Archive for January, 2007
January 21st, 2007
As Chelsea slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Anfield yesterday, Jose Mourinho’s mind probably turned to today’s Arsenal vs. Man U showdown. With United salivating at the prospect of a nine-point lead, Chelsea badly need a favour from Arsenal.
And we’re in a great position to provide it. Four wins on the spin have seen us become one of the Premierships most in-form outfits: today will see Kolo Toure and Philippe Senderos manning the defensive barracades, a resurgent Mathieu Flamini filling the void left by the suspended Gilberto, and the fit-again Emmanuel Adebayor partnering the fitter-again Thierry Henry. So far we’ve beaten Liverpool home and away, drawn at Stamford Bridge, and critically, won at Old Trafford. We’ve proved we can beat United, and we can do again.
And not just to help Chelsea out. With the top four becoming ever closer, we need every point we can get to attempt to jockey ourselves into the highest possible position.
My prediction? A draw. Whilst both sides would love a win, Chelsea’s result means there is less pressure on United to take all three points. Arsenal, on the other hand, will want to maintain their unbeaten home record and not fall even further behind the leaders.
Elsewhere, there’s a bit of news on our young guns: Middlesbrough have made a bid for Jeremie Aliadiere, Birmingham have secured first option on Fabrice Muamba should they be promoted, and Newcastle have had a loan bid rejected for Armand Traore one of our young players because he “is not ready to play Premiership football week-in, week-out”.
But back to today’s result, I hope as much as anyone that there’s a big bottle of wine on Arsene’s desk Monday morning, signed “Jose”.
January 20th, 2007
Emmanuel Adebayor is in discussions over a new contract that will secure his Arsenal future possibly up until 2012. He’s expected to double his money from £20,000 to £40,000 p/week, putting him on a par with the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie.
However, a conversation with arseblogger yesterday raised the point: why give him a new deal now? He still has over two years to run on his current deal, and surely a wage hike could be used as a carrot to get even better performances out of the Togolese. Regardless, I hope he stays and that he gets what he deserves. His chances of starting on Sunday, however, have been slightly reduced by the news that Robin van Persie has an “80% chance” of being fit.
Arsene Wenger and Lauren have been speaking about the latters departure. I’d say more, but a) it still hurts, and b) I have a terrible headache.
Cesc Fabregas (the ice-hockey player) and Thierry Henry have been named in the UEFA Team of the Year. When you consider that Steven Gerrard was the only other English-based player selected, it’s a real accolade.
In my dream, we were playing Man U twice in the same day, so had to use the squad rather cleverly. Van Persie played in the first game as we won 3-0. Then I woke up.
January 19th, 2007
When Laureno Bisan-Etame Mayer came here from Mallorca as an attacking wing-back in May 2000, no-one would’ve thought he’d go on to become one of the most consistent full-backs in English football. However, persistence paid off, and the former Cameroon international became part of a defence that won two titles and three FA Cups. Moreover, he became an Arsenal folk hero: his icy stare and even cooler penalties contributing to his reputation as a hard-nut warrior.
He was a critical part of the Invincibles side, and was voted as the league’s best right-back in that year. He continued to be our “Mr. Reliable”, holding off the challenge of new arrival Emmanuel Eboue and improving his positioning with every game. That is, until January 2006. For months, Ralph had been playing through the pain. After the defeat in the second leg of the Carling Cup semi-final with Wigan, Lauren’s knee could take no more punishment, and he was forced to undergo an operation on a career-threatening injury.
Whilst Ralph missed the final game at Highbury, and the Champions League final, Emmanuel Eboue excelled in his absence. Over the summer, things got even worse, and it began to look as if Lauren’s career, not just at Arsenal but in football, might be over. However, his dedication and determination saw him come back from the brink, and in January of this year, fully one year on from his operation, Lauren was declared fit.
However, Lauren would never play for Arsenal again. He featured on the bench in the defeat to Sheffield United, but his last game for the club remains that Wigan date back in January 2006. Yesterday, he signed for Portsmouth for an undisclosed fee, confirming that he will never represent Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Upon leaving, he said:
“I have made many great friends and have many wonderful memories from the years I have spent at Arsenal. I have enjoyed great success with the Club and I am very grateful to Arsène Wenger, my team mates and all the fantastic Arsenal fans for their support. The fans have been brilliant. Of course I am sad to be leaving Arsenal, but am I am very much looking forward to a new challenge at Portsmouth.”
I’m as sad to see him leave as he is to go. Portsmouth is a decent club for him though: they are in the top half of the table, and he’ll be joining Campbell and Kanu at the unofficial Arsenal retirement home.
And some people will say we were right to let him go, I’m sure. They’ll say that he wouldn’t have been the same player after his injury. And they might be right. But they might not. Personally, I hope Lauren comes back as strong as ever and proves the doubters wrong. A lot of the time “Arsene knows”, but even he is not omnipotent. Neither Emmanuel Eboue nor Justin Hoyte have convinced me that they are the long-term solution at right-back: I was one of those clamouring for Lauren to come back into the side. Surely he should have been given a chance to prove himself where the only true test lies: out on the pitch. Perhaps it was right to let him go, but I remain unconvinced, and have a sneaking suspicion this one could come back to haunt us.
Still, we wish you all the best, Ralph. And here’s a happy memory or two for those of you who will miss him as much as me.
January 18th, 2007
A: Not Robin van Persie, who has picked up a knock in training that seems likely to rule him out of Sunday’s megamatch. That makes it more than likely that Emmanuel Adebayor will get the nod, with Arsene surely reluctant to throw Baptista into a match as big as this one.
The Sun today links Jeremie Aliadiere with Middlesbrough (again) and Lauren with Portsmouth. When you consider that Van Persie is probably out and Aliadiere still has no chance of playing on Sunday, it’s probably best for him that he moves on. At 23, fifth choice is no longer good enough. And as for Lauren, I’d much rather see him in the top half at Portsmouth with Adams, Campbell, and Kanu than at doomed West Ham.
Mark Randall lashed in Rui Fonte’s low cross to give Arsenal and FA Youth Cup 4th Round win at Hull’s impressive KC Stadium. With the likes of Szczesny, Merida, Barazite, Randall, and Armand Traore in the side, we must have a good chance of going far.
Finally, Happy 40th Anniversary at Arsenal to Pat Rice. A true Arsenal man, who seems genuinely likeable – throughout Arsene’s reign, he has provided a valuable link with the past. Here’s to 40 more years.
January 17th, 2007
Ahead of Sunday’s clash with Manchester United, Arsene has a rather nice selection poser regarding who ought to play upfront. One would imagine that skipper Thierry Henry is guaranteed to start, and that Jeremie Aliadiere is unlikely to get a game, but beyond that it’s anybody’s guess.
Julio Baptista‘s four goal haul at Anfield was mightily impressive, but he didn’t even get on the field during the win over Blackburn. On top of that indication, Baptista (pronounced Batista, by the way), has yet to start a game alongside Henry. Although Liverpool was a great game for the Brazilian, it was just one game, and I’d be very surprised if Arsene plucked him from the substitutes bench for a game of this magnitude.
Robin van Persie is our top goalscorer this season, and in many ways the favourite to start alongside Henry. In recent games the pair have shown the first signs of developing a partnership, with the two players preferring to cut in from the left and right-hand sides respectively. Van Persie can produce something out of nothing, and in tight games like these, that can be vital. What’s more, we beat Charlton, Liverpool and Blackburn with RvP and Henry: why fix what ain’t broke?
Well, one reason might be the return of Emmanuel Adebayor. Although he looked rusty in his ten minute cameo at Ewood Park, the torrid time he gave Man U at Old Trafford shouldn’t be forgotten. Rio Ferdinand certainly hasn’t forgotten it:
“I think Adebayor is the player who has given us the most problems this season, with his movement and skill. Arsenal controlled the game against us and he was exceptional.”
Whilst Baptista is a better finisher and Van Persie has superior skill, you can guarantee that if he is selected Adebayor will cover every blade of grass. What’s more, he and Henry put together a very productive partnership last season. They’ve barely played together this term, but if they’re immediately able to recapture that form, Adebayor might be the man for job.
What do you reckon?
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