Tag Archives: She Wore A Yellow Ribbon

Arsenal set to SELL up to 11 senior players (and none are Ozil or Sanchez)

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In recent weeks, the big transfer news at Arsenal has been about the contract situations of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

It has been well written by many that both have 18 months left on their contract and are currently stalling on negotiations. Some say they are waiting on Arsene Wenger to declare his future, or for it to be announced who his replacement might be, others say they are driven by money, with rumours of a $400,000 offer on the table from China – I always laugh that the offer is ‘from China’ without mentioning a particular club.

Some say that want to ensure they are playing for a competitive club, and will wait to see if we do challenge (and win) the title, whilst Ian Wright thinks they will both sign, but will do in the summer where they will be worth even more if they take Arsenal to the title.

The future of both is concerning for all Arsenal fans, but there are another 11 senior players who’s future at the club might not be bright. And entire starting XI could leave Arsenal this summer.

David Ospina has been linked away from Arsenal ever since Petr Cech joined. Currently the clubs Champions League keeper, he is also likely to play in the FA Cup in the New Year. The Colombian will be 29 next season, entering the peak for a goal keeper. Would he really want to spend his best years sitting on Arsenal’s bench?

The writing is also on the wall for Carl Jenkinson. The boyhood Arsenal fan looks like a deer in headlights every time he puts on an Arsenal shirt. He is good enough to be 2nd choice right back behind Hector Bellerin, but in his own head, Arsenal are too big for him. His demise from one of West Ham’s best players a few years ago has been incredible.

When Frenchman Mathieu Debuchy started against Bournemouth, some were surprised he was still at the club. His contract does not expire until 2019, but with injuries now piling up, and reports of a poor attitude at times, if he is not sold next summer, he will surely be sent out on loan.

Per Mertesacker. The big German. The captain. His contract runs out at the end of the year and there has been no talk about him getting a new one. With the form of Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny, and the development of Rob Holding, Arsenal no longer require his services. He will be able to get himself a nice big contract back in Germany.

After a season of poor form, Arsenal will surely sign a stronger left back than either Nacho Monreal or Kieran Gibbs. With Gibbs being younger and English, and Monreal’s future potentially tied to that of best mate Santi Cazorla (more later), it is the Spaniard who will make way.

Another on borrowed time is Calum Chambers. After a brilliant start to his Arsenal career where he looked like an assured, ball playing centre back, he has gone backwards. Part of this is due to him being played in multiple positions – a bit like Phil Jones at Man U – and part of it due to not getting enough game time. He has made 10 appearances for Middlesborough this season but has been outshone by fellow youngster Ben Gibson. With Rob Holding also at the club, Arsenal will struggle to give to young centre backs enough time to develop. He might be saved by the fact Debuchy & Jenkinson are likely to go, meaning Arsenal need a back up right back.

Santi Cazorla has already played his last game for Arsenal Football Club in my opinion. Now 32, with 18 months of poor injuries behind (and head) of him, his contract runs out at the end of this season. I can not see Arsenal offering him any more than a new 1 year deal. Something that Cazorla will surely not accept. He has spoken previously about finishing his career at Spain, and that time has come. And he will take Nacho Monreal with him.

Another who’s Arsenal career is almost certainly over his Jack Wilshere. Playing once a week for Bournemouth does not mean he is good enough to play twice a week for Arsenal. He clearly enjoys the sea air, a lower intensity of life, and time away from his trouble making friends. Bournemouth are able to manage his work load in a way that a big club like Arsenal are unable to facilitate. Arsenal need fit players playing twice a week. Wilshere does not fit the bill.

Joel Campbell is out on loan at Sporting. With the development of Alex Iwobi, nothing will change for Campbell next year. He will still be surplus to requirements, and will either be loaned once more, or sold.

Homegrown striker Chuba Akpom is at a cross roads in his career. He has not progressed from talented youngster to senior superstar. 4 average loan deals, and Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck and Lucas Perez ahead of him, there will be no chance for him to break through in the future.

Lastly we come to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Whilst everyone is going on about Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez’s contract coming to an end in 2018, Oxlade-Chamberlain’s also does. Another player at a cross roads in his career, he has never really secured a place in Arsenal’s starting XI. He is getting a run now, a chance to prove himself, but if he fails to impose himself on games consistently, he might have to look elsewhere next summer, take a step down to get regular football.

 

Arsenal could end up off loading an entire XI. I wonder how this lot would get on in the Premier League:

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Keenos

Proof that the Champions League draw is flawed?

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So Arsenal get Bayern Munich in the Champions League knock out stages again. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

At least it has saved me £500 on tickets, flights, hotels and booze. But whilst watching the draw, I noticed a massive flaw which could lead it to be fix and / or flawed.

The runners-up are drawn first from a single bowl. Once the runners-up are drawn, some UEFA suit picks out balls from the bowls of the teams they can face. These balls are then put into a bowl that is infront of Ruud Gullit, who is drawing the winners.

A courtesy mixing of the balls round the bowl, and Gullit then draws the side.

So Gullit can see which balls are taken from which bowl, sees these balls go into a bowl infront of him, and then watches as they are ‘mixed’ up, remaining in the order they were in the bowl.

Anyone who has ever been to Spain and play the “find the ball” game with a lookielooklie man will know how it works.

As the ball go’s under the cup, you keep an eye on that cup. And as long as your eye speed is quick enough, you can almost always find out. Of course, they are usually a scam, with a quick slight of hand trick removing the ball. Or whilst you are watching what is going on, pick pockets work the outside stealing wallets and phones whilst you concentrate on the cups.

We all know the game.

So back to the Champions League draw.

The balls go in the bowl infront of Gullit. He knows which ball is which, keeping an eye on the one he wants as they spin around the bowl, and can then pick out the ball he chooses. Made even easier in a situation like Arsenal’s where there were only 4 balls in the draw.

The UEFA Champions League draw is badly flawed and it is no surprise we got Bayern Munich once more.

Keenos

Cheating Doesn’t Pay for Stoke City

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They call themselves a rugby team and sing Swing Low. Whilst Stoke City are not the physical side they were under Tony Pullis, they still have a nasty side with Mark Hughes. And for once, their blatant cheating did not pay.

Timewasting at every opportunity, questions have to be asked of the referee as to why goal keeper Lee Grant was not book in the first half for taking over 30 seconds to take a free kick. Fans pay a lot of money to watch a football match. Not to watch a goal keeper take a sip of his drink, dry his hands, kick his boots on the post, change where he is taking the goal kick from and then wait a few more seconds before kicking it.

Stoke City clearly went out with a game plan. To waste as much time as possible. And it ended up catching up with them.

A couple of times during the game Stoke City players went down, crying wolf, pretending to be injured in an attempt to slow the game down and take the intensity out. To waste time.

2 minutes into the second half, they were at it again. Erik Pieters going down holding his hamstring, his back, and his head. He could not decide which one he had hurt. 1 minute of treatment on the pitch in an attempt to get time and intensity taken out of the game.

And then Arsenal got their revenge. With Pieters off the pitch, having had to walk from behind the goal to the half way line to come on, Mesut Ozil drifted in unmarked and unfollowed to lob the keeper with a header. At this point Pieters was barely in his own half. Had he not faked injury, he would have been on the pitch and likely the man to follow Ozil back in.

The fact that Pieters remained on the pitch for the entire game showed how little he was injured. He was not. And his cheating ended up costing his side a goal. 2-1 Arsenal.

Arsenal’s third goal made history.

At no point in the history of the game have a side surrounded the referee due to him NOT giving a free kick. And that is exactly what Stoke City did.

Alexis Sanchez was crudely bought down on the edge of the area, following up was serial offender Charlie Adam who stamped on the Chilean. As Stoke City players stopped waiting for a free kick, Alex Iwobi appeared clear in the box slotting it past Lee Grant, whilst Lee Mason waved play on.czvzez2wqaapdvaWith Arsenal players celebrating the goal that would take the club top of the table, Stoke City plays surrounded the referee. Demanding to know why he waved play on. Why he did not give a free kick AGAINST them. It was hilarious to watch unfold.

Stoke had attempted to time waste, foul and kick Arsenal off the pitch. And it was a foul which was not giving that was their undoing.

Back in 2007, Cesc Fabregas approached Mark Hughes at the end of a drab 0-0 draw against Blackburn. Hughes takes over the story: “When we shook hands at the end, the young man asked me a question which I thought was disrespectful. He asked me if I had played for Barcelona and when I said yes, he shook his head as if in disbelief. Then he said, ‘Well, that wasn’t Barcelona football’.”

And he is the same again at Stoke. Their cheat at all costs football ended up costing them.

Karma.

Keenos