys, and I guess others have to try and keep winning to hope for the best. Personally, I see Mourinho doing what comes naturally, negating tactics, kicking in front of friendly refs, negative bus parking football and limping over the line….but we shall see.
But we are showing we have the potential to be serious contenders. Unfortunately, post World Cup, injuries, bedding in of new players, injuries, what looked to me like an autumn pgmol campaign to deny us and help Utd, then injuries ….may have cost us the league this season. Also there are lessons that need to be , and I am sure will be learned in Europe for next season. And a reduction of injuries by whatever means will also help.
But this team can still finish this season on a major high.
Statistics ……we are doing rather well
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/15118/9792673/arsenal-and-lazio-joint-top-of-european-form-table
Dare to be different – the view may be spectacular !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiCzR6dr5T0
yeah… song for OZIL. Song for OZIL.
Ozil. Somethimg like the Australian OZ OZ OZ oi oi oi.
Well we already have One-nil to The Arsenal so you could always adapt it to
Ozil plays for Arsenal.
A song for Özil? For 2 seasons I have said that it should be the song “Aqualero do Brazil” song but with Özil in the place of Brazil of course.
But nobody listened to me 🙁
Ozzzy Ozzy Ozzy Oz Oz-i..- no, bleurgh, back to drawing board.
Walter’s is good. Feels like it needs something to go with it to set that bit up,though. Something with a Brazilian flavour.
I had that song stuck in my head for a long time, and I’m not sure my version- something along the lines of ‘ba ba ba baba babba boo; braaaa-zeer brasseer- meets stadium standards
We’re off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard ozil?