Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger has revealed his plans for Norwegian defender Håvard Nordtveit, saying he expects the 18 year old to step up to his first team during the coming campaign.
During a press conference yesterday afternoon, Wenger was mainly asked about striker Emmanuel Adebayor, but one journalist chose to change the subject. A reporter for Norwegian newspaper “Dagbladet” asked the Gunners chief:
“What do you expect of Nordtveit this season?”
Arsène took no time to ponder the question, and quickly enthused:
“I expect that he takes the step up to the first team and get a few games there.”
Håvard will return to training on July 7th with the first team squad, and although he made the bench during the final Premiership game of the season, Nordtveit admits his long awaited debut should have come much earlier.
The Reserves skipper was penciled in to start the Carling Cup game against Newcastle last January, but after picking up a knee injury, was forced to take a late fitness test.
“Steve Rowley came up to me while I was at the physio. ‘60.000 people is waiting, and you’re in the starting line up.’
“I got the message two minutes later that I couldn’t play the game.”
Whilst the next three months were tinged with disappointment, he returned in stunning form for the Reserves, and helped them establish an eight game unbeaten run. The coming season promises much more for the exciting prospect, and with Wenger not deciding against buying a new central defender, chances will soon open up.
Article By – J.Sanderson
I think he can become a wonderful player for us. Hes evidently got incredible drive, ny1 whos seen him play for the reserves knows hes got the talent, and i cant wait to see him get his debut.
oh nice one j man you are too good at this man. anyway what do you make of diogo/nasri/bichoff/santacruz/martins coming to arsenal.???? keep up the work, as i am addicted to this site. kl
Yes, Nordbeit look’s like he will be a great player, but we still need a new CB who can play now.
Nordtveit is such an outstanding young prospect, all aspects of his game are first class, and as you said, he can be a big player for us in the future.
gunner4life –
Diogo – He seems too expensive to sign
Nasri – Just waiting for it to be announced
Bichoff – Looks like it will happen, but pointless signing IMO
Santa Cruz – Hmmm
Martins – Can’t see it happening
Barazite is a great player :-)
J.S!. Do you know anything new about Nasri?
no i think arsenal are known for giving younsters a chance, so arsene will give nordtveit a chance, just like he migh with ramsey. plus dont forget we got lansbury, merida, wilshere,randall,gibbs, and barazite. they are all going to be given a chance. so why would we block there progress….i.e wenger on bendtner and walcott.
diogo/nasri/bichoff/santacruz/martins
…christ, that’d cost a bit.
6mil + 13mil + 2mil + 15mil + 18mil
Thank god only 1 of them will join us and 2 are slight possibilities, or we’d be blowing the bank this summer.
that was a reply “to magic merse”…………….. thanks j.s
Attila – as mentioned above, just waiting for it to be announced, could be anytime this week.
We have so many prospects, i cannot see where all of them will fit in.
i said we only would have a chance to sign those players if adebayor left for about 28-30million. so it would be smart spending……although only one striker would be needed then.
j.s who do you think out of randall/wilshere/merida/barazite/gibbs/lansbury-ramsey definite; will make it?????
all of them
Nordtveit, looks like hes got class and I think we would benefit from some who can pass from C/back. My only concern is his physical presence in the 1st team at this time. I am confident he ultimately become a regular for the Gunners.
looks great. but i remember being told that there was a player in the youth team that was better than tony Adams. that this guy was goner be a world beater. his name…..Phil Senderos…mmmmm.
still heres hopeing. :)
J u should just start up a arsenal rumour about a player we have not really heard of and see if the big websites, newspapaers etc think it’s true
J. – Are you sure that it looks like were signing Bischoff?!!
Gunner4life – Barazite man Barazite, destined for greatness!!
I have to admit I have not seen that much of Nordtveit, I have heard he is pretty good with the ball at his feet, and from what I have seen, this seems to be the case…but is he going to be the commanding presence in the air that we need?
hahahaha i dont think senderos will make it. i think he knows that sendros is patient and a nice kid and so will use him next season, meaning he will not spend anymoney on a defender, so keeps giving senderos the “you keep doing well and you will break into the anytime soon”. i think he might, but now song is infront of him. i see gallas next season being overtaken by song, which will spend the exit for senderos as arsene will then buy another 18-19 year old defender for compettition with nordveit at that age aswell. As for djourou im not sure?????
sorry about my spelling, i keep getting words mixed up. okay i trust you moushin, i trust you. anyway what part will barazite playe next season, i think he will play like a hleb. but he reminds me of berbatov with his style of play and the way he looks.lol
Nasri is a done deal. Even Alex Ferguson mentioned it in an interview with skysports news this morning.
Well, Nasri’s arriving how much depends on Ben Arfa’s moving to OM?
Diogo; have no idea what he’s like.
Anyone know?
Biscoff; Im with JS, cannot see the point really. Now if he was a defensive midfielder then , maybe. But yet another attacking CM who’s been out ages with injuries???
Song overtaking Gallas???
Maybe on the motorway, buts thats the only time he will.
Song aint a CB.
Nasri’s a done deal.
Stating that fact on his own website is a bit of a giveaway innit?
I still dont see that Bichoff guy joining us as hes no better than what we have at the moment so no need to sign him. Good reporting as usual JS i look forward to seeing Nordveit play and I go on hols for 2 weeks on wednesday so i hope Nasri will sign before then!! If not i hope that our signings are bought and the Adebayor and Hleb sagas are over when i return.
Keep up the good work JS look forward to reading your articles over the next couple of days and when i get back :D
I am with you spike, i don’t think that song is a CB but Wenger seems to think thats where he can play?!?! He would do well next to Fabregas i think but thats my personal opinion.
I think Djourou will leave in Jan, probably goin back to Birmingham or to a lower Prem team. Shame cos i think that he would be a decent player for someone like Villa or Everton, teams that are fighting for UEFA cup.
Happy that Nordtveit will be given a chance, i have heard quite a bit about this kid so lets hope that he plays out of his skin inn the cc and then he could well get a few Prem ames under his belt so that he would be able to challenge/ maybe take over from Gallas next season!
An interestiing interview with Havard http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxrKONCIXZk
song can take over gallas, hes strong, got a good jump,and a tough tackler. plus anyway gallas is reaching his peak, and if not next season then the season after. but i put my money on galllas bein dropped end of next season/begining of new season. oh and arsene wenger has already said that song will be a great CB for arsenal; just read…http://www.goal.com/EN/articolo.aspx?contenutoid=699688 in arsene we trust…..
well, i hope he could be a solution for our defense problem. although gallas still be a partner for kolo, i think nordveit should become the third choice, or maybe starter for Carling cup..
btw, J. would u put my blog link on yours??
thx a lot, mate..
Any chance someone could give their views on whether Nordtveit is the commanding centreback we have been looking for? I know his history suggests he has the leadership credentials to be a future Arsenal captain, but is he going to be able to deal with bullies like Drogba, and a way which Senderos failed to do?
At his age now Drogba would probably knock him flat on his Arse, in 3 or even 2 season, who knows. Hes good on the ball, good tackler, decent in the air, great passer. I dont rly think hes all that commanding physically but he always seems to act as the calming force in the reserves defence.
Gallas is a WORLD CLASS DEFENDER!
Song aint!
You are expecting him to jump up about 300 levels in an effin season and over take Gallas?
Jeeeeeeeeeesus! Give me strength! Im all for differences of opinion, but when they are as clueless as that?
If Song is in our back 4 with Kolo next season then we can kiss any trophies good bye.
Yea…saying Song is better than Gallas is taking it way too far. Ok Gallas isnt perfect but hes still in the top 20 in the world…thats not bad.
Song can become as good as Gallas maybe, although personally i think if he becomes a centre back he’ll be more like Toure, although better in the air, but not a versatile (in other words you cant play him on the wing or even up front like u can Toure).
I know, we moan about toure and gallas not making a good pair but they are both top quality world class defenders. In the prem league, there are very fine margins sometimes, and the fact that there is not a big no nonsense defender in there goes against us sometimes. But song and senderos are simply not in the same class as Gallas and Toure. If we cant improve on ‘G&T’ then there’s no point in buying anyone.
Another great article J.S. Do you know at a guess when Nasri will finally arrive?
gazzap; True fella.
If Song plays anywhere, it should be in midfield, failing that as a CB in the carling Cup or somethinh.
If there is any other CB, it should be that big commanding lump.
And, I’d wanna see Djourou given a chance ahead of Song anyday.
Reports suggest sometime this week
in a seasons time song would probably be a full international, then mayb contest for gallas’s place who is saying he cant do that. not forgetting gallas will be 31-32 by that time and song still has plenty of time to improve so everyone can have their opinion, so shut the fuck up on that yeah. i got my opinion you have got yours, not everyones has to be the same.im judging by gallas’s performances this season near the later stage, he was our saviour but also a player that let us down a bit. oh and did anyone see that goal totenham scored against us in the premiership. it was berbatovs toe poke. things like that should not be happening.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywdV4Ex5JhM&feature=related
Funny video, people probably already seen it, but it’s worth seeing it again…
Adebayor singing, if you can call it that… I wonder what Wenger is thinking walking behind him?!!
“I’m gonna sell you for 40 million euros, and than I’ll buy Bischoff and Gomez for cheap”
djourou mayb, but he goes he wants a chance in the DM position. i see him playing centre back. but its out of him senderos and song.
Erm;
Gallas is the BEST defender at the club. Why would it be him dropping out? Oh I see, Kolo is undroppable now? Even tho he stank the place out when he came back from ACN.
Shit, Senderos played in the defence during Dec & Feb, didnt concede an effin goal.
Song is an emergency CB, if he is anything other than that, we are screwed IMO.
J: How many more times will you have to be asked the same Nasri question until your head explodes? Just wonderin’.
J;
How many times will someone ask you how many times will you have to be asked about Nasri?
Bloody hell, Arsenal fans can find any reason to argue can’t they. Song is not near the first xi yet. He might have enough potential to be a regular cb in the future, but wait and see instead of bitching about slightly different views when it makes no difference either way.
That Nordtveit kid looks like he’s gonna be in the CC team then? With Djorou or Song? Or Senderos? One of JD or PS has to go right? JD is held in high regard by Wenger (wanting him to be playing premiership football while he waited for his place, didn’t get sold with the many other players who went to Brum) and no-one really knows where the club stands on PS. Personally, I’d like to see a Djorou-Song partnership in the CC with Nordtveit on the bench. And Senderos sold.
what about the conceded goal against liverpool, ohh the one where we got kbocked out. then after we here senderos saying he was not crying after the game he fell victim to the managers selection, meaning he got dropped. and dont say he was given time to get over it beacuse he was then not picked for like 4 games!!!!!!! and you must be fukking pissed out of your fucking head if you saying gallas is better than toure. who do you support chelsea??? AND SONG AINT EMERGENCY CENTRE BAK, I FUKIN GAVE YOU DA LINK QUOTING ARSENE WENGER SAYING THAT SONG WILL BE A GREAT CB FOR ARSENAL, WTF ARE U ON ABOUT. ANYWAY LETS LEAVE IT THERE MAN, CAHNGE SUBJECT. :O
Song aint a CB, thats a bit more than a slight difference of opinion, when someone is telling me that he will be better than the World class Gallas.
any news on the adebayor situation?????
gunner4life;
What are you going on about??
I apologise for calling you clueless, that doesnt even cover it.
You are talking about Senderos now???
Oh and gallas, he’s an Arsenal player, BTW, captain too.
Chelsea???
Oh dear I said he’s a better defender than Kolo! How dare I?
OMG U DNT STOP!!!!!!!!!!!! I THINK HE WILL BE BETTER THAN GALLAS IN A SEASON OR TWO. (MY OPINION,MY OPINION, MY OPINION)……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….FFS
Disregard my last post!
Forget about it, it never happened!
Sorry!
Can I take back my retraction???
Hahahaha!
OMG I CAN TYPE IN CAPITALS 2! IT MAKES ME LOOK DEAD HARD AND NOT AT ALL LIKE A 12 YEAR OLD DUNNIT?
IM SAYING I THINK SENDEROS HAS PROVED HES AVERAGE, IM SAYING TOURE IS BETTER THAN GALLAS MY OPINION, OH AND BY THE WAY GALLAS CAME FROM CHELSEA IN THE SWAP DEAL INCLUDING CASHLEY COLE ON AUGUST 31ST 2006. AND IF YOU HAVE BEEN WATCHING ARSENAL THIS SEASON, WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED THEN YOU MOGHT THINK GALLAS IS BETTER THAN TOURE, BUT YOU KNOW THATS YOUR OPINION WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED I CANT SAY ANYTHING………………………………
OK SPIKE END IT THERE YEAH YOU GOT YOUR SAY I GOT MINE YEAH, JS WORK ABOVE HAS BEEN OVERSHADOWED BY YOUR ARROGANCE TO TAKE SOMEONES OPINION. ANYWAY IM OUT……
SPIKE STAY SPIKEY LOL…….AND DONT LET ANYONE GET TO YOU…..EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THE SAME OPINION, YEAH THATS YOUR MOTTO… SEE YOU SOON.
Sorry, cant help you fella.
Kolo was solid, along with gallas till Kolo went to the ACN. Kolo came back and was pretty effin average. I love Kolo, but gallas is the better CB. i could say in my opinion, but it aint just that.
Go and ask someone who knows about football, or who goes to games on a regular basis.
You are boring the fuck outa me and anyone daft enough to be reading this purile shite.
Spike, I think you need to chill. Gallas is a world class defender, but have we seen any of his class last season. In his first season, he was mostly injured and bitching about younger players. In his second season, he was excellent in the 1st half when things were good, but once he was needed he was nowhere to be found. Gunner4life, I can’t see song starting if either Kolo or Gallas are still at the club, the only way he can play is if he plays alongisde a tall, strong defender a la Pepe or Lucio (disregarding this season for the latter)
Is Nortdveit fast enough to play in the Premier League ?
It’s all very well being good with the ball at your feet, but you can’t ‘learn’ pace. If he’s slow now – he’ll never get significantly faster – so I hope he can read the game.
In addition – he’ll need to bulk up a bit (and retain what pace he has) to go up against Drog/Cruz/Anelka/Rooney
Here’s a neutral opinion to the spike-gunner4life saga: I think on the ground, with regards to reading the game and timing your tackles, Gallas is a better CB. Having saving that, Kolo has heart and he will give 110% game in game out, which is more than I can say for Gallas. I would take Toure ahead of Gallas for the following reasons:
1) he would fit more easily with a taller defender than would Gallas, seeing as how the latter sometimes cannot be arsed.
2) He can break from the back four and offer energy.
3) He is 28, Gallas is pushing 31
I like Nordeveit, he seems like he has massive potential, but it would be insane if we though he will be starting on a regular basis in the premierleague. I think Wenger meant Carling Cup games with 2-5 Premierleague games and possibly a dead rubber champions league game…
Gallas was world class but now he’s standard he cant deal with long balls,he cant deal with taller players and he cant handle strong players any more thats why are defence is a problem!!!
i think wenger feels nordveit is too good for the reserves. and i would compare him to john terry in the way he plays.
Nordtveit and Song should be our 1st choice centre backs next season.
Spike? is that you? can’t be
we have five fairly experienced centre backs and Havard. We do not need another entre back.
Whever we need a DM depends on wengers faith in diaby. I don’t think nasri is a replacement for hleb and if he does go and Fabregas doesn’t seem to think so(check out guillem balague’s website for an interview after the spain-italy game) then i feel we ill need another winger and why o why wont wenger sell eboue.
That leads on to my next point that wenger needs to by a back-up for sagna. I really like hoyte and hes atrue gunner but he just aint good enough.
We need a new defender but Nordtveit needs a loan move 1st when i saw him against Leroy Lita i was like bloody hell Nordtveit you need to hit the gym because Lita was bullying him.
audi;
Yep it was!
We have 2 decent CBs, who most think cannot play together, the back up is Senderos, Djourou and Song!!!!!
hardly fills me with loads of confidence. Senderos has had loads of chances and is just too cumbersome, slow, emotional! Song is too similar in stature to Kolo/Gallas, leaving Djourou who i would like to see be given a run in the team as Senderos has had, as he has pace, height, athleticism, etc, but again, some have written him off too.
I would say we need a CB. A 7ft, fast as fuck Beckenbauer!
“A 7ft, fast as fuck Beckenbauer!”
Nice to know we’re all keeping a sense of realism. A giant version of the worlds greatest ever centre back on speed shouldent be too hard a find.
Mate, Djourou hasn’t really done it for me. He still makes plenty of mistakes and he wasn’t even a guaranteed starter for Arsenal in the Carling Cup..I was really happy when we were linked with Zapata and I do agree we need a new central defender, which makes Wenger’s comments that a defender “isn’t necessary anymore” all the more worrying…I think for another team Senderos will be excellent, he needs a large run of games. He’s more a confidence defender, like fatty Campbell was when he wasn’t leaving pitches at half time to Belgium
who do you lot think will make it out of gibbs/randall/lansbury? if we go for this bischoff guy we would be so packed in midfield with players nearly the same age. dont forget barazite merida ramsey denilson diaby. omg arsene will have tough decision to make.
I agree with spike about senderos his time has come and gone but I just dont think Djourou is even a CB so it leaves us with nothing
i think djourou is a DM he seems more confident on the ball than our other defenders and plus hes got good control. oh and dont forget he used to be midfielder aswell, so you never know…
Gibbs can play on the left and up front aswell so he could come through as a very useful squad player, he even played at left back this season (i believe it was a CC game…i know he made a league appearence aswell).
Randall will get more chances than Landsbury this season because hes older and more experianced, which is the better out of the two i couldent say. Randall is probably the more attacking and Landsbury the more defencive, but minute margins, and they tend to come pretty close on stats.
If we get Bishoff one of our midfeilders will have to wave good bye, and that’d be a shame because i think their all quality, from the first team players to the players breaking through and even the ones only just stepping into the reserves.
anyone know anything about gilles sunu now. looked like he was on course for a great future, but then became injury prone.
gunner4life, I think Randall and Barazite are closest to the first team now, but still a couple of seasons off. Lansbury is also making some positive noise. To be honest, Denilson and Diaby have been disappointing thus far with the injuries and what not. The talk of Diaby to partner Cesc next season is risky business, but I can see it happening…Squad is shaping up now but you can tell we need improvements…We cannot go into a season with only Clichy at left back (Traore is far from a finished article), for example…
thanks guys for the answers. i think that pedro should be reacelled, but its hard to belive he hasnt represented his country at any age.
Barazite should expect to feature in the 1st team this season IMO. CC games as well as subs in the league as there’ll be 7 places now.
Hope Lansbury can make the grade too.
There was an article on the official website a couple of months back saying that when Sunu plays, he seems to improve with every week…interesting player, but to be injury prone at 17 years of age is worrying if you ask me.
Giles Sunu is and never will be world class because he is all effort and no talent IMO
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1766_3758639,00.html
waaaay off topic does anyone here know of any good football management games online??? for example soccer manager….
That is the major problem when you just sign 15/16 year olds. The vast majority of em want make it.
So, you save money on individual transfers, but you need to buy more of them to get one gem.
£5m for Ramsey, £2m for Biscoff, if neither make it, thats £7m we couldve spent on one experienced player
yeah your right? although im expecting big things from ramsey in the next few years.
anybody know of any good online football management games????
We havent even signed Bishoff yet and i personally agree with J that it doesnt sound right…imo it wont happen.
Lets wait to see how the second generation coming from the fully complete Academy do, the first produced players like Cesc, Bendtner, Djourou, Larsson, Muamba and Bentley and this lot were meant to be the first generation that has felt the full benefits + the next lot are meant to be even better (Wenger himself said there are players in the U16s and U18s he feels have nothing to learn in terms of technical ability).
We do buy first team players as well, last season we got Eduardo and Sagna, and ur not doubting their ability are u? This season we have Vela who has basically come as a first team player even if he wasnt signed as 1 and Nasri should be announced tomorrow. So whats ur problem?
Wenger knows, and i shall say nothing more on the subject. He said himself (when we we’re doing well and top of the league might i add) that he was suprised we were doing so well as he didnt think this side would win nything until the season now coming. Ok…he was right about not winning anything, even though when he said it, it looked like we probably would, so lets give him the benefit of the doubt and believe in what hes telling us, instead of saying this and that player are rubbish, grumbling about potential transfers that havent even been comfirmed and asking for 7ft Beckenbauers on fucking speed.
Shit!
Sorry, maybe it was too subtle for you, but the 7ft beckenbauer comment was an effin joke you moron!
What a clueless, deluded fool you are!
Wenger knows! Like that should replace an y sort of debate and difference of opinion.
What an idiot@
Hilarious, you know fuck all about anything of consequence.
And to think you thought the 7ft Beckenbauer comment was SERIOUS???
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!
I wish the best for Nortdveit because I wish the same for Arsenal…
But if people could recall Senderos started brightly too — a natural leader/ Swiss captain/ headed ball well/ tony adam mark-2/ etc etc — till he ‘flopped’!
So where are we going with this?
I hope we dont sign Bishcoff cuz i can never remember how to spell his name…
“And to think you thought the 7ft Beckenbauer comment was SERIOUS???”
Actually, no i didnt… it was meant to be humerious aswell as adding to my point but was NOT a dig at u, so if thats how u took it i apologise.
My basic point is theres no point in argueing the toss for hours and hours over whether Toure and Gallas are up to it/whether Sendaros, Djourou and Song are good enough back up. By all means make a point, but its a bit ridiculious to go round and round in circles with the same old arguments (not just u).
Plus if you think we, and i quote, “just sign 15/16 year olds” then im not the deluded and misguided one mate cuz we sign first team players every season as well as potential talents. Nasri will be a first team player when and if he comes and if he doesnt some1 else will come, and quite possibly we’ll get some1 else besides Nasri/who ever comes instead of Nasri. Yes 75% of the talents wont make it but the ones we spend big on usually do, Wengers not guna shell out 5mil on a 16 yr old unless hes as shure as he can be that the kid will make the grade, and generally they cost us between 300k and 900k, if not free.
You make some good points and some that i dont agree with, and thats fine, but u need to keep the emotions down mate, if u dont agree with something explain why, dont just chuck insults out.
Spike Keep your toungue to yourself. Your opinion is respected but don’t make it look bad, we all have a say in things. Stop making the blog look bad. ANY BODY AGREE WITH ME?? AN ANSWER WOULD BE APPRECIATED
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gallas is my favourite arsenal captain. character. heart. fierce
i love his speech at cfc and his demeanor. “if they see we are scared… we have to fight, you know?…we have to play our game” in his gravel voice. classic.
The Truth about Nordviet,Great passer Rubbish defender,Leroy Lita made him look a mug against Reading reserves
he is only 17 dont forget, all players bulk up at the age of 19-20. just look at the pictures of carlos vela when he first signed, he was skinny. now if you look at him he looks to have gained more muscle, and luks to have the ideal weight composition for the premier league.
What about signing Crouch and converting him to centreback ?
I agree with The Daddy. is clear Nordviet is too weak for the prem, we need a much tougher defender, someone who can win the ball in the air and not some weedy looking stick boy.
“What about signing Crouch and converting him to centreback ?”
Maybe he can become our 7ft Beckenbauer on speed?
That’s what I was thinking – Wenger can do it on the cheap by feeding him Pro Plus and Red Bull
it seems that no one will come to arsenal this year u used each year to buy unknown player making from them and quickly sell them for me i want to see adebayor leaving and replace him by Huntelaar and not martins he is a poor player
Spike, just so you know, you are a complete wanker and are really begining to piss me off, along with many other members i believe.
Okay, that said, lets all do things the Arsenal way, not arguing and picking faults with peoples OPINIONS!
come on guys, were all Gooners calm down. I think this transfer season is getting to us all.