Arsenal FC 2009/2010

[barbarez01]

big big signing.. im impressed AW!

[bradley]

hope he flops ;D

He wont, hes too good for that. Its a pity Everton didn't sign him when we had the chance a few years ago.

[delfino_1936]

hope he flops ;D

He wont, hes too good for that. Its a pity Everton didn't sign him when we had the chance a few years ago.

hope you're right man, will be very very happy if he plays quality.

Lets hope he makes his debut vs the Spuds with Sol's famous no.23 shirt and SCORES THE WINNER!!!

[Judge Judy]

what has he done other than a couple of good games at Euro?

Arshavin, the white Diouf

[bradley]

Yeah nothing apart from being the centerpiece of Zenit's UEFA cup title.

[Judge Judy]

confirmed then, white dioufy

[delfino_1936]

Yeah nothing apart from being the centerpiece of Zenit's UEFA cup title.

he single handedly took the piss out of Bayer Lev away last year i remember seeing it on Eurosport

[Derek]

what has he done other than a couple of good games at Euro?

Arshavin, the white Diouf

Are you jelous?? Also are you serious???

As previously mentioned not only has he been Zenits most influencial player for the last two seasons, he was close to one of the best players in Euro.......To say he had just a couple of good games is a huge under statement.

I think you love him secretly.

[Judge Judy]

igor biscan single handedly killed bayern lev ffs

i didn't watch any uefa cup, so hence the question about him doing anything outside of 2, possibly 3 games in euro

[pires7]

Everything he has done previously counts for f'all if he doesn't produce at Arsenal. Guus has been known to get the best out of players.

However, he has great technical abilty and vision(from what I have seen) which should be the ingredients to make him a successful player at Arsenal. But who knows, still a risk?

[delfino_1936]

Everything he has done previously counts for f'all if he doesn't produce at Arsenal. Guus has been known to get the best out of players.

However, he has great technical abilty and vision(from what I have seen) which should be the ingredients to make him a successful player at Arsenal. But who knows, still a risk?

too true, but if we all look at it that way, every signing is a risk!

Fernando Torres was a risk and look how he turned out
Keane was a risk even though proven at EPL level but turned out dud
just depends on how the player settles in with life away from football and life in the team imo

[Tony Adams]

some stats on arshavin

*captain of russia - lead them to semi final of euro 2008 losing to eventual winners spain
*russian player of the year: 2006
*euro 2008 team of the tournament
*russian premier league winner: 2007
*Russian Premier League Cup: 2003
*Russian Super Cup: 2008
*UEFA Cup: 2007/08
*UEFA Super Cup: 2008
*238 appearences for zenit with 51 goals
*41 appearences for russia with 15 goals

not bad for a guy who has only ever played a couple of good games

[pires7]

I was wrong, after watching Parker against us on the weekend, and in a few games recently, I agree with Gooders that he would be a good signing. His pressure and tackling was awesome! Just in the key weak area of our sqaud DM!

[delfino_1936]

I was wrong, after watching Parker against us on the weekend, and in a few games recently, I agree with Gooders that he would be a good signing. His pressure and tackling was awesome! Just in the key weak area of our sqaud DM!

the only problem i had with his game though, was that he did lose the ball a few too many times in Key areas, but in saying that, some of the one touch football him and the other hammer midfielders played during the game was great to watch.

How long is Diaby out for?? Anyone know?

[Derek]

I think he is going to be a really influential player at Arsenal. He will give our young midfield and striking force some good experience. 27 years of age, ready to come into his prime!!!

[Judge Judy]

I was wrong, after watching Parker against us on the weekend, and in a few games recently, I agree with Gooders that he would be a good signing. His pressure and tackling was awesome! Just in the key weak area of our sqaud DM!

exactly the kind of player arsenal need, but keep looking at these flair type ponces!

[Derek]

I was wrong, after watching Parker against us on the weekend, and in a few games recently, I agree with Gooders that he would be a good signing. His pressure and tackling was awesome! Just in the key weak area of our sqaud DM!

exactly the kind of player arsenal need, but keep looking at these flair type ponces!

Arsenal have great flare in the midfield and up front, they are the kind of players you need in todays football. To call them ponces is stupid. Fabregas is a very solid midfielder and when he returns it will balance out our midfield again.

Unfortunatley in todays game there are less and less pressure / hard players like Parker, Viera, Keane and a whole massive list of others.

[Judge Judy]

the top 4 clubs all have that player that can get into the rough stuff / win loads of tackles, arsenal are without one of those players.

you clearly don't need just flair players, 5th spot in the league tells us that

[delfino_1936]

'We had a resilient and committed attitude'

On two points dropped against Tottenham...
“I believe we had a resilient, committed attitude and I’m proud of our attitude during the 90 minutes. But I feel it is two points dropped because we had the best chances and we scored a regular goal that was ruled out by an illusionary foul seen by only the referee. I watched it three times on television and I still don’t see what was wrong. That is why at the end of the day it’s frustrating.

"We keep going. We have a momentum it is true but we didn’t score today. We haven’t lost for 11 games now and we just keep going."

On Emmanuel Eboue's disallowed goal...
“He has seen a push from Emmanuel Eboue but in fact it was Jonathan Woodgate who pushed him as well and then stumbled over Emmanuel Adebayor and falls down. If you see it again you see that it’s nothing. It is not acceptable really it is not serious.

"I believe the person closest to the ball was the referee. He was in the best position and did not judge the push from Eboue he judged the fact that Woodgate fell down."

On Eboue's red card…
“I believe that the first yellow card was very harsh. You have players who make 15 fouls in the game but don’t get a yellow card. What he did was clumsy but the first yellow card was very hard. The second one, I haven’t seen. They have told me that he has retaliated, if he has retaliated then he deserves a yellow and a red card. It doesn’t matter who saw it. If someone saw it for real then he deserves to be sent off.

We deal with our problems internally. The newspapers never help us to sort out problems out. If he has retaliated today then we’ll see. I want to first see it before I assess the situation. It was impossible to see what happened because the ball had gone.”

On reacting to the sending off…
“We kept playing with two strikers and we tried to win it and there was enough room to win this game. Tottenham created very little overall and even when we had 10 men they never really pulled us out of position.

We needed one or two saves from Manuel Almunia but overall I think we controlled them very well. What troubled us was creating because we were down to ten men for so long and that’s difficult.”

On the referee's overall performance…
“I do not want to develop a paranoia it is just a moment of the season in a game like today. I cannot say I am against the referee, he had a game, he had a game. He made a big decision wrong. I cannot say it was right because I have seen it three times on television and it is still a goal”

On the injuries incurred…
“Adebayor is out for three weeks with a hamstring.

"We have Carlos Vela, we have Nicklas Bendtner, we have Eduardo we have Andrey Arshavin and we have Robin van Persie. We have plenty of strikers.

"Gael Clichy’s head wound is open. He gets stitches in it.”

[povman_2009]

According to the Gaffer it is all the ref's fault...

[delfino_1936]

FAN.....TASTIC

[delfino_1936]

'We were dynamic, convincing and mobile'

On Eduardo’s dream return to first-team action…
“I am not surprised he played well tonight. I didn’t play him as a reward for his excellent work; it was because in training over the past few weeks he has done extremely well. He made a big step forward two weeks ago when he found sharpness in front of goal and in his runs and he got rid of his apprehension in the tackles.

“Of course it is nearly 12 months out and he has been extremely strong mentally during that time, I could never see one minute of doubt in his mind or one minute where he said ‘no, I don’t want to do it’. He always wanted more and this guy is small but has the mental strength of a mountain.

“He is intelligent, talented and he understands what is happening quickly. He responds very quickly to every situation. That is why he is a striker. He is a quiet boy. He is very, very quiet – he is focussed but of course very happy tonight.“

On the striker’s poignant celebration with Tony Colbert…
“I think Tony Colbert has spent more time with Eduardo than with his wife. So perhaps he deserves that kind of hug. The physios and doctors have as well done a tremendous job with him. We use him when he is ready but they did a lot of work with him and have done a great job.”

On the importance of having him back…
“We will know how important this was at the end of the season. I am very happy to have him back because he gives us options. He can play on flank, he can play central, he can play on the shoulder or upfront on his own. It is fantastic for us.

“I still have to be cautious with him and I cannot throw him in every three days after nine months. We will see how he responds to that hamstring and maybe he can be with us on Saturday, I don’t know.”

On the fantastic team performance…
“Of course everybody’s happy for him but I believe it was a good team performance; dynamic, convincing and mobile. We played the kind of football we love to play and it is good to see us play with handbrake off. We are now consistent, we are stable defensively, and we added tonight our drive going forward.

“We played the game we want to play and Eduardo played a big part in that. Everybody is of course pleased for him tonight.”

On Cardiff’s performance…
“They gave us a hard time over there. I felt today the speed of our passing gave them a big problem. It is easier to play our kind of football here than it was at Ninian Park.

“Something in the Cardiff team, when we played them over there, made me think they have real belief and the real quality. I didn’t see any weak position in their team, where you think they aren’t good enough. Today they were dominated as a team, and it is very difficult tonight to find the same impression because of that. They had to run after the game after we scored which was much more difficult.

“We have played Burnley and Cardiff and I would say they are sides who have a chance to come up, a really good chance. If you look at the table Cardiff are 12 points behind the leaders with a few games in hand. They have a good chance but I think for them it is better to go out of the FA Cup.”

On taking FA cup confidence into the league…
“We are very consistent and we are on a very strong run. We missed the goals recently but I believe we are on a very strong run. We promised ourselves we would give everything until the last day of the season. At the moment Man United look untouchable – they are 12 points ahead with a game against Fulham which they will certainly win. Their results are really consistent, they win 1-0. You always think during the game that they may drop points but they always manage to find the resources to win the game.

“If they win the game in hand they are 15 points in front. That means we need to lose five. Say they lose one against us, that is four. They still need to lose another four but they haven’t done that yet. Our basic target is to get in the Champions League which means the league is our priority.”

[haywood djablowme]

Fabregas: I'll be back for good soon
Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas has revealed that he will resume training in 10 days' time - and cannot wait to 'touch a ball again'.

In an optimistic bulletin that suggests the classy midfielder is ahead of schedule in his recovery from the knee injury he suffered at the end of December, Fabregas also confirmed that he has already begun to reintegrate himself within the Gunners' dressing room after convalescing in Spain.

"Over the last couple of weeks I have been going up into the mountains to work and it's been hard but good for my muscles," he said.

"I'm really happy with how it's going, it's looking good and hopefully in 10 days I can start to train with the ball, so it's going a bit quicker than I thought.

"I can't wait until I can touch the ball again, because it's about eight weeks since I've kicked a ball and I think that's the longest time of my whole life!"

Having originally received treatment in his native Barcelona, Fabregas was back in the stands on Monday night at the Emirates to see his team-mates reach the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 4-0 thrashing of Cardiff.

The 21-year-old added: "From this week, I will be back at the club, in the dressing room and around my team-mates, and I will see them going out to training, travelling to the games and that will make me jealous.

"It will give me more desire to get fit as quickly as possible so I can be in the team again. Over the last few weeks I have only thought of my injury, but now it's time for me to come back to the team. I am the captain and I have responsibilities. I have to be next to my team-mates even if I'm not playing."

[delfino_1936]

VAN PERSIE: PROVE YOUR AMBITION

Robin van Persie insists he is keen to sign a new contract with Arsenal - if he is convinced the club share his ambition.

The Holland forward's contract expires at the end of next season and he confirmed the Gunners have offered him a new deal.

He told The Sun: "Financially the last offer made by the club is fine but that isn't everything for me.

"It's about my ambitions and how they can be fulfilled in the coming years. The club and I want the same and it is our intention we achieve that.

"Arsenal have promised me they will do everything possible to make that extra step to a level where we win prizes on a regular basis.

"In the last four years I've had only one prize, the FA Cup, and that's not enough.

"I want to achieve more and I feel I can play an important role in bringing Arsenal to a higher level."

[delfino_1936]

Good Diaby's back for Riomma game, please start him Wenger instead of Denilson or Song, how can Arsenal play with these 2 CM, it's ridiculous

[Tony Adams]

Good Diaby's back for Riomma game, please start him Wenger instead of Denilson or Song, how can Arsenal play with these 2 CM, it's ridiculous

i agree with the fact that song and denilson shouldnt be a partnership, song is a better cb imo. but i thought that denilson has really picked his game up over the last few weeks.

[haywood djablowme]

Good Diaby's back for Riomma game, please start him Wenger instead of Denilson or Song, how can Arsenal play with these 2 CM, it's ridiculous

thought we lost a bit when Diaby went off this morning but had a quality game IMO. Shows when playing he gives the midfield that better balance & would like to see him be the DCM when Cesc, Rosicky, Theo, Arshavin, Ade & Eddie all return

[delfino_1936]

Good Diaby's back for Riomma game, please start him Wenger instead of Denilson or Song, how can Arsenal play with these 2 CM, it's ridiculous

thought we lost a bit when Diaby went off this morning but had a quality game IMO. Shows when playing he gives the midfield that better balance & would like to see him be the DCM when Cesc, Rosicky, Theo, Arshavin, Ade & Eddie all return

agree with ya 100%

[pires7]

The original plan to play Diaby in midfield this season has been stuffed again by injuries this season. Atleast Denilson is getting a full year, let's jsut hope he doesn't leave and maybe Milan might offload Flamini

[pires7]

Similar to our other useless season recently, we can hopefully do well in the CL this season.