This was only a friendly match, despite being called the Emirates 'Cup', and in his post-match press conference, Arsene Wenger said: "I don't give too much importance to the result. It is more important to find a connective rhythm." But when Arsenal went two goals up and threw away the advantage to draw 2-2 against Boca Juniors, having been in control for a huge chunk of the 90 minutes, there was still a crushing feeling of déjà vu for all Gunners fans.
Wenger's refusal to dwell on his side's defensive lapses after the game gave way to praise of Arsenal's impressive new-boy, Gervinho and the inevitable conjecture over the futures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. "Nothing has moved since Friday," said Wenger - which is no surprise, as it has only been 24 hours.
Common belief is the former will, eventually, leave and the latter will, for another year, remain. Despite his desire to join Barcelona, an injured Fabregas was in attendance. "No money would get Cesc out of here, if he wants to stay," were the telling final five words from a bullish Wenger.
Meanwhile, on the pitch, Nasri did little to dispel his doubters. He played the entirety of the match, even handed the captain's armband in the second half, however, this was not one of his better outings, with little coming off for the Manchester City target, who has less than 12 months to run on his current contract. It would be bold, though, to suggest he looked uncommitted, perhaps just not entirely focused.
But when one wonders what Arsenal might lose, it is human nature to forget what one already has. You're scrabbling around looking for your keys, but at least you have your wallet, safely tucked away in your back pocket.
The wallet, in this case, is Jack Wilshere. On the evidence of his pre-season performances thus far, the contentious decision to keep him out of this summer's European Under-21 Championships looks a wise one, certainly for the player, and, more importantly, for his club. He looked fresh, and his feet skipped lightly off the turf. Wilshere was a thorn in Boca's side for the 45 minutes he played, drawing several fouls; they simply couldn't get to grips with his speed of thought. Arsenal's opener came from a Gervinho assist to a Robin van Persie finish, but it was Wilshere who ignited the attack.
With Wilshere supreme in the centre, eyes were otherwise mostly on the only major summer signing for the Gunners thus far, Gervinho - the home fans keen to gauge his quality for the first time up close. The Ivory Coast international is a direct sort of player, happy to take on defences and that could prove a valuable weapon in the season to come, as it can be a frustrating process watching Arsenal pass sideways against a side set up to suffocate them.
Gervinho demonstrated an end product for the opener, and skinned an opponent on more than one occasion. Reflecting on his performance, Wenger said: "Gervinho is a good addition to our squad. Gives options on both sides and through middle. He can integrate well."
Defensively, there has been much pining for a brute of a centre-half. There's a belief Arsenal are crying out for a giant of a stopper, hence the links with Blackburn's Christopher Samba and Bremen's Per Mertesacker. But, and this might be tempting fate, this match served to remind that the pair would be a very un-Wenger-like buy. The French coach likes his back four to play the ball out from the back and Laurent Koscielny, signed from Lorient last summer for nearly £10 million, is evidence of that principle.
Koscielny, who had a mixed debut season in England, was excellent in his distribution versus Boca before his exit. (Hence, talk of a swoop for Everton's Phil Jagielka, more technically adept than Samba, sounding more plausible).
If Arsenal seek to replicate the Barcelona style, they do not need a centre-back unable to turn over the ball swiftly enough for them to manipulate possession and, ultimately, the opposition. It just wouldn't work. This run-out was also evidence of the need for the Gunners to obtain a defender with some pace. They continue to play an awfully high line, and that was exposed a handful of times by their opponents. Indeed, in the second half, the home side did little to convince that defensive concentration has improved as Sebastien Squillaci, whose reputation continues to plummet, and then Johan Djourou saw rudimentary errors punished.
The Gunners conceded a higher proportion of goals from set-pieces (53.5%) last season than any other team in the Premier League. And on Friday, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny indicated a unified determination to right those wrongs. He said: "You might see a little change this weekend in our tactics [with set pieces]."
In Arsenal's defence, which lined up zonally, it was less set-piece mishaps and more a matter of fading that led to Arsenal's throwing away of the two-goal lead. Wenger may claim that fatigue played its part but, while this was indeed a physical exercise at this stage of the season, some Arsenal fans have run this same 90-minute path all too often.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Emmanuel Frimpong
The 19-year-old is a physical unit. He was tough in the tackle, making many of those over the course of the 90 minutes. He's a natural replacement for Alex Song, but beyond that it could be argued Arsenal are sparse in that holding area, following the departure of Denilson and Abou Diaby's injury. Frimpong, though, will want to make a significant impact this campaign, after missing the entirety of last season following a serious knee injury.
ARSENAL VERDICT
Hard to read too much into the result itself. Nasri's underwhelming performance will likely grab the headlines, despite Wenger's best efforts to down play the matter of his future. "I play the players who are available, and Nasri is available. So I play him," he said. Absentees from the game included Thomas Vermaelen, Wojciech Szczesny and Tomas Rosicky, but they will be involved on Sunday versus New York Red Bulls.
BOCA JUNIORS VERDICT
They were hardly in the game until Arsenal let them back into it. Juan Roman Riquelme was the household name on show, and he duly caught the eye with some fancy flicks. Their participation was littered with much fouling, in particular the first half. Such was eagerness of the tackles, it was surprising that Arsenal chose to arrange a game so close to the proper season against Boca.
Source: James Dall, ESPN Soccernet on 30 Jul 11
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Arsène Wenger still has work to do as Boca Juniors claim a 2-2 draw
Regarding Nasri, who has a year left on his contract and is interesting Manchester City, Wenger informed him for the first time publicly that he should make a decision. "In the next 10 days it has to be clear on that front. If you ask me, do I want to keep him, I say yes. But he needs to be committed to that as well."
Wenger had included Fábregas in his ultimatum of 10 days, but, pressed on this, he softened the stance. "I don't give them 10 days, the transfer period is until 31 August. Ideally, we go into big games in the next two weeks, so in the next two weeks we need to sort our problems out, but there is no specific deadline of one day or 24 hours."
On Friday, Wenger had stated that, despite Fábregas wanting to leave for Barcelona, he would not be allowed to do so for less than Arsenal's valuation, with the Catalan club so far not returning with an improvement on their £27m bid earlier this summer.
Yet Wenger conceded that Nasri, if he does remain beyond September, could walk away next summer for free. Asked how much of a concern this would be, the manager conceded the point. "It's not ideal for us, of course, on the financial side, but, on the sporting side, he is an important player," Wenger said.
Gervinho's performance in a first-half cameo against Boca had suggested he may prove a vital performer this season. Yet, while the 24-year-old has a directness so chronically missing from these parts recently, Arsenal's concession of a two-goal advantage indicated their old problem of defensive brittleness may yet haunt Wenger's men again.
Once more, Fábregas was not included because of a hamstring problem – he is yet to feature this pre-season and may never again do so - while Nasri lined up in his familiar wide-left berth. This was a starting XI that missed Wojciech Szczesny, Alex Song, Bacary Sagna, Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs from the strongest Wenger might field.
At its head was Gervinho, the £11m signing from Lille whose first telling contribution was to create Robin van Persie's opener. Peeling away from his central attacking position to the left, Gervinho took possession from a clever Jack Wilshere pass before pinging in a cross that Van Persie smashed home.
After the break, the substitute Aaron Ramsey smacked home Arsenal's second with his first touch, but the Gunners' flakiness then showed. A mistake by Sébastien Squillaci too near goal allowed Juan Riquelme to find Lucas Viatri, who pulled the first one back for the visitors.
Next, Johan Djourou let Pablo Mouche mug him, then slide home beyond Vito Mannone. Wenger claimed he was not concerned by the lapse, but he has some hard thinking to do on a few fronts.
Source: Jamie Jackson, The Guardian on 30 Jul 11
Wenger's reaction to the Arsenal 2-2 Boca Juniors match
on letting in two second-half goals...
You never want to concede goals, but overall I do not give too much importance to that. What is important for us it to find a collective rhythm. When we could we managed to play at a good pace for 60 minutes, after it was much more difficult. It was expected, we came back from a training camp in Germany with heavy work and I knew that the second half would be much more difficult.
Boca Juniors are a good team and we got caught counter-attacking when were 2-0 up and we tried to build up the game, but when you are tired you miss some passes and were a bit more under threat.
on the lessons he has learned...
That we can score goals and Gervinho is a good addition to our squad. He is very interesting because he gives us options on both sides and through the middle. He can integrate well with our team. Also we have some improvements to make in some areas, especially the way we win the ball back. On set pieces we were not convincing today, but overall it was quite positive.
on Gervinho...
We can be extremely dangerous on the counter-attack with the players we have, we have Walcott who was not involved today, we have Gervinho and with the midfield we have I believe we can be very quick in the transition to go forwards, so that is always something very interesting. He can add that.
on the commitment of Nasri and Fabregas…
I don’t know. I play the players who are available and Nasri is available so I play him. Yesterday, I made a check up of all our situations and, I must tell you, nothing has moved since yesterday. Not one way, nor another way.
If Fabregas is committed to this Club and wants to stay, no money will get him out of here. We are not in a position where we need to sell our players. We want to keep our players. We are not looking after money. We want the players to stay here, from our side that is clear.
on the possibility of Nasri leaving for nothing…
It’s not ideal for us on the financial side but, on the sporting side, he is an important player. We have to deal with the situation one way or another. In the next ten days we have to be clear on that front.
on the futures of Nicklas Bendtner and Emmanuel Eboue…
They are both on the verge of a move but nothing has been concluded with anybody. I don’t have any club in mind for Nicklas Bendtner because we are far from having done anything with anybody. I cannot give you any club because we have given him the permission to move.
on keeping Nasri at Arsenal…
If you ask me if I want to keep him, I say yes. But he needs to be committed to that as well. I don’t give them ten days, the transfer period is until August 31. Ideally, we go into big games in two weeks, in the next two weeks we have to sort out problems out. There is no specific deadline of one day or 24 hours. It’s not like you shoot a shuttle into space. Sometimes it’s very quick on that front and sometimes it’s very slow.
on Juan Mata...
If I translate your question you are asking that if the two go do we need to sign one then of course. They are two exceptional players and that's why personally I want to keep the two.
If I was the other players I would think 'I have a good opportunity to play'. If you have been a football player you never cry when somebody goes. I just told you 'let's be relaxed', if you want to start a crisis before the start of the season I can understand that but I don't see the need. We have played a football game today and it was enjoyable, so let's come back tomorrow and enjoy another one.
on whether he might change his captain...
We sort any problem out when we have a problem. At the moment the problem is to play good football tomorrow. Fabregas is not in my mind because he will not play tomorrow. I don't see why I should worry about that.
on Jack Wilshere...
It was always the plan to take him off - at half time he was coming off and Ramsey was coming on. The substitutions were decided before the game and I added a fifth at half time because I saw that the game would be physical and we have another one tomorrow.
on Fabregas being at the game...
Cesc loves deeply this club, he loves deepy as well Barcelona. That shows you that an honest player can love two clubs at the same time. He cares about this club and that's why I hope he can keep him.
Source: Arsenal.com on 30 Jul 11
You never want to concede goals, but overall I do not give too much importance to that. What is important for us it to find a collective rhythm. When we could we managed to play at a good pace for 60 minutes, after it was much more difficult. It was expected, we came back from a training camp in Germany with heavy work and I knew that the second half would be much more difficult.
Boca Juniors are a good team and we got caught counter-attacking when were 2-0 up and we tried to build up the game, but when you are tired you miss some passes and were a bit more under threat.
on the lessons he has learned...
That we can score goals and Gervinho is a good addition to our squad. He is very interesting because he gives us options on both sides and through the middle. He can integrate well with our team. Also we have some improvements to make in some areas, especially the way we win the ball back. On set pieces we were not convincing today, but overall it was quite positive.
on Gervinho...
We can be extremely dangerous on the counter-attack with the players we have, we have Walcott who was not involved today, we have Gervinho and with the midfield we have I believe we can be very quick in the transition to go forwards, so that is always something very interesting. He can add that.
on the commitment of Nasri and Fabregas…
I don’t know. I play the players who are available and Nasri is available so I play him. Yesterday, I made a check up of all our situations and, I must tell you, nothing has moved since yesterday. Not one way, nor another way.
If Fabregas is committed to this Club and wants to stay, no money will get him out of here. We are not in a position where we need to sell our players. We want to keep our players. We are not looking after money. We want the players to stay here, from our side that is clear.
on the possibility of Nasri leaving for nothing…
It’s not ideal for us on the financial side but, on the sporting side, he is an important player. We have to deal with the situation one way or another. In the next ten days we have to be clear on that front.
on the futures of Nicklas Bendtner and Emmanuel Eboue…
They are both on the verge of a move but nothing has been concluded with anybody. I don’t have any club in mind for Nicklas Bendtner because we are far from having done anything with anybody. I cannot give you any club because we have given him the permission to move.
on keeping Nasri at Arsenal…
If you ask me if I want to keep him, I say yes. But he needs to be committed to that as well. I don’t give them ten days, the transfer period is until August 31. Ideally, we go into big games in two weeks, in the next two weeks we have to sort out problems out. There is no specific deadline of one day or 24 hours. It’s not like you shoot a shuttle into space. Sometimes it’s very quick on that front and sometimes it’s very slow.
on Juan Mata...
If I translate your question you are asking that if the two go do we need to sign one then of course. They are two exceptional players and that's why personally I want to keep the two.
If I was the other players I would think 'I have a good opportunity to play'. If you have been a football player you never cry when somebody goes. I just told you 'let's be relaxed', if you want to start a crisis before the start of the season I can understand that but I don't see the need. We have played a football game today and it was enjoyable, so let's come back tomorrow and enjoy another one.
on whether he might change his captain...
We sort any problem out when we have a problem. At the moment the problem is to play good football tomorrow. Fabregas is not in my mind because he will not play tomorrow. I don't see why I should worry about that.
on Jack Wilshere...
It was always the plan to take him off - at half time he was coming off and Ramsey was coming on. The substitutions were decided before the game and I added a fifth at half time because I saw that the game would be physical and we have another one tomorrow.
on Fabregas being at the game...
Cesc loves deeply this club, he loves deepy as well Barcelona. That shows you that an honest player can love two clubs at the same time. He cares about this club and that's why I hope he can keep him.
Source: Arsenal.com on 30 Jul 11
30 July 2011: Arsenal 2-2 Boca Juniors, Emirates Stadium
Arsenal had to settle for a draw on the opening day of the Emirates Cup after letting a two-goal lead slip against Boca Juniors.
Robin van Persie converted a cross from the impressive Gervinho to open the scoring before half time and Aaron Ramsey added a second within a minute of the restart with a venomous strike from the edge of the box.
Boca looked beaten at that point but two goals in three minutes from Lucas Viatri and Pablo Mouche hauled them level with Arsenal found wanting at the back on both occasions.
The tournament hosts probed for a winner but could not find a way past their rejuvenated opponents. Indeed they needed a smart stop from Vito Mannone to hold onto their point.
Either way, this draw sets us up nicely for Sunday’s clash with the New York Red Bulls - and a certain Mr Henry. The MLS side beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in Saturday’s opener so a point is all they need to leave London with the silverware.
Arsène Wenger and his squad had travelled halfway round the world and back again since they last set foot on their own pitch and, fittingly, Thin Lizzy’s ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ blared from the Emirates speakers before kick off.
For players and fans alike this now traditional staging post on the pre-season trail represents a fresh start with new hope to cling to as well as a new kit to admire. There were a couple of new faces too with Gervinho and Carl Jenkinson handed their home debuts.
Elsewhere Emmanuel Frimpong - resplendent with new Mohican haircut - was paired with Jack Wilshere in midfield, Armand Traore got the nod at left back and youngsters Kyle Bartley and Benik Afobe were named on the bench.
Boca’s star turn was Juan Roman Riquelme. The old-school playmaker is winding down his career now but his rhythmic play is still a joy to behold. Riquelme’s touch plus the drums, whistles and exuberance of the Boca fans brought a flavour of Buenos Aires to north London.
There was controversy before the first minute was out.
Gervinho, starting on the right, danced towards the box and found Wilshere inside it. The England man was clipped but referee Martin Atkinson gave nothing. There would have been more than raised eyebrows had this been a competitive fixture.
Gervinho made that happen and it was soon clear that he was the main danger. Within minutes the Ivorian, quick, lean and explosive, left Facundo Roncaglia for dead with one sway of his hips and sent in a low cross that Van Persie couldn’t quite sweep in at the near post.
Meanwhile, there were warning signs at the other end.
Dario Cvitanich looked to get in behind Arsenal’s centre-back pair and did so twice, only for poor control to scupper Boca on both occasions. Another alarm bell rang when Juan Insaurralde rose virtually unmarked to head a corner just wide.
But all in all chances were at a premium, so much so that the tournament’s first Mexican wave was spotted before the half-hour mark. It had yet to make a lap of the ground when most of the crowd was on its feet to celebrate an Arsenal goal.
Gervinho was the instigator again, springing down the left before sliding a teasing ball into the box for Van Persie to gobble up. The Dutchman still knows where the goal is and clearly he is already on the same wavelength as the Club’s most recent signing.
That was the last we saw of Gervinho but his two cameos in an Arsenal shirt have certainly whetted the appetite. The new boy was one of five to make way at half time as Wenger brought on Carlos Vela, Ramsey, Sebastien Squillaci, Mannone and Marouane Chamakh.
Ramsey has looked in the mood all summer and he needed less than a minute to double Arsenal’s lead. Vela’s mazy run was stopped illegally on the edge of the box but, to his credit, Atkinson played advantage and Ramsey smashed the ball past Agustin Orion. Quite an entrance.
Andrey Arshavin, granted extra time on the pitch to build up his match sharpness, was the next to threaten with a bustling run through the centre and a shot that was blocked.
But Boca emerged from their shell and served notice of what was to come when Viatri forced substitute keeper Mannone into an athletic one-handed tip over.
With 22 minutes left the Argentina international was given another chance and this time he made no mistake. Sebastian Squillaci was robbed in possession and a square pass found Viatri to lash the ball into the top corner.
Suddenly, we had a contest. Boca scented another goal and it came just three minutes later when Mouche got the wrong side of Johan Djourou and evaded Mannone before sliding in the equaliser.
Emmanuel Eboue came off the bench to fire a half-chance wide of the far post as Arsenal went in search of a winner. But Boca finished strongly and Mannone had to scramble to his right to keep out Riquelme’s free kick five minutes from time.
Source: Chris Harris, Arsenal.com on 30 Jul 11
Robin van Persie converted a cross from the impressive Gervinho to open the scoring before half time and Aaron Ramsey added a second within a minute of the restart with a venomous strike from the edge of the box.
Boca looked beaten at that point but two goals in three minutes from Lucas Viatri and Pablo Mouche hauled them level with Arsenal found wanting at the back on both occasions.
The tournament hosts probed for a winner but could not find a way past their rejuvenated opponents. Indeed they needed a smart stop from Vito Mannone to hold onto their point.
Either way, this draw sets us up nicely for Sunday’s clash with the New York Red Bulls - and a certain Mr Henry. The MLS side beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in Saturday’s opener so a point is all they need to leave London with the silverware.
Arsène Wenger and his squad had travelled halfway round the world and back again since they last set foot on their own pitch and, fittingly, Thin Lizzy’s ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ blared from the Emirates speakers before kick off.
For players and fans alike this now traditional staging post on the pre-season trail represents a fresh start with new hope to cling to as well as a new kit to admire. There were a couple of new faces too with Gervinho and Carl Jenkinson handed their home debuts.
Elsewhere Emmanuel Frimpong - resplendent with new Mohican haircut - was paired with Jack Wilshere in midfield, Armand Traore got the nod at left back and youngsters Kyle Bartley and Benik Afobe were named on the bench.
Boca’s star turn was Juan Roman Riquelme. The old-school playmaker is winding down his career now but his rhythmic play is still a joy to behold. Riquelme’s touch plus the drums, whistles and exuberance of the Boca fans brought a flavour of Buenos Aires to north London.
There was controversy before the first minute was out.
Gervinho, starting on the right, danced towards the box and found Wilshere inside it. The England man was clipped but referee Martin Atkinson gave nothing. There would have been more than raised eyebrows had this been a competitive fixture.
Gervinho made that happen and it was soon clear that he was the main danger. Within minutes the Ivorian, quick, lean and explosive, left Facundo Roncaglia for dead with one sway of his hips and sent in a low cross that Van Persie couldn’t quite sweep in at the near post.
Meanwhile, there were warning signs at the other end.
Dario Cvitanich looked to get in behind Arsenal’s centre-back pair and did so twice, only for poor control to scupper Boca on both occasions. Another alarm bell rang when Juan Insaurralde rose virtually unmarked to head a corner just wide.
But all in all chances were at a premium, so much so that the tournament’s first Mexican wave was spotted before the half-hour mark. It had yet to make a lap of the ground when most of the crowd was on its feet to celebrate an Arsenal goal.
Gervinho was the instigator again, springing down the left before sliding a teasing ball into the box for Van Persie to gobble up. The Dutchman still knows where the goal is and clearly he is already on the same wavelength as the Club’s most recent signing.
That was the last we saw of Gervinho but his two cameos in an Arsenal shirt have certainly whetted the appetite. The new boy was one of five to make way at half time as Wenger brought on Carlos Vela, Ramsey, Sebastien Squillaci, Mannone and Marouane Chamakh.
Ramsey has looked in the mood all summer and he needed less than a minute to double Arsenal’s lead. Vela’s mazy run was stopped illegally on the edge of the box but, to his credit, Atkinson played advantage and Ramsey smashed the ball past Agustin Orion. Quite an entrance.
Andrey Arshavin, granted extra time on the pitch to build up his match sharpness, was the next to threaten with a bustling run through the centre and a shot that was blocked.
But Boca emerged from their shell and served notice of what was to come when Viatri forced substitute keeper Mannone into an athletic one-handed tip over.
With 22 minutes left the Argentina international was given another chance and this time he made no mistake. Sebastian Squillaci was robbed in possession and a square pass found Viatri to lash the ball into the top corner.
Suddenly, we had a contest. Boca scented another goal and it came just three minutes later when Mouche got the wrong side of Johan Djourou and evaded Mannone before sliding in the equaliser.
Emmanuel Eboue came off the bench to fire a half-chance wide of the far post as Arsenal went in search of a winner. But Boca finished strongly and Mannone had to scramble to his right to keep out Riquelme’s free kick five minutes from time.
Source: Chris Harris, Arsenal.com on 30 Jul 11
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Wenger's reaction to the FC Cologne 1-2 Arsenal match
on the minute’s silence before the game…
I think it is the minimum you can do. It was a terrible shock when you see what happened there, in a country that is so peaceful. We would like to support all those people who suffer, of course. We know that Norwegians follow English football.
on his thoughts after a good work-out…
We played at a good pace in the first half and looked dangerous. Gervinho had a good start and that is always important for his confidence. Overall, I liked today. We took many risks and were exposed to counter-attacks but, overall, I am happy.
on Gervinho’s brace on his Arsenal debut…
He has shown his qualities. He has quick movement behind [the defence], the timing of his movement is great and he is easy to find. We have seen what he can bring to the team and he contributes to the high pace we have in the team.
on how pre-season preparations are going…
The team is not completely ready but it was the end of our first phase of preparations and it was important to win the game.
on Conor Henderson’s injury…
The only sad thing today is the injury to Conor Henderson, it looks quite bad but let us hope that we have good news tomorrow morning. He twisted his knee, I don’t know how big the damage is but the first signs don’t look too encouraging.
on any other knocks…
Samir got a kick to his ankle, Gervinho got a kick on his knee but both have minor damage.
on plans for the week ahead…
Training, training, training! Morning and afternoon. It is a block of work that will be very intense for us. Tomorrow will be an easier day but Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be higher levels of work.
Source: Arsenal.com on 23 Jul 11
I think it is the minimum you can do. It was a terrible shock when you see what happened there, in a country that is so peaceful. We would like to support all those people who suffer, of course. We know that Norwegians follow English football.
on his thoughts after a good work-out…
We played at a good pace in the first half and looked dangerous. Gervinho had a good start and that is always important for his confidence. Overall, I liked today. We took many risks and were exposed to counter-attacks but, overall, I am happy.
on Gervinho’s brace on his Arsenal debut…
He has shown his qualities. He has quick movement behind [the defence], the timing of his movement is great and he is easy to find. We have seen what he can bring to the team and he contributes to the high pace we have in the team.
on how pre-season preparations are going…
The team is not completely ready but it was the end of our first phase of preparations and it was important to win the game.
on Conor Henderson’s injury…
The only sad thing today is the injury to Conor Henderson, it looks quite bad but let us hope that we have good news tomorrow morning. He twisted his knee, I don’t know how big the damage is but the first signs don’t look too encouraging.
on any other knocks…
Samir got a kick to his ankle, Gervinho got a kick on his knee but both have minor damage.
on plans for the week ahead…
Training, training, training! Morning and afternoon. It is a block of work that will be very intense for us. Tomorrow will be an easier day but Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be higher levels of work.
Source: Arsenal.com on 23 Jul 11
23 July 2011: FC Cologne 1-2 Arsenal, Rhein Energie Stadion
The Ivorian striker was on the pitch just 29 minutes but his appearance dominated proceedings. He lifted home a shot from Jack Wilshere’s perceptive pass in the opening stages and turned home Theo Walcott’s cross on the quarter-hour.
His collision with keeper Michael Rensing in scoring the second probably prompted his substitution on the half-hour. But this is no time for taking chances with injuries and the striker happily watched the second half from the sidelines with his team-mates.
Carl Jenkinson’s freakish own goal had given Cologne a route back just before the break. This open, lively friendly continued to entertain after the restart. Both sides had their chances but Arsenal deserved to hold on to the lead provided by the former Lille striker.
On the strength of today’s cameo, Arsène Wenger has spotted another diamond in the rough.Just before he left for Germany, Wenger had told Arsenal Player that this was the end of Phase One in pre-season training. But, with all due respect to the Malaysia XI and Hangzhou Greentown, the standard of opposition was about to step up.
Cologne had been happily mid-table in the Bundesliga for the past couple of seasons and boasted the mighty Lukas Podolski. Age just 26, the forward has already amassed an incredible 89 caps and 42 goals for his country.
Over 40,000 supporters were expected at the RheinEnergie Stadium this afternoon and all of them were silent pre-match in remembrance of the lives lost in Oslo the previous day.
With respect duly paid, the match got underway and after just three minutes Cologne had a chance. Podolski was bundled over just outside the area and Milivoje Novakovic curled the resulting free-kick inches above the bar.
But that was only the prelude to Arsenal taking the lead. In the seventh minute, Wilshere’s lofted pass allowed Gervinho to ghost inside Pedro Geromel and lift the ball over the advancing keeper.
A classy finish and, just maybe, the portent of goals to come.
This was a lively open game and, though Arsenal were the more incisive, Cologne were equally adventurous.
After 10 minutes Novakovic slipped a reverse ball to the unmarked Podolski, who dragged his shot across the goal of Wojciech Szczesny.
Then Thomas Vermaelen stole the ball in midfield and fed Gervinho on the left. The Belgian drove into the area and only the toe of Geromel stopped him converting from the Ivorian’s return ball.
Cologne were under the kosh and never truly cleared lines before they conceded a second goal in the 17th minute.
In truth, Wilshere’s pass should never have found Walcott on the right but Andrezinho allowed the ball to run under his foot. That said, the Englishman’s low, angled cross was wonderfully weighted and Gervinho stole in to clip the ball past Rensing.
The keeper got a knock for his trouble and was immediately replaced by Miro Varvodic.
Cologne had been rattled by the double blow and, though decent going forward, they were hesitant at the back.
It took Geromel and Youssef Mohamad to clear Walcott’s regulation cross into the box. Then the Englishman supplied another ball for Alex Song, whose cheeky, goalbound backheel was charged down.
On the half-hour, Gervinho went off. The second goal seemed to have taken another victim and so Ryo Miyaichi came on.
It did not affect the tide immediately. Soon afterwards Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey both had shots saved.
But, as half time approached, Cologne began creating chances. Szczesny saved from Adil Chihi and Novakovic had a drive blocked from Andrezinho’s clever knock down.
Then Ramsey’s quick free-kick fell into Cologne’s possession and Novakovic’s overhead kick was batted away by the keeper.
Despite the increasing confidence of the home side, the goal they grabbed in first-half injury time was hardly their own handywork. Jenkinson tried to clear a long punt forward but got it horribly wrong. The ball flew high into the air, over the head of the scrambling Szczesny and into the net.
Wenger made 10 changes at the break; only Kieran Gibbs stayed on. Andrey Arshavin went close with a couple of trademark piledrivers and, at the other end, keeper Vito Mannone snatched the ball of the toe of Podolski after Mato Jajalo’s scooped pass had given him a scent of a opening.
It was still a wonderfully open game and, buoyed by that freak goal, Cologne fancied an equaliser. Jajalo darted inside and Johan Djourou threw himself in to block from close range.
Tomas Rosicky’s drive stung the hands of Varvodic and, 13 minutes from time, Arshavin appeared to be clipped in the area.
The Russian then saw a shot batted away as Arsenal tried to secure the victory. But Cologne’s challenge now appeared to be flagging and the visitors held on with ease.
Despite the late injury to Conor Henderson that saw the Irishman stretchered off in the final second, this was a gratifying afternoon for Arsenal.
Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 23 Jul 11
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Gervinho completes his move to Arsenal
Gervinho, 24, arrives at Arsenal from French side Lille, with the paperwork surrounding his move now approved. The Ivorian helped Lille to a Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double last season, scoring 18 goals in 49 games in all competitions.
The campaign capped a very successful two years for Gervinho, during which time he netted 36 times in his 93 appearances for Les Gogues. Before joining Lille, Gervinho enjoyed two seasons with Le Mans, also in Ligue 1.
On the international stage, Gervinho captained the Ivory Coast in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and also represented his country at the 2010 World Cup, scoring twice in just three substitute appearances during qualification to the finals. To date, Gervinho has made 27 appearances in total for Les Eléphants, scoring six goals.
The forward, who came through the same Ivorian youth academy - ASEC Mimosas - as Emmanuel Eboue, before following in the right-back’s footsteps to join Belgian side KSK Beveren, will immediately join up with his new team mates for pre-season training.
Manager Arsène Wenger said: “Gervinho is a player that can play in a number of positions up front. He can play on the right, on the left and through the middle. He has qualities that I find very important, like his movement off the ball. He has the qualities we like technically. He is good one against one, he is strong and was the best provider in the French league with assists and he scored 15 goals. I think he is a very good addition to the squad.”
After completing his move to the Gunners, Gervinho said: “It’s a great feeling to be an Arsenal player. I’m very happy. I’ve always dreamed to play for this Club. I’ve achieved this dream now and I am so happy. It’s one of the most beautiful days of my life.
“I’m very happy to have the chance to work with Arsène Wenger. I came here because I believe that he can improve my game and help me reach another level, but the most important thing for me is that I bring a lot to the team for whom I’m playing.”
Source: Arsenal.com on 18 Jul 11
Sunday, July 17, 2011
16 July 2011: Hangzhou Greentown 1-1 Arsenal, Meihu Stadium
Arsenal were held to a draw by Hangzhou Greentown as they completed their Asia Tour on Saturday night.
Sebastien Vasquez put the side from the Chinese Super League in front on the quarter-hour but Carlos Vela prodded the visitors level just before the break.
After a slow start, Arsène Wenger’s side had the better of the second half but spurned a number of chances, with Theo Walcott the main culprit.
Try as they might, they never found a winner but the result, of course, is pretty inconsequential. This Asian adventure has been about making friends as much as making goals. That is why they wore shirts with Chinese player names on the back this evening.
It also means the crowd figure - a healthy 20,583 - was just as important as the scoreline.
Arsenal have represented themselves well on this trip - on and off the pitch. When the final whistle blew this evening, they warmly thanked their supporters, as they have all week, and headed off to the airport.
The pre-season preparations will continue in more familiar surroundings from now on. But, as a result of their efforts in the past few days, many more people out here are familiar with the name of Arsenal Football Club.
The heavens opened in Yiwu a couple of hours before kick-off. Hangzhou were playing two hours outside their home city while their own ground was being renovated. However the Meihu Stadium was an open, modern venue and the pitch stood up well to the deluge.
Hangzhou are a fixture in the Chinese Super League after gaining promotion in 2006 and finished fourth in 2010. Their squad was primarily from the home country with a couple of Uruguayans and Hondurans thrown in.
As for Arsenal, it was the final day of a fruitful but taxing trip to Asia and freshness was clearly a factor in the team selection. The second half side in Malaysia began this evening and none would stay on after half time.
The best early chances went to the home side. In the fourth minute Vazquez bundled through but Vito Mannone saved with his legs. On the quarter-hour the Italian was beaten when Paulo Pezzolano evaded Johan Djourou’s challenge, opened his body and stroked a shot towards the far corner. Fortunately for Arsenal it bounced off the base of the post and the visitors scrambled the ball clear.
But the goal was close. In the 17th minute a free-kick bounced off Mannone’s chest and fell nicely for Vazquez to slot home from close range. It was a deserved lead.
Arsenal nearly replied immediately when Andrey Arshavin and Samir Nasri drove forward to set up Robin van Persie on the left. The Dutchman’s chip was too high for keeper Jiang Bo but too wide to find the net.
Just after the half-hour, the Russian clipped in a cross from the left and Van Persie cracked a spectacular effort over the bar.
It was an indication that Arsenal were settling into their rhythm. Hangzhou had bossed the first 15 minutes but the second quarter-hour had seen the Premier League side exert their experience.
Just before the break, substitute Wu Wei had to head Samir Nasri’s corner over his own crossbar to prevent Sebastian Squillaci heading home.
On the whistle, Arsenal did force the equaliser when Van Persie weaved his way into the Hangzhou area and, after his shot was parried, Vela tapped home the rebound.
Wenger changed his entire XI at the break and Arsenal were all the better for it. There was suddenly a purpose and drive behind their attacks. As a consequence they pushed back Hangzhou.
Just past the hour, Aaron Ramsey’s shot squirmed under the body of Gu Chao but the keeper’s block had been solid enough to divert the ball wide. The defence did the rest.
A couple of minutes later, Ryo Miyaichi laid the ball back for Kieran Gibbs to fire goalwards but Chao parried again.
Theo Walcott and Marouane Chamakh went close as Arsenal started to slice their way through the Hangzhou defence.
In the 70th minute, Gibbs and Jack Wilshere set up Walcott on the right. His first effort was blocked and his second flew over the bar.
The Englishman was starting to get on the end of all Arsenal’s chances but he could not convert. He has two efforts in quick succession - the first was tipped around the post by Chao, the second was drilled wide.
Five minutes from time, another chance fell to Walcott. Miyaichi burst to the byline and chipped the ball into the centre. The England international timed his run well but his header was high.
In the 88th minute, Chamakh saw another drive beaten away and Hangzhou nearly profited. Mao Jianqing raced down the left and his hanging cross was nodded just wide by Pezzolano.
Miyaichi had one last chance but the goal would not come.
Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 16 Jul 11
Sebastien Vasquez put the side from the Chinese Super League in front on the quarter-hour but Carlos Vela prodded the visitors level just before the break.
After a slow start, Arsène Wenger’s side had the better of the second half but spurned a number of chances, with Theo Walcott the main culprit.
Try as they might, they never found a winner but the result, of course, is pretty inconsequential. This Asian adventure has been about making friends as much as making goals. That is why they wore shirts with Chinese player names on the back this evening.
It also means the crowd figure - a healthy 20,583 - was just as important as the scoreline.
Arsenal have represented themselves well on this trip - on and off the pitch. When the final whistle blew this evening, they warmly thanked their supporters, as they have all week, and headed off to the airport.
The pre-season preparations will continue in more familiar surroundings from now on. But, as a result of their efforts in the past few days, many more people out here are familiar with the name of Arsenal Football Club.
The heavens opened in Yiwu a couple of hours before kick-off. Hangzhou were playing two hours outside their home city while their own ground was being renovated. However the Meihu Stadium was an open, modern venue and the pitch stood up well to the deluge.
Hangzhou are a fixture in the Chinese Super League after gaining promotion in 2006 and finished fourth in 2010. Their squad was primarily from the home country with a couple of Uruguayans and Hondurans thrown in.
As for Arsenal, it was the final day of a fruitful but taxing trip to Asia and freshness was clearly a factor in the team selection. The second half side in Malaysia began this evening and none would stay on after half time.
The best early chances went to the home side. In the fourth minute Vazquez bundled through but Vito Mannone saved with his legs. On the quarter-hour the Italian was beaten when Paulo Pezzolano evaded Johan Djourou’s challenge, opened his body and stroked a shot towards the far corner. Fortunately for Arsenal it bounced off the base of the post and the visitors scrambled the ball clear.
But the goal was close. In the 17th minute a free-kick bounced off Mannone’s chest and fell nicely for Vazquez to slot home from close range. It was a deserved lead.
Arsenal nearly replied immediately when Andrey Arshavin and Samir Nasri drove forward to set up Robin van Persie on the left. The Dutchman’s chip was too high for keeper Jiang Bo but too wide to find the net.
Just after the half-hour, the Russian clipped in a cross from the left and Van Persie cracked a spectacular effort over the bar.
It was an indication that Arsenal were settling into their rhythm. Hangzhou had bossed the first 15 minutes but the second quarter-hour had seen the Premier League side exert their experience.
Just before the break, substitute Wu Wei had to head Samir Nasri’s corner over his own crossbar to prevent Sebastian Squillaci heading home.
On the whistle, Arsenal did force the equaliser when Van Persie weaved his way into the Hangzhou area and, after his shot was parried, Vela tapped home the rebound.
Wenger changed his entire XI at the break and Arsenal were all the better for it. There was suddenly a purpose and drive behind their attacks. As a consequence they pushed back Hangzhou.
Just past the hour, Aaron Ramsey’s shot squirmed under the body of Gu Chao but the keeper’s block had been solid enough to divert the ball wide. The defence did the rest.
A couple of minutes later, Ryo Miyaichi laid the ball back for Kieran Gibbs to fire goalwards but Chao parried again.
Theo Walcott and Marouane Chamakh went close as Arsenal started to slice their way through the Hangzhou defence.
In the 70th minute, Gibbs and Jack Wilshere set up Walcott on the right. His first effort was blocked and his second flew over the bar.
The Englishman was starting to get on the end of all Arsenal’s chances but he could not convert. He has two efforts in quick succession - the first was tipped around the post by Chao, the second was drilled wide.
Five minutes from time, another chance fell to Walcott. Miyaichi burst to the byline and chipped the ball into the centre. The England international timed his run well but his header was high.
In the 88th minute, Chamakh saw another drive beaten away and Hangzhou nearly profited. Mao Jianqing raced down the left and his hanging cross was nodded just wide by Pezzolano.
Miyaichi had one last chance but the goal would not come.
Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 16 Jul 11
Arsène Wenger must stick to his guns to keep up with the continent
Though the Gunners are under pressure to change their ways, both on and off the field, Arsenal ought to resist radical change
Of all the daft stories swirling around Manchester City in the last few days, beginning with the hilarious insult to Michel Platini's intelligence that saw the club bank £400m in naming rights for a stadium they do not even own and probably not ending with the emergence of Corinthians' chairman as an unlikely spokesman for alleged Italian interest in Carlos Tevez, easily the most entertaining was the revelation by James Milner that Gaël Clichy has been shocked by the toughness and intensity of training sessions at his new club.
"Gaël hasn't been here too long but he's seen a few tackles fly in," Milner said. "He's surprised because at Arsenal they don't tackle too much in training. We train as we play."
It does not necessarily follow that Arsenal play as they train, though that would explain a lot about what went wrong last season, and neither, sadly, can it be true that City kick lumps out of each other in training because competition for first-team places is now so fierce it pays to be the last man standing. One could readily imagine such a situation developing at City, where Roberto Mancini has already had to break up a few playground fights, but the manager's policy is to laugh at the absurdity of it all and continue to bring in mature, responsible characters such as Mario Balotelli. Arsène Wenger, on the other hand, is hardly bringing in anyone apart from the weirdly coiffured Gervinho, yet somehow continues to believe it is Arsenal's destiny to win the title.
"We were very, very close last season," Wenger argues. "We are a young team and we can only get better. It demands the strength of character that champions have. That's what we want to show."
Yes, but strength of character is precisely what Arsenal do not possess, otherwise they might now be touring Asia as reigning English champions. While one can hardly blame Wenger for talking up his side's chances, several of his players appear to have had enough of fine words and lofty intentions and are threatening to jump ship to teams with more realistic hopes of success. Clichy is perhaps not a devastating loss but, as Wenger conceded earlier in the week, losing Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri as well would make it hard for Arsenal to persuade anyone else to join them. Even if it does not come to that, Fábregas has not fully resolved the fitness issues that kept him out of key games last season and in all likelihood if Nasri stays, it will only be for one more year.
So unless Wenger swallows his pride and reaches for the chequebook, Arsenal could be in a bit of a mess. They were not actually all that close last season because they managed to finish fourth in a three-horse race. Young teams often get worse if the best players leave and strength of character is not something that can be easily or quickly acquired. Yet though Gooners everywhere are exhorting Wenger to spend, it is not difficult to understand his reluctance. Arsenal will never be able to spend like Chelsea and Manchester City can spend, and though Wenger has had notable successes in the transfer market his best teams have been competitive through cleverness on the pitch rather than financial clout from the boardroom.
In that sense, and this is not claimed as an exclusive, Arsenal greatly resemble Barcelona, and it seems odd that just as the Spanish model has achieved world-conquering perfection the original English version is running out of steam. How many times, over the years, has Wenger complained bitterly that Blackburn or Bolton or Stoke have been unduly physical and that his players deserved more protection from the referee? English officials may still strike him as over-tolerant but Barcelona's rise to prominence has been aided by Champions League referees taking a dim view of almost any sort of contact. Small wonder that Arsenal, for all their domestic travails, came closer than anyone to getting the better of Barcelona last season. If they could play their Premier League football under Champions League conditions they would surely not have waited six years for a trophy, and nor would Wenger be talking about beefing up his side with taller players and a bit more steel.
In many ways it would be sad to see Wenger concede defeat and become more English. His work at Arsenal was recognised long ago by headhunters at Barcelona and Real Madrid, and if the Spanish style of play continues to dominate European football then it follows that Arsenal, rather than either of the Manchester teams or Chelsea, have the best chance of Champions League success.
Yet first they have to qualify for the competition and, with Liverpool and possibly Spurs on the rise again, they must get to grips with the physicality of the Premier League and develop a winning mentality that can survive determined assaults from opponents. They do not need to start kicking each other in training – it is hard to imagine Barcelona doing that and only an English player would brag about it – but they do need to recognise that England and Europe are pulling apart.
As Manchester United discovered at Wembley in May, one approach no longer covers both bases. Wenger undoubtedly needs reinforcements yet, looked at objectively, his is the more straightforward task. It ought to be easier for Arsenal to catch up with United than for United to catch up with Barcelona. Wenger should resist radical change, he was on the right path all along. While manning-up would be a good idea, the Gunners mostly need to stick to their shooting implements.
Source: Paul Wilson, The Guardian on 16 Jul 11
Of all the daft stories swirling around Manchester City in the last few days, beginning with the hilarious insult to Michel Platini's intelligence that saw the club bank £400m in naming rights for a stadium they do not even own and probably not ending with the emergence of Corinthians' chairman as an unlikely spokesman for alleged Italian interest in Carlos Tevez, easily the most entertaining was the revelation by James Milner that Gaël Clichy has been shocked by the toughness and intensity of training sessions at his new club.
"Gaël hasn't been here too long but he's seen a few tackles fly in," Milner said. "He's surprised because at Arsenal they don't tackle too much in training. We train as we play."
It does not necessarily follow that Arsenal play as they train, though that would explain a lot about what went wrong last season, and neither, sadly, can it be true that City kick lumps out of each other in training because competition for first-team places is now so fierce it pays to be the last man standing. One could readily imagine such a situation developing at City, where Roberto Mancini has already had to break up a few playground fights, but the manager's policy is to laugh at the absurdity of it all and continue to bring in mature, responsible characters such as Mario Balotelli. Arsène Wenger, on the other hand, is hardly bringing in anyone apart from the weirdly coiffured Gervinho, yet somehow continues to believe it is Arsenal's destiny to win the title.
"We were very, very close last season," Wenger argues. "We are a young team and we can only get better. It demands the strength of character that champions have. That's what we want to show."
Yes, but strength of character is precisely what Arsenal do not possess, otherwise they might now be touring Asia as reigning English champions. While one can hardly blame Wenger for talking up his side's chances, several of his players appear to have had enough of fine words and lofty intentions and are threatening to jump ship to teams with more realistic hopes of success. Clichy is perhaps not a devastating loss but, as Wenger conceded earlier in the week, losing Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri as well would make it hard for Arsenal to persuade anyone else to join them. Even if it does not come to that, Fábregas has not fully resolved the fitness issues that kept him out of key games last season and in all likelihood if Nasri stays, it will only be for one more year.
So unless Wenger swallows his pride and reaches for the chequebook, Arsenal could be in a bit of a mess. They were not actually all that close last season because they managed to finish fourth in a three-horse race. Young teams often get worse if the best players leave and strength of character is not something that can be easily or quickly acquired. Yet though Gooners everywhere are exhorting Wenger to spend, it is not difficult to understand his reluctance. Arsenal will never be able to spend like Chelsea and Manchester City can spend, and though Wenger has had notable successes in the transfer market his best teams have been competitive through cleverness on the pitch rather than financial clout from the boardroom.
In that sense, and this is not claimed as an exclusive, Arsenal greatly resemble Barcelona, and it seems odd that just as the Spanish model has achieved world-conquering perfection the original English version is running out of steam. How many times, over the years, has Wenger complained bitterly that Blackburn or Bolton or Stoke have been unduly physical and that his players deserved more protection from the referee? English officials may still strike him as over-tolerant but Barcelona's rise to prominence has been aided by Champions League referees taking a dim view of almost any sort of contact. Small wonder that Arsenal, for all their domestic travails, came closer than anyone to getting the better of Barcelona last season. If they could play their Premier League football under Champions League conditions they would surely not have waited six years for a trophy, and nor would Wenger be talking about beefing up his side with taller players and a bit more steel.
In many ways it would be sad to see Wenger concede defeat and become more English. His work at Arsenal was recognised long ago by headhunters at Barcelona and Real Madrid, and if the Spanish style of play continues to dominate European football then it follows that Arsenal, rather than either of the Manchester teams or Chelsea, have the best chance of Champions League success.
Yet first they have to qualify for the competition and, with Liverpool and possibly Spurs on the rise again, they must get to grips with the physicality of the Premier League and develop a winning mentality that can survive determined assaults from opponents. They do not need to start kicking each other in training – it is hard to imagine Barcelona doing that and only an English player would brag about it – but they do need to recognise that England and Europe are pulling apart.
As Manchester United discovered at Wembley in May, one approach no longer covers both bases. Wenger undoubtedly needs reinforcements yet, looked at objectively, his is the more straightforward task. It ought to be easier for Arsenal to catch up with United than for United to catch up with Barcelona. Wenger should resist radical change, he was on the right path all along. While manning-up would be a good idea, the Gunners mostly need to stick to their shooting implements.
Source: Paul Wilson, The Guardian on 16 Jul 11
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Theo Walcott raises the temperature as Arsenal trounce Malaysia
It was Arsène Wenger's triple substitution in the second half that truly raised the temperature. The home crowd had come to see Arsenal's A-listers and they had revelled in an exciting first-half showing from Theo Walcott.
The England winger merely had to pour a bottle of water over his head, when captured on the big screen, to have the supporters roaring. He did much more than that and his precision lob put his team 2-0 up against a poor Malaysia national side.
Yet it was the entrance of Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie and Andrey Arshavin in the 67th minute that set the pulses racing. Nasri occupied a central position behind Van Persie in Wenger's 4-1-4-1, and he might have scored within moments of coming on.
His popularity in these parts has been undimmed by his refusal to sign the new contract on offer at the club and the prospect that he could leave on a Bosman free transfer next summer. It will be interesting to see how the Emirates crowd responds to him but here, there was the comfort of seeing him and his flashy yellow boots in the club strip once more.
Arsenal were 3-0 up by the time that he arrived, with Carlos Vela scoring the pick of the goals, a sumptuously cheeky clip over the goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat. Tomas Rosicky, another substitute, added the fourth in injury time from Arshavin's deflected cross.
Arsenal's players had managed to cope with the clammy heat and their appearance will be long remembered by the 65,000 fans in attendance. To general delight, they threw caps into the crowd after the game.
It was difficult to overstate just how hot it felt inside the stadium, which can hold up to 100,000 fans. At the 8.45pm kick-off time, when the draining humidity was factored in, the temperature was 37C. Arsenal's players had only been in the country for a little over 48 hours, after the 13-hour flight from London across seven time zones. This was a pre-season baptism of fire.
In the absence of Cesc Fábregas, who is recovering from injury and/or bound for Barcelona, Wenger used the same formation with which he had finished last season, when the captain was injured and merely set to embark on the latest Barcelona tedium. Alex Song shielded the back four, with Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey in front of him, behind the lone striker, Marouane Chamakh.
Arsenal scored early on when Wilshere drove into the penalty area and nicked the ball ahead of Mohd Aidil Zafuan. The defender duly lunged in and sent Wilshere sprawling. Ramsey kept his cool from the penalty spot. When the ball hit the net for each of Arsenal's goals, there were plenty of Malaysian supporters out of their seats. Although the home team enjoyed the vocal support, roughly half of the crowd were clad in Arsenal colours. They gloried in stepovers, flicks or any sort of flair. Vela took the prize as the consummate showman.
Wenger played Carl Jenkinson, the £1m signing from Charlton Athletic, and Ryo Miyaichi, the Japanese midfield prospect, who did well on loan at Feyenoord last season. Jenkinson looks too tall to be an Arsenal player, let alone a right-back. He was caught out of position on occasion but he made several solid challenges. Miyaichi's technique is eye-catching. Jenkinson and Miyaichi were two of only three Arsenal players who were not substituted at the interval. Ramsey was the other.
Ramsey missed a one-on-one chance in the second-half before Vela's moment of magic. Arsenal's pre-season is up and running.
Source: David Hytner, The Guardian on 13 Jul 11
The England winger merely had to pour a bottle of water over his head, when captured on the big screen, to have the supporters roaring. He did much more than that and his precision lob put his team 2-0 up against a poor Malaysia national side.
Yet it was the entrance of Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie and Andrey Arshavin in the 67th minute that set the pulses racing. Nasri occupied a central position behind Van Persie in Wenger's 4-1-4-1, and he might have scored within moments of coming on.
His popularity in these parts has been undimmed by his refusal to sign the new contract on offer at the club and the prospect that he could leave on a Bosman free transfer next summer. It will be interesting to see how the Emirates crowd responds to him but here, there was the comfort of seeing him and his flashy yellow boots in the club strip once more.
Arsenal were 3-0 up by the time that he arrived, with Carlos Vela scoring the pick of the goals, a sumptuously cheeky clip over the goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat. Tomas Rosicky, another substitute, added the fourth in injury time from Arshavin's deflected cross.
Arsenal's players had managed to cope with the clammy heat and their appearance will be long remembered by the 65,000 fans in attendance. To general delight, they threw caps into the crowd after the game.
It was difficult to overstate just how hot it felt inside the stadium, which can hold up to 100,000 fans. At the 8.45pm kick-off time, when the draining humidity was factored in, the temperature was 37C. Arsenal's players had only been in the country for a little over 48 hours, after the 13-hour flight from London across seven time zones. This was a pre-season baptism of fire.
In the absence of Cesc Fábregas, who is recovering from injury and/or bound for Barcelona, Wenger used the same formation with which he had finished last season, when the captain was injured and merely set to embark on the latest Barcelona tedium. Alex Song shielded the back four, with Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey in front of him, behind the lone striker, Marouane Chamakh.
Arsenal scored early on when Wilshere drove into the penalty area and nicked the ball ahead of Mohd Aidil Zafuan. The defender duly lunged in and sent Wilshere sprawling. Ramsey kept his cool from the penalty spot. When the ball hit the net for each of Arsenal's goals, there were plenty of Malaysian supporters out of their seats. Although the home team enjoyed the vocal support, roughly half of the crowd were clad in Arsenal colours. They gloried in stepovers, flicks or any sort of flair. Vela took the prize as the consummate showman.
Wenger played Carl Jenkinson, the £1m signing from Charlton Athletic, and Ryo Miyaichi, the Japanese midfield prospect, who did well on loan at Feyenoord last season. Jenkinson looks too tall to be an Arsenal player, let alone a right-back. He was caught out of position on occasion but he made several solid challenges. Miyaichi's technique is eye-catching. Jenkinson and Miyaichi were two of only three Arsenal players who were not substituted at the interval. Ramsey was the other.
Ramsey missed a one-on-one chance in the second-half before Vela's moment of magic. Arsenal's pre-season is up and running.
Source: David Hytner, The Guardian on 13 Jul 11
Nasri is sub in Gunners friendly rout
Arsenal recorded a comfortable 4-0 victory over a Malaysia XI in the opening match of their Asia tour at the Bukit Jalil Stadium, where contract rebel Samir Nasri impressed when he came off the bench.
Aaron Ramsey scored from the penalty spot after just five minutes following a foul on Jack Wilshere.
Theo Walcott doubled the Gunners lead before half-time with a well taken lob from Ramsey's through ball.
Mexican Carlos Vela - who had been expected to be sold this summer - made it 3-0 just before the hour with an audacious close-range chip, and fellow substitute Tomas Rosicky nodded in during stoppage time following good work from Andrey Arshavin.
Arsenal will play the second match of their Asia tour in China, facing Hangzhou Greentown on Saturday.
The Gunners were without injured captain Cesc Fabregas, who remained in London to continue fitness work on his troublesome hamstring amid reports of a transfer to Barcelona.
There were first-team debuts for youngsters Ryo Miyaichi, back from a successful loan spell at Feyenoord, and right-back Carl Jenkinson, who signed from Charlton earlier this summer.
Belgian centre-back Thomas Vermaelen, who missed most of last season with a niggling Achilles injury, captained the side, while England international Kieran Gibbs started at left-back with Marouane Chamakh in attack.
Holland striker Robin van Persie and Nasri, linked with a £20million move away from Emirates Stadium, were among the substitutes.
It was a flying start for the Gunners when Wilshere darted into the left side of the penalty area and was tripped by Mohd Aidil Zafuan. Wales international Ramsey coolly dispatched the resulting spot-kick past Malaysia keeper Mohd Nasal Mat Nourdin.
Walcott could have doubled the lead when he darted in from the right, but fired over.
Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny had to be alert to divert a looping ball over, before at the other end, Vermaelen's header was just wide.
On 37 minutes, it was 2-0 when Ramsey's perfectly weighted pass put Walcott in behind the defence and the England forward planted a first-time effort over the advancing keeper.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger implemented the expected sweeping changes for the second half, with only Miyaichi, Jenkinson and Ramsey returning.
Young midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong made a welcome return following a season out with a serious knee injury, while both Vela and Denilson were also given a chance to impress despite being linked with summer moves.
Ramsey, now fit following a broken leg, fired over after latching onto a through ball from Vela.
Substitute keeper Vito Mannone - who had a loan spell at Hull - was penalised for timewasting, to concede an indirect free-kick just inside the Arsenal area, which was fired into the wall by Malaysia captain Safiq Rahim.
It was 3-0 on 59 minutes, when Vela, who failed to impress when loaned out to West Brom last season, was played in by Rosicky and finished with an audacious chip over the keeper from six yards.
With 20 minutes left, much to the delight of the enthusiastic crowd, Wenger sent on van Persie, Nasri and Arshavin.
Arsenal were sweeping forwards, with Nasri seeing plenty of the ball in a 4-3-3 formation.
Vela should have made it 4-0 when he danced around the keeper, but his shot was cleared off the line.
Rosicky had shot over when well placed, but nodded in a fourth during stoppage time after Arshavin had got away down the left and lofted the ball back across goal.
Source: ESPN Soccernet on 13 Jul 11
Aaron Ramsey scored from the penalty spot after just five minutes following a foul on Jack Wilshere.
Theo Walcott doubled the Gunners lead before half-time with a well taken lob from Ramsey's through ball.
Mexican Carlos Vela - who had been expected to be sold this summer - made it 3-0 just before the hour with an audacious close-range chip, and fellow substitute Tomas Rosicky nodded in during stoppage time following good work from Andrey Arshavin.
Arsenal will play the second match of their Asia tour in China, facing Hangzhou Greentown on Saturday.
The Gunners were without injured captain Cesc Fabregas, who remained in London to continue fitness work on his troublesome hamstring amid reports of a transfer to Barcelona.
There were first-team debuts for youngsters Ryo Miyaichi, back from a successful loan spell at Feyenoord, and right-back Carl Jenkinson, who signed from Charlton earlier this summer.
Belgian centre-back Thomas Vermaelen, who missed most of last season with a niggling Achilles injury, captained the side, while England international Kieran Gibbs started at left-back with Marouane Chamakh in attack.
Holland striker Robin van Persie and Nasri, linked with a £20million move away from Emirates Stadium, were among the substitutes.
It was a flying start for the Gunners when Wilshere darted into the left side of the penalty area and was tripped by Mohd Aidil Zafuan. Wales international Ramsey coolly dispatched the resulting spot-kick past Malaysia keeper Mohd Nasal Mat Nourdin.
Walcott could have doubled the lead when he darted in from the right, but fired over.
Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny had to be alert to divert a looping ball over, before at the other end, Vermaelen's header was just wide.
On 37 minutes, it was 2-0 when Ramsey's perfectly weighted pass put Walcott in behind the defence and the England forward planted a first-time effort over the advancing keeper.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger implemented the expected sweeping changes for the second half, with only Miyaichi, Jenkinson and Ramsey returning.
Young midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong made a welcome return following a season out with a serious knee injury, while both Vela and Denilson were also given a chance to impress despite being linked with summer moves.
Ramsey, now fit following a broken leg, fired over after latching onto a through ball from Vela.
Substitute keeper Vito Mannone - who had a loan spell at Hull - was penalised for timewasting, to concede an indirect free-kick just inside the Arsenal area, which was fired into the wall by Malaysia captain Safiq Rahim.
It was 3-0 on 59 minutes, when Vela, who failed to impress when loaned out to West Brom last season, was played in by Rosicky and finished with an audacious chip over the keeper from six yards.
With 20 minutes left, much to the delight of the enthusiastic crowd, Wenger sent on van Persie, Nasri and Arshavin.
Arsenal were sweeping forwards, with Nasri seeing plenty of the ball in a 4-3-3 formation.
Vela should have made it 4-0 when he danced around the keeper, but his shot was cleared off the line.
Rosicky had shot over when well placed, but nodded in a fourth during stoppage time after Arshavin had got away down the left and lofted the ball back across goal.
Source: ESPN Soccernet on 13 Jul 11
Wenger's reaction to the Malaysia XI 0-4 Arsenal match
We have no injuries and we had a good sweat. Overall what is important for us is to get slowly ready. I believe technically we were alright for our first game. Physically we suffered a little bit but what is important at this period of the season is to find our team play back and that was quite satisfying.
The first half was more difficult than the second because the teams were a bit disturbed and disrupted by the many changes. But the first half was physically at a good level and they played with a good pace. I felt they [Malaysia] defended stubbornly and very well in their box. They had a few opportunities but they miss a bit of calm in the final third.
on Jenkinson and Miyaichi...
Jenkinson has shown power and good decision-making. Ryo Miyaichi has shown as well good qualities, he is always available, always keen to take people on, he works very hard. Both of them have shown interesting qualities.
on Samir Nasri...
He has always had a very good attitude. We are a big club with many good young players so we are confronted with many rumours and speculation. But it doesn't affect much what's happening inside the Club. We have to live with that and you could see when he [Samir] played that he wasn't disturbed by that.
on whether the board support his decision to keep Nasri...
I think so, I believe that is no problem. It is a technical decision. On one hand people say I don't spend enough and when I spend people say I spend too much. It's very difficult to find the right medium. What is important is that the Club has a good team and is in a strong financial situation. The decisions are dictated by financial restrictions but not only by that. The most important thing is that the team is right and our financial situation is right as well.
on how the fans will react to him…
Very well. I believe that everybody who loves Arsenal wants all our strong players to stay at the Club.
on the Malaysia leg of the tour…
What is positive is that we are together, we have discovered a new country, we have discovered how much we are loved in Asia and that was unknown by many players. We have learned that the love here is genuine, enthusiastic and full of admiration.
on whether anyone can emulate Jack Wilshere this season…
It’s a bit early for me. I’m a football manager and, unfortunately, not a prophet! We are happy to have a player like Ramsey back, who didn’t play the whole season and Vermaelen as well. So hopefully they can have a very interesting season.
on his thoughts on the Malaysia XI…
They were mobile, motivated and well-organised defensively. I would say they lacked offensive power as a team but they were very interesting. Their transition from defence to offence was very quick and good but in the final third you could see there was a big difference between the two teams.
on his targets for the new season…
The target is always to win the Premier League. That’s the basis of our target.
Source: Arsenal.com on 13 Jul 11
13 July 2011: Malaysia XI 0-4 Arsenal, Bukit Jalil Stadium
Arsenal cruised to victory in the opening game of their Asia Tour on Wednesday night in front of a crowd approaching 70,000.
In the sweltering heat of Kuala Lumpur, a Malaysia XI found them simply too hot to handle.
Aaron Ramsey stroked home a penalty after five minutes and, eight minutes before the break Theo Walcott clipped home a second. Carlos Vela dinked in No 3 just after the restart.
Malaysia XI had carried a threat in the first half, mainly thanks to the pace of left winger Kunanlan Subramaniam. But they fell away as the game wore on. Tomas Rosicky even added a fourth at the death.
This was Arsenal’s first game in Malaysia since 1999. Back then Emmanuel Petit and Nicolas Anelka had secure a solid 2-0 victory.
The current crop leave for China on Thursday on the second leg of the Tour.
But, having seen them in the flesh, we can hope the Club have left a lasting legacy for the Malaysia people. From their fervent support it is clear they knew all about Arsenal before they arrived.
Hopefully this game will leave some happy memories once the team has gone.
The Bukit Jalil Stadium had erupted when the Arsenal team came out to warm-up. And the decibel levels went up 10 fold as the side emerged from the tunnel for the game.
Wearing the 125th anniversary away kit for the first time, Wenger’s XI side waved their ‘hellos’. After a week of welcome from this friendly country, they were very accustomed to the response they received.
The atmosphere was a heavy mixture of excitement, adulation and sweltering heat. In effect, the Malaysia XI was a squad from the national team. This was the first of three games against top quality Premier League opposition - Liverpool and Chelsea are due up soon - so head coach Datuk Rajagobal was managing his resources.
Mohd Safee Mohd Sali, the golden boy of Malaysia football, began on the bench. But playmaker and captain Safiq Rahim would be patrolling the midfield.
Wenger handed first Arsenal starts to Carl Jenkinson and Ryo Miyaichi. Kieran Gibbs was installed at left-back, a role his he is set to frequent following the departure of Gael Clichy.
The game had barely settled when Arsenal took the lead. In the fifth minute, Mohd Aidil Zafuan clipped Jack Wilshere as he darted down the left of the area. Ramsey was perhaps a surprising choice of penalty-taker but he was cool enough to send the keeper the wrong way.
Almost immediately it might have been 2-0 when Walcott popped up on the right but lifted his effort over the bar.
Malaysia attacks were sporadic - and mostly through the pacy Subramaniam. But any foray forward was greeted with rapturous applause. The crowd was 80 per cent Arsenal shirts but this was very much a national party.
Walcott’s pace continued to bother the home defence as did Ramsey’s movement and vision. When the two talents were combined, Arsenal were at their best.
Midway through the half, Marouane Chamakh fed Walcott on the edge of the area but the striker lost the ball at the vital moment.
Malaysia had peppered Wojciech Szczesny’s goal with long-range shots throughout so it was no surprise when Rahim tried his luck with a right wing free-kick. The tall Polish keeper stretched to tip it over but, in fairness, always had it covered.
The pace of Subramaniam was still the main weapon for Malaysia. However Jenkinson was handling him well. Chamakh drifted a header past the far post on the half-hour. In response, Ahmad Fakri Saarani tried to nod past Szczesny but the keeper blocked and the flag was up.
In the 37th minute Arsenal did grab that second. And, yet again, the Ramsey-Walcott axis worked. The Welshman sent an astute angled ball through to the sprinting Englishman. He lifted his shot over the keeper.
Seconds later, Walcott reached the byline and his searching cut back had to be hurriedly hacked clear. As the whistle approached, Arsenal were cruising. Perhaps it was the heat, perhaps it was a technical advantage but the visitors had taken control in the first 45 minutes without ever truly moving out of second gear.
Wenger made eight changes at the interval. Only Ramsey, Miyiachi and Jenkinson stayed on.
In the opening eight minutes both sides had a decent chance. Vela touched back Rosicky’s ball for Ramsey to race through and thunder his shot inches over the bar.
Shortly afterwards, Vito Mannone was penalised for holding on to the ball too long. Malaysia XI were awarded an indirect free-kick inside the area but the wall held firm from Rahim’s drive.
In the 57th minute, Arsenal’s quality told once again. Rosicky released Vela on the left of the area and, in typical style, the Mexican hoist a cheeky chip beyond the reach of the stranded keeper and into the far corner of the net.
With the job done, Wenger brought on two of his most experienced players - Robin van Persie and Bacary Sagna.
It was time for Arsenal to kick on. Vela should have made it four but, after collecting Johan Djourou’s pass and beating a couple of men, his shot hit a defender who had time to race back to the line.
Rosicky hacked over soon afterwards but made amends by grabbing the fourth in added time.
At the final whistle, the crowd erupted again and the team said their goodbyes.
As a game, this was average. As a spectacle, it was superb. If the Asia tour is about spreading the word of Arsenal, then this particular message was sent out loud and clear.
Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 13 Jul 11
In the sweltering heat of Kuala Lumpur, a Malaysia XI found them simply too hot to handle.
Aaron Ramsey stroked home a penalty after five minutes and, eight minutes before the break Theo Walcott clipped home a second. Carlos Vela dinked in No 3 just after the restart.
Malaysia XI had carried a threat in the first half, mainly thanks to the pace of left winger Kunanlan Subramaniam. But they fell away as the game wore on. Tomas Rosicky even added a fourth at the death.
This was Arsenal’s first game in Malaysia since 1999. Back then Emmanuel Petit and Nicolas Anelka had secure a solid 2-0 victory.
The current crop leave for China on Thursday on the second leg of the Tour.
But, having seen them in the flesh, we can hope the Club have left a lasting legacy for the Malaysia people. From their fervent support it is clear they knew all about Arsenal before they arrived.
Hopefully this game will leave some happy memories once the team has gone.
The Bukit Jalil Stadium had erupted when the Arsenal team came out to warm-up. And the decibel levels went up 10 fold as the side emerged from the tunnel for the game.
Wearing the 125th anniversary away kit for the first time, Wenger’s XI side waved their ‘hellos’. After a week of welcome from this friendly country, they were very accustomed to the response they received.
The atmosphere was a heavy mixture of excitement, adulation and sweltering heat. In effect, the Malaysia XI was a squad from the national team. This was the first of three games against top quality Premier League opposition - Liverpool and Chelsea are due up soon - so head coach Datuk Rajagobal was managing his resources.
Mohd Safee Mohd Sali, the golden boy of Malaysia football, began on the bench. But playmaker and captain Safiq Rahim would be patrolling the midfield.
Wenger handed first Arsenal starts to Carl Jenkinson and Ryo Miyaichi. Kieran Gibbs was installed at left-back, a role his he is set to frequent following the departure of Gael Clichy.
The game had barely settled when Arsenal took the lead. In the fifth minute, Mohd Aidil Zafuan clipped Jack Wilshere as he darted down the left of the area. Ramsey was perhaps a surprising choice of penalty-taker but he was cool enough to send the keeper the wrong way.
Almost immediately it might have been 2-0 when Walcott popped up on the right but lifted his effort over the bar.
Malaysia attacks were sporadic - and mostly through the pacy Subramaniam. But any foray forward was greeted with rapturous applause. The crowd was 80 per cent Arsenal shirts but this was very much a national party.
Walcott’s pace continued to bother the home defence as did Ramsey’s movement and vision. When the two talents were combined, Arsenal were at their best.
Midway through the half, Marouane Chamakh fed Walcott on the edge of the area but the striker lost the ball at the vital moment.
Malaysia had peppered Wojciech Szczesny’s goal with long-range shots throughout so it was no surprise when Rahim tried his luck with a right wing free-kick. The tall Polish keeper stretched to tip it over but, in fairness, always had it covered.
The pace of Subramaniam was still the main weapon for Malaysia. However Jenkinson was handling him well. Chamakh drifted a header past the far post on the half-hour. In response, Ahmad Fakri Saarani tried to nod past Szczesny but the keeper blocked and the flag was up.
In the 37th minute Arsenal did grab that second. And, yet again, the Ramsey-Walcott axis worked. The Welshman sent an astute angled ball through to the sprinting Englishman. He lifted his shot over the keeper.
Seconds later, Walcott reached the byline and his searching cut back had to be hurriedly hacked clear. As the whistle approached, Arsenal were cruising. Perhaps it was the heat, perhaps it was a technical advantage but the visitors had taken control in the first 45 minutes without ever truly moving out of second gear.
Wenger made eight changes at the interval. Only Ramsey, Miyiachi and Jenkinson stayed on.
In the opening eight minutes both sides had a decent chance. Vela touched back Rosicky’s ball for Ramsey to race through and thunder his shot inches over the bar.
Shortly afterwards, Vito Mannone was penalised for holding on to the ball too long. Malaysia XI were awarded an indirect free-kick inside the area but the wall held firm from Rahim’s drive.
In the 57th minute, Arsenal’s quality told once again. Rosicky released Vela on the left of the area and, in typical style, the Mexican hoist a cheeky chip beyond the reach of the stranded keeper and into the far corner of the net.
With the job done, Wenger brought on two of his most experienced players - Robin van Persie and Bacary Sagna.
It was time for Arsenal to kick on. Vela should have made it four but, after collecting Johan Djourou’s pass and beating a couple of men, his shot hit a defender who had time to race back to the line.
Rosicky hacked over soon afterwards but made amends by grabbing the fourth in added time.
At the final whistle, the crowd erupted again and the team said their goodbyes.
As a game, this was average. As a spectacle, it was superb. If the Asia tour is about spreading the word of Arsenal, then this particular message was sent out loud and clear.
Source: Richard Clarke, Arsenal.com on 13 Jul 11
Saturday, July 9, 2011
In Arsene We Rust?
As the dust settles on centre court and the debris of defeat lingers to leave Andy Murray reflecting on how he must raise his game to go from fourth to first, Arsene Wenger will be plotting a similar journey in North London.
The Frenchman's vision of sustained growth remains incorruptible but the 'In Wenger we rust' banner spotted at the Emirates at the back end of last season will cut deep.
For those supporters long-since exasperated by an Arsenal side which is a perpetual work in progress, Wenger has become no better than the cowboy builder who promises the kitchen extension will be complete tomorrow ad infinitum. As Elvis once warbled, tomorrow never comes.His post-match rhetoric after big-game chokes has begun to resemble Ed Miliband's recent terrifying assessment of public sector strikes when he gave near word-for-word identikit answers to five different questions, to leave his interviewer Damon Green 'getting twinges of what I can only describe as existential doubt'.
I'm not sure if existential doubt is contagious but reports suggest there's a strand of it going around London Colney, with Cesc 'Sarte' Fabregas forced to train with a big red 'X' chalked on his shirt, while Samir 'Nietzsche' Nasri questions his very existence after learning he could earn twice as much sat on the bench at Liverpool. Brighter news is that Wenger has drafted in Racing Universitaire d'Alger's Albert Camus for a trial and the early signs suggest he's an improvement on Manuel Almunia.
Wenger's mantra has always been evolution over revolution but with half his squad sporting Che t-shirts these days it's difficult to envisage anything other than wholesale changes at the club between now and August 13. Gael Clichy has already joined Manchester City having concluded his trophy cabinet can only house so many Emirates Cups and other more important players are set to follow suit.
Fabregas is so desperate to join Barcelona he's taken to leaving his calling card in random Catalunya phone boxes, while Nasri seemingly has no intention of staying even if his captain's departure could see him installed as Arsenal's creative epicentre rather than having to ask politely whenever he wants to prompt from the middle of the field.
If nothing else Fabregas' position as captain has surely become untenable whilst he continues to flash his knickers at Barca president Sandro Rosell. Christ, he'd probably coo in his ear like Marilyn to JFK if it sealed the deal. To lose Cesc has become inevitable but to let Nasri run his contract down to a final year is just careless.
As Sir Alex Ferguson was quick to attest after his side were played off the field by Barcelona at Wembley in May, football works in cycles and Wenger has demonstrated in the past an ability to build new sides when the lustre of previous versions fades.
Wenger's genius has been to know exactly when to sell, as Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry et al will testify.
The difference this time is it is the players calling the shots. No manager in the world would choose to sell either Fabregas or Nasri and yet, with little over a month until the new season gets underway, this is the exact position Wenger finds himself in. In some respects it echoes Sir Alex's quandary back in the summer of 1995 when he sold Andrei Kanchelskis, Paul Ince and Mark Hughes. Kieran Gibbs should, injuries permitting, provide adequate cover for Clichy - out of sorts for much of last season in any case - but whether he has a Beckham, Scholes, Butt or Neville(s) waiting in the wings remains to be seen.
Ferguson reacted to losing the Champions League final by reinforcing to the tune of £50million in bringing in Phil Jones, Ashley Young and David de Gea. It's a tired comparison to note that Wenger has signed only a 19-year-old from Charlton but it's a point probably not lost on Nasri as he eyes the bright lights of Old Trafford.
Just this morning Paul Scholes said: "They (Arsenal) just flatter to deceive. They do play the best football to watch at times, but what is the point of that if you are not winning anything? Not only that, they are potentially going to lose their best players in (Cesc) Fabregas, (Samir) Nasri and (Gael) Clichy. I don't think our manager would allow this club to go six years without a trophy."
The purported signings of Chris Samba, Gervinho and Gary Cahill could all prove to be astute, but they needed to be in addition to the existing squad, regardless of sales in the opposite direction.
"If I look at this team I'm proud of them, proud of the attitude of the players and the football we play. It's only in this country that we have to face what we face." Wenger, 2011.
Wenger is the bloke on Bullseye who says 'Jim, I've had a great day but I think I'll take my Bully tankard and £46 and let someone else have a gamble', while the rest of us scream at the screen 'FFS Arsene there could be a speedboat behind that revolving dart board!'.
That said, criticism of the more vociferous variety brings to mind Woody Allen's quip 'The food here is terrible, and the portions are too small'.
Disdain is readily dished out when football clubs are proven to have acted irresponsibly financially and yet when Wenger comes over all Vince Cable he's called a tight-wad. While football buries its head in the sand Wenger is one of its sole rational voices, having the foresight to realise the boom years are inevitably, sooner or later, followed by the bust variety.
There may be a feeling of unrest within the club with regards to a six-year trophy drought but in terms of league placings his unblemished record of qualifying for the Champions League in each of his seasons at the helm is matched only by Ferguson since he swapped Japan for the capital in 1996. When you add to that the fact Arsenal have the fourth highest wage bill it stands to reason that finishing fourth might not be a reason for walking the plank either. It's not dissimilar to when Murray, the fourth best player in the world, is accused of choking when he loses a semi-final. Isn't that what's supposed to happen?
"I believe that anything in life, if it is really well done, becomes art. If you read a great writer, he touches deep inside and helps you to discover something about life. Life is important on a daily basis because you transform it - you try to transform it - into something that is close to art. And football is like that." Wenger, 2010.
And herein lies arguably his greatest strength and Achilles heel. Wenger's obsession with creating something of aesthetic appeal is laudable, as is his board's patience in allowing him every chance to fulfil his vision, but it is also hugely prohibitive. And perhaps even selfish.
Writing and painting are solitary pursuits. The processes involved in both largely eschew collaborative factors and thus, in this respect, are not as Wenger attests like football at all. If anything the job of a football manager is more akin to an architect. It's a more meticulous building process that is needed to mould together disparate players and personalities to form a sum bigger than its individual parts.
Art is all about heart, an emotion that runs the terraces and stands but not dressing rooms and training fields. Not the good ones anyhow. But Wenger knows all this, he's too intelligent a man not to recognise that modern football - for better or worse - is more than just about the glory Danny Blanchflower once claimed.
Whether he's too stubborn to do anything about it remains to be seen.
Source: Alex Dunn, Sky Sports on 5 Jul 11
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Wenger facing greatest challenge
Arsene Wenger has never lacked faith in Arsenal's team or his methods - even when painful evidence to the contrary has piled up around him.
Wenger once responded to losing a Champions League semi-final first leg at Manchester United by publicly inviting a non-believing reporter to what he was convinced would be his victorious press conference after the return at The Emirates.
He even promised "a magnificent performance". He got one all right, only it came from Manchester United and two goals inside the first 11 minutes meant the invite to a triumph was torn up.
Still, Wenger's optimism has rarely wavered but he will need every ounce of the old conviction when he takes the roll-call for Arsenal's flight out for their Far East tour next weekend as he ponders the most turbulent phase of his tenure at the club.
It seems Cesc Fabregas is heading, finally, to Barcelona, while Gael Clichy is off to Manchester City and Samir Nasri may well also be Manchester-bound - although his final destination could be Old Trafford.
Andrey Arshavin is also said to be unhappy but the growing mood of disaffection with his efforts among the Emirates gallery last season suggests he would not be missed.
Arsenal's collapse at the conclusion of last season when a pursuit of four trophies was quickly transformed a sixth campaign without success led to renewed calls for a rebuilding programme, something the stubborn Wenger finally seemed to embrace.
The problem confronting Wenger is that he is not controlling the process, it is being taken out of his hands by disaffected players.
His great skill in the past, when success came regularly, was that he was - in football terms - the consummate economist and alchemist. He was masterful at selling players at the best time and for the best price, while renewing his squad with younger replacements. For years you could barely see the join.
He now faces the most crucial weeks of his Arsenal career. Wenger must recapture that skill quickly but if he gets it wrong then he knows he risks further demonstrations of the unrest that started to surface at The Emirates towards the end of last season.
But is the situation really as chaotic as it seems? Wenger will tell you it is not.
He may even turn what looks like an exodus into an opportunity. Fabregas looked more and more like a player with his mind on Catalonia as last season progressed while the loss of Clichy, who has been in decline for two seasons, hardly represents a devastating blow.
Nasri's apparent dissatisfaction potentially represents the most damaging blow and not just because he could end up at one of Arsenal's Premier League rivals. It was a setback no-one at Arsenal appears to have seen coming until it was too late, although Wenger has not given up hope of persuading him to stay.
If Fabregas and Nasri go - Clichy is neither here nor there in my opinion despite being a fine player earlier in his Arsenal career - and Wenger's replacements are not successful right away, how long before Robin van Persie casts his eyes elsewhere or Jack Wilshere attracts serious interest for other clubs?
And how can Arsenal hope to attract the sort of players to challenge for titles at home and in Europe if their best players are effectively seen to be forming an orderly queue at the exit?
Wenger will playing for high stakes in the weeks before the season starts. If he does not bring in the right players, Arsenal will fall even further off the pace with Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City in various stages of rejuvenation.
However, it is not a situation without hope. If Wenger can get more than £60m for these three players - and it surely unthinkable that the club's board will not hand him the funds he has brought in - then he has the opportunity to shape a new Arsenal built around Wilshere, Van Persie and Aaron Ramsey alongside the young talent he cherishes such as goalkeeper Wojchiech Szczesny.
After all, this is not the dismantling of a successful side, it is the changing face of a team that has won nothing for six years and has proved alarmingly inadequate when presented with the greatest challenges.
Wenger's self-belief has never been shaken but now he has been presented with his greatest test. If he fails then Arsenal will fail. It is as stark as that in Arsenal's current condition.
Despite what many Arsenal supporters believe, many of us would love to see this wonderful manager regain the sure touch of his early years and end his barren sequence.
To do so, he will also need to unearth players of steel to go alongside the silk provided by Wilshere and Ramsey. Gary Cahill of Bolton and Chris Samba of Blackburn may not appear to be identikit Wenger players but if last season finally got one message across, it was that Arsenal needed substance to go with style.
Former defender Nigel Winterburn said: "It has got to the stage where you look at the amount of money Man City have got, United have already gone out and bought players and Chelsea will spend.
"I don't think Arsenal can compete with those teams financially, but people will want to see that the squad is being strengthened because they have come up really short in terms of spending over the last two years.
"They need to get that winning mentality and that could mean signing two or three English players to get that English spirit alongside the style of football they play.
"If Arsenal don't do that, they are not going to win the league because all the other top teams will get stronger and we are not powerful enough over 38 games to compete - although they are not far away."
Everton's Phil Jagielka would be perfect for Arsenal, a defender who operates within a no-frills framework and is a voice and leader on the pitch - but this is not a deal that will find any willing takers at Goodison Park after Wenger was turned away last summer.
Lille's Gervinho is more in the Wenger mould while the Argentine Ricardo Alvarez is an exciting talent - but Wenger will need more bite in midfield to help Wilshere.
Perhaps England coach Fabio Capello has dropped him a hint by placing West Ham United's Scott Parker alongside Wilshere in the England side with some success. Age makes him a departure from Wenger's usual template and it would be a short-term fix, but long-term planning has brought nothing in the way of trophies since the FA Cup win against Manchester United in 2005 so it is surely worth consideration.
These are defining days for Wenger. How he responds to events that have appeared beyond his control will shape Arsenal's future - and his own.
Source: Phil McNulty, BBC Sport on 4 Jul 11
Wenger once responded to losing a Champions League semi-final first leg at Manchester United by publicly inviting a non-believing reporter to what he was convinced would be his victorious press conference after the return at The Emirates.
He even promised "a magnificent performance". He got one all right, only it came from Manchester United and two goals inside the first 11 minutes meant the invite to a triumph was torn up.
Still, Wenger's optimism has rarely wavered but he will need every ounce of the old conviction when he takes the roll-call for Arsenal's flight out for their Far East tour next weekend as he ponders the most turbulent phase of his tenure at the club.
It seems Cesc Fabregas is heading, finally, to Barcelona, while Gael Clichy is off to Manchester City and Samir Nasri may well also be Manchester-bound - although his final destination could be Old Trafford.
Andrey Arshavin is also said to be unhappy but the growing mood of disaffection with his efforts among the Emirates gallery last season suggests he would not be missed.
Arsenal's collapse at the conclusion of last season when a pursuit of four trophies was quickly transformed a sixth campaign without success led to renewed calls for a rebuilding programme, something the stubborn Wenger finally seemed to embrace.
The problem confronting Wenger is that he is not controlling the process, it is being taken out of his hands by disaffected players.
His great skill in the past, when success came regularly, was that he was - in football terms - the consummate economist and alchemist. He was masterful at selling players at the best time and for the best price, while renewing his squad with younger replacements. For years you could barely see the join.
He now faces the most crucial weeks of his Arsenal career. Wenger must recapture that skill quickly but if he gets it wrong then he knows he risks further demonstrations of the unrest that started to surface at The Emirates towards the end of last season.
But is the situation really as chaotic as it seems? Wenger will tell you it is not.
He may even turn what looks like an exodus into an opportunity. Fabregas looked more and more like a player with his mind on Catalonia as last season progressed while the loss of Clichy, who has been in decline for two seasons, hardly represents a devastating blow.
Nasri's apparent dissatisfaction potentially represents the most damaging blow and not just because he could end up at one of Arsenal's Premier League rivals. It was a setback no-one at Arsenal appears to have seen coming until it was too late, although Wenger has not given up hope of persuading him to stay.
If Fabregas and Nasri go - Clichy is neither here nor there in my opinion despite being a fine player earlier in his Arsenal career - and Wenger's replacements are not successful right away, how long before Robin van Persie casts his eyes elsewhere or Jack Wilshere attracts serious interest for other clubs?
And how can Arsenal hope to attract the sort of players to challenge for titles at home and in Europe if their best players are effectively seen to be forming an orderly queue at the exit?
Wenger will playing for high stakes in the weeks before the season starts. If he does not bring in the right players, Arsenal will fall even further off the pace with Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City in various stages of rejuvenation.
However, it is not a situation without hope. If Wenger can get more than £60m for these three players - and it surely unthinkable that the club's board will not hand him the funds he has brought in - then he has the opportunity to shape a new Arsenal built around Wilshere, Van Persie and Aaron Ramsey alongside the young talent he cherishes such as goalkeeper Wojchiech Szczesny.
After all, this is not the dismantling of a successful side, it is the changing face of a team that has won nothing for six years and has proved alarmingly inadequate when presented with the greatest challenges.
Wenger's self-belief has never been shaken but now he has been presented with his greatest test. If he fails then Arsenal will fail. It is as stark as that in Arsenal's current condition.
Despite what many Arsenal supporters believe, many of us would love to see this wonderful manager regain the sure touch of his early years and end his barren sequence.
To do so, he will also need to unearth players of steel to go alongside the silk provided by Wilshere and Ramsey. Gary Cahill of Bolton and Chris Samba of Blackburn may not appear to be identikit Wenger players but if last season finally got one message across, it was that Arsenal needed substance to go with style.
Former defender Nigel Winterburn said: "It has got to the stage where you look at the amount of money Man City have got, United have already gone out and bought players and Chelsea will spend.
"I don't think Arsenal can compete with those teams financially, but people will want to see that the squad is being strengthened because they have come up really short in terms of spending over the last two years.
"They need to get that winning mentality and that could mean signing two or three English players to get that English spirit alongside the style of football they play.
"If Arsenal don't do that, they are not going to win the league because all the other top teams will get stronger and we are not powerful enough over 38 games to compete - although they are not far away."
Everton's Phil Jagielka would be perfect for Arsenal, a defender who operates within a no-frills framework and is a voice and leader on the pitch - but this is not a deal that will find any willing takers at Goodison Park after Wenger was turned away last summer.
Lille's Gervinho is more in the Wenger mould while the Argentine Ricardo Alvarez is an exciting talent - but Wenger will need more bite in midfield to help Wilshere.
Perhaps England coach Fabio Capello has dropped him a hint by placing West Ham United's Scott Parker alongside Wilshere in the England side with some success. Age makes him a departure from Wenger's usual template and it would be a short-term fix, but long-term planning has brought nothing in the way of trophies since the FA Cup win against Manchester United in 2005 so it is surely worth consideration.
These are defining days for Wenger. How he responds to events that have appeared beyond his control will shape Arsenal's future - and his own.
Source: Phil McNulty, BBC Sport on 4 Jul 11
Wenger avoids silly season rollercoaster
As usual, the close season has sent transfer rumours surrounding Arsenal into overdrive. After last season’s failure, the obvious need for changes means there is even more speculation about who Arsene Wenger is, or isn’t, going to bring in this summer. It’s difficult to read much into all the tittle-tattle as Arsenal tend to keep very quiet about their transfer dealings.
After the initial post-season flurry of stories about arrivals and departures, there seemed to be a lull in the frenzy of transfer rumours. However, since reports have emerged of Barcelona bidding again for Cesc Fabregas, speculation about dealings with Arsenal have gone crazy again.
This has been a difficult post to write due to the constantly changing stream of information about potential transfers. It seems that one day Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy are staying, but then another day they’re all leaving. I’d prefer any sales of players to be finalised quickly, so we know what areas of the squad need strengthening. Obviously I don’t want to see those three players leave, but it would be detrimental for transfers to be drawn out over the summer before individuals are eventually sold. It is better for all involved to have sales sorted quickly.
This post has the potential to turn into a bit of a rant as it seems that a lot of people are always reading too much into these rumours. Arsenal understandably don’t want transfer dealings done in the public eye, so it is hard to truly know what is going on until it is actually announced. Look at the Eduardo transfer, no-one had a clue and then suddenly he was an Arsenal player.
In terms of leaving the club, the players most fans would like to see shown the door are yet to show signs of going. Buyers for Nicklas Bendtner, Denilson and Manuel Almunia seemingly can’t be found. There has also been no indication of the likes of Tomas Rosicky and Sebastien Squillaci going anywhere. Two players that fans would least like to see go, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, depending on what you read, are on the verge of moves away. Both of these protracted transfers are really annoying me in different ways.
The Fabregas-to-Barcelona saga has been on-going for the past few years, and has unsurprisingly resurfaced in this close-season. Reports said Barcelona have bid less than they did last season, with others saying Arsenal have loosened their stance on selling Cesc. However it seems to me that not much has changed. If Barcelona offer the right amount, then Fabregas will return to them. Judging by some of the transfers done back in January (i.e Torres for £50m and Carroll for £35m), Arsenal have to hold out for £40m+ for our captain. Should reports of Real Madrid offering £45m be true, then that’s the sort of mark Barcelona should be matching. Whatever people say about his mental state and how he might be affected if he doesn’t go back this summer, as a club, Arsenal must not just allow that to dictate the price of his transfer. On his day, he is one of the best midfielders in the world, and his transfer fee has to reflect that.
The seeming arrogance of Barcelona about re-signing Fabregas is the most annoying part of his potential move. They do play the best football in the game and were deserved European champions, but they can’t just assume clubs will allow them to sign players below their market value because everyone speaks so highly of them as a club. There has been less of it this summer, but last summer the way their players spoke out in the media about Fabregas was disrespectful to Arsenal. It made the victory over them in February all the sweeter. As it stands, Cesc is an Arsenal player, and the Arsenal captain. The longer that remains the truth, the longer this saga will continue as Barcelona won’t get bored of trying to sign him. If he does go, the fee has to be right, and has to be re-invested in the squad.
Samir Nasri is a very different case to Fabregas. If he definitely isn’t going to sign a new contract, he could leave Arsenal on a free transfer next summer, which would mean we lose out on a significant amount of money for a good player. However, we don’t want to lose him to other title rivals with reports suggesting Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea are all interested in the Frenchman.
Nasri hasn’t helped his popularity with Arsenal fans with quotes that emerged in the media today. He spoke of wanting to win titles and the Ballon D’Or, but if he wanted to win titles so badly, he could have contributed some more in the title run-in. It isn’t just Nasri, other Arsenal players have said they need to leave to win things. They could have won things for Arsenal had they performed themselves. I get the sense that some players are avoiding responsibility for failures and think moving will guarantee them success. A bit of loyalty and harder work could be all that is needed, instead of blaming others. Football is a team game, but individual players need to consider what they could have done better, or if they could have done more, in order to help the team.
Nasri definitely had a good season, but went missing during the run-in. There was no Freddie Ljungberg or Robert Pires-like inspiration from him when we needed players to step up and take responsibility at key moments. The only one to do so was Robin van Persie. Before blaming others and wanting to leave, I think players should look at themselves and show a bit of loyalty to the club that gave them the chance to develop at a high level. Should Nasri do that, it would go a long way to endearing himself to Arsenal fans and helping us next season.
The dilemma for Arsenal if Nasri really doesn’t want to sign a contract is that, financially, we’ll probably get the best deal from a title rival. No Arsenal fan would want to see him playing against us next season in the Premier League, so we’d prefer to see him sold to a team outside England. Hopefully before Arsene Wenger has to make a decision about selling Nasri, he’ll have been able to persuade him that it’s worth staying at Arsenal.
One player that seems likely to leave is Gael Clichy. He’s been a good servant to the club, but he hasn’t been the same player since conceding a last minute penalty at Birmingham in 2008. Lapses in concentration have become more regular, but he has still been one of the best left backs in the Premier League over the last few seasons. I’m sure most Arsenal fans will wish him the best for the future, but, my fear for him if he joins Manchester City is that he’ll play regularly for a season, but then be replaced by someone more expensive before slowly disappearing from view. The same could apply to Nasri if he goes there. Our last sales to City are examples of this, with Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor, albeit for differing reasons, not prominent in the Manchester City picture.
With Fabregas, Nasri and Clichy, a lot of fans appear to have already assumed that they’ve left. However, I might be being overly optimistic here, there are no guarantees we won’t be seeing them in Arsenal shirts next season. All three wouldn’t automatically be in the first XI of the clubs they’re supposed to be going to so wouldn’t play as much football as they would at Arsenal. The Clichy deal seems the most likely, but should Fabregas and Nasri realise they won’t actually play regularly and if Arsene Wenger show some resilience by rejecting bids, there is a chance, admittedly a small one, that they’ll still be at the Emirates next season. Until deals are actually done, the situation isn’t as disastrous as the media are making it out to be at Arsenal.
There are other rumours about other players leaving, but I’d be very surprised to see the likes of van Persie and Walcott not at Arsenal next season. To match the number of rumours about players leaving, there are loads of rumours around about players joining Arsenal.
Depending on what you read, any number from Gervinho, Gary Cahill, Chris Samba, Ricardo Alvarez, Stewart Downing, Scott Dann, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Juan Mata, Emiliano Viviano, Phil Jagielka, Peter Odemwingie, Adel Taarabt, Scott Parker, Jermain Defoe, Eden Hazard and even John O’Shea could be coming to Arsenal before the end of August. There will undoubtedly be more players linked with Arsenal should sales of players be completed.
It’s hard to do too much analysis on any of these players, as most stories surrounding them seem to be speculation. Gervinho appears to be the most likely to join the club after his quotes in the press last week, and hopefully he‘ll be joined by a centre back. With Clichy possibly going, a left back will also be needed as Kieran Gibbs will be good enough to replace the Frenchman in a couple of years, but is too injury prone at the moment and needs more experience.
Transfer activity leads me to Arsene Wenger. I’m not going to mark him like I did with the players in my end of season posts, because at the moment, Arsenal fans need to trust the manager. We need to trust that he’ll make the right decisions in the transfer market and bring in the right players to move the club forward. After the past few seasons, Arsenal can’t afford to start the season with a weaker squad than last season, and that is a possibility with the rumoured departures.
Obviously Wenger didn’t get the best out of his players for the whole of last season. On the occasions that did happen, we looked like potential world beaters, see the victory over Barcelona. However the capitulation at the end of the season was unacceptable, and the need to spend money is clear. As Arsenal fans, most of us have taken pride in the way Arsene Wenger has gone about his transfer dealings in the recent years in terms of staying near the top without spending loads. Unfortunately, the reality of modern football is that money has to be spent to keep pace with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City. Wenger has the chance to do so this summer ahead of the UEFA financial fair play rules.
Arsene Wenger was the first to admit the failure last season was his fault, it just remains to be seen if he can right the wrongs in the squad ahead of the season. It’s a shame he hasn’t completed any deals yet ahead of pre-season training or the tour to Asia. With a week to go before the players jet off to the Far East, it’ll be interesting to see who is and, arguably more importantly, isn’t on that plane. If he can complete a few transfers before the tour, it’ll give new players enough time to integrate into the squad ahead of the season.
For the moment, I still trust Arsene Wenger. However, should players that leave not be adequately replaced, and weak areas of the squad not be improved before the season starts, I’m sure a lot of fans will join me in questioning the manager. Wenger has so far not jumped on the rumour rollercoaster of silly season, which could be a good thing. Hopefully Wenger has quietly got a transfer coup lined up as we’ve seen in the past. With pre-season about to start, it promises to be an interesting few weeks for Arsenal fans as we hope the Emirates Stadium doors start to open for new players, but allow certain ones out and slam shut in the faces of others trying to escape.
Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 4 Jul 11
After the initial post-season flurry of stories about arrivals and departures, there seemed to be a lull in the frenzy of transfer rumours. However, since reports have emerged of Barcelona bidding again for Cesc Fabregas, speculation about dealings with Arsenal have gone crazy again.
This has been a difficult post to write due to the constantly changing stream of information about potential transfers. It seems that one day Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy are staying, but then another day they’re all leaving. I’d prefer any sales of players to be finalised quickly, so we know what areas of the squad need strengthening. Obviously I don’t want to see those three players leave, but it would be detrimental for transfers to be drawn out over the summer before individuals are eventually sold. It is better for all involved to have sales sorted quickly.
This post has the potential to turn into a bit of a rant as it seems that a lot of people are always reading too much into these rumours. Arsenal understandably don’t want transfer dealings done in the public eye, so it is hard to truly know what is going on until it is actually announced. Look at the Eduardo transfer, no-one had a clue and then suddenly he was an Arsenal player.
In terms of leaving the club, the players most fans would like to see shown the door are yet to show signs of going. Buyers for Nicklas Bendtner, Denilson and Manuel Almunia seemingly can’t be found. There has also been no indication of the likes of Tomas Rosicky and Sebastien Squillaci going anywhere. Two players that fans would least like to see go, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, depending on what you read, are on the verge of moves away. Both of these protracted transfers are really annoying me in different ways.
The Fabregas-to-Barcelona saga has been on-going for the past few years, and has unsurprisingly resurfaced in this close-season. Reports said Barcelona have bid less than they did last season, with others saying Arsenal have loosened their stance on selling Cesc. However it seems to me that not much has changed. If Barcelona offer the right amount, then Fabregas will return to them. Judging by some of the transfers done back in January (i.e Torres for £50m and Carroll for £35m), Arsenal have to hold out for £40m+ for our captain. Should reports of Real Madrid offering £45m be true, then that’s the sort of mark Barcelona should be matching. Whatever people say about his mental state and how he might be affected if he doesn’t go back this summer, as a club, Arsenal must not just allow that to dictate the price of his transfer. On his day, he is one of the best midfielders in the world, and his transfer fee has to reflect that.
The seeming arrogance of Barcelona about re-signing Fabregas is the most annoying part of his potential move. They do play the best football in the game and were deserved European champions, but they can’t just assume clubs will allow them to sign players below their market value because everyone speaks so highly of them as a club. There has been less of it this summer, but last summer the way their players spoke out in the media about Fabregas was disrespectful to Arsenal. It made the victory over them in February all the sweeter. As it stands, Cesc is an Arsenal player, and the Arsenal captain. The longer that remains the truth, the longer this saga will continue as Barcelona won’t get bored of trying to sign him. If he does go, the fee has to be right, and has to be re-invested in the squad.
Samir Nasri is a very different case to Fabregas. If he definitely isn’t going to sign a new contract, he could leave Arsenal on a free transfer next summer, which would mean we lose out on a significant amount of money for a good player. However, we don’t want to lose him to other title rivals with reports suggesting Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea are all interested in the Frenchman.
Nasri hasn’t helped his popularity with Arsenal fans with quotes that emerged in the media today. He spoke of wanting to win titles and the Ballon D’Or, but if he wanted to win titles so badly, he could have contributed some more in the title run-in. It isn’t just Nasri, other Arsenal players have said they need to leave to win things. They could have won things for Arsenal had they performed themselves. I get the sense that some players are avoiding responsibility for failures and think moving will guarantee them success. A bit of loyalty and harder work could be all that is needed, instead of blaming others. Football is a team game, but individual players need to consider what they could have done better, or if they could have done more, in order to help the team.
Nasri definitely had a good season, but went missing during the run-in. There was no Freddie Ljungberg or Robert Pires-like inspiration from him when we needed players to step up and take responsibility at key moments. The only one to do so was Robin van Persie. Before blaming others and wanting to leave, I think players should look at themselves and show a bit of loyalty to the club that gave them the chance to develop at a high level. Should Nasri do that, it would go a long way to endearing himself to Arsenal fans and helping us next season.
The dilemma for Arsenal if Nasri really doesn’t want to sign a contract is that, financially, we’ll probably get the best deal from a title rival. No Arsenal fan would want to see him playing against us next season in the Premier League, so we’d prefer to see him sold to a team outside England. Hopefully before Arsene Wenger has to make a decision about selling Nasri, he’ll have been able to persuade him that it’s worth staying at Arsenal.
One player that seems likely to leave is Gael Clichy. He’s been a good servant to the club, but he hasn’t been the same player since conceding a last minute penalty at Birmingham in 2008. Lapses in concentration have become more regular, but he has still been one of the best left backs in the Premier League over the last few seasons. I’m sure most Arsenal fans will wish him the best for the future, but, my fear for him if he joins Manchester City is that he’ll play regularly for a season, but then be replaced by someone more expensive before slowly disappearing from view. The same could apply to Nasri if he goes there. Our last sales to City are examples of this, with Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor, albeit for differing reasons, not prominent in the Manchester City picture.
With Fabregas, Nasri and Clichy, a lot of fans appear to have already assumed that they’ve left. However, I might be being overly optimistic here, there are no guarantees we won’t be seeing them in Arsenal shirts next season. All three wouldn’t automatically be in the first XI of the clubs they’re supposed to be going to so wouldn’t play as much football as they would at Arsenal. The Clichy deal seems the most likely, but should Fabregas and Nasri realise they won’t actually play regularly and if Arsene Wenger show some resilience by rejecting bids, there is a chance, admittedly a small one, that they’ll still be at the Emirates next season. Until deals are actually done, the situation isn’t as disastrous as the media are making it out to be at Arsenal.
There are other rumours about other players leaving, but I’d be very surprised to see the likes of van Persie and Walcott not at Arsenal next season. To match the number of rumours about players leaving, there are loads of rumours around about players joining Arsenal.
Depending on what you read, any number from Gervinho, Gary Cahill, Chris Samba, Ricardo Alvarez, Stewart Downing, Scott Dann, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Juan Mata, Emiliano Viviano, Phil Jagielka, Peter Odemwingie, Adel Taarabt, Scott Parker, Jermain Defoe, Eden Hazard and even John O’Shea could be coming to Arsenal before the end of August. There will undoubtedly be more players linked with Arsenal should sales of players be completed.
It’s hard to do too much analysis on any of these players, as most stories surrounding them seem to be speculation. Gervinho appears to be the most likely to join the club after his quotes in the press last week, and hopefully he‘ll be joined by a centre back. With Clichy possibly going, a left back will also be needed as Kieran Gibbs will be good enough to replace the Frenchman in a couple of years, but is too injury prone at the moment and needs more experience.
Transfer activity leads me to Arsene Wenger. I’m not going to mark him like I did with the players in my end of season posts, because at the moment, Arsenal fans need to trust the manager. We need to trust that he’ll make the right decisions in the transfer market and bring in the right players to move the club forward. After the past few seasons, Arsenal can’t afford to start the season with a weaker squad than last season, and that is a possibility with the rumoured departures.
Obviously Wenger didn’t get the best out of his players for the whole of last season. On the occasions that did happen, we looked like potential world beaters, see the victory over Barcelona. However the capitulation at the end of the season was unacceptable, and the need to spend money is clear. As Arsenal fans, most of us have taken pride in the way Arsene Wenger has gone about his transfer dealings in the recent years in terms of staying near the top without spending loads. Unfortunately, the reality of modern football is that money has to be spent to keep pace with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City. Wenger has the chance to do so this summer ahead of the UEFA financial fair play rules.
Arsene Wenger was the first to admit the failure last season was his fault, it just remains to be seen if he can right the wrongs in the squad ahead of the season. It’s a shame he hasn’t completed any deals yet ahead of pre-season training or the tour to Asia. With a week to go before the players jet off to the Far East, it’ll be interesting to see who is and, arguably more importantly, isn’t on that plane. If he can complete a few transfers before the tour, it’ll give new players enough time to integrate into the squad ahead of the season.
For the moment, I still trust Arsene Wenger. However, should players that leave not be adequately replaced, and weak areas of the squad not be improved before the season starts, I’m sure a lot of fans will join me in questioning the manager. Wenger has so far not jumped on the rumour rollercoaster of silly season, which could be a good thing. Hopefully Wenger has quietly got a transfer coup lined up as we’ve seen in the past. With pre-season about to start, it promises to be an interesting few weeks for Arsenal fans as we hope the Emirates Stadium doors start to open for new players, but allow certain ones out and slam shut in the faces of others trying to escape.
Source: Sam Limbert, ESPN Soccernet on 4 Jul 11
Wenger must flex his transfer muscles
Some Arsenal supporters will argue that parting company with Cesc Fabregas this summer would benefit the team. And some Arsenal fans might suggest that selling Samir Nasri during the current transfer window would be the right decision. One would be hard pushed, however, to find an advocate of both exits - at least without a guarantee of sufficient replacements.
Arsene Wenger is a man happy to play the waiting game, and it therefore looms large that the greater implication of a double departure is to send an unconvincing message, to both the followers of the Gunners and the remaining crop of players.
Say what you like about Barcelona graduate Fabregas, the Spaniard's absence would be felt at Emirates Stadium. The Arsenal skipper recorded 14 Premier League assists in 25 matches last season, the third-best tally in the division. He is world-class. There are, though, points for a sale. It would be a monkey off Arsenal's back, for one thing. Summer after summer produces the inevitable saga linking him with a return to his homeland, and this speculation only serves as an unwanted, and very tiresome in truth, distraction.
Also, there are the concerns over the 24-year-old's fitness, with his fragile hamstrings causing him much bother in recent years. Indeed, Fabregas last started more than 30 league games in the 2007-08 term.
Nasri, meanwhile, was arguably the player of the first half of the 2010-11 campaign, only to fade during the second segment. It is this tail off that perhaps irks supporters the most, with the Frenchman allegedly demanding a significant pay-rise in spite of making half an impression. Nasri's want for success, while understandable, would sit a little better had he been of a consistently title-winning level. The 24-year-old only joined Arsenal three years ago, signing from Marseille for a fee of £15.8 million.
"I came to England to get trophies," he recently said. "I am hungry for titles. Money has never been my motivation." These quotes give the impression of a player attempting to curry favour with the haters ahead of a proposed move; placating the animosity directed at reports of Manchester City potentially doubling Arsenal's contract offer of £90,000.
All this must come as an insult to Wenger, his 'project' revolting from within. His nurtured youngsters are having more than just growing pains, and now the exodus hormone appears to be catching. What hurts more: the fans doubting him, or the players? The press have arguably gone a little overboard with their list of likely exits in the wake the Fabregas and Nasri speculation, although it would come as no surprise if it emerged true that the likes of Robin van Persie were getting a little concerned about how empty the dressing room might be upon his return to pre-season training. Just Emmanuel Eboue left to greet him? Murmurs that Theo Walcott could request a move adds speculative insult to injury.
One departure that does seem certain is that of left-back Gael Clichy to City, the Frenchman is the only remaining member of Arsenal's Invincibles squad. Unlike with Nasri and Fabregas, little can be argued in favour of a Clichy stay, the player in the final year of his contract and has plateaued, if not declined, over the last few seasons. With Kieran Gibbs waiting in the wings, whether sidelined or otherwise, few tears will be shed over Clichy being moved on. The lack of inward movement, however, is of great concern.
Wenger's pondering policy has served to irritate. "We are in a waiting period, everybody is waiting that the other [club] moves," said the French coach. "Everybody has their cards in [their] hands, hoping for the big transfer. There is no moving yet. The period will me more active at the end of July when we will need to really strengthen the team." Granted the transfer window only officially opened on July 1, but that is nothing more than a technical registration date and has not stopped other clubs announcing their transfer dealings. If Wenger is talking frankly here, some questions need to be asked. To wait until the end of July might be catastrophic - what of the policy of giving new additions time to blend into the squad during pre-season? And does deliberating not risk missing out on potential targets?
Even more pressing is that a Wenger reaction might plug uproar. Stating that Wenger needs to flex his transfer muscles is not knee-jerk. Should the aforementioned star duo depart, the prerequisite will be for the Arsenal boss to swiftly muffle his doubters with a powerful statement. Gervinho, while indeed talented, from Lille will not suffice.
Wenger needs to think bigger. His reputation, rightly, precedes him. But, with no silverware since 2005, some of the deadwood, such as Denilson and Tomas Rosicky, rumoured to be remaining and the same mistakes seemingly on loop come every August, he needs to provide fans with a pick-me-up. And fast.
Source: James Dall, ESPN Soccernet on 4 Jul 11
Arsene Wenger is a man happy to play the waiting game, and it therefore looms large that the greater implication of a double departure is to send an unconvincing message, to both the followers of the Gunners and the remaining crop of players.
Say what you like about Barcelona graduate Fabregas, the Spaniard's absence would be felt at Emirates Stadium. The Arsenal skipper recorded 14 Premier League assists in 25 matches last season, the third-best tally in the division. He is world-class. There are, though, points for a sale. It would be a monkey off Arsenal's back, for one thing. Summer after summer produces the inevitable saga linking him with a return to his homeland, and this speculation only serves as an unwanted, and very tiresome in truth, distraction.
Also, there are the concerns over the 24-year-old's fitness, with his fragile hamstrings causing him much bother in recent years. Indeed, Fabregas last started more than 30 league games in the 2007-08 term.
Nasri, meanwhile, was arguably the player of the first half of the 2010-11 campaign, only to fade during the second segment. It is this tail off that perhaps irks supporters the most, with the Frenchman allegedly demanding a significant pay-rise in spite of making half an impression. Nasri's want for success, while understandable, would sit a little better had he been of a consistently title-winning level. The 24-year-old only joined Arsenal three years ago, signing from Marseille for a fee of £15.8 million.
"I came to England to get trophies," he recently said. "I am hungry for titles. Money has never been my motivation." These quotes give the impression of a player attempting to curry favour with the haters ahead of a proposed move; placating the animosity directed at reports of Manchester City potentially doubling Arsenal's contract offer of £90,000.
All this must come as an insult to Wenger, his 'project' revolting from within. His nurtured youngsters are having more than just growing pains, and now the exodus hormone appears to be catching. What hurts more: the fans doubting him, or the players? The press have arguably gone a little overboard with their list of likely exits in the wake the Fabregas and Nasri speculation, although it would come as no surprise if it emerged true that the likes of Robin van Persie were getting a little concerned about how empty the dressing room might be upon his return to pre-season training. Just Emmanuel Eboue left to greet him? Murmurs that Theo Walcott could request a move adds speculative insult to injury.
One departure that does seem certain is that of left-back Gael Clichy to City, the Frenchman is the only remaining member of Arsenal's Invincibles squad. Unlike with Nasri and Fabregas, little can be argued in favour of a Clichy stay, the player in the final year of his contract and has plateaued, if not declined, over the last few seasons. With Kieran Gibbs waiting in the wings, whether sidelined or otherwise, few tears will be shed over Clichy being moved on. The lack of inward movement, however, is of great concern.
Wenger's pondering policy has served to irritate. "We are in a waiting period, everybody is waiting that the other [club] moves," said the French coach. "Everybody has their cards in [their] hands, hoping for the big transfer. There is no moving yet. The period will me more active at the end of July when we will need to really strengthen the team." Granted the transfer window only officially opened on July 1, but that is nothing more than a technical registration date and has not stopped other clubs announcing their transfer dealings. If Wenger is talking frankly here, some questions need to be asked. To wait until the end of July might be catastrophic - what of the policy of giving new additions time to blend into the squad during pre-season? And does deliberating not risk missing out on potential targets?
Even more pressing is that a Wenger reaction might plug uproar. Stating that Wenger needs to flex his transfer muscles is not knee-jerk. Should the aforementioned star duo depart, the prerequisite will be for the Arsenal boss to swiftly muffle his doubters with a powerful statement. Gervinho, while indeed talented, from Lille will not suffice.
Wenger needs to think bigger. His reputation, rightly, precedes him. But, with no silverware since 2005, some of the deadwood, such as Denilson and Tomas Rosicky, rumoured to be remaining and the same mistakes seemingly on loop come every August, he needs to provide fans with a pick-me-up. And fast.
Source: James Dall, ESPN Soccernet on 4 Jul 11
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Arsène Wenger the preacher must play the big spender
At most aristocratic football clubs, breaking up a side that had not won a bean for six years would feel like a moral duty. The problem starts when the best players break it up themselves without waiting for the manager to announce who should stay or go.
The deepest motivations of Samir Nasri are impossible to know but we can be sure they correspond in part to the size of his weekly wage packet. Cesc Fábregas is a little more obvious; he pines for home and a chance to play in the world's best team with the pals he left behind to join a Barcelona cloning operation in London. But in both cases you detect a collapse of faith that could soon become infectious across Arsène Wenger's fragile squad.
Without control, a manager is no longer the author of his own story. This summer Wenger is being dictated to by events for which he is to blame. A grand idea taken to an unworkable extreme is the way many of us regard the great Arsenal project to impose flowing one-touch football on the Premier League. Those of us who want him to prosper with a team built in his own creative image despair when fundamental prerequisites for success are wilfully omitted, such as a properly organised and resolute back five.
The fear seizing all Arsenal supporters is that any windfall from the sale of Fábregas, Nasri and Gaël Clichy would disappear into the vortex of the club's finances: a confusing swirl of takeover ambitions, stadium costs and Wenger's own refusal to play the mad transfer market game. In a good year this can seem heroic, in a bad one – when they lose a Carling Cup final to relegated Birmingham City, say – it strikes the fans more as a deluded obsession with unproven youngsters from small French clubs.
Fernando Torres performed a service to football by demanding to leave Liverpool for Chelsea. He reminded the whole game that clubs with heritage and tradition should always expel players who no longer want to be there. The life of the club must always be asserted over the whims of the individual. To sell a persistently restless player is a restatement of strength.
For Wenger, though, the picture is more complex. The disaffection in his ranks is more ominous. His players are starting to look like parishioners tiring of their messianic preacher and filing out of the church in mid-sermon. A ¤40m (£36m) offer for Fábregas last summer was resisted only after Wenger had promised his captain the jam promised for tomorrow was finally coming up the drive. The top Arsenal players have probably ceased to believe that message and no longer want to face a grumpy Emirates crowd while being pushed around by Manchester United and Chelsea. Already there are suggestions that Robin van Persie is growing twitchy about the potential for an exodus and the possibility that Fábregas and Nasri would not be replaced by players of similar calibre.
This is where Wenger has to act. A desire not to be ripped off in the transfer market is no longer an adequate excuse when so many of the young players he has educated and supported keep letting him down. Why should he sacrifice his own career to people who go missing in the biggest games? The complication is Wenger's fixation with finding raw talent and feeding it through the London Colney university in line with the Arsenal way.
Well, the Arsenal way is not working, and the fans know it, which is why they resent the constant calls for patience while ticket prices shoot up. They want less Abou Diaby and more Yaya Touré. They want the spirit of Patrick Vieira in midfield and the dog-bite of Adams, Keown and Bould in defence.
Arsenal were never effete. The current generation of followers grew up watching George Graham's teams, admired the solidity as well as the skill of Wenger's first Double-winning side and adored The Invincibles. All they ask is that beauty is realigned with more of the old belligerence. They crave toughness and a winning spirit.
Building a new side around Jack Wilshere, Wenger could use the coming windfall to declare a six-year period of dreaming officially over, and head out into the market to find the kind of players Arsenal used to employ before frailty became the norm. The hard part for the manager will be an admission that he took a wrong turn with his Sorbonne of all the talents. The next job may be rebuilding from the back, where United and Chelsea build better barricades.
This could be the best chance – the last chance – for Wenger to purge a failing culture and begin afresh with hardened winners. Ideally he would want to shed the passengers rather than the officer class but that luxury is denied to him by his own error in over‑investing in potential. It may sound shallow to say £70m-£80m of incoming wealth should be spent straight away but this is where Arsenal happen to stand: at the end of something, with a better path ahead.
Source: Paul Hayward, The Guardian on 2 Jul 11
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