August 12th, 2008
Hello. I’m writing this from a somewhat dingy internet café in Edinburgh. As the season hurtles towards us, plenty has gone on and I haven’t been able to give much of it any attention.
The first thing worth noting is that we managed to win the Amsterdam Tournament. The first day saw us provide a stirring Emmanuel Adebayor-inspired combaack to beat Ajax, whilst on the second day a Carlos Vela goal saw a young side secure a draw with Sevilla that enabled us to win the trophy.
The tournmanet was notable for the return of Cesc Fabregas, who will probably be plunged straight into first-team action against FC Twente tomorrow. That is indicative of just how thin our squad is. In the past, a player who returned to training as late as Cesc would be eased into the season, probably not starting games until September.
However, take a glance at the squad page on the new Arsenal.com, and the season for our dependency on Cesc is suddenly illuminated. Fabregas and Denilson (all 23 league games of him) aside, we have:
- Rosicky and Diaby, two players who are injured more often than they are not
- Samir Nasri, who has never played a Premier League game
- Amaury Bischoff, who hasn’t played a competitive game in two years
- Two admittedly talented children called Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere
- Emmanuel Eboue
It’s horrifying. Granted Alex Song and Theo Walcott can both be considered auxillary midfielders, but even so. The only midfielder we can currently claim to be able to rely on is Cesc. Arsene keeps talking about bringing in “one body”, but I am not even convinced one will be enough, especially if he shares the tendency to get injured that most midfielders we buy are susceptible to.
Tomorrow night we face Twente, and Nasri and Diaby seem to be unavailable through injury. That means that our midfield will be (right to left) Eboue – Cesc – Denilson – Walcott. It’s decidedly worrying how much weaker that looks than our first-choice midfield last year.
Still, with our defence and strike force seemingly intact, we should be alright. Failing to qualify is not an option. Come on Arsenal.
August 5th, 2008
Yes, it was only a pre-season friendly. But beating Real Madrid never gets old.
Arsene picked his strongest available XI, which means that Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott started on the flanks, with Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie joining forced upfront. It was to be a day in which Adebayor was the pivotal figure, facing his detractors and netting the decisive penalty – this video of the goal is worth watching if only for the point where the foreign commentator appearas to reference the “Dudek-dance”.
Adebayor kissed the badge after his goal – a move which seemed to incense some fans. Frankly, I think it was clear from his hard-working appearance that he is determined to win back the respect of the fans, and kissing the badge was simply a symbolic way of reiterating where he sees his playing future, for now at least. His eagerness to take the penalty is indicative of the fact that he recognises the way back into the fans’ affection: goals. Long may it continue.
Jack Wilshere came on for another impressive cameo, which was swiftly followed by the news that he’ll be considered part of the first-team squad next season, and will wear the number 19. It’s been a rapid rise but Wilshere has handled the pressure every step of the way. Watching him play now is like watching Cesc Fabregas or Wayne Rooney in their mid-teens – he takes responsibility without thinking, clattering into challenges with players whose reputations and physique dwarf his own. If Wilshere continues to impress in the Amsterdam Tournament, he has every chance of being on the bench for the opening Premier League fixture against West Brom.
Updates might be slightly intermittent over the next couple of weeks but I’ll do myself. In anything big happens, I’ll dash to the nearest internet cafe and let you know…
August 3rd, 2008
15.56 Well, the teams are in, and it’s a very young line-up indeed. I can’t quite work out whose playing where – it depends whether or not it’s Kieran Gibbs or Emmanuel Eboue who reverts to full-back. Either way, Eboue will be where he ought to be: in the reserve line-up. Nicklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela will carry the teams’ attacking hopes, whilst the crowd will be excited to see new boy Aaron Ramsey and 16-year-old Jack Wilshere.
16.11 This is a game between Juve’s experience and our superior fitness and (one would hope) enthusiasm. It’s essentially a European Carling Cup tie.
16.31 It is Gibbs at left-back, as I suspected. So far we’ve looked dangerous, with Nicklas Bendtner having a couple of good early touches;
16.32 Jack Wilshere just leapt for a high ball with Momo Sissoko. I can only assume it was more in hope than expectation.
16.38 20-year old veteran Bendtner just pulled rank to take a free-kick in an excellent position. The ball will never be seen again.
16.48 The game is heating up now. Bendtner flashed a shot wide from twenty yards before a clever turn from Aaron Ramsey allowed him to hammer a shot against Buffon. Lukasz Fabianski then did well to pluck a cross from the head of David Trezeguet.
16.56 Trezeguet nods in but is offside. Fabianski worries me, you know. Doesn’t seem to come for crosses with enough conviction.
16.57 Emmanuel Eboue is rubbish.
16.58 This time it is a goal. Iaquinta’s free-kick reaches Trezeguet, who appears to be offside but diverts the ball in. 1-0. Against the run of play, to be honest.
17.05 I quite like Gibbs as a left-back. He seems to have more of a natural defensive instinct than, say, Armand Traore. Or anyone called Hoyte.
17.09 Half-time. The kids have acquitted themselves well – a fact reinforced by Sky Sports’ Jeff Stelling, who says “Arsenal are in danger of being mugged by The Old Lady”. Top presenteration.
17.23 Diaby, Gallas, and Adebayor are coming on for the second half for Vela, Senderos, and Ramsey. I am fairly sure I heard Adebayor roundly booed by the fans when his name was read out before kick-off. I really don’t think that’s neccessary. Anyhow, I’m most intrigued to see how Diaby manages on a rare appearance in central midfield.
17.24 Bendtner heads wide from a good Wilshere cross. Adebayor is being booed. Hm.
17.28 The boos are coming from a minority. That’s a relief to me. If he’s staying we need to move on. Good start to the second half from Arsenal.
17.31 Johan Djorou just obliterated Chiellini with a hilariously late challenge. Fortunately, the ref saw fit to play advantage.
17.32 Some clever interplay got Hoyte in on the right hand side, but his cross just eluded Denilson, who was probably offside anyway. Not that it seems to matter to this linesman.
17.33 Alan Smith was just talking about how everyone regards Theo Walcott as a future striker. Perhaps I’m alone in this but I’m increasingly convinced he will end up on the wing…
17.35 The ease with which Wilshere has stepped up to this level is extraordinary.
17.35 Why does Eboue ever shoot? Does he think he might score? Maybe he thought by not passing to Adebayor he could endear himself to the fans. Nasri, Sagna and Walcott are about to come on. I have such high hopes for our new number 8. Praying for another Pires. No pressure there, then.
17.37 It’s good to see Djourou fit and taking a full part in pre-season. Fabianski is terrifying.
17.38 Walcott, Nasri and Sagna replace Eboue, Hoyte, and Wilshere. Only Almunia, Toure, Clichy, Fabregas, and van Persie now missing from what’s probably our strongest XI.
17.42 Bacary Sagna just looped a cross to the far post and Adebayor rose high but could not power the header past Buffon. The way the supporters roared as he went up is indicative of the fact that what happens on the pitch will always hold more sway over fans than anything else. Thank God.
17.47 Neat pass from Adebayor played Walcott in but he could find the onrushing Samir Nasri. Perhaps a shot would’ve been a better option. Walcott is truly an Arsenal player, then.
17.50 Just noticed that William Gallas has removed his mohican. And, seemingly, attached it to Henry Lansbury’s head whilst the teenage midfielder slept.
17.54 A cross-shot from Bendtner forces Buffon into an awkward palm away. Fifteen minutes to turn this round…
17.55 Nasri and Walcott have swapped flanks. Nasri probably needs to learn to keep it simple. Or, as the French say: “simple”.
17.58 Adebayor and Bendtner combine well but the African volleys over.Â
18.09 In the last minute, Adebayor bends an effort just wide. It’s now full-time, and after the first day of the tournament, Arsenal are bottom.
—
Arsene’s thoughts here. The Guns will hopefully be fixed soon.
August 2nd, 2008
That is my immediate reaction to the news that the big man is staying. Perhaps the most surprising thing about that story is that someone was actually able to transcribe an interview with the machine gun-mouthed forward.
It’s looked for some time now that both Milan and Barcelona’s interest in Ade was waning, and that he might be forced to return to Arsenal with his proverbial tail between his long legs. Now, with fears that Adebayor could be booed at tomorrow’s Emirates Cup, the club have decided to announced that he will sign a new deal (expected to expire in 2013) within days. Arsene Wenger is hoping the supporters will be forgiving:
“What is very damaging sometimes is that the player gets bad publicity against his own fans for things he has not said. That is sometimes difficult to repair. There is disappointment from the fans because they feel the player wants to go. But all I can say is that when I was face-to-face with him he always said his priority was to stay at the Club. And I told him that he has got his priorities right.â€
Adebayor has caused an awful lot of trouble this Summer. It’s impossible to say whether or not the stories originated from the player, his agent, or the clubs trying to win his signature. But what we can say for certain is that he was offered a huge wage hike by both Barcelona and AC Milan, and used it to try and push Arsenal into offering him equivalent terms. When the interest dropped away, Adebayor was left in limbo, and has probably now accepted a much smaller wage rise than he originally demanded.
We’ll never know if he wanted to leave the club, or was just part of the most clumsy contract negotiations in recent memory. What we do now know is that he’s staying, and from a footballing perspective, I think it’s a good thing. Adebayor was absolutely vital to our relative success last season, and I believe we’re better off with him than many of the potential replacements mentioned, such as Santa Cruz.
I think the fans will forgive Adebayor if he shows the same dedication on the pitch as he has until this point in his Arsenal career. If he doesn’t, it’ll be a different story entirely. The ball is now firmly in his court.
So Adebayor will stay, and William Gallas will remain as club captain. I would not be surprised to see Cesc Fabregas appointed as his Vice ahead of Kolo Toure – whilst Kolo is a loyal servant, Cesc is the more natural leader and obvious successor to Gallas.
Today we play Juventus ahead of tomorrow’s tie with Real Madrid. Both are very glamorous fixtures and could tell us plenty about how our new-look side, featuring the exciting Samir Nasri, could fare this season. Proper football is creeping ever closer…
