RSSThis is why I’m not writing very much
MORE just because of the way things have panned out than because of any conscious decision, I’m taking a break at the moment. Not so much from Goodplaya, but from Arsenal full-stop.
The reason why? Because after spending a fair few weeks agonising over our future post our cup eliminations, I’ve reached my conclusions and I’m happy with them. Until things happen in the transfer market or in pre-season, there is not a lot to really say or mull over.
Before I go on, I should just add how enjoyable it is to have the break is - though give me a couple of weeks and I’m sure I’ll be bored.
So what are these conclusions that have left me contented?
They are that with the signing of Fabianski, the need to provide competition for Jens has been addressed.
They are that the best thing that can happen to the defence is that they just play better. Our wretched clean sheet record last season was down to poor concentration - not a central defender two inches taller.
In central midfield, we lack drive and energy. Plucking a player as good as Vieira, Gerrard, Keane or Essien from thin air ain’t gonna happen. But the point is that unless Arsene decides Diaby can function centrally, we lack that option completely - irrespective of the quality of the player.
United may have managed without one, but whether it be Diaby or A N Other, I’d like to see that added steel come August.
On the wings, rare is the championship winning side that does not boast a winger who gets into double figures for league goals. Hleb won’t, Rosicky might but probably won’t. So maybe we need a winger. Or maybe Arsene believes a fully fit Walcott could fulfil that role.
Up front, last August it was hard to argue with a front four of Henry, RVP, Adebayor and Baptista. Nobody could have anticipated the injuries to the former two and the utter atrocity that was the Beast.
He will go. Henry, for me, has to stay. Bendtner will come in. I’d like us to sign a Suker or Solskjaer like figure who does not need to play every game but can be relied on to do alright when they are called upon.
And that is where I stand. There will be updates to the site, but until I’m ready to start my own pre-season, they will likely be few and brief.
30 May 2007 at 3:50 am
I tend to agree with just about everything you said. For me, the only critical pick-up we need is a winger on the left. I do have faith in Theo’s future, but we need some speed and goals from the other wing. Ribery will do nicely.
Aside from that, we need to understand that losing RvP and TH14 for several months at the same time is close to worst case scenario. The chances that it will happen again? Pretty small. Not large enough to invest in a major striker signing.
30 May 2007 at 4:30 am
Instead Of Ribery AW should go for Babel. He can also cover at striker if need be - don’t discount lightning striking twice…
I agree with goodplaya about adding drive to the midfield which is why I am not oppossed to the idea of Reo Coker. I’m not sure if that type of player is who GP has in mind and I am conscious of the bulk of central players but at the moment this Arsenal squad is too one dimensional to challenge for any major trophies.
30 May 2007 at 5:14 am
Yeah i would prefer Babel to Ribery simply because of his goals count and versatility. Reo Coker would be a nice addition although we do not really need another central midfielder. As for goals coming from midfield, I trust that Walcott, Cesc and Rosicky will contribute more to the goals tally this coming season.
30 May 2007 at 5:24 am
For the issue of what players we need - the call for a winger is the correct one. I think a decent amount of money should be offered and Franck Ribery and Florent Malouda should be first choice. They will find it the easiest to integrate.
Having said that, the loss of Baptista means we are probably one short up front. Therefore, Ryan Babel could be brought in to play wide or up front. The only problem with this is that it means the club would not really be committing to an out-and-out winger as is required but just looking for someone to plug the gap.
Enjoy your break Goodplaya - don’t stay away for too long!
30 May 2007 at 6:01 am
Spanish Fry…”the loss of Baptista means we are probably one short up front.” Some might say that it will give us the feeling that we have two extra players up front!
Enjoy your break Goodplaya…look forward to reading you shortly.
30 May 2007 at 6:16 am
GF60Y - “Some might say that it will give us the feeling that we have two extra players up front!”
Classic.
30 May 2007 at 6:28 am
ضربت على الوتر الحساس
30 May 2007 at 6:37 am
how about a team with roe-crocker plus babbel and ribery… if wwe can add all 3 in to our team.im sure we can sweep the league, the champions league and what ever cups whicg are avaible for us….cmon arsene pls do something about it.. the fans all over the world can see it im sure you know what to do please i bed you please do not diapoint us ….
30 May 2007 at 6:56 am
i agree totally with post 7 - the best comment ive ever seen on an arsenal blog.
30 May 2007 at 7:05 am
I just don’t understand this Ribery obsession with many Arsenal supporters. Someone on some blog mentions our need for a winger who can score (I don’t contest our need for player of that type) & you get cunts like Eric in LA saying Ribery will do very nicely. Why, based on what exactly? Surely not because of the modest amount of assists & goals he scored this season in a 2nd rate league, so why exactly?
30 May 2007 at 7:31 am
Riebery or Babel is both fine with me. I guess Riebery will cost loads more, but maybe we can offload Flamini to them to get a discount…?
30 May 2007 at 7:53 am
i would like to have florent malouda instead of ribery. nigel reo-coker would be a great signing but how many central midfielders do we neeed. unless wenger is going to use diaby in all sorts of positions. we got cesc, gilberto, diaby and denilson and even that ediat song is still there.
30 May 2007 at 7:58 am
مشجع ارسنال Says:
30 May 2007 at 6:28 am
ضربت على الوتر الحساس
I agree
30 May 2007 at 8:01 am
I also agree with Ivan. What a beautifully concise and poetic use of the english language.
30 May 2007 at 8:04 am
My contention is that our weakest department for a coupla years now has been the defence. We can hardly deal with set pieces, and when one good central defender is out, we struggle immensely. Look at the times when Sol Campbell was still our player. we struggled a great deal when either he or Kolo was out. The guys we have for cover just don’t cut it.
Senderos only flattered to deceive two seasons ago. Johann Djourou looks better. Justin Hoyte is hardly above average, and these are the guys we have for cover when our stalwarts sre out. Sometimes we have had two simultaneous injuries or absences due to suspension. We can’t ever rely on Senderos and Hoyte in the same team. We need a very good central defender and a very good utility player who operates from midfield going backwards, the Makelele type. We also badly need a hard shooting player who operates upfront or just behind the strikers. Though we can hardly afford Eto’o, that’s the kind we need. Quaresma also.Either an out and out goalscorer of one who plays just behind the strikers with an acurate and ferocious shot.
30 May 2007 at 8:28 am
French league is not second rate league.It’s a league that’s too defensive. They play to avoid to lose rather winning; that’s why their ‘Pichichi’ has only scored 15 goals this season. Also they export too many of their top players.
Ribery is not a high scoring midfield, but he is very much a top creative player who will improve a lot this squad, as long as he is not too expensive.
I have three times watched Ajax on Sport Italia to see Babel and Huntelaar. I only saw the quality of two players, Huntelaar(striker 9) and De Mul(a winger 16). Babel was quite poor in my opinion.
30 May 2007 at 8:36 am
I think that Reo-Coker can be a very good addition to the team, and he would have the ability to step up, lets not forget West Ham’s 1st season in the league. Ppl criticise him for bein a troublemaker, but he wasn’t even given the chance to talk to arsenal, they told him of the bid and that was it.
For the right-winger I think the real option should be Quaresma, he’s an amazing talent and can score goals, has had a magnificent season, so would be high on confidence and would have the belief after seeing a player such as Ronaldo finally succeeding in this league. I don’t thik we need a big signing striker coz lets face it I think we have the best strike partnership in the league when fit, c’mon RVp and Henry, that’s pretty good
30 May 2007 at 9:12 am
If I had to choose a winger that could score it’d be from the Portuguese lot…
so Nani or Quaresma… Babel is pretty good too
Ribery is a very direct, very mobile player but his finishing leaves a lot to be desired…
30 May 2007 at 9:26 am
First I agree with Nightmook that the obsession with Ribery is a bit strange. However, I totally disklie the fact that calls LA Gooner “a cunt”. There are other boards (ie Gunnerblog) where that kind of incivility is rife. Go there. I like Goodplaya because the quality of comments is relatively high and tends to stick to the topic!
Second, why not sign Benni McCarthy? He has performed in the premiership and would be a nice back up.
Third, the defense. I agree that the problem is not the talent, but the organization. Get a better coach back…whoever organized the run to the champions league final with a third-string defense. Besides, coaches are cheaper than players and they don’t get injured.
30 May 2007 at 9:55 am
Ribery is not the player everyone thinks he is. He only got 5 goals and 7 assists with his current club last season. Not good enough really!
I’m not surprised Thierry Henry is moaning today - he is totally right. He was quoted as saying:”I’m getting annoyed that we’re finishing at the end of the top four now. Sometimes having a lot of youngsters in your squad - I’m not trying to look for any excuses - you cannot have the same sprit, the same results. Winning is a very difficult process. You just don’t arrive there.” - I totally agree. What is Wengers obsession with building a good under 21 squad? We have not replaced any of our players with experience - Pires, Bergkamp, Vieira, Campbell…. the list goes on. Hleb is shit (sorry if I offended anyone) and Rosicky needs goals!!!!
30 May 2007 at 10:02 am
Why would you sign a player who will never play? This man with “steele” isnt ever going to play ahead of Cesc or Gilberto. Maby even Diany. Its like signing a striker to poach our goals. If they are not playing how can thay poach our chanches in the net?
Evryone seems to have this idea that we will have ade’s stamina, thierris wonderfullness, RvPs technique and the poachers finish. we will only have two of them at one time!
30 May 2007 at 10:03 am
I also have to say that we only need a back-up winger and our injured playersd back to challenge.
30 May 2007 at 10:07 am
Why can’t we spend money on experienced good players? We are always promised a ‘war chest’ but never use it! Why can’t we sign Eto? Why can’t we sign Babbel? Why can’t we sign Torres? What is it at Arsenal - even Spurs spend more!
30 May 2007 at 10:14 am
We need winners! Please Arsene, sign someone over the age of 25!!
30 May 2007 at 10:19 am
Ribery is not the player we want and I’ve been saying it for the past year now. He does not score many goals or provide many assists.
Compare to last season - Rosicky scored and assisted more than Ribery and Ribery will need time to adapt as well!
Forget about Ribery people - PLEASE!
30 May 2007 at 10:21 am
I agree Francis
30 May 2007 at 10:28 am
Valencia Gooner, Keown was the defensive coach during our run to the Champions League final, but it was only a short term thing. I can’t for the life of me think why he wasn’t signed as a full-time defensive coach. If he can do that with a makeshift back four then he could surely improve on the regular’s organization.
And to Philly Blunt: Sp*rs may spend more than Arsenal but are they more successful? I think not!
30 May 2007 at 10:33 am
Mr Arsenal: Imagine if Arsene had signed the players Spurs have - we’d be champions!
30 May 2007 at 10:41 am
Philly Blunt, I think not as we’d have a tub of lard in goal!
30 May 2007 at 10:43 am
lol! Ok, maybe I have gone too far! I’m just worried about all the speculation surronding Henry’s future.
30 May 2007 at 11:00 am
I know, it is a bit worrying. Mind you, if the £17m plus Eto’o story is true (which it probably isn’t) then Wenger would have to seriously think about it. That’s a lot of money for a 30 year-old, even if it is Henry, and Eto’o is class.
30 May 2007 at 11:07 am
It was reported by Marca and we all know that paper is always full of rubbish. One day they’re bidding £15 million for Henry and the next day they’re throwing in £2 million more plus a £25 million player… hmmm.
30 May 2007 at 11:38 am
one thig is for absolute certain. the squad needs a player that is comfortable on the wing. not a central player who is converted. I will trust wenger to bring in the most suitable player. I expect none of us will have heard of him having discussed Ribery, Malouda, Babel, Queresma, Nani ad infinitum. of the names I have heard, I think Renato is the most likely signing. I like both Hleb and Ros but they need a lot more back up than Walcott and Ljungberg.
good call on Benni Mcarthy though. He is not wasteful with his chances. lots of experience and would not cost a great deal either.
Also good point on Diaby. the only midfield dynamo in the squad. but Cesc must play and Gilberto is virtually undroppable. a 4-3-3 seems the best option.
30 May 2007 at 11:56 am
Barca would not have to offer very much as Titi can buy his contract out under the new rules? So it’s really a case of whether he wants to go or not, and I don’t think he does.
30 May 2007 at 12:23 pm
Henry’s got 3 years left on his contract worth over £20 million. I don’t think he’d want to buy that out!
30 May 2007 at 12:28 pm
Franny Jeffers,
Well Walcott dont want Pat Rices cock in hs mouth but it still happens ass hole
30 May 2007 at 1:02 pm
Thanks for that Blog Head you stupid little child.
On another note, Rosicky was asked about him being linked to Inter and he replied saying “I am happy at Arsenal”.
That’s the kind of response I like to hear!
30 May 2007 at 1:22 pm
Yeah, none of the c word please.
30 May 2007 at 1:29 pm
Post 7 is from a man called “Encouraging Arsenal” and it reads “hit the right chord”.
In return, I say:
شكرا ، أنا أفكر في كتابة المفكره العربية من الآن فصاعدا. فبدلا من الدعوة هو غوودبلايا - ارسنال blog آخر ، يمكن غوودبلايا - عربي ترسانة blog
30 May 2007 at 1:34 pm
Goodplaya - arabic reads from the right to left so I think you are blagging it!
30 May 2007 at 1:57 pm
Classic stuff Goodplaya.
Ha ha ha ha. Good use of the word “blog”
30 May 2007 at 1:58 pm
http://www.google.com/language_tools
30 May 2007 at 2:51 pm
wot does anyone think about goin back and signing Bentley, 1. we’ve got First option on him anyway. 2. he’s proven that he can do it in the premiership. 3. we all know he has undoubted talent. 4. even though he left of his own accord he’s never said anyhting bad about us, and i know that he only scored 7 goals in total this season but that’s not that bad condsidering he plays for Blackburn… not exactly prolific and Blackburn are one of those clubs that don’t demand astronomical fees, i.e. Bellamy (6mill)
30 May 2007 at 3:33 pm
First Spanish league needs to finish so tht “real” transfer talk can beggin.
Bentley is not top-player
30 May 2007 at 4:48 pm
Pourquoi ces postes en arabe ? C’est en catalan qu’il faut discuter à présent. Bientôt je serai un culos. Vous verrez mes arsecopains
30 May 2007 at 4:50 pm
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30 May 2007 at 5:02 pm
公園繼松吃你的狗
30 May 2007 at 5:26 pm
How do all, I’m a comment virgin so be gentle with me. As far as I’m aware TH14 won’t be able to buy out his contract as I thought the criteria was that it needed less than two years to run? That said, I also thought you had to be over 28 and to qualify yet Flamini seems eligible so maybe I missed a memo and they changed the rules.
Goodplaya, is the C-word in question C*le?
30 May 2007 at 5:30 pm
Ok, I think the language gag has run it’s course.
Greg, the question is whether we are selling him.
And no, the C word is not that bad. It’s only c**t.
30 May 2007 at 5:38 pm
I thought the C word used by blog head was c*ck!!
31 May 2007 at 1:42 am
I’m 99% sure that Goodplaya would’ve edited the word C**t out and given Blog Head a slap on the wrist.
1 June 2007 at 9:57 am
Or maybe goodplaya tickled my balls. Its a secret
2 June 2007 at 6:09 pm
i am abig fan if arsenal but i will like to say these that arsenal neeed to get quality signing like going to place like germany ,portugal to buy quality players that can make changes to the squad and he should try to letr adebayor go cos he is not adding anything to the club .we need a good players who can unlock defence when we have injury and not just aplayer who will furstarte us by losing goals
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