Archive for September, 2006
September 16th, 2006
It’s a game that can define seasons, create legends, and ultimately, win titles. And, before the hyperbole becomes too much, I ought to throw in that it’s my favourite Arsenal game of the season: Manchester United vs. Arsenal, at Old Trafford.
2002. Sylvain Wiltord’s goal means that Arsenal are Champions. And they’ve done it at Old Trafford, taking the title directly from Manchester United. The sweetest of victories in the most hostile of arenas.
2003. The Battle of Old Trafford sees Patrick Vieira sent off and Martin Keown unleash a torid of abuse on United’s penalty-missing equestrian front-man, Ruud van Nistelrooy. Keown is lauded as a hero, and the 0-0 draw sparks Arsenal’s unbeaten run. A run that takes in a record-breaking 49 games, until…
2004. With Arsenal looking to go a magic 50th game unbeaten, the spell is finally broken after Wayne Rooney controversially wins a penalty and later adds a second. Pizza is thrown, and general carnage breaks out. Again.
Last season’s affair was positively tame compared to the legacy it was up against. The absence of the totemic Keane and Vieira must’ve been a factor in that, but Arsenal seemed to put down the game as a loss before kick-off, leaving out Reyes, Campbell, Ljungberg, and Henry. We’re in a similiar position tomorrow, with van Persie and Henry unlikely to be risked, but this time a victory would be absolutely priceless.
Our difficult start to the season has left us ten points behind an in-form United. Beat them tomorrow, and win our game in hand, and the deficit is reduced to just four points. Of course, it’s easier said than done. Even Ferguson himself has written the team off as “in transition”. And to a degree, he’s right. This is a team with new stars that is yet to gel. But the confidence that would come with beating United would go a long way towards solving those problems.
This season so far, we’ve witnessed a side that have struggled to break down teams that park the proverbial bus in front of their goal. But United won’t do that. They’ll come out and attack, leaving space in their own half for us to exploit. This time, we’ll have no excuses.
Whether Adebayor starts alone, or supported by the likes of Baptista, we should go out there and play our own game, and play to win. If Celtic can give United a run for their money, there’s no reason we can’t.
Like I said, this is my favourite fixture. Why? Simply because winning it gives me the greatest pleasure. Let’s hope I’m still a happy man come Sunday evening.
September 15th, 2006
Arsene Wenger fears Thierry Henry has only a “ten or fifteen percent” chance of playing at Old Trafford, with Robin van Persie “very doubtful”. It’s a big blow, and our striking options are potentially down to a selection from Emmanuel Adebayor, Julio Baptista, and Theo Walcott.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Henry on the bench. However short he might be, Wenger knows how influential he can be, and having him come on for 20 minutes might lift the team. If either Henry or van Persie fails to be fit, we’ll probably go with one up-front. Whilst an attacking approach would probably cause Man Utd the most problems, given our record there in recent times Wenger will probably favour a cautious game-plan. On the positive side, Kolo Toure will be fit.
Elsewhere, Arsene has explained why he didn’t pay £18.6m for Michael Carrick. Something which, frankly, requires no explanation.
I didn’t have an update this morning as I was out signing a lease on a flat. Incredibly stressful, incredibly boring. Whilst I was away, a story broke in The Sun claiming that Arsenal were the subject of a £350m takeover bid. We were warned that the consortium “could include a Russian billionaire”. It’s the detail that makes it so convincing.
Well, since then, Arsenal and Arsene have rubbished the story. Wenger’s words echo my own sentiments on the matter:
“I find it more reassuring that my owners are English and they are, first of all, fans of Arsenal Football Club. I will go one day and the players will go one day but the owners will be the same. They are the people who really transmit the values.â€
Come back on Saturday for a full preview of Sunday’s enormous gigantastical game.
September 14th, 2006
After failing to win in three Premiership games this season, this Champions League victory away to arguably our toughest opponents in the group was very welcome indeed. It may not have been particularly impressive, but with the prospect of Old Trafford looming, a morale-boosting victory was vital.
The line-up saw an attacking 4-4-2 formation deploying Rosicky and Hleb on the wings, with a promising partnership of Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor up-front. The young strikers combined with just eleven minutes gone to provide Arsenal with an opportunity to take the lead. Adebayor burst away down the left and squared for van Persie, just a few yards for goal. The Dutchman should have just blasted home, as he is more than capable of doing, but instead dummied to round the goalkeeper. As he shimmied past the onrushing Sascha Kirschstein, events took a dramatic turn. Realising he had narrowed the angle on his weaker right foot, he allowed his leg to trail and tumbled to the floor. The ref gave a penalty, and Kirschstein was sent off. Arguably, it was game over.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted we got the penalty. I’m also pleased we were able to play against ten men in a week where we have three tough games. What’s more, I think that a penalty was probably a correct decision. But two things about it bother me. Firstly, it was clear that van Persie played for the foul. In a situation where it would almost have been easier to stay on his feet and score, he threw himself to the ground – and it must have been in the back of his mind that the ‘keeper was likely to see red. Personally, I’d like to see our players be more honest than that.
Secondly, the sending off: although the rules are the rules, surely a penalty would be sufficient punishment. Arsene and Jens have both supported Hamburg’s case, the latter of course being on the recieving end in the Champions League final. Jens said:
“I find it unbelievable. The rule has to be changed. I think Van Persie was fouled but the fact that the keeper was sent off ruined the whole match.”
I couldn’t agree more. Anyway, a penalty it was, and captain for the night Gilberto stepped up to tuck away the spot-kick. It was the start of a hugely dominant performance from the Brazilian, who rose to the challenge of wearing the armband magnificently.
Having scored, Arsenal’s players became increasingly confident. However, it took until the 53rd minute to add a second goal, and what a goal it was, as Tomas Rosicky cut in from the left-hand side to launch a thirty-yard missile into the top corner. It was a fantastic goal, and one worthy of winning any game. It was also a brilliant way for Rosicky to open his account for Arsenal. With the departure of Robert Pires and the decline of Freddie Ljungberg, the Czech’s goals from midfield could be critical.
As the game wore on, a degree of sloppiness crept into our game, and it was no surprise when Boubacar Sanogo halved the deficit in stoppage time. The first Champions League goal Jens Lehmann has conceded in over 850 minutes was one of two negative points for Arsenal last night, the second being a hip injury to Kolo Toure which must make him doubtful for the weekend.
Yesterday was an excellent start to our Champions League campaign, and now we need to get our Premiership season back on track. What better way to start than with a 4-0 win at Old Trafford? Come on Thierry, make it happen.
Finally, it has been announced that The Queen will officially open the Emirates Stadium. If she isn’t going to be kicking a giant inflatable ball into a giant inflatable goal, then I’m not interested.
September 13th, 2006
For that’s when Cesc Fabregas’ new contract will have just a year left to run: the vultures of Barcelona and Madrid will be circling, and Arsenal fans will be distressed beyond description. Put it in your diaries, friends: Summer 2013 – The worst summer of your lives.
In seriousness, news of a remarkable eight year contract for Cesc is absolutely fantastic. I remember when Jose Reyes signed a six year deal last summer, I remarked on how unusual it’s length was. But eight years? Incredible. Whilst the Reyes deal shows that contracts don’t mean a player will stay, it does guarantee us a sizeable fee for Cesc should he choose to leave before that time passes. But why would he? After those eight years, he’ll only be 27, and due a testimonial – still plenty of time for him to go back and play in his native Spain.
Cesc is also in the news after Ashley Cole claimed he was “no Patrick Vieira” in the latest portion of his autobiography to be published. Cole also lambasted Philippe Senderos’ attitude when taking guidance from Martin Keown, hinted at a rift between Freddie Ljungberg and Robin van Persie, and suggested their were too many “big heads on young shoulders” (pot.kettle.youknowtherest).
What do I make of it? Well, frankly, I don’t trust anything he says. A man who says he cannot forgive Arsenal for offering him slightly less than he asked for, and yet has run to the arms of Kenyon and Mourinho, two men that he claims lied in court to his detriment, has to be dismissed as entirely unreliable.
I’d like to leave the final word to a man who, according to Cole himself, approached him in a street in North London. Whilst I do not condone any negative reverberrations the man’s words might have, he ought to be congratulated for winding Cole up quite so well:
“I was in North London in February and had just got out of the car when this complete stranger came right up to my face and said, “You’re gay, you are!†and went away laughing. It takes a lot to get under my skin, but that got to me … What straight man could take being ridiculed — and that’s what they were doing — for being gay, knowing that thousands of people were talking about it in the year of your marriage? Not that being gay is a bad thing.”
Tonight marks the start of our Champions League campaign, and we’ll be forced to begin without Thierry Henry who has a foot injury. No-one’s quite sure who’ll play in place of him, but there are strong rumours that Theo Walcott may be given a start in a wide role. Arsene himself declined to comment, saying he would decide on Walcott closer to the game.
I’d expect Julio Baptista to begin on the bench again, with Tomas Rosicky more likely to come into the team that faced Middlesbrough. The loss of Henry is a blow, but with van Persie, Adebayor, Baptista, Walcott, and others our squad should be able to cope. Titi will be back to face Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Our opposition, Hamburg, are a good side. However, with United on Sunday, it’s vital we start to build some momentum. A 2-0 win would be the best result for everyone. Except Hamburg.
September 11th, 2006
Today saw the first part of the serialisation of Ashley Cole’s new autobiography published in The Times newspaper. The book, entitled “My Defence”, aims to justify Cole’s actions over the past 18 months, which have culminated in his acrimonious move to Chelsea. Cole, however, comes away from these excerpts looking naieve, paranoid, bitter, and above all, misguided.
His first major error is that in spite of promising to tell us all the “shattering truth” about just how his contract discussions went so hideously wrong, he neglects one major detail. Yes, Arsenal reneged on a £60,000 p/week offer to only offer Cole the meagre sum of £55,000. But he never tells us why. The truth? The five grand difference emerged after Johnathan Barnett demanded his cut for negotiating the deal. Why should Arsenal pay out a net £65,000 p/week when footballing protocol is that the agent’s cut comes out of the players wage? Sadly for our club, we crossed the wrong man.
Barnett, his pride hurt, then masterminded the infamous meeting with Chelsea, which led to the hugely damaging “tapping-up” scandal. Cole still believes himself to be innocent. One flabbergasting fact is that he cannot understand why the fans have turned against him. Talking about the last game at Highbury, he said:
“My worst fears were confirmed when, as Thierry (Henry) and I sat in the centre circle after the final whistle, his name was sung from the rooftops while my contribution was recognised by a deafening silence. As his chants faded away we waited for mine. And we waited. And there was nothing. “They’re not bothered about me,†I said, resigned to the fact. It was like I was the invisible man.”
They were bothered, Ashley. They were incensed. I don’t know if there was contact between Henry and Barcelona. I’m almost sure there was. But he did not have the stupidity to meet with our biggest rivals just days before a critical game against Manchester United. Nor did he publically castigate the club at any stage. Henry made it clear he would make a decision before the World Cup, and to his credit, he did. The Arsenal fans were hardly going to break into an Ashley Cole-based medlee after the lack of respect that he had shown for the club he supposedly loved.
The “final straw” for Cole was when Tony Colbert questioned the legitimacy of one of Cole’s many injury problems last term, suggesting he may have had an eye on the World Cup. This upset the full-back, who couldn’t believe that there was “now someone seemingly doubting my professionalism”. Professionalism? Cole’s complete failure to honour the rules of his contract and his sporting association render any claims of professionalism entirely redundant. Once a player claims “I wouldn’t play for this club for £250,000 p/week”, you’d be mad not to doubt their supposed injuries.
The extent of Cole’s skewed sense of justice is evident in the following phrase:
“And if he (Dein) thought relations had soured because of the infamous Chelsea incident at the Royal Park Hotel in January he was mistaken. Relations had soured the moment that he went back on a verbal agreement in December.”
Thanks for clearing that up, Ash. What Cole completely fails to recognise is that he, like every other professional footballer, is subject to a very clear set of rules. Rules which he broke, in circumstances which compromised the club enormously.
He does not understand why the fans have turned against him. He does not understand why Thierry Henry was “wined and dined”, whilst he was left out in the cold. He cannot come to terms with the fact that he has done wrong. If he had held his hands up, apologised to the fans and to Dein, and indicated a willingness to stay at Arsenal on the £60,000 he was originally asking for, I expect an agreement would have been reached. But Johnathan Barnett has been acting on a personal vendetta ever since this whole affair began. He knew that however much Arsenal were willing to pay Ashley, Chelsea would pay more. And this was his one opportunity to get a big pay day out Cole’s career.
He’s got his way. And Ashley has his, though I suspect he has been more than a little influenced by the likes of Barnett and his wife, Cheryl Tweedy. The lad was an Arsenal fan, but there’s only so much bad advice a person can take before it starts to get to them.
Cole will be pleased to have got his move. And if Chelsea win any trophies in his time there, which I’m sure they will, it’ll feel good. But it won’t compare to winning things with the club he supported as a boy, where he had spent over 10 years of his life.
The next few days will be full of more stories as the serialisation continues. Some Arsenal fans have said they will boycott the book. My advice? Read it. It’s conceited tone will only further justify the anger and disappointment fans feel towards a player who let down those who had supported him for his entire career.
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