So ,Arsene Wenger is proven right once again – nothing new there says you ?
Last season the malcontents took umbridge when AW said, when discussing how LCFC were able to sign the likes of Mahrez and Kante, despite the big clubs having the exact same scouting info on both players, that a section of Arsenal fans would react negatively if AFC bought a player for £400k, that they did not want to see an unknown signed.
The malcontents told us this was bollocks, yet look at the reaction of the malcontents to the signing of Takuma Asano.
Not only is there negative hysteria from them, its xenophobic, and in some cases downright racist. We also have the brainless soundbite that its a “commercial” signing, or a “shirt sales” signing.
One of the most laughable reasons (should that not be excuses, as I know they like to use that term, when it suits them), for their over the top reaction to this signing, is that it is “all Arsenal FC’s fault”, as they should know better than to announce his signing when Utd have announced Mkhitaryan and Zlatan. They say AFC should have waited till we had a big name(money) signing done and slip in the news about Asano, with it.
So to compound their initial attacks on both AFC and Asano, they have totally disrespected the player again.
Does Takuma Asano not deserve respect, is he not a full International, is he not likely to be playing at the Olympics, did he not have up to 200 scouts running the rule over him at the Toulon U21 tournament in the summer, is he not a big star in his home country, is he not young player of the year in his homeland(their Dele Alli per say, but without the hype)?
Does he not deserve the chance in his last couple of game for them, to say goodbye to his club, their fans, his team mates?
Arsenal announced the deal, cos the story had broken in Japan, Asano was already getting asked lots of questions about it, and he had admitted the move was happening, he even said that the only thing to be decided was if he would join up directly with AFC, or go on loan to get used to European football.
A post stolen from the comments section by eduardo792
Positively Arsenal 
Stephen Bradley, Arsenal’s head scout for the Republic of Ireland, and for Northern Ireland, has been appointed caretaker manager of Shamrock Rovers.
Bradley(32) is a former Arsenal Academy player, he is also head of Shamrock Rovers Academy, and it looks like he will remain as an Arsenal scout.
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I am on holiday until the 23rd – play nicely !
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reports that Serge Gnabry has been called up by Germany for the Olympics.
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I guess the reason I mentioned favourite tackle/s was the good defending at AFC appears to be under appreciated out there under the screed of gibberish.
For me as Andrew says above the concentration discipline and luck that went into the Munchen home match was incredible, what a game of football that was!
Most games see errors that are unpunished, all players make mistakes in all games as far as I can tell, most of them they get away with.
Apart from the collapse in the home support the low point for me was realising in the opener against west ham that Debuchy had jumped ship, if he was that bothered he should have asked for a move last Summer. It was the inbalance or loss of threat from the right that really hindered a rotated AFC team in that Watford home match (Bellerin was rested) and although Chambers has great skill passing and crossing most imagine that he’ll be a CB.
And that the stomp from Ba that in the end ended Arteta’s career, the loss of an admired skipper is always sad. The much respected former captain might have had an additional personal motive for wanting to be in the dugout opposite the Specialist and his loss to the coaching team is a much bigger one then TH14, hopefully he’ll be back in a few seasons!
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Wilshere returned to first team training today
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GILMOUR SIGNS PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT
Creative midfielder Charlie Gilmour has signed his first professional contract with the club.
The 17-year-old made a strong start to life as an Arsenal scholar after graduating from Hale End in the summer of 2015.
He made 15 under-18 appearances and scored his first goal for our academy last term.
Charlie is a Scotland under-17 international, and has previously represented England at youth level.
We’d like to congratulate Charlie on his new deal.
Copyright 2016 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to http://www.arsenal.com as the source
Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20160715/gilmour-signs-professional-contract#frGET8AKuwKi7BXw.99
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Arsenal U21’s play Boreham Wood tomorrow at 3pm
will be interesting to see who is involved, as it might be an indication of who has stepped up to the senior squad for the early pre-season games. Chris Willock, Nelson, Zelalem, Bielik, Johnson and Mavadidi are the lads that so far have trained on a regular basis with the first team squad.
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Josephine Henning, who plays for the Arsenal Ladies, has been named in the Germany’s women squad for the Olympic Games.
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Osman @OsmanZtheGooner 22m22 minutes ago
Alexis “I have a slightly swollen ankle but it’s improving. I can walk and I’m better. I will stay for a week in chile and see how it goes”
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the latest striker Arsenal have been linked with is Carlos Bacca, of AC Milan. it is reported that he has turned down a move to West Ham, and that AFC and Atletico Madrid are trying to sign him. Bacca turns 30 in september, and despite this lads great goal scoring record – 1 goal in 2 games, throughout his career – the Colombian international does not seem to be a big enough name for the malcontents.
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i suppose if afc sign carlos bacca, he would be baccaup striker to giroud
i’ll get my coat
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we know that the malcontents have 101 gripes about Arsenal, so this thought got me thinking, we on here surely can not be gripe free, where Arsenal are concerned, I know I’m certainly not, as many on here would testify to. So Positively Arsenal members, what if any is your biggest gripe re: Arsenal FC.
Mine is that we do not have an Arsenal TV, even a proper on line one. Arsenal Player is not bad for what it is, but even there it could be oh so much better. We have cameras at all our youth and ladies games, yet we get goal highlights or at best a 6 minute highlight reel, there is no good reason that Arsenal.com could not show full match highlights, its only a matter of loading a 90 minute show instead of a 6 minute one. When we had Arsenal TV we used to show reserve games live, and it seemed to be very popular. Other clubs such as Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool show all youth and reserve games live or as live. They all seem to have enough fans watching to make it worth while, and as we are told Arsenal fans are the most media savvy and largest users, surely we would have enough interest in having an Arsenal TV channell even if only on line, even if it was just Arsenal player expanded a fair bit.
On a similar topic Arsenal.com needs improving, so many things on it are not updated in any sort of timely fashion, for example they announced our new academy intake on the main page weeks ago, but not a sign of them being added in the profile pages. The youths played a friendly during the week, and the match report did not even include the team sheet. As the malcontents would say, its just not good enough, we are the Arsenal.
so guys over to you, is there anything you think Arsenal FC should be doing better.
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Eddy, Arsenal Player is given a fixed budget and its up to them how they spend it. But an increase would be good, Get us more coverage,
For example, The Breakdown is only funded once a week. So many matches don’t get covered. That’s bad. So its my gripe too.
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well george that is my gripe, AFC should be funding it more, Arsenal player should be expanded so it really becomes Arsenal TV, as I said, full delayed coverage, even without commentary, of all youth and u21 games, would be good start, adrian clarkes The Breakdown, for every first team game would also be a very welcome addition, surely neither of these things would cost a prohibitive sum. £200M in the bank and all that.
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Arsenal XI to play Boreham_Wood FC: Virginia, Eyoma, Da Graca, Pleguezuelo, Pileas, Kamara, Bennacer, Mourgos, Malen, Dasilva, Nketiah
subs:Keto, Robinson, T. Bola, Dragomir, Osei-Tutu, Tella, Smith-Rowe
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 44s45 seconds ago
Goal for @BOREHAM_WOODFC. The hosts take the lead courtesy of Devera’s header into the top corner at the back post 0-1 (10)
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 1m1 minute ago
HALF-TIME: @BOREHAM_WOODFC 1-0 @Arsenal XI. The hosts’ early goal separates the two sides despite good chances for the Gunners
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Stan Kroenke: “I’ve always loved sports & you have to make it make sense financially, but you learn it’s no fun if you don’t win.”
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kante has joined chelsea, seemingly a fee of £30M. very creative midfield of kante and matic, with mikel as back up option
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Dragomir for Nketiah.
DaSilva replaced by Robinson.
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Osei-Tutu and Tella replace Eyoma and Mourgos.
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Jeorge Bird @jeorgebird 36s37 seconds ago
2-0. Boreham wood score again through Jeffers. Arsenal struggled defensively
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Arsenal FC @Arsenal 45s45 seconds ago
Goal for @BOREHAM_WOODFC. Davis fires home a penalty after Jeffers had been fouled in the box 0-3 (90)
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Jeorge Bird @jeorgebird 15s16 seconds ago
Ft. B. Wood win 3-0. Arsenal abject. Malen bright in patches, some subs (Osei-Tutu, Tella ) impressive. No positives beyond that.
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Napoli’s Head of communication Nicola Lombardi, “Gonzalo never said he wants to leave. Juve haven’t spoken to him and De Laurentis does not want to sell him. Blame the press with their story after story. July 25th he’ll still be here.”
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“We have to focus on the players who are here because they are certainly the players who will start the season”
Interesting comment from Arsene’s interview on the club site. Certainly interesting for the line up predictors among us. Suggests to me at least that those who had protracted summers with international matches will not be in the squad for the opening games – he mentioned Liverpool and Leicester later in the interview.
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My pet hate? The Arsenal player match show when more time is spent reading out emails than commenting on the action!
I don’t know how to link it as just on my phone but there is a good interview in the Independent with Klopp this morning. Many of our transfer window obsessed supporters could usefully read, mark and inwardly digest.
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steww if you see the full interview then that comments from wenger is just his usual line about preparing for games with the players “we know we have” as in already arsenal players, and not planning to include a player who “has not signed for us”. He had been asked about new signings and the start of the season. And yes he said its likely that Giroud, Koscielny, Ozil and Ramsey probably would be short of match fitness for the opening games. So there is no point in him planning on selecting them.
Since the interview he gave to Bein sport, he has also given one to Arsenal.com where he said players no longer come back overweight, and that this means they can go straight into full training, and that it takes 3 to 4 weeks for them to be fully ready, so with Kos, Ramsey, Ozil and Giroud not due back in training till a week before season starts, then we are looking at them being ready to start by our 3rd or 4th game, maybe even as early as the second game, but Wenger did imply that it was likely the 3rd game at the earliest that he would consider any of them for a starting role. Which also suggests that he may have them on the bench earlier, although he did point out that things did not go well with our German players after the won the world cup.
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in another interview wenger gave a couple of weeks ago, he explained how a transfer target list works, he said AFC have four or five targets in all positions he wants to strengthen and we work on the option that is most possible, and if that don’t pan out, we move to the next most likely. He said an awful lot of work and talks go on with players and clubs that never come to light cos the transfer does not get done for a multitude of reasons. He said we were in for Xhaka last summer but the deal was not possible, we also were on the case of Elneny for months.(just like we were with with Monreal). Funny this got almost no coverage in the uk media, and certainly was ignored by the malcontents who like to claim we dither and have no back up plans. Four or five players for each position we want to strengthen does not fit with a certain soundbite, now does it.
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so now the transfer rumor is that we are signing Higuain and Icardi, with Giroud leaving as part swap for Higuain. more setting up of false outrage by the malcontents, when it does not happen
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seemingly Wellington has rejoined Fluminese
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Takuma Asano is playing his last game in the J-League today, before he completes his move to Arsenal
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Players who played the Euro SFs, Alexis, we all knew they’d miss the first few matches.
Any haggles will run towards the transfer deadline, on transfer deadline day. Nothing new there. After all AFC are not an oligarch’s laundry or a a club beholden to certain agents or mafia. Surely all Experts on the club know this given that the club’s policies predate the current manager,
But that won’t stop the Malcontents stoking another online meltdown reflected in yet another flat atmosphere or worse at the home ground. After people were duped into protesting during the Leicester home game, which was truly weird behaviour, I have no illusion about the sado-masochistic tendencies of our own “fans”.
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AFCPressWatch© @AFCPressWatch 2h2 hours ago
Morning all. Takuma Asano’s application for a work permit to enter the UK is likely to be in two stages.
Details
Asano will not be applying for a tier 2 (sportsperson) work permit as he is unlikely to meet the UK Border Agency English requirements. Right now, Asano should be able to apply for a tier 5 (Creative & Sporting) work permit, which is valid for 12 months. Asano will have to learn to speak and write English in 12 months. Though, he can apply to extend tier 5 work permit by a further 12 months. Once Asano can write and speak in English, he can apply to switch from tier 5 (Creative & Sporting) to tier 2 (Sportsperson) work permit. As a Premium Sponsor License holder (costs £25,000 a year), Arsenal have access to the tier 2 Premium Priority Service. It basically means a decision on his application for a tier 2 work permit will be provided within 10 working days. Arsenals are on the list of organisations licensed to sponsor migrants under Tiers 2 & 5 (A rating) of the Points-Based System. Sending Asano on-loan to a club in a foreign country is not the option being pursued by Arsenal. He needs to learn to speak English first.
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fins if Alexis is recovered from his ankle injury he could very well be available for the opener v liverpool. He played the copa america final on the 27th of June, so he, with 4 weeks off, would be due to return to Arsenal training tomorrow week. Wilshere is already back in training, and he played for England on the 27th too. Bellerin and Xhaka went out of Euros by that date too. All of them, Alexis, Bellerin, Xhaka, would even with 4 weeks off, still have had 3 weeks training prior to season starting, and could have played in the friendlies v Viking and Man City.
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foreverheady is this the sort of quote from klopp you refer to
‘Building a team is assembling complementary talents, not obsessing over how much other clubs are spending on established stars.’
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Eds i won’t be complaining if he’s rested for the opener no matter the reason.
Especially when The Ox will have another storming opening match for the season hopefully scoring another great goal (and not having to hold Debuchy’s potty for the next few games will help him to maintain some kind of form)
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Takuma Asano was in tears today after playing his last game, before joining Arsenal, his club gave him a special presentation, and their fans gave him a good send off
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Arsenal Ladies had a comeback win away to Chelsea Ladies today.
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reports that Demba Ba has suffered a horrific leg-break
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I wonder if there is any truth to the rumors that AFC will seek a work permit for Asano, if we are thinking of including him in the first team squad this season, Asano is still only 21 so we would not have to include him in our 25 man squad, and he’d be free to train and play for us at senior and u21 level. Giving him time to adjust, and also learn English.
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there is a lot of media talk that Roma defender Manolas is a target for several clubs, including Arsenal and Chelsea, and that the player wants out, and even has had rows at training due to it, but that the stumbling block is that Olympiacos, his former club, have a 50% sell on clause, and so Roma don’t want to sell now, but would sell him maybe in January or next summer, and that any sale now would mean Roma looking for way over the top price, in region of £40M. So it begs the question as to why a loan deal with a binding buy option for next summer is not done at a reasonable price.
I should be our transfer negotiator, its so simple, to come up with solutions.
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Arsenal play Lens, away, on Friday. Going by who is already back in first team training, the youths who have been regulars in training so far this summer, and who is due back this week, we could have a squad something like this
Cech(due back early this week)
Martinez
Macey
Debuchy
Chambers
Gabriel
Mertesacker
Monreal
Gibbs
Bielik
Johnson
Coquelin
Elneny
Cazorla(some reports that he is not training fully yet, just fitness work)
Wilshere
McGuane
Sheaf
Zelalem
Campbell
Iwobi
Gnabry(called up for Germany olympic squad so not sure if available for us)
Oxlade-Chamberlain (some reports that he is only on fitness work)
Willock
Nelson
Walcott
Akpom
Sanogo
Mavadidi
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list of the 2016 MLS All-Star squad vs. Arsenal, on July 28 in San Jose,
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twitter rumors that Arsenal may be about to sign Nasri from city
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