(writer’s note: This post may be a bit on the rambling, incoherent side. I have a lot of thoughts going around my noggin that I’m trying to formulate but will probably come out not as good as they are in my head b/c I’m having a bit of a freakout episode b/c my pretty good job situation may be taking a turn for the worse):
Every summer fans go nuts for the feeling of longing & pining that comes with new transfer signing rumors. We build these players up in our minds as the tonics to cure our teams’ ills and gives the schoolboy feeling of amor & hope in our hearts but ultimately, like in real life, we’re left disappointed & standing like a fool in the rain waiting on the wrong block for a love, or in this case a player, that’s never coming.
Even with two early transfer signings this year, a lot of Arsenal fans are beginning to froth & get the normal summer frustration when supposed signings, which were never likely coming but more in the realm of paper rumors, begin falling by the way side one by one. Yann M’Vila’s supposed signing being the best example of this so far, though there was at one time apparently genuine interest by Wenger before is alleged attitude problems at the Euros. From yesterday’s Arseblog post:
No . We wait on Diaby and Wilshere. When you look we have Song, Ramsey, Coquelin, Wilshere, Arteta and Diaby.
In defensive midfielders and box-to-box players we are not short if they are all coming back. If we have setbacks in pre-season it could be different.
So, with these comments it’s obvious Wengerspeak for “I’m not making any more signings,” at least in the midfield it looks like. Which will no doubt to a lot of fans boo-hooing that were going through the same sort of summer, coupled with players wanting to leave, over & over again à la Groundhog Day.
I refuse to get worked up about this kind of stuff anymore. Between this stuff & LSU Tiger fan brethren back home getting all hopping mad over a 13-1 season where we finish second in the nation with two piss poor QBs, it’s really making following sports in general, not fun anymore. Or not as fun as it used to be. The frustration that derives from unfulfilled, lofty (& often unwarranted or exaggerated) expectations is wearing on my nerves. I am usually able to stay away from this pattern of thinking in my sports teams but I am just as guilty of this type of mindset when it comes to chasing certain women. It’s nice to take a chance & shoot for the moon but the problem with it is, you’re often left burnt out & crashed amongst all the other rockets NASA blew up before they actually got to the moon. I’m not sure if that reference makes a whole helluva a lot of sense, but I think you get the point.
Anyway, despite all that malarkey the rumors of Málaga’s Santi Cazorla coming to Arsenal are at full steam, with several outlets reporting that he has actually agreed terms to join us. As usual, I won’t believe it 100% until the official website announces it. If we’re buying a winger, does it mean Theo is on his way out? Or maybe some competition or to replace the erratic Gervinho? Or is it a replacement for The Ox’s spot so Oxlade-Chamberlain can begin his prophesied move to midfield? Or…. is it a signing that’s designed to (hushed tones) get van Persie to stay? It’s an interesting one for sure, especially if the rumored €20 million fee is accurate.
Also Barca’s assistant manager or assistant complainer or whatever has said that Ibrahim Afellay is staying at the club, so obviously I’m going to scratch him off our transfer mega-list below along with Clint Dempsey who seems set to either sign for Liverpool or stay at Fulham.
And Pedro Botelho has signed for homeland side, Atletico Paranaense. Botelho never appeared in a first team match & spent most of his stint with Arsenal on loan with multiple sides in Spain which included Cartagena, Celta Vigo, Levante, Rayo Vallecano & Salamanca.
Hopefully, this post was coherent enough. Was it? I need a freaking Arrogant Bastard…
This is how it often feels pining for signings
Updated signing/departures list (updates in red):
Confirmed signings: Olivier Giroud (Montpellier), Lukas Podolski (1. FC Köln)
Confirmed departures: Manuel Almunia (released- Watford?), Pedro Botelho (Atletico Paranaense), George Brislen-Hall (released), Alban Bunjaku (Sevilla), Joel Campbell (Real Betís-loan), Denílson (São Paulo-loan), Gavin Hoyte (released- Dagenham & Redbridge), Sean McDermott (released), Jeffrey Monakana (Preston North End), Rhys Murphy (Telstar Velsen), Oğuzhan Özyakup (Beşiktaş), Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad), Sanchez Watt (released- Arsenal reserves?)
Likely signings: Santi Cazorla (Málaga), Mbaye Niang (Caen)
Likely departures: Andrei Arshavin (Al-Sadd [Qatar], Reading, Zenit Saint-Petersburg), Niklas Bendtner (Galatasaray, AC Milan), Marouane Chamakh (Beşiktaş, Fiorentina, Rubin Kazan, Valencia-loan), Łukasz Fabiański, Vito Mannone (Hull City), Chu/Ju-Young Park (Al-Ain [UAE]), Ryo Miyaichi (Bolton Wanderers-loan), Sébastian Squillaci (Bastia), Robin van Persie (AC Milan/Juventus/Manchester City/Manchester United)
Possible signings: Ibrahim Afellay (Barcelona), Hatem Ben Arfa (Newcastle United), Lucas Biglia (RSC Anderlecht), Etienne Capoue (Toulouse), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Tongo Doumbia (Rennes), Paulo Henrique Ganso (Santos), Lewis Holtby (Schalke), Stéphane Mbia (Olympique Marseille), Kévin Mirallas (Olympiakos), Stevan Jovetic (Fiorentina), Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Victor Moses (Wigan Athletic), Yann M’Vila (Rennes), Steven Nzonzi (Blackburn Rovers), Paulinho (Corinthians), Jese Rodriguez (Real Madrid), Salomon Rondon (Málaga), Matías Suárez (RSC Anderlecht), Kenneth Udjus (Sogndal), Emiliano Viviano (Palermo)
Possible departures: Benik Afobe (loan), Johann Djourou (Napoli), Conor Henderson (Charlton Athletic-loan), Henri Lansbury, Ignasi Miquel (Brighton & Hove Albion- loan), Aaron Ramsey (Fulham), Theo Walcott (Chelsea, Juventus, PSG)
The Tasty Nuggetz 