Posts tagged arsenal

What would you do with a £50m transfer fund in January? That was the question posed to the Soccernet editorial team by our podcast presenter, Dan Mason, this week.

Safe in the knowledge that Arsenal would never do anything as silly as spend vast amounts of money in strengthening their squad, this was very much a flight of fancy on my part, but here’s the breakdown…

£25m - Sign Bastian Schweinsteiger from Bayern Munich. Okay so he’s just signed a new contract, no problem, replace his current agent with Paul Stretford and Kia Joorabchian and let’s get him out of there in double-quick time.

£20m - Bag Hugo Lloris from Lyon. The need for a new keeper is obvious, and why not make it a totally French back five? (Though Thomas Vermaelen’s return will scupper this, and prohibit the need to spend fantasy money on a new defender of course).

£3m - Construct a triage centre at London Colney. Something needs to be done about these perpetual injuries.

£2m - Employ Paolo Maldini as a defensive coach. Something needs to be done about these perpetual mistakes.

Any thoughts?

A freezing cold Emirates Stadium was the setting for one of the most heart-warming things I’ve ever seen at a football game on Tuesday.

With Arsenal 5-0 in front, Eduardo pounced to score for Shakhtar. Cue about two seconds of silence, before the Emirates crowd rose as one to acclaim their former striker. It may well have been the biggest cheer of the night - and something I thought I would never see at a football game.

People might sneer at the sentimentality of it all, but that reception genuinely was special. Here’s my full report for ESPNsoccernet.

After being largely ignored by a crop of millionaires as I waited to interview the great and good of Arsenal on Wednesday night, such is life, Denilson generously stopped for a chat following the 6-0 win over Braga. We talked Cesc, trophies and whether Arsenal are an improved side from last season.