In any team, but especially one as raw as Arsenal’s current crop, the sale of two of your most experienced players represents a risk. Selling them to the team tipped by many as your closest challenger is a gamble so big and fat you could put lend it some goalie gloves and call it Paddy Kenny.
At first glance, Manchester City’s strategy would seem to be a winner. If you’re going to spend big, better still to weaken your key rivals by signing their stronger players. It makes sense. They got our vice-captain and longest serving player, and our main striker. Which sounds pretty devastating.
But Mr Wenger is definitely up to something
Famed for his ability to sell off damaged goods at the right time, some are suggesting that Arsenal are getting more money for Toure and Adebayor than they’re worth; that like many others to leave N5 they will soon discover that Arsenal made them look like rather better players than they actually are; and that both players are in decline in any case.
Let’s hope so. Our massive financial disadvantage is only going to get bigger if we lose out on Champions League football next spring, an eventuality which would in all probability prove pivotal to the modern history of the football club.
My instinct is that Mr Wenger has got this right.
Toure was a stop-gap who grew into a lynch-pin, treasured by all at the club, but rarely considered a truly top-class defender. The last of the Invincibles, he will be missed by many, but more for his character and heart than his ability.
He was always one of those players whose eventual market value was difficult to predict, and the £16 million figure mentioned seems like good money for a player who was unhappy enough to request a move in January.
Which leaves Gallas, Vermaelen, Djourou, Senderos, Song and Silvestre, and, to be honest, a lot of Gooners praying for another centre half.
At the arse-end of last season, Mr Wenger regularly lamented our lack of height in defence, which points towards a certain 6′5” Norwegian Cottager.
Hangeland for Toure? Sounds like the right kind of roulette to me.
Tags: Arsene Wenger, Brede Hangeland, Kolo Toure, manchester city
July 28th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
I don’t think Le Boss will buy anyone else. Toure was good when he was playing with Sol, he’s been a good soldier in our battle, but to get £15m for him now, when his contract ends next year is GOOD business. We’ll do well this coming season I feel, I just wish we could buy a quality DM.
I will always love this club, through the good and the bad times.
Red Army!!!!
July 28th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Still got Gael Clichy from ‘The Invincibles’
July 28th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
if toure goes we shuld bring in bassong wat do u think
July 28th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Wenger does know what he’s doing! Its African Cup of Nations next Jan and Wenger is sick and tired of loosing key players at the toughest part of the season.
Adebayor, Toure, Eboue and Song would all be gone for about 2 months at the beginning of 2010. Wenger has tried to get them to move the tournament a number of times. The reasons they cite are that it’s too hot in summer time. But now the stadiums are equipped with floodlights (they weren’t 5 odd years ago) theres no reason they can’t play the games late when it’s cooler.
Also remember when Toure went off to the ACN and lost his form and confidence. We don’t need that anymore and Wenger is fed up. There’s talk he is going to offload Eboue too!
I think if Toure goes Wenger will be in a very storng position to offer Fulham & Hangeland a contract that is too good to turn down. Gallas, Vermaleen, Hangeland & Djourou would possibly be the best collection of central defenders in the league!!
July 28th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Good point about Clichy. I will sack my sub-editor.
July 28th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
i’m pritty sure he is not the last. Wasn’t clichy an invicible?
July 28th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
damn never mind i didnt read the comments
July 28th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
You guys are right, but remember he was Cashley’s back-up then and so wouldn’t have started many games. Maybe I’m wrong, but I always think of the Invincibles as the classic starting XI from 03/04 – not that I want to belittle Clichy’s claims to invincibility.
July 28th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
buy upson plzzz
July 28th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Wenger must spend this money also Eboue and senderos to go 8 million and six million giving a total with the two sales to Man City of 55 million this must be spent not only to improve the squad and give Fabragas and others faith we are going in the right direction we must now buy Hagland,Huntular,and either Veloso or Inlar we could get all 3 for 43 million which means after taking the 10 million paid for the new defender Vermillan there is 2 million profit
IF WENGER AND THE OUT OF TOUCH BOARD DONT SPEND THEY SHOULD ALL RESIGN
July 28th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
If the board dont spend then they should gone!!! A stand needs to be made!! Our club is turning into a laughing stock. Everyone used to want to play for us. Now all I read is our players saying they want to move to some crap Italian teams and the only 2 Spanish teams. If Wenger doesn’t spend then there is only 2 outcomes 1. he has no money, so not his fault or 2. cus he’s French he’s arrogant and wants to win the league with a shoe string budget, I honestly dont no which 1 it is.
Why are we left in the dark all the time?
Why have all these players gone and the area’s that need improving never get improved?
All Wenger seems to do is buy attacking players, why no class defenders or def midfielders? I fear we will never win anything under Wenger again, I DO APPRECIATE WHAT WENGER HAS DONE FOR THIS CLUB, but you cant live in the past.
Were going backwards, only got through to the semi final FA cup because nearly all the cup games were at home. If we had met Chelsea in the 3rd round we would of been knocked out, correct? i think so.
The champions league knock out stages, we were ok at home but away was littered with some of the worst performances in an arsenal shirt. If we had met Barcelona or Munich earlier we would of been knocked out. Guess what? correct again.
We need 5 players in a goalie, Centre half, 2 def mid fielders and striker.
Anyone agree with any of it?
Gunner til I die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just want the old Arsenal back.
July 28th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
the same thing will gonna repeat again.. arsenal will struggle to hold their 4th spot unless they spend to bring some big players besides selling their experienced players…
i heard tat alumunia is calling for experience..and wenger is doin the opposite… i think this is the last season for fabreagas and van persie.. they will eventually leave…
wenger spend out.. or **** off
July 28th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Cole was first choice during the invincible season.
July 28th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
have to agree with youngy although id only say we need 3 players “the hag the hunt and a top DM” although i cant see it i think wenger will stick with the front line we have why i dont know cos i dont think anyone of them is an out and out goal scorer, wengers already got in a defender he will have gallas and vermaelen as first choice but whos to say vermaelen will be up or the prem?? i think the only position wenger will fill is DM. im not sure if its wenger or the board doing id say the board but somethings not right the amount fans get charged for watching a game at the grove is sky high yet no money is hardly ever spent on quality??? other then arshavin and we nearly never got him.
something has to change but i cant see that happening
July 28th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
All of you calling for money to be spent; remember that football clubs are also businesses and need to be run as such. We are in the middle of the worst recession for 50 years and that affects everyone, with one exception – the uber rich, one of which now owns Man City. Even Abramovich doesn’t really fall into that category any more and he’s also losing faith in his team; when he pulls out, Chelski are in the shit. Same goes for United and the red Scousers.
We are a much more stable club with a level-headed manager who has a long-term view. Sorry, I know you want your £30m striker so you can buy the replica shirt with his name on and wear it to the park, but it ain’t gonna happen under AW.
Don’t forget that Real Madrid are supported by the government (for how long?) and that Italian football is as corrupt as African oil distribution. The stupid money changing hands is not real, and this will become apparent; I expect the first ‘big’ club to go bankrupt within three years, and I don’t mean Southampton or Cardiff.
Back to the matter in hand, Kolo is much loved but on the wane; £40m for him and Ade is good business. Let’s wait and see who lines up for our beloved AFC on 15 August; I bet Arsene has something up his sleeve…
July 28th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
kolo on the wane are you serious, yeah ok he had an indifferent season last time out that dont mean a player isnt able to do it no more, and if we do lose kolo and dont bring in quality cover and vermaelen isnt up to scratch then what??? all ifs and buts till the season starts and the transfer windows closed but with the squad as it is and minus kolo this team could be weaker then last years and that dont hold much hope.
also who said anything about 30mil strikers yeah it would be nice but i agree the money spent on players at the mo is totally outrageous but there are players out there that we could get for a lot less “quality players” but wenger relies way too much on the youngsters and players that shouldnt even be in an arsenal shirt oh and one more point whats the recession got to do with it we havnt spent hardly any money on players in four years only the money that we gained through selling players so thats clap trap
July 28th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
I think people are jus panicky and in a state because Toure is on his way not z of his performances but mostly because of wat he is,wat he embodies…
He is the last of the invincibles,he is a good character,reminds us ofwhen we last one something bt the truth of the matter is dat Toure hasnt produced on the field for a long while now if you really think back to the start of last season Toure was injured and Gallas and DJ started and formed a really good patnership it wasnt water tight but it worked they kinda ad an understanding and that kinda spread thru the team,but when Toure recovered i jus feel he got his place not thru meit but more because he had experience and had was the last of the greats which was quite uynfair n DJ and it really shut his confidence which i dont think he recovered from through the season.
Wenger made a comment bout having loads of CB’s and his only surplus was Senderos and Toure because quite frankly he has commented positively bout the others and i dnt see him getting anymore CB jus dont see it
July 28th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
with the sales of adebayor toure and eboue that wenger about 50 million to play with. I personally think that wenger has a plan, people might say that he is going backwards but remember, he is a very clever man and with 50 million he will hopefully do something drastic over the next 2 weeks(hangeland,cheilini and veloso maybe?) either way i will still keep faith in wenger just like all TRUE arsenal fans should!
July 28th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Why do Arsenal fans panic so much? All the kids are a year older and a year better. If you have seen the season stats (passing, tackling etc) you will have seen Kolo and Ade coming out very poorly. They are way down the bottom of the list of prem defenders/attackers. AW gets rid of players at the right time. Yes he has made the odd mistake in the past but like his kids- he is getting better. When Bendy says ’stuff Milan- we are onto something here’ -it is time for people to pay attention. Get behind the project and support the team. If you can’t see what is happening, can’t wait or believe rubbish about Arsenal’s demise then you really did ought to go and support Chelski or Manudarby. Arsenal are not even going to try to buy success. They play the best football and as they are improving,rapidly, they don’t need to. Look at what others have to do to keep up!! Comon you Guuuners!!!
July 28th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
I think Arsene has done some good business with CIty this summer. The Board won’t put any of their own money into the club (they are only interested in making a profit out of the club for themselves), so Arsene has had to build up his own little war chest. I’m pretty confident he’ll spend it, & he’ll spend it on tightening up defensively. If we can stop giving away stupid sloppy goals, we’ve a decent chance of winning something next season. I’m pretty excited to see what we can do!
July 29th, 2009 at 5:57 am
HE JUST BUILT A 50 MILL WAR CHEST!!!! WITHOUT THE BOARDS HELP
Just watch hes gonna sign someone huge and shut up all the stupid fans that r bitching and moaning. Hes gonna get someone big i can feel it
July 29th, 2009 at 6:00 am
Kolo @ £16m is not a bad sell.rem the fixtures we have late Jan & early Feb plus AFCON?
July 29th, 2009 at 6:04 am
gooner68: It is not clap trap, go and look at the way the club is run, compared with others. We are not beholden to massive amounts of borrowing in the same way; there is debt, of course, but any good company is run on debt, why wouldn’t it be? But that money is not cross-collateralised against players, it is compartmentalised into the area it was borrowed against.
The recession /does/ have an effect on football, even though clubs are pretending it doesn’t and trying to spend their way out of it. It is unsustainable and Arsenal has known this for years; hence partly the reluctance to spend over the odds on incoming players. As it happens, Wenger also has a ‘project’ which ties in nicely with that financial plan. And we should back him to the hilt; don’t forget that uber-wealthy chairmen can also decide who leaves the club on a whim, not just who joins. Hughes thinks he’s in charge at City but he’ll be out on his ear by Christmas if they’re languishing in mid-table. Let’s see.
July 29th, 2009 at 6:05 am
Why do we panick?Arsenal has th largest fan base in Africa yet you guys in Englan dont want to support your players that is why the players at times fall let us cheer them up show them we are proud of them and they will bring us the trophies.let us hope for the best.SOLIDARITY ALL YE GOONERS
July 29th, 2009 at 8:22 am
There wgo pple are starting to see the team for what it is a team about to bear fruit,and my goodness Gunners when it does you will be grateful you stayed on the ‘Optimistic Band-Wagon’
VICTORIA CONCORDIA CRESCIT
July 29th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Well i have faith in Wenger! Wait and see!
July 29th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
interesting that you say arsenal has the largest fan base in africa…will be interesting to see how quickly that changes minus king kolo,eboue and ade. Esp with man city touring south africa. Why the f*** do we always go to austria and play rubbish teams in front of half empty stadiums?ridiculous
July 30th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
I personally think its too soon to talk…definitely wenger being one of the most experienced managers in the EPL knows what he’s doing..personally…i think we just need a quality centre half and defensive midfielder…we have without a doubt been poor defensively over the last 3 seasons..and we need some1 solid to support cesc fabregas..we have walcott starting to play as a forward and i’m sure that will work out(like the classic henry switcharoo from winger to striker reason why he is who he is today)..eduardo is gaining in confidence..van persie and vela are there too..rosicky is back and hopefully stays fit throughout the season..and lets not underestimate the likes of raamsey,bendtner etc..nasri missing for a while is a big blow..as for kolo toure leaving..we shall miss him..not much for his excellence as a player as such..but for his spirit..i wud like to see chamakh come in to the team..his link play is just brilliant..he single handedly saved bordeaux from chrisis last season…a good replacement for ade…and yes i definitely agree..AW should definitely use the money and buy some experience…we have been playing the most entertaining football in the league…but all the ooooo’s and aaaa’s are pointless without silverware…lets see some brilliance and invincibility once again!!!
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