talkingOfArsenal.com

Here's a quote worthy of a wry smile. City physio Neal Reynolds has left Carrow Road for Arsenal. On his leaving, he is reported to have said: "I am very sad about leaving, I love Norfolk and I love the club. I've been here seven years and everybody has made me feel very much at home. I need to challenge myself on the physiotherapy side of things, and as there will be more...

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So Sepp Blatter's been talking again about how plans to introduce player quota's could be in place by 2010/2011. According to the FIFA president, he has agreement from all the European confederations (whatever that means), and proposes not to fight the EU, but to work together with the EU to achieve common agreement. As far as I can work out, this insistence on restrictions and quota players is simply down to Blatter not...

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A bit of a strange title that one, but bear with me and it will all (hopefully) soon make a little more sense. "Events, dear boy, events", was how Harold McMillan responded when, as Prime Minister, he was asked what kept him awake at night. Out of the so-called top-four premier league clubs, it is a well known fact that Arsenal spend the least on transfers, although we somewhat match (but only just) the other clubs when it comes to player wages. That we haven't won any silverware for three years, is seen by some, both fans and news media alike, as just...

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An attacking midfielder who begun learning his trade as a kid of nine in the youth set up at Marseille, in May 2007 Nasri was named French Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year ahead of Jimmy Briand and Karim Benzema. As further proof of his quality, Samir Nasri has over time, progressed through the Under-16s, 17s, 18s, 19s and 21s of the French National squad. With a penchant for being direct (a good contrast with existing Arsenal mid-fielders, sad to say), the other plus points in his favour include his age (he is 21), his dynamism on the ball, the fact that he isn't afraid to...

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Stumbled on this video on YouTube and just couldn't help sharing it with you. Some of the skills on display here are just mind-boggling. So amazing in fact, that I've watched it over and over again, half-expecting to find out, work out or be told that it's all been put together by some matrix-style, Hollywood-bound, techno-wizard, effects boffin. But no, they really do seem real... Enjoy!

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This one certainly isn't clear cut (are they ever?). It seems to me that there are mixed messages coming from within Hleb's camp which cast doubt on whether the midfielder really wants out. Here are two independent quotes from both Hleb and his agent, just a few days apart. The agent, Nikolai Shpilevski, is reported to have said: "Hleb has been playing in London for three years now and isn't sure whether in the future he can show the level of talent that he is showing currently. I can only confirm that some of the world's biggest clubs are...

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Described as the French Christiano Ronaldo, this France under-21 international midfielder with a penchant for mazy dribbling as well as the dead-ball fits Wenger's policy of signing multi-positional players - he can double as a striker (and has scored 15 goals in 22 appearances for his national youth team). A strike rate of that level from a midfielder would bode very well indeed in this Arsenal side who, over the course of a season, very likely hold the...

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Every transfer window, Arsenal fans (this blogger included) are subjected to rumour and counter-rumour, theory and counter-theory, postulation and counter-postulation, the conclusion being the real risk of ending up a nervous wreckage if you are of anxious disposition.

So in these series of short blog postings I shall attempt in my own small way to ease the nerves (or maybe not!?) with my takes on various transfer news stories, along with a  score out of 5 showing what I think of the likelihood of the story being true.

I will try to post as often as possible, depending on media frenzy (or lack of it - but then this is Arsenal and we're approaching a transfer window, so there's fat chance of that).

Enjoy.

At the end of the Everton game, was making my way down the ramp towards the front of the Armoury Shop to meet an old mate of mine, when I see a copper with a hailer about to make a racket. When he pipes up, I hear this: "WILL ALL LIVERTON FANS PLEASE MAKE THEIR WAY ONTO QUEENSLAND ROAD, WHERE YOU CAN BOARD YOUR COACHES". Eh!? Did I hear right? I listen again...

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Groan! Sigh... This is probably the first time I've managed to squeeze three players names in a single blog title to make a sentence, and although I accept that it's probably one of the more dodgier headings I've conjured up, I couldn't think of anything else so unfortunately you're stuck with it. So Flamini is off to Italy. Just when he seemed to have won many-a-fan over (this blogger included), and established himself as a regular in the first team, Flamini's gone and left Arsenal. Not many people appear to know this, but the Frenchman has...

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