The club that changed football
By Tony Attwood
When the transfer regime changed so that instead of being able to transfer players at end time from May to March the following year, over to the current two-window system, I wondered how all the papers that thrived on daily transfer rumours would cope.
The answer was: business as usual. The window shuts but the rumours carry on – as odd and as inaccurate as ever – as if transfers are being done all the time.
But now, for the first time, there is a story doing the rounds that is being so highly hyped and reported so strongly in places that don’t normally go in for such things, that I just wonder if it is real.
It is that Mr Wenger wants another forward – and will buy him in January.
Forwards in January make me think of a certain gent who went a-wandering to Man City, Real Mad and Tottenham H. (Actually I am working from memory here but I am sure Adeb was a Jan transfer). And much as I dislike him for his subsequent actions, he was a great forward in his day.
But he’s the last big name January transfer I can think of for Arsenal. So, why another one now?
Last season we could have come a cropper if RVP had been injured – this season we seem to have more options – especially with the unexpected move of Gervinho to centre forward. But then again, we are now in the season of consecutive African Cups in January, and that’s another thing I don’t know – how many players are we going to lose to Africa in the new year? (Help me out here someone).
The word is that when playing 4-2-3-1 we only have Olivier Giroud who can operate that way as the one. I am not sure that is right – and anyway we can change systems if need be. And Theo might still be a centre forward. But even so, that’s the word on the street. But perhaps Mr Wenger is not yet convinced Giroud will make it, or will make it enough this year to challenge for the title.
Names being mentioned for the Arsenal January transfer include
- Fernando Llorente,
- Adrián López,
- Robert Lewandowski
- Stevan Jovetic
There is also Dazet Wilfried Armel Zaha of Palace – another winger – but maybe someone thinks that he too could move into the centre. And he has chosen to play for England rather than Ivory Coast so he won’t go away in January.
But looking at this list I think: apart from the names I’ve already listed from our squad what about Lukas Podolski? Is he really only good playing wide and running in? I think he looks better in the middle.
Within the squad we have Bendtner and Ju-Young Park who are both on loan and whose return to Arsenal seems unlikely, and the mysterious total loss of form of Marouane Chamakh makes him seem an unlikely prospect also.
Unless of course it is all a blind and we are going to use the new notion of the False Number 9 and push Santi Cazorla even further forwards. But that surely would take away the sensational way he is playing… unless one created a midfield of Diaby, Wilshere and Arteta with Cazorla in front of them… but no that is getting too bizarre. Cazorla hasn’t done anything like that before – either with Malaga or Spain. Anyway, he’s not very tall.
So what is going on?
As usual I don’t have a clue.
- How does one value football clubs vs players?
- Mannone, what a difference 10 months can make
- How Far How Fast
- Comparing the seasons after 7 games
- October becomes Rebotco, Keown’s son plays, as trends reverse at Arsenal
I suspect this entire story is the product of bored journalists operating in the vacuum of the interlull looking for a new way to destabilise the flighty internet fanbase.
You’ll note I describe the internet fanbase as flighty. This is because evidence within the stadium would indicate strongly that those who actually get to games have a rather more iron constitution.
Maybe some journalist want Giroud to fail. So making up stories about Wenger wanting to buy another centre forward are stories to spread doubt in to Giroud his mind? And a forward who doubts himself will not score.
Maybe it is a way to bring unrest in the team now that it seemingly is starting to gel nicely and with a nice team spirit around?
I do think the last important January buy we did was Arshavin by the way. Well I remember even Wenger putting him on as centre forward against Stoke at home a few seasons ago. 😉 Another option.
We need another out and out striker imo Giroud looks good but it’s about having competition for places.
Llorente looks most likely because of his situation and the clubs debts might be possible to do a deal in January rather than them getting zero in the summer.
Hope Kozzer injury is not so serious fecking internationals 🙁
Column inches to fill + the £36 million declared profit = feverish speculation.
For me, Podolski works better on the left. It’s funny because Gervinho looks like a winger but is best in the middle and Poldi looks like a CF but is better as a wide forward.
I have also seen Falcao linked with Arsenal several times recently. All this speculation is designed to attract hits by way of misleading headlines, and of course we fans, eager for any Arsenal news especially transfer related, swallow it eagerly. The content of these ‘reports’ is full of the usual ‘it is thought’, ‘it is reported’ etc usually from ‘unnamed sources within the club’ or the notoriously unreliable Spanish media. I am afraid we fans are our own worst enemies, why do we always rise to the bait.
Arsen is known not to be a fan of January transfers, therefore the story is untrue. Chelsea, man city, tottenham and man united will be busy reinforcing their various clubs while will busy drinking his beer.
I’ve mentioned previously that Llorente is an obvious signing for Arsenal, therefore fairly unlikely. He does offer everything Giroud does so would provide cover and competition.
Chamakh I think became a victim of his own success. He wasn’t seen as a goal threat, scored a few and then got marked out of games. Chamakh plays like a luxury Heskey, he provides a reference point for the attack and a target for clearances. Stick a defender on him and he disappears.
Do the same to Giroud and your defender has to follow him around the pitch, leaving gaps in his wake, or hand him off to another, causing uncertainty in the marking scheme.
Tony,
Don’t worry with this. how many times in the long history of Wenger with Arsenal have the papers guessed correctly what Wenger will do with as long as 3months from the next transfer window? When all these rumours swirl, I take solace in the papers’ dismal statistics in this respect.
FORWARD ARSENAL !!!
Wasn’t Archie also a Jan transfer?
Transfer speculation just makes me yaaawwwnnn zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
This is linked to the idea that Theo will be sold in January. If that is the case, especially with Gervinho off to the African Cup, we’ll surely need at least a replacement striker. Personally, it ought to a more versatile forward who can play wide or centrally.
@Shakabula – well said mate…actually we all know the track of the mail and still tend to follow the story…deep inside all of us know that the story is bull crap and we still want to believe in it!
I get the impression that the media, at last, are realising the amount of disinterest in the forthcoming internationals…..hence the search for club stories in order to obtain our interest.
Am I alone in intending to watch England ONLY if either Chamberlain, Gibbs,Walcott or Jenkinson are playing?
As time goes by, the support I have for our great Club seems to totally supersede any real interest I have in the national team. Today I would find it difficult to even write down my favourite England line-up.
Am I a lone voice crying in the wilderness or are there others with me?
I agreed with Tee Song, only if Theo leave, Arsene will buy new striker.
Tony, I believe Arshavin was a January transfer also — and I seem to recall him being pressed into a center-forward/false nine role when RVP was hurt.
Anyway, that said — Llorente is a fantastic player, but I’m not clear on why we’d need him. While I’d hate to lose Poldi’s keen tracking-back on the left (for which I think he deserves more credit), he’d do nicely in the middle if we need to rest Giroud while Gervinho is away.
I am convinced theo is going in jan, I hope I am wrong, but how often do they stay in such circumstances? With gerv off …..and can someone tell me why blatter arranges consecutive ACNs…we could be very light up front if we get an injury.
Do not forget we have afobe and Campbell out getting experience, but presumably we will not get them back til next season. I can see Thierry or another loan signing, just do not buy the falcao loriente stuff in jan, they would cost a fortune. But, and if we do buy in jan does it count as next year for ffp or does that go with the football season? And if we have all that money in the bank, is it tax efficient to buy? Excuse my ignorance on football finance but a genuine question there. I think we should be trying within reason to keep theo.
Arsene Wenger, for good reasons, plays his cards close to his chest. So how would the press, of all people, know that he is looking for a striker in January? We all know from his witty comments during his press conferences, what he thinks of journalists.
I therefore would not lend any credence to the newspaper reports.
We’ve got a great team developing nicely.
I don’t think we will buy in January ,but to the contrary ,might dump ( sorry ,sell) one or two of the obvious ones .
Podolski is better off coming in from deep positions. He is not so good as main striker. Llorente is a huge possibility I think, they might do the same and close the deal in Jan to have the transfer take place in the summer.
And if Wenger buys someone he probably will get us someone we never heard off before. The AAA will go nuts for another unknown young striker and after a while all will say (as has been most the case): how on earth did he pull that one out of the hat?
A new forward in January? Chuba Akpom ;D
He’s just signed his professional contract with Arsenal. So, would like to see him play, maybe in FA Cup early round
Interestingly Oxlade-Chamberlain has signed with Mondial sports management and consultancy, Which Fernando Llorente Torres is also signed with, his contract runs out next year same as Walcott. Maybe Arsene wanted to sign him earlier but is leaving a spot open for him.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has just become the fourth youngest man to score for England.
He looked pretty happy.
He just nearly scored again!
I believe that we might buy a left back (luke shaw) and part ways with arshavin, chamakh and squillaci.