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Curious Koscielny

Posted on September 16, 2011 by GilbertoSilver Posted in 2011-12 Season | 74 Guns

Laurent Koscielny is a very strange footballer.  Not because of his Polish-French heritage.  Not because of the upright, short-armed running style that makes him resemble a stalking velociraptor.  Laurent Koscielny is a strange footballer because he manages to look extremely competent whilst also being at the heart of a defence that is occasionally in disarray. There’s no doubt he’s got plenty of ability.  He’s quick, assertive, and a very clean tackler.  After arriving for £10m from Lorient last term, he … →

Arsenal battle to Dortmund draw

Posted on September 14, 2011 by GilbertoSilver Posted in 2011-12 Season, Champions League, Match Reports | 78 Guns

Robin van Persie celebrates the goal that game Arsenal the lead in Germany Match Report | Highlights | Arsene’s reaction Pat’s reaction I could have chosen a picture of Arsenal defenders, hands on heads, devastated at conceding a late equaliser.  I haven’t: I’ve chosen a moment of celebration after the goal that gave us a valuable lead.  This draw is a highly commendable result, and I won’t allow the cruelty of the goal to colour that. There isn’t a sane … →

Dortmund await new-look Arsenal

Posted on September 13, 2011 by GilbertoSilver Posted in 2011-12 Season, Champions League, Match Previews | 35 Guns

If Swansea was the start of a new era, then (with due respect to the Welsh side) this is our first test.  Victory on Saturday was essential, but also expected.  The outcome of tonight’s game is much harder to call. Dortmund are the Champions of Germany, and a fine footballing side.  Arsene paid them the compliment of saying they have a “similar style” to his own team, and the talents of Kagawa, Goetze and Lewandowski make them a very real … →

Arsenal prepare to unleash Gervinho

Posted on September 12, 2011 by GilbertoSilver Posted in 2011-12 Season | 84 Guns

Amidst all the excitement over five deadline day arrivals, it’s been easy to forget about the one major transfer Arsene managed to complete before the season actually got underway.  It’s a player he tracked over several summers, before eventually snapping up for a cut-price €12m.  And this week, Gervais Yao Kouassi – or ‘Gervinho’, as you know him – will finally return to the fold. So far, we’ve seen only glimpses.  He managed 75 minutes at Newcastle before getting himself … →

Arsenal 1 – 0 Swansea: Substance over style – for now

Posted on September 11, 2011 by GilbertoSilver Posted in 2011-12 Season, Match Reports, Premier League | 40 Guns

Match Report |  Highlights |  Arsene’s reaction One senses it could all have been rather different.  An early goal would have settled Arsenal nerves and shattered Swansea resolved.  We should have had one, too: inside the first minute, an eager and energetic Mikel Arteta hassled his man off the ball and played in Aaron Ramsey, who slipped when put through on goal.  Had he kept his feet and his composure, Arsenal might have gone on to record a resounding victory. … →

Premier League Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope

Posted on September 10, 2011 by GilbertoSilver Posted in 2011-12 Season, Match Previews, Premier League | 33 Guns

A short time ago in a stadium far, far away, Arsenal were on the receiving end of a defeat so humiliating that it prompted one of the greatest periods of introspection in the club’s recent history.  Since then, a great deal has passed.  Five new players have joined the club, and another five have left.  The club have taken the opportunity provided by the international break to regroup, recoil, and reinforce. We’re undoubtedly in a stronger position that we were … →

Arsene speaks: “I wanted some more experience”

Posted on September 9, 2011 by GilbertoSilver Posted in 2011-12 Season | 20 Guns

After more than a week of stony silence, Arsene Wenger has finally emerged from the shadows of our last match to bring us some team news for tomorrow’s clash with Swansea.  Unsurprisingly Diaby, Wilshere, Vermaelen and Squillaci are all out with injury.  Gervinho and Song serve the final game of their suspensions, and are joined in the figurative sin bin by the unfortunate Carl Jenkinson.  Andre Santos is “a bit short” having not played a competitive game since the Copa … →

Thursday Round-Up: Arteta’s reasonable request

Posted on September 8, 2011 by GilbertoSilver Posted in 2011-12 Season | 35 Guns

The international break is over, and it seems we survived it without any players falling out of an aeroplane or chocking on some jagged foreign food.  It’s a treacherous time for Arsenal as we have a host of international players, and it’s only going to get worse with the news that Japan and Ghana are considering calling up Ryo Miyaichi and Emmanuel Frimpong respectively.  To be fair, that’s the only way it’d work: relaxed though FIFA rules have become, there’d … →

Injuries, Internationals, & Integration

Posted on September 7, 2011 by GilbertoSilver Posted in 2011-12 Season | 40 Guns

After transfer deadline day, the mood among Arsenal fans was surprisingly positive considering our domestic results thus far.  A fistful of new signings offered the opportunity of a fresh start.  The honeymoon, however, has not lasted long.  If there was anything likely to puncture the morale of the supporters, it was injuries. Surprisingly enough, the worst news has not come from participants in the dreaded interlull.  Although both Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott missed their respective games last night with … →

Mikel Arteta: class, character and cojones

Posted on September 6, 2011 by GilbertoSilver Posted in 2011-12 Season | 23 Guns

Arsene Wenger has signed bigger names.  He’s spent more money on a player, and he’s worked far longer on some deals.  But rarely has a signing been set to have such a major impact on Arsenal’s season as that of Mikel Arteta. Typically, Arsene likes his signings to be supplements to a settled squad.  They can bed in over a prolonged period, slowly augmenting the existing set-up.  In the case of Arteta, there’s no time for such luxuries.  He’ll have … →

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