Young Gunners: Go For It!

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A very fine, if rather damp, morning to you all.

This summer’s current account: £6m in the black (assuming Hleb cost the £8m I read that he cost, and Vieira the £14m widely reported).

Unless you ‘made’ your money in Siberian oilfields, money’s not as ready a commodity as it was, perhaps, three or four seasons ago. If we were to sign Baptista, we’d have spent something in the region of £20m this summer – a hefty sum for us – but taking the Vieira money into account, it’s only about £6m, which isn’t really an awful lot when you consider that the Russians have spent £30m already and seem hell-bent on making that £55m with a little shopping spree to Lyon.

That’s what we’re up against – but as usual, Wenger is busy (probably as we speak) polishing some young gems to fill the gaps that might previously have been filled with expensive signings. OK, so Fabregas, Flamini, van Persie, Bentley, Senderos and Hoyte might have next to no experience, and they cost either next to nothing or actually nothing, but who’s not excited by their emergence?

Personally, I’m well excited, and their arrival has got to be one of the reasons why we’ve only added modestly to our squad so far this summer.

Talking of Bentley, I’ve been quite impressed at what I’ve seen in both the interweb-televised games I’ve seen (at least, the bits when the live feed wasn’t jerking around wildly). I’d be very surprised if we didn’t see an increasing amount of him this season – he’s got the touch, and the vision, to make it. All he needs is the application and I reckon we could have some player on our hands.

Kiss of death that comment – you watch him get sent out on loan this afternoon…

And as for the comments by that Chelski mercenary – I was going to say something in response, but I’ve just realised I’ve got some hoovering to do.

Jim

Arsenal since about 1979. Thick, thin and all that.

This Post Has 397 Comments

  1. Geoff

    RotorGoat you forgot about the 3 million we are getting for pennant aswell. So the overall spending would still only be 3 million. That would be good business as we would have two experienced young players in Hleb & Baptista, unfortunately I do not think it will happen.

    I think song has looked the part in those two games & I hope we sign him, really we need to see him against better opposition but he is only there for the week.

  2. uncle fester

    Greetings Arse mates firstly lets have know Kenyon talk he’s a waste of space and effort.Sad news about Sol his injuries keep piling up,new central defender is required,for back up i fear Sol’s best days maybe behind him i really hope he comes back and stays fit i have plenty of time for Sol.But it looks the kids will be given there chance i for one hope Bentley clicks he as an agressive attitude,he should watch the legend wearing the number 10 shirt and he wont go far wrong.Has for the beast and Sevilla give THEM an ultimatum sign and sell or get lost and walk away,its turning in to a farce,a great club like ours should not let a tin pot club f**k us around.Looks like Fred is going to re sign just TH14 to go,alls ok in goonerville.

  3. KJS33

    Don’t forget there was also a fee received for Stuart Taylor also.

  4. halfNice

    How come we play our pre-season friendlies in Austria against weak opposition, while the Chavs and ManUre go on these money-spinner trips abroad playing Champions League finalists? I’m not complaining (what matters is how ready the teams are for the season when it comes) but I wonder if this is a strategy of AW (not wanting to unduly tire the boys) or another of those financial constraints that we suffer from.

  5. uncle fester

    BBC reporting the Arse close to record signing of the beast

  6. geoff

    What frustrates me is that in January it was apparent that with Viera, Campbell and Freddy permanently injured and Gilberto and Edu out long term, several of our top players including Henry and Freddy said that our squad was too young and not big enough.

    Hill Wood then said Wenger has upwards of £40 million to spend and Wenger said he would spend it.

    Well he we are (as usual) having Edu, Pennant, Viera and Taylor, all of which would be in my first team, gone.

    Plus a bunch of kids.

    In comes Hleb and apart from another sick note centre back and a 17 year old trialist we have no-one.

    So for all the talk we have four out and 1 in, well in my book that’s called weakening a side.

    What Arsenal have to realise is one of the things we look forward to as fans is new big names, like Chelsea, Liverpool and Man U get.

    What’s happening Arsene, when will you spend some of the money us season ticket holders give you.

    I’m not having a go at Arsene, he has done wonders for us, but imagine what we would be like if he’d have spent some!

  7. uncle fester

    When emirates take over sponsorship the Arse will be off to the gulf,its a pity they dont play in Britain to giv esmall clubs here much needed income and for Gooners who can’t get tickets for the HOF.

  8. wengerball

    But does the beast actually want to come to N5, even if the clubs sort it out? Everything I’m reading makes me think his heart is set on Barca.
    Did Bentley shine that much for Norwich? Wasn’t his temperament suspect? Wasn’t he suspended for being a pain in the arse?
    I hope he’s the gem that people have been claiming since he was little – I think he has a huge amount to prove this season.

  9. Geoff

    Well if you go by wenger’s comments that at some point you have to speak to the player to see if they want to join & therefore put it an extra million or so, then you can only think baptista told wenger he was happy to join. However I feel sevilla are now having a laugh if they have rejected arsenal’s offer which they claim is double the original one. After all next summer he can go to barcelona for 800k which would be a loss of over 15 million to them.

    Personally I have given up with the thought of baptista joining, I just do not think it will happen. He wants the passport & although he can apply for it this august these things never move that quickly. I think you will find out the truth but it will be late august or sometime in september when its all too late.

    I thought bentley was absolute rubbish at norwich & if thats all he can offer then I would rather have glenn helder back.

  10. Bongo et al

    Good Afternoon,

    changing tact slightly- is it me – but IF Man city sign darrius Vassell for 2.5 million ( a England internationalist) it will be argubly the signing of the summer. Here was a player The Alsatian nearly purchased a year ago and after an injury hit season is going for peanuts.
    I think he would dove tail nicely with TH – The Beast signing is becoming TOO PROTRACTED -and it is starting to become TOO overpriced!
    A Parsimoniuos Bongo et al

  11. Bongo et al

    to Geoffery- i have tried biting my tongue. But you really are a cynic AND A BORE!
    To label Bentley rubbish and tar him with The Glen helder tag shows your ignorance,low level intelligence and CREDENTIALS.
    Bentley may be a’jack the lad’ but he has undoubted talent- talent the Alsatian CAN AND WILL HARNESS.
    And I bet UNc- agrees with me.!
    A furious Bongo et al!

  12. OzzieGooner

    Two things: You cant force a player to join your club if he does not want to join, and two Arsene is not going to spend £40 million just for the sake of spending £40 million. Arsene and the board are astute enough to know a players worth, and they are not going to pay over the odds if they know they can shop elsewhere.

    Also, pre season friendlies. It is of my opinion that we play weakened sides and not the pick of the crop teams because it gives Arsene the opportunity to look at some of the youngsters coming through without them feeling overawed, and it gives him a chance to try things out on the pitch.

  13. wengerball

    No No, please God no. Vassell belongs in the City, Villa echelon behind the top five. He is way way short of Arsenal class, in my view.
    I would rather see the return of Anelka than that (heresy, sure, but look at the boy run). Some websh*te somewhere was digging up that old chestnut about th14 wanting to pair up with him. Alright it’s a whole lot of pace but Anelka’s a total… words fail me.
    But, Bongo, you’re bang on about the Bap – it’s all dragging on way too much. Unless we hear something soon about how he’d love to play at the HoF, then forget it.

  14. vivb

    All the Spanish teams Chelsea, Man Utd and other premiership teams playing abroad do it fot income, I don’t think it is unconnected that Real and Man Utd struggle at the beginning of the season as a result. But it brings in Money. AW is very carefull in his preparation he doesn’t compromise players health/fitness with money spinning ventures.

  15. Arsenes Left Patella

    I quite enjoy Kenyo et al’s mind games, simply because they are just that and can be ignored. Also because shows Chelski for all they are now, money-hoarding, arrogant bitches with muddy billionaire boots that dirty the game of football we love…enough has been said of him already…bah

    Although i respect your opinion Geoff theres no need to be such a doom merchant. Were you so sceptical when rookies such as Adams, Viera and Henry began their careers with the Arse. The big names of Man Ure won fat nothing, no names of the pool won the CL, the big bucks of Chelski won the title and league cup. Our “bunch of kids” won us the FA Cup and second place. I for one am excited by our “bunch of kids” including Bentley who shone in a team of no-hopers against prem opposition week-in-week-out before being injured mid season. I’d think he’d give Sir Arsene another option at Righ-Mid for Freddie whos darting runs were few and far between during the last season.

    The Baptista epic looks like it could have partly been caused by DD and Sir Wenger. Firstly announcing the amount of money we have to spend means Del Nido, like us, knows roughly how much we have to spend. Secondly they know from Sir Wenger’s informal chat that Beast wants to play for the Arse, propting our DOUBLING of the original offer for the Beast (so now they know we really really really really want him). Both factors give the Seville president the upper hand, but not the right to jerk us off. Our budget, rightly pointed out by RotorGoat was not ‘made’ in Siberian oilfields and isnt as ready a commodity as it was, perhaps, three or four seasons ago meaning we have to be really really really really sure we want him the fee is ‘right’.

    Fear not…for Sir Wenger is always 3-4 steps ahead!

  16. Geoff

    Really bongo to call me a bore when you claim to take advice from your dog!!! your a joke. You obviously dont watch any football as you know nothing about it, you talk about the class of bentley well back it up with evidence??? of course you will not be able to as he has done nothing either at arsenal or at norwich. I would certainly have given him a chance if his attitude whilst playing for a struggling club had not been so poor!! If by UNc you mean uncle fester then I dont care if he agrees with you or not. Uncle fester has his own opinions & i respect that. However i have no respect or time for you at all, you said you was doing us all a favour & never posting again however yet again your back with your mindless wittering that no-one cares about. But then this is not the first website where you have ended up in arguments & threatened to leave. Your a pathetic little child, if you dont like my posts thats fine, dont read them!! Go back to holidaying with your dog, the reason it is your only friend is because it cannot answer you back & cannot disagree with your opinions although it probably dislikes you as much as I do!!!

  17. Farnborough Gunner

    I believe AW takes the squad off to Austria pre-season so he can get them together in a training camp environment. The level of opposition & lack of high profile opposition allows him to experiment.

    I’d like to see us playing some smaller clubs nearer home, as I can hardly ever get tickets for Highbury and my 11 year old son is missing a vital part of his upbringing (at least he hates the Chavs & Mancs, so not too much damage seems to have been done so far!). It would also give smaller clubs some useful gate money.

    However, did many Gooners actually manage to get tickets for the Barnet game? Barnet gave Arsenal a date that tickets would be on sale, for personal callers to their ground only, and this was published on the Arsenal web site. They then announced the game was sold out days before this date had arrived- presumably they had sold the tickets in the quiet via their own fan network. They also more than doubled their normal ticket price. Maybe this was a cock-up on the arsenal web site, but they usually get it right. It just seems like Barnet did the dirty on us and their own fans.

    So maybe buggering off and putting on a show elsewhere is understandable.

    (end of rant – I feel better now).

  18. Bongo et al

    To Geoffery,
    I have obviously struck a chord- I think the finest physologists in the world that money could buy would struggle to unravel your palpable and fundamental problems.
    Yes me and Bongo do discuss AFC matters and yes, sometimes we do disagree!
    But your hounding of Bentley is where even you must accept are ridiculosly harsh!!!!
    Give the lad a chance. His debut season at Norwich was perfectly respectable. They are a struggling team- bereft of quality and invariably chasing the game. His season was marred by a ligament injury and he finished the season well. His crossing for Dean ashton was the catalyst for The Canaries stirling finish to the season.

    When/if we get the Beast -will that satisfy your thirst for big names and see you offer a POSITIVE bloG?

    Unc- can you get through to him? Because I can’t?

    A irked Bongo et al

  19. Geoff

    Bongo the clown I forgot to say you have a real nerve talking about low level intelligence, when the only way you can answer a post that does not have the same opinion as you is to insult the person. That really is the lowest form of intellect.

  20. Bongo et al

    To rotorgoat- why does my postings keep repeating itself.
    I did not mean to repeat myself.!

    an apologetic Bongo et al

  21. Goonuck

    Some of us DO CARE what Bongo et al says, even if you don’t, please don’t try speaking for all of us. As for Bentley, I trust Wenger’s and Worthington’s assesment of him not yours. If he was as bad as you say Worthington wouldn’t have wanted him back, while Wenger has said this following his loan spell:
    “Overall my hopes for him are very high,” Wenger went on. “He has the technical level to play for Arsenal Football Club, the mental approach, the personality and is very keen to work hard. For him it is down to how he has improved physically. He has all the rest.”

  22. halfNice

    Fight! Fight! Fight! Can I put a fiver on Bongo? (Sorry, Geoff but Bongo sounds a bit more like a street-fighter than you).

  23. Geoff

    Goonuck, worthington was the one who dropped bentley because of his attitude (thats a fact), I also watched him on more than 10 occasions & thought he was extremely lazy!! Wenger made similar comments to those you posted before his loan spell, however he is hardly going to say he is no good. Wenger does not tend to keep people he sends out on loan, ashley cole is an exception, but even then arsenal were in the process of agreeing a price with palace however circumstances with silvinho changed (ie. the passport) & they kept him.

    Maybe you can name me a player that was loaned out that has gone on to play in arsenal’s first team on a regular basis, because I cannot think of any apart from cole??? I could be wrong I just cannot think of any.

    Your right I should not have spoken on behalf of everyone else it was an oversight which I apologise for. I have never said at any point that you or anyone else should trust my judgement on players, I have an opinion thats all, wenger & co are the ones responsible for buying players & team selection. If you are trying to suggest that I should not share my opinion because you dont agree with it then thats entirely different, the whole point in these comment boxes on websites is for fans to swap their thoughts & mine are no more or less important than anyone else’s.

  24. wengerball

    Cor Geoff V bongo is like a literary version of the Keane Viera clashes – two titans of opinion slagging each other in the tunnel.
    That was fun because happened only a couple of times a season rather than every day – give it a rest. Opinions can’t really be wrong, only tedious.

  25. bongo et al

    Thanks To Goonuck- your quite correct off course!
    I will willingly take all the personal tirades all day and all night.!
    However:
    What I will not TOLERATE ( and this is to everyone!) IS Gratutious abuse our YOUNG GUNS. To castigate the promising Bentley is counter-productive, nefarious and cruel. He has not made his full AFC debut (premiership) and so -called supporters are haranging him. All I can remember from Bentley in an AFC shirt is a sublime chip over the very very tall goalkeeper SChwarzer (Boro).
    As the editorial indicated we have some majestic young players. We also have a brilliant and BRAVE manager in Wenger. This combination could (patience permitted ) lead us into unparralled GLORIES.
    We certainly do not want ‘supporters’ potentially sabotaging Wengers UTOPIAN VISION!

    An defiant Bongo et al

  26. Insert_name_here

    After all that,

    I just want sex

  27. Goonuck

    Geoff, in no way am I saying your opinion is of no value, if we all agreed it would get pretty boring. With regards to Worthington view on Bentley while it is true he benched him for a couple of games for his indifferent play he still stated at the end of the season that “If there was an opportunity to bring him back here for another year then I’d love to do it,I don’t know what Arsenal want to do – whether they’d want him to play in the Premiership, or to go out on loan.”

    Worthington recognises that young players at times need a swift kick up the backside, it is how they then respond to it that is telling., if Worthington would love to have him back I assume he took the message to heart.

    It’s true that not many players that have gone out on loan have made it at Arsenal but not many of the youth who haven’t gone out on loan have made it either. Just because Wenger loans a player doesn’t mean he is giving up on him or why would he have signed Ali to an extension.

  28. bongo et al

    Here Here Goonuck!

    bongo et al

  29. Geoff

    Your spot on wengerball, it is totally tedious both myself & bongo have made it that way. I have always come to this site to swap thoughts & opinions with fellow gooners about arsenal fc, however I have now allowed myself to become embroiled in a pointless argument with Bongo. You will be pleased to hear that I will no longer bother with this site as its become just like the others with silly comments from school kids & people that claim to know arsenal football club yet only started supporting them when wenger made it a success. No offence to rotorgoat who (along with arseblog) have the best arsenal websites in my eyes & is an excellent host, but is time to find a new forum like this used to be.

    Bongo as ever your entitled to your views & opinions I just wish I had not let myself respond to your insults. Before posting though check your facts as bentley played in the premiership for arsenal at portsmouth the season before last (& it was the premiership not the fa cup) he played on the right wing & actually done quite well, so I was extremely disappointed when wenger loaned him out to norwich, however my opinion of him changed last season because of his comments towards other norwich players & his attitude on the pitch over the course of the season. If you take someone like sidwell for instance he went on loan & proved himself, maybe he is not good enough for arsenal’s first team but his excellent attitude has got him voted as the championships best player & that must be a real honour, now he has several premiership teams scouting him.

    Good luck to all, hears hoping for a great season ahead!!

  30. Geoff

    Goonuck, just seen your comment so thought I would reply before I leave. You may be right about bentley I hope he makes me eat my words there is certainly truth that worthington wanted him back so maybe you are correct we will have to wait & see. Aliadiere got a new contract as wenger does have faith in him but it could also be that if he does well at celtic they can sell him off as they have invested a lot of time & money into his career & without that contract he would have been on a free next summer. I do believe wenger still hopes he makes it at arsenal though!!

    Anyway all the best.

  31. wengerball

    First Bongo, now Geoff. It’s a sad day when someone feels they have to quit the site (or at least threaten to in bongo’s case) because it’s got a bit fiery.
    He was rude about you, you were rude about him. Take it on the chin.
    I don’t think there are any better gooner forums, are there? All the rest I’ve visited seem to be largely staffed by illiteratre monkeys. All suggestions gratefully received.

  32. bongo et al

    Great irony- Geoffs last two blogs were for once quite upbeat and constructive!
    His Sidwell comments in particularly were salient!
    The ginger centre forward has been quite rightly touted the best player outside the Premiership. The Alsatian has even contemplated about re-signing the ex-Gunner.
    I would also concur (with jeffrey) that Bentleys attitude might be percieved to be questionable- but he aint no Joey Barton!
    I have been reliably informed he is a prodigious trainer and spends extra hours ( when allowed by The Alsatian) to practice and harness his free-kicks and set-pieces.
    David Bentley will be an asset to The Redcurrents this season. He might also be prominent in OUR PLAN B- OPTION!

    A very happy Bongo et al

  33. uncle fester

    Greetings Arse mates blimey ive missed all this going on ,the subject of DAVID BENTLEY is a good one because he does have a very high opinion of himself which is not a bad thing as i like a certain arrogance in players but they have to back it upi feel Bentley has many attributes and i think AW can bring them out but its up to Bentley to listen and use them and he must toe the line he just has to watch and learn from the legend DB10 in our to act off the field not like that prat Pennent i know he is young and wants to do all the things young men do its understandable,but i will add the reason he was dropped at Norwich was one he turned up late for training and two was nicked for speeding on the A11 on the way to Norwich so as you can see its up to him which career he chooses. I say again its time to tell Sevilla and the beast to sell and sign or get lost this as dragged on its beyond a joke .Sign Dean Kiely as back up for Jens.

  34. uncle fester

    When you look at it there are some fine young players around Arsenal my only worry is if they get injured who will back them up as Geoff said yesterday they were the back up last season,i have watched young Stokes play a couple of times and he is also one for the future i will admit i always like to see home grown players make it more then the club buying players but there are times when this is not possible because the standard is not there i agree with AW if you are good enough you will make it,i will try to get along to see some more reserve games this season.

  35. halfNice

    Hey Geoff, it’s a shame if you leave the site cos your disagreement with Bongo got out of hand. The good thing about this forum is (or at least used to be) that no one gets personal. We all love Arsenal and all want the best for the club, but sometimes we might disagree about the best way to get it.

    So why don’t the two of you bury the hatchet and lets all get back to waiting on Arsene Wenger’s next masterstroke?

  36. bongo et al

    If Rotorgoat allows me to change subject completely.
    I would like to hear from the many knowledgable AFC SUPPORTERS out there what they think their best Arsenal eleven is?
    Heres Bongos’.
    1. Seaman 2. V. Anderson 3. N. Winterburn 4. Steve Bould 5. A.Adams 6. R.Pires 7. D. Rocastle 8. Patrick Vieira 9. Liam Brady 10. Dennis Bergkamp
    11. T. Henry.
    Subs : Keown, Edu, Anelka, Lehmann, Fabregas.
    Coach. The Alsatian ( closely followed by the Scottish Terrier= GG)
    the team formation is off course 442

    A very happy bongo et al

  37. uncle fester

    Nice one Bongo here goes Jennings,Dixon,Mclintock,Adams,Sansom,Pires,Brady,Vieira,Overmars,
    Henry,Bergkamp.Subs:O’Leary,Seaman,Wright,P.Davis

  38. uncle fester

    Forgot to add AW AS manager.

  39. Vince

    Here’s mine. Notice that, as a gooner since before our first double, I have players in my team that a lot of you never really saw but, take my word for it, were great players. I did have difficulty in choosing between Dennis Bergkamp and Charlie George though and the right side of midfield wasn’t easy either.

    Here goes:
    Seaman,
    Dixon, McLintock, Adams, Sansom,
    Pires, Vieira, Brady, Armstrong,
    Henry, Bergkamp.
    Subs: George, Wright, O’Leary, Simpson, Jennings

  40. Farnborough Gunner

    Vince – well done for remembering Peter Simpson – one of the most unsung heroes of our club’s history.

    Who would you have as captain – presumably one of McLintock or Adams?

    My 11 to follow – I’m at work – I’ll do some scribblings on a post-it and post online later.

  41. uncle fester

    As for me Frank Mclintock for captain i just loved his style any aggro and Frank was right in there protecting his players and sorting out the other team ,but there would not be much in it with Adams but i will go with Frank as he was the first captain i saw at the Arse call it nostalgia if you like.

  42. Vince

    Farnborough, I think Peter Simpson should have played for England, I believe he once made the squad, a great player with lots of skill, as far as older gooners are concerned, not an unsung hero but another hero in a long line of hero’s.

    My captain would be Frank McLontock

  43. RotorGoat

    Agreed, less slanging, more harmony!

    My best eleven (first draft) based on the players I have seen on the hallowed turf (Predictable, but there we go:)

    1. Seaman
    2. Dixon
    3. Winterburn
    4. Vieira
    5. Keown
    6. Adams
    7. Pires
    8. Davis
    9. Wright
    10. Henry
    11. Groves

    OK – Groves is a wild card

  44. uncle fester

    This is more like it less ripping into each other i agree about Simpson a great player who did not get the plaudits he deserved i suppose his quiet nature and Frank massive presence over shadowed him he was my old dads favourite ,thing about him he was a better player then he thought he was, this is what his teamates say i still think Bob Mc Nab was also underrated and who can forget Geordie Armstrong .

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