Written by Wenger Boy on Thursday, 28 July 2011 13:02

Good morning/afternoon/evening/morning (depending on what time this goes out) to all you Gooneriffic sports fans out there in the real world. 

I apologise if the following piece turns out to be an incoherent jumble of semi-logical brainwaves, but as that pretty much sums me up it’s probably the best you can hope for. You have permission to blame my parents. 

I’ve been a bit concerned recently. I’m a naturally jovial and positive person - a bit like an anorexic Santa Claus without the Coca-Cola endorsement - but the negative aura of the transfer window has virtually killed my bounce dead like a Dennis Bergkamp touch. 

This has been reflected in my posts which, while still as well written and perfectly executed as ever (stop laughing), have contained barely a trace of my usual, high-spirited self. Which is probably why I got so many responses. 

In any case, for the sake of my own sanity I simply have to pen something that is more light hearted in tone and this just happens to be that. Or something. 

Right, enough personal therapy. Onto the football.  

Any Arsenal fan with an ounce of brain Mata will be aware of the Mata at hand involving the potential transfer of Mata to the only team that Matas..........Mata Matter Mata Matter Mata Matter Mata Matter Mata Matter (repeat till death). Personally I think that with the most talented blogging scene and the mostest cleverest fans in the whole wide world we can come up with something more original than replacing ‘matter’ with ‘Mata’ over and over but since I have already been slated on Twitter for saying exactly that I won’t go Juan about it.  

Some fans are excited about the prospect of Fabregas and Mata playing together but I have to agree with those who believe that the two are, in basic terms, mutually exclusive. It is unlikely we will spend £20m on Mata without selling Fabregas first which is a crying, wailing, please-stop-screaming-because-it’s-four-in-the-morning-and-I-need-some-sleep-before-work shame. Not only because they would have made a tasty Spanish omelette of a pair on the pitch together but also because I can’t help feeling that having a quality player from his homeland in the squad would have been another little tug on Cesc’s shirt in the direction of Arsenal.  

Not a filthy, I can feel the grease oozing off his palms, John Terry behind the ref’s back sort of tug but more like a ‘daddy please don’t go to the war, I’ll mith you’, guilt-inducing, gentle persuasion sort of tug. 

Alas, I fear it is not to be so while you’re praying for Mata to arrive remember that the likely downside of that particular arrangement will be our captain leaving. A very sad sight indeed. 

However, you may remember me saying how positive I am and, yes, sure enough there is an upside to this whole situation (I’m well prepared for the vitriolic backlash below). For while the talent of Cescy Cescpot McCescinsson can never truly be replaced his contribution perhaps can be. 

How? Well perhaps through having a player that might actually last a season without breaking down. No-one can deny that our Fabulous No. 4’s injury record has been slowly climbing the charts and when your best player is only playing for 1/2 a season then in reality you’re only getting to use 1/2 the talent. 

By that a logic a player who is only 2/3 as good as Fabregas but plays a whole season will give you an extra 1/6 of output throughout the year. And for those that don’t follow my fraction-based analysis suffice it to say that that’s a very good thing. 

Not that we can rely on any key player lasting a whole season without injury at Arsenal.  

Another way in which the Mata/Fabregas swap may assist us is by allowing us to hand the captaincy to someone who doesn’t want to leave. I know there are hordes of Arsenal fans who are desperate to see Fabs go (not me, mind) so that we don’t have a wantaway captain ‘leading’ the team and though I don’t really agree with their general perspective I can certainly see the benefits in that outcome. 

Van Persie is the obvious choice and he’d make a fine captain in my book. A fiery and extremely talented Spurs-despising Arsenal fan who hates to lose – what’s not to love about that? 

The third tick in the box if you like would be versatility. Cesc plays in the Cesc role which was designed for Cesc and that’s where he plays. From what I understand (and please correct me if I’m wrong) Mata can play on the wing as well as centrally and that would leave us with an almost unbelievably flexible attacking squad. 

Gervinho, Walcott, Nasri, Van Persie, Mata and Arshavin (and Vela if he plays) would all be capable of filling any one of a number of positions, giving us with a greater array of options in terms of line up, a better insurance policy against injury and a heightened fluidity in our attacks. I can picture it now - players swapping positions like partners in a royal dance, gracefully linking arms and doing a full circle before darting off in the opposite direction with the ball to swing a gorgeous curler into the back of the net. It’ll be well Elizabethan. 

All of this is of course contingent on us a) signing Mata and b) losing our captain which is only half good (if that) and not even half complete so any sort of excitement over this is firmly misplaced at this stage. Doesn’t mean we can’t pretend though, and I love a good pretend. Just ask my imaginary enemy. 

Careful though, he’ll make believe kick your arse if you don’t watch it.

Anyway , thank you for reading this pixellated multitude of personality-inspired words I hope some may come to call an ‘article’. And if you take just one thing away from it...please make sure you bring it back. 

Love, respect and Jack Wilshere through to Gervinho six minutes in,

WB

@WengerBoy1

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Comments (29)

• 28-Jul-2011 13:37 | | MeanLean
  

  Very enjoyable read, I always find myself not wanting your 'articles' to stop. Agree with several points although I think I would rather Verm picked up the arm band. You are correct in that we could see a more fluid Arsenal without the team depending on Cesc to create chances.

• 28-Jul-2011 13:59 | | GoonerEll  - Sober (I assume) assessment
  

  WB1 - thanks for taking the time to put aside the emotional, half-thought out guff that often passes for comment on prospective transfers (in or out) in the season of summer madness! I found your article - there, I've said it - to make a lot of sense, apart from one thing.
  
  I would say that half a season of a great player is worth more than a full season of a good one. Look at RVP, for example. I know that strikers and playmakers are not the same beasts, but when RVP has his regular half season of goal gluttony, there are few who can stop him, and I'd rather have that than a Bendtner, Wiltord-type player who scores just often enough to persuade the manager to play him for a few more weeks.
  
  When Cesc plays (and when he's fit) he really is the (cliche alert) heartbeat and inspiration of the side and is often, despite the occasional bursts of brilliance from others (Arshavin, Nasri - I mean you), the only one who can play the pass, make the run, score the goal that wins or saves the game. I know young Jack is growing into that role, but I don't believe he is yet ready to carry the team as Cesc has done.
  
  I can't say whether Mata will be better/fitter/more influencial IF he comes to Arsenal than Cesc has been, because I don't have a crystal ball, but whatever happens if we lose Cesc it will be a big loss, other than on the balance sheet of course!

• 28-Jul-2011 14:01 | | ROBERT GOLOWA  - ARCHITECT
  

  CESC SHOULD GO COZ HE'S NOT COMITTED TO THE CLUB,A CLUB
  IS ALWALS BIGGER THAN A PLAYER!!

• 28-Jul-2011 14:14 | | Karen
  

  Thanks for the article, mate. Great to have someone without this doom and gloom feel you often get reading blogs dedicated to the Arsenal

• 28-Jul-2011 14:21 | | Gerry Lennon  - Retired
  

  I think you are forgetting, regards Cesc fitness, this will be the first time he starts a season with a proper summer break in the last 3 years?
  If we side-step the 'fact' that he has an injury at the moment, and not just being kept away from the pressures of the media - as has been pointed out, he could fail a medical, so where would that leave the Barca deal??
  In truth, it comes down to a choice in which one side loses out:
  Do Arsenal bite the bullet and take a 15m loss on his true valuation?
  Or does Cesc bite the bullet, clears his head, and says he wants to stay?
  Important emphasis on the word 'wants' of course!
  The Milan option would have been interesting, as he could have gone there for a couple of years, by which time Barca might actually need him?
  Alas, not to be it seems?

• 28-Jul-2011 14:45 | | ashiraf  - mata to emirates
  

  i like the squad to with nasr,gervinho,cesc,rvp,arshvin and let AW sign others like mata cahill, samba and you will see the gun in ashooting positon

• 28-Jul-2011 14:51 | | Anonymous
  

  I av left everytin about transfer 4 Arsenal nd Arsene and remain TRUE ....."GUNNERS 4 LIFE" .

• 28-Jul-2011 14:53 | | Eddie
  

  Seems to me Cesc going to Barca is not really contingent on Mata, but rather on Barca meeting Arsenal's valuation. I believe this has been quite clear for a while now. Mata or no Mata Fabregas can go or stay- I cant imagine that Arsenal will lower their valuation simply because they can get Mata. In the same way I think if Barca meet the valuation, Cesc will be gone, even if Mata cannot be signed. So, I dont see the mutual exclusiveness here at all.

• 28-Jul-2011 14:54 | | Thorough  - Give it to Arshavin (or Crying baby)
  

  I love Arsene Wenger buys (not the man Wenger) because he has a way of unearthing gems. I hope he sees what I am seeing before buying Mata: put the bloke on the wings, and let our ever increasing playmakers cum wingers play their original positions. I have been watching Arshavin since his days with Zenit St Peterburg (also with the national team) and the pint-sized magician never ceases to amaze me. But i believe that with him, just like many others, Arsene has gotten it wrong. Arshavin has never been a winger, for Zenith you see him on the wings at times just because he plays a free role and runs all around. He is a playmaker true and true and I think Arsene should use him as such. Even Wenger while buying the pint-sized magician said he bought him because of the quality of his ''delivery in the final third''. He passes well, dribbles well and shoots well just like the best playmakers the world has known. He is not a winger, just like Nasri, Rosicky n the many others that we play out of position. Till tomorrow i still believe that the poor Denilson that we all were dying to get rid of too is a product of Arsene's misjudgment. This guy captained the Brazilian under-19 as an attacking midfielder, one of his strongest points is shooting a la Everton in the season opener of two years ago. And if Nasri stays we can actually play him too as a playmaker. Among the three of them: Nasri, Rosicky n Arshavin i believe we have three attacking midfielders of which two should be in every of our first eleven. I hear you say Wilshere pal, but it is my opinion. The lad has an all-round talent that i believe no other player in the premier league has, but he shoots like my grandma and that is a problem.

• 28-Jul-2011 14:54 | | Thorough  - Give it to Arshavin (or Crying baby)
  

  I love Arsene Wenger buys (not the man Wenger) because he has a way of unearthing gems. I hope he sees what I am seeing before buying Mata: put the bloke on the wings, and let our ever increasing playmakers cum wingers play their original positions. I have been watching Arshavin since his days with Zenit St Peterburg (also with the national team) and the pint-sized magician never ceases to amaze me. But i believe that with him, just like many others, Arsene has gotten it wrong. Arshavin has never been a winger, for Zenith you see him on the wings at times just because he plays a free role and runs all around. He is a playmaker true and true and I think Arsene should use him as such. Even Wenger while buying the pint-sized magician said he bought him because of the quality of his ''delivery in the final third''. He passes well, dribbles well and shoots well just like the best playmakers the world has known. He is not a winger, just like Nasri, Rosicky n the many others that we play out of position. Till tomorrow i still believe that the poor Denilson that we all were dying to get rid of too is a product of Arsene's misjudgment. This guy captained the Brazilian under-19 as an attacking midfielder, one of his strongest points is shooting a la Everton in the season opener of two years ago. And if Nasri stays we can actually play him too as a playmaker. Among the three of them: Nasri, Rosicky n Arshavin i believe we have three attacking midfielders of which two should be in every of our first eleven. I hear you say Wilshere pal, but it is my opinion. The lad has an all-round talent that i believe no other player in the premier league has, but he shoots like my grandma and that is a problem.

• 28-Jul-2011 14:55 | | Thorough  - Give it to Arshavin (or Crying baby)
  

  I love Arsene Wenger buys (not the man Wenger) because he has a way of unearthing gems. I hope he sees what I am seeing before buying Mata: put the bloke on the wings, and let our ever increasing playmakers cum wingers play their original positions. I have been watching Arshavin since his days with Zenit St Peterburg (also with the national team) and the pint-sized magician never ceases to amaze me. But i believe that with him, just like many others, Arsene has gotten it wrong. Arshavin has never been a winger, for Zenith you see him on the wings at times just because he plays a free role and runs all around. He is a playmaker true and true and I think Arsene should use him as such. Even Wenger while buying the pint-sized magician said he bought him because of the quality of his ''delivery in the final third''. He passes well, dribbles well and shoots well just like the best playmakers the world has known. He is not a winger, just like Nasri, Rosicky n the many others that we play out of position. Till tomorrow i still believe that the poor Denilson that we all were dying to get rid of too is a product of Arsene's misjudgment. This guy captained the Brazilian under-19 as an attacking midfielder, one of his strongest points is shooting a la Everton in the season opener of two years ago. And if Nasri stays we can actually play him too as a playmaker. Among the three of them: Nasri, Rosicky n Arshavin i believe we have three attacking midfielders of which two should be in every of our first eleven. I hear you say Wilshere pal, but it is my opinion. The lad has an all-round talent that i believe no other player in the premier league has, but he shoots like my grandma and that is a problem.

• 28-Jul-2011 14:55 | | Spectrum
  

  I agree Cesc needs to go. His heart's not in it anymore, and he's become injury prone. However, he's still one of the best, if not THE best midfielders in the world. If he wasn't, would Barca still want him ? He was our leading passer and assist maker, according to the stats last season.
  No amount of wishful thinking and positive spin is going to hide the fact that his absence is going to leave a gaping hole in our team. And if Nasri goes too, it'll be even worse. Sign a couple of replacements ? Sure. Wenger will have no choice. But the net result is we'd be no better off than before, numbers wise. Plus it looks like we'll be relying on another injury prone left back in Gibbs, to see us through the season. A big risk that's not necessary. Where is the EXPERIENCE Wenger said he was going to bring in ? So far, we've just had more kids. The latest being his interest in 18year old James McCarthy form Wigan.
  We all know we need defenders as a PRIORITY. But he's only going for attackers so far. Our lack of signings suggest he's either the most unluckiest negotiator in the transfer market, or more likely - the most incompetent. The former is hard to believe, the latter indicates poor management.
  "******************"

• 28-Jul-2011 15:29 | | chengiskhan
  

  Haha. If the player 2/3 as good as Fabregas is called Mr X, then your two choices would be:
  A) Fabregas 50%, Mr X 50%
  B) Mr X 100%
  
  I think I would take A.
  
  That is not to take away from your article which is excellent

• 28-Jul-2011 15:41 | | ngobi densi  - cesc go mata come
  

  letvK AW to buy not to sell and let the club be with quality players and if your to sell let fabrigas go becoz he can't lead and win

• 28-Jul-2011 15:47 | | Spectrum
  

  Robert Golowa@14;01 - "A club is always bigger than a player."
  Funny how that doesn' t apply to managers, though, eh ?
  " ******************"

• 28-Jul-2011 16:13 | | aj
  

  We don't have to sell Cesc.
  
  We do have to sell Nasri - otherwise we will effectively be paying about £30 million for a season's use of a player who could not give a flying *@ck about Arsenal.
  
  Mata usually plays wide left. Cesc doesn't - he plays in the centre. Nasri plays wide and is most effective when he is there - he seems to vanish in the middle.
  
  So, we should be buying Mata to replace Nasri, not Cesc.

• 28-Jul-2011 17:06 | | Chris  - Thanks
  

  GunnerEL thanks.every body seem 2 4get cesc contribution 2 d team.stats have shown dat he is even better than those we think are d best(xavi, iniesta)would u rather ur best players leave 4 other clubs?y cant we have fab and mata as arsenal players. It is good 2 have many quality players in a great team like arsenal. Fuck off u english racists

• 28-Jul-2011 20:00 | | Mwaniki
  

  Fabregas will go nowhere. Barca treasure thiago

• 28-Jul-2011 19:01 | | JB212  - Fabregas replacement.
  

  Fabregas can't be replaced. Simple as that. A player that has been statistically proven to be the best playmaker in the last 5 seasons in Europe AND isn't even touching his peak yet.
  
  We could find someone who's a proven good quality playmaker. In our team we currently have Arshavin who proved his playmaking quality at Zenit, for Russia and in his first season for us.
  
  Another player with very good vision and passing range is Tomas Rosicky. His injection of pace, directness and urgency in attack alongside runners such as Walcott and Gervinho, Vela making inward runs behind the last man, just the kind of passes Rosicky picks out for fun whether it be with the outside of his foot or any other fancy/deceiving pass.
  
  The obvious replacements from our squad our Ramsey and Wilshere but Rosicky and Arshavin's playmaking ability should not be overlooked.
  
  As a previous comment stated, Mata is more of a replacement for Nasri.
  
  Another bonus in playing Rosicky and Arshavin in the "Fabregas" role is their ability to take long shots, most of the good playmaker's nowadays have a stinging long shot e.g. van der Vaart, Sneijder, Riquelme, Scholes, etc.

• 29-Jul-2011 07:27 | | Wenger Boy
  

  It's not really a case of who Mata is a better replacement for but who, at this stage, is more likely to go and who will need replacing.
  
  Arsenal are still negotiating with Barca over Cesc so there is a possibility he will go. It is common belief that if and only if we sell Cesc will we put up the £20m-odd we need to buy Mata. Mata provides more assists than Nasri and therefore would better help to fill that creative gap if Cesc left.
  
  Buying Mata and keepIng Cesc and Nasri is a highly unlikely scenario.

• 29-Jul-2011 17:09 | | Man United Killa
  

  Say that again Spectrum.The logic seems to evade some people on this blog.

• 31-Jul-2011 21:17 | | Andy Mack
  

  I don't understand where this £20m that's being mentioned by the newspapers comes from. With only a year on his contract we'd be lucky to get half that figure. And how do you work out £30m?

• 31-Jul-2011 23:27 | | richie
  

  Yaasid

• 01-Aug-2011 09:24 | | sapman
  

  and the logic that arsenal is still in the middle of transition and repayment phase is also missing from cretins like you manukilla

• 01-Aug-2011 13:42 | | jgunz  - it doesnt "Mata"-as the rock used to say
  

  mata is not our main concern, as we have seen for a long looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg gggggggggggggggggggggggg time the defense is our main problem this began with wengers mistake of selling ashley cole and giving the captincy to gallas instead of Kolo toure.
  We need two experienced PL defenders who can do the basics.
  We will not win the champions league this season so lets not worry about it, the league is our bread and butter dinner so lets tighten the defense.
  Samba and Jagielka would be good signings as they are suited to the league and would actually allow us to beat the smaller teams and that is where the league is won.

• 02-Aug-2011 05:48 | | bjorlie  - love it
  

  i love what you have to say(i would be very sad to see THE MAN go) although that seems the best way too have him go... i think wengers plan is to snatch up mata to keep cesc and if cesc still doesn't like it i predict him going in january... which could lead too the loss of nasri(my #1/future captain/mvp or wilshere) i think between diaby(he's pro but not getting enough time)/jack/ramsey/song we've got a beautiful starting midfield but not deep enough... i'm hoping miyaichi/afobe/frimpong/ turn
  up for 12/13
  
  in any case we NEED to cash in on bendtner rosicky(30) denilson and if we sell fabregas i'd like to see two quality defenders and a quality defensive mid to support song (maybe a younger player with promise)... why chamakh? he's already 27 maybe 6 good years left where bendtner has 10 (and he's already as good as chamakh!!!)

• 02-Aug-2011 05:56 | | bjorlie  - your 1/2 right
  

  mata would replace nasris position but not nasri (he's staying) at least till january(and if were doing well he won't leave)... a thirty year old transparent vs barcelona rosicky isn't near a good enough replacement for THE MAN nasri wilshere ramsey song and diaby in the midfield with RvP Gervinho Mata walcott arshavin as forwards... we'll just need two more defenders, probably another defensive mid

• 02-Aug-2011 06:09 | | bjorlie  - arsenal/wenger till death
  

  wenger is in the top three best coaches of this era... matched with ferguson, contenders for third being mourinho, ancelotti, and pep... You Don't Know More Than THE PROFESSOR... what other big signings have happened this year? NOT MANY!!! if there's no-one for sale then thats it... there's no-one for sale. and the ones that are(samba and jagielka) he's working on(mind you it's very rare that someone is bought off the first bid...

• 02-Aug-2011 06:22 | | bjorlie  - amen
  

  true dat double true... although if fab leaves than he's a bit of a selfish prick(he'd never be as strong a player without wenger) and he'd probably lose playing time at barca because of injury... he'll never quite fit in there... i want him to stay and mata to come... bendtner rosicky denilson can go so we can get some quality defenderS... we can work without fab and with mata along with two defenders if needs be

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