Arsenal Reject Millwall's Simpson Offer + A New Signing

Arsenal striker Jay Simpson has revealed that the club have turned down an offer from Millwall for his services, after the 19 year old pledged allegiance to the Gunners.

Speaking to ArsenalTV Online, Simpson was quizzed on a whole manner of subjects, including the prospect of going back to Millwall, and his plans for the future.

“The manager (At Millwall) said to me that he wanted me to stay but I wanted to come back to Arsenal and try and get in the team.”

“The boss told me to focus on pre-season, which I’m doing. So I’m just trying to work hard out here, learn as much as I can from this trip and hopefully take it back to England when we go back.”

Jay was also asked about his influential substitute appearance against Barnet, and what it felt like to score the vital equaliser.

“It was very pleasing (to score) especially as we were 1-0 down, that seemed to lift us a bit in the game.”

The striker is expected to get a run out against the Burgenland XI on Monday, and Simpson himself realises what an achievement it is just to be with the team in Austria.

“Everybody wants to be involved out of the young pros and it’s an honour to be here and hopefully I’ll be able to repay the boss’s faith in me.”

After such a productive season with Millwall on loan, you could have forgiven the energetic forward for wanting the security of regular football, but its testament to his attitude and belief in his abilities that he is trying to forge a career with his boyhood club.

For more on Jay Simpson, check out our post-Barnet analysis of the player.

In other news, Arsenal are reported to have snapped up Galway United starlet Joseph McArthur after a trial period in May. The news was announced in the Galway local press, but as yet neither club has given confirmation of the deal.

Article By -J.Sanderson

66 thoughts on “Arsenal Reject Millwall's Simpson Offer + A New Signing

  • July 26, 2008 at 12:42 pm
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    What position does this new signing play?

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  • July 26, 2008 at 12:42 pm
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    SO joseph mcarthur is an irish footballer playing for galway united.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 12:44 pm
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    Don’t know mate, still searching for info on him. If i get any, i will add it up.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 12:54 pm
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    Will this signing go to the first team or, youth set up.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 12:56 pm
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    i know him very well hes my local hero hope he gets his cereer up and going at the mighty gunners republic of ireland star forever mcarthur arsenal til i die ….celtic atw

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  • July 26, 2008 at 1:03 pm
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    Great Article….
    Simpson can very well B da back up dis term.
    NE news on Moses????
    Sounds more like a young starlet….Joseph McArthur!

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  • July 26, 2008 at 1:07 pm
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    Yeah Seems like another one added to youth level rather then reserves !!

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  • July 26, 2008 at 1:08 pm
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    Be useful when those brainless idiots slam Arsenal for not having english, then Wenger can say is Simpson better than any foreign talent on the planet? Now do you see why quality rules over nationality in club football?

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  • July 26, 2008 at 1:08 pm
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    “Don’t know mate, still searching for info on him. If i get any, i will add it up.”

    Lol… i had a go yesterday when Samuel mentioned it but i couldent find bugger all. Just alot of stuff on James McCarthy, which was interesting but not quite what i had in mind.

    Simpson evidently loves this club so im sure hes guna put 110% into every chance he gets here, and if it doesnt work out we know it wasnt cuz he didnt want it. Either way im looking forward to seeing him play next season and i hope he gets on the pitch come Monday.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 1:18 pm
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    Thats why arsenal i hope Wenger plays english players next season just to wind the press up and show the premier league we are just as good as west ham producing youngsters. What really winds me up is David bentley apparently hes worth 18 million this is da problem with english football. Bentley is not good enough for arsenal all he has got his that he has great crossing abilities and passin. He does not have the pace or dribbling ability of rosicky, helb, nasri, gibbs, walcott

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  • July 26, 2008 at 1:27 pm
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    “Bentley is not good enough for arsenal all he has got his that he has great crossing abilities and passin.”

    Actually if Bendtley has stayed he probably would have made the first team eventually, Wenger wanted him, he just didnt want to wait for 2 seasons until he could get first team football so off he went.

    We are Producing some promising talent thou and hopefully a decent proportion of the lads who make it will be English. I meen Gibbs, Simpson, Randall, Landsbury, Wilshire, Jay Thomas and G. Hoyte are all highly talked about, and look like reserve top performers… u have to feel that atleast 2 or 3 of them will make it.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 1:28 pm
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    Bentley*

    Oh…and in my opinion there is no way Beckham should be picked over Bentley for England.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 1:43 pm
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    What ever happend to Jerome Thomas?

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  • July 26, 2008 at 1:52 pm
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    he got lost in the valley

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  • July 26, 2008 at 1:53 pm
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    The Arsenal team is out for the Crawley game.

    Szczesny
    Rodgers – Nordtveit – Bartley – Steer
    Ogogo – Dunne – Gibbs – Watt
    Barazite – Fonte

    Subs
    Shea
    Murphy
    Frimpong
    Cruise
    Ayling
    Evina
    Emmanuel-Thomas

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  • July 26, 2008 at 1:53 pm
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    lol he went to charlton and his career faded when they got relegated his a premiership player though imo, his trickery and pace was amazing when he was in da premiership

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  • July 26, 2008 at 1:54 pm
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    I hate really good players going to Spurs and I am not worried by the prospect of Bentley doing so. Says it all as far as I am concerned – good but not top class.
    Probably would be in our side though due to the financial constraints Mr W is working within.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 2:00 pm
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    I thought Lansbury & Mérida were expected to play against Crawley?

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  • July 26, 2008 at 2:02 pm
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    Thomas always looked skillful, but struggled to get into games for Charlton. I remember being quite excited by him at Arsenal – I’d like to think that the standard of our youth and reserve players is higher now than it was 5 years ago.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 2:06 pm
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    J, I thought Lansbury was going to be playing in the Crawley match?

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  • July 26, 2008 at 2:10 pm
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    Simpson can be the next Anelka for us if he remains patient and works hard. He has pace and seems to use his strength as well. He needs to improve ball control and retention and he’ll be better than EGOBAYOR. He’ll get chances in the CC games this season for sure.

    I’m happy at long last so many English lads are knocking the door for first team places including Wilshare, Simpson, Gavin and Rndall. Lansbury is calm because of his sickness but he’ll come good as well. In the larger British territory, Ramsey is the guy ripe to deputise for Cesc and not Denilson; he’s quicker, better passer of the ball and full of fight. Denilson at 20 needs to fight hard as his position is now seriously under threat. Denilson’s slower pace and square passes does not suit Arsenal’s new pacy style of play.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 2:27 pm
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    “Simpson can be the next Anelka for us if he remains patient and works hard. He has pace and seems to use his strength as well. He needs to improve ball control and retention and he’ll be better than EGOBAYOR. He’ll get chances in the CC games this season for sure.”

    Simpson isnt close to Anelka technically. However i agree Simpson has the potential to be an improtant player for us, im just not sure he’ll ever be a perminant first team, first 11 fixture. However only time will tell. He’ll never be Adebayor, but thats cuz hes a completely different style of player.

    As for Jerome Thomas, still at Charlton as others have already said, gets games but isnt really a constant starter yet. He was a legend on CM 03-04, i remember he was top scorer for my Bristol City side that made the premiership and won the UEFA cup and even managed to get into England. Sadly the reality is hes a very pacey, and skillful player, but lacks end product. Thats the reason he never made it at Arsenal and thats the reason he’s still in the championship and hasnt been picked up by any Premiership clubs. However i do think hes got what it takes to make it at the top level (premier league, not England). Did well for Charlton when they were a premiership club.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 2:28 pm
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    Looking forward to reading the Crawley Town report btw. Good luck to the lads, nearly half time now isnt it?

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  • July 26, 2008 at 2:31 pm
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    Mcarthur is a pacy winger/striker he’s 15 years old and is said to be like the next big thing in irish football. Around Galway, there were rumours that scouts from Liverpool and Spurs both like apperntly had a look at him. But Arsenal we’re quick to snap him up. Very good buisness by them imo

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  • July 26, 2008 at 2:37 pm
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    I think Simpson is more of an Ian Wright than Anelka. Fingers crossed that this young lad does well.

    I wonder what the critics will say when our English lads eventually make it into the first team. They’ll probably find something else to moan about.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 2:49 pm
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    strange lansbury isnt mentioned in the starting line up for the match against crawley

    Hope Simpson does well you can see (against barnet) when he scored he showed great goalscoring ability ( by his movement) he has great potential lets hope he does well and takes bendtners place…
    i really dont like bendtner even tho it seems he is slightly improving

    n e way

    lets hope for great things to come with this hot prospect

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  • July 26, 2008 at 2:49 pm
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    Simpson is crap. Sell him.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 2:50 pm
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    “strange lansbury isnt mentioned in the starting line up for the match against crawley”

    Maybe they wanna get some people on who aint played so much like Gibbs and Dunne.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 2:54 pm
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    Although Gibbs has been playin at the U19s so that doesnt rly make sense. But they’ll have their reasons.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 2:54 pm
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    yea i geuss they do

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  • July 26, 2008 at 2:55 pm
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    Does anyone have a stream for the game today?

    I wanna watch it.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 3:06 pm
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    Its not live?

    Why the hell not?

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  • July 26, 2008 at 3:14 pm
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    what’s the score?

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  • July 26, 2008 at 3:46 pm
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    Should be full time soon. Cnt wait to see the score line.

    Watching Barca vs Dundee Utd atm, Barca are pretty much runnin rings roung them but Dundee are just about holding their own. 1-1 at the moment, Henry scored for Barca, no idea who scored for Utd, i was out back having a quick smoke.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 3:53 pm
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    I think Arsene is going to promote quite a few Reserve players and we’ll probably see them feature as substitutes in the EPL games.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 4:01 pm
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    Its possible, but remember we have:

    Almunia, Fabianski, Clichy, Traore, Gallas, Toure, Song, Sendaros, Sagna, Eboue, Hoyte, Nasri, Walcott, Diaby, Fabregas, Denilson, Ramsey, Rosicky, Vela, Van Persie, Bendtner, Adebayor, Eduardo. Thats 23 first team players, 11 starters, 7 subs, thats only 18 places. Bar a mass of injuries i doubt any of the reserve players we expect to break throu will find a perminant spot on the bench. Im sure a few of them will get the odd place on the bench, some time on the pitch and maybe even a start or two, but dont expect to see them too much.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 4:08 pm
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    So henri lansbury is in austria i fought so but why is havard nordveit back home maybe hes going on loan? Wenger mighy buy a centre back

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  • July 26, 2008 at 4:11 pm
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    ok, its 1-0 btw, Gibbs with the goal Barazite with the assist.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 4:29 pm
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    1-0 Fulltime.

    Gibbs scored the winner. It seemed like our reserves had a good run out.

    :)

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  • July 26, 2008 at 4:30 pm
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    this Crawley Town team beat Spurs reserves 6-0 the other night and apparentley it could have been more.

    In terms of who’s in Austria are not, there seems to be a lot of guessing, so I’m going to add mine to the hat.

    In the pre-match build-up to the game last monday in Austria, Arsenal TV howed the squad and Norveit and Barazite were on that list, but Simpson was not. Obviously they got it wrong.

    Lansbury must still be in Austria with the 1st team along with Wilshere, G Hoyte and Randall, the Crawley Town website did say they didn’t have a confirmed squad for Arsenal.

    If Gibbs was involved and Merida wasn’t suggests to me that Merida has joined up with the 1st team in Austria and with Cesc not back yet, maybe Wenger is looking at a more attack minded player. Nasri has already admitted he is going to be played on the wing so Wenger obviously feels that when Cesc doesn’t play we need someone with his creativity. Denislon and co aren’t as attack minded as Cesc and Merida.

    Like last season, I would guess that the likes of Nordveit, Barazite and Gibbs will be included in the Emirates Cup.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 4:39 pm
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    “Like last season, I would guess that the likes of Nordveit, Barazite and Gibbs will be included in the Emirates Cup.”

    Yea, id agree with that. I also agree with ur views on Merida.

    1-0 is a good score against Crawley Town cuz they did thrash Spuds reserves. Nice for Gibbs to score aswell, especially cuz their (crawley town’s) manager kept banging on about him.

    Nyways, im back to watch Villa vs Odense in the intertoto cup, 0-0 atm, Villa are edging it thou, Young is playing very, very well.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 4:41 pm
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    10 years ago we had Paolo Vernazza and Isaiah Rankin coming through and many thought they would make it into the first team. They now play for Crawley Town. Realistically, these kids we’re looking at now, who is going to make and who’s going to end up playing for Crawley? E.g. Rankin scored tons of goals for the reserves but never made it, so what chance Simpson, Murphy, Fonte etc.? Lansbury, Gibbs, Randall – are they that much better than Vernazza was back in the day?

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  • July 26, 2008 at 4:47 pm
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    I think in general the players coming through our academy have so much more quality, I think you can see that in the pre-season friendlies and Carling Cup games that they don’t look out of place.

    Wenger has said that this is the ebst lot of youngsters that have been produced by Arsenal and the u-16’s and u-14’s are even better. Thats because they players all joined the academy in the Wenger ere and have only been taught one way, where everything has improved from faciltites to dieting to the skill training they do.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 4:49 pm
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    There isnt one player currently in the Reserve squad that isnt good enough to go on to play League football in my opinion. No not all of them are Premier League quality, some of them might soem even manage to stand out in the championship, but all are of league standard.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 4:50 pm
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    might even not manage*

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  • July 26, 2008 at 4:53 pm
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    I think lansbury is in austria to get a good pre season he has missed alot of football and wenger rates him. I can honestly see a Lansbury, ramsey partnership in da future. I think Henri lansbury is a better play than coqeluin-better tactically and technically. Coqeluin is an agressive player and i like his attitude but lansbury is a better player. people are raving about this kid agter two games. Most arsenal fans been raving about Lansbury for about two years because hes performs at the bigger games ie european champion ships

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  • July 26, 2008 at 4:53 pm
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    Is Ogogo any good? I’m bored of seeing him in line-ups.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 4:57 pm
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    From what I’ve seen on ATVO Ogogo is crap. He gets done by wingers all day is short and has no heading ability. The thinking is he’s an attacking right back, but he’s behind Sagna, Eboue, Toure, J. Hoyte, Rodgers and even G. Hoyte for that position

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  • July 26, 2008 at 5:06 pm
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    “Is Ogogo any good?”

    Hes ok, reasonably tricky, decent pace, gets a throu crosses in, he can play right back or right mid, but he wont make it at Arsenal. In my opinion hes one of the reserve sides worst players. He does ok, quite consistant but ive never seen him stand out.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 5:07 pm
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    few crosses in*

    Argh, so hot, cnt type properly.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 5:11 pm
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    Anyone know where Merida is? If he didn’t figure for the Crawley game might he have gone to Austria? It would be great to see him play against Burgenland. If its a similar lineup to previous games I guess we may have to wait a bit longer to see Nasri, so the chance is there for Merida to get a game and show what he can do.

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  • July 26, 2008 at 5:19 pm
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    “Anyone know where Merida is? If he didn’t figure for the Crawley game might he have gone to Austria? It would be great to see him play against Burgenland.”

    Very possible but i wouldent like to second guess it atm, players seem to be coming and going from Austria, not quite sure whos guna be there for Mondays game now. Merida might be there but he might also have been rested if he was feeling a bit tired after the Euro U19s, or he might have had a slight injury, who knows…

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  • July 26, 2008 at 7:06 pm
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    Another unknown signing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Enough is Enough Wenger!! where’s the experience player u want to buy!? with liverpool signing Keane and maybe silva or barry and with chelsea and man.utd new signature. where Arsnal is going to be next year!?

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  • July 26, 2008 at 7:33 pm
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    Um…Lebanese…im guessing ur talkin about the 15 yr old kid and if u are it doesnt rly count as a signing. Wenger will get a first team player in and quite possibly two.

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  • July 27, 2008 at 7:58 am
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    Well done to Arsene for giving Simpson the chance he deserves, it take guts to keep faith with young English players in the face of so much oppostion from our own supporters.
    Simpson is not a nother Greedybayor or Wright or anyone else he just Jay Simpson and in my mind he’s gonna make it!

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  • July 27, 2008 at 8:06 am
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    Jerome Thomas is playing for Toronto FC in the MLS nowadays

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  • July 27, 2008 at 9:22 am
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    Lurtzz, you must be thinking of Rohan Ricketts, another former Arsenal player who is at Toronto.

    Jerome Thomas is still at Charlton, I’m sure he played in a friendly the other day.

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  • July 28, 2008 at 6:56 pm
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    Im a Millwall fan and would like to say that, Jay Simpson is a fantastic prospect for the future, last season he almost single hanmdedly kept us up, but whether hell make it at you lot is another question….
    Hes got great pace, is quite stockey for his size and has clear skill whith the ball at his feet, sometimes just lacks that cutting edge in front of goal and his fitness is not so good but if Millwall where to purchase him it would be a fantasic signing for us.. How much you reckon hes worth in Arsenes’ eyes?

    Reply

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