There we have it then, the window is firmly shut.
Looking in through the window of summer 2014 I can see a nice collection of players have been acquired for our future entertainment.
We have some genuine competition for the goalkeeping position in David Ospina. He may or may not be better than Fabianski but I feel he is a bigger threat to Wojciech simply because he has no baggage; he has never been dubbed with a disrespectful nickname like “Flappianski”.
The French No.1 RB Debuchy has replaced the French No. 2 LB Sagna, and he looks to have a better delivery and be equal to Bac in other departments. He is of course younger.
Chambers can play at CB, LB and we are assured CDM. That is good news for us going forward and he looks a real gem.
We wanted a world class striker, well that is exactly what Alexis Sanchez is. It’s no good saying he is not a striker – Arsene says that is what he has bought him as. Therefore that is what he is.
Joel Campbell has come in and Arsene has been good to his word and kept him at the club. Had we bought him, people would be very excited about his acquisition.
That’s 5 very good players who have come into the squad before yesterday’s madness.
People (very stupid people) say most, if not all, of these players are replacements and not additions. Completely ignoring the fact that with a fixed limit of 25 squad players, ALL incoming players can only be replacements. All that it is possible to do is replace squad players with better squad players. As far as that goes I feel we have done just that.
In addition to these, yesterday we signed Danny Welbeck from MUFC. With Giroud being long term injured we needed a player who can play at CF and link-up play. It seems he is ideal for that.
Back in June I was arguing on twitter with someone who suggested we should sell Giroud and replace him with Welbeck. This was my tweeted reply
“If we replaced Giroud with Welbeck, I’d join the BSM, AST, start reading Le Grove and be a WOB overnight.”
I stand by that.
Giroud is, in my opinion, a better player than Welbeck, and I would have been furious if we had sold Giroud and Welbeck was his replacement. However as an understudy and cover for injury, he will more than suffice. He is also of an age that a big leap forward could easily be achieved.
Now, looking out of the window I can see some players walking by that we could have bought.
A CB seemed to me a must. Goodness only know why we didn’t get one, and when I next see Goodness,I’ll ask him why!
Perhaps I would also have looked for a DM that could learn from Mikel and cover for him when he needs a rest. But we do have Flamini and perhaps Jack too. I think if jack wants a starting place, the holding role looks his best bet. We’ll see.
All in all I think its been a good window. I also think if the right players had been available then we would have gotten them and it would have been even better.
I feel that had Giroud not been injured it would have appeared a lot more impressive a window than it is currently perceived.
However, whether we are completely happy or not, we march on with the troops we have, at least until January when the madness will begin again.
By pedantic george aka @Blackburngeorge
Positively Arsenal 
All the combination of the FATES that led to the signing of our greatest striker helpfully explained here H;
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-thierry-henry-video-arsene-2936872
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and what does that prove exactly ?
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What a humble man, how lucky were we
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it only proves that had it not been for wenger, players of the callibre of henry would never come here….thats all…… . it is wenger who is world class and consequently made arsenal world class…not the other way around. yes he used a base of nenaderthals at first but thats only because of the “nature” of the game here…….
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humble? …i think i know what you mean by that …that he arrived as a ‘nobody’ ( in terms of success) ….that should teach some primadona tena lesson or two about being humble…not? hehe…
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“and what does that prove exactly ?”
It does not “prove” anything.
The film does however, in his own words, explain the reasons that TH arrived at Highbury in 2000, i.e. that his career at Juve was effectively over after a poor season, that he says he wanted to join Arsenal, that he held Adams, Keown, Dixon, Parlour etc in high esteem, and that he bumped into AW on the plane etc.
The combination of random FATE that led TH to AFC – his career at Juve could have been going well, Arsene might have missed the fight, he might not have fancied Highbury …… or joining a club with no track record of titles, or playing alongside Tony Adams……
Lucky he did not bump into Ferguson on the plane perhaps (banned Smiley)
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that he held Adams, Keown, Dixon, Parlour etc in high esteem,
lol what else was he going to say ?
are you in his mind to know for 100% fact that he meant it or that he wasnt just being polite to his new surroundings……
the meeting on the plane is the circumstance….the relationship with wenger though is the constant.
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wenger had won the double…shockwaves across europe…… good news travel fast..wenger and henry were at monaco. at juve it wasnt going too well..french style closer to english style than italian perhaps…. it made sense..and it happened.
if he had bumped onto fergie…. fergie wouldnt know him ….lol….hed had to call quiroz or rene to find out…..haha
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if wenger was not at arsenal …would henry still want to join you think ?
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“lol what else was he going to say ?’
I have no idea – I can only listen to what TH did say.
“are you in his mind to know for 100% fact that he meant it or that he wasnt just being polite to his new surroundings……”
No, but I have found one relatively reliable way of finding out what is in a person’s mind is through listening to what they say. I find it is an approach that serves me pretty well.
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“if wenger was not at arsenal …would henry still want to join you think ?”
I dont know H – with the recruitment of Bergkamp under the Rioch regime (who had also had an unhappy time in Italy and by 2000 was flourishing in the PL) TH may have seen it as a good option to revive his stalled career. Who knows who might have been at the helm and how the cards might have been played?
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ok remember its an interview designed to say positive stories
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Who knows who might have been at the helm and how the cards might have been played?
well…..i do.
if it was not for wenger …henry wouldnt even look at us unless as you said he considered it a step back to revive his career….
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im also under the impression rioch was the stop gap before dein finalised deal with wenger who wanted to honour his japan contract……..who is to say bergkamp was not purchased under wenge’r guidance/tip ? a combination of geniuses.
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“well…..i do.
if it was not for wenger …henry wouldnt even look at us unless as you said he considered it a step back to revive his career….”
Well then we agree that it was a complex combination of the factors, one of which was Wenger, another his stalled career, a third a chance encounter on the plane, a fourth the title record of Arsenal since 1989, a fifth the players at the club who he says he revered, that brought him to Highbury, and lastly that the other option was Brescia in his future.
Sorted
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the biggest of all those factors though …was Wenger
to borrow a phrase from george lets not get silly and pretend arsenal without wenger is some mecca for world class players or that tony and co could sit shoulder to shoulder with european defenders at the time playing for europes biggest clubs ( hierro maldini sammer etc etc) ……..
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“who is to say bergkamp was not purchased under wenge’r guidance/tip ? a combination of geniuses.”
Well according to this Bruce Rioch H;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/4976142.stm
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Weighting the any factors is an option but very difficult to really fix solid values to.
As I said earlier if TH had been determined to rejoin AW why did he leave Monaco for Juventus just a year before ? And if a loan offer had come in for say, AC Milan, rather than Brescia might he have not bothered to sit next to Arsene on the plane ?
Random, random stuff
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well he is not getting into specifics…just self promoting….he only says he signed him as if it was his PERSONAL decision………
how can that ever be verified?
from bbc interviews ? hahaha
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As I said earlier if TH had been determined to rejoin AW why did he leave Monaco for Juventus just a year before ?
i explained that earlier ….juve bigger, juve made bid..arsenal maybe didnt.
i dont understand the question.
im saying that henry only would look at arsenal because of wenger. what are you saying ?
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oh and to make things straight…perhaps henry only started reconsidering re-uniting with wenger once he saw his early choices were not exactly working as hoped.
if wenger was at liverpool, henry would have gone at liverpool and talk/praise their existing players
thats the point im trying to make. while you ( if i got it right) are making a case that wenger being at arsenal was just a circumstance…. and that henry always wanted to join because of his admiration to tony, ray etc, the history, the tiles, the cigar room …etc
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I now fully understand the meaning of “impasse”
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That is right H – ultimately a contingent rather than a necessary condition
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ok thats fine…i will insist though that the numero uno factor for henry;s decission is wenger and what he was building at arsenal…i.e an ithaca for the undervalued gems and/or wrongly forgotten
sifu jorge ..what is impass ?
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damn Hunter, you never let up do you?
They say its not what you say but how you say it.
You almost always make your point within your first 3 posts but still feel the need to analyze and respond to every single phrase you disagree with.
Are you a lawyer bro?
I agree with you most of the time but damn you’re making things very cumbersome here
You remind me of a fellow named ATEEB on ACLF who ended up fouling up the place and ultimately kick-started the exodus.
Please please please try to tone it down some.
PG & AA have worked very hard to set this blog up and it might not be a coincidence the likes of ZimPaul, Paul N, Frank, and some of our better positivistas have not been as regular as we’d like them to be.
Carmon man, ARSENAL should always be the focus NOT the perpetual focus on being RIGHT!
Help us all out, brother Hunter!
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damn Hunter, you never let up do you?
hehe..i take that as a compliment…in war youd want me next to you 😉
the fast paced style is on purpose so as not to leave any time to recover…bang bang and bang…. i also like to cover all angles to show a complete view/perspective. not my fault that my point is made ( as you said) yet some still want to question and scrutinise
right? ….
as for arsenal and being right…ilol….dont judge me on my brutal honesty but the points i make which 9/10 win whatever arguement is put in front.
of course i will pressure those who think they can question or doubt what i say…no doubt about that…the day when clowns like gains will object or question my well established and thought out positions will never come.
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i will certainly tone it down when i stop reading shit like rooney better than suarez and the person saying it thinking he/she can laugh at my football knowledge…….. 😉
in other words…….you cant have the dog 100 years old and the puppy 101..its impossible.
you dont compare a bicycle ( gains) with a 1,000 yamaha (me ..haha)
and at least i do it with humour and without splashing vinegar or calling anyone a fucking imbecile or stupid or anything like that..
maybe i feel too good at this football thing for shitheads like gains to doubt me ……… 🙂
modesty wins the day …lol.
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or maybe i dont like seeing fellow arsenal fans who have been through shit via media and sycophanting our players and manager following the same “retarded” mentality of the daily mail when defining the character of players like suarez for example……….
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and i dont believe me schooling gains has anything to do with frank or zimpaul…it does not concern them..we all make choices. and ive never seen zimpaul or any other in here come with a gains style attitude calling everyone who dont agree with his “links and quotes” from fourfourtwo and shwacka ( lmao) as a fucking imbecile………
look at A..we talked fine we explained our positions noone called anyone anything…..and when i see him next we will have a pint and laugh and joke about everything………. maybe ask yourself why it only happens when gains is involved ( ?) is it cause he is arrogant and thinks he knows it all but in reality knows sweet F.A ?
…. smile its friday ….
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…right you are H13.
I miss ZimPaul, Frank, Paul N, and the rest of the quality positivistas.
PG?
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ive covered all angles and im satisfied…time for lunch ..
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lol…. ateeb would try to convert people into his @lets all hate wenger@ cult…… ateeb would hold an erroneous position and try to pass it as truth… ateeb was there to sabotage and troll.
not the same aman.
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Sorry! I should have known better than to respond to the original post in the middle of a diatribe.
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I hope so Hunter.
PG, have you ever considered adding a BATTLE ROOM for the intense debaters?
A place where guys can go at each other’s opinions full throttle away from the common room of “everyday” commentators.
Just might work.
What do you think?
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A battle room Aman ?
I thought our little exchange had all the venom of a vicarage tea party !
Its the international break – there is very little genuine Arsenal stuff to talk about
These little diversions are inevitable
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not yours anicoll, Gains vs hunter for starters.
We could always entertain ourselves during int’l breaks.
Can’t think for the tear gas sometimes
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I cant lure you into a dispute about whether Hunter and I were having an argument then Aman ? Just a little one !
You’re sure ?
With regard to the Hunter/Gains feud, and after months of trawling past it each day like a accident on the opposite carriageway (I don’t know and don’t care who started it) is the total lack of respect.
I invite you both to be the bigger man and walk away
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Hunter:
“1. hammetfhh unknown”
How many CL appearances does James have?
“2. jenks and his cafu runs crosses”
You would know how good he is if you had watched him at U21 level.
“3. ancelotti cant play with tens”
He could never quite fit them into his Christmas tree formation.
“4. djourou > luiz + hummels”
He provides much more bang for the buck than this over hyped duo. Go tell most people if David Luiz is worth £50m and they’ll laugh at you.
“5. rooney > suarez + falcao”
Has done more in football than either south American and has done it for longer.
“6. falcao anonynous”
Sorry, but I can’t get too excited about a player who has never had a proper CL run.
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Hunter: “and i dont believe me schooling gains”
Hahahahahaha!!!!
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Lol …good to see your arse still itching you…
1. Hammethf was signed by porto 19 y.o. 3 years scored 25 from mid and monaco paid 40m for him. He became wc top scorer and now wears madrid’s number ten and you were moaning about a costa rican kid and how the evil world wouldnt acknowledge his “amazing” tournament….lol
2. Jenks, bless him, was never a cafu nor will he ever become one.
3.anceloti played fine with tens ..kaka seedorf pirlo..won everything.what Xmas tree formation you idiot? Lol…that requires only one striker..carlos played diamond and two up front sheva and pipo
4. Whether youd pay 50m for luiz is irrelevant when judging each player’s overall ability and status in world football.
5. Lol whats that supposed to mean? He is not as good as them. Neville has done more in football than zabaleta and sagna…is he as good? Lol…..
6. Ok so you dont watch football if it not champions league or epl. Got it 🙂
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I invite you both to be the bigger man and walk away
doing just that mate …im happy 🙂
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If you can drag yourself away give this a look;
http://fortynineundefeated.co.uk/2014/09/it-takes-two-to-football/#more-218
Very good I thought
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When I see a couple of bloggers
And guess he’s trolling her
And she tweets daily
I know this is positively paradise
that everyone old’s been dreaming of all their lives.
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I agree with Aman and I can say that these “Hunter vs Gains: who is right” comments are tiresome and has put me off from commenting on many occasions. While the quality of the blog posts are still top notch, the comments section are not always enjoyable these days.
For example, yesterday there was a debate about the quality of Rooney on which many people gave their opinion and it was done, but today afternoon you two are still going at it.
The bar has closed. Just agree to disagree and remember that all of us here are on the same side.
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I enjoyed the debate between A and H today.
It’s Interlull, eh…
Although, I am waiting for football – still one week to go…rugby…All Blacks, Wallabies, Springboks, Pumas – I shall tide myself over the weekend with football’s cousin that enjoys a bit of kicking in good fun.
Cricket is harsh. When you support West Indies. I wish I was alive to see the 70s and 80s. When old Aussie ladies who work with me – who are members with their husbands at the SCG – recount the tales of those great West Indian teams – I feel like crying. At least I get to see Wenger’s teams. I will never get to see those greats.
Tennis anyone? US Open? Federer vs Cilic? Djokovic vs Nishikori? Tennis is tiring. Imagine running around for 3 or 4 or 5 hours. I get tired watching those guys. I can’t even sit at the computer for 3 hours without getting tired. Tennis is odd, because you have to support a person and not a team.
Sorry, just throwing other stuff out there, as there’s no football.
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There’s a movie directed and starring Jon Favreau called ‘Chef’…if you love sandwiches…this is the movie for you. Great sandwiches….in the world!
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*Greatest.
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heh… ive read it and i agree it is very nice but who complained about our games? i didnt…. i only complained about ozil chewing gum while 9 others were spitting blood on the pitch for the champions league groups….it was a very important fixture for the club and mesut was all like “oh ive just won the world cup..defending? covering? running back? whats that?”
in the epl it is too early to be worried about it…its after february- march when it gets interesting.
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“but today afternoon you two are still going at it.
The bar has closed.”
lol sorry mate im not going about anything…..rooney is shit and suarez and falcao are gods…not my fault gains insists with his idiotic statements and desperately trying to get one back after the humiliation suffered yesterday……
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“Just agree to disagree and remember that all of us here are on the same side.”
im certainly not on the side of a fucking moron who comes here and throws mud (doomer, fucking imbeciles, stupid not to see etc ) and wants to question/doubt my or others motivation in what or why we support or what we know on the game
agree to disagree? whats that going to solve? …. until this cretin goebells69 realises that hunter is not one to fuck with …especially at football….there shall be no peace…. everytime he comes here he will ask for my permission to speak or else i will hound and ridicule him like ive done the last 48 hrs with great success …capisce?
im a lawyer remember…..
(..muahaha..its friday after all…humour gallore)
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