Wenger remarks, Celtic tie and what to expect August 7, 2009
Posted by freekicker in Arsene Wenger, Celtic FC, Champions League, Everton, Man City, Real Madrid, Senderos, UEFA.1 comment so far
The smooth operator that Arsene is in the transfer market, we cannot be sure about whom he is going to buy or not buy unless he does one of them come the end of the transfer window. But he sure has been talking about the money spinning clubs, especially Machester City and Real Madrid.
Manchester City at the moment look like they have a great squad quality-wise, but sometimes when you buy more than three players you take a technical gamble. Yes, sometimes it clicks straightaway but sometimes it takes a few months and Real Madrid are in the same situation. They have bought fantastic players but you have to ask if they will click or not in a few months. Nobody knows. That’s not predictable. If you do not find your balance straight away it can be difficult.
Rightly said, given that Wenger himself thinks that no player should be bought beyond a particular value (in his case I think 15 million pounds will be the maximum). To him that player is not really wanted to make a team that he thinks will play football on the field for 90 minutes and win. He goes on to say
Real Madrid were not 10th last year, they were second. They had good players and a good team. City have more to create than Real Madrid.
A very valid point, certainly Real didn’t need such an overhaul to move just one place on the table. Even with this overhaul I doubt if they will really beat Barca to the La Liga title. And it must be such a suffocating period for the other players who are in the team seeing so many new expensive signings coming in. It is not a good environment to be in.
So it is Celtic FC whom we will meet in the UEFA Champions League play-off round in the Non-champions route on 18/19th of August and the return leg at Emirates on August 25/26th. This is crucial for the team as the group stage of the Champions league means a lot of money for the club, which is needed badly. The tie is not going to be an easy one and keeping the team fit and without injury is going to be key this season. Let’s hope we start the season well enough and carry on the momentum to Europe.
So can we expect more signings and exits from the club in the next couple of weeks??? The answer seems to be “yes”, given the fact that Senderos looks ready for a move to Everton. And given that we would definetely need to buy a defender. And also a defensive midfielder would be an ideal signing to close the season. I seriously think with respect to the forward line we have enough back up in the team, but we will need a midfielder if Wenger intends to play the 4-3-3.
The fabulous back four of yesteryears and the Wenger years in video May 9, 2009
Posted by freekicker in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Arshavin, Chelsea, Drogba, George Graham, Nigel Winterburn, Steve Bould.add a comment
In a weekend where we take on the might of ever-improving Chelsea under Hiddink, here are some interesting reads and videos.
The Fab Four - Talks about our famous back four assembled by George Graham consisting of Winterburn-Adams-Bould-Dixon/Keown. The second title they won by conceding only 18 goals and losing just once (almost unbeaten, isn’t it)
Arsene Wenger – Those were the days, tracks Wengers 13 year journey with Arsenal. Some good videos
Enjoy the reads and hope we beat Chelsea…Drogba and Arshavin are most probably notable absentees
The better team won May 6, 2009
Posted by freekicker in Aaron Ramsey, Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Arshavin, Champions League, Europe, Kieran Gibbs, Ronaldo.1 comment so far
There is no doubt in my mind that the better team amongst Arsenal and Manchester United won over two legs and qualified for the finals. Manchester United beat Arsenal 1-3 at the Emirates and with an aggregate of 4-1 will play in the finals in Rome. The other finalist will be decided tonight from the Barcelona and Chelsea match at Stamford Bridge.
Going into the match Arsenal needed to score 2 goals and concede none to reach the finals. The crowd was the loudest I have heard in the Emirates and the flags which were distributed in all the seats were a sight to watch. Maybe that inspired the team for the first 5-6 minutes where they fought tooth for tooth for every ball and was dominating the play. United had no clue. Then came the first killer blow. A advancing Ronaldo on the left side crossed in front of the goal and the youngest player on the field, Kieran Gibbs, who had a mammoth game in the first leg, keeping Ronaldo under control, slipped and could not recover enough to beat Park’s shot at goal. Taanng!!! So now Arsenal need to score 3 goals for a outright entry into the finals.
Within another 3 minutes, Fabregas lost the ball and in trying to recover the ball Van Persie fouled Ronaldo (though Ronaldo went down too easily)and in the resultant free-kick, Ronaldo unleashed a fierce shot which dipped and curled in and caught Almunia by surprise (he should have saved it, but I guess it was one of those things). Well this goal virtually killed the tie. Expecting this Arsenal team to score 4 goals against this United side will be asking for too much. Felt bad for the crowd who had been behind the team and was positive about a fightback from the team though we had conceded a goal. The game was buried in the 11th minute.
The rest of the match was something that just passed by. Arsenal was trying to break through the midfield-defensive wall of United and were unsuccessful.United on the other hand substituted their players who were on yellow card and also scored one more in a counter attack.
So Arsenal’s title hunt comes to an end and probably the only thing left to do for the season is to win all the remaining matches in the premier league, which include a match each against Chelsea(next weekend) and Manchester United. Finishing third looks difficult as it is not in our hands(Chelsea has to lose two matches and we have to win all our remaining matches). The differene between finishing third and fourth is an automatic qualification to the Champions League and playing a qualifier which could also be depending on the luck of the draw a 4th placed team from Italy or Spain or some Eastern European team.
Its time for Arsene to think of what is lacking in this team, a central defender (very urgent) probably. I think with Song and Denilson maturing,Rosicky hopefully back for the next season, I feel we have a good midfield back up. Not to forget Ramsey. If we do not lose Van Persie and lose Adebayor, the forward line will still look healthy with Eduardo, Bendtner, Vela acting as back up to Van Persie and Arshavin. I feel we have a good team for the next season if we can keep the flock together.
More later.
5 good reads before the CL clash against Man Utd April 29, 2009
Posted by freekicker in Alex Ferguson, Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, BBC, Champions League, Europe, The Guardian, The Independent, The Times.add a comment
1.Daniel Taylor (Guardian) looks at the tactics that Ferguson is going to employ against Arsenal
2.Matt Hughes (Times) talks about the conflics between the two managers
3.Ian Herbert (Independent) looks at the threat of Walcott and others against Man Utd
4.Daid Pleat(Guardian) analyses the keyclashes in tonight’s match
5. BBC match preview
Eduardo “fit” again January 9, 2009
Posted by freekicker in Arsenal, Arsenal TV, Arsene Wenger, Arshavin, Eduardo, Eduardo Injury.add a comment
Let me start the new year with some good news – Eduardo our man who promised a lot before he got injured played 45 minutes in training…but it might be sometime before he is back playing in the premier league. This was disclosed by Arsene Wenger in Arsenal TV today.
Get back to your scoring form Eduardo…we need some inspiration in the second half of the league.
In other news, Arshavin has been quite seriously rumoured to join Arsenal. It might be a decent fit but I still feel that we need a defensive midfielder.
Wenger needs to improve the squad for a top 4 finish December 28, 2008
Posted by freekicker in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Aston Villa, Denilson, Diaby, Gallas, Silvestre, Song.2 comments
What a see-saw match…First I thought we were not getting any points in this match. Then we scored two and I thought maybe we are lucky enough for 3 points with this team and then it was finally 2 points lost…the way we defended, probably it was one point gained. It was awful defending which cost us in the end.
To me Song, Denilson and Diaby are second grade players to be in this team. I know some of you might not agree with me as one of two of them scored the goals for us…but that doesnt mean that they are good enough to be in the Arsenal team. Denilson might get the benefit of doubt, but there is no doubt about the lazy and laidback Diaby and Song. Diaby tries a lot of flicks and clever passes throughout the match and I wonder how many times he has given the ball away to opposition. It gets frustrating sometimes watching him play.
And in Silvestre and Gallas we have two good players who have lost the edge. Gallas is slow for the Premier league and the penalty conceded was unpardonable. So I hope Wenger does something to rectify this…And Toure is not at his best. Probably Djourou is our best bet for central defence!!!
I do not have much more to write about the match but I have to mention about Sagna…He was the most outstanding player in an Arsenal jersey last night. He was solid at the back. And I don’t have words to describe that over head kick to make that save!!!
Cesc Injury and Villa preview December 24, 2008
Posted by freekicker in Aaron Ramsey, Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Aston Villa, Cesc, Fabregas.add a comment
Just when you thought the team has held on to it’s ground(be it at whichever level)by beating Man Utd, Chelse and then drawing against Liverpool, comes the news of Fabregas’s possible absence for a period of 4 months!!! That means he will be available in end April 2009.
I just checked our schedule and at most he wil get to play the last 4-5 matches and for your information the third last and the second last match of the season is against Chelsea(at home) and Manchester United (away) respectively. But if ever we thought we had a slender hope of getting anywhere near 2nd or 3rd or even 1st place for that matter, it has just been brushed away by Alonso’s powerful foot. Aston Villa will be the most happiest team this weekend as they know that a win or even a draw will be good enough for them to lay claims to breaching the top 4 in the league.
But where do we go from here. Certainly a Diaby-Song-Denilson combination in the midfield will do us no good. I think except for Wenger everyone else thinks that way. So do not be surprised if Wenger fields these 3 along with Nasri in the midfield. I would love to see someone like Ramsey get a chance. Atleast it would mean some fresh ideas and possible a breakthrough.The biggest question is going to be whether Wenger will buy in the January transfer window(which he has not done for a long long time) to compensate for Fabregas’s absence. I guess only Arsene knows the answer to this question.
So when we go visiting Villa this Friday, we definetely have a match of high pressure. We need to win this one to show some steel in the team ranks. We have to show that we can get 3 points without Cesc and Adebayor. Villa is really looking good and I admire that team when they are not playing us. Ashley Young is actually the kind of player who will fit into our team and will be able to contribute. Anyways, we need three points, for being in the top four and not to compete for the league. If that happens, its well and good. So all the best to the Gunners.
Lucky Arsenal beat Chelsea December 1, 2008
Posted by freekicker in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Chelsea, EPL, Fabregas, Stamford Bridge, Van Persie.4 comments
Before the match started any Gooner would have told you that one point from this game is more than enough, especially when the team is going to Stamford Bridge on the back of 2 defeats. So when with a bit of luck the team beat Chelsea convincingly in the end, every fan would be relishing in it. It’s really different when Arsenal win. You go to sleep feeling nice, and you wake up the next morning feeling even better, especially after you beat one of the strong, title-contenders.
Chelsea applied pressure from the first half and deservingly went ahead by an error from Djourou, which resulted in an own goal. And when Chelsea went into the break leading by a goal, Martin Tyler made a telling statement, Chelsea has not conceded a goal in the second half of any premier league match this season. Well, whatever confidence a Gooner would have had, got drained there itself.
I should say that the way we played was not upto our usual standard. Denilson and Song to some extent were below par and I dont know how many times we ended up giving wrong passes. It was only in the 60th minute when luck turned in Arsenal’s favour. Van Persie who was clearly offside banged a shot into the right corner using his wrong foot. In another three minutes, Fabregas’s freekick was headed down by Adebayor and Van persie turned and swirled a shot past a diving Cech. Anelka and Kalou proved to everyone that they are not exactly the best strikers that a rich club like Chelsea can afford. It was as if the youngsters were teaching the oldies at Stamford Bridge a lesson.
Gallas returned to his old ground amidst a lot of jeers from the crowd throughout the match, but he would have been one of the many who would have left the stadium happier.
“William was outstanding today,” Wenger said. “Absolutely amazing. He came out of that period with a lot of credit and his commitment is fantastic. He was outstanding today, just as he was against Dynamo Kiev. He shows he is a real fighter. Instead of giving up, he’s a fighter.”
“There’s no problem at all,” Van Persie said. “He’s a respected colleague and a very good player. It’s not my day, it’s our day.”
So it is Wigan next saturday and if we can keep the winning run under the new Captain, it would do the chances of this team a whole lot good. Liverpool come to Emirates on December 20th and I would love to see how this team responds to the current League leaders. Till then…
Cesc the Captain November 25, 2008
Posted by freekicker in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Cesc, Fabregas.1 comment so far
”Fabregas will captain the team. It is a permanent thing.”
Wenger has appointed Cesc Fabregas, the 21 year old Spanish Midfielder as the next captain of the club. He will take over the armband from William Gallas from the next match which happens to be the Champions League match against Dynamo Kiev in midweek. Cesc who is ten years younger than Gallas will definetely be more sensible in front of the media as the face of the club. At 21, Fabregas is one of the youngest captains in the Club’s long history
“It is a great honour for me to captain one of the biggest clubs in the world,” said Fabregas. “It is a proud moment. I know it’s a big responsibility but together with my team-mates, I know we have the spirit and commitment to get back to winning ways and fulfil our potential.”
Many people would say that this decision should have been made an year back and there is also a section which believes that this decision should have been made one year hence as it adds more pressure on the youngster. But with all the rumours going on about him leaving Arsenal in the summer to Barcelona, this could be a very tactical, sentimental move form Wenger to make sure that he doesn’t. But I believe that if Cesc should decide to stay then he needs to see some decent buys from Wenger in the January window. Else he could still leave.
Now that the Captaincy is resolved, the team should get back to the winning ways in the midweek as well as in the weekend against Chelsea. Here is wishing our new captain all the very best!!!
It is the rich Man City vs the poor-strength Arsenal November 21, 2008
Posted by freekicker in A Cultured Left Foot, Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, EPL, Gallas, Man City, Van Persie.add a comment
It has been quite disturbing to watch Arsenal in the Premier league…one week they go and beat the title-holders in style and the next week they show new levels of incompetency and get beaten at home 0-2 by the Aston Villa. I am not saying that Villa did not play well, they did and that’s why they won. But Arsenal’s inconsistency has been quite unnerving to a lot of us, fans who have been behind the team in ups and downs. The only problem is that for quite a few years now its been only downs and not many ups.
It is true that a bunch of youngsters are coming up in the League cup and they hold a lot of promise for the future, but what about for the now and present. There is a great article by “A Cultured Left Foot” which I believe is one of the best I have read in recent times. Wenger has himself to balme for this season because he trusted this set of players to do well and they didn’t. So his judgement has been wrong about players like Song, Diaby, Denilson, Gallas and to some extent even Walcott. He took a huge risk by signing Bischoff, when he could have signed a played who would have been available to play now. Why is Wenger betting on these kind of things when everyone knows that he had close to 20 million pounds to buy some healthy, world-class player?
Anyways let bygones be bygones and lets hope this weekend against Man City they put up a display which will please all their fans and the coach. The team doesnt have Fabregas (suspended),Walcott (injured), Eboue (injured), Sagna (injured) and Toure (injured). So this means that our right side looks very depleted.
The only positive is that Van Persie is back and he has been on a goal scoring nick in the International friendly midweek.
Lets hope for the best and see if we can get the 3 points against the blue half of Manchester. I seriously believe that we are not fighting for the title anymore as 9 points is a lead which if we have to overcome needs Chelsea and Liverpool to do an “Arsenal of last season”. Lets wait and watch…
And somebody please ask William Gallas to shut up. I think he has gone too far this season and would be better off playing on the field rather than in front of the media. This is probably the last season for him in Emirates.
