Written by Squid Boy on Tuesday, 23 August 2011 16:05

So another one bites the dust. Another key performer from last season gone. Another creative player exits. Another one who we thought had Arsenal in his heart will now don the crest of another club. Yep, sad times to be a Gooner as Samir Nasri follows Emmanuel Eboue out of the door.

I’m only half-kidding. But enough with the humour, for there is no place for it today.

As Arsenal announced earlier this afternoon, Samir Nasri will indeed be sold to Money City. A fee has been agreed and it is now down to the medical, which the Frenchman will have no trouble passing if we use his sparky performance against Liverpool on Saturday as evidence.

And it is Saturday that makes me have mixed feelings on Nasri. All summer long I have advocated selling him for cash money instead of keeping him, risking an uncommitted season, trying and failing to convince him re-sign, and then losing him for diddly squat next summer.

Indeed, when Arsene said a few weeks ago that Samir was going nowhere, I thought it would be downright lunacy to keep the unsettled boy from Marseille. The theory was simple: sell and replace with someone of equal quality for a similar price.

But then came Saturday. Amidst the news that his heir apparent Juan Mata was closer to West London than North came the revelation that Nasri would take to the field against Liverpool. Like many of you, I was sceptical as to whether he would try his hardest and afraid that the almost-certain adverse fan reaction to him would hamper the team as well.

I was wrong on both counts. Not only did he put in a helluva shift but the fans reacted very warmly to him during the game as they recognised his efforts. Maybe the final glimpse of his willingness to receive the ball in tight areas and dribbling ability had made us more appreciative of his talent?

There was a particularly poignant moment when he instigated a passage of play, trotted over to take the subsequent corner, received a round of applause from the North Bank and applauded them back. Heck, his song even got an airing too. I was mighty proud of the Emirates faithful on Saturday for a number of reasons – including a defiant chant of “We love you Arsenal” after the full-time boos – and one of these was the classy reaction to Nasri.

Come Saturday night and with rumours that his move to City was being held up by some agent shenanigans, I even began to dream that the fan reaction could change his mind and that he would sign on and remain a Gunner. I know, I’m a hopeless romantic. It would have been a fairytale story.

But of course, fairytales don’t happen often in football – least of all at Arsenal these days. He is a goner.

In the cold light of day, this is without doubt the best move for all parties. £24 million for a player in his last year of contract? Yes please.

The transfer comes as no surprise and for me it is not even the most depressing Arsenal-related news of the day, for that belongs to Jack Wilshere’s injury “setback”.

I have to admit that mysterious nature of the injury has given me the heebie-jeebies since day one. The fact that we could not put a definitive date for his return (or even an estimate) was all too concerning and eerily similar to Vermaelen’s injury of last season.

Hope sprung eternal over with news that he was back in training over the weekend and facing a fitness test on whether he would travel to Udinese for tomorrow’s second-leg. And even if he had failed this fitness test, at least it was a positive sign that he had been improving and may even have been in contention for Man Utd on the weekend.

But a setback? With “initial fears” that he may be out for two-months? Dear me.

If the worst case scenario does indeed manifest and he is out for two-months (and maybe more, given the Arsenal medical team’s propensity to mis-diagnose) then there is no way a midfield stable of Song, Frimpong, Diaby, Rosicky, Ramsey and Chamberlain can challenge for the title. Fourth place might even be a stretch. Reinforcements will be imperative.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First and foremost, Jack will be missing tomorrow night for the away leg in the Champions League qualifier. And he will be a big miss, especially his ability to turn defence into attack with a quick dribble and his eye for a pass. We desperately need an away goal, and it becomes all the more difficult in his absence.

I don’t think the Club has released an official squad list of those who are travelling, but from various journalists on Twitter I deduce that our starting lineup could be something along the lines of:

Szczesny; Traore, Vermaelen, Djourou, Sagna; Song, Rosicky, Ramsey; Gervinho, v.Persie, Walcott.

The main areas of contention will probably be in midfield, where new hero Emmanuel Frimpong could get the nod over either Rosicky or Ramsey, while Arshavin may start ahead of Walcott.

I won’t be displeased with that eleven. Not our strongest team, but they key issue is that it has balance. A natural left-back, two experienced centre-halves and pace on the flanks.

One of the most frustrating things about our games this season is how injuries and sendings-off have disrupted our rhythm. At Newcastle it was Gervinho’s red. In the Udinese first-leg we had to cope with first Gibbs and then Djourou being crocked. And against Liverpool there was Koscielny’s injury and later Frimpong’s red card.

If the aforementioned eleven can remain fit and focused during the 90 minutes, I think we could grab an away goal and remain solid defensively to see us through. Naturally I would be more confident if the likes of Koscielny and Wilshere were there, but thus is the hand that fate has dealt us.

So onto tomorrow. You don’t need me to tell you how important a game it is. The defining game of the month? Yes. The defining game of the season? Probably. The most important match in Arsene’s reign at the Club? Quite possibly.

Believe me, this is not hyperbole. The negative connotations of not qualifying tomorrow night will be massive. We will be in new territory of not having Champions League football under Wenger. We will not have the television revenue that it brings. We will not be as attractive a prospect to potential signings.

On the flip side, the positives are equally as big. Some hope and belief will be restored in the knowledge that our coffers will be further swelled and that we can still offer top-level football to players. Essentially, if we qualify then we can (and I believe we WILL) go out and buy the quality we need. Many names have been bandied about – Jagileka, Cahill, M’Vila, Zarate, Hazard – and there are rumours that these signings are dependent upon our Champions League status this season.

But enough about transfers. They aren’t going to happen between now and tomorrow night. And to a large extent they depend upon the outcome of tomorrow night. For the time being, the truth is on the pitch.

Squid Boy - http://twitter.com/#!/TheSquidBoyLike

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Comments (40)

• 23-Aug-2011 16:29 | | Ed
  

  UR dreaming if u think they are anywhere near good enough to challenge for fourth. would love to know what's really going on, but I suspect we'll find out more when we're mid table at Christmas.

• 23-Aug-2011 16:30 | | emma
  

  9ice post,lets hope 4 d best

• 23-Aug-2011 16:45 | | WillB
  

  Keep It Goonerish

• 23-Aug-2011 16:50 | | oranje_sky
  

  I apperciate you ended the blog on a positive note, but unsure as to why we can't spend the money we made this summer even if we don't qualify for CL? Liverpool haven't qualified and they still spent money and strengthed. Why can't we do the same?

• 23-Aug-2011 16:54 | | Gunnarsaurus
  

  OK worst case scenario,
  
  1. we get knocked out tomorrow and we get dumped into the Europa League proper playing on Thursday nights and PL games on Sat and Sun.
  
  2. We don't sign any players because Wenger won't wont to pay over the odds for average players and that he has enough quality coming back from injuries which won't kill the likes of Walcott/Ramsey/Gibbs etc.
  
  3. Current players will look to pastures new as they need to bolster their (pay packets ugh em) credentials playing CL football and for their national team.
  
  All doom and gloom but is it? I think we could use the Europa league as a benchmark for fielding our fringe players into big game situations and rest the 1st team for the PL games.
  
  I'd like to see the following
  
  PL games
  
  Szcezza
  Sagna
  Gibbs
  Vermealen
  Kos
  Wilshire
  Song
  Ramsey
  Gervinho
  Arshavin
  RVP
  
  Europa/CC games
  
  Fabianski
  Jenkinson
  Traore
  Djourou
  Miquel
  Frimpong
  Diaby
  Rocsicky
  Walcott
  Oxade Chambers/Chamakh
  Ryo
  
  Our youth players would get adequate game time and experience playing in the First team and in front of hostile environments, plus want to impress the boss by performing well in the competition, hell we could even win the competition.
  
  Anyway just a thought

• 23-Aug-2011 17:03 | | daz  - you are...
  

  a mug

• 23-Aug-2011 17:04 | | daz
  

  how can you be proud of our fans singing that money hungry cunts name. Are you some sort of mug?

• 23-Aug-2011 17:06 | | kev11
  

  4th is being far to optimistic. Having been a vociferous supporter of AW, presently i find his judgement and his sense of humour rather hypocrital. I don't know what's going on behind the doors and in the boardroom relating to our transfers but surely with our current squad and the massive injury concerns we're in for it . Are we heading to what Liverpool faced for the last two years, before they recovered? Just hope that isn't the case for us.

• 23-Aug-2011 17:29 | | SquidBoy
  

  I think our biggest handicap has been selling Cesc and Nasri so late. Had we sold them earlier, I don't think the CL thing would have been a factor - players would have happily joined us to help us overcome the qualifier.
  
  But as time ticked, I'm guessing the Club and potential signings became more twitchy about our situation and thought it best to wait.
  
  That's the only logical explanation I can offer. Unlike Liverpool who definitely are not in the CL, it is the uncertainty that has hurt us this summer.

• 23-Aug-2011 17:30 | | SquidBoy
  

  I'm proud that our fans were classy enough not to boo one of our own players.
  
  You think abusing our own players on our own pitch when the team is struggling is a classy thng to do? You think it helps the team? Or are you putting your own personal feelings towards Nasri above the good of the team?

• 23-Aug-2011 17:31 | | goonertlldend  - mugmashers
  

  Hehehe have u seen who they signed? One from a relegated team; a £50m striker with what experience and Downing of ??? No ambition and happy to take the ride. Quality demands CL and that what we have to wait for. Hopefully we will prevail with at least 1 away goal and they then require 3. Looks like this will be the turning point both in our form and luck. Up you gunners. Have faith

• 23-Aug-2011 17:32 | | oranje_sky
  

  Just because a player chooses to be unclassy in his actions doesn't mean that we as a fanbase need to be. When a player is wearing an Arsenal shirt and plays well, you respect their contribution to the team even if you don't like them personally. Kind of like how I haven't resorted to calling you names even though your comment lacks a valid point.

• 23-Aug-2011 17:42 | | SquidBoy
  

  It's a fair point, for sure. And I like that first XI a lot.
  
  But the injury gremlins are sure to strike, just as they have with Jack. That's largely why I feel we need strengthening.
  
  Case in point - I don't particularly rate a Jagielka or Cahill higher than TV5 or Kos, and maybe only marginally above Johan due to his sometimes lack of concentration rather than lack of talent.
  
  But I'm still desperate for a Jagielka or Cahill merely because we need experienced backup down our spine.

• 23-Aug-2011 17:44 | | john  - Typical AKB loser.
  

  Fans like you is whats wrong with our club. no ambition, accept failure, complacent, gullible and weak. making excuses for deluded Wenger. you call yourself an Arsenal fan. I had to read your article twice to believe it. Or is this a joke . ha ha

• 23-Aug-2011 17:51 | | SquidBoy
  

  Wanna tell me where I come acrross as accepting failure, complacent, gulluble, weak, making excuses for AW?
  
  Wanna tell me where I have said we don't need to sign anyone, or that I hope we don't qualify tomorrow night, or finish outside the top4, or where I've thought AW/the Board has done a fanstastic job with our transfers this summer?

• 23-Aug-2011 17:57 | | john
  

  I was replying to Gunnarsaurus squidboy, but if you agree with him, you certainly are. I could understand his article if we were a, sunderland, villa or everton. I think it speaks volumes as to why The Arsenal is in the state were in.

• 23-Aug-2011 18:24 | | red boy
  

  Sorry to say it gunna be thursday nite C5 for us IN ARSENE WERE F**KED.

• 23-Aug-2011 20:21 | | MeanLean
  

  Agree with you on pretty much everything SB. I was also very proud of our support at the Liverpool game. The singing at the end was very much needed. This is a difficult time for everyone.
  
  I felt rather sad at the end of the Liverpool game as I thought it would probably be his last game. His driving run from midfield and shot just wide showed us what we are going to miss but £24m for a player in the last year of his contract is just a tad stupid really. We really must invest this money back into the squad and add quality.
  
  Jack's injury is also turning my trousers a shade of brown. I really expected him to be massive for us this year but his injury has halted that. I just pray that it isn't another Vermaelen situation.
  
  I have put transfers on hold, the Manc game on hold, in fact everything. The game tomorrow is just so important. Just writing this is making my hands tremble.
  
  Please please please! Anything but defeat for us.

• 23-Aug-2011 20:23 | | MeanLean
  

  It is the default response SB. Supporting your team is called accepting failure. Moaning and shouting about how everything is awful at the club is showing ambition. Apparently

• 23-Aug-2011 22:02 | | john  - if only we moaned and shouted louder
  

  it is awful Ml and if the fans had shouted and moaned sooner and a lot louder we might not be in the mess we are now. its the blind leading the blind philosophy that you and the other AKBs spew that contribute to this AWFUL mess and IMO that is accepting failure.

• 23-Aug-2011 22:16 | | john
  

  ML, I will be supporting us tomorrow night and will also be nervous, but answer this question. If Arsene didnt put the transfers on hold we could have been looking forward to the match with confidence and not nervous wrecks. But its only a football match. perspective, perspective, perspective i need to keep saying to myself.

• 23-Aug-2011 22:36 | | MeanLean
  

  As far as I know it is the club that has put transfers on hold and not the manager. I think it is crazy to have taken the risk, whoever it is. Wenger or the board. The game tomorrow is too important not to have added strength but hey, that is where we are.
  
  If we win that game then I am confident that things will start picking up for us.

• 23-Aug-2011 22:47 | | richie  - We do need backup but who?
  

  Cahill is the only defender that IMHO could play for Arse, none of the many others mentioned like Samba, Jags, Scot Dan, and Mertesacker measure up. Cahill hardly measures up in the upper body strength department but he forfils all the other neccessary traits, and upper body strength can be developed.

• 23-Aug-2011 22:52 | | MeanLean
  

  I cannot think of many English defenders available that can slot straight into our set up. Arseblog has been told who we are after apparently, no idea who though. Very happy with Verm and Kos but fourth choice needs to be stronger for me.

• 23-Aug-2011 22:58 | | richie  - The blind leading the deaf dumb & blind
  

  What an increadibly megalomaniacal thought the idea that if fans moaned often and shouted their complaints more then they could actually change something. In other words its the fans booing of their own team that has persuaded the board not to take any profit by selling off our best 2 players for a profit! Did I miss something? Delusional!

• 23-Aug-2011 23:06 | | richie  - Well said oranje_sky
  

  Very nicely put! Like many I didn't think Senderous was up to being an Arsenal player and I dreaded seeing his name on the team sheet, but I cheered him long and loadly in the hope that my incouragement might in someway help him to improve.

• 23-Aug-2011 23:06 | | john
  

  Yes Richie, you are Delusional.

• 23-Aug-2011 23:18 | | richie  - realities of the transfer mkt
  

  Why no early sales?
  
  Barca didn't offer enough money early on, they thought they could offer 26mil instead of the 35mil offered a year ago, because Cesc's contract was a year older, they were trying brinkmanship.
  
  It was only when it was realised that Nasri really wasn't going to sign a new contract and was actually looking to do like his old Marseille team mate "The informous Flamini" and bow out for nothing that the board insisted on cashing in.

• 23-Aug-2011 23:24 | | richie  - Negative ahoy
  

  Your so right when you and other negs moan the board definatly listen!

• 23-Aug-2011 23:30 | | Dean  - We need our players to stand up
  

  When the going gets tough the tough get going! I expect us to score!

• 23-Aug-2011 23:47 | | richie  - 4 or 5 CD's
  

  I like Verm & Kos as our first pairing too. Unlike many I don't have a problem with Djourou either. I know he needs to concentrate for the full 90+ but if we can pair him up with the right partner I think he'll be fine. Its not just his defensive parter that he'll have to work with of course, if Kos gets a knock he'll team up with Verm, or Kos if Verm gets suspended etc etc. You make the right point a player that can slot in is the important feature. Miquel can be 5th while he gets expirence.

• 23-Aug-2011 23:49 | | luis zelaya
  

  squid boy's predicted eleven is actually a good team, mostly solid at the back, perhaps with the exception of traore, who i actually like, but is prone to errors. very good crosser though, but without bendtner or chamakh in there it is useless. i'd actually prefer frimpong instead of ramsey, because these boys from udinese can shoot from outside, we need not creativity but to get on their faces and not let them take those shots, then rosicky gets the ball throws it to theo and bam! we're through to the next stage. Then Eden Hazard comes in and a solid defender and things start looking rosier all of a sudden. it'd be nice beating them also because they look like the magpies. Come on you Gunners!

• 23-Aug-2011 23:52 | | richie  - Infamous above
  

  No spelling check on

• 24-Aug-2011 06:59 | | Okeke
  

  How can we be known as an ambitious club, if we sold our best players? thats wat a great footballin mind once said. Now we have gone and sold them players. Mean Lean my Question is are we still ambitous? if so how?

• 24-Aug-2011 07:03 | | Okeke
  

  Kronke why cant the man do smtin? let him scrap that fuckin board! football has become highly competitive we can let things like sm friggin wage bill pull us back anymore! Atletico Madrid spent 35m on Falcao! point made.

• 24-Aug-2011 08:36 | | Gunnarsaurus
  

  I'm not going to justify why I support Arsenal or my passion for Arsenal, I was simply stating that in this particular season with 3 of our first team players sold that we have to be realistic.
  
  IMHO we're not going to win the champions league or the league, that's not to say that we won't give it a good try but with the current squad we lack the experience, drive and tactical awareness to defeat the likes of Chelsea, Man U and definitely City this year. The CL for the board is about gauranteed revenue income from matchday ticket sales, TV deals and added win bonues, now if were pumping that money back into the team and buying players to support a fanatstic XI then I wouldn't be upset.
  
  It just so happens that the revenue brought in from the CL helps clear the debt we owe on our new stadium.
  
  I point is we can concentrate on the league and the develop our younger players at the same time without sending them on loan unnecessarily - This time we get to see the younger players play under the management of Wenger and train with our 1st team. WIll Vela, Lansbury, Coquelin, Bortelho etc ever make it into the 1st team otherwise...I'm not so sure.
  
  I would'nt want to be in the CL if the same players angling for a move consistently got games to boost their credentials, I'd rather we have a close unit of players desperate to play for the club and give their all and win trophies.

• 24-Aug-2011 11:20 | | indian gunner forever  - enough of all doom & gloom.......
  

  Hey Mean Lean, Squid Boy & everyone else...............thanks for all the positive comments everyone.
  
  Lets just go out there tonight and show what the modern Arsenal is made up off...........make it a dizzy european night of celebration. The stage is set for our new captain to take the bull by its proverbial horns and do some serious damage......I expect him & Gervinho to combine well tonight and be a potent force. The mysterious injury to Wilshere is indeed worrying but could be a blessing in disguise cause Frimpong needed a game immediately after that stupid double yellow he picked up the other day.....
  
  Song & Frimpong definitely has a ring to it and it might just be the cover our defense needs tonight. Its simple they need to score which works best for us cause it will create spaces and who better than the top three of Gervinho, Van Persie & indeed the pacy Walcott to explore them.....
  
  Come on guys go out there.....score a couple of goals and more importantly enjoy the game - cause that seems to have gone missing in the last three games. Gunners to come out on top tonight.....and lets spread the red carpet for m'villa & hazard from tommorrow. New nos. 4 & 8 for the arsenal...........

• 24-Aug-2011 14:08 | | Feeno
  

  Richie, spot on mate, thats what being a fan, to me is all about

• 24-Aug-2011 14:45 | | rahul
  

  good article. thanks for staying positive. i think the boys will come through tonight...

• 25-Aug-2011 15:33 | | Cosmos
  

  I agree with SquidBoy that we need experienced players as cover up. I would not rate Cahill over TV5 but I rate him slightly over Kos. I believe if we get him to partner TV5 with kos as the cover up we would start another flawless and unbeaten run. We could also partner Kos and Cahill and use TV5 as LB when the injuries begin to strike Gibbs and Traore.
  
  We would also need an equally creative midfielder take the shoes of Cesc and Nasri. If AW brings Cahill and some experienced and creative midfielder to blend with our young squad we will Europe for the next yrs.

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