Ahead of a tricky looking Saturday lunchtime game at Middlesbrough, Arsene has left seven of the side who started against Wigan back home:
“Bacary Sagna has ‘flu and Gael Clichy has a hamstring, he has a little chance of playing on Saturday. Kolo Toure has a recurrence of his calf injury, he should not be long but it was not enough to play [at Porto].
Cesc is a doubt for Saturday, he got a kick on his knee on Saturday. Samir Nasri is definitely out for Saturday, he will be out for two or three weeks. Robin van Persie has been left behind. He will be OK for Saturday, he has a little stiffness in his thigh. Emmanuel Adebayor is rested.”
It’s a blow to see Nasri injured again – despite making an impressive start to his Arsenal career, he has been hampered by a variety of niggles. It seems we bought him to replace Tomas Rosicky in every sense.
The absence of Cesc raises the question of just who will wear the armband. Gallas is in the squad, but I suspect he’s not simply been demoted to vice but removed from the captaincy hierarchy entirely. If my suspicion is correct, Manuel Almunia will skipper the side.
One man almost certain to start is Emmanuel Eboue, who after falling off the horse so spectacularly on Saturday will be very keen to get back on straight away and gallop apace back into the fans’ favour. I hope the travelling Gooners give him the support he will require to commence his rehabilitation.
A draw would secure first place in the group, though the advantage of such a position is dubious: we could still face sides like Inter Milan, Athletico Madrid, and even Lyon or Juventus in the next round. Nevertheless, after three consecutive wins under our belt, Arsene will be keen to keep the side on a winning track.
Arsenal 1 – 0 Wigan (Adebayor 16) Highlights here, Arsene on Eboue here
There’s been a lot of debate already about the ‘Eboooing’ incident. It is a debate I have not been part of, and I have to say, feel loathe to wade into. I find the whole thing utterly distasteful.
For me, there is no debate. The reaction of the fans when Eboue’s number was held up was, in my view, appalling. I was not sat in my usual seat, and was instead ensconsed with the players’ families and friends. I was as shocked as them by the reaction, and as the ironic cheers turned to hateful boos I found myself stood there, open-mouthed, looking round at what suddenly felt like 60,000 strangers.Â
We don’t need to go over Eboue’s faults. I’ve done that myself enough times. The guy is not well-liked by Arsenal fans, and his theatrics and apparent laziness have made him somewhat of a joke figure among the crowd. The recent “We’ve only come to see Eboue” chant is a light-hearted attempt at alleviating frustration with a player who has thus far failed to fulfill his undoubted potential.
But there are mitigating circumstances. It’s not the first time Eboue has ever played on the left, but it can’t be more than the third. Some have said, “Well, that doesn’t affect much”, but I don’t neccessarily agree. If you are predominantly right-footed, playing from the left shifts your entire body position in relation the ball. Some players are happier this way: Henry, Pires etc. But if you’re not used to it, it can offset your balance and spatial awareness. For anyone who doubts this, compare performances by William Gallas when playing as the left-sided centre-back and the right.
Granted, a very good footballer would be able to shift position without thinking. But Eboue is not a very good footballer. And that is not his fault. It is not his fault that Arsene chose to bring an unfit, out-of-form, and ultimately not-very-good player on in an alien position.
I know many will disagree and feel booing such a poor performance is justified. I don’t. In the stadium I am incredibly positive, even about the players who I freely criticise on this blog. That’s because I cannot see how booing a player helps anybody.
If this was a team full of hardened veterans, I would consider it more acceptable. But this team so plainly lacks character that a boo is far more likely to frighten them than inspire them. The fans are victimising certain players – in some ways Eboue I can understand, but the fact that a player as inexperienced as Nicklas Bendtner was booed when his name was read out before the game is shocking.
We are supposed to be ‘supporters’. What kind of support is that?
When do the players play well? When the crowd are raucous and behind them- think of this season’s Man Utd game. When a kid like Jack Wilshere or Aaron Ramsey hears the treatment meted out to Eboue, can you imagine the mental pressure that applies, and the degree to which they must fear the consequences of any mistake?
Arsene actually bringing off Eboue potentially sets a worrying precedent. The fans demanded Gallas out, and Arsene concurred. The fans demanded Eboue off, and Arsene concurred. I have no doubt that the manager is his own man, but there is nothing more dangerous than a club where the fans have the illusion of power – see Newcastle United. I dread to think what happens to the next player who has a bad game – he’ll be booed until withdrawal.
It’s impossible to really guage the effects of the incident until a way into the future. If Eboue’s and the team’s performances suddenly pick up, then those who booed will, I’m sure, feel justified.
The only positive aspect of the whole pullava is that Arsene stepped up and pulled Eboue off. As with stripping Gallas of the captaincy, it displayed the ruthlessness that has marked Arsene’s most successful moments as Arsenal manager. It’s certainly a good sign ahead of January, when he will have to be equally ruthless in the restructuring of his squad.
But the boos followed that decision. Arsene knew Eboue had to come off. He didn’t need to be told having already decided to withdraw him.
Eboue is expected to play in Portugal on Wednesday night. I know the travelling fans will back him as they would any other player.Â
Anyway, it’s easy to forget, but we actually won the game. I’m angry that all this has taken the focus away from a third win in three games with Cesc as captain. It wasn’t our prettiest performance but a neat Adebayor finish was enough to see off a very solid Wigan outfit. Johan Djourou continued his good form in defence, whilst Alex Song had one of his better games in midfield – something I didn’t neccessarily realise about Song is that he’s quite good in the air, and he even beat the towering Emile Heskey to a few long-balls.
This piece has been a right old ramble. I haven’t enjoyed writing it, because I’m not particularly proud to be associated with many of the goings-on it discusses.
What happened on Saturday didn’t feel very Arsenal. I can only hope it’s part of the cathartic healing process that might just turn our season around.
Whether the same will ever happen for Tomas Rosicky, seems unlikely.
At this stage, that’s all I’ve got time to say. Come Monday morning I will have more thoughts on Eboue’s substitution and subsequent booing, and hell, maybe even the game itself.
I was delighted with the three points and celebrated with a clenched fist. But this:
Was just not on.
Unless time changes my mind, I’ll tell you why tomorrow.
Cesc Fabregas yesterday responded to transfer rumours linking him to AC Milan in a manner befitting of a captain:
“It is true that I said I admire Milan for their rich history and the way they play football but that is as far as the story goes. I am honoured to be wearing the captain’s armband for Arsenal and I am 100 per cent committed to this Club. My future is here.”
Talk about setting an example. Whether or not William Gallas would be so quick to turn down Milan’s advances (or whether we’d even want him to) is another matter entirely.
Gallas is unavailable for tomorrow’s match with Wigan due to injury, so Kolo Toure is in line to return alongside Johan Djourou. In an interview with ArsenalTV, Arsene emphasised the importance of Djourou’s two defining physical qualities: height and pace. The Swiss centre-half has the opportunity to stake his claim for a first-team place between now and January, and if he continues to perform as he did at Chelsea he might just grasp it.
Eduardo is tantalisingly close to a first-team return, and will play “as soon as possible”. I’ve long thought that the FA Cup Third Round might mark his reappearance in the first-team, and if he can get in a few Reserve fixtures before then, then that sounds entirely realistic.
Club Doctor Ian Beasley has left to join Gary Lewin as a permanent member of Fabio Capello’s staff. The club have begun a recruitment process which, assuming it’s anything like the one they used to appoint a new CEO, could be finished as early as the year 3000.
Partly in order to avoid singling out inexperienced teenagers for scathing riticism, my write-up of the Carling Cup defeat to Burnley was fairly vague. 24 hours on, I’d like to return to some of those young players, with a (hopefully) more positive slant, by forgetting Tuesday night and talking about their future.
The goalkeeper, Lukasz “Wookash” Fabianski, is a funny one. Whenever Arsene is asked about him he smiles smugly and mutters something like “I am very confident that Lukasz will become a world-class goalkeeper”. The tone of his reaction is akin to what you would expect when asking Man City if they were worried about the credit crunch. But in my eyes at least, Fabianski is a long way from ready.Â
The fans who rate him above Manuel Almunia have been deceieved by decisiveness. Sure, Fabianski is often more willing than the Spaniard to charge off his line, but to call him ‘decisive’ does not discriminate between good and bad decisions. On top of that, he is showing a worrying propensity to flap at crosses.
However, he has two things on his side: time, and Arsene’s faith. It’s remarkable to think that he’s still only 23, which is a full two years younger than United prospect Ben Foster. Joining Arsenal at such a young age means he is developing surrounded by top players and coaches, which can only be a good thing. In the short-term, I suspect he will get the nod in the FA Cup this year, and beyond that he will look to challenge Almunia for the number one shirt. With the Spaniard hardly over the hill himself, Fabianski has a real fight on his hands.
In defence, the full-backs show the most promise. Gavin Hoyte looks like a clone of his brother, though he’ll be hoping to go a step further and establish himself in the Arsenal team. Gavin may face the same conundrum as Justin, however: stay and be part of the Arsenal squad, or move elsewhere to play regular first-team football? I think the elder Hoyte did the right thing by joining Middlesbrough, and it gives me great pleasure to see him doing well for them. For Gavin, patience may be the key. In five years time, when Bac Sagna hits 30, he will be just 22. The time between now and then will be crucial for Hoyte, and with Sagna, Eboue, and Toure all options at right-back, loan spells may be neccessary to provide him with first-team experience – possibly starting in January.
Kieran Gibbs is being groomed as a left-back, and part of me suspects that’s related to Armand Traore’s increasing deployment in midfield. On loan at Portsmouth, the Frenchman has looked very much a winger, getting to the byline and bombing on to support Crouch and Defoe. This opens up a gap in the squad for a player to support and challenge Gael Clichy, and it seems Gibbs has been earmarked as that man.
His quick feet and quicker sprinting certainly bear a resemblance to the present incumbent of the left-back spot. Like Hoyte, a loan spell would be of real benefit, as having only just converted to the position he (somewhat understandably) lacks positional awareness. Whilst Arsene has the option of Silvestre as back-up for Clichy, getting Gibbs some regular football would be advised.
The same midfield started all three games in the Carling Cup squad this season, which is indicative of Arsene’s belief in their talent. Two of them barely need to be discussed: for my money, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere are nailed on to become important players for Arsenal and their respective national sides. Like Fabregas and Walcott before them, they’re too good to be loaned out, and will be increasingly involved in the first-team squad over the coming months – I still maintain that Wilshere will play for England before he’s eighteen.
There is more doubt over the futures of Mark Randall and Fran Merida. Randall impressed in the Sheffield United game, was average in the Wigan game, and really rather poor against Burnley. Randall’s principle problem is that he’s not a specialist. He’s not a destroyer, not a dribbler, and not hugely creative. He’s a promising player with the technique you’d expect of an Arsenal graduate, but the fact that he is so far behind Ramsey, two years his junior, in the pecking order speaks volumes. I think he’ll have a good career, but perhaps not at Arsenal.
When Fran Merida followed Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona, great things were expected. In the early days, he delivered, dictating the play at youth level and scoring spectacular goals. His vision and technique are exemplary, but thus far he has failed to develop physically to a standard that will see him survive the relative rough-and-tumble of the Premier League. Will he ever stand up to the rigours of central midfield? Or does he have the requisite pace to play on the flank? His mature physicality will emerge over the course of the next two seasons – if he doesn’t bulk out fast, he might be on the plane back to La Liga.
I don’t think the same could be said of Carlos Vela. For what he lacks in upper-body strength, he makes up for with blistering pace and finishing power. His four goals this season have demonstrated exemplary striking skills, and I think Vela could be considered a first-team player proper by the end of the season.
Somewhat perversely, the most experienced of the Carling Cup kids is one whose long-term future is most in doubt. Nicklas Bendtner is undoubtedly a player of real potential, but his recent performances have been very frustrating, and more pink pansy than pink panther. Furthermore, Bendtner’s character seems more volatile than many of his contemporaries’, and with Vela improving and Eduardo returning, I can envisage him losing patience and moving on if he falls out of favour.
Jay Simpson, who only started the game against Wigan but made a good impression with two goals, is rumoured to be getting a new contract. Based on that display, he deserves another chance next year, at the very least. He is a powerful goalscorer in the Andy Cole mould, and could certainly make a decent Premier League career for himself.
However many ‘make it’, the fact that we’ve having this debate just shows the wealth of potential within the club. I’d love to see them all do go on to become Arsenal legends, but the fact that some of them are directly competing with each other for the same spots in the team makes that unlikely. What it does ensure, however, is that those who do make it will have to be seriously good. Which, ultimately, is how it ought to be.
I’m off to do some Christmas shopping. Till tomorrow.
The goalkeeper, Lukasz “Wookash” Fabianski, is a funny one. Whenever Arsene is asked about him he smiles smugly and mutters something like “I am very confident that Lukasz will become a world-class goalkeeper”. The tone of his reaction is akin to what you would expect when asking Man City if they were worried about the credit crunch. But in my eyes at least, Fabianski is a long way from ready. 
Kieran Gibbs is being groomed as a left-back, and part of me suspects that’s related to Armand Traore’s increasing deployment in midfield. On loan at Portsmouth, the Frenchman has looked very much a winger, getting to the byline and bombing on to support Crouch and Defoe. This opens up a gap in the squad for a player to support and challenge Gael Clichy, and it seems Gibbs has been earmarked as that man.
When Fran Merida followed Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona, great things were expected. In the early days, he delivered, dictating the play at youth level and scoring spectacular goals. His vision and technique are exemplary, but thus far he has failed to develop physically to a standard that will see him survive the relative rough-and-tumble of the Premier League. Will he ever stand up to the rigours of central midfield? Or does he have the requisite pace to play on the flank? His mature physicality will emerge over the course of the next two seasons – if he doesn’t bulk out fast, he might be on the plane back to La Liga.
