Tag: Wenger

Weird transfer XI – Some shockers in here!

There have been some weird transfers over the years. Some that just didn’t make sense at the time and seem even worse when you look back. Here are some that stick in my mind: 

GK: Edwin Van Der Sar – Juve to Fulham.

The whole thing was just weird. Clearly too good for them. Eventually made his move to Man U and won it all. What’s unreal is he was at Fulham for FOUR years. What a total waste of time.

RB: Mat Debuchy – Newcastle to Arsenal.

May not seem that weird but as a Newcastle fan, we couldn’t believe Arsene Wenger paid us twice as much as we did for him, to take him off our hands. He’s done nothing at Arsenal and none of us are surprised. Weird.

(I also have to mention Julian Faubert from West Ham to Real Madrid on loan. Very strange one)

CB: Laurent Blanc – Inter to Man Utd. 

Seriously this one was weird for the entire time he was there. He was clearly too old and contributed to Fergie’s worst ever season in the Premier League. So ridiculous.

CB: David Luiz – PSG to Chelsea.

This one was weird right? No-one could understand it. He then helped them win the league. So weird. He’s now not in the team. Not so weird.

LB: Mikael Silvestre – Man Utd to Arsenal.

I found this one just very strange. I couldn’t get my head around it. Fergie never sells to a rival, so he must have been past it, but he wasn’t that bad, which made it all just weird.

CM: Thomas Gravesen – Everton to Real Madrid.

Has there ever been a weirder permanent transfer? He actually played as well. Twilight zone.

CM: Edgar Davids – rocks up at Barnet.

This wasn’t a transfer and he was player-manager (kind of) but come on. Edgar Davids playing for Barnet? Weirdo.

CM: Ivan Campo – Real Madrid to Bolton.

I could have put Fernando Hierro in this team or even Djorkaeff but Campo was still in his prime and had only recently stopped polishing his Champions League medal. He would spend six years at Bolton. Six.

FW: Nicolas Anelka – Fenerbahce to Bolton.

PSG, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Man City, Fenerbahce, Bolton, Chelsea, wait what? If Anelka were to go for a job interview, he would need to explain the gap in his CV for that 2-year spell at Bolton Wanderers. How? Why?

FW: George Weah – Milan to Chelsea.

This was just weird. It’s like it never happened but it did and I for one can’t forget it. George Weah was a mirage, a mysterious idol to be watched only on Football Italia, winning World player of the year. Not struggling to play up front with Chris Sutton. No. No. No.

FW: Ian Rush & John Barnes – Leeds & Liverpool to Newcastle.

First off, these are two players so technically makes my XI a 12 man team. However, they came at the same time and given their ability at their respective ages, they just about make up one players worth.

As a Toon fan, I watched Kevin Keegan sign Ferdinand & Ginola in 1995 and almost won us the league. I then saw Kenny Dalglish sell them both in 1997 & replace them with over the hill Ian Rush & John Barnes. What? I know they say ‘sign what you know’ but this destroyed our team and put the club back for years. Perhaps forever. Why Kenny? Why? Utter nonsense.

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Alexis Sanchez Attitude Is Shocking. Arsenal Need To Cash In Now!

“Who does he think he is? Is he too important to warm up with his team mates like everybody else?”

I was at the Bournemouth vs Arsenal game where Sanchez had a hissy fit at full time throwing his pathetic gloves around and turning the air blue with Spanish swear words. This reaction from pulling a draw from 3-0 down was an absolute joke. Not because it was an impressive achievement but because he was as much responsible for being 3-0 down to begin with then anyone. Watching Arsenal warm up before the game I saw something I have never seen before at any Premier League game.

A first team player having complete disregard for his team mates or coaching staff as he decided to ‘warm up’ on his own. As the picked starting XI were on one side of the pitch going through a shooting drill together and the subs were on the other side going through their own warm up, in the middle of them both was a lonely figure lazily wandering around as he now and again kicked a ball into the goal. Never breaking sweat, never moving for more than 3 steps to either side as he just stood there on his own, ‘Doing his own thing’.

Not my fault…

Who does he think he is? Is he too important to warm up with his team mates like everybody else? Is he not interested in what the coaching staff want him to do as he knows better? I cant believe something like this can be tolerated and going on at a club like Arsenal. Does Wenger even know about this type of stuff going on? Something like a star man feeling he can do whatever he wants explains why Arsenal haven’t been good enough to win the league since 2004. Can you imagine Henry, Vieira or Pires not just doing this or be allowed to get away with it. It’s a joke.

Once the game started Sanchez then carried on his one man show of walking around the pitch as he was completely uninterested in doing his bit for the team. All of this in the first half was directly in front of Arsene Wenger as well with Sanchez over on his side of the pitch. Is he blind to it or accepts it? Either way Arsenal being 3-0 was of no surprise given the total lack of commitment by Sanchez in particular. The fact he then ‘kicked off’ at everyone else in the dressing room after the game is outrageous. If I were Wenger I would sell him to the highest bidder.

Great Double Act

Now that Payet has made it clear he wants to play for a bigger club then West Ham it should be a no brainer for Arsenal and go with the Payet/Giroud combination that we all know works extremely well. Payet may be petulant but at least he actually WANTS to play for a club like Arsenal. Which is more then can be said about Mr Sanchez. Get rid.