The full Arsenal squad for 2012/13. Now we just have to work out the first choice team.

65 Replies to “The full Arsenal squad for 2012/13. Now we just have to work out the first choice team.”

1. Szczesny not in the starting 11?

2. I am pretty certain that Bendtner will count as a homegrown player since he has been at the club since he was 16 yo. However he is likely to move

3. Bull shit,where is szcesny?nkt

4. O.o You would put Fabianski in goal before Szczesny !!!!!

5. What wolly put Fabianski as the starting goal keeper? haha you joker!

6. Why on earth will Fabianski start ahead of Szczesny!
   Also Giroud will probably start from the middle and Poldi on the left.
   Best starting eleven:
   Szczesny
   Coquelin Kos TV5 Gibbs
   Song Arteta
   Cazorla
   Ox Giroud Gervinho
   Subs: Poldi,Theo,Mert,Santos,Yennaris,Diaby
   PS: Gervingo pre season has ben great deserves a start ahead of Poldi.(Giroud starts assuming RVP goes).Wilshere, Rosicky and Sagna kept out due to injury concerns.

7. fabianski? certainly nope!

8. I’d rather we start with Theo and I’d go back to how we used to play when Dennis played and have either Podolski or Giroud playing in that role.
   We could have AOC and Theo up fornt with Podolski just behind?
   Just a thought.
   Do you think Arsene will stick all the new signings in the same team all at once?

9. What happened to sagna and szczesny. I preferred Santos to Gibbs at the left back. I wish gooners the best these season.

10. Wenger hinted at offloading Park, Squillaci and Bendtner. So, as it stands, it’s the 22 plus RVP, Chamakh and Arshavin. “Sahin or a new signing” is only possible if one of RVP/Chamakh/Arshavin leaves. “Sahin plus a new signing” OR “two new signings” is only possible if two of RVP/Chamakh/Arshavin leave. If all the three leave (which I doubt), then three more signings are possible (but very unlikely as Wenger has only around 15M of his 55M transfer kitty left).

11. Interesting player list but can you also do an arsenal home grown players list. By this I mean those players who were nurtured by arsenal for at least three years prior to their 21st birthday. I noticed that there are arguments being raised that last season and this season’s purchases signal the end of project youth. The number of arsenal home grown players will go a long way in disproving this myth.

12. Great work Tony , but I have to disagree with your inclusion
    of A N Other in the list .He is neither here nor there in my opinion and he is still undecided .
    I’m sure the fans would prefer Spendsum Fukkingmonie instead ! Last season they were calling out for him from the stands during games .Some bloggers and quite a few journos were also braying for him !

13. well for me its szczesny,Gibbs,TV5,Koscielny,coqulin,song arteta,walcott cazorla, podolski,RVP,(if he stays) but if not,Giroud

14. Wenger also hinted at introducing Podolski and Giroud slowly. So, IMO, the probable line-up for the Sunderland game should be:
    Szczesny
    Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Gibbs
    Song, Arteta, Cazorla
    Walcott, RVP, Gervinho
    Subs: Fabianski, Coquelin, Santos, Mertesacker, Diaby, AOC, Podolski/Giroud

15. 1. Sahin will only be considered if Song decides to leave. I can’t imagine Sahin (keen on playing rather than not) will want to be number 2 behind Song or number 3 behind Song and Diaby).

    2. Equally, there may not be an A. N. Other. What we’ve done this transfer window is kept the old squad – lost Vela (who wasn’t here) and Benayoun (who was) – to which we’ve then added three players. We’ve also covered ourselves for Jack’s delayed re-emergence, Rosicky’s medium-term injury and RvP actually leaving. We’ve insured against late transfer window surprises.

    3. Also consider that if RvP actually does leave we don’t get in anyone else up front as a direct replacement. We have Giroud, Podolski, and Cazorla who can fit.

    Bendtner will go even if he stays as wage demands, ego etc. may mean he’ll have to go out on loan instead of being sold.

    So, slots 23, 24, and 25 can be filled with Arshavin, Squillaci, Chamakh, RvP, or Park.

    What’s interesting is that at least two will have to leave. And that’s what this period of the transfer window is all about – who can be offloaded. Wenger probably knows this already. My money’s on Squillaci as a cert simply because he’s not travelled to Germany. But no one else is going to be brought in until players depart. The more who leave out of Arshavin, Squillaci, Chamakh, RvP, and Park – the more that can be brought in.

    And it’s also a question of balancing the books. So far we’ve spent … what … £35M and recouped just the £4M for Vela. That’s not particularly very Wengerish. And since the motley lot we’re trying to shunt off the books (save RvP) won’t amount to all that much – I can’t see a great deal happening in terms of further purchases.

    Sahin for Song perhaps – if it comes to that. No one for Robin. That seems a plausible scenario. Though not my favourite.

    In any case, we have a decent squad, as you say. And a team we can start against Sunderland that would be strong – though potentially not our strongest.

    A few things about your early line-up, though.

    He won’t play Cazorla yet, he won’t play AOC ahead of Walcott, he probably won’t start Giroud or Podolski either, and the Polish goalie may not be the person you think he is.

    Szczesny,
    Coquelin, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs
    Diaby, Song, Arteta
    Walcott, RvP, Gervinho

    And then just think of the bench.

    RvP and/or Gervinho can be interchanged with one or two of the new boys, but I doubt he’ll risk both so early.

    Other than that … good work.

16. I would go with
    Szczesny
    sagna kos TV Gibbs

    Carzola song Arteta

    Van persie podolski

    Giroud

    sub:Gervihno,walcott,chamberlain,risciky,santos,per and carl

17. You pple are speaking ’cause u’re English or British. But if we want to be title contnders wht are thse bunch of British nonsense doing in Arsenal : Gibbs, Walcott, Eastmond (a footballer?) Landsbury, oh horrowfull Ramsey (who knocked team GB out) and Bartley. Are they footbllers? Why shld Wenger sell Bentley, Alliadier and still leaves these rubbish. As far as Im concerned we dnt have a keeper beside Sczesny. All the others put 2geda in 1 match could nt stop us conceeding 5 to 10 goal even against Crew City. Pls be serious & do away wit sentiment and care D our club.

18. There is the possibility that Fabianski could go out on loan this season rather than Manone,(with Damian Martinez 3rd choice) thus freeing up another place in the 25 man squaud. Can someone answer my question? If a player goes out on loan and is not inclded in the 25 man squad, can he come back in January if another player leaves in January?

19. Why the hell is fabianski in goal???

20. well, all of these are people’s opinion.All of the above players are fantastic. what I will not like to often is Gervinho always been on the bench. Thia guy was very impressive during Arsenal Asia tour. If you did watch him during arsenal’s game in Japan. See how brilliant he was. See how he went between those defenders. Keep up your pace boy. This is your season.

21. My line up;
    Sczesny
    Sagna/ Yennaris Kos TV Santos

    Cazorla Song Arteta

    Gervinho Giroud/RVP Podolski

    Bench
    No keeper worth my mention, Jenkinson,Per,Gibbs (well) , Ox , Walcot, and the two options in my team.

22. I totally agree with u HR….U’re a real gunner

23. szczesny
    sagna koncielny vermaelen santos
    song arteta
    cazorla
    gervinho/wallcott giroud/rvp podolski

24. HR- another ITK *sighs*.

25. Szczesny
    Sagna kon TV santo
    Song arteta
    Cazorla
    Ger RVP Podo

26. Just to clarify on the goal keeper issue, I wrote the article as a draft, and in getting ready to post it had a real technical problem with the server. In unravelling that the draft got posted with the wrong keeper’s name in.

    However I must defer utterly to Brickfields – as so often is the case.

    Spendsum Fukkingmonie

    Of course – everyone asked for him as you say, so yes he should be signed.

    Curiously enough I once went out with a woman who endlessly used that phrase to me. Small world.

27. Two amusing statements I picked up trawling the web:
    “Giroud is basically Bendtner only with a decent first touch”
    &
    “Podolski is the heir-apparent to the ‘German Nutcase’ role vacated by Mad Jens.”
    I’m not convinced by Cazorla for league games but if Silva can play for MCFC in the league there’s no reason why Santi can’t.
    What’s pleasing is that there ought not to be a first choice XI now, the team to play Swansea would be highly technical and mobile, the team to play Stoke would be physically imposing.

28. Couldn’t we have some reversed OIK Tony?

    The comment from Brickfield made me LOL…. Spendsum Fukkingmonie…. LOL

    That was fun…

29. Well, I really believe Le Boss brought what he planed too, and new “in’s” are unlikely, as squad we have is, more or less squad which will start season. Players who will left, has left our thoughts long time ago, and I start believing Le Boss guessed what may happen with RvP contract talks and wanted to solve it in advance, and we got what we got (I am quite happy with it). And now we are in pretty good situation as if RvP stays it would be like complete new signings, as we all (I bet AW too) already planed without him. And who would not like to have RvP as good option in attack.

    And about Song, hm I thing songs Song sang by Barca chorus is just rehearsal for next sumer festival, and has nothing with this season thus I dont see where Sahin fits now.

30. I think Spendsum has signed for United unfortunately. His cousin, Mussellzum Playaz has signed for City.

31. i dont think any of our new players need to be eased into the epl just look at Aguero,cisse,cabaye just to name a few did well in their first season and they were thrown write into the war which is the epl

32. Is it true that Song is going to Barcelona and RVP to Man United?

33. HR,
    Imo, the 35M is not simply outlay (with only 4M back from Vela); but it’s the money for having qualified for the CL. Can you disprove that? We don’t really know, now, do we?

34. Gunner 16, the answer to your question is the same as the answer to this question:

    Is it true that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is a member of the human race?

    Answer: it is possible, but none of us really knows for sure.

35. What category is Alex Song in, now that the further Dein/Barca games have begun?

36. Hi all, seems we have so many options right now that its impossible to pick our first 11. But as we all know the first 11 will soon pick itself when we have the usual 8-9 players injured 🙁 Anyways, I see that many here seem to have forgotten about Aaron, I saw him at the Olympics and i think this season he will be back to his best, at least i thought he did better than both Cleverly and Joe Allen in midfield so if that is our backup attacking midfielder i thin our squad is in really good shape. As for the lineup for the Sunderland game i also think that AW will integrate the new signings slowly into the team so my guess is :

    Szcezny, Jenkinson, Vermalen, Kos, Gibbs, Song, Arteta, Ramsey, Gervinho, RVP, Walcott. Subs: Fab, Santos, Giroud, Pod, Diaby, Cazorla, Mertesacker

    PS! Lets hope the injuried comes fast because looking at that team we dont even have place on the bench for the likes of OX, Sagna, and Wilshere when he comes back.

    PPS! Anyone noticed that Benik Afobe scored a hat-trick for Bolton last night, the future surely looks bright!!!

37. Since I cocked up this morning with my selection, I hesitate to say anything else on this … but…. isn’t Sagna still injured?

38. Just so you know, arsenal only submitted a 22-man squad last season, they dont necessarily have to name 25 . http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/arsenal-submit-their-premier-league-squad

39. Everybody keeps saying that cazorla, giroud and podolski have cost us 35 million but this is not taking into account their contracts, and if I may, I would hazard a total cost of 12-15 million per annum (espesh as cazorla came from one of the big contract oilers).

    So this would take Arsenal’s spending into the netheregions of 50 million with only two significant wage departures in Almunia and Vela meaning a net transfer spend of circa 44 million (Vela’s fee and arsenal not having to pay their wages anymore).

    That’s alot of dough for Arsene in one summer!

    -hopefully we can shift another 5-8 million off the wage bill with more departures and hope for some money for the eventual leavers… (won’t hold my breath though)

40. @Bob, re: Song, isn’t it predictable that Farca are up to their usual tricks (likely with the aid of Dein the Lesser in the background)? It is disgusting – here’s hoping one of the banks that loaned them money come calling and demand payment … 🙂

    Re: the players listed in 1.2, is the requirement for homegrown players still a minimum of 8? If so, I wonder if Lansbury will be loaned out again – I am uncertain how he will get a chance to play ahead of the others we have in midfield (even accounting for the usual amount of injuries).

    For the players listed under 1.3, @HomeGrownGooner – you are right, it appears Wenger has said Park, Squillaci and Bendtner will be sold (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2180633/Arsene-Wenger-says-Arsenal-players-ready-new-season.html) while Arshavin’s status needs to be worked out so he may very well stay.

    Our lineup looks real deep this year and appears well positioned to withstand the rigours of a full season in four competitions. There are 2 players with either EPL or significant international experience for each position. The versatility of certain players (e.g. Coquelin) means each position also has a third backup.

41. Jacobite Gunner

    You are overlooking the European VAT Input refund of £7 millions, if it is £ and NOT €? IF The Arsenal VAT Quarter is June to August, there will not be so much VAT Output?

42. Notoverthehill,

    I’m not sure I follow you, could you elaborate on your point a little more?

    Also, after all of our summer holidays, we all no doubt have some euro’s left. We could start a Euro’s holiday donation fund for Arsenal, I’ve got about 6 Euro’s in smash after an Irish wedding weekend (which, incidentally, i’m still recovering from). 🙂

43. Jacobite Gunner,
    Is winning 3rd place so as to partake in the CL not going to produce a reliable 35 million (by most estimates) plus spin-offs in future contracts/partners/advertising/TV exposure, etc. What are you sounding an alarm for? Are you?

44. Bob,

    please read my prior post again. There are no alarms being raised, just surprised (like most) that arsene has spent so much when drawing a more prudent figure in the transfer market in the past but simultaneously, I’m exstatic with excitement due to arsene’s signings.

    My point is that I’m just observing that most posts on the blogs are saying arsenal have spent circa 35 million when in fact it’s alot more than this (I must admit that I would be a bit more ignorant to this if not for being educated by Tony and this teams blog).

    ps. I am aware of the money that arsenal will receive due to reading the Swiss Ramble and this blog regularly for the past two years (but that wasn’t my point)

45. Jacobite Gunner,
    Fair enough, mate. It’s me hearing the alarm bells, sorry.
    To spend a bit more (in a cold eyed way), our not selling RVP would mean that (a) he is kept from contributing to the Rednose XX (which I find very appealing and psychologically necessary 🙂 ); and (b) he might then care enough to stay in form which would help us go far into the CL, thereby bringing in another 35M (all things being equal) and pay for the 12M-20M loss that not moving him might incur.

46. On 5 live – that RVP to manure is all but done and dusted…dunno if it’s the ussual rumour mongering, but the manchester Evening News/Post? is running it as a done deal ! Just when I though 1 or 2 more decent defensive signings and we could challenge properly for the title…shoulda known better.I know RvP’s going but if Wenger sells him to Utd then he can go fork himself irrespective of the good players brought in already.Surely it is just a point of principle, can you imagine Lord Fergal of Fergus reciprocating and flogging his best player to us? Wouldn’t happen. Ffs for once dig your heels in (I know it’s genetic to want to surrender) and tell them to bollocks.Why not flog Sagna to the Spuds while you’re at it?IF RVP does go to manure he deserves absolute dogs abuse….he surely knows how we feel about them….same with $hitty…also he can’t claim money isn’t part of it…even though he may cite trophies as his main reason….if he wants to go fine…but let him go abroad…if not – then let him ave it both barrels at every game he turns out against us.

47. ta bob 🙂

48. Someone asked a while back about the Arsenal youth policy. Well, of the players currently contracted to the club, the following count as homegrown over-21: Sczesny, Mannone, Djourou, Gibbs, Bendtner, Lansbury, Eastmond, Ramsey, Denilson, Song and Walcott.

    What is interesting is the numbers that are coming up behind. Those that are due to become over-21 homegrown over the next few years include:

    2013: Kyle Bartley, Francis Coquelin, Conor Henderson, James Shea, Sanchez Watt
    2014: Carl Jenkinson, Jack Wilshere, Emmanuel Frimpong, Ryo Miyaichi, Damian Martinez, Ignasi Miquel, Daniel Boateng
    2015: Alex Oxlade-Chambelain, Thomas Eisfeld, Nicholas Yennaris, Chuks Aneke, Benik Afobe,

    I haven’t included all of those contracted to Arsenal. But it does mean that some spaces are going to have to be freed up in the squad list or some promising youngsters are going to have to be moved on.

49. @ultimateposeur, Dude that list is from last season.

50. Godge, All,
    Of these 17 names, how many are likely to be incorporated into the club. Right now, most are names to us, and we somehow get attached to our impressions of developing talent on limited glimpses. Is it fair to say that not more than two from each group will get into the first team? If so, that means 11 won’t make it. We wind up selling with the extra sell-on fee (or whatever it’s called) and/or lending them out before selling them. Under the newest rules, is this then the model of youth development: culling maybe 6 out of 17 for the first team? and cashing in on 11 of 17? Do the players know this as well?

51. Afraid it looks like vp will,soon have to be removed from any list of our players for next season. I hope I am wrong, but I doubt it. Usmanov, a few weeks ago issues his rant just after a vp statement, I am sure with insider knowledge. Usmanov issued a rant this week, it it a precursor to an event that he knows is about to rock the club?

52. @Mohammed Ismaeel: Your avatar suits you well, not like mine (sigh).

    Just imagine someday the Arsenal XI on the field all have the names Mohammed or Mohammad, man, that will be funny.

    @Godge: But who cares about those youngsters? We DEMAND Spendsum Fukkingmonie! Bring ‘im here! 😉

53. Does anyone remember seeing these quotes by song anywhere else, I’ve been trying to verify them but no luck, apparently he made them in the summer of 2010 (if they’re real). Originally read on
    http://justarsenal.com/arsenal-could-have-the-perfect-midfield-blend-this-year/15201

    “We know our fans want a trophy and we are very close to winning something. My message to our fans is: Believe in us. This team will get better. I am at the right club. Forget Barcelona, Arsenal is the best club. Arsenal have given me everything and I love this place. If I had to leave I would break down and cry. It’s still my dream to win the league here”

    Also found on gooner talk
    http://goonertalk.com/2012/07/16/song-contract/

54. Godge,
    If a player has been with us for three years before his 21st birthday then he is homegroen. These are the types of players clubs are being encouraged to have (develop) so there are no limits to how many of these players you can have.

    Without looking into it too deeply (I’m at work and have the facts written down at home) the 2015 list will all automatically be all clear, as will Carl Jenkinson, Jack Wilshere, Emmanuel Frimpong, Bartley, Watt and others but can’t think off the top of my head. We’ve nothing to worry about here.

55. Stuart,

    Yes, while they are under-21 they do not count towards the 25. However, eventually they have to be part of the 25. While we can expect Squillaci, Arshavin and Rosicky to be gone (on age grounds if not before) by 2015, few others in the current squad will have retired by then, so if we are to accommodate the up and coming kids, we will have to be moving others on. It will also be harder to make room for outside signings. Just makes it interesting and we have seen a lot of turnover in the last 2 years, I expect that to continue.

56. iniez,
    Right, it’s maddening that they pull this “Song quote” out of the clouds to assure us (article 1) and then attribute it to summer 2010 (article 2); but then never mention that Song took on Dein the Lesser as a representative (agent/advisor) in March of this year. To me, with no inside knowledge, that decision (to go with Double D, as his company is named) is a statement of alarming intent. Let’s get our heads around this: this predatory boy from Hampstead has now launched a two-front war that would poach us of two major assets – RVP and Song. Imo, AFC should boycott him from access and refuse to sign any player who takes up with him.

57. iniez,All
    (let me re-phrase a bit: ) As of March 2012, Dein the Lesser has put AFC in a two-front war – as an asset-stripper who would pay for his Hampstead roof-repair by exporting his Dad’s former club’s major assets to the biggest bidding behemoths in world football. He has that access and track record. He represents/advises Thierry, x-Cesc, Adebayor, Clichy, RVP and most recently Song. The common wisdom is that insanity is to continue to do the same thing whilst expecting a different outcome. If this man is allowed to strip us of both RVP and Alex Song, he will have made us his meal. It’s time for some self-respect. I know people say let them go; there’s no choice with a disgruntled player. I don’t buy it. Keep them both. RVP cannot, at his age, afford to show “diminished skills.” And Song still has TWO years on his contract. Will he show himself as THAT untrustworthy a ship-jumper that will tear up ANY contract whenever his top slimebag whispers “Jump” in his ear? Perhaps. But if either/both of them do enough that collectively gets us far into the CL, then, with this squad, we will garner the extra 35million plus that comes with a good CL finish and they will pay for their eventual departure. It will be in their interest to play well enough for a greater future payday. Then, again, Dein’s game might be to hold AFC hostage and wrest out of us a major “loyalty bonus” (his cut out of the ransom) to have them stay on one more year. As they say with lawyers, which Double D is, you know they’re lying when they move their lips. And, to top it off, whilst his Da was Mr. Arsenal, his wife is daughter of a former Mr. Spud (her father a former VP at T-Scum). In June, Arsene slated forces out there [I read Dein as one of them] that have been out to “destroy” [AW’s word] what he’s tried to build. His top youngsters – Cesc, RVP and Song – would have anchored a home grown championship squad. AW was betrayed by them; and the common denominator – Darren [Demian] Dein. The Triple D. The 666 of this perfidy. AW has had and still has the vision, imo. He deserves our backing. The Board should back him by saying yes to self-respect and fuck you to any Dein-driven push for another predatory payday at the expense of our dreams.

58. Funny, some of Arsenal fans said Song is not good enough for us, the DM that too much lost ball and get caught.

    Now Barca want him, not Yan M’villa.

59. Ong Bing,
    Yes, and part of what’s funny is that Dein the Lesser has ties to Barca via Thierry Henry and via Cesc Fabregas. That, imo, is one major reason that tapping-up attentions (Busquets and Iniesta to date) are placed on Alex Song and not on the others.

60. @Bob, full agreement. I believe DD is behind the latest Farca tapping up exercise.

    I believe the tapping up of Song at this time is tied to Wenger’s refusal to sell RVP to the first bidder (ManUre – they seem to be the only club that has acknowledged a bid while City and Juve have both danced around the issue when it has been brought up). Instead, he has purchased 3 players with great credentials and essentially blunted the hint in RVP’s letter and Usmanov’s rants about the board’s “lack of ambition to win trophies” .

    If you can get Farca to be a willing accomplice and buy Song, then RVP’s rant about his “disagreement with the future direction of the club” comes back into play and he can again force a transfer while hiding his actual motive (greed for a bigger payday) behind the old tried and true “club’s lack of ambition”.

61. We not buy the stars, we make them. Who wants to leave, then go. Arsene will always finds the replacements.

    And Arsenal will keeps forward.

62. Not sure if this is old news – if so, my apologies.

    Looks like Poldi will be taking over the no. 9 shirt. Take a close look at picture 11 from the gallery posted on http://www.arsenal.com (http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/44431/arsenal-train-in-germany-picture-special).

63. Looks like fergie a bit pissed off over arsenal trying to keep our captain, he obviously thought he could get him for only thirty pieces of silver

64. bob,
    I’m with you, joining up with damien (love’d that btw very clever) dein is quite the statement of intent. While I don’t want to crucify the lad without more proof that he wants to leave, signing up with him is like going to the proverbial “make out point”, everyone knows what happens there. Time will tell what transpires but what is becoming ever more evident is the suitability of dein’s initials, he truly is a big tit

65. Wooby,
    Also if you notice picture #10, van persie is still very much in germany, with us. What that means I don’t know, but if this picture was taken today (and I’m 99% sure it is) then he certainly isn’t on a plane to manchester as some would suggest.

    And I’m loving the photo with bouldy and tommy 😀