Incredibly, Arsenal are already back in action. As far as I’m aware we’re the first Premier League side to play any kind of friendly this summer. And if that weren’t enough, we don’t just face off against one side today, but two: after 45 minutes against Anderlecht, we will play a further 45 against hosts and top flight newcomers Southampton.
It’ll be a very unfamiliar Arsenal side. First-teamers Gervinho, Chamakh, Djourou, Santos and Gibbs are all included, as well as the likes of Coquelin, Bartley, Lansbury and Mannone. The rest of the squad will be made up with youth-team players.
It’s possible triallist M’Baye Niang will be given a run out. If you don’t know too much about Caen’s teenage forward, you can read French Football Weekly’s profile of him here. Caen have confirmed that Niang is on trial at Arsenal with their permission, and as yet no bids for him have been received, despite reported interest from Francophiles Newcastle.
Arsenal.com aren’t showing the match live but will be tweeting updates @Arsenal. If I can get a stream working I’ll try and do some stuff over on @Gunnerblog too, but it may be I have to wait to see highlights on the Sunday. It’ll be a fairly low-key affair: Arsenal don’t play another friendly for 10 days, and presumably we will use the opportunity mainly to help these players build their stamina.
Presumably when we face Southampton we might get a glimpse of our new away kit in action. The purple and black hoops have received a bit of stick from some fans. I have to confess I’m not really too bothered about what our kits look like: my attitude towards them is defined more by the results we achieve in them. If we win something in that kit, I’ll love it, pure and simple.
Of course, winning anything at all is going to be tricky, what with our star players wanting to leave all the time. In this recent interview, scout Gilles Grimandi as good as admitted that Olivier Giroud was bought with half an eye on Robin van Persie’s potential exit:
“Was the recruitment of Olivier Giroud made to compensate for his departure? Yes, we work to avoid being cornered. But we do everything to keep him [Van Persie] and we want him to stay.
If there’s a great offer and if he wants to leave and it will be difficult to keep him.”
The pressure on new boy Giroud grows daily. If Van Persie leaves – and in my opinion that is by far the most likely outcome here – the burden the Frenchman will have to shoulder will be immense. And as each day goes by without news on Theo Walcott’s contract, that situation gets more perplexing too.
It’s going to be another one of those summers…
Heavy burden for those immense and dreamy shoulders. Hopefully Giroud can handle the transition
I’d sell rvp to some Turkish Sunday league team 4 a tenner and then ask Walcott if he was still thinking of leaving too Haha traitors
But on a serious note spuds keep strengthening and chelski r recruiting too , and again we have only signed a decent cf and another one from France who no one has really heard of which is quite worrying really We seem to b repeating last years mistakes all over we must improve this squad or I fear we won’t make Europa league let alone cl. we can’t simply rely on wilshere coming bAck either the lad has had a year out too much expectation is unfair and unrealistic. And then onto my final point. We still haven’t got rid of any of our crap Chamakh park bendtner R all still wandering round looking mighty chuffed with life Unbelieveable
City played a friendly today and lost 1-0 to some Saudi club…..
we should be looking at the saints youth as there youths have been more profitable than ours recently….
Dom, don’t forget msr. wenger’s position: we have new players coming in — Wilshere, Sagna, and Diaby are coming back after most of a year out and they are to be thought of as new signings. and with van persie leaving it’s no problem because of the blistering form chamakh is in — what, one goal every 20 games. i think we’ll be top 3 past Christmas and win the top 4 trophy.
sat this point, i am CONVINCED that spuds’ chairman has much more ambition than arsenal.
i just don’t get why arsenal fans still flock to the emirates paying the highest prices in world football to see borderline europa league quality players, which is where we may end up unless wenger pulls off a fantastic management job this year.
What AFC Need to do became clear to me watching FA cup 1998 Final is that we need Usmanov in!
Times are changing!
Watching this team and now it becomes apparent that compariring this team now and then is laughable!
We had both Bergkamp and Wright on the bench yet we won comfortablly!!!
This will never happen with Fuck Croenke on the boar as time has put the schedule to a point where AFC need to put cash before pride!
We will never again have that luxury havingg those world class players on the bench winnning trophies withour billionaires taking part of our club.
As much i hate the club being run withiot being English though i am Swedish this is the sad truth of todays football!!
Cash is King now more than ever sack Croenke in with Usmanov!!!
Sorry for me writing this being a bit drunk but i stand about everything stated above though misspelled!!
I don’t get the reason why everyone is saying the pressure is on Giroud alone. There is still Podolski, which in my opinion, is the more established player of the two and more expectation should be on him instead. In any case, the burden of the forward/striker position is most probably on these 2 players, but damn, the scoring responsibility should be on the WHOLE team.
If RVP is gone, but we have 3-4 players scoring 10plus goals, we have more than replace his tangible contribution on the field. What is probably slightly harder to replicate is his motivational role as a captain. Regardless of what we think of him now after the release of THAT statement, it is a fact that he has been a great captain last season. TV5 seems to be most straightforward and popular choice (I may be wrong), but personally, I would love to see Sagna as the captain. He is one of the most senior players in the team, committed, and most importantly, an automatic first-choice in the team. Not sure if I can say the same for TV5..
I actually think TV5 would be a better captain than Sagna. However much I appreciate Sagna, he’s probably too quiet for the role. I know Gilberto was a pretty good captain during his time but his team was quite different.
I’m with you on Podolski carrying more expectations than Giroud. The question is what the hell do we do with Gervinho?
I agree with you on Sagna. Hes solid, first choice, experienced etc but he isnt commanding. I personally thik the absolute best option is Arteta, however, will he start every game or rotate with Wilshere? So for that reason i think it has to be TV5.
However if RVP does leave, and Podolski is first choice ST with Giroud as back up he could be an option. Although with it being his first season it would be suprising.
As for Gervinho not sure what you are trying to say? You do realise he had the same stats as Nasri (in his first season) and played 10 less games, plus the ACoN? Yes he came back from the competition and looked nervy, but everyone seems to think he was bought as a LM. he sas bought when Arshavin, Nasri and Fabregas were still here, and was bought to rotate with Theo (Gerivnho played RM for Lille also)
Alot of people hype up young talent and believe Chambo will be ahead of Gervinho in thepecking order. Anyone who does is a muppet. He will be used for cup games or a loan at best as he is NOT ready. I guarantee Gervinho will impress next season.
Another season of undr performing and you guess what? Song,Verminator and other top players will want to go.If this happens blame nobody but Wenger.
He is delude if he thinks his carbon copy of Cruff will work This is 2012 and the epl is getting more competitive except that the fm doesn’t want to know. He is still playing the same system ,year and year out.No wonder the gunners can’t win games they are leading .
All the comments above quite clearly indicate that u guys are deluded! We don’t have the finacial clout of the big teams not even man united does Anymore hence the low key signings. Let’s see how well furgie does without been able to pick the cream off the crop wrt players. Wenger is a briliant manager we will never replace remember he turned down Madrid 3 times for us so show some respect.
Asking arsenal fans to show respect is laughable. Bitching about player loyalty while running down the most succesful manager we have ever had. supporters are being a bunch of plums. Don’t deserve to win anything.
If RVP does leave, Arsenal really must buy another attacking option.
Possible outs: Chamakh, Park, TGSTEL, Vela, Arshavin and RVP.
Who remains? Podolski, Giroud, Theo, Gervinho, OX, and Miyachi…
Clearly that wont be enough.
The window not yet closed. Giroud may or may not be better than rvp. Wenger needs only more ajttacking midfielder, a defender and a better goalkeeper. With these arsenal would be smoking again. check out this link http://gainmoneyfast.com/-151962.htm
i am wstching game of thrones. that is all.
moreover olivrr giroud is the inly arsenal playertoo be blesaed with my moniker without having played a gamr for us. do you thonk hed be proud, or too intent on snails, frog legs anf fancy frommages to care?
I’d rather see another ten years of our trophy drought than see Arsenal become another Manchester City. I dont think money is always the solution. i respect Wenger’s managerial approach. It’s what made me fall in love with the club in the first place.
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