Archive for August, 2007

TTR#2: Urby Emanuelson

447 comments August 28th, 2007

Today’s Tenuous Transfer Rumour: URBY EMANUELSON

The Sunday People have got some balls.  Whenever you make up a transfer rumour, you’re going out on a limb somewhat.  But to make up that a player is on trial with a club whilst under contract to another major European side?  That’s spectacular.

How do I know they’re 100% making it up?  Well, I don’t.  But none of the major sports resources in Holland are carrying this story.  If they are, they cite The People as their source.  So nobody in Holland has noticed for themselves that Emanuelson has hopped over to England.

Perhaps that’s because on Sunday, the day the story of him being on trial was published, he started for Ajax at left-back.  Excellent journalism.

To be honest, not signing Emanuelson is no great loss.  A left-back or left-winger, he seems a bit like a poor-man’s Royston Drenthe.  I have already had one particularly harrowing experience with Emanuelson: I was playing Football Manager as Arsenal, and the club was bought out by a British billionaire.  As the transfer window drew to a close, the new Chairman demanded a star signing.  I didn’t flinch, happy with my squad, but I could not have known how drastic a step the Chairman would take to get his wish.  Despite me already have Gael Clichy, Gareth Bale, and Armand Traore, he splashed £17m on Emanuelson.  There was nothing I could do.  I was stuck with the dreadlocked fool.

If Arsene were to sign him this week, I’d have the same feeling of nausea and bemusement.

ps. We’re not getting Martins either.

TTR#1: Alvaro Recoba + Many Apologies

158 comments August 27th, 2007

And so, the final week of the transfer window is upon us. Every Arsenal fan will deal with the week in their own, unique way. Arseblogger, for example, took Saturday’s “I am not in the market for any new players” quote with the following good grace:

“If Arsene has decided that there are to be no new arrivals then that’s the end of that. There’s no point us bleating and gnashing our teeth. I think he’s taking a gamble and if we do go on a bad run you know that this is a stick that people will beat him with. I’m sure he knows that too. Let’s just accept it and move on.”

Frankly, that kind of sensible thinking just isn’t my style. So all this week, I’ll be bringing you the Tenuous Transfer Rumour series (TTR), starting today with reports today in the Italian press saying that we have a “lukewarm interest” in Uruguyuan underachiever, Alvaro Recoba. It seems incredibly unlikely: his wages are famously gross, and his levels of inconsistency even higher. But anyhow, there you have it.

Also today, I have to offer my sincere apologies for completely failing to announce the winners of the HLEB! competition. I also recieved a tonne of answers saying Barnet FC, aswell as those giving the answer I had originally intended: the team against which he scored his first competetive goal, Middlesbrough. To be fair I’ve entered both answers into the final draw, and the two winners are Damien Waugh and Sierra Williams. Congratulations, I’ll be in touch to sort out your prizes.

If you’re in England, like me, I hope you’re enjoying a lazy bank holiday. Tata for now.

Arsenal 1 – 0 Man City: Tactical Observations

744 comments August 26th, 2007

Well, another win, another three points, and as arseblogger points out, it’s our first 1-0 to the Arsenal at the new ground. That’s what matters: last year we would’ve drawn this match.

The goal came from Cesc Fabregas, who clearly enjoys scoring belters against Manchester City. If Kasper Schmeichel hadn’t saved an unusally poor Robin van Persie penalty, it could have been slightly less tense entering the last fifteen minutes.

The overriding feeling is one of positivity. Our result yesterday mirrored that of Chelsea, who overcame a Portsmouth side who, like City, created chances and defended well. Victories like this will give us momentum, inspire confidence, and allow the side to grow.

However, rather than just let everyone be merry for a day, there are a few tactical points I have an urge to point out. Some of them are specific to yesterday, and some of them are more general. Perhaps they’re things that will be addressed as the season progresses:

Do we need a gameplan?
With a manager as astute as Arsene, it’s slightly odd that our side lacks any kind of tactical identity. There seems to be no specific gameplan – no “Plan A” as regards scoring goals. In the days of The Invincibles, for example, it was a concentrated attack down the left-hand side, with Henry drifting out to support the combination of Pires and Cole. Now, I’ll grant you that a lot of those players have moved on, and to a large extent this is a new side still gelling. But that hasn’t seemed to prevent Manchester City. Sven has introduced a fluid 4-3-3/4-4-1-1 system whereby Hamman holds as Johnson and Ireland look to play in the wide threats of Elano and Petrov. It’s simple, but effective. Perhaps Arsene feels that with the talented players he has at his disposal, no strict tactical plan is neccessary. But the result of that is that too much pressure is heaped on individuals. Our current tactic appears to be, “Give it to Cesc”. Perhaps our young players would benefit from a degree of tactical adherence? Just something to think about.

Is Robin van Persie too selfish?
I can’t believe I’m asking this question of a player in an Arsenal side with a tendency to try and pass the ball into the net. But at times yesterday, Van Persie seemed to completely ignore his strike partner, Emmanuel Adebayor. I counted three opportunities when Van Persie looked to play Ade in, then checked and tried to play a one-two with Rosicky. Now, Adebayor was having a terrible game, but it seems to me that Van Persie might’ve got a little to used to being upfront on his own. If 4-4-2 is the way we’re going to go, he needs to show more awareness of his strike partner, whomever he may be.

End product doesn’t release Hleb from defensive responsibility
Congratulations to Aleksandr Hleb, who has finally started to add tangible end product to what has been, for the past year, a frustrating succession of near-misses. Yesterday he won the penalty and had a hand in the goal. In the first-half I felt he gave the ball away needlessly several times, but you can’t argue with results. However, we very nearly suffered by a real reluctance to help out the stand-in full-back, Mathieu Flamini. Martin Petrov could quite seriously have had a hatrick, and that was largely because Hleb’s failure to get back when City countered often left Flamini outnumbered. Hleb must remember that in a 4-4-2 he has more defensive responsibilites than he does playing behind the striker.

IN SUMMARY
Positives

  • Another goal from midfield
  • Gilberto and Adebayor’s return to fitness
  • Hleb’s good form going forward continues
  • A solid display from Almunia
  • The injuries to Senderos and Sagan aren’t serious

Negatives

  • Adebayor didn’t look close to his best
  • They looked like scoring on almost every counter-attack
  • We struggled to break them down

However, at the end of the day, the biggest positive of all is three points.

Man U vs. Spurs today. I hope they both lose.

Man City Team News, Arsene/Cesc Interviews

1,182 comments August 25th, 2007

And so the game against table-topping Manchester City is almost upon us. After a succession of holidays, it’ll be the first competetive game I’ve attended this season, and I’m more than a little excited.

To the right is my guess at who might line up in red-and-white. Although Rosicky and Adebayor are available, I suspect Arsene may be cautious about throwing them straight back in. I do think, however, that with Captain Gallas missing, Arsene may immediately introduce the experience and know-how of Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva.

A lot of eyes will be on Manuel Almunia in the Arsenal goal, though I’d suggest spectators divert them to the other end – without wanting to jinx us, I believe young Kasper Schmeichel to be highly indecisive and error-prone. If we can test the Dane, we could reap the rewards.

The players to watch out for are Martin Petrov and Elano, who will play on the flanks in support of Rolando Bianchi. That’s another reason to bring Gilberto back-in: both these players like to drift inside and shoot from range. Gilberto could be vital in protecting that area just outside our penalty box.

I do think we’ll beat City though. Call it a hunch. 2-1.

Arsene didn’t hold his traditional press conference yesterday as he had spent Thursday at the launch of Arsenal’s new charity, Treehouse. Henry Winter has a fascinating collection of quotes from Arsene, on subjects ranging from autism to the Olympics. It’s really worth a read. Particularly interesting is Arsene’s description of the development of a young player:

“You build the player like a house. The basis is the technique that happens before 12. If the player can play, the next floor is the physique at 14-15. Then it the tactical ability – how to use your technique and physique in the game.

The last part, the roof, is the mental side. If you have no roof, it rains in your house. How competitive are you? How motivated to do well every day? That is the final step. I believe that hunger is something you get at 18 and remains relatively stable during your life. That is decided between 18 and 20. And that decides careers.

You are not born with hunger. Roy Keane was competitive [from a young age], but why? You need to be psychoanalytical to see why. Sometimes the same adversity can have a bad effect. If you have a strong father, you can fight against him or completely lie down. Maybe Roy Keane had the first reaction, to fight the father. I don’t know.”

One player who certainly has a roof over his head is Cesc Fabregas. It’s certainly easy to forget how young he still is:

“When I scored my first goal, against Wolverhampton, I went home and celebrated by drinking a Coca-Cola and eating a Kinder Egg.”

He’s been talking about the positives behind Thierry Henry’s departure:

“Thierry is the best I’ve ever played with. There’s no doubt. But there was this other factor. He is Thierry Henry. When I came I felt I was low and he was high. It was a big difference and for a long time I was intimidated. When I had the ball I felt I had no choice but to look for him. I did this because, one, he is the best and, two, because I had the feeling I had to pass it to him. He has such a strong character that he almost made you feel this way. I needed him to say, ‘Look, you don’t always have to play the ball to me.’ Once he said that, I was free and I gave him even more assists.”

Perhaps other players, such as Hleb and Rosicky, will now experience this same freedom.

We now have three home games before we travel to Tottenham. It’s a chance to build up a head of steam that I hope we don’t neglect.

Arsenal triallist to sign for Birmingham

178 comments August 24th, 2007

A couple of days ago Gunnerblog brought you the story that Wilson Palacios, the Honduran winger, was having a trial with the club.  Well, now it seems that he’s on the verge of signing a permanent deal with Birmingham City.  Manager Steve Bruce speaks:

“I’m speaking to his agent today.  We’re trying to construct a loan deal to bring him in to have a better look until Christmas, but I don’t know if that’s possible yet.

He’s from Honduras where they call him the magician and he has 40 or 42 international caps.

Mr Wenger rang me up from Arsenal and asked if we wanted to have a look at him, because they already have seven or eight midfield players.

We’ve had a look, but it’s always difficult to judge people on two or three days so the ideal solution is if we can bring him here up until Christmas, but we have to get permission off his club.

There would be a transfer fee involved and there would have to be international clearance and we would have to go through the rigmarole of a sorting out a work permit.”

So that’s one signing that’s not going to happen.

If Bruce’s reported conversation is correct, I’m slightly concerned at Arsene feeling that “seven or eight midfielders” is somehow enough.  That’s barely two players for each position.  When you consider that some of those midfielders are about as likely to get injured as child playing on the tube tracks, it gets even worse.

Another day, another hope killed.  Whilst Palacios is evidently not a world beater, we’re fast running out of time and options before the window closes.

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