That would be funny, because I don't remember, or have seen anyone say RvP or Song weren't any good.

But they're both replaceable after being the spine of our team last season?

Song yes, RvP no.

Agree, Jenkinson is actually not half bad when he's not being pressured defensively.

My impression was that Arteta was playing more strictly as the midfield anchor last night. That and the lack of pressure allowed him to acrue a monumental amount of passes. 114/119!

"Not fully fit and not anywhere near settled into the league yet Poldi + Giroud" = "not quite RVP in his 8th and best year of the prem" is more like it.

We have to take into account that it's Giroud and Podolski's first game ever in the premier league of which neither of them are fully fit yet.
Way too early to be making judgements like this.

For all we know once they are settled into the league, they could be earning better goal to game ratios than RVP.
Probably not but we havn't seen enough yet to be able to say that we've taken a huge step back as implied.

Rumours that we have all but signed Sahin. Deal with him was apparently agreed on Friday and deal with Real going on over the weekend and set to be done very soon. Deal is apparently for a loan with the option to buy.

Any clue about the option fee?

No idea, but I wouldn't imagine it'd be any kind of really big fee.

I don't know about anyone else but I think 15m is a steal for Song

Supposedly Arshavin is in St. Petersburg.

On his official website so is probably true. Wouldn't be surprised to see him and Bendtner off in the next week or so.

Also rumours that M'Vila is now on his way as well as Sahin.

That would surprise me. Is it a good source?
(Edit: The M'vila as well as Sahin rumour)

Edited by neanderthal: 19/8/2012 10:56:45 PM

The Sahin rumours are from a good source. The M'Vila rumours are from some Al Jazeera reports, so not really sure how credible.

:lol: Rumours of us being in for Llorente.

@bbcsport_david - Arsenal close to completing Sahin deal. Season-long loan with view to permanent. Confirmation likely early next week #bbcfootball #afc #rmfc

Apparently the permanent fee will be around 8m euros which, if true, is a ridiculous steal.

I'm reading Sahin loan for €2m + €6m option to buy. That's rediculously good business IF true

EDIT: I needed to refresh my browser, cause I didn't see your post

Edited by Hinderz: 20/8/2012 12:36:38 AM

[-o< [-o< [-o< This sounds too good to be true.

Edited by Roar_Brisbane : 20/8/2012 12:41:42 AM

My thoughts exactly, but they paid €6m for him so not terrible business for a player that's not in their plans

Apparently it was a personal phone call from Arsene that made Sahin choose us over Liverpool.

Wouldn't surprise me since it was that same personal touch that got us Aaron Ramsey from under the noses of United.

Edited by sydneycroatia58: 20/8/2012 01:09:10 AM

You haven't got him yet.

Of course, but if David Ornstein is saying it's close I'm willing to go with it and say this ones got legs.

EDIT: Also, the fact that Oliver Kay, who on Thursday was reporting that an announcement from Liverpool would come in the next day or say, was backtracking on Friday and said Arsenal were now the favourites just adds fuel to the fire.

Edited by sydneycroatia58: 20/8/2012 01:57:09 AM

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wilshere-the-no-10-shirt-is-an-honour

also - song was david deins last client.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/arsenal-dumped-alex-song-on-barcelona-1269692

The whole Song saga is incredibly bizare to me.
I think the mirror is twisting that story a bit as him being like that always but in fact he's just been like that the past couple of months in this pre season.

Apparently over a pay dispute but what then doesn't make much sense is that he's only getting 15 thousand more than he was with this move. Hardly much of an increase compared to players like RVP getting their pay quadrupled when they move.

Also surprising that if all of this attitude stuff is true that it didn't put Barca off. Recently at Barca under Guardiola the character of their players and if they will fit in socially was very important to them.

Was one of my favourite players and seemed like a pretty easy going guy judging by interviews. Don't know what to think now. :-k
Oh well, bring on Sahin :D

Quadrupled? Really?

Exaggeration :P
But definitely more than double. Probably close to triple.

Still very doubtful. He was earning a nice amount at Arsenal I would guess.

No one earns a nice amount at Arsenal. That's why they leave.
He was on 90k. Not much more than most first teamers. His new contract is something like 200-250 isn't it?

Highly doubt he was on 90k. If that was the "official" amount, not that there is one, I will stand corrected. He would have been tempted away long before 2012 if that was the case.

If you highly doubt that then you don't know what the Arsenal board is like at all :P
They've generally tried to keep all of our first team players on similar wages.

If you think about it RVP has been injured for half of every year so was never really in a position to ask for a huge wage until the past year.
Some reports even have him on 70k per week. 90 was the highest value I found.

He was definitely on less than 100k. Cesc was our only player on 100k before he left.