Written by Mean Lean on Wednesday, 06 July 2011 12:18

Good afternoon to you,

Not much in the way of news going on today barring a few bits of transfer rumour/talk/fact delete as appropriate.

Mr 48 hours man Gervinho is once again set for yet another medical at the club. Has there ever been a player to have reportedly had a medical as much as this fellow? Having seen the news reported in France as well as over here, I am going to assume that it will be happening today. That doesn't necessarily mean that it will be announced today as we usually like to complete all the photoshoot's, interviews, official site updates etc. We know that he will be joining us so I do not see the need for so many people to get so worked up about it.

It looks as if Arsenal target Ricky Alvarez will be joining Inter Milan instead of Arsenal. Reports suggest that Arsenal were not willing to pay the fee that his club were asking. Inter slammed down the extra briefcase on the table and were able to secure the services of the player.

I am no scout and have certainly not been keeping tabs of the player for months and months so my opinion is just that, an opinion. I couldn't see how a player like Alvarez would have fitted into our system. This idea that he was supposed to be Cesc's replacement is laughable, well it would be if it was funny. It's not, it is stupid and lazy from tabloid writers would want to continue to push the Cesc to Barca story. I couldn't see the tall and gangly attacker wide in a front three and I certainly could not see him as a center forward. Like I said though, I haven't been watching him closely. Just the same way that I was not watching a young Alex Song. But I guess, it no longer matters.

It is hilarious yet predictable that many of those who were shouting in capitals about going in for an unknown player instead of an established talent such as Downing are now shouting in capitals that we have missed out on him by not paying what we apparently perceive as over the odds. I suppose it is another channel to vent I guess.

I wonder how that player valuation is done by Arsene and the club. I envisage a complicated spreadsheet that calculates, age, international caps, years on contract remaining and financial strength of selling club.

I wouldn't mind playing around with that. Not saying that is how the club do it's business you understand.

Samir Nasri is not going to be sold as well as going to Manchester City depending on which tabloid you pick up. According to Sky Sports, Chelsea have also made an enquiry for Nasri. It is all pretty unsettling really, well at least for me it is. I guess if the likes of Chelsea, Man City and United are interested in signing him then if he does leave then at least we should be able to spark some kind of bidding war. I would rather it didn't get to that though, especially with teams from this country.

Hopefully Arsene can sit Nasri down and do a bit of the Wenger hypnotising magic that he has pulled out of the hat in the past on players like Vieira and Henry.

Arsene will call Nasri into his office, close and lock the door. A few minutes of green flashes coming out from underneath the door and Nasri can walk back onto the training pitch, telling his teammates robotically 'I want to stay and help this team, I want to stay and commit myself to Arsenal football club. I will dispose of my agent in the morning.'

Martin Keown did say that it was much easier to say you wanted out of the club when you are away from Arsenal and in particular Arsene. Once you come back your feelings change. I suppose Nicolas Anelka must have been wearing his dark sunglasses in his talk with Wenger.

Neil Warnock has said some rather interesting comments regarding his star player Adel Taarabt. Apparently he has many friends at Arsenal but he is also homesick, missing his family in Marseille. I suppose the next best thing would be to come to Arsenal.

If not for anything else then I like the guy for his comments last season.

"I was going to go to Arsenal and Comolli was there with Wenger, But he went to Tottenham so I went there. That was a big mistake for me. My friends in England - like Armand Traore and Abou Diaby at Arsenal - told me Tottenham were not the right fit for me. The big mistake was to sign for Tottenham and not go to another club when I first came over."

So apparently Arsene was interested in the past. He is a player full of ability and talent but he is a maverick. Warnock treats him differently to the rest of his players, he doesn't have to track back or fight to win the ball back, he has a free role and is allowed to do as he pleases. That luxury cannot happen at Arsenal and we have seen what effect it has on the team when certain players have not worked for the team.

I do not see it happening but if it did then I would love to see his skills on the Emirates pitch but probably not the rest of it.

Anyway, that is all for today.

Back tomorrow.

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Comments (18)

• 06-Jul-2011 12:48 | | N17  - Rvp
  

  Rafa van der vaart van der vaaart van der van der vaart tapping up van persie too

• 06-Jul-2011 12:55 | | Anonymous
  

  

• 06-Jul-2011 12:55 | | DJ Dragonfly
  

  @ ML
  
  If the club decide to sell Nasri to Man City, I think Wenger should pursue a cash sum plus Adam Johnson.
  
  Johnson will be pushed further down the pecking order if Nasri joined City, whereas if he were to join us as an additional amkeweight in the deal, he would add an exciting addition to our wing play and most importantly, gain regular first team football.

• 06-Jul-2011 13:01 | | A Gooner among others
  

  Taarabt at Arsenal would be a huge mistake.
  I don't think it has been reported in the english press but he made an interview with L'Equipe (french paper) :http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2011/20110619_170442_taarabt-je- ne-regrette-rien.html which said it all about his mentality.
  Basically, the guy said he was too good to be benched in the moroccan national team and that he loved his country but he didn't want to play against countries like Gabon (he said it in a more vulgar way).
  
  Sadly a lot of players who lived in France/are French have this shit mentality. There are no Pires, Henry and Vieira types of players (in terms of character and spirit) any more in France.

• 06-Jul-2011 13:02 | | MeanLean
  

  I like Adam Johnson also but not sure if he suits our football. A good dribbler but I don't see him as a combination player.

• 06-Jul-2011 13:03 | | Moses Wambwa  - Mr.
  

  Arsenal is a flying plane but it is apparently on auto-pilot right now. The pilot (Ass-ne Venga) in deep slumber. Venga's ‘co-pilots’ (the Board of Arsenal FC) are deeply snoozing but hallucinating – dreaming, visualising a huge feast off the wind-fall from the sales of the club’s star players. Meanwhile, the sound clearly indicates the plane (Arsenal FC's) engine has developed a fatal break-down and a crash from a high altitude is inevitable. The cabin crew (Nasri, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas etc) aware of imminent tragedy, are secretly collecting parachutes, ready to jump to safety. The plane’s passengers (Arsenal FC fans) are meanwhile singing their favorite – eternal tune - "In Arsene We Trust".
  
  Moses Wambwa
  Kampala - Uganda

• 06-Jul-2011 13:29 | | drew10
  

  I would love to see Adam Johnson at Arsenal. I have been saying we should get him in exchange if Nasri goes the other way. The lad is class and would flourish in a team with Wilshire, Gibbs and Walcott. Wow an English Arsenal team.... whatever next?

• 06-Jul-2011 13:34 | | drew10
  

  Wenger is not sleeping, it is just that we refuse to pay silly money for players. I also think we allow certain stories to come out in the media about our 'transfer targets' so it takes the heat off of our real targets.
  
  We always conduct our business quietly and it is annoying to us fans but it wont change. We also don't but players early because having them on the books for four weeks without any game time is a waste of an average of £240,000 per player.
  
  Expect things to start happening soon.

• 06-Jul-2011 13:36 | | drew10
  

  We need something different in the team. He is a fighter and scores goals and makes goals. What more can you ask for?

• 06-Jul-2011 13:59 | | dkgooner  - Exactly drew10
  

  The poncy tabloids make up stories about clubs having made bids for all sorts of players and then when they go somewhere else, they can write again about how Boggles FC have "failed" in their attempt to sign this "target", that was a figment of their imagination in the first place. Then you have all sorts of lazy bloggers multiplying the pack of lies by repeating them ad infinitum. So repetition becomes a kind of truth. Arsenal have not failed to sign Alvarez - if they even wanted him, they had an idea of his value and refused yo pay more than that. The same as they have their valuation of Cesc and will hold out for that (allegedly).
  
  When someone signs, it's because they have been an Arsenal target. When someone leaves, it's because they want to go. Everything else is supposition.

• 06-Jul-2011 14:01 | | dkgooner  - Cesc has hamstring problem.
  

  Shock horror - who wudda thunk it!
  When has he NOT had a hamstring problem the last two seasons?
  No wonder Barca think he's worth less (as opposed to worthless ).

• 06-Jul-2011 14:04 | | richie  - All these comings & goings on paper
  

  I like everyone else have my Arsenal player wish list, but thats all it is!
  A bloody wish list!
  I keep it to myself for fear of embarrassing myself.
  I just wish everybody else would do likewise.
  This ones having a medical? That ones asked to leave? The next one dropped this hint. Someone else's dog was seen being walked in the kings road by the Chelski ground staff.
  Money Citeh have bid peanuts for our want away mascot.
  I just can't get excited about any of it!
  When I know the make up of the team and how it looks, that'll be time enough to pass comment. Now all this speculation makes my silly wish list look positively sensible.

• 06-Jul-2011 14:21 | | MeanLean
  

  There is a new article up by Limpar Assist.
  
  Well worth a read. Copy and paste this http://bit.ly/pt0tCt into your browser or access it via the homepage.
  
  Cheers, ML

• 06-Jul-2011 15:39 | | indian gooner
  

  I read the article by limpar assist and i agree to an extent that we would have won had we taken our chances properly. I also wish to add to that by pointing out that our defence sometimes seems to lapse or take it easy when our strikers have done the job upfront (spuds, newcastle, bolton are a few examples). I guess its a sports psychologist would do something to rectify these mistakes.
  Strengthining our defence from set pieces is a priority and maybe cahill can help in this form because he's a defender who suits our sort of play (not samba, he's more likely to eat the opposition players ). Lets just trust Arsene this season atleast. He's promised to rectify our shortcomings and weaknesses by bringing in new players. The transfer window just opened for god's sake so no need to start critisizing him for not signing anyone.
  Nasri i think will not go. As usual most british media houses and certain sites as (goal.com, caughtoffside etc.) are against us. They only want cheap publicity at the cost of one Mr. Wenger and Arsenal F.C. It seems they are more bothered about Six trophyless seasons than arsenal are. If we were to win the league cup last season then they would go on to say, "oh bloody 'ell its juz the league cup." where's the premiership. So lets not let the bloody media win by we ourselves critisizing our beloved club. We will win and when we do we'll win everything in our way. Always a gooner. cheers!!!!

• 06-Jul-2011 16:08 | | Anonymous
  

  I am a gooner too but it does bug we haven't won for 6 years! We have no divine right to do so and even if it takes 16 more years I will still love the club.
  
  However we have right to want more and view our opinions of where we can improve. I fear not changing the personal from last 2 years just losing Clichy isn't grounds for huge optimism albeit I live the dream
  
  It has gone stale and needs a change

• 06-Jul-2011 17:23 | | Joker
  

  Excellent idea. For whatever reason Adam doesnt have the visibility within the organization that he should. He has all the makings of a very nice fit with our team and style of play.
  
  Now you need to sell it to Wenger and Mancini.....

• 06-Jul-2011 21:52 | | nd gooner  - gunners4life
  

  hi gunners,i believe next season will be a great one 4 us,wheather we lost fab & nasri or not,there will be a smile on our face and jubilations come next season. Arsenal will be celebrating 125 years anniversary with a new designed crest that marked "WIN WITH HARMONY" so fellow gunners expect something great happening to our beloved club. BAD TIMES ARE OVER.

• 14-Sep-2011 20:41 | | Pilot Medical
  

  Thanks for the post. It was really helpful to solve my confusion.
  
  Occupational Medicine

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