Wenger on Almunia’s display, transfers and Per Mertesacker
Manuel Almunia did not harm his chances at all on Sunday.
Arsene Wenger has lauded Arsenal’s much-maligned Spaniard after a string of fine saves from him saved the game against Celtic.
The Arsenal boss is reportedly in the market for a new goalkeeper but he also claims to have not lost faith in his current goalkeeping options.
And despite praising Almunia and Fabianski for their displays over the weekend, Wenger is giving himself the time between now and the season opener against Liverpool to make a decision on who will be Arsenal’s No.1.
“He (Almunia) did well. We have two more weeks to decide what I will do. Overall we will play the player who I think deserves to play. It is competition in pre-season and you have to live with that.”
Another area of Arsenal’s game which is under scrutiny is centre-back, and the Frenchman admits his team is in desperate need of a new addition there.
“We still need a centre half of course. We are still short number wise. Just number wise. [We need] at least one.”
“Out we had enough players out – we lost a few players. In, ideally we still want one or two players.”
When questioned on the rumoured move for German defender Per Mertesacker, Wenger chose to remain tight-lipped because of price reasons.
“I would not like to come out on names because it raises the price straight away by 50 per cent.”
Another cleaver ploy of saving money and not going to improve the defence as was first announced to pacify the fans. All this verbal applause for the calamity-GK is to path the retreat for not being able to spend the right money to bolster the position. Ambitious players will see through it and in Cesc’s case,very likely the deciding factor to defining a stay/leave situation. Can not fault him,if this carries on.
I just wish the man would talk straight and not in riddles. This should have been sorted out long before now, everyone knows, and knew we would need more defensive cover, but still nothing has been done with only two weeks left for the new player/players to bed into the team. It’s an absolute joke!
I agree with John,Arsene must bring in top centre back and keeper to strengthen his squad right now, no latter or sooner if we want to win the PL title this season,talk less do more!
Yes, Almunia made some great saves today & he is athletic but he still doesn’t dominate his box particularly against physically strong teams. Fabianski looks like a gaffe will occur at any moment. It is pathetic & ridiculous that a new keeper has not already been signed & if a new one doesn’t arrive Wenger is being neglectful.
i think Mertesacker is the wrong option for arsenal he is slower than Fabregas and that will leave us exposed as Clichy and Sagna like to go foward and Vermaelen very much likes to read the game early and press foward and that will leave Mertesacker really vulnerable at the back with the faster strikers in the prem.
your clueless bruv.u was amazing in the world cup.had rooney and co in his pocket.and since were so poor on defending setpieces his the man.won every header as far as i can remember
Its pretty obvious we are in for a keeper and a centre back. We will need back up to the new keeper though, so Wenger is hardly going to say they are shit now! Almunia would be OK as back up, IMO, while Fabianski would benefit from a loan spell.
He will sign an unknown cd and that will be all.
I do have a bad feeling about it.
I think, Wenger’s time is up.
You are a 24 carat doomer maciek! Its all black isnt it!
joe, I agree with that, Mertasacker seems very slow, just as Cygan looked good in France yet was exposed at Arsenal due to the high line we play.
I would prefer a CB with Premier league experience as well. Cahill from Bolton is hyped up but I havent seen what the fuss is with him though?
maciek, go support man city they buy established stars.
i think man city duo Richards or Kompany will be very good but will we really buy man city cast offs? i do feel that Zapata will be exactly what we need a speedy Cb who doesnt get bullied. As for the keepers for me Szecezny either becomes no1 now or we go for a keeper like Akinfeev or Lloris.A club like Arsenal cannot wait for a player we must improve the team to the highest standard we can each season so Schwarzer will be good but we can do alot better.
Ibiza who are you to define how to support a team? Our defense is shocking. Celtic could have easily won today, we do not have the quality we need and there is no reason whatsoever for that. We have the money so get them.
wenger get cd and goal keeper Cesc will stay
Celtic could have easily won today? Woah there! Pass those drugs this way! You are seriously tripping. And who are you to tell someone how not to tell someone else how to support the team?
Who the hell is marking me down when it’s plain to see that I am talking sense about were our problems lie?
I can see that Wenger is doing a fabulous job at the club, however lately he seems to be reluctant to buy quality, which is exactly what we need in order to win something this season.
FFS!!!!! get your finger out and sign the players we so obviously need.
PS. don’t start quoting me players he has already bought, I am living in the today, no the past.
Limpar, Brady, Drake and Basten. Whose living in the past eh?
Arsharvin, Chamakh, Vermaelen (and you will see Koz will be right here along side those names…he will complement the Vermailman perfectly?). Are these not quality players? Just chill the fuck out. Emrites cup is over and wenger can now focus on signing a CB and hopefully a GK in the next week! The team is class and will compete without a worry. I think they are the winning team w a little luck with injuries!
—————GK?———————-
Sagna—Vermaelen—Koscielny—Clichy–
————-song———————–
——Cesc———-nasri—————
—–Van Persie——–Arsharvin——–
————-Chamakh——————–
That team is freaking awesome then look at the bench
Another Gk?, New CB?, Djurou, Gibbs, Wilshire, Frimpong, Walcott, Vela, Diaby, Denilson, Rosicky, Bendtner…
Why is everyone so freaking stressed. It must be terrible over there in England at the moment. Smoke some weed or something chill the fuck out
Well f’reakin said! We have a great team. We just need to get some good early results and voila!
Vic who are you to tell someone to how to tell someone to not tell someone else how to support the team? eh
Joe who are you to tell someone else who told someone to how to tell someone to not tell someone else how to support the team?
I disagree that Celtic could have won. If you want to speak in terms of missed chances, then the game should have been out of sight before Celtic scored.
Could have easily won (okay let’s just start with the missed penalty) there were countless other opportunities but the most clear cut was that penalty. The fact is Arsenal have stopped playing direct football, we try to pass it into the goal and send it out to the flanks with crap crosses in. We do not have a striker who is willing to take shots from 30 yards out and that is something we need to do more of as teams just love to defend against us. We are way too predictable.
We scored over 120 goals last season mate. I think you are talking out of your elbow, erm I mean arse.
Arsenal need more lemmings like you, Vic.
We did, dumb ass.. he is called Denilson. But all you dumbfucks want him out.
u are quacko like mate!
john Im a lemming because? I stated a FACT. Yep a sure sign of acute lemmingness there.
You are a bit thick mate and there are enough thick people around, so i am sorry we are going to have to let you go.
You obviously don’t know what a lemming is. I’m pretty sure right now you are scoring the dictionary trying to find the meaning. Let me give you a hand look under the word………Vic.
Now you have it.
Perhaps calling someone a lemming was a personal triumph for you john, but you’d have to be pretty dam thick to think you were being clever calling someone that. Oh, but you are, my bad.
Vic how bout we play a little game called fistycuffs. We win the league you get a free crack, but I tell you what if we don’t then it’s my turn. Care to take those odds?
Oh dear, didnt take much for to send you over the edge did it? Internet hard man, dont you just love em.
I’ll take em clacko…you probably punch like a baby anyway! but i actually support the team and think they will win then it will be great socking you straight in that ugly melon of yours! Then like an englishman you’ll whinge that something was not fair…
Lol fistycuffs. Even funnier when you read it on a blogs comments.
And using the term “fistycuffs”!!! Hahahaha!
Find some sand Vic and stick your head in it mate.
I disagree on the attack being predictable. We need defensive stability, scoring goals aint an issue for me.
That’s exactly what a lemming is, now you’re starting to follow the drift of the replies by people out to make a point, which in a free world they are quite entitled to do. Just because you don’t agree with what they are saying doesn’t mean you have to attack them.
You’re a wanka john…i outta be the shit out of you…stupid opinions you make
Dave, if you don’t watch your spelling I will beat the shit out of you. Cabbage!!
Wenger: “I would not like to come out on names because it raises the price straight away by 50 per cent.”
Hint to Barcelona: Now that you’ve spoken publically about your desire for Cesc, THE PRICE IS 64 MILLION – not 32 million.
Thats a 100% increase…
All what Arsenal need is at least one strong CB and a good GK. Al and Bianski are just not up to it. They succumb to bullying pressure although they may appear good in practice sessions.
A lot of people are blaming Arsene Wenger for not signing another CB already,but the truth is that quality CBs are not like items on the supermarket shelf.They are hard to come by,and i am quite sure that the clubs that have these quality players are certainly not in any hurry to allow them to leave for other clubs.Furthermore,Wenger has advertised his desire to sign such a player,but i am yet to hear any player or their agents expressing any interest.It’s not so easy my friends,be patient.
This is an unnecessary comment, but if you increase 32 million by 50% I think that comes to 48 million, not 64. So please don’t try and use exclamation marks. They draw attention to your mistakes.
Please follow Cesc lead and fack off to Barca. Idiots.
Guys, I would like to thank everyone, especially Vic, John, clacko, Dave and SeanyBoy for thoroughly entertaining us.
More fistycuffs please! 😆
Arsenal must another 2 or 3 defeners and 1 midfielder to strenghten the squad.
So… How did you guys meet? Do tell! It must have been romantic. John and VICtoria.
Some naive fans want Wenger to “talk straight”, thanks god Arsene is not that stupid. Or would you expect him to rubbish his keepers before putting them on the market? Yeah, “Almunia is shit, anyone wants him for 4 mln?”.
And some fans think that good players are just queuing at the Emirates with their bosses eager to sell.. Mertesaker has said that he did not want to move anywhere. So it takes time. Most clubs do not want to part with their first choice CD.
Lets face it as long as Alminia is in goal Arsenal will be playing with ten men he is crap
It’s not the keeper or in fact the defenders, it’s the system and style we play in that costs us goals! We have to accept that to be so thrilling going forward we have to sacrifice something in our solidity. Arsenes whole philosophy is to attack…..attack being the best form of defence!
Arsene must be kidding cos Alluminium sucks in between the posts, and Fabianski is not the best of our GKs. I foresee Cesc, VP and Assasin wanting out next summer should AW fail to beef up the current squad. FOREVER GUNNERS!