Archive for August, 2005

Deadline Day Dealings

17 comments August 31st, 2005

Just a quick update on our last minute transfer activity.

I’ve only got 5 minutes on this machine, so it’ll have to be brief.

As suspected, we got Mart Poom as our back-up for Jens. He’s with us till January, and I have to say I’m pretty pleased – he was once very highly rated, is experienced, and will relish the challenge of playing for a top club. Justin Hoyte moved the other way on a season’s loan.

David Bentley, too, has headed out on loan, with Blackburn his chosen destination. Don’t ask me why.

Under Premiership rules, neither Hoyte nor Bentley can play against us this season.

And that would appear to be it. No midfielder then. I hope Cesc is feeling very healthy.

Till whenever.

Bentey disappears into distance as Poom looms on horizon…

19 comments August 28th, 2005

Unhappy at finding himself behind Pires, Ljungberg, Reyes, Hleb, Quincy, Gael Clichy, and probably Pat Rice in the race for a starting spot on the wings, David Bentley wants out. Shame. I actually think he’s pretty good, but I can understand his reasons for wanting to leave. I fancy West Ham to swoop in with a £1.5m bid.

Mart Poom: there’s a blast from the past. The now Sunderland reserve goalkeeper, once linked with a £7m move to Manchester United, is rumoured to be Arsenal’s choice as back-up for Jens Lehmann. A loan move until Christmas, with Justin Hoyte moving in the opposite direction, is currently being heavily mooted. Mooted. What a good word.

And finally, when all you have in your midfield is a Brazilian who can’t pass, a gifted yet inexperienced teenager, and a rampant runaway train called Flamini, what do you do with your “£30m war chest”?

Well, the answer is that you compete with Wigan for a striker called Fatty.

Fatih Tekke, to be precise. And no, I’ve never heard of him either. Never mind that you already have Henry, Bergkamp, Reyes, and van Persie, with Lupoli and Quincy in the wings. We really need this Fatty guy. Not a midfielder. Definitely not.

Sorry, I’m a little frustrated today. Partly because I have to go to Scotland for a few more weeks tomorrow, so won’t get to share my thoughts with my lovely readers too often.

I’ll miss you, even if you don’t miss me. You big gays.

Arsenal to challenge Lyon for new Essien?

14 comments August 27th, 2005

So, the Champions League draw has been and gone, and we’re laughing. We did pretty superbly, coming up against some familiar faces in Ajax and Sparta Prague, and a remarkably unfamiliar one in Swiss minnows FC Thun.

If we are to justify our seeding in the top 8 European clubs, we really ought to qualify from what is a relatively easy group. Let’s get a few early wins, sit back, and relax as Chelsea and Liverpool kick each other to death.

Arsene has spoken out about a potential new signing, saying, “We are chasing a player, yes. Iâ??ll try to bring him in”.

Whilst almost all rational thought would suggest it’s a keeper he’s after, the french press insist that scout Tony Adams was in the stands at Lille making a final check on Achille Emana, the central midfielder Lyon have targeted to replace Michael Essien. He comes with a price tag of £4.77m, but a burgeoning reputation to match.

One to watch.

Cygan in devastating form: Arsenal 4 – 1 Fulham

120 comments August 25th, 2005

When most fans here the words “Cygan” and “brace” in the same sentence, they usually sigh with relief, assuming that he’s been horrifically injured, and thus will not be cocking up in the first team anytime soon.

However, last night, something unbelievable happened. Pascal wasn’t even expected to be in the team – he was a surprise inclusion, with Philippe Senderos dropped from the squad.

And yet, against all the odds, it was Cygan who was the hero of the night – his two goals sandwiching a pair of Thierry Henry strikes as, having gone behind to an brilliant Claus Jensen lob, Arsenal stormed to a 4-1 victory.

It has to be said, Highbury was looking absolutely beautiful last night, and I took the photo to prove it:

The football wasn’t bad either.

Jose Reyes and Alexsander Hleb switched wings with devastating results: 14 shots on target. Were it not for the Herculean efforts of Tony Warner, including keeping out a Lauren penalty, we could’ve been talking about double figures.

Arsene was pleased, saying, “I felt that the concentration of the team was very high. We will get stronger and stronger in every game”.

There have been some rather bizarre goings on in the career of Jeremie Aliadiere – yesterday evening, he terminated his loan spell at Celtic after just one month and two substitute appearances. By midnight, he had agreed to play for West Ham until the end of the season.

Well, better to sit on the bench in London than Glasgow, eh?

Have a good Thursday.

“The two games that Chelsea have played do not suggest to me they are the dominant force in English football”…

3 comments August 24th, 2005

said Arsene, yesterday.

And at first, even the most ardent Arsenal fan must briefly be thinking of sour grapes, before you take what he’s saying into consideration. They beat Wigan thanks to a last-minute wonder goal from Crespo. They beat Arsenal thanks to an offside fluke from Drogba. There really is nothing to be afraid of.

Yet.

As part of his bid to recapture the championship, Arsene wants to bring in a new goalkeeper. He was, of course, very close to Sebastien Viera before the Uruguayan failed a medical, whilst German Rene Adler has been ruled out. Personally, I’ve got no idea who we might be targeting.

New signing Alex Song was yesterday handed poor old Edu‘s number 17 shirt, confirming that he is well and truly part of the first team squad.

Tonight we face Fulham, and I’m going (superb). Freddie is out, as is Sol, Bergkamp requires a fitness test, but Jose Reyes returns to the squad.

Finally, Real Madrid this morning confirmed that Newcastle have agreed a fee for Michael Owen. It does the beg the question: shouldn’t we be interested?

Let’s melt Chris Coleman’s wax face tonight.

Tata.

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