By Tony Attwood
Chaos rules, we sign the man we want; we don’t want Rooney. That seems to be the order of the day.
Everywhere you turn clubs are falling out with their management. Today’s story (that the Brighton manager has been suspended) is not top of the headlines as they are a Championship club, but it’s just another in a long line of chaotic goings on across football.
Sir Old Trafford is going, and that move seems to have been well-managed, but among the fuss and celebrations, the fact remains that Man U will have a new man at the helm while Everton are on the look-out.
The Rooney is going somewhere, or not, and meanwhile Sir Old will be watching on. The first goal Man U let in will have every TV camera not pointing at the pitch but at the old buzzard in the directors’ box. He will scowl and look straight ahead.
Meanwhile Man C are looking for a new man, as they take the Chelsea method of hiring and firing not (like most clubs) as a warning about how not to do it, but rather as a bizarre blue-print.
Tottenham are not changing their man at the top, but they still seem to me (obviously a very outside observer) as in some difficulty over the building of the new stadium. Yes they have just signed a deal with a supermarket on doing some building, but that isn’t quite the same thing. And every month without the new stadium is another month without all the extra dosh it could bring. What’s more, when it does arrive, they might suffer the same lack of funding as we have done these last few years.
Chelsea won another trophy, true, but they still don’t know who will fall off the managerial merry go round and slip into their lap. Whoever it is will be insane – for surely no sane man would ever take on a job that has proved to be so problematic.
Arsenal however now has the longest-serving Premier League manager of all time and it seems that we are about to do our first signing of the summer. We know that because at today’s press conference revealed this: talks with Yaya Sanogo, a 19 year old striker from Auxerre (of Ligue 2), are “advanced”.
He’s a France Under-21 international, and his contract is coming to an end, which means we have to pay compensation rather than a transfer fee.
Mr Wenger said…
“We are advanced with him, but it is not done. I am very confident. He is a young striker who is promising, and has a big talent.” He’s fast, and works hard, but will probably be a sub this season, being ready to hit the headlines in a year or two.
Now here’s a thing, however, that Mr Wenger didn’t dwell on. Yaya Sanogo played for CO Les Ulis, which Thierry Henry also played for. He (Yaya) joined Auxerre one year later and with the under 16s scored a goal a game.
After a six month injury break Sanogo resumed full time football in 2011/12. He played nine games that season, and 11 this. And here’s the really interesting bit – this season he scored eight goals in those 11 games.
He has also been captain of the under-17 French team. He then went straight onto the under 19 team – and in the Sendai Cup scored the goal of the tournament.
And so that looks like our first signing.
Meanwhile we have also got some early information about sunday’s game which it seems Mikel Arteta will miss. Jack might well play.
Today’s anniversary: 17 May 1929 Cliff Bastin signed:
The most detailed study of Premier League Refs ever:The referees 2013.
- 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
- Royal Arsenal: from the Common to the Manor. Coming next.
The sites from the same team…
- Referee Decisions – just what are the refs up to this season?
- The Arsenal History Blog from the AISA Arsenal History Society
Seems I am not getting to understand some kind of plot going on here. Wenger will not expose his target unless they are confirmed. Or something has changed?
I think the Sanogo deal will be done apart from a few dots on the usual ‘i” somewhere in the contract. Oh and that cross in that t over there.
I wonder if anyone has seen his name before amongst the 100 or more players that have been linked with a move to Arsenal the last weeks?
I noticed the non-existing part of Arsenal supporters going mad about this on social media. They act as if we are already in the last day of the transfer window and that this will be the only acquisition we have and will make this summer.
Some strange guys amongst those non-existing part of the Arsenal fan base…
About Sanogo himself. Apart from some clips with a rather interesting goal for France against Brasil and some other goal clips I haven’t seen him play at all. So I cannot say how he will develop.
The above mentioned non-existing part of the Arsenal fan base said that we should have bought players like Benteke. Now as being from Belgium I have seen Benteke in the years before.
And when he was 20 Benteke was close to being declared sh¨*t in Belgium. Another promising youngster with lots of potential that wouldn’t make it. His club at the time Standard Liège was loaning him left and right in an attempt to get rid of him. Even against his will at a certain moment in time. He then got back to the club that had given him his first chance to play in the Belgium Jupiler League (RC Genk) and then suddenly he exploded in to the Benteke we have seen at Aston Villa.
Now I can confirm that if we would have bought Benteke when he was as old as Sanogo is now, the non-exisiting part of the Arsenal fan base would have exploded in to their abusive mode as they do today after hearing the news of Sanogo maybe joining Arsenal.
I think that if there is one manager in the world to transform the possible potential from a promising youngster in to a really good player it is Wenger.
Let us just wait and see if Wenger can produce his magic once again.
Since Rooneys rumor appeared (was made visible I guess), some keyboard warriors have gone over the top. As if we have already signed him. Have they forgotten what kind of a character he is….
I dont understand what all the fuss is…..Why dont we let the club to do their thing and bring in who they think will improve us. Why all the cry about sign some XYZ??
@walter,
those fans are total idiots. They are the sort of fans that bitched and moaned when signed henry, fabregas etc. But yet are the first to moan when they moved on………….oooooooohhhhhhh our best ever players have moved from arsenal Wenger doesnt know what he is doing. Funny that, you complained when we got fabregas for little or nothing they then moaned that a 16 year old should not be given his chance in the first team because he is just another experiment. They then moan when it took years and they become world class ‘if we didnt waste so much time on him we would have had a world class player’ then they moan again in the even they had to be sold. Look at RVP also same story who the heck knew about him, bitched and moaned for wenger keeping faith in him then when they go they moan about us selling world class players. It was Wenger that moulded them into those types of players, if he can make them he can make another player of that calibre. Who said he will be our only signing, people are going on like he is going to be our main striker next season and the only player wenger is thinking of bringing in.
I bet you people wont be moaning if he came here and carried on his form and he helps us win something.
If I may add to his youth club CO Les Ulis. This not only was the club from Thierry Henry but also from Evra. I know, I know, I know… 😉
But still remarkable for a club that only exists since 1977 to have 2 top French players having part of their youth career having done at that club. Who knows in a few years time we can add Sanogo to this? Lets hope so…
The kid is coming in to replace the likes of watt neita and probably afobe. He may even get to take park chamakh or bendtners place in the first team squad. However I believe wenger has a few more suprises up his sleeve, including laying off about 18 players from the academy as well as 12 from the first team squad
@Walter,
All these ‘above mentioned non existent part of Arsenal fan base’ want is a big name. All they care about is bragging rights. They dont care where Arsenal will end up after paying stupid wage/transfer fee to keep this name happy.
I think it’s good we’re being linked with Rooney… while the media make a fuss about him we’ll be signing other players.
I wonder if Sp*rs will suddenly show an interest in him now that he’s being linked with us. Their chief scout must have a tough job 😉
@gunner LOL, you are right, have you seen that now we have not been linked with David Villa for more than 2 weeks all of a sudden AVB is VERY interested in him. OMG as if David Villa is gonna get up in the morning and be like ‘you know what i like this tottenham hotspur i would love to play alongside holtby and adebayor’ (wont mentione bale if they dont get CL he wont likely be there) honestly they are laughable, when we were linked with him in jan but it fell through because of barca being scumbags the spuds were laughing at us saying ‘as if he would wanna go to ambitionless rubbish arsenal’ but all of a sudden they feel they are odds on to land him LOLOLOLOLOL i doubt he has barely even heard of them!!
@Maverick …. yes “they” did a lot in your tiny judgemental mind. Not one shred of evidence supporting your claim but you carry on generalising about Arsenal fans. Walter makes a passing comment and then you latch on to it and expand it by making up a list of lies about imaginary fans.
What’s it to you if a fan speaks out about the club? Does it make them less of a fan? Nobody has got more right than an Arsenal fan to moan about Arsenal. Husbands and wives moan about each other, kids moan about their parents … yet these moaners love the people they’re moaing about. TA6 moaned about Wenger on his arrival, so what?
Arsenal1Again
I had to laugh. Basically, you are moaning about someone moaning about people moaning. By your definition, it’s all one big happy love-fest.
I don’t mean any offense by the way. I just found it funny, and it’s amazing how something like this escalates.
it will b fantastic to see Rooney at the Emirate. he will be a good addition to our team,i just hope the coach and the management will see reason with me….Gunners for life….
Yeah I saw a lot of people on various blogs having a meltdown. What makes them think they are in any way qualified to judge a player, especially when they haven’t even seen them play? You would think they would be happy that someone was signed (or will be)
We missed out on another young French striker called Niang last season. I saw him play just once for AC Milan and he looked like a player who we could do with at Arsenal. Sanogo might well be in the same mould. And in any case, this shows that we’ve been looking to add a striker in that age bracket since last season.
Can I moan about the weather? Ho! Ho! Ho!
Arsenal 13
You mean like the wages we pay to squilacci, Arshavin, Chamakh, Djourou, Denilson, Santos, Park et al..
Tony
You forgot to mention he has an injury record similar to that of Diaby.
please how do i see a video clip of this lad
You obviously don’t remember my posts Walter despite the effort I put into making them so memorable. I suggested Sanogo would be signed. I only hope that he’s a back up for a proven striker. I can’t believe we’re going to rely on someone from Ligue 2.
As Shard says he maybe brilliant but I liked the sound of that Bony bloke from Vitesse. Well who knows perhaps we’ll sign him as well.
And what happened to Higuain? I thought he was a likely signing. Well he was a few days ago.
Anyway it’s a long time before the window closes and we haven’t secured fourth yet.
wenger has hinted snogo will be playing as a sub. its not even clear whether he will be a regular or not. plus we already have gnabry while angha is leaving. I am guessing sonogo will be used in COC & FA cups. every striker needs to prove himself first before getting to play in PL. henry, eduardo, et.al played in the domestic cups before getting a PL start. I don’t understand this bruhhaha so early. the summer hasn’t started yet.
Good positive read!
I beg to differ on this paragraph though: “Chelsea won another trophy, true, but they still don’t know who will fall off the managerial merry go round and slip into their lap. Whoever it is will be insane – for surely no sane man would ever take on a job that has proved to be so problematic”
Most sane men would take that job!
Think about it. Sign a 4-5 year deal on good money. Perform well and have chance at winning honours, if you don’t perform to well it’s usually down to the nimrod players revolting, get sacked, no loss of reputation and a nice fat wedge on cash as they pay up your contract. Win-win. 🙂
Meanwhile, back at the ranch,
There’s nothing about the state of our midfield going into the last vital game that dare I say it, a quality defensive capable reserve midfielder who was traded in August to zero the transfer balance couldn’t help, right about Sunday.
p.s. feeling groovy about Le Sans Song, with your Mikel going to miss and Jack might well play, Mr. A? I feel like I’ve been slipped a mickey in me drink, that last sentence there… Saving the most explosive bit as a throw away line.
Another young player from shite League One. Wenger really ‘surprises’ everyone with his signigns. I’m excited about his injury record. Abysmal. Another Diaby.
Oh, Chelsea managerial problems. How many trophies did they win changing managers so often?
Here we are, stuck with a manager who hasn’t won sod all for eight years. A serial loser who is as backwards as the Arsenal board.
Conclusion: This managerial stability thing is total bollocks unless you have Alex Ferguson at you club.
@ Spurze
What a gob shit you are, never have anything positive to say about our team, stop wasting everyone’s time with your convoluted posts, there’s just no way you could be on the level about supporting Arsenal F.C.
sperez,
You forgot “socialist wage policy” – do they dock you for that?
Hey sperez…ever heard of Le-Grove. I heard they are hiring a writer.
Now don’t play the victimization role. opposing views are welcomed but you are incessantly complaining about wenger, 8 years w/o trophy, socialist wage etc..etc. you dont like the board, manager nor any of the player and by extension you probably dont like Arsenal.
Already dismissing Yaya, eh? How many times has AW brought a player nobody had heard of into the prem & turned them into a world class star? I bet the idiots complaining about this will be the very same fools crying when the same player leaves Arsenal to join, in their eyes, one of the biggest & most ambitious clubs in the world. You just can’t add it up. If they class Yaya as rubbish today, then they should still class him as rubbish when he moves on for 30mil 8 years later, and not moan about our club selling our best players. Good article, but as much as I like to know what’s going on in the club, am afraid any talk of signing any players is viewed as good moaning fodder by the AAA. But keep up the good work Tony & co., we should carry on regardless.
@asd,
You fail to notice their contribution. Other than Squillaci and Park, others have played well for Arsenal at some point. None of us could predict their downfall…….
@Spurez,
Its not Ligue uh, its ligue 2…. Its good to read the whole thing than comment on headline.
bob
Alex Song
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/song-pique-fight-barcelona-pair-1895462
Shard,
Thanks! I Gotta love that! Especially as Pique (and Busquets) were among the tapper-uppers who sang the siren song to attract Song’s attention last summer. That said, I fervently Wish we had Song going into tomorrow! The loss of Areta and the great risk of Wilshere’s feet are a recap of the way we started this season without them being ready. Then, we expected Wilshere’s imminent return. And Arteta had ended last-season with injury. Now it’s a kind of a re-cap. We can split hairs on this, but Song’s absence, imo, looms as a worrisome shadow over tomorrow’s crucial match. Would you/anyone rather NOT have him on our pitch at DM tomorrow? Imo, it’s come back to bite us – and hopefully not too hard. COYG!
p.s. I hope they release Song and, despite what AW said about advising Song to stay where he is, that we bring him back if only” as a quality reserve – we always need quality reserves and have not solved Song’s absence with playing Arteta every match. Obviously….
I think we will get extra money from Song, because Barca won the league.
Is last year we got extra money from our players that sold to City?
I think I read somewhere we even get money from Fabregas for their title win
Read that we have an option of buying Carlos Vela back on the cheap(about 4m euro, du to a clause that was inserted into the agreement when we sold him to Sociedad), wouldn’t be a bad idea as he has netted 14 times this season. He got 12 last season too, not bad at all.
Let’s not dismiss Sanago but if we want to make an impact next year it would be a safer bet getting a proven goalscorer. We may well do that but I really don’t understand why we’re getting a back up striker when I thought we had one or two coming through.
There’s a lot of assumptions about this purchase. Yes the guy has had injury problems but that doesn’t mean he’ll be another Diaby. So he’s not a big name but that doesn’t mean he won’t be amazing. But also there’s no guarantee he’ll be a player we’ll be selling for 30 million as Al suggested. Wenger’s recent buys haven’t always been scintillating. Gervinho, Chamakh and Park are hardly world beaters. Giroud is ok but hardly world class. Wenger hasn’t exactly discovered any hidden gems for years. Oh and what’s happened to Miyachi or Wellington?
As for Vela, he never cut it. I can’t see Wenger getting him back.
But Vela don’t want back to us. Campbell also progress well this season, but maybe is not enough, maybe must loan again.
Sad about Ryo, he can not playing much games this season, too many injured.
Rupert
I think there’s a difference between Gervinho and the rest, and someone like Sanogo. The scouting for younger players can be more thorough because there is generally lesser competition from other clubs. Not just in terms of awareness, but also in terms of what they will be willing to pay them (unless they are absolutely sure he’ll turn out a world beater). In the other cases, it was more a case of needing someone, and not being able to scout them as thoroughly because there were other clubs on the case.
At least, that is my belief. A few months ago 7amkickoff did a fantastic piece on how our scouting has had to adapt as well due to the moneyed clubs.
Plus, the other difference of course is that he’s on a free (yes like Chamakh) but won’t be on very high wages.
I do agree that we’d most likely be wrong to add no one else to the forward department. Don’t think that will happen though. Sanogo is probably worth a punt.
As to why we’re looking to buy a player in that age bracket. I suppose it means some won’t make a breakthrough. Like Afobe. Sanogo probably replaces him in the squad. As well as the likes of Watt, Roberts, Wellinton, and probably offers competition to Joel Campbell and Akpom in the future.
Miyaichi I think could still make it. He was fantastic on his earlier loan spells. His injuries have cost him. Hopefully he’ll get a good loan spell next season (unless he’s ready for a squad role with us)
bob
True enough but any squad can be improved, and too big a squad can be counterproductive. I agree that having a player like Song would have helped. But I’m not losing sleep over it. I hope Coquelin gets the nod to replace Arteta for the final game, but I suspect it’ll be Wilshere, and that Coquelin will be sold in the summer. Frimpong will probably leave too. Especially if we do bring in another midfielder. Which I think we will. That’ll leave Yennaris as the young midfield reserve.
Hate to admit Vela might not want to come back. I know its kinda pointless talking about it now but I do feel he’s the one that got away. In one interview he attributed his success at sociedad to being given the licence to roam or operate on the right. He said playing on the right meant when he got into the box he had the ball on his good left foot already, he’s openly said his right is pretty much useless(a bit like Robben perhaps?).
Given the sumptuous goals he used to score for us, I’d love to see him back. But admittedly this is an area we aren’t lacking in personnel as we have more than enough good players who can play on the right. But the fact that Vela & Cesc seem to be the only players we inserted buy back clauses in their sale agreements means AW must have valued them highly. And not without reason; coincidentally they seem like the only two who haven’t gone backwards since leaving Arsenal(not including the traitor in this bracket as his ‘success’ is tainted).
See the papers are at it again linking us with anyone who can kick a ball. It will be interesting come the end of the summer transfer window. A few players are reaching the cut off point at Arsenal, will they take a squad place in the 25 or kept but loaned out or sold? For Ignasi Miguel, it’s decision time and I hope he stays. Eisfeld is in his last year before he must take a squad place or leave, again I hope the young man stays as I think he has a bright future, magnificent young player. Aneke & Afobe have another year left as academy players, again I hope they can make it to Arsenals first team.
We do rely too much on the transfer market and I’d like to see that change over time.
“At least, that is my belief. A few months ago 7amkickoff did a fantastic piece on how our scouting has had to adapt as well due to the moneyed clubs.”
Shard,
Would you have that link anywhere handy-ish in the archives? It sounds essential for some sort of informed take on the state of the scouting and its challenges. Cheers.