Twitter is basically a forum for idle gossip, unsubstantiated speculation and general nonsense. I spend a lot of time on there doing just those things and make no apologies for it. Its fun. it gives me an idea of what people think, expect and how little thought many people put into forming their opinions.
Yesterday there was much talk about who might be sold, to whom, and why.
Three names mentioned were those of Theo, Jack and Wojciech. So I am going to give my tuppence worth here.
Theo
Theo isn’t getting first team starts now. That much we know.
Why ?
That we certainly don’t know.
Some people are quick to point out that its because of us now having better players in his position.
Do we?
We have players with different skill-sets, but does that make them better? They have to be better for the team to constitute being “better” . Teams are about balance.Theo offers balance. He brings skills to the table that others don’t. He is faster than the others and he seems to me a better finisher than them.
So do we ignore what is good about him and just look at the negatives?
And what are the negatives anyway?
The old “he doesn’t track back” chestnut ? Perhaps ? That is/might be a weakness. But every player has those.
Does Theo have to start every game ? Have people not been crying out for years that we should start players that suit the game? Well I believe there will be occasions that Theo is perfectly suited to the circumstances.
His contract situation might be a consideration for the club, so he might be sold.But don’t tell me there is a better player with his particular skill set.
Jack
The talk is that City are sniffing around him !
Well why wouldn’t they ?
He is, by some margin, the best English midfielder . He is 23 years old, and only because of injuries, is behind in his development.
His talent is staggering.
His spirit is just what we love..
Right now I feel there are 2 or 3 positions Jack can play in and do a very good job, the problem is there are specialists in those positions that at this moment are better than him in those positions. I’m not sure though that any of them could be as good in as many positions. With time, he could easily settle into what is his best position and go on to be truly world class.
So why sell him ?
Why even consider selling him ?
I don’t believe Arsene will or should.
Wojciech
Currently our second choice goalkeeper. Also currently the holder of the Golden Glove award jointly with Cech.
Cech – the keeper who many see as his replacement,
32 year old Cech, who had arguably a better defence in front of him .
Wojciech can improve, can Cech ?
Arsenal are now in a position that simply because a player is not an automatic first choice, it doesn’t mean thay are not very good and valuable players. There is a 25 man squad, they all can’t start.
Theo had us over a barrel for his last contract, but lets not forget, he did “sign da ting”. He did. He is a lovely young man that has been with us almost 10 years. Who doesn’t remember him being stretchered of against Spurs and holding in up two fingers in one hand and a 0 in the other, without smiling ?
Jack and Wojciech are massive Arsenal fans, I have invested emotionally in them. I like them. I want them to succeed.
I am not suggesting that loyalty and emotional attachment should be the overriding factor in any decision making process Arsene and the club make, but I am saying it should be a consideration.
If your thirst for success blinds you to a value like loyalty, then its a sorry state you are in.
Surly seeing the players we have invested in, both financially and emotionally.succeed at Arsenal is part supporting ?
If its not. it should be.
Simples.
A
Positively Arsenal 
oh which pub ? ill come
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so did Wenger rule out signing Cech this summer with this comment he made yesterday: “Players we buy this summer have to be younger; not 29 or 30. Age-wise you need balance.”
Arsenal currently have 10 players aged 28 or older in our squad, Wenger spoke yesterday about age balance in the squad and the need to not only build a team for the here and now but for the future too, a steady stream of progression if you like.
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yes certainly …but if you can see that the rest are in disarray and struggling with ffp …step on the gas…leave them behind….its what weve worked for…..weve been the first to apply the 6+5 rule and the issue of homegrown does not affect us ….
besides we have the flexibility and know-how to do both equally succesfull.
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i want to see arsenal making this league their playground with the rest being 15-20 points every year so we can focus on catching ajax barca manu on the european statistic. thats our rightful position. its what wenger deserves and has worked his arse off for us. owners and fans and players need to make that a reality. so far arsene has carried us, now its our turn
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“And so, my fellow Arsenal fans: Ask not what your club can do for you, ask what you can do for your club”
J.F. Cannon13 10th April 2015
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“United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative adventures. Divided there is little we can do.”
I’d vote for you Hunter
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That was an interesting interview with the legendary Di Natale, thanks for the heads up.
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Chambo hasn’t been able to sustain his fitness since coming back from his knee injury, going to the WC with a knock probably didn’t help but it’s good he went for lots of other reasons.
I’d hope that the people who follow the team would bear Chambos rehab and return mind when discussing Walcott (Falcao – similar injury at the same time, he’s not recovered and after rushing back at the behest of his owner and master he might not…).
I’m happy to guess that neither player will be up for fourty starts next season, there’s plenty of room in the squad for both. Any pressure on Walcott’s position in this squad (not XI) is coming from below, Gnabbers and others all look to have some promise.
Anyone know what happened to Hayden? Not in the Stoke u21 game.
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haa cheers anicoll5 !!! president!!
instead we have those guys ..there at the sulking trust…toby ? roby? whats his name?
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I think AOC might have been rushed back a tad too soon for critical games when we have few other options available.
I just hope he’s fit for the FA Cup game(s).
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People live in a world of fantasy where next season we’ll buy a winger cum striker, an outright striker, a DM and to top it off a CB. I think most times people forget that there is a aquad limit and dt there is an home grown rule set by the league authority. While not being against buying anyone that may b deemed as an “upgrade” to what we have, I believe we have what it takes to improve internally.
Jack is a fantastic footballer who could have been better had he stayed fit often. I hope he stays fit from now on and do a Rambo.
Without wanting to get under the skin of some people, I’ll still give Diaby a 1 year pay as u play contract and see what hapuns from there. We all know what he is capable of if he ever stayed fit.
I’ll neva let theo leave for sterling because he is more effective and efficient than him in my books. All theo needs is to get sharp again and I’m sure he’ll be a starter again.
And finally, I’ll not sell Jenkinson. I’ll rather give him another loan spell, wait a year to probably move Debuchy on and then have Jenkinson and Bellerin fight for the) spot.
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I was musing on the topic of young players, strikers and nationality the other day, mainly the result of the hulabaloo about Harry Kane and England.
Now it would be churlish of me to say that Kane did not deserve his England call up, he has had a few good games, against us the the Blue Plague he really rattled the defences and he has scored a lot of goals this season, as the spear point of a Spuds’ side that is predictably average. And I am no churl.
But Harry, Gooner roots and brylcreem aside, is about all there is as far as ‘English’ strikers at the present time. Where an England manager could at one time have had a choice of perhaps half a dozen centre forwards playing for clubs in the top half of the First Division/Premier League now there are not any, other than our Harry.
I remember when Ian Wright could not get a game in an England shirt, Andy Cole not even a place in the squad, admittedly England were not much good, but even so. and then that got me to thinking ……..
I was struggling though to think of the last Arsenal striker, a proper established striker who played for our might club, we have produced , through the Academy, yoof ranks, from an apprentice etc. ?
And I am still bloody struggling
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I have racked my brain i.e. googled hard and come up with the last home grown from an egg striker is Kevin Campbell
Am I right ?
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Yes you Kevin;
He was never that popular with George
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Thank you to our chums at Goonerstown for that pic btw
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Kane was supposed to play for the old country, until his head got turned by In-garh-lun! hullabaloo.
I predict very few appearances if the other strikers find their form.
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anicoll the home produced strikers I most recall playing for Arsenal are Nik Bendtner, Kevin Campbell, Niall Quinn, Raphael Meade, Brian McDerrmott, Paul Vassen and Frank Stapleton
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I’d be stretching the rubber band to call NB52 established eddy, and as he was older than Theo when he signed his origins are a bit murky. Niall and Frank though tick the boxes
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Martijn Hilhorst @MartijnHilhorst · 6h 6 hours ago
Chelsea-loanee Wallace (20) from Vitesse has been arrested for a sexual offence. (via De Gelderlander)
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anicoll NB was younger than theo when he joined Arsenal, nik was younger by a few months, Theo joined arsenal in the January and turned 17 in March, Nicklas did not turn 17 for six or seven months after joining AFC, he done two years in our Academy teams. Nik played 150 games scoring 45 goals for the first team in a four year period, is that not established
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Did he eddy ?
Fair enough, Nick Bendtner was our most recent ‘established’ striker. Right up there with the usual suspects.
I shall have to check the stats though – does not quite ring right.
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Bendtner stats
07-08 40 games 9 goals
08-09 50 games 15 goals
09-10 31 games 12 goals
10-11 32 games 9 goals
total in that four season period
games 153 games 45 goals
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chelsea player arrested in Holland on suspicion of sexual offence
http://www.givemesport.com/563633-chelsea-defender-wallace-arrested-on-suspicion-of-sexual-offence?autoplay=on
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Have a look on the Arsenal.com website about young Nick eddy
Looks a bit different to me
Mind you perhaps Bendtner was one of these ‘established’ Arsenal strikers
I must have missed it
As far as I remember he had his moments, mostly on the bench at kick off when he was picked and fit, given a few chances when the first choice strikers were injured, did well at St Andrews, sometimes played on the wing which did not really suit Nick.
Yep
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Bentners partnership with Arthur Lupoli was prolific. The pair were tearing up all before them and great things were expected until lupoli decided to go back to Italy only to fade away.
Hayden has only just started training after coming back from a ling injury and wasn’t deemed fit to play the other day.
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I find it easy to imagine three goals for Alexis tomorrow.
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Hmm I shall imagine three and settle for one – a snappy early strike from the Chilean
Any chance he might be given the evening off though ???
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anicol the stats I gave for Bendtner for those four seasons are from Arsenal.com
http://www.arsenal.com/first-team/players/nicklas-bendtner
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No chance anicoll5 – AW has said before how he’s wanted to rest him but he insists on playing. They just can’t keep him off the pitch. If they refused to take him up there, he’d drive himself.
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jeffers
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JET, Boothroyd,Stokes, Lupoli, Adobe, and probably half a dozen whose names are long gone – what is it with our youngsters and making the step up to regular first team football ?
You can add in a few more we have bought a bit older as teenagers and let go like Alliadiere, and Sanogo may have slipped in to the potential sale rack this season.
One point is none of them either at Arsenal or later in their careers were exceptional. Second point is there ain’t a lot of patience now with a young strikers taking a while to settle in.
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A5, some of them was attitute thinkki ng they had made it before they had. Boothroyd threw his shirt down when substituted and never played again and said it was the worst mistake of his life. JET was taking all sorts of people into the training ground and apparently there was some arguments. Afobe was just unlucky with injuries as critical times, as many are. The final two seasons are so important for youngsters and a long injury sometimes means their progression has to be with another club.
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On todays game I think were going to be tested today with Burnleys stamina, as always the first goal will be important. Lets hope the lads are up for it COYG
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