(The not-so-temporary quite-official) Gooner Thread

They call it gossip for a reason, and in the age of clicks = ads spend then it kind of makes sense.

I've often felt the morality of journalism went out the window with the invention of the internet but I digress...

If Debuchy really is done I wonder what the delay is now Newcastle have announced Janmaat. Unless it isn't actually done.

Daily Mail (I know I know) reporting that we'll announce Debuchy tonight

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-...

I do think this one is done though, probably taking the photos last night to put on the website tonight ;)

I don't think Newcastle would ever have signed Janmaat if Debuchy was staying. 

So looks like we'll be getting brand new home, away and 3rd strip shirts every single season from now on...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-2695046/A...

Good way to sting fans for a lot of money every season. Would prefer kits to last a couple of seasons personally.

FTFY

If you're a journalist with morals you likely don't get any good stories

football365's 'mediawatch' column is bloody good at showing what a bunch of muppets they are

the latest one;

http://www.football365.com/mediawatch/9383794/Medi...

Worst kept secret in transfer history

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140717/arsenal-complete-mathieu-debuchy-signing

boom

2 down

3 to go?

You must be a happy and very surprised man pride of london!

We are well covered at fullback now, I see no reason to get this spanish boy on loan unless we want to send Jenkinson somewhere for gametime. 

We should be focussed on a new CB and a back-up goalkeeper, then look at a DMF. 

I hope chopper is right in that we won't be offloading vermaelen. Anyone read arseblog last night? Made some excellent points. Mertesacker may need a rest at the beginning of the season which means vermaelen will be critical to us getting out of the blocks. Is it close enough to predict our first lineup come Aug 16? I'm thinking......

                     Szczesny

Debuchy-Koscielny-Vermaelen-Gibbs

                 Arteta-Ramsey

        Sanchez-Rosicky-Cazorla

                        Giroud

Ozil, Mertesacker and hopefully a new DMF to transition into the team around the end of Aug. 

Walcott will get fit enough to come in Sept/Oct.

What is happening with the Ox' injury? He was supposedly nearly fit enough to play England's last WC match so hopefully isn't far away. Haven't seen him in any pre-season training pics. Perhaps they'll give him some time to ease in slowly given the struggles he had at the end of last season and the WC, we have enough squad depth to cover him for the early part of the season.

Also our first friendly against Boreham Wood on sat night is live for free on arsenal player. 

I wouldn't exclude Gnabry from getting a starting spot in the fist couple of weeks. Also plenty of other youth players stepping up this season with Eisfeld and Zelalem.

Ox is back from holiday and into training on Monday accorindg to his twitter 1/2 an hour ago.

Szczesny - Free

Gibbs - Free

Koscielny - £8.5M

Mertesacker - £8M

Debuchy - £7.8M

Total - £24.3M.

Luke Shaw - £27M. #Arsenal

— Arsenal (@Goonerz1886) July 17, 2014

Sweet. Glad we got that transfer locked in. And hopefully that is the only 'drawn out' transfer we are involved in this summer.

Khedira rumours are dying down I see. But I think we still need a DM. In addition to a back up Gk and CB.

Isnt it nice going into a season pretty much knowing our starting line up? Its given me a calm and positive outlook for the season. COYG!

Saw Balotelli rumours start up again last night, I thought that deal was dead and you'd gone for Sanchez instead?

Welcome to the club. Not sure he's the best we could have got but is a decent solid player from within the Premiership and starts ahead of Sagna for France so we could have done a lot worse. Surprised we have signed someone of his age on a long term deal when we wouldn't give Sagna the money but that doesn't matter now. Nice welcome change to have signed the replacement for a departing player in July instead of going into the season with noone. When have we ever had 2 starters signed before the first pre-season game? I didn't expect anyone significant before deadline day so pretty happy we're getting things done when they should be done for once.

The 'rumours' were only a pic of balotelli on instragram standing in front of some doors with arsenal logos on them. He's in a puma shop and he's sponsored by puma, I think that's probably the extent of it.

In fact I've been seeing some rumours that Liverpool are interested in him? 

There's no way we're signing a striker in addition to Sanchez. Focus will be on a DM now.

Debuchy signed. Nail keeper and DM and we are in with a title challenging sign. 

CB CB CB CB!

Should be the equal no.1 priority along with keeper, then DM. 

Not saying we don't need a DM, just saying that as our squad currently stands, our CB and GK stocks are desperately thin. 

Djourou for 3rd/4th choice? Didn't realise he was actually still ours. Keeper should be top priority for me actually. We only have one. We can start the season with what have at CB and midfield, we can't go into it with 1 keeper.

And I meant side not sign obviously.

Curious as to your views here. We have arguably the best cb partnership in the league and Vermaelen as third choice. Why the panic?

Well, Vermaelen is possible leaving and Mertesacker presumably won't be ready for the start of the season. Koscielny won't have had much of a break either.

Just tried on a new shirt at Sportsworld in Le Hutt - the L fitted well tho not overly "flattering" lol... kinda hanging out for an away one so may just get one from the club and not piss about (can also get Surge - 71 on it too).... decisions...

I started typing an explanation but arseblog as always explains it best

http://arseblog.com/2014/07/a-central-defensive-si...

This is a good piece from it which sums things up fairly well;

"So, with Mertesacker unlikely to be properly fit and ready until the end of August at the earliest, that leaves us with Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny to get us through the Community Shield, three league games, and two Champions League qualifiers. It’s why, at this moment in time, I cannot see us sanctioning the sale of the Belgian, the circumstances simply don’t allow it.

Yet it also highlights our need for another central defender regardless of those circumstances. I think we rode our luck getting through last season with just three. I believe you need four players for that position if you want a squad with the requisite depth to get through all the games we’re going to have to play between August and May. Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Capital One Cup – and let’s not forget all the internationals that take place during the season which do have an effect on players in terms of injury and fatigue."

This is probably the one area where we lose out having swapped Sagna for Debuchy. Sagna was more than capable at centre half and could've stepped up at any time in the event of an injury (which is always likely with Vermaelen).

Haha well put Paul. Very happy so far with the way things have gone, never thought it would go this way but happy to be proven wrong

Agreed that we still need a DM, CB and GK to look like a team that could challenge. Debuchy I'm happy with given he's experienced and knows the Premier League.

One thing I'm sure of is that Liverpool and the yids will finish below us AGAIN

Football Central in Cuba Street still have them and are doing free name and number printing if you don't want to wait.

Thanks for posting that Paul. Yes we were very lucky with Mertesacker and Koscielny last season. We were lucky the injuries mostly happened in positions where we had lot's of cover, although losing Walcott and Ramsey for so long cost us going close to the title IMO. We can't expect the same with Mert and Kos again, especially coming off a full season and World Cup. This is Arsenal afterall. Someone or two will have to be injured for half the season!

I did the Footy Central thing AJ, got their last L away shirt but passed on the free name/number cos the dude wasn't there and I HAD TO WEAR MY NEW SHIRT!!! lol

Fair enough.

I think someone was saying if you keep your receipt you can go back and get the printing later. Someone can confirm that? 

agree re:CB situation Paul but surely Ignasi Miquel gets some action. 

a lot of time and effort went into these young players, Miquel, Gnarby, Zealem, Coq, ....heck even the Ox , Jenkinson need more responsibility and that has to be through game time for the first team. 

That's a shame but yep you should be able to go back and get it another time. I didn't want it but they noted it on my receipt in case I decide to get it later on.

Ignasi may well be that 4th CB option. Must admit I just haven't watched enough of him to pass an opinion, he's always been one of those fairly promising ones that just hasn't broken through for whatever reason, perhaps only Arsene knows.

Sounds like he'll get time in pre-season, I'd say this is last chance saloon for him to show Wenger that he belongs in the first team squad. If he's good enough then I'm all for it, would save us a lot of hassle!

I always wondered what the deal is with Coquelin - every time I've seen him for us he's looked very very good, why hasn't he made the step up in Wenger's mind? Is it his size? Attitude problem or something? 

The other ones Foal mentioned I'm very excited about. Gnabry looked something special in a few matches last season. I think the ox will be a superstar. Zelalem has got a hell of a pass on him, so relaxed on the ball, loved watching him in pre-season last year. And I'm a fan of Jenko, reckon Debuchy signing is perfect to let Jenko spend the next 2-3 seasons gaining experience and preparing to be our no.1.

I think Ignasi has consistently looked OK, but been loaned out to get experience.