ARSENAL COLLAPSE AGAIN : The Player Ratings.

Emirates Cup: Arsenal 2-2 Boca Juniors.

Fabianski (6): Did not have a lot to do.

Jenkinson (6.5): Showed no effects of his own goal in the previous game. Did well going forward as he had little to do at the back.

Koscielny (6): The Boca attack offered little going forward, so he was rarely troubled. He put in a brilliant tackle
on one occasion though.

Djourou (5.5): He’s been shaky all season. Let’s hope it’s just something temporary. Was at fault for the 2nd goal we conceded.

Traore (6.5): Took his opportunity quite well with an assured performance. Still not sure he’s what we need at LB.

Frimpong (7): Very good game, showed great physicality and broke up attacks quite well.

Wilshere (6.5): Did his job quite well, controlled the midfield and got on the end of a few crunching tackles as a result.

Nasri (6): Another quiet game from him.

Gervinho (7): Saw 45mins of action and got an assist to his name. He was very lively and seemed eager to get the ball. Good display.

Arshavin (6.5): Hustled and bustled all through, albeit with little end product.

RVP (7): Linked up play nicely, took his goal quite well. Needs to work on his free kicks though.

SUBSTITUTES:

Mannone (5.5): was not at fault for any of the goals. His defence should have helped him.

Ramsey (6.5): Came on and scored with his first touch, and a very good goal at that. He really impressed.

Vela (5): Did nothing of note.

Squillaci (5): Did his part as usual…nuff said.

Chamakh (4.5): Another terrible performance. Are we really sure we want to sell Bendtner and keep Chamakh?

Eboue (5): Great to see him play in what’s probably his last game. He attempted a shot even though it went well wide.

There you have it, we were 2 goals up, but in usual fashion we conceded two. It’s really becoming a habit, isn’t it?

Let us know what you think.

OFFICIAL : Arsenal Sign Joel Campbell. Mata Deal Agreed? Jagielka To Follow.

News is just reaching us that Arsenal have completed their 3rd signing of the season. Remember Costa Rican wonderkid Joel Campbell that we were in for a while back only for the deal to fall through, he and his U20 asst coach confirmed today in an interview that he has signed for Arsenal, you can watch the interview here

That’s a bit of good news although not the one that will soothe all the angry fans, but not to worry, various reports have it that we have agreed a deal to sign Mata and the details should be clearer in the morning. Hopefully he gets to join before the Emirates Cup starts which I very much doubt.

Lastly, an improved bid has been offered for Phil Jagielka believed to be in the region of £15M. He’s not a tall beast but he’s a commanding presence. I’ll take him even though he’s not first choice amongst fans but at least we’re signing a CB better than everyone asides TV5.

Do have a swell night/early morning based on where you’re reading from.

Follow us on twitter for news and updates @goonermemoirs

Still no Arsenal bid for Mata|Nasri agrees to stay?

After weeks of doom and gloom, things are finally looking up at the club. For all the talk of us losing 2 of our best players this summer, we may actually keep both and even add more.

It is understood that while Samir Nasri has turned down a new offer with an increased pay, he is prepared to see out his contract and leave on a free next season.

A lot of us have said we’ll prefer he be sold now if he wouldn’t sign a new contract rather than see him leave for free. But we should realise that none of us knows more about the right time to sell players than the manager.

Le Boss would “normally” take the cash, but this time he’s not willing to sell. Arsene is an intelligent man and He definitely has a good reason for not wanting to let Nasri leave yet.

Maybe He thinks He can convince Nasri when the season starts, who knows? What we do know however is Wenger is doing what He thinks is right for the future of the club.

While The Star made an extremely confident claim that Valencia winger Juan Mata “will sign for Arsenal in the next 24 hours”, AS were quick to quash the report by getting an official statement from Valencia which revealed that there has been no bid for him.

Valencia however confirmed that Arsenal is very interested in Mata and they will negotiate, something they won’t do with the Spuds.

The Star ran the story last night, with most English and Spanish newspapers confirming it. They cannot all be wrong. I think we should expect something positive in the coming days.

There is still no news on Cescgate; so it seems we have moved from almost losing two key players to keeping both and adding one world class player to our ranks. Happy times!!

If Mata does sign, it will be interesting to see where he plays. Some fans even think he has been brought in to replace one of our want-away stars. Better Nasri than Cesc in my opinion.

There you have it gooners! Have fun and hope for the best news. We are due one after all the negativity.

Mata, Cesc, Nasri, RVP,Arshavin and that “top defender” in the same team? Bring the Premier League Title already!

Let us know what you think.

Mata no go|More Players to Leave|Cescgate drags on.

Morning all!

The new signings us fans expected have not been forthcoming, but the decision to rid the club of players deemed surplus to requirements seems to be building momentum.

Asides the usual suspects, Almunia, Bendtner, Denilson and more recently, Eboue, quite a number of the youth players have been linked to moves away from the club; the latest being the pair of Jay Emmanuel Thomas and Henri Lansbury.

It’s quite a surprise that these two players are about to be shown the exit, considering what the fans expected of them.

JET is undoubtedly talented, had an amazing scoring record in the reserves, and made his League debut at Stamford Bridge of all places. We all thought he would be a regular feature in the team from then, but it seems for all his talent, his work rate is highly disappointing. That being the case, I can understand why he’s being sold.

Henri Lansbury however is one name which leaves me gutted. Granted he may not have the skill of Jack Wilshere, but his determination cannot be disputed. He obviously cares about the club. In the games I have seen him play, he plays with his heart whilst being efficient albeit not extraordinary at his work.

He was sent on loan to Norwich and he excelled, he did very well at the U-21 WC too. I was expecting him to get a run in the Carling Cup this season and maybe a few substitute appearances in the EPL. This guy has the making of a new Ray Parlour and I’ll be sad to see him go.

Muamba, Thomas, Randall, Seb Larsson all left without fulfilling their potentials at the club. Yet our Brazilian “winner” Denilson was getting adequate playing time, even when it was obvious he was not good enough.

Is it because he was bought rather than groomed; and why keep so many youth players when we know they won’t make it? I know people who even think selling unpredictable Bendtner and keeping highly predictable Chamakh is bad business. Well that’s a discussion for another day.

One player who does not seem to be leaving us anytime soon is Cesc Fabregas. And while he may still leave this summer, Barcelona officials have been quoted as saying they have until 31st August to sign him.

This makes absolute mockery of the July 31st deadline we supposedly gave them. Where do I see this going? Cesc signs for Barca on 30th or 31st, and we do not replace him because we did not have enough time to do so. I hope to God I’m wrong!

I heard Nasri will sign a 4-year extension to his contract in a few days. Good news if true but it’s difficult what to believe these days. One thing is for sure, if he won’t sign an extension, sell him off. He is relatively easier to replace than a more talented Cesc who has given us 8 years of committed service.

President of Valencia CF, club of Arsenal target Juan Mata has quashed reports that their star man is leaving the club. Manuel Llorente has dismissed claims that the club may be forced into selling their star player and claims money won’t change their stance. Said he:

“The decision is clear, and money will not change our position…Valencia will not sell to any club that wants to buy Mata”

I think he’s just bluffing and wants to force clubs to bid higher. Make no mistake about it, he’s a very good player, and will improve any team he plays in. The problem is whether our dear Arsenal will be willing to bid high enough to get him.

Let’s not worry about that, a defender is at the top of our priorities now. We may not even need Mata if our captain changes his mind and gives the English game another shot. A man can dream, can’t he?

The Emirates Cup upon us already and it’s just a few days before we get to see the boys play at The Grove.

Have a great day wherever you read this from!

Do let us know what you think.

Eboue On The Move?|Get Cahill and Mata|Forget Jageilka and Cazorla

Top of the morning to you, how was the weekend? Well, mine was spent watching Gervinho nab a brace, Jenkinson score a superb own goal and studying for a test I have this morning and exams coming up in a fortnight but I can’t leave you without one last post. I expect Yemi’ Jr & Faf to treat you well in my absence. Do pray for me. Thanks

Over the weekend, different reports had us considering a double bid for Mata & Cazorla with Jagielka also in the mix. Of all these players Mata & Cahill are what we really need. I’ll tell you why.

Mata & Cahill : YES

First things first, Mata is 23, a world cup winner, u21 winner and has bags of experience at the top after captaining Valencia most of last season. That in itself is a big deal, you don’t make a mug your captain and he’s certainly not one. He can play anywhere in the midfield and attack and has a excellent injury-free record and would fit in well with the lads.

As for Cahill, I don’t think I need to say much about what he brings to the plate, he’s 6’4″, dominant in the air and can command a defence well. Also young and at 24 can play for Arsenal for years to come and could even become the next Tony Adams for us. I don’t know why we just won’t put in a solid bid and wrap up the deal already. If I know AW well, he’s waiting for January when Cahill would be free to talk to & sign for any club as he’s in the last year of his contract. I hope Bolton caves in when we make an offer as they won’t want to lose him on a free. Imagine Vermalean and Cahill at the heart of our defense.

Jagielka & Cazorla : NO!!!

Why you ask? Let me start with Jags, he’s a brute, he’s a commanding presence and a no nonsense tackler, aerially dominant as well and bags of experience. BUT everything Jagielka just screams another Vermaelen, they’re too similar and are virtually the same height. I’m sorry that’s not what we need. Look at United, they have the brute in Vidic and the calm ball player in Ferdinand, Jagielka and Vermaelen won’t give us that. Jagielka is also injury prone and he’s 28.

As for Cazorla, each time I see that guy I just think, ‘Rescue Rangers’ in my head with his beaver/squirrel look, he’s at best a decent player, nothing spectacular, I’d rather we keep Rosicky than go for him. He’s not that bad but he’s not what we need and his injury record is also bad as he spends more time injured than fit. There are better attackers we could be looking at, Mario Goetze of Dortmund and Marko Marin of Bremen to mention a few.

I wonder why we haven’t put in a bid for Per Metesacker, he’s cheaper than what we’re being quoted for the two english lads and has more experience than both and he’s 6’6″, our setpiece problem would ease considerably. A new left back should be a priority after Gibbs’ appalling performance yesterday. Imagine him against Lennon/Valencia/Young/Nani/Kuyt, he fail badly.

Eboue
Galatasaray have offered £4M for Eboue if you believe the Daily Mirror and I hope he’s gone before the end of the week. Jenkinson looks good enough despite his wonderful own goal yesterday.

Fabregas & Nasri
One is leaving, the latter isn’t. Arsenal have put their foot down on Nasri leaving and are willing to lose him for free. Foolish if you ask me. I hope the Cesc saga is completed come end of the week so we can make all our buys. If Wilshere can continue to reel in passes like the one he made for Gervinho’s goal on Saturday then we’ll be alright.

FC Cologne – Arsenal: Player Ratings

Szczensy (6): went about his job pretty efficiently. Almost fumbled a shot in the 1st half, his positioning could have been better for the own-goal.

Jenkinson (6): asides an unfortunate own goal, he had a great first half. He was full of energy and combined well with Walcott a times.

Vermaelen/Koscielny (6.5): Each time Cologne players were around the Arsenal box, the pair showed good composure to counter any threat.

Gibbs (5): He was great going forward, but was caught off guard a lot of times. He really needs to work on his tracking back.

Song (5.5): Quiet game from the Cameroonian…nothing special.

Ramsey (7): Lively game from the Welshman. He made some great passes and had a few pops at goal. Good performance.

Wilshere (8): Top performance from Jack again. Wonderful through ball for the first goal. He was in charge of the game for the entire duration he lasted.

Walcott (7): Theo was lively down the right. Kept finding space behind his marker. His delivery could have been better though.

Chamakh (4): Another poor performance. He really needs to get his acts together before the season starts, else we are in trouble.

Gervinho (9): 16 minutes, 2 well taken goals. The first a wonderful lob, followed by a quality finish for the second. He showed great awareness and positioning. He already looks the part. Went off after 24 minutes.

Miyaichi (6): Came on for Gervinho after 24 minutes…showed some moments of brilliance. He’s definitely one for the future.

Mannone (6): went about his job efficiently.

Squillaci/Djourou (5): They looked off the pace and gave the Cologne strikers too much time on the ball. They really need to improve.

Sagna (6): Made some good runs down the right, albeit with little end product.

Frimpong (6): Good to see him back in the team. Made a couple of good interceptions, needs to work in his passing.

Nasri (5): Very quiet game, contributed very little.

Arshavin (6.5): Arsha was in the mood. He was tackling, passing, shooting. He even tracked back a few times. Encouraging performance.

Rosicky (6): He has stepped up his game all pre-season. He was involved in virtually all our moves in the 2nd half. Let’s hope he can play a similar part when the season starts.

RVP (6): A few flicks here and there, nothing productive really…maybe it’s because the game was just a friendly.

Henderson (5.5): Came on for Gibbs and did not do badly…went off through injury. Let’s hope it’s nothing serious.

There you have it! A win in the bag as we conclude the first phase of pre-season.

Do you agree with these ratings? Please let us know what you think.

Cheers!

Wenger Promises One more Defender + FC Cologne Preview

Author: FAF

Arsène Wenger yesterday revealed he will “certainly” find a new addition to defence but he won’t be drawn into naming anyone in particular. Said He,

“Certainly, we will have to find one more defender,” he said. “We [are] working on it.

Apparently, we had a £10m bid for Jagielka turned down. He’s not what we need in my opinion. He has similar attributes to TV5 and Koscielny. A better option will be Chris Samba, or £17m Gary Cahill, a 24 year old that will give you at least 7 solid years.

I am really desperate for a new centre back at the club. I even once hoped either Koscielny or TV5 picked up a MINOR injury in pre-season, so Wenger would be forced into bringing someone in.

Don’t blame me, I just do not want to see us throw away yet another season because of a dodgy defence.

Well for one day we have a distraction from all of the transfer speculation as our pre-season continues with a friendly against German team FC Cologne, home of star striker Lukas Podolski.

This game will present a tougher challenge than Malaysia’s finest and the other Chinese team we played. Hopefully this friendly will shed some light on what formation and players to expect when the real business starts.

For those who did not know, Cesc did not travel with the team. He is either injured or he is trying to engineer an escape from his “captors”; depending on what you believe. His owners have however failed to meet the required ransom.

Not much on team news, Eboue and Diaby are out through injury, while Nikky B and Almunia “stayed behind”.

Gervinho may make his debut in this game and I’m sure everyone wants to see what he can do. Expect to see a lot of first team players coupled with young players looking to impress.

Benik Afobe is one being touted to start the game or play some role after being withdrawn from the English U-20 team. Frimpong, Miyaichi, and Jenkinson should also feature.

July is almost over and fans would have been expecting to see at least three new faces making their debuts in this game. Instead we are seeing the same faces that ended last season. We are not even sure two of our key players will remain.

If Cesc does leave, I won’t be too worried; in Wilshere and Ramsey the future is here already. If I recall properly, Cesc was almost the same age when he was already dominating the EPL.

And with the talent we know they have who says they can’t step up this new season? To hell with him if he wants to leave. I even hope he’s gone by Monday so we can focus on those who want to stay.

That’s it from me today, tired of worrying myself over players who don’t seem to care. Oh well, looks like we should expect a goal feast from the Arsenal later today.

Have fun wherever you read this from.
Faf says so!

Any thoughts? Please share them below.

Jorgensen deal close + One player we should not sign.

For all the talk from Wenger at the end of last season about strengthening the defence; and Gazidis’ latest comments that we have a “substantial” amount to spend on players, we have had no action.

Just recently, managers of Cahill’s Bolton and Samba’s Blackburn deny having received an Arsenal bid. I find it hard to believe that Arsene has not shown interest in any of these players or any other top defender for that matter.

Of the two, I prefer Samba because of his no-nonsense attitude and his build. Granted, Cahill has better skills on the ball, but I believe we already have ball-playing defenders.

It’s time we signed a destroyer in the mould of United’s Nemanja Vidic. Samba also costs £12m, £5m less than Cahill. So we will be getting exactly what we need at a cheaper price.

One signing we should not even consider at this time is Oxlade-Chamberlain. At £12m, he is too expensive if he is just “the next Walcott”.

Don’t get me wrong here, Theo Walcott is a good player and he’s improving too, but I just feel we need to sort out the original Walcott before bringing in a “next Walcott”.

Also, with all the youngsters we have coming through, signing Oxlade-Chamberlain makes little sense to me. The money can be used to attend to a more pressing need, a centre back.

If reports are anything to go by, Wenger will press forward with a move for FC Copenhagen captain Mathias Jorgensen. Jorgensen, only 21, at 6 foot 3 inches is a defender who has already won titles with his side.

I have not watched him play but he looks like a bargain at £5m. A deal for him is supposedly close, but so were deals for Alvarez and Joel Campbell. Let’s hope we can tie this one, and quickly too.

Wenger has always defended our lack of transfer window activity with the state of the club’s balance sheet. I was just wondering, no one demanded £50m signings, just the right players in the right places.

To get these players we need to spend, but with the right players added, we will win trophies. Trophies in turn generate income into the club, don’t they?

Isn’t that what we all want?

That’s all from me today, Faf returns tomorrow with a preview to Saturday’s game against Cologne.

Any thoughts on signings we should and shouldn’t make, please post them below.

Jorgensen deal close + One player we should not sign.

For all the talk from Wenger at the end of last season about strengthening the defence; and Gazidis’ latest comments that we have a “substantial” amount to spend on players, we have had no action.

Just recently, managers of Cahill’s Bolton and Samba’s Blackburn deny having received an Arsenal bid. I find it hard to believe that Arsene has not shown interest in any of these players or any other top defender for that matter.

Of the two, I prefer Samba because of his no-nonsense attitude and his build. Granted, Cahill has better skills on the ball, but I believe we already have ball-playing defenders.

It’s time we signed a destroyer in the mould of United’s Nemanja Vidic. Samba also costs £12m, £5m less than Cahill. So we will be getting exactly what we need at a cheaper price.

One signing we should not even consider at this time is Oxlade-Chamberlain. At £12m, he is too expensive if he is just “the next Walcott”.

Don’t get me wrong here, Theo Walcott is a good player and he’s improving too, but I just feel we need to sort out the original Walcott before bringing in a “next Walcott”.

Also, with all the youngsters we have coming through, signing Oxlade-Chamberlain makes little sense to me. The money can be used to attend to a more pressing need, a centre back.

If reports are anything to go by, Wenger will press forward with a move for FC Copenhagen captain Mathias Jorgensen. Jorgensen, only 21, at 6 foot 3 inches is a defender who has already won titles with his side.

I have not watched him play but he looks like a bargain at £5m. A deal for him is supposedly close, but so were deals for Alvarez and Joel Campbell. Let’s hope we can tie this one, and quickly too.

Wenger has always defended our lack of transfer window activity with the state of the club’s balance sheet. I was just wondering, no one demanded £50m signings, just the right players in the right places.

To get these players we need to spend, but with the right players added, we will win trophies. Trophies in turn generate income into the club, don’t they?

Isn’t that what we all want?

That’s all from me today, Faf returns tomorrow with a preview to Saturday’s game against Cologne.

Any thoughts on signings we should and shouldn’t make, please post them below.

Arsenal To Offer Fabregas Pay Rise. WHY?? | Gazidis Says Buying Not Over

Imagine the rubbish I woke up to this morning, the Daily Mirror is reporting that we’re set to offer Fabregas a contract extension and an improved contract. Again I ask WHY???. Its obvious he doesn’t want to remain at the club and it would take some divine intervention or serious brain washing to make him consider the offer in the first.

The question is why aren’t we offering Samir Nasri a better contract, afterall he hasn’t said he wants to join a particular club, or any one for that matter and he’s remained professional so far. Sometimes I wonder if my dearly beloved Arsenal is haunted or maybe some ex player put a hex on us. Who knows

Another bit on interesting news was Gazidis yesterday. He took time off his busy schedule to talk to Arsenal.com. He had a lot to say but what mattered the most, he had this to say :

We haven’t finished our business at all, we’re just not conducting it publicly, but we’re working hard privately. We understand where the weaknesses have been, we’ve got a substantial amount of money you can invest

The pessimist would point out that he said ‘Substantial(which means Of considerable importance and size) but the average gooner would be glad to know we’re still in for at least 2 players( if you add the Costa Rican kid Campbell.

Before I go, a big welcome to Gervinho who has finally completed his transfer. I hope his French league form continues with us. Good riddance to Denilson who has gone back to Sao Paolo on loan where the new manager said he’s a fast player. I wonder if the coach meant on Football Manager or Fifa ’11.

From wherever you’re reading, have a great day and success to all our Nigerian fans writing exams. Make us proud.

UPDATE: Conflicting reports about the Joel Campbell story despite reporting earlier that he’s having a medical report. Word is, we have pulled the plug on such deal according to Gunner Blog We’ll bring you more on that soon.