Gunnerblog

Gunnerblog on: Campbell’s goal, Thierry’s return, Gervinho’s assists & more…

343 comments November 18th, 2011

You can come out. The interlull is over, and between now and Christmas, there’s a veritable flurry of football. Here’s some of what I’ve been thinking about:

…Joel Campbell

As some of you know, I spent a good deal of my summer following the trail as Arsenal pursued Costa Rican striker, Joel Campbell. Whilst a deal was ultimately agreed, Arsenal were forced to send the player on loan to Lorient after his application for a work permit was rejected.

Since then, he’s fared well – this piece from French Football Weekly will bring you up to speed on his start to life in Ligue 1, whilst this week he notched the most significant goal of his career to date, curling in a twenty-yard effort to put Costa Rica 2-0 up against World Champions Spain. Whilst the Spanish clawed their way back to a draw, it will doubtless remain a famous goal in his homeland.

If he continues to rack up international caps he has a chance of qualifying for a permit next summer.

…Thierry’s return

Despite his relative success at Lorient, Campbell will be kicking himself that he’s not in London at the moment. If he were, he’d be able to pick up a few tips from one of the game’s true greats. Arsenal’s record goalscorer, Thierry Henry, is training with the club to keep himself fit in the MLS off-season.

The sight of Thierry in an Arsenal training strip is enough to make me feel all fuzzy inside, like the mouth of person suffering from flu. So, in the hope of giving you the same on this cold Friday morning – the nice feeling, not the flu – here’s a picture:

The blonde man behind Henry is American Brek Shea, who is here not only to keep fit, but also to try and impress Arsene enough to earn a move across the Atlantic. By the looks of things, he’d instantly take Gervinho’s crown as possessor of the worst haircut at the club.

Whilst I don’t think anyone would realistically want Henry to come back and sully his record and reputation, but at times Arsene must be tempted to bring him back to the club on loan. This January will leave us with only the injury-prone van Persie and anonymous Park as striking options. Tempting, isn’t it…

…Gervinho’s assists

Whoever plays up front for Arsenal will be able to rely on a decent supply from Gervinho. In ten starts, the Ivorian has created six goals. It’s an impressive return, and suggests his record as the most productive attacking player in France last season was no fluke. The challenge now is to improve his own finishing and take some of the goalscoring burden off RVP.

…Kieran Gibbs

Yesterday saw Jack Wilshere tweet the following:

It doesn’t take Jonathan Creek to work out that Gibbs must have been going some sort of surgical procedure, and the whispers are that it was for a troublesome hernia. If that is the case, I’d expect him to miss a further month. Still, at least Andre Santos has been working hard on his new fitness regime:

…Norwich

Our next game is away to Norwich tomorrow lunchtime. I’ve been really impressed with both the Canaries and Swansea, who’ve managed to combine decent results with attractive, enterprising football. Any lapse in concentration will doubtless be punished, so we’ll need everyone to refocus immediately after their international exploits.

…the Arsecast

In order to celebrate the return of proper football, I had a chat with Arseblogger for today’s Arsecast. Why not head over to www.arseblog.com and have a listen? On the agenda: Injuries in defence, Koreans in Sunderland, and racism in football. Enjoy.

Are you Ready, Brek?

43 comments November 4th, 2011

Greetings, one and all. After my Iberian escape, I have returned the British Isles and indeed the blogosphere.

I should probably begin by talking about the 0-0 draw with Marseille. Usually my blogs are laced with the sort of relentless positivity that occasionally veers over the line in to genuinely annoying, but in this instance I do have a bone to pick with Arsene Wenger. Before the matches against Chelsea and Marseille, he spoke of how Arsenal were facing “two cup finals”. Now, the last time I checked, you don’t rest your captain and top scorer in a cup final.

It’s not certain that had RVP started, we’d have beaten Marseille, but given his extraordinary form it certainly would have improved our chances. Van Persie is now set to start tomorrow’s game against West Brom – a game which, with respect to the Baggies, seems a more suitable opportunity for him to get some rest.

Maybe I’m speaking out of turn and the Dutchman is nursing an injury none of us know about. I do understand the caution surrounding our most prized asset, but a win against Marseille would have enabled us to secure qualification and leave Van Persie out of our two remaining games altogether. Strange logic from Arsene, and a gamble which (by his own admission) somewhat backfired.

Now, for something a bit more fun: Andre Santos. I have to say, I find the criticism of his defending a little bit joyless. He’s not a masterful marker or a text-book tackler, but we knew that when we signed him. Forgive the stereotyping, but he’s a proper Brazilian full-back, with all the carnival fun and chaos that entails. There’s a brilliant piece about his idiosyncratic style here, and I suggest you give it a read.

A club the size of Arsenal ought to able to afford one slightly mad attacking full-back. Arsene may feel Kieran Gibbs offers more solidity, and when fit I expect the Englishman will remain first-choice, but having the option of starting a full-back who is prepared to get to the byline and who can actually cross and shoot is quite a thrill. If United can play Antonio Valencia at right-back, we can certainly find room for Santos on the left.

Finally today, a little note on the source of today’s headline: a man called Brek Shea, a man with a name so preposterous it could only have been conjured in the United States of America. The 21 year old left-footer is the bright young thing of FC Dallas and indeed the entire MLS, and will spend a month training with Arsenal this winter. Although not an official trial, Shea has been earmarked as a potential Premier League star, and will be keen to make an impression on his hosts. Reports about him are positive, and he can certainly strike a ball – see video here.

Right, I’d better hop it. Let’s hope there’s not too much boing in the Baggies tomorrow. It’s Arsenal who are supposed to be bouncing back.