Archive for January, 2007
January 26th, 2007
Disastrous news for European football as the man who has in the past claimed he would ban diving and heading has been voted as President of UEFA. How this has happened, I have no idea. Platini is one of Sepp “The Idiot” Blatter’s cronies, and his ideas are just as terrible. And they could directly affect us: he’s keen to reduce the number of Champions League teams from each country to a maximum of three.
According to Platini,
“This is just the beginning of an adventure.”
Yes, it is. But it’s not a classy, romantic adventure like Lawrence of Arabia. It’s more like Jumanji, with monkeys pulling off your windscreen wipers and rhinos just running everywhere causing chaos.
Seeing as we’re already on the bad news, I might as well continue. Jeremie Aliadiere and Emmanuel Eboue are both big doubts for Sunday’s FA Cup tie with Bolton, and Alex Hleb will be out for a month. Furthermore, Robin van Persie may miss up to ten weeks, which would really put paid to what’s been a brilliant season for him. Of course, this would represent a real opportunity for Emmanuel Adebayor to cement his first-team place, but the Togolese is unmoved:
“I don’t know whether it’s a big chance for me to show what I can do, but: I’m happy to be here. I like our footballers. I like Robin van Persie because he can score at any moment. I would just say, I don’t care whether I’m going to play fifteen or twenty minutes. All I have in my head, as soon as I get the ball, is to run a lot, give my best, do my best, play from my heart, and that’s all. I know van Persie is injured, but I could be injured aswell, like Thierry Henry was in the beginning of the season, and I’m not thinking of somebody’s injury like a chance.”
He really is a top man. There are a few transfer whispers about. In fact, Sky Sports have got hold of the Ryan Babel story, so it’s less a whisper, more a shout. If there is any move for him, I would imagine it would be in the summer, though another significant injury could change things.
Finally, Arsene today said of Gareth Bale:
“I like the player, but as you know, I have two left-backs already”.
A point which I made a few days ago. However, I do have reason to believe we are very much in the race. One to watch…
January 25th, 2007
Henry Winter is a better journalist than me. So I’ll allow him to introduce my report of one of the matches of the season:
“First team or second, these magnificent Arsenal players simply refuse to give up. After the headline acts twice struck late against Manchester United on Sunday, here it was the turn of the fringe performers in the Carling Cup, who overturned Tottenham’s two-goal lead with a majestic second-half display spiced by Julio Baptista’s brace.”
Spot on, Henry. The first twenty minutes, however, were a bit of a nightmare. In the game at Anfield Liverpool had bombarded us early on – it seems our youngsters take a while to get into their stride. However, in this game their was a critical difference with our performance in the Anfield extravaganza: defensive mistakes. Two of them. The first was Kolo Toure’s decision not to head a routine cross clear, allowing Dimitar Berbatov to nod home. The second came when the positioning of our wall forced us to defend a whipped free-kick very deep. Jeremie Aliadiere missed his clearance, and the ball trickled in off Julio Baptista for an own goal.
Spurs, confident of retaining the two goal lead, switched to a 4-5-1. But in sitting back, they allowed our central midfield pairing of Fabregas and Denilson to take control of the game. The Brazilian looks like a younger clone of Cesc, and today he witnessed a masterclass from a player who must now be regarded as one of the world’s best.
As half-time arrived, Baptista mis-kicked from four yards to spurn our best opportunity up to that point. It was truly a night of the good, bad, and ugly for the Brazilian. By half-time he had been offensively anonymous (missed sitter aside), been booked, and scored an own goal. If you were taking bets on him earning a permanent contract at Arsenal the chances would’ve been slim to none. But the “good” part of the good/bad/ugly tirumvate was still to come.
During the second half, Alex Hleb replaced Abou Diaby (who had had a slightly awkward time on the left-wing), and Emmanuel Eboue came on for Jeremie Aliadiere. Both first-team regulars made a huge impact, their pace and penetration matching the threat that Aaron Lennon had provided for Tottenham all night.
I knew that we were capable of scoring, and that one goal, a crucial away goal, could make all the difference. On 64 minutes, Baptista provided it, playing a one-two with Theo Walcott, falling to the ground, picking himself up again and calmly slotting home. It was a goal borne out of sheer determination.
Thirteen minutes later, it was that man again equalising, but this time he owed a huge debt to Cesc Fabregas and Justin Hoyte. Fabregas bided his time on the half-way line before playing in the enterprising Hoyte with a pass every bit as good as the one that gave Emmanuel Adebayor the winner up at Wigan. Paul Robinson went a bit mental and charged out towards Hoyte, who calmly centred for Baptista to out-muscle Dawson and tap home. 2-2. Advantage Arsenal.
You have to credit Baptista. After the first half he’d had, many players would’ve gone hiding. Tonight’s match was like a microcosm of Baptista’s Arsenal career to date: first-half poor, second-half promising. Arsene said:
“Julio Baptista has shown again what a player he is. He scored an own goal, but instead of feeling sorry for himself he scored two for us. He is mentally a very strong player and he will get his chance to play more as the season goes on. He likes it here and likes the atmosphere inside the squad. It took him four or five months to adapt, but he is in my mind.”
Thanks to the second-half heroics, we now have a firm advantage going into what should be a cracker of a second leg in a week’s time, when “most” of tonight’s team will start.
The win came at a cost though, with Alex Hleb, Jeremie Aliadiere, and Emmanuel Eboue all seeming to pick up hamstring problems. More on that when we get it. Furthermore, a few Arsenal fans I know experienced a bit of trouble after the game. Note to those travelling to White Hart Lane later in the season: don’t wear colours.
Finally, for those of you who enjoy mindless transfer speculation, we’re signing Ryan Babel.
January 24th, 2007
The snow has settled in London this morning, and it’s a romantic setting for a thrashing of Tottenham. The squad players will get another chance to impress tonight in the first lef of the Carling Cup tie, and it’s an ideal situation for them: just as at Anfield, there is little pressure. However, unlike Anfield, we have the comfort of a home leg should everything go disastrously wrong.
The side will be very similiar to the one that played at Anfield, with a couple of first-team players here and there. One player who will start is Armand Traore, who is clearly more than up for it. After I hyped him to the hills yesterday, perhaps he is the exception as regards pressure.
Or perhaps not, as Vieira Mk II Abou Diaby makes his first start in nine months. Arsene merrily joins in the hype:
“I had a big doubt in my mind that Diaby would ever come back from that injury. I thought it might end his career. We’ve missed Diaby because he gives us something the other players don’t have. He can give us that kind of Patrick Vieira presence in the physical challenges. He reminds me of Patrick in his running style, behaviour and the strength of his tackles.”
Robin van Persie, as expected, is out for “at least six weeks if not more”. The recovery times I posted here would show that to be an optimistic estimate, though arseblogger rightly points out that David Nugent of Preston was back inside six weeks. Got milk, Robin?
Finally, something hilarious that proves there is such a thing as karma some sad news.
UPDATE: Arsene has named his 16-man squad to face Spurs. Toure, Senderos, Fabregas and Hleb are all included in a strongish looking line-up. Hard to call who will start though Diaby (back “even stronger than before“) seems certain to start.
2. Abou Diaby
4. Francesc Fabregas
5. Kolo Toure
6. Philippe Senderos
9. Julio Baptista
13. Alexander Hleb
15. Denilson
16. Mathieu Flamini
21. Mart Poom
24. Manuel Almunia
27. Emmanuel Eboue
30. Jeremie Aliadiere
31. Justin Hoyte
32. Theo Walcott
43. Mark Randall
45. Armand Traore
January 23rd, 2007
There are several reasons that Arsene Wenger won’t sign Gareth Bale:
1. We already have Gael Clichy, who is still only 21.
2. Armand Traore only recently turned seventeen, and is arguably an even bigger prospect than Bale. And that’s without even mentioning William Gallas.
3. Bale is British. Unless you’re Theo Walcott, that means Arsene is unlikely to be interested.
4. Just because Bale is friends with Theo, that doesn’t make him a worthwhile purchase.
5. Arsene will never pay £10m for a defender. Never.
6. Van Persie and Henry are pretty good at free-kicks too.
and 7. We already have one hobbitish looking weirdo in Alex Hleb.
Despite all of these more than valid reasons, the Daily Mail still think we’ve made a £10m bid. Well, they’re wrong. It was Spurs. Bale is a good player, but there’s no way we’ll be involved in this particular tussle.
Mathieu Flamini has foolishly let the rest of the world on the Premiership’s biggest secret – Arsene Wenger is psychic:
“During half-time, the coach told us. He asked us to remain focused and strong because Manchester will give up physically in the last 20 minutes.”
Flamini refused to confirm whether or not Arsene helps him with his lottery numbers.
Flamini’s midfield partner Cesc Fabregas has been speaking about the newfound optimism in the Arsenal camp:
“The United game was a big result for us. Anything but a win and we could have said goodbye to the Premiership. Now there is still a small chance and until someone says it’s over, I won’t believe it.”
I’m not going to tell him. It would be like telling Theo Walcott that Father Christmas isn’t real.
Today should see some team news for tomorrow’s Carling Cup tie with Tottenham. However, after they were left out of the Reserve defeat to the same side, Denilson, Armand Traore and Fran Merida are a good bet to be involved.
January 22nd, 2007
Before the game I had predicted a draw, and everything about the way the teams lined up confirmed my initial thoughts: United went with a 4-3-3, congesting the centre of the park and allowing Rooney and Ronaldo room on the break. This meant the first half was a tense affair, highlighted by saves from veteran goalkeepers at either end: Thierry Henry headed straight at Edwin van der Sar, before Jens Lehmann pulled out two brilliant saves to deny a dipping Wayne Rooney volley and a Henrik Larsson header.
At half-time I sent my Chelsea supporting brother a text saying that the second half could well be a completely different game, and it was: open, thrilling, and containing three goals.
The first fell to United. A surging run from Patrice Evra was not tracked by Alex Hleb or Cesc Fabregas, and his cross flicked off the top off the top of Kolo Toure’s head into the path of Wayne Rooney, who dived to nod the ball into the back of the net. There was a resigned sigh from most Arsenal fans: Rooney, after all, always scores against the Arsenal.
With 83 minutes gone, and Robin van Persie and Julio Baptista thrown on for the blow-par Hleb and Flamini, I had a nagging feeling we wouldn’t do it. Nemanja Vidic was dominating in the air, and on the ground we were overplaying and lacking sharpness. Then, a scrappy goal: Rosicky and Cesc scrapped away, with the latter playing the former in to send a low cross over from the right. Thierry flicked at it, but it ran through to Van Persie, who smashed the ball high into the net. I was delighted to have been wrong.
Well, I thought, a draw’s not so bad, it’s what I predicted yesterday after all: wrong again. United were visibly shattered by conceding, and when the fourth official raised a board declaring four added minutes, we smelt blood. A surging run from Emmanuel Eboue ended in a brilliant cross to Thierry Henry. Henry had had a quiet game, outshone by the hard work of Emmanuel Adebayor, but rose at the critical moment to banish memories of his first-half miss, planting the ball beyond Edwin van der Sar and into the back of the net.
Arsenal fans (and Chelsea fans alike) were euphoric: it was the first classic victory at the Emirates Stadium; the first time the fans have stayed in the ground until well after the final whistle, celebrating a momentous victory.
Fabregas was outstanding: with Gilberto missing, he carried the midfield on a day when Flamini, Hleb, and Rosicky (late assist apart) looked a little lost. When somebody needed to take the game by the scruff of the neck, he took responsibility in a match when Henry was very quiet. Fortunately, Emmanuel Adebayor was excellent throughout: his energy levels are unmatched in this Arsenal side. It’s easy to see how he’s become a hero to the fans, placing the ball for goal-kicks when United are time-wasting, and steam-rollering players out of the way when they delay free-kicks. Keep on dancing, Ade. A mention too for Gael Clichy, who dealt with the threat of Ronaldo superbly, forcing him to switch sides.
The only downside for Arsenal was that during the celebrations of Henry’s second goal, Robin van Persie broke his fifth metatarsal. Here’s an example of some previous recovery times:
RECOVERY TIMES
Michael Owen (2006): Fifth metatarsal – predicted 6-8 weeks returned 17 weeks later
Wayne Rooney (2004): Fifth metatarsal – predicted 8 weeks returned 14 weeks later
Gary Neville (2002): Fifth metatarsal – predicted 6-8 weeks returned 21 weeks later
Ashley Cole (2005): Fifth metatarsal – predicted 6-8 weeks returned 12 weeks later
Steven Gerrard (2004): Fifth metatarsal – predicted 6-8 weeks returned 10 weeks later
It’s certainly a blow to lose our top scorer, but at least it comes in the position where we have arguably the most strength: with Henry, Adebayor, Baptista, and Aliadiere (assuming he is now prevented from moving to ‘Boro) we have more than enough firepower to cope.Arsene was understandably delighted with the victory, saying:
“We mixed our game well in the second half and never gave up and in the end we have such a spirit in squad for a while now and that took over. I’ve got some lions in that team and they are getting stronger and stronger with every game, led well by Henry.”
Lovely. Finally, all together now:
“HENRY!!! WITH A MINUTE TO GO!!!”
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