Arsenal Thread

[RawIsWar]

None of the Arsenal goalkeepers are that good, Lehmann is a clown always playing heck with the defenders and really makes me laugh, on the other hand Almunia as bene poor from the very start and im shocked Lehmann hasn't been braught back to the Arsenal first team. Arsenal should try to sign Carlo Cudicini if Chelsea are getting rid of him, for me he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world

[FLiam]

Almunia has been OK in the last couple of games, hasn't made errors. But I still want a new goalkeeper in the summer. That is one position we most definatley need to fill.

When I watch Chelsea play and see Cech in goal I always think to myself "Why can't we have someone like him?". Someone who is young, athletic, mobile and has fantastic reflexes. We always get stuck with old keepers who are terrible at making decisions.

This is why I want Timo Hildebrandt or Sebastien Frey.

[supergrass]

On the Manuel Almunia front, I don't think he can ever get a fair deal in goal. Yes, he made a few mistakes and they cost him big, but since then if you read newspaper reports and things like that, they'll never give him credit for anything. One paper tried to blame the Charlton free-kick the other week on him (yes, the free-kick that came like a rocket through two player that he couldn't see). If he makes a good save it's usually not mentioned either. Just something that's been annoying me - it was a similar deal with Lehmann when he had good matches - hardly ever got mentioned.

That said we could do with a good young goalkeeper. Apparently Reyes was quoted as saying that he told Wenger to sign Fernando Torres this year. Though again, from a Sunday paper so not sure what that's worth. We could do with a good player in each part of the team to be honest, from goalkeeper right through to forward.

[FLiam]

Arsenal forward Jose Antonio Reyes has urged Arsene Wenger to bring Fernando Torres to Highbury.

The Atletico Madrid starlet is widely regarded to be one of the most exciting prospects in world football and has caught admiring glances from a host of Europe's biggest clubs.

Reyes has first hand experience of Torres' talent after playing with the 20-year-old for Spain and against him, when he played in La Liga with Sevilla.

One of Torres' primary suitors are reportedly Manchester United and Reyes is desperate for his compatriot not to end up at Old Trafford.

''I have told Arsene Wenger he should try to sign Torres in 2005,'' said Reyes.

''He is the best youngster in Spain and will be one of the best players around over the next few years.

''We can't allow United to sign him.''

source: planetfootball.com

There you go.

We do need a striker I believe, the thing is, if we were to go after him, no doubt Chelsea would, and we couldn't compete with them finanically. I would love to have Torre, but he would cost £20m plus and if he were to join us, it would be under one condition: he cuts down on diving.

Also, he is probably one of a very few amount of players that could be capable of replacing Henry in the long term imo.

Edited January 9, 2005 by Gooner4Life

[G-O-D]

Torres is good, but he's way out of Arsenal's price range.

[RawIsWar]

Torres is good, but he's way out of Arsenal's price range.

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[FLiam]

Because he can't play on the left and Ljungberg is playing too well to drop, even for one game. If he is tired then yeh he should put Pennant in, but Ljungberg doesn't look tired at all just recently.

[supergrass]

Usually when Ljungberg is injured Pennant still doesn't feature. Wenger will do something like shift Pires to the right and play Reyes out wide (that was the plan towards the start of the season at least, when players were fit).

It's a shame, he needs to play more but I don't think he'll get another contract after this year.

Though on Freddie, he does look like he's getting back to his best finally. When he's on form there aren't many better attacking midfielders anywhere.

[FLiam]

Pennant was playing when Ljungberg was out at the start of the season.

Problem was, when Ljungberg was out over the Xmas period, so was Pennant and that was the golden chance to show Arsene what he can do, but Ljungberg came back from injury around the time Pennant did and now Ljungberg has been playing too well.

It is a forgone conclusion in my mind that Pennant is leaving in the summer However, it won't be too bad if we get Wright-Phillips, I would prefer Wright-Phillips anyway.

[Guest Pirate Chasin' Booty]

Aluminium

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Edited January 9, 2005 by muddatrucker

[TMM]

Aluminium

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Wow, thats still not funny.

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It's only funny when Arsenal fans say it.

[G-O-D]

Aluminium

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Wow, thats still not funny.

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[FLiam]

Aluminium

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Wow, thats still not funny.

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It's only funny when Arsenal fans say it.

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No it isn't

Just call him Smackhead, that is what I call him, he sure looks like one.

[FLiam]

Lehmann wanted.

In short:

VFB Stuttgart coach Matthias Sammer is putting pressure on Timo Hildebrandt to finally renew his contract by beginning of next week. At the same time, Sammer claimed that he would make contact with Jens Lehmann to replace Hildebrandt, if Timo´s contract is not being signed by that deadline.

Sammer said: "Jens was my first goalkeeper in Dortmund and I feel he will not accept his current situation in London not for long. If Timo leaves us, I would definately consider Jens as a replacement for Timo".

Interesting, Hildebrandt's contract is expiring in the summer which I never knew about, Arsene said he doesn't need a goalkeeper, it could be a smokescreen.

I want Wenger to sign him. We need a goalkeeper of that quality.

[FLiam]

Ronaldinho admits he would be more afraid if Barcelona were playing Arsenal, rather than Chelsea, in the next round of the UEFA Champions League.

Barcelona will face Premiership leaders Chelsea in the second round of Europe's most prestigious competition at the end of February.

It is arguably the tie of the round and Brazilian ace Ronaldinho is looking forward to coming up against an expensively-assembled Chelsea side.

But, while respectful of The Blues, Ronaldinho concedes he is a bigger fan of Arsenal and feels the current Premiership champions are a classier team than their London rivals.

"Chelsea look comfortable with the team they have, they are playing well and our meeting will be a very good game," Ronaldinho told Zoo magazine.

"But I don't believe they have the same class as Arsenal yet. Arsenal have some of the best players in the world and have great movement.

"Every goal they score is perfection. You rarely see them score a boring goal.

"I admire Arsenal most. Their skill is fantastic and it would be an honour to play with the likes of Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry.

"In Arsene Wenger they also have a coach who seems to bring the best out of players and is highly respected in Europe."

Ronaldinho picked up Fifa's World Footballer of the Year prize in December, fending off competition from Henry for the award.

The fleet-footed attacker, though, feels France international Henry was a more deserving winner of the title.

He added: "It is fantastic when people call you the best player in the world. You want to be the best whatever job you do and no matter how much you get paid.

"But I feel Henry is the best in the world, he's the complete striker.

"There's nothing he can't do. He's a footballing genius."

source: skysports.com

[Guest Pirate Chasin' Booty]

At our best we're better than Chelsea, we have just dropped form and are in vital need of some decent backup, sometimes we can be too stingy with our cash, and whilst I appreciate how a business is run, sometimes we need those boosts of cash to sign some established talent (e.g. an experienced keeper).

[supergrass]

Haven't seen in mentioned anywhere yet, so, the BBC news pages have a story about Flamini's transfer being in a bit of trouble:

A Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling could force Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini to return to Marseille.

The CAS ruled against Flamini's provisional £336,000 transfer from OM last summer, a move sanctioned by Fifa.

Fifa stepped in after Arsenal signed Flamini, despite former OM coach Jose Anigo believing he had a verbal agreement with the player.

A Marseille spokesman said: "From a legal point of view, his departure was not valid, he belongs to us."

Fifa initially authorised Flamini's transfer on a provisional basis on August 8, and then sanctioned it as a permanent move in November.

Marseille took the case to the CAS after losing Flamini for Arsenal's nominal fee.

The French club are confident the CAS will overturn Fifa's ruling, forcing Flamini to return to the Stade Velodrome where he would be sold for a sizeable sum.

A statement on Marseille's website said the CAS "recognised Fifa's decision was riddled with mistakes and those who sanctioned the move had no competence to authorize the player's transfer."

The statement added: "Marseille once again states its determination to use all legal means possible to prove its rights."

Fifa spokesman John Schumacher said: "Once a case goes to CAS it's out of Fifa's hands and is no longer a matter for us to comment on."

The Lausanne-based CAS was set up 21 years ago to settle sports-related disputes.

Parties in a dispute normally sign a pre-hearing agreement that any decision made by the Court is final and binding on both.

Arsenal are not likely to lightly accept any ruling which involves returning Flamini to Marseille.

Edited January 14, 2005 by supergrass

[Guest Pirate Chasin' Booty]

Do verbal agreements hold any ground?

[Liam]

At our best we're better than Chelsea, we have just dropped form and are in vital need of some decent backup, sometimes we can be too stingy with our cash, and whilst I appreciate how a business is run, sometimes we need those boosts of cash to sign some established talent (e.g. an experienced keeper).

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With both teams at thier best, I think Chelsea are better, however much I may hate to say it.

[Guest Pirate Chasin' Booty]

I wouldnt agree, Last season Arsenal were unstoppable, this season whilst Chelsea might have a stronghold at the top, it will be broken and they will lose again before the season is over.

Edited January 14, 2005 by muddatrucker