Showing posts with label senderos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label senderos. Show all posts

Thursday, June 10, 2010

News Roundup 6/10/10 - The Wild Transfer Crazy Time Edition

Arsene Wenger is surprisingly not very disappointed in you today. Pic via Guardian.
  • Some sort of major international tournament or something starts tomorrow. Yeah, I know, I haven't heard anything about it either. This one really flew under my radar.
  • Philippe Senderos has officially signed with Fulham. This fancy little "best moments at Arsenal" feature includes "being loaned to AC Milan," for some reason. [Guardian, Arsenal.com]
  • It appears the Gunners officially made a bid for Fulham and Australia goalkeeper Mick "Crocodile" Dundee Mark Schwarzer. Word is, Fulham said "That's not a bid. This is a bid!" and then pulled out a spoon. The big knifey-spoony game has begun. [Sky Sports, ESPN Soccernet, Daily Mirror]
  • Also covered in those Schwarzer articles: Chairman Peter Hill-Wood has called William Gallas's wage demands "excessive." Given the current situation at center back, it appears Vermaelen and Djourou will not be permitted to get hurt this year.
  • Joe Cole will be released from his contract at Chelsea at the end of the month. Arsene Wenger says he likes Cole as a player, but apparently you shouldn't read into this, because that deal isn't happening. [Guardian, Daily Mirror]
  • Arsenal will not be selling Fabregas, especially now that they put him on the cover of the newest edition of the club magazine! [Daily Mirror]
  • This article that includes actual quotes from Wenger drives that point across a little better... [ESPN Soccernet]
  • If you haven't heard, Barcelona might try to include Yaya Toure in a transfer deal to sweeten the Cesc move a little bit, but his agent says Barca is demanding too much money for him, which will hurt a potential move. [Guardian, Daily Mail]

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

International Gunner Watch - Official Squads

11 Gunners will go to South Africa, that is, if Senderos still counts... he does, right? Pic via Daily Mail.

In January, center back Philippe Senderos was moved to Everton on loan because he wasn't getting playing time in North London and needed to see time on the pitch to assure his spot on Switzerland's World Cup squad.

Looking back five months later: Senderos made only three appearances for the Toffees while Arsenal immediately suffered an injury crisis at his position; in the end, Senderos made the Swiss squad anyway. At the time, it appeared that Senderos was gone for good, and that's still probably true; his contract expires this summer. But for now, he still counts as one of 11 Arsenal players heading to South Africa for the World Cup, which begins a week from Friday.

Of those named to their respective national preliminary squads, only Theo Walcott failed to make the final cut to 23-man squads, a somewhat surprising revelation we touched on yesterday.

As for the other ten Arsenal players at the World Cup? France lays claim to four of them, which includes William Gallas, who may also not be long for North London. He joins Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, and Abou Diaby on the French squad in Group A.

Mexico, also in Group A includes Carlos Vela as a striker.

The aforementioned Senderos and Switzerland are in Group H, along with Spain, and Cesc Fabregas, who is also still a Gunner for now.

Everybody's favorite should-have-been-voted-Prime-Minister Emmanuel Eboue will play for the Ivory Coast in Group G.

And Group E will feature three Gunners on three different teams: Holland with Robin van Persie, Denmark with Nicklas Bendtner, and Cameroon with Alex Song.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

International Gunner Watch: Preliminary Squad Time!

Samir Nasri: Not one of four Gunners on France's preliminary squad. Pic via Enjoy France.

May 11 marks one month until the start of the World Cup, and with that, today was the deadline for international teams to submit their preliminary squads for the tournament. Each country's squad must be cut down to 23 players by June 1, but for now, the roster's sit at, at most, 30 players. Here are the Arsenal players who have been named to their respective country's provisional squads:

GROUP A:
Mexico: Carlos Vela
France: Gael Clichy, Abou Diaby, William Gallas, and Bacary Sagna

GROUP C:
England: Theo Walcott

GROUP E:
Netherlands: Robin van Persie
Denmark: Nicklas Bendtner
Cameroon: Alex Song

GROUP G:
Ivory Coast: Emmanuel Eboue
  
GROUP H:
Spain: Cesc Fabregas
Switzerland: Philippe Senderos

Stay tuned to Hipster Gooner all summer for news about every Gunners' progress (and health, fingers crossed) in international play! 

Sunday, May 2, 2010

A Serious Investigation Into the World of Erotic Arsenal Fiction


Like this, only imagine it with no clothes.

Among the usual bon mots and words of wisdom in April 22nd's installment of Ask Andrey!, there was one question that particularly begged further explanation:
Andrey, do you know that some football fans write erotic stories about you with other members of your club? What do you think about this?
Arshavin: They can write whatever they want. It's up to other members. The main thing is they don’t touch my body parts ;)
(We’ll give you a minute to pick your jaw off the floor.)

Now, the world of fanfiction, and specifically slash fanfiction, is one that has managed to stay just barely hidden below the more acceptable online incarnations of obsessive fans, especially movies, shows, and bands with a large fanbase of teenage girls. The name “slash fanfiction” itself comes from the identification of these pairings as divided by a slash; the genre began back in the day with Kirk/Spock pairings, and has evolved over the years to be dominated primarily by sci-fi, fantasy, and anime films and emo bands (for mind-scarring examples see: Harry/Draco, Frodo/Legolas, Pete Wentz/Gerard Way, and so on.)

But that’s not all. Like everything else, the Internet has provided a way for every kink and fetish to be addressed in its own nook or cranny. Slash has become democratized. And now, in this wonderful brave new world in which we live, there exists Arsenal slash fanfiction.

So, as a special May Day treat, we’ve brought you a selection of these always entertaining stories, found via a quick Google search on Not Just A Game. Welcome to the wonderful world of Arsenal players having sex. With each other. Fair warning: Many of these race right past NSFW and crash somewhere in the realm of NSFLife.

For some reason, there seems to be an obsession with Cesc Fabregas and Swiss polyglot Philippe Senderos, with a super crazy number of stories featuring them. “I’m Bringing Sexy Back” features some sexy dancing from Mr. Fabregasm himself:
“I push open the door and almost fell flat on my face. I really shouldn’t be surprised but for some reason I am. Wriggling around in his naked glory is none another than Cesc Fabregas, his arms above his head, his hips rocking to side to side and him singing loudly against the beat of the drum.”
Fabregas is by far the most popular Gunner in these tales, with pairings with former Fulham player Moritz Volz, Liverpool’s Fernando Torres and Daniel Agger, and an appearance in Joe Cole’s dreams. “Stalemate,” a rare fanfic that manages to pair Fabregas with van Persie while avoiding graphic sex, has an incredibly satisfying punch thrown at Ashley Cole:
“Fighting to keep his anger under control, Robin holds his tongue and takes Cesc by the arm, preparing to lead the younger man away somewhere where he can soothe the young midfielder's hurts in private, when Cole takes one last parting shot, a vicious insinuation about Cesc and himself, and now all of Robin's self-control is gone in a flash of red because he'll be damned if he lets anyone talk about Cesc that way and before he knows what he's doing, he's dropped Cesc's arm and now he's face to face with Cole and, almost involuntarily, his fist comes flying up and there's a satisfying smack as Cole's head snaps back.”
Bendtner, portrayed as Fabregas’ lover in the short-but-filthy "And Oh..." as well as the fantastically perverse "Two Times Two", also featuring a Chelsea power couple of John Terry and Frank Lampard, finds himself in a number of naughty situations with Danish teammate Agger, including one involving a football boot (don’t ask.) Bendtner manages to step outside of his Pan-like persona in “Traffic Light,” which features a lovely, sweet first kiss with Theo Walcott:
“Nicklas narrows his eyes. “What did you say?”

And Theo finally lifts his head. The signal’s so bright, so unexpected… so green, that it virtually poleaxes Nicklas completely.

Theo swallows hard. “I said yes,” he answers, with more conviction this time. “Yes. I’m going to kiss you.”
The innocent Theo also makes his rounds in the dressing room, with Aaron Ramsey portrayed as his first lover in the self-explanatory “Virgin Territory.” An even raunchier tale is told in “Red-Handed,” with Ramsey, Fabregas, and Walcott finding time for each other “in every corner of the locker room and right in the middle. Shower? Several times. Theo’s car? Ha, what you think?”

And as for poor Andrey? Despite the question that inspired it all, the only pairing that we could find was “Try Me,” which brought Arshavin together with Russian teammate Roman Pavlyuchenko. Whatever dreams he may have of his fellow Gunners will have to continue unfulfilled, until some young supporter with a laptop and a mission inducts him into the red and white love that dare not speak its name.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

News Roundup 2/13/10 - The Injuries Never Stop Edition

The Diminutive Russian's classic facial expressions will not be on display in Portugal. Pic via Daily Mirror.
  • Last night, I drunkenly injured my knee exiting a subway turnstile because I was preoccupied with worry that Chelsea might win the Double.
  • Andrei Arshavin has confirmed that he will not play in Arsenal's Champions League knockout round tie at F.C. Porto on Wednesday, after picking up a hamstring injury against Liverpool. Alex Song is also a "major doubt" with a medial ligament knee injury. Eduardo and Samir Nasri should both return to fitness. [Daily Mirror, ESPN Soccernet]
  • With no room for error, Arsene Wenger knows Porto will not be a pushover. [Sky Sports]
  • Mikael Silvestre is pulling a Philippe Senderos and is upset he was not selected to the squad Wednesday against Liverpool. He now wants to quit Arsenal. [Daily Mirror]
  • Bordeaux confirms that striker Marouane Chamakh will join Arsenal this summer. Meanwhile, they've apparently "gone cool" on defender Stefan Savic. [Daily Mirror]

Monday, January 25, 2010

News Roundup 1/25/10 - The Second Guessing Edition

Damn it! Pic via Guardian.
  • More on Arsenal's elimination and Arsene Wenger's choices from the FA Cup: Wenger defends his squad selections, given injuries [Daily Mirror], and praised the peformance of Sol Campbell, despite his culpability on both goals of Fuller's brace [Guardian].
  • Speaking of the Guardian, they blast Wenger for his selections, saying "It is to English football's credit that he didn't succeed [with an under-strength side]" and that "Arsenal got what they deserved." [Guardian]
  • Vito Mannone has signed a new long-term contract. Please put more pressure on Almunia's spot. Thank you. [Arsenal.com]
  • Philippe Senderos has completed his loan to Everton for the rest of the season. [Sky Sports]
  • Arsenal are apparently favorites to sign teenager striker Victor Moses from Crystal Palace. [Telegraph]
  • UPDATE: Cameroon falls to Egypt in extra time of their knockout round match at the Africa Cup of Nations. That means both Eboue and Song are done in the tournament. My hope is that Arsenal had a charter jet to take Song right back to the Emirates immediately after today's loss.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

News Roundup 1/21/10 - The It Wasn't Just a Dream Edition

Someone call the whaaaaaambulance! Pic via Guardian.
  • No, it was not a wonderful dream! We're still top of the league! With the FA Cup this weekend, we'll stay there unless Manchester United beats Hull City. Again, it could happen, if Boaz Myhill plays like he did at White Hart Lane this week. [Premier League]
  • Injury update: Kieran Gibbs is out for the season, requiring surgery on his broken foot [Arsenal.com], Abou Diaby is out for a week with a calf injury and Bacary Sagna will sit for the cup tie at Stoke to rest a bad shoulder. [Arsenal.com]
  • Owen Coyle compares William Gallas to Satan. Well, not exactly... [Guardian]
  • Gallas will not be punished for his little stampy challenge. [Sky Sports]
  • Quick transfer notes: Marouane Chamakh has promised to give Arsenal and Liverpool his decision [Daily Mirror], Everton is still interested in Senderos [Guardian], and Fulham has denied that they've spoken to Arsenal about Chris Smalling [ESPN Soccernet].
  • Cameroon 2 - 2 Tunisia means Cameroon advances and Alex Song will not be coming back any time soon. Damn you, Tunisia, for blowing two leads! [Guardian]

Friday, January 15, 2010

News Roundup 1/15/10 - The American Sports Tycoon Edition

Why are there so many Denver Nuggets fans at the Emirates? Pic via New York Times.
  • A few sources have articles on Stan Kroenke, the American who currently stands 17 shares shy of a 30% stake in the Gunners, at which point he would have to make a bid for the entire team under Premier League rules. [NY Times, BBC]
  • The aforementioned BBC article also talks about Cesc Fabregas, and how he's not fucking going to Barcelona or Madrid, God damn it.
  • Conflicting reports on the Jack Wilshere loan to FC Twente: The Daily Mirror says he's holding out for a Premier League team, while The Daily Telegraph says he's poised to complete the transfer. [Mirror, Telegraph]
  • Philippe Senderos's Arsenal hell (good one, Mirror) may end with the center-back transferring to Everton. [Daily Mirror]
  • 20-year-old midfielder Mark Randall has signed a loan deal to MK Dons for the rest of the season. [Sky Sports]
  • Some line-up notes for Sunday, ahead of our weekend preview coming later: Gael Clichy will make the trip, and appear on the bench "minimum". With Denilson hurt, Song in Africa, and Fabregas returning, Arsene Wenger may have trouble finding someone to play defensive midfield on Sunday. [Arsenal.com, Daily Mirror]

Thursday, January 14, 2010

A Treatise on Arsenal's Defense's Ability to Drive Me to Insanity

As we quickly approach an absolutely critical point in the season, I have to ask: would we be having this conversation if Johan Djourou didn't destroy his knee on international duty in August?

Gooners, we're on the brink of a month of hell, starting a week from Sunday. Just two matches, both against Bolton, separate us from:
  • Day 1: FA Cup tie at Stoke City
  • Day 4: at Aston Villa
  • Day 8: vs. Manchester United
  • Day 15: at Chelsea
  • Day 18: vs. Liverpool
  • Day 21 or 22: Potential fifth round FA Cup tie
  • Day 25: Champions League at FC Porto
Who scheduled that? Bastards!

Anyway, surviving that stretch with any chance of still winning the league will require a few things: a squad that's healthier than it is now AND remains healthy, a few dependable goal scoring options, and most importantly, a defense that can clamp down on some of the top offenses in the country.

Now, Arsenal might have drawn a break for one of those matches with a rash of injuries hitting Anfield yesterday, but with that match still around four weeks away, Steven Gerrard should be back by then as well as Yossi Benayoun (thankfully, Fernando Torres will not).

The team certainly is getting healthier: Cesc Fabregas is back this week, Gael Clichy is just about fit, and Nicklas Bendtner should be available soon as well. Alex Song would be back from the Africa Cup as late as the Chelsea match (is it wrong to root against Cameroon in the hopes that he'll return faster?) This leaves the defense as the wild card.

Sol Campbell is back! But what exactly does this mean? Are our title hopes hinging on a 35-year-old? Certainly he has the experience to carry the team through a stretch like this, but aside from making sure the rest of the team doesn't freak out with pressure, what else is that going to bring if he can't keep up? Of course, we don't know yet if he can't keep up, and Arsene Wenger has praised Campbell's fitness. So, here's what we do know:
  • William Gallas isn't 100% fit. He's also not hurt enough to sit out yet, but the situation is a lot like playing with fire. Without a back-up plan, the team could get burned. I'm not exactly sure what a good back-up plan would be when playing with fire... maybe keep some extra fire extinguishers around. This is probably the worst extended metaphor I've ever written in my life... how am I gonna get around this one?
  • Sol Campbell is, therefore, an extra fire extinguisher (there, I did it!)
  • Bacary Sagna has been dependable on the right side, as has Tom Vermaelen in the middle.
  • This has all led to Philippe Senderos to lean toward jumping ship. With Campbell likely out of the picture again at season's end, this means a desperately needed signing in the summer.
  • Gael Clichy is on his way back and Armand Traore has been serviceable on the left side in the absence of Clichy and Kieran Gibbs (who is still out for a while with a hole in his foot).
  • Johan Djorou is done for the year after knee surgery.
  • I would not trust Mikael Silvestre against Man U, Chelsea, Villa, or Liverpool.
  • Extended to goalkeeping, the defense at the present time, clearly no longer trusts Manuel Almunia, and I don't blame them. Any cross into the box... is he gonna catch it? Is he gonna punch it right to the other team (Kuyt's goal at Anfield in December)? Is he gonna collide with as many people as possible while the ball rolls away (post-Rosicky's equalizer against Everton on Saturday)? Every cross is a game of Russian Roulette now.
So, what does this mean? Best case scenario: Gallas stays fit, Clichy returns, and everyone magically stays healthy. And Almunia becomes suddenly decisive. Worst case? Another rash of injuries and a few reserve call-ups to stabilize?

It's going to be a nail biting month, isn't it?

News Roundup 1/14/10 - The Senderos Remains Pissed Edition

Philippe Senderos cannot stop the voices in his head from telling him to leave, so he'll just go with them now. Pic via Jeorge Bird's Arsenal Youth.

  • Well, this was bound to happen. As he continues to slide down the depth chart at center-back, Philippe Senderos wants a permanent transfer from Arsenal. We here at Hipster Gooner will have a longer post about the situation on defense later today. [BBC]
  • Craig Eastmond inked a new long-term contract yesterday. I have no witty comment. [Arsenal.com]
  • New Bolton boss Owen Coyle is pessimistic about a Jack Wilshere move to the Reebok, due to Arsenal's injury situation. [ESPN Soccernet]
  • Speaking of pessimists, remember Tom Vermaelen's "if we play like that again, it's all over" stuff from Monday? Well, now Chelsea's John Terry is saying the exact same stuff. So, basically every team thinks they're done if they slide any more. Prediction: Nobody wins the Premier League. [Guardian]
  • Unlike Bolton, FC Twente, which really doesn't sound Dutch, is optimistic that they can sign Jack Wilshere. Oh, those crazy Dutch! [Telegraph]
  • Again, later today, a post on the state of Arsenal's defense corps. Tomorrow, a preview of the weekend's action.