Long summer will feel even longer for Arsenal fans

‘Arsenal’ and ‘Transfer Speculation’ are certainly two phrases that are never far apart from each other, the summers have become one of irritation and frustration for Gooners over the years as the ins and outs occupy the long days which lead up to the new season. Transfers affect football fans of all teams however the annual media heavy speculation over which big star would leave Arsenal for pastures new has become so regular that it would often take the focus off of the targets that would come into the club.

This summer hasn’t followed the trend, no big players are rumoured to be leaving and so surely Arsenal fans should relax, kick back and enjoy a stress free season break? Wrong. You take away the stresses of the ‘will he won’t he leave’ scenario and it will only lead to an increased focus on who is coming in to strengthen the team.

Football players get a holiday when the season ends, they welcome a chance to forget everything football related and let their hair down. They deserve it, well… most of them, a football season is physically and mentally challenging, it requires 100% effort at all times if a player wants to gain all they can in their careers and so it is important to make the most of their time off. Football fans can’t afford that luxury; we don’t switch off from being football fans for 2 months. We need our fix and the next best thing to watching our teams play is evaluating the goings on with the acquisition of new personnel to the ranks. Days without football in between seasons are long and drawn out, we find solace in watching things like the U-21 European Championships or the upcoming Confederations Cup but they are never an adequate substitution for the domestic football we all hold close to our hearts.

New signings bring back the excitement fix, they are like a nicotine patch to fans and before the ink has even dried on the new guy’s contract we are already fixating on who is next in. This will continue until that transfer window closes, and Arsenal fans being ever the pessimist would be forgiven for believing no signings will be made until the final day of the transfer window. But things changed last week, not just for the fans but for the press too, a change that will magnify the expectations tenfold.

When Ivan Gazidis spoke last week of Arsenal’s new found funds available to compete in the market with the other big clubs it potentially opened up a whole new can or worms. Because now the club has given the press licence to link it with players that in the past were probably deemed out of financial reach. Within hours of Gazidis statement the big names were linked with Arsenal: Rooney, Higuain, Fellaini, Fabregas, Jovetic you name it. The reports had evolved from Arsenal eyeing up certain names to Arsenal having reached advanced negotiations to sign the players, all in one weekend immediately after Gazidis’s words.

A long summer is now going to seem even longer. The potential signings are now limitless, some of the names mentioned so far I would love at the club but many of them will have to be taken with a pinch of salt. The rumours surrounding Fellaini, Jovetic and Fabregas have already been knocked down a peg. We will have to wait and see which players will come in. I believe there will be marquee signings, patience is the key as the transfer window doesn’t even officially open until the end of this month. Somehow we need to revert back to expecting Yaya Sanogo to join and take each day as it comes otherwise our heads will explode from anticipation before the new season kicks in.

Enjoy your day people.

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The wing it is for Theo next season.

With the football season done, as much as the fans despise international friendlies the game between England and Brazil was a welcome exception to the rule. The Arsenal interest much like the game against Republic of Ireland came in the form of Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Given the mounting rumours of a done deal the Arsenal interest could be extended to that of Brazil number one Julio Cesar. Oxlade-Chamberlain started on the bench however the game was an opportunity for fans to see Theo Walcott in a more offensive potentially central attacking role for England against a top quality side. Roy Hodgson opted for a three up top formation meaning Theo played in a role he was familiar playing at Arsenal. Roy Hodgson did allow him freedom to drift inside to support Rooney and he also swapped flanks throughout the game with James Milner.

Overall I believe the performance of Theo Walcott showcased the argument that he is not ready to take on a central striking role for Arsenal next season. Not meaning that he can never play there for Arsenal, he can be certainly terrorise certain teams with his pace and it will be a case of Arsene doing his homework on the choosing the right teams to utilise Theo’s pace against in a central role.

In yesterday’s game it is a fair conclusion to state that Walcott played well below his devastating best. With the game finely poised against top quality opposition with no need to commit men forward Theo was faced with receiving the ball with men behind the ball and he struggled to make use of the ball when he had it. It’s in games like this you need your forward to show strength and composure on the ball, be able to hold up the ball and bring others into play instead Theo’s play was hurried, his control was off and on too many occasions he ran into blind alleys. He did manage one clear chance which was superbly saved by the keeper; the angle was closed down and would have required good fortune for the ball to squirm its way in.

Nerves may have certainly played a big part in Theo’s game however it’s the big games you want your big players to step up to the mark, that’s what sets them apart from the rest. Theo has had a good season for Arsenal, the stats speak for themselves and this article is in no way an attack on the abilities of Theo Walcott. However it is a reflection on how Arsenal needs to do business this summer to bring in a specialist centre forward to share the load and create competition with Olivier Giroud next season.

Arsene wenger cannot go into the new season stating the squad has sufficient cover with players that can play in the central role such as Theo and Gervinho. The signs were there yesterday in the Brazil game of what is lacking in Theo Walcott’s game before he can make the full on transition to Thierry Henry mark II.

In my opinion the wing is still the best option, playing with talented playmakers’ that can pick him out when flying up the flanks. Until Walcott sharpens up the parts of his game that do not require pace he may have to wait a while before the fans and the manager take his claims for a central role more seriously.

Meanwhile Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored a fantastic goal when he came on in the second half at a time when England were trailing and looking devoid of any spark to get back into the game. His brilliant snap-shot squeezed past the outstretched arm of Cesar and into the back of the net to take the game to 1-1. He clearly enjoyed his moment on the pitch and showcased his potential to score a goal out of nothing with his equalizer; an attribute that will be very welcome next season at the Emirates. He has signed off from his second season stutter with a screamer, the perfect tonic to take with him onto next season and hit the ground running.

Enjoy your day people.

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Jovetic rumours grow while skipper pledges to fight for place

This is going to be a long summer for Arsenal fans; the names rolling off the conveyor belt of rumours are endless. To be honest with so many names linked with the Gunners you can be forgiven for believing some could be possible more than others. It’s inevitable the gunners will sign players this summer, the past two seasons spent competing with Tottenham is far from acceptable and the next campaign will require more motivation than just finishing above Spurs. To build on the past few seasons strengthening will be required; there will be no loss of a leading talisman this year so Arsene Wenger at least has a baseline to build upon.

The name of Stevan Jovetic has refused to go away all last season , the rumours grew stronger once the season ended to the point of rumours of his agent being in two places at the same time finalising deals for the forward spread through Twitter like a bush fire. The possibility of the attacker leaving his current club Fiorentina became a realistic outcome with the assertion yesterday by his club that he is free to leave at the right price. This can be deemed a good and bad thing for Arsenal as the statement from the club has made his availability public knowledge to all; if his services are seriously considered for the Emirates then negotiations need to move fast before a bidding war kicks off. Arsenal doesn’t do bidding wars and evidence of this can be looked back upon as reasons for missing out on past targets such as David Silva and Juan Mata.

It may transpire that the Montenegrin was never a serious target, one thing Arsenal fans will need to bear in mind before firing abuse at the manager if he indeed moves on to another club. There was a lot of criticism at the Failure to sign Yann M’via last summer however the French midfielder has since proven to be quite the misfit; a bullet dodged in many fans eyes.

You would think with all the effort and pressure to finish in the top four had paid off and players would line up to experience Champions League football with the club next season however qualifiers still loom before Arsenal are definitely part of the Champions League line up. The looming Champions’ League qualifiers can possibly become a stumbling block in negotiations; it will certainly be a bargaining chip agents can use to their advantage.

Club captain Tomas Vermaelen was quick to dismiss rumours that he will be leaving the club in the summer. He explained competition is part of what happens in football and he’s ready to fight to get back into the team and return to the level that earned him the right to be selected as captain again. The partnership of Mertesacker and Koscielny kept the Belgian out of the team on merit towards the end of last season and despite the wound to his pride at being dropped whilst being captain I fully believe in his abilities and expect him to win back his respect.

Whether he will still be captain next season I do not know, the extra burden taken away might be the best thing for him so he can fully focus on his game. That’s not to say a new defender will not join the ranks this summer, an established defender rather than potential is likely to keep all the current personnel on their toes.

Well done to Lukasz Podolski last night for scoring a goal for Germany within the first 10 seconds of the match. Will expect more of that next season for the Gunners

Enjoy your day people.

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Arsenal claim 4th place ‘trophy’

So that’s it, fourth place secured with a win at Newcastle. No playoff though I doubt Arsenal fans were too bothered about that, Spurs won but that effort was in vain as Arsenal took hold of their own destiny and achieved the win required.

Any Arsenal fan that tells you they were not nervous before or during the match are cold faced liars, the tension was unbearable at times and the final whistle could not come quick enough towards the end.

Laurent Koscielny provided the deciding goal to maintain champion’s league football for the Gunners and was a rock at the back to boot. Man of the match in my eyes and it is hoped his form from the second half of the season is here to stay permanently.

The whole team deserves praise for holding their nerve to carve out the result when the pressure was surely on, Tottenham had the far easier game to play and it was important that Arsenal scored the first goal to alleviate any extra nerves which could disrupt their performance.

The importance of securing fourth place cannot be stressed hard enough, competing in the champions league is the difference between attracting players of the calibre of Jovetic or settling for players of lesser ability. European football is a bargaining chip in negotiations and will ensure top players will consider signing up at the Emirates, it also ensures the current squad won’t get itchy feet for football elsewhere.

Many have commented on Arsenal’s celebrations at the final whistle, saying that they celebrated as if they had won a trophy; I can assure you if fortunes were reversed and Tottenham achieved the fourth place they would have celebrated the same way if not harder. Fourth place was at stake but also was the chance to better your bitter rivals, nothing can be sweeter than achieving at the expense of your rivals. A trophy was not won but the tears of the spurs players at the final whistle is worthy of celebrating 20 times over.

Arsenal can now build on this, it will take shrewd business from Arsene Wenger to improve the team and create a squad capable of challenging for honours in an Alex Ferguson-less Premier league. The core of the team is there, there shouldn’t be a Robin Van Persie-esque departure from the squad this summer. The additions from last summer should improve on their solid debut seasons and a clear out of the less involved players should come to fruition.

Andre Arshavin took to twitter to bid farewell to Arsenal, he thanked the fans, his colleagues and all the staff at the club as well as wishing the club well in next year’s champion’s league. It’s a nice touch from the diminutive Russian who never said a bad word about the club during his exiled period this season. He left the club with many quality memories most notably the 4 goals at Anfield and that winner against Barcelona. He will be fondly remembered by Arsenal fans and I for one wish him well in the next chapter of his career.

Guys, please take advantage of the bragging rights to all the Tottenham fans you know. Do not feel sorry for them because they would not hold back if roles were reversed. Make them feel like rubbish today and for the rest of the week if you can.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy…

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One player in, loads out at Arsenal. Gambeanosnitch.com is a year old.

It’s the day before the final round of games for the season, I’m sure there are many nervous Gooners counting down until kick off against Newcastle. Everything hinges on this one final game in which one part of North London will be distraught while the other will be ecstatic.

It was nice of Arsenal to provide the fans with some news on other topics to take their minds temporarily off of D-day. One of the first pieces of news to filter out was the confirmation from Arsene Wenger that the club are in advanced talks with the representatives of Auxerre striker Yaya Sonogo to sign him.

Yaya Sonogo certainly fits the bill of an Arsene type purchase, he’s young, he’s French, he will come cheap due to expiring contract and he has a history in his young years of injuries. He certainly has a lot of potential, he has been quite prolific in Ligue 2 for Auxerre this season and is a France u-21 international. But for injuries I am sure he would certainly be on the radar of more football fans and clubs looking to purchase him.

Right now it looks like Arsene has purchased a player that would make a welcome addition to the squad for next season. He is young and so any introduction to the first team will be slow and steady but it has been quite clear this season that the abundance of options on the attacking front have been severely lacking. Players have slotted into the central striking role when Olivier Giroud has been unavailable but specialist centre forwards have been short in numbers.

Talking of young potential coming into the club, yesterday was a day that revealed a number of players from the youth set up that will be leaving the club. Although not officially announced by the club yet a number of players have revealed they are moving on to pastures new via various social media platforms. Players of note that came as a slight surprise to be leaving are Reice Charles-Cook and Jernade Meade. Charles-Cook seemed to be receiving good reviews for his performances for the u-18’s and seemed to be one that would be around for a while however he revealed on Twitter he will be moving on. Jernade Meade was another player who came as a surprise especially since he made his debut for the first team this season and impressed in those appearances. Clearly he had a massive stumbling block to the left back spot at Arsenal with two established internationals ahead of him. The left back spot at Arsenal seems a sound position for years to come and Meade cannot be blamed for believing his best chances of carving out a good career may remain elsewhere.

There have been announcements from players over the past few months that they are leaving so it was a case of them playing out their contracts before moving on. Players such as Martin Angha and Kyle already have moves arranged with other clubs whilst Conor Henderson confirmed his departure a while back.

There are a few players that seem to have been on borrowed time and come as no shock they are being released, players like Sanchez Watt, Craig Eastmond and Daniel Boateng who have all tasted first team football at Arsenal but just never managed to kick onto the next level and build on their Arsenal careers.

Despite the players moving on I wish them all the best in their careers, they have received a good education at the club and there are plenty examples of players that have left Arsenal and carved out decent top flight careers. It’s up to them now to fight and try to prove Arsene may have made a mistake, good luck to all, the fans always keep former young Gunners close to the heart (Unless your name is David Bentley).

The 3^rd place play off has evolved from a pipe dream to a more realistic outcome with the announcement from the F.A of a proposed date and venue in the event the league table results in a tie for 3^rd place between Arsenal and Chelsea. Villa Park has been selected as the venue on the 26^th May. To be honest a play-off would not bother me as it would mean that Arsenal won their game against Newcastle, which is the dilemma I would rather be debating than anything involving the club across North London. The season would be done, the chance for one more fix of football is alright by me, bring it on!

One small matter to mention is Gambeanosnitch.com turned 1-year-old this week. It’s certainly been a fun journey over the past 12 months and I certainly appreciate all that have visited the site, shared their views and have generally made my efforts seem worthwhile. The posts may be a little less frequent from when I started out but we can’t all be as awesome as sites like Arseblog, Goonerholic and others. Prime example is attending the Wigan game on Tuesday night, braving the pouring rain in the front row, staying for the lap of appreciation, the long drive home via a pit stop at ~~Dixy Kentucky Fried~~ KFC, arriving home and crashing out knackered before having to be up for work at 6 the next morning. I have the match report and my thoughts and reflections in my head waiting to come out but sometimes just don’t have the time to get it written up. Some writers to join the blog would be the best solution, feel free to contact me via twitter, Facebook or email if you are interested in joining and contributing to the site.

To commemorate the one year milestone of the site feel free to take advantage of the current offer from our partners at Zinio.com who are currently offering 40% off subscriptions to all their soccer related online magazines. Click on the image below to be taken to the site. Remember the offer is for the soccer magazines only so deselect that subscription to Fisherman weekly.

Enjoy your day people

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