Sammy Nasri : Three options

The na na na na na na song has been sung up and down the country in away sections when Arsenal have been in town and KC and Sunshine has been played frequently during the warm up at the Emirates and I’ve loved every minute of it.

It seems Nasri has three options; sign a new deal, leave this summer (if the club let him) or stay but not sign a new deal (yet).

In my opinion, the third option is most likely at the moment. It seems like Nasri is not ready to sign a deal, otherwise it would be signed already and I cannot see Mr Wenger selling to Manchester United. Nasri must have his reasons for not signing and without knowing the full facts I will not judge him….but I do want him to stay.

It is a strange feeling because it seems selling Cesc Fabregas is a way of keeping Nasri as wages are freed up, meaning Nasri can get a rise and also may mean he can play in a more advanced role through the middle which may appeal to him more.

Saying all that, why would anyone want Cesc Fabregas to go? If Samir Nasri wants to win trophies then Cesc Fabregas staying is the best way to try and do that. It’s a complex situation.

It’s a difficult one for Arsenal too. Sell him now or potentially lose him for nothing (like Flamini). The way I look at it is that selling him will get us around 10-20m maximum and free up around 60-70k a week in wages which means a replacement needs to be found with that price in mind. Are we going to get anyone better then Nasri for that price? I am not convinced.

With Gervinho rumoured as a ‘done deal’ and talks with Cahill and possibly Samba on going, it does show Arsenal are very active and are trying to put right the wrongs of last season. With that in mind, keeping Nasri for another year BUT adding a trophy may persuade Nasri to stay. It would certainly be a massive gamble but is it one worth taking?

Another factor about transfers in general is that Arsenal may not know their full budget for transfers. As Arsenal finished fourth, the Champions League is not guaranteed. If the unthinkable happens and Arsenal do not qualify then this would have a huge bearing on the transfer fund. Off course, we expect Arsenal to qualify but this could be a factor.

As for Nasri, selling him to Manchester United is not really an option for me. Selling them Nasri for even 25m would not make sense as it would only make them even stronger and as a direct competitor, this is something we just cannot afford to do.

The left back position too needs to be looked at because most journalists and people I have spoken too seem to think he is most certainly off, but anything can change. Its football!

Being a Gooner is tough at the best of times but at the moment it’s extremely tough!

Hope everyone has had a good summer so far and enjoy the rest of the summer (a signing or three and keeping our star players will help!)

Gazidis Promises An 'Active Summer'

Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis told us the supporters trust that it will be an active summer at the Emirates.

I was present with around 200 other supporters to listen to what Ivan had to say. As I expected, he did not give much away and it felt he was worried about what would be in the morning papers so all we could do was read between the lines.

Gazidis mentioned an ‘active summer’ three times I seem to recall he talked about a lack of experience in seeing games out and that was the major clue about what sort of players will be bought.

Gazdis was not going to be caught up with individuals but said Arsenal have been in touch with many clubs about many players.

I do think some important issues were raised and will be looked into. The issue of reserve games being played behind closed doors during the winter months cropped up and people that have been to reserve games will agree there is always a good atmosphere and a good chance to see the young talent on show but also talk to other supporters about club issues. The argument from Gazidis was that it helps player development to play on the pitches at the training ground but I also think playing in front of a crowd will aid player development so I guess a balancing act has to be found.

The Arsene Wenger question was asked several times. Someone asked if removing Mr Wenger from the financial aspects of the club would help but Gazidis rejected the idea because he felt Mr Wenger needs to be involved as he is the manager and knows what the club needs. In terms of the future of the manager, a lot depends on if he loses the supporters and if he did; it may be hard to keep him at the club.

I am firmly behind Arsene Wenger and I think he knows what he has to do this summer and I really hope we win something this season so we do not have to even consider his future this time next year.

There was a good debate after the meeting too and the passion for the club is as good as ever.

Come on you Arsenal !

End Of Yet Another Season

Fair to say I had that empty feeling as I woke up on Monday morning knowing there was no more Arsenal for a few months; but in a way, I was glad.

I think we all need a holiday and a break from football. Supporters, players and manager and even the stewards look a bit worn out! This has to be one of the more frustrating seasons in recent years because of the dramatic fall from four competitions to one then to none.

The Emirates was a strange place in the latter part of the season, it was very uneasy and very tense and with the results on the pitch, no one can be surprised.

Fulham away on Sunday pretty much summed up the last few months. Robin Van Persie scores AGAIN and some school boy defending meant we conceded two goals.

The best thing about Sunday was the atmosphere in the away section at the cottage and once again it was superb. Chants such as ‘your statue is S***, your statue is s***, it should have been Jedward, your statue is s***’ was a highlight.

The other chant that created a story was about spending money. I didn’t get involved in the chant BUT completely understand it. This squad does need some work and some investment and for many supporters who like me, paid £50 to come and watch the Arsenal on Sunday just wanted to get their message across. What was touching was that straight after that chant, there was a chorus of ‘We Love You Arsenal’ for about a good five minutes and that just showed that supporters are frustrated BUT are still very much in love with the club and only want the club to be successful.

After the game Mr Wenger said we cannot spend 50m on a player and off course the supporters were not hinting that we do but I do believe Mr Wenger knows exactly what the supporters mean but wanted to fob the question off a bit because he has always been quite tight lipped about transfer activities.

In an interview with Arsenal Tv (Arsenals own media channel) he was more open and said he will be active so I guess we just have to wait and see.

With players like Denilson and Bendtner indicating they may leave and with others rumoured to want to leave, the boss has no real choice but to strengthen. In a press conference a few weeks ago, he was asked about conceding late goals and he put it down to experience and said the transfer window is a way of solving it.

For me, it’s not about how much we spend; it’s more about the off course the quality but personality of the player. Take someone like Martin Keown, he perhaps was not the most technically gifted footballer we have had BUT he was a warier and a leader and stood up to be counted for ALWAYS. I think it may be time to look at a players personality as much as their playing quality because we do lack leaders. The right balance has to be found.

You get the feeling this is a HUGE summer for the Arsenal but one thing that we wanted was Jack Wilshere to get a rest and we got that, so wanting a few experience players may follow!

Come on You Arsenal !

Ps. My favourite moment of the season is always at the cottage because when the second half is starting, Mr Wenger always forgets to come out ON TIME rather then his usual 30 seconds into second half but at the cottage, the tunnel is on the other side of the dugout and you have to go right through the pitch and EVERY year Mr Wenger makes the same mistake and is told to run and seeing our beloved Frenchman in a suit running is always a sight that makes me smile!

Have a good summer!