Advocaat Praises Arshavin as Sensation

Andrei Arshavin - Wenger and Advocaat On Arshavin

According to Arsene Wenger Andrei Arshavin can get Arsenal back into the top four, which sounds a bit optimistic to me, not because of Arshavin, but because Arsenal need to improve a lot and either Chelsea or Aston Villa or Liverpool need to make a lot of mistakes.

Arshavin will probably make his debut at home against Sunderland tomorrow, although as he is not totally fit it is unlikely he will play the whole 90 minutes.

Wengers assessment is that Arshavin "can integrate well our combination game, he can move very well, he is very mobile so that is something we work on as well ... He is a clever passer of the ball and that is something you need in every big team to open teams up."

But he added "You have to give everybody who comes in time to adapt, to adjust. I know him quite well on his vision, his passing ability, his quick brain. That is something which is very important in the modern game."

"He has personality, he has a strong character. The handicap he has at the moment is that he is not completely fit physically, but all the rest should be quite quick.

"Anyway, we will take the needed time. We will not put him under pressure, if he needs a bit longer he takes a bit longer. At the moment we have many players in that area injured like Fabregas, Rosicky, Walcott, so there is a position to take as a creative midfielder."

Arsenal are unbeaten in 12 games in all competitions, but are drawing a lot of games.

"We are on a good run, are in good shape and the close future looks very good, if we can win the games. With the players coming back, they can have a positive effect on the squad and we can finish the season in a very strong way."

According to Dick Advocaat in this recent video interview, Arshavin will be a sensation in England

Arshavin on Bench Against Spurs

Andrei Arshavin - Arshavin on the Bench for First Match Against Spurs

Andrei Arshavin is on the bench for the match against Spurs. This might be a bit of surprise to some pople as it is said he is not totally match fit.

Arshavin has also said that he speaks his mind and says what he thinks :

"I like to speak my mind. It has made me enemies."

"Sometimes I find it hard to hide my dislike of certain people. It may be bad but that's just me."

"I am better sometimes than at other times, but I am always honest."

In my experience Russians are like that anyway, they don't beat about the Bush.

Now for some Russian phrases - If you want to say hello to Mr Arshavin - you say "zdravstvuiyte Andrei Sergeyevitch -kak dyela ?" (Hello Andrei Sergeyevitch - How are you?) to which he may reply "khorosho - spasiba" (Fine - thank you)

If you want to watch the Arsenal match online live check out watch football online

Andrei Arshavin Short Biography

Andrei Arshavin - A Short Biography of Andrei Arshavin

27 year old attacking Russian midfielder Andrei Arshavin (Андрей Сергеевич Аршавин) has been described by Guus Hiddink, manager of the Russian national team, as “the most intelligent player I have ever worked with”.

Arshavin was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg again) on 29th May 1981. He was Russian footballer of the year in 2006.

He was a player for his home town club Zenit St Petersburg between 2000 and 2009 and is a national hero in Russia (232 appearances - 51 goals) but he mde it known that he wanted to play for a big European club. After a very protracted transfer saga worthy of the great Lev Tolstoy himself, allegedly involving just about every club in Europe, including Newcastle and Kevin Keegan, the transfer negotiations went right down to the wire and apparently were only agreed in the last hour before the transfer window closed, he has now signed for Arsenal, who presumably expect to see an increase in ticket sales as a result.

He is known a versatile "second striker" who plays as an attacking midfielder and his greatest skill is close control, pace and vision.

He graduated from Smena football school. In 1999 and 2000 he played for Zenit's farm club, Zenit-2, in the Russian Second Division.

He was included in the Zenit St. Petersburg squad in 2000. During his long and illustrious career with Zenit he played in various positions. He started as a right midfielder, then became an attacking midfielder and finally adopted the role of second striker, playing on a flank or just behind the main striker.

He was voted Russian Premier League player of the season in 2006 because of his ability to play well as either winger, striker or playmaker.

Arshavin helped Zenit St. Petersburg win the 2007 Russian Premier League title, a season in which he started all 30 matches, scored 10 goals and provided 11 assists along the way. It was Zenit's first league title since they won the old Soviet Top League in 1984.

He is a very intelligent player excelling at killer passes and through balls. Control, vision and strong running are the main characteristics of his game. He also doesn't talk very much and doesn't give many interviews, even in Russian.

In the UEFA Cup Arshavin scored 11 goals in 25 matches. Arshavin was the driving force behind the Zenit team and man-of-the-match and set up both goals when Zenit won the UEFA Cup on 14th May 2008.

Kevin Keegan allegedly was the first English manager to show an interest in Arshavin and is said to have made an £11 million pound bid to try and sign Arshavin for Newcastle, Spurs also tried and failed to sign Arshavin. It was Arsene Wenger and Arsenal who finally signed him, as Zenit became more realistic about the transfer fee.

Arshavin played for Russia for the first time on on May 17, 2002 against Belarus.
He was included in the Russia Euro 2008 squad by manager Guus Hiddink, despite the fact that he was suspended and therefore unable to play in the first two group matches. On his return he scored Russia's second goal against Sweden in Innsbruck.


Honours :

2003 Russian Premier League Cup
2007 Russian Premier League
2008 Russian Super Cup
2008 UEFA Cup
2008 UEFA Super Cup

Voted Russian Footballer of the Year in 2006

Arsenal who are ten points behind Manchester United and five points behind Aston Villa (who they also have to play in the FA Cup) will be hoping he can revive their season. Arshavin will not be eligible to play in the Champions League this season.

Arshavin Video Interview

Andrei Arshavin - Arshavin's First Interview With Arsenal TV as Seen on You tube

Arsene Wenger has been saying how good Arshavin is and how he will fit in to the Arsenal style. He may not be ready for the game against Spurs but I guess Arsenal won't have to wait too long to see him in action. I guess also that in addition to improved results and scores, they are expecting to see an increase in Arsenal ticket sales which will help them recover the amount they spent on him.

His English is actually quite good, although he sometimes struggles with the daft questions TV reporters ask. Here is the video he made with Arsenal TV.

Arsenal Official Statement re. Arshavin

Arshavin Transfer Official Statement from Arsenal

(....... Photo : Arsenal.com)

Arshavin has definitely signed for Arsenal and here is the official statement confirming it.

"Arsenal Holdings plc - Signing of International Midfielder

Arsenal Holdings plc is pleased to confirm that its subsidiary The Arsenal
Football Club plc ("Arsenal") has agreed the transfer of Russian international
Andrei Arshavin from FC Zenit St Petersburg.

Andrei has entered into a long term agreement with Arsenal.


3 February 2009

END"
So it is official ! Hooray ! On to the football against Spurs. And lots of sales of no. 23 football shirts no doubt.

Arshavin Deal Ratified by FA

Andrei Arshavin - Deal Ratified by FA

Andrei Arshavin is a Gunner

Sky Sport at 16:45 are reporting that Arshavin's transfer to Arsenal has finally been ratified by the F.A.

Arshavin is the best player in Russia and was voted 11th best player in the world recently (if my memory serves me right) - so Arsenal have got an excellent player, who won't be bothered by the cold English weather and it would seem at an excellent price - some reports are saying £12.5 million.

So well done Arsenal, Arsene and Arshavin! So many Ars - it was clearly a match made in heaven.

Arsenal are certainly in need of someone or something to get their season started as they are no 5 points behind Aston Villa ! And at the moment look likely to stay there. So let's hope if you are an Arsenal fan that Arshavin will provide the service the forwards need to get goals - he average about 1 in 4 in his matches for Zenit so he is clearly a provider more than a scorer.

He will be playing in no. 23 (what's that all about?) so I predict a run on 2s and 3s in the football shirt market.

Arshavin Thinks He's a Gunner

Andrei Arshavin - Arshavin Thinks He Has Signed For Arsenal

Is this the longest running transfer saga ever? I'm inlcuding the Spurs attempts to sign Arshavin over the summer in that assessment.

On the official Arshavin site, Andrei Arshavin says he thinks he's signed for Arsenal - "Думаю, да. Переговоры подходят к завершению, подробности завтра. Сейчас могу сказать только одно - если буду играть в "Арсенале", то под номером 23. " (Dumaioo da. Peregovori podkhodyat k zaversheniyoo, podrobnosti zavtra. Seichas mogu skazat' tol'ko odno - yesli boodoo igrat' v Arsenal, to pod nomyerom 23.")

i.e. "I think so. The negotiations are over, the details will be finalized tomorrow. At the moment there is only one thing I can say with certainty - if I play for Arsenal I wil be wearing number 23."

Reprts are now saying thatArsenal paid somewhere between £10 million and £12.5 million, which is even better than the £15 million that was being stated earlier.

According to Sky News at 13:15 the FA still haven't ratified the transfer deal, no doubt due to the wrong kind of snow.

Asrhavin Signs For Arsenal

Andrei Arshavin - Arshavin to Sign for Arsenal

Andrei Arshavin is signing for Arsenal tonight (Monday). How do I know? because Arsene Wenger of Arsenal was just on the phone and he said so. He wasn't on the phone to me of course, he was on the phone to Sky Sports. So according to the guy in the grey suit on Sky Sports and to Arsene Wenger, Arshavin is signing for Arsenal tonight, which deserves a loud hurray I think ! Hooray ! Or as the Russians would have it Gura !

(.......................................... Arshavin pic by Steven on Facebook)

A fine move by Arsenal after all this messsing about, and a fine move by Arshavin too, much better than signing for that other team in the relegation battle.

So we can look forward to see Gospodin (Russian for Mister) Arshavin at the Emirates soon. Hooray !

So rush out and buy an Arsenal season ticket if you can, or some Arhavin memorabilia quick before it's all gone ! Hooray !