Aussie goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has spoken up for the first time on his possible move to Arsenal:
“I need it to happen.
I’ve had a couple of chats with Mark [Hughes]. It’s delicately poised.
Who wouldn’t be keen to go to Arsenal? At this stage in my career it’s an amazing opportunity to play at that level and one I really want to take.
It’s taken a long time and the season’s very close. On one hand you understand them not wanting to disrupt too many things but I want things resolved as quickly as possible.
Only time will tell whether that happens or not.”
It’s clear why Schwarzer is so keen for the move to go through. He’s had something of a journeyman European career, moving from Dynamo Dresden then Kaiserslauten to Bradford City, on to Middlesbrough and finally Fulham. At 37 years of age, this is the first and last time the opportunity to be number one at a Champions League club has presented itself. He simply has to take this chance.
The truth is, however, that Arsenal need Schwarzer just as much as he needs them. Our goalkeeping situation is an embarrassment – the most able of the four we have on the books, Manuel Almunia, appears to be frozen out of the first-team picture. The man edging ahead of him in the queue, Lukasz Fabianski, is becoming the most ridiculed thing to come out of Poland since their toilet paper made of crepe. Signing Schwarzer would put a seal on things: he’d be the undisputed number one, probably for the next two years.
I do have an underlying concern, however: I hope Schwarzer has clarified that Arsenal are still interested before making those statements about his future. Early in the summer we made an enquiry to Fulham and were swiftly rebuffed. Since then, Arsene has persisted with Fabianski and publicly talked up the abilities of the four goalkeepers on the books. There is a dark, demonic part of me that suspects the manager may no longer feel Schwarzer’s signing is necessary. I cannot tell you how wrong I think he’d be, were that the case.
On to the weekend’s opening fixture at Anfield. The latest team news is not particularly promising: Johan Djourou is out, meaning we have no choice but to throw Laurent Koscielny in to a Premier League debut. Our lack of depth at centre-half is exposed by the fact that the inexperienced Havard Nordtveit is now next in line.
In midfield, Alex Song is out of contention, whilst Denilson and Diaby require fitness tests. Of that pair, Diaby seems more likely to be involved, having taken a full part in training for most of the week. A decision is still to be made on Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie.
Come out from behind the sofa. Take your hands away from your ears. Take the telly off mute, and turn your mobile phone back on. International week is over. And I think we survived.
Arsenal.com are worryingly quiet this morning, as if they half-expect to receive news that Marouane Chamakh was accidentally sawn in half during Morocco’s friendly with Equatorial Guinea. But, for now at least, it does appear as if the 12 players we had away on International duty have come through unscathed. Somebody call the Pope: this definitely qualifies as a miracle.
I was at Wembley last night, where I saw three Arsenal players in action for England. Theo Walcott started on the right of a 4-3-3 and was very impressive. I find Theo a frustrating player to watch, but last night he was direct, efficient, and effective. He looked like a player with a point to make. Let’s hope he keeps it up.
Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere both made their debuts, and looked composed. It’s a big season for both players, who’ll be looking to make the breakthrough both at club and international level. Gibbs played the entire second half as a replacement for Ashley Cole, while Wilshere was only afforded a ten minute cameo at the end of the game due to illness. Fabio Capello said:
“Jack Wilshere didn’t play much because last night he was at the hospital. He had some problems, some big pain. He returned from the hospital at 5am. That is the only reason he played 10 minutes. The doctors said that he could play not a lot in the game.”
Apparently Wilshere was rushed in to hospital with suspected appendicitis. Those fears swiftly subsided, however, when Wilshere remembered he’d already had it out.
Worryingly, Arsene mentioned Jack complaining of stomach pain when we travelled to play Warsaw. Here’s hoping he recovers in time for Sunday’s game at Anfield, where he’s due to start.
Skipper Cesc Fabregas played 45 minutes for Spain in Mexico. Assuming he gets back to England in good time, I’d have to imagine he’s in contention for a starting spot at Anfield. Going with Wilshere and Frimpong, two 18-year olds who have never started a league game for us, would be one hell of a gamble.
Transfer News
Dutch attacker Nacer Barazite played 77 minutes last night against Glentoran in a trial with Glasgow Rangers. Barazite has always looked to have every ingredient a top player requires: skill, strength, size and awareness. He’s flattered to deceive in a few pre-season games, but never made an impact at first-team level. I imagine a loan move away would be the beginning of the end of his Arsenal career.
A few rumours today suggest Mark Schwarzer is due to hand in a transfer request at Fulham in person, after his emailed demand for a move ended up in Mark Hughes’ spam folder. If Arsenal are to make any signings between now and the end of the window, I expect them to arrive right at the last minute. It’s going to be tense.
“I haven’t joined City to sit on the bench. I’ve gone there to play. If that’s not the case, I’ll sit down on Monday with the club and see where I can go after that. The manager hasn’t picked the team yet and he hasn’t spoken to me. It’s not ideal. You want to know mentally whether you’re starting.”
When asked about the possibility of a move to London, he said:
“To discuss now would be a little disrespectful to the goalkeepers they have already. Arsenal are a fantastic club, it’s just too soon.”
You can be as disrespectful as you like, Shay. The goalies we have are pretty much rubbish.
The message is clear: if he’s not in the team this week, he could well look to move before the end of the window. I still find it hard to believe City would let him join a rival, but Given is 34 and is desperate to play. It is possible his belligerence could force through a move. This is certainly one to keep an eye on.
“We’ve given up on the idea of him arriving now, but maybe he’ll come in January when Arsenal are out of the Premier League title race. Their team are just not competitive.”
Regardless of our league position, Cesc won’t be leaving in January. I’d go so far as to guarantee it. And as for whether or not we’ll be competitive, time will tell. You have to say, though – Xavi’s really putting himself out there. He keeps declaring his love for Cesc without audible reciprocation. Look at Cesc’s face in this photo. He’s grimacing. It’s an unhealthy obsession and it has to stop.
The longer Arsenal go without making the signings they need, the more outlandish the rumours will become. Today’s Daily Mirror has taken the proverbial biscuit and dipped it in the tea of fiction, claiming that Arsenal, having been rebuffed in an attempt to snare Joe Hart, are set to ask Manchester City if they can have Shay Given on loan. It’s an “Exclusive”. I’m not surprised. No-one else would print such nonsense.
Why would Manchester City let either of their goalkeepers join one of their biggest rivals? Simple answer: they wouldn’t. A loan deal makes even less sense, as they wouldn’t have the consolation of a fee.
Arsenal desperately need a goalkeeper. Watching Lukasz Fabianski against Legia Warsaw provided a stark reminder of that. But they won’t be able to pinch one on the cheap from their closest rivals. At this rate, I expect The Mirror to run with another ‘Exclusive’ tomorrow saying that we’ve asked Chelsea if we can swap some panini stickers and a Twix for Petr Cech. It’s precisely these factors that make a move for Liverpool’s Pepe Reina all the more unlikely – though, as I said on Saturday, he would jump at the chance to join us.
We’re also on the look-out for a centre-back, and German international Serdar Tasci seems more than willing to step in to the breach. Whether or not he’s any good, or even realistically on our radar, remains to be seen.
Arsene Wenger says he will assess the fitness of Fabregas and Van Persie on the Friday before the Liverpool game. RVP would be useful, but we can cope without him – we’re used it. However, I’m hoping that one of Cesc, Song, Denilson and Diaby will be fit and ready to go – starting that game with the teenage pair of Wilshere and Frimpong in midfield is a little terrifying, however good they’ve been in pre-season.
The dreaded international week is now upon us. Expect all our players to return lame or dead.
Well, the problem is not scoring goals. But then we knew that.
I haven’t yet seen an interview with Arsene. After coming back from 3-0 down to win our final friendly of pre-season, once imagines he was delighted to be given a chance to talk about our “great mental strength” rather than our “shit goalkeeper”.
In fact, our entire defence was a shambles. Even the more reliable members of the back four, like Vermaelen, seemed to be struggling under the weight of responsibility. And before anyone says, “it was only a friendly”: we play Liverpool in seven days time. We need to be ready now.
The goals we conceded were all fairly disastrous. I can’t go through them all individually – there were simply too many. Have a look for yourselves:
On his return to his former club, Lukasz Fabianski put in a trademark terrible display. For Warsaw’s second goal, he charged out to collect a corner, tripping over Thomas Vermaelen’s leg on the way. Not to be outdone, Laurent Koscielny then sliced the dropping ball in to his own net. It was absolutely calamitous.
We went 3-0 down, and at that stage I really just wanted us to get hammered. I wanted Arsene to have to stare a horrific scoreline in the face and admit that our defensive unit is not good enough. We are crying out for a goalkeeper and a centre-half of quality and experience. Without them, we will not win a thing this season. Not only that, but our place in the top four could come under threat.
As it was, we came back strongly, and the six we scored all had their merit. Marouane Chamakh headed a brave first, before substitute Emmanuel Eboue added an impressive brace. Eboue replaced the anonymous Walcott at half-time, and was a significant improvement. My patience with Theo is wearing increasingly thin.
The bionic left-foot of Kieran Gibbs hammered in the fourth, before Jay Emmanuel Thomas crept in behind the back four to fire home. Samir Nasri’s free-kick ricocheted through the Fabianski impersonator in the Warsaw goal for what would ultimately prove the winner.
Despite racking up the goals, we were still a mess at the back. There were other problems too – as well as Theo Walcott’s disappearing act, Jack Wilshere and Emmanuel Frimpong were overrun in midfield. Of the starting XI, only Nasri and Chamakh came out of the game with any real credit. And barring Andrey Arshavin, who was rested with a groin strain, this could well be the XI that begins at Anfield. Worrying indeed.
There was some good news yesterday as the trio of Walcott, Gibbs and Wilshere received a call-up to the England squad. It’s a first senior call-up for Gibbs and Wilshere, so congratulations and good luck to them. With Anfield and a first Premier League start for Arsenal looming on Saturday, it could be a big week for Jack The Lad.
“I am at the stage where if I extend my contract, it means I will finish my career at club level at Arsenal. If I go for a different challenge – I have been offered many challenges, you know – it has to be now. That’s a decision I have to make. But basically, I have no desire to change from here.”
Personally I think he’ll elect to stay, but it may depend on how this season goes. I think he might leave it late in to the season before making a decision.
