Ryo, Bartley, Cesc, Nasri, Jagielka, Mata; the new line up and the back up team.

Untold Arsenal on Twitter @UntoldArsenal

By Tony Attwood

We’ve been debating the work permit situation of Ryo, and the information seems to be that there is no “mother born in Belgium” loophole, and he does need one (a permit that is).  So Arsenal are now applying for one.

It is interesting that we tried to do the same with Wellington, but failed (he’s now earning his passport in Spain) but Wellington was not getting so much exposure as Ryo in the first team.  Either Ryo is a far better player and really ready to step up, or else the club has learned its lesson.

On the reserve front it seems that (according to Young Guns Blog) Kyle Bartley is being offered a new contract, but Connor Henderson is out for about six months with the dreaded pre-season injury.  James Shea has gone to Dagenham for a year’s loan while Tony Roberts of Dagenham has retired and is now Arsenal’s reserve goalkeeper coach.

On the transfer front everyone seems to think we are buying Jagielka from Everton, and Mata from Valencia, losing Fábregas to a team that won’t be able to afford his wages, but keeping Nasri.  JET has gone to Ipswich, with apparently the usual big sell on clause.  That means he will probably end up at Tottenham, and we will make a fortune.

According to the papers who have undoubtedly been tapping everyone’s phone in order to get the latest from a load of people who make up messages and leave them on each other’s phones,  Cesc Fábregas is going to Barca which leaves Nasri playing in central midfield for one more year, then to be replaced by Ramsey.

So that would all told give us Gervinho, Carl Jenkinson, Ryo, Jagielka and Mata in, and Clichy and Cesc out.  The backup to a Jagielka bid would be Samba or Cahill.   In central defence then that would leave us with Jagielka and Vermaelen.

Mata would then play on the left while being an option for the middle if Nasri and Ramsey were both injured.  Van Persie plays in the middle and Gervinho on the right.  Theo and Ryo then become the alternative players.

That makes the team now look like this all told…

One of the Polish pair

Sagna Vermaelen Jagielka Gibbs

Wilshere  Song

Nasri

Gervinho Van Persie  Mata

Back up players also all in place in every position

The other Pole

Carl Jenkinson, Laurent Koscielny, Djourou, Traore

Frimpong

Rosicki, Ramsey

Miyaichi,  Chamakh, Walcott

Not accounted for in all this are Carlos Vela,  Andrey Arshavin, Squillaci, Mannone.   That would probably put Arshavin on the bench much of the time, which could be a very effective ploy, bringing him on, on 60 minutes.

One interesting point, if you look at the earlier Wenger years when players like Pires, Henry, Ljunberg, Wiltord and the like came in, the manager did not play most of them straight off – in fact the only one I can remember (without checking the records, so don’t call me a dolt if I have got this wrong) who actually came in and started playing straight away, (after a first month injured) was Patrick Vieira.

So we could well see the new players gradually introduced and the whole situation being very fluid.

I think this must be one of the strongest line ups in a long time, not just looking at who is going to play in the first XI but what we have in reserve to cover for us.

Of course there is still time for others to leave (and of course the predictions here might not be right), but that really does look to me like two squads and then some.

All power to the clubs: let the revolution begin

Star players don’t come to Arsenal because Arsenal are straight

We’ve got our own column in the Arsenal official programme this season!

48 Replies to “Ryo, Bartley, Cesc, Nasri, Jagielka, Mata; the new line up and the back up team.”

  1. I must admit that this (if all the signing work out) will be a formidable force to be reckoned with. All it took was a couple of top signings and the team to stick together and now its time to take over the world. (lol) all jokes aside this looks like the strongest arsenal team since the invincibles.(Please lord let these to last signings happen) If you get your men mr wenger then finally arsenal have a very bright future. top four more like top 2

  2. Like this article!..very likely Arsenal lineups for the next season!…hope it will be materialised..

  3. i would have taken this hands down before the transfer window, however, we may still be exposed by set pieces and at left back… but, a major reason of a collapse at the end was due to a lack of strength in depth, and we are certainly not lacking that here. this would be good, and buying mata and jags (although not mine, or probably anyone elses first choice) would be pretty good business

  4. buying pereira, which although is a dream, would send me into a flowing, 60 odd minute orgasm to add to this squad

  5. If Nasri leaves then Cesc stays. If Cesc leaves and Nasri doesn’t sign the contract he will also leave end of.

  6. The left back in both the teams mentioned looks weak…..

    Attacking options are good….but i still think its necessary to hold on to Cesc…. Jus look at the difference in the assists stats of Cesc and Nasri, and you’ll kno why we need Cesc much more than Nasri….

    Other than that and our left back, our squad looks strong…. But then again, i hope we have changed the way we attack or defend set pieces….thats gonna be a major point this season…

  7. You have also left out diaby eboue bendtner almunia afobe lansbury. i just really hope we do not go for jagielka. for a little bit more we could get samba and mertesacker.

  8. With cb, i am ok, LB is my problem, get baines nd we ar done. Nasri in cecs role wil do a lot of nothing. The wings made nasri best player coz he cant giv killer pass. If he dare leaves, he wil rot on bench.

  9. It is of course always possible that another left back will come in; I was only meaning in this article to reflect on what we have and what seems likely with all the talk. There’s no deep insight from me beyond that.

    I would say that at centre back you have to remember that last season we didn’t have Vermaelen, and sometimes not Djourou either, and my overall point is that in virtually all positions if we get hit by a series of injuries we have a fair level of backup.

    Maybe not at left back, true, but there’s still the problem that just saying, “let’s have x” doesn’t mean x wants to leave.

    Funny thing is though the person people are saying is too weak is the England left back.

  10. @Dark Prince : Totally agree. I feel our weakness in defense is not the lacking of talent or skill but communication, chemistry or mentality. When being attacked by open play, we are quite good, but when it comes to set pieces, we looks so nervous and vulnerable.

  11. @bc, I think Eboue, Bendtner and Almunia would be leaving in a near future. And, Diaby, Afobe, and Lansbury would add to the list of players on the bench.

  12. BC….

    Diaby I left out because I have no idea what is happening to him, how big his injury is, and what Mr Wenger thinks about him

    Eboue is going to Turkey, Bendtner to Portugal, Almunia somewhere, and Afobe I don’t think is quite ready yet – especially with this line up available.

    Lansbury I think sadly is on the way out, deemed not quite good enough, after he failed to get into the Norwich team towards the end of last season.

    If there are some more players to add from the youngsters I would look at the under 20 world cup and add Coquelin and Sunu, who are both out of the Arsenal teams because they are playing there.

    In relation to your point, “i just really hope we do not go for jagielka. for a little bit more we could get samba and mertesacker.” I think this is where the whole debate on who we get in goes wrong. These players are not all sitting there able to leave their clubs just at the drop of a few more pounds. They are under contract, may not want to come, may have a manager and board who won’t sell, or may be asking for wages that are just so crazy, it would break the club apart.

  13. Tony, can I deduce from your article that you think Jagielka should be selected ahead of Kos and JD?

  14. Cape Gooner, no, I really don’t know about Kos. Personally I rate Djourou very highly, but I am not sure what the boss thinks here. We have had so many injuries in the past few years that I think we need ALL these players, but of course we never see who can play well together, because we never see them in training.

    So it is never “who is the best” but rather, “which pair can play well together”. I think there is a lot more to come from Kos and I would personally keep him in as the backup behind Vermaelen and Djourou, but the manager says we are buying a new central defender, so maybe not…

  15. squad shud be
    szesney
    sagna jagielka vermalean gibbs
    song
    fabregas nasri
    gervinho mata
    van persie
    bench
    fabianski
    kosielney
    djourou
    wilshere
    ramsey
    walcott
    chamakh

    rest are fringe players..

  16. Thanks for the article and thanks to all the fans around who now seem to be sticking together despite the media trying to divide us.
    I like doing these team selections so here’s my Manager for a minute line up.

    Schezney

    Sagna (New centre back) Konciesky Vermalen

    Song

    Wilshere Nasri
    Gervinio Mata
    RVP
    This is our Strongest team for Europe and the playing the better premier league clubs. When we need a goal we change it for the last half an hour.

    Schezney

    Sagna (New centre back) Konciesky Vermalen

    Wilshere

    Arsharvin Nasri
    Miyo (run, attack and cross) Theo
    RVP

    Now what are the problems there? You may say Konciesky but towards the end of last season he was improving and I believe he will get better. The Verminator will make him look good any way and with Strong Song as the holding defensive midfielder that is a solid bo nonsense team full of goals. If by some voodoo we don’t score we can get the pace of Walcott and Miyo on the flanks with Arsharvin there just for the trickery and by jove we’ve got a couple more goals. I see a problem. If RVP is unfit what the hell will we do for a striker. Please don’t say Chamack. I suppose Vela but I think I need to ring AW and ask him if he is contemplating purchasing a striker also

  17. iwud wish this will happen;here is my dream team
    Keeper one of the Poles
    Sagna
    Jagieka
    Verminator
    Enrique
    Song
    Wilshire
    Nasri
    Van Persie
    Gervinho
    Benzema

  18. I Just called AW and he said that he didn’t see the problem as he has Chamack there. I said ‘mate no one is scared of Chamack even Bentner is better than him’. So I said have a think about it mate and come back to me. To be honest when he get’s like that I just leave him to get on with it. He can be so touchy about things like that.
    Here’s my team for not so big clubs

    Schezney
    Sagna Samba Vermalen Gibbs

    Walcott Song Nasri Wishere Gervino
    Chamack(if I Must)

    I think Samba is the rock we need going away from home. Just looking at the dude would motivate and give the kids some confidence. However I’m not sure if he is world class. But it would be worth getting him for league games and of course he is better than Squilachi. If we bought 2 defenders I would start to get exited for Arsenal. 2 defenders, Mata and a forward would see me pass out and then wake up when we have won the league and fa cup. I really do think it is that simple. The right 4 players and the world is our oyster. I have tries to tell Wenger this on so many occasions I’ve even had a frogs leg supper around his house discussing the matter but he is insistant that he doesn’t want to upset the balance of the side by bringing too many faces in. He says all they need to do is believe. Fair play mate but I believe we need 4 more players. Then we could just strengthen in areas when we need to and bring the youth through. He mumbled something that sounded like murde and then we spoke about wine and onions.

  19. gd article tony.4 me,if we sign the targeted players,my squad will be as following:
    -any pole
    -sagna(carl),kos,jagielka,verm(gibbs,traore)
    -song,wishere,nasri
    -gervinho(walcott),rvp,mata

  20. My opinion here is that Arsene should go ahead & make his signings done & dusted on time, so that d team would blend 2geder b4 d season kick-starts.

  21. I always enjoy reading your blog much better than some of the other anti Arsenal rubbish, I think Jagielka will be played as a utility defender and most likely to be utalised as a left back or sent on as a defensive midfielder to protect a lead,Jagielka although not the most tallented footballer is a very versatile player who can play virtually all positions (he has covered in goal)I believe he is a fine ‘squad’ addition if it comes off.

  22. Don’t count your signings before they appear on the dot com.. Ever… Especially as an Arsenal fan 🙂

  23. Shard: I did say

    “On the transfer front everyone seems to think…”

    I never count myself as part of ‘everyone’. Hence “untold” – I try to keep the site doing and saying things that other people don’t do and say. Not always possible, but generally it is.

    But if we do make these signings, I wonder what the trolls will say next…

  24. Tony

    Yes I know.. But ‘everyone’ may not see the subtle difference.. I put the 🙂 for a reason. Let’s hope those signings happen, but I’m not going to be celebrating them till then. To be honest though, I’ve been thinking about the squad if they (and Miyaichi) do come, just like the article. So no problems there.

    As for the trolls, if they can suggest Wenger only got LUCKY with the titles and unbeaten season earlier, I’m sure they can come up with something entertaining. Probably how Cahill is better and Wenger’s an idiot not to pay the 17m, or how we should have bought Hazard instead. They are always a barrel of laughs those trolls.

  25. Now if Jagielka comes. And that is with the big IF because as long as it hasn’t been on arsenal.com I will not sell my chickens or count my skin….or whatever…. 😉
    But if he comes I would like to point at my article from a few weeks ago http://blog.emiratesstadium.info/archives/13027

    And compare this with the words of Wenger that they would be working on their defending dead balls and that Everton had the best defence last season against dead balls…. So statistically Jagielka would be the best choice (and he is English and this will count with the refs)

    The only worry I have is that the news has come out in the open and this is unlikely for Arsenal transfers or… just before they come to a conclusion.. let’s hope the last thing is on.

  26. Two great line-ups there.

    I’m a little concerned about the central striker position. Most of the season I think that Gervinho and Chamakh will be adequate cover for RvP but i’m concerned that both of these will be at the African Nations Cup in Jan/Feb. We have Walcott I guess but he’s not going to be able to perform the same role as RvP. Maybe Afobe will be given a chance, or we’ve got another unknown signing on the way.

    …Or maybe, instead of Jagielka, Wenger will opt for Samba, after all, he’s played up front for Blackburn before. hehe

  27. If Walcott is fit,he will walk into the team hands down….He is better than gervinho and he will play ahead of mata till mata settles down in england….

  28. Really hoping we dont buy jag, Ver and Kos are similar type of players, Jag is also of the same mole and more injury prone than them both. We need a tall big CB to give the defense line a solid look i a not a fan of english expensive players, but CAhill and Samba would be better.

    Although if both get several games together KOS and VER will become legends

  29. I hope its the other way around.
    That the players arrive but Nasri goes this summer and that cesc stays one more year.
    As a club we cant allow players of Nasris value to walk for free and while cesc has shown years of loyalty/honesty to the club Nasri has a long way to go on that front.
    Then perhaps allow Cesc to go next season and bring in Hazard.
    That would make more sense to me in both financial and footballing terms.

  30. Walter, if those chickens are headless you’ll have a hard time getting your expected transfer fee.

  31. thats the teams i would of said aswell

    but we can see on both of them that the left back is weak looking at the likes of cole,evra,and even clicky at city now
    gibbs is no where near on there levals and what i have seen from him in this few games so far is POOR. he plays more of a winger we need a solid denfece

    looking at that front 4 all i can say it wooow
    they will destroy deffence and about needed fab assist
    gervinhio and mata provid alotttttt of assists and they also score something that fab dose not do.

    and i think this season its veryy imporatn that we have that back up team coz already we have injours last season we had the likes of bentner, denilson, arshavin to replace the injour and they was just not good enuff.

    but i would be more then happy to start the season of with that fist eleven

  32. and if i may say i do agree with indiangunner

    it’s hard to leave walcott out he does get alot of stick but he is a nightmare for defenders.he is getting better and better starting with him on the bench would stop his progress and last season in all fairness he was actuuly great scord a decent amout but most of all walcott dose creat chances and i think he works well with v perse up front who can keep up with him.

  33. If my short-term memory serves me correct, a few of us (that us includes me) suggested Sceszny as number 1 keeper early on last season – and were strongly poo-pooed. This year at least one of us dares to suggest Gibbs as number 1 left defender.

    My only fear is that early success for Master Gibbs might turn him into another Cole – but I reckon it’s worth the risk (again).

  34. Hi Tony, does it really matter who comes in at centre back if we continue playing a high line and leaving the defence exposed? should we not push Song forward a sit Kos or a.n.other defensive midfielder in front of the back 4? A good DM who sits in front of the defence and gets vertigo when passing the half way line would strengthen our spine, as it appears Song wants to be more of a box to box player.

  35. We still have the issue of the 25-man squad. As we pretty much are immune to the max 17 “not-homegrown” rule, I´ll not list that as an issue here.
    25-man squad (born before 1 Jan 90). Currently 23 players but some are likely to be sold or loaned out;
    Almunia, Fabianski, Mannone,
    Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Djourou, Squillaci, Traore, Gibbs,
    Diaby, Rosicky, Song, Arshavin, Fabregas, Nasri, Eboue,
    van Persie, Bendtner, Vela, Chamakh, Gervinho, Walcott,

    Born after 1 Jan 90 but will probably, or should, get 1st team action (PL, CL, CC, FA Cup)
    Szczesny, Jenksinson, Ramsey, Wilshere, Frimpong, Lansbury, Eastmond, Miyaichi, Afobe, Yennaris, Bartley, Aneke, Henderson, Miquel, Coquelin, Hoyte

    Based on these players, we have an abundance of top quality MF and Strikers but are probably lacking in experience as CB/DM as well as LB. We can bring in 2 experienced players before releasing anyone in the current squad.

  36. Just like to point out that although wenger doe not do things the conventional way- i am still shocked that of our two “unsettled” players- everybody assumes that mata would be bought to replace fabregas, surely a left winger would be to replace nasri- even in the world of football manager it kind of makes sense right? there doesn’t seem to be doubt in anyone’s mind though. Joel Campbell? you know left winger? yes… think on it who were the club looking to replace? if you are running on sweat and not sniffing petrol, i am paraphrasing here, you might go so far as dismissing jagielka as a red herring as well.

  37. @Hadley

    My Spanish isn’t the best, but as far as I could figure out, what was said that he WILL sign with Arsenal. Not that he already had.. I could be wrong about this, but that is what I could make out.

  38. “There are 2 types of clubs.. those that run on sweat, and those that run on petrol. We run on sweat.”

    :):)

  39. My Spanish is not great, but the lead story on front page of today’s El Pais concerns the jailing of former Barça chairman, José Luis Núñez Clemente, who was in post for over 20 years (1978-2000) for what appears a mix of tax evasion, bribing tax inspectors, and forgery in connection with building inspections related to his property empire.

    Núñez and his son have gone down for six years each, while a former director of FC Barcelona, Eduardo Bueno, has been sentenced to two years.

    This seems to be a massive, many-tentacled scandal – not unlike the UK’s current police/media/security services/political ferment over Murdoch – that has afflicted much of Cataluyna since the case was first brought in 1999.

    More than a mess, it would seem.

    http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/Condenado/anos/corrupcion/expresidente/Barca/Jose/Luis/Nunez/elpepiesp/20110729elpepinac_2/Tes

  40. @walter

    I hope you know that it is Wenger that said that 🙂 I didn’t put his name there because I assumed everyone would have seen the press conference.. So ya.. Another one of Wenger’s awesome quotes, and it definitely deserves a place on the site.

    The pres conference was very interesting actually. I don’t think Wenger has been so.. ummm.. open and frank before. At least recently. He refused to talk about players who may or may not be coming in, but was quite willing to talk about Cesc, Nasri, even Lansbury, and I don’t know, he just seemed more honest and in a way, happy about it. I quite enjoyed it.

  41. Yeah I knew it was Wenger. I think only Wenger could come up with such a line…
    And I don’t want to be disrespectful to you at all but if it would have been your line I don’t think I would have suggested it. But if you would have come up with it yourself then I sure would praise you for it as it sums up the situation in a great oneliner.

  42. @walter

    LOL..No disrespect there at all.. I was just worried that you, or someone else, might have thought that I was claiming that as mine. Even though I thought you knew, just wanted to be sure 🙂 Man, I wish I had thought of it though. It’s brilliant..

  43. yes, it is one of these lines that you think afterwards: why didn’t I come up with this.
    But then again we have to bow our head to le prof… only he can make such quotes that can live for a long time in fact… unless the petrol runners run out of fuel…

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