Wenger boys get fans salivating... Is Benitez a mentalist.. New t-shirt competition..

Easy Gooner's and good day to you all.

First up, I wont bang on about The Arsenal's performance in our one nil win over Real Madrid in yesterdays match up in The Emirates Cup. I've only been on the interweb less than an hour and read plenty of reports and opinions so there's pretty much no need for me to repeat what's all ready on offer and no I'm not being a lazy bastard! What I will say about the game in a very concise manner is that Jack Wilshere, frigging hell. Is he really only 16? He will be some player but we have to remember not to pile the pressure of expectations on his very young shoulders. Did you see how he rode the GBH assault charge from Garcia when the Spanish thug tried to do a open theatre amputation on the young lad? Jack roasted him and made a £24m rated defender look like a spurs player.

Now Emmanuel Adebayor with his badge kissing shenanigans, WTF? It's going to take more than scoring a penalty to win the fans over fella. Did anyone else throw up in their mouths a bit when he kissed the badge? It was interesting to see the reactions of the fans in the stand in front of him when he started doing all that crap. The fans aren't silly Ade, you have much work to do and kissing off The Arsenal badge isn't going to be the way forward to make the fans love you again. I said last week the only way for The Togonator™ to get the fans back on side is to works his nackers off, score a bag full of goals and perhaps get a dose of humbleness wont go amiss either. Lastly on our players, Denilson looks like he's getting better, Diaby when he fancies it does like the business, although as we know he can get a bit sloppy, Sagna is the nuts, Robin van Persie we need to keep the sicknote waving Dutch Master fit as he's vital and Theo Walcott looks like this season could be the one he blows up, he should glimpses of what we're all hoping for. But I must admit as a team we looked proper. I know it's only pre-season but I bet Real Madrid didn't expect to come away with a loss against us.

Lastly, many a report has The Arsenal linked to the hubcap nicking, shell suit wearing, giro getting Liverpool Scallies USA's play maker Xabi Alonso. The Mail on Sunday that staple diet of all things that's wrong with England even reckon a deal has been struck. Now everyone knows The Gunners needs an 'experienced' midfield man and Alonso would tick all the boxes including the one which says 'Premier League experience' which with our new look midfield will be very important. Now I wouldn't mind either Gareth Barry or Alonso they would both fit the bill however Barry can play at the back as well, fitting in perfectly with Le Gaffer's rhetoric jack of all trades of a player having about five jobs.

However what cracks me up with this proposed move for Xabi Alonso is that Raphael Benitez has priced him up at £18m. This guy is truly a mentalist. Benitez even as Stevie Wonder could see is going hell for leather in his pursuit of Barry and nothing it seems will stop him. What with having Argentine Javier Mascherano in midfield Alonso will be surplus to requirements. So you would think Benitez would put a realistic price on him, seeing that he wants to shift him. It's been reported that 'allegedly' Le Gaffer has asked to lower the price of the wanted away player, so we'll see what happens. Benitez who you would think would take the money and run said:

"Xabi is very good player and will not be easy to sell because his market value is really high (£18m). We are pleased because we don't want Alonso to go unless we get a very good price."

Remember this is the same manger who thought Peter Crouch was worth £15m! What makes me laugh is the way Benitez tries to conduct the price, he was told by Aston Villa originally that Barry would cost £18m and he said 'Nah, we'll pay you £12m and throw in a player.' Er, sorry mate, the player is under contract, it's you that wants to buy him - so stomp up the cash fella and that was after he tried to make an illegal approach for Barry, some people, the nerve. He's either trying to be very crafty or he has a big set of cojones on him. Same with Crouch, the beanpole striker who couldn't get in the team. Crouch only got a run out when Liverpool played in the Makita Cup or pre-season friendlies, any 'proper' games and old Robot dancing boy was consigned to getting splinters up his jacksey. But as soon as it came to selling, Crouch was the best player in the world, Liverpool's most important player, found the cure for cancer and his worth had rocketed to £15m. WTF? Anyway this is an Arsenal site so I shouldn't be banging on about other teams, but Benitez is mental. But to draw a conclusion I would definitely take Alonso but seeing that Liverpool will need to sell in order to buy Barry you would think that Benitez would meet in the middle somewhere. Wenger has said he's going to bring in one more - it might turn out it's not even anyone we've thought of, fecking hell Le Gaffer might be lining up a move for Joey Barton!

Score predictor Mini league

Allgoonerdup.com is also running a mini league for a score prediction game, again courtesy of the Premier League. There will of course be a prize for the winner. All you need to do is sign up, join the fun and follow the link below:
http://iknowthescore.premierleague.com/landing.htm

And enter the code: FCCDA-XVB to join the Allgoonerdup.com mini league.

A big slap on the back goes to Mr. Top Banana for sorting the mini league out - you're a legend!

Allgoonerdup Fantasy Premier League

Allgoonerdup is having it's annual (well annual since last year) Fantasy Premier League. The league this year is under the guise of the comments site, Son of Allgoonerdup So if you think you can outdo Arsene Wenger or more to the point want to give it Charlie Big Potato's over the other armchair managers out there jump on board and join the fun. There will be prize for the winner and it will have a 20th anniversary feel to it, that or a keg load of beer for the lucky punter!

Click the below link to get started

http://fantasy.premierleague.com

Sign up to it
Design your team
Join the league by entering this pin into the ‘Join league bit’ (League Pin 73628-19858)!
(The league is called sonofallgooneredup)
Then you are away!
The deadline is August the 16th!

Allgoonerdup Newsletter

A new thing this season is the daily Allgoonerdup Newsletter (well or almost daily) which will be sent direct to your email, as quite a few of you Gooner's have been calling out for it. So a bit like an Arsenal player asking for a move to Barcelona we've obliged. So as soon as the site is updated you will receive something in your inbox. If you want to be part of that gig - just send an email to newsletter@allgoonerdup.com and we'll do the rest.

FaceBook us

Allgoonerdup has gone and got a FaceBook page, so jump on and get connected. The idea is build on the fan base and possibly meet, greet, swap match tickets and stuff with fella Gooner's. To connect to us click the link: Allgoonerdup on FaceBook. Lovely, job done.

Win a 'St Michael Thomas' t-shirt

Allgoonerdup: Arsenal fans website - win a St Michael Thomas t-shirt You looking people have the chance to win an Arsenal inspired t-shirt. We've added some new wares to the Allgoonerdup Online Shop and you can be the proud owner of this Michael Thomas inspired number. All you need to tell us is what number was Michael Thomas wearing when he scored 'that' goal at Anfield in our title winning match up on 26 May 1989?

Send your answer, name and postal address plus your choice of t-shirt, colour and size to: iwannafreebie@allgoonerdup.com

Competition closes Monday 18 August.

Good luck Gooners.

The winner of our previous t-shirt comp and now proud owner of the 'I love AFC' is Carl Mann who resides in Brighton who got the right answer that The Arsenal was formed in 1886. Good work Gooner.

Son of Allgoonerdup comments section

As well as the main site Allgoonerdup has the comments section Son of Allgoonerdup courtesy of WordPress. The stories on the main site will appear on the comments section so you Gooner's will have the pleasure to have some banter with one another and see just what the general shenanigans of the day is, let your fellow Gooner mates know about it too and lets share in all things Arsenal. You don't need to sign up, there's no long drawn out signing up process either - so jump on and have a skive when the boss isn't looking.