By Tony Attwood
Dazet Wilfried Armel Zaha, according to everyone, quite possibly including Arry Redknapp’s dog Rosie, is a fan of Arsenal whom Mr Wenger wants to sign. But he’s not the big signing that some fans want, given that all his experience is in the Championship. On the other hand we have seen how fast Jenkinson has adopted to a step up, so the sign might be that he is ready.
Man U, Man C, Chelsea etc will all have been following the young man, but the benefit for Arsenal is that anyone signing at the moment can expect to get into the first team soonish. What’s more Arsenal have a much better track record than other big clubs of giving young players a chance. Again Jenkinson springs to mind.
But the price tag is said to be £18 million, which seems ludicrous for someone not proven on the top stage and who only started in the Championship at the end of the 2009/10 season. On the other hand if Theo Walcott walks out, we need someone – but not at that price. A price around the £10m mark would probably be more in line with what Arsenal might pay.
But on the other side of the coin, in 2012 Zaha was voted Young Player of the Year in the football league, as he moved up to become a striker.
He has played for the England under 19s, and the under 21s before playing in the friendly against Sweden in November – he was a sub seven minutes from the end.
Elsewhere Arsenal are said by some to be looking to buy a goalkeeper, but Arsenal are always said to be looking to buy a goalkeeper – that’s been going on for three years. Pepe Reina is said to be top of the list – I am not sure there is a goal keeper list.
So anyone else? Demba Ba, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa from Montpellier, Thierry Henry (of course).
Of course we could sign no one, but Klaas Jan Huntelaar (the Hunter) would be an extraordinary signing.
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- Woolwich Arsenal: The club that changed football – Arsenal’s early years
- Making the Arsenal – how the modern Arsenal was born in 1910
- The Crowd at Woolwich Arsenal FC: crowd behaviour at the early matches
The sites…
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- Referee Decisions – just what are the refs up to this season?
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Yes he would be. But the AAA`s out there will look past his proven quality and question our “ambition” because of his rumoured modest price-tag. The guy is absolute Klaas though..X}
Hopefully he will get the non ANC guys. We have enough of these guys flying off during the peak season. They are cheap but long term won’t be value for money.
To be honest I haven’t seen him play up to now. So I really have no clue on how good he would be. So I just would say: If Wenger thinks he is good enough, he probably will be good enough.
If Wenger doesn’t think he is..or for that price. Fair enough.
But the fact that he is an Arsenal fan would be a nice bonus
Wouldn’t mind KJH joining us one bit .Proven scorer in many leagues , probably in our price range and the clincher ( this
is for you ,Walter !) another player with a tongue-twister name !
To be honest Brickfields Klaas Jan Huntelaar his name is as normal as Jones is for English speaking people. Okay it is not but is a rather simple name for me.
And I remember the Ajax supporters having their own chant on him on the tune of that punk song “Wunderbar” with just signing ‘Huntelaar’ in stead of wunderbar.
As a life long admirer of him I sure would like to sing that song. And I just know that if he comes he will score lots of goals. He loves the Emirates as a scoring ground (almost each time he came here he scored) and scored the first ever goal at the Emirates for Ajax.
Bring him on I would say. 😉
And he hates the traitor. So I think erasing the memory of his compatriot by scoring lots of goals would be a sweet revenge for him
KJH sounds good to me, we certainly need another striker. I have not seen much of Zaha so I cannot really comment on him.
On the subject of pronunciation I am surprised that so many media commentators cannot properly pronounce Rosicky, Cazorla or Szczesny – such lazy journalism.
Huntelaar…..This is one I can actually see happening, we will not enter what would be a bidding war for zaha, and palace would be mad to let him go before the summer with promotion on the cards. Not sure if huntelaar will join jan or the summer……maybe bendtner going the other way? We are much too light in the striker dept for a second half of the season, Henry or no Henry, a lack of a further signing would border on the irresponsible, especially if theo goes. Would be nice to bring along afobe and Campbell next season as well…..some top teams now rotate four strikers. But, I do fear stan has ordered a bit of a slashing of the wage bill to turnover which now stands at sixty percent, we may have to offload before signing, as we know, this has become difficult with some highly paid players.
I always thought we should have picked up Huntelaar directlt from Madrid. Would love to see him in red & white.
@bjtgooner
A few of the TV pundits and radio ‘experts’ still insist on adding a T to Wilshere’s name and calling him a county in the south of England.
I would be surprised to see at signing of a 29 year old ( or is he younger) striker.
I think we will be recalling one of our on loan strikers (Afobe) if we are desperate….
Jokers!
Wenger wont spend any cash.. So 4get it…Just hope we can make the top 4 this year.
Cheers!
JD
Oh any way if Huntelaar would come you can start practising …http://artists.letssingit.com/tenpole-tudor-lyrics-wunderbar-2t23r4f#axzz2EdoT9sYi
all together now 😉
I think zaha is a good player,wonderful in front of goal.and the fact that he has a very great skills in manipulating the ball in front of the opponent,can’t be over emphasised.but also,it is important to mention that,he is a player still in-progress,needs a teacher like wenger to make him a finished player. In the other way round,my fair is that,he has finally be made a finished player,he might’bite the hand that fed him’. http://earnite.com/ref.php?page=act/ref&invcod=13384
Big statement cos if this fella is better in the penalty area than messi ronaldo and falcao then what the hell are we waiting for.
Wenger clearly need to change Arsenals style of play since we create very few chances. Pace wasnt added yesterday by playing more on the wingers. Playing on the wingers with the fullbacks overlapping is what Arsenal do way to much and wich makes us so predictable. Pace in attack is added (like it was yesterday) simply by letting the ball go faster and by playing less sideways. Playing less sideways means taking more risks wich is needed to create more chances. In oppsosite to your statement, experts analyzing the game in retrospect saw an effort from Arsenal trying to play more through the middle wich created more dangerous chances. Gervinho had a very good game. He was a constant threat to the WB defence. He takes risks and looses the ball a lot but he also often gets past his defender, cant expect him to succeed every time. Arsenal need to take more risk in attack. Risk losing the ball by taking on a defender, risk loosing the ball by playing an early through ball, risk loosing the ball by taking a shot from a distance, risk loosing the ball by playing long on Giroud heading it down outside the penalty area with cazorla picking it up etc etc. Current scenario: Arsenal are to afraid to lose the ball, the opposition have time to get 10 men behind the ball, the ball eventually goes out to the the winger, the fullback overlaps, the winger or the fullback tries to find someone in the box…
Zaha seems more likely, Huntelaar too old for a Wenger signing , which would be no different from the Manc’s signing RvP (age/price). Promotion from within would be a possibility, I think the Jan window Wenger will go all out the sign a defensive MF with Diame proving to be great business. I also think Wenger is looking for a more nippy player up front.
Quick question guys, what would you to if you where handed Arsenal to manage until the season ends,mine I will improve Theo’s contract and he sign a 5years deal, I will beg Squillaci,Arshavin,Chamakh to leave us this January!I will add two players that will improve my team and add some more competition in the team,I will beg the team for two things! qualify for Champions league and try to win either Fa cup or League cup this season. Do you have better ideas please!
Second, I’d like to commend all Arsenal fans for coming out and calling Carzola’s dive what it actually is-a dive. Secondly, I also want to point out that as good as Arteta has been for us, the way he plays has done some damage to the way our midfield transitions from an attack after defending against another team. I do not not understand why he passes backward so much. We used to be a team that will find a space to move forward and that forces the opposing team to stay in their half. When Arteta and jenkinson cant decide early enough what they will do with the ball before we are marked out, it creates a lot of problem for the team. This is also not helped by our players not moving when the ball is not with them. We used to be the team that will play that lovely triangle movement and pass around opponents like Barca but all that has disappeared this season. This has improved somewhat since Jack came back as he wants to go forward too. When Rosicky came on in the few minutes left of our match with West Brom, we had three midfielders who could hold the ball and move forward and that changed the game to the Arsenal of old that will keep the forward finding space and movement to go forward. We need to have that back if we are to return to dominating games again. That can not happen if our back line keep cant decide how to move forward until the ball is taken off them by other players.
Huntelaar is perfect for Wenger. He is younger than Arteta who has become so important and he’ll be going dirt cheap. my only concern is Wenger choosing to wait until the summer so he can get him for free. That would be a big mistake imo if he wants to come get him in same for Zaha another self confessed Gooner and another English player.
Gibbs, Jenks, Wilshere, OX, Walcott, Afobe & Zaha not bad for a team renowned and derided for being full of foreign players
Even though Llorente is similiar to Giroud to build and height, I think he would be an improvement on him. Though, I’d prefer a forward in the mould of Aguero (silky skills, fantastic balance, great composure) He really is my favourite player from an opposition team in the premiership
Wengers clearly need to change Arsenals style of play since we create very few chances. Pace wasnt added yesterday by playing more on the wingers. Playing on the wingers with the fullbacks overlapping is what Arsenal do way to much and wich makes us so predictable. Pace in attack is added (like it was yesterday) simply by letting the ball go faster and by playing less sideways. Playing less sideways means taking more risks wich is needed to create more chances. In oppsosite to your statement, experts analyzing the game in retrospect saw an effort from Arsenal trying to play more through the middle wich created more dangerous chances. Gervinho had a very good game. He was a constant threat to the WB defence. He takes risks and looses the ball a lot but he also often gets past his defender, cant expect him to succeed every time. Arsenal need to take more risk in attack. Risk losing the ball by taking on a defender, risk loosing the ball by playing an early through ball, risk loosing the ball by taking a shot from a distance, risk loosing the ball by playing long on Giroud heading it down outside the penalty area with cazorla picking it up etc etc. Current scenario: Arsenal are to afraid to lose the ball, the opposition have time to get 10 men behind the ball, the ball eventually goes out to the the winger, the fullback overlaps, the winger or the fullback tries to find someone in the box…
Thank heavens for Jack – the only player we have in the ‘exceptional’ class. Arsene will be pinning all his hopes of survival on him (forget any significant Jan signings), and yesterday we saw him begin his hegemony. If we examine the squad, a third of them vary from poor to ordinary – players such as Squelch, Sham, Arsh, Djourou, Gerv, Santos, Fab, Mannone ,etc. Throw in a few inexpereienced youngsters and we are left with perhaps fifteen players who vary from okay to good to very good. And three of those are mostly injured: Diaby, Rossicky and Gibbs. So what of the rest? Well, Theo and Sagna (both very good) might be on their way. Aaron (potentially very good) is still not up to speed following injury. Plod is a good professional. Giroud tries hard, shows promise. In midfield (apart from genius Jack) a very good Arteta and an up-and-down Caz. Central defence: Merts, Koz, Verm – three good pros but currently not all firing on all cylinders. Finally, two future candidates for ‘exceptional’, Ox and Chez – neither of them quite there yet, both young. If I was to put my money on which, it would be Chez, who may rival Seaman and Jennings. With only a mediocre squad (by Big Club standards) to work with, getting CL qualification this year will be one of Arsene’s major achievements.
Did everybody’s hearts sink (like mine) reading reports in the Press that Sagna would be off this Jan or by the end of the season? There’s a poster today comparing like for like with the Invincibles – I remember doing the same, and with GGs title-winning sides, ages ago (when we still had RVP) – I believe with Steve, Arsh, Robbo, mightyg and others – and the consensus was that only Robin and Bacary would get a place in the Invincible squad and a place in GGs first team. So (it seems) yet another of our last first-quality players will be on his way. Along with Theo, it appears. Now we still get the lunatic fringe on here claiming that this is all Arsene’s doing (apparently he gets a massive cut of Arsenal profits). That’s why he doesn’t give a damn that his best players are sold off each year. And because the wage policy is HIS invention, he can’t abide high-earners on the pay-roll past their sell-by date (30 years old). And though he has always had £70m in the transfer pot (probably £140m by now) he doesn’t choose to spend any because that too would reduce his cut. Does any intelligent person take any of this nonsense seriously? Can you imagine what it must be like for Arsene to see his side sabotaged, dismantled each year. To have to comfort great and loyal players (Edu, Pires, Lundjberg, Gilberto – the list is endless) brusquely discarded. What kind of loyalty does that promote in those who remain? You have it on record here: Jack may well sign an extended contract, but you can bet your bottom dollar that his agent will ensure a get-out clause. And so he should. Because at 29 years old, the most Ivan (heaven forbid he’s still around) will offer him is a one-year extension. Can you wonder at the low morale?
‘I’ve always given Wenger the credit he deserves’. How presumptuous can you get! Have you any idea how absurd you sound? As I’ve said before, Arsene has more football knowledge in his little finger than you have in your entire brain. Your attempt to distance yourself from the obsessive wenger-haters comes across as slimy, wheedling: do you believe that such low-grade soft-soap works? You have just read a report by a journalist of unquestioned standing which you describe as a quid pro quo for favours given (heaven knows what they can be) and yet you accept word for word the opinion of a renowned intellect like Tony Cascarino. You are indeed beyond salvation!
Wow! I never thought that AAA could use all that many words. I have underestimated their vocabularies, it seems. Shame on me!
Sounds like Derek has all the answers, obviously a strong candidate to take over as manager when Wenger leaves.
This is all what is wrong Derek: “reading reports in the Press” or more correct : believing reports in the press and take it for granted
Ah Mick in a few years time Tony changes the headline to supporting Lord Derek 😉
dEREK….
U are a classic armchair..pc ladened computer game manager.
Get real. Just try it Derek…
Welcome to earth!
JD
may be derek believes DEC 20 to be the end of the world and all he got to do is clear his chest.
Strange that we have temporarily lost the rupert but gained the derek.
We have spoken about signing Huntelaar and he hasn’t even scored any goals for us – what a rubbish rumour waste of money we should have spent more.
Does Wenger even know what he isn’t doing? I bet Arry would have signed/sold/re-signed(at a loss) by now!!
(Erm, I’m willing to sign for lots more).
Yes Matt, use your money to sign new players.
@ Bjtgooner, at least Rupert’s rants were much more brief…
BTW, a Rupert is what we called the enthusiastic but dim officers….
Derek,3.28,who are you talking to? Has a comment been removed or am i just going completely gaga,because i have read through the article and comments 3 times and i am none the wiser.Anyone know or are you all as befuddled as me?Also mate,your “just a quick question ” was not er “quick”.God i can’t remember what the original post was about now,ah yes,according to the gossip columns,sorry i mean the sports pages,Fergie is after Zaha and would loan him back to Palace.Not sure if this is just mischief making,especially after Holloways rant when he took exception to Wenger answering “yes” when asked if he liked Zaha and launched into a tirade about wanting Walcott and the Ox.Oh,Ian,mate don’t be daft,you couldn’t afford their wages,they wouldn’t go to Palace unless Bill Gates took over,and whose talking about peoples players now?
“if Theo Walcott walks out, we need someone – but not at that price”
Tony
“Walks out?” “Not at that price”? How one-sided can you get.
Not at that price for the team’s leading scorer who only plays part time and on some occasions?
Is this a pre-press release of the imminenet departure? Is it Gazidis speaking directly through a marionette? Is it your Song redux warm-up of the fans here?
Never any analysis….just watchful waiting to see which way the wind blows…and whatever happens it’s supposed to be what AW really wants, and you’re all with it.
@Robl, dim? I see you’re intelligence is as feeble as your comments.
Huntelaar would be an improvement on any of our current strikers but I can’t believe Arsenal would sign a player of that quality such is my lack of belief in the club’s ambition.
Can’t see Wenger paying more than 10 million for Zaha. Even that seems far too much and do we need another youngster with “potential”?
We certainly need a striker, a defensive mid and a left back. We’ll probably buy one of those.
If KJH joined us in January, would he not be CL cup-tied for the rest of the season (having already played for Schalke), or is there a separate allowance made for the knock-out stages?
IMO, that would be a major stumbling block in any mid-season move…
Do our hearts beat faster at the prospect of Arsene’s reported Jan targets – Huntelaar, Zaha and Henry? (Forget Nani – at £20m Arsene will never buy him -and neither should he) Are they significant signings? Well, significant mostly as confirmation that we charge like a Big Club but behave like a small club. The five million received from LFC for Theo paid to Schalke for Huntelaar. A 24 year old regular England player for a 29 year old irregular Dutch international. An old guy come for his last big pay-out instead of an experienced youngster eager to make his mark. Henry? We all love him but at 36 years old he is way past his best. Shades of Sol, Sukor, Silvestre? Significant? Hardly. Lastly, the Xstal Palace youngster. Would HE be significant? Perhaps – but NOT this season. One for the future maybe.
get BA, Ryan Showcross and M Vila, you can now add zaha for future purpose. I remember when wenger came, he inherited a team with a back line of English men, those guys defended well that was why we were able to win the leagues and fa cup we won. we had a Martin keown that played till his late 30’s, show these people are good. All of a sudden he does not give a look at this English guys, can’t he see that it take only a penalty shootout to knock England out of a tournament, that shows English defender are good in defending. Chelsea has a terry that commands their back line and Manchester united does too The future of our team will be for us to get just one English tall central defender and let see how the bank line will improve truth b told, we will not win anything with these foreign defender we have RYAN SHOWCROSS IS WHAT WE NEED TO WIN TROPHIES.
derek, you are one funny guy
derek
Why not call up Martin Taylor from wherever he’s living out his semi retirement while we’re at it?
lol shawcross at arsenal
This sounds like an old 33rpm record….
Yep shard. Taylor and Shawcross is what we need!!!!
This December, I shall not live in false hope that Arsenal will sign a, that is just one, truly good player. I shall not dream that somewhere behind the scenes a deal has already been done and Arsenal is just waiting for the January window to open to come out and say so and so has been signed. No, dearie me no. I remember I once used to dream of Kluivert, in his pomp, playing for us beside Bergkamp, Overmars, a young Henry and all. I have lost count of whom we have been associated with over the years but failed to sign. How foolish of me to have been taken in by the spin doctors all these years. I am just a meek fan. No, I shall wait until February or March when we have been kicked out of all competitions for Arsenal to say that Abou Diaby, a full fledged France international, somehow that is supposed to mean something but I am not sure what these days, has returned to full fitness. However, Arsene Wenger will only use him sparingly for fear of another injury. Arsenal have also recalled Frimpong and Miyachi to make it 3 new signings in total. Add to that Gervinho, who in Arsenal’s mind had a splendid African Cup of Nations coming back better than ever, we in reality have 4 new players. This according to Arsenal should overcome the loss of Theo and make up for the failed signings of Zaha and others whom they had tried desperately to sign. No one wanted to come however because we could not guarantee Champions League football. This situation was extremely baffling to the board of directors as they imagined that Arsenal had unparalled success in the champions league having qualified for umpteen years. The fact that we do not currently have and have not had a serious hope of lifting the cup with the squad we have is immaterial. The cup is after all won by luck and only one lucky team can win it once a year.
I still can’t physically understand how Arsenal Football Club, could sell possibly one of the top 3 strikers in the world currently, to Manchester United
Well it looks like once again we are going to have TH back on loan for a few weeks. Although still a legend, can you imagine for one minute that Fergie would recall Beckham or Chelseki would call on Hasslebanks services? Yet again Wenger and his cronies will attempt paper over the cracks with TH return, some other average loanee and a bargain basement player with “potential” Nothing will change until our managerial and board does!
A very decent insight and one of the main reasons Wenger has to go: trouble is the squad has been “dumbed” down. Gervinho is nowhere near good enough technically to play for a Wenger side. But Gervinho cost £11m. Marouane Chamakh has been a disaster. Yet is on £50,000-a-week. Russian international Andrey Arshavin came on at half time. He’s on £90,000-a-week. Not bad work if you’re only playing 45 minutes a week. Sebastien Squillaci has been an expensive disaster. You can sympathise with why Arsenal want to shake up the pay structure and squad. But who signed those players? Wenger. And yet people say he has no money. Look at the wages and transfer fees.
maybe you should try understanding it mentally
I’ve confirmed it for myself; KJH would indeed be CL cup-tied.
This would be undesirable for him, as his CL season would be over, and us, as we’d have a striker we can’t use (in the competition in which we’d theoretically need him most)
I humbly submit my opinion that this, as opposed to any self-serving notions of our lack of ambition, would be why a January move might not happen…