Tomas Rosicky admits Arsenal could have done with signing another striker before the close of the transfer window but joked that Arsene Wenger now has a squad capable of emulating the style of Barcelona and Spain with an attack made up entirely of midfielders.
Speaking the day after the Gunners snapped up Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid, the Czech international admitted to press in his homeland that he had no idea the Gunners were in for the German revealing he only learned of the move via the web.
“We didn’t know anything about it [the signing of Ozil],” he said, before joking, “I cursorily read a few of the names we were linked with, it’s important for me to know!”
“We’re a bit short on numbers compared to Manchester City and Chelsea, especially with the injuries, but I don’t doubt our quality.”
“We could use a new striker. If one of ours gets injured, we can face a big problem. But there are many midfielders in the club. The Spanish national team from time to time also played without a recognised striker and still won everything they could.”
With competition for places in the midfield stronger than ever, Rosicky made clear that he’s not worried about Ozil’s arrival.
“I don’t know Wenger’s vision, but good players are always welcome. I’m looking forward to playing with Ozil because we play excellent football.
“He’s a player who likes to combine play, he’s the same as me and Cazorla. These types of players I’ve always understood.”
Asked, as is customary these days, whether the Gunners are now equipped to end their trophy drought, Rosicky spoke with optimism despite admitting the competition is strong.
“We really want to; it’s already been a long time. The whole squad is very hungry. I came to Arsenal to win trophies as well. I think we stand a chance this year, even though the league is truly difficult. The quality of other teams is huge, just look at the table, everyone has already lost some points except for Liverpool.”
Arseblog News vaguely remembers Arsene trying to emulate Barcelona on a freezing cold evening in Sunderland a couple of yearas ago with Andrei Arshavin spearheading the attack. It didn’t work. We’re a little more confident this time around, although we’d much prefer Giroud to stay fit as well as handsome.
___
Cheers to Czech Gooner, Martin, for a helping hand with the translation.
Arsenal to win the league
The boobs have spoken.
Don’t they always?
I can never focus on what they are saying as my other senses are overloaded.. touch and taste especially! lol
Girlfirend: “What Colour are my eyes?”
Boyfriend: “34C”
Seems like 2 Spuds fans are reading this.
Really? They read now?
I agree with you, you have of football.
Boobball*
So striker Gerv from Arsenal to Roma freeing striker Lamela from Roma to Tottenham freeing striker Bale from Tottenham to Real Madrid freeing Ozil to the Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger, you chess playing genius.
Yes we’ve all heard this about 42 million times now, that’s enough!
What? about wenger being an absolute genius?
sorry.
No, about Wenger playing chess
I think Wenger’s a chess playing genius
That’s 42,000,001 times we’ve heard that. Keep it coming!
You will have to get used to it for the next fortnight. The interlull’s a bastard.
If there was a chess game, the last person id like to play would be Wenger. On account of his exceptional chess playing skills.
So we are re-posting our own comments? Well then I shall have a go:
I’m on the top of the world lookin’ down on the spuds
And the only explanation I can find
Is that they brought in SHIT, but we got MESUT ÖZIL!
He just puts me at the top of the world
Also, our name should be changed to Die Nationalmannschaft Arsenal
Nice idea, but you can replace any puppet in that chess game except Bale and Ozil.
Sp*rs was interested in the big money, so to sell Bale but they could buy any other player.
Wenger – who is a genius anyway – simply recognised that Gervinho can’
t find his place and self-confidence in Londo
Yes, his point is that Spurs would have sold Bale anyway, them bringing in Lamela had nothing to do with it.
Nice thought, but…
Nor can I bro, nor can I..Londo is closed to me. It’s a travesty.
Gilding the lily a little there I feel mate. He is a genius, but let’s not pretend he planned all of those transfers to happen and that’s why he sold Gervinho. Let’s just call it what it is, a great signing of a great player.
Wait til you see what he has planned for January. Out – Park. In – Messi.
It’s not chess, It’s poker!!
gotta love tom, hope he sees out his career at the emirates!
Want him and Bac to claim the trophy this year. Quality players nearing towards a end of their playing career , so badly want them to leave Arsenal with the league title. With signing of ozil , they both will be up for it too.
Or just win the league and skip the leave part.
Or just break RVP’s nose and win the league ..
Hasn’t the Ozil signing taught us anything? We don’t need to hold back our ambition now!
…there are so many more of RVP’s body parts that we can strive to break.
I’d love RVP at the end of a flying flamini
Indeed. It is such a pity he was injured for so much of the time when we had Fabergas, they were class together before his injury
Rosicky’s work rate and commitment are incredible and all that while being such an creative player. You simply have to love him! Really hope he finishes his career with us, perfect role model for any youngster to see what it takes to succeed at Arsenal, class and commitment
I think the best compliment to this team is Mourinho didn’t want to loan Ba to us because he knows we’re contenders after getting Ozil, but he loaned Moses to Liverpool…
If that does happen i expect Ramsey to play the False 9..Only other position other than keeper that he has not played
If off the line clearances were to be considered then ramsey has played a bunch of times.
He uses the word cursorily? Only about fifteen English people can do that.
16, thanks very much.
Nah, you were already in the 15!
I think he said that in Czech. But even so, he is a Mozart of football and language.
…and Rock music
Giroud+Ozil+Carzola= Godzilla
*Godzillatt. (dont forget good old wally)
Go, Go, Godzilla!!!!!
I’m sure Blue Öyster Cult would approve.
By the way, anybody got a cowbell? You can always use more cowbell.
Red and White Özil Cult ?
LOVE TOMAS SO MUCH! Felt for a bit that with Özil’s arrival we would see lot less of Rosicky and was disappointed at that because I always believed he would have a huge impact this season, but reading this interview I can say I believe in him more than ever now. Still so determined to win us things.
Anyone thought about a false 9 with Walcott as CF and Cazorla-Ozil-Rosicky behind? It would be like pass-pass-one-two-pass-pass-pass-through ball….and finished off by Walcott.
That, my friends, is what you call a wankable attack.
a wankable attack sounds like a forced dutch-rudder
I have to agree with you last point mate.
I’ve always felt that Theo would struggle up front without someone to play off/around, e.g. a Giroud.
However, with all our attacking midfielders and and Podolski fit, they really should stretch opposing teams and with Ozil/Carzorla/Rosicky hovering around, Theodore could well do some damage.
Bendtner for the false 9
Since he is rarely if ever spotted on a football pitch, I would say young Niklas is about as false a 9 as you can get.
I’d like to see him get a game in front of “Godzilla”, hehe. A hat-trick from Bendtner, and he’d realise what a great team we now have, and how marvellous it would be to be the striker in a team with support like that. Then we sell him to Crystal Place.
I like the bit about selling him to Palace but I can honestly say I don’t want to see him in an Arsenal top again.
If, he changed personality completely and apologised, put in a shed load of effort, got rid of his silly turtle neck and lost a few pounds then perhaps but until then no. Never.
Mourinho:
Without doubt an utter, self serving cunt. He knew all along he was not going to loan/sell us Ba. He just wanted to let us waste time and not turn attention elsewhere for a striker. After all, had we not just signed, in his words, “the best player in his position in the world?”
Maybe we should have smelled a rat from the start. Cunt.
I can’t believe we fell for it. He dangled Ba in front of us and then pulled out at 10.55, leaving no time to look for another striker.
I cannot imagine anyone at Arsenal being so cunning/cunting.
Can’t imagine that stopped us actively looking for others
He’s admitted as much today: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/transfer-news-jose-mourinho-admits-chelsea-infuriated-arsenal-by-blocking-demba-ba-deal-after-mesut-ozil-signing-turned-them-into-title-contenders-8797715.html
So in effect Mourinho has admitted he fears us. His feeble effort to thwart our plans will just spur the team to bring his fears to fruition. He’s essentially given them a boost by showing that we’ve got him spooked. I think Wenger will have the last word in this little power play.
Worse still, i cant believe we fell for that. Also if we were gonna go in for Ba now, why didnt we when he was available last january..
I believe Wenger had a different plan for the team in mind then. There is little point to signing two of similar type of striker – if they are to all feed off of ozil though.. There are enough chances to be fashioned such that we might not need a striker to fashion his own. It seemed like a stopgap measure more than anything with Giroud’s current form.
All very simple to answer – Ba is similar to Giroud, Wenger wanted a different type of striker. He went after Cavani, Higuain, Suarez and Benzema, and when it became clear we wouldn’t get a world-class striker he went for a stop-gap. He’ll get a different striker in January or next summer, guaranteed.
“So Arsene, what can you offer me to convince me to join your team?”
“Özil, Cazorla, Rosicky, Wilshire, Ramsey…”
“Done.”
Two similar strikers are still another striker for when one gets injured, so that excuse is crap, its also competition for places.
How is it an excuse? It is speculative rationale. Wenger does not recruit Ba in Jan., then tries to recruit him at the end of August. Does he explain himself? Does he make excuses? No, we’re just trying to think – what was different back then?
I doff my cap…… nothing wrong with brinkmanship in the transfer window as well as on the pitch.
Well played Jose, welcome back to the premier league.
Makes all our lives a little more interesting having a manager of his calibre back in the league.
But however…. OZIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woot.
Let’s not bend for the soap. Mourinho’s an insidious divisive scumbag.
No, that wasn’t brinksmanship. It wasn’t even mind games. It was the last desperate wave of a drowning man.”
What’s the problem with that? Should football managers not be self-serving? Personally I wish Arsene was a bit more like that. For example, Cesc wanted to go, only 1 club wanted him, he was one of the best players in the world and had 4 (3?) years left on his contract. We sold him for about £30m. Exact same situation with Bale – they got £85m. And there is no way in the world you could argue Bale is a better player than Cesc. He’s going to flop badly at Madrid. Being an uglier less talented version of Ronaldo might… Read more »
This is going to be the longest international break ever!
8 hours less to go now.
It feels very very long already
Rosicky, our new ”fox in the box”.*
*’fox in the box’ is a registered trade mark of Franny Jeffers plc (all rights reserved).
i hate people who trademark stupid shit, especially if they happen to be monkeys…
Have they given the cunt the number 11 shirt, or is he going to have to work out how to do a 38 sign now?
I hope Germany decide not to play him (which won’t happen). Can’t bear the thought of him getting injured!
(touch wood, squeeze rabbit’s foot etc, etc)
I would bench him for all future Stoke games too!
#StayHandsomeJiroo
with the addition of ozil we can beat any team in the world.hi hi…
Think the arshavin thing is a bit harsh. He played quite a few games up top when rvp and bendtner were both injured and battled hard for us out of position. Shame how it ended up he did some good jobs for us at times!
No he didn’t. He was poor in about 85% of the games he started.
I feel rosicky will combine better with ozil, than wilshere would. since fabregas left, rosicky hasnt had that quick telepathic passing understanding with anyone, literally running circles around the opposition….that could come into picture now..
Rosicky and Giroud were linking up superbly in the Villa game.
Rosicky, Ramsey, Walcott and Giroud look to have an amazing relationship now.
Surely as long as Giroud stays handsome he’ll always be ‘fit’?
Those dat quoted him wrong has now blessing him says’ me Wenger next man.lol
akgsdga 2o og2 og g dyt 8g jf d 2 uyf 22 iui fryu yur iurl wenga
At least he spelled his name right. Deserves a green thump
I hope Rosicky is not playing for the national team this week. He is always risking his career at Arsenal when he plays for them and often gets seriously injured.
Retire from international duty my old boy so you get the chance to make for all those lost years. Its your time to shine so dont blow it please.
the thing is the national team has been going downhill a few years now and they desperately need him. watch any game, see him play with an almost reluctant expression – he knows full well the guys around him are nowhere near him and the team lacks understanding each other. must be frustrating.
Unrelated.. but look what a signing of such stature can do for a club!
Im hearing the merchandising raking in profits in huge amounts already.
Hope the Board and Arsene take note.
Forget the merchandising, is there a single Arsenal fan without a near constant smile on their face and extra spring in their step right now?
As well as that, we have managed to piss off the fanbases of thee other clubs at the same time: Madrid because they sold him, United because they didn’t buy him, and the neighbours, because they now know what being a big club actually means.
Precisely. It is not just “spending” it is “investing” in the club. Better players make the team do better and more people buy shirts and stuff so you get some of that money back. Never mind having more cup games and the like.
Giroud/Bendtner
Poldi/Rosicky Walcott/Ox
Ozil/Santi
Wilshere/Arteta Ramsey/Flamini
Gibbs/Nacho Kos/Verm Mertesacker Sagna/Jenkinson
Scz/Fab
Bench: Sanogo, Viviano, Diaby, Ryo, Gnabry, Zelalem, Frimpong
Note: It looks to me as though Giroud and Mertescker may be our most important men this season. They simply cannot get injured. If they do we don’t have the height at the back or the sufficient cover up top.
Your thoughts?
I would say (on current form, with no injuries – bar Diaby, of course) best 11 is: ——–Giroud——— Cazorla–Ozil–Walcott —-Ramsey–Arteta—- Gibbs-Kos-Mert-Sagna ———Szcz———— with: – Podolski & Walcott & Sanogo & Bendtner covering for the striker – Jack & Rosicky & the Ox covering for the centre of the “three” – Podolski & Ryo & the Ox covering for the wide positions – Jack & Flamini covering for the “two” – Nacho & Verm covering LB – Jenkinson & Kos covering RB – Verm & Sagna covering the two CBs – Viviano & Fab covering the Keeper. I think the first… Read more »
We need to upgrade Sagna? Are you kidding, he is in the top three in his position in the PL.
I just think that there’ll be a gap between Sagna’s peak and Jenkinson’s peak. Again, not something I’m particularly concerned about, but if you had to look at positions to strengthen in, then RB could be one, albeit one that’s down the list a bit. But I guess my main point was that, apart from the striker’s position, I don’t think there’s a great need to improve the depth of the squad, so we should only bring in players that are a level above what we already have – as with Ozil. On a related note, I wonder whether bringing… Read more »
Love Tomas. ”No striker? Fuckit, we’ll manage”. I hope he gets to play alongside Ozil as often as possible, the idea of having Cazorla, Ozil and Rosicky playing behind/alongside Walcott and Giroud with Areta and Ramsey covering our back four… This is why we fight for top 4! I want to play Dortmund, Bayern, Barca… now we might actually bwat them on away goals as well 😉
What about Jack Attack? Super sub?
I feel we need a focal point to our attack, Giroud is starting to give us a different aspect to our game hit him and bring people into the game, he’s clearly happiest when he is in the box also, Walcott loves running in behind and really that is all we will get from Theo as a CF, so this can be defended against easier, don’t get me wrong I think Theo will score goals as a CF but his best work definitely comes from out wide to inside…
Arsène combines the characteristics of a good poker player and a chess genius.
with the grin of a Cheshire cat (and rightly so)
We’re waiting on January Suarez is far from placated. also Falcao may do a Santi with Monaco having issues with tax laws. Benzema may yet become available if Madrid get the itch again. He’s got pace up top which we could do with. Worth waiting to see how it unfolds (if slightly risky) Similar to situation where many were clamouring for signature of Michu following the Suarez debacle. Wenger was somewhat correct to see how the Bale issue played out and if Real would release Benzema. Timing was poor with regards our striker pursuit and in truth, we should have… Read more »
People on one hand calling Wenger a cunning chessplayer after the window, and on the other hand lamenting the fact that Mourinho tricked us into thinking he’d lend us Ba. If I know Wenger, and quite frankly the events of the last 48 hours prove that I don’t, but isn’t there an outside chance that Wenger negotiated with Chelsea for Ba knowing damn well that the guy who swooped in to deny us Essien last season would never loan us a player from his team?
Either way it’s good to know just how much Mourinho fears Arsene.
This my not be an ideal choice, but I think in the current curcumstances, if Giroud gets injured between now and Xmas, this will be Theo’s time to shine.
C’mon Theo, you asked for your chance up front, when you get the chance this year- take it!
If it comes down to that am confident without being an octopus that we will definitely pull it off. I can feel the wind of good change!