Arsenal FC @ Emirates All Gunner fans fall in

It looks like the gunners are being stressed up after losing the top position to MU ... hope they pick up soon ....

[condolescences]

Hopefully no charges for the two, else more suspension, dont know wanna cry or laugh

[Cum_Luver]

Gunners,you had been drawn to face Man Utd in the FA Cup Fifth Round.
this is going to be a cracker and fiery match.
will be waiting for it.

[guy_edwin]

As always under testing conditions, the Gunners will prevail.

[manure]

arsenal this year hiong sia. if not for spurs they might still be in for quadruple

[darkafac]

they are still doin well i think.. with Adebayor scoring like theres no tml.. nw i hope Van persie can come back quick and fabregas gaining back his form like when in the start of season

[kedeb]

Originally Posted by manure

arsenal this year hiong sia. if not for spurs they might still be in for quadruple

I really doubt they want to aim for quadruple ....
Too many games liao ,... and a distraction to their main aim

Anyway, all things will drop points, but Gunners will not drop so mmuch more until they lose the title ....

So Gunners get ready to celebrate come May

[darkafac]

wad a disappointing lost in the FA cup to Man Utd.. but nvm.. they still can dominate the epl game.. hope they win against milan tonight..

Wah lau eh, Gunners is really on a roll ....

Roll downwards ....

[Foolish_guy]

hi everyone , i am new to SBF.
i am also a support of arsenal fan!
hope they dun drop anymore point in the league. get a double at the end of the season =)

[linnaohia1]

With Flamini gone and HLEB going quite soon ... their lost, not Gunners ... most who have left did not do well just shows the Managerial qualities of Wenger ...

[spotter542]

Source : soccernet.com

Arsenal will not adopt the Chelsea model of pursuing success on the pitch regardless of the cost, according to director Danny Fiszman.

The Gunners failed to win a trophy last season but are determined not to seek a Chelsea-style benefactor such as billionaire Roman Abramovich in search of silverware.

Arsenal ran out of steam in both the Premier League and Champions League as Chelsea pushed Manchester United all the way.

But Fiszman has signalled Arsenal's determination not to go down the same route as Chelsea, whose pursuit of the Premier League and Champions League saw them ultimately come second best to United in both competitions.

Fiszman told the club's official website: 'We don't believe in the benefactor model.'

Arsenal's financial strategy is linked to revenue generation from Emirates Stadium and also involvement in emerging markets for the football club.

Fiszman added: 'It is not a question of a one-time infusion of cash to buy player x or player y. You actually then have salaries that are connected to the players.'

There are associated dangers of spending big on players, something Fiszman and the Arsenal board of directors are wary of.

He said of big-name players: 'What if they don't work out? Do you go and buy another two or three players? Is there any end to it?

'So I think everybody, including Chelsea, knows there are limits. Chelsea were not big spenders last summer certainly - they got our old player Steven Sidwell on a free transfer.

'We believe in the end the self-sustaining model is the right one, the one we have adopted and will continue adopting.'

The Gunners followed a similar strategy when it came to contract talks with French midfielder Mathieu Flamini, who eventually decided to leave in favour of Italian giants AC Milan.

And Fiszman believes the club were right to stick to their policy over player wages.

He continued: 'We made a substantial offer to Mathieu. It was considerable and in line with our wage structure but he chose to go elsewhere.

'We wish him luck, thank him for what he has done for the club and wish him all the best.'

Fiszman also believes Arsenal's wage structure is not out of line with the others in the big four Premier League clubs, with the exception of Chelsea.

'If you look at our total wage costs you will see they are virtually the same as Manchester United and substantially more than Liverpool,' he said. 'Of course we are all a little less than Chelsea who are in a world of their own. But compared to Manchester United and Liverpool we are good payers.

'We believe it is a team sport and we do well but we don't want the disparity between the top and bottom earner being too big. It takes 11 people on the pitch to deliver.'

Fiszman claims the future of the club lies with identifying new markets and also different uses, such as staging rock concerts, for Emirates Stadium which has now been operating for two seasons.

He explained: 'I think our expansion abroad is where we'll see the main increase. That is with sponsorships, affiliations that we have made in Thailand and Vietnam.

'We are looking for a variety of sponsors in the Far East that want to align themselves with Arsenal.'

But despite his optimism for the future Fiszman admitted the Gunners were disappointed they surrendered the lead in the Premier League title race to United last season.

He said: 'The football we played through the year created expectations, and the fact we had a five-point lead (over United in the Premier League) created even greater expectations so I think everybody is sad and deflated.'

Fiszman also admitted the failure to win a trophy had been a big disappointment for the Gunners.

'In the end that is what we all strive for. We can't win every year and hopefully it will be our turn next year and for many years to come.'

[darkafac]

Arsenal turn to Andrei Arshavin as replacement for Barcelona target Emmanuel Adebayor




Arsenal could turn to Russia's Andrei Arshavin to replace Emmanuel Adebayor after receiving an offer of around £21 million from Barcelona for the Togo striker.

Reports in Spain claim Arsenal want £25 million for last season's leading scorer but manager Arsene Wenger is said to be reluctant to allow the striker to leave.

Josep Guardiola, Barcelona's coach, admitted the club were seeking a striker to replace Samuel Eto'o and to complement Thierry Henry and Bojan Krkic.

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani reportedly said: "If Adebayor doesn't come then nobody will come. We are in negotiations but Arsenal are unwilling to sell."

Arshavin made his debut in the European Championship here on Wednesday, returning from a two-match ban to lead the Russians to an outstanding victory over Sweden and book a quarter-final meeting with Holland in Basle tomorrow. He also scored his 15th international goal in 35 outings.

While Arshavin is a different type of player to Adebayor - a smaller forward who plays off a front man in a similar fashion to Croatian striker Eduardo - he excites and Wenger is understood to have already contacted Piak Piak Advocaat, the coach of Zenit St Petersburg, to discuss the possibility

[darkafac]

Arsenal have completed the capture of Samir Nasri after agreeing to pay Marseille £12million for the services of the player tipped to be the next Zinedine Zidane.

Nasri, 21 on Thursday, has signed a four-year deal and becomes Arsene Wenger's second acquisition of the summer following the £5m arrival of Cardiff City teenager Aaron Ramsey.

The deal was announced yesterday on Nasri's personal website and he underwent a medical in London last week. Although Arsenal have not yet officially confirmed his transfer, Nasri says the deal has been rubber-stamped.

Arsenal are likely to recoup their outlay with the sale of Alexander Hleb to Barcelona. Nasri is a ready-made replacement for Hleb, also being able to play on the left of midfield or through the centre.

There was little opportunity for Arsenal fans, however, to see their latest signing in action during France's ill-fated Euro 2008 campaign, with coach Raymond Domenech only bringing him on from the bench in the games against Romania and Italy.

As well as sorting out Hleb's future, Wenger must decide whether to give in to the sustained pressure from AC Milan and Barcelona in their pursuit of Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor.

Barca remain confident of landing the player and are prepared to go as high as £24m.

But Milan vicepresident Adriano Galliani repeated yesterday: 'We only have one target and that is Adebayor.'

It is little wonder that Nasri has been compared to former legend Zidane, being a France international of Algerian descent who hails from Marseille.

He is comfortable on the ball and can play as a support striker as well as across midfield. The player himself does not like the comparison, however.

He said: 'I don't think it is fair to put that sort of pressure on a young player.

'There's only one Zidane, just as there was only one Platini. I'm me, a novice, who is just trying to get better.'

He also had a difficult farewell season in the French League. Beset by viral problems and injury, his stock fell during a stop-start campaign that nevertheless ended on a personal and professional high as Marseille qualified for the Champions League.

The club's manager, Eric Gerets, insisted that Nasri will give Wenger options, saying: 'He feels he is better playing a little further down the field but I'm convinced he can play close to a centre forward.

'He is especially lethal around the box when he is not marked too closely. When he has a minimum of space, that's when he is dangerous.'

In 12 appearances for France he has scored two goals.

[darkafac]

Latest Squad Numbers Update.

1. Manuel ALMUNIA
2. Abou DIABY
3. Bacary SAGNA
4. Francesc FABREGAS
5. Kolo TOURE
6. Philippe SENDEROS
7. Tomas ROSICKY
8.
9. EDUARDO
10. William GALLAS
11. Robin VAN PERSIE
12. Carlos VELA
13. Alexander HLEB
14.
15. DENILSON
16. Aaron RAMSEY
17. Alexandre SONG
18.
19. GILBERTO
20. Johan DJOUROU
21. Lukasz FABIANSKI
22. Gael CLICHY
23.
24. Vito MANNONE
25. Emmanuel ADEBAYOR
26. Nicklas BENDTNER
27. Emmanuel EBOUE
28.
29.
30. Armand TRAORE
31. Justin HOYTE
32. Theo WALCOTT