Arseblog News – the Arsenal news site
Olivier Giroud has emerged as a doubt for Sunday’s clash with Manchester City.
The French striker suffered a gashed knee when Chico Flores stamped on him after an acrobatic attempt at goal, and Arsene Wenger has revealed that he hasn’t trained all week because of it.
“He has not been practising because of the cut on the knee he got at Swansea,” he said. “We’ll have a final test on Saturday to see if he is involved against Man City. It is a 50:50. We’ll see.”
The manager isn’t yet sure if Abou Diaby and Andre Santos will take part either, saying, “I want to see how they react to the under-21 game they played in midweek. But we have so many games coming up now, it is good they are back.”
Other than that Arsenal have a clean bill of health going into Sunday’s important game, with Theo Walcott likely to play as the central striker should Giroud miss out.
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Fuck this shit! Not even any proper rumours of any signings. Arsene, you’re fuckin killin me here.
Todays rumours -
Forwards: Alvaro Negredo and some Hungarian bloke who plays in Germany that nobody has heard of.
Midfielders: Moussa Sissoko and the usual shit about Yann M’Vila.
None are probably true, but how can you say there are no rumours?
Can’t believe we haven’t been linked with Sebastian Frey and Obafemi Martins yet
Chin up, we’re being linked with Anelka.
I said proper rumours.
We should just get this guy
http://www.cadfael.tv/image/src/1355589272516.gif
Sissoko would be a good signing.
For a striker signing Soldado will be perfect signing. He will surely improve the team
None of the rumors on us getting a midfielder seem likely not to happen during this window.
I’m from Hungary so I know the Szalai bloke. Well, in short, he’s a fantastic human being but a mediocre shit as a footballer.
Negredo is the same, but he is shit as a human as well (see Arango case)
I bet Arsene is saying “Fuck this shit! Not even a proper signing. Dicky Law, you’re killing me here.”
I always thought Dick Law was colloquial for patriarchy. I assumed this was part of the Kristevan / Lacanian banter that regularly goes on in the Arsenal board room.
You mean he’s a real person?
@Bunburyist:
LOL. I suddenly want to go back and re-read the old news and blog posts, that mention Dick Law, from your perspective.
Who needs signings when we have Diaby coming back?
:’(
AND Santos!
I have got to agree with you here, i cannot fucking believe we have not signed 1 single player before this massive run of fixtures, but instead we have lost 3?
What the fuck is going on over there honestly, how is it possible they can be so out of touch with reality right now. I am just hoping Rosicky gets some game time.
Looks pretty obvious to me that they will announce Walcott’s new deal either tomorrow or before the city game to give the squad/fans a boost, and to also pull the covers over everyones eyes about the fucking lack of transfer activity.
I swear to god if i see another wenger “there was no exceptional quality available better than what we have” speech…… i will lose it….
Mate I’ve been a Gooner for 33 years and haven’t been as disappointed in the club as I am now. But if you’re critical of the club all of the AKB clan accuse you of being a fair weather fan, or unappreciative of what he has done for the club.
It’s clear to see that Arsene has too much of a stranglehold on this club. He is untouchable at Arsenal and accountable to no one.
I’m not asking for marquee signings, I’m asking for adequate players to come in to boost the good squad we already have. Even the teams that win the Champions League know in order to maintain their position they need to invest in areas that they showed weakness.
I used to be of the AKB ilk up until the season Cesc left
Last day of the window mate and it’ll be painted as a major coup that justifies ignoring transfers, keeping hold of Theo fucking Walcott.
Anyway, ot can’t be worse than the time they used Fabregas’ sale as an excuse for transfer inactivity
Don’t worry lads, we’ll play our back-up striker!
Oh.
Well, it will be Walcott, of course (even though Podolski would make more sense), showing all and sundry why he’s utterly insipid against any above-average back four. The thing is, I’m glad we have a striker like Walcott, who can well and truly punish certain teams; but against strong opposition, he’s so much more effective on the wing…and yet, because Wenger refuses to strengthen the squad, we have no choice but to play him as a centre-forward against City.
there’s always arshavi… oh i’ll get my coat, then
City will boast Tevez, Aguero and Dzeko.
WE COME WITH AN ARSENAL OF WALCOTT.
I’ll put my tail behind my legs then.
there’s always Bend… oh i’ll get mi coat as well.
Aren’t our “backup” strikers the club’s top scorer and a dude who scored for fun for Germany’s national team?
Well, don’t I look stupid now. I just got bear cum all over my face.
bearkaki-ist <— your new monicker. you're welcome
Don’t be silly, he’s our left winger! You can’t just move left wingers to the striker position! Although, of course, you’re allowed to move strikers to the left-wing – it’s like chess, only not.
There is LITERALLY no time in history where a left-winger has been converted into Arsenal’s top goal scorer of all time with a statue outside the stadium, thank-you-very-much.
Wish I could hit thumbs up over and over.
lol, every time a player stars out shitly somebody says WELL HENRY WAS A BIT SHIT AS WELL FOR A WHILE SO THERE.
For every Henry in the world, who starts his career shitly and turns out good, there are literally thousands of players who start their career shitly and turn out shit.
Plus Podolski’s 27. Put the straws down, we need a striker.
Perchance we could maybe invest in another striker to ease the burden on Olivier’s muscular, well-formed shoulders? I’m usually a staunch defender of Monsieur Wenger, but if the rest of the season goes tits up because the squad is so thin and we haven’t invested this window, I’ll find it hard to sympathise. At least give the impression of wanting to compete, gentlemen!
CURSE U CHICOOOOOOOOOO..
Would love to see Rosicky in the starting lineup.
Me, too, but that would disrupt the experiment Wenger is currently running on how many games it takes to burn out a midfielder. This is why Diaby is the perfect Wenger player. Never around to add support when it matters, but miraculously healthy during every transfer window to provide an excuse not to buy alternatives.
I imagine Wilshere, Cazorla, and Arteta will LITERALLY explode in a few games.
Nailed it.
I wonder if/when either one of Wilshere/Cazorla/Arteta get injured, whether Wenger will opt to name a starting line-up of 10 players rather than name a sub
Completely unrelated but did anyone realise that Stewart Robson anagramises (is that a word?) as ‘wart nob tosser’? love it.
I love it also.
Also, did you know you can re-arrange the letters in Man City to spell the name of a gay nightclub? All you have to do is jumble up “Man City” and then put it back together again! Took me hours.
What a loser, I did it in 33mins!!
Yep, the exact same works for Man United.
why am i not surprised?!
Theo vs Kompany???..Gulp!!
Dont worry! Last week I was playing career on Fifa 13 as a left back, and Theo out jumped me to score a header!
you must be pretty awful. Theo took 6 years to cross decently and theo might take another 12 before he starts heading properly.
Damn!!! It started already.
I wouldn’t worry, I don’t think Giroud has ever managed to score against Man City.
However Big Man Theo will play and score a hattrick. We’ll be shown first on MOTD2 on Sunday and we’ll hear Martin Keown say “Wow, Theo is just amazing. He scores like Jesus, if Jesus played football. The Man City players couldn’t get near him. He was fasting than a cheetah driving a Ferrari”
Kompany – “If you’re looking for Theo, he’ll be right here” *pats pocket*
Then, after Theo scores a hat trick against Man City, they lodge an “audacious” 15 million pound bid for him, and he’s gone within the week. That’s how football works. If you can’t beat them, buy all their players.
amen… getting pretty sick of it too.
It’s said a lot but I’d be tempted to go for some sort of 4-4-2 incarnation; especially if Diaby is about. Try putting Giroud (if fit)and Walcott up front and either push Cazorla or Rosicky out wide (depending on DIaby). Or some variation on this. Might help with the Kompany Walcott battle.
—————————-Szczęsny———————-
Jenkinson — Mertersacker —- Verm —- Gibbs
——diaby—–
———–Arteta———Wilshere———
——-Cazorla——- (Sub Rosicky)
——–Wallcott———–Podolski (Sub Giroud)
we do risk lacking width with the 442 though, gibbs and jenks would have to own the flanks or there would be a lack of crosses
Gibbs and Jenks do own the flanks!
What what what!!!
a more handsome version of chamakh that is why walcot is having us for a ride,grimandi and co re just underperforming,walcot is going to be our new jeffers, being a striker is more than finishing one on one with goalie…and gervinho? God bless the Arsenal
If i am not mistaken, franny jeffers still got 2 medals at arsenal….
If Walcott can do that in his next 4 years at the club then thats fucking A-Ok with me.
Well, that certainly accelerates the need to sign another striker by 12:00pm Saturday, not that we didn’t need one anyway. Worried now though, Theo won’t get anything out of Kompany and Lescott/Nastasic
Why is everyone here so worried about City’s defenders? I don’t watch them, but from what you read in the papers all of them save for the Balkan kid have been worse than last year, if not quite shite.
Like him or not, Theo actually DOES tend to show up against the big teams (a few Chelsea matches come to mind). It’s the Southamptons of the world that he struggles against. Maybe he’ll show up this weekend, maybe he won’t–it would be nice if he did. Unlike Fergie though, Mancini for some reason seems to be deeply afraid of Arsenal (only he knows why), so I’m sure he wouldn’t mind leaving with 0-0.
He’ll get a hockey score instead: 7-5 to the Arsenal!
“The French striker suffered a gashed knee when Chico Flores stamped on him”
…
-_-’
Time for Theo to show he can score against ‘The Big Boys’. He’s going to skin Kompany, punch through his ribcage and feast on his beating heart.
If Giroud would be gone for a longer period of time, the striker situation would become critical. We need signings and the time is running out.
He has a cut on his knee so can’t play? Good grief. Although this is The Arsenal I suppose, it might yet develop into triple amputation after “2-3 weeks out”.
We desperately need a striker. Theo will never make it as a striker. I’d have Ros on the wing and Pod through the middle.
Staring at Sky sports news hoping to see a breaking news update that Arsenal are in talks with a class player. i really am kidding myself! this is painful
What a waste of your time!
I’m far more productive in that I scan Newsnow constantly only to see headlines like ‘Arsenal…… no contact made, bid denied , move played down, etc etc’
Anyway, I just placed an add in the personals – ‘New life required ‘…………..i’m awaiting responses.
I gave up checking Arsenal transfer news years ago, better things to do with my life, like stabbing my head with a pencil.
If only you would.
We reap what we sow. I said on an earlier thread the mistakes were made in August when we all knew we needed another striker.
What a complete fucked up transfer policy we have.
Thats a bit strong and it’s assuming we actually have a transfer policy.
Same every year
Actually Negredo rumour is the first one that has me on my toes. He’s such a darling. Biting-elbowsflying-hardworking-neversaydie-consistent-imposing typo of darling we all love. Giroud without the charms, but with a thugish determination some claim this Arsenal side lacks of. (And yes, I realise none will come out of this, since we already have a forward in this mould, but for once i refuse to give up hope – i’ve had a crush on this particular player for quite some time).
At least in previous years the mythical 2-3 more players was seen as needed for us to challenge to win stuff.
Now we need em just to try and finish 4th. And not even a whisper.
What a sad fuckin indictment of where we are.
…now if we’d only signed Demba Ba….
…where are you Wenger love children now? Arsene knows? Arsene knows what exactly? F**kin’ killing us and he dosen’t even know it yet. Top four will be like winning the league at this rate.
Genius my hairy backside.
If you want to bait people, please go somewhere else and do it. Otherwise keep your comments on topic. Thanks.
Apologies.
My intention was not to bait them, merely to ‘listen’ to the AKB minions opinions on the current ‘Only ONE recognised striker who’s not fit’ situation and what they think Wenger’s masterplan is. Because clearly the rest of us who actually undderstand how a league campaign works are every puzzled by his transfer activites thus far.
I’m just very fraustrated is all (as usual).
Yes, but using terms like AKB and Wenger love children is provocative and divisive.
I think questions are fully legitimate but asking in that way is only lead to arguments.
“…the rest of us who actually undderstand how a league campaign works…”
Why is Alex Ferguson posting on an Arsenal blog?
Unless of course you’re just some random person from the internet, who ridiculously claims to know more about running a professional football club’s league campaign, than a person with 3 league titles and 16 years experience.
Johan Cruyff, who knows a thing or two about management, recently said “Wenger will ALWAYS bring the club back to the top”. Could you please advise us of your credentials that make you a better judge than Cruyff?
Here’s how a league campaign works: You have a large number of games, and you can’t possibly play the same 11 over and over and over again. Or more to the point, you’re into December and only have ONE, that’s right, ONE recognised striker. Seriously, is that how a top manager does business? Just wait until the bargain basement end of the transfer window to see what he can rustle up out of the leftover pile? No clue who to buy or what position to strengthen?
These issues should’ve been identified weeks ago and players already bought. It is borderline insanity to think that this is the correct way to run a football team that has ambitions to win things.
By the way, Cryuff has clearly not been keeping up with Wenger’s trophy haul in the last 7 seasons. Even more importantly the way in which our team now is consistantly failing to perform consistantly. And that surely, has to come down to the manager.
You actually ARE claiming to know more about management of a professional football club than Wenger and Cruyff!
I think the reason Ba signed for the scum is their Physio. She’s fucken wet.
We never stood a chance, what with his shoddy knees and her.. Wetness
Can we bring back Vela? I think I give up for new signings. Just hoping for the best from what we got. If Swansea could do it, I’m pretty sure we can too. Maybe what we need is faith.
We sold Vela
Oh! so that was Mr Chips?
Great stuff cant wait to see how theo gets smashed up against City’s huuge CH’s like kompany and barry. Maybe he’ll finally get the message that he isnt big enough and strong enough to be a centre forward.
Anyway theo’s not going to sign – if he was going to he’d have done it by now.
which makes me wonder how badly he’s being advised. he certainly isnt going to be a starting CF at any of the clubs who can afford 100k+ per week. And he wouldnt even be a starting CF at some of the mid table clubs either – they all seem to favour bigger stronger guys.
So while he stuffs us around, X player signs for chelsea, y player signs for tottenham, z player signs for another rival club and so on.
And on 1 February we sit with an injured giroud and a theo who’s winding down the last 6 months of his contract, AW says well we would have signed a striker if there were any worth signing. Fuck him – while they all fucked about waiting for theo to sign we lost out on x, y and z players who moved to rival clubs.
FFS
There’s is honestly no justifiable reason for not strengthening our squad in this window!!!
What exactly is Arsene thinking?
Does he enjoy the stress of struggling?
It’s baffling, & if we fail to win The Top 4 trophy, he’ll have no 1 to blame but himself!
I know everyone is worried about this “no transfers” shit, but has anyone considered that they might have needed to get people out and get Theo signed before they could get people in? It’s what Wenger told the press, no? Or imagine that they really wanted Villa and it didn’t work, so now they’re on to Plan B? It’s a possibility, no?
Two players have left, Theo will sign this week (I talked to his mom in the grocery store–she seemed relieved), and then Dick Law will start waving his wand around (see above). I don’t know what will happen, but there’s no way Wenger would let Chamakh go AND lose 4-Head for a month without a plan to bring another attacker in. No way. You’ll get someone by the end of the month, it just might be someone you don’t like. Sure, it might be too late too, but you won’t know for sure until May.
Who knows? Maybe the plan is to win the CL and fuck the Spurs out of 4th again? Admit you’d all be satisfied with that…
Glory hunter the worst thing is, not finishing in the top four gives the board the perfect excuse for not spending the money that they was never going to spend on the top players that demand champions league but we never get to sign anyway.
We are fucked either way.
True Voldermort, but with no Champs lge revenue, the club will be forced to sell our remaining quality players, the fans will obviously be even more disillusioned, there will be even more empty seats thus reducing revenue even further, the team will struggle(due to departure of key players) & we’ll fail to make Top 4 again!!!
Pretty grim picture & all this can be prevented by signing a few players.
As crazy as it sounds & I obviously wouldn’t want it to happen but a thrashing by Man city on Sunday might force Arsene’s hand!!
Fuuuuuck vela. We need Luis Muriel. Also, ki know its hard not slag wenger bout lack of activity. But patience is a virtue. January can be a poker game. Agrees id rather a signing now than later. But i still think we will buy. We all know how Asnl roll. We wont risk losing high profile players to bigger teams. through means of the press. Keep the faith……and THEN if no one comes in…..GET ‘IM MAAAA!
Because planning and preparation in any other business is just ‘a poker game’.
Groundhog Day
Bring back terry Neil I say!!!
Just put him on the bench so I cam stare at him…
A cut knee?! Must sting like hell.
Can you imagine what big Martin keown must think
A striker and a defensive midfielder should not be a problem for Arsenal fc, but due to their love for money, they become ignorant and end up buying flops and left overs of the transfer window. ARSENE WENGER SHOULD FORGET ABOUT HIS PREVIOUS ACHIEVEMENTS COS DATZ WHAT TIE THE CLUB DOWN. Besides, what have we achieved in this 21st century that is more than dat of chelsea or man u?
An unbeaten season.
It’ll be a big test for Theo if Giroud doesn’t play and hopefully he can step up to the mark. Would still like to see Poldi play up front.
Like someone posted earlier on, we’ve gotta make the most of what we have and like any other team in the Premiership, any team can beat any other on their day. It’s just whether we’ll be happy coming out with a draw or whether we are going to come out all guns blazing.
It looks to me like Arsenal’s new transfer policy is no new players until the players on loan are gone for good.
Here’s how I see it all:
Arsene: “Oh, I have finally moved on all ze players who are ze dead weight, and now we have ALL ze monies to spend! And Teo Valcat, he has zigned a new contract, and he iz now our best player! Finally, I can concentrate on zigning someone!”
Bouldie: “Arsene, mate… it’s fucking March, and we’re in eighth. And stop fucking cuddling me.”
Arsene: “Oh… well, I’m sure ze fans will understand that we cannot sign ze top, top quality players anymore as we do not have Champions League football. Zey must understand, as I have been a manager for tirty fucking years, and dey know nothing. What is that you are injecting me with?”
Bouldie: “Hold still Arsene, it’ll only sting for a moment.”
I like Giroud. He seems like a good bloke and always seems to put in 100%. Do I think he will be as good as Wright, Bergkamp, Henry or Rvp? Short answer, No.
Call me crazy but i think some of Arshavin’s best performances where when he was deployed up front when Bendtner and Fuckface were injured.
Im not saying he should be deployed their against city, but certainly could be worth a shout against west ham or swansea if we are running short of options.
I’m calling you crazy.
I mean, did you actually watch any of those games?
Every single one of them.
And if you ask me who id prefer at in the front 3 between ramsey/gervinho/arshavin, id say arshavin all day. Atleast he has an eye for goal and can make a pass. Gervinho cant do either of those things, and ramsey works hard, but has little creativity and his finishing is woeful.
Y
Well Theo, isn’t this just the perfect time to really become the £100k/week striker you insist you are. Good luck!
Giroud just announced on twitter that he was fit for tomorrow:
@_OlivierGiroud_
Hello Le test s’est bien passé, je serai dans le groupe demain contre city ! Hi The test went ok. I’ll be in the team tomorrow vs city !