Arsenal Lobby

An article by John Cross on Theirry Henry:

Thierry Henry would be a great signing for Arsenal - just as long as they sign another striker as well.

Henry is 34, has impressed Arsene Wenger with his sharpness, fitness levels and desire while training with Arsenal in the MLS off-season.

If it means that Arsenal get a striker - even in the veteran stage of his career - for six weeks on loan then surely it is a no-brainer.

Arsenal would have to pay around £70,000-a-week in wages and his insurance to cover New York Red Bulls for six weeks before he is due back in the States.

However, the insurance was a major stumbling block when Tottenham tried to sign David Beckham on loan from LA Galaxy this time last year.

New York Red Bulls are being as coy as Wenger. No comment or no replies have been the answer from the MLS club. If it was a complete no-go, they would say.

But there's a few things against it, too. Arsenal still need top quality cover, competition and someone to play alongside Robin van Persie.

Van Persie is in the form of his life - 34 goals in 34 Premier League games in 2011 - but will need a rest at some point.

Arsenal need strong back-up. At the moment, Marouane Chamakh and Ju Young Park are not stepping up to the plate.

That leaves Arsenal woefully short. Pinning hopes on a legend - who had a statue unveiled a fortnight ago - is a dangerous game.

Henry is not the incredible player he once was. He was once the best player in the Premier League - record breaking goals, pace and power. A big character, too.

To expect him to recreate that if van Persie gets injured, is dangerous. It could spoil memories of Henry and impinge upon his reputation as a legend. Arsenal fans wouldn't want that and surely nor would Henry.

It's a similar situation to a couple of years ago with Sol Campbell. He'd been in the Invincibles and was a superb defender.

Campbell did a great job - as much in the dressing room as on the pitch. A great influence in both situations. The same for Jens Lehmann last season.

The Henry deal is also similar to Campbell. Arsenal will bring Henry in depending on other players. He's very much on the agenda but as a back-up if other things don't happen and in case of new injuries. But he's doing so well that it may just happen anyway.

With Campbell, they told him they would sign him if they could offload Philippe Senderos. The Swiss defender went to Everton on loan and Campbell came in.

Henry could do a similar job to Campebll in the dressing room and on the pitch. But Henry, who was a genuine superstar, would have to accept being back-up, a circus would arrive with him and yet it couldn't be all about him. That time has gone.

Even his old 14 shirt has been taken by Theo Walcott. Though his old France number 12 is available...

Arsenal are still keen on Lukas Podolski, the German forward who plays at Cologne. It's important they make a stellar signing as well as Henry.

You cannot end up having a veteran as the only back-up for van Persie who has been prone to injuries throughout his career.

Arsenal fans, after seeing their team fall short in the run-in in the past few seasons, don't want the club to scrimp and save on loan signings.

They want big name signings. Arsenal also need two signings anyway as Chamakh is going to the African Nations Cup and you can't rely on him anyway, to such an extent he could go in January.

So, Wenger should sign Henry - but not stop there. The club is on target for £60m-profit and woe-be-tied them for not buying big in January.

Podolski would be ideal and they also have Mario Gotze in their sights. Wenger didn't rule out Wayne Bridge on loan either as he's committed to Andre Santos and Kieran Gibbs long term.

Bridge would be a good signing. After his initial struggles for match sharpness, he had some cracking games on loan at West Ham last season. He wants to leave City in January on loan.

Arsenal's squad needs strengthening if they are to finish in the top four and keep pressing in the Champions League as well as the FA Cup.

You can tell a lot by Wenger's mannerisms. He was in a great mood on Friday. Laughing and joking. He was grinning, fobbing off questions about Henry saying that his Christmas will be taken up by thinking about it. I suppose there's no football even in the German Third Division on Christmas Day.

Wenger clearly wants the Henry deal to happen. Something is going on. Henry arrives back in London on Christmas Eve after a short holiday. He needs persuading, too. He'd hate anything to spoil his legacy.

But more importantly, Wenger must sign more players than just Henry. Henry would be popular with most fans but that would be tempered if others didn't arrive, too.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has urged his team to gain a stranglehold in the top four during a run of winter games which he admits could define the club's season.

The Gunners seemed destined for a poor campaign when they won just one of their opening five matches, but the squad rallied behind under-fire boss Wenger to drag the team back up the table with a seven-match unbeaten run.

That sequence only came to an end last week with a 1-0 defeat at Manchester City, where Wenger was furious to see Robin van Persie's second-half goal disallowed for offside.

The festive period proved fruitful for the Gunners last term as they beat Chelsea and drew with City, and this year, having climbed to fifth place, they face much easier opponents in the form of Wolves, QPR and Fulham.

Nevertheless, Wenger knows a slip-up could cost Arsenal dearly as they are just two points ahead of sixth-place Liverpool and he has urged his team to retain their focus for the rest of the festive campaign.

"We know we have an opportunity to gain a better position on the table. It's down to us to do our job," Wenger said.

"In the Premier League the Christmas period is vital to get your points.

"We have responded well to our defeat at Man City with a win at Aston Villa, so now it's down to us to do the job at home and get the points against Wolves on Tuesday.

"Every game has its own difficulty so what is important for us is to focus on our own game and perform well.

"In the Premier League if you don't focus then you don't win, so let's focus on our next game and try to win it.

"We have learned that you win only if you are at your best. That's the difficult, to combine the Christmas period with focus."

A London Underground strike has caused the Gunners to put the game against Mick McCarthy's team back by 24 hours.

That means the Arsenal players will have Christmas Day off, but Wenger has warned his squad that they will face a tough task when they return to action at the Emirates Stadium two days later.

McCarthy came under fire as Wolves started slowly and the midlands outfit sit just one point above the drop zone having taken one point from their last two games against Norwich and Stoke.

Despite his team's superiority, Wenger is expecting a tough game, however.

"Wolves are a side that plays good football," Wenger said.

"They always look dangerous going forward and they make it tough for everybody. They have the Mick McCarthy spirit and attitude, they never give up.

"They play a very positive game so we know what to expect. They fight to stay in the league and you know it is always an intense game against them. They are dangerous, of course, they make life difficult for everybody."

Wenger is facing a selection dilemma in defence for Tuesday's game after Kieran Gibbs joined the club's lengthy injury list last week.

The 22-year-old was expected to be back before the end of the year but had to undergo a second operation on a stomach problem that initially emerged back in October.

Wenger is already without Bacary Sagna, Carl Jenkinson and Andre Santos, which means one or both of Thomas Vermaelen or Laurent Koscielny could be asked to fill in at full-back again.

Francis Coquelin played at right-back against Aston Villa last week and Johan Djourou is another possible inclusion, with the Swiss making good progress from the groin strain he suffered against Manchester City.

Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill has popped Nicklas Bendtner’s ego by telling him: You’re not a proper player... yet.

Bendtner – who once proclaimed himself one of the world’s best strikers – has done his best to get into his new boss’s good books.

He scored the opener and worked hard against QPR on Wednesday, and apologised to O’Neill for his alleged ­car-bashing spree last week.

But the Irishman told him he is merely on the way to becoming a decent player and said: “He can be a real, proper player.

He is a fine player in the making. I do accept that you could still probably talk about him having potential, because he is only 23 years of age.”

Bendtner is on loan for the season from Arsenal and until Wednesday night there will have been little reason for O’Neill to look into keeping him any longer. But the Sunderland boss believes Bendtner is finally buying into the Black Cats’ cause.

Sunderland have won two of O’Neill’s first three games in charge and he added: “There is a cause at ­Sunderland and really, it is up to Nicklas to want to be in that cause.

“I think he does, he has committed himself and his performance against QPR was excellent.

“I thought the two centre forwards played brilliantly – Stephane Sessegnon was absolutely fantastic for us and it was good to see both of them score goals.”

Bendtner

Ex-Arsenal player John Hartson:"Henry and Van Persie would be frightening together at Arsenal"

I think the Bridge signing ultimately boils down to whether or not we want to see Djourou on the pitch because we currently have
Djourou----Mert-----Boscielny-----Verminator

with Bridge it'd be
Boscielny--Mert---Verminator----Bridge

MJGunner wrote:I think the Bridge signing ultimately boils down to whether or not we want to see Djourou on the pitch because we currently have
Djourou----Mert-----Boscielny-----Verminator

with Bridge it'd be
Boscielny--Mert---Verminator----Bridge

dont forget about


Boscielny ---- Mert ----- Verm ----- Miquel




personally i think we need a RB more. we have two people who can cover each fullback position but the two who cover the left fullback spot are better. Even if we bought/loaned in another LB, if we had an injury to Boscielny we'd have no halfway decent defender at that spot (djourou's pretty bad there)

lenear1030 wrote:

MJGunner wrote:I think the Bridge signing ultimately boils down to whether or not we want to see Djourou on the pitch because we currently have
Djourou----Mert-----Boscielny-----Verminator

with Bridge it'd be
Boscielny--Mert---Verminator----Bridge

dont forget about


Boscielny ---- Mert ----- Verm ----- Miquel




personally i think we need a RB more. we have two people who can cover each fullback position but the two who cover the left fullback spot are better. Even if we bought/loaned in another LB, if we had an injury to Boscielny we'd have no halfway decent defender at that spot (djourou's pretty bad there)

ahhh, actually I would take Miquel over Bridge. He's been doing a pretty decent job and I'd like to see him develop more.

MJGunner wrote:

LMAO






















if that was Ronaldo...........

MJGunner wrote:

WTF omg lol.

EarlyPrototype wrote:

MJGunner wrote:

LMAO

if that was Ronaldo...........

Ronaldo doesn't help his own case.


A stray boner causes CR7 to contemplate the meaning of his existence...or his sexuality.

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to all of you, and a happy new year.

Stay hungry, stay foolish.

Those GIFs are amazing, they should definitely be used more often.

what gifs

RealGunner wrote:what gifs

MJGunner wrote:

EarlyPrototype wrote:

MJGunner wrote:

LMAO

if that was Ronaldo...........

Ronaldo doesn't help his own case.


A stray boner causes CR7 to contemplate the meaning of his existence...or his sexuality.

These gifs

+ this one

Loool check this out: http://translate.google.com/#fr|en|marouane%20chamakh

Telepathy

urbaNRoots wrote:Loool check this out: http://translate.google.com/#fr|en|marouane%20chamakh

Telepathy

How does.. How is there...


MIND EXPLOSION

urbaNRoots wrote:Loool check this out: http://translate.google.com/#fr|en|marouane%20chamakh

Telepathy

8 years ago today - Arsenal 3-0 Wolves (26 Dec 2003): Lehmann; Toure Campbell Cygan Clichy; Ljungberg Parlour Vieira Pires; Bergkamp Henry.

Wenger: 2012 will be year of the Ox
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger feels 2012 could be Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's year.
So far, Wenger has been conservative with the use of the teenage £10million summer signing from Southampton, who scored on his Champions League debut against Olympiacos in September.
The 18-year-old's only taste of Barclays Premier League action to date came as substitute in the 8-2 mauling at Manchester United on August 28.
While Wenger feels that introduction was "not the best of favours I have done", the Gunners boss is in no doubt Oxlade-Chamberlain can go from strength to strength in 2012 - which could even end with inclusion in the England squad for the European Championships.
"In 2012, at the beginning of the year, he will play games. He is not far," said Wenger, whose side will host Wolves at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow in a fixture which was put back from Boxing Day because of industrial action by some London Underground staff.
"Alex is a talented boy, it is all there - he just needs that toughness in the game and because every game for us is so tight.
"At Aston Villa last week, again, I could have brought him on and you have the hesitation to do it - but you do not want him to be a little bit over-ruled by the intensity of the game.
"He is ready to play. Alex is just missing that experience at the top level. You have to throw him a few games."
Arsenal head towards 2012 with their defence stretched because of injury, which could see Wenger enter the loan market as the transfer window opens again on January 1, when he is also set to make a decision on whether to bring former captain Thierry Henry back on a short-term deal ahead of the new Major League Soccer season.
Given both Ivory Coast forward Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh will both shortly be away at the African Nations Cup, Wenger is set to need all of his attacking options available.
As yet, Arsenal have seen only glimpses of what South Korea captain Park Ju-young is capable of, with a well-taken finish in the Carling Cup win over Bolton his only goal so far from four appearances - none of which have come in the Premier League.
Wenger, though, accepts the 26-year-old has to go through a period of acclimatisation following an August transfer deadline move from Monaco.
"It has been difficult because I have not given him the chance to play and the intensity of the challenges - some players take short, others take long. But it takes you time," said the Arsenal manager.
"You see a player like [Laurent] Koscielny last year, he was still sometimes surprised by the physical demands of the game. This year, he is dominating the physical challenge, that shows it takes time."
Swiss international defender Johan Djourou could return from a minor groin problem tomorrow, while Wenger must also decide whether to rest skipper Robin van Persie who, with 34 league goals in 2011, is close to breaking the Premier League record for a calendar year.

mani88 wrote:

Spoiler:

I posted that weeks ago T___TT.

beatrixasdfghjk. wrote:

mani88 wrote:

Spoiler:

I posted that weeks ago T___TT.

I must have missed it. Sorry for that.

Wenger - Oxlade-Chamberlain is ready to play

"In 2012, at the beginning of the year, he will play games," said Wenger.

"He is not far. He is a talented boy, it's all there - he just needs that toughness in the games and because every game for us is so tight… the other night, again, I could have brought him on and you have the hesitation to do it. But you do not want him to be a little bit overawed by the intensity of the game.

"He is ready to play. He is just missing that experience at the top level. You have to throw him into a few games."

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-oxlade-chamberlain-is-ready-to-play

Arsenal are set to receive a big boost this week with Jack Wilshere set to step up his recovery.

Wilshere has missed the entire campaign with an ankle injury sustained in pre-season. But the key midfielder, 19, is about to take a major step in his return to fitness.

Gunners manager Arsene Wenger, who was boosted by defender Bacary Sagna's return to running last week, revealed: "Wilshere is doing very well. He is one week behind Sagna so he should start to run this week."

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is delighted with unsung hero Laurent Koscielny this season.

Koscielny has enjoyed a fine campaign to date, earning his first French cap last month as a result of his inspiring club form. The defender has earned widespread acclaim and Wenger believes it is justified.

“He is a special player and he is starting slowly to get credit,” Wenger told Arsenal Player. “Let’s not forget that before the Man City game we didn’t know if he would play or not because he had flu.

“He doesn’t speak a lot but his performances speak for him.”