Llorente isn't really Basque anyway, just in Athletic Bilbao's demented definition of Basque.
Alex Song
Ricky1985 wrote:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2188951/Barcelona-London-negotiate-Alex-Song.html
Didn't you say that this summer when the Mail run the story it's been pretty likely to happen, Y? Well they're saying the same as the Twitter "ITK's", that Barca's top brass flew in yesterday to make an offer, and that we're ready to sell if the price is right. Also say we'll step up our interest in M'Vila if Song leaves.
I wouldn't take the DM word as gospel or anything Ricky 
but generally speaking they have been really early in consistently running with the stories that turned into real news.
The quality of their reports is still of the cliche transfer gossip variety though.
You can tell by the level of detail whether or not they're actually on to something.
As regards that article on Song - vague enough, there is something going on alright but seems to me that Barca have yet to make an offer either acceptable to us or of a level that would make it difficult to refuse.
Still not 100% convinced that this is anything other than a negotiating ploy for an improved contract.
Might backfire though, can image all of this will have angered management.
LeGrove says Song is gone.
I will be fucking pissed if we lost song for 15m.
Worse midfielders in Rodwell and Allen went for similar amounts.
Only anything north of 20m should be acceptable, particularly how we are in no need to sell.
Coombs wrote:Llorente isn't really Basque anyway, just in Athletic Bilbao's demented definition of Basque.
I thought they only let Basque players play for them?
Their definition is rather flexible. The let that french defender with the silly name play for them because his grandmother was basque.
Fantastic.Mr.Fox wrote:LeGrove says Song is gone.
And Le Grove are among the more noteworthy Arsenal blogs around.
Also suggests that we're the ones pushing him out of the door because of attitude problems. Which I find a bit odd.
I also happen to think Song is gone, but Le Grove is utter trash.
wtf is going on?
otfgoon wrote:wtf is going on?
At Arsenal or just in this Song episode?
At Arsenal we are doing our usual sell our best players and bring in inadequately.
For Song specifically, he is leaving Arsenal.
Yeah, but there really is no reason to sell Song right now. Fabregas, Henry and Hleb agitated months for a chance to move to Barcelona and here we are practically forcing Song onto them.
General Mirth wrote:Yeah, but there really is no reason to sell Song. Fabregas, Henry and Hleb agitated months for a chance to move to Barcelona and here we are practically forcing him on them.
Well he doesn't want to be here if reports about his attitude are true. Apparantly he actually does want to move.
Tony Montana wrote:otfgoon wrote:wtf is going on?
At Arsenal or just in this Song episode?
At Arsenal we are doing our usual sell our best players and bring in inadequately.
For Song specifically, he is leaving Arsenal.
At Arsenal. I realise selling our first team members isn't out of the norm but like GM says, does not even look like we're trying to keep Song now.
Just ridiculous. We're not getting Sahin or Llorente either. We're back to square one if this actually happens.
Tony Montana wrote:General Mirth wrote:Yeah, but there really is no reason to sell Song. Fabregas, Henry and Hleb agitated months for a chance to move to Barcelona and here we are practically forcing him on them.
Well he doesn't want to be here if reports about his attitude are true. Apparantly he actually does want to move.
But it's too tame. Barcelona haven't offered a particularly large sum of money, Song hasn't refused to train and he still has a couple of years left on his contract. What I expected was a year of rumours with it culminating in his eventual departure next summer. This is much too soon and completely unnecessary.
Unless the club are determine to take a hard line on any players who seem unwilling to renew their contract? But we're still shooting ourselves in the foot.
Yeah it seems way too easy. The rumours only started last week. This stuff about Songs attitude is very odd too, he's been at the club for years through a whole lot of shit and we've heard the opposite constantly until right now. All seems very, very odd.
General Mirth wrote:Also suggests that we're the ones pushing him out of the door because of attitude problems. Which I find a bit odd.
Why? Better players have been forced out of clubs because of shitty attitudes. If it's negatively effecting the dressing room then you get rid.
The rumours about Song looking to move or not signing a new contract have been around for a long time.
timBO! wrote:General Mirth wrote:Also suggests that we're the ones pushing him out of the door because of attitude problems. Which I find a bit odd.
Why? Better players have been forced out of clubs because of shitty attitudes. If it's negatively effecting the dressing room then you get rid.
Not what I meant.
I've never had Song down as someone with an attitude problem, he's always seemed easy going and likable enough. Granted Wenger sees a lot more of him but if there was something drastically wrong with Song you'd think it would have manifested itself on the pitch by now.
Wenger might have been stabbed in the back one too many times. Song's definitley a cocky little tit on the pitch, hardly shocking if it turns out he thinks he's all that off it as well.
I don't find it that hard to believe tbh. Always thought he seemed easy going, but I've always thought of him as a bit of a prat too.
qs! wrote:This stuff about Songs attitude is very odd too, he's been at the club for years through a whole lot of shit and we've heard the opposite constantly until right now. All seems very, very odd.
Why we do this could be related to the same thing that got us into the VP situation, and perhaps club/manager taking a hard stance here is not just about the 2 year thing - but more specifically certain players under 2 years. This from Arseblog about 2 weeks ago:
Song hasn’t done anything to invite interest or suggest he’s unhappy, but we do know the interest from Barcelona is real and with Darren Dein representing him now we also know that’s a road well travelled
. I've been wondering for a while now how much shit we're going to take from the likes of him, and him particularly. I think the boss has identified this as a main source of trouble, and possibly his own soft stance as a condition allowing it to happen. Song out could be related to all that. I just hope he has a proper replacement as a safety net for all this high flying trickery (if any of it is true).