Millwall Monitoring Simpson's Arsenal Situation

Jay Simpson - A Wanted Man

Millwall manager Kenny Jackett has confirmed he is making regular checks on former loanee Jay Simpson, despite already being rebuffed in his attempts to lure the League 1 Player Of The Year back to the New Den.

Simspon is yet to be informed by Arsène Wenger of his long-term future, with the Frenchman keen to put him through his paces over pre-season. Jay has had mixed results, but after last night’s excellent performance against Huddersfield he could have pushed himself into Wenger’s plans.

The 19 year-old began in flying form with a goal and assist against Barnet, but his form slipped away during the tour of Hungary/Austria, before a slightly better performance against VfB Stuttgart. However, he was left out of the Emirates Cup double headers with Juventus and Real Madrid.

Jackett admits he has been monitoring the forwards fortunes with the Gunners, although his potential signing seems unlikely.

“Simpson played all three of Arsenal’s games on tour in Austria last month but did not feature at the weekend,”

“I am not saying I would not follow that up. It is their choice. But you can’t focus on outsiders too much – my job is looking at our team, making them into a unit.”

The Lions are also desperate to retain the services of Reading Jem Karacan – who stared against Arsenal’s Reserves – but have also been turned away in their advances for the Turk.

Jackett revealed at the club’s Fans Forum that Arsenal had signalled they were looking at loaning Simpson out, but informed the fans they should not expect to see Jay in a Millwall shirt again.

Article By – J.Sanderson

39 thoughts on “Millwall Monitoring Simpson's Arsenal Situation

  • August 7, 2008 at 3:51 pm
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    Truthfully J, simspons case i really a pathetic on. He definitely can’t be among our top strikers but can’t be ignored or easily let go. I think wenger is actually trying to see his versatility in other to find other roles he could fit into while he waits till he can develop to a first team striker. Wenger knows his talent is just too cool to close his eyes on.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 3:53 pm
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    Jay Simpson is not good enough to get into the first team and he should find another club because he will only ever be a squad player at Arsenal IMO

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  • August 7, 2008 at 3:54 pm
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    sorry..I mean, his case is really a pathetic one ! Its like having a mouth full of chicken, and eggs on your hand. You definitely want to eat the egg but with a mouth full of chicken, it becomes hard..but then, you just can’t let go off the delicious fried egg..probably a sardin or spanish omelet..hmmmm

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  • August 7, 2008 at 3:58 pm
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    I think I prefer Jay Simpson on the wing rather than as a out on out striker. He lights up the wing play with pace and technique just as theo does. The difference though is that theo wlacot does it more.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 4:00 pm
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    Hey~ Anyone know where online I can watch the Arsenal game tomorrow? Arsenal TV are not showing it…..

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  • August 7, 2008 at 4:03 pm
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    we got too much strikers,, loan him for another one or half season, and take him back when we’re out of striker.

    but if he can make a lot of money for us, sell him.. we got Vela and Nicky, which are better than him..

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  • August 7, 2008 at 4:19 pm
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    “sorry..I mean, his case is really a pathetic one ! Its like having a mouth full of chicken, and eggs on your hand. You definitely want to eat the egg but with a mouth full of chicken, it becomes hard..but then, you just can’t let go off the delicious fried egg..probably a sardin or spanish omelet..hmmmm

    Top gunn said this on August 7, 2008 at 3:54 pm”

    is it? is that what it’s like? i’ll take your word for it. hasn’t happened to me too often…

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  • August 7, 2008 at 4:20 pm
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    w1n

    The Arsenal game is on this web site http://www.MyP2p.eu just click on the live sports section then click on were it says football at the top of the page then scroll down and you will see the Ajax vs Arsenal

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  • August 7, 2008 at 4:26 pm
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    w1n – u can try http://sport2net.blogspot.com/ well, actually it’s not online, but they always comes up with the new soccer video. and i always download any arsenal match from it..

    sorry J, for posting another link,, just wanna help another Gooner.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 4:29 pm
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    wtn,- both weekend games are on sky sports 2.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 4:37 pm
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    w1n – Skysports are showing the game mate, onlien streams are not always safe or legal.

    Doop23 – Noted mate.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 4:55 pm
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    Eh, Simpson is being given one last look. This season i recon he’ll get chances in the early Carlin Cup rounds, latter if he impresses, and if he continues to impress maybe some sub appearences in the league.

    Hes actually very lucky, hes being given a chance and he can still make it, plus he has Millwall to fall back on if it doesnt work out and quite possibly numerious other clubs aswell who would be interested in he became available.

    I think hes a good player, with fantastic determination and dedication, however i dont think hes good enough. He could be a squad player, but do we really need a squad player for the wide and central attacking postitions anymore what with Nasri, Walcott, Eboue, Traore, Gibbs, Bischoff, Wilshire, Barazite, Eduardo, Adebayor, Van Persie, Rosicky, Bendtner, Vela (probably some1 couple ive missed). Thats a hell of alot of players for 4 positions and personally i think all are better than Simpson, with the possible exceptions of Gibbs, Barazite and Bischoff who are atleast on the same level as him (Gibbs and Batazite are in my opinion both better anyway, Bischoff obviously i duno).

    I dont think he’ll ever be an international class player, just a hard grafter with decent technical ability, good enough for lower to mid table premiership clubs, top performer for championship clubs. At the most i see him in the UEFA cup side in the future, but not Champs League and Definatly not England.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 4:55 pm
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    a Uefa Cup side*

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  • August 7, 2008 at 4:57 pm
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    I think we should keep Jay for one reason.

    Sure he is not quite at Theo’s level, but with Theo now taking up a first team role, we now have lost our impact player from the bench. Simpson can give that with his performances against Barnet and Huddersfield, he unlocked those teams and can do the same.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 4:57 pm
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    I’m very shocked at some comments i’ve read here.
    More shocking is that some of you say “you don’t think we need a GK” OMG, what planet are these pple on? You consider Almunia a trophy winning GK? Whilst I think he is not too bad, he’s certainly not worth dancing over and imagine he breaks his leg in mid September (not that i wish), where does that leave us? Fabianski as number 1 GK? Hahahaha! It’s very ridiculous. This is the one reason for me to believe as a squad, we are not going into this season, ready to win. Better put, is that we are going into the season to give it our best shot. It’s two different things. You can give it your best shot and still more likely win nothing. There are no shortages of GK but Arsene thinks Almunia is enough. I’m 110% sure that he’s wrong. Now that Lehmann’s gone, he has no competition and Fab cannot push for his shirt. Almunia will just turn up and get an automatic shirt knowing there’s no competition for the number 1 shirt. As much as I hate to say this, I can put down all my money that AW will regret giving Almunia the number 1 jersey without any competition like Shay Given or Robert Green. It’s just a shame that it is you and I that will feel the depression of the embarrassment. Liverpool, Chelsea and Man U all have better GKs than us. I can boldly say that! Why? I’m so fed up up AW patching things up. Let’s call a spade a spade. Almunia was one of two white elephants in the room last season. We all know the truth. Drogba tore Almunia to shreds at Stamford Bridge, shooting directly into the middle of the net. That was very hard for me to take and I’m sure was hard for thousands of other fans out there.
    Come beginning of July, Wenger was quoted as saying: “we had some defensive problems last season. Certainly, we will look to strengthe in that department…” Have we stregthened there? NOOO
    Fans are no fools. Felipe Ramos, I don’t know. All I will say is that last season, when Almunia was in goal, Arsenal fans knew a certain Lehmann was in the squad who could prove himself for the number 1 shirt, so I personally felt we would be fine in that department. Now Lehmann’s gone, it only makes sense to bring in an experienced GK and allow him and Almunia to fight for the number 1 spot. IMHO, there is no back-up plan, no plan B to Almunia if anything was to go wrong. This is why I firmly believe we may end up winning nothing again if AW does not wake up from his delirium! I’m gradually losing my temper now.

    Why promise strengthening in defence when you can’t guarantee it?
    You can’t win the title on the cheap. Never. It’s over 38 games and you can’t hide. With luck we may win in cup competitions but plas forget the title, if things are the way they are come August 31. Had we a solid keeper and a solid defensive partnership last season, we would have definately won the title and even edged closer in the CL. But no one dare says the truth these days. I’m not scared to say it. You can fool people but you can’t fool yourself. I’m not going to fool myself by saying we are ready, because we are not. We’re well stocked on the wings now and are looking good going forward. But what of the defence, a dept that was the constant source of headaches last season?
    We just assume the problems have disappered. Sorry they haven’t!

    daymee said this on August 7, 2008 at 4:43 pm

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  • August 7, 2008 at 5:27 pm
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    Same response i gave on the Ramos article:

    daymee… i just think ur wrong. No offence meant, but i dnt agree with any of that. Im not guna go throu it all, cuz i agree with nothing.

    Look at it this way, we were 4 point off the title, so three draws turned into wins and we had the title. It not that we didnt defend well enough, we just didnt close games well enough. there were atleast 5 0-0 or 1-1 draws we should have and easily could have won, but we didnt get the winner and didnt win the game. With Van Persie back and hopefully fit for the season, Rosicky returning and Nasri added (ok Hleb taken away but he didnt chip in with many assists and even less goal anyway) and all of our players one year older and wiser, i think we wont draw as many this season.

    We lost 2 games, Middlesbrough away (terrible all round performance), Chelsea away (hardest place to go, slightly unlucky but if we’d got a second to make it 2-0 it would have been very different). 2 games lost in a season is league winning form, however we draw 9 games, thats not good enough and that was the differance between us winning the title with a decent margin between 1st and 2nd place and us being 4 points off the title.

    In many of those draws we conceded first after 20-30 mins of pressuring but not scoring. If we dont convert but keep a sustained attack you leave yourself wide open, and it doesnt matter if you have liverpool, utd or chelseas back four and keeper or ours, thats just football. When they pressure a side for 30 mins they get a goal, we often dont.

    Toure and Gallas are world class centre backs and (this is guna get me alot of stick) Sendaros isnt far off. Yes Gallas and Toure are a bit too similar but they still do a good enough job. By good enough i meen good enough to win any compatition. When Sendaros plays we have the balance, the big guy and the not so big guy, plus Sendaros can both run and play, so it doesnt take anything away when he plays. Other then them we have Djourou and Song who both look like they have the potential to become another Gallas and Toure type pairing.

    As for Almunia, i rate him highly, id prefere to have Almunia than Reina, and whilst Cech and Van Der Sarr are both probably in the top 5 list of the worlds keepers, Almunia isnt too far off. Decent height, decent pace, decent strength, never drops an absolute clanger and is pretty consistant. Thats basically what i like from a keeper and thats what he gives us.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 5:40 pm
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    Another spell on loan with a Championship or lower Prem team would probably be good for Jay. He has shown that he has the capacity to learn and improve, because playing regularly, albeit at League 1 level, he has learned a lot. He played on the wing at Millwall and if Arsene finds somewhere else where he can continue his development he could be a useful squad player for us or be sold for a good price and have a good career somewhere else. It would be a shame to sell him now before he has reached his full potential.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 6:18 pm
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    i pity jay simpson. he like justin hoyte. both boyhood arsenal supporter, now play for their fav team. but they not good enough to play regularly. hoyte choose to stay and fight for his place, and it seems jay try to do the same. but here is the different. as a defender, hoyte with limited technical ability, can still have a chance to play some 20+ games but jay as an attacker would find it more difficult. this is because the way wenger wants his team to play football that except defender, the other outfield player need to have great touch. jay still young and learning but how long he willing to wait, work hard and stay positive before he good enough for wenger to play him regularly?

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  • August 7, 2008 at 6:27 pm
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    JM: Reina had the most clean sheets I think of any keeper in the Premiership last season. He’s prone to carelessness but he is a class apart from Almunia.

    We’ve discussed this on gunnerblog today but I’m ok with Almunia (his stats from last season have him average out as about on par with Lehmann the season before) as our keeper but I would feel a lot more secure supporting the team if we bought someone better.

    Simpson won’t make it here. In the past we may have let in players with a lot of heart and some potential but unless we feel certain about them fulfilling such potential, they are not good enough. Look at the quality coming through, we will be able to keep, at most, 3 players a youth team. For Simpson’s age it looks like it will be Merida, Barazite and Traore and at a push either Hoyte, Randall or Mannone. Every other 18 year old doesn’t look like they have a substantial chance, move on to the next set: Nordtveit, Ramsey and Coquelin. Lansbury, as much as I wish he would, does not compare in talent to Ramsey, and we have to be ruffless here. If 19 is the average age to breakthrough to our first team, then look, we have 6 new players! Add on new signings and our squad becomes giant! Then there is Wilshere, who is advancing past his age group! And Pedro!

    Simpson, as much I wish he would succeed, is not the best of his age group or his position. At the moment, I genuinely cannot see him usurping Theo, Nik, Vela or Barazite, who are all of similar ages and positions. Not to mention our first choice strikers who are only 5 years older or the crop of strikers a couple years younger, like Afobe and Murphy, who promise just as much. An ok fee and a high sell-on clause, and we can hope he enjoys a decent career.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 6:31 pm
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    What is this obsession with Jay Simpson because like i said before he is and never will be good enough to play for Arsenal so there really is know point in keeping him here at the club IMO

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  • August 7, 2008 at 6:36 pm
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    g0on3r: you also have to recognise it’s a different arsenal. Hoyte was promoted into a team with very limited transfer funds due to the stadium, colney and such. He also was part of an academy year where the quality was not of the standard we currently see, to shine was not as hard but if you had any real potential you were promoted (see also bentley) no matter if you were to be genuinely good enough or had the right mindset – potential and the ability to fill in without making a fool of yourself was the target.

    Now the academy have standards that say: you have to be as good as Clichy, as Fabregas, as Bendtner to stay and fight for your place. There will be opportunities but not only do you have to compete with the very talented first team to show your worth, you have to prove your worth against the strongest set of youngsters the club has had under Wenger. The standard is only ever going to get higher and if people find it unfortunate that Simpson or Bentley won’t find a place in the team, wait till the kids that have just joined an academy that has learnt the mistakes of what makes, say Simpson, not as good as he can be – we are gonna eventually be turning away extremely good players like Barca did with Cesc. It seems ridiculous I know but we look to already be producing 1 or 2 homegrown lads for every batch, once the coaches learn how to do it, ahem, properly, it will become 3 or 4 a batch and we cannot sustain that many players constantly joining the team.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 6:38 pm
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    kent paul: are you an arsenal coach or work for prozone or something? i personally, am not sure of the kids chances but then i thought theo looks useless up until january. he most likely to never make it at arsenal but he is currently an arsenal player, all of whom (cept eboue) we should hope the best for. And if he stays an Arsenal player, obviously the great talent sptter AW thinks he might become better than we think.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 6:42 pm
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    “He’s prone to carelessness but he is a class apart from Almunia.”

    Thats my point thou, on his day Reina is world class like Van Der Saar and Cech, but he drops clangers. Cech had a couple last season but not as much as Reina, Van Der Saar has cut them out with age and experiance. Almunia doesnt do clangers from what ive seen. Im not saying hes never at fault but ive never seen a goal go in and thou “Almunia you idiot”. Plus in terms of Experiance he has relativly little, last season was only the third time hes played a season as first pick keeper for any side. Give him a couple more and he can really improve. A very good keeper and despite age potentially world class for both Arsenal and England.

    I agree about the kids thou and Simpson although i think he has a chance, he needs to show he can give consistant performances thou, not just 1 good 3 bad and then start again.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 7:04 pm
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    Doesn’t it mean anything to you guys that he is a homegrown player and we need more of those in the team. I know how you think, you rather see us buy players than move up our own talents to the first team. Fuckers, shame on you!!!

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  • August 7, 2008 at 7:05 pm
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    Mav: Watch Almunia. I mean, really pay attention, especially in big games. His positional sense is what makes him a bad goalkeeper. These are his clangers, it’s just not as obvious as dropping the ball or failed catches. But too often he not in the right place to nullify an attack and we often pay the cost because of it. Think of Babel in the CL. Rushing out even though Sagna was covering the winger so Ronaldo could score a tap-in first time we played Utd last season. Every freekick he’s leaves giant gaps open for anyone half decent at a free kick, it’s like target practice.

    This can be worked on and hopefully it comes with experience. But it is what makes him a class apart from great keepers.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 7:18 pm
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    Samuel no i am not a coach and i am all for local boys being at Arsenal if they are up to it with Jack Wilshere being the prime example of this, but like to think i know a player when i see one and Jay Simpson is not and never will be good enough to play for us IMO

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  • August 7, 2008 at 8:06 pm
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    Thank god Arsene will not listen to your opinion, Jay is jsut what we needed last night against a stubborn Town defence, all the neat play by Vella and Walcott got us nothing, because there to small and weak to face big tough defenders, Jay came on and took the town defence to task with his strength and direct play, the skill in which he took on and beat the Town defence for our first goal was what Arsene was looking for, Jay may not get a lookin as a main striker but down the right wing where he played for Millwall last season he’s the best, I’d rather have Jay in that postion than Eboue any day of the week, amd jus so you remember he was voted the best player in league one last season by a country mile, can Ramsey or Wlitshire claim to have that accolade heaped on there young shoulders???
    Arsene is not stupid he knows how to play Jay which is why he used him on the right side when he came on and Jay never let him down.
    More power to our own youth players I hope many more of them come through the ranks without having to put up with so much shit from our own supporters!!!

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  • August 7, 2008 at 8:34 pm
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    WOW , I remenber on this forum after d arsenal game , o wow jay simpson he seems as good as theo , now you HAVE NOT SEEN HIM IN THE PREM so u cannont make any judgements

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  • August 7, 2008 at 9:04 pm
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    jazbo//

    I couldn’t agree more. He have the strenght we need at some times combined with great skills and speed.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 9:06 pm
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    We must let our own talents get a chance, especially players like Justin, Gavin and Jay who are Gonners since they were kids. That has to be valued IMO.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 9:09 pm
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    jazbo

    Being voted the best player in the CCC dont mean shit and i still say he will never make it here

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  • August 7, 2008 at 9:15 pm
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    yup samuel, have to agree with u. after all, this is about survival of the fittest. who ever the best will go up, the rest down and out. but sometimes, u cannot help but feels sentimental when player like simpson work his ass out, his dream is so close yet so far. but if he to leave, i hope he not turn out to be like bentley, says all the bad thing about arsenal and then confessed his love with spurs.

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  • August 7, 2008 at 9:39 pm
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    Jazbo is spot on , Kent Paul you have not even seen him play a carling cup game

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  • August 7, 2008 at 10:51 pm
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    I have seen him play reserve team football and for Milwall last season to have a reasonable opion on him as a football player and like i have said before he is not and never will be good enough for us and whether it is this season or next Arsene Wenger will get rid of him like he did with Thomas, Sidwell, Pennant, Upson etc etc because for one reason or another they were not good enough eather

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  • August 8, 2008 at 8:32 am
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    Kent paul, I hold a swindon season ticket and go to any away games i can and can promise you the simpson last season tore teams apart despite the fact he was mostly played out on the wing! When he played against swindon he kept cutting in from the right (like wenger likes) and either created an opportunity or had a decent shot. I say give him a chance in CC and see how he gets on. If he impresses then why not give him a go against lower prem teams or if we are 3-0 up with 20 mins left in a game.
    If he doesn’t do it then hey what have we lost, nothing.
    I agree with J, he could be a very good impact sub for us this season against teams that tire quick or have an old defence that has been run ragged by theo, whack jay on for the last 20, will finish them off which is exactly what we couldn’t do last season!

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  • August 8, 2008 at 11:10 am
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    I cant see why he cant be a squad player. arsenal are in all the competitions players are going to need a rest sometimes.
    plus im sure he can do the job upfront against a team like stoke if he gets a chance.
    is frazier campbell by far better than him??…..and alex fergerson is keeping campbell so give the boy a chance people!!!

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