Official Gooners Thread - A New Hope

[ONeill]

They'll not be bench warmers this year. That's the way Wenger works. He rarely thrusts young players straight in, usually spending 24 months as bit-part players until they get the green light. I'm expecting Bendtner to start alongside RvP with Walcott winger. However, with Robin so injury prone, he needs another top class striker. Eduardo'll probably not get back to near his best til late season.

[ONeill]

I see Lehmann says he's proud to represent the Arse tomorrow in the final

Jaysus Mad Jens, don't say that.

[nutsy--1]

if adebayor goes we need to buy a top striker, adebayor is a very good overall striker but you can't trust him to score when one on one it usualy takes a few chances. Bendtner is cat and he needs to go.

[ildanach]

Did you hear Adebayor yesterday saying he thought he was worth 40m or 47m. Had to laugh. If Arsene got 20m, spash out on 2 decent players, one to complement Van Persie, Walcott, Bentner and Eduardo and the other a defensive midfielder.

Adebayor is mostly a donkey who hits a purple patch once in a while.

i cann't agree with you there. He got 30 odd goals last season. He was a donkey when he came first but has developed into a good striker. He gave us real options up front in the post henry era. If he goes where will the goals come from persie is injury prone, bentner couldn't hit a barn door, eduardo might not be the same player he was and theo is over rated.
If he does go and we have 24 or 25 million to spend who is available peter crouch, santa cruz ?? not in the same league  as adebayorand wouldn't give 10million for either. leaving 15 million for a defensive midfielder. which i agree we do need to get pronto. But we have that money already so why not have our cake and eat it!

[Malone Aristocrat]

santa cruz is a better all round striker than ade. with the supply arsenal would give him he'd score bucket fulls

[ONeill]

We'll agree to disagree on Adebayor. I don't rate him - the majority of last year's goals were set on a plate by Fabregas and Hleb for him. I think his general attitude stinks when the chips are down and some of his decisions when put clean through were beyond belief. His mouthing off to the press this week sums up what I always suspected of him

Walcott is only overrated by those who think he's the new Maradona! His form improved dramatically over the last 10 games last year and I expect him to kick on. Bendtner has the potential but this year will tell a tale.

Eduardo was starting to show the speed and guile needed to finish off the good work weaved by our midfield and it's a striker in that mould that'll see Arsenal reach the next level.

[under the bar]

Do you think the now infamous derogatory chant directed at him mainly by Spurs & Chelsea fans has had anything to do with his requesting a transfer?

[ONeill]

Did he request a transfer?
What was the song?

[under the bar]

What was the song?

Adebayor, Adebayor, his dad washes elephants, his mothers a wh*re.   Racism thinly veiled as humour

[Norf Tyrone]

What was the song?

Adebayor, Adebayor, his dad washes elephants, his mothers a wh*re.   Racism thinly veiled as humour

So he has handed in a transfer request because of racism....and heading to Italy? 

[Dinny Breen]

Arsenal are demanding over £35m for Emmanuel Adebayor, according to AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani.

He says the deal is too rich for Milan's blood, with Italian teams struggling to compete with Chelsea and Barcelona for the world's top players.

The Gunners are reported to have turned down a £25m bid from Barcelona for the Togo striker, with Galliani suggesting that Arsenal are looking for another £10m.

"Adebayor is overridden by continuous requests for €45 million (£35.6 m), these figures are impossible for clubs in Italy," said Galliani. "In fact, the top footballers in the world do not come here anymore.

"When big clubs like Barcelona and Chelsea arrive it is impossible to compete, because they have a much more advantageous fiscal situation."

According to a number of reports, Barcelona's bid was turned down yesterday, although it is distinctly possible that the Spanish giants will make an improved offer given the need of Joan Laporta, the club's president, to make a significant splash in the transfer market before he faces a vote of no-confidence from members at the weekend.

A bid of £30m could actually be sufficient to persuade Arsenal to sell Adebayor, especially as he continues to request a hefty wage rise. According to The Times, 'During all his discussions with the club, Adebayor has told Arsenal, where he has three years left on his contract, that he wants to stay, but that they must keep to a promise of a new deal as a reward for an outstanding season.'

The African is understood to be paid around £35,000 a week. While that is a fortune in most people's eyes, it is a relative pittance in Premier League terms.

Moreover, Adebayor would be entitled to expect his salary to reflect Arsenal's valuation of his services. Were he to be sold for £30m, the transfer would be the sixth largest in the history of football.

Adebayor is not due to return to Arsenal to begin pre-season training until the end of the month, although his agent Stéphane Courbis is expected to meet with Arsene Wenger this week. Speaking to The Times, Courbis indicated that a pay rise would persuade Adebayor to stay in north London, remarking: "It is important for Emmanuel that Arsenal show their motivation to keep him. Whatever they will decide, the decision will be taken with respect."

If Wenger gets £35m for Adebayor, it will be an astonishing piece of business and an offer he can't refuse. I'm undecided to as whether Ade is a  Drogba or an Andy Cole and this season if he stays will show his true worth.

[ONeill]

Take the feckin 25m.

[ONeill]

Those were the days:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gx_uKCsNwlc&feature=related

Great wee song at the end.

[ONeill]

Televised Games 08/09 Premier League
July 4, 2008
Sky/Setanta Televised live fixtures for the season 2008/09.

Sat Aug 16 12.45pm Sky – Arsenal v West Brom
Sat Aug 16 5.15pm Setanta – Sunderland v Liverpool
Sun Aug 17 1.30pm Sky – Chelsea v Portsmouth
Sun Aug 17 4.00pm Sky – Man Utd v Newcastle
Sat Aug 23 12.45pm Sky – Man City v West Ham
Sat Aug 23 5.15pm Setanta – Fulham v Arsenal (Liverpool v Middlesbrough if blocked by police)
Sun Aug 24 1.30pm Sky – Wigan v Chelsea
Sun Aug 24 4.00pm Sky – Portsmouth v Man Utd
Sat Aug 30 12.45pm Sky – West Ham v Blackburn
Sat Aug 30 5.15pm Setanta – Everton v Portsmouth
Sun Aug 31 1.30pm Setanta – Aston Villa v Liverpool
Sun Aug 31 4.00pm Sky – Chelsea v Tottenham
Sat Sep 13 12.45 Sky – Liverpool v Man Utd
Sat Sep 13 5.15 Setanta – Man City v Chelsea
Sun Sep 14 4.00pm Sky – Tottenham v Aston Villa
Mon Sep 15 8.00pm Setanta – West Brom v West Ham
Sat Sep 20 12.45pm Sky – Bolton v Arsenal
Sat Sep 20 5.15pm Setanta – Sunderland v Middlesbrough (West Ham v Newcastle if blocked by police)
Sun Sep 21 1.30pm Sky – West Brom v Aston Villa
Sun Sep 21 4.00pm Sky – Chelsea v Man Utd
Sat Sep 27 12.45pm Sky – Everton v Liverpool
Sat Sep 27 5.15pm Setanta – Stoke v Chelsea
Sun Sep 28 4.00pm Sky – Portsmouth v Tottenham
Mon Sep 29 8.00pm Setanta – Fulham v West Ham
Sat Oct 4 12.45pm Sky – West Ham v Bolton
Sat Oct 4 5.15pm Setanta – Blackburn v Man Utd
Sun Oct 5 1.30pm Sky – Everton v Newcastle
Sun Oct 5 4.00pm Sky – Man City v Liverpool
Sat Oct 18 12.45pm Sky – Arsenal v Everton
Sat Oct 18 5.15pm Setanta – Middlesbrough v Chelsea
Sun Oct 19 4.00pm Sky – Aston Villa v Portsmouth
Mon Oct 20 8.00pm Setanta – Hull v West Ham
Sat Oct 25 12.45pm Sky – Sunderland v Newcastle
Sun Oct 26 12.00pm Setanta – Portsmouth v Fulham (Sunday as after UEFA cup game)
Sun Oct 26 2.00pm Sky – Everton v Man Utd (West Ham v Arsenal if blocked by police)
Sun Oct 26 4.10pm Sky – Chelsea v Liverpool
Tue Oct 28 8.00pm Sky – Newcastle v West Brom
Wed Oct 29 8.00pm Sky – Arsenal v Tottenham
Sat Nov 1 12.45pm Sky – Tottenham v Liverpool
Sat Nov 1 5.15pm Setanta – Stoke v Arsenal
Sun Nov 2 4.00pm Sky – Newcastle v Aston Villa
Mon Nov 3 8.00pm Setanta – Bolton v Man City
Sat Nov 8 12.45pm Sky – Blackburn v Chelsea
Sat Nov 8 5.15pm Setanta – Man City v Tottenham
Sun Nov 9 1.30pm Sky – Sunderland v Portsmouth
Sun Nov 9 4.00pm Sky – Arsenal v Man Utd
Sat Nov 15 12.45pm Sky – Hull v Man City
Sat Nov 15 5.15pm Setanta – Arsenal v Aston Villa
Sun Nov 16 1.30pm Sky – Fulham v Tottenham
Sun Nov 16 4.00pm Sky – West Brom v Chelsea
Sat Nov 22 12.45pm Sky – Man City v Arsenal
Sat Nov 22 5.15pm Setanta – Aston Villa v Man Utd
Sun Nov 23 4.00pm Sky – Tottenham v Blackburn
Mon Nov 24 8.00pm Setanta – Sunderland v West Ham
Sat Nov 29 12.45pm Sky – Middlesbrough v Newcastle
Sun Nov 30 1.30pm Setanta – Man City v Man Utd
Sun Nov 30 4.00pm Sky – Chelsea v Arsenal
Mon Dec 1 8.00pm Setanta – Tottenham v Everton

[Norf Tyrone]

I hear there was a hoax TV schedule doing the rounds yesterday on the night, so not sure if yours is right or not Shane.
Hope not, as I am working a lot of the TV games.