

Jonathan Woodgate
Before signing for Tottenham in January, Woodgate checked with Arsenal to see if Arsene Wenger wanted to follow up his long-standing admiration with a firm bid. The cultured central defender clearly fancied a move to the Emirates.
The only trouble was, Wenger had other ideas. Either the Frenchman didn't really rate Woodgate or he believed his squad contained enough quality centre-halves already. That didn't look the case at Anfield on Tuesday, Phillippe Senderos proving once again that he doesn't quite measure up at the top level.
Igor Akineev
It would be unfair to point the finger at Arsenal's goalkeeper when trying to work out where things have gone wrong. Almunia, after all, has proved fairly steady since taking the gloves off Jens Lehmann. That's not to say that he inspires and reassures his defenders or that he will win you 10 points over the course of a season to turn challengers into champions. Akineev's displays for CSKA Moscow were good enough to attract Wenger's attention last year and have secured his status, at 22, as Russia's number one.

Franck Ribery
It didn't need a man-of-the-match performance against England the other week to tell us that Ribery, once of Marseille and at Bayern Munich since last summer, is a bit special.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and but for Tomas Rosicky's injury problems we might not be talking about Arsenal's need for an intelligent wide man with pace and a goalscoring threat. Ribery gives you that and he would have offered so much more class and composure than, say, the temperamental outpourings of Emmanuel Eboue.
Woodgate and Ribery would have made so much difference...
Woodgate for around £8m from Middlesbrough...
Ribery $17m...
ya woodgate and ribery is good..
considering wenger's french connection..he sud hav bought him
i notice ribery when he playing for france..skillful indeed!
its not as if arsenal is poor. expect some major signings post season
Originally posted by brokenluv:its not as if arsenal is poor. expect some major signings post season
hope so... arsenal is quite rich considering how wenger saves money for them the last 3 seasons..heheh
Ribery would have joint Arsenal had Wenger wanted him... Woodgate on the other hand would have jumped at the chance if wenger was still keen on him... $25m total bill...
Originally posted by zocoss:Ribery would have joint Arsenal had Wenger wanted him... Woodgate on the other hand would have jumped at the chance if wenger was still keen on him... $25m total bill...
woodgate would want to taste CL..sure he will come,if he stays at tottenham,he cant really win anything other than the league cup tis season..lol
i think wenger shud replace senderos..he completely lost it against liv.. 1st 2 goals conceded are his to blame
I so expected Ribery to join Arsenal, really shocked when he went to Bayern instead. ![]()
Maybe should have gotten a striker? Trezeguet?
another wide player too, walcott has shown promise but still need another replacement for eboue. rosicky n van persie too injury prone.
woodgate should really come
Wenger wasn't keen on paying 20mil for Ribery la, but he was definitely interested. And should have bought him, one of the best wingers.. and french somemore.
Originally posted by stellazio:Wenger wasn't keen on paying 20mil for Ribery la, but he was definitely interested. And should have bought him, one of the best wingers.. and french somemore.
Precisely he is French somemore and Wenger knows him too... So he got a better chance of getting him than any other clubs... like ah ben with Torres kind of thing. Ribery is a seasoned and experience player that could guild the younger players went going forward...
To be fair, with his talent... $17m isn't a big amount... I was hoping to watch him in the epl after the way he played during the WC and i think wenger was the only one that could persuade him to come over... He going to Bayern was quite a waste considering they don't have CL football this whole season... and German league... boring...
yeah and bayern got him in secret!! they bought him so soon after the window opened, and the funny thing was that he wanted ucl football but went to bayern who didn't have it..![]()
sheesh this kind of article really make me pissed with how kiam siap arsene is. jonathan woodgate was SEEKING TO JOIN ARSENAL?? really makes me sad man zz..
anyway, I think Gunners or Wenger will realise that they need to boost the numbers so with the EURO, good time to scout and buy.
But then Wenger always like to get young so as to ingrain in them his style.
But to me, Helb is a good buy.