Arsenal’s pre-season campaign got underway in earnest yesterday as the squad took on a Malaysia XI in the first friendly of our Far East tour. A relatively strong side started the game, captained by Thomas Vermaelen, and with a midfield featuring the stringy, unfamiliar figure of a fit Abou Diaby. Andre Santos played in the front three. I could not love that man any more.
The team, suffering from both the rustiness and the oppressive heat, actually went in at half-time 1-0 down after a cracking long-range strike from Azmi Muslim beat a stranded Vito Mannone.
The second half saw a raft of changes. Alex Song took both the armband and control of the midfield, and it was his pass that set Nico Yennaris away to square for Thomas Eisfeld to tuck in a late equaliser. There was even time for a winner, with Chuks Aneke’s deflected strike deceiving the keeper after a neat one-two with Ignasi Miquel. Video highlights are available here. The squad have now flown on to China, where they will play against Manchester City in a showpiece game on Saturday.
There’s very little to gleam from a game so early on in our preparation, but it must be a terrific experience for the likes of Eisfeld, Aneke and Miquel to be spending this time in and around the first-team. Whilst we all clamour for signings, the emergence of young talent from within the squad is an important tradition of the club, and one we should look to preserve. Speaking of young talent, I was particularly struck by the performance of Ryo Miyaichi yesterday. The Japanese winger was a constant threat from the left flank, and looks to have matured significantly during his time at Bolton.
Whether Ryo stays at Arsenal this season or heads out on loan again will depend largely on who else arrives. All the chat at the moment is about Spanish midfielder, Santi Cazorla. It’s an interesting one. Cazorla was one of two players (Juan Mata being the other) earmarked to replace Cesc Fabregas last summer. In both instances, Arsenal were financially outmuscled. Mata ended up across London at Chelsea, whilst Cazorla remained in Spain with moneybags Malaga.
However, in the intervening twelve months, the fountain of oil money that funded the Malaga revolution has seemingly dried up. The likes of Cazorla, Ruud van Nistelrooy and, crucially, the Spanish taxman have all gone unpaid. Understandably, the two-time European Championship winner wants out.
It’s hard to know just how real our reported interest is. The player’s camp might be stoking the fire in order to force Malaga in to paying Cazorla the money he is owed. Equally, Arsene might genuinely be moving to snare a quality player on the cheap. I hope the latter is true: Cazorla would be a terrific signing, and add a much needed option in the central attacking midfield position as well as in wide areas.
Of course, half the time we have to be more worried about keeping the players we have, which is why it’s such terrific news that Laurent Koscielny has signed a new long-term contract. His improvement last season was dramatic, and this is due reward.
Till next time.
GS,
Nice, balanced post. A relief from the ‘one upmanship’ that occurs in the Twitter universe.
I assume you watched the whole match against Malaysia. What did you think of Eisfeld? As you say it is hard to glean much but what position did he play?
Nevermind – I just realised he only played 10 mins. A highly productive 10 mins though!
What about about the Japanese winger?Is he going to be farmed out?So when he comes back he will be stronger and take the fw by storm.W have heard of these scenarios before.
If it works ,it’ s great.More often than not,it doesn’t work as with the Brazilians and a host of others.
If we sign Cazorla and possibly Niang we are going to be well overstocked in attack and have to loan out most of the youngsters who played in the second half.
Most of them? With the exception of Miyachi which other young attacking players would make an impact on the first team this season anyway? (Irrespective of whether Niang and Carzorla sign)
Looking at some of the press, thats proper press not websites with idiots at the keyboards. (goal.com), and you just know they cursed when Chuks fluked the winner. They had to settle for ‘Arsenal luckily scraped a win’ rather than ‘Crisis club Arsenal lose without RVP’ headlines. Also I think the Man City match is this Friday not Saturday.
Would really like to see Cazorla join Arsenal. Last season we did not have enough goals nor assists coming from the attacking midfield. I was satisfied with Song and Arteta and they were playing in holding positions ,Ramsey was not up to scratch playing as an attacking midfielder I think he is more suited to the holding position as is always injured Diaby. Maybe Wilshire is seen as the future player at Cam , but for now Santi Cazorla would be a great addition. He is more of a Nasri , Fabregas replacement than Gervinho or Arteta.
I have nothing against Cazorla, but in what I’ve seen of him he does seem rather similar to type of midfielder we’ve seen at Arsenal in recent years. Nifty, good passer, good dribbler, but unspectacular physically with an injury history and similar to what we have – though maybe an improvement over a Rosicky and an excellent set-piece taker. Would rather see Dempsey in the Cesc role. Would offer something different to other Arsenal midfielders. Very strong, can hold up the ball, very direct, scores goals, wins aerials and scores headers, gritty and tries extremely hard. At 29 would relish the chance to play for a top club and in the Champions League. Unfortunately, all the links to him are that he’s going to Liverpool.
they call me the milky bar kid
Glean not gleam
i wonder where Respects Highbury is these days. i remember him being the resident expert of french football. i remember him slating koscielny as at bet an average player who would probably not make the arsenal first team. how wrong he was! he is a french international now and part of the starting 11. quite the moron in my eyes.
Koscielny is average.
When he said Koscienly wouldn’t make the first team, he was probably comparing him to the standard of competition accustomed for his place, ie Toure, Campbell and Gallas. However, when the competition you’re faced with is Djourou and Squillaci, then of course he’s going to make the first team!
I also remember him calling the shots on Chamack as being utter shit. Think he got that one right too, or is the jury still out on that one?
I also think he said we’d win fuck all and continue to regress under Wenger. Or do we wait until next May again to judge?
This site is dead. Posters like RH that spelt out some home truths kept it alive. None of this shit like Djourou being an excellent 4th choice or that Santos can defend.
Too true Stevio, – the site is full of blinkered sheep, believing the Emirates spin doctors
at best *
perhaps its a sign of where arsenal are at that kossa is regarded as an important player for the arse, rather than a bit part player in a truly strong side.
respects and i had our differences but if theres one thing we both agreed upon is that i have a large member of parliament.
i find it quite intresting that we have reverted to buying readymade players a la arsenal of thr late 90s, whereas chelsea have started buying unproven younglings like the hazards, oscar, that german chap.
i thimk there is a decent discussion point there, id you chaps qpuls start focissing ob the araenal once.more
stevieo, toure campbell and gallas are hardly “competition” for any side. toure is practically a reserve player for man city, and gallas and campbell are geriatrics. even around two seasons ago they were shit centre backs to compete with.
koscielny is a french international and a starter for us over the 81 capped german international per mertesacker. barcelona were interested in his signature before he committed to arsenal. i think my points make perfect sense about koscielny and why RH was wrong about him.
as far as chamakh goes, we played with a 1 striker system which saw RVP rape the premier league the entire season. even in an office, if you sit next to somebody in a similar position in the organisation and for a year only that person gets work and you get one days work a month, you will be drained of confidence. its nothing to do with his ability, its a confidence thing. anybody would get rusty if they dont practice their profession.
torres was utter shit until he rediscovered his form lately. when chamakh joined he had a good amount of ability, he returned 10 goals for playing for around half a season. you need to give opportunities to people in order for them to prove themselves, and chamakh’s not had that many to be honest.
chamakh has a good record if you look at his entire career, he was a top top player in the french league. maybe he can start scoring once again once RVP leaves.
glenn helder and WG on the same post….lord above … hello gents….gs could you be turning this downward tide…..
I think squad size is an issue. Here’s a list of the squad broken down to Attack/Midfield/Defense/Keeper which should add to 25 in the first team :
1) Attack – 7 players
Giroud/Podolski/(?)/Gervinho/(?)/Ox/Walcott
(outgoing : RVP/Chamakh/Bendy/Park/AA/Vela)
Clearly when RVp leaves, there is one space available right up front and we could do with one out wide who can double as a CAM with Jack, Rosicky carrying knocks.
2)Midfield – 7 Players
Rosicky/Ramsey/Jack/Arteta/Diaby/Song/Coq
(Outgoing : denilson on loan)
Clearly this area is tricky. On the surface we are full up but we are also carrying injuries and injury suceptable players. A wide player like Czorla may be a good benefit as it will not hold onto space for players coming back from injury in this dept for the CAM role but not sure where we fit in another DM. One option would be for Coquelin to shift into the RB role as Jenkinson seems yet to convince for me.
3) Defense – 8 Players
Gibbs/Santos/Kosc/TV/Per/Djourou/Sagna/Jenks
(Outgoing: woohoo, we got rid of Squillaci!)
This area is stable and not in need of addition although I am yet to be convinced whether Jenkinson is the right player to back up Sagna. I see a combination of him and Coquelin as the later offers us something going forward where the former is a bit more predictable at the moment.
4)Keeper – 3
Szsc/Fabainski(?)/Mannone
(Outgoing : we got rid of Almunia Hooray!)
We will have to watch the Fabianski situation. I am not convinced with Mannone but looks like Wenger is giving hima go for next season as the back up. would like to see Jack Butland brought in (or even al Habsi or Pletikosa)but seems a bit doubtful somehow.
In addition there should be 5 players who deserve a lok in with the cups and be in and around the first team IMO :
Ryo/Gnabry/Eisfeld/Frimpong/Miquel (or Bartley but I prefer the Spaniard)
Cazola looks like he’s on his way here, read the lastest article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jul/28/arsenal-santi-cazorla-nuri-sahin
Hmms seems RVP is demanding a Rooney wage… 2 big egos at that club… I see a Berbatov style exist for RVP… after sitting on the bench watching Rooney.
Question. One sentence is correct. A or B which one?
A) Van persie has said he wants to stay at Arsenal, or
B) Respects HIghbury currently resides in the nut house due to delusional tendencies.