https://twitter.com/#!/ladyarse/stat...38845091598337Quote:
Originally Posted by LDG
https://twitter.com/#!/ladyarse/stat...52233532260352
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https://twitter.com/#!/ladyarse/stat...38845091598337Quote:
Originally Posted by LDG
https://twitter.com/#!/ladyarse/stat...52233532260352
followed by
https://twitter.com/#!/skysports_bry...57819992866816
:popcorn:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/14041423.stmQuote:
Originally Posted by LDG
11:40am
Press conference at 7 to announce the signing.
SSN breaking news: Gervinho having his medical today.
Welcome. :wave:
He needs a nickname.
And a haircut.
And a new face.
http://www.goal.com/en/news/89/afric...tys-kolo-toureQuote:
Manchester City’s suspended central defender Kolo Toure has declared that his compatriot Gervinho of French Ligue 1 champions Lille will be the next Samuel Eto’o, considering the Ivorian’s dribbling skills and pace.
Kolo, who is currently on vacation in Cote D’Ivoire, expressed his vision about Gervinho to Sport-Ivoire on Tuesday, days after the 24-year-old former Le Mans winger was named Ivorian footballer of the year.
“Gervinho is very skilful, he’s young, swift and technical,” Kolo said. “I call him the next Samuel Eto’o. He merits being Cote D’Ivoire’s player of the year and I hope he will roll out another brilliant season. I pray he joins a club where he could express his talent the more to the world.”
Kolo earlier purchased Gervinho’s Lille jersey for $4,000 during the award ceremony, when it was put up for a bid meant to re-equip a public hospital pillaged during the country’s post election crisis.
Both players are products of the famous Abidjan-based football academy, Mimosifcom, where the likes of Yaya Toure and Salomon Kalou were groomed.
Reasonably happy with this one.
Now if only we can keep the other two...
Yay! Another press conference!Quote:
Originally Posted by Boss
:haha:Quote:
Originally Posted by Grimandi's Perm
He does need all those things tbf.
hmm guess AW upped the packet of crisps to some kettle chips and signed him then!
fink we gna need extra space in the changing room to fit in his giant forehead mind!
And here he is arriving for his medical..
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2295/...51b9ae6d_o.gif
http://www.goonersweb.co.uk/forum/im...ies/hahaha.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by Grimandi's Perm
:trophy:
post of the day!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grimandi's Perm
:haha:
:lol:
http://www.sabotagetimes.com/footbal...french-scout/?Quote:
Gervinho has won the French title with Lille and played in the World Cup finals for Cote d’Ivoire, and yet Arsenal fans are still divided about the prospect of the winger signing for them this summer. A French football scout based in Lille offers us the low-down on Arsenal’s first potential big-money signing of the Stan Kroenke era.
How good is Gervinho?
He is a good player. My view would be that he is good enough for Arsenal, even though he gets a bit of stick in France. Whether he is worth the fee that’s been mentioned, between €12 and €15m, is difficult to answer, but he has only one year left on his contract, so it does sound a lot. I’ve seen most of Lille’s games this season and he’s exceptionally quick, tall, lean and strong, much stronger than he looks. He can shoulder people off the ball as though they’re not there. One thing he does give you that his team-mate Eden Hazard doesn’t is goals. Gervinho is a better finisher, and gets in more scoring positions, he’s far more likely to snap up a chance. Lille have played a 4-3-3 formation all season and of the two wingers, it’s Gervinho who operates as the auxiliary striker, as his stats prove: last season he got 12 goals, this season he got 15, and ten assists. That’s a tremendous return.
So why does get stick in France?
Well, he can be frustrating. His decision-making occasionally lets him down, and he does have that ability to wind fans up with his performances. Against Sochaux in Week 36, for example, he missed an easy chance in the first chance, and everyone groaned. But then in the second half, he scored the winner. He’s that type of player. There was another match, Lille were 1-0 up and he led a counter-attack but made a poor pass which should have created a goal. But then he’s never anonymous: against Brest, in Week 27, Lille were trailing but he equalised and turned the game around. In the French Cup semi-final, he rounded the Nice goalkeeper to score as though he wasn’t there, and in the final, he was Lille’s best outfield player. He even won a penalty after Lille had taken the lead (which was missed).
It sounds like his game will suit the Premier League.
Most definitely. Having played for Le Mans and now Lille, moving to England is the natural progression. He has pace and strength as well as technique. He may not be as dextrous as Hazard, but he is skilful and it looks a good fit, if he can settle. That’s always the big ‘if’.
What’s his best position?
He played on the right side of Lille’s 4-3-3 system for most of the season, and would cut in from that position. Occasionally he switched with Hazard and played on the left, but he never played as a centre-forward. Even when the regular centre-forward [and Ligue 1’s top scorer] Moussa Sow was out, Gervinho stayed wide and Tulio de Melo or Pierre-Alain Frau would step in. So it remains to be seen how he would adapt to playing in a different system, like a 4-4-2, as he’s unlikely to find a team that sticks as rigidly to 4-3-3 as Lille did. If he did have to change formation, it would be an interesting test to see how he would adapt to it.
He’s been linked to Arsenal, Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester City: which team would he suit best?
He doesn’t say much considering he is a French champion but one thing he has always said is that he wants to play Champions League football. So while it shows great ambition that Newcastle are looking at him, I think it’s a long-shot. The same is true, though to a lesser degree, at Liverpool. In April, I thought he might end up at a team like Liverpool or Tottenham but since then, two Champions League teams have been linked with him. Of those two, I think he would find it easier to settle at Arsenal, for the obvious reason that so many French-speaking players are there, and it’s a proven choice for top Ligue 1 players. Manchester City is more of an unknown quantity for Ligue 1 players.
Who does he play like?
That’s a difficult one. Not Theo Walcott, that’s for sure. He’s much more of a finisher than Walcott. In a way, he’s not that dissimilar to Mamadou Niang when he was at Marseille: he would play on the left and cut in to score his goals, but he never liked to play through the middle. Andre-Pierre Gignac was the same, he said he’d rather be on the bench than play centre-forward at Marseille, and so they benched him. In terms of current Premier League players, it’s tough: maybe Dirk Kuyt, in terms of finishing, but he has more pace. Like Kuyt, you can always see with Gervinho why the coach has picked him. He makes things happen.
Why hasn’t he come sooner?
This is the right time for him. He’s now had two years at Lille, and he was never going to leave last summer as the club was clearly going places. The fact he’s not done it in Europe yet is not his fault, Lille were knocked out of the Europa League. But he’s now 24, still has plenty to prove, so it’s a good time for him to go. Think of someone like Robert Pires, he didn’t join Arsenal until he was 27, so he’s a good age.
What do you think he can bring to Arsenal that they don’t already have?
What Arsenal would get is a player who will get into double figures for goals and assists, while not playing as their main striker. That is the type of player who can elevate with you with his figures, he could make the difference between coming fourth and second. He moves instinctively in the box and though he can miss chances, he’s a good finisher.
If Arsenal sign Gervinho this summer, will it help them at all in the race for Eden Hazard?
I think Arsenal would have to improve dramatically to get Hazard. He’s a very confident guy and for me, Arsenal would have to show him that they are better than fourth in the Premier League if they want to sign him. Hazard has said he prefers Spain anyway. It’s been reported that he supports Real Madrid, and is on Barcelona’s reserve list of targets, so those two would have first choice on him. Lille would never consider selling both players this summer anyway, and at the moment, I would say Gervinho is more suited to Arsenal’s level than Hazard.
More about Gervinho.
Gervo and Theo! Theo! Theo! flanking Are Vee Pee will be deadly.
We're winning this tbf.
On, this is.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/...60_796746c.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by Master Splinter
Actually, he does quite look like Yoda too.
A mixture of Eto'o and Pires? Best player ever tbh.
Gervo :bow:
Just realised his real name is Gervais :lol:
Hope he doesn't turn out be an unfunny fat fuck.
Harsh on Letters tbf.Quote:
Originally Posted by Master Splinter
Which bit?Quote:
Originally Posted by LDG
Quote:
Originally Posted by Master Splinter
:good:Quote:
Just realised his real name is Gervais
fingers crossed we can do the deals for cahill/samba quickly and show a lil bit of intention that may help keep nasri.
The only thing that will keep Nasri here is a fat contract which we won't offer.Quote:
Originally Posted by I_Killed_Kenny
one can only hope! still, we need more than replacements, we need strengthening, adding to the numbers we already have. but all we will do is sell 4 and sign 3 and get caught short again when the usual injury prone players have their midseason holiday
So you don't want people posting here until they are able to assess how it has all worked out at the end of the transfer window?Quote:
Originally Posted by Letters (TPFKA WWTL@WHL)
Or maybe you'd prefer people to feign optimism?
Some people are OTT, but if it is how they feel, it is how they feel. Your repetitive comments of 'people moaning their tits off' is sanctimonious and boring now.
:gp:Quote:
Originally Posted by GB.
:popcorn:
See, that's why he's my idol. :coffee:
I don't think we should offer him the fat contract. It isn't earned, and I think the reputed offer of £90k is more than generous. It probably does not seem that way to him though given what he would be offered elsewhere and when he compares his earnings to the dross like Bendtner and Denilson, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
I really think the Club needs to reexamine what is offered to players of the caliber of the above so that there is some wiggle room within the transfer budget to offer the likes of Nasri better contracts if the Club wishes to keep them.
Brilliant!Quote:
Originally Posted by Grimandi's Perm
:haha:
Edited to add: Sorry can't stop laughing, :haha: :haha:
had me going for a start.......:clap:Quote:
Quote Originally Posted by Grimandi's Perm View Post
And here he is arriving for his medical..
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2295/...51b9ae6d_o.gif
Quote:
Originally Posted by GB.
good post!
Letters with all due respect please do one.
You know what most gooners are crying foul over. Some may seem over-the-top but frankly you couldn't begrudge any gooner if they are so disillusioned.
People feared it may come to this -- those who didn't are now coming around to it -- which inevitably leaves people fearing the worst with the competition so stiff now.
It didn't have to come to this -- it could have been avoided! That is the most fundamental source of all this outrage. If Man U were where we are now, you could bet your bottom dollar their fans would be outraged.
We could potentially lose clichy,cesc and nasri in one summer! Do you honestly believe that is not a possibilty? If it is, aren't you a little bit alarmed what effect this is likely to have on the rest of the team?
You know what, I don't really give a toss anymore -- I am jaded by it all.
My only beef is against those who like to pretend all of this is some kind of unfortunate luck and we have been powerless to make the necessary and decisive adjustments required.
Oh I agree, this chump was as guilty as anyone of taking his foot off the gas and it sickens me that he has held the club by the balls. City can double anything we offer with ease, so it's going to take smashing our wage structure to pieces to keep him now. Fully agree with the last sentence too, I know we don't have any concrete figures but the reported wages at the club seem very disproportionate.Quote:
Originally Posted by GB.
Gervinho done.
Oxo-Chumpface next?
Are those the only two options? Really? No middle ground at all between "Oh noes, this is the worst summer EVER!" and "Don't worry, everything is rosy."?Quote:
Originally Posted by GB.
And how I feel is how I feel and if you defend their repetitive OTT moaning then by the same token I can pick them up on it. Especially when the comments are as OTT and nonsensical as some on here have been.Quote:
Some people are OTT, but if it is how they feel, it is how they feel.
So, what about Owen Hargreaves then?
He's looking fighting fit in those youtube vids ;)
Don't think anything will happen for the time being until Nasri and Cesc fuck off. Then we will need to do some serious spending.Quote:
Originally Posted by Master Splinter
MS, is this confirmed officially?Quote:
Originally Posted by Master Splinter
I don't. And I am too. But some of the stuff on here is massively over the top IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by budesonide
"Worst summer ever"? Really? The transfer window has only just opened. What nonsense to call it that already.
"All our star players want to leave"? Really? All of them? Do me a favour.
The rest of your post is reasonable and contains a lot of the concerns which most of us have. I have no problem with that, I have more of a problem with the utter hyperbole which some are coming out with and I'm well within my rights to say so.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
I agree with this Marc.......I must have been watching the beginning of the rot with tinted glasses because I didn't see the warning signs......kept thinking next week will be different but then it hit me like a sledgehammer that the team had stopped trying and the ones that were carrying us to giddy heights were the worst culprits.......to be honest we can wiggle room or smash the wage structure......but for what? the next greedy moroon to put a gun to our headQuote:
as guilty as anyone of taking his foot off the gas
I want to see a team of triers, a group of players that want to play for the club because they love doing so......does this mean that we will slip out of the reckoning? I don't think, we will never be a Wolves or a yoyo like Everton, but if it does mean we have to forgo some luxuries then I can live with that if make sure that we do our up most to get back to what we should consider our rightful place as one of the top teams in the land.
It is obvious that Nasri does want to leave, as he says nothing about having a desire to stay or what it means to him to be an Arsenal player........the harsh reality is that it makes more sense to put time and effort into looking for the right replacement than to waste time trying to convince him to stay.