Be very quiet, don’t say a word. There’s good news at Arsenal

45 Replies to “Be very quiet, don’t say a word. There’s good news at Arsenal”

1. I guessing they don’t have anything to lose in adding Eboue, Bendtner, Nasri and Cesc to the list even though they might be leaving because there is enough spots to fill on that list. I have one concern. If Arsenal were to be knocked out by Udinese, that would mean our players could plan CL for another team, right? Maybe some players would prefer if Arsenal were knocked out since they might be off to play CL for City och Barca…

2. Cesc GONE.

3. Reports are starting to come in that Arsenal and Barcelona are very close to an agreement over Cesc – apparently Barca have upped their bid a bit…

4. The story Cesc Gone story is now erupting. With nothing yet official out of AFC, one early report says the deal is: 29 cash + 6 future variables (Barca’s winnings) + 5 declined departure bonuses by Cesc; another says it has these elements and is somewhere between 35 and 50M. Time will very shortly tell. Perhaps a worthy-ish replacement is in waiting.

5. hey guys!! I’m back!! 😛

   Regarding the article, it still quiet about our defensive problem…..Gervinho, Chamberlaine and Miyachi are certainly welcome additions to our squad….but our problem still lies in defence.

   An injury to any of our 1st choice defenders, and we’ll be having Squillaci comin in, which will be a disaster…..

   So the most important thing to be sorted out is still the defence…hoping some good defender is comin in and Cesc stays….if those 2 things are done then we’re good to go thru this season

6. Hi

   I fail to understand who will be our first choice wingers and who will be on bench; (assuming nasri is gone and not replaced) yet we have

   Gervinhho,Arshavin, Walcott, Ryo, Chamberlain, Vela…

   Are we just going to play through wings or what… And what if Mata also comes,… is he more of a midfielder or even he is a winger.. I think we already have cover for Nasri.. Lets see who takes Fabregas’s role if he goes.. Can it be rosicky…

7. Cesc gone nasri going chamberlain, jenkinson and gervinho in! I’m glad you’re optimistic, but even chamak says it’s embarrassing, not only haven’t replacements been brought in they haven’t even been identified! It’s time to pull your head out of the sand, or you could keep repeating the mantra, in arsene we trust, in arsene we trust, after all it’s served us well this past 6 years.

8. First of all great article!!
   Now guys i know for a fact that wenger will buy a defender or 2, he just prefers to be quiet about it because if you talk about who you want to buy you risk another club hijacking the move and secondly he wants other clubs to respect the club and not talk about our players who are under contract, so he has to do the same. So let cesc and nasri go. We need loyal players that will love and fight for the club. Thats the only way we are going to win

9. wenger should try and sign gourcourth as fabregas replacement. mata as nasri replacement and g.cahill as well as jagielka and samba and we will showly take the trophy

10. That is one seriously speedy line-up! Certainly looks like a return to faster sides of a few years back – Wenger is adapting his tactics again… perhaps the recent version of the team has been built around Fabregas’ superb passing ability – as he moves on, maybe we’re adapting to this.

    Barcelona = a disgrace, the way they’ve kept on pursuing Arsenal players over the years…

11. patience my young prince, patience 🙂

12. In the lists provided above there is no Henri Lansbury. Any information on that?

13. Maybe you wrote too early because Fabregas has now left according to reports. You are saying the signing of Chamberlain and the permit (special) granted to Miyaichi are good news, however, i am happy for that, but don’t put your hopes on 2 teenagers to carry us this season it won’t happen. We need proven talent at prem level with experience. Haven’t anyone worried that a young squad since 2006 is not getting older, but instead it is getting younger with all these new teenagers?

14. Tony, actually I have something to moan about. I am a bit peeved by the allocation situation because if all the season ticket holders gave up their seats this year, I still wouldn’t get one of my own. I have been on the list for 3 & 1/2 years and that can’t be right. Don’t get me wrong I still go to about 8 -12 games a year, but this is through my contacts. Though I haven’t been able to get tickets to cup finals or watch a Champions league home game since we have been in the competition at the Emirates.
    –

    I have been really quite angry with the people that kicked up such a fuss about the price rises and then obviously renewed their ticket anyway! If fans are so disillusioned with the direction of the club, they should vote with their feet. It is the only way the club will sit up and take note.
    –

    Booing inside the stadium just makes them look dumb and negatively affects the players. What was that uncolourful pride march really about earlier this year just before the Villa game? I am angry that they couldn’t even follow through on their threats to not renew, but could flounce about with a silly protest banner under police protection.
    –

    I think there should be some sort of facility that allows current season ticket holders to give up their seats for up to 2 years and then if they want it back, they will be placed near the top. People shouldn’t go to games out of habit, they should go because they are passionate about the Gunners. It is not right that people like me might not become season ticket holders for many years to come.

15. Gooner Gal, I agree on most of your points but just wanted to point out that tickets are still available for the Udinese home play-off game. I’m only a red member and I’m going, they have been on general sale since Tuesday too.

16. The whole transfer market has been rather quiet this summer. Neither Chelsea or United have managed to get their hands on the players they really wanted. There’s been lots of secondary targets purchased (Young, Gervinho, Lukaku) but the market for big name players is dead.
    Barcelona appear to think they’ve made some headway in cut price Cesc. We’ll see how that pans out for them…

17. Must admit I am very surprised ryo got that work permit given our history with the powers that be, talented as he is. Maybe a creeping British feel in some areas of our team are softening their stance towards us?
    The cesc is gone stuff is everywhere, along with the usual about na$ri? Ok maybe harsh on him, will take that back if he stays. It is clear something went wrong with the team spirit towards the end of the season. If the worst comes to the worst and we lose those two, as i fear we might, we will struggle to replace the quality but can maybe improve the team, even at this late stage? On that subject, I think in terms of team ethic and pure love of the game, ryo and aoc will prove excellent acquisitions.

18. The Cesc situation has to be resolved now, one way or the other. If Barca have met the price through whatever means, then it’s goodbye and thanks to Cesc. But if they haven’t then the club should make it clear that further offers will not be entertained for at least two years and Cesc will remain an at the Emirates until then. Barca can go take a hike, and sorry Cesc but stop pining for Spain and knuckle down to making yourself the best player in the Premiership.

19. I believe the entire Cesc Fabregas situation has been from the very beginning, something fabricated by the press. Or maybe it is 99% press fabrication and 1% truth.

    But, if everyday you came in to work, some journalist asked when you were leaving and for how much, do you think you might get annoyed at this never ending question, and leave?

    I hope he doesn’t leave. I’ve rode pine for teams as an amateur, and never liked it. He can do better at Arsenal. But, if all the journalists in the UK trying to make their living decide that he has to move so that they can continue to write crap stories, it looks like he is probably going to move.

    I wish him well, and I hope he doesn’t end up riding pine (hopefully Xavi spends all his time riding pine).

20. Oh, a related question. Why did Ramsey get substituted at/before half time for Wales? Ramsey is one of the players that might be expected to step in Cesc’s shoes, so to speak. I don’t think anyone can step into anyone else’s shoes, a replacement happens and things adapt (or die).

    Some silly news article suggested Arshavin could step into Cesc’s shoes. Opinions on that? Other people?

21. I am so disappointed about everyone renewing their tickets… If new fans were to come in I would have a small hope that our number one problem could be solved. That is the embarrassing “support” at the Emirates.

22. @ John, thanks for the heads up! I have been trying to get online, but keep getting an error message. I wonder if anyone else is experiencing this?

23. @ Phil23 I totally agree. A few years ago the lower rounds of the Carling Cup matches weren’t that popular with a lot of the season ticket holders which meant they were on general release and quite cheap. The atmosphere in those games were really good. There was loud cheering non stop for the youth players and no abuse. The atmosphere at the Emirates could be a lot better.

24. Do not think arshavin is athletic enough to step into the shoes of a fully firing cesc, although our Russian does obviously have his strengths.
    If cesc goes, cannot see wenger paying the extra for mata, wonder if he could go for the likes of erikson?
    IF this sadly is the end our our captains career, please let the end now be swift so we can move on and bring in at least somebody who will provide some good news for the players and fans

25. Cesc is gone! To think that there might possibly be any other conceivabble outcome is just pure denial and failure to face reality. Samir seems most likely to go too. At least he had the decency to be prepared to see out his contract.
    Is it just me or does anybody else feel totally and utterly betrayed by our former Captain? He signed a 5 year contract just a year ago and in doing so gave an undertaking to abide by it in return for security that his future for that period was safe. How many these days would wish such employment terms? Yet he blatently puts a gun to the club’s head and in conjunction with his Barca mates, engineered a situation wherby he can simply tear up an agreement and walk away. And fools like us are supposed to feel grateful for him gracing us with his presence for the last number of years? This man can have no honour and his betrayal should be held to light and not glossed over in some vain attempt to avoid acknowledging the fact that Arsenal FC have been totally humiliated by this man (and several others over the years). He’s no hero of mine and his God given and Arsenal nurtured talent should not cover up the fact that he has betrayed us.
    Modern day footballers seem to really believe the hype of their own celebrity and think they are somehow exempt from basic values thatthe rest of society take as normal.
    The Emporer has no clothes!!!! (and seems to have precious little to boast about). I hope the Barca bench is very comfortable.

26. Shush!, is anybody listening?, “no”? good, then everything is normal.
    Word to Oxlade….button it. You are a seventeen year old new comer and the media can be very unfriendly, don`t make it easy for them, keep your opinions to yourself for a while.

    Likewise Chamakh. You`re not exactly a Pele, when you are we`ll listen, until then let the manager do the talking.

    There`s too much player chatter in general and the scumbags with a pencil behind their ear are only to eager to make a quid at their expense.

    `Twitter` and `Facebook` are extremely dangerous tools as we have seen recently in Englands cities. As we were warned during the war, “loose talk costs lives”, think about it.

27. I’m not really sure about the Cesc is gone thing. As far as I can see the source is Ballague (or whatever it is written) again. Yes again because it is the umpteenth time that he has written something like that. Now it could be true because one day it will happen but still when I see his name coming up in such a story I have my doubts.

    I think last season he wrote/said those things 3 or 4 times during the summer.

    And also maybe Barcelona is hopeful but is this also the opinion of Arsenal? Barcelona can hope a lot even we give him for free as they expected once but let us be calm and wait for Arsenal.com to tell us what is really going on.

28. I firmly believe Barcelona are trying to stop Arsenal growth because we’re the only team in this whole universe who can beat Barcelona in their own game. Henry, Hleb, Cesc and many of them before went to Barcelona from Arsenal were Pivotai and went in a damaging way for the Players and Arsenal.Barca fears US.
    I remember Guardiola saying proudly that he want the best Arsenal team to face them in Camp Nou. But when Arsene Wenger suddenly named Van Persie out of no where, he was like, perplexed “Now, they might drop Walcott in a parachute”. This is their time, but with good English players coming up Arsenal will make England Proud across the footballing spheres.

29. Speaking as one who never reads the sports pages of the newspapers and never listens to 5live or Talkshit radio and who generally takes a break from footy blogs in the close season I am very happy with the summer.
    Looking forward, as ever, to the new season. Be great to see us challanging yet again at the very top of the most highly competetive club competitions around and if we win one even better.
    I see we’ve signed some new talent, which is hugely exciting and TV & Frimpong regaining fitness is the best news of the close season. Great days to be an Arsenal fan.

30. eboue was gone a month ago. It’s all bullsh*t. U should not believe in press nowadays.

31. To be honest wether Cesc goes or stays its neither here no there. I for one feel besides our porous defence we also lack striker who have killer instincts in front of goal. So we have more speedy wingers, but that will not score goals for us. I am sorry to say the Bendtner is not a striker in my books.we have a good enough midfield without Cesc but where is our goals going to come from. VPersie can’t be the only regular scorer in front..

32. Karl,
    Fully agree on the need for a killer striker/poacher up front (our brilliant, but injury-prone RvP – or any one striker – has shown to be too easily shut down by opponents); and also there’s the need for quality depth in the backline (as there’s not yet enough on the left and no cover if TV goes down – and he’s supposed to be Gibbs left-side cover if he goes down with injury). Whatever has been proven statistically about our being the best open field defense (goals-against-wise) in the EPL, there’s the blatant evidence of Squillaci’s inadequacies and our set piece frailties. Where I don’t agree is that if/when Cesc finally leaves (as seems shortly), we have a creative black hole to compensate for and a LOT of money to splash to do it. That s-word is not the most popular but we now have the dosh and must fill the several gaps that you and I just mentioned and throwing names and potential and in years to come at those gaps seems to me to be a needless concession on the part of some fans to defend against justifiable anxieties that, in this moment, we’re in danger of falling outside the top 4. We shall now see what seems to be a hard won 35-50 million euro(?) war chest can get us for this remaining silly season.

33. p.s. in part I’m saying above that with any Ce$c return, we should not be defeatist nor timid nor knee-jerk frugal, but reinvest it 1:1 in new acquisitions for both top rank and quality depth additions to meet the above needs; and, not to pretend to ourselves that we have enough midfield creativity.

34. Sorry Walter, but Cesc IS gone, if not legally on paper he’s certainly a Barca player in his mind. If he intended to honour his contract like a decent man would do, he could end this nonsense in a heartbeat. One interview saying he’s commited to Arsenal and all could get on with preparing for Newcastle.
    Sadly our not too devoted captain is waiting for Barca to bring him home. Contracts and by extension player’s word or their personal honour mean nothing in this sleazy world of modern football we’ve allowed to come into being. Hero’s and decent role models are a much rarer commodity these days and it gives me no joy to say it but Cesc is certainly far short of the mark.

35. I’ve got to love the Cesc denial on both sides. Same thing with Nasri.
    God help those two, who obviously want to keep their options open to see where the club is going. Nasri doesn’t want to be tied down to a long contract without seeing some progress from the rest of the team.
    Cesc obviously doesn’t want to burn his bridges with Arsenal or Barcelona and is biding his time and keeping his mouth shut.

36. Woolwich Peripatetic,
    Further on to your comment on Cesc/Samir. Cesc may be keeping his mouth shut, but his not burning his bridges is in fact undermining our preparation and trades. Objectively it’s both his right and it’s bad for our team – especially as we are but a few days from the season and the merciless opening schedule, as you know. Cesc works through his agent, Dein the Lesser, and by not openly disavowing his Barca playmates who have sung the siren songs to him all summer long. So, to many at Arsenal, he has squandered his captaincy and lost legitimacy.

    Now even a blind man must love his skill-set; and given those, who could not feel like a lover spurned. It’s all too human, this saga; plus a psychodrama set between two fathers (Arsene and/or the Barca-Dad). But I’d say let’s not equate this soap opera with him being so “clever” and “not burning his bridges.” By his perhaps understandable stance, imo, he’s actually done a lot of bridge-charring with a lot of the fanbase. So, to that extent, I think he’s no fool and in fact has built a bridge too far, so hasta la vista Capitan. My hope would be to take no less than 35M and Alcantara off his suitors. But that’s just the price I’d like to salve my wounds. Wonder what your further thoughts are?

37. @ Dec I agree. I have kept quiet on the Cesc saga because it initially looked like he would stay one more year. Since his head has been completely turned I think he deserves all the criticism he is getting.

    –
    Ever since the WC, Cesc realised he was a huge global star and started behaving differently. One of his previously defining characteristics was his humility and level headedness, which went out the window and it showed in his game on the pitch. He strutted around acting the big shot and making questionable decisions. An example of this was the Spuds game when he went into the ‘wall’ and raised his hand, conceeding a penalty.
    –

    I questioned why he didn’t help organise the rest of the players or communicate what he was doing, a player of his size wasn’t the most effectual and then when he raised his hand to protect himself I was livid. Every football player knows that when you volunteer for the wall, you could potentially get in a painful area – but you have to take the pain and play on.
    –

    Even if he wanted to leave, he could of done it in a more respectable manner. Cesc wants to be with his friends so him and Darren Dein have fed the English media this whole summer along with Barca, stories to keep the pressure on. Cesc has behaved like a petulant child in all of this. Of course in the eyes of some, this is all ludicrously Arsenal & Arsene Wenger’s fault. Cesc engineered a situation where we were unable to get his true market value while refusing to join in pre season and demanding to leave. Darren Dein has worked hard to get him out of this contract and it looks like it has fianlly paid off.

38. @ Bob I agree. Damn! I should of refreshed my page.

39. Gooner Gal,
    Until we (who are forever kept in the dark by those in the monies) find out otherwise, I fully agree. He’s burnt an emotional bridge with so many by being so passive aggressive – saying nothing to be the “good boy” but doing damage by either not calling off the Barca-boyz who serenade him with their siren songs while, given the media echo chamber, demoralize the Arsenal fanbase that have so adored him. He’s no more immune to Celebrity, alas, than so many others.

40. @bob,
    It seems blatantly obvious that Barca don’t really want Cesc, the poll in the Catalan paper, their negotiating tactics, their naming of their number one target and successful purchase thereof, these all point to a half hearted effort to acquire his services.
    On the other hand, Cesc Fabregas for £25 million? What team is going to pass that offer up?
    So if you’re Cesc; they’ve not come in for you with a massive offer, you could totally ruin your career at Arsenal by handing in a transfer request, you’d like to go home but not to sit on the bench, what the hell do you do? You give a half hearted interview with the Spanish press which doesn’t settle the issue but hopefully reassures both sides as much as possible, then you put your feet up and wait it out. Best option in his mind, Barca come in with a no questions asked £40 million bid. Second best option, stay at Arsenal. Third, do a Hleb. I’m sure Hleb can tell him all about the ice cream in Birmingham…

41. Cesc is just a pawn in a bigger game. A shiny trinket for Barca that will be forgotten in a year or two. Cesc has made his bed and now has to lay in it (even if it is a bed of nails). If he thinks his Catalunia roots will stop him from being treated badly by Barca, he should have a chat to Bojan, now at Roma.

    In my opinion Cesc isn’t and never will be an Arsenal Legend.

42. Gooner Gal,
    if Cesc leaves he will be classified in the category: could have been an Arsenal legend.

43. However there are reasons to be cheerful in this situation.

    1. The team has been set up around Cesc for a long time now and it was’nt a winning situation.
    .
    2. In RVP we have a settled leader on and off the pitch. He talks to and has time for all the players – even the reserve ones.
    .
    3. All the other players at the club now have a bigger chance to shine.
    .
    4. Darren Dein’s influence at the club is diminished.
    .
    5. We can put this irritating situation behind us.
    .
    6. It is far more important to have the potter than the clay, i.e we still have the manager that ‘made’ Cesc at the club.
    .
    7. Arsene Wenger is actually the real life MacGyver of football. I can’t wait to see what he is going to put together this time round.

44. @ Walter I agree.

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