Good day to you Gooner’s.
There wasn’t a post yesterday, so apologies to all you Gooner’s who didn’t get your injection of Arsenal news, fun and frolics. Admittedly sod all happened yesterday and I was hard at it a bit like our kids who spanked that Burgerland Team FC 10-2 on Monday. I know we have to start somewhere when it comes to pre-season games. CSKA Chelsea do their grabbing all the money they can in their ‘Ching-ching’ Asia tour, the Manc’s go to the motherland and tour Africa and we get to play a bunch of McDonald’s burger flippers. It’s been said on many a Gooner site not to read too much into these games as for one it’s only the kids playing, two the result doesn’t mean diddly-squat, three it’s mainly to get match fitness and sharpness. But what cracks me up when watching the post match shenanigans is the amount of Gooner’s who phone in when picking the bones out the match and performance. For those of you lucky enough to have it Setanta have got Arsenal TV, which is getting better, slowly, but it’s getting better. I’m not sure how many times I’ve seen ‘that’ Thierry Henry goal against the scum when he ran from the half way line, I love watching the goal but jeez I don’t want to watch it every five minutes, surely you must have access to other footage people! Anyway I digress, on the panel on match days you have musician and bald plated former M People man Shovel and ex Arsenal player Stuart Robson who sounds more and more like Sir Trevor Brooking every day. Occasionally Arsenal leg-end Perry Groves makes an appearance. But anyway some fans are getting a bit too critical when it’s only the kids playing, so people lighten up.
Now today should be a different matter as all the big guns are back in training and the game against Stuttgart should tell us more about our team. And the big question is who will partner Fabregas (should he play) in the middle of the park. The clever money is on Abou Diaby. However I watched an interview on Arsenal TV the other day with him and he was asked ‘Do you think you’re the player to play alongside Cesc in a central position?’ Diaby’s answer was interesting as he didn’t really put himself forward for the hard tackling, defensive, covering role and letting The Cesc do his thing. He said he likes to get forward and create things too and basically saying his style is just like The Cesc’s. Hmmm so, what happens now can’t have them both doing that can we? As we all know and it’s hardly a national secret our defence is a bit shoddy. We take leads and surrender them when put under pressure so the last thing we need right now is two central midfielders who like to get forward and create all the time. It could work if Diaby and The Cesc have the understanding the Spanish Wonderkid had with Flamini. But I think we’re in need of a defensive minded player, so I think we might see some mixing and matching there. My money for these pre-season games would be Alex Song but he’s buggered off to the Olympic games in Beijing so bang goes that idea. So that leaves Denilson really. Aaron Ramsey looks like he can do the lot, he can defend, create, spray balls around but he’s only 17 years old. And from there down the list it’s only kids. So like I said that leaves Brazilian lad Denilson who the season before had a stormer but last season was blighted by injury and he didn’t really kick on. But that’s just for today’s game against Stuttgart. The bigger question is, will Wenger go and buy an experienced proven midfield grafter? I sincerely hope the answer to this question is a whole hearted resounding ‘Hell yeah’!
What this ‘proper’ pre-season match up now against Stuttgart as I’ve mentioned we’ll see the big guns reeled out for this one including Robin van Persie, pantomime villain in the making Manu Adebayor (boo hiss), Abou Diaby, William Gallas and The Cesc. We also get the chance to goodbye again or hello which ever way you look at it to ‘Ze German mentalist’ Jens Lehmann. It will be nice to see the original nutter play against us and all be it a friendly see if he gets up to his Darth Vader death grip shenanigans.
I was going to run a piece this week on who should be The Arsenal captain after Billy Gallas’ less than impressive go at it last season. But I think that would be redundant a bit like Joey Barton’s PR and goodwill ambassador rep. I don’t think outside of Kolo Touré and The Cesc too many fans would want anyone else to be The Arsenal captain. However after Billy Gallas admitted making some ‘mistakes‘ – well that’s a polite way of putting it, Le Gaffer has now come and said a piece on the matter with some odd comments but it basically translates to that Billy will be keeping the gig. Le Gaffer said rather confusingly:
“I think he has done quite well last year, for the biggest part of the season, and a lot of responsibility has been given to him when it wasn’t right.”
Excuse me? ‘Wasn’t right? Wasn’t right? Now I know some people don’t question Wenger’s judgement and would follow him blindly and do that annoying ‘Wenger Knows’ routine. Don’t get me wrong I’m not slating the manager far from it, I would be the first to say historically next to ‘Sir’ Herbert Chapman Arsene Wenger has shaped the meaning and history of Arsenal. But sometimes you have to questions some things but to say Gallas was given responsibility when it wasn’t right, WTF? My answer to that is he’s the captain. Simple as. You have to stick to your decision, you made him captain, you can’t say ‘a lot of responsibility has been given to him when it wasn’t right”. I don’t buy that at all. One thing, Gallas is captain – he HAS to take responsibility, if he can’t do the job then do the honourable thing, no not fall on your sword, swallow it (no not the sword) and say you can’t do it. And two, Gallas is the second oldest player on the pitch (only keepers ‘Ze German mentalist’ Jens Lehmann and Manuel Almunia are older) and he should be showing the younger players some experience. But that’s just me, what’s your take on Wenger’s comments, it would be interesting to hear other Gooner’s thoughts on this one.
Other than that the fantasy league looks like it will be a rip roarer this season. I have counted up but there’s a shedload of punters up for giving it some ‘Big Charlie Potatoes’ and show fellow Gooner’s how it’s done and also show Le Gaffer how to blow £100m on players. It would be interesting to see Le Gaffer’s fantasy league team with so much money to burn, although I’ve got a feeling he could still get 15 players and still have change from £95m and still finish in the top four! Join the fun and see details below on how to join.
Click the below link to get started
http://fantasy.premierleague.com
Sign up to it
Design your team
Join the league by entering this pin into the ‘Join league bit’ (League Pin 73628-19858)!
(The league is called sonofallgooneredup)
Then you are away!
The deadline is August the 16th!
Score predictor Mini league
Allgoonerdup.com is also running a mini league for a score prediction game, again courtesy of the Premier League. There will of course be a prize for the winner. All you need to do is sign up, join the fun and follow the link below:
http://iknowthescore.premierleague.com/landing.htm
And enter the code: FCCDA-XVB to join the Allgoonerdup.com mini league.
A big slap on the back goes to Mr. Top Banana for sorting the mini league out – you’re a legend!
That’s your lot today… see you in the comments
Good article but i think you missunderstood what Arsene meant we he said
“a lot of responsibility has been given to him when it wasn’t right.”
What i believe he meant was that
a lot of people have said that he was responsible what happened to us at the end of the season, and that it is not right to single him out as the main reason we lost the plot. A sentiment that i completely agree with!
A lot of circumstances lead to us losing our lead in the title, not only his antics at Birmingham! Everyone loves a scape goat, especially when we have so much time to think about the last season and confuse ourselves with what actually happened.
OK well that’s what this comments section is about – seeing what Gooner’s opinion are. I can see your point but IF Le Gaffer said ‘Gallas was BLAMED for a lot and that isn’t right’ I would agree with you 100%. I’m not making Gallas a scapegoat, a lot of things contributed to us falling apart last season including injuries, suspensions, lack of experience e and our captain going mental. But saying he had a lot of responsibility and it wasn’t right doesn’t do it for me – wouldn’t happen if Tony Adams or Paddy was in charge they would TAKE responsibility – full stop. Gallas should be showing an example.
I guess only Le Gaffer knows what he meant on this one IF there was something lost in the interpretation on this. BUt Wenger’s English isn’t exactly too shoddy is it?
Hmmmh…. Another article sounding a bit negative (just like most arsenal blogs nowadays). Completely agree with ryan’s interpretation of wenger’s words. He jst pointed out gallas wasn’t to blame for us not winning it last season. @ tommigooner even our great tony adams had his own problem that affected the squad so lay off gallas. Was never in support of gallas being captain in d first place but he is, so lets live wit it.
To everyone crying out for a new player in central midfield, if we get an experienced player, he would keep all the upcoming talents out of the team and they that would only mean another episode of our players leaving for other clubs b4 serving us properly!!! I think we have young players that can pull it this season, look @ flamini, u didnt expect him to rlly blend it last season so why cant we just give some1 else a chance!
Manic the article wasn’t supposed to sound ‘negative’ but I guess that’s another thing which got lost in the interpretation! I think the kids will come good but I still believe we need a bit of experience to balance the kids out and compliment what we already have. What we have to remember most of our players are ‘kids’ and we expect them to improve – some will some wont – thats the way it is. I look at the kids and think they’re the best in the league at their age but when we need that vital bit of experience in the run in we might be found wanting, like last season. And with that we need a captain to stand up and be counted not to sulk and cry it off during a game.
I’m not being blinkered but as great as Mr. Arsenal was I don’t see Adams sitting in the centre circle by himself crying when he should be rallying the troops. I’m not going to get into an argument about which captains have had off days which affect the team – Thierry Henry the greatest player in our history as great as he was, wasn’t a great captain – when decided he didn’t want to play the whole team didn’t. But Gallas has to take responsibility he can’t pick and choose when he ‘fancies it’ – he is the last port of call – he is The Man – the captain.
Also I take your point about Flamini – but you have to remember Flamini was given the greatest test to any player – prove you’re good enough to play for The Arsenal – and feck me – didn’t he just! He took the chance with great gusto and more than proved he was – it was just a shame (or a bloody scandal) that The Arsenal didn’t see that if he did prove he could do the job that they should of made sure we kept him.
Alright guys
Think Wegner’s comments were taken out of context, but by the same token Gallas needs to stand up & be counted (I am an ‘Arsene knows’ man Tommi, apologies!). He is by far the most mature player out there so is an obvious leader, but imo the real leader in our team, the player all others look for support from, who steps up & is counted on & who loves our club is Cescy. Personally I would give him the armband now, regardless of age – it did Tony Adams no harm.
As for as an experienced player in central midfield is concerned, I think it’s a must before the season starts. There’s nothing wrong with blending youth, but youth needs to be blended with experience, experience of how to win games, experience of when you go a goal up in a game how to stabilise the team for 5 or 10 minutes & not concede (remember Uts & Chel$ki). Wot we need is a Makalele, someone who did what Flamini did last season & sit in front of the back 4. Giving this role to Song, Diaby, Djorou or Denilson is a mistake as they do not have the relevent knowledge or guidance, especially when surrounded by such youth. For me Gareth Barry would be the ideal signing, but there are plenty more I would take aswell & I’m not sure if we will even bid for the Villa man.
Talking about youth, anyone else getting a bit excited about young Jack Wilshire? I can see big thngs from this boy, he is one of the few who is developing at the same rate as Mr Fabregas. There are good young players who have the potential to be great, Theo, Ramsey, Traore for eg, but this 16 year old reminds me of Cescy when he was starting out. He oozes cofidence, has excellent technical ability, a great eye for a pass & goal. He will need a bit of protection, but then we thought the same of CF4 when he first hit the scene. Expect to see glimpses of him next season
Jack Wilshire is awesome! Reminds me of Messi in the way he skips past players and moves inside.
Tommigooner i agree with you on the fact that Gallas has to step up because he is not the best captain we have ever had by a long shot, and i’m excited for when he gets injured sometime next season and Cesc gets to put on the band! Maybe when Gallas comes back from injury Mr Wneger will decide to stick with Cesc.
On the topic of interpretation of Wenger’s words, i actually think Wenger’s english can be a bit shoddy a lot of the time, which leaves room for a lot of interpretation and open’s himself up for criticism. When he first made that statement i thought to my self “why is he saying such rubbish?” and i didn’t understand how a manager with 20yrs of experience would ever say that the Captain shouldn’t be given that responsibility!
The obvious answer, which is always the most likely, was that he did not mean that, and rather meant what i suggested in my previous comment. Now i am not making this point directly at you, but towards all bloggers/gunners who don’t afford Wenger the relaxation of interrepretaion that his English often needs!
But at the same time i can see how this statement can be interpreted like that, and maybe it was because i actually saw the interview on Arsenal Online that i had more insight into the context and how he said the words! I’m not so sure that i would have realized this if i had read it in an article!
Anyways, after last night’s performance i have a lot of confidence that we have the POTENTIAL to win this season, whether we do or not will come down to attitudes and determination, something which always grows with experience. Not that experiece is needed, but it always helps!
Easy boys quite a bit of a conversation on here we’re having on here regarding Gallas/Wenger.
Rae – like I said I’m not knocking Wenger – I trust what he does but sometimes you have to question what he does a bit like anyone in any walk of life. Like for instance the Eboué conundrum but lets a whole other argument., I agree with everything you said regarding a Makelele type player coming in & us being concentrated and keeping a lead for more than five minutes against the big boys – that’s where experience comes in – not sure if my original post/quote got my message across…
Ryan – I hadn’t seen the interview just read it on screen – so Wenger’s comments are open for interpretation – I was going to say in my comments that I wasn’t sure if it was a televised interview – if it was then I could gage more from it. But like I said if it’s the difference of getting the words ‘responsibility’ and ‘blame’ wrong in the quote about Gallas then if he meant blame then fair play.
I cant’ believe we’re having a massive chat about this!! But the bottom line is Gallas HAS to step up – plain and simple. And I don’t think there’s a disagreement there.. or is there?
Also after watching the boys performance yesterday – they do have POTENTIAL of course they do – we all know that – they just need to turn that potential into reality. And Jack Wilshere what can you say about the lad – FUUIUUUCK! He is going to be The Boy if he carries on – but lets remember guys he’s only 16 lets not put too much pressure on him. However having said that – did you see the way he took that goal !!! C’mon!!!